CHAPTER 3: THE CHALLENGE COMES TO RANMA
Back on Earth:
Jakal was looking where those girls just disappeared his mind on the obvious. That new girl was very powerful I can sense the dragon aura in her yet it is much more then that how could one like her deliver a kick like that. And defeat my most powerful attack. She is one strong one I looked everywhere for her profile but I just can't find it. "Master Jakal!" if only I could find a way to harness her power then Lamika will be mine and so will the universe. "Master Jackal!" said the voice again he turned his head to find one of his minions just looking at him. "What is it!" he called "I found the girl but you are not going to believe this when I tell you sir." "Well get on with it you fool!" Demanded Jakal with impatience on his face. "Well sir I had to look in earths files to find the girl but I did and it is five thousand years old sir. You see the girl is known as the dragon saiyan the guardian of all realms of the universe. Her power is unimaginable and she can fight any opponent without flaw and we just so happen to trespass on her domain. And the only way to get to her is to use magic sir I just so happen to have some." Jakal just looked at him and nodded his approval and the minion left without further complaint. Now I have you my dragon saiyan soon you will die and Lamika will be mine.
In Ranma's domain:
Ranma waited for his final opponent to come for him as he waited for him to show up. He figured it will be either Kuno or Happosai but he never imagined it would be a girl. He long messy hair with her fighting gi and hairy belt never accounted for the wild look in her eyes. Ranma never knew he would challenge the new girl. He hated doing this but he splashed cold water on his head and resumed his cursed form to fight her. "Well we finally challenge each other new girl I keep forgetting your name but what does that matter lets just fight." Said Ranma but before he could attack the girl was right in front of him and delivered an uppercut. Ranma was sent flying out of the ring and was defeated for rules where if you where thrown out you are defeated. Getting up Ranma was beyond furious. The girl just smirked and walked away. Ranma loosing his cool attacked the girl who blocked his path and kicked him square knocking him out and sending him to the hospital.
It was a few days latter that Ranma woke form his slumber to find Cologne looking at him with those bulging eyes of hers. Springing up Ranma shouted but was held down. " Settle down son in law there is no need to panic." She said. Ranma regretted getting up for he got back down holding his stomach. " What do you want you old goul He hated doing this but he splashed cold water on his head and resumed his cursed form to fight her. "Well we finally challenge each other new girl I keep forgetting your name but what does that matter lets just fight." Said Ranma but before he could attack the girl was right in front of him and delivered an uppercut. Ranma was sent flying out of the ring and was defeated for rules where if you where thrown out you are defeated. Getting up Ranma was beyond furious. The girl just smirked and walked away. Ranma loosing his cool attacked the girl who blocked his path and kicked him square knocking him out and sending him to the hospital.
It was a few days latter that Ranma woke form his slumber to find Cologne looking at him with those bulging eyes of hers. Springing up Ranma shouted but was held down. "Settle down son in law there is no need to panic." She said. Ranma regretted getting up for he got back down holding his stomach. "What do you want you old ghoul?" he demanded as he got up more slowly this time. "Your family has already left it is just you and me this time son in law." "Well what do you want?" he said. "Well I saw Mart defeat you in battle a few days ago."
"So?"
"So I must warn you now don't cross her son in law for you will regret it. She is not human you know. If you observe her more closely you will find the difference."
"Why should I care old ghoul?"
"If you want to live longer you will not fight her again you got that."
"I have to defeat her it is my only chance to defend my honor."
"Why do you have to fight me to defend you honor." Said a voice as Ranma looked out the window he could see a faint figure out the window looking at him. When Ranma looked at her again he could see a tail wagging behind her. "So it was you who defeated me?" he said faintly. "Yes it was me Ranma Saotome and you can't defeat me even when you think you had the chance for I can kill you easily like at the martial arts tournament when I hit you and you fell." She said her face remained serious and not changing. Leaping in the window Ranma could see her more clearly now for she had a Chinese fighting gi on as well as a sword strapped to her back. Her long black hair was curly and lose and hung wild around her. Her black tail still swung behind her but it was not that, which caught Ranma's attention it was her eyes. They where cold and held the wisdom of ages past. "Cologne do not tell him anymore till latter I will tell him when he gets better." Cologne nodded her head and left the room as Mart exited Ranma could not help but wonder as he sat on his bed. Who is she? She is not like all the other amazons she is not interested in the law I think. But her eyes held something dangerous in them and that tail I find that very strange. With that he left his thoughts as he went back to bed.
"Are you sure it is wise to tell him Mart about the three of you for he will try to defeat you." Said Cologne latter that night on the roof of the Cat Café. "I know that honored Matriarch but the boy must understand the danger that is coming and he must not let his emotions nor his pride get in his way." "I still say when this is all over he will make a perfect husband for shampoo."
