Ranma and the Talismans Chapter 10
Sorry about the delay, everyone. This chapter, for multiple reasons, took longer to write than expected. To make up for this, chapter 10 will be the longest in the story yet.
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, Ranma 1/2 Is owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ Communications. Jackie Chan Adventures is owned by Adelaide Productions, Sony Pictures, and probably Jackie Chan.
I recommend supporting the source material.
Ranma vs. The Invisible Kodachi
Tendo House, The Day of the Match
Akane woke still feeling a slight pain coming from her ankle. Resigning herself to her fate, the girl grabbed a crutch and went to the Dojo to check up on her fiancé's progress.
When she opened the dojo's doors, the black-haired girl almost fell over from shock. The room looked like a tornado had hit it. Cracks and dents covered the walls. Gymnastics tools laid scattered and damaged. At the center of this chaos, a drowsy Ranma was jumping up and down on her rival's back and repeatedly saying, "Take that! Had enough yet"?!
Meanwhile, her supposed teacher was tangled up in a ribbon and repeatedly said, "Never"! Every time he got jumped on.
With anger and concern as clear as day, Akane shouted, "Have you been doing this all night?!
The redhead took a few seconds to process the girl's words and drowsily said, "Huh? What- -? Morning already".
The black-haired girl concernedly asked, "Are you sure you are okay for the match"?
In a joyful but slurred voice, Ranma said, "It's okay, it's okay".
A moment later, sounds came from the ceiling. Jade then came crashing down from the rafters, landing directly onto Ryoga. Akane worriedly shouted, "Are you okay"?!
Jade slowly got up and gave her cousin a thumbs up. Meanwhile, In the same tone from a moment ago, Ryoga said, "I ain't never going to give up Ranma Saotome"!
Akane was relieved her cousin was OK. Meanwhile, Ranma slowly blinked a few times and muttered, "I thought I told you to go to bed last night"?
Jade chuckled and rubbed the back of her head before replying. "I went to bed in the rafters, so I can watch you and Ryoga fight a little longer".
The redhead slowly blinked a few more times before saying, "Okay"? With no visible reaction to what just occurred, Ranma then walked to the breakfast table at a sloth's pace.
Tendo Dining Room
A drowsy Ranma, still in female form, was eating breakfast. The pigtailed girl noticed something was odd with her food and said, "Hey Kasumi, this fish cake is tough"!
Kasumi giggled at this and chirped, "That's a towel"!
The redhead shrugged her shoulders and pulled the towel out of her mouth. Seeing the cloth in front of her, Ranma slowly replied, "Your right, Kasumi. This piece of fabric is not a fish cake! It's a pillow"! With those words said, the young Saotome's body went limp and crumbled onto the table, sound asleep.
Ranma's father clapped close to their child's ears, but the redhead only snored in response. Genma said, "It looks like the boy will be sawing logs for a while. The last time I saw my son like this, the boy needed half a day's worth of shut-eye to pull off a halfway decent fight. In this condition, Ranma will have to forfeit that girly competition. Not to mention he'll have to surrender his breakfast to me".
Everyone at the table grimaced at this news. Meanwhile, Genma gleefully grabbed their son's plate and prepared to devour it. However, a hand reached out from behind the bald man and quickly polled the plate away. Turning around, the martial artist saw a familiar Chi Wizard standing behind him.
Shocked, Genma promptly asked, "Uncle! What are you doing here"?!
The old man replied, "Kasumi invited me over for breakfast today. Something about Ranma needing as much support as possible before his big match. Although, why is she asleep".
With slight anger in her voice, Akane answered the man's question. "This idiot spent all night training, and now they are going to sleep through their entire fight"!
In a casual voice, Uncle said, "Oh, it's no problem then. Uncle knows a special blend that will get Ranma up and Adam in no time. But first, I'm going to enjoy some breakfast". With those words said Uncle began eating Ranma's meal.
A little while later
It took some work, but they managed to get Ranma awake enough to drink what Uncle just brewed. Without sparing a moment, the Chi wizard set a cup of coffee and some freshly made tea in front of the sleepy redhead. Slowly the young Saotome picked up the coffee and took a sip.
Ranma's pupils practically quadrupled as her body began to vibrate. The boy-turned-girl was bursting with energy and proceeded to talk a mile per minute. "OhUncle,whendidyougethere? Isthatanewvest? This reminds me ofthisfunnystoryIhaveaboutRyoga. Itwasafewyearsago,orwasitlastnight? Anyway..."
To stop the redhead's ramblings, Uncle immediately shoved the tea down her throat. Ranma's pupils quickly went back to normal. Once all the tea was drunk, Uncle gently put the cup on the table and asked, "How are you feeling today, Ranma"?
The pigtailed martial artist held her head for a few seconds and replied, in a normal voice, "Aside from the whiplash, I feel fine. It's as if all the exhaustion from last night's training got replaced with a good night's sleep".
Nabiki was astonished and asked, "Did you give Ranma one of your magic potions, and can you show me how to make that stuff sometime"?
Uncle scoffed at this before replying. "That wasn't magic. It was just a special coffee and tea blend I created to help Jackie during his college days. The first drink was just coffee mixed with a few energy shots and all the sugar cubes in your kitchen. The tea, on the other hand, is just meant to counter the sugar rush".
Everyone in the room's jaws dropped at that answer. Regardless, as long as Ranma can fight in the match today, no complaints were made.
—-
Saint Hebereke
Kodachi inquisitively asked, "So Furinkan High is using another substitute"?
