I finally finished the draft for chap 2, and would like to thank all the
folks who gave me so much C&C on the first chapter, it helped a ton.
Disclaimer: Ranma and all the other people's are not mine, blah blah blah,
Rumiko Takahashi is the supreme creator of this wonderful,
more-addictive-than-cocaine series, I am but a mere fan. We revel in your
greatness, Takahashi-san.
Master of Ki, chap 2
Kijo concentrated.
Sweat dripped from his forehead. His eyes were unblinking, focused,
oblivious to the rest of the world. A soft white glow was already coming
from his hands, but that was only the beginning. Slowly, it broke up into
little patches of light dotting his hands. Ever so slightly, they changed,
and separated. Each white patch became several patches of color; a prism.
Letting out a small sigh, he held his hands close together, palms open and
facing each other. The patches began to stick out, farther from his skin,
until one suddenly arced across the open space and latched onto another
patch of the same color. The others soon followed suit. He slowly shifted
his hands, the arcs dancing noiselessly between his hands.
Satisfied, he held them up for his audience to see clearly. Ryoga and two
other boys looked on in awe as his handiwork suddenly vanished, and Kijo let
out a long breath. He wiped the sweat from his brow and looked up at the
three, smiling.
"Awesome!" cried Hiroshi.
"Amazing," added Daisuke.
"Wow," Ryoga muttered.
The other two had wandered over the other day to chat, and had immediately
become fascinated with his martial arts style.
"You see," Kijo had explained, "My family has a special style based on a
family trait."
"Wuzzat?" Daisuke asked, leaning forward.
"We all have amazing ki capacities," Kijo answered, "which go far beyond
what any normal person could achieve."
"Wow, really?" Hiroshi asked, resting his elbows on the desk.
Kijo nodded. "Yep. We still have to learn it, but it is a little easier for
us. Because nearly the entire style is based on ki attacks, some of the big
fights are pretty fun to watch," he had said, grinning. Then, the teacher
had thrown a handful of erasers at them, so the conversation had been cut
short.
Ryoga gestured to Kijo's hands. "So what was the meaning of that? I mean, it
was neat, but what good is it in a fight?"
Kijo glanced down at his palm. "My mom taught me that. She's real big on
impressive displays, light shows, and illusions. She loves the flashy
things. It's mostly for amusement."
Ryoga nodded, picking up his bento. "I guess so," he mused, chewing on a
beef strip.
Hiroshi and Daisuke processed what they had seen and ran it through their
heads until it came to a certain department that all their thoughts ended up
in. "I wonder if it impresses the girls..." Daisuke pondered. Hiroshi
nodded, already considering the possibility.
Ryoga ignored them. "Know any more tricks like that?" he asked Kijo. Kijo
nodded.
"A couple," he answered. "But they can wait."
"Aw, c'mon!" Daisuke whined, momentarily forgetting about girls.
Kijo shook his head. "Forget it. That really tires you out, you know."
Daisuke crossed his arms. "You suck," he grumbled, sulking.
Kijo laughed. "Too bad for you guys, then," he said as he stood up. "Back to
class, bell's ringing."
They all stood up and slowly walked over to the entrance. Suddenly, a voice
boomed across the school grounds.
"KUUURRRAAAAKIIIII!!!"
Kijo stopped and turned around quickly. He blinked. He blinked again. He
rubbed his eyes and blinked a third time. "Eh?"
A boy stood in the gate, tense with barely-controlled rage. He wore
beautiful clothing, vibrant in its design, as if the tailor had put his very
being into its fabric. He was, no questions asked, dressed to impress. His
shirt hung loose, and was a maroon color with elaborate designs sewn into
it. It was embroidered with golden tread, some of which hung off in ropes.
His pants were similarly designed, and his shoes were lined with a gold
trim. His spiky hair was jet black, half-covered by a Maoist cap, which was
green with a red star on the front. His bangs hung over his forehead. All of
this was barely noticeable, however, next to the most glaringly obvious
feature of his self: he was green.
