Subject: [Ranma][Fanfic]SineRanma #1
From: Jang Choe
Date: 9/11/1997, 4:43 PM
To: fanfic@fanfic.com

-begin-

                        
     [We fade in to the exterior of the Kuno manor.  The shrubbery
     and the grass are damp from the morning dew.  The sun has just
     risen from the horizon, and the birds are singing from their
     wake.
     
     We cut inside of the house to Tatewaki's room.  We see him in a
     deep sleep on his king sized bed.  Suddenly, his alarm clock
     rings, and  Tatewaki takes a few seconds to open his eyes.  The
     alarm clock stops as Tatewaki slams his hand down upon it.
     Tatewaki then lays in his bed for a few minutes with the covers
     over his head.  We can hear a low groan coming underneath the
     covers. Then he slowly rises, rubbing his eyes, stretching, and
     yawning.
     
     Tatewaki gets out of his bed, scratches himself, and heads to
     his door. Tatewaki takes a long walk towards his bathroom and
     slowly makes his way to the sink.  Tatewaki looks at himself in
     the mirror.  We see cow licks, crusty eyes, and bags under his
     eyes through the reflection.  Tatewaki gives a big yawn and
     scratches himself again.]
     
Tatewaki:  Alas, another day for learning.

     [Tatewaki fumbles for his toothbrush and tooth paste.  Holding
     the toothbrush, he smears the paste on it and starts brushing
     his teeth.  After a few minutes, he spits out the foam, and
     rinses his mouth out.  Then he touches the cold water with his
     hands and washes his face.]
     
Tatewaki[thought]:  What the?  

     [Tatewaki looks into the mirror again and sees a bear.]
     
Tatewaki-bear:  KYA! GROW GROW GROW ROAR! [smacks face with his paws]
GROW ROAR, ROAR ROAR, GRRR, RAOR! RORARI! RORARI! RAAR ROOR GROWL.

(translation: Ahh!  So you fowl beast, you dare enter my lavatory?
Come out and face me you beast for I shall smite thee! [looks around]
Huh?  [smacks face with his paws]  Ah yes!  The curse!  How does one
reverse this curse?  It is rare for I, Tatewaki Kuno, to forget.  I
do not know why I cannot remember. Hmmm, Kodachi!  Kodachi!  Damn my
sister, why is she not coming when I beckon her?)

     [Kodachi walks by the bathroom in her nightgown, she too doesn't
     look so hot.  She turns and sees the bear in the bathroom.]
     
Kodachi:  Eek!  How dare this beast enter our living quarters!?

Tatewaki-bear:  GRRR, GROWL GRAOF GROW GROW GRR ROAR ROAR GRUME
(trans:  It's me!)

Kodachi [takes out her clubs]:  You'll make a nice rug for our living
room.

Tatewaki-bear:  GROWL (trans:  It's I, dear sister!  Do you not
remember?)  [thought]Oh yes, I am a bear, she cannot understand me.
Hmmm . . . Ah!

     [Tatewaki gets a magic marker and a sign from hammerspace and
     writes, "I am Tatewaki, how do I undo my curse?"]
     
Kodachi [puts the clubs away]:  Oh yes, sorry about that brother.  I
think we have to splash warm water on you.

     [She does, and the bear grows smaller and less furrier. In a
     matter of seconds, a naked Tatewaki stands in the bathroom with
     Kodachi.  Kodachi tries hard not to point and laugh.]
     
Tatewaki:  I thank you, dear sister.  Now, I must get ready to go to
my institution for learning.

     [Tatewaki splashes his face with cold water again and turns back
     into a bear.]

Tatewaki-bear:  Sigh . . . .

     [Cut to a shot of the Kunou living room. Sasuke is currently
      using a feather duster to dust off the coffee table. Several
      magazines float up off the table so that he can dust under
      them. We suddenly hear the whine of the vacuum as it whizzes
      past the coffee table, not driven by any shown means. The books
      lower themselves back to the table and Sasuke raises several
      feet into the air as he starts to dust the light fixture. We
      see several books in the background returning to their 
      respective slots in the bookshelves. After Sasuke takes care of
      the light fixture, he floats over the couch and through the
      door into the kitchen. Dishes are washing themselves in the
      sink and floating over to the dishwasher. Sasuke ducks as one
      flies towards and over him and into the sink. A wave of water
      spurts out of the sink and hits Sasuke. He growls as he
      transforms into a monkey. Sasuke jumps up onto the sink and
      starts playing with the taps.]

                                 -+S-I-N-E+-

     [Cut to: A long expanse of desert. There is a minor dust storm
      raging throwing sand left and right. We see a figure trudging
      in the center of the desert. He is wearing some kind of cloak
      which covers his entire body with goggles for seeing. He
      trudges along the desert for quite a while. We cut to a medium
      shot of him trudging. Suddenly he stops, and stares straight
      ahead. Cut to a shot of what he's staring at. It looks like a
      run-down ghost town, smack in the center of the desert. But
      there are trees, bushes, and various other growths aplenty
      dotting the town. He stares at it for a long time and then
      slowly makes his way towards it. We cut ahead a few minutes as
      he walks into town. As soon as he walks onto the path that
      constitutes the main street, he pulls off the cloak to reveal
      that he is, indeed, Ryouga Hibiki. He walks down the main road
      of the town, looking at all the various signs hanging over the
      shops in the market district.]

Ryouga:  <Blast, English... I might be in Hawaii, or maybe even
California....>

     [He continues to walk, until his eye catches a sign which 
      proclaims; 'Saloon'.]

Ryouga:  <Yeah, I could use a drink right now....>

     [Ryouga makes his way to the bar. Cut to an interior shot. 
      Various people are sitting around the bar. Some look like card
      sharks, some look like insurance salesmen, and a group of four
      men sitting at a table look suspiciously like a neighborhood
      watch. In the corner of the bar, a man is playing a Cat
      Steven's song on the piano, much to everyone's displeasure. The
      twin  doors so often associated with bars swing open, and
      Ryouga walks in.  Everyone turns to look at the new arrival.]

Man1:  Looks Japanese to me.

Man2:  Hogwash, he's a Laotian if I ever saw one.

Man1:  Have you ever seen one?

Man2:  Well, no...

Man1:  See?

     [Soon the residents of the bar get bored with the new arrival    
      and turn back to their conversations and drinks. Ryouga goes up
      to the bar and takes a seat. The bartender, a bald, slightly
      heavy white guy, has just finished rubbing the bar with a rag.
      He turns to his new customer and smiles.]

Bartender:  What can I do you for, pal?

Ryouga:  A lemonade, lots of ice.

Bartender:  That'll be One-Hundred-Twenty-Four Dollars, and Fifty-two
cents, please.

     [Ryouga's eyes widen for a second, then return to normal size.]

Ryouga:  Have you got anything less expensive?

     [The Bartender squats and starts to shuffle through the 
      cabinets below the bar, looking for something. A few moments
      later, he comes back up with a bottle full of a green liquid.
      He slams it down on the bar.]

Bartender:  This is a dollar-fifty for the whole bottle.

Ryouga:  What is it?

     [The Bartender picks it up and looks at the label. He then wipes
      some dust off it and looks at it again. He squints, trying to
      read the label.]

Bartender:  It's.... [Squints] It's... [Squints harder. Then shrugs]
It's green.

Ryouga:  Fine...

     [Ryouga lifts up his shirt to reveal a money belt. There are
      labels on each pocket. He looks at the two which are right
      next to each other that say 'Dollars'.]

Ryouga:  Is that American dollars, or Australian dollars?

Bartender:  Australian.

