Disclaimer: Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Video and Winx Club belongs to Iginio Straffi and Rai S.p.A (NOT 4Kids!!!). Songs 'Mou Nakanaide' and 'Positive' belongs to Ranma 1/2.
Note: this follows the Rai version of Winx as the 4Kids version butchered it too much, like with every anime it dubs.
Chapter 32: Alert! The Menace of the Golden Pair!
Saotome complex, days after the carnival…
Ranma was crashed on the living room couch looking up at the ceiling, Kiko the bunny sleeping on his chest. The teen fighter was thinking about the six Winx girls and his individual dates with them. He couldn't help but blush at what he had done, yet somehow it felt so right. Each girl had her own special charm that set her apart from the others.
'Man… imagine someone like me being with multiple girls at the same time and actually liking it!' thought Ranma. 'The thought would've never occurred to me, though it is nice that they're not all fighting over me.' He continues to lie on the couch. 'I wonder what will happen from this point on?'
Ranma rests his eyes a bit from his musings and before he knew it, he was fast asleep along with Kiko.
"HEY RANMA!!!"
The pig-tailed boy was jolted out of his ten second sleep, which also awoke the blue bunny, and they both crashed onto the floor. Flipping onto their feet, they quickly got into ready stances.
"G'huh!? Where's the fire!?"
Turning about, they see the Winx enter the room.
"Sorry to have startled you two like that." Flora apologized. The others followed suit.
"That's quite all right. So what's going on?" asked Ranma.
"Well, there's this cool place we found during one our explorations of Tokyo." Replied Musa.
"And we mean that in a literal sense, too." Added Tecna.
"What might that be?" asked Ranma.
"It's an ice rink!" replied Stella. "There's an ice rink here in town!"
"One of my favorite pastimes." Said Layla.
"We were just wondering if you'd like to come along, too." Said Bloom. Kiko was also looking excited.
Ranma felt a little edgy at the mention of the ice rink. Like a lot of other things in his life, he had a bad experience with the ice rink.
"Uh, gee… I don't know…"
It was then that the six Faerie students gave him pleading looks, the one thing Ranma could never defend himself against. Whenever they gave him those looks, he could never say no to them. Even Kiko was giving him the look. Caving in, he lets off a sigh.
"All right, I'll take you all."
"Oh thank you, Ranma!" The girls all hugged him from all sides, causing him to get flustered.
'Better start remembering how to skate again…' thought Ranma. 'I just hope I don't meet any certain headaches there…'
Somewhere on the busy streets of Nerima…
"OOOOH SO CUTE! PATRICIA! COME HOME WITH AZUSA!"
"HEY YOU! YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT PINEAPPLE!!!!"
Azusa paid the angry vendor no mind as she ran off the scene towards home while hugging the Hawaiian fruit.
Opening (Ranma ½ style, 'Mou Nakanaide')
Music starts as it shows neon head shot sketches of the Ranma Club cast. The title logo appears as it fades into Nerima.
Machikado ga utsushi-dasu (Seen on the street)
Sabishige na shiruetto watashi yo (A lonesome silhouette It's me)
A scanning shot of the inside of Ranma's room. Shots of the Winx pass by.
Sayonara no serifu ima (I couldn't believe I just heard)
Shinjirarezu ni kiita (The line "Farewell")
A shot of the Saotome name plate, then zooms out to show the complex.
Kurakushon sae doramu no you ni (Like a drum Even a Klaxon)
Kono mune tataki namida wo sasoi-hajimeru no rarabai (It taps my heart A tear-jerking lullaby)
We see shots of Shampoo as she tosses her hair back, followed by shots of Ukyou looking forlorn. Then it fades into a shot of the Nerima shopping district.
Genki wo dashite mou nakanaide (Cheer up and don't cry anymore)
Kasumi turns her head to face the camera, then Nodoka turns to smile as she holds her katana.
Ashita ni nareba subete kawaru wa (Once tomorrow comes everything will change)
A shot of Furinkan High School.
Genki wo dashite mou nakanaide (Cheer up and don't cry anymore)
Mousse whips out a few melee weapons from his sleeves as he falls into the background. Sasuke shows up armed with a few shurikens before following Mousse's lead.
Atarashii kaze mukatte (Facing new winds)
Smile again!
An overhead shot of the entire town of Nerima as it pans upwards.
Finally, it shows a group shot of Ranma, Ranma-chan, and the Specialists' souls before going back to the Ranma Club neon logo.
End opening
Nerima municipal sports center…
Ranma and company had just entered the building. With him were the Winx, Ukyou, Shampoo, and Mousse. The ice rink was full of skaters while others sat at the surrounding areas, which consisted of tables and benches. Several shops and dining areas lined the walls.
"Looks the same as I remembered it…" said Ranma.
"Well what are we standing around here for? Let's go" said Stella as she and the Winx pushed the four martial artists forwards.
They all later sat at a bench to put their ice-skates on. To avoid the extra charge of skate rental, Stella opted to spell some custom skates for everyone. The girls all had on elegant figure skates that matched the colors of their usual footwear while Ranma and Mousse had on black ones.
"Been forever since I put these things on…" said Ranma as he tried to get a feel for the skates.
"Don't worry about it, Ranma. Your skating HAS improved." Said Layla.
