Fighting Blind

Ranma  is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I write this purely for 
entertainment. 

I was inspired to write this story after reading a few others that dealt 
with the Cat Fist Training going horribly wrong. One of the most 
drastic changes that I had seen was Ranma being thrown to the lions. 
Although I am not writing about that, this outcome of the Neko Ken 
is just as serious. And so, here we have a Ranma that must deal with 
a handicap that may alter his view on the world forever.

< >: Thoughts
<" ">: Chinese language

                                 Chapter One
                          When the World Went Dark

     In a small village in China, a young woman was busy preparing a 
stew in the kitchen when she heard a knock at the door. When she 
came to answer it, she was not prepared for the tragic news that the 
messenger had brought to her attention.
     "What did you say?" The women asked, he body trembling with 
disbelief.
     "I regret to inform you that your son is dead." The messenger 
replied, bowing her head in sorrow.
     "You must be joking!"
     "I'm afraid that this is no joke, Jasmine. Thorn is dead."
     "It can't be!" Jasmine cried out as she gripped the messenger's 
shoulders. "What happened?! Tell me!" Jasmine began to become 
hysterical as she shook the bearer of bad news.
     The young warrior sighed and sadly shook her head as she began 
to relate the incident of Thorn's demise. He had been practicing near 
the edge of the village when he came to the defense of his seven-year 
old cousin Shampoo. Mousse was once again pestering the girl and 
he and Thorn had gotten into a fight. During the scuffle, the two 
ended up beneath the Challenge Log. Mousse had thrown some 
daggers, which had cut through some of the support ropes. Thorn 
had died instantly as one end of the massive timber crushed him.
     When he was questioned, Mousse had claimed that his glasses 
had been knocked off and that had messed up his aim. He said that 
he only intended to throw those knives as a warning and that he had 
not intended to kill Shampoo's cousin. Of course, no one really 
believed him, but without any evidence other than the words of a 
young Shampoo, the Council had to rule the incident as a tragic 
accident. Also, one of the elders that happened to be on the council 
was Mousse's grandmother, Mascara. Many suspected that she had 
been involved in swaying the final verdict.
     Jasmine shook with rage and anguish as she thought about the 
near-sighted boy. She knew of his obsession with her niece and was 
very irritated that he did not take the hint and leave her alone. Now 
that same obsession had cost her only child his life. A growing 
darkness raged in her heart, mixed in with a sorrow that threatened to 
overwhelm her. She then screamed out in purest agony. Tears welled 
up in her eyes as she fell to her knees and began wailing over the 
loss of child.
     "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!"
     The following year would be the hardest on Jasmine, as she 
became distant and less involved with the events that occurred 
outside her house. She still carried out her duties with the same 
amazing skill that outstripped her fellow healers. However, the 
emptiness in her heart had grown since Thorn's death. She had also 
grown more hostile toward Mousse and his family as she blamed the 
novice Hidden Weapons fighter for the death of her child. Since her 
husband had died during a raid by the Musk Dynasty, Jasmine had 
been protectively raising her only offspring. Thorn was only five 
when he lost his father. With her son gone, Jasmine had become cold 
and showed little emotion. She would heal wounds and cure disease 
with amazing speed and efficiency, but she no longer found any 
comfort or happiness in her work. Where was the joy of being able to 
heal the wounds of others when her skills could not restore her son 
to her? Many of the villagers noted that she would perform with the 
cold, unfeeling, attitude of a machine. She would give her patients 
what they needed to recover and send them on their way without the 
tender words of care and sympathy one needed for comfort. It was if 
all the life had drained out of her.
     And every night, the young healer would weep in sorrow, 
frustration and anger at the fact that her house now had only one 
occupant. Whenever she looked at the bed that her son had slept in, 
she would burst out in tears. She would then pray to the Kami, 
wishing that there would be someone who could fill that bed and the 
empty void in her heart.

A year before Thorn's death
     "So what's the verdict?" The nurse asked.
     "Not good." Dr. Hamada Tenshiro replied. "The boy will live, but 
I'm afraid that the damage done to his eyes is irreversible. I don't 
know what happened, but his eyes were nearly torn out of their 
sockets. It looks as if some wild animal mauled him. He had excessive 
tissue trauma to his optic nerves, not to mention massive damage to 
his face. Because the boy has a rare blood type, eye transplant was 
not possible option. We were able to do some cosmetic surgery to 
remove the scars and restore his face and eyes, but I'm sorry to say 
that he has been permanently rendered blind."
     "Kami-sama! Who would do such a thing to a six-year old boy?"
     "I can answer that." A police officer replied as he approached the 
two. He held up a several sheets. "The boy's name is Ranma. His 
father is Genma Saotome. Apparently, this Genma was the person 
responsible for several cases of petty theft in the area. We've also 
gotten reports of the boy being involved in some of those crimes. 
Thankfully, those charges against Ranma had been dropped, since it 
was assumed that his father was the one who made his son commit 
those thefts. Witnesses called the police when they saw him shove 
his son into that pit. When we arrived, he abandoned his son and 
escaped arrest. Upon further investigation, we discovered a small 
campsite underneath a bridge. We found this among some of their 
things."
     The police officer handed the doctor a small handbook. When the 
physician opened it, his eyes widened in shock. "It can't be! No one 
would be that stupid!"
     "What is it doctor?" The nurse asked.
     "It's a training manual for the dreaded Neko Ken or Cat Fist! I 
studied the martial arts for a while and my master told me about the 
forbidden technique! I had my suspicions when the paramedics 
brought him in, but I never thought anyone would be foolhardy 
enough to try it!"
     "What is it?"
     "The training is very simple. Wrap the student in fish sausage and 
throw him into a pit of starving cats! There are several problems 
though. The trainee, IF HE SURVIVES, is reduced to a feral state and 
develops an irrational fear of cats! Granted they may gain an 
increased level of speed and agility, but their minds become 
psychologically unstable! In most cases, the ability is submerged 
until the trigger is activated. That usually happens when the victim's 
fear of cats reaches a certain point! They start acting like cats and 
become a danger to anyone that he or she perceives as a threat! In 
extreme cases however, the person may become permanently 
regressed into their feral state! It was because of this, and the fact 
that the trainee has to be under the age of ten, that the method was 
banned! The last reported case of Neko Ken training happened over 
fifty years ago."
     "Are you saying that Genma Saotome willingly subjected his son 
to this kind of torture?" The nurse asked.
     "That's what it looks like." The police officer replied. "At the 
campsite, we found several other training manuals, pressure point 
charts and several brochures that tell about martial arts training 
grounds. One brochure was circled in red. Some place called 
Jusenkyo. It looks like the father was training his son to be a martial 
artist."
     "Then he's the dumbest teacher in the world!" Hamada remarked 
as he showed a page of the manual. "Look, it says right here that the 
Cat Fist has been banned for causing severe psychological distress! 
You'd think a responsible martial artist would look over the entire 
manual before trying it!"
     "Well, whoever this Genma is, he's a slippery one. We haven't 
been able to track him down yet." The officer sighed. It was then that 
they heard a loud commotion from a far room down the hall. There 
was a loud crash and a nurse came screaming into the hallway.
     "Help! Someone help!"
     The officer wasted no time in drawing his gun and started running 
toward the room where the nurse had just came from. When he 
reached the hysterical nurse, he tried to calm her down. "What's the 
matter? What's wrong?"
     The nurse pointed at the room and said, "Some strange man came 
crashing through the window and grabbed the patient out of the bed! 
He jumped back out the window with the boy and disappeared!"
     The officer looked into the room and saw the open window. The 
wind was blowing through the broken glass and the curtains waved 
in the breeze. 

