Ranma ½ Warring Fates 2

[Lawra]

Oh right, I didn't post the first chapter at all here. So if you missed it being posted on FF.net, here it is

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Ranma’s blue eyes fluttered open, to stare into the small fire warming her face. Slowly rising to a sitting position, so that she didn’t aggravate her stab wounds, she let the rough blanket fall down from her shoulders. ‘Still here, huh?’ She had half hoped this was some messed up dream but, like Jusenkyo, the morning after brought no reprieve.

Still inside Kaede’s small hut, a pleasant little fire burning in a recessed fire pit was keeping the morning chill away. The old woman was kneeling across the fire preparing something in a small metal pot.

Feeling something cool in her hands, Ranma looked down enough to confirm the small sphere from the night before was still in her possession. ‘Jewel of four souls-- what does that even mean?’ She turned it side to side, appraising the soft pink and purple colors swirling within. ‘How was this thing inside me?’

Noticing that Kaede was watching her with her one remaining eye, Ranma twisted around to sit before the fire and groaned loudly as she tried to stretch her arms. Yawning, she let her arms drop down and scratched at where Mistress Centipede had impaled her. Her entire torso, from stomach to the top of her breasts, were wrapped in constricting cloth bandage. She had removed her pants, as they were covered in dried blood, leaving her in nothing but her boxers and the wrap.

“Ugh, what time is it?” Ranma rubbed some of the gunk from her eyes.

Kaede took a moment to think through her question before answering. “It is nearly midday. You lost a great deal of blood; you’ll need rest and something to eat in order to regain your strength.”

‘No panda snoring to keep me up? I could almost get used to that.’ Her stomach rumbled at the smell of whatever it was that Kaede was mixing. It didn’t matter if what she was making was as bad as that dish from last night because she was starving. “So is that edible? Heh heh.” She laughed nervously.

“I’ve mixed in several herbs that should help with healing.” Kaede continued, pouring some of the now thick brown stew into a bowl.

“Thanks.” Ranma gingerly accepted the prepared concoction, mentally preparing herself for the horror her stomach would soon be experiencing. “That spiritual stuff you mentioned, what’s that all about?” Too hungry to wait for a better option, she said a small prayer to ward off food poisoning, and gave it a try. “This is pretty good!” She exclaimed in relief.

“Are there no priests where you come from?” Kaede asked, clearly pleased by the small compliment to her cooking.

Ranma finished her bowl of stew before answering. “Just old guys waving around bits of paper or selling cheap junk to tourists.” She had always been more useful dealing with the spirits that she had come across.

“I’ve met my share of charlatans in my travels.” The elderly woman nodded. “But you shouldn’t be so dismissive merely because you’ve encountered poor examples.”

“Maybe.” She conceded half-heartedly and slid over to pick up her discarded shirt. “I need to get out of this hut.” Ranma winced as she moved muscles that have been ravaged by huge fangs less than twelve hours ago.

‘Yuck. Nothings going to get this out.’ Her face soured at the torn fabric and stains mixed with gore before noticing that all but a few strips of material remained of the back. Whatever had sprayed out of Mistress Centipedes when being cut to pieces by Inuyasha had been corrosive.

“This was my favorite shirt!” She snarled, gripping what little remained of her red shirt so tightly that it nearly tore.

“Where are your traveling supplies? Are they nearby, child?” Kaede asked, watching her with great interest.

“A few hundred years in the future.” Ranma simmered over the loss of her shirt. “My pants!” She hastily checked and found them only crusted brown with her own blood but otherwise intact.

“The well-- you said yesterday that you had fallen in, and upon leaving you were in a different place?” The elderly woman asked for confirmation and Ranma nodded in response. “Mayhaps you are from a different world. Brought here through a demons gateway.”

“Eh?” Ranma stared doubtfully at the priestess and slid her stained pants on. “Gateway?”

“A link between two worlds.” Kaede explained the term like Ranma had misunderstood her. “I’ve heard of powerful demons being able to do so.”

“Makes about as much sense as time travel.” Struggling up to her feet, she’d start by heading back to the well, and trying to find a way back from there. Running her fingers over the Shikon no Tama one last time, she deposited the jewel in her pant pocket.

