Miss Ranma

Chapter Twenty-Five

!SPECIAL EFFECTS! "THOUGHTS"

XXX

"What the..." Kenji gasped upon seeing his fiancée naked and happy in the arms of the former lost boy with him practically feeling her up.

"That's right, Kenji. Ranma belongs to me now," Ryoga stated with confidence, looking down on the smaller man.

Kenji was aghast as he regarded his fiancée clinging to the broad-shouldered powerhouse like a cheap suit. Then Ryoga's mouth crinkled into a smile at Kenji in triumph. Thus Ryoga knew he had finally won, finally defeating Kenji which he hadn't been able to do in the past. Despite everything he was seeing, Kenji still didn't want to believe it. There had to be some logical explanation for all of this.

"Is that true, Ranma?"

"That's right, Kenji. Me and Ryoga are together. It was nice being your fiancée, but I'm going with Ryoga now," the naked girl explained as she snuggled up against the new object of her desire, prompting the boy to put his hand on the small of her back and work its way down.

"Well, if that's how you feel…" Kenji said until he noticed something amiss.

A small, three-inch sized, pink koi fish image was on Ranma's stomach which seemed to move around as the girl breathed. Was that it?

Thus Kenji decided to further memorize Ranma's ki signature so that he'd have no problem finding her at a later time when he would be able to figure out what was going on.

"I don't believe it, Ryoga!" another voice behind Kenji rang out.

"Believe it, Gosunkugi! Ranma's with me now," Ryoga answered back.

"You used the Magic Koi Rod of Love to make Ranma your love slave!" Gos answered back.

"Whaaat?!" Mousse shouted, making his way inside.

"What in tarnation did you done do, Ryoga? Yukio called out upon entering through the hole made earlier by Kuno.

"I'm done explaining everything to you guys. And it's time for Ranma and me to depart anyway. Let's go, Ranma."

"All right, sweetie!"

Upon taking the girl in his arms, Ryoga power leaped upwards, smashing through the hard stone roof. Then he bounded across the horizon out of sight of the others.

"What exactly is that koi rod?" Kenji asked, turning towards Gosunkugi.

"It's a fishing koi rod that causes the struck person to fall hopelessly in love with the person who uses it by placing the koi on said person."

"Is there some way to reverse the process?" Kenji asked.

"The only way to reverse the spell is to remove the koi image from above Ranma's belly button."

"How do we do that?" Kenji asked.

"I don't know exactly. Anyway, it's pointless standing around here talking about it, so I'm out of here." With that, Gos vanished into thin air.

"It's best that coward got out of here! Therefore it will be I, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High who shall break my beauteous goddess free of that sorcerer's hold."

The boys turned around and noticed a battered Kuno rise to his feet, limping, and pointing his ki blade at them.

"And you knaves, best stay out of my way. For none shall bar me from my pigtailed goddess!" With that Kuno stormed out.

"And what of you, Mousse?" Kenji said with a sideward glance.

"I'm going back to Great-Grandmother. Surely she'll know what to do."

"Just like a sissy you go running home to your mama," Yukio said with a sneer.

"That's my great-grandmother!"

"Whatever?!"

The two martial artists turned towards each other, staring for a moment. Then they each went their separate ways.

XXX

"So where are we going, sweetie?" Ranma asked as her new beau took her aloft towards the mountainous area of Japan, gliding through the sky as soon as his leap had exhausted itself.

"I have a place in the woods where we can live for the time being."

"Is there anything for me to wear there, or do you love seeing me naked?" Ranma asked with a wink and a smile, causing Ryoga to blush as he looked upon her.

"Um, well. I have something for you to wear. It sometimes gets cold at night where we'll be living," Ryoga replied as he looked upon the oncoming horizon.

"You'll keep me warm, won't you?"

"Oh, yes," Ryoga said as he smiled happily into space. "My dreams are coming true. I just can't believe it!"

Then Ryoga sped up, his hand caressing the small of the girl's back, working its way downward, causing the skittish girl to giggle.

XXX

"What happened?! Where's Ranma?! Huff!" Akane called out as she touched down with so much wind around her that her long hair was all over her face and shoulders. Thus Akane landed in front of Kenji correctly with a good sense of self-esteem after having learned from her brother how to use her ki hammer to fly as he did.

