Almost everyone knows of the Boy Who Lived, of how a young infant thwarted He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and of his struggle during the War of the Phoenix. How he was forced by chance to live with a group of muggles, and proved himself in the halls of Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Nearly as famous is the True Heir, yet almost nothing was known of his childhood. Indeed, very few know of what forged the warrior who became known as the True Heir. The story has it’s roots in antiquity, but the majority of the story was set at almost the exact same time when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was thwarted by Harry Potter and his parents.

His father, a detestable muggle named Genma Saotome had made a foolish deal with his mother, Nodoka, when Ranma was only six. He had created a contract which said that Ranma would be training in the physical arts of war, and he would only return to Nodoka when Ranma was proven to have the rather nebulous title of a ‘man among men’. What this title meant is unknown, but it condemned Ranma to a series of tortures that rival those of the ancient Spanish Inquisition, including forcing him into a pit of cats when Genma misinterpreted a book of Dark Arts that included the Hand of the Cat, a deranged attempt to produce an Animagus in a very short time, which only resorted in a form of insanity.

Genma continued to torture and abuse his child, and any with whom he came in contact. This including promising his hand in marriage to numerous women then departing with their dowries, with no intention of ever following through. It was, however, at the age of eleven, when Japan’s Golden Sora Mahoujin Academy sent their normal invitation to wizards and witches to be. Unfortunately, Genma continued to ruin his life by destroying the invitation and fleeing to mainland Asia. The tortures in the name of the martial arts continued for several years, until, at the age of fifteen, when he was taken to one of the most dangerous areas in all of Eastern Asia.

The Springs of Jusenkyou are heavily cursed, and filled with some of the darkest of death magics, created by the backlash of numerous wars among wizards in the region. It was at this time that Ranma was altered for life, as he was cast by his father into the Spring of the Drowned Girl. Jusenkyou’s kiss was upon him forever, as whenever exposed to cold water, he takes the form of a woman, with only hot water returning his form to him.

But Genma continued to compound error upon error as he led his child to the ancient village of Joketsuzoku during their annual Ceremony of Procession. Included in such a ceremony is a hand to hand combat tournament, with a generous portion of the harvest as a prize. Unfortunately, Genma’s greed caused them even further problems as he stole from the prize to feed himself and Ranma. The winner, the youngest descendant of a witch and elder named Khu Lon, protested the theft, but, in his ignorance, Ranma challenged the warrior, and defeated her promptly. Infuriated, the warrior, Xian Pu, declared a vendetta against Ranma and pursued Ranma incessantly.

After escaping the furious warrior, Ranma and Genma escaped back to Japan. However, Genma’s greed continued to cause Ranma grief, as Genma then declared Ranma’s engagement to one of three daughters of Soun Tendou, the husband of Kyoko Aikawa, a witch of some status, who had died several years before. Ranma protested the engagement, but not as vigorously as the three Tendou daughters, one of which who constantly attacked him for perceived acts of lechery.

The Nerima district of Tokyo has been a source of chaos for centuries, but never more so than during the years when Ranma lived there. From attacks by deranged madmen, to a challenge by a powerful warrior of ancient heritage which nearly left him killed as a mountain collapsed about them. But the trigger to his current life was when an insane, Jusenkyou-kissed rival by the name of Ryouga Hibiki brought a series of mushrooms that alter one’s age. Whether by design or accident, Ranma’s age was reduced to that of a ten year old, and he was trapped in that form when Ryouga destroyed the remainder of the mushrooms. However, the reduction of his age, as unnatural as it was, was enough to garner the attention of both Golden Sora and Hogwart’s.

Lori Wealson

Author of “Fangs of Justice: The Story of the True Heir”