Ranma couldn't take it anymore. He had just been betrayed the worst way possible. He simply wanted out of here now.
Ranma held the repaired Nan Ban Mirror and let a tear fall on it. "Take to where I am needed. Where I can be happy. Where I can live a good life."
There was a bright flash of light. And then Ranma was gone. The mirror fell to the ground and shattered.
The Nerimans just gaped. They could not believe Ranma had just done that.
How could it have come to this.
Akane Tendo fell to the ground and wept bitter tears over what she had done to Ranma, and what he had done to get away from them all for her terrible betrayal.
Nabiki jut snorted. "You slept with Gosunkugi, Akane. Did you really think he would just let that slide? You're lucky he didn't kill you off."
The others looked at the girl. Some with pity, some with sorrow, some with anger. Life would never be the same for her again. Everyone felt disgusted by those horrible actions.
Ranma appeared in a forest. He was dressed differently than he was before. In a garb similar to a medieval peasant, and with a hood. He was carrying a staff. He put the hood up.
He heard a voice. It called to him to walk father into the forest. He felt it was very important, and so he did.
He walked through the woods, and then came to a lake.
Across the lake the mist gathered, and a figure appeared in it.
It looked like a man with the head of a stag, and he felt that the form was regarding him... judging him... weighing him... and found him worthy of what it wanted.
The form looked at him and said, "I am Herne the Hunter, and you are a leaf driven by the wind."
Ranma looked at the form and said, "Herne is a spirit." somehow knowing it was true. "And you..."
Herne's stag head suddenly vanished.
Ranma looked across the lake at what was revealed, a grey-haired old man.
The man said, "I am a man."
Ranma said, "Yes, a man."
The man looked at Ranma and said, "Answer me this then. What brought you here?"
Ranma said, "I don't know."
The man said, "There was a voice."
Ranma said, "There was a voice."
The man said, "And what did this voice say to you? Tell me."
Ranma said, "It said 'Nothing's forgotten. Nothing is ever forgotten.'
Herne's stag head reappeared and he said, "So he is free!"
Ranma said, "Nobody is free. What does it mean?"
Herne then said, "A hooded man shall come to the forest, there to meet with Herne the Hunter, to be his son, and do his bidding."
He gave a bow to Ranma. "String the bow."
Ranma looked at the bow and said, "Why?"
Herne looked at Ranma, while Ranma was stringing the bow, and said, "To give it purpose. And you also must have purpose. And prove yourself." he said as Ranma held the strung bow in his left hand.
Suddenly images, thoughts, and voices assaulted Ranma's head. He stumbled, and then minutes later regained himself after they went away. He now knew who Herne the Hunter was, who had just died, who was held captive, where he was, who he was chosen to be, what his destiny was, what he had to do, what was being asked of him, and what the consequences would be.
"I accept.", he answered grimly, knowing that this would be a matter of life and death for many good people who depended on him, knowing he would have to kill to accomplish his mission.
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(Posted Thu, 12 Feb 2009 05:57)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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