Disclaimer: I have no possession of any of the characters in this fic,
which all belong to Rumiko Takahashi. So, blame her, not me. And don't
take that last comment seriously. At all.
Dreams of the Past
By Leif Johnson
Chapter 1
With deft movements born from years of training, Akane finished up her
last kata and stood perfectly still. She lifted her head and smiled to
herself. Picking up a towel and wiping the sweat off her face, she
headed for the bath.
*Beautiful day,* she thought absent-mindedly. Opening the door to the
furo, she greeted Nabiki with a small wave. Nabiki nodded in return,
shifting in the hot water. Akane finished cleaning herself and
gratefully slipped into the water with a small sigh. Looking across at
Nabiki, who had her eyes closed, she said cheerily, "Nice day, isn't
it?"
Nabiki half-opened her eyes, and replied unconvincingly, "I guess so."
Akane frowned slightly, then asked, "What do you mean? The weather's
great!"
Nabiki sat up slightly, focusing on Akane. "Well....." she trailed off,
then slid back down into the water. "Nothing. Just a feeling...."
"A feeling of what?" Akane asked curiously, tilting her head to the
side.
"A premonition, you might say," Nabiki answered, looking off at nothing.
Turning her eyes back to Akane, she forced a smile. "It's nothing,
really."
Akane frowned once more, then slid back into the water, feeling slightly
troubled.
***
Akane walked down the stairs softly, disturbed by her sister's mood.
Another thing that confused her was that she was feeling so troubled by
such a small thing. So Nabiki had a bad feeling. So? What was the big
deal?
Shaking her head, Akane looked up to see Kasumi carry a package into the
living room and set it on a table. "Father!" she called. "A package
came! It's addressed to 'Tendo.'"
Akane peered at the box. It was about two feet long, one foot wide, and
one foot tall. Soun ambled in, scratching his chest. He absent-mindedly
asked, "Who's it from?"
Kasumi looked at it, then frowned. "It doesn't say."
"Who's it from?" Nabiki inquired, stepping into the room. Soun shrugged.
Nabiki looked at it, the barest hint of a frown appearing.
Pulling off the tape, Soun opened the box and pulled out another one. It
was a wooden chest, to be precise. It was perfectly normal-looking, and
it had a metal latch on the front.
Nabiki stared at in wonder, for the bad feeling she had had earlier was
now stronger.
"Well," Soun stated, reaching for the latch. "Let's see what's in it!"
He gripped it and pulled it back. Or tried to. Frowning, he pulled
harder. He tried again, the lifted the box up and examined it. "That's
funny..." he muttered.
***
A while later, they were all still in the living room, all staring at
the box in wonder. Various tools, such as knives, screwdrivers, chisels,
hacksaws, blowtorches, axes, sledgehammers, and jackhammers were strewn
about.
"I think," Soun eventually announced, "it's magical."
Akane and Nabiki muttered in agreement, and Kasumi looked about at the
damage they had done to the room while attempting to open the chest.
"But who," Soun wondered aloud, pacing, "would send us a magical chest?
With no instructions on how to open it, no less," he added. Nabiki
picked the box up and began looking at the latch carefully.
"Hey!" she exclaimed, "there's something written here!"
Soun rushed over. "What's it say?"
"It says," Nabiki said, squinting. "Made... in... Japan." Everyone
blinked. Nabiki looked around at everyone else's staring faces. "Hey,"
she said defensively, "that's what it says."
***
After much deliberation, they decided that they would keep it in one of
their rooms. After all, magical items should be protected. Nabiki
immediately volunteered, though she didn't know why. After the day was
over, and everyone was in their beds, Nabiki stared at the box sitting
on the bed stand. There was something about it, but she just wasn't
sure.... She eventually fell asleep, too tired to ponder about it
anymore.
The door creaked slightly, quietly announcing Akane's entrance. Glancing
at Nabiki's sleeping form, she tiptoed over to the desk and grabbed the
box. Turning to the door, she heard Nabiki say something and move
around. She froze in mid-step.
"Stupid.....zrph..... box......rrmm....."
Akane waited, heart pounding, then slowly, quietly, closed the door.
Once safe in her own room, she sat down on her bed, and set the box
beside her. A perplexed expression adorned her face, and she wondered
why she had actually stolen it in the first place. After all, they
hadn't been able to open it, right?
She reached for the latch hesitantly, then pulled her hand back. Her
heart was beating quickly, and a faint sheen of sweat was on her brow.
