Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma ½ or Inuyasha, these rights belong to Rumiko Takahashi
Author's Rantings (basically): Well, this is my first story I've ever published online, as I decided to polish up my writing. I also found that while there were some attempts at Ranma/Inuyasha crossovers, there aren't many so I decided to add one, hopefully of decent quality to the batch. Well first story, so probably inevitably not that great, reviews would be very welcome. Readers may find this too fast or slow paced as that's the feeling I keep getting, comments on that would be useful too. Thanks!
"A creature?" Ranma asked as he trudged behind his Genma and Soun as they walked through a peaceful residential district towards an as of yet unknown destination. He was clad in his silk Chinese shirt and pants and currently feeling quite bored as he followed his "elders".
"An honorable mission, boy," Genma replied, "It is a martial artist's duty to protect the innocent from such things." Boastful as always, the somewhat fat martial artist had his bald bandana clad head held up high, acting for all the world like the most honorable of samurai.
"Some kind of animal eared person," Soun informed Ranma, "apparently there has been a strange creature roaming this district, performing superhuman feats. While apparently it seems to save people more than harm them, the local council here has been worried and has invited us to investigate."
"So we're hunting something that has been saving civilians? That's pretty pointless," Ranma commented "I bet you decided to come here because it's safer here now that the old perverts back in town."
"Disrespectful boy! You do not understand the compassions of men!" Genma glared at his son while tears started to leak from Soun's eyes.
"Whatever" Ranma stated, as he walked on, leaving a bruised Genma behind him, "so where are we going to stay?"
"An old priest who I befriended some time ago" Soun replied after getting his tears into control, "Higurashi, in fact, who has kindly let us stay at his shrine for a while. He tells me that it should be safe there where the holy power will protect us from whatever creature is out th- Ah! Here we are!
***
Ranma looked up to see a pristine shrine and a cheerful house beside it. "Big open area," he noticed, "I guess I won't have any trouble practicing here."
The trio walked up to the house and rang the doorbell.
"Coming!" a woman's voice was heard from inside, followed by footsteps and the door opening to reveal a kind looking woman with short hair and a pleasant smile, in fact, she reminded Ranma of his own mother.
"I see you're here," the woman smiled as the three men introduced themselves "please come in." She led them to the living room before telling them to sit and serving tea. "I had better get my father, While I don't know why you are here, he was so delighted to know that you would come."
She left the room at the same time a young boy walked in. Seeing them, the boy shied away, running back and peaking from behind the doorway.
"Oh... ah... hey kid, no need to be scared of us, your grandfather invited us." Ranma told the boy, correctly guessing his position in the family. The boy walked in cautiously and sat down, staring at the trio. Unnerved by the boy's wide eyes, Ranma decided to start a conversation.
"I'm Ranma, this is my dad Genma and his friend Soun, "what's your name?"
"Souta." the boy replied,"what are you doing here?"
"We were invited to catch some kind of animal creature that's been terrorizing the area." Genma replied, laughing, "We're the best martial artists in Tokyo, so naturally we've been chosen" Seeing Souta's eyes widen in what was seemingly realization, Ranma narrowed his eyes.
"You know something about that?"
"Oh... no... nothing..."
"..." Ranma looked at him suspiciously and the room descended into an uncomfortable silence.
"You wear some strange clothes" Souta said suddenly, after what looked like a bit of thought "it reminds me of somebody I know".
"Really? Who?" asked Ranma, deciding to let go of the previous subject for the moment.
"Just this person who drops by once in a while, he wears old style clothes as well."
Ranma was about to respond when an old man stepped into the living room along with Souta's mother.
"Oh, you came!" Higurashi cried joyfully, "I didn't think you would..."
Ranma, Genma and Soun waited for the old man to continue.
"So why are you here again?"
Picking himself up from the ground, Soun reminded his old friend a la demon head, "we were here to catch the animal creature that has been showing up in your district!"