His skin, all of it, was not just any green, but a bright, vibrant, NEON
green. He stood out like a lime in a glacier.
Getting no response from Kijo, he stalked across the grounds towards him.
"You thought you could escape? Just run off? You were WRONG! NO ONE can
simply walk away from doing THIS to someone!" he shouted, jerking a thumb at
his face.
"Uh...." Kijo finally got out.
"You don't remember me? Figures," the boy grumbled, crossing his arms. "Pen
Zan, the short fuse? Sound familiar?"
"Oh!" Kijo cried suddenly. "I remember! But, how'd you get, you know....."
he trailed off, gesturing helplessly.
"How can you even ASK that question? YOU did this to me!" Pen fairly
screamed. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to live like this, everyone
either backing off or laughing at you? People don't take me seriously, or
are too afraid to talk to me. I'm a freak now!" Pen clenched his fisted and
gazed up at the sky, his eyes shimmering.
Kijo scratched his head in obvious confusion. "Um, I don't know what you're
talking about...." he mumbled.
"Remember?" Pen asked impatiently. "Your last day?"
"What about it?" Kijo asked, tilting his head to the side.
Suddenly, Pen grabbed the front of Kijo's shirt and held his face close to
his own. "You botched your test. You ran off, leaving pandemonium in your
wake! And THIS happened to me!"
"Kijo, what the heck is he talking about?" Ryoga interjected impatiently.
"Yeah, what's with Mr. Jolly Green Giant here?" Hiroshi said, furrowing his
brow.
"Watch it..." growled Pen.
"So what's the story?" Daisuke butted in.
"If you set me down, I'm sure it can all be explained, heh heh," Kijo
nervously said, glancing down at Pen's fist. Pen let him drop to the ground,
and they both told the story with a bit of glaring from Pen.
"Well, it started when I was working in a labor camp in China...." Kijo
began.
"He messed up a test and was working off the damage expenses," Pen added.
Kijo hmphed. "Well, true. But that's beside the point. They were all
engineers of sorts, and Pen Zan here was kinda good with..."
"I was EXCELLENT with explosives," Pen growled. "I was the best there."
"Whatever," Kijo muttered. "Right, so that's all I know. How'd you turn, heh
heh, green?"
"This is NOT a laughing matter!" Pen roared, then glanced around and took a
deep breath. "Recall your last day."
"Eh?" Kijo said, thinking.
~Flashback~
Kijo sat at a table during lunch break, fiddling with a mess of machinery.
"Hey Kijo, what's that for?" one of his partners asked, wandering over.
Kijo glanced up from his work. "It's not done, but it's just another test
bomb. They wanted me attach a few things," he explained.
"They actually trusted YOU to do that?" the other man asked in disbelief.
"Sheesh, make one mistake and no one lets you... ACK!" he cried, as the bomb
suddenly lit up. "Here!" he cried, tossing it to the other man.
"Nononono, it's yours!" he shrieked, tossing it back. Kijo squeaked and
dashed off in a panic.
Pen Zan flicked an insect off of his sleeve and lifted his sandwich. *I
wonder when that wretch Kuraki is done here? He irritates me.* Pen shook his
head and opened his mouth to take a bite.
"AHH!! TAKEITTAKEITAKEIT!!!" Kijo shrieked as he dashed by the table,
dropping the blinking contraption on Pen's sandwich.
"Eh?" Pen muttered, raising an eyebrow as he lifted it up. He suddenly
realized that the other occupants of the table had disappeared.
"Kiiiijoooo....." he growled, clenching his fist, causing a piece of fish to
slip out from between the bread.
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
"Eh heh heh... Methinks I've worked off the damages by now," Kijo laughed
weakly as he ran away from the camp clutching his belongings.
"KUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAKIIIIIIII!!!"
~End Flashback~
Kijo stared at Pen with wide eyes. He was acutely aware of the looks being
directed at him. "Eh heh heh... who'd 'ave thunk it, eh? Ah ha ha... oh
boy," Kijo laughed weakly, scratching the back of his neck and tugging at
his sleeves like mad.
