Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.
Prologue
Goku relaxed as he felt himself melting into Shenlon's back. He felt sad to have left so many friends behind, but luckily they were strong enough to take care of anything this world could dish out. He briefly wondered where Shenlon was taking him. Goku smiled as he recalled all the adventures he had with the dragonballs. It seemed like they were there for him as soon as he was born. He hoped that wherever Shenlon was taking him would be a place filled with new adventures and challenges.
Feeling his eyelids get heavier, Goku said a peaceful goodbye to the world he knew as his body was gently swallowed into Shenlon and his mind fell asleep.
"Goku, wake up." A voice spoke in Goku's mind.
Goku tried to open his eyes and realized with a start that he couldn't. He wasn't able to feel his body or chi either. Goku felt a moment of panic but then just figured that this was a dream.
"It's not a dream Goku, this is Shenlon." The voice seemed to be nowhere and everywhere, both loud and a whisper, "I called you here for a reason: I want you to do a something for me, much like the favors I have done for you over the years. I promise that it will be for the good of the universe if you agree, but not necessarily for your own good. Now I want a simple yes or no answer Goku."
Goku was trying to remember why this voice sounded so familiar, it wasn't at all like the dragon's voice he'd heard when the dragonballs were collected. It was gentler, more human in a strange way. He thought back over the course of his life. While many seemed dubious over his intelligence, Goku knew that he had a good memory, photographic as a matter of fact, and he could remember any voice or face from any time in his life. It took a while to think back so far, but Goku remembered his first memories, when he woke and found Son Gohan watching over him. Goku remembered the desire to kill rising, the natural instincts of a Saiyan waking, gathering his energy to finish this low level threat before completing his mission of cleansing. He remembered the four star dragonball Son Gohan kept had started to glow an he had inexplicable calmed. This was the first time he heard the Dragon's voice, as it gently told him that his actions were wrong, that it wasn't his job to hurt or harm others, rather, his job is to protect and care. Goku remembered that instead of becoming a fierce Saiyan warrior and slaughtering the man named Son Gohan, he had let go of his violent instinct and become a friendly child, because the voice had sounded so right, so just, that he simply had to comply.
"I'm glad you remember me Goku, now will you do me a favor? I explain fully after you accept, but I warn you that it will not necessarily be a pleasant experience." The Dragon's voice seemed amused.
"Sure I'll do it Shenlon, I always thought the four star ball contained my grandpa's soul. I guess that I was really thinking of you!" Goku exclaimed. He was glad to help his friend, after all, without Shenlon, Goku would have carried out his mission as Kakarot and never had any of the exciting adventures of his life.
"I'm glad you accepted, now let me tell you about this favor, and of your mission. I have been watching over this world, this universe for an eternity Goku. I was not created by a Namek or the Namekian Shenlon, but rather by the original creator of this world. I existed before the Kais, before the plethora of beings who term themselves god because they hold a semblance of power. I was created to keep balance in the world, to make sure that no single being seized control and plunged this world into destruction. The dragonballs are simply a way of contacting me, found by the Nameks. I found it amusing and beneficial to grant certain wishes and deny others."
"However, recently I have been corrupted and splintered through the overuse of my powers, almost destroying this world in the process. It is fortunate that you were able to defeat the pieces of myself. In the process, I observed that perhaps it is time for me to relinquish my post as this world's protector and that you were the person to take over for me. Your power has grown enormously, so much that it is comparable to mine. You are the perfect candidate, being a protector of the world is in your blood and you are pure of heart. However, there is one further test that you must pass."
"That sounds great Shenlon, I would love to watch over and protect the world!" Goku was excited, he always felt great when he fought to save the world, more alive than at any other time. "You can test me all you want, I'll find a way to beat the challenge."
"Good. However, this will be a different challenge. You see, the test I have in mind is a test of love. The Saiyans do not understand this concept, they only feel an intense loyalty to their friends, children and mate, but not the love that humans are able to feel. I want you to understand what it's like to love and be loved, as a human does. In order to accomplish this, I will send your spirit to a different plane of existence, to a different world, to a human body that is about to perish. You will remember this life as only a dream and live as that human until you have passed the test. Now I'll ask again, are you willing to accept this task?"
