To Shampoo the morning felt… strange. Strange and yet, it also felt nice. She had woken up a little earlier so that she could prepare breakfast for her and her… boyfriend, just as she had promised him the night before.
'No, not boyfriend,' she thought and sighed as she stared at the food she had already placed on small containers. Mousse was not just her boyfriend. He was her fiancé, the man who had earned her hand in marriage. The thought, which she believed would trouble her for days, had melted away last night after their first (wonderful) kiss, and she had now discovered that she actually liked him, maybe more than what she imagined she did.
'It's because I spent more time with him when we were traveling around the region,' Shampoo reflected while placing the food on a small and easy to carry wooden box. 'I finally got to know him better, and that changed everything.'
She wondered for a moment what would have happened if that fake woman Ranma had been a man when he challenged her and shuddered at the thought. The mere idea of being engaged to such a dishonorable man who used a Jusenkyo curse for personal benefit made her feel sick. No, better not to think of that; she had other things to worry about and Ranma was not one of them. The Musk Dynasty on the other hand…
'We'll survive a war with them,' she swore, her hands resting on top of the box. She felt then something warm fall on her wrist, a tear she realized as she brought her hand to dry the wet trail it had left on her face. 'I don't want to lose you, Mousse… not now that we finally are together… we must survive, we have to!'
Fearing she would crack into tears if she moved, Shampoo simply stood there in silence, trying to push the dread she felt down for several minutes until she decided she was back in control. And much to her surprise, the thought that helped her defeat her fears was the simple, ordinary image of eating breakfast with Mousse.
"I… I must hurry, or we won't be able to eat anything before we start training," she whispered, taking the box as she walked out of her house. By the time she was walking down the street towards the training grounds, the girl was wondering, for the first time, actually, if Mousse would like her cooking; it was funny, she realized, how she always assumed he enjoyed it before.
…
"Did you like it?" Shampoo asked as she placed her chopsticks over her empty plate. She and Mousse were sitting behind a house, resting on the grass and enjoying the fresh morning breeze that ran through the alley. "I… I mean, maybe you didn't?"
"I don't normally have meat for breakfast," he said after he finished his food, turning to smile at her. "But I liked it, your cooking has always been great!"
"I'm glad," she told him, smiling back. She hesitated for a moment, still feeling a little uncertain on how to act near him now that they were engaged before leaning on his side, resting her head on his chest.
"This is nice," he said, bringing his arm around her shoulders so he could hold her, enjoying the way her body pressed against his.
"Yes, it is…" Shampoo sighed. "Too nice, Mousse… I could get used to this."
He didn't answer immediately, instead, bringing his hand up to softly caress her face, slowly tracing the line of her lips with his thumb. This change in her, to know that she was letting him touch her like this… he still had trouble believing it, and he feared he would wake up to find it all to be a beautiful dream.
"And to me?"
"…I think I could get used to you, too," she said, leaning on his chest, letting his arms envelop her fully. "Mousse?"
"Yes?"
"I… when the Musk captured us," she made a pause and took in a deep breath, discovering that saying this was more difficult than what she imagined at first, but she had to tell him. She wanted to.
"Go on," he encouraged, running his fingers through her long, silky hair. "I'm here for you."
"I discovered that I… care," she got out with a whisper. "I care, Mousse… I care for you."
"Shampoo… that makes me so happy," he said and adjusted his glasses so he could see her, finding she was staring at him with an intensity that made him wonder if she was alright.
"Mousse, don't you understand?" She asked him, abandoning all pretenses of strength and placing her hands on his chest, her fingers closing on his robe tightly as she gathered her courage to tell him what she had found in her heart the night before. "…I like you, I care for you… I could… I think I could even love you soon and it… it frightens me. Loving you now, when war is so near… it only makes it more difficult because… what if something happens to you or me?"
"It won't," he promised, holding her tighter, trying to help her drive her fears away. "I want you to fight by my side when the time comes, I'm sure if we are together nothing bad will happen to us..."
"Do you trust me that much?" she asked, staring at him, moving a little back so she could place her hands on his shoulders and from there moving them to his face, finding that she liked touching him like this.
"With my life," he said. "And you?"
"I… I trust you with my life, too," she admitted. "Maybe… maybe if we fight together we will make it."
"We will, Shampoo, I swear we will..."
Before she could answer, Mousse brought his lips to hers and kissed her gently, softly, using this contact to give her confidence, to let her know he would protect her no matter what. That they would survive the war and build a future afterward.
…
Cologne closed her eyes in thought and stood still for a moment. She had meant to call Shampoo at once, but the children's conversation captured her attention so instead of interrupting, she devoted a few minutes to listen to their conversation.
'Amusing how our current situation forced those two to grow up,' the elder thought as she examined her old cane, finding it interesting what the threat of war had done to both her great-granddaughter and her beau. She had honestly not expected them to suddenly become mature enough to deal with both their nascent relationship and the upcoming battle like this; they were, in fact, handling it much better than many of the other teenagers in the village. 'I knew we raised Shampoo well, but I suppose I have to give credit to the boy's family as well for bringing him up right...'
Those thoughts brought back memories of someone, however, an old friend Cologne had not thought about in many years. She sighed and wondered what she was doing now, and even felt a little bit of sadness because she was not here to see how well Mousse and Shampoo had grown. But she had chosen her path, and it could not be changed.
'Perhaps I'll tell her about this someday,' the old amazon mused. She then waited a little more to give the two teenagers a moment more to enjoy themselves and when she considered it had been enough, she entered the alley and said:
"So this is where you were. Are you two planning on cutting your training short today?"
Cologne had to stifle a laugh at the way Shampoo and Mousse stiffened. They obviously thought this backstreet was some deep secret place where nobody would find them and were now both blushing deeply, even if they had not been kissing when the old woman decided to walk in on them.
'I guess even if they're more mature now, that they're still children in many ways,' the old woman thought with a smirk.
"Great-grandmother," Shampoo said, quickly jumping back to her feet and standing very still, hoping Mousse would follow her lead. Luckily, her boyfriend did, more or less at the same time.
"Cologne," Mousse greeted with a nod, also standing up but not with the same urgency as Shampoo had. "We were about to go to the training grounds."
"It's… it's not as if we were meeting in secret or anything!" the blue-haired girl blurted out then, feeling suddenly nervous as she remembered she had not yet told anyone in her family about her engagement with Mousse. She now feared they would not approve.
"I saw you two fight yesterday," Cologne revealed. "I know you two are now engaged."
"You… you do?" Shampoo asked, trying to decide if this was good or bad and settling on waiting to hear what her great-grandmother's verdict on their relationship was. Still standing by her side, Mousse also decided to wait in silence.
"You should have told the family last night," the old amazon chided, then chuckled and rested her cane on her shoulder, sending a knowing glance at her granddaughter. "Don't worry, I'm not against it."
"You… aren't?" Mousse said, having trouble believing what he'd just heard. "But I thought you…"
"No, I am not," Cologne interrupted. "After thinking about this I've decided you are not a bad prospect. You proved you are responsible and reliable during your recent expedition with Shampoo, and from what I've seen I must admit you're the strongest man your age currently living in our village. Besides, your great-grandmother was a respected elder, you come from a good family… I believe Shampoo couldn't have chosen someone better."
"That's… are you really letting me marry Shampoo?" he asked, still not completely believing Cologne was not against their engagement.
"If you really must know, you were not my first choice as far as martial arts skill goes," Cologne stated pointing at Mousse with the blunt end of her cane. "I was really curious about how proficient that troublesome Ranma Saotome child is, but things are what they are and, like I just said, I do think you are worthy of my dear Shampoo."
"I would never have agreed to marry that fake woman," Shampoo rejoined, disgusted at the mere idea of even being engaged to Ranma. "I'd rather be kicked out of Joketsuzoku."
"I can see that, child, and I am glad you and Mousse are together," the elder nodded. "But you two have a busy day ahead, so let's continue this conversation later..."
"Elder, wait," Mousse called, surprising Cologne as he hardly ever used the proper honorific when talking to her.
"Yes, boy?"
"You mentioned my great-grandmother," he observed. "I thought it was forbidden?"
"I didn't say her name, did I?" she countered.
"Cologne, do you know…?" Mousse suddenly stopped, understanding asking about his great-grandmother could cause him trouble.
"Do I know what, child?" The elder said. "Do go on."
"I'm not sure if I should, I mean…"
"Ask her, Mousse, you may not have the chance later," Shampoo encouraged, holding his hand in hers to offer him support. "It's alright, I'm sure my great-grandmother can answer your question."
