Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ A Light in the Darkness ❯ Learning to Fly ( Chapter 62 )

A Light in the Darkness - Part 62: Learning to Fly
by Mia Skywalker & Wataruo

PAIRING: None
RATING: G
WARNINGS: None
DISCLAIMER: Neither of us owns any of the DBZ characters or anything about DBZ, but we both wish we owned the Saiyans. All of them. At least all of the ones with hair. And yes, we're including Yamcha and Ryouga in that, now you know. Dragonball Z and the associated characters are owned by Toei, Viz, Akira Toriyama, and FUNimation. Ranma 1/2 and the character of Ryouga Hibiki are owned by Viz, Rumiko Takahashi, and some Japanese studio I don't know the name of. We do own what we've written here, and our specific storyline, just not Dragonball or Ranma 1/2 themselves. We make no money off of any of these guys, nor off this fic. We just have fun writing it. Oh, I guess we do own Hakusai and Serori. But they're just characters. ^_~
SUMMARY: Ryouga learns to fly.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Thank you to TwoMoons, Gie, and Lady Lark for the beta.

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Ryouga's head was swimming as he tried to untangle the relationships she had just spilled before him. “Huh?” He figured out the last part; if Yamcha was married to her sister, and if Yamcha was his brother, then very indirectly he was related to this little girl. He blinked in confusion. He already had a family - at least as far as he was concerned - and he wasn't certain he was ready to accept another one. These people were telling him that his family wasn't really his family. He was having his roots torn out from under him, and he didn't like that at all.

 

Gohan was bored by the whole conversation. “Ryouga, you said you'd train with us. Why don't we do some training together?”

 

Ryouga blushed in embarrassment. “I don't even know how to fly,” he muttered. “All of you seem to be able to do it so easily.”

 

“Is that what you're worried about?” Goku asked, smiling at the teenager. “That's not a big deal, we can teach you.”

 

Serori nodded. “See? I told you! Maybe he can `splain it better `cause he is an adult.”

 

Goku placed his hand behind his head and gave Ryouga a sheepish look. “Well I don't know about that, but I can try. So what do you think? Want to learn?” Goku was always eager to show off his techniques, and he was sure this young man would have something to teach them in turn.

 

Ryouga blinked at the question. Were they nuts? Of course he wanted to learn! He just wasn't sure he would be able to.

 

Gohan seemed to sense Ryouga's hesitation. “Don't worry,” he said, putting his hand on Ryouga's arm reassuringly. “It's not that hard. You're really strong. It should be easy for you. You started to do it earlier.”

 

“Strong?” Ryouga blinked. He didn't see what being strong had to do with it. He had been strong all of his life, but he had never been able to fly.

 

Gohan shook his head. “Not that kind of strength. Ki. You have really strong ki.”

 

Ryouga swallowed and looked at the three of them, then nodded decisively. “All right. What do I have to do first?”

 

“It's really easy,” Serori said, with a wide grin. She did not continue on with the subject, just looked up at Goku as if he would explain everything.

 

Goku noticed Ryouga's expression and smiled at the teenager. “Well, actually it is easy, Ryouga. But first you need to find your center.” The big man promptly sat down in the middle of the field. “Sit down Ryouga. First we have to relax.”

 

“He has really strong ki, doesn't he, Daddy?” Gohan asked in a loud whisper.

 

Goku smiled and nodded at him. “Yes he does, Gohan. This will be easy.”

 

Ryouga sat down nervously. “My center?” he asked curiously. “I know how to do that. An old woman in Tibet taught me how to do that. Or maybe it was the Ukraine.” He sighed. “I'm not really sure where it was. But I think I know how to do it.”

 

Gohan smiled at him, and put a finger to his lips. “Ssshhh!”

 

Ryouga blushed, and relaxed, allowing his ki to flow through him. He had no idea how quickly he managed to do it compared to most people; it just came naturally. He could do it more easily when practicing his kata, but he had learned how to do it this way as well.

 

Gohan stared in surprise, and then looked at his father who looked just as surprised.

 

::It shouldn't be hard at all,:: the little Saiyan boy thought to himself. ::I think he just needs to forget that he can't fly, and he will!::

 

After several minutes, Goku smiled at him. “Well, Ryouga. You should have enough ki built up. Go ahead and fly.”

 

Ryouga opened his eyes and blinked at the larger man. “What?” he said nervously.

