To all who read this, I am pleased that you have taken the time to read my first attempt at a fanfiction. I have thought about doing this for a while and I really want to see how good I am as a writer. Especially since I wish to become a professional writer. Anyways, without further delay, here's Chapter 1.
I do not own Ranma ½ and have no affiliation with Rumiko Takahashi. Sadly, this is solely her creation.
Hope you enjoy the story.
Chapter 1: Cursed
April 1986, Deep in the Bayankala mountain range
"Pops, why did you drag me all the way out here? This place is so plain that it can't possibly handle the anything goes martial arts style!" Ranma said, an annoyed look crossing his face.
"Boy, watch your mouth! You sound like a girl! We're here, we might as well use it. Ready?" Genma replied. He'd been hearing a lot of complaints from Ranma the last few months and was getting sick of it. He'd stake his life on it that his son was getting more and more like a girl every day. There was something reminiscent of the boy's mother in his actions and that scared him. No telling what he'd do if something happened to anger him.
"Hmph, fine let's do this and get it over with." Ranma said with resignation. His father was notorious for getting them into trouble. He didn't know why, but something was nagging at him about this place.
"You two very strange, no?" an older man in a uniform Ranma didn't recognize said. "This place have very tragic stories from all over time," he continued. Looking at him, Ranma felt like he'd learn something from this man about this place. But before he could ask anything, his father jumped on a pole and said, "Let's go boy!"
Not wanting to look scared, Ranma replied, "right behind you!" and proceeded to jump on a pole adjacent to his father's. They stood there, while below the tour guide frantically cried out "what you doing?!" Ranma had to ignore him though or he'd lose this contest between men. "Very bad you fall in spring!" the guide continued as Ranma and Genma traded kicks and landed on the poles their opponent had been on. Ranma heard it and thought about a test. After all, Genma had dragged him here. If there was something wrong with this water below them, HE should be the one to pay, not Ranma, he decided.
The next jump had Ranma parrying a kick from Pops and he threw him into the nearest spring. Landing on another pole, Ranma called out to him. "You dead old man? That kick was nothing!" Thinking his dad had finally made a mistake that even HE couldn't recover from Ranma let his guard drop somewhat.
Ranma was taken aback when a panda leapt out of the spring he had just thrown his dad in and took a position on the same pole. Looking at the guide, Ranma saw him holding a sign that read 'spring of drowned panda' The guide said, "…anybody who fall in spring, take body of panda!"
Apparently, Ranma had missed the beginning of that speech. What registered was the last four words he'd said. 'take body of panda' Ranma looked back at the panda just before being thrown across the springs to land in one near the guide.
'It burns' Ranma thought.He realized it was partly his lungs needing oxygen. 'I have to breath!' Mentally screaming, he began frantically swimming up. As he broke through the surface, he caught the last four words the guide said. "take body of girl".
"What?" Ranma said in shock. He looked down at himself, only to discover he wasn't a he anymore. With one leap, SHE pulled herself out of the spring and began to panic all the while, checking certain things. "Oh my god!" she shrieked in disbelief. "I'm a girl!" when she looked at Genma the one thing she didn't expect to see was him just standing there. "what have you done?!" she yelled.
One look at her face and Genma realized how much he'd messed up and bolted.
"Get back here old man!" Ranma yelled taking off after the panda.
"What shame," the guide said as he watched the pair dart around the hillside. "Wait, what that?"
Genma was not as foolish as everyone thought he was. As he was being chased by his son, he reflected on the events of that day. 'Damn, that didn't work. What am I to do now?' he was so busy reminiscing about another failure he didn't notice the young boy standing in his path.
"Pops! Stop being a coward! Get back here and take your punishment!" Ranma yelled, then watched in horror as a young man was suddenly flung off the cliff by her dad's recklessness. "What have you done?!" she yelled and stopped, looking down she didn't see anything and thought the worst. Her dad had just thrown somebody innocent into these cursed springs. She saw the guide walk up to a spring and wait. Watching, she saw him pull something out of the spring but what, she couldn't tell. "What have you done dad?" she whispered. The mention of her father reminded her of her own curse at his hands and frantically, with renewed passion began to search for her idiot father.
