                                Dragon Child

Disclaimer: Ranma belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. 'Nuff said.

< >: Thoughts

<" ">: Chinese language

[""]: Telepathic communication

                                 Chapter Two

                            Mom, I'm Part Dragon

In a bright flash of light, a handsome young man appeared at the foothills
of the Bayankala Mountain range. He breathed in deeply at the crisp mountain
air. It was a strange feeling to return to the world that had birthed him
after spending more than a decade in the realm of dragons. The person was
dressed in a pair of loose-fitting black pants and a pair of boots made of
fine leather. His shirt was made of white silk and had flaring sleeves that
cut off midway down his forearms. Embroidered in red thread on the front on
the left breast, was an image of a red dragon. Strapped on his back was a
heavy backpack and a sword that was held in a black scabbard, inlaid with
gold.

Ranma reached back and grasped the hilt of the sword. With one smooth
motion, he pulled the sword free of its scabbard and held it up to reflect
the afternoon sunlight. No matter how many times he gazed upon it, the young
dragon fighter would marvel at Sojan's handiwork, his Dragon's Gift. It was
then that he thought to give a name to his sword. He thought about it for a
while, then decided on the name of Crimson Fang.

The sword was a katana that was made of pure Rigidium. It was two and a half
feet long with a slightly curved blade. The blade had an edge that had been
honed by the fiery breath of Sojan during its construction, then given a
final blast by Karrida, the Fire Dragon King of the South. As a result, the
sword could slice through virtually any manmade material and was just about
invulnerable to just about anything that was thrown against it. The
silver-colored metal reflected the light of the noonday sun. The hand guard
was a circular shape, but had silver highlights to it. The sword had also
been imbued with several enchantments, courtesy of Sojan. Ranma gazed at the
hilt, which was wrapped in a red scaly hide. His dragon teacher had used an
old shedding of his skin to create the handgrip. The pommel was a plain
metal cap but had the golden image of a Chinese dragon engraved on it.

Giving the sword a few practice swings, Ranma smiled at its balance and
weight. He didn't know why, but he felt extremely comfortable with this
magnificent weapon in his hands. Before Sojan had saved him, Ranma had been
uneasy with using weapons as Genma had trained him to fight unarmed.
However, he felt a sense of peace and ease with the sword when his dragon
mentor had presented him with it. It was almost as if it felt absolutely
right with this weapon. (Of course, if he knew that his mother also carried
a katana, he would have understood his fascination with blades)

Returning the sword to its scabbard, Ranma decided that it was time for him
to seek out his place in this world. With that in mind, he began focusing
his ki energies. An aura of power formed around him and a moment later, he
was aloft and flying across the sky. Ranma smiled as the wind rushed past
his face. He soared high and was soon darting among the clouds. The high
altitude was of no consequence as he could withstand temperature extremes
and the thinning air. It reminded him of the times he raced with the wind
dragons as Surek educated him. He had also spent some time navigating the
territories of the Ruby Cliff Dragons with his mentor Sojan. The narrow
spaces between the Ruby Stone Cliffs, added with the unpredictable thermal
updrafts, made flying a considerable challenge.

Suddenly, without warning, Ranma began flailing about as his ki encountered
some very erratic magical fields. Then he lost control and began plummeting
down toward the ground. He had been more than a mile high when the disruption
occurred. The young dragon warrior looked down and saw that he was heading
toward a valley that had many pools scattered about.

<Jusenkyo!> Ranma recognized the place and remembered Sojan's warning.
Cupping his hands forward, Ranma refocused his ki.

"DRAGON FIRE!"

Huge gouts of flame erupted from his hands and blasted the large pool that
he was about to land in. The waters were instantly vaporized and Ranma
flipped in the air to land on his feet. He touched down on dry earth and was
relieved that he had avoided being cursed.

It was then that the Guide of the cursed training grounds appeared on the
scene.

"Oh sir! I no see you come here! Where you come from?"

Ranma turned to face the Guide. "Sorry, I didn't mean to drop in like this."

The portly Chinese man looked down at place where Ranma was standing on. "Oh
sir! What happen? You standing on where cursed spring was."

"Which spring was that?"

"Oh, that one is... was, Spring of Drowned Dragon. Very tragic story of
dragon that drown there, five thousand, two hundred year ago. Legend say..."

"Yes, I know." Ranma interrupted. "Whoever falls in the spring takes the
body of a dragon. I know all about Jusenkyo." He stepped out of the ditch
that once contained the drowned soul of an unfortunate dragon. "Well, what's
done is done." He gave a respectful bow to the ditch, thinking that the poor
dragon's soul was finally at rest with the destruction of the spring, then
asked the Jusenkyo guide, "Do you know where I can get something to eat and
maybe get some supplies?" He reached into a pant's pocket and handed the
Guide a large gold coin. In the Dragon Realm, gold was a very common metal
and held little value. Heck, they had a river made of pure molten gold
flowing through Fire Tongue Valley. Dragons did like to sleep on large heaps
of the stuff though. Socran had a bed that made Fort Knox look like drop in
the proverbial bucket. Precious gems were also easy to come by, especially
in the Crystal Caverns of Socran's kingdom. Ranma carried a sizable amount
of them in his pack. What Ranma didn't know was that value of the gold and
gems he possessed could make him a multi-billionaire.

