Disclaimer:
I don't own the world of Ranma ½, and I do not own any other animes (which will be making a slight appearance, at least the fighting styles and fighting techniques). The name Genryu came from another Ranma fic that I read, but I've forgotten the title of the fic. If the author of that fic reads this one, let me know, and I'll make the appropriate changes to the disclaimer.
Key:
"..." Normal speech.
"..." Chinese.
(...) direct, word for word thoughts.
Prologue
Saotome Nodaka sat at the table of the living room of her home, watching her husband Genma train their two children, Ranma and Genryu. Ranma was the elder of the two brothers by a year, and was now five over Genryu's four. One would've expected Ranma to be the better of the two in martial arts having had a whole year's worth of training more than his brother. But as both Ranma and Genryu landed after a jump, and Ranma lost his balance and fell over while Genryu landed perfectly, it was clear that Ranma wasn't the better of the two. Especially once Genryu started mocking Ranma as he always did whenever Ranma botched a move.
Ranma turned to his father for help, hoping the older man would stop Genryu from mocking him. But all Genma did was stare down at his son with cold contempt.
(Damn it Ranma, how are you supposed to supply for me in my old age when you can't even get the simplest moves right?!)
Aloud, Genma nearly growled.
"Get up boy! Or are you a little GIRL?! We won't stop this until you get it right, perfectly!"
Ranma turned his face away from his father, hurt clearly showing in his eyes, and stood. However, instead of turning to face his father for another try at the exercise, he simply walked to the house, Genma's next question barked at his back.
"Where do you think you're going?!"
Ranma's voice was quiet, but Genma could still hear the single word Ranma spoke.
"Inside."
Later that night, Ranma snuck downstairs for some food. In punishment for him stopping training earlier that day, he hadn't gotten any dinner, Genma having stolen it all before Ranma had gotten a bite.
As Ranma passed the study he heard his mother's and his father's voices, arguing about something. Ranma considered stopping to listen and going to get some food for a moment, but when he heard his name he decided to stay and listen. His mother was speaking quite heatedly to his father, and he missed most of the sentence that had had his name in it as he settled himself in.
"Genma, what you propose is outrageous! I will not let you take any of my children away from me!"
Genma's voice was just as heated as Nodaka's as he replied.
"What am I to do then?! I can't fully train Genryu here, with his older brother holding him back! You and I both know how weak Ranma is! You said it yourself the first time you saw him! Ranma was less than you thought he'd be! Lacking! Better if the worthless runt had been born a girl..."
Ranma was taken aback by his father's words, and his chest tightened uncomfortably. He felt a slight burning sensation in his eyes, and knew he was about to cry. Usually he would've fought the tears, his father's words of 'boys never cry' stopping him. But this once, he let the tears flow, his father's words gouging deep wounds, but none as deep as his mother's opinion of him.
Ranma returned his attention to the study in time to hear Nodaka's next words.
"Yes. I knew the first time I saw Ranma, the first time I held him. He was lacking. Something was missing. Something his younger brother possesses."
Ranma choked back a sob for fear of being discovered, and silently stood, and headed back to his room. He had a lot of thinking to do.
Once he was in his room, he closed the door, and sat down on his futon. He let the tears continue to run down his face, uncaring, while he thought.
He wasn't what his parents wanted, so he was useless to them. His own mother said that he was lacking, while his younger brother wasn't. Ranma laid back on his futon, grabbed his pillow, and screamed into it. It Wasn't Fair!!! Why did his little brother have everything he wanted! His mother's love and his father's respect! Their parents doted on Genryu constantly, usually totally forgetting about Ranma. And when Ranma trained with his brother and father, and inevitably failed, Genma would look at his son with cold contempt in his eyes, insulting him. When Genryu succeeded, Genma would stop the 'training insults' and congratulate the younger boy.
Finally Ranma's tears subsided, and he placed the wet pillow down. He had reached a decision. He would leave. He'd leave, and search out martial arts masters around the world, and he would beg them to train him. He'd become stronger than Genryu would ever dream, and not just in martial arts. Ranma was supposed to start school in a week, and that gave him the idea to exceed knowledgably as well as physically.
And once he felt he was ready, he'd return. And he'd show his parents he wasn't lacking ANYTHING!!!
The next day, Nodaka awoke as she always did, to the sounds of training. She walked out of her room, pulling on a robe, and looked out to see Genma and Genryu training one last time in their home. Last night, Genma had convinced Nodaka that he was right, and she would allow him to take Genryu away on a training trip. Nodaka tried to shrug off the feeling of great foreboding she was feeling as the two stopped practicing and came inside to say goodbye. It seemed Genma had already explained to Genryu what was happening, and all that was left was farewells.
Nodaka embraced her youngest child tightly, holding him for the last time in several years. She eventually released her son and stood, and glared at Genma. Genma caught her glare and gulped slightly as he went forward to say goodbye to his wife. As he embraced her, she whispered into his ear.
"Remember your promise, Genma dearest, for I shall certainly uphold my end of the bargain."
