Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ China Girl ❯ Wake Up Mornings ( Chapter 4 )
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: SaotomeRanchan 
Anime/Manga: Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Martial Arts | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.25.2001 | Pages: 8 | Words: 3.6K | Visits: 963 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Martial Arts | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.25.2001 | Pages: 8 | Words: 3.6K | Visits: 963 | Status: Work In Progress
China Girl
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by Saotome Ranchan
SaotomeRanchan@allaboutranma.com
http://www.allaboutranma.c om/fanfics/China_Girl/
[ Chinese ]
* italics *
Author's notes, acknowledgements, and disclaimers to
follow. Who wants to read that first when there's a story
waiting?
What's happened previously:
A dangerously depressed and newly cursed Ranma is
brought to the Joketsukozu village, Nyuuchiezu Genjudi,
where he is given into the care of Pao Da, an Amazon elder
highly experienced in aiding Jusenkyo victims. Pao Da
begins helping Ranma accept his female side and lose his
sexist beliefs by having him train with both the Amazon girls
and men. However, no one had expected Ranma to be
such a talented martial artist. After viewing a vivid display of
the teen's skills, Chief Elder Ke Lon orders Pao Da to teach
Ranma to channel and control his ki. Meanwhile, Ranma and
his panda Pop become better acquainted with the Amazon
village.
----------------------------------------- ---
Book One: Learning to Accept
Chapter Four: Wake Up Mornings
--------------------------------------------
Ranma-chan hauled her father away from the weapons store,
her face brick-red from embarrassment. Stopping in a small
clearing, she rounded on the giant panda.
"You just couldn't help yourself, could ya, Pop?" she
shouted, her small hands balled into white-knuckled fists. "Did
it ever cross your furry little mind that just maybe panda
paws weren't built to handle wushu weapons?! I can't
believe you even tried that move!! What on earth were you
thinking?!!"
"Browr... " Genma replied, shuffling his feet in the grass.
Ranma shook a finger in his face. "I don't want you touching
anything that remotely requires fingers!" she railed. "You are
*so* lucky that pudao went flying into that wall hanging
instead of into the storekeeper's face. Just a few inches over
and you'd have been his family's new panda-hide rug... and
I'da helped them skin ya!!"
Fuming, the redhead stomped over to a nearby tree and
threw herself down beneath it, glaring at her father. she
grumbled to herself. Although Ranma preferred hand-to-hand combat,
she *had* trained with various weapons, including her
mother's favorite, the katana. For her, browsing a shop
specializing in nothing but weapons was like taking a small
child to a candy store -- so many different kinds, some she'd
never even seen before. Ranma sighed.
Grinning wickedly, Ranma pulled out the canteen of hot water
and unscrewed the lid, setting it on the ground beside her.
Genma saw the steam rising from the open container and
quickly sat down across from the cursed youth.
"Tea, please!" his sign said as he put on his best "I'm just a
cute panda" face.
Ranma smirked. "Oh, I'll give ya tea," she said, pouring the
hot water into a disposable cup. She held it out to her father,
but when Genma reached for it, Ranma quickly snatched it
away and upended it over her head.
The panda promptly fainted.
he thought.
*****
When Ranma returned several minutes later, he found Pao
Da sitting beside his unconscious father, snacking on some
dumplings. She looked up at the pigtailed youth and
grinned.
"I see nobody has explained the effects of hot water on a
Jusenkyo curse to your father either," she noted wryly.
"Serves him right," Ranma groused. "He practically killed the
owner of the weapons shop trying to reverse his grip on a
pudao."
Pao Da chuckled, visualizing an armed Genma-Panda
clumsily twirling the bladed wushu weapon. "I'm surprised
Bu Leidu even allowed him in the shop. He is notoriously
picky when it comes to his customers."
Ranma harrumphed. "No kiddin'. I just went back in as me
and he practically chased me out of the place."
"Of course he did, child! Did you actually believe he'd allow a
male outsider to get a look at Amazon weaponry?"
The teen grimaced. "He didn't have any problem when I
was in my girl form," he complained.
The blue-haired warrior polished off her snack. "That is
understandable. Your girl form has become the subject of
much discussion in Nyuuchiezu Genjudi," she explained.
"Plus, it's well known that you are under my protection.
However, very few have seen your male form in my
company." She watched Ranma's shoulders droop slightly.
"It's for the best, child," she added gently. "It simply wouldn't
do for one of the Elders to be seen training a male outsider."
Ranma nodded in resignation, then realized what the
Amazon had said. "You're gonna train me?" he asked,
incredulous.
Pao Da nodded. "Our Chief Elder, Ke Lon, has requested
this of me, and I agree with her reasons. The choice is yours,
child, but before you choose, there are several things you
should know."
"Such as...?" Ranma prompted.
Pao Da held up a finger. "First, never has an outsider -- male
or female -- been trained in Amazon techniques. What you
learn here you may not teach to anyone else except
members of your own family." She glanced at the
unconscious panda beside her. "Of course, that part is up to
you.
