Nihao, China! (1/?)
By: Jenni McCrabb 
"Blackbird"


The characters portrayed in this fanfic are copyright of Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan Inc.
	
	It was a beautifully hot summer day as Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendou walked home from their last day of school until September. Ranma walked along the edge of the fence sulking and thinking of how his father was going to kill him for the low marks he made in school. It's all her fault, he thought, stupid tomboy. If I hadn't spent so much time fighting off all those guys that chase after her then I might have been able to do better in school. I don't see why anyone would want her anyway, she's not even cute. 
Akane on the other hand seemed to be in high spirits. As she walked home she thought of all the things she planned to do this summer. It's going to be nice to have some time to myself to relax and train, she thought. They continued to walk in silence, the only sound being the sound of their footsteps and a bird chirping in a tree in the yard of one of the houses that they passed. They rounded the corner and entered the Tendou residence where Genma and Soun were sitting around playing a game. Kasumi was in the kitchen cooking dinner and Nabiki sat at the table thinking about how much she should charge Kuno for the latest photos of Akane and "the pig-tailed girl".
"Oh! Ranma, Akane, you're home," Kasumi said, "how was your day?"
"It was fine, thanks," Akane responded, "hey, Kasumi, what are those bags over there for?"
"I took the liberty of packing you and Ranma's things, I hope you don't mind."
"Pack?" she said, "where are we going?"
"To China," Genma answered, "we're going on a training trip."
"And I'M going?" Akane huffed.
"Yes, Akane, we both thought it might be a good chance for you and Ranma to spend some time together and get some training in with Genma," Soun said.
"I don't want to get to know that pervert anymore! And I don't want to go to China!" Akane thundered up the stairs and slammed her door.
"Oh, my! You three are just going to have so much fun!" Kasumi said.
"Hey, pop, when were you planning on telling me about all this? Not that I mind or anything, I'll have a chance to find that Spring of Drowned Man, but do you really think it's a good idea to take that uncoordinated tomboy with us?" Just as Ranma said this, the chair from Akane's desk came flying downstairs and hit Ranma in the head.
"Who asked you?!" Akane yelled down. 
"Well son, a true martial artist can turn any situation into training. We leave in the morning." *SPLASH* The words were barley out of Genma's mouth before a splash of cold water hit him and turned him into a panda. Ranma stood there holding a bucket.
"Hey pop, you plan on us swimming to China again? Might be kinda hard as a panda you know." The panda then held up a sign that read "I have made other arrangements" then hit Ranma with the sign, knocking him into the pond in the yard.
"Whatcha do that for!" Ranma-chan yelled.
Dinner that night was unusually cold and quiet. Ranma and Akane glared at each other across the table. I'm not hiking all across China with that pervert. Akane thought. Stupid tomboy. She can't even kick so I don't know why pop wants to bring her along. Ranma thought.
Nabiki sat looking at the two of them. There must be some way I can make a profit out of this.
Ranma walked towards the bathroom thinking he would decide how to handle this while he rested in a nice hot bath.
"Ranma, wait!"
"What is it, Akane?"
"Will you take P-chan with you and give him a bath?" She held the little black pig out to Ranma, who grabbed it by the bandanna and threw it in the bathroom.
"Sure." He walked into the bathroom where Ryouga now sat in the bathtub.
