Disclaimer: Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Video and Winx Club belongs to Iginio Straffi and Rai S.p.A (NOT 4Kids!). Song, 'Rewrite' belongs to Full Metal Alchemist.
Note: This follows the Rai version of Winx as the 4Kids version butchered it too much, like with every anime it dubbed.
Chapter 56: Shattered! The Heart of a Martial Artist
Alfea…
It's been three days since the last battle with Valtor. During class, Bloom couldn't help but think about a certain pigtailed martial artist sitting a few seats ahead of her. Ranma looked fine physically, but he felt like a different person. He had become quite cold and distant ever since that time. Bloom could only look at Ranma's back with longing as he was focused on the lesson.
She wasn't alone in this train of thought. Sitting nearby her, Stella, Flora, Musa, Tecna, and Layla were also worried about Ranma. They couldn't help but feel saddened at his recent behavior and how his relationship with them has cooled. Usually, he'd sit with them in class and during lunch hours, but now he's distancing himself from them. He'd even quickly excuse himself and leave abruptly when runs into them in the hallways.
'Ranma… why don't you talk to us? We're really worried about you...' thought Bloom sadly.
Opening (Full Metal Alchemist style, 'Rewrite')
Music starts as a falling shot of Alfea shows. The 'Ranma Club' logo appears
Kishinda omoi o hakidashita ino wa (The reason I want to spit these creaky old memories out)
Sonzai no shoumei ga hokani nai kara (Is because I don't have proof of my existence)
Tsukanda hazu no boku no mirai wa (The future that I thought I grabbed hold of)
Songen to jiyuu de mujun shiteru yo (Is a contradiction of dignity and freedom)
Ranma is seen standing on a barren land as the wind blows his pigtail. Behind him with their backs turned are the Specialist souls as their hair and capes flap in the wind. Platinum Sky holds his hand in front of him before clenching it into a fist.
A shot of Nodoka as she looks off to the sky on a single tree hill.
Yuganda zanzou o keshisaritai no wa (The reason I want to wipe away this distorted afterimage)
Jibun no genkai o soko ni miru kara (Is because I see my own limitations within it)
Jiishiki kajou na boku no mado ni wa (In the window of my overly self-conscious self)
Kyonen no karendaa, hitsuke ga nai yo (Is last year's calendar, without any dates written in it)
Mousse is seen sitting at a desk surrounded by his weapon collection. Shampoo is standing on the roof of one of Alfea's towers looking out. Ukyou sits on a bench with Kiko nearby.
Zooms in on a shot of a smirking Valtor.
Keshite riraitoshite (I'll erase it, and rewrite it)
Kudara nai chougensou (With nonsensical surrealism)
Wasureranu sonzaikan o(And an unforgettable sense of presence)
Faerie Ranma-chan runs and flies down a waterfall, pulling up just stopping from hitting the water before a geyser explodes behind her. From the water comes Happosai as he trades blows with Ranma-chan. He pulls out a Happo Daikarin bomb, but gets blasted back by Bloom, sending him flying and crashing into the wall followed by the resulting explosion. From the smoke pops Stormy as she prepares to let off a lighting bolt.
Kishikaisei (I'll revive)
Riraitoshite (And rewrite it)
Imi no nai souzou mo (Even meaningless fragments of imagination)
Kimi o nasu gendouryoku (Can be the driving force that gives you form)
Musa, Tecna, and Layla transform and let loose their attacks at a group of crystal demons. Darcy appears and attacks Stella and Flora with dark crescent waves who dodge and fire back with their own magical attacks.
It then shows Ryoga and Icy standing together as it flash zooms in on them until getting to a close up of the bottom of Icy's mouth as she gives a slasher smile.
Kure yo(Body and soul)
Kure yo (Body and soul)
Oh yeah yeah yeah!
Ranma looks to the screen as the Specialist souls stand behind him. They vanish as Ranma turns around and walks towards the background.
End opening
Alfea outskirts…
Ranma was walking by himself through the woods as he wanted to be alone at the moment. His mind could only go back to the last time he fought against Valtor.
Flashback…
"In a way, you should be thanking me. If I hadn't killed those Specialists, you would never have been created and possessing such power, not to mention the love of those Faeries you hang out with."
"What… the hell are you talking about…?"
"Oh please! Don't tell me it never occurred to you, fool?" said Valtor mockingly. "An unassuming boy comes to another world, where he has the fortune of having the love of several girls he practically just met, just like in a fairy tale! Have you not thought that seemed a bit far-fetched?"
