Ah!, a beautiful day like every other around a thriving city known as Nerima.
The marvelous contrast between the colorful mountains far on the horizon, the busy streets filled with kids rushing to school, and workers ready for this new day gave an invigorating impulse to those who prepared from the wee early morning to serve and satisfy their needs.
As usual as cities born from old habits certain businessmen would start by throwing water here and there, damping the sidewalks with deeper shades of asphalt and calming the hungry dust from its intoxicating dry spell.
On this day, just like any other one a single old lady driving an ancient staff skipped all over the place making sure everything could be in order for those who visited her establishment before starting their jobs.
"Good morning Great-grandmother!" Vividly expressed a young girl ready to deliver on her bicycle all to those who desperately needed a nice pick-me up noodle soup and what not from the comfort of home.
"Morning dear!" Responded back that old but wise Amazon, aware that this day presented more than just a chance to claim the boy her great-granddaughter deserved as husband, but a test telling the chef something more sinister was about to happen when the cup of tea she comfortably held cracked right down the middle.
"Oh dear. It's seems bad weather is about to hit our home." Mustered rather troubled Cologne, elder to the Amazon tribes and faithful caretaker to the Nekohanten restaurant here in the city.
Her gaze suddenly veered far into the roofs, tracking in detail the small figure of a man she never had contact with before, but suspiciously resembled a chi as powerful as Happosai. What troubled her the most though was the dark clouds accompanying his silhouette all across the area.
A simple nod from her attentive eyes was enough to leave everything under the tutelage of the Chinese boy who, although lacks a strong vision, it has never failed her as a domestic servant of sorts.
As a flash across the land the tiny woman darted just as fast as that man who closely resembled an old love, giving her the advantage to reach him just as he pretended to vanish on thin air.
"You may stop this foolhardy attempt to shed away. . .Whoever you are." Declared Cologne worriedly because even when she could sense his Aura, the trick of invisibility still kept him well hidden and unable to be confronted face to face.
"Oh!, I see my old friend's girlfriend hasn't lost the touch. It is an honor to finally meet you. . . Elder Cologne." As the tiny man said this, a chilling draft made the wise woman stand in a defensive pose only to rest back into a more relaxed stance once the tiny man came into view.
She was glad to had followed this man who looked just like that mischievous old lecher she met long ago, only this new guest reeked of hatred. He certainly is the same height as Happy, and aside the bushy gray beard there was no mistake they were somehow related at some extent.
"Tell me. To what do I owe this honor?" Asked the wise elder with the hope to learn once and for all the truth with no delays.
"Ah!, always straight to the point. That, I like in you!" Replied the old man excited. "My name is Chingensai, and I have come with a special errand from some very interesting people, but don't worry my lady. . .This does not concern either your girl, nor that bratty kid many girls seemed so be fond upon."
The plot began to thicken, this time forcing the old woman to search in her mind who would be so important to attract such a powerful being to a place where he would come and claim him himself.
"Is there a way I may be of assistance, Chingensai-san?" Asked more directly Cologne. The simple fact that her tea cup broke in the midst of his visit was proof enough he was after no good, but if Ranma or Shampoo weren't on his list, who could possibly present a threat bigger than them.
"Oh dear lady!, the one I look for hasn't arrived yet, but he will. Suffice to say, I have been charged with a task only "he" can resolve." Said the tiny man just before vanishing again and sneaking towards the female area of an Onsen nearby.
"Still a lecher nonetheless. . .Perhaps, using the same technique Happy has can help you remain just as young and strong?" Goaded the elder this time relating him with the known panty raider.
"Ah!, my good old friend. Still going at it with ancient tricks is he?. . .No my fair elder. I do not search such trills until I can reach my goal. Still. . .A peek here and there has never hurt an old man like me." Snickered devilishly the old master.
Cologne felt no need to intervene with the old man's reproaching actions, after all, she never did so when Happosai stole girls and women alike from their intimate garments. She knew a man that age would be just as perverted and honestly, dealing with that kind of behavior never brought pride to an Amazon anyway.
