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 Saotome and the gang are Rumiko Takahashi's creation. 'Nuff said.
italics: Thoughts
(""): Chinese language
Chapter Two
Unseen Path
It was a cold and windy afternoon at the Training Grounds of Cursed Springs. The Guide had just lit his pipe as he sat near a campfire when he saw a group of people approach the main entrance to the valley. He nodded as he recognized the group.
"Many Amazons come to Jusenkyo today. Must be very important if Elder come here, too."
Ranma and Mousse led the group as they approached the edge of the pools which had many bamboo poles scattered about each spring. Behind them, Koga, Shampoo, Jasmine, Cologne, and several other Amazons followed them, as they would serve as witnesses for the duel.
("Mother, I don't like the feel of this place. It seems as if I'm feeling the cries of a hundred tortured souls calling out to me.")
Jasmine regarded her adopted child with a thoughtful look. She had remembered Koga mentioning that Ranma's abilities were sensitive enough to detect energies that pertained to the supernatural. ("You are very perceptive, Ranma. I'm not surprised that you feel this way. Jusenkyo is a place of many tragedies and more than a hundred unfortunate people and animals have met their doom here. Each spring has had something or someone drown in it, leaving a terrible curse in their waters. I would advise you to be very careful here! As this is a duel of honor, I cannot interfere. I can give you this warning, however. Do not fall into any of the springs! Your blindness is burden enough without having to worry about a Jusenkyo curse!")
As soon as the group reached the center of the training grounds, Mousse strutted forward and regarded his rival. ("Now I will prove to all that I am the only one worthy to receive Shampoo's love!") Mousse said as he leapt up to perch on one of the poles. He then looked down at his hated rival and sneered. ("Come on, you coward! Face your end!")
Ranma turned to give Shampoo and the others a reassuring smile as he leapt up to land on a pole opposite to Mousse. The Amazons took a seat on a nearby log as Cologne began stating the terms of the match.
("There will be no time limit! No outside interference will be tolerated! Victory can be achieved by knocking your opponent into a spring, submission... or death! When I give the signal to begin, you will start fighting! The result of the match will determine Ranma's rights as an Amazon! Prepare yourselves!")
Ranma began focusing his ki for the imminent battle. His aura began to glow as he extended all of his enhanced senses at Mousse and his surroundings. His seventh sense gave him an image of each of the poles and the location of the cursed springs in his mind. He then thrust out his staff in a ready position and waited.
("BEGIN!")
Mousse wasted no time as he leapt toward his opponent and threw his sleeves forward. A barrage of poison-tipped daggers flew toward Ranma. Ranma's nostrils flared a bit as he recognized the kind of poison Mousse was using. It was a rare herbal extract that was even more lethal than curare. His sixth sense had already warned him about the threat and he had gauged Mousse's ki energy when he had thrown the daggers. His seventh sense tracked the trajectory of the daggers as they streaked toward him. All this sensory input was received in an instant and Ranma reacted accordingly.
Instead of leaping to avoid the blades, Ranma began spinning his staff like a propeller. Each dagger was deflected away with ease. Not a single one touched him. As the last knife fell, Ranma then threw out an arm and launched his own counterattack. His seventh sense had already located Mousse as he was landing on a pole to his right. The Hidden Weapons fighter was more than shocked when he saw his opponent suddenly make a hundred throwing stars appear. He had to get off his perch quickly in order to avoid the shurikens as they cut to pieces the pole he had been on a moment before. He landed on another pole while cursing.
("That can't be! You can't know Hidden Weapon techniques!")
Ranma smiled as he pivoted on one foot. ("Just because I'm blind, doesn't mean that I'm helpless!")
("I will not tolerate this insult!") Mousse roared as he leapt to attack him again, this time pulling out a longsword.
Ranma ducked under Mousse's slash, then swung his staff in an arc that smacked into Mousse's side and sent him flying. Mousse had to twist and reach out toward a pole to avoid falling into a spring. He was barely able to use the pole to spring him up and flip toward another perch. He began breathing hard as he saw how close he had come to losing the match.
Damn him! I've got to separate him from that staff of his! He's got a longer reach and my weapons can't get close enough! Mousse decided to change his tactics as he threw out a length of chain, hoping to ensnare Ranma's weapon away from him.
Ranma's sixth sense measured the amount of ki that Mousse had used to throw the chain and his radar-sense tracked the links as they streaked toward the end of his staff. Just as the chain wrapped around one end of his staff, Ranma used this opportunity to turn the tables. He gave a mighty pull and 'yanked Mousse's chain!' (Pardon the pun).
Mousse was unprepared at the sudden movement and unfortunately for him, he was still attached to the chain. He found himself pulled off his perch and making an arc toward a spring. He released his weapon, then brought forth a staff of his own. He thrust it forward and used it to pole-vault himself back up to another bamboo pole.
Ranma leapt forward guided by his sense of hearing. He stabbed out with his staff and hit Mousse's inverted form in the chest, just as he was heading up toward a safe landing spot. Mousse was knocked back, dropping his weapon and just missed another spring. The two leapt back and faced each other off.