Ranma could only stand stunned at what Valtor was saying as his words pierced him like swords.
"Think about it. Bloom and the others had boyfriends: your souls. The only reason they are interested in you is because of them, not you! You're just a vessel! A container! A puppet!"
"Shut up..." Ranma trembled in anger and despair.
"Oh Have I struck a nerve, boy?" taunted Valtor.
"Shut up… you don't know a damn thing…!"
"The truth hurts, doesn't it? The love you think you have for them means nothing. They only care about what you have. You yourself are less than damaged goods! You are nothing!"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU BASTARD!"
In rage, Ranma fires a huge ki blast at Valtor, causing a huge explosion. When the dust cleared, Valtor was nowhere to be seen, having already escaped.
"The truth really does hurt, Ranma. Ha ha ha ha ha..." Valtor's voice echoed through the area.
Ranma could only sink to his knees after everything he was told.
End flashback…
Ranma could only wince at the memory. He didn't want to believe the dark warlock, but what if what he said had merit? For most of his life, he had always been used for others' benefit usually at his expense, the Saotome-Tendo arranged marriage being the top of the list. It was one of the reasons why Ranma came to Magix to avoid those tough times and start anew. Now this bomb gets dropped on his lap.
Suddenly, the ground before him explodes as Ryoga pops out of the ground.
"I've finally found you, Ranma!" said Ryoga as he went into a battle stance.
Ranma could only growl in annoyance. "Ryoga, I'm REALLY not in the mood for your crap right now."
"Like I care!"
Ryoga charged at Ranma with a haymaker, who quickly dodges. After missing, Ryoga then summons a rock and sends it flying at Ranma, just tagging him. Wincing from the pain, Ranma charged forth with a fist to Ryoga's gut, only sending him back slightly. He smirked at the attack he took.
"Is that really all you've got?" said Ryoga as he countered with a haymaker of his own, sending Ranma flying into a tree trunk. Before he could fall forward, Ryoga made a rock pillar rise up below him knocking the pigtailed boy up into the air before jumping after to send him back down to the ground with a hammer punch.
"What's the matter, Ranma? You seem distracted!" taunted Ryoga.
Ranma slowly pushed himself back onto his feet as he bit down on the pain. "None of your damn business, jerk."
"Not so proud now, are you? You really are just a Casanova-wannabe! I always thought you deserve to be hated!"
Ranma shot Ryoga an angry glare. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Your girlfriends left you, didn't they? It was for the best anyway since they could do way better than a jerk like you! Oh wait, they already have been the whole time, haven't they? You were just a tagalong!"
Ranma rushed at him with rage in his eyes. "SHUT UP, ASSPIG!"
Ryoga dodges and counters with a punch to Ranma's face, knocking him down. "Don't like what I said? And what are you going to do about it?"
He kicks Ranma away, his body rolling until he skidded to a stop. Ryoga pressed his attack and summons a huge boulder over his head. "You're finished now!"
Ryoga jumps towards Ranma with the boulder held high.
"JET GEYSER!"
Ryoga was taken by surprise when a geyser of water suddenly shot at him at an angle, triggering his curse and sending him flying off into the distance. Ranma looked up in time to have witnessed what had happened earlier.
"Ranma!"
Ranma turned to see Layla running up to him before turning to look at the ground.
"Ranma! Are you all right? What happened?" asked Layla as she extended her hand to help him up.
Ranma gave a silent glance at her before slowly standing up without acknowledging her hand. "I'm fine."
"But Ranma, you're hurt-"
"I said. I'm. Fine."
Layla was taken aback by Ranma's cold response to her as he turned his back. "Ranma… what's happened to you…? The others and I are really worried about you."
Ranma lets off a sad chuckle. "Sure you're worried about me? Or are you all really worried about someone else?"
"Huh?"
Before Layla could respond further, Ranma jumped onto a tree and headed back to Alfea through the treetops, leaving her standing alone.
"Ranma…?"
Alfea, sometime later…
Ranma was sitting outside against the wall surrounding Alfea feeling depressed. He normally wouldn't have had that much trouble against Ryoga, but with the state of his mind and heart, he had gotten careless. If there's one truth in fighting, it's that it can be fatal to be distracted during a battle.
'If only I never had these feelings...' thought Ranma. 'Damn you, Valtor...'