Embarrassed, Akane admitted, "I hurt myself practicing last night, so the girl beside me will be filling in for me"!
Kodachi then took a closer look at the redhead and a sense of familiarity washed over her before declaring, "You are the pigtailed girl from the other day. I do hope you'll be fighting fairly today". With those words said, the black-haired girl proceeded to give Ranma a handshake, but the redhead simply glared at the girl's outstretched hand.
The anything-goes practitioner then said, in a deadpan tone, "How did those tacks get between your fingers"?
With false surprise, the Saint Hebereke representative said, "Oh, how did those get there? At least now I know your reflexes are sharp". Kodachi then walked away while letting loose her trademark ear-piercing laugh.
Changing Room
Ranma, Akane, and Jade made their way to the indicated locker room, and despite Akane's injury, they were soon at the right door relatively fast. Most of the doors at Saint Hebereke had fancy planks on each door except for theirs, which had a sheet of paper taped to it that read "Furinkan High".
The three girls went inside and found a sleeping panda next to a bouquet of black roses. To add to the strangeness of the situation a weird aroma was emerging from where the flowers were. In concern, Jade shouted, "Hold your breath"! Jade then ran forward and quickly grabbed the flowers. When she was near the open window, the kid through the bundle as far as she could. Several feet away two passing girls immediately fell asleep the moment they checked out the throne bouquet.
This action finally caused a realization within the three girls' minds. 'Kodachi is an A-grade dirty fighter".
Akane with fury shouted, "Honestly, you can't take your eyes off of that girl for a minute! Trying to poke you with thumbtacks is a dirty move, but this is ridiculous. You better take care of Kodachi in the ring, Ranma!"
The redhead calmly replied, "No worries I will, but can you help me get pops out of the room so I can change"? The three then pushed with all their might and managed to get the slumbering panda out of the room.
Ranma began to change and irritatedly said, "I can't believe I have to wear the pink leotard"!
Akane rolled her eyes and replied, "Don't you remember? During your scuffle with Ryoga last night you covered the green leotard in dirt and put several tears in it. If you want to wear it, I'm sure Kasumi can fix it for you in a few days".
Seeing the mischievous grin on his fiancé's face the pigtailed martial artist with slight annoyance evident in their voice, responded. "I knew that. Although the thing I don't know is why are you two still doing here"!
Jade casually answered her sensei's question by saying. "It is recommended you have a coach during martial arts rhythmic gymnastics competitions, and Nabiki, myself, and Akane couldn't decide who your coach should be. After doing a little bit more digging into the rule book Apparently, you can have a maximum of two coaches. Hearing this Nabiki let me get her coaching position if I take some close-up shots of you during the fight".
"Let me guess Nabiki was busy setting up her betting ring, you wanted to get front-row seats to the fight, and Akane wanted to help take down the girl who supposedly 'sprained her ankle'"? Ranma said with a deadpan tone.
Their suspicions were quickly confirmed when Jade rubbed the back of her head while giving out a huge toothy smile.
Arena
The gymnasium was crowded, with students from both schools crammed into the Saint Hebereke bleachers. The room was closer to a professional wrestling arena than a high school gymnastics stage. Individual chatter filled the air, but once the referee entered the ring and held up a microphone everyone's attention became focused on the main event. "Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the Saint Hebereke vs. Furinkan High martial arts rhythmic gymnastics tournament"! Her booming words were heard all over the arena and echoed through every nearby corner of the school.
Cheers of excitement and anticipation broke out from all corners of the gymnasium. The excited shouts of Furinkan High's mixed ranks contrasting with the 100% female student body of Saint Hebereke only seemed to make the excitement for the battle, even more palpable.
"To my right, we have the mysterious and skilled Furinkan Challenger"! The referee's words activated a mechanism that caused a door to open and a spotlight to illuminate the away team. With as much pride as she could muster, Ranma strode down the walkway to the ring, brandishing a long-sleeved legless pink leotard. To the right, Akane walked beside her fiancé and Jade did the same on her teacher's left.
Scanning the crowd the redhead saw Nabiki simultaneously taking pictures of her and discussing what looked to be some last-minute bets with a couple of Saint Hebereke girls. Ranma couldn't help but giggle at her fiancé's antics.
Without a break in stride, she jumped beautifully into the air, flying up far past the tallest bleachers. When gravity finally decided to take hold the girl performed a flashy forward flip and landed as gracefully as a bird onto the ring on her tiptoes in a picture-perfect pose, raising her arms and proceeding to soak up as many of the cheers as possible. The pigtailed girl held this pose until the announcer said over the microphone, "And here comes the champion"!
At least 20 girls in sea-green leotards each knelt on both sides of the walkway, leading to the spotlighted open door. Despite the fact there was no one there each of the girls began throwing baskets of black Rose petals into the air. Ranma was about to ask if Kodachi was late, but before she could the redhead saw an invisible woman walking towards the stage.
The rose petals gently flew around and landed on something invisible. If you payed close attention you can even identify the invisible culprit as a slightly taller than average girl with a curvaceous build. However, all traces of the invisible girl quickly vanished the moment she got close to the ring.
The crowd went silent, but the silence was broken by an ear-piercing laugh. Soon after a shimmer of light appeared and Kodachi appeared on stage wearing the same leotard as her club mates.
Unfazed by Kodachi's entrance, the referee spoke into her microphone once more. "In the red corner, from Saint Hebereke School for Girls Kodachi Kuno"!
