These are the words of Hung Nguyen. I just have permission to post them and make it easier to read. Just want to give his stuff the recognition it deserves.
Ranma is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I write this purely for entertainment.
I was inspired to write this story after reading a few others that dealt with the Cat Fist Training going horribly wrong. One of the most drastic changes that I had seen was Ranma being thrown to the lions. Although I am not writing about that, this outcome of the Neko Ken is just as serious. And so, here we have a Ranma that must deal with a handicap that may alter his view on the world forever.
italics: Thoughts
(" "): Chinese language
Chapter One
When the World Went Dark
In a small village in China, a young woman was busy preparing a stew in the kitchen when she heard a knock at the door. When she came to answer it, she was not prepared for the tragic news that the messenger had brought to her attention.
("What did you say?") The women asked, her body trembling with disbelief.
("I regret to inform you that your son... is dead.") The messenger replied, bowing her head in sorrow.
("You must be joking!")
("I'm afraid that this is no joke, Jasmine. Thorn is dead.")
("It can't be!") Jasmine cried out as she gripped the messenger's shoulders. ("What happened?! Tell me!") Jasmine began to become hysterical as she shook the bearer of bad news.
The young warrior sighed and sadly shook her head as she began to relate the incident of Thorn's demise. He had been practicing near the edge of the village when he came to the defense of his seven-year old cousin Shampoo. Mousse was once again pestering the girl and he and Thorn had gotten into a fight. During the scuffle, the two ended up beneath the Challenge Log. Mousse had thrown some daggers, which had cut through some of the support ropes. Thorn had died instantly as one end of the massive timber crushed him. When he was questioned, Mousse had claimed that his glasses had been knocked off and that had messed up his aim. He said that he only intended to throw those knives as a warning and that he had not intended to kill Shampoo's cousin. Of course, no one really believed him, but without any evidence other than the words of a young Shampoo, the Council had to rule the incident as a tragic accident. Also, one of the elders that happened to be on the council was Mousse's grandmother, Mascara. Many suspected that she had been involved in swaying the final verdict.
Jasmine shook with rage and anguish as she thought about the near-sighted boy. She knew of his obsession with her niece and was very irritated that he did not take the hint and leave her alone. Now that same obsession had cost her only child his life. A growing darkness raged in her heart, mixed in with a sorrow that threatened to overwhelm her. She then screamed out in purest agony. Tears welled up in her eyes as she fell to her knees and began wailing over the loss of her child.
("NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!")
The following year would be the hardest on Jasmine, as she became distant and less involved with the events that occurred outside her house. She still carried out her duties with the same amazing skill that outstripped her fellow healers. However, the emptiness in her heart had grown since Thorn's death. She had also grown more hostile toward Mousse and his family as she blamed the novice Hidden Weapons fighter for the death of her child. Since her husband had died during a raid by the Musk Dynasty, Jasmine had been protectively raising her only offspring. Thorn was only five when he lost his father. With her son gone, Jasmine had become cold and showed little emotion. She would heal wounds and cure disease with amazing speed and efficiency, but she no longer found any comfort or happiness in her work. Where was the joy of being able to heal the wounds of others when her skills could not restore her son to her? Many of the villagers noted that she would perform with the cold, unfeeling, attitude of a machine. She would give her patients what they needed to recover and send them on their way without the tender words of care and sympathy one needed for comfort. It was if all the life had drained out of her.
And every night, the young healer would weep in sorrow, frustration, and anger at the fact that her house now had only one occupant. Whenever she looked at the bed that her son had slept in, she would burst out in tears. She would then pray to the Kami, wishing that there would be someone who could fill that bed and the empty void in her heart.
A year before Thorn's death...
"So what's the verdict?" The nurse asked.
"Not good." Dr. Hamada Tenshiro replied. "The boy will live, but I'm afraid that the damage done to his eyes is irreversible. I don't know what happened, but his eyes were nearly torn out of their sockets. It looks as if some wild animal mauled him. He had excessive tissue trauma to his optic nerves, not to mention massive damage to his face. Because the boy has a rare blood type, eye transplant was not possible option. We were able to do some cosmetic surgery to remove the scars and restore his face and eyes, but I'm sorry to say that he has been permanently rendered blind."
"Kami-sama! Who would do such a thing to a six-year old boy?"
"I can answer that." A police officer replied as he approached the two. He held up several sheets. "The boy's name is Ranma. His father is Genma Saotome. Apparently, this Genma was the person responsible for several cases of petty theft in the area. We've also gotten reports of the boy being involved in some of those crimes. Thankfully, those charges against Ranma had been dropped, since it was assumed that his father was the one who made his son commit those thefts. Witnesses called the police when they saw him shove his son into that pit. When we arrived, he abandoned his son and escaped arrest. Upon further investigation, we discovered a small campsite underneath a bridge. We found this among some of their things."
The police officer handed the doctor a small handbook. When the physician opened it, his eyes widened in shock. "It can't be! No one would be that stupid!"
"What is it doctor?" The nurse asked.
"It's a training manual for the dreaded Neko Ken or Cat Fist! I studied the martial arts for a while and my master told me about the forbidden technique! I had my suspicions when the paramedics brought him in, but I never thought anyone would be foolhardy enough to try it!"
"What is it?"
"The training is very simple. Wrap the student in fish sausage and throw him into a pit of starving cats! There are several problems, though. The trainee, IF HE SURVIVES, is reduced to a feral state and develops an irrational fear of cats! Granted they may gain an increased level of speed and agility, but their minds become psychologically unstable! In most cases, the ability is submerged until the trigger is activated. That usually happens when the victim's fear of cats reaches a certain point! They start acting like cats and become a danger to anyone that he or she perceives as a threat! In extreme cases, however, the person may become permanently regressed into their feral state! It was because of this, and the fact that the trainee has to be under the age of ten, that the method was banned! The last reported case of Neko Ken training happened over fifty years ago."
"Are you saying that Genma Saotome willingly subjected his son to this kind of torture?" The nurse asked.
"That's what it looks like." The police officer replied. "At the campsite, we found several other training manuals, pressure point charts, and several brochures that tell about martial arts training grounds. One brochure was circled in red. Some place called Jusenkyo. It looks like the father was training his son to be a martial artist."
