Disclaimer: Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Video and Winx Club belongs to Iginio Straffi and Rai S.p.A (NOT 4Kids!!). Song, 'Through the Night' belongs to Outlaw Star, Tokimeki no Doukasen' belongs to Fushigi Yuugi
Note: this follows the Rai version of Winx as the 4Kids version butchered it too much, like with every anime it dubs.
Chapter 13: Begone! Mind Over Matter!
Opening (Outlaw Star style, Through the Night)
The music starts. The letters of the Ranma Club logo flashes by.
Semenai de kesanai de makenai de (Don't make fun of it! Don't destroy it! Don't cheapen it!)
Dare datte motteru hazu yuzurenai mono (That one thing everyone has that they won't give up.)
We see Ranma's image super-imposed over the night sky.
Ai dake yume dake kimi dake (Only love! Only dreams! Only you!)
Sore dake ha hanasanai donna toki demo (Those are the only things I won't let go, ever.)
We see a shot of Ranma in an Anything-Goes stance, then a shot of him in girl form posing with her hands behind her head, then a shot of Ranma-chan in faerie-mode firing off a magic attack at some demons. We then see Ranma twirling some swords in his hands, then a shot of him from behind as he looks over his shoulder at the camera. The Ranma Club logo appears.
Doushi you mo naku ochitsukanai yoru (On nights when I can't settle down no matter what,)
Nani mo kamo nagedashitaku naru (I just want to throw anything and everything away.)
Ranma is seen reclining on the rooftop of Alfea at the setting sun. Zing is reclining on his knee.
Tsube kobe iwazu ni sassato DOA o akena (Don't bitch and complain, just open the door, ya know.)
Rikutsu nante koneteru HIMA ha nai (I don't have time to quibble with you.)
We see shots of the Winx girls and their Pixies: Bloom is sitting on her bed with Kiko in her lap and Lockette hovering near her head; Stella is asleep at her desk from studying and Amore tries to wake her up; Flora sits against a tree in the courtyard as Chatta yelps at a bee; Musa makes a face at the camera while Tune looks indignant at her actions; Tecna plays some matches with Digit in a shooter video game on a holo-screen; Layla walks through the courtyard while cradling Piff in her hands.
Juuou mujin tobi mawaritai (I want to fly all over the place.)
Youi shoutou mamori takunai (I wanna throw caution to the wind.)
Ranma-chan in faerie-mode flies through a darkened area while being chased by demons who fire on her. She dodges the attacks, then turns around flying backwards, firing off a rapid-fire volley of light orbs at the demons, exploding on impact.
Nakushita wake ja nai (It isn't because I've lost anything)
Mada hajimatte nai... dakara (It's because nothing's even started yet.)
We see Ranma from behind as he looks at the city of Magix in the distance at night. The city is illuminated with light as well as spotlights in the air. The camera closes in on the back of Ranma's head, who then turns around and points Timmy's gun at the screen. The gun glows blue with his ki, and it fires off a concentrated blast of his Moko Takabisha.
Semenai de kesanai de makenai de (Don't make fun of it! Don't destroy it! Don't cheapen it!)
Dare datte motteru hazu yuzurenai mono (That one thing everyone has that they won't give up.)
We see the deactivated weapons of the Specialists on a table: Sky's longsword and boomerang; Brandon's broadsword and double-ended sword; Helia's cable gauntlets, Riven's scimitar and kasama-giri, and Timmy's gun and rapier. The scene switches to a dark scene with some demons. The camera pns up slowly to show the Trix, Icy, Darcy, and Stormy, smiling maliciously. Beside them were two shadowed figures. Pan up further, we see Valtor giving an irritating smirk.
Ai dake yume dake kimi dake (Only love! Only dreams! Only you!)
Sore dake ha hanasanai donna toki demo (Those are the only things I won't let go, ever.)
The girls are in their Enchantix. They fight off a couple of monsters surrounding them. Cut to a group shot of them all in their casuals sitting on a king-sized bed.
Nani ga hoshii nani ga shitai doko ni ikitai (What do you want? What do you wanna do? Where do you wanna go?)
Ranma darts about on some rock protrusions in a valley as he runs from some demons. He takes out Brandon's double-ended sword and does a few flying dive slice attacks on them.
Yami o saite hashiri nukete tsukamitore (Cut through the darkness and run to grab what you want all)
Through The Night
In the night sky, we see Sky, Brandon, Helia, Riven, Timmy, and Nabu. Zoom out, and Ranma appears below them, as well as Bloom, Stella, Flora, Musa, Tecna, and Layla. They all look up at the stars.