With the crowds' attention on her, Kodachi proceeds to soak up the applause in a similar fashion to her pigtailed opponent.
With eyes bugged out Ranma shakily pointed her finger at Kodachi and asked, "Do you happen to have an older brother named Takawaki Kuno by any chance"?!
Kodachi nonchalantly answered, "Yes, I do have a bore of a brother that goes by that name. In fact, last time I checked, he goes to your school".
"That... That... That makes a lot of sense now that I think about it". Ranma replied shock fading away.
Seeing the twos prompt to chitchat has finished the announcer spoke once more. "In the blue corner we have..." Thanks to the last-minute substitution the announcer wasn't able to memorize the challenger's full name. However, she quickly came up with an idea to save face. The announcer shouted, "To mix things up why don't we let the challenger introduce herself".
Holding the microphone close to the redhead The girl in a casual voice said, "My name is Ranma Saotome".
Immediately after hearing this, the crowd started whispering theories and the possible connections the male Ranma had with his female doppelgänger. Meanwhile, Akane was about to whisper her worries into her fiancé's ears, but Jade stopped her. "I may not have lived in this town as long as you, but I know for a fact the people that live here are not the brightest bulbs in the bunch and can accept some weird stuff. So don't worry about it cuz".
Kodachi held her chin in thought before mumbling. "I believe my brother band one Ranma Saotome from our home not too long ago? Although I could've sworn the person he banned was some handsome, black-haired boy".
Ranma in the same calm tone as before replied, "That would be my brother. Pops can be a lazy jerk from time to time, and when he realized there were twins on the way he couldn't come up with a different name to distinguish me from my brother".
Looking around, the crowd seemed to have bought the lie surprisingly well. Some even began mumbling curses to Genma. Even Kodachi Looked disgusted by this fact. "I can't believe such hooligans exist. At least your father's Lazy decision brought me one good thing".
Looking puzzled by this statement Kodachi Pointed at her brother in the stands, and Ranma couldn't help but laugh.
Takawaki Kuno was vigorously writing down the name of the pigtailed girl but crossed the word out the moment he took a close look at what he wrote down. Kuno continued to do this repeatedly until he said, "Sasuke what was the name of the pigtailed girl again"?
A short bucktooth ninja calmly replied, "Master Kuno, I believe she said her name was Ranma Saotome"?
The wannabe samurai angrily shouted, "Don't be ridiculous! There's no way the pigtailed goddess has the same name as that vile wizard Ranma Saodome"! Immediately after saying this Kuno began repeatedly writing down misspellings of Ranma's name before crossing them out.
When Ranma finally stopped her laughing fit she said, "You do have a good point there"!
A few seconds later, the referee spoke to both combatants. "Champions to the center"! Once the two were standing mere inches from each other, the announcer continued by saying. "Now shake hands".
However, the moment their hands met Kodachi through remarkable speed and coordination slipped on a chain onto Ranma's outstretched right hand. The girl in the green then jumped back and said, "Carelessness is your enemy"!
Ranma was surprised by this, but this was quickly overturned by annoyance when she looked down at what she was chained to. At the end of the chain lay an angry black piglet, frantically waving its hooves around. All the redhead could say to this was, "Ryoga! Oh, you just live to mess me up, don't you"?
Hearing that P-Chan bit Ranma's arm, but the pink leotard proved unusually durable. The redhead barely felt anything through the fabric.
Seeing the chains and the pig Jade hollered at the referee. "Come on ref that has to be cheating"!
The referee calmly replied, "Actually, that's good sportsmanship. There is no rule saying you can't give your opponent tools to use in a match, and Pigs are a legal weapon". Seeing both of Ranma's coaches' eyes widen at this the referee continued her explanation. "A few years ago a pig sumo trainer managed to convince the higher-ups of martial arts rhythmic gymnastics to add pigs with leashes as legal tools during competitions. And yes I am being serious"!
With those words said the bell rang, signaling the beginning of the fight.
Fight!
While the two girls were sizing their opponent up, the announcer spoke, "Just a reminder to the audience bare hand blows are prohibited, and there is no time limit. If one of the girls goes unconscious or lands outside the ring, it will be considered an immediate loss".
Ranma began the fight by saying, "Beating up girls isn't my style, so I'll knock you out of the ring before you get hurt"! The redhead then pulled out her ribbon and attempted to capture Kodachi. However, the girl pulled out her own ribbon and cut the fabric into multiple pieces.
To make matters worse, the pig began to run around Ranma's legs and wrapped her in chains. Kodachi then closed the gap between the two and haughtily said, "Thank you for your concern! But as you can see, I'm winning this fight"! Immediately after the Saint Hebereke girl hit the pink cladded girl upside the head with her ribbon.
Akane shouted in protest, "Wait a minute! It's a rod! Hey Referee, that's against the rules"!
The Referee quickly turned her head to Akane and calmly replied, "It wasn't a barehanded blow. Besides, as long as it looks like it belongs in a competition like this, it's fair game".
Quickly realizing she was about to be whacked like a piñata Ranma jumped as high as she could and grabbed the piglet by her feet. The redhead then launched a devastating downward two-legged kick on both P-Chan and Kodachi. Delivering an incredible blow to the invisible woman and knocking Ryoga out.
While Kodachi stumbled back in pain, Ranma proceeded to untangle herself. When the Black Rose regained her bearings, the pigtailed girl was in a marshal art stance.
Kodachi hissed out, "That hurts! At least I know for sure now that you are worthy of my trump card". Kodachi then pulled out a fancy-looking ribbon with a stone octagon in the center of it. The octagon depicted a green snake. The serpent on the item began to glow, and within seconds Kodachi disappeared.