By now, Mousse was getting angrier. He had yet to score a single hit on his adversary, while Ranma was mocking both him and his techniques. Weren't his Hidden Weapon skills more formidable than that weak Unseen Light? It was almost as if he knew what weapons he was going to pull out. Then, he realized what was going on. His opponent was blind, right? That must mean that his other senses were far sharper than his, especially his sense of hearing. With this in mind, he came up with a plan to defeat Ranma.
Mousse made another leap with his sleeves held at the ready. Just as Ranma prepared to counter with a thrust, Mousse pulled out a pair of cymbals and slammed them together. Ranma screamed as the loud noise echoed against his sensitive eardrums. Mousse took advantage of his disorientation and lashed forward with a hand blade. Ranma's sixth sense barely had enough time to warn him and his body reacted on reflex. Ranma leapt back, almost evading the blade completely. The weapon just barely nicked his chest as Ranma landed on another pole. Mousse was grinning as he landed on another perch.
Ranma was shaking his head to clear it as his foe laughed. When the ringing stopped, he tuned into what his opponent was saying.
("HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! I've got you now, Ranma! That blade I used was poison-tipped! All I had to do was scratch you! In less than a minute, you'll be dead! I have won! Shampoo is mine!")
Ranma began to feel numbness in his legs and arms as the poison began to spread all over him. It was taking all of his strength just to remain balanced on his pole. His hands started to lose their strength and he couldn't hold onto his staff. The weapon dropped down and splashed down in one of the pools below.
Shampoo watched in horror as her childhood friend began to become pale and unsteady. She took a step forward, but was stopped by a cane held out in front of her. She looked down and saw her great-grandmother giving her a stern look. She looked back up at Ranma then down at Cologne. The Elder shook her head, telling Shampoo with her eyes that interference was not permitted. This was a duel of honor and she would see it through. Shampoo bit back her tears as she waited for the inevitable.
Ranma began to feel dizzy as the poison increased its effect on him. As he began to lose consciousness, he began hearing Jasmine's voice in his head. A memory of his younger days came back to him as he thought back to a time when he was twelve and his adopted mother was telling him about a technique in which one could speed up one's own healing.
Ranma, it is just as important to heal yourself as it is to heal others! By striking these specific pressure points on your arms and chest, your ki energy will be stimulated enough to stop the spread of poison and begin the healing process that much sooner! But you must take care! Missing these spots by even the slightest fraction would cause great and permanent harm to your body!
Ranma then remembered what Master Koga had told him about the sixth sense.
Ranma my boy, the sixth sense can not only detect the ki of others, but it can also detect the ki in one's self. If for some reason that your physical senses should fail, you can still rely on it to 'feel' your own body!
Ranma nodded, as he knew what to do. With only ten seconds of his life left, he began to focus his sixth sense onto himself. His skeletal muscles were locking up and his skin was growing cold. Within two seconds, he had located the correct pressure points with his sixth sense, since the poison was affecting his sense of touch. With a final gasp, he stabbed at each pressure point with the index and middle fingers of each hand.
A moment of silence passed. Then another and another. Mousse became very confused. Ranma should have keeled over dead by now. Why hadn't he?
Ranma breathed out a sigh of relief as he felt his body beginning to warm up again. His muscles began to unlock and some of his strength returned. It was just through sheer willpower that he had managed to keep his balance during that time. Ranma straightened up and faced his opponent once more.
("Impossible! You should be dead by now!")
Ranma mouth turned up in a smirk as he said, ("Well, I guess they don't make poison the way they used to!")
("DIE!") Mousse screamed as he leapt toward him with the same hand blade, thinking that Ranma didn't get enough of the poison in his body the first time around.
Ranma sensed Mousse's approach and leapt out of the way. He landed on another pole unsteadily and realized that even though the poison inside him wasn't going to kill him, it had still made him too weak to fight off Mousse's attack effectively. Furthermore, Mousse still had those cymbals and could still use them to his advantage against him. Ranma had to end this fight and fast.
Mousse jumped from pole to pole, maneuvering to get into a good position to attack. Ranma didn't have his staff so he wouldn't be able to fight unless he was at close range. Mousse also knew that Ranma was sensitive to sound. As he came at Ranma again, he took out the cymbals and clanged them together.
However, to the Hidden Weapons master's surprise, Ranma did not react to the noise as he leapt up and delivered a downward punch to Mousse's head, sending him down toward a cursed spring. It was though sheer luck that he managed to grab hold of a shorter pole and swing over to another. He turned to look at his opponent, who was taking a crane stance ten feet away.
Ranma smiled as he thought back to another skill that Koga had taught him.
Ranma, there will be times in which having sharp hearing and a sense of smell would be a hindrance. I shall teach you a way to temporarily tune out noises and smells. Do not worry, since you will still be able to use your sixth and seventh sense to guide you through.
As of now, Ranma was deaf as well as blind, so Mousse's sound attack had no effect on him. His sixth sense had warned him about his approach and his seventh sense guided him to where he should strike. He could already sense the anger building up in his foe as he rushed toward him once more to finish off the fight. Ranma waited on his perch and reached out with his two extra senses. When Mousse was almost on top of him, he launched his final attack.
"KATCHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!"
Ranma's fists blurred forward and struck Mousse several hundred times in the ribs. Although he was not hitting with any considerable strength due to the poison, the effect was still devastating! Mousse was thrown back and made a short arc toward a cursed spring. He threw out a sleeve and a chain whipped out to snag a pole beside Ranma's position. Ranma crouched down and reached out with a finger. When he touched the chain, he focused his ki into it. The energy ran the length of the chain and then caused it to disintegrate into metal powder before it had a chance to become taut.
("NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!")
Mousse screamed in horror, as the only means of saving himself was gone. He made a tremendous splash into the spring and disappeared under the surface. A moment later, a duck wearing Mousse's thick glasses came up and began quacking angrily.
"Uh oh! He fall into Yazsniichuan!" Said the Guide. "Spring of Drowned Duck! Very tragic legend of duck that drown 3000 year ago! Now whoever fall in spring take body of duck!"
The Amazons cheered as Cologne declared Ranma the winner. Ranma smiled as his hearing restored itself. He crouched down and said weakly, ("Could someone help me get down?") The Chestnut Fist had exhausted almost all of Ranma's remaining strength and he was about to drop off into the spring below him. Koga noted Ranma's low ki level and leapt up to retrieve his pupil.
Sometime later, Ranma was still being congratulated as he was recovering in Jasmine's house. Shampoo kept on bubbling on about Ranma's victory as the healer applied some special lotions to prevent infection from the cut on his chest and to help drive out the poison faster.
("Aiya! You did great Ranma!") Shampoo glomped onto him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Ranma's cheeks took on twin spots of red. Even though he still considered Shampoo as his cousin, he was a little more than embarrassed by this display of affection.
("I am very proud of you, my son!") Jasmine said with a smile.
("As am I.") Koga added. ("You fought well.") The blind master addressed Jasmine and Shampoo. ("If you three wouldn't mind, I would like to speak with Ranma alone.")
Jasmine looked at her son, who gave her a reassuring nod. She then led Cologne and Shampoo out of the room and closed the door behind her.
Koga smiled as he spoke to his pupil. ("Ranma, I noticed that you used that technique I taught you to tune out noises and smells and to rely on your sixth and seventh sense.")
The blind boy nodded. ("Well, I sort of figured that Mousse would try to use those cymbals again.")
("That technique helped me convince Cologne that the Unseen Light Martial Arts was just as good as Amazonian Wu Shu.")
("Really? Tell me about it.")
("I suppose it wouldn't hurt. I haven't told you much about myself, have I? Well, my story began more than forty years ago. I was about ten years old and was traveling with my parents through China. My father was a very good doctor and was part of the groups that periodically visited the Amazons. My parents were on good terms with the Joketsuzoku. One time, my father helped save this very village from a plague that would have killed off most of the tribe. It was because of this act that my family was made honorary members of the Amazons. However, when I had reached my eleventh birthday, their ancient enemies, the Musk Dynasty, attacked the village. My parents were killed and the last thing I saw was a Musk warrior's knife. The Amazons were able to beat back the attack, but it was too late to save my eyesight.")
("That's so terrible!")
Koga nodded. ("Since I was an honorary member of the tribe, the Amazons adopted me. A gentle healer named Lily raised me. However, my blindness made me seem too weak and helpless in front of the others and I was ridiculed and teased daily. Then, when I became fourteen, a priest by the name of Shogo Natsurmuri, came to the village. Shogo had some distant relatives in the tribe and visited them once every few years. Like myself, he was blind, but he didn't act like he was. He didn't move as if he had no sight. In fact, very few even suspected that he was sightless. His senses enabled him to act as if he had perfect eyesight. He was considered a formidable fighter among the warriors and the Elders respected his battle prowess.")
("No one knew he was blind?")
("Except for a few, the Amazons assumed that he still had his vision. Despite the fact that he couldn't see, his other senses allowed him to detect that I, too, was blind. He approached me one day and revealed that he was the same. He then took a lonely and sightless boy and taught him how to 'see' in ways I never knew existed!")
("The sixth and seventh sense?")
("That's right, Ranma. My other physical sense of hearing, taste, touch, and smell were already sharper than normal. Four years of being blind can do that. However, Shogo taught me a way not only to enhance those senses, but also helped me develop the other two! Amazon techniques that I had seen, before I was blinded, became very easy to understand with my sixth and seventh senses! I was never able to master those skills before with my sight, but now that I am able to accurately measure ki energies and determine how they are focused, no technique is impossible for me to learn!")
Ranma nodded. It had been easy for him to learn techniques, even though he could not see the technique in front of him! The Chestnuts Roasting Over an Open Fire was a good example. Ranma had been standing right behind Jasmine when she had accidentally dropped a few nuts into the fire while making a stew. When she had used the skill to pluck those nuts out of the fire, Ranma's sixth sense had gauged the amount of ki used and determined how it was applied. He had spent the next few days building up his speed and by the end of the week, he was able to duplicate the skill. His adopted mother was very shocked to see her son's hands actually move with enough speed to catch fish out of a mountain stream without getting them wet.
