Movie 1, Chapter 4:
"At Last, a Final Confrontation! A Showdown in Nekonron, China"
Kenma: This one goes out to AsheTDust—best wishes to you and hopefully your mother recovers from her liver cancer.
A smile crossed Kirin's face. "Home at last," he replied smugly as he dropped a smokebomb and grabbed Nabiki. Kenma leapt at him, but by the time the fog cleared, Kirin and his bride-to-be were both long gone.
"Yo, old man!" called Ranko. "Are we there yet?"
Happosai pointed towards the mountain they were approaching. "Almost! See over there?" he called back. "That's Seven-Luck Mountain!"
"Good for them...good for us," Kenma responded. "We'll land and head up there on foot."
And so, the flying boat soared higher, closing in on Seven-Luck Mountain's location. As the flying frigate drew closer, it became clear that they were drawing closer to a series of enormous water spouts.
"What the heck's that, some kinda geyser?" asked Ranko.
"Geyser?" Kenma asked as he glanced over. "What are you—" But as he did, his eyes nearly bogged out of his head, because they were now heading through a massive geyser!
Lychee and Ranko shrieked in pain as they were doused in the scalding waters of the geyser.
Up on the deck, Happosai was straining to keep himself on the boat. "Stop wiggling the damn rope!" he grunted, before gravity gave way and pulled him overboard, dragging him into the whirlpool of water.
... ... ...
Shortly after the ship had parked itself, Kirin gestured to his subordinates, who immediately dispersed to carry out his orders.
He turned back towards Nabiki. "Come along, now," he instructed as he led her off the boat.
... ... ...
Far below, Ranma and the others got to their feet and regained their bearings.
"Cripes...that was some hot water!" the dark-haired boy groaned as he rubbed his head before getting a good look at what lay ahead. "Hey! There's a castle up there!" he exclaimed.
"Some kind of massive pagoda!" Kenma chimed in.
Happosai glared. "There lies the headquarters of the Seven Lucky Gods!"
"If that's the case, then dollars to donuts that it's also where—" Kenma began, seconds before Ranma tackled him out of the way, both boys narrowly avoiding getting squashed by a falling boulder. "What was THAT?!"
"It's a stone they use in their pickling vats!"
"Not the stone, stonehenge-for-brains—what's attached to it!" Kenma retorted as he plucked up a note attached to the boulder. At the top was a picture of Kirin and Nabiki amidst two pieces of a heart.
Today at sundown, in the top floor of the Pagoda,
Master Kirin and his betrothed, Nabiki, will hold their reception.
The Seven Lucky Gods await the guests at the castle gates.
All in attendance must bring a wedding gift. It's more than tradition, it's a little something called "common courtesy". Respect it, OK?
Kenma crumpled the paper and jammed it in his pocket. "Looks like we've got a wedding to crash, then." he said, glancing back at Ranma and Lychee. "Step lively, now!"
And off he went, with Ranma, Lychee, and Jasmine following behind.
"That's the ticket, boyos!" Happosai nodded. "Go forth into battle and test your skills! But in order to reach Kirin, you must do battle with each of the 7 Lucky Gods!"
And then, something clicked inside the little gremlin's mind. "Seven...? Then that means..." he began, as his thoughts drifted to Monlon. "...THAT MEANS I GET TO SEE THE PRETTY LADY AGAIN!" he exclaimed as he tore ass down the pathway.
Outside the gates of the castle, Bishamonten stood, snickering to himself. "So, the little boys have come to play," he sneered. "With Bishamonten guarding the first castle gate, you'll not get through that easily!" he declared as he spun his jumonji-yari spear.
"Sheesh...why couldn't the first one be a weakling...?" grunted Ranma as he kept on running further towards the gate.
"OUTTA THE WAY! OUTTA THE WAY!" shouted Happosai as he jumped in front and led the charge. "I HAFTA SEE THE PRETTY LADY WITH THE LUTE AGAIN!"
Bishamonten raised an eyebrow in confusion, but kept his stance before the gates. Happosai had begun readying one of his Happo-Fireburst-Bomb Balls, and he'd lit it in no time.
"If you try to stop me, then I'll—" the old man started, right before he tripped over a small rock underneath his feet and came skidding to a halt in front of the gate guard.
KA-BLAMSKI!
Ranma, Kenma and Lychee coughed as the smoke from the explosion filled the air...and saw that both Bishamonten and Happosai were now submerged underneath the rubble of the exploded gate. He wasn't dead, but he wouldn't be getting up to offer any resistance.
