CHAPTER 36
Breaking The Spell
They spent the night in the castle suite. There were bedrooms off of the main room, but several of them just curled up there on one of the couches. The locals that they'd rescued were quite interested to see them magically transform into their sleep wear. Somehow this seemed to confirm for them that these strange girls really were magical, and thus able to rescue their Prince.
Morning came too soon, and with it, Queen Licorice Swirl, the wicked witch of the kingdom. Most of the girls awoke to Licorice's screechy voice. "Wake up, wake up! Let's get this show on the road! Some of us don't have all day to lie around! Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!"
The witch continued like this until all of them were gathered together in the main room. The girls had chosen to dress casually this time. Spending hours in one of Miyuki's magical girl outfits was a bit much even for Konatsu.
"Okay," the witch said, "There are four of you left. One of you had better find the Prince, kiss him, and break the enchantment – otherwise all of you are going to be spending the rest of your sad little lives up on one of my shelves."
She pointed to Konatsu. "That means you, little girl. You're up next. Get going!"
Nabiki produced her deck of cards and began to shuffle. "Now then, where were we?" she asked.
"Wait a second," Akane exclaimed. "You can't let Konatsu go..."
"Why not?" the witch asked with an arch of her eyebrows. "Of the four Princesses left, she is clearly the prettiest."
"But that's just the point! Konatsu isn't a... I mean, Konatsu's is really a..."
Licorice Swirl continued to stare at Akane. "Yes? We're waiting."
"It's my turn next!" Akane blurted out. She dashed forward, ducking past the witch and dodging the two doorway guards.
"Wait!" the witch called out. "Stop her!" But it was too late. Akane had already disappeared into the hallway beyond.
"You lousy imbeciles!" the witch growled. "You cretins! How could you let her get past you?"
"Akane, Konatsu," Nabiki said. "What does it really matter? As long as someone breaks the spell and rescues the Prince..."
"That girl is clearly a tomboy and not a worthy Princess for my s..." Licorice Swirl stopped in mid-sentence. She smiled sweetly. "Er... nothing, nothing! You shall of course all fail so it hardly matters which of you goes next. You are doomed. DOOMED! Ha ha ha ha ha!"
Akane reappeared in the doorway. She had a little blue man in tow.
Nabiki raised an eyebrow. "Well, that was quick," she said. "And I see that you failed. Did you even have time to look around the suite?"
"Um..." Akane said.
"She didna look around at all!" the little man said. "She saw me and went straight for me!"
"Um..." Akane repeated.
"An' quite grateful I am to be rescued, Miss Princess!" the little man continued. "I bin worried no one ever would!"
"Um..."
"'Tis a real blessing a girl like her came along," the man said. "I thought I'd be transformed for the rest o' me life. After all, it takes a special kind of girl to kiss a floor rug..."
"You... were the floor rug?" Nabiki asked.
"That's right!"
"Okay, I tripped!" Akane burst out. "Got it? I tripped! I was in such a hurry that I barely made it into the room before I fell flat on my face!"
"And I'll be forever grateful," the man added. "Ah, Freedom!" He sat down and looked at the coffee table and the piles of cards. "So then... who's dealin'?"
"I guess that it's my turn next," Konatsu said. "Unless you want Akela to go before me...?"
"Absolutely not!" the witch countered. "She looks like an even bigger tomboy than Miss Clumsy here."
"Hey! My name's Akane!"
"I thought it was Princess Peach," the Queen replied.
"That too," Akane added.
"Let Konatsu go," Akela said. "Kissing a Prince? Not my style."
Yoriko nodded to this. She was once again smoking a cigarette, but at least she was now dressed to match, in a leather skirt, leather boots, and leather jacket.
"Well, then, Princess Blackberry?" the Queen asked.
Konatsu nodded, bowed, and said, "I will do my best." He headed through the door. And that was Konatsu in a nutshell: polite, demure, always deferring to others and always doing as he was told. Konatsu had always acted as a traditional Japanese girl was supposed to act, far more so than any of the other members of the group. This, despite his not being, technically, a girl.
He was gone five minutes. When he returned, he was leading a young man with blue skin who was nearly as tall as Konatsu himself. Everyone recognized Rum Raisin, Prince of the Rocky Road Kingdom.
"Finally!" Licorice Swirl exclaimed. "I was beginning to wonder if you girls had an ounce of brains between you! Er..." she added, "that is, I mean – curses! You clever girls have foiled my evil plan! Damn you!" She paused for a moment to look as shocked and crestfallen as she possibly could at this unforeseen outcome, and then she shrugged. "Well, that's the way the cookie crumbles, isn't it? Good guys win, wicked witch faces the consequences. Thanks for playing, please come again! And now..."
"Konatsu," Nabiki said, "You did realize that this was a setup, didn't you?"
"Of course," Konatsu replied. "But someone had to do it, or we'd all be trapped here. Besides," he added with a blush, "isn't it every girl's dream to kiss a real Prince?"
