"What is this?" a boy looked at a note left by his parents in a recently emptied apartment as from outside an orange bright glow shined from the building
-Nerima-
The day Was hotter than any day in the middle of winter, seventy three degrees, and dry.
It was like summer had returned with spite for all who liked winter. Many people in Nerima were dressed for the cold, since it was, but now some scramble back shedding their boiling coats and avoiding water puddles like a plague.
"Man! what is with the sudden weather!" A boy pouted but was cut off when he slipped off the wet rails strangely he seemed to prioritize staying dry before landing. He flipped over a puddle and to another fence before slipping on leftover snow and crashing to the ground this time.
A girl stood in front of him, fist on hips as she audibly sighed "Geez.. get up Ranma."
"I'm hurt ya know, from falling?!" his attitude was high and he showed no actual pain.
"You've been hit harder. Now come on! its hot out here and we aren't dressed for it."
"Alright Akane.." he stood up and began a brisk walk. He gives her no time to start walking before he glares back and barks "Hurry up!" He was still salty of how little she cared about him falling
Akane grumbled quietly before taking a light jog to catch up.
Within the Tendo dojo the weather didn't go unnoticed as the report sounded all the way to the fairly busy kitchen "A heat wave that traveled from Nakano has hit Nerima! Its estimated that the temperatures may rise to the nineties! in a few hours, so stay inside and remove your winter gear." The reporter continued- well, reporting as a door opens.
"Were Home!" they shut the door and continued the basic traditions before entering "What was with that heat?" Ranma walked to the living room tossed his coat to the side and slumped at the table "Maybe its a fiancé of yours finally finding her way here." Nabiki joked, since it was strange for a heat wave to move in so suddenly.
"You might be right sis." Akane jested as she walked up to her room to change clothes.
The heat had already gotten to Ranma so he was too tired to be annoyed. "Thefts have suddenly increased in Nerima-"
"That must be Happosai. I gotta admit the old perv has a work ethic."
Nabiki corrects his assumption "No, he left to some other place because of the heat." surprisingly neither Genma or Soun were cheering
"Shouldn't you two be happy? Happosai is gone again."
"But not forever. He will return someday..."
"No, he's right Genma we should celebrate while he's gone!"
And just like that they cheered, alcohol, fans and all but it seemed their party angered the heat because as they cheered it got hotter, unbelievably so.
Rain started falling shortly being followed by frightened screams
"IT'S A BIRD!"
"IT'S A FLAME!"
*crash*
suddenly a flame rose up in the rain "IT'S BORN AGAIN!"
"How is the fire growing even more!"
*zip
"AAAAAAAHH!"
Having almost no choice Ranma and Akane run out in the rain to check the chaos only to be more baffled to see what could be a Phoenix "I mean... A bird, Fiery feathers, unnatural." it was darting to every person as it rummaged through their bags searching for what ever a phoenix would look for. In mere instants the living myth dashed past the two leaving a wind of intense heat that Ranma managed to shield Akane from. "Ranma! are you okay!?"
"Yea.. What was that-" she realized the trajectory of the bird too late
"Crap! Lets go!" she sprinted off dashing through the halls and stopped at the kitchen to see a "sight of sights".
There it was a mythical phoenix eating from a plate with an elegance no other bird could muster Kasumi was in the kitchen with it with a startled look to her face.
"Get away from her stupid bird!" after her comment she could swear she could hear a snap as a heat wave bursts through the kitchen when the bird glares at her coated in stronger flames. "With all of that hot energy the Hiryū Shōten Ha should be extra powerful against it!" Her plan was now set but the bird didn't attack it just went back to eating before drinking from a cup? at least it was an attempt to since it tried sipping like a normal person would (birds cant sip normally). "You really are a stupid bird!"
*snap*
It was infuriated! but it looked over to the profusely sweating Kasumi in the corner and bowed walking out of the house. "What the-" The bird peeked back in the house an gestured Ranma outside with its beak "Oh ho ho~" she cracks her knuckles and follows it outside.
The weather was weird enough and Ranma thought she would be done fighting birds for a while but here she was standing off against another legitimate phoenix with more patience than mousse surprisingly. "You should've flown away while you could hollow skull." Ranma was going to make the birds heat as intense as possible and at the same time the two take a stance the phoenix had one leg raised along with both of its wing while Ranma took hers: one arm extended back another, forward, the usual.
.
..
They both paused waiting for the other to strike first "Well? what are you waiting for Idiot!" *snap* Ranma was ready for the charge but instead of dashing at him with its uncanny speed and it did. but as Ranma deflects it and tries to make it circle around with her it kept cutting straight lines through it ruining it. "Walk in a circle idiot!" out of pettiness the bird just stopped moving and started pecking at Ranma. "Coward!" Ranma leapt back from another peck and the bird took a step forward. "Heh I've got it!" an idea flew into her mind as she kept distance just out of it's attack range and threw tons of bird related insults some of which, aimed toward Mousse. "NOW!" she launches an uppercut at the center of the spiral generating the Hiryū Shōten Ha launching the poor bird.