Koga continued on. ("Master Shogo taught me that the world did not end when it goes dark. By the time I was eighteen, I had mastered the principles of the Unseen Light Martial Arts and used them to learn Amazon techniques. I preferred not to show off, but I did try to convince the Elders of the advantages of my training. Most of them dismissed my abilities as parlor tricks and assumed that I already knew the skills before I was rendered blind. Cologne was among the disbelievers. She would frequently say that my fighting style was too passive and not fit to be noticed. It wasn't until I was twenty-one that I proved her wrong!")
("What happened?")
("I challenged her.")
("YOU challenged Cologne?!")
("That I did!") Koga said proudly. ("The Elder couldn't believe that I would actually have the gall to fight her. It took some doing but I finally had her to agree to duel with me in a secret place in the forest.")
("What happened?")
("Cologne still couldn't believe that a brash and blind male upstart would have the nerve to go against a matriarch with almost three hundred years worth of experience. Still, she had been observing me and thought that I had gained some considerable skill during my training with Shogo. She decided to test my skills by fighting in a way that would render my physical senses worthless. Before she came to the place where we were to duel, she had bathed herself in a special soap that totally removed her scent. During our fight, she deployed special techniques that distorted the sounds around us, while she used stealth maneuvers to mask her attacks. She also made certain that her ki energies were tightly focused within her.")
("What happened?")
("Even though I could not hear or smell her, my radar-sense always told me where she was. My sixth sense was still sensitive enough to detect her ki, despite the fact that it was buried deep within her. She couldn't catch me unawares or launch a single attack against me without me countering each one. I totally tuned out my sense of hearing and smell and relied solely on my sixth and seventh sense to fight her. Three hours later, she still couldn't get the upper hand on me. The match ended in a draw and Cologne finally admitted that my skills as a warrior were as good as the others. Anyone who could last that long against a matriarch earned her respect. Of course, she didn't tell anyone that she couldn't beat a blind male, but the fact that I have earned her respect was enough for me. And now, it seems that the Unseen Light Martial Arts is becoming of great interest to the other Amazons as well.")
("What do you mean?")
("Ranma, I am sure that you have noticed that the girls in the village have given you a lot more, ahem, attention lately?")
Ranma's cheeks blushed even redder as he remembered the past year or so. Many of the girls, especially Shampoo, had been getting friendlier toward him. Sugar, Spice, Azure, and several others had been inviting him over to their homes and asking him out for dates. The Elders had also been dropping hints that Ranma should marry their heirs. A gentle nudge here, a subtle prod there and so forth. And of course, his mother Jasmine would always tell him in a roundabout way that he should go forth and multiply. Ranma sighed and shook his head bemusedly. He then sensed that his master's ki began to wane. A moment later, Koga coughed.
("Master? Is something wrong?")
Koga cleared his throat and said in a reassuring tone, ("No, it's nothing for you to be concerned about.")
Ranma wasn't really convinced that Koga was telling the truth. For the past several months, Ranma's senses had been detecting an imbalance in Koga's ki. Every now and then, it would make a severe drop in power level, then climb unsteadily back up. His master had also been coughing more frequently and every so often, he would become easily fatigued. The blind master would keep saying that it was just his age starting to catch up with him, he was over sixty after all, but deep down, the blind Saotome knew it was something else.
("We shall resume your training tomorrow Ranma.") Koga turned and exited the room, closing the door behind him.
A while later, Koga and Cologne were discussing the events of the day as they sat near the Challenge Log in the center of the village. They smiled as they listened in on the gentle music that came from a bamboo flute. Ranma's exceptional hearing had made him gifted in music, and he was now sitting on the roof of Jasmine's house, playing a soft melody on the flute he had crafted. Many of the other villagers paused in their daily lives to listen in on Ranma's playing. Ranma had found that his superior hearing allowed him to listen to the subtle variances in sound. He could memorize each note, and play back any song after only hearing it once. Furthermore, he could detect any conflicting dissonance and correct them, making the tunes flow together more smoothly. The result was a melody that was so perfect, that any listener would find it next to impossible not to be moved by such music.
("Ranma is very talented, Koga.")
("Indeed he is! I couldn't have found a more worthy heir to the Unseen Light Martial Arts!") Koga coughed again, causing Cologne to become concerned.
("You still haven't told him, have you?")
Koga cleared his voice and became silent. After a long while of just listening to Ranma's playing, he sighed and said, ("I do not wish for him to be distracted. He is very close to mastering all that I can teach him. I have already started on his final training. It wouldn't do for him to lose his focus if he were to know about my problem.")
("You can't hide it from Ranma forever, you know. Already, the boy is beginning to sense your ki is starting to ebb. So how long did that doctor give you?")
Koga paused as he thought back to the time the medical group that had visited the village last month. After getting the bad news from the physician, he had consulted Jasmine and the other healers of the Amazons. They, too, had come to the same conclusion. The cancer within his body was too far into its advanced stages and he had been given less than a year to live. There was nothing that could be done. Koga took a deep breath and said, ("I'll just have enough time to complete Ranma's training and teach him the final techniques of the Unseen Light. I had received word that Master Shogo died a week ago and I am not long for this world. When I go, Ranma shall be the only master of the Unseen Light.")
