TROOPERS � INTERLUDE
ARIAL'S SECOND STORY
by SHIN-CHAN


Dear Journal,

Now if anyone had told me earlier today that I would encounter two men carrying bottles of cursed water, I probably would have laughed at them. If they had told me that said water would be used as an offensive weapon in a noodle restaurant, I would have thought they were in serious need of professional help and started backing away. If that person had told me that said cursed water was from Jhusenkyo, and that my friends would be cursed with it, I would have graciously thanked them, bundled everyone home without listening to a word of complaint from them, and then would have given my Gods an offering.
Unfortunately, that person did not exist. More unfortunately, all the rest did. What a day, let me tell you . . .

*******

I excused myself and went to the room that Shan Lai and I were sharing. What we had heard from Cologne had not been reassuring, nor was what little more that I remembered hearing about Jhusenkyo. She had told us, in the Tendo family room, that the curses of everyone (with the exception of Shampoo, for obvious reasons) could be reversed by being splashed with 'Spring of Drown Boy' water. Even Touma could once again take on the visible form of a human, by being cursed as a human boy. Cologne then went on to laminate about the fact that there was no such water here in Japan. She was not being very helpful as far as I was concerned. Touma had not seemed to be all that concerned about that though, which is worrying me a bit. All of his attention had been focused on Ranma, whom Shu had splashed with water as an example of a 'normal' Jhusenkyo curse. Touma had been fascinated by the change. Ranma . . . Ah well, no skin off of my nose how he acts.
Akane's two sisters had been the only ones home when we had arrived. They were taking the whole thing rather well, probably because they have gone through this before, lucky them. Wish we were. And I am going to do what I can to fix this.
<Hmmmmm . . . now where did I put it . . . Ah!> I snapped my fingers and quickly went to my knees. I had placed my second bag under the bed. It didn't contain anything that I would normally need in day-to-day life, so I stuck it down here. I had brought it in case of emergencies, it never hurt to be prepared you know. I drug the bag out and set it on the bed.
It was a nice little bag that some people felt fell into the realm of extravagance, a black silk duffle with a solo shoulder strap. The bag is eighteen inches long, ten inches in diameter. I unzipped it, and opened it. Inside was a collection of objects wrapped in bright silk with ancient Chinese writing on them. Quite a few items, in fact. I started pulling out the items I needed. Candles. Incense. Incense holders. Chalk. A small cast iron brazier. A small packet of ofuda. A small crystal blade tanto.
Lastly, I pulled out the wrapped bundle that contained my ceremonial robes. These I never wore unless it was very important, and never where someone, like my father, could see them. The last time I had worn them was when I was at court during Arago's Invasion. My robes were vastly different from what Shrine Maidens wore today. By about three thousand years. I had seen a similar shrine maiden outfit in one of my favorite manga, worn by the Suzaku no Miko.
Anyway, back to the subject at hand. I quickly changed, put up my hair with the accompanying hair combs, and placed everything else in a separate pouch. The brazier I carried in the crook of my arm. Then I snuck out of the room. As I passed the family room, I paused. They were still talking. Good. Quickly I scurried down the hall and into the dojo. I needed privacy for this, and room. This was the only place that offered both. I shut and locked the door, and then went around the room doing the same to the windows. Once I was sure that the room was secure, I began.
Several hurried minutes later, everything was ready. The proper symbols were written on the wooden floor in chalk. The incense holders and candles set in their appropriate places. I had cast ofuda on the doors and windows to ward against evil spirits (and I am sure they abound here in Nermia). The brazier had been set in the middle of the floor, two small porcelain bowls of incense on either side. Time to begin.
I pulled out a lighter (big breach of etiquette here, but I didn't want to accidentally burn down the dojo when I messed up the spell, and I knew that I would) and lit the candles and the surrounding incense. Then I walked to the center of the room and sat on one side of the brazier. Taking a deep breath, I concentrated. And concentrated. And concentrated. Right when I was about to give up and go for the lighter, the brazier burst into flames. Wisely, I had sat further away than one normally would for the ceremony, and did not lose my eyebrows from the flames. I waited until the fire died down to manageable proportions, then took a pinch of incense from the right-handed bowl.
I tossed it into the flames, then a pinch from the other bowl. A sweet fragrance was filling the room. Then I placed my hands together, and began my summons.
I wasn't really sure this would work, you know. This was not something I had ever done before, a formal summons. Never really had the need to. But this was an emergency. We needed Devine advice, and since I was the only one who has Devine connections . . .
The candles flickered then, and the room darkened momentarily. And he was there. Nankai Kouryu-oh Gou Shou, the Red Dragon King of the Tenkai. He was dressed in his formal robes, beautiful gold embroidered red and white silk robes that flowed across the room and seemed to move on their own accord, and an elaborate gold winged headpiece. His brilliant blue eyes gazed at me as I bowed.
