Chapter Text
Darkness.
Not the gradual darkness of the city, where it was never too dark to navigate and you could function just fine walking from streetlight to streetlight. Not the darkness of when you turn the light off to go to sleep, where you can still see just enough to not trip over anything on the floor. Not even the darkness of camping out in the woods, where the only light to guide you was from the moon and the stars, or perhaps a lantern or a campfire.
This darkness was the kind that was inky black, where you couldn’t see your own hand right in front of your face. This darkness was disorienting. He couldn’t tell what was up and what was down, just that he was sinking.
This darkness was completely and totally unnatural.
How did he know?
Because about 5 seconds ago, he could see perfectly fine. He could recall it all with perfect clarity too. His stupid Pops had dragged him to this ‘dangerous’ training ground that was little more than some bamboo shooting out around some springs. It looked like it was going to be decent training, sure, but as a final destination for their more than decade long training trip? It left a lot to be desired.
It definitely was not worth all the effort of backpacking through the backwaters of China, that was for sure. But they were here, and it was easy enough to ignore the guide’s words espousing how ‘dangerous’ and ‘cursed’ the springs were. For Martial Artists of their caliber, it wouldn’t prove an issue. Soon enough, he and his Pops were jumping and leaping from pole to pole, hanging in the air for impossible amounts of time as they exchanged rapid strikes and hurled insults at each other.
Ranma had been feeling himself. More and more often he was getting the advantage over Pops in their spars, and today had been no exception. Pop's little tricks weren’t working on him as well as they used to, and he had finally hit his growth spurt so they were at similar levels of height and reach.
So it was no surprise to Ranma that he drew first blood, landing a solid side kick in Pop's gut that sent him careening into one of the pools. He shouted some random insults as he watched Pops sink into the depths of the water, though that glee at getting one up on him turned to concern when Pops didn’t immediately emerge.
It was around that time that he actually took a moment to stop and listen to the guide, who was bemoaning Pop's fate for having landed in the Spring of the Drowned Panda. It sounded like a load of crap, it really really did.
So in his defence, when a giant Panda leapt out of the pool instead of his Pops, he was understandably a little surprised. And then his oaf of a father took advantage of his shock to nail him with a haymaker that sent him into his own pool, not once pausing to realize that he had grown a few inches and was covered from head to foot in fur.
Desperately, he had flailed his arms, hoping to latch onto one of the many bamboo shoots in an effort to prevent himself from meeting a similar fate. And for a brief moment, he did manage to grab one. Only it was so old and rotten that it simply snapped under his grip, doing little more than diverting his path from one pool to an adjacent one, inadvertently changing his destiny greatly.
As he sank under the depths, he felt something ripple along his body. His body… Was changing in ways he couldn’t quickly comprehend. He couldn’t tell how though, because the moment his head was fully submerged in the water, everything went dark.
It was like someone had turned off the sun.
He didn’t know how long he sunk for until he finally felt the bottom of the pool with his butt. But he finally had a way to orient himself. Getting his feet underneath him, he pushed and frantically swam for what he hoped was up.
He couldn’t tell how long he was under the water, thoughts as muddled with panic as they were. It could’ve been seconds, minutes, hours or even days.
His despair reached new heights when he broke the surface, desperately sputtering and gasping for breath. Automatically, he began to tread water while his hands went to scrub at his eyes, hoping that whatever it was that was preventing him from seeing would go away if he did.
But nothing changed, no matter how hard he scrubbed.
This was wrong. Seriously seriously wrong. Why couldn’t he see? Why couldn’t he see?!
Maybe… Maybe it was something in the water. That had to be it. Surely things would be better as soon as he got out of the water, right? He tried not to think about how his arms and legs were shorter or how his center of balance was off as he randomly chose a direction to swim towards. The pools hadn’t been all that wide across, at least he didn’t think they were. And soon enough he reached the edge, and could drag himself out of the water, clawing at the ground in a desperate furor.
He could hear two heavyset men (or one man and one panda?) rushing towards him. But he could barely focus on that as his panic was rising higher and higher. “C-Can’t see… Can’t see!” He croaked, hands flying to his throat at how much higher pitched his voice was. “W-What’s wrong with my voice?”
“Can’t see?” A confused sounding voice that spoke with a heavy accent responded. “That is very unusual… Did Mr. Customer not fall in Spring of Drowned Young Girl?”
“Growf?”
“G-Girl?” Ranma croaked again, rolling onto his back as he began to pat herself over.
“Indeed, Mr. Customer fall into Spring of Drowned Young Girl. Very tragic tale of young girl who drown 1500 years ago. Now whoever fall in that spring take body of Young Girl.” The voice went quiet for a few moments, before appearing much closer than before, causing Ranma to flinch in surprise. “Very strange though. Going blind is not normal part of curse.”
“B-Blind?! I-I’m blind?!” Ranma squeaked, hands exploring his changed proportions and feeling dread well up inside. It was true. His downstairs neighbor was gone, and on his chest were two heavy weights.
“Indeed. Eyes very milky white. Very normal in blind people. Hmm…” There was the sudden shuffling of pages. “Ah! I see. Mr. Customer not fall in Spring of Drowned Young Girl at all!”