"OK, that's one down," said Ranma. "So let's go!"
"Right!" Lychee nodded, as she followed the brothers into the castle. "We're goin' on ahead, old man!"
Happosai was now trapped under the rubble his own explosion had created. "...p-pretty...laaaaa-dy..." he wheezed, before his hand went limp.
Entering the second castle gate, Ranma, Kenma and Lychee soon found themselves in a mysterious foggy area, in the middle of which were Daihakuse & Daikokuse, playing go.
"As the game plays on, the sun sets..." said one of them.
"That's an interesting move. You sure you wanna go with it?" asked the other.
"Hey!" called Ranma. "Are you guys the guards here?"
"Hmm...seems we have company, Daihakuse," said Daikokuse.
"Indeed we do, Daikokuse," replied Daihakuse.
"Well, don't let us interrupt your game of go," stated Kenma. "Don't bother getting up, we'll let ourselves out."
The twins shook their heads. "How rude of them, Daihakuse," scoffed Daikokuse.
"I believe they need to learn some manners, Daikokuse," agreed Daihakuse as he picked up a stone and set it on the board. "First move: 4-14, BLACK!" he exclaimed.
Suddenly, a black stone materialized in the air and started plummeting towards Ranma, who leapt out of the way before he could get flattened.
"What the...it's a giant go stone!" he exclaimed.
"Quite perceptive," commented Daikokuse. "The castle gate itself is one big go playing board!"
"And as we place our pieces, the stones will fall upon you all!" Daihakuse chimed in before raising a white stone. "SECOND MOVE: 4-13, WHITE!"
As he placed the stone down, an identical stone came from midair, and almost dropped on Kenma. The monkey boy tucked and rolled to safety, narrowly avoiding getting flattened.
"First move: 6-16!"
"Second move: 8-13!"
Throughout it all, Ranma and Kenma had to dip and dart for their lives as the twins were slapping down go stones, calling out, "First! Second! First! Second! First! Second! First! Second!"
"Man...these guys are outta control!" exclaimed Ranma as he and his brother kept on running.
"That's right, brave little man!" exclaimed Daikokuse. "Run while you still can!"
"And when you run out of places to go," chimed in Daihakuse. "It's all over for you and your bro!"
As Ranma continued running, inspiration suddenly struck him. "'Places to go'? THAT'S IT!" he exclaimed as he leapt up and seemed to disappear.
Daikokuse looked befuddled. "Hey! Where'd he go?" he asked.
Daihakuse glanced over the board. "Beats me." he replied with a shrug.
"Hah! Your attack has one fatal flaw," said Ranma, prompting them both to glance at him, standing before them, atop one of the Go stones, with Kenma right behind him. "In Go, you can't place a stone in the same area, right?"
"You two talked about having 'no place to go'," Kenma continued. "But then Ranma had a brainstorm: what if we ran ON TOP of the stones? The more you two put down, the more places we had to go!"
The twins were utterly flabbergasted, to say the least. "They're right...WHAT AN OVERSIGHT!" they exclaimed in shocked unison.
With a shout, Ranma leapt into the air and smashed the go board in half. "Wotta shame, boys; looks like your game's all broken up!" he remarked, before the entire area began to quake.
"What's going on?" asked Lychee.
"Remember when we said that the gate correlates with the game board?" explained Daikokuse.
"More or less." shrugged Ranma.
"Well, you just broke it in half...soooooo..." started Daihakuse.
Immediately, the ground split apart with the castle tower, dropping them all into a crevice!
When the smoke cleared, the twins were out cold, and Team Ranma was on their way again.
"Two down, 5 to go!" Kenma exclaimed as they headed off.
"Phew! Hopefully the next one is a little easier," commented Ranma.
"There's no time to lose, boys. Yah!" Lychee said as she gave Jasmine a small kick on the side to get moving, with the boys following behind.
Soon, the trio came to the 3rd gate…which was surprisingly deserted.
Ranma glanced around. "Is this it?" he inquired. "No guard at this gate? Guess I'll just let myself in!" But before he got a chance to enter, the doorway was blocked by a massive mountain of a man; it was none other than Wu.
"H-he's huge!" Ranma gasped.
"He makes Jasmine look like an ant!" Lychee exclaimed.
Jasmine immediately stepped forward, and Wu started inspecting her trunk. Jasmine didn't seem to mind.