It was true. Since his date with Layla at the skate park, Ranma started to learn how to properly skate, as taught by the Princess of Andros. He wasn't as clumsy as he used to be on the ice before, but he would still fall on occasion.
"Well, let's go then!" said Ranma as he made his way to the rink entrance. Before he could take a step on the ice, Layla quickly grabbed his hand. "Huh? What is it?"
"Have you forgotten?" said Layla sternly. "You NEVER try to walk on the ice without first holding onto the rink's outer wall!"
Ranma winced. He had already forgotten that important step. If he had continued on, the back of his head would've met the floor behind him like the last two times. "Sorry about that, Layla…"
"Just try not to forget again, okay?"
The pig-tailed boy took hold of the wall and nearly slipped. Fortunately, he managed to keep himself from falling. As he struggled, everyone else got on the ice with no problem at all. Bloom was skating in stride, Tecna was skating some figure-eights, Flora did an axel jump, Musa was in the middle of a step sequence, and Stella was performing an upright spin. Off to the side, Shampoo, Ukyou, and Mousse were engaged in an ice race with each other.
Ranma could only sigh as he felt out of place with not just them, but with the other ice skaters there. Layla puts a reassuring hand on his.
"Don't worry, Ranma. You'll be able to skate just fine with a bit of practice." Said Layla. "It's not any different from when we were at the skate park together."
He smiled at the memory. Ranma did have a good time then with Layla. Soon he was snapped out of it as the dark-skinned girl pulled him on the ice. "Whoa!"
"You'll have to let go of the wall sometime!"
Ranma had a bit of trouble keeping his balance even while being supported by Layla. "Slippery… slippery…"
"Just keep steady and maintain your balance."
He nodded as he tried to focus on keeping on his feet. He then felt REALLY embarrassed when he saw Kiko skating along the ice just fine. To be outdone by a rabbit…
After a few minutes, Ranma was starting to get the hang of ice skating, thanks to Layla and the others. The Winx proved to be pretty effective instructors. Each of them took turns in assisting Ranma with his skating so that he wouldn't fall so much. It felt a bit embarrassing to him to be led around by the hand most of the time, especially when he was in male form. He considered going to the public restroom to change forms as to not be as embarrassed as he was now, but was halted in his efforts. He had been challenged that if he wanted to "man up", he'd learn to grin and bear it. After all, the path of a true martial artist is lined with many hardships.
Later…
"Check me out! I'm skating!" said Ranma as he broke into a fast sprint.
"RANMA! THE WALL!!!" shouted Stella.
Turning to look in front of him, Ranma's eyes widened as he saw the rink wall coming closer and closer. He started flailing his arms wildly. "AHHH!!! I CAN'T STOP! I CAN'T STOP! I CAN'T STOP! I CAN'T STOP!"
He soon crashed into the bordering wall loudly, flipping over the other side. He was in a crumpled heap outside the rink. Only one word managed to escape his lips.
"… ow…"
Everyone was immediately looking over the wall down at him.
"Ranma! Are you all right?" asked a concerned Flora.
"Could someone stop the room, please? I'd like to get off…" replied a dizzied Ranma.
"He took a real fall there…" said Ukyou.
"At least he didn't hurt anything important." Snickered Mousse, earning a bonk on the head by Shampoo. "Ow!"
"Show respect, Mousse!" said Shampoo.
"Sorry…"
Bloom applies a quick healing spell on Ranma to relieve his fatigue. Once he got his bearings again, Layla addresses him. "Well, you've got the balance part down at least."
"Yeah. You just got to work on the brakes." Added Musa.
Ranma could only chuckle nervously.
His skating lessons with the girls resumed, making sure to learn how to keep balance, and more importantly, learn NOT to crash into things. After a while, the Winx started to do a few figure-skating moves. Ranma at some point tried to imitate some of them. His jumps were impressive, but sometimes had a bit of trouble on the landings, just barely keeping himself up. He'll have to start out small first before going onto the big tricks.
Soon, the girls' skating moves caught the attention of the other skaters there. They watched in awe at the Winx girls skating like naturals. What was even more amazing was that they also saw the little rabbit, Kiko, skating on his paws just like Bloom. A lot of the female skaters there thought it was cute.
Just as they stopped, Ranma's group was surprised to hear some applause for the performance. Realizing, the Winx and Kiko took a bow to everyone.
"Thank you! You've all been wonderful!" said Stella.
"That was really cool!"
The Winx and the four martial artists turned towards the voice and saw four people skating towards them: Hiroshi, Daisuke, Yuka, and Sayuri.
"Thanks. It was nothing." Said Flora.
"You're too modest. Your style is quite graceful." Said Sayuri.
"Very beautiful…" said Hiroshi in an almost hypnotic tone.
"Yeah… so was the skating…" added Daisuke before being elbowed by Hiroshi.
"Anyways, you want to skate together?" asked Sayuri.
"That would be a great idea!" replied Musa. "Tag! You guys are it!"
The Winx Club and Kiko immediately skated off. Realizing what happened, Hiroshi, Daisuke, Yuka, and Sayuri started to pursue.
"Hey! No fair!" giggled Yuka as she and the others gave chase.
The four martial artists were left behind for a moment before snapping out of it.
"Well they're not gonna beat me!" said Ukyou and she skated forth.
"No beat Shampoo, neither!" added Shampoo as she followed her lead.
"Come on, Saotome! Or we'll leave you behind!" said Mousse, joining in the tag.