Genma had actually made it back to the hut the guide called home and was getting warm water fresh from the pot over the fire, poured on him. "What have I done?" Genma asked himself in horror. Knowing full well that his son turned daughter knew about this he trembled in fear. Realization dawned then. He couldn't run from this one. Gathering courage, he waited for his now daughter.
"Where did that fat bastard go?" Ranma said to herself. While she was looking, she'd lost track that she was cursed. She was still looking because her father had cursed somebody else.
"Don't worry, you'll live. I know what are." Ranma heard. "Huh?" she followed the sound of the guides voice and found him pouring hot water over a boy. A very naked boy. Ranma blushed, turning away not stopping even to ponder why she was blushing. Suddenly she felt like she'd seen him before. Looking again after she waited a minute and thankful he was clothed at least in pants, she studied him. "Who is he and why do I feel like I know him?" whispered Ranma under her breath.
The boy got up, properly thanked the guide and walked away with a wrathful look on his face. "Gee hope he's not angry at me." Ranma said and walked over to the guide. The guide saw her coming and motioned her to sit on the stump the boy had been on. Ranma then realized she was still in her curse form! "How the heck did I forget that!" she exclaimed mortified. Hurriedly she sat on the stump and the warm water was poured on her and she transformed back into his birth form.
"Thank you" he said to the guide. "No mention" was the answer. The guide had a knowing look on his face telling Ranma he knew something and that worried him. Then he remembered the boy. "Say who was the boy who you changed back" he asked, "Don't know, didn't ask name."
"Oh" Ranma replied feeling disappointed. The nagging feeling came back, and he then remembered WHO had tossed the boy over the cliff. Angrily he asked, "where's Pops?" the guide pointed to his house. Ranma went to it and stepped inside.
Only to find a groveling father begging for forgiveness and saying he'd do anything to remedy this. Shocked wouldn't begin to describe Ranma. He was absolutely blown away by his father being so heartbroken and genuinely remorseful. Finally, after what seemed a few minutes, he practically screamed "HOW COULD YOU CURSE SOMEBODY LIKE THAT!?" to this, his father said something he'd never thought to hear from him. A heartfelt apology. "I'm sorry Ranma. I had no idea he was there. If it should please that boy, I'll do anything to appease him. Anything".
After seeing this Ranma's anger dissipated, which was replaced by an incredible sadness to the point of almost tearing up. He realized he'd never gotten an apology like that ever from his father, not even after the failed Neko-ken training. Thinking Genma hadn't seen the weakness he'd almost displayed, he tried to act tough to mask it. He turned away in disgust. But Genma had seen it. Genma looked at Ranma and said, "what should we do for that boy?" Startled all he could do was turn around and say "we find him and ask what he wants. How should I know?" nodding Genma looked down. Today had failed him. In more ways than one. Genma would do anything to undo all the damage he'd done over his life. To his wife, the boy he just cursed, his own son and many others.
Ranma stomped off and went back to his tent unaware he was being followed. He went inside, and the entire days events hit him like a freight train. Doubling over he cried, all the while muffling his choked sobs. "Why doesn't he care?" Eventually he fell asleep on the floor of the tent. Genma quietly walked away shaking his head. 'When will he realize, and when is it I'll be forced to pay for what I've done?" He walked back into the guides hut and asked if he could sleep there tonight. He didn't want to end up a panda skin rug by morning. Nodding sagely, the guide agreed. "You know, don't you?" Genma asked. Nodding the guide simply said "Time will come when it realized. What do then?" Genma grimaced. "I don't know, it's all he's known for his whole life." The guide just looked at the fire in the pit of his floor and said, "Find out soon anyway" Genma looked at the guide for a moment then asked why. "Because saw boy and blushed, very blushing girl she was." The guide gave an almost accusatory look at Genma. "W-w-what?" was all he could reply. 'Damn, it's beginning. I'll probably be killed next time we meet that boy' he thought. That night nobody at Jusenkyo slept well.
