[Ranma][FanFic] China Girl, Book One, Chapter 7: Heart Beating
Ana Maria Wagner
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by Saotome Ranchan
Saotome...@allaboutranma.com
http://www.allaboutranma.com/fanfics/China_Girl/
[ Chinese ]
< thoughts >
* italics *
Author's notes, acknowledgements, and disclaimers to
follow. Who wants to read that first when there's a story
waiting?
What's happened previously:
A dangerously depressed and newly cursed Ranma is
brought to the Joketsukozu village, Nyuuchiezu Genjudi,
where he is given into the care of Pao Da, an Amazon elder
highly experienced in aiding Jusenkyo victims. Pao Da
begins helping Ranma accept his female side and, with
Chief Elder Ke Lon's approval and the assistance of village
weaver Ta Lekhu, starts training the teen martial artist in ki
techniques. Meanwhile, as Xian Pu's warrior party approaches
the village, Chief Elder Ke Lon learns that Saotome Genma
also has a few tricks up his sleeves.
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Book One: Learning to Accept
Chapter Seven: Hearts Beating
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"Wake up, child... child, wake up! Ranma?"
The persistent voice slowly penetrated the fog enshrouding
Ranma's exhausted brain. Cracking one eye open, Ranma
peered at who hovered over her and quickly yanked the
sheets over her head.
Pao Da chuckled. "I'm afraid not, child. I've set up a training
exercise, and --"
Ranma groaned loudly. "Geez, not *more* trainin'!! Ta Lekhu
practically ran me into the ground with that chestnut loom thing
of his."
The Amazon elder smiled slyly. "Ah, yes. I understand you
didn't care too much for his err, depictions of you."
Ranma bolted out of bed. "You can say that again! Man, and
here I was just startin' to think this was a kinda cute body."
She looked down at herself, then caught Pao Da's amused
expression and burst out laughing. "I can't believe I just said
that."
Her silver eyes twinkling, Pao Da gently guided the redhead
down the hall and out of the house. "Don't fret about it, child.
It just shows you're starting to accept your new... look." She
held up a hand to hush Ranma's protests. "Enough on that
subject now, however. I must get you ready for your
exercise."
Ranma sighed. "What am I gonna do now? Carry you and
Ta Lekhu in my arms while hoppin' blindfolded along that
wall?"
The Amazon grinned. "Not exactly, but you *will* be
blindfolded." She held up a large square of silk and waved it
at Ranma, who blinked and turned red.
"Hey! You ain't blindfoldin' me with that!"
Pao Da innocently looked down at the silk. "Why, whatever
is the matter, child?"
Ranma snatched the square out of Pao Da's hand and
snapped it taut. "Whaddya think's the matter?"
Pao Da glanced at the silk, then at Ranma. "But child, it's a
most remarkable likeness," she noted with suppressed
mirth.
Ranma glared at the cloth, which scowled right back. Ta
Lekhu had masterfully portrayed Ranma with a grim mouth,
blazing blue eyes beneath tightly knit eyebrows, and an
angry flush -- a humorous caricature of the calm Ranma, but
an almost perfect match for the annoyed Ranma that held the
silk.
"Hmf," was all she could think of to say.
Pao Da plucked the fabric out of the teen's hand and quickly
folded it into a thin strip, then tied it around Ranma's eyes.
"Look at it this way, child: You won't be able to see the
picture with it folded like this."
"I won't be able to see *anything* with it folded like this,"
Ranma grumbled, tapping the cloth over her eyes.
Pao Da grinned. "That's the idea, child. I don't want you to
use your eyes... I want you to use your ki. Project your ki
outward and let it guide you."
"Guide me where?"
"To the village wall, of course."
Ranma turned her head towards the Amazon's voice. "You
ain't makin' me run on that wall blindfolded, are ya?"
"No, no. I have something much more entertaining planned,"
Pao Da assured her.
<Why don't I like the way that sounds??> Ranma griped to
herself as the two slowly started forward.
*****
[Are we there yet?]
Xian Pu abruptly shot her hand into the air, bringing the troop
of Amazons to a stop. Nonchalantly, she strolled down the
line of warriors, halting beside the one who complained. [Is
something wrong, Mu Tsu?] she asked sweetly.