"Then he's the dumbest teacher in the world!" Hamada remarked as he showed a page of the manual. "Look, it says right here that the Cat Fist has been banned for causing severe psychological distress! You'd think a responsible martial artist would look over the entire manual before trying it!"
"Well, whoever this Genma is, he's a slippery one. We haven't been able to track him down yet." The officer sighed.
It was then that they heard a loud commotion from a far room down the hall. There was a loud crash and a nurse came screaming into the hallway.
"Help! Someone help!"
The officer wasted no time in drawing his gun and started running toward the room where the nurse had just came from. When he reached the hysterical nurse, he tried to calm her down. "What's the matter? What's wrong?"
The nurse pointed at the room and said, "Some strange man came crashing through the window and grabbed the patient out of the bed! He jumped back out the window with the boy and disappeared!"
The officer looked into the room and saw the open window. The wind was blowing through the broken glass and the curtains waved in the breeze.
Two years later, in China...
Genma was unhappy. He looked at his sightless son and sighed in disgust. There was no doubt about it. The boy was a failure. His lack of eyesight had made him unable to continue the training in the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. He tried another combination of punches and kicks, which Ranma could not counter or even block effectively. The lad went down and moaned in pain.
"Ow! That hurt! It's not fair!" Tears began to form in his unseeing eyes.
"Ranma! Quit your whining! A true martial artist must suffer for his Art! And I told you never to cry!" Genma gave him a savage kick to the midsection.
"Ow! How can I fight back when I can't even see?"
"It was your own fault that those cats made you blind! If you were a better martial artist, you should have been able to learn the Cat Fist without any problems! After all I've done for you, you should be glad that I'm still trying to make a man out of you!" He gave him a rap on the head. "I went through the trouble of taking you to that Legendary Healing Spring near that Amazon Village, didn't I?"
"That wasn't a healing spring! I still can't see! Besides, those Amazons were really mad when you dunked me in there, yesterday!"
"AND WE STILL ARE!"
Genma and Ranma froze when they heard the strange voice. The fat martial artist was a bit shocked that someone had managed to sneak up on them as he turned around. He saw a fairly tall Chinese woman who was wearing a red silk pantsuit outfit and brown sandals. Her hair was brown and was done up in two buns. Her face was gentle looking and her figure was willowy. Her eyes were green, but they had a glint to them that told anyone not to underestimate her. She had in one hand a staff, which was five feet long. She glared at Genma with a hard look.
"W-Who the hell are you?"
"I am Jasmine! Healer of the Nieuchiezu! I did not expect to come across the same man who tried to drown his son in the village water supply yesterday! Now just what do you think you are doing?"
"None of your business! Now get lost before I have to teach you some manners!" Genma took a fighting stance.
"When I see a cold-hearted man abusing a blind and defenseless child after trying to repeatedly drown him in a spring, then I'm making it my business!" Jasmine took a stance as well, holding her staff out.
Ranma strained with his ears as a foreboding silence came up after Jasmine had declared her intentions. Suddenly, there was a sudden movement as the two sprang at each other. Then there was another long silence.
"Pop?"
A warm hand touched his shoulder then he heard a feminine voice whisper something in his ear.
"Rest now young one."
Ranma felt something applying some pressure to the back of his neck and he faded away into blissful sleep. Jasmine looked at the boy and felt the faint stirrings of her maternal instinct within her. The boy reminded her of her lost son.
He looks to be about the same age that Thorn would have been if...
Jasmine's thoughts trailed off as memories of her dead son came back to her. Biting back her tears, she looked back at the human refuse that had been beating on the helpless boy. She was sorely tempted to put the man out of the boy's misery for good. Although she was not a warrior by trade, her knowledge of pressure points and rare herbs made her quite lethal. She was very capable of killing excellent fighters. However, her training as a healer had shaped her personality and it really wasn't in her nature to end a life, especially when he was helpless at the moment. She would only kill if there were no other option.
There was also the matter of the boy to consider. After what she had seen, she was certainly not going to stand by and let that man continue to abuse the child. She looked down at Ranma again and smiled as she sensed the raw potential within him. His ki reminded her so much of her lost son. He was innocent and had a certain something that Jasmine could not put a finger to. She just had to save him from Genma's influence. After a long moment of deep contemplation, she made a decision and leapt high into the trees with Ranma cradled in her arms. She then made her way toward the village.
Four hours later, Genma awoke to find himself flat on his belly. He got up and saw that the strange woman and his son were long gone. He became furious as he realized that the woman had defeated him so easily. He scratched his head as he thought back to the short-lived battle.
Genma had tried to do a quick knockdown with his kick aimed at her head, but Jasmine simply used her staff to block the kick, then used her free hand to jab a nerve under his extended leg, causing it to lock up. While he was still flying through the air, the Amazon then used her staff as a lever and slammed him down to the ground on his face. A few more pressure points applied to his back and neck and Genma was out cold. The woman had moved with unbelievable speed and grace and the entire event had only taken two seconds!
Genma grumbled, as he started walking toward the place where he knew Ranma would have been taken to, the Amazon village.
In the house of the elder known as Cologne, the three hundred-year old matriarch watched the sleeping boy on the bed before her. She then turned to Jasmine, who was standing beside her.
("So this is the boy who almost drowned yesterday?") The diminutive elder asked.
Jasmine nodded. ("I was able to save him from that horrible man before he was beaten to death!")
Cologne looked at the healer with a suspicious eye. She recognized the look that the healer was giving the child. ("I know what you are thinking, Jasmine! He will not replace your lost child!")
("And why shouldn't I? The boy would have perished under the so-called care of his father! I can sense that this boy is strong and has much potential!")
Cologne looked at Ranma again and slowly nodded. ("On those two points, I must agree. This one does indeed show promise, but he is an outsider!")
("So what? You yourself have told me that children are a precious resource! Male or female, they are the hope of our tribe! What does it matter if this child was not born here? I will adopt him and raise him as if I had given birth to him myself!")
("He may not accept you as his mother. Furthermore, his blindness would also be something for him to overcome, if he were to live here!")