The Guide's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. He bit down on the
heavy coin and estimated its value to be ten times more than he made in a
year. <Sir is very generous!> "Oh sir! There is nearby Amazon village that
we can go to."

"Then let's go."

The two walked off toward the exit to Jusenkyo. They did not notice that
something was happening at the place where the Spring of Drowned Dragon had
been. Unknown to Ranma, his Dragon Fire technique had activated the long
dormant energies of that particular pool. Swirls of eldritch magic began to
appear and a shape was formed. At the same time, water from a nearby spring
began to pour into the ditch. The cursed waters began to mix with the
residual energies of the Spring of Drowned Dragon. A few moments later,
something began making its way toward the bank. The thing that emerged from
the waters would soon be giving the disciple of Sojan many headaches in the
near future.

A little later...

"So sorry sir. Customer must leave sword at front gate." The Guide said as
they approached the Amazon village. "Amazon womans no allow outsiders into
village with weapons."

Ranma frowned as he knew that he couldn't let anyone touch his Dragon's
Gift. Sojan had placed a certain enchantment on the sword to prevent anyone
but his disciple and other dragons from handling it. Those who did not have
dragon blood would receive a serious burn if they touched it. With a simple
gesture with one hand, the teen invoked a simple concealment spell which
caused his weapon to vanish.

"Is that better?"
"Oh! Much better! You know Hidden Weapon style?"

"Uh, no but I am familiar with that kind of fighting style." Sojan had told
him about the many fighting style of Earth and how they worked, including
the Chinese Amazon technique of hiding large and multiple objects within
oneself. Dragons however, had much more efficient ways for carrying large or
multiple items with them. Ranma's backpack was an example of those methods.
The inside confines of the pack had a space-warping spell, which allowed him
to carry far more things than the outside dimensions would normally permit.
Using a shrinking spell, he had reduced several of the items to a fraction
of their sizes, shunting most of their mass extra-dimensionally, making them
lighter and saving even more space. And within that pack were several
mystical items that he had created on his own or had been gifts from the
dragons and other races that resided in their kingdoms.

Ranma turned his attention toward the main fighting arena, which was a huge
log that was suspended between two massive columns. He noted that the two
combatants that were dueling on the timber were quite skilled in terms of
strength, and battle technique. He recognized their style as a somewhat more
refined Kung Fu with some other Chinese martial arts. He was especially
interested in the girl with purple hair. She was holding her own against a
larger and stronger woman who was wielding a wicked-looking battle staff
with a metal head on one end. The young girl was lithe and agile, yet
displayed some serious strength as she swung a pair of heavy maces.

<They're showing a lot of power. They kind of remind me of the Copperstone
Dragons. >

Ranma had met with the fierce dragons of the Copper Mesas and remembered
what brutal fighters they were. The reddish-bronze lizards were extremely
territorial as well as temperamental. One had to be careful not to anger a
Copperstone Dragon. Otherwise the person would be torn to shreds by their
powerful claws or receive a face full of acid from their mouths.

As Ranma watched the match, he began getting the feeling that he himself was
being watched.

----------

Cologne's extraordinary senses were on full alert as soon as the young man
had entered the village. To her, his presence burned like a huge bonfire of
ki and... magic. And not just any kind of magic. It was dragon magic!

The three-hundred-year-old matriarch had encountered such eldritch energies
before in her long lifespan. She had several items in her possession, which
had been passed down through her family, that were infused with minute
amounts of those energies. Furthermore, she had seen the current Prince of
the Musk Dynasty, Herb, who was said to be descended from dragons. She had
felt the great power emanating from him, even though she only saw him from a
distance.

However, the youth that was watching her great-granddaughter fight had FAR
more dragon power emanating from within him as well as an abundance of ki.
It was very well-focused and she could tell by the way he moved, that the
young man was also skilled in the martial arts. Impressive... very
impressive indeed! As she watched him, she noticed a small image imprinted
on his right forearm. She became entranced by the simple, red design of a
winged dragon tattooed on his skin. She noticed that much of his power
seemed to emanate from that one area. She began thinking back to the old
stories about the mythical beasts of Asian and Western folklore. She had
many old tomes and scrolls in her possession about dragons and their ways.
And then something clicked in her mind. Something about a ritual that could
occur between a dragon and a human. Both Eastern and Western legends have
reported such an event happening on several occasions over the countless
centuries. The last known occurrence dated back to more than three thousand
years ago, in the oldest scroll in Cologne's collection. The parchment was
close to crumbling but she had translated and copied the ancient text into
her own personal files at her house. The ritual was said to impart a portion
of a dragon's power to a human, granting the person incredible strength,
speed and extended life, as well as other mystical abilities. And the
process was usually sealed with a mark of the dragon. Cologne began to
suspect that this boy had... a Blood Bond. If that was the case, then the
ancient crone had just found the perfect husband for her great-granddaughter
Shampoo, and a way for the Amazons to put themselves above their ancient
enemies, the Musk Dynasty.

