I could've sworn I sent Part 2 yesterday, yet it didn't show up (is
HoTMaiL getting flaky, or the computer... or my mind?) In any case,
this is Part 2 of Ranma Z, and I have not written myself into a corner
(that will come later).
___ __ __ ___________
____/ \ / ) | | / _____ /
/ _ ) / / ____| |____ /_/ / /
| / \___/ / / _____ (____ ____) / /
| \_____ / /_/ __ \ ____| |____ ___/ /__
\_____ \ / ____/ ) \ (____ ____) <___ ___>
\ \ / / / _) ____| |__ / /
_) ) / / / /_ / _ _ \ / / __
_____/ _/ / / / // )( (_) / \_ \_ / /___/ /
(________/ (___/ /_____/ \_____/ \__) /_________/
R * A * N * M * A Z
by Ewen "Ryoga" Cluney
Part 2: Deadly Reunion
Ranma 1/2 characters, etc. by Rumiko Takahashi
Dragonball characters, etc. by Akira Toriyama
Ranma, accompanied by Happosai and Cologne, made their way
through the streets of Nerima. "The question is," Ranma was
saying, "how to we find her?"
"Simple, son-in-law," replied Cologne, "her energy is unmis-
takable and powerful. Detecting it is a simple matter. She isn't
all that far, actually."
"So, Ranma m'boy," Happosai chimed in, "you're from another
planet?"
"It sure seems that way. The planet Vejiita." Ranma said
quietly. "Which was destroyed." It was strange, but somehow, he
felt as though he had lost something when he was told about it.
If he was really a Freyan, then his true homeland, and his true
family, were all gone. For that matter, it also meant that his
current life was a lie, concocted by his father.
"Indeed." said Cologne. "However, son-in-law, it is more
important that you deal with the here and now. Kyuka is very
powerful. Her fighting spirit is beyond human even when she is at
her most calm. We have no idea what powers she might possess."
"Well," said Ranma, "for one thing, she can fly. And she
wears this scope thing that tells how powerful people are and
where they're coming from."
"Making a sneak attack impossible." Cologne said solemnly.
"And furthermore, we will be at a disadvantage if she can fly and
we cannot."
Happosai groaned. "Any more bad news?"
The three of them arrived at an abandoned construction site,
and found that there was a great crater, with a spaceship that
looked remarkably like a baseball, at the bottom.
"I thought you might try something like this." Kyuka came
within ten feet of them, from one side. "Not that I mind. I could
use a little workout; the other creatures on this planet are so
*weak*, no fun at all." Suddenly, Kyuka screamed.
"Hey, cutie!" Happosai called, as he latched onto her ample
bosom. "Nice to meet 'ya!"
Kyuka stopped, then grabbed Happosai by the head; he
squirmed violently in her iron grip as she slammed him into the
ground. "Are these the sort of people you associate with, Kaka-
rot?" she shouted. "If so, I think I should just kill you."
"If there's anyone whose gonna' be defeated, it'll be you!"
Ranma shouted as be began gathering ki.
She tapped at her scouter, and smiled. "You're up to 346.
Better, but still an insufficient level of power. Use any tech-
nique you like; I'll still destroy you."
Ranma pulled his ki into a single point, between his out-
stretched hands, and initiated the attack. "Mokou Takabisha!" A
glowing yellow sphere of energy hurtled towards Kyuka.
She paused for a moment, and then just waited. The blast
struck her with a massive explosion. When the dust cleared, she
stood there, completely intact. "You'll have to do better than
that, brother!"
Ranma looked at her in shock. "I-it had no effect!"
"Ranma," said Cologne, "such attacks are a waste of energy.
We must use our minds every bit as much as our fists if we hope
to win this fight."
He nodded. "What do we do then?"
Kyuka watched with boredom as the three challengers formed a
huddle, which was made all the more strange by how tiny two of
the participants were. Of course, she knew size had little to do
with power, but then, the old timers had power levels of only 367
and 372. Granted, they were higher than Kakarot at the moment,
but if he were to invoke his true power... "All your whispering
will do you no good!" she yelled, irritated at having to wait. "I
will crush you all the same!"
The three of them turned around to face her. They paused for
a brief instant, before Ranma shouted "Now!"