However, Akane was surprised to see Kenji walking around in a morose manner until the reason for his sadness occurred to her.

"What did Ranma do, Kenji?"

"She's with Ryoga. I can…"

"With Ryoga?! How dare she?! I knew you hooking up with that slut would bring nothing but disaster!" Akane stammered.

"It's not like that, Akane. Ryoga used some kind of mind control to make her his love slave. As soon as I track them down, I'll figure out a way to break Ranma from his spell."

"Don't waste your time doing something like that, Kenji! Ranma's nothing but trouble. Simply let her go," Akane stated, wagging her finger in her brother's face.

"I can't do that, Akane. And it isn't really Ranma's fault she's in the predicament she's in."

Akane stepped up her pace as Kenji kept walking, staring into space and breathing hard as he thought about how much he had cared about his fiancée who moved with the grace of a swan and the speed of a cheetah. Sure there were times when things were hard, but in the end, Ranma was always good to him.

After walking for several yards, Kenji made his ki hammer appear and swung it hundreds of times in a matter of seconds. Then he let it go into the air with him still attached to it.

"Wait for me!" Akane called out as she followed after him in the same fashion.

XXX

In the secret modified cavern under his family home, Gosunkugi sat in a throne-like chair made of a silvery substance in the center of his base, contemplating the recent turn of events as bats went flying over his head in the darkness.

"There's one way to get that koi off of Ranma's stomach. It will involve zapping that koi image into oblivion without harming Ranma in the slightest. However, after that's done, how do I turn the whole situation to my advantage?"

"Hmm. I know what I'll do."

"Hikaru, it's time for dinner!" his mother screamed, opening the door to the cavern looking basement.

"Coming, Mother!"

Then Hikaru scrambled out of his chair and ran up the stairs to his family's dining room.

XXX

"So that's what happened to Ranma, Doctor Tofu," Kenji explained as he and Akane sat in the office of the doctor's clinic the next day.

"Hmmm. I've heard of the Koi Rod of Love, but I never thought it actually existed," the doctor explained.

"How can I get that thing off of Ranma, Doctor?"

"The best way to remove the koi image from Ranma is to use the Koi Rod of Love to remove it from her. If that's not possible, I have a small suction cup that will remove the koi from Ranma. You can place it at the end of your ki hammer. Once you've got the koi image on it, simply call your hammer back to yourself with the koi on it," Doctor Tofu explained.

"Thanks, Doc. I appreciate all your help."

"There's more, Kenji. If that koi isn't removed in a few more hours, the effects will become permanent."

"Oh! Then I need to find Ranma and fast!"

Upon getting the information he needed, Kenji left the clinic with the suction cup in hand and Akane right behind him.

"She isn't worth it, Kenji. How many times do I need to tell you that?"

"Not now, Akane."

With his sister watching him, Kenji attached the suction cup to his ki hammer.

"So that's how you're going to do it. That might not even work," Akane commented.

"It might not work, but I'm going to try anyway. Nobody's forcing you to come along, Akane."

Then Kenji placed the newly made ki hammer in a notch on his belt. Upon creating another ki hammer out of thin air, Kenji took to the skies.

"Wait for me!" Akane called out as she swung her ki hammer in the same manner, taking off after him.

XXX

"Is this where we'll going to live, sweetie?" Ranma asked as Ryoga touched down, placing Ranma on the ground next to him.

"We will for the time being." "This will also keep us from being bothered by all of my rivals until Ranma becomes mine permanently," Ryoga thought as he looked down several stories and miles at the city below.

"Wow, this mountain is high. Can we live here?"

"Yes, Ranma. I've already built a nice home in that cave, placing several provisions inside. There's even running water and facilities here," Ryoga explained, pointing at a cave that had a large boulder attached to the mouth of it.

"Ooh! How ingenious of you!"

"Why thanks."

Ryoga smiled and blushed as Ranma clung her body to his, putting her face in his bare chest and allowing him to caress her back, working his way down as she responded in kind. Never had Ryoga thought he'd find such happiness that made up for all the pain and suffering he had endured his entire life.

Then Ranma let go of his embrace and turned around, making her way towards the cave, Ryoga watching her go.

"Is there something in here for me to wear?! I don't want to walk around naked all day. I do have some modesty, you know!" Ranma called out, looking over her milky white shoulders at him.

