-------------------------------------------------------------- < > - English // // - emitted from a P.S. system, telephone, or other electric medium. Thanks to Eric Jones for the Mikado Sanzenin help :) -------------------------------------------------------------- =========================== The Pursuit of Happiness ACT 2 The Kings of Nerima Day 2 Shuffling the Deck =========================== ------------------------------------------------------------- ------Day 2: Pre-fight Survey------ [Furinkan High, lunch hour.] Unlike yesterday, today's lunch hour was spent in the traditional group sessions, which meant that Hiroshi and Daisuke would be with Ranma. They were also asking lots of annoying questions. "How're you feeling after yesterday?" asked Hiroshi. "Okay, I guess." Hiroshi nodded and started scribbling down something on a notepad. "Any soreness? Lingering bruises?" asked Daisuke. "Well, yeah, a few bruises, but that's normal." Hiroshi and Daisuke hmmed, then they both scribbled something down on their notepads. Ranma was looking a bit perplexed. "Hey, what's with all the questions?" "Just estimating how well you're gonna do today," said Hiroshi. "After all," added Daisuke, "we've got money riding on ya." "Jeez. Thanks for the support." --- "I feel well," said Kuno. "Thank you for your concern, fellow students." "Yeah yeah, right," muttered Daisuke, scribbling notes in his notepad. "Any lingering injuries?" "Hmm..." Kuno stretched a bit. "None serious, I do think." --- "No, I'm not feeling depressed, why?" asked Ryouga. "Uh-huh." Hiroshi frowned. "And remind me, what's your big ki-blast thingy-" "Shishi-houkoudan." "Um... Shi... Shi..." Hiroshi scribbled down the name of the attack quickly, then continued with the questions. "That thing's fueled by depression, yeah?" "Um, yeah, but why are you ask-" "Nevermind. Any particular nagging bruises or injuries?" Ryouga scratched his head, looking a bit confused. "No, not really." Hiroshi scribbled a little more in his notepad, then flipped it shut. Daisuke, however, had one more question. "You feel that you've had an easy time in this tourney so far, or has it been a struggle?" "Well, um, not exactly easy, no..." "So it's been hard?" "Well, not really hard, exactly. Sort of hard, yeah." He thought a bit on all his victories thus far and frowned. "Definitely embarrassing." "Say, just between us," said Daisuke slyly, "is there something going on between you'n Ukyou?" "N-no!" Ryouga scowled, but the blush on his face gave away his feelings. "I mean, we're just friends, that's all!" "So you don't mind if one of us asks her for a date?" asked Hiroshi, grinning a predatory grin. "It's none of my business, is it?" replied Ryouga grumpily. --- "A few bruises, but I don't think they should affect me much," said Ukyou. "I see." Hiroshi grinned, in a sly sort of way. "Hey, just between you'n me... is there something going on between you'n Ryouga?" Ukyou blushed and looked away from Hiroshi. "I, well, no! Absolutely not!" "Just friends?" "Exactly." Hiroshi grinned. "Hey, will ya go out on a date with me this Thu-" -CLAAAAAAAAAAAANG- Daisuke whistled. "Oooooh, that's gotta hurt." --- [Furinkan High, 4th floor, 4:15 PM] The classroom was once more rigged with laptops and chalkboard diagrams as Nabiki's team prepared for another day of heavy betting. Their leader, however, was not amongst them. Instead, she was walking the halls in a conversation with her new supernatural consultant and Furinkan High's local fortune teller. The news was a little unexpected. "He has what?" asked Nabiki, staring at Mio in surprise. "From what I've been able to find in the books, the abnormal aura he has hints towards him somehow having a variant of 'soul power'." "Soul power?" Mio nodded. "It's an ancient power that was never really understood well. There are many theories on what, exactly, it is, but there have never been any definite answers. They all agree, however, that the power is an extension of the person's soul. Whether it is an extension the soul, or a greater force that the soul connects to, is under debate." "Mm-hm. You said Kuno may have a variant of it?" "Yes. Normally, Soul Power is mastered by those with inner peace. Their battle aura is usually a bright blue. However, should those not of a peaceful spirit, perhaps haunted by inner demons or consumed by evil intent, gain access to Soul Power, the darkness of their souls taints the power, hence the darker aura. In turn, the power twists the user as well. The power in such individuals is known as Psycho Power." Nabiki raised an eyebrow. "So, in your opinion, Kuno shows all the signs of having this power?" Mio nodded. "Give me the worst case scenario," said Nabiki. Mio hmmed. "Worst case scenario? Kuno gains full mastery of the power and becomes a nearly unstoppable psychotic." "And the odds of that happening?" "Not as likely as I feared it would be," said Mio. "I observed Kuno earlier today, hoping to see something more in his aura that the cameras wouldn't catch. He's surrounded, for some odd reason, by several spells." "Spells?" Nabiki's mind spun a few times, considering the implications. Two seconds later, it came up with the only likely suspect: Gosunkugi. She'd have to ask him about it later, but for now... "What kind of spells?" Mio frowned. "An unusual assortment. Blessings, protection against evil spirits, many more that I can't recognize." "You can't recognize them?" "No," said Mio. "The spellcaster was that good?" "No... he was that sloppy. I get the impression that the caster was throwing spells frantically." Yes, thought Nabiki, definitely Gosunkugi. "Anyways," continued Mio, "with these spells cast on him, he should only be able to manifest the full power when his emotions are incredibly strong." "Ah, good, end of problem," said Nabiki matter-of-factly. "There IS one cause for concern, though," said Mio. "The way those spells are bound to him constantly, they're in constant conflict with his Psycho power. There may be side effects." "What kind?" asked Nabiki. "No way of knowing, really." "So, does this factor have anything to do with his current run of good luck in the tournament?" "With the power running through his system, despite being being hindered by those spells, Kuno probably has improved reflexes, stamina, and even strength. From what I've heard, Kuno has always been formidable, but just below the level at which the recent influx of martial artists." "That would be correct," said Nabiki. "You think he's been nudged up to that level at last?" "It's a possibility." They walked further, Nabiki looking contemplative while Mio admired the good weather outside. They'd nearly come full circle around the floor, and could hear the clacking of keys coming from Nabiki's operations center. "Something's still bothering me," said Nabiki. "How on earth did Kuno gain this power to begin with?" "That," said Mio, "you'll have to ask him yourself." --- [Furinkan High campus, 5:30 PM] Mikado sighed, running a hand through his hair, checking his reflection over and over. For the first time in far too long, he was going it alone, in The King of Nerima Tournament. Finally, he'd be able to prove his greatness, and rid that one blemish from his otherwise perfect record.. Saotome. He would fall this tourney, by Mikado's own hands. The first day had been a veritable cakewalk. Having easily disposed of some foppish member of the martial origami school, he'd had to defeat that lovely yet overzealous cheerleader girl.. That, however, was yesterday, the past. His attention at the moment was focused on finding the latest fight match listings to determine where and when his next match would be. He idly wondered if his next opponent would prove to be more entertaining than yesterday's cannon fodder. Mikado smirked. It was of no consequence. None could stand before the might of his now-perfected style. He had far more tricks up his sleeve than when he first met Ranma. The matches were to begin in about an hour's time, but first he felt obligated to go about and meet the fans... --- Ryouga shook his head, growling as he made a bee-line to the nearest washroom. He was wet, cold, and female. Of COURSE Moh wouldn't just leave the loss alone.. He just HAD to get vengeance back.. Ryouga shuddered. He and his partner, Shem Pu had a nasty thing with seltzer bottles.. But before Ryouga was allowed to think, or move, any further, a pair of hands pulled her from behind, leaning her back. Almost instantly, a pair of lips were upon her. -Male- lips. Mikado smiled, raising the innocent girl back to her feet. He sighed dramatically, "Ah, thank you my dear, for such a message of well wishing. Now, Sanzenin Mikado shall go forth to victory. I shall not forget you, my lovely.." With that, Mikado rollerbladed off, leaving Ryouga to stare blankly ahead of herself. Momentarily. Ryouga shook her head, then her whole body followed soon after. Teeth grated, and flames build up around her body. "I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!!" She cried, punching the ground, hard. Later, when she was able to get out of the crater, she decided to clean up and change back to a male first. Stopping by one of the concessions stands, Ryouga got a cup of hot water. As he waited, he noticed the tournament schedule. His next match was against... ah ha. Ryouga smiled. Vengeance could wait wait for an hour or so. --- With a sigh, another girl stepped back giggling. Mikado himself was looking quite pleased as he made the rounds with the people and gave his fans the adoration they desired. It was a good day to be Mikado Sanzenin. Mikado's reverie was cut short, when he walked headlong into another man. He took a step back, his eyes narrowing in recognition. Simultaneously, Ryouga and Mikado cried out "YOU!!" Then then both simultaneously blinked. Mikado was the first to recover. "You! You are the boy who cost me my match against that coward Saotome! ...Hibiki Ryouga, is it not? It seems this tourney will be more enjoyable than I thought..." "Hey, you, if you EVER kiss me again I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" Mikado blinked, then crossed his arms and frowned. "Excuse me? Kiss YOU? I think not. What kind of pervert are you anyway?" Ryouga winced. "Ah... I said... I _said_ if you kiss MY SISTER again I'm gonna kill you!" Mikado blinked, puzzled. "Are you sure you didn't say 'if you ever kiss me again'?" Ryouga's brain managed to summon up a little cleverness. He looked scandalized. "Why would I wanna kiss you?!" "Hey, that's what I was asking you!" "I did NOT say I wanted to kiss you!" yelled Mikado. "You're not even my type!" "What, you're saying I'm ugly