"So, you and Akane are going on a training trip to China," Ryouga said. "I know you don't expect me to just stay here while you find the Spring of Drowned Man without me. I also can't let a pervert like you travel with my beautiful Akane. Someone has to be there to defend her from the likes of you."
"Humph. I'd like to see you try and follow us. You can't even go around the corner without getting lost so I don't know how you're going to cross China."
"Now you don't think Akane's going to leave her favorite pet, P-Chan behind, do you? I can travel across China in my beautiful Akane's arms, and sleep in her tent with her every night." Ryouga grinned at Ranma who was beginning to turn red in anger.
"You think I'm going to let you get away with that, you dirty pervert?"
"You're not going to have any choice in the manner, Ranma." With that, Ryouga turned the cold water on himself and P-Chan headed for the door.
"Come back here you little runt," Ranma yelled. He threw on his boxers and began to chase the little black pig down the hall towards Akane's room. Akane stepped outside her door as she heard the little pig squealing and Ranma chasing him and throwing anything he could get his hands on. *WHAM*
"Ranma! I told you not to pick on him! Come on baby, let's go to bed." Akane picked up the little pig and slammed her door as Ranma rubbed his cheek where Akane had slapped him. Fine, let her sleep with the little runt, like I care. Stupid tomboy. He thought.
The sun shone brightly through Ranma's bedroom window as he rolled over, not wanting to wake up. He knew he was supposed to travel to China today with his father and Akane today. Any other time he would have been thrilled to go to China in search of the one thing that would remove his curse but he was hesitant now that Akane was going. It's not that he feared for her welfare, he didn't  care about that uncute tomboy he was only concerned that she would slow him down in his quest. Or at least this is what he was telling himself as Genma entered the room and informed him that it was time to leave. 
Ranma dressed and went downstairs. Akane was sitting at the table fuming that she couldn't get out of going to China and wasting her summer on some stupid training trip with that pervert Ranma and his father. It would have been nice to have him gone all summer long. Then she wouldn't have had to listen to his insults and put up with his perverted self. Well, at least this is what she was telling herself.
"I packed you all some lunches. I thought you might liked to take them with you," Kasumi smiled. 
"Why thank you, Kasumi, I'm sure they'll be wonderful," Genma said.
The three picked up their packs and slung them on their backs. They walked out the door together, with Ranma and Akane giving each other dirty looks whenever they could.
"Have fun!" Kasumi yelled after them.
"Bring me back something expensive," Nabiki said. Soun just stood there sobbing and Ranma, Akane, and Genma walked down the street in the direction of the sea.
They reached the docks a little before noon. Genma led them down to a pier where a small rowboat sat in the water. It was equipped with two oars and looked as if  it was about 200 years old and going to fall apart at any minute.
"So this is your other arrangement, eh? I sure hope you plan on rowing this thing because I'm not," Ranma said. Genma smacked Ranma in the back, knocking him into the rowboat.
"You will row, you're the one in training, not me." Genma climbed into the rowboat and seated himself in the front. The rowboat's bow sunk down considerably so that the edge was only slightly above the waterline. Akane climbed in, still fuming mad and refusing to speak to either one of them and sat down in the back. 
"Well boy, let's get going," Genma demanded.

