Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ New World ❯ Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma use it merely for entertainment purposes.

Can one event change the world? Can one question alter an entire world's thinking? The answer to the two questions is sometimes yes and some times no. In this particular case the answer is yes. The event occurred during a time when the world had gone mad, when the great powers of the world were at each other's throats wanting to destroy everything they stood for. At the time the world was fighting the Second Great War, or World War Two, by later Historians. It was after one of the great turning points in the War, when the United States of America entered war, did the event occur. The first strike of the Americans against the Japanese Home Islands, the Doolittle Raid, when a squadron of American Bombers flew bombed the Capital of Japan. Some of the Bombers were shot down by the Japanese, a couple crashed into the Sea of Japan, and still others made the trip into China. It was the crew of one of these Bombers that ended up changing how the world works. For this crew had to be taken deep within the wilds of China in ordered to keep them safe from the Japanese. So far in fact the Bomber Crew was taken into the Bayankala Mountain Range, or to be more precise an ancient Martial Arts Training Ground known as Jusenkyo. It was here where everything the Bomber Crew knew would be turned upside down.

“We'll rest here Sirs,” a Chinese soldier that spoke very good English said. “The Locals said that no one comes here so that Japanese Scouting Party won't be able to find us.”

 

“Yeah sure,” an American Army Air Corp Captain said. He was Captain Merlin Rickey from Origen. He was in charge of the six men left of Bomber Crew. He looked at where they were staying a place called Jusenkyo. It was nothing more than a bunch of small pools with looked like bamboo poles sticking out of them.

 

“Hey Captain,” a Lieutenant Mark Hoffman, the Bomber's former Radio Operator called. “That do you think the bamboo poles where for?”

 

“Damned if I know Lieutenant,” the Captain answered. “Hey Chung,” he said to the Chinese Solider with them, “What are the poles in the pools for?”

 

“My guess would be Balance Training for the Kung Fu,” Chung answered.

 

“You mean that kicking stuff you do?” Commander John Corwin asked. Chung nodded used to the American's lack of knowledge of his Art. It was not like they taught their fighting secrets to Westerners but answering a few questions to satisfy their curiosity was fine. “Is that even possible? I mean I don't think I could jump that high let alone balance on one of those poles?”

 

“I don't know about balancing,” Lieutenant Carl Sterlining, the Navigator began, “But is saw some guys getting close to the height of some of the smaller poles at the Olympic Tryouts a few years back.”

 

“Still…” Captain Rickey started only to be interrupted by another local coming out of a shack yelling something in the local dialect. “Hey Chung what's that guy saying?”

 

After a few minutes of listening Chung started to become worried. He had just been told why no one came to this place, it was cursed. Chung thought of himself as a modern Chinese Man, he was raised in Hong Kong and studied at University where they taught advanced sciences. He himself was an Engineer before the Japanese invaded and took Manchuria. But he still held many of the old Chinese beliefs that included Magical Curses. “He says we need to stay away from the pools because their cursed,” He knew the Americans would not believe him. Westerners did not believe in curses and magic. That line of thinking was just about to end.

 

“Cursed?” Lieutenant Jason Moore asked. His disbelief clear in his voice. “You actually believe in Curses?” He started to laugh as he walked over to one of the springs, the local started screaming in Chinese but everyone was ignoring him. “I'll prove this place isn't Cursed.” As he said those words he stripped down to his under clothes and jumped into the pool.

 

After a few seconds the rest of the Americans started to get worried when their friend did not come up. They were relieved when a shadow started to come towards the edged. They were expecting a man to come out, what they got was something right out of a ancient Greek Legends. A Minotaur with small white wings and an eel like tail. The Americans immediately jumped back out of fear, “WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?” Captain Rickey shouted.