"Looks like they're friends now." Lychee noted as she and the boys backed off.
"Guess that means we're free to keep on going, then," said Kenma. "So then…let's go!" he declared as he headed onward.
"Jasmine, stay and keep him company for a while, okay?" Lychee instructed her elephant as she raced off.
"Well, I guess my wish came true," Ranma said with a cheeky smile as he sped off with Lychee.
MEANWHILE, INSIDE THE CASTLE [AT THE TOP FLOOR]...
Kirin gazed out through the window, a neutral expression on his face when he overheard a door opening from behind him.
Turning around, he let out a small gasp of awe. Standing before him was Nabiki, fully dressed in the traditional royal wedding dress of Nekonron. No doubt about it, she looked magnificent.
"...how lovely you are!" Kirin beamed.
Nabiki didn't respond, merely glancing at him with a look of disinterest. She still had no desire to marry this guy.
BACK WITH OUR HEROES…
Monlon casually strummed her lute as she sat atop the 4th gate, awaiting her challengers.
Finally, Ranma, Kenma and Lychee arrived at the gate. "We got some urgent business with your boss," demanded Ranma. "If ya don't wanna get hurt, you'll step aside and let us through!"
Monlon chuckled wickedly. "Such bold words…but you're no match for me."
"Actions speak louder than words, lady," Kenma retorted. "So we'll just see who outmatches who!"
"Yeah! I'm serious here!" Ranma added. "How's about you just come on down here and—"
But he was almost entirely blindsided when Monlon vanished from the top of the gate, only to reappear right in front of him!
Startled, Ranma jumped back a few inches as Monlon chortled to herself.
I didn't even see her move…! thought Ranma, bewildered.
"I am Monlon: Guardian of the Fourth Castle Gate," introduced the woman. "And I'm afraid I'm unable to let you pass through here. Monlon Ultimate Technique: PHANTOM RESTRICTION ATTACK!"
As she pointed her lute, its strings surged forth and wrapped themselves around Ranma and Kenma, binding them both in place.
"Dammit…we're stuck!" grunted Kenma.
"The more you struggle, the tighter the wire becomes," smirked Monlon; as she flicked one of the strings, the vibration traveled along until it tore through Ranma's sleeve and into his skin, making his arm bleed as he cried out in agony.
"RANMA!" Kenma screamed.
"Now do you understand my power?" asked Monlon. "Give up and go home, little boys. If you do, then you can keep your lives."
"G-gimme a break, will ya?" Ranma grunted, despite one of the strings being wrapped around his neck. "Kenma and I are Saotomes…and we don't give up easily, lady!"
"Besides…what good is a life…" Kenma joined in. "...if I don't have one of my favorite girls to spend it with?!"
"So that girl is worth more than your life?" inquired Monlon.
"I'D SOONER DIE THAN GIVE UP ON NABIKI!" Kenma bellowed.
Looking on, Lychee couldn't help feeling guilty. Once again, my terrible luck has reared its ugly head…two of my new friends are about to be killed, because they've gotten involved in MY mess, she thought.
"I see...then I have no choice, do I?" Monlon smirked. "DIE!" She plucked the string, sending a huge vibration down its length, approaching Ranma's neck, until…
Suddenly…
KSHWMM—!
Ranma suddenly fell backwards, as did Kenma; now both boys had been freed from Monlon's binding lute strings.
"Wh—whuh?" Ranma muttered as he glanced down at the lacerations on his clothes and the now-limp strings. "What happened?"
"She happened," replied Kenma as he pointed ahead. Standing between the boys and Monlon was none other than Shampoo.
"Ranma, Kenma, are you alright?" asked the young amazon.
"A little scuffed-up, sure…but nothing some bandaids and Neosporin couldn't fix," responded Kenma.
"We owe ya big time, Shampoo. If you'd shown up a second later, my carotid artery would've carved like a pumpkin!" Ranma said, as he was catching his breath.
"Indeed. I haven't felt this helpless since my family's restaurant burned down!" Lychee chimed in, grateful for Shampoo's impeccable timing.
Shampoo gave a nod, before she turned to face her opponent. "夢龍！ 你的戰鬥現在與我同在! [Monlon! Your fight is with me now!]!" she said in her native Chinese.
Monlon glared in response, as Kenma picked Ranma up by his shoulder.
"Ranma, Kenma, take Lychee and go," instructed Shampoo. "And Kenma? Get Nabiki back…for the both of us."
