*****************
Setsuna watched as Ranma packed and left. There was not much she could do at this moment. In fact there was not much she could do to discourage him further for a few days yet.
The most obvious point would be the crossroads he would reach in about 3 days. A little sigh switch would delay him. Then more delays until he finally gave up.
For now she could relax. And maybe take a bath.
*sniff*
Yes, most definitely take a bath.
With images of a nice warm bath in mind she teleported to her room.
She forgot that nothing ever went as predicted with Ranma.
******************
On his second day of traveling, Ranma stopped for a short time, next to a stream, for lunch. It was then he felt it.
'The heck is that,' he wondered. The sensation was.... not easy to describe. It was like someone or thing was calling to him. Well may be not. It was more of a caressing on his ki senses, tantalizing him to come this way. Like the smells of fresh buns teasing the nose or the sounds of a roasting pig on the ears or the sight of slow cooked lamb, marinated with ginger, garlic and.... ehem... you get the idea.
Curiosity getting the better of him, he quickly packed up his equipment, jumped over the river and made his way to where the ….. feeling originated from.
What he found was a ruined temple.
Katsu crept along the walls, covering most of the structure. Here and there the wood had rotted and collapsed. A tree had fallen on one side of the structure and now rested on the main wooden beam of the roof. The roof itself was mainly skeletal, bowed inward with age. Weeds and wild flowers dominated the garden. The stone pathway was eroded by time and almost lost in the weeds and wild grass. All in all, it portrayed an extremely old temple. Except, for one small fact.
The main door gleamed as brightly as the day it was made.
With a sense of foreboding and slight hesitation, Ranma walked to the door. His approach was silent. The only sound the slight breeze on the weeds. Just as he reached the door...
It opened by itself.
The feeling was strong now. He did not know what was beyond. It did not feel like an Oni or malicious in anyway. It felt divine, like the Gods were calling to him.
With a gulp he stepped into the building.
********************
A day later Setsuna stood worriedly before the Time Gates. Try as she might she could not find Ranma. Normally this would be semi-good news. But for him to just disappear like that unnerved her, especially since she could not find any evidence of his death. He stopped for lunch one day and... that's all she was able to see. He had disappeared from the sight of the Gates of Time.
Worse, the image of Crystal Tokyo was shifting. It was no longer prominent in the possible futures.
But without an apparent threat or cause, Sailor Pluto could do little but keep searching and curse in every language she could thing of.
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(Posted Sun, 10 Oct 2004 10:22)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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