Two years later, in China
     Genma was unhappy. He looked at his sightless son and sighed in 
disgust. There was no doubt about it. The boy was a failure. His lack 
of eyesight had made him unable to continue the training in the 
Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. He tried another combination 
of punches and kicks, which Ranma could not counter or even block 
effectively. The lad went down and moaned in pain.
     "Ow! That hurt! It's not fair!" Tears began to form in his unseeing 
eyes.
     "Ranma! Quit your whining! A true martial artist must suffer for his 
Art! And I told you never to cry!" Genma gave him a savage kick to 
the midsection.
     "Ow! How can I fight back when I can't even see?"
     "It was your own fault that those cats made you blind! If you were 
a better martial artist, you should have been able to learn the Cat Fist 
without any problems! After all I've done for you, you should be glad 
that I'm still trying to make a man out of you!" He gave him a rap on 
the head. "I went through the trouble of taking you to that Legendary 
Healing Spring near that Amazon Village, didn't I?"
     "That wasn't a healing spring! I still can't see! Besides, those 
Amazons were really mad when you dunked me in there, yesterday!"
     "AND WE STILL ARE!"
     Genma and Ranma froze when they heard the strange voice. The 
fat martial artist was a bit shocked that someone had managed to 
sneak up on them as he turned around. He saw a fairly tall, Chinese 
woman who was wearing a red silk pantsuit outfit and brown sandals. 
Her hair was brown and was done up in two buns. Her face was 
gentle looking and her figure was willowy. Her eyes were green, but 
they had a glint to them that told anyone not to underestimate her. 
She had in one hand a staff, which was five feet long. She glared at 
Genma with a hard look.
     "W-Who the hell are you?"
     "I am Jasmine! Healer of the Nieuchiezu! I did not expect to come 
across the same man who tried to drown his son in the village water 
supply yesterday! Now just what do you think you are doing?"
     "None of your business! Now get lost before I have to teach you 
some manners!" Genma took a fighting stance.
     "When I see a cold-hearted man abusing a blind and defenseless 
child after trying to repeatedly drown him in a spring, then I'm making 
it my business!" Jasmine took a stance as well, holding her staff out.
     Ranma strained with his ears as a foreboding silence came up after 
Jasmine had declared her intentions. Suddenly, there was a sudden 
movement as the two sprang at each other. Then there was another 
long silence. 
     "Pop?"
     A warm hand touched his shoulder then he heard a feminine voice 
whisper something in his ear.
     "Rest now young one."
     Ranma felt something applying some pressure to the back of his 
neck and he faded away into blissful sleep.
     Jasmine looked at the boy and felt the faint stirrings of her 
maternal instinct within her. The boy reminded her of her lost son. 
<He looks to be about the same age that Thorn would have been 
if> Jasmine's thoughts trailed off as memories of her dead son came 
back to her. Biting back her tears, she looked back at the human 
refuse that had been beating on the helpless boy. She was sorely 
tempted to put the man out of the boy's misery for good. Although 
she was not a warrior by trade, her knowledge of pressure points and 
rare herbs made her quite lethal. She was very capable of killing 
excellent fighters. However, her training as a healer had shaped her 
personality and it really wasn't in her nature to end a life, especially 
when he was helpless at the moment. She would only kill if there were 
no other option.
     There was also the matter of the boy to consider. After what she 
had seen, she was certainly not going to stand by and let that man 
continue to abuse the child. She looked down at Ranma again and 
smiled as she sensed the raw potential within him. His ki reminded her 
so much of her lost son. He was innocent and had a certain 
something that Jasmine could not put a finger to. She just had to 
save him from Genma's influence. After a long moment of deep 
contemplation, she made a decision and leapt high into the trees with 
Ranma cradled in her arms. She then made her way toward the village.
     Four hours later, Genma awoke to find himself flat on his belly. He 
got up and saw that the strange woman and his son were long gone. 
He became furious as he realized that the woman had defeated him so 
easily. He scratched his head as he thought back to the short-lived 
battle.
     Genma had tried to do a quick knockdown with his kick aimed at 
her head, but Jasmine simply used her staff to block the kick, then 
used her free hand to jab a nerve under his extended leg, causing it to 
lock up. While he was still flying through the air, the Amazon then 
used her staff as a lever and slammed him down to the ground on his 
face. A few more pressure points applied to his back and neck and 
Genma was out cold. The woman had moved with unbelievable speed 
and grace and the entire event had only taken two seconds!
     Genma grumbled, as he started walking toward the place where he 
knew Ranma would have been taken to, the Amazon village.
     In the house of the elder known as Cologne, the three hundred-
year old matriarch watched the sleeping boy on the bed before her. 
She then turned to Jasmine, who was standing beside her.
     <"So this is the boy who almost drowned yesterday?"> The 
diminutive elder asked.
     Jasmine nodded. <"I was able to save him from that horrible man 
before he was beaten to death!">
     Cologne looked at the healer with a suspicious eye. She 
recognized the look that the healer was giving the child. <"I know 
what you are thinking Jasmine! He will not replace your lost child!">
     <"And why shouldn't I? The boy would have perished under the 
so-called care of his father! I can sense that this boy is strong and 
has much potential!">
     Cologne looked at Ranma again and slowly nodded. <"On those 
two points, I must agree. This one does indeed show promise, but he 
is an outsider!">
     <"So what? You yourself have told me that children are a precious 
resource! Male or female, they are the hope of our tribe! What does it 
matter if this child was not born here? I will adopt him and raise him 
as if I had given birth to him myself!">
     <"He may not accept you as his mother. Furthermore, his 
blindness would also be something for him to overcome, if he were to 
live here!">
     <"Mousse was able to survive and he's almost totally sightless, 
even with those glasses of his!"> Jasmine's brow furrowed a bit as 
she still held him responsible for her son's death.
     <"Yes, I suppose Mousse has gotten better, ever since he started 
studying the Hidden Weapons techniques. Do you intend to have 
this boy go through the same training?">
     Jasmine took on a thoughtful look as she pondered on Cologne's 
question. Then she smiled as she replied. <"No. I will not have him 
learn the Hidden Weapons style, at least not yet. For some reason, 
when I look at this boy, I see him capable of achieving far more than 
just hiding large weapons on himself and using trickery.">
     <"Then what do you intend to do with him if"> Cologne then 
grinned as she realized what Jasmine was thinking of. There was only 
one other option for someone like Ranma. <"Aaaahhh! I see. You 
intend to have Koga train him!">
     Jasmine smiled triumphantly. <"Who better to train a blind student 
than the grandmaster of the Unseen Light Martial Arts? Koga will be 
perfect for him!">
     <"Yes, I must admit that his techniques far exceed some of my own 
and he is quite formidable."> Cologne was a little reluctant to admit 
this.
     <"I cannot understand why Mousse has steadfastly refused to 
learn under Koga.">
     <"As you know, Mousse is obsessed with my great-
granddaughter Shampoo. He thinks that his near-sightedness is seen 
as a weakness to her, thereby driving her away from him. To train 
under a blind martial artist whose fighting style seems too passive is 
like admitting that he is weak. He feels that his Hidden Weapon style 
is aggressive enough to show his strength. Many of the other 
Amazons think the same way, but I happen to know better. I have 
battled with Koga before one time, and he actually fought me to a 
standstill.">
     <"Really?!"> Jasmine knew that the matriarches were considered 
the best fighters in the village, despite their extreme age. The idea 
that someone male and far younger was able to fight an elder to a 
draw was almost beyond belief.
     <"Yes, and I would keep that information to yourself if I were 
you.">
     Jasmine nodded as she gazed at Ranma with a look of hope and 
tenderness. In her mind, she silently thanked the Kami for answering 
her prayers. She would not let this one go! 
     The first few weeks were the hardest for Ranma as he adjusted to 
living in the Amazon village. For the first time in his life, he was 
without Genma and his influence and it scared him. Although it had 
been a hard life, it was the only life he knew. Genma had been a hard 
taskmaster and his training methods were extremely harsh. These 
processes included lying, cheating and stealing. They had lived 
mostly outdoors, constantly on the move to avoid entanglements 
with the law. Food was always scarce and Ranma had been forced to 
eat nothing but rice, since his father maintained that it would make 
his digestive system more efficient. Of course, that didn't stop the 
father of the blind boy from pigging out on whatever other foods he 
or Ranma had gotten a hold of. 
     Jasmine was shocked to see just how malnourished the child was 
and made it a priority that Ranma received a proper diet and the right 
nutrients. Her training as a healer also corrected some of the health 
problems that Ranma had after being with Genma for three years. 
Camping outside in bad weather had made Ranma sensitive to 
humidity and illness. Some secret herbal potions, pressure points and 
a few immunization shots from a visiting doctor took care of those 
problems. Even though the Amazons lived in an isolated 
environment, they were not ignorant of the outside world and its 
advantages. Every few months or so, a medical group would be 
allowed into the village to give shots to the children and help the 
healers treat the others. Some medical supplies would be purchased 
and the two sides would also exchange techniques and information. 
This link to the rest of the world also allowed the warrior women to 
learn about world events and get a hold of things like books, some 
bits of new technology and other miscellaneous items. The children 
were especially interested in whatever manga they could get their 
hands on.
     Within a few days after he had been officially adopted into the 
tribe, Ranma finally accepted that this place was his new home and 
that his father was not going to take care of him any longer. Jasmine 
was especially supportive at this stage and encouraged him to shed 
tears, even though he repeatedly said that 'guys don't cry!' She gave 
him his space when he needed it and her shoulder to lean on when he 
gave in to the 'unmanly' act of shedding tears. She showed her gentle 
and nurturing side as she gradually helped the blind boy adjust into 
this fierce and totally different culture.
     Fortunately for Ranma, Jasmine and many of the other villagers 
were quite fluent in Japanese and he had no problems understanding 
them. However, as an outsider male and a blind one to boot, he was 
inevitably made the butt of many jokes as several of the older boys 
and many of the girls teased him. Ranma's blindness made him look 
weak and the bullies continued to make life harsh for him. It was 
going to be an uphill battle for the unseeing boy. 
     During this time, Genma had made several attempts to retrieve his 
son, but each time he tried to sneak into the village, the Amazons 
would promptly eject him in a painful manner.