Ryouga:  Ah. [He opens up the pouch marked 'Oz-Dollars' and takes out
a two and hands it to the bartender. He rings up the cash register
and hands Ryouga some coins.]

Bartender:  Would you like a glass?

Ryouga:  Sure.

     [Ryouga leans back and starts to drink. Fade to credits.]

_____________________________________________________________________
                         
                              SineRanma
A Production of Bile-Animax Entertainment Studios Inc.

SineRanma Created by Jang Choe and Chris Schumacher

                         Episode 1 : The Nightmare Void

Written By: Jang Choe and Chris Schumacher

_____________________________________________________________________

     [Cut to a shot of the center of the bar in Australia, where four
      men are arguing amongst themselves at one of the tables. Ryouga
      is slightly out of focus behind one of the men. These men are
      known as Doug, Steve, Theo and Will.]

Doug:  We've got to think of a plan to get that well back.

Theo:  I don't see why, why don't we just pack up and leave? This was
always a shitty town anyway.

Doug:  We can't just GIVE UP! Do we want the others to think we're
quitters?

Will:  I learned a long time ago to not care what anyone else thought
of me.

Theo:  [Raises glass] I'll drink to that!

Steve:  I agree with Doug, we should storm the cavern and take the
well back by force!

Doug:  No, we can't do that, he'd still legally own it, we need a way
to get the well back through legal means!

Theo:  Yeah, we've got to get the well back, but we've got to do it
LEGALLY. Would you like fries with that?

Doug:  [Loud] Any other smartass comments you'd care to share with
the group, Theo?

Theo:  [Slightly shocked] Umm...no, not at this time.

Doug:  GOOD. Now, we know that the mayor lost the well to the
Gambling King in a game of poker....

     [Suddenly, the camera focuses on Ryouga, who stops with his
     glass just to his lips. He suddenly swirls around in his chair.]

Ryouga:  Did you say The Gambling King!?

                              -+S-I-N-E+-

     [We cut to the streets of Nerima.  We see people jogging, people
     sweeping the yard, old men playing goh and such.  From the
     horizon, we can make out Tatewaki sprinting towards us.  As he
     gets closer, we can see that he is dressed in his usual hakama
     with his bokken at his side.]
     
Tatewaki:  How can I be late?  I have never been late before! 

     [Suddenly, an old women splashes water on Tatewaki.]
     
Tatewaki [glares at the woman]:  GRRRRRRWOOOOOOOLLLLLLL!

Old Woman:  You got a problem?  You want me to bring my son Akira and
his friends to teach you a lesson?

Tatewaki-bear [turns and starts to leave]:  Grrrr . . . .

Old Woman:  Hmph, people have no respect for the elderly these days. 

     [The old woman goes back to her business.  We hear screams and
     such of people getting wet.  We cut to Furinkan High where we
     see Tatewaki-bear crawling into the lot of Furinkan High.  The
     students look at it in shock and amusement.]
     
Hiroshi:  Holy cow, a bear!

Daisuke:  Yeah, and he's wearing a hakama.

Hiroshi:  Wow, you're right!  Though the hakama looks a bit small for
it though.

Daisuke:  Is that a bokken?

Hiroshi:  No, it's just happy to see you.

     [Suddenly, a figure darts into the Furinkan High and splashes
     Tatewaki-bear with some warm water.  With that, his figure
     changes back.]
     
Tatewaki [soaking wet]:  This curse could be a burden.

RandomGuy:  Hey, that's why it's called a curse, moron!

Sasuke [kneeling]:  I'm sorry I could not come earlier to transform
you back, Master Kuno.  I had a little run in with my curse as well.

Tatewaki:  Sasuke?  Are you not supposed to be resting?

Sasuke:  Oh, I am feeling well.  Just because we stopped a demon from
taking over the earth does not give me an excuse to slack off, Master
Kuno.

Tatewaki:  Very well, get me my new hakama before anyone sees me.  

     [We cut behind Tatewaki and sees his hakama is split in the
     back.  Several students and even some teachers are pointing and
     laughing.]
     
Sasuke:  Right away, Master Kuno. [darts off]

     [We cut to several minutes later.  Mr. Takazawa has already
     started his lecture on classical mechanics.  Kuno, using his
     samurai skills, tip toes into the classroom.]
     
Takazawa:  So Kuno, just because your father is the principal of the
school mean you can come to my class late!?

Tatewaki [whisper]:  Oh be quiet you pathetic excuse of an
instructor.

Takazawa:  What?!  [grabs his cane but calms down]  Okay everyone,
pop quiz time!  Take out a sheet of paper, you can thank Mr. Kuno for
this later.

RandomGuy:  Thanks a lot, moron.

Takazawa:  I SAID LATER!  Kuno!  Hurry up and take a seat!

     [Tatewaki grumbles as he takes a seat next to some random guy in
     the class.  Takazawa grabs a piece of chalk and starts writing
     the problems for the pop quiz on the black board.]
     
Takazawa [writing]:  In an experiment involving the gravitational red
shift, two identical nuclei are placed at different heights in a
tower.  The nuclei each emit gamma rays.  The difference in height of
the two nuclei is 2.2 * 10^3 cm. What is the fractional difference in
the frequency of the gamma-rays? [beat]  Oh gee, this is too easy.
This is a freebie.  I gotta make another problem.  Hmmm . . . . I
know! [writes] In a double-slit Fraunhofer diffraction, what is the
fringe spacing on a screen 50 cm away from the slits if they are
illuminated with blue light, if d= 0.10mm, and if the slit width a =
0.02mm?  What is the linear distance from the central maximum to the
first minimum of the fringe envelope? [stops writing]  Okay, only two
problems.  This should be easy.  You have ten minutes. [starts
timing]

     [Someone raises her hand.]
     
Takazawa[cont.]:  What?

Someone:  Uhh, we're studying classical mechanics sir,  not optics or
nuclear physics.

Takazawa:  Your point? 

Someone:  Uhhh, at least you could have given us the wavelength of
the blue light.

Takazawa:  Ugg!  It's 480 nm okay?  Now it's going to be a little
too easy. I think I'll reduce the time to five minutes then. I think
I'll make this 50% of your grade too.  God, I'm too kind.

     [The class groans, and Takazawa gives a fiendish laugh. 
     
     We cut to the halls of Furinkan High.  Tatewaki is heading
     towards his next class, holding his head in pain.  Sasuke is
     walking next to him.]
     
Tatewaki:  Oh my head.

Sasuke:  Aspirin, Master Kuno?

Tatewaki:  I do not need them.  I can relive of my tensions at my
next class.  

Sasuke:  Ah yes, Kendo.

                              -+S-I-N-E+-

     [Cut to the cafeteria of Furinkan High School. Gosunkugi sits
      alone at one of the table. We notice several things are 
      different about him. First off, he is no longer wearing the
      standard uniform, although what he is wearing follows the
      same pattern of the uniforms, it is of a much more ancient
      structure, making it looking occultic. A silver pin shaped
      in the form of a six-pointed star adorns his right breast,
      and a short cape trails from the back of his new uniform.
      Also gone are the black bags beneath his eyes. Although his
      complexion reminds one of wet ashes, he lets off a glow unlike
      any we have ever seen before, and his face is now stern with a
      look of arrogant confidence. Gosunkugi is currently reading
      through a thick tome while eating his lunch. Suddenly, a shadow
      falls over him, he looks up to see several burly male students
      standing over him.]

Gosunkugi:  [Unmiffed] Do you want something?

Bully1:  Yeah, we want all the money you have on you.

