Silence.  The wind slowly swirled round the trees of a dense patch of forest making a faint rustling sound.  The sound increased in volume adding the snapping of twigs and branches, until finally the cracking became deafening.  A large tree fell into the clearing a top a valley and a young man appeared his arm extending from the darkness into the daylight.  The outlined displayed the strength in his youthful form.  He walked out into the daylight surveying his surroundings.  The boy wore a yellow bandana with black stripes.  He looked like the rugged sort who had seen many travels.

            “Ryoga who made YOU our fearless leader?”  A second boy of similar features wearing a white Chinese shirt and black pants emerged from the forest.  He swept the dark brown pigtail from his shoulder and appeared annoyed at his companion. 

            “Well at least I found the way out, didn’t I!”  Past the two, a long corridor of broken trees and shattered rocks lay to waste.

            “Who ran off directionless into the forest in the first place.  If you had listened to me we wouldn’t have taken this detour.”  The boys glared at each other, their eyes blazing with anger.

            “Come, this isn’t helping our current situation.”  A third boy dressed in a white rob wearing thick glasses appeared behind them.  He placed a hand each of their shoulders sympathetically.

            “Stay outta this duck boy.” Ryoga shoved him to the ground with the bamboo umbrella he kept at his side.  With a twist of his wrist the umbrella spun through the air and opened, he stood ready to fight. 

            “Ranma that’s it.  I will not suffer anymore humiliation.”  Both boys stood ready to attack when a large chain wrapped around Ryoga’s chest restraining his arms and knocking his umbrella to the ground.

            “How dare you treat me in such a way.  There is no forgiving someone of your rudeness!”  The boy named Mousse stood at the end of the long chain.  Ryoga ran at him and knocked him down.  The two proceeded to roll around on the ground trying to strangle each other.  Ranma stood down from his fighting stance watching the events unfold.

            “You two leave me outta this.”  Ranma, having no patience with them, walked into the clearing away from the brawling pair.  He gazed down at the valley from the top of a steep hill.  The sunlight reflected off a stream at the bottom of the valley below a small waterfall.  His eyes looked past the beauty of the scenery consumed by the images in his mind.

            “You think we break them up?”  A sweet high-pitched voice came from the trees.  A beautiful girl with purple hair, wearing a red pajama like outfit with yellow flowers, walked up to the two brawling boys.  Another girl, with long brown hair tied in a white bow, followed her, a gigantic spatula strapped to her back.  She looked down and shook her head at the dust cloud.

            “Nay, they’d only go right back to it.”  The two girls walked past them and stopped to watch Ranma, each starring at the thoughtful expression on his face. 

            “Shampoo love be on trip with husband to be.”  She held her hands together close to her chest.  “If only he not so distracted all the time.”

            “I know what you mean sugar.  It’s almost as if he hasn’t been with us this whole time.”  Both girls sighed and then starred at each other with fire in their eyes.

            “Keep hands to self spatula girl!”

            “Stay away from him you . . . hussy!”  Then both girls started to through punches and kicks making their own dust cloud.

            Ranma kept his eyes on the rolling water surrounded by rocks and trees.  Oblivious to the ongoing feuds behind him, Ranma pulled out a pencil drawing of a beautiful young woman.  The girl’s face smiling sweetly up at him brought back memories of his missing fiancée.  It had been months since he had last seen her after mysteriously disappearing on her way to school one morning.  The picture, his only clue, was dropped by her kidnappers at the scene.  Ever since that day he and his band had been searching, coming to China on a lead from a hotel manager.  He reported two Chinese men with a young girl matching his fiancées description. 

            By now the trail was probably cold and he was beginning to lose hope he would ever see the uncute girl again.  He thought back to the last day that they had been together.  Fighting as usual.

            Two sisters stood in the kitchen of their Japanese home, early morning.

            “My Akane, your hair is growing so quickly.   Are you thinking about growing it long again or are you going to continue to keep it short?”  The girl looked sweetly at her younger sister as she prepared breakfast for the family.

