This is the beginning of a fic I wrote to pass a little time, it has no fix tittle as yet and I don't know how it will proceed, if you have any comments or ideas write me a review ^___^.
Standard disclaimer :
All the characters of the Ranmaverse belong to their creator, I have absolutely no rights upon them the characters outside of the Ranma cast belong to me but feel free to use them if you feel like it.
'blablabla' = thoughts
"blablabla" = speech
*blablabla* = telepathy
(blablabla) = denotes a comment on the situation
Now lets start with the fic :
Chapter 1 : And so it begins.
A bald man on the verge of overweight stands next to a pit, in his hand he holds what looks like fishes tied together by a rope.
From the pit we hear what sounds like cats, however this is not the sound we would associate with them in a natural situation, no, this is the sound we would imagine coming from a lot of hungry and angry cats, this is definitely not a nice noise.
The bald men, let's call him Genma, turns to speak to someone we do not yet see.
Genma : "Here Ranma, we will now start your training in the Nekoken"
We now focus on a young boy from Asian descent his blue-grey eyes shine under a mane of black hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. He appears to be around the ten years of age and is wearing black pants and a red shirt made of what looks like silk. He stands straight with a look of fierce determination on his face.
Ranma : "OK Pops"
**********
Voice 1 : MAKING CHANGE HERE
Voice 2 : A ROCK DISPLACED THREE INCHES TO THE LEFT ? WHY ?
**********
Genma walks towards Ranma with the fish on a rope in his hands, he looks eager to start with the training of his son.
Genma : "Okay so I will just tie you up with those fish and we shall begin"
As he said these words Genma tripped on the aforementioned rock tangled his legs into the fishfilled rope and fell into the pit filled with starving cats, what follows is evident to all.
Genma : "OUCH, NO, NOT THE EYES, STOP IT …."
Ranma has a concerned look on his face, but mixed with it is also a good part of relief, it seems like he just realised what the training his father wanted him to undergo consisted of.
Ranma : "Pops are you OK ?"
**********
Voice 2 : OH ? I SEE ! BUT ISN'T THAT A BIT HARSH ?
Voice 1 : HMPH, IT SERVES HIM RIGHT, THAT IS ONLY PART OF WHAT HE DESERVES FOR ALL THOSE OTHER REALITIES !
Voice 2 : OK, NOW LETS SEE HOW THIS DEVELOPS FURTHER.
**********
After a moment a hand appears and grabs the lid of the pit. As Genma starts to hoist himself out of it, the cats decide to use this living ladder to get out of the disturbing place (well although having taken their revenge on the fat fish smelling guy was great).
Genma (whining while the cats got out of the pit): "OUCH, NOT THE CLAWS, PLEASE STOP IT"
Eventually they all got out, and Genma with the distraction gone can at least get out of that humiliating situation, this was when Ranma spoke,
Ranma : "Dad ? What does Mental Imbalance mean ?"
Genma starts to stand up, hearing the words spoken by his son he looks in his direction with a confused expression written on his face.
Genma : "What ? Where did you ear that?"
Ranma (answering the question) : "It is written on the second page of your booklet on the Neko-Ken, 'training in the Neko-Ken is dangerous and can cause serious Mental Imbalance' "
Genma : "Let me read that"
Having said that Genma grabbed the booklet out of the hands of Ranma.
Genma (while reading the second page of the folder (at last)) : 'Hmmmm maybe the training in the Neko-Ken is not such a great idea after all, and beside I don't think I could get that much C- C- Furry beasts without raising suspicions anymore'
**********
Voice 1 : GENMA IS THINKING ? THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE !
Voice 2 : WELL I THINK THIS IS MORE HIS FEAR SPEAKING THAN HIS MIND, THE ONLY THING HE DOES THINK ABOUT IS THE FACT THAT HE DOES NOT WANT TO BE NEAR CATS ANYMORE.
Voice 1 : THAT IS MORE LIKE IT.
**********
Father and son are now sitting near a fire next to the pit where we formerly saw the true horror of the Neko-Ken training, Genma is eating what seems to be a broth made of meat and vegetables, Ranma for is part has to content himself with rice.
Genma : "Well" SCRUNCH "son" MUNCH MUNCH "it seems that the Neko-Ken" GULP "is not what I thought it would be" SCRUNCH , "I think" MUNCH "we will try that other technique instead" GULP
Ranma : "What other technique pops ?"
Genma (trying to impress Ranma) : "The dreaded" SCRUNCH MUNCH MUNCH GULP "'cave of the dragon' technique son," SCRUNCH "it is said that whoever masters that technique" MUNCH MUNCH "is destined to become the greatest martial artist of its generation GULP"
Ranma was starting to have doubts about his father's IQ after seeing the behaviour of the cats in the pit so he just said,
Ranma : "Yeah right"
And so they finished dinner.
