Do I really have to keep writing this disclaimer? Oh well. Dual
Destinies is mine. Ranma ½ is Rumiko Takahashi's. That's it.
[]: Thoughts
{""} Telepathic communication
Chapter 22
Tattoo You Too!
The sun was showing off its usual morning brilliance as it began its
journey up from the horizon. In the backyard of Nodoka Masaki's
house, a young girl was tossed unceremoniously to the ground. She
landed on her rear with a soft thump.
"Ouch! That hurt!" Akane whined as she painfully picked herself off
the grass. She then faced her sparring partner, who looked back at her
with a firm gaze.
"Learning the martial arts was never easy Akane." Ranma Blue said as
he took another stance. "You said you wanted to get better! Don't tell
me that you're having second thoughts about it!"
"No way!" Akane said with determination. She then rushed at her
former fiancée and tried to land a straight kick to his midsection. The
pigtailed martial artist simply sidestepped the attack, grabbed her by the
ankle and used a twisting motion to cause her to fall on her stomach.
Akane angrily got up for the umpteenth time and shouted at him,
"Come on! All you've been doing for the last twenty minutes were
blocks and throws! That's not much better than before, when you just
dodged! Swing at me!" By now she was huffing and sweating very hard,
while Ranma Blue wasn't even breathing hard. She then tried to catch
her opponent in the face with a right cross to the chin.
Ranma Blue ducked the blow, grabbed her wrist and before the Akane
knew it, had her in a full nelson. Using just the barest fraction of his
augmented strength, he hoisted her off the ground until her feet dangled
above the grass. Akane could only stare dumbfounded at her legs as she
tried to figure out how she got into that position so quickly. She tried
kicking at her captor's legs, but with no leverage and considering how
strong he was now, her efforts were barely even noticed.
Ranma Red looked on from the back porch, while casually leaning
against door. He shook his head as he saw how easily Akane had fallen
into that trap. No doubt that she need a lot of work.
"Akane, you're letting your anger get the better of you again!" He
stated as he walked over to where she was being held. He then turned to
Ranma Blue. "You better drop her, we need to talk."
After waiting a few minutes for Akane to cool down, the twins faced
the former Tendo girl and began discussing her weaknesses in the
fighting arts.
"Akane, you rely too much on brute force. Now I know we promised
to help improve your skills, but unless you can calm down and think
your actions through, it's going to take a long time!" Ranma Red said in
a firm tone.
"But it wasn't fair!" Akane complained. "Your brother didn't do
anything but block, throw and use some holds on me!"
"The reason why I did that Akane," Ranma Blue answered, "was
because that was all I needed to beat you! I know we promised not to
just dodge your attacks, but if you want to get better, than it's time you
realized the weak points in your fighting style."
"What do you mean?"
"For one thing Akane, I noticed that you tend to throw punches and
kicks too predictably. I mean, you weren't telegraphing your moves as
obviously as you were when we first met you, but I could still see them
coming just the same."
"Yeah." Ranma Red agreed. "Another thing that you seem to lacking
is in defense. All you do is attack, attack, and attack! Not only does that
make you easy to predict, but also you're wearing yourself out that
much faster and you're leaving yourself wide open! You're also not
compensating for whenever Blue puts you in a hold or throw."
"You need an overall improvement in speed, endurance and tactics
Akane." Ranma Blue continued. "Brute strength isn't going to get you
very far. Not that I'm insulting you Akane, but the moves I used were
the same level as a red belt's."
Now in the past, Akane would have either ignored Ranma's advice or
get angry and send him into low Earth orbit (LEO). Indeed, she was
getting a bit irritated of being shown her faults. However, the past events
had taught her that anger was not going to help her. She had just started to
take control of her own life, and she needed all the support she could
get. She was still having some flashbacks of those demons and how close
she had come to being wiped out of existence. Fortunately, with Zuruka
and Arcodos destroyed, the memories had begun to fade.
"So what can I do?" Akane said finally.
"I think it would be a good time to work on defense. Once you can
take as well as dish out, we'll then start to train in those other areas."
Ranma Blue said as he took his stance and waited for Akane.
"Couldn't you teach me some chi attacks? Or maybe some of those
new tricks that you learned?"
Ranma Red and his brother shook their heads while the magic-using
Masaki answered. "Can't do that."
"Why not?"
"Well, for one thing, your ki isn't focused enough to control your
battle aura, let alone project it. We're pretty sure that you could learn a
couple of chi attacks in time, but as for now, you still have to build up
your physical skills. Furthermore, we can't show you magic or
elemental power, because Soren and Taron warned us that only the
Chosen Twins were allowed to wield them."
"But they can use those powers!" Akane said.
"That's because they were the original Chosen Twins!" Ranma Blue
replied. "Besides, they're immortal. According to them, the Contract
specifically states that only two MORTALS may use the powers of the
Chosen Twins, namely… the Chosen Twins. Us."
"So I can't learn those techniques?"
"Sorry Akane." Ranma Red said. "But you can probably imagine how
much havoc and destruction would be caused if more people had our
abilities. Heck, even Cologne asked me to teach her how to teleport and
stuff like that! It took a while for me to convince her that it wasn't a
good idea. Training you in chi attacks should be enough though, when
you're ready."
The youngest sister brightened at the notion and took a stance. "Well
let's get started! The sooner I get better, the sooner I can learn how to
use chi!"
As Akane and Ranma Blue took their stances, Ranma Red smiled. It
seemed that Akane was finally starting to understand her real worth and
would be able to handle herself fine in the future. As he watched the two
exchange blows, he started to think about the past two weeks and of
things yet to come. The creation of the Ranma twins. The training to
prepare them for the Dark World. Their marriage proposals to Shampoo
and Ukyo. Their final confrontations with Ryoga and Mousse…
It was then that Ranma Red paused in his thoughts. [Speaking of
those two, I wonder what they're doing now?]
Somewhere in China, three days previously…
Mousse was tired. It had been a week since he left Japan. He had
only arrived at the border of the Quing Hai province three days ago. He
figured that he had another week and a half to get to the village of the
Joketsuzoku. Although he was looking forward to seeing his family and
friends again, he was also in a depressed state.
