Ron 1/2
By Parareru
Disclaimer: Kim Possible and crew are owned by Disney. (Who happen to be fools if they want to go ahead with their plans to cancel KP. Idiots.)
Ranma 1/2 and crew are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. Any and all Jusenkyo inspired madness can be laid directly at her feet.
{ } denotes Chinese speech
[ ] denotes Japanese speech
Chapter 10: Hidden Weapons vs. Monkey Power
She watched her gloved fist connect with Ron's chin while Monkey Fist cackled maliciously behind her. Ron backed away from her, offering only token resistance in the face of her attack. She dove forward, ducking nimbly under Ron's guard and dealt him a vicious right cross that sent a spray of blood arcing from his mouth. Ron continued to back away from her as she repeatedly rained down blows on him.
Ron's mouth moved as if he was trying to tell her something, but she couldn't make it out. His backwards retreat finally worked against him as his heel caught on a rock and he went down hard, his head slamming against the ground. He lay there dazed as Monkey Fist strolled closer to the two teens, his posture that of triumph.
Monkey Fist gave Ron's prone body a cruel smile as he pressed a wickedly curved knife into her unresisting hand. She stood over Ron's limp body and raised the knife high. A lone tear fell from her eye as she drove the blade down for Ron's heart...
Kim woke to the rapid staccato of someone striking the post in the backyard. She yawned and stretched lazily in her borrowed pajamas, smacking her lips contentedly as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. She grimaced as remnants of her odd dream percolated up through her sleep-fogged mind. Fighting Ron? Why was she following Monkey Fist's orders? Where was that place? It just didn't make sense at all.
She sighed heavily, pushed the dream from her mind and meandered over to the window. From the sound of it, she was up early enough to watch Ron train with Ranma. It was odd to see Ron take this fight so seriously. It was plain odd to see Ron take anything seriously; anything besides Bueno Nacho that is.
The tempo of the blows increased just as Kim slid the window aside and peered out into the yard. To her surprise, Ron was training solo this morning. She watched intently as Ron diligently rained a string of lightning quick punches and kicks on the post as he circled it. His movements were fluid and precise and Kim found herself admiring Ron's body as he continued his workout, unaware that he had an audience. She leaned on the windowsill as she studied Ron, the determined frown that creased his face, the light sheen of perspiration that shone in the morning light and the slight ripple of his muscles with each impact on the post.
A sudden knock on the door caused Kim to start guiltily and she whirled around, her cheeks flaming red in embarrassment. She worked to steady her breathing as Kasumi opened the door.
"Oh good, you're up," Kasumi said as she held up a small, neatly folded bundle and stepped into the room. "I have your laundry."
"You didn't need to do that," Kim protested as she took her clothes from the older girl.
"It was really no trouble at all," Kasumi replied gently and cast a knowing look out the open window where the sounds of training continued to drift up from the yard. "He really has improved a lot these past few days. It's quite remarkable."
"Yeah, it's really amazing how much Ron's managed to learn from Ranma," Kim agreed as she glanced at the window.
"It is surprising how much is riding on this one fight though," Kasumi reflected abstractly as she smoothed the covers of Akane's bed. "It must be hard for you to depend on someone else, even Ron, to complete this mission of yours."
"I've always been able to depend on Ron for anything," Kim admitted hesitantly, as if grasping it for the first time. "I guess he's stronger than either of us ever realized."
"I suspect much of his strength comes from the reason he fights," Kasumi said with a gentle, somewhat mysterious smile. "I really must get breakfast ready."
Kim watched speechlessly as the mistress of the Tendo home left the room, leaving her with her clean clothes and a mind full of questions. She glanced at the window, the sounds tapering off as Ron began to wrap up his workout. It was true that Ron had improved a lot since meeting Ranma, but Kim had to wonder if it would be enough.
***
Ron took a deep breath and bent over to pick up the towel that Rufus handed him from his perch on one of the large rocks ringing the koi pond. At least this morning, Genma hadn't mistaken him for Ranma and tossed him into pond. Except for the looming fight this afternoon, it looked like it was shaping up to be a pretty good day.