Gosunkugi:  Money must be earned, the experience of earning it far
outweighs the actual money you got out of it. Didn't your mother ever
teach you that?

Bully2:  Hey, you aren't going to let him talk to you like that, are
you?

Bully1:  [To Bully2] Shut up! [To Gosunkugi] Come on, pretty-boy,
cough it up!

     [Gosunkugi sighs and slams the tome shut and places it on the
      table. He stands up and stares Bully1 right in the face.]

Gosunkugi:  Listen up, young Neanderthal, for I will only say this
once. Leave. If you do not, I shan't be responsible for what happens
to you.

Bully2:  Umm...I think we should do as he says.

Bully1:  Cowards! You're afraid of this little pipsqueak?!

     [Gosunkugi thrusts both of his hands foreword. A huge bolt of
      blue energy strikes Bully1 and it causes him to skid twenty
      feet backwards, crashing into the wall of the cafeteria. All of
      the students eating in the cafeteria suddenly look up from their
      lunches to see the new decoration on the wall, and they turn
      to see who put him there, needless to say, they all look
      impressed. Gosunkugi turns to the other two bullies.]

Gosunkugi:  Well, who's next?

     [Both of the bullies run away screaming. Gosunkugi laughs and
      sits back down at his table and opens the tome to the exact
      page where he stopped, and starts reading again.]

<~Commercial Break~>
     
     [We cut to this warehouse full of barrels.  We see people
     hauling the barrels into a truck.  Then, behind some crates,
     there hides a white Rabbit.]
     
Rabbit:  Why didn't I thought of this sooner?  Now I can have all the
Trix I want!  Grapeidy purple, lime green, and all those other
colors!  Yippee!  And the best part is, no fucking kids to worry
about! 

     [The rabbit bounces in front of the men who's loading the Trix
     into the truck.]
     
Man [to Rabbit]:  What are you doing?

Rabbit [picks up a barrel of Trix]:  Don't mind me.

Man2 [grabs ears]:  Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids! But if you
want them so much, I guess we have to give em too you! [throws him
down and ties him up]

Rabbit:  What are you doing?!

     [One of the men opens rabbit's mouth for him and the other man
     opens the barrel and pours the Trix down rabbit's throat.]
     
Man:  Come on, have all the Trix you want!  BWAHAHAHAHAHH!

Rabbit:  Wait!  Gag gag!  *cough* *cough*!

Man:  Don't spill! [grabs the spilled Trix pieces and stuffs it
down the rabbit's throat]  There, you sloppy eater.

     [The rabbit's limbs shake as the man pours the entire contents
     of Tricks down the rabbit's throat.  Finally, his limbs stop
     shaking.]
     
Man:  Silly rabbit, harassing our kids. [spits on the dead corps]

     <~End Commercial Break~>     

     [Cut to a shot of the bar in Australia. Ryouga is now sitting at
      the table with the other four civic leaders.]

Ryouga:  Yes, I know the Gambling King. I know him well, in
fact.  Aside from Ranma Saotome, I'm the only person who's ever
beaten him. I haven't seen him in years. I suspected he was dead by
now, I guess I'm not that lucky. What is this I heard, he's won a
well?

Theo:  Yeah. About a week ago, he stormed into town and played
several rounds of Poker with the mayor. By the time he reached the
last round, he didn't have anything left to gamble. His house, his
office, his wife, he'd lost them all by that point. So he bet the
town's well, thinking that the next hand was a sure thing. But he
lost it. Ever since then the Gambling King has been charging
extremely high prices for water.

Ryouga:  What would he want a well for? It seems to me that he'd just
sell it back to the town after he was done. This doesn't seem much
like him.

Steve:  The well is located in a large cave just outside of town, in
a big cavern about twenty meters in. Since he owns the well, he by
extent owns the cavern, according to the contract he drew up with the
mayor. And he's going to turn the cavern into a casino.

Ryouga:  [Sighs] Knowing him, that doesn't surprise me.

Doug:  Wait, you said you've beat him?

Ryouga:  Ummm...yes, well, I have.

Steve:  [Enthusiastic] Well, that's perfect then! You can beat him
and get the well back!

     [Ryouga slowly backs away from the table, but he notices that
      everyone in the bar has heard the conversation and is turning
      to him.]

Ryouga:  Oh no, not me.

Doug:  Why not? If you've beaten him before...

Ryouga:  I got lucky last time. Besides, going up against the
Gambling King once in my life was MORE than enough, thank you.

Steve:  Buy you've gotta!

     [Doug holds out his hand in front of Steve.]

Doug:  No he doesn't, we can't force him to do this for us.

Ryouga:  Thank you...

Doug:  Don't thank me. You're a very selfish person, everyone in this
village is dying of thirst, and all you care about is yourself.
[Motions wildly] Fine, leave us alone to plot and strategize!

     [He sits down at his table. Several moments later, his three
      comrades join him. All of the people slowly go back to their
      normal activities, all completely ignoring Ryouga. Ryouga
      stares around for a few seconds, and then picks of his bottle
      of green stuff, along with a shot-glass, and makes his way
      to the door.]
 
                                -+S-I-N-E+-
      
     [Cut to the Kendo training dojo. The Kendo class is filled with
      several teen kendo-kas. Some are warming up, while others are
      practicing their strikes and such. The door opens, and Tatewaki
      walks into the dojo.  The students take notice of him, and they
      line up.]
     
Tatewaki:  Huh?  Where are your armor?*  

(*those armor Kendo-kas use when they spar, I don't know what they're
called)

Student1:  Our Kendo shed has been burned down.
     
Tatewaki [big sigh]:  Very well . . . Everyone, bow in!

     [The students quickly grab their shinais, line up, and bow to
     Tatewaki. Then they file themselves around the dojo. There are
     now five rows and five columns of people.]
     
Tatewaki[cont.]:  As you know, Sensei Fujiatroa is on a sabbatical.
As noted, I shall be taking over your lessons this week.  Now,
everyone has warmed up?  Good.  Let us start with some kata.  Kendo
form number one!  Start! 

     [The students step forward and does an overhead strike with
     their shinais.]
     
Tatewaki[cont.]:  Two!

     [The students step back into a defensive stance.]
     
Tatewaki[cont.]:  Three!

     [The students turn to their side and thrust the shinais.]
     
Tatewaki[cont.]:  Four!

     [The students turn 270 degrees and do a low parry.  Tatewaki
     paces in front of them and shoves a random student's head.]
     
Tatewaki[cont.]:  What is this?  Dancing?!  Everyone practice your
forms while I go attend to my own business. If I do not see any
improvement on your power and balance, I shall have to make you stay
after.  Now carry on. [to Sasuke]  I think need that aspirin, Sasuke.
[leaves]

     [A few minutes after Tatewaki leaves, a teen walks in.  The teen
     has short black hair, with a long face.  There seems to be a
     some sort of a formidable aura around him. After he walks in, he
     looks around and watches the students practicing.  The teen's
     name is TETSUO FUJISHIMA, and we see that he is carrying
     something long and slender covered in cloth on his back.
     
     The teen stands tall, with his hands in his pockets, watching
     the practicing students.]
     
Tetsuo:  Pathetic . . .  [calls out] Hey guys!

     [The students stop and look at him.]
     
Tetsuo[cont.]:  Where is the captain of this dojo?

Student1:  Oh, he went to get something.  I think he should be back
soon enough, though.

Tetsuo:  Hmph.  Hey guys, listen up, I'm here because I'm going to
become your new captain.

Student2: Oh?  And who do you think you are?

Tetsuo:  Fujishima Tetsuo.