Ranma frantically scanned her surroundings, trying to find where Kodachi disappeared too. Despite being fully on guard Ranma felt the club hit her in the gut. The redhead frantically attempted to block with her pair of clubs. However, Ranma could tell each hit was powerful and precise. Meanwhile, she was forced 100% on the defensive, in a attempt to block the invisible attacks. However, the moment our hero felt metal spikes from one of those blows graze her the girl wearing pink leaped to the opposite side of the ring, hoping to make distance.
Ranma frantically hollered at Jade, "Quick, throw me a steady stream of balls, and if you see one pop, throw me an extra one"! Jade followed her sensei words to the letter. Ranma proceeded to frantically throw numerous balls all around the ring until one of the balls bounced off something that couldn't be seen. With Kodachi's location found the redhead focused every ball she had at that spot.
The invisible gymnast attempted to move out of the way, but with so many balls scattered throughout the ring, Kodachi couldn't risk leaping onto one of them. Ranma was so focused on her position that the redhead could notice any step Kodachi made on the mat. With reluctance, Kodachi was forced to block and deflect the balls. Transforming the martial arts rhythmic gymnastics match into a modified version of baseball practice.
Kodachi eventually switched to her ribbon and deflected all the balls with a spiraling motion of the fabric. However, this was what Ranma was waiting for. The moment she heard the sounds of the balls being deflected change, the redhead hollered at her coaches, "Pass me two hoops"! Immediately the two girls threw Ranma the items, and step two of Ranma's plan began.
Ranma ran forward at full speed and used the hoop like an oversized chakram. The young Saodome might not have much experience using gymnastics equipment, and the chakram might not be their preferred weapon, but they were still skilled enough to use the hoop to break through Kodachi's ribbon defenses and even graze the invisible girl.
With Kodachi's location now established Ranma then put their second hoop over their opponent and began spinning around, dragging the younger Kuno with her. After a few good spins, Ranma said, "It's time for you to get out of the Ring"! And with one mighty pole, she sent the gymnast flying.
Kodachi made herself visible as she was flying straight out of the ring. The girl quickly let out a powerful whistle, and the arena then moved to where Kodachi was falling. After landing Kodachi laughed and said, "Out is an impossibility for me".
Ranma let out her own whistle in annoyance, and the arena moved again. The redhead then punched down on the mat, hoping to stop whatever was causing the ring to move. Jade figuring out what her master was up to the girls shouted, "Ranma! You don't have to destroy the floor! I will go down there and stop it from moving".
Ranma gave her student a toothy smile and replied, "Thanks Jade. For a second there, I thought I was going to fight that invisible woman without a floor to stand on".
Underneath The Ring
Jade wasn't sure what she would find underneath the ring. However, she wasn't expecting an entire gymnastics club! That wasn't even the most surprising thing the girl saw underneath the ring. The Saint Hebereke gymnastics club has camped out underneath the ring so often that they feel it is one big sleepover, based on the number of snacks, drinks, and magazines around them.
Jade's shocked stupor was only broken by one of the girls finally noticing her and angrily asking, "Kid! What are you doing here"?!
Jade's eyes quickly dotted, around the room, looking for something to use to get her out of this situation and distract a decent chunk of the Saint Hebereke gymnastics club. The muses were on her side that day. One of the magazines had a familiar face on it, and Jade formulated a plan.
In the sweetest and most captivating voice Jade could muster, she said, "I see you're a fan of my uncle Jackie Chan"?
The girl glaring at her replied, "How dumb do you think we are!? There's no way your uncle is a movie star...". The teenager's train of thought instantly crashed when Jade pulled out a few pictures of her and Jackie.
With the club thoroughly entranced by Jade's lineage, the girl continued. "I don't blame any of you for not believing me. I have to remind myself sometimes that I am related to someone as awesome as Jackie. Especially since I have seen him go on a few epic adventures, he likes to keep secret".
Seeing the club's eyes widen, Jade continued, "Although I suppose if you give me a few snacks, I could tell you one of his stories"? Without looking away, one of the girls handed the kid a Coke can and a bag of chips.
Jade smirked at this. If she can keep the club's undivided attention with her story for a few minutes, Ranma can knock Kodachi out of the ring, no questions asked.
"Why don't I start with how my uncle saved the Ganges river, how I met a telepath and the magical toothache that started the adventure"?
Back to The Fight
Kodachi shouted, "You know you're not the only one who can use a hoop as a weapon"! The black rose's coach tossed her a hoop, and the girl began spinning it, preparing for an attack. Yet before launching the attack, the snake on the black-haired girl's fancy ribbon began to glow, and she disappeared.
Ranma got into her preferred defensive stance, closed her eyes, and widened her senses. Then she heard the sounds of an object flying right at her and dodged at the last possible second. The hoop mere feet from Ranma reappeared, and despite the pink leotard-wearing girl's best efforts, the flying object successfully cut off a few of her hairs and even sliced through one of the corners of the ring.
After checking her pigtail for damage, Ranma gave a cocky grin and said, "That razor hoop attack and your invisibility trick are both incredible! However, I just figured out your invisibilities weakness. The moment you let go of something, it will begin to reappear"!
Kodachi calmly responded, "That's true. I will reluctantly admit this little weakness has given me one or two close calls in the past. However, I realized something, any object I throw will remain invisible for at least a second. Meaning if I throw the object fast enough and as long as my opponent remains in the ring, it doesn't matter". The female Kuno emphasized this fact by maniacally laughing as she hurled hoops at her pigtailed opponent in rapid succession.