He gave the post a sidelong look as he mulled over the events of the past few days. Barring the curse, Ron would have to say that he was in the best shape of his life. He supposed that he should be scared of all of the sudden changes, but he found himself reveling in his newfound abilities. In a way, it was a lot like the first time he'd been exposed to the Mystical Monkey Power. The sudden rush of power that filled his being had left him feeling as if he were a hundred feet tall. He had to wonder if he was still the same easy-going, devil-may-care kinda fellow he had been before falling into that cursed spring.
Ron mopped his brow with the towel and sat down on one of the rocks as he blew his breath out in a slow huff. He dipped his hand in the water, thankful that the curse wouldn't activate from such casual contact. The Jusenkyo magic was one complication he wasn't sure how to deal with, especially when he and Kim returned to Middleton.
"Well, I guess now I'm an all purpose child," Ron grumbled to himself. "Both son and daughter, Mom'll be psyched."
Listening to some of the stories Ranma had told him Ron figured his prospects of finding a cure were pretty low. Jusenkyo water was unpredictable at best and from the stories about "Pantyhose Taro," a really strange name by the way, it sounded like if he got hit with more water he stood an equal chance of having the curses mix rather than cure him. Turning into a girl was bad enough, but what if the magic really turned him into some freak of nature. He wasn't sure if he wanted to take that risk.
Ron sighed heavily and slowly pushed himself to his feet. No point in worrying about things he couldn't control. There was plenty of time for that after the duel.
***
The entire Tendo household had turned out to watch Ron's fight and it was a motley group that traveled through the streets of Nerima. Genma and Soun chattered away excitedly to each other as they speculated how Ranma's pupil would fare against the master of Hidden Weapons. A victory for Ron would be a tremendous endorsement for the Anything Goes School and though they did not know it, for the Yamanochi School as well.
Ron had expected something of a somber attitude straight out of the old Westerns and was somewhat surprised by the picnic like atmosphere that currently surrounded him. Kasumi had even packed a few snacks in a large wicker basket for the family and guests.
"So are you sure you're ready for this?" Kim asked as she walked beside Ron.
"Ready as I'll ever be, KP," Ron shrugged, hiding his nervousness.
"You know, you don't have to do this," Kim said quietly. "We can find some other way to get the Talisman. Maybe we can even leave it with that old lady, Cologne."
"I have every confidence that Ron-san will prevail," Yori declared, butting into the conversation. "He is the destined heir of the Monkey Power. There is no possibility that he will lose."
Kim was about to respond with her own vote of confidence in Ron and his skills when they arrived at the school grounds. She gaped incredulously at the carnival-like atmosphere that pervaded the area surrounding the plot of land marked off for the upcoming fight. She spotted Akane's sister Nabiki in the middle of a small knot of people taking odds on the fight and several vendors hawking their wares to the gathered crowd.
"Oh, they have got to be kidding," Kim said to herself, stunned by the sight.
A small ninja observed the entourage's passage from the concealing branches of a nearby tree. A flyer was clutched in his hand describing the details of the event. A pair of beady eyes tracked the group and focused on two people in particular. His lips curved in a pleased smile as he bounded away to report to his master.
***
"What?! You've found the boy?" Monkey Fist demanded from the ninja scout kneeling before him and the monkey nodded once in confirmation before handing over a piece of paper it had secreted in its gi.
Monkey Fist mulled over this new information and looked towards his assembled minions. "And there's going to be a fight you say? Between Ronald and some Chinese boy?" The ninja nodded again.
"Hmmm... Knowledge is a power of a higher order," Monkey Fist pondered aloud as he paced before his troops. "It would be interesting to see what new tricks Ronald might have up his sleeve."
From the description on the flyer that his scout had given him, it seemed that Ronald was fighting with the guard from the restaurant. Monkey Fist could only draw the conclusion that Ronald was vying for the Talisman in his own manner, competing openly in a form of trial by combat.
More than fifty monkey ninjas now milled about the abandoned warehouse Monkey Fist had subverted for his temporary lair. After his encounter with the guard in the storeroom of the Nekohanten, he had summoned his entire force of monkey ninjas for an all out assault on the restaurant to wrest the Mystical Monkey Talisman from its guardian. He had spent the last few days in relative seclusion, developing a strategy to overcome the formidable challenge the Amazons represented. Even with his army of monkey minions, challenging a Matriarch of the Amazons was an uncertain gamble at best. But if Ronald should prove victorious it would prove to be a simple matter to relieve the pretender of Monkey Fist's rightful property.