"You know I will," Kenma gave a wink as he, Ranma and Lychee took off to meet the next challenge.
Monlon shot a glare at the fleeing trio, before she turned back towards Shampoo, whose body was now emitting a blue glow.
"Very well, then," said the lute-player. "I shall award you a quick and painless death. COME ON, THEN!"
And with battle cries from both sides, they leapt into combat…
LATER, AT THE FIFTH GATE...
Ranma, Kenma and Lychee had arrived and were facing down the next opponent, the diminutive Ebiten.
"So, you've made it all the way to the 5th gate!" he observed, before pulling out his fishing rod and spinning it like a staff. "But this is where your luck ENDS! I won't let ANYONE pass through here!"
"Man, we don't have time for this!" groused Ranma. "If ya don't get outta the way, I'll just knock you outta the way!"
"Yes. For your own sake, please do not interfere." Lychee added.
"Not possible, because I have a duty to uphold," replied Ebiten.
"Fine, then!" Ranma shrugged before charging into action.
THWACK!
The next thing Ranma knew, he found himself lying on the ground! He pulled himself up, and turned back around to face Ebiten.
"You're gonna hafta do better n' that!" Ranma declared.
Ebiten smirked. "Well, of course," he replied. "It wouldn't be much fun otherwise!" Raising his fishing pole again, he began slashing at Ranma like he was holding a sword, not a fishing pole. And yet, it managed to draw blood more than a few times.
By the time the assault ceased, Ranma was dripping blood as he had to take a knee and catch his breath.
"Hah! That was easy," scoffed Ebiten. "How did you even make it all the way here? …you know what? It doesn't matter anyways, especially because YOU'RE ABOUT TO DIE!"
With a roar, he got ready to bring the fishing pole down again.
KRAK!
Much to Ebiten's shock, his fishing pole clattered to the ground in pieces, splintered in two by some yellow thing.
The object in question, a boomerang bandana, swirled back around and landed in the hands of none other than Ryoga.
"Nobody kills Ranma while I'm around," he declared firmly as he kicked Ebiten right in the face. "Destiny has reserved THAT pleasure for me."
Ryoga turned to his bloodied rival. "Well? Go save Nabiki already!" he remarked before he raced off.
Ranma pulled himself to his feet, and headed off with Kenma and Lychee behind him.
Ebiten struggled before standing up again. "I said…n-no one…shall pass…" he began, right before he was suddenly attacked by Kuno, who was jabbing at him with his bokken.
The wannabe swordsman leapfrogged over the little man and streaked forward into the castle. As Ebiten pulled himself up once more, he was trampled by Happosai, then Mousse [having mistaken a battered Monlon for Shampoo, all the while begging her not to tell Kodachi], then Shampoo, and finally by Soun and Genma.
"Nuh…none…shall…paaaaaaa~*" Ebiten groaned, before he finally passed out.
BACK IN KIRIN'S THRONE ROOM…
The man in question gazed upon the separate pieces of the Ancient Scroll of Luck. "We are to join these two halves of the scroll," he said as he picked them up from the table they were on. "And when the halves are united, so too shall we be united."
Kirin held out one half of the scroll to Nabiki, who looked at the object with clear disdain. "Here, take this," he instructed.
But Nabiki didn't budge; she didn't even reach for the scroll.
"The ceremony is at hand; why do you still refuse?" inquired Kirin.
The brunette turned towards her captor. "Because I'm not marrying you; no way, no how," she replied icily.
Kirin raised a brow. "This is about that Kenma fellow, isn't it?" he asked. "I wouldn't wait up for him."
Nabiki just smirked. "Then you don't know my Kenma very well." she responded.
Suddenly, the doors to the throne room crashed down, and from within the dust cloud emerged Ryoga.
"Nabiki, I'm here!" he exclaimed. When Akane sees how I rescued her sister, she'll be so grateful for my help~!
"Nice of you to show up, Wilbur," commented Nabiki. "But you're not quite who I expected."
"What?! But I came to rescue you!" Ryoga gasped, surprised by Nabiki's dismissive attitude.
"And it was a wonderful effort, let me assure you," Nabiki responded.
"Hey! We came to help too!" insisted Soun.
"...oh. Hey, dad," replied Nabiki dismissively. "Did you see Kenma on your way here?"
