Well, here it is.  The beginning of that damn Ramna fic everyone has 
been bugging me about.  About one of the tags, [Dawn].  Not dark, but 
not too light, either.  Trying for a nice blend.  Also, does anyone else 
know what animals were held sacred by the Japanese?  I know Tiger, 
Dragon and Phoenix.  What others were there?

On with the show....

***************************************

	There are infinite worlds and realms, and on those worlds, an 
infinite amount of fighters.  Some fight for power, others for greed, 
yet others for money.  But there are still a lone few that fight for the 
challenge.  That fight for the honor.  That fight for love.

	This is the story of three fighters, chosen by destiny to 
participate in a battle that would determine the best fighters of all 
the worlds.  But they have more at stake then just their reputations.  
Much more.

	They have entered.... Mortal Combat.

********

        "Ranma!  Prepare to die!" Ryoga shouted as he flew at Ranma, his
umbrella leveled at his most hated rival's head.

        Ranma ducked with ease, and returned with two quick kidney
punches that had no effect on the Lost Boy.

        As Ranma was ducking, Kuno took the moment to attack.  "Ranma
Saotome, for your crimes against the beautious Akane Tendo, and the
vibrant Pig-Tailed One, I, Tatewaki Kuno, Blue Thunder of Furinkan High
School and Rising Star in the High School Kendo World, will punish you!"

        Kuno lost the perfect opportuninty to strike, as he was too busy
waving his Pointy Stick around, and posing.

        Ranma pivoted from his squatting posistion, and launched a
rising crescent kick, that he followed with a falling heel strike to 
Kuno's collarbone.  A clatter was heard as a bokken fell to the ground, 
the pressure point paralyzing Tatewaki's arm.

        <One down, one to go.> Ranma thought to himself.  He closed in
for a long battle with Ryoga.

        Just then, Ranma felt a presence.  A powerful presence.  It
could only be one of two people, and because Ranma was still male, he
figured it had to be...

        "Old Ghoul.  What do-*dodge*-you-*punchpunch*-want?" Ranma
asked, not missing a beat in his and Ryoga's beautiful dance.

        "It is time, Ranma Saotome, heir of the Saotome School of
Indiscriminate Grappling." Khu Lon intoned.

        Ranma stopped.  She didn't call him son-in-law.  That could only
mean one thing.  And he didn't like to think of that one thing.

        Ranma turned to Kuno, touched a spot on his arm, and handed him
back his bokken.  He looked the kendoist in the eye with a solemn glare,
and bowed formally to him.  "It has been an experience knowing you,
Tatewaki Kuno-sempai.  I would be honored if you would not forget me
should I fail."

        Surprisingly, Kuno returned the bow just as deeply.  "Truly, the
honor is mine, Saotome-kohai.  The world would be a sadder place, should
we lose you.  You must endeavor to come back."  With that, Kuno turned,
bowed to Khu Lon and Ryoga in turn, and left.

        Ranma turned to Ryoga.  "You know what this means." Ranma
stated.

        "Yeah.  A victory party when you get back.  They won't have
anything on you, Ranma.  I've been fighting with you for a year now, and
I know that you are better then Aiji ever was."  Ryoga took a few steps
toward Ranma, and looked him in the eyes, with a sad yet hopeful
expression.  Ryoga knew that this was going to be difficult, but he
didn't want to lose Ranma.

        Ranma felt the same way.

        The pair threw their arms around each other, and embraced like
brothers that knew it would be a long time until they saw each other
again.

        For that is what they were.  Brothers.

        Ranma broke the hug, and bowed deeply to his Brother.
"Ryoga Hibiki, I name you my Art Childe.  Should I fail, all that I
know... all that I am, shall be passed unto you.  As it is written..."
Ranma stated, speaking the ancient words to the ritual, to ensure that
what he knew would never be lost.

        "So shall it be." Ryoga intoned, accepting this honor.  With
that, the pair strode towards the Amazon Matriarch.  As he walked, Ranma
spoke to the night.

