This fic is slightly lime at times. Just a warning.
PM Productions Presents
A Phillip Masters Fanfic
Untitled (taking suggestions)
Chapter One
The two martial artists walked slowly down the path toward the
misty valley. At first, the older of the two had wanted to run, but
soon the feeling had overcome his enthusiasm. There was almost an
overpowering aura eminating from the place known as Jusenkyo. And aura
that promised all who journeyed there nothing but pain and despair.
The younger man, Ranma, spoke up suddenly, breaking the silence
that had dominated them since that feeling had hit. "Pop, I don't think
we should train here."
His father, Genma, hesitated. "I don't like it either, boy, but
how can we truly call ourselves martial artists when we run away form a
simple training ground?"
"That ain't no simple training ground." Ranma replied, still
staring at the valley dubiously.
No answer came.
Ranma looked to his right and saw his father lying on the path, his
face flat down in the dirt. He blinked, then walked over to the lump in
the road. "Hey, pop, get up!" He gave the prone figure a swift kick in
the side. This flipped his father over, to show his eyes staring
blankly up at the mid-day sun.
"Dad?" Ranma asked, getting down on his knees and looking down into
his father's face. There was an expression on it of surprise, as if he
had known what was happening only at the last second.
Ranma knew Genma was dead. He had seen death in his travels,
though none had been as close as this. He stood up and looked around,
all he could see for miles in any direction, other than jungle, was
Jusenkyo. He figured maybe someone was there, and without a second
thought to the ominous feeling, he started toward it again. As he
approached the edge of the grounds he found himself falling foward,
stumbling over his own feet. As he regained his balance he briefly
pondered the fact that he never lost his footing. Perhaps the sun was
getting to him?
The bottom of the valley revealed a massive collection of small,
shallow springs. Each one was marked with an eight to ten meter bamboo
pole. The sight of all the poles jutting out of the pools at various
angles made for a very chaotic picture. He found his vision blurring
slightly and stumbled toward one of the pools. The sun was definately
getting to him, and he needed water.
Ranma kneeled down next to one of the miriad springs of Jusenkyo and
stared down into the surface. A slight breeze caused a ripple, and his
reflection was distorted as the small waves passed through it. He
reached down into the cool water and marveled for a moment at the
feeling that went through him. It was not good, but neither was it bad.
It just sort of tingled. He cupped his hands and splashed the water
into his face.
He felt renewed by the shower and smiled as he glanced back down
into the surface once more. Now he felt much cleaner.
Ranma blinked, and he narrowed his eyes. Something was not right
with his reflection at all, even beyond the ripple distortion. His hair
seemed a different color, and his face suddenly looked more bishonen
than usual. Then, panning his gaze downward he noticed something much
sooner than he should have, the front of his chest. He put a hand at
the tip of his now enlarged chest, to see if what his eyes told him
matched the rest of his senses. Sure enough, his hand met with soft,
firm flesh far, far sooner than he should have.
Ranma rubbed his chest in a circular motion, as if through some
instinct. He felt slightly warmer and his breathing grew steadily
heavier...
"Miss... if very dangerous you go near springs."
Ranma let go of his chest and swirled on the voice. A short stocky
man was standing behind him in communist garb, which was rather fitting
given the location. "H... hey! Don't sneak up on me like that!" he
gasped, rather glad that his jumpy attitude covered for him quite
nicely.
The short man smiled, "Many apologies, young lady, but it is very
bad you fall in spring. One you are sitting next to okay, but stay away
from others."
Ranma looked back at the pool and then at the man. "Why, exactly?"
The man stood up straighter and waved a hand at the surrounding
area. "This is most legendary cursed land of Jusenkyo. It filled with
many tragic stories of those who drown here one time or another. Such
as one you sit next to, Spring of Drowned Girl... in such spring girl
drown in over three thousand year ago."
"That's a pretty long time." Ranma commented.
The man nodded and continued, "Now, whatever fall in spring take
body of drowned girl. Cold water activate curse, warm water reverse
it... until hit with cold again." He shrugged, "Not many make use of
Jusenkyo as training ground anymore."
"Who are you, and why do you know so much about his place?" Ranma
inquired.
"I am Guide of Jusenkyo... pleased make your aquaintance. I have
been watching over Jusenkyo since father die ten year ago." He stood up
taller and looked off into the distance.
Ranma stared at the ground suddenly, as if he should be remembering
something. "Pop!!" he screamed and jumped up. He shot out of the
valley and back to the body of his recently departed father. He was
still the way he had left him. Now, the tears came. Ranma wasn't sure
if it was his current form, or if he was just getting over the shock,
but for some reason they chose that moment to fall.