**********
Voice 1 : WELL, IT SEEMS LIKE RANMA IS STARTING TO THINK FOR HIMSELF.
Voice 2 : YOU HAVE TO ADMIT THAT HAVING SEEN THE RESULTS OF HIS FATHER'S STUPIDITY CAN BE A DRIVE TO THINK OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF HE LET HIM TAKE CONTROL OF HIS LIFE FURTHER. I THINK THAT FROM NOW ON HE WILL START TO SEEK TO DETACH HIMSELF MORE AND MORE FROM HIS FATHER'S INFLUENCE.
Voice 1 : I THINK YOU ARE RIGHT.
**********
Next Morning
We see Genma getting out of a tent he grabs something inside and throws it in a nearby stream, after a bit of time we see the thrown something emerge, it is Ranma.
Ranma (angrily) : "What did you do that for"
Genma : "A martial artist must be prepared to fight for himself at all time, besides since you missed on that special training yesterday, it is only normal you make up for it today"
Ranma : "Hmpf, we all know what would have happened with that training yesterday if you had your way, don't we pop ?"
Genma (sweating) : "Now boy, don't get excited just because of this little misadventure, I'm your father and I know what is best for you, so you will do as I say !" 'Beside' he thought 'If he does not want to follow I can always force him, it is not as if he could resist my might' "BWAHAHAHAHA"
Ranma : 'Man what a laugh it's creepy' "Why do you laugh pop, did you say something funny ?".
Genma : 'Did I just laugh aloud ??' "Nothing son, I was just thinking of a good joke" 'Good excuse Genma, It was hot though' "Now lets go son"
Ranma : "Right behind you" 'that way you can't hit me in the back'
And our two martial artists leave towards that new training ground Genma read about, one certain of his genius the other a little apprehensive after having travelled with the first one for so long.
Ranma : 'Kami, why me ??'
**********
After two uneventful weeks of travel, well lets just say that since they were far from any habitation Genma could not resort to his usual stealing food, selling Ranma scheme , they arrived at the entrance of a cave.
Genma : "This is it son, the 'cave of the dragon' "
Ranma (suddenly suspicious) : "I thought that was the name of the technique"
Genma : "Well it has to get it's name from somewhere, beside we're not here to argue about the name of the technique but to train in it." (starting to read his booklet) 'now lets see what that training is'
**********
Voice 2 : WHAT ? HE DID NOT READ IT YET ? AFTER WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE NEKO-KEN ?
Voice 1 : THIS IS GENMA WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, THAT GUY WILL NEVER LEARN FROM HIS MISTAKES.
Voice 2 : WELL I START TO UNDERSTAND THE ANGER YOU HAVE TOWARD HIM, I MUST SAY IT IS DIFFICULT NOT TO BE ANGRY WITH SUCH STUPIDITY.
**********
Genma : "Now, this says, that in order for you to learn the 'cave of the dragon' technique, you have to go into the cave and bring back a blue rock from the end of it." 'This looks a tad too easy' "this with a hundred kilos of rocks tied to your back." 'that's more like it'
Ranma (a bit flabbergasted) : "A Hun .. Hundred kilos ? Are you out of your mind ? I'm only ten for christ's sake, how am I supposed to lift that."
Genma : "Now, quit the whining son, I did not raise you to behave like a girl, take it as a man, beside it is you who want to become the best martial artist ever, you said so yourself".
Ranma : "Yeah, well at the time I had not yet realised that you were scatterbrained, otherwise I certainly would not be here today." 'now were does that come from I am not thinking that much usually, oh well you don't look a given horse in the mouth'
**********
Voice 2 : IS IT NOT A BIT TOO MATURE FOR RANMA ?
Voice 1 : MAY I REMIND YOU WHAT EXACTLY IS IN THE CAVE, AND WHAT INFLUENCE IT DOES HAVE ON THE TALENTED.
Voice 2 : OH ? I SEE, I WONDER HOW THIS WILL PROCEED.
**********
A few minutes later, we now see a rock laden Ranma lying on the ground with a gloating Genma standing over him.
Genma : "Now son, get in the cave and learn that technique"
Ranma (with some difficulty) : "Urghhh, … can't move, …rock too heavy, …"
Genma : "Now son, are you a men ? Because men don't complain on such trivial thing !"
Ranma : 'Where did he get that line, I never saw him take such things lightly, not that this is light mind you.'