            “Gee I don’t know Kasumi.”  The young girl held her hand to her dark black locks.  `I tried so long to grow my hair for Dr. Tofu to notice me, but Ranma . . .’ she thought to herself remembering her fiancé telling her he preferred her with short hair.  Just then Ranma walked into the kitchen and observed her pondering to herself.

            “What’s the stupid look for?  You’re not helping Kasumi cook are you?  I have a test at school today I can’t get a bad grade because I’m sick.”  Akane picked up the frying pan being used to make breakfast and smashed him in the face.  He made a low grunt and she wondered why she cared what he thought.  Recovering instantly from the blow he straightened up and shouted at her as she walked out of the room.

            “Good luck finding a husband that way, Uncute Tomboy!  I don’t understand her, just up and hits a guy for no good reason.”  He turned and started to walk in the opposite direction, when the girl appeared from nowhere with a bokken in her hand.  Her face twisted with anger.

            “Ranma you JERK!”  The wooden sword came crashing down on his head leaving a large bump.  He did a little dance, grumbled a few intelligible words then fell to the floor.

            “I don’t care what you think, who wants to be married to a pervert anyway!”  She stormed off toward the front door.

            “I am going to school, alone!”  She walked off never realizing the dark figure lingering in the shadows waiting for the perfect opportunity.

            He crouched down and felt the blades of grass with his fingertips, the wind rustled through his hair.  Thoughts ran frantically through his mind `Stupid girl, why’d she have to run off alone like that if I had been there she’d be at home right now finding new ways to give us all food poisoning.  Why does she always have to be so dumb and misunderstand me?  Doesn’t she know even though I say that stuff doesn’t mean . . . Stupid tomboy doesn’t she realize . . .

            “She is so UNCUTE!!!  Why if she was here right now I’d, well I’D-Huh?”

            Just then a commotion beyond the trees caught his attention.  The sound of metal hitting metal could faintly be heard.  It was then that he finally noticed his four companions locked in a huge dust cloud, arms and legs flying and connecting.  He lowered his head in disgust and wondered why he ever accepted any of their help; he would have gotten further without them.  Not that any of them truly cared about the fate of poor Akane, except of course Ryoga who was secretly (that is only to Akane) in love with her. 

            The dust started to settle; Shampoo was holding the brunette by the hair and Ryoga was sitting on Mousse’s chest, he paused from beating his head against the ground.

            “You hear that?”  All looked up in confusion.

            The band instinctively flew into the full branches of the lone tree in the clearing.  Just then four women in feathered masks back flipped into the clearing from beyond the trees.  Eight massive, sword wielding, men followed them.

            “Eiiiiiiiiii!”  The four women yelled in unison.

            “Amazons.”  Shampoo whispered  “I not sure who swordsmen are.”

            The women dodged the men’s swords by stealthily flipping through the air.  Three of the women were dressed in black sleeveless shirt, like Ranma’s, black shorts and gold armbands.  The fourth woman was dressed in green with gold embroidering and wore an unusual piece of gold jewelry with a bright green gem on her arm.  The Amazon in green appeared to be their leader; she was the most skilled deflecting a sword with her armbands then kicking her assailant in the face.  She flipped one of the swordsmen, sneaking up behind her, over her shoulder.  Another swordsman charged toward her.  Without flinching the girl dropped to the ground and swept his leg.  As he hit the ground she jabbed her elbow into his stomach knocking him unconscious.  The next swordsmen flew at her berserker style.  She ran at him jumped up and placed her legs around his neck, resting on his shoulders.  In one swift motion she let her upper body drop, placed her hands on the ground, and flung him into the base of the tree.

            “Um . . . that sure is an interesting move.”  Ryoga looked a little flushed.

            “Yes she has amazing technique.”  Mousse pressed his glasses toward his forehead, both boys fixated on the Amazon.  Ranma looked at them rolling his eyes, while their female companions thought there wasn’t anything even remotely interesting about this woman.  Ranma had to admit there was something about her style that was familiar, in more ways than one.