"Yeah, but technically you're not…."
"Now, now, too much talking!" the witch called out. "It's a joyous occasion. The wicked witch has been defeated! The people of the town are freed. We must head back to the town immediately, so that you can place me in custody and get on with the ceremony!"
"The ceremony?" Konatsu asked.
"Why, silly!" the witch replied. "The wedding ceremony, of course! And I must say, you two make a perfect couple!"
XXX
As promised, all of the townspeople that the witch had ever captured and transformed were set free. There was a loud hubbub of voices as people spilled out from the suites, all talking excitedly.
"Lemon Lime!"
"Almond! It's so good to see you!"
"Look at me! I'm no longer a beer stein!"
"How long has it been?"
"Well, I was transformed into a lamp, what, it must have been a dozen years ago..."
"Can you believe it? Real magical girls! From another world!"
"They say they defeated the Queen!"
"They say one of them is marrying the Prince!"
"This is the greatest day in the history of our people!"
The Queen led a procession of excited people into the main hallway of the castle. Ranma, Akane, and the magical girls were carried along in the crush of the crowd.
The main hall was every bit what you'd expect to see in a Medieval fantasy castle. It was long with a vaulted ceiling multiple stories high. Tall marble pillars lined the walls. At one end was a raised dais upon which sat a golden, gem-encrusted throne. On either side of the throne stood dark knights, who appeared to be little more than black armor with glowing red eyes. Courtiers stood by, ready to respond to the Queen's every whim.
Queen Licorice Swirl mounted the dais – not that she really needed to, she was already head and shoulders above the crowd – and turned to face the people. With her were Prince Rum Raisin and Konatsu, who was smiling but had a glazed look in his eyes. The Queen gestured, and a servant banged a gong. When the harsh sound faded, the room had grown silent. The Queen raised her hands like a Pope giving benediction, and her voice rang out.
"Today, thanks to the clever and heroic actions of these amazing magical girls, your Prince has been freed! I have been defeated! All of you are free to return to your former lives. My guards will escort you all down to the town of Chocolate Chip, where there shall be a new coronation of the Prince, followed by his marriage to the magical girl who saved him, the lovely Princess Blackberry! All of you are invited!"
A loud cheer went up from the crowd. "Well," Nabiki said under her breath, "this ought to be interesting."
"You said it, kid," the bunny Octava replied. "We ain't out of the woods just yet. Best to play along until we can figure out how to resolve this mess."
The Queen went on for a few more minutes, detailing all of the celebration and feasting, and then led Rum Raisin and Konatsu out the front gate. She gestured to indicate that the other magical girls should follow. They emerged into bright morning sunlight, and stood in a wide courtyard with low stone walls. In the center of the yard waited two black coaches, each harnessed to a black winged licorice serpent.
Just beyond the outer gate a curved stone bridge spanned a deep gorge. On the side facing the mountain, a waterfall cascaded into a crevasse, sending up clouds of mist like steam from a boiling kettle. The nearby stones were wet and covered with lichen, and the roar of the falls was almost deafening.
On the other side, the gorge and the mountainside itself fell away towards the valley. Far below could be seen the lake they had passed that morning. The girls, taller than most of the locals, could see over the outer walls. The view of the valley and the surrounding countryside was magnificent.
"It's beautiful," Akane said.
"Isn't it, though?" Licorice Swirl said. "You won't find a better view anywhere in this world."
The carriages bore a striking resemblance to old European hearses. The dragons-in-all-but-name were long, sinuous, snakelike, and were exactly as you might imagine Chinese dragons to be – apart from the strong licorice smell, of course. They regarded the girls with half-lidded eyes, like a sleepy cat might watch insects. Their expression said that they could kill you at any moment, but just now it wasn't worth their time.
The girls climbed into the carriages. The seats were plush and quite comfortable. Everything, however, was black.
Nabiki stared at Ranma and Akane, seated across from her. The Queen, with the Prince and Konatsu, were in the other carriage. Akane held Octava in her lap.
"Any ideas?" Nabiki asked.
"Maybe Konatsu will like being a fairy Princess?" Ranma suggested.
"Apart from the obvious flaw in that suggestion – that Konatsu is, in fact, a boy – I am quite sure that he is still devoted to Ukyo."
"They both seem to be taking this remarkably well," Akane said.
"Yes," Nabiki said. "Konatsu is still in shock, I think. As for Ukyo, she'd probably be happy to get rid of Konatsu. Not that she dislikes him, per se, but clearly she still thinks that Ranma is her destined partner."
Akane's eyes looked momentarily haunted and sad. She said nothing.
XXX
The dragons pulled the carriages across the bridge and turned down the mountain path. The ride became incredibly bumpy. The girls were just beginning to wonder how sore she would be if they traveled all the way to the town like this, when everything grew smooth and serene.
In the front carriage, Ukyo glanced out the window. "We're flying!" she exclaimed..