When he had left the village a year ago, he had sworn that he would
not return until Shampoo was his bride. Although his parents had
regarded his obsession with Cologne's great-granddaughter to be a
fool's quest, they still wished him luck and told him to come home
soon. He had traveled as far as Hong Kong, before he heard that
Shampoo had been in Japan. By the time he had traversed half the
distance to Japan, he had then gotten information that Shampoo had
returned to the village in disgrace.
Hoping to console his intended future bride, the myopic Hidden
Weapons Master had made a beeline straight to the village, only to find
that she was again gone, this time with a Jusenkyo curse and her great-
grandmother. Seeing that he had wasted a lot of time, he decided to go
to the place where all of Shampoo's troubles were, Japan. He had hoped
to end her woes, thereby win her affection. Unfortunately, all of
Mousse's plans were sent down the sewer when he met up with Ranma
Saotome.
The Chinese boy's mood darkened when he thought about his biggest
obstacle to Shampoo's heart. [Damn you Ranma! You've taken away
everything that I wanted and now, I have to go home in disgrace! If only
there were some way to get revenge!]
Somewhere in another part of the Quing Hai province, a certain lost
boy was also thinking dark thoughts about Ranma. Actually, he was
thinking of TWO Ranmas.
Ryoga Hibiki had been fuming for a fortnight after he had learned
that his greatest rival had become twins. After bolting out of the Tendo
dojo from Akane's declaration of love for Ranma, Ryoga had promptly
gotten lost in his rage, and had in fact found himself in China! (Don't
ask me how!) Since then, he had been trying to find a way to get back to
Japan and give the Ranma twins the beating of their lives. It wasn't until
a week ago that he had started to rethink things.
Remembering back to when one of the twins had easily beaten him
in their supposed 'final duel,' the bandanna-wearing martial artist knew
that he needed something really big to beat his opponent. He also had to
consider that the other twin might also be just as strong, (And he is).
Over the past several days, Ryoga had been training to improve his
martial arts. He had been getting into a lot of challenge fights and
brawls lately, as he eagerly took any opportunity to better himself.
Unfortunately, none of his opponents had even one millionth of the
power that Ranma Blue had displayed. The fights had improved Ryoga
somewhat, but he still wasn't considered even the slightest challenge to
either twin. Ryoga knew this and had become even more depressed. (If
that's possible!) He would have gone further into his depression if not
for a rumor that he heard two days ago. It was because of that rumor
that he had been searching the region ever since. He knew that when he
found it, he would be able to exact his final revenge against the
person… persons that were responsible for his misery.
That night, Mousse had set up camp in one of the deep forests that
was near the mountain regions that led to the Amazon village. He
figured that he could get to the foot of the mountains in a day, perhaps
two. As he sat down on a log and watched his dinner cook in a small pot,
a thought occurred to him.
[Hey! Since I've got a week to get back home, I can make a stop at
Jusenkyo and cure myself!] Mousse had never really thought about
ridding himself of the Drowned Duck Curse before, since he was too
busy trying to win Shampoo. She seemed to treat him a little better as a
duck. Now that he had been forced from Shampoo, there wasn't any
reason why he should have that curse anyway. The thought lifted his
spirits somewhat, as he would no longer have the troubles that the
magic of Jusenkyo had caused.
Like Ryoga, Mousse had to be extremely careful when he was a duck
in the restaurant districts. Several times before, many shopkeepers had
tried to make a meal out of him. On other occasions, young children
had tried to catch him as a pet. The near-blind boy shuddered as he
remembered encountering Asuza Shitori.
That meeting was one he could have done without. As soon as the
martial arts figure skater had spotted him, she had gone into her 'oh
how cute' mode and had chased him around town. She kept on calling
him René and when she had finally had gotten a hold of him, Mousse
had been subjected to the most horrendous torture of all. She had taken
him back to her house and dressed him up in a bonnet, fed mud pies, had
his feathers plucked (her attempt at giving him a haircut) and many
other indignities. He had soon become desperate and had started
throwing his hidden daggers and shurikens at her, but she deflected
them and started using them against him (she thought he wanted to play
William Tell).
It had been a grueling eight hours before he could get away. When he
arrived at the Nekohanten, both Shampoo and Cologne had scolded him
for being late. The pounding they gave him was refreshing, compared to
spending all that time with Asuza.
Just as he had finished his reverie, Mousse noticed that his dinner
was starting to boil over. Quickly leaning forward to rescue his supper,
the near-blind martial artist suddenly got the feeling that he was being
watched. Putting the pot down on the ground, he got into a stance with
his arms held at the ready. It was then that something leapt at him from
the trees above.
"FOOD!!!"
Mousse reacted quickly at the attack and threw forth a barrage of
chains and sharp implements. The attacker deflected the projectiles
with what appeared to be a huge… paintbrush? The unknown assailant
charged at him and started swinging his strange weapon. Mousse
countered by hauling out a couple swords and the two parried, thrust,
slashed and stabbed at each other.
After a few minutes of furious fighting, Mousse finally got the drop
on his opponent by tossing up a ball-and -chain, which KO-ed his attacker.
There was a surprised yelp of pain as his opponent fell flat on his back. It
was then that Mousse leaned forward to get a good look at him.
It was a scraggily looking, bald old man with a thick white beard. He
was wearing a short brown robe. He had skinny legs and was barefoot.
As Mousse stared in disbelief at who his attacker was, the old man
uttered out pitifully, "Got anything to eat?"
A few hundred yards away, Ryoga was still searching the forest.
[Damn! I know he's got to be around here! The people of that last
village said he was traveling through this forest! Hmpf! I never thought
that I would have to see him again! But he's the only one who could give
me the power to beat those twins! It's a small price but…]
Ryoga wandered about aimlessly for another fifteen minutes. It was
then that he heard a familiar voice shouting out a short distance in front
of him.
"AAAAAAHHHHH!!! YOU ATE IT ALL!!! MY STEW IS GONE!!!"
Ryoga began running in the direction of Mousse's voice. When he
came to a small clearing, he saw Mousse staring at an empty pot in his
hands and a few feet away, sat an old man that was smiling and rubbing
his full belly.