However, she still had to confirm that the boy was indeed all that she hoped
for. She began moving through the crowds toward him to get a better look at
him.

----------

Meanwhile...

Prince Herb of the Musk Dynasty suddenly stopped in his daily session of
meditation when he suddenly picked up a disturbance in the natural flows of
ki. (No, we're not talking about the Force). It was unlike anything he had
felt before in his entire life, and yet it felt somewhat... familiar. He
couldn't quite explain it, but he knew that it had something to do with his
own heritage. The dragon blood that flowed through his veins seemed to be
reacting to something... or someone.

The ruler of the Musk Dynasty couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he
felt a kind of pull that was coming from Jusenkyo, and also in the direction
of the village of the accursed Joketsuzoku. As of now, he felt a much
stronger pull from the home of the Chinese Amazons. He frowned as he began
suspecting that the warrior women may have come across something that could
give them an advantage over the Musk Dynasty. Whatever it was, it had
something to do with dragons. Of that much, Herb was certain.

No! He could not allow that to happen. He had to find out just what it was
and prevent the Amazons from getting a hold of it. Furthermore, since it had
something to do with his ancestors, Herb assumed that it was already his
property, by rights. He was the only one with a tangible link to those
ancient and noble beasts and therefore, no one else could lay claim on it.

Unfortunately for The Musk Prince, the source of dragon power that he sensed
already had an owner. One who was far more connected to dragons than even
the so-called Invincible Dragon Prince of the Musk Dynasty. And in his
arrogance and pride from being descended from dragons, Herb had not
considered the possibility that he may be in way over his head.
Nevertheless, the prince began calling for his servants and guards,
informing them that he would be investigating this phenomena and taking a
small band of warriors with him.

----------

Ranma nodded as he observed Shampoo knock her opponent off the Challenge
Log. She was good, he had admit. However, he could still see a few holes in
her defense and weak points in her fighting style that needed to be
corrected. Ranma shrugged as he saw that it wasn't any of his business. He
was here to get something to eat and maybe some extra supplies. He had no
other reason to be here. However, it seemed that someone else had decided
that he was just too valuable to just let him walk away.

Cologne swung her staff toward Ranma's face, using her uncanny speed. The
cane was a blur, but in the instant before it hit, the dragon warrior held
up a finger and intercepted the blow. His eyes gazed down the length of the
weapon and stopped when they beheld the owner.

The matriarch was impressed. The boy had excellent reflexes and was
strong... very strong. And when she saw those slitted pupils of his, she
knew for a fact that he did indeed have a tie with dragons.

<"Do you mind telling me why you did that?"> Ranma asked in flawless
Cantonese. His academic studies in the Dragon Library had included
languages. He could read and speak in seven different tongues fluently, as
well as understand and communicate in a dozen more to make a decent
conversation. He also had learned a few translation spells in case he
encountered an unknown dialect.

However, Cologne had no difficulty in understanding him as she withdrew her
staff. <"I was just satisfying an old woman's curiosity, that's all. You're
very skilled. Although I am not familiar with your discipline by the way you
moved. Ah, where are my manners? I am Cologne. Please forgive my
impertinence. And you are?">

Ranma was a tiny bit irritated at the unprovoked attack and was about to
ignore her, when he remembered Sojan's lessons in etiquette. Ranma sensed
that the old woman had considerable control over the large amounts of ki
inside of her, with a little magic mixed in. She at least deserved a proper
greeting.

<"I am Ranma Saotome."> He took a long look at her and could tell that she
had a LOT of experience under her belt. The way she moved when she tried to
smack him the face was proof that she knew martial arts. However, he also
had a feeling that she knew a LOT more and wanted something from him.

----------

The Dragon Realm...

["Careful Ranma. You're treading on some thin ice there."] Sojan commented
as he watched his protg through a mystic viewing portal.

A fellow Ruby Cliff Dragon by the name of Ikajo landed beside Ranma's mentor
and peered into the viewer.

["I see that you are still interested in watching the human world, eh
Sojan?"]

["Well, now that Ranma has returned to it, I feel that it is my duty as his
teacher and guardian to keep an eye on him."] Sojan replied without taking
his eyes off the viewer.

["So where is he now?"]

["In a lot of trouble if that old Amazon is going to try and trap him for
her great-granddaughter."]

["What do you mean...?"] Ikajo took another look and recognized the place.
["Say, isn't that the village of Chinese Amazons that lives near Jusenkyo?"]