The pigtailed warrior's eyes widened as she frantically began ducking and leaping over every hoop. Worried and alarmed became more apparent on Ranma's face with every gymnastics hoop thrown.
With both participants' attacks visible, the announcer began doing her job. "It appears that the black rose's attacks are cutting her a path to victory! But what's this?! Ranma appears to be using the chain as a jump rope! This strange tactic is perfectly blocking our champion's attacks"!
Frustrated by this change of events, Kodachi stopped throwing hoops. Noticing the black roses barrage stopped, Akane tossed her fiancé two clubs.
Catching them, Ranma twirled the clubs around like a pair of nunchakus.
Seeing this Kodachi reappeared and let loose a maniacal cackle. "HA HA HA HA HA HA! A few creative uses of the club ain't going to win you the match, my dear. Now feel the secret technique of the Black Rose! The Blow of a Thousand Clubs"! The girl promptly ran at
Ranma prepared to swing the club at her. Yet just like before the snake in her stylized ribbon glowed and Kodachi vanished.
Ranma and a certain chi wizard in the bleachers had a look of realization involving Kodachi's invisibility ability. However, neither of them could act on this realization. Uncle couldn't interfere in the fight, and the pigtailed martial artist had their hands full.
Despite the redhead's best efforts to block the attack, it felt like she was being hit by ten times as many clubs compared to Kodachi's first invisible attack. These invisible attacks were so numerous that not even this Saotome practitioner could counter them all.
Luckily for Ranma, she had a good coach. Without being told, Akane tossed their last ball into the air. The anything-goes practitioner jumped into the air after it and slammed the ball into where she thought Kodachi's arms were.
Within seconds, Kuno and every item she was holding reappeared. Kodachi appeared uninjured from the attack, but the ball did force her to drop every item on her person, which consisted of at least 20 clubs and her fancy ribbon.
"HEY! She was using 20 clubs! She takes foul play to another level"! Akane shouted in annoyance.
Ranma retorted, "Actually, I am pretty sure that was the least dirty move Kodachi has made all day. In fact, with what I just figured out, this fight could become cleaner and start going in my favor".
With confidence and arrogance dripping off her being, Kodachi said, "That is hard to believe? By the looks of it, you have at least 40 bruises forming just from that one attack".
The Furinkan champion pointed her finger at the Black Rose and shouted, "I know how you become invisible! It isn't a high-level martial arts technique, but something to do with your ribbon! I'm not sure how you are becoming see-through. However, I can confidently say whenever your ribbon glows, you definitely become naked to the human eye, but the moment you lose contact with your favorite weapon, everyone can see your entire body as clear as day"!
Kodachi blushed red in embarrassment and grabbed her ribbon before replying. "I wouldn't use those exact words, but I should congratulate you for being the first opponent I have faced to figure out how my invisibility works"! Taking a dramatic pose in regaining her confidence, the female Kuno proclaimed, "However, this is only the beginning! The essentials of martial arts rhythmic gymnastics at my level is the control of an endless arsenal of weapons"!
Kodachi Kuno fluently sent her ribbon outside the ring and wrapped it around the ringside bell. Next, she turned invisible. With those two quick steps, the Black Rose had just turned her ribbon into an invisible flail.
The shocked announcer shouted, "Champion Kudo brings an invisible bell into play! Meanwhile, Ranma Saotome predicted where the attack would land and blocked it with a pig! The bell woke the pig up, and the farm animal is furious at the redhead. Which should be no surprise".
Seeing her opponent distracted by the angry piglet, Kodachi lassoed a chair. However, Ranma's focus was still well in the fight when she successfully dodged the flying piece of furniture
Hoping to one of the ring's corners, Ranma said, "Two can play at this game! In fact, why don't I go for something a little heavier"?! With those words said, the pigtailed warrior wrapped her ribbon around the announcer's table and sent it flying. The Pigtailed martial artist might not know where Kodachi is, but if she makes her attack wide enough, she's guaranteed to land a hit.
The flabbergasted announcer held onto the arena's microphone with an iron grip and shouted, "Challenger Ranma Saotome has commandeered my table! However, champion Kuno counters with her brother"! Kodachi tangled her brother in a ribbon and used him to stop the thrown table.
This continued for several minutes. One girl would lasso an object and use it like a flail. However, the other will do the same to block and counterattack. There is no telling who lassoed more objects.
Only three things were certain at this point in the fight. The first was this song and dance lasted for several minutes. The second was the pig constantly trying to scratch and bite Ranma. The third was any object in the room not bolted to the floor, or Kodachi's brother would eventually become airborne.
—-
20 minutes later
Ranma and Kodachi were running out of objects to throw at each other. In the course of the battle, the male Kuno eventually left the gymnasium and was sent to the hospital in an ambulance, they littered the floor with junk, and they somehow formed a pile of sharp splintered wood and broken glass a few feet from the ring. Neither competitor knew how big it was, but they could tell it was more than double the mass of Ranma and Kodachi combined.
Seeking a way to mix things up in the fight, Kodachi lassoed a kettle from a panda and immediately attempted to pour the scolding hot water on Ranma. The redhead quickly ran and cowered away from the tea kettle as soon as the hot water poured from its spout.
