Chapter 2: NWC (Nerima Wrecking Crew) in the house!
~*~Somewhere in Japan 2 weeks after Ranma's arrival~*~
A guy with a yellow and black polka dotted bandanna is carrying a heavy pack. He looks up toward the horizon. "Ranma Saotome, I'm going to get my revenge for your walking out on our duel." He raises a fist toward the heavens. His fist becomes surrounded by fire. "I will use my fists of fury to defeat you and claim my revenge for putting me through hell." He starts walking off in a random direction. "Now which way to Tokyo?"
~*~Tendo house~*~
Ranma is sparing with Akane outside. This time, Akane is doing a little better. "Not bad, but make sure to defend with your whole body, not just your arms." He then uses a kick to knock her into the pond.
Akane: "Pervert, just trying feel me up!" She then grabs Ranma and throws him into the pool.
Ranma-chan: "If I wanted to feel you up, I would have done it so you wouldn't notice it.... *bonk*, ow." Akane had bashed him with a mallet.
Akane: "Do what you want, pervert."
Ranma smirks. "I'm not the one in a wet gi."
Akane looks down and notices her state of attire, and her face turns red. "Pervert!!!" *ka-smash!* Ranma begins to climb out of the crater courtesy of Mallet-sama's impact.
???: (Word of advice. Avoid pointing out the obvious to people in this city. Most of them seem a little nuts. You seem to have a worse foot in mouth problem than I did).
Ranma-chan: (Shut up. You could have stopped me).
???: (I was thinking, sue me. Remember how we first met?)
Ranma sighs. "How could I forget?"
(Flashback, Jusenkyo Guide's house, 4 months ago)
A feverish looking Ranma is being tended by the guide. "Honorable sir, Your son have very odd reaction to springs. Never happen in history of guides."
Genma is visibly shaken by Ranma's illness and also from his beating earlier in the day. "Is he going to be ok?"
Guide: "No can say, strange aura appear sometimes, switch colors, like two people in one body." A dark aura flares up, shifting between blue and black. "See?"
Genma: "Can anyone help him? I won't let him die from this."
Guide: "I get doctor, take maybe 2-3 hours. Keep customer warm and give plenty water to drink." The perspective changes to an odd and shifting realm.
Ranma: "Where am I?" He or she at the moment notices her additions and a few subtractions. "Ahhh!!!!. What did that old man do this time?! I'm a weak and useless girl now!!!!!!"
???: "If that is your attitude, then I have a lot of work to do." A cloaked figure appears behind Ranma.
Ranma gets up and takes a stance. "Where am I? Who are you? What's happened to me?!"
The cloaked guy removes his hood, revealing a guy in his mid-twenties with long wild coral hair. "I'm here to give you a hand. I don't remember much of my past. I'll give you my name later. You're cursed."
Ranma: "What curse?!"
The guy smirks. "Jusenkyo. Don't you remember what happened?"
Ranma grips her head. "No..., I fell into the spring and..."
"Yes, you fell into the Nyannichuan as the guide said or "spring of drowned girl" roughly translated. As to our location, that is up to you."
Ranma: "Huh?"
"We're in your head. We ended up here because you went overboard and used more power than you were capable of controlling. Time is not passing for the most part, so don't worry about that. You can change the scenery as you choose." The background shifts to a traditional japanese house. "Not bad. Now, let's deal with the introductions. I'm Velkaris. Vel for short. Forgot my last name. I don't remember much else."
Ranma: "Ranma. Ranma Saotome. Any-goes school of martial arts. I'm the best in the world!"
Vel: "Heh. You're good, but not that good....yet. Potentially, you could be the best."
Ranma: "How would you know? Let's spar."
Velkaris smirks. "Alright, change it to an arena and be aware that we cannot kill each other in here. Also I'm going to switch my garb."
Ranma: "You can do that?"
Velkaris: "In here you can. Ever hear of a movie called The Matrix?"
Ranma: "Nope"
Vel: "Never mind. The point is that we can alter things a bit in here. It's not the real world." His cloak shifts to a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. Ranma shrugs and shifts to her standard attire. "I forgot to mention you can switch your gender in here. Your curse makes it possible." Ranma brights up and immediately switches to her male side. "Ready?"
"Yeah."
"Go!" Ranma starts with a quick punch combo. Vel counters with his wrists blocking it and his leg strikes Ranma's midsection. Ranma gets the wind knocked out of him and flips back.
"What style are you?"
Vel smirks. "It's name is the Maboroshi Ken, or Phantom Fist. It's one of the only things I remember." He takes a stance and begins punching in Ranma's direction. Ranma is confused until a strike seems to hit him.
Ranma: (What is this? He's not close enough to hit me, but I took the punch).
Vel: (I can hear your thoughts. The reason you're taking the hits is because you are being hit. Open your mind and see the power of the Maboroshi Ken). Ranma focuses and suddenly sees disembodied and ethereal fists streaking toward him. He dodges some and blocks others. "Good, you have ki ability. Now try my ryuten." He then leaps into the air and does a spin right into Ranma. Ranma gets hammered and is shot back.
Ranma: "Oh yeah? Try your own damn attack!" Ranma jumps up and does his own drill kick. Vel sees it coming and suddenly his eyes shine. The area ripples and time slows down. Vel moves to the side and pulls his hand back.
"Kage Burai (shadow thrust)." He jumps at Ranma and thrusts his extended hand toward Ranma's leg before changing it into a fist. Time returns to normal and Ranma drill kicks into the ground, his leg obviously hurting him.
"What the heck was that? How did you slow it down?"
Vel: "One of the other things I remember from my past. It's not so much a slowdown for you as it's a speed boost for me. I have to the ability to use Chaos energy, and to channel it as a weapon. I used it to distort the area around you and launch my Kage Burai attack. You can actually break the distortion if you can sense it and know how to project your ki in the right way. Most people can't even sense the effect or notice my aura."
Ranma: "I'm not done yet."
Velkaris holds up a hand. Vel: "You couldn't beat me yet in a real fight. I have a lot more experience than you. I'm offering you something."
Ranma raises an eyebrow. "What?"
Vel: "I offer you an opportunity. I'm stuck in this body with you." Ranma gets a worried look on his face. "Hahahhahaha, relax. This body is still yours. I cannot control it, nor can I force you into a decision you don't want. I'm offering you my power."
Ranma: "Why?"
Velkaris's expression saddens a bit. "I'm dead, Ranma. The reason we are talking is because you are my reincarnation. I'm offering you all my knowledge and abilities. I'll also grant you advice. I'll speak to you inside your head if you want me. No one else will hear me. You won't get all of it right away. You'll have to train hard to use my powers. This is your choice. I must add that I cannot remove your curse. Later, I might be able to minimize it a bit."
Ranma sits down and gets into a meditative pose. After a few minutes of meditation, he rises. Ranma: Ok, I'll merge with you."
Vel: "Excellent. Now before we return to your body, I have to tell you a few things. While I'm doing this, let's walk around a bit and see if we can't fix some of the damage that the panda guy did."
Ranma: "That panda is my dad."
"I know, but he has to answer for a few things. The Neko Ken for example, which left you with an uncontrollable fear of cats".
Ranma gets scared and attempts to grab the ceiling only to fall after realizing there is no ceiling at the moment. "Ccccccaaaaaats?! Where?! Get them away!!"
Velkaris: "Megami, you're that afraid? Genma will answer for this. I can't believe that he would use such an insane idea. There are no cats." Ranma calms down a bit. "Second, you have two more problems. One is the idea that women are weak and useless in a fight. A blatant falsehood propagated by chauvinist fools."
Ranma: "But aren't women supposed to be...?
Velkaris interrupts: "Stop! Don't finish that sentence. I guess that your father's influence is to blame. Women are not usually as physically strong, but they are just as capable as men in a fight. They have the same potential as any man, they just need training to maximize it."
Ranma: "Ok, I'll listen to you."
Vel: "Problem #2, you're too cocky. Your cockiness is hurting your development as a fighter and as a person. Taunting an opponent is ok to a point, but don't do it to everyone. You may find yourself against opponents that are better taken out quickly. For example, if an opponent were a coward and tried to use an innocent person as a shield, then it would be best to free the hostage and stop him from hurting people, am I correct?"
Ranma: "Of Course! That is the code of the martial artists!"
Vel snorts. "I personally don't adhere to any code, save my own. And that code tells me to protect life and guard people from harm that others would inflict, regardless of the personal cost. Honor can be redeemed, material goods can be replaced, but life is precious and shouldn't be sacrificed meaninglessly".
Ranma: "That's not what I was taught. I was taught that honor means everything to a martial artist. That we give everything, even our lives for the art."
Vel walks up and backhands Ranma. "Fool!! What is the point of wasting ones life for the sake of a stupid promise or any fighting technique or school?! If you had died in that pit of cats, would your life have had meaning?! No, your life would have been wasted by an idiot's dream of glory. If you want to die for glory, then make sure it's worth dying for. But answer me this. It's easy to find something worth dying for, have you anything worth living for?"
Ranma is shocked by the backhand strike and is wide eyed. Then his mind goes over what Velkaris just said, and he slumps down and starts crying. "My life has been a complete waste. I haven't done anything worth while besides the art. I have nothing worth living for."
Velkaris raises his eyebrows and kneels down. "I'm sorry, Ranma. It's just that I died in a meaningless way. I never got a chance to live my life enough. I never lived the life I wanted. I don't remember much, but I know that I didn't do enough good when I had the chance."
Ranma: "Thanks, but I'm still a useless kid who knows nothing but marital arts. I have no reason to live for myself."
"Then just choose to live for the sake of living."
Ranma: "Huh??"
Vel: "I can help you find a path, but ultimately you will choose your own destiny. You'll take on part of my personality and my experience and maturity. I will advise you, but I'm mostly just going to be along for the ride. Anytime you want privacy, just ask and I will go to the spirit realm until called again."
Ranma: "I'm a weakling for letting my emotions come out like this."
Velkaris shakes his head. "Again your dad's stupidity shows itself. Emotions are not to be blocked off. They are to be felt and experienced. You don't have to express it as long as you feel it. I might add that most emotions can be used to raise your ki levels and overall fighting ability. Better to let it out and feel the pain that you have denied."
Ranma breaks down and cries for a while. After about 5 mins, he gets up and wipes his face off. "Alright, I accept your deal." Vel puts a hand behind his head. Let's wake your body up, shall we? "
(End Flashback)
Vel: (That helped you out a lot. In fact.... Wait a sec. Do you feel that?).
Ranma looks around with a determined expression. "Yeah, a powerful fighter is coming, a few small ones too." Ranma smirks. "Good, I could use some real opponents."
~*~Yokohama Harbor~*~
A cargo ship is docking late at night. Unbeknownst to the crew, a few stowaways sneak off into the city. The moon highlights the three figures. A chinese girl with long purple hair is seen along with a guy in chinese robes with glasses and a small figure bouncing on a large cane. "Aiyah, Great- Grandma, why we sneak around like this? Shampoo think it better if just march into city and look for Pigtailed girl?"
The bespectacled boy trips and says: "I agree, there is no reason for stealth. They don't know we are here. I say we take our time and look for them... *Bonk* ow."
"Quiet, Mousse." The small figure gets back on top of it's cane. "I know what I'm doing. The reason we are using stealth is so no one sees us. We stowed away on that ship and the sailors would not like that. As for the pigtailed girl and her panda, we will find them soon. A trained panda is not common in China, so it must be unique here in Japan."
Mousse: "Still, where shall we look? This is a big city and we don't know where to start looking." *Bonk*
"Quiet, Mousse!"
Mousse: "Yes, Elder Cologne." Cologne looks around listens intently. Cologne: "Just the wind. We will start in the nerima area. It's supposed to be a gathering place of martial artists. Shampoo, your training will be complete as soon as you defeat the pigtailed girl."
Shampoo: "Shampoo understand. Make Great grandmother proud."
Cologne sighs. "Before you fight her though, try to learn the language. Let's go." The amazons leave the area and proceed to roof hop.