"Wait here for my order," Monkey Fist commanded his horde of ninjas as he came to a decision and then turned to the scout with a vicious smile on his lips. "Take me to Ronald. It is only fitting that I am there to cheer him on, for his triumph will most certainly lead to my own."
***
"Ranma!" Shampoo exclaimed happily as she bounded over to Ranma's side and promptly attached herself to his arm. "Is beautiful day for taking Shampoo on date!"
"Just here for Ron's fight," Ranma told the most forceful of his fiancés.
"Nabiki Tendo going to lose big today. She betting Mousse lose fight," Shampoo declared as a conniving light sparked in her lustrous eyes. "Outsider no can beat even weak Amazon warrior like Mousse."
"I dunno," Ranma mused doubtfully at the Amazon's claim. "I helped Ron train so I think it's an even match up."
"Make bet with Shampoo then," Shampoo pressed quickly as she sprung her trap. "If Mousse win, then Ranma take Shampoo on a date."
"And if Ron wins?" Akane asked flatly as she glowered at Shampoo.
"Then Shampoo treat Tendo family to Ramen dinner," Shampoo sniffed disdainfully at her rival for Ranma's heart.
"We accept!" Soun and Genma said loudly in unison over Ranma's protests.
"Is settled then," Shampoo said firmly, already beaming in triumph at the thought of winning a date with Ranma.
"Does this happen often?" Ron asked Ranma in sympathy.
"All the time," Ranma confirmed with pursed lips and a heavy sigh. "You get used to it after a while though."
For some reason Ron found that last statement extremely disturbing.
***
The inhabitants of Nerima, well used to the spectacle of a duel between martial artists stood well clear of the soccer field. As close supporters of one of the duelists, the Tendo family was afforded a spot about mid-field. Across the expanse of grass, Kim spotted the green and white robes of Cologne and Mousse respectively. It looked to her as if the two were conferring over some strategy.
"Hey, watch Rufus for me," Ron said suddenly as he reached into his pocket and handed the naked mole rat to Kim.
"Be careful," Kim said as she took Rufus in hand. Rufus took the opportunity to give Ron a thumbs up before clambering down to take residence in Kim's pocket.
"Hey, you know me," Ron replied as he gave her a wan smile. "I'm the poster child of careful. I just hope that I don't lose my pants this time around, or turn into a girl, or turn into a girl and lose my pants. Now that would really be wrong."
Kim cracked a smile at Ron's priorities as Yori stepped up to take hold of Ron's hand.
"Remember, Ron-san. Fight with honor and you will win," Yori advised softly.
"Well, here I go," Ron said with a nervous chuckle as he caught sight of Mousse glowering balefully at him from across the field.
Ron slowly began to walk forward to meet Mousse and trying to hide the nervousness that he felt deep inside. It could just be his imagination, but he felt as if there were a lot more riding on this fight than it appeared.
"Hold on a sec, Ron," Kim said, acting on a sudden impulse as she trotted out onto the field to catch up to her best friend.
"Hmm?" Ron said curiously as he turned to face Kim.
"For luck," Kim said softly as she planted a quick peck on Ron's cheek and ran back to the sidelines, flashing Yori a challenging look as she passed the Japanese girl.
Ron stood there, staring at Kim's retreating form as he rubbed his cheek in confusion. 'Did that really just happen?' he thought in wonder. 'Would a booyah be appropriate about now?'
***
Mousse slowly sauntered onto the field, supremely confident in his ability to win over some gwailo. He glared hatefully at Ron as he watched the boy receive a kiss from the redhead, Kim something or other. Mousse let out an angry hiss as he found his suspicions confirmed right before his eyes. There was no way his little sister would ever marry some foreign player who would only end up breaking her heart. It was his duty as elder brother to dispose of this nuisance. In time, Lo Shin would understand that things were better this way and thank him.
