R1/2 -- Chris Collins (artc@mastnet.net) I'm sorry! I'm guilty! I killed a little back pig in the Ranmaverse! But you have to remember that this is a very tragic story. Things have died in the Cursed Springs. I suppose I could have done something like making him nearly-drown--I've heard somewhere that someone made a Spring of Drowned Akane by throwing her into a pit and dumping magical water over her (but I could be mistaken)--but that would ruin the drama of the fanfic. (CHEF'S NOTE: In other words, what he's tryin to say is 'Get off my back, jackass. It's my damn story.) (CUTE VOICE: Now on with the show.) -----------===================------------ | An Iron Dagger Production | -----------===================------------ Doshin leaned on his shovel as if it were a cane and bowed his head in respect while Miko, wearing a blouse and pants similar to Ranma's, slowly and cerimoniously marched out the cabin door with a neatly wrapped cloth bundle held close. Ranma-chan sat lotus-style on a nearby tree stump and watched the mournful event attentively, still trying to decide whether everything that was happening was real and she should feel sad for the girl, or whether it was all an elaborate dream and she should try to find some deep, spiritual meaning in it (CUTE VOICE: Always dream of killing 'The Pig'. Must kill 'The Pig'.). Miko's expression brought a tear to Ranma's eye, nevertheless. Miko was holding herself amazingly well, trying her best not to burst out crying (CHEF'S NOTE: Why couldn't Father build that funeral pier so we could have Niko cremated like I've always wanted.) (CUTE VOICE: Hehe. Burn 'The Pig'!) (NOTE: Shutup! You're spoiling the atmosphere!), but the trembling of her lip and the redness of her eyes depicted how much Niko's death had actually taken its toll. She stopped in front of the small hole her father had dug and stared at it with contempt. -----------===================----------- | Writen and Directed by: | | Christopher Lee Collins | -----------===================----------- Miko nudged the bundle against her cheek and sighed distantly. Her eyes started shimmering like twin, glassy pools. Doshin glanced up at his daughter and recognized her I-never-want-to-give-you-up look. He said softly, "You've got to let him go, Miko. Niko has fulfilled his destiny." Her father's words only seemed to make her eyes more tearful. She curled her bottom lip and snapped, "How can you be so cruel? Niko was my closest friend. He can't be dead now." "And yet you hold the proof in your arms." Doshin quickly shifted his eyes downward, as if he had just uttered a blasphemy. He hated to argue with his daughter over personal attachments. But instead of pursuing the matter further, she looked at the burial cloth in her hands and sighed. "I guess you're right." She glanced in Ranma's direction. "Is there nothing you can do, Guardian Spirit?" Ranma furiously shook her head. Miko let out another heavy sigh. "Then could you say a few last words for him? Please." Ranma raised her eyebrows and pointed to herself. -----------===================----------- | Based on Characters Created by: | | Rumiko Takahashi | -----------===================----------- Ranma had never been to a funeral before. She held the wrapped body in her outstretched hands like it was something infinitely fragile. A bead of sweat ran down her face. _What the heck am I supposed to say? It's dead!_ "Ok, here'i goes...." However, finding the right thing to say was harder than she expected. After stumbling around with her words for a few seconds, she sighed and settled on, "Look, I'm sorry I wasn't there in time to save you. I'm sure you were a pretty decent pig." Miko seemed to be satisfied with that, and she gave a faint smile. As an impulse, Ranma brought the bundle closer to her face and whispered, "You don't know how much trouble you're gonna cause me in the future, y'little runt." An image popped into Ranma's head of a little, black pig nestled up to Akane in bed; the pig winked an eye open and snickered in taunting 'bwei's. Ranma snorted and turned up her nose, then tossed P-chan's body over her shoulder toward the hole. _Oops._ The word entered her head even before the cloth slipped away from her fingers. Ranma quickly turned around and dropped to her knees in time to catch Niko just inches from the hole. Miko and Doshin glared at her in shock. Ranma tried to smile innocently. "Sorry. Must have slipped." She then set the bundle gently into it's final resting place. -----------===================----------- | Ranma Saotome | | in: | -----------===================----------- (CHEF'S NOTE: That's my Ranchan. Slow with the delivery, but quick with the save.) (CUTE VOICE: And who say he yours, spatula girl?) (CHEF'S NOTE: Well he certainly ain't yours, Garfield!) (CUTE VOICE: Hey! Who you call Garfield? I better looking!) (NOTE: Hey you two!) (BOTH: What?) (NOTE: It's been awefully quiet. Anyone know what happened to Happousai?) (BOTH: Who cares?) (OLD VOICE: Hi, everybody! Did ya miss me? Just got back from a glorious panty raid--and what a haul!) (CHEF'S NOTE:$#&@!) (CUTE VOICE: Stupid author! You jinx us!) -----------===================----------- | NYANNIICHUAN | | Very Tragic Story | | Part 2 | | "Guardian Spirit Ranma" | -----------===================----------- "You lost the idol! How could you be so careless!" Emperor Fang kicked the wolf half-way across the throneroom. Lon glanced at his transformed friend, who was trembling with his tail between his legs. Fang shouted, "Pae-Kau, you are worthless! Bad dog! Now get out of my sight!" The wolf whimpered on his way out. Lon faced forward and stood at attention. The emperor stared coldly at the wolf for a while longer, then turned away and ordered one of the guards to escort it out. He turned to Lon and started pacing in front of him. Smiling, Fang said, "I guess I should be angry with you too. After all, you were supposed to make sure Pae-Kau was successful. In addition, you allowed a stranger to best you in combat--a woman, no less." Lon tensed his muscles a bit. Fang faced him directly. "But you are not accountable for Pae-Kau's mistakes, and you are much to valuable to punish." Lon smiled under his mask. Fang folded his arms. "No, you are forgiven, for now. I have much more important tasks for you to perform." Fang walked back to his throne. "First of all, I am going to need a new guard captian as soon as Pae-Kau is," his face darkened, "formally demoted." They both looked toward the door, where Pae-Kau's escort was just returning, and his lower left leg was soaking wet. He shook his leg a few times before calmly taking his post. "Damn that Pae-Kau! (CHEF'S NOTE: Oh, sure! It's bash Pae-Kau week!) Can he do nothing right?" The empress paced wildly in front of what appeared to be a large campfire a few yards away, the only source of illumination in the room. The flickering and crackling light made shadows dance across her face and around her feet as though they were laughing at her discomfort. "It changes nothing." On the opposite side of the fire, sitting with legs crossed and eyes closed in meditation, was a soft-featured woman with a long fell of purple hair and a loose-fitting, orange-and-blue tigerstriped jumpsuit. "As long as your husband does not possess the idol, our plans remain unchanged." The empress stopped and folded her arms. "I still do not like it. I would prefer the idol be in OUR hands." The other woman responded flatly, "We do not need it. My powers are more potent than anything that relic could bring us." The empress rolled her eyes. "Please, do not flatter yourself." A wispy, masculine voice calmly reasoned, "I believe that what My Queen fears is the chance of someone else discovering the idol. Lost items will eventually be found." The empress smiled and glanced radiantly at the court jester, who was only a checkered form of red and yellow in the darkness. She nodded. "Thank you, Liu-Sing. And please, you may call me Chun-Mae." The figure appeared to bow. The purple-haired woman almost sneered. "And what will that 'someone else' do with the idol? It's just a useless scrap of wood unless one knows it's purpose." Chun-Mae shot the speaker a stern look. "Watch your tone when you speak to me, witch woman! And you may address me as 'My Queen'." The woman clenched her teeth. "Yes, My Queen." After a moment of silence, the witch woman dramatically raised her arms over her head, then let them slowly fall to her sides. In the next instant, her arms became a blur as her hands quickly dipped into and out of the flames before her. When she was finished, she swept both arms outward and the fire fizzled out; at the same time, dozens of torches lit up around the room, revealing that they were in a spacious, underground cavern as big as the throneroom itself. Liu-Sing, casually leaning against a rocky wall, chuckled, "Salon does have a flair for the impressive." The empress nodded. The witch woman clenched her left fist in her right hand and !CRACK CRACK! The two onlookers winced at what sounded like the snapping of a small bone. She then cupped one hand and brought pieces of something