A minute later, a glint of metal is seen. The mysterious Rurouni wearing a straw hat appears on a roof above where the amazons were talking. (Phew, that old mummy almost saw me. I underestimated her ki ability. Despite her age, she is formidable). The bottom right section of his face can be seen beneath the hat. He smirks. (Very interesting. With them and the lost boy coming here at last, Ranma will be having quite a bit of fun. Of all the weirdos, fighters and assorted idiots that Genma has dealt with, only a few are worth my "brother's" attention. Should the situation become too unmanageable, I may have to take center stage myself). With those words he jumps up and disappears from sight.
~*~Nerima Ward, somewhere near Furinkan High~*~
"Ranma, you showoff! Get back here!"
Ranma: "Sorry, Akane, but you need to walk on the fence yourself." Akane is wearing her usual uniform but there are some bulges on parts of it.
Akane: "I know that, but why did you sew weights into my uniform?!"
Ranma puts his hand behind his head. "Actually, that was Kasumi. I can't sew."
Akane sweatdrops. (How did he get Kasumi on his side?).
Vel: (I still don't get how she could see our aura).
Ranma: (I know. She has no martial arts ability, yet her ki sensitivity is amazing).
(Flashback 2 days ago, early morning)
Kasumi is doing the cleaning. She looks out and sees Ranma in a stance. Her eyes go wide for a second and then she sees a dark and shifting aura around him. As Ranma goes through the kata, the aura ripples and flows. The way it looks is akin to looking through a fire and seeing the area distorted by the flames. Ranma alone looks clear but the surrounding area appears distorted. "Ara, what a strange sight. I must need more sleep." Ranma's ears perk up. The distortion stops and he hops over to Kasumi.
Ranma: "Did you see what I was doing?"
Kasumi: "Ara, was that you? I thought I was tired."
Ranma focuses and the area becomes distorted again. "No, you really did see this. What you are seeing is the manifestation of my power, the ability to control and use Chaos energy at will."
Kasumi: "I don't understand."
Ranma smiles and takes a seat. Kasumi sits down. "Alright, as far I can get it, Chaos permeates all things. It's the source from which everything flows." Kasumi is still smiling, but obviously is not understanding.
Vel: (Ranma, I'll take over. Just repeat after me. You get this by instinct, but you'll learn something by getting the basic concept as well).
Ranma: "Chaos is like the soup base that you use in soup. Without it, the soup cannot be made." Kasumi's eyes go up and then she nods. "My power allows me to manipulate the energy and do things like distort time, teleport, and disrupt certain kinds of attacks and magic. I'm still learning how to use it, so please keep this a secret until I'm ready."
Kasumi smiles. "Don't worry, Ranma. I won't tell anyone. Is there anyway I can help in your training? Ranma thinks for a moment, then snaps his fingers. "No, but you might be able to help me train your sister. Could you sew weight into her clothing? I'll tell you what kinds to use.
Kasumi: "Why?"
Ranma smirks. "Simple, she won't listen to me yet, and I want to her to train properly whether she knows it or not. The weights will strengthen her speed and her ability to dodge."
Kasumi: "Ok, Ranma-kun."
(End Flashback)
Vel: (I've got that itchy feeling).
Ranma: (The one where you are just waiting for something to happen? Hmm? What is that?) Ranma looks out the window of the classroom. Kuno is trying to get up from where Akane smashed him. "Just Kuno. Heh." Ranma suddenly looks over to the gate in one swift motion. "About time" He gets up and walks to the front of the class.
Teacher: "Yes?"
Ranma: "I'll be right back. I have to go deal with something outside." Ranma then puts two fingers to his head. Two rings appear and rotate at high speed diagonally around him, he then vanishes. The class, needless to say, is shocked. Ranma meanwhile reappears outside over a tree and falls into it's branches.
Vel: (I keep telling you, Don't use that trick! Something is missing, you should be able to control it better.)
Ranma: (Not now, the main show just got here.) A boy with a yellow bandanna with black polka dots is entering through the gate.
"This should be Nerima" He looks around and sees the sign on the front. "Furinkan High? I am in Nerima after all. Come on out Ranma Saotome!" Ranma jumps to the ground in front of the guy.
Ranma: "Who's asking?"
Bandanna dude: "I am. You skipped out on our duel seven years ago. I want a rematch."
Ranma sweatdrops. "Ok...., Who are you again? I don't remember skipping any duels."
The guys frowns exposing some fangs. "I'll give you a wakeup call then. He cracks his knuckles. Ranma is whistling. The guy runs up to Ranma and knocks him into the wall with one punch. "Now, do you remember me?" The students are shocked. Nobody at Furinkan has even been able to touch Ranma.
A laugh is heard from the rubble. "Ha ha ha. Now I remember you. Only one guy could knock me through a wall that easy. How ya been Ryouga?"
Ryouga smiles. "Could be worse. You?"
Ranma dusts himself off. "I'm in an odd situation right now. Stop by the Tendo dojo after school and I'll tell about it." It starts raining and Ranma runs to cover.
Ryouga quickly pulls out an umbrella. "You ever been to Jusenkyo?"
Ranma goes wide-eyed. "You too? I thought pop and I were the only ones. What did you get?"
Ryouga: "I better show you later. I tend to scare people if I change. What was yours?"
Ranma: "Spring of drowned girl. It's not that bad." Ranma walks out and promptly changes sex.
Ryouga whistles. "Nice. Didn't know you were such a looker, Ranma."
Ranma: "Shut up. This is nice, but it causes problems sometimes." The rain clears up.
???: "Prepare to die, pigtailed girl!" A bonbori impacts near Ranma.
"What the hell?" A chinese girl with long purple hair, a guy in chinese robes with oversized glasses and a weird mummy on a stick appear on the roof.
Ryouga: "That is an ugly zombie. Ow!" A rock had hit him in the head.
"Watch your tongue, young one. I am Elder Cologne of the Amazons. The boy here is Mousse and the girl is my great-grand daughter, Shampoo." She points her cane at Ranma-chan. "And we have come to kill that girl in accordance with amazon law." Mousse launches a chain from his sleeve that hits the ground. Shampoo runs down the chain. Mousse follows. He retracts the chain after they hit the ground.
Ranma sighs. "Hey, Ryouga, want to warm up against them before we fight later?"
Ryouga: Sure, they seem kind of weak, except for the mummy. Ow!"
Cologne: "I don't like being called a mummy. And don't worry. I'm not fighting you. They are, I'm just observing this fight."
Ranma smirks. "Two on two, huh? Good odds, for us. Ryouga, you got any good fight music?"
Ryouga searches his pack and pulls out a CD. "You know anything about american rock and roll?"
Ranma: "Sounds good. Give it to one of the students and tell them to put in on the PA." Ryouga walks over to a student and hands him the CD.
Ranma: "Ready?" Ryouga pulls out a large metal umbrella. Ranma sweatdrops. "You're still using that thing?" Guitar riffs start coming over the speaker.
Ryouga: "Nevermind this. Let's burn these punks."
Ranma: "I'll get the girl"
PA: "Been hiding out, and laying low, it's nothing new to me."
Shampoo: "What kind of noise umbrella boy playing?"
PA: "Well, you can always find a place to go, if you keep your sanity."
Ryouga nails Mousse with a roundhouse kick. "It's called "Out Ta Get Me" by Guns and Roses." Ranma hits one of Shampoo's bonbori into the air then jumps up and kicks it into a tree.
Ranma: "I'd worry more about me and less about the music. By the way Ryouga, good taste."
PA: "They can break down the doors, And they can rape my rights."
Ryouga: "But, they won't touch me."
PA: "They scream and yell, and fight all night." Mousse gets up and starts throwing chains at Ryouga. Ryouga blocks the first few. Mousse twists them and they ensnare Ryouga.
PA: "I lose my head, I close my eyes." Ranma jumps out of the way of a bonbori and jumps into the air.
Ranma: "Ryuten." Ranma spins in midair and slams into Shampoo.
PA: "They won't touch me, cause I got something I been building up inside, I'm already gone." Steam starts coming off Ryouga.
Ryouga: "Hibiki School technique! Blaze field!" A fiery aura encompasses Ryouga. The chains start glowing from the heat. Ryouga struggles and breaks the chains off.
PA: "They're out ta get me. They won't catch me. I'm innocent, they won't break me!"
Ranma: "Good music, Ryouga, where did you get that technique?" Ryouga grabs Mousse in a suplex and slams him into the ground.
Ryouga: "Family style. I'll show you the rest later."
PA: "Some people got a chip on their shoulder, an some would say it was me. But I didn't buy that fifth of whisky."
Ryouga: "So I'd be quick to disagree."
Cologne is watching the fight proceed and realizing that she may have overrated Shampoo and Mousse's skills. She prepares to jump down.
???: "I thought you said you weren't interfering." A katana is right behind her.
Cologne: "You're pretty good to get behind me like that, young one.
???: "He's not the only one." The two voices belong to the rurouni guy and a bald monk with a staff."
Monk: "I heard that the amazon elders were ugly, but I didn't know they were vampires, ow!" The rurouni guy whacks the monk with his scabbard.
Rurouni: "Moron, show some respect. She is my best friend's ex-girlfriend."
Cologne: "Who are you two, and who is your best friend?"
The rurouni grins. "He is Zu Zhuisen, my name is a secret for the moment. My best friend is a mutual acquaintance of ours, named Happosai." Cologne blanches.
PA: "They're out ta get me, they won't catch me, I'm innocent."
???: "They won't break me!" A diminutive 3 foot tall man walks out.
???: "Long time no see, Cologne-chan."
Cologne's jaw drops. "Happosai!! But you were imprisoned?!"
Happosai: "I'm the grand-master of anything goes school of martial arts, you think I could be imprisoned?"
Zu: "Show some gratitude, hihi jiji (dirty old man). I got those wards off your cage."
Happosai: "Nevermind those details. What is this about?"
Rurouni: "Elder Cologne here, was going to take a hand in her grand-daughter's fight against my "brother" and his friend, Ryouga."
Happosai: "Let me see."
Ranma: "Come on, Shampoo, surely the amazons are better than this?
Shampoo: "Pigtailed girl will die for mocking amazons!" Shampoo charges at Ranma-chan seeing red in her eyes (unintentional pun). Ranma makes some kind of gesture with her hands.
Ranma: "Ha!" The area around her distorts and Shampoo slows down a bit. Cologne panics seeing this ability and realizes Shampoo doesn't realize what's going on.
Shampoo: (Pigtailed girl just standing there, too too scared of Shampoo to move).
Rurouni: "I knew it, that is the Maboroshi-ken (Phantom fist)!"
Happosai: "Very impressive, he's quite good."
Ranma: "Raijin." He charges some power in his fist, rushes Shampoo and hits her with a powerful blow. Shampoo falls down K.O. ed. Ryouga's jaw drops.
PA: "They're out to get me, they won't catch me, I'm innocent, so you can suck me. Take that one to heart."
Mousse: "My darling Shampoo! For harming her, I shall defeat you, monster!" *ka-smash* Mousse falls down unconscious.
Rurouni: "Well, time to go. That was entertaining."
Ryouga: "What was that move you did?"
Ranma: "I'm not sure."
Ryouga: "Need hot water?" He pulls out a thermos from his pack and tosses it to Ranma.
Ranma-chan: "Thanks" She douses herself and changes sex again.
Happosai: "Where is the pretty lady?"
Zu: "Ah man, I was gonna ask for her number."
The rurouni sweatdrops. "You guys did hear me call her my "brother", right?
Cologne: "Quite impressive for one of your students, Happi. He'll make a fine addition to the tribe."
Happosai: "He won't go willingly, besides that last technique was not one of mine."
Cologne: "Huh, what style was it?"
Rurouni: "Maboroshi-ken, a style not seen in several ages. Don't ask me about it, it's not my style, though I did know one of the masters who practiced it. Well, Zu, Happi, let's go. I'm sure Cologne will want to collect her students."
Zu: "Can I at least get the numbers of a few girls here?" *whack*
Rurouni: "Sorry for taking your stick without your permission, Elder."