"It's you!" Ryoga exclaimed happily as he ran over to the two.
Mousse turned angrily at the old man and pulled forth a wicked-
looking club as he prepared to bash him into next week. "You greedy
pig! You could have left me some!"
The Hidden Weapons master swung back his arm and aimed for the
old man's bald head. But just as the blunt head of the club came down,
Ryoga kicked it out of Mousse's hands.
"Hey! What are doing?" Mousse said angrily as he turned to face the
new arrival. He then squinted in confusion as he saw who it was.
"Ryoga? What are you doing in China?"
"Don't hurt him!" Ryoga said as he tossed away the club.
"What do you mean? He ate all my dinner!"
"If you kill him now, he won't be able to make us into the strongest
men in the world!"
"Huh?"
The old man had been listening in on their conversation and smiled.
A while later, the old man waved goodbye to the two as he happily
walked off with a bag of instant ramen noodles and his huge paintbrush
slung over his shoulder. At the clearing, Ryoga and Mousse stared at
the ink drawings on their abdomens. Both of them could feel the power
surging from their stomachs. The Marks of a God were starting to take
hold.
"Are you sure about this?" Mousse asked as he rubbed his belly. "I've
never heard of Martial Arts Calligraphy before. This thing looks silly."
"Trust me!" Ryoga assured. "The thing may look stupid, but it works!
When I had it before, I could beat Ranma with one finger! I could beat
him even in my cursed form!"
"I don't know… if this thing was so great, then why did you get rid of
it before?"
Ryoga winced at the memory, then replied, "At the time, it made me
look stupid in front of Akane."
"So why do you want it now?" Mousse asked suspiciously. "And why
did you rope me into this?"
"Look, I know that we haven't always seen eye to eye, but we both
hate Ranma right?"
Mousse snorted. "Hah! There's an understatement! A day doesn't go
by that I don't think about wringing Saotome's neck! So what about it?"
"With these tattoos, we can beat Ranma and his twin into a bloody
pulp and finally get our revenge!"
"Wait a second! What are you talking about? Ranma doesn't have a
twin!"
Ryoga then went into the story that Akane had told him before she
had admitted her love for him. He also related his previous encounters
with the Ranma twins. After he finished, Mousse was still a bit
unconvinced of Ryoga's plan.
"What do have to lose? Both Ranmas have taken Akane and Shampoo
away from us! There's nothing left but to beat them!"
"But… I'm supposed to be in the Amazon village by the end of the
month! If I don't show up, they'll hunt me down! Let me tell you, having
one Amazon mad at you is bad, but you DON'T want the whole bunch
ticked off at you."
"So what? You're invincible now! They wouldn't be able to within five
feet of you! Besides, with these marks, no one would stand a chance!
Like I said, what have we got to lose?"
Mousse nodded. With Shampoo no longer available to him, he didn't
really have any reason to go on living. He had been thinking dark
thoughts about Ranma ever since he had lost the Honor Duel. If he
returned to the village, he would be branded as a disgrace and would be
ridiculed for the rest of his life. What did he have to lose? Ranma Red
had taken it all.
"I'll do it!"
The two partners shook hands and then headed for the nearest port
city, which would lead them back to Japan and the source of their
miseries.
The Realm of Oblivion…
Since the deaths of Arcodos and Zuruka, the Realm of Oblivion had
been designated as a free zone until some other demons of the Dark
World laid claim to it. As of now, two new servants of Sharoka were
watching the events unfold on a viewing portal. Unlike the previous
inhabitants, these two could almost be labeled as human.
Like Arcodos and Zuruka, these new ones were identical in
appearance. However, that's where the similarities end. For one thing,
they were female. They had humanoid bodies with albino skin. They
also possessed long, ebony hair that was done up in elaborate ponytails
and their eyes glowed with jade. They each had long fingernails that
were painted scarlet red. Both wore flowing robes that seemed to be a
cross between a kimono and a monk's garb. Underneath their robes,
they had on outfits that looked like traditional training gi, each in their
respective colors. The first one's outfit was black with white highlights.
The other had the reverse with white robes and black highlights. The
two females also wore black sandals and seemed to radiate an evil that
was both seductive, yet deadly.
The only trait that set them apart from passing as human beings were
their ears. They were pointed and framed their faces like horns. As of
now, they twitched in anticipation of the coming carnage and destruction.
"Well now Katoka!" The black robed one said. "It was too easy to
entice those two into accepting the Mark of a God!"
"Yes." The white robed one agreed. "Vengeance has always been a
good driving factor to controlling these mortals, Makana!"
"Little do they know that the symbols they wear are not the real
Marks of a God, but marks of our own! Our agent has done well!"
As if on cue, the old man appeared in a flash beside them and smiled.
In another flash, he transformed into an impish creature with pointed
ears and blue scales. He bowed to his mistresses and then vanished.
"Master Sharoka will be proud of us when these two destroy the
Chosen Twins! We shall succeed where Arcodos and Zuruka had
failed." Katoka snickered a bit.
"Bah! Those two were incompetent! Not worthy to even grovel at the
master's feet!"
"Not that I'm doubting that our plan will work, but in case that it
should fail…"
"Do not worry sister, we still have… him." With these words, Makana
pointed to a small globe that hung in midair. Inside the sphere, swirling
energies danced about, waiting to be released. It wouldn't be long before
the Ranma twins would be facing their hardest challenge yet.
The Earth Realm, three days later…
After finishing their training session with Akane, the Ranma twins
walked to school with her, Nabiki and Ukyo. As they headed toward
Furinkan High, Ranma Blue found himself absently sneaking glances at
Ukyo's chest. He tried to be discrete about it, but eyes just didn't want
to obey his brain.
[What am I doing? I shouldn't be acting like some hentai! I know
Ucchan is really cute, but… I never knew she was THAT cute!] Ranma
Blue winced a bit when he noticed that a certain part of his anatomy was
hardening a bit. He quickly began thinking of icebergs, snow and other
images of cold objects in an attempt to cool down his arousal.