Cologne's left eyebrow rose in surprise, as seeing Shampoo offering such honest support to another person was something that didn't happen often. Perhaps, then, she really did have feelings for this boy beyond the mere obligation of losing to him in battle had placed on her. Well, if anything this could be a source of strength for the girl, so the elder decided it would be best to simply be happy for the two.
"If I know the answer," the old woman corrected. "Ask, Mousse. You are Shampoo's groom so I will do my best to help."
"Very well," the short-sighted teen said and breathed in deeply. "Do you know why my great-grandmother was exiled?"
"I do. But I cannot tell you why Lotion was banished from Joketsuzoku..."
"Please tell him, great-grandmother," Shampoo said, stepping forward kneeling in front of the elder, her hands resting on her knees and her face low. "I know we're asking you to break an oath of silence, but… please, consider it a favor to me if you must."
The old Amazon sighed, reached for her pipe and lighted it. She remained silent for a few seconds, enjoying her tobacco as she considered Shampoo's request. Mousse knelt down next her great-granddaughter during her silence, and both children were now staring at her with hopeful eyes. Moved by this, and impressed by the lengths Shampoo was willing to go to in order to help Mousse, the elder made her decision. Sighing again, she pointed the pipe at the teenagers and motioned for them to sit so they would be more comfortable.
"Very well, I will tell you," she raised one hand to stop the teenagers from talking, as she did not want to be interrupted during her tale. "Be quiet and listen well, as I won't talk about this again..."
Mousse and Shampoo obeyed and prepared to pay attention to the elder's words.
"It all began when Mousse's mother arrived in Joketsuzoku," Cologne started. "Your mother, my boy, came from Tong Po harbor, we hired her to be the teacher in the town's school."
Mousse gave a nod, as he was already familiar with that story. His mother was still the town's teacher after all.
"Your mother inadvertently insulted an Amazon and things escalated to the point of almost violence. The only reason your mother was not sent to the town's clinic was that your father intervened," Cologne recalled, mentioning something that Mousse didn't know. "And so, your mother was allowed to stay here, but was not recognized as a woman of Joketsuzoku and received outsider status… one year later, your father announced they would marry."
The elder made another pause to refill her pipe and then continued with the story. "Since your mother was still under punishment for insulting one of our warriors, marriage was not allowed by the council. Your father, of course, challenged this ruling. There was no convincing your father and so your great-grandmother, who was his only supporter, offered to quit the council if he was allowed to marry your mother."
The teenagers were surprised to hear that, as Shampoo knew what an elder who quit the council had to do, while Mousse had never imagined his parents had to go through so many difficulties to be together.
"All of us in the council were surprised, I personally could not believe someone would do that willingly," Cologne admitted, then continued. "The price any elder has to pay for voluntarily leaving the council is to leave the village and live the rest of their lives in isolation deep in the mountains… why? Well, it is to protect the Amazon's secrets. And yes, Lotion agreed to this. Two of us spoke in your great-grandmother's favor, and it was decided that she would be able to stay in Joketsuzoky for six years so that she could help raise any possible great-grandchildren. That is why Lotion vanished when you were but a little boy, Mousse, and why she can't come back."
"Isn't there a chance to lift this punishment?" He asked. "My great-grandmother is a master of martial arts, if we bring her back she could help us fight the Musk!"
"No, it is impossible. Unless Lotion makes a great service to the village I don't see it happening." The old woman provided. "And no, asking her to help us is not allowed, I'm sorry."
Within the confines of Dan Lo's shed where the three sore and beaten martial artists, one of which was currently bound by steel chains. Ranko and Ryoga sectioned off to the corner as they watched the green-clad brunette rested on his back. Neither spoke, they merely watched.
At several instances, the redhead and Lost Boy, whenever they'd even tried to look in the same direction they would immediately turn to look away with faint blushes on their faces. It caused Dan Lo to roll his eyes and smile, probably finding it amusing.
Ryoga finally decided to keep his eyes on Taro, but he wasn't really looking at him but rather in his direction.
"Hmm..." the wise-looking elder hummed while looking to the base form of the monster.
"Ugh…!" Taro gasped as he awoke almost as if someone had slapped him awake.
"Calm down, we don't want a fight..." Dan Lo assured as he held his hands out.
"Long as you don't give us a reason to..." Ryoga warned as he narrowed his eyes.
"And here I was hoping it was just a bad dream," Taro said and closed his eyes, a defeated man.
"You're welcome," Ranko replied in an equally as threatening tone as Ryoga's.
Taro managed to sit up and scoff off Ranko's obvious attempt at getting under his skin. "This is the first time I've ever been defeated in both of my forms..." he announced as he opened his eyes.
"Funny how that works, huh?" Ryoga added.
"As much as I hate to say this and I mean reallllly hate to say it..." Taro looked away and grit his teeth. "I can see you're both at least halfway competent martial artists."
"Now, now, let's settle down," Dan Lo held a hand out to seize Ranko and Ryoga, who had not responded well to Taro's insults. "No need to fight here..."
"Although I still despise the both of you, especially the redhaired gnat-" Taro continued and suddenly stopped as he found Ranko's fist stopped a mere inch away from his face.
"Keep testing me you creep, we're not playin' around here so-"
"Ranko, enough!" Ryoga's voice boomed as it struck Ranko's ears.
Ranko expected to see an angry expression much like her own, and prepared for an argument she turned to look over her shoulder. "He's just asking for it…!" Ranko started but lost all desire to argue when she found that Ryoga's eyes held no hostility.
Slowly, the Lost Boy shook his head, asking her not to cave.
"Attack him and you're giving him what he wants..." Dan Lo gestured to Taro as he appeared to be smirking.
Ranko blushed in embarrassment before shoving Taro on his back, taking what little satisfaction at the fact that her backing down actually got him to grumble in annoyance, 'I know it's kinda' pathetic but everything inside of me was saying! To hell with honor, I want payback!' Ranko thought with an aggressive passion as she went way over to the cabin wall.
"Let's just get straight to it then?" Dan Lo asked all those in the room, there appeared to be no objections.
"Just get on with it," the redhead urged as she crossed her arms and plopped her back against the wall. She settled on silently fuming and lowered her head a little. Sighing and feeling spent, she started to wonder if Taro's insults were losing their effectiveness or if she was just that exhausted and irritated.
"Why did you try taking these two's Corly Weed?" Dan Lo questioned as he stood above the teen.
"That's none of your business..." Taro said casually as he seemed to shrug off the question.
"He wanted to sell it in Yakusai..." Ryoga chimed in as he adjusted his position on the ground, groaning in pain as he moved.
"How about you quit meddling you-" Taro barked maliciously, clearly having little losing patience for Ryoga.
"Enough!" Dan Lo shouted with force to surprise even himself. "If money is what you're looking for then I've got a proposition for you..." the middle-aged man offered.
"As if anything you have would be of any interest to me!" Taro scoffed at the mere mention of a possible deal, feeling offended, even. "What would we be doing anyways...?" he asked with his eyes closed.
"Must really need the money..." Ryoga scoffed as he the corner of his lip curved upwards.
Snort!
Standing near him and within earshot, Ranko covered her mouth. Fighting off a case of the giggles. Both had been so caught off guard that when they checked to see if either had noticed, they both immediately looked away.
"We don't have much time, you see even before you and the other two happened by we were falling behind on schedule and even worse, our employer contacted me earlier saying most of our crew had quit after seeing you turning into a monster to fight these two yesterday," Dan Lo finished.
"Hmmm... so what?" Taro seemed to think over before shrugging.
"With a form as strong as yours I'm sure you could easily do the work of twenty men!" Dan Lo encouraged, hoping that the arrogant looking teen could find it in himself to take his offer.
"The salary of an entire construction crew...?" Ryoga questioned in disbelief. He looked at his one-time master, 'Should he actually trust that guy...?' he pondered.
"I have access to the complete payroll, if only you help me finish the bridge..." Dan Lo pushed as it seemed that he was really out of options.
Taro hadn't actually said no, to think they were expecting no... betting on someone's natural greed to help them out. To say it was bizarre would have been an understatement but really they didn't have many other options.
"Sounds like a tempting offer but I could stand to humor you..." Taro said, not actually saying yes either but clearly there was a gleam in his eye that spoke otherwise.
"My lucky day then," Dan Lo sighed contently and wiped his brow.
"You could have sold it better but at least you got his attention," Ranko commented and rolled her eyes.
"I just happen to have some free time is all," Taro spoke up, hoping to clear the air. Failing, of course.
Dan Lo opened his mouth as if he was about to add something else but found himself frozen instead. "Thank you."
"H-Hey Dan Lo are-are you sure about-" Ryoga muttered as his body shook.
