Pretty Cure Fan Fiction / Crossover Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Together in Spirit ❯ Mother said There would be Days like This ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

A mysterious creature falls into a cursed spring in the mysterious training ground of Jusenkyo.

Years later, a teen aged martial artist named Ranma Saotome falls into the exact same spring.

The two beings grapple with their shared fate and body before forming a partnership that transcends space and time.

Anime/Manga: Pretty Cure Fan Fiction / Crossover Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Shoujo / Martial Arts / Adventure | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 02.27.2008 | Updated On: 06.30.2009 | Pages: 13 | Words: 12.2K | Visits: 4.7K | Status: Work In Progress

Hi, everyone. I hope you like this little fan fiction that crosses over two magically themed animés, namely Ranma one-half and Pretty Cure Splash Star. Of course, I do not own either one.

I would also like to thank MZephyr for inspiring me with his Ranma one-half fan fiction - Togetherness; it was so good I even borrowed his chapter title from it. I suggest that you browse over at Fanfiction Net to read it.

For the first few chapters, it would be mostly Ranma with a few cameo appearances from some other animés.

In later chapters, it will fully crossover with Pretty Cure Splash Star as some of the Ranma cast will actually mix it up with the bad guys of Splash Star along with the show's lead characters.

Legend (for all chapters): “ ” - speech, ` ' - Ranma's thoughts, -oOo- scene change,

“italics”-Flappy's mental speech, bold-words said in emphasis

words- panda sign language (Chapter 2 onwards)

So please read and enjoy.

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Chapter 1 - Mother said there would be days like this

On a muddy field in the Land of Fountains, two small creatures are leaping away from a still unidentified humanoid foe far behind them.

The humanoid tried to stop his prey by firing energy blasts at the ground surrounding the two.

The green creature in the lead quickly turned right when they reached a cliff face that barred their way. Its white companion tried to follow but was told to head left instead.

This action angered the human-like foe who blasted the green creature into a magical portal situated nearby with a well-aimed energy ball.

He turned his sights to the other creature only to realize that it had already jumped into yet another portal.

He cursed his luck as he failed in his mission to capture the two creatures that were rumored to know the location of the “Fountain of Sun.”

“I will hunt you down wherever in the universe you may be,” The man said with a confident smirk. “Mark my words, we will find the `Fountain of the Sun' and destroy it along the accursed `World Tree.' By then, Dark Fall will reign supreme and the universe will be in complete ruin.”

The man looked like he was composed of green leaves with a smidgen of violet ones on his left shoulder.

The only exceptions are his lower jaw, ears, and fingers that were colored gray and his blond hair, which went past his shoulders.

He immediately left the area by turning into withered leaves blown by a sudden gust of wind as he looked for his lord to make his disappointing report.

-oOo-

About thirty feet above the famed Jusenkyo springs within the Bayankala Mountains in Qinghai province, a small portal suddenly opened.

From that portal, the little green creature from before emerged. It was badly wounded by the surprise attack before it had entered the said portal and could barely transform itself into a floating green ball of light.

It was about to reach the edge of the springs when darkness finally overwhelmed its sight. As it fell, it reverted to its original form in a puff of smoke.

The last thing it heard was strange voices shouting in a language it cannot understand. Furthermore, its hearing was hampered by the wind that whistled past its long ears as it fell towards the waiting springs below.

A Chinese girl of six years scampered to a still un-cursed spring in the western end as she witnessed the fall of strange creature that seemed to come from the sky.

Yet, she was still too late to save the said creature as it hit the spring with a small splash while she was still too far away to intervene.

The resulting ripple was high enough to wet the lower portion of the bamboo in the spring's middle as well as its grassy edges.

She quickly knelt down at the said spring's damp edge as soon as she arrived. She even tried to reach for the unconscious creature but it sank before her little hand could even reach its long furry ears. It later disappeared in the spring's murky depths.

The girl's father chased after her, partly in fear of his own daughter falling in and partly because he wanted to know what is going on. He put a firm hand on her little shoulder as she stood before turning to him with tears in her green eyes.