“Do you intend to leave wearing only that?” The aged priestess asked in disapproval at Ranma’s lack of clothes.

“Not a problem. Thanks for the food and stuff but I need to start getting back.” She winced as the muscles in her back protested when she bent over to pick up her ruined shirt. “Oh, and I’m really a guy.” It was high time that she quit playing at being a girl, so it didn’t matter if anyone saw her chest like this. “See ya.” Ranma waved absently to the stunned elderly woman as she left through the curtain.

zx

“Hrrm.” Inuyasha sat on the highest branch of a tree near the village, watching as the Kikyo look alike left the old priestess’ hut. ‘Why is she half naked?’ He wondered absently as he tried to figure out where she was keeping the jewel. The smell of her blood hung heavy in the air and with how similar it was, he found it impossible to keep his mind away from thoughts of Kikyo. ‘Where is she? Is she scared to show her face?’

His eyes never moved off the strange girl as she left stunned villagers in her wake. Most were shocked at her state of undress, some began to pray to her, and a few braver humans approached to give her gifts. But she didn’t waste much time, hurrying to leave the village, and head back towards the forest where he had been sealed.

“This’ll be my chance.” He smiled maliciously and moved into a crouch on the branch, eagerly waiting for her to enter the forest so he could get the jewel without any humans getting in the way.

Somehow his small amount of movement alerted his target and her head turned to look right at his position, even though he was hidden behind a wall of leaves. ‘How? I blend in perfectly!’ He growled, furious that this look-a-like had the same uncanny ability as Kikyo to locate him. Just as quickly as she had found him, she looked away with clear dismissal at his presence.

‘How dare she not take me seriously!?’ Launching himself through the foliage, he cleared a fourth of the distance between them. “I’ll show her!” Another jump and she hadn’t even stopped to prepare for him; continuing to walk like she didn’t have a care in the world. Running along the grass, he slid to stop on the dirt blocking her path. “Give me the Shikon no Tama!” He demanded as she blinked at him several times.

“Why?” She asked like the clueless human that she was.

“Because I want it! It’s useless to a weak pathetic human like you.” He answered and held up his hands to show off his claws for emphasis.

The black haired girl made a show of inspecting his claws that could tear her apart before moving up to the top of his head. “So you’re some kind of wolf demon?”

“Wha-- what does that have to do with anything? And I’m a dog demon not some mangy wolf.” He crossed his arms and looked away.

“Alright.” The girl said as she passed him at a leisurely pace to enter the path through the forest.

“Huh? Where are you going?” He asked in confusion, following at her heel.

“Back to that well, it’s around here somewhere.” She answered his question without even looking at him.

“Stop.” He stomped his way to be in front of her again. “Give me the jewel!” He demanded again.

“No.” She stepped around him without pausing at all, reaching out to break a stick off a branch.

“Listen bitch, it’s worthless to a human like you, so give it to me and I won’t hurt you.” Inuyasha snarled and reach out to grab her by the shoulder only to have the stick get pointed right towards his nose. “Are you threatening me with a stick?” He laughed loudly at how ridiculous that was.

“No, I want you to go get it.” She waved it back and forth and threw it back the way she had come with surprising force for a human.

Inuyasha leapt after it without a second thought, pouncing on the stick down on all fours the instant it hit the ground. “Ha! I got it, now give me the Shikon no Tama!” He waved it above his head in victory, before noticing that she wasn’t anywhere nearby. “Damn it!”

 

[nuclear death frog]

So Ranma is Kagome? Or has her powers at least? A curious choice. Different from the usual drek, but still curious.

 

[Lawra]

So Ranma is Kagome? Or has her powers at least? A curious choice. Different from the usual drek, but still curious.

Ranma is Kikyo's res, Kagome is still there just a normal girl. Kagome gets mentioned as looking eerily similar to Ranma at the start of the first chapter but wasn't included. No jewel shattering planned or shipping between Ranma/IY.

 

[l3fty]

Will Kikyo still get raised as a vengefull ghost? I want to see the mutual reaction to their gender.

