For Cornelius Fudge, Lord-Commander of the Legion of Myrddin.
2 AUGUST 1995
AFTER ACTION REPORT
We must report, sir, that our mission was unsuccessful. Potter, as far as we are aware, remains at large at present time.
Despite arriving at No.4 Privet Drive ahead of the standard DMLE task-force, we were unable to dispose of Potter. We were assailed in the entrance-hall by the Muggle patriarch bearing a Muggle-produced hunting rifle. All three members of the household were incapacitated, and disposed of in the ensuing controlled demolition.
Other combatants joining into the fray include Squib resident of Privet Drive, Ms. Arabella Figg. Figg fled before being captured or incapacitated by LM operatives.
Casualties (enemy):
Vernon Dursley, 46, Muggle businessman, D.
Petunia Dursley, 36, Muggle housewife, D.
Dudley Dursley, 15, Muggle child / schoolboy, D.
Casualties (friendly):
Legionnaire 1st Class Warner Hext, 28, WIA.
Deputy Field-Commander Harper Love, 45, KIA.
After controlled demolition of No.4 via premature detonation of gas lines, search attempts were undertaken across Surrey and Greater London. No trace of Harry Potter was found. Potter is assumed to be at large somewhere in the territorial boundaries of England, no Floo activity nor apparition activity has been detected with his magical signature anywhere within the United Kingdom.
…
3 August 1995
Bayankalashanmai, Qinghai, China
Ranma Saotome was trying his best to keep his emotions in check—men don't cry—men don't cry—
The Jusenkyō Guide was staring at him with some trepidation as he was preparing breakfast for the two guests and himself.
"So, the curse is… permanent. No cure?" Ranma asked, frowning.
"None that we know of. We strongest civilization in the valley, except for Musk and great mythical Phoenix Kingdom. We try for many years, find Jusenkyo cure. Never find one, so probably not one. You consult with Elder Cologne, she help you maybe. Joketsuzoku lead by women, men do okay, but not warriors. Mostly bureaucrats and historians."
Ranma quietly processed this information, "How does the curse work?"
"Cold water turn you into girl, Hot water turn you back to boy. Could not tell you threshold for temperature or anything like that. Magic very strange, almost circumstantial when it happens."
Ranma's limbs went numb as he fought back another wave of emotion. The Jusenkyo Guide quietly said, "Holding in emotion like that, not good for soul. It okay to be upset, curse not always most fun thing. You still young, you manage, I think."
Ranma looked up at the man and nodded. "Yeah, I gotta take this like a challenge—like every challenge I've done before!"
The older man nodded, "That very smart idea. What you think about women and the ways of martial arts?"
"Pop always tells me that girls can't be good at the art, that they're… too emotional. Too irrational. I dunno if I believe that, I've met plenty'a girls in my life that were damn strong and damn effective, but…"
"You still have nagging feeling in head that this curse make you no good enough. That no you can't be best martial artist."
"Sorta…"
"You no worry about that. As I tell you, Joketsuzoku strong civilization of female warriors. Unbelievably strong, beat Musk Dynasty in great war years ago, keep peace in valley too against Communist Party."
The Guide nodded sympathetically to Ranma, "You go visit the Joketsuzoku before go back to Japan with Panda. They help you, tell you more details about curse, give you advice on how conquer it." He glanced through the doorway at the slumbering panda.
"Maybe leave Panda here. No good if you get on bad-side of Joketsuzoku."
Ranma glanced at his father's panda form and nodded, "Fair enough."
The Guide pulled off their food from the stove, and placed some meat and rice on Ranma's plate. Ranma thanked the Guide, and began to consume some of the first actual food he'd had in days. The Guide watched the young man-presently-woman consume food without a breath in-between bites. Obviously, the kid had been through a lot.
…
6 August 1995
Heavenly Zenith, Joketsuzoku Matriarchy
The disappearance of Harry Potter, and the circumstances it was based on, deeply concerned Elder Cologne of the Joketsuzoku.
Though she couldn't care any less about the stability or peace of the British nation, given their previous attitudes towards both her civilization, and that of China at large, she did care a great deal about the madness of authoritarianism and the madness of serial killing mages running free to harass and subjugate entire groups of people before them like petty kings and conquerors.
