Ranma 1/2: A Very Tragic Legend Ranma 1/2: A cure for the curse - Chapter 0 A Mid-Space production fanfic Posted at: www( dot )midspace( dot )com( slash )fanfic ______________________________________________________________________ Disclaimer: All significant characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. The Ranma 1/2 Manga and Anime are owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Communications in their various formats and media. Some characters are of my own creation, but I'd like to think they belong to Rumiko, since without her they never would have been born. All other characters are the property of their respective owners. The use of Ranma 1/2 and its characters in this story are not intended as an infringement on the intellectual property rights of Rumiko Takahashi or Viz Communications. I haven't seen any Shogokukan material, so naaaaae! . All rights remain with their respective owners. This story is intended to inform and entertain, and not to make money, however much I want it. Though I'd much prefer it if you enjoy this story, then email me and tell me. I'd love to hear from you. ______________________________________________________________________ History: 05-Aug-2002: Inspiration for the beginning of this story. 06-Aug-2002: Finish part one. Then revised and expanded what I had written, because it was very brief in it's context initially. 14-Aug-2002: Corrected spelling mistakes and such. Posted on my web page first time. 18-Aug-2002: Started on Chapter 2. 20-Aug-2002: Finished reading "Equal Halves" by Deborah Goldsmith. Its only similarity is the concept of two Ranma's. But the female version is from an alternative universe. 28-Aug-2002: After reading "Equal Halves", I had to read "Genma's Daughter" by Deborah Goldsmith. It's such a wonderful story, well written. I'm so impressed, that I want to re-write and expand my story. Thus the second revision of chapter 1 begins. 06-Sep-2002: I came across "Nullifier 122" Parts 1-4 by Webdragon. Okay, this one is almost exactly the same as mine. When I started my story, I knew there had to be other fanfics out there with the same premise, you know, split Ranma into two, one female and one male. But this story is so close its freaky. Other than it being unfinished, I found the story disconcerting. Webdragon has written the story, in the sense that the girl-Ranma is forced in becoming a girl, just *because* she happens to be in a female body. This isn't right, and it's not where I want to take my story. The male ego/personality/mindset is trapped in a female body. It should literally be screaming to get out of the body; instead it just degrades into forced femininity. Ugh. 08-Sep-2002: Solved the lack of plot for my story, so it's back on track. Funny thing is, it was there all the time. I just didn't see it. 21-Sep-2002: Finished reading "Careful Destiny" Parts 1-5 by Todd Hill. Another story with a Ranma and Ranko. But this time they are *born* as brother and sister. Okay there is another twist in the story that is the focus, but that is the basics. 21-Sep-2002: Finished second revision of Chapter 1 26-Sep-2002: Posted at fanfic.net for reviews 27-Sep-2002: Fixed a few inconsistencies in Chapter 1, with my version of mixing Curses. 03-Oct-2002: Thanks to Zorknot42 for pointing out an error in my Japanese I'd missed. 08-Oct-2002: I learnt to time travel, and finished first version of Chapter 2 (except errors, so send C&C). Also tweaked the format program. Sections are now recognisable. 15-Oct-2002: Omake #1 Complete. Still working on chapter 3. Having trouble with depicting the duo properly. 19-Oct-2002: Finished Chapter 3 and revision. 29-Oct-2002: Wasn't happy about the dream sequence in Chapter 3. Have rewritten this piece about four times, and now it feels right. 10-Nov-2002: Changed the rating to PG13+, because some of the content in new chapters is a little violent. Continuing very slowly. 09-Dec-2002: Haven't gotten much writing done. No one has reviewed Chapter 3. :( I've finished reading "Insertion" by Carrot Glace. (Technically it's not finished. Only got up to Part 91.) Awesome read at over 500,000 words. Only story I've seen so far that has described the girl who died in the Nyanneechuan, called Xianfu. ______________________________________________________________________ Authors Comments: Though a large fan of Ranma 1/2, I'm not any good at Japanese, so bear with me in my bad attempt at using what little Japanese grammar I know. This story follows the 20th Manga Volume of Ranma 1/2, as released by Viz. If you've read the Manga, you'll see the point it leaves off, and this story begins. It follows the concept of a cure being offered to Ranma by a stranger. But the cure isn't necessary a full on fix for Ranma's problem. Read on and find out. This is my first attempt at writing a Fan Fiction, so any comments *would* be appreciated. BTW: I'm using my own program to format this text. I hope you like -_-. I haven't seen the entire Anime or read the entire Manga, so I don't know if a final and permanent cure really does get offered to Ranma, but this is entirely my idea. Well, it's an idea that followed an idea, which followed an idea. And it just kept building in my mind until I had to put it down. Unfortunately I kept having more ideas, which delayed my writing until I could put them together. If this story is at all similar to any others (which I've found out recently) it is purely unintentional. Hopefully any similarity will disappear with the more that I write. The rest of the credit goes to Rumiko Takahashi for creating such wonderful characters. Rating: PG13+. If you're old enough to read the Manga or watch the Anime without a blood nose, then you can read this. Lemon factor: 0.0%. Lime factor: 8.0%. WAFF content: Initialising counter: [...] Special thanks to Bekar my pre-reader. Reading this story includes "Japanese speech," 'Speech other than Japanese, including signs held by pandas', *emphasis,* [the characters thoughts,] {some other characters thoughts,} ______________________________________________________________________ Prologue - A white mountainside The high craggy mountains in the Bayankala Range stretched for hundreds of Kilometres throughout the Mt Quanjing region, patches of forest dotting the landscape. Breaking the endless pattern of dull green and brown were the white caps of snow in the higher altitudes, which was slowly creeping down the mountains. Winter was coming, and even in the Qinghai Province of China, the white snows always came. It covered a wide region of the Province, even in the small cleft of a valley that held hundreds of naturally occurring springs. The springs were little known, but to a small select few who had trekked through China searching the legendary training grounds known as Jusenkyo. Even fewer knew that they were cursed springs. Two people stood on the snow sprinkled ridge in heavy coats and packs on their backs. Of all the people in the world, these two knew about the springs, and the danger that lurked in falling into the waters of Jusenkyo. Together they looked down over the training grounds, with several upright bamboo poles dispersed in each and every spring, providing small platforms of sorts, for those with the skill and the courage to practice aerial forms of martial arts. "Well, there it is Akane-chan," said Ranma, gesturing at the springs with a hand. "That's Jusenkyo." "The accursed springs," she whispered with a sense of awe at seeing the place with her own eyes. End Prologue ______________________________________________________________________