Goku thought long and hard, he missed his friends and family and didn't want to be separated from them for however long he was going to be in this test. But the challenges that this would bring, Goku loved challenges and it was clear to him that this world no longer held many.
"I'll do it." He agreed.
"Good, I hope to see you again, my friend." The Dragon said as Goku felt the familiar sensation of teleportation.
Chapter 1: Arrival
His world was pain and hurt.
The pain came from cuts and bruises all over his body, the cats scratching all over, biting their teeth into him. The hurt came from the betrayal, his father casting him into this situation, his mother letting this happen, himself for listening to that fool. The being known as Ranma Saotome promised himself to never believe his father again as long as he lived, which didn't seem that long as he felt his life and blood drain away.
Ranma signed as his body grew colder and colder, to die at six years of age, to be killed at the hands of cats, it all seemed so unfair. He hoped that Genma Saotome would get what he deserved as his eyes closed.
The cats were starved for days and attacked the boy and the food tied to his body with equal ferocity. They were too hungry to care as they felt the scent of death come over the young one. However, even the hungriest of cats can still sense danger as their senses were suddenly overwhelmed. The cats backed away quickly as the dying boy was enveloped in light. They watched as the bonds constraining the boy broke apart as if vaporized by heat, as the wounds on the young one's face and body healed themselves, as the boy fell asleep before them. The cats watched and sniffed, but did not dare attack him again. They felt that something had changed, this boy was now a sleeping tiger not to be awakened.
*****
Genma Saotome felt puzzled and frustrated as he carried his sleeping son. For the better part of last week he had been trying to teach Ranma the Catfist technique, a deadly ultimate martial arts fighting form he had acquired through an ancient martial arts brochure. The teaching of the technique required him to tie up his son, smear cat-food over Ranma's body, and throw him into a pit of starved felines.
He had increased the number of starved cats and decreased the food he tied to Ranma as each attempt failed. It was the last attempt that puzzled him the most: instead of a passed out Ranma and the satisfied cats he had found previously. This time the cats were certainly hungry enough as they dared to attack him, but Ranma lay asleep in the middle of the pit, his clothes torn but otherwise unaffected.
Genma grumbled to himself as he set Ranma down in their campsite, made at the edge of a small town for easy access to cats. He was going to turn Ranma into the best martial artist in the world no matter what. Genma knew that his terrible master had made numerous enemies to their style, the anything goes. While he and another student, Soun Tendo, had been able to subdue the old master, there were still countless enemies from all over the world out for the blood of anything goes practioners. Before he and Soun could make a decent living as the masters of anything goes, they would have to take care of all these old enemies, who were beaten by the old master, but could easily handle Genma and Soun.
All of Genma's hopes for riches and an easy, jobless life fell to his son, his heir. Soun was of no use, his seed producing only girls. Although they had made the promise to unite the families, Genma had agreed because then the Saotome line would be the only master of anything goes.
Genma flipped through the catfist training manual as he waited for Ranma to awaken. Maybe there was something he had missed, a different type of food to lure the cats, a longer starvation period? He grinned as he imagined Ranma as an undefeatable martial artist and the riches that title would bring. Genma's grin faded as he reached the last and previously unread page of the manual: "Obviously, this is just a parody of the ridiculous training some TV shows and movies describe. There isn't a human being alive who is stupid enough to actually undertake this training, but just in case you're dumb enough to believe the above to be an actual technique, please kick yourself in the ass and remember that this is not a real technique."
Genma threw the manual in disgust, now he would have to train Ranma the hard way. Well, at least the boy had seemed fine, he certainly didn't want to pay an actual doctor since the medical supplies he stole were running low. Genma's brain quickly registered the Catfist as a technique his son was too weak to master and moved on to thoughts what to steal for dinner.
*****
Ranma Saotome woke with a start, remembering the vivid dream he'd been having. It was so real that he could have sworn it had actually happened, the dragonballs, the fights, the power. But it was just another dream as his eyes adjusted to the darkness and the reality of his situation came back to him in a rush. For a moment he was confused about his origin, Goku or Ranma? No, Ranma Saotome, the heir to anything goes and son of Genma and Nadoka, that's who I am.