What made her jump and flare her chi on a high intensity right before the old coot could walk past the women's restroom was the feeling running across her body. Crawling with the fear to watch him snatch some poor soul about to be recruited in the hands of evil had to be an enough reason to stop him on his tracks.
"Tell me who are you after and I will let you be!. . .Is it really my son-in-law you are after!?. Or perhaps Akane Tendo?" Asked the woman plainly irritated by the old man's sneaking demeanor.
Chingensai sure is no push over, and his sudden burst of Chi made that clear enough. What made come to his senses towards his mission though, was the reality of the matter at hand.
"I am no fool running amok after female clothing, so don't compare me to my good old friend." Reproached the ninja master as he broke protocol and appeared once again before Cologne.
"And as for your "boy" goes. He is a broken vessel. . .A corrupted disciple who has been torn aside by the misguided teachings of a moronic father, and the perverted ways of an old dying master." Accused the tiny man angrily.
The tiny bearded man walked just close enough to the Amazon to show his power, but more importantly to hint her way about a more suitable candidate to his goals. A much stronger boy which far exceeded the expectations Ranma could ever accomplish, and the one gem everyone seemed to take for granted around here.
"That Ranma Saotome may be an incredible fighter on his own right Cologne-sama, but the one I desire the most is a pure descendent from a Yaomo clan, and the one soul who can far surpass a simple human being, but alas. . .I have said enough. I think I should take my leave now. . ."
The tiny man enjoyed intriguing that old Amazon to no end, but there was a mission he needed to fulfill and an annoying old woman reclaiming every warrior as her property was a deal he preferred to leave behind.
As the trick repeated itself, Chingensai blended among the environment despite the onlookers wondering where that old man vanished to, remaining hidden this time for good and aiming for the one he was entrusted to bring back home.
Cologne found no way to track him any longer, and after a moment raking her brains with such a candidate, the old woman opted to let the day run by and wait for the opportune moment to intervene once again.
"A Yaomo clan he says. This does not bode well at all." Mused perturbed Cologne, unable to find more answers to her questions and skipping back to where she was needed the most.
Elsewhere, but not that far away from where these two met, a few of the boys and girls intimately dealing with personal issues encountered a common ground right before school could even start.
Just like any other tiring day among the younger generation, Akane Tendo happened to run late to school for obvious reasons, followed closely by none other than Ranma Saotome, and a heated Ukyo Kuonji who argued about her place as the cute fiancée, and her right to be at his side more often than not.
To make matters worse, the titillating sound of a bell, and a severe crashing sound of a vehicle against a pedestrian told the girls the third and final contestant had arrived, forcing their rolling eyes towards the Chinese teen parking her vehicle on top of the pigtailed boy.
"Airen take Shampoo to date!" Wisely boasted the purple haired girl like if nothing happened. It all seemed so normal for the local bystanders, even more so anyway when the screaming voice of another boy made them realize this would be one of those very special days.
"Where in the heck am I now!?" Intoned that scream to no one in particular.
All the grown-ups would speculate why was he lost all this time, but teens alike knew how horrible his luck and his sense of direction were compared to the average human being.
There were some who loved to joke about his unluckiness as being more of a mental state, but from every single teen making fun of the poor lost boy, a raven haired girl always worried about him in a very peculiar manner.
With the pass of time she considered him like the little brother she always wanted but never had, and despite the cruel jokes Ranma always teased him with, Akane Tendo knew there was an specific reason why Ryoga Hibiki always chased her fiancé up and down without understanding exactly the real meaning, or so she wanted to believe.
What the girl and the others never realized was how this day would turn upside down the second Ryoga Hibiki casually found them in the middle of the street, ignoring the hell he had gone through all on his own, and forcing him to uncontrollably lash out against everyone present.
"Ranma Saotome!. . .This is all your fault!" Screamed furiously a teen who had seen nothing but despair ever since he left this town a year ago.