"Second, Amazon techniques are combat techniques,
developed and sharpened throughout 3,000 years of
history. These techniques are not meant for show. By
choosing to learn them, you agree that you will not flaunt
these moves or use them for anything other than to
devastate a deadly opponent."
Ranma nodded. "Those don't seem too unreasonable," he
said. "Anything else?"
The Joketsukozu woman's expression became stern. "Only
this: the reason Ke Lon asked me to accept this undertaking,
child, is that somehow you have managed to accomplish
something that perhaps a dozen warriors have managed in
the last century. Somehow, you are tapping into your ki and
using it to augment your already formidable skills."
Ranma blanched. "I... I am?"
Pao Da nodded. "Yes, child. You are unaware that you are
doing this, and this is why we seek to teach you. Untrained,
you might expend too much energy, endangering those
around you. Or worse, you might deplete your life force to
the point that it can no longer sustain you."
She paused to allow her words to sink in. "Our training is
rigorous, child. What I have seen from you tells me you are
more than up for the challenge. Will you accept, and allow
me to teach you?"
Ranma's mind reeled. He finally understood why he was
able to leap so high, strike so fast, punch so hard. And now,
he was being given an opportunity that had never before
been offered to a non-Amazon.
Grinning, the youth placed his hands on the grass and
bowed to the Genjudi elder, touching his forehead to the
ground. "Shall we begin, Sensei?"
*****
Genma was having the strangest dream. He was lying
beneath an ancient oak, enjoying the afternoon sunshine and
the fragrance of the nearby flowers. Actually, that part of the
dream wasn't so unusual for him. What was strange was that
the flowers' scent seemed to be drawing some really
humongous insects, huge brightly colored creatures that
bounced between the blooms and buzzed along the rooftops.
The bugs hadn't tried to sting him or anything, but they were
still, well, bugging him.
"Are you ready for what comes next?" a husky and very
feminine voice breathlessly asked.
The middle-aged martial artist smiled in his sleep.
"Just show me what you want me to do," a young, sultry,
and unmistakably female voice replied.
"GROWF!!" Genma shot up, almost swallowing his tongue.
Blinking, he saw Pao Da and Ranma -- in girl form -- staring at
him in alarm. Realizing the voices in his dream belonged to
them, he blushed... as well as a panda could blush, that is.
"Yo Pop, what's the matter? You have a nightmare or
somethin'?" Ranma asked, her hands on her hips. Pao Da
looked on, concerned.
Genma found his paws very interesting all of a sudden.
Ranma shook her head in disgust. "Oyaji no baka, goin' and
scarin' us like that!" She turned back to the blue-haired
Amazon. "So, whaddya want me to try now?"
Genma's eyes grew wide as he watched the Joketsukozu
elder leap straight up, landing nimbly on the Council Hall
roof. From there, Pao Da dashed to the edge of the eaves
and jumped, touching down on top of the hospital -- more
than 15 meters away. Spinning gracefully, she launched
herself back in the air and retraced her path back to the
Saotomes.
"Browr! Browr browr browr!" Genma said in amazement.
Ranma ignored the flabbergasted panda. "Gotcha, teach!"
she said. Furrowing her brow in concentration, the redheaded
girl flexed her knees, sprang to the top of the hall, and
followed the route Pao Da had just taken.
"Excellent, child. You're learning very quickly," the elder
noted with pride when Ranma was back on the ground.
"Now, are you up for a game of tag?"
Before Ranma could answer, Pao Da planted a palm strike
on the girl's sternum and leapt up, retreating across the
rooftops.
Ranma steadied herself and shook a fist at the escaping
elder. "Oh, no you don't!" she hollered, following quickly in
the Amazon's footsteps.
Genma watched as his child and the Chinese woman
bounced from building to building, flitting from the park to the
rooftops at high speeds and with total disregard for the
amount of airspace they were crossing. The gravity-defying
display was just too much for his panda mind to handle.
he thought as he
retreated to the less mind-boggling haven of
unconsciousness.
*****
Pao Da raced through Nyuuchiezu Genjudi, her silk robes
billowing out behind her. The early morning air chilled her
cheeks, tinting them a healthy rose, and her silver eyes
sparkled in merriment. She'd long given up on her hair, which
had started out in a tidy trio of braids but now streamed
loosely down her back. Casting a look over her shoulder,
she laughed and quickened her pace through the village.
Several meters behind her, Ranma noticed the change in the
elder's stride and increased her speed accordingly. The
young martial artist wasn't anywhere near exerting herself --
she was to accustomed to daily jogs to break a sweat. What
differed about this morning's run, however, was that she was
sprinting across the village rooftops rather than along the
roads. she wondered idly.