("Mousse was able to survive and he's almost totally sightless, even with those glasses of his!") Jasmine's brow furrowed a bit as she still held him responsible for her son's death.
("Yes, I suppose Mousse has gotten better, ever since he started studying the Hidden Weapons techniques. Do you intend to have this boy go through the same training?")
Jasmine took on a thoughtful look as she pondered on Cologne's question. Then she smiled as she replied. ("No. I will not have him learn the Hidden Weapons style, at least not yet. For some reason, when I look at this boy, I see him capable of achieving far more than just hiding large weapons on himself and using trickery.")
("Then what do you intend to do with him if...") Cologne then grinned as she realized what Jasmine was thinking of. There was only one other option for someone like Ranma. ("Aaaahhh! I see. You intend to have Koga train him!")
Jasmine smiled triumphantly. ("Who better to train a blind student than the grandmaster of the Unseen Light Martial Arts? Koga will be perfect for him!")
("Yes, I must admit that his techniques far exceed some of my own and he is quite formidable.") Cologne was a little reluctant to admit this.
("I cannot understand why Mousse has steadfastly refused to learn under Koga.")
("As you know, Mousse is obsessed with my great-granddaughter, Shampoo. He thinks that his near-sightedness is seen as a weakness to her, thereby driving her away from him. To train under a blind martial artist whose fighting style seems too passive is like admitting that he is weak. He feels that his Hidden Weapon style is aggressive enough to show his strength. Many of the other Amazons think the same way, but I happen to know better. I have battled with Koga before one time, and he actually fought me to a standstill.")
("Really?!") Jasmine knew that the matriarchs were considered the best fighters in the village, despite their extreme age. The idea that someone male and far younger was able to fight an elder to a draw was almost beyond belief.
("Yes, and I would keep that information to yourself if I were you.")
Jasmine nodded as she gazed at Ranma with a look of hope and tenderness. In her mind, she silently thanked the Kami for answering her prayers. She would not let this one go!
The first few weeks were the hardest for Ranma as he adjusted to living in the Amazon village. For the first time in his life, he was without Genma and his influence, and it scared him. Although it had been a hard life, it was the only life he knew. Genma had been a hard taskmaster and his training methods were extremely harsh. These processes included lying, cheating, and stealing. They had lived mostly outdoors, constantly on the move to avoid entanglements with the law. Food was always scarce and Ranma had been forced to eat nothing but rice, since his father maintained that it would make his digestive system more efficient. Of course, that didn't stop the father of the blind boy from pigging out on whatever other foods he or Ranma had gotten a hold of.
Jasmine was shocked to see just how malnourished the child was and made it a priority that Ranma received a proper diet and the right nutrients. Her training as a healer also corrected some of the health problems that Ranma had after being with Genma for three years. Camping outside in bad weather had made Ranma sensitive to humidity and illness. Some secret herbal potions, pressure points and a few immunization shots from a visiting doctor took care of those problems. Even though the Amazons lived in an isolated environment, they were not ignorant of the outside world and its advantages. Every few months or so, a medical group would be allowed into the village to give shots to the children and help the healers treat the others. Some medical supplies would be purchased and the two sides would also exchange techniques and information. This link to the rest of the world also allowed the warrior women to learn about world events and get a hold of things like books, some bits of new technology, and other miscellaneous items. The children were especially interested in whatever manga they could get their hands on.
Within a few days after he had been officially adopted into the tribe, Ranma finally accepted that this place was his new home and that his father was not going to take care of him any longer. Jasmine was especially supportive at this stage and encouraged him to shed tears, even though he repeatedly said that 'guys don't cry!' She gave him his space when he needed it and her shoulder to lean on when he gave in to the 'unmanly' act of shedding tears. She showed her gentle and nurturing side as she gradually helped the blind boy adjust into this fierce and totally different culture.
Fortunately for Ranma, Jasmine and many of the other villagers were quite fluent in Japanese and he had no problems understanding them. However, as an outsider male and a blind one to boot, he was inevitably made the butt of many jokes as several of the older boys and many of the girls teased him. Ranma's blindness made him look weak and the bullies continued to make life harsh for him. It was going to be an uphill battle for the unseeing boy.
During this time, Genma had made several attempts to retrieve his son, but each time he tried to sneak into the village, the Amazons would promptly eject him in a painful manner.
One of those times...
"Hey! What are you doing?!" Genma said as he was tied up and loaded into a catapult.
"Getting rid of some garbage!" An Amazon replied as she pulled a lever.
Genma went flying though the air screaming frantically as he sailed up to a height of two hundred feet. He then came crashing down in a small, secluded valley that had numerous pools scattered about its landscape. The fat martial artist made a huge belly flop into one of the pools.
"Oh so sorry sir!" The Guide said as he watched Genma's cursed form rise from the water. "You fall into Shon Mon niichuan! Spring of Drowned Panda! Very tragic story of panda that drown there 2000 year ago! Now whoever fall in spring, take body of panda!"
"Growf."
A month later, Ranma was introduced to the blind martial artist, Koga, and began his training in the Unseen Light Martial Arts. One fine day, the boy was trying his best to balance on a series of poles of differing lengths while trying to use his staff to knock at a swinging target suspended above him. He was doing a half-reasonable job of it until he misjudged the height of one of the poles and went down.
"Yow!"
A man of fifty or so years shook his head and sighed as he sat on a rock. His long, black hair had a few streaks of gray in it and was tied in a simple ponytail that reached toward his midback. He was wearing a white shirt with long flaring sleeves and a pair of black pants. His feet had black sandals and he twirled a cane in his right hand.
"Ranma, you are not concentrating!" Koga chided as he watched his pupil get up off the ground.
"It's not fair!" Ranma complained as he rubbed his backside. "You moved those poles! They're not the same as yesterday!"
"Exactly! This is not an exercise in memorization! The world does not always stay the same! It is constantly changing and you must be able to use your senses to detect those changes!"
"How can I use my hearing or sense of smell to know which pole is longer and which is shorter?"
"This training session is to help you develop your sixth and seventh sense!"
"Sixth and seventh sense?"
