Here is a story I began a while back, and have been working on it steadily
for some time.  It's mostly a rough draft.  I got the idea, as it says,
from Mike Noakes.  
>From Here to There
By:  Phillip Masters
Concept by: Mike Noakes
Part One 

	Never have I gone to a summer camp before.  It seemed odd, leaving behind
one's family to have fun.  Up until now I had not left my family for a
vacation.  My sister seemed strangely overjoyed by the news of my departure
from her life for the next two months.  I know she loves me though. 
Anyway, on June 10th, I entered the sleek white bullet train that would
whisk me away from my known life and bring me closer to nature.  Sort of
ironic in a way.  As I watched the tall buildings of downtown Kyoto recede
into the distance I never had a thought of the amazing things that would
happen over the following months...
-Opening log of the camp diary of Kyosuke Tachikawa.

	I exited the bus, staring at the camp before me.  Named Camp Moriyama,
being at the foot of Mt. Fuji, it was a vast getaway spanning nearly twenty
kilometers.  Only an arch made of wood announced the entrance.  The camp's
name was upon it, carved obviously by a machine.  Roughing it?  I think
not!  Inside the arch, I could allready see the cabins packed into the
clearing that marked the main grounds.  It seemed like at least a thousand
kids were milling about this area.  Lugging such things as duffel bags,
suitcases, and backpacks, they all seemed to be searching for something.  
 	I soon found out what they were all looking for.  A counselor came up to
the group of kids who were looking absolutely lost.  This group included
myself.
	"Hello!"  She called to us as if we were all six years old.  This woman
was the stereotypical picture of a female camp councilor.  As if waiting
for some sort of response, she stood there beaming at us.  
	"Where the hell are we supposed to go?!"  This came from behind me.  The
entire group focused on the one who had called out.  It was the largest guy
under eighteen I'd ever set eyes on!  To add to his ominous persona, he had
a leather jacket on proclaiming 'I kill for Rock n' Roll!' in English.  I
wondered if this was the extent of his English vocabulary, or if there was
actually a brain in all that muscle.
	The councilor seemed to take it in stride.  "I have your cabin assignments
right here!"  She seemed to say everything in a chipper soprano.  It was
annoying, much like my sister.  "I will call out your names!  When your
name is called, come up and I'll tell you your cabin number!  Then, take
your stuff to your cabin,  and you'll receive further instruction!"  With
that, she began to rattle off names. 
	One by one, the group seemed to dissipate.  Soon, there was only six
people including myself.  Even the clearing was starting to become vacant,
it seemed we were the last group to arrive.
	"Tachikawa Kyosuke!"  I approached the councilor at the sound of my name. 
She smiled at me and turned back to the sheet to scrutinize it.  "14."  She
told me, then turned back to the five remaining boys and yelled off the
next name on the list.
	14, huh?  Okay.  I turned about, noticing for the first time the clean
cool air that washed down from the mountains.  This was definitely nature! 
At the edge of the clearing I could see a densely packed forest, into which
light seemed to be engulfed.  I took in the markings on the cabins, noting
the ascension of numbers from right to left.  I soon located fourteen, my
home for the next two months.  I figured I'd better get settled in and meet
the folks I'd be staying with.
	I walked up to the new looking wooden structure.  Outside and in, it was
supposed to look like an authentic log cabin, however, the walls were quite
thoroughly insulated.  They were all two stories tall.  The top story
contained the living quarters, while the bottom had the bathing area and
mess hall.  All this information was outlined in the brochures.  
 	I entered through the open double doors at the base of the cabin.  In
front of me was the stair leading to the second story.  To my left was the
mess hall, open to view.  On my right was a double door leading to the
bathing area.  So far, so good, I decided as I began to climb the stairs. 
As I neared the top I began to hear the sounds of people frantically
shuffling about.  At the top of the stairs, I was assaulted by anarchy
incarnate.  The entire top floor was like an attic, totally open, with two
large support columns centered at both ends.  About thirty guys were
running here and there, claiming bunks, unpacking, and ejecting those who
tried to invade their small, but precious territory.  The bunks were double
stacked for space, the top ones were clearly in demand, and all were taken.
 They lined the walls, so I headed across the floor noting, with some
amusement, the cabin councilor who was trying to calm everyone down.  He
was failing miserably, to say the least.
	I noticed, with surprise, that a bunk near the back still had it's top
vacant.  I didn't question good fortune, and made a bee line for it. 
Maybe, had I been in a normal setting, my mind would have told me to think
of why this bunk was so mysteriously empty on top, however, I was not.  As
I neared the bunk, the reason became absolutely clear though.  Unpacking on
the bottom bunk was a large young man.  He stood about six feet tall, and
was built like a house.  He wore a simple red silk shirt, and dark pants of
the same design.  The only truly odd thing about him was the braided hair
which seemed to move under it's own power.  I almost got hypnotized staring
at it moving about so strangely.  Before I could however, the guy turned on
me.  It shocked me a little when he lit up suddenly.
	"Hello!"  He said, as if he was lonely.  Looking about, I realized this
may be true.  "Who are you?  My name's Saotome Ranma."  The introduction
