One Piece Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Wild Blue ❯ A Pack of Lies ( Chapter 6 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Matrias
Chapter 5: A HUGE 12,169 word update! Ranma awakens, remembering nothing. Can he pierce Cipher Pol's lies before it's too late?

Anime/Manga: One Piece Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Romance | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 08.10.2006 | Pages: 19 | Words: 20.3K | Visits: 540 | Status: Completed

Disclaimer: The characters and setting herein are the creations of Rumiko Takahashi and Eiichiro Oda. I'm just borrowing them for fun for a little while.
 
 
Wild Blue
By Kyle
based on Ranma ½ by Rumiko Takahashi,
and One Piece by Eiichiro Oda
 
Note: Some complex Japanese words are used, as well as other foreign languages. Please refer to the glossary at the bottom of the chapter for their translations. Ranma-fans unfamiliar with One Piece may also check the Glossary for information.
 
Chapter 5
One month, twenty-nine days ago…
 
“My father?” Ranma asked, unsteadily. “I don't remember you! I don't remember anything...”
 
“Yes,” Fenris replied, his monotonic voice sounded cold and distant. “The doctors mentioned there might be some brain damage.”
 
“…Brain damage?” he groaned. What was wrong with him? “…What happened?”
 
“You were injured in a battle with a Sea King, and have been in a coma for the last week,” he explained. “You do not remember anything?”
 
Ranma furiously shook his head. Fenris allowed a small smile to cross his lips, causing Ranma to blanch. Why would his father smile at him losing his memory?
 
Fenris caught his apprehension, and swiftly responded. “I am just glad you are well. The doctors had me fearing much worse,” he calmed.
 
Ranma nodded glumly. The older man seemed to show very little emotion at all. Maybe he just wasn't very expressive...
 
Ranma's stomach growled fiercely, obliterating the silence. Fenris chuckled. “You must be hungry. And curious,” he concluded. “Can you walk? Perhaps some fresh air and a meal would be in order.”
 
Ranma pulled himself from the bed, his arms and legs wreathing with exhaustion. He forced himself from the bed, trying to steady himself. He had obviously been off his feet for awhile, but he should be alright. “I can walk,” he declared.
 
He looked down at what he was wearing. The white cotton pajamas weren't exactly appropriate to go out in. “Do I have any clothes?”
 
Fenris nodded. “In the dressers. This is your apartment, after all,” he explained, gesturing to the alabaster white furniture. He took a step towards the door, preparing to leave. “I will await you outside while you change, and then we shall join you fiancée for lunch.”
 
“Fiancée?” Ranma gaped, looking flabbergasted. Fenris was silent as the door closed behind him.
_________________________________________________________________ __
 
“Your name is Fenris Ranma,” Fenris announced, coldly. “You are my son.”
 
Aside from a few white ties and belts, the clothing found in the drawers was overwhelmingly black. Though Ranma had no memory of what he liked to wear, he knew he didn't care much for the monochromatic tones that dominated his dressers and drawers. He settled on a black pair of slacks and black dress shirt. He wore it completely unbuttoned and un-tucked, with a white undershirt covering his chest.
 
His clothes served well enough against the weather. The air was a bit cold and drab, and the sky was murky. Wherever they were, the place was full of people in uniform and it was easy the tops of colossally large ships over the small houses and buildings. Perhaps a military base?
 
“So who are you?” Ranma asked Fenris from behind, struggling to keep up. It seemed spending so much time unconscious had seriously weakened him. Also, the old man was quite spry, and didn't bother to slow down at all. “Besides my dad, that is.”
 
“My name is Fenris Mikhail,” he answered expressionlessly. “I am a high-ranking Cipher Pol agent.”
 
“Cipher Pol?” Ranma questioned. It sounded familiar, but his memory was still an impenetrable haze.
 
“It is the intelligence organization of the World Government. There are eight divisions, running from CP1 to CP8,” he recited, informatively. The tone of his response was vapid and dead. “I manage…” he paused before continuing, searching for words. “Well, let us just say my control effects more than any one division.”
 
“Ah.” Interesting, but it still didn't answer any of his questions. Ranma felt like a fish out of water, flapping about in confusion. He wanted to know who HE was, and make sense of all this. “And who am I? What do I do?”
 
Fenris chuckled. “So impatient, Ranma,” he chided. “Let the questions wait until we sit for lunch.” Ranma scowled anxiously. He was getting impatient. Just knowing his name wasn't enough.
 
They arrived at a small café, and were quickly seated by a waitress. Even though Ranma was starving, Fenris insisted on waiting. After a few minutes of no food and no answers, Ranma began to become even more finicky and impatient.
 
“Ranchan!” A young woman called as she entered, with long chestnut brown hair tied in a white ribbon. She was wearing the same white and blue military uniform that many others were wearing, and had a huge, strange weapon strapped to her back. It appeared to be a spatula... His heart leapt when he saw her, for unlike his father, she was familiar.
 
“You're alright!” she squealed. She threw her arms around him, and nearly tackled the pigtailed boy. Ranma blushed brightly, badly embarrassed. This must be the fiancée his father had mentioned.
 
He stared deeply at her, trying to pierce through the hazy mist that was his mind, using her familiarity as a weapon. Curious that she was familiar and his father wasn't, though if they were really getting married, it was easy to see why she might.
 
Dishearteningly, he still couldn't recall anything. She blushed, clearly enjoying his attention. “Do you remember me?” she asked, excitedly. “I'm Ukyo, your fiancée…”
 
“I don't… Hey!” he began, before stammering in surprise. She shouldn't have known that. “…How'd you know I couldn't remember?”
 
Her ecstatic grin became disturbed. She was about to answer, when Fenris cut her off. “I informed her via den-den-mushi before we left,” he interjected crossly, before smirking and gesturing to the menus. “Now that, we're all here, let us dine. Order whatever you like.”
 
“Oh,” Ranma beamed excitedly. His stomach growled ferociously, forcing him to snap up a menu and greedily. “Man, I'm starved!”
_________________________________________________________________ __
 
“So I'm like a secret agent?” Ranma slurred between mouthfuls of bread and sandwiches. He was immensely famished.
 
“No, not a secret agent,” his father clarified. “Just an agent. Cipher Pol is the intelligence and investigation side of the World Government.”
 
“And we're getting married?” he managed with a mouthful, turning to Ukyo.
 
“Uh, yes,” she timidly answered. Ranma was asking rapid-fire questions with his mouth stuffed with food. It was more than a little disgusting.
 
“Really? How'd we meet? How long have we known each other?” he blurted, eager to dispel the confusion of his memory lost.
 
“Slow down!” Ukyo cried, laughing slightly. “We've known each other since we were little, and we've been engaged since--”
 
“Recently,” Fenris interrupted snidely.
 
Ukyo glanced at the older man, appearing to be a bit hurt for a moment before nodding in agreement. “Yes. Recently.”

“Oh,” Ranma managed, a bit confused at the exchange between the two of them. “So… um… tell me about yourself, I guess.”
 
“Me?” Ukyo asked, confounded. “Don't you want to know more about yourself?”
 
“Well, if you're my fiancée, I should know more about you,” he explained casually. Knowing the people around him would be key to knowing about himself.
 
“Well,” she began, twirling a lock of her long hair around her finger, “I'm a chef! An okonomiyaki chef, like the rest of my family, and I practice Okonomiyaki martial arts−”
 
“Okonomiyaki martial arts?” Ranma chuckled. He thought it was funny, but in truth it carried a lot of familiarity. “Explains the big spatula.”
 
Ukyo glowered at his amusement. “Don't laugh!” she scolded. “It's a family tradition!”
 
“Sorry,” Ranma mumbled, still chuckling a bit.
 
“Ukyo has also begun her Marine officer training,” Fenris supplied helpfully. “She's working under the famous Captain T-Bone.

”Uh, yeah!” she remembered. “I'm going through accelerated training with him. He's a great swordsman, and he spars with me a lot.”
 