She'd been a little hesitant when the blue-haired Amazon
had suggested the rooftop run as a morning warm-up. The
last thing Ranma wanted was a bunch of angry Joketsukozu
chasing after her with repair bills. Pao Da had assured her that
the village's most elite warriors built up their speed and
stamina this way, however, so Ranma finally agreed. She
was glad she had -- the view of the sleepy town and the
nearby mountains was stunning.
Noting that Pao Da had paused on top of the village bakery,
25 meters away, Ranma tapped into her ki and propelled
herself through the air, landing neatly beside her instructor.
Pao Da grinned. "Excellent, child. You've gotten the hang of
ki-enhanced leaps down quickly. It's now time to move on to
something else."
"Would that be breakfast?" the cursed teen asked, the
aroma of freshly baked breads making her stomach grumble.
"Not quite yet," the Amazon replied, her eyes twinkling.
"There's something I want to show you."
"Okay, Sensei, but I gotta warn you, working out makes me
even hungrier," she informed Pao Da with a grin.
The Amazon laughed. "My treat, once we're done with this.
Deal?"
"Deal!"
"Good," Pao Da commented. Turning sideways, she pointed
to the stone wall behind her. "Now tell me what this is."
Ranma peered at the massive stone structure, then at her
instructor. "It's a wall." She smiled brightly. "We done now?"
Pao Da gazed at her steadily. "Cute. Anyway, yes, this is
the wall that surrounds our village. It's approximately 5
meters high and has a sentryway built into the top. I want
you to run around the village once, using the sentryway as
your path."
Ranma smirked. "Is that all? Piece a' cake!" Tapping into her
ki once again, Ranma leapt the 30 meters between the
bakery and the top of the wall... and lost her balance the
instant her foot touched the stone. Flapping her arms
frantically, she plummeted backwards, landing flat on the
grass below.
"Ouch," she whimpered weakly.
Pao Da nimbly jumped down beside her. "You should know
this by now, child," she tsked sympathetically. "Never judge
someone -- or something -- by appearance. The village wall
seems well fortified... and it is, being a full 2 meters wide.
Except for the very top of the sentryway, where it's only 5
centimeters thick. That's where you'll be running."
The Japanese teen sat up, her hands supporting her head.
"I musta really landed badly," she complained. "I coulda
sworn you said I had to run on a 5-centimeter wide path... "
Pao Da crossed her arms. "Nice try, child," she commented.
"How about this -- while you're running around the village, I'll
go in and buy some breakfast pastries for us."
Ranma responded by jumping straight off the ground onto
the skinny stone landing above. Bowing, she winked at the
Amazon. "Be right back!" she called out, sprinting away at a
good pace.
When Ranma made it back to her starting point, she found
Pao Da standing by the wall, a bakery box in her hands.
"Again," the elder told her.
"Again?" the teen echoed, stunned by the command.
Pao Da looked at her coolly.
Ranma set off once more, at an even faster clip than before.
When she'd circled back again, Pao Da had the bakery box
open and was about to bite into a freshly baked custard bun.
"Again," the Amazon repeated, sinking her teeth into the
pastry.
Fuming, Ranma dashed off.
"Again." This time, it was a glazed lemon twist.
"Again." A lotus-nut roll.
"Again." Cinnamon bread.
"Oi, Sensei! When exactly am I gonna get to eat?" Ranma
griped, glaring down at her instructor.
Pao Da smiled. "New deal. One more lap, and when you
get back you can have whatever's left in the box." She held
it open so the redhead could see the half-dozen remaining
treats.
"You're on!" Reaching deep within, Ranma charged her legs
and lungs with ki, blurring from view as she sped around
Genjudi. Racing the morning breeze, she was back at the
bakery in a matter of minutes.
Pao Da sat on the grass below the wall, daintily wiping her
fingers on a paper napkin. An empty bakery box was at her
side.
The redhead's jaw hit the ground. "AAAUGH!!" she cried out
in disbelief.
The blue-haired woman stood up and adjusted her robes.
"Ah, nothing hits the spot like Fu Laru's breakfast rolls,"
she sighed happily. "I can never get enough."
Ranma face-faulted.
"But where were we, child?" the Joketsukozu continued. "Oh,
yes. You managed to access your ki to increase your running
speed. How did that feel to you?"
Ranma scratched the back of her head in thought. "It felt... like
time was standing still, and I was running right through it," she
finally said.
Pao Da gave her a big smile. "Excellent. And I'll bet you
never gave another thought to how wide or narrow that
surface you were running on was, correct?"
The pigtailed girl started in surprise.
The elder watched Ranma's reaction. "We use that narrow bit
of sentryway to teach our most formidable warriors how to
keep their footing while in battle conditions. It's a balance
exercise more than anything, but I find it effective for building
speed, too. And now, as a reward for doing so well... " She
reached into her silk robes and pulled out another bakery
box.
Ranma's eyes lit up and she quickly hopped down to the
ground. "Xiexie, Most Respected Elder!" she declared,
hungrily reaching for the box.