This young man who believed family trumped everything else decided for the first time enough was enough after the failed wedding celebration left him with no other option but to leave Akane Tendo for good, and subsequently forget that odious enemy he grew to hate, only to soften up in the end and see him as something else.
"An' what's the fun on that pork-chop!, besides. . .You haven' told me why are we fighting this time?" Replied Ranma Saotome, heir to the Anything goes style school of martial arts and love interest to many of the girls living on this town.
These two had a history of their own ever since they met back in Junior high, but when Ranma and Akane's parents forced them into a pre-arranged marriage, and lastly were able to make the wedding a reality last year, the lost boy opted to leave all behind and forget they ever existed. Or so he hoped.
He believed Nerima and its inhabitants had suddenly became a part of his past, and his presence an unrequited need to the newly wed couple.
That was the main idea at least. Ryoga Hibiki learned with the hardships of time the cruel punishment that is to live alone. He had Akari Unryu, a girl who demonstrated her love by treating him like a pig in all the meaning of the word.
At first the demeanor was cute and even endearing to a point, but Ryoga not only saw a teenage girl who craved her every whim by giving him lunch inside a bowl similar to a pigs feeding box, or proudly boasting around town how magnificent her pigged-boyfriend could get.
The lost boy began to see a strange pattern Akari showed as time went by. She used her big pet Katsunishiki for absolutely everything, from grocery shopping to challenge others for supremacy around the farms.
The real bad stuff hitting the fan became clearly apparent the moment she demanded a request of her own, and after that day Ryoga had no other choice but to ride between her arms as a piglet every time they were out in the public.
Was she ashamed to date a real boy?. . .No one really knew, well almost no one. Back at the farm Akari's grandfather prayed for the girl to marry a good man, get a life of their own at the farm, and hopefully last for a lifetime before the husband would notice how crazy obsessed the girl became over the years.
Still, the fanged boy stayed at her side perhaps for pity or maybe because a freak deserved another freak, but when the newspapers announced of a strange couple canceling their wedding and those two names floated among the crowd, that old feeling Ryoga searched for so long resurfaced once again as strong as ever.
It was a feeling of belonging. . .A sentiment to become part of a family, a term he was never included in except when the boy lived in the Tendo Dojo. Only difference this time is how reality showed him what he so blindingly refused to acknowledge.
Usually, his misplaced chivalrous ways acted upon his love for the youngest Tendo girl, prompting him to lash out against a confused pigtailed teen trapped in the arms of either Ukyo or most likely Shampoo.
His ire exploding into a burst of attacks and his eyes darting furiously at the cheating rival were the tools he used to avenge his trickery despite no one asking him to do so.
"There has been nothing but pain and sorrow thanks to you Ranma, but today. . .Today all that will end!" Boasted the lost teen enraged once his mind came back to the present.
"But why Ryoga!?" Retorted the other teen in a puzzled, yet vacillating manner.
He already explained that the wedding was a sham and neither Akane or him were interested in a ceremony any time soon. This time though, Ryoga's eyes reflected hatred and indignity beyond of what the couple had done to him in the past.
Perhaps not directly against Akane, but mostly aimed at that idiot messing with his life on every turn, and regretfully without even thinking about it. "Tell me what I've done an' maybe we can fix it, man!" Tried Ranma again, hoping to end this sudden outburst and maybe get to school still on time.
"There's only one solution and is for you to set me free!" Declared Ryoga utterly desperate.
Ranma wanted to clear things up about this new development, but Ryoga's incessantly attacks began to seep into his more agile dodges, forcing the teen to stutter and back away until the fanged boy could be reasoned with.
"D-Damn it man. S-Stop an' let's talk this out!. . .Oww!" Tried again the teen only to be knocked away thanks to a lucky punch connecting against his jaw.
With no force able to withstand such merciless offensive, the Saotome kid had no other remedy but to fly defenseless across the street, stopping only against a wall and a barrel filled with the only liquid capable to make things even worse.
