Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Circle That Binds ❯ Part 1 ( Chapter 1 )

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

Ranma and Co. is Copyright Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc. 1993
Ranma ½ is a trademark of Viz Communications, Inc.
A Ranma ½ Fan Fiction/Danny the Dog by S³

Circle that Binds - part 1


For the first time in many years, Soun Tendou was a truly happy man. This was the day that he'd been
waiting for ever since his oldest and best friend had left, what seemed like ages ago. Wiping away a
tear that threatened to overwhelm him, he reread the postcard that he'd found in the mail buried beneath
a pile of bills and solicitations.

Tendou,
Bringing the boy. Be there soon.
- Saotome

"Short and to the point as always eh, Saotome," the Tendou patriarch laid the missive on the tabletop
and shook his head. He was so happy!

"Girls, come down, I have something important to tell you," he called up the stairs. His daughters had
walked in from school not too long ago, and they were probably working on homework or something
like that. Such studious children he had.

"Ah, Kimiko, I've done my best with them. Hopefully, with the return of our friend Saotome and his
boy, they can move on with their lives," Soun glanced over at the kamidana in the alcove where his dear
departed wife's picture rested alongside another, newer frame.

Ten minutes later, he'd just finished explaining the arrangement to his daughters, when the doorbell rang.
"Could that be them? They're even faster than I imagined." Mr. Tendou rose to see who was at the
door, flanked by his eldest daughter, Kasumi, who was interested to catch a first look at her possible
betrothed.

"Who is it, father," Kasumi asked from just behind her father's shoulder as he opened the front door.

Soun's reply was cut short as a set of burly arms wrapped around him in a crushing embrace.

"Tendou my old buddy! It's good to see you after so long," a rotund man, about the same age as Soun
shouted as he nearly hugged the life out of his friend.

Kasumi was taken aback at such a forward greeting, but put it aside when she recalled just how long
her father had mentioned it'd been since his friend last visited. Nearly ten years. Such a long time to
her; almost half her lifetime. She politely coughed to let the man know that her father was having
trouble breathing, and he promptly released him.

With a hearty pat on the back, Genma Saotome restored the air to his hosts lungs. He hadn't traveled
so far to kill his one true friend.
"Come now, Tendou. Has life been so unkind to you this past decade? Why, I remember back when
we struggled daily for life and limb. Fending off wild animals just for the next meal," Genma continued
his reminiscing as he led the recovering Soun into the house. Trailing a few feet behind, a somber boy
in his late teens followed the two men.

As they passed her by on the way to the living room, Kasumi got her first good look at the Saotome
boy. He was dressed in worn jeans and a plain blue short sleeved shirt. Not very stylish, but probably
the best he had. They were just in from a long trip after all. So she let that slide.

What did catch her eye though, was the way he carried himself. The boy walked with his shoulders
hung forward and his gaze was almost on the floor. The eldest Tendou couldn't be quite sure of where
he was really looking, since his hair was long, and he'd grown his bangs down where they almost
covered his eyes. Since he was downcast, the hair ended up hanging like a curtain across his forehead.

Ever the courteous hostess, Kasumi offered a greeting. "Hello, My name's Kasumi. I heard you just
came back from China."

Her gesture garnered no response. Though she could've sworn his head canted slightly to the side. As
if he were listening intently to something far away. Maybe the boy was just shy, she thought. After he
remained silent, she walked back over to sit with her sister. The boy started walking again, and
eventually came to a halt next to his father.

The two men talked about old times for a few minutes, catching up on recent events and which baseball
team was heading to Koshien this year.
The whole time, the Saotome boy sat quietly, not looking at anything in particular, nor acknowledging
either of the two girls.

This put Akane, the younger of the two girls, at odds. She'd been angry with her father ever since he
broke the news that she might have to marry a boy she'd never even met once. Now, to add fuel to the
fire, the boy shows up and doesn't say a damn word. No, "Hi, nice ta meetcha." Nothing. He never
even gave his name. Elbowing her sister, Akane whispered,"Who does this guy think he is? Is he some
kind of slacker? I mean, look at his hair. I don't even think he uses shampoo."

Again, Kasumi couldn't fathom anything about the boy. She wanted to agree with her sister, but would
withhold any further judgement until they' been properly introduced. "Shh, Akane. I think he's just a
little shy. Don't forget they were on the road a long time. Maybe we can offer to let him use the bath."

"Yeah, sure Kas. Give him a haircut too while your at it," Akane retorted, but already the heat had
started to leave her voice. She'd had a bad day at school again, and was still indignant about being held
after class by her math teacher. Besides, Kasumi was right, but the boy's attitude wasn't helping his
case any.


The girls sat there, whispering back and forth for a little while longer. The Saotome boy still hadn't
moved so much as a muscle since he'd taken a seat beside his father. For their part, the two men
conversed about trivial things, with a loud guffaw or teary chuckle interspersed. Kasumi watched the
byplay with mounting anticipation, surely they would get to the heart of the matter anytime soon.

They didn't have to hold their breath, as something the Saotome man said drew a stern face from their
father. Almost instantly the pleasant laid-back atmosphere in the room changed. An air of solemnity
surrounded the little wooden dining table as a Saotome's tone took on a subtle strength.

"Soun, as much as I relish catching up on things with you, I believe we do have other matters to
discuss," the hint of iron grew that much more firmly as Genma redirected the conversation.

Soun Tendou recognized the words of his friend not by what lay beneath, but instead by the mention of
his given name. The two men, and former comrades-in-arms, had long ago placed much emphasis on
first names. If Genma pulled that card, then the joining of schools was a hazy prospect indeed. It had
been a serious matter to the both of them, yes. But, also something decided before any of the children
had come into this world. Thus, an assumption that it simply would be so.

From what he'd seen of the boy, the lad was quiet, well-mannered and disciplined. A little rough in
apperance, but Soun knew what life on the road was like. Sweaty, unshaven, and worn
tattered-clothing; all were part and parcel of the life of a wandering martial artist, as the boy
undoubtedly was.

"Indeed, Genma. That is why you've come, is it not?"