"Ranma?"
Ranma looked up to see Xander. "Oh, Xander."
"Ranma, what are you doing out here?"
"I just needed to be alone."
"But why?"
"It's complicated."
"Huh?"
"Let's just say I really envy your amnesiac situation. I heard things I really wish I never heard. I just want to forget it ever happened, but I can't no matter how much I want to."
"Is it really that bad?"
"As I told you last time, you have no idea..." Ranma gets up and leaves.
Nodoka's office…
"I just don't understand, Nodoka-sensei." said Bloom. She, Stella, Flora, Musa, Tecna, and Layla were standing before Nodoka. "Ranma just hasn't been himself lately."
"He was never like this before." added Tecna. "Something must have happened in his last fight with Valtor."
"So far, that's the only things that makes sense." said Musa.
Nodoka had her head down in thought. "That truly is discerning. He hasn't opened up to me about anything either. Whatever happened must have been traumatizing for him."
"But how? Ranma's the bravest guy I've seen so far." said Stella.
"It might not be a trauma built on something horrifying to the eyes, Stella. Rather, if anything, it could be one to the heart and mind."
"Huh?"
"It could stem from how my son's life had been before coming here to Magix." said Nodoka before looking down with a sad expression. "I regret that as his mother I was never there for him when he needed me most. It's a scar I will always carry in my heart."
"I suppose that would make sense." said Flora as the others nodded. They recalled what they had seen in Ranma's mindscape that time when they went into his mind to purge the Neko Ken from him.
"If we could only talk to him, but he would always keep avoiding us like the plague." said Stella feeling sad.
Outside, Shampoo and Ukyou overheard the conversation.
'Airen… are you...'
'Could it be you...'
Next day…
Bloom and the others sat in class trying to listen to the lecture, but weren't able to focus due to the situation with Ranma. It also didn't help that they also noticed he was absent. When questioned about his whereabouts, they were told he called in sick. They all had the same thought that wasn't the case and planned to go find him once the day was over.
Once classes ended, the girls went over to their dorm for Ranma's room, but he was nowhere to be seen.
"He's not here. Where could he be?" wondered Tecna.
"Ranma, if you could only talk with us..." said Flora. "You shouldn't have to suffer alone."
"You looking for Airen?"
The girls turned around to see Shampoo and Ukyou at the door.
"Oh, Shampoo, Ukyou." said Bloom.
"Been a rough week, hasn't it?" asked Ukyou.
"That's putting it mildly..." said Layla.
"He's been distant will all of us." said Ukyou. "We've rarely seen Ranma Honey like this."
"You don't suppose you have any idea what's going on with him, do you?" asked Stella. "I mean, you've been with him most of his life."
"We have theory, but need confirm first." replied Shampoo.
"What might that be?" asked Tecna.
"Well, as Mom said, it would have to do with what he endured back home." replied Ukyou.
"Okay, now the big question is, where could he be at?" asked Musa.
Shampoo thought about it. "If anything, if not on one of Alfea towers, Airen could be at secret training area." said Shampoo.
"It's usually here he'd sometimes go to when he wanted privacy." added Ukyou.
"Then we should check it out." said Bloom. "Where is it at?"
"In a canyon on the outskirts of Alfea."
Canyon…
Some time later in the mid-evening, Ukyou and Shampoo lead the Winx through the forest and com across a clearing showing nothing but barren rock. A short distance away was a cliff overlooking another flat clearing with several rocky formations.
"Ranma's around here?" asked Stella as she looked around. She couldn't help but be reminded of the layout of Downland.
"Hopefully." said Ukyou. "Well come on."
The group of girls walked down a descending path to the bottom of the cliff. Reaching the ground, they walked past the numerous rock formations while looking about for the pigtailed teen.
"I don't see him around." said Stella.
Flora looked to the ground and was surprised to see a lone plant growing out of a crack. Intrigued, she walked over and touched it. Closing her eyes and focusing her powers, she listened to the voice of nature as she mentally communicated with the plant. Flora opened her eyes and looked to a certain path.
"Girls, I think we should go that way." said Flora as she pointed.
Everyone stopped and looked to the Nature Faerie.
"Got a lead, Flora?" asked Layla.
"Yes. That is what this plant told me."
"Well, it's as good as any. Lead the way, Flora." said Bloom.