One of those times
     "Hey! What are you doing?!" Genma said as he was tied up and 
loaded into a catapult.
     "Getting rid of some garbage!" An Amazon replied as she pulled a 
lever.
     Genma went flying though the air screaming frantically as he sailed 
up to a height of two hundred feet. He then came crashing down in a 
small, secluded valley that had numerous pools scattered about its 
landscape. The fat martial artist made a huge belly flop into one of the 
pools. 
     "Oh so sorry sir!" The Guide said as he watched Genma's cursed 
form rise from the water. "You fall into Shon Mon niichuan! Spring of 
Drowned Panda! Very tragic story of panda that drown there 2000 
year ago! Now whoever fall in spring, take body of panda!"
     "Growf." 

     A month later, Ranma was introduced to the blind martial artist 
Koga and began his training in the Unseen Light Martial Arts.
     One fine day, the boy was trying his best to balance on a series of 
poles of differing lengths while trying to use his staff to knock at a 
swinging target suspended above him. He was doing a half-
reasonable job of it until he misjudged the height of one of the poles 
and went down.
     "Yow!"
     A man of fifty or so years shook his head and sighed as he sat on 
a rock. His long, black hair had a few streaks of gray in it and was tied 
in a simple ponytail that reached toward his midback. He was wearing 
a white shirt with long flaring sleeves and a pair of black pants. His 
feet had black sandals and he twirled a cane in his right hand.
     "Ranma, you are not concentrating!" Koga chided as he watched 
his pupil get up off the ground.
     "It's not fair!" Ranma complained as he rubbed his backside. "You 
moved those poles! They're not the same as yesterday!"
     "Exactly! This is not an exercise in memorization! The world does 
not always stay the same! It is constantly changing and you must be 
able to use your senses to detect those changes!"
     "How can I use my hearing or sense of smell to know which pole is 
longer and which is shorter?"
     "This training session is to help you develop your sixth and 
seventh sense!"
     "Sixth and seventh sense?"
     "That's right Ranma. Most people believe that a person has only 
five senses; sight, taste, touch, hearing and smell. However, a martial 
artist can develop a sixth sense. This is the ability to detect danger as 
it approaches a person, thereby allowing him or her to avoid it. In 
some instances, one can use the sixth sense to predict the future or 
detect that, which cannot be sensed by sight alone. Many experts 
have been able to use their sixth sense to detect the ki energies of 
others. Now you know that Cologne has done this on many 
occasions, right?"
     Ranma nodded. "So what's this seventh sense?"
     "Ah, that seventh sense is the basis of the Unseen Light Martial 
Arts! We take the ability to sense ki one step further. The best way 
to describe it is that it acts like a form of natural radar. I myself have 
this 'radar-sense' and I can actually 'see' behind, above and beside 
me all at the same time! I have a good image in my head of my 
surroundings. It's like I'm touching everything at once and an image 
is formed in my mind as to what's around me. Granted I can't 
determine colors and visual patterns, but I can judge distances and 
size with better accuracy than a sighted person could. What's more, 
the seventh sense works very well with my other senses and I can 
detect things that cannot possibly be seen with the eyes."
     "Really?"
     "That's right Ranma, and I sense that you too, can learn this skill. 
You just need to be patient. I have already helped in sharpening your 
other four senses. Now let's try to get at the remaining two, okay?"