"OK, Ranma. It's fairly easy to move this boulder. Let me show you."

As Ranma watched, the powerfully built boy moved the boulder as if it was a sliding door.

"See that?"

"I see."

Then Ranma took hold of the boulder sliding it back and forth, noting the fine workmanship Ryoga had done. Upon sliding the boulder open, she walked inside.

In the inner workings of the cave were glass containers in which glowing insects resided placed strategically in the area while attached to bamboo poles stuck into the ground. Thus supplies of food, umbrellas, and other amenities were in perfect view.

"Where are the clothes, Ryoga?!"

"Huh? Oh, yeah! Go to your right and…"

"I found some! They were on the left side of the cave, Ryoga!" Ranma said as she turned towards Ryoga with a knowing look.

In a few moments, Ranma walked out of the cave in one of Ryoga's usual shirts being a little too long for her.

"Golly!" Ryoga gasped.

One of Ryoga's yellow tunics fit Ranma fairly well going so far as to cover the top of her hips. However, it looked as if her bosom would come tearing out of it if she took a deep breath, making the tunic seem form-fitting at her chest. The black sash-belt helped keep the tunic in place as she made her way out of the cave, her well-formed thighs and hips being visible.

"Wow, Ranma! You look great!"

"You think so?"

The girl pranced and practically posed for the object of her desire as she walked back and forth, prompting a casual wind to tug her long hair backward. At the same time, an updraft of wind raised the frontal area of the tunic that went below her waistline, eliciting some giggling and prompting her to crouch down and keep the front/lower part of the tunic from blowing up.

"Oh!"

Then just for practice sakes, Ranma executed some kicks, exposing more of her hips and thighs as Ryoga gasped at the sight.

"See something you like, sweetie?" Ranma asked, giving the gulping Ryoga a sideward glance. Upon finishing her impromptu workout, she sauntered over to him.

"Um, yes."

"Oh, really? Anyway, I've been wondering about something," the girl said as she regarded the naked upper body of her new beau.

"Hmm? What is that?"

"Are you ticklish too?"

"Huh? What? Hahahahaha! Stop!" Ryoga laughed as the girl fell on him, her fingers circling his naked chest, abs, and caressing his ribs.

"You're so muscular and gorgeous, Ryoga. I have no idea why I never noticed this before," Ranma said as she tickled him, making Ryoga's rippling body fall to the ground with Ranma on top of him, smiling as her skilled hands did their work.

"Hahahahaha! All right, Ranma! If that's how you want to play it."

Despite being in a prostrate position, Ryoga took hold of each of Ranma's wrists and executed a spinning reversal that ended with Ranma on flat on her back and him looming over her. Then he held her arms down with one hand, allowing his free hand to caress her legs, working its way up.

"Hehehehehehehehehehe! Not that area! No fair!" Ranma giggled, trying to escape her lover's ironclad grip, her bosom further straining against the tunic she wore.

"Will you be a good little girl and behave yourself, Ranma?" Ryoga asked with his eyebrows raised and a smile on his face.

"OK! Mercy!" Ranma gasped as her body flushed from having been tickled pink, prompting Ryoga to look upon her heaving bosom as Ranma caught her breath. Then the smiling girl put her arms around his neck and leaned her head forward until their lips were about to meet.

All of a sudden, a powerful foot from several yards away struck the ground creating a shockwave under the couple that knocked Ryoga's into the air and off of Ranma. However, before the shockwave could hit her Ranma's danger sense warned her of the upcoming attack, prompting her to shoot out of the way an inch up from the ground. In less than a second, Ranma's feet shot up in the air in a somersault allowing her hands to touch the ground. Then she finished the acrobatic maneuver, allowing her to deftly land on her feet.

"Who are you?!" Ryoga demanded as he made his way towards the one who had ruined his moment with the woman of his dreams.

"In this life, you never want to link a name to a person. It's much too dangerous," the young man answered.

The stranger wore only baggy, green military pants with a belt attached to it along with a green bandana over his forehead. He had long, red wavy hair, thick eyebrows, and red eyes. Thus his six feet three inches tall, 250 pounds, powerfully muscular physique showed impressive pectorals, shoulders, arms, and abdominals with an inhuman definition. Despite his handsome appearance, he had an evil, eerie presence about him that made him seem like a supernatural creature, like an ogre.