"Of course, of course. The boy and I, we managed to make it back to Japan nearly ten years to the
day, if memory serves," Genma took this time to acknowledge his son. In fact, this was probably the
first moment that any of the Tendou's had seen the man even look his offspring's direction. Genma
made a point to ruffle the boy's hair. "Ranma here, is one of the best of his generation. I'll even admit
that he could give some of the older ones a run for their money."

"That's good news, old friend. The school's will be even more prosperous than we could have hoped!"

Akane was tired of waiting around, trying to keep her opinions and thoughts on the whole matter
bottled up. "So, he's a martial artist too? Is that what you mean?" She eyed him openly now, since
everyone else's attention seemed to be riveted upon the boy. "I'm not in the mood to deal with some
old-fashioned arranged marriage right now. We're all still in school," she exclaimed, pointing out
Ranma's state of dress. "Do you even go to school? Traveling all over for ten years, did you even have
the time?"

"Akane, don't point at other people, it's not polite," Kasumi chided her sibling in a whisper only audible
to Akane.

"Now, Akane, you've only just met Ranma. No one's saying any of you have to get married right
away," her father attempted to placate the simmering girl. "Genma, what does your boy make of all
this. Surely, he would like to put in a word or two?"

It appeared to everyone that Genma was a bit hesitant in replying. "The boy? He knows what's best
for family honor, as I'm sure your daughters can understand as well. Old-fashioned or not, this is about
maintaining family honor. Simple as that." The portly Saotome folded his arms as if that were the end
of the argument.

"You see Akane, this is about what's best for the schools," Soun added as a final say. This meant that
Akane was going to have to find another way around this mess. If she could talk to this Ranma, and
make him see her point of view, then maybe that would be enough to convince the fathers. Her's was
usually a pushover in most situations. She loved the man dearly, but he was who he was. And that
meant honor was to be held up above all else. Not that she didn't share that particular conviction, but
this situation was just too much, and too strange for her to wrap her mind around in one afternoon.

"Fine, whatever. I'm going out to the dojo. If anyone needs me, don't bother. I need to think about
this whole...thing," Akane stood up abruptly, not about to let her father, and some stranger she'd never
met, try and dictate her future.

Kasumi watched her sister leave, words waiting on her lips. She thought better of saying anything in
front of their guests though. That wasn't the kind of support Akane needed. Not that the strong willed
girl ever really expressed a need for Kasumi's help. She was too proud for that. An independent girl;
not yet a woman, but trying so hard to become one.

"Father, shall I make some tea for our guests?"

The sound of his eldest daughter's voice jarred Soun's attention back to the events at the table. He was
a little worried about Akane's outburst, but he supposed girls will be girls, and left it at that. Besides, it
wasn't as if she dismissed the whole thing outright. She did say she was going to think it over. He was
sure, that with a little time, she would warm up the idea of an arranged marriage. Once she got to
know the boy, it would all work out, he was sure of it. And then there was dear Kasumi.

"That would be excellent Kasumi. Would you like Ranma to accompany you," Soun offered as a way
to get at least one of his daughters to know the lad.

"It won't take long, but he's welcome to join me if he wants."

The whole time Genma was beginning to look slightly nervous, but he hid it behind a stern mask.
Something even Soun would have trouble seeing past, especially since his fire-cracker of a daughter
had tried to undermine the whole deal. He would need to keep an eye on her. She was undoubtedly
the Tendou heir to the school, as he'd noticed the way she carried herself. She was a little stiff in the
shoulders, but that was likely due to having concentrated her efforts on strength training. The Tendou
girl filled her clothes out well in all the areas save for the bust line, the mark of a dedicated athlete if
nothing else.

While Genma was busy contemplating new plans of action, Soun was talking about getting drinks or
whatnot. That caught the large man's attention. "Yes, that sounds fine," he added just before he caught
the rest of the conversation about Ranma going with the girl. "Ah, Soun, there's a little more that I need
to tell you about the boy before...," but he trailed off mid-sentence as Ranma stood up and wandered
after the older teen of his own accord. "...ah, that's strange."

"Hmm, what did you say Saotome," Soun turned back to his friend as Kasumi and the boy dissapeared
through the curtain that separated the kitchen from the rest of the house.

"Ha, hah, nothing old friend. Say, do you still have the old shogi board?"

With that, their minds moved far away from current events as they went on a hunt for the board, which
Soun remembered was stowed away in a cupboard by the washroom. He seldom had occasion to pull
it out in the past, as no one else in the family played. Soon, everything else was forgotten as the game
began in earnest.

Kasumi decided she would take the opportunity presented to get to know Ranma, even if it was just to
chat. She didn't have all that many friends at school, but that wasn't much of a real concern to her. She
spent the majority of her time studying for entrance exams, and applying for any financial aid that she
qualified for. The dojo hadn't seen a student outside of Akane for going on seven years now. Father
just didn't have the drive that he once held, she had to admit.

"So, Ranma. You've been traveling all around since you were, what, six or seven years old? What sort
of places have you been to?" Since he'd been awfully quiet since he arrived, she wasn't all too sure
what to talk about. She also didn't hang around too many boys her own age, so the task was daunting
in of itself. At the moment, she was retrieving the tea cups, so she only saw him as a shape out of the
corner of her eye.

He hadn't so much as moved an inch from where he'd stopped upon entering the kitchen. "Ranma,"
Kasumi asked again, wondering absently if the boy was mute, or just horribly anti-social. Grasping the
last cup, she put it on the counter and gave her guest her full attention. Upon turning around, it
appeared that she already had his. He was alternating his gaze from her, to the tea kettle she'd set out,
and finally back again. His head was half canted to the side, set in the same way as when she'd first
introduced herself by the front door. The overall effect of his pose was vaguely familiar to her, though
she was at a loss as to what exactly he reminded her of.

Now that she was much closer to him, she noticed something odd. Since he'd been sitting sort of
hunched over back at the table, she'd not noticed it, but there was a thick metal necklace hanging about
his throat. What a strange decoration, she wanted to say, since it caught her by surprise. Kasumi
wanted to ask him about it, even if it was a little rude in her view. However, Ranma never even
answered her first question which made it difficult to continue asking him much of anything. So caught
up in her flustered state, that she almost missed it when he spoke.