What are your plans for Ranma and his spiritual skillset, I have this image of him chasing down Kikyo just to get her to train him in what she knows, and then further refining them for his own use.

 

[Lawra]

Will Kikyo still get raised as a vengefull ghost? I want to see the mutual reaction to their gender

Not sure. Feels a bit like I should do it in a different way. Maybe Kikyo with a curse. :snigger:

What are your plans for Ranma and his spiritual skillset, I have this image of him chasing down Kikyo just to get her to train him in what she knows, and then further refining them for his own use.

Well Kikyo would probably be the worst one to try and track down for that if she gets ressed considering how she responded to Kagome. But there are plenty of others across the countryside living who would work.

 

[nuclear death frog]

As an aside, I'd like to see more crossovers between these two series where Ranma isn't anyone's reincarnation/future-self/whatever, and is capable of fighting for himself with his own abilities and things he can make/learn for himself. Reincarnations are boring me.

Huh, funnily enough, that stricture could apply to a lot of crossovers. Wouldn't that be something.

 

[Lawra]

Hard to do without introducing yet another method of time travel and giving a boost to abilities that weren't there.

 

[Lawra]

Kaede hurried with several men from the village down the path to the bone eaters well. Occasionally she had to use her bow as a walking stick and it made her curse how old she had gotten. ‘I’m an old woman, I shouldn’t be running around the country side after delusional young ladies who pick fist fights with hanyou.’ The men before her cleared a path through some thick brush that created a shortcut towards where the angry shouting was originating.

“Kaede-sama, what are we going to do about Inuyasha and that girl?” A villager named Shinichi asked.

“We must ensure that the Shikon no Tama does not fall into the hands of a demon.” She answered evasively. Inuyasha was a powerful hanyou and would be difficult to restrain by himself.

Reaching the clearing that surrounded the bone eaters well, she was prepared to find Ranma fleeing from Inuyasha. Instead the pair were wrestling on the ground near the edge of the forest. The girl held Inuyasha’s wrists as he tried to overpower her and was kicking him repeatedly in the side, eliciting a pained grunt with every blow.

“Leave me alone already!” Ranma shouted and kicked him so hard that he shot backwards to crash into a tree.

Inuyasha launched himself at the girl, knocking her down to slide across the grass together. “Did you hide it here?”

“Don’t touch me there!” Ranma’s voice screeched as the hanyou dug his hand between her breasts.

“I’m not trying to touch your disgusting body!” Inuyasha answered the exclamation before Ranma staggered him with a headbutt. “Ow!” The hanyou fell backwards to sit on the grass at her feet clutching his forehead while Ranma laid back down to do the same.

“Shouldn’t have done that.” She whimpered and kicked at the ground in pain.

“Um-- Kaede-sama, what should we do?” Another of the villagers asked her in confusion.

“Wait here.” She instructed and approached the pair during the brief lull in activity. “Child, why haven’t you spoken the word of subjugation?” She asked calmly, believing that it would be easier to convince Ranma to listen to reason than the enraged hanyou.

“Eh?” Ranma blinked up at her then sat up clutching her injured side to narrow her eyes sinisterly at the silver haired boy who suddenly realized his peril. “Heel.” She commanded, the beads around Inuyasha’s neck glowed brightly before slamming him face first into the ground. “Aww! That’s satisfying.”

“Bitch.” Inuyasha groaned into the dirt.

“Your wounds have reopened.” Kaede tiredly noted as she knelt down to inspect the bandages that was quickly gaining a crimson stain.

“It’s just a little blood, my old man would throw a fit if I let that keep me down.” The overly violent girl waved off her concern and moved with incredible quickness to pick Inuyasha up off the ground, and stand him up.

“Huh?” The hanyou asked intelligently, face covered in blades of grass, and little green stains.

“Listen.” Ranma instructed in an overly happy voice, brushing off dust and debris that clung to the red clothing Inuyasha wore. “I’m impressed by how tough you are and I know that you’re holding back.”

“Uh--.” Inuyasha just stared at the girl in confusion.