Flora nodded and took point. They all continued down where it lead to an opening in the side of a cliff wide enough for them all to pass through. It was a long path as the surrounding cliff walls towered over them from both side, partially obscuring the sky. After a while, the girls finally come across the exit. They stopped at the opening which lead to another rocky clearing about as big as a baseball diamond. Numerous rocky formations littered the area.
"Not know about this..." said Shampoo as she and the other looked about taking in the scenery.
Looking about, Musa's eyes widened when she saw a figure sitting on top of one of the rock towers a good distance away. Though his back was turned, there was no mistaking the pigtail blowing in the breeze.
"Girls… over there..."
Everyone looked to where Musa was pointing and saw Ranma.
"It's Ranma!" said Stella in a hushed tone.
"We've finally found him!" said Bloom.
She and the others were about to walk forward, but were stopped by Ukyou and Shampoo, who held their arms before them.
"Hold on, Faerie sisters. That might not be good idea right now." said Shampoo.
"But why?" asked Tecna.
"Well, he's been avoiding us, so it's more than likely he might get spooked and run again if we all approached him." said Ukyou.
"So what do you suggest?" asked Layla.
"For now, we'll try talking with him." said Ukyou.
"And if he try leave, I know way to make him stay." said Shampoo.
The Winx were silent for a moment, but nodded in agreement.
"Okay, we'll leave it to you two, then." said Bloom.
The two female martial artists nodded and walked over to where Ranma was at. Reaching the base, they looked up to see Ranma still sitting with his back turned as if he didn't notice their approach. The boy in question sat there with his knees to his chin as his thoughts looked to be millions of miles away. His eyes looked as if there were no life in them.
"Hey Ran-chan!"
"Airen!"
Ranma didn't move as if he didn't hear them. After a few more tries with no success of any response, Ukyou finally chucks a cueball-sized rock at his head. It didn't seem to affect him, but it got him to turn around and see his two Nerima fiancees.
"You're wide open, you know!" said Ukyou.
"Ucchan… Shampoo… how'd you find me?" asked Ranma.
"Never mind that, Ranma. We need talk." said Shampoo.
"I'm really not in the mood. I just need to be alone." said Ranma as he jumped down and turned to leave.
However, Shampoo and Ukyou will have none of that. Before Ranma realized it, he was struck in the back of the head by a thrown bonbori, courtesy of Shampoo, which shocked the Winx after witnessing the act. He was knocked forward a bit but still kept on his feet while holding his head in pain.
"Was that even necessary?" asked Flora.
The two Nerima residents caught up to Ranma as Shampoo retrieved her bonbori.
"When Shampoo say we need talk, WE TALK." said Shampoo in a firm tone that brook no argument.
"Sorry about that, Ran-chan, but we have to address this." said Ukyou. "You've had enough alone time."
The two girls lead Ranma to a small rock and sat him down on it before sitting on either side of him.
"Now Airen, we all want know, what going on with you?" asked Shampoo.
"We're only doing this because we care, Ranma." added Ukyou. "We know something happened during that last fight with Valtor."
Ranma winced when he heard that as Valtor's last words to him still rang fresh in his mind. He sighed in defeat and slowly answered, "you could say that..."
"Okay, that start." said Shampoo before urging him to continue.
He looked to both girls before asking, "Shampoo. Ukyou. How do you two really feel about me?"
Ukyou and Shampoo were surprised at the direct question. "Are you serious, Ranma? You should know by now that I love you very much!"
"Of course Shampoo love love love Airen! It pointless to even ask!"
"But why, though? Why be interested in someone like me?" asked Ranma.
Again, the two girls were surprised.
"Airen should already be aware, but Shampoo say again. Ranma is strong fighter. Shampoo admit before Shampoo was into Ranma because of Amazon law, but Shampoo see more to Ranma than just strong fighter. He also strong in heart, too. Shampoo see Ranma can be kind and compassionate to others. Ranma value honor and beliefs, Ranma never give up, even fought worst fear to save Shampoo when didn't have to."
"I know we didn't have such a great start in our case due to your father, but you helped remind me of my womanhood after I cast it away. I didn't know what I would've done if not for that. You've been my friend for a long time and I've seen how caring and supportive you can be even to someone like me. You may not realize it, Ran-chan, but you've always been my rock. I've always loved you for who you are and still do."
Ranma could sense the sincerity of their words as he looked into their eyes. He had a slight smile on his lips when they declared they love him for him. However it fades when he recalled the other problem.
"I appreciate the words, girls. Really, I do, but..."