Both father and daughter met in a tearful embrace. The former worried for his offspring's safety and the latter ashamed for not being fast enough to save the poor creature that she saw.

Neither the girl nor her father noticed the portal high above them slowly disappear from sight, as they cried on each other's shoulder. The man even stroked his only offspring's back to sooth her distraught feelings.

“Aiyaa, poor little thing had drowned before I could even reach it. But where did it come from, Papa?” murmured the little Chinese girl with black hair in her native Mandarin.

She wiped the tears from her eyes with her right hand as she slowly separated from her father.

“I do not know, Plum.” answered her portly father also in Mandarin. “Still, we have to make a new entry in the record sheet so we can remember what to call this spring. Now go, get my brown ledger.”

The man was dressed in a brown uniform similar to those worn by troops of the People's Liberation Army in the past, complete with a black beret.

A single red star is visible in the beret's front. He too wiped away his tears as he steeled himself from what is yet to come.

“Yes, Papa.” Plum replied with a curt nod as she ran back into their home in the southern part of the cursed springs.

The man looked at the newly cursed spring and sighed. “This creature is far too different from the other animals living here in China.

Hell, it even looks different from any animal on Earth, including the legendary ones. I pity the one who will fall in this very spring.”

The man slowly turned around and walked back to his hut, his thoughts swirling on what would he call this newly cursed spring and how was he supposed to answer his chief's questions as to how the spring itself was cursed.

-oOo-

Days turned to months and months turned to years. Five years have passed since the creation of the newly cursed spring.

As he was patrolling the springs' eastern part, the guide of the Cursed Springs of Jusenkyo was surprised to see two persons, unmistakably male in their martial art dogis, emerge from the eastern mountain path leading to the said springs.

He met them at the entrance to the springs and even tried to discourage them from fighting on the bamboo poles that seemed to jut out from the cursed springs' surfaces.

Of course, he was ignored as the father and son tandem gleefully jumped over to the bamboo poles above the springs to spar.

“Ranma, it's time to see the fruits of your trainin'.” The overweight father told his son as he stood on a bamboo pole. The bamboo pole bent a bit at the heavy weight it now carried.

“Get ready fer a thrashin' then, Pops.” answered the black-haired teen as he landed on another bamboo pole.

“Come at me, boy. Prove your worth as a fighter.” Genma Saotome moved his fingers in his right hand in a come-hither style. His stocky toes wrapped around the pole tightly to keep himself from falling.

“You asked for it, Pops.”

Ranma jumped from his pole and extended his right leg as he came down on Genma's location at an angle.

The older man crossed his fore arms to protect himself from the incoming attack, both his bare feet trying to maintain a foothold on the bamboo. His wily mind worked overtime on formulating a counter-attack of his own.

The kick made contact with the crossed fore arms as Ranma used the momentum to jump to yet another pole. Genma, meanwhile, tried to pummel his son and pupil with an overhead strike.

The teen easily read his opponent's movements and ducked accordingly. He belatedly realized that in doing so he had lost his balance and was about to fall into the spring below.

Landing on yet another pole, Genma relished his short term victory as he outsmarted his son yet again. `The boy still has much to learn. Yet his skill in the Art is steadily improving with each passing day. Maybe it's time to see an old friend of mine back in Nerima.'

The fat martial artist was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't see his son grab the pole beside him and use it to swing himself straight back at him.

In the end, Genma could only utter a loud `woof' as the air from his lungs exited through his mouth in a rush. The man himself was airborne for a full second before gravity itself greedily took over.

A loud splash announced Genma's dunking in a spring a few meters away from his former position.

“Had enough, old man.” Ranma steeled himself for another attack as he waited for his father's emergence from said pool of water.

To his shock, a giant panda broke through the water surface and landed in the bamboo pole in front of the pony-tailed martial artist.

The panda is outfitted with a wet dogi top barely covering his upper furry body and a pair of glasses that are now askew.

“What the hell?! Where's Pops and what's that panda doing here?!”