Akane's typical sympathy for animals kicked in "You didn't have to use that did you?" (she did not.)
But before any more can be said the tornado that formed seemed to get larger. The bird wasn't launched out of the tornado and its hot energy was plentiful and soon, like a chemical reaction, it grew out of control.
"Everyone! Run!" They were frantic, everyone save for Kasumi out of kindness chide Ranma for using such a technique on such good fuel they round a corner but suddenly the tornado turned and chased them "What do we do?!" Akane shouted, a plan was made though. Genma in panda form due to the fleeting rain picks up Nabiki and Kasumi while Soun picks up Akane and while Ranma was still focused on running she looked back to see the family and her father turn a corner behind her as they put a thumbs up.
"Good luck boy!"
They all held Akane back so she wouldn't run after Ranma "Curse you!" tornadoes cant leap but as she leapt up a building the tornado stopped. For awhile it stayed there but slowly.... it rose up. She was stunned, baffled, awe stricken... and running away again past mousse and shampoo over Ryoga through Kuno. Chaos was even worse than usual, a sentient tornado vs the girl who made it she could feel the heat from it so she decided to use another tornado to beat it it circled and chased blindly but the issue was... "HOW DO I UPPERCUT A TORNADO!!!" she didn't have time to think though, she was cornered! "crap! no time!" she desperately punched at it and instead of getting dragged away by it the two opposing energies canceled each other out and the spinning force tossed the phoenix in a direction never to know if it were to rise again.
She let out a sigh of relief as the sky cleared and the snow returned it was still winter after all and the breezes were coldest. She was tired, and cold she wasn't prepared for today but she is ready to take a "nice, long nap."
The next day has arrived and problems from yesterday are still lingering like the half destroyed dojo, the charred kitchen floor, and the ice on the street. Ranma walked downstairs ,after his shower, to the main room to eat some breakfast and Soun was watching the news while Genma kept nagging Ranma about training.
"Come on boy! its time to train!"
"Its early in the morning old man!"
"There is no Early for Anything Goes Martial Arts! Now come boy!" Genma seemed fired up for some reason. He was even shadow boxing while waiting but Ranma had a reason to be fired up too as it just now crossed his mind "they did abandon me.. heh heh."
Ranma finished his bowl of rice and started cracking his knuckles giving a fiery glare at Genma who felt it clearly. "N-now b-boy go easy on your pops..."
"Don't worry father... its just a light early morning spar. 'you asked for it'"
"W-what was that last part?"
"Nooothing, don't worry..."
The spar began at the edges of the pond and ended swiftly when Ranma gut punched his father and kicked him in the water. A shadow formed underwater and out rose an irritated panda growling intensely.
"What was that for boy!!" he signed
"For leaving me to that tornado!" Genma was about to sign more but Ranma was already leaving for school.
It was still cold and snowing and Akane was waiting outside, slightly frustrated at Ranma for taking so long, "I should have left without you." she had her "Humph attitude" probably expecting a rare apology but, it was Ranma... "Then why didn't you macho chick. Do you need me to hold your hand?" he had his smug grin even when he was a bit, nervous clearly wanting something himself but, it was Akane and she slugged him in the face, and stormed off. "So not cute" he assured himself. slightly disappointed but used to it as he caught back up just to give her the silent treatment to her face.
But there was an eye catcher on the streets today. A giant box could be seen flying past streets like it was tossed and then a blur running past it and catching it as the cycle repeated.
"What a strange way to play catch." Ranma remarked still looking at the hopping box and almost crashing into a crowd of people before suddenly turning.
"Ranma? what was that?"
"No idea..."
A boy was in his shop sorting out his strange arrangements of "legal self defense tools" the exploding objects were all placed in the same closet, weapons in the other. He played with the red umbrella for a bit before placing it on a shelf. His feather nested in between his black hair which seemed to be well washed, he was moderately tall, and he wore strange, traditional clothing: a blue Kimono too large for him, a Hakama with white swirls at the waist and grey the rest of the way.
Ranma and Akane got through school and surprisingly Ranma didn't skip this time! The two were on their way home after trying Ukyo's new sauce when they notice a new shop in town. The sign on it just said "store" and "age" specifically split apart for whatever reason. "What kind of name is that?" Ranma was curious of the new old looking shop, even more so when he heard something fall inside. They walk in on an odd sight The Phoenix from yesterday a bit less on fire and seemingly a bit drenched.
"Its that Bird again?" Akane exclaimed surprised it survived the tornado it was caught in.