"Hey! Take it easy, man!" Ranko warned as she turned around and put a hand on his shoulder.
Dan Lo smiled as he inserted a key into the lock restraining Taro, turning it.
Rattle!
Cink!
Thump!
Faster than a samurai drawing their sword in a surprise attack, Ranko and Ryoga diverted their attention away from Dan Lo and onto the hostile bandit-like cursed martial artist. Their overreactions proved unwarranted as their former attacker appeared to be stretching, and in much less pain than they were.
"First we should get you acquainted with your workspace, so please, follow me to the bridge," Dan Lo began as he pocketed the key which released Taro.
Their caution was met with a cold dismissal and a hateful gaze. Taro paid them no mind as he looked to Dan Lo and nodded his head. It seemed that Dan Lo's trust in Taro's negotiations skills paid off as he returned the nod.
"Ryoga, my boy!"
"Hm...?" Ryoga hummed as he held his hand over his chest.
"You two can stay the night here if you'd like; after all, it's thanks to you two this project still stands a chance!" Dan Lo said as he began leading Taro.
"You're welcome, I honestly couldn't have done it without you!" Ryoga called out as best as he could in his current condition.
They could see that he looked over his shoulder and gave them a warm smile, giving them a thumbs up as he and Taro made their way over to the construction site.
Ranko simply nodded, letting both Ryoga and Dan Lo have their moment...
Although something quickly became apparent to Ranko, Dan Lo and Taro were probably going to be busy given how everything turned out and here she was, alone in a cabin with the boy she had some exceptionally mixed feelings for...
"Okay... I can do this, maybe..." Ranko whispered, blushing while maintaining a stone-faced demeanor.
Later...
The flames danced as Ryoga carefully and slowly sat the teapot on the wooden stand. After sitting it down he looked to the cartons of instant ramen next to him but instead continuing with the task at hand he just stopped and stared, 'Damn it, I should have been stronger, he was still able to keep going after sleeping for a while and here I am...' Ryoga though as he fought off some pain in his shoulder, grasping it with his hand.
"I-I can stand it more when I d-don't move so much..." Ryoga muttered as he lowered his head.
Allowing his thoughts to wander back to his fight he couldn't help but feel he could have done better, he could have kept her from even needing him to save her by accident. Wallowing in despair was getting him nowhere either, Ranko was fine and they'd be back on their mission as soon as he was able.
"I can't let her go alone..." Ryoga said before raising his head and walking out of the cabin. He searched with his eyes to see the girl of his dreams kneeling by the river.
Ranko sat on her feet as she was huddled over and tossing a stone across the river; it thunked against a tree trunk before bouncing off it and landing on a pile of pebbles she had no doubt accumulated there over time.
Her audience hummed to himself with uncertainty, 'So she's just been sitting there this whole time?' Ryoga thought in dismay, preparing himself he decided he'd let fate roll the dice. Swallowing hard Ryoga felt his nervous old habits remerging to haunt him.
Each ripple made by Ranko's masterful hand were graceful and abundant, there was no doubt her hands were on a class of their own if speaking merely in terms of speed and precision, 'Guess that means I ain't the-' the redhead thought only to choke on that thought.
Gently limping his way over to her he stopped about halfway there. "I hope she's not avoiding me..." Ryoga said barely louder than a whisper. Thankfully the girl's thoughts were elsewhere, so she hadn't noticed him getting closer yet. All Ranko could think about was how effective Ryoga's attacks were against Taro's monster form, even though she did contribute in her own way, 'I couldn't even do enough to matter...' Ranko thought as she squinted her eyes, remembering how much force Ryoga's finishing blast was packing.
"You okay...?" Ryoga question as he was now just a few feet away from the fiery redhead.
Ranko's eyes widened and she felt her grip tense mid-toss, her throwing stone crashing directly into the pile and scattering it into the water. "Y-yeah! Ya' don't gotta' go sn-sneaking up on me like dat!" Ranko warned looking over her shoulder to him.
Ryoga was about to comment on the fact that he hadn't snuck up on her but decided against it, "Sorry I was just worried..."
Despite there being no sense of superiority to his words she couldn't help but scoff.
"It's nothing..." She reassured sounding spiteful. "I'm just thinking is all..." Ranko nodded only to flinch slightly as she heard his feet shuffling around.
"I think I'll join you, the breeze is kinda' refreshing..." Ryoga said as he took his seat near her, scratching his cheek with his index finger.
He had expected her to say something but alas she had remained silent. This certainly wasn't what Ryoga would call an ideal situation but at the very least he was sure she wasn't in any danger. Left to their thoughts neither said anything, all they could hear was the distant wailings of the nearby wildlife.
"Why...?" Ranko's voice questioned, piercing the silence.
"Why...?" Ryoga looked at her, confounded by her question.
"Why'd ya' have ta' go an' learn that stupid ki blast technique!" Ranko barked as she felt ready to burst. "Since when are you so much stronger than me, huh!?" she clenched her fist out in front of herself, remembering all the times she had bragged about being better only to see Ryoga had reached another level above her own.
"But Ran-"
"But nothing!" Ranko exclaimed. "All I can use is the Amaguriken while you've got the power to blow up boulders like it was nobodies business! T-That's just not-" she ranted, only to struggle to reach her conclusion.
Ryoga's face hardened as he witnessed her actually showing signs of jealousy towards his own personal growth, 'Here I thought she was thinking she hated me...' Ryoga thought as his face softened.
"That's not fair!" She exclaimed shutting her eyes and choking on her words a little.
"I did it for you, Ranko..." Ryoga spoke up, mustering all the courage he could in his current state.
Ranko's pupils shrunk as those words escaped Ryoga's mouth, feeling as though he were just trying to baby her again. "I'm not some damn princess in need of rescuing! Okay!?" She declared, punching the ground in frustration.
"Ranko, please..." Ryoga tried to intervene, adjusting his position so he could reach a hand out to her.
"I could've gotten outta' that myself before you had ta go an show off that technique of yours!" Ranko swore as she stood up and began to walk away.
In Ryoga's urgency, he neglected to take his condition into consideration so as he came to a stand his hand ended up being clutched over his chest. "Because if I hadn't something bad could've happened to you!"
For an instant, Ranko stood frozen in response to Ryoga's words. She didn't need to turn around to know what kinda' expression the Lost Boy was giving her, all she could do was find herself returning to her question from earlier.
"Why!?" Ranko forced out, whipping around as the wind blew her still untied scarlet locks.
To say Ryoga was speechless would have surely been an understatement, he looked as though he were a man stricken by the awe-inspiring beauty of a natural wonder. Even in the pale moonlight Ranko's silky red hair and sapphire blue eyes reflected it in a way that made Ryoga all the more nervous, a blush spreading across his face as he swallowed a mouthful of air and exhaled.
"Ranko, the reason I keep- I keep going out of my way is for you!" Ryoga dug deep and summoned as much courage and fond memories of the girl as he could. "And that is because... I..."
"Spit it out already!" the redhead demanded.
"Because I-I love you, Ranko… I love you," Ryoga confessed after much effort, panting simply because of how nervous he had become.
"You... what?" Ranko gasped as she took a step back, her blush quickly spreading to the point it matched the same shade Ryoga's had taken. For him to confess in such a way and so suddenly it certainly answered her question but that didn't mean she had an answer of her own to give him.
'Did he j-just say he...? S-Should I say it back or is he just...' she thought with some excitement all while fighting off a tirade of mixed feelings.
Unable to tell what she was thinking Ryoga patiently waited for her to give him her answer.
Ranko's eyes were obscured by the front of her hair as she tilted it forward. 'He said he loved me first and I did say I'd...' she thought as her mind went back to that moment of weakness as Taro's hostage. 'But wouldn't that make me look even more like some prissy little girlfriend who needs her knight in shining armor to come to saaavvvve her...!' she pondered mockingly but could do little to answer for the butterflies in her stomach.
"I did it all to rescue you..." he spoke softly as he saw how torn she looked.
"What did I just tell you!?" Ranko demanded as she got closer to him, stopping until she was at about arm's length. "I ain't some weak little girl in need of rescuing!" she shouted as her eyes began to water at the corners.
"I know you-" Ryoga started but couldn't finish.
"You got that!?" Ranko repeated as she weakly punched him in the gut.
"Omph!" Ryoga doubled over as he held his arms over his chest and dropped to his knees.
"Ryoga!" She said as she dropped to her knees following Ryoga as she put her hands on his shoulders for support.
"Guess I'm not as strong as you think... huh?" He forced a smile before squinting his eyes shut.
"You're such an idiot..." Ranko sighed deeply, closing her eyes with a small blush before helping him to his feet and walking him back over to their cabin.