“Oh, wow,” Ranma awed, voraciously biting into another sandwich. He didn't know who T-Bone was, but it sounded impressive. “So, we're both military types?”
 
“I suppose…” she began. “We're martial artists first, Ranchan. The military is just a place to apply it.”
 
Ranma nodded understandingly. The term `martial arts' rang loudly throughout his being.
 
Fenris shot Ukyo a snide glare at her. Ranma didn't notice, too absorbed in his meal. He finished his last bite of food, and stood up from his seat. “I don't suppose you guys mind me taking a walk alone?” he asked nervously. “I need to think about stuff.”
 
“Very well,” Fenris nodded, rising as well. “Try not to get lost. Gladestown is as busy as it is large.”
 
Ranma nodded, leaving the restaurant.
 
As soon as Ranma was out of sight, Fenris glowered darkly at Ukyo, gesturing for her to follow. He marched them outside behind the café, leading her to a secluded alley while she followed nervously. When he was sure they were out of sight, he turned to Ukyo, his brow furrowed in fury.
 
“You fool!” he hissed. “Tread more carefully, or he'll begin to suspect!”
 
“I'm sorry…” she apologized, cowed by his fury. “It's just I've known him so long, that it's hard to pretend everything before didn't happen…”
 
“Humph,” Fenris snorted, anger draining from his face. “We must draw him quickly into the world we've created, lest he grow wary and stumble out on his own. You will compromise his conditioning with the true events.”
 
Ukyo bowed her head in shame, her gaze focused on the stone cold ground
 
“You have been instrumental in bringing Ranma this far, but your presence is no longer necessary,” he threatened, stomping to the mouth of the ally. “Do not think I won't remove you from his presence should you compromise.”
 
She watched the cold, old man trounce off. She hated him, she decided. Ukyo remembered when Fenris first approached her in her restaurant back in Nerima. He had seemed to know everything about her, about Nerima, about Ranma...
 
He also informed her of Nerima's approaching doom. He didn't say what or who specifically, but someone had brought something nasty into Nerima, and to suppress it, the Marines would resort to Buster Call.
 
Buster Call…
 
Ukyo knew from her father's old tales from his Vice-Admiral days, before he retired to okonomiyaki, what that meant. A huge naval force would be quickly mobilized, and bombard the targeted island until there was nothing left. And there wasn't anything she could do. Even if she tried to warn people, who'd believe her?
 
All of Nerima would die, only she would be spared. Her father was friends with Admiral Akainu in his glory days, prompting the Red Dog of the Marines to extend her the `courtesy' of survival. The Tendos would die, the Amazons would die, the Kunos would die... Ranma would die..
 
She had tried to kill Fenris after he told her, but he swiftly defeated her. To her disbelief, he had a proposition to make: Help him smuggle Ranma off the island. He wanted the pigtailed boy as a son, as well as a Cipher Pol agent. Ranma would never come on his own, of course, so plans for his capture needed to be made. He had even made arrangements to have her fiancé's memory suppressed. If Ukyo helped the Cipher Pol 9 agent, her love would live, and she would be his only fiancée.
 
No Akane or Shampoo or Kodachi… Just Ukyo and Ranma.
 
She agreed. Could anyone blame her? Die and lose everything opposing the Buster Call, or escape and save a few important scraps of her life to rebuild?
 
She invited Ranma over for lunch, telling him it was her way of apologizing for her part in the wedding disaster. He earnestly accepted, and came to the Ucchan's promptly, speedily devouring the okonomiyaki she had made for him.
 
The okonomiyaki was, of course, laced with sedatives.
 
She was glad Ranma was up and walking now, as he spent so many weeks under those same drugs. His treatment during his period of captivity was disturbing. He was still shaky, but she was confident he'd improve now that he was out and about.
 
She was now rebuilding her life and secretly helping Ranma rebuild one he didn't even know he lost. She had joined the Marines, following her father's footsteps even more closely than she cared to. Her father's name was almost legend among the military, and by using it along with Fenris' influence, she had secured a place to train at an accelerated pace under the legendary Captain T-Bone. T-Bone regularly worked closely with Cipher Pol, and if Ranma was to become a CP agent, it gave her the opportunity to work with him as well.
 
Despite this, though, the guilt still burned her from the inside out, and this lie she forced herself to act out in front of Ranma made it even worse. But at the possibility of having his love…
 
She'd burn a thousand islands.
 
Even back on Nerima she knew who his heart belonged to. No matter how hard Ukyo fought for him, he always went back to her.
 
But she didn't matter anymore. That was all in the past.
 
Now, Ucchan was the only one.
_________________________________________________________________ __
 
One month, fourteen days ago…
 
“You have a lot of old head wounds,” the doctor explained, examining Ranma's scalp, “as well as some more recent ones. You said you lost your memory fighting? These injuries would certainly support that…”
 
“My head is kind of sore,” Ranma replied flippantly. “So… My memory, will I get it back?”
 
Fenris watched the exchange mutely off to the side. The doctor, of course, was under his command and was feeding Ranma prefabricated information. The entire scenario of presenting Ranma with a medical evaluation was meant to placate the pigtailed boy's fears, as well as reinforce their story of the events.
 
“I can't really say,” the doctor replied somberly. “The only significant study on the human brain has been done on Drum Island, and even then, it's very limited.”
 
“So you can't do anything,” Ranma concluded, looking quite sullen. Was he doomed not to remember?
 
“It may return on its own…” the doctor shrugged. “We simply don't know enough about the brain.”
 
“Well, it's better than nothing…” Ranma scowled.
 
“Is Ranma well enough to be able to return to duty?” Fenris piped in suddenly. This was also part of the act.
 
“Oh, of course,” the doctor confirmed. “Aside from a sore head, he seems to be completely fine.”
 
“Duty?” Ranma gaped, confused. “What duty?”
 
“Thank you, doctor,” Fenris said, politely dismissing him. “I believe I should speak to my son on my own.” The doctor nodded gracefully, exiting the room.
 
“So what's this about duty?” Ranma demanded, as soon as the doctor was gone. He was very concerned. The return of his memories should be the only priority.
 
“Why, your duty as a Cipher Pol agent. You were a member of the CP8 before this took you off-duty,” Fenris explained casually. “Back to your life from before.”
 
“But my memories!” he glowered, his brows knit tightly in frustration. “I have to remember! I can go back to that later!”
 
Fenris snorted. Not if he had anything to say about that. “You must face the possibility that you may never remember, Ranma. You heard the doctor: there is nothing we can do.”
 
“How can I go back to my old life if I can't remember it?” he protested. A Cipher Pol agent sounded like he needed lots of training, and he obviously couldn't remember any of his.

“We can retrain you,” Fenris offered. “Before the accident, you had agreed to succeed me subsequently to my retirement.”
 
Ranma quirked his eyebrow, not quite convinced. “You`re retiring? You're old, but not old...”
 
“There are...complications,” Fenris explained sullenly, his voice as cold and hard as steel. “Regardless, when I retire, there will an empty position among the CP9. I wish for you to take it.”
 
“CP9?” Ranma asked, furrowing his brow in confusion. “You said there were only eight Cipher Pols.”
 
“Indeed. The ninth is home to our nine most elite agents. It is top secret, and exists only to the public in rumor,” Fenris answered illuminatingly. At Ranma's worried and confused expression, he continued, “You were, of course, privy to this information before.
 
“Should you decide to accept,” Fenris spoke on, “you will go through Agent Training once more, as well as specific CP9 training.”
 
“I'm not sure…” Ranma began, weighing his thoughts on the matter. “I mean, I don't remember anything. Can I be an agent again at the drop of a hat?”
 
“It will take time, but you are a fast learner, Ranma,” the older man complimented appraisingly. “Regardless of what you wish to do in the future, I wish to begin some Martial Arts training with you when I have a spare moment.”
 
“Martial Arts? That sounds…” It sounded fantastic. The last few days, he'd been itching for some sort of conflict ever since Ukyo mentioned martial arts. Even though his body still felt weakened from being bedridden, he was eager.
 