~*~Tendo dojo, after school~*~
Kasumi is doing the laundry, when she notices two figures coming toward the house. "Hello, Ranma-kun, who is your friend?"
Ryouga: Ryouga Hibiki, miss?"
Kasumi: "Tendo, Kasumi Tendo. Will you be staying the night?"
Ryouga: "Do you mind?"
Ranma: "No problem, if Kasumi is ok with it."
Kasumi: "Of course, go on in, I'll just finish this up." Ryouga walks in with Ranma.
Ryouga: "She was nice, anyone else here?"
Ranma: "Not counting the panda, just Soun, Kasumi, Nabiki, and Akane.
Ryouga does a double take. "Did you say Panda?"
Ranma: "Yeah, why?"
Ryouga growls. "I got hit on the head by a tree that a panda knocked down. That's why I fell into a cursed spring."
Kasumi walks by carrying a bucket of water. *Trip* "Abunai, Ryouga! (Look out)." Ryouga gets hit by the cold water, and in his place is a tiger man hybrid dressed in his clothes standing on it's hind legs. (A/N: picture Long in beast mode from Bloody roar 3 in Ryouga's clothes).
Ranma's eyes go wide. "Ahhhhh!!! Cat! Cat! Cat! Get it away!" He runs out of the house at lightning speed.
Ryouga: "What the hell? Why is he scared of me? Kasumi, I can explain."
Kasumi: "It's ok, you just have a curse like Ranma and his dad." Akane chooses that moment to walk in.
Akane: *eyes go wide* "Kiyaaaa! Tiger!" She runs out.
Ryouga snorts. "Coward." Kasumi runs some hot water into a cup and hands it to Ryouga. He splashes himself. "Thanks, who was that?"
Kasumi: That's my youngest sibling, Akane. Ranma is training her in the family style."
Ranma peeks from around the door. "Is the cccaaaatttt gone yet?"
Kasumi: "Yes, Ranma-kun, the cat is gone."
Ranma sighs in relief. "Ryouga, that will take a while to explain. Did you see which way the cat went?
Ryouga: "Um, that cat was me."
Ranma:"What?!"
"I said I had a curse too, dumbass."
Ranma:"Oh, so that is your curse."
Ryouga: " Yeah, a were- Tiger, you were talking about a panda?"
Ranma blinks. "Oh, you mean pops? He fell into the spring of drowned panda. Uh oh...." Ryouga walks into the living room with an evil gleam in his eye. "Come on out, you cowardly pile of fur!!" Genma looks over from his game of Shogi with Soun. (A/N: Shogi is a japanese version of chess).
Genma: "Quiet boy, I don't need to be distracted."
Ryouga grins in a sadistic way. "One problem, panda-man, I'm not Ranma." He runs over and lifts up Genma by the front of his Gi. Genma strikes Ryouga in the collarbone. Ryouga grimaces and throws Genma into the pool. He then goes on one knee. "I forgot how good Ranma's dad is. Ouch." The afore mentioned panda emerges from the pool.
Sign: "You're not bad, but you have no chance against me, boy."
"Ranma, you might not want to watch this."
Ranma:"You're gonna kick pop's ass, so what? There's a long line of people who also want to do that. Just don't transform, I'd rather not see that again...." Ryouga charges the panda. Genma blocks Ryouga's punch with his left paw and slashes Ryouga's shirt with his right. Ryouga's fist glows.
Ryouga: "Magma Drive!" He does a flaming uppercut. Genma is smoking.
Sign: I'll give this round to you. He falls down. The sound of clapping is heard. Ranma walks out and looks to the roof. There, sitting on the roof is the rurouni guy from earlier. He's not wearing his straw hat this time. Without it, we can see that he looks about 30ish with a pale face and a silver fox mask on the left side of his face, complete with an ear, and silver hair pulled up in a pony tail. (A/N: For his hair, think Kenshin from Rurouni Kenshin: Rememberence. For those who don't speak japanese, It's the movie where they show his past with Tomoe).
"Heh, heh, heh, that was entertaining, though not as much as your last fight."
Ranma: "You saw that fight?"
The ronin nods. "Indeed, and you still have a long way to go." *"Whistle of the Warrior" starts playing in the background*
Ranma: "Think you can back that up?" Ranma leaps into a flying kick at the rurouni. The ronin jumps out of the way. Ranma touches the roof and springs off after the ronin. The ronin pulls out a bokken and strikes Ranma down. Ranma hits the ground. The ronin floats down at a impossibly slow rate.
The ronin smirks in a familiar way. "Not bad, but you have yet to truly unleash your potential."
Ranma: "......" The ronin raises his visible eyebrow.
Ranma: "...Senretsu." Ranma kicks at the ronin, transferring to an ax kick. He then reverses the ax kick and hits the ronin into the air. Just as the ronin regains his balance Ranma hits him with a 2-handed open palm strike. Ranma shakes his head. "What happened?"
Ryouga: "You just did a nice combo on this guy."
The ronin gets up. "Gods be damned, If I had known you had gotten your old techniques back, I wouldn't have held back so much." *music stops* Ranma is looking a bit clueless at the moment.
Ryouga: (Who the hell is this guy, he's way better than Ranma, and what's he talking about?)
Ronin: "I suppose some kind of explanation is in order. As much as it would help clear this up, I'm afraid I can't say everything. However, I'll say what I can. Shall we discuss this over a cup of tea?"
Ranma shrugs. "Ok, let's go in."
Ronin: "No, not here, I have a better venue for this. Follow me." He jumps toward a nearby roof and starts roof hopping away. Ranma and Ryouga follow him.
~*~10 minutes later~*~
The trio stops outside an expensive looking club in the Shibuya district. Ranma: "I know I can't afford this. Ryouga?" Ryouga pulls out his wallet.
Ryouga: "Barely enough for the cover charge."
Ronin: "Relax, anything you order is on the house."
Ranma, Ryouga: "Really?!"
Ranma: "How can you guarantee that?"
The ronin smirks again. "Simple, I own this club." A facefault ensues. "Follow me." He walks through the doors. They follow cautiously. When they walk in, they see a place that seems to be a restaurant bistro.
???: "May I see your invitations, gentlemen?" A well dressed maitre d' is tapping his foot.
Ranma: "Well, we don't have any." He puts his hand behind his head in a sheepish manner. The maitre d' snaps his fingers and two large bruisers in tuxedos step out from the curtains.
Maitre d': "Can you pay the cover charge?"
Ranma: "How much?"
Maitre d': "100,000 yen."
Ranma: "Aw, shit, I don't have that much on me." The bruisers pull out some brass knuckles.
Ranma: "Would it help if we said we knew the owner?"
Maitre d': "What is his name?"
Ranma: "Umm, Ryouga, did you catch it?"
Ryouga: "He never said it, he's an average height guy with a fox mask and dressed in samurai garb."
Maitre d': "Mister Taishin said don't let anyone in to see the boss if they didn't know his name."
Bruiser #1: So, amscray, youse punks, before we murdalize you."
Bruiser #2: "What he said."
Ryouga: "I don't take orders from punks, punk."
Bruiser #1: "Hahahahahaah! The wittle boy wants to have a fight with the big bad man. Now vamoose, before I gets angry."
Ryouga: "That's it, I'm frying this guy. Kick thirteen!" He launches a flaming kick at the guy. The bruiser is knocked into the wall.
Bruiser #2: "Uhhh, this one is yours, I quit." He puts the other guy on his shoulder and walks out the door.
The maitre'de is sweating bullets. "Well, heheh, umm, yes, umm..."
???: "What in the name of Hachiman is going on out here?" (A/N: Hachiman is the japanese god of war.) A man in a purple business suit with a red cravat walks out. (A/N: Think Kazuya's purple suit from Tekken.)
Maitre d': "Oh, Mr. Taishin, thank goodness! These two ruffians just barged in and knocked out the bouncers. Please help me evict them!" 'Taishin' responds by picking up the maitre d' up by his shirt collar and throwing him out the door. "But Mr. Taishin!?"
Taishin: "You're fired. I heard the conversation. How many people will ask to see Sir Kayin? Most people are not dumb enough to ask to see him unless he has asked for them. He just told me to come out and greet these two guests of his. Gentlemen *nodding to Ranma and Ryouga*, follow me." They walk over to a side table and sit down. The ronin is seated across from them.
Ronin: "Greetings, I'm Kayin."
Ranma: "Ranma Saotome."
Ryouga: "Ryouga Hibiki."
Kayin: "This is Kazuro Taishin, my lawyer, business associate, and manager of the club Sesshouku." A waiter walks up and hands them the menus. "Order anything you like, it's on the house." Ranma looks through the menu. "I don't know what most of this is."
Ryouga: "Chicken ala flambe, ebi-tempura (A/N: Ebi is shrimp), and what do think is good to drink?"
Kayin: "I'll just order some chrysanthemum tea."
Ranma: "You're fluent in english?"
Ryouga: "I picked up a few languages. Besides, I've had the chicken dish before. You think I could enroll in Furinkan? My regular education bites."
"Since you don't understand most of the menu, I'll just order some sauteed mushroom soup for me and a dish of ravioli to start with." He makes a gesture to Kazuro. "Go get Zu and Happi. If he's not with Zu, try the women's dressing room."
Ranma: "Who is Zu and Happi?" A bald guy with the six dot pattern on his head walks out.
"Zu Zhuisen, you guys jamming without me?"
Ryouga: "What?"
Kayin: "Sometimes, even I don't understand him. Sit down. Where's Happosai?"
Women's voices: "Eeeek! Pervert! Hentai!"
Kazuro: "Your pervert, sir."
Happosai: "Why did you stop me from gettting my silky darlings?"
Kayin: "Because, I want you to meet two interesting fellows. Ryouga Hibiki, and Ranma Saotome."
Happosai looks them over with an inquisitive eye. "Not bad, the boy with the bandana has a lot of fire ki, but I can't quite figure out the other one."
Ranma: "Fire Ki? Is that how you did those moves?"
Kayin: "Happi is showing his age. It's elemental energy, not ki. It's more powerful, but not everyone can use that kind of power." Happosai grabs a glass of water and makes to throw it at Ranma, when suddenly Kayin knocks it away with one lighting fast movement. "One, I don't think "Ranko" would appreciate being groped. Two, I'm pretty sure that Ranma has been trained in the neko-ken (Cat fist). I really don't need to remodel this place."
Ryouga: "Neko-ken?"
"I think this story is not mine to tell."
Ranma sighs heavily. "You saw the effects when you changed into a were-tiger. The training consists of taking a bunch of cats, dig a pit, throw the cats in, and starve them for a few days. After a few days, take one 4 or 5 yr old kid that you want trained in the neko-ken, and toss them in the pit. Repeat until they learn the technique or go nuts."
Zu: "Ugh, The Shaolin elders showed me a scroll, that technique is bogus. The last page says not to actually use it."
Kayin: "I've heard that there was a real version at one point, but that it was lost and that fake version was used as a form of torture at one point."
Zu: "Sorry man, but Shaolin is still working on a way to cure people of the fear."
Happosai looks at the confused face of Ryouga. "The training often leaves the person with a lifelong fear of cats. If they are around cats too long, they revert to a feral state." Ryouga smiles a bit.
Zu: "Don't think that's a good thing. A person in the feral neko state is not a nice little pussycat. They become a berserker and attack anyone around them."
Happosai: "A person in that state has increases senses, fighting ability, strength and agility. A really powerful martial artist can manifest ki claws."
Kayin: "Enough. Let's eat first and continue this later. Happi, Zu, you may place your own orders." Everybody sits down. The food arrives shortly. Happosai and Ranma begin the age old tradition of practicing the any-goes school food techniques. Zu is digging into his salad. Kayin develops a twitch on his forehead. "Stop right now, or I'll throw you both out the nearest window. This is a high-class place, not a bar or a dojo. Eat like civilized people." They immediately settle down. A few minutes later, the waiters come and take the food away. Happosai lights his pipe and sits down on a raised cushion.
Kayin: "Now then, let's talk."