Ukyo smiled a bit as she caught the reaction that she was getting
from her fiancée. [Yes! I KNEW that Ranma honey would notice! Am I
glad that I went shopping with his mother yesterday!] Ukyo blushed a
bit when she glanced down at her chest. To those who knew her, Ukyo
had been wearing chest bindings to keep her bosom flat when she had
been masquerading as a boy. Since then, it had been a habit for her to
restrain her breasts. Although it had recently gotten more painful as her
body underwent further changes and her chest had become more
pronounced, Ukyo thought that it was something that she could still
endure.
Now however, with her engagement with one of the Ranma brothers
assured, Ukyo had decided to act less tomboyish and more feminine.
As a result, she had asked his mother to go shopping with her for more
appropriate clothes. In the last few days, she had bought several tasteful
dresses, some sensible casual wear, and the proper… undergarments,
including replacements for her chest wrappings. For the first time in
her life, Ukyo absolutely reveled in her newfound identity as a female.
The looks she was getting from Ranma Blue were undeniable. He liked
her in a bra. It was then, that she had some very wicked speculation as to
what to wear on their wedding night. She smiled as she made a note to
ask Shampoo about it.
The group arrived at Furinkan High with no troubles and spent the
morning in relative peace. Students had noticed the changes that Nabiki
and Akane were undergoing, and were stunned when the older sister
announced that all outstanding debts that were owed to her were hereby
canceled. This put her flunkies in a state of shock as she told them that
their services were no longer needed.
Gossip had become rampant among the student population during
lunch hour. Many of them thought that this was one of Nabiki's
elaborate schemes to score a big profit, but they couldn't find any
evidence to support that hypothesis. Furthermore, Nabiki had begun
to… flirt with the other older boys. Everyone had thought of her as
some ice-princess and it was a shock to his or her systems to see the
older sibling of Akane acting with a warmer personality. It wasn't long
before Nabiki had started to get date offers.
Akane was also the recipient of many overtures by the male students,
much to the dismay of Kuno. The insane kendoist had tried several
times during the day to enforce his supposed claim on Akane, with the
same results. Hordes of angry adolescents would trash him or the
Masaki twins would pound him into the pavement.
In fact, the two Ranmas were just finishing the daily thrashing of the
so-called Blue Thunder, when his twisted sister appeared. Both of them
shuddered when they heard the familiar, yet skin-crawling maniacal
laugh that heralded the arrival of the Black Rose.
{"Oh no! Not her!"} Ranma Blue complained.
{"Well, I guess we should have expected to see her sooner or later."}
Ranma Red remarked as both turned to face the shower of black rose
petals that blew across the school's front yard.
Sure enough, there was the Black Rose of St. Herbereke in her
school uniform, twirling her ribbon and laughing.
"Oh ho ho ho ho ho! Ranma darling! Can the rumors be true! I see it
is! I have TWO TRUE LOVES!"
"What are you talking about Kodachi?" Ranma Red said in disgust.
"Why isn't very obvious?" Kodachi said as she approached them.
"The fact that I now have TWO of my darling Ranma-samas to marry!
Why the gods themselves must be rewarding me by giving me twice as
many Ranmas!"
"You're out f your mind!" Ranma Blue said as the two of them
backed off. "There's no way we're going to marry you!"
"Yeah!" Ranma Red agreed. "Besides, we've already got fiancées!"
"Of course you do darlings! You have me!"
"No we don't!" Ranma Blue said firmly. "We're going to marry
someone else!"
"What?!" Kodachi said in a surprised voice. "Who would dare
compare to your beloved Black Rose? Surely not that Chinese hussy
and that spatula-wielding tomboy! Why they're not even fit to grovel in
my presence, let alone even consider the right to marry you!"
It was at that time that Ukyo had come onto the scene.
"Hey! You leave my fiancée and his brother alone you snob!"
Kodachi turned her attention to Ukyo and sneered, "So! The lowborn
cook deigns to wear female clothes in her pitiful attempt to win my
darling Ranmas! It seems that I must teach the harridan a lesson in
trying to steal the men of another woman!" Kodachi pulled out a couple
of her clubs and readied herself to do battle.
Ukyo was more than irritated that Kodachi was claiming BOTH
Ranmas. She took out her large spatula. "Who are you calling lowborn?
And how do you figure both Ranmas belong to you?"
"Why it's quite obvious!" Kodachi said in a high-and-mighty tone.
"My beauty, my charm and my loving ways makes me the only one
qualified to have either one of them! Since I would not wish for one or
the other to suffer in your presence, I think that the best way is for me
to keep both of them!"
"That's it! I thought that you were just a little off in the head, but now
I see that you're a total nut! Come on!"
It was at that time, a familiar bicycle came flying into view and a
purple-haired blur launched itself from it. Shampoo promptly glomped
herself onto Ranma Red.
"Nihao Airen! Happy to see Shampoo, yes?"
"Sure Shampoo, but now is not the time!" Ranma Red replied as he
tried to disengage himself from her crushing embrace.
Shampoo was a little confused as she asked, "What wrong?"
"Take your hands off him, vile peasant!"
Shampoo turned around and saw Kodachi clearly becoming steamed.
"What psycho girl mad about Ranma?"
Ukyo decided to answer. "This snob thinks that both Ranmas belong
to her."
"What?!" Shampoo responded in a slightly angry tone. She promptly
released Ranma Red and took a fighting stance next to Ukyo. Hauling
out her bonbori, she hissed at Kodachi, "Crazy psycho girl not have
Airen or future brother-in-law! They belong to Shampoo and future
sister-in-law!"
"Hmpf! It is quite obvious that the two of you are deluded! The only
girl that my darling Ranmas love is me!" Kodachi tossed one of her
clubs at Ukyo, which its head spouted hidden spikes.
Ukyo deflected the projectiles by using her spatula. "Now you're
really acting crazy!" Ukyo stated. "Ranma honey already said he loved
me and proposed to me two weeks ago!"
Shampoo nodded. "That right! Other brother defeat Shampoo and
promise to marry her! Also said that he loved her!"
"Lies!" Kodachi roared as she leapt toward the two and twirled her
ribbon. "The only person who will have those two darlings is me!" She
lashed forward with her ribbon's razor sharp edge, intending to inflict
massive damage to her two rivals.