With Kodachi invisible, the tea kettle looked like it was floating in mid-air. To the audience, it was a comedic sight, but to Ranma, the scene was comparable to the scariest part of a horror movie. The only person more scared of the hot water was P-Chan. This near splash stopped the pig's tantrum and caused the animal to cling to Ranma's arm as if its life depended on it.
With an evil tone, Kodachi said, "You don't care for hot water, do you? Why not take another splash!"
"As if I will let that stuff get on me"! Those words were quickly followed up by Ranma jumping out of the way of the splash and soaring halfway to the ceiling. However, this panic move only secured Kodachi's water attack.
With a flick of the wrist, the kettle went flying after the redhead, and when the two were close, an invisible force sliced the metal container in half. Its boiling contents splash Ranma and the pig, instantly changing them into boys.
The two rivals were now falling back down into the ring with looks of horror strewn across their faces. A male Ranma was in a pink leotard two sizes too small, and Ryoga was butt-naked. With such a large crowd watching the event, this moment will surely make them the laughingstock of Tokyo for years. Their only saving grace was that the steam released from the broken kettle made a smokescreen, keeping the two concealed from the crowd until they reached the ground.
However, in the two boys' opinions, a miracle occurred. Akane grabbed a fireman-style water hose from a nearby wall and doused them in cold water before anyone saw the two's transformations.
A piglet and a pigtailed girl landed on their rumps in the ring, and despite being soaked to the bone, the two were laughing in pure relief.
The two's laughter ended when Ranma received a brutal blow to her back. As a small blood stain started to form on the leotard, Ranma let out a cry of pain.
Predicting the invisible gymnast would continue her assault, Ranma gritted her teeth and quickly dashed to what she hoped to be a safe part of the ring. With reluctance in every word she used, Ranma said to the pig, "Can we have a truce for five minutes, Ryoga"!
The piglet looked at Ranma with anger and confusion. The pigtailed girl then gave her rival an explanation. "I have a plan that could win me this fight, but I need your help. You and I might not be on good terms right now, but I know, with 100% certainty, you want revenge on Kodachi Kuno for all the stuff she did to you today".
The pig's angry look did not change, but Ranma could tell in his eyes Ryoga was at least considering it. To help swing her rival in her favor, Ranma said, "I know I owe you a lot for your current condition, and I may not be able to cure you. However, I think I found a way to keep you human for a decent chunk of your travels! So what do you say, truce"? Ranma then proceeded to extend her hand to the pig.
P-Chan looked unsure. What Ranma offered him sounded almost too good to be true. To
ensure her rival's cooperation, Ranma added, "Ryoga you have nothing to lose if you agree to this. Plus, do you want this crazy chick beating me before you do"?
Those words finally got through to Ryoga, and the pig put a hoof into Ranma's outstretched hand and shook on it. With the deal complete, the redhead whispered her plan into the pig's ears.
—-
A minute or two later
"The contestants are well-matched, and neither will give an inch! Will challenger Ranma Saotome triumph at last?! Or will Kodachi the 'Black Rose' continue her winning streak"!? The announcer proclaimed over the microphone.
Ranma began swinging her ribbon in wide arches all over the arena. Kodachi might be invisible, but if her attacks cover a wide enough area, it wouldn't matter. Kodachi countered with her own ribbon.
The two fabrics clashed until they were tangled up. To the point, neither girl could get their ribbons free.
Seeing both of their ribbons were stuck, the redhead swung the chain in Kodachi's supposed direction. Ranma's aim was spot on, and the chain used to limit her movements in the fight was now binding the invisible gymnast. Kodachi attempted to wiggle her way out, but P-Chan was doing everything he could to make the chain as tight as possible, and firmly secured to Kodachi.
With the female Kuno trapped, Ranma began to spin, dragging Kodachi with her. Predicting her opponent's strategy, the gymnast dropped her special ribbon and put all of her efforts into getting a single hand free. Just as Kodachi was about to be flung out of the ring, she got her hands on a razor hoop and cut the chain in two. However, this proved to be a mistake.
Kodachi went flying high into the air. However, this preemptive launch caused her to be on a trajectory straight for a giant pile of broken wood and glass that would skewer her.
The Saint Hebereke girl began whistling in hopes that the ring would move to break her fall. Yet the stage didn't move an inch. Realizing she might actually die, Kodachi frantically hollered, "Someone please throw me a ribbon! Someone, anyone, save me"!
The world seemed to slow down to a crawl for Kodachi as the spikes got closer. Excepting her fate, the gymnast closed her eyes, waiting for the end. She felt the wood slowly pierce through her leotard and prick her skin. However, at the very last possible moment, Kodachi felt a familiar cloth wrap around her and pull her to safety.
When Kodachi opened her eyes, she saw Ranma brandishing her signature weapon and carrying her bridal style. A light blush began to appear on the raven-haired girl's face.
Seeing Kodachi was safe, Ranma said, "That was a close one! I am glad you are all right. Sorry about what happened. If I would've known you were preparing to cut it, I would've made sure you would've landed out of the ring far from that pile of spikes". At the end of her sentence, the redhead gave a cute and charming smile.
Kodachi's cheeks quickly switch from pink to red. As she realized her opponent was like a knight in shining armor, and a beautiful princess rolled into one.
The Kuno heiress wasn't sure what emotions were bubbling up, but she knew she needed time to think about them. Her eyes darted around, looking for a reasonable way to get some alone time to get her thoughts in order. Quickly noticing the small tear, she shouted, "I touched outside the arena during my fall, and I humbly admit defeat"!