Pen turned around. "I came here for revenge, so, Kijo Kuraki, I challenge
you." So saying, he half turned and tossed a piece of paper at Kijo, who
fumbled with it and nearly dropped it. Pen walked stiffly out the gates.
Kijo quickly scanned the challenge letter, and stuffed it in his pocket. He
looked around at all the faces staring at him. "Um, I can't believe I made
such a stupid mistake?" he mumbled.
"So how exactly did you end up in a labor camp, anyway?" Ryoga asked.
Kijo sighed, watching his feet dangled over the tree branch. "I messed up
one of their tests. Kinda wrecked the camp. So they made me work for them to
pay off the damages."
"Okay, but what about that Pen guy? Is he good?" Ryoga urged, snapping off
a twig.
"I dunno," Kijo sighed. "I didn't know he even fought. The only things he
ever cared about were explosives and his appearance."
Ryoga tossed the twig aside. "So you have no idea how he fights? Great," he
muttered.
"Hey," Kijo said defensively, "don't you think I can do this? He hasn't seen
me fight either, so he doesn't have an advantage. Besides, I can fight
pretty good."
"If you say so," Ryoga said, rolling his eyes.
"And I do," Kijo confidently said, lifting his chin slightly.
Kijo stood in the arena, watching his opponent. Pen Zan stood perfectly
still, glaring mildly at Kijo through half-lidded eyes. He was wearing a
black shirt with wide, baggy sleeves, and black jeans. "Are you ready,
Kuraki?" he asked quietly.
"Whenever," Kijo casually replied. Pen gave no answer and assumed a flexible
stance. Kijo began to charge up his aura. Pen suddenly rushed forward and
swung at Kijo's mid-section. Kijo jabbed his fist forward and felt it slam
into a blast-shield. He felt Pen tap his forehead and saw him jump
backwards. *Dang! He's fast!* he thought, then heard the hissing sound.
Looking down, he noticed the stick of dynamite hanging around his neck. "Oh
n-"
*BOOOM*
Pen stood quietly, unblinking eyes focused on the cloud. Peering in, he saw
nothing, but.... "HYAH!"
A large yellow orb flew out of the cloud and slammed into a surprised Pen.
"Umph!" he grunted as the collision carried him backwards. He shakily stood
up, eventually focusing on a coughing Kijo.
"Ha! Is that the *cough* best you can do?" Kijo called, grinning weakly.
"Not by a long shot, you miserable bungling fool," Pen growled and grabbed a
handful of marbles. He rapidly tossed them in Kijo's direction, who easily
dodged them. The explosions they made upon hitting the ground, however, were
more difficult to avoid.
"Ack!" Kijo cried as one blast singed him. Quickly grabbing a handful of
rocks, he threw them at Pen, each one glowing a bright orange. Pen dodged
all but one, which slammed into his arm and caused him to drop his marbles,
but he jumped away before the blasts could hurt him.
"Very good, but this is only beginning!" Pen cried, and whipped out his
shield as he charged Kijo. Kijo sidestepped him and tried to punch behind
the shield, but Pen knocked his hand away and thrust the shield in his face.
Kijo placed his hands against it to toss it away, then noticed he was
staring right at a detonation charge.
"Not agai-"
*BOOOOM*
Pen closed his eyes as the blast carried him backwards but he was protected
from the worst of it. Landing lightly, he tucked the shield away and pulled
out what appeared to be two scepters. Circling around the edge of the cloud,
he spotted Kijo's glowing form.
"KI WHIP!" Kijo cried as he lashed forward with a bright red rope of energy.
It struck the ground where Pen's feet had been a moment earlier and sent
debris flying.
Kijo looked up and tried to hit Pen as he leapt over his head, dropping
bombs on his way over. "Oh god..." he muttered through clenched teeth as he
gave his legs strength enough to leap clear of the blast zone. He barely
made it. The explosion knocked him off balance, however, and Pen was
immediately on top of him. After a brief struggle, Kijo threw Pen off of him
and stood up. "Enough of your..." he trailed off as Pen whipped out an
object.