Some other time
     "Concentrate Ranma. Let your ki be like your hands. FEEL your 
surroundings."
     Ranma nodded at Koga's words as his brow furrowed in 
concentration. He was sitting in a lotus position and was trying to 
draw out his ki to sense his surroundings. He strained to detect the 
shapes and forms around him. In his mind, he could visualize shapes 
that were long and narrow. They seemed to be standing straight up 
from the ground, and Ranma began to recognize their forms from 
memory. He could almost feel the trees around him. Then he frowned 
as the feeling died out as the shapes lost their form and became 
unidentifiable blobs. He was once again trapped in that darkness that 
had claimed him two years ago.
     "I can't do it!" Ranma pounded a fist on the ground in 
frustration.
     "Ranma you are concentrating too hard." Koga said firmly. "Let 
your ki flow over your environment like a gentle wave over a beach. 
Don't force your ki. Clear your mind and let your ki do the work for 
you."
     Ranma nodded as he took a deep breath and began refocusing his 
ki. As his inner energies reached out to touch the surfaces of the 
trees and ground, Ranma smiled as clear, line images began appearing 
in his head. Ranma could only detect his surroundings as long as he 
was directing his ki and that was only for a few seconds. Unable to 
maintain it, he soon lost control and the images faded away. Still, it 
was a start.
     "Excellent my pupil." Koga remarked as he had detected Ranma's 
brief and crude use of his seventh sense. "You have just taken your 
first step to attaining sight beyond sight."
     Ranma trained hard under Koga and as his skills improved, so did 
his personality. Before the Neko Ken, Ranma had been egotistical 
and full of pride. The loss of his eyesight and his dependency of 
others had erased much of those traits. He had learned to cooperate 
and respect others. He learned to accept his lot in life and began 
striving to make his life as full as he could. 
     Before, he had concentrated on nothing but the Art. As a result, 
he had very poor social skills. Manners were almost nonexistent, as 
was being tactful. He didn't know how to react when dealing with the 
opposite sex and this lead to very painful reprisals from the Amazons 
whenever he said something that was inappropriate or downright 
rude. This was especially hazardous when he had said that women 
were considered weak.
     Despite his shortcomings, Ranma's innate charm began to win 
over the warrior tribe, who at first treated him with hostility, as he was 
still considered an outsider. His determination to be accepted, 
coupled with his drive to master the techniques under Koga slowly 
began to win the admiration of many members of the Nieuchiezu. This 
was especially apparent with some of the females as Ranma grew 
older and more pleasant looking. One girl in particular was his 
adopted cousin Shampoo. Of course, this did not set very well with 
her unwanted, yet very persistent suitor Mousse.
     Shampoo was being groomed by her great-grandmother Cologne 
to be a future matriarch. She was considered the strongest fighter of 
her generation and trained hard to achieve her goals. However, 
because of her greater skill in the martial arts, she had alienated 
herself from the other girls, who were jealous of her fighting ability. 
No one wanted to be her friend. The males of the village were another 
story. They were either too afraid to face her or they considered her 
as a prize to be won. Mousse of course, advocated this ideal to 
ridiculous lengths and was considered to be an insufferable nuisance 
by the great-granddaughter of the Elder. He would constantly try to 
win Shampoo with pathetic overtures and would drive any other boy 
who thought to get close to her. With Mousse driving away all 
potential suitors and the other girls unwilling to speak with her, the 
purple-haired girl retreated into a world of her own with only her 
training to comfort her. Before Ranma had arrived, Shampoo had led a 
very lonely life. 
     Ranma was introduced to Shampoo as her cousin, since Jasmine 
was Shampoo's aunt. It was very shaky in the beginning to be sure, 
but as time went on, Shampoo was glad of Ranma's presence in the 
village. Here was a boy who was not after her for her looks or her 
position as the great-granddaughter of Cologne. He was as lonely as 
she was and needed a friend. He was funny, easy to get along with, 
and didn't hide his feelings. As the years went by, the two became 
very good friends and perhaps, something more began to develop as 
they grew older. As Ranma made new friends among the Amazons, 
Shampoo also followed suit and opened up even more. Within two 
years since Ranma's arrival, Shampoo had made some friends among 
the other girls and was smiling more often. Of course, Cologne had 
been against any kind of relationship between the two that went 
beyond close friendship. It wouldn't do for a future matriarch to 
become too, 'ahem,' attached to a weak fighter. However, being good 
friends and cousins was fine with her.
     Ranma's close relationship with Shampoo was not to Mousse's 
liking and this had caused him to attack his blind rival on several 
occasions. Shampoo would always come to the defense of her 
'cousin' and Mousse would be sent painfully away.

