"A thorn defends the rose, harming only those who would steal the blossom."

As a proverb, he had thought it was something comprehended; but as the old ones have said, comprehension and understanding are two completely different matters. It was only at that moment that he could imbibe the true meaning of this particular saying - the moment he laid eyes on this young lady of raven hair and scarcely an eighth of his true age. Something was tugging at him to approach her... To talk to her... To get to know her... Was this what they called Desire? Destiny? He couldn't tell, but something unsaid felt right just being around her.

(1987)

Father and son jump up and balance themselves on top of bamboo poles. Tens, nay, hundreds of pools of water wide and deep enough to drown elephants could be seen surrounding them; each covered with more seemingly non-aging poles. The guide below continues to speak and waving his hands frantically, but busy with their duel above, they pay him no heed less the other get a clean hit. Getting the upper hand, Ranma kicks his father down towards one of the calm pools; water splashing with the disturbance the other's bulk. A moment later, a large panda leaps out of the waters and swipes a stunned and surprised Ranma hard towards a faraway spring. The guide appears nearby, pulls out a sign, and speaks to the panda.

"Aiya... Poor customer falls into Nyaaniichuan. Tragic story of a young girl fall into spring 1500 years ago. Now, whoever falls into spring takes the form of a woman."

Bubbles rise and eventually stop from the spring, but no sign of the pig-tailed one's body floating could be found.

"Well... This is strange. Pool should already be taken, so where is young customer?" The guide murmurs to himself some more whilst pushing the fat panda away from jumping into the exact same pool.

Reflexively c oughing as he woke, Ranma's eyes flutters open and slowly adjusts to the dim lights of a flickering candle. A light breeze blows in through the open window taking in the scent of lavender and roses; the crispness of it bringing forth memories of springs spent camping on Fuji-san.

'Ah... Finally awake. I wasn't really expecting guests to drop from the skies. It was... a bit disconcerting and surprising, I suppose.'

Sounds of a closing book and the voice of a woman catching his attention, he slowly pushes his hands to rise, not trusting his body completely just yet. The experience of the rushing water down his throat and nostrils still remained fresh from his mind. Long, underwater grass had tangled his arms and feet the moment he unavoidably dived into the pool from the big panda's force.

'You should take it easy for now and rest.'

Shaking himself free of reverie, he looks at his saviour's face intending to thank her. With a long mane of scarlet, the elegant young lady stood up to oversee her patient. Trading the book for a bowl of water, the manner she glided from the table to the bedside exuded grace that he never would be possible for someone so young. He was suppose to be the best there is, but the woman treating him at the moment made him look like an absolute dunce.

"Umm... Sorry, but didn't understand what you just said. Want to thank you though for saving me. Really thought I was going to drown there."

"Oh... I apologize. I didn't think it was possible for anyone besides members of the Tribe to travel into the Cursed Springs of Jusenkyo. The Amazons must be slacking."

The unconscious shift of language unnoticed to her, she pulls the nearby chair closer to sit. Noticing the attention, she looks at his observer and tries puzzling out whatever the reason for his staring. Shuffling her robes a bit, the amber light dances over the smooth silk that she had worn since her ineffable death and merging with the calm pool.

"Oh.. You must be wondering. No, I'm not from around the area, so to speak. I used to be a travelling student trying to learn the ways of the world before ending up here. You, on the other hand, are from umm... Japan, correct? To dispense with the necessary protocols of your country, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Lilith, and how would you wish for me to address you?"

"Ranma. Saotome Ranma. Ranma's fine, lady, and where exactly is here? Last thing I recall was drowning, but this doesn't really look a place anywhere nearby."

"Oh... Technically, you are dead. Physically anyway."

The incredulous face drained of blood now painted showed the shock of it all more obvious than anything else. Waving a hand lightly and speaking a word from an ancient language, she let the calm settle-in before continuing.

"Though I'm not really sure how this has happened. From whatever lore I could find before this, all of it points that a spring will only drown the first person to fall into it and take the essence of the person as itself. The next unfortunate ones to fall will forever be enchanted to turn into the form of the spring; that is unless of course you can find something stronger to remove destroy the enchantment held in place. I very much doubt it though; probably nothing in the world could possibly have enough to break the power backed by the world itself. Another deciding factor to this would probably be the fact that I happen to be best sorceress for many generations to come. "

"Wait... wait... wait... Are you tryin' to tell me I'm trapped here in the spring... whatever this is?!"

"My my... My first guest in approximately a millennium and a half, and it has to be a slightly slow boy."

"A mille... Wha?"

"Millennium; it means a thousand years. I see you are sorely lacking in education. No matters, we'll have enough time for that here."

"And who the hell says I'm stayin'?!"