Ranma Red and his brother decided then to put a stop to this
ludicrous situation. Concentrating his powers on her ribbon, the magic-
using Ranma caused the long silk line to wrap itself around Kodachi's
body. The Black Rose found herself completely ensnared in her own
weapon. As she plummeted to the ground, Ranma Blue used his power
over gravity to slow her decent and gently set her down on the lawn.
Just after she had been laid down on the grass, the twins calmly
walked up to her with stern expressions. Kodachi was very shocked at
what happened and could only stare up at them.
"Kodachi." Ranma Blue began. "This has gone far enough."
"That's right." Ranma Red agreed. "It's time we set you straight! We
DON'T love you! In fact, I don't think we even like you!"
"No!" Kodachi said shaking her head. "It can't be true! You do…"
"No we don't!" Ranma Blue said in a firm voice. "We should have
ended this when it first started. We didn't want to hurt you or anyone
else, but it looks like we have no choice! Understand this! We're going
to marry Ukyo and Shampoo!"
"No darling! You can't mean it! After all we've meant to each other…"
"We have meant nothing to each other!" Ranma Red said, cutting her
off. "You treated like we were some kind of possession! We were never
yours, nor will we ever be!"
"It's time you got over us! Akane made it clear to your brother that
she doesn't love him! Now we're following her example!"
"It cannot be! What foul sorcery has those two harridans cast upon
you to treat your Kodachi so?"
"I assure you Kodachi. We're in our right minds! For the first time in
a long time, we know what we want. We want to marry Shampoo and
Ukyo! WE DON'T WANT YOU!"
Both twins took a moment to pause before continuing. Ranma Red
let off a long sigh as he said, "Kodachi, you've been living in a dream
world. Your delusions over our feelings were nothing more than a
fantasy! You never listened to what we had to say. You would always
assume that we loved you, despite that we constantly told you to take a
hike! Well enough is enough! For the last time Kodachi, WE…
DON'T… LOVE… YOU! Leave us alone!"
Releasing his hold on her ribbon, Ranma Red and his brother waited
for Kuno's sister to untangle herself. She had clearly become more
tearful with each word that was being said to her. The last sentences had
struck her to the very soul. As she stood up, she bowed her head and
sobbed quietly. After a minute, she bolted from the school with her
face in her hands. The twins started to chase after her, but then thought
it better to give her some space. Their fiancées walked up to them and
looked in the direction of the fleeing gymnast.
"You know… we could have done that a lot better." Ranma Red said
to his brother. "We hurt her feelings."
"I know." His brother nodded. "But I'm afraid that no matter how we
told her, she was still going to be hurt! I think that it's best she be told
the truth. By not setting her straight, we were just leading her on."
"Nothing more you or your brother could have said to her Ran-chan."
Ukyo said. "If she can't understand straight off, then I guess there isn't
anything else that can be done."
"Yeah… well, I guess there will be some people who just won't let
things go." Ranma Blue stated.
As if on cue, the group heard a crash in the background. It was then
that the twins heard a familiar cry.
"RANMA, PREPARE TO DIE!!!"
At first, they thought it was Ryoga, but then the twins also heard
another voice.
"SAOTOME! PREPARE TO PAY FOR TAKING MY SHAMPOO!"
There was a huge explosion and the crowds of students went
scattering like ants. Before them, the Chosen Twins saw their former
archenemies appear before them with battle auras glowing and
expressions of utter hatred etched across their faces. Behind them,
their fiancées also looked in surprise.
"Mousse?" Ranma Red said.
"Ryoga?" Ranma Blue said.
"Aiya! What Mousse doing here? He supposed to be in China!
Amazons will hunt him down if he no be there!" Shampoo said.
Mousse let out a laugh as he scoffed, "I have had it with those laws!
They have kept me from what I want long enough! Once I have reduced
Ranma Red to a smoldering corpse, you'll belong to me! Then you'll
see that I am the better man! You'll be mine at last!"
Shampoo stepped back as she heard these words. This person was
not the same whimpering and pathetic fool that she had known before.
He radiated intense power and believed every word he said. He was
different and that did make her uneasy.
Both the twins knew something was up. Both Ryoga and Mousse
were not acting the same as before. They had never seemed so
bloodthirsty in the past. They had made death threats in the past, but
they never went too far. They had always had some control and their
pride always prevented them from using lethal tactics. Now it appeared
that they were in the grip of a more dangerous mania. It was certain that
they were out for blood, their blood.
"Ryoga!" Ranma Blue started. "Our last fight was supposed to have
ended the feud! You lost! You can't challenge us! I thought honor was
satisfied!"
"HONOR?!" The lost boy sneered. "You have no concept of the
word! You and your brother beat me up the first time and it was your
fault that I got cursed! It's because of you that Akane will never know
how I feel about her! No! It's time we really settle things! My life has
been a living hell since I met you and the only way that I can get any
peace is to beat you and your brother into a bloody pulp!"
"What about you Mousse?" Ranma Red asked. "You lost that Honor
Duel and if you're not in the Amazon village by the end of the month,
they'll hunt you down!"
"Hah!" Mousse declared with contempt. "With the power I have,
those Amazons don't have a prayer of killing me! My business is with
you Ranma Red! Because of you, I can't take Shampoo as my bride!
Once I present her with your carcass, she'll see that I am the only one
for her! I should have killed you in the past, but something always got in
the way! Now nothing is going to save you!"
"ENOUGH TALK! FIGHT!" Ryoga roared as he and Mousse charged
at the twins with battle auras blazing.
Ranma Red barely managed to teleport himself, his brother and their
fiancées out of the way. As Mousse and Ryoga reached the spot where
their opponents were, there was another huge explosion. Concrete and
other debris went flying all over, causing the crowds of students to run
off in panic. Twenty feet away from the wanton destruction, the twins
and the two girls reappeared. Both Ranmas took a stance and motioned
for Shampoo and Ukyo to take cover. A fight was inevitable.
"Oh boy! Since when did they get that kind of power?" Ranma Blue
queried.
"Yeah! And they didn't even notice that innocent bystanders are
around!" Ranma Red agreed.