"Whatever! Now get out of here while you still can!" Ryoga demanded.

The stranger motioned to Ranma, liking what he saw. "I've been searching for a strong woman to bear me a powerful son for a while now. So I'll be taking the girl for myself. Get out of my way and maybe I'll settle for only breaking your legs."

"Whaaat?!"

"Ryoga, this guy is dangerous! I can sense it!" Ranma called out.

"Stay out of this, Ranma! I can handle him!" Ryoga ordered, sharply waving her back.

"You think you're strong enough to fight me?"

The deadly warrior rocked his head back and laughed. Then he gave Ryoga a deadly glare that would have frightened most any other person but not Ryoga.

"I guess we are going to fight. Maybe that's for the best. I was getting bored with the fighters I've recently killed. Surely, you'll be more interesting than the others." With that, the stranger charged the bare-chested powerhouse, zooming into him and striking him in the stomach before Ryoga even knew what was happening.

"Oof!"

"And I thought you were tough," the stranger stated with his arms folded on his chest, looking down on him.

"I am!" Ryoga stated, getting to his feet.

"Is that so?"

"Yes!"

Then the two fighters ran into each other punching, kicking, blocking, and counter-attacking, looking as if hundreds of fists and feet were all over the place. The exchange of blows made it look as if they were testing the very existence of their powerful bodies. Thus they were going at it toe to toe until the stranger kicked upwards seemingly missing his opponent until the same foot kicked came crashing down on Ryoga's head, smashing him downward. And before Ryoga could quickly recover, the stranger struck with an inhumanly fast roundhouse kick that knocked the avian several feet back and on to the ground.

"Huff!"

"You're no match for me."

"I'll show you!" Ryoga retorted.

"Show me then."

In less than a moment, Ryoga was on his feet, power leaping into the newcomer feet first, knocking him off the cliff as he smashed into him, and supposedly letting him fall to the ground.

"And that's that!" Ryoga said with a sense of finality.

"Fool!"

The stranger had survived the fall, landing deftly on his feet. Then he had climbed back up the mountain at superhuman speed, surprising Ryoga when he popped right in front of him, punching him hundreds of times within a matter of seconds.

"He puts the tenshin amaguriken to shame," Ranma thought as the fight raged on.

As Ryoga was forced back, he let himself be knocked back further. And when the stranger moved in for the kill, Ryoga leaped into the air and used his agile feet to smack his opponent's ears in causing him to howl in pain.

"You'll pay for that!" the stranger sneered.

"Is that so?"

Before the stranger could do anything else, Ryoga struck him with a fierce uppercut that sent him flying into the air. At that point, Ryoga leaped into him fists first, knocking his opponent further into the sky. Then Ryoga glided upwards, repeating the process until he had gone to the well one too many times as the stranger maneuvered himself in the air behind his opponent, allowing him to grasp Ryoga's waist with his legs. Then he struck Ryoga on the head repeatedly with an ax handle attack.

"Aaargh!" Ryoga screamed as he halted in midair and began to slowly fall to earth. However, before that happened the stranger swung Ryoga around dozens of times and sent him crashing to the ground while the stranger leaped on to some rocky crags until he landed safely a few feet from him.

"Ryoga!" Ranma called out.

"I'm fine, Ranma! This guy ain't gonna beat me!" the boy said, shaking his head to get back his presence of mind.

"This guy is stronger than Oliva. He's the toughest opponent I've ever faced. But he too will fall before my might. I must have that woman!"

"How greatly I've missed the thrill of fighting a worthy opponent," the stranger said as he walked towards the half-conscious Ryoga.

"It's like he's taking a stroll in the park. What does this guy have planned?" Ranma thought with concern.

As the stranger bridged the gap, Ryoga attempted with a snap kick that missed followed by another even faster kick until his opponent took hold of him and threw him over his shoulder and onto the ground a few feet away.

"Ungh!" Ryoga moaned as his face made love to the dirt.

"This guy couldn't have mastered the undonde, could he? That's such an archaic and secret style that only the eldest son of the ancient Ryukyu Royal Family was allowed to learn it. From what I've heard of it, it's a system for fighting multiple people that has no stance. It also has a counter-attack for any maneuver without any side movements. It doesn't even give an opponent a chance of hitting you. The only known option when facing it is to attack knowing full well that any attack will be countered and that you'll likely be beaten. Who'd have thought I'd get to see such a technique?" Ranma speculated as the fight raged on.