["Yes, and I'm afraid that Ranma's dragon power and ki has caught the
attention of that matriarch and... scratch that! Looks like a few others
have noticed."]

----------

Back at the Amazon Village...

<"I only wish to purchase some food and supplies, that's all."> Ranma said,
as Cologne's gaze was starting to make him nervous. He reached into a side
pocket of his pack. <"I can pay.">

Cologne waved it off as she said, <"Money means very little to us. Strength
and skill are what really matters, and you seem like a very capable
fighter.">

<"So what exactly are you suggesting?">

The Jusenkyo Guide was about to say something, but a stern look from the
Elder told him to be silent. Cologne then gave Ranma warm smile. <"Well,
this is a fighting tournament, so why not show us your skills and take part
in it? My great-granddaughter would be happy to challenge you."> She
gestured to the purple-haired girl who was just declared as the champion by
the referee.

Ranma took another look at the girl and frowned. Her ki levels, though
strong in potential were relatively unfocused. Furthermore, he could tell
that she was exhausted, probably from fighting all day. She probably
wouldn't last more than one second against someone who was part-dragon and
trained by the Four Dragon Kings.

<"Well, I don't know...">

<Are you afraid to fight her?"> Cologne said in a taunting tone. She sensed
that the boy was beginning to suspect something, and tried a barb at his
pride. Perhaps she could goad him into a battle with Shampoo.

<"No... it's just that she looks tired and she'd probably need some rest.">

At that moment, another of the village elders approached them with her
great-niece. Apparently, she too had gotten a good look at the stranger.
Though she did not suspect that he had a connection to dragons, she had
already sensed the high-level of ki and magic within him. Like Cologne, the
Elder Mascara had deemed Ranma as too good a prize to let go.

<"I agree with the young man. If he is to fight someone, then he should
fight someone fresh and rested.... like my great-niece, Linen!">

The Elder gestured to Linen, who happened to be a pretty and voluptuous
brunette with hair that flowed down to past her waist. The girl gave the
dragon warrior a wink. Though she wasn't sure as to why her great-aunt
wanted her to fight this newcomer; once she got a good look at him, she
decided that losing wouldn't be so bad. Shampoo had most of the other young
men and that idiot Mousse chasing after her, so Linen needed to stake her
claim on this one as soon as possible.

However, Cologne was unwilling to give up on her prize as she argued with
her rival. <"I'm sorry, Mascara, but he will fight Shampoo. She is the
champion of the tournament and therefore has the first right!" >
Mascara turned to the young man. <"Have you issued a challenge to her
great-granddaughter?">
<Well, no..."> Ranma began.

That was all Mascara needed to hear as she addressed Cologne again. <"There,
you see? The young man has not challenged Shampoo and has NO reason to do
so! Besides, Shampoo is all but betrothed to Cabinet's son."]

Cologne began to get a bit steamed at Mascara's obvious attempt to one up
her. ["Now see here, Mascara! Shampoo has won the tournament and is
therefore the strongest of her generation! Furthermore, she has not pledged
her troth to anyone; especially not to that idiot Mousse! She will fight the
outsider!"]

At that moment, Shampoo approached her great-grandmother as Cologne
continued to bicker with her rival.

<"Great-grandmother!">

Cologne turned and smiled as she saw her protge. <"Ah! Shampoo! You're
just in time! This young man here was about to challenge you.">

<"Really?"> Shampoo took one look at Ranma and really liked what she saw.
After battling long and hard for just a victory feast and the title, she
decided that she'd rather have this prize first. He was a MUCH better
proposition than that stupid Mousse.

----------

The Dragon Realm...

["Well, it seems that your protg is quite the female magnet."] Ikajo
remarked.

["Well, what can I say?"] Sojan said with a bit of pride in his voice.
["Ranma always seemed to have a way of attracting the opposite sex, no
matter what species."] Sojan chuckled a bit as he remembered how his
innocent charm made him so attractive to elves, mermaids, hobbits, (yes,
they have them here), and even female dragons. Ranma's teacher often
wondered if this was a result of his dragon heritage or because of something
else.

["If that's the case, then he'd better get out of there! In a village of
women, he's like a pork chop in a pond full of piranha."]

-----------

Back in the village

<"He was not! He was going to challenge Linen!"> Mascara shouted.

<"He would have challenged Shampoo!">

As the two Elders argued, Ranma had decided that he really wasn't THAT
hungry after all. He also decided that now was a good time to leave. Giving
the two old women a polite bow, (though neither one noticed as they
continued to hurl insults at each other) he began backing away into the
crowds. The Jusenkyo Guide saw this and nodded. It was an ideal time to make
oneself scarce.

Just as he had traversed half of the distance to the gate, Ranma then bumped
into another Elder and her heir.

<"Why hello there, young man. Welcome to our village."> Lotion said with a
smile as her great-granddaughter Conditioner nodded to him.