Ranma at age nine
     <"Get away from her!"> Ranma yelled as he charged at his 
opponent. His senses had become sharp enough to actually tell 
where Mousse was. However, Ranma still lacked the speed and skill 
needed to use that information effectively. 
     Mousse easily dodged his punch and smirked as he took out a 
small hammer and bopped him on the head. Ranma went down and 
Mousse then gave him a kick to his side. <"Go away you little pest. 
You're no match for me!">
     <"He may not be, but I am!"> Shampoo said as she came to 
Ranma's aid.
     <"Shampoo!"> Mousse cried out as he raced to embrace her. He 
thought to overwhelm the object of his affection with his love. 
Unfortunately for him, Shampoo's response to him was anything but 
tender.
     WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! 
     Mousse became a crumpled heap on the ground. Shampoo's 
training in the Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire Technique had 
only just started last week. She was nowhere near as fast as her 
great-grandmother, but she still had enough speed to turn Mousse 
into a bruised and bloody mess.
     Mousse moaned, partly in pain but also in denial. <She's just 
playing hard to get. That's all.>
     The purple-haired girl knelt down to help her cousin up. 
     As time passed on, Ranma helped Shampoo live a fuller life. He 
would make her laugh, help improve her Japanese and give her a 
shoulder to cry on whenever something would upset her. Ranma was 
a good support for her.
     Under Koga's training, Ranma became stronger and more capable 
of handling himself. Within the first week of training, Ranma's sense 
of smell, taste, touch and hearing had become incredibly sharp. A 
month later, he no longer required to be led around the village and 
could even find his way back whenever he took walks into the forests 
that surrounded them. The elders of the village could feel his ki level 
increase at an impressive rate as he eagerly learned all that he could. 
They became especially interested when Koga's old mentor had 
shown up at the village to gauge the progress of the boy and aid in 
his training.

A few months before Ranma's tenth birthday
     "Ranma, I would like you to meet my sensei, Shogo Natsumuri."
     "Pleased to meet with you, Master Shogo." Ranma gave a 
respectful bow as he reached out with his senses at the aged priest.
     Shogo smiled at the little boy as he used his own senses to gauge 
Ranma's abilities. "I am very impressed Koga. You have chosen 
well."
     "Yes, sensei. " Koga nodded. "Ranma has now grasped the basic 
concept and principles of the seventh sense. However, he does tend 
to become distracted at the different images in his mind and his 
seventh sense does require a lot of fine-tuning. He can roughly 
approximate shape and size, but not much on detail."
     "Well, that's what I'm here for." Shogo remarked as he gestured 
for the boy and his student to follow.

Some weeks later
     "So who are we meeting?" Ranma asked as he and Koga waiting in 
a small clearing in the forest near the village.
     "An old acquaintance of mine." Koga replied. "I met him during 
my journeys around the world. Once I had mastered the Unseen Light 
techniques, I had decided to do some traveling to improve my martial 
arts and ki-manipulation skills."
     "You've been traveling around the world?" Ranma asked with 
awe. The boy had never traveled anywhere further than Japan, then 
later the areas surrounding the Amazon village.
     Koga nodded as he said, "Yes, I had a kind of wanderlust when I 
was no more than a decade older than you are now. I wanted to see 
the world through my senses, since I could not see it with my eyes. 
I've been to places such as Russia, Tibet, England, Australia, and 
even America. I learned a lot about the outside world during those 
times."
     "Wow." Ranma was impressed at how well traveled his mentor 
was. At first he thought that Koga was pulling his leg, but after 
scanning his aura, Ranma knew he was telling the truth. At this time, 
Ranma's ability to read the auras of others wasn't anywhere near as 
good as Koga's, but Ranma could detect the faint impressions of 
emotions. Strong emotions such as love and anger were the simplest 
to detect. It was easy to detect the former from Jasmine and the latter 
from Mousse.
     "So who is this person we're waiting for?" Ranma asked.
     "He's an excellent master of ki manipulation and you would do 
well to listen to him. I wrote to him about you and I later found out 
that he was in China at the time on some personal business. I invited 
him to come to the village and meet with you. He should be here any 
time now."
     "So who is" Ranma's words were left unspoken as his sixth and 
seventh sense began picking up the emanations of a large and tightly 
focused source of ki. Ranma turned around into a ready stance and 
waited. As soon as he faced off with whoever was behind them, he 
noticed a field of serenity and utter calmness emanating from the 
stranger that approached them. He also noted that Koga had made no 
move whatsoever to get ready for any unexpected attack. In fact, 
Koga was actually wearing an amused grin on his face. It was then 
that Ranma realized that this stranger was probably the person that 
they had been waiting for. The boy then relaxed into a neutral stance.
     "Good day to you, Master Dhalism." Koga greeted.
     "Good day to you, Koga." The healer and yoga master from India 
stopped in front of them and then nodded his head to the blind lad. 
"And you must be Ranma Saotome. Koga has given you much praise 
and I can sense that you are well-deserving of such praise."
     Ranma could feel the amount of ki being focused within Dhalism 
and was in awe. "H-Hello, Master Dhalism. I-I-It is an honor to meet 
with one of my sensei's teachers."
     The ki master smiled as he said, "Koga had written to me that you 
have been training in the healing arts as well as the Unseen Light, 
correct?"
     "H-Hai." Ranma stammered. His sixth sense was almost 
overwhelmed by the amount of ki that was focused within the body 
of this man. It was not being emitted like a battle aura, but rather it 
was perfectly aligned with his body's natural systems. Ranma had no 
doubt that Dhalism had great control over his body's functions. 
     Dhalism noted Ranma's probing of him and said, "I can sense 
great potential within you for healing as well as for fighting and it 
would be a shame to waste such promise. Koga had asked me here to 
teach you how to use your ki in the process of healing. I am more 
than happy to aid you in this."
     Ranma nodded as his master and the man from India led him 
deeper into the forest.
     Throughout the next month, Koga brought several more of his old 
mentors over to aid with Ranma's training. As the boy's power over 
his ki grew, so did his confidence. His ability to quickly understand 
new techniques continued to amaze his teachers. 
     His martial arts skills were not something to be taken lightly either. 
As his senses became even more defined, he quickly began to 
practice the martial arts again. He began sparring with Koga, 
Shampoo and the other Amazons and they became ever more amazed 
at how fast he was improving. Fortunately, he was considered a part 
of the tribe, so as long as he did not make any formal challenges, he 
was safe from the Kiss of Marriage Law.
     Jasmine had become very happy with her adopted son as she took 
him on as an apprentice healer. Ranma's enhanced senses made it 
easy for him to distinguish different herbs and extracts. His ability to 
sense ki allowed him to locate pressure points with no difficulty and 
he developed a measure of patience which served him well as a healer 
and fighter. By the time Ranma had reached his tenth year, he was 
able to stand up against Mousse on his own.