Just one word was all he said,"Eight."

"I'm sorry, what do you mean? Eight?"

This time, Ranma looked away slightly as he replied, "Eight years. Not six or seven years."

"Oh, I see," and then she realized what he was talking about. But, that would make him the same age
as her! Kasumi thought for sure that he was younger, possibly even more than Akane's sixteen years.
He certainly looked it, with the baggy clothes and tousled shoulder length hair. "So, did you like it, on
the road I mean?"

He was quicker to respond this time. And the answer was just as brief, "No."

"Oh my, it must've not been very fun for you then," she struggled for something more to say. One word
answers made it hard for her to sustain any kind of conversation. She wondered if perhaps Akane
would have an easier time talking to Ranma. They did share more in common after all. Maybe once
the tea was done, she would send him her way.

Out in the dojo, Akane was having a discussion all her own, with a punching bag. Left jab, elbow,
spinning backfist. Again and again she pummeled the sand filled canvas. The dull thuds of impact filled
the room as the young Tendou worked out her frustrations. It never failed to amaze her how five
minutes of beating the tar out of could settle her nerves so effectively.

Just as she was about to start in on another round with the heavy bag, she heard a knock at the dojo
door. If it was anyone other than Kas, she was going to explode. "Yeah, who is it," Akane called out,
walking over to grab a towel to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

"It's Kasumi, and Ranma," her sister's voice came through the door, muffled and quiet. Not that it was
ever loud.

Akane huffed and blew her bangs out of her eyes before sliding the door open. It figured that her sister
would drag along the bane of her future existence. She didn't have anything against the guy, since she'd
only met him thirty minutes ago. But, his reason for being here was a major problem. "Dad didn't send
you two out here did he?"

Shaking her head, Kasumi told her sister that the two men were busy playing a round of shogi that was
apt to last all night the way they were having at it. She'd left the tray of tea on the table and they'd all
but ignored it so far. That left her with little to do but visit with their other guest. "I was thinking maybe
the two of you could find something to do," Kasumi motioned toward the Saotome boy who was
standing in the doorway, looking out at the koi pond. "I tried talking to him while I made tea, but he's
very, reserved," she leaned over, stage-whispering to her sister.

Taking her sister's comments into consideration, the gi-clad girl walked over and stood by Ranma. His
father said he was one of the best of their generation at martial arts. That alone was enough to catch
her attention. Besides, even if the comment was fatherly boasting, the guy'd been out training for ten
years. Maybe he'd picked up a handy move or two that she could incorporate into her own growing
list of techniques. "Hey, Ranma, you want to come inside, so I can shut the door. It's getting a little
cold out."

Ranma turned at the sound of Akane's voice, and fixed his eyes on her for a moment before dragging
himself out of the doorway.

"Thanks," she slid the door shut, "Say, you wouldn't mind showing us a bit of your art would you?"

She was rewarded with a look from him that plainly stated he had no clue what she was talking about.
Either that, or he was being conceited. "I know you just got in an all, but I wouldn't mind seeing
something basic I guess. Nothing too fancy." None of her friends were martial artists by any stretch,
so she was just hazarding guesses on how to go about asking for a demonstration. It wasn't like she
was asking him to do acrobatics. She just wanted to see how the two schools compared to each other.
Preferably without resorting to sparring him. That wasn't her style. She didn't want a 'win-lose'
situation, not yet anyway.

While she was gauging his reaction and waiting for a him to say something one way or the other, she
noticed the strange metal ring clasped to his neck. Some kind of fashion statement? "Hey, are you
wearing a collar?"

As the words left her mouth, she wondered if maybe she should've said 'necklace' or a word other than
collar. The look she got from her sister confirmed her doubts. She might as well forget about any
demo if Ranma took offense to her question. But, she didn't have to worry, as he only gave her another
weird look. Alright, play it like that, she thought. "This thing on your neck, what is it," she puncutated
her statement by walking up to him and reaching for the metal 'whatever-it-was'.

Her fingers barely managed to brush up against the cool surface of the collar when they were batted
away before she could blink.

"Whoa, ok. Settle down, I won't touch your stupid collar. Fine. I just wanted to know why you're
wearing it," Akane was already moving back toward her sister. He didn't have to slap her hand like
that if he didn't want someone to touch his goofy collar. "He should've just said something earlier."

"I did say he was reserved Akane," Kasumi added she watched her sister rub her reddening hand.

"You call that reserved? He might as well have tried to bite me. How old is he anyway, twelve?"

"Actually, Akane, I think he's eighteen."

"Right, I'm supposed to believe that," Akane scoffed.

"Well, he doesn't look it does he."

"Or act like it for that matter," the younger of the two shook the numbness out of her hand. "He's pretty
strong, I'll give him that."

The sisters stopped bantering between themselves and looked over at Ranma, who hadn't moved a
muscle, and was watching them in turn. Kasumi was about to say something, anything to break the
tension that had sprung up in the dojo, but her sister beat her to it. "Sorry about all of that, and the
whole necklace thing. Look, we're just trying to deal with this whole sudden engagement. Did
you just find out about it too?" If he didn't want to talk about martial arts, then maybe the arranged
marriage hanging over their collective heads would prompt a discussion.

"Fish. I saw the fish outside, in the water," Ranma pointed out much to the confusion of the girls.

Moving the final piece, Soun secured his victory at last. "Saotome, it looks as if the game is mine," he
announced with a dry tone, but cracked a smile as the words fell.

"Indeed so, Tendou. That puts you still three victories behind me. Hah!"

"Now, Saotome, no need to gloat. Shall we play again, and give you the chance to try and keep your
lead?"

Genma grumped, but began resetting the shogi board nonetheless. He hadn't had so much fun in a long
time. Probably more than a decade ago in all actuality. And that was a very sobering thought indeed.
"Tendou, what say we get a few drinks in us before the next match starts?"

"A good idea. I'm sure I have a bottle of genjou or two stored away for such an occasion," Soun stood
up to find the drinks, and came back shortly. "Here we are," he eyed the board as he poured two
saucers. "I believe it's your turn to start."