“I didn’t?” Ranma wasn’t ashamed to admit that he allowed his hopes to build up for a fleeting moment despite how very different his body was.
“Yes! Mr. Customer instead fall in Spring of Drowned Blind Young Girl! Very tragic story of blind girl who drowned her many thousand years ago. Legend say is very first spring at Jusenkyo! Most mysterious indeed!” The guide announced, clapping the book shut. “Congratulations Mr. Customer, you very first person to fall in that spring!”
“Growf?!”
Ranma felt light headed. This was too much. Way too much. He was supposed to be a man amongst men. He had put so much blood sweat and tears into being a man! And now it was all taken away by a stupid pool of water?
In many other universes, Ranma would have popped up to his feet and chased after his smelly panda of a father, intending to beat the everliving snot out of him. Blinded by his rage, he would have accidentally knocked his friend and rival off of a cliff and into the spring of drowned piglet, entirely unaware of what he had done. He would have continued to chase after his father until they eventually returned to Jusenkyo, where they were taken to the Joketsuzoku village in hopes of learning to cure the curse.
In this universe, the combination of losing his manhood and his sight was simply too much for his mind to handle, causing Ranma to faint instead.
—
Ranma sighed for what felt like the thousandth time since the Jusenkyo fiasco, ready to be off this boat. For the first 24 hours after getting on the first boat to Japan, he had fought to retain his masculine form, but eventually he just gave up. Trying to stay dry on a small fishing vessel was a lesson in futility. At least if he stayed in his female form, he was excused from having to do any work. Not much a blind girl could do after all.
A stupid pandafied father though could work for the both of them.
Learning the curses were reversible, albeit temporarily, had probably saved Ranma from spiraling into an even deeper depression. Though he was still angry at his father for turning people that might have been willing to help them into enemies. Some old woman named Cologne - who could actually speak fluent Japanese - had been in the middle of discussing the oddities of his curse with him when Genma had just swooped in out of nowhere and started running for his life after throwing Ranma over his shoulder.
It was supremely annoying considering the old lady had been trying to recall what was just so special about ‘the first spring’. She had sounded pretty convinced there was something unique about it, beyond just the whole being blind thing. But now Ranma would never get to know because Pops was a fat oaf and got the entire village pissed at him.
He’d vented his frustration out on him when they finally settled down that first night afterwards and Genma was able to heat up some water for the both of them. Beating Pops to a pulp for the shit he had gotten them into had almost been as cathartic as being able to see again.
The rest of the trek across China was spent slung over Genma’s shoulder, being jostled the whole time as whatever he had done to the Amazon’s spooked him badly. To make matters worse, they couldn’t exactly communicate in their cursed forms. What little time Ranma got to spend in his real form was mostly spent working out his pent up frustration. The part of the curse that drew water to them was definitely real, and killed what little good mood he managed to build after being back in his normal body.
Genma even paid for passage on a boat, instead of swimming back to Japan like had originally been the plan, though Ranma was sure that was because swimming would be rather dangerous for him now.
Which was just another thing that seriously sucked about turning into a blind girl. He loved swimming, it was great fun and good training. But now he couldn’t really do it on his own, at least not out in the ocean.
Seriously, turning into a girl wouldn’t be nearly as awful if he could see.
The door to their room opened, and Ranma jerked his head in the direction of the sound, sitting up from where he had been laying in the hammock allotted to him.
“Pops?” He asked warily, his voice a cutesy soprano that should’ve grated on him more than it did. “That you?”
The man grunted and crossed the small room, and suddenly warm water poured over Ranma’s head and he could see again.
It was always incredibly disorienting switching back. His body felt so big and awkward after spending time in such a small and compact form, not to mention the suddenly being able to see again was immensely disorienting. Taking a moment to blink and wipe the water from his eyes, he grunted at his Pops. “Please tell me we’re getting off this boat soon.”
“Quit your whining boy, you sound like a girl.” Genma snorted as he went to gather his pack. “We’ll be landing in 15, so pack your things.”
“Gotcha.” Ranma said, visibly relieved as he began to do the same. Maybe he could finally, finally, spend some time in his normal body. “So what’s the plan? We gonna head back to that dojo I learned blind fighting from?”
Genma shook his head as he hefted his pack onto his back, adjusting his glasses as he looked at his son. “No, I believe I heard down the grapevine that Yamaguchi-sensei passed away a few years back. As far as I’m aware, the quality of that dojo has gone downhill, they cater far more to civilian martial artists now that his son has taken over.”
Ranma frowned, though he wished he could be surprised. Yamaguchi-sensei had been old when Ranma met him back when he was 10. “That sucks. I’d say we should turn around and go back to China to look for a cure, but honestly Pops I need to start working out how to not be so helpless. It’s gonna take a while to work out a whole new fighting style just in case I get splashed in the middle of a fight.” Ranma sighed. “Even if we did turn around, you really messed up our chances of getting any useful information or tips from those Amazons. You sure they chased us all the way to the coast?” He added with a pointed glare.