The next morning saw the two cursed guys, being led by the tour guide. Walking away from the cursed springs and up a hill, Ranma said, "man, where are we going? The guide said there's no cure, so why are we going to see a bunch of amazons if there's no cure?" Ranma felt a chill in the air. "You sound like a girl! We need to make sure, so stop complaining." Genma retorted. Ranma couldn't believe it. One night earlier his 'manly' father was bawling at his feet begging for forgiveness from the boy he'd cursed and vowing to make it right, right in front of Ranma, and now he was back to normal. Just another moment in the day and life of Genma Saotome.
After walking for another half-hour, they reach the village. Genma's eyes bug out of his head when he sees the gigantic gate with six women warriors on the top of it standing guard. "We're here to speak with elder" the guide says to one of the women guarding the gate. "Open the gate!" She shouts. With a heavy creaking and grinding, the gate opened just enough for the guide and the cursed men to enter the village.
Ranma was in awe. He'd never laid eyes on something so impressive. These women apparently were the warriors of this society and had made quite an impressive barrier to intruding forces.
Suddenly, they were surrounded by multiple obviously well-trained warriors. "Who are you?!" one demands. "We at war! How you get in?" she continues. "Enough!" came a shout from a voice Ranma could not find. "These are guests, not Musk!" Finally, after a moment of looking for the voice, Ranma saw something he'd never forget. A tiny ancient woman basically pogoing up to them on a short staff and barking commands to the women around them. "Back to your posts!" she shouted then looked at the guide, then Ranma and his father. She seemed to linger on Ranma more than her father though. She looked perplexed by Ranma's very existence. "who are you? I see the Jusenkyo guide with you which means you must have curses. However, you do not seem to be in them." She paused and when the guide said "yes elder Kon Lon, you are correct on both counts" she nodded like she already knew that much. "Let me guess you're looking for a cure. Unfortunately, there is not one that we know of. I'm sorry to trouble you, but you, young man, what are you?" she said looking at Ranma.
Flabbergasted, Ranma said, "what?" Getting a little closer to Ranma, she replied, "what do you see yourself as?" The only answer he had was obvious to him, "I'm a boy" the ancient woman looked closely at him when he said that and smirked. "Really?" Ranma was starting to get angry now. "Of course I am!" he responded. The old woman began to chuckle, then outright laugh. Other women from the village looked on in disbelief. The elder was bent over laughing? When does she ever do that?!
Suddenly, just as soon as it began, it stopped leaving a creepy silence in its place. "Fine but do this when you have a free moment. Do some soul-searching. You may be surprised by what you find and welcome to Joketsuzoku." With that she pogoed toward the wall barking more commands. She turned back for a moment and said to the guide "Take them to my house, they may stay until this mess is over with. Have the young one meditate in my guest room." The guide said, "yes elder" and began leading them to the elders' home. "this way, no want to anger elder." What choice did they have? So, they followed the guide to elder Kon Lon's home.
Once inside, they were immediately questioned by a young woman who was Ranma's age and had purple hair. She spoke only mandarin though and neither Genma or Ranma spoke it. The guide began frantically explaining what was happening to the girl. The girl 'hmphed' and walked outside.
"Stay" the guide said. "You," he said pointing at Ranma, "come with me" Ranma got up and followed the guide into the next room. He saw a strange circle with markings in it on the floor. "Sit and soul-search as elder said" Ranma became angry and said "why?" his only response was "elder order it".
Grumbling, Ranma sat in the strange circle and closed his eyes. For a few minutes nothing happened as he thought about the day. But that slowly changed as time in the circle continued. He slowly started to feel things he'd never thought he'd experience in his life. And as more time progressed, he began to see what was associated with the feelings. Suddenly, he felt himself being washed away to another place. After this meditation session, he'd never see himself the same way as he did before, ever again.
Well, to those who have read this story and find the need to leave an opinion, go ahead and I will respond either personally, or at the beginning of the next chapter. Please tell me if you like the writing style or not. I'm still developing as a writer and feedback is critical to my writing development. Thank you for reading chapter 1 of 'The lost daughter'
Published: October 24, 2018