…
The popping sounds of burnt wood filled the silence while the two teenagers sat on logs across the fire from one another, none daring to speak. What was there to say? Ryoga had confessed and at this point, Ranko was almost a one-hundred percent sure she was the cause of his current timidity. All she could do was to stare into her cup of noodles and hold her chopsticks silently waiting for it to cool enough for her to start eating.
It bothered her how all this tension happened because he wanted to go and talk about the one thing she wasn't sure on but had almost gone all the way with several times before. But… this time it was different than all those other cases because it was asking her to confirm her feelings.
'Why's this so hard!? I know I shouldn't think of this until my memories are back but he loves me now! And I...! And I...!' Ranko's thoughts tormented her as she struggled to find her answer.
Ryoga slurped up a stream of noodles in his mouth, a very melancholy atmosphere to him while he ate. He looked down to the murky reflection of his face in the broth of the cup. All he could do was see a man down on his luck and it upset him enough to look away from it and grit his teeth. 'I can't even find my way home! What made me think I should actually confess to a girl who's...' he thought, unsure as to what do.
Coincidentally enough Ranko happened to be looking in Ryoga's direction when he looked away from his cup, going from flustered and confused to just sad and confused. 'Look at the guy! He needs me to say sumthin' but I-I...' Ranko debated internally while trying to force her lips to say something despite not having anything to actually say.
"Err..." Ryoga seethed in pain, putting his noddles on the ground so he could place his hands over his stomach.
Ranko was no fool; she knew exactly the cause of his current pain, given where she had last hit him. 'I wonder if I was this bad before or if I've always been this bad with guys...' she ruminated on that thought for a second before standing up. 'Well, I don't know if I was, but maybe it's time to change that…'
With his mind elsewhere Ryoga failed to see Ranko approaching him from his side. 'She's probably angry at me, she's probably going to tell me how wrong it was for me to confess before she recovered her memories! What's wrong with me!? What am I even waiting for! It's not like she's gonna-'
"I'm sorry, Ryo..." Ranko whispered as she stopped next to him.
Ryoga snapped back to reality at that instant and swung his head to where the pretty redhead had just sat down. He doubted for a moment, then asked to confirm she had really said that. "Ranko, you're...?"
"Sorry for punching you like that. I didn't know what to say so I guess, I..." she said, trying to clear the air.
"Don't worry about it..." Ryoga said the strength behind his voice replaced with fear and doubt.
"Oh... I see you won't accept my apology," Ranko whispered, looking at him feeling both surprised and disappointed.
"It's not that! It was my fault, I should've never have said that!" Ryoga exclaimed, dodging her gaze.
"You're wrong!" Ranko disputed, her eyes meeting his as they came together in the center. "I didn't mind! In fact... I'm glad you did!" She breathed in deeply to steady her emotions and right after she gently reached her hand out, shyly touching him, slowly trailing her fingers across his torso, over the bruise she knew was under his shirt.
"H-hey! You don-" he tried to say only to close his eyes and tense as she rested her hand on his stomach.
"Sorry, is it still that bad...?" Ranko questioned with a softer than usual tone as when she looked up from Ryoga's midsection and into his eyes.
"It's not s-so bad anymore..." Ryoga leaned his head back a little as he swore he could feel the blood in his veins beating at the same rhythm as his heart was.
She nodded her head silently, wondering if all this intimacy with Ryoga was the reason behind her head feeling so light all of a sudden. Her hand still on his side only intensified the awkward feeling but it was not so bad now. She even enjoyed the sensations that came with touching him like this… a little at least.
'I've almost kissed the guy so many times now... w-why am I still so scared...?' Ranko couldn't find her answer, all she knew was that something inside her was holding her back, but what it was what she could only describe as a feeling a tense feeling that pulled at her in the opposite direction. She imagined this… aversion to Ryoga was nothing but her natural shyness, and she decided she didn't want to give in to it, not now.
Ryoga swallowed and breathed deeply. 'Is she into me or is she just trying to comfort me? What if I say something stupid again!?' he thought frantically as he heard Ranko sighing as if signaling she had come to terms with her thoughts.
"Have I… Have I ever told you how… lucky I am to have you, ya' big oaf...?" Ranko spoke suddenly but there was an obviously playful tone being implied.
Ryoga couldn't quite make out what she was getting at, given how her face was low and the front of her hair obscured those beautiful blue eyes of hers. He reached his hand out and put it on top of hers. She flinched a little when he did so, of course, but after a second or so she slowly relaxed.
"I'm grateful for all your help, Ryo. I really am..." Ranko said, not knowing how those words would only crank up the dial on Ryoga's stress levels.
This was it, he knew this moment had been coming for a long time now, he quickly closed his eyes and braced himself for the worst. 'She's thinking about how she can spare my feelings! Maybe I should stop her!' he thought but his fears were clouding his mind and he couldn't think on the spot.
"Wait, I-" he attempted to say, but she ignored him and continued.
"An' I-I think... I think I'm falling for you, big guy," Ranko admitted with a warm but awkward smile.
Ryoga could only hear the ringing of his own ears as the news that was relayed to his brain caused it to cease functioning momentarily. It was as if all his mind could do was to ask 'What?-what?-what?' over and over again. It was only until Ranko's fingers came into view and then snapped that Ryoga was able to return to reality.
'She… she said she's falling for me...!' he thought as if he had made an unbelievable epiphany.
"Hey, Ryo… you still there?" Ranko questioned nervously as she brought her hand down to her chest.
Ryoga's eyes widened before he smiled, looking as though he couldn't believe what he'd heard. Using the arm closest to Ranko he brought it up to slowly caress her cheek, his touch was like static as she shut her eyes. "You okay with this?"
"I-It's nice..." Ranko said and tried to temper her breathing.
'I… I can do this...! I can do this...! But I'm so anxious, it's like I don't even wanna' kiss the guy! But I do want to! And… if he didn't quit on me… I'm not gonna quit on h-him!' Ranko thought, squinting her eyes before opening them with the same kind of determination she almost exclusively reserved for training.
"Ranko..." Ryoga muttered as his smile calmed down, looking at her tenderly, hoping this moment would never end.
"Ryoga..." Ranko said in a shy whisper as she followed Ryoga's example and...
Her hand slowly went from his stomach to his chest, her hoarse breathing even more prevalent than before as she reached his neck and eventually she cupped his cheek in return. To them, there were no more Amazons, Herbalists or even the Musk Dynasty.
All there was were the two shimmering orbs of light in both of their views, the beating of two hearts in tandem. The first to go in was the Lost Boy as even he knew that if he didn't act now he may never get the courage to do so again. Closing the distance between them, he softened his expression as his mouth went slightly agape.
Her lips parted as well, although a bit more hesitantly than Ryoga's but they could feel one another's breath as they neared their mouths. Slowly and oh-so tenderly, their lips finally met.
"Mmm…"
Both teenagers moaned, surprised by the powerful sensation while they both took their first kiss, exhaling through their noses as they began to timidly explore their boundaries, pressing their lips together, moving them a little, enjoying the shift on sensations that came with each new movement. The yellow-clad teen was the first to get bold as he pulled the redhead closer to him, unable to control the need to feel her in his arms.
Ranko shook in fright when she felt him grab her so suddenly, and she instinctively placed her free hand on his chest to stop him. She appeared to be struggling as her blush was even deeper than Ryoga's, looking uncomfortable even. What was going on? She wanted him to hold her, but that something inside her that had pulled back again.
'No… there's no going back now,' she thought, staring at Ryoga's eyes and smiling to let him know everything was alright. She would not stop. These feelings she had for him… they were simply too strong, stronger than whatever small thing inside her that kept resisting them. 'And I don't wanna go back, because, Ryo and I…'
"Hold me," she begged and relaxed when he enveloped her in his arms. She brought her own up and pressed her body against his. "Mmmm… Ryoga…" she moaned as he leaned in, searching for her lips by kissing across her jawline. Soon they were kissing again, and this time she returned the kiss with the same passion she was being given.
For some time they basked in the beauty of this intimate contact, both of Ryoga's arms now on Ranko's waist as they kept exploring their limits. It wasn't too long before Ranko pulled away from the kiss, panting deeply through her nose as she basked in the pleasure she had just received; she never imagined kissing could feel so good…
'W-was that normal for me hesitate like that? Felt my skin crawling at first but soon I got into it I-I...' she thought, her braining working at a million miles per hour as she finally was able to examine her earlier hesitation.
Keeping his eyes closed the Lost Teen leaned his forehead against the redhead's, hearing her panting, he opened his eyes. He expected to see her just as blown back as he was but instead, he saw a girl who looked as though she was trying to piece some complicated puzzle together.