They charged at her, and began attacking. Both Ranma and
Cologne used the Sweet Chestnut Fist, while Happosai took to
swinging with his kiseru. Kyuka dodged each and every blow,
grinning the whole time. Finally, she spun around and kicked,
throwing both Cologne and Happosai back some hundred meters.
Determined not to back down, Ranma continued the assault, but to
no avail. Finally, Kyuka soared high into the air.
"You like to play with energy blasts, brother?" she laughed.
"Let me show you how it's done!" She outstretched both arms. A
pair of massive ki blasts shot outward from her outstretched
palms, soaring over the landscape. One obliterated a mountain,
the other caused several city blocks to cease to exist.
"Oh yeah? Well, I've got one of my own!" Ranma positioned
himself below Kyuka. "HIRYUSHOTENHA!" A swirling vortex of wind
and energy tore through the sky towards Kyuka. She saw it coming,
and aimed a hand at the oncoming blast. Its energy washed over
her, and she disappeared from sight.
When it ended, Kyuka hovered there, one hand gripping the
other arm, trembling slightly. A faint purple mist flowed from
her palm.
"She... countered the rising dragon blast?"
Kyuka snapped back to normal, then snickered. "You'll have
to do better than that, brother. I saw the energy building a
light year away!"
Ranma jumped back, rejoining Happosai and Cologne. "That was
my most powerful attack! What do we do now?"
Cologne thought for a moment. "I can only think of one
possibility. But you won't like it."
He wondered what she was talking about, and glanced back at
Kyuka, who had lowered to the ground, and was approaching them.
"At the moment, I don't care."
Cologne smiled. "Shampoo, come here!"
"Great-grandma?" the purple-haired Amazon came out from
behind a cement mixer. "What you want?" When she was about a foot
away, Cologne produced a bucket of water. Ranma realized now what
the old crone intended to do, but before he could say or do
anything, there was a pink cat clinging to his back.
Kyuka watched, amused, as her brother ran around screaming
because of the little furry creature. She was curious as to how
the girl had been changed into such, but beings with metamorphic
capabilities were not unknown. "What's wrong, Kakarot? Are you
scared of that tiny thing? It's power level is only five!"
Suddenly, Ranma's posture changed, and he stopped screaming.
He crouched on the ground, on all fours, and started making
hissing noises.
Kyuka smiled. "At last you reveal your true power. And I
will reveal mine." She tapped at a holojector on her belt, and
the image of a massive panther appeared before her.
Before Cologne knew what was happening, the two of them were
acting like cats, and facing off. It seemed that the cat-fist was
no mere technique, but rather a natural ability of the Freyan
race.
The two cats circled, Ranma hissing and Kyuka roaring.
Finally, both charged. They became a blur of motion, coming
together and separating time after time.
"Nice plan." Happosai snorted.
Cologne smiled. "It's not finished yet." She got poised and
ready, and then waited.
In an instant when Kyuka's feet and hands touched the
ground, Cologne struck at the Earth. Suddenly, Kyuka was rooted
to the spot, and received a brutal clawing from Ranma for nearly
a full minute before he fell back.
"What the hell was that?"
"That," said Cologne, "was the Dragon's Imprisoning Claws
technique, which uses the Dragon Lines of the Earth to hold
someone in place, in a manner similar to San He."
"But how--?"
"You need to know a bit of Feng Shui first, Happy."
"Damn you! Old woman!"
It was Kyuka who was cursing, having apparently come back to
her senses.
Ranma, on the other hand, was still acting very much like a
cat, sitting next to Cologne and hissing at Kyuka.
Cologne regarded her prisoner. "Never underestimate an
Amazon, especially one of the elders of Joketsuzoku."
Kyuka's eyes opened wide in surprise. "J-Joketsuzoku? You
come from Joketsuzoku? But how? We destroyed that world!"
For Happosai's eyes to bug out was difficult, given that
they were, in shape, reminiscent of those of a fly, but they
bugged out anyway. "Since when was Joketsuzoku a planet?!" he
blurted out.
Cologne grinned indulgently. "I guess I never did tell you.
Or anyone else. The village was originally called New Joketsuzo-
ku, as it was to be a colony, though we lost contact with the
homeworld." She glanced back at the Freyan. "I see why, now."
Everyone present, except for Ranma (who was thinking in a
manner too feline for that) and Kyuka (who knew this already),
looked at her in astonishment. If Shampoo weren't in the form of
a cat, she would've said something, or at least gasped. Happosai,
on the other hand, wasn't about to keep quiet. "You mean to say
that you're from another planet too?"