“Oh, old man fell into spring of `drowned panda.” A panicked voice was saying. “Very tragic tale of panda, which had drowned there two thousand years ago. Now whoever falls in spring takes body of panda.”

The Jusenkyo guide was suddenly holding a wooden sign that says “Spring of Drowned Panda” written in Chinese characters.

Ranma looked back at the panda. The animal looked as angry as the usually docile creature can relatively get before it launched itself at the martial artist, right paw outstretched.

The teenage martial artist was so surprised at the recent turn of events that he was catapulted to a spring on the other side of the training grounds.

The guide panicked as he correctly guessed the possible landing site of the airborne teenager based on his current trajectory. He called for his now pre-teen daughter and told her to bring a net or a pole quickly.

-oOo-

In the guide's hut, Plum was surprised at the order given but did as she was told. By the time both father and daughter arrived beside the newly-cursed spring, they were already too late. Ranma had already fallen into the spring with a big splash before they were able to catch him.

The teenage martial artist broke thorough the surface rather quickly before releasing the breath he held from the moment he hit the water surface.

He tried to swim to the spring's edge when he finally realized that his limbs felt different and that everything in sight seemed a little bigger. As a result, his thoughts became chaotic as fear reigned supreme in the teenager's mind.

`No, it's not just my limbs. My whole body feels different. It seemed ta be smaller for some reason.' were Ranma's last thoughts before passing out due to having inhaled a bit of water in his panic, only inches away from the spring's edge and relative safety.

Plum caught the unconscious strange rabbit like creature with her net and gave him CPR as soon as she deposited him on the ground, face up.

She smiled when the creature coughed up some water that had previously lodged itself in the animal's lungs and slowly opened its eyes. Her father had returned to their hut in a crazed run as he remembered something.

`Where am I?' thought Ranma as his sight slowly cleared. Out of nowhere, a loud yawn reached his ears. He sat up and viewed his surroundings as he searched for the source of the yawning.

Other than his dad bawling as a panda in another part of the springs, the only things he heard were the cries of the black-necked crane passing by in the clear blue sky above and the high-pitched chirps of crickets that seem to echo throughout the valley.

“Are you alright?” Ranma turned to the unfamiliar feminine voice who spoke in learned Japanese. His gaze fell on a cute little girl of Chinese ancestry who is looking back at him with concern and something else.

Her black hair was tied in typical Chinese ox horns or double buns fashion, complete with pigtails. She was also dressed in a plain brown cheongsam and black slippers.

“Yes, I'm fine-lapi.1”

Ranma immediately covered his mouth when he realized what he just said. It was only at that very moment that he realized that his arms had shortened and was also covered in light green fur and his hands had turned into paws in the same color as his arms.

“Wh-what happened ta me-lapi? What am I-lapi? And why the hell am I ending my sentences with lapi -lapi?” Ranma said, his whole body shaking with both rage and fear.

“Um, you fell in `spring of drowned strange rabbit'.” The girl said with a weird look. “About four years ago, a strange rabbit fell from the sky into this very spring and drowned. Now whoever falls in spring takes the shape of the strange rabbit.”

Her gaze turned from slight sorrow to one of wanting. Furthermore, her smile broadened enough for the corners of her mouth to reach both her ears.

Ranma shrunk in fear at the sudden change in facial expression.

“Still, you are so cuuute!!!” the girl suddenly grabbed the newly cursed individual and held him firmly in her flat bosom. Said individual's skin turned blue from lack of air.

Unfortunately for him, Plum was not able to notice this because of his still light green fur.

“Lemme go, I can't breathe-lapi.” The cursed teenager croaked as he tried to push himself away from the tight hug.

“Sorry, I could not help myself. You remind of a very cute plushy I had while I was still a little girl.” The girl bowed slightly as she apologized for her irrational behavior after she released the cursed boy.

After regaining the ability to breathe, Ranma then leaned in on the pool he just fell into for a quick peek at his new form.

A high pitched yell was heard through out the Banyakala Mountain range. Amazons living in nearby villages almost dropped whatever they were doing as they heard the shrill cry.

Some young amazons even whispered to their friends about the outsider legend of the banshee that they had read in their village's small library.