While she was brooding about the situation, one of the village warriors entered her home.
"Esteemed Elder—there is an outsider at the gates, asking for an audience with you."
"An outsider? Asking for me?" Cologne asked, standing up from her seated position, and walking with her staff over to the warrior.
"She says she was told to come to our village by the Honorable Guide."
"Ah, so I see. Well, if she was sent here by the Honorable Guide, then I see no reason not to let her in. Permit her passage, and bring her to me."
The warrior bowed deeply, "Yes, Esteemed Elder."
She departed, and returned a few minutes later with a short redheaded girl, she was barefoot and wearing a stained and dirty gi.
The girl bowed deeply, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Esteemed Elder."
Cologne smiled, "Such formality, there is no such need for that right now, child. Come in, come in."
She grinned, "I am Cologne, High Elder of the Joketsuzoku Matriarchy—what is your name?"
"Ranma Saotome."
As she approached, the Elder gestured to a chair, "Sit down, Ranma, let us talk."
Sitting down, the girl was silent, before the Elder said, "So, you are Jusenkyo victim… hmm…" She observed the girl for a moment, "Ah, Nyannichuan. A very common one in the civilizations around here."
"How did you know?" The girl asked in surprise, and the Elder grinned, "Your body language is a little rough, even for our rural standards, child. Now tell me, how did you come across the Springs of Sorrow?"
"Well…" The boy-turned-girl frowned, "I've been on a training trip since I was six, learning martial arts and stuff. My old man found out about… Jusenkyo, when he was gambling in Chongqing. He thought it was the ultimate training ground, and we ended up goin' there as the last stop before we returned to Japan."
He frowned, "The Old Man ignored the Guide and pretty much goaded me inta' fightin' him on these bamboo reeds stickin' up from the springs, and I kicked him so hard he went flyin' into one of the springs—he popped out as a panda, and then while I was arguing with the Guide, the old man hit me and I went flyin' into one of the other springs."
He grabbed his breasts, "And now I'm stuck with these stupid things."
Cologne chuckled some and nodded, "You're very fortunate, child. Do you know that any of the springs around it would've made you turn into an animal like your father? Consider it a blessing that your curse only changes your sexual organs, and not your species."
"I'm sorry, Elder." Ranma frowned, "It's just that my old man's been fillin' my head for years with stuff like girls are weak, girls can't handle the Art, stupid stuff like that. I know he's wrong but it's hard ta get away from it."
Cologne nodded, "I'm sure the Guide told you—but men in our civilization do not fight. They are the caretakers. For every female priestess or healer, there are seven or eight men in that same role—alternatively, for every male warrior, there are typically 30 or 40 female warriors. Mousse, a charge of mine, is one of the only male warriors in the village, and is only permitted such a right because he is the only son of one of the Lesser Elders."
"How do… ya live with it? Always changin' sexes?"
"Well, that's not really a question I can answer, child. There is someone who can, however. Our most respected Battle Mistress, Jin. However, first… you must take the time to freshen up. Your clothes are abhorrently dirty, and you smell like one of our stables."
Ranma blushed, and the old woman waved her hand, "I apologize, I have no tact sometimes—but yes, you look like you've been having a rough time for the last few months. Please, I will gather you some new garments to wear, but go bathe."
…
Twenty minutes later, Ranma descended the stairs, wearing a towel wrapped around his waist. "No hot water, huh?"
"Well, we are in the middle of a tribal civilization, sonny. Our hot water is mostly used for other purposes." She said, "Also, for reference in the future, you may want to cover your breasts up when you're in your female form."
Ranma realized his indecency and covered himself up.
Cologne laughed, "It's nothing I've never seen before, sonny—but I'm sure in other civilizations, I'm sure they'd be just a little bit scandalized." She rolled her eyes, "Foreign men and their delicate eyes."
Cologne handed him a folded stack of clothes. "With your status as a foreign warrior, I deem it a necessity that you wear the clothes of a warrior too."