Pao Da pulled it away at the last moment. "Wait! I totally
forgot about the second part of that training exercise!" she
exclaimed, her voice heavy with mock-regret.
Ranma quirked an eyebrow. "And just what would that be?"
The blue-haired woman smiled mischievously. "One more
lap... carrying me."
Ranma's face fell, and she eyed the elder, then the empty
bakery box at her feet. "Just how many of those pastries did
you eat again?" she asked morosely.
*****
As the cursed youth suspected, Pao Da's promise of one
more lap stretched into yet another lap, carrying the Amazon
with nothing except her hands, and another lap after that,
carrying not only Pao Da but the full bakery box as well. As
if that weren't enough, the Joketsukozu woman kept reaching
into the carton and pulling out a pastry, waving it just inches
from the famished teen.
"Hurry up, child," she told Ranma, "these baked goods don't
have all morning, you know."
Ranma grunted and sped up, thoughts of custard, cream,
cinnamon, and pineapple spurring her on. An abrupt cry from
Pao Da jarred her from her sugary reverie, however.
"HALT!"
Ranma skidded to a stop and looked around wildly,
expecting to see armed invaders coming over the horizon.
"What?! What is it? What?" she cried, trying to identify what
caused Pao Da to shout like that.
A finger tapping her shoulder brought her attention back to
the elder, who was regarding her with amusement. "Just how
many more laps did you plan on running, child?" Pao Da
inquired. "You've raced past the starting point twice now."
Ranma stared at her blankly, then realized that she was still
hefting the Amazon -- and the box of baked goods -- in her
hands and barely feeling the weight. "I did it again, didn't I?"
the redhead asked, a smile slowly spreading across her face.
"Yes, child, and incidentally, you can put me down now."
Ranma flushed and, jumping down to the ground, set Pao
Da carefully on the ground.
"Still, you had to be goaded into accessing your ki instead of
tapping into it at will. That will be of no use to you if your
enemy isn't taunting you with food. You need to be able to
use that energy effortlessly, in a controlled manner, at the
drop of a hat."
The criticism wiped the smile off the young martial artist's
face. Seeing her student's shoulders droop, Pao Da tipped
Ranma's head up to look her in the eyes. "Don't be so
down, child. What you accomplished today has taken many
an Amazon weeks to achieve. Yet here you are, progressing
at lightning speed. You should be very proud of yourself."
Ranma searched Pao Da's eyes for any signs the elder might
simply be consoling her, but nothing reflected in those
silvery depths except the truth. Satisfied, the teen grinned
and held her hands out for her reward.
Pao Da laughed and handed over the carton. "A breakfast
well earned, I might add," she told the redhead, who quickly
sat down and stuffed a cream horn in her mouth. "Just stay
here, eat, and rest up a bit. I have to go arrange for your
afternoon training."
Ranma's eyebrows shot up. "Huh?" she mumbled around a
mouthful of pastry.
The Genjudi woman chuckled. "Child, believe it or not, I *do*
have responsibilities to this village. I should be done about
sunset or so, but for the rest of the morning and this
afternoon I'm going to have you train with another Joketsukozu."
Ranma wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Will they
have permission to work with me like you've been doin'?"
"The authorization came from the Chief Elder herself," Pao
Da assured her.
The cursed boy considered this. "Okay, but it'll be weird
workin' with someone I don't know," Ranma finally said.
"It'll be fine, child, believe me. I put my utmost faith in this
person," the elder said. "They'll be here momentarily."
Bowing slightly, Pao Da strode off, her silver robes flashing
in the morning light.
Ranma watched the Amazon leave and, shrugging, carried
her box over to a nearby tree and plunked herself down.
Selecting a plump red bean bun, she leaned back against
the trunk and started working her way through the assorted
treats.
The sound of a throat being cleared nearby startled the
redhead just as she was polishing off the last pastry.
Jumping up, Ranma assumed a loose ready stance. "Who's
there?" she called out in challenge.
A tall figure stepped out from behind the bakery and
approached her slowly. "Stand down, Saotome Ranma, I'm
not here to hurt you. Pao Da sent me to work with you
today."
It was the master weaver ... and he was holding a canteen of
steaming hot water.
(to be continued)
--------------------------------------------
A uthor's Notes:
Thanks to everyone who has read and continues to read
China Girl. Your interest in my fic means a lot to me!
A pudao -- the weapon that Genma-Panda mishandles -- is
a broad, curving blade set on a pole-like handle, with a metal
ring at the opposite end of the handle. Definitely high on the
ouch scale.
Disclaimers:
Ranma 1/2 is a creation of Takahashi Rumiko. All rights
belong to Takahashi-san, Shogakukan, Kitty, Viz, and
countless other entities with the power to sue me for
borrowing them for a little while. Please don't -- I'm a
starving, penniless otaku!
All original characters belong to me... if you'd like them to visit
your fanfics, just ask! I don't mind, as long as you remember to
feed them.