He barely registered the noise of the guide coming up behind him.
"Is your father?" he asked quietly.
Ranma nodded and turned to the diminutive man. "Could you give him
a burial? I need to go somewhere."
"Where?" the guide asked.
Ranma turned to the East, "Back home."
----------------------------------------------
Tendou Soun was ecstatic. His best friend would be arriving today,
and with him he would bring his son and heir to the school. Finally,
one of his daughters would be married, and the Anything Goes dojo would
be secure. His dream was coming true.
"What do you mean you've never seen him, daddy?" Nabiki asked
crossly.
If only the rest of his family could see it the way he did. "Now,
now, I'm sure he's very attractive. Nodoka is a beautiful woman, and
Genma a ruggedly handsome man."
"I hope he's older than I am." Kasumi said, sounding worried.
"No chance of that... he's the same age as Akane." Soun supplied.
That much he actually did know.
Kasumi looked slightly crestfallen, and Akane looked even more
peeved. "Oh, so I suppose that automatically nominates me, right!?" she
yelled. "Well, if you think that, you are sorely mistaken!"
A knock came from the front door. Everyone's heads turned toward
the sound. Soun frowned, "Who could that be? If it were Saotome he
would have just come in."
The patriarch walked down the hallway, his three daughters in tow.
He opened the front door, to reveal a slightly travel worn young man
with black hair and a good build. "Um, yes, can I help you?" Soun
asked, glancing past the boy to see if anyone were coming down the
street.
"I'm Saotome Ranma, sorry about this." the young man replied,
sounding a bit dejected.
"Oh, well, that..." Soun froze, and his gaze shot back to the
young man. "Ran... Ranma?" He glanced around the yard, quicker this
time to confirm that he was alone. "But... But... where's Genma?"
Ranma looked down at the ground a moment, before staring back up at
Soun, "He's dead. He died on the road... I don't know how or why."
Soun swallowed. Genma? Dead? It wasn't really possible was it?
He turned around and walked back into the house, past his daughters, and
vanished around a corner.
Ranma was left facing the three girls he assumed he was supposed to
marry. One of them, at least. "How are you?" he asked politely.
The first to respond was the tallest, who did so with a bright
smile. "I'm fine. Welcome."
The second down smiled a little more lightly and just said, "Hey."
Finally, the youngest just looked away, with a glare on her face.
He figured a formal introduction was in order. After names had
been passed, ranging from sweetly to spat at his feet, he stepped inside
the house. "I guess our fathers made a deal that I was supposed to
become afianced with one of you."
"Actually," came a voice from the corner. Soun walked around it
and stopped before the curious group. "It was decided that should one
of us die before meeting again we would simply wed our two eldest, as in
the traditional family agreement, passed down over two dozen
generations."
The group's jaws became unhinged. Ranma looked up at Kasumi, who
looked back at him, both their faces showed nothing but shock. Ranma
turned back to Soun. "But surely... if she doesn't want it..."
Soun glared at Ranma, making him shut his mouth. "How dare you
dishonor your father that way! It was to be considered a deathbed wish,
and I would have expected you to do the same if it had been me." He
looked at Kasumi and his hard gaze softened, "Kasumi, I am sorry about
this, if you do not wish it to be... but, I am bound by my very honor."
Akane piped up, "I suppose if your honor dictated you jump from a
skyscraper, you'd do that to?"
"Yes." replied Soun without even looking at her.
Kasumi nodded, "Very well, father."
Soun nodded ever so slightly and looked back down at Ranma. "Well,
son, you are now considered part of this family. Until a time can be
set for the wedding itself you can stay in the guest room. Try to get
to know Kasumi better, I know you'll like her given time."
Ranma sighed, "Yes, Mr. Tendou."
"Please, son, call me father."
END Chapter One
Okay, so it's not really all that original. However, I just started
writing and this came out, no real planning involved... I would like to
continue this one onward to unknown conclusion, but I am going to need
some response to do so. My previous postings received almost none, so I
am trying this. Any comments can be sent here. Please, no OOC
complaints... some things were possibly a little dubious to some, but I
think believable overall.
Thanks for reading,
PMasters (10-8-98)
"I'm only holding back the rain. So many raindrops, so many pains. I
want to find my train someday. As seasons go past the station." - Tokyo
Babylon OVA 1
/ E-mail at: PhilMasters@webtv.net /
Web page pending use of a computer!
"...has anyone ever used something alive for a coat of arms?" - The
Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea (Mishima Yukio, 1965) /
"You see, what you call a cat, we use as armor." - Rune (El-Hazard,
1994)