("Are there no others?")
Koga shook his head. ("Shogo had no heirs. The only surviving users of the Unseen Light are Ranma and myself. The techniques of our fighting style were so secret that they were never written down. They were only passed down from teacher to student.")
("I see.") Cologne paused for a moment, then said, ("You do realize that once you are gone, then the Unseen Light techniques shall be viewed as belonging to the Amazons.")
Koga nodded. ("Yes, now that Ranma has proven his rights as an Amazon, the skills and knowledge that he has are considered property of the tribe. He is aware of it and has promised me that he will not teach what he knows to an outsider.")
In the months that followed, Ranma's training became ever more intense as his skills were pushed to their limits. The training was not with out hardship and the blind boy soon discovered that though Genma no longer raised him, he was still causing him trouble.
A few months after the duel...
("Ranma! You have a visitor!")
("I'm coming, Mother! So who is- errk!")
The blind teenager was unable to finish as some stranger suddenly put him into a bear hug.
"Ranma! It's me, your Dad! At last I've found you!"
"D-Dad?!" Although he hadn't heard from Genma in over seven years, he knew for certain that this visitor wasn't him.
"Yes, my boy, once you marry my daughter, then you'll become my true heir!"
"Say what?!"
"You can come out now Kaori!" The strange man called out to someone who was waiting in the next room.
Ranma's sixth and seventh sense detected the strong presence of someone entering. By the scent, he could tell that she was female. He also sensed an exceptional amount of control over her ki. He could see in his mind by way of his seventh sense, of the girl kneeling down and presenting herself to him.
"Greetings, future husband." The voice was soft and a bit melodic.
"Well, son, she's a beauty, isn't she? She makes a lovely bride!"
"Huh?"
"Excuse me?" Jasmine decided to intervene at this time. "Just what is going on?"
"Oh." The strange man released his hold on Ranma and turned to face her. "And who might you be?"
"I am Jasmine. I am Ranma's mother. Now would you mind explaining to me what is going on?"
"Certainly. Your son, Ranma, will be marrying my daughter."
"What?!" Jasmine's expression became a bit sterner. "Are you saying that my son is engaged to a girl that neither he nor I have ever met, much less approved of?!"
"Errr..." The strange man began explaining. "Well, I'm afraid that it is a matter of family honor that he marry my daughter, Kaori. For the sake of the Daijkoku clan, the promise that Genma had made to me must be fulfilled."
"And exactly what promise was this?"
The father of Kaori began recounting his little encounter with Genma Saotome that had occurred some three years ago. When he finished his story, Jasmine's temper had begun to rise to a fast boil. Ranma was also miffed.
"Ranma was sold for a fish?!"
"I also threw in the rice and two pickles." The man said with a bit of pride.
"That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of!" Jasmine exclaimed. By now, she was mad enough to go to search for Genma and correct that little error she made years ago. The error being in not ending his life. The fat martial artist had actually offered to exchange his child's future for a small meal, even though he no longer raised him. Jasmine looked ready to explode. Then suddenly, she instantly became calm as she addressed the head of the Daijkoku family. "Would you please excuse me for a moment?"
Jasmine went into the kitchen while Ranma and the others waited. As they waited for Jasmine to return, Kaori took a good look at her fiance. Ranma was very handsome; there was no doubt about it. He had a muscular frame and moved with uncanny grace. He seemed to radiate warmth. He was a good catch. The girl decided that she would take him.
Jasmine returned with a small sack and placed it on the table in front of the man. "Here. Take it and go!"
"What's this?"
"That's a day's supply of fish, rice and pickles! Take it and leave! My son will marry whomever he chooses, and not because of some idiotic promise made by his worthless father!"
"But it is a matter of honor! An agreement made between his father and me!" The man protested.
"It is the best deal that you are going to get." Another voice said calmly.
The group turned toward the door and saw Cologne, Sugar, Spice, and Shampoo standing with weapons unsheathed. Ranma had already detected their presence when they came to the house, and he didn't even need to use his enhanced senses to feel what their emotions were at the moment. They had heard the whole thing and they weren't the tiniest bit pleased. Battle auras were flaring and Ranma was especially surprised at the intensity of his adopted mother's. Jasmine rarely had to show her battle aura, but the blind boy knew that getting on her bad side was something to be avoided. It was at the top of his list of things not to do.
The father of Kaori assessed the situation and didn't like what he saw. His daughter may have mastered the techniques of the Daijkoku School of Martial Arts Takeout, but they were badly outnumbered and not just from the people in the house. When he and Kaori had arrived at the village, they had seen the many warriors and the weapons they carried. Even if they did manage to fight their way out of the house, their chances of making it out of the village alive were close to nil.
In this situation, Kaori's father did the only thing he could do. He silently took the bag and led his protesting daughter out of the house. When they reached the gates, they were firmly escorted by a pair of guards to the path that led them out of the area.