The priest tipped his head a few times, "animal creature? Oh yes, that animal creature! Yes, I'm sure that you will do a good job and catch it."
"Umm... grandfather," Souta tugged on his shirt, leading him out of the room "can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Oh dear, I think my father has done something silly again," Souta's mother told the martial artists, "I didn't know he wanted you to catch the youkai..."
"Youkai??" Genma asked her, "What's this about?"
"Oops" Souta's mother looked slightly sheepish, "slip of the tongue, youkai don't exist nowadays anyway."
More suspicion. "Don't worry miss," Ranma assured her, "we've seen strange things before, so we'd believe anything you say."
"I'm sorry, but I don't think that it is my place to tell you." Souta's mother responded, "but meanwhile, won't you please stay here for a while as an apology for my grandfather's senility?"
"Well, its free lodging" Genma and Soun thought inwardly, "Why sure, Higurashi-san!" Genma answered out loud "and in return we shall keep on a lookout for any youkai."
"You mean I'm going to be looking out for youkai." Ranma muttered.
"Oh my, I'm sure that that isn't necessary." Mrs. Higurashi told them.
***
"You three may stay in Souta's bedroom." Mrs. Higurashi told them upon showing the three men the room. "I'll just let you three make yourselves, the bath is at the other end of the house."
"We are grateful for your hospitality" Genma answered sincerely.
Immediately after Souta's mother left the room, Genma and Soun began squabbling over sleeping arrangements.
"The bed is mine!" cried Genma, "as the eldest here I am entitled to the most comfortable quarters.
"But Saotome-kun!" Soun objected, "I have allowed you to stay at my dojo for months now, shouldn't you try to repay me?"
Leaving the two idiots, Ranma decided to explore the house. It was smaller than the Tendo Dojo, he found as he walked around downstairs. Souta passed by carrying a bedroll.
"Since you're sleeping in my room, I have to sleep with my grandfather." Souta replied when Ranma asked, "it's just opposite my room."
Deciding to go upstairs to take a look, Ranma started up the stairway, but was stopped by Souta.
"There isn't much to see upstairs, just my mum's room and my sister's room."
"You've got a sister?" Ranma asked "is she out?"
"Well... kind of" Souta told him nervously, "she might come back in a few days."
"A few days?" Ranma questioned further, "does she leave for long periods of time a lot?"
"Ummm... yeah" Souta seemed to be sweating "comes back for short periods of time before leaving again."
"Busy, isn't she?" Ranma commented, "probably another crazy chick that I don't need to deal with" he thought.
"Ehehehehe, yeah..." Souta said, "look, why don't I show you outside after I get my stuff set up?"
"Sure kid," Ranma put his hands in his pockets and went for the door, "I'll be outside." He said, twisting his head to look at Souta before leaving.
Souta stared after Ranma for a few seconds, "so much like Inu-no-oniichan..." he murmured.
***
Outside, Ranma was examining the area, "how long am I going to have to stay here?" he wondered "not that I really care, don't know if I want to go back and face the insanity back home for a while, might be a chance to get some peace for a while."
The grounds were large in contrast to the relatively small house. The shrine house, a small hut beside the shrine house and a large tree were the most prominent features of the shrine. Out of respect, Ranma did not go near the shrine house, but decided to explore the small house beside it.
Going into the dark hut was somewhat creepy, but Ranma brushed it off. In the middle of the dry, stuffy hut was a pit with a staircase leading down into it. Curious, Ranma walked down the stairs and found an old well. Looking in, Ranma saw that it was empty with the exception of a pile of bones. "Creepy." he thought, turning around, and saw a demon.
Being completely honest, it wasn't a demon, but for Ranma it was infinitely worse.
"Meow." An extremely fat cat stared back at Ranma lazily.
"AAAARGH!"
***
"I didn't tell Ranma not to go to the well..." Souta thought, running towards the shrine, I hope Kagome won't return suddenly."
"AAAARGH!"
"Oh no! Inuyasha must have came over as well, they've completely freaked Ranma out!"
