DaisukiFox: Please consider checking our my original fiction! If you love Gender Bending and romantic comedy with martial arts then this story should be right up your alley!
Back in the Amazon village...
Scaling the walls with his back pressed against them, the father of the Saotome prodigy sidled his way over to the entrance. He stopped as he was only a few steps away from his chance at freedom, inspecting his pathway he made sure that no one was watching him.
'Once I'm out of here, I'll need to find the boy somehow,' Genma thought as he continued to close the distance between him and his exit and once he was sure the tower guard nearby wasn't looking, he attempted his daring escape!
Too bad for him, on the other side was Cologne's cane, pressing up against the bald master's chest, keeping him from going out any further. Trying to get back to hopefully run away, he, unfortunately, saw that Cologne wasn't alone. Beside her, was another Elder from what he could tell and if she was anything like Cologne, then his chances at making it out of the village had dwindled to nothing now.
"My, my, look who managed to bypass the guards..." Cologne's voice trailed as she smiled. "You almost managed to hide from me, even," she commented, then pushed the end of her staff against his throat, rising one of her brows in suspicion.
"What a fascinating technique, I must say I'm quite curious," Rinse's voice trailed as she appeared pleasantly surprised.
Cologne shut her eyes, not afraid to lose sight of Genma, especially since he was right in front of her. "I agree, would you care to explain such a unique technique?" she asked, prodding for answers and out of sheer curiosity.
"Indeed. I've never seen anything like it, to be honest," Rinse commented, putting a hand behind her back.
Genma raised his hands to the air, his fingers contorting into the proper form. "That? That was just a different art I developed a while back and was forced to seal so-so I'm not really allowed to share it," he answered as Cologne lowered her wooden staff.
"Want to explain why you were using it then?" Cologne asked or rather interrogated him, both could be accurate in a sense.
"J-just to make sure I haven't gotten too rusty is all! Certainly wasn't planning on escaping or anything like that!" Genma answered with as brave a smile as he could muster.
"Of course," Cologne answered simply as she opened her eyes, a soft smile across her face. "Despite your inability to share this powerful art, you've done such an excellent job improving the skills of our young pupils so much so, in fact, that we would prefer it if you were to start training some of the younger girls with underdeveloped technique or those with no definitive style of their own yet." She outlined to him as if they were having a casual conversation.
"I-I'd be honored!" Genma answered the call to forced duty, humbly accepting while having a fully loaded semi-automatic piece of lumber aimed at his chest.
"Don't worry about being alone either," Rinse threw in into their pleasant chat.
"We saw it fit to give you some additional supervision from Basil and her darling husband, you see, they were the ones tasked with handling the girls before you," Cologne informed Genma with a knowing smile.
"You start bright and early," The short-haired Elder Rinse told him.
Why was that name so familiar? Genma's brain thought for a second and then like suddenly getting awoken by someone turning on the light, he remembered the face of the woman he had charmed into giving him more food. 'Oh great, guess there's a good chance I'm gonna be stuck with a jealous husband come morning,' Genma thought with a grimace. "I can't wait," Genma agreed emotionless, gently lowering his hands to his sides.
The sounds of marching feet hit their eardrums, once close enough it was Cologne's queue to lower her weapon as the guards marched him back to the village prison, 'Can't believe that not even my Umisenken style could mask my presence from those two mummies,' Genma thought, his inner voice utterly blown by the skill displayed by the Amazonian Elders.
Back on the dirt roads again...
The four teenagers headed for Yakusai, as indicated by the Chinese sign, off to their right. Though this was anything but a joyous occasion since Pink and Link both despised Shampoo with a passion. If they could transmit their thoughts into Shampoo, it'd certainly cause her to make things worse between the Herbalists and herself.
Others might think otherwise, given how quiet and calm things appeared between them, but that couldn't be further from the truth. While Shampoo and Mousse had chosen to ride in the back again, the twins began to talk quietly among themselves.
"I was hoping we would have split up with Shampoo by now," Link commented as they chugged along on their journey back.
"Kill me, sister, if you please..." Pink commented as well.
"Only if you take me out first, I can no longer bear to tolerate Shampoo's presence," Link responded, mushing the donkeys out of frustration, only for them to ignore her and continue at the same pace they had been maintaining.
"Wouldn't you be dead when it's my turn then, how does that work, if you please?" Pink questioned turning to look at her.
"Apologies dear sister but I believe I've made a mistake," Link answered back lazily, not even turning to face her sister.
Silence befell the two once again, with nothing to distract them they were given little choice but to accept the fact that they were stuck to Shampoo like flies to flypaper. Try as they might, they were stuck with a violent Amazonian with ties to incredibly powerful Elders.
'I'm sick of having to play chauffeur for some ungrateful elites! I just wanted to become an official herbalist but instead, my sister and I are always getting dragged into dangerous situations that cause us more trouble! If not just risking serious injury!' Thought Link scornfully as she tightened her grip on her reins.
Pink, on the other hand, was fuming compared to her sister's warm simmering. 'Why do the Elders insist we accompany that insufferably stupid ogre! She's always getting us into danger or trouble! Or if not risk injuring us with her terrible plans!' The blue kanji herbalist pondered with an intense demeanor.
In the back of the cart sat the Amazonian couple, Mousse and Shampoo sitting next to each other. This time though, they were not huddled together in an affectionate embrace, they were lost in their own thoughts.
Mousse's eyes were looking up to the sky, arms up his sleeves while his feet were dangling out the back of the cart. 'With all these setbacks, will I get the time to get a properly master the scythes of sorrow, I can't yet pull out the scythes from my robes without slitting my forearm,' he thought with a frustrated inner dialogue, sighing once before looking to his arm and looking to the long, but almost invisible scars traveling from his elbow to his wrist.
Mousse frowned and place those thoughts aside for the moment and remembered something that could aid them. 'What about my ki detecting technique? I still have so much to learn before that's of any use, even with all that I've improved, it still wouldn't be enough!' He mulled over in his head, hunching forward a little further each time as his thoughts progressed.
Immersed in her own thoughts as well, the purple-haired martial artist furrowed her brow. 'How come I'm struggling to master the Tamashi no Bakudan Kogeki? I've learned how to manipulate my battle aura as needed but whenever I hit anything with it, it bounces away and maintains form before fading, at first I thought it'd just pop on contact like some sort of energy bubble, but I can't get it right!' Shampoo reflected on her training, but as the cart continued on its way she felt her thoughts drifting back to that instance of weakness.
That time when she lacked the courage to stand her ground before that Musk Tiger Clansman and in front of Herb, how the strength had been zapped from her voice as his actions haunted her thoughts. 'I swear I'll overcome this fear when the war comes, I must not only for my people but my future as well…' Shampoo mused over an image of the boy by her side, surprising her enough to blush deeply but not enough to break her look of fierce determination.
Link's simmering rage eventually evaporated into nothing, leaving her bored by the omnipresent silence that surrounded them. "Does everyone have a place to stay the night?" the red kanji sister asked her fellow passengers.
Pink was none too pleased with that question, her thoughts running wild by the sour mood in the air. 'Here comes the part where we have to let them sleep in our home,' the blue kanji sister thought inwardly but outwardly she looked disgusted with the idea of letting their tormentor rest in their herbalist abode.
"Mousse and I will be staying with master Ginseng," Shampoo reported as she stopped dangling her feet and put her knees together.
If Mousse and Shampoo could see the looks of relief on the faces of the twins, there was no doubt that Mousse would be trying to quell the rampaging warrior fury. "Well, I hope we don't come across any more of those awful Musk warriors before we can get you there," Pink commented as she looked over her shoulder to try and see the scared look on Shampoo's face.
"You both actually did very well with getting the cart to the Amazon village," Shampoo complimented and then crossed her arms with a smirk on her face. "Congratulations, the two of you have made yourselves useful for a change..." Shampoo's voice trailed but also dripped with a sense of superiority.