        "I have been chosen.  I have named Ryoga my Art Childe.  I name
Akane Tendo as my Soul Bearer.  For the sake of us all, I go."

        Ranma and Ryoga followed Khu Lon, and vanished.

*******

        Shampoo and Ukyo held each other as they sobbed.  Even though
they knew how good Ranma was, they were afraid.  There were penalties
for this, if he lost.  Being killed was the least of it.  What was
worse, all memory of his ever existing would be wiped out.  Only two
people would ever remember him, his Art Childe, and his Soul Bearer.

        They were neither.  If he lost, they would forget that they ever
knew him.

        They didn't want that.

        Ukyo and Shampoo looked at each other, and cried harder.

*******

        Mousse sat in quiet contemplation on the rooftop of the
Nekohanten.  He didn't understand why he was feeling this way.  He
should be happy that Ranma was going to fight this impossible fight.  He
should be happy that all knowledge that Ranma ever existed was going to
be stricken from the minds of everyone on the planet.  He should be
happy that Shampoo would forget all about that wretch, and be his.

        He should be ecstatic that Ranma would soon be out of his way
completly, but he wasn't.

        Mousse couldn't put a finger on it, but something inside him
made him say "Hurry back, Saotome.  You definitly are... an interesting 
time."

*******

        Deep in the forests of China, a minotaur raised his head, and
gave honor to one that he would never honor otherwise.  But Taro knew
the legends, and any chosen should be honored for their bravery.

*******

        Elsewhere in China, Herb sat on his throne lost in thought when
the sending hit him.  He, Lime, and Mint all looked at each other, then
murmured their best wishes to Ranma.  Herb, Soul Bearer of Spice,
muttered "You're going to need it, Saotome."

*******

        The Tendo Dojo was hit hardest by the sending.  Four Martial
Artists sat, staring at each other, lost deep in thought.  Akane was the
only one that could speak.  "Ranma.  Come back to us.  Please."

        Soun, Genma, and Happosai could only nod as Akane broke into
tears.  Her words summed it up for them, as well.

*******

        Ranma, Ryoga, and Khu Lon entered a black stone hallway, lit by
torches in wall sconces.  As they walked, Ranma looked at the walls.

        Written in various languages, was the same passage, over and
over again.  As it was written wherever Martial Arts was taught.  It was
the first thing taught to a student, when they passed the threshold from
martial arts, to the pure Martial Arts.  It was a simple phrase that
meant more then anything else that they were ever taught.

                One Shall Fight
                For All To Live

        And now, it was Ranma's turn.

**************

        Ranma looked around, trying to catch a last glimpse of the door
he had just stepped through.  He couldn't see anything.  Just a blinding
whitness that didn't seem to eminate from anywhere.  No sounds beyond
his own.  No scents, and no tactile sensation.  Just a blinding white
light.

        A moment later, a figure emerged.  As the figure walked towards
Ranma, it became more distinct.  It was a man, wearing a white dogi,
his shoulder length black hair not moving, his eyes glinting like metal.
 He walked toward Ranma, stopping ten feet away.  He stood there for a
moment, then shifted his left leg back a bit, and brought his fists up
in a defensive posture.  "Ranma Saotome, of the Saotome School of
Indiscriminate Grappling, I challenge you to The Duel!" the figure
shouted.

        Ranma stared at his opponent's face, gazing into his steel eyes,
and started to smirk.  "Great.  I thought you would never stop posing.
I thought for a moment I was in Fist of the Northstar." he quipped as he
slid into an easy stance, all his weight on the balls of his feet to
allow for quick movement.

        Although Ranma maintained the arrogant smile, he was quaking on
the inside.  This was the person that gave Martial Arts to the people of
Earth in the first place.  No one knew why, and he wasn't talking.

	The two stared at each other for an eternal second, then the man 
shot into a fury of motion.  Twelve punches flew at Ranma's head in the 
blink of an eye.

	And in the same blink, Ranma fell to the ground on his back, and 
launched himself into a forward rising kick, intended to hit the 
Master's stomache.

	The Master took the blow and braced himself against Ranma's 
shin, vaulting over the boy.  Ten feet away, the Master righted himself.