now?!" At this point, both men had that really bad feeling, the kind that says, 'hey, better look over your shoulder'. They did. There was a large crowd gathered, listening to these two argue, and plenty of whispers about sexual orientation and coming out of the closet. Mikado turned pale. So did Ryouga. "I'll... uh... see you in the match," grumbled Ryouga. "Likewise," said Mikado. They both _quickly_ went their separate ways. --- Nabiki smiled, pocketing her mini-cam tape, and loading in another. A huge smile was on her face. "Well, that was amusing..." --- ---------- Round 3 -------- --- The sun set on the canal, giving the fighters standing by its side a rather cinematic quality. The spectators chose this moment to take lots of photographs. Akane ignored them, she had other things on her mind. It wasn't her adversary's _very_ dusty, unkept appearance that had Akane a little worried. It wasn't the way that her adversary seemed totally and utterly relaxed. It was the large metal radial steel wire broom that had her worried. Akane had seen footage of Tanya's fights, and she knew she was in for one rough experience. Tanya Noori was a wily foe that was entirely willing to fight dirty. More often than not, she drew blood from her foe either from strikes of the steel wire broom, or nastier looking hook-like objects she kept in her jacket. Akane snapped out of her thoughts when she realized Noori was approaching her. The gaijin's speech was a bit stiff, but generally correct, with an odd sort of accent to it. She said, "Tendo." "Um, yes?" "Just want you to know. Nothing personal." --- Meanwhile, in the soccer field, a rivalry of sub-legendary proportions with a year's worth of history was about to take place. For once, thought Ranma, he was getting a break. "Hahahaha... so, Ranma Saotome, fate decrees that I, Tatewaki Kuno shall cross paths with you on this day!..." Yeah, same old Kuno, talkative as ever. "...Know now that your participation in this tournament is at an end, for today..." Blah, blah, blah... "...SURELY destiny has seen fit that the public witness as I, Furinkan's Favorite Son, bring you, lowly cur that thou art, to your knees! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" "Aw, shut up already!" As was tradition, Ranma used his unmatched speed and slid in for multiple strikes at Kuno's jaw, finishing it with an uppercut that sent Kuno flying back, hitting the ground flat on his back, just as Ranma expected. Ranma turned his back on Kuno, looking smug. "So, did I get'em under five seconds?" he asked the judge's table. "I'm going for that rec-" *SLASH* --- The Kolholz Ice Rink was stripped of its ice, leaving bare concrete at the floor. It was, to Mikado, a sad sight. He took comfort in the fact that it was only temporary. He also took comfort in the legions of Mikado fans in the audience, screaming his name, proclaiming their love for him. "Thank you!" he said, smiling and waving as he rollerbladed around the rink. "Thank you all!" He deftly caught a rose that was tossed to him from the audience and smelled its aroma. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the rink, Ryouga was standing there, eager for the match to begin. The announcer stepped to the middle of the rink, beckoning both fighters to the middle, then extracted a wireless microphone. //LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO THE KING OF NERIMA TOURNAMENT! TO MY LEFT, RYOUGA HIBIKI OF FURINKAN HIGH!// There was some light applause, and a fair amount of boos and hisses from the crowd as well. After all, this was Mikado's turf. //TO MY RIGHT, KOLHOLZ HIGH CHAMPION MARTIAL ARTS FIGURE SKATER MIKADO SANZENIN!// At this point, the crowd went wild with cheers, roaring and chanting 'Sanzenin! Sanzenin! Sanzenin!'. Mikado's smile rose a notch and he raised his hand to acknowledge the audience's adoration. //THE MATCH ENDS BY KNOCKOUT OR SUBMISSION! FIGHT// The transition from smiling, waving egomaniac to speeding, attacking martial artist was quick, catching Ryouga off guard. Sanzenin sped in sliding, knocking Ryouga off his feet and onto the floor. Before he could recover, Sanzenin sprang up in the air in a dazzling triple rotation, then plowed into Ryouga's chest with both feet. Surely, thought, Mikado, that was the end of that. Two seconds later Ryouga booted him into the wall. --- "Stand your ground, coward!" *SLASH* Ranma sprang back as Kuno slashed another canal into the field. In the distance, several trees and the goalposts were laid to waste, evidence of Tatewaki Kuno's newfound prowess. As he landed, Ranma winced and put a hand over his ribs. He was still angry at himself for turning his back on his enemy, even if it was Kuno. Genma trained him to know better than that. Now, because of his arrogance, he had two bruised ribs that definitely weren't going to be healed overnight. Kuno lashed out again, his speed not quite but approaching the speed of Ranma's chestnut fist technique. Ranma dodged some strikes and was forced to block others. The strikes he blocked left a burning, stinging sensation. As Kuno's attack wound down, Ranma let loose with his own speed attack. To his surprise, Kuno actually managed to block a few, but for the most part his punches were finding their mark. Ranma finished with backhand followed by a footsweep, knocking the kendoist off his feet and into the ground. "There, MUCH better," said Ranma. He took a few steps back and caught his breath. This was just wrong, Kuno shouldn't have been this much trouble. But as the match extended, Kuno had been getting better. Something odd was going on. The question now was if Kuno would STAY down. "Saotome... I... fight... ON!" Damn. So much for a quick end. Kuno rose quickly and slashed again, but this time a wave of dark energy flew from his blade. Ranma ducked, and the ki blast flew into the side of Furinkan High, shattering brick and window alike. Ranma stared at the damage, then at Kuno, who was definitely flickering with a dark aura. "Aw man, all I wanted was ONE easy match. WHOA!" --- Mikado spun wildly in place, with Ryouga snared in his Dance of Death attack. Punch after punch slammed into Ryouga but the lost boy showed no signs of collapse. Finally, Mikado spun away, leaving Ryouga somewhat bruised and slightly dizzy and Mikado unhurt but with the world spinning at an alarming rate. Ryouga recovered first and went on the offensive, hurling bandanna after bandanna at the skater until the air swarmed with them. With his speed, Mikado managed to kick away or dodge them, although a few flew in close enough to cut his clothes. He was so busy taking care of the bandannas that he failed to notice the really big umbrella flying towards him until it was too late. A second later, he also discovered that the umbrella was _very_ heavy. --- The match had gone on for far longer than Ranma liked. Kuno didn't land too many more solid blows, but every hit of his bokken that did get in was going to be sore for days after. Ranma, in turn, laid Kuno flat on his back several times, but the kendoist _always_ managed to stand once again. It was after a few more minutes that Ranma realized his mistake. This wasn't the same old Kuno. He was fighting him as if he was, though, and that just wasn't working. There was something he knew that worked on anyone. It worked against Happosai just fine. It flattened Ryouga before. Surely, it'd work on Kuno. After several minutes of trading shots, and lots of insults by Ranma, Kuno was burning red hot with rage. Perfect. "Ya call this a match, Kuno? Your sister fights better than this!" "INSOLENT DOG!" Yep, definitely hot enough. Carefully, Ranma began retreating in a spiral pattern, with Kuno eagerly following, accompanied by a frenzy of slashes. Ranma concentrated on cool, kept his focus on being cool, let inner peace fill his mind. Then he let loose with the attack. "HIRYU SHOTEN HA!" A pillar of light surrounded by a sudden whirlwind surrounded Ranma, catching Kuno in its path. The Kendoist flew high in the sky, spinning helplessly in the mini-tornado that the hiryu shoten ha generated. A second later, The Blue Thunder crashed down to earth, finally unconscious. --- Ryouga had an idea. He didn't have many, and usually not during combat, but it was only natural that his mind evolve. This idea was working out well. Around Ryouga's feet was shattered, cracked concrete, thanks to the breaking point technique. Mikado didn't dare skate into that region, for his mobility would be severely affected. Feeling smug about this tactical turn of events, Ryouga stood in the middle of the rubble, daring Mikado to enter. "Come on!" taunted Ryouga. "Scared?" Circling Ryouga like a shark, Mikado scowled. Yes, he could leap across for some hit and run tactics, but considering Ryouga's skill, that would not be wise. Even worse, he was wrecking the rink. There was one option, but he never did perfect it. Mikado spun in place at a fast rate and continued to spin at an increasing rate. Ryouga raised an eyebrow as Mikado's spinning began to cause an air current. The vague outline of a whirlwind was appearing around Mikado's form. Ryouga stabbed into the ground, setting off a breaking point, and debris flew towards Mikado. It did not, however, strike the skater, but instead became captured by the now very visible mini-hurricane that Mikado's spinning was generating. Suddenly, Mikado stopped spinning, hunched in Ryouga's direction, and yelled "HURRICANE NO BON-ODORI!" The cyclone of wind, no longer held by Mikado's spinning, blazed towards Ryouga, slammed into him, including the swirling debris that it caught. Skating away in a wobbly manner, Mikado dusted off his jacket. "Well... THAT should put an end to..." Someone tapped him on the shoulder. "Eh?" *WHAM* "That was for the kiss, pervert," grumbled Ryouga. --- "RRRRRRRRYAAH!" -slash- Akane screamed as the steel broom tore into her again, raking more bloody trails on her arms. Despite the pain, Akane kept enough presence of mind to grab at the broom's handle. With her superior strength, she pulled the weapon out of Tanya's hands and tossed it far, far out of the fighting area. That broom turned out to be every bit as painful as Akane feared, turning parts of her gi to shreds, and the bleeding, while not as bad as it looked, looked very bad indeed, with bloody scratches across her back, stomach, arms, and a particularly nasty swipe across the face. "All right, let's see how you fight withou... oh no." Noori grimly pulled out what appeared to be a large rusty metal chisel and an equally rusty hammer. --- *WHACK* *WHACK* It was desperation time for Mikado Sanzenin. The amount of concrete left that was flat and