As the game began in earnest, and the men had downed a few drinks, the Tendou patriarch decided to
voice a few of his concerns about the matter of joining the schools. "I couldn't help but notice, about
your boy, Ranma."

"Hmm, what about the boy?"

"He seemed to be taking everything very well, considering."

"Ah, fear not Tendou, the boy is a little on the quiet side," Genma captured another of his opponent's
pieces in a deft move.

"But, he did seem a little...I can't explain it," Soun shook his head in mild frustration. He took pains not
to offend the other man at times, but they'd pretty much grown up together. So, he decided to be as
blunt as was within his bounds. Or it could've been the alcohol working him over. "Come now
Saotome. You are stepping around something. I can see it in your face."

Which was certainly true of the balding martial artist. He was fidgeting around with his glasses,
pretending to clean a smudge that wasn't there. Slipping the lenses back on, he took another drink and
re-composed himself. "You have me Tendou. It's true. The boy, he's, well," Genma searched for the
right words to describe the situation. And then he had an idea that would make everything clear. "Take
a look at this Tendou, it should help explain things," the rotund man reached for his knapsack, and
pulled out a well-worn book that had been wrapped in an old cloth. Handing it over to his friend, he let
Soun leaf through it.

"Is this a training manual? Some of these techniques are quite daring."

"That's what I thought too, back when I stumbled upon it years ago."

Soun took that to mean the martial artist had probably 'liberated' it from some unlucky source. As he
skimmed further and further into the book, his eyes gradually widened, considerably more so once he
reached an especially worn segment toward the end. "You actually found it Saotome? The dreaded
cat-fist training technique," Soun's words held no small measure of awe and dread in them.

"Yes, and I wish that I'd never come across it."

Reading more of the details involved in the training, Soun regarded Genma. "You don't mean you put
the boy through this?"

"Around the middle of the first year of the trip. We'd just arrived in an older prefecture, and I found the
perfect place. Just as the book describes. It did take some effort on my part to gather all of the cats,
let me tell you. But, finally, everything was in place, and I proceeded with the training."

"Genma, but the last page says the technique is unusable. More of a cruel joke than anything else," the
long-haired man was aghast.

"I only found out much later. You see, the last page was stuck to the page before it. There wasn't
anything to claim is was a fake technique. The book claimed it would make the practitioner unbeatable.
An unstoppable warrior. Think of it, the perfect technique right there, within my grasp. As a martial
artist, I had no other choice. But, had I known of the cruel truth, I would've found some other way."

"You still haven't told me what happened to the boy. What went wrong?"

Ranma's father sighed and rubbed his forehead. "What went wrong, well, the training itself was a wash
from the very start. I tried using different kinds of fish for the paste, more cats. Everything I could think
of to improve the methods. None of them worked though. I put the boy in the pit around five, maybe
six times. The first few went badly, and the boy didn't seem to be learning anything, other than how to
curl into an infuriatingly tight ball," Genma paused at the memory, taking another sip of sake.

"You know the feeling Tendou, I'd do anything for the art, and this was my one regret. In the end, I
may have gone too far. I don't know the exact details of it myself, but the final time Ranma went into
that pit, the ordeal must have been too much for the boy's mind. He snapped down there. The cats
were going crazy, hissing and spitting, yowling in the darkness. I'd put a lid over the hole you see, so
none of the cats would escape. The lid also kept me from seeing what was going on. Only when the
scuffle died down, did I dare to risk a peek."

"Had the cats somehow calmed down?"

"No, far from it Soun. They were all dead. In fact, I had trouble telling that any of the remains had
once been cats at all. There was so much blood and carnage. And in the middle of it all, looking
pleased with himself, was my son."

The shogi game had long since stopped in favor of the riveting tale that was unfolding, and despite
himself, Soun was interested to learn the fate of Ranma that day. "Was it the cat-fist?" Had the boy
somehow learned a bizarre fighting technique, Soun wondered.

"At first, that's what I thought," Genma nodded. "Then the boy took notice of me, and growled. I found
myself almost instantly on the defensive as he leapt up at me from the bottom of the pit. He might have
gotten to me right away if I'd not have shut the lid so quickly. Even that didn't hold him for long."

"He was growling? Like a...," Soun's conjecture was interrupted by Genma.

"Yes, like a dog. Later on, after I found the hidden page, I realized that his mind must've snapped from
the stress back in the pit. Instead of losing his mind to his fear, he adapted to it instead. If there's one
thing I'm proud to say, is that my boy is very good at adapting to new situations. That alone has placed
him leaps and bounds ahead of other martial artists."

It was all beginning to make sense to Soun. As the tale neared its end, he came to the same conclusion
Genma had, all those years ago. "Ranma's mind somehow became like that of a dog, the natural enemy
of all cats. Is that right, Saotome?"

Genma nodded in assent. "That's what dawned on me as well. But, unfortunately, I was never able to
fully restore him to his right mind. I tried many methods that have been proven successful in the past in
mental hospitals. After reading over several books on the subject of shock and personality disorders, I
determined that what Ranma needed was a greater shock to his system that would overshadow the
barrier in his mind. That's part of why we are only now returning to Nerima. I found a partial cure in
the wilds of China."

"A partial cure? But, he seemed to be acting fine to me. Not at all how a dog would behave."

"True Tendou. But, acting is all it was. A boy with the mind of a dog, that's trained to act like a man.
But, in China, we stumbled upon a mystical place. A cursed training ground, where I hoped to use
magic to cure him. A place called, Jusenkyou."

---

It had been raining nonstop for what felt like ages to the two waterlogged travelers. Slogging through
the underbrush, Genma Saotome pushed aside an errant branch and held his arm out to signal a halt to
the boy. It appeared that the path he'd been told about ended here. The torrents of water must've
washed away the path in a mudslide, for the cliff ahead had sloped off into a miniature waterfall, the
contents of which vanished into the mists far below.

Overlooking the steep drop, the hefty martial artist grumped. This meant they'd have to find another
way down into the valley. "Come on boy, it looks like we need to backtrack a little," he turned away
from the drop off and walked past his son, who followed wordlessly. This would all be worth it in the
end, Genma thought, if the legend could be believed, his son's cure was waiting; for down there, lay the
pools of sorrow, Jusenkyo.