It was evening, his father must have been out getting food, Ranma thought as he stood. He wondered briefly why there was no pain as he remembered the cats and this morning's training, the last thing he remembered was cursing his father and the pain of those claws. Ranma's mind ignored the fact that he was completely healed with no scars. He knew that questions only brought harder training and Genma never answered anyway.
Ranma stood up to gather more firewood, hoping that Genma would just give up on the Catfist training. He knew that his father never tried anything for too long, and a week was getting close to Genma's limit. He brightened at the prospect of moving on, maybe another town, maybe school even. Ranma had enjoyed the trip with his father at the beginning but was now tired of training and empty stomachs. He knew that he wouldn't be seeing his mother again until he became the best martial artist in the world, but some stability would be nice.
"Why don't you leave him?" Ranma froze as the thought entered his mind. Leaving his father, the thought had never occured to Ranma before today. He had thought about it in the pit with the cats but that was a moment of desperation. No, he told himself, I will not leave my father.
Ranma stumbled as he dropped the pieces of dry wood he had gathered. Somehow his body felt wrong, it felt weak, like he was sick. But he knew as a martial artist that he was fine, in fact, he should be feeling stronger now, at least that's what his instincts as a martial artist were telling him.
Ranma hurriedly finished gathering firewood and settled back into his tent. He took a lotus position and tried to assess his ki. Genma had taught him the principles of ki early, how it was the life force of the body and could be harnessed to make him a better fighter. Ranma had just started to learn how to tap his ki and still had to concentrate to feel his own ki. His breathing became slower as he felt more and more at peace. Ranma knew that this position and breathing exercise were essential to the tapping of his ki. Normally, he would guide his ki from his belly and through his body. Ranma remembered when Genma had explained the concept of ki to him, it was one of the rare moments when Genma seemed to be a wise martial artist:
Genma spoke as he sat in the lotus position, "Your ki starts and ends in the bottom of your belly, like your blood starts and ends at the heart. Good martial artists are able to use ki to enhance speed and power, they can guide their ki to their punches. Ki moves through the body through the veins and vessels just like blood does. However, there are numerous obstacles that prevent ki from moving smoothly through the body. Ranma, ki is comparable to how rivers and the ocean work. Your belly is where the ocean of ki is, lets just call that ocean from now on, the vessels and veins through your body are the veins, and there are thirty six pressure points through the body which are like dams in that they lessen the ki that flows through them. In order to harness your ki, you should guide it and force it to flow throughout the body, the more this is done, the less the resistance of the pressure points becomes. When you start this breathing exercise, your ki will be uneven, impure and hard to control. As you continue with the exercise, the ki in your ocean will increase and become purer. Eventually you'll be able to break through the pressure points on your body. Remember, what you want is for the ocean to be bottomless, the rivers to be wide, the water to be pure, and for there to be no pressure points."
Ranma, who had been sitting in the lotus position for the very first time, replied, "So when do all of this, I'll be a great martial artist and we can see mommy again?"
Genma chuckled, "No Ranma, when you have done everything I described with ki, that's when the journey to becoming a great martial artist will have just begun. You would have passed the normal martial artist to become what's termed a sky martial artist. However, once you reach sky, that road is ten times as long and difficult as the journey there. Besides, you have to learn the moves and gain experience before you are a complete martial artist. Now concentrate and move your ki."
Ranma fondly remembered the experience, that was when he had promised himself to not only attain sky level, but to surpass it and become the greatest that ever lived. The road has sure been rough so far, he told himself, but I need to keep my head up and never give up. He felt truly at peace when he thought about never giving up, it was the first time since he had awoken that he had felt comfortable, it seemed as if that goal calmed his nerves greatly.
Ranma almost lost his calm as he 'felt' his ki. In one year of pratice, he had managed to gather what 'felt' like a shallow pool of ki, nowhere close to the ocean his father described but getting deeper with every exercise he did. Today, the shallow pool felt more like a small pond, and he felt like it was bursting in his belly. Ranma panicked a bit, remembering his father's words:
"So where does it come from daddy? I mean it has to start from somewhere doesn't it, the ki that is." Ranma asked his father.