Student2 [acts scared]:  Ooooh, and what makes you think that you're
good enough?

Tetsuo:  Well, for one thing, I know that I can kick your ass.

Student2:  What?  Is that a challenge?

Tetsuo:  No, I'm not gonna challenge you.

Student3 [to Stu2]:  Forget it, just let Kuno kick his ass.

Tetsuo:  And that's why I came here.  Judging from your practicing, I
would expect this would be an easy match.

Student3:  What?!  That's it, I don't know who you are just barging
in here, but if you want to challenge our captain, you need to go
through us first!

     [Tetsuo gives a big, arrogant grin.]

Tetsuo [drops his long thing on his back]:  Okay, I'll take on all of
ya.

Student2:  Ha!  All of us?!  You're dreaming. [they all drop their
shinais]  Okay, if you want to get beat up so bad, let's get it on
then.

     [The students give a grin, and Tetsuo cracks his neck a couple
     of times and gets in a fighting stance.]

     <~Commercial Break~>

     [We fade into a nice, fancy, country road.  A Porsch drives up
     to a red light and stops. Next to it, a Rolls Royce drives up.
     The tinted back window of the Porsch opens, and a guy in
     sunglasses peep out.]
    
YoungGuy: Pardon me, do you have any Gray Poupon?

     [The guy in the back seat of the Rolls Royce looks towards him.
     The Rolls Royce guy is old.]
    
OldGuy:  But of course.

     [The old guy hands the already open jar of Gray Poupon to the
     young fella. As he is doing that, the light turns green and the
     driver of the Porsch drives off, severing the arm of the old
     guy. Blood sprays everywhere as the old guy screams in pain.
     Some of the blood sprays into the already open jar of Gray
     Poupon. The young guy looks at it.]
     
YoungGuy:  Hmph. Oh well, can't let this go to waste.

     [The Young Guy puts the bloodied Gray Poupon on his sandwich and
     gives it a taste.]
     
YoungGuy[cont.]: Hey, not bad.
     
     [We cut to a scene where it shows two jars: the original Gray
     Poupon mustard and one jar of a red colored substance.]
     
TVannouncer:  Gray Poupon Mustard, and now, the new Gray Poupon
Ketchup.

     <~End Commercial Break~>
     

     [We see Tetsuo in his fighting stance. The students are smiling
     and cracking their knuckles.]
     
Tetsuo:  Come on.

     [The students look at each other and smile.]
     
Student1:  There's about twenty of us and one of you.  You think you
can beat us all?

Tetsuo:  Yeah, this will make a good warm up for my fight with your
captain.

Student3:  Hey, you can use one of our shinais so you might actually
have a chance against us.

Tetsuo:  No, you're wrong.  You guys are the ones that should be
holding the shinais.

Students:  Hahaha! 

Student2:  This guy is crazy, I love this guy.  Cracks me up.

Student4:  Heh, lets see how funny this funnyman is when he's
bleeding all over.

Tetsuo:  Hey, you guys gonna talk all day or fight?

Student1:  Well, if you're so eager to get the turd kicked out of you
. . . .

     [Student1 charges towards him and throws a punch, Tetsuo grabs
     the punch with both hands, shakes the arm a couple of times,
     yanks it back, a loud crack is heard, and kicks Student1 
     away.]
     
Student:  AHHHH! MY SHOULDER!  [rolls on the floor, holding onto his
arm]

Student2:  What the?!

     [The students look at the fallen one in surprise.  Tetsuo
     smirks.]
     
Tetsuo:  Anymore?  Or all of ya scared?

     [The students gets pissed and they all charge at him.  One guy
     does a flying side kick towards Tetsuo.  Tetsuo avoids it and
     punches him in the crotch.  Another one comes from behind and
     tries a front kick. Tetsuo turns and blocks, trips his base leg,
     and kicks him away; which causes him to slide on the floor,
     tripping five or six guys that were charging towards Tetsuo.
     
     Another one comes and throws a roundhouse kick, Tetsuo grabs the
     guy's leg, twists his foot a couple of times, yanks it back, and
     pushes him away. The student falls and grabs his ankle in pain.
     
     Another comes and throws a kick.  Tetsuo backs up and punches
     the foot of the straightened kicking leg, causing the student's
     leg to bend backwards.
     
     Another one comes and throws a punch, Tetsuo dodges, grabs his
     face, mish mashes his face, and throws him into a group of
     students.]
     
Student [pointing to his face]:  Ahhh ahha ahh!

Student2:  Here, let me fix it. 

     [Student2 grabs that guy's jaw and shakes it around.  We hear a
     loud crack and his jaw is back into place.]
     
Student [feeling his jaw]:  Grrrr . . . get him!

     [One charges behind Tetsuo, which he back kicks him. Then
     another tries his front, so Tetsuo front kicks. Another comes
     from his side, so Tetsuo spins and side kicks, another comes
     from his back and throws a kick.  Tetsuo ducks and grabs the leg
     over his  shoulder, spins, and knocks the students away with the
     student he's carrying. Finally, he throws him into the wall.
     
     Another student comes and grabs him from behind.  Tetsuo tries
     to free himself while another student comes to take advantage of
     his situation.  Tetsuo kicks that guy away, jumps up, falls on
     his back, and the student who was holding him from behind lets
     go.
     
     Then a couple more students charge towards Tetsuo.  Tetsuo runs,
     and they chase after him.  Suddenly, he jumps up on the wall,
     spins, and kicks all but one student who were charging after
     him. While still in the air, Tetsuo notices the one student he
     missed, and immediately does a spinning sweep as soon as he
     lands.
     
     Another one comes from his side and throws a front kick.  Tetsuo
     grabs the leg, drives his elbow down on his knee, and punches
     him away.
     
     The students grimace, and back away.  They look at their shinais
     and finally decide to use it.  They grab their shinais and get
     in their fighting stances.
     
Tetsuo:  Hahhahaha, so you guys finally decided to use it huh?

Student2:  Shut up!
     
     One student charges and thrusts his shinai.  Tetsuo sidesteps
     him and kick him in the knee, causing him to fall on his face.  
     
     More students charge towards Tetsuo, so Tetsuo picks up the
     student's dropped shinai with his foot and kicks it towards
     them and causes the students to back off.
    
     Tetsuo laughs, goes over, and grabs his long thing covered in
     cloth.  The cloth comes off slowly and reveals a bokken.  The
     bokken is carved so well, that it actually looks like a real
     sword.  The wood looks to be well preserved and solid.
     
     The students stare at the lovely crafted bokken, but they
     finally decide to charge.  Tetsuo gets ready.]
     
Tatewaki:  Stop!

     [The students and Tetsuo look at Tatewaki.]
     
Tatewaki[cont.]:  What's going on?

Student:  This bastard wants to challenge you, and he beat us up!

Tatewaki:  Eh?  You cannot beat him with your sheer numbers?

Tetsuo:  Ah, so you must be the captain of this unskilled group.

Students:  What?!

Tatewaki:  And who are you to challenge the great Tatewaki Kuno?

Tetsuo:  I am Fujishima Tetsuo!  I come to challenge and defeat you
to become the captain of the Furinkan High Kendo Team!  

Tatewaki:  Well, I am Kuno Tatewaki, the captain of the Furinkan High
Kendo Team, the 'Blue Thunder' of Furinkan High, sophomore, class
2-B, age 17.

Tetsuo:  Judging by the pathetic skills of your students, I would
think this would be an easy match for me.  Fighting those weaklings
was a good warmup.

Tatewaki:  Eh?

Students:  That's it!  [grab their shinais and stand up]

     [Tatewaki stretches his arm out in front of his students.]