She nodded. "And my tribe are almost all Joketans. But let
us deal with the matter at hand. Namely this mercenary."
Kyuka struggled with all of her considerable might, and
suddenly began to pull free. Glowing lines of energy were visible
about her arms and legs, and as she struggled more and more,
these lines were torn apart, and she again stood, unencumbered.
"Don't think I could be subdued that easily." she said with a
sneer. "Brother! Come to your senses!"
Somehow, it seemed to work. Ranma blinked, and stood up.
"What happened?"
"Ranma?"
Ranma turned to see who was addressing him. It wasn't Kyuka;
she insisted on calling him "Kakarot" all the time. He saw Ryoga
standing here. "Ryoga?"
The lost boy looked around, quite confused. "Who's she?"
Kyuka tapped at her scouter. "Hmm, power level two hundred
sixty. Maybe you might scratch me."
"Let's just say it's very important that she be defeated."
Ryoga looked at Kyuka, who looked remarkably like Ranma's
female form, albeit in some sort of battle armor, and with a
sneer of contempt that went beyond even Ranma's arrogance.
"Ryoga!" Cologne called out, "you must use the Chou-
Shihihokoudan!"
Ryoga was now genuinely confused. Not only was there some
girl who looked like ranma, but now Cologne was telling him to
use some technique he'd never heard of! "What?"
Cologne looked to Happosai and Ranma. "Hurry, you must keep
her busy!"
Not sure what the heck was going on, they complied anyway,
charging at Kyuka, beginning a furious exchange of blows.
Meanwhile, Cologne stood before Ryoga, eyes narrowed. "You
sniveling little fool." she said suddenly. "You have failed.
Kyuka has kidnaped Akane, and you did nothing."
Ryoga dropped to his knees. "She... has Akane?"
Cologne nodded. "All because of your incompetence and idio-
cy! And once she has destroyed Akane utterly, she will proceed to
destroy every person on this planet, and all because you have
failed us, failed the human race, and, more importantly, failed
Akane!"
"But... but..."
Ranma's punches flew with incredible speed as the three
combatants raced across the construction site. Suddenly, Kyuka
spun around, delivering a kick to both of them. Happosai was sent
flying high, and Ranma was sent rolling along the ground. Howev-
er, Ranma jumped forward, while Happosai bounced off of a build-
ing, and both came back for more.
Ryoga couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Because of you, boy, the entire human race will become
extinct at the hands of the Freyans! Akane will hate you
forever!"
He doubled over. He didn't want to live anymore. Nothing
mattered. And then, he felt a power building within him.
Happosai began to grow in size, as the power of his battle
aura increased. Ranma jumped high into the air, preparing a ki
blast.
Kyuka looked at her scouter's display. Kakarot's level had
gone up to five hundred, while the old man's had reached nearly
eight hundred, and both were rising.
A sphere of glowing blue-green ki formed between Ryoga's
hands, and it began to grow. This sensation was familiar and
somehow different. The sphere just kept on growing.
Happosai struck at Kyuka, and she was thrown back, but
unharmed. Ranma hurled his Mokou Takabisha at her, and it caught
her head-on, but did little more than crack her armor.
The sphere that Ryoga held had grown to the point that it
was larger than he was.
"Now, boy! Use the energy to destroy Kyuka!"
Ryoga felt powerful. In fact, he felt like a *god*. "CHOU-
SHISHIHOKOUDAN!" A massive wave of energy shot forth from his
hands. Kyuka spun around, the scouter was reading a power level
of twelve hundred!
The world turned blazing white for several seconds, as the
incredible power surged through the landscape, obliterating
several city blocks. When at last the radiance ended, Kyuka still
stood there. Her armor was virtually gone over the left shoulder,
which was singed, but otherwise she was intact.
Cologne looked in disbelief. "She... _dodged_ it!"
Kyuka laughed. "Naturally. That was an impressive attack,
but I'm afraid your aim was a little off." Kyuka raised one hand
over her head, and grinned. "Now, let me show you how it's done!"
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by Ewen "Ryoga" Cluney (ryoga_hibiki@hotmail.com)
Ryoga's Momentos Home Page:
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/6127/
Good will always triumph over evil because good is cute!
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