Most people don't truly understand the value of training.
There are few ways to truly earn one's ability.
Skills need to be trained in order to not only advance, but to keep these skills up.
Martial artists were well known for their training methods, some of which could seem strenuous.
The more powerful martial artists tended to do exercises that could be determined to be masochistic.
Many of these martial artists would shy away from anything Genma Saotome would do.
Demigods did train, at least somewhat, however unlike mortals most demigods had an instinctive acclimation to combat.
They had natural reflexes and battlefield perception, though it largely depended on their godly parents.
That said, no demigod had ever been subjected to training methods prepared by Genma Saotome.
Robin had faced other demigods, monsters, and many unusual and dangerous situations before.
None of that could have possibly prepared him for anything Genma could come up with.
He attempted to dodge the fist sized rocks launched at him, only to once again fail to move due to the cement encasing his leg.
The fact this was what Genma had termed "a basic training exercise." one which Ranma had "Completed at seven years old."
At least he hadn't been able to find the live tiger he'd mentioned using.
"Come on boy, any real martial artist could do this in his sleep!" Genma taunted.
Robin glared at the overweight martial artist before continuing to trudge on, trying desperately to reach the Dojo again.
Genma meanwhile gave a smirk much like his son's trademark smirk. This boy was advancing in his training fast, it wouldn't be long before the boy was ready for the serious training.
Genma was ecstatic, it had been awhile since he'd run out of things to teach his son, aside from his sealed arts. Which were simply too dangerous to allow to be passed on.
No, better those died with him, Genma still felt guilty about Kumon's death.
The Saotome pushed the guilt aside focusing on the now. Robin seemed to have quite the potential, possibly better than many of the local martial artists.
The Mousse boy's assistance had been helpful with weapon forms, since Genma himself had neglected his training in most weapon styles.
It simply wasn't a good idea traveling around Japan carrying a sword, he had to wonder how it was people didn't notice Robin's sword.
Of course he still wondered how his wife got away with doing so, though it was likely police simply never had bothered to question the woman carrying a cloth wrapped bundle.
Truly the only weapon the Saotome's had been able to practice with on any sort of regular basis was the Bo staff.
Still he was able to help with the teen's conditioning, though Genma had decided to allow his son to teach on form and technique. After all the boy would need experience teaching, especially once the schools were joined.
Which was why he'd come up with this little exercise, the weight from the concrete would help improve the child's strength, with the distance contributing to the boy's endurance.
Additionally the rocks he had been pelting the child with would help build minimal endurance. While it wouldn't measure to most of those in the district the training exercise was a good start.
Genma nodded to himself, he'd done it again, the fact the child was already battered and bruised and only after an hour. He recalled that the child's ki was being drained to power his bracelet.
While Genma thought the bracelet was a bit girly, he had been informed it was what allowed the gaijin to properly communicate.
Besides it was magic, and he hadn't been able to remove it when he'd tried.
Still he wondered if the drain on the Ki could be used for training...hmmm…..
The Saotome filed that thought away for later.
He blinked when the boy finally collapsed upon being impacted by the final rock.
"Hate you,,,,hate this...dying." The teen gasped.
"Bah, giving up? Are you a man or not?" Genma taunted, wondering how much farther he could push the teen. It was obvious that this camp of his didn't have any true endurance regime worthy of an Anything-Goes Martial Artist.
He had noted that Robin seemed much more of an agility and speed based fighter, even more so than himself and Ranma. He had also noticed a trend in the boy's training, it seemed he was trained specifically for killing blows, and trained to fight opponents significantly larger than himself.
Genma could see the boy's style was primarily based on dispatching an enemy as soon as possible, and was based primarily around agility and the use of his sword.. They'd been training as much as possible in the past few days, and he'd had enough chances to test the child's style.
Genma had seen Kendo styles, including ones which utilized sword draw techniques that were similar to the boy's style. Despite this, Robin's style seemed to be more rooted in european sword fighting techniques.
He noted the boy make an attempt at continuing on before failing a few moments later.
"Hmm…" Genma thought, light reflecting off his glasses while he thought. "Perhaps we have trained enough for now." Genma said, deciding to grant the child a reprieve for now.
The Master of the Saotome style turned and left, getting just out of earshot before the exhausted boy could realize the one problem with this.
Ah it was good to be training again.
"Hey, how am I supposed to get this thing off?"
Robin was stuck, he wasn't sure what type of psycho encased someone's limbs in concrete, but from the previous training he'd gone through he knew that Genma did get results.
Still he was pretty much stuck for now, since he didn't have the energy to drag himself back to the dojo.
It wasn't like he was able to smash through concrete or anything.
He wasn't sure how Genma had expected him to get out of this thing to begin with…
Then again, gods knew what went through Genma's head, if anything.
A familiar voice caught his attention at that moment.
"Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to the Tendo Dojo?"
Sure enough, just down the street stood a boy wearing a tiger-striped bandanna on his forehead with a large pack including a red bamboo umbrella.
"Ryoga?" he asked. The lost boy turned around and noticed him.
"Eh? Robin? What happened to you?"
"We gotta stop meetin' like this." He quipped, remembering it had been the the lost boy who had found him originally.
"Give me a second…" THe lost oy stated before poking a seemingly random spot on the cement encasing Robin's leg.
Robin was about to ask what the lost boy was doing when he yelled out.
"Bakusei Tenketsu!"
The cement suddenly broke apart into small pieces. Robin glanced over his leg for a moment, sitting up and inspecting it before deciding to risk standing.
"Thanks, gods know how I woulda gotten outta that on my own."
Robin was actually surprised to see the Lost Boy here. It had been a week since he'd last seen the boy though even then they hadn't really talked much he'd wondered what happened.
"Looks like I owe ya twice." He said.
Ryoga blinked, he'd expected to simply be thanked and that was the end of it.
"You don't need to do anything, It's a martial artist's duty to protect the weak." Ryoga stated.
Robin meanwhile frowned, he didn't like being referred to as weak, despite that he was compared to many of those in Nerima. He had survived monsters and gods, as well as living on the streets.
"Why ya gotta say stuff like that?" He asked, slightly annoyed. Then he sighed, it wasn't like they knew what he'd gone through in the past.
"Eh? You couldn't have protected yourself then though, right?" Ryoga asked.
"...oh...sorry I guess I did go an take that the wrong way." Robin said, realizing he'd taken it the wrong way. "Eh, you said you were going to the dojo right?" Robin asked, deciding to change the subject.
"Yeah, I wanted to give Akane a souvenir from my last trip." Ryoga answered, unsure of what was going on. He wasn't used to actually interacting with someone socially, being used to isolation. It was different with Ranma, since he could just allow his anger to dictate his actions.
"Well why not stop for some food, I'm still not used ta japan, and need help findin' what's good."
Ryoga thought for a moment, he had been walking a few days, and it was around lunch by now… "Well, I guess it won't hurt."
A trenchcoated figure glared out at the sea.
He knew this would take too long, he was getting impatient. The boat trip was still expected to take too long.
There was a sudden presence behind him, one which he normally wouldn't care for.
However he was curious what a god would want with him. The scent indicated as much and he wasn't exactly high on Olympus' priority list.
While in the old days he'd caused some trouble, he largely made it a point to stay off the radar of the demigod camp, it had been why he had been able to survive for so long.
The monster had no intentions of being sent to Tartarus, the last time it had taken him near three centuries to return.
Correction, he was being visited by a goddess…
This could prove interesting.
"What are you doing here goddess? Are the Olympians so shorthanded they need send you to eliminate me?"
The woman was dressed sharply in a business suit, and for once the smart phone she seemed to have ever present was missing.
So she was her discretely then, the monster thought.
This wasn't his first meeting with Eunomia, though their previous meetings had been brief, sometimes gods and goddesses needed things done without it being connected to them.
Settling a grudge with another immortal by having their demigod child killed was not unusual.
"Is that any way to treat someone offering assistance?" The goddess asked. "And here I was feeling charitable, considering the one you are hunting."
"And why would-" The monster stopped when he recalled exactly who the demigod's parent was...now it made sense. "You wish them removed then? Why not do it yourself?" He asked.
"Unfortunately I'm bound by the Styx not to harm the child...that doesn't forbid me from assisting others who would harm him though." She said cooly.
The trenchcoated figure gave a cruel smile.
"Perhaps we could talk business then."
Robin glanced at the restaurant, since Ryoga didn't know most of the local places, he'd suggested the Okonomiyaki place they'd found themselves in.
Robin wasn't really sure what Okonomiyaki was even, though from what he'd been told it was similar to pizza.
He hadn't even really been able to read the name of the place, with the bracelet not being able to translate written words. The place didn't seem bad throughout though.
He hadn't believed that Ryoga's sense of direction could really be this bad, but the trip to the restaurant proved otherwise.
He'd found the Lost boy's attempt at explaining the location less than helpful, and then had to keep redirecting him on the trip.
Still despite navigational issues, simply asking for directions had allowed them to find the place.
Then he saw the person behind the girl behind the grill.
"Ukyo?"
The chef in question looked up and it was at that moment that Robin realized Ukyo had never seen him in male form.
"Can I help ya sugar?" The chef asked.
"Right guess ya wouldn't recognize me…" Robin said. "Heh, it's Robin. Though you're probably used to me being well...different."
Ukyo's blinked, she hadn't been aware of the fact that the blonde was cursed.
"Jusenkyo?" She ventured, to which Robin nodded.