            The amazons were easily beating the attackers.  Victory appeared to be theirs when another wave of swordsmen approached.  Five new swordsmen entered the clearing particularly interested in the Amazon in green.  The men surrounded her, while she coldly surveyed her options.

            “What is she doing surely they are too much for her.”  Mousse interjected.  Ranma watched and wondered what she had planned.

            “We don’t see too many pretty girls back home.  Maybe we’ll take you with us as a prize.”  The largest swordsmen said as he admired her form.

            “The Gold Dragon will be pleased with us.”  The tall one started to close in on the woman in her fighting stance, her chest heaving slightly.

            “Right, let’s go.”  She flipped twisting in midair into a handstand using her momentum to do a spinning kick to all five men.  Sending each of them flying in all directions.  Ranma smiled at her rather foolhardy move and let out a small laugh catching her attention.  She looked up in the tree surprised to see an audience. 

            The Amazon held up her hand and separated her fingers to show four small gold spikes, with a swift twist of her wrist she sent them flying toward Ranma.  Taken aback by her action, he instinctively jumped up and out of the tree landing on the ground in front of her.  The spikes became lodged in the tree branch Ranma had recently occupied.  By this time the other amazons were fighting their way through the remaining swordsmen behind them.  Ranma stood dumfounded as she charged toward him.  She started with a volley of lightening fast punches. 

            “Hey I am just an innocent bystander.”  He said twisting his body to avoid her punches, to his amazement her fists were getting closer and closer to connecting.  Ranma grabbed both her wrists not wanting to fight a girl.  She was shocked to find him holding her arms in the air.  `I barely saw him move.’  She thought to herself. 

            “Now will you listen?  I don’t wanna fight you.”  They stood still for a moment, her eyes starring back into his, `something familiar.’  The tension left her shoulders and she started to relax her arms, Ranma soon mirrored her relaxed state.  Seeing the break in his defense she quickly kicked him in the chest knocking the wind out of him.  The other amazons started to fall in behind her as each finished their respective attacker, never noticing the band still huddled in the tree.

             “I guess it is time to save Ranma honey’s butt.”  All four jumped out the tree at the amazons.

            “I’ll take the leader.”  Ryoga shouted, in their group Ryoga’s skill was second only to Ranma’s.

            “Oh really, we’ll soon see.” She turned her back on Ranma, who held his stomach trying to regain his breath, not taking a fighting stance.  Her green eyes blazed from behind her mask, a few wisps of her dark hair shone in the sun revealing their green highlights. Ryoga tore off strands from his bandana and hurled them at the Amazon, which she deflected easily with her armbands.  She stood waiting for his next attack mockingly Ryoga was already flying toward her. 

            “Bakesitenketsu!”  He lunged toward her striking the ground below her feet shattering it with his breaking point technique.  Knowing this ancient Amazon attack she vaulted over him placing one arm on his head to steady herself.  Ryoga was stunned to find himself alone at the blast site; all the rocks shattered by his attack flew up and hit him.  Before he could completely regain his composure, from behind she kicked his side with a multitude of swift strikes too fast for the eye to see.

            “It’s my turn, Ryoga.  I need to teach this girl a lesson.”  Ranma stood in front of Ryoga completely healed and completely pissed.  One of Mousse’s chains flew between the two boys and wrapped around Ryoga’s neck.  An Amazon had knocked Mousse’s glasses off and was using his chain to reel Ryoga in as he grumbled.  With nothing in between them they charged at each other, both attacking and defending not getting in a single hit.   The Amazon was trying to keep a certain amount of room between them testing her punches and carefully defending herself.  As Ranma lunged at her, she side stepped to the right and landed a punch to his mid section. 

            “It’s gonna take a lot more then that!”  He ignored his injury and grabbed her, thrusting her backwards against the fallen tree, while still keeping her close.  She was pined against the tree with such force her mask flew off. 

