Disclaimer: Oh no. I fall in Spring of Drowned Takahashi ... I wish...

Chapter 2 First steps...

"You mean to tell me that you weren't sent by one of my student to release me?"

Happosai was a little annoyed that he was awoken from his little nap a few months earlier than he expected.

"No Master. I have been sent by yourself from the future."

Chi bowed his head slightly. He had been told how this pervert and martial arts master would respect him more if Chi showed that he gave respect but that he would not be intimidated.

"I have been given something that I was told would allow you to believe what I say."

Chi pulled out the sealed papers that his master had given him and gave them to the, only slightly, younger Happosai. Happosai raised an eyebrow as he felt, rather than saw, the seal that had been placed upon the roll. It was a mix of his own chi as well as a drop of his own life force. It was designed to prove authenticity of whatever it was placed on. This truly was a letter to himself. He took the papers from the young man's hand and sat down for a long read. He broke the seal and started to read. His expression started to lose the slightly amused expression he had when he left his cave. By the time he was finished he had a look of utter rage upon his face.

"That BITCH!"

Happosai screamed in indignation. His battle aura had extended to it's full height for the first time in decades. Chi's eyes were wide in astonishment. He did not know that the master was THIS powerful. Happosai's aura was literally larger than the mountain they were on.

"Master?"

There was a touch of fear in Chi's voice for the first time in years. Happosai looked over at the youth. He hadn't meant to startle the boy who had come to him as a student and a friend. He visibly calmed himself and dispelled his aura before he continued.

"I've read what the plan is in here and you have my aid in whatever comes. I truly hope that we can prevent this war and save the lives of our loved ones. Soun and Genma are like sons to me. I love them dearly and I will protect them and their children from anything I truly believe they are not ready to handle, and neither of them would ever be ready for Akane's death. Not one like that."

"I know master. I saw what they were like after. Mr. Tendo was a broken man after his youngest died. Aunt Nabiki had to put him in a home. He started to see his wife and Akane walking around the house. Aunt Kasumi would have joined him if her husband didn't go to her when she needed him. Mom was never really the same after the letter arrived explaining what happened at Jusenkyo. At times... I honestly felt as if this was all my fault..."

Tears were running down Chi's face. This was the first time he ever admitted the guilt he felt, but he believed that Happosai deserved to know the truth about the events surrounding the war.

Happosai looked at the youth shocked. He had read how the war started and at first couldn't understand how this boy could blame himself, and then he knew. The letter had also contained more than the boy had known. The boy was wrong. Happosai had developed and learned hundreds of techniques for dealing with any situation. He knew which one would be needed here, but it was a powerful technique and he had not performed it properly in over a century. He face the youth, leaped, and began.

"There, there. It wasn't your fault. Your parents loved each other. If it hadn't been them, it would have been someone else Ranma taught. Ranma needed a friend among the Amazons, and your father was everything he could need in a friend. It'll be alright."

Happosai hugged Chi and waited while he cried the tears of a child who lost his parents. Finally, the tears ended.

"Better?"

"I am so sorry master. I.. I just lost it. I never even got to meet my father... I mean my birth father. The Saotomes' were wonderful parents and Genma was a great dad. But I wasn't Ranma, and they deserve to have their son alive."

Happosai nodded to the youth.

"Ranma is a great kid. You know the real reason the boys locked me up about ten years ago? I offered to train Ranma personally as my heir. It scared the daylights out of them. Heh, I thought something might have been up when they wanted to celebrate, but I figured I could handle whatever was up. I didn't expect to be drunk first. I still can't believe that they were 'faking' getting drunk all night. First time they ever willingly passed up booze."

Chi listened as Happosai relived an old memory. He knew that the master was trying to cheer him up and it worked slightly. It reminded him that this was the man who always told him to call him 'Gramps'. He smirked as Happosai ended his story.

"I am ready to begin when you are master."

Happosai nodded.

"The letter says that you have my manual, correct?"

Chi pulled out the book.

"Good. You will be training yourself while we both begin preparations. After today I won't see you until after the wedding attempt in two years. Do you think you will be ready?"

Happosai looked at Chi with a scrutinizing eye. Chi nodded once.

"I will see you in two years time master. Now it is time to gather our resources."

With that said, Chi stood up and walked away from the cave. He had training to do, and people to meet. Happosai watched the youth walk away. He knew that the boy hadn't opened and read the letter. He didn't know about the changes to the plan that was Happosai's part to play. With a prayer to the Kami, Happosai headed west. He hadn't seen China in years and it was about time he returned. He too had people to meet...

OOOOO
2 Years later...

Chi stood on the top of the neighbor's house as two people headed off to school. To an outside observer, they didn't look like two people who had their wedding destroyed a week ago. But still they ran, as if the didn't have a care in the world. Chi smiled.

"So that's Ranma and Akane? Yes, I think I will change the world for them."

Chi jumped down and walked to the front door of the house and knocked. The door was answered by a face Chi hadn't seen in almost three years, but it was now younger and, to her, Chi was a stranger.

Kasumi looked at the young man at the door and smiled pleasantly. "May I help you?"

"I have come to see master Happosai. He should be expecting me."

"Oh, please come in."

Kasumi lead the nice man into her home and to the living room where she had seen grandfather Happosai ironing his 'collection'.

"Grandfather Happosai, you have a guest."

Happosai looked up into a face he had not seen in years. It had aged well in the past two years. Happosai smiled.

"Hello boy."

"Hello master."

OOOOO
Author's notes:

I hope I still have some of you people's interests. If anyone wonders when I'll explain EVERYTHING that happened leading up to Chi's future. I won't. Not for a while at least. I will be giving parts of the puzzle throughout the story... until he becomes confronted by Ranma about being from the future. I left a few match up clues and I'm curious if anyone can guess the Parental lineage of Chi's "friends", two are way too obvious.

R & R, flames welcome.