--------------------------------------------
Chapte r Five coming soon!
C&C welcome at saotomeranchan@allaboutranma.com. No
flames, please ... I'm as sensitive as Tendo Soun!
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by Saotome Ranchan
SaotomeRanchan@allaboutranma.com
http://www.allaboutranma.c om/fanfics/China_Girl/
[ Chinese ]
* italics *
Author's notes, acknowledgements, and disclaimers to
follow. Who wants to read that first when there's a story
waiting?
What's happened previously:
A dangerously depressed and newly cursed Ranma is
brought to the Joketsukozu village, Nyuuchiezu Genjudi,
where he is given into the care of Pao Da, an Amazon elder
highly experienced in aiding Jusenkyo victims. Pao Da
begins helping Ranma accept his female side and lose his
sexist beliefs by having him train with both the Amazon girls
and men. However, no one had expected Ranma to be
such a talented martial artist. After viewing a vivid display of
the teen's skills, Chief Elder Ke Lon orders Pao Da to teach
Ranma to channel and control his ki. Meanwhile, Ranma and
his panda Pop become better acquainted with the Amazon
village.
----------------------------------------- ---
Book One: Learning to Accept
Chapter Four: Wake Up Mornings
--------------------------------------------
Ranma-chan hauled her father away from the weapons store,
her face brick-red from embarrassment. Stopping in a small
clearing, she rounded on the giant panda.
"You just couldn't help yourself, could ya, Pop?" she
shouted, her small hands balled into white-knuckled fists. "Did
it ever cross your furry little mind that just maybe panda
paws weren't built to handle wushu weapons?! I can't
believe you even tried that move!! What on earth were you
thinking?!!"
"Browr... " Genma replied, shuffling his feet in the grass.
Ranma shook a finger in his face. "I don't want you touching
anything that remotely requires fingers!" she railed. "You are
*so* lucky that pudao went flying into that wall hanging
instead of into the storekeeper's face. Just a few inches over
and you'd have been his family's new panda-hide rug... and
I'da helped them skin ya!!"
Fuming, the redhead stomped over to a nearby tree and
threw herself down beneath it, glaring at her father. she
grumbled to herself. Although Ranma preferred hand-to-hand combat,
she *had* trained with various weapons, including her
mother's favorite, the katana. For her, browsing a shop
specializing in nothing but weapons was like taking a small
child to a candy store -- so many different kinds, some she'd
never even seen before. Ranma sighed.
Grinning wickedly, Ranma pulled out the canteen of hot water
and unscrewed the lid, setting it on the ground beside her.
Genma saw the steam rising from the open container and
quickly sat down across from the cursed youth.
"Tea, please!" his sign said as he put on his best "I'm just a
cute panda" face.
Ranma smirked. "Oh, I'll give ya tea," she said, pouring the
hot water into a disposable cup. She held it out to her father,
but when Genma reached for it, Ranma quickly snatched it
away and upended it over her head.
The panda promptly fainted.
he thought.
*****
When Ranma returned several minutes later, he found Pao
Da sitting beside his unconscious father, snacking on some
dumplings. She looked up at the pigtailed youth and
grinned.
"I see nobody has explained the effects of hot water on a
Jusenkyo curse to your father either," she noted wryly.
"Serves him right," Ranma groused. "He practically killed the
owner of the weapons shop trying to reverse his grip on a
pudao."
Pao Da chuckled, visualizing an armed Genma-Panda
clumsily twirling the bladed wushu weapon. "I'm surprised
Bu Leidu even allowed him in the shop. He is notoriously
picky when it comes to his customers."
Ranma harrumphed. "No kiddin'. I just went back in as me
and he practically chased me out of the place."
"Of course he did, child! Did you actually believe he'd allow a
male outsider to get a look at Amazon weaponry?"
The teen grimaced. "He didn't have any problem when I
was in my girl form," he complained.
The blue-haired warrior polished off her snack. "That is
understandable. Your girl form has become the subject of
much discussion in Nyuuchiezu Genjudi," she explained.
"Plus, it's well known that you are under my protection.
However, very few have seen your male form in my
company." She watched Ranma's shoulders droop slightly.
"It's for the best, child," she added gently. "It simply wouldn't
do for one of the Elders to be seen training a male outsider."
Ranma nodded in resignation, then realized what the
Amazon had said. "You're gonna train me?" he asked,
incredulous.
Pao Da nodded. "Our Chief Elder, Ke Lon, has requested
this of me, and I agree with her reasons. The choice is yours,
child, but before you choose, there are several things you
should know."
"Such as...?" Ranma prompted.
Pao Da held up a finger. "First, never has an outsider -- male
or female -- been trained in Amazon techniques. What you
learn here you may not teach to anyone else except
members of your own family." She glanced at the
unconscious panda beside her. "Of course, that part is up to
you.