<"Uh, yes, hello."> Ranma said quickly as he continued to inch his way
toward freedom. <"It was a very nice tournament, and though I would like to
see more of your village, I'm afraid that I must be going now and...">

<"Oh, well what's your hurry? You just arrived here and my
great-granddaughter and I would like to show you some of our hospitality.">

<"Perhaps another time and...">

Just as Mascara and Cologne had sensed the great power within this youth, so
had Lotion. And it just so happened that Conditioner was also unattached and
in the market for a husband. Ranma certainly fit the bill in both looks and
power. She couldn't help but gaze at him with a bit of a hungry look.

Just as her relative was about to give the order to attack him, Cologne and
Mascara ran up to them with their own disciples.

<"Now hold on a moment!"> Mascara cried out.

Ranma had a very big sweatdrop behind his head as he watched the three
Elders and their girls argue among themselves. It was at that moment that he
heard Sojan's voice in his head.

["Ranma! Get out of there... now!"]
["Huh? Master Sojan? Is that you?"] Ranma asked telepathically.

["Yes. I'm speaking to you through the medallion I gave to you. There's no
time to explain, but you MUST get out of there! And under no circumstances
are you to beat any of those girls!"]

["Huh?"]

["Get going! Now!"]

Ranma shrugged his shoulders and nodded as he began focusing his ki. When
his aura suddenly flared, this caught everyone's attention and stopped the
argument between the three martiarches. They all turned and saw the dragon
warrior emitting a huge amounts of power and then took off... literally.

Several Amazon girls were knocked off their feet in the backwash of Ranma's
takeoff, including Shampoo. The rest of the crowds gasped as Sojan's student
made his departure.

Colgone rushed to the side of her relative and saw that Shampoo had been
knocked out. She hadn't been defeated in combat, but the aged woman decided
that it was close enough since it happened on Amazon land, it could be
interpreted as such. Now all they had to do was to find him and bring him
back. And they had to do it quickly since several other girls had also been
knocked out and they too would be searching for him.

----------

Some two miles above the ground and traveling East at Mach One...

["I wish you could have told me sooner about those Amazons and their laws
concerning outsiders."] Ranma said as he continued flying.

["I didn't think they'd sense your dragon power, though I should have
realized that your high amounts of ki would be detected. In any case, that's
all in the past now. So where are you headed?"] Sojan asked.

["I thought I'd look up my mother now."]

["All right then. Good luck and I hope to hear from you soon, Ranma."]

----------

Back in China...

Prince Herb and his party suddenly stopped when they were about a mile away
from the Amazon Village. The vast dragon energy he had sensed was no longer
there and was heading East toward Japan. He wondered for a while what had
just occurred and came to the conclusion that whatever had been with the
warrior women was now gone. Therefore, he didn't have to worry that his
people's most hated enemies had dragon power in their possession.

But just what or who was it that got his senses riled? He decided that
further investigation was required as he gave new orders for his party to
return home and prepare for an extended trip. Their destination... Japan.



----------



A couple of hours later, in a section of Tokyo called Juuban...

Nodoka Saotome was just finishing with hanging up the wash when she heard a
knock at the front door. When she opened the door, she came face-to-face
with a tall and handsome young man.

"Hello, may I help you?"

Ranma bowed a bit at the gentle-looking woman who answered the door. "Good
day. I'm looking for a man named Genma Saotome?"

"My husband is out working. May I ask just who is calling?"

Ranma's eyes widened a bit as he took in this information. "You're... his
wife?"

Nodoka was a little confused as she answered. "Yes. I'm Nodoka Saotome. May
I ask who you are?"

Ranma felt tears in his eyes as he suddenly leaned forward and
embraced the woman in a fierce hug, taking care not to crush her with
his dragon-gifted strength."Mom! It's me! Your son!"

Some time later...

It took several hours for Ranma to try and convince Nodoka that
he was her son. After he had hugged her, the Saotome matriarch had
fainted from the shock. When she had come to, Ranma had a long
and warm talk with her. At first, she did not believe that her son had
returned from the dead, but when the dragon warrior began
producing evidence of his lineage, Nodoka soon came to realize that
he could be her offspring. She saw the similarities in his face as
compared to her own features. He did look like the child in the one
photograph she had of him. He had lost the baby fat and was now
more angular-looking, but there was no doubting the resemblance. He
showed her the tanto he had been given from Genma, which bore the
Saotome Crest. He also told her of long-distant memories of his early
childhood, before his father had taken him on that disastrous training
journey. Finally, he told her of the Cat Fist training that had turned
out to be a grave error in judgment on Genma's part.

Nodoka gasped as she was told the details of the training and couldn't
believe that her husband had done such a thing to a young
boy. However, she remembered just how dimwitted her spouse was. It was very
fortunate that he had turned out as well as he did. He was tall, handsome
and very manly. She could imagine that his looks were going to turn the
heads of many girls.