Ranma: "Ok, first off, what did you mean by remembering my old techniques? I don't know those techniques!"
Zu: "Kayin, you said you recoqnized the style. Throw us a bone."
Kayin sits backs and drinks a cup of tea. His one visible eye is closed. He pours another cup and opens his eye. "Alright. I'm not gonna tell you the whole story. Suffice to say, I am intimately familiar with that style. You're starting to learn how use it again. I'm offering you a deal."
Ranma: "What kind of deal?" Kayin puts a sheet of paper down on the table. Ryouga unfolds it.
Poster: Kamikaze Budoukai (A/N: Tournament of the divine wind), the stage on which the greatest fighters test their skill. All comers welcome! Big prizes, cash, connections, you win, it's yours! Tournament location to be announced.
Ryouga: "Any rules?"
Kayin: "Basic tournament rules. Win by submission, knockout, ringout and judgement by a select panel if fights go too long. No killing, any attacks on the audience will be cause for immediate forfeit and disqualification, likewise for outside help. Matches may be set up any way the fighters want, however both fighters must agree beforehand."
Ranma: "Why does this concern me?"
Zu: "It's simple, Simon. You win, you get answers to the questions that perplex you."
Kayin: "Such as, who am I?, What is that fighting style?, And who is Velkaris?"
Vel: (What?! How the hell does he know who I am?!)
Kayin: "If you enter this tournament, and prove that you are worthy of his legacy, I will give two things, one is answers to your questions, and the other is this." He reaches into his right hand and and puts his other hand in. He pulls his left hand out of his rippling right hand and puts a strange orb on the table. The orb pulses with a light pattern like a heartbeat.
Ryouga: "What is that?"
Kayin: "The soul of chaos. An ancient artifact that rightfully belongs to you. However, due to the rules regarding it, it must be earned in a contest to determine your worthiness."
Vel: (Ranma, can you feel that? It's calling to us, like It was part of me at one time.....)
Happosai whispers to Zu: "What is that thing? There's something scary about it."
Zu: "Don't know, Kayin has had it for a long time, pretty sure he's been looking forward to getting rid of it somewhere." Ranma sits back for a minute.
Ryouga: "How much is the cash prize?"
Kayin: "Kazuro has the details. That poster is just for the advertising value, the actual rules and prizes are only to be disclosed to the contestants."
Kazuro: "Sir Ranma, Shall I put your name on the list?"
Ranma: "No, not interested." Everyone at the table is shocked.
Kayin: "Would it be rude to ask why?"
Ranma: "Simple, I don't trust you. You're not telling me something. Yeah, I want that orb, but I think that there's something wrong with it, or you wouldn't be eager to get rid of it."
Kayin: "I can alleviate one concern, the orb itself is powerful, but without a master, it's just a glorified magic eightball." He picks it up and tosses it to Happosai. Happi catches it and is promptly shocked.
Happosai: "It said: "Though you possess knowledge of chaos, my strength is only for the knight of chaos. Thou are not worthy of my power."
Ryouga: "Knowledge of chaos?"
Happosai lights his pipe. "I am the grandmaster and founder of the anything goes school of martial arts."
Ranma: "That's my school! Do you know my father?"
Happi: "Who is your father?"
"Genma Saotome."
Happi grips the table hard. "That punk never learned how to fight, he had potential, but no drive to learn. If you're even half as bad as he was, I'll not teach you a thing."
Ranma laughs. "Hahahah, well, you definetly know pops alright. Trust me, I've had it up to here with his laziness."
Kazuro gestures to his wristwatch. "Sirs, forgive the interruption, but the hour is close to 6."
Kayin: "Sorry, but I have to open the place up. I've got a business meeting later, so you'll have to leave by yourselves." He grins and picks up Happosai. "Here, take him with you, I'm sure his ex-students will be overjoyed to see him."
Happosai: "That's right, I still owe Genma for shutting me in that cave. Where is he staying?"
Ranma: "With a friend of his named Tendo."
Happosai laughs maniacally. "Two birds with one stone. Tendo was also a pupil of mine."
After their departure, Zu looks at Kayin. "You really think he'll enter? He's no square, he knows something ain't kosher."
Kayin: "Doesn't matter. The orb is his, if he earns it. I'll be glad to return it. I sensed Velkaris's spirit is in him. The tournament will determine just how much Vel has taught him."
Zu: "And what if someone crashes the party?"
"It will make things more fun. The Sailor Senshi are about due to start noticing him. It's just a matter of time until a confrontation happens. I want to set their first meeting up myself."
~*~20 minutes later, Tendo Dojo~*~
The trio goes through the gate. Happosai: "Wait a moment. You go in first. I want to surprise Soun later."
Ryouga: "Ok, Gramps." Ranma and Ryouga walk to the door. Kasumi answers it. "Ara, welcome back. Why are you out so late?"
Ranma: "That ronin guy who was here earlier wanted to talk to us. How soon till dinner is ready?"
Kasumi: "I'm just about to start."
Ryouga: "I'm probably going to be staying here a while. Mind if I help you?"
Kasumi: "Not at all, Ryouga-kun." Ranma goes outside to do some kata. Ryouga is slicing vegetables.
Kasumi: Oh, Ryouga?"
"Yes?"
"Who is outside?"
Ryouga: "Umm, no one that I know."
Kasumi: "Really, then why did you talk with him?"
Ryouga sighs. "Promise not to make a scene?" Kasumi nods. Ryouga puts his head out the kitchen door. "Come on out, old man! Kasumi wants to talk to you!"
Happo bounces out into the open. "Kasumi?" Kasumi looks out and sees Happi.
"Grandpa Happosai!" She picks him up and gives him a hug. Happosai, in a rare moment, does not try to glomp her. She puts him down. "I missed seeing you around, Grandpa."
Happosai: "I'm glad you're doing well. I'm going to scare your father and Mr. Saotome a little bit."
Kasumi: "Ok, Grandpa, dinner will be ready in about 5 minutes, Ryouga's helping me."
"Good boy, I'll talk to you later, Kasumi." He walks up to the door between the kitchen and the dining room.
Ranma is talking to his dad. "Hey, pops, you ever hear of someone named Happosai?"
Genma and Soun turn white as a sheet. "Boy, where did you hear that name?!"
"Saotome, did he ever meet the master?"
"No, Tendo, I don't think so."
Ranma: "Funny, I heard a funny story, about how two of his students imprisoned him in a cave. He was supposed to be the creator of the any-goes school."
Genma: "Boy, Happosai was a demon incarnate, a plague on civilization, he needed to be imprisoned."
Soun: "It was difficult, but after a long batte, we finally sealed him away."
Ranma smirks. "That's odd, he told me you two got him drunk and tossed him in a cave sealed with wards."
Genma: "Yes, that was a difficult day..., Wait a moment, he?!"
Happosai: "That's right, you lazy bums. I'm still mad about that, but if you start groveling now, maybe I'll forgive you." The miniature martial artist bounds into the room.
Genma & Soun: "Master Happosai?!" They immediately perform the moko-rakuchisei, which is basically grovel and kowtow to a person.
Happosai: "That's better. Now, ask Kasumi if there is any sake, and if she would mind my indulging myself." Soun immediately rushes to the kitchen and brings back a bottle of sake.
Soun: "She said: "Alright, but wait til after dinner." Forgive us, Master!!" The tendos sit down to a nice dinner.
Akane: "Who is the midget?"
Nabiki: "Do we know you?" Happosai pulls out his pipe and conks Akane on the head lightly. He then lights it.
Kasumi: "No smoking at the table, Grandfather."
Nabiki does a rare double-take. "Grandpa? We don't have a grandfather!"
Kasumi: "Yes, we do, you were just too young to remember him. He went away for a long time."
Happosai: "These bungling fools here *points at Genma and Soun* put me in a cage for a long time."
Genma and Soun grovel again. "Forgive us, master!!!!"
~*~Late that night~*~
Ranma is sitting up thinking about Kayin's offer. (I wonder if I did the right thing.)
Vel: (Perhaps, but eventually we may have to enter this tourny.)
Ranma: (You just want that orb.)
Vel: (Partially, but there is more to this. When I sensed that orb, I saw some flashes of memory. That thing contains some of my memories.)
Ranma: (What about that fighting style?)
Vel: (Don't worry, just focus and all the moves you've done so far will appear in your mind, you'll get the rest as you fight.)
~*~Somewhere outside of time~*~
A green haired woman in a sailor fuku is looking at a picture in a giant blue doorway. "Hmm, Crystal Tokyo is fluctuating. There's been an increase in the amount of chaos. What is this?" She waves a staff shaped like a key. The picture shifts to Nerima. She tries to read the future. All of a sudden the door starts shaking like an earthquake is happening.
Mystery woman: "What?! A time quake?! What could disrupt the time gates this much??" The gates start flashing pictures. A vast army poised for war, a skeletal demon, a swordsman with a fox half-mask striking at untold speed, marital artists fighting somewhere in Japan, a man with coral hair, a girl with a scythe and lime green hair, a monk acting lecherous, a bandanaed boy with a firey aura, a dragon of metal, and the last picture is of a man in strange armor with a skull like mask. The man's eyes glow red and for some reason the woman is reminded of a strange and ancient fear of this figure. The masked man gestures and destroys Crystal Tokyo with a single blast. The woman collapses and starts crying. For reasons impossible to explain, those images touched her and she felt the evil of that last picture and she felt the terror of those who will die by his hands. *Catches her breath* "I've got to tell the princess and the other senshi about this." She teleports out.
A figure teleports in. "Hahahahaha. Pity you didn't study strategy, Sailor pluto, or should I call you Setsuna?" The robed figure disappears.
~*~?????, 5 minutes later~*~
The robed figure appears. It approaches a throne.
???: Report, Velius. Did you show her the pictures?"
Velius: "Yes, my liege. The sailor senshi will now, according to my scenario investigate Nerima. They will fight our enemies for us.
???: "And my old rival?"
Velius removes his hood revealing a skeletal face. "He has not awoken yet. He does not possess the soul of Chaos. My former student suspects something."
???: "That is your concern, not mine. Deal with it if necessary. Remember, the one with Velkaris's soul is mine. My victory is in my grasp. To conquer heaven and hell, one must transend one's limits. I will become the supreme and change the universe itself. Destruction is the path to the divine."
~*~Narita airport, morning of the next day~*~
A lime-green haired girl is walking through customs. She is to say the least, well-proportioned.
Security guard: "Umm, miss?" The girl looks at him.
Guard: "I must ask you to please got through the metal detector.
The girl says in a sultry voice: "Now, you surely don't want me to got through that machine, do you?" The guard nods, albeit with his eyes on her chest. She walk through. It triggers.
Guard: "Miss... *looks at her passport* Ichigami, please submit to a search." She goes to a wall. The guard pats her down. He then tries to feel her chest. She elbows him hard and he falls down. He reaches for a walkie-talkie, when he looks up and sees a scythe aimed at his family jewels.
Miss Ichigami: "Now, as I was saying, do you want me to do something that we'll both regret, or shall I just forget you groped me and let you keep your balls?" The guard faints. The girl blinks. "When you got it, flaunt it." She puts the scythe away, picks up the luggage and walks to a taxi.
A guy who was watching that picks up a cell-phone and speed-dials a number. "Boss Taishin, and make it fast. Hello, boss? Yeah, the girl fitting the description just left the airport. She threatened to castrate a guard who groped her." *Laughter on the other end* "What does Boss Kayin want us to do?" *Murmurs on the phone* "Ok, we'll keep an eye on her. No, no, no one is going to bug her. I'm pretty sure none of my guys could stop her anyway."
End chapter two.
Author's notes: Well, that took a while. Got say, I really didn't think I'd still be finishing it after new years. Ah well, Happy New Year! Major props to my editor Ketsurui, without whom, I'd still be stuck. Props to my pre-readers, omega X, Boo, crys and Reiko. Things are heating up. Who the hell is the masked guy? What is the deal with that freaky orb? Will we ever find out what's going on?! I'm going to start unraveling the plot next chapter. Next time on Ranma Legends: "Senshi In The Mix" and "The Tournament For Ranma's Heart".