He knew he was in trouble the instant Pen lifted his hand. As he brought it
down to slap the button on the remote, he uttered a quick prayer. "Please
gods spare m-"
*BOOOOOOOOOM*
Pen leapt up to intercept Kijo's flying, and screaming, form and slammed him
into the ground. Dropping on top of him, he held his shield on top of Kijo
and whispered in his ear, "It's over." And, half a second before the final
bomb exploded, Kijo knew he was right.
"Gah!" Ryoga covered his eyes with his forearm and stepped back as the
explosion rocked the surrounding area. He pulled his arm down and
frantically watched for a sign of Kijo. After the dust cleared, all he saw
was Pen getting to his feet next to a huge hole in the ground. "Where is
he?!" he demanded.
Pen Zan pointed at the hole. Looking in, Ryoga saw a charred figure lying in
the bottom, "Ack!" he cried and jumped in to get him. He glared at Pen as he
pulled him out by his limp arm. "Why you..."
Pen shook his head. "Leave it. I beat him, and that's what I came here for.
Now, I really need a nap, and then I can search for a cure for this...
mistake," he muttered, gazing at his brightly-colored hand.
Ryoga said nothing and tossed Kijo over his shoulder.
"Well, any idea where we are?" Kijo asked, a little too casually.
Ryoga looked around for a familiar landmark... and saw none, of course. "Um,
no."
"I think I know where we are," Kijo said, still overly-casual.
"What?" Ryoga asked, turning to him. "Where?"
Kijo turned slowly and looked him in the eye. He looked around him, looked
up at the sky, and back to Ryoga. "WE'RE ON TOP OF A FRIGGIN' MOUNTAIN!!!"
he screamed, knocking Ryoga backwards.
"Heh, I guess we are," Ryoga chuckled nervously, regaining his balance.
Kijo grumbled something under his breath and looked around. "How on EARTH
did you get me this far before I woke up?" he muttered angrily.
"Look, I'm sorry! Let's just get out of here! Can't you fly down, or
something?" Ryoga asked while holding his arms out in a sign of apology.
"Not right now! I'm too drained from the fight," Kijo replied sourly.
"Fine then, you'll have to hike," Ryoga said, shouldering his pack.
"I hate you..." Kijo grumbled.
"Excuse me, do you know how to get to Nerima?" Kijo asked the farmer sitting
on his porch in a rocking chair. The man scratched his head and 'hmmed.'
"I've never heard of it, son," he said, shrugging.
"Uh, then how about Tokyo?" Kijo asked hopefully.
The man looked at Kijo for a long time. "Do you know where you are?" he
asked carefully.
Kijo snorted. "Not really."
The man leaned back in his chair and said, "Well, right now, you're in...."
"CHINA!!! FOR GOD SAKES, HOW THE *HELL* DID YOU GET TO *CHINA*?!?" Kijo
screamed at Ryoga, who was flinching under the onslaught. "I mean, the top
of a mountain is barely understandable, but the top of a mountain in
CHINA?!?"
"Heh heh, well..." Ryoga nervously mumbled, his hand scratching at the back
of his neck.
"AAAAUUGH!! CHINA!!!" Kijo raved.
"<What's the easiest way to get to Japan from here?>"
"<Cross the Sea.>"
"<Oh, THANK YOU for your generous help. Sheesh.>"
"<What province is this?>"
"<You boys lost?>"
"<No, I'm asking you because I thought that I might as well bug the locals
on my little jaunt across the country! Yes, I'm lost.>"
"<Excuse me, but where am I?>"
"<You're in Tibet.>"
"<Oh, bloody hell.....>"
Kijo and Ryoga stood on the hilltop overlooking a desolate valley. A light
breeze ruffled their haggard features. "Looks like some kinda hot springs,"
Kijo observed dully.
"Yeah," Ryoga agreed, even more dully.
"Let's go check it out," Kijo suggested without emotion.
"Yeah," Ryoga agreed with even less emotion.
"Welcome, Mr. Customer, to valley of cursed springs, Jusenkyo!" the guide
greeted, walking out of his office.
