China Here I Come

I walked up onto the shore and breathed a sigh of relief, "Ah, nothing gets the body ready for travel than a nice long swim to China," stretching I headed over to a local vendor and tried my best to speak Chinese.

"Where China am in?" Broken, yes, but roughly effective.

"You are in Shang hai, currently. Not very good with Chinese are you, boy?"

I scratched the back of my head, "Yes, very obvious?"

The man just laughed, "If those broken sentences of yours are any indication. Where are you heading?"

"Jusenkyo."

The man looked confused, "Jusenkyo? Why would you want to go to a cursed place like that? Unless you're looking for a cure?"

I nodded, "Yes, looking for cure. Do you speak Japanese?"

The man nodded and switched to Japanese, "Better for you?"

I nodded again and smiled sheepishly, "Much better. Thanks. Yes, I have a curse and I came to China looking to fix that problem. Would you happen to know which way I need to go to reach the springs?"

The man nodded and handed me a small booklet, "That'll help you get there. And don't worry, it's a special edition for Japanese folk."

He smiled a friendly smile and waved as I thanked him and headed on my way.

I walked into the village and bought some supplies, a few 'How to Speak Chinese' books as well. If I'm going to get around, I better learn to speak well, otherwise I'll end up like Shampoo...(shudder) I tremble to think of those consequences.

After a few days of wandering and studying. I knew enough Chinese to get me where I wanted to and could speak almost full sentences. I was also slowly making my way to Jusenkyo.

A few weeks later and I had learned decent Chinese and I had reached the springs. I felt giddy and came pretty close to dancing with joy.

As I came closer I looked around for the guide and found Plum instead.

I waved, "Nihao, Plum! Where's your father?"

Plum waved back and approached me, speaking in Chinese, "Glad to see your Chinese has improved."

I smiled, "Dramatically."

She smiled back, "Father is somewhere around here putting up signs for the springs. Half of the springs have returned since you left."

"That's terrific. I wonder...do you know if-?"

Plum interrupted me, "Yes, the spring of Nannichuan has been restored. We were about to send word since it had been restored a few days ago."

I frowned, "Don't worry about sending word to Nerima. I'll...tell them personally when I return."

Plum looked confused at my frown but I smiled, "Ah, there's your father."

I waved as he approached, "Nihao!"

The guide waved back, "Nihao, honored sir. Have you come for cure?"

I replied in Chinese, "Yes, I've come to get my cure."

The guide smiled, "I see you've improved your Chinese. That is excellent."

"Yes it is, can we go get my cure? In my opinion I've lived one year too many with this curse."

The guide nodded and led me to the spring. He pointed and I jumped in without any hesitation what so ever. When I emerged I was male and I was grinning like a mad man. Plum splashed me with cold water just to make sure I was completely cured, and to double check she poured hot water on me too.

I smiled. Plum smiled. The guide smiled. Then the guide spoke, "Go ahead, let it all out. We know you want to cheer."

My smile grew wider, if it was possible, and I let out a great big whoop! I cheered, I yelled, I laughed. I jumped around and had fun.

When I had finally calmed down, I went over to the guide and bowed, "Thank you, sir. But, ah, I would like to know your name."

The guide nodded, "My name is Fenton Saito," and he bowed.

I bowed back, "Ranma Ryuu."

Saito looked confused, "Wasn't...Ranma your first name?"

I shook my head, "Mom divorced Pop. So my last name was Ryuu. But I wanted to leave all the shit I was thrown into behind and start things anew. So Mom disowned and we gave myself a new name."

Plum look stricken, "Your mother disowned you?"

"Hey, now! Don't make it seem like my mom's the enemy here. We agreed to have me disowned. On the condition that I stayed in touch whenever I settled down for a few days. This way she needn't have to worry," I sighed, that was the best I could do to explain my situation, "I'm a ronin now. But it's only because that's how I wanted it to be."

Saito nodded, "So what will you do now?"

"Well, first things first," My stomach growled, "I'm hungry. So I'm gonna make myself something to eat," I grinned. And after much fussing from Plum was dragged into the cottage for dinner and set up to stay with them for the few days I planned on staying.

(-)

The morning came quickly. I was up just a few minutes before sunrise. I rolled up my futon and headed outside to stretch for a bit. I jumped onto one of the poles above the many springs and watched the sun rise.

It was beautiful. It was a large array of pinks, oranges, and reds. I stared for a few minutes before doing some aerial katas on the bamboo poles.

I was so engrossed in my exercise I never realized Plum had been standing there staring. I jumped down from the poles and landed lightly in front of here. Waving a hand in front her face I asked, "You done staring? It's rude," The smile that accompanied my words took the sting out of them.

Plum snapped out of her daze and blinked a few times before blushing, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare. But the way you moved up there...it was like a dance..."

"Thanks for the compliment, but I'm sure that wasn't why you're out here."

