After stepping through the door, Ranma looked around the hut. It was almost one giant space with the kitchen and bedroom divided only by a table cutting the room into two. Only near the far end of the hut was there a door that seemed to lead to another room. The guide placed a kettle on the fire pit, poured some water into it, and placed some tobacco in a small smoking pipe. He then motioned for Ranma to take a seat.
After Ranma sat down the guide turned to face the young man and began explaining, “Young customer and his father are now among a long list of victims of the cursed pools.” The guide paused as he put a small-lit stick to the tobacco-filled pipe and began taking some slow puffs. The guide then turned to look out the window of his hut onto the cursed valley of Jusenkyo. “Each pool carries with it the magical ability to transform its victim into the shape or personality of the original being who drowned in it.” The guide turned to look at Ranma his thumb jerking outside to where Genma panda was ‘napping’. “Older customer fell in a spring where a panda drowned 2000 years ago.”
The guide moved slowly toward the table and began to sit down next to Ranma. “Now older customer is a panda himself”, he then gestured to Ranma, “While young customer…”
As the guide continued to explain Ranma was watching him intently something seemed odd about there conversation. Then it hit the young martial artist. Before the guide spoke in slightly broken Japanese; now however Ranma could understand every inflection and statement the guide made it was freaking the young man out a bit. “Wait a sec.” Ranma interrupted the guide by holding up his hands, “Why can I clearly understand what you’re saying?” he asked looking intently at the guide.
The guide looked very puzzled by Ranma’s question. He then lowered his head in thought for a moment. Then he quickly raised his head and exclaimed quietly, “Ah yes of course that would explain it.”
A few moments past and it became apparent that the guide was caught up in his own thoughts. Ranma coughed slightly to get his attention. The guide looked toward the young man sheepishly before asking, “Young customer what language do you think I was talking in?”
“Japanese.” Ranma responded quickly humoring the guide who then shook his head. “No young sir in my excitement I was talking to you in Mandarin my native tongue.”
It took Ranma a moment to process that information when he did his eyes became wide with the realization, “But that means—“.
“Yes young customer,” the guide interrupted with a smile, ”you have gained one of the star beings abilities as described in the old account of him. It was called the ‘gift of tongues’.”
The guide then shifted his gaze back onto Ranma a serious expression on his face. “He hinted that this ability was granted by touch but I am not sure what that entails exactly.”
Ranma nodded absorbing the information the guide was giving him before looking back toward his host. “And the other abilities of this being such as flight, ki blasts, and such what does the old account say of them?”
The guide paused in thought, “Only sketchy details along with an interesting poem he shared with the Jusenkyo guide of the time. I have a copy of the account if you want to look at it?” The guide inquired.
Ranma nodded his consent and the guide got up from his seat and headed through the door Ranma saw initially when he stepped into the hut. After the guide had left Ranma turned his gaze onto his right hand and wondered what other surprises lurked in store for him as he flexed his fingers.
After what seemed like ten minutes, the guide came back to his seat with a slightly old looking red bound book. He placed the book down on the table, flipped several pages to the middle, and showed it to Ranma. While it was written in Chinese, Ranma was still able to read it perfectly. He attributed this to his new gift from the spring. He slowly read the paragraph the guide pointed to in the book.
Take this simple lesson to heart,
Emotions are where you should start,
First comes joy unchained,
Unbridled by anything,
You soar with unseen wings,
Next must come faith in oneself,
Which must be endless to help,
Relieve the burden of weight on yourself,
Last but not least is the stuff of wrath,
Though dark it maybe channeled righteously,
It will light a just blaze for all to see.
“Nice but it seems a bit…cryptic.” Ranma observed as he turned his head toward the guide. “Do you know the specifics?”
Before the guide could answer the kettle began whistling indignantly trying to tell the two occupants of the hut that the water was boiling hot now. The guide excused himself, grabbed a thick circular cloth, and laid it in the middle of the table. The guide then went and grabbed a small piece of cloth and grabbed the kettle by the handle. He placed the kettle on the circular cloth and went through the cabinets for two teacups and spoons. The guide set one cup for Ranma the other for himself.
“Not exactly,” the guide began cautiously. “That was a poem left by the Star Being when my ancestor, the Jusenkyo guide back then, asked about his powers.” The guide calmly sipped his tea slowly as he thought. “The rest of the work explains why the star being came down to Earth and the events leading to his drowning in the spring.” He then pointed toward the book, “By the way that’s a reproduction I have several of them feel free to take that with you on your journey.”
Ranma bowed, closed the book, and placed it aside. He then turned back to the guide. “Well you said there was a cure what is it?” Ranma asked curiously. The guide then took the cooled pot of warm water and poured it on Ranma who sputtered as the water engulfed him. “Hey what did you do that for?” He asked angrily until he got a good look at his hand and saw they were his usual pink color again. He quickly looked to the guide for an explanation. The guide smiled and stated in broken Japanese, “Hot water reverse curse until splash with cold water again.”
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(Posted Tue, 26 Jun 2007 05:22)
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