CHAPTER 24

-"RAN VS. THE SPEED DEMON, QUICKMAN! RYOGA HIBIKI, SHADOWLOO'S NEWEST MEMBER?"-

-(DREAM SEQUENCE)-

Ran is standing out in a playground in Nerima. She sees many children playing together with their friends, as well as her friends, having a nice day, with clear skies. She feels happy…

But suddenly, the blue skies turn red, and then she sees a red ball (the Phoenix Stone) that appears, floating above her in the sky. Then it explodes with a huge flash of light…

When Ran opens her eyes, she sees something that scares her big time…The whole city is destroyed; all the people are turned into skeletons… Extremely horrified by the death and devastation all around her, she gasps, crying out, "NO! WHAT HAPPENED HERE!?"

Then, an evil-sounding voice calls her. "THERE IS NO ESCAPING YOUR DESTINY, RAN! SOON, WE WILL FIND YOU! HAHAHAHA…SOON, A NEW ERA OF EVIL WILL BEGIN!"

Ran's crying, "No, no…!"

-(END DREAM SEQUENCE)-

Ran wakes up screaming, "…NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…!!"

3:00 A.M. at the Tendo Dojo…Ran wakes up screaming, louder then usual. As before, Ranma, Akane and family comes running to her and ask her what's wrong:

Ranma's the first one to ask, ":Hey Ran, wake up! What's wrong?"

Akane's concerned for Ran. "What? Is it another bad dream?"

Ran whispers, "Yes…but, this one was scarier than the last ones I've had."

Ranma wants to know, "What do you mean Ran…?"

Ran, shaking a little bit, asks, "Akane…can I sleep with Ranma, just for tonight? I'm…. a little scared."

Akane blinks, not expecting this. "With Ranma!? I…I don't see why not…but why, if I may ask Ran?"

"I don't know why, but…when I'm with Ranma, I feel very secure, as if, I know that I'm safe no matter what, and that I can trust him."

Akane smiles, saying, "Well Ran, if it makes you feel secure, go ahead."

Ran bows gratefully. "Thank you so much, Akane."

But just for her own peace of mind, Akane asks, "But, is it okay if I also stay with you guys tonight?"

Ran nods, "Yes…yes you can…with you guys beside me, I can sleep in peace."

"Thanks Akane…," Ranma says, "Well, it's three in the morning, so let's go to sleep."

Then Akane and Ran sleep in Ranma's room. Ran slept in Ranma's bed, while he took out a futon and slept on the ground. Minutes later, Akane wakes up for a glass of water, then she sees Ran sleeping with Ranma on his futon:

Akane thinks, "Hmph, she really must have been scared, but…it's funny… For some strange reason, I'm neither jealous nor angry with Ran for sleeping with Ranma. I don't know why. I mean, if it were Shampoo or Ukyo I would have exploded, but with Ran… I feel that I can trust her with him no matter what. She really likes him; she makes me feel like if…like if there was a strong connection between those two, like if, she was a part of Ranma…" She laughs off THAT notion, chuckling softly. "But that would be silly!"

The next morning they wake up, have their breakfast and run to school. Just then they were about to reach the School Gates, Kuno appears.

Ranma's annoyed. "Oh man, not Kuno again!"

Ran agrees. "Tell me about it. It's bad enough that I had one nightmare, but also him?"

Kuno sees them coming and what happens next surprises them all.

"Ranma, I've been waiting for you," Kuno says calmly.

"Look Kuno, I don't have time to fight you, so if you could…"

"Wait, I do not want to fight you, just talk to you."

Ranma's confused. "Talk to me!" What could Kuno want to talk to me for? "What do you want to talk to me about?"

"Ranma, I've came here to tell you that…I'm sorry."

Ranma blinks. "Wha…sorry?…sorry for what Kuno?"

Kuno explains, "Ranma, for a long time, I've been attacking you, cursing you and all, all because I thought that you held captive one of my loved ones…-"The Pig-Tailed Girl"-. What I ignored was that you and she were the same person. I was blind and stupid, always claiming that you were a foul sorcerer and a cheater, while I always claimed to be honorable…but, when you showed me the truth about you and her, I was…shocked and confused…"

Ranma says, "Really!?" Well, DUH!

Kuno goes on, "Indeed…what I saw that day, it destroyed my world, I was crushed. My dreams of obtaining the love of the Pig-Tailed girl faded away. I was saddened, yet angry. But then, I've began to meditate a lot…and came to a decision that, well, I was only obsessed with a love that could never be, a love that I created for myself…a selfish one, as well as with you Akane…"

Akane blinks, "Me?"

"Yes…I loved you not because of you, but because of my obsession with –platonic loves- …and because I wanted to have you, regardless if you didn't want me…I was being selfish with you…," Kuno sighs. "I guess I didn't want to face the reality of things…so I hid in my little world within myself."

This takes Ranma, Akane and Ran by surprise:

Ranma's first to speak. "Wow…that was…interesting, Kuno…wasn't it Ran?"

Ran's nodding. "Tell me about it, Ranma? What about you, Akane?"

"Same here."

Kuno gets to the point of all this. "…So Ranma, I've come here to apologize for all the trouble that I've caused in the past. I know that I've done many terrible things to you."

"Well, if you really mean all those things Kuno it's okay," Ranma tells him.

"So then, do you accept my apology, Ranma?"

"Yeah, if you promise to stop calling me foul sorcerer or any weird accusations, then I accept."

Then Kuno and Ranma shake hands. Ran and Akane are impressed by Kuno's change:

"Thank you Saotome, for giving me an opportunity to redeem myself."

"No problem Kuno, I'm just glad that you managed to change."

Ran adds, "That's right!"