~*~Somewhere in Japan 2 weeks after Ranma's arrival~*~
A guy with a yellow and black polka dotted bandanna is carrying a heavy pack. He looks up toward the horizon. "Ranma Saotome, I'm going to get my revenge for your walking out on our duel." He raises a fist toward the heavens. His fist becomes surrounded by fire. "I will use my fists of fury to defeat you and claim my revenge for putting me through hell." He starts walking off in a random direction. "Now which way to Tokyo?"
~*~Tendo house~*~
Ranma is sparing with Akane outside. This time, Akane is doing a little better. "Not bad, but make sure to defend with your whole body, not just your arms." He then uses a kick to knock her into the pond.
Akane: "Pervert, just trying feel me up!" She then grabs Ranma and throws him into the pool.
Ranma-chan: "If I wanted to feel you up, I would have done it so you wouldn't notice it.... *bonk*, ow." Akane had bashed him with a mallet.
Akane: "Do what you want, pervert."
Ranma smirks. "I'm not the one in a wet gi."
Akane looks down and notices her state of attire, and her face turns red. "Pervert!!!" *ka-smash!* Ranma begins to climb out of the crater courtesy of Mallet-sama's impact.
???: (Word of advice. Avoid pointing out the obvious to people in this city. Most of them seem a little nuts. You seem to have a worse foot in mouth problem than I did).
Ranma-chan: (Shut up. You could have stopped me).
???: (I was thinking, sue me. Remember how we first met?)
Ranma sighs. "How could I forget?"
(Flashback, Jusenkyo Guide's house, 4 months ago)
A feverish looking Ranma is being tended by the guide. "Honorable sir, Your son have very odd reaction to springs. Never happen in history of guides."
Genma is visibly shaken by Ranma's illness and also from his beating earlier in the day. "Is he going to be ok?"
Guide: "No can say, strange aura appear sometimes, switch colors, like two people in one body." A dark aura flares up, shifting between blue and black. "See?"
Genma: "Can anyone help him? I won't let him die from this."
Guide: "I get doctor, take maybe 2-3 hours. Keep customer warm and give plenty water to drink." The perspective changes to an odd and shifting realm.
Ranma: "Where am I?" He or she at the moment notices her additions and a few subtractions. "Ahhh!!!!. What did that old man do this time?! I'm a weak and useless girl now!!!!!!"
???: "If that is your attitude, then I have a lot of work to do." A cloaked figure appears behind Ranma.
Ranma gets up and takes a stance. "Where am I? Who are you? What's happened to me?!"
The cloaked guy removes his hood, revealing a guy in his mid-twenties with long wild coral hair. "I'm here to give you a hand. I don't remember much of my past. I'll give you my name later. You're cursed."
Ranma: "What curse?!"
The guy smirks. "Jusenkyo. Don't you remember what happened?"
Ranma grips her head. "No..., I fell into the spring and..."
"Yes, you fell into the Nyannichuan as the guide said or "spring of drowned girl" roughly translated. As to our location, that is up to you."
Ranma: "Huh?"
"We're in your head. We ended up here because you went overboard and used more power than you were capable of controlling. Time is not passing for the most part, so don't worry about that. You can change the scenery as you choose." The background shifts to a traditional japanese house. "Not bad. Now, let's deal with the introductions. I'm Velkaris. Vel for short. Forgot my last name. I don't remember much else."
Ranma: "Ranma. Ranma Saotome. Any-goes school of martial arts. I'm the best in the world!"
Vel: "Heh. You're good, but not that good....yet. Potentially, you could be the best."
Ranma: "How would you know? Let's spar."
Velkaris smirks. "Alright, change it to an arena and be aware that we cannot kill each other in here. Also I'm going to switch my garb."
Ranma: "You can do that?"
Velkaris: "In here you can. Ever hear of a movie called The Matrix?"
Ranma: "Nope"
Vel: "Never mind. The point is that we can alter things a bit in here. It's not the real world." His cloak shifts to a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. Ranma shrugs and shifts to her standard attire. "I forgot to mention you can switch your gender in here. Your curse makes it possible." Ranma brights up and immediately switches to her male side. "Ready?"
"Yeah."
"Go!" Ranma starts with a quick punch combo. Vel counters with his wrists blocking it and his leg strikes Ranma's midsection. Ranma gets the wind knocked out of him and flips back.
"What style are you?"
Vel smirks. "It's name is the Maboroshi Ken, or Phantom Fist. It's one of the only things I remember." He takes a stance and begins punching in Ranma's direction. Ranma is confused until a strike seems to hit him.
Ranma: (What is this? He's not close enough to hit me, but I took the punch).
Vel: (I can hear your thoughts. The reason you're taking the hits is because you are being hit. Open your mind and see the power of the Maboroshi Ken). Ranma focuses and suddenly sees disembodied and ethereal fists streaking toward him. He dodges some and blocks others. "Good, you have ki ability. Now try my ryuten." He then leaps into the air and does a spin right into Ranma. Ranma gets hammered and is shot back.
Ranma: "Oh yeah? Try your own damn attack!" Ranma jumps up and does his own drill kick. Vel sees it coming and suddenly his eyes shine. The area ripples and time slows down. Vel moves to the side and pulls his hand back.
"Kage Burai (shadow thrust)." He jumps at Ranma and thrusts his extended hand toward Ranma's leg before changing it into a fist. Time returns to normal and Ranma drill kicks into the ground, his leg obviously hurting him.
"What the heck was that? How did you slow it down?"
Vel: "One of the other things I remember from my past. It's not so much a slowdown for you as it's a speed boost for me. I have to the ability to use Chaos energy, and to channel it as a weapon. I used it to distort the area around you and launch my Kage Burai attack. You can actually break the distortion if you can sense it and know how to project your ki in the right way. Most people can't even sense the effect or notice my aura."
Ranma: "I'm not done yet."
Velkaris holds up a hand. Vel: "You couldn't beat me yet in a real fight. I have a lot more experience than you. I'm offering you something."
Ranma raises an eyebrow. "What?"
Vel: "I offer you an opportunity. I'm stuck in this body with you." Ranma gets a worried look on his face. "Hahahhahaha, relax. This body is still yours. I cannot control it, nor can I force you into a decision you don't want. I'm offering you my power."
Ranma: "Why?"
Velkaris's expression saddens a bit. "I'm dead, Ranma. The reason we are talking is because you are my reincarnation. I'm offering you all my knowledge and abilities. I'll also grant you advice. I'll speak to you inside your head if you want me. No one else will hear me. You won't get all of it right away. You'll have to train hard to use my powers. This is your choice. I must add that I cannot remove your curse. Later, I might be able to minimize it a bit."
Ranma sits down and gets into a meditative pose. After a few minutes of meditation, he rises. Ranma: Ok, I'll merge with you."
Vel: "Excellent. Now before we return to your body, I have to tell you a few things. While I'm doing this, let's walk around a bit and see if we can't fix some of the damage that the panda guy did."
Ranma: "That panda is my dad."
"I know, but he has to answer for a few things. The Neko Ken for example, which left you with an uncontrollable fear of cats".
Ranma gets scared and attempts to grab the ceiling only to fall after realizing there is no ceiling at the moment. "Ccccccaaaaaats?! Where?! Get them away!!"
Velkaris: "Megami, you're that afraid? Genma will answer for this. I can't believe that he would use such an insane idea. There are no cats." Ranma calms down a bit. "Second, you have two more problems. One is the idea that women are weak and useless in a fight. A blatant falsehood propagated by chauvinist fools."
Ranma: "But aren't women supposed to be...?
Velkaris interrupts: "Stop! Don't finish that sentence. I guess that your father's influence is to blame. Women are not usually as physically strong, but they are just as capable as men in a fight. They have the same potential as any man, they just need training to maximize it."
Ranma: "Ok, I'll listen to you."
Vel: "Problem #2, you're too cocky. Your cockiness is hurting your development as a fighter and as a person. Taunting an opponent is ok to a point, but don't do it to everyone. You may find yourself against opponents that are better taken out quickly. For example, if an opponent were a coward and tried to use an innocent person as a shield, then it would be best to free the hostage and stop him from hurting people, am I correct?"
Ranma: "Of Course! That is the code of the martial artists!"
Vel snorts. "I personally don't adhere to any code, save my own. And that code tells me to protect life and guard people from harm that others would inflict, regardless of the personal cost. Honor can be redeemed, material goods can be replaced, but life is precious and shouldn't be sacrificed meaninglessly".
Ranma: "That's not what I was taught. I was taught that honor means everything to a martial artist. That we give everything, even our lives for the art."
Vel walks up and backhands Ranma. "Fool!! What is the point of wasting ones life for the sake of a stupid promise or any fighting technique or school?! If you had died in that pit of cats, would your life have had meaning?! No, your life would have been wasted by an idiot's dream of glory. If you want to die for glory, then make sure it's worth dying for. But answer me this. It's easy to find something worth dying for, have you anything worth living for?"
Ranma is shocked by the backhand strike and is wide eyed. Then his mind goes over what Velkaris just said, and he slumps down and starts crying. "My life has been a complete waste. I haven't done anything worth while besides the art. I have nothing worth living for."
Velkaris raises his eyebrows and kneels down. "I'm sorry, Ranma. It's just that I died in a meaningless way. I never got a chance to live my life enough. I never lived the life I wanted. I don't remember much, but I know that I didn't do enough good when I had the chance."
Ranma: "Thanks, but I'm still a useless kid who knows nothing but marital arts. I have no reason to live for myself."
"Then just choose to live for the sake of living."
Ranma: "Huh??"
Vel: "I can help you find a path, but ultimately you will choose your own destiny. You'll take on part of my personality and my experience and maturity. I will advise you, but I'm mostly just going to be along for the ride. Anytime you want privacy, just ask and I will go to the spirit realm until called again."
Ranma: "I'm a weakling for letting my emotions come out like this."
Velkaris shakes his head. "Again your dad's stupidity shows itself. Emotions are not to be blocked off. They are to be felt and experienced. You don't have to express it as long as you feel it. I might add that most emotions can be used to raise your ki levels and overall fighting ability. Better to let it out and feel the pain that you have denied."
Ranma breaks down and cries for a while. After about 5 mins, he gets up and wipes his face off. "Alright, I accept your deal." Vel puts a hand behind his head. Let's wake your body up, shall we? "
(End Flashback)
Vel: (That helped you out a lot. In fact.... Wait a sec. Do you feel that?).
Ranma looks around with a determined expression. "Yeah, a powerful fighter is coming, a few small ones too." Ranma smirks. "Good, I could use some real opponents."
~*~Yokohama Harbor~*~
A cargo ship is docking late at night. Unbeknownst to the crew, a few stowaways sneak off into the city. The moon highlights the three figures. A chinese girl with long purple hair is seen along with a guy in chinese robes with glasses and a small figure bouncing on a large cane. "Aiyah, Great- Grandma, why we sneak around like this? Shampoo think it better if just march into city and look for Pigtailed girl?"
The bespectacled boy trips and says: "I agree, there is no reason for stealth. They don't know we are here. I say we take our time and look for them... *Bonk* ow."
"Quiet, Mousse." The small figure gets back on top of it's cane. "I know what I'm doing. The reason we are using stealth is so no one sees us. We stowed away on that ship and the sailors would not like that. As for the pigtailed girl and her panda, we will find them soon. A trained panda is not common in China, so it must be unique here in Japan."
Mousse: "Still, where shall we look? This is a big city and we don't know where to start looking." *Bonk*
"Quiet, Mousse!"
Mousse: "Yes, Elder Cologne." Cologne looks around listens intently. Cologne: "Just the wind. We will start in the nerima area. It's supposed to be a gathering place of martial artists. Shampoo, your training will be complete as soon as you defeat the pigtailed girl."
Shampoo: "Shampoo understand. Make Great grandmother proud."
Cologne sighs. "Before you fight her though, try to learn the language. Let's go." The amazons leave the area and proceed to roof hop.