End opening
Winx Dorm…
Bloom, along with the other girls, Kiko, and the Pixies, were asleep as the sun started its ascension from the horizon. Her eyes started to flutter open when she heard some faint noises outside.
"Hmmm? What is that?" said Bloom groggily as she got up from her bed. Kiko and Lockette also got up from the noise.
"What's going on, Bloom?" asked Lockette.
"I'm not sure myself." Replied Bloom.
Flora and Chatta were also awakened and meet up with Bloom, Kiko, and Lockette.
"Bloom? You hear it, too?" asked Flora.
"Yeah, it sounds like it's coming from outside…" said Bloom.
They go into the commons area, where they meet up with Stella, Musa, Tecna, and Layla along with their respective Pixies.
"Sheesh…. The sun's barely up… just what's going on?" asked Stella.
"Hey! Ranma's not here!" said Musa as she pointed to the couch he usually slept on.
"Hmmm? Zing isn't around, either…" said Layla.
Tecna goes over to the balcony overlooking the main courtyard and gasps. "Girls! He's out there!"
Everyone immediately heads for the balcony and looks. They were surprised to see Ranma out in the courtyard, along with Shampoo and Ukyou. Currently, Ranma was having a sparring round with both girls at the same time. Shampoo had out her bonboris while Ukyou was armed with her large spatula. Zing was seen flying above them while dressed in black ninja garb that covered everything but her ears and hands. The mask looked more like a black sheet draped over her face. In her hands, she held a red flag and a white flag. (1)
"He's training this early in the morning!?" said Stella.
Shampoo and Ukyou swung their weapons at Ranma in an attempt to hit him, but he would just dodge both of their attacks quite easily. Every now and then, he'd counter with a punch or kick to get them off balance. As the pig-tailed boy dodges attacks, he jumps up on top of the roof, using the protruding balconies as his steps. The two girls follow him in kind and continue the match on the rooftops.
"Impossible! They got to the roof without flying!" said Tecna.
"But… how?" asked Bloom.
"And they're doing all that while wearing high-heel wedges?" said Stella.
Shampoo swings her bonbori at Ranma's head, which he quickly ducks, then jumps a sweep attack from Ukyou's spatula. Shampoo then charges at Ranma with a bonbori thrust attack, which he was able to sidestep in time, causing her to dash right past him. On alert, Ranma quickly jumps out of the way as a line of mini-spatulas was thrown into his path. Shampoo then tries to blind-side him with a ki attack.
"PSYCHO BULLET!"
The oval-shaped ki projectile headed right for Ranma. Fortunately, he managed to catch sight of it, and counters with a ki attack of his own.
"HENSA KYAKU!" (DEFLECT KICK)
Ranma's right leg glowed with a white light and he kicks out at the projectile. Normally, this would be a foolhardy move, but as the name suggests, Ranma's kick caused the blast to get knocked to the side, straight at Ukyou. She quickly counters.
"HENSA SOGU!" (DEFLECT SLICE)
Her spatula glowed with a white light and she swung upward at the ki blast, sending the attack projectile flying up into the sky where it harmlessly dissipates.
Both girls then rush in to attack Ranma with melee attacks again. He would either dodge or parry the blows of their weapons, since trying to block wouldn't be a good idea. The fight continues as they race along the rooftops for a full lap. In an attempt to get away, Ranma quickly dons Helia's cable gauntlet and fires off the lines at the four-post arch in the middle of the courtyard. Making contact, he manages to reel himself from the roof to the arch, where he stands on its tip in a crane style.
"That's… Helia's weapon!" said Flora.
"That's right! He got the boys' weapons from Saladin, didn't he?" said Musa.
Ukyou and Shampoo quickly follow him to the arch and balance on the structures on either side of him. Ranma then pulls out two sword hilts. In his right hand, he activates the curved purple blade of Riven's scimitar, in his left, the yellow straight blade of Timmy's rapier. Spinning them as if they were knives, he gets into a ready stance. Suddenly, Ranma jumps straight up at a height of twenty-five feet, with his adopted sisters following suit. The girls attack him with their respective weapons, and Ranma quickly blocks with his own. Block the overhead spatula with the scimitar, the horizontal bonbori swipe with the rapier, jumps the combined spatula and bonbori sweep, block the upper spatula with the rapier, parries the bonbori thrust with the scimitar, then uses the swords to hook onto Shampoo and Ukyou's weapons to cross them up and held together. They land on the ground, with Ranma's weapons pointed at the necks of the two girls. They had no choice but to put away their own. Zing flies in and raises the white flag.
"Ipponshoubu!" (one-point match!) said Zing. "Point, Ranma!"
"We give, Ran-chan." Said Ukyou.
"This match yours." Said Shampoo.