Souta ran into the well house.
Ranma was frozen stiff, teeth chattering and pigtail standing on end, "get... that... thing... away... from... me...." He managed. Souta looked down at the cat and then back and Ranma.
"Ranma-kun, you're a wimp" He told Ranma.
"Not... a... wimp" Ranma stammered out "just... get that... away... from me...".
Sighing, Souta took Buyo into his arms and put him outside. "You're afraid of cats then," it was more of a statement than a question but Rafter settling down, Ranma answered anyway.
"I'm not afraid of anything!" He glared down at Souta "I've just had a bad experience with those things, that's all."
Souta decided to drop the subject, it was obvious that Ranma was definitely not comfortable, and he respected people's secrets, "You've seen the Go- Shinboku right? That's the big tree outside, why don't you go see it?"
Glad that the previous conversation topic had been dropped, Ranma heartily agreed and moments later, they were sitting on a bench near the tree.
"Strong aura," Ranma realized, "that tree must have been really something."
"That tree is magical" Souta told Ranma, "Grandfather, Mother and Kagome all tell me that it possesses strong calming effects and that it has had a powerful history. Sometimes, when one of us is particularly depressed, we can come here and our hearts somehow feel much lighter."
Ranma gazed in awe up at the tree and felt his own worries lessen. They were by no means gone, but all his fiancé problems, his rivals, his debts to Nabiki, everything, seemed, for that moment become less significant. The aura emitted by the tree was one of peace, an emotion that Ranma rarely felt in an environment where anger and depression were the most prominent of emotions.
Seeing his present companion lapse into a trance, as was common for people first seeing the mystical tree, Souta quietly slipped away back into the well house. Ranma noticed but decided to stay near the tree, and soak in the calm that it seemed to emit.
It seemed like only moments have passed when Souta's mother came out to call Ranma in for dinner. "Yes," he thought cheerfully "maybe I will get some peace for once." With such a thought in mind, Ranma merrily went into the house to the rich, mouth watering smell of dinner.
Author's Rantings (basically): Well, this is my first story I've ever published online, as I decided to polish up my writing. I also found that while there were some attempts at Ranma/Inuyasha crossovers, there aren't many so I decided to add one, hopefully of decent quality to the batch. Well first story, so probably inevitably not that great, reviews would be very welcome. Readers may find this too fast or slow paced as that's the feeling I keep getting, comments on that would be useful too. Thanks!
"A creature?" Ranma asked as he trudged behind his Genma and Soun as they walked through a peaceful residential district towards an as of yet unknown destination. He was clad in his silk Chinese shirt and pants and currently feeling quite bored as he followed his "elders".
"An honorable mission, boy," Genma replied, "It is a martial artist's duty to protect the innocent from such things." Boastful as always, the somewhat fat martial artist had his bald bandana clad head held up high, acting for all the world like the most honorable of samurai.
"Some kind of animal eared person," Soun informed Ranma, "apparently there has been a strange creature roaming this district, performing superhuman feats. While apparently it seems to save people more than harm them, the local council here has been worried and has invited us to investigate."
"So we're hunting something that has been saving civilians? That's pretty pointless," Ranma commented "I bet you decided to come here because it's safer here now that the old perverts back in town."
"Disrespectful boy! You do not understand the compassions of men!" Genma glared at his son while tears started to leak from Soun's eyes.
"Whatever" Ranma stated, as he walked on, leaving a bruised Genma behind him, "so where are we going to stay?"
"An old priest who I befriended some time ago" Soun replied after getting his tears into control, "Higurashi, in fact, who has kindly let us stay at his shrine for a while. He tells me that it should be safe there where the holy power will protect us from whatever creature is out th- Ah! Here we are!
***
Ranma looked up to see a pristine shrine and a cheerful house beside it. "Big open area," he noticed, "I guess I won't have any trouble practicing here."
The trio walked up to the house and rang the doorbell.