Two years after Ranma's arrival
     <"Get out of my way!"> Mousse snarled as he and Ranma faced 
each other in front of Shampoo's house.
     Ranma stood at the ready with his staff as he replied in a calm and 
firm tone, <"Mousse, I would have thought by now that you'd get 
the message and leave my cousin alone!">
     <"Who are you to tell me? You're nothing but a weak and blind 
outsider!">
     <"You're one to talk!"> Ranma said curtly. <"You couldn't see a 
mountain at ten paces without those glasses! Now I'm telling you 
nicely! Leave my cousin alone!">
     <"Make me!"> Mousse sneered as he took a stance. He had 
beaten Ranma before. Today wasn't going to be any different, right? 
He decided to use one of his newest techniques in the Hidden 
Weapons style.
     <"FIST OF THE WHITE SWAN!">
     However, as he lashed forward, Ranma smiled as he pulled back a 
step, then stabbed forward with his staff, knocking back the object in 
Mousse's hands. The nearsighted boy was driven back as the object 
smashed into his face. The impact caused his glasses to fall off and 
before he could recover, Ranma smacked one end of his staff on top 
of Mousse's head. The myopic martial artist went down like sack of 
potatoes. The training potty that he had used in his attack clattered 
beside him.
     Ranma waited for a moment as he used his senses to detect 
anything that could be a danger to him. When he ascertained that 
Mousse was unconscious, he relaxed and smiled.
     Looking out from her bedroom window, Shampoo grinned. It 
seemed that Ranma could take care of himself now.
     Since his first victory against Mousse, Ranma became even more 
confident of his abilities and took to the training even harder. As he 
learned of Koga's techniques, the young boy began to catch the 
interest of the Elders of the village. With the exception of Cologne, 
they had considered Koga's fighting style as passive at best and 
didn't really think his skills as anything special. After all, they too 
could sense the ki of others. However, when Ranma began learning 
Amazon techniques that were thought to be impossible to master for 
a blind person, they began to reconsider.

Ranma at age eleven
     Cologne was busy, gathering herbs near a mountain stream when 
she saw Ranma standing near a huge boulder with Koga instructing 
him. The Elder was very surprised to see Ranma glowing with a faint 
blue aura. She went over to investigate. When she got to within 
twenty feet of them, she saw something very interesting.
     Ranma suddenly lashed out with a hand and touched the rock with 
his index finger. The boulder suddenly lit up with a faint yellow glow, 
then crumbled to pieces! Cologne's eyes widened as she stopped 
suddenly and stared at the powdered remains of the rock. Koga and 
Ranma smiled as they had long detected her presence and turned 
toward her.
     <"That was the Breaking Point technique!"> Cologne said with 
surprise to Koga. <"How was he able to do that? I don't recall you 
ever having trained in that skill!">
     Koga shook his head and said, <"No Cologne! What you just saw 
was not the Backusai Tenketsu, but rather something similar to it! My 
protg and I have mastered a skill in which we are able to use our 
senses to find the stress points of any inanimate object! Unlike your 
Breaking Point, this skill will work on other things, not just rock! And 
you have noticed that the boulder had not exploded into tiny 
fragments! Unlike your technique, which forces your ki into a specific 
spot and causes a violent explosion, we let our ki flow into the object 
and cause a uniform disintegration of its structure! It's a lot less 
messier and has more applications!"> He turned to Ranma. <"Show 
Cologne what you can do. Make that tree stump over there 
disintegrate!"> Koga gestured to a rotting tree that was about forty 
feet away.
     Ranma nodded as he knelt down and placed a hand on the ground 
and concentrated, letting his ki flow through the ground and head 
toward the stump. He glowed with the same blue light as Cologne 
watched the target. Her eyes became even wider as she saw the dead 
wood instantly dissolve into sawdust.
     Koga smiled in triumph as he turned to readdress Cologne. 
<"Ranma can do the original Breaking Point if he wanted to. He 
instantly picked up the technique when Sugar used it to blow up a 
rock in her garden.">
     <"But how is that possible?"> Cologne asked. <"He would have 
to SEE the technique in order for him to begin to understand it!">
     <"Not so. Remember, Ranma's ability to sense ki energies is far 
better than most. If you were to demonstrate a ki technique to him, he 
would be able to learn it by measuring the amount of ki used and 
determine how it is focused. You have noticed that Mousse has been 
unable to defeat Ranma for the past year, despite Ranma's inability to 
see the weapons used against him?">
     Cologne nodded.
     <"Well, the reason why Mousse cannot defeat him is because his 
Hidden Weapon techniques are a form of ki manipulation. Ranma can 
easily sense the ki as Mousse pulls out or hides a weapon. In fact, 
Ranma has learned much more with each fight. Show her, Ranma.">
     The boy nodded as he raised his hand and made a sweeping 
gesture. His staff suddenly appeared in his hand. He dropped it then 
made a pair of daggers appear. He then began pulling out more and 
more objects out of thin air each item gradually becoming bigger than 
the last. Finally, he made a shield appear.
     Cologne smiled. <"Impressive! Ranma has mastered the Hidden 
Weapons style."> Cologne then became thoughtful as she 
considered what she had seen as she addressed Koga. <"If that is 
the case then I would suspect that you also know of Amazon 
techniques as well.">
     Koga nodded as he said, <"Do not worry Cologne. I have kept 
these secrets to myself. I know of your law that no outsider may learn 
of your techniques. Since I have been declared as an honorary 
member and Ranma has been adopted by Jasmine, then there has 
been no violation."> He then turned to Ranma. <"Ranma, you will 
promise to Cologne that you will not show how you learned these 
things to anyone who is not an Amazon. Is that understood?">
     Ranma nodded as he said, <"I promise!">
     Within the next two years, Ranma continued to astound the 
Amazons with his amazing abilities. Ranma learned to do the 
Chestnut Fist, the Rising Dragon Ascension and many other skills. 
His status as a warrior began to rise even further, much to the dismay 
of Mousse. The near blind martial artist couldn't understand it. In just 
a short time, Ranma had gone from being his inferior to being his 
better. The fact that he was also getting more and more attention from 
the other girls, especially from Shampoo, made him angrier and more 
resentful against the young Saotome. It was so unfair to Mousse! 
Here this outsider had no eyesight whatsoever and was getting all 
the attention from his beloved Shampoo! Mousse was just as blind 
as Ranma without his glasses, but his intended bride continued to 
consider him as an annoyance. As the two 'cousins' got even closer 
in their friendship, Mousse's obsession to claiming Shampoo and 
defeating his rival became all consuming.