"So you can rise again." Ranma was ready to send the bird packing but Akane stopped him as the flames on the bird seemed to disperse as it walked toward them (it stood just over Akane at full height) and tilted its head out of confusion of the mean glare from Ranma. without the flames it was white, mostly, with black tips on its feathers, and a fully black beak that reached for the kettle behind it.
It handed it to Ranma and gestured (somehow) to pour the water on it. Steam filled the room when Ranma poured the boiling water on the bird as its shadow seemed to grow taller reaching just below Ranma's height but before the steam went away the shadow went behind the counter and put on the clothes that fell when it transformed.
"Welcome to my shop!" Ringo spoke through the steam "What may I do for you?"
When the steam dispersed Akane and Ranma were a bit surprised that the phoenix was a Jusenkyo "victim" but that would be a downplay he was a "freaking phoenix" thought Ranma now jealous of Ringo "it wasn't monstrous like Taro or weaker like the others and it was legendary!"
"How did you get that curse!" he shouted with curiosity and jealousy.
"I was looking for bones." he was so casual about it like it was a normal activity.
"How did you end up falling in the pond of the phoenix?" Ranma added not caring about the prior statement.
Ringo paused for a moment tilting his head again and raising an eyebrow "Phoenix?"
"Yes. Phoenix!"
"What Phoenix?"
"Arizona."
"Really?"
"No-You! you idiot I'm talking about You!"
"I'm not Arizonian."
"No! You turn into a phoenix!"
"Don't joke there is no such thing as a phoenix." Ringo patted the furious Ranma's shoulders.
"Why you!-" Before Ranma could lash out Akane palms his face and pushes him back a bit. "There are actually!"
"Hmm- Makes sense."
"So you understand that you're one of them!" Ranma Blustered
"I'm not a phoenix person those aren't real~."
"They are! I fought them myself!"
"Strange. very well."
Ranma had to take some breathing exercises to calm down before coming back to the conversation with a clear mind.
"Okay so you fell into a pond"
"Yes."
"That pond transforms you"
"Yea."
"And you turn into a bird with feathers that can light on fire"
"Yep"
"You are able to turn into a Phoenix."
.
..
…
"No."
Ranma paused and let the word resonate in his ear. once he was fully certain that "this guy said no." he began growling viciously as his eyes twitched but he closed his eyes and breaths in and out.
every word held a growl with it as he held back a shout "Then.. what...are.. you..?"
"I am a bird." Ringo was smiling smugly
"Which... one?"
"Stork."
"That's it? no pond of the phoenix or.. something?"
"Nope just a crane!" he spoke proudly of it, head raised high
"You are so... dense- who even are you?"
"Ringo Konotori, just moved in." he began fidgeting about the shop cleaning familiar weapons to Ranma and Akane.
Akane began looking around "What do you even do?" she spots the flame-throwing staff and the bell of that ghost cat.
"Antiques"
Ranma points to the assortment of fire bursts and weapons "Then what are these?"
"I also run a storage unit." he was jostling a box of poison carelessly before tossing it off in the air. Ranma and Akane scramble to catch it but it lands perfectly on a shelf.
"Are you sure someone as clumsy as-"
"What he meant to say was should you be so carefree around bombs? Right Ranma!?" she was digging her fist into Ranma's head
"What ever"
"I mastered clumsiness ill be fine"
Ringo was wandering around the shop as bored as ever. Suddenly he decides to look further back "Oh when was that here" he muttered, he just noticed that his house was attached to the shop. The bed was next to the window at the far back wall with the T.V at the end in the corner at the foot of the bed. The kitchen was on the right side of the room, bathroom on the left it was all in one room left there by his parents.
Akane looked at the lonely room and back at Ringo who seemed to be the same age "Where are your parents" she asks
Ringo was about to sigh, regretting having thought of his parents as if it conjured the question but it was all just a puff of flames "They moved to Alaska after trading me to work here."
-two weeks ago-
"So my child you want to move away from your responsibility!?"
"Yes mother tonic. please understand!"
"If you give up your son to run the shop then I will let you move!"
"Deal!!" she already signed a waver while shaking her mothers hand.
-Now-
"They probably thought about it and only agreed as a last resort." (They didn't, and he knew.)
"Oh." Akane chuckled nervously
"Now if that is all-"
Ranma points at Ringo's feather "Why do you have that?"
"Some lady thought I was too rowdy as a kid and stuck it in my head."
"Is that what lights you on fire?"
"When ever my emotions get too strong or when I'm trying to hide them they light on fire. She did say it would have more effects if I kept it too long but I moved away before I could get it removed."
Akane was about to ask another question but the bell rung in the shop area "A customer!"
He walked quickly to the counter "Welco-" *pow* Ranma and Akane rush out only to see Ringo with a fist imprint and unconscious "What happened?!" shouted Akane
"There's a note on his face" Ranma pulled it off (an exclamation point in ink was on his face).
"Its a challenge letter!"