Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sealed Past ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 4

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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Sliding another glance at her nervous and unexpected guest Kagome sighed, guessing what was really bothering him. “You can quit fidgeting you know,” she said with amusement, watching as he started, “It's just the shrine's aura reacting with your curse.”

 

“Curse?” He blurted out in surprise.

 

Kagome blinked and gave him a hard look, “You can't possibly tell me that you don't know you have a curse. It's strong enough that even my grandpa would be able to feel it, and his powers are nil.”

 

“How can you tell?” He sounded surprisingly desperate.

 

“You're lit up like a beacon. Now admittedly someone with a strong spiritual aura would also have a strong inner light, like you, but yours is just… wrong.” Kagome admitted. Thoughtfully she studied the young man, sensing that her frank speaking regarding `curses' and the like was something that he was not unfamiliar with.

 

“Wrong how?” He asked curiously, wondering just what this stranger knew.

 

Kagome shrugged as she faced the stove, “Your colours are not natural and the aura vibrations that it's giving off feel all negative. I believe you might call it `bad vibes.' How long have you had it? It's quite powerful, so I'm guessing a while.”

 

Ranma shrugged, “A few years.”

 

“A few years!” Kagome shrieked in surprise as she whirled to face him, “Why haven't you had it exorcised?!”

 

“Exorcised?” He blinked stupidly.

 

“Don't tell me you don't know what exorcism is?”

 

Ranma shook his head.

 

“Argh! They don't teach kids anything in school any more!” She wailed in complaint as she turned back to her cooking.

 

A voice snorted. Turning Ranma saw a young man, about his age leaning against the kitchen doorway. Brown haired and eyed, wearing a dark blue uniform with the insigne of a private school on the breast pocket and shoulders, he didn't really have the appearance of an intellect but neither did he appear to be a fighter.

 

“Sis, not everyone's had the same education you've had.”

 

“I know,” the woman replied crossly, “But you'd at least think they'd listen to their elders!”

 

The teenager gave another snort of disgust as he shook his head at his sister's incomprehension. “Hi, I'm Higurashi Souta,” he greeted holding his hand out.

 

Ranma shook it and replied, “Saotome Ranma.”

 

“How'd you meet Kagome-chan?”

 

“We bumped into each other and when I forgot my purse he returned it to me.” Kagome said shortly as she eyed her younger brother, who held up his hands in the universal sign of surrender. “Besides he's got a curse on him.”

 

“Ah.” Souta said with growing understanding, “Did he come for an exorcism?”

 

“He doesn't even know what a damn exorcism is!” Kagome snapped, ladling supper into bowls. “You explain it to him.”

 

Souta blinked as he accepted his meal. “Okay.” Turning to Saotome he simply said, “Exorcism is a fancy word they use that means to get rid of a curse.”

 

Ranma dropped his bowl in shock, nearly spilling it all over himself, before steadying the container. “You can get rid of it?” His voice was squeaky.

 

“I can't,” Souta said with irritation as he jerked his thumb at his chest before pointing to his sister. “But she can.”

 

“H-how?” Ranma sputtered.

 

“I'm a Shinto priestess and part of my duties and abilities is purification. Curses fall under that category.” Kagome explained simply as she paused in her eating before questioning. “What exactly is your curse anyway?”

 

“Do you really have to know?” Ranma asked warily.

 

“I do if I'm going to exorcise it.” Kagome replied with amusement.

 

Ranma flushed red as he stared at the table before mumbling his answer.

 

“What!” Both siblings exclaimed in unison, looked at each other and then back at their guest.

 

“I think you'd better begin at the beginning.” Kagome instructed, as she set her bowl aside and pulled out a pad and paper to begin taking notes. Something told her that this was going to take time, careful planning, and a whole lot of holy powers to complete.

 

***

 

Kagome leaned back and studied the young man before her in a mixture of amusement and confusion. “Okay, so let me see if I've got this right. You fell into a spring that was cursed and now whenever you're splashed by cold water you turn into a girl. When you're splashed by hot water you turn back into a guy.”

 

“There is also a spring that could permanently turn you back into a guy but some guy named Saffron flooded the springs and mixed up the waters and now no one knows where the spring that has your cure is.”

 

Ranma nodded in agreement as he sipped some juice. “So can you help me?”

 

“I'll have to do a deeper reading and some research before I begin, but yes, I do believe I can help you.” Kagome said decisively as she flipped her notebook closed.

 

“Thank you,” Ranma breathed reverently as he dropped his head into his hands. He could finally get rid of this blasted curse. He'd lived with it so long that it almost seemed unreal that it'd soon be gone.

 

“Don't thank me yet,” Kagome said kingly, “Not until the exorcism is complete that is. I'd like you to come back tomorrow after school for the reading.”

 

“Reading?” Ranma questioned curiously.

 

“Well… it's where I perform a small spell to help me see your auras more clearly. I can see them now, but it's all mixed up together. The spell will help me understand everything more clearly. You see, a curse is usually a spell that draws bad luck towards people. It doesn't change them physically. Your curse is almost like a possession, but it's also not, because a possession is where another soul tries or does take possession of another soul's form. When the curse is activated your physical body changes but not your character, you are from what you tell me, just yourself in a woman's body. A most unusual occurrence.”

 

Ranma grimaced. Well—that was one way to describe it. Standing he gave his thanks to the Higurashi family and left their residence. As twilight slowly descended, he made his way down the stone staircase deep in though.

 

Should he tell the others about this? Especially those who were cursed as well? Something made him hesitate. He knew it was his family duty to his old man and also his duty to fellow martial arts practitioners. But he just didn't feel like telling anyone about the Higurashi's. There was something special about them that he didn't want the others to spoil. Maybe after his curse was removed he'd tell them then. Maybe.