{Big brother!} Lo Shin yelled from behind him as she ran up and set a large trunk on the ground. {I have some weapons for you!}
{Weapons?} Mousse asked slowly as he turned to give the trunk a suspicious glance. He gave his little sister a look of disbelief. {So you've finally decided to support me?}
"Uh huh!" Lo Shin said with an enthusiastic nod as she tossed her brother a long staff topped by a large mace head. {Family does come first after all!}
Mousse hummed softly as he hefted the weapon experimentally and gave it a speculative look. The heft and balance were superb and gave testament to Lo Shin's skill as a weaponsmith. In a sudden move, he rapped the weapon's head sharply against the ground and flung it high into the air. The weapon spun lazily in the sky before it disappeared in a loud explosion that elicited a surprised cry from the entire crowd.
{Just as I suspected,} Mousse said as he gave his sister a look that conveyed his feelings of betrayal.
"Oops," Lo Shin said guilelessly as she gave her brother a look of doe-eyed innocence.
{Feh. I won't be fooled by the same trick twice,} Mousse said disparagingly. {We'll discuss this after I pound that two-timer.}
{Don't hurt Ron!} Lo Shin begged as she reached forward to grab hold of Mousse's sleeve. {Please. I really do love him!}
{That cad. To have seduced my little sister so,} Mousse snarled as his eyes flashed and fists clenched with anger. {I will make him pay!} He shook Lo Shin off his arm and stormed away.
"You idiot," Lo Shin growled softly at the receding form of her brother stomping away as he muttered vile imprecations down upon the head of Ron Stoppable. She'd never seen her brother so driven, not even in his pursuit of Shampoo. Despite her conviction that Ron would win she still couldn't help but worry for her beloved.
***
"This is your last chance to renege your claims upon my sister," Mousse declared as he stared down his nose at his opponent. For dramatic effect Mousse decided to flare his nostrils as he delivered the ultimatum.
"Dude, I'm only doing this so I can get the Talisman," Ron replied easily.
"So my sister means so little to you then!" Mousse flared.
"Would you make up your mind already?!" Ron groaned loudly in exasperation. "You don't want me engaged to your sister, and when I tell you I've got no intention of going through with it you go completely ballistic!"
"Enough words!" Mousse roared as he leapt forward, swing his fists in attack.
Ron backpedaled, blocking Mousse's strikes as he was pressed back by the other boy's furious onslaught. Ron ducked under Mousse's next punch and kicked out with a sweep at Mousse's ankles only to have Mousse jump up and neatly flip over the kick to put some distance between the two of them. Ron breathed heavily as he and Mousse squared off, studying each other. Much to Ron's irritation, Mousse didn't appear troubled in the slightest by their brief moment of contact.
"Hmm. You're better than I expected," Mousse admitted grudgingly.
"Thanks," Ron said with a confident grin.
"That was a sentencing, not a compliment," Mousse growled as he hid his hands in the arms of robes. "It looks like I'll have to use some of my special techniques."
"Bring it on, duck boy," Ron taunted while eyeing the other boy warily.
"Face the terrifying power of the hen's egg bombs!" Mousse said loftily as he plucked a chicken from the folds of his robe and hurled the handful of eggs the bird laid with a savage grin.
"Where did he get that chicken from?" Kim asked numbly, blinking in surprise.
"Don't ask if you don't really want to know," came Ranma's sage reply.
"Hey, no fair!" Ron protested as he flipped backwards to dodge the explosion.
"Come and take your punishment like a man!" Mousse demanded as he launched another volley of exploding eggs.
"I'm rather full up on punishment right now," Ron quipped as he rolled away from another blast. "But if you happen to have a fruit basket hiding in there I'll be happy to take that."
"You dare to mock me?!" Mousse growled as he tossed the chicken aside and fanned out dozens of knives. "You will PAY for that!"
"Uh oh," Ron said as Mousse flung the daggers at him. He dove to the right and hissed in pain as a blade grazed his side, drawing blood. Kim gasped in alarm as she witnessed Ron clap a hand over the wound and draw it back with a thin streak of crimson on his palm.
"First blood is mine!" Mousse declared at the sight.
"Is Mousse trying to kill Ron?" Kim asked plaintively as she began to rise to her feet. Ron was her friend and partner, if someone was trying to kill him then it was the least she could do to stand by his side.
"I'll stop the fight before it gets out of hand," Ranma promised as he laid a restraining hand on Kim's shoulder.