When the change swiftly came Ryoga bit his lower lip and his ire grew even more at the sight from that redheaded curse he learned to despise. His chi flaring higher into the air summoned an ultimate version of the technique even Ranma feared. . . A devastating attack in the form of a dark cloud slowly gathering on top of the town.
"Y-You idiot!, what the hell do you think your doing!?" Screamed the redhead once she realized Ryoga was out of control and ready to release so much unbridled energy over unsuspecting innocents.
Thankfully the three fiancées arguing over old petty vendettas had finally arrived. While Shampoo immediately joined in with the pigtailed girl, Akane decided to play her card as Ryoga's best friend and hope to calm the boy down all on her own.
"Ran-Chan, what's going on?" Asked the Okonomiyaki chef as she walked near Ranma, unaware of the extreme mental state Ryoga presented at the time.
The boy managed to explain how Ryoga attacked without a reason at all, and while he believed this to be one of their regular brawls, the massive amount of negative Chi floating in the air begged to contradict his initial assumption.
"Akane!, get away from him. He ain' the same Ryoga we know!" Shouted the redheaded teen to no avail.
Unable to explain what was going on all three girls saw how despite everything they went through over the years, nothing, not even Akane Tendo managed to persuade the lost boy from throwing his darkened eyes towards the wet redhead.
"Move aside Akane-san. This does not concern you at all." Was everything he could muster right before respectfully shoving the girl towards the sidewalk. He refused to remember the warm feeling he had near the girl, focusing instead on the flaming red hue dancing on the distance and release all of his pent up anger in one attack.
Once clear to move Ryoga dashed forward with the goal to end any chance of escape, and hopefully take a defeated Ranma back to the station, as he planned it all along.
"Move aside!, this is between "him" and me!" Challenged the boy at the other two girls as he closed in towards Ranma.
It seemed as the thunderous cloud ready to devastate buildings and people alike were nothing but a way to keep Ranma from guessing his game and flee from his grasp.
The pigtailed girl sensed Ryoga with enough control to keep the cloud from bursting, yet the fanged boy pressing forward with the idea to limit her surroundings was a clear giving of her own mistakes.
Once the attack had been thoroughly analyzed Ranma managed to push both girls to either side, giving her enough time to restart the onslaught of punches and kicks Ryoga was barely able to feel. Despite her better efforts the redheaded fighter realized nothing would stall or stop him from what Ryoga intended, that is until others decided to intervene in her behalf.
Not far from the fight, a few of the more persistent citizens were either speechless or interested on the daily exhibition between martial arts brawlers. These were some of the more hardened folks accustomed to the often clashes they knew were bound to happen in a city filled with training schools.
But others who valued their safety, and saw how wrong it looked for a boy to beat on a girl promptly acted by running towards the police station and report the incident.
"Oh man. . .Not again. Not this time!" Growled Ryoga tiredly. The teen forced his pressing blows forward, propelling both Ukyo and Shampoo towards the ground and making Ranma stay and face him this time for good.
"Damn it Ryoga!, What the hell is wrong with. . ." But the sentence couldn't be finished once the boy bypassed all her defenses and a second punch knocked the redhead unconscious.
"You Jackass!. . .You're paying for that!" Exclaimed madly the chef, throwing several of her flour packed bombs on Ryoga's face and incapacitating his sight long enough to trap him in a sticky mass of her special batter attack.
"D-Damn it Ukyo!, I have no time to deal with you!. . .L-Let go and let me take Ranma with me, now!" Screamed the boy relentlessly.
The chef and the Chinese warrior decided to leave questions for later, and as they jumped ready to protect their fiancé and neutralize the fanged teen, Ryoga found no other option but to expand his own negative Chi, inflating the batter and making it explode before the distracted girls.
The bursting batter spread all over the place, but the closer victims had such a devastating push, Ukyo and Shampoo flew backwards and landed together with the sleeping redhead.
"I-I. . .I don't have much time. I need to take that idiot and clear my name now!" Mused the boy somewhat exhausted by the straining.
That would be his next step until several uniformed men arrived to the scene, lifting their weapons and pointing them at the tired kid almost falling to the ground exhausted.