 

“Just fly.” Goku nodded at him. “Let your ki lift you up off the ground.”

 

Ryouga's brows furrowed as he concentrated, but nothing happened. He growled in frustration as he continued to try, and nothing continued to happen.

 

“Maybe we should throw him off a cliff the way Piccolo did to me,” Gohan suggested to his father.

 

“What?” Ryouga exclaimed in surprise, his ki dissipating instantly. They wanted to kill him? He was sure he wouldn't survive a tumble off a cliff - although it depended, he supposed, on how high up they were - and what if he couldn't fly? Maybe there was something about him that would make him not be able to!

 

Goku sighed. “Ryouga,” he admonished gently, sensing the dissipation of Ryouga's ki. “Why did you do that? Now you have to build up your ki again.”

 

“Er… sorry,” Ryouga stammered, blushing in embarrassment. He was beginning to feel frustrated. Why couldn't he do it? He had heard them say it should be easy for him, but why wasn't it? Was he doomed to be a failure all his life? He was sure that Ranma would have already managed it by now. The thought of that infuriated him. ::Damn you, Saotome! Must you mock me at every turn?:: he thought irrationally, blaming Ranma even though the other boy wasn't anywhere around.

 

At Goku's patient guidance, Ryouga allowed his ki to build up again, but he felt it was impossible, that he would never manage it. He would never defeat Ranma, no matter how hard he tried. His rival would always be one step ahead of him, he was sure of it.

 

Hakusai and Yamcha landed just as Ryouga sat down with Goku. “What are you up to, brat?” Hakusai asked, ruffling her sister's hair.

 

“We are going to teach Ryouga how to fly,” Serori said eagerly.

 

“But he seems to be having some trouble with it.” Goku frowned in consternation. He sensed there was something strange going on in Ryouga's head, but he had no idea what it was.

 

“Is that so?” Hakusai asked, cocking her head and looking over at the bandanna-clad teen. “Well then, Yamcha, why don't you show your brother how it is done?”

 

Yamcha frowned, his brow furrowing. “I've never taught anyone to fly before. How would I teach him that would be different from what Goku could do?”

 

Hakusai smiled at him, twining her fingers with his. “You could link with him and show him directly in his mind. Saiyans are natural telepaths, even if we don't use it very much. You two are kin, so it should be easy to link up with each other and show him.”

 

Yamcha scratched his head. “I guess so,” he agreed willingly. “You don't know how to fly, huh?”

 

Ryouga shook his head, looking up at the aliens from his seat on the ground. “No. I know how to fight, but they say I should learn to fly.” He didn't tell them that he really wanted to learn how so he could be one up on Ranma for once. “I have used ki before.”

 

“You have?” Yamcha looked at him in surprise, and then nodded. If he was part Saiyan, then that was almost inevitable, even if their mother had suppressed those genes. After all, Yamcha had learned to use ki, and he had had those genes suppressed as well. “All right. Then it should be a lot easier. Can you focus your ki in one spot?”

 

Ryouga nodded. They had said that before, but he hadn't been able to sustain it. “Yeah. They showed me before, but it didn't last.”

 

Yamcha grinned. “You probably were surprised by it. So was I, at first. Here, let's do it together. I'm going to link with you, and I'll show you directly.”

 

Ryouga looked at them blankly. “Huh?” He blinked at them. He had absolutely no idea what they were talking about.

 

Gohan laughed. “Oh, they're going to link minds with you so that you can hear what they're thinking, and they can hear what you're thinking. Daddy, have you ever done this before?”

 

Goku scratched his head, looking thoughtful. “No, I haven't. But I don't see why it wouldn't work. I guess it would make explaining it easier - you can just show it to the other person, and that could help.”

 

Ryouga looked startled, and almost nervous. “I don't know about this....”

 

Hakusai shook her head. “We aren't going to bite you. It doesn't hurt at all. Unless you resist it, then it can give you a headache.”

 

“But I mean....” Ryouga hesitated. There were things in his mind he wasn't sure he wanted them to know, but as he looked from face to face, he realized he couldn't tell them that. Either they would know, or....

 

He shook his head reluctantly. “All right. Do whatever you have to do. But could you um...” He blushed. “I'd rather you not go into some of my memories... if you didn't have to.”