Not giving Pink something to smile about but rather something that completely flipped the script on her, taken back for a moment the twins shook their heads and worked off their speechless expressions.
"W-were you commending us on a job well done?" Link asked.
"As difficult as it is for me to say, I have to admit that you two did a great favor to Joketsuzoku that morning and that is why I think you two have earned my gratitude." Shampoo explained with her eyes closed.
Mousse had finally been forced out of his thoughts and paid witness to something he'd never see throughout their travels with the twins, Shampoo actually thanking Pink and Link of all people. He smiled pleasantly and then looked over to the herbalist twins and offered them an appreciative nod as well, truly impressed by what they had accomplished.
Link put her hand over her mouth, she seemed as though she were going to say something but stopped, then repeated her actions again. Pink on the other hand grinned and put a hand to the back of her head, "About time you noticed how many things my sister and I are capable of doing!" the more egocentric of the two twins declared.
Shampoo closed her eyes and then nodded her head. "I admit, at first I thought you two couldn't do anything right but if you two continue to be useful to us without screwing up our plans... well then, I might actually start respecting you two as if you were Amazons." Shampoo added with her smug-looking face.
Groaning in her throat, the poison-based herbalist put her hand to her face and leaned into it. Thought after a second or so smirked. 'Going to make us work for it, huh?' Fine then…' she thought as her inner voice trailed.
Link's expression was that of someone who looked genuinely happy. 'Mayhaps Shampoo will finally leave the past in the past, perhaps even become our friend,' she thought and prayed for that much-needed change.
After that sweet little exchange, the four went back to their own meditations, although now things between them were far less tense thanks to Shampoo's admittance. That allowed Shampoo to relax enough to lean on her boyfriend's chest, yawning as if she were about to take a well-deserved nap.
"Mousse..." Shampoo uttered her fellow Amazon's name.
"Yeah, Shampoo...?" Mousse's voice trailed softly as he asked, watching as the lavender haired beauty whispered the following.
"I hope we're able to get a good night's sleep once we're back home," she said.
The following day, on a farm far from Yakusai...
Ranko, standing only in her new panties and sports bra, held the yellow blouse to eye level and then moved it so the early morning sunlight entered through the window, wanting to confirm it was not as transparent as she kept telling herself it was. Could she really wear this? She then turned to look at the white skirt on her bed and sighed; never mind the blouse, could she wear that? This yellow blouse and white skirt ensemble Lotion had given her in exchange for cooking dinner for a week was so… so girly! It was not like the quipao she had worn before because that one made her look good, and these two would make her look like… like an average girl.
'But I'm a girl, so mebbe I used ta wear stuff like this?' She wondered, giving a second look at the blouse and thinking it wasn't really that bad or anything. It was just a yellow blouse. 'And Ryoga may like it? Hell, I might like it once I'm wearin' it… right?'
The redhead sat on the bed and spent a couple of minutes considering her options. She could wear the other clothes Lotion had given her, but since she was not training that day and it seemed like it would be sunny and warm, perhaps a skirt would be more comfortable.
Besides, there was the fact Ryoga would be surprised seeing her wearing this, and wouldn't it be nice seeing him all surprised, and smiling that charming toothy smile of his, the one where he showed his fangs in a way that made him look so cute she couldn't have enough of it?
She still didn't feel so convinced about wearing her new clothes, however, and after thinking it over for a moment, she realized it was because she was actually shy about wearing a skirt. But why? She surely had worn many before, so why was it so difficult now?
'Exactly, so I should stop overthinking this and just wear the thing!' Ranko thought and, closing her eyes, she reached for the skirt. 'Ok, here goes...'
Holding her breath, Ranko moved quickly and got dressed so fast not even five seconds had passed since she grabbed the clothes. Now she just had to see if she had put the things on properly or not. Opening her eyes slowly, she looked at the mirror hanging from the wall and had to nod in approval. She did mess up a pair of buttons, but once she fixed that she had to admit she looked really good, better than the girls wearing nice clothes she had seen in Yakusai and Shangie.
"Hah! Of course, I look good!" She said, pointing at her reflection and then posing a little, swinging her hips from side to side, examining every inch of herself and feeling quite pleased by what she saw. "It's simply natural for a girl as pretty as little ol' me!"
Feeling pleased, Ranko placed her hands on her hips and smirked, her ego satisfied at the confirmation that everything she decided to wear would look perfect on her. She then made another pose and then…
She felt a sudden cramp go up to her stomach. It wasn't so bad, but it made her feel uncomfortable enough to quit her posing routine. Frowning, she tried to remember if anything she ate recently tasted bad, but nothing came to mind. Everything she'd eaten lately was fresh and well cooked.
"Meh, probably the stupid stew from last night," she muttered, one hand over her abdomen. "It'll probably go away in a while."
Deciding it was best to ignore the stomachache, Ranko walked out of the room, thinking a nice chat with Ryoga would help her feel better.
She found her boyfriend quickly enough, chopping wood behind the house. She tried to start a conversation, but Ryoga wasn't really paying much attention to her, focused as he was on completing his chores, so she just sat on a nearby fence and watched him work. Sitting there was not helping her stomach cramps or the feeling of constipation that was making her uncomfortable, and her mood was starting to go sour because of this.
"Hey, don't ya think that's enough wood?" She called, noticing the woodpile was almost as tall as Ryoga was.
"Huh?… oh, I guess you're right," he admitted, glancing at all the wood behind him. "I just got carried away with it… would you mind tossing me the water bottle that's in the bag next to you, Ranko?"
"What, too tired to come to get it yourself?" She asked, not moving an inch as she felt that would only make the cramps worse.
"No, of course not," Ryoga answered, finally noticing something seemed odd about Ranko, but not mentioning it to avoid arguing with her. "So… you're not training today, I thought Lotion would start teaching you that technique today… anyway, those new clothes look good on you."
"Of course they look good," she said, frowning a little. "And why would you expect me to be training with Lotion? Do you think martial arts is all I'm good at, huh?"
"What?" Ryoga blinked, unable to understand Ranko's behavior. "Of course not, it's just that.."
"I am learning how to sew and fix my clothes, and I've been ironing Lotion's robes and I'm also taking cooking lessons from her!" She disputed, crossing her arms indignantly. "All you do is chop wood and fix roofs or feed the animals, and that's not complicated!"
"Ranko… are you ok?" The young Hibiki asked, wondering again what had his girlfriend in such a bad mood. "Is something wrong, or…?"
"I am fine!" she interrupted with a cold voice. "And even if I'm not all you care about is choppin' wood and stupid stuff like that! You wouldn't understand how I feel and… and...!"
Ranko stopped, placed her hands on her stomach, and opened her eyes wide as an absolute terror overcame her. Something was happening to her, something… and then she felt it, sliding warm and wet between her thighs.
Before Ryoga could ask what was happening, Ranko had already darted back inside Lotion's cabin. Afraid she was sick, the Lost Boy quickly entered the house but…
"AAAAAAAHHHH!"
Ranko's piercing scream of complete horror made his blood go cold with fear, and Ryoga ran towards the place her voice was coming from, the bathroom.
"Hold on, Ranko, I'm coming!" He shouted, prepared to kick the door down if he had to.
"I think you should let me handle this, boy," Lotion said as she came in from the living room, placing the tip of her cane in front of Ryoga's face. "I can't let you break my door or walls. Besides, I was wondering when this would happen, and trust me, you can't help her with this."
"What do you mean I can't help her?" Ryoga asked, anguished at the thought of not being near Ranko when she clearly needed him. "Why can't I?"
"Because you're a man," Lotion said. "Now stand there and let me talk to her alone... this must be embarrassing enough for her as is!"
Not knowing how to reply and just too glad that Lotion was willing to take care of this apparent 'females only' emergency, all Ryoga could do was to stare in silence as the old woman entered the bathroom and closed the door behind her, hoping that whatever it was, Ranko would be alright.