Kuno then addresses Akane. "And you too Akane Tendo, I have also caused you many ill tidings."

"Nothing to worry about Kuno." Akane then shakes his hand. "And I'm also happy for you."

Kuno regards the group. "Thank you all…and Ranma, from now on, you can start seeing me, not as a adversary, but as a…friend."

Ranma considers it, thinking it over. "That's good."

Ran cheers, "Way to go Kuno!"

"Friend…of course you can be our friend Kuno!" Akane says.

"Yes…a friend…and, if you ever need my help, I'll be more then honored to assist you."

Ranma's made up his mind; maybe having Kuno as a friend now might not be such a bad idea after all. "You bet!" Ranma finally says, smiling.

Kuno then says, "Now that our rivalry is over…it's time for me to look for MY one true love…" He sighs sadly, "…or maybe there isn't one for me…"

Akane encourages him, "Don't say that Kuno…I'm sure that your loved one is out there, waiting for you!"

Ranma offers his two cents, "Yeah, Akane's right, Kuno. Search for her; I'm sure you'll find her."

"Thank you all for your support…we'll we'd better get going," Kuno tells his new friends.

Ranma gasps, "Oh man, he's right! We'll be late for class!"

Then they run toward their classes. Meanwhile...

AT THE RED CAT GANG'S HIDEOUT – DR. WILY'S LAB:

Dr. Wily is giving instructions to one of his robots about his mission. "Okay, you know what you must do, right?"

The robot that Dr. Wily was talking to was the speed robot…Quickman.

Quickman nods. "Go to Nerima and find this girl Ran, and I'll bring her here."

"Exactly, my boy…use whatever means necessary, but bring her here."

"Got it Doc."

" And if she refuses to come…well, use extreme brutality."

Quickman:" Understood."

"And…should Ranma Saotome appear…DESTROY HIM!"

"What…? Oh yeah, THAT boy! I'll do it!"

"And, I'm also sending you Geminiman to aid you on your mission, in case you have trouble."

"Thanks Doc!"

"Now go, Quickman!"

Once Quickman leaves, Bubbleman enters the lab. "Hey Doc, can I have a little talk with you please?"

"What do you want? I'm busy!"

"Oh it will be short, Doc…" Bubbleman then clears his throat, and says, "Doc, I've come here to ask for a little favor, a petition."

Dr. Wily 's mad now. "Get to the point, fool!"

Bubbleman's nervous. "Yes…well…I was wondering if I…could…have…a vacation?"

Wily blinks. "Vacation…you're asking ME for a vacation?"

"Yeah. You see, I've being working for you for a long time now, and I was wondering if I could have some time off…cause I'm kinda tired, so, you think that can be done, please?"

Dr. Wily puts on a fake smile. "Sure my boy, of course you can have it! Oh yes, while you're at it, how's about if I send you to Acapulco, or Hawaii? Oh, oh, or better yet, how's about Florida…how's that sound, hmmm? Would you like that a lot?"

Bubbleman nods happily, "Yeah…yeah!"

Dr. Wily laughs, "Ha ha ha ha haaa…!!" Then, he screams angrily at the poor robot, "FORGET IT!"

Bubbleman blinks. "Um…come again?"

"A VACATION? HA! ARE YOU OUTTA YOUR MIND? WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN HAVE A VACATION?"

Bubbleman nervously replies, "Um… come on Doc. It's not that much what I'm asking for. Don't I have a right to ask that and…"

Wily can't believe what Bubbleman's saying. "RIGHTS! RIGHTS! YOU HAVE NO RIGHTS YOU STUPID BUCKET OF BOLTS! YOU'RE JUST A ROBOT! YOU DON'T HAVE ANY RIGHTS BUT TO WORK FOR ME!"

Bubbleman's hurt. "Hey, I resent that "stupid" part Doc. I do have feelings you know!"

Dr. Wily laughs, "FEELINGS? YOU? A MISERABLE PIECE OF JUNK LIKE YOU? HAHAHAA…DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH! NOW GET OUT OF HERE AND FORGET ABOUT YOUR STUPID PETITION FOR A VACATON AND GET BACK TO WORK!"

Even though he's scared of him, Bubbleman gathers what little courage he has to stand against Dr. Wily. "Hey, that's not fair Doc! I've been working for you for a long time. Me and the other bots work all the time for you, doing all your bidding! We have being doing your work without any breaks; don't you think that it's the least you can do to repay us? We do all the work for you, while YOU'RE all safe and sound in Skull Castle and WE'RE being trashed by Megaman!"

Dr. Wily didn't like this at all. Bubbleman was standing up against him, and worse, demanding for things. Even insulting him:

Wily's really angry now! "HOW DARE YOU! LISTEN GOOD BUBBLE-JERK! DON'T YOU DARE DEFY ME! AND DON'T YOU DARE TO RECLAIM FROM ME! I MADE YOU, AND I CAN DESTROY YOU! UNDERSTAND?"

Bubbleman, still nervous, yet acting bravely, replies, "*Gulp*…yes Doc. We just want some benefits, that's all."

"GET OUT OF HERE NOW…BEFORE I DECIDE TO TURN YOU INTO A TOASTER!!"

"Yikes!! Okay, okay, I'm leaving!"

After Bubbleman flees from the place, Erick appears.

Erick chuckles, "Trouble, Doc?"

Dr. Wily hmph's, "Nothing to worry about…just that that Bubbleman was asking me for some vacation."

"And what did you tell him?"

"To forget it! The nerve of him, to ask for that from me! Ha ha ha! What a nutball!"

Erick is serious now. "Hmph…you shouldn't have done that Wily."

"Oh? Why not?"

"Doctor, I'm afraid that Bubbleman could cause us lots of trouble."