Plum nodded, "Breakfast is ready if you would like some."

My stomach growled and I smiled, "Yeah, I guess I could use some food about now. Thanks."

Plum laughed as we walked back into the cottage. We ate breakfast. And when we finished I went out to practice some more, I had to work off the calories I had gained from breakfast.

After a few hours of that I went into the cottage to inform Saito that I was leaving for a bit. And that if I wasn't back in at least 5 hours to pack my bag for me.

"Why would we need to pack your bag?" Saito was giving me a funny look.

I shrugged, "Hey, I never know who I'm gonna piss off. Today I might get off lucky, but knowing my luck I'll have pissed off a few elders and end up running back here, tripping, and getting cursed again."

Saito laughed saying it was slim shot. But if I didn't return in 5 hours they would pack my bag for me. I thanked him and headed towards Joketsozuko Village. I had some unfinished business to attend to with a certain elder...

(-)

I walked up to gates and was signaled to stop where I was by the two guards by the gate. They approached me.

"Who are you, state your business," One of them said.

One last time, I spoke clearly to them, "I am Saotome Ranma. I have come to tie up loose ends with elder Kuh Lon."

It seems they had heard of me because while one went to go speak with the elders the other stayed and pinned me, or at least tried to, with a speculative glare. I ignored her while I waited patiently. I think I startled her bit when I sat down and began to meditate. I think I pissed her off too, 'cause I could hear her cursing under her breath about stupid, arrogant, shit-head men.

I smirked and mentally thought that this woman needed to get laid, and soon. Unless she was a lesbian or PMSing, no woman hated men that much. (Unless they enjoy torturing the stupid boys they encounter 0:))

A minute later the guard returned with a crippled looking woman. I looked a bit closer and smiled; the "cripple" was Cologne.

"Nihao, Kuh Lon. It's been a while," I greeted her.

She looked a bit surprised that my Chinese was so good, though I might just be being modest.

"Nihao, Ranma. What brings you to these parts?" She questioned. For a moment I wondered if she knew some of the springs had returned at Jusenkyo.

"A cure, and to tie up some loose ends regarding the Amazons," I stood up and the women who was watching me pointed her spear at my neck. I growled, "Do you seriously think you can stop me with that stick?"

The women pressed her luck by pressing the tip of the spear to my neck, supposedly trying to threaten me.

I snarled, grabbed the spear from her hands, and broke it like a twig. It all happened in a few seconds.

I glared at the woman before turning to Cologne, "May we please go somewhere to discuss our business?"

Cologne nodded and told the guards to stand down, then motioned me to follow her into the village. She led me to a small hut where we sat and she prepared some tea.

We talked while she prepared the tea, "So what loose ends must you tie up?"

"The Kiss of Marriage for one thing, is there anyway to get it annulled?" I asked.

"Yes, two ways actually, but I doubt either one would work," She handed me my teacup.

"Thank you," I sipped my tea, "What are they?"

"The first is if you die and the second is if you are disowned from your family."

"My Mother disowned about a month ago," Straight to point, I love being blunt about things.

Cologne choked on her tea, "What?"

I nodded, "That's right. Marriage annulled."

"How did this come to happen?"

"I asked her to disown me."

"But...why?"

I sighed, I wasn't going to tell her the whole story, just...some of it.

"I left the Tendo Dojo for good. I'm not going back. Not now anyway, maybe in a few years. I needed to start my life anew. And I knew that wasn't going to happen while I was Saotome Ranma."

"But you told them that "Saotome Ranma" was here to see me."

I nodded, "That's right 'Saotome Ranma' is here to see you. But as soon as I finish my business here I'm Ranma Ryuu, ronin."

Cologne just stared for a bit, then she smiled, "You're a smart boy, Ranma. Or, would it be Ryuu now?"

I smiled, "Ryuu's fine."

Cologne nodded, "I know now that we can never have you a part of this tribe."

"Damn right, I ain't the submissive type. Never was, never will be."

"But we cannot afford to have you against us either. Would you agree to be this tribe's ally?"

I sipped my tea and thought about it, in the end it not only benefited the tribe, but me as well. I nodded, "Yes, you have my word as a man and a martial artist that I will be there for your tribe when you need it."

Cologne nodded back, "And I, as head elder for the village, accept that fact and agree that we will try our best to be there for you when you need it as well."

I smiled while we finished our tea and exchanged small talk. 2 hours later and I was ready to leave. I had presented myself among the other elders and had announced my alliance to the tribe. In return I had become an official blooded warrior and was declared "immune" from all normal outsider rules, and was to be treated as an equal.

I was happy that I had tied up loose ends. And I was looking forward to Plum's cooking, she was almost as good as Kasumi...almost.

(-)

I walked into the valley of Jusenkyo and tried to hurry over to the cottage. It was getting dark. Dark was not a good thing when you were wandering around near cursed springs. Unfortunately my feet made a point of that by tripping and landing me in a spring.