"Hold it right there Hibiki-san. We saw everything and this time you won't get it so easy!" Demanded arbitrarily one of the uniformed men.
Ryoga tried to explain what really happened, but the police officers had non of it. They preyed on his righteous code like before, forcing the teen into a set of handcuffs he could easily break apart, but being reminded of his true nature as a hero forced Ryoga to accept defeat and accompany those men to the station without a fuss.
"Damn it. I missed my chance, but whatever. . .This is the last time I ever come here." Reluctantly meditated the boy once he knew this to be his end.
Akane, unable to even get close to the chained teen, slowly walked towards the unconscious girls, watching from a distance a boy she considered like a brother being dragged into a police truck and taken kami knows where.
It all happened so fast for Ryoga who, unlike other times he expected no mercy from his captors. On the way back to Tokyo's police station he began to berate himself and recall how in the hell all this begun.
A few months after the failed wedding.
It all started last year when the poor teenager pranced around Nerima like any other day traveling the lands. As always, the first thing he would see is Akane blaming Ranma for being in the arms of Shampoo.
Of course Ryoga always tried to uphold Akane's dignity by professing his disapproval over the pigtailed teen's actions, followed then by the regular fight between the two teens.
It was all as normal as you can get, that is until the fanged boy would make a wrong turn and end up several blocks away from either the fight or the ones he had a bone to pick with.
Ryoga always choked Ranma's unsuspecting changes into a despicable redhead thanks to being distracted during their fights, but what he didn't count in at all were the reactions coming from the police and other onlookers over the situation.
"Hey there boy!" Shouted one of the men in charge to keep the peace around town. "We have reports of a teenage boy harassing a redheaded girl. That must be you!" Scolded the grown up to a confused teen.
Ryoga tried to explain about his martial arts code and how he would never hurt a girl. Then the curse came into play, detailing how either Ranma or him were cursed to change into other forms.
The boy clearly exposed his secret with the idea to clear himself, but despite the understanding stares from some officers living close by, the judge decided that no matter how their magical tricks worked, the law was the law, and attacking a girl so viciously had to be punished.
Ryoga pleaded not guilty regardless of getting a sentence of three months in Tokyo's correctional facility. His lawyer worked with a way to soften the judge's feelings towards his client, which he managed at some point thanks mostly because Ryoga was still a minor.
The boy received one month imprisoned and another one cleaning the local streets off garbage.
When Ryoga managed to stay put thanks to chains on his feet, and a guiding inmate the teen asked his lawyer to check on Ranma and bring him here to clear any misunderstandings. Too bad any legal investigation resulted in no leads when the proper protocols produced no information whatsoever over a redheaded girl's whereabouts.
It couldn't be helped, thought Ryoga bitterly. "I must get that idiot and bring him here to explain about our fights." Thinking that to be the only way to expunge his bad record.
Finally the time was up, and Ryoga although happy to stay in one place without getting lost, needed to travel back to Nerima and make things right.
That happened nearly six months ago when the boy arrived into town and managed to find Ranma before getting lost again. The plan was simple. Knock some sense into the pigtailed boy without actually telling him he had been incarcerated, lest Ranma may laugh and make fun of him until the end of times.
It all went rather smoothly until that odious splash coming out of nowhere would render Ranma into a girl. That was the part he hated the most. Ryoga tried to persistently fight and hopefully caught him off guard long enough to defeat him quickly and before any unsuspecting moron could see them.
The problem became painfully apparent the moment people started to pop up out of nowhere and point at the bully beating on girls, prompting at the same time the appearance from the cops during his failed attempt.
The sudden confusion forced Ranma to flee, thinking that Ryoga would follow behind and the police would be lost or too slow to chase them anyway.
Unfortunately the fanged teen ran after the redhead only to get lost in the middle of their escape, and eventually getting himself caught by the police. Ranma usually waited on the other side of town, but after a long while the girl would simply shrug her shoulders and walk back home thinking her buddy could be in Russia by then.