Dr. Wily's laughing hard, "HAHAHAHA…!! AND WHAT COULD THAT MISSERABLE JUNK ROBOT DO TO US?"

"I guess that you don't get it Doc. So I'll tell it by an example…" Then Erick chants a spell…and a tennis ball-throwing machine appeared.

"Now Doc. Tell me, does this hurt…"

Erick presses the button and the machine launches a ball at Dr. Wily. It hits him softy.

Dr. Wily replies, "Um…no, not at all."

"How's this…" Erick throws another ball and it hits Wily.

"No, didn't feel it."

"Good…HOW ABOUT NOW!"

Then he presses the button and the machine release thousands of balls at full speed at Wily like a machine gun. An avalanche of balls hit the old man. Minutes later he was buried in a mountain of tennis balls. When he emerged, kinda dizzy and hurt:

"How's that Wily, hmmm?" Erick asks.

Dizzy and hurt, Wily groans, "Ugn…that really hurt a lot, but why did you do it?"

"Doc. If one robot stood against you…then the other robots will do the same, and you'll have a massive Robot Strike on your hands, demanding for rights and all the stuff that Bubbleman asked for."

Dr. Wily's confused. "I don't understand, why did he do that? He's just a dumb robot!"

"Maybe so…but, that dumb robot has something inside…something that could be trouble for you…he's a kind and gentle robot."

"But why…how's that gonna cause me trouble?"

"Easy…," Erick begins to elaborate. "When he has feelings, and a good heart, he'll begin to question your orders. He'll begin to think for himself, and that could have an influence on the rest of your robots. Now imagine what could happen if your robots began to have a…conscience of their own? Or worse…to start to think for themselves?

The Doctor began to have images of all his robots quitting and refusing to help him. This worries Dr. Wily. "Oh man! That can't be good!"

"I know…my suggestion to you Doc is to keep a good eye on him…for if he continues to go this way…well, you'll know what you will have to do…don't you?"

Dr. Wily nods. "Yes…to eliminate him."

"Tell me Doc. Anything new to report to me?"

AT A PARK IN THE NERIMA WARD OF TOKYO:

Ran is coming home from school. Ranma and Akane had to stay because it was their turn to clean the classroom. She's coming from buying a chocolate ice cream cone from the store and heading for the Tendo Dojo:

Ran's thinking, "Who would've thought that that Kuno could change? Oh well, I better head fast to the Tendo House, cause I'm kinda hungry!"

Suddenly, a blur rushes besides her. She gasps and begins to look everywhere. "What the…what was that…?"

The blur comes back and dashes from side to side around Ran. She begins to lose her cool; annoyed, she says, "Okay…that's enough!"

Then, the red blur stops in front of Ran, revealing the robot Quickman:

Ran assumes a defensive pose, demanding, "Who are you?"

Quickman starts talking REALLY fast. "Allowmetointroducemyself,mynameisQuickman,nicetomeetyou!"

Ran blinks. "Come again?"

Quickman slows his role and tries again. "Sorry…ehem…Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Quickman, nice to meet you."

"Ooookay…what do you want?"

"I've come here to take you with me to my master's base!"

"Is that so…? Well, sorry to disappoint you buster…but I don't think so, so if you'll excuse me, I have to go."

Quickman quickly gets in Ran's way. "I guess you didn't understand me. You WILL come with me, whether you like it or not."

"And what if I say no?"

Quickman flashes a wicked smile, "Then we'll do this the hard way, so you better be ready!"

"Oh, I'm ready. Are you?"

"In that case…here I come! Hehehe, don't blink!"

Then he runs REALLY fast toward Ran, almost disappearing from sight… Ran blinks. "What? He runs fast! Where is he?"-…Ran thinks while looking everywhere for him. A fast punch from out of nowhere hits her, followed by a kick in her back. Quickman laughs at Ran while running circles around her. "Hahaha…what do you think of me now? You can't touch me, you can't touch me, because I'm too damn fast for you!"

"Oh yeah? Well, if you think that you can beat me, then think again!"

Quickman was too fast for Ran, she couldn't land a single punch on him. She's getting desperate. Quickman's taunting her all the while. "Hahahaaaa…getting tired girl getting tired girl! I told you, I'm too fast for you…!"

"This isn't over yet, you hear me?"

"But it will be soon…here! Let's see if you can dodge this…KYAAAA!" Then Quickman releases two of his Quick Boomerangs at Ran at a very fast speed. Ran tries to evade them, but one of them hits her in her leg, stopping her in her tracks:

Quickman cheers, "BOOYA, right on the money! You ain't gonna anywhere now girl!"

Ran, hurt, thinks, "Damn…that hurt…there's gotta be a way to stop this wacko, but he's just too fast! How to stop him?"

Then Ran sees near her some water pipes. This gives her an idea. "That's it…I know what to do!"

Quickman asks, "Ready to give up now, girl?"

"Not on your life buster!"

"Okay girl, have it your way then…here I come!"

Quickman runs toward Ran. Ran begins to charge her Ki, and then she launches a Heat Trigger toward the pipes. The pipes explode, spilling all the water to the ground:

Quickman blinks, thinking, "Now why did she do that…? Maybe cause I'm to fast for her slow eyes! Hahaha!"

But unaware to him, when he's running at top speed, he slips off and falls down hard on the floor…

WHAMMMM!!

"Ow…! What happened? How did I slip? No matter, I'll try again!" Quickman rises up and charges again toward Ran, only to once again slip and fall down…

WHAMMMM!!

Now Quickman's annoyed. "What's going on here? Why am I falling?" Quickman's asking himself.

Ran giggles, "Problems, Quickboy?"