Mu Tsu blinked, peering at the lavendar-haired beauty
through mud-speckled glasses. [Ah... eh... no, my darling
Xian --]
CLONK!
[I am NOT your darling Xian Pu,] the young Amazon barked
through clenched teeth as she lowered her bonbori. [You
were my childhood friend, and *that* is the only reason your
head is still attached to your neck. Do you understand?]
Mu Tsu hung his head dejectedly. [Yes, Xian Pu.]
Xian Pu flashed him a brilliant smile icy enough to freeze
blood. [Your years at Jaoyong have made you forget your
homeland, Mu Tsu. Look ahead and you will see the
grasslands that lead to Nyuuchiezu Genjudi. We have
perhaps an hour left to travel. Now, can you handle that or
shall I find someone to carry you?]
[I can manage,] the Amazon youth quietly replied.
[Good.] Spinning on her heels, Xian Pu returned to the head
of the column, pointedly ignoring the looks of pity aimed at
the young master of hidden weapons. [Does anybody else
have anything to say?] she demanded, not bothering to look
back at the warriors.
When silence ensued, Xian Pu nodded once and resumed
the march, albeit at a slightly faster pace to spite the weakling
male among them. Fortunately for her, the entire entourage
separated her from Ka Mei, who guarded the rear and
whose venomous look could have quite possibly curdled
Xian Pu's blood.
*****
"In all my years, I don't believe I have ever met anyone with
such a capacity for food, Saotome Genma."
Genma paused briefly in mid-munch to glance at the
amused Amazon seated across from him, then swallowed
and helped himself to another pork bun. "The life of an
itinerant martial artist is fraught with peril... and devoid of
food," he explained. "When the opportunity to eat presents
itself, I don't let it pass by."
"Obviously," Ke Lon cackled as the heavyset man popped
the entire bun into his mouth. "Is this 'rule' one you teach your
son?"
The elder Saotome nodded. "Absolutely," he said around a
mouthful of food. "Ranma knows that luxuries like food,
clothes, and shelter aren't always part of our daily lives. All
that matters is the Art, and the Saotome School."
Ke Lon frowned. "You haven't neglected the child's needs,
have you?"
"Of course not!" Genma replied indignantly. "Wherever
we've gone, I always made sure we found a dojo to train in,
a new technique to learn."
"I see," the Chief Elder commented, mentally rolling her
eyes. "Humor an old woman for a moment, please, but why
exactly do you train Ranma this way?"
"Hmm?" Genma grabbed a handful of dumplings and
popped one into his mouth. "Well, he's heir to the Saotome
School. He needs to be strong and tough in order to carry on
the family ryuu."
Ke Lon nodded. "And your family ryuu, this Saotome
School...?"
Genma's chest puffed up with pride. "It is a style of martial
arts unique to my family, specializing in mid-air combat and
incorporating elements from many other disciplines. Ranma
and I are the only ones who practice it."
The wizened Amazon absently sipped from her teacup.
"And did you develop the ki technique which you used to
sneak into the Council Hall?"
The elder Saotome flushed. "Well, err... I didn't mean to
sneak in here. I was just looking for the boy."
Ke Lon made a dismissive gesture with her hand. "Yes, but
did you develop that technique, or did someone teach it to
you?"
"I developed it myself. It is part of a group of techniques
involving stealth and ki usage to surprise an attacker. I call it
the Umi-Senken."
The Chief Elder nodded. "Such a powerful technique... the
manipulation of ki to so completely cloak you shows a level
of mastery that many would envy. And you learned this all
by yourself?"
"Well, no. My friend Tendo and I learned about ki
manipulation and aura projection from our old master,"
Genma explained. "I wasn't that good at projecting demon
heads and huge versions of myself, so I applied what I
learned in another direction." He popped another dumpling
into his mouth and chewed slowly. "I did pretty well, if I do
say so myself."
Ke Lon, however, had stopped listening to his ramblings,
focusing instead on one part of his story. "Your master... he
was capable of projecting a large version of himself in order
to terrorize opponents?"
"Mmm-hmm."
Narrowing her eyes, Ke Lon stared at the Japanese man
across from her. "Would your master's name have been...
Happosai?"
Genma nodded, swallowing his mouthful. "Yes... have you
heard of him?"