"Second, Amazon techniques are combat techniques,
developed and sharpened throughout 3,000 years of
history. These techniques are not meant for show. By
choosing to learn them, you agree that you will not flaunt
these moves or use them for anything other than to
devastate a deadly opponent."
Ranma nodded. "Those don't seem too unreasonable," he
said. "Anything else?"
The Joketsukozu woman's expression became stern. "Only
this: the reason Ke Lon asked me to accept this undertaking,
child, is that somehow you have managed to accomplish
something that perhaps a dozen warriors have managed in
the last century. Somehow, you are tapping into your ki and
using it to augment your already formidable skills."
Ranma blanched. "I... I am?"
Pao Da nodded. "Yes, child. You are unaware that you are
doing this, and this is why we seek to teach you. Untrained,
you might expend too much energy, endangering those
around you. Or worse, you might deplete your life force to
the point that it can no longer sustain you."
She paused to allow her words to sink in. "Our training is
rigorous, child. What I have seen from you tells me you are
more than up for the challenge. Will you accept, and allow
me to teach you?"
Ranma's mind reeled. He finally understood why he was
able to leap so high, strike so fast, punch so hard. And now,
he was being given an opportunity that had never before
been offered to a non-Amazon.
Grinning, the youth placed his hands on the grass and
bowed to the Genjudi elder, touching his forehead to the
ground. "Shall we begin, Sensei?"
*****
Genma was having the strangest dream. He was lying
beneath an ancient oak, enjoying the afternoon sunshine and
the fragrance of the nearby flowers. Actually, that part of the
dream wasn't so unusual for him. What was strange was that
the flowers' scent seemed to be drawing some really
humongous insects, huge brightly colored creatures that
bounced between the blooms and buzzed along the rooftops.
The bugs hadn't tried to sting him or anything, but they were
still, well, bugging him.
"Are you ready for what comes next?" a husky and very
feminine voice breathlessly asked.
The middle-aged martial artist smiled in his sleep.
"Just show me what you want me to do," a young, sultry,
and unmistakably female voice replied.
"GROWF!!" Genma shot up, almost swallowing his tongue.
Blinking, he saw Pao Da and Ranma -- in girl form -- staring at
him in alarm. Realizing the voices in his dream belonged to
them, he blushed... as well as a panda could blush, that is.
"Yo Pop, what's the matter? You have a nightmare or
somethin'?" Ranma asked, her hands on her hips. Pao Da
looked on, concerned.
Genma found his paws very interesting all of a sudden.
Ranma shook her head in disgust. "Oyaji no baka, goin' and
scarin' us like that!" She turned back to the blue-haired
Amazon. "So, whaddya want me to try now?"
Genma's eyes grew wide as he watched the Joketsukozu
elder leap straight up, landing nimbly on the Council Hall
roof. From there, Pao Da dashed to the edge of the eaves
and jumped, touching down on top of the hospital -- more
than 15 meters away. Spinning gracefully, she launched
herself back in the air and retraced her path back to the
Saotomes.
"Browr! Browr browr browr!" Genma said in amazement.
Ranma ignored the flabbergasted panda. "Gotcha, teach!"
she said. Furrowing her brow in concentration, the redheaded
girl flexed her knees, sprang to the top of the hall, and
followed the route Pao Da had just taken.
"Excellent, child. You're learning very quickly," the elder
noted with pride when Ranma was back on the ground.
"Now, are you up for a game of tag?"
Before Ranma could answer, Pao Da planted a palm strike
on the girl's sternum and leapt up, retreating across the
rooftops.
Ranma steadied herself and shook a fist at the escaping
elder. "Oh, no you don't!" she hollered, following quickly in
the Amazon's footsteps.
Genma watched as his child and the Chinese woman
bounced from building to building, flitting from the park to the
rooftops at high speeds and with total disregard for the
amount of airspace they were crossing. The gravity-defying
display was just too much for his panda mind to handle.
he thought as he
retreated to the less mind-boggling haven of
unconsciousness.
*****
Pao Da raced through Nyuuchiezu Genjudi, her silk robes
billowing out behind her. The early morning air chilled her
cheeks, tinting them a healthy rose, and her silver eyes
sparkled in merriment. She'd long given up on her hair, which
had started out in a tidy trio of braids but now streamed
loosely down her back. Casting a look over her shoulder,
she laughed and quickened her pace through the village.
Several meters behind her, Ranma noticed the change in the
elder's stride and increased her speed accordingly. The
young martial artist wasn't anywhere near exerting herself --
she was to accustomed to daily jogs to break a sweat. What
differed about this morning's run, however, was that she was
sprinting across the village rooftops rather than along the
roads. she wondered idly.
She'd been a little hesitant when the blue-haired Amazon
had suggested the rooftop run as a morning warm-up. The
last thing Ranma wanted was a bunch of angry Joketsukozu
chasing after her with repair bills. Pao Da had assured her that
the village's most elite warriors built up their speed and
stamina this way, however, so Ranma finally agreed. She
was glad she had -- the view of the sleepy town and the
nearby mountains was stunning.