Ranma looked at the clothing. It was a black silk blouse, dark green cloth pants, a dark green chest-plate, two hard leather arm-guards, and a brown leather belt. Ranma whistled, "This looks really nice."
Cologne nodded, "It is the standard attire worn by our great warriors. I borrowed it from my great-granddaughter's wardrobe, but I am rather certain she won't notice it's missing."
Ranma quickly changed, and Cologne provided him with a pair of shoes. They soon emerged into the bustling village, and made their way towards the far-end, where a large wooden building and a clearing were standing. In the clearing, over two hundred young women were standing performing exercises and training regimens at varying levels of expertise.
Cologne gestured to a lavender-haired girl performing a rapid combination of masterful martial arts moves on a wooden dummy. "That is my great-granddaughter, Shampoo. She's the village champion." She beamed with pride, and Ranma nodded. "Awesome. I'd love to spar with her."
"I wouldn't advise it yet, sonny. You're an outsider, and if you defeat her in combat… there could be some negative legal repercussions."
"Ah." He decided not to approach the topic further.
They approached an older woman standing next to some other older women, watching the various young women practicing. She noticed their approach and bowed. "Elder Cologne! To what can I owe this honor?"
Cologne smiled, "Pleasure to see you again, Jin. Come with me, let's go inside and discuss this in private."
Jin nodded, and looked at the young woman wearing a warrior's uniform. Saying nothing, Jin followed Cologne and the girl inside.
Sitting down around a table, tea was served by one of the men who worked as staff in the building. Cologne said, "Jin, this is Ranma Saotome—he has been afflicted by the Nyannichuan spring, and he is having a bit of trouble dealing with it psychologically."
"Ah, I see." She sat back and looked at her cup of tea. "So, you've come for…advice."
Ranma nodded, and Jin said, "Well… before we begin speaking on that, I wish to know who you are first. Ranma Saotome, tell me about yourself."
Ranma went into his explanation of the last ten years of his life, and Jin nodded. "That would explain why the Elder permitted you to wear what you're wearing. It's incredibly rare for an outsider to be allowed to wear a warrior's breastplate. But it is a pleasure to see an outsider with such experience."
She grinned in a manner identical to Cologne.
"Well, where shall I begin?" Jin leaned back in her chair, "I was born about 60 years ago, here in the village. I was born a male, destined from birth to be nothing more than a simple bureaucrat or a historian… but I wanted to be something more than that."
She looked off out of the window at the legion of young women.
"When I was fifteen years old, our tribe was attacked by the Communist Party of China. I was denied the right to be a warrior as a male, since I wasn't an epitome of strength and capability. Men are only permitted to be warriors if they exhibit the right number of traits."
"Our armies defeated the forces of Mao Tse-tung and his cadre of villainous cohorts, but we suffered a grave price. Thousands of our comrades in arms died fighting against Communist imperialism." She seemed upset, before she sighed.
"The Great Elder," she placed her hand on Cologne's hand, "she offered me a chance to train as a warrior in case the Communists should return. I submerged myself in the Nyannichuan spring, and have been using our special soap ever since."
Ranma said, "Really? You did it voluntarily?"
The older woman nodded. "I had to think about it, but I ultimately decided that giving up my manhood for the service of my tribe was an acceptable sacrifice. I wanted to be the best I could, and I think I've done well, as Battle Mistress. I have trained nearly two full generations of warriors for the Joketsuzoku civilization, to be ready to take on our enemies."
She smiled and looked at Ranma, "Your curse mostly boils down to your willpower. Many Jusenkyo victims have gone insane because they cannot handle the… deep abyss that the curse makes them contemplate. Lots of people, in our culture and others, are protective of their self-image and masculinity at the time they're cursed, and the disassociation involved with the curse slowly drives them mad."
She sat back, "You cannot allow it to conquer you, Ranma Saotome. You will have to stare into that abyss that is your psyche and soul, and you will have to find out what you want to be. You are afforded a fantastic opportunity, to be whatever you want."
"But I'm a guy!" Ranma protested.
Jin laughed lightly, "I mean, maybe half of the time, sure… but the other half of the time you're just as woman as Cologne and I are. And that's not a terrible thing!"