Back at the Jusenkyo springs, Plum was vigorously fanning a wide-eyed Ranma with her right hand. The boy-turned-rabbit was lying flat on the ground; his whole body frozen with shock at what he just saw.

His reflection showed a light green rabbit with ears curved downward in a spiral to the top of his head.

His eyes were bigger than normal and he doesn't seem to have a nose. Instead, a spade-like blue tattoo was marked on his forehead and similarly colored tattoos seemed to come out of his eyes. Some light-green fur also seemed to standout at the side of his cheeks

On his neck was a red collar with a yellow orb at its center. His body was round with short arms and legs protruding from it. His arms ended in small paws while his rather large feet provided him with the needed stability to stand, walk and even jump.

Finally, his tail ended in clover-like shape. All in all, he looked like a walking, talking, and breathing stuffed toy.

While Ranma was still knocked out, Genma finally arrived at the scene, in human form no less. Minutes earlier, he “asked” the Jusenkyo guide if there was a way to cure his curse.

The guide then gave him a kettle filled with hot water before scurrying away with a second kettle, steam still rising from its spout.

While Genma was chasing the guide after he emptied the contents of the kettle on himself, the latter gave him a quick explanation on how hot water reverses the effect of the Jusenkyo curse even if it is only temporarily.

“Oh, the tragedy!!! My son has turned into a toy made for little girls. The horror, the horror!!” The pot-bellied martial artist pranced around holding a microphone with its wire cut as he began his crazy monologue.

“Will you shut it, pops-lapi?” The cursed teenager had enough of his father's antics. He jumped high enough to give the bald-headed old man a needed head-butt.

The blow to the skull wasn't strong enough to push the fat man into another spring but it was sufficient enough to knock him out.

“Damn it all-lapi!!!”

Upon landing on solid ground, the yellow orb on Ranma's neck glowed for a moment before Ranma himself transformed into a green ball of light. He then flew to the far eastern side of the cursed grounds.

“Wait! We have not even introduced ourselves to each other yet,” cried Plum as she chased the flying ball only stopping when her father admonished her.

“Let him go, Plum. He has to sort things out by himself. For now, let us prepare our dinner.2”

The Jusenkyo guide stepped over the still-knocked out Genma and headed for his hut. Plum followed suit minutes later, but not before making a final glance at the ball of light moving farther and farther away.

-oOo-

Ranma set himself down gently at the edge of a cliff overlooking the springs and transformed back into his rabbit form. As he sat on the hard rocky surface, he wondered how he turned into a ball of light in the first place.

“I can answer that-lapi,” answered a high-pitched voice from somewhere.

`Wh-who are you and where are you?'

“I am Flappy, the spirit of the flower-lapi. You can see my body in your reflection, although I think you just did-lapi.” The voice laughed a bit before continuing. “As for where I am, I am inside your mind-lapi.”

`Ok… so you are flower spirit in the form of a stuffed bunny and also currently staying in my head?'

“If you put it that way, then yes I am-lapi. Although I am not a stuffed bunny, whatever that is-lapi. I also secretly guided you to this cliff while you were still a ball of light-lapi.”

Ranma wiped his forehead in relief as he mentally thanked the spirit within his mind as well as introducing himself.

Flappy then tutored him on how to move about in his former body and also taught him a few tricks like turning to a ball of light for long distance traveling. The flower spirit even told him about a special transformation for hiding purposes only.

The two were so busy with the tutorial that neither one noticed the shadowy figure that stopped just behind them.

“Where did that lying idiot go? I was sure he was just about two hundred meters ahead when I last saw him.” The young man mused as he put his heavy backpack down.

He was wearing a yellow T-shirt, black pants, black shoes and a yellow bandanna with black spots. All of which were worn out from constant use.

The medium-built figure looked at his surroundings before he finally realized that this wasn't the mountain path that he had trekked a few minutes earlier.

“Where the hell am I now?!” The figure shouted to the heavens in frustration.

“Will you pipe down for a minute? We're kinda busy here,” squeaked a high pitched voice near him.