"Ranko? Are you al-" he questioned right before she literally leaped at him again and closed her eyes as she searched for his lips with a hunger that he never expected from her.
"Mmph...!"
Now, this kiss was certainly different from the first; it was as if Ranko's sudden sign of affection encouraged Ryoga to meet Ranko's acceptance with equal vigor. Every single instance they shared together flashed in their mind as they released all their pent up frustration into the other.
It felt much like Ryoga's first kiss with Nekoken Ranko but now both of them had that feeling, that sensation of weightlessness.
Just two feathers, drifting together in an endless paradise...
Genma was starting to wonder if escaping on his own would be necessary, he had been here for what felt like months instead of only weeks, he feared his skills were starting to deteriorate. He had practiced and meditated as best as he could in the limited space he had in his cell, even if it simply was not the same. But what truly worried him, however, was Ranma's whereabouts. Despite what others would claim Genma did love his son, and he felt deep in his gut that something bad had just happened to his child if only he knew what it had been!
The door behind him opened, and an attractive woman in her early thirties entered the room. She carried a tray with food and Genma smiled, pleased as he noticed the portions in the plates were larger than the day before. The prospect of an abundant meal helped him push his concern for Ranma to the back of his mind, if only for the moment.
"You look worried, Saotome-San," the Amazon observed as she placed the tray on the little table next to the bed. "Are you not well?"
"I am now that you've visited," he said and smiled as invitingly as he could. "Being able to spend time talking with such a charming young woman is enough to bring comfort to this old man's troubled heart..." he praised, putting a hand over his heart with his eyes closed.
"You are not old, Saotome-San," said the woman, smiling appreciatively at the flattery sent her way. "Most men in our village would be lucky to be as strong as you are at your age… I was able to bring you a little bit more food, by the way..."
"You are too good to this poor criminal," he said and bowed. "The mere fact a woman of such beauty favors me a little even if I don't deserve it is…"
The door opened again, interrupting Genma's words. The master of the Saotome School of Martial Arts froze the moment he noticed Cologne had entered the room. The Amazon, who was standing by the table, did not freeze, she instead started trembling like a leaf.
"E-elder Cologne…" she started, struggling to find words to explain her behavior.
"Leave, Basil," the elder interrupted coldly. "You and your husband will be needed in the training grounds starting tomorrow, so I suggest you go and prepare..."
"Yes... honorable one, I'll be going now," the Amazon said, quickly left the room.
Cologne paid no attention to the soldier and instead sat on the chair opposing the one Genma had been about to sit on. Once alone, she reached for a cigarette box and offered one to the man in front of her.
"Not now, thank you," Genma said unsure of taking a seat, but hoping the old woman would not be against him eating.
"Your food's getting cold," Cologne said as if reading his thoughts. "Go ahead and eat."
"Thank you," he said as he proceeded to devour his meal, but despite his obvious appetite, Genma kept an eye on the old woman, just to make sure she didn't make any sudden moves.
"Are you interested in that married Amazon?" the elder asked then. "It would be unwise of you to give her false impressions, considering her husband is one of our strongest warriors, you know?"
"I was just being friendly," Genma said, trying to sound offended while pouring some hot tea in a cup.
"Friendly or not, I recommend you leave our women alone," she advised, leveling him with a severe stare. "The last thing we need right now is a stupid, overly emotional drama queen..."
"I'll be careful," he promised, then decided to try his luck. "Your guards here in this house are all female, so that would make it difficult not to start any drama. I can't help it if women enjoy talking with me, but if you let me go…"
"Heh… the way you speak and eat reminds me of someone I met a long, long time ago," Cologne said, thinking about certain lecherous, little man from her youth. "Anyway, I am here because I thought I could offer you a deal. If you do what I ask, we could consider letting you go and forget about what your son did during our martial arts tournament..."
"And why do you think I can help you?"
"You were able to defeat several amazons as a panda, and your son has been surprisingly troublesome and crafty, and is a skilled fighter as well, from what I've heard. What I mean is, if you were able to train him so well that he's eluded us for this long, then that means you are a good teacher and we may be in need of your services..."
Genma smiled inwardly at the praise and felt a little bit calmer after hearing Cologne mention Ranma. If the kid was still giving the Amazons trouble then it meant he was doing fine out there. Perhaps that strange premonition he felt in his stomach earlier had been nothing but hunger, then?
"So Ranma keeps evading you," he declared, hoping to get more information about his child this way.
"Last time we saw your son was a while ago in the village of Yakusai, not too far from here," the elder provided. "Ranma was traveling with another young man about his age, they managed to escape us just when we thought we had them..."
Genma answered with a nod, feeling really pleased with the news and certain now that the uneasiness he felt before Basil brought him food was nothing to worry about. It surprised him that Ranma had made a friend, but in the end, that was also really convenient. If the boy had an ally then that meant he would be coming soon and besides, the boy having a friend was a good thing, it could be like his own long friendship with Soun Tendo. Yes, having a comrade to bond with could help Ranma grow as a man, something that would aid them when they eventually meet Nodoka.
"So, what do you want me to do?" he asked.
"I want you to train some of our younger fighters," the elder said. "You will share some of your techniques with us."
"Hm… I imagine this relates to the recent changes in the village?" Genma guessed as he finished his meal. "I saw that most of your teenagers are receiving different, more severe training now."
"You are quite observant, we should have kept your window closed," Cologne said then continued after a pause. "Very well, no use hiding it now. We may get attacked soon, and it pays to be prepared. So, will you do as I request?"
The Saotome master drank the last of his tea and understood he really didn't have a choice. He would have to cooperate with the amazons or risk their anger. Still, this was not a bad thing, as he would get to leave his cell, which meant an opportunity to escape. And besides, sharing some of the aerial combat techniques and moves from the Saotome School of Martial Arts with the Amazons was a very small price to pay for a breath of fresh air and a chance to flee this strange village for good; with some luck he would find his son quickly and the two could finally go to Japan.
"Very well, you have a deal," he said with a businesslike smile. "But I want to choose those I will teach."
"That can be arranged," Cologne said. "We'll start tomorrow, make sure you rest well."
And saying nothing more, the old amazon walked out of the room, locking the door behind her.
[End of Chapter 9]
[Start of Chapter 10]
Mint and Lime exited the lateral dirt road they were on and made their way to the wide stoned paved one that leads to the tall gates surrounding the imposing Musk citadel. It didn't take them long to get to the entrance and, after identifying themselves, they were quickly allowed to enter the city. The two friends were in a good mood and as they walked down the streets through the area of town where the younger men who were still single and in training lived, they could not help but remember the delicious taste of the mushroom croquettes they had earlier that morning.
"You know, Mint… I really hope we can meet Pink and Link again soon," Lime confided with a happy grin. "It's so nice to have a girlfriend!"
"Yeah, they're great, aren't they?" Mint said and smiled back as he followed Lime. "If we meet them, it'd be great to ask them to cook something else for us! Do you think they know how to bake? Bread from them would be awesome!"
"Maybe we can even get some pastries!" Lime dreamed, already imagining the flavor of the treat in his mouth.
"And maybe…" Mint lowered her voice a little. "Maybe they can let us see their breasts at last."
Lime felt his temperature raise a bit at the idea, as he completely agreed with his friend. "Not just see them but maybe even touching them!"
"I heard girls like it when you lick their chest…" Mint recalled then, scratching his head. "That's weird don't you think? I wouldn't like it."
"Yeah, but we're men...?" Lime said a bit confused because he also couldn't really see how licking somebody's chest could be nice or romantic.
The two continued chatting for a few more minutes, taking a shortcut through a few narrow streets, exchanging the occasional greeting with other teenagers they knew until they reached the end of the square on that side of the city. There, ample marble and stone stairs ascended to where the Musk Castle, home of the Dragon Clan, had been built many, many years ago. The castle always managed to impress them, and they admired it for a moment before approaching the Boar clansmen guarding the steps.
"We're here to see Prince Herb," Lime announced, turning serious.
"We've got information for him," Mint completed.
"Good. The Prince is expecting you two, he did send word that you should be returning soon, possibly with the person we're looking for," said the first guard.
"I see you're alone," interjected the other.
"That's none of your business," Mint said, crossing his arms.
"But we didn't fail, if that is what you're suggesting," Lime affirmed.
"I guess Prince Herb will determine that," the first tracker said.
"Go on, children, don't make the Prince wait," the second recommended.
Eyeing the guards with a hint of annoyance, both teenagers proceeded to climb the stairs, their joyful mood left behind as they grew more serious the closer they got to the actual castle.