Ranma and the Amazons breathed out a sigh of relief when it was clear that there would be no violence. When everyone had calmed down, Jasmine made a comment, which reflected everyone else's opinion of a certain martial artist.
"Ranma's father is a total IDIOT!"
Unfortunately, this was not the only incident in which Genma had used his son to feed his fat belly. For the next four months, Ranma was visited by no less than a dozen would-be fiances, as one girl after another came to claim him. Soon, the entire village was in agreement that Genma Saotome had all the brains of an overcooked cabbage.
Ranma at age sixteen...
As the training in the Unseen Light neared its end, Ranma's status as an Amazon rose even further. His enhanced senses not only made him a great fighter and healer, but it had also given him excellent tracking skills. He was good enough to give some serious competition to Tiger, the village's best tracker. Tiger was a bit of a loner. Her father had been a tiger that had fallen into the Spring of Drowned Man in Jusenkyo. She had slightly pointed ears, slitted pupils, fangs, and her body was lightly furred. Her tracking abilities were nothing to be sneezed at though. She was able to track a fly across a marsh and could tell a person's identity, no matter how one disguised his or her appearance. When Ranma displayed his amazing sense of hearing, smell and ki detection, Tiger found herself hard-pressed to keep up. Fortunately, the two became fast friends and eventually, Ranma's innate charm and good looks soon made Tiger join the ranks of those who desired to have him as a husband, despite the fact that she was four years younger than he was.
His fellow Amazons also enjoyed his aptitude for music and many would request for impromptu concerts, especially among the younger generations. Two girls in particular were Ling Ling and Lung Lung. The two would always ask their 'Big Brother Ranma' to play his flute for them. Ranma's senses allowed him to project the melodies in their purest tones, coming up with tunes that would have made the great musicians weep with joy.
Razor, the village weaponsmith, was very impressed by the way Ranma could use his senses to detect the weaknesses and structural flaws of any material. The blind boy would come by his forge every now and then to help in his work. Weak points in metals were hammered out. Edges were made more smooth and sharper. Mistakes and flaws were pointed out and corrected. The results were weapons of extraordinary quality and durability. Products made by both Razor and Ranma were highly sought out.
The blind boy's abilities soon made him a Jack of Many Trades. By this time, the village began treating Ranma as an irreplaceable treasure of the Amazons.
One fine day...
Ranma was standing in a forest clearing, his feet spread apart and his staff held out of front of him. A short distance away, Koga was sitting on a log and instructing him.
("Reach out with your senses and feelings, Ranma. Let your ki flow out and touch your surroundings!")
Ranma nodded as he concentrated. His body glowed with a soft blue aura, which began to intensify itself as he slowly focused on the trees, the ground, and the air around him.
("Excellent! Now remember what I had taught you earlier, Ranma! Don't force your ki into nature! Cooperate with it! Become one with it!")
Ranma took a deep breath and let his senses take in each detail of his environment. Every odor was smelled. Every air current was felt. Every sound was heard. Then, Ranma's senses extended themselves beyond the physical realm. Mystic forces that were the basis of all magic were detected. Ranma could feel the distant power of Jusenkyo beckoning to him. Ranma could feel the spirits that roamed the astral plane. He could sense the power of the Almighty in heaven and the dark evil of Lucifer in hell. All that was, all that is, and all that ever will be on Earth was now a part of Ranma in a way in which he couldn't even begin to describe.
Koga smiled as he sensed Ranma's aura reach a certain level.
("Now my student, absorb what you sense. Gather the energy within yourself. Focus it and make it a part of you!")
The blind adolescent's brow furrowed in intense concentration. Unnoticed by him, tiny pinpricks of energy began to appear around him. These dots of energy floated beside him like fireflies and then were absorbed into him, causing his aura to become the purest white. His power level began to build as more energy was gathered. Soon, Ranma was radiating enough power to light the entire forest on a moon-less night.
The villagers were a little more than surprised to see the forest glow with an eerie light. At first they thought it was a forest fire, but the absence of smoke dismissed that idea from their heads. The Elders were especially fascinated by this event as they detected the huge amount of ki energy being focused. One matriarch in particular watched with her great-granddaughter.
("Great-grandmother, what is happening?")
("If I am not mistaken, Shampoo, I believe that Koga is teaching Ranma the final technique of the Unseen Light.")
Back in the forest, Koga braced himself against a tree as he sensed that Ranma's power had peaked. He then called out to him. ("NOW, RANMA!")
Ranma inhaled as he pointed his staff to the sky. The wooden pole suddenly glowed white just as his aura transferred all the accumulated energy into it.
("SPIRIT BEAM!")
A small ball of energy appeared at the end of the staff and then a thin beam of energy shot upward. The resulting discharge of all that energy at once caused a massive shockwave to erupt from where Ranma was standing. The circle of ki energy rippled outward and shook the massive trees as if they were saplings. Koga was knocked off his feet as the tree he was holding onto toppled over. In the village, the Amazons were similarly started as the shockwave rumbled through their homes and rattled their windows.
The beam of energy streaked upward into the heavens and became a distant dot in the sky. A moment later, the sky lit up as a huge flash of energy exploded. All those who had been watching the beam's trajectory were temporarily blinded. A moment later, the brightness faded away.