Ranma at age thirteen
     <"School?"> Jasmine said in confusion.
     Koga nodded as they discussed in private in the dining room. 
Ranma and Shampoo were busy sparring outside the house. <"Yes. I 
think it is high time that Ranma experienced the outside world. Since 
he is Japanese, I thought that sending him to Japan for a while would 
help him get acquainted with things outside the village. He also 
needs to learn about where he came from! It would also be a good 
training exercise for him.">
     <"I don't see why Ranma has to travel so far. Besides, won't his 
blindness be a hindrance to him in such a place?">
     <"Not at all! Ranma's senses are so sharp, that most people 
wouldn't suspect that he is blind. His fingers can now read printed 
words on paper, so he won't have to rely on Braille. His seventh 
sense prevents him from stumbling around or bumping into things. 
Added with the other skills that I have taught him, he will do just fine. 
He doesn't even need a cane.">
     <"That may be so."> Jasmine agreed. <"However, I do not relish 
the idea of having him so far away.">
     <"Ranma needs to learn independence, Jasmine. The village has 
accepted Ranma, more or less, but the boy has a sort of wanderlust in 
him. He wants to experience the world through his other senses, 
since he cannot see it. He needs to have this opportunity to travel. 
He will be getting a good education and the experience will help him 
deal with things that he may not know about if he remained in the 
village. The Amazons have let their children travel abroad to learn 
about the outside world. I don't see why Ranma is to be denied the 
chance to do so.">
     Jasmine sighed as she looked out the window and watched Ranma 
once again trip up Shampoo and pin her to the ground. She smiled as 
she watched them roll about on the soil and laugh, as they engaged 
in a bit of play fighting. She then turned her attention to Koga. 
<"Ranma has been my son in name for five years now and I have 
grown very fond of him. I suppose it's just a mother's reluctance to 
see her child begin to grow apart from her. I will not be around 
forever and I know that Ranma does need to learn how to live on his 
own one day, but">
     <"Do not worry Jasmine. I will look after Ranma as he attends 
school and he'll only be gone for a semester or so.">
     <"You'll make certain that he'll write back to me? You will keep him 
safe? I am fearful that his good-for-nothing father would use this 
opportunity to steal him away from me. He hasn't given up after all 
this time and he has gotten more determined lately.">
     <"I swear to you Jasmine. Genma will not come within a hundred 
feet of the boy.">
     Jasmine nodded as she called out to her son.

A few months later at an all-boys junior high school in Japan
     Ranma strolled down the hallway toward the cafeteria. As Koga 
had predicted, Ranma's enhanced senses had made it possible for him 
to attend school without having to tell the register's office that he 
couldn't see. Reading the textbooks was a snap as he could use his 
fingers to trace the ink-printed pages. Writing was possible due to 
Koga's techniques of sensory imagery. Whatever input his senses 
received would allow Ranma to actually create a three-dimensional 
image of the paper in his mind, lines included! Of course, his 
handwriting was still considered sloppy as it was before he had lost 
his sight. Koga made a note to have Ranma attend a class for 
penmanship.
     As the blind martial artist approached the cafeteria, he could hear 
the large and heavyset lunch lady call out as throngs of hungry, male 
adolescents crowded around the counter.
     "All right! Here it is! The last curry bread of the day!"
     Ranma smiled, as he could smell the delicious aroma of the bread 
from the rear of the mob. He then extended his seventh sense 
outward and saw in his mind the lunch lady rearing back with her arm 
and tossing the bread high up into air above the crowd. He then 
sensed another figure jump up toward the bread.
     "I got it! I got it!"
     Ranma took this opportunity and gauged the height of the boy's 
leap by the sound of his voice. He then jumped and used the boy's 
head to springboard himself up toward the tasty tidbit. Deftly 
catching the prize in his mouth, he then flipped toward the other side 
of the crowd and made a perfect landing on his feet. It was then that 
he heard an enraged voice.
     "How dare you! Who are you?"
     Ranma was bit confused as he sensed the boy's anger and 
frustration. <What's he so mad about? It's just a lousy piece of bread! 
It was anybody's game!> "Ranma Saotome."
     "Saotome! I will never forgive you! You stole my bread! You lousy 
thief!"
     Gee, guess who that was?
     At the end of the semester, Koga was ready to take Ranma back to 
the Amazon village. He found the boy sitting on a fence near an 
empty lot on the outskirts of the city.
     "Ranma! It's time to go home now!"
     Ranma turned and smiled. "Master Koga! Over here!"
     Koga approached the boy and said, "Is this where you have been 
for the last three days? I was worried that your father Genma had 
kidnapped you!"
     Ranma shook his head. "No, last I heard, Pop was running away 
from the police."
     Koga nodded. Ever since they had come to Japan, Genma had 
made several attempts to reclaim his son. On a few occasions, he had 
faced off against Ranma's mentor. Genma had thought that defeating 
the blind master would be no problem, but Koga proved him wrong 
and had given Ranma's father a painful beating each time. During the 
school year, Genma had been committing many acts of petty crimes in 
the area. He stole food, clothing, money and whatever he could get 
his hands on, while he tried to get his offspring back. Many 
restaurant owners and shopkeepers were angered when the fat 
martial artist would run without paying for what he ate or took. It 
seemed that he practiced the Anything Goes style in the literal sense. 
The complaints and charges began to build up and it wasn't long 
before Genma was on the wanted lists.
     "So what are you doing here Ranma?" Koga asked.
     "I was challenged by some guy to a duel of honor. As an Amazon, 
I have to accept, right?"
     "Oh, well I suppose that would be the case. So when is he 
supposed to be here?"
     "Actually, he was supposed to have been here three days ago."
     "What? Just where does this boy live?"
     "In that house over there." Ranma gestured to the house behind 
him.
     "And he hasn't shown up yet?!"
     Ranma shrugged. "What can I say? He's got the world's worst 
sense of direction! It's kind of funny though." He chuckled.
     "What do you mean?"
     "Ryoga always got lost on his way to school and back, so I had to 
lead the way for him every day! A blind boy leading someone that 
CAN see! I still haven't told him that I'm blind!" He chuckled a little 
more.
     "I suppose that it is kind of ironic. However, since the boy has 
failed to show up, it is his fault! Never mind that he has a problem 
with directions. He challenged you and he failed to uphold it. 
According to Amazon law, you have won by forfeit! I'm afraid that we 
must get going now. Our plane will be leaving shortly and your 
mother Jasmine can't wait to see you again. Let's not disappoint her."
     Ranma let off a long sigh as he got off his perch and followed his 
teacher.
     The very next day, Ryoga Hibiki arrived at the empty lot and found 
that Ranma was long gone. He became enraged as he shouted out to 
the heavens at his missed chance for revenge. He then collapsed to 
the ground due to his unintentional trek around the major cities of 
Japan.