Tatewaki:  No need, I shall teach him a lesson.  Sasuke, my bokken!

     [Sasuke runs and gives Kuno his bokken as he bows.  Then he
     backs away. Tatewaki then spins the bokken several times, and
     gets into his fighting stance.  Tetsuo does the same.]

                              -+S-I-N-E+-


     [Cut to a few moments later on the patio of the tavern. Sitting
      at a table under an umbrella is Ryouga. He swigs down a whole
      shotglass full of the green stuff and starts coughing.]

Ryouga:  Man, that shit is nasty.

     [Despite this, he quickly pours himself another glass, he is
      about to down it, but suddenly stops and jerks his head to
      the right. Standing just outside the door to the patio is a
      girl who is about Ryouga's age. She has long silky blonde hair
      and stunning green eyes which hint at intelligence. Ryouga
      sneers.]

Ryouga:  What do you want?

Girl:  I wanted to talk to you.

Ryouga:  Well, now that you have, why don't you get out of here and
leave me in peace?

     [The girl ignores his suggestion and sits down in the chair
      across the table from Ryouga. Ryouga groans and downs the
      shotglass of the green ichor.]

Girl:  I was wondering why you refused to help our town.

Ryouga:  Ah, that's your game, is it? Well, it won't work! Nothing on
Earth can make me go up against the Gambling King again.

Girl:  Why not?

Ryouga:  Well...Well, because he's the Gambling King, that's why!
Bastard's ruthless. Mercy and compassion mean nothing to him, all he
cares about is the game. [He downs another glass, which he places on
the table and stares at the girl across from him.] Why do you care?
And who are you, anyway?

Girl:  I'm Sonia, Doug's daughter.

Ryouga:  He doesn't look old enough to have a daughter. [Sonia
shrugs] Looks can be deceiving.

Sonia:  How true. By looking at you, I wouldn't think that you were
a coward.

Ryouga:  WHAT?!

Sonia:  A big strong guy like you, afraid of a washed-out
casino-goer? You are TRULY pathetic.

Ryouga:  Now, if this was in hand-to-hand combat, I would quite
agree, but the Gambling King plays games of the mind!

Sonia:  Oh, so you're an idiot then?

Ryouga:  You're one of the most difficult people I've ever met.

Sonia:  Thank you, I try to keep in practice.

Ryouga:  So, your daddy sent you out here to convince me to help him
get the well back, is that it?

Sonia:  No, he knows nothing about this. In fact, as of this moment
he's leaning towards letting Steve try his assassination attempt on
the Gambling King.

Ryouga:  [Snort] Yeah, right. The King possesses so much guile that
he'd probably end up not only surviving the attempt, but end up
owning the assassin's soul as well.

Sonia:  Oh? Does he deal in souls as well?

Ryouga:  It wouldn't surprise me. Guy could cheat Death and the Devil
both.

Sonia:  Then how did you ever manage to defeat him?

Ryouga:  Simple, I used his own tricks against him. I cheated.

Sonia:  How did you cheat against the Gambling King?

Ryouga:  We played Pachinko for the final match.

Sonia:  But how could you win against him in that?

Ryouga:  He played once, got a really high total, and then let me try
and beat it from the same starting position.

Sonia:  How did you cheat then?

Ryouga:  Quite simple, I sat on a stool and used my feet to tilt the
machine. The Gambling King conceded, I had an advantage he didn't.

Sonia:  So, you beat him because you cheated?

Ryouga:  Well, no, I had a fighter's reflexes and the ability to...
[Sonia isn't buying this] All right, I won because I cheated.

Sonia:  So, naturally, you don't want to try and go up against him
again because you're afraid you won't be able to cheat?

Ryouga:  No, the reason I won't go up against him is because there's
only one thing I have which is of value to him.

Sonia:  And what is that?

Ryouga:  MY LIFE!

Sonia:  What?!

Ryouga:  Five years ago, he won the Hibiki house in a game of poker
against my young cousin, Reika. Since that is really the only thing
that the Hibiki's own, aside from Hibiki Corp., there was nothing to
bet against him, except for my life.

     [Several moments pass in silence. Sonia just stares at Ryouga
      for all this time. Ryouga tries to drink another shot of the
      green stuff, but then decides to toss it out onto the cracked
      ground outside the patio. He turns to Sonia, who is still
      staring at him.]

Ryouga:  This is the part where you try to convince me that it's for
the better good, hmm? That I should go and risk my life for this
crummy little town, even though I've never heard of it before, and
have only been here an hour? If so, save your breath.

Sonia:  No, I wasn't going to say anything of the sort. Actually, I
was going to say only two things.

Ryouga:  Oh?

Sonia:  First; I understand. Second, you were extremely brave to 
risk your life simply to take back your family's home. And....third,
we have no right to ask such a thing of you.

Ryouga:  Well, that's the last thing I was expecting you to say.

Sonia:  I'll go myself.

Ryouga:  You're joking, right?

Sonia:  Well, either we die of thirst, or we die by contest. I choose
the latter. And who knows, I might just get the well back.

Ryouga:  No one wins against the Gambling King!

Sonia:  You did.

Ryouga:  But...

Sonia:  You're right, you're absolutely right, this is our town, and
it's time we started taking responsibility for it.

Ryouga:  But, I didn't mean...

Sonia:  Thank you, your words meant much. Ummm...You know, I just
realized, you never told me your name. I know you're Hibiki, but 
what's your first name?

Ryouga:  Ryouga.

Sonia:  All right, Ryouga. I'll mention you to the King, it might put
him off guard.

     [Sonia gets up and bows to him and makes her way back into the
      bar.]

Ryouga:  I'll do it.

     [Sonia turns around and stares at Ryouga.]

Sonia:  What?

     [Ryouga slams the shotglass onto the table.]

Ryouga:  I said I'd do it!

Sonia:  You don't have to...

Ryouga:  Yes, I do.

Sonia:  Why?

Ryouga:  Before it was merely about saving a village, but now's it's
become something more, it's about saving the life of a young woman.
And I don't believe I can live with myself if I allow you to go on.

Sonia:  You're really going to do it?

     [Ryouga nods]

Sonia:  I take back what I said. You're not a coward. I'll go tell
the others.

     [Ryouga nods again as Sonia walks into the bar. Ryouga lets out
      a long sigh.]

Ryouga:  When am I going to learn?

     [He starts to walk off the porch, but then stops.]

Ryouga:  Shit, how am I going to get to the well without getting 
lost?! 

                              -+S-I-N-E+-

     [Cut to a shot of the Furinkan Kendo Dojo. Tetsuo and Kunou
      stand across from each other, poised to fight.]

Tetsuo:  Come on.

Tatewaki:  No, you attack first.

Tetsuo:  Very well.

     [Tetsuo comes charging towards Tatewaki and swings his bokken
     skillfully.  Tatewaki, however, is blocking and parrying them
     with ease.]
     
Tatewaki:  Is this the best you can do?

Tetsuo:  Eh?!

     [Tatewaki hits him away with his handle of his bokken.]
     
Tatewaki:  My turn!  

     [Tatewaki charges and swings his bokken as the same speed as
     Tetsuo, but with more power nevertheless.  Tetsuo blocks all of
     em, but his face grimaces and tightens on every block.  
     
     Tatewaki thrust his bokken, Tetsuo grabs his wrist, spins and
     throws him down.  But Tatewaki bounces back up.  Kuno stands
     calm and collected, but Tetsuo is panting and sweating.]
     
Tetsuo:  How can this be?

Student:  Easy, you just suck!