“Indeed.” He smirked at Ranma's dreamy expression. Even with his memory gone, the boy still lusted for battle. “I wish to see if you retained any of your skill, and perhaps, teach you some new tricks.”
 
“Well, that sounds great,” Ranma managed, finally. “When do we start?”
 
“Mmm,” Fenris hummed as he contemplated. “I am free two weeks from now. I will meet you at the Marine Dojo at this time then.”
_________________________________________________________________ __
 
One month ago, three days ago…
 
He slept. Darkness flooded the night, while the moon hung high, twinkling behind the stars. He lay dreaming, the lie beginning to unravel…
 
 
All the others had gone to prepare for bed, but he was still feeling too annoyed for sleep just yet. He sulked alone in front of the koi pond, tossing stones into it while nursing his injured head.
 
“Stupid tomboy,” he mumbled, quietly to himself. He had insulted her cooking again, suggesting the sudden appearance of Cipher Pol agents in Nerima was because they were investigating the `monsters' she created in the kitchen. As per usual, she did not take kindly to it.
 
While he realized it was his own fault for setting her off, it still annoyed him. Why couldn't they ever get along? After all they've been through together… He threw another rock into the pond, and sunk deeper into his funk.
 
“Hey!” a voice growled behind him. He turned to find Akane stomping towards him, wearing her yellow pajamas and looking very upset. He didn't know what he had done now, but braced himself for the coming violence.
 
“Leave the fish alone!” she scolded, playfully tapping him on the top of his head as she plopped down beside him. She grinned fiendishly, giggling at his dismay.
 
“Uncute!” he insulted, flushing red at her trick. He tried his best not to stare at her; she looked so cute in those pajamas.
 
She pouted slightly, curling her lip, and punched him in the arm. “That insult is starting to lose meaning, baka.”
 
“Feh!” he snorted playfully, rubbing his arm. He smiled at her hesitantly, earning one from her in response. His earlier annoyance with her had vanished, and they sat quietly for a few moments, enjoying the other's presence.
 
“How's the head?” she asked after a few moments, her tone tinged with guilt and concern. She was no doubt referring to blow she inflicted on him earlier that evening.
 
“It's fine,” he lied, quickly. In truth, Akane's blows were getting a lot sharper in the last few months. She probably didn't even realize it.
 
“Sorry about your dinner,” he awkwardly apologized. She had sort of apologized to him, so perhaps he should return the favor.
 
“It's all right. It tasted awful, anyways,” she admitted sadly. “I still need lots of work.” She had been practicing with her mother's cooking notes again, he realized.
 
“Come on,” he comforted. “You'll get it one of these days.” He thought himself insane, encouraging her to cook again… Still, sometimes she did get lucky.
 
Akane gave him a small smile, but it quickly transformed into a worrisome frown. “Ranma…” she began, a slight tremble in her throat. “It's been over a month… We should talk about it.”
 
He knew what she was speaking of instantly. He scowled, causing her to jump. He didn't want to talk about it. Didn't want to talk about how he nearly failed, about how he almost lost her, how he had to shatter a god to save her… “What's there to talk about?” he snorted derisively. “We fought, I won!”
 
“There's more to Jusendo than that!” she demanded fiercely. She looked enraged. He couldn't stand it, but better for her to be upset than revisit those events.
 
“No, there isn't,” he stubbornly refused. His voice cracked, despite his efforts to remain firm.
 
“…Why?” she pleaded, worry lacing her tone. “Why are you afraid to talk about it…”
 
“I'm not afraid!” he fired back. `Ranma Saotome isn't scared of anything!' he told himself, repeating it like a mantra. It did not help. The events of Jusendo had shaken his indomitable confidence. He had been afraid; afraid for her.
 
“Then why won't−” she began, unwilling to give any quarter. She was always so strong-willed. He'd never admit it aloud, but it was one of the things he loved most about her. Even at her lowest, she was indomitable. He remembered Saffron, and how even on death's door, she opposed the Phoenix King with everything she had. She protected him when he was supposed to be protecting her, shielding him with her doll form from the Phoenix King's fires again and again. When it came down to it, she fought for him as hard as he fought for her.
 
“DAMN IT, AKANE!” he roared, interrupting her. “I almost lost! I almost lost you! You almost died!”
 
She cringed slightly, her frustrated growl dawning into realization. She cast her gaze downward before responding. “Ranma…” she began thoughtfully. He shuffled away, embarrassed, refusing to look at her. He froze suddenly as she wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, and rested her head on his back. “It's all right,” she whispered. “You brought me back…”
 
He turned around to face her, her arms moving to grip him by the shoulders. He didn't deserve the comfort. His stupid quest for the cure had nearly gotten her killed. He had made Saffron his enemy, and Akane had suffered for it. “But I didn't…”
 
“You did,” she silenced him. “You came through. I can always trust you to come through…”
 
She leaned in closer, and stared into his eyes, her face shining. He gazed back, lost in her chocolate brown orbs. He softly felt her warm breath against his shirt, and lightly smelled the shampoo of her hair. He began to lean closer to her, when a loud call interrupted them from the house.
 
“AKANE!” the voice of Akane's sister called from inside. “I need to borrow your black sweater for tomorrow!”
 
They looked away suddenly, both of them flushing red.
 
“Just a second!” Akane called back. She turned back to Ranma, still blushing. She stood up from the grassy yard, and grinned brightly at him, filling him with warmth. He gave her a hesitant smile, and watched as she hurried back into the house.
 
“Good night, Ranma.”
 
Breathlessly, he awoke.
 
“What… Was… THAT?!” he demanded aloud. Was it a dream? If it was, why did it feel so vivid to him… The emotions were so real. The fear, the frustration, and…
 
The love…
 
The girl… Akane, was it? For those few moments in the dream, she was the center of his world. It had felt so natural, and now that he was awake, he was… disconnected.
 
The love he felt in his sleep for that girl was more than he ever felt for Ukyo, his supposed fiancée. She was his only friend in all this, and he really enjoyed her company the last few weeks, though she was still a stranger to him. He forced himself to get to know her on principal, but he couldn't help but wonder if he ever loved her before he lost his memories.
 
Was the dream perhaps a memory from his past? It had been a month since he had awoken, and he had remembered nothing since then. Were his lost memories returning to him in his sleep? He shook his head. Nothing matched anything Ukyo or his father had told him. It must have been a dream.
 
With a sigh, he rolled back to sleep. He needed his rest; he would begin training with father tomorrow and he was looking forward to it. The last few weeks, besides his meals and meetings with Ukyo, he was completely and totally bored. It didn't really surprise Ranma that his father was an elite secret agent: the man had vanished like a wisp of smoke last time they spoke, and he hadn't seen him since.
_________________________________________________________________ __
 
Ranma arrived at the small Marine dojo the next day sopping wet and female, waiting impatiently for her father to show. Wearing a black gi that Fenris had left for her, she was feeling much more energetic than she was when she first woke up.
 
She poured his thermos of hot water over his head, reverting herself back to his true form. The first time he changed into a girl he had nearly passed out, having no one to explain to him how exactly he had randomly changed gender. Desperate to find out what was happening to him he had hunted down and interrupted Ukyo while she was working, much to Captain T-Bone's ire. His fiancée only laughed at him, and provided him with hot water while she explained the curse he had. Curiously, she never told him how he got it, though she was in a hurry to get back on duty.
 
He instantly took a dislike to being female, not enjoying the random transforming. Glades was also an especially rainy autumn island, making such changes frequent. What bothered him the most was how familiar it was. His body was obviously used to it, and knew how to move when he was in it.
 
They were to begin his martial arts training today. He was anxious to get started, having been spoiling for some sort of conflict since he had awoken a month before. As more time went by, he became more and more aware of how strong and trained his body was. While his mind couldn't remember anything, his body certainly could. Instincts, reactions, and reflexes began to manifest, as well as a VERY paranoid danger sense. He found himself always alert, leading him to believe that he was a government agent before.
 