Kirin, of course, didn't take too well to these interlopers. "You wretched heathens…HOW DARE YOU INTERRUPT A SACRED CEREMONY! YOU WILL BE PUNISHED!" he scowled.
... ... ...
From the ground, Ranma, Kenma and Lychee could see an enormous explosion at the top of the castle as beams of light shone forth from the windows.
"Looks like the party started without us!" Kenma commented.
"Come on!" Ranma urged, and he and the others headed towards the final boss.
After taking the elevator up, our trio burst through the throne room's entrance. "Hope we didn't miss the reception!" Kenma exclaimed, spinning his staff.
Upon seeing the red-headed boy, Nabiki's eyes lit up. "KENMA!" she beamed brightly.
"In the flesh!" Kenma exclaimed as he took a bow. "And we're here to get my girl back, AND settle the score!"
"Yeah! Right here, right now! Today!" Ranma chimed in.
Kirin chortled as he approached the Saotome Brothers. "But you could not defeat Kirin before," he retorted.
"That's what you think!" Kenma said as he took a fighting stance. "This old dog's learned a few new tricks! ROASTED CHESTNUT FIST!" he bellowed as he began launching a series of blows at Kirin.
Kirin smirked as he started blocking each blow with ease, through the use of his chopsticks. "Your feeble punches cannot touch the almighty Kirin," he scoffed.
Kenma raised a brow. Strange…it's like I can't break his defense. But why? he thought before Kirin reappeared directly in front of him. "GAAAH!"
In an instant, he was sent flying backwards and crashed into a nearby wall.
"KENMA!" Nabiki exclaimed as the boy pulled himself to his feet.
Okay, so he blocked the R.C.F.; what sort of shielding has he got on him? Kenma thought, before glancing at his hand, which was covered in…scratch marks. Scratch marks? If I didn't know better, I'd think he was using…EUREKA!
Shielding, my ass! He was blocking with his chopsticks! Kenma realized, before a smirk crossed his face.
"Kirin blocked those punches with his chopsticks? Just how fast is this guy?!" Ranma said to himself, noticing the marks on his brother's fists
"Kirin, stop!" Akane begged as she ran to Kirin.
"Stand aside, girl," Kirin remarked dismissively. "This fight has reached its end!"
"I might not LIKE Kenma, but I don't want to see him die!" Akane exclaimed.
"Well, lucky for you…ya won't." Kenma replied as he sprang to his feet and swung his arms a few times. "I was feeling out his technique…and now that I've figured out just what to do—VICTORY IS MINE!" he said before punching a hole in the floor with all his might
"What on earth is he doing, Ranma?" asked Lychee.
"I dunno, but I really hope Ken knows what he's doing," Ranma replied with a concerned look on his face.
"Are you ready for me to send you to the Next Dimension?" inquired Kirin as he got himself into a battle stance.
"Hey, you wanna rumble? You GOT one!" Kenma declared with a smirk.
Suddenly, the ground began to quiver before a geyser of hot water shot up from the hole in the floor!
"He used the last of his power…to dig a hot spring?" asked Ryoga. "Is he nuts?!"
The water began to pool through the windows, even spilling out through the other floors and flooding the area around the castle.
"I'll admit it's an amusing parlor trick," responded Kirin. "But I'd like to see how this will help you break through my defenses."
"Well, to show is better than to tell," smiled Kenma. "AND NOW, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, FEAST YOUR EYES! DON'T EVEN BLINK, CUZ YOU'LL ONLY SEE THIS ONCE! The Roasted Chestnut Fist, Revised for the New Millennium!"
And once more, he launched into a flurry of blows, which Kirin seemed to be blocking again.
"Revised? Hmph! This just looks like the same feeble attack…" the prince scoffed…that is, until a blast of water seemed to hit him in the breadbasket. "NNGH! Wh-what was that…?" he grunted.
"Hey, he got in a hit!" beamed Shampoo.
"The gods may smile upon someone once, in battle," scoffed Kirin, before another water blast hit him. Then another…and another.
"If that's the case, then they must be smilin' BIG!" Kenma grinned as he sent another water blast at the prince; Kirin tried to use his chopsticks to block it, but it just slid through and decked him right in the face!
"But that's impossible! His punches are the same speed as they were before, and it's the same technique!" he grunted as he was sent flying backwards.
"Hey, that's it! Kenma was usin' the Roasted Chestnut Fist to hit Kirin with balls of hot water!" Ranma exclaimed.
"So it's like trying to eat soup with chopsticks," Mousse observed. "Very impressive!"