            He gasped as the familiar face stared back at him coldly.  His breath was taken suddenly and he couldn’t speak.  She stood breathing heavily looking into his eyes franticly wondering how to use this pause to her advantage.

            “Akane.”  He finally whispered, the rest of his band frozen, holding their respective opponents, Mousse feeling around on the ground for his glasses wondering “Where?’ 

            “I thought I might have lost you forever.”  Ranma marveled at her now green tinted black hair and matching green eyes blankly looking back at him.  Her face seemed so exotic with heavy black eye liner drawn out giving her eyes a feline look.  His heart ached in his chest and he felt a stinging sensation in the back of his neck.  His hands slipped from her arms as he fell to the ground and blacked out.

            “Ranma!”  Ukyo yelled

            “This is becoming more interesting all the time.”  Mousse said still on all fours placing his glasses back on.  Ryoga kicked him from behind having released himself from the chain and proceeded to defeat the Amazon.  ‘Akane found.’  Ryoga’s heart soared.  All three amazons lay on the ground recovering from their attacks.  The four watched as a new group of swordsmen appeared, one standing above Ranma and in front of Akane.  Defending the fallen amazons they attacked the swordsmen.

            “Sorry little man, but this prize is mine.”  The large warrior welding a staff with a sharp blade at the end looked down at Akane grinning.  Akane quickly vaulted backwards over the tree, the warrior following.  She flipped back and to the side avoiding all his attacks.  She flipped back through the air making a slightly larger distance between them.  Landing on the ground making her stance she crossed her hands in front of herself preparing to defend.

            Ranma recovering from the blow to his head now stood on the fallen tree.  He immediately recognized the stance as his own from a fight with a certain Kendo swordsman.  ‘She is using some of my techniques’ he thought catching her eye.  Their eyes locked for a split second and she seemed almost to remember him.

            Distracted by the sight of Ranma she failed to avoid the warrior’s staff fast enough.  The blade cut through the skin of her slim muscular leg.  She doubled over in pain making herself vulnerable.  Ranma bolted to her aid kicking her attacker in mid air.

            After a harsh landing the warrior stood up concentrating only on Ranma.  He swung his staff around making a display of his skill.  Ranma yawned unimpressed.  Angry the warrior began his attack.  Ranma easily avoided the volley of attacks twisting his body in all sorts of directions.  Behind him Akane moaned touching her leg in pain.  When Ranma looked to ensure her safety he was sent flying over the side of the nearby hill.  Catching onto a branch sticking out of the ground he just stopped himself from toppling downward. 

            “You are pathetic, worrying over the injured girl.”  The warrior laughed as he prepared for the final blow, while Ranma tried to pull himself up. 

            “Hey!” The warrior stopped his staff raised above his head, turned to look behind him.  Akane had her eyes closed concentrating.

            “DRAGON BULLET!”  She cupped her hands and sent a very small-condensed chi projectile into the warrior’s chest.  He flew out and down the hill, knocking Ranma down in the process.  Just as he lost his grip on the branch Akane caught his hand.  She pulled him up to her with an abundance of strength, throwing him off balance causing him to press his body to hers.  He felt a twinge in his shoulder, ‘Brute strength’ he thought. 

            “You were distracted.”  She whispered entranced by his familiarity.

            “So were you.”  His face reddened as he noticed their hands locked together, his imbedded in her chest.  The feel of her cushy breasts rising and falling on the back of his hand brought the attention of his eyes downward.  Before he could contemplate more on the current position a dagger was placed under his chin. 

            “Not this again, I just helped you.  Hey stupid, don’t you remember me?”  His eyes pleaded with her, but she suddenly turned cold.  The fighting continued behind them and also from below in the valley. 

            “Don’t try to confuse me.  Amazons!  Go down below and help the others, I will finish up here.”  She looked on as Ranma’s companions finished off the last of the swordsmen; the dagger still poised against his throat.

