As with natural species, supernatural species have followed in the wake of the migrations of peoples that have been so much a part of the modern world. However, supernatural species have operated under constraints that natural species haven’t. Natural species were often imported by colonists and immigrants, especially the domesticated varieties, of course, but even the non-domesticated varieties. None of the Awakened has copied with supernatural species the Sleeper that imported every bird mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays and placed them in Central Park in New York City, for example.
And there are further constraints on the spread of supernatural species, likely a part of their nature in currently unknown ways. For instance, the dwarves of Scandinavia and the ban-sidhe of Ireland seem bound to their geographical locations, the genii of the ancient Romans are bound to specific bloodlines, and succubae have had very limited success expanding beyond populations descended from Europeans….
But not all supernatural species are so limited, and in rare cases their nature works for them. The biggest success story when it comes to the migration of European supernatural species is the sprite. Once bound by mountain, desert, and ocean barriers to Europe and parts of northern Africa, sprites have followed European colonists and adventurers wherever they’ve wandered and even in many places exceeded them. The current thinking is that sprites’ success can be attributed to their intelligence — in most parts of the world, supernatural species filling the same ecological niche were nonsentient species, and so unable to compete with the sentient (if often flighty) sprites and quickly pushed aside when the European import arrived in their region.
A good example of this is Japan. Sprites are believed to have arrived there in the latter part of the 19th century after Japan was forced to open its doors to diplomatic and economic relations with the West, brought in with the living plants sprites need to survive, imported by the wives of diplomats and traders across the Pacific. They quickly covered all of the Japanese islands, in spite of efforts by the native Awakened to prevent their spread and even eradicate them in areas that they had already occupied. The sprites then spread from Japan to China, and can now be found throughout the entire Orient….
“The Migration Patterns of the Supernatural Species of Europe,” a term paper by Hermione Granger
The next morning:
Nabiki slowly came awake, and glanced at the still-quiet alarm clock. Hmm, earlier than usual—at least, than usual now, and isn’t that wonderful? she thought with a sleepy smile as she considered the night’s events, or rather non-events. No sex, like the first few night, no adventures, like the last couple, no dreams I can remember at all, he did it!
Then, as she slowly cleared her mind, she realized there was something missing. No Ranma. Where is she? she thought, a spike of panic shooting through her. She didn’t go back to Genma, he’s swimming back to Japan right now, and she doesn’t have anywhere else to go….
Nabiki quickly rose, threw on the previous day’s clothes, and headed downstairs where, as expected, she found her older sister in the kitchen.
“Kasumi, have you seen Akane this morning?” she asked as she walked in.
Kasumi glanced up from her breakfast preparations with a smile, then focused back on her work. “Of course, she’s taking her morning run.”
“Good,” Nabiki replied, then in a lower tone, “Have you seen Ranma anywhere?”
Kasumi nodded. “Yes, she’s in the dojo practicing. Though that is odd, now that you mention it — usually, she wakes up with you.” Glancing thoughtfully over at Nabiki, she asked, “You two haven’t had a fight or anything?”
Nabiki shook her head. “No, nothing like that. No dreams last night, either, at least none that I can remember. But I woke up alone, so I don’t know if that’s because Ranma managed to control herself or because I spent the night alone.”
“Well, I’m at a stopping point for the moment, so why don’t I show you some of the most absolutely beautiful flowers that have bloomed in the yard and then you can talk to Ranma while I finish breakfast,” Kasumi said in her old bubbly, slightly oblivious manner, making Nabiki start suspiciously.
“Okaayyy …”
* * *
As Nabiki and Kasumi walked out into the yard, Nabiki murmured, “Has one of your friends shown up?”
Kasumi nodded. “Yes, a sprite that played with me a lot while mother was alive. She’s agreed to help us, but she wanted to meet you before she left.”
“Meet me? Why?”
“I don’t know, she said something about getting a ‘look at you’, why I don’t know.”
