I do not own Ranma ½ or attempt to lay claim to any of the characters or ideas created by Rumiko Takahashi, or Viz video. The only things I lay claim to are the characters I have created, and even then they are open to be borrowed. I am just a fan who wants to share my vision with others like me. Enjoy the show!
Kitsu-do prologue
He had been here for two days, and already he hated it. He hated the small, dark cage, the smell of stagnant sea water, and the constant rocking. Most of all, he hated being a fox. He could not stop thinking about the series of events that led to this poor predicament. All he could do was sit and wait, and hope that a chance would come along to be free of this dank little den.
All of it seemed to be going so well, he had overheard a pretty Chinese woman talking about a young man that was cursed at Jusenkyo, and how he was seeking a way to be free of the curse. He had managed to find out a few bits and pieces here and there, nothing too serious, just enough to spark his curiosity, something he never had a shortage of. He should have known better than to trust his instincts, they just always caused him trouble. Such as getting stuck in a small cage on a dank ship bound for who knows where. Just when things seemed to be going better….
His life had become so much more…interesting…in the last year, starting with his visit to Jusenkyo. He thought that was the strangest thing in his life, little did he know that was just the beginning of the odd times that his life would become. He remembered the sudden splash, the strange rush as the curse overcame him, the sense of everything changing as he pulled himself from the spring, how everything seemed so different. The world looked different, the air tasted different, his new stance seeming natural yet unnatural at the same time. Then learning to deal with his new form, the good and the bad. Then there was telling his family. That was the worse thing, since he could not even remember the one thing that would matter most, what spring he fell into, where it was.
He could remember the mad dash through the woods, suddenly finding himself in Jusenkyo, knowing that his pursuer was not going to give up, so, when he finally could run no more, closing his eyes and taking the plunge into the first spring he could find, just hoping it was not going to be worse than the results of not taking the dip. Well, at least it did save his life. The question now was, what was he to do with it?
The search led him from his homelands, to the Forbidden City, and finally, inadvertently, to Hong Kong. That was the first place he was sold, after falling asleep in an alleyway as a fox. Even if he could have changed back, the consequences of changing in a cage barely bigger than his own form was not a pleasant thought. With a little whine, he settled down, and decided to get some rest, maybe the morning would present him with new options? Maybe he would just sleep on it and see what happened next. They were bound to take him off the ship sometime, and then he would have a chance to get away. After that, he would just have to find some water and some clothes, and then he would be set. If he could just make his way to this Japan place and find Ranma Saotome, it would all be fine. He hoped.
Little did he know at that very time the ship was pulling into Tokyo harbor, and a chance to take his life back into his own hands, err, paws, would present itself. As the ship pulled into the dock, the custom inspectors began to come aboard, one of them, A Miyamoto Watanabe, was a replacement, the usual inspector being at home sick, and therefore not earning the bribes that let this particular ship bring exotic animals of all kinds into Japan for private collectors. This particular shipment included several tigers, monkeys, and a few other animals, including one particular fox. As he inspected the manifest, he could not help but notice the various items that seemed out of place, including the occasional noise that came from some of the larger crates. Putting his training to use, he distracts the crew member who is accompanying him long enough to take a real look, then quickly excuses himself. As soon as he is clear of the ship, he calls the port authority to report the smugglers. Feeling much better, he doesn't see the brief struggle that breaks out onboard, resulting in several crates being broken open, and several small animals making their escape, including one fox that takes his time and makes sure it is safe to leave.
Never one to miss a good opportunity, he quickly makes his way off the ship, darting from shadow to shadow as he tries to figure out where he is now, and how to get where he needs to go. Also on the list is some water, and clothes. It is time to get back on two legs and see what he can do. With a quick look around, he darts off to try and see what he could find out. This is one of the few times it was better to be a fox, the speed, the agility, and the low profile. Nothing like it for sneaking around when you can't be seen, and can't stand to be caught. From what he had seen already, it should be pretty easy to vanish into the background, at least for a while, maybe even long enough to get the hang of the local language, and to pick up enough to fit in, at least as much as a Chinese man could in a Japanese city. For now, though, it was a lot of possibilities just waiting to be explored, and options to be weighed till he could figure out how to best do this. Then, he would find this 'Ranma Saotome' and find the answers he was looking for.