"Of course," the witch said. "What good is it hitch up a winged serpent otherwise?"
The serpent sailed down the mountainside, following the general path of the trail. It sailed out over the lake, wings spread wide, drifting on the air like a balsa wood glider. In just a few minutes they had arrived at the edge of town, where the winged creature brought the carriage to a bumpy landing.
The girls stepped out and looked around. People were streaming out of the town and surrounding the carriages. The sight of Prince Rum Raisin caused an excited murmur. Mayor Toffee Crisp strode forward, beaming like a kid who has just gotten everything he ever wanted for Christmas.
"Bless you, girls, bless you!" he exclaimed. "You've done it! You've defeated the witch and freed the Prince! Why, we should erect a statue in your honor!"
"You might want to hold on to that thought," Nabiki suggested.
The wicked witch stepped forward. "Mayor Toffee Crisp," she said, speaking formally.
"Queen Licorice Swirl," he replied in equally formal tones.
"May I present to you your son, Prince Rum Raisin, who has been freed from capture by the actions of these magical girls. And may I also present to you Magical Princess Angel Blackberry, the girl who broke the spell."
The Mayor bowed low. "We are deeply honored, Princess Blackberry. The entire Kingdom is in your debt."
"It... ah... was nothing," Konatsu replied nervously.
The witch held her hands out, like a felon ready to be handcuffed. "I have been outwitted and captured by this amazing group of magical girls," she said. "Per my agreement with them, I now surrender myself into your custody."
"Harrumph! Boys," the Mayor said, and several burly – though still quite short – constables bustled forward. "This evil witch has been a very naughty, naughty girl." He paused to glare at her a moment, then added, "please take her to my room."
The magical girls stared. The Mayor shrugged. "I apologize for putting you through all of this," he said, "but my wife can be quite difficult and devious at times…."
"I was wondering when you were going to mention that," Nabiki said.
"That's right," the Mayor continued. He turned and began walking up the streets of the town towards the town square. The girls followed him. Ahead of them, the Queen was being escorted by the armed constables, with the Prince and the would-be Princess following right behind. A procession of excited townsfolk brought up the rear. "Yes, Licorice Swirl is my wife," the Mayor said. "Prince Rum Raisin is our son. You see, this all began with a dispute as to who our son should marry… I had engaged him to the lovely Princess Raspberry Jubilee from the neighboring kingdom of Marshmallow, but Licorice had her heart set on something more exotic – a magical Princess from another world. You see, she was a magical girl from a far kingdom when she met me. You may have noticed how tall she is."
"From Fudge Island," Ranma said.
The Mayor's face lit up. "You've heard of it!" he exclaimed. "Well, I shouldn't be surprised. They don't call you magical girls for nothing!"
"Well," Nabiki said, "you never know when magical interrogation skills might come in handy!"
"I do apologize for withholding all of the facts from you," the Mayor said as they entered the town square. "We feared that you would refuse to help us if you knew the truth..."
"That this was all a setup to marry one of us to your Prince?" Nabiki said. "You think?"
"But all's well that ends well!" the Mayor exclaimed happily. Now Prince Rum Raisin can marry Princess Blackberry, and everyone will be happy."
"Yes, well, about that," Akane began.
"You see," Ranma said, "it's really kind of funny in a way..."
"It's... well, things aren't quite as they seem," Akane said. "I guess you could say that we withheld information from you as well."
Nabiki smirked. "Deception is a two-way street, Mayor Crisp," she said.
The Mayor frowned. "I don't know what you girls are talking about," he said. "Nor do I see what's so funny. I'm quite serious about this. Princess Blackberry will marry our Prince, and remain here forever by his side. It was her kiss that freed him, and that's as good as a binding contract in fairy tale realms. So you see, it's already been decided."
"I'm sure it has," Nabiki said. "But, you see, Princess Blackberry here is not, technically, a Princess..."
The Mayor smiled. "Is that all? Well, I dare say she will be, once she's married to the Prince. She is a magical girl, at least. The people will accept her based on that."
"He's not really a magical girl, though," Akane said.
"Ah, but I've got you there," the Mayor said. "She's got the outfit, she does magic, she's a part of your team of magical girls. You simply can't wriggle your way out of..." He paused, then said, "Excuse me, but did you say he was not a magical girl?"
"That's right," Nabiki said, smiling sweetly. 'I'm sorry, Mayor, but as it happens, Princess Blackberry is not female.."
"What? WHAT?" the Mayor exclaimed. He thrust out his chest. "Harrumph! You can't marry my son to another boy! Just what kind of scam are you girls trying to pull?"
"Scam?" Nabiki replied, eyes narrowing. "How about your little marriage charade? This whole adventure was nothing more than a way to trick some innocent girl into marrying your son!"
"Now, now," the Mayor said, suddenly defensive. "I know we were a bit deceptive, but it was all for a good cause… I mean, what girl doesn't want to marry a prince, after all?"