Ranma smiles as he deactivates the blades and puts them away. "Thanks, girls, you weren't too bad yourselves."
Zing reverts to her usual self. "That was such an awesome match! It looked like you all were flying!"
The Winx could only stare in awe at the spectacle.
"Ranma really is something else…" said Bloom. The others had to agree wholeheartedly with her.
"Well, he does love his art." Said Amore.
"Well, now that we're up, we probably should get ourselves ready." Said Tecna.
"Good point." Said Flora.
"Awww…. I was just about to go to sleep again, too…" said Stella.
"C'mon, Princess!" teased Musa.
Dining hall…
The Alfea residents were all having breakfast for the day. Shampoo and Ukyou were seated with Nodoka in the faculty's dining platform, since they're TA's. They seemed to like the Western style food of eggs, bacon, and hash browns. Ranma was sitting with his roommates as usual, and as usual, he was eating as much as he could. His morning sparring session had caused him to burn up a lot of calories, making him really hungry.
"Slow down, Ranma! Your food isn't going to run away!" said Tune.
"Sorry, but… I'm just really hungry!" said Ranma as he continued eating more bacon.
"Do you usually train so early in the morning, Ranma?" asked Musa.
"Well, I always did during my time in Nerima." Replied Ranma. "It was just to make sure I don't slide. As I said, I'm a martial artist first. Magic is good and all, but I don't want to always have to rely on it. I'd like to have something to fall back on."
Bloom couldn't help but agree with his logic. Three years ago, when the Trix robbed her of the Dragon's Flame, she had become powerless and unable to do anything, until a chance meeting with her dead older sister, Daphne, gave her the power to retake her powers again. There was also the time in Shadowhaunt where Stella, Layla, and her own powers weren't up to snuff because of the magic draining environment down there.
As the girls ate, they look in fascination at how Ranma could eat so much. They knew it was to feed the added appetites of the Specialists' souls in him, but still.
"Sometimes, I think Ranma eats MORE than for six people…" said Chatta.
"You're probably right…" said Flora.
Winx Dorm…
Ranma was finally glad that today's classes were over for now. Learning magic could be so tough sometimes. Of course, he excels in his mom's Ki Manipulation course since he was already proficient in it before coming to Magix. He had learned how to use basic elemental spells from Palladium's class as well as a bit of material manipulation (along the lines of alchemy). Ranma also had to learn about the responsibilities of magic usage from Dufore's class, such as when to use lightning-type spells on flying enemies and such. Of course, he's always taken Wizgiz's Metamorphosis class quite seriously.
It was then that Tecna entered the room.
"Ranma! Professor Avalon and Saotome-sensei wish to see you!" said Tecna.
"Huh? What is it?" asked Ranma.
"I'm not sure, but it sounds important." Said Tecna as she urged Ranma to follow her.
Ranma nods as he gets up to follow the tecno faerie.
Nodoka's office…
Ranma and Tecna enter the office. He finds the rest of the Winx girls already there, as well as Kiko, the Pixies, Shampoo, Ukyou, Nodoka, and Avalon.
"What's going on, Mom, Professor Avalon?" asked Ranma.
"Son, Professor Avalon here just might have the answer to your Nekoken problem." Replied Nodoka.
"What? Really?" asked Ranma.
Avalon nods. "From what was described to me about this Nekoken, Ranma, it sounds like an artificially induced fear."
"That right, Avalon-san." Said Shampoo. "Idea is to instill ferocity of felines into trainee that he could use, but unfortunately not at own choice on dime."
"Yes, and when you do use it, you act like a wild animal, correct?" asked Avalon, which Ranma nods to. He was given a vivid description from the Winx girls his experience with the Trix last time. "In this sense, it almost feels like a possession spell, because you acted out of your own mind, which is why you never remember anything when being brought out. Those are the classic signs of a person experiencing possession."
"So what're you suggesting we do about it?" asked Ranma.
"Ooh! I get it! An exorcism, right?" asked Zing as she was suddenly dressed in the black suit of a priest while holding a cross in front of Ranma. "The power of the Divine One compels you!" (2)
"Well, in a sense, we will do something along the lines of an exorcism." Replied Avalon. "We'll have to go directly to the source."
"You mean…?" Bloom started.
"That's right, we'll have to get inside of his mind." Avalon finished.
Everyone was startled at this.
"Huh? Go inside my head?" asked a confused Ranma.
"We have to go into your psyche, specifically, to deal with your trauma." Avalon explained. "That is usually the place where demons or ghosts occupy when possessing a victim. Get rid of the threat, and you can leave the Nekoken behind forever."
"Sounds like a daunting task…" said Tecna.
"So it can be done?" asked Ranma. "This will really purge this damn phobia of mine?"