The teenaged traveler looked around for the source of the said voice, his eyes widening in surprise.

“Down here, stupid.”

The traveler looked at the ground in front of him angrily before his tanned face scrunched up in confusion.

“I must be hearing things. There is no way a stuffed rabbit can talk. Even if it could, it cannot refer to itself in plural form. I think the heat's finally getting to me.” The young man was looking for shaded spot to sit down and rest when he heard the voice again.

“I'm talking to you, you idiot-lapi. How dare you ignore me-lapi?”

This time, the young man bent down and grabbed the flower spirit roughly with his left hand.

“Listen, you. I have had enough name-calling for today and if you don't want to be tonight's dinner, you better treat me with respect.” The stranger threatened as he throttled the poor stuffed animal, I mean - flower spirit.

Ranma suddenly remembered something as he saw the stranger's face especially the little fangs among his white teeth and felt the increasing pressure in the teen's grip.

“Ryoga, is that you?”

The young man stopped throttling the spirit. Instead, he lifted it to face level and even twirled it around as he examined it closely.

“How did you know my name? Have we met before?”

“I'm Ranma Saotome, you nitwit. So where have you been?”

“I've been arou- wait a minute, how can you be Ranma? He's a fairly muscular guy about my age. You're just a little stuffed animal.” With that, Ryoga set the cursed martial artist down as he held his stomach from laughing too much.

`That's it, he's going down.' Ranma saw red as he was being ridiculed by what he thought was his best friend.

“I'm with you in this one-lapi.” Flappy added as he was thoroughly insulted by the fanged boy's words and actions.

Ryoga did not know what hit him as “the little stuffed animal” head-butted him into the cliff edge.

Losing his balance, he then fell off the cliff towards the “spring of the drowned piglet” near the base of the cliff while shouting the cursed teenager's name in both anger and surprise.

`Gee, maybe we went a little too far,' mused Ranma as he peered down at the edge of the cliff before rearing his head back quickly and wincing when Ryoga hit the cursed spring below with a loud splash.

“I guess we did-lapi. We'll apologize to him later-lapi.”

Thus neither Ranma nor Flappy witnessed Ryoga's transformation as he surfaced on the said spring a few seconds later when they resumed their interrupted lessons.

Flappy had the cursed teen perform some simple exercises like touching his toes, twirling his arms, and bending his body. This helped Ranma get used to his new form better.

After ten minutes of exercising, Ranma then jumped as high as he can before dive-kicking the barren trunk of the tree nearest the cliff.

As the green rabbit's feet made contact, it then used as the tree trunk as a springboard to return to his starting point. By then, Ranma was confident that he can use his limbs as well as his head in his later attacks. He'll just have to adjust for the sudden decrease in reach.

While Ranma was training himself, he also answered Flappy's questions about his own life.

“You mean, your father took you from home at a very young age just to train in martial arts-lapi? Is he insane-lapi?!” Flappy shrieked in horror

`I'm not sure about the very young age part, but yes I'm with him as long as I can remember. As for the insane part, sometimes even I think he is a little loony but I'm beginning to understand him now, sort of.'

“Oh, then why did he do it then, Ranma - lapi?”

`It's because he believes that I will become the greatest martial artist in the world…and I believe him. Just don't tell anyone about that, ok?'

“Ok, but still, throwing you into a pit full of hungry cats to learn a forbidden technique won't win the `Father of the Year' award- lapi. If we can separate, I'll teach him a thing or two about human rights-lapi.”

The flower spirit stopped ranting as he felt Ranma's sudden mirth all around him. “What's so funny- lapi?”

`Sorry, sorry. It's just that when you told me that you'd teach Pops about human rights, I just can't help laughing.'

“Humph, see if I care when you get in trouble again- lapi.”

`Aw c'mon, Flappy. I was just jokin'. I mean, thanks for being my friend. I sure need one right about now.'

“Your welcome-lapi. Of course as punishment for laughing at me, you have to transform to a ball of light again and float past the cliff until I tell you to stop-lapi.”

`Aw, c'mon. That's cruel, man. What if I fall into the springs below?'