"It's not a terrible thing?! But it isn't me, it's some girl who drowned two thousand years ago!"
Jin shook her head, "Those are just stories we come up with to startle foreigners who stick their nose where it doesn't belong. I mean, yes, theoretically speaking the curses are caused by the deceased, but the curses themselves don't… make people assume the forms of the people who died, mostly. You look like the girl you would have been if you'd been birthed that way. The newer cursed springs maybe, but that's just because the magic hasn't completely saturated itself yet."
Ranma settled down and frowned, crossing his arms.
Cologne said, "Ranma, we're not saying you have to be a woman. What we are saying is that there isn't anything you can't do as a woman that you can already do as a man. You haven't changed, you just have the ability to decide what sex organs you prefer to have."
Ranma opened his mouth, and then closed it again. The two women smiled, and Jin said, "Listen, you should stay for a few days… I'd really like to see you battle Shampoo, and I'd really like to show you that your curse is… well, anything but."
Cologne nodded, "That is a very good idea. As Elder, I invite you, honored outsider, to enjoy our hospitality for a few days, and take in the things our tribe offers. I'm sure we can show you the merits of the strength in women."
Ranma thought about it and then nodded. "Alright, alright. Ya've won me over, old crone. If anything, martial arts is the rock of stability in my life."
"Join the club, dear." Jin said with a shit-eating grin.
"Delightful!" Cologne clapped her hands together, "Now, Ranma Saotome—why don't you show us exactly how strong of a warrior you are?"
…
Three days later
9 August 1995
Heavenly Zenith
"Warrior Ranma!"
Ranma turned to see her friend Shampoo standing there, grinning ear to ear.
"Shampoo! Is your practice over already?" Ranma blinked, looking up at the sky.
"Yes, The Battle Mistress called an end to today's session because today is the Festival of the Sun! Are you participating in the Grand Tournament? I have been very eager to take you on in a formal combat situation, our light spars aside."
Ranma shook her head, "The Council couldn't get together in time to debate your great-grandma's proposal. I'll have ta sit it out, but I'm still lookin' forward to watchin' ya crush all the other girls. Shouldn't be more than a small work-out for ya."
Shampoo laughed and the two young teenagers walked through the village together. Ranma said, "Are you interested in getting something to eat first, before your moment of triumph?"
"Yes, working out always makes me hungry."
The two walked to the marketplace, and decided to simply share in some fruit. Bartering with the local produce grower who'd come from one of the fertile valleys to the West in Xinjiang, the old man seemed satisfied by the trade, and parted with some coins in exchange for apples for the young women.
The conversation mulled about in neutral for a while as they ate, frequently discussing their kata and practice strategies, before Shampoo approached with a question.
"Are you planning on staying here with us?"
Ranma stopped eating for a minute, setting her apple down. After some thought, Ranma shook her head.
"It's pretty nice here, but I hafta go back to my old man eventually. I've been travelin' for so long, I think I'm ready to head back home now, to Japan."
Shampoo nodded, "You're homesick. I understand. When I was younger, Great-Grandma took me to a neighboring tribe, and left me there for an entire year to learn some of their tactics and strategies. I remember missing home terribly."
As they sat there, a great gong rang out in the village, indicating that it was now time to begin the Festival.
Ranma and Shampoo parted company, and Ranma started walking towards Cologne's home.
She stopped as she saw Koryu, one of the warriors she'd met over the last few days, approaching her.
The tall, dark-skinned Amazon said, "Warrior Ranma—the Elder Cologne requests your presence at the Festival Grounds. You have been invited to sit with her as a spectator of the Great Festival."
Ranma blinked, "Me?"
"Yes."
"Uh, sure. Lead the way, I guess."
…
After a brief ceremonial lighting of a great torch at the far-end of the village center, the sound of a bell ringing echoed across the field of fighters. In an instant, the mounting tension broke, as the dozens of girls sprang into battle, attacking each other indiscriminately. The show of epic proportions impressed the young martial artist.
Cologne said, "So, Ranma Saotome—have you been enjoying your time here?"