She then noticed the lost boy. "I see you've met Ryoga too, don't let this jackass outta your sight, he'll be gone before ya can blink." Ukyo said.
Ryoga growled slightly, annoyed at his disability being pointed out again.
"You don't need to point it out!" He said irritated.
"Relax, I'm just kidding." Ukyo said to placate the moody martial artist, before she turned to Robin.
"So what can I getcha then sugar?" She asked, fortunately it seemed to be relatively light at the moment.
"Ah...I don't know…" Robin admitted. "Don't really know much 'bout japanese food, never had Okonomiyaki before."
"Don't worry, I got just the thing for ya." The Osakan martial artist said, before getting to work.
Ryoga scrutinized the menu, before ordering his own meal.
"So, I know Ranma's story, but where do you come in?" Robin asked.
Ryoga sighed, of course Robin would want to know how he connected to Ranma. That was all anybody cared about, he was nothing more than Ranma's rival to those in Nerima.
Robin's eyes widened at the visible green aura that suddenly seemed to surround the bandana clad boy, having had more experience with Ki auras at this point than previously he knew what it was this time.
"Ey no need to get mopey, ya don't need to talk about it if ya don't wanna."
"Ranma made my life hell, then ran out on our duel like a coward." Ryoga said, and Robin was surprised by the level of anger in his voice.
"That ain't really what i was askin'" Robin said, Ryoga blinked, the other boy couldn't be interested in learning more about HIM of all people. He was going to ask the obvious question when Robin beat him to it.
"I mean, guy doesn't get as strong as you without some kinda story right?"
Ryoga was surprised how simple that seemed, still he was a bit reluctant.
The Okonomiyaki was soon finished and the two continued discussing while eating.
Ryoga wondered if perhaps he and the other boy could truly be friends.
Soun looked up from his paper as his oldest friend returned home.
"How goes the lad's training?" The moustached man questioned.
"The boy shows potential Tendo, truly he shall be a tribute to the Anything-Goes school, with my training of course."
The Tendo nodded
"Indeed, I have noticed the child seems to diffuse the tension between Akane and Ranma as well."
The two fathers shared a look, the same thought going through the heads of both of them.
The schools would be joined!
"Of course, Tendo, we get Robin to help the marriage happen!"
Soun blinked, it was true that many couples became that way due to the aid of friends...and the child would no doubt understand how teenagers worked better than he himself did.
"A cunning plan Saotome, there is only one way to properly discuss this however." He said with a gleam in his eye.
The two men soon found themselves at the shogi board where they could plan properly.
"But how do we get the child to agree with the plan Saotome, from what I understand Americans are not big fans of arrangements such as ours." Soun asked, as they started the game.
Genma blinked, he'd forgotten about that little aspect. The fact that the children weren't escalating to the same levels as before didn't mean anything
They still had the same problems, however the presence of a mediator could help.
"The child is also close to the Amazon girl, perhaps this is not the best of ideas." Genma said.
Soun nodded, setting up a trap for his friend within their game.
Genma caught the trap, and tried to circumvent it.
It was too obvious, Soun was off his game.
Genma caught the date on the Newspaper he'd seen and sighed, of course it was almost THAT day. The balding man sighed.
"That time of year again?" He asked sadly, his friend nodded mutely.
"Come on Tendo, you need a drink."
Soun glanced at the shrine of his wife, the shrine he'd had to put up after the accident…
To think it was just shy of that day.
"Perhaps you're right."
Robin was surprised to find out he actually could relate to much of the Lost boy's story.
Ryoga had mentioned some of his misadventures, and Robin had a suspicion of what could cause the Lost boy's strange curse.
"How did ya end up walking out of a dressing room?"
"I didn't mean too, those girls just didn't believe that!" Ryoga said
"Can't say I blame'em, ya did walk in on them while changing, even if ya don't mean it."
Ryoga nodded, he still had to avoid thinking too deeply about it, lest he get a nosebleed.
"Well, guess we should get ta the dojo." Robin said, getting up,he looked over at Ukyo, who had mostly been busy
"What do I owe you?"
He paid for the food, and they began walking.
Then Robin realized he had forgotten just who he was leading, by the time the boy turned around the martial artist was already gone.
AN-
Alright well this was a bit of a filler chapter, but I at least got to give Ryoga more screen time. Bit worried i messed up with him a bit, he isn't really the type of character I'm used to writing. Not to mention it's been awhile. Also got a good thing setup for the next few chapters, I figure I'll have Nodoka show up next, and then we could have to deal with our little monster friend.
Gotta admit that Robin and Ryoga are kinda enjoyable to see interacting, despite the difficulties i was having with writing them. Wanted to give Ukyo more time but then I ended up failing, sorry Ukyo fans...
Remember to leave a review, got the next few chapters at least somewhat planned out in my head to an extent, but I might be busy the next few days between college and work