“Ah, you are early,” a voice spoke coldly at the entrance. It was Fenris, dressed in a sleeveless black gi. Tucked into a white belt was a wickedly jagged dagger which Ranma eyed warily. Fenris chuckled, catching Ranma's apprehension. “Do not worry about the knife. You are not ready for Takabachi just yet,” he said, gesturing to the blade.
 
He stood across from Ranma on the other side of the dojo, with an amused quirk on his lips. “We will begin with testing how much you remember of the martial arts. Are you prepared?”
 
Ranma nodded his assent, a smug smile plastered on his face. Fenris chuckled, and suddenly blurred quickly towards the pigtailed boy, letting lose a flurry of punches and kicks. Ranma yelped in surprise, his body snapping into auto pilot. He dodged and weaved through the blows, blocking the ones he could. Pain welted and stung him every time he failed. Pride and exhilaration were overflowing as he fought, though shame and embarrassment flashed through him every time a blow hit home; Though he looked elderly and frail, the old man was strong and phenomenally fast.
 
Ranma consciously began to take control of his fighting, moving away from defensively reacting and trusting himself to drive his body on his own. They sparred like that for over an hour, with Ranma consciously taking control of his body's memory of martial arts a little bit at a time. Patterns, combos, and techniques came easy to him now, and for the first time since he had forgotten, he felt as if he truly remembered something. He was soon on the offensive, applying more and more speed to his attacks and counterattacks.
 
But as much as Ranma tried, he still could not strike Fenris. The old man was good, furiously blocking everything with practiced ease. He pushed Ranma back onto defense, forcing the pigtailed boy to block combination after combination of punches and kicks. Ranma hopped backwards, giving him a meter of distance, and leapt high into the air over Fenris. As he landed, he kicked behind him catching Fenris in the middle of the back. The slim elder stumbled in surprise, and then composed himself as he turned to face Ranma again.
 
“Very good,” Fenris complimented, as the corners of his mouth tweaked in a small smile. “You have retained much more of your skill than I had hoped.”
 
Ranma beamed proudly at the compliment. `Of course,' an inner voice told him. `You're the best.'
 
“You are ready for Rokushiki − the Six Forms,” he said fiercely, his small smile becoming feral. “This something known only to the CP9… Something you must know, if you ever wish to succeed me…”
 
Succeed him? Ranma still wasn't so sure about that. Were those his plans before he lost his memory? Fighting pirates, terrorists, and criminals as a government agent… He admitted, it all sounded appealing, and he had nothing else... Plus Ukyo was in the Marines, training to be an officer. He'd like to get to know his fiancée who couldn't remember better, and with them both working, they'd have something to relate to each other.
 
“Attack me,” Fenris ordered, dropping into a loose horse stance. “With your strongest blow. I will show you my true strength.”
 
“My strongest? Are you sure?” He asked, a little unsure. He had only hit his father once in the entire spar, and didn't know how well he could take a hit. At Fenris' nod, he shrugged and dropped into stance. “You asked for it! Here I come!” He charged quickly, pulling his arm back to strike.
 
Fenris continued to wear his feral grin, unworried. “TEKKAI!” he shouted, flexing his body. Ranma pooled all his strength into his blow, quite sure it could shatter the entire dojo. It struck Fenris square in the chest, though he didn't even flinch.
 
Ranma pulled back his arm, wincing in pain. It felt like he had smacked a lump of steel.
 
“The first of the six forms − Tekkai,” his father explained. “It turns one's body into a mass of iron,” he chuckled. “Keep trying.”
 
Ranma took him up on his challenge, and began fiercely hammering on the older man. Blows that would have shattered lesser men bounced off harmlessly. No matter what, his Tekkai would not break. Fenris was uncharacteristically still, not moving a muscle. Could it be that the user was unable to move while using this technique?
 
“Damn it…” Ranma cursed. He switched to extremely fast punches, focusing on a single spot and finding the strategy strangely familiar. His fists blurred and cracked in the air, building more and more velocity. Hundred of blows rained squarely on to Fenris in a space of a few seconds. Ranma gaped at the speed his body was moving at, but kept up his assault despite his surprise.
 
`Clever' Fenris thought, wincing as Ranma switched to the rapid, and focused punching. `He could pierce the Tekkai doing that.' He decided it best to move on from the Tekkai, and show Ranma another Rokushiki technique. “Taking blows is not Rokushiki's only strength,” he announced calmly. “Kami-e.”
 
No longer standing still, Fenris fluttered around like paper in the wind, his body unnaturally bending and weaving through Ranma's high-speed blows. No matter where or how rapidly Ranma attacked, Fenris fluttered between attacks, bending and shifting in ways that should have been impossible.
 
“With Kami-e, the user becomes like paper in the wind, flowing past all blows.” Fenris announced, grinning smugly.
 
“Damn it!” Ranma roared as the frustration and humiliation mounted. “Hold still!” he bellowed. Losing his calm and cool, he spun a vicious round house to where Fenris was standing.
 
“Soru!” Fenris called. The air cracked and whipped loudly as Fenris suddenly vanished. Ranma stumbled as he hit nothing but air, and glanced around to locate his foe. Fenris was nowhere to be found… “Where are you?” he called, nervously. `Did he… Teleport?'
 
“Behind you,“ he heard. He spun quickly, finding Fenris standing confidently and imperiously. “Soru!” he called, vanishing again, followed with the same loud cracking of wind and air.
 
Ranma froze and shivered as he felt something cold pressed up against his neck. It was Fenris, and he had drawn his dagger at Ranma's throat. “With Soru,” he whispered into Ranma's ear, his tone carrying such malice that Ranma had to suppress the urge to tremble, “the user can move at such a high velocity that they appear to disappear.
 
“Soru,” Fenris repeated, vanishing again.
 
Feeling the cold steel withdraw from his neck, Ranma growled; the old man was playing with him. “Quit running!” he demanded.
 
He was in front of Ranma again, his head held high arrogantly. Replacing the dagger back to his belt, he announced, “We shall start with Soru.”
 
Start? But he had already used it twice…
 
With as much speed as he could muster, Ranma charged at Fenris. Again he met nothing but air. Pain blossomed in his back as the older man appeared behind him and hammered his back with an elbow. Ranma stumbled, and tried to counterattack, only to lose his opponent as he vanished with another Soru. “DAMN!” he cursed as he lost him.
 
This time he reappeared, slugging Ranma in the jaw. The pigtailed martial artist crashed to the hard dojo floor, reeling from the force of the blow. He nursed his jaw and glared defiantly at Fenris as he pulled himself from the ground.
 
“Hmmm,” Fenris murmured appraisingly as Ranma tried to regain his bearings. “You'll not learn anything that way.”
 
Ranma's eyes widened in surprise. Learn? So this was a lesson? If he could master Fenris' own technique, he'd be able to keep up with him... “I'll show you,” he taunted. He steadied himself, mirroring Fenris' own feral grin.
 
“We shall see,” he commented drolly. “Soru!” he said, blinking out of sight with a crack of air.
 
Ranma's eyes widened… `For a split second, there…' His line of thought was brutally cut off, as Fenris bolted in front of him, viciously striking him in the gut. He gasped in pain as air left his lungs.
 
“SORU!” Fenris yelled, blinking away again. Ranma's eyes, which were focused low from the earlier blow, widened in surprise. A small part of the wood paneling where he stood for that one moment had cracked and exploded. He looked around the dojo, seeing other cracked spots, but only in places where he had initiated Soru. `That might be it…'
 
“SORU − Issen Rendan!” Fenris yelled. Ranma gasped, as the old man blinked in and out of existence all around him. Pain exploded in him as Fenris vanished and reappeared again and again, striking him brutally in a weak spot each time. Similar cracks on the dojo floor appeared every time he moved.
 
Fenris finally reappeared as Ranma collapsed to the ground, badly beaten. His father didn't even appear to be winded. Ranma lied on his back aching in pain. He was defeated, but that didn't make him angry, for he had figured it out. “Got it!” he whispered.
 
