Healing Wounds

Several months have passed since I left China. And those months have brought me to many places. Argentina being one of them. It's a nice place, but I have no clue what language they speak, so I've avoided the main roads.

The fact that I've been trying to find my center and heal whatever damage Akane had done wasn't helping my trip...much. Though I'd have to say, I've gotten better. It doesn't hurt half as much as it used to when I think back on it.

"(Sigh)" I looked up at the sky and saw it starting to turn dark. I walked a ways off the road and set up camp. Grabbing some stationary and a pen I started a letter to my Mom and Kasumi.

Mom had taken my advice and invited Kasumi over for tea a lot. At first it was just when she got a letter from me. Then eventually it became a weekly ritual. One that they both looked forward to.

According to the letter Mom had sent me, before I left the Philippines, things were in chaos. Apparently Cologne had sent word to Shampoo about the annulment, and now Shampoo was attempting to hunt me down. But with no luck because I hadn't told anyone where I was going, I actually didn't know myself at the time. Kodachi had fully cracked and was sent to the insane asylum. (You know, the place with the pretty white padded walls, and the custom made jackets! 0:))

But not everything was in chaos. Ukyo was okay with it, sort of; she understood my need to leave. Though she had wished I would have said good-bye personally. But according to Mom, Ukyo and Konatsu were getting along better and better lately. Akane was engaged to Ryoga. Kasumi had been visiting Dr. Tofu more often, though she thought his fits were getting worse every time, and Mom had divorced Pops and had me removed from the family tree.

So everything was pretty normal. As I wrote a letter back to them I asked how everything was. How Kasumi was. And how Mom was doing. I told them of the improvements I had noticed since I began slowly mastering the Neko-ken.

This month it was my hair, reflexes, and chi claws. My hair had gained blue tiger stripes similar to my cursed form. My reflexes had improved dramatically. And I had started to come close to mastering my chi claws.

My eyes had gained a feral look to them two months after China. My speed and strength improved after I left Indonesia and half way to Madagascar. My eyesight had improved sometime around my visit to the Cape Town port in South Africa. I could see better than a hawk and I had night vision.

I smiled to myself. I loved my night vision. Made hunting a lot easier. Then again, so did my cursed form. And I didn't have a need to cook meat too often anymore, too. I slowly realized my life was getting better, and in a way, I thanked Akane for doing what she did. I silently wished her marriage to be successful, as in, she gets married but hates her husband.

Yes, I seemed to have gained a mischievous streak over the past few months. I think it's a side effect the tiger "forgot" to mention.

I told them all about what I had done since my last letter and was half way through it all when I heard a voice in the dark. He spoke in English.

"Excuse me, could you spare a traveling Martial Artist some warmth from a fire?"

"Who's asking? Step into the light so I can see my supposed guest."

And so he did. He stepped into the light. He was a fairly tall man coming in at about 5' 6" I guess. Only a few inches taller than me. He had brown hair that looked like it hadn't been cut in a while and a ragged beard. His eyes were a soft brown and he smiled at me.

"Koga, Miyuki Koga. That's my name. And I was just wondering if I could sit by your fire for a while. It gets pretty cold at night in these parts."

I shrugged, "Was never really bothered by the cold. Come, sit down. You seem like the nice guy type, though I've been fooled more than once," I sat thinking of what to say next as Koga approached and sat on the rock opposite me, "How long have you been traveling? You seem pretty familiar with these parts too."

He nodded, "I was born in Argentina. But I've been a traveler since I was 15 years old. I could ask you the same though, what brings you around here? And how long have you been traveling?"

"Hmm...I believe I've been traveling for several months now. I'm here because I finally decided to head to the Americas. But I wanted to stop in Brazil first after here," I realized something, "Oh, where are my manners. My name's Ryuu, Ranma Ryuu."

He laughed a bit, "Don't worry about it. Manners are something rare amongst many travelers. Don't ask why, I'd figure it would be easier to find housing, but it is."

I nodded, "You mentioned you were a Martial Artist before...what are you mastering? Or should I say what have you already mastered?"

"I'm a master of Talon claw and Cat claw weapons. You're a martial artist as well I presume?"

I swelled with pride, "The best of the best! I'm the heir to Anything Goes Martial Arts, and master of the Neko-ken!" Damn my pride.

He laughed. But it wasn't like he was laughing at me. It was more like he was laughing with me, don't ask me how.

"Hey! What's so funny? Do I got something on my face?"

If possible he laughed harder. And finally, after several minutes, calmed down enough to talk coherently.

"I'm sorry, it was just the way you said it. So filled with pride. How old are you Ryuu?"

"Uh...depends, what month is it?"

He raised an eyebrow at me, "I'm a traveler, boy. I don't carry around calendars. And I haven't seen one in over a year and a half, either."

I shrugged, "I'm gonna guess and say I'm almost 19. Maybe a couple more months..."

He nodded, "So what are you going to do with yourself?"

I shrugged again, "Dunno. Gotta find my center first. Almost finished healing old wounds, now I gotta find my center again..."

"Your center, huh? Well, call it fatherly advice, I'm hitting 30 soon, but have you tried just letting your center...find you instead of you finding it?"

I thought about it, "Never figured it that way...Thanks for the advice," I smiled at him.

He smiled back, "No problem. If you're interested, and not planning anything for next few days, I could teach you the basics of the Cat claw."

"Wow, really? I'd love that! Thank you!"

He smiled a bit wider, before yawning, "Now I think we should head to bed. It's fairly late now, and we have to get up early if I'm going to teach you."

"Yes, sensei," I said as I laid down with my futon set up.

He blinked and pointed, "Where'd that futon come from?"

I pointed at the futon I was laying on, "This? I had it set before. Didn't you notice?"