"There's been plenty of debate as to where the ki ocean originates. All humans have ki and it is similar to life force for us martial artists, but the maximum amount of ki attainable seems to differ for various people. One master has proposed that the ability to draw ki is related to one's soul or spirit, and that the soul's power, along with hard work, determines the maximum potential of a martial artist Just like how IQ and hard work will define the potential of a scholar or scientist." Genma replied.
"So you mean if my soul had a ton of power, I would become ultra powerful?" Ranma asked, wishing that he was indeed all powerful, he missed his mom already.
"No son, I've checked on you, you have great potential, the most potential I've ever seen. You already have some ki in your belly and that comes from your soul's power, but you won't get a sudden boost and have a ton of power. In fact, you have to be able to exercise your body, your muscles, your ocean, your vessels, so that they can contain the ki and control it. If there should be too much ki in your ocean, it would burst and cause you great harm, from being crippled from ki to death in fact. If you send too much ki through out your vessels, this would cause them to rupture, then all your ki would be useless because they would be stuck in the ocean. So, you have to continue the breathing exercise to increase the size of your ocean, vessels, and control." Genma had replied in a serious tone.
Ranma knew what would happen if his ocean should be unable to hold the ki that seemingly came from nowhere. He calmed himself and willed his ki to move from his belly to the first of the thirty-six pressure points. He could feel the pain in his body as his vessels struggled to hold the sudden increase in ki. The ki moved out of the ocean, calming the peril for a moment, but once it reached the first pressure point, a steady amount became trapped in the first pressure point dam and only about fifty percent could move through. Ranma panicked as he felt his vessel now close to the bursting point and the pressure from his ocean increasing again. He didn't know what to do and tears welled in his eyes at the prospect of being crippled.
At this moment, Ranma felt something in his head click and his fears and uneasiness pass. Like he had done it a million times before, he seized control of his ki and formed an arrow that burst through the first pressure point, allowing the ki to flow smoothly and the danger to subside. Ranma would have leapt for joy if he didn't need to maintain the lotus position. He wasn't supposed to be able to burst through the first pressure point for a long time. And he didn't know how he had just seized control of the ki like that, it just felt so natural, like he had been controlling it his whole life.
Ranma didn't have much time to ponder as the second pressure point was reached, he had only been able to push his ki through twenty five percent of this pressure point before. He felt a supreme confidence as he attacked the pressure point block by forming all sorts of weapons with his ki, arrows for the head on attack, shovels for the sides and whatever weapon seemed best for the situation. He felt it give under his assault and he burst through the openings, obliterating the pressure point block, doing two years worth of intense ki training in less than thirty minutes.
*****
Genma walked down the street swaying, feeling the effect of the sake on him. What fools those missionaries be, all you need to do is show them a picture of Ranma in ragged clothes and he had enough coin for five meals. Genma stopped in front of a bar and considered his options. Sure he could go back to camp and use the money wisely to take care of their next few meals, but that smell coming from the bar sure was nice. Well, an empty stomach will be Ranma's punishment for not properly learning the Catfist. Genma smirked and headed inside the bar.
*****
Ranma dropped out of the Lotus position tiredly. He didn't really need to be in concentration or the Lotus position to control his ki anymore. He had finished un-blocking twenty-five pressure points before his ocean had stopped growing, now it seemed the size of a lake, a large lake. Ranma's control over ki had greatly increased in the last three hours: he could now make it travel any direction he wanted at any speed he wanted in any shape he wanted. His vessels felt incredible, he knew they could hold ten times the ki they could this morning.
Ranma briefly wondered where his father had gone, but dismissed it when he remembered that he had never needed anyone to survive out in the woods. They were his home.
Wait, I thought the city was my home, Ranma thought to himself, no that's Bulma and mom's home, maybe all women live in the city, except Chi-Chi. Ranma felt confused for a minute before brushing it off. If something was too confusing, it was best to leave it alone until his head cleared, besides, Gohan is the thinker in the family.
Shaking his head to clear it a bit, Ranma got out of the tent and ran into the nearby forest. He sure was hungry, good thing he was a natural hunter and felt at home in the woods.
End Chapter 1
The story mostly describes the new Ranma's childhood with a few new adventures once he separates from Genma in a few chapters. The new Ranma has a greater sense of right and wrong, i.e. stealing is wrong, and will be a better fighter. The story will eventually deal with Ranma and his quest to find love.