Nearly thirty minutes later, they'd made it down the mountainside and into the valley proper. Miles
from civilization, the two Japanese had struggled, working their way into the very heart of mainland
China. Jusenkyo had not been an easy place to reach, by any means. It was nestled within the
Bayankala range, making for rugged travel, and next to no forged paths.

Despite the seemingly remote location, once the Saotomes pierced the veil of mist that enshrouded the
valley, they found themselves staring at a small, but tidy hut. At first, Genma thought the place to be
abandoned, but the very faint telltale sign of smoke trailing upwards from a hole in the thatched roof
was proof to the contrary. It occurred to him then, that whoever lived here, would likely know if the
legends surrounding the valley were true. Actually, the first thing that came to mind, was a chance to
dry off someplace warm.

"What do you think, Ranma? Shall we check it out," while the large man didn't expect much of an
answer from his son, he constantly conferred with the boy. Where words wouldn't work, Ranma never
failed to indicate he was listening. Genma had long ago come to understand the little nuances that made
up his son's responses. The lilt of his head, a halting step in disagreement, those things were all part of
the intricate sum that composed his boy's unique personality. Ranma the dog.

That was why he'd dragged his son here, across an ocean and a desert. Though in hindsight, Genma
wished he'd not chosen the rainy season to make the long trek in.

"You sirs are fortunate this one was home. To come here on such a day, is maybe, unlucky. But,
honored customers, tell this one, what has brought you all the way to the pools of sorrow," the owner of
the hut was quick with his questions, spoken in broken, but quite formal Japanese. The two dirty and
sodden visitors had come knocking scarcely five minutes ago, and now were in the process of wringing
out their clothes into a wooden bucket that he'd provided.

Genma finished shaking the water out of his gi top, and started on Ranma's. The boy had shaken
himself in the doorway upon entering, and seemed quite satisfied with the resulting spatter of droplets
flung from his unruly locks. That alone was one of the few habits that Genma'd been unable to change.
Mostly because it didn't happen often, and hardly ever in the presence of others. When the boy had
been younger, it hadn't mattered much in the first place. As his father had found out, children could get
away with the most bizarre behaviors and only have the parents, in those cases, Genma himself, to
blame.

"So, this is really the place then, Jusenkyo," Genma spoke, but the other man wasn't quite sure who his
guest was addressing. "I was told this place holds a very powerful magic."

"Yes, honored customer. There are many cursed springs here. Many," the little man had been boiling
water for a pot of tea while he waited on these new visitors to the valley.

"Cursed springs. Then the legends are true, a cursed training ground. You hear that boy! We've found
it, after so long," Ranma's father hung the damp garments over the bucket, after dumping the water
outside. Fishing a change of clothes for the two of them from his pack, Genma dressed his himself and
his son. "When this weather clears, I wish to take a look at the springs. I have one in mind. Do you
have a map of the valley," He asked their host.

"No sirs, but if this one would be acceptable as a guide? This one knows each spring by name and
tragic story," the Jusenkyo guide was happy for once that a visitor was actually waiting around to ask
for directions. Too many had gotten themselves lost, and had only succeeded in adding to the already
lengthy list of tragic stories he had to memorize each year. If he could be of help, and have these two
on their way by tomorrow, then he would be happy. Though it was nice to have company once in a
while.

For his part, the elder Saotome was pleased to hear such an offer. It would save him time in having to
check each spring one by one. Using the wrong spring by accident was also unthinkable. He would
not have a son that was not human in body as well as mind. No mere animal could be heir to
Musabetsu kakuto Saotome Ryu. It was unthinkable. This was his last resort; only a handful of springs
in this valley had the potential to cure Ranma as he saw it. It had to be a spring cursed by the death of
a human being.

"We're looking for the spring of drowned young man," Genma informed the guide as light glinted off of
his spectacles.

---

Soun was transfixed, "Saotome, did you find it then? The spring of drowned boy?" As Genma had yet
to go into detail of the true nature of the waters of Jusenkyo, Soun could only wait until the tale had fully
unfolded. His bespectacled friend had recounted one harrowing adventure after another, finally
reaching near the end of his, and the boy's journey.

"Where was I? Ah, you see, with dire warnings from the Jusenkyo guide, we, Ranma and I, had to
wait until the rain completely ceased. Otherwise, it would be dangerous to go out near any of the pools
if by chance they had overflowed onto the pathways."

---

After an hour of restless waiting, the steady drum of rain on the rooftop slowly faded. A look outside
the hut showed that the mist was still thick, but that it was beginning to fray out into wisps as it neared
the small building. Genma wanted to do this, and get back to Japan as soon as possible. Life on the
road was harsh, and he wanted to be back in his own house. See his wife, and finally train the boy
properly. So much left to do, and here he was feeling far older than his forty odd years should account
for.

"Sirs, this one would humbly suggest waiting for the rain water to dry before visiting the pools. It would
be very tragic indeed if one stepped into the mixed waters of Jusenkyo."

Taking the advice into consideration, Genma decided to wait a little longer. Besides, what was a few
hours wait in the face of ten years on the road? But a drop in the ocean, he thought. He was getting a
little nervous about this whole thing after all. This was the last resort, no, the last hope, for Ranma.
Genma would be damned if he'd let some half-baked 'doctor' dig around in his heir's mind. Jusenkyo
would work, it had to.

Across the room, Ranma was sitting idly, staring at something only he could see. He'd been amiable
the whole trip, mostly due to the rain. The boy didn't really like to get wet, but he loved to play in the
puddles left from the rain. But not here. His son had been apprehensive the whole morning. Genma
supposed it was something in the air, Ranma was sensitive to that sort of thing. It'd been handy many
times in the past, sort of a living barometer. Genma only had to pay attention to his son's moods to
figure out certain weather patterns, something he might come to miss in the future.

Checking the conditions outside every so often, the guide finally determined it was relatively safe to
show his customers to the pool they'd requested. "Honored customers, it is time to go now."