"Ranma... please forgive me, but I still find it very difficult to
believe that you are my son and have returned to me from beyond, despite all
the evidence you have given so far. Genma had informed me that my child had
died in a training accident over ten years ago. If you are my son, then
where have you been all this time? Why had you not contacted us?"

Ranma sighed as he tried to think of a way to explain to his mother
on his whereabouts for the past decade. "It's difficult to explain... I
don't know where to begin."

"Try starting at the Neko Ken training. How did you survive?"

"I'm not sure if you'd believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

"Okay. Mom, I was saved by a dragon."

Nodoka was silent for a long moment when she heard those words. Her eyes
widened a bit and her left eyebrow twitched at the mention of the word
'dragon.' She was currently holding a cup of tea in her hand and it trembled
slightly. She quickly composed herself and said, "Excuse me? Did I just hear
you right? Did you just say...?"

"I was saved by a dragon." Ranma repeated.

"You don't expect me to believe..."

The dragon warrior held up a hand, stopping her from finishing her sentence.
He then motioned toward his eyes and said in a quiet voice, "Please. Before
you say anything else, look closely in my eyes and tell me what you see."

"Now what does that...?"

"Please. Just look into my eyes. If you still do not believe me, then I
shall leave you alone and never trouble you again."

Nodoka was about to ask what this was all about, then decided to just do
what he asked of her. She leaned forward and gazed into his eyes. She saw
that his eyes were colored a remarkable shade of blue and seemed to radiate
strength, yet also a serenity and calm. It was then that she noticed
something else. His pupils were not the usual round shape, but were more
slitted, like a reptile's. She gasped as she pulled back and stared at the
boy before her. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out, as she was
rendered speechless.

Ranma nodded as he said, "The Neko Ken training had inflicted severe
injuries and I was near death when a kind-hearted dragon offered to save my
life with a Blood Bond. As a result of the bond, I have become part-dragon."
He held up his arm and showed her the Dragon's Mark.

There was another one of those long silences as Nodoka continued to stare at
her son. After what seemed to be an eternity, she reached out and grasped
both of his hands with her own.

"Ranma... son... we need to talk."

The student of Sojan nodded as he started telling his mother of his
experiences in the Dragon Realm. Nodoka became fascinated at the wonders of
that mystic realm and listened intensely to every detail. After another hour
or so, Ranma then held out his sword, which was still sheathed in its
scabbard. Nodoka marveled at the fine craftsmanship of the weapon and was
especially fascinated by the red hide that wrapped the hilt. It seemed to
shimmer like a sheet of rubies as the scales reflected off light.

"This is my Dragon's Gift, my Crimson Fang. Sojan and Karrida had forged it
for me. The wrapping is an old shedding of Sojan's skin and he had enchanted
it when he fused it to the sword. The sword cannot be drawn from its
scabbard or held by someone unless he or she possesses dragon's blood. It'll
cause great pain to anyone who tries."

"Really?" Nodoka smiled as she suddenly shot out a hand and grasped the
handle before Ranma could protest.

Ranma was too shocked for words as he looked at his mother's hand gripping
his sword. Sojan had shown him mental images of those who had attempted to
hold a Dragon's Gift in the past. Without the power of dragons flowing
through their veins, those people had suffered horrible burns and some were
scarred for life when they held on for too long. Some needed to have their
hands amputated. It was more than a shock to see that his mother was
touching his sword without feeling the least discomfort. The scales glowed
with a faint light, but did not burn her skin.

Nodoka's smile became even more pronounced as she slowly pulled the sword
free of its scabbard and held it aloft. She then stood up and swayed the
blade back and forth in front of her. Giving the sword a deft twirl, she
then put it through a series of small, but graceful arcs, taking care not to
come too close to Ranma, though he wasn't afraid of being cut by his own
blade. Sojan had also put an enchantment on it to prevent it from ever being
used against him.

After watching Nodoka display a most impressive array of sword
skills, Ranma stood up. Nodoka handed the sword back to him and commented
while he sheathed his sword. "A fine sword! It has excellent balance and I
can tell that the blade is very strong! Sojan is very skilled at blade
making. I can tell that your sword is just as powerful as my own Dragon's
Gift."

Ranma was startled to hear this. "W-What?! What do you mean YOUR Dragon's
Gift?"

Nodoka reached out and embraced her son. "Ranma... my dearest Ranma, this
proves that you are indeed my son! Welcome home!" Tears began to flow from
her eyes as she tightened her grip on him.

Ranma was rendered inert at this sudden reversal and didn't know
what to say. Finally, he gently pushed his mother back and asked, "I...
don't understand. Why do you believe me now? And... how did you hold my
sword without getting burned?"

Nodoka nodded as she replied, "My son, you are not the only one who has ties
with dragons."

Ranma was taken aback by this revelation. "Y-Y-You mean that... you?"