Prologue
Goku relaxed as he felt himself melting into Shenlon's back. He felt sad to have left so many friends behind, but luckily they were strong enough to take care of anything this world could dish out. He briefly wondered where Shenlon was taking him. Goku smiled as he recalled all the adventures he had with the dragonballs. It seemed like they were there for him as soon as he was born. He hoped that wherever Shenlon was taking him would be a place filled with new adventures and challenges.
Feeling his eyelids get heavier, Goku said a peaceful goodbye to the world he knew as his body was gently swallowed into Shenlon and his mind fell asleep.
"Goku, wake up." A voice spoke in Goku's mind.
Goku tried to open his eyes and realized with a start that he couldn't. He wasn't able to feel his body or chi either. Goku felt a moment of panic but then just figured that this was a dream.
"It's not a dream Goku, this is Shenlon." The voice seemed to be nowhere and everywhere, both loud and a whisper, "I called you here for a reason: I want you to do a something for me, much like the favors I have done for you over the years. I promise that it will be for the good of the universe if you agree, but not necessarily for your own good. Now I want a simple yes or no answer Goku."
Goku was trying to remember why this voice sounded so familiar, it wasn't at all like the dragon's voice he'd heard when the dragonballs were collected. It was gentler, more human in a strange way. He thought back over the course of his life. While many seemed dubious over his intelligence, Goku knew that he had a good memory, photographic as a matter of fact, and he could remember any voice or face from any time in his life. It took a while to think back so far, but Goku remembered his first memories, when he woke and found Son Gohan watching over him. Goku remembered the desire to kill rising, the natural instincts of a Saiyan waking, gathering his energy to finish this low level threat before completing his mission of cleansing. He remembered the four star dragonball Son Gohan kept had started to glow an he had inexplicable calmed. This was the first time he heard the Dragon's voice, as it gently told him that his actions were wrong, that it wasn't his job to hurt or harm others, rather, his job is to protect and care. Goku remembered that instead of becoming a fierce Saiyan warrior and slaughtering the man named Son Gohan, he had let go of his violent instinct and become a friendly child, because the voice had sounded so right, so just, that he simply had to comply.
"I'm glad you remember me Goku, now will you do me a favor? I explain fully after you accept, but I warn you that it will not necessarily be a pleasant experience." The Dragon's voice seemed amused.
"Sure I'll do it Shenlon, I always thought the four star ball contained my grandpa's soul. I guess that I was really thinking of you!" Goku exclaimed. He was glad to help his friend, after all, without Shenlon, Goku would have carried out his mission as Kakarot and never had any of the exciting adventures of his life.
"I'm glad you accepted, now let me tell you about this favor, and of your mission. I have been watching over this world, this universe for an eternity Goku. I was not created by a Namek or the Namekian Shenlon, but rather by the original creator of this world. I existed before the Kais, before the plethora of beings who term themselves god because they hold a semblance of power. I was created to keep balance in the world, to make sure that no single being seized control and plunged this world into destruction. The dragonballs are simply a way of contacting me, found by the Nameks. I found it amusing and beneficial to grant certain wishes and deny others."
"However, recently I have been corrupted and splintered through the overuse of my powers, almost destroying this world in the process. It is fortunate that you were able to defeat the pieces of myself. In the process, I observed that perhaps it is time for me to relinquish my post as this world's protector and that you were the person to take over for me. Your power has grown enormously, so much that it is comparable to mine. You are the perfect candidate, being a protector of the world is in your blood and you are pure of heart. However, there is one further test that you must pass."
"That sounds great Shenlon, I would love to watch over and protect the world!" Goku was excited, he always felt great when he fought to save the world, more alive than at any other time. "You can test me all you want, I'll find a way to beat the challenge."
"Good. However, this will be a different challenge. You see, the test I have in mind is a test of love. The Saiyans do not understand this concept, they only feel an intense loyalty to their friends, children and mate, but not the love that humans are able to feel. I want you to understand what it's like to love and be loved, as a human does. In order to accomplish this, I will send your spirit to a different plane of existence, to a different world, to a human body that is about to perish. You will remember this life as only a dream and live as that human until you have passed the test. Now I'll ask again, are you willing to accept this task?"