Ranma felt a little nervous after the crash, but skated after nonetheless. He started making good pace despite starting last. Soon, Ranma passed by everyone and was rapidly approaching the Faeries. Unfortunately, once again, he found himself unable to stop.
"Oh no not again!" screamed Ranma.
The Winx turned to hear Ranma's scream and was surprised to see him coming in fast. Flora, Layla, Tecna, Musa, and Kiko were startled when the pigtailed boy brushed right past them. Stella and Bloom quickly grabbed him by the hands when he sped between them. Sliding forth a bit, the two girls managed to slow Ranma to a halt.
"Easy there, Ranma." Said Bloom.
"We don't want a repeat of the last time, now do we?" added Stella.
Ranma managed to gather his bearings and gave the two girls a sheepish smile. "Thanks, Bloom, Stella."
"Don't mention it." Said Bloom. "You ARE steadily improving, though."
The large group of teens had been skating on the ice for quite some time now. Afterwards, they all took a little breather at the rink-side café. All of them took an order of chocolate parfaits. Ranma was glad for the eats. All that skating had him work up an appetite. As the group engaged in friendly conversation, Kiko finishes his meal and gestures to Bloom that he was going back on the rink again.
"Just be careful out there, Kiko." Bloom instructed her friend and pet.
The little rabbit did a salute before going back onto the ice. He slid over to a less crowded area of the rink to do his skating. A few jumps and pirouettes and he was catching the eyes of several people. There was one certain skater who was giving him a lot of unwanted attention…
"Oh Taffy!"
Kiko was surprised when a pair of pink figure skates stopped before him, blocking his path. Looking up, he sees a curly brown-haired girl in a pink figure-skater's outfit and looking at him lovingly with big sparkling eyes.
"Come on, my widdle Taffy! Be good and come home with Azusa!"
Kiko didn't know why this weird girl was calling him "Taffy", and a GIRL'S name to boot, but he didn't like the way she was looking at him. He quickly jumped back when Azusa tried to grab him.
"Bad Taffy! You come home with Azusa!"
Kiko quickly made a break for it as Azusa started to skate after him. He screamed as loud as a rabbit was capable of doing as he tried to get away from this crazy girl. This little chase caught the attention of the rest of the skaters.
Unfortunately for Kiko, he managed to get caught by Azusa, causing him to panic even more.
"Ooooh! You're so cute!"
Kiko gasped in horror when he saw the crazy skater pull out a small wooden mallet marked "Marianne" and lifted it over her head. The way she was giggling just as she was about to bonk him with said mallet more than creeped him out. In Kiko's mind, he was screaming for Bloom.
"Flame Shot!"
Azusa screamed in pain as her mallet hand got hit with a small fireball, causing her to lose grip of Kiko. The little rabbit quickly took the opportunity to run and jump into the arms of his red-haired savior.
"Kiko, you all right?" asked Bloom. She glared at the skater before her. "What do you think you're doing to Kiko!?"
Azusa looked up to glare at the girl who dared to interfere with her. "How dare you! Give Azusa back her widdle Taffy, you thief!"
"Thief!? You're the one trying to kidnap my friend here!" retorted Bloom. "In front of witnesses, no less!"
All of the skaters watching the whole exchange nodded their heads in agreement. Soon, Ranma and the others were behind Bloom.
"Oh great… it's her…" muttered Ranma. "If she's here, then…"
"Just who do you think you are, trying to steal Kiko from Bloom!?" said Stella.
"You're wrong! That's Azusa's widdle Taffy! You think Azusa doesn't know her widdle Taffy!?" said Azusa as she attempted to rush Bloom and grab Kiko. She was halted as she was suddenly picked up by the back of her collar. "Lemme go! Lemme go!"
Standing behind Azusa and hoisting her up was a young man dressed in a light blue tux style figure-skater outfit. Ranma could only groan in disgust at the sight.
'Speak of the Devil…'
"Please forgive my partner's rudeness." Said Mikado Sanzenin as he drops Azusa off to the side.
"Uh… sure thing…" said Bloom.
"Azusa always seems to be taking things still…" explained Mikado.
"GIVE AZUSA BACK HER TAFFY! TAFFY!" shouted Azusa as she was pounding on the back of Mikado's head with her fists.
"Even when they don't belong to her. Heh."
"TAFFY! TAFFY! TAFFY!" Azusa was pounding on Mikado with a frying pan she had pulled out of nowhere.
"She has this appalling habit of giving things a silly name and taking them home with her."
"Again… isn't that…" said Daisuke.
"Against the law?" finished Hiroshi.
"So this 'Taffy' is actually the pet she tried to abduct in broad daylight." Said Mikado.
"TAFFY! TAFFY! TAFFY! TAFFY! TAFFY! TAFFY! TAFFY! TAFFY! TAFFY!" Azusa was now pounding on Mikado with one of the café chairs.
"Grrr… ENOUGH ALREADY!!!" shouted Mikado in annoyance as he turned around to glare at her, who was currently hefting a café table over her head. The male figure-skater was now sporting a few lumps on his head after the repeated poundings from his skating partner.
"She crazier than laughing girl!" commented Shampoo.
"No kidding…" added Ukyou.
"You don't know the half of it…" said Ranma, once again sensing more déjà vu.