Ranma watched the fighters and nodded. "This has been really enlightenin'. My old man was so wrong about women, y'all are two steps crazier than the craziest martial artists and monks I've met on this stupid training trip."
Cologne laughed, "You're quite strong—stronger than Shampoo is. Though I must profess—your martial arts style is familiar, but I cannot quite remember which one it is."
"It's the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. Though, I don't think we've been practicing the art for a long time, the old man tells me that he started learning it when he was a bit younger than me from the original grandmaster."
Cologne looked distant, and muttered 'interesting, he had students…' under her breath before checking her pocket watch.
"Despite this… you still intend to return home to Japan?"
"Yeah," she accepted a cup of tea from a servant, and took a drink. "I've got unresolved issues with the Old Man I need to work out. I wanna know about my mother, and I wanna know about my family. As long as I can remember, it's just been me and the old man travelin' across China and Japan."
"That is an understandable cause, Ranma."
In a matter of about twenty minutes, Shampoo had made mincemeat of most of her competitors. Despite the best efforts of one or two rivals, they found themselves eating a fresh helping of bonbori, crashing into the dirt, unconscious. Attentions turned to the "victory" prize, a large pile of fruit, vegetables and other foods donated from local villages to be a "feast" for the champion—only to find half of it consumed by a large panda, with him still stuffing his face as the Jusenkyo Guide was shouting in panic, trying to get the large animal to stop.
Ranma blinked in surprise and muttered, "Oh shit."
Cologne tensed, "Ranma… please tell me that isn't your father." She glanced at the martial artist in worry, whom looked annoyed at the Panda.
"Even as a panda, I'd know the old fart anywhere. That's him, alright."
Cologne sighed, "This is bad—the laws of the village—your father will have to battle Shampoo. If he wins, he'll be required to marry her. If he loses… well, he'll be killed for being an outsider."
Ranma quietly watched Shampoo angrily cross the field towards her father, and said, "And if I intervene?"
"You could… take over his obligation, but…"
"I won't hurt her." Ranma said, rising and leaping off the stand onto the dirt. Cologne quickly made her way to follow. As she approached, she found the Jusenkyo Guide trying to keep the situation calm.
Shampoo turned and said, "Great-Grandmother! This fat panda took my prize! I demand justice!"
Genma let out a 'growf' and Ranma glared at the old man and said, "Elder Cologne, on behalf of my father," He looked at the Elder, "I accept responsibility for his decisions. I will volunteer myself to stand fer him in battle."
Cologne seemed reluctant before nodding. "Your request is accepted, Warrior Ranma. Please, Warrior Ranma, Warrior Shampoo—step into the battle arena."
Ranma walked without saying anything, with Shampoo watching her quietly. She looked at her Great-Grandmother and mouthed 'father?'— Cologne didn't say anything either—just looked very upset at the panda staring at his son with a dumbfounded look.
Ranma stood in the arena, and faced Shampoo. The two bowed, and Cologne said, "No finishing moves. First one to leave the arena by any means will be declared the loser. Ready?"
The two girls nodded, and bowed to each other.
"Fight!"
The fight lasted thirty seconds. Without the obligation of going "easy" for kata and sparring, Ranma very quickly dispatched the comparatively undisciplined Shampoo. A few openings made for a very easy exploitation of her defense, and Shampoo was quickly tossed from the ring, landing in the mud below.
Looking up at Ranma, who was standing on the edge of the arena, she climbed back up and stood a couple feet from the martial artist. Stiffly bowing once, Shampoo said, "You did good. Maybe someday, we will do this again—but you know what I have to do now."
Ranma nodded, "I know."
She leaned in and kissed Ranma's cheek, before hopping out of the arena and disappearing from the village square entirely.
Cologne hopped up into the Arena and said, "You have twenty-four hours to get as far away from here as you can, Ranma Saotome. I am sorry that you must bear the burden of your father's idiocy." She glared at the panda who was still staring in shock at the events that had transpired over the last few minutes. "Despite this,"
She produced a small brown package and handed it to Ranma. "Please, take these. These are a few uniforms Shampoo and I had tailor-made for you—at least let them remind you of better days."
Ranma accepted the package and bowed respectfully to the Elder. "I'm sorry, Elder."