     [Tetsuo gives a glare at the students, and immediately returns
     defending as Tatewaki repeatedly slashes away with his bokken.
     Tetsuo blocks them all.  Tatewaki then slashes from his side,
     Tetsuo tries to block it, but the force throws him sideways into
     the weapon rack, falls on the floor, and the weapon rack falls
     on him.]
     
Tatewaki:  I would venture to say I have one.

Tetsuo [climbing out under the weapon rack]:  Yes . . . . [grumble in
pain]

Tatewaki [points the bokken at Tetsuo's head]:  Now begone.

Tetsuo [gets out and kneels]:  No, please let me stay and learn with
you.  I take back everything I said.

Tatewaki:  Hmmmm . . . .

Tetsuo:  Please, I want to learn from you.  I want to be the best.

     [Tatewaki gives a long stare down at Tetsuo.  Tetsuo just looks
     at him.]
     
Tatewaki:  Very well, but remember that you'll never become good as
I.

Tetsuo:  Th . . . Thank you [kneels deeper]

Tatewaki:  Okay everyone, clean this place up!  For the injured, go
to the nurse to fix your injuries! 

     [The students do as they are told.  Meanwhile, in the
     background, Tetsuo gets up and wraps his bokken back in his
     cloth.  Tetsuo looks up and tightens his grip on his bokken.
     Tetsuo gives a long glare at Kuno, then his lips form a devilish
     smile.  Then we fade out.] 

                    <Commercial Break>

     [We fade into a blank screen.]
     
Caption: "Every hack has his day."     
     
     [The caption fade out and another fades in.]
     
Caption: "Bile Studios Presents"

     CUE: "Make My Love Platonic"
     
     [We cut to a computer cluster, and some geek named ED is
     talking.]

Ed:  Here are your names, Mr. King, Mr. Hawthorne, and Mr. Dickens.

Mr. Dickens:  Why am I Mr. Dickens?

Mr. King: Who cares what your name is?

Mr. Dickens:  Yeah, that's easy for you to say, you got Mr. King,
that's a cool sounding name.

Ed: Let's go to work.

     [Cut to six geeks walking in slow motion in front of a wall. The
     screen turns black and a caption zooms in.]
     
Caption:  "Six Perfect Strangers . . . "

     [We cut to an IRC screen.]
     
<Dick> Hey, remember when Biles made up that character in the end
that made fun of Crys?

<King> Oh yeah...

<King> Twisted Schumacher!

<Joyce> Hahahha

<Dick> LOL

     [Cut to those same geeks cracking up in a diner. Then cut to
     them opening a trunk of a car. Then the screen turns black and a
     caption zooms in.]
     
Caption: "Are teaming up . . . "

     [Cut to Mr. Hawthorne talking.]
     
Mr. Hawthorn: If he had done, what I told him to do, he wouldn't be a
no name hack.

     [Cut to a blank screen and a caption zooms in.]
     
Caption: "To write the perfect fic."

     [We cut to Mr. King and Mr. Dickens.]
     
Mr. King: Your fics suck, Dickens! 

Mr. Dickens: You're acting like a newbie. I'm acting like a veteran!

     [We cut to Mr. Hawthorn dancing to "Make My Love Platonic" and
     then we cut to a bathroom.]
     
Mr. Dickens: I never should have written that project. It was
too original. I shoulda just said, "no thank you" and walked off. Now
everyone hates my fic and it sucks. I knew I should of just written
what everyone likes like the rest of the pack.

     [Cut to various scenes of the geeks flaming a fic and stuff.
     Then we cut to them walking again, and the announcer says their
     names to their faces.]
     
Announcer: Mr. King, Mr. Joyce, Happy Guy, Mr. Dickens, Ed, and Mr.
Hawthorne. They're the Reservoir Hacks. Rated R. Children under 17
not admitted without parent.

     [Cut to Mr. Hawthorn in a diner.]
     
Mr. Hawthorn:  Hey Ed, want me to flame this guy?

     [The song ends and fade out.]

                    
                    <End Commercial Break>

     [Cut to a shot of a street in the town in Australia. Walking
      along it are Ryouga and Doug. Doug is holding onto Ryouga's
      arm, every once in a while pulling him back onto the road
      despite his sense of direction.]

Doug:  I really appreciate you doing this for us, Ryouga.

Ryouga:  I'm not doing this for you, I'm doing it for Sonia!

Doug:  And twice thanks for that, Sonia means the world to me. Ever
since her mother died, she's all I had... [Sniffle] I don't know what
I'd do if I lost her too.

Ryouga:  [Slight smile] And you'll never know, because I'm going to
win that well back from the Gambling King.

     [Doug nods in approval. The two continue to walk down the road
      for a short while, then Doug stops. Ryouga walks forward a few
      more steps until Doug pulls him back. Ryouga looks up. Cut to
      a shot from behind them. Looming before them is a cave mouth,
      with a large blinking sign that proclaims it to be 'The
      Well-Off Casino'. Doug and Ryouga both wince at the pun.]

Ryouga:  That was something I forgot about the King, he also had a 
terrible sense of humor.

Doug:  I still haven't figured out what was worse; the forced thirst,
or those annoying punny commercials he blasted over the radio at all
hours. [Winces again]

Ryouga:  Well, that won't last much longer.

     [Ryouga makes his way towards the cave mouth, just before he
     goes in, he turns around to face Doug.]

Ryouga:  Wait for me, or else I'll never be able to find my way back
to the bar.

Doug:  [Nods] You've got it.

                              -+S-I-N-E+-

     [Cut to the interior of the cave which houses the Well-Off
      Casino.  Currently directing various movers and specialists of
      every sort is the Gambling King. He looks a little older since
      we saw him last, but still pretty much the same. The bustle of
      activity suddenly stirs to a hush as the Gambling King suddenly
      stops shouting his directions and looks towards the entrance of
      the cave in what can only be described as a look of awe. Pan
      over to show the entrance of the cave, Ryouga stands directly
      in front of it.]

Ryouga:  We meet again, Gambling King.

     [After several moments, the Gambling King's shock wears off. He
      shakes his head several times as if to clear it.]

King:  Everyone, take a break!

Head Technician:  How long?

King:  The rest of the day, I won't need you for this.

     [All of the workers quickly rush out of the cave before King has
      a chance to change his mind. Ryouga walks into the center of
      the cavern and takes a look at the half-done job of turning it
      into a casino. He lets out a long whistle, and then clucks his
      tongue several times.]

Ryouga:  Well, well, well GK, we certainly have moved up in the
world, haven't we? Just a year ago you were cheating kids of their
lunch money, now you're cheating a town out of a well. Quite a
change.

King:  Yes, life has been good for me, considering the fact that in
the last five years I have lost to not one, but TWO opponents.

Ryouga:  [Edge] Moved up in the world? [Angry] People are dying of
dehydration out there because of your little casino scheme, you
merciless bastard!

King:  Where does mercy come into it? They lost, I won. Nothing else
matters. Besides, this is the perfect place for a casino, secluded,
nice weather all year around, after they die the locals won't
complain about the noise. [Laughs]

Ryouga:  I am going to see to it that you never have the chance to
open this casino!

King:  Oh? What are you going to do, huh? Beat me up? [He pulls out a
scroll of parchment] I have a contract here which is notarized and
signed in blood, you mess with me, you mess with my lawyers and the
long arm of Australian Law Enforcement!

Ryouga:  You forget who you're dealing with, King. I know your game,
and I challenge you to a triple duel, best two out of three.

King:  All right then. Since you have issued the duel, I will choose
the arena of competition.

     [Ryouga suddenly turns white.]