"Konatsu, obviously," Nabiki said. "Trust me, he doesn't dress like a girl to impress boys."
"I ain't interested in no Prince either," Ranma said.
"Shampoo no marry Prince! Shampoo only marry Airen!" declared Shampoo.
"Count me out too, Sugar," Ukyo said. "I'm already engaged."
"I believe I've turned down at least two Princes already," Akane said.
"Not interested," Kohana said.
"Nor I," Akela said. "Now, a Princess, maybe…."
"As for me," Nabiki said, "it will depend on how rich he is. Show me your bank accounts. There may be room to negotiate."
"Harrumph!" the Mayor said. "Now, see here young lady, the Kingdom of Rocky Road is not for sale to the highest bidder..."
A murmur was going up from the crowd, as the information about Princess Blackberry spread outward. When the rumor reached the Queen, she began to yell.
"What? What? Princess Blackberry is a boy? What manner of trickery is this?"
"No trickery," Konatsu said. "You never actually asked."
"But the spell!" the witch exclaimed. "A boy could never break that spell! You can not be a boy, because only the kiss of a girl could break the spell!"
Konatsu blushed. "Then I suppose I have the soul of a girl," he said.
The Prince took Konatsu's hands in his. "Princess Blackberry! Is it true?"
"Yes, my Prince," said Konatsu, glancing down. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid it is."
"Then it is I who am sorry, Princess Blackberry," the Prince said. "I am ever so grateful that you rescued me, but I simply can not be married to a male princess..."
Konatsu embraced the Prince, then pulled back. "It's okay," he said. "I understand. I have a girl I love already, and I'm sure that somewhere out there is a girl that you can fall in love with."
"I already love someone as well," the Prince said. "But I fear I shall never see her again..."
"Ah, that's right," Nabiki said. "Princess Raspberry Jubilee, wasn't it?"
The Prince nodded. "We were engaged to be married..."
"Tell me, Queen," Nabiki said, turning to the witch. "How were you going to marry off your son when he is already engaged to Princess Raspberry Jubilee, from the Marshmallow Kingdom?"
"Lies! Lies!" the witch screamed. "All lies! My son is no longer engaged to her!"
Apple Strudel adjusted his glasses nervously. "Ah... begging your pardon, Queen," he said, "but technically, what they say is true. Prince Rum Raisin is still engaged to Princess Jubiliee..."
"Nobody wants her!" the witch snarled. "Who would? She's far too short! My Rum Raisin deserves someone much taller! Besides," the witch added with a nasty smile, "you'll never see her again. I enchanted her a long time ago, and hid her away. No one shall ever find her!"
"How awful!" said Akane.
"But not so surprising," Nabiki added. "Our witch has a pretty one-track mind when it comes to dealing with her enemies."
"We need to search the castle!" Akela exclaimed. "We need to find Princess Jubilee."
Kohana nodded. "It should be pretty easy, now that everyone else who was transformed has been freed."
"Fat chance!" the witch spat. "Do you think I would be such a fool as to keep her around where people might find her? No, I never intended for her to be rescued. I tossed her deep into the forest, where no one will ever find her! There may she lie forever and ever!"
"Mother," said Prince Raisin, "sometimes you can be so very cruel."
"Why, thank you, son," the witch replied.
"It wasn't a compliment," the boy said. "Poor Princess Raspberry Jubilee! What did she ever do to you?"
"Oh, you needn't worry about her so," the witch said. "She's perfectly safe. I transformed her into a small stone figurine. Should she lie hidden for a thousand years, no harm shall come to her. And who knows? Perhaps one day a woodsman will stumble upon the figurine, kiss it, and break the spell. That would serve the nasty little Princess right, to become the wife of a poor, lonely woodsman! Ha ha ha ha ha!"
"Wait a second," Akane said. "This object you enchanted her into... do you remember what it was?"
"Of course I remember! But I shan't tell that to the likes of you!"
"Was it," Akane asked, "a little kitten figurine, made of blue stone?"
The witch's eyes grew wide. "What? How did you... I mean, no! Of course it wasn't!"
Akane pulled from her pocket the small figurine she'd found in the forest. She held it up.
"That's got to be it," Nabiki said.
Akane pressed the little kitten to her lips. Nothing happened.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!" the witch exclaimed. "Fool! You can not break the spell, because you are not a..."
Licorice Swirl paused. "Nothing, nothing!" she said, laughing nervously. "Don't mind me! I'm just babbling incoherently here!"
"Because I'm not really a Princess?" Akane asked.
"No," Nabiki said. "Because you are not a Prince. She's an enchanted Princess, after all."
In two strides, Prince Rum Raisin stood before Akane. "May I?" he asked, holding out his hand.
"No! Don't let him!" the witch screamed. The guards had seized her arms, holding her back. She struggled to get free. "He mustn't! Everything will be ruined!"