 

The Minotaur looked utterly confused as it looked at its own body over. As it did this the local started saying something and Chung immediately translated, “He said he fell into the Spring of the Drowned Yeti riding a Bull carrying a Crane and an Eel.” More words spoken, followed by another translation. “Who ever falls into the Spring will now take that form.

 

“Moo! Moo! Moo!” the Minotaur like being tried to talk. He was frantic and it looked utterly aggressive to the Americans as they turned their weapons to him. He saw this and frantically shook his head, “MOO! MOO! MOO!”

 

There was more frantic talking from the local and Chung again translated, “Wait! He said it can be reversed with hot water!” The Americans looked at the local and then back at the Minotaur still wary of the entire situation. The local took out a steaming hot pot of water seemingly from nowhere and cautiously approached Minotaur. When he was close enough the local splashed the Minotaur with the pot and he changed back into Lieutenant Moore.

 

“Lieutenant?” Captain Rickey asked. “Is that you? Are you all right?”

 

“Yeah it's me Captain,” Lieutenant Moore answered.

 

The local started talking again drawing everyone's attention again. “He said the reversal is only temporary,” Chung translated again. “He'll stay this way until he's hit with cold water and turns back into…that.”

 

“I…is there a cure?” Lieutenant Moore asked.

 

“He said a local village might know of a cure,” Chung replied. “He said they've been here for hundreds of years.”

 

“Alright lets check this local village and see what the hell is going on,” Captain Rickey

ordered.

 

Hours later at the front entrance of a local village a pair of young women with ancient style weapons where standing guard at full attention. The entire village had been on alert for the past three years ever since the Elder Ku Lon returned from an excursion to outside world. She reported back that the Manchurian Region of China had been invaded by the Japanese with terrible modern weapons. It was not let out among the young warriors but the Elders knew that the Modern Weapons of the outside world had the ability to destroy their entire way of life. Especially some of the Weapons that Ku Lon witnessed this was why the Elders made decrees for the near future until the War would end.

 

One decree was the suspension of the Outsider Laws, the last thing they needed was to draw attention to their village for killing an outsider woman or taking an outsider man. The second decree was to send small groups of warriors, with Jusenkyo Curses as disguises to spy and see how the war was progressing. The second decree led to the third and final decree, if any of the village's warriors were to encounter individuals with certain clothes they were to render aid; they were following the old saying `enemy of my enemy was my friend.' The enemies of the Japanese were currently unannounced allies of the village.

 

This was why when a group of seven humans and one…thing, came into view the two guards did not immediately attack the…thing. Five of the humans were wearing the cloths of the Westerns they were to give aid to and one of the Chinese was wearing the other uniform they were to give aide too. Still with the…thing, with them they needed help. This was why they immediately called for an Elder.

 

“Now remember let Chung and the local do the talking,” Captain Rickey instructed. “These people might help us, but they won't if we do something stupid so watch yourselves.”

 

They came to a gate and there standing guard were two of some of the most beautiful women the Americans had ever seen. It was only the fact that the living reminder of what happened a few hours ago kept them from doing something stupid. The Americans stood back as the local and Chung went up to the gate. A brief exchange of words and Chung came back. “One of the Village's Elders is coming over to talk with us,” Chung said. “It looks like women are in charge here so the Elder will probably also be a woman.”

 

A few minutes later a strange looking creature came hopping up to the group on a wooden staff. The Americans went on guard but kept their weapons low, they did not want to do anything stupid that might cost their friend a cure. The old woman came up to them, paused and said one word they all knew, “Jusenkyo.”

 

After a six-month stay at the village of the Amazons, where the Americans witnessed many amazing sights, they were returned to America. They had to stay because they had to devise a way to keep Lieutenant Moore from changing into his cursed form so much. This was accomplished by several layers of special clothes that kept water from coming into contact with his skin. When they returned to America they turned the American Military and Government on its head. They reported and demonstrated that magic was in fact real. They also said they encountered people that could do near super human feet and some times beyond with something called Chi. This news fascinated many, especially scientist as they had proof positive of magic being real. Hardly anyone doubted the report as it was difficult to refute someone the changed into a beast of legend right in front of your eyes. After many tests the Americans decided that much more research was needed on this subject. That however would have to wait until the end of the war, too many resources were tied up into the war effort for a proper expedition at the time.