unshattered was shrinking, and fast. Ryouga was closing in, and it appeared Hibiki's stamina was every bit as tough as the rumors had said it was. *POW* *POW* An ordinary man would have been out by now. Ryouga was was just finally breathing hard. At the moment, Mikado had been locked, eye to eye, with Ryouga, and was mirroring everything Ryouga was doing. Every dodge, every feint, and every... *THUMP* *THUMP* ... hit. Ouch. Quite frankly, he didn't know how much longer he could hold out. Either the technique would finally take hold soon or Mikado would be doomed. The Reflection technique was a risky gambit. Mirroring your opponent long enough would result, if performed correctly, in hypnotizing the opponent, rendering him/her completely under Mikado's control. At the moment, there was the look in Ryouga's eyes... somewhat glazed, but not quite hypnotized. Mikado was definitely worried. Come on, he thought, get hypnotized already! *CRACK* *CRACK* Ow! Mikado couldn't take it any longer and crumpled, clutching his ribs. Ryouga did the exact same thing. Mikado blinked. Ryouga blinked. "It worked! It finally worked!" said Mikado, laughing crazily, and with Ryouga doing the exact same. So relieved was Mikado that he let out a maniacal laugh, boosted by Ryouga's maniacal Mikado-esque laugh echoing it. Just to make sure things were working well, Mikado did a little jig. Ryouga followed suit. "Ahe... AHEHEHEE! IT WORKED!" yelled Mikado. "Ahe... AHEHEHEE! IT WORKED!" yelled Ryouga. Ryouga was wide open now. Just one good solid 'everything Mikado had left' boot to the head was sure to end the match. Mikado hoped so. He wasn't feeling very good at all. He concentrated hard, pulled his leg back, and unleashed a massive spinning kick aimed at Ryouga's head. *CRACK* Ask anyone that had fought Ryouga before, and they'd say that his head was the thickest thing on him. Generations of evolution had turned the Hibiki Cranium onto one tough piece of work. Ranma could have told Mikado a simple truth: the Hibiki Cranium is tough, but the Hibiki Jaw isn't quite as tough. Mikado, unfortunately, wasn't aiming for the jaw. This had the undesired effect of snapping Ryouga out of his hypnosis. And Mikado was wide open too. *WHAM* --- ---------- Intermission ---------- --- In a darker corner of King's Cafe... "So. Defeated, were you?" Ryoko scowled. "Ryo, I don't wanna talk about it." Kyoko tugged nervously on Ryo's sleeve. Ryo snarled, "WHAT?!", but his youngest sister was unfazed. As if anything could faze Kyoko Muhoshin. "Oniisan, whathappened??? What didthatgirl do??? Howdidshe beat you withum...whatisit?" Kyoko said, with her typical near-breathless manner of speaking. Ryo smiled a sharp, thin smile that anyone else would find unnerving. Kyoko found it rather neat-o. "Your sister was struck down by a mighty and fearsome rugbeater." "SHUTUP!" "Heheh. Right. Now if you'll excuse me, I've a previous appointment to keep." "Wai! CanIcometoo, oniisan?" "No." "Pleeeeeease?" "No." "Pleee-" "STOP IT." --- There were bruises. There were scrapes. It looked like someone swiped at her face with a rake and landed a hit. Ranma took one look at Akane and was ready to tear someone's spine out. "Who did this to you?" he demanded to know. "Ranma, you're overreacting," said Akane, frowning. "Tell me who did this to you." "Why?" Akane jabbed Ranma with a finger. "What are you going to do? Beat her up?" "I... I...." "This is exactly what I didn't want you to do!" She took him by the arm and leaned against him in a reassuring manner. "It's sweet, really, but it isn't necessary. We even shook hands and talked a little after the match, so there's no big bad bully for you to chase after. Got it?" Ranma looked away, but did manage a disgruntled, "okay." "Oh, there she is. Noori-san! Hi!" From across the room, seated next to what appeared to be a rather beautiful Kunoichi, Tanya Noori looked up and tipped her hat. She watched for a moment as Akane and her significant other made their way to their seats somewhere off to the far end of the cafe, then resumed brooding in her drink. Konatsu asked, "Is that the woman you fought earlier?" She nudged Konatsu with an elbow. Noori was surprised to see Konatsu turn a deep shade of red accompanied by a look of burning rage. --- Out into the night, there was a scream of terror. Somewhere in Nerima, a diminutive pervert fell off of a roof and landed, flat on his back, in the alley below. His face had an expression of utter shock, confusion, betrayal, and disgust all in one. It was a remarkable expression. Drifting gently downward was a pair of delicate discount brand panties. "Aaa... aa.. aack... n-not... a.. again..." --- "I... I don't want to talk about it, Noori-sama," said Konatsu, crossing his legs. Tanya blinked, shrugged, and resumed downing her drink. She briefly glared at a certain bandanna-clad boy clumsily making his way across the room, then 'feh'ed and turned her attention to one of the televisions mounted nearby. --- "No, THIS way!" Ukyou grabbed Ryouga by the hand again and pulled hard, nearly setting him off his feet. Ryouga grumbled something about pushy women, but that was cut off by an elbow to the gut. "Hey, Ucchan, over here!" Ranma stood up and waved, catching Ukyou's attention as they made their way through the crowds. After a few minutes of struggling, they finally made their way to their usual table and took their seats. "Hey guys, sorry we're late," said Ukyou. "Took a while to find Lost Boy here." "Don't call me that!" whined Ryouga. "I wouldn't call you that if it wasn't true!" Ukyou stuck her tongue out, pulled down an eyelid and did the traditional 'biiiiiih' insult. To this, Ryouga couldn't really argue, so he just 'hrmph'ed and turned away. "I've gotta do everything for this idiot," said Ukyou, smirking. Then, taking everyone by surprise, she yanked a bandanna from Ryouga's head, making his cranium snap around somewhat violently in the process. "Hey! What'd you do that for?!" yelled Ryouga. "You slob, you've got dirt all over your face. Hold still, will you?" "Hey!" Ryouga halfheartedly protested as Ukyou tried to wipe some smudges off of his face. "Come on, cut it out!" "Almost like a married couple already," said Akane, mock whispering it to Ranma. The two immediately snapped to a totally neutral and upright seated position. They were, however, blushing badly. It was at this point that the two finally got a good look at Akane. "Wow, sugar, what happened to you?" "Who was it and where do they live?" growled Ryouga. Akane frowned. "I was eliminated." "Really?" asked Ukyou. "Who got ya?" "Tanya Noori." Ryouga stood up. "And where the heck are YOU going?" asked Ukyou. "Ryouga, sit down," said Akane soothingly. "Come on, it's okay, really." "Sit down, you jackass," said Ukyou. "But-" "It's a martial arts tournament, this sort of thing is gonna happen," said Ukyou. "It wasn't anything personal, it was just a match," added Akane. "Well... okay." Ukyou snorted. "Men. Just can't accept that a woman can handle everything they can." "No kidding," said Akane. "Ranma's still just as bad." Ukyou nudged Ranma's foot from under the table. "So, how'd your match go, Ranchan?" Ryouga grinned. "I heard he nearly got beat by KUNO." "Shut up!" "Ah ha! So it IS true!" "Feel the testosterone flow," said Ukyou dryly. Akane nodded. "No kidding." "It's not like your match was that much better!" countered Ranma. "You nearly got beat by Mikado, and I heard he even kissed ya!" "SHUT UP!" "Sorry to hear ya got eliminated, sugar," said Ukyou, ignoring the ongoing battle of barbs between the boys. "How about you?" asked Akane. "Who'd you fight? How'd it go?" "Took down Shinohara High's champion Rhythmic Gymnastics Martial Artist," said Ukyou. "Kaede the Red Star or something like that. Kinda like Kodachi, without the dirty tricks." "So he DID kiss you! HA!" "Oh yeah? He kissed you first!" "Hey, is that your, um, 'sister' Natsumi over there?" Ukyou pointed at a wandering figure carrying a rugbeater. "Oh, yeah, it is. Natsumi! Over here!" Akane waved to the girl, who soon spotted them and made her way to their table. "Hello," she said, taking a seat next to Akane. "Have either of you seen Kurumi?" Ranma and Ryouga were deep in debate over who gave Mikado the lesser kiss. Akane and Ukyou shook their heads. Natsumi narrowed her eyes. "She's late." "Where did she go?" asked Akane. "With that little cassanova Prince Toma," spat Natsumi, scowling. "Oh, he's not that bad," said Akane. "He's really a nice boy when you get to know him." Natsumi looked at Akane doubtfully. "Says the woman that was kidnapped by him," she replied dryly. "Sorry I'm late ladies," said Nabiki, taking her place at the end of the table (or the head, depending on one's perspective). "And hello to tweedle-dee and dum," she added, smirking at Ryouga and Ranma (who were now insulting each other's feminine qualities). "Have you seen my sister recently?" asked Natsumi. Nabiki smirked. "Oh, she's nearby." "_Where?_" "I've been paid well not to reveal that. But don't worry. Trust me, they're doing fine." "That's what I'm worrying about," grumbled Natsumi. --- "...and your eyes, the colors of a thousand Amazon butterflies." *GIGGLE* "Oh, Toma." --- Ranma peered over Nabiki's shoulder, looking curiously at her laptop. This, of course, was annoying her greatly, but as usual he failed to notice that sort of thing. "Hey, Nabiki, can ya bring up the results from the last round?" She gave him a mild elbow to the stomach. "Sure, if you'll just stop crowding me." -click- ------------------------------------------------------------ - The King of Nerima Tournament - Day 2 Results Saotome Ranma d. Kuno Tatewaki (recap) (statistics) Happosai d. Kenzan Konatsu (recap) (statistics) Tendo Natsumi d. Muhoshin Ryoko (recap) (statistics) Hibiki Ryouga d. Sanzenin Mikado (recap) (statistics) Kumon Ryuu d. Ebiten (recap) (statistics) Magical Girl Kuruma d. Plasticite (recap) (statistics) Konjou Mariko d. Sakugare Sasuke (recap) (statistics) Muhoshin Ryo d. Sarotoru (recap) (statistics) Masakari Kujo d. Sakamoto Rei (recap) (statistics) -more- -previous results- -main- -statistics- -odds- ------------------------------------------------------------ Ranma's eyes shone with an intelligence rarely seen on his face, as he analyzed the names of those on the screen and remembered what he could of their skills. "Kumon's still in the tournament, huh? He'll be tough. I was hopin someone would take out the old freak, but that ain't likely." "You're afraid of fighting Happosai?" asked Ukyou, eyebrow raised. "Afraid? Heck no!" "Then what?" "It's just.... disgusting when I havta fight the old man, y'know? He'll try to throw water on me an'then grab me all over. I HATE that." "I see what ya mean." "The matchups for the next round come up yet?" asked Akane. "Let's see." Nabiki clicked several times, the screen flickering rapidly as she hopped across the site. --------------------------------------------------------- Not Found The requested object does not exist on this server. The link you followed is either outdated, inaccurate, or the server has been instructed not to let you have it. -back- --------------------------------------------------------- "Again?" "Hm?" said Akane. "The schedules have been late every round," said Nabiki. "It's just a bit of an inconvenience to me, considering my current interest. It's really starting to irritate me." --- [Ryouga Hibiki vs. ] "Let's see.... ah." [Ryouga Hibiki vs. Kodachi Kuno.