"Very incredible, Kenma!" congratulated Soun. "So imaginative!"
Genma let off a boisterous laugh. "Well, Tendo, he is my son!" he beamed proudly.
Ranma quickly elbowed his father in the stomach. "Yeah, and my brother," he added with a smirk.
Kirin got back to his feet. "Kirin has never faced an opponent such as yourself," he remarked. "It seems that Kirin will need his full power to defeat you."
Kenma looked around. "...okay then, where is he?" he asked.
Kirin pointed to himself. "...it's me! He is me!" he explained.
"Haah! Kidding!" laughed Kenma. "Gotta love callbacks."
"Just for that, your death shall be FAR MORE PAINFUL than expected!" Kirin declared as he powered up. "For the honor of the School of the Seven Lucky Gods!"
"Why? Were you at the bottom of your class?" Kenma said with a smug look on his face, winking at the camera.
Kirin glanced where he was looking. "Who are you talking to?! THERE'S NO ONE THERE!" he bellowed. "...alright, just for that, your punishment shall be A THOUSAND TIMES MORE PAINFUL!"
Looks like it's now or never, thought Kenma as he cupped his hands in a double palm strike pose and pointed them towards the target. Then again, I've been wanting to do this for YEARS!
He placed his feet in a back stance, then twisted his body clockwise and put his hands behind himself in one swift motion.
"Hey…what's Kenma doing?" asked Akane.
"Ka…Me…" Kenma began chanting as he started to build up his energy, focusing it within his palms.
Ranma's eyes widened. "Holy crap…he's doing it…" he gasped.
"Doing what?!" asked Ryoga.
"...Ha…Me…" Kenma continued as the energy grew bigger.
"ULTIMATE TECHNIQUE: HUNDRED CHOPSTICK STING!" roared Kirin as he started launching an all-out barrage of chopstick strikes, like he had during their first battle.
But things would end differently this time.
"...HAAAAAAA!" Kenma shouted as he fired an orange energy blast at Kirin. The prince tried to push the blast back, but Kenma's energy overpowered him, and sent him flying back, engulfed completely.
Impossible…I am Prince Kirin, of the School of Seven Lucky Gods Martial Arts! thought Kirin as he went flying backwards. How could I be defeated by a commoner like him…?
Kenma was so ecstatic about his victory that it took him a few seconds to notice that he and everyone else were being swept up in a tremendous whirlpool!
OK, perhaps I should've thought ahead a bit more about the geyser... he thought to himself as the water grew higher around his ankles.
The entire castle, having been flooded due to the geyser overflowing inside its walls, immediately exploded, trapping everyone within inside a whirlpool-geyser hybrid!
Lychee glanced upwards, seeing the Scroll of Luck trapped under the broken remnants of the table. "There's the scroll!" she exclaimed as she swam upwards to get it.
Nabiki, meanwhile, was carried upwards into the raging whirlpool, as Kenma bent his knees and sprang further, using this as a boost to push himself through the whirlpool, swimming upwards to Nabiki so he could retrieve her.
"Hang on! I gotcha!" he called out as he grabbed for her...but was beaten to the punch by Kirin, who had grabbed Nabiki. "Aw, not THIS again!"
"Indeed, this again!" Kirin declared. "Nabiki shall become Kirin's bride!"
But then he noticed that Lychee was swimming towards the trapped scroll piece. "The scroll!" Kirin exclaimed, and he tossed Nabiki aside and swam towards the scroll piece.
As Nabiki's body slowly drifted downwards, Kenma cleared his throat. "FLYING NIMBUS!" he exclaimed, and a familiar golden cloud streaked down through the whirlpool as it flew under Kenma, taking him upwards.
"Get Nabiki!" he instructed, and the Nimbus streaked further up until Kenma had caught Nabiki in his arms.
He could feel her heartbeat as he hugged the short-haired girl to his body.
"Oh, Nabiki…I know you care for very few things besides money…" he told her so only she could hear. "...but I hope you know how much you mean to me. I love Shampoo, and I love you too. You're my two favorite girls, and nothing's gonna change that."
Kenma clutched Nabiki to his body…and suddenly heard her respond.
"Kenma…there's no reason to get all sappy…" her voice insisted as Kenma held her up in his arms. Gazing back were Nabiki's familiar hazel eyes.
Meanwhile, as Lychee reached up for the scroll, she felt Kirin's hand on her own, and they gazed into each other's eyes as they felt something between them—something deep and passion-filled.