"What do you think? Have they snapped?"
"I'd say so. It's like they don't even care anymore."
Turning back to their fiancées, Ranma Blue ordered, "Ucchan!
Shampoo! Get back! Now!"
"But Ran-chan!"
"They've totally lost it! Make sure everyone stays clear! This is
going to get real ugly!" Ranma Red added.
The two girls looked at their future husbands in concern then
nodded. As they ran off to warn everyone to stay clear, the Chosen
Twins began sizing up their opponents. Mousse and Ryoga stood and
waited for the Ranmas to make the first move. The two began focusing
their ki energies and probed their opposition for weaknesses.
Ranma Blue's eyes snapped open when he realized what they were up
against. {"Damn! They're wearing the Mark of a God! Both of them!"}
{"That's weird. I don't remember that tattoo being able to give Ryoga
that much power before."}
{"Yeah, well we do know how to beat it!"}
{"Right! You take Ryoga, I'll take Mousse!"}
Both pigtailed martial artists charged at their attackers, hoping to
finish the fight quickly. However, other beings had different things in
mind.
The Realm of Oblivion…
"Look Katoka! They've taken the bait!" Makana stated as she gestured
to the viewing screen.
"Indeed!" Agreed her sister. "The Chosen Twins only think that they
are battling the Mark of a God, but they shall soon discover that they
are up against something far worse!"
"I do so enjoy tormenting these mortals! It shall be glorious when
the Dark World conquers the Earth! Ah… so many souls to torture!"
On the Earth Realm…
"What?! Ryoga and Mousse are fighting the twins?" Akane said in
disbelief.
"Yeah!" Ukyo confirmed. "They told us to get everyone out of the
way!" Looking back in the direction of the fight, they could hear the
sounds of heavy impacts and explosions.
Akane's expression took a dark look as she began heading toward
where the battle was taking place.
Ukyo looked in shock at the youngest of the three former Tendo
daughters and then reached out to grab her arm. "Hey! Where are you
going Akane?"
Akane looked back and said in a cold voice, "I'm going to see Ryoga
and give him a piece of my mind for lying to me all this time!"
"What?! Are you nuts?! It's like World War Three out there!"
Akane shrugged off her arm and continued to head toward the chaos.
Ranma Red narrowly dodged a hard right by Mousse, which shattered
one side of the school's outer wall. Then Mousse launched a barrage of
daggers, chains and other sharp projectiles at him. Despite his enhanced
speed, the magic-using Masaki found himself hard-pressed to dodge.
[Whoa! Since when could the Mark of a God make someone that
fast? I thought it only worked if you ATTACKED them!]
"What's the matter Saotome? Too much for you?" Mousse taunted as
he launched another barrage.
"I'm just getting started! By the way, the name's Masaki! MOKO
TAKABISHA!"
The sudden blast of chi caught Mousse off guard, but as the yellow
ball of energy hit him in the chest, both he and Ranma Red were
surprised to see his body simply absorb the attack.
Mousse smiled maliciously and said, "Hah! You can't hurt me! I'm
invincible!" He then shot a third volley of weapons at his opponent. This
time, he was successful in nailing Ranma Red in shoulder. The red-
shirted martial artist winced a bit as he felt a dagger graze his flesh.
Things were only going to get worse.
On the other end of the battle area, Ranma Blue was also having
problems. As long as Ryoga was being protected by the symbol, Ranma
Red's brother knew that he couldn't physically attack him. He had been
trying his standard chi blasts, hoping to wear him down, but Ryoga
simply countered each attack with his own chi technique.
"SHI SHI HOKODAN!"
Ranma Blue barely managed to duck under the blast of depression-
fueled chi energy, which caused another section of the outer wall to
crumble.
[Is it just my imagination, or has his Normal Shi Shi Hokodan
gotten stronger?] It was then that Ranma Blue decided to change
tactics. Cupping his hands forward, he let loose with an elemental
attack.
"GUST ATTACK!"
The sudden jet of high-pressure air smashed into Ryoga with the
force of a speeding bullet train. However, the Hibiki boy stood his
ground.
Ryoga laughed and said, "That trick won't work this time! I'm strong
enough to take anything you can dish out! SHI SHI HOKODAN!"
"GUST ATTACK!"
The huge blast of chi energy smashed into the wind attack head on.
But instead of blowing out, the chi attack actually managed to get within
two feet of Ranma Blue before exploding. Ranma Blue was knocked
back a few feet before he dug down and stopped being pushed back.
[Uh oh! That mark is not only increasing his strength, but it's also
boosting his chi abilities! I'm going to have to use my stronger
techniques to get him into the position I want!]
Concentrating his ki into the moisture of the air around him, the
elemental powered twin invoked one of his newer techniques.
"ICY MISTS! CONFUSION!"
Suddenly, the entire area was blanketed in a freezing fog. At the
same time, Ranma Blue activated his camouflage technique.
Ryoga became angered as he found that his line of vision now
clouded by the swirling mists. His body tingled with a familiar
sensation as he felt the icy cold water droplets touch his skin. He
focused his ki inward as he tried to resist being transformed into a pig.
Then the surprise came. He didn't change. After a minute of straining,
he felt a warm sensation start to spread from his abdomen. Looking
down at his belly, he pulled up his shirt and saw that his Mark of a God
was glowing red. Somehow, it was preventing his curse from being
activated.
The lost boy let loose with a hysterical laugh as he realized the
benefits of the tattoo. "H ha ha ha ha! Nice try Ranma! But you don't
beat me that easy! The Mark of a God is also keeping my curse in
check! Come out and fight you coward!"
[Now that's new!] Ranma Blue thought. Even though it was not his
intent on transforming his opponent into his cursed form, it was still
surprising to see that the tattoo did something other than making Ryoga
impossibly strong. Something was definitely wrong. Still, the elemental
Ranma was confident on beating him.
"If you want me, come and get me! MOKO TAKABISHA! SCATTER!"
Ryoga was pelted by a dozen small chi balls. Although the tattoo
allowed him to absorb the blasts with relatively little pain, the attack
still angered him.
"Why you! Take this! SHI SHI HOKODAN!"