A minute later, a glint of metal is seen. The mysterious Rurouni wearing a straw hat appears on a roof above where the amazons were talking. (Phew, that old mummy almost saw me. I underestimated her ki ability. Despite her age, she is formidable). The bottom right section of his face can be seen beneath the hat. He smirks. (Very interesting. With them and the lost boy coming here at last, Ranma will be having quite a bit of fun. Of all the weirdos, fighters and assorted idiots that Genma has dealt with, only a few are worth my "brother's" attention. Should the situation become too unmanageable, I may have to take center stage myself). With those words he jumps up and disappears from sight.
~*~Nerima Ward, somewhere near Furinkan High~*~
"Ranma, you showoff! Get back here!"
Ranma: "Sorry, Akane, but you need to walk on the fence yourself." Akane is wearing her usual uniform but there are some bulges on parts of it.
Akane: "I know that, but why did you sew weights into my uniform?!"
Ranma puts his hand behind his head. "Actually, that was Kasumi. I can't sew."
Akane sweatdrops. (How did he get Kasumi on his side?).
Vel: (I still don't get how she could see our aura).
Ranma: (I know. She has no martial arts ability, yet her ki sensitivity is amazing).
(Flashback 2 days ago, early morning)
Kasumi is doing the cleaning. She looks out and sees Ranma in a stance. Her eyes go wide for a second and then she sees a dark and shifting aura around him. As Ranma goes through the kata, the aura ripples and flows. The way it looks is akin to looking through a fire and seeing the area distorted by the flames. Ranma alone looks clear but the surrounding area appears distorted. "Ara, what a strange sight. I must need more sleep." Ranma's ears perk up. The distortion stops and he hops over to Kasumi.
Ranma: "Did you see what I was doing?"
Kasumi: "Ara, was that you? I thought I was tired."
Ranma focuses and the area becomes distorted again. "No, you really did see this. What you are seeing is the manifestation of my power, the ability to control and use Chaos energy at will."
Kasumi: "I don't understand."
Ranma smiles and takes a seat. Kasumi sits down. "Alright, as far I can get it, Chaos permeates all things. It's the source from which everything flows." Kasumi is still smiling, but obviously is not understanding.
Vel: (Ranma, I'll take over. Just repeat after me. You get this by instinct, but you'll learn something by getting the basic concept as well).
Ranma: "Chaos is like the soup base that you use in soup. Without it, the soup cannot be made." Kasumi's eyes go up and then she nods. "My power allows me to manipulate the energy and do things like distort time, teleport, and disrupt certain kinds of attacks and magic. I'm still learning how to use it, so please keep this a secret until I'm ready."
Kasumi smiles. "Don't worry, Ranma. I won't tell anyone. Is there anyway I can help in your training? Ranma thinks for a moment, then snaps his fingers. "No, but you might be able to help me train your sister. Could you sew weight into her clothing? I'll tell you what kinds to use.
Kasumi: "Why?"
Ranma smirks. "Simple, she won't listen to me yet, and I want to her to train properly whether she knows it or not. The weights will strengthen her speed and her ability to dodge."
Kasumi: "Ok, Ranma-kun."
(End Flashback)
Vel: (I've got that itchy feeling).
Ranma: (The one where you are just waiting for something to happen? Hmm? What is that?) Ranma looks out the window of the classroom. Kuno is trying to get up from where Akane smashed him. "Just Kuno. Heh." Ranma suddenly looks over to the gate in one swift motion. "About time" He gets up and walks to the front of the class.
Teacher: "Yes?"
Ranma: "I'll be right back. I have to go deal with something outside." Ranma then puts two fingers to his head. Two rings appear and rotate at high speed diagonally around him, he then vanishes. The class, needless to say, is shocked. Ranma meanwhile reappears outside over a tree and falls into it's branches.
Vel: (I keep telling you, Don't use that trick! Something is missing, you should be able to control it better.)
Ranma: (Not now, the main show just got here.) A boy with a yellow bandanna with black polka dots is entering through the gate.
"This should be Nerima" He looks around and sees the sign on the front. "Furinkan High? I am in Nerima after all. Come on out Ranma Saotome!" Ranma jumps to the ground in front of the guy.
Ranma: "Who's asking?"
Bandanna dude: "I am. You skipped out on our duel seven years ago. I want a rematch."
Ranma sweatdrops. "Ok...., Who are you again? I don't remember skipping any duels."
The guys frowns exposing some fangs. "I'll give you a wakeup call then. He cracks his knuckles. Ranma is whistling. The guy runs up to Ranma and knocks him into the wall with one punch. "Now, do you remember me?" The students are shocked. Nobody at Furinkan has even been able to touch Ranma.
A laugh is heard from the rubble. "Ha ha ha. Now I remember you. Only one guy could knock me through a wall that easy. How ya been Ryouga?"
Ryouga smiles. "Could be worse. You?"
Ranma dusts himself off. "I'm in an odd situation right now. Stop by the Tendo dojo after school and I'll tell about it." It starts raining and Ranma runs to cover.
Ryouga quickly pulls out an umbrella. "You ever been to Jusenkyo?"
Ranma goes wide-eyed. "You too? I thought pop and I were the only ones. What did you get?"
Ryouga: "I better show you later. I tend to scare people if I change. What was yours?"
Ranma: "Spring of drowned girl. It's not that bad." Ranma walks out and promptly changes sex.
Ryouga whistles. "Nice. Didn't know you were such a looker, Ranma."
Ranma: "Shut up. This is nice, but it causes problems sometimes." The rain clears up.
???: "Prepare to die, pigtailed girl!" A bonbori impacts near Ranma.
"What the hell?" A chinese girl with long purple hair, a guy in chinese robes with oversized glasses and a weird mummy on a stick appear on the roof.
Ryouga: "That is an ugly zombie. Ow!" A rock had hit him in the head.
"Watch your tongue, young one. I am Elder Cologne of the Amazons. The boy here is Mousse and the girl is my great-grand daughter, Shampoo." She points her cane at Ranma-chan. "And we have come to kill that girl in accordance with amazon law." Mousse launches a chain from his sleeve that hits the ground. Shampoo runs down the chain. Mousse follows. He retracts the chain after they hit the ground.
Ranma sighs. "Hey, Ryouga, want to warm up against them before we fight later?"
Ryouga: Sure, they seem kind of weak, except for the mummy. Ow!"
Cologne: "I don't like being called a mummy. And don't worry. I'm not fighting you. They are, I'm just observing this fight."
Ranma smirks. "Two on two, huh? Good odds, for us. Ryouga, you got any good fight music?"
Ryouga searches his pack and pulls out a CD. "You know anything about american rock and roll?"
Ranma: "Sounds good. Give it to one of the students and tell them to put in on the PA." Ryouga walks over to a student and hands him the CD.
Ranma: "Ready?" Ryouga pulls out a large metal umbrella. Ranma sweatdrops. "You're still using that thing?" Guitar riffs start coming over the speaker.
Ryouga: "Nevermind this. Let's burn these punks."
Ranma: "I'll get the girl"
PA: "Been hiding out, and laying low, it's nothing new to me."
Shampoo: "What kind of noise umbrella boy playing?"
PA: "Well, you can always find a place to go, if you keep your sanity."
Ryouga nails Mousse with a roundhouse kick. "It's called "Out Ta Get Me" by Guns and Roses." Ranma hits one of Shampoo's bonbori into the air then jumps up and kicks it into a tree.
Ranma: "I'd worry more about me and less about the music. By the way Ryouga, good taste."
PA: "They can break down the doors, And they can rape my rights."
Ryouga: "But, they won't touch me."
PA: "They scream and yell, and fight all night." Mousse gets up and starts throwing chains at Ryouga. Ryouga blocks the first few. Mousse twists them and they ensnare Ryouga.
PA: "I lose my head, I close my eyes." Ranma jumps out of the way of a bonbori and jumps into the air.
Ranma: "Ryuten." Ranma spins in midair and slams into Shampoo.
PA: "They won't touch me, cause I got something I been building up inside, I'm already gone." Steam starts coming off Ryouga.
Ryouga: "Hibiki School technique! Blaze field!" A fiery aura encompasses Ryouga. The chains start glowing from the heat. Ryouga struggles and breaks the chains off.
PA: "They're out ta get me. They won't catch me. I'm innocent, they won't break me!"
Ranma: "Good music, Ryouga, where did you get that technique?" Ryouga grabs Mousse in a suplex and slams him into the ground.
Ryouga: "Family style. I'll show you the rest later."
PA: "Some people got a chip on their shoulder, an some would say it was me. But I didn't buy that fifth of whisky."
Ryouga: "So I'd be quick to disagree."
Cologne is watching the fight proceed and realizing that she may have overrated Shampoo and Mousse's skills. She prepares to jump down.
???: "I thought you said you weren't interfering." A katana is right behind her.
Cologne: "You're pretty good to get behind me like that, young one.
???: "He's not the only one." The two voices belong to the rurouni guy and a bald monk with a staff."
Monk: "I heard that the amazon elders were ugly, but I didn't know they were vampires, ow!" The rurouni guy whacks the monk with his scabbard.
Rurouni: "Moron, show some respect. She is my best friend's ex-girlfriend."
Cologne: "Who are you two, and who is your best friend?"
The rurouni grins. "He is Zu Zhuisen, my name is a secret for the moment. My best friend is a mutual acquaintance of ours, named Happosai." Cologne blanches.
PA: "They're out ta get me, they won't catch me, I'm innocent."
???: "They won't break me!" A diminutive 3 foot tall man walks out.
???: "Long time no see, Cologne-chan."
Cologne's jaw drops. "Happosai!! But you were imprisoned?!"
Happosai: "I'm the grand-master of anything goes school of martial arts, you think I could be imprisoned?"
Zu: "Show some gratitude, hihi jiji (dirty old man). I got those wards off your cage."
Happosai: "Nevermind those details. What is this about?"
Rurouni: "Elder Cologne here, was going to take a hand in her grand-daughter's fight against my "brother" and his friend, Ryouga."
Happosai: "Let me see."
Ranma: "Come on, Shampoo, surely the amazons are better than this?
Shampoo: "Pigtailed girl will die for mocking amazons!" Shampoo charges at Ranma-chan seeing red in her eyes (unintentional pun). Ranma makes some kind of gesture with her hands.
Ranma: "Ha!" The area around her distorts and Shampoo slows down a bit. Cologne panics seeing this ability and realizes Shampoo doesn't realize what's going on.
Shampoo: (Pigtailed girl just standing there, too too scared of Shampoo to move).
Rurouni: "I knew it, that is the Maboroshi-ken (Phantom fist)!"
Happosai: "Very impressive, he's quite good."
Ranma: "Raijin." He charges some power in his fist, rushes Shampoo and hits her with a powerful blow. Shampoo falls down K.O. ed. Ryouga's jaw drops.
PA: "They're out to get me, they won't catch me, I'm innocent, so you can suck me. Take that one to heart."
Mousse: "My darling Shampoo! For harming her, I shall defeat you, monster!" *ka-smash* Mousse falls down unconscious.
Rurouni: "Well, time to go. That was entertaining."
Ryouga: "What was that move you did?"
Ranma: "I'm not sure."
Ryouga: "Need hot water?" He pulls out a thermos from his pack and tosses it to Ranma.
Ranma-chan: "Thanks" She douses herself and changes sex again.
Happosai: "Where is the pretty lady?"
Zu: "Ah man, I was gonna ask for her number."
The rurouni sweatdrops. "You guys did hear me call her my "brother", right?
Cologne: "Quite impressive for one of your students, Happi. He'll make a fine addition to the tribe."
Happosai: "He won't go willingly, besides that last technique was not one of mine."
Cologne: "Huh, what style was it?"
Rurouni: "Maboroshi-ken, a style not seen in several ages. Don't ask me about it, it's not my style, though I did know one of the masters who practiced it. Well, Zu, Happi, let's go. I'm sure Cologne will want to collect her students."
Zu: "Can I at least get the numbers of a few girls here?" *whack*
Rurouni: "Sorry for taking your stick without your permission, Elder."