Noting that Pao Da had paused on top of the village bakery,
25 meters away, Ranma tapped into her ki and propelled
herself through the air, landing neatly beside her instructor.
Pao Da grinned. "Excellent, child. You've gotten the hang of
ki-enhanced leaps down quickly. It's now time to move on to
something else."
"Would that be breakfast?" the cursed teen asked, the
aroma of freshly baked breads making her stomach grumble.
"Not quite yet," the Amazon replied, her eyes twinkling.
"There's something I want to show you."
"Okay, Sensei, but I gotta warn you, working out makes me
even hungrier," she informed Pao Da with a grin.
The Amazon laughed. "My treat, once we're done with this.
Deal?"
"Deal!"
"Good," Pao Da commented. Turning sideways, she pointed
to the stone wall behind her. "Now tell me what this is."
Ranma peered at the massive stone structure, then at her
instructor. "It's a wall." She smiled brightly. "We done now?"
Pao Da gazed at her steadily. "Cute. Anyway, yes, this is
the wall that surrounds our village. It's approximately 5
meters high and has a sentryway built into the top. I want
you to run around the village once, using the sentryway as
your path."
Ranma smirked. "Is that all? Piece a' cake!" Tapping into her
ki once again, Ranma leapt the 30 meters between the
bakery and the top of the wall... and lost her balance the
instant her foot touched the stone. Flapping her arms
frantically, she plummeted backwards, landing flat on the
grass below.
"Ouch," she whimpered weakly.
Pao Da nimbly jumped down beside her. "You should know
this by now, child," she tsked sympathetically. "Never judge
someone -- or something -- by appearance. The village wall
seems well fortified... and it is, being a full 2 meters wide.
Except for the very top of the sentryway, where it's only 5
centimeters thick. That's where you'll be running."
The Japanese teen sat up, her hands supporting her head.
"I musta really landed badly," she complained. "I coulda
sworn you said I had to run on a 5-centimeter wide path... "
Pao Da crossed her arms. "Nice try, child," she commented.
"How about this -- while you're running around the village, I'll
go in and buy some breakfast pastries for us."
Ranma responded by jumping straight off the ground onto
the skinny stone landing above. Bowing, she winked at the
Amazon. "Be right back!" she called out, sprinting away at a
good pace.
When Ranma made it back to her starting point, she found
Pao Da standing by the wall, a bakery box in her hands.
"Again," the elder told her.
"Again?" the teen echoed, stunned by the command.
Pao Da looked at her coolly.
Ranma set off once more, at an even faster clip than before.
When she'd circled back again, Pao Da had the bakery box
open and was about to bite into a freshly baked custard bun.
"Again," the Amazon repeated, sinking her teeth into the
pastry.
Fuming, Ranma dashed off.
"Again." This time, it was a glazed lemon twist.
"Again." A lotus-nut roll.
"Again." Cinnamon bread.
"Oi, Sensei! When exactly am I gonna get to eat?" Ranma
griped, glaring down at her instructor.
Pao Da smiled. "New deal. One more lap, and when you
get back you can have whatever's left in the box." She held
it open so the redhead could see the half-dozen remaining
treats.
"You're on!" Reaching deep within, Ranma charged her legs
and lungs with ki, blurring from view as she sped around
Genjudi. Racing the morning breeze, she was back at the
bakery in a matter of minutes.
Pao Da sat on the grass below the wall, daintily wiping her
fingers on a paper napkin. An empty bakery box was at her
side.
The redhead's jaw hit the ground. "AAAUGH!!" she cried out
in disbelief.
The blue-haired woman stood up and adjusted her robes.
"Ah, nothing hits the spot like Fu Laru's breakfast rolls,"
she sighed happily. "I can never get enough."
Ranma face-faulted.
"But where were we, child?" the Joketsukozu continued. "Oh,
yes. You managed to access your ki to increase your running
speed. How did that feel to you?"
Ranma scratched the back of her head in thought. "It felt... like
time was standing still, and I was running right through it," she
finally said.
Pao Da gave her a big smile. "Excellent. And I'll bet you
never gave another thought to how wide or narrow that
surface you were running on was, correct?"
The pigtailed girl started in surprise.
The elder watched Ranma's reaction. "We use that narrow bit
of sentryway to teach our most formidable warriors how to
keep their footing while in battle conditions. It's a balance
exercise more than anything, but I find it effective for building
speed, too. And now, as a reward for doing so well... " She
reached into her silk robes and pulled out another bakery
box.
Ranma's eyes lit up and she quickly hopped down to the
ground. "Xiexie, Most Respected Elder!" she declared,
hungrily reaching for the box.
Pao Da pulled it away at the last moment. "Wait! I totally
forgot about the second part of that training exercise!" she
exclaimed, her voice heavy with mock-regret.
Ranma quirked an eyebrow. "And just what would that be?"