Ranma at age fifteen
     <"I told you before Mousse! Leave my cousin alone!">
     <"FIST OF THE WHITE SWAN!">
     POW!
     Mousse found himself sprawled on his back, his eyes seeing stars 
as the large, duck-shaped training potty clattered to the ground 
beside him. Ranma stood with his staff held at the ready. Ranma's 
expression became stern as he said, <"That trick didn't work when we 
were ten, Mousse. What made you think that it would work now?">
     Mousse angrily got up and faced off against his opponent. <"You 
claim to be Shampoo's cousin, but you're nothing but a weak outsider 
male that Jasmine took pity on years ago!">
     <"Weak am I? Well, if you think I'm weak, then what does that 
make you? I've been beating you since I was ten!">
     <"You were just lucky that I didn't use any of my more deadlier 
techniques on you! But now I see that I have been going too easy on 
you! You have been my only obstacle to winning my Shampoo!">
     <"Oh please! Your own stupidity is what's keeping you from 
Shampoo! I thought that after thirteen years, you'd have gotten the 
hint that Shampoo doesn't like you!">
     <"She does love me! I know that deep down inside her, she and I 
are fated to be wed! She's just playing hard to get! If it wasn't for you 
and your silly outsider notions, she would have realized it by now!">
     <"Oh brother! For someone who can still see, you're even more in 
the dark than I am! Listen up Mousse! Shampoo wants nothing to do 
with you! She has already rejected you Kami-sama knows how many 
times! Why don't you just accept the truth and leave her be?">
     <"Never! Shampoo is mine and I will remove all obstacles to her 
heart! Since you have repeatedly gotten in my way, I'm going to 
finish you off once and for all! Obstacles are for killing! That is the 
Amazon way!"> Mousse made a spear appear and charged at his 
opponent.
     Ranma had long sensed the maneuver by reading Mousse's ki and 
countered. Using his staff to parry Mousse's weapon, he then 
delivered a snap kick to his chin. As Mousse staggered back, he then 
jabbed forward with a finger and hit a pressure point on one of his 
foe's wrists, causing that hand to open up. He then slid his staff 
forward and used a twisting motion to bring the butt end of the spear 
up, causing the pointed end downward and into the ground.
     Mousse was surprised to find out that his weapon was now stuck 
in the dirt, but before he could try to pull it out, Ranma hopped up 
and introduced his left foot to his enemy's face. The kick slammed 
into the Hidden Weapon master's mouth and he was sent back a 
dozen feet or so. The spear remained stuck in the ground as Mousse 
found himself on his back again.
     <"That's it! You're dead!"> Mousse came to his feet again, but 
before he could pull out another weapon, Cologne, Jasmine and 
Shampoo arrived on the scene.
     <"HOLD!">
     The two combatants stopped as they turned toward Cologne.
     Cologne regarded Mousse with displeasure. During the last few 
years, she had reversed her earlier stand against Ranma and 
Shampoo getting close. Ranma had become a very good healer under 
Jasmine's teachings and Koga had shaped him into a formidable 
fighter. Many of the other Amazons had also considered Ranma a 
good catch. He had grown up to be very handsome and well muscled. 
Being raised by Jasmine had corrected the three years of malnutrition 
and poor health care that living under Genma had caused. He was 
good natured, polite toward his betters and showed respect to those 
who merited it. Ranma was tall, almost 6'2" and moved with incredible 
grace. His enhanced senses and physical prowess ranked him among 
the top fighters in the village. Unknown to Ranma, several of the 
Amazons had been petitioning Jasmine to challenge him for the right 
to marry him. 
     The healer was very happy to see that her dream of seeing Ranma 
settling down with children may be realized. She didn't particularly 
care who Ranma married, so long as he was happy. She had on many 
occasions, hinted that he could take more than one mate. She was 
looking forward to seeing Ranma's face when he realized that he had 
been upgraded from being a barely tolerated outsider, to prime 
husband material. She had also been thinking of something else. 
Grandchildren!
     <"Just what do you think you are doing Mousse?"> Cologne said 
in a firm, yet dangerous tone.
     <"What do you mean?"> Mousse replied indignantly. <"I'm just 
taking care of a certain nuisance that has plagued our village for so 
long!">
     <"You will not speak about my son in that manner!"> Jasmine said 
with a glare.
     <"He's not one of us!"> Mousse shot back. <"He wasn't born 
here! He has no right to call himself an Amazon!">
     <"Mousse!"> Cologne said. <"Jasmine had willingly adopted this 
boy as her son and the Council had agreed on it! He is therefore an 
Amazon and has all the rights and privileges! We have tolerated your 
hostility toward him thus far, but now it seems that you are directly 
challenging Ranma's rights. If you wish to fight him, you will do so 
with a formal challenge!">
     <"What?! You defend this outsider?">
     <"I defend the laws of our people!"> Cologne stated. <"Now will 
you give Ranma a formal challenge, or do you wish to state your case 
to the Council?">
     Mousse found his mouth and throat suddenly become dry. He had 
no wish to go up against the Council of Elders. He knew that Ranma 
was a favorite among most of the tribe. 
     <"All right, I hereby challenge this outsider to Trial by Combat!">
     <"Where?"> Ranma asked.
     Mousse grinned sadistically. He knew that Ranma's father had 
almost drowned him eight years ago, so he hoped that water would 
yet be his downfall. <"Jusenkyo.">
     Ranma frowned as he heard that name. He had been told by his 
mother that the Training Grounds of Cursed Springs was forbidden 
and before he had become blind, he remembered that Genma had 
planned to take him to Jusenkyo during their training trip. It had been 
Ranma's experience that any idea of Genma's was a bad one. 

To be continued

Author's Notes
     I had been getting some comments from my readers that Ranma 
had been getting too much power in my stories. Therefore, I decided 
to tone down Ranma a bit by giving him a handicap. Ranma is still the 
capable martial artist, but now he has only his enhanced senses to 
pull him through. No super strength or special magic powers. He's 
not the know-it-all and he's going to make some mistakes as he goes 
along. 
     This story had been inspired by the fanfic A Source of Pride. The 
idea of Ranma growing up in the Amazon village appealed to me and I 
wondered how he would fare in such a fierce culture. There are a lot 
of people who believe that the Amazons in the Ranma 1/2 series are 
nothing more than a bunch of crazy warrior women with some off-the-
wall laws. I want to write about the unseen side. Shampoo is not the 
bimbo and Cologne is not the cruel and cold-hearted matriarch. I also 
wanted to show that it wasn't Mousse's near-sightedness that is 
preventing him from winning Shampoo, but his own pig-headedness 
and refusal to accept the truth that prevents him from succeeding.
     I've always liked the Marvel Comic Daredevil (Hence the reference 
to the radar-sense). A blind super hero who can triumph over 
adversity with determination and brains, despite an overwhelming 
disability such as blindness, fits in with Ranma's situation, don't you 
think?
     I wanted to make Ranma's training in the Unseen Light a bit more 
fuller, so that's why I added those extra scenes. Yes, it's the same 
Dhalism from Street Fighter. I just finished watching the Street 
Fighter V series and I liked the way they portrayed him. Ranma 
learning some yoga techniques such as breathing, slowing down his 
heart rate, nullifying the ability to sense pain can prove useful, ne?


