Disclaimer: Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Video and Winx Club belongs to Iginio Straffi and Rai S.p.A (NOT 4Kids!!)
Note: this follows the Rai version of Winx as the 4Kids version butchered it too much, like with every anime it dubs.
Chapter 9: Choice! Nerima or Magix?
Opening (Winx Club season 3 style)
A close up of Bloom's eyes, which suddenly snap open
"Open your eyes! Open your mind!"
Zooms out to see Stella, Flora, Musa, Tecna, and Layla lined up on either side of Bloom.
"We are the Winx!"
Ranma leaps up from behind them and punches at the screen.
"Winx!
If your hand is holding mine,
We can find the space and time,
And together we'll be sure-fire winners!"
Ranma stands in a clearing, then is suddenly surrounded by the Winx. They all saddle up next to him on either side, causing him to blush. They're on a cliff overlooking Alfea.
"Winx!
With a smile you can enchant,
You light up our world,
We'll fly the lonely sky together!"
Cuts to the Alfea courtyard, where we see some of the milling students, then shows the faculty, the last being Nodoka as she looks towards the sky. The pixies, Lockette, Amore, Chatta, Tune, Digit, Piff, and Zing fly by. Kiko also flies by, but then he suddenly drops.
"Open your eyes! Open your mind!
We are the Winx!"
Bloom, Stella, Flora, Musa, Tecna, and Layla transform into their Enchantix. Ranma stands there, then suddenly gets splashed from above by Zing, and was now in her faerie form, looking annoyed.
"It's a magic night,
The sky is all blazing,"
Ranma-chan, in normal mode, sits on the grass and looks up in the night air. A ghostly vision of a flaming dragon looms in the air before vanishing.
"New adventures are calling for us,
Join the Winx!"
In Shadowhaunt, we see Stormy with a lightning ball in her hands, pan to Darcy who creates shadow blades on her fists, then to Icy who creats a skull of ice before crushing it. Zoom out, they vanish in the darkness, which happens to be the folds of Valtor's coat.
"We can ride a cloud,
No time for hesi-ta-ting,"
Ranma surfs on a cloud, but then loses control and falls. Layla catches him on a board she makes from her water molecules.
"Bring colour to the world,
With your imagination!
Winx Club forever and ever!"
He surfs the board as the Winx fly alongside him.
"Winx!
If your hand is holding mine,
We can find the space and time,
And together we'll be sure-fire winners!"
The Winx dorm. Layla does a few workout stretches. Tecna is working on her laptop, which shorts out a little, then goes to repair it. Musa dances while listening to her CD player. Flora is seen tending to the many plants in her room. Stella was rapidly trying on several outfits until she goes back to her usual green top and orange skirt. Bloom was seen drawing at her desk. Ranma looks over her shoulder and we see that she was drawing Ranma. She gets embarrassed and quickly covers it up.
"Winx!
With a smile you can enchant,
You'll light up our world,
We'll fly the lonely sky together!"
We see the girls in Enchantix fighting off monsters and the Trix. Ranma is surrounded and fights off monsters with his bare hands. A monster passes the screen, and we see Ranma-chan in faerie mode shooting beams at the monsters. Another monster passes, and we see Ranma, now male, fighting the monsters with Sky's sword in one hand and Brandon's sword in the other.
"Winx!
Your magical Winx!"
Ranma charges at Valtor. Valtor fires off a beam of darkness while Ranma counters with a ki beam of light.
"Among the stars,
You are Winx,"
Cuts to Ranma standing in an open field at night and looks up. In the skies were the ghostly visions of Sky, Brandon, Helia, Riven, Timmy, and Nabu. They smile and nod at Ranma, who returns the gesture.
"A mystical light of fire,
Under the sign of Winx!"
Ranma walks towards the gates of Alfea, where Bloom, Stella, Flora Musa, Tecna, and Layla were waiting for him, behind them were two shadowed figures. He reaches the gate and they all group hug him. The Ranma Club logo appears.
End opening.
Alfea auditorium…
Ranma-chan in her faerie form stood at one end of the field. The place was packed with the students of Alfea. Sitting in the front row was Bloom, Stella, Flora, Musa, Tecna, and Layla. On the sidelines was a table where the faculty was sitting. Faragonda was standing at the sidelines.