Kodachi quickly leaped out of Ranma's arms and ran to her changing room as fast as she could. Without missing a beat, the announcer announced, "You heard it right, ladies and gentlemen! Kodachi Kuno, the Black Rose, went out of the ring! The winner of the Saint Heberek vs. Furinkan High match is Ranma Saotome"!
The redhead blinked in surprise before noticing she still had Kodachi's ribbon. Ranma shouted, "Kodachi! You forgot your ribbon"!
Without breaking stride, Kodachi shouted the first thing that came to mind, "Remember that bet the gymnastics club made? Just consider my ribbon a part of the bet and a friendly gift for me to you"!
Ranma's two coaches appeared and began to congratulate the redhead for her win. With a unique mixture of pride and jealousy, Akane commented, "I had my doubts about you winning, and I can safely say I regret doubting you. Although, did you have to catch Kodachi princess style"?
Jade added, "That fight was mind blowing! You beat the Black Rose at her own game without even being able to see your opponent most of the time".
Eventually, the two noticed something was off. Ranma wasn't basking in their compliments. Worried, Akane tapped the redhead on the shoulder, and the boy-turned-girl immediately fell over like a domino and began to saw logs.
The two girls looked at Ranma with shock and worry, but Uncle was soon there to ease their concerns. With an aura of nonchalance around him, Uncle approached the ring and said, "I was curious when they were going to fall asleep. My special tea and coffee blend might allow someone to operate normally, even when they have multiple bags under their eyes, but it's no replacement for a good night's sleep. So without a second serving and with Ranma's adrenaline starting to fade, the exhaustion from two fights hit her like a sack of bricks".
Jade blinked with confusion and replied, "So all Ranma needs is some shut-eye for a couple of hours"?
The chi wizard responded with a simple, "Yes. But your sensei's beauty sleep isn't important. The ribbon is"!
—-
Undisclosed skyscraper, Tokyo, Evening.
Valmontlikes to think he is a reasonable man. So it's only natural he will be angry when his henchmen fail to get a piece of gymnastics equipment. "Can you explain again why you three were unsuccessful in retrieving a ribbon from an exhausted teenage girl!?" Valmont said with barely contained rage in his voice.
Nervously, Finn responded, "We did everything right, boss. I checked the changing room for the snoozing redhead, but it was like she disappeared into thin air! Chow was stationed by the school's main gate looking for our target and never saw the female Ranma Saotome leave the school! Ratso even checked if Kodachi still had the ribbon. His meeting with Kodachi may have gotten him paralyzed from the neck down, but before Ratso's jaw went limp, he did confirm the gymnast doesn't have the ribbon anymore".
Valmont looked like he was about to scream bloody murder at his underlings. However, before he could say anything, Finn quickly added, "Me and the boys did check the school records and were able to figure out where her brother and one of her coaches lived. So we can still get you your Ribbon. It will just take us another day".
The crime boss took a deep breath to calm down before replying, "Fine, just get me the artifact! And before you go, might I suggest hacking into the school's records to look up the female Ranma's address instead of her coach and brothers"?
Finn swiftly replied, "That's the weird part Big V, if the records we found are accurate, there is no female Ranma Saotome. According to the school records, only one student named Ranma Saotome is at Furinkan High, and he's a boy. Plus, all the documents we could find about Ranma suggest he is a boy and an only child".
Hearing those words, the statue's eyes glowed and began to chuckle menacingly. "It appears this Ranma Saotome has more to her than meets the eye"?
—
That Night, Tendo House
Ranma's eyes finally began to open after hours of slumber. Rubbing some of the sleep out of their eyes, the pig-tailed martial artist noted their surroundings. Ranma saw he was back in male form, someone dressed him in his night clothes, and the usual house occupants and Ryoga were in the living room.
Seeing Ranma was finally up, Nabiki smiled and said, "It appears Sleeping Beauty has finally awoken. Here I thought Uncle would deliver the news tomorrow".
With a confused look, Ranma said, "What type of news could that old man have that is worth all of us being here"?
Uncle promptly gave Ranma a two-finger strike and said, "Everything Uncle says is worth listening to! Here I thought you would be excited about a possible cure"?
Ranma's eyes practically tripled in size, as he muttered out, "Cu, cu, cure!? You found a cure for my curse"!?
Uncle promptly continued his explanation. "In my research, I found hundreds of stories of people looking for a cure for their Jusenkyo curse, and most end in complete and utter failure! Meanwhile, the only consistent cure I could find involved bathing in the waters of another cursed spring. However, that also runs the risk of the two curses mixing".
Jade interrupted the wizard's explanation
by saying, "Sorry to cut your explanation short Uncle, but I'm pretty sure the part-time Girl, panda, and pig are just interested in how the ribbon Ranma won could cure a curse from a Chinese spring". Jade emphasized this by pointing at the board faces of the three cursed victims.
Uncle in the same tone as before replied, "I was getting to that. However, throughout my research, I have learned of some magical objects that could lock, overwrite, counter, and even negate Jusenkyo curses. For example, the Pail of Preservation can lock someone in their transformed state, the Stone of Dreams can reverse the water's spell, the Cat of Khartoum can alter the curse, and there are stories that a few users of the talismans of Shendu could live a full life unimpeded by the magic of Jusenkyo".
The Chi wizard paused his explanation and pointed at the ribbon. "During the fight, I figured out Kodachi's invisibility didn't come from any form of technology or Ki technique but from the magic within this ribbon. In fact, with a closer examination of the object, I realized this piece of gymnastics equipment has one of the 12 talismans embedded within it".