"But?"
Ranma gets up and walks a few steps forward before stopping. "But is it really me? Is it really the one called Ranma who is all that? Or is it really just someone else's thoughts I'm using?"
"Huh?"
The pigtailed boy looked down at his hands. "Before I came to Magix, I was merely living my life, ignorant of my origins. Then I was told my soul isn't my own, but rather a fusion of six. Thinking about it that way, I'm just a stand-in. Am I really in control of my own choices and actions? It was bad enough I had little control over my life back in Nerima."
He clenches his fists before lowering them to his sides. "When I came to Alfea, I met with girls I saw in my dreams. They all showed they loved me, but is it for me? Or for what I have?"
Shampoo and Ukyou's eyes widen when they see where he was getting at.
Ranma hung his head as his tone got more frantic with each word. "I feel like I'm nothing more than a convenience. Do the Winx really care about me? Or do they only care about the fact I have their boyfriends' souls? Was everything I felt for them just fake? Do they even see my face when they look at me? Is my soul even mine? Does my soul even matter? Does a guy named Ranma even exist!? Is that why I was treated as a hand-me-down back in my first engagement!? Because I truly am just damaged goods!? I just don't know what to think anymore!"
WHAP!
Next thing Ranma knew, he was spun around and knocked to the ground after receiving a hard slap to his face by Ukyou. He held his cheek in surprise as he looked up at his childhood friend who had tears in her eyes.
"Ranma... you... jackass!" Ukyou shouted in anger and sadness.
"U… Ukyou..."
"Was that the reason why you've been acting cold to Bloom and the others!? How stupid can you be!?"
Shampoo came up also with tears in her eyes. "Ranma dummy! How you be so insensitive to Faerie sisters!? You been holding that in whole time!?"
"Shampoo..."
The two girls dropped to their knees to face Ranma at his level.
"It was that Valtor guy, wasn't it? He instilled that idea into your head, didn't he!?"
"Ranma even bigger dummy to believe dark wizard! He know nothing about you! That probably why he fear you!"
"Huh?"
"You're a martial artist, aren't you? You of all people should know about the tactic of getting into an opponent's head to make them lose focus! The guy couldn't fight you directly as you have proven, so he resorted to that!"
"But that beside point! As far as Shampoo concerned, Ranma is Ranma! Not just body, but soul! You say soul is merged souls, so what? Just mean you is special! Soul like dish! It made from mixing other ingredient! Customer eat dim sum because too too good and like it all! You think person eat dim sum when only like garlic powder in it but hate everything else in it? That stupid! Do person eat cake while think of it as flour because it made into it? That stupid!"
"That's right! Bloom and the others see you as your own person, and they like everything about it! Have you already forgotten everything you all have been through up until now? The times you've spent with them individually? The trials and tribulations we've all gone through in different parts of the world and even through time? Are you going to say that was all faked? Are you going to say that all meant nothing?"
Ranma could only sit there stunned as their words sunk in. He recalled all the times he's spent with Bloom, Stella, Flora, Musa, Tecna, and Layla since coming to Magix, especially during their hiatus in Nerima. All the dates he had with them, all the battles he had with them at his side in Nerima, Jubaan, Candracar, Manhattan, RM City (now ZZ City), all the times he laughed, suffered, and triumphed with the Winx by him.
"I… I..."
Shampoo and Ukyou immediately hugged Ranma on the ground, tears still flowing.
"You jackass..." said Ukyou. "You're NOT damaged goods. Damaged goods wouldn't have come as far as you did… don't ever think of yourself like that again or I'll beat you senseless..."
"Shampoo do same." added Shampoo. "Faerie sisters love you, Ranma. They not be suffering or be so worried for you if that not true."
Ranma felt his own tears welling up after everything he was told.
'How… how could I have been so blind…? I've been an insensitive punk for no reason...'
He hugs Shampoo and Ukyou back as he hung his head. "You're right… you're both absolutely right… I've been a damn idiot… thank you both..."
"Ran-chan..."
"Airen..."
"Ranma..."
Ranma raised his head at the voice and turned to see the Winx standing behind him, all looked to be on the verge of tears. He, Shampoo, and Ukyou lowly stood up to face them. The souls of the Specialists briefly appeared above Ranma before vanishing back into him.
"Bloom… Stella… Flora… Musa… Tecna… Layla..." Ranma started. "You… you heard everything…?"
