Dual Destinies

The characters depicted in this story are not mine. Ranma 1/2 and all

related characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I wrote this

story purely for fun.

<>: Thoughts

{" "} Telepathic communication

Chapter 5

The Training Begins

Ranma Red and Ranma Blue arrived at the vacant lot at precisely

midday. As they stood to wait for Taron and Soren to contact them, the

two Saotomes began discussing their future plans.

"So what do you plan to do after all this is over?" Ranma Red asked.

"Well, I was hoping to wait until I've finished high school before me

and Ucchan tie the knot. Since Pop did take that okonomiyaki cart, I

shouldn't have too much trouble convincing Mr. Tendo to break my

engagement with Akane. If worse comes to worse, I'll just marry

Ucchan right on the spot! Ain't nobody gonna stop me from marrying

my Ucchan!" Ranma Blue smiled with a dreamy look on his face, which

then turned into one of concern as he gazed at his brother. "I'm kind of

worried about you, bro. How are you going to convince them to let you

marry Shampoo?"

Ranma Red nodded. "I know. The Tendos and especially Akane, don't

think those Amazon laws hold any valid claim. I could always ask the

old ghoul for some help, but I don't want to hurt Akane or her family."

"You know, you really should stop calling Cologne an old ghoul.

After all, you're going to become part of her family."

Ranma Red considered the thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Sorry about that. I guess that was a force of habit. I'll call her Cologne

from now on."

{"Bravo!"}

Both twins looked and around, then remembered that Taron and

Soren could communicate with their minds.

{"I'm proud of you Ranma Red. You too Ranma Blue. You guys are

finally starting to lose some of those bad habits of yours."} Taron

commented.

{"Yes. It's a good start. You are learning responsibility, compassion

and respect!" As you will soon find out, your separation will also

reflect on your personalities. You'll find yourselves much better off."}

Soren added.

{Hey Taron! Are we starting our training now?"} Ranma Blue asked.

{"Yes we are. However, in order to train you properly, we have to be

in the physical world with you. Hold on a moment."}

There was a sudden bright flash of light that appeared in front of the

two boys. When it died down, the two Ranmas beheld the immortal

twins. Taron was dressed in his white Chinese shirt, black pants and

Kung fu shoes. Soren was identical in appearance, except that he wore a

black Chinese shirt.

"So what's the first part of our training?" Ranma Red asked.

"This!" Soren answered as he reached behind his back and tossed two

items at his students. Both Ranmas did not realize what those items

were until they found their lines of vision blocked by masses of fur.

Then all of a sudden, the twin Saotomes began to quiver when they

heard the things meow.

Ranma Red's eyes became as wide as headlights when realized that a

white and black cat was holding onto his head. Ranma Blue was no

better as his teeth began to chatter at the sight of an orange, striped

tabby on his face. Their fear of felines began to build and swell inside

their minds. The pressure soon became unbearable as they tried to hold

in their automatic reactions. Finally, the inevitable happened.

"YAAAAAHHHHH!!! CAT! CAT! CAT!" Both Ranmas screamed as

they began to run in wild circles, desperately trying to pull off the

felines from their faces. This of course startled the cats, which caused

them to react instinctively. They gripped their faces even tighter.

Taron and Soren shook their heads sadly as they watched their pupils

run to and fro like chickens with their heads cut off. All the while, both

Ranmas were screaming repeatedly, "GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF! GET IT

OFF!"

"It is as we expected." Taron said to his brother. "The Cat Fist

training had damaged BOTH of their minds! I always knew that Genma

was stupid, but I didn't think that he would go this far!"

"Just remember, Ranma was subjected to the training repeatedly. Not

just with fish sausage, but also with smelt, dry sardines and fish cakes!

That idiot father of his actually thought it would make a difference!"

Soren sighed as he watched the two Ranmas suddenly stop, and drop to

all fours. "Well, here it comes."

The cats had decided that now was the time to leave. They quickly

disengaged themselves from the Saotome brothers and ran off. Ranma

Red and Ranma Blue were now looking at Taron and Soren like cats that

were just about to pounce on an unwary bird.