"I saw his eyes they do not love shampoo they love someone else."
"How do you know ancient one?"
Mart looked at her and her eyes soften a bit "Because I can tell I learned to understand people through the years of solitude he loves someone else but is afraid of his feelings." Cologne nodded in understanding for she saw it too. "I think I know who her name is Akane Tendo the girl he lives with they where force to be engaged by their fathers. But ever since Ranma's father is the type to get into trouble that is how this whole thing got started." Nodding Mart laughed like a kid again and Cologne almost forgot that she was five thousand years old. The two of them laughed about it for some time after that.
It was the next day in school when Ranma encountered the girl again for he could feel his heart beating really fast as he came up to her. Mart could sense this "Greetings Ranma Saotome feeling better after our last encounter." She said in a cool voice. Shocked Ranma could look at her with owe until the class shook.
At last I am in the place where Lamika is hiding! Thought a very lustful Jakal as his ship entered the domain of Earth Nermia. As he gazed down upon the world it took weeks of finding the right spell to get to this realm. "Release the demon Shingara." He called to someone on the comm.
The skies grew darker as the ship came through the portal the skies began to get darker as the ship hovered over Nermia. Mart stared at it with intense eyes filled with dark dread as the ship loomed closer to the earth. As she stared again a dark form emerged from the ship its looming wings filled it as it flew towards the earth. But it flew over Mart and towards, LAMIKA! Mart thought as she hurried back towards the others to where Lamika was.
Lamika was beyond afraid as the ship Raging Dragons looms closer to her and as the demon came closer. She also felt afraid for Ranma and the others as they saw the impending doom. "We must get out of here quickly," she yelled to them. "Why I can take care of it!" yelled Ranma "You don't understand Ranma that thing is more powerful then even you it can kill you." With that she ran from the rest. As the demon began its strike it was hit to the ground by Mart, "Shima get Lamika and the others out of here." She yelled to them as Shima came up to them in her wolf form her snout filled with sharp teeth. Lamika nodded and began to run in the direction that Shima was pointing. Akane was screaming but she was silenced by Shampoo who came with Shima. Together they ran as far as they could. Looking over her shoulder she saw that they where one short. "Where is Ranma?"
The demon came at Mart claws scraping the cement that she was on as she took flight. Her school uniform came off as she called the power of the dragon's gate instantly her black fighting gi came on as she unsheathed her sword and attacked back. The demon was hit by a blast from the other side when Mart looked it was Ranma who also decided to fight. "Idiot get out of here!" she called while parrying away the demons claws with her sword while Ranma fought off the demons tail. "No way as long as this demons here I will fight also." He said as he hit the demon with another punch. Ranma's punches where useless against the demon but they distracted them long enough for Mart to hit it with a final flash. When the light cleared the demon was clearly wounded but he hit Ranma hard with his clawed feet sending him flying into a building nearby. Mart flew down in anger her aura blazing as she hit it. The demon flew hard into a building. Laughing the demon got up his battle aura blazing as well. "Well little dragon looks like you like to join your friend." With that he began to chant.
"Power of the stars come to me!
I call you forth to join these two warriors
In one body one mind to be the miko of the dragon and the phoenix.
Now join"
With that there was a flash and the demon was gone replaced by Ranma and Mart was nowhere to be found. "Ranma! Are you ok?" said Akane as she ran up to him. Ranma rubbed his head, "What happened?" he said. Lamika came up to him, "Where is Mart and the demon?" she said. "The demon got away I don't know about this Mart but she is gone." Shima with Shampoo came up to them it was her who saw the difference in Ranma. "Ranma where did you get tail from." Asked Shampoo Ranma looked at his behind and sure enough there was a furry black tail behind him with that he screamed so loud that the whole neighborhood could here him.
It was spring break and the class decided to take a break for the spring recess. Ranma was walking down the road from Ucchans when Shampoo came up to him instead of the usual bike on head, or the Nihau Ranma with the hugging and asking out on date thing Shampoo got over Ranma and was glad that Mart made way with the law about the whole marriage thing for she wanted Moose not Ranma and Moose knew it as well. It was then that Shampoo caught Ranma and Akane on the roof. Akane was crying because she was burned in the hands. Shampoo was shocked it has begun, she thought. Akane ran into the house to get some first aid for her hands and Shampoo walked up to Ranma. "What happen to Akane?" she asked him scaring him out of his thoughts. "Oh Shampoo it is you, I don't know all I know is that Akane touched me and all of a sudden she got burned." Tears began to come from his eyes and his tail wagged singeing the roof where it touched. "Ranma better come with Shampoo along with Akane so she no thinks other thoughts." Ranma nodded and followed Shampoo into the house to find Akane. She just got through wrapping her hands in bandages when they just came in. "Akane Shampoo needs to talk to you and Ranma very important ok." She said with that she went out the door. Akane followed by Ranma went after her.
