Chapter 19
"Tell me again why you're coming with me while I have my 'talk' with Shampoo?" Ranma asked as he escorted Kagome to the Nekohanten.
"From
what you've told me about Shampoo is that she has a very strong sense
of honour, especially towards her family. So the way to deal with this
fiancée thing is not through her, herself, but the matriarch she answers
to, her great-grandmother." Kagome explained with a mysterious smile,
"And I've got an edge that will simplify things nicely."
Ranma shook his head in bafflement, privately wondering just what trick she had up her sleeve.
"Airen!"
Shampoo squealed excitedly as Ranma stepped through the door, but
barely suppressed a hiss of outrage when she saw that he was accompanied
by a strange woman. "Who's she?"
Ranma merely grunted, "Shampoo, where's Cologne?"
"Airen wish to speak with great-grandmother?" Shampoo said wide eyed.
Ranma nodded curtly.
A
huge smile broke across Shampoo's face. The Amazon nodded
enthusiastically as she latched onto his arm and dragged him to her
family home above the café. "Great-grandmother! Airen speak with you!"
"Mukodono(1),"
the Amazon elder greeted warmly as her great-granddaughter dragged him
into her spell room. "Nii hao(2), who is this mukodono?"
"Cologne, this is Higurashi Kagome and would it be possible we talk about something without Shampoo or Mousse?"
Cologne
suppressed the urge to frown. Higurashi… that name was important, very
important. Eying the cool, composed woman who stood patiently at Ranma's
side, a premonition shivered up her spine. "Of course, Shan-pu(3), you
and that boy take care of the café while I talk with Ranma."
"B-but—" Shampoo protested in confusion.
"Go
child!" Cologne ordered as she made a shooing motion with her hand.
"Please, have a seat." She gestured to her two guests, her unease
becoming more pronounced when Ranma actually insured his companion's
comfort before sitting beside her.
"Elder Cologne, as Ranma has
said, my name is Higurashi Kagome and I recently corresponded with you
about an exorcism for a Jusenkyo Curse." Kagome began.
Cologne
nodded sagely, now she remembered, but there was something else… "Ah, so
you are the priestess that contacted me. You performed exorcism? It
successful?" She had attempted her own exorcism on her
great-granddaughter but had not had the power capable for the spell to
be successful.
The woman nodded. "Yes, it was successful. Ranma no longer has his Jusenkyo Curse or any other."
Cologne
felt her eyes widen, "Such power in one so young." She murmured,
thinking furiously. There was something else that was teasing her mind.
And her sinking feeling of doom deepened.
"Yes, well I am the Shikon-Priestess."
Cologne nearly fell out of her seat. The Shikon-Priestess? What
was the woman who was called the Queen of the Priestesses doing
performing a mere exorcism? And if the spell was successful, then what
was she still doing with Ranma?
"However, during the exorcism the
soul memory seal that all humans have was destroyed by the complex
spell. And Ranma's previous lifetimes were revealed to him."
Cologne tisked, this was not a very good thing. It caused a great deal of confusion in one's spirit.
"Elder Cologne, I would like for you to look at his spirit now."
Casting
a glance of curiosity at the priestess, she did so, slipping into the
Third Eye trance that allowed all magic users to see a person's true
self.
"Aye-yah!" She screeched as her eyes flew open in shocked fear. "He's a demon!"
"Demon souled," Kagome corrected, "Yes in his previous life he was a half-breed dog demon."
"But that is impossible! Demon souls can not be reborn in a human body!"
"I don't believe you were listening to me," Kagome reprimanded gently. "I said he was a half-breed,
thus his soul is capable of being born into either race." She waited
patiently for the elder Chinese woman to regain her equilibrium before
continuing. "I would like you to take another, deeper look please
Elder."
Cologne took a fortified breath and allowed her senses to
awaken on the metaphysical realm once again. This time she had previous
warning, so was not surprised by the overwhelming demonic soul that was
now awakened within her son-in-law's body. As the priestess had
requested, she probed deeper, looking past the obvious. Trying to ignore
when the demon soul poked back.
What she saw surprised her as
badly as the demon soul. Ranma's soul was what romantics would call
'soul-bonded' with another. But what the supernatural bond was, was a
union of souls chosen by the very Gods themselves. Not human convention.
Two separate souls mended into a new soul and then divided between two
bodies. And it was with who the other half of this soul resided that
upset her deeply.
"You are a single soul," Cologne said flatly as
she returned to the physical plane. "Bound by your very souls, promised
beyond death, you can love no other. No wonder none of my potions or
spells worked. He was already sworn to another."
"Yes Elder
Cologne and that is why I request that, as a prior claim that can not be
disputed has been made, that your great-granddaughter, the Chinese
Amazon Shampoo cease her pursuit of Ranma as her husband."
"And if
I do not?" Cologne questioned. Even if they were soul bound, as this
priestess was not of the tribe there was still a possibility of her
great-grandchild's success.
"Do so, or be foresworn," Kagome replied evenly as she held out a medallion towards the Chinese woman.
Cologne
felt her world tilt on its axis. That medallion was one of only five
that had been given throughout the tribe's existence to honorary
sisters—sisters that were Elders of Elders. Two had been given centuries
ago to a priestess who hunted the Shikon-no-Tama and the other to the
demon slayer that had begun the fighting arts for the tribe.
Why
had she not made the connection? Higurashi… it was also the name of one
of their founding women—the priestess that had trained the tribe's
foremothers in magic. And this woman was something neither mortal man
nor immortal demon could ever hope to stand against. For some would say
she was a goddess given a physical form.
"I see we are in agreement then?" Kagome said with a bland smile as she tucked the medallion back away.
Cologne nodded solemnly, "Yes my Lady-Elder, I shall see to it that Shan-pu ceases her pursuit of your soul-half."
"Good
then, I hope you have a good evening then and I hope you enjoy your
journey home." Kagome said formally as she stood and accompanied by
Ranma she left.
For long moments the Amazon Elder stared without
sight into the empty space before her. That fire, skill and tenacity had
not quite been lost to the tribe. But the honour of his marriage was
not to be bestowed upon their house lineage. Perhaps it was for the
best... For it was obviously not meant to be. And the Lady-Elder
Shikon-Priestess was right. It was now time to return home.
Footnotes:
(1) Mukodono: (Cantonese) son-in-law
(2) Nii hao: (Cantonese) hello
(3) Shampoo's real name in Cantonese. (Confirm? Deny?)
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