"Your task is to get that rose orb onto the pedestal." Faragonda instructed.
Ranma-chan looks up and sees the rose orb floating high above the center of the room. At the end of the room was a pedestal. She nods as she understands her objective.
"Begin!"
Beams of light began to shoot down from above. Ranma-chan quickly dodges the beams almost effortlessly. Some she weaved in and out of thanks to her wings while others, she dodged by her own martial arts reflex. The attacks seemed to get upped in tempo as the number of beams started to increase. Not just light beams, but also fireballs were thrown into the attacks. The Winx looked worried that so many obstacles were added in for Ranma-chan. Ranma-chan managed to either dodge or cancel out the fireballs with her own ki blasts. She then jumps up and grabs the rose orb. The prize in hand, Ranma-chan quickly makes a break for the pedestal. She was thankful that she had wings as it was faster than running.
The attacks stopped when Ranma-chan got to the pedestal. Just as she was about to place it, her danger sense went off. Looking up, she saw a huge boulder of ice materialize above her and drop down. Bloom was shocked. She remembered that exact thing happening to her when she first took her physical exam three years ago. Reacting fast, Ranma-chan punches upward with a ki-enhanced fist. There was a resounding crash noise when her fist met the ice boulder. Everyone in the auditorium looked in amazement when the ice boulder was balanced on Ranma-chan's arm. After a few seconds, cracks started to run all over the ice starting from her fist. Numerous cracks appeared and once it covered the ice completely, the ice boulder explodes into shards.
There was a silence after seeing Ranma-chan destroy the ice boulder with her bare hands. They had expected her to blast it with a spell, not punch it! The threat gone, the pigtailed girl places the rose orb down onto the pedestal. Soon, everyone in the auditorium started to cheer for Ranma-chan's accomplishment.
"Way to go, Ranma!" Stella shouted.
"Well done, my son…"Nodoka said quietly.
Ranma-chan then reverts back to human mode. She was clad in the clothes that Stella dressed her up in.
"Yatta-ze!" ("I did it!")
"Good job, Ranma!" said Faragonda. "You've passed the physical with flying colors!"
Ranma-chan smirks as she heads over to where the Winx were seated.
Nodoka's office…
"You wanted to see me, Mom?" asked Ranma-chan
"Yes, my son, or daughter, currently." Replied Nodoka as she sat at her desk. "As you know, it has been a week since I've brought you here to Magix. What can you honestly tell me of what you think of it?"
Ranma-chan was a bit at a loss for words. She hadn't noticed that it had already been a week since coming to Magix from Nerima. She had almost forgotten about Nerima entirely because of this.
"Uh… well… " Ranma-chan started. "I guess I'd have to say that it was quite enjoyable."
"Is that all?" asked Nodoka.
Ranma-chan thought about it and compared her week in Magix with her whole life back in Nerima.
In Nerima, she was the heir to the Saotome School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts. The art was her life. Despite that being said, her life in Nerima wasn't exactly posh. For the first ten years of her life, she endured the training journey that Genma had dragged her through. All the pain and suffering she went through stemmed from that trip, especially the ill-fated trip to Jusenkyo. Then there was the arrival at the Tendo Dojo. Ranma-chan had been roped into an arranged marriage without her consent, and was handed down to an ill-mannered tomboy with an insane male complex who would whack her for every little thing that went wrong in her life.
School days were no sanctuary to her life as there was the insane delusional kendoist Tatewaki Kuno, AKA the Blue Blunder, who would pine after her girl half while trying to kill her guy half. His twisted sister Kodachi was just as bad with her habit of drugging and blackmailing her for dates, plus that God-awful annoying laugh of hers. There was also their equally insane Hawaiian nut job of a father who was also the principal of Furinkan.