Genma shivered, and broke the embrace quickly, gathering up Genryu and their packs before walking out the door. Nodaka watched them leave with no small amount of apprehension.
After they had faded into the distance, Nodaka closed the door, and leaned her forehead against it, feeling a bit of ice settle into her stomach. If Genma didn't come through, and make Genryu a 'man amongst men,' Nodaka would kill him. Or at least maim him...While her husband was an idiot, Nodaka loved him. But even if Genryu came back weaker than Ranma, Nodaka wouldn't force of them to commit seppuku. Though she most assuredly would seriously harm Genma for taking her son away from her for nothing.
Finally, Nodaka turned away from the door, and went up stairs, to Ranma's room. With her youngest son gone, she wanted to hold her eldest. But when she opened the door, she received a shock in that Ranma wasn't in the room, and the window was wide open. An envelope was on Ranma's pillow and Nodaka tore it open frantically. Inside was a simple letter.
To Whom It May Concern:
I'm leaving. I'll return someday, and I'll be better than my little brother. And I won't be 'lacking' anything.
Ranma.
Nodaka stared at the piece of paper in her hands, shocked to her core. Eventually, tears started to trickle down her face as she shot up, and frantically tore Ranma's room apart looking for her eldest son, hoping that it was some sick joke. When she didn't find him in his room, Nodaka tore through the rest of the house, hoping he might be hiding somewhere in the other rooms. But her search came up empty. Her son Ranma had also left. Nodaka sank down to the floor and cried, utterly alone.
Ranma collapsed, exhausted. He had been walking for several hours, since about midnight, and even though his pack was light, he was still only five years old. He crawled over to a nearby bench and pulled himself up onto it, breathing heavily. After a moment, he opened his pack and withdrew a bottle of water. He opened it, and quickly drained half of it. He sat there for a moment, debating whether to drink the rest of it, when a person suddenly appeared beside the bench with a light 'pop'.
Ranma started, dropping the bottle, and stared at the stranger. He was incredibly tall, nearly eight feet, and he was dressed from head to toe in flowing black robes. His black hair was nearly a yard long, and pulled back into a loose pony tail, and he had blood red eyes which were looking at Ranma as if they could see through him, into his mind. As if they knew everything.
"Greetings Saotome Ranma." The man's voice was as smooth and soft as silk, and as sharp as a razor. Ranma felt like checking himself over to see if he had been cut by the man's mere words.
"H-How do you know my name?"
The man didn't reply immediately. Instead he merely continued to look Ranma in the eye.
"I know a great deal about you, much more than your name. For example, I know that your father, Genma, has been training you and your younger brother in the martial arts, and that you have been failing miserably. I know that last night you heard your parents say the truth. And I know that you want desperately, more than anything, to prove them wrong."
Ranma started to inch away from this strange man, who knew so much and felt so dangerous. But he was stopped by the man's next words.
"I can help you achieve your goal. I can help you surpass your weak younger brother in every way imaginable."
Ranma froze with indecision. For a moment, his five year old mind contemplated what this man was offering. Eventually Ranma's mind came to a decision. He would ask a question, and his own decision would depend on the answer. Ranma looked at the strange man, his face serious.
"Why are you offering to help me?"
"Because I, unlike that fat fool Genma, can sense that you have been touched Ranma. I can sense it, I can even smell it. You have been touched by chaos. And I want the power that sleeps deep within you from that touch."
Ranma blinked at the man in shock. Chaos? What's that? But the man said he wanted him. Ranma felt tears come unbidden to his eyes as he asked his next question.
"You...don't think I'm lacking?"
The man blinked, the first time Ranma had seen him do so.
"Everyone is lacking something. You, Genryu, Genma, even I lack something. However, where Genma could never hope to help you become complete, I can. I can give you what you are lacking Ranma. But I can do so only if you trust me, come with me."
Ranma sat still for a moment, his mind going through the new information. After nearly a minute of consideration, Ranma looked the man in the eyes and nodded. The man beckoned Ranma to him, and the five year old stood, grabbed his pack, and walked over to the man.
The man swept his cloak around Ranma, and called the eldritch energies to him, preparing to take himself and Ranma to another world. Ranma looked up at the man towering above him and asked one last question before the man completed his spell.
"What's your name?"
The man looked down at Ranma for a moment before looking back up. Ranma thought that the man wasn't going to tell him as he saw the world start to swirl together, and pull towards them, but just before they both disappeared the man answered Ranma's question.
"Ragnarok is what I am called."
And with that, both Ranma and Ragnarok disappeared from the face of the Earth.
:Author's Notes:
Hmm...a little more angst than I wanted in the beginning of the prologue, but it'll do. This, for those of you who can't tell, is an AU, or Alternate Universe, fic of Ranma ½. In this fic, Ranma doesn't have the incredible learning ability when it comes to martial arts, or the curse, or the multiple fiancés. Genryu's got all of that, since it was he who went with Genma on the training trip. Those are some of the differences, but I'll leave the others for in the fic. Hope you read and enjoy, and please review.