Azusa started to whine about not getting her way, then stopped as she turned to shoot a hard glare at Bloom. "If you won't give Taffy back, then Azusa challenges you!"
"Excuse me?" said Bloom.
"I challenge you in figure skating! You do know how to skate, don't you? If Azusa wins, you give her back her Taffy!"
"Now wait just a minute here!"
"Hold on, Bloom!" said Sayuri, "They're the top figure skaters of Kolhotz High School, the Golden Pair!"
"I'm Azusa Shiratori!" said Azusa with an arrogant air.
"Mikado Senzanin." Added Mikado with a charming air.
"And why should I accept your stupid challenge!? Kiko wasn't yours to begin with!" retorted Bloom.
"Yeah! He's not a bargaining chip for you to gamble with!" added Layla.
Before the argument could escalate, Mikado stepped in.
"Please forgive her. She can be rather impetuous at times." Said Mikado. "Why don't I offer this, as a token of my sincerest apology?"
Bloom was a little more than shocked when Mikado placed his hands on both sides of her face as he slowly lowered his own towards hers. Her shock turned to that of great annoyance.
"What do you think you're doing!?"
Mikado doesn't answer as he prefers his actions to do it for him. However, he got knocked back a few feet via a hard punch to the face, courtesy of Ranma.
The player sits up to see Ranma holding Bloom protectively against him, his fist clenched from the attack.
"Thanks, Ranma." Said Bloom.
"Anytime, Bloom." Said Ranma without stopping his glare on Mikado. "The hell do you think you're trying to pull here?"
"Ranma Saotome, it's been a while." Said Mikado as he stood up.
"Not long enough, I'm afraid…"
"So, her name is Bloom? What a lovely name for an even lovelier girl."
"Don't you EVER try that crap on her again, got it?"
Mikado was a bit taken back at this, then noticed the other girls with Ranma. "Ah! And what do we have here? Friends of yours? You are all very beautiful. I know you must all want to receive a kiss from me, so I shall grace you with it. There's plenty for everyone!"
He was instantly upon the closest girl, which was Stella, and puts her in a dip. "Hey wait! Who said I wanted one from you!?"
Mikado paid her no mind, figuring her to merely be shy and started to slowly close the gap between their faces. In an instant, he was punched back yet again by Ranma, who was now carrying a relieved Stella in his arms.
"Don't you touch ANY of them, you damn player!" threatened Ranma.
"Phew… thanks, Ranma…" said Stella as she blushed from being carried by him as if he were a swashbuckling hero.
"Anytime, Stella." Said Ranma. He returns his glare back on Mikado. "Try that again and I'll bury you!"
Mikado slowly stood up while wiping the fresh blood off his nose. "Ranma Saotome, why must you stand in my way?"
"You mess with those girls, you mess with me, punk!" replied Ranma.
"You know, I still haven't forgotten how you defeated me that time." Said Mikado. "I challenge you in a martial arts figure skating rematch!"
"Hmph… want to have your ass kicked again? Fine by me." Said Ranma. As a martial artist, it's his duty to accept any and all challenges.
"And I'll win my Taffy back!" added Azusa before turning her attention to Bloom. "Why don't you just give up now and save yourself the embarrassment?"
"Kiko is NOT yours!" said Bloom angrily. The little rabbit nuzzled himself in Bloom's arms.
"Be brave, Taffy! Azusa will take care of everything!" She was completely oblivious to the fact Kiko was giving the annoying klepto a glare of disgust.
"Don't worry, Kiko. I won't let her near you…" assured Bloom to her rabbit.
"So you accept my challenge then?" asked Mikado.
"If it'll get you two off our backs, then yes." Replied Ranma bitterly.
"Then it is settled. Like before, the match will take place a week from now at Kolhotz High." Said Mikado. "You only got off lucky the last time, Ranma Saotome. This time shall be different!" He turns around to leave, but then addresses the girls in Ranma's group. "Fret not, my lovely ladies! I know you all want to receive a kiss from me. I promise you I'll fulfill that wish!"
With those words, he skated off with Azusa in tow, who blew a raspberry at them.
Needless to say, Shampoo, Ukyou, and the Winx were very much disgusted at the delusional player.
"Sheesh… what a freak…" said Ukyou.
"Tell me about it…" said Ranma. He still carried the trauma of when he met Mikado in his female form. "Looks like I got another fight on my hands."
Saotome complex…
At dinner, Ranma started to play the past events in his mind. He had accepted yet another stupid challenge. Still, it would be a good way to exact some much deserved pain to two past headaches.
"A figure-skating match?" asked Nodoka.
"Yeah. Just like before." Replied Ranma.
"Wonder if this is anything like that rhythmic gymnastics match?" asked Lockette.
"Once again, something so graceful and refined reduced to a form of violence!" said Tune.
"Martial arts is born in almost everything." Said Ranma.
"Still, this is a match done in pairs." Said Flora. "Who will your partner be?"
"I'll go." Said Bloom almost instantly. "That crazy girl tried to kidnap Kiko and she dared to say he belonged to her! This has become personal."
"You sure you're up to it, Bloom?" asked Layla.
"To be honest, I'm not sure since this is a strange event, but I'm willing to give it a shot, that is, if it's all right with you, Ranma."
"I'll be glad to have you as my skating partner." Said Ranma.
"Splendid! You'll make a great team!" said Amore.