Suddenly, Kirin grabbed Lychee and jumped away as a massive pile of wood from the decimated palace narrowly smashed the both of them flat.
As the two couples floated amidst the whirlpool, Kirin gazed quietly down at Lychee, who was still clutching her half of the Scroll of Luck.
Astounding; in spite of how I treated her with such disdain…she STILL chose to save the scroll, thought the Prince of the School of Seven Lucky Gods Martial Arts. Perhaps there is more to a marriage than merely finding whoever holds half of a parchment…
... ... ...
Eventually, the geyser had died down, reduced to a very large pool of water. First came Ranma…then Kenma…then Nabiki…then Kirin and Lychee…and then came the rest.
As the tower lay on its side, Kirin stepped from the water, carrying Lychee's prone form. Soon she regained consciousness and looked up at Kirin, who gently placed her on her feet.
Lychee glanced down at the scroll piece and held it out to Kirin. "Here…you really care about the scroll, right?" she asked him.
"Thank you," nodded Kirin as he accepted her piece of the scroll and combined it with his own piece, resulting in the two merging into one full scroll.
Both the monkey boy and the defrosted ice queen watched as Kirin and Lychee gazed into each others' eyes while the sun began to rise.
AND SO, A LITTLE WHILE LATER...
The group had now been given a new flying boat so they could travel home from Nekonron in style. And of course, to compensate for kidnapping her, Nabiki had requested that the prince and his servants give them each some gold.
Kirin agreed, and also had his tailors make Kenma a brand-new suit: one that looked just like the clothes of Sun Wukong himself.
"I suppose I owe you some gratitude, Nabiki," he told the bob-haired girl. "In the short time we've known each other, you've given me many new experiences."
Nabiki shrugged with a smirk. "What can I say? I'm full of surprises like that, y'know?" she replied coolly.
Kirin nodded and turned towards Kenma. "And Kenma...I can honestly say I've never met anyone like you before," he said as he put out a hand to shake. "You defeated me utterly."
Kenma reached out and shook his hand. "Hey, when I put my mind to accomplishing things, I'm laser-focused," he replied. "So I guess that means you're giving up on marrying Nabiki, correct?"
"When it came to the final choice, I chose the scroll," Kirin replied. "You were the one who saved her in the geyser."
Ranma looked over to Lychee, who stood next to Jasmine. "So, what're you gonna do from here, Lychee?" he asked.
Lychee shrugged. "Start all over, I guess," she responded. "Who knows? Maybe this time I'll finally find that prince on the white horse I've been searching for my whole life."
Kirin stared at her, lost in thought...as though he were contemplating something.
"So, what's written on that scroll anyways?" inquired Ryoga.
Kirin unfurled the scroll, and Shampoo leaned over to get a look. "Seven Lucky Gods Ultimate Technique: How to Make Too-Too Delicious Fukujin Pickles?!" she read out loud.
All at once, most everyone from Nerima felt very, very stupid.
" 'This is first step for couple'," continued Shampoo. " 'To make a good marriage. First, groom washes vegetables; then, bride adds salt. After pressing, happy couple sprinkles soy sauce together'."
"Ah, darling Shampoo~" crowed Happosai as he clung to the Amazon's leg. "Even your voice is beautiful!"
"Hey, gramps," snapped Ryoga. "What was all that business about a 'danger to the world' and a 'threat to peace'? And that jibber-jabber about a 'sacrifice'?"
"It's an ultimate technique, alright..." glowered Mousse. "...an ultimate technique for MAKING PICKLES! I missed a date with Kodachi for this?!"
By now, Happosai had noticed that EVERYONE from Nerima was now gathered around him, shooting him a death-glare.
"So what if it is, it's alright!" he laughed. "Think of this as a training trip!"
Ranma cracked his knuckles, and glanced to Kenma, who cracked his knuckes as well.
"You call this.." they both said as they wound up. "...TRAINING?!"
And with both of their fists ready, they decked Happosai, sending him flying into the air!
END CREDITS
After giving Happosai the ass-whooping of a lifetime, the Nerima gang boards their new flying ship, and sets off for home while the credits roll.
Ending Credits/Main Theme:
"It's Love"
Song by RABBIT
Lyrics by TOMOHARU IWASA
Composer: TOSHINARI NOGE
Arranged by RABBIT
Translated by TRISH LEDOUX!