Attempting to calm herself, she reached for the latch again, and tugged.
To her immense surprise, it sprung open. She gasped and jumped backwards
slightly. Holding a shaking hand on her chest, she steadied her
breathing and reached out to the box again. She flipped the lid up, and
peered into the box. Reaching in, she pulled out a book.
She dropped the book on the bed and got up to turn on her light.
Returning to the bed, she saw that there were several books in the box.
Picking up the first one, she saw that it was an old book, with a
leather-bound cover. The book had a layer of dust on it, as did
everything else in the box.
Wiping some dust off the cover where some words were, Akane whispered
them aloud. "Ome Torongi, Samurai."
Her fingers were still shaking as she opened the book and started to
read the first page.
-I have finally achieved this journal with which to record my thoughts,
lest I forget them. My lord frequently, and scornfully, reminds me of my
less-than-adequate memory. I believe that this will aid me. All is well,
with the war having been long over. We were lucky, that our enemies
lost, despite having an amazing military genius for a leader. Karma.-
Akane looked up from the diary and noticed that the wind was blowing. A
storm seemed to be drawing near. She glanced back down to the book and
skipped forward a few pages.
-I had a bad feeling today. It was a feeling of danger. That
superstitious fool, Kumati, was always pointing out bad omens, and never
relaxing. He may be a fool, but I felt it too, and I am worried.-
Akane saw that were the next entry would be, there was a mess of ink.
Confused, she read the entry after it.
-I am afraid. I do not show it, but I'm very, very, frightened. I carry
my journal inside my sleeve, but today, I noticed it was missing. I was
sure I had put it in there. Later, I felt a light breeze, though I was
inside the castle, near no windows. I soon discovered that my journal
was back! Someone had written in it. I have destroyed the message. Oh,
I'm afraid.-
Akane set the book down, intrigued. She briefly acknowledged that it was
now raining, and she could hear thunder. She grabbed several more books
out of the box and dumped them on the bed. She quietly read the titles
out loud. "Sazu Runoga, Samurai. Guora Etimuno, Samurai. Eimi,
Courtesan." She blinked, then blushed slightly. "Abi," she continued,
"Cook. Himaru, Cook. Fuji, Maid."
She looked closely at the last one, then examined the covers of all the
others. The names were all written in the same handwriting.
*Interesting,* she thought.
She reached into the box and lifted out another, the title reading,
"Ikishi Sakami, Shogun."
Akane blinked. *Shogun?* She looked over at the titles of the other
journals. *And Samurai, too! How old are these?*
She opened the book up and read the first passage she saw.
-I swear it's a demon! No man could be that fast, that skillful, that
stealthy! Eeee, a demon! I'm being haunted by a demon! This is Karma at
it's worst!-
Akane suddenly dropped the book, surprised to find her heart beating
slightly. She shook her head and silently admonished herself. *Why am I
getting so caught up in these things? It's probably fake, after all.*
She snorted and started tossing the books back in the box, until she
remembered something. *But, it's a magical box, right? And, it only
opened for me! But why?*
She nervously picked up the Shogun's journal and opened it a few pages
before the one she had read.
-There has been a disturbance about the castle. Many guards have been
whispering about a demon. Utter foolishness. They have been disciplined.
I have spotted many servants and guards with terror etched on their
faces, no matter how hard they try to hide it. My counselors don't know
what is going on, but Yabi says nothing, and he too has the fear in his
eyes. It is confusing.-
-Everyone is jumpy! Nearly every guard has his hand constantly gripping
his hilt, the blade an inch out of the sheath. Their heads are
constantly swiveling, and they radiate paranoia. I must seek a way to
end this phenomenon now. I can find no help from my counselors, all my
threats fall upon deaf ears. Terror seems permanently etched into their
eyes. I've had enough of this! Soon, I shall face this thing and see for
myself what is so terrifying!-
-I was immensely surprised. I sat in my room, having ordered that no one
was to disturb me, and waited. Sure enough, it came. I gently closed my
eyes. Suddenly, I heard a laugh. Snapping my eyes open, I felt a kimono
get tossed in my face. I was amazed to find it was my own! I quickly
slipped it on again and looked around for the intruder. My eyes fell
upon a man. No demon, or monster, but a man. He was wearing what
appeared to be a Chinese robe, although his appearance was of that of
our own land. He had hair tied back in a ponytail, (without a queue) and
wore the two samurai swords at his waist. He laughed again and rudely
insulted my security. I was currently thinking the same thought. He then
turned his back and walked to the wall, and abruptly thrust his hands
through it, pulling two guards in by the neck. They were unconscious
before they hit the ground. He pulled out his short blade and threw it
at me, and it stuck into the floor at my feet. He then wordlessly leapt
out the window. I immediately rushed to it, knowing it was a good
distance to the grounds below, a distance no man could survive. He was
nowhere to be seen. I turned back to the sword, and pulled it out of the
floor. There was an inscription on the hilt. It read "Ranma Saotome."-
An especially loud clap of thunder caused Akane to drop the book, and
she leaned back, her hand on her chest. Waiting until she caught her
breath, she quickly stood up and paced around her room. Her head was
filled with questions.