She had also gained a number of unwanted rivals and fiancees in the process. Ryoga, the eternal lost boy, who blames her for all that ever went wrong in his life despite evidence that it was his own fault. He also tended to be, like everyone else, a hypocrite when it comes to honor (taking advantage of Ranma's promise not to tell Akane of his curse as P-Chan). Her run-in with the Chinese Amazons only added to her problems. She wound up engaged to Shampoo, who would use arcane methods of snaring her, plus her old ghoul of a great grandmother backing her and trying to force her authority on the Saotome to follow obligation. This in turn earned Mousse as an unwanted rival who tries to kill her in order to have Shampoo for himself. Then there was Ukyou, her first friend. Although kind, she a tendency to get possessive of her concerning the other fiancees. Happosai, the perverted founder of the Anything-Goes, was a huge thorn in Ranma-chan's side. The shrivelled up gnome seemed to exist to make her life a living hell. She didn't want to think about the crap he put her through, especially those concerning her girl half.
The worst thing was that this was only the tip of the iceburg considering Ranma-chan's Nerima life.
Ranma-chan then thinks about her living in Magix. Here at Alfea, she had found peace that seemed foreign to her. Although she was attending a school for girls, it was at least tolerable compared to Furinkan where everybody seemed out to get her. That, and the fact that all the students were pretty attractive… she shakes her head at the stray thought. Everyone treated her fairly and didn't consider her a freak when her curse was revealed. The faculty actually tried to help her with her problems and not just leave them alone. Learning to switch between forms without water had been helpful. The living conditions were far better than at the dojo, not to mention that she was properly fed without having to worry about her meal getting stolen.
Then there were her roommates, the Winx. Bloom, with her fiery spirit. She felt she could relate to her since they're both people who had been brought to a magical realm and had their worlds turned upside down. She hadn't forgotten how she had stuck up for her during orientation. Stella and her need to please with appearances. The blonde is quite the looker and cares deeply about her friends. She may have strange idea (the makeover game), but she means well. Flora and her serenity. Her kindness and sweet personality made her a beauty both inside and out. That tenderness towards others made Ranma-chan not want to see the girl get hurt, physically and emotionally. The wild Musa. She was a girl who knew how to have fun, and although a tomboy, she at least kept her feminity intact, unlike another she knew of. She was also putting up a front to hide her insecurities, and Ranma-chan hoped to remedy that. Logical Tecna. The girl feeds off of logic, but still was able to keep her emotions. She had learned that matters of the heart cannot be easily explained as quantum physics. The outgoing Layla. It was hard for Ranma-chan to read into her, but she still caught her interest. She could relate to her as they had both had arranged marriages without consent, except Layla's ended up for the better.
Her roommates are all very dear to Ranma-chan. They are true friends, which was what Ranma-chan desperately needed. Friends, and something more. Due to the Specialists' souls in her body, Ranma-chan had gotten close connection to each of the girls. They supported her as friends do, without trying to get something out of her first. She blushed as she thought of herself being together with them, even though she had been with them in her previous lives as Sky, Brandon, Helia, Riven, Timmy, and Nabu.
"Well…. There's also… the girls I room with…" said Ranma-chan nervously. As she fidgeted, she had inadvertedly transformed back to male form and in kung fu attire again.
Nodoka could only smile knowingly. "You care for them a lot, don't you?"
Ranma could only look down at the floor to hide his face. "Y… yes…"
"Even more so than your current fiancees?" asked Nodoka.
"To be perfectly honest, Mom… yes…" replied Ranma. He was surprised at himself that he didn't hesitate in answering.
Nodoka nods. "I suppose I shouldn't ask, but I will anyway. Do you want to return to your life in Nerima, or start a new one here in Magix?"
At Nerima, next day…
Things have gotten quite hectic during Ranma's disappearance. He hadn't shown up at the dojo, at the school, the Neko Haten, Ucchan's, Dr. Tofu's, or any of his usual hangouts. For a whole week, Happosai had been harassing all the attractive women in the vicinity and stealing their undergarments. Without anyone to keep him in line, the ancient pervert was free to do as he pleased. There was property damage due to the angry mobs of women trying to enact justice on him.
Kuno was also having a field day about Ranma's absence, saying that the 'foul sorceror' had run away in cowardice as he feared the 'power of Kuno'. Also, because Ranma was gone, the 'beat-Akane-so-you-can-date-her' routine was resumed. Kuno and the male students who still fought her spent a lot of time in the nurse's office than in their classes.