from her hand to her mouth. Chun-Mae craned her head and looked confused. "Chestnuts?" Salon glanced up at her. "What did you think the fire was for?" The other two facefault. Ranma-chan and Miko sat down at the table, each with a plate of roots and berries in front of her. Ranma ate ravenously (as usual) and cleared her plate in seconds. Miko, however, only stared blankly at her food and sighed, her arms hanging limply to her sides. Ranma spoke out of the side of her mouth as she chewed, "I'm glad to see you're feeling better today. You didn't look too good last night." "...." Ranma raised her eyebrows, understanding that something was bothering her. "Aren't you hungry? You haven't eaten since... well, I haven't seen you eat anything yet." Miko sighed heavily, "I miss him already." She paused and looked at Ranma for a while, making her feel uneasy, then began again, "Niko would always sit beside me when I ate, and I'd always give him something from my plate." Ranma stared at her, half-striken, then smiled. "You can give me something from your plate." (CHEF'S NOTE: Way to go, Guardian Spirit.) After realizing what she had said, she bit her lower lip. But to Ranma's surprise, Miko started to smile, then let out a quick giggle. "Well, it seems like you do eat like a pig...." Ranma folded her arms and huffed. Miko quickly apologized. Ranma tilted her head to the side and said, "It's Ok. I guess sorta I do, don't I." Miko looked up and joyfully nodded. She picked up a root and held it half-way across the table; Ranma leaned over and bit the end off, then sat back in her chair. Miko laughed a tear from her eye. She took a bite of the root as well. "I hope you don't mind eating these things, Guardian Spirit. I mean... you're probably use to something more...." She trailed off, not sure of the right word to complete her thought. Ranma put her hands behind her head. "Don't worry 'bout it. I had to eat this stuff all the time when I traveled everywhere with my pop." Miko looked at her strangely. "Your... pop?" Ranma realized she didn't understand. "Y'know, my dad... my father." Miko leaned forward, interested. "Oh? Who is your father and where did he take you?" Ranma nervously looked around the room, realizing that she wasn't prepared to heap her whole life story on her just yet. Miko nodded, "I understand." Ranma quickly sputtered, "It's not like I won't tell you or nothin. It's just that it's kinda complicated and...." Miko smiled and shoved a berry into Ranma's mouth. "You don't need to explain yourself, Guardian Spirit. All that matters is that you're here." Ranma shrugged and chewed her food. An uneasy silence filled the room, and Miko stared at her half-eaten root while she though of something to say. Miko's face suddenly lit up as she just remembered something. "I've got a present for you." Ranma glanced at her, slightly curious, when she pulled a small, wooden statue from somewhere under the table. Miko gleefully handed the object to her guardian and waited patiently for a response. Ranma held the object up to her face and examined it with as much enthusiasm as a wooden object could warrant from her--yet it did look odd. It was a finely carved, oaken icon of a really fat, thick feathered bird with a somewhat slumped forehead perched atop a smooth half-sphere. "Man. This is the goffiest looking bird I've ever seen." It reminded him of one of those mosterous, overfed, granddaddy pigeons that liked to perch atop statues in the park. Miko looked a bit shocked. "But Guardian Spirit... that's a phoenix." (NOTE: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just like in the OAV. I had my reasons for using it.) Ranma looked at it more closely. _That's a PHOENIX? I always imagined something more... majestic._ "So where'd you find this thing?" Miko looked down to hide her eyes. "*sniffle* I found it in the leather bag with Niko. *sniff sniff* I know you tried your best to save him, and I wanted you to have the statue to... I don't know...." She glanced up in grief and embarrassment. "You don't like it, do you?" A drop of sweat formed aside Ranma's face when she realized she was on the verge of wounding Miko's pride. She set the wooden bird on the table and patted it gently. "I'm very honored to recieve your gift. Thanks." Miko's emotional state went from near-depression to ecstatic joy so fast that even a manic-depressive would feel dizzy. _She's HONORED!_ Miko sqealed in delight and threw her arms about Ranma's neck. "I'm so glad you like it, Guardian Spirit!" Ranma gasped for air.To Nyannichuan, Chapter 2, part 2