"We did..." replied Tecna. "We had no idea you felt that way."
"Ranma, was that what you were afraid of?" asked Layla. "Why you've been so distant lately?"
"I admit it may have started off that way, but after spending that first week with you, we realized you are you're own person." said Bloom. "You may be the combined reincarnation of the guys, but everything you are now you've built upon by yourself. It wouldn't have been right to treat you as someone else. That would have been unfair to you."
"I- no, we never meant to hurt you." said Flora. "We're sorry if we ever made you feel like you didn't matter."
"No girls. You don't need to apologize." said Ranma. "If anything, I should be the one doing that. I've been an insensitive jerk to all of you and believed you all to be fickle frauds. How could I have thought that about you after everything we've been through together?"
Stella placed a hand on Ranma's shoulder. "It's all right, Ranma. We've all been guilty about something, but the important thing is that we've dealt with the issue and gotten past it. What we can get past makes us stronger."
"Then are we good?"
Musa smiles. "We've always been good!"
"I'm just glad we can talk again." said Flora.
"How touching..."
Everyone's eyes widened when they heard the voice. When they looked up…
"MOVE!" shouted Ranma as he and the girls quickly dove out of the way before the place they were just standing on gets smashed by a giant chunk of ice.
"It's enough to make me puke!" Icy hovers in the air as Darcy and Stormy float down on either side of her.
"The Trix!" said Layla.
"Just hearing all that touchy-feely crap is sickening! We'll silence you for good to spare ourselves any more of your drivel!"
"Like I care what a bunch of paste-faced witch bitches think!" retorted Ranma.
The three witches get angry at the insult. "YOU DAMNED FREAK!"
They fired off shots of ice, darkness, and lightning at the group, causing them to scatter.
"Girls! Transform!" shouted Bloom.
"WINX ENCHANTIX!"
The students of Alfea quickly transform into their Enchantix modes to engage the Trix. Shampoo and Ukyou brought out their weapons, but then get knocked back by an explosion.
"HOTCHA! Don't forget about me!"
Ranma turned to see Happosai holding up one of his Happodaikarin bombs. "Dammit! The old freak is here, too?"
"And me as well."
Ranma turned and got blasted back by a magic missile attack from Valtor.
"Valtor! You bastard!" shouted Ranma.
"Oh? You don't sound happy to see me. I'm hurt." said Valtor mockingly.
"Who the hell would be!?"
Valtor smirks and raises his hands, summoning forth some stone golems made from the surrounding area.
"Oh man, Valtor's here! And he brought backup!" said Stella. She quickly dodges a dark blast from Darcy.
"Eyes forward, you blonde bimbo!" said Darcy as she fired another wave.
The stone golems attacked the girls while being forced to deal with the Trix and Happosai. While everyone else was busy, Ranma was left dealing with Valtor again.
"This time, I swear I'm gonna beat your face in!" said Ranma as he charged.
Valtor stood with an infuriating smirk as if daring him to come at him. Suddenly, six golems rose and blocked Ranma's path.
"GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY!"
Ranma threw out vicious punches and kicks, each one shattering a golem to pebbles. Once he destroyed the sixth one, Ranma rushes through the shower of pebbles to get the drop on Valtor. Unfortunately for him, Valtor had that idea first. Once getting a visual of the dark wizard, Ranma's eyes widened when he realized Valtor charging up a magical blast and shot him point blank, sneding him flying back. Without missing a beat, Valtor pulled a gray-colored jewel the size of a baseball out of his coat.
"SOUL STEAL!"
Just as Ranma got to his feet, a beam of light shot from the gray jewel at him. "GYAH! What's going on!?"
"Like it? It's a Soul Jewel, something I acquired while I was recovering months ago. I was waiting for a special time to use it!" said Valtor.
Ranma felt as if he were being subjected to Hinako's Happo Goyen Satsu technique, but instead of his ki, he felt something else getting sapped away.
"Ranma!" shouted Bloom. She and the others tried to get over to where he was, but got held back by the Trix, Happosai, and the rest of the stone golems. The three witches erect an energy cage trapping the Winx and the two female martial artists, keeping them from interfering.
"Now now, let's all just enjoy the show!" said Icy.
"What… are you… doing…!?" said Ranma.
"So you've managed to overcome your insecurities, but no matter. It did the job and left you vulnerable to this! You've accumulated enough negative energy from your inner turmoil to allow easy extraction of your soul! Now I will truly break your spirit, boy!"