} "Who else... hrm..." [Ranma Saotome vs. ] "Hrm... who... who... OH! Now THIS looks fun!" --- ------------------ Round 4 ---------------- --- Ryouga frowned. "Ohohohoho! Ryouga darling, how interesting that we meet in combat!" Ugh. This wasn't going to be fun. First of all, he didn't like hitting girls. Second, Kodachi really, _really_ spooked him. Third... that was a really... really tight outfit she was wearing. Left little to the imagination. "Don't worry darling," purred Kodachi lustily, "there's pleasure in pain too." She cracked her ribbon like a whip, her eyes never leaving Ryouga's body. "Just leave it to me." Oh boy. --- Ranma sighed, waiting for his opponent to arrive. He'd seen the lineup for this round, saw the name, but wasn't able to get a profile on the person. All he knew was the man's name. Kujo Masakari. A passing cloud seemed to cast a shadow on the battlefield that was Furinkan's baseball field. After Ranma turned around, he realized it wasn't a cloud. It was Kujo Masakari. He was big. Very big. Obscenely big. He was taller than the Dojo Destroyer and far more muscular. Members of the audience could easily imagine the behemoth starring in a film called 'Kujo The Barbarian'. The titanic sword and leather loincloth certainly helped in that image. Ranma blinked. "Oh boy." //IN THE RED SHIRT, FROM THE SAOTOME SCHOOL OF ANYTHING GOES MARTIAL ARTS, RANMA SAOTOME!// The giant listened, committing the memory to name. If anyone were to ask, he'd say he was listening so he'd know what name to inscribe on his Book of Maimed Victims. //IN THE LEATHER LOINCLOTH, JUST ENTERING THE FIELD, KUJO MASAKARI!// The large barbarian gave a nasty grin. Ranma wasn't sure, but he thought he saw some red splotches in those needle-like teeth. //CHAMPION OF THE DEATHBRINGER SCHOOL OF ARTISTIC MAIMING! FOUR TIME WINNER OF THE HIMMLER AWARD FOR CREATIVE BRUTALITY!// Kujo laughed. Ranma thought the ground was shaking. //AND EATER OF LIU FANG!// Ranma stared at the announcer. "Eater of Liu Fang?!?!" Kujo roared. The crowd went silent. "Me Kujo Masakari! I eat Liu Fang, Master of the Shaolin, in combat to death! I wrestle alligators for fun, torture children for giggles, and burn cities for relaxation! I use redwoods for toothpicks, lightning for a nail file, and the mountains for a back scratcher! Where I walk, the grass withers, and my breath makes chlorine look like oxygen! Lions fawn at my feet like house cats, and wolves whimper and run when they see me! My piss cuts through solid steel!" The audience collectively 'eww'ed. "More than I needed to know," muttered Ranma. "I can't look in a mirror for fear of scaring myself! The devil shudders at the thought of my crimes, and the Spanish inquisition would turn green and run after five seconds of my sport! The screams of the dying are my lullaby, and thunder is a pale imitation of my laughter! I will have the prize this day, and dance in your skin on your FLAYED, BLEEDING CORPSE!" At the moment, Ranma was thinking of several things. Feeling, actually. Feeling all the bruises from the match against the Dojo Destroyer, the needlepoint burns from Kirin, the good shot to the ribs that Kuno gave him... Ranma shook his head and grumbled to himself. "One easy match, all I ask for is one easy match." Meanwhile, up in the stands... "Mmm, looks like a tough one," said Hiroshi. "How many minutes, do you think?" Daisuke hmmed for a moment, thinking things over. "I'd say... fifteen. Any thoughts on how Ranma's gonna come through on this?" It was Hiroshi's turn to hmm a bit. "Wella... he's good, but he's obviously getting worn by the schedule. I'd say three cuts, two bites, a dozen bruises, and maybe, _maybe_ a broken nose." "Wouldn't be as bad if Ranma was coming in fresh on this one," said Daisuke. "Of course, of course." --- Meanwhile, in the Furinkan High soccer field... There was a Tendo Fan Club in the stands, and it wasn't for Akane. Natsumi Tendo, by virtue of her flashy style, natural grace, sharp beauty, and her habit of not wearing a bra (causing some to nickname her 'the bra-less wonder') had inspired a cult following that had grown as the tournament progressed. Unused to fanfare and admiration by a large audience, Natsumi was flattered, very much so. The headband looked familiar. So did the grim demeanor. Natsumi asked, "are you, by any chance, a Hibiki?" "Well... no, I'm not." Ryuu Kumon tugged his bandanna idly and wondered why on earth people kept on asking him that question. He peered at Natsumi's weapon of choice curiously. "Excuse me," he asked, "is that... a rugbeater?" --- A field in Nerima's Tai Park served as the battleground for Tanya Noori's next match. Tanya's next opponent didn't look particularly menacing. Clad in an ordinary t-shirt, denim slacks, suspenders, with a bandanna covering his head. she said in English. The boy smiled. So, she thought, the boy speaks English. Suddenly, he pulled out a large grey cape, covering himself. As quickly as it appeared, it vanished. Tanya found herself staring at... herself. said her copy, perfectly imitating Tanya's voice. Tanya stared, bug-eyed. Tanya's imitation grinned eerily. --- It was a most generous contribution from the Kuno clan that they allowed the use of the Kuno estate for the King of Nerima tournament, a 'generous gift to the martial arts community' said Kuno. The fee that the tournament organizers were paying the Kuno estate certainly was a payment for that gift. In the majestic inner courtyard of the Kuno estate, watched by a fair sized crowd, Ukyou awaited her opponent. She was a little nervous, but determined to prevail. //IN THE BLUE SHIRT AND BLACK TIGHTS, UKYOU KUONJI FROM THE KUONJI SCHOOL OF OKONOMIYAKI MARTIAL ARTS!// She was here early. Her parents had taught her about the importance of being early and ready. //AND JUST ENTERING THE GROUNDS, FROM THE UNORTHODOX WEAPONRY SCHOOL OF MARTIAL ARTS, RYO MUHOSHIN!// He walked smoothly, almost gliding into the courtyard, with a small grin on his face and his umbrella twirling idly. He believed in making an -entrance-. "Hello, Kuonji." "Hello, Muhoshin." He peered at her, rubbing his chin in thought. "What're you looking at?" Ryo shrugged, then tightened the black leather gloves on his hands. "Nothing. Just wondering if you'll be over or under a minute. I have a record to keep, after all." With a sharp slash to his side, Ryo extended his umbrella and the blade within emerged with a -click-. He grinned. From the sidelines, an upset Akari yelled, "Ryo! Please, you promised!" He scowled. With a slight movement of his hand, the blade clicked back into the umbrella, leaving Ryo's weapon a mere dull tip to stab with. The umbrella spun in his hand for a blur of a second, then stopped with the hooked handle extended outward. "Be thankful she likes you," he muttered to Ukyou. "Same to you, jerk," she shot back. //WINNER DETERMINED BY SUBMISSION OR KNOCKOUT! FIGHT!// --- -slash- "YOW!" -slash-slash-slash-slash- "I KILL YOU MAN! CRUSH YOUR BONES AND USE YOUR ENTRAILS FOR LOINCLOTH!" -slash-slash-slash- "HYAH!" *CRACK* "NGAH! GOOD HIT! HAHA! I LIKE!" "Aw man!" "Wow, this guy's pretty darn savage," said Hiroshi. "Yeah, pretty darn tough," said Daisuke. "Pretty mean with the sword." "HYAH!" -thwap- *CLANG* "Well, there goes Kujo's sword," said Hiroshi. Daisuke nodded. "Wonder how he fights witho-" *CHOMP* "YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOWCH!!!" The audience as a whole winced. "Oooooh, that's gotta hurt," said Daisuke. Hiroshi nodded. "Oh yeah, definitely." --- Ryo's attack was obvious in its strategy. Wielding the hook end outward, he struck outward with it like a club, but he always pulled it back with the intent to hook a part of her, an arm, a leg, her neck, and pull her off balance enough to land a followup elbow or kick. She found it difficult to hold on to her spatula and had so far managed to dodge all his attempts to snare her. Ukyou's own offense was to keep him at a moderate distance at best. The spatula was a good weapon, but at extremely close quarters, where he was trying to attack, it was more of a handicap. She'd delivered a flour bomb to his face when he got too close once, and kept him at bay with her spatula shurikens and battle spatula. Once or twice she tried to tangle him with a barrage of taki-soba noodles but he'd managed to dodge it easily. She retreated a step, dodging a swipe to her face, there was an audible -click-. Both fighters blinked, then jumped away as a dozen bamboo spears shot out from the surrounding rooftops. Ukyou looked bewildered. Ryo looked irritated. The audience gasped. Within the audience, Kuno whapped Sasuke in the head. "Fool!" yelled Kuno, "You forgot to deactivate the traps!" "Sorry master!" "Waitaminute! This isn't fair!" yelled Ukyou, right before she narrowly dodged another swipe from Ryo's umbrella. "HEY! What are you doing?!" Ryo grinned wickedly. "Trying to win." --- "FIST OF THE WHITE SWAN!" *CRACK* Tanya few back, head first, striking the ground hard. Bloody hell, she thought dazed, I just got struck with a potty! A POTTY! She was snapped out of her daze when a stream of spear-ended chains flew at her head. She sprung back to her feet, ignoring the pain, and wondered what her enemy would become next. She'd been thrown off guard and was tentative, not knowing what to expect next from him. His version of Kinii of the Muscle Sword Clan was nearly devastating, and his Happosai really, _really_ made her MAD. At the moment, his Mousse was making her panic. endless chains and blades were something she did NOT like. Tanya reached into her jacket and sent several soot bombs flying into 'Mousse'. She grinned, seeing the bombs find their mark, and leapt high, intending to dive into the soot cloud from directly above with steel-wire broom spinning. She jumped, reached the apex of her jump, prepared to bring