The Tendo Dojo had suffered property damage due to visits from Shampoo, Ukyou, and, unfortunately, Kodachi. They would come in one a at time, repeatedly demanding Akane as to where Ranma is. She, of course, had no idea or cared where the missing pigtailed boy was at. His location unknown, they blamed her for driving him off since she was the last one to have seen him a week ago. Soun could only cry about how the schools could not be joined due to Ranma missing and Genma cursing the heavens for having "such a dishonorable son who shirks his responsibilities", never mind that he himself does that sort of thing all the time.
Cologne had been trying to find leads on the whereabouts of her future son-in-law. Mousse had been estatic about Ranma's disappearence and took this as an opportunity to woo Shampoo, much to her and Cologne's displeasure. They had to find him, fast. Ryoga was also estatic that his hated rival was gone, which meant more time for him and his beloved Akane, as himself or P-Chan. He just hopes that wherever Ranma is at, he won't return.
Never would any of them think that Ranma had been spending time in another realm.
Nodoka Saotome's residence…
A flash of light appeared in the middle of Nodoka's living room, marking the entrance of the Saotomes and the Winx Club. Also with them were Kiko and the Pixies.
"We're here!" said Nodoka.
"This is your home, Saotome-sensei?" asked Musa as she looked around.
"Such a nice place." Said Flora.
"Almost feels like forever since I got back to Japan." Said Ranma.
"I've always wanted to see Japan." Said Bloom as she held Kiko.
"Thanks for allowing us to come with you, Saotome-sensei." Said Layla.
"It really is no problem, girls." Said Nodoka. "You're practically family to me."
The girls could only blush at that.
"I told you I'm never wrong on these things." Said Amore.
"Well Ranma, are you sure about your decision?" asked Nodoka.
"Yes I am, Mom." Replied Ranma.
"Then go on ahead to the Tendo Dojo. I'll catch up with you later." Said Nodoka.
"Where will you be?" asked Ranma.
"There's a little errand I need to run. Later!" With that said, Nodoka vanishes in a flash of light, leaving her son alone with the girls, pixies, and bunny.
"I wonder where she's going?" asked Stella to no one in particular.
"Well then, shall we go, Ranma?" asked Tecna.
"It's as good a time as any…" Ranma sighs.
Streets of Nerima…
Ranma and the girls headed towards the direction of the Tendo Dojo. The pixies flew from behind and Kiko was in Bloom's arms. No one was able to see the pixies due to the people not having any magical ties.
"This is a lot more different than back in Gardenia." Said Stella.
"I seriously doubt Gardenia suffers frequent property damage, not to mention teeming with super-powered martial artists using weird fighting styles." Said Ranma.
"I suppose not, Ranma…" said Bloom.
"Is it really as crazy as you say it is, Ranma?" asked Chatta.
"It is, and a lot more." Replied Ranma. "Therefore, it'll be all right if you use magic. I doubt anyone would take too much notice. If anything, they'll think you're all martial artists coming to drop in."
"Really?" said Bloom. She remembered long ago how she had to make sure that she, Stella, Musa, and Layla didn't use their magic during their unofficial visit to Gardenia. That gang almost had them wiped out had it not been for the emergence of Faragonda and Griselda.
"Yeah, really, so you-" Ranma was cut off as he, Bloom, Stella, and Musa suddenly got splashed by water. Flora, Tecna, and Layla look in surprise at the spectacle. "What the-!?"
Ranma-chan noticed that they were passing by Dr. Tofu's office, and had gotten splashed yet again by the street cleaning ladle lady. She continues to splash water out onto the street, not caring who was in the way.
"Ack! I'm wet!" said Stella.
"Just what is she doing!?" said Bloom as she sputtered water. Kiko was also angry at the sudden splash.
"Excuse me, miss, how about an apology?" said Musa to the old lady. She looks up, but then continues her work and splashes water onto the street, narrowly hitting Flora, Tecna, and Layla. The three managed to get past, followed by the pixies. "Hey!"
"She seems hard of hearing…" said Flora.
"Damn old hag… she always splashes me without realizing it…" muttered Ranma-chan. "Let's just go."
