Last time we focused on Icy, Darcy and Stormy as they and Malaketh searched for the fifth Stone of Power. While searching in the woods outside of Tokyo, they encountered a fighter by the humiliating name of Pantyhose Toro. Malaketh and Darcy convinced the fighter to join them, on the promise they'd convince his godfather (the infamous Happosai) to change his name. Darcy gave the fighter a name more fitting an evil martial artist: Toro the Destroyer. On with the show!

Chapter 16: No Need for Connections

Back at the Tendo residence Bloom, Elise and Musa were passing the time watching Sky, Brandon and Riven taking turns being knocked flat by Ranma in hand to hand combat practice. "Amazing!" exclaimed Elise; "Your boyfriends just attacked Ranma from three serpent directions, yet he still defeated them effortlessly."

"How are you doing this?" asked Sky as he got knocked down for the seventh time in a row, "How can you be this skilled in martial arts?" "Talent," said Ranma as he helped Sky back up, "Plus a lot of hard work." "You can be sure of that," said Riven as she got up again, "He's not even sweating."

"I must have a sample of Ranma's DNA," said Elise to Bloom, she pulled out from her bag a syringe with a long, sharp needle, "For the good of science, I must know how this Earth-man ticks!"

Meanwhile Stella and Shampoo were sitting by the pond comparing interests. "Boys are important, yes," said Shampoo, "But Shampoo likes cooking, fighting and hair care, how else does Stella think Shampoo keep hair so nice and shiny?" "Oh a girl has to keep her hair in perfect condition," said Stella, "But figuring out what outfits goes with ones hair is also important."

"Uh-uh!" exclaimed Ranma as Elise approached him with the needle, "There's no way you're sticking that thing in me!" "It's all for good cause," said Elise with a nasty grin on her lips, "You'll live on in the annals of science forever. Now hold still, this will only hurt once, but damn is it going to hurt."

As luck would have it, Elise bumped into Akane; they both lost their footing and fell into the pond. The resulting splash drenched both Stella and Shampoo. "Just great!" said an irate Stella, "I'm all wet. And my hair is going to get all frizzy. We'd better find a hair dryer, Shampoo." But Shampoo wasn't there. Instead there was a small cat with light lavender fur.

"Oh my stars and garters!" exclaimed Stella. "Don't tell me," said Bloom, "Shampoo is also cursed?" "Yep," said Akane as she helped Elise out of the pond. Ranma meanwhile had hurried to the other side of the backyard, a look of absolute terror on his face.

"What's his problem?" asked Musa. "Oh he's just afraid of cats," said Akane, "He's scared to death of them." "Really?" asked Riven, "You're scared of cats?" "You don't have to rub it in," said Ranma who was sweating rivers by now. Just then Kasumi arrived with a kettle full of hot water, which she poured some on Shampoo the cat, which turned back into Shampoo the Amazon.

"Much better," said Shampoo as she wrung her hair out to get some of the water out of it, "Many thanks, Kasumi." "Incredible!" exclaimed Elise, "Ranma's curse causes him to switch genders, yet Shampoo's curse causes her to switch species. In the name of science, I must know how this is done!" Elise didn't get any further in her rambling, due to the fact that Morgan had appeared behind her and applied pressure to a certain point at the base of Elise's neck, causing her to pass out.

"When did you get here?" asked Sky. "About five minutes ago," said Morgan, "I saw the whole thing. Just how did you two get cursed in the first place?" "I'd like to know that as well," said Bloom to Shampoo, "How did such a curse fall on your head?"

"The same way it happened to me," said Ranma, "A training accident at the cursed hot-springs of Jusenkyo in China. My dad and I were on a worldwide training journey when we stopped at the Jusenkyo hot-springs. Everything would have been fine, except that neither one of us can read Chinese. We started sparing at the hot springs and we each fell into a different spring. Dad fell into 'The Spring of Drowned Panda,' and I fell into 'The Spring of Drowned Girl.'"

"Let me guess," said Bloom, "Each hot-spring at Jusenkyo is cursed, depending on what drowned in the spring." "Yes," said Shampoo, "Shampoo fall into 'Spring of Drowned Cat,' while Mousse fall into 'Spring of Drowned Duck.'"

"Your friend Mousse is cursed?" asked a shocked Stella. "Yes," said Shampoo, "But Mousse boy has adapted to curse, just as Ranma and Shampoo have adapted. That why Ranma and Shampoo are perfect couple."

"Dream on!" exclaimed Kodatchi as she walked into the backyard, "He'll never love you, you whom lack proper grammar. I on the other hand am perfect for Ranma. I mean, how can you doubt this vision of goddess-like beauty that is 'The Black Rose?'"

"What about me?" asked Akane, "I'm the one who's officially engaged to Ranma. Our families arranged it when we were kids. We didn't like it at first, but we'll go through it some day." "Don't make Shampoo laugh!" exclaimed Shampoo, "Ranma never marry girl who can't even cook!" "I can cook!" exclaimed Akane, "I just get the recipe wrong sometimes." "More times than some times," said Kodatchi.

"Can I say a word or two on the matter?" asked Ranma. "NO!" exclaimed Akane, Shampoo and Kodatchi at the same time. "Sorry I asked," said Ranma. "You're scared of cats?" asked Riven.

Just then Sasami and Ryoko showed up with Tenchi. "I had a feeling you'd be involved in this matter, Ranma," said Tenchi, "But I'd never guess that you'd also be involved, Kodatchi." "So we meet again," said Kodatchi, "You who almost defeated my brother in single combat."

"Everyone," said Sasami, "This is Tenchi Masaki, my great-nephew, so to speak." "How is it that you know Ranma and Kodatchi?" asked Bloom.

"We met at a kendo tournament a few months ago," said Tenchi, "I fought Kodatchi's brother, Tatewaki in the final round. We both tied for first place." "My brother should have won that match," said Kodatchi, "If only the officials hadn't declared it a draw."

It was at that point when Kodatchi's cell phone rang. "Hello?" said Kodatchi as she answered the phone, "What! Toro you son of a bitch! If you hurt my brother I'll rip you to shreds! … Oh don't worry, I'll be there!" She hung up the phone.

"What happened?" asked Akane. "Pantyhose Toro is back in town," said Kodatchi, "He, another man and three women with strange powers have taken Tatewaki hostage. They'll kill him if I don't make it back to our hose in the next fifteen minutes."

"Who is this Pantyhose Toro?" asked Stella. "Another guy who's cursed," said Ranma, "Only he didn't fall into a cursed spring like the rest of us; he was baptized in one. Now he turns into a combination of a yeti, a bull, an eel, a crane and an octopus."

"But what makes him really dangerous," said Akane, "Is that he hates his name, it's rather humiliating really." "Well with a first name like 'Pantyhose,'" said Morgan, "No wonder he's dangerous."

"I've got a bad feeling that I know who's with him," said Bloom, "And there are times when I hate it when I'm right."

Just then Elise recovered, "What happened?" she asked in a groggy tone. "You blacked out," said Morgan, "It's nothing, go back to sleep." "Icy, Darcy and Stormy are here on Earth," said Bloom, "And they're holding Kodatchi's brother hostage."

"Then what are we all standing around here for?" asked Elise, "Let's go!" "My thoughts exactly," said Musa, "Groupus Teleportsus!" With that, Musa's spell transported not only Bloom's friends, but also Ranma, Kodatchi, Akane and Shampoo to Kodatchi's house.

The end of chapter 16. Next chapter Bloom finally comes face to face with Malaketh. Reviews will be much appreciated. See you next time!