Goku thought long and hard, he missed his friends and family and didn't want to be separated from them for however long he was going to be in this test. But the challenges that this would bring, Goku loved challenges and it was clear to him that this world no longer held many.
"I'll do it." He agreed.
"Good, I hope to see you again, my friend." The Dragon said as Goku felt the familiar sensation of teleportation.
Chapter 1: Arrival
His world was pain and hurt.
The pain came from cuts and bruises all over his body, the cats scratching all over, biting their teeth into him. The hurt came from the betrayal, his father casting him into this situation, his mother letting this happen, himself for listening to that fool. The being known as Ranma Saotome promised himself to never believe his father again as long as he lived, which didn't seem that long as he felt his life and blood drain away.
Ranma signed as his body grew colder and colder, to die at six years of age, to be killed at the hands of cats, it all seemed so unfair. He hoped that Genma Saotome would get what he deserved as his eyes closed.
The cats were starved for days and attacked the boy and the food tied to his body with equal ferocity. They were too hungry to care as they felt the scent of death come over the young one. However, even the hungriest of cats can still sense danger as their senses were suddenly overwhelmed. The cats backed away quickly as the dying boy was enveloped in light. They watched as the bonds constraining the boy broke apart as if vaporized by heat, as the wounds on the young one's face and body healed themselves, as the boy fell asleep before them. The cats watched and sniffed, but did not dare attack him again. They felt that something had changed, this boy was now a sleeping tiger not to be awakened.
*****
Genma Saotome felt puzzled and frustrated as he carried his sleeping son. For the better part of last week he had been trying to teach Ranma the Catfist technique, a deadly ultimate martial arts fighting form he had acquired through an ancient martial arts brochure. The teaching of the technique required him to tie up his son, smear cat-food over Ranma's body, and throw him into a pit of starved felines.
He had increased the number of starved cats and decreased the food he tied to Ranma as each attempt failed. It was the last attempt that puzzled him the most: instead of a passed out Ranma and the satisfied cats he had found previously. This time the cats were certainly hungry enough as they dared to attack him, but Ranma lay asleep in the middle of the pit, his clothes torn but otherwise unaffected.
Genma grumbled to himself as he set Ranma down in their campsite, made at the edge of a small town for easy access to cats. He was going to turn Ranma into the best martial artist in the world no matter what. Genma knew that his terrible master had made numerous enemies to their style, the anything goes. While he and another student, Soun Tendo, had been able to subdue the old master, there were still countless enemies from all over the world out for the blood of anything goes practioners. Before he and Soun could make a decent living as the masters of anything goes, they would have to take care of all these old enemies, who were beaten by the old master, but could easily handle Genma and Soun.
All of Genma's hopes for riches and an easy, jobless life fell to his son, his heir. Soun was of no use, his seed producing only girls. Although they had made the promise to unite the families, Genma had agreed because then the Saotome line would be the only master of anything goes.
Genma flipped through the catfist training manual as he waited for Ranma to awaken. Maybe there was something he had missed, a different type of food to lure the cats, a longer starvation period? He grinned as he imagined Ranma as an undefeatable martial artist and the riches that title would bring. Genma's grin faded as he reached the last and previously unread page of the manual: "Obviously, this is just a parody of the ridiculous training some TV shows and movies describe. There isn't a human being alive who is stupid enough to actually undertake this training, but just in case you're dumb enough to believe the above to be an actual technique, please kick yourself in the ass and remember that this is not a real technique."
Genma threw the manual in disgust, now he would have to train Ranma the hard way. Well, at least the boy had seemed fine, he certainly didn't want to pay an actual doctor since the medical supplies he stole were running low. Genma's brain quickly registered the Catfist as a technique his son was too weak to master and moved on to thoughts what to steal for dinner.
*****
Ranma Saotome woke with a start, remembering the vivid dream he'd been having. It was so real that he could have sworn it had actually happened, the dragonballs, the fights, the power. But it was just another dream as his eyes adjusted to the darkness and the reality of his situation came back to him in a rush. For a moment he was confused about his origin, Goku or Ranma? No, Ranma Saotome, the heir to anything goes and son of Genma and Nadoka, that's who I am.