            “Are you assassins?  Why did you help us?” 

            “Akane it is me, dummy, Ranma, your . . . well your . . .” For a split second he could see the struggle behind her eyes.  Somewhere deep inside she knew him.  ‘Green eyes’ he thought ‘maybe that has something to do with her not remembering me.  And that move she used, Akane doesn’t know any chi techniques, does she?’

            Akane seemed to sense something in the distance; she looked over the hill and saw a small group of girls being surrounded by swordsmen.  She let go of her hold on Ranma, and with one swift movement she sent the dagger into the tree where the others had gathered.  Unnerving them a bit.

            “Enough, I’m needed elsewhere.”  She picked up the staff lying at her feet and ran off the steep hill bouncing left and right all the way down.

            “That really Akane?”  Shampoo said as she and the others joined Ranma watching her decent.  Ryoga pulled the dagger from the tree and handed it to Ranma.

            “Sure looks like it sugar.”  Ukyo responded

            “When she get so strong?”  All stood at the edge watching her assault on the swordsmen.

            “Ranma something is very wrong, Akane doing chi attacks?”  Ryoga looked at Ranma who appeared to be in a trance.  He was running through her attacks and the styles she’d used.  Noticing how strange he must look, Ranma snapped out of it.  He crouched down and observed her winning the battle.  She swung the staff in long fluid motions, her skill had increased incredibly from their last sparring match.  Ranma wondered how their next match would turn out, a devilish grin passing over his face.

            “Did you notice, her eyes have changed from brown to a bright green?”  Ranma suddenly turned to Ryoga.

            “Aiyah, Akane have green highlights now too.  Silly color to have hair.”  Ukyo looked at her smirking.  The amazons were close to winning the battle, until more reinforcements for the swordsmen arrived.

            “Where are all these stupid guys coming from anyway?”  Ranma asked, “Must be some kinda ambush.”

            “All these guys ganging up on a small group of women, that’s not right.”  Ryoga stood with his fist clenched.

            Akane and the amazons were starting to lose their ground.  They could hear Akane yelling for them to retreat.  The small group of amazons started to back down running for the safety of the forest past the stream.  Ranma watched as Akane ran off with them not wanting to lose track of her.

            “We ARE going to follow right Ranma?”  Ryoga looked worried they might not find her again if they lost sight of her.  He was used to loosing things, people, places . . .

            “Yes, but not too closely.  We have to find out what is going on, we don’t want to be fighting them all the time.”

            Akane looked back not wanting to leave anyone behind.  One woman had fallen and was about to be taken by one of the warriors.

            “Opal, what are you doing out here, you she be back home.”  She quickly turned her direction to save the girl.  The warrior was approaching rapidly. Akane stood the girl up in her arms.  She looked back at the attacker her eyes flashed with a bright green fire.  More men started to move towards them.

            “This doesn’t look good.  I think this would be a good time to step in.”  Ranma said and the group started down the hill bouncing side to side as Akane did.  Akane turned to Opal and yelled for her to run.  She stood between the escaping girl and the advancing gang.  She closed her eyes and started to emit a flaming green battle aura.  She held her hands out palms open toward the men.

            “FIRE BREATHING DRAGON!”  She shouted and a large corridor of green flame like chi burst twenty feet ahead of her.  Blowing all her attackers straight into the sky and then meeting the ground with a gigantic crash.

            Akane fell to her knees, her arms holding her from hitting the ground.  Ranma and company finally reached her amazed by her new power.  Ranma stood right in front of her worried not knowing how much energy she could safely give out.

            “I still have enough energy left to hit each of you with a small blast.  So don’t get any ideas.”  She said, panting heavily, pausing between words.  She cringed at the pain in her leg, the wound now bleeding freely.