Then Ryoga popped up, on his feet in a flash!

"As interesting as this fight has been, it has gone on long enough." At that point, the stranger put his arms up at shoulder length looking as if he was going to grasp hold of Ryoga as he slowly made his way towards him with a cruel, toothy smile.

At superhuman speed, Ryoga zoomed into his opponent, striking with rights and lefts that the stranger easily avoided. Then Ryoga attempted to strike his opponent's ribs with a knife-hand attack, but before his attack could connect, he felt a fist on either side of his head, smashing his skull inward.

"Aaarrghh!" In a fit of emotional energy, Ryoga broke himself free, attempting low kicks that still only found air.

However, the stranger wasn't done yet. With more speed and quickness than Ryoga had ever seen, his opponent struck him in the same spot in his solar plexus with hundreds of punches within seconds until Ryoga just stood there staring into space.

"And now for the coup de grâce. You're simply a monstrosity that needs to be destroyed," the victor said upon taking hold of Ryoga's neck and…

"Nooo!" Ranma screamed, leaping into him, knocking him away from Ryoga with a powerful roundhouse kick. Then she went to Ryoga, taking hold of him.

"So the kitten has claws. That's all right. So do I," the stranger said upon landing on his feet, slicing the air with his bare hands.

"You almost killed him, you monster!" Ranma yelled out with tears in her eyes as she tried to shake Ryoga awake.

"I'll make you forget about him in time, little girl. But first, I like to take a better look at you."

"What?! What are you talking about?!"

"You've exhibited strong, powerful legs. So I want to see the rest of you before I take you," the stranger said with a wicked leer.

"I'll never let you touch me, you creep! I'll kill you first!"

The stranger stood there for a moment, regarding Ranma shrewdly.

"There's something unnatural about her love for this man. She has more speed and reflexes than her lover. Thus defeating her will be more difficult and time-consuming unless… Yes, that's it. I'll use her love for this guy against her."

"I said I would kill this guy and I meant it, so get out of the way!"

"No!" Ranma responded as she stood up with her arms spread out to her sides, barring the stranger's way.

"Why you!"

The stranger charged, moving at an inhuman speed straight for Ranma until he was less than a foot in front of her. Then he shot up in the air executing a cartwheel up and over her towards the object of her desire. Therefore it looked as if he was going to attack Ryoga. And while Ranma rushed to protect the boy, she let her guard down. Thus the stranger nailed her easily, using his claw hand technique faster than the eye could follow, slicing off the clothes Ranma was wearing.

"What the… Oh!" Ranma gasped, doing her best to cover herself up. Then she felt unusually dizzy and faint.

"Impressive. You are truly worthy of me."

"Ungh!" Ranma felt as if she had been struck in her stomach, but nothing was wrong until she realized the koi was gone!

"Who would have thought the legend of the Koi Fish Rod of Love was actually real? And since I violently took it off of you, you're in your right mind but weak as a kitten until you recover. But before that happens, I'll have done what I wanted to do to you."

"Ryoga, you bastard!" Ranma screamed in a rage while on her knees, trying to power herself up, but to little avail.

"So you realize how worthless that pile of muscles is now a little too late. At any rate, you're mine now," the stranger said upon walking towards her.

"N-no," Ranma gasped, struggling to get to her feet. Then she looked up and realized the stranger was looming over her.

"Now where were we?"

"Don't do it!" another voice cried out from the distance as a ki hammer went flying into the stranger sending him away from Ranma.

"Kenji!" Ranma cried out.

Kenji had touched down with Akane a few feet to the side of him. His sister had her hands on her hips, looking upon the stranger who got up and shrewdly regarded the newcomers. Upon realizing who the stranger was a look of shock and surprise appeared on Kenji's face.

"It can't be you!"

"It is me!" the brutal warrior commented.

"So who is he anyway?" Akane asked until the stranger glared at her, making her cringe and cower behind her big brother.

XXX

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Who is this powerful martial artist that makes even Kenji nervous? For that answer, you'll have to wait until the next chapter. We'll see you there!