Taron and Soren maintained their calm as they waited for their

students to attack. With a loud meow from both, the twins launched

themselves at the immortals. As they streaked toward Taron and Soren,

the two readied their 'claws' for the impending mauling.

Taron was the first to counter his opponent. Stabbing forth with a

speed that made both the Cat Fist and the Chestnut Fist seem slow in

comparison, he began using his index fingers to hit several pressure

points on Ranma Blue's body. The cat-boy became limp as he lost all

control to his voluntary muscles. Ranma Blue fell lightly on the ground

in front of Taron. He meowed with confusion as he remained sprawled

on his belly.

Soren handled his Ranma just as easily. Just as Ranma Red was about

to begin slashing at his face, Soren lashed out with an open hand. The

hand glowed with a red light as Soren caught the other Saotome twin by

the junction where the shoulder met the neck. The red energy spread

out from his hand and bathed Ranma Red's body. Soren then brought his

pupil close to his face and uttered one word.

"Calm."

Instantly, Ranma Red became less tense and his eyes lost all

aggression. The red light faded away and Soren released his student.

Ranma Red landed on all fours, then sat on his haunches. He began

licking the back of his hand.

The two immortal twins shook their heads in disgust as they

observed their champions. One didn't have to be psychic to know that

they were not pleased.

"It is very apparent that the two of them have gained an irrational fear

of cats from the training." Taron noted.

"Yes, but we must get rid that phobia. The Dark World probably

knows of their weakness and will try to exploit it." Soren added.

"Very well then. Exorcisms are your department. Go to it."

Soren closed his eyes and began concentrating. The two Ranmas

suddenly found themselves levitated above the ground and then

suspended about five feet in midair. Ranma Red began to struggle, but

Taron put a stop to it by hitting the same pressure points as he did with

Ranma Blue. With both Ranmas limp, Soren began to invoke the spell

that would free them from their fear of felines. The two Saotomes

looked in confusion as Soren extended an index finger towards them.

The tip of his finger glowed with a tiny ball of white light as he touched

a spot on Ranma Red's forehead. Soren repeated the motion on Ranma

Blue, then stepped back.

The two Ranmas lost consciousness as they began to glow with

white auras. Suddenly, twin blasts of chi energy shot upward from their

floating forms. The energies swirled and mingled in the air, finally

separating and took on the ghostly shapes of cats. Both shapes meowed

once, then dispersed into tiny sparks. After they were gone, Soren

gently levitated the Saotome brothers to the ground, laying them on

their backs. Their auras faded and a minute later, both of the twins

regained consciousness.

As the two sat up, they looked at their mentors with confusion.

"What happened?" Ranma Red asked. "I remember you throwing us

the cats but not much else."

"Same here. Why did you do that?" Ranma Blue added. He was a little

surprised that he wasn't angered. Instead, he felt refreshed. It was if a

huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders. Ranma Red was also

feeling the same way.

It was at that time that a stray cat had wandered into the lot. The gray

and white striped feline ambled over to Soren and nuzzled his leg,

hoping for a handout. Soren looked down and saw the cat. Reaching

behind him, he pulled out a small fish and tossed it toward the

Saotomes. The fish landed on the ground between the twins, instantly

alerting the tabby. The cat pounced on the tasty tidbit and began to eat.

Both Ranmas looked at the cat and were more than amazed when

they did not feel the slightest bit of fear from being so close to it.

Ranma Red reached out slowly with a hand and began to gently stroke

the cat's back. Ranma Blue followed suit and started to pet the feline's

head. After a minute or so, the cat decided to take its meal somewhere

else. Picking up the fish in its mouth, it ran out of the lot and disappeared.

Ranma Red and Ranma Blue looked up at Soren and Taron with awe.

The two immortals smiled as they began their explanations.

"The Cat Fist was created by a demon of the Dark World some five

thousand years ago." Taron said. "He had intended to corrupt our

champions with the lure of its power, knowing that the technique would

also bring madness."

