Chapter 7

For the first ten minutes, Ranma walked around with Tsubasa, pointing here and there, giving him a run down of the school grounds and its facilities, as far as he knew. But he knew he didn't know half the things about it like the student council president did. If Tsubasa was so important he has to be offered the tour, then didn't someone else do it?

When they got to the track field, Ranma noticed a familiar sight—an equipment shed that Kuno designated as his own private domain. He shivered with the thought of that creep ogling over his alter ego and Akane trying to decide which one he liked more. If Kuno only knew who the pigtailed girl really was, he'd be immediately replused.

And he wondered if telling Kuno would be a good idea, it may just get the upper classman off his back. Then again, Akane would become his main focus, and that wouldn't be a good. It was best to keep Kuno interested. It also made Ranma laugh inside.

Suddenly, Ranma felt an electric jolt in his lower back when he turned away from Tsubasa for just a moment, and his entire body jerked, just before he collapsed to his knees and did face-plant to the ground. Tsubasa turned him around to face up. And Ranma looked at him wide-open mouthed, as he saw Tsubasa was holding something in his hand.

"W-whyyy?"

"The tour was a deception to get you alone, Saotome," Tsubasa said, grinning sinisterly. "As they say, the best revenge is a cold one. This is a taser, if you didn't know. It's a device for rich people like me in case any unscuplous person wishes to do harm to me," Tsubasa explained, waving it in the air while pressing the button to send electrical current through its nods. "It holds up to 1,500 amps of voltage, capable of shocking a person into unconsciousness, but I reduced it, because I want you to know who did this to you. I'll make it clear. You can't have Ukyo. She is mine! She will always be mine—at all costs! And the lengths I'll go to have her is more than you can ever comprehend."

"No," Ranma breathed out. He gulped. "I'll protect Ukyo from you," he tried to say, but his mouth was too dry.

Ranma couldn't move as Tsubasa stepped over him, his legs on either side of Ranma. Then Tsubasa sat down on his chest. Ranma could feel Tsubasa's weight, but he couldn't move to throw him off. His body was paralyzed. Tsubasa continued to sit on him like a seat as Kuno exited out from his shed.

"You are wounded, Ranma Saotome," Kuno spoke half-heartedly. "But I wouldn't call your defeat a victory."

Tsubasa returned the taser to his pants pocket. "A win is a win," he said, standing up.

"Ku-no," Ranma mouthed. "W-what's go-ing on?"

"I'm here as a benefactor, Saotome," Kuno informed. "Tsubasa Kurenai and I have struck a deal to bring your reign of disorder to an end, simplistic in its means. Plans forged, changed, and then re-imagined. This seems the best option."

Ranma felt the sensation returning to his limbs, but his body tingled to the point his nerves were still unresponsive.

Tsubasa stepped over Ranma.

Kuno reached down and than began to drag Ranma into the shed. Ranma couldn't fight back.

Ranma titled his head back, he managed to do at least that, and saw the shed was decorated for some sort of ritual with chalk outlines on the floor and candles burning all around. He was positioned in the middle of the circle and left there, unable to move. Ranma's arms and legs was straightened like an unmovable doll like a star.

He felt his throat gurgle, and he wanted to say, "What the hell are guys going to do to me?"

Tsubasa shut the door, allowing the interior's creepy darkness atmosphere to take its full effect.

Ranma then saw Gosunkugi step out of a shadowy corner in the shed, dressed in a black robe, with a special headdress, lit candles on either side. In one hand was what looked like a straw doll. He had tried using those things before, hammering them into trees in the hopes of cursing Ranma, but they never worked.

Gosunkugi liked to mix potions and dabbled in Black Magic or Voodoo magic. "I need something of Ranma's to add to the doll when I perform the Ritual of Attachment. A lock of hair will do."

Tsubasa handed Gosunkugi a pair of scissors. "Take his pigtail, I know he values it," he said, chuckling devilishly.

Ranma tried to struggle, but he couldn't stop what came next. Gosunkugi didn't take it all, but he did cut off the good chuck at the end. The string that held Ranma's pigtail then became to unravel. If he still had the curse that made his hair grow at an alerting rate, this would have been a good time for it. But that curse, he had beaten.

Tsubasa leaned over and produced a toothy grin. Ranma managed a sneer. "Once Gosunkugi completes the ritual, then, Ranma Saotome, you'll be under my complete control, and Ukyo will be mine!"

Tsubasa laughed. Ranma was right, Tsubasa was dangerous. And twisted. What had happened to him to turn him so sinister? He wish he had consulted Ukyo more about Tsubasa before going on the tour. He knew the guy would try something, but he didn't expect what he did. And where the hell was Ryoga?

"Heed one moment," Kuno said, putting up a hand. "While my wish is to defeat Ranma Saotome, to crush him, and to prove to the school that the Blue Thunder is dominant above all else, aren't you taking your actions a bit too far?"

Ranma blinked shocked that Kuno would actually come to his rescue.

Tsubasa shook his head. "I'm disappointed in you, Kuno," he said, with a tsk tsk on his lips. "After I defeated Ranma, I was going to suggest to the Student Council that it increase funding to the Kendo Club, since now my family is a wealthy contributor to the school. But now, well…I may have to reconsider, after your cynicism of my plan. And I may have to ask for an investigation into the club's financial ties." Kuno gasped. Tsubasa extended his hands around the interior. "I mean, misappropriation of funds for personal use can create quite a scandal—this shed for example."

Kuno opened his mouth to rebuke, but then shut it. "Be it truth, sir, that funds may have reallocated for this shed for my use, but they are not misappropriated. I am head of the Kendo Club, and this place is where I mediate."