her broom down in several rapid radial strikes.... *BOING* ... and bounced off of something massive. She landed awkwardly a few feet away and stared at some... some -thing- that was emerging from the clouds. Small unidentifiable objects were swirling in and out of the sooty depths in an almost insect-like manner. A sudden gust of wind cleared the soot cloud, revealing the massive form of the Dojo Destroyer. *WHAM* --- Kodachi kept her distance, lashing out with her ribbon and a few occasional pin strikes. Ryouga deflected the pins with his umbrella and retaliated with a few bandanna projectiles of his own. And then she changed her tactics. Without warning, she charged at him, ribbon lashing at him furiously. The ribbon left its mark on his face, arms, and chest. He fell back, snapping open his umbrella for cover. Kodachi took advantage of his defensive stance and flipped over him, glomping herself to his back in a -tight- embrace. It was proven to Ryouga at that moment beyond a doubt that Kodachi's leotard was made of _very_ thin material. That, and her bosom was indeed impressive. "H-hey!" "Mmmm, Ryouga darling, you're so tense," she purred into his ear, running her hands along his chest. "Let me loosen you up." And then she wrapped her ribbon around his throat. --- Natsumi advanced on Ryuu with lighting fast swipes of her rugbeater staff, speedy enough to send dust and leaves flying about and constantly in the air. Ryuu was nimble enough to dodge her strikes, and puzzled her with his lack of offense thus far. It was mildly offending the Tendo girl. "Why" -slash- "are" -slash-slash- "you" -slash-slash-slash- "holding back for?!" "Holding back?" asked Ryuu, taking a defensive jump back. "I wasn't holding back. I was finding all your weaknesses." Natsumi barely had time to dodge when Ryuu suddenly barreled forward, feet first, surrounded by flaming spirals of ki, yelling "RYUZANSHO!" Landing some feet away, Natsumi turned around to see a giant crater where Ryuu had landed, and him standing in the middle of it. He pulled his arms back, then swept them both forward, yelling, "RYUUKUSAI!" Two ki blasts, shaped like blades, flew towards her. Natsumi swung her staff with a cry of "SHINKUUZAN!" and a swirling tornado whipped out from the rugbeater, colliding with Ryuu's attack. Unfortunately, the ki blasts cut right through it. --- The only benefit of having Kodachi strangle him was that it kept his mind off of her breasts pressing into his back and hips grinding against his rear. "G-get... off..." croaked Ryouga. "That's what I'm trying to do, darling," said Kodachi. "Gaaah!" Panic finally sent Ryouga an idea. He flipped in the air, Kodachi still firmly attached to him, and slammed back-first into the ground. He felt the ribbon loosen and stumbled to his feet. Planted firmly in the ground, knocked out, was Kodachi. And she stayed down. Ryouga breathed a sigh of relief. --- The match between Tanya and Copycat Ken had suddenly and dramatically turned around in momentum. It began when Ken took the form of a certain bandanna-clad boy. "Nani?" And then it seemed Noori became unstoppable, with a bold, fearless barrage of attacks right in Ryouga/Ken's face at a speed his form couldn't keep up with. Steel wire raked across flesh, soot bombs were slammed into his face at point blank range, and to add to the utter brutality of it all, she slammed a soot scraper in his crotch. Multiple times. Ryouga/Ken staggered helplessly away, then fell to the ground as his mysterious cloak enveloped him entirely. She reached down, pulled the cloak away, and froze. It was Konatsu. Bloody, brutalized, beaten Konatsu. The Kunoichi looked up at Tanya with pleading eyes. "Noori-sama... please don't..." Tanya reached down tentatively. And then Konatsu suddenly lashed out with a lightning quick and devastating kick to Tanya's skull. The last thing Tanya saw, before fading into unconsciousness was Konatsu's mocking, laughing face. --- Meanwhile, back at the Ranma vs. Kujo match... -CHOMP- "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!" Daisuke whistled. "Man, never saw anyone get Ranma this flustered." "No kidding," said Hiroshi. "I've never even heard of him BITING an opponent until now. Guess Kujo really got him mad." "PUNY BOY! LET GO OF MY ANKLE!" --- Ukyou was breathing heavily, worn down by the very frantic nature of the match. Across the battlefield, spears and arrows were planted in the ground, trap doors were open, and Kodachi's pet alligator was finally making its way back into the outside pond where it belonged. Somehow, Ryo didn't seem terribly fazed by the onslaught of traps. Instead, he kept on being the aggressor, forcing Ukyou to back away all the time. He met her spatula attacks stroke for stroke, batted away the flour bombs, and used his umbrella like a shield when she flung her spatula shuriken at him. It was feeling to her like a game of cat and mouse, and she wasn't the cat. This smelled of a setup. Ryo charged again, swiveling the umbrella in his hand in a blur. Ukyou lashed out, but found her spatula caught by the hook end of Ryo's umbrella. She tried to pull back immediately but before she could, he spun, pulling the spatula away while lashing out at her face with a kick. She dodged the kick, but lost her spatula. It went spinning in the air briefly, then was caught in Ryo's left hand. He held Ukyou's weapon, smiling. His grip on the giant spatula shifted slightly, shattering it into several pieces. Ukyou turned pale. "My spatula!" Ryo quietly laughed. The Kuonji girl relied far too much on her giant spatula. Without it he doubted she was going to be any trouble. Just might get the first submission of the match. "You're weaponless. Surrender?" Definitely beaten, he thought. She answered with a sudden and unexpected boot to the head. "BOOT TO THE HEAD!" yelled someone in the audience... Ukyou was pleasant surprised as Ryo stumbled back a few steps, almost falling. There was a barely audible click. -WHAM- And then the giant pineapple statue fell on him. A few seconds passed. Ukyou blinked. An unusual way to win, but she wouldn't mind. //THE WINNER, BY KNOCKOUT, UK-// The giant pineapple statue shattered violently, cutting off the announcer. Chunks of concrete flew everywhere, stinging Ukyou and causing everyone to look away, else their eyes get struck by shrapnel. Before Ukyou looked up again, something seized her by the throat, lifted her into the air, and slammed her into the ground face first. She yelled in pain, twitching slightly, but hung on to consciousness. Annoying bright spots swam in her vision as she tried to get up. Then she felt something slam into her back, knocking the wind out of her. She felt a hand around her neck, choking her, then she was pulled swiftly up in the air. She heard the telltale click of Ryo's umbrella and was dimly aware of him staring into her eyes with anger and hate. "RYO! NO!" Ukyou recognized that voice. Akari. Yelling from the stands. She wasn't sure, but she thought she heard him call Akari a bitch. Someone screamed. Something hard slammed into her face. The world went black. --- ------------ Wrapup ----------- --- Ryouga was beginning to worry. Ukyou was supposed to meet him after their matches were done, but she seemed awfully late. Who was she scheduled to fight this round? He forgot to look it up. He didn't want to look it up. If he walked over to the signboard with the listings he'd get lost along the way and Ukyou would be upset and he wouldn't see her for another week and that just wouldn't do... "Hey sugar, sorry I'm late." He blinked, looked around, and saw her behind him. Why, he wondered, were there bandages on her head? "Hey, what happened to you?" "I got eliminated," sighed Ukyou, touching the side of her head gently. She had a headache and just wanted to get somewhere peaceful and relatively quiet (or lacking that, a place with aspirin). "By who?" She noticed the definite hint of anger in his voice. "Ryo Muhoshin." "Why that-" Ryouga's anger was brought to a sudden halt at the gentle touch of Ukyou's hand on his arm. "Hey, remember what we talked about before the tourney began?" she asked softly. Truth was, she still wasn't recovered from her fight and didn't have enough energy to yell at him. She'd be damned if she was going to show any signs of weakness to him, though. "Well, yeah." "Didn't I tell you I knew what I was getting into?" "But-" "Hey, nobody's dead and I just got a little roughed up. I've felt worse. Really." "Well... okay," said Ryouga reluctantly "But maybe you should see a doctor first? You still look a little dazed." She smiled ever so faintly. "I'm fine, let's just go." "You sure? I mean, if you want I could carry you on my back." She smirked and jokingly swatted his arm away. "Idiot. C'mon, Ranchan and the others are waiting." --- "Hrmm." Ranma peered to the left, then the right, and to the left again. He pounded fist on palm and nodded sagely. "Separated at birth, definitely." "SHUT UP, RANMA!" echoed Ryouga and Ryuu. Akane applied a swift and firm elbow to Ranma's side. Ranma held his hands up in a sign of surrender. "Hey, just joking!" This seemed to pacify the bandanna-clad duo, as they both grumbled, giving him one last evil glare before they turned their attention elsewhere. Ryouga looked idly at the television screens while Ryuu chatted with Natsumi most enthusiastically about martial arts. Meanwhile, Kurumi was looking glum since her Prince Toma was away on some personal matters he had to attend to. She was glaring daggers at Ryuu, and irritated that Natsumi wasn't paying much attention to her. "Heard ya got eliminated today," Ranma said to Ukyou. "You okay?" Ryuu complimented Natsumi on her speed and sharpness of form. Natsumi complimented Ryuu on his impressive use of ki. Kurumi blew Ryuu a raspberry, but was easily ignored. "Yeah, Ranchan, I'm fine," said Ukyou, waving her hand casually in dismissal. Ryuu took Natsumi's hand and brushed a bandage that was put across her hand. He asked if she wasn't hurt too badly. Natsumi blushed slightly and said she was quite fine, thank you. Kurumi huffed. "What happened to you, Ranchan?" asked Ukyou. "You look like you had it worse than me." Ryouga grinned. "Yeah, tell us about your match, Ranma. Especially that all-powerful Anything Goes Ankle-Biter Technique?" Ryouga had heard, from word of mouth, how Ranma's match went, and was too glad to rub it in his face. "SHUT UP, RYOUGA!" "HAHAHAHA!" "Ranchan, what's he talking about?" asked Ukyou. "She's gonna find out sooner or later, Ranma," said Ryouga smugly. "So, you going to tell her or me?" "I will, okay! Sheesh. You'd probably tell it all wrong anyway." "I'd