As she had expected, Lotion found Ranko kneeling next to the toilet, tears born of fear and uncertainty rolling down her face, her eyes filled with fear as she kept staring at something she held in her trembling hands.
"I… I'm b-bleeding… bleeding from... f-from d-down there," Ranko finally managed to get out, her voice weak and scared as she showed her red-stained underwear to Lotion. "Am I… am I sick?"
Despite herself, Lotion could not stop a strong wave of compassion for the panicked girl in front of her. That her amnesia had even made her forget women had periods was truly tragic, and something she had hoped would not happen. Sighing, the elder approached the terrified girl and placed a reassuring hand over her shoulder, hoping to offer her some comfort.
"No, child, you're not sick," Lotion said. "You're simply having your period… it seems your amnesia made you forget about it."
"My… period?" Ranko blinked, feeling slightly better now that she knew she wasn't sick. "What… what's that?"
"It's proof your body is ready to be a mother," Lotion said, and noticing the surprised expression in Ranko's face, understood she would have to explain the intricacies of women's fertility to the confused redhead in front of her.
By the time the old Amazon was done with her explanation, Ranko was understandably quite overwhelmed, and all she could do was to stare at the wall.
"Do you have any questions?" Lotion asked.
"Eh…?" the redhead muttered, then closed her lips shut and shook her head.
"I take it that's a no," the old master said. "Very well then, I'll leave you so you can take a warm bath and clean yourself. Try to relax, child, this only means you're healthy…. by the way, I don't have any pads for you here seeing I don't need them, but we will have to get some for you. I should be able to have them delivered here later today, even."
"Lotion, I can't."
"You can't... what?"
Ranko swallowed and lowered her face. "I can't take a warm bath, I'm… a-allergic to… to h-hot water."
"Oh, can you please explain?" Lotion frowned and stared at Ranko, just how many problems did this girl have?
"I… I don't know when it started or if I was like this before but… if I touch even lukewarm water it hurts a lot."
"Hmm…" the old woman said nothing more and poked at a specific point in Ranko's chest with the tip of her cane, which caused the redhead to double over and hiss in pain.
"Why did you do that, are you trying to torture me?" Ranko asked, struggling to keep her voice down, as she didn't want Ryoga to worry and do something stupid like crashing into the bathroom.
"Your Cat Tongue pressure point is active," Lotion said. "That rarely happens naturally, so that means someone did this to you. That's why you can't touch hot water."
"Well, I can't remember anyone ever poking me there," the redhead said, wondering now who could have done something so cruel to her, perhaps the Amazons?
"Don't worry about it, I know how to cure it," the old master said with a reassuring nod. "But I don't have the main ingredient here. Phoenix feathers are not exactly easy to obtain, you know."
"Can we go get some now?" Ranko asked, smiling happily as she was already anticipating the opportunity to enjoy a long, hot bath.
"No, child, you can only find them at Jusendo, which is located far from here, below the mountain called Ho'O Peak," Lotion explained. "It is a perilous place, and I don't recommend you visit it unprepared. You could buy the ingredient in Yakusai, but I imagine you'd rather not visit the Herbalist village, right?"
"You're right, I'd rather not, and it's probably too expensive for me anyway," Ranko sighed. "So… why can't we go for it?"
"I told you, it's too far from here and too dangerous. It's best if you get the last ingredient for Ryoga's cure first, as it can be found near here. After that, you can go get the two ingredients for your amnesia cure and from there you can go to Ho'O Peak. Wouldn't that be more convenient?"
"I guess…?" Ranko admitted grudgingly a little sad one of her cures was not within reach. "But I really don't want to clean myself with cold water right now… are you sure there's nothing you can do?"
"I could use a pressure point to help you, but it can be used only once and never again, so perhaps we shouldn't use it unless there's no other choice," Lotion said. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to use cold water. Go on, I'll prepare a cloth pad for you to wear while you shower."
"Just my luck…" Ranko sighed.
Later…
Lotion, sitting on her favorite couch, waited until someone picked up the call. She was calling the general store in Bao, as she was friends with the owners and they always gave her good prices for the things she bought from them. The main reason for the call was to order some pads for Ranko, as the elder knew the girl was not happy about using provisional cloth pads at all. Still, this was a good opportunity to order other things she also needed.
'Han shop, how can we help you?' a woman said on the other side of the line.
"Hello, Ahnjong," Lotion said. "This is Lo-shen. I need a propane tank, and also the usual list you send my way, but add a kilo of butter and two liters of oil… oh, and I also need a box of pads, do you have those?"
'Yes, we have pads...' a pause, then the woman called Ahnjong said. 'Wait… what? Pads? For you, honorable elder?'
"Of course not," Lotion sighed. "I simply have guests and one of them needs some."
'Oh, that's why,' the other woman chuckled. 'My apologies. I'll send my daughter with the things you need, she should be there in an hour or so.'
"Perfect, thank you."
Outside...
Ranko, now wearing her new pants and shirt, walked slowly around the farm, but staying close to the house, as she didn't really felt like wandering at the time. She reached the spot she liked behind the cabin and sat on the log Ryoga used to place the pieces of wood he chopped. The redhead took in a deep breath and stared at the trees not too far from where she was, still taking in what had just happened.
'This amnesia thing is awful…' she thought with a sad sigh. 'I even forgot about my period… how stupid can that be?'
She closed her eyes and decided it was a bit funny, however, being so afraid about menstruation, something that she had gone through so many times before.
'Heh… I bet my mom and I had the same talk I just had with Lotion a few years back,' Ranko thought with a chuckle, completely unaware that she had, in fact, just experienced her very first menstruation. 'It did surprise me; I'll have to remember this is my time of the month, though.'
The insistent chirping of birds caught her attention then, and Ranko looked up to see a bird's nest on the attic's windowsill. There was a cinnamon-colored bird feeding her hatchlings, and Ranko observed it all with a level of attention she normally reserved for martial arts.
"That must be the mom," she said with a smile. "Taking good care of her little ones."
'I can be a mom too,' Ranko thought and placed a hand over her tummy. 'If I have periods then that means I really am a woman…'
Not knowing why, but feeling this was very important, Ranko smiled and felt grateful to be alive, to be there, and to have someone who cared for her.
"I'm real…" she whispered, happy to know that she was. "I am real…"
Not too far from there...
Ryoga Hibiki sat under an oak, the front of Lotion's house fully visible and in front of him. He had discovered recently that as long as he could see where he was going he could avoid getting lost most of the time, and even the two or three times he had wandered and lost sight of the house these last few days, he had managed to find his way back in a matter of minutes or hours just by paying attention to the signals he had taken to make on the nearby trees when nobody was paying attention to him.
'I can't afford getting lost anymore,' he thought feeling determined to stay on this farm for as long as he had to. 'Can't get lost now that I have Ranko in my life.'
The image of his dear redhead filled his mind, and he welcomed the memory with a smile. It still surprised him that she had accepted him, and Ryoga had to admit her influence was making him a better person, as he hadn't thought about finding Ranma or about crushing Ranma into a bloody pulp that much in weeks, and that had, in turn, had made him less angry. He still was easily depressed, but Ryoga knew he was naturally melancholic and would take sadness over anger any day of the week.
"I wonder what Ranko's doing?" he said and got up; he was still a little worried about the way she had taken what had happened earlier. "Should I even talk to her about her period?"
'Wait… when girls have periods it means they can have babies,' Ryoga's mind reminded him. Blinking at the revelation, the young Hibiki couldn't stop his brain from conjuring an image of Ranko, a few years older and visibly pregnant, working her way around Lotion's kitchen; in this fantasy Ryoga saw himself, also older, entering the house, followed by a redheaded girl and a black-haired boy, both fanged and not older than seven, who wasted no time rushing into the kitchen while calling for their mother. Ryoga saw his older version entering the kitchen after his children, embracing Ranko and kissing her, listening to her sweet voice calling him honey and telling him their new baby had started kicking as she held his hand and placed it over her abdomen.