Ryouga:  <SHIT! I forgot about that....>

King:  The three contests shall be thus; darts, radio-controlled car
drag race, and a video competition.

Ryouga:  Video games? Really, King...

King:  I have to get with the times, you know.

Ryouga:  Fine. Let us begin.

King:  [Nods] This way, then.... [Motions towards a tunnel entrance
on the left side of the cavern.]

Ryouga:  Right.

     [King goes into the tunnel and Ryouga follows soon after. Cut to
      a well lighted cavern room. A plaster wall covers one of the
      cavern walls and mounted upon it are half a dozen dart boards.
      King goes over to the east end of the cavern and pulls a rock
      out of the way. We see that a safe is built into the rock. 
      King puts his combination into the dial and pulls the handle
      to open it. From the safe he takes a wooden box. He closes the
      safe behind him and moves the rock in front of it. King goes
      over to where Ryouga is standing and places the wooden case on
      the pedestal between them. He opens it up to reveal six darts
      held into place by brackets. They're made out of a gold like
      metal. Half of the wings of the set are green, the other half
      yellow.]

King:  Titanium alloy darts, I got them from a dealer in New Zealand.
The wings are made out of a new type of air-foil used in American
jets.

Ryouga:  [Actually impressed] Most impressive.

King:  All right, since I picked the challenge, you get to pick your
color.

Ryouga:  All right, I'll pick green then.

King:  All right....

Ryouga:  Wait...Oh, I get it, you tampered with the green darts
because you knew that I wouldn't choose yellow because it would look
bad.

King:  I don't have any idea what you're talking about.

Ryouga:  I'll take yellow.

King:  Fine, let's...

Ryouga:  No, wait a second, you probably anticipated that I was going
to catch onto your little scheme and you tampered with the YELLOW
ones. Ah, I'm on to you, I'll pick green then.

King:  All right, can we play please?

Ryouga:  But wait, what if you figured out that once I figured out
that you figured out, and then unbalanced the GREEN ones?

King:  Will you just pick a damn color?!

Ryouga:  Fine, yellow. No, Green! No, yellow! No, Green. Yes, Green.

King:  Are you sure?

Ryouga:  Now I am. Green it is.

     [King pulls out the green darts and hands them to Ryouga, then
      he pulls out the yellow for himself.]

Ryouga:  You first.

King:  All right.

     [King throws his dart. It misses by a mile and sticks into the
      plaster wall. Ryouga laughs. He then throws his dart. It ends
      up imbedded in the floor. Ryouga gapes, and then turns to look
      at King.]

King:  [Shrugs] I tampered with both.

Ryouga:  Ah, a true contest of skill!

     [King throws his second dart. This one is closer, it sticks into
      the wall just below the dart board.]

Ryouga:  Come on, Kingfish, you can do better than that!

King:  Just wait until my next turn!

     [Ryouga throws his second dart. This one manages to miss the
      plaster wall entirely and bounces off the cavern wall,
      producing sparks.]

Ryouga:  I'm surprised it didn't stick into the wall...

King:  What do you think they're made out of, Adamantium?

     [King throws his third dart, this one sticks in between the
     steel wire which holds the board into place and the board
     itself.]

King:  If you don't actually get one INTO the board, we'll have to
call this match a draw.

Ryouga:  Watch THIS.

     [Ryouga throws his third dart. It sticks into the dartboard at
      the outer edge of the very last circle. King whistles.]

King:  All right, Hibiki, you win this one. Next event, RC Car drag
racing!

                              -+S-I-N-E+-

     [Cut to an unused area of the Australian town. There is a long
      stretch of dirt road which seems to go on forever. Standing at
      the point where it intersects into the main road of the town
      are King and Ryouga. Before them sit two Radio Controlled Cars,
      each holds the control unit in their hands, both antennae are
      extended.]

Ryouga:  How can I be certain that you didn't sabotage THIS one as
well?

King:  Wanna trade? [Offers his controller to Ryouga.]

Ryouga:  [Shakes head] No thanks.

King:  All right, on your marks, get set.... GO!!!!

     [King's car zooms past the starting line, but Ryouga turns to
      King, puzzled.]

Ryouga:  Five? Five what?

King:  NO, START!

Ryouga:  Oh....

     [Ryouga pulls the 'Turbo' switch on the controller and pushes
      the control stick forward, his car shoots down the street and
      catches up with King's car extremely fast. King grits his teeth
      as Ryouga starts to pass him, so he flicks on his TURBO switch
      and slams his car into the back of Ryouga's, which causes it
      to crash into a rock on the side of the road, it bounces back,
      however, and strikes King's in the side, causing it to skid
      and do donuts on the ground. Ryouga hits TURBO again and his
      car shoots off towards the finish line. As soon as King's car
      is heading in the right direction again, King hits the TURBO
      switch and holds it down, his car continuing to accelerate
      until it is just behind Ryouga's. Ryouga hits his TURBO button
      as well, but he isn't able to get very far ahead of King's car.
      Suddenly smoke starts to billow from the engine of King's car.]

Ryouga:  BWHAHAHA! You can't hold on forever!

King:  Perhaps not, but I can at least make certain that you won't
win!

     [King's car shoots forward like a shot. King makes sure that it
      lines up properly with Ryouga's and switches off the TURBO and
      takes his finger off the stick all together. Ryouga's car slams
      into King's, sending it screeching off towards the finish line,
      just as it flips over and falls off the side of the road into a
      ditch. King straightens his car up and guides it through the
      finish line, just as the hood catches fire. King eases his grip
      on the controller and moves the toggle switch to 'Off'. He
      nudges Ryouga and snickers.]

King:  Pretty good, aren't I?

Ryouga:  If that isn't cheating, I don't know what is.

King:  [Incredulous] Cheating? How in your right mind could you call
THAT cheating?

Ryouga:  This was a drag race, not a demolition derby!

King:  Look, if we followed that description to the letter, we'd have
had to do this dressed as women, and you wouldn't want THAT, would
you?

Ryouga:  [Clenches fist in the animesque style] Grrrr....

King:  [Pats Ryouga on back] Don't worry, though, we're tied, you
still have a chance to beat me and win back the well. Though, I
seriously doubt you will.

Ryouga:  We shall see, take me to the third contest!

King:  Right this way, please....

                              -+S-I-N-E+-

     [Cut to the main cavern of the casino. Ryouga and King enter.
      King looks around with obvious purpose for a few moments. He
      finally spots what he's looking for and heads towards it with
      Ryouga in tow, despite his protests. They go into a tunnel
      which has a flashing sign over it proclaiming 'Video Gambling!'
      Cut to another cavern, about half as big as the main chamber,
      but still rather large. In the very center of the room is an
      arcade video game machine. It is about seven feet tall and at
      least twice as wide as ordinary arcade machines. There are
      control niches and screens on both sides of the monstrosity.
      The machine is obviously new and shiny, and the usual legends
      and stick-ons have various bizarre patterns of gray and blue.
      At the moment, we cannot make out the title of the game. Cut
      to where Ryouga and King are standing at the entrance. King
      smiles smugly while Ryouga simply stares gaping in awe.]

Ryouga:  Evander Hollyfield'd Punch-Out 64?!

King:  She's a beaut, ain't she? I was able to get one from NOJ by
beating them in a game of Mortal Kombat Trilogy. Most Japanese aren't
familiar with the game, but *I* am. [Smiles] You got a quarter?

Ryouga:  Huh?

King:  A QUARTER? You got one? I fixed this so that it works on
Australian currency.

Ryouga:  Oh...yeah.