            “Are you ok?  Let me at least look at your leg.  You may not remember it, but I’ve got lots of experience patching myself up, usually after you’ve been hitting me.”  She looked up at him puzzled the green in her eyes had dulled to a dark hazel.  He then noticed that her hair was definitely reflected green in the sunlight.  It was a good two inches longer since he last saw her.  She wore the sides pulled back with gold combs that she probably used as throwing weapons.  It also curled a lot more than he remembered and framed her face beautifully.  He reddened a bit realizing he was looking her over so closely.

            “It isn’t necessary…but if you feel you must.”  She rolled back off of her knees slowly as he bent down to survey her leg.  The others were busy disposing of the remaining warriors and swordsmen.

            “Will they be ok?” She asked as he looked back at his band making a good display of their skills.

            “Nothing they can’t handle.”   She felt a slight shiver through her body as he slipped his hand around her thigh putting a cloth he pulled from his pocket to her wound.  He clinically examined the wound, trying to ignore their closeness. 

            “Really it is nothing.”  Her body quivered with weakness, she slowly slipped her leg from his grasped.  “I . . . um . . . I think you have me confused with someone else.”

            Akane slowly started to raise herself off of the ground. Ranma stood up to lend her a hand, which she accepted with a little smile.  She walked into the stream; the water barely touched her knees.  The cool water felt good against her warm flesh.

            Ranma watched as her body lazily moved through the water.  The others stood banded together proudly as the remaining swordsmen scurried away frightened.  The girls turned toward the stream following Akane.  The two boys stood next to Ranma, trying not to look like they were watching the women cool themselves, Shampoo refilling her water bottle.  Akane walked to the waterfall and let the water pour over her face and body making her clothes cling to her.  Ranma watched Akane closely replaying her battles over in his mind, trying to recreate her moves.

            Akane closed her eyes and the green gem on her arm shined brilliantly.  A green glow seemed to absorb into her body and the wound on her leg stopped bleeding.  Shampoo and Ukyo looked back to see Ranma staring, at what they assumed to be Akane’s well formed body. 

            “Shampoo still think Akane unattractive girl.  Humph.”  Both women crossed their arms in disgust.

            “Do you still think we are assassins?”  Ranma shouted to her breaking her concentration.  She looked at him startled and walked towards the group. 

            “No, it’s obvious you must be virtuous men.”  She said very matter-of-factly not seeing the boy’s shocked expressions at the mere mention of their virtue.

             “What exactly does she mean by that.”  Mousse turned to Ryoga, who looked just as puzzled as he did.

            “What in the world are you talking about?!”  Ranma shouted a little red in the face.

            “Aiyah!  She saying girls not virtuous?”  Shampoo and Ukyo seemed quite insulted.

            “You are priests aren’t you, traveling with these tribal women?  The only reputable men in this area are priests.   I apologize for attacking you, but seeing you in the tree did startle me.”  They all seemed to understand what she was getting at and decided it would be better not to say anything, in fear that she might start attacking again.  “Women like yourself should consider joining my tribe, you are both strong and good in battle.” 

            The two girls seemed pleased with their compliments and decided to ignore the shot to their purity. 

            “Perhaps someday I can repay you for your assistance but for now I must be getting back, the others will be waiting.”  Before any arguments could be made, Akane took a last look at Ranma and darted into the branches of the nearest tree disappearing. 

            “What an unusual development.”  Mousse said while adjusting his glasses

            “Well what are we waiting for?  Let’s get after her and make her come home with us!”  Ryoga was jumping out of his skin.

            “Well I think it is obvious she has a new life now and that it is not up to us to take her away from it.”  Ukyo looked thoughtfully at Shampoo who agreed one hundred percent.

            “Aiyah, Akane much happier here.”  Both girls smiled up at Ranma who was in deep concentration ‘I have to know how she does those moves.’ 

            “Well Ranma, now what!”  Ryoga couldn’t take much more waiting

First draft August 1998
Revised March 2000

I am in the process of revising this entire story, the next section should be updated by the end of next week,  The other three section will follow, each being updated within a week.  At least this is my plan, but you know what they say about the best laid plans...