'And then the baby would move under my hand and…' Ryoga, smiling as he was lost in his little, perfect fantasy world, was quickly yanked out of it when he felt a strong battle aura approaching. It was not as strong as Lotion's, but it was powerful and it was coming to the farm!
Turning to the left so he was facing the narrow, almost hidden path that led to the main road, Ryoga waited for the intruder to appear, ready to fight in order to protect the future mother of his children.
'Mother of my… what?' He thought and blinked, shaking his head to clear it of those beautiful, but distracting, dreams. He couldn't afford any distractions in case of battle!
That was when Ryoga saw the enormous gray mass making its way between the trees. It took him a moment to understand what he was seeing, refusing to accept it because he knew these animals didn't live in China, but there was no mistaking it, he was looking at an elephant... and a very big one at that.
"Nihao!" A pretty girl with bright orange-blonde hair and sky blue eyes cheerfully greeted, and Ryoga had to look up to see her sitting on top of the elephant.
"Uh… hello?" Ryoga answered. "Are you… looking for someone?"
The girl blinked, smiled, and then replied, switching to Japanese. "Hello! My name is Lychee, and this is Jasmine, my elephant! I brought elder Lotion's things from our shop in Bao. Are you one of her guests? She didn't say they were Japanese."
Later...
Ryoga finished securing the empty propane cylinder to Jasmine's side and picked up the new one, carefully carrying it over his shoulder. He then proceeded to follow Lotion, who wanted him to carry it back to the back of the house and connect it to the gas pipes on that side of the house. While the Hibiki boy did that, Ranko and Lychee had busied themselves carrying the rest of the items Lotion had purchased into the house, and they had started chatting amiably as they did so and given their good looks and that both had light hair, it would have been easy to mistake the two for a pair of friendly cousins.
"Well, I imagine these are yours," Lychee said, handing Ranko a box of pads.
"Yeah…" the redhead said, staring at the box as if it was a machine from an alien world.
"Is this not the brand you use?" Lychee asked. "Lotion didn't ask for any particular brand, and to be honest, that she's buying something for you is already quite surprising, elder Lotion doesn't often buy things for other people, so that must mean she really likes you."
"If treating me like she does means she likes me I would hate to see what she does to people she dislikes," Ranko giggled and stuck her tongue out, earning a chuckle from her new friend. "The pads are fine, it's just that I don't know how to use these things."
"You don't?"
"It's just… I can't remember many things… I have…" Ranko hesitated for a moment, but then decided Lychee was trustworthy and told her about her problem. "I have amnesia."
"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that."
"It's fine, really," Ranko said with a small smile, his eyes wandering to the window, where she saw Ryoga working with the propane cylinder. "I want to recover my memory, but I have good things now, you know?"
"Yeah, I can see what you mean," the other girl said as she noticed the way Ranko looked at Ryoga. "Do you want me to show you how to...?"
"Yes, please," Ranko said, glad that Lychee was being understanding with her.
"Very well, let's go to the bathroom."
A few minutes later...
Waiting for Ranko to step out of the bathroom, Lychee simply leaned on the wall and tried to think of something to say, as she was starting to get a little bored.
"Even if you've got amnesia, you are lucky, Ranko," she said.
"I am?" The redhead asked from the other side of the door. "Why?"
"Because you have a nice boyfriend, and he's good looking, too," Lychee explained. "I hope that when I finally meet my prince, he'll be as nice and handsome as Ryoga."
"You're waiting for a prince?" Ranko asked.
"It's a family story from three generations ago," Lychee said, her voice taking a hope-filled, romantic tone. "We have a relic that a martial arts master gave my family. We are to keep it safe until a prince comes to pick it up... and when the prince comes, he will marry one of the young girls from our family, and I'm the only young girl in my family right now, so I just know the prince will come and that he will marry me someday!"
Ranko opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom, feeling quite glad for the pads, as they were far more comfortable than the cloth one Lotion had given her earlier.
"Did the pads fit?"
"They fit perfectly," Ranko said, then smiled at Lychee. "And about your prince… well, I don't know much about princes and princesses, but I really hope you meet a nice guy soon."
"Thank you, I'm sure I will," Lychee said and returned the smile.
"So… would you like to stay and eat with us?" Ranko invited. "I'm sure the old crone wouldn't mind if you do."
"Thank you, I can't," the other girl said and shrugged. "I wish I could, but I have to return to Bao and help in our restaurant."
"I thought you had a shop?"
Lychee giggled. "We have a shop and a restaurant. My mother is in charge of the shop and my dad handles the restaurant, I help my mom in the mornings and my dad in the afternoons."
"Well, in that case, I'll visit your restaurant one of these days," Ranko promised. "We sometimes have to do errands for Lotion and go to nearby towns."
"That would be great, I'm sure you'll love our food!" Lychee said. "I'll even give you a discount!"
A few days later...
Prince Herb strolled into the Musk Citadel, wearing his torn clothing with pride, though they were a bit weathered down they were but metaphorical badges of honor to the dragon heir. Murmurs and whispers spread like wildfire among the people. Eventually, Herb came upon Sumac near the front entrance to his castle.
"My Lord?" Sumac gave a questioning look, clearly, there was something their leader wanted to say.
"I've done it," Herb begun as he continued on.
"Done what exactly, my Lord?" Sumas questioned from his side, arms in his sleeves.
"I've finally mastered the Ryu Sei Hisho," Herb revealed as the guards bowed at their prince's arrival.
Sumac's eyes widened as Herb's words passed through his lips, "My words, with that you could..." he began but felt his voice trail.
"Blast anyone foolish enough to challenge me, from any angle and from all directions at once," Herb explained as he looks at his clenched fist before closing it.
In Joketsuzoku...
Standing at the front of a group of young Amazons, Genma was performing some rudimentary School of Anything Goes katas under the watchful eyes of Basil and her ticked-off-looking husband in the background. With a nervous look and beads of sweat coming down his face he performed his final katas before coming to a stop and bowing to his students, who in turn bowed back before dismissing themselves from their Master's presence.
"Next students!" Basil announced as a different group of young upstarts took the place of the group prior.
Not expecting much from this group, he spoke to the class and would pause in between words so the interpreter could translate his orders. Throughout the training he paid close mind to those following his orders, he noticed a pair of twins with different hair colors, one with Cyan-colored hair and the other with Amaranth. The few things they had in common had to be their heights and their outfits both had large pink hearts at the center.
"Hmmm," Genma hummed to himself as he noticed the lack of hesitation and keen focus he hadn't seen since his own son, 'Those two look like they have some seriously untapped potential, should probably mention that to that freaky Elder Cologne,' the bald captive thought. That gave him an idea, maybe if he showed the same level of focus and control that his two new students did, then maybe he could try using the Umi-Sen Ken again, 'Maybe this time make extra sure the hags are busy,' he thought, his inner voice sounded more confident than ever before.
And on the road to the Amazon village...
On the back of their cart, the two romantically involved Amazons rode back in the direction of their village, though this time there was no Pink and Link to guide their mode of transportation. This time they were busy finally taking the exam they had so desperately wanted to. Though the two had grown to appreciate the twin's efforts, they had also grown to enjoy their presence. Not that Shampoo would admit that, nor would Mousse do so for fear of upsetting his strong Amazonian bride to be. Still, it was nice to know that the two would receive their proper licenses for healing and poison crafting.
Although much like a cat too curious for its own good, Mousse decided to be so bold as to inquire. "I noticed you haven't been so harsh on Pink and Link during the last few days together, does that mean you're ready to make up and become friends?" Mousse questioned hopefully.
