Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or anything affiliated to it. That privilege lays solely with its original creator Rumiko Takahashi and the companies that brought it to us.
Note: This fanfiction takes place in a completely different universe than the usual Ranma ½. I am undecided as to whether I should add the Tendo's at all. I guess that we will see in the future.
Chaotic LoveIronRaptr9241
Ranma stood before the granite altar his body aching, tired, and constantly screaming at him with pain. Despite that all, however, he grinned wildly, for laying in front of him was the one thing that he for so long longed for… The cure for his curse.
The glowing white orb floated rather inconspicuously about a foot above the altar casting shadows all about the small chamber that it was housed in. It was about the size of a baseball and had no real distinctive features. No markings no cuts or scrapes of any kind. It was almost completely pristine in its integrity. It also carried with it a slight low-key humming sound that seemed to radiate the power that it contained.
Ranma wasn't really concerned with how it looked so much as to how it worked; he was only seconds away from being cured from his female half. He took a moment to lament on the misfortune that the trip to the Jusenkyo springs dealt him. The ridicule and abuse that he received from his father due to his curse. The looks of horror and disgust on his friends' faces when his secret had been uncovered. The damn magnetizing effect of water. Ranma growled at the memories. At one point it was almost too much. Ranma had to find some kind of release from the pent up anger and frustration of his curse. And then he came across the old man…
(~) Flashback…
Ranma walked stormily along the sidewalk brooding over his life and the hell that he constantly lived through. Deciding to get a little balance training in, he jumped up and ran along the fence adjacent to the sidewalk that lay alongside the length off a shallow city canal. Coming up on an intersection of the sidewalk where the fence turned at a ninety-degree angle so that a bridge could cross the canal, Ranma prepared to jump the bridge to land on the other side. Unfortunately the fencing was very old and unused to the sudden force applied to it from Ranma's coiled up legs. It broke, sending Ranma tumbling down into the canal water below. He now a she began spitting out curses and bouts of hatred due to her unfortunate accident.
A man under the bridge, gone unnoticed before started laughing at Ranma's predicament. Ranma's eyes snapped to the source of the laughter and shrunk to the size of pinpricks. She hated people laughing at her, and this man was doing just that. Standing Ranma waded through the water and stood before the wrinkled old codger, water spilling off of her and out of her clothes. Breathing heavily she asked through clenched teeth.
"And just what seems to be so funny old man?!" An outline of blue formed around her body and seemed to cast shadows on the underside of the bridge in the dimming light of the day. The man chuckled and curled himself into a tight ball and stared at Ranma through his hand and the brim of his dusty old traveling hat.
"You have seen much strife with that strange gift that you have young lady…" He cackled while Ranma grew even more irate at the 'young lady' comment.
"Yeah, and what would you know about it, huh?" She asked irritated. The man chuckled some more and pointed an aged finger at her.
"More than you, my dear… I'm sure that your old man doesn't really appreciate it, or your friends for that matter…" he trailed off. Ranma gasped.
"Huh? How the hell would you know what has been going on in my life?!" Ranma glared at the mysterious old guy.
"I have my ways… I know that you will do near anything to be rid of your curse… I know a way to do it…" A chill ran up Ranma's spine at the thought of getting rid of her curse. Her immediate excitement turned to skepticism however as she started to doubt the man.
"Yeah right," Ranma said, "your just a senile old man. You don't know anything."
"Nothing eh? Like how your name is Ranma Saotome? And that you went on a ten year long training journey all over Japan and into China and got cursed at the Sacred springs of Jusenkyo?" The man snickered and covered his face, his mirth barely contained; the astonished look on Ranma's face absolutely killed him. Ranma stepped back in shock. Just who was this guy!? She reached down and grabbed the old man by the front of his shirt only to have her arm violently twisted behind her and her entire form shoved into the water again. She came to the surface sputtering. Jumping out of the water in rage at what the man had just done to her, she was about to pummel him senseless when she noticed his serious and deadly gaze. He was standing and glaring down at her from his taller perspective. Obviously this guy was no one to mess with. It looked before that he was a weak old man, but now, with he standing near a foot taller and his musculature quite prominent it was obvious that this man had some serious fighting skill. That much was proven when he shoved Ranma-chan into the water.