His mother nodded as she motioned him to follow him to the back of the
house. In the backyard, he was led to a small building that resembled a
dojo. As they entered, Nodoka went to a floorboard near the middle of the
training area and opened up a hidden panel. She then hauled out a long,
wooden box and opened it. Ranma leaned over and saw that there was an old,
but well-kept katana resting in it. His eyes widened as he immediately
noticed that the hilt was wrapped in a blue, scaly hide. The blade was
resting unsheathed with its scabbard beside it. The sword didn't have
quite as much ornamentation as his did, but there was no mistaking the
handiwork.

Ranma recognized the metal the blade was composed of. It looked like it was
made of gold, but from its sheen, the dragon warrior could tell that it was
really Rigidium. The metal that Sojan had forged his sword with was of the
same material, only differently colored. It was a fantastic metal and was
praised not only for its extraordinary hardness, but also that it had
several mystical qualities. It could only be found in one place, the Dragon
Realm.

"A Dragon's Gift!" Ranma exclaimed.

Nodoka nodded as she motioned for Ranma to pick it up. Ranma did so and was
surprised to feel that the same energies that his own sword possessed were
also being emitted from this blade. He noted that the scaly hide reacted
with the dragon blood flowing in his veins. He regarded the blade for a long
moment before turning his attention to his mother.

Nodoka smiled as she said, "My family also has a long history connected to
dragons. In fact, my distant ancestor WAS a dragon."

"He was?"

The smiling woman nodded as she explained. "Three thousand years ago, a man
named Hachima Ryudo met and married a woman named Sayuka. They soon had a
son, named Kintaro. When he became seventeen, his father disappeared without
a trace. A year after his disappearance, a huge blue dragon suddenly appeared 
before Kintaro while he was traveling through the mountains. It revealed that
he was in fact his father and that Kintaro was a Dragon Child. It then
presented Kintaro with a Dragon's Gift, called the Sun-Star Blade. He then
commanded him to use it to go forth and fight evil. The world was a dark
place at the time and Kintaro traveled for many years. With his sword and
his dragon powers, he eventually founded my family's sword techniques known
as the School of the Fierce Dragon Blade. The sword has been passed down
through one hundred and seventeen generations since then. The blood of
Kintaro Ryudo has also been passed down as well."

"But that means..." Ranma began.

"Yes, Ranma. You were already part-dragon before you and your father had
left ten years ago."

"But... if that true then, why do I look different than you?"

"The blood has been diluted over the centuries and you only had a tiny
portion of Kintaro's original power when you were born. I rather suspect
that this Blood Bond you told me about had strengthened your heritage. In
any case, since you are able to hold onto my Dragon's Gift without being
burned, just as I can wield yours, then that proves without a doubt that you
are my son! Only the descendants of Kintaro Ryudo can touch his Dragon's
Gift."

"Mom... I... don't know what to say. I..."

"Shhhh. It's all right." Nodoka placed a finger on her son's lips then
embraced him again. "We have a lot of catching up to do."

A few minutes later, after putting away Kintaro Ryudo's sword, they were
both sitting again in the living room as Ranma was filled in on what had
happened during his ten-year absence. He was given one surprise after
another as his mother related the events after Genma had finally returned
home and confessed the loss of her son.

Of course, Genma had neglected to mention about the Neko Ken training and
the acts of thievery and conning being committed by him or duped Ranma into
doing. Those crimes did come back to haunt the Saotomes a few years later.
Ranma got the biggest shock of all when his mother had told him of a visit
by the family of his old friend.

"W-What?! Ukyo is a girl?!" Ranma went pale.

Nodoka nodded as she continued. "I too thought she was a boy when she and
her father first came here three years ago. She was dressed so manly that I
never suspected that she was a different gender. That is, until her father
revealed the deal that Genma had made ten years ago to him. Your father had
promised to engage you to Ukyo in exchange for their family yattai, which
was supposed to have been her dowry. Unfortunately, Genma went back on his
word and took the yattai, while abandoning the poor child on the side of the
road. She was so distraught at being left behind that Ukyo had renounced her
femininity and started acting like a boy. She had gone on a mission of
vengeance, searching for you and your father. Three years ago, the Kuonji
clan finally located us and came here. I was sorely tempted to let her kill
Genma for his dishonorable act. She also harbored a deep hatred for you, but
since you were believed to be dead, she and her father focused all their
attention on your father."

"So what happened?"

"We came to a compromise. I forced Genma to get a job and he is now working
to pay off the debt to the Kuonji family. However, it seems that he will be
working for the rest of his life, since the Kuonjis were not the only people
that Genma had swindled, using you as a bargaining chip."

"What do you mean?" Ranma asked in a low tone.

"The engagement to Ukyo wasn't the only one that Genma had arranged for you.
Other families had come to our home, looking to claim you for their
daughters. By my count, there have been six engagements that I had not known
about nor approved."

"Six?!"

