This happened usually when Setsuna was directing him to a place of safety to remain to rest and food to eat. No more monsters had tracked them down yet, but his new friend told him she sensed they weren't far behind.
Within the sword, Setsuna was getting desperate, she couldn't protect Ranma forever on her own. Perhaps this next batch of monsters she could handle, but the one after that? And then after that. Eventually there would come an attack that she could not handle. And she'd prefer to spend her time outside teaching Ranma to use the sword and other such things he'd need to know if he was going to survive long.
She was leading him up into the mountains of the spirit world, where they could remain hidden a long time, time she could use to train Ranma.
She could feel the goblins of the spirit realm coming closer. A tingling of demonic energy that reverbrated within the demonic framework of her body, the sword. They were even now...hesitating to follow?
She projected outside of the form and directed her puppet to snap up the sword, relieving Ranma of the burden.
"Setsuna?" Ranma said. "Are monsters coming?"
"No," Setsuna said, looking back down the rocks. "They're stopping, I think they're afraid of something."
"Is that good or bad?" Ranma asked.
"There is something up ahead, a structure," Setsuna said. "We'll find out then."
****
The promised structure was a rough tunnel, bored into the vicious and jagged rocks. It yawned open before them, a black pit in the stark landscape. Ranma looked to Setsuna, who nodded, and stood guard as Ranma entered the cave.
She turned around and noted the goblins coming into view behind them. They held back, gnashing their teeth and wondering what to do as Setsuna also backed into the cave.
"I don't see what's so scary?" Ranma said as he saw Setsuna come in behind him.
"There are goblins outside," Setsuna said simply. She looked around at the surroundings.
The most stand-out feature within the artificial cave save for a huge pillar with realistically carved reliefs in the likeness of a quartet of cat-women nailed against the pillar.
There heads were carved, hanging downward in defeat and fatigue. Through the hands of each a wickedly serrated stone dagger was nailed through into the pillar beyond. And two similar daggers were stabbed through the ribs on each side. They were not symmetrical, surprisingly enough, and the greatest difference came in the tiger-ish woman with the four arms, and a corresponding number of knives through her hands.
On the walls beyond she noticed something very familiar and out of place in this realm and place.
"Aren't those," Ranma asked, pointing to the craved reliefs on the wall.
"A shotgun," Setsuna said. "Two pistols. And those are explosives."
"Mine," tired voice behind them gasped out. "And the bombs are Minnie Mays. We saw the future and liked it."
Setsuna and Ranma turned around and watched as one of the statues, the four-armed one, wearily and shakily lifted her head, opening stony eyes to reveal tired, golden cat-like eyes beneath that stared out dazedly at them.
"What is that?" Ranma demanded backing away.
"Rally," the cat woman gasped, steaming blood leaking out of her mouth as she put forth the effort of speaking. "Rakshasha in service to her divinity, the goddess, Kali. My friends sleep, only I wake."
"What are doing in the spirit realm of Japan, Rally," Setsuna asked warily.
"Chasing...a criminal," Rally said weakly, gasping for breath. "A traitor to Kali and Shiva. We were led into a trap, we've been here...I don't know how long."
"That makes since for you," Setsuna said. "You are an Indian demon in service to an Indian god. Your friends are European cat-demons. What are they doing here."
"My friends," Rally said. She seemed sad. "And my love. They came to help me...but I could not protect them. So the oni leave me awake through the centuries, while they sleep."
"Are you why the goblins are afraid to come in?" Ranma asked, pointing outside.
"Yes," Rally said smiling ironically. "Such amateurs can't survive me even bound like this."
"So if you were freed?" Setsuna asked.
"I would be honor-bound to serve you until you released me," Rally said. "But that shall not happen."
"Why not?" Ranma asked.
"Kid," Rally said. "Only Misty can undue the spell on me, no other. Kali herself told me as such. Misty's hands must remove the blades holding the rest of us as her blood was used to seal us in stone. And Misty sleeps forever behind me."
"And how can Misty be freed?" Setsuna asked.
"No demon or spirit or god can do that, a mortal sorcerer sealed her," Rally laughed bitterly. "It would take him or one of his blood to free her?"
"And do you have the sorcerer's name?" Setsuna asked.
"Happosai," Rally said, her eyes turning blood red and steaming as she named him. "That was the bastard's name. I still remember the pleasure he took in molding her into stone! If I had the chance I would rend his very flesh and soul and hold him alive through the whole process." Her head slumped down in defeat then. "But it is hopeless."
"Ranma," Setsuna said, smiling secretly. "Pull the knives out of the woman's that lies behind Rally."
Rally's head snapped up and she turned to look at Ranma as he hesitantly walked around behind the sealed demon.
"Me?" Ranma said. "Can I do that?"
"Don't tell me that this mortal kid is..." she started, eyes snapping toward Setsuna.
"Happosai's great-great grandson," Setsuna said. She looked to where Ranma was hesitantly gripping one of the stone knives. Setsuna nodded.
Ranma gripped the hilt and pulled hard, expecting it not to budge. Surprisingly, the knife slid outward effortlessly. The stone statue of the cat woman shifted in a sudden outburst of breath. Rally heard the sound of Misty's breath and a near feverish look entered her eyes.
"Pull the rest of the knives out Ranma," Setsuna said.
****
"Should we follow them in," the goblin asked roughly.
"Are you crazy, the Gunsmith is in there!" his fellow declared. "We'll be slaughtered."
"Well we can't go back without him," another goblin growled. "They'll have our heads."
"Just wait," a fourth goblin said. "The sword will stop projecting soon, and he'll get hungry, or the Gunsmith will scare him out. He'll...wait..."
The sound of foot steps could be heard stepping outside.
"He's coming out, see I told you," the fourth goblin gloated.
And then the walking form stepped out into the light and revealed as a sleek, smiling, four-armed rakshasha bearing gleaming fire arms.
"Boo!" she said, laughing.
And then the mountainside was ringed in fire.
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(Posted Fri, 06 Jun 2003 18:54)
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