Leaving the hut, Genma followed the guide with Ranma loping along in between the two men. Winding
around dozens of small pools, they finally came to a spot just near the edge of one of the larger pools.
It was more like a small pond in Genma's opinion, with the large bamboo poles jutting out of the center.
For balance training maybe, he supposed. The bamboo was too regularly placed to be natural.

"This is the pool you seek," the guide intoned. "The Spring of Drowned boy."

"You're sure about this, guide? There's no sign on this one, like the others," indeed Genma felt his
concern was well warranted. Each of the other pools had small signs written in chinese near their
banks.

The guide nodded, and rooted around in the grass at the pool's edge, eventually picking up a sign.
"You see, sirs? This is the sign. Fallen from the rain maybe."

Before the guide could say much more, Genma had taken his son by the collar about his neck and
heaved the boy into the waters.

"Ah! What you doing sirs," the guide hadn't expected the customer to toss in his son. Especially into a
pool that would hardly be making any difference. "Honored Customer, this is Spring of Drowned Boy,
why," his question was cut off as the unwitting participant of the whole affair broke the surface of the
water.

"Boy, how do you feel? Any different," Genma waited eagerly as Ranma swam back to the bank and
started climbing out. Even then, the Saotome patriarch knew something was a bit, off. "Boy?"

As the customer's son made his way out of the water, the guide was thinking the same thing as Genma.
The boy looked, smaller, somehow. That's when his foot stepped onto something hard, prompting him
to look downwards. He was standing on a sign post for one of the springs. Moving his foot to read the
characters, his eyes went wide as the symbols registered. "Sirs, that is the wrong spring," though he
knew it was far too late at this point. "Is spring of," again he was cut off.

The girl that had clambered out of the water wasn't what he'd been expecting at all. Nor was he
expecting the confused, not so pleased expression on said girl's face. "Drowned girl," Genma finished
the guide's sentence with a droll tone . This wasn't going to go over well back at home. Imagine,
leaving with a son and returning with a daughter. His wife was going to kill him for sure.

---

"But, Saotome, who is it then, that is with my daughters right now, if as you say, your son is now a girl?"

Neither of the Tendou sisters could figure the boy out. When he wasn't babbling about obvious things,
he was giving them the oddest looks. Almost as if he were waiting for something. After mentioning the
Koi, he'd hedged his way back to the doorway, and stood there ramrod straight. Akane nudged her
sister, and they exchanged shrugs. "What's his deal," she asked before looking awkwardly back at
their guest.

"Of course there's fish in there. It's a pond," she pointed out, not knowing what else to say.

"Akane, maybe he wants to go see it, and is trying to be polite about it," Kasumi suggested in a
whisper. "We could go take a look."

Her sister was dubious about that though. "Kas, is it a good idea to let ‘master of the obvious' over
there near deep water? I mean, he doesn't seem all there, you know? What if he falls in and drowns"

"Akane, I don't think he's going to fall in. Besides, it's barely a meter deep," Kasumi reassured her
sister. "We can go, um, take a look around the back yard if you like, Ranma," she said, moving toward
the door.

The moment the door to the dojo slid open, Ranma was off and moving before either of the sisters had
a chance to react. Kasumi herself was bowled over by the large body brushing past her.

"Hey! What's the big deal," Akane shouted after the obviously crazy boy. Helping Kasumi to her feet,
she scowled, rushing out after the nutcase. She couldn't figure out what kind of game he thought he
was playing, but she was getting tired of his act. Just because he was too stuffy to show her a little bit
of his art, didn't mean he had to act like a little kid over it.

Even though it was starting to get dark, she spotted him easily enough, kneeling down next to the pond
as a matter of fact. Why had he been in such a hurry to see a bunch of fish, Akane wondered, slowing
to a halt a few meters away from the older boy. "Why'd you run off like that? You knocked my sister
over, jerk," irritated, Akane almost pushed the boy into the water out of spite, but held herself in check
when she heard Kasumi's faint tread on the ground behind her. Guest or not, that had been plain rude.

"My, he really did want to see the fish didn't he," Kasumi spoke as she came up behind them.

At this point, Ranma, mostly ignoring the two sisters, had since kneeled down and had his face inches
from the water. Watching the fish lazily float by, his head leaned from side to side as each new fish
passed.
Akane gave up and left, before she actually followed through and kicked Ranma into the pond.
Kasumi watched her leave in a huff, and shook her head. Maybe this boy wasn't as into martial arts as
his father had claimed. Either way, she sat back on her heels in the grass and sat quietly until her
eccentric guest was done.

Just as Genma was wrapping up the story of Jusenkyo, Akane came inside from the backyard,
brushing past the two men. As she passed by, Soun called to her. He nearly regretted it when she
turned to look at him, still scowling. "Akane, are you getting along with Ranma?"

"With that weirdo? Hah, as if. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be in my room. I still
have some homework left," true to her word, she vanished up the stairs a moment later, punctuating
her ire with a door slam.

"Is she always that agreeable Tendou?"

"No, it comes and goes Saotome. Something she inherited from her mother. You remember how
Kimiko was," a note of longing and regret accompanied Soun's words.

"Ah, I see the resemblance now," Genma searched for something else to take his friend's mind off of
his departed wife. "Don't forget Soun, we'll have to tell the girls not to take off Ranma's collar. I
wouldn't want them getting hurt. Hopefully, I can fix this mess before too long. Then we can surely
join the schools!"

"Our dream will come true then Saotome. Count on me to help you in any way I can. Ranma must
come to his senses, for everyone's sake."

The fathers celebrated to the future with another bottle of Genjou.

Once the sun dipped below the horizon, and Ranma could no longer see the fish in the depths of the
pond, he got up and stretched. It had been fun, and now he wanted to do something else. "Let's go,"
he reached down to shake the tall girl and get her attention. "Hey, hey. Let's go."

Kasumi blinked, trying to put a face to the strange voice that had woken her. Sitting up, she looked
around the dark yard for a second, not fully aware of her surroundings. As the cobwebs cleared from
her mind, she recalled watching the Koi, and feeling fairly comfortable in the autumn air. I must have
dozed off, she belatedly realized, feeling a slight flush across her face. Falling asleep in front of a guest,
how embarrassing! And her mind finally matched a face to the voice. Ah, Ranma had been trying to
wake her up!