Always unaware of Ryoga's poor shortcomings, and the enormous problems he and the Dojo could get with the law Ranma decided to forget him as the boy getting lost would eventually return back to Nerima after he could find his way around.
It was reasonable to see why the pigtailed boy never questioned Ryoga's lost escapades after all, the fanged boy always kept that side of his life hidden out of fear and ridicule from those he considered family.
After a few months of forced labor passed rather uneventfully, Ryoga tried yet a second time, bitterly proving to himself the harsh reality to be reinstated into the correctional building for another five months.
The life inside was somewhat enjoyable 'cuse no one dared to fight or antagonize him in any way. Ryoga already proved to be the strongest male by breaking the walls after getting lost into the wrong cell, and exiting the locked cage through the connected sides without any effort on his part.
Inmates and guards alike bulged in fear after the way Ryoga would bend pure steel when nervous, or practiced his own rigorous exercise sets by lifting the prison's transportation bus, or digging miles of roads the teenagers were barely able to open all on their own.
What Ryoga despised the most from this place though was his new found reputation to become a bad person despite his best efforts to protect Akane and represent an honorable hero when the situation demanded it.
The gang system rendered him a misfit because everyone knew his noble heart and hatred towards doing evil marked him as an undesirable human being among the mass of delinquents. Still, the boy sentenced to live as a monster managed to live up to his own standard, and that on itself won the recognition from the warden and his employees.
"Young Hibiki-san." Solemnly referred Warden Fukuda at the boy keeping the inmates in check out of fear. "It is hard for me to keep you here young man. Your manners have vastly improved and my trust in you is absolute." Commended the man with satisfaction.
"Your time is up and freedom awaits you tomorrow, but what I need you to understand is this." The man well in his forties grabbed Ryoga from his shoulder, reaffirming his loyalty and advising him against an ill fated outcome if he were to commit the same mistake again.
"Forget any desire of revenge and move on kid. There's plenty for you to go on, and I believe there is no point in coming back into reclusion, all because a certain female fighter can match you in battle. Forget it all my boy, and live on. . ."
Ryoga couldn't agree more despite how wrong the warden's assumptions were. The fanged teen accepted his advice and walked back into his cell, not to get the few things he gained during his stay, but because he unconsciously remembered what his brain tried to forget.
Old memories about those he loved, and how despicable they returned those feelings back at him. Ryoga desperately sought recognition from those he felt most comfortable with. Akane Tendo was his most precious friend, followed by Ranma who he loved like a brother.
Yes. He loved him beyond simple friends and comrades in arms, but the daily routine the pigtailed boy used to play with his heart, and the devastating methods Akane used to reject his love were the two greatest flaws the boy couldn't learn to cope.
It all started to make so much sense, and once he realized how important he had his life ahead of him Ryoga understood nothing or no one should stop him from living it elsewhere. It all seemed so easy to achieve, specially when the Judge's last recommendation made the teen take matters on his own hands.
"Young man. You are to be free, but rest assured. Until you don't go and fall on your knees, ask forgiveness to that strange redheaded girl and beg her to vouch for you, there will be no redeeming from your past. Schools and jobs will shone you as a convict, and your life will never be the same." Said last the man before releasing the boy into an empty street.
That was the last straw Ryoga could not accept any longer. Why did he need to apologize after a pervert who played with Akane's feelings and always used cheap tricks to shone him from victory made him a fool and miscreant to the world.
With clenched teeth the young lost teen decided to keep all that to himself and instead he agreed with the judge, promising to search that girl and ask her to help him erase the terrible note scribbled in his personal records.
According to his wishes then, the teen was released and sent directly into Nerima where he immediately searched and challenged Ranma one last time.
He figured giving it all from the start was the right path to take, and without looking back Ryoga pressed with all his might to defeat and take Ranma into the station without the attention from people or others.
That's how all this came to be. Ryoga managed to knock and subdue Ranma, with the exception of transforming him into the redhead, although that was more on the pigtailed teen and his clueless endeavors.