"That's right, Ranma. Most people believe that a person has only five senses; sight, taste, touch, hearing and smell. However, a martial artist can develop a sixth sense. This is the ability to detect danger as it approaches a person, thereby allowing him or her to avoid it. In some instances, one can use the sixth sense to predict the future or detect that, which cannot be sensed by sight alone. Many experts have been able to use their sixth sense to detect the ki energies of others. Now you know that Cologne has done this on many occasions, right?"
Ranma nodded. "So what's this seventh sense?"
"Ah, that seventh sense is the basis of the Unseen Light Martial Arts! We take the ability to sense ki one step further. The best way to describe it is that it acts like a form of natural radar. I myself have this 'radar-sense' and I can actually 'see' behind, above and beside me all at the same time! I have a good image in my head of my surroundings. It's like I'm touching everything at once and an image is formed in my mind as to what's around me. Granted I can't determine colors and visual patterns, but I can judge distances and size with better accuracy than a sighted person could. What's more, the seventh sense works very well with my other senses and I can detect things that cannot possibly be seen with the eyes."
"Really?"
"That's right, Ranma, and I sense that you too, can learn this skill. You just need to be patient. I have already helped in sharpening your other four senses. Now let's try to get at the remaining two, okay?"
Some other time...
"Concentrate Ranma. Let your ki be like your hands. FEEL your surroundings."
Ranma nodded at Koga's words as his brow furrowed in concentration. He was sitting in a lotus position and was trying to draw out his ki to sense his surroundings. He strained to detect the shapes and forms around him. In his mind, he could visualize shapes that were long and narrow. They seemed to be standing straight up from the ground, and Ranma began to recognize their forms from memory. He could almost feel the trees around him. Then he frowned as the feeling died out as the shapes lost their form and became unidentifiable blobs. He was once again trapped in that darkness that had claimed him two years ago.
"I can't do it!" Ranma pounded a fist on the ground in frustration.
"Ranma, you are concentrating too hard." Koga said firmly. "Let your ki flow over your environment like a gentle wave over a beach. Don't force your ki. Clear your mind and let your ki do the work for you."
Ranma nodded as he took a deep breath and began refocusing his ki. As his inner energies reached out to touch the surfaces of the trees and ground, Ranma smiled as clear, line images began appearing in his head. Ranma could only detect his surroundings as long as he was directing his ki and that was only for a few seconds. Unable to maintain it, he soon lost control and the images faded away. Still, it was a start.
"Excellent, my pupil." Koga remarked as he had detected Ranma's brief and crude use of his seventh sense. "You have just taken your first step to attaining sight beyond sight."
Ranma trained hard under Koga and as his skills improved, so did his personality. Before the Neko Ken, Ranma had been egotistical and full of pride. The loss of his eyesight and his dependency of others had erased much of those traits. He had learned to cooperate and respect others. He learned to accept his lot in life and began striving to make his life as full as he could.
Before, he had concentrated on nothing but the Art. As a result, he had very poor social skills. Manners were almost nonexistent, as was being tactful. He didn't know how to react when dealing with the opposite sex and this lead to very painful reprisals from the Amazons whenever he said something that was inappropriate or downright rude. This was especially hazardous when he had said that women were considered weak.
Despite his shortcomings, Ranma's innate charm began to win over the warrior tribe, who at first treated him with hostility, as he was still considered an outsider. His determination to be accepted, coupled with his drive to master the techniques under Koga, slowly began to win the admiration of many members of the Nieuchiezu. This was especially apparent with some of the females as Ranma grew older and more pleasant looking. One girl in particular was his adopted cousin, Shampoo. Of course, this did not set very well with her unwanted, yet very persistent suitor, Mousse.
Shampoo was being groomed by her great-grandmother Cologne to be a future matriarch. She was considered the strongest fighter of her generation and trained hard to achieve her goals. However, because of her greater skill in the martial arts, she had alienated herself from the other girls, who were jealous of her fighting ability. No one wanted to be her friend. The males of the village were another story. They were either too afraid to face her or they considered her as a prize to be won. Mousse of course, advocated this ideal to ridiculous lengths and was considered to be an insufferable nuisance by the great-granddaughter of the Elder. He would constantly try to win Shampoo with pathetic overtures and would drive off any other boy who thought to get close to her. With Mousse driving away all potential suitors and the other girls unwilling to speak with her, the purple-haired girl retreated into a world of her own with only her training to comfort her. Before Ranma had arrived, Shampoo had led a very lonely life.
Ranma was introduced to Shampoo as her cousin, since Jasmine was Shampoo's aunt. It was very shaky in the beginning to be sure, but as time went on, Shampoo was glad of Ranma's presence in the village. Here was a boy who was not after her for her looks or her position as the great-granddaughter of Cologne. He was as lonely as she was and needed a friend. He was funny, easy to get along with, and didn't hide his feelings. As the years went by, the two became very good friends and perhaps, something more began to develop as they grew older. As Ranma made new friends among the Amazons, Shampoo also followed suit and opened up even more. Within two years since Ranma's arrival, Shampoo had made some friends among the other girls and was smiling more often. Of course, Cologne had been against any kind of relationship between the two that went beyond close friendship. It wouldn't do for a future matriarch to become too, 'ahem,' attached to a weak fighter. However, being good friends and cousins was fine with her.
Ranma's close relationship with Shampoo was not to Mousse's liking and this had caused him to attack his blind rival on several occasions. Shampoo would always come to the defense of her 'cousin' and Mousse would be sent painfully away.
Ranma at age nine...
("Get away from her!") Ranma yelled as he charged at his opponent. His senses had become sharp enough to actually tell where Mousse was. However, Ranma still lacked the speed and skill needed to use that information effectively.
Mousse easily dodged his punch and smirked as he took out a small hammer and bopped him on the head. Ranma went down and Mousse then gave him a kick to his side. ("Go away you little pest. You're no match for me!")
("He may not be, but I am!") Shampoo said as she came to Ranma's aid.
("Shampoo!") Mousse cried out as he raced to embrace her. He thought to overwhelm the object of his affection with his love. Unfortunately for him, Shampoo's response to him was anything but tender.