Quickman snaps at Ran, "Shut up girl…!!" Then, to himself, he asks, "Why am I slipping?"

Ran explains, "Simple, look around you, the ground's all wet."

"Huh!"?

"Since the floor is wet, it's slippery, so you can't run freely without slipping down."

"NO WAY…!!" Quickman runs again, only to fall down yep, again. "…OUCH…!!" he yelps in pain. "Damn it, that girl's right!"

"Too bad for you that "I" have good balance…so…KYAAAA!"

Ran jumps toward Quickman, striking him with many fast punches. Quickman then tries to run away, but he slips. Ran's punishing him badly. Quickman launches a pair of Quick Boomerangs at Ran. Ran sees them coming and jumps up, then she slides across the wet floor as if she's skating, she's moving very well on the wet floor; with good balance, she evades the boomerangs. Quickman sees Ran coming toward her:

Quickman blinks at Ran's actions, thinking, "Now why is she coming toward me?" Aloud, he taunts, "Hey girl, are you trying to hit me…? Hahaha, you should know better than that!"

Ran smirks, "And who said that 'I' was gonna hit you?"

Quickman's confused. "Huh!?"

Ran jumps up and Quickman sees his Quick Boomerangs coming toward him!

"OH NOOOO!!" Quickman screams.

CRASH!!

Quickman gets hit by his own Quick Boomerangs. Ran walks over to Quickman, who's lying on the floor. "So, give up, or you want some more?"

Quickman yells, "Hey, a little help here, if you don't mind?"

Ran blinks. "Huh! Whom is he talking to?"

Ran couldn't finish her sentence, for a blast hits her from behind. When Ran recovers from it, she looks back and sees another robot standing with Quickman…Geminiman:

Ran's mad. "Hey, who are you, and why did you attack me from behind?"

Geminiman smiles. "The name's Geminiman, nice to meet you…" Then, right before Ran's eyes, ANOTHER Geminiman appears from behind Genminiman and glares at Quickman. "Get up slowpoke! We have a mission to accomplish!"

Quickman says as he's getting up, "I'm up, I'm up…now let's get her!"

Geminiman 1 says, "Right!"

Ran objects, "Hey, no fair, three against one…cowards!"

Quickman laughs, "So sue us…get ready girl, 'cause this time…"

Geminiman 2 smiles wickedly, "…you're out numbered!"

Then they dash toward Ran. Ran tries to fight back, but three robots were attacking her at the same time. She gets hit by Quickman's Quick Boomerangs, then by the Geminimen's Gemini Laser. Yet, still she fights them. But she falls down to the floor, due to the fact that she's tired and hurt from their relentless attacks. Geminiman and Quickman walk toward Ran. They've got her right where they want her.

Quickman sneers, "Ha, guess that's the end of it, isn't it Geminiman?"

The two Geminimen merge into one, nods in agreement with his partner, and then laughs, "Yep, now there's nothing or no one who will help you."

Ran thinks, "Man, if only Ranma was here, he would have beaten these jerks!"

"Hey Geminiman, why don't you knock her out with your laser, the Doc didn't mention that we had to bring her to the base…all healthy, if you know what I mean?"

Geminiman nods, with an evil smile, "You're right…and she DID hurt us…" He points his gun at Ran. "…say good night girl, Hahaha!"

Geminiman fires his blaster at Ran. Ran closes her eyes for the impact, thinking sadly, "Ranma, I'm so sorry…guess I wasn't prepared."

Suddenly…another blast appears and deflects Geminiman's blast. Quickman and Geminiman are shocked and begin to look everywhere:

Quickman gasps, "What the…what happened?"

Mad over what just happened, Geminiman replies, "Don't know…someone else fired that blast…but who?"

"Me!" a boy's voice yells.

Ran, as well as the robots look back and see a boy wearing a blue armor, with a matching blue helmet, and a blaster on his right hand…for it's none other than…

"MEGAMAN!" Quickman & Geminiman both freak out.

The Blue Bomber says, "The one and only, with my faithful canine companion Rush!"

Rush barks, "Ruff ruff! (That's right!)"

Ran, though weakened from being ganged up on by those robots, thinks, "Man…he looks cool, hope he's on my side?"

Megaman scolds the two naughty bots, "Attacking an innocent girl guys? That's low!"

Quickman's mad. "I don't know how you got here, but this time we'll eliminate you!"

"Yeah!" Geminiman says.

Megaman:" Ha…like I've haven't heard THAT phrase before…let's do it Rush!"

Rush nods, barking, "Bark bark bark! (Yeah, let's do it Megaman!)"

Then the fight starts. Megaman's fighting them by using his Mega Buster and firing charged shots at them. Rush transforms itself into Rush Jet and lifts to the sky. In the heat of the battle, Megaman is about to dodge one of Geminiman's attacks, when Quickman appears from behind ready to strike him. Mega sees this coming and isn't able to move in time, when Ran jumps in and hits Quickman with a flying kick to his face! OUCH!

Megaman, grateful for the save, says to Ran, "Thanks!"

Ran smiles back. "No problem…!" Then, to Quickman), she says, "Attacking in the back! how cowardly can you be?"

Quickman's mad now. "Why you…! That's it! You're going down girl…THE HARD WAY!"

Ran turns to Megaman and says, "Listen…why don't you take on that robot," while pointing to Geminiman; she then points to Quickman, "…and I'll take care of this one, okay?"

Megaman's confused. "But…this could be dangerous…and are you sure you can do it?"

Ran winks. "Hey, don't worry about me, it will take more than that to stop me…let's do it!"

"Okay…if you say so!"