"Yes! Very much so!" added Sasuke.
Ranma and Bloom could only blush at the comments.
"Does this mean you'll be training again?" asked Kasumi.
"You know it, Kasumi." Replied Ranma. "I STILL need to work on my skating."
"Don't worry! We'll help you two out in any way we can!" said Musa.
"That's right! No way you'll lose!" added Stella.
"Thanks, everyone." Said Bloom.
Later that week…
The past few days, Ranma and Bloom were practicing their skating at the Nerima municipal sports center. Stella, Flora, Musa, Tecna, Layla, Shampoo, Ukyou, and Mousse also tagged along to support them or help with their skating (mostly Ranma). Ranma had to admit that he was getting better. He was able to stay on his feet and not crash into things more often. That wasn't the only thing, however. Practicing the couple figure-skating with Bloom made him feel a bit flustered.
Currently, Ranma and Bloom were holding hands as if they were doing the waltz. The pigtailed boy had to let the redhead lead him around as she was a better skater than him.
"If this weren't training, this would be pretty nice." Said Bloom.
"Yeah." Said Ranma, who tried to follow Bloom's lead.
"You getting the hang of it yet?"
"A bit…"
"You'll improve with more practice, Ranma. Just think of this like the time we all ballroom danced together."
"Nice to know you've got faith in me."
Suddenly, Bloom was struck in the back of her head by a flying knee kick, causing both her and Ranma to crash onto the ice.
"Ow! What the!?" Bloom looked up and her expression hardened when she saw Azusa standing with a smug expression.
"Oh! Did Azusa do that?" said Azusa with mock innocence.
"You did that on purpose!" said Bloom.
"Azusa did no such thing!" said a smirking Azusa as she turned to skate off.
Bloom wasn't going to let this slide, however, as she conjures up a small fireball in her hand, then launched it at Azusa's unprotected butt cheek.
"YEEEEEEOOWWW!!!"
Azusa was frantically skating around the rink as the back of her figure skating outfit caught on fire. This little scene caught the attention of the skaters there. She quickly fell on her butt on the ice, which put the fire out. The onlookers laughed at the sight, humiliating Azusa. She turned to glare at Bloom.
"Oh, did I do that?" said Bloom with mock innocence. The rest of the group outside the rink chuckled at Bloom's action. She then goes to help Ranma on his feet. "You all right?"
"Yeah, I guess…"
Azusa gets angry and started making her way towards the redhead, but was halted by Mikado. "Enough, Azusa. It's time to begin the Assault of 100 Foes."
"Huh? Assault of 100 Foes?" questioned Flora.
All of the skaters left the rink, leaving behind Ranma, Bloom, and the Golden Pair. The four were suddenly surrounded by one hundred goalie-masked hockey players armed with hockey sticks.
"You'd better leave here. It's going to get dangerous." Said Mikado to Bloom. Ranma quickly escorted Bloom outside of the rink. Once Mikado and Azusa were alone, they took a figure-skater couple position. "Attack!"
Immediately, the hockey players attacked en masse. The Golden Pair wasted no time in picking off the hockey players one by one. Combining martial arts and figure skating, Mikado and Azusa systematically took down their foes.
"Such an unusual sight…" said Tecna.
"This is nothing." Said Ranma.
"Ninety-five… ninety-six… ninety-seven… ninety-eight… ninety-nine… one hundred!" counted Mikado as he and Azusa took down all the hockey players. They took a pose with fluid grace. "Finito."
One of the downed hockey players pauses a stopwatch. "Seven point five seconds. That's a new record!"
"Just that? We could do better." Said Mikado.
Ranma, Shampoo, Ukyou, and Mousse weren't really that impressed. They've done much tougher things.
The hockey players picked themselves up to get off the rink now that their purpose was served, allowing the other skaters back on the ice.
"Don't worry, Bloom. We can take these guys." Said Ranma.
"I know we can." Said Bloom. "Now, shall we continue where we left off?"
As they skated, they noticed a line of children skating behind a certain rabbit. Kiko seemed to be enjoying himself leading a skating train.
"Kiko seems to be pretty popular on the rink." Said Ranma.
Bloom had to agree. It's not every day you see a skating bunny. "Kiko! Over here!"
Kiko smiled as he saw his owner and made his way over to her. Just as he was about to jump in her arms, he gets snatched in the air by Azusa, who had cut off Bloom.
"Oooh Taffy!" said Azusa.
"Hey!" said Bloom angrily.
"Here, Taffy! Azusa's got a present for you!" Kiko struggled to get out of Azusa's grasp as she clamped a heart collar on him, which felt like it was choking him. She held him aloft to admire her work. "OOOOH! SO CUTE!" Choking and in desperation, Kiko bit hard on Azusa's hand. "OW!"
Released from Azusa's grip, Kiko quickly made his way to Bloom and into her arms.
"Kiko! Are you all right?" asked a worried Bloom. She noticed the tight collar latched onto his neck, which had a heart on the front labeled 'Taffy'. "What in the world is this!?"
"It's Taffy's special collar Azusa made for her!" replied Azusa, recovering from the bite.
"Don't worry, Kiko, I'll get this stupid thing off of you." Said Bloom. She saw that the collar had no buckle, rather, it had a lock on it.
"Don't bother! Azusa locked it with her little key!" said Azusa, holding said key aloft. "You want it off, you'll have to win the match!"