The others were in agreement. They just wanted to get away from this rude hag. However, as Layla was away by ten feet, she casts a spell.
"Aqua blanket…"
A four-by-four foot, two-inch thick sheet of water appeared above the ladle lady and splashed down upon her, drenching and knocking her down onto the ground. She gets up shocked and sputtering, wondering where the water came from.
Layla chuckles and rejoins the others, who praise her for the trick. It was well deserved. (1)
Ranma, after reverting to male form thanks to his metamorphosis ability, was walking on top of the chain link fence. The girls were walking alongside him on the ground. He, Bloom, Stella, and Musa had managed to dry themselves with their magic.
"That's quite impressive, Ranma." Said Flora as she watched him walk on the fence as easily as if he was walking on ground.
"This is nothing, really. I do it all the time. It's basically balance training." Said Ranma.
"Still, to walk so casually on something that's only 1.34 inches wide like that without wings is quite a feat." Said Tecna.
It was then they came across a certain building. It's a traditional Japanese outer wall architecture surrounding a house and a training hall. On the sign near the gates read 'Tendo Anything-Goes Martial Arts Training Hall'.
"Here we are…" said Ranma.
To be continued…
Preview…
Ranma: It's my decision! You no longer have any say in how I live my life!
Musa: That's right! Ranma's a human being, too, you know!
Flora: The sparks begin to fly as the residents of the Tendo home don't take Ranma's announcement too well.
Stella: It's not just them, but some others as well.
Ranma: Mom? Just where did you go to anyway? Next time, on Ranma Club, 'Ranma's Choice! Live With It!' So…. that's where you went to?
Ending (Winx Club season 3 style)
We see Ranma standing on a grassy hill. He opens his eyes and looks up. Zoom out to see his left side. Scenes play in the background.
If you're a Winx, there's a place for you.
Need a thousand friends to share your dreams and fate.
We see Bloom smiling down on Ranma, then a scene of Ranma and Bloom walking arm in arm at a park, then bloom leaning against a tree with Ranma behind her, his back turned.
If you're a Winx, you can never lose.
If you trust your heart, you will now fly so high in the sky.
Butterfly wings will carry you, amazing adventures wait for you.
We see Stella smiling seductively, followed by a scene where she tries to get an unwilling Ranma-chan to try on a few outfits. Next, we see Ranma dancing the tango with Stella and put her into a dip.
Dreams beyond your illusions will still come true.
Secret rose to discover ahead of you.
Flora is seen smiling in a shy manner. Ranma is tending to a plant pot, and Flora comes from behind. He shows it to her, and it sprouts roses for her. We then see Ranma and Flora from behind, his arm over her shoulders, as they watch a sunset.
Like a giant wave you rode.
In the hearts of those who knew love.
Musa smiles down on Ranma, then goes to a scene where the both of the were singing karaoke, with Musa winning. Switch to a sad looking Musa, who then gets hugged from behind by Ranma, causing her to blush.
If you're a Winx, you can be a star.
Sun will guide your way, despite the blooming cloud.
Tecna smiles and digitizes to the next scene where Ranma attempts to work on a laptop, but it malfunctions. Tecna laughs and goes over to help him out. Switch to a canal bridge where Tecna stands, then senses Ranma behind her, then turns to look at him.
If you're a Winx, like an ecstasy.
So it's gonna be, joy and hope you'll bring.
Layla smiles down on Ranma, then goes to a scene where she and Ranma-chan are doing the rythmic gymnastics ribbons. Ranma-chan doesn't look amused. It switches to a scene where Ranma and Layla walk along a beach.
Incredible things you've never seen.
Amaizing sensations to be lived, with Winx.
A group shot of Bloom, Stella, Flora, Musa, Tecna, and Layla is seen in the background, while Ranma in the foreground looks towards the screen and winks. From his hand, he produces the Ranma Club logo which takes up the screen.
End ending
Author's notes:
Well, The time has come for the eventual meeting with the Tendos and anyone else in Nerima. All I can say is that there will be fireworks! The next chapter will take a while for me to do.
(1) Thought the ladle lady needed a taste of her own medicine.