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
Mousse became a crumpled heap on the ground. Shampoo's training in the Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire Technique had only just started last week. She was nowhere near as fast as her great-grandmother, but she still had enough speed to turn Mousse into a bruised and bloody mess.
Mousse moaned, partly in pain but also in denial. She's just playing hard to get. That's all.
The purple-haired girl knelt down to help her cousin up. As time passed on, Ranma helped Shampoo live a fuller life. He would make her laugh, help improve her Japanese and give her a shoulder to cry on whenever something would upset her. Ranma was a good support for her.
Under Koga's training, Ranma became stronger and more capable of handling himself. Within the first week of training, Ranma's sense of smell, taste, touch, and hearing had become incredibly sharp. A month later, he no longer required to be led around the village and could even find his way back whenever he took walks into the forests that surrounded them. The elders of the village could feel his ki level increase at an impressive rate as he eagerly learned all that he could. They became especially interested when Koga's old mentor had shown up at the village to gauge the progress of the boy and aid in his training.
A few months before Ranma's tenth birthday...
"Ranma, I would like you to meet my sensei, Shogo Natsumuri."
"Pleased to meet with you, Master Shogo." Ranma gave a respectful bow as he reached out with his senses at the aged priest.
Shogo smiled at the little boy as he used his own senses to gauge Ranma's abilities. "I am very impressed Koga. You have chosen well."
"Yes, sensei. " Koga nodded. "Ranma has now grasped the basic concept and principles of the seventh sense. However, he does tend to become distracted at the different images in his mind and his seventh sense does require a lot of fine-tuning. He can roughly approximate shape and size, but not much on detail."
"Well, that's what I'm here for." Shogo remarked as he gestured for the boy and his student to follow.
Some weeks later...
"So who are we meeting?" Ranma asked as he and Koga waiting in a small clearing in the forest near the village.
"An old acquaintance of mine." Koga replied. "I met him during my journeys around the world. Once I had mastered the Unseen Light techniques, I had decided to do some traveling to improve my martial arts and ki-manipulation skills."
"You've been traveling around the world?" Ranma asked with awe. The boy had never traveled anywhere further than Japan, then later the areas surrounding the Amazon village.
Koga nodded as he said, "Yes, I had a kind of wanderlust when I was no more than a decade older than you are now. I wanted to see the world through my senses, since I could not see it with my eyes. I've been to places such as Russia, Tibet, England, Australia, and even America. I learned a lot about the outside world during those times."
"Wow." Ranma was impressed at how well traveled his mentor was. At first he thought that Koga was pulling his leg, but after scanning his aura, Ranma knew he was telling the truth. At this time, Ranma's ability to read the auras of others wasn't anywhere near as good as Koga's, but Ranma could detect the faint impressions of emotions. Strong emotions such as love and anger were the simplest to detect. It was easy to detect the former from Jasmine and the latter from Mousse.
"So who is this person we're waiting for?" Ranma asked.
"He's an excellent master of ki manipulation and you would do well to listen to him. I wrote to him about you and I later found out that he was in China at the time on some personal business. I invited him to come to the village and meet with you. He should be here any time now."
"So who is-" Ranma's words were left unspoken as his sixth and seventh sense began picking up the emanations of a large and tightly focused source of ki. Ranma turned around into a ready stance and waited. As soon as he faced off with whoever was behind them, he noticed a field of serenity and utter calmness emanating from the stranger that approached them. He also noted that Koga had made no move whatsoever to get ready for any unexpected attack. In fact, Koga was actually wearing an amused grin on his face. It was then that Ranma realized that this stranger was probably the person that they had been waiting for. The boy then relaxed into a neutral stance.
"Good day to you, Master Dhalism." Koga greeted.
"Good day to you, Koga." The healer and yoga master from India stopped in front of them and then nodded his head to the blind lad. "And you must be Ranma Saotome. Koga has given you much praise and I can sense that you are well-deserving of such praise."
Ranma could feel the amount of ki being focused within Dhalism and was in awe. "H-Hello, Master Dhalism. I-I-It is an honor to meet with one of my sensei's teachers."
The ki master smiled as he said, "Koga had written to me that you have been training in the healing arts as well as the Unseen Light, correct?"
"H-Hai." Ranma stammered. His sixth sense was almost overwhelmed by the amount of ki that was focused within the body of this man. It was not being emitted like a battle aura, but rather it was perfectly aligned with his body's natural systems. Ranma had no doubt that Dhalism had great control over his body's functions.
Dhalism noted Ranma's probing of him and said, "I can sense great potential within you for healing as well as for fighting, and it would be a shame to waste such promise. Koga had asked me here to teach you how to use your ki in the process of healing. I am more than happy to aid you in this."
Ranma nodded as his master and the man from India led him deeper into the forest.
Throughout the next month, Koga brought several more of his old mentors over to aid with Ranma's training. As the boy's power over his ki grew, so did his confidence. His ability to quickly understand new techniques continued to amaze his teachers. His martial arts skills were not something to be taken lightly either. As his senses became even more defined, he quickly began to practice the martial arts again. He began sparring with Koga, Shampoo, and the other Amazons, and they became ever more amazed at how fast he was improving. Fortunately, he was considered a part of the tribe, so as long as he did not make any formal challenges, he was safe from the Kiss of Marriage Law.
Jasmine had become very happy with her adopted son as she took him on as an apprentice healer. Ranma's enhanced senses made it easy for him to distinguish different herbs and extracts. His ability to sense ki allowed him to locate pressure points with no difficulty and he developed a measure of patience which served him well as a healer and fighter. By the time Ranma had reached his tenth year, he was able to stand up against Mousse on his own.
Two years after Ranma's arrival...
("Get out of my way!") Mousse snarled as he and Ranma faced each other in front of Shampoo's house.
Ranma stood at the ready with his staff as he replied in a calm and firm tone, ("Mousse, I would have thought by now that you'd get the message and leave my cousin alone!")
("Who are you to tell me? You're nothing but a weak and blind outsider!")
("You're one to talk!" Ranma said curtly. "You couldn't see a mountain at ten paces without those glasses! Now I'm telling you nicely! Leave my cousin alone!")
