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Emeric Maury
mailto:emeric.maury@free.fr
UIN: 8213504
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-- File: ranma.the-art-of-war.txt
Author's Notes:
This is a bet like fic, where what is interesting is the initial
change, and it's repercussions on the long term. That is why I have chosen
to just write flashes of Ranma's life, for I do not believe that the idea at
the base of this fic is consistent enough to write a longer one.
All citations of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" come the translation of Gen.
S.B. Griffith, USMC, Oxford University Press 1963.
Comments be sent to:
canal.vorfeed@free.fr
UIN : 8213504
A Ranma 1/2 fanfic
The Art of War
***
The woman clad in flowing robes went steadily up the mountain. After
walking for a few moments, she finally came in view of a hole in the flank
of the mountain. She stopped for a few seconds and entered the dark cave.
Inside, she rapidly reached a small room that was dimly lit by a few burning
candles. The woman that stayed inside, sitting behind a loom, raised her
head toward the newcomer and smiled.
"Hello, Athena, you've come to visit me ?" she asked.
"Well met, Lachesis. Aren't your sisters there ?" the newly arrived woman
answered.
"Well, Cloto's gone out for a few hours, and you know how Atropos is."
Lachesis responded gently. "Can I do anything for you ?"
"Actually, yes. Surely you have heard about this Bet contest that went
between some of the other deities. I have studied it's various forms
carefully, and I am disappointed."
"Don't tell me you want to have an entry too ?" Lachesis incredously asked.
"Who would have thought about you ever wanting to take a try at modifying
destiny ?", she suddenly laughed, seeing her visitor staying silent.
Becoming more serious she continued, "Besides you know pretty well that Fate
has been entrusted into our arms."
"That is the reason why I had hopped your sisters would not be present.
They are way stricter than you are. And I think you will be interested in
what I have in mind." Athena replied.
"Hmm. Maybe. What do you propose ?"
"What motivated me to come to you, is that I realized that nearly all of
this Bet entries -that is small modifications- have resulted in modifying
Ranma's abilities, appearance or curse, that is, for those where Ranma is
the first concerned. In some he turns into a beast, a demon, and so on....
In others he has some godlike abilities, or could rival Eros as a girl
magnet. But the point is that in most of them the change has been mostly
external and forced on him. However, what I plan to do is force him to have
a sudden awareness of how things work and how events lead to others and
finally come back one day to haunt him. Do you understand ?" Athena proudly
explained.
"Uhhh... No." answered a completely lost Lachesis.
"Arrghh. What I mean is that I will insert a change that will make him
think before he acts, so that he will finally live the life that he has
always deserved."
"What ??? You want to make Ranma think before acting ? But that's breaking
the rules ! Besides how will you be able to guide him ? I mean even if you
are the Goddess of wisdom, you may modify but one thing." exclaimed the
Parquae sister.
"Hahaha... You'll see. So can I ?" asked the Goddess.
"All right, you made me curious, but don't have any high hopes about this."
replied Lachesis.
"This can't fail ! Watch and learn !"
***
-Shortly after Ranma's Neko-ken training. Ranma's ten years old-
Still bruised and covered in bandages, Ranma sulked. "What was this crappy
idea ? What was Pop thinking. Not only did the training fail, but now I
can't see one of these ca...c... felines without flipping out." He frowned.
"And for what ? Are all the things I go through really worth anything ? What
will they help me for ?". He sighed, "Anyway, it's not as if I have any
choice about it... ". He stayed silent for a few moments, before he finally
went asleep.
The day after, having mostly recovered from his recent injuries, he went
out for a walk. As he trailed down the road where the old woman who had
shaken him out of the Cat Fist lived, he had already forgotten about his
past dark mood. Turning around the corner, he saw a small boy, no more than
five or six, crying at the bottom of a tall tree.
"Hello..Why are you crying ?" Ranma finally asked the boy.
The little boy sniffed, and looked up at him, and said in a tear-filled
voice. "My dog climbed in the tree, and now he's stuck, and I can't get him
out... snifff...".
"uh... You said a dog ? Never knew no dogs who climbed trees ?" (duh. did
you expect a cat ?. Besides there are stranger things in the Ranmaverse.)
"He's a special dog. He's a tree-climber dog, but since he's still a pup,
he can't get down. Mister, can you get him ?" the boy tearfully asked Ranma,
with puppy eyes. (the boy not the dog)
Suddenly Ranma took off, and landed on a branch a good four meters up in
the tree. Moments later, the boy petted his dog, no longer crying, looking
at Ranma with amazed eyes. "How did you do that ?"