"Yes. Genma had used you to feed his fat belly. Most of the times, the
engagements were based on getting food. I STILL can't believe that he sold
you for one fish, a bowl of rice and two pickles! He had also ran out on
several restaurants and merchants after stealing from them or leaving
without paying the bill."

"He did what?!"

Nodoka shook her head sadly while letting out a tired sigh. "I had become
very angry that your father had been so careless and foolhardy with your
life. After the sixth engagement was revealed, I almost made him undergo
seppuku right on the spot. However, I did not want Kisara to be exposed to
watching her father commit suicide. So I simply told Genma that he would
have to keep working to pay off those debts as well. At the rate he's going,
it will take him about a thousand years."

"Kisara?"

Ranma's mother smiled as she said with a bit of pride, "Oh yes. I forgot to
mention. You have a little sister, Ranma. Her name is Kisara and she just
turned eight last month."

"I... have a sister?"

The older woman nodded as she added, "She's going to grow up into a fine
young lady. Even though Genma is training her in the martial arts, I have
kept an eye on them to make certain that he does not repeat the same
mistakes he made with you. He has been badgering me to allow him to take her
on a training journey, but I will tell him no. I had already lost one child
to his stupidity. I shall not lose my second, especially when my firstborn is
returned."

"That's good to hear Mom. I'd hate to have her go through the same stuff I
went through. So when do I get to see her?"

"Soon. She should be coming home from school with Genma in an hour or so."

Ranma then became a bit more introspective. "Mom? Does she have dragon's
blood?"

Nodoka nodded. "Yes, she does possess the power, though much weaker than
yours. Right now, both her and myself posses less than a thousandth of
Kintaro's gifts. I had originally expected you to inherit the Sun-Star Blade
when you had returned from your training journey, but since you already have
your own, then I shall bestow it to your sister when she is old enough."

"I can't wait to see my kid sister."

"Oh by the way Ranma. It will be quite difficult when Genma comes home. I'm
pretty sure that when he sees you, he'll just use you again. It may be for
the best that you do not mention anything about our connection to dragons.
Kisara is still too young to learn about that aspect of her heritage."

"But he's going to ask where I've been for the last ten years."

"We'll make something up."

An hour later, Genma and his daughter arrived at the Saotome residence. The
fat, baldheaded martial artist was feeling rather pleased at the moment.
Unknown to Nodoka, he had been secretly using his lunch hour to take Kisara
out of school on her lunch hour and train her in the Anything Goes. As of
now, Kisara had been stealing from local vendors as well as received some
pickpocketing skills. Genma was very happy that his daughter was progressing
well and he was certain that she would attain the greatness that his weak
son had failed to do. <As soon as I can get enough cats, I'll start training
her in the Neko Ken. After that, we'll get going to China. I'm sure that
Nodoka will come around and realize that Kisara needs to travel in order to
become a martial artist!>

Kisara was still unaware of her father's intentions or that what she
had been doing so far was criminal. She had been duped by her parent that it
was all just a game and that it was part of the training. The little girl
did wonder why her father was asking all the neighbors for their cats. She
had also wondered what he meant, when he showed her some fish sausage and
said that it would be part of next week's training. When the two entered the
house, they saw Kisara's mother sitting on the couch next to a stranger.

"Hello dear. And who might this be?" Genma asked as he regarded Ranma.

Ranma looked at the fat martial artist before him and frowned. He hadn't
changed much in appearance in the last decade. He was exactly the same as he
remembered him when Ranma had been thrown into that pit of starving cats. He
had a larger paunch than he recalled, but there was not mistaking those
beady eyes, the kerchief that was wrapped around his bald head and that aura
of stupidity and greed. He saw some resemblance between the two of them, but
his years in the Dragon Realm had made him far more defined than his father.
He just couldn't believe that he was actually related to him.

He then turned his gaze to the little girl beside him, who was dressed in a
school uniform. She had pretty brown eyes and blue hair that was done up
into a simple, lush ponytail. The top of her head came up to above his waist
and she seemed to radiate joy and a very perky nature. He could also sense
the dragon power that was slumbering within her. It was very faint, but
there was no mistaking it.

Snapping himself back to the present, he gave the two a polite bow, though
Genma did not deserve it. He then said in a firm voice, "I am Ranma Saotome.
And I have a few bones to pick with you...Pop."

To be continued...

Author's Notes

With the rewrite well under way, I hope the readers have enjoyed the revised
Chapter Two of Dragon Child. Now I still intend to include Project A-Ko and
previous plot hasn't changed, though Prince Herb will be showing up in Japan
in the near future. I sort of lost the momentum I had when I first wrote
this story and the revisions are aiding me in getting Dragon Child back on
track. I changed the history in Ranma's family a bit, making his ancestor a
blue dragon instead of a black one, but the basic ideas haven't been
altered. We'll be seeing more of the Dragon Realm as the story continues.
See you in the revised chapter three!