A few minutes later…
Herb, sitting on his throne, listened closely as his two personal bodyguards told him about the results of their expedition. A few things grabbed his attention, but Mint and Lime had not yet touched on the subject he was most interested in, and besides, the rural dramas of the region were something he could listen to at another time.
"You can tell me about the shops in Bao later," Herb said, raising his hand to silence Mint and Lime. "Right now I want to know why you haven't mentioned anything about the ring or the thief I asked you to bring back."
"We were getting to that part," Lime said, feeling lucky he had useful information to share. "We met two girls who saw that redhead we're looking for!"
"Tell me more," Herb urged, hoping to finally listen to something helpful.
"Well, those girls told us the redhead escaped into the forest, and that she was all alone," Lime concluded, scratching the back of his head, wondering if he was forgetting anything important.
"We were going to bring the two girls we met to the castle so you could interrogate them," Mint said then. "We thought you may want to ask them other questions, but…"
"But?" Herb asked.
"We…" Lime started, then blinked, thoughtful. "I don't know, for some reason, we just… left them alone and returned here. And we were getting along, actually, I really thought they would come to the city with us."
"I think…" Mint frowned, trying to understand why they left the twins behind and not quite figuring it out. "We decided that after eating the mushroom croquettes those girls gave us… no, not then… it was after one of them clapped?"
"What do you mean?" Herb pressed, confused by what he was hearing. He spared a glance to his left, to where his advisor, Sumac, stood, but the old Wolf Clansman simply shrugged, indicating he was not sure of what his grandson was talking about.
"We mean that… after we heard the clapping we just really wanted to come back home?" Both Mint and Lime guessed.
"I don't understand you," the prince said as he stood up and started pacing in front of his bodyguards. "They clapped their hands and you simply left them there?"
"I think I can explain what happened," Sumac said then, finally approaching from where he was as he now had enough information and felt confident he knew the right answer.
"Do tell," Herb invited, crossing his arms. "Because I can't imagine what happened out there between them and those girls."
"I just need to confirm something first," the old man said and leaned forward, smelling the air around his grandson first, and then proceeded to do the same with Lime. "Just as I thought."
"What is it, grandpa?" Asked a worried Mint. "Is there something wrong with us?"
"Not really. But you and Lime ate Kairaishi mushrooms," Sumac revealed as he ran a hand over his gray hair. This discovery meant something that he had failed to consider and he hoped it didn't bring any further trouble, as the current situation was already starting to complicate beyond what he considered adequate.
"Kairaishi mushrooms?" Herb interjected, tapping his fingers over his arm. "What are they?"
"Basically, they are a species of hypnotic fungus," the wise wolf said with a sigh. "Any person who eats them has no choice but to obey whichever command they receive when they listen to a signal sound. And that sound can be anything… observe, Prince."
Not waiting for a reply, Sumac simply clapped his hands, which caused a very interesting reaction in Mint and Lime. The two teenagers stared at each other, then at Herb, and bowed in respect.
"It's time we go home," Lime announced.
"Yes, so please excuse us," Mint continued.
"We'll be in the hut we share on the training grounds!" Both friends said with a smile.
"Call us if you need us!" Lime concluded as he and Mint walked out of the throne room, leaving a sighing Sumac and a perplexed Herb behind.
"Don't think ill of those two," Sumac advised. "They were unfortunate to meet two females from Yakusai, I think. The herbalists from that village often use Kairaishi Mushrooms to escape trouble. The effects should pass soon, a couple of hours, I believe."
"I'm not angry at them," the dragon prince said, moving towards the large windows and looking out at his city. "They've been doing as best as they can… I just, well, I can't believe nobody can find Chervil, or that other redhead either."
"My lord, remember that Chervil is a member of the feline clans, and they have always been particularly good at hiding. Besides, she knows our methods; I'm afraid that we won't find her unless she wants to be found."
'Perhaps I should have been nicer to her that day…' Herb thought, thinking that his first meeting with Chervil could have indeed gone a lot better.
"I agree, the other girl shouldn't be so difficult to find, however," Sumac continued. "That she can avoid even my grandson and Lime is really something out of the ordinary."
"They did say that girl is alone now," Herb recalled. "Last we heard she was traveling with a man. A strong man at that."
"Maybe he was only taking her to Yakusai and they split afterward," the old wolf offered.
"That could be possible," the prince agreed with a nod, turning back to the throne, glancing at it with a hint of uncertainty in his eyes. "Tell me, Sumac, have my parents sent any messages?"
"No, my lord," the counselor replied, approaching the prince in case he had further questions. "I am afraid your parents have not tried to reach us yet. But you know they are not expected to return from beyond the mountains for another three months."
"That means we still have some time to recover the ring without my parents getting involved in this debacle," Herb muttered, thoughtfully looking at the painting of his parents that hung from a wall on the other end of the room. The dragon prince was a man who greatly respected tradition as his parents did, and he would not see them disappointed. He would recover the ring before they returned. 'I must find it...' Herb thought begrudgingly.
"May I suggest we send someone to Yakusai?" Sumac asked. "The girl we want may still be there for all we know, or perhaps she told someone where she would go."
"We already sent trackers there, and also to Jusenkyo, Tong Po harbor, and Joketsuzoku," Herb recalled. "They found no traces of Chervil or the other redhead."
"We could ask the Phoenix people, they…"
"You already suggested that and they would have contacted us by now if they had captured a member of the Musk Dynasty hiding in Ho'O Peak; those Bird People are exceptionally territorial," Herb added.
"Then the only places we are not covering are Bao and Shangjie," the old man said. "Shall I send someone there?"
"No, don't… I've been passive long enough, Sumac; I need to leave the castle and do something or I may start losing my patience with our people," the dragon prince declared, straightening and looking at his fists. "I'll go visit The Seven, they should know if something strange has happened in those two villages."
"Prince Herb… are you sure you want to meet with the Nekonronians?"
"I am sure, go and tell Mint and Lime to prepare my boat," Herb ordered. "We'll travel through the river up north, it's the fastest route to Seven Luck Mountain and Nekonron."
"Very well, as you wish, my prince," Sumac agreed and, bowing, walked out of the throne room.
Once alone…
Herb sat on the throne again and rested his chin on his right palm, considering the recent events as he tried to see if he was overlooking anything important. His boar trackers had successfully cornered Chervil on that farm and it all should have ended then and there, with her captured and back in the city receiving her royal induction training and with the ring safely in his hands again.
'But then that other redhead interfered and complicated everything,' the prince thought with a frown. 'Well, perhaps it's not all so bad? I'm sure I'll get the ring back eventually, and her interference did save me a trip to Jusenkyo, something I wasn't looking forward to doing...'
Herb allowed himself a small smile as he remembered he had briefly considered transforming some random forest animal into a woman and then locking her in human form with the Pail of Preservation, just so he could see a nude female body as preparation for his upcoming arranged marriage.
'But I'll get to see her naked after the wedding, so why rush things? And to think I almost did something so stupid, what an impatient fool I was being,' thinking then that this situation with the missing ring would make an interesting story someday in the future, the dragon prince managed to relax again, and wondered if The Seven would cooperate or not.
He hoped they would.
Outside…
Sumac was not pleased with the current turn of events. He was a man who preferred to bet on the side of caution, at all times and felt that involving the Nekonronians was nothing but a way to complicate things needlessly. He had the impression that the ring had not left the area formed by Jusenkyo, Yakusai, and Joketsuzoku, and believed they had to focus their efforts there.
"Not to mention The Seven are… strange," the wolf mumbled as he walked, recalling the odd, and to him very unnerving, eating habits of the people of Nekonron and the irritating air of Seven Luck Mountain.
'Hmm… I do wonder if the Amazons are doing what we asked them,' Sumac thought then. He was already about to enter the training grounds and realized they had no way to confirm if the Joketsuzoku teenagers they released delivered the message. 'Well, that can be easily fixed.'
The wolf eyed the training grounds, studying the young men practicing with the adults until he settled on two that were sparring on their own. He was familiar with them; a pair of advanced students who were progressing quickly. Thinking this could be a good training exercise, Sumac approached the teenagers.
"Fennel, Dill," the wolf called, interrupting their sparring match. "Come here, I have work for you."
"Master Sumac," the one called Fennel said as he respectfully bowed, waiting in silence for the elder to continue. Fennel wasn't very tall, perhaps only as tall as Mint, but he was stockier and his arms were slim and long, clearly very strong.
"It would be an honor to assist you," the other said, likewise bowing in front of the royal advisor. The second teen, Dill, was almost as tall as Lime, but he was as thin as a scarecrow yet he appeared to be fast and quite resilient. "What can we do for you?"