Akane handed over the figurine. The Prince held it up.
"Forgive me, Raspberry Jubilee, for what my mother has done." He kissed the kitten. There was a small poof, and a beautiful young girl stood before him. She was short with blue skin, like all of the other locals, with long red hair and bright green eyes.
"Nooooo!" the witch screamed. She continued to struggle, but the guards held her fast.
"My Prince!" Raspberry Jubilee cried out, collapsing into his arms. "Thank you so much! You rescued me!"
She began to weep. Prince Rum Raisin hugged her fiercely. "Don't worry," he said. "It's over now. I'll never let my mother harm you again."
"Oh Prince Raisin!" the girl sobbed. "My Prince, my Prince." She seemed incapable of saying anything else, and for a long minute the Prince just held her as she wept.
Prince Raisin began to stroke her hair. "I'm so happy you're safe," he said. "I was afraid I'd never see you again."
"I thought you'd never find me!" the Princess replied. "Forgive me! I lost hope."
"It's no fault of yours," the Prince replied. "It was my mother that caused you such pain. I would have looked for you, but she transformed me as well."
"I don't blame you for what your mother did," said the Princess.
"Princess Jubilee," Raisin said. "After all of this time, you are still the one that I love. Would you..."
"No!" the witch called out. "I beg you, my son! Don't ask it! Don't say those words!"
Ignoring his mother, the Prince asked, "Would you still marry me, Princess?"
The Princess looked into his face, her eyes full of fear and hope. "Then... then you don't think I'm too short?"
"Of course not!" The Prince smiled down on her. "Height means nothing," he said. "You are the one I love."
The Princess embraced him again. "I've longed to hear those words from you," she said, "for so very, very long. "I've always loved you, Prince Raisin. You must know that. Of course I'll marry you!"
A cheer went up from the crowd. Everyone began talking excitedly once again. The Mayor beamed. "Well!" he exclaimed. "Things have worked out even better than we had hoped! Come, people! We still have a wedding and a coronation to stage!"
Nabiki glanced at Ranma. She raised an eyebrow.
"Is that a tear I see, Saotome?" she asked.
"Don't be stupid," Ranma replied. "Why would I be crying?"
"It's natural for a girl to cry at such a romantic scene," Nabiki said. On the other side of Ranma, tears were rolling down Akane's face. Beyond her Ukyo and Shampoo were also smiling through tears.
"Oh?" Ranma said to Nabiki. "You're not crying."
"Touche'." Nabiki smirked. "Still, it's quite romantic, isn't it?"
"I suppose so."
The Prince and Princess pushed through the crowd to stand before the magical girls. "Thank you so much for all of your help," the Prince said.
The Princess grasped Ranma and Akane's hands. "I'm so sorry to steal the Prince from you like this," she said. "I know you girls must have looked forward to the possibility of marrying a Prince like Rum Raisin..."
"Oh, that's quite all right," Ranma replied. "Really."
"We're all happy for you, Princess," Akane said.
"You fools!" the witch screamed, her arms still held by the guards. "You've ruined everything! Now you shall pay!" And then she vanished in a puff of smoke.
"I was afraid she might do that," Octava muttered. "Girls, we're not out of the woods just yet..."
XXX
For a moment, Ranma and the others stood there staring at each other. "Where'd she go?" Ranma asked. The other girls stared back at her.
"Back to the castle?" Akane asked.
"No," said the Prince. "Mother never runs from a fight."
Moments later there was a commotion far down the streets, and people began yelling out.
"The serpents! She's letting loose the serpents!"
"Crap," Ranma muttered. As people around them began to scream and push, she keyed her earring comm unit. "Okay everyone, time to transform," she said. "It looks like we'll have to fight those dragons after all."
Word that the dragons were coming spread fear throughout the crowd. Everyone was yelling and trying to run. The Princess grasped the Prince tightly. "She won't do anything too extreme, will she?" Jubilee asked. "She is your mother, after all."
"Yes, but Mother can be very vindictive," the Prince said. "There's no telling what she's capable of when she's this angry."
"Pretty Angel Strawberry Shortcake Transform!" Ranma shouted. She flew up in the air and spun about, red curls whipping in the rushing air. Her clothing vanished, to be replaced by her costume. About here, eight other girls (and one guy) were also spinning about in the air.
No sooner had they finished transforming than the dragons appeared. The witch rode on the back of one, high up in the air. The second, at her command, swooped low over the crowd. It snatched up a bystander who had not fled the street fast enough and tossed him aside. He flew through the air like a rag doll. A ribbon of blood trailed behind him. He slammed into a building and collapsed into the street, where he lay unmoving.
"Nabiki!" Akane called out.
"I'm on it!" Nabiki replied.
"Pretty Angel Tangerine Smoothie Firesword!" Sachiko called out as she ran forward. Her katana burst into flame, and she launched herself at the underbelly of the serpent. The sword struck with a sharp ringing sound. Sparks and fire flew up as the blade slid along the belly of the beast.