It was evening, his father must have been out getting food, Ranma thought as he stood. He wondered briefly why there was no pain as he remembered the cats and this morning's training, the last thing he remembered was cursing his father and the pain of those claws. Ranma's mind ignored the fact that he was completely healed with no scars. He knew that questions only brought harder training and Genma never answered anyway.
Ranma stood up to gather more firewood, hoping that Genma would just give up on the Catfist training. He knew that his father never tried anything for too long, and a week was getting close to Genma's limit. He brightened at the prospect of moving on, maybe another town, maybe school even. Ranma had enjoyed the trip with his father at the beginning but was now tired of training and empty stomachs. He knew that he wouldn't be seeing his mother again until he became the best martial artist in the world, but some stability would be nice.
"Why don't you leave him?" Ranma froze as the thought entered his mind. Leaving his father, the thought had never occured to Ranma before today. He had thought about it in the pit with the cats but that was a moment of desperation. No, he told himself, I will not leave my father.
Ranma stumbled as he dropped the pieces of dry wood he had gathered. Somehow his body felt wrong, it felt weak, like he was sick. But he knew as a martial artist that he was fine, in fact, he should be feeling stronger now, at least that's what his instincts as a martial artist were telling him.
Ranma hurriedly finished gathering firewood and settled back into his tent. He took a lotus position and tried to assess his ki. Genma had taught him the principles of ki early, how it was the life force of the body and could be harnessed to make him a better fighter. Ranma had just started to learn how to tap his ki and still had to concentrate to feel his own ki. His breathing became slower as he felt more and more at peace. Ranma knew that this position and breathing exercise were essential to the tapping of his ki. Normally, he would guide his ki from his belly and through his body. Ranma remembered when Genma had explained the concept of ki to him, it was one of the rare moments when Genma seemed to be a wise martial artist:
Genma spoke as he sat in the lotus position, "Your ki starts and ends in the bottom of your belly, like your blood starts and ends at the heart. Good martial artists are able to use ki to enhance speed and power, they can guide their ki to their punches. Ki moves through the body through the veins and vessels just like blood does. However, there are numerous obstacles that prevent ki from moving smoothly through the body. Ranma, ki is comparable to how rivers and the ocean work. Your belly is where the ocean of ki is, lets just call that ocean from now on, the vessels and veins through your body are the veins, and there are thirty six pressure points through the body which are like dams in that they lessen the ki that flows through them. In order to harness your ki, you should guide it and force it to flow throughout the body, the more this is done, the less the resistance of the pressure points becomes. When you start this breathing exercise, your ki will be uneven, impure and hard to control. As you continue with the exercise, the ki in your ocean will increase and become purer. Eventually you'll be able to break through the pressure points on your body. Remember, what you want is for the ocean to be bottomless, the rivers to be wide, the water to be pure, and for there to be no pressure points."
Ranma, who had been sitting in the lotus position for the very first time, replied, "So when do all of this, I'll be a great martial artist and we can see mommy again?"
Genma chuckled, "No Ranma, when you have done everything I described with ki, that's when the journey to becoming a great martial artist will have just begun. You would have passed the normal martial artist to become what's termed a sky martial artist. However, once you reach sky, that road is ten times as long and difficult as the journey there. Besides, you have to learn the moves and gain experience before you are a complete martial artist. Now concentrate and move your ki."
Ranma fondly remembered the experience, that was when he had promised himself to not only attain sky level, but to surpass it and become the greatest that ever lived. The road has sure been rough so far, he told himself, but I need to keep my head up and never give up. He felt truly at peace when he thought about never giving up, it was the first time since he had awoken that he had felt comfortable, it seemed as if that goal calmed his nerves greatly.
Ranma almost lost his calm as he 'felt' his ki. In one year of pratice, he had managed to gather what 'felt' like a shallow pool of ki, nowhere close to the ocean his father described but getting deeper with every exercise he did. Today, the shallow pool felt more like a small pond, and he felt like it was bursting in his belly. Ranma panicked a bit, remembering his father's words:
"So where does it come from daddy? I mean it has to start from somewhere doesn't it, the ki that is." Ranma asked his father.