"It's already out of hand!" Kim all but shouted. "Mousse is using knives!"
"Ron can handle it," Ranma assured her. "Mousse just surprised him is all."
"Mousse does seem a lot stronger than usual though," Akane mentioned to Ranma while keeping her eyes on the fight. Mousse tossed another handful of knives that Ron avoided with a panicked leap to the side.
"Well, this time Mousse is fighting to protect his little sister," Ranma observed. "He's got a desperate edge to his techniques now."
Mousse drew himself up to his full height and stretched out his arms as a pair of wickedly curved two foot blades tore through the sleeves of his robe. Ron gulped slightly in dread at the sight as Mousse charged forward.
"Oh crap!" Ron yelled as a brilliant light flashed around his neck and the Lotus Blade appeared in his hand. He instinctively blocked and parried Mousse's furious slashes, sparks flashing from the edges of the blades. A neat riposte left Mousse slightly off balance and Ron bounded forward to press the attack.
"Steel Cleaving Fang!" Ron yelled as he swung the Lotus Blade in a wide arc.
Mousse swiftly brought his arms up to block the blow and grunted in surprise at the force of the blow. His arm blades vibrated and cracks ran through the steel from the point of impact. Mousse leapt clear of the exchange and let out another surprised grunt as the blades disintegrated from his arms.
"Looks like a point for me," Ron said with a cocky grin.
"Feh. No matter," Mousse replied deprecatingly and held his arms out again. "I am Mousse, master of Hidden Weapons. Those blades represented the merest fraction of my arsenal." To illustrate his point another pair of blades sprang forth from the torn sleeves of his robes. This time, instead of charging Ron, Mousse leapt high into the air.
"Scythes of Sorrow!" Mousse roared as he flung the pair of blades at Ron.
"Mousse! That's going too far!" Lo Shin protested from the sidelines.
Ron yelped in surprise as he frantically swatted aside one of the whirling blades, ducked under the path of the other and automatically swiveled his head to follow the flight of the other weapon.
"I have you now!" Mousse yelled triumphantly as he shot a mass of ropes and chains from his sleeves to wrap around his distracted opponent. Ron struggled in his bonds, the Lotus Blade similarly bound as Mousse pulled out a Chinese broadsword from his robes and charged at Ron, swinging the blade in wide arcs. "This fight is MINE!"
Ranma and Kim began to move forward to stop Mousse's attack.
"Banana Peel Escape!" Ron cried; halting the pair of would be rescuers in their tracks even as Mousse swung the blade.
"Wha?" Mousse said in confusion at Ron's smiling image as his sword passed through harmlessly.
"Look up," Ron said just before his image faded away and the chains fell away in a heap. Mousse managed to look up in time for Ron's descending foot to connect with his face, driving his head into the ground.
"What an awesome technique!" Genma shouted as Ron leapt lightly off Mousse's head and landed on the far side of the field panting heavily. "Like a banana squeezed by a monkey, the boy used his ki to shoot up out of the entangling ropes while leaving an image of himself behind to fool his enemy."
"I didn't know Ron could do that," Kim said as she watched the fight, not taking her eyes off Ron for a single moment.
"The Banana Peel Escape is a lost technique of Tai Shing Pek Kwar," Yori chimed in, her voice full of reverent awe. "To have mastered it he must be the fabled Monkey Master."
"Fight not over yet," Shampoo pointed out. "Mousse no put down by weak attack like that."
Indeed Mousse rose from the ground, shaking the dust from his hair. "Heh, well done," Mousse congratulated as he pushed his glasses up on his nose with his forefinger. "But for one who has been beaten by Ranma as often as I have, such an attack felt like a baby's kick."
"You don't have to sound so proud of it, dummy!" Lo Shin shouted from the sidelines.
"Uh oh," Ranma said. "Mousse has a point there."
"Let me guess," Akane said dryly. "You only trained Ron to dodge Mousse's attacks."
"Well, it seemed like the thing to do at the time," Ranma said with an embarrassed chuckle as he scratched the back of his head. "I'm sure Ron'll be okay."
"So what will you do now?" Mousse taunted as he sauntered towards Ron.