"Apology accepted, sonny. Now get going. You don't have long."
She walked over to the Panda, and stared at him for a few moments before saying, "Come on, old man. We need ta leave. Trust me when I tell you, you don't want this civilization coming after you. I'm pretty good, but they've got endurance to my strength."
The red-head and the panda soon departed the Joketsuzoku capital, with the large wooden gates clattering shut behind them.
As their forms disappeared into the distance, Cologne lit her pipe and smoked it quietly. She shook her head and cast a glance to Jin.
"One of the finest warriors I have seen in my three hundred years."
"You know Shampoo will never beat him, right? She'll find out about his curse and—"
"We will cross that bridge when we arrive at it, Jin. In the meantime, we shall see how my Great-Granddaughter fares… for now."
She leapt from the watch tower, with Jin close behind.
…
Outskirts of Xi'an, People's Republic of China
The early evening sun was dipping beyond the horizon as a sweaty redhead and a haggard looking panda came to a stop in a rock formation. Looking around, Ranma said, "I think we're safe for the moment—we've still got another 17 or 18 hours before she comes for us."
Ranma rounded on his father, "How could you be so dense?! You've pissed off an entire civilization's worth of people, and it falls on me again to take care of yer shit, Oyaji!"
"You know how many people you've pissed off over these last ten years?! D'ya care to wager, Oyaji?! It's been hell on Earth tryin' to deal with all these damn people who you've ripped off!"
Genma let out an argumentative growf from his maw, and Ranma shook his head, "I'm done bein' your whippin' boy, you ungrateful old ass!"
Ranma used his fist and slammed it into the rock-face, creating a large dent and sending micro-fissures up the face of the rock.
"Now, let's get a fire goin' and eat before we move on. I don't wanna stay here that long." Ranma muttered, before digging around his pack.
Overhead, seemingly from nowhere, a bright flash occurred, and the sound of something crashing into hard rock could be heard. Ranma and Genma looked astonished at each other first, and then at the sky where the noise had come from. Ranma backed away from the face of the rock wall, and took off at full sprint, scaling up the stone.
Upon reaching the top, he turned and shouted down, "Come on, Oyaji! I think I see where the noise came from! Get yer fat butt up here!"
Genma growled and leapt up into the air, grabbing Ranma's hand as the teenager hefted the full-sized panda up onto the rock in one swoop. Dusting himself off, the panda let out a growf, and the two martial artists took off for where they could see the faint glow of fire and smoke.
Arriving at the outskirts of the small crater, Ranma got first survey of the area. A human body was laying in the bottom of the crater, limp and seemingly lifeless.
Sliding down the crater towards the person, Ranma arrived and observed the body. The person was a young man very close to Ranma's age. He had long, messy black hair, and had a lightning-bolt shaped scar on his forehead. Picking up the boy, Ranma leapt up onto the rim of the crater, and shifted him in his arms.
Genma approached, and Ranma said, "Who the hell survives falling from the sky like that?"
Genma shrugged, and Ranma looked uncertain for a moment before replying.
"We should probably keep moving. He'll wake up eventually, but I think we should get out of Xi'an as fast as possible. We're not goin' ta be able to run forever, but I'll be damned if we're gonna get stuck in China fighting to the death."
He shifted, and said, "Take him."
He handed the unconscious body over to Genma, and dug out the map from his backpack. Opening it up, he looked at the map of China carefully.
"We're here, just east of Baoji… We should probably head for Zhengzhou, there." He tapped the map with his petite finger, and said, "Sound good to you, Oyaji?"
Genma gave an affirmative nod, and Ranma folded the map back up.
"Let's go."
…
After three hours of marching from Baoji to Xi'an, the first semblance of civilization since Heavenly Zenith was a welcome respite. After setting up camp and 'acquiring' water from a store in-town, Ranma was back to his male form, and Genma back to a human form.
The unconscious person was laying on Genma's bedroll, breathing slowly.
Genma said, "I wonder where he came from."
Ranma shrugged, "I dunno, Oyaji. Pretty damn strange."