The bandanna martial artist fired off another massive chi blast in the
direction of the last attack. Of course, his foe had already moved to
another position and fired off another attack.
"MOKO TAKABISHA! RAPID FIRE!"
The stream of chi blasts was deftly avoided. Then Ryoga retaliated.
"SHI SHI HOKODAN!"
Once again, he missed as Ranma Blue kept on moving and using his
hit-and-run tactics.
"MOKO TAKABISHA! SCATTER!"
"SHI SHI HOKODAN!"
"FLAMING CHI WAVE!"
"SHI SHI HOKODAN!"
"MOKO TAKABISHA!"
"SHI SHI HOKODAN!"
"MOKO TAKABISHA! RAPID FIRE!"
"SHI SHI HOKODAN!"
This strange little dance went on for several minutes as Ryoga
twisted and turned in the fog, trying to draw a bead on his elusive
adversary. He was so absorbed in hitting Ranma Blue that he didn't
realize that his chi had been building up incredible amounts of heat and
that he had been moving in a spiral. When he had completed the spiral,
Ranma Blue let him have it.
"HIRYU SHOTEN HA REVISED! PART 1!"
The cool chi met with Ryoga's hot chi with the usual results. He was
tossed into the air by a huge cyclone and was buffeted by the intense
winds. To his dismay, he found his body twisting and turning as he flew
through the cyclone. Then he saw that his tattoo change its expression
several times during his contortions.
That was the moment that Ranma Blue had been waiting for. Timing
his next move accordingly, he quickly changed his cool chi into a
blazing battle aura and used his elemental powers to swirl the icy mists,
lowering their temperatures around him. This caused another explosion
of differing temperatures and…
"HIRYU SHOTEN HA PART 2! FIST OF THE RISING DRAGON!"
The cyclone that erupted from this imbalance of hot and cold
launched Ranma Blue upwards like a rocket and sent him shooting
toward Ryoga. The pigtailed martial artist had one arm raised above his
head with fist clenched and was spinning like a drill (If you've seen
Ryu's Shoryuken from Street Fighter II, then you can imagine this). The
blow collided with Ryoga's midsection with incredible force, just as
the lost boy's body had twisted into a position in which his tattoo was in
its most vulnerable position.
Ryoga felt a stinging pain as his breath was knocked out of him. He
also felt another familiar tingle. [No! He got me while my mark had
changed expression! It's fading!] Looking down at his stomach, Ryoga
saw with disappointment as his tattoo lost its integrity and disappeared.
He began crying in anguish as the two of them plummeted to the ground
when the cyclones dispersed.
On the other end of the battlefield, Ranma Red had also figured out a
way to beat his super-powered adversary. Just after he dodged another
volley of Mousse's weaponry, the magic-using martial artist split into
two images, then into four, then into many more.
"SPLITTING CAT HAIRS!"
The images of Ranma Red surrounded Mousse in a circle, floated
and began rotating. The near-blind Mousse snorted. "Hah! You think
using that mummy's techniques is going to save you?" Crouching down
in what appeared to be a standing fetal position, the myopic magician
suddenly stood up straight with arms flung out. Form his sleeves and
other pockets in his robes, he launched a ridiculously huge barrage of
chains, knives, blunt objects, (and yes, even a kitchen sink) in all
directions.
Mousse knew that by firing a massive volley in all directions, he was
sure that he would hit his opponent from his hiding place in the illusion.
That is, if he WAS in the illusion.
Unknown to Mousse, Ranma Red had been taught another fundamental
of magic. The art of creating illusions from a distance. The moment that
he started the Splitting Cat Hairs technique, he had teleported a safe
distance away from the fight while still maintaining the illusion. Mousse
was wasting both weapons and energy as he vainly tried to hit what he
thought was Ranma Red. His body twisted and turned from within the
circle and when the Masaki twin sensed that his tattoo was in the right
position, he then launched his final attack.
"SHADOW STORM!"
Rushing forward toward the flailing Mousse, Ranma Red's body left
a trail of eight shadowy images of himself behind him. Just as Mousse
saw Ranma Red approach him, he had twisted his body to a position in
which his mark was weak. It was then that his foe gave him a massive
uppercut that knocked him into the sky. As he started to fly upward,
Mousse was then hit from one side by a dark image of Ranma Red as it
came at him with a flying punch. The another shadow hit him from the
other side. Then another and another. Each time he was hit, the Hidden
Weapons master was knocked higher into the air. By now, his tattoo had
already faded away. When the last shadow delivered its blow, Mousse
found himself falling head first toward Ranma Red. Then the sibling of
Ranma Blue let loose his final blow.
"SPIRIT GEYSER!"
Slamming his open palm to the ground, Ranma Red was surrounded
by a blue white hemisphere of energy which then erupted into a huge
column that shot up and blasted Mousse. The Chinese boy was sent into
an arc, which propelled him thirty feet from his previous position and
he landed on his back with a thud. Then all was still.
Ryoga and Mousse were sprawled out on the ground. Both of them
were battered and bruised beyond belief. Their clothes were either
burned or tattered and their faces had glazed expressions. It was
obviously unconscious.
Ranma Red looked up and saw his brother float down toward him. As
soon as he landed, he looked over Mousse's insensate form and said,
"Went a little overboard, didn't you?"
Ranma Red playfully punched his sibling in the shoulder and said,
"Hiryu Shoten Ha, Part 1and 2?"
Ranma Blue shrugged and grinned sheepishly, "Didn't know what
else to call it."
"Ranma!"
Both twins turned to see Akane, Ukyo and Shampoo running toward
them. The two opened their arms to embrace their fiancées as Akane
slowly approached the bodies of Mousse and Ryoga. She looked down
at Ryoga and became angry with the person who she once thought was a
true friend.
"Ran-chan! You did it!" Ukyo praised as she gave him a passionate
kiss.
"Aiya! Shampoo so happy!" The Amazon copied her future sister-in-
law and planted a wet smooch on Ranma Red.
Both boys returned their kisses and relaxed a bit now that the fight
had ended. Then they heard Akane scream.
"WHAT'S THAT?!"
Quickly disengaging themselves from their future spouses, the twins
took a stance and looked over in the direction of Akane's scream. What
they saw made their eyes widen and their blood run cold.