Shampoo stared into the distance, pondering the notion as they traversed the bumpy dirt road back home. Her feet dangling while she hummed, "I'm thinking about it but I'm not so sure, they have been trying to help and even succeeded in being useful so it may not be a bad idea," Shampoo expressed her thoughts freely and openly to Mousse.
"I'd say it's a good idea..." Mousse encouraged with a soft and caring infliction.
Back in Lotion's farm...
At Lotion's farm, said property owner stood at a clearing between her farm and the wilderness that surrounded them. With the bottom end of her wooden staff, she began to draw a spiral in the soil in front of her, waiting for the two pupils she had taken to arrive. They approached from the direction of her home, the raven-haired teen looked to be in a daze as he walked without question to Lotion's location.
Ranko on the other hand appeared more cautious, her brow quirked as she approached the seasoned martial artist with caution and skepticism. Both stopped dead in their tracks as they watched her finished the last inward spiral for her example.
"No doubt you're wondering why I've gathered you both here..." Lotion's voice trailed as her eyes remained focused on the dirt pattern in front of her.
"No, we came all the way here to braid each other's hair..." Ranko answered, rolling her eyes. "Of course we're wondering!" she exclaimed with an exacerbated tone.
Ryoga gave an apologetic look for Ranko, clapping his hands together, possibly saving Ranko from losing her chance at the new technique. "Believe it or not but this spiral I've drawn on the ground may very well become the key to Ranko learning the ultimate Amazonian technique, The Hiryu Shoten Ha!" Lotion explained with as much dramatic flair as she could muster.
"Oh...?" Ranko's voice dragged out as her curiosity peaked.
"There isn't a doubt in my mind, Ranko can master this ultimate technique, so long as Ryoga doesn't interfere with her training that is..." Lotion explained as she looked up to the two young prodigies.
[End of Chapter 11]
[Start of Chapter 12]
"Hiryu... Shoten Ha?" Ranko repeated, blinking as she processed the information she had just received. It definitely sounded impressive, there was no doubt in her mind that if this technique was named after a dragon rising to the sky then it would surely be stronger than one named after a lion's roar like Ryoga's.
She couldn't figure out what a spiral had to do with it, however.
"Is this attack really as strong as my Shi Shi Hokodan?" Ryoga asked, unknowingly voicing what his girlfriend was also wondering about.
"Ranko, I want you to stay here and pay attention to what we're going to do," Lotion said with a serious tone, ignoring the question as she walked further into the clearing. Once she was almost at the center of it, she called Ryoga with her left hand. "As for you, boy, attack me with all your strength, no holding back!"
"You want to spar?" The boy asked, scratching his chin, not that he had any objections about sparring with the old woman, but he had trouble understanding why she wanted to do that instead of actually showing them the technique the way she had done with the Bakusai Tenketsu and the Amaguriken.
"Spar? No, fool, I want you to attack me for real! Because the stronger the opponent and their battle aura, the stronger the Hiryu Shoten Ha will be," the old amazon explained. "Now stop wasting time and come at me, I need your strength to show Ranko how to perform this special move!"
Still doubtful, Ryoga walked towards the waiting elder, but took the time to look back to where Ranko stood. He hoped to see the concern in her eyes, but all he saw was deep concentration and anticipation, as she was obviously more interested in what she was about to see. Sighing as he realized that perhaps it had been silly of him to expect her to be worried about his well-being, Ryoga lowered his face and was about to turn to face Lotion when he heard Ranko calling him, and he looked back up to see her.
"Be careful, Ryo!" she said and smiled at him, also offering him a flirty wink. "But make sure ta give that relic a good show, I won't learn this Hiryu Shoten Ha thing if you don't try your best, ya hear?"
"Uh… yeah… I will," he answered, offering her a hesitant smile before taking in a deep breath and focusing on Lotion. Those were not exactly the words he had been hoping to hear, but it was a bit reassuring to know she did worry about him in her own way.
"Well, I'm waiting, boy," Lotion called with a sneer, only to add in a whisper, "and just between us, I think she will pay more attention to you if you can actually land a punch on me this time…"
"Heh… and here I thought you'd be more considerate," he answered as he cracked his knuckles, not appreciating the old amazon's apparent mockery. "But if you're going to be like that then I will really not hold back… get ready!"
And with this warning, Ryoga attacked the amazon elder.
At the same time...
Ranko, standing very still, her full attention on the fight, was not entirely sure this was going to be of any use to her. Ryoga was indeed trying, and she could admit to even feeling a bit proud of him as he had gotten close to hitting the old ghoul more than once. He really had improved a lot in the last few weeks, which meant she was surely stronger too, given how much Lotion had trained them.
'Yeah… Ryoga's stronger and a walking boulder, but I'm all about precision and speed…' the redhead thought as she continued observing the fight. 'He's strong and I'm fast, we… we actually complement each other quite well, don't we? Like the time we fought that pig-faced goon or even Taro's cursed whatever the hell that was, monster form, if we fight together, there's no way we can lose!' Ranko pondered, letting her ego get the best of her, clenching a fist out in front of her.
The problem was they would not fight together all the time, one mistake and they could end up separated, like when Taro captured her. If that happened again she would not be able to help him fight… or what happened in Fist Rock could happen again, where not even her wits and quick thinking had been enough.
"Because I wasn't strong enough…" Ranko muttered after a time, feeling her throat close and her confidence falter. "Because I was weak, Ryoga… almost got killed… if we hadn't learned that Minotaur freak's weak point was hot water…" the redhead couldn't deny the kind of powers they were up against, the chance of death hitting one felt as eventual as the falling of rain.
'I can't let that happen again,' she thought, feeling pained at the idea of her boyfriend suffering because she couldn't help him. 'I can't see Ryoga hurt that bad again… not for me. I'll learn this Hiryu Shoten Ha special move not just to be at his level, but to go higher if I have to! And every time you climb a new height I'll be there to remind you we're more than just equals!'
Despite paying close attention to the fight, Ranko was caught by surprise by the sudden flash of light unleashed by Lotion, and she had to bring her arms up to cover her face from the wild winds that started roaring with a deafening BOOM all around her, forcing her to squint as she tried to see what had just happened.
And then the blinding light and deafening wind receded, showing Lotion was now alone in the clearing… Ryoga was gone!
"W-where's Ryoga?" the girl asked, rushing to the old woman's side as she looked left and right. "Did you… did you vaporize him?"
"No. He's up there," Lotion explained as she pointed up with the tip of her cane. "He should be landing in just a moment."
Ranko looked up and yes, she confirmed Ryoga was way above them and coming down fast. Sudden concern filling her chest, eyes never leaving her boyfriend's falling form, all she could do was to angrily scream. "Why did ya do that to him!?"
"It was necessary for you to see how the technique is performed, besides the boy survived my Bakusai Tenketsu training, this won't hurt him that much," the elder amazon said while looking up to trace Ryoga's descending trajectory. "He's such a helpful young man."
"You… you're impossible! No! You're off your rocker if you think-" the redhead shouted and started running towards the place she believed Ryoga would crash into; the top of the hills where the few remaining rocks from his training for the Breaking Point technique still remained.
As she ran she saw the moment of impact, and panic rushed through her when dust and pebbles went flying in her direction. She forced her legs to run faster and finally, jumped high to reach the top of the hill as quickly as she could. She found him in the middle of the rubble, his shirt and pants torn as if a beast had attacked him with sharp claws… was he dead? Ranko felt her eyes water and, hands over her chest, she slowly approached him fearing the worst.
'Please be alright, please be alright, please…' she thought, and then she saw it, his lips trembling a little, waiting and watching, noticing his chest expanded as he drew air in. He was still alive!
Relief washing all over her, Ranko quickly went to his side, placing her hand on his forehead to find his skin felt a little cold as if Ryoga had decided to go for a walk during a chilly morning. Noticing he was starting to stir, she gently moved him so his head rested on her knees, softly she caressed his face, trying to let him know he was not alone.
