Fist Of The North Star Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ The Dragon is Reborn ❯ Author's Rambling ( Chapter 8 )

Well…

First off, I'm totally overwhelmed by the number of reviews. Thank You. I might well have to continue it, just for that J

My replies to people's comments. Not in any particular order:

To those who want to know why it's not in the Wheel of Time section:

It was. Until recently. I decided that if in nearly a month no ones was reading it, that it must be worthless. Still, hope being what it is, I decided to try shifting it to the Ranma section, since after all that is the section I visit most often.

In the WoT section, it would likely have been read by a hundred people, probably around the time that people started celebrating the start of the 22nd century.

Why is Ranma not appearing:

I've attempted to write this story in the WoT format. Moderate level of detail, instead of extreme level, and the story being told from a certain person's POV.

As you may have noticed in WoT, there are times that a character can vanish for a whole book(like Mat in book 8 for example).

The situation isn't going to be as bad here but since Ranma, and Raoh currently constitute a very different part of the story, it may be a while until they are seen. Though everyone will be returning to Randland in three months(story wise).

Ranma's arrival in Randland:

The way this story evolved(in my mind), I decided to bring Ranma in around Hawkwing's time. So that his story could be told separately if I so chose. Plus, it was a time of lesser persecution for male channelers. So Ranma could grow without being hunted, and since he couldn't communicate with the people yet, he wouldn't be as biased by their opinions about the taint, and could find a way to deal with it, once he started channeling. Belief has a large effect on a person's view of reality after all.

Ranma, Raoh and Bremen are too powerful:

They are very powerful, though not a match for the DO… yet.

Here my POV was that they should be allowed to grow reasonably. No keeping them weak for the sake of the story. With the taint awakening previous lives, one would expect at least some of them to be interesting.

A thousand years is a long time. Especially if people have intelligence(look at what's happened in the last thousand years in our world, and Ranma has some of that as his background)

Still, Ranma and Raoh are not going to be on a rampage yet(not unless the shadow proves itself very very powerful <wink> <wink> )

For now though, the Wizard's Second Rule from the Sword of Truth series applies: "Sometimes the best of intentions can lead to the greatest of harm."

If you keep helping people out and don't let them grow by themselves, they stay weak and dependent on you. Only through adversity do we become stronger. And Ranma and lot realize this, and thus will not jump in to solve all of Randland's problems.

Ranma craziness is absent:

Well, as I said, it has been a thousand years. After a thousand years, I wouldn't expect anyone to be a complete buffoon(Happosai excepted). A thousand year old could be senile, but not the canon Ranma kind of crazy.

Plus, this is somewhat serious story, too many humor oriented stunts might ruin it.

A thousand year old Akane malleting Ranma might be amusing, but that's just a bit too extreme for a story like this at least from my POV.

Still, Rand and lot are not Ranma's only decendents. Though most do have a more distant link to him than Rand/Lews Therin.

Crazy martial arts, and martial artists still thrive on some worlds J

[Woah… Working on a story with such a large scope… The HORROR!!! What was I thinking when I conceived this monstrosity. And where are co-authors when you need them???]

Rand seems to have been thrown out:

Let's see… Lews Therin = 500 years old, Rand = 20 years old. Allowed to mix evenly, whose personality do you think is more likely to come out dominant. Unfortunately Lews Therin just has too many experiences, and since the effects/memories of his time of madness were removed, he's not the wreckage of a human being we see in our story.

Plus imagine Elayne, Min and Aviendha's reactions to finding out that Rand is already married J

Still Rand's behavior will be visible at times, though the pattern's manipulation of his mind is not what it was.

The pattern's reaction to not being able to control him like before might well be interesting.

Rand was hard on his guards:

Believe me, it hurt me more than it hurt them J

Seriously though, Rand lets things run completely out of control. Imagine what would happen, if one of the Forsaken walked in disguised as Sorilea. Easy victory for the Shadow wouldn't you say?

You have to be careful when a lot depends on you.

Why was the past only briefly mentioned in a summary:

Well, originally it had been my intention to handle the knowledge that came in through flashbacks and the like. Unfortunately, the only person who mailed me about my story, said that he found it all too hard to swallow. So I decided that apart from the explanations in the story - there are plenty of details still hidden - a basic summary in the beginning might help with some of the readers. I seem to recall writing in the intro that people should preferably ignore the history, if they didn't actually feel a need for it. Or to read it afterwards.

Lews Therin accepted being in Rand's body too easily:

Actually there's a considerable period of time between his first waking up with Ilyena and the next scene. He's come to accept it in the meantime - If someone wants to write what happened in that time period, they can, and I'll attach it as a side-story. Plus Lews Therin can go to Tel'aran'riod and be in his old body for a while if he wants.

Rand doesn't deserve what happened to him:

Personally, I think that having the memories of your past lives back, to be yourself, instead of just a small piece of yourself is…

Nothing bad has happened to him. All of his experiences are still there, it's just that Lews Therin's perspective supercedes his. Right now he's Lews Therin + Rand, instead of just Rand, or just Lews Therin. Lews Therin for example for all of his experience wouldn't really know how to survive in Rand's life. Though with the way things are likely to change anyway…

Think of this situation as Rand having been given time to grow and learn that he didn't find in the actual series. And so he'll be better equipped in some ways than he previously was. At other times, he might still get his butt kicked.

The Aes Sedai should have had a backup plan:

Well as <I don't remember who> says, "Elaida must have sent her envoys to meet a shepard, if a Shepard in a silk coat". What they got wasn't at all what they were expecting. And if I remember correctly(it's been a while since I wrote the story to it's current point), they were railroaded. Not to say that they're likely to take it sitting down. Their next meeting should be more interesting… whenever it happens.

Ahh… I wish I could get RJ's advice on how to handle this story. Though I think I can write it on my own(somewhat… the number of variables is very high, how does RJ handle this stuff?). Anyway, that being said.

I repeat… Co-authors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!

Come on people, this story is huge!!!. The only way it's going to be completed in less than two or three years, is if I have help(plus unlike RJ, I'm not getting paid for this J )

Even a single chapter can take a while to turn out, with RL in the way. I have college to worry about after all.

So, if anyone out there is willing, mail me at khurrum_mahmood@yahoo.com, and we can discuss what I've got planned, what you think, and where we should go from here.

Otherwise, expect the next chapter in a week, and we'll see where it goes from there.

And I thank you all for reading my story

Take Care people.

I hope to hear from you.

[ p.s. if anyone wants to base their own story on mine, they are completely welcome. Though I'd prefer if they'd help me write this one instead. ]