just say what happened. Lots of bi-" "HEY!" "Okay, enough with the dramatics. Just tell me what happened?" asked Ukyou again. "Ibittheguy," he mumbled. "What was that? Couldn't hear you," said Ukyou. "Yeah, Ranma, say that again?" teased Ryouga. "I bit the guy, okay?" said Ranma angrily. "You happy now?" "Bit him on the ankle," added Ryouga. "Hey man, it was a tough fight!" "Sure, Ranma, riiiight," said Ryouga. "He bit me first!" yelled Ranma. Ukyou frowned. "He did? Ew." "On Ranma's butt," filled in Akane. Ukyou and Ryouga burst out laughing. Ryuu and Natsumi were in a world of their own. Kurumi was doing her best to destroy that world. Ranma glared at his fiancee. "Akane! What'd ya go and tell'em for?!" "Oh please, they'd have found out sooner or later," said Akane. "If we hadn't arrived here first they'd have seen it." "Seen what?" asked Ukyou. Akane looked at Ranma. "C'mon, show it." "No way!" protested Ranma. "C'mon, Ranchan, let's have a look," teased Ukyou. "Come on, it's not that bad," soothed Akane. Ranma scowled. He stood up and turned around, revealing two distinct bitemarks. One was a nasty set of rips along his arm, the other was a definite big chomp to his left posterior cheek. Through the holes, his boxers and some bandages were visible. "Happy now?" asked Ranma grumpily. "Yes dear," said Akane, smirking. "Hey, Ranma, that was two bites he got on you?" asked Nabiki, not bothering to look up from her laptop. "Um, yeah." "How many bruises?" asked Nabiki. "What?" "Just answer the question. How many bruises?" "A dozen, I think." "Damn. Cuts?" "Three. Nabiki, why a-" "How many minutes was the match?" "It w-" "Nevermind, got it here. Fifteen minutes thirty-two seconds. Damn." "Huh?" "Did the guy break your... no, never mind, it's obvious your nose isn't broken. Whew! Dodged a bullet there." "Nabiki, why are you asking me this stuff?" "Your injuries are part of a gambling pool. Just needed to confirm'em." "WHAT?!" From across the room, Hiroshi could faintly be heard crying. "Everything but the broken nose! So close!" "Cheer up, man," said Daisuke. "We can still recover from this." Ukyou took a moment to glare angrily at a certain slim, arrogant figure that was seated across the cafe, cozying up in a couch with a certain pig-obsessed girl. She was very much worried about Akari's welfare. --- "What's that on your tie, Ryo-kun?" asked Akari. "Hm? This?" He put down the small stack of paper he was reading over and examined his tie briefly. "I think it's a little bit of Miss Kuonji's blood." Akari 'eep'ed and turned away, repulsed by the sight of blood. "Ryo! You shouldn't wear it now!" He gave her a questioning glance. "But this is my favorite tie." "But it has... that's... Ryo, please?" asked Akari. "Please?" "Geeeh." He narrowed his eyes, mumbled under his breath for a moment, then removed the tie. "Anything for you, dear," he said with a forced smile. "Thank you, Ryo-kun," said Akari. "I wanted to ask..." "Hm?" "Did you have to be so rough with Ukyou today?" "Rough? Because of you I fought without use of my blade. I'd say I held back." "But you hit her head several times... violently... well..." "Your point?" he asked. "Did you have to be so violent in the match?" "Yes," he replied simply. "But-" "Akari, dear, we're martial artists. We expect this sort of thing." "But-" "Darling, relax. It's normal. Really." Akari sighed. "Well, if you say so." She sat back again, putting her head on his shoulder and lazily read over the paper he was reading. "Ryo?" "Hm?" "Can I ask you something?" "Of course." "What's that you're reading?" "Oh, this?" he asked, waving the paper slightly. "A list of the remaining fighters in the tournament. See? There's Saotome, Kumon, Hibiki, Magical Girl... aheheh... Kuruma. Aheheheh." Akari frowned. "Magical Girl Kuruma? Ryo, what's so funny?" "She's pathetic, that's all. Aheheheh. Ah. Nevermind." He shuffled through the papers more, 'hmm'ing every now and then. "Why are you looking at all this?" asked Akari. "Know thy enemy, Akari," said Ryo sagely. "Best way to prepare. Oh, look at this one, PANTYHOSE Taro. What a name, eh?" Ryo laughed slightly while Akari frowned again. "That's his name?" asked Akari. "Seems to be," said Ryo gleefully. "Either that or he's quite a pervAAAAK!" Ryo Muhoshin found himself lifted up in the air, by a single arm, belonging to a very irate young man in Chinese clothing. "Watch your mouth, skinny," said the man solemnly. Ryo blinked, still dazed from the sudden change in altitude. Then he noticed something: the person who was currently responsible for his sudden change of altitude seemed to have a very peculiar sash. "Say," he said, looking at it. "Is that a pantyhose sash you're wearing?" "So what if it is?" growled the other. Ryo met the other's glare with a maniacal stare of his own. "Would your name happen to be... PANTYHOSE?! HAHAHAHAHAAA" His umbrella was just within reach, leaning on the couch. He reached for it. From across the room, King frowned. "TAKE IT OUTSIDE, YOU TWO!" --- Ukyou stood up slightly, peering at something that was happening across the room. "Uh oh." "Uh oh what?" asked Ryouga. "Trouble." "What kinda of trouble?" asked Ranma, also standing up slightly, although wincing from the bites. "Looks like we might have a brawl break out. Look." She pointed across the room, where someone was holding Ryo up by the collar of his shirt. "Damn," said Ryouga. "Him." Ranma nodded and narrowed his eyes. "Taro." "Who?" asked Ukyou. "Pantyhose Taro," said Ranma. "Tough fighter. Jusenkyou cursed too." Ryouga nodded. "Looks like he's about to start something with-" Before he could finish, Ryo started laughing maniacally. -CRASH- Taro tossed him through the window. "Brawl it is," said Ukyou. Ranma and Ryouga sat back down. Akane looked a bit confused, then shrugged. "What're you guys doing?" asked Ukyou. "Taro's a jerk, Muhoshin's a jerk," said Ryouga. "We shouldn't interfere." In the distance, thunder rumbled. "Sounds like rain," observed Ryouga. "Really? This is gonna be messy," said Ranma. "Why's that?" asked Ukyou. "When Taro gets wet, he turns into a big..." "Really big," added Ryouga. "... yeah, really big bull-like monster." Ukyou blinked. "He fell into a spring of drowned bull?" "Nope," replied Ryouga. "He fell into a spring of drowned... um... what was it?" "Drowned yeti-riding-a-goat-while-holding-a-crane-and-an-eel," answered Ranma. Ukyou stared at them. "You're kidding." "Nope," they both said. Ukyou tapped her foot for a moment, then frowned when she saw Akari make her way to the front door. "Someone's gotta stop that girl from getting in trouble," Ukyou muttered. --- She wondered why Ryo had to be so... mean at times. It was hard for her to believe he was the same person that was always sweet and kind to her. After Ryo sailed through the window and Taro stomped to the door, Akari sighed, stood up, and took a few steps to the door. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Hey," said Ukyou. "You should be more careful. A girl like you might get hurt when people like those two get in a brawl." "But-" "If things get out of control, I'll get the guys to help. But if there's one thing I learned in my life, it's that a martial artist really hates it when their fight gets interrupted." --- Ryo landed on his back, outside on the sidewalk, but recovered nicely with a roll and was back on his feet. He was in trouble. He didn't have his umbrella. As Taro stormed out of the front, Ryo dug in his pockets and quickly put on his leather gloves. Not as good as umbrella, but better than nothing. He could have backed down. He could have apologized. He'd been given the lovey-dovey treatment by Akari for the last month, been denied the opportunity to go full-out against the Kuonji girl, and desperately needed to maim someone. Anyone. Even if the odds were a little bad at the moment. "Come on, PANTYHOSE!" he spat. Behind Taro, a small crowd spilled out into the street to watch the match. Akari was there, looking very worried and accompanied by Ukyou. Taro roared in blind rage and charged. Ryo stood his ground. The two threw a furious round of punches and kicks at each other. Ryo managed to land only a few, with Taro dodging gracefully from most of his strikes. Ryo was struck with a good number of Taro's punches, but seemed only to sneer more with each blow. In truth, those punches hurt, but he wasn't about to show it. Finally, Ryo went for his 'trademark' move of the tournament so far. Ignoring the half-dozen quick and powerful punches that landed on his chest and made his lungs crumple, he reached forward and grabbed Taro's neck in an iron grip. Ryo lifted Taro up in the air, prepared to slam him into the ground, then reeled back as Taro's foot slammed into his jaw. He refused to let go. Then Taro kicked him again. This time he let go, clutching at his face and staggering in pain. And once again he found himself lifted up by his collar, staring into Taro's enraged eyes. High above, stormclouds brewed. A streak of lightning ripped across the sky. Both looked up. Taro began to laugh. Ryo could hear Akari call out his name. He really hoped she wouldn't interrupt. "What's so funny, PANTYHOSE?" snapped Ryo. Sure, he was in pain, but again, there was no way he was going to let Pantyhose know it. Ryo wondered why Taro was just standing there and laughing. Then it began to rain. --- From inside the cafe, Ranma and company heard the crowd outside shriek in terror. "Think it started raining yet?" asked Ryouga. There was a monstrous roar, shaking the glass in the building. "I think so," said Ranma. --- A large amount of the crowd that was watching scattered. Akari was screaming for Ryo and was being held back by Ukyou, who could only do that and stare in disbelief. "They weren't kidding," she managed to mumble. Ryo was shocked. Speechless, really. It seemed his adversary had suddenly turned into a titanic minotaur-esque creature, taller than the cafe they had just recently exited. Even worse, he was being held tightly in the monster's fist. That wasn't quite right. No, that was impossible. "Erah..." The creature seemed amused, and snickered in a bull-esque sort of way. Ryo blinked. "You... you're Taro?" The thing seemed to grin. It had really big teeth. The old Muhoshin wit finally came back to him. "So," said Ryo, finally back to looking snide, "how did this occur? Your mother get too friendly with the livestock?" Taro roared angrily, causing the remaining few of the crowds to cover their ears. A few windows broke. Car alarms went off. Ryo grinned, reaching down swiftly with his hands. "Die." The next thing Taro experienced, to his shock and total surprise, was a fair