"When our champions fell victim to the Cat Fist's adverse side-

effects, I used a technique which freed the demon's influence from

their minds. You see the training for the Cat Fist is really an arcane

ritual to summon up the demon's power and the use of the technique is

more like a possession than a martial arts move. To counter it, I used

my powers to exorcise the spell from them. Just as I have done with the

two of you." Soren smiled.

"So we're no longer afraid of cats?" Ranma Red inquired.

"Well, it would not do for you to marry Shampoo, unless you

conquered your fear of her Jusenkyo curse." Soren replied.

Ranma Red nodded.

"After we had freed our previous champions from the Cat Fist, the

demon still decided to make things difficult by leaving the instructions

to the technique into the hands of several martial artists. It was his hope

that the Cat Fist would one day corrupt one of our future champions.

When Genma came across it, his plan succeeded." Taron became very

irritated at this fact.

"Yes. Despite the fact that we added that THIRD PAGE, he still

submitted his son to that horrible training! I swear, an overcooked

cabbage has more intelligence than him! You'd think a martial artist

would read the whole instruction manual BEFORE trying to learn the

technique!"

"That man is an absolute moron!"

"The only thing good that ever came out of him was Ranma!"

The twin immortals fumed for a few more minutes, then calmed

down. Turning back to their students, they began their instructions.

"Now that you both have been cleansed of the Cat Fist, it is time that

you began your training." Taron said as he and his brother sat down in

front of both Ranmas.

"Yes. Now please sit in a lotus position." Soren added.

The two Ranmas crossed and locked their legs in the indicated position.

"As you recall, we did promise to teach you how to communicate

with your thoughts. This ability will be very useful in the near future as

you battle the Dark World. There will be times that one of you will be

in the Spirit Plane, while the other will be on the Earth Realm. Close

communication between the two of you will be essential. This skill will

also enhance your other senses and increase your perceptions."

"To begin, we want you both to clear your mind and begin

meditating." Taron said as the lesson began.

Somewhere on the other side of Nerima�

Ryoga Hibiki was a sorry sight to behold. As usual, the eternal lost

boy had no idea where he was going. That was not the surprising. What

was surprising was that he looked more bruised and battered than he ever

did during his usual, 'long-trip-to-find-somewhere-close' journeys. The

beating that he received at the hands of the Ranma twins left him in both

physical and emotional pain. His body was a mess. It was covered in so

many bumps and bruises that his skin was almost totally purple. He had a

bandage wrapped around his forehead, and he had a gauze patch taped to

either side of his cheeks. His face was swollen in several places and he

had several welts raised on his head. His hair was frazzled and he was

sore all over his upper body. He also had several bandages wrapped

around his midsection underneath his clothes.

<Curse you Ranma! I don't know what new technique you've

discovered, but I will make you pay for what you've done to Akane and

me!> Ryoga was so deep in thought that he wasn't watching where he

was going. As a result, he ended up at the front gate of the one place he

could never find if he tried. The Tendo dojo.

"Ryoga! Hi!" Akane called as she came out of the house.

Ryoga froze as he heard her voice. >Oh no! It's Akane! I can't let her

see me like this!> Ryoga did not face his secret love as he responded,

"Oh� hi Akane, uh� nice day we're having."

"Ryoga? What's wrong? Why won't you turn around? Are you hiding

something?"

"ME?! Hiding?! Oh� it's nothing A-Akane. Heh heh heh."

"If it's nothing, then why don't you turn around. I mean, I'd rather talk

to your face instead of your back." Akane began to walk around toward

Ryoga's front.

Ryoga desperately turned the other way, trying desperately to hide

his appearance from her. Akane then reversed her direction and over to

the other side. Ryoga turned to avoid her. Then Akane reversed her

direction again. Ryoga reversed with her. This strange little dance went

on for about a minute, until Akane became a bit irritated.

"Ryoga, why won't you face me?"