*Ranma? Who's Ranma? Is this real? Why are there so many diaries? Why a
shogun? Why did it only open for me? Why do I care?* She stopped pacing
and looked over at the box. All the answers lied in the diaries. For
some reason, she was torn between immense curiosity and hesitation.
Curiosity won. She opened the Shogun's book again.
-During a conference with by counselors and generals, he appeared. It
started when General Takamiya absently reached for his hilt, and
realized it wasn't there. Every single sword had been taken from it's
sheath! The fear was plain on their faces. Then the demon dropped from
the ceiling following a hail of blades. Our own blades. He stood there
dressed in a different Chinese outfit. It was a black silk shirt. He
wore a pair of pants that appeared to be held up by a drawstring.
Arrogance was clear on his face. He saw Ributsa reach for his sword, and
immediately pulled it out of the floor and pointed the blade at him. He
began to taunt him. He said things such as "Go ahead! Take it!" and
began to prod him with the tip. Ributsa remained silent and stoic. That
is, until the demon swung the blade in a lightning-fast strike that
neatly severed his queue. Ributsa immediately snarled and leapt at the
demon. His kimono was removed and shredded by eight different swords
before any of us could react. Several men now had their own blades, and
readied themselves to strike. Just as Junkeza swung his blade in a
deadly arc, the demon unsheathed his own short sword. His counter-strike
split Jenkeza's blade cleanly in two, the blade glowing with an
unearthly light. This was no demon, it was a kami! An evil kami. He
laughed loudly and stuck the blade in the floor. He immediately leapt
out the window. I knew it was much too far for any human too survive,
but he was obviously no human. I was distracted as the short sword he
had left behind began to glow brighter, and cracks started forming in
the floor. We barely had time to react before the entire floor
shattered, spilling us into the lower room, and a few were injured. Now,
the entire castle is in disorder, as everyone is too afraid to move.-
***
Nabiki yawned as she woke, stretching and glancing over to her desk.
Noticing the chest was gone, but not registering it, she got up and went
to her window. *What a... crappy day.* Clouds obscured the sky and
puddles were everywhere. She shook her head and glanced back at her
desk. This time, it registered. Her eyes widened and she dashed out of
her room. She pushed the door to Akane's room open, intending to tell
her, then stopped.
Akane's light was on, and she lay on the bed with the chest in her lap.
It was still closed.
"Akane?" Nabiki inquired, shaking her awake. Akane yawned and sleepily
opened her eyes, then jumped, looking both surprised and guilty. Nabiki
frowned. "What are you doing with that? It's not like it opens or
anything, remember?"
"I..." Akane started, then abruptly stopped. "I don't know." Nabiki
looked at her oddly for a second, then shrugged and stepped out of the
room.
"Right, Akane, whatever."
Akane glanced down at the boxed, feeling very confused. She was positive
that she hadn't closed it last night. The strange entries she had read
last night rushed into her head, and she shook her head in a vain
attempt to drive them away. Sighing, she began to dress for her morning
jog.
***
When Akane returned, she found Soun, Nabiki, and Kasumi gathered around
in the living room. Soun looked exceptionally happy. "Akane!" he called.
"Come here! I have something important to tell you!"
When they were all gathered, Soun began, "I have received word that my
good friend Genma is coming with his son. Now, due to a promise we made
to each other, one of you will be his fiancee!"
"FIANCEE?!" the three girls cried.
"Father, you really expect us to marry some guy we don't even know?"
Nabiki stated coolly.
"Weeellll...." Soun mumbled nervously.
"You should tell us about him first," Nabiki finished.
"Oh! Well, he's... uh... actually, I don't know," Soun said, laughing
nervously. Nabiki frowned, and Akane stood up.