"Did she hurt it?" Akane asked. The dragon screamed in anger.
"I'd say so," Ranma replied. "Aim for the cut!"
The black beast flew over them, darkening the sky.
"Moko Takabisha!" Ranma yelled, throwing up a chi blast.
"Pretty Angel Blackberry Tart Fireball!" yelled Kohana.
"Pretty Angel Blueberry Pancake Coquettish Bomber!" Ukyo yelled, swinging her spatala.
"Pretty Angel Peach Cobbler Thunderbolt!" Akane called out.
Shampoo yelled out, "Pretty Angel Plum Pudding Sexy Bomber!"
Balls of chi, fire, and energy blasted the serpent's underbelly. Lighting struck it from the sky above.
"Pretty Angel Cherry Cola Heart Stars!" yelled Konatsu, scattering a dozen magical throwing stars at the creature.
The attacks bounced off the thick black hide. The creature soared up into the sky, seemingly unfazed.
Further down the street, Nabiki concentrated on the injured man. "Pretty Angel Lime Sour Mystical Healing!" she called out. Green energy enveloped the man. When it faded, he lifted up his head. He shook it, and got to his feet.
"Wow! Thought I was a goner for a moment there," he said.
"You nearly were," Nabiki replied. "Now, take cover!"
The dragon danced in the air, coiling like an eel. It reversed direction and sailed back towards the town. The black wyrm swooped down, like the snap of a leather whip shown in slow motion. It opened its mouth and belched. Fire rolled out in all directions like a massive wave, breaking on the shoals of icing-edged rooftops.
The blast was intense. Roof tiles buckled and melted from the heat. Houses exploded into flame. In seconds, several blocks were engulfed. Black smoke choked the sky.
Again, the girl's attacks seemed to bounce right off. It sailed past, above the rooftops, out of the reach of Sachiko's sword. The serpent sailed back up into the air. It banked and turned, preparing for a second run.
Far above them they could hear the maniacal laughter of the Queen.
"Akela!" Ranma yelled.
"Pretty Angel Pineapple Upside Down Cake Tsunami!" Akela called out. A blast of water sprayed across the rooftops, quelling much of the fire. Two more blasts and the fire was out as quickly as it had started.
"It's not going to close and fight," Kohana said. "It's just going to burn the town to the ground. I think my fireballs are useless against it," she added.
"Same for any of my attacks," Ranma replied. "Chi blasts do nothing."
"I can't get close enough to even try to stun it," muttered Yoriko.
"Sachiko can cut it," Akane said, "if she gets near it. I don't think Ukyo or Shampoo's attacks have much effect, nor does Konatsu's throwing stars or my lighting..."
"If we had an ice-based attack, maybe we could freeze it and make it brittle," Ranma said. "I mean, if it's really made of licorice..."
"Sorry, my mistake," Octava said. "Next girl that joins gets a freezing attack, I promise!"
"If we survive this battle, you mean," Ukyo added.
The dragon came flying down towards the town. "Shortcake!" Octava exclaimed. "Your shield!"
"Right!" Ranma replied. "Pretty Angel Strawberry Shortcake Love Swirl!"
Red mist filled the air. "Now, concentrate," the rabbit exhorted. "Expand the protection bubble outwards! You can do it!"
Ranma gritted her teeth. Sweat beaded her brow. The bubble of mist expanded out to encompass much of the town. The dragon belched another stream of flame, but this time the fire bounced harmlessly off of the magical shield. The dragon screamed in frustration as it flew overhead.
Ranma sank to her knees. "Gods, that's hard to do!" she exclaimed. "It's not so bad when it's just us, but to cover the town takes everything I've got!"
Nabiki watched as the dragon turned lazily around, high up in the sky. "Think you can do it again?" she asked.
"Maybe once more," Ranma said. "No more than that."
"Then we've got a problem, Saotome," Nabiki said, "because that thing can probably belch fire all night, and there's virtually nothing we can do to bring it down."
"Not to mention," said Kohana, "that there are two more serpents waiting at the castle, should we defeat this one..."
"Sachiko..."
"She barely scratched it, Ranma. And she doesn't fly. Got any other suggestions?"
Ranma watched as the dragon sailed down towards the town.
"The weak point is the Queen," Ranma said. "She controls the serpents."
"She's too high up for us to reach," Nabiki said. "I don't think she's coming down until the town is a smoldering ruin."
Ranma snapped her fingers. "Of course!"
Nabiki raised an eyebrow. "Got an idea?"
"Maybe," Ranma said.
"Better make it quick. Here comes the dragon."
Ranma adjusted her glasses. "Nabiki," she said. "Just how good is your healing ability?"
"I've no real idea," Nabiki replied. There was a pause, and then she added, "Wait a second, Saotome, you're not thinking about…."
"Of course I am," Ranma said. "After all, we don't got any other way to stop her."