From rooftop to rooftop they followed her till she stopped on top of the school. "Ranma very important Shampoo tells this even Akane so she no gets any bad thoughts." She took a deep breath. "It is said that when one comes together with a creature of power in instance Mart and become one they become Miko. Normally it would be woman but Ranma half woman so because of Jusenkyo he has become Miko. And if Ranma no summon Mart out of him again by one month's time he will be burned by her power." "What do you mean that he would be burned Shampoo!" Yelled Akane in an upset matter. "Akane no understand Ranma is now a saiyan until Mart is called again. That is why he has tail and wears Marts necklace. He can summon her power three times each time if will not strong enough Mart consume him. This happened before thousand year ago when that happens first time. But Amazon will not so strong so she was consumed by Mart's power and burned where Mart rose again. She is part phoenix because of crystal. She did not know this till five hundred year after defeat of evil ones." "So until then I can't touch anyone then not even Akane." Ranma said feeling sad. "Shampoo sorry but that all she knows not even I touch you for you burn me." She said as she turned to leave her purple hair flowing behind the Amazon as she retreated back to the café.
Ranma and Akane walked home at loss they didn't say a word till latter on that knight. Akane went up to Ranma's room to find him on the roof again. "Ranma are you thinking about what Shampoo said?" she asked and he nodded. She looked towards the skies. A full moon shown in the sky, "So when the full moon is full I summon Mart huh I don't know if I can last that long." He said suddenly a dark shape came after him with blinding speed and tried to attack him but when that happened the little piglet got burned and ran off into the koi pond to cool off. "Ryouga," said Akane, Ranma nodded "Figured it out huh?" she nodded also "I found out when I saw P-Chan fall into the bathtub."
Looking up Ranma could still see the dark ship that hovers over Nermia. He wondered if something was brewing.
"So my demon you managed to contain the wretched creature in that human's body huh?" said Jakal as he came up to the monster. The demon kept his wolf like head down. "Yes my lord we can capture Lamika then before the human figures out how to summon that other dragon again." Smiling Jakal walked over to the window it over looked the city of Tokyo and over Nermia. "Go again and bring back Lamika and this time kill the human before he discovers the creatures power." The demon bowed and left to do his master bidding.
Ranma found himself facing the one person in the whole world that made his life a living hell. Mart stood in front of him her battle clothes flowing in the wind of the mountains behind Ranma. "How did I get here and who are you?" he yelled at her Mart waved a finger at him to follow. "You and I are now one Ranma Saotome though neither of us wanted this don't think this is an engagement for it is not. Before you go further you must learn to control my power or you will burn when the time comes." The two walked down the hill till they came to a cliff face. The passing clouds washed over them like a white blanket. "Remember this you are now a saiyan till we are separated again but you can't control a saiyan's power especially mine for I am both dragon and phoenix immortal till the end. The ship you saw is Jakal the one that is after Lamika." "Lamika?" said Ranma stunned, "Why would he want her?" he asked her, "Jakal lusts for Lamika because she is like him but she wasn't always this way. She was the princess of a world long destroyed by Jakal called Pegas it was a rich world full of life until the space pirate found her and tried to make her his by forcing her to become a dragon shifter like him, but in that effort she ran away he was so infatuated with her that he followed her through out the galaxy trying to find me. So that she can control her dragon urges and take revenge on the pirate for destroying her world. While on the way she met Shima the werewolf also known as the old lady you met at the cat café. When he finally caught up with Lamika he found me but in order to protect her and the galaxy I came her but I did not know that he too knows magic. So now he is here as well will you help me protect Lamika and this world from him?"
Ranma had to think about this but he shrugged, "What the heck I am stuck with you till then so what is this that you will consume me if my will is not strong enough for you?" "It simply means that you have to have total control of yourself every time you use my powers or you will fall and be consume by my fire and die. In the end I will be emerged reborn but I do not like that when people are killed for my sake." She looked sadly to the ground Ranma remembered the last girl that happened to and a thought came to his mind this must hurt her also to live with it for all time! "I will do it for it is a martial artists duty to protect the weak." He said Mart looked up to him and smiled "Thank you Ranma," she said and the whole island background disappeared.