“That's why you have to concentrate, Ranma -lapi. Just think of it as a challenge from me and you'll be fine-lapi.”

`Alright, let's do it.'

The training continued until the reddening sun began to hide itself behind the Kunlun Mountains on the western side of Jusenkyo. By then, Ranma rested for half an hour before changing himself back to light ball form for the third time that day and gliding to the only hut in the entire valley.

-oOo-

After Ranma knocked on the hut's wooden door in his rabbit form, he was again glomped by an ecstatic Plum. She then told him of the naked guy that bowled her over as she was nearing the hut from the northern part of the valley.

From her accurate and blushing description of him, Ranma surmised that the naked guy is actually his old friend, Ryoga Hibiki. The only thing that puzzled him and Flappy is how Ryoga got there first.

Plum changed Ranma back to his true form while he hid himself in a makeshift changing room composed of a white sheet hung on a string. The string itself was tied to two concrete nails in the blank wall opposite the door.

She also explained that the curse is actually reversible and hot water is the key. After putting on a spare dogi, he then confronted the two older men about Ryoga's earlier appearance in the hut.

The Jusenkyo guide confessed that Genma had caught a black piglet, with a yellow bandanna with black spots around its neck, splashing around in a spring near a cliff, hours earlier.

Since Plum has not returned yet from her shopping trip in the neighboring village, both men then chose to make pork cutlet from their “prize catch”.

As the guide lowered the struggling piglet to the heated water, it transformed into a naked black-haired young man still wearing the bandanna and ran out of the hut.

He also explained the “cursed spring of the drowned piglet” where Ryoga fell into in slightly broken Japanese.

“Black piglet drowned there two thousand years ago. Now, anyone who fell in spring turn into a black piglet. Your friend very unlucky, no?”

Ranma shook his head in dismay at what had happened while he was trained by Flappy. Both he and said flower spirit made a promise to apologize for what they had done when given the chance.

The four occupants of the hut ate a delicious meal composed of some cooked beef, rice and vegetables.

Afterwards, they had a serious discussion on how to permanently cure their curses that only ended in frustration for the cursed individuals.

The reality is that jumping in a cursed spring that would reverse the previous one may end in disaster such as mixing curses together or worse.

Some said that the magic of Jusenkyo may have a mind of its own and thus is unpredictable to see what would result by falling into a certain spring.

It was also said that a young Amazon woman once fell into the spring of the drowned man. She tried to reverse her curse by jumping on the spring of a drowned girl.

What happened was that she can only change into her original gender with cold water and change back into a man with hot water.

In the end, both Saotomes chose to keep their current curses for the given reasons or face a similar if not an even worse fate.

-oOo-

Further into the night, Ranma had a strange dream about an Earth-like world covered in giant springs being ravaged and the springs themselves being destroyed left and right.

After waking up covered with sweat with his wet undershirt clinging to his upper torso, he then asked the flower spirit on what the strange dream was all about.

Flappy then told Ranma what he knew about the Dark Fall. Their main purpose is to destroy the World Tree in the Land of Fountains or the Earth-like world in Ranma's dream and Flappy's home world.

The World Tree is the source of life for all worlds in the universe. He also told him about his friend and crush - Choppy, the bird spirit.

Both he and Choppy separated near the gate to the Land of Greenery while being chased a high ranking member of Dark Fall but he was critically injured as he was pushed into a portal by a rather powerful energy strike.

He ended up above the cursed springs barely alive and losing all hope of seeing his crush and his home world ever again.

He also told the cursed teenager about the seven fountains or holy springs in the Land of Fountains, which feed the World Tree and that six of them were already dried up by Dark Fall.

Only the Fountain of Sun remains and he is one of the two spirits, the other being Choppy herself, who knew its true location or so the enemy thought.

The being who did know the aforementioned location is a certain Princess Filia whose whereabouts is also presently unknown. Thankfully for them, Dark Fall hasn't arrived in the Land of Greenery - Earth itself. At least, not yet.

`Alright, let me get this straight. You were on the run from some evil dudes who destroyed your home world and ended up here, right?'