Ron sank into a low crouch and stared intently at Mousse. "Didn't want to use this," he grunted as he pressed his wrists together and drew in his ki. "Mouko Takabisha!" The blast of confidence the size of a beach ball rocketed forth from Ron's palms, crossing the distance between the two combatants with surprising speed.
"Shishi Hokodan!" Mousse countered and his ki blast met Ron's in a thunderous detonation of power that charged the very air. "Know the power of the despair that wells from the depths of my heart each day that I must live without Shampoo as my bride."
From her position on the sidelines Shampoo rolled her eyes at Mousse's rather melodramatic statement as Ranma bopped Ryoga across the back of his head.
"What did you do that for?!" Ryoga demanded angrily as he fixed Ranma with a baleful glare and rubbed the back of his head.
"Why'd you go and teach Mousse a dangerous technique like that for?!" Ranma shouted back.
"I did no such thing," Ryoga denied indignantly. "Why would I want to that blind idiot to learn one of my techniques?"
"Well, how'd he learn it then?" Ranma pressed.
"I taught it to him, Son-in-law," Cologne said as she popped up between the two boys.
"I thought you said the Shishi Hokodan was a forbidden technique," Akane pointed out.
"No matter," Cologne replied with a deprecating wave of her hand. "It is merely on loan to Mousse."
"What do you mean?" Ranma asked with a confused frown creasing his face.
"That is unimportant right now," Cologne answered as she studied the fight between the two boys. "Of more pressing concern is how the boy learned so many of your techniques in such a short time. He has something approaching the speed of the Tenshin Amaguriken and just now he was able to use your ki technique."
"Dunno," Ranma shrugged. "We woke up a couple of days ago and Ron knew most of my techniques. He's not as fast or as strong as me, but he knew most of the basics."
"So it was for the best that I instructed Mousse as I did," Cologne mused quietly to herself, her chin in hand as she considered the implications of what she had just heard. "I wonder if the Lotus Blade had something to do with that."
"What do you mean, Cologne?" Akane asked curiously while Yori gasped quietly in surprise. "The sword that Ron was using?"
"The art of Tai Shing Pek Kwar is the art of the monkey," Cologne said evenly, snapping out of her momentary reverie. "And it follows the precept of monkey see, monkey do. Practitioners of the art observe their opponents' techniques and make them their own. The Lotus Blade was but one tool crafted to help them facilitate that end."
"So Ron could be learning Mousse's techniques right now?" Ranma asked.
"I am not sure," Cologne answered. "His aura does not read like that of a master. I would hazard to say that he is merely a novice and the Lotus Blade is strengthening him for some purpose. I suspect that Ron learned Son-in-law's techniques because of their close proximity these last few days."
"Is that even possible?" Kim asked skeptically. The thought of a magic sword bestowing powers on someone seemed rather ludicrous to her.
"Trust me, it's definitely possible," Akane said to Kim from her position of vast experience with the chaotic magic that had surrounded her life ever since Ranma had arrived at the door of the Tendo Dojo.
"As is the case with the ancient magics, almost anything is likely to occur," Cologne sighed heavily and turned her attention back to the fight.
The fight was not going well for Ron. He had fired off several ki blasts only to have Mousse counter each one with a blast of his own. Ron felt like a drained battery, his movements becoming more sluggish as the prolonged battle sapped his strength. He drew in a deep breath and began to gather his ki in again. Mousse's last blast had felt weaker than the others, perhaps this one would be able to break through his defenses.
"Ha! You can't beat me using Ranma's moves!" Mousse gloated as he dodged Ron's attack, his exultant emotions barring him from countering with another Shishi Hokodan. He pulled several small bombs from his robes and tossed them at Ron.
Mousse's boast suddenly brought a plan bubbling up through Ron's mind and he mulled it over even as he went on the defensive. As he ran from the daisy chain of explosions, he rolled to retrieve the Lotus Blade and willed it into its shield form. It was a risky plan, extremely risky, but as far as he could tell, Mousse would have no way of countering the technique.
A blast right at his heels sent Ron flying through the air and caused a stir among the crowd as he went sprawling on the ground. Mousse immediately took advantage of Ron's plight and hurled another volley of bombs at him. The tension was instantly palpable as a large explosion engulfed Ron's position. Mousse stood there waiting expectantly as the flurry of dust slowly began to settle only to reveal a kneeling and unharmed Ron Stoppable, protected by the power of the shield he held before him.
