These are the words of Hung Nguyen. I just have permission to post them and make it easier to read. Just want to give his stuff the recognition it deserves.
Ranma 1/2 is Rumiko Takahashi's. Blah, blah, yakety smackety.
italics: Thoughts
Chapter 3
Following a New Path
It had taken Ranma three days to get to Jusenkyo on foot. He had decided not to travel in his tiger form, as it would have attracted too much attention. When he finally arrived at the cursed training grounds, it was already sunset. When he approached the entrance, he was greeted by a thin man that was dressed in the same brown uniform as the other guide had wore.
"Greetings! Welcome to famous Training Grounds of Cursed Springs! Jusenkyo!"
Ranma immediately noticed that this wasn't the same guide he had met three months earlier. "Hello. I don't recognize you. What happened to the other guide? You know, the fat one?"
"Oh! He is out helping a customer find his lost son. Been gone for three months now. I am temporary replacement."
Ranma nodded. Guess that means that Pop is out there looking for me. Then again, since he doesn't know that I can change back into a human, he's probably looking for a black, saber- toothed tiger. He then asked, "Tell me. Did this customer fall into the Spring of Drowned Panda? Was his name Genma Saotome?"
"Oh yes, sir! Him very popular lately!"
"What do you mean?"
"Many, many people come here to Jusenkyo asking for him! They very angry with him!"
"You don't say." The young martial artist's expression took on a frown. Knowing Pop, it's probably some people that he's stolen food from! Or a bill collector! Turning his attention back to the skinny guide he asked, "So what exactly did these people want with Genma?"
"Oh it is very confusing! They said that this man cheated them! Say he promised his son to marry their daughters!"
Ranma's expression turned from disgust to shock as his face paled. Marry their daughters?! What's he talking about?! "Excuse me? Exactly what did they mean that his son was supposed to marry their daughters?"
"Oh I no understand it either! Many parents and their daughters had been searching for this man for years! Say that Genma engaged his son to their daughters in exchange for food and money! If true, then this man has promised son to ten fiancees!"
"Say what?! Exactly who are these people?!"
"Well," The guide began. "First people who come to Jusenkyo two weeks ago, was father with funny-looking ears and beautiful daughter with brown hair. They come from Japan. Say name was Daijkoku. Tell me they search for Genma for more than fifteen years because he sold his son for a fish, a bowl of rice, and two pickles! If you ask me, he make very poor trade! He no keep promise though! He stole baby son back! If you ask me, Genma is very stupid to sell son like that!"
"Kami-sama..." Ranma said with barely a whisper. I don't believe it! I was sold for a fish? "Who was the next person to claim his son?"
"Oh this one I no believe either! Very big man came with son! Strange-looking, too! Also come from Japan. Both had big spatulas on their backs! Say they met Genma when son was six! Genma promise to engage son to his child in exchange for okonomiyaki cart! But Genma stole cart and left child on road! Very bad man! Though I no understand why he engage boy to boy!"
Ranma felt as if he was having a stroke. It can't be! That almost sounds like... "Tell me! Was their name... Kuonji?" The Guide nodded. No! That would mean that we... stole Ucchan's cart! But Pop told me that it was a gift! And why would Ucchan's dad engage me to him? Unless...
Ranma became weak in the knees and he braced himself on one of the pillars that were at the entrance. He began to recall all of his early memories with his playmate. Ucchan had always seemed somewhat... softer. He always refused to go swimming with him in the nearby streams. His voice was higher than usual. And most of all, he always seemed to be more friendly toward him than what he considered normal between two boys. As the realization dawn on him, Ranma mentally kicked himself for not knowing sooner. No wonder Ucchan was so angry when he and Genma left him! The guide's revelation now made the final memory all clear! The reason why his childhood friend had screamed, "You promised to take me with you!"
"Sir?"
Without turning to face the guide, Ranma quietly asked, "Tell me. The boy you saw with that man. Was his name... Ukyo Kuonji?"
"Oh, yes sir! How you know?"
"I think I figured out why that man engaged his son to Genma's son."
"What you mean?"
"Ukyo isn't a boy. He's... a girl."
"Really?! Oh now that make sense! I thought he was boy. If he is really girl, then it clear! Still not right for Genma to steal cart, though!" The Guide then noticed that Ranma's expression had darkened and that he was having a hard time keeping his temper in check. "Sir?"
Ranma was hunched over and his body was trembling as he tried to hold back the tears. He failed. As the slick drops began running down his cheeks, he recalled a conversation that he had with his father a short time before they left Ukyo and his... no, her father.
Nine years ago...
"Son? I have something very important to ask you. Which do you like better? Ukyo or okonomiyaki?"
"Uh... okonomiyaki!" Replied the slightly confused boy.
The present...
"Sir? Are you okay?"
Ranma angrily wiped away the tears and calmed himself. When he faced the Guide again, his expression was devoid of all emotion. "Tell me, who else came looking for Genma? Who were they, and what did he sell his son for?"
The guide took on a puzzled look then answered. "The Tanaka clan came because of five bags of rice. The Shiga family had made a deal over a full course meal at their restaurant. The Nanatomo clan for some sukiyaki! The Sentaro family for a month's supply of pork! The Yasmi family for some pork buns! The Wu family for some ramen. The Shintoro family for some gold. And a woman from a nearby Amazon tribe. She get him to promise his son for three pounds of silver!"
By the time the guide had finished, Ranma had become a seething volcano of emotions. How dare he! How DARE he sell me off to all those people like I was like some bargaining chip! He's always ragged on me about honor! He's nothing but a hypocrite! He's scum! He's worse than scum! He's nothing but trash! And I let him do this to me! He made me... abandon Ucchan! The best friend I ever had! That does it! He's history!
"Sir? Are you okay?"
The teen came to a decision. He took a long and deep breath and replied. "No. I just realized that someone whom I had some respect for, has lied to me for over fifteen years. I came here in order to find him, but now I couldn't care less if I never see him again!"
"Oh sir! You look for Genma, too? Are you Ranma, his son?"
Ranma was silent for a moment, then replied. "No. I'm not. My name isn't important. The way I heard it, Ranma Saotome's life ended when he came to this place. Anyway, why would I want to find a scumbag like Genma? I'll be leaving now. Sorry for troubling you." Ranma turned and walked away from Jusenkyo, not once looking back.
As he got more than a mile away from the training grounds, he let out a roar and triggered his transformation. His body instantly flared with a red light which briefly enveloped him. When the light faded, Ranma Saotome was no longer present. In his place was a snarling and ferocious-looking saber-toothed tiger. Taking a final look back in the direction of Jusenkyo, he then bounded off into the distance. As his feline form disappeared over the horizon, he let off a final roar of anguish.
Goodbye, Genma Saotome! And good riddance! I swear that I shall never, EVER listen to you again! For nine long years I have followed your ways, but no more! As of today, I am on my own!
Then, he was gone.
To be continued...
Author's Notes
So far the changes I've made to these chapters are relatively minor, as I wanted to clear up any spelling and grammar mistakes. I have made a few errors in my continuity and I thank all my readers who were gracious enough to point these out.
Read and review, please!