Fenris smirked devilishly. “Did you learn something?”
 
Ranma nodded his head painfully. “I noticed it when the floor cracked when you moved. They only ever appeared in one spot, on the instant you disappeared.”
 
“Indeed,” Fenris chuckled. “And why is this?”
 
Ranma smiled weakly. “You kick the same spot a dozen times in an instant, and it propels you around the room as a super-fast jump.” Ranma explained, grinning smugly from the cold dojo floor. “You weren't running at all; you were leaping.”
 
“Excellent,” Fenris responded, small traces of delight coming through in his dour tone. “I have to attend to my duties until the end of the month. You have the basics. I expect to see Soru mastered by the time I return.”
 
He left hastily, leaving Ranma alone and lying in pain on his back. He had not even bothered to utter a goodbye.
 
“What a dick,” Ranma groaned to the empty room. The old man was so cold and shallow that he wasn't sure he even wanted to remember the bastard anymore. Still, he was a mean fighter, and Ranma found he respected that.
 
He'd have him beat, though. He'd master all those Roku-whatever tricks and beat the pants off of him. He may not remember anything, but there was one thing he knew for sure about himself…
 
He was the best there was.
_________________________________________________________________ __
 
Fenris hurried out of the dojo, quickly finding a back alley to turn into. Once he was out of Ranma's sight, he collapsed against the stone alley walls, covering his mouth with his palm. He began to haggardly cough and hack for a few minutes before it finally subsided. He removed his hand from his mouth, finding it soaked in blood. The scarlet liquid coated his fingers thickly, dribbling onto his clothes.
 
Using Soru so much on Ranma had taken his toll on him. It was the most exhausting of all the Rokushiki techniques, and to even his youth. The Flash Combo he had used to finish off Ranma was a huge blow to his stamina even in his youth, but to do it in his current… condition… was dangerous. He couldn't afford to squander his remaining health by showing off.
 
Still, it was worth it if the boy could understand Soru so quickly from that one skirmish. He had taught that technique to many CP9 agents in his thirty years of service, and only two others have ever understood it that quickly as the pigtailed boy had.
 
Young Ranma was a prize, one he refused to give up on since he discovered the boy. He was heading the investigation of Nerima when Fenris had discovered him, and began to study him from a distance. Nerima was filled with incredible Martial Artists, but the boy shined brightest of them all.
 
Further rumors that he managed to defeat Saffron and Herb of Jusenkyo only enticed Fenris further. The denizens of Jusenkyo Island had been a thorn in the side of the World Government for centuries. It was one of the few places on the planet that remained autonomous from the World Government, with all their attempts of invasion and assimilation heavily resisted by the combined might of the Joketsuzoku, Musk, and Phoenix Clans. That the boy had defeated Dragon Prince Herb and Phoenix Lord Saffron was astounding….
 
He knew it was likely Admiral Akainu would order Buster Call against Nerima once all their findings of his investigation were presented, and the boy, along with everyone else on the island, would be eliminated. Insurmountable talent like Ranma Saotome's was not something to be wasted, so the decision to take the boy for his own was only natural.
 
Fenris was dying, and he knew it. He was the oldest CP9 agent still operating, and his combat effectiveness was quickly dropping. He had no doubt that Cipher Pol Director Spandam would soon replace Fenris in his goals to make the CP9 more and more powerful. Because the ninth division of Cipher Pol was completely secret from all but the highest of rank, Fenris would quickly be forgotten. He would retire and die in the background, where all of his accomplishments would fade from memory.
 
In addition to that, many of his own unique variations of Rokushiki would be lost. His possessions, his Art, his achievements… All forgotten.
 
He refused to allow this.
 
He had sired no children to his life, and it was too late for him to start now. To have a son that he could pass both his art and work on to… A legacy to leave behind. Ranma would be his heir, he had decided.
 
To this end he had recruited Kuonji Ukyo to smuggle the boy off the island. The girl, being the daughter of the Admiral's old friends, was to be one of the select few evacuated. Convincing her to drug Ranma in order to remove him from the inevitable destruction of Nerima was almost too easy.
 
He had also called in an old favor to Captain “Black Cage” Hina. She was in the area and, surprisingly, the ex-pirate Jango the Hypnotist had joined her crew. While Jango's hypnosis could not dramatically rewrite a person's personality like he had hoped, he could however suppress Ranma's memory with relative ease.
 
And all that was left was to shape the boy into the perfect son. The perfect assassin.
 
Things were proceeding well. Ranma had recovered rapidly from his month of captivity aboard Nezumi's and Hina's ships, and he had quickly regained his fighting skills. His naturally competitiveness combined with his great thirst for battle and fighting would be perfect for drawing him into the fold. Teaching him Rokushiki would be key into drawing Ranma into the world of CP9. He would join on his own, eager to learn more.
 
It would take months, but he would turn the boy into the perfect hunting hawk.
 
It was unfortunate that young Ranma was currently far too naïve and innocent to make a suitable assassin... Fenris had to gear his heart towards murder, and the only way to do that was to kill it.
 
And really, the best way to slay Ranma's heart was to have to trick him into doing it himself.
_________________________________________________________________ __
 
21 days ago…
 
“I'll get my regular, Chizuru,” Ranma glumly requested as the waitress wrote down his order. He'd become a regular at this café. They had delicious sandwiches, and he always found himself there buying more for snacks.
 
“And for you?” Chizuru asked politely, turning to Ukyo.

“I'll get what he's having.” Ukyo requested, more upbeat than her fiancé. She didn't get a chance to eat outside the soldier mess hall often, and relished any chance to eat with Ranma.
 
“Why the long face, Ranchan?” Ukyo finally inquired, tired of his sour gloominess.

”Ah… It's nothing,” he lied.
 
“You've been so distant…” she groused. “More than usual,” she added, sadly.
 
Guilt stabbed Ranma like a white hot nail jabbed through his eye. He had trouble thinking of Ukyo as anything more than a friend, her affectionate handling of him only making him feel uncomfortable. He also felt guilty for being unable to remember the love the two might have shared before his amnesia, and the guilt was compounded with the strange dream he had had weeks ago. To his embarrassment, he found himself lusting over the imaginary dream-girl Akane far more than his own fiancée.
 
That wasn't what was actually bugging him at the moment, though. His discouragement stemmed from the fact that he was still having trouble with Soru. When he had sparred with Fenris, he had found himself drawing more and more power and speed from somewhere the more he fought. When he returned to the dojo the next day to train in the technique, he found he couldn't access that well of strength anymore. It was disheartening.
 
He could only manage four kicks in an instant, instead of the required ten or twelve. While it still propelled him pretty quickly, not nearly at the near-invisibleness of Fenris's.
 
“Aw, it's nothing…” he muttered, trying to reassure her. “Just having problem with this technique.”
 
“Maybe I can help?” she piped, her excitement ablaze. “I've been doing martial arts since I've known you.”
 
Ranma rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Maybe she could help? They were childhood friends according to her, so that was a long time. She was only a girl, but if he had forgotten some basics with his memory... “Well, it's a move for moving really fast.”
 
“Well, you should be good at that!” she exclaimed. “You were the fastest, before−” Her mouth ground to a halt, and slammed shut suddenly. Before? Before he lost his memory? “You were always good at speed stuff,” she clarified. “So what's the problem?”
“Well, for the move, you have to kick the ground a dozen times really fast,” he explained, taking a chomp from one of the buns Chizuru bought. “And I don't think I can kick fast enough anymore.”
 
“Anymore?” she asked curiously, taking a swig of water. “What do you mean by that?”
 
“When I sparred with…father the first time,” he began, clenching his hands in frustration, “I felt like I was drawing extra strength from somewhere to be faster and stronger. Now I don't remember how I did that.”
 
Ukyo twirled a lock of hair between her fingers, contemplating this complication. “Oh,” she realized, “Ranchan, that was your ki you used!”
 
“My ki?” he asked inquisitively. The word sounded familiar... “What's that?”
 