"It can, Ranma." Replied Avalon. "However, the mindscape is quite a dangerous place, depending from person to person. The volunteers will have to have strong magical ties to handle the strain of being in someone's mind. A human could never hope to achieve this. Therefore, only you six girls can hope to enter Ranma's mind." He points at the Winx girls. "If this fails, you and the ones who're in your psyche at the time may suffer serious brain trauma."
Everyone winces at this. This could be a dangerous mission. Ranma could only look down. Things were never easy.
"I want to help Ranma." Said Flora as she stepped forward.
Ranma looks up at her from her reply. Soon, Bloom, Stella, Musa, Tecna, and Layla follow suit.
"Same here!"
"I want to help, too!"
"I simply can't just stand by."
"It is the only way."
"Let's do this!"
Ranma smiles at the girls. They didn't even hesitate. "Thanks, girls, but are you sure you want to risk yourselves like this?"
"As I've said before, Ranma, we could never just abandon you." said Flora.
"Besides, it's a faerie's duty to help those in need." Added Tecna.
Stella smirks. "Still, it would be a shame to lose the kitty version of you. I kinda liked having to cuddle you on my lap, and I'm sure that everyone else would-"
"STELLA!" The other Winx girls yelled out while blushing. This also caused Ranma to try and hide his face.
"Heehee…. sorry…"
Auditorium…
Ranma was currently lying down on what look like a psychiatric couch. Near the head of his seat were six other couches where each of the Winx was lying on. To the side were Nodoka, Avalon, and the Pixies. Shampoo and Ukyou were asked by Nodoka to patrol the school grounds to ensure that Ranma's session was uninterrupted. They didn't like the idea of being away from their adopted brother, but they liked the thought of hostile interruption on his exorcism even less. They had been informed of the recent attacks on him and the Winx by three crazy witches. Well, if the Trix do decide to rudely show up, they'd have to go through them, first.
"Well this is it, are you all ready?" asked Avalon.
"As I'll ever be." Replied Ranma. The girls signaled their okay.
"Alright then. We'll have to put you in a deep sleep for this." Avalon looks to Nodoka. She nods and begins chanting a sleep spell.
"Shimin…" (Deep sleep…)
Nodoka sends off a wave of sparkles which rain own on the seven teens. Soon, all of them started to feel drowsy, then finally they were fast asleep.
"The easy part is done. Now for the hard part…" said Avalon as he started chanting in an ancient language for the mind entry. Six small orbs of light the size of billiard balls appear and orbit over Ranma's head. Six more additional ones appear and each hovers over the head of each of the girls. "Astral mindgate…."
Each of the orbs over the girls fire off a line of electricity at the ones over Ranma's head, which had stopped orbiting and held in place. From each line, a big lump of lightning, which represented an astral form, formed and made their way to the orbs over Ranma and fused. The astral projection was complete.
"Now all we can do is wait…" said Avalon.
"Oh! I hope they're all right…" said Lockette.
In Ranma's mind…
"Bloom! Bloom! Wake up!"
The redheaded faerie of the Dragon's Flame woke up to the sound of Stella's voice. She sits up and sees the blonde faerie kneeling in front of her.
"Huh? Stella? Where are we?" asked Bloom as she was being helped on her feet.
"Oh, thank goodness, Bloom! I think we're in Ranma's mind." Replied Stella.
"Ranma's…. mind?" asked Bloom. She looked about her surroundings. The place was… odd… There wasn't really much to describe. The place looked like a barren wasteland. The ground was a deep dark purple and looked made of crystal with a few ground protrusions. The sky, if one could call it that, was a deep dark blue that continually flashed in and out of color. Flashes of lightning cracked every now and then. The same scenery stretched out for miles.
"This is such a weird place…" said Stella.
"Where are the others?" asked Bloom.
"I don't know. I think we all got separated once we entered Ranma's mind." Replied Stella. "Luckily, I was able to find you."
"We'd better go find them. Who knows what might happen in here?" said Bloom as she led the way.
A little later…
Bloom and Stella continued walking for what felt like an eternity. It was the same landscape for miles around. Lightning continued to flash in the sky as the landscape faded in and out of color. There seemed to be no end to the place.
"Sheesh! This view is starting to get real old fast!" complained Stella.
"And we're still no closer to finding the others, let alone this demon possessing Ranma." Said Bloom.
Unknown to the both of them, a shadow started to creep up slowly behind them. As they continued on, the shadow started to form itself and became a black panther. It started to growl, catching the attention of the two girls. Turning around, they screamed at the sight.
"RUN!" shouted Bloom.
Bloom and Stella quickly made a break for it. The shadow panther proceeded to give chase. It drew closer and pounced. The girls quickly split away from each other, causing the monster to pass right between them.