'It's okay, I'm with you now… you stupid, pig-headed love of my life you-' the girl thought while tracing the shape of his face with her fingers, though halfway through her thoughts her inner words sink in, her thoughts seized, she couldn't think of why she felt such a giddy and nervous feeling inside her gut. All she knew was that she cared deeply for him, how far and how she could get across her words were the new challenges her relationship faced. Proper self-expression proved to be too great a feat to overcome for her.
"He isn't hurt, is he?" Lotion asked, standing behind Ranko. "That blast wasn't strong enough to hurt a man who learned the Bakusai Tenketsu."
"Not… strong… enough?" Ryoga asked, surprising both women as he slowly sat up, leaning on Ranko's supporting shoulder to steady himself.
He felt glad to see her by his side, though Lotion's presence and the matter at hand kept him from expressing it. He would thank her later of course, but right then, he had questions that could not wait. "Is that a joke? That thing was incredible, I can't believe it's so powerful!" Ryoga exclaimed, feeling more than literally blown away.
"That was only about ten percent of what a real Hiryu Shoten Ha can be," Lotion said in a serious tone. "If you had been truly angry when fighting me you would have seen the complete version of the attack," Lotion said, sounding almost disappointed, although probably also flattered that Ryoga probably doesn't want her dead.
"So that means… if I had used it against Taro…" Ranko muttered, slowly getting back to her feet.
She had only felt a little annoyed when Ryoga ignored her the moment he came to, but her interest in the technique was enough to make her forget about it, and besides, they could always talk later, once her training was completed.
"Imagine if it had been charged up to a hundred percent!?" Ranko added after the smallest of pauses.
"Something like that could have defeated him on the spot," Ryoga said in awe, impressed by the power this special technique possessed.
"Perhaps, but enough of that," Lotion said, pointing her cane at the redhead. "Ranko, tell me your analysis of the Hiryu Shoten Ha."
"Well, first of..." Ranko answered as she started pacing around the old amazon, her arms crossed while she thought. "All you did was dodge Ryoga's attacks."
"Go on," Lotion invited with a nod.
"You were leading him to the center of the spiral, and made it so once you were at the center…" she made a pause and then scratched her cheek, reflecting on what she had seen for a second. "I believe you made Ryoga think he had you cornered, but then… you made one single move and blew him away?" she asked with some uncertainty in her voice.
"Congratulations, child, that is correct... and after seeing it only once, too!" Lotion said with a satisfied grin.
The old amazon knew the girl was talented, but confirming she was not just talented but so perceptive as well was a pleasant surprise. Perhaps these two teenagers would continue making her life a little bit more interesting, and maybe, just maybe, they would be just what she needs to recover her precious memories from the Joketsuzoku Amazons.
"Heh, of course, I would get it right the first time!" Ranko said with a gloating smile, greatly enjoying the praise she'd just earned. "If I'm not wrong, it all depends on trapping your opponent in the spiral, that's not difficult and I'm quite fast. You'll see, old bat, I will master this thing by sunset!"
"Oh, quite confident aren't we?" Lotion said while her eyebrows rose at the redhead's affirmation. "It's good that you're motivated, but you'll soon see learning the Hiryu Shoten Ha will not be as easy as you think."
Somewhere else…
The woman had walked alone for a while now, not daring to enter the road a few steps to her left yet, as she didn't want to be seen before she was ready. She continued for a few minutes until she reached a tall tree that would provide enough cover; there, she placed the bag she carried over her shoulder on the ground, spared an instant to glance around, and then looked up at the few clouds above, pondering again about Shanjie, the town not too far from where she was. She had not visited it before, but she had heard the little village was rather peaceful, the kind of place where anything out of the ordinary was talked about for weeks and even months.
She looked back at the river and noticed she was now so far from it that her boat was small enough to look like a toy. Her companion was no longer there, which meant he had gone ahead without her.
"So impatient, I hope he refrains from entering the town as we agreed," she muttered, feeling a bit annoyed by what her fellow Nekonronian had done.
"I guess it's time to do something about how I look… what a pain," the woman said as she looked appreciatively at herself. She was a tall and attractive young woman of nineteen, her exuberant beauty being the object of desire for countless men in Nekonron no doubt, while she was proud enough of her physique to show it without feeling any remorse, she also knew quite well doing that would be a disadvantage in a place like this small town.
Sighing at the idea of hiding her beautiful body, Monlon of the Seven Lucky Gods crouched to open her bag, taking out of it a white robe and red sandals that she hastily put on. She didn't like it much, but these clothes would help her blend in with the villagers and avoid unwanted attention that could disrupt her work. Once she had the unfashionable dress on, she used her fingers to straighten her shiny silver hair and then a handkerchief to remove her make-up. Her preparations were complete, she slung the bag over her left shoulder and picked her lute with her right hand. With this done, she finally entered the road to Shangjie.
Monlon found the town's square fast enough and after locating a comfortable spot under a tree, she sat on a small bench, then she started to play her lute. Her melody, a happy tune with a melody fit for a dancing beat, attracted a decent amount of people, Monlon smiled as her playing alternated between notes just enough to entice her audience to stay, that was until had enough attention and she ended her performance with a slow, calming piece she was obviously quite fond of playing, given how into her lute playing she got.
The silver-haired beauty finished her charming performance by standing up and moving her hips slowly to the left and right along with the final notes of her song. This alone would have easily convinced any man to tell her anything she wanted, but given that her audience consisted mostly of women, children, and a few men, she was for once glad that she was wearing something that covered her sensual curves, as the last thing she needed was to be chased out of town by a small horde of angry, jealous wives.
"Thank you, you're much too kind!" she said with a cheerful smile, bowing a little and enjoying the applause. She was gladly surprised when a few people deposited some yuan in her bag, which she had placed out in front of her while it was opened.
Not that she needed the money, but if she was going to pretend to be a happy-go-lucky traveling musician she had to do it right or people would suspect her, something she didn't need. "And thank you for your cooperation, I'm so happy to know you liked my music!"
Taking advantage of the good mood of the dissipating crowd, Monlon approached a small girl first, as she imagined children would be far more eager to share information than adults.
"Excuse me, can I ask you a question?" she called.
"Yeah, sure," the girl said. "Hey, where did you learn to play the lute?"
"Ah… well, my master taught me, so…"
"You're very good!" the girl interrupted.
"Thank you. Now, about the question…" Monlon insisted a bit discouraged the conversation was not going the way she wanted it to.
"What is it?" But just then a woman called the girl from the other side of the plaza. "Sorry, my Mom's calling me, goodbye!"
And saying nothing more the girl ran off, leaving Monlon feeling a bit disappointed. Did she waste her time playing for the villagers? A bit frustrated, she glanced around hoping to find someone else, and saw a woman dropping some coins into her bag. Smiling, Monlon went to meet her, hoping she could get information.
"Thank you," the musician said, bowing politely to the other woman. "I appreciate whatever help you can give."
"You don't have to, your music was fantastic and I enjoyed it very much."
"You should listen to my friend's voice, we usually travel together but I was held back in Nekonron so I'm on my own for now… but we'll meet her in Tong Po Harbor," Monlon said. She had prepared a story to tell when asking about the redhead beforehand and was ready to use it in hopes this woman would take the bait.
"Oh, perhaps you both can visit our village on your way back and perform for us?" the woman asked.
"That would be my pleasure, but you may have met her already? I believe she was here recently."
"Really?" The woman blinked, a little confused. "No singers visited the town recently, perhaps she took another route?"
"Oh, but maybe she didn't sing when she was here…" Monlon said. "I am sure you would remember her, she's got fiery red hair and is very pretty."
"Ah, a redhead you say?" The other woman smiled. "I did meet one a few days ago now that you mention it; she and her boyfriend were here. It seems the girl's boyfriend was working with the construction crew that's building the bridge down the river, the new one near Fist Rock… or what's left of it I should say." She explained, chuckling nervously.