“Yes, I'm more worried about Choppy though-lapi. I do not know where she had gone to and even how we can find the legendary warriors who will restore the holy fountains and defeat the Dark Fall -lapi.”

`From what you told me, I'm sure she'll be fine. Besides, maybe we can meet her and the warriors you mentioned in our later travels.'

“I really hope so-lapi. Still, thank you for listening-lapi.”

`You're welcome, pal.'

Both felt themselves being sucked into the dark vortex called sleep. In moments, a third snoring sound joined the louder two in perfect symphony.

-oOo-

Morning came a little too quickly for the pony-tailed teen. As he yawned and stretched his arms, his nose caught the scent of freshly cooked rice and newly fried eggs. He immediately stood up and folded his sleeping bag and replaced it in his traveling pack.

After doing the rest of the morning ablutions, he joined the other three in having breakfast. After eating, Plum collected the dishes for washing in the nearby stream.

The guide then led Genma to his storage room at the back of the house so he can give the bald martial artist a magical wooden sign and black marker.

These items would help him communicate while in panda form. Ranma was about to meditate when Plum asked him to bring the clothes she will wash after she finished cleaning the dishes.

He was about to say no but changed his mind when he saw the large reed basket where a mound of clothes were kept and the pouting lips on her cute face. Moreover, her father was also glaring at him for not being helpful enough.

-oOo-

“How about I escort you to the nearest village, Plum? It's the least I can do for all the trouble we caused.” Ranma tried his best to at least be more helpful before he and Genma leave for the eastern coast. He and Plum were bringing the used dishes and dirty clothes to a nearby stream for washing.

“No, it's ok. The nearest village is chockfull of Amazons who think women are superior to all men. And it will be worse in your cursed forms, I can assure you.”

“How so?” Ranma scratched his head in confusion.

“For one thing, if you think my hugging you is bad, try being in middle of a tug of war between two or more Amazon women. The winner gets to hug you constantly and even keep you as a pet.” Plum answered with a sly smile.

The pony-tailed teen thought about it for a moment before shuddering violently.

“Good point. Well then, how about I clean your place before we -.” Ranma never finished his sentence when they heard Genma's loud voice.

“Let's go, boy! We still have to do some training back in Japan.”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever floats your boat, old man.” Ranma shouted back. Turning back to the double pigtailed girl, he added blushing.

“Thanks, Plum. I hope I can repay you and your father someday.”

“Maybe, but for now you better be moving or Mr. Saotome will leave you with us.” She answered as she pushed him on his way.

The Saotomes waved their goodbyes at the new friends as they took another mountain path back out of the Banyakala Mountains heading east.

-oOo-

Nearly a week had passed by and the Saotomes have almost used up their food supplies. It was not surprising since they had used up a lot of energy to cross narrow mountain paths, climb steep cliffs, and swim thorough deep rivers or in Ranma's case- fly over it.

They had already crossed the Kunlun mountain range and were now in the lowlands of eastern China.

They were now in the north-western vicinity of the Lanzhou city in Gansu province. Ranma was getting used to Flappy's form as it did provide some advantages like flight, which far outweighs the disadvantages like the decrease in physical strength and very short reach.

The daily father and son sparring sessions has degenerated into a giant panda trying to hit a small floating ball of light or leaping stuffed bunny and getting pummeled in return. This was especially true after getting caught in a sudden rainstorm.

This prompted Genma to secure a thermos on both their backpacks, preferably with hot water whenever possible. Still his panda form has proven useful for him too since his strength was greatly increased at the cost of his lowered agility.

On the other hand, Ranma's agility and speed had nearly tripled due to his smaller size even though his strength had been halved. All in all, their cursed bodies were simply a mixed bag for them.

The only thing that did change even if only at the start is Ranma's behavior as they walked. More often then not, he would be hit with a surprise or unwarranted attack from his father.

It was as if his mind was not focused on his immediate surroundings. The elder Saotome did ask about it once but was simply told to mind his own business. Ranma did a complete 180 degree turn afterwards.