"It's worth a try," Nabiki said. "I'm on it. Hold off the dragon as long as you can."
As Nabiki turned to go, Ranma yelled out, "Pretty Angel Strawberry Shortcake Love Swirl!" Again she concentrated, expanding the bubble of protection out far enough to block the flame that rained down from above. The dragon screamed its anger and flew back up into the sky, turning to make another pass.
"Very nice!" the witch called out from high overhead. "But how many times can you perform that trick, my dear? It must be tiring!"
"Ranma, what's your plan?" Akane asked. "Where did Nabiki go?"
"To get the only thing that has ever been able to counter Queen Licorice Swirl," Ranma replied.
XXX
In the main room of the town lodge, Nabiki looked up at the mounted head on the wall. It was a very strange creature, sort of a cross between a moose and a beaver, with one large horn. It glanced down at her, hope in its eyes.
"Hey there," Nabiki said.
"Miss, by any chance, could you please turn the page….?" the creature asked.
"I can maybe do better than that," Nabiki replied. She stared up at the creature and muttered, "Here goes nothing…"
Nabiki held out her hands and said, "Pretty Angel Lime Sour Mystic Healing!"
XXX
Back in the town square, the licorice serpent was wheeling around for another strafing attack on the town.
"You ready?" Akane asked.
"Y-yeah," Ranma said.
"Can you block it again?" Akane asked.
"Y-yeah," Ranma said, in a voice that indicated she'd reached her limit but was determined not to give up no matter what.
In the air before them, a glowing ball of blue-violet string appeared. It hovered for a moment, then began to unwind. The strands formed a rectangle, overlaid again and again until the outline of a doorway hung in the air before them. The air in the center shimmered. There was a "pop" and the doorway opened onto another world.
A young cat girl stepped through. She had short black hair and gray striped fur. She wore a dress identical in every way to Ranma's.
In one hand the girl clutched a stuffed monkey in a suit.
The cat-girl looked at Ranma and Akane. "Nyaa!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "Look, Mr. Scree! It's Princess Strawberry! We've found her at last!"
Ranma barely had time to take this scene in, when two more girls tumbled through the dimensional doorway. One was Kohana's younger sister Tomari, apparently dressed as Angel Mulberry. The second was, by the look of things, Angel Melon – otherwise known as Miyuki Goji.
"Wow," Miyuki said. "It really worked!"
"Miyuki..." Ranma growled. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, we just..."
"Ranma!" Akane yelled. "Here it comes!"
"Pretty Angel Strawberry Shortcake Love Swirl!" Ranma screamed. She ground her teeth together as the protective barrier expanded. Sweat poured off her forehead.
Miyuki's eyes grew wide. She glanced from Ranma, to the barrier of red mist, to the dragon as it flew overhead breathing fire. This time around the barrier was not quite as large. A few houses on the edges of the barrier caught fire.
"Akela!" Akane yelled.
"I'm on it!" Akela replied. "Pretty Angel Pineapple Upside Down Cake Tsunami!"
Akela jumped to the rooftops, shooting her water-based attacks. The dragon flew high up into the air, screaming its frustration once again.
"Oh. My. God," Miyuki breathed. "That was so freaking cool!" She glanced around. "Where's Nabiki - I mean Angel Lime? Isn't she filming this?"
"Kohana, Yoriko?" Ranma asked.
"Yes?"
Ranma gestured at Miyuki, Tomari, and the cat girl. "Get these three idiots out of the way, please?"
Kohana grabbed Miyuki's arm. Yoriko grabbed Tomari. Kohana said, "Come on, Miyuki, Sis, and..." She paused to take in the young cat girl dressed like Ranma. "And Strawberry Junior?"
"Chibi Strawberry!" Miyuki exclaimed happily. "She's the junior member of the team, and our mascot too!"
"Nyaa!" the cat girl exclaimed.
"Won't Ranma love that," Kohana said as she led the three to the side of the square. Miyuki pulled out her backup camera and began filming.
The second dragon that bore Queen Licorice Swirl descended. It hovered a few hundred feet above them, out of range of attack but close enough for The witch to hold a conversation. The beat of its wings made a loud throom throom sound with each beat, and the gusts created scattered dust and debris across the square.
The witch called down. "Reinforcements?" she yelled. "All of the reinforcements in the world won't save you, Princess Strawberry."
There was a flash of something in the air high above the Queen. Ranma smiled grimly. "I got all the reinforcements I need," she yelled back.
"Oh, come, now," the witch called out. "Those shields are taking a toll on you. I can tell. You're just about spent – can you even manage to block one more attack?"
"Try me," Ranma growled.
"I have no desire to burn this town," the witch said. "If you surrender to me now, I will spare the town and most of the people. If you continue to resist, then you are doomed. DOOMED! You can not harm my serpents, and you can not hold out forever. What will you do?"
The thing in the air above the witch was growing closer. It was huge and hairy, with a massive belly and great feathered wings.