"That's enough! I'm taking it down! WINX ENCHANTIX!" Stella transforms herself, or at least tries to. She was confused when nothing happened. "What the!? I said, WINX ENCHANTIX!" Still, nothing happened. "What's going on!? I can't transform!"
"Stella! Watch out!" Bloom yelled out.
"Huh? GAAAAHHH!!" Stella screamed as she saw the panther lunge at her.
Acting fast, Bloom quickly rushes and tackles Stella out of the way of the panther's strike. They rolled down a slight slope and stumbled to a stop. They managed to get a good distance away from the panther because of this.
"C'mon! Hurry!" said Bloom as she brought Stella back on her feet and continued to run.
"Thanks, Bloom!" said Stella as she ran side-by-side. "I don't understand why I can't transform! Why don't you try?"
Bloom tries to transform as she was running, but like Stella, she, too, was meeting resistance. "No good! I can't transform either!"
They soon ran into a dead end. There was a large crystal obstruction resembling a mesa blocking their path.
"Oh no! Now what!?" said Stella.
The two girls looked back at the approaching panther monster with their backs to the mesa. They held onto each other in fear as it made its way towards them. They shut their eyes as the panther jumps at them, fangs and claws bared.
"EARTH SPIKER!"
All of a sudden, a crystal stalagmite juts out of the ground and impales the shadow panther from below, disintegrating it on the spot. Bloom and Stella were shocked to see the monster done in before it could have them for lunch.
"Who…?" said Bloom as she looked around.
The crystal stalagmite sinks back into the ground. When it was gone, there stood Flora.
"Flora?" said Stella.
"Oh! Thank goodness I got here in time!" said Flora.
"FLORA!"
Bloom and Stella rushed up and embraced their friend for the save.
"Oh Flora! We've finally found you!" said Bloom.
"We would've been on that thing's menu if you hadn't arrived when you did!" said Stella.
"I'm just glad to see you two safe." Said Flora.
"All right, the other girls must still be around here some place. We've got to find them fast!" said Bloom.
"By the way, Flora, how did you do that spell of yours without transforming?" asked Stella. A spell like that would require the magical capacity of the Enchantix form.
"Actually, it's quite simple." Said Flora. "I just willed it to happen and it worked."
"Huh?" Stella was a little lost.
"Think about it. We're all asleep. The us here are nothing more than figments of our own imaginations." Flora explained. "We're basically in a dream, so anything is possible if we will it to. It's our dream, so we can take control of ourselves."
"Wait, I've heard of this before… I think it was called lucid dreaming…" said Bloom.
"That's exactly what it is, Bloom." said Flora.
"Hmmm…. If that's so…" said Stella as she looked at the mesa before her. She holds out her hand towards the rock formation, and fired a huge beam of light at it. When the beam died down, there was a huge hole that exited on the other side. Her beam pierced through the crystal like a nail through wet newspaper. "Cool!"
"Come on!" said Bloom as she ran through the make-shift tunnel, followed by Stella and Flora.
On the other side of the mesa were more protruding crystal formations all over the place.
"Now where are we?" asked Flora.
"This place just gets weirder and weirder…" said Bloom.
It was then Stella spotted a slight movement from a shadowed figure up ahead. "Shhh! Look over there…"
Bloom and Flora looked in the direction the blonde was pointing and saw the figure.
"Another shadow monster?" asked Bloom.
"It looks like it hasn't spotted us yet…" said Stella as she started to power up a light beam. "I'll take it out before it turns."
"Wait, Stella! I think you should-" Flora began, but was cut off as Stella fired the beam at the figure.
The shot missed and struck the formation next to it, causing it to duck for cover. Suddenly, the girls themselves get shot at by a bolt of green lightning. They quickly dove out of the way.
"Wait a minute! This is…!" said Bloom.
"I'M NOT AFRAID OF YOU! I'LL TAKE YOU DEMONS ON!"
Bloom, Stella, and Flora easily recognized the voice.
"Tecna?" Stella called out.
The shadowed figure steps out of hiding, revealing it to truly be Tecna.
"Stella? Bloom? Flora?"
"Tecna!" called out Flora.
They quickly meet up in the middle of the crystal formation field.
"Girls! You're all right!" said Tecna.
"We're glad we found you!" said Bloom.
"Eh heh… sorry about that attack there…" said Stella.
"Well, I'm just glad your aim was off a bit…" said Tecna, causing the blonde to blush.
"All that's left are Musa and Layla…" said Flora.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!"
Bloom, Stella, Flora, and Tecna turned towards the direction of the screams.
"That sounds like Musa and Layla!" said Tecna.
