Chapter 2: Some much needed shopping for a new identity
At last Ranma was in San Francisco California, AMERICA! He was so glad to be away from all the nut jobs back home and start an actual life! Sadly there were a few… problems. The first was his education that was greatly hampered thanks to Genma and Furinkan High School. It was currently thanks to both that his knowledge of and about America was vastly limited to what Principal Kuno would say or do which was… not accurate as it looked. So the need to find a school that could take him in at the moment was an important top priority on his list of things to do. Second was connected to the first. Even though he and his idiot father traveled all over there was one issue that seemed to now be showing its ugly Genma like head.
Language, he didn’t speak the language which was a real problem since he didn’t have anything that could be of use to communicate at the time so again the need for school was great and given an underline on the list. Lastly was the most serious issue of them all after he had gone through the currency exchange at the airport, money. Even though the note Kasumi had given him full permission to use her personal account to help with his living in America, though it was for only a thousand dollars a month, he just didn’t feel right about taking the money from his true love’s account and wanted to earn the money his way, the honest way. Sighing he found himself at a Japanese all you can eat buffet that wasn’t bad for his currently limited budget and started going over a mental list of what he needed to do while here, as well as write it down.
Okay well first I need to find a place to live. There is no way I’m living the way pop made me live, homeless. Then there’s furniture… well I could look for a live in ready place but does America have such places? Then there’s food, bills, ugh, I might have no choice but to use the money Kasumi’s allowing me to use. With a final sigh Ranma finished his meal, grab his to do list, and began looking for some way to not only communicate but also understand what was written. Deciding that it be best to try and find a book that had the words in it with his home language so he can point out what he wanted to say over finding and learning at a school the hard way at the time. Finding a book shop wasn’t that hard but finding the needed book was even harder! Every time he though he found the right book he’s pull out a book with rainbow colored coats and manes along with a title he couldn't read at the time. To him they looked mostly like kid’s books.
“Can I help you?” A woman finally said next to him. The woman was about his age yet her hair and clothing was... odd. Her hair was black yet it had a purplish pink streak running through it and her eye seemed to be the strangest of purples. She was also wearing what looked to be Gothic clothing yet was the the same color as her hair and eyes, purple, there was also many charms on her clothing that looked to be a six pointed star with smaller circle around it, about five of them. “Um… I need a translation book. I don’t really speak the language well.” The woman blinked and gestured for him to follow her and pulled out a book which he smiled at when he found it was the right book. Opening it to the right page he point out the words “thank you” to the woman and she smiled back and pointed out the words “your welcome”. After buying the book and putting it in his pants pocket he went about finding a place to stay.
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Unknown to Ranma he had just ran into a resident of Coltsville, Twilight Sparkle. She had just returned home from a long trip to England and was so ready to return to her library and to her home. She missed her friends and her family and most of all the Princess, or Principal currently. Still she didn't get just how all this had happened and began to worry that there was no solution to this epic problem. She was currently seventeen years old, just how long it took her and everyone who was in the center of the clashing magics to regain their current knowledge and lives. Luckily her parents where in Canterlot along with her BBBFF Shining and Candance and was raised once again to be the genius the humans believed her to be. Still she liked helping others when it came to seeking knowledge and was very happy to have had taken Japanese as a course back home. Sighign she made her perchase and made her way out of the store and onto the next taxi to pick up her assistant Spike, who sadly was turned into an iguana. Just how a dragon became an iguana was still a mystery to her. Still... she wished she could figure a way to send them all back home to Equestria.
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This was easier said than done since a lot of the words on the free newspapers at the book shop was hard to read and also hard to translate to his language. There was also those ponies again in the newspaper, something about a large sale at a shop outside of California. Mostly in another town and looked pretty well known, especially when the advertisement had a buy one get one free sale going on. Sighing and giving up for the time being he decided it was best to just find a hotel and stay there till he could get some needed lessons in.
After about an hour of searching and book based asking he found a hotel he could stay at with people who spoke his language. The place was a Best Western Inn and wasn’t bad. After relaxing a bit on the soft bed he unpacked his clothes and saw what he had to live with for the time being. Three set of pants, socks, and t-shirts were all that could fit into the pack at the time along with a hidden debit card, which Kasumi gave him, some clothes for both his male and female side, and of course the letter from Kasumi. Opening the letter again he went over the instructions Kasumi had given him.
Dear Ranma,
I hope you find this letter when you search your new back pack because I believe you’ll need it for where you’re going. This letter is to help you and I survive our long wait. Inside this pack you will find the following: Three sets of clothing for your male and female side, a debit card in the hidden pocket at the bottom back side of this pack, new hair ties blue instead of black, a map and of course this letter. Please follow these directions for it’ll help us both.
1. Change out of the clothes you have! Be rid of them as well. They make you far too easy to find and we do want that. You’ll find a set of clothes in a blue ribbon, wear them along with the shoes placed inside here as well. Next untie your hair and let it grow to the middle of your back and tie it with both the Dragon’s whisker and the blue hair tie. Keep it as a tail, not braided, this will make you harder to find now.
2. Go to the Tokyo Airport and take the first flight to San Francisco, California. This is the closest airport I know of that’ll also be crowded enough to keep you out of sight. If asked how long you tell them the length we had agreed upon before you left and why you say for school. This will be very convincing since many people go to America do to Furinkan’s reputation. Once you’re in San Francisco find a hotel, recover from the jet lag and red the next steps in the morning.
Sighing once again Ranma put the letter away as instructed and left to eat dinner at the restaurant connected to the inn for dinner then set out for some serious shopping tomorrow. For now, it was best he got used to the jet lag and be ready for a brand new day and brand new life.
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The next morning came far too early for Ranma as the sun shone through the window of his hotel room. After grumbling about the sun and being far too early, a shower, and some free breakfast from the hotel he left to add to his small amount of clothing, as well as get either a high school guide book or a translator for the time being. It was part of the instructions he read earlier that morning.
Good morning my love and welcome to America. I wanted you to feel as if I was still with you while you read this so I wrote this letter for you in a way you’ll feel the same way I’m currently writing it. That you’re here, with me, always, but we must move on to keep the two of us safe my love. Follow these instructions.
3. Have some breakfast at where you’re currently staying and add to your collection of clothing in the shops there. No red and black Chinese clothes! Remember we both wish to keep you hidden.
4. I’m not fully sure but I believe they have high school guide books there you could get for free. A library be best for that. Also get yourself a translator. I know Genma was stupid enough to not get one but you’re not Genma. Don’t worry I’ll make sure he only has bamboo to eat for breakfast lunch and dinner while we keep you hidden.
5. Once you have found a translator try to make friends with him or her. Remember we’re trying to start anew and would be nice to have some true friends to invite to dinner some times.
6. Have fun! Actually enjoy yourself for once and do something you wish to do. I’d like to have you show me around after our long wait. Do not read on till the next day.
After doing his shopping in both forms, male and female, he started looking for a school guide book and then something, fun, to do when something out the corner of his eye caught his attention. He was still amazed at how many items in town had different colored ponies on them or had some kind of symbol on it with a tag of a pony on it. He felt he was lucky to have found any normal clothing at all. Curious he looked down to see that there was a huge crowd surrounding the very front of a toy store, or at least it looked like a toy store. At least some things don’t change. Must be a huge sale going on. Becoming even more curious, and hoping to find something fun, he slowly walked towards the crowd to see what was going on as well as what kind of sale it was. Unknown to Ranma, his simple look was going to become something more… of an escape.
To Be Continued.