Unknown voice : *Let me help you child*
Ranma : 'Who, … who is talking'
Unknown voice : *I'm the spirit of the cave, I train those who are talented and you might make it worth my time, besides I'm kind of bored after that much time spent in a lousy cave waiting for stupid people to come and get a lousy blue rock and then go away thinking they've learned some stupid technique rant rant rant*
Ranma : 'STOP IT, that hurts'
Spirit of the cave : *Uh ?? My apologies, I'm just not used to talk to people, usually they don't hear me at all, sorry*
Ranma : 'It's alright, what do you want anyway'
Spirit of the cave : *Well actually, I want to give you the real training of the Dragon Cave TM this would be kind of the first time it would have been given on earth that is*
Ranma : 'What is it like'
Spirit of the cave : *Well it's kind of long to explain and I truly would not want to get your father on your back because he thought you took to long to start with the training, why don't you come in and talk to me personally, this is kind of impersonal you know*
Ranma : 'You're talking into my head and say it is impersonal ?? ……Although I kind of agree with you on the other part, I really would not want to see my father learning of a technique with exclusive rights. Just a question though what happens if I do not want to learn it after I know what it is?'
Spirit of the cave : *Well, then you get a nice shiny blue rock and I let you out of the cave, no time lost cause I have control on that in here, it's part of my attributions*
Ranma : 'OK I'm in for the talk'
Just as Genma was growing bored with is lousy son lying there instead of training like a men should, he saw him get up from under the pile of rocks and get in the cave with no apparent difficulty.
Genma : 'Well that's it now I'm in for a wait'
and that was the moment the sky choose to break down and start to pour. As he stood there getting drenched Genma thought he could hear a laugh in the background, but he shook it of immediately, after all he was here alone and his son was in the cave right ?
**********
Voice 1 : SO HE GETS INTO THE CAVE TO LEARN ABOUT THAT TECHNIQUE.
Voice 2 : IT BECOMES INTERESTING, LETS SEE WHAT COMES NEXT.
**********
We skip by to two hours after Ranma entered the cave, we now see him standing before a blue Dragon, he appears to be in thoughts but as we all know he is in fact talking with the spirit of the cave, some fifty meters on his right is a pile of shiny blue rocks.
Ranma : 'OK, so now that I'm here you can tell me about that technique'
Spirit of the cave : *It is not really a technique, it is a school in it's own right*
Ranma : 'Alright, tell me of the school then'
Spirit of the cave : *The School of the Dragon Cave TM is made of three sets of techniques, the first set has for goal the enhancement of the spirit or the mind, the second set is to augment the physic or the body and the third set enhances the energy or ki. Each of the set complements the others in that it reinforces them, a master of the three sets would virtually have no limits to his evolution in martial arts, this is why it has never been taught before.*
Ranma : 'I thought you said it had never been taught on earth'
Spirit of the cave : *No, I said the training had never been given on earth before, I was given the knowledge of the school by kami-sama himself and that does not count as being taught because he does not work like that, so there are two people who know of that school in the universe*
**********
Voice 1 : WELL FIVE IF YOU COUNT RANMA AND US TWO.
Voice 2 : ACTUALLY I THINK HE MEANT "KNOW THAT SCHOOL" IT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE.
Voice 1 : YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
**********
Ranma : 'So it ain't really martial arts'
Spirit of the cave : *Sighhhhh ….., no it ain't, it is a school that was made to increase the learning capacity in the arts, and I mean arts in the large sense*
Ranma : 'So can you explain that thingy about reinforcement again'
Spirit of the cave : *Well it's like this,
one : your body channels the spiritual energy created by your mind and your ki, so developing it let's you access more energy,
two : your ki can reinforce your spiritual energy and your body giving them more capacity,
three : your spiritual energy can help your body and reinforce your ki*
Ranma : 'Hmmmm… what's the difference between ki and spiritual energy then'
Spirit of the cave : *Your ki is your life force, it lets you manipulate chi and will increase your healing processes as well as augment your capacities, your spiritual energy is manipulated by your mind it will let you work with the elements outside of yourself through magic for example*
Ranma : 'So ki is more for internal manipulation with eventual external effects and spiritual energy is for external manipulation with eventual internal effects right'
Spirit of the cave : *That's it, and since they are quite near from each other they can interact*
Ranma : 'I can see how ki can be useful to a martial artist as well as increasing the capacity of the body, but I really don't see the point of spiritual energy'
Spirit of the cave : *Well, the mind is what will let you analyse the tactics of your opponent, it will also let you discover new techniques. If you see it from a martial artist's point of vue magic is just an added benefit because it let's you take control of your environment, think about it*
Ranma : 'You're right, but why did you say that it was a school to increase capacity in the arts in the large sense of the word ?'