Bloom only glared at the klepto skater. She then looked at the locked collar and smirked. Who needs a key for a simple lock when you're a faerie?
"Expellio Catanum!"
In an instant, the collar was removed from Kiko's neck, allowing him to breathe. The little rabbit gasped for the much needed air. Azusa was shocked that Bloom removed her collar so easily. She was further shocked when Bloom held the collar in her hand and burned it to a crisp. She then crushes it to ashes and drops the remnants onto the ice.
"Hey! What did you do to Azusa's present to Taffy!?" demanded Azusa.
"I told you… KIKO'S NOT YOURS!" shouted Bloom. Kiko nods in agreement. "His name's NOT Taffy, and that's a girl's name to begin with!"
"Azusa WILL get her Taffy back! Just you watch!"
"Please! You don't know anything! You can't even get his gender right!"
Shampoo and Ukyou skate in to the defense of their friend.
"Girl, I suggest you get lost." Said Ukyou. "You obviously have problems."
Before Shampoo could add her own two cents, she was suddenly swept up from behind by Mikado and carried off. "AIYAH!"
"Why hello there. I don't think we've been properly introduced." Said Mikado smoothly.
"What crazy player doing!? Let go of Shampoo!" Shampoo said angrily.
"Shampoo? Unusual name, but still you're a beautiful girl, nonetheless." Said Mikado. "How about I give you my primary greeting?"
Shampoo became shocked and disgusted when Mikado lowered his face to hers. Just as she was about to retaliate with righteous Amazon fury, Mikado was struck in the face by two combined flying knee kicks, courtesy of Ranma and Mousse. Shampoo landed on her feet as Mikado skidded on the ice.
"You just never learn, do you?" said a more than irritated Ranma.
"How dare you treat Shampoo like that!" shouted Mousse.
Shampoo was grateful for the two boys' assist, though she could've handled the player herself. "Thank you, Ranma, Mousse."
"It's no problem." Said Ranma. "Guys like him tick me off."
"You are really pushing it, getting in my way like this…" said Mikado. He gets into a fighting stance.
Ranma slides into a stance, but Mousse held an arm in front of him.
"Hold it. Let me take care of this guy this time. He disrespected Shampoo!"
Ranma was about to argue, but then saw the determined look in his newly restored eyes. It would be entertaining to see the player get whipped by someone aside from him. "Go for it. Just don't damage him too much. I want to be the one to do that later on in our match."
Mousse nods and skated over towards Mikado, stopping a few feet away. He gets into a stance, facing off against the skater player.
Mikado gave Mousse a once-over and didn't look at all impressed. With those heavy-looking robes, he couldn't possibly skate well enough. "Hmph, so you dare stand in my way as well? Fine. Once I take you down, I shall take on Ranma."
"Don't go thinking I'm easy prey!" said Mousse.
"Enough! Let's go!"
Mikado went into a fast sprint towards Mousse. The Chinese boy followed suit and charged at him. Mikado goes for a fast punch into Mousse's gut, but was beaten to it. He falls on one knee after Mousse passed him. The Hidden Weapons master was palming a pair of brass knuckles before pulling it back into his sleeve.
"Is that all?" taunted Mousse.
Mikado gets back on his feet. "Just a lucky shot…"
The martial arts figure skater began raining punches and kicks upon Mousse in rapid succession. However, the Chinese boy was easily dodging, blocking, or parrying the attacks with a pair of tonfa he had armed himself with. Again, Mousse strikes Mikado in the gut with the tonfa, knocking him on his back on the ice. Once Mikado slid to a stop, le looks up in horror as Mousse dove down towards him feet-first.
"TAKA-ZUME KEN! HAWK'S TALON FIST!"
His skates sprouted hidden claws from the tips. Mikado quickly rolls out of the way of the incoming attack, which pierced through the thick ice.
Mikado gets back on his feet and notices the damage to the ice. "You dare to damage the sacred rink… this will not be forgiven! You leave me no choice but to use this technique!" He balances on one leg while holding his arms over his head as if they were wings. "Behold! The Dance of Death on Ice!"
This announcement got the attention of the hockey players who assisted in the Assault of 100 Foes.
"Whoa! The Dance of Death on Ice! He's going to do that move here!?"
"He must be pretty desperate against that robed guy!"
Shampoo had to admit, she was pretty impressed with the way Mousse was fighting. She had been initially surprised that Mousse no longer needed his glasses as he can see crystal clear now, but even more surprised when he started treating her with more respect instead of pathetically vying for her affections like he usually does. The purple-haired Amazon figured the Winx had something to do with it. She was grateful that not only was he not bothering her, but that he was starting to grow up. Shampoo may not love Mousse, but she does wish he'd find his own happiness.
Back to the fight, Mikado started to spin extremely fast, looking like a miniature tornado. Mousse found himself getting drawn in from the vacuum force being created.
"What is this!?"
Mikado smirked as Mousse was sliding towards him.
The Hidden Weapons master wasn't defenseless, as he suddenly pulls out a spear from his sleeve and stabs it into the ice, anchoring him down. Thinking fast, the once myopic martial artist throws out a weighted chain with his free hand into the spinning Mikado. The chain disappears into the tornado. A moment later, it stops as Mikado was wrapped neck to toe in the chain. He tips over, crashing onto the ice.
The hockey players were shocked at what happened.