"Well... Technically, if my hypothesis is correct, your physical embodiment in the world should stay intact; the magical strength of the waters should see to that. However, as for getting out of here, haven't you been listening? The only probable way to leave this plane would be for the world to relinquish the component binding the magic into the physical realm; and that is remotely to happen. Even then, the possibility of reconnecting your psyche to the physical realm is unlikely to happen, since there has never been a precedent."

"Wha..? Can't you just speak normally!"

Waving her hand once again, the irritation diminished and calm settled.

"To briefly summarize, you won't be able to get out of here unless the spring dries up, and even then, there is no sure guarantee that you would return back into the world even if it did. Nothing like this has ever happened when I studied about the springs , nor any record here in this plane. I've tried researching all I could after you suddenly dropped out of the sky. The more plausible conclusion would be that our souls would rejoin the reincarnation cycle if the spring does release us. "

Realization gradually dawning, liveliness turns into a deep, sullen contemplation. Seeing this, Lilith stands up to leave the room.

"I'll leave you alone for now to give you time to think. A piece of advice though, if you are willing to listen - Don't think too hard about it too much. Focus on what you really wanted to do in life and continue pursuing it. All things must change eventually - be it your standing in life, your loved ones, where you live. What matters more is if you can continue chasing after your dreams."

Beginning the following day and many years to come, Lilith had begun drilling into the poor newcomer all she had learned over the course of her many years here in the confines of the plane. It should be left unspoken that this would cover the vast knowledge the youth sorely lacks... including the things only women would experience.

"What the hell is THAT?! Isn't that a kimono?! And that that that and that... what the hell do you mean I have to wear those?!"

Sighing in exasperation, the deceivingly young-looking lady of the spring couldn't believe she was experiencing a migraine after more than a millennium and a half. She had just laid a set of clothes that the plane had provided for Ranma. Rather than looking at it as a prison, she often thought of the time she had spent here as the closest she could get to paradise; everything she had ever needed was conveniently provided by the magical powers of the Jusenkyo. Unwittingly, the spring had decided to even provide the youth new clothes to wear. After swearing she would give the guide of the cursed springs a hard thrashing given the chance, she calmed the irritation and began talking him through it.

"Had you fully comprehended my explanation previously, you should know those are suppose to be. Those are new clothes for you that the spring has provided. Didn't the Jusenkyo Guide explain to you what you what would happen if you fell into any of the springs?"

"I know they're clothes, but you don't expect me to wear woman's underwear, do you? I ain't a girl! And for your information, I was too busy back then fighting the old man."

Conjuring a pail of cold water, she threw the contents at the young man to introduce him to his new form for the first time. A squirrel-like voice screeches at the indignity.

"What the hell was that for?!"

Becoming conscious that the high-pitched voice was coming from him, he began to do a body-check.

"From today onwards, you are officially partly a woman. I will not accept the fact that someone who has fallen under my care would be incapable of taking care of herself; simply unacceptable. Therefore today onwards, you will stay in this form 'til my say-so; the spring would ensure that it is so if the clothes are any indication of it. Furthermore, I will begin instructing you how to live as one."

Completing the self-conscious check, the pig-tailed teen swallowed hard and peeked under the clothes to realize the bulged chest she peering into was her own. Stress credit maxing out, she moved to default and properly fainted.

"Liith, what the h... are these suppose to be? I found it on the desk in my room when I woke up."

The past month they've spent tutoring Ranma out of his ill-nurtured habits and preconceptions about women; the spring itself being a helpful friend pushing everything into place. Turning around to check what their current situation was, she sees the young lady carrying a two identical plastic cube-like containers with a word stamped in front that she wasn't expecting.

"Oh... oh my... Is it really going to begin so soon? Oh dear, but there isn't any other explanation for it to be there otherwise. Come over and sit down for a bit, while I think how to best go about this."

Her guide, her mentor, her rock - it had only been a week so far, but everything she had experienced under the wise one with scarlet-tresses had solidified her view of Lilith as someone she could trust with her life. If whatever she held would cause the older one trouble... She shuddered in fear of what the soft things could possibly be. The explanation that followed painted her cheeks red, but then drained her face of blood and casted a fainting spell. Ah... The wonders of the female anatomy.

Rising one morning earlier than usual, the pig-tailed boy... girl witnesses her mentor move ever so gracefully while swinging a giant dull-edged obsidian blade more than her own weight; strength hidden beneath her lithe form. Seeing her mere "educator" practice with such a curious tool, she concludes that a re-assessment is in order. Experience would rule that it isn't impossible in their world; after all, she herself had already began training in energy works. However, just how far ahead the teacher is from the student is a different matter.

"'Perhaps it's not that heavy.' is what you are thinking, are you not? Would you like to give it a try if nothing else? You have nothing much to lose."

Tossing the blade to her feet, the sudden boom caused by the blade landing causes a bit of concern to the trainee. To cause something as loud as that, the blade itself would have to be much heavier than initially gauged... A great deal more. Reaching for the hilt and attempting to lift, the great bulk simply waited on the floor against Ranma's efforts. Exhaling in frustration, she channels the Qi into the fore to shoulder the brunt of the burden, but alas, to no avail. The wise one plucks the troublesome piece of equipment from her hands before she could get another try.