“You don't remember?” she balked, her eyes going wide. “Ki is… Life force,” she explained, gesturing to herself. “It sleeps and flows inside all life, and binds every living thing together.”
 
Ranma frowned. Knowing that didn't help the problem.. “But how does that make me faster?” he scowled, a little impatient.
 
She looked hurt for a moment, before smirking impishly at him. “You're always so impatient, Ranchan,” she giggled. “As martial artists, we're trained to use our ki to make us jump higher, move faster, hit harder... Watch.” She closed her eyes, and after a moment, a deep yellow glow began to thicken around the girl.
 
Ranma could feel it. The electric jolt that hovered a short distance away from her. He was aware of Ukyo, and aware of the power she emanated. “How… how do you do that?”
 
The glow vanished as she opened her eyes. “When you were sparring, you must have been controlling it sub-consciously,” she explained. “In a fight, it can become instinctual.”
 
He nodded appreciably. “But how do I get it back?”

Ukyo shrugged her shoulders, not sure how to help him. “Meditating helps,” she supplied. “Personally, I like to picture crashing waves.”
_________________________________________________________________ __
 
Later in the evening, Ranma again found himself in the Marine dojo. It was mostly empty at this time of day, with most of the soldiers too eager to be off duty than to train more. He wasn't ready to end his day just yet; he wanted to regain control of his ki.
 
He sat down into the dojo, crossing his legs into a lotus position. He closed his eyes and began breathing in slow, controlled breaths. Ukyo's words from earlier came to his mind.
 
`Picture crashing waves' she had said. He tried, not finding much inspiration in that. “GAH!” he yelled, pounding the floor with his fist.
 
What was he doing wrong? She had said ki flowed through all things… Perhaps he could imagine a flowing river? He closed his eyes, beginning to focus.
 
No, not a flowing river, a rushing one. One that flowed through every corner of his body, carrying that divine spark of power called ki. A river of power, flowing through him…
 
He could feel it again… That same electric feeling that had emanated from Ukyo had now enveloped him completely. It was so much more potent now… He looked down at his hands, admiring his cerulean blue glow, enjoying the strength that now flowed through him.
 
But could he control it? There was only one way to test it… The blue glow faded, coiling back inside him and becoming like fire in his veins. It was time to use this energy.
 
He strode to the far end of the dojo, facing the wall farthest to him. “SORU!” he announced, rapidly striking the ground with his feet. He vanished with a snap of the air, shooting himself across the room, blazing and invisible like a bullet before he finally…
 
…crashed through the wall. The wooden partition exploded instantly, wood splintering and showering on him like fireworks. He groaned underneath the remains of the wall, buried in the shattered debris.
 
He had done Soru perfectly, but…
 
`This is gonna be a son of a bitch to control,' he thought, glumly.
_________________________________________________________________ __
 
Controlling Soru was really hard, Ranma decided, nearly a week later.
 
No, speed was certainly no longer a problem. He had mastered that with Ukyo's help and explanations of ki, and was sure he could now go even faster than Fenris if he needed to.
 
No, what was driving him nuts was controlling the damn thing. At the velocity he was moving, he had no way of telling what direction he was moving or how far. Being able to cross a room in the blink of an eye meant nothing if you overshot yourself and accidentally sent yourself crashing into everything. A single twitch could send him veering ten feet off course.
 
He was no longer training in the Marine Dojo, as they had kicked him out after he had knocked the wall down. Now he was stuck training in an open grassy field overlooking the Gladestown, completely at the mercy of the weather and his curse.
 
Worse, his father was far too busy to help with his newest dilemma. Ranma had caught up with Fenris momentarily, and the only advice he could give the boy was “use your mind's eye.”
 
Still, Ranma was determined. It was a constant battle to develop the control and senses needed to effectively move with Soru, and he had to win it bit by bit over the past week. Even his endurance had improved from using the tiring technique over and over.
 
To improve his sense of direction under the speed technique, he had been practicing moving in between wooden fence posts that he'd stabbed into the ground. Using it like an obstacle course, he used Soru to move from point to point. He'd change the configuration whenever he finished, forcing him to move a different distance and direction every time.
 
He was getting better, and made it to where he was supposed to seven out of ten times. Most of his improvement came from exploiting his danger sense, morphing it from a state of alertness to a sixth sense of awareness. He was much more mindful of a battlefield now, and was sure that was what his father meant when he had said to “use the mind's eye.”
 
“SORU!” he called, blinking in and out of existence in between post to post. He over shot at the eighth, stumbling over it and crashing. He was breathing hard, heavily winded by the exhausting technique. Still, he grinned triumphantly as he dusted the wet grass off of his clothes. After two weeks of training, this was his best yet.
 
He rearranged the polls again, ready to begin anew. “SORU!” he roared, vanishing out of sight. He appeared and disappeared again at each new post, finally stumbling at the ninth this time; a new best.
 
A resolute smirk crossed his face; He would finish the training today, he decided.
 
After a few more attempts, he finally made it to the tenth poll. Just to make sure, he performed it a few more times, just as flawlessly.
 
“Excellent,” Ranma heard, and turned to find Fenris walking behind him, neatly stepping over the holes Ranma's posts had left in the ground. The pigtailed boy was so engrossed in his training he didn't see Fenris coming. “I came to check in on your progress,” the older man explained.
 
“Hi!” Ranma breathed, gasping for air, but still wearing a victorious grin. “I think I got it.”
 
“So I see,” replied Fenris, actually looking a little proud. “Well done.
 
“Walk with me,” Fenris asked politely, gesturing to a children's playground in the distance. Ranma shrugged his shoulders, feeling it was time for a break anyways. “You mastered Soru better than I expected,” Fenris complimented.
 
Ranma beamed brightly. “Of course,” he scoffed arrogantly, hands pressed behind the back of his head. They marched towards the playground at a fair pace. The weather was drowsy, though luckily for the cursed boy, it was not raining.
 
“Any chance of learning anything else?” Ranma asked, trying to contain his excitement. He wanted to learn more of those crazy techniques, as well as get to know his father better. That Tekkai thing would certainly be useful.
 
“Mmmm…” Fenris hummed in contemplation. “Maybe.”
 
“Maybe?” Ranma blanched. He wanted to learn! “Why maybe?”
 
“I am busy with my duties,” he snapped, his tone vexed. “I do wish to teach you more, though I cannot make your training a priority until I receive a firm confirmation on your returning to Cipher Pol.”
 
Ranma winced. His dad DID mention only CP9 agents knew these techniques. He had hoped for some more time before making any decisions, but if he was an agent before he lost his memory, it shouldn't be so hard. The only thing he knew how to do right now was fight, and battling criminals as a Cipher Pol officer was too tempting to his battle lust.
 
Plus he could work with his father, as well as be a part of the military with his fiancée. The martial arts he'd be learning were just the cherry on top. It would also take care of the complete and total boredom in between his meetings with Ukyo and his dad.
 
“I've been thinking about that, actually,” Ranma began, slightly nervous. “I don't remember everything, but if Cipher Pol was good enough for me before, it's good enough now.”
 
Fenris looked pleased and astonished. “That is a pleasant surprise,” he grinned. “Very well, if you are willing to make that commitment, I will proceed with your training. I will send for you when I am ready.”
 
Ranma nodded happily. They walked for a bit longer, before reaching the playground. The playground wasn't far from Gladestown, with swings and slides for kids to play on. Children frolicked and played merrily, their joy un-dampened by the drizzly weather. A stone statue in the form of a man was erected in the center.
 
The sculpture depicted a stout man posing heroically in a martial arts gi. No face was on the statue, as its head and mouth were covered in a kerchief mask and bandana. Curiously, the statue also wore round-rimmed glasses. For some reason, the statue always looked familiar to Ranma every time he walked past it to get to his training spot. “Who is that, anyways?” he asked, sitting down at a park bench beside Fenris.
 
“That?” Fenris gestured to the stature scornfully. “That is the White Thief. A local legend and hero.”
 