"And they're in trouble!" said Stella. "Come on!"
Bloom then wills herself to create a sphere of flame, which encases them all and then flies over towards where Musa and Layla were at.
Meanwhile in the waking world…
The Trix had just arrived at the outskirts of Alfea's grounds. They had more or less recovered from their ordeal at Magix and experiencing the power of the Nekoken. Because of that, they felt more miserable than usual.
"If I ever see that guy again, I'll shove a lightning bolt down his throat!" said Stormy.
"Get in line! I want to stab his heart out!" said Darcy as she produced a darkness blade from her fist to emphasize her point.
"Cool it, ladies!" said Icy. "I want to kill that sex-changing animal just as much as you two, but we've got bigger things to deal with!"
Darcy and Stormy could only wince. They had remembered how angry Valtor was when they had failed yet again to capture Bloom.
"Yeah, we have to follow Valtor's orders and capture that faerie." Said Darcy "Still, whenever we try, we get stopped by either her friends or that guy."
"He's definitely no ordinary person." Said Stormy. "He's a serious threat."
"Fortunately, he and those faeries of his are asleep." Said Icy. They were able to get intel about the exorcism session they were all undergoing, meaning they were all vulnerable. "We'll just grab Bloom and kill the others while they're asleep. They'll never wake up!"
She makes her point by producing a sharp icicle then chucks it at a nearby tree. The ice shard pierces deep into the trunk, then freezes it over in an instant.
"Well what're we waiting for? Let's go get her!" said Stormy as she and her sisters flew ahead.
They managed to get around the back of the school, the exact area where they fought against Bloom for the first time three years ago.
"Ha! This is almost too easy!" said Darcy.
"Yeah, but that's what worries me…" said Icy.
"Huh? What're you talking about?" asked Stormy.
"For one thing, there aren't any known defenses around here to try and stop us." Replied Icy. "It's almost like the school is daring us to break in."
"Well then, I'll gladly meet that challenge!" said Stormy as she got ready to blow a hole into the side of the wall.
However, before she could summon up a natural disaster, a shining object started to whiz towards her.
"Stormy! Get back!" called out Darcy.
Stormy quickly jumped back just before the shining object stabbed into the ground she was just standing on.
"Huh? What the?" said Stormy as she looked at the object. Upon closer inspection, it looked like a silver…
"A spatula? Is this some kind of joke?" asked Icy.
Darcy then looks up, and sees something on top of the roof. "There's someone up there!"
Icy and Stormy also look up at the roof and could distinctly see two shadowed figures before the night sky. They appeared feminine, and their hair blew against the wind. Suddenly, the two figures jumped off of their perch towards the Trix. One of then had a few glints of silver and threw something out. The three witches quickly fly backwards to avoid the objects, which stab into the ground. They were also spatulas.
"More spatulas!?" said Stormy.
"Who the hell are you!?" Icy demanded.
The darkened figures then step into the light One was a girl with long dark brown hair with a white hair ribbon who wore a bandoleer of mini-spatulas and an oversized spatula on her back. The other was a girl with long purple hair and carried what looked like two rods with beachball-like orbs on one end.
"Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's rude to demand to know who someone is before giving out their own name first?" said Ukyou as she unslung her battle spatula.
"It also rude to disrupt someone who in session!" said Shampoo as she stood ready with her bonboris. She and Ukyou were informed by Nodoka and Ranma about the Trix and what they looked like, so that they could be ready for them if they ever encountered each other.
"Is this some kind of joke? You actually think you can stop us?" asked Darcy. She and the other Trix didn't sense any magical abilities in them at all.
"You like try?" asked Shampoo.
"Funny! You think you can stop us with spatulas and balls on sticks? You really are pathetic!" scoffed Icy.
"Now then, you two are in the way!" said Stormy as she readied up a tornado spell.
Ukyou and Shampoo braced themselves. They were about to fight against real witches. However, they weren't helpless. In any case, they weren't about to let anyone disrupt their adopted brother's healing session. With that in mind, the two girls sprang forth.
Back in Ranma's mind…
Bloom, Stella, Flora, and Tecna appeared in another part of Ranma's mindscape. Looking around, they saw in the distance a twenty-foot shadow minotaur. Tecna looks down at the creature's feet and sees Musa and Layla running for their lives.
"They're down there!" Tecna pointed.
"We've got to help them!" said Bloom.
"Hold on!" called out Stella. She grabs the other three girls and wills herself to turn into a beam of light, which quickly traverses the distance towards Musa and Layla.
"Hurry, Layla!" said Musa as she shoots off another wave of concentrated air pressure at the minotaur. It acted as if it felt nothing from Musa's attacks.