Suddenly, Nabiki found a six-inch tall slim girl with short blond hair and bumblebee wings hovering in front of her face — naturally blond at that, as the lack of so much as a stitch of clothing made obvious.
“Oh, wow, you’re here!” the diminutive cutie bubbled. “And look at you! You’re looking so much better now, all the reds and blues clearing up, the blacks and muddy greys fading away, you’re even getting a little pink in there! That succubus in the dojo must be quite a hottie, huh?”
A gaping Nabiki started to blush, and Kasumi stifled a laugh. “Nabiki, this is Cherry Blossom. She’s kind enough to agree to help us out.”
“You betcha!” the sprite enthused as she circled Nabiki. “Gotta do something for all those wonderful stories you told us. Besides, it sounds like fun! Ooh, Nabiki, that demon stench is even fading, you’ve been a good girl lately! But not too good, I hope,” Cherry Blossom added, flying up in front of the still-stunned girl and giving her a broad wink. “Well, it’s been good to see you again, Nabiki, but now I have a job to do. To Juuban, up, up, and away!” And the little bundle of energy made manifest sped up and out of sight.
A moment later, Cherry Blossom was again hovering eye level with Nabiki, looking somewhat abashed. “Um, which way is Juuban?” Wordlessly, Nabiki pointed the way, and with a cheerful “Thanks!” the sprite was gone again.
Nabiki stared after the now vanished sprite for a few moments, until the sound of laughter brought her out of her daze. Turning, she found her normally calm, collected, even staid sister on her knees, arms across her stomach, laughing so hard she could barely keep from falling over completely and rolling on the ground. “Ohh … you should … have … seen your …face!” Kasumi managed to gasp out between peals of laughter.
Finally, Nabiki gave in to a chuckle of her own as she reached down to give Kasumi a hand up. “I suppose I was rather dumbstruck, there.” Sobering, she turned her gaze back toward Juuban. “Please tell me that was an act!”
Finally toning down her laughter to chuckles, Kasumi shrugged. “That’s the Cherry Blossom I’ve known for as long as I’ve known her, except …” sobering, “… except just after mother died. When I was constantly breaking into tears from the pain, and completely overwhelmed by the workload and trying to be a mother to two sisters, she was there. It was like she was a completely different person, giving me a figurative shoulder to cry on, helping me with the housework — she’s more mature than she acts.” Giving a little chuckle, “Not that that’s hard. She’s the one that taught me how to cook. Why she learned to begin with I don’t know, she never actually ate … I don’t care what she says, Nabiki, no amount of storytelling equals what’s she’s done for me.”
“For us, sis,” Nabiki said, giving her older sister a quick hug, “and someday we’ll figure out a way to pay her back.”
“I don’t think we can, little sis,” Kasumi all but whispered, “but that’s what friendship is really all about, isn’t it?”
“I wouldn’t know,” Nabiki said with a shrug, “but I’d sure like to find out. C’mon, I’ll talk with Ranma later, what say I help with breakfast?”
The two started to walk back into the house, when Nabiki froze, her eyes turned inward. Kasumi took a few more steps, then turned around when she realized Nabiki wasn’t alongside her anymore. “Nabiki?” she asked quietly.
Nabiki waved for silence. There was something Cherry Blossom said, something important, what was it? As best she could she ran through her memory of their brief encounter, and then she had it. “Wait a minute, Cherry Blossom knew what kind of nature spirit Ranma is, she said what type! What was it, ulubus? Sudulus? No, succubus!” A big grin broke out on her face as she focused again on her sister. “At last, I’ll be able to give Ranma some real news! Sorry, sis, I’m going to have to skip helping with breakfast. In fact I’ll skip breakfast, make me an extra-large bento, I’ll be on my computer!”
“Certainly, Nabiki, I fully understand,” Kasumi said to her sister’s retreating back as she watched Nabiki rush back into the house, then glanced toward the dojo before turning to follow her sister. I really hope she’ll have some good news for you, you could use some and it would make her so happy.
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(Posted Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:32)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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