"That's easy, I'm a martial artist." confidently replied Ranma.
"Mister ?" asked the little boy.
"Yeah ?" answered Ranma.
"What's a martial artist ?"
"Uhh..... That's ...." began Ranma before he stopped, realizing that his
father instruction did not really cover this area of expertise. He became
more troubled as he thought back of all the things his father had said to
him ."Son, train harder, you're a disgrace as a martial artist. Martial arts
must be your life. Now get back in the pit and learn the cat fist!". "Shit,
I don"t even know what I am. What can I do?"
"Excuse me boy, you seem troubled, can I do anything to help you ?" asked a
middle aged woman who was near him.
"Do you know where I can find responses or information ?" he answered.
"The public library is down the street, you can't miss it.."
"Thank you, I gotta go !" said Ranma before he ran toward said library.
A little later, he contemplated the result of his research which had not
been very successful. All he now knew was that a martial artist is,
literally an artist of war. But he know that there had to be more to war
than just fighting techniques. So he searched some more, and finally came
upon a book that, just from the title -The Art of War-, corresponded exactly
to what he needed. He checked the date, and exclaimed "Whoa... 2500 years
old... that must be it ! I gotta have it". He looked around him, and seeing
that nobody was looking at him, he applied the Saotome School of Anything
Goes Knowledge Acquisition Technique, he stole the ancient scroll... uhhh
book.
***
In a strange cave, far far away... a laughing Lachesis asked Athena.
"That's it, he stole a book ?"
"Of course, as the Goddess of War and Wisdom I believe that he had to have
it. But the point is that he knows that the book can teach him much. To this
day, he has read it so many times that he knows it by heart, and even thinks
by the book. This book has modeled him in what he is today. It has brought
out his full potential. He has realized his full karmic destiny, the one he
was born to, not the crazy lives the other Betists lead him trough.
Bouahahaa I'm the best...." said an excited Athena.
Lachesis sweat dropped,
"Uh.. Okay, so what happened ?"
"Let's have a look, shall we?" replied the Greek Goddess.
"It would be too long to watch all of his new life, so I will just watch a
few scenes, after all Ranma's not the only one I have to weave about."
*** Ranma's 11 year old.
Genma was troubled but happy. Some when in the last year, Ranma had finally
realized what his true destiny was, and had immersed himself into training
with a new ardor. The problem was he did not know why, but then, it did not
really matter. A few meters away, Ranma was going trough a knew kata,
flowing from one form to another.
*** Ranma's 16
The training ground was there. At last. Tiny bamboo poles were standing out
of each pool. An undefined atmosphere was present, which made the hairs on
Ranma's neck stand up. Well, the guy who screamed in Chinese, waving his
arms not far away did not help either. He broke of his thoughts when he saw
his father jump on the top on a nearby pole.
"-War is a matter of vital importance, it is mandatory that it be
thoroughly studied-" he though before grinning, "All right, time to get
training".
A few moments and splashes later, he scream could be heard :
"I TURN INTO A WHAT ??????"
*** At the Tendo Home, regular events.
"Nabiki, stop that, he uh... she is our guest !" said Akane to her sister.
Then she smiled at the newcomer. "Would you like to see the dojo ?". She
looked at Ranma who smiled hesitantly and nodded. Moments later, they were
facing in to dojo.
"So you practice kenpo ?" Akane asked eagerly. Seeing Ranma's careful nod,
she said "So how about a bout ? Come on, it will be fun, I promise I won't
hurt you." She then took an aggressive fighting stance. She frowned seeing
her opponent didn't prepare and stood relaxed, hands behind her back, almost
sleepily.
-All warfare is based on deception. Therefore when capable feign
incapacity, when active, inactivity.-
The results were pretty predictable, as Akane said
"You know, I'm glad you're not a boy, I would really hate to lose to a boy."
***
"Ahhh..... There's a pervert in the bathroom, I'm gonna kill him !"
***
"I'm Ranma Saotome, sorry about this."
BOOM, CRASH, table broken.
***
Away, a giggling Lachesis laughed at a frowning Athena.
"What a change you have made !"
"Shut up ! My change is profound, those are just details."
*** Ryoga's and Ranma's duel.
-Generally, he who occupied the files of battle first and awaits his enemy
is at ease; he who comes later to the scene and rushes into the fight is
weary.-
Ranma patiently waited for his opponent to come, thinking "I hope he won't
wait four days this time, he is already two hours late." But he was
confident, he knew he would win, after all, not only was he better, but he
was in the most favorable state of mind.