"Nankai Kouryu-oh Gou Shou, I, thine humble servant, do ask of thee a favor."
I peeked up through my eyelashes, as my head was still bowed. Chukei blinked, and looked a bit astounded. I hardly ever do formal, or call them by their formal names and titles. But since this was an official occasion, I felt it only proper to do so. I waited. He continued to look down at me, then he sank to the floor.
"We can dispense from all the formalities, Arial," he said in his well-modulated voice, a hint of humor creeping out. I sat up and looked at him, he was smiling at me. "But I do say," he murmured as he glanced around the room, "you did a remarkable job preparing this room, and in so little amount of time."
Now it was my turn to blink. What he had just said . . . "You have been watching me?"
Chukei nodded at me. "On and off. Even we of the Tenkai have heard of Nermia. It has a bad reputation." Oh, I thought dryly, no kidding.
"We found that out for ourselves," I responded, my voice as dry as the Sahara. He nodded, suddenly serious.
"I assume that is why you called. You wish to find a cure for the Cursed Springs of Jhusenkyo." I nodded. There wasn't much I could say to that. It was a logical conclusion for him to make, all things considered. Chukei looked at me, a sad look in his eyes. "I am sorry to say that I do not know of one."
*Thunk* I could hear my hopes hit the floor. "No cure?" My voice wavered. Oh no, I shook my head, that can't be right. There had to be a cure, just had to be!
"Not one that I am aware of," he said, then he gave me a stern look. "That does not mean that there is not one."
I looked at him, there was a little smile playing along Chukei's lips. I suddenly had a bad feeling that I was not going to like what he was going to say next.
"You shall be the one to find the cure."
Damn! Knew it. "Me?" I asked in a small voice.
"Yes Arial. You." He smiled again, this time with his 'big brother' smile. "Through the ages, many have searched for a cure, but none in the right way. All sought to remove the curse, but without a true understanding of the curse itself."
Ohhh . . . riddles. Joy. Why couldn't things ever be easy?
Chukei sighed and gave me a slightly disappointed look. Sometimes I could almost swear he could read my mind. "Find the origins of Jhusenkyo, understand the curses, and that will lead you to a cure."
I see, I thought to myself. That meant he knew how to get to the cure, but was leaving the work to me.
I bowed down to him. "Hai. And this will remove all curses bestowed by the Cursed Springs?" I was thinking mainly of Touma when I said that. He was the one I was really worried about. The others were still human after all, regardless of the form they took. Touma was the one who needed the most help.
"From all of the normal springs, yes. Not the Five Forbidden Springs. Your friend Hashiba would be unaffected by a cure for the Cursed Springs, because he is not cursed."
*Smack* I could feel myself getting hit by the metamorphic two-by-four in the head. "I do not understand," I blurted out. Not cursed? He got splashed, he turned into a demon. Sure . . . hot water didn't affect him . . . but . . .
Chukei wearily bowed his head. "The natures of the Five Forbidden Springs differ from those normally found in Jhusenkyo. They are springs which very nature has been changed. The spring water that Hashiba was splashed with was from one of those springs, which nature was changed at its creation."
I just sat there, numb, and listened. Anything that I could find out I could use to help me understand what had happened to Touma, and how to help him.
"Centuries ago, one of what you refer to as a youko was captured by the people of Joketsuzoku . . . "
I felt my eyes narrow and harden at the mention of the village. Why was I not surprised to hear that they were involved? They were beginning to become a major irritant here. Chukei had not paused in his story, and I quickly started listening again.
" . . . and it was decided upon by the elders that the demon fox would be put to death by drowning. They bound it, and carried it to Jhusenkyo, which they usually shunned. Once there, they traveled to the most-distant spring, one set under a great cliff and as far away from the village as they could get. Here the matriarch of the village announced her sentence to the demon fox. Here, he would die. Not by the purifying flames, but by the water that would trap his spirit."
"The demon fox, knowing that its life was soon to end, nodded. Unlike the Joketsuzoku, he knew the nature of the Cursed Springs. He stood proud at the edge of the spring and faced his executers. 'Here my life will end, but a legacy will begin. To this water, which takes my life, I give my power. By my death, may another be born.' Horror came to those of Joketsuzoku as realization of what he so swore came to them. The demon fox laughed at them, and threw himself into the spring as the Joketsuzoku warriors reached to pull him back. He fell into the spring, his impact not causing a ripple as his body was taken in. The matriarch stared down at the spring, a spring which curse had been changed dramatically. She turned and demanded that her warriors find a priest, she wanted a spirit barrier erected around the spring, to prevent anyone coming close to the spring."
Chukei paused in his story, giving me a steady look. "And so now whomever would be unfortunate to fall into that spring would not be cursed with the form of a demon fox, but would become a demon fox, in flesh and soul, as though born to it. There is no cure."