"This thing isn't affected by anything!" said Layla as she ran while firing off her own attacks.
Suddenly, a light appeared before them. It fades to reveal the other four members of the Winx.
"Musa! Layla!" said Flora.
"Oh girls! You're safe!" said Musa.
"We won't be for long if we don't get rid of that thing first!" said Stella as she pointed at the approaching minotaur.
"Now that the six of us are here, we may have a chance!" said Layla.
The six of them took positions and fired off their elemental attack spells at it.
"Flame Blast!"
"Sun Ray!"
"Rose Thrust!"
"Sonic Wave!"
"Digital Lightning!"
"Hydro Shot!"
The attacks impacted hard against the minotaur, the explosions obscuring it from view.
"That oughta do it!" said Stella. However, when the explosion died down, they were all shocked to see the minotaur still in one piece. "No way!"
"That's impossible! It took all that an survived!?" said Tecna.
"Look out!" said Flora.
The minotaur raises a fist and slams it down. The girls quickly scattered before they got crushed.
"Now what do we do!?" said Musa.
"Our spells don't work on that thing!" said Bloom.
Bloom quickly gets everyone together and teleports them all away a safe distance from the dark minotaur. The girls fall to their knees.
"That was a close shave…" said Layla.
Flora then looks up, and stiffens with fear. "It's back!"
Everyone else looks up and screams when the minotaur drops down from the sky and attacks them.
"Doesn't that thing know when to give up!?" said Stella.
They try to get away again via teleport, but no matter where they go, that minotaur would always be right on their tails. Finally, the girls get cornered.
"This is not good…" said Bloom as she and her friends look up at the huge monster about to attack again.
Before it could launch another assault, it was suddenly lassoed around its neck, wrists, arms, and legs by several gold light cables.
"No way…. Those cables…?" said Flora.
While the minotaur was incapacitated, several shots rang out and impacted hard against the monster, causing it to cry out in pain. Three darkened figures started to dart up and down the minotaur's body while flashes of blue, green, and purple criss-crossed all over its body numerous times. The monster is then diced up, and as it beings to fall apart, a shot of white light shoots out at the remains, disintegrating them to nothing.
Six darkened figures land in front of the defeated minotaur. They turn and look towards the Winx Club.
"You girls all right?" one of them asked.
Bloom and the others were shocked to hear that voice. "No… that's impossible… you're all…"
The figures walk into the light. Standing before the Winx girls were the ones lost those weeks ago. Each of them calls out a name in a shaky voice.
"Sky?"
"Brandon?"
"Helia?"
"Riven?"
"Timmy?"
"Nabu?"
"It's nice to see you all again…" said Sky.
Cue ending music.
Ending (Fushigi Yuugi ending, Tokimeki no Doukasen)
Bloom, Stella, Flora, Musa, Tecna, and Layla stand in shock at seeing the Specialists in Ranma's mindscape. The two groups stand there gazing at each other, then the screen whites out.
Anata no namae yondara soko de (If I call out your name, then)
Totsuzen me ga samesou (I might suddenly wake up)
We see a split screen of six sections in a two-row, three-column setting. A headshot of each Specialist occupies each. Top row: Brandon, Sky, Helia. Bottom row: Timmy, Riven, Nabu. They all turn and look at the screen.
Konna ni umaku ikikkonai (It's not going to work out that well for us...)
Mata guuzen aeru nante (meeting again by chance)
We see a split screen of six sections in a two-row, three-column setting. A headshot of each Winx occupies each. Top row: Stella, Bloom, Flora. Bottom row: Tecna, Musa, Layla. They all turn and look at the screen.
Hitogomi no naka watashi to onaji (In a crowd, you're just looking)
Kamishita ko dake mite'ru (at girls with the same hair-style as me)
In each section, a Specialist walks about in a crowded street as if looking for someone.
Kitto dareka wo sagashite'ru n' da (You're probably looking for someone)
Koi no aite ka na (I wonder if it's your lover?)
Each Specialist stops and sees someone in the distance.
Me ga atta shunkan (In that moment our eyes met,)
Demo sore wa watashi de (I realized it was me you were looking for)
Each of the sections shows a close-up of the boys' eyes, then a shot of the backs of the girls' heads as they slowly turn around. Their gazes meet and time seemed to stand still.
Uso yo uso, anata kakete kuru (It can't be! It can't be. You're running right toward me)
Each couple continues to gaze at each other from within the crowds. The people walking about vanish, leaving each couple in a white background as if the rest of the world didn't matter to them.
Tokimeki no doukasen ga (The fuse of excitement)
Karada-juu wo hashitte'ku (runs all through my body)
The couples begin to run towards each other.