     [Ryouga pulls up his shirt and pulls out an Australian quarter
      from the Oz-Money pouch. King pulls one from the pocket of his
      coat and walks over to one side of the machine. Ryouga finally
      manages to collect all his wits and goes to the other side.
      He plops the quarter into the slot and hits the 'Start Game'
      button. A screen with a grid on it appears. There are various
      fighters, some familiar, some new, who appear on the screen.
      Ryouga moves the stick so that it is over a bald guy with
      red-tinted skin and presses the 'Select' button.]

Voice:  Soda Popinksi.

     [A moment passes.]

Voice:  [Gruff] Evander Hollyfield.

Ryouga:  Che! I didn't know it was the Championship edition!

King:  It isn't, I knew the boss-code. BWHAHAHAHA!!!

Ryouga:  Well, at least we know there is one now.

     [Cut to the screen from Ryouga's POV. We see the ring, standing
      in the opposite corner is a CGI representation of Evander
      Hollyfield. We see a bald head of a red-skinned man who is 
      drinking out of a green bottle. He hands it to a referee who
      looks like an Italian Plumber. The referee makes a motion and
      steps out of the ring.]

Voice:  [With Italian accent] FIGHT!

     [Hollyfield and Popinski go out into the ring and circle around
      each other. Hollyfield delievers a jab, but Popinski dodges and
      slams his gloves into Hollyfield's exposed side. Hollyfield 
      gasps and a star appears over his head. A star indicator on
      Ryouga's screen goes up by one. Hollyfield tries an uppercut,
      but Popinski dodges. Ryouga hits the 'Select' button and we
      hear the sound of something powering up. Popinski slams a power
      uppercut into Hollyfield, going so fast and delivering so much
      power that the figure of Popinksi blurs as he delivers it.
      Hollyfield is sent flying back and crashes into the ropes of
      the ring. Cut to the other side where King is wringing his
      hands and swearing. He starts hitting the two punch bunches
      rapidly as the referee starts the countdown.]

Voice:  [With Italian accent] Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, 
Four....

     [Hollyfield gets up, and the audience goes wild. His stamina
      meter rises to about half-strength.]

King:  [In Mike Tyson voice] I'm going to put you under.

Ryouga:  [Shakes head rapidly] I don't think so.

     [Hollyfield rushes across the ring, delivering a rapid series of
      blows. Popinski tries to block, but he keeps getting hit over
      and over, finally there is one last uppercut which sends 
      Popinski flying, and then crashing into the mat. The familiar
      referee walks out onto the mat and starts counting.]

Voice:  [Italian accent] Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four,
Three, Two...

     [Popinski gets up, the crowd goes wild. Cut to Ryouga's control
      console. Ryouga rubs his hands together and cracks his
      knuckles]

Ryouga:  So, that's how you want to play it King, huh?

     [Ryouga punches in a series of button pushes and control-stick
      jerks, suddenly Popinski rushes across the ring and delivers
      an uppercut to Hollyfield which sends him up and through the
      ceiling.  He flies through the sky and lands in the parking
      lot, crushing a Saturn beneath him.]

Voice:  Hollyfield is in parking lot. Insert another quarter.

     [King grumbles and puts a quarter into the slot and hits start.]

Voice:  Hollyfield back in ring.

     [The crowd goes wild. Hollyfield and Popinski start to circle
      again. They continue to do this for several moments, and then
      Popinski tries to deliver a blow to Hollyfield. He misses,
      but Hollyfield takes the opportunity to deliver a punch to
      Popinski's ribs. Popinski gasps and a star appears above his
      head. Cut to Ryouga's control console.]

Ryouga:  [Eyes wide] Aw, shit....

     [Suddenly, Hollyfield moves back. Popinski moves back as well,
      and the two sit at opposite sides of the ring, looking at each
      other. Suddenly, there is the sound of power building up. 
      Ryouga lets out a small scream as Hollyfield enters his combo
      again, but this time he is moving so fast, and exerts so much
      power that there is an aura around him, and he blurs as he 
      moves. He rushes across the scream and savagely beats Popinski.
      After a long and hard round of punches, Popinski finally goes
      down, and the referee rushes out and grabs Hollyfield, pulling
      him down. Hollyfield starts panting, and we see that his energy
      bar is down to less than a quarter. The referee goes over to
      Popinski and starts the countdown.]

Voice:  [Italian accent] Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five...

     [Popinski rises, his energy bar only half full. He rushes across
      the ring and delivers an uppercut to the dazed and fatigued
      Hollyfield, which brings him down in a matter of seconds. The
      referee scrambles over to where Hollyfield is lying and starts
      to count.]

Ryouga:  Do yourself a favor, King, give up now.

King:  NEVER!

     [King hits the buttons rapidly, and with much effort Hollyfield
      rises from the mat. His energy bar is half-full. The two start
      to circle again, but then a series of beeping noises begins.]

Ryouga:  [Raises one eyebrow] What the hell...

King:  SHIT! Damn it, I forgot to deactivate the timer, we have less
than ten seconds left!

Ryouga:  Then I had better hurry then.

     [Cut to a bird's-eye view of this scene, Ryouga and King both
      start punching codes rapidly into the machine. Cut to Ryouga's
      point of view, Popinski begins his combo, as does Hollyfield,
      they both rush at each other, hitting each other hard, not
      bothering to dodge or block the other's blows. The timer
      slowly counts down from 10, and the energy bars of both players
      slowly start to sink. As the timer reaches 2 seconds,
      Hollyfield goes down. There is a sound of a buzzer and the
      crowd cheers. The referee comes out and makes a motion with his
      hands.]

Voice:  [Italian accent] TKO.

                 (A HAPPY SETTLEMENT(PS4) - Gaki-Chan)

     [Ryouga pulls back from his machine and wipes the sweat from his
      brow.]

Ryouga:  Whew! At least that's over.

King:  [Bluster] No, that's...That's impossible! How could you win?!
How could I lose to you AGAIN?!!

     [There is a clink from the machine. Ryouga reaches down and
     pulls out his quarter from the coin return.]

Ryouga:  Heh, I got my quarter back. [Smiles]

                              -+S-I-N-E+-

     [Cut to the edge of town, a few days later. The entire city 
      council, plus Sonia, stands next to Ryouga, patting him on the
      back and shaking his hand.]

Doug:  Thank you for what you did. As my first act as mayor of this
town, I proclaim that from this day forward this town shall by called
Ryougaville!

Ryouga:  [Blushing slightly] Aw, shucks, it was nothing.

Steve:  We shall never forget you, Ryouga. You will be welcome here
evermore.

Ryouga:  Yeah, well, I wish I could stay, but I have other concerns
to take care of. A life to live, a woman to love. But when I have the
time, I shall return.

     [Suddenly, Sonia walks forward and kisses Ryouga full on the
      lips. When she pulls back, Ryouga has an extremely startled
      expression on his face.]

Sonia:  Remember that, and it shall always lead you home.

Ryouga:  Umm...I'll be back as soon as possible!

     [Ryouga bids farewell and turns away to walk into the desert,
      the entire group waves farewell to him. Cut to a shot of him
      walking in the desert, smiling and pleased with himself.]

Ryouga:  Me the hero, who would have thought?

                              -The End-


One of the author's babble:
If you don't know what's goign on, be sure to visit
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Ginza/5869/sinepage.html, the SineRanma
homepage, and read SineRanma #0. SineRanma #2 should be out. We thank you
for your time.




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"It doesn't matter if I die. | I.N.A.R.S. member 
There'll be another to take  | Jang Choe
my place..." -Rei            | http://www.altered.com/yinyang
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