Ehhhhhhhh . . . I felt queasy. Gods above, poor Touma! What was I going to do? As born a demon? What was this going to do to him? I knew when I examined him earlier . . . Hold it! When I examined him earlier . . . I frowned and thought back to my examination.
"His soul isn't evil, like that of a demon." I protested. "I would have felt it."
"No," Chukei gave me a comforting smile. I sure needed it. "Hashiba's soul is pure, uncorruptible, or he would not have been the wearer of Tenku. The evil nature of the demon fox was unable to impress itself upon him. While his body and soul changed, he did retain his humanity. In that way, he is still the Hashiba Touma you know."
Whew! I nearly collapsed in relief! That took a lot of worry off of my mind.
"But as a demon, he is vulnerable to the same things all demons are vulnerable to, despite their natures." Chukei reached into his robes and took out something small. "When we realized what had occurred to him, Taishinoufujin created this for him to wear." He held his hand out in front of him, palm up. I sat up and looked. Resting in his palm was a small silver ring with a star sapphire set in the center. It was nice looking, and I could tell that there was something about it . . .
"Have Hashiba wear this. It will protect him from occurrences like Date demonstrated earlier, and will hide his aura from others."
I nodded and reached my hand out for it. That would be useful. Now how was I to tell this to Touma? 'I am sorry, there is no cure. But here is a ring that will prevent you from being hurt by wards and demon charms.' I did not see that going over well, providing he believed me, of course. Chukei placed the ring in my hand. "It cannot be removed except by the hand that placed it on."
"Hai," I said softly and clutched the ring tightly in my hand. It wasn't much, and not what I had wanted, but it was something. And something was always better than nothing. Also, Chukei had given me a lead on how to cure the rest, though I could see that it would take considerable research and free time. I bowed down to him. "Domo arigato, Chukei."
He smiled at me, but this time there was a definite wickedness to it. "There is something else Arial." The tone of his voice was not comforting in the very least. Suddenly I had a bad feeling about this. I looked up at him again.
"Hai?" I asked cautiously. He gave me a cheery grin. I immediately became suspicious.
"This is for you." In his hands was a thick leather bound tome. A heavy leaden weight settled in my stomach at the sight of it, and of the red kanji on the cover. "You have been letting off in your fire studies, and that just will not do. This should help you."
"Ahh . . . " I gave him a weak grin and took the book. And nearly dropped it on the floor. It was just as heavy as it looked. He beamed at me. I gave him a flat look. He expected to read this, and find a cure for Jhusenkyo? Along with all my other duties? This lifetime?
Still smiling, Chukei rose to his feet. "I shall be leaving now, Arial-chan," he said. "Try not to get into too much trouble now." A hot, dry breeze blew through the dojo as Chukei left the Ningenkai.
Great. I looked down at my hand, at the ring. Then at the book on the floor next to me. I hung my head and sighed. No one said serving the Gods would be easy, but this . . .
"Oh, and one other thing."
"Kyaaa . . . "
I spun around in surprise, tangling myself in my robes and sprawled onto the floor. Behind me, out of the corner of my eye, Chukei shook his head. But I just knew he was smiling.
"There was something else that I meant to tell you, there are more bottles of Jhusenkyo spring water in Nermia." I rearrange my robes, untangling my legs and took his offered hand. He pulled me to my feet. "Of the spring water brought in by the foreigners, five remain. Of them, one is from Nanniichuan. You can use that water to temporarily nullify the curses. The others you can study, they will help you in your research."
"Arigato," I muttered, a bit put out about him startling me.
"No problem," Chukei replied. He gave me a quick once over, and shook his head again. "You are startling much too easily."
"It has been the day for it," I replied. "Between the residents of Nermia, the spring water, and the Amazons, my nerves are not what they should be."
"Amazons?" Chukei murmured, and I noticed a thoughtful look on his face. "Khu Lon?" I nodded. He smiled at me. "Do not worry Arial, she will not cause you many problems." The smile then turned into a humor-filled grin. Oh, I could tell that he knew something.
"Is there anything else I may want to know of?" I prompted. I really wanted to know what he found so humorous. It probably involved me in some way.
He chuckled softly. "You will find out in time. I do not wish to spoil it for you." Knew it.
Chukei then stepped back several paces. "Now I must leave, for real, this time," he added as I arched my eyebrow at him. He inclined his head, I inclined mine. And he was gone.
Well. I braced my hands on my hips. That was over with, and it looks as if we were pretty much on our own here. Five bottles of water . . . A grin crept up my face. A temporary cure. And to find the water, well, I guess that meant that we would need to find those two Americans. I knew of several people who would be ~thrilled~ to have a chance to talk to them.
Okay! I held my head high. First we would find them . . . I turned, and got a look at the dojo. No, my face fell. First I had to clean up, get changed . . . I glared at the book . . . do something about that, and give Touma the ring . . .

*******

Sometimes, just sometimes mind you, I just wonder what it would be like to be a normal teenager.

Arial Kairyu

The End