Ryoga was panicking. If he couldn't think of a good excuse, Akane

would surely see his face. It was then that a shadow fell down and

blocked out the sun for a moment. Ryoga looked down and saw that the

shadow was the shape of a bicycle. The shadow became larger and

before Ryoga's pain-ridden body could react, he was driven face first

into the pavement as Shampoo's bicycle landed on him.

"YEEEEEEEOOOOOOWWWW!!!" Ryoga screamed as his injuries

pressed hard against the concrete.

Shampoo looked down on what she had landed on as she balanced a

takeout box on one hand. Seeing that it was Ryoga, she quickly pulled

her bicycle off the lost boy, and then bent down to help him up. It was

then that she noticed Ryoga's face.

"Aiya! Where Ryoga get so many boo boos?"

Akane then looked at the Hibiki's face and gasped. "Ryoga?! WHAT

happened to you?"

Ryoga fumed in pain and silence for a few moments before shouting

out, "Damn that Ranma!"

Shampoo and Akane looked at each other and then back at Ryoga in

disbelief. Then Akane half-shouted, "RANMA did this?!"

In the Tendo dining room, Ryoga was sitting at the table, nursing a

cup of tea that was given to him by Kasumi. The Tendo family and

Shampoo were gathered around the lost boy as they listened in on his

latest encounter with the pigtailed martial artist. They had not seen

Ranma for more than a day and were eager to learn his whereabouts.

Ryoga told them that he had encountered Ranma early today. During

their usual battle, Ranma had used some new technique that somehow

doubled his speed. Ryoga swore that Ranma moved so fast that he saw

two of him for a moment. That was when he received more than 1000

high-speed punches. When he came to in the caf�, Ranma was already

gone. He was so angry that he did not stop to ask the manager on where

he had gone, and immediately got lost again. It was pure coincidence

that he came across Dr. Tofu's office and got proper treatment.

"Aiya! It no possible!" Shampoo stated as Ryoga finished his story.

"What do you mean? Dr. Tofu told me that he recognized Ranma's

handiwork! He even counted how many hits I took! One thousand and

twenty-four punches!"

Shampoo shook her head. "Even great-grandmother cannot hit more

than seven hundred! Great-grandmother taught Ranma how to do

Chestnut Fist! Ranma can do five hundred. Maybe little more."

Genma looked with a stern gaze. "Hmm, what do you think Tendo?

Ranma has never been that good!"

"I don't know Saotome. Could this have anything to do with his

disappearance? Perhaps he has been training in some new techniques

that we don't know about."

As the others began to speculate on the missing Saotome, Akane was

fuming in silent rage. <That jerk! How dare he hit poor Ryoga like that?

And to think we were actually getting worried about him! When I see

him again, he's going to wish he never fought with Ryoga!>

Back at the vacant lot, both Ranmas and their immortal tutors had

just completed the first step in the training. By the time the sun was

setting, the Saotome brothers had mastered the ability to project their

thoughts. The two became ecstatic at their newfound skill and thanked

their benefactors.

"You're very welcome boys." Taron said as they all got up.

"Yes. Well, it is time for us to leave you now." Soren said. " Are you

sure you don't want to stay over in the Realm of Infinity? I mean, you

can hardly go home right now. The Tendos are definitely not ready for

you two."

Ranma Blue shook his head and said, "Nah! My brother and me have

already thought about this and we've started to get some ideas. We

know of a couple of places where we can go for a while."

"All right you two. We'll meet back here at noon tomorrow. See you

then." Soren turned back toward his twin and the two disappeared in a

flash of light

The Saotome twins began walking toward the Nerima district as the

last rays of the sunset faded from view. They did not head toward the

Tendo dojo, but toward the business area. It was about ten o'clock when

the two arrived at a familiar establishment. The proprietress was just

taking down her shop curtain as she prepared to close for the night. The

streetlights cast a somber light, which reflected off the giant spatula

that was strapped to her back.

Ranma Blue and Ranma Red watched from around the corner as

Ukyo went into her shop and closed the door. They then faced each

other and Ranma Blue took a deep breath.