"No way! The Dance of Death was a bust!?"
Ranma had to admit, the method was fast and effective, much more so than how he had handled the technique long ago.
"That's all you've got to offer? You're pathetic. You're no match for a Chinese Amazon!" said Mousse as he skated over to where his friends were at, who congratulated him for the easy win.
"You do Amazons proud!" said Shampoo.
"Thanks."
"Well, I think that's enough excitement for one day." Said Tecna. "Shall we head home?"
"Yeah. I don't think I can do any training with those two here." Said Ranma.
"Agreed." Added Bloom. Kiko also nodded in response. He especially wanted to get away from Azusa as soon as possible.
Ranma's group immediately left the ice rink for home.
"Hey! A little help here?" said a still tied up Mikado.
"OOOOH! THAT CHAIN IS SO CUTE!!! GWENDOLYN! COME HOME WITH AZUSA!"
"HEY! HOLD IT!!!"
Azusa paid her partner no mind as she dragged him by the chain off the ice. Unfortunately for him, his head was getting dragged along the ice.
"OW OW OW! STOP YOU ANNOYING BRAT!!!"
"MIKADO! LET GO OF GWENDOLYN!"
"THEN GET ME OUT OF THIS CHAIN, YOU IDIOT!"
In Mikado's mind, he vows revenge, but he will deal with Ranma first, then steal a kiss from Bloom during the fight. For now, he's going to have to nurse a severe headache in the near future.
To be continued…
Ending (Ranma ½ style, 'Positive')
Music starts. Headshots of the Winx Club are shown, then finally on Ranma.
Dou sureba ii? (What should I do?)
Kono mama ja Kono koi wa dame ni naru (If things stays like this this love will go nowhere)
Ranma is walking towards the screen. As he walks, in the background plays scenes of him doing the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken, the Moko Takabisha, and the Hiryu Shoten Ha. It then shows his girl form as a faerie firing off a light beam while flying, then cuts to Ranma using Riven's scimitar, then throws some of Sky's boomerangs.
Ai shisugite'ru (I'm loving too much...)
Aenai to kimochi dake oikakete'ru (If we don't meet I'll end up chasing mere feelings)
Bloom appears, walking on Ranma's right. He gives her a smile, which she returns, then continue on. In the background, we see Bloom sketching at her desk, then shows her in her faerie mode, then in her Enchantix mode. She produces a ball of flame.
Anata ga dare ka to atte 'ru imaaju (Imagining you're meeting someone)
Stella appears walking on Ranma's left. She playfully elbow-nudges Ranma. He and Bloom laugh as they acknowledge her presence and continue on. In the background, Stella is on a shopping spree. It then shows her in her faerie mode, then in her Enchantix mode. Her body illuminates.
Ittari kitari no muda na enajii (Energy wasted on going and coming)
Flora appears walking next to Bloom and waves to Ranma, who waves back. In the background, Flora is tending to numerous plants, one bears fruit, which she plucks and eats. We see her in her faerie mode, then in her Enchantix mode. She tosses her hair, which sends out leaves and flower petals.
O-negai dare ka itte (Someone please say)
"Kimi wa daijoubu da kara" to ("'Coz you'll be all right")
Musa appears walking next to Stella, whistling a music note which Ranma eyes. In the background, Musa is playing on her saxaphone. It then shows her in her faerie mode, then in her Enchantix mode. She produces a wave of music notes with her hand.
Shiawase ni nareru kachi (For I hold enough)
Juubun motte iru kara ne (Value that can lead to happiness)
Tecna appears walking next to Flora and looks towards Ranma, which he returns. In the background, Tecna is upgrading her robotic spy bug. It then shows her in her faerie mode, then in her Enchantix mode. She produces a ball of green electricity.
Mirai wo hiraku kagi wa (The key to the future)
Positive na aidea dake yo (Positive ideas only)
Layla appears walking next to Musa and jumps up with her arm raised. Everyone else copies this and continues walking. In the background, Layla is seen surfing a wave. Then it shows her in her faerie mode, then in her Enchantix mode. She creates a stream of water between her hands.
Atama de wakatte 'te mo Kokoro ga midarete 'ru (I know with my head But my heart's confused)
Ranma and the girls then stop, as the background changes to reveal them standing on a grassy plain. The camera swings around to show them from behind as they look up at the daylight sky.
End ending
Preview…
Ranma: The day of the contest is here.
Bloom: We can do this!
Layla: Now you know how to skate!
Ranma: Hopefully, it will be enough.
Bloom: Between the two of us, we can't lose! Hey! What does that guy think he's doing!
Ranma: Oh no you don't you damn player!
Stella: Ranma! Bloom! They're caught in that fast spin!
Musa: Just looking at that fast spin is making me sick…
Bloom: Next time, on Ranma Club, 'Skate-off! The Golden Pair vs. The Blazing Dragons!'
Ranma: Hmmm? I feel Sky's soul reacting…
Author's notes:
Sorry this came out so late. I was feeling sick. People tend to be around the holidays. At least I got this out before the New Year. And yes, I'm aware I've used this ending before back in chapter 10, but it matches the Ranma season opener I used in this chapter.
Be sure to check my new poll!
Jimbobob5536: Hey, you have to admit the Scribble Panda was hilarious!