Spirit of the cave : *Because it is, just think, you've got the mind, you've got the body, you've got the energy, what art could exist that you could not learn*
Ranma : 'Ok so this is the school of perfection, now what is the catch'
Spirit of the cave : *There is no catch*
Ranma : 'There has to be, nothing is perfect'
Spirit of the cave : *Let me put this another way, what would you do if you were really powerful, would you rob peoples ?*
Ranma : 'No'
Spirit of the cave : *Would you attack innocents*
Ranma : 'NO'
Spirit of the cave : *Would your father do it*
Ranma : 'Sighhhh … I'm afraid Yes'
Spirit of the cave : *Now you know why I proposed you to learn of the school and not your dad, there is no catch, you only have to continue what you already do, nothing more nothing less*
Ranma : 'And if I did change, you know what they say power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely'
Spirit of the cave : *Trust me on that, your file is clean, otherwise you would not be here, so what do you think ? Will you be taught or not ?*
Ranma : 'I will !!'
Spirit of the cave : *Alright !! We will start, but first let me explain something, where we will go time is different, each year there is a second here but my power is such that you will still age here instead of there, so that when you will come back you will have years of experience but will still have your actual body just stronger and fitter*
Ranma : 'I know someone who will be surprised by that, a last question before we go on with this : does beating my dad count as beating an innocent ??'
Spirit of the cave : *Not at all, be my guest*
Ranma : 'ALRIGHT, let's start with that training already !!'
Spirit of the cave : *As you wish*
So he said and in a flash of light they disappeared.
**********
Voice 2 : WELL DO YOU THINK GENMA WILL BE HAPPY WITH HIS SON'S TRAINING ?
Voice 1 : NOT TO MUCH *chuckle*
Voice 2 : *laugh* I BET HE WILL BE SURPRISED
Voice 1 : *laugh* HE SURE WILL.
**********
Two years later virtual time, we can see Ranma running real fast with a lot of rocks on his back.
Ranma : 'How many laps are left ?'
Spirit of the cave : *Another 1000 and you will be all set*
Ranma : 'So Naryu, what do we eat tonight ?'
Naryu : *Well we will have creamed salmon for starter then we will follow with roasted antelope and we will finish with an ice cream parfait for dessert*
Ranma : 'Seems fine'
**********
Another five years pass now Ranma is sitting on the ground with a huge aura around him suddenly he yells and the aura condense in a ball the size of a pebble he launches it at a mountain in the background and the mountain is vaporised without leaving a trace.
Naryu : *You know it is a chance that I can model this place at will, otherwise you would really ruin the surroundings*
Ranma : 'Yeah, I know, that's why I'm not too afraid of testing my limits, by the way tonight I cook chinese'
Naryu : *Alright, I love it when you are cooking*
Ranma : 'I know, my cooking is better than yours everyday !'
Naryu : *Hey, that's not what I meant*
Ranma (laughing): 'gottcha'
Naryu : 'Siggghh … and it works every time, how does he find my buttons so easily'
**********
Yet another six years this time Ranma is reading from a spellbook after a while he raises his hand and speaks a few words it starts to rain gold dust around him, the gold dust swirls in the air and condense to form a beautiful little dragon.
Little Dragon : *Hello master, my name is Goldwing, nice to meet you*
Ranma : *Pleased to meet you too Goldwing, let me introduce you to my sensei Naryu*
Naryu : *Hello little one*
Goldwing : *It is a pleasure to meet you sensei of my master*
Naryu : *Just Naryu is enough you know, and beside it is not as if I had anything left to teach to your master*
Ranma : *What do you mean nothing left to teach*
Naryu : *Well yes, I thought you would be busy for hundreds of years learning this school, but in fact you took to it like a fish to water, so I have nothing else to teach and you will soon return to your world*
Ranma : *Oh well, this is OK I guess, but I will surely miss you*
Naryu : *Oh but we will see each other from time to time, don't fear, so little one do you feel ready to see the outside world*
Goldwing : *I would go anywhere with my master*
Naryu : *Well in that case goodbye Ranma, goodbye little one, I hope the future will bring you all that you can wish for*
Ranma & Goldwing : *Goodbye Naryu see you soon*
Naryu then speaks a few words and Ranma and Goldwing disappear in a flash of light strangely reminiscent of the one that took place thirteen years before in the dragon cave.
**********
Voice 1 : AT LAST THE STORY WILL CONTINUE.
Voice 2 : YES I WONDER WHAT WILL HAPPEN NOW THAT RANMA IS MORE MATURE.
Voice 1 : WHATEVER, BUT I SURE HOPE IT WILL BE ENTERTAINING.
Voice 2 : YOU SAID IT.
**********
End Chapter 1
Chapter 2 : On with the story will be coming as soon as I can get it done.