Ten Months In Tokyo An Original work by Josh Heistman 2001 Script G Productions Chapter Five: Truth and Consequences Disclaimer: I, Josh Heistman, do not own Ranma 1/2, its characters or locations. The abovementioned entities are the intellectual and creative property of Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Communications, Inc. (and not me). I do not claim ownership of the abovementioned entities, nor will I be profiting from the use of them. Please, please don't sue me! Thanks. Alex stepped into the dojo, where Genma stood waiting. "Welcome home, Alex." He said, smiling. "Hello, sensei." Alex replied, taking off his shoes and setting his books on the floor. "What's the plan for my first lesson?" Genma beamed with happiness. His own son never called him sensei while in training. He always called him 'pops' or 'old man'. He was glad to finally have a pupil who would show him the proper respect. "Well, my boy, today we'll be working to improve your balance." Alex snickered a little. "You mean, like, balancing books on my head or something?" Genma just grinned. "No, my boy, not books! Anyone in a karate gi could balance a book on his head. A true martial artist can balance a multitude of objects on their heads, while walking!" "So, what do I have to balance?" Asked the perplexed pupil. "Come outside, I have everything we need out by the koi pond." Explained Genma with a grin. The two of them moved to the outside of Tendo Hall, where all sorts of heavy objects were lying around, waiting to be balanced by Alex. "Let's start with this, shall we?" Genma said, lifting a cement block and holding it out to Alex. Alex's eyes widened. "You're kidding, right? That thing will crush my head in an instant!" Genma laughed heartily. "Nonsense, m'boy! It's all mind over matter! If Ranma can do it, I'm sure you could, too. Now, put this brick on your head!" Alex sighed, hesitant but compliant. "There!" Genma said, grinning. "Now you look like a true martial artist!" "If you ask me…" came a voice from atop the dojo roof, "…he looks like a true idiot!" Genma and Alex turned to face Ranma, who was laughing from his perch. "Well, we didn't ask you!" the two shouted in unison, causing Ranma to laugh harder. "Come on, pop… how is balancing some brick on his head going to make him a better martial artist, anyway?" He asked, jumping down to the ground. "Don't mock the system, boy. It's how I was trained, and I turned out just fine!" Genma retorted. "Oh, yeah, pops… you're a real expert in the art, too!" Returned Ranma. Alex stepped back, out of the way of the family dispute. If they were going to fight, he thought, I'm at least going to have a good seat to watch from. "I taught you everything you know, boy…" Genma said, matter-of-factly, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Well, then, old man, you shouldn't have much trouble beating me then, now will ya?" Ranma taunted, moving into a fighting stance. "Oh-ho!" laughed Genma. "If it's a fight you want, boy, you've got it!" Alex smiled, sitting on the back steps and watching. And wishing he had some popcorn. Ranma and Genma stared each other down for a second, and then the fight began. They both jumped into the air with lightning speed. The met in mid-leap, each throwing a flurry of punches, then retreating to rocks on either side of the koi pond. The pattern continued a second time, but this time Ranma sent Genma plummeting into the water below. Ranma landed on a rock, bowing to an applauding Alex. Just then, Genma, now in panda form, rose from the water. Alex's eyes grew wide with shock. "Holy shit, Ranma, look out!" he shouted, but it was too late. Genma had wrapped his arms around Ranma and pulled him into the water. Alex ran to the edge of the pond, looking for any sign of Ranma or his father. All he could see was two shadowy figures moving about in the water. After about a minute, the figures came splashing to the surface. Alex recognized one of them as the panda. The other was a rather attractive redhead. "What'd you do that for?" shouted the girl, angrily. "You are such a sore loser!" The panda grumbled a protest, which the girl seemed to understand. "Oh, yeah… 'A martial artist should be prepared for anything…'" she replied, in a mocking tone. Alex laughed. If he didn't know any better, he'd have sworn he knew these two. The girl and the panda got into a ridiculous fight in the water, splashing about and bickering. Come to think about it, Alex thought, that girl is dressed just like… "Ranma?" Ranma stopped yelling at Genma and turned around. In all her anger, she'd forgotten about Alex. "Sorry about this…" Ranma mumbled. Alex sat, shocked and motionless, on the rock. The cement block slid off of his head and hit the ground with a dull thud. Alex knocked on the door to the Saotomes' room. The door opened, and Ranma looked out, drying his hair with a towel. He opened the door for Alex, who stepped in, still wearing a look of utter shock. Ranma closed the door behind him, leaning against it to keep it relatively secure. Alex plopped down onto the floor, looking up at Ranma. "Well, I'm waiting…" Ranma tilted his head to the side. "What do you mean 'I'm waiting'? Waiting for what?" "An explanation…" Alex quipped, matter-of-factly. "I know what I saw, and it wasn't normal, and I want to know what the Hell is going on around here…" Ranma locked to door quickly, before sitting down to face Alex. He looked him right in the eyes. "I'll tell you, as long as you promise not to mention a word of it to Mike or Don… got it?" Alex nodded. "Deal… I don't care if they know or not. As long as you explain so that maybe I don't have an aneurysm or something…" Ranma sighed, closing his eyes. "A couple of years ago, my pops and I were on a training mission in China…" he began, unfolding the 'very tragic story' of the Saotome family vacation to the cursed Jusenkyo training grounds. Alex sat listening, in wide-eyed wonder, to the story that was being laid out before him. It sounded unbelievable, but Ranma seemed totally serious throughout the retelling. "… And then we got here… it took a while to get used to, but…" Ranma's eyes re-fixed themselves on Alex's. "Don't tell anyone this, but I really don't mind it anymore. It's not like it hurts or anything, and I can get free food when I'm a girl." Ranma half-smiled, and Alex laughed a little. "But, like I said, that's our little secret, okay?" Alex gave Ranma a devious grin, which caught the boy unaware. "Okay… as long as you take me to Jusenkyo…" Ranma went goggle-eyed. "Are you kidding? Didn't I just tell you how dangerous it is?" Alex nodded. "I know it's dangerous, Ranma, but I have to see it with my own eyes… I'm willing to take the risk, and I'll be really careful… please…" Ranma sighed. "Well, if it means you're not going to tell anyone…" Alex leapt to his feet, a wild grin on his face. "Thanks, Ranma! I can't wait until we leave!" And with that, the American burst out of the room, leaving Ranma to wonder if he'd made the right decision. "Nabiki…" came a voice from the middle daughter's open doorway. Looking up, she saw a very distraught Mike leaning against her doorjamb. "I need some advice…" Yen-signs in her eyes, Nabiki smiled sweetly at him. "Advice, eh? Come on in, have a seat… shut the door!" Mike frantically followed her instructions, taking a seat at the end of her bed. She turned her chair around to face him. "So, what kind of advice are you looking for, hmmm?" Mike blinked, clearing his throat. "Well, it's about Ukyo… you see…" Nabiki raised her index finger, tapping him on the nose. "Ah-ah-ah… not so fast, Mike… everything has a price, you know."