AndrewK9000: I guess Bloom's date was your favorite, huh? Yep, the ice-skating freaks are back, unfortunately…
Chm01: They'll bounce back.
Firelordeg: I was lucky to have written this one.
OBSERVER01: Thank you so much!
Dumbledork: Would've thought you'd have more to say than that.
PEJP Bengtzone: Just wait, Valtor will encounter some. Sorry, but I just despise Azusa with a passion, even more so than Akane.
Erick Genryusai: You predicted right. I was thinking of using the figure-skater outfit Bloom had on in the CG portion of "Winx on Ice". I made Ukyou and Shampoo quite hot, ne? As for who the wolf plushie is for…
Jerry Unipeg: Nabu' s staff now completes Ranma's collection of the Specialists' weaponry. Yeah, Kasumi isn't the violent type, so I figured her as a healer would fit her perfectly.
Arsao Tome: I drew and painted the Shampoo and Ukyou pic on my profile. BTW, you gonna finish that Christmas story based off this fic?
God of all: As firelordeg says, as soon as life allows.
TheLordOfPages1692: No worries. Everyone needs sleep, and gaming! Still working on what the moron group may plan.
Angel Cullen Mew Chimera: Hey there! You a new reader? Still trying to make some plots before the eventual return to Magix.
7 Winds: Actually, that was the first ending of the original Inuyasha series. Classic stuff!
Ryan L. Spradling: Whoa man! Thinking a little too far ahead there. That sort of thing is a bit too early. I plan on incorporating the Winx movie in here at some point, once they finish off Valtor for good. Hopefully, I can get permission from a certain author to use one of his Ranma fics as a crossover for it (could serve as a side story for it at the same time).
Hiryo: Hmmm… never thought I'd get the emotion across so well. That means I'm doing something right here.
Shinzochi: Maybe… maybe…
RAI vs. 4Kids Rant!
This is a bit small due to time constraint, but it's pretty intensive. The victim: Season 2 episode 21, Charmix Power (US: Trouble in Paradise).
Scene: The girls on the beach.
4Kids:
Bloom: Question #3. "You discover that your cute new boyfriend has lousy tastes in music. Do you 'a' use your magic to change his taste to match yours, 'b' move on to the next boy or 'c' accept him for who he truly is?"
Musa: "Gotta go with 'c' on that one."
Flora: "I say if there is other stuff you like about him just let him be himself."
Layla: "Using magic sure would be tempting then you get the guy you like with the musical taste you like."
So lame…
RAI:
Bloom: "I think Faragonda was right. We really needed a vacation!"
Flora: "Yeah. It feels good to get away from Darkar and his ugly plans! And to find ourselves in the heart of nature!"
Notice how Musa and Layla don't even have lines here. 4Kids takes way to much advantage of off-screen talking…
Scene: Stella criticizes Tecna.
4Kids:
Stella: "... but hey don't pick on me, Techna over there won't even change outfits."
Tecna: "That's because I burn way too easily. I can't wear a swimsuit!"
Stella: "Okay! You know there is this amazing thing called sun block."
RAI:
Stella: "Hmmm… it's just that there's no shopping, the boys aren't paying attention to us, and look, Tecna's not wearing a swimsuit!"
Tecna: "I don't want to have a tan, so what's the use of wearing a swimsuit?"
Stella: "Okay!"
Scene: Stella and Layla have an argument.
4Kids:
Stella: "When are we going to the hotel? I can't wait to check in, take a shower and hit the boutiques." (uh… what?)
Layla: "I don't think there is a hotel in this region."
Stella: "Okay! If there isn't a hotel, where I am supposed to sleep and how am-I supposed to stay warm?"
Layla: "That's what firewood is for. Why don't you go swim or something?"
Stella: "Do you know how much I paid for this swimsuit?"
Layla: "Wait a minute Stella, does this mean you can't get it wet?"
Stella: "Mm-mm-mm…" (wait… what?)
Layla: "Eh! You're kidding right?" (that makes about as much sense as a saw that can't cut…)
Stella: "Mm-mm-mm…"
Layla: "So you just bought a swimsuit for how it looks. What kind of sense does that make?"
Stella: "It makes more sense than going on a stupid vacation, there is no hotel and you have to sleep in the dirt."
Sheesh, they make Stella sound overly spoiled here!
RAI:
Stella: "Hey Layla, I'm surprised you're not playing! It's right up your alley!"
Layla: "How come you're not playing? Don't like what their wearing?"
Stella: "Not everyone is obsessed with sports, you know! Are you carrying those logs to look tough?"
Layla: "That's not an accessory, that's called 'firewood'."
Stella: "So? What do we need firewood for?"
Layla: "For the campfire tonight! Ever gone camping before?"
Stella: "Mmmm… mh-mh."
Layla: "Oh… ever built a fire?"
Stella: "Mh-mh…"
Layla: "You can't live without shopping malls and glamour magazines, can you?"
Stella: (angrily) "Well… this is who I am!"
More emotional buildup here, as you can clearly sense the tension between Stella and Layla. They're both princesses of their own worlds, but are very different. 4Kids made Stella overly materialistic who complains too much. RAI Stella at least KNEW that they don't have the usual convenient comforts out in the wild. She only showed signs of complaint in anger to Layla's tactless comment about her way of living. Layla's a rebellious-type princess, so it's understandable that she had inadvertedly insulted Stella, a classic-type princess.
See you all next chapter!