Genma coughed sheepishly. “Positive. Women are unreasonable creatures ruled by petty emotions boy, don’t you forget that. They just don’t understand the plight of a martial artist.” He harrumphed as he leaned against the wall. It was best to stay inside where it was dry until the boat was completely pulled into port. “No, we’ll head for Nerima.”
The boat jerked to a halt, and the pair paused their conversation in favor of eagerly hopping back onto the mainland. For a few moments, they simply enjoyed the peaceful noise of the dockworkers around them while they basked in the sunlight for a few moments before making tracks towards the city.
“So what’s so special about Nerima? They got some kinda blind fighting master or something?”
“Nothing like that boy. I told you, the training journey ended at Jusenkyo.” Genma paused, seemingly picking his next words carefully. “And it’s time to fulfill a promise to an old friend.”
Ranma scoffed, tugging off his hair tie for a second before redoing the ponytail he’d taken to keeping his hair in. “Sure, old friend. Sounds like the set up for another one of your scams to me Pops.”
Genma swatted at him with a scowl on his face. “No respect!” He cried, considering hamming it up for a few moments before deciding otherwise. “I mean it boy. I sent a postcard before we arrived at Jusenkyo so he knows we’re coming. Soun is an old friend who studied under the same master as me, and the two of us are brothers in all but blood! The plan was always for the journey to end here so that we could unite the schools!”
Grumbling under his breath, Ranma took a half hearted swipe at his father, the two engaging in a light exchange of blows as they walked. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was intrigued by this. “That’s the first I’ve ever heard of this. What’s this other school like?”
“The Tendo Style of Anything Goes was designed to compliment the Saotome Style. We focus on aerial superiority, speed and adaptation. Tendo Style focuses on being a stalwart sentinel, controlling the ground with a focus on strength and Ki projection. Saotome controls the air, and Tendo controls the ground.” Genma explained.
This was just sounding better and better to Ranma. “A focus on the ground game huh? That’d be useful to learn, especially if I ever get splashed.” He mused, tucking his hands behind his neck and glaring at the clouds in the sky that he really hoped weren’t threatening rain. “Alright, sounds like a good plan.”
Genma smirked at his son, the whole conversation going much smoother than he had anticipated. “Of course it is. He has his own Dojo and a large home too. There should be no issue for him to put us up while you go to high school and unite the schools!”
Ranma stumbled. “Wha- High school? What the hell do you mean high school?” He asked incredulously. “How the hell am I gonna go to school? You’ve seen how this stupid curse attracts water! I’m not gonna be able to see the board or nothin!”
Genma blinked. That was actually a valid concern…
He shrugged it off. “Bah, you’ll figure it out. It’s important for you to go to school so you can spend more time with your fiancee after all.”
Ranma froze. “F-Fiancee?! What are you talking about Pops?”
“Of course boy! What part of joining the schools didn’t you understand? Soun and I promised each other before you were even born that we would unite the schools. Soun only has daughters, so marriage is the best choice to unite the schools!”
“What the hell Pops?! I ain’t gonna get married to some chick I don’t know! And besides, we’ve gotta get rid of these stupid curses! We should be focusing on that!” Ranma blew up on his father.
“Boy, honor demands that you marry a Tendo to join the schools!” Genma roared back, never one to back down from one of their habitual arguments, especially as Ranma was rapidly outgrowing him in strength. Words were one of the few methods of control he had left over his son.
And for a brief moment, Genma could see the hesitation in Ranma’s gaze. He had helped develop the boys code after all, honor was important to him. So it genuinely took him by surprise when Ranma sucker punched him in the gut. “Screw this! Picking my fiance for me without even asking me! This whole thing sucks! I’ve got more important things to deal with than this! Honor can wait! I’m going back to China!” Pivoting on one foot, Ranma took off back in the direction of the docks.
What ensued was a running battle that the pair were more than used to, dodging rapid kicks and punches while on the move. Genma was losing though, and they both knew it. In a fit of desperation, he overreached just enough, and Ranma pounced on the opening.
Heaving the older man over one shoulder, he slammed Genma on his back against the concrete, chest heaving from the exertion. He waited for a few seconds, seeing the dazed expression on his fathers face and taking it as a sign of his victory. “Suck on that old man! I’m going back to China!”
Moving to scoop up Genma’s bag, he leveled one last glare at his pops before he turned to finish the trek back to the docks, the
He made it all of 10 feet before the sky opened up, and his vision disappeared with it.
The crushing despair of helplessness settled on his shoulders, even as his chest felt lighter as it always did whenever the curse activated. “Sh-Shit… Really? This had to happen now?” He cursed as he stumbled, nearly tripping over his suddenly too large shoes while he flapped his arms about. He remembered his immediate vicinity, but they were in a city. People were around, and crossing the road was dangerous.
If he remembered correctly, there should be a noodle bar 10 steps forward and 5 steps to his left. All he had to do was go slowly, and make it abundantly clear to everyone around him that he couldn’t tell where he was going…
“Young lady, look out!”
Of course, Ranma didn’t realize that warning was for him. He barely even had time to process what was said before he collapsed bonelessly on the ground from the force of the blow to his head.