"I need you to go to the Amazon village. I want you to spy on the Amazons and confirm if they are sending people to find the redheaded thief we have an interest in," Sumac ordered in a very serious tone. "After that, you will go to Yakusai, I need to know if the herbalists are helping the Amazons and how. Now, this is very important, children, when you return, you will report to me personally, do you understand?"
Dill and Fennel nodded, knowing quite well that disobeying Sumac was not in their best interests.
"Good, go now, and try to avoid conflict if possible, I'd rather no Musk be involved in any fights before the time we gave the Amazons ends."
The teenagers nodded again and quickly made their way out of the training grounds.
'Good, it seems those kids will do a nice job,' he thought, knowing quite well that if Herb was going to leave the city for a day or two, he would need all the information necessary in order to make an adequate decision if he had to act when the prince was not present. 'Very well, now all that's left is to tell Mint and Lime they have to prepare Herb's boat.'
And far from the Musk Citadel…
Ryoga, who was following Ranko and was devoting most of his attention to keeping her in his line of sight to avoid getting lost, couldn't help but spare a thought to trying to understand the way she had been acting since they both left Dan Lo's cabin earlier that morning. She was mostly ignoring him as they walked through the forest path, and only replied to him when she absolutely had to. This puzzled him, as he didn't think he'd done anything to upset her.
'I just don't get it, what's going on with her?' he pondered and recalled everything since the night before when they went to sleep. He, of course, had let Ranko take the bed, and while he had entertained the idea of sharing it with her, in the end, he used a sleeping bag they found in a closet, it just seemed the polite thing to do. She'd been up and about first that morning, and instead of softly waking him up as he always imagined a girlfriend would, Ranko simply poked at his chest hard until he opened his eyes; when he complained about it she shrugged and stated he wouldn't wake up when she called him and asked if he'd rather she had punched him instead.
'I know she's kind of a tomboy, but I always thought girlfriends…' Ryoga blushed at the idea, he now had a girlfriend as it still felt a bit unreal. 'I thought they would be nicer to their boyfriends? I mean, we're a couple now, right? But she's not giving me any signs that she's happy about yesterday or anything, I just don't understand…'
"Ryo, where are ya going? Shanjie is this way, don't get distracted!" Ranko warned.
Freezing as he heard Ranko's voice, Ryoga blinked and looked around, noticing he had walked out of the road and was now a few steps into the forest. Scratching the back of his head and smiling nervously at the clearly annoyed redhead, he kept his eyes on her and returned to the dirt path, hoping she wouldn't get angry at him.
"Did you wanna go to da bathroom or something?" She asked once he was near her. "I swear if I hadn't looked back… why didn't ya ask me to wait a bit?"
"Sorry, I-I just thought I saw a few chickens near those trees and…" he quickly said, hoping his lie sounded convincing.
"What, Ryoga?" Ranko insisted, arms akimbo as she stared at the direction he had been going in.
"Well, you know, chicken's good to eat, right?"
"You have a point," she admitted with a nod, calming down and chuckling immediately. "But… Ryoga, I thought you've had enough of 'em after feeding Lotion's chickens. Or do ya want ta be pecked at and get covered in feathers again?" she asked, a sly smirk at the corner of her lips.
"I'd mercifully forgotten about that, thank you very much," he groaned, remembering his hard time with the old woman's annoying birds.
"Oh, but you can definitively pull that farmer look, Ryo," she said and this time openly laughed.
"I'm glad to be a source of entertainment," Ryoga mumbled as he rolled his eyes.
"Hey, at least you still have shoes!" She said and pointed at her feet, reminding him she was going barefoot. "I lost mine durin' the fight with that minotaur jackass yesterday!"
"I know that I'm sorry..."
"I mean, they were oversized and stuff, but they were mine," she sighed then and pulled at the sides of the really too large for her jacket she was currently wearing. "And I hafta also wear this dumb, ancient jacket, and it's too hot and too big and it smells like dirt and grass!" Ranko complained.
"Well, your clothes were kind of a mess…" Ryoga said, recalling how her shirt and pants were torn in several places. "And that's the only thing we found in the cabin that you could borrow."
"Yeah, but why are yer clothes fine? Not fair," she complained.
"I was lucky, that's all," Ryoga said and shrugged. He didn't know he instinctively soaked his clothes with ki, making them more durable, and even if he did, he probably wouldn't have told the pretty redhead, if only to avoid angering her over the fact he could do something like that.
"Well, send some of that luck my way, wouldja?" She huffed, suddenly remembering they didn't find anything edible in the cabin and were forced to skip breakfast as a result. "Oh well, let's move! Shangjie isn't that far now and we can get something ta eat then!"
Not waiting for a reply, Ranko turned and started walking again, though she purposefully kept her pace slow. She had already noticed Ryoga often wandered off when he was distracted, and she didn't feel like looking back every few steps to check if he was still behind her. Sure, she could maybe, kind of, hold his hand but… what if he didn't want to do the whole romantic thing so early, and, did he even want it? She wasn't exactly sure.
If she had to be honest, Ranko really didn't know what to do with the whole thing that was going on between her and Ryoga. She clearly had strong feelings for him, but she had no idea how to behave around him now that they had taken the next step in their relationship. Should they try to go back to how things were before they kissed?
'But he's so good at kissing,' she sighed, feeling her temperature rise a little as she remembered the moment he kissed her just the night before. 'I didn't think it would feel so nice…' Ranko's thoughts trailed and her inner monologue got softer.
No, she decided, she didn't want to go back to how things were before. The problem was she also didn't know how often they should get… affectionate with each other. What if he hated clingy girls? Not that she was one but what if she ended up acting like one?
'Ugh… this is making my head hurt,' Ranko thought. 'Why the heck are relationships so damn complicated?'
Thinking that maybe it would be best if she just followed the mood when they were together, the redhead moved to other things, or returned, as she once again started thinking about her clothes. It finally caught her eye that she was wearing pants and shirts several sizes bigger.
"They're too big," Ranko muttered.
"What is?" Ryoga asked, only a few steps behind her now.
"My clothes," she clarified. "They're too big for me."
"Now that you mention it… yeah, they kind of are," he agreed. "Maybe you borrowed them from someone when you were escaping from the Amazons?"
"Could be," she conceded. "Yeah, I probably did that..."
Ranko kept walking in silence after that, absentmindedly tying her hair back into a pigtail using a string she'd found in the jacket's pockets, much to Ryoga's dismay, who for an instant thought about mentioning he liked her better with her hair unbound, but Shangjie came into view then and he lost the chance to say it.
After, in the streets of Shangjie…
"Ya mind if we stop here for a bit?" Ranko asked and pointed at the same store they had visited the day before. "I think they had shoes."
"No problem, let's ask," Ryoga said. "I can buy them for you if you want."
"Nah, I still have the tip money from the time we worked at that Inn," she answered. "If you want to buy me something, make sure it's breakfast, I am hungry."
"Alright, Ranko, breakfast it is," he answered with a chuckle and followed her into Hui Qing's shop.
The merchant was surprised to see the two peculiar teenagers back so soon, as he had imagined they were on their way to Tong Po Harbor. Nonetheless, he was glad at the prospect of making the first sale of the day.
"Good morning, nice to see you again!" he greeted. "What can I do for you today?"
"Shoes," Ranko answered as she eyed the items on the shelves, hoping to find what she wanted. "I need a pair."
"Certainly, let me get some from the back, I'm sure I have ones that'll fit you," the storeowner said and went to the other room. He returned a few minutes later, finding the teenagers were now busy looking at some of his wares, the boy clearly interested in a huge Maneki-Neko he had for sale, but he doubted the teenager had enough money to afford that particular beckoning cat.
"I may come back for this one later, as a souvenir," Ryoga said, still looking at the feline statue.
"If you're interested I could offer you a discount next time," Hui Qing offered with a smile worthy of an experienced salesman. "And by the way, here are some shoes for the lady to try."
"Let me see them," Ranko said and grabbed the five boxes from the merchant's hands. She opened them to find two pairs of wooden sandals, a pair of white tennis shoes and two pairs of black martial arts slippers similar to the ones she lost. She ignored the sandals and picked up the other three pairs. "A towel, please? I need to clean a bit before I try these on."
A few minutes later…
Ranko, wearing a new pair of slippers, smiled happily as she slipped two other shoe boxes inside Ryoga's backpack. She felt glad she had managed to obtain the three pairs. She had used all her money, but getting three for the price of two was a real bargain she couldn't let pass.
"You really are something else," Ryoga said once she was again in front of him. "I didn't think you'd spend almost half an hour haggling with Mister Qing."