Ranma sank to his knees, his body almost totally exhausted from the effort. Bracing him self on his staff, he managed to get to a standing position.
("How did I do, Master?")
There was no answer.
("Master? All you all right?")
Silence was his only response.
("Master?")
Ranma began to panic as he started using his senses to detect Koga's presence. However, due to the massive expenditure of energy, his sixth and seventh senses were extremely weak and he could only detect things that were no more than five feet away from him. Ranma stumbled as he tripped over a tree root. Ranma then used his sense of smell to detect his mentor. Locking in on his scent, Ranma crawled to where Koga was. When he touched his body, Ranma got a shock as he used his senses to measure Koga's ki level.
("Master! Why didn't you tell me?")
Sometime later, Ranma and his adopted mother were standing beside Koga as he lay on the bed in their house. Cologne and Shampoo were on the other side.
("Master, why didn't you tell me that you were...") Ranma's voice trailed off.
("Dying?") Koga finished in a very weak voice. Koga coughed as he continued. ("I did not want you to worry about me during your final lessons. I'm proud of you, Ranma. You have mastered the Sprit Beam!")
("Spirit Beam?") Shampoo asked.
Ranma nodded. ("Those who practice the Unseen Light Martial Arts are able to draw power from the mystical realms as well as the physical realms. Our senses are so sharp that we can locate any power source and utilize it. But, the Spirit Beam is so draining that I can't summon it up too often. Right now, I'm so weak that I couldn't beat Mousse.") Ranma then turned to Koga. ("Master, I had been sensing that your ki was fading, but I never suspected this!")
Koga sighed as he replied, ("Last year, the doctors and the healers told me that I had cancer and they gave me about ten months to live. That is why it was so important that you finished your training before I passed on. When I leave this world, you will be the only master of the Unseen Light.")
("But Master...")
("Do not grieve for me, Ranma! I have lived a good life and I have no regrets. You have surpassed me in the skills that I have taught you. I know that you will be fine. No teacher could ever be more proud of his student than I am of you. You have become a man among men and the son that I never had.")
("Oh Master...")
In another part of the village, Mousse had come to a decision. It had been almost a year since Jusenkyo had cursed him, but he had gotten used to having to turn into a duck with cold water. No, it wasn't the curse that angered him. It was the one who caused him to be cursed that got his temper to boiling. Ranma was now considered a part of the Amazon tribe by all and it seemed that he and Shampoo had gotten even closer. Also was the fact that Mousse still could not defeat Ranma, even though he had improved in the Hidden Weapons style.
No matter what weapon he used against Ranma, the blind boy would counter it and Mousse would be sucking dirt. It was almost as if he knew what weapons he was going to use. After seeing that display of ki energy manipulation, Mousse finally realized that if he wanted to defeat Ranma and win Shampoo's heart, then he was going to have to beat Saotome at his own game. He had made up his mind to petition Koga to train him as he had with Ranma.
If you can use the Hidden Weapons style against me, then why shouldn't I use your own techniques against you? I will have my revenge Ranma Saotome and Shampoo will be mine!
That night, Ranma decided to stay by his master's side until Koga became strong enough to get out of bed. The two spent long hours in quiet discussion, talking about the future. Eventually, Koga drifted off to sleep and Ranma soon followed suit in the chair that was set up beside the bed. As the two slept, Koga's ki energy finally gave out as his body succumbed to the cancer that ravaged it. At 2:15 am, Koga had left this world and Ranma became the sole master of the Unseen Light Martial Arts. When the blind boy awoke early the next day, he felt a chill wash over him. He began reaching out to detect his master's ki, but he could find nothing. He slowly walked toward the bed and knelt beside the bed. He reached out with his fingers and started feeling the face of the corpse. His sightless eyes began to flood with tears as his enhanced sense of touch took in every detail of Koga's lifeless face. Ranma sobbed openly as his mind constructed an image of what his master looked like, based on what his fingers were telling him. He committed the image to memory, then laid his head over crossed arms.
His sobs soon roused his mother Jasmine from her slumber. She walked over to where her son was crying and saw Koga's lifeless form. She didn't need to ask what was the matter as she quietly approached her grieving child and knelt down to embrace him. She said nothing as Ranma wept.
Later that very same day...
("No! He can't be dead!") Mousse shouted at Cologne, who immediately bopped him on the head with her cane.
("You should learn to talk to your elders with more respect! In any case, why should you be upset? You never liked him much anyway.")
("But he has to be alive! I'm ready to learn his techniques now!")
("Oh? So NOW you wish to learn? I thought you considered his skills as weak and not fit to be noticed by the Amazons.")
("I changed my mind, okay?") Mousse exasperated. ("I have seen the error of my way of thinking and I am ready to become his student!")
("Hmpf! I know why you want to learn now. You've finally realized that your Hidden Weapons style is no match for Ranma and you want to beat him using the same style that he uses! Well, you are too late! Koga is gone, and Ranma is now heir to all of his secrets! And I seriously doubt he would agree to train you!")
("It's not fair!") Mousse shouted.