amount of pain as his fingernails exploded. His hand opened in reaction to the pain and Ryo landed neatly at Taro's feet. Muhoshin grinned as he landed. The monster had hooves. Perfect. As quick as a snake, Ryo reached out. --- "You think Taro's done beating Ryo into the ground?" asked Ryouga. "Still lotsa noise coming from out there," observed Ranma. "Where'd Ucchan go?" "To make sure Akari didn't get in trouble," said Ryouga. "Hope she's all right." After a few minutes of tapping his feet, he stood up. "I'm going out there." "As long as she doesn't try to butt in on the fight," said Ranma. "I don't see why..." He was distracted as a roar bellowed out again. This time, however, something was different. Ranma frowned. "That... kinda sounded like Taro was hurt, didn't it?" "Yeah," said Ryouga. "I wonder wha-" Ryo, dripping wet, stormed back into the cafe, grabbed his umbrella, and stormed back out. "What the heck is going on out there?" asked Ranma. "Well, let's find out." --- Twirling his umbrella quickly, Ryo strolled by a horrified Akari, paused, said to her, "This will just be a minute," then stomped over to the hobbled beast. "You son of a bovine-screwing wench, GET UP!" Ryo looked down at the collapsed form of Taro, his feet reduced to two bloody unusable stumps. "Come on, PANTYHOSE!" taunted Ryo. He held his umbrella up and a rapier-like end sprang out of it. Ryo stomped around Taro and slashed at his limbs whenever Taro tried to lash out at him. The rain still fell, mixing with Taro's blood to make a muddy red bog of mud under Taro's form. "PANTYHOSE! HA!" Ryo strode within Taro's arm reach, then lashed out with his umbrella as Taro's hand lumbered out to swat him. Five more fingernails exploded. Taro roared in pain. Ryo began to laugh. "Ryo, that's enough. Please?" said Akari timidly. Muhoshin ignored her completely. "Get up, COW! GET UP!" Ryo stomped again towards what was left of Taro's hooves and gave them several swift kicks. Taro reacted with violent thrashing and a bellow of pain and rage. "HA! HA! FEEL THAT?!" And then Ryo grinned like the devil. "How could I forget the HORNS? HA!" He stomped around again, easily avoiding Taro's flailing limbs, but was unable to get past them so as to detonate Taro's horns. "He's beat okay?" said Ukyou. "Stop already!" Ryo didn't bother to turn around. "Why, Kuonji, you talk as if it was human." "It is," said Ukyou firmly. "True martial artists don't pick on the weak." "Whatever," dismissed Ryo. He turned his attention back to Taro, who was trying to rise to his knees. "Don't you know when to stop moving?" he spat. The umbrella made a mechanical noise, and the rapier-like tip was replaced with a blade. "If I have to cut your arms off first, I will!" He reared back, getting ready to slash. A hand grabbed his, stopping the slash. "That's enough." Ryo narrowed his eyes. He turned around. Hibiki was holding him back. Behind him, Ranma, Ukyou, Ryuu, Natsumi, and Kurumi stood ready. "Hibiki, tell everyone to stay out of my recreation." "You've beaten him, that's enough," said Ryouga firmly. "Ryo-kun, please, let's go?" asked Akari, clearly shaken by what just happened. Ryouga tightened his grip on Ryo's hand. They both knew Ryo wouldn't be able to break that hold. The blade snapped back into the umbrella. "Fine," hissed Ryo. With disturbing abruptness, he quickly moved his hair back into place with his hands, wiped off the blood on his face with a handkerchief, popped open his umbrella (despite the fact that he was already drenched from the rain) and smiled a pleasant, warm, smile at Akari. "Let's go, dearest." With Akari by his side, Ryo walked away whistling happily. Ukyou stared at them both and frowned deeply. She -had- to convince Akari to leave him before things got bad. Ranma stared at the mess Taro was. His fingers and feet were bleeding steadily, and he was afraid to guess at how much of Taro's feet would be gone when they poured hot water on him. "Damn... this is a mess." Ranma looked to Akane. "Go get Dr. Tofu." --- "WAI-HHYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" *POW* "GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooowwwwwwf!" *SPLASH* "WAI! Like that?!!" asked Kyoko, beaming happily. Soun smiled, a tad nervously, and nodded. "That... was very good, Kyoko-chan. Yes... very good." "Wai! Waiwaiwai!" The little girl hopped around with glee and far more energy than Soun felt humans should be with. She was still bouncing around. He was tired. Saotome was unconscious. "That's... all for today Kyoko-chan." "Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Okaaay. Foo." The two bowed respectfully to each other, but with Soun keeping a wary eye on the girl. Afterwards, they entered the house, welcomed by Kasumi's call to dinner, the smells of yet another Kasumi Tendo feast, and the sight of a small gathering of young martial artists... "Why, Ranma?! Why couldn't ya let the guy break your nose?" *SOB* "Aw, cut it out Hiroshi!" "Akaaaaaaaaneeeeeeeee-neesaaaaaan!" Akane had little time to react before she was bowled over by a charging Kyoko, tumbling slightly along the floor. Fortunately, she was sitting down already, so it wasn't that bad of a tumble. "Hyperactive little bundle, isn't she?" noted Ukyou. Soun soon followed and joined the rest at the table. "So, how was the tournament today? My little girl still going strong?" He laughed and gave a warm smile to Akane, who returned it with a halfhearted smile of her own. "Sorry, dad. I... was beaten today." Kyoko gasped. "Akane-neesan lost???" Her big brown eyes began to well up with tears, showing promise to rival Soun's legendary bawls. Soun looked somewhat melancholy for a moment, then gave Akane a solemn look. "The path of a true martial artist is one filled with adversity, but so long as you tried your best, you have nothing to be ashamed of." "Y'think he's gonna burst out in tears?" whispered Hiroshi to Daisuke. "Bet you he won't," whispered Nabiki. "You're on." "Well, I did try the best I could," said Akane tentatively. She knew what was coming. So did everyone else. "I'm so proud of my little girl!" Soun wrapped Akane in an affectionate hug and his eyes threatened to burst into tears. Hiroshi and Nabiki held their breaths. "Daaaaaaad," said Akane, in that 'Daaaaaad' way that said, basically, 'I'm getting embarrassed'. Soun released Akane, wiping a small tear from his eye. Immediately after, Kyoko resumed her glomp, her good humor restored. "WAIIIIII! AKAAAAAAANEEEEE-NEEEESAAAAAN!!!" "Aak!" *THUD* "Ha! Waterworks!" hissed Nabiki to Hiroshi. "You call that waterworks?!" hissed Hiroshi back. "That was just a drop!" --- Taro was mad. Sitting in Dr. Tofu's clinic, fingers and feet bandaged, anesthetic running through his veins to dull the throbbing pain and numb his mind, Pantyhose Taro still felt rage. Finally, a chance to get a REAL name, a chance that he had a REAL shot at, crushed by some anonymous jerk! How DARE he!!! "Tough luck, Pantyhose." Taro was too tired to try and smash him. A tired, resigned, "what the hell do you want?" was what he said instead. "Tsk tsk tsk, you sound so defeated," said Happosai, jumping out from the window and by Taro's bed. "That's no way for a martial artist to talk." "Shut up, old man, I'm not in the mood for it tonight." "How bad's the damage?" "Fingers are okay, just bruised and bleeding a little. Minor cuts on my arms. Bones in my toes are fractured or broken. I won't be walking for a while." "I see, I see," said Happosai, nodding sagely. "That kid's more vicious than I though. Didn't think he had it in him." In a voice that expressed a promise of painful, fiery, bloody vengeance, Taro asked: "Who?" "Hm?" "Who was he?" "Ryo Muhoshin, a more recent addition to the neighborhood." Happosai took a long drag from his pipe, then blew a few smoke panties. Wistfully, he watched them drift away. "Just what an old man like me needs to keep his edge, don't you think?" "Is... is that all we are to you?" asked Taro, his voice slurred a bit. The sedatives, he observed, were finally hitting hard. "Just... just here to... amuse you?" "When you've lived as long as I have, you end up with interesting hobbies." "So... my name stays... Pan... er... as it is now?" Happosai mulled it over briefly. "Hrm. Yes, I guess so." "Damn." "Well, try again next year, hm?" "Next... year?" "Yes, the next King of Nerima tournament! You WILL be there, won't you?" "The same... deal?" "Of course." "Count on it." --- There was a noticeable chill in the air that suddenly swept the Tendo home. It began after the door opened. Of course, Kasumi didn't notice it. "Muhoshin-san, hello!" "Good evening, Kasumi-san." Ryouga blinked. "She didn't just say..." In from the hallway, following behind Kasumi, strode Ryo Muhoshin. He still looked a bit soggy, with disturbing red stains remaining on his shirt and his ever-present umbrella tucked under his arm. The room fell silent and still, with all eyes watching him carefully. Ranma and Ryouga tensed. Ukyou scowled. Hiroshi, Daisuke, and Nabiki kept a careful watch of his actions as well. "Kyoko is done for the evening, yes?" asked Ryo. "Yes, in fact she had dinner with us." Ryo smiled an honestly warm and friendly smile. On his face, it looked unnatural. "You're entirely too gracious, Kasumi-san." "Let me go get Kyoko-chan, I think she's in the dojo with Akane." The moment Kasumi left the room, Ryo's face snapped into a cold, condescending, arrogant mask. He took a moment to slowly look at each person in the room, examining them like insects under glass. "My, it seems quiet in here," he said mockingly. "You'd think someone almost died." More silence. His sharp gaze focused on Ukyou and he strolled near her. "How's things, Kuonji? I didn't hit you too hard, did I?" Everyone in the room glared at him. It was at this moment that a 12 year old bundle of hyperactivity chose to shatter the mood. "Oniiiiiiiiii-SAN!" *GLOMP* "Awk!" -thud-. Kyoko bounced up and down merrily, pouting prettily. "Oniiiii-san! YoumissedKasumi-neesan's dinner!" Still reeling slightly from the impact, Ryo blinked then gave a non-descript stare to his sister. "Ah. My loss. Now let me stand." Kasumi entered, followed by Akane. Seeing the commotion, Kasumi smiled and giggled. She always did so like happy little children at play. "Oh my." Akane, on the other hand, immediately frowned. Kyoko beamed widely, wavewavewaving her hand with vigor as she bounced merrily up and down on Ryo's chest. And the bouncee... Ryo's face shifted once again into that alien look of actual normal human behaviour and politeness. He picked up Kyoko and tucked her under an arm as he stood up. "Well, we'll be taking our leave