("Make me!") Mousse sneered as he took a stance. He had beaten Ranma before. Today wasn't going to be any different, right? He decided to use one of his newest techniques in the Hidden Weapons style.
("FIST OF THE WHITE SWAN!")
However, as he lashed forward, Ranma smiled as he pulled back a step, then stabbed forward with his staff, knocking back the object in Mousse's hands. The nearsighted boy was driven back as the object smashed into his face. The impact caused his glasses to fall off and before he could recover, Ranma smacked one end of his staff on top of Mousse's head. The myopic martial artist went down like sack of potatoes. The training potty that he had used in his attack clattered beside him. Ranma waited for a moment as he used his senses to detect anything that could be a danger to him. When he ascertained that Mousse was unconscious, he relaxed and smiled.
Looking out from her bedroom window, Shampoo grinned. It seemed that Ranma could take care of himself now.
Since his first victory against Mousse, Ranma became even more confident of his abilities and took to the training even harder. As he learned of Koga's techniques, the young boy began to catch the interest of the Elders of the village. With the exception of Cologne, they had considered Koga's fighting style as passive at best and didn't really think his skills as anything special. After all, they, too, could sense the ki of others. However, when Ranma began learning Amazon techniques that were thought to be impossible to master for a blind person, they began to reconsider.
Ranma at age eleven...
Cologne was busy gathering herbs near a mountain stream when she saw Ranma standing near a huge boulder with Koga instructing him. The Elder was very surprised to see Ranma glowing with a faint blue aura. She went over to investigate. When she got to within twenty feet of them, she saw something very interesting. Ranma suddenly lashed out with a hand and touched the rock with his index finger. The boulder suddenly lit up with a faint yellow glow, then crumbled to pieces! Cologne's eyes widened as she stopped suddenly and stared at the powdered remains of the rock. Koga and Ranma smiled as they had long detected her presence and turned toward her.
("That was the Breaking Point technique!") Cologne said with surprise to Koga. ("How was he able to do that? I don't recall you ever having trained in that skill!")
Koga shook his head and said, ("No, Cologne! What you just saw was not the Bakusai Tenketsu, but rather something similar to it! My protege and I have mastered a skill in which we are able to use our senses to find the stress points of any inanimate object! Unlike your Breaking Point, this skill will work on other things, not just rock! And you have noticed that the boulder had not exploded into tiny fragments! Unlike your technique, which forces your ki into a specific spot and causes a violent explosion, we let our ki flow into the object and cause a uniform disintegration of its structure! It's a lot less messier and has more applications!") He turned to Ranma. ("Show Cologne what you can do. Make that tree stump over there disintegrate!") Koga gestured to a rotting tree that was about forty feet away.
Ranma nodded as he knelt down and placed a hand on the ground and concentrated, letting his ki flow through the ground and head toward the stump. He glowed with the same blue light as Cologne watched the target. Her eyes became even wider as she saw the dead wood instantly dissolve into sawdust.
Koga smiled in triumph as he turned to readdress Cologne. ("Ranma can do the original Breaking Point if he wanted to. He instantly picked up the technique when Sugar used it to blow up a rock in her garden.")
("But how is that possible?") Cologne asked. ("He would have to SEE the technique in order for him to begin to understand it!")
("Not so. Remember, Ranma's ability to sense ki energies is far better than most. If you were to demonstrate a ki technique to him, he would be able to learn it by measuring the amount of ki used and determine how it is focused. You have noticed that Mousse has been unable to defeat Ranma for the past year, despite Ranma's inability to see the weapons used against him?")
Cologne nodded.
("Well, the reason why Mousse cannot defeat him is because his Hidden Weapon techniques are a form of ki manipulation. Ranma can easily sense the ki as Mousse pulls out or hides a weapon. In fact, Ranma has learned much more with each fight. Show her, Ranma.")
The boy nodded as he raised his hand and made a sweeping gesture. His staff suddenly appeared in his hand. He dropped it then made a pair of daggers appear. He then began pulling out more and more objects out of thin air, each item gradually becoming bigger than the last. Finally, he made a shield appear.
Cologne smiled. ("Impressive! Ranma has mastered the Hidden Weapons style.") Cologne then became thoughtful as she considered what she had seen as she addressed Koga. ("If that is the case, then I would suspect that you also know of Amazon techniques as well.")
Koga nodded as he said, ("Do not worry, Cologne. I have kept these secrets to myself. I know of your law that no outsider may learn of your techniques. Since I have been declared as an honorary member and Ranma has been adopted by Jasmine, then there has been no violation.") He then turned to Ranma. ("Ranma, you will promise to Cologne that you will not show how you learned these things to anyone who is not an Amazon. Is that understood?")
Ranma nodded as he said, ("I promise!")
Within the next two years, Ranma continued to astound the Amazons with his amazing abilities. Ranma learned to do the Chestnut Fist, the Rising Dragon Ascension Wave, and many other skills. His status as a warrior began to rise even further, much to the dismay of Mousse. The near blind martial artist couldn't understand it. In just a short time, Ranma had gone from being his inferior to being his better. The fact that he was also getting more and more attention from the other girls, especially from Shampoo, made him angrier and more resentful against the young Saotome. It was so unfair to Mousse! Here this outsider had no eyesight whatsoever and was getting all the attention from his beloved Shampoo! Mousse was just as blind as Ranma without his glasses, but his intended bride continued to consider him as an annoyance. As the two 'cousins' got even closer in their friendship, Mousse's obsession to claiming Shampoo and defeating his rival became all consuming.
Ranma at age thirteen...
("School?") Jasmine said in confusion.
Koga nodded as they discussed in private in the dining room. Ranma and Shampoo were busy sparring outside the house. ("Yes. I think it is high time that Ranma experienced the outside world. Since he is Japanese, I thought that sending him to Japan for a while would help him get acquainted with things outside the village. He also needs to learn about where he came from! It would also be a good training exercise for him.")
("I don't see why Ranma has to travel so far. Besides, won't his blindness be a hindrance to him in such a place?")
("Not at all! Ranma's senses are so sharp, that most people wouldn't suspect that he is blind. His fingers can now read printed words on paper, so he won't have to rely on Braille. His seventh sense prevents him from stumbling around or bumping into things. Added with the other skills that I have taught him, he will do just fine. He doesn't even need a cane.")