Ran takes care of Quickman, while Megaman took care of Geminiman. Ran uses her agility to dodge Quickman's attacks. Then, using a Saotome Secret Technique…Ran uses her speed and punches Quickman with an assault of punches, Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken-style. Poor Quickman didn't even have time to yell for he was knocked out.

Megaman and Geminiman are launching blasters at one another, but Megaman takes the upper hand and blasts Geminiman away with a fully-charged Buster Shot. When it's over, Megaman, concerned for Ran, asks, "Are you alright?"

Ran nods, "Yes…thanks for helping me back there with those two robots."

"You're welcome…Hey listen, I was very impressed with you. You fought awesome against those two!"

"Thanks…my name's Ran, what's yours?"

"The name's Megaman, and this is my canine friend Rush."

R's MANSION / RED CAT GANG'S HIDEOUT….

Bubbleman is in his room, thinking about some stuff. He'd just come from Dr. Wily's lab after asking Wily for a vacation. THAT went over well. The last thing Bubbleman could clearly recall was Wily yelling at him, calling him stupid, and ridiculing the notion that he had rights and feelings. Now that Bubbleman thought about it, it hadn't gone well at all. Anyway, since the Doc wasn't going to let him have a vacation, what could Bubbleman do now? He needed a plan.

"Boy, Dr. Wily was really mad when I asked him directly for a vacation. Maybe the petition wasn't a good idea. Still…. there's got to be a way I can get me some vacation time. But how? C'mon Bubbleman, think! Think of a plan! Think hard!"

And Bubbleman starts thinking. (Uh oh, Bubbleman's ACTUALLY thinking? That's not good!) He's thinking so hard that steam is coming out his ears! (Or where his ears would be if he had ears, but anyway…) Hours pass, and as he's thinking, suddenly the last time he'd met the Cat Ghost King begins to run through his mind…

-( BEGIN FLASHBACK)-

Bubbleman corrects, "Uhh…no you're not. You're a statue. Statues don't talk." Bubbleman notices that the statue's getting angry! Uh oh! "Err..um…well, at least I don't think they do…."

"Oh yeah? Can a statue do THIS?" The statue's eyes glow brightly, dark clouds of energy appear overhead, and they hear the sounds of thunder, then a huge bolt of lightning strikes Bubbleman down!

"ACK!" Electrocuted, Bubbleman falls over!

-( END FLASHBACK)-

"What? No, wait...!"

Bubbleman thinks even harder. More steam comes out his ears; he looks like he's going to blow his CPU! Serious thinking indeed! Then, he remembers something else…. something the Cat Ghost King told Bass….

-( BEGIN FLASHBACK)-

"Now, to more important matters meow," the statue says. "Bass, it will now be your duty to retrieve the Phoenix Stone. Dr. Wily has informed me of this plan and we believe that you will succeed. My loyal followers, the RED CATS, are at your service and will help you carry out this mission."

-( END FLASHBACK)-

And then, the light bulb finally went off in Bubbleman's head. "Holy moly, THAT'S IT! I know what to do now!" He makes the cliché "oh yeah" action (i.e., slapping his right fist into the palm of his left hand)

"I've got to get that Phoenix Stone! If I can do this, then Dr. Wily and that scary cat statue will HAVE to give me a vacation! Oh boy! I can just see it now….

"OK, cue the dream sequence!" the author says.

-(Dream-Sequence)-

We see Bubbleman entering the Cat Ghost King's shrine. He kneels before the statue and presents the Phoenix Stone to the Cat Ghost King and Dr. Wily….

"Oh, great and terrible Cat Ghost King! I, Bubbleman, have brought you the Phoenix Stone!"

The Cat Statue purrs approvingly, "Meow! Well done, Bubbleman. You are indeed one of my faithful servants meow."

"Oh, you're too kind, oh great one."

Dr. Wily grudgingly says, "So you managed to get the Phoenix Stone, huh? At last, you've finally done something right, instead of failing all the time!"

Bubbleman blushes. "Aw, gee, thanks, Doc…..HEY!"

"Now, Bubbleman, give me the Phoenix Stone!" the Cat Statue commands.

Bubbleman then places the Phoenix Stone on an altar in front of the Cat Ghost King's statue. It begins to glow, radiating waves of powerful mystical energy. Then, the statue starts to glow with a light of its own…

It purrs with delight, "Yes. YES! I can feel my power returning! MRROWW! HA HA HA HA!!" Then calming down, it says to Bubbleman, "Err…ahem, meow…anyway, Bubbleman, you've done well, and for that you will be rewarded meow! Ask meow, and you shall receive! What do you want?"

"Well…. I'd like to have a vacation."

"A vacation meow? Is that all you want meow? Very well, just close your eyes and think of a place you want to go, and I'll use my fantastic powers to do the rest meow!"

Bubbleman happily replies, "Yes, yes I will, and thanks!"

"OK, here it comes meow!" The statue's eyes glow brightly; dark clouds of energy appear overhead, the sounds of thunder are heard, then a huge bolt of lightning strikes Bubbleman! Gee, this is familiar….

"ACK! No fair! You tricked me!" Electrocuted, Bubbleman falls over - again!

When Bubbleman wakes up this time, he finds out that's he on a tropical island! He's sitting in a lounge chair by the beachside, surrounded by beautiful island girls! One girl hands him a coconut to drink from with a little umbrella in it while some of the other girls are flapping some feathers to cool him. Bubbleman's truly happy…

"Aaaaah, this is the life! It's like a dream come true! HA HA HA HA!"

-(End of Dream)-

Bubbleman laughs, "HA HA HA HA!" Then, he realizes something… "Hey, what am I standing around here for? I'd better go find that stone!"

And with that, Bubbleman leaves his room. Unfortunately, he didn't know he was being watched – by Erick Genryusai, High Priest of the RED CAT GANG!