"Well, this is it bro! The first night of the rest of your life! Are you

sure you want to do this now?"

Ranma Blue was silent for a moment, then nodded. "I have to tell her

how I feel! I just can't stop thinking about her! Being away from her is

like missing a part of myself! Taron was right. I do love her! I've been

feeling this way ever since we got back!"

"All right Blue. You know I'll be behind you one hundred percent.

Just be sure that you'll be there when I pop the question to Shampoo!"

"You know it Red!"

Ranma Blue stepped out into the street and walked over towards the

Ucchan's. When he reached the front door, he began knocking on it.

After a few minutes, the door opened.

"I'm sorry but we're closed and � Ran-chan!"

Ranma Blue barely got to say 'Hi Ucchan' before the brown-haired

girl embraced him in a grip that was similar to Shampoo's Amazon

glomp. Ranma returned the embrace.

"Where have you been?" Ukyo asked, still embracing her fianc�e. "I

haven't seen you since�"

"Since the day you told me that you loved me?" Ranma Blue finished.

Ukyo released her grip and turned around in embarrassment. Ranma

Blue thought her sudden shyness was adorable. "Hey Ucchan, can we go

inside and talk? There's something that I really need to tell you."

Ranma Red watched from his corner, as Ukyo gestured for his

brother to enter and the two went inside. He then waited patiently as he

looked at the darkened building, which only had one room lit. He

assumed that Ranma Blue and Ukyo were having a very tender

discussion in that room. Ten minutes later, he heard a loud crash as

Ukyo's voice shouted out one word.

"YES!!!"

Ranma Red smiled. He could only guess as to what had just been

said. He had some wicked speculation as to what was happening at the

moment but decided to banish those thoughts. Another minute later, he

heard Ukyo's voice again.

"I LOVE YOU RAN-CHAN!!!"

<Oh well.> Ranma Red thought. <At least I know he'll be happy!>

He shook his head and smiled.

Twenty minutes later, the building shut off its lights and all was

silent. Ranma Red came out from his hiding place, just as he saw his

brother exit the building. He had a dreamy look on his face and was

carrying a large takeout box.

"So I take it she accepted?"

Ranma Blue could only nod, as the memories of Ukyo kisses were

still fresh on his mind. That girl could really osculate!

"So what did you tell her?"

Ranma Blue finally shook himself out of his dreamy state and said, "I

just told her that I loved her and asked her to marry me! I also made her

promise not to tell anyone about the proposal until the right time. I

haven't told her about you yet, but she swore not tell anyone that she

saw me."

"It's good to know that she'll keep our secret. By the way, I see

you've brought us some dinner."

"Yeah, we can eat on our way to the school. We can use that old

storage room in the basement to hide out in after we sneak our stuff out

of the dojo. We could also use the gym showers to clean ourselves up."

"Well, I guess there's no turning back now. Any regrets?"

"We're not cursed. We're not afraid of cats any more. I've got a twin

brother. Ukyo is gonna marry me. Can't say I have any regrets right now."

"Yeah, but you know things are going to get more complicated from

now on."

"Things have definitely changed for us. I'd say for the better, don't

you?"

Ranma Red was silent for a time, then he nodded. Patting his brother

on the shoulder, the twins headed toward the Tendo dojo to retrieve their

belongings. In the Realm of Infinity, two immortals smiled. Everything

was going according to plan.

To be continued�

AUTHOR'S NOTES

I wrote this chapter not only to please Ukyo fans, but also to solve

another problem with Ranma, mainly the Cat Fist. Now for those of you

who think that I am eliminating some of the plot devices by solving

Ranma's problems, think again. The Ranma brothers will still have

problems. Just different ones now.

The story is becoming less zanier than it is in either the anime or

manga. This ismore of a serious nature. I was inspired to take this route

after reading Zen'sLong and Winding Road. (I'm still waiting for

Chapter Three). There will befuture chapters that will be more warm

and fuzzy as this story progresses.

As you can see, this rewrite is relatively minor as I couldn't really

think ofanything else to do with it.