“But I just wanted you to know--.” The black haired girl reared back with her right hand in a tight fist and buried it into the hanyou’s stomach. He collapsed over her gasping for air before being roughly pushed to the side so he could fall to the ground. “I don’t appreciate being underestimated by some dog.”

‘She’s nothing like my sister at all.’ Kaede looked back and forth between the two, remembering how poised and calm Kikyo had been. ‘Hmm? Where’s she going now?’ Ranma ignored a wheezed insult from Inuyasha to head for the bone eaters well while putting pressure on her wound.

“You’re in no condition to be defending the Shikon no Tama.” Kaede decided to be more forceful in dealing with the child. Surely her parents had at least instilled some manner of respect for elders into the unruly and slightly mentally deranged girl. “You should return to the village with us to recover.”

“If this doesn’t work. Not like I’d have anywhere else to go.” Ranma shrugged and leaned over the edge to look down into the well.

‘She did say that she came through the well.’ Kaede realized, noting that Inuyasha had already recovered and had decided to remain silent for the moment. The hanyou was sitting in a crosslegged position with his arms crossed to glare irritably at Ranma.

“Do you plan to enter?” She asked worriedly, about to advise against it while carrying the jewel. It had already revived Mistress Centipede, and there were far more demon remains contained within.

“Can’t hurt.” With casual ease, the black haired girl hopped over the wall to plunge into the darkness below.

“Old hag.” Inuyasha appeared next to her with only the rustle of his clothing to mark his movement.

“My name is Kaede, Inuyasha.” She tiredly sighed and tried to see Ranma but it was too dark. “It has been fifty years so I have aged some, but you knew me when I was a small child assisting my elder sister Kikyo.”

“You got old.” The boy remarked crassly. “So where’s Kikyo hiding at? She must be ancient by now.”

Kaede allowed the corners of her mouth to quirk upwards into a smirk. “You’ve been fighting with her reincarnation, have you not figured it out yet? My sister died on the day that she sealed you to the sacred tree.”

Inuyasha stared sternly down into the well and quickly changed the subject. “She’s gone.”

 

[Wharpt]

So... What inducement will you give Ranma to return through the Bone-Eaters well to the past? And will he always be a girl in the presence of Inuyasha?

 

[Lawra]

So... What inducement will you give Ranma to return through the Bone-Eaters well to the past?

Who knows?:lol:

And will he always be a girl in the presence of Inuyasha?

I thought about doing something with the curse being screwy but I can't decide on what would be humorous enough and not just a convenient bludgeon seen as a way to keep Ranma a girl.

 

[nuclear death frog]

I don't think you need to introduce anything. Jusenkyou is at least four thousand years old, so it's already been around for millennia in Inuyasha's time. Introducing anything would be an obvious and IMO rather dubious bit of author fiat. I'm biased, but I don't see a way around that.

 

[Mick]

I'd rather see the curse work as it always did. Just for the others reaction to Kikyo's reincarnation being male.

And to see Kikyo's reaction most of all.

 

[Wharpt]

So... What inducement will you give Ranma to return through the Bone-Eaters well to the past?

Who knows?:lol:

I'll bet YOU do!!!!! :snigger:

And will he always be a girl in the presence of Inuyasha?

I thought about doing something with the curse being screwy but I can't decide on what would be humorous enough and not just a convenient bludgeon seen as a way to keep Ranma a girl.

How about a water event which douses Ranma everytime just before Inuyasha sees him? Inuyasha would only see Ranma-chan, but the others could know the truth and always be trying to convince Inuyasha.

 

[Lanceavalon]

So... What inducement will you give Ranma to return through the Bone-Eaters well to the past?

Who knows?:lol:

I'll bet YOU do!!!!! :snigger:

And will he always be a girl in the presence of Inuyasha?

I thought about doing something with the curse being screwy but I can't decide on what would be humorous enough and not just a convenient bludgeon seen as a way to keep Ranma a girl.

How about a water event which douses Ranma everytime just before Inuyasha sees him? Inuyasha would only see Ranma-chan, but the others could know the truth and always be trying to convince Inuyasha.

That is fucking stupid, would get old quickly, and would require Ranma to be a retard that can't heat water on his own.