"Oh? She wasn't alone?" Monlon asked, memorizing that bit of information as Prince Kirin had not mentioned the redhead was traveling with some boy. "Do you know where they went? If she was with him then maybe they didn't go to Tong Po Harbor..."
"Or maybe they did. Her boyfriend is a nice young man, very polite, he even managed to become friends with my son!" the woman said. "I didn't think my Taro would ever make friends, to be honest, he can be so shy!… Oh, I'm rambling, aren't I? Apologies, the truth is I'm afraid I don't know where the girl and her boyfriend went after they left town."
"Maybe they told someone?" Monlon asked, phrasing as not only a question for her present company but also making it sound as if she were questioning herself too.
"Well… I heard they bought some things from Hui Quing," Taro's mother recalled. "He owns a store here in town, you may want to ask him." the older woman suggested.
"I will," Monlon said while picking up her bag, not bothering with counting the coins. "Which way is that store you mentioned, please?" she asked, closing her eyes with a slight smile.
"Just go down that street and you'll find it, you can't miss it." She answered, putting her hands together.
"Thank you, you've been of great help," Monlon gave her thanks and went on her way.
A few minutes later…
The store was filled with trinkets, general appliances, clothes, shoes and even cheap plastic jewelry, and Monlon had to admit there were things here that caught her attention, mainly some make-up sets she found in one corner. The deadly musician decided on a set with lipstick, eye-shadow and blush, all of which she promptly took to the counter.
It was more expensive than she expected, but she knew a sale would loosen the merchant's tongue, besides, she did need some new make-up.
"Thank you!" the merchant said as he gave Monlon her change. "Are you new in town?"
"No, I just stopped here to eat something; I'm on my way to Tong Po Harbor," the woman replied. "I am meeting a friend there... I understand she was here a few days ago so you've probably met her already."
"Oh? Perhaps I have. People from other villages sometimes pass through our town on their way to Yakusai or Tong Po harbor and they usually stop by my quaint little shop."
"Then you must have seen her, my friend is a redhead, and I believe her boyfriend was with her too."
"Ah! Yes, you don't forget a girl like that," Hui Qing chuckled at the memory of the pretty redhead and her boyfriend. "She was here indeed. The two bought some gear and then she came back to buy shoes… she haggled for them as if her very life depended on it, by the way." he chortled and fanned his hand, remembering how something otherwise so trivial could rally someone up like that.
"Yeah, that sounds like her," Monlon said with a giggle so her performance would seem all the more natural. "Do you know if they went to Tong Po Harbor? It would be a shame if she decided to go somewhere else."
"Hm… well, she and her boyfriend wanted some Corly Weed but I don't have any. If they still wanted it they must have gone to Yakusai. The herbalist village is probably the only place where you can find that plant at this time of the season, that's all I can say for certain." he crossed his arms and nodded his head.
"That is good enough, thank you," she said with a polite smile.
Later still…
The frown adorning Monlon's face may have done little to hurt her natural beauty, but it did a lot to keep curious men from approaching her. She wasn't pleased with the information she had obtained and as she made her way back to the river, she tried as hard as she could to understand what had happened in this town.
It was quite vexing, to say the least, not knowing that what she heard didn't quite match what their Lord Kirin had told her. Any thief worth their salt wouldn't have openly entered a town's store to haggle over a pair of shoes or to befriend someone from a construction site. No. Thieves would rather avoid bringing attention to themselves, especially if they were carrying something as valuable as a Musk royal heirloom; or at least that is what Monlon believed.
"The only thing I'm almost certain of is that the girl didn't go to Yakusai," Monlon muttered while running her fingers through her silvery hair. "But now I have no leads… where did she go?" she questioned aloud. 'I do know the Joketsuzoku amazons are watching Tong Po, so…' the lethal musician's voice trailed as she touched her chin and looked at the road in front of her. 'Well, if the girl didn't go south then perhaps she went north, and the only village in that direction happens to be Bao, so maybe I should go there and ask around.' she pondered, humming in satisfaction.
With this idea in mind, it didn't take Monlon too long to reach the river, from there she went to her boat and tossed her bag in.
Her companion wasn't here yet, so she started pacing back and forth until he arrived so she could tell him their next stop was Bao. She had done this for a few minutes when she felt familiar ki approaching, not the least bit surprised when a tall, bearded man jumped down from a tree, landing in front of her with such skill he did not even lift a speck of dust.
"Bishamonten," she greeted.
"You took longer than expected in that town," Bishamonten said, clearly not pleased. "I hope you have useful information because I would rather we return to Nekonron sooner than later." he clarified with wishes.
"No need to be so anxious," the silver-haired beauty said with a soft smile. "I know you're worried because of your wife's condition… she is due any day now, is she not?" she asked, showing genuine intrigue.
"Yes, and I should be by her side," the tall warrior said, his voice tinted with sadness. "This is our third child, and we're hoping to finally have a girl… I have to be with her." His head lowered as he spoke.
"I'm sorry, old friend, but you know we both have our orders," Monlon stated, her expression turning sour but in the sense that she felt bad for her comrade.
"It's just…" the man didn't finish the sentence, his eyes instead set in the river, his concern almost palpable.
Monlon sighed and felt sorry for her fellow member of the Seven. His worries affected her too, as Bishamonten's wife was none other than her own master, the previous guardian of Seven Luck Mountain's Fourth Gate who had retired from her position only seven months before.
"Bishamonten, the only reason why I am a member of the Seven is that your wife told King Hirin I was ready for the trials," Monlon recalled. "But without her training and advice, I wouldn't have completed my tests. I owe her a debt I will never be able to repay." She explained, shutting her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest.
"She said you surpassed her before you were seventeen," Bishamonten replied, his hands on his hips. "Called you the best pupil she ever had. If you passed the trials it was because your Ongaku no sentō is unmatched in Nekonron." He proclaimed proudly.
"All thanks to your wife," Monlon repeated with a warm chuckle. "It pains me that you can't be with her right now," she revealed.
"I appreciate the sentiment," the tall warrior said with a nod and a sigh, as he knew they wouldn't be able to return to Seven Luck mountain until they had found the redhead the Musk Dynasty was after.
'I suppose I should help Bishamonten,' Monlon, who had been silently observing the spear master, thought. 'It is the least I can do for him.' she thought, thinking it was about time she repaid her master the favor.
"We will go to Bao next," Monlon said, surprising her companion.
"That's… that's not far from Nekonron, why are you going there?"
"Because Lord Herb told Prince Kirin the Joketsuzoku Amazons already sent people to Yakusai and Tong Po Harbor, remember? There is no need for us to go south," she explained as she distractedly adjusted her lute's strings. "We can go upstream and when we reach the bridge that connects Nekonron with the main north road, I'll get off the boat. That way you can go see your wife while I go to Bao."
"You, will you do that for me?"
"For you and my master both," Monlon said with a smile. "That way you can tell my master I'll visit her as soon as I can, please?"
"I will tell her… and Monlon, thank you," Bishamonten said and bowed. "I truly appreciate this."
"No need to thank me," she said, then chuckled and added, "you're a good friend and the Seven should help each other, so ask Prince Kirin to send the twins to Bao. I do believe I can do this by myself, but I'd feel better if Daikokusei and Daihakuse could offer some help, they're better than I am when it comes to obtaining information unseen."
"I promise I'll tell the prince, very well, then, let's go!" The tall spear master said and with a nod, he jumped onto the boat, preparing to row against the current as fast as he could.
"I should have bought something to drink," Monlon lamented as she got on the boat, but her mood quickly improved as she thought her master would be very happy to see Bishamonten back so soon.
Twenty young soldiers, all appearing to be between the ages of seventeen and nineteen, stood in groups of four or five as they waited for something to happen. They were in the large plateau that crowned Seven Luck Mountain, in front of them, about fifty meters away, stood the majestic Royal Tower, home to the rulers of Nekonron.