The Winx, Shampoo, and Ukyou look in horror as Ranma was getting drained. First, Amethyst Nabu gets brought out and absorbed into the jewel. Ranma lost all feeling in his left leg as a result, causing him to fall. Onyx Riven was next, and Ranma's right leg stopped responding. Gold Helia gets extracted after, and Ranma felt his torso weighed down as if it were made of solid lead. He fell on his back and tried to use his arms to push himself back up but failing.
"St… stooo….ooop…"
Ranma was unable to keep a coherent speech as Silver Timmy gets drawn out and absorbed. Suddenly, his head just stopped moving and his eyes had gone blank. His arms flailed wildly trying to get the rest of his body to move, but it was futile. Diamond Brandon was next to get extracted from Ranma, causing his left arm to fall limp. Finally, Platinum Sky gets pulled out of Ranma and absorbed into the jewel, and his right arm stiffened before falling limp.
"RANMA!" the girls screamed in horror after witnessing the scene.
Valtor held the now glowing Soul Jewel and levitated up a few feet. The Trix flashed sinister smiles at the scene while gleefully enjoying the Winx and their friends' reactions, and Happosai was too busy ogling their captives.
"He did it! Valtor took that freak down!" said Stormy.
"You are broken, boy." said Valtor as he looked at Ranma's still body. "A body can't survive without a soul. Likewise, a soul can't survive outside a body. You've lost!"
"YOU MONSTER!" shouted Bloom in anger.
"Poor little fairies! Your precious boy toy is gone and there's nothing you can do about it! Hahahaha!" taunted Icy. Darcy and Stormy joined in on her cruel laughter.
"Now no one is left to help you." said Valtor.
Before Valtor could gloat any further, a stone golem suddenly exploded, catching everyone by surprise.
"What the…?" Darcy started before the rest of the stone golems just exploded one by one in rapid succession until they were all gone.
"Who's out there!?" shouted Stormy.
A small blur darted in and knocked each of the Trix out, causing them to crash to the ground as well as causing their energy cage to cancel out, freeing the Winx, Shampoo, and Ukyou.
Happosai's eyes widened. 'Oh no! This almost feels like-'
Before he could finish that thought, the ground below him suddenly erupted upward, sending him flying off into the distance.
"What!? How is this-!?" Valtor felt his hand get struck, causing him to drop the Soul Jewel, which gets swiped out of the air by the same blur. Finally, the blur stopped and landed behind Ranma's still body. "Who the hell are you!?"
The eight young ladies of Alfea were surprised when they recognized the figure before them.
"Great Grandmother?" said Shampoo.
Standing there was the diminutive matriarch of the Chinese Amazons, Cologne. She held her gnarled wooden staff and the Soul Jewel in the other. "I won't let you hurt my future son-in-law! Bakusai Tenketsu!"
Cologne jabs her finger on the Soul Jewel, causing it to explode into shards.
"NO!" shouted Valtor.
Once the jewel was shattered, the souls of the Specialists were freed and shot out at Valtor, striking him repeatedly with each pass as if inciting retribution. The dark wizard was knocked out of the air and temporarily stunned. The souls then converged over Ranma's body as if drawn to it. They all merged themselves into Ranma, and after a few moments, the pigtailed martial artist started to stir.
"Son-in-Law, you all right?"
"Never thought I'd be happy to see you, Old Lady." said Ranma.
"Ranma!" The Faeries and martial artists ran over to Ranma and Cologne.
"Thank you, Great Grandmother!" said Shampoo.
"But where did you come from?" asked Tecna.
"I was out meditating in the forest when I felt Son-in-Law's ki as well as that of Happi's." replied Cologne. "I knew things wouldn't go well when I noticed Happi's approaching Son-in-Law's, so I rushed her as fast as I could. Fortunately I arrived just in time. Should have known he had his allies with him."
"We thought we lost you..." said Flora.
"I thought I was done for, too." said Ranma. "I felt myself being literally torn apart..."
"You vermin!"
Everyone was taken by surprise when a strong gust of wind was fired right at them. The group all got blown back, but Ranma managed to hold his ground and grabbed Bloom's hand, who was the only one within immediate reach, keeping her from getting blown back. The rest crashed several feet behind them. Ranma was sprawled on his back and Bloom propped herself up with her arms.
"You've been a serious thorn in my side!" shouted an angry Valtor. He charges up dark energies in his hands and fired a huge ball of darkness at Ranma's downed form.