"How can w-" she started to say, but was interrupted by a loud knock at
the front door.
"Oh, that must be them!" Soun shouted suddenly, dashing for the door.
The three sisters listened as Soun enthusiastically greeted whoever was
there, and they heard another man's voice.
"It's great to see you again, Tendo! Come this way, boy."
They looked at each other questioningly, and glanced at the doorway as
Soun walked in with another man. He was rather large and dressed in a
white gi with a hankerchief tied over his head. They were followed by a
young man, and all of the girls eyes snapped to him.
He wore Chinese clothing that was as black as coal, and wore his hair in
a pigtail. He was almost standing straight, but looked slightly hunched
over, but his eyes were the most notable feature. They were twin pools
of emptiness, eyes that seemed to lack a soul. Nabiki felt a faint
shiver pass through her.
"This is my friend Genma Saotome, and his son Ranma," Soun announced,
not noticing his daughter's stares.
Akane snapped out of her stupor when she heard his name. *Ranma Saotome?
That's the name of... No, it's just a coincidence.*
The boy gazed at the girls, then focused on nothing. He said nothing.
Soun continued talking. "Well, Ranma, this is Akane, 16, Nabiki, 17, and
Kasumi, 19. Pick the one you want to marry!" He gestured merrily at the
girls and grinned. Ranma glanced at him, then turned his eyes down to
the floor.
After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Genma chuckled nervously and
said, "Oh, he's been like this for the last couple of weeks. He'll snap
out of it soon, I'm sure." Ranma seemed to not hear him.
The three girls didn't feel at all like speaking, as if a blanket had
been placed over their minds. Suddenly, they all blinked, the eerie
feeling gone. Kasumi was the first to speak up. "Father, I think he's a
little young for me. He should marry Akane or Nabiki."
Nabiki glanced at her with a raised eyebrow, then said, "He's too quiet.
Not my type."
"So it's settled!" Soun cried. "Akane shall marry him!"
"Hey!" Akane shouted. "I never said I wanted to..." She faltered as
Ranma raised his head, the empty eyes seemingly boring into her.
"Oh, don't worry Akane, I'm sure he's a nice boy!" Kasumi said
encouragingly.
"Yeah, you'll be great together," Nabiki added quickly.
"But...." Akane started, but couldn't seem to finish.
"Now the schools can be joined!" Soun and Genma cried happily, slapping
each other on the back. They quickly left to celebrate.
Nabiki and Kasumi hurried off, leaving Akane and Ranma in the room
alone, just standing there. Akane suddenly felt the full weight of what
had just happened hit her, and she glared at the boy as if he was a
burden that had been suddenly placed on her shoulders.
"I hope you're happy," she remarked, glowering. Ranma said nothing.
Akane frowned. "What's wrong with you? Just say something!"
He lowered his head and whispered so softly that Akane had to strain to
catch it. "Hello."
Akane blinked. She tried to think of something else to say, but came up
blank. After standing there for a minute or two, she finally ventured,
"So, do you do martial arts?" She was answered with a small nod. "Do you
want to spar?"
Ranma stood extremely still for a minute, then looked into Akane's eyes
and nodded.
***
"I'll go easy on you, okay?" Akane asked, tightening her belt. Ranma
hadn't bother to change, and stood perfectly still across from her,
still as silent as a rock.
"You ready?" Akane asked, shifting into a kempo stance. Ranma gave a
small nod. At this signal, Akane leapt forward in a flying kick. Ranma
stood still until the last second, then grabbed her foot and brutally
slammed her into the floor. She gasped as the wind was knocked out of
her, and was immediately assaulted by a barrage of punches on her torso,
each one hitting vulnerable spots. She cried out, then felt a thrill of
terror as Ranma straddled her, his knees pressing down her arms, and
swung both his arms downward, his fingers outstretched, aiming at her
temples. She screamed.
***
Genma dropped his sake cup, the contents spilling all over the tatami
mat. "Was that from the dojo?" he asked, his eyes wide.
"Why yes, I think it was. Why?" Soun asked, then blinked as Genma tore
out of the room at record speeds.
"Has something happened to... Akane?" Soun wondered out loud, then
rushed after Genma.
***
Genma glanced in horror at the sight before him before tackling Ranma
and trapped him in a powerful hold. He didn't struggle, but Genma took
no comfort from that. He glanced over at Akane, and was relieved to see
her still breathing.
Soun rushed in the room right them, and blinked at what he saw. "Akane!"
he cried, rushing to her side. She sat up slowly, wincing.