~*~Tendo dojo, after school~*~
Kasumi is doing the laundry, when she notices two figures coming toward the house. "Hello, Ranma-kun, who is your friend?"
Ryouga: Ryouga Hibiki, miss?"
Kasumi: "Tendo, Kasumi Tendo. Will you be staying the night?"
Ryouga: "Do you mind?"
Ranma: "No problem, if Kasumi is ok with it."
Kasumi: "Of course, go on in, I'll just finish this up." Ryouga walks in with Ranma.
Ryouga: "She was nice, anyone else here?"
Ranma: "Not counting the panda, just Soun, Kasumi, Nabiki, and Akane.
Ryouga does a double take. "Did you say Panda?"
Ranma: "Yeah, why?"
Ryouga growls. "I got hit on the head by a tree that a panda knocked down. That's why I fell into a cursed spring."
Kasumi walks by carrying a bucket of water. *Trip* "Abunai, Ryouga! (Look out)." Ryouga gets hit by the cold water, and in his place is a tiger man hybrid dressed in his clothes standing on it's hind legs. (A/N: picture Long in beast mode from Bloody roar 3 in Ryouga's clothes).
Ranma's eyes go wide. "Ahhhhh!!! Cat! Cat! Cat! Get it away!" He runs out of the house at lightning speed.
Ryouga: "What the hell? Why is he scared of me? Kasumi, I can explain."
Kasumi: "It's ok, you just have a curse like Ranma and his dad." Akane chooses that moment to walk in.
Akane: *eyes go wide* "Kiyaaaa! Tiger!" She runs out.
Ryouga snorts. "Coward." Kasumi runs some hot water into a cup and hands it to Ryouga. He splashes himself. "Thanks, who was that?"
Kasumi: That's my youngest sibling, Akane. Ranma is training her in the family style."
Ranma peeks from around the door. "Is the cccaaaatttt gone yet?"
Kasumi: "Yes, Ranma-kun, the cat is gone."
Ranma sighs in relief. "Ryouga, that will take a while to explain. Did you see which way the cat went?
Ryouga: "Um, that cat was me."
Ranma:"What?!"
"I said I had a curse too, dumbass."
Ranma:"Oh, so that is your curse."
Ryouga: " Yeah, a were- Tiger, you were talking about a panda?"
Ranma blinks. "Oh, you mean pops? He fell into the spring of drowned panda. Uh oh...." Ryouga walks into the living room with an evil gleam in his eye. "Come on out, you cowardly pile of fur!!" Genma looks over from his game of Shogi with Soun. (A/N: Shogi is a japanese version of chess).
Genma: "Quiet boy, I don't need to be distracted."
Ryouga grins in a sadistic way. "One problem, panda-man, I'm not Ranma." He runs over and lifts up Genma by the front of his Gi. Genma strikes Ryouga in the collarbone. Ryouga grimaces and throws Genma into the pool. He then goes on one knee. "I forgot how good Ranma's dad is. Ouch." The afore mentioned panda emerges from the pool.
Sign: "You're not bad, but you have no chance against me, boy."
"Ranma, you might not want to watch this."
Ranma:"You're gonna kick pop's ass, so what? There's a long line of people who also want to do that. Just don't transform, I'd rather not see that again...." Ryouga charges the panda. Genma blocks Ryouga's punch with his left paw and slashes Ryouga's shirt with his right. Ryouga's fist glows.
Ryouga: "Magma Drive!" He does a flaming uppercut. Genma is smoking.
Sign: I'll give this round to you. He falls down. The sound of clapping is heard. Ranma walks out and looks to the roof. There, sitting on the roof is the rurouni guy from earlier. He's not wearing his straw hat this time. Without it, we can see that he looks about 30ish with a pale face and a silver fox mask on the left side of his face, complete with an ear, and silver hair pulled up in a pony tail. (A/N: For his hair, think Kenshin from Rurouni Kenshin: Rememberence. For those who don't speak japanese, It's the movie where they show his past with Tomoe).
"Heh, heh, heh, that was entertaining, though not as much as your last fight."
Ranma: "You saw that fight?"
The ronin nods. "Indeed, and you still have a long way to go." *"Whistle of the Warrior" starts playing in the background*
Ranma: "Think you can back that up?" Ranma leaps into a flying kick at the rurouni. The ronin jumps out of the way. Ranma touches the roof and springs off after the ronin. The ronin pulls out a bokken and strikes Ranma down. Ranma hits the ground. The ronin floats down at a impossibly slow rate.
The ronin smirks in a familiar way. "Not bad, but you have yet to truly unleash your potential."
Ranma: "......" The ronin raises his visible eyebrow.
Ranma: "...Senretsu." Ranma kicks at the ronin, transferring to an ax kick. He then reverses the ax kick and hits the ronin into the air. Just as the ronin regains his balance Ranma hits him with a 2-handed open palm strike. Ranma shakes his head. "What happened?"
Ryouga: "You just did a nice combo on this guy."
The ronin gets up. "Gods be damned, If I had known you had gotten your old techniques back, I wouldn't have held back so much." *music stops* Ranma is looking a bit clueless at the moment.
Ryouga: (Who the hell is this guy, he's way better than Ranma, and what's he talking about?)
Ronin: "I suppose some kind of explanation is in order. As much as it would help clear this up, I'm afraid I can't say everything. However, I'll say what I can. Shall we discuss this over a cup of tea?"
Ranma shrugs. "Ok, let's go in."
Ronin: "No, not here, I have a better venue for this. Follow me." He jumps toward a nearby roof and starts roof hopping away. Ranma and Ryouga follow him.
~*~10 minutes later~*~
The trio stops outside an expensive looking club in the Shibuya district. Ranma: "I know I can't afford this. Ryouga?" Ryouga pulls out his wallet.
Ryouga: "Barely enough for the cover charge."
Ronin: "Relax, anything you order is on the house."
Ranma, Ryouga: "Really?!"
Ranma: "How can you guarantee that?"
The ronin smirks again. "Simple, I own this club." A facefault ensues. "Follow me." He walks through the doors. They follow cautiously. When they walk in, they see a place that seems to be a restaurant bistro.
???: "May I see your invitations, gentlemen?" A well dressed maitre d' is tapping his foot.
Ranma: "Well, we don't have any." He puts his hand behind his head in a sheepish manner. The maitre d' snaps his fingers and two large bruisers in tuxedos step out from the curtains.
Maitre d': "Can you pay the cover charge?"
Ranma: "How much?"
Maitre d': "100,000 yen."
Ranma: "Aw, shit, I don't have that much on me." The bruisers pull out some brass knuckles.
Ranma: "Would it help if we said we knew the owner?"
Maitre d': "What is his name?"
Ranma: "Umm, Ryouga, did you catch it?"
Ryouga: "He never said it, he's an average height guy with a fox mask and dressed in samurai garb."
Maitre d': "Mister Taishin said don't let anyone in to see the boss if they didn't know his name."
Bruiser #1: So, amscray, youse punks, before we murdalize you."
Bruiser #2: "What he said."
Ryouga: "I don't take orders from punks, punk."
Bruiser #1: "Hahahahahaah! The wittle boy wants to have a fight with the big bad man. Now vamoose, before I gets angry."
Ryouga: "That's it, I'm frying this guy. Kick thirteen!" He launches a flaming kick at the guy. The bruiser is knocked into the wall.
Bruiser #2: "Uhhh, this one is yours, I quit." He puts the other guy on his shoulder and walks out the door.
The maitre'de is sweating bullets. "Well, heheh, umm, yes, umm..."
???: "What in the name of Hachiman is going on out here?" (A/N: Hachiman is the japanese god of war.) A man in a purple business suit with a red cravat walks out. (A/N: Think Kazuya's purple suit from Tekken.)
Maitre d': "Oh, Mr. Taishin, thank goodness! These two ruffians just barged in and knocked out the bouncers. Please help me evict them!" 'Taishin' responds by picking up the maitre d' up by his shirt collar and throwing him out the door. "But Mr. Taishin!?"
Taishin: "You're fired. I heard the conversation. How many people will ask to see Sir Kayin? Most people are not dumb enough to ask to see him unless he has asked for them. He just told me to come out and greet these two guests of his. Gentlemen *nodding to Ranma and Ryouga*, follow me." They walk over to a side table and sit down. The ronin is seated across from them.
Ronin: "Greetings, I'm Kayin."
Ranma: "Ranma Saotome."
Ryouga: "Ryouga Hibiki."
Kayin: "This is Kazuro Taishin, my lawyer, business associate, and manager of the club Sesshouku." A waiter walks up and hands them the menus. "Order anything you like, it's on the house." Ranma looks through the menu. "I don't know what most of this is."
Ryouga: "Chicken ala flambe, ebi-tempura (A/N: Ebi is shrimp), and what do think is good to drink?"
Kayin: "I'll just order some chrysanthemum tea."
Ranma: "You're fluent in english?"
Ryouga: "I picked up a few languages. Besides, I've had the chicken dish before. You think I could enroll in Furinkan? My regular education bites."
"Since you don't understand most of the menu, I'll just order some sauteed mushroom soup for me and a dish of ravioli to start with." He makes a gesture to Kazuro. "Go get Zu and Happi. If he's not with Zu, try the women's dressing room."
Ranma: "Who is Zu and Happi?" A bald guy with the six dot pattern on his head walks out.
"Zu Zhuisen, you guys jamming without me?"
Ryouga: "What?"
Kayin: "Sometimes, even I don't understand him. Sit down. Where's Happosai?"
Women's voices: "Eeeek! Pervert! Hentai!"
Kazuro: "Your pervert, sir."
Happosai: "Why did you stop me from gettting my silky darlings?"
Kayin: "Because, I want you to meet two interesting fellows. Ryouga Hibiki, and Ranma Saotome."
Happosai looks them over with an inquisitive eye. "Not bad, the boy with the bandana has a lot of fire ki, but I can't quite figure out the other one."
Ranma: "Fire Ki? Is that how you did those moves?"
Kayin: "Happi is showing his age. It's elemental energy, not ki. It's more powerful, but not everyone can use that kind of power." Happosai grabs a glass of water and makes to throw it at Ranma, when suddenly Kayin knocks it away with one lighting fast movement. "One, I don't think "Ranko" would appreciate being groped. Two, I'm pretty sure that Ranma has been trained in the neko-ken (Cat fist). I really don't need to remodel this place."
Ryouga: "Neko-ken?"
"I think this story is not mine to tell."
Ranma sighs heavily. "You saw the effects when you changed into a were-tiger. The training consists of taking a bunch of cats, dig a pit, throw the cats in, and starve them for a few days. After a few days, take one 4 or 5 yr old kid that you want trained in the neko-ken, and toss them in the pit. Repeat until they learn the technique or go nuts."
Zu: "Ugh, The Shaolin elders showed me a scroll, that technique is bogus. The last page says not to actually use it."
Kayin: "I've heard that there was a real version at one point, but that it was lost and that fake version was used as a form of torture at one point."
Zu: "Sorry man, but Shaolin is still working on a way to cure people of the fear."
Happosai looks at the confused face of Ryouga. "The training often leaves the person with a lifelong fear of cats. If they are around cats too long, they revert to a feral state." Ryouga smiles a bit.
Zu: "Don't think that's a good thing. A person in the feral neko state is not a nice little pussycat. They become a berserker and attack anyone around them."
Happosai: "A person in that state has increases senses, fighting ability, strength and agility. A really powerful martial artist can manifest ki claws."
Kayin: "Enough. Let's eat first and continue this later. Happi, Zu, you may place your own orders." Everybody sits down. The food arrives shortly. Happosai and Ranma begin the age old tradition of practicing the any-goes school food techniques. Zu is digging into his salad. Kayin develops a twitch on his forehead. "Stop right now, or I'll throw you both out the nearest window. This is a high-class place, not a bar or a dojo. Eat like civilized people." They immediately settle down. A few minutes later, the waiters come and take the food away. Happosai lights his pipe and sits down on a raised cushion.
Kayin: "Now then, let's talk."
Ranma: "Ok, first off, what did you mean by remembering my old techniques? I don't know those techniques!"