Erick thinks, "So…Bubbleman thinks he's going to get the Phoenix Stone before anyone else does, eh? I'm DEFINITELY going to have to keep an eye on him now!"

AT THE TENDO DOJO….

The next morning, Ran Hayami wakes up early. After getting dressed, she goes downstairs to the kitchen to start making breakfast and prepare today's lunches. As she's cooking, she hears the sounds of fighting outside. Must be Ranma and Mr. Saotome doing their morning sparring match, she thinks to herself.

Normally, Ran would be out there practicing with them, but today she wanted to do something different. Ever since she came to the Tendo household, Ran wanted to repay the family for their kindness and hospitality. Hence, the reason she got up and cooked breakfast for everyone.

A few minutes later, Kasumi enters the kitchen and sees Ran cooking. Yawning, she says, "Oh my…Ran, what are you doing up so early?"

Ran cheerfully says, "Oh, good morning, Kasumi. I'm sorry if I woke you up."

"Oh, Ran, you didn't have to do that. Preparing our lunches is more than enough."

Ran looks down, blushing. "I…I just wanted to make breakfast for everyone, that's all, as my way of saying thank you for everything you've done for me."

Kasumi is genuinely touched. "That's very sweet of you, Ran." Then, smiling, she says, "Why don't you go tell Ranma and Mr. Saotome that breakfast is ready? I can finish cooking and you can help me make the lunches afterwards."

"Sure, and don't worry about the lunches; I just finished making them before you came in. Well, see ya at breakfast!" Ran happily runs out the kitchen to go get Ranma and Genma.

Later on, a soaking wet Ranma (now female) and Genma (now panda) enter the house, after their sparring ended with an unexpected dunk into the pond. As they dry off, they smell the aroma of hot food coming from the kitchen….

Ranma-chan smells the air. "Oh man, whatever it is, it smells great!"

"Growf!" Genma-panda then holds up a sign saying [You said it, boy! Let's eat!]

Soon, everyone gathers around at the breakfast table. Breakfast went on as usual with both Genma and Ranma noisily eating everything in sight. The Tendo sisters conversed with everyone as usual. Then the Old Pervert shows up and tries to glomp Ran but then gets flattened by Ranma and Akane. In short, it's a usual morning at the Tendos.

After breakfast is over…

Soun, delighted, laughs, "Ha ha! This time you've outdone yourself, Kasumi!"

Happosai agrees, "A feast fit for a king!"

"You can thank Ran for that. She's the one who made breakfast this morning," Kasumi tells everyone.

Ranma blinks. "Ran made this?"

Ran shyly nods, blushing, "Well…yeah…

To Ran's surprise, the whole family gives her a round of applause.

"Huh? You…all liked it?"

Ranma-chan: Oh man, that was the best!

Genma-panda holds up another sign saying [Yeah, what he said!] Holding out his bowl, he flips the sign over to say [More, please!]

"Mmm… Good down to the last bite," Nabiki says as she wipes her mouth with a napkin.

"You'll have to show me some of your recipes sometime, Ran," Kasumi says.

Soun cries tears of joy, "Oh….Oh, I'm so blessed to have two girls who can cook such delicious food! WAAAAAAHH!!"

Akane's insulted. "Hey! What about me, Dad?"

Soun stops his waterworks, correcting his error, " Oh! Um…well, Akane, your cooking has improved some, but…"

Akane gets upset, like she's about to pull out her mallet. "But what….?!"

"Oh, don't growl at me like that!" Now sad, Soun starts his usual crying again, "Boo hoo hoo….!!"

Kasumi tries to console her sobbing dad. "There, there, father." To Akane, she says, "Now, Akane, please don't overreact like that. Father enjoys your cooking, too.

Happosai, on the other hand, is extremely happy. Teary-eyed, he exclaims, "Oh, oh this is heaven! Heaven served on a platter! Oh, Ran, my kitchen angel! Let me leap into your bosom and show you my gratitude!" And Happosai leaps toward Ran, about to glomp on Ran's chest.

Ran, annoyed, says under her breath, "Geez, not THIS again….!"

But before Happosai can express his appreciation for the meal Ran prepared, Ran grabs him out of mid-air, charges him up with flame, and then blasts him through the roof! Ouch! "Honestly! Doesn't he ever quit?"

Ranma replies, "Him? Not a chance, Ran."

Later, Ranma, Ran, Akane, and Nabiki are about to leave for school. But before that, Ran hands out the lunches she's made for everyone. (Yes, that includes the Old Pervert too, though he doesn't deserve it. Anyway… Genma (now human) notices something on the table. "Hey, there's an extra lunch here. Mmmm….I'll take it!"

Seeing this, Ran quickly grabs the lunch and snatches it away from Genma.

"Huh? HEY!" a briefly surprised Genma objects.

Ran respectfully apologizes, "I'm really sorry, Mr. Saotome, but I made this for someone else."

Genma looks like he's about to cry. "But…but I'm hungry!"

Ranma snorts, "Geez, Pop, you just had breakfast! How can you be hungry again?"

Nabiki teases, "So, Ran, you made an extra lunch for someone…someone special…Who's the lucky guy?"

Ran blushes. "Oh, no, it's nothing like that…"

Akane playfully says, "C'mon, tell us!"

Ran: Promise you won't laugh?

Everybody nods yes.

"Well…it's R."

Needless to say, everybody is shocked! "WHAT?!"

Akane can't believe this. "R? No way…!"

Nabiki raises an eyebrow in disbelief. "You're…joking, right?"

Soun looks in Ranma's direction, asking, "Ranma, isn't he that boy who's been trying to kill you at school every day?