"There's been plenty of debate as to where the ki ocean originates. All humans have ki and it is similar to life force for us martial artists, but the maximum amount of ki attainable seems to differ for various people. One master has proposed that the ability to draw ki is related to one's soul or spirit, and that the soul's power, along with hard work, determines the maximum potential of a martial artist Just like how IQ and hard work will define the potential of a scholar or scientist." Genma replied.
"So you mean if my soul had a ton of power, I would become ultra powerful?" Ranma asked, wishing that he was indeed all powerful, he missed his mom already.
"No son, I've checked on you, you have great potential, the most potential I've ever seen. You already have some ki in your belly and that comes from your soul's power, but you won't get a sudden boost and have a ton of power. In fact, you have to be able to exercise your body, your muscles, your ocean, your vessels, so that they can contain the ki and control it. If there should be too much ki in your ocean, it would burst and cause you great harm, from being crippled from ki to death in fact. If you send too much ki through out your vessels, this would cause them to rupture, then all your ki would be useless because they would be stuck in the ocean. So, you have to continue the breathing exercise to increase the size of your ocean, vessels, and control." Genma had replied in a serious tone.
Ranma knew what would happen if his ocean should be unable to hold the ki that seemingly came from nowhere. He calmed himself and willed his ki to move from his belly to the first of the thirty-six pressure points. He could feel the pain in his body as his vessels struggled to hold the sudden increase in ki. The ki moved out of the ocean, calming the peril for a moment, but once it reached the first pressure point, a steady amount became trapped in the first pressure point dam and only about fifty percent could move through. Ranma panicked as he felt his vessel now close to the bursting point and the pressure from his ocean increasing again. He didn't know what to do and tears welled in his eyes at the prospect of being crippled.
At this moment, Ranma felt something in his head click and his fears and uneasiness pass. Like he had done it a million times before, he seized control of his ki and formed an arrow that burst through the first pressure point, allowing the ki to flow smoothly and the danger to subside. Ranma would have leapt for joy if he didn't need to maintain the lotus position. He wasn't supposed to be able to burst through the first pressure point for a long time. And he didn't know how he had just seized control of the ki like that, it just felt so natural, like he had been controlling it his whole life.
Ranma didn't have much time to ponder as the second pressure point was reached, he had only been able to push his ki through twenty five percent of this pressure point before. He felt a supreme confidence as he attacked the pressure point block by forming all sorts of weapons with his ki, arrows for the head on attack, shovels for the sides and whatever weapon seemed best for the situation. He felt it give under his assault and he burst through the openings, obliterating the pressure point block, doing two years worth of intense ki training in less than thirty minutes.
*****
Genma walked down the street swaying, feeling the effect of the sake on him. What fools those missionaries be, all you need to do is show them a picture of Ranma in ragged clothes and he had enough coin for five meals. Genma stopped in front of a bar and considered his options. Sure he could go back to camp and use the money wisely to take care of their next few meals, but that smell coming from the bar sure was nice. Well, an empty stomach will be Ranma's punishment for not properly learning the Catfist. Genma smirked and headed inside the bar.
*****
Ranma dropped out of the Lotus position tiredly. He didn't really need to be in concentration or the Lotus position to control his ki anymore. He had finished un-blocking twenty-five pressure points before his ocean had stopped growing, now it seemed the size of a lake, a large lake. Ranma's control over ki had greatly increased in the last three hours: he could now make it travel any direction he wanted at any speed he wanted in any shape he wanted. His vessels felt incredible, he knew they could hold ten times the ki they could this morning.
Ranma briefly wondered where his father had gone, but dismissed it when he remembered that he had never needed anyone to survive out in the woods. They were his home.
Wait, I thought the city was my home, Ranma thought to himself, no that's Bulma and mom's home, maybe all women live in the city, except Chi-Chi. Ranma felt confused for a minute before brushing it off. If something was too confusing, it was best to leave it alone until his head cleared, besides, Gohan is the thinker in the family.
Shaking his head to clear it a bit, Ranma got out of the tent and ran into the nearby forest. He sure was hungry, good thing he was a natural hunter and felt at home in the woods.
End Chapter 1
The story mostly describes the new Ranma's childhood with a few new adventures once he separates from Genma in a few chapters. The new Ranma has a greater sense of right and wrong, i.e. stealing is wrong, and will be a better fighter. The story will eventually deal with Ranma and his quest to find love.