`Hmm, my son must be hiding something from me. No matter, he will tell me all about it on his own.' The now panda thought as they made camp in the city limits.

The Saotome family had been drenched by a sudden cloudburst while they were passing some newly planted rice fields on their way to Lanzhou, just after they had eaten lunch.

He then set his thoughts on how to “procure” more food supplies and money to continue their journey back to Japan while he waited for the water in the kettle that placed over the bonfire to warm up.

In the meantime, Flappy was excited to see a real city since he had only seen small villages, rice fields, and mountains for the most part of the journey.

Ranma had turned himself back to human form as he prepared the bedrolls and tents. The elder Saotome had used his curse as an excuse from setting up camp (“Giant pandas do not set up camp,” he explained through the wooden sign).

“Hey, Ranma, can we enter the city- lapi? Please, please, please- lapi?”

`Sure, Flappy. I'll bet Pop has a plan to increase our food supplies and traveling money. He always has an ace up his sleeves when it comes to getting free food and quick cash.' The pony-tailed teen answered as he lay down in his sleeping bag.

“Ranma, go to sleep. I have something for you to do while we are here in Lanzhou.” Genma said after he used the heated water on himself to change back into human form and prepared for bed.

-oOo-

The next morning, both Saotomes had a fierce sparring session before finishing off the last of the food reserves. After they had packed everything up, Genma discussed his new plan.

“Boy, as you have noticed we have used up all of our food. We need to buy more food but whatever money we do have will not suffice for an overland trip to Shanghai.” The elder Saotome began.

“I'll say. Since you have been cursed as a giant panda, your appetite has more then doubled in intensity especially if it involves bamboo shoots.” chided Ranma as he hid a snicker with his right hand. Flappy was literally rolling on the floor in laughter within Ranma's mental landscape.

“Silence, boy. I am very serious here. I have found a way for us to get a lot of money without working for it.”

“Whoopee, yet another hare-brained scheme from the great Genma Saotome, so what is it this time?”

Genma had enough of being made fun of and attacked his ungrateful son. The fight ended quickly with him lying on the dirt, his nose touching the ground.

“Listen, boy. Unless you enjoy doing menial work that will only cut down your training, we will do this my way.” He said gasping, after he rolled onto his back.

“I'm listening, Pops.” Ranma was standing over his father, his arms akimbo.

Genma then explained his new plan to his son. The plan involved Ranma in his cursed form doing circus tricks like going through wooden hoops to entertain the townspeople.

At first, the teenager refused since it would be a very embarrassing experience for him. It was only when he learned that the alternative was cleaning pig pens in the local piggery that he quickly agreed to the proposal.

-oOo-

By late morning at the city's small park, a large crowd had formed around a bald headed man wearing a white gi and a bandanna to match, the latter covering his head. He was ordering a little green bunny to jump through the wooden hoop he held in his right hand.

The little animal complied and later jumped thorough a similar hoop, which was set on fire and also pierced by a metal rod at its bottom loop. The rod itself was spiked to the ground. The still growing audience gleefully watched the little show and later paid handsomely for the impromptu performance.

By late afternoon, the cash gathered amounted to about two thousand five hundred Yuan. The money was sufficient enough for a month's supply of food.

By evening, the Saotome family was gorging on newly bought rice and vegetables.

Unknown to the Saotomes, one of their earlier audiences has a different plan in mind for them. He had already contacted his Elders by telephone and was currently keeping an eye on the cursed family through his hotel room's windows.

The great Chinese cross-country chase has just begun.

That's it for the introducing chapter. On the next chapter, the Saotome family is chased by a mysterious group across eastern China. Also, we may probably see the “old friend” Genma was referring to before he got unceremoniously dunked.

Explanations:

1- Ranma ends his sentences in lapi whenever he is excited, anxious, depressed, or angry while in his cursed form. This is a side-effect of said form in which he does the above action unconsciously. Also, Flappy naturally speaks this way.

2- This time, the guide spoke to his daughter- Plum in Mandarin.

See you in Chapter Two - Magic, Mayhem and Martial Arts Training.