("That may be so.") Jasmine agreed. ("However, I do not relish the idea of having him so far away.")
("Ranma needs to learn independence, Jasmine. The village has accepted Ranma, more or less, but the boy has a sort of wanderlust in him. He wants to experience the world through his other senses, since he cannot see it. He needs to have this opportunity to travel. He will be getting a good education and the experience will help him deal with things that he may not know about if he remained in the village. The Amazons have let their children travel abroad to learn about the outside world. I don't see why Ranma is to be denied the chance to do so.")
Jasmine sighed as she looked out the window and watched Ranma once again trip up Shampoo and pin her to the ground. She smiled as she watched them roll about on the soil and laugh, as they engaged in a bit of play fighting. She then turned her attention to Koga.
("Ranma has been my son in name for five years now and I have grown very fond of him. I suppose it's just a mother's reluctance to see her child begin to grow apart from her. I will not be around forever and I know that Ranma does need to learn how to live on his own one day, but...")
("Do not worry, Jasmine. I will look after Ranma as he attends school and he'll only be gone for a semester or so.")
("You'll make certain that he'll write back to me? You will keep him safe? I am fearful that his good-for-nothing father would use this opportunity to steal him away from me. He hasn't given up after all this time and he has gotten more determined lately.")
("I swear to you, Jasmine. Genma will not come within a hundred feet of the boy.")
Jasmine nodded as she called out to her son.
A few months later at an all-boys junior high school in Japan...
Ranma strolled down the hallway toward the cafeteria. As Koga had predicted, Ranma's enhanced senses had made it possible for him to attend school without having to tell the register's office that he couldn't see. Reading the textbooks was a snap as he could use his fingers to trace the ink-printed pages. Writing was possible due to Koga's techniques of sensory imagery. Whatever input his senses received would allow Ranma to actually create a three-dimensional image of the paper in his mind, lines included! Of course, his handwriting was still considered sloppy as it was before he had lost his sight. Koga made a note to have Ranma attend a class for penmanship.
As the blind martial artist approached the cafeteria, he could hear the large and heavyset lunch lady call out as throngs of hungry, male adolescents crowded around the counter.
"All right! Here it is! The last curry bread of the day!"
Ranma smiled, as he could smell the delicious aroma of the bread from the rear of the mob. He then extended his seventh sense outward and saw in his mind the lunch lady rearing back with her arm and tossing the bread high up into air above the crowd. He then sensed another figure jump up toward the bread.
"I got it! I got it!"
Ranma took this opportunity and gauged the height of the boy's leap by the sound of his voice. He then jumped and used the boy's head to springboard himself up toward the tasty tidbit. Deftly catching the prize in his mouth, he then flipped toward the other side of the crowd and made a perfect landing on his feet. It was then that he heard an enraged voice.
"How dare you! Who are you?"
Ranma was bit confused as he sensed the boy's anger and frustration. What's he so mad about? It's just a lousy piece of bread! It was anybody's game! "Ranma Saotome."
"Saotome! I will never forgive you! You stole my bread! You lousy thief!"
Gee, guess who that was?
At the end of the semester, Koga was ready to take Ranma back to the Amazon village. He found the boy sitting on a fence near an empty lot on the outskirts of the city.
"Ranma! It's time to go home now!"
Ranma turned and smiled. "Master Koga! Over here!"
Koga approached the boy and said, "Is this where you have been for the last three days? I was worried that your father Genma had kidnapped you!"
Ranma shook his head. "No, last I heard, Pop was running away from the police."
Koga nodded. Ever since they had come to Japan, Genma had made several attempts to reclaim his son. On a few occasions, he had faced off against Ranma's mentor. Genma had thought that defeating the blind master would be no problem, but Koga proved him wrong and had given Ranma's father a painful beating each time. During the school year, Genma had been committing many acts of petty crimes in the area. He stole food, clothing, money and whatever he could get his hands on, while he tried to get his offspring back. Many restaurant owners and shopkeepers were angered when the fat martial artist would run without paying for what he ate or took. It seemed that he practiced the Anything Goes style in the literal sense. The complaints and charges began to build up and it wasn't long before Genma was on the wanted lists.
"So what are you doing here Ranma?" Koga asked.
"I was challenged by some guy to a duel of honor. As an Amazon, I have to accept, right?"
"Oh, well I suppose that would be the case. So when is he supposed to be here?"
"Actually, he was supposed to have been here three days ago."
"What? Just where does this boy live?"
"In that house over there." Ranma gestured to the house behind him.
"And he hasn't shown up yet?!"
Ranma shrugged. "What can I say? He's got the world's worst sense of direction! It's kind of funny though." He chuckled.
"What do you mean?"
"Ryoga always got lost on his way to school and back, so I had to lead the way for him every day! A blind boy leading someone that CAN see! I still haven't told him that I'm blind!" He chuckled a little more.
"I suppose that it is kind of ironic. However, since the boy has failed to show up, it is his fault! Never mind that he has a problem with directions. He challenged you and he failed to uphold it. According to Amazon law, you have won by forfeit! I'm afraid that we must get going now. Our plane will be leaving shortly and your mother Jasmine can't wait to see you again. Let's not disappoint her."
Ranma let off a long sigh as he got off his perch and followed his teacher.
The very next day, Ryoga Hibiki arrived at the empty lot and found that Ranma was long gone. He became enraged as he shouted out to the heavens at his missed chance for revenge. He then collapsed to the ground due to his unintentional trek around the major cities of Japan.
Ranma at age fifteen...
("I told you before, Mousse! Leave my cousin alone!")
("FIST OF THE WHITE SWAN!")
POW!
Mousse found himself sprawled on his back, his eyes seeing stars as the large, duck-shaped training potty clattered to the ground beside him. Ranma stood with his staff held at the ready. Ranma's expression became stern as he said, ("That trick didn't work when we were ten, Mousse. What made you think that it would work now?")
Mousse angrily got up and faced off against his opponent. ("You claim to be Shampoo's cousin, but you're nothing but a weak outsider male that Jasmine took pity on years ago!")
