"Look lady..." Ranma said, getting to his feet. "I don't know what you mean by me 'smashing into an old shrine of yours' around here," Looking at Bastet, he continued, "And came into contact with a magical item of something..."
"Yes..." Bastit said. "The Shrine was for the Weretiger Species... However, with the shapechanging magic already in play with you having a Jusenkyo curse, AND being under the influnce of the Neko-Ken, it has made you into something more... 'Powerful'."
"What do you mean?" Ranma asked.
Sighing, Bastet looked Ranma in the eyes. "Ranma Saotome... The Neko-Ken is a guardian spirit of demonic origins that is grafted to your soul in a process that is similar to a person with schizophrenia... However, since you have the Jusenkyo Curse, the shape-changing abilities fused the Neko-Ken guardian spirit into the weretiger bloodline that was bestowed upon you..."
Ranma was starting to get annoyed, and though he would never admit it, he was starting to feel afraid. "Please, stop tip-toeing around the subject and tell me WHAT happened!"
Bastet was silent for a few more moments, pondering on how to break this to him... She decided Ranma wouldn't believe her unless he saw it with his own eyes. "Saotome... I want you to concentrate... I want you to search into your heart, which is now one of a prehistoric feline. I want you to dig deep and search for strength, strength beyond anything you could have imagined... Seek the power within your soul, grab it and don't let go... Then you shall understand what has happened...
Ranma was unsure of this. But he could tell that the goddess before him wasn't lying. He then sat down onto the grass. Crossing his legs Ranma closed his eyes and entered a meditative stance. He searched deep within himself, searching for a strength that Bastet told himw as in him, a strength he would never have believed in...
She was right...
As soon as he concetrated on it, Ranma could feel a powerful force within him that was practrically 'screaming' to be free. He could feel it held securely by bonds which were his own psyche. A strength of tremendous power that actually seemed to call out to Ranma, begging to be free. Ranma could almost hear a 'promise' from the power within him, saying it would be his if he allowed it the freedom it desired. Ranma mentally reached for the power, holding it tightly. He then felt it.
Ranma screamed as he felt pain rack his body. He could feel his body-mass double easilly, every muscle in his body contorting, become harder and stronger than any steel. His boned felt like they were pulled, forced to grow and stretch to meet the force of muscle pushed upon them less they be crushed...
But those were the only changes Ranma understood within the moment as they occured...
Ranma couldn't exlain it, but he felt his spine growing, not to match the body, but a feeling as if it were extending. His teeth seemed to become sharper and he felt his top set of canine teeth grow, to the point where thge tips were resting on his mandible, touching the flesh on the inside of his mouth. His ears felt like the lifted up slightly.
Then came the onslaught of senses. His eyes as they snapped open seemed to see things clearly, even far away. He practically chocked as he could see the top of a moment that had to be a good two miles away clearly! His sense of smell was bombarded by the forest around him, new smells coming into his consciousness and familiar smells inscreased to insane levels. His hearing was so enhanced, he could practically hear the sound of blood pulsing through Bastet's body.
Finally, Ranma fell to his knees and fell forward, his hands planted firmly and lifting him of the ground... And then Ranma saw that his hands were covered the the darkest, yet most brilliant coat of purest ebony fur... And his fingernails were now claws that were an inch long.
"W, what am I?" Ranma asked between breathes.
"You Ranma Saotome are the first and so far only breed of new werecat." Bastet said calmly, eyeing Ranma wearily. His current level of power was insane, as if the power of the Ranma was multiplied by the Guradian Spirit's. "You are the first Weresmilodon..."
"W, Weresmilodon?" Ranma asked.
Nodding her head, Bastet said, "Yes. Or as some might come to call you soon, 'Sabretooth Weretiger'."
Ranma nodded his head. He saw Bastet pointing towards the direction of a lake. He stood up at his now full height of 8'4" as he walked over to the body of water. Looking over onto the peaceful, smooth water, Ranma was his reflection. He was now definitely cat-like. He smiled and saw sharp, gleaming fangs that would make a vampire green with envy. With his clothing mostly torn from the transformation, leaving Ranma with tattered pants and scraps of shirt sleeves around his wrists, Ranma could see his muscles... Powerful sculptures of flesh that would make any woman swoon at his presence, any men jealous, and any opponent piss their pants in fear.
Bastet watched Ranma as he looked at himself. Bastet couldn't help but find it 'odd' that he had a long-tail, something Smilodon didn't have. She chalked it up to the Shrine having to been to weretigers, which do have long tails.
Bastet also smirked as she could see that Ranma was very easy on the eyes if one could not senseor ignored the power he radiated.
Ranma then turned to Bastet. "What now?"
Bastet sighed. "Well my Avatar, I suppose it's better you find out why I brought you here... You see..."
"The Betrayer... Brendan..."
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(Posted Tue, 05 Nov 2002 01:34)
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