"I don't gotta hold out forever," Ranma replied. "I just gotta hold out for another twenty seconds."
"Twenty seconds? And then what?"
"And then," Ranma said, "the purple people eater is going to eat you. It's behind you right now, in fact."
"Please," the witch said, rolling her eyes. "Is that really the best you can do? You don't really expect me to fall for that simple ruse four times in a…."
With a loud "NOM", the purple people eater swallowed the witch whole.
The licorice serpent twisted, screeching. The great beast that was the purple people eater reached out and batted the dragon's nose with a claw. Now that the beast was restored, it looked a bit like a griffon, except that in this case the beast was a cross between an eagle and not a lion, but something more akin to a moose... but with one giant horn in the center of its forehead and a face that also looked a bit like a beaver.
"Shoo!" the strange beast rumbled. "Your master is gone. Go!"
The dragon roared its displeasure, but then it rose up into the sky. The second dragon joined it, and the two flew off towards the mountains.
The purple people eater glanced down. Nabiki had returned and was standing below it near Ranma. "Thank you," the creature said, "for restoring me. I have eaten the witch. Now I must sleep." With a heavy beat of its wings, it, too, headed off in the direction of the mountains.
The Mayor stood up from behind a bench. He dusted himself off. "Harrumph! Jolly good, jolly good!" he said. "You've saved our town twice over!"
"Is she… still alive?" Akane asked.
The Grand Wizard Nutty Coconut appeared from behind a tree. "Oh yes. Quite," he replied. "She should be out of the way for about a week, long enough for the Prince and Princess to get married and settled in. Not much she can do about it at that point. I must say, well done!"
"Yes, yes!" the Mayor added. "Reviving the flying purple people eater was a stroke of genius! Our town needs that creature to counter the rash actions of my insane wife."
"It was only dead – if it was dead – because of you in the first place," Nabiki said, eyes narrowed.
The Mayor managed to look embarrassed. "Yes, yes, I know. What can I say? I was young and in love. I've often regretted my actions since."
He glanced up at the strange creature disappearing in the distance. "This time," he said, "we'll keep this useful creature alive."
"I know mother-in-laws are supposed to be witches," Ranma said, "but Princess Jubilee has got a rough road ahead."
"Oh, I don't know," the Mayor replied. "I think my wife will change her tune... once we have a grandchild." He winked at Prince Raisin and Princess Jubilee, who both blushed.
"So then," the Grand Wizard said, as he began to draw a series of chalk circles on the cobblestones of the square. "There is just the matter of payment, and of sending all of you back where you came from..." he glanced at Miyuki, Tomari, and the cat girl. "There will be thirteen of you going back, I take it?"
"Go back?" Miyuki said. "But we just got here!"
"I did promise to return you girls in such time that none might have realized you were missing," the wizard said. "My window for doing so is almost past. It must be now, or never."
"Then I guess we have to say goodbye," Akane said. She glanced at the Prince and Princess, who still stood in the center of the square. "It was wonderful to meet you, Prince Rum Raisin and Princess Raspberry Jubilee! You two take care now!"
"We'll never forget you!" Princess Jubilee replied. She glanced at the Prince. "I think... I think if... that is, when we have a child – that Strawberry Shortcake would make a lovely name..."
"Now, that's not really an ice cream name," said Prince Rum Raisin.
"But it could be," the Princess replied. "As leader of our people, you have the power to declare new flavors of ice cream."
"Well, that is true," the Prince admitted.
Jubilee glanced to the Mayor's aide, standing to one side with a pencil and clipboard in hand. "Also, I think you should declare another new flavor: Apple Strudel."
"Oh, my!" the little man exclaimed. "I... I would be quite honored..."
"That, Princess, is a very good suggestion," said the Prince.
Two people came running bearing a large canister of some kind, which they handed it to the Mayor. "Here," the Mayor said, handing the object to Ranma. "It isn't much, but please accept this as a token of our gratitude."
Ranma looked the object over. It was a steel container of some sort. The outside was painted with a mural of the town.
"What is it?" Ranma asked.
"It's a magical ice cream tub," the Mayor said. He handed Ranma a crystal ice cream scoop. "This goes with it. When used together, this tub can produce any flavor of ice cream you might imagine, and will never run out."
Ranma's eyes grew wide. "Unlimited ice cream?" she squeaked. "Any flavor we can imagine?"
"Yes, indeed," the Mayor said. "It is probably insufficient payment for the service you've rendered to our Kingdom, but..."
"It's awesome!" Miyuki exclaimed. "We'll take it!"
The Mayor beamed.
Minutes later, as the girls stood where Nutty Coconut had ordered them too, the little wizard began to chant. The chalk outlines of his spell began to glow blue. The town around them seemed to shimmer and warp. The light grew brighter. A humming sound filled the air until nothing else could be heard. The light flashed, and the town around them vanished.
To Be Continued