*** A little later.
-To a surrounded enemy, you must leave a way of escape.-
In bed, Ranma revised the afternoon events. plunging into that fountain to
change and give an occasion to Ryoga not to lose face had been a good idea.
After all, he did not need anyone going after his head. It was not his fault
Akane had taken the pig as a pet.
*** An undefined time during the series
-Anger his general and confuse him.
If quick tempered you can make a fool of him.
If he has too delicate a sense of honor you can calumniate him.-
Ranma smirked, evading the combined strikes of both Kuno and Ryoga. He
laughed "You'll have to de better if you want to hit me, P-Chan, and you,
Kuno, the only time you'll see the pig-tailed girl is when she kicks your
ass, two-timing pervert"
"Don't call me P-Chan !! Prepare to die !"
"I shall defeat thee and save the beauteous pig-tailed girl and the fair
Akane from your evil crutches, honorless sorcerer" yelled Kuno.
*** Ukyo's arrival
-To capture the enemy army is better than to destroy it.-
"Why would a guy not want a cute girl like you ?" Ranma asked her, thinking
"He he, another victory without even fighting, and an enemy turned into a
new ally."
*** Ryoga's Bakusai Tenketsu training, and the following fight.
-When he concentrates, prepare against him, where he is strong, avoid him.-
Cologne frowned, this fight sure was peculiar. So far, Ranma has only
avoided -pretty easily- Ryoga's strikes, and struck only occasionally. It
would not be long before he realized the true purposed of the training she
had submitted Ryoga to, and then....
Genma-panda suddenly raised sign #321 "He's gonna do it !"
"Saotome Anything Goes School of Martial Arts Secret Technique !" yelled
Ranma, before executing a perfect one.
Every non-Saotome just stared.
Running away, Ranma reflected intensively.
-Anciently the skillful warriors first made themselves invincible and
awaited the enemy's moment of vulnerability. Invincibility lies in the
defense; the possibility of victory in the attack.-
He had the defense right, but not the attack. Yet. Then he smirked and
began jumping from trees to trees.
Moments later,
"Kacchu Tenshin Amaguriken !!"
Ryoga fell down. Hard.
*** After learning the Hiryu Shoten Ha, in school when everyone converges on
a strength lacking Ranma.
-Attack where he is unprepared.-
"Hiryu Shoten Ha" screamed Ranma before everyone, Ryoga, Kuno, Mousse, the
Principal, were tossed into the air.
*** Saotome Nodoka's appearance.
"What's this about seppuku ?" asked an angry Ranma to his father who
sighted dramatically, "Well you see, it's like this...", "so you have to
hide. " concluded the elder Saotome.
-When near make it appear that you are far away.-
"Ranma's gone on a training trip with his father, Auntie Nodoka" happily
said a wet Ranma-chan.
"I see, Ranko-chan." sadly responded Nodoka.
*** Various fights during the series
-Offer the enemy a bait to lure him, feign disorder and strike him.-
-Probe him and learn where his strength is abundant and where deficient.-
As usual, Ranma gets beaten first, analyses the technique, comes back and
wins.
*** Why the crazy challenges ?
Martial arts tea ceremony, cheerleading, French eating, ice skating, et
cetera...
-And as water has no constant form, there are in war no constant conditions.
Thus, one able to gain the victory by modifying his tactics in accordance
with the enemy situation may be said to be divine.-
Ranma was never bored or upset with those challenges, in fact he looked
forward to them.
*** And finally... vol. 38 : Saffron
Ranma breathed heavily and looked intensely at the winged figure above.
"All right the kid's gloves are off." he said before he launched himself at
his nemesis.
-In death ground, fight.-
***
***
"That's impossible, you cheated, you fake !!" yelled Athena at a laughing
Lachesis. "There's no way that with my guidance he could turn out exactly
the same way as the basic time line. There must have been a mistake made !"
she screamed.
"Actually, yes." admitted a smirking Lachesis.
"Ha. See I was right."
"It was you who made it in the beginning. You see, whatever you change,
what my sisters and I weave is Fate, and Fate is a tangled skein, and even
if you cut one thread, the web is not destroyed, after all, that's what
we're here for." seriously answered the weaver.
"Hmmpfff. You'll hear from me again." spat the angry Goddess before
storming off.
Lachesis silently watched her depart, before continuing:
"You forgot, my dear Athena, that you cannot cheat Fate."
***
***