BARABARA ni naranai you ni (I don't want to fall to pieces, so)
SHIKKARI shinakucha watashi (I've got to get a hold of myself)
After traversing the long distance, the members of each pair finally reach and then embrace.
Demo chotto kyou wa chotto (But a little bit, today, a little bit,)
Kimochi ga maigo no koneko (I feel like a lost kitten)
They separate, then the six sub-screens merge into one. We see Bloom, Stella, Flora, Musa, Tecna, and Layla standing before Ranma in the same background. The white void becomes a grassy plain.
Yasashisa de semeraretara (If you approach me with kindness,)
Tsuite'ku shikanai kamo ne NYA-O (I can't help but follow you. Meow)
Ranma smiles at the girls, who then all group hug him, getting him flustered. The ghostly visions of Sky, Brandon, Helia, Riven, Timmy, and Nabu loom over Ranma's head and look down at his situation with amusement.
End ending
To be continued…
Preview…
Bloom: The boys are here…. I don't believe it!
Stella: It's been so long!
Flora: I know they're a part of Ranma now, but I didn't expect this.
Musa: They apparently have a new gig down here as Ranma's life support.
Tecna: They can help us exorcise the Nekoken out of him!
Layla: Yeah! It's why we came here for!
Bloom: I'm worried about what's happening outside…
Layla: Don't worry, I'm sure Shampoo and Ukyou can handle themselves.
Stella: Next time, on Ranma Club, 'Exorcise! Demon Revealed!'
Musa: That thing is big… let's go!
Author's notes:
Yeah yeah, I know, I gave a cliff-hanger here, but I had to end this chapter somewhere! It's probably the longest one I've written so far. The girls are getting close to curing Ranma of his phobia. Who knew the mind was a dangerous place?
Andrew9000: Fight scenes are kinda hard to write, actually. That's why it takes me a while to update. '--
JerryUnipeg: Well, had to get Shampoo and Ukyou to blend in with the locals, right? . When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Hmmm… maybe I ought to draw them…
Rankolinainverse: Oh, a lot of crazy things will happen in the future.
Cardinel: I can DEFINITELY argue with 4Kids' poor choice of theme songs. I especially cannot forgive that crappy rap opening for One Piece, especially where there was a good English version of the Japanese opening available to use. Or what about Yu-Gi-Oh!! where their opening consisted of nothing but "Your move!", "Yu-Gi-Oh!", and "It's time to d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-duel!". Lame…. So lame it started to lose its meaning…
Bloomforever: Good call! Those were the Specialists in Ranma's head. It's not just the Darkar part 4Kids screwed up in, but everything else. Pointless line-changing/adding is only the beginning of 4Kids's sin. They also engage in cutting out scenes (some are even important plot devices), putting scenes from one episode into another and have it act as part of the episode it was placed in, taking out the whole OST to put in their crappy bland music which fails to set the moods, editting the visuals, adding in pointless elements to story, and also changing personalities to name a few.
Example: Season 2, episode 4, Princess Amentia (US: Queen of Perfection). In the beginning when Sky pulls Layla off of the cavern wall she was stuck on.
4Kids:
Layla: "Help! This stuff burns!"
Sky: "I'm coming Layla!"
Layla: "It reeks, too!"
Sky: pulling on the gunk holding Layla "It's tough like rubber! Come on!"
Layla: "Hurry Sky! It stings!" is finally pulled off
Sky: "Are you okay?"
Layla: "I think so..."
Rai:
Layla: "Uuuaaaaahhh!! Disgusting!"
Sky: "Hold on Layla!"
Layla: "Oh this is gross!"
Sky: pulling on the gunk holding Layla "Just... let me... get this off!"
Layla: "My wings! Sky my wings! Please! Ahhh!" is finally pulled off
Sky: "It's okay now." Layla embraces Sky, causing him to get flustered "Uh...?"
Bloom: getting jealous "Hmph!"
Layla: "Relax, Bloom, I was just going to thank him." smiles at Sky "Thanks!"
4Kids idiotically decided to alter Layla's personality to have a male complex or something. Also, in The Invisible Pixies (US: Gangs of Gardenia), there was a horrid visual edit.
Scene: When Bloom, Stella, Musa, and Layla get conered by the street gang in the alley.
Rai:
The gang comes at them armed with broken bottles, pipes, chains, and switchblde kives, the stereotypical weaponry of most street gangs.
4Kids:
The gang comes at them armed with…. RIBBONS!? Who the hell in their right minds would be scared of guys armed with ribbons!? Oh yeah, that's real intimidating, guys…
More Rai vs. 4Kids rants for every chapter.
(1) Kuroko, the ninja referee from the Samurai Showdown games
(2) Reference of The Exorcist