3 days later, on the shore of China.

A small rowboat came ashore on the beach in China. Two girls and a panda stepped out of the small craft and it immediately sunk in the shallow waters. The three waded ashore and hiked into a nearby village that happened to be near the water's edge. The town's people looked oddly at the trio as two of the members borrowed some hot water which they poured on their heads. The panda and one of the girls then changed into men. The three then headed out of the village in the direction of the mountains. The townspeople watched them go in a kind of bewildered astonishment.
"Now, twondent that one of the oddest things you ever did see?" said one member of the town.
"Sure twas. I'd sure like ta know where's they headed and how abouts they did all that changing." commented another. 
That night the three sat around the camp fire. Two tents were set up behind them. They sat there in silence for a while, eating some of the food Kasumi had packed them. 
"You know, pop," Ranma said. "It was real bright of you to pick that old rowboat. I mean, I had never rowed through a hurricane before. Trying not to drown in those 10 foot waves was actually fun you know."
"Don't get smart with me boy."
Akane reached into her pack and pulled out a little black pig and began to feed him parts of her sandwich.
"Aw man, Akane, don't tell me you brought that little runt." Ranma poked at the little pig who then began to bite his finger.
"Don't call him that!" Akane demanded. "Poor P-Chan couldn't bear for me to leave him alone all summer so I just had to bring him."
Yeah, I'll bet he was just devastated. Ranma thought.
The three finished their meal in silence and then retired to their own tents-Genma and Ranma in one, Akane and P-Chan in the other. About an hour later, Ranma emerged from his tent and headed over to Akane's. 
I'm not gonna let that pervert, Ryouga sleep with Akane and follow us around on this entire trip. He thought as he quietly slipped into Akane's tent. P-Chan woke and began to snarl at Ranma. Ranma grabbed him and drop-kicked him. The little pig's squeals faded as he sailed off into the night. Ha! Find your way back now "P-Chan". Just then Akane woke up.
"Ranma! You stupid pervert! What'd you do with poor P-Chan!"
"I don't know what you're talking about, I haven't done anything with your precious "P-Chan". I haven't seen him since dinner so stop blaming things on me!"
"Oh yeah, well, if you weren't here to pick on P-Chan, then what were you doing in my tent, you nasty pervert?"
"I..uh..well...it's not what you think. You gotta believe me!" *WHAM* A bruised Ranma then crawled back into his own tent and laid down.
"You think you'd give it up by now," Genma said.
"You just shut up old man."
Ranma woke the next morning to Akane calling for P-Chan. He got dressed and walked out of his tent.
"Aw, give it up Akane, he probably just wandered off. You know what a bad sense of direction he has," Ranma offered.
"I'm looking for P-Chan, Ranma, not Ryouga," Akane said, sounding annoyed.
Ranma shrugged his shoulders and began packing his things for the day's walk. By noon the three of them had come across another small village and decided to stop there to eat. As they entered the village they heard someone yelling for Ranma.
"Ranma! Nihao! My love!" Shampoo came running out of the local shops and threw her arms around Ranma.
"Oh, so this is why you wanted to stop here, eh Ranma?" Akane then swung her pack around and slammed Ranma to the ground with it. Shampoo continued to cuddle on Ranma professing her love for him.
"Shampoo, what are you doing here?" he asked.
"Shampoo leave Japan, come back to China visit relatives. Shampoo knew Ranma really love her, that why he come see her."
"No Shampoo, I'm not here to see you, don't get the wrong idea."
Ranma continued to push Shampoo as Akane and Genma looked for a restaurant to eat in. They found one and, upon entering it, sat down and ordered food. Ranma managed to join them a few moments later, having evaded Shampoo somehow. The restaurant seemed to be owned by a family of ninjas. What appeared to be the eldest son walked up to their table shortly after Ranma entered the shop.
"I am Tenaki and I have a score to settle with you, Ranma Saotome," the young man said.
"A score?" Akane said. "OK, Ranma, what did you do this time?"
"You got me, Akane, I ain't got a clue."
"You forget so easily, Ranma Saotome," the young ninja said. "Perhaps this will restore your memory." He then splashed Ranma with a glass of cold water that was sitting on the table.
"Hey! Whatcha do that for?" Ranma-chan protested.
"You still don't recall do you? Fine, I shall tell you. A few years ago, you and a panda came into my father's restaurant. You ordered food and sat down to eat. I was a curious young boy, I had never seen a panda that acted so much like a human being before so I sneaked in for a closer look. You were as a girl then and I overheard you telling the panda how you were going back to find the Spring of Drowned Man so that you could cure yourself of your curse. I had heard of such springs when I was a young boy and I had not believed that they really existed. Just then a young Chinese girl with purple hair burst through the wall of our restaurant intent on killing you. The two of you fought, leaving our restaurant in ruins. I ran into the kitchen to avoid the flying objects when you ran in there. I was hiding under one of the tables when I saw you pour hot water on yourself from a kettle that my mother had put on for tea. I watched in awe as I saw you turn into a man. The Chinese gi!
rl apparently had no interest in you as a man and left, yelling for a Ranma S
aotome. You and the panda left without paying for the food or the extensive damage to our restaurant. The repairs costs caused a great hardship on our family and my father died a year later, an old man. I vowed from that day that I would find you and make you pay for what you did to my family. I never figured you'd have the audacity to show up here again."
"Oh...I remember that now. I didn't do that damage, Shampoo did, go after her if you want, you ain't getting nothing from me," Ranma said. Genma, in his human form say there quietly, not willing to add in the fact that he was indeed, the same panda.
"Fine the, insolent fool, I will take something of value from you then. If you want it back, you must find me and defeat me for it!" With that, the young ninja grabbed Akane and ran from the shop.
"Ranma!" Akane yelled. She and her kidnapper disappeared in the direction of a large mountain that sat at the edge of the town.
"Akane!" Ranma yelled after her.
"Well son, it looks as if we won't be heading on to find the cure to our curses just yet," Genma said.
"You shut up, old man, this is partially your fault too. Stupid tomboy, now I've got to go rescue her."
Ranma ran off in the direction of the ominous mountain ahead of him. He had better not hurt her. He thought. If he even lays a hand on her, I'll kill him. 

To be continued....

Please send me lotsa C&C since this is my first fic!