"Oh, can it, will ya?" she told him and punched him playfully in the shoulder. "I needed the shoes and he was game, win-win situation, get it?"
"No, I think I don't," he shrugged. Ryoga was not used to bargaining over merchandise, normally paying the price he was asked for anything he bought. "Anyway, let's go get breakfast."
"Now you're talking!" Ranko smiled, "We can…"
She stopped mid-sentence and frowned, her good mood immediately forgotten. In front of her, walking next to a slim woman in her late thirties was none other than Taro.
"What are you doing here?" Ryoga asked, feeling as surprised as the redhead.
"Why should I answer you?" Taro retorted.
The atmosphere between the three teenagers grew tense and the air itself seemed to go cold. Each of them was on guard, and ready to strike if the other made the wrong move. And then…
"Are these your friends, son?" the older woman asked with a happy tone in her voice. "You didn't tell me you finally made some friends!"
"Uh… they're…" Taro started, uncertain about what to do now that his mother believed the other two pests were more than annoyances to him. "They're some people I met yesterday, mother. They were with my boss."
"Oh, I see. They also work for Dan Lo, how nice," Taro's mother assumed, smiling at Ranko and Ryoga. "Nice to meet you, and thank you for being nice to my son; I hope you all can be friends."
"No need to thank us," Ryoga said, forcing out a smile for the kind woman in front of him, though he had no intention of being friends with Taro, or to meet him again if he could help it.
"…We could try, maybe… I guess," Ranko said just to be polite but felt like gagging at the idea of being friends with idiot prime. "So… you… live here?"
"Yes, this is our town," Taro indicated. "I came here to tell my parents about my new job; happy now, or do you two have any more questions?"
"None at all," Ryoga said. "In fact, if you would excuse us…"
"We really have to go," Ranko completed. "We have to be back home today and it's a long way."
"Of course, and please drop by if you're in town," Taro's mother said. "I'm always happy to talk with my son's friends."
The two teenagers stopped at the edge of Shangjie, a restaurant that greeted those entering the small town behind them. The two had tried to eat there, but a certain, unfortunate event prevented them from even getting a glass of water. Ryoga sighed in defeat and carefully eyed Ranko, who was literally radiating despair, and nervously cleared his throat as if to say something. The redhead heard him, huffed, and lifted her left hand while giving him a cold stare that sent chills down his spine.
"Don't. Say. A. Thing," she sentenced. "Just don't."
"But… I'm sorry," he offered. "I know you're hungry, but…"
"You forgot to bring your money, you jackass!" Ranko shouted, hitting him on the head. "And the owner didn't even let us work for some food, what's wrong with him!?"
"I can hunt something to eat on the way to the farm…" he suggested, but loud crashing and screams coming from the restaurant interrupted him.
Before Ryoga could continue, a strange, bald man came running out of the restaurant, carrying a large bowl full of something that appeared to be rice porridge. The food thief was laughing maniacally and seemed to be ready to eat the food as he escaped.
"Stop! You don't know what you're doing!" The chef yelled as he prepared to give chase.
"Maybe we oughta' help," Ryoga said.
"He's got Food!" Exclaimed Ranko, who ignored the Lost Boy's heroic suggestion, clearly being blinded by her appetite she rushed to meet the thief and kicked him far into the distance all while at the same time using her Amaguriken hand speed to grab the bowl and wolf down the cold rice soup before Ryoga could even blink. Cold soup may not have been appealing, but the redhead was so hungry she felt as if she had tasted something fit for a king. "Oh yeah, that hit the spot!"
"I don't think the chef is going to like what you just did," Ryoga observed with a sigh, noticing the cook was indeed approaching them. He prepared to excuse Ranko's behavior, but he didn't have the chance.
Because the chef stuck his hands under the redhead's jacket and squeezed her breasts.
"It's a good thing you're a girl," he said, still grabbing Ranko's chest.
This, of course, earned the man two things. One was Ryoga's fist colliding hard with the top of his skull, the other was Ranko's own impacting his chin, effectively sandwiching his head between the two angry teen's punches.
"I… think I shouldn't have done that…" the cook managed to say before falling on his back while rubbing his head with both hands.
"What's the big idea, you stinkin' perv?" Ranko screamed, preparing to kick the groper into a bloody pulp.
"You better apologize to her or you'll be sorry!" Ryoga seconded, cracking his knuckles and staring at the chef with fire in his eyes.
"I'm sorry, but I can explain, I swear!" The chef yelled, now on all fours and pressing his forehead to the ground, hoping for forgiveness. "That rice porridge was special, only women and men suffering a special condition should ever eat it, because…"
"You ate our rice!" A voice said then.
"Yeah, we saw you!" A second one stated.
"That's unforgivable!" A third raged.
"We'll punish you for that!" A fourth said, sentencing Ranko's actions.
Ryoga and Ranko blinked as they saw the ones threatening her were a quartet of very short bald men, all holding shears and razors in their hands. Confused, the redhead turned to look at Ryoga, as if she expected him to have an answer that would fix this stupid situation.
"Just who or what are these guys?" the Lost Boy asked.
"We're the Niku Men gang!" the offended quartet said. "And we've been waiting years to eat that porridge!"
"If I may…" the cook tried to say but was completely ignored.
"Prepare to suffer as we do, we'll take those crimson locks from your head!" the four little martial artists screamed then jumped at Ranko, aiming for her hair. The redhead prepared to defend but…
"Don't you dare touch her you creeps!" Ryoga screamed, dashing in and swiftly punching the four bald men into the restaurant's wall, effectively smashing the fight out of them.
"If you're all done with your useless displays of violence…" the chef rejoined, crouching next to the barely conscious Niku Men, "I do have another Dragon Whisker, and I can cook more porridge for you if you can wait for an hour or so."
"Is that true?" Asked one of the small martial artists, his eyes glimmering with hope.
"Yes, it is," the restauranteur said, then turned to look at the two teenagers, as they still had to pay for the rice porridge the girl ate but… they were nowhere to be found!
'Oh, well… I guess I'll just charge the Niku Men double the price,' he thought, knowing the four short bald men would pay anything for some more Dragon Whisker soup.
Later, far from Shangjie…
Ranko walked with a grin, still feeling quite pleased after getting a free meal out of that cheap cook. She had grabbed Ryoga by the wrist and ran for the hills the moment the chef got distracted by those four short baldies, effectively skipping on the tab. The pair were now on the road that would take them back to Lotion's farm and if nothing else happened they should be back in less than an hour.
"That wasn't right," Ryoga sighed, feeling some remorse for what the redhead did.
"Don't feel sorry," Ranko said, walking with her hands behind her head. "I stopped the thief, the chef groped me and those four creeps attacked me, I'd say some free food is almost enough compensation for all our troubles..."
"Well… when you say it like that," he took in a deep breath and shook his head. "But I still feel responsible, I'll pay him if we return to Shangjie sometime..."
The redhead stopped to look at Ryoga, finding him leaning on a tree, staring at the road and apparently deep in thought. He seemed a little down, and she felt a bit sorry for him. Sighing, she got close to him and tried to think of a way to make him feel better. Once she was close enough, she couldn't help staring at him. Ryoga was handsome, at least she was convinced he was, but she definitively liked him more when he was happy.
'I wanna see that smile of yours, Ryo…' she thought, thinking about the way his fangs peeked out when he smiled. 'How can I get you to smile for me, big guy... maybe if I…?'
With a playful smirk, Ranko walked up to Ryoga and once she was next to him, she went on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his cheek, enjoying the surprised look on his face after the quick kiss she gave him.
"Ranko?" He gasped, hand on his face, blushing fiercely.
"You're really noble, Ryo. I like it when you're noble," she whispered at him. "And you were kind of cool when you defeated those four bald morons, too..."
"I… I was?" Ryoga asked, stammering.
"Yes, and…" she said with a nod, then she smiled and winked at him. "…I may let you kiss me again later, once we're back home, kay?"
Saying nothing more, Ranko started walking again, moving her hips alluringly side to side. Blinking once, then twice, Ryoga understood she was waiting for him to catch up, or at least he hoped that's what she wanted. Deciding to chance it, he rushed until he was walking by her side, and noticed her hand was open, and slightly in his direction.
'Her hand… does that mean?' taking in a deep breath, Ryoga shyly reached for it, and she quickly intertwined her fingers with his.
"Took ya a while to figure out," she said with a smile. "But this is nice, right?" she asked as her voice seemed a bit more gentle than usual.
"Yes… yes, it is." He told her, returning the smile. He didn't say anything after that; he felt it was not necessary. All Ryoga did as they walked together, was simply enjoy the warm feeling of her hand in his...