Her eyes glinting like steel, Ke Lon nodded curtly. "Oh, yes,
Saotome Genma, I know of Master Happosai. I know him
well indeed."
*****
"Okay, so what do I do now?"
Ranma stood atop the sentryway on the village wall,
perfectly balanced and awaiting further instructions. She'd
made it all the way through Genjudi without stumbling or
accidentally walking into something, and she was now relying
solely on her ki to "see" for her.
"Now you wait," Pao Da instructed her. "Over the next hour
or so, Sei Lin's class will be approaching you, one by one.
Their goal is to grab your blindfold. *Your* goal is to use
your ki to recognize each girl's signatures and identify them
before they can reach you. Once you call a name out
correctly, that girl is eliminated from the exercise."
Ranma grinned and cracked her knuckles. "So... it's kinda like
a reverse hide n' seek, huh?"
"Yes. This should be no different from our exercise the other
day, except that this time they'll be coming to you.
Remember, there are 20 girls, plus Sei Lin."
The petite redhead nodded and assumed a casual ready
stance. "Bring 'em on!"
But Pao Da had already disappeared, leaving Ranma alone
on the wall.
*****
Xian Pu raged silently to herself as she stomped her way
through the field outside her village. <Why on earth Great
Grandmother allowed such a clumsy fool to train at Jaoyong
is beyond me. He's more likely to kill himself with those
hidden weapons than stop an enemy. He can't even walk
straight, much less fight!> She shot an angry glance back at
Mu Tsu, who now walked blindly between two warriors, his
glasses the victim of a graceless tumble into the grass. The
youth squinted desperately around him, trying to get his
bearings. <Pathetic male,> she grumped, returning her
attention to the village wall that was visible just ahead.
[Xian Pu... look at the wall!] the warrior marching behind her
suddenly exclaimed.
<Eh?> The purple-haired Amazon halted the group and
carefully scanned the stone structure surrounding Genjudi,
seeking out signs of trouble. Her eyes widened as she
caught sight of a group of Amazon girls attempting to attack a
solitary figure atop the wall, yet somehow being repelled
before they could even reach their opponent.
[Warriors! It looks like someone's trying to breech our
defenses. Forward, double time!] Xian Pu cried, dropping
her hand and urging her Amazons onward.
*****
"Fa Selin!"
"Su Kopu!"
"Li Suterin!"
The group of dejected girls sitting on top of the village wall
steadily grew larger as one by one, Ranma recognized their
ki signatures and identified them before they could touch her.
Several girls watched with interest, silently cheering on their
classmates and hoping that one of them could fool the
Japanese girl.
Those hopes were quickly dashed.
"Esu Laksu!"
"Tuwi Zeru!"
"Sei Lin!"
A low moan rippled through the crowd as the combat
instructor joined the ranks of the defeated. Sei Lin shrugged
and smiled half-heartedly at her students, sharing their
disappointment but knowing full well that the little redhead
wouldn't have much trouble recognizing the rest of them.
"Fa Porabu!"
"Ni Osuporin!"
"Ta Lekhu...?"
Suddenly, Ranma stood blinking as her eyes adjusted to the
evening light. Beside her, Pao Da held the blindfold, lazily
swinging it from her extended fingers.
Sei Lin goggled while around her, the girls began to murmur
in wonder. <Saotome Ranma mistook the elder for the
weaver...?>
Ranma, meanwhile, stared in disbelief at the blue-haired
Amazon. "But... how.. I mean..."
Pao Da smiled and, flipping the blindfold into her palm,
crumpled it up into a ball. "You did an excellent job, child.
You should be proud of yourself. Isn't that right, Sei Lin?"
The burly instructor nodded her head vigorously. "Yes. You
do good job, Saotome Ranma," Sei Lin concurred, casting a
questioning glance at the village elder.
Pao Da, however, ignored the look and turned to address
the Amazon girls. [I want to thank you for assisting in this
exercise. You all did an excellent job as well, and I
appreciate your help. I look forward to welcoming you to the
rank of Amazon warrior in a couple of days.]
As the students bowed and carefully climbed down from the
wall, Sei Lin sidled up to Pao Da. [Respected Elder, I don't
mean to pry, but she mistook you for the male, Ta Lekhu... ]
Pao Da held up her hand. [It's of no concern, Sei Lin. Don't
trouble yourself. After all, Ta Lekhu and I *are* related.]