Zu: "Kayin, you said you recoqnized the style. Throw us a bone."
Kayin sits backs and drinks a cup of tea. His one visible eye is closed. He pours another cup and opens his eye. "Alright. I'm not gonna tell you the whole story. Suffice to say, I am intimately familiar with that style. You're starting to learn how use it again. I'm offering you a deal."
Ranma: "What kind of deal?" Kayin puts a sheet of paper down on the table. Ryouga unfolds it.
Poster: Kamikaze Budoukai (A/N: Tournament of the divine wind), the stage on which the greatest fighters test their skill. All comers welcome! Big prizes, cash, connections, you win, it's yours! Tournament location to be announced.
Ryouga: "Any rules?"
Kayin: "Basic tournament rules. Win by submission, knockout, ringout and judgement by a select panel if fights go too long. No killing, any attacks on the audience will be cause for immediate forfeit and disqualification, likewise for outside help. Matches may be set up any way the fighters want, however both fighters must agree beforehand."
Ranma: "Why does this concern me?"
Zu: "It's simple, Simon. You win, you get answers to the questions that perplex you."
Kayin: "Such as, who am I?, What is that fighting style?, And who is Velkaris?"
Vel: (What?! How the hell does he know who I am?!)
Kayin: "If you enter this tournament, and prove that you are worthy of his legacy, I will give two things, one is answers to your questions, and the other is this." He reaches into his right hand and and puts his other hand in. He pulls his left hand out of his rippling right hand and puts a strange orb on the table. The orb pulses with a light pattern like a heartbeat.
Ryouga: "What is that?"
Kayin: "The soul of chaos. An ancient artifact that rightfully belongs to you. However, due to the rules regarding it, it must be earned in a contest to determine your worthiness."
Vel: (Ranma, can you feel that? It's calling to us, like It was part of me at one time.....)
Happosai whispers to Zu: "What is that thing? There's something scary about it."
Zu: "Don't know, Kayin has had it for a long time, pretty sure he's been looking forward to getting rid of it somewhere." Ranma sits back for a minute.
Ryouga: "How much is the cash prize?"
Kayin: "Kazuro has the details. That poster is just for the advertising value, the actual rules and prizes are only to be disclosed to the contestants."
Kazuro: "Sir Ranma, Shall I put your name on the list?"
Ranma: "No, not interested." Everyone at the table is shocked.
Kayin: "Would it be rude to ask why?"
Ranma: "Simple, I don't trust you. You're not telling me something. Yeah, I want that orb, but I think that there's something wrong with it, or you wouldn't be eager to get rid of it."
Kayin: "I can alleviate one concern, the orb itself is powerful, but without a master, it's just a glorified magic eightball." He picks it up and tosses it to Happosai. Happi catches it and is promptly shocked.
Happosai: "It said: "Though you possess knowledge of chaos, my strength is only for the knight of chaos. Thou are not worthy of my power."
Ryouga: "Knowledge of chaos?"
Happosai lights his pipe. "I am the grandmaster and founder of the anything goes school of martial arts."
Ranma: "That's my school! Do you know my father?"
Happi: "Who is your father?"
"Genma Saotome."
Happi grips the table hard. "That punk never learned how to fight, he had potential, but no drive to learn. If you're even half as bad as he was, I'll not teach you a thing."
Ranma laughs. "Hahahah, well, you definetly know pops alright. Trust me, I've had it up to here with his laziness."
Kazuro gestures to his wristwatch. "Sirs, forgive the interruption, but the hour is close to 6."
Kayin: "Sorry, but I have to open the place up. I've got a business meeting later, so you'll have to leave by yourselves." He grins and picks up Happosai. "Here, take him with you, I'm sure his ex-students will be overjoyed to see him."
Happosai: "That's right, I still owe Genma for shutting me in that cave. Where is he staying?"
Ranma: "With a friend of his named Tendo."
Happosai laughs maniacally. "Two birds with one stone. Tendo was also a pupil of mine."
After their departure, Zu looks at Kayin. "You really think he'll enter? He's no square, he knows something ain't kosher."
Kayin: "Doesn't matter. The orb is his, if he earns it. I'll be glad to return it. I sensed Velkaris's spirit is in him. The tournament will determine just how much Vel has taught him."
Zu: "And what if someone crashes the party?"
"It will make things more fun. The Sailor Senshi are about due to start noticing him. It's just a matter of time until a confrontation happens. I want to set their first meeting up myself."
~*~20 minutes later, Tendo Dojo~*~
The trio goes through the gate. Happosai: "Wait a moment. You go in first. I want to surprise Soun later."
Ryouga: "Ok, Gramps." Ranma and Ryouga walk to the door. Kasumi answers it. "Ara, welcome back. Why are you out so late?"
Ranma: "That ronin guy who was here earlier wanted to talk to us. How soon till dinner is ready?"
Kasumi: "I'm just about to start."
Ryouga: "I'm probably going to be staying here a while. Mind if I help you?"
Kasumi: "Not at all, Ryouga-kun." Ranma goes outside to do some kata. Ryouga is slicing vegetables.
Kasumi: Oh, Ryouga?"
"Yes?"
"Who is outside?"
Ryouga: "Umm, no one that I know."
Kasumi: "Really, then why did you talk with him?"
Ryouga sighs. "Promise not to make a scene?" Kasumi nods. Ryouga puts his head out the kitchen door. "Come on out, old man! Kasumi wants to talk to you!"
Happo bounces out into the open. "Kasumi?" Kasumi looks out and sees Happi.
"Grandpa Happosai!" She picks him up and gives him a hug. Happosai, in a rare moment, does not try to glomp her. She puts him down. "I missed seeing you around, Grandpa."
Happosai: "I'm glad you're doing well. I'm going to scare your father and Mr. Saotome a little bit."
Kasumi: "Ok, Grandpa, dinner will be ready in about 5 minutes, Ryouga's helping me."
"Good boy, I'll talk to you later, Kasumi." He walks up to the door between the kitchen and the dining room.
Ranma is talking to his dad. "Hey, pops, you ever hear of someone named Happosai?"
Genma and Soun turn white as a sheet. "Boy, where did you hear that name?!"
"Saotome, did he ever meet the master?"
"No, Tendo, I don't think so."
Ranma: "Funny, I heard a funny story, about how two of his students imprisoned him in a cave. He was supposed to be the creator of the any-goes school."
Genma: "Boy, Happosai was a demon incarnate, a plague on civilization, he needed to be imprisoned."
Soun: "It was difficult, but after a long batte, we finally sealed him away."
Ranma smirks. "That's odd, he told me you two got him drunk and tossed him in a cave sealed with wards."
Genma: "Yes, that was a difficult day..., Wait a moment, he?!"
Happosai: "That's right, you lazy bums. I'm still mad about that, but if you start groveling now, maybe I'll forgive you." The miniature martial artist bounds into the room.
Genma & Soun: "Master Happosai?!" They immediately perform the moko-rakuchisei, which is basically grovel and kowtow to a person.
Happosai: "That's better. Now, ask Kasumi if there is any sake, and if she would mind my indulging myself." Soun immediately rushes to the kitchen and brings back a bottle of sake.
Soun: "She said: "Alright, but wait til after dinner." Forgive us, Master!!" The tendos sit down to a nice dinner.
Akane: "Who is the midget?"
Nabiki: "Do we know you?" Happosai pulls out his pipe and conks Akane on the head lightly. He then lights it.
Kasumi: "No smoking at the table, Grandfather."
Nabiki does a rare double-take. "Grandpa? We don't have a grandfather!"
Kasumi: "Yes, we do, you were just too young to remember him. He went away for a long time."
Happosai: "These bungling fools here *points at Genma and Soun* put me in a cage for a long time."
Genma and Soun grovel again. "Forgive us, master!!!!"
~*~Late that night~*~
Ranma is sitting up thinking about Kayin's offer. (I wonder if I did the right thing.)
Vel: (Perhaps, but eventually we may have to enter this tourny.)
Ranma: (You just want that orb.)
Vel: (Partially, but there is more to this. When I sensed that orb, I saw some flashes of memory. That thing contains some of my memories.)
Ranma: (What about that fighting style?)
Vel: (Don't worry, just focus and all the moves you've done so far will appear in your mind, you'll get the rest as you fight.)
~*~Somewhere outside of time~*~
A green haired woman in a sailor fuku is looking at a picture in a giant blue doorway. "Hmm, Crystal Tokyo is fluctuating. There's been an increase in the amount of chaos. What is this?" She waves a staff shaped like a key. The picture shifts to Nerima. She tries to read the future. All of a sudden the door starts shaking like an earthquake is happening.
Mystery woman: "What?! A time quake?! What could disrupt the time gates this much??" The gates start flashing pictures. A vast army poised for war, a skeletal demon, a swordsman with a fox half-mask striking at untold speed, marital artists fighting somewhere in Japan, a man with coral hair, a girl with a scythe and lime green hair, a monk acting lecherous, a bandanaed boy with a firey aura, a dragon of metal, and the last picture is of a man in strange armor with a skull like mask. The man's eyes glow red and for some reason the woman is reminded of a strange and ancient fear of this figure. The masked man gestures and destroys Crystal Tokyo with a single blast. The woman collapses and starts crying. For reasons impossible to explain, those images touched her and she felt the evil of that last picture and she felt the terror of those who will die by his hands. *Catches her breath* "I've got to tell the princess and the other senshi about this." She teleports out.
A figure teleports in. "Hahahahaha. Pity you didn't study strategy, Sailor pluto, or should I call you Setsuna?" The robed figure disappears.
~*~?????, 5 minutes later~*~
The robed figure appears. It approaches a throne.
???: Report, Velius. Did you show her the pictures?"
Velius: "Yes, my liege. The sailor senshi will now, according to my scenario investigate Nerima. They will fight our enemies for us.
???: "And my old rival?"
Velius removes his hood revealing a skeletal face. "He has not awoken yet. He does not possess the soul of Chaos. My former student suspects something."
???: "That is your concern, not mine. Deal with it if necessary. Remember, the one with Velkaris's soul is mine. My victory is in my grasp. To conquer heaven and hell, one must transend one's limits. I will become the supreme and change the universe itself. Destruction is the path to the divine."
~*~Narita airport, morning of the next day~*~
A lime-green haired girl is walking through customs. She is to say the least, well-proportioned.
Security guard: "Umm, miss?" The girl looks at him.
Guard: "I must ask you to please got through the metal detector.
The girl says in a sultry voice: "Now, you surely don't want me to got through that machine, do you?" The guard nods, albeit with his eyes on her chest. She walk through. It triggers.
Guard: "Miss... *looks at her passport* Ichigami, please submit to a search." She goes to a wall. The guard pats her down. He then tries to feel her chest. She elbows him hard and he falls down. He reaches for a walkie-talkie, when he looks up and sees a scythe aimed at his family jewels.
Miss Ichigami: "Now, as I was saying, do you want me to do something that we'll both regret, or shall I just forget you groped me and let you keep your balls?" The guard faints. The girl blinks. "When you got it, flaunt it." She puts the scythe away, picks up the luggage and walks to a taxi.
A guy who was watching that picks up a cell-phone and speed-dials a number. "Boss Taishin, and make it fast. Hello, boss? Yeah, the girl fitting the description just left the airport. She threatened to castrate a guard who groped her." *Laughter on the other end* "What does Boss Kayin want us to do?" *Murmurs on the phone* "Ok, we'll keep an eye on her. No, no, no one is going to bug her. I'm pretty sure none of my guys could stop her anyway."
End chapter two.
Author's notes: Well, that took a while. Got say, I really didn't think I'd still be finishing it after new years. Ah well, Happy New Year! Major props to my editor Ketsurui, without whom, I'd still be stuck. Props to my pre-readers, omega X, Boo, crys and Reiko. Things are heating up. Who the hell is the masked guy? What is the deal with that freaky orb? Will we ever find out what's going on?! I'm going to start unraveling the plot next chapter. Next time on Ranma Legends: "Senshi In The Mix" and "The Tournament For Ranma's Heart".