I trotted, yes trotted, out of the spring and shook my fur. I growled, I hate my life.

Plum and Saito had run out at the sound of my cursing and the splash I made as I fell. Plum was holding the lantern, while Saito laughed his ass off.

Amidst his laughter he managed a few words, "Well...you made it...back...and only...half your..."prophecy"...came true..." That was all he managed before bursting out laughing again.

I growled at him, You fucking asshole, get me hot water or something! I screamed in my mind.

Plum left her father laughing on the ground and led me into the house. She showed me the full-length mirror she had in her room. And while she went to get a kettle ready for me, I took time to study my cursed form.

I was a tiger. I had sleek black fur and blue stripes that matched my eyes surprisingly well. I turned in front of the mirror slowly studying my body. I was...an awesome looking tiger if I do say so myself.

Just then something hit me. I was a tiger. A very big cat. Yet I haven't freaked yet, Strange. I usually go berserk by now.

I decided to put it off till a later time. Most preferably when I wasn't so tired. I laid down waiting for Plum to return with some hot water. I ended up falling asleep.

(-)

"Ranma...Or should I call you Ryuu now?"

I looked around the huge black space I was standing in and saw my new cursed form standing there, "Ryuu, call me Ryuu, please."

The tiger nodded, "Do you know who I am?"

I nodded this time, "Yeah, you're my cursed form...or would you be the Neko-ken?"

The tiger smiled as best a tiger could and bared his fangs, "You're smarter than they say, Ryuu."

I nodded, "I like to think so. What's this all about though?"

"I've come to talk to you about the Neko-ken. I cannot have you running around going berserk at every sight of a cat. It's a disgrace to all Neko-ken masters."

I stood shocked, "There're Neko-ken masters?"

"Yes, but they're all dead now. Sad really...but back to business. I want to teach you to control it, or rather combine you with it in a way. I can't think of the proper word for it right now, but...would you consider it?"

I thought about it for a while, "What would the side-effects be?"

The tiger thought about it for a while as well, "A few physical changes. Your eyes will gain a more feral look to them, and you might gain tiger like stripes in your hair, blue of course. You'll gain the powers you get when you go Neko-ken, you'll lose your fear of felines, and because your curse is a tiger, a member of the feline family, you'll gain control of it."

"Control? What kind of control?" I asked. It all sounded too good to be true.

"Well like you would be able to transform into your cursed form whenever you like, and cold water won't affect you."

I liked it. I liked it a lot, "When can we start?"

The tiger smiled his fanged grin again, "Now, but understand it will take time. Your fear of felines and control over your curse will be the first steps established. Everything else will come to you naturally and slowly."

I nodded, "Understood," I saw the tiger start to fade, "And thank you."

The tiger nodded just before he disappeared.

(-)

Ryuu woke up with a start. He was still in his tiger form and his clothes were folded neatly beside him. It was also morning.

Shit, how long have I been out? Oh well, better change back and see if that tiger wasn't lying...

I focused and thought about being in my human form again. When I opened my eyes I was standing buck-naked and I noticed idly that Plum was standing in the doorway. She had a deep blush on her face and seemed to be staring below the belt.

I smirked, "Like what you see?"

That got her. She 'Eeped!' and ran out of the doorway. I walked to the door and closed it laughing. I got dressed and put the few things I had back in my bag.

I walked into the kitchen just as Plum was serving breakfast. I smiled and greeted them good morning. I couldn't help but give Plum a wink; she blushed so hard she looked like a tomato. I ate my breakfast slowly, for me anyway, it was all I could do to keep from laughing at Plum's embarrassment.

(-)

At last, it was time for me to go. I stood outside with Plum and Saito.

"Thank you both, for everything. The food, the place to sleep..."

Saito shook his head, "It was no problem, Ryuu. But are you sure you don't want a cure?"

"Nah, I think I could learn to live this one," I smiled.

"I'm sorry about this morning, it's just I-"

I cut her off, "Don't worry. But next time you walk in on a guy...don't stare. Just a small piece of advice." Plum blushed brightly again.

After we said our good-byes I headed southeast towards the coast. I was heading to the Philippines next. As I walked I used the hidden weapons technique I learned from Mousse.

Actually, I watched him use it so many times I just learned how to do it on my own. Slowly my things began to disappear into sub-space. I turned into a tiger and ran through the dense forest quickly. After coming close to a village near the coast I transformed back into a human, wearing my clothes I stored in sub-space, and walked out into the village.

I walked over to the coast, removed my shirt and began to stretch a bit. After a good half hour I began wading out into the water.

"I could get used to this life," After a minute I began the actual swim towards my destination, "Good-bye, China! Hello, Philippines!"

To Be Continued...

A/N: Reviews welcome, flames will be used to fight off lawyers.

-Lov3the3vil