"That is enough for now. Eager and stubborn as you are, you still lack the needed control and abundance of Qi for this. We will continue your training here, I suppose."

"Feh... Not like teaching me how to swing that thing is going to teach me anything."

"You doubt it's discipline?"

"I'm just saying that that sword ain't going to be able to touch someone like me."

"Very well. How about a match if that will satisfy your pride? I shan't use anything, except for the move you observed me practiced beforehand."

That ticked Ranma off. Mentor or not, Lilith was now seriously looking down on her; the only move she was practicing awhile ago was cutting vertically with that dumb thing. Showing her a thing or two now would teach her for underestimating the world's best martial artist.

Standing apart by a few feet, she casually slipped into a stance and looked over her opponent. Serene face with her scarlet mane billowing in the soft wind, Lilith's eyes were closed as she moved into the ready stance of her technique as promised. Irked at the sight of the taunt, she rushed unannounced towards the target, intending to side-step at the last possible moment and disarm the weapon. Unperturbed, the effect of the executed technique was unanticipated and astonishing. She didn't make a mistake timing the side-stepping. Nonetheless, before she could disarm the heavy weapon, strong winds crashed down with pressure undeniable around the two of them. The violent gale felt like being crushed under a mountain. Succumbing to the force, she could barely raise her head while lying on the floor to look at her opponent standing in a ready stance to slice her head off. Irrefutable, she had lost to such a simple technique, and consciousness fades.

The following morning, she pestered the Master for answers. Goaded her to another challenge, surprising her with attacks from blind spots, rushing straight forward - each and every try resulted to her crumpled body on the floor. The Master hadn't even lifted a finger or bothered looking at her; the force simply came and fell on her like tsunami. Exasperated at her last pathetic crash-and-burn attempt, Lilith sauntered over as she rolled over to her back.

"Have you figured out what it is yet? I should think that you do, as you are quite ahead for someone so young."

Still breathing heavily, she shakes her head as lightly as possible to avoid aggravating the nausea. Sighing out, she moistened her dry lips to try alleviating her cracked voice.

"It only felt like a mountain or a tsunami crashing down on top of me. I thought that at first it was power you applied timed correctly to exert enough gale force. The follow-ups proved that wrong though. What the hell is that? It felt liked you forced the world to crash on my shoulders."

"Good good... You really are an exceptional talent for your age. Other than the faulty reasoning and terrible analogy, that is the basic gist of it. It was simply the pressure equivalent to a small building; you still lack training to experience what a small hill or a whole mountain would feel like. With that though, you are formally indicted to the world of Qi. When you are well enough to stand, come inside, and I shall give you a better explanation."

As taught by the great Sun Tzu, "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles." Thus begins the youth's daily training in the art of manipulating energy. Hand-to-hand, various swords, polearms of different sizes and lengths, small arms, giants swords, and the giant scythe - nothing was neglected to be trained rigorously; even handling of firearms were covered.

To times not dedicated to the Art, compulsive education much neglected by a certain panda is thoroughly drilled into the stubborn head of the said youth; a smooth, giant, dark object being a wonderful assistant. Ancient wisdom was taught through book such as the Art of War, the Book of Five Rings, and the Tao Te Ching. Lores and tales in the physical realm of happenings long past lost were meticulously recorded and shown to instruct to him in their knowledge and the error of their ways - including how the misuse of the arcane had led to destruction of a great many civilizations.

Advancement in various sciences and technology were also given. One by one, copies of different pieces of new technology were sent by the spring's powers. How they would ever find use for a pair of iPhone 20 was well beyond them. Publishing of the various papers appeared on their tables to keep them updated on everything.

More often than the progress papers though were the current events of the daily lives of the living realm, and through the daily news of the decaying of the world as a side-effect of climate change had they been given their first clue of bad tidings to come. The daily news slowed to every other day, at first; then further slowing down to weekly, then monthly. Food had to be rationed due to supply, and their world crumbling away piece by piece. One by one, the dead animals were buried properly; each one heavy for the master. Flowers stopped blooming; trees aged and slowly withered. Little by little, Lilith's health started to weaken. It seemed mundane at first- a simple chill and cough. However, time appeared to have other plans, and frailty soon set upon her just as her age started to catch up after an eternity of blessed youth.

Sitting up on her bed, she catches her student's attention with fitful coughs. The pig-tailed youth sets the tea tray on the bedside table and helps her, covering her properly with the blanket to keep away the chills. Soft-spoken, she wanted to impart a last piece of advice knowing her time in the world was drawing close to an end.

"Ranma, remember how we spoke of the possibility of your body being maintained by the powers of the spring? It may be time to prepare yourself mentally to conjoin to the physical realm once more."

Nothing more needed to be said.