"I, uh...I guess not..." He blinked a few times before mumbling to himself, "I'm beginning to see things. Who knew senility would come so soon...?"

I snickered to myself. No sense in telling him more than I needed. Don't want to have to teach him the hidden weapons technique, don't quite trust him yet.

(-)

I woke up earlier than Koga and began my usual morning routine. He woke up just as I was finished.

We spent the whole day with the Cat claws. And we spent all of the next few days working them as well.

When we decided it was time to part ways, he handed me the Cat claws I had worked with.

I looked at them, "Huh? But, I can't take these. They're yours."

He shook his head, "I'm not a Neko-ken master. I've never been able to completely master the Cat claws, because of that reason. At first I didn't believe your claim of mastering the Neko-ken. But the next morning when I looked into your eyes…I saw it. The feral look all Neko-ken masters are said to have. And what proved my point more was the gold and green flecks in your eyes, they made you look more...cat like."

I blinked a bit, "But..."

He shook his head again, "Nope, take them. I won't take them back."

I sighed and nodded, "Fine. Just wish I could've given you something in return..."

"Don't worry. You're company was worth it. Good-bye, Ryuu. And good luck finding your center."

I smiled and waved to him as he began walking down the road. The opposite way I was going to start heading.

I placed the claws on my hands and made them disappear in sub-space. Next time I needed them they would appear on my hands, fitted, and ready for use.

After making sure the fire was out and wouldn't cause a fire I headed north, towards Brazil.

(-)

A/N: Okay, I had planned to stop the chapter here. But it just ended up being way too short. So I'm going to place the next chapter here too.

Mastering The Full Neko-ken

"Ah, peace, quiet and tranquility...tranquility and quiet are the same aren't they? Ah well..." Hey, I was alone and in the middle of a Brazilian rain forest. I could talk to myself if I wanted.

I wish you wouldn't talk to yourself, it's embarrassing. Came a voice in my head.

"Whoa! I recognize that voice...you're that tiger dude from my dream! Where are you? Where'd you come from?"

Calm down. I'm in your head. And I figured you could use some guidance mastering your skills you've earned.

My eyes were kind of bugged, "Uh...okay...? But I can't keep calling you 'tiger dude'. What's your name?"

I don't have a name really. But I did hear this really nice name before...

I was curious now, "What was it?"

Tony. Can you call me Tony?

I did a classic anime face fault, "What? Where the fuck did you hear that?"

I heard it while we were in Bolivia for a few days. I thought it was cool...

I sighed. Just what I needed. A voice in my head that was influenced by the media and cereal characters, "(sigh) Fine, Tony. That'll be your name for now."

Hey, it's better than Shadow! Tony tried to argue.

"I can't believe you. My voice is more immature than I am...how sad..."

Oh shut it. We have much work to do, Suddenly Tony was all business. I think I like him better immature, Then we eat! Did you buy any of that cereal we saw? Never mind...

(-)

The days couldn't have passed fast enough for me. We spent at least half a month on each technique making sure I had it mastered.

First we worked on finding my center. Took a whole two and a half weeks for that. Though I did find my center. And was happy to say I could talk about what happened back in Japan easily and without stuttering and shaking with fury. Though I still want a piece of bacon bits...

Next, were the chi claws and Cat claws. He made me focus on extending the claws as far as I could get them, and can happily say that I can make them a good yard and a half, then focus on keeping them there for as long as I could. We spent a week on Chi claws, and then moved to Cat claws.

I learned katas that were long forgotten, mostly because Tony kept sending me images in my mind.

After that, we did my reflexes. I had those down pat. So he decided that I would spar him in my dreams. In both forms. I managed to be able to change very quickly during my battles. And was happy to discover everything I did in my dreams would transfer to my physical body. Anyone who doesn't believe that, I'll show them the damned claw marks the bastard left...

When we were finally done we figured out the date and found out that I was 19. And I had spent a good year during the whole trip. Meaning the whole thing seemed much longer than it had been.

It was finally time to head north, to my next destination, New Jersey. Though I had to clean up first. The rivers near by the training area didn't cut it for the 6 and a half weeks I was in the forest.

I found a hotel, cleaned up, and had a good nights sleep with hopes of no sparring. My hopes weren't futile, Tony used the excuse that he believed we both needed a good nights sleep. Personally I think Tony had gotten tired of getting his ass beat. I snickered to myself as I slowly drifted to sleep. And I slept a dreamless sleep that night.

(-)

After finding a port nearby I bought a ticket and boarded the next boat to New Jersey.

I argued with Tony the whole way. He has a Cereal complex. But a guy does eventually get tired of cereal everyday! I finally got tired of his nagging and sat down to meditate.

I retreated into my head. And I sparred with Tony. I beat him, told to shut up or I'd go on a cereal diet.

A cereal diet? You can't go on one of those! You know what a diet is, don't you? It's DIE with a t! Tony exclaimed at my announcement.

I laughed and disappeared, "I told you shut up or else. So shut the fuck up, you're beginning to annoy me."

As I walked to the railing to watch Brazil disappear over the horizon I wondered briefly why Tony hadn't disappeared when I mastered the Neko-ken. Maybe I hadn't mastered the Neko-ken yet...

(Sigh) Oh well. Only time will tell. No offense to Tony though, but I really do hope he disappears before I get used to him. He gives me a headache...

Hey! I heard that!

And what'd I tell you I'd do if you didn't shut up? I growled at him in my head.

He 'eeped' and shut up.

I sat down to finish my letter to Mom and Kasumi. I smiled and wrote down what had happened the past few months. Oh yeah, it was going to be a quiet and peaceful ride to New Jersey.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Reviews welcome, flames will be used to chase away lawyers.