"R?" Upset, Ranma complains, "Aw, why did you hafta go make lunch for him, Ran?"

Hearing Ranma say that to her, Ran felt something in her heart sink. She'd never seen Ranma like this before… He wasn't so much angry with her but he was hurt by what she'd just said.

She didn't want to hurt him, no, not in any way possible…

She'd better explain it to him…

Or she might lose him…

The best friend she'd ever had…

"Because…. I thought he might know something about me, about my past. Ever since I saw R at school, I've been getting this weird feeling about him, like I know him from somewhere. It always happens whenever he's around."

Ranma considers that. "That explains why you blanked out the last time Carl…uh… R attacked me at school."

Ran nods her head. "And that's another thing. I've been wondering why he's been trying to kill you. So…I had to find out for myself. I talked to him at lunch that day."

Nabiki says, "Amazing. You ACTUALLY got to talk to R. He pretty much keeps to himself, that is, when he's not trying to kill Ranma."

"So what happened then?" Akane asks.

Ran replies, "We didn't hit it off at first. But I found out he'd forgotten to bring his lunch. I shared some of mine with him, and well, he seemed to like my cooking. And I'm hoping I'll get to see R again at lunch today, so I can give this to him. I figure this time he might be willing to open up a little, y'know, after he's had a chance to eat something."

Everyone thinks about this, especially Ranma. He knows that this is important to Ran, but he's concerned for her safety. R's the kind of guy who'd beat up someone just as soon as look at them. And with R, that's no joke. But Ranma thinks about the time R saved Kodachi and how he acted all noble and gentleman-like towards her. Still…

Ranma finally says, "OK, Ran, if you say so. But if R goes crazy on you, well…just be careful, OK?"

Ran notices this, and breathes a sigh of relief. She hears the concern in his voice. She thinks, He still cares about me. He's willing to protect me if something goes wrong between me and R. He's still my friend. Whew! What a relief; I'd thought he'd be upset with me.

These thoughts comfort Ran. She smiles back at Ranma. "OK, I'll be careful. Thanks, Ranma."

MEANWHILE, AT SHADOWLOO'S SECRET BASE….

M. Bison's airship lands on the runway. The hatch opens and Bison steps out, followed by Ryoga Hibiki and a Shadowloo soldier. Before they even returned to the base, Bison had found out firsthand about Ryoga's extremely poor sense of direction….

-(BEGIN FLASHBACK)-

After Bison explained his little deal to Ryoga, and Ryoga accepts, they get ready to leave.

"Let's go. We'll take you to out to our secret base and….HUH?" Bison notices that Ryoga has walked off in the wrong direction! "HEY! I'm over here! Where are you going, fool?"

"OK, OK, I'm coming! This way you say?" Ryoga turns around and starts walking off in the opposite direction, still going away from the airship! Bison's getting annoyed; he has no patience for Ryoga's navigationally challenged antics. He yells, "GUARDS! Get that boy and let's go!"

Two Shadowloo soldiers get out and run to Ryoga. They grab him and take him to the airship.

Ryoga says as he's struggling with the soldiers, "Hey, let go! I was going the way you said...!"

Shadowloo Soldier 1 says, irritated, "No, you weren't! Now come along nice and peaceful-like and we won't have to hurt you!"

"I wasn't? Oh, sorry."

One of the soldiers pokes a loaded gun in Ryoga's back.

"OW! Hey, watch where you're pointing that thing!"

"Oh, shut up! Now, get moving!" Shadowloo Soldier 2 orders.

The soldiers bring Ryoga to Bison.

Ryoga realizes, "Oh, so THIS is the airship? Right, right. That's where I meant to go... honest!"

M. Bison sweatdrops, groaning, "Just get in, will you?" He points to the hatch.

The soldiers forcefully escort Ryoga into the airship, and then Bison goes inside. After the hatch closes, the airship lifts off into the sky heading for Shadowloo's secret base.

-(END FLASHBACK)-

From that point on, Bison decided that until Ryoga became a member of Shadowloo, guards should accompany him at all times to prevent him from getting lost.

As they walk toward the entrance to the base, Bison is surprised to see Erick (!) waiting for him.

Erick greets him, "Ah! Hello, Bison. I see you've found the "Eternal Lost Boy", Ryoga Hibiki. Did you have any trouble?"

M. Bison is upset. "TROUBLE?" He calms down. "You didn't tell me the boy had a terrible sense of direction."

"Oh? I'm sorry; it must have slipped my mind. Silly me."

"Why, you….!!"

Erick shoots Bison a glance that could freeze hell over, causing him to think twice before lashing out. "Temper, temper, Bison." Erick then, points to himself. "This isn't one of your underlings you're dealing with, you know."

Bison gives up, sighing, "Fine, whatever." Then… "But what are you doing here?"

"Why, I'm here to properly "educate" Ryoga and prepare him for service as one of your warriors, Bison."

Unaware to Ryoga, M. Bison knows what Erick means when he says, "educate".

"I see, very well then. You will bring him to me, when you've finished his "education", I presume?"

"Of course. When I'm finished, I'll contact you. Better yet, I'll bring him with me when we have our next meeting at the Cat Ghost King's shrine. There's something I want to show you that I think you'll be interested in, Bison."

"Really? What is it?"

"Ah, but….," Erick says, doing his Xelloss shtick again. "That is a secret." Then, to Ryoga, he says, "Well, come along, Ryoga. We have much work to do…"

Ryoga hesitates. "Wait a minute, who are you anyway?"

"I'll explain later. We have to go now."

M. Bison commands, "Go with him, Ryoga. You are on my path. Come back to me, when you are ready."

"Uhh…okay."