Ranma knew bull when he heard it. But ultimately, Kuno relented, and Ranma was again one his own. He managed to curl his fingers of his right hand, then he was able to do it with the other hand, and his toes. He tightened his muscles and willed them to work. But he had pick his moment to strike.

Tsubasa snapped his fingers. "Gosunkugi, the ritual," he ordered. "I want Ranma under my thumb." He took the voodoo doll from Gosunskugi and looked at it, Ranma watched. "With this voodoo doll, I will control Ranma, and he'll do whatever I command. And if you know what's good for you, Ranma Saotome, you'll forget about Ukyo."

"No!" Ranma managed to spit back clenching a fist at his side.

Tsubasa handed the doll back to Gosunkugi. "You have an indomitable spirit, Saotome," he said, "but everyone has their price. This is just a prelude of what's to come. I will control this school and the students within."

Out of the corner of his eye, Ranma saw a brief look of trepidation from Kuno, shared by Gosunkugi. This was not the same Tsubasa that he once knew, something drastic had changed in him, almost out of character. Like he wasn't the same person anymore. But he couldn't let this jerk control the school. He had to fight back at all costs!

Just then, Ryoga burst through the door of the shed, and the candles instantly blew out from a gust of wind. The insidious trio looked at him with shocked faces, suddenly basking in sunlight.

Ranma smiled, his saviour had arrived. He had asked Ryoga to spy on Tsubasa. It looks like he did just that.

"Enough! I won't allow this to continue! Ranma is my rival and what is happening here is pure evil!"

Ryoga grabbed a kendo stick that was leaning against the wall, and wield it forward.

Kuno reacted, reaching for his own kendo stick, and stepped forward to meet Ryoga. "You have entered a private domain, sir. You have intruded. The Kendo Club will keep its funding. I have no choice but to fight you."

Tsubasa raised a hand to Kuno. "Ryoga Hibiki, you have become a thorn in my side. I have no idea how you escaped earlier, but I imagine it was the fault of an inattentive guard." Tsubasa gave Gosunkugi a sideways glance. Gosunkugi cast his eyes away. Tsubasa then reached behind his back and pulled out a pistol. He pointed it at Ryoga.

Kuno and Gosunkugi gasped with shock.

Ryoga halted and froze, gripping the kendo stick tightly. But he was no match for an actual weapon of that sort.

"Ryoga, get away from 'ere," Ranma finally spoke. "Tsubasa is a lunatic!"

"Tenet most fowl, sir!" Kuno turned his focus off Ryoga and immediately struck Tsubasa's wrist, knocking the pistol out of his hand. It dropped and bounced twice.

Tsubasa cried out, grabbing his wrist. He growled out Kuno. "How dare you!"

Kuno grabbed his Kendo Stick towards Tsubasa. "I will not have you soil these sacred grounds with that weapon. You will leave now. And hitherto, our partnership is ended. I wish to no longer have anything to do with you. No doubt, you will inform the Head Master of what has transpired here, and I will also inform my father of what you attempted to do. Money or not, Furinkan High School will not welcome the likes of you!"

Ranma smiled. "Way to go, Kuno!"

Tsubasa held his wrist. "You'll regret this! This is isn't the last of things!"

And Tsubasa pushed past Ryoga, running away.

Ranma watched Tsubasa go and then let out a heavy sigh. The taser effects were wearing off now and he was able to move his limbs, but it was slow going. He sat up and felt his hair, it fell to his shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Saotome," Gosunkugi apologized. "I couldn't resist him, he was like a devil in human form."

"I must apologize, too, Saotome," Kuno said. "Tsubasa is a bad seed and I was wrong to associate myself with him. You will be defeated, but by my own hand, and on equal footing, not with trickery."

Ryoga lowered the kendo stick and picked up the pistol. He looked it over and then pressed the trigger. Water ejected out from the barrel. I looked just like a real pistol.

Ranma exchanged a look with Ryoga.

"He knows, Ranma," Ryoga said ambiguously, a hidden message between them.

Ranma nodded. He felt weak in the knees, but he stood on his feet. "The guy is seriously dangerous. And I don't think this will be the last time we see Tsubasa."

That morning when classes began, Ukyo was not in class. She had been at school earlier, Ranma recalled.

During lunch period, Shampoo, on her bike, jumped the fence of the school, and sped around the school grounds. But this time she was in an agitated state, not carrying her delivery box. She skidded to a stop in front of the tree where Ranma and Akane had decided to sit together under the tree on compass to eat lunch.

"Shampoo! What are you doing here again?" Ranma said, chewing. "I've got my lunch!"

"Ranma! Terrible news!" Shampoo said, a little out of breath. "Got note. Delivered to Cat Cafe by message carrier, told since Ukyo's restaurant closed. Is Ukyo at school?"

Ranma looked to Akane. "I haven't seen her since this morning," he said to her.

"We separated after the morning bell rang," Akane replied.

Shampoo handed it over the note. Ranma read it, and gasped.

"Ranma, what is it?" asked Akane, grabbing the note. She read it.

Ranma Saotome,

You are cordially invited to rescue the damsel in distress currently being held in my castle. As her so-called White Knight, I offer you this small courtesy. You will come alone, or you'll never see Ukyo again!

Signed,

T.K.

"It's a challenge!" Akane said.

Ranma took the note back and read it again, then crumbled in his hand.

"Ranma, we need to rescue Ukyo!"

Ranma clenched his fists at his side. "I know! And we will. That jerk is goin' down!"

To be continued...