"NO!"
"RANMA! BLOOM!"
Ending
As if her body was running on auto, Bloom quickly got in front of Ranma and brought up a fire shield to block Valtor's attack. The shield managed to weaken the attack but wasn't strong enough to stop it completely and eventually broke through, hitting Bloom. Ranma looked up in horror as Bloom screamed in pain after trying to protect him.
"BLOOM!" Ranma quickly caught the red-haired Faerie and cradled her body.
"NO! BLOOM!" screamed a downed Stella. She and her friends were horrified at what happened.
Bloom wincd in pain as she looked up at Ranma's face. "Ranma… I'm glad I was able to protect you..."
"Bloom…. Why…? Why didn't you save yourself…?" asked Ranma. "I could've taken it!"
"Isn't it obvious, Ranma?" said Bloom. "Anyone would do anything to protect those they love..."
Ranma's eyes widened at hearing that.
"How sweet..." Ranma turned an angry glare at an approaching Valtor. "You can join each other in Hell!"
Valtor fired another dark energy blast at Ranma and Bloom, having no way to dodge in time. With a scream of rage, Ranma summoned forth Platinum Sky who punched the blast right back at Valtor, taking him by surprise and knocking him back. He slowly sits up in shock. "What!?"
"I won't let you hurt my friends!" shouted Ranma as Platinum Sky merged back into him. Suddenly, his right hand emitted a red light, much to his confusion. He felt a new kind of power within himself. At the same time, a similar red light was shining from Bloom's chest. "What is this…?"
"What happening?" asked Shampoo as she and the others watched the spectacle.
"I don't know..." said Layla.
"Ranma… I feel strange..." said Bloom as she felt like something was bursting from her chest.
Ranma looked at Bloom and at his glowing hand then at the light shining from Bloom's chest. The closer the lights were together, the lights became stronger. It looked as if the two lights are calling to each other. Considering where the lights were originating from, the cursed pseudo-Faerie blushed hard.
"Er… Bloom… I apologize in advance for this." said Ranma.
"Huh?"
Before she could react, Bloom gasped in surprise when Ranma placed his hand on her left breast. She blushed hard as his touch and couldn't help but let out a moan of pleasure, making Ranma very flustered. The two were enveloped in a red light, obscuring them from view.
Everyone was taken by surprise at the development.
"Now what's going on?" asked Musa.
When the light died down, Ranma was seen standing alone and Bloom nowhere in sight.
"Bloom? Where's Bloom?" asked Stella.
Ranma also noticed Bloom was gone. "Bloom? Where are-" He stopped when he noticed something else. Bringing up his right arm, he saw his hand was now wearing a red full-metal gauntlet taking up his entire forearm. The fingertips had sharpened points resembling dragon claws and sharpened blades at the knuckles. The edges around the plating were shaped like flames and a marking of a dragon's head adorned the back of the handguard. "What? Where did this come from?"
'Ranma! It's me!'
Ranma's eyes widened. "Bloom?"
'I'm not sure how, but I've become a gauntlet!' said Bloom's voice coming from the gauntlet. (1)
"You insect!"
Ranma sees Valtor getting back up. He clenches his gauntlet hand into a fist. "Let's fight together, Bloom!"
'I'm ready!'
Ranma holds his gauntlet hand forward, which gets wreathed in flames.
End ending
To be continued...
Preview…
Stella: Oh wow! A new power up?
Layla: Bloom turned into an armored gauntlet of flame!
Flora: Thought the method to activate it seems quite daring…
Musa: Hey, whatever works!
Tecna: So does that mean we can do the same thing?
Bloom: Next time, on Ranma Club, 'Burning Up! Bloom's Flaming Fist!'.
Ranma: So would this count as a Dragon Punch?
Author's notes:
It took me forever to figure out how to write this chapter, but I've finally done it! Things have taken an unexpected turn now, huh? Thank you all for your patience!
I admit, the whole drama scene was inspired by Full Metal Alchemist. Barry the Chopper instilled in Al the idea that he was artificially made with specific memories like a robot, maybe not even existing at all. Al winds up believing it and gets angry at Ed for supposedly making him up and that his own existence was a lie. Then Winry beats his head in for his uncalled for accusations, making him realize he had been an insensitive ass to his brother since no one would be stupid enough to risk their life for someone who never existed.
(1) Got this idea from 12 Beast.