He had the time and the place to take her back, that is until unforeseen details had him defending himself against Ukyo, Shampoo and a bewildered Akane watching from the sidelines.
He believed to be in control and be able to salvage the situation until the cops showed up and managed to witness the worst possible scenario.
Right there, in front of a few onlookers and the shocked induced stares from the officers Ryoga Hibiki stood in front of three girls sprawled unconscious on the ground, clearly beaten and unconscious after the boy inadvertently threw the batter on all directions, covering the young defenseless females from head to toe.
"Oh man. . ." Spoke defeated Ryoga knowing full well how it looked to the untrained eye, and how miserable his life was going to be. What changed in all this though was the tiny smile tugging on the corner of his mouth.
He had given it all, and despite the terrible hell to be confined and ridiculed a third time, Ryoga Hibiki knew something good came out of this, he wasn't sure what, but something felt right for once in his life.
Afterwards, the same old song repeated itself once again, only this time the judge saw no more remedy, but to leave Ryoga incarcerated for a whole year.
"Remember what I told you, boy." Said his lawyer right before the teen was sent back into his cell. "You will be seventeen by the time you're released, but if you ever get caught doing the same shameful deal, the judge will treat you as an adult and believe me, boy. . ."
A quick pause and a look of disgust sent the right message to the teen who had done nothing wrong, giving him the right attitude to follow his advise to the letter. "In an adult prison no matter how strong you are. . .You will be tamed."
That sent shivers down Ryoga's back. He still tried to understand why was this happening at all. He only wanted to act righteously, and defend that girl he liked for so long. In time Ryoga Hibiki came to realize a big change was on the works.
"But how can I beat this stupid sense of direction?" Asked himself right in the middle of the night. Staring into that tiny window stamped on the wall and wondering how to defeat his own demons.
Month after month slowly shaped him into accepting his own mistakes, agreeing that Nerima, Akane and Ranma were a past he was resolute to leave behind. No more excuses to fit in as a friend or part of a family.
Grueling nights played a sinful orchestra of memories and past deeds his feelings for his friends refused to let out on the open. They weren't nightmares because the boy was awake all night long, but it didn't matter because the lid had been open and there was no going back anymore.
Images of a tiny piglet mounted like a horse by a cursed doll made his side tremble in anger. He was the hero!, the boy who recognized Akane trapped in that toy, feat that not even Ranma could decipher until much, much later.
And yet, Akane ran at his arms in the end, thanking the stars for his swift rescue and forgetting he who gave it all for her safety.
Oh yeah. Something began to release all those past thoughts the boy buried deep into his mind. He gave his life for the magical kettle so Ranma could be cured. The fanged teen mistakenly followed Ukyo across the tunnel of love, but most of the path he used to protect Akane from ghosts.
A plethora of heroic accomplishments kept raining in the boy's mind, forcing the teen to reach a feeling never accepted before.
Eventually Ryoga learned from most inmates about other places where a new life can be achieved, that is, if he could defeat a force propelling him towards that damn town whether he wanted it or not.
Six months into his sentence gave him the honor to be visited by a strange man. He highly resembled a tiny nuisance the teen managed to cross paths with in several occasions. The only thing that confused him this time though, was the gray beard he was so sure old Happosai never used during his stay on the Tendo residence.
The small figure sat on the concrete sill from the windowless hole, watching him in detail and slightly nodding at the luck he had to find him locked up in place.
"Who are you?" Asked Ryoga somewhat puzzled by his well hidden smile.
"My name is not important at the moment sunny. What you need to know is that your luck is about to change." Said the tiny man.
"I know of your precarious way of life and how those idiots have wronged you time and again. Rest assured my boy, once you fulfill your destiny, things will only get better from now on." The tiny man decided to stay and talk during the nights, leaving off when Ryoga had to deal with a daily routine, and coming back to instruct the teen about his new life patiently awaiting his return.
"Soon my debt will be paid, and at the same time I'll be unstoppable here and everywhere else!" Goaded silently the tiny master cleverly hidden among the shadows.