The lid slammed down, and darkness engulfed the pit. Everything was black, yet the eight year old could swear that the demons eyes were glowing red as they slowly approached his small body. His survival instincts took over as he covered his face and neck, curling into a tiny ball to have the least amount of skin possible showing. They pounced upon him, entranced by the smell emitting off his clothing. They swiped and scratched, taking off the fish, and also chunks of flesh that happened to be caught in the claws. Scars from previous trips into this hell were reopened in the savage feeding frenzy. His will power was fading, and with a scratch to the back of his neck Ranma snapped.
Genma was not a particularly bright man, but he was a gifted martial artist and knew how to stop trouble from falling on his shoulders. Thus the reason for being all the way in the wilds of Australia for this more... unorthodox training that Genma feared would not be tolerated in any civilization. This technique was outrageous, even he could see that, but he had faith in his sons' ability, being trained by himself and all. Every time his son came out he was injured and unconscious, but Genma knew that he needed to learn this or his son would never forgive himself. So every day he would wrap his son up in fish products, courtesy of a nearby spring, and lob him into the pit. However, today was different, the yowling of the cats stopped, and a single, more fierce hiss made its way to Genma's ears.
His son had learnt the Neko-ken! He knew that Ranma was good enough. But the inhuman look in his sons' eyes, and the way that he stalked towards him like a lion to a cornered antelope made him rethink his judgment on this situation. Genma slowly backed away as his son moved forward. Soon his fear overwhelmed him and he took off running, the predator behind him quickly giving chase at inhuman speeds. Quickly being outrun, Genma used the tactical mind his training had given him and came up with a plan of action. He focused and manipulated his ki, disappearing from sight. This confused Ranma, as he could smell the hostile but not see him. He charged towards where he could smell his prey, but his delay for thought had given Genma the time he needed to be long gone.
Now Ranma was scared, he was alone, new to this world with nothing he recognized. His kitten mind could not decide on a course of action, so he settled by a tree and curled into a ball, senses on full alert for any threats. The shade from the tree protected him from the harsh glare of the sun as a light sleep enveloped him.
Ranma's eyes slowly opened, blinking to reduce the effect of the harsh rays of the sun. He felt a pressure on his shoulder and turned to see a pair of lion cubs playfully wrestling each other, occasionally on top of him. This looked like fun to Ranma's kitten mind, influenced by the love of martial arts he inherited. He was about to hop in on the wrestling when a growl stopped him dead in his tracks. There, looming over him a lioness, a mother lioness, a defensive mother lioness. All Ranma could do was slowly back away from the mature lioness, occasionally whimpering in fear.
The lioness saw this and felt its maternal instincts take over; it felt compassion for the cub before her. She stopped her hostile motions and went to lay in the shade, leaving her two cubs to play with the strange looking one she found. Her cubs approached and the black haired cub and the new cub backed up, glancing at the mother. When he saw her inactivity he timidly moved towards the two siblings. Soon after the three were in a friendly wrestling match. The lioness was impressed with the strange boys fighting skills, and after watching how well he got along with her cubs; she decided to take him into the pride. If the alpha male would accept him that is.
Soon the three cubs were tired of the wrestling, and felt the hunger that all the running around created. The cubs walked over to their mother while Ranma watched, longing apparent in his eyes. Soon the lioness began to walk away, but seeing as Ranma would not follow she turned around. Walking towards him as peacefully as a lioness could, she grabbed the neck of his shirt with her mouth and carried him along, ignoring his struggling as it quickly died down.
They quickly made it back to the pride and the lioness was met by stares and growls at the strange cub she was carrying in her mouth. The lioness walked up to the alpha male and dropped Ranma in front of him to see if he would be accepted. Ranma sat, shaking slightly from the intimidating form of the large lions form inspecting him. This went on for a while, the lion sniffing around the strange creature as it sat awaiting judgment. The pride began to feast on the antelopes they had killed, and when the alpha gave a scrap to Ranma the pride knew that he was now one of them, though at the bottom of their ranks. Ranma quickly scampered off with his food to an empty spot and started to eat. He was not expecting the lioness to come and lay down next to him, giving him a little piece from her helping of antelope.
Ranma spent eight years with the lions, coming to see the lioness as his mother, watching her grow old and die. Her cubs, his siblings became skilled hunters for the pride, as did Ranma, with his increased speed and strength coupled with his claws of energy that he could sprout. He quickly moved from kitten to cub. Then as he grew and matured he became a lion, and soon after that he challenged the alpha male, and won, becoming the new alpha male.
He now led a pride, made all the decisions, got the first helpings of every meal. He quickly showed his abilities lay not only in fighting, but also in leadership and control. He was so in touch with his territory that he felt a strange presence enter and went to engage him. Leaving his pride behind Ranma went to the edge of the woods where he felt the strange presence. Looking around he saw nothing, it reminded him of his youth when he was chasing the strange man. He realized to late what it could be as Genma reappeared, pulling his hand back from a strike while looming over Ranma's tattered, unconscious form.