As the two were busy repacking their supplies, the young man on the bedroll shifted, and awoke. Opening his eyes slowly, he peered around the small campsite, before slowly sitting up, rubbing his head.
…
The pain in my head felt worse than the night I had to grow back that bone that the pillock Lockhart had erased from existence. It was like I'd taken a Bludger right to the back of my skull, it stung and burned like no tomorrow.
Opening my eyes, I found myself in an unfamiliar setting. Last I remembered, I'd been arguing with Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon after saving 'Big D' from a dementor, and getting promptly expelled from Hogwarts. I remember the immediate letter from Mad-Eye Moody, telling me to prepare for a firefight, and then… nothing.
And then I wake up here.
Strange.
Sitting up, I rubbed the back of my head and noticed two humans standing on the far-end of the campfire. A tall man wearing what looked like the martial arts uniforms I'd seen on films that the Dursley's were watching, and a boy around my age wearing what looked to be exotic armor.
The boy turned around and noticed I was sitting up, watching him carefully. He spoke with a grin.
"Ah, you're awake! Good to see yer still in the land of the living. We were gettin' worried you were dead or somethin'."
I shook my head. "No, I'm not quite dead… just very confused."
"You took quite a fall from the sky," the older man said, before walking over. "It's quite a surprise you survived that."
"I fell from the sky?" I asked in surprise, and the man nodded.
'What in Merlin's name is going on?' I thought to myself, before the boy said, "Do you have any idea where you are, or where you came from?"
"Where I am? No, I don't—but I do remember where I came from. England."
"England? If yer from England, how come yer speakin' Japanese?"
"I'm speaking Japanese?"
"Yeah."
I blinked and realized that he was telling the truth. I tried to say some words in English, but what came out of my mouth didn't match what my brain was telling me.
"Hoguwartsu. Ingurando. Sukottorando. Pottā."
I looked in confusion at the younger one. "When I woke up this morning, I was speaking English, and now I wake up in the evening and I'm speaking Japanese? I've never spoken Japanese a day in my life—my mother may have but… I haven't ever!"
"Huh," the boy said, "Well, look. We're kind of in a bind, and we need to know if we can count on yer help."
"What do you mean?" I said, and the boy sighed, "A few days west of here, there's a old civilization, thousands of years old… and my old man over there sorta pissed 'em off. I had to fight a duel to defend his honor and to save his bacon, and now we're bein' hunted by a very powerful martial artist."
"Where are we, even?"
"Central China—a city called Xi'an, in fact." The older man said, adjusting his glasses. "Do you have any athletic experience?"
I hesitated to tell the truth.
"Tell me this," I sat back, "Do you believe in magic?"
"Magic?" The older man said, "Definitely—we're of mage blood ourselves."
"We are?" The boy asked, looking at the man with a surprised look.
"It's a story I'll explain to you later, boy."
"Okay, well—I'm a mage, and I play a sport where I fly around on a broomstick. I've got pretty good endurance, but I'm sure whatever I can do, you guys can do blindfolded. You look like very competent fighters."
The boy grinned, "Heck yeah, we're good at what we do. Name's Ranma Saotome—this is my old man, Genma."
I grasped his hand and he yanked me up onto my feet. I said, "My name's Harry."
That didn't sound very right to my ears.
"Hari." He said, using the Japanese form of my name. "Good to meet you."
"Either way," he continued, "You've involuntarily signed up fer a training course in martial arts. We need to get ya fast enough to keep up with us as we make our way to Japan."
"I see," I said, before looking at the older man, who was looking at his son with deep thought.
"I agree with you, Ranma." The man said, before turning to me. "My name's Genma Saotome—I am one of the two Grandmasters of the School of Indiscriminate Grappling. It is a very old school of martial arts thought, where we forge our own pathway with different forms of martial arts coming together in a blend that throws our enemies off. Speed and strength training are just the core of what you'll experience. We will refrain from… the more advanced topics, but getting you through the essentials is key… unless you'd rather walk away and figure it out on your own."
The latter option didn't seem like much of a choice—I didn't know China, and didn't have any friends anywhere nearby.
I shook Genma's hand.
"I accept your offer, Mister Saotome."