"Yeah... wha- Juse- HUH?" Ryoga exclaimed, shaking his head rapidly to clear
his several-week-long brain fog.
"I said, 'Welcome, Mr. Custo-"
"I heard you! This is really Jusenkyo?" Ryoga asked desperately, grabbing
the front of the guide's shirt.
"Um, yes sir, it is."
"Take me to the Nannichuan!" Ryoga demanded.
"OK sir, right this way. Um, you need set me down first."
"Oh, sorry."
"This spring of drowned man," the guide said as they approached the spring.
"There tragic legend of man who drown in spring.... That odd...." he trailed
off.
Kijo and Ryoga stared into the spring. It was dry. It was empty, and dry.
Nothing more than a pit in the ground.
"The spring fine just yesterday. I have no idea how this tragedy occur" the
guide said, lifting his hands and shaking his head back and forth.
Ryoga ignored him and shook in anger. Anger, and depression. *I can't be
cured. My cure is gone. Gone, as soon as I get to it.* He clenched his
fists.
"SHISHI HOKODAN!" Ryoga cried as he launched a huge ball of ki into the air.
He dropped to his knees and stared into the spring. Just a hole now, a hole
that swallowed his hope.....
"Umm, Ryoga?" Kijo asked tentatively.
"What?" Ryoga replied bitterly.
"Did you just shoot that straight up?"
Ryoga blinked, then all three of them looked upwards at once.
"AAAAAHHH!" Kijo screamed as the blast threw him backwards. The guide was
knocked into the empty spring, and Ryoga managed to grab onto a bamboo pole
before he fell in. Kijo was not so lucky. He felt the water swallow his
body, and groaned inside his head. *This wasn't supposed to happen! Not to
me! Oh, NO!* He surfaced, and gasped for air. He dragged himself out of the
pool, not daring to look at himself. What had he turned into? He didn't
think he wanted to know.
Kijo looked up and saw Ryoga staring at him, open mouthed. He then passed
out from shock.
Kijo woke up in a bed inside the guide's office. Ryoga was sitting at a
nearby table, nervously tapping his fingers on the wooden surface.
"Ryoga...?" Kijo mumbled, sitting up.
Ryoga looked up. "Yeah?" he asked, absent-mindedly snapping off a piece of
the table.
"C...could you splash me? Now?" he asked quietly.
Ryoga hesitated, then tossed the contents of a nearby glass over Kijo's
head.
Kijo breathed out deeply, then looked down at himself. His eyes popped out
at the sight of the great, curving.... belly.
"You fall in spring of drowned redneck," the guide announced as he walked in
through the door.
Kijo's reply was a loud *BELCH*.
"ACK!" Kijo cried as he sat up suddenly. The room was empty. He glanced
around and shivered. What a freaky dream...
Ryoga walked in the door and, noticing Kijo was awake, nervously glanced at
his feet. "Um, Kijo, I'm sorry about... losing control..." he mumbled,
scraping his feet on the floor. Kijo sat up and shook his head.
"We all do. But...... A curse. I'm cursed. Joy..." he muttered, clenching
the sheets of the bed in his fists. He let out a breath and let go of the
cloth. "What spring....?" he trailed off. He was filled with a feeling of
dread... Ryoga tossed a glass of water at him, spilling the contents over
his head. Kijo blinked, then looked down at himself.
"Girl. Spring of Drowned Girl," Kijo said dully, no trace of emotion in his
voice. He looked up and noted curiously that Ryoga was staring at her,
wide-eyed. "What?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Uhh... Actually... not quite," Ryoga said, sitting down roughly.
"Huh?" Kijo said, furrowing her brow. "What are you talking about?"
"I just noticed it now," Ryoga mumbled, twiddling his thumbs. "Changed you
back too fast to really get a good look..."
"What the heck are you muttering about?" Kijo demanded, annoyed.
Ryoga puffed his cheeks a little as he let out a long breath and leaned back
in his seat. "Not Spring of Drowned Girl, Spring of Drowned Akane."
End
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.
http://im.yahoo.com