Ranma woke up with a start the sun was shinning through the window of his room. "What a dream," he said to himself as he got up to do his morning exercise. Kasumi was working on her laundry when she saw Ranma working out. Genma woke up to find his son working out without him. What caught him off guard was the fact that his son was moving faster then he could imagine. Genma was lost for words as his only son was moving really fast. Soun Tendo came out to see what Genma was staring at when he saw Ranma doing his morning exercises. Soun's mouth was to the floor when he saw this and so was Akane when she came out to see what the fuss was. When Ranma was done with warm-ups he came into the house to eat and get ready for the day. "What is everyone staring at?" he said "Ranma you moved faster then anyone could imagine not even your original speed could match that." Said Akane as she ate her breakfast, as soon as she was done she headed out for her morning jog. It was then that she saw Kodachi coming up to her ribbon in hand Akane made ready for a fight. Kodachi seeing this was also ready, "So you hide my darling Ranma in there you naughty girl I will punish you for that." With that she whipped her with her ribbon being faster Kodachi had the upper hand in the fight. That is until a certain red headed pigtailed girl came along. "Leave Akane alone," she said with a dangerous voice in her head. Letting go Kodachi attacked her instead her madness can be seen from her mask but that is not what Akane had worried. Her eyes where not her own they were like a monster. "Come and get me demon for I know what you are you are not Kodachi Kuno but a monster that taken over." She said in a low voice. Ranma attacked with lighting speed her fists flying and so were Kodachi's fists. The demon then transformed into its true form. "You saw through my disguise saiyan but you will not see the rest of it." With that he attacked again in a giant form. Ranma saw the raw power that she possessed and tried to harness it but she held back. The demon then grabbed Akane and took to the air laughing the whole way up. Angered Ranma tried to go up but he could not her tail lashing behind her. "Come Back you monster!" with that she jumped up into the air with her power flowing behind her. Without thinking she began to grow and lengthen into a giant serpentine form.
Akane's eyes grew big when she saw what Ranma had become a large dragon right before her eyes. The monster lashed at the demon with it's fore claws. The demon went back his wings spread behind him. All of Nermia was laid below as the two combated each other. Ranma could not do much without hurting Akane.
Meanwhile far below the scene in the Cat Café Shampoo, Shima, and Lamika where serving customers when Shima and Lamika felt Ranma's power. "Oh No!" said Shima. "What is it wolf lady?" said Shampoo looking at her. "It is Ranma he has harnessed the power of the dragon and is fighting above us I can feel it." She said and Lamika nodded beside her Cologne came out of the kitchen when she heard the commotion from the three. "What is going on?" she said and so did some of the customers. "Ranma is fighting high above us," said Lamika looking pale. All of them ran outside to see what is going on only to see the sky darken with the forms of Ranma in dragon form and a demon fighting in the sky. When Lamika used her dragon powers to zoom in did she find the source of the fight, "THEY HAVE AKANE!" She shouted to everyone.
While the fight was going on Akane held for dear life as Ranma and the demon continued to claw eachother in the sky. Wings flashing and claws going this looked like an even draw but then Ranma bit into the hand of the demon that held Akane. Crying in pain the demon let Akane go she screamed as she plunged to the ground only to be grabbed by Lamika also in dragon form. "What is going on?" she said when she recognize the dragon as Lamika did she say her thanks. It is no problem but Ranma does not know how to control his dragon form if he kills the demon who knows what he would do after. She said to Akane. With wings stretched she raced to the ground and softly landed on the ground outside of Ucchans. Ukyo ran out to see what was going on when she saw the dragon in front of her restaurant. Helping Akane down Ukyo the was shocked that the dragon became Lamika again. Looking up she could see Ranma finishing off the demon with a fire blast right through the body and the demon fell to the earth. Ranma then caught it and flew to a nearby building to eat her prize. Everyone ran to where they where to find Ranma enjoying his meal. Snout deep into the flesh of the demon they watched in horror as the demon was consumed by a dragon. "Oh Ranma," Said Akane as she turned away from the gruesome sight.
Ranma did not care for the humans that looked at her in fear as long as she has her meat she would be fine. Hot blood then pored on her making her a he again. Now larger the dragon consumed the demon in delight of his kill. It was after he finished his meal did he return to human form naked and discussed. After looking at the shock of everyone did he faint.
It was a few hours latter that Ranma woke to the sound of cooking. He was in Ucchans where all the gang watched him as he woke to find that he had been dressed. His wounds had been taken cared of and he was fine. But that is not what worried him it was the looks of all his friends. Looking at himself he noticed that his hands looked more like claws. And that the sheets were burned. Getting up he was shocked to see that his clothes where also burned off. "What is happening to me!" he demanded embarrassed. "You used Mart's powers now you are starting to be consumed by her. You must resist it until the summoning!" shouted Cologne who looked worried. "What are you talking about old ghoul?" he said. Lamika came up to him "Ranma remember when shampoo came up to you and told you about what happens when you become a miko well it happens every time you become a dragon. It happens at high amounts of emotion the more you use it the more consumed you become. It happens three times each time you will suffer more and more till the time of summoning if your will is not strong enough you will be burned." She said her voice grave it was then that Shima came up to him. Here boy drink this it is made from phoenix feathers it will let you be cool enough for now to put something on." Ranma was greatful for the offering and drank it all. How long will this last he thought to himself.