--- Jan Story <janstory@mpdr0.detroit.mi.ameritech.net> wrote:

SIGNPOST
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic by Jan Story
Standard disclaimer: Ryouga isn't mine (*sigh*) and neither is the
song.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
*

In the forest he had left, high in a tree, something broke through
the end
of a silk-wrapped bundle and fell to the ground. Wet and crumpled
wings
expanded, straightened, waved back and forth, drying, straightening,
hardening. And something sang with the haunting purity of a bamboo
flute.

			//Hitotsu, hitoyo no koi naraba...//

This last bit, IMNSHO, is what made the story.  Without it, it was a
fairly mundane "fight the monster", although I'll give you kudos for
descriptive power, both of the setting and the creature.

With the creature's return in the form of its progeny, though, we are
also left with a real feeling of horror--not fear, for the danger is
past for now; this is different.  It's the inhernetly human feeling of
revulsion at the idea of something like this existing, continuing to
exist.

NOTES, EXPLANATIONS ETC.

I imagine that getting lost as much as he does, Ryouga probably knows
a fair
bit about wilderness survival, edible wild plants etc.

Fair assumption.

The song is from Curse of the Undead: Yoma (I think it was
re-released
recently as Blood Reign, but we have the older tape).  It's in the
form of a
traditional counting song, and the words (translated in the tape
subtitles)
mean:

One, a love in one generation,
Two, we both go to hell,
Three, even if we kill everyone,
Four, signpost to the Land of the Dead (x2).

Five, a rain of blood because of the war,
Six, just like a dead body,
Seven, my tears run out,
Eight, a dark night starts to melt (x2).

Thanks for the translation; it gives the story a whole new slant,
though.  You might want to consider putting it straight into the story,
although I'll admit that would dampen the romantic feeling generated by
that part of the scene.

Some day I may write more strange adventures of Ryouga Hibiki.

Looking forward to reading them.

--Freemage

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