"Coming!" a woman's voice was heard from inside, followed by footsteps and the door opening to reveal a kind looking woman with short hair and a pleasant smile, in fact, she reminded Ranma of his own mother.
"I see you're here," the woman smiled as the three men introduced themselves "please come in." She led them to the living room before telling them to sit and serving tea. "I had better get my father, While I don't know why you are here, he was so delighted to know that you would come."
She left the room at the same time a young boy walked in. Seeing them, the boy shied away, running back and peaking from behind the doorway.
"Oh... ah... hey kid, no need to be scared of us, your grandfather invited us." Ranma told the boy, correctly guessing his position in the family. The boy walked in cautiously and sat down, staring at the trio. Unnerved by the boy's wide eyes, Ranma decided to start a conversation.
"I'm Ranma, this is my dad Genma and his friend Soun, "what's your name?"
"Souta." the boy replied,"what are you doing here?"
"We were invited to catch some kind of animal creature that's been terrorizing the area." Genma replied, laughing, "We're the best martial artists in Tokyo, so naturally we've been chosen" Seeing Souta's eyes widen in what was seemingly realization, Ranma narrowed his eyes.
"You know something about that?"
"Oh... no... nothing..."
"..." Ranma looked at him suspiciously and the room descended into an uncomfortable silence.
"You wear some strange clothes" Souta said suddenly, after what looked like a bit of thought "it reminds me of somebody I know".
"Really? Who?" asked Ranma, deciding to let go of the previous subject for the moment.
"Just this person who drops by once in a while, he wears old style clothes as well."
Ranma was about to respond when an old man stepped into the living room along with Souta's mother.
"Oh, you came!" Higurashi cried joyfully, "I didn't think you would..."
Ranma, Genma and Soun waited for the old man to continue.
"So why are you here again?"
Picking himself up from the ground, Soun reminded his old friend a la demon head, "we were here to catch the animal creature that has been showing up in your district!"
The priest tipped his head a few times, "animal creature? Oh yes, that animal creature! Yes, I'm sure that you will do a good job and catch it."
"Umm... grandfather," Souta tugged on his shirt, leading him out of the room "can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Oh dear, I think my father has done something silly again," Souta's mother told the martial artists, "I didn't know he wanted you to catch the youkai..."
"Youkai??" Genma asked her, "What's this about?"
"Oops" Souta's mother looked slightly sheepish, "slip of the tongue, youkai don't exist nowadays anyway."
More suspicion. "Don't worry miss," Ranma assured her, "we've seen strange things before, so we'd believe anything you say."
"I'm sorry, but I don't think that it is my place to tell you." Souta's mother responded, "but meanwhile, won't you please stay here for a while as an apology for my grandfather's senility?"
"Well, its free lodging" Genma and Soun thought inwardly, "Why sure, Higurashi-san!" Genma answered out loud "and in return we shall keep on a lookout for any youkai."
"You mean I'm going to be looking out for youkai." Ranma muttered.
"Oh my, I'm sure that that isn't necessary." Mrs. Higurashi told them.
***
"You three may stay in Souta's bedroom." Mrs. Higurashi told them upon showing the three men the room. "I'll just let you three make yourselves, the bath is at the other end of the house."
"We are grateful for your hospitality" Genma answered sincerely.
Immediately after Souta's mother left the room, Genma and Soun began squabbling over sleeping arrangements.
"The bed is mine!" cried Genma, "as the eldest here I am entitled to the most comfortable quarters.
"But Saotome-kun!" Soun objected, "I have allowed you to stay at my dojo for months now, shouldn't you try to repay me?"
Leaving the two idiots, Ranma decided to explore the house. It was smaller than the Tendo Dojo, he found as he walked around downstairs. Souta passed by carrying a bedroll.
"Since you're sleeping in my room, I have to sleep with my grandfather." Souta replied when Ranma asked, "it's just opposite my room."
Deciding to go upstairs to take a look, Ranma started up the stairway, but was stopped by Souta.