 

Yamcha shrugged. “I don't see that would be a problem. I don't think I'll have to go into your memories at all. Why? What don't you want me to see?” He grinned teasingly at his brother, but Ryouga's blush deepened, which confused him. He turned to Hakusai, looking at her somewhat helplessly. “I don't know how to do this....”

 

Hakusai smiled. “I'll link to you first. That way you can just follow me in, so to speak.” ::Ready Yamcha-chan?:: she asked. When he nodded, she entered Ryouga's mind. ::Hey there. Now that wasn't so bad was it?:: she asked him.

 

Ryouga nodded somewhat hesitantly. ::Not so bad, I guess,:: he thought, hearing his thoughts echo back at himself. ::Now what?::

 

::Now you remember what they showed you before?:: Yamcha thought back at him.

 

Ryouga considered for a moment, then nodded. He concentrated on building up his ki the way he did when practicing a kata, and allowed it to defuse throughout his body. Yamcha was surprised at how easily it seemed to go for his brother. It seemed that his brother had already learned the basics of flying, without learning to use it for flying. He wondered who'd taught him this technique and why they had taught it to him in the first place.

 

::Now just keep it going,:: Yamcha encouraged. ::Just let it continue to flow. Like this.:: He opened his own mind and let Ryouga see. Almost hesitant, Ryouga entered his mind, then looked in astonishment. It was easy. It wasn't difficult at all. Ryouga found himself slowly lifting off the ground, Yamcha and Hakusai joining him. The three of them hovered a foot or so in the air for several minutes, and a slow smile found its way over Ryouga's face as he stared at them in joy.

 

::See? It's not that hard,:: Goku pointed out, his mind joining their link. ::It's a lot easier with Yamcha showing you because you share blood. Your twin would have the same kind of bond, I think.::

 

Ryouga glanced at Goku and nodded, frowning at Goku's last comment, but he didn't say anything about it. He was still nervous about them seeing into his mind, but he thought maybe they didn't see the things he didn't want them to. The four of them remained hovering for several minutes, and were soon joined by Gohan and Serori.

 

Gohan looked at each one, wondering why they were staying so quiet. “Why don't we spar?” he asked all of them. “We should train a little bit. Ryouga has some techniques he should teach us. And we should teach him ours!”

 

Goku seemed to think about this for a moment or two before nodding. “There is that. I am always up for learning new things.” He grinned at them, suddenly looking like an innocent kid about to get his first Christmas present.

 

Serori grinned. “Then what are we waiting for? Let's get started!”

 

“Well now, Ryouga. Why don't you show us what you can do?” Hakusai looked at the dark-haired teen curiously.

 

“Umm....” Ryouga looked at them nervously. “I'm sure you have much better techniques than mine.”

 

“What about the way you blew up that rock by touching it?” Gohan asked owlishly. “Can you do that to a person, touch them and get them to blow up that way?”

 

Ryouga turned bright red. “That's the Bakusai Tenketsu. And no, it doesn't work on people. Only inanimate objects, like rocks and things. That's the secret to the technique. It doesn't actually help you fight, but by learning it, it makes you really tough, so others can't hurt you when you're fighting.”

 

“Blowing up rocks?” Hakusai blinked. “Hmm, this I have to see. Can you show me?” When Ryouga hesitated, she smiled at him. “Don't be so bashful. I am just curious how you do it. Though Goku over there could pick it up just by watching you.”

 

“Well...” Goku shrugged. “Sometimes I can do that.”

 

Ryouga sighed, then walked over to a large boulder. He focused a tiny amount of ki into the tip of his finger as he found the correct breaking point. The words weren't really necessary, but they helped the focus and he instinctively used them. It also didn't take a large amount of ki. It could be used by normal people with only a small amount of ki - it taught them how to focus what they had in a small area and how to select the correct area of an object that would cause it to shatter.

 

“Bakusai Tenketsu!”

 

The rock shattered, spraying shrapnel everywhere, but the bulk blowing up directly into Ryouga's face.

 

Yamcha and Gohan dusted themselves off, while Goku gaped in surprise. “Wow! That was something else!” he exclaimed.

 

“I'll agree with that,” Yamcha said. “You have remarkable control over your ki when you do that. What we can teach you should be a piece of cake.”

 

“Control?” Ryouga blinked.

 

Gohan nodded. “Uh huh. We can break rocks, but we're not focusing our ki that way. That was good.” He was studying the rubble as though it could tell him something. He picked up one of the larger chunks, and tried to focus his ki the way Ryouga had. “Bakusai Tenketsu!” He frowned when nothing happened, although a small crack appeared in the rock where he had touched it.