The teenagers had been summoned the night before, the only instruction they received was to be there at that hour and to bring their weapons with them.
"Why do you think they called us here?" One of them asked his friend, who was standing to his left.
"No idea, but since we're all armed I imagine we'll get a mission," the other teen answered while he ran the tip of his finger over the edge of his sword to confirm the edge was indeed sharp enough. "Maybe it is related to the Musk Dynasty, I heard some nobles from the dynasty were here recently."
"… I hope we won't have to go fight them," another teenager said. "I heard the Musk nobles are far more powerful than even the Seven."
"Quiet, all of you!" One of the older teenagers interrupted. "Someone is coming out of the Royal Tower!"
The whispers that had filled the plateau ended abruptly as the large doors on the tall building opened, revealing two figures walking out of the imposing tower, stopping only when they were right in front of the group of young soldiers. The teenagers could do nothing but kneel in front of the person who now stood before them, Prince Kirin, heir of Nekonron and the strongest of the current Seven Lucky Gods that protected their land.
"It is good to see you all," the man standing next to Kirin said. Despite his short stature, his skills in the martial arts were respected and feared across the land, for Ebiten, second in command of the Seven, he was well known for being both a wise and powerful warrior.
Twirling his mustache as he paced in front of the young soldiers, Ebiten nodded and then continued. "You were all summoned here with one purpose. Today, you will help with Prince Kirin's training, those of you who do well may even be considered to enter the royal guard, which would mean training under one of the Seven."
"Is… is that true?" One of the young soldiers asked as this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all of them.
"Bishamonten, Wu, and I are willing to take some students," Ebiten assured.
"What about Lady Monlon, or the twins?" One soldier asked from the back row.
"Monlon and the twins are still too young to train any of you," the short martial artist answered. "Those three have only just recently joined the Seven themselves, it will take them a few years before they are ready to take any students of their own. Just be glad you'll have the opportunity to learn from one of the others!"
"Training with Bishamonten for a month is a great opportunity," a spear-wielding soldier said.
"And I'm sure Wu has many things to teach," Another said.
"I would like to learn a few staff tricks from Ebiten, myself," a third stated.
"What do we have to do?" the soldier at the front asked.
"You will attack me as soon as Ebiten gives the word," Kirin ordered, taking a step forward. The young prince then stood still, a gust of wind blowing his cape as he shifted his hands, the one holding his rice bowl moved slightly back, while the one holding chopsticks he lifted to eye level.
Sensing the prince was ready, Ebiten raised his hand and with one last glance at the soldiers, he yelled, "Now, attack Prince Kirin, and remember! No holding back!"
Overcoming their initial fear and respect for their prince, the soldiers did as they were told, going on the offensive with a loud yell. Kirin, however, remained silent, his eyes set on the opponents approaching him. The first one to get in range tried to swing a staff at him, but Kirin used his chopsticks to deflect the hit, and taking advantage of this he got under the soldier's defense, hitting his fingers with the tip of his chopsticks, forcing the attacker to drop his weapon and retreat a step to gather his wits. The rest of the soldiers were already performing their own attacks, however, they all felt confident that at least one of them could land a blow on the prince.
But none of them could. Kirin dodged every single attack, and at the same time used his chopsticks to deliver precise pinches, hitting the hands of his opponents, forcing them to drop their weapons.
This exchange lasted less than two minutes, with Kirin surrounded by the discarded weapons of his adversaries. Stepping on a sword as he moved to an area that was clear of obstacles where he could sit down and enjoy the sun for a few minutes, the prince smiled and glanced at Ebiten.
"I believe it's time we rest for a while," Kirin stated. "Let the soldiers know."
"As you wish, my lord," Ebiten said, amazed to see Kirin untouched and completely relaxed, as if he had just finished eating breakfast. Nodding, the short martial artists regarded the soldiers.
"We'll continue in a few minutes, take this opportunity to rest and prepare for the second part of the exercise," Ebitan ordered.
And the young soldiers did just that; they didn't bother to pick up their weapons, as they all understood how useless they were against someone like their Prince Kirin. The pain, bruises in their hands, and forearms proved carrying weapons was actually detrimental against a martial artist who had such solid defenses.
"Prince Kirin's defense is impenetrable," one of the oldest teenagers said while rubbing the back of his right hand. "Same as his father..." he said, flinching from twitching his palm, gritting his teeth.
"I know," agreed another. "I didn't think he had already mastered the Hiyakumoto no Hashi o Tsumamu,"
"There's no way we can land a punch on him if he's using the Pinch of a Hundred Chopsticks," a third said. "It's like trying to pierce an iron wall with just our fingers!"
"You're forgetting his dodging speed," A fourth soldier said as he approached the group. "The prince was able to avoid several hits that were aimed low, where his chopsticks shouldn't have been able to reach. His defense is perfect..."
While his soldiers rested, Kirin entertained himself by examining the tip of his chopsticks, looking for signs of damage and feeling glad when he found none. He had purposefully used regular chopsticks instead of the custom-made metal ones he and his father normally carried in order to add to the challenge of the exercise and force himself to improve his parrying, dodging, and blocking by using a weapon weaker than what he was accustomed to. The fact these chopsticks weren't damaged indicated he had succeeded in his first goal for this sparring session.
'Now it's time to try for goal number two,' the prince thought as he got back on his feet while moving his shoulders this way and that.
"Let's continue with the exercise," Kirin told his bodyguard, not facing him as he spoke. "I must know if I have already mastered my father's ultimate move," he explained, sounding a little eager to start again.
"As you wish, Prince Kirin," Ebiten said, closing his eyes and bowing his head. "Everyone, come here and get ready!" he exclaimed, arching his head back.
The younger soldiers did as they were told and quickly surrounded both Kirin and Ebiten, waiting for instructions, even if they already knew they would be asked to attack the prince once again.
Most of them were not looking forward to it as they had just experienced how skilled the leader of the Seven truly was, but they would follow their orders to the best of their abilities, as they understood it was their duty to help the prince become strong enough to defend their kingdom.
"Attack me!" Kirin ordered, taking an offensive stance for the first time during the training exercise. "Come at me with everything you've got!"
The twenty soldiers surrounding Kirin did not hesitate, with loud battle cries, they all charged at their prince, aiming to overwhelm Kirin with wave after wave of multiple attacks instead.
But they never even touched the prince.
Because just when the first one was about to deliver a kick to the prince's face, Kirin's aura manifested and then expanded like an explosion of pure light, enveloping the attacking group inside a powerful ki blast. When the light receded Kirin stood alone, the unconscious bodies of his training partners scattered all around him.
"That was fantastic, my lord!" Ebiten congratulated. "You have finally mastered the Hyaku hashi-zashi!"
Kirin offered his bodyguard a nod and allowed himself a quick smile. His previous attempts to use the Hundred Chopstick Sting had met only varying degrees of success, but this time he had finally done it correctly and decided he had earned the right to feel proud, as mastering the ultimate attack of Nekonron's royal family was not an easy feat. He only wished his father had been here to witness his victory.
"Thank you Ebiten," the prince said as he composed himself again. "I may have used too much force, however, please make sure our soldiers receive medical attention if they need it."
"Yes, of course," the fisherman said while crouching to confirm one of the soldiers who got caught harder by the blast was still breathing. Behind him, Kirin turned and entered the tower, leaving him to tend to the guards.
'Nobody seems seriously hurt, they should wake up in a few minutes…' The short martial artist thought and was about to enter the tower to ask for help when ten men came rushing out.
"Prince Kirin sent us to help you move the unconscious soldiers into the tower," one of the men explained.
"The prince said he wanted them to rest in the shade while they recover," another added.
"Excellent," Ebiten said with a smile, pleased to see his young prince was as considerate with his subjects as his parents were because this was the same thing his father, King Hirin, would have done had he been there.