was coupled with a polite bow.
	Not to be impolite, I returned the bow and intro.  "Pleased to meet you,
I'm Tachikawa Kyosuke."
	The young man smiled at me.  He turned to face the bunk once more.  He
called over his shoulder, "It seems no one wanted the top bunk here.  You
can have it if you want."
	I looked around a little more.  Everyone had more or less settled into
their bunks, and were just straightening things out.  The poor cabin
councilor seemed exhausted.  I looked back to Ranma.  "Sure."  And with
that, I became his bunkmate.
	I quickly finished my unpacking.  Ranma had finished some time before,
seemingly used to packing  and unpacking with hasty efficiency.  He noted
some of the stuff I unpacked.  His eyes opened a little wider when I
removed a certain book.
	"Anything goes?"  He whispered, so I could only hear.
	This startled me a bit, then I looked at what he was addressing.  It was
my book on the Anything Goes style of martial arts.  It was only practiced
by a few families on the Earth.  I wracked my memory, the Tendo's and
the....  Boy, did I gasp!  My eyes went wide with sudden recognition. 
"Your The Saotome!?"  I blurted out, unable to contain myself.
	Ranma, who had been a little lost looking, perked up.  "What do you know
about us?"  He asked with an accusing glare.
	"Well, my family records all the worlds fighting styles.  I never imagined
I would meet up with one of our greatest mysteries!"  I was a little too
excited, but I didn't care.  I had spent my entire life reading about this
man and his father!  To actually meet him, well, it was like facing a
legend!
	Ranma glanced around a bit, to see if anyone was paying too much
attention. It seemed no one was, because he faced me again and said
something that surprised me.  "I am trying to lay low here.  I want to get
away from my normal life for a while.  So, just keep it cool allright?"
	I nodded, then I thought about what this man would want to get away from
so urgently.  Curiosity got the better of me, as it usually does.  "What
are you getting away from?"
	The man before me actually paled as he seemed to think about my question. 
Many thoughts went through my head at that point.  Was it some sort of
rival?  A monster?  Aliens?  Giant Purple People Eater?
	"My fiancee's."  He suddenly blurted out.
	I hit the dirt.  However, I was soon back up in Ranma's face.  "You're
running from WHAT?!"
	He gave me a look that could melt rock.  Needless to say, I was somewhat
humbled.  He spoke down to my two inch form.  "It's a lot worse than it
sounds."
	I accepted that.  When I felt my usual 5' 10'' again, I dared to ask him
one more question.  "Um, could you maybe, um, give me a demonstration of
some of the style?  I mean, I've seen it drawn and all, but to actually see
a master at work!"  I beamed at him the best I could.
	Ranma seemed to measure me up for a moment, shrinking me back down again. 
This guy had an amazing ability to do that to a person!  "Yea, sure, why
not?"  
	I felt like flying, like climbing Mt. Fuji and yelling my appreciation to
the world.  In actuality, I ended up smiling bigger.  Oh well, I was never
a big action man.  "Thanks a lot!"
	He just smiled back.  I reflected a moment how wonderful it was to have
such a good, and strong, friend at camp allready!  Especially after
witnessing that leather-clad rebel wannabe earlier on.
	"Okay!  All you guys!  Come here for a moment, I'd like you to introduce
yourselves to one another!"  This, of course, came from the cabin
councilor.
	We grudgingly accepted our fates and grouped around him.  I had a fleeting
picture of the poor man being in the center of a riot.  Even he looked a
little pensive as he scanned the eighty eyes staring at him.  I had to give
him props as he took it in stride.  "Allright, full introductions could
take all evening, and you're not going to remember forty names.  So, just
group up, become friends, and do what comes natural.  Most of all, have
fun!  Lights out in two hours, so I suggest getting your showers or
whatever soon.  See you tomorrow morning!"
	We began to mill about, not quite sure what to do.  The councilor, taking
note of this, added, "Bright and early.  So, I suggest you get some rest."
	This motivated some of us into action.  I began to collect my shower
stuff.  Ranma was doing the same.  We made out way down to the shower area,
and got in line.  It seemed a pretty ready agreement that you only take
five minutes to wash.  With only ten stalls, there was a line, but a fast
one.  
	In the end, few people got hurt.  Two guys got into a fight over soap, and
one poor soul stubbed his toe.  We felt his pain.  Ranma and I showered
uneventfully, and headed back up to the bunks.  
	Putting away our toiletries and towels, we laid down on our mattresses.  I
pulled out my journal and switched on the little light on a stick I brought
with me.  I read the opener I had written on the way here.  I really hoped
I would have a good time, with amazing adventures.  With pen in hand, I
began to write:

Date:  June 10, 1998
	The first day of camp.  Fairly uneventful.  I suppose I'll find out if
that's a good thing or not.  Everything seems like your average camp
environment.  The people are, um, nice enough.  I've made friends with a
guy named Ranma Saotome.  The amazing part of that is he's a master of
Anything Goes Martial Arts!!  You heard me right.  He's even agreed to let
me see some actual moves, in motion!  I'm pretty excited about that.  The
camp itself is large, taking up a few kilometers of woods at the base of
Mt. Fuji.  This is stuff you can read in the brochure though, so I won't
bore you with it.  Well, time to sleep now.  I hope tomorrow brings
something interesting and exciting.  Hmm... I hope I'm not cursing myself
there.  Time shall tell.  Goodnight.   
END PART ONE
Send all comments my way, and thank you for reading.
PMasters