 

Hakusai exchanged looks with Yamcha. “Don't look at me,” she said looking as puzzled as Gohan. “I don't know how he did that.”

 

Serori scratched her head as she looked over Gohan's shoulder at the rock he held. “Well, something happened. That's good, ne?” she asked looking up at Ryouga.

 

Ryouga tried to explain. “Well, you see... the point of the Tenketsu isn't the attack itself, it's the training.” At their blank expressions, he sighed, looking almost embarrassed. “The sensei does everything in his or her power to force you to learn the technique. It usually involves throwing the student at the rocks head on. If you survive the training you're really tough and almost nothing can hurt you.”

 

He took the stone from Gohan's hands, and focused his ki. “Bakusai Tenketsu!” Once again the rock exploded, the majority of the shrapnel hitting Ryouga himself. “Also, most of the damage is on the person using the technique, so....”

 

Yamcha suddenly started laughing. “That's not much use in combat, then, if it hurts you more than it hurts your enemies. But then, that's not the point, is it?” He smiled at his younger brother. “It's to build up your stamina, right? But it also taught you to focus your ki. I think I'd like to learn it anyway.”

 

“Not me,” Hakusai said shaking her head. “There is no way I'm going to do that.” When she looked over at Yamcha, she gave him a sheepish grin. “Just think how long it would take to get all that grime out of my hair. I haven't got the time for that kind of thing.”

 

Serori blinked. “I wouldn't mind learning. It may come in handy someday.”

 

“For what? Maybe if you wish to become a miner it would become very useful,” Hakusai remarked dryly.

 

“But Hakusai, didn't you say you should learn every technique you can?” Wide violet eyes peered up at her questioningly.

 

“She does have a point,” Goku pointed out.

 

“Great! I am being plotted against by my own family!” Hakusai complained.

 

Yamcha shook his head. “Didn't you point out that what he did took remarkable control of his ki? Learning it doesn't mean you have to use it all the time. But it's useful to learn how to do it, to learn the sort of control he has.” He smiled at her, then looked back at Ryouga. “Can you teach me?”

 

The lost boy looked at each of them in turn, and wondered if he could teach them. He had never really taught anyone anything in his entire life - well, except Rhythmic Gymnastics to Akane, and that had ended in failure - and wasn't sure if he knew how. Still, they had taught him how to fly, an ability that - while it might make him become more lost than ever before - might be the one thing he would need to finally defeat Ranma.

 

::Saotome, I will defeat you! The next time we meet...!::

 

He didn't tell them it had taken him weeks of intensive training to learn how to do this, and he didn't think he wanted to use the methods that had been used with him. He suspected that if he threw them into boulders they might get upset with him, and he most certainly did not want that. He spent the rest of that morning and the better part of the afternoon teaching them how to focus their ki and search for the breaking point, before they broke for dinner. To his surprise, he found that he was extraordinarily hungry and felt weak from it. He had no idea why this was so, but when Goku suggested going over to his place for something to eat, Ryouga found himself enthusiastically agreeing.

 

Hakusai hid a smile behind her hand when Chi-Chi immediately started yelling at Goku the minute they walked in the door. She screeched at the top of her lungs about the stupidity of Saiyans in general and vanishing for hours on end at the first sign of a battle. Goku seemed to be bearing the brunt of Chi-Chi's anger simply by agreeing with everything she said and apologizing profusely.

 

::For someone who seems to be stupid,:: Hakusai sent silently to Yamcha, ::he certainly is smart where his mate is concerned.:: She caught Yamcha's answering grin out of the corner of her eye. ::For someone with little ki she can scare even a Super Saiyan.::

 

::Chi-Chi is scary,:: Yamcha agreed, as they all sat down to eat. They listened to Chi-Chi's rants throughout most of the dinner, but pretty much ignored it. Despite her rage, Chi-Chi served them a huge feast, which they ate ravenously. Then after dinner, much to the irritation of the human woman, all of them left to go training again for the rest of the daylight hours, leaving her to clean up by herself.

 

To be continued.....

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And in the next exciting episode of DragonBall Z: A Light in the Darkness... The wedding 'ceremony' begins! And if you don't expect to see some lemon in that chapter, well... just remember, it IS Bulma and Vegeta! ^_~