("Weak, am I? Well, if you think I'm weak, then what does that make you? I've been beating you since I was ten!")
("You were just lucky that I didn't use any of my more deadlier techniques on you! But now I see that I have been going too easy on you! You have been my only obstacle to winning my Shampoo!")
("Oh please! Your own stupidity is what's keeping you from Shampoo! I thought that after thirteen years, you'd have gotten the hint that Shampoo doesn't like you!")
("She does love me! I know that deep down inside her, she and I are fated to be wed! She's just playing hard to get! If it wasn't for you and your silly outsider notions, she would have realized it by now!")
("Oh brother! For someone who can still see, you're even more in the dark than I am! Listen up, Mousse! Shampoo wants nothing to do with you! She has already rejected you Kami-sama knows how many times! Why don't you just accept the truth and leave her be?")
("Never! Shampoo is mine and I will remove all obstacles to her heart! Since you have repeatedly gotten in my way, I'm going to finish you off once and for all! Obstacles are for killing! That is the Amazon way!") Mousse made a spear appear and charged at his opponent.
Ranma had long sensed the maneuver by reading Mousse's ki and countered. Using his staff to parry Mousse's weapon, he then delivered a snap kick to his chin. As Mousse staggered back, he then jabbed forward with a finger and hit a pressure point on one of his foe's wrists, causing that hand to open up. He then slid his staff forward and used a twisting motion to bring the butt end of the spear up, causing the pointed end downward and into the ground. Mousse was surprised to find out that his weapon was now stuck in the dirt, but before he could try to pull it out, Ranma hopped up and introduced his left foot to his enemy's face. The kick slammed into the Hidden Weapon master's mouth and he was sent back a dozen feet or so. The spear remained stuck in the ground as Mousse found himself on his back again.
("That's it! You're dead!") Mousse came to his feet again, but before he could pull out another weapon, Cologne, Jasmine, and Shampoo arrived on the scene.
("HOLD!")
The two combatants stopped as they turned toward Cologne. Cologne regarded Mousse with displeasure. During the last few years, she had reversed her earlier stand against Ranma and Shampoo getting close. Ranma had become a very good healer under Jasmine's teachings and Koga had shaped him into a formidable fighter. Many of the other Amazons had also considered Ranma a good catch. He had grown up to be very handsome and well muscled. Being raised by Jasmine had corrected the three years of malnutrition and poor health care that living under Genma had caused. He was good natured, polite toward his betters and showed respect to those who merited it. Ranma was tall, almost 6'2" and moved with incredible grace. His enhanced senses and physical prowess ranked him among the top fighters in the village. Unknown to Ranma, several of the Amazons had been petitioning Jasmine to challenge him for the right to marry him.
The healer was very happy to see that her dream of seeing Ranma settling down with children may be realized. She didn't particularly care who Ranma married, so long as he was happy. She had on many occasions, hinted that he could take more than one mate. She was looking forward to seeing Ranma's face when he realized that he had been upgraded from being a barely tolerated outsider, to prime husband material. She had also been thinking of something else. Grandchildren!
("Just what do you think you are doing, Mousse?") Cologne said in a firm, yet dangerous tone.
("What do you mean?") Mousse replied indignantly. ("I'm just taking care of a certain nuisance that has plagued our village for so long!")
("You will not speak about my son in that manner!") Jasmine said with a glare.
("He's not one of us!") Mousse shot back. ("He wasn't born here! He has no right to call himself an Amazon!")
("Mousse!") Cologne said. ("Jasmine had willingly adopted this boy as her son and the Council had agreed on it! He is therefore an Amazon and has all the rights and privileges! We have tolerated your hostility toward him thus far, but now it seems that you are directly challenging Ranma's rights. If you wish to fight him, you will do so with a formal challenge!")
("What?! You defend this outsider?")
("I defend the laws of our people!") Cologne stated. ("Now, will you give Ranma a formal challenge, or do you wish to state your case to the Council?")
Mousse found his mouth and throat suddenly become dry. He had no wish to go up against the Council of Elders. He knew that Ranma was a favorite among most of the tribe.
("All right, I hereby challenge this outsider to Trial by Combat!")
("Where?") Ranma asked.
Mousse grinned sadistically. He knew that Ranma's father had almost drowned him eight years ago, so he hoped that water would yet be his downfall.
("Jusenkyo.")
Ranma frowned as he heard that name. He had been told by his mother that the Training Grounds of Cursed Springs was forbidden and before he had become blind, he remembered that Genma had planned to take him to Jusenkyo during their training trip. It had been Ranma's experience that any idea of Genma's was a bad one.
To be continued...
Author's Notes
I had been getting some comments from my readers that Ranma had been getting too much power in my stories. Therefore, I decided to tone down Ranma a bit by giving him a handicap. Ranma is still the capable martial artist, but now he has only his enhanced senses to pull him through. No super strength or special magic powers. He's not the know-it-all and he's going to make some mistakes as he goes along.
This story had been inspired by the fanfic A Source of Pride. The idea of Ranma growing up in the Amazon village appealed to me and I wondered how he would fare in such a fierce culture. There are a lot of people who believe that the Amazons in the Ranma 1/2 series are nothing more than a bunch of crazy warrior women with some off-the-wall laws. I want to write about the unseen side. Shampoo is not the bimbo and Cologne is not the cruel and cold-hearted matriarch. I also wanted to show that it wasn't Mousse's near-sightedness that is preventing him from winning Shampoo, but his own pig-headedness and refusal to accept the truth that prevents him from succeeding.
I've always liked the Marvel Comic Daredevil (Hence the reference to the radar-sense). A blind super hero who can triumph over adversity with determination and brains, despite an overwhelming disability such as blindness, fits in with Ranma's situation, don't you think?
I wanted to make Ranma's training in the Unseen Light a bit more fuller, so that's why I added those extra scenes. Yes, it's the same Dhalism from Street Fighter. I just finished watching the Street Fighter V series and I liked the way they portrayed him. Ranma learning some yoga techniques such as breathing, slowing down his heart rate, nullifying the ability to sense pain can prove useful, ne?
Please read and review!