Ranma couldn't make sense of this little thing. But if there was some kind of mystical force inside it, it certainly was worth investigating. He grinned. Perhaps it hold the cure for his curse. He got to find out just what kind of power the gem contained.
But how to activate it?
Well, rubbing it worked with Aladdin's lamp, so why not try it here?
And indeed, after Ranma rubbed the ruby-like gemstone in his hands, a bright red light seemed to come flowing out of the little treasure. It was shining down on the ground...
After the light went out again, Ranma looked at the roof. Strangely, there was some kind of hole there, at the same point, where the red light has been pointing to.
But when he looked down into it, he couldn't see the room that was supposed to be situated under that part of the roof... he just saw nothing than a big, black hole.
When a green head came out of the hole, it was understandable that Ranma freaked out a little.
He shouted a small cry of surprise and jumped back. A strange creature looked out of the hole. It was green, had a short muzzle like some kind of rodent, and very long ears. And on his forehead, there was a bright red stone glittering in the sun, similar to the one, Ranma had in his hands...
Ranma blinked. The stone was gone? Strange!
The green creature looked around, then it saw Ranma. It let out a small giggle and then literally 'popped' out of the hole (which vanished after releasing the little imp).
"So you are the one who set me free," the being said with a high voice. "Thank you for releasing me! Actually, my ruby sensed a great power within you, that's the reason I was released. That means you must be a great warrior... Oh, sorry! I didn't introduce myself!" It made a short bow in mid-air. "I am Carbuncle! I am honored to be in the service of a warrior like yourself, friend!"
Ranma was blinking. "And, uuuhhh... What exactly are you?"
Carbuncle seemed to grin, although his mouth stayed closed during the whole conversation. "I am a summoning spirit. We have been called many different names in the worlds we have appeared in. Some called us Eidolons, other called us G.F. or Aeons."
Ranma scratched his head. "So that means I have... summoned you?"
"You could say that, but normally you summon me in battle or if you're in danger. When I am summoned, I can help you with my powers. Normally, you wouldn't see me. I would be resting inside your mind. But when you need me, I will appear like I did just now and aid you."
"And what kinda powers do ya have?" Ranma asked excitedly. Perhaps this little guy could cure curses. Or, if he was a decent fighter, he could be Ranma's sparring partner.
Carbuncle floated up and turned upside-down. Hanging there, he explained: "My primary power is to create a protective barrier around you and any allies of you that are close. This barrier will surround you for a given amount of time. All the magic that is cast upon you and your allies during that time, will be returned to the user, as if he was the target of the spell. Or maybe it will hit one of his allies, if he has some."
Ranma thought about it. That didn't sound like a useful battle technique. "Hmmm, could be useful if the old ghoul once again tries to use some of her magic on me... But don't ya have any battle moves?"
"That IS a battle move," the little imp said. "But I think you mean some offensive skills. Well, I'm capable of doing some low-level attack magic, but not that much... I am primarily a support for someone who is able to fight by himself. I thought you were a strong warrior..."
Ranma sighed. "Yeah, I am, but I thought I could use you to become stronger... or to learn some new moves!"
"Well, I can assist you in battle. If you like, we can go find some monsters and fight them. And after some time, you will become stronger."
"Well, there ain't exactly that many monsters around here," Ranma said. "There's only Tarou, when he's in his monster form. And I guess you could call the old freak a monster... hehehe."
Then Ranma thought of something. "Say... Carbuncle, right? I got a question... Um... just how did that gem you were in get here? I thought summom.... som... well, I thought beings like you would only exist in other worlds."
"Well, it's like this," Carbuncle turned around again. "I've been send to this world... for recruiting!"
"Huh?" Ranma asked. "Recruiting?"
"That's right," the little spirit nodded. "My... employer, if you could call him, had this little idea of training a new group of heroes... Champions that could be called whenever one of our origin worlds is in grave danger. He has send me out to find warriors like yourself to form a party that will travel these worlds to gain experience, and when the time is right, they will be one of the strongest defense forces in our universe."
"Hmmm..." Ranma smiled. "Sounds exciting! Just what I needed! It was getting pretty boring here, ya know? But you need some more recruits, right?"
"That's correct," the green imp nodded. "Maybe you know of someone with exceptional fighting skills..."
Of course Ranma knew of several good fighters living in the vicinity, but which one of his friends/rivals does he choose...?
See other episodes by Shritistrang
(Posted Tue, 11 Jul 2006 10:27)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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