"I know how you feel girl." He said slowly and steadily. "I once was cursed similar to you, however your curse is nothing compared to what mine once was." Ranma stood silently and listened to the man. She knew now that this man needed to be treated with some form of respect. She decided to forego all hostility and take in what he had to say. "I stumbled upon a magical artifact in a cave in the mountains that are north of Tibet." He seemed to become more animated and mysterious at this point, getting real close to Ranma-chan as of in fear that he may be overheard. "It contains wondrous powers. Powers beyond your imagination… It cured my ailment and left me stronger than I had ever felt before in my life… Truly a magnificent element of energy…" He backed away at this point and sat back against the wall of cold brick behind him. Ranma-chan slowly followed and sat cross-legged in front of him not saying a word. The man breathed deeply and in slow contemplation. After a few moments he nodded and reached into his dusty old travelers tunic. Bringing his hand back he held an ancient looking scroll in it and handed it to Ranma-chan. She blinked, took the piece of parchment and unrolled it. Written on the scroll seemed to be a map of some kind with some notes scrawled out in a what seemed to be an archaic dialect of Japanese with arrows pointing to different land marks. There were some written instructions in the top right hand corner, also written in the same language. Looking quizzically at the map Ranma-chan turned a curious gaze to the old man.
"It will show you to the place that you wish to go." He explained. Ranma looked dumbly again at the yellowed paper. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed.
"But I can't read this archaic language!" She exclaimed. The man grinned.
"Well, it seems that you decided to believe my story then, eh?" Ranma-chan frowned and glared at the man.
"I haven't said that I believed you yet!" She declared. The man just laughed again. And then, before Ranma-chan could react, flung his hand towards her face, palm outwards. A brief glow surrounded the appendage and a flash of light nearly bowled her over backwards. Ranma-chan sat back up with a sudden headache.
"What the hell did you do that for?!" She yelled. The man humphed and pointed at the unrolled scroll at Ranma's feet.
"Read it." He said simply. Ranma gritted her teeth. Just what kind of games was this guy playing? She didn't like it, but did what the man said anyways. Grumbling, Ranma-chan looked at the piece of parchment and began to read aloud what it had written on it.
"…Upon passing the Strait of Phemos, one heads north for about five days until coming to a fork in the canyon where the two mountains become three…" She trailed off as she realized that she was actually reading something that she before wouldn't be able to discern from advanced Calculus. "What the…" she started. "Hey old man, just what the heck did you…" Ranma-chan looked up to ask the old man what he had done to her to make her understand the language, but he was gone. Without any kind of trace left behind save for the sudden emptiness and loneliness under the bridge. Ranma lowered her raised hand and stared at the place the man had been with a soft expression. She didn't know whether or not to believe what he had said. But then again, what did she have to lose? She didn't have any real friends to speak of, she hasn't seen her mother in twelve years, her father was a complete and total worthless pain in the ass. And she may have a chance to finally rid herself of the body that she currently inhabited. All things considered, the choice was clearly obvious. Standing she pocketed the scroll and began to trek to the place that she and her father were staying. That was another thing. He father was a cheap bastard, and while he did know his martial arts, he seemed to have any lack of social skill, and thusly didn't work. All they could afford (out of her own earnings at small part-time jobs) was a ratty old shack off in the rather backwater areas of Nerima. Well, all that was about to change. She was about to embark on a grand adventure to places unknown.
The following day, Ranma, having turned back male, faced the rising sun and spread his arms wide.
"Today is a new beginning…" He whispered. Beginning to walk west he headed towards the ocean, where hopefully he could find some kind of port and a ship that could take him into eastern Asia. "…Everything is going to be alright…" He said as he disappeared into the morning mists…
A.N. Well I am back again. I was just waking up from a peaceful nights slumber when this idea just up and smacked the crap out of me. I honestly don't know where it came from. Or why I thought about just as I was waking up. The wonders of the world… Anyways, I am hoping that I can get the next chapter out as soon as I can so that I can show you why you should get hooked on this story. As always, comments and criticism are welcome. Thank you.