Both the bodies of their fallen foes had begun to glow with a dark
black aura that radiated pure evil. Akane had tried to move back, but her
legs had become frozen with shock. Ranma Red noticed this and use his
magic to teleport her to a position behind Shampoo and Ukyo. The
twins, their fiancées and Akane all stood motionless as they observed
Mousse and Ryoga undergo a horrifying transformation.
Both the forms of the defeated martial artists floated up from the
ground and became upright. They were their auras became even more
darker, which then enveloped the two in black cocoons of evil magic.
The energies pulsed and throbbed with increasing intensity and
suddenly, they increased in size to about twenty feet in height and
twelve feet across. With a final blast, they exploded and revealed Ryoga
and Mousse. But one could not call them human anymore.
What was once Ryoga Hibiki was now a twenty-foot monstrosity
that had huge, six-foot long tusks protruding from its lower lip. Its head
was like a warthog's and it snorted viscously at the twins with red in its
eyes. Its upper torso was bare, and like a human's. It was thickly
muscled and its well-developed arms were as thick as small tree trunks.
In each massive hand, it carried what looked like a huge bamboo
umbrella, but when it swung each weapon to open it up, the sides
revealed rows of spikes and sharp blades.
When the umbrellas closed, the tips sprouted forth sharp blades the
had double edges and were each six feet in length.
The lower half of the monster resembled a warthog's back half, if it
was standing upright. It was covered in gray fur and the legs terminated
in pig hooves. The monster stomped its hooves with such force that the
school grounds shook as if it was experiencing a small seismic tremor.
Looking over to where Mousse was, the twins were equally
dismayed as to what he had become. Like Ryoga, the once human
Hidden Weapons master had his curse horribly amplified. Mousse's
head resembled that of a duck, but underneath the upper portion of its
bill were rows of jagged teeth. Its eyes also glowed with red fury as it
stared at the Chosen Twins.
Its upper half was human and bare, but on its back was a set of huge,
feathered wings. Each feather seemed to be made of metal as the
sunlight glinted off their surfaces. It was then that the twins noticed that
the feathers were razor sharp. Its hands were covered in feathers and
each finger had a long four foot talon protruding from their tip.
The lower half of the monster also looked humanoid, but it was
covered in white feathers and its feet resembled talons of an eagle's
rather than the webbed feet of a duck's. Behind it was a feathered tail
that completed the appearance.
The only real similarity between the two transformed martial artists
was the Mark of a God that was etched on the abdomens. However, both
Ranmas knew that it wasn't the same symbol they had fought before.
Their suspicions were confirmed when each tattoo suddenly contorted
and changed into a new design. The new symbols were bright red and
had formed the Kanji symbol of Akuma (the Demon). It was then that
they heard malicious laughter coming from somewhere above them.
Looking above them, they saw two ghostly figures appear above
them. Their eyes widened even further as they beheld the forms of
Katoka and Makana. The replacements of Arcodos and Zuruka smiled
down at the twins and then introduced themselves.
"Greetings Chosen Twins! I am Katoka. This is my sister Makana!
We serve the almighty Sharoka! Welcome to your final battle!"
"You're in league with Arcodos and Zuruka?" Ranma Blue asked.
"Hmpf!" Makana snorted. "Do not insult us! We are far superior to
those idiots! We shall succeed where they had failed miserably!"
Turning her attention to Mousse, she nodded to him and gave out a
silent command.
Mousse spread his wings and flapped them once. The resultant
backlash of wind sent Shampoo, Ukyo and Akane flying backward
twenty feet from where the twins were standing. Since the two Ranmas
had augmented strength, they managed to stay on their feet. Looking
back to see if the girls were all right, they became surprised to see a
transparent dome suddenly appear, blocking them off from the girls.
Looking around, they saw that the dome covered an area of about a
hundred and fifty feet and was about seventy feet high. The two found
themselves completely isolated from the outside. Worse yet, they were
trapped inside with Mousse and Ryoga.
"Don't bother to try and blast your way out of that barrier!" Makana
cackled. "It is one of our most powerful spells and I doubt you'll
survive long enough to attempt it!"
"Oh and don't think those fools Soren and Taron will be able to help
you either!" Katoka added. "They're too busy with helping the deities of
this world, in keeping the Ultimate Force System from crashing! And
even if they weren't, the barrier is also cutting off all communication
you have outside of the dome!"
Looking back at Akane and their fiancées, both of the Masaki twins
strained to hear the three as they frantically shouted and pounded at the
dome. When they couldn't hear the slightest sound, they tried using
their telepathy skills. That too, also met with resistance.
{"Damn! I can't contact them or anybody in the Realm of Infinity!"}
Ranma Blue remarked.
{"Same here! We're really stuck!"} Ranma Red said.
Looking down at their expressions of frustration, the twin sisters
laughed and then gestured to their monstrous puppets. Both Dark
Worlders uttered a single command, "KILL!"
The two demons began advancing on the Masaki twins as Akane,
Ukyo and Shampoo could only watch helplessly from outside the dome.
There was no doubt in anyone's minds that the two former rivals of the
two brothers were now beyond any hope. They were now driven by a
single purpose. The deaths of the Chosen Twins! Things looked bleak…
In the Realm of Oblivion…
The small globe that Katoka and Makana coveted began to increase
in its brightness as the energies within began to take shape. Soon, its
role in the future of the world would be played out.
To be continued…
Author's Notes
It's done! Chapter 22 is done! Ryoga and Mousse have become what
they hated most. They have let vengeance take over their souls and are
now slaves to their own curses! Will Ranma Red and Ranma Blue be
forced to do the unthinkable? Will they actually have to KILL their
former rivals? Is it too late for any hope of bringing them back from the
abyss?
I'm not telling… yet! Mostly because I'm still debating as to whether
or not the story will have more of an impact, if two of the supporting
characters were to bite the big one! I spared Akane from that fate, but
these two may not fare as well. How about it? Should they die or not?
For those of you who are still wondering where Soun Tendo is,
he's… nearby. For those of you who think you know where he is, write
to me. I may let you in on the secret!