Can't stand those guys hangin' around you all the time
They all want you, you're so nervous; in a word you're like a Venus
Miracle girl, you went from fantasy to life
From within my deepest desert, you're an undiscovered jewel!
Just lean on me, I'll be here
No matter what happens
You're the one I won't give up on
Head-to-toe, I'm nuts about you
Even though I cannot see that two hearts can be one
Wanna believe it—eye to eye
Every now and then, I wanna make sure that it's real
Don't you know, know, know...?
It's love!
Kissed by the sun, your tan's a color that's hard-won
Oh, I can't believe your action, I get dizzy from the tension
On those rare nights I spend alone, not in your light
Tired eyes, darkened enigma
And the shadows keep me from you
Without you, nothin' goes right—I'm just half-alive
Style, smile
A to Z, I'm mad about you
Even though I cannot see that two hearts can be one
Wanna feel through it—heart to heart
Every now and then, we gotta know for sure it's real
Don't you know, know, know...?
It's love!
[Guitar Break!]
When you're "you" again, you'll soon become my one and my only
Show me all your tears, let me comfort all your fears
Show them just to me
I won't let you go; I won't go away
Stay like this with you forevermore
Let the days pass as they may, my love
And then, someday we'll come together
Even though I cannot see that two hearts can be one
Wanna believe it—eye to eye
Every now and then, I wanna make sure that it's real
Don't you know, know, know...?
Even though I cannot see that two hearts can be one
Wanna feel through it—heart to heart
Every now and then, we gotta know for sure it's real
Don't you know, know, know...?
It's love!
Ranma and his friends and foes wave goodbye as the ship takes off; Kirin and Lychee wave in response, the two of them holding hands as they watch the ship soaring into the sunrise.
[Song Ends.]
EPILOGUE
About a month later, a photograph of the newly-married Kirin and Lychee arrived, along with a big vat of Seven Lucky Pickled Veggies.
"So those are Kirin and Lychee?" asked Aki.
"Yup," nodded Akane, as she tucked into a plate of fukujin pickles.
And she wasn't the only one; everybody else had also tucked into their plates and were enjoying their vegetables...even Nabiki!
"Bingo!" said Soun as he placed down another go stone on his board. "Y'know, Saotome, I've been thinking, and something just occurred to me."
"Growr?" asked Panda-Genma.
"While we were in China, we could've paid a visit to Jusenkyo to get you and Ranma cured." stated Soun.
Genma blinked in surprise. His mustached friend was right...they COULD have stopped to get themselves cured.
"GYAAAAAAH!" screamed Genma, Ranma, Mousse and Ryoga.
"Aaaaah, SHADDAP!" Kenma snapped, whacking Soun's head into his playing board.
THE END!
Ranma ½:
The First Movie
"Big Trouble in Nekonlon, China!
A Battle to Defy the Rules!"
Starring the voice talents of:
ROB PAULSEN as Ranma Saotome
VENUS TERZO as Ranko Saotome
SCOTT D. MENVILLE as Kenma Saotome
LACEY CHABERT as Ukyo Kuonji
JOHN PAYNE as Prince Kirin
GREY DELISLE as Lychee
ANGIE COSTAIN as Nabiki Tendo
MEGAN HOLLINGSHEAD as Kasumi Tendo
MYRIAM SIROIS as Akane Tendo
TERRY MACGOVERN as Jinn the Djinn
TED LEWIS as Ryoga Hibiki
MICHAEL HAIGNEY as Wilbur
ED GILBERT as Genma Saotome
RENÉ AUBERJONOIS as Soun Tendo
MICHAEL MAGEE as Happosai
JUNE FORAY as Cologne
CATHY WESELUCK as Shampoo
WILL RYAN as Junichi
PAMELA ADLON as Ryunosuke
MARK HILDRETH as Akimitsu
ADAM WYLIE as Mousse
NICK MISURA as Ebiten
MICHAEL "MIKEY" DOBSON as Daihakuse
PAUL DOBSON as Daikokuse
DALE D. KELLY as Bishamonten
TRAVIS WILLINGHAM as Kuno
LINDA BOYD as Monlon
TERRY KLASSEN as Wu
As told by BRICE ARMSTRONG
a VIZ VIDEO production
And finally, my adaptation of Big Trouble in Nekonron, China is NOW COMPLETE!
Cripes, wotta task! This is why the movies will only be one per season...these take a whole lotta time to do.