Sei Lin searched Pao Da's eyes for a moment, then slowly
nodded and bowed. [As you wish, Elder.] Turning toward a
still stupefied Ranma, the combat instructor bowed her head
in respect, then headed off into the night.
Ranma watched Sei Lin leave, then turned to face the silver-
eyed Amazon. "Somethin' ain't right here," she began. "I've
been workin' with Ta Lekhu on ki control and blasts and stuff a
heck of a lot lately, and I know I'd recognize his signature
anywhere. So... what gives?" She folded her arms and
gave Pao Da a demanding look.
Pao Da smiled and put her hand on Ranma's shoulder.
"Child, I do believe Ta Lekhu once told you that he and I are
related. Wouldn't it make sense that if we share the same
blood, we'd share a similar ki signature?"
Quirking an eyebrow, Ranma mulled this possibility over. <I
dunno. I guess it's possible, but Pao Da's ki was *exactly*
like Ta Lekhu's, and there ain't no way those two are identical
twins. Hmm.>
"Anyway, child, there are more important things to consider,"
the Amazon elder continued.
"Like what?"
Grinning mischievously, Pao Da opened her hand and
unfurled the crumpled square of silk. "Like what you are going
to do about this oh-so-flattering picture of you."
With a roar, Ranma lashed out at the fabric, hands flying in a
perfect Amaguriken.
*****
Xian Pu lifted her jaw off the ground and stared in disbelief at
the two females left on top of the village wall. Pao Da was
unmistakable in her billowing silver robes and her flowing
cornflower-blue hair. But the little redhead... who the heck
was she? *What* the heck was she? She'd single-
handedly repelled attacks from the next class of warriors, and
she was now shredding cloth with speed characteristic only
of the chestnut fist attack, a secret Amazon technique. Yet
she was no Amazon... Xian Pu had never laid eyes on her
before.
As she watched, the redhead finished the technique with an
exultant punch in the air. Xian Pu noted that instead of
punishing the girl for her illegal knowledge, Pao Da seemed
inordinately pleased by the demonstration of skill. Xian Pu's
eyes widened when the elder jumped off the wall, but they
practically popped out of her head when the stranger
followed suit, throwing a forward flip into her leap for good
measure.
Feeling a meaty hand on her shoulder, Xian Pu spun around
and found herself face to face with a smirking Ka Mei.
[Well, well, well, wasn't *that* most interesting?] the
masculine Amazon drawled.
Xian Pu scowled. [What are you trying to say, Ka Mei?]
Ka Mei gave the pretty warrior a feral grin. [Oh, nothing. Just
that it looks like Elder Pao Da went and found herself a
protege, an extremely talented protege. Why, one might
even say that she's even more skilled than Chief Elder Ke
Lon's protege.] Snickering maliciously, Ka Mei retreated
through the ranks of Amazons to her place at the rear of the
column.
Her eyes blazing, Xian Pu glared at the spot the two women
had recently occupied. <I don't know who you are, pigtailed
girl, but I'm not going to let you outshine me in my own
village.> She clenched her fists tightly at her sides until her
knuckles shone white. <I'll never let anyone do that.>
Several feet away, Mu Tsu gazed blankly at the fuzzy
purple and cream figure in front of him and sadly wondered
what he'd done to get Xian Pu so riled this time.
(to be continued)
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Author's Notes:
My sincere apologies to those who have been patiently
waiting for this next chapter of China Girl. Between moving,
unpacking, trying to sell my house, working three jobs, the
holidays, and dealing with my divorce, things just got a wee
bit crazy. I'm hoping that I'll get these chapters out with more
frequency over the next few months. Thanks for sticking with
me!
Disclaimers:
Ranma 1/2 is a creation of Takahashi Rumiko. All rights
belong to Takahashi-san, Shogakukan, Kitty, Viz, and
countless other entities with the power to sue me for
borrowing them for a little while. Please don't -- I'm a
starving, penniless otaku!
All original characters belong to me... if you'd like them to visit
your fanfics, just ask! Their travel rucksacks are always packed
and ready to go.
01/31/02
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