Fenris pretentiously stuck his nose to the air before continuing. “He is, in reality, a no one. But the townsfolk revere him,” he snorted derisively.
 
“Why's that?” Ranma asked, curiously. “I mean, he must be important if they put up a statue of him.”
 
“Humph. I suppose I can waste some time telling you the story.”
 
“As you know,” Fenris began, “Glades Peaks, and Gladestown in particular, has a significant military presence, though there is also a rather sizeable civilian population as well. Many years ago, it served as a command post for a rather corrupt captain.”
 
“The captain charged the locals `protection' money. Those who did not pay were forced to deal with his troops and lieutenants,” he explained. “This continued on for some time, until a man calling himself the White Thief appeared. He broke into the Glades Command Post, and stole every beli in the base from under the captain's nose.”
 
“Did he give the money back to the people or something? Is that why he's famous?” Ranma asked, curious.

”No!” Fenris scowled. “He kept it all for himself! The reason he is a hero is because he also stole the base's entire year of operating budget. HQ demoted the captain for such a failure, and removed him from command.”
 
Fenris let loose a barking laugh, and continued, “The townspeople, ever appreciative of this, erected this statue in the thief's `honor.'” He spat the word `honor' venomously, leaving his obvious distaste for the White Thief completely obvious.
 
“Oh,” Ranma managed, a bit confused. “Well, at least he got rid of the corrupt guy...”
 
“At least?” Fenris glowered. “He was a criminal that damaged the military in this area. How many more people died because the navy here couldn't afford bullets to protect the people?” Fenris decided it best for his argument to not mention that Marine HQ funded the corrupt captain's replacement; He had a point to make.
 
“Well−” Ranma began, still not sure. Fenris didn't let him respond, quickly cutting him off.
 
“Let me tell you another story, Ranma. One of duty and sacrifice,” Fenris said crossly. “Fifteen years ago, there was a kingdom where five hundred soldiers were taken hostage by pirates.”
 
Ranma sighed, and crossed his arms as Fenris began yet another story. At least they were sort of interesting.
 
“The pirate leader demanded the throne in exchange for the hostages' lives. With so many of the Kingdom's militia under ransom, there was little they could do.”
 
“The Kingdom decided to give into their demands, forcing the World Government to intervene. An assassin was sent to resolve the matter.”
 
“So he killed the leader and saved the hostages?” Ranma piped in. The story had sparked his interest.
 
“You have always been so naïve, Ranma. He did indeed kill the pirate leader,” he paused for a moment, waiting for Ranma's reaction. “But as for the hostages, they were all killed.”
 
“The pirates killed them?!” Ranma gasped. “Then the World Government failed!”

“Fool,” Fenris chided, clenching his hand in irritation. The pirates weren't the ones that killed the hostages, but it was best for him not to learn the full story just yet. “The pirates nearly took over the entire kingdom. Do you think their ambitions would end once they gained control of the Kingdom's resources?”
 
Ranma paused to think. After a moment, he sadly shook his head, agreeing with Fenris.
 
“Exactly,” Fenris breathed. “They would have used the kingdom to wage war and expand their piracy.”
 
He then stood from the bench, turning his back to Ranma. He crossed his arms behind him before continuing. “Though those five hundred died, many thousands may now rest safe. Is that not preferable?”
 
Ranma was silent, disturbed by the story. “I guess, but…” he began, hesitantly.
 
“We cannot save everyone,” Fenris firmly interrupted, turning to face Ranma once more. “It is our duty to fight for the greater good. If a thousand can be saved with the lives of a hundred, then we must not hesitate to sacrifice those hundred.
 
“This is a nasty truth that you must learn to deal with,” Fenris concluded, turning to leave. Ranma frowned, Fenris' comments not sitting well with him at all.
 
The older man began to walk away, before turning to face Ranma one last time. “I will leave you to think this over. Expect me to contact you in the next few days to continue your training.”
 
He sauntered away from the park, leaving Ranma to his thoughts. When he was sure he was out of sight, he grinned savagely before cackling. “Soon, soon…” he whispered.
____________________________________________________________ _______
 
Present...
 
`Crap, crap, I'm late…' Ranma cursed, sprinting through the streets. He had arrived back at his apartment after lunch to find a messenger waiting for him. He was informed his father was waiting for him to continue his training, and had been there for half an hour already.
 
He was horribly bored the last couple of weeks. Ukyo had left with T-Bone on Naval maneuvers, and his father had disappeared like he often did. He had spent nearly all his time the last week in the Marine dojo making up katas to practice. Finally, he'd have something important to focus on.
 
“Whoa there!” he gasped, rounding the corner. He nearly avoided crashing into a young Marine recruit carrying a bundle of papers. He leapt into the air, narrowly missing him as he perched on top of the brick fence beside him. The recruit yelped in surprised, stumbled, and dropped the entire bundle of parchment he was carrying.

”Sorry `bout that,” Ranma apologized. He leapt down, and helped the recruit to his feet.
 
“It's alright, sir,” the recruit replied as he hastily dusted himself off. He knelt down to the sidewalk again, and began to re-gather the pages he was carrying. “I wasn't watching where I was going, either.”
 
Ranma laughed lightly, and reached down to assist him in picking up the paperwork. He grabbed a page, and he nearly choked, gripping a page so hard it nearly split in two. His heart beat furiously as he dumbly stared down at the page.
 
“It can't be…” he awed. They were all pirate bounty posters, and clearly photographed and centered in all the pages was the girl from his dream…
 
Akane.
_________________________________________________________________ __
 
“We all loaded up?” Akane called from the upper deck. This was only their third day on the island. Paulie had patched up the ship in record time, finishing most of the incomplete construction. The ship was repainted to a bright sky blue as well, and had dried rather quickly in Seregrently's sunny weather
 
“Just this last bit!” Genma called, hefting a huge crate of food into the ship. Konatsu and him had gone on a last minute food run. The ninja had decided that if he was going to cook bigger portions from now on, he wanted lots of extra food just in case.
 
Kuno was currently adjusting the sails, while Paulie was currently bickering with Nabiki about getting payment. Nabiki seemed set on keeping an extra two hundred thousand beli.
 
“Nabiki! Just give him back the money we agreed on!” Akane howled, eager to get underway with the voyage.
 
“Nooo,” Nabiki whined pathetically. “We spent a lot on this island Akane, and we need to re-coup!”
 
“You promised him, so just give it!” the Akaken captain snapped, her tone carrying an unarguable finality.
 
Nabiki huffed and scowled, but ultimately succumbed to her sister's order and grudgingly paid the carpenter the promised amount. “Jeez,” Paulie complained, pocketing his earnings as Nabiki stomped off. “Give her an inch, and she'll take a mile.”
 
“…and your wallet, and your jewelry, and anything else you might have,” Akane continued with a giggle, earning a barking laugh from Paulie.
 
The carpenter leaned against the ship rails, lighting the cigar he bit firmly in his teeth. “So off to Glades is it?” he asked, a glower of worry etched on face. He chewed nervously on the cigar before continuing. “That's a Marine nest, isn't it? No place to sail with a Jolly Roger.”
 
“Yeah,” she replied solemnly, mirroring Paulie with her own grim frown. “But I have to. Ranma's there.”
 
“Your fiancé, right?” he asked. He chuckled, trying to imagine what sort of man would want to marry this hellion of a woman.
 
Akane nodded sadly. “Yeah,” she mumbled. “I miss him.”
 
“Captain,” Kuno interrupted, stressing the word `captain' almost sarcastically. “The sails are prepped and everything is stored. We can leave whenever you wish.”
 
“All right,” the girl answered Kuno, looking a little cross. “Just give me a minute!” She turned her focus back to the carpenter.
 
“This is where I get off isn't it?” Paulie laughed, puffing his cigar. He reached down towards the pirate captain, and gave her a hug. “I haven't known you very long, but I think I'm going to miss you crazy sisters.”
 
“You reek of tobacco,” she complained sourly in his embrace. They separated, Paulie scowling and Akane giggling. “I'm joking. We'll miss you, too.”
 