Everyone in the room's eyes widened at this, and in their shocked state, Genma grabbed the ribbon and then voiced everyone's thoughts, "So you're saying this girly piece of equipment Ranma won could solve our water problems"?!
In confirmation, the wizard nodded, and the three cursed victims immediately gained massive happy grins. Ranma was the first to make a move as he snatched the ribbon from his father's hands and turned invisible. Genma and Ryoga quickly leaped into action as they performed as many martial arts moves in hopes of finding the invisible boy. Yet Ranma laughed at their futile attempts. "Hahaha, You two can barely land a hit on me when I'm visible, let alone see-through! How could you two possibly think it was possible to get the ribbon back before I reached the Koi pond?! Besides, it's only right I get to try the cure first"! With those words said, a massive splash came from the pond.
The water around Ranma allowed the onlookers to get a grasp of the martial artist's frame, and the figure that they saw was female. Ranma realized their body had changed and immediately turned visible to get a better look. The Moment the redhead became visible; everyone knew the talisman did not cure Ranma's curse.
Annoyed, the boy-turned-girl shouted, "Hey, I thought you said this thing would cure us"?!
"You should've paid more attention to Uncle's words! I said a FEW users of the talismans of Shendu could live a full life unimpeded by the magic of Jusenkyo! According to my research, only two talismans have ever countered Jusenkyo's magic"!
The three cursed victims' good moods disappeared at those words. However, Uncle still had one piece of good news left to say. "One more thing. Before I forget, I need that ribbon to make a locator spell to find the other 11 talismans".
Everyone's eyes were once again glued to the old man as Ryoga muttered, "You can do that"?!
"Chi magic is one of the best types of magic in the world for creating locator spells. Sure, objects with magic powers might be trickier to find than people and animals. However, if I can narrow down possible locations with some research and use the snake talisman as a basis, I could make a spell to find the other talismans".
With a huge smile, Ranma tossed the snake talisman to Uncle and shouted, "Then you better get on it, you miracle worker of a chi wizard"!
However, those words remind the boy-turned-girl of something. "Yo, Ryoga! Before you get lost, I need you to follow me to the shed. I have a surprise for you".
Without bothering to get herself dried off, Ranma and Ryoga walked to the shed. In the most showman way possible, the pigtailed girl opened the door and said, "Here's my apology gift for getting you cursed"! However, Ryoga was not happy with what he saw.
Inside the shed lay a duffel bag filled with what looks to be bath powders, homemade soap bars, and three pamphlets. The bandana-wearing boy shouted, "Do you think a few relaxing baths will make up for turning me into a pig for half of my life!"
With a mischievous grin, Ranma chirped, "Yes. Although if you don't want the magic that could keep you a man for a little while, I guess I can take it".
The only words the eternally lost boy could manage was, "What"?!
"Uncle owns an antique shop and sells a few magical items on the side. He would be willing to sell you as much as you want if you follow the instructions on those three pamphlets. Although you won't need to go to him for a little while with how many magical items are in that bag. I had to use a year's worth of photo pay from Nabiki to pay for it all". Ranma said while pointing to the instructional pieces of paper in the duffel bag.
Ryoga quickly ran to the pamphlets and began vigorously reading them. Meanwhile, with a smug and knowing tone in their words, Ranma began to describe the two magical items in the bag. "Those bath powders are instant temporary Nannīchuan. With this, you can make any pond or pool P-Chan proof, or if you add the powder to a hot drink or bath, you can avoid transforming the next time you get splashed with cold water".
Ranma had to stop her explanation when she saw her rival's eyes bug out at the powders in the bag. "Ha Ha Ha, if you think that stuff is impressive, wait until you hear about the waterproof soap. Use those soap bars next time you take a bath, and you won't transform after receiving a few dozen good splashes. Although, those bars of soap are only a temporary cure. The effects of those bars of soap only last for half a day before needing to be reapplied, and the more water you come in contact with, the shorter this time limit becomes".
"Thank you, Ranma Saotome"! Ryoga said, overjoyed by the gift. The bandanna-wearing boy then hugged his rival with all of his strength. If you were close enough, you could hear the pig-tailed martial artist's ribs popping a little.
That was the night Ranma realized Ryoga was just as dangerous bursting with joy as he is boiling mad. However, to the redhead's luck, her shirt contained far more water than either of them realized, and the bone-cracking hug soon ended the moment a little black piglet appeared around Ranma's torso. The boy-turned-girl tauntingly said, "It appears you'll be using those instant Nannīchuan sooner than you thought, P-Chan"?
—
With this chapter complete our heroes got their hands on the first talisman.
I was originally going for the horse, but after a few comments on space battles I decided to switch to the snake.
In other news, I was thinking about starting work on another story so i'm not sure when chapter 11 will be finished, but I hope to see you all there. Review
1.) AsheTDust- Thank you.
When writing a Ranma 1/2 story, I think it's usually necessary to address all of Ranma's other love interests at some level.
Plus, I did say I was planning on giving each fiancé a chance to win over Ranma. Meanwhile, if you all are dead set on Nabiki x Ranma, think of this as a way of spicing up the romantic competition.
I know you said to ignore your first review, but I agree that Nabiki calling Ranma's boobs "melons" was the funniest part of chapter 9 to me as well.
2.) Djinn- Thank you, and I hope this chapter did not disappoint.
Next time: three thugs arrives at the Tendo dojo looking for the ribbon. Regardless of what happens, our heroes are now facing something darker and greater than any school yard battle in their quest for the talismans.