("It's your own fault that you refused to learn sooner. You thought that your Hidden Weapons techniques would impress my Shampoo, but they did the opposite. Koga had offered to teach you the Unseen Light many times and you turned him down repeatedly. He had only had to ask Ranma once and he accepted. Now Ranma has become a far greater warrior than you as well as an exceptional healer. He is a good asset to the village and would be a fitting mate for my great-granddaughter!")
("Shampoo is mine, not Ranma's!") Mousse roared, which resulted in another bop on the head by Cologne. ("Ow!")
("Shampoo was never yours to begin with. Now, I grow tired of this discussion. I must see to the preparations for the funeral. Goodbye, Mousse.")
By the week's end, Koga's body was placed on an elaborate funeral pyre and set ablaze. The site was near the place where Ranma had begun training when he was eight. The blind Saotome had told Cologne that the spot was a favorite of his former mentor's and she arranged the funeral to be held there. The Council of Elders as well as many of the Amazons were present to witness the cremation. Ranma stood beside Jasmine and Shampoo, his eyes slick with tears as he listened to the matriarchs bid their final farewells to a great warrior.
When the fire had burned itself out, Ranma was given the task of fulfilling Koga's last request. The blind boy carried the small urn, which contained the ashes of his sensei up the slope of a cliff that overlooked the valley of the Joketsuzoku. Taking a deep breath, he began focusing his ki and let his aura flare up. Extending his senses to the winds, he opened the urn and let the ashes scatter themselves to the breeze. Ranma let his senses flow into the surroundings as he felt his teacher's presence one final time as Koga became one with nature.
Another week would pass as Ranma went into mourning for the man who had raised him like the father he never had. He was everything that Genma could never hope to be. He had treated him fairly and never used him for personal gain. He had taught him how to turn his handicap into a boon and helped him achieve mastery in the martial arts that he could have never attained under his real father. Jasmine and Koga had sheltered him and protected him from Genma and his influence for more than eight years. It was this last thought that made Ranma come to a decision.
("You're leaving the village?") Jasmine asked in surprise.
Ranma nodded. ("Mother, you and the tribe have been good to me, but I can't stay here forever. I can't ignore the outside world, especially since my senses are so attuned to it. I have to go out there. It's I'm not sure how to describe it, but I feel that I have to experience the world out there. The Council is letting a few of the others to study in Japan and I've asked to go with them.")
Jasmine shook her head. ("Koga did tell me that you had a wanderlust in you when he took you to school.")
("It's not just that, Mother. It's not that I don't appreciate you and Koga for protecting me from that no-good father of mine, but I can't keep hiding from him. I have to face him sooner or later. Also, even though you're the best mother anyone's ever asked for, I want to know who my real mother is and what's she's like.")
("I see.") Jasmine's face took on a sorrowful, yet understanding look as she said, ("Ranma, you have been my treasure these past eight years and I suppose that it's just natural that you would one day leave the nest. I will not try to stop you, Ranma. You have already proven that you are capable of handling yourself. Just promise me this. Don't forget about me?")
("Never, Mother!") Ranma took Jasmine into his arms and held her tight. ("I'll write to you as often as I can!")
Jasmine smiled as tears ran down her cheeks. ("Just remember, Ranma, you'll always have a home here and a place in my heart!")
Ranma smiled as he reached up with his hands and began feeling his mother's face with his fingers. He traced every line and the texture of her skin. He noted that she had gained a few new wrinkles, but her ki was still as strong as ever. He committed his adopted mother's face to memory.
By the end of the month, Ranma hefted his backpack over his shoulder and boarded the boat that would take him to Japan. He would be traveling with a few other Amazons, including Shampoo. The top fighters and most promising of his generation were given the opportunity to study abroad. Fortunately, Mousse was denied the chance to come along. The only way that a male could be given this opportunity was if he happened to be the best fighter. Mousse was no longer the top male fighter of the village. Ranma had taken that spot. As the families of the group bid their farewells, Cologne nodded to the skipper to cast off. The boat slowly began chugging its way to the Land of the Rising Sun.
To be continued...
Author's Notes
Ranma has now begun his journey back to the place of his birth. What will Nodoka say when she sees her son after a ten-year absence? Will Genma give up on Ranma and the plan to unite the schools of the Anything Goes? How about the rest of the Nerima gang? Stay tuned!
For those of you who are wondering about Ranma's new move, the Spirit Beam is sort of like Goku's Spirit Bomb in Dragonball Z. Ranma's senses can actually allow him to tap into the forces of nature as well as the mystical fields around him. Of course, this technique takes a long time to initiate and is extremely draining. You might think of it as a desperation or finishing move.
This rewrite to mostly to clear up the grammar and spelling mistakes. I also wanted to tell more about Ranma's life in the village as well as introduce a few more Amazons that we will be seeing again in the future As you can see, not having his son with him hasn't stopped Genma from selling him off. The ones with money have been able to track Ranma down as he stays in one place, the Amazon village.
Well, this is the second rewrite to this chapter and I like it. The small added and deleted bits are to clear up any grammar mistakes and such.
Please read and review!