now. Come along, child." "Okay, nii-san! Baibaibai!!!" Kyoko waved happily at Kasumi and Akane as she was carried out. After they left, Akane shook her head in disbelief. "How can a girl like that be the younger sister of a jerk like him?" "Well, look at Kasumi and look at you," said Ranma casually. *WHAM* "Ooooow..." --- The walk, he was hoping, was going to be a peaceful, quiet thing. With a child like Kyoko, Ryo should have had lower hopes. "Nii-san?" Kyoko tugged at his shirt. "What?" Kyoko pokepokepokepokepoked at his chest. "What's that stuff? It's icky!" Ryo winced a bit at being poked. "Blood, Kyoko. Dried blood." "Why? Wha'happened, nii-san?" "I battled a large bull-thing and turned its feet into bloody stumps." "Oh." Kyoko blinked repeatedly for a moment. "So you won?" "Yes." "Wai!" "Wai indeed." Ryo took a deep breath. "Well, do you have your analysis of the Anything Goes style ready?" "Yes...! Want ice cream!" "Er, what?" "Ice cream!" Kyoko pointed at a Yojojimbo's 42 Flavors ice cream parlor. "Ice cream," said Ryo flatly. "Mm-hm! Ice creaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam!" "Right." -a few minutes later- "Happy now?" Kyoko, with eyes wide and sparkling, looked happily at her five-scoop ice cream cone. "Mm-hm!" "Okay, now abou-" "I'm tired." "Eh? Tired?" "Mm-hmmmmmm!" Ryo frowned, then backed away with a slightly agitated look on his face. "You are NOT going to ask me to..." "Pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaseeeeeeee, oniisan?" "No." "Pleeeeeeeeaseeeeeeeeee?" "No. "Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseple-" "OKAY, OKAY, JUST STOP IT!" -a moment later- Ryo looked upwards with a scowl on his face. "Do NOT let that ice cream drip on me. Understand?" "Mm-hm!" "DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" "Yep! Yepyepyep!" "Right." This, in his mind, was not good. He had an image to keep up. Ryo Muhoshin, the 'Dapper Destroyer' as the television people were beginning to call him, giving his little sister a ride on his shoulders? He would be terminally embarrassed. Witnesses would have to be killed. "Well, how did things go at the Tendo's today?" he asked. "Went good!" "Right. Learn anything interesting?" "Mm-hm! The essential philosophy of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts!" she said proudly. "Ah. Good. Tell me when we get home, I'm too tired to listen now." "Oh. Okay!" They traveled through city blocks, quiet roads, and serene bridges in silence. That was exactly what Ryo was hoping for, and the ice cream served its purpose, keeping her too busy to chatter away at hyper speed. -splat- "KYOKO." "Oopsie. Sorry." Well, there was a drawback, but... -splat- "AHEM." "Oopsie!" "Grrr..." --- "Come away with me," said Prince Toma in a suave (well, as suave as one can get with a squeaky pubescent voice) manner. "You'll be the princess of my kingdom isle." "Oh Toma," sighed Kurumi. They held hands. They embraced. The bridge exploded under their feet and they tumbled through the air for what seemed like an eternity until they hit the water below. "Why'dyadothat?" asked Kyoko, peering curiously over the jagged edge of what was left of the bridge. "Stress relief," said Ryo, twirling his umbrella, "just a little stress relief. Feel much better now." He took a moment to kick some rubble into the water as well, then resumed his stroll. "Oh. How'dya do inna tournament?" she asked. "Did well." "As usual?" "As usual." "Oh. Wai! Wai wai wai-" "Yes yes yes, wai wai wai." "Where's Akari-neesan?" "Don't ask." "Whynot? I don'tsee her a lot," she said, pouting. "You don't let me talk to her enough." "Oh my, really?" "Mm-hm!" "Oh well." "Oniisan?" "Hm?" "Could you... um..." "Say it." "Could you sing that song for me?" "_What_?" "Sing the song you said Mommy used to sing. Wanna hear it again." He glared at her harshly. "No." "Please?" She widened her eyes and pouted. "No." "Pleeease?" "N... all right, but you have to analyze some extra combat footage of Ranma and Ryouga for me, okay?" "Okay. Sing!" Ryo sighed. He took a deep breath. "Nobody had better be in earshot aside from you." "Sing! Singsingsing!" "Right. Sing." "Wai!" Ryo rolled his eyes up. "Wai me?" "Hey!" "Ah, right." o/" Somewhere... beyond the sea...o/" o/" Somewhere... waiting for me o/" o/" My lover stands on golden saaaaaaaaands o/" o/" and watches the ships that go saaaaaaaailing o/" "Your turn." Kyoko nodded happily, and belted out in a cheery voice: o/" Somewhere... beyond the sea o/" o/" She's there watching for me o/" o/" if I could fly like birds on high o/" o/" then straight to her arms I'd go saaaaaailing o/" "Duet!" yelled Kyoko. Ryo sighed. "Right, right." And together they yowled... o/" It's faaaaar, beyond the staaaaaars o/" o/" It's neeeear, beyond the moon o/" o/" I knoooooooow, beyond a doubt! o/" o/" My heart will lead me there soon! o/" o/" We'll meet, beyond the shore o/" o/" Then we'll kiss, just as before o/" o/" Happy we'll be beyond the seeeeeeeeeea o/" and never again I'll go saaaaiiilin'. o/" --- [Much later...] At Ucchan's, Ryouga and Ukyou were lounging about Ukyou's 'living room', a small area big enough to fit one couch and a large television. Both were seated on the couch at the moment, Ryouga just watching while Ukyou munched on some rice cakes, soda, and channel surfed as if born with the talent. "So, it's just me and him," said Ryouga quietly. "Hm?" Ukyou wanted to say. However, with a mouth full of rice cakes, it came out as "MMMF?" "From the old days, I mean." "Oh," she meant to say. Instead, it was, "MF." "I mean, it used to be me, Ranma, and Mousse in the old days." "MF!" "Oh yeah, of course, you, Akane and Shampoo too." "Mf." "I guess I just miss the way we all used to hang out together, even if we were trying to kill each other." "Mm?" "I mean, sure we can visit Ranma and Akane any time, but now it just feels... awkward. Don't you think so?" "Mm." "Was that a yes or no?" "Mm." "Um... one 'mm' for yes, two for no." "Mm." "Oh. Okay." Ukyou finally swallowed and washed down the rice cakes with a chug from the bottle of cola. "Ah. Much better." "I've never seen you eat like that before," said Ryouga. Ukyou sighed and rested her chin in her palms. "I haven't been beaten in a long while. Then again, I haven't been in competition for a long while." "You go on eating binges when you get depressed?" asked Ryouga. "Well, yeah. But thanks to a great natural metabolism I haven't gotten chubby yet." She sped through several more channels, then sighed and stopped. "I was kinda hoping to actually win this thing, even if there was Ranma at the end." "Huh?" "Ranma. C'mon, you know he always wins these things. It's the way things seem to work around here. If it's got martial arts and Ranma's in it, he'll win sooner or later." She sunk into the couch and frowned. "It would've been nice to win... at least once." Ryouga looked grim for a moment, looking away and out the window into the night sky. "I'll beat him," he said quietly. "Hm?" "I'll win this. I beat him before, once." "At what?" "The Martial Arts Obstacle Race." "Sugar, I hate to break it to ya, but this is gonna be a lot harder than a race." "You'll see," said Ryouga with grim determination. "I'll win." Ukyou smiled. "Well, good luck sugar. You'll need it." -end part 2- ***SPOILERS*** WRITER'S NOTES: The Big Index of Obscure Ranma 1/2 Characters for the King of Nerima Tournament ---------------------------------------------------------- Copycat Ken (anime) Physically, he's somewhat shorter than Ryouga, sporting a white t-shirt, slacks, suspenders, and a red bandanna draped over his head exactly like Genma. His specialty is imitating other martial artists to an uncanny degree, even taking on their physical appearance and voice. He can 'morph' into other fighters when he pulls out a dark green cloak and covers himself with it briefly, taking only a second for the change to take place. He managed to defeat Kuno, Mousse, Ryouga and Ranma once before, but Ranma managed to tap into inner reserves and execute the chestnut fist at a speed which Ken just couldn't match. Ryuu Kumon: (MANGA/(anime?)) Many years ago, Genma offered a scroll containing the secrets of his secret 'Yamasen-ken' technique to the master of the Kumon dojo in exchange for some food. A short while later, the Kumon dojo, with Kumon-san inside, crashed to the ground. Ryuu Kumon, the son, blamed Genma for the fall of the Kumon Dojo. He also mastered the Yamasen-ken techniques, which were deadly enough to defeat Ranma in combat. He posed as Ranma for a while to get the complimenting style of martial arts, 'Umisen-ken' from Ranma's mother. To defeat Ryuu, Ranma learned the Umisen-ken and used it to defeat Ryuu Kumon, also making him promise to never use the Yamasen-ken techniques ever again. He's had an occasional mean streak, little patience, but does have enough honor to be a man of his word. In terms of martial arts skill, he gave Ranma a run for his money, defeating him once. It'd be fair to say that Ryuu is as good as anyone that's ever been a Nerima martial artist. Ebiten: (MOVIE1) Short fellow that wields a fishing rod. Member of the 7 Lucky Gods Martial Arts Dojo. Sarotoru: (MOVIE2) Monkey-man that has the ability to force his opponents into a state of severe depression via odd ki blast. Was unfortunate enough to do this technique to Ryouga. Kimiyasu Daitokuji (manga) Master of Men's Rhythmic Gymnastics Martial Arts. Leader of a team of gymnastics martial artists that challenged Kodachi's team. Pantyhose Taro (ANIME/MANGA) boy that was baptized by Happosai many years ago. Unfortunately, he was baptized in Jusenkyou, into the spring of yeti riding a bull while carrying an eel and a crane. He's been after Happosai, demanding that he change his name. By tradition, only the one that baptized Taro can change his name, so that leaves only Happosai to do the job. He's been far from willing to do that, feeling that Pantyhose is a perfectly fine name. In human form he can hold his own against Ranma, although the two have never had a definitive human vs. human match before. At the most, they've fought briefly with no definite outcome. In his cursed form Taro is incredibly powerful, fully capable of taking any challenger on... except Happosai. ----------------------------------------------------------- misc. Magical Girl Kuruma made her first appearance in The Pursuit of Happiness Act 1 part 2. She's a bit new at this magical girl thing... Plasticite: Nobody important. Masakari Kujo made his first appearance as an april fools TPOH shortfic written by Mike Loader. The guy was too good not to use, so alas here he is now. Sakamoto Rei: nobody important, really.