The blue-haired woman smiled mischievously. "One more
lap... carrying me."
Ranma's face fell, and she eyed the elder, then the empty
bakery box at her feet. "Just how many of those pastries did
you eat again?" she asked morosely.
*****
As the cursed youth suspected, Pao Da's promise of one
more lap stretched into yet another lap, carrying the Amazon
with nothing except her hands, and another lap after that,
carrying not only Pao Da but the full bakery box as well. As
if that weren't enough, the Joketsukozu woman kept reaching
into the carton and pulling out a pastry, waving it just inches
from the famished teen.
"Hurry up, child," she told Ranma, "these baked goods don't
have all morning, you know."
Ranma grunted and sped up, thoughts of custard, cream,
cinnamon, and pineapple spurring her on. An abrupt cry from
Pao Da jarred her from her sugary reverie, however.
"HALT!"
Ranma skidded to a stop and looked around wildly,
expecting to see armed invaders coming over the horizon.
"What?! What is it? What?" she cried, trying to identify what
caused Pao Da to shout like that.
A finger tapping her shoulder brought her attention back to
the elder, who was regarding her with amusement. "Just how
many more laps did you plan on running, child?" Pao Da
inquired. "You've raced past the starting point twice now."
Ranma stared at her blankly, then realized that she was still
hefting the Amazon -- and the box of baked goods -- in her
hands and barely feeling the weight. "I did it again, didn't I?"
the redhead asked, a smile slowly spreading across her face.
"Yes, child, and incidentally, you can put me down now."
Ranma flushed and, jumping down to the ground, set Pao
Da carefully on the ground.
"Still, you had to be goaded into accessing your ki instead of
tapping into it at will. That will be of no use to you if your
enemy isn't taunting you with food. You need to be able to
use that energy effortlessly, in a controlled manner, at the
drop of a hat."
The criticism wiped the smile off the young martial artist's
face. Seeing her student's shoulders droop, Pao Da tipped
Ranma's head up to look her in the eyes. "Don't be so
down, child. What you accomplished today has taken many
an Amazon weeks to achieve. Yet here you are, progressing
at lightning speed. You should be very proud of yourself."
Ranma searched Pao Da's eyes for any signs the elder might
simply be consoling her, but nothing reflected in those
silvery depths except the truth. Satisfied, the teen grinned
and held her hands out for her reward.
Pao Da laughed and handed over the carton. "A breakfast
well earned, I might add," she told the redhead, who quickly
sat down and stuffed a cream horn in her mouth. "Just stay
here, eat, and rest up a bit. I have to go arrange for your
afternoon training."
Ranma's eyebrows shot up. "Huh?" she mumbled around a
mouthful of pastry.
The Genjudi woman chuckled. "Child, believe it or not, I *do*
have responsibilities to this village. I should be done about
sunset or so, but for the rest of the morning and this
afternoon I'm going to have you train with another Joketsukozu."
Ranma wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Will they
have permission to work with me like you've been doin'?"
"The authorization came from the Chief Elder herself," Pao
Da assured her.
The cursed boy considered this. "Okay, but it'll be weird
workin' with someone I don't know," Ranma finally said.
"It'll be fine, child, believe me. I put my utmost faith in this
person," the elder said. "They'll be here momentarily."
Bowing slightly, Pao Da strode off, her silver robes flashing
in the morning light.
Ranma watched the Amazon leave and, shrugging, carried
her box over to a nearby tree and plunked herself down.
Selecting a plump red bean bun, she leaned back against
the trunk and started working her way through the assorted
treats.
The sound of a throat being cleared nearby startled the
redhead just as she was polishing off the last pastry.
Jumping up, Ranma assumed a loose ready stance. "Who's
there?" she called out in challenge.
A tall figure stepped out from behind the bakery and
approached her slowly. "Stand down, Saotome Ranma, I'm
not here to hurt you. Pao Da sent me to work with you
today."
It was the master weaver ... and he was holding a canteen of
steaming hot water.
(to be continued)
--------------------------------------------
A uthor's Notes:
Thanks to everyone who has read and continues to read
China Girl. Your interest in my fic means a lot to me!
A pudao -- the weapon that Genma-Panda mishandles -- is
a broad, curving blade set on a pole-like handle, with a metal
ring at the opposite end of the handle. Definitely high on the
ouch scale.
Disclaimers:
Ranma 1/2 is a creation of Takahashi Rumiko. All rights
belong to Takahashi-san, Shogakukan, Kitty, Viz, and
countless other entities with the power to sue me for
borrowing them for a little while. Please don't -- I'm a
starving, penniless otaku!
All original characters belong to me... if you'd like them to visit
your fanfics, just ask! I don't mind, as long as you remember to
feed them.
--------------------------------------------
Chapte r Five coming soon!
C&C welcome at saotomeranchan@allaboutranma.com. No
flames, please ... I'm as sensitive as Tendo Soun!