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep out here," Kasumi attempted to placate what she was sure
was a slighted boy. The hand that helped pull her to her feet was welcome nonetheless, and she could
barely make out an outline of the other in the dark. "Thank you."

"Let's go," Ranma said again, after the girl was up. Genma hardly ever wanted to play around
anymore, and as far as he was concerned, Ranma had found a new playmate. One that even had fish!
The other one, the Akane, she sounded too much like Genma. Maybe he'd done something ‘wrong'
again. It was hard for Ranma to tell sometimes. So many things he wanted to do, Genma yelled at him
for.

"It is getting rather late isn't it," Kasumi thought he meant for them to go back inside. Come to think of
it, she hadn't started dinner yet. "Oh, I need to take care of a few things Ranma. Did you want to
wash up? I'm sure you'd like to take a bath after your trip," she headed toward the house, noticing a
small grass stain on the side of her dress once she was under the porch light. Shaking her head, she
remembered the load of wash that needed to be done before morning, the dress would just have to be
tossed in along with the rest.

Turning back to make sure Ranma was following, she was startled to find the boy hot on her heels. In
fact, as she'd turned to look around, Ranma quickly spun, thinking he was missing out on something.
The scene was funny enough in of itself to elicit a small laugh on her part. When Ranma spun back
around at the sound of her giggle, she apologized and waved it off. "I'll be fixing dinner, so you have
time to take a bath if you like," Kasumi noticed a few leaves in his hair, and that his clothes looked
much dirtier than she recalled from that afternoon. "In fact, I insist. Ask father, and he'll show you
where the furo is," Kasumi then left the boy to his own devices, thinking everything was well in hand.

Ranma was less than happy. A bath? He knew what that meant, and didn't like it one bit.

Minutes later found one despondent Saotome staring with his shoulders hunched up at the outer tiles of
the large bath. He'd rather be outside again, but the Kasumi's voice hadn't brooked otherwise, so
he'd gone inside the bathing room without a fuss. That didn't mean that he had to actually get into the
water though, which meant that he was likely to stand there, glaring at the water, until someone told him
it was alright to leave. Face to face with the tub, Ranma's stomach growled. Time passed.

Once the door to the washroom that separated the house from the furo clicked shut, Akane shucked
her clothes. She'd already changed out of her gi before studying, and wouldn't have bothered
showering since her workout had been cut short by a certain houseguest. Her sister had, of course,
said something about ‘proper etiquette' and waved her off toward the bath when Akane walked by the
kitchen. "She's not usually this stubborn, I can't wait until those two leave," she grabbed a fresh towel
from above the hamper and slid open the door to the furo. So absorbed in her thoughts she all but
walked straight into a wall that should not have been there.

Landing rear first with an audible slap on the tile, Akane's confusion was momentary as embarrassed
anger burned it away the second she realized exactly what she'd collided with. "You," she sputtered at
a loss, "Why are you just standing there? There's a sign on the door for a reason!" It was while getting
back to her feet that she recalled something vitally important, and the towel unfolded. Partially covered,
and with her composure almost recovered, Akane was at a loss, more so since Ranma's attention
wasn't focused on her. His being clothed helped a little, but only made the situation all the more odd.
She'd walked straight into him, and he hadn't even flinched. All he did was stare at the furo, at least,
until she'd spoken.

He'd heard the doors open and shut, and even the pad of bare feet on tile. When someone bumped
against him, he ignored it. Genma made a habit of things like that all the time, or he used to anyway.
So, it really didn't bother Ranma, though he perked up a bit when the person started yelling, it was the
Akane. That probably meant that they really wanted him to take a bath. But, he didn't have to like it.
Sighing, he started fumbling with his t-shirt. Bath, bath, don't like the bath, the thoughts floated
around. Off went the shirt, and down dropped the jeans. "I don't like baths," he might have said
aloud, or not.

Akane couldn't believe what this boy was doing, stripping down right in front of her like this was the
community bathhouse. If he thought she was getting in there with him, well, she just wasn't, fiancees or
whatever. Keeping the towel firmly in place, she staggered backwards, with her free hand reaching for
the sliding door. She'd forget this ever happened, and just tell Kasumi the bath was occupied, that's
what she'd do. The only thing was, Ranma upended the rinsing bucket over his head before Akane
made it out of the room. That stopped her as surely as if she'd been turned to stone.

Soun was putting away the shogi board when Akane's scream startled him into nearly dropping his
prized board. Kasumi poked her head out of the kitchen to see what the matter was, while Genma
polished his glasses and waited for the food. "It was going to happen sooner or later," he said to
himself, looking over at the worried face of the eldest daughter. "I'm sure everything's fine with your
sister," he paused as a door further into the house slammed open, and the sound of running feet reached
his ears. Akane came barreling into the living room, with a hastily wrapped towel about her mid-
section.

"Ranma, he, the water," Akane babbled at her father, "There's a girl, and Ranma," her voice went quiet
as she struggled to form something coherent.

Soun didn't understand at first, but the recent conversation with Genma clicked, and he figured out
what his daughter was trying to get at. But, all that did was to slam home the fact that something
terrible had happened to his friend's son on that trip to China. Did this mean that the curse was real?
He was curious, but tending to his child was equally important.

"What's wrong Akane," the question came from her sister, who was still unaware of Ranma's
condition.

Still holding her father, Akane let go when Kasumi's voice reached her, and she turned to warn her
sister as well now that she felt the right words coming to mind. "Ranma, he's a girl, Kas. Right in front
of me, I saw him change."

Kasumi took her sister to mean something completely different, and a bit more sensible. "Akane, some
people are into that sort of thing, I think. I hope you didn't give him, my. No, her, too much of a
hassle." Fixing a glare at the fathers, she continued, "You both knew of this? And you still wanted to
try and go through with this arranged marriage nonsense," the frosty tone in her voice was
unmistakable. Then Kasumi sort of frowned, "Ranma certainly looks rather like a boy."

Akane goggled at her sister, she thinks I meant Ranma was cross-dressing! "No, Kasumi, he's not
dressing like a boy, he was a boy at first, and then turned into a girl!"