"I'm... I'm fine, dad," she said softly, glancing fearfully at Ranma. He
was looking at nothing, limp in his father's arms.
"I'm sorry, Tendo," Genma said, releasing him. "He hasn't been right
lately. In fact, he's been very dangerous. He seems to have forgotten
the meaning of holding back. When he fights, he fights to kill."
Akane shivered as she thought about how close to death she had been.
Soun burst into tears. "Oh, my poor baby! Almost killed by her own
fiance... GENMA!" he shouted, a huge manifestation of his head flaring
up. "How could you have bred such a monster?!"
"But he was perfectly normal until a couple weeks ago!" Genma cried,
waving his arms frantically.
"Oh, I see," Soun said, settling down. Genma blinked nervously. Akane
looked fearfully at Ranma, who still hadn't moved. "Well then," Soun
continued, "what's wrong with him?"
"I'm not sure, Tendo, but I think it has something to do with that
training ground we visited..."
***
"Welcome, honored customers, to Jusenkyo, the Accursed Training Grounds.
There is many spring here, each with own tragic tale." Genma and Ranma
both glanced questioningly at the guide.
"What's that mean?" Ranma inquired.
"Is tale of creature who drown in every spring long time ago. Is Spring
of Drowned Wombat, Spring of Drowned Hare, Spring of Drowned Tiger..."
"What's that one?" Ranma asked, pointing at an iron cage set up over one
spring.
"That very bad one," the guide answered. "Wish I could destroy it, but
no is possible. Make sure no one fall in that one."
"Well," Genma announced, jumping on top of a bamboo pole jutting from a
spring, "let's begin training!"
Ranma responded by leaping up onto a nearby pole. "Anytime, pop."
"Aiyah! What sirs doing? You must stop! Is dangerous!" the guide cried,
waving his arms frantically. He was ignored.
Genma started by leaping for his son, who dodged the kick by leaping to
another pole. They continued this, occasionally trading blows. The guide
shook his head and rubbed his temples, greatly disliking his job.
Genma finally got a hold of Ranma and flung him at the cage. He slammed
into it, knocking it off. Flipping over it and landing on the ground, he
leapt back on the pole, and swung the cage at Genma. It caught him in
the face, and he fall backwards into a spring. Ranma stood cockily on
the pole, waiting for him to surface. To his surprise, a giant white cat
leapt out and smacked him into the pool the cage had covered.
The cat wobbled atop the pole for a while, then lurched back in surprise
as Ranma rocket out of the spring, his hands aiming for his throat. As
the fight atop the poles continued, Genma suddenly realized that Ranma
was trying to KILL him. Deciding that he should end the fight quickly,
he yanked a bamboo pole out of a pool and cracked it across Ranma's
skull with all his force. Ranma flopped to the ground in front of the
guide's office. That was when he noticed that he was no longer human.
"Oh sir, you fall in Spring of Drowned Ghost Cat. Is very tragic legend
of ghost cat who fall in spring 1800 years ago. Now whoever fall in
spring take body of ghost cat."
Genma turned towards the guide and held up a sign reading, [Is there a
cure?]
"Hot water will return you to normal form," the guide answered, handing
him a kettle, "but cold water will change you to cursed form again."
"What about the boy?" Genma asked, now human, handing the kettle back to
the guide.
"Ohhh... He fall in worst spring here!" the guide answered, slapping his
hands to his cheeks. "It have no name, but it is very strange. No one
fall in if not intended. Does many unpredictable things. Is said that
soul of Jusenkyo reside in that spring. Water may do nothing."
Genma didn't really know what he was talking about, but poured hot water
over his son anyway. Ranma jumped up, and blinked. Genma shivered
briefly as he saw his son's eyes, then the feeling passed. Ranma gazed
at Genma, but didn't say anything. Genma glanced at the guide.
"Umm, I guess we should go..."
***
"He hasn't spoken a word since, and doesn't exercise or practice the art
at all. When he does fight, he only tries to kill his opponent. I'm
hoping that he'll snap out of this soon." Genma shifted his legs and
glanced over at Ranma. Soun sat back, rubbing his chin.
"Well," he said thoughtfully, "all we can do is wait, right? And not let
him get into any fights. That's not a problem!" Soun glanced over at
Akane. "Remember, no sparring."
Akane stared in disbelief at her father, then glanced over at Ranma, who
gazed back at her. She stood up and shakily left the room.
End ch. 1
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