For some strange reason, Ryoga thinks he's going to regret accepting Bison's offer. He doesn't know how right he is…

Leaving Bison, Erick takes Ryoga by the hand (so he won't get lost again) and then vanishes from sight.

FURINKAN HIGH SCHOOL:

As Ranma, Akane, and Ran are about to reach the school gates, Kuno appears, charging toward them in his usual idiom:

"WHERE ARE YOU, FOUL SORCERER?!"

All three sweatdrop at this. Ran's surprised. "Kuno? But he's supposed to be our friend now, right?"

Akane sighs, "Looks like he's back to his old self again…"

Ranma's annoyed. "So much for that "change of heart". Feh." He cracks his knuckles. "Guess I'll have to beat him senseless again, not that he had much sense anyway to begin with…."

Akane & Ran both interrupt him. "RANMA!"

Ranma says innocently, "What?"

At the very moment Kuno gets close enough to strike, Ranma kicks him in the head, right in the face! A direct hit! Kuno falls over, unconscious.

Ranma picks up the now-unconscious Kuno. "OK, Kuno, what's gotten into that thick head of yours."

Kuno snaps back to consciousness. "Why did you strike me, Saotome? I thought that we were friends!" He notices Akane and Ran. "Ah, good morning to you Akane Tendo and the Pig-Tailed Girl."

Ran groans, "It's Ran, Kuno, not Pig-Tailed Girl."

Ranma wants to know, "And why are YOU calling me "foul sorcerer" again? I thought you promised to stop that nonsense."

Kuno is serious. "I was not referring to you, Saotome! The villain I speak of is…," he says, pointing his bokken in the direction of the person he's talking about. "….that man!"

Wouldn't you know it, R happened to drive up on school grounds in his S2000. He gets out of the car, using his remote keychain to lock his doors and set the alarm. R pauses for a moment before walking to class. Once again, he has that calm, expressionless look from Chapter 17 (Oh, you know, the one where you can't tell what he's feeling or thinking!)

R's presence causes Ran to get that weird feeling again. Deep in her heart, she feels that something's wrong with R, as if she can feel his pain. And that sensation almost makes her cry for him. R...What is this pain you're feeling...?

Ranma asks, "And just when did R suddenly become a "foul sorcerer"?"

Kuno reveals, "Since he began dating my twisted sister."

Needless to say, Ranma, Akane, and Ran are totally shocked!

Ranma starts to say, "R…?"

Akane follows up with, "And Kodachi…?

Ran finishes, "Are dating…?" Why?

Kuno dramatically laments, "Ah, yes, that scoundrel, that lothario, with his witchcraft of wit, with his traitorous gifts - Oh wicked wit and gifts that have the power so to seduce! - Won to his shameful lust the affections of my little sister!"

Uhh…did Kuno just quote Shakespeare's Hamlet back there? Yep, he did.

Akane says, "That's great, Kuno!"

Kuno blinks, surprised. "It is? What do you mean, Akane Tendo?"

Ran explains, "She means, Kuno, that your sister's finally realized there's life and love after her "darling Ranma". You should be happy for her!"

Ranma says, greatly relieved, "I know I am; at least she'll stop chasing me for a change."

Kuno couldn't believe it. His friends were actually HAPPY that Kodachi was dating that…that handsome rogue, that Casanova! Being Kuno, of course (No surprise there folks!), he therefore concluded….

"So…he has worked his foul magic over you, as well? The fiend! He must be stopped! Normally, I would not care what my twisted sister does, but she…with HIM! I WILL NOT ALLOW IT! I, Tatewaki Kuno, the "Blue Thunder of Furinkan High", will slay this foul sorcerer and break the hold he has over her!"

With bokken in hand, Kuno charges off in R's direction! "HALT, VILLIAN!"

R turns around to see Kuno charging toward him. He thinks, Oh no, not this loser again! I've got no time for this, especially not today! Aloud, he wants to know, "What do you want now, Kuno?"

"I DEMAND THAT YOU RELEASE MY SISTER FROM YOUR ENCHANTMENTS!

R's angry now. "WHAT? Are you still going on about that? Damn, you're stupid! You still don't get it do you? Looks like I'm gonna have to remind you again…"

R begins to concentrate, shining with a purple-white aura around him.

"GLACIER WHITE PEARL!"

Then R unleashes a blast of ice-cold chi at Kuno at full speed. It hits Kuno dead center, but instead of knocking him down, it freezes him in place, his whole body covered head to toe in ice! "So why don't you "chill out" for a while, OK?"

A frozen Kuno barely says, "C-c-curse you, f-foul s-sorcerer….!!"

R gets up in Kuno's face. "Listen up and listen good, Kuno. I'll continue dating your sister. Deal with it. Later."

And R walks off to his class.

Ranma, Akane, Ran, as well as everyone else at school saw what R just did to Kuno.

Hiroshi exclaims, "Wow, did you see that!?"

Daisuke nods. "Yeah. R just made Kuno into a Popsicle."

Ranma's thinking, Whoa…that move was kinda like my Mokou Takabisha, except R somehow was able to do it using only 100% pure cold chi. How can he do that?

Akane reminds him, "Ranma! We've gotta get to class!

"I know! C'mon, Ran!

Once again, Ran is just standing there, like she's in a trance or something. Ranma has to gently shake her to snap her out of it.

Ran comes to her senses. "Oh! Ranma! Did I blank out again?

"Yeah, you did. I'll tell you what happened later. Let's go!

"Right!"

And the three of them dash off to class. As for Kuno, who's still frozen, by the way…

"Um…hello? Hello? A little help here, p-please? S-somebody? Anyb-body?"

The wind picks up. A tumbleweed appears out of nowhere and passes by him.

TO BE CONTINUED…