"There isn't much to see upstairs, just my mum's room and my sister's room."
"You've got a sister?" Ranma asked "is she out?"
"Well... kind of" Souta told him nervously, "she might come back in a few days."
"A few days?" Ranma questioned further, "does she leave for long periods of time a lot?"
"Ummm... yeah" Souta seemed to be sweating "comes back for short periods of time before leaving again."
"Busy, isn't she?" Ranma commented, "probably another crazy chick that I don't need to deal with" he thought.
"Ehehehehe, yeah..." Souta said, "look, why don't I show you outside after I get my stuff set up?"
"Sure kid," Ranma put his hands in his pockets and went for the door, "I'll be outside." He said, twisting his head to look at Souta before leaving.
Souta stared after Ranma for a few seconds, "so much like Inu-no-oniichan..." he murmured.
***
Outside, Ranma was examining the area, "how long am I going to have to stay here?" he wondered "not that I really care, don't know if I want to go back and face the insanity back home for a while, might be a chance to get some peace for a while."
The grounds were large in contrast to the relatively small house. The shrine house, a small hut beside the shrine house and a large tree were the most prominent features of the shrine. Out of respect, Ranma did not go near the shrine house, but decided to explore the small house beside it.
Going into the dark hut was somewhat creepy, but Ranma brushed it off. In the middle of the dry, stuffy hut was a pit with a staircase leading down into it. Curious, Ranma walked down the stairs and found an old well. Looking in, Ranma saw that it was empty with the exception of a pile of bones. "Creepy." he thought, turning around, and saw a demon.
Being completely honest, it wasn't a demon, but for Ranma it was infinitely worse.
"Meow." An extremely fat cat stared back at Ranma lazily.
"AAAARGH!"
***
"I didn't tell Ranma not to go to the well..." Souta thought, running towards the shrine, I hope Kagome won't return suddenly."
"AAAARGH!"
"Oh no! Inuyasha must have came over as well, they've completely freaked Ranma out!"
Souta ran into the well house.
Ranma was frozen stiff, teeth chattering and pigtail standing on end, "get... that... thing... away... from... me...." He managed. Souta looked down at the cat and then back and Ranma.
"Ranma-kun, you're a wimp" He told Ranma.
"Not... a... wimp" Ranma stammered out "just... get that... away... from me...".
Sighing, Souta took Buyo into his arms and put him outside. "You're afraid of cats then," it was more of a statement than a question but Rafter settling down, Ranma answered anyway.
"I'm not afraid of anything!" He glared down at Souta "I've just had a bad experience with those things, that's all."
Souta decided to drop the subject, it was obvious that Ranma was definitely not comfortable, and he respected people's secrets, "You've seen the Go- Shinboku right? That's the big tree outside, why don't you go see it?"
Glad that the previous conversation topic had been dropped, Ranma heartily agreed and moments later, they were sitting on a bench near the tree.
"Strong aura," Ranma realized, "that tree must have been really something."
"That tree is magical" Souta told Ranma, "Grandfather, Mother and Kagome all tell me that it possesses strong calming effects and that it has had a powerful history. Sometimes, when one of us is particularly depressed, we can come here and our hearts somehow feel much lighter."
Ranma gazed in awe up at the tree and felt his own worries lessen. They were by no means gone, but all his fiancé problems, his rivals, his debts to Nabiki, everything, seemed, for that moment become less significant. The aura emitted by the tree was one of peace, an emotion that Ranma rarely felt in an environment where anger and depression were the most prominent of emotions.
Seeing his present companion lapse into a trance, as was common for people first seeing the mystical tree, Souta quietly slipped away back into the well house. Ranma noticed but decided to stay near the tree, and soak in the calm that it seemed to emit.
It seemed like only moments have passed when Souta's mother came out to call Ranma in for dinner. "Yes," he thought cheerfully "maybe I will get some peace for once." With such a thought in mind, Ranma merrily went into the house to the rich, mouth watering smell of dinner.