 

[nuclear death frog]

I imagine this doesn't really need asking, but Ranma will eventually develop significant skill with the holy/purification powers he's inherited by being the reincarnation? More skill than "shoot something with an arrow, it is then instantly purified"?

 

[Lawra]

I'll bet YOU do!!!!! :snigger:

Not really, trying not to overplan everything.

How about a water event which douses Ranma everytime just before Inuyasha sees him? Inuyasha would only see Ranma-chan, but the others could know the truth and always be trying to convince Inuyasha.

Actually I wanted Inuyasha and any others not really care about it. They should all be used to weird curses and such.

I imagine this doesn't really need asking, but Ranma will eventually develop significant skill with the holy/purification powers he's inherited by being the reincarnation? More skill than "shoot something with an arrow, it is then instantly purified"?

Sure, why not?

 

[varth]

That is fucking stupid, would get old quickly, and would require Ranma to be a retard that can't heat water on his own.

Heat water with what? Pocket campfire? Or do you mean convenient lightning / meteor strike fire? While we're at it, what water? It's canon that Ranma doesn't carry any.

 

[Lanceavalon]

That is fucking stupid, would get old quickly, and would require Ranma to be a retard that can't heat water on his own.

Heat water with what? Pocket campfire? Or do you mean convenient lightning / meteor strike fire? While we're at it, what water? It's canon that Ranma doesn't carry any.

He lived out in the wilds for over ten years he knows out to make a fire without tools, and how the hell do you think they make tea back then?

Stop talking until after you think things through.

 

[shiki]

Heating a significant amount of water without any containers or knowing the geography of an area to actually find water would be the problem. And it isn't like he will just be able to randomly ask people if they have hot water on the road if he is stuck in the wilderness and not having a clue where the closest settlement is.

 

[pacifist]

If he is unable to beg borrow buy or steal a pot he is pathetic. If he cannot find water he is dead.

A major food staple of japan is rice. Which is generally boiled before eating.

In conclusion heating water is not rocket science.

 

[shiki]

Which is exactly my point. He has other issues more important that heating up water. Never said it was hard. It would just not really be at the top of the list in priority and other problems are more pressing.

Not to mention the whole being lost in the wilderness thing. That would be the biggest problem.

It would be way down the list in between fighting off demons, trying to find food, and finding a safe place to sleep and other necessities. Heating up water to change back rather than to drink or cook would be strange. Cleaning himself, assuming he doesn't just jump in a lake or something, that would probably be the only real opportune time.

When he is back in the present, all that shit doesn't matter.

 

[varth]

Stealing a pot, assuming there is one to be had, is one thing, but borrowing? Don't be absurd. In warring states Japan metals were much rarer than in medieval Europe or wild west America, and clay is easily breakable, getting someone to part with one would be major hassle even without being significantly different in eyes of populace. Even though it's not yet Closed Border period, Ranma's male attitude would automatically produce distrust from anyone who never met Kikyo.

Before you spew to others about not thinking, please invest at least a second yourself. Ranma doesn't always bother turning himself back when not in Tendo dojo even in modern times, where hot water is milion times easier to get compared to medieval Japan countryside.

Please stop cramming your obsessions down everyone's throat.

 

[Lawra]

Ranma can bring back supplies like Kagome did.

But yes it's inconvenient and annoying to any companions to stop and wait for Ranma to start a fire just to change back. And like in canon, generally Ranma doesn't unless there's a reason to change back when out and about. (Or because some joke had been accomplished, like in the ten yen battle arc where Ranma-chan was serving drinks as a bunny girl, got sold into slavery, then was back and a man in the next scene)

So there will be periods of time in this where Ranma doesn't encounter cold water and times where he'll be waiting till they stop for the night to actually change back.

 

[pacifist]

And so the author declares a fair and balanced system which will keep the story interesting.

 

[frice2000]

I would suspect that Inu Yasha himself might have an interesting reaction and preference for what form Ranma stays in. Plus the other IY cast if they are introduced might have their own preferences. Miroku for obvious reasons, Sango might like another girl around, Shippo might have an interesting take on what form he wants Ranma to be in too. This isn't going to just be in a vacuum and purely Ranma's decision.