 

Three years later after the Japanese officially surrendered the American Government sent a team of its top scientist and scholars from every imaginable field they could think of to Jusenkyo and the `Amazon' village. The also sent the original former Bomber Crew as well for they knew the most about the region and its people. On the advice of the former soldiers the team from America went to the Amazon village first to study Chi and learn about the dangers of the Jusenkyo.

 

At first the Amazons were extremely reluctant to let so many outsiders into their village let alone study their ancient combat secrets. But the Americans made them an offer to use some medicines to treat the diseases the Amazons' old remedies simply could not cure. After the bargain was made the scientist and scholars went to work documenting and testing everything they were allowed to and even convinced the Elders to allow some of the warriors to be taken back to perform studies in laboratory setting in exchange for continued medical treatment. Among the demonstrations that many of the military scientist found the most interesting were the Chi body enhancing techniques they observed and the storage capabilities of Hidden Weapons. The biologists and chemists were intrigued by the transformation abilities of Jusenkyo. The physicists paid special attention to the techniques that controlled the temperature of the body. The medical doctors were fascinated by the pressure points and Chi healing. And finally the scholars liked the mediation exercises that raised the conscious level of the people to perform their Chi techniques.

 

For the next two years the USA studied Jusenkyo's Magic and the Amazons' Chi without telling other nations. This changed however do the mounting tensions between the Western European Nations and the USSR. Eventually the Americans released their findings to their allies and soon their allies began conducting their own research into the supernatural. This lead to source of the world's magic, the global Ley Lines and even further research programs. Eventually the information would leak out and the public would learn the world was mystical then many thought it was.

 

During the research and before the public was made aware of the truth about their world, the governments started to classify the areas of the supernatural. Magic, was the ability to call on the energy of Earths Ley Lines. Chi was the power to call on one's life force of spirit. And the last was Psionics, the power of the mind. The last category came about when certain events happened that did not have a source from the Ley Lines nor a person's Chi.

 

When the public became aware of Psionics, Chi, and Magic the world fell into anarchy once again. It was not another World War but there was much civil unrest in the world as people's strongly held beliefs crashed down around them. In some cases the unrest turned to violence and even the occasional small war. The only thing the kept the world from falling into a Third World War was the fact that the United Nations, established after World War II, actually kept the tensions from going global with talks and sometimes outright force. In the end some countries returned to traditional practices while others started to embrace the new technologies that were also being developed because of the new yet ancient energy sources.

 

For the next twenty years research and practice occurred with Psionics, Magic and Chi. With different areas of the world often focusing on one of the three. Many East Asian countries relied of Chi as it had been a part of their mythology for centuries. Western Europe would often practice Magic as there were strong Ley Line nodes like Stone Henge in England. The countries of Eastern Europe focused their attention on Psionics as they were the first to discover the phenomenon. The Middle East was often the location of mixed practices from one county to another, often depending on which part of the world they were closest too. Africa in the majority used Magic with some Psionics making small appearances. Central and South America was predominately Magic. And North America finding it easier to believe in the power of the mind was predominately Psionic, though in some areas where immigrants were in large populations Chi and Magic often should up. And finally Australia was a place of true mixture of the three powers. Magic from its ties to England, Psionics do to the large numbers of American Sailors and Chi because its proximity to East Asia.

 

Still even with all these changes to the world, humanity was still humanity. Some people lived with intelligence and a sense of integrity and honor while others made foolish choices and sought to only further their own ends. This story begins with a man of the later, a man that lived in Japan by the name of Saotome Genma. “Boy how would like to come with me of a trip?”