"Most of them are probably here for the same reason we are," said Temari.
"Yes," agreed Sakura. "Candidates for the Hunter Exam from all over the world. Now we just need to get a ride to Zaban City from here."
"So, anyway, Cap'n," said Ranma, giving a wave. "Thanks for the trip."
"Eh, thanking me for a harsh trip?" asked the Captain, sounding quite amused. "Although you've arrived at the Dole Island harbor there are still more obstacles ahead."
"Wouldn't be fun otherwise," indicated Ranma.
"HAH!" said the Captain, letting that amusement show now. "Well, I'll tell you something. Consider it a special service."
"'Special service'?" asked Ryoga.
"See that tree?" asked the Captain, pointing at a lone tree standing atop a hill inland from the town. "Head for that tree. That's one of the shortcuts to the exam center. If you understand, get going."
"Got ya," said Ranma, vaulting over the side of the ship. "Take care."
"Showoff," grumbled Sakura.
"She says as she jumps off the ship," pointed out Temari, adjusting the fan on her back. "Come along brother, we'll use the gangplank."
"There's something wrong here," said Sakura, pointing at the large map in the town square. "Zaban City is in the opposite direction of the tall tree."
"You're right," agreed Temari. "We'd probably be wasting our time."
Someone with a couple of swords strapped to his back spoke up. "If you're going to Zaban City, there's an express bus just over there."
"Who're you?" asked Sakura, looking for any symbols or badges that he might be a ninja.
"I'm Mashu," said the redhead in the green gi. "I'm a rookie candidate like you guys. Nice to meet you."
"I'm Ranma," said Ranma, shaking the guy's hand briefly.
Mashu looked at his hand strangely after Ranma released it. "Uh. Huh. Nah, couldn't be."
"So are you going to use the bus?" asked Sakura.
"Nah, I hate the bus. I'm heading to the mountain with the tall tree," said Mashu.
"So we're going the same way," said Ranma.
"Hey, Ranma," said Ryoga.
"I'm going where the Captain said," said Ranma with a shrug. "Remember he said we were already being tested, right?"
"Abandoned city on the path?" asked Sakura.
"I think I've been here before," said Ryoga.
"Whatever, full moon tonight," said Ranma.
"What's that got to do with anything?" asked Temari curiously.
"Tonight I'll be camping away from everyone else," said Ranma, not elaborating.
That drew a few curious looks. Finally Sakura just looked at Temari and made a half-circle gesture near her temple.
"I don't see anyone," said Sakura after a minute.
"But there's a lot of people here," added Ranma.
"Yeah," said Ryoga. "Don't let your guard down."
Temari hmphed. "Who do you think you're talking to?"
Ranma jumped forward and turned towards an alley. "Found you."
"Hey," said Mashu, backing up as mysterious masked and rag-wearing figures started appearing out of doorways and windows.
"What are these guys?" asked Sakura, one foot sliding back into a defensive posture.
"We passed paths that were marked with the signs of dangerous animals," said Ranma, looking perfectly relaxed as he decided to lean against a building. "Hey, granny, don't suppose ya got any tea?"
"No," said the old woman.
"There were also traps along the pathway if you tried to go around," said Ryoga.
"So this is another trap?" asked Sakura.
The old woman stepped past Ranma and into the path of the rest of the group. "If you're going to the tall tree, there is no other path other than through this city. The other paths are mazes to trap the unwary. The boys are correct, there are also fell beasts and dangerous traps to await you."
"Hey," said Ranma. "Take a look at her cane. That's the same mark the Captain had."
"So this isn't necessarily a trap so much as a test," said Temari, her hand again going back to the giant fan strapped to her back.
"Doki doki," sang the masked ragmen.
"HEART POUNDING 2 PART QUIZ!" screeched the old woman.
"Oh great, a game show," complained Sakura.
"I'll give you one question, you have five seconds to answer it," said the old woman. "Get it wrong - you're disqualified. If so, you're best off giving up on being a Hunter. Answer with a 1 or a 2. Any other answers will be wrong."
"One question to all four of us?" asked Sakura. The two boys were most likely to answer wrong. Therefore, she the ninja school quiz-ace was the best one to take this challenge.
"I've got dinner on the stove to get back to, it's faster that way," explained the old woman.
"Excuse me," said Mashu, stepping past Sakura. "I'll go first."
"Confident aren't you?" asked the old woman. "Fine fine."
"I don't want to get disqualified by these guys," said Mashu, smirking.
"Mashu-san?" asked Ranma.
"I had no intention of being friends with any of you," said Mashu. "I just wanted to get past all the traps. Got no other use for you fools."
"What?" asked Temari. "Care to repeat that?"
"Let him go, it'll be that much easier for us with an example in front of us," counseled Ryoga, finding a barrel that wasn't too messed up to sit on.
"Here's the question," said the old woman. "Your mother and your lover are held by pirates. You can only help one. One, your mother. Two, your lover. Which would you help?"
"Eh?" said Mashu.
"Five, four," counted down the old woman.
"ONE!" said Mashu.
"Why?" asked the old woman.
"Because I only have one mother," answered Mashu, "I can always find another lover."
The masked rag-wearers parted to either side, making a path.
"See you later, losers," said Mashu, taking off down the path.
"HEY!" said Sakura, turning her attention to the old woman. "There's no correct answer to that question! You can justify either."
"How can you not try to save both?" asked Ranma.
"I'm going to find another path," said Ryoga, looking disgusted.
"Too late," said the old woman with a cackle. "If you leave you'll be disqualified. You don't have what it takes to be a Hunter anyway."
"Well I..." Ranma went still and looked off into the distance.
"Uh huh," said Ryoga, who'd gone identically still. "Sakura, this is-"
"ENOUGH CHATTING," interrupted the old woman. "Say anything else, and you'll be disqualified. Now say 'one' to take the quiz. 'Two' to not take the quiz. I'll ask YOU the question."
Everyone went quiet as she pointed at Ranma, though Temari's expression said volumes about what to do about this crowd.
"Your son and daughter are kidnapped, you can save only one," said the old woman. "One -your daughter. Two -your son. Which one will you take back?"
Ranma suppressed a yawn.
"Five, four, three, two, one," counted down the old woman. "Time's up."
"WHAT?!" asked Temari. "Okay, do we go through these idiot examiners? I'm tired of wasting my time."
"We just passed," said Ryoga. "Don't ruin it."
"But they let Mashu through," said Sakura.
"They let him through, but never said it was correct," said Ryoga. "I heard Mashu scream a little bit ago."
"So this isn't the correct path," said Temari, eyes narrowed as she looked over the crowd again. "Trickier than I thought."
"Correct," said the old woman, making a gesture. Two of the ragmen opened a door into darkness at that signal. "Take this. It's a straight path to the top of the mountain. A small walk of two hours."
As they walked off the old woman added one thing. "At the top is a house with two navigators. They can show you the way to the test center."
Read the comments on this episode
(Posted Tue, 04 Sep 2007 03:30)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.