Paulie lightly strode off the Akaken vessel, watching as they made final preparations. Akane went to handle the anchor, tightly grabbing the chain. She grunted as she hauled the massive iron anchor back onto the ship, before hanging it on the side.
 
“Crazy strong,” Paulie muttered irritably, watching her.
 
“Let's set sail!” she exclaimed, ordering her crew. The sails unfurled, and the ship began to slowly slip away. The Blue Thunder powered off, ready to meet its next destination.
 
“Good luck finding your family,” Paulie called as Akane waved goodbye. “If you're ever in Water 7, look me up!”
 
“See you!” Akane called back. “And no more gambling!”
 
He laughed and grinned devilishly one last time at the retreating vessel, before tossing his burnt out cigar into the sea.
 
“Raise hell!”
 
To be continued…
 
Note: I've created some piece of Wild Blue fan art. You can find them linked in my profile.
 
Thanks
To my pre-readers Kaiser Convoy and Psycho King, as well as the reviewers last week that pointed out how I messed up the spelling of Konatsu's daggers. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, also. Your support makes this worth it.
 
Things to Consider
Sea King:Giant monsters that stalk the waves of the Grand Line. They are essentially sea monsters. They vary in appearance, and some are tougher than others.
 
Drum Island: Mentioned in passing by the doctor examining Ranma. Also mentioned it last chapter by Paulie. It's known widely in the medical community for being so ahead of everyone else in medicine, though recent events have changed that.
 
Cipher Pol: Cipher Pol is sort of the CIA of the One Piece world. They run through divisions CP1 through to CP8, plus the super-secrete-elite CP9. They're spies, they're intelligence, they're soldiers, and they're also assassins.
 
Takabachi: Takabachi means Hawk Bee. Bachi is typically the suffix added to the ends of the names of species of bees and wasps. Suzumebachi, for example, is the name of the Japanese Hornet. Its name means “sparrow bee,” referring to its huge size (Google the Japanese Hornet, I dare you… Actually, better yet, YouTube it).
 
The CP9 are all extremely skilled Martial Artists that practice a fighting style called Rokushiki. Some of them even have Devil Fruit powers, further enhancing their strength.
 
Rokushiki: This is Japanese for Six Forms. It's made up of six special techniques that enhance the user's basic fighting: Tekkai, Shigan, Geppou, Rankyaku, Kami-e, and Soru. All of these are from One Piece, and are used by Cipher Pol 9 agents.
 
Tekkai: Literally means Iron Mass. This technique causes the user's muscles to become as hard as steal, able to resist all but the fiercest of blows. However, it has a disadvantage, as most Rokushiki users can't move their limbs while using Tekkai.
 
Kami-e: Japanese for paper drawing. A technique in which the user makes their body go limp in order to avoid all attacks, and float like a piece of paper.
 
Soru: It means Shave. The user kicks the same spot on the ground as many as a dozen times in single instant. This causes the user to be propelled at extremely high speeds, making them look as if they're vanishing and re-appearing in the blink of an eye. Soru is the most exhausting of all the Rokushiki, but it's easiest to learn.
 
Issen Rendan: Japanese for Flash Combo. Basically he just rapidly uses Soru after Soru to strike his opponent's weak points again and again, overwhelming them. This is not canon, and it's an original Soru variation made up by myself.
 
Mind's Eye: This is actually a Ranma ½ concept, rather than a One Piece one. Cologne mentions it to Ryouga when he's learning the Bakusai Tenketsu that he needs to see the boulder with his mind's eye, in order to strike the right part of the rock. Unlike Ranma ½, One Piece doesn't really explain how special moves work, so I'm free to put a little Ranma-ness into the techniques.
 
The Kingdom and the Hostages: I suppose I should spoiler warning this, as this bit of glossary regards a very recent One Piece chapter. You have been warned.
 
The story that Fenris tells Ranma is something that really happened in the world of One Piece. What Fenris does not reveal is WHO killed the hostages. It was actually the World Government assassin that killed them, effectively ending the hostage crisis. Following that, the assassin then killed all the pirates, resulting in the deaths of hundreds.
 
The agent that murdered all these people was a thirteen year old boy named Rob Lucci. He later grew to be the most powerful member of the CP9, and the World Government's senior assassin. Currently in the One Piece manga, he's engaged in epic battle with the pirate Strawhat Luffy, the hero of the series.
 
 
Author's Notes
I'm sorry about the lateness of this chapter, but it was HUGE. The biggest I've written yet. Also, Ranma's introduction to the story was pivotal, and I really needed to take my time in order to make sure the characters came out right.
 
Also regarding update times… Expect them to take longer than before.
 
My chapters have become much longer than they had when I originally started the story, and bringing out a chapter one a week has become too time consuming for me. 1000 words a night is my comfort speed, and writing more than that has been making me cranky. I love writing Wild Blue, and I don't want to give up on it because I accidentally made myself hate it.
 
At most, it just means I take a week and a half (two weeks max) for a chapter instead of one.
 
 
Anyways…
 
I'm rather surprised on how many readers I have that have no knowledge of One Piece. I'm trying to be extra detailed in my glossary of One Piece terms for you guys, but I'd like to recommend the manga series to you regardless. (do not watch the localized TV series, you will regret it)
 
The beginning is a bit slow, but it gets really good at the Arlong Park story arc. Like Ranma, it's silly with lots of fighting. It's a bit heavier on the action, and no romance sadly, but it's still pretty great. A simple Google search using the keywords “One Piece Manga” will take you to some very useful MSN groups for… uh... familiarizing yourselves with the series.
 
Oh, btw, I was messing around in Photoshop this week, and I shop'd together some pictures of Akane and Kuno in their Wild Blue getups. If you care to see them, they're posted in my profile. It's not much. Just quick little exercises I made to help me visualize the characters as pirates better. I'll probably do some more characters next week. There's also a bigger piece of Akane in there as well, that's much more involved then the other two. Consider them bonus for waiting so long.

This chapter was almost entirely from Ranma's perspective. Next chapter I want to make more Ukyo focused.
 
Review Responses
Rabid Badger: Thanks for reviewing! I appreciate it for being here every step of the way. Yeah, if you like Wild Blue, I must definitely recommend reading One Piece.

Ghost in the Machine: Thanks for pointing out the nits. Secrete and Secret have been added to my search and destroy list. I'll try to keep a bigger eye out for bugs, though my mind has a bad habit of filling in the blanks and reads things how I thought I've written them. Thanks again for reviewing.
 
majinbuu7985: Ranma isn't really under 'mind control' so much as Jango has made him forget. I really doubt Jango actually has the power to completely alter a person on the level you're thinking without turning their behavior zombie-like. As for people resisting Jango's hypnotism, nuh-uh. It's potent and has always worked instantly, and even works on Jango himself. If you think this is too overpowered to be true, remember the easiest defense against it in closing your eyes.
 
As for Luffy vs. Ranma… Well, I talked some things over with one of my pre-readers, and we'll see. Certainly it's something that will happen now, in some form or another (it could either be silly or dead serious, we'll see). Thanks again for your comments.
 
Deepdream: Hi and thanks for reviewing! Sorry, I didn't update as soon like you hoped. But better late than never!
 
Thanks for your compliments. Though I do love using the more minor characters, I intend to use the main characters eventually. As you can see, Ranma is in this chapter. The Strawhats will appear in Book 2, and other important parts of the Ranma cast will be featured what I'm calling the Wild Blue Interludes. Glad you like Kuno, as he's a very fun character to write for.
 
Thank you for correcting me. I corrected Wasp Sting, only to mess it up and spell it wrong again.
 
Nukem: Thanks for reading and reviewing. Your correction was helpful, because after I tried to correct Wasp Sting the first time, I messed it up. Two times the charm, I guess. If you like Wild Blue, I really must recommend you read One Piece.
 
Joustingforcancer: Thanks for reviewing! If you like Wild Blue, I really must recommend you read One Piece.