	Five more times did Ranma and the Master pass each other.  Five 
times did each's defenses prove impenetrable.

	The Master looked at the boy, and cupped his hands together at 
his side.  A yellow glow started to eminate from them, as the master 
gathered his ki into a ball.  The master's eyes never left Ranma, nor 
did he speak or sweat.

	Ranma glared back and began to gather his ki.  A red aura flared 
around him as he closed his eyes.  With a sepulchral voice, Ranma began 
to speak.  "A mountain gains in strength as it crumbles.  The inevitable 
downward progression builds power, and destroies all in its path."  
Ranma's eyes flew open, and he locked his gaze on the man before him.  
"Master, I present to you, Ranma Saotome Secret Technique.  AVALANCHE 
BLAST!"

	The red aura condensed into a ball in Ranma's hands.  Then more 
ki started flowing into the ball, and it grew larger.  Ki flowed from 
the very room they were standing in, and the ball grew still larger.  Ki 
flowed from the Master's own hands, and ball stopped growing.

	Ranma stood there, eyes glazed in concentration, holding a six 
foot radius sphere of ki.  Blood began to trickle from his lips as his 
teeth bit into, then through the tender flesh.  Sweat cascaded down the 
Martial Artist's brow as he poured every inch of his self into 
containing the energy until...

	The release was orgasmic as Ranma unleashed all the ki he had 
stored between his hands in one destructive blast of energy.  Every 
nerve in his body was on fire as the attack tore out of his grasp and 
pulsed towards his opponent.

	The man said nothing as he thrust his arms forward, releasing a 
ball of ki the size of a pool ball, streaking yellow light behind it as 
it made it's way to Ranma.

	The blasts collided in a spectacular explosion.  The master's, 
weakened by Ranma's ki drain, dissappated upon contact.  Ranma's blast 
was considerably weakened by the master's,but pushed on, and overtook 
the man, slamming him into a wall that was not there.

	Ranma stood there, gasping for air as he watched the man slowly 
slump to the wall.  A disc of light opened behind him, and Ranma took 
one more look at the man that lay crumpled there, before stepping 
through.

************

	"Ranma!  You made it back!", Ryoga shouted as he pulled Ranma 
into a tight hug that Ranma returned.

	"Man, I just want to go home....  Let's go..."  Ranma put his 
arm around Ryoga's shoulder to try and balance himself as they made 
their way back to the Tendo Dojo.

************

	Ranma knocked on the front door of the Tendo Dojo, glancing over 
his shoulder to make sure Ryoga was still at the gate.

	"Yes, may I help you?" a rather pleasent voice answered when the 
door opened.

	"Oh, I'm sorry.  I could have sworn this was the Tendo Dojo.  
I'm very sorry to have bothered you.  Please forgive me." Ranma said as 
he began to walk away.

	"But sir.  This is the Tendo Dojo.  Let me go get my husband, 
Soun."  The woman walked off, leaving a dumbfounded Ranma.  Ranma, not 
knowing what else to do, got Ryoga, and waited for Soun to show.

	"Minami said that you were looking for the Tendo Dojo.  I run 
the Dojo.  Is there anything I can do for you?" Soun said.

	Ranma was shocked.  Soun didn't remember him.  "Ummmm.....  Yes, 
Te.... I mean... sir.... My friend and I are wandering Martial Artists, 
and we ran out of money, and were wondering if you could let us stay at 
the Dojo for a while until we figure out where we are going to go next."

	"I don't see why not.  Let me bring you in to meet the rest of 
my family.  You will be expected to help out in return for the food and 
lodging.  Come in, please."  Soun opened the door a bit wider, and moved 
aside to let Ranma and Ryoga in.

************

	Back in the Room of Testing, Shiaaku, Master of Martial Arts, 
stood up and smiled.  "Ranma Saotome, the test has now begun."

End for now.......
-- 
JD Farber
email: sabreb@erols.com
ICQ: 3378089

Lover of Shonen Girls, and Shojo Men.

ESPECIALLY RYEN!!!!