"Hey, Mousse. You know your sister is really easy," Ron said as he stood up, the loose dirt cascading off his body. Lo Shin's eyes widened at the hurtful words and cavalier tone Ron spoke with. He slowly began to circle Mousse, careful to keep the shield positioned between the two of them.
"What does he think he's doing?!" Ranma asked incredulously.
"Why? What's wrong?" Kim asked quickly, picking up on Ranma's worried tone.
"The Shishi Hokodan is generated from negative emotions like anger or depression," Ranma explained as he anxiously monitored Ron's progress. "The stronger the emotions, the stronger the blasts. If Ron keeps pissing off Mousse, he's going to be in big trouble."
"You're right about me," Ron continued in a light tone as Mousse seethed in fury, the air twisting from the amount of power that radiated from him. "I'm a sort of love 'em and leave 'em type. Just one more notch on my belt."
"Hmm, it looks like the boy is trying to execute the Hiryu Shotenha," Cologne observed through slitted eyes as Mousse's rage built until it seemed like the entire sky was aflame. "Mousse has won this fight already."
"Ron! Don't do it!" Ranma yelled in warning. "Mousse can counter the technique!"
"You know, I really am just stringing your sister along," Ron taunted Mousse as he began to move faster and continued to form the spiral, ignoring Ranma's words of caution. Mousse was nearly incandescent with fury at this point, causing slight tremors in the ground around him. "But at least she'll get a green card out of it," Ron said lightly. "Or we could just deport her when I'm done."
"You die NOW!" Mousse bellowed as he cut loose with a string of Shishi Hokodans that failed to connect with the swiftly moving blonde and sent showers of earth high into the air. Ron deftly used the Lotus Blade to deflect any ki blasts that came too close and doggedly pressed on under the clods of falling dirt.
"Hiryu... Shoten—," Ron said as he completed the spiral within arms reach of Mousse.
"HA!" Mousse laughed triumphantly as he launched the uppercut to trigger the Hiryu Shotenha. Ron had already sent the ki swirling around the two of them. All that Mousse had to do was execute the final move of the Hiryu Shotenha to turn Ron's attack against him. The whirlwind formed around Mousse, leaving him untouched and swept Ron off his feet into the sky. Kim, Yori and Lo Shin could only watch in horror as Ron flailed about in the grip of the tornado.
"Get ready Mousse!" Ron yelled into the wind as he fought to keep himself oriented towards his opponent.
"Ready for what?!" Mousse yelled back. "No one can defeat the Hiryu Shotenha!"
"For this! HIRYU KORIN DAN!" Ron roared as he lashed out with all his might at the Hidden Weapons Master. His face was a mask of concentration as he took careful aim and sent an icy cold screw punch back down through the funnel where Mousse stood triumphantly watching.
The cold energy from Ron's punch cut down through the center of the vortex directly for Mousse. The vacuum formed by the descending mass of cold air drew in all of the excess ki, remnants of Mousse's furious barrage that still lingered in the area. The forces of the tornado shaped the gathered wisps of ki into a swirling ball of sullen light that rocketed downward towards Mousse.
Mousse stood there transfixed by the sight of the blast barreling for him, unable to think of anything to counter it. He should have remembered that Ranma had used that move during the battle with Herb on Mt. Horai. That was the last thought that crossed his mind before the wave of ki slammed into him.
"So Mousse lost after all. Such a pity," Cologne sighed as she hopped on her staff towards the unconscious boy. She descended from her perch and pulled a small bottle labeled 411 from her robes.
"So that's why Cologne taught Mousse all those moves," Ranma stated as he watched the matriarch swiftly wash Mousse's hair using the herbal formula and pressure point to adjust Mousse's memory.
"Huh?" Kim asked, not comprehending at all.
Ranma pointed towards Mousse who was now reclining against the sloping hill, his hair elegantly washed and dried. "She used the Xi Fa Xiang Gao technique to erase Mousse's memory. He won't remember any of the special techniques he used in the fight."
"That is correct Son-in-law," Cologne cackled as she popped up behind Ranma and Kim found herself wondering how a woman so old could move so fast.
