The Wanderer is one of the rarest of the Seers. It is thought that the Wandering curse laid on the unfortunate takes Sight as a consolation, that he be not alone while he Wanders. It is speculated that the minor and major ley lines of the world are the Wanderer's roads and highways, and this is how the Wanderer can make impossible journeys.The only way to prevent a Wanderer from getting lost is to watch him constantly, but the innate talents lead him to lines that return him to home, or to the side of a significant figure in his life, with an average of once a month.
Invariably, Wanderers adapt to their lot in life. Many become accomplished in fields where aimless travel is not a burden. However, they are among the most depressed individuals on the planet.
Further study of the Wanderer is desired, but nearly impossible as the test subjects vanish without a trace or starve after getting lost in a closet.
From A Guide to Unawakened Seers
It is a conceit of the Awakened that only they can deal with demonkind and dangerous spirits. This is simply not true. All arts have power, not simply the Mystic Arts. A well-tended garden calms plant spirits, a masterpiece on canvass can enrapture a guardian, a piece of music can soothe a demon.Of the Arts, the most common ally of the Initiate is the martial artist. Do not mistake their skills for some kind of physical mysticism, for their path is their own and not merely a branch of ours. In their own way, a dedicated martial artist is a threat to even a classed demon...
From Allies and Enemies of the Mystic Arts
"Right here," came a sultry voice from the geyser.
Ryoga had no time to react as a fist came through his umbrella to smash his face. He stumbled back, confused, and reoriented to get a look at his foe.
And he stared at the naked, busty, very female, natural redheaded spirit floating over him with a confidant, very Ranma-ish smirk. "Well, Ryoga?" she asked. "Quite the curse I've got, huh?"
Ryoga pointed at the spirit. "Ranma?"
Ranma blinked and shrieked, covering her crotch and breasts. "You can see me!?"
Ryoga nodded dumbly.
Ranma sighed. "Okay, fine. Start laughing or gawking or whatever. I dunno what I did to ya, but it can't be worse than being cursed like this, right?"
Ryoga started chuckling darkly. "It is to laugh! That adorable body, you call a curse!?" he raved. He pulled a halfdozen bandannas from his head and threw them spinning at Ranma.
Ranma sweatdropped. Aw man, he's going nuts...how many bandannas does he have, anyway!? The nature spirit stood there calmly as the razor-sharp strips of cloth spun at her, through her, and impacted the ground behind her. "Calm down before you hurt someone!" she yelled.
"The only person I'll hurt is you!" came the predictable reply, along with an umbrella and another barrage of bandannas. Ranma just rubbed her forehead and decided to wait for the lunatic to run out of steam.
A sudden burst of fear behind her ended that theory. The spectators had finally caught up, Akane in the lead. That last barrage cut her skirt twice and she had fallen hard on her ankle.
Ranma growled. "Ryoga!" she cried, charging the lost boy.
Ryoga smiled ferally and set himself to receive the charge. A flurry of blows was exchanged, as indecisive as the first bout.
Ranma wanted to curse. She hadn't perfected an airborn kata, and had never fought against someone who could see her like this either! Ryoga, on the other hand, had clearly never faced someone who could fly or pass through solid objects. The almost choreographed dance of expert martial artists had devolved to a brawl between skilled martial artists.
Not that the newly arriving spectators could tell. "So, wait, is he fighting Ranko?"
"Looks like. Can you beat a spirit?"
"How should I know? He looks like he's doing well."
"Must be able to see her. Lucky guy."
"Hey, she could be ugly."
"Did anyone bet on Ranko winning the fight?"
The two fighters disengaged. Ryoga stared at his rival and snarled. "Just like you to hide behind a girl, Ranma!" he snarled, lashing up with his belt.
Ranma stared at the rod-like belt. "How the hell do you do that? Oh nevermind, give it a rest already!" A quick blow to the wrist and the belt went spinning into the sky. A quick reverse and she threw him to the ground. "Ya yield yet?"
"NEVER!" Ryoga raged, replicating his earlier move to launch them both into the air.
Ranma smirked and killed her momentum, floating out of reach of Ryoga and waving goodbye with a teasing smirk. The human boy cursed gravity as he fell.
Ranma caught movement out of the corner of her eye. "Damn!" She dove for Ryoga and jerked his body up, arresting his fall and letting his belt scythe below him on its return trip. "You're lucky I don't want to see you de-" Ranma let go of Ryoga in shock as her empathic sense stopped tingling. Something had happened.
She looked around and spotted it quickly. She winced. This was not going to end well.
Akane was standing in front of Ryoga's belt. And her hair was on the other side.
The two combatants walked and floated by her, a sudden truce brought about by the unexpected casualty.
"A...Akane?" Sayuri asked.
Ranma poked Akane. "She's in shock?" she asked, confused. Akane's emotions were all...weird.
"What do you expect!?" Yuka snapped, doing a credible impersonation of being able to see Ranma. "Caught in public with that haircut? She's lucky she didn't just die!"
Sayuri nodded. "You should know that; you're a girl!"
Ranma laughed weakly. "Well, um, ah..."
Yuka shook her head. "I guess spirits don't have haircuts."
Ryoga took a step forward. "She didn't get hurt, though."
Ranma sighed. She didn't want to do this, but it was her fault. Sorta. Remembering how it felt to try and become visible, she made the effort. "C'mon, if it'll cheer you up, take a swing at me."
Ryoga nodded. "You may hit me, too."
Akane looked up. Ranko was barely visible, which was just fine since she didn't need that body flaunted.
The birds evacuated the school grounds as violence far beyond what had occurred came to pass.
"Agreeable girl, isn't she?" Ryoga asked, cheek swelling.
Ranma nodded her newly invisible head. "Ow." Apparently spirits bruised, too.
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(Posted Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:31)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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