Now it was Kasumi's turn to be taken aback. This was certainly a different matter. "Mr. Saotome, did
you condone Ranma's operation?"

The Saotome patriarch felt a headache coming on. "Ranma, boy! Get out here!" It would be best to
just get everything out of the way. This was the part he'd been dreading, and it would only be worse
later with his wife. If he could just work things out with the Tendou's, maybe the return home could be
prolonged for a while longer, a few years if he was lucky.

They didn't have to wait long for Ranma to show, wearing only his collar. Kasumi blushed, Akane
boggled along with her father, and Genma just shook his head. "Clothes, boy. Get your clothes on
first."

By morning, things had settled down in the Tendou household. For Akane it was all going smoothly,
until she went downstairs to eat breakfast. The dog was waiting for her. Or that's how she felt at any
rate. In actuality Ranma paid very little attention to the girl who constantly glared at him. He was far
more comfortable in the presence of the Kasumi, barring that, even Genma would do. Not that any of
those things were foremost, since there was food to be had. Food first, and everything else could wait.

Kasumi, had taken the whole matter in stride, mostly. If it bothered her, she certainly didn't let it show,
not in front of others. Truth be told, it had taken her longer that usual to get to sleep last night, though
she'd risen early regardless. She wasn't sure which part affected her more, the curse Ranma was
under, or the state of his mind. He didn't seem too out of the ordinary, but it would go a ways toward
explaining some of his mannerisms. Watching him discreetly, she wondered if his eating habits were
ingrained, or a canine mimicry, the boy was a voracious eater. Then again, she caught sight of Saotome
Genma, maybe it was hereditary after all.

As soon as everyone finished, Kasumi began cleaning up, leaving her father to leaf through the
newspaper, and Genma to nurse another cup of tea. Akane was already gathering her things for class,
and was heading to the front door before anyone could say anything. "Akane, I put your lunch on the
counter. Don't leave it behind like yesterday," she called out after her younger sister.

"Don't worry Kas, I grabbed it when I came down. Thanks," the reply floated back through the open
door, before being cut off. Kasumi just shook her head, Akane always did things the hard way.
Especially over the past year. Did her little sister still blame herself? She hoped not.

Coming back out of the kitchen, Ranma was nowhere to be found. Kasumi wondered if she should say
anything, though a second look at Genma changed her mind. He didn't appear too concerned, and he
was the boy's father after all. Ranma was probably around the house, or out in the back, looking at the
fish again. "Has anyone seen Ranma?" Pausing to towel dry her hands, she decided to see if he was in
the backyard when the only response she received was the rustle of newspaper.

A thorough search of the grounds proved fruitless. If Ranma was anywhere around the house, he was
very good at hiding as Kasumi had even taken a look at the crawlspace beneath the flooring. He
wasn't in the backyard, or in the dojo. Feeling a hint of worry, she tried asking Genma if he knew
where his son might have gone, but Saotome only shook his head. "I'm sure the boy's fine. He does
this from time to time." He did however excuse himself to go search the area. Kasumi wasn't sure, but
as Genma left, she thought he was muttering about ungrateful children, and dutiful wives. The last few
comments might have been directed at her, but she couldn't be certain since her father started coughing.

She wondered if maybe Ranma might have followed after her sister. It didn't seem likely, given that
Akane would have marched the boy right back to the house by his collar if need be. Those two hadn't
gotten along from the start, though that was more to do with her head strong sibling if anything. Ranma
was a bit distant to start an argument from his side. If what Genma said the night before was accurate,
then the boy would roll over for just about anyone, figuratively of course. His father hadn't sounded
pleased in the least about that.

Kasumi felt a little bit silly calling out Ranma's name around the neighborhood like he was a lost child,
or a pet. She couldn't think of a better way to find him though, other than asking some of the neighbors
if they'd seen a teenage boy wandering by. She'd gone out with the intention of helping Genma, but
hadn't seen the portly man the entire time, not since he rounded the first corner at the end of the block.
The thought that the boy's father had just circled around and gone back to her house did occur to her,
but she did her best to push it aside. After all, what kind of father would leave his child? She had no
way of knowing that the version of the story told to Akane and herself wasn't the same that Soun had
learned.

On a nearby side street Ranma sat on his haunches, fixedly staring at an orangish-brown cat. He'd
been following it for quite a while, after seeing it walking along the Tendou's outer wall. So far, the cat
hadn't reacted to his presence more than to mewl when he got too close. He followed it anyway, since
it kept to higher places, making a game out of just keeping up. This was probably the most fun he'd
had in a very long time. From the alley, to a wall, and finally to the roofs, the chase was on.

The Tendou girl was ready to check back at the house, when a large shadow passed overhead.
Blinking, she looked up to a clear blue sky. Strange, she thought, there's not a cloud in sight. Her
attention was suddenly pulled to the right by a flurry of motion. Craning her neck, she could just make
out a figure darting across the rooftop of the house across the street. She'd known the boy for less
than a day, but his wild mop of hair stood out anywhere she was certain. Ranma was running across
the roofs, it was a wonder that she'd found him at all.

"Ranma, Ranma come back," she called out to the retreating form to no avail. She would have to get
closer, but he was moving much faster than she could on the ground, and her shoes weren't exactly
made for running in. But, she did anyway, for about a block and a half before her body got the better
of her. "I need to get out more," Kasumi lamented through labored breaths. She'd lost sight of him
again anyway a minute or so back. She couldn't be sure, but it seemed his present course would run
him near to Furinkan, where Akane was attending school. Hopefully, she could find his father, as
Genma would be more suited to pursuing the boy.

Meanwhile, the boy who thought he was a dog, was having the time of his life. Somewhere along the
way, the cat had escaped him, but this new feeling of freedom that he'd found was too exhilarating for
the details to matter. He ran, leaping from each new roof to the next, scrambling across the tiles,
searching for new heights and things to play with. And he saw it, a place larger than anything he'd
found so far in this place Genma had brought him to. It was a huge multi-storied building, and there
were only a few people around. If he hurried, he could make it to the top in no time.

-- end part 1--