"It certainly wouldn't do for Mousse to challenge you and end up married to Shampoo. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some more business I have to attend to," Cologne declared as she hopped towards Ron who was nervously backing away from Lo Shin, who looked even more pissed off than her elder brother had been during the fight.
"So, easy am I?" Lo Shin asked, her eyes flashing dangerously as she planted herself directly in front of Ron.
"Um, it was just something to tweak you brother," Ron said as he held his hands up defensively in front of him. "Needed to get him mad enough. I didn't mean it. Really."
"So you don't feel that way about me then," Lo Shin asked with a devious glint in her eye and Ron nodded vigorously in response, as he wondered if Lo Shin was going to pull out her staff from nowhere and pummel him into the ground.
"And so you really feel the opposite about everything you said during the fight." Ron nodded again quickly, hoping that quick responses would serve to mollify the irate Amazon girl.
Abruptly, Lo Shin's stern expression cracked into a pleased smile and she flung herself into Ron's arms. "Then you really do love me!"
"Huh," Ron said in confusion at Lo Shin's sudden shift in mood. He tried to mull over the logic that Lo Shin has used so artfully against him, but his higher brain function swiftly eroded as the diminutive Amazon girl continued to press her body tightly against his own.
"The challenge has been met," Cologne intoned solemnly as she faced Ron and masked a smile at his obvious discomfort. "Ron Stoppable has proven himself worthy of the Amazon Lo Shin." Cologne inclined her head fractionally at Ron and turned to collect the still unconscious Mousse for the trip back to the restaurant.
"Hold it. Aren't you forgetting something?" Kim interrupted suddenly when it became apparent that the matriarch had conveniently forgotten the other term of duel.
"Yeah, I won the fight," Ron declared to the Amazon Matriarch as he struggled in Lo Shin's loving embrace. "Now hand over the Talisman like you agreed."
"A deal is a deal," Cologne sighed as she pulled the Mystical Monkey Talisman from her robes. Her ancient eyes caught the wan glow that briefly highlighted the small metal amulet before she tossed it over to Ron. "I have a bad feeling about this."
***
"As well you should, old woman. As well you should," Monkey Fist whispered ominously from the shadows as he silently crept away.
He too had spotted the unmistakable shine of the Mystical Monkey Power as the matriarch had turned over the Talisman. For the moment, his rival possessed the two highest artifacts of Tai Shing Pek Kwar, but Ronald's ignorance would prove to work against him. The key to his domination of the world may as well have been handed to him on a silver platter.
"Enjoy your moment of victory, Ronald," Monkey Fist quietly congratulated his nemesis as he left to plot his next move with his force of monkey ninjas. "For soon I shall reclaim the destiny that I so richly deserve."
Next: Battle Royale Nerima Style
A/N: Thanks for Reading and Reviewing!
Boy took a long while to hammer this out. I think I'll also go back and make a couple minor revisions to the earlier chapters. The Furinkan chapter is really bugging me along with a couple of other things. I'm hoping to have the fully revised version and the next chapter out by the beginning of May. That and another couple of projects that I have on the back burner. Cross your fingers.
Had to watch some of the episodes with Mousse in order to get a handle on his fighting style.
As I write this, I come to realize that I am giving Yori rather short shrift here. Rufus too. Hmm. Shame on me. I'll have to fix that later. Well, then again Yori is a rather major plot element in another story...
The secret of the Mystical Monkey Talisman will be revealed next chapter. Let the chaos ensue.
Glossary:
Gwailo – Chinese, originally offensive and means whitey in Hong Kong slang.
Xi Fa Xiang Gao Shiatsu – Techniques using a herbal formula and manipulation of pressure points on a person's head to affect their memory. Formula 411 erases memory and formula 911 restores it.
Hiryu Korin Dan – Dragon Descent Bomb – A trap technique used by Ranma in his fight with Herb on Mt. Horai. The technique is performed in two parts, first trick the opponent into executing the Hiryu Shotenha and while in the tornado send a cold screw punch down through the center of the vortex to draw in all the hot ki in the air sending the energy directly at the point of origin of the Hiryu Shotenha. The technique only works if tremendous amounts of ki are available.