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My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
(A/N: For thousands of years (or at least 5 or 6) this has laid dormant in my mind. There’ve been many attempts to bring it out. Each one, a painful, agonizing, FAILURE. However, I think I might’ve finally hit the mark this time. Welcome to my Ranma ½/Dragon Ball Z Crossover!)
Prologue
“WHAT A HAUL!”“Nabiki…please don’t say that. You sound like Happosai,” Akane deadpanned.“Thanks little sis, that’s what I was aiming for,” Nabiki chuckled.“To be fair, we do have a lot of bags, don’t we?” added Kasumi.Sure enough, the Tendo sisters had a fairly large quantity of bags and boxes, courtesy of their latest shopping trip. Deciding to shake things up a little today, they opted to go a few towns over to the mall in a place called Satan City instead of the usual place in Nerima. They’d long since left the mall and were making plans to head back home.“With this much stuff, I wish Ranma was here to carry it for us,” Akane groaned.“Well, that’s why we invited you Akane, cause you’re the strongest,” Nabiki joked. Akane was about to retort when Nabiki cut her off. “Still, it sure was nice of Mrs. Saotome to fund our trip, wouldn’t you say girls?”Akane and Kasumi nodded.“Before we head back, I think we should get Aunt Nodoka a gift,” Kasumi suggested.“I agree!” exclaimed Akane.“Ditto, but what do we get her?” asked Nabiki.The trio paused. After a brief moment of thought, Akane’s face lit up.“Oh! I think I we passed a bakery somewhere. Why don’t we buy her a cake.” She suggested.Kasumi nodded in agreement, but Nabiki kept a look of contemplation on her face. “Not bad, but I think we can do better than that.”“You just want to keep looking around the city, don’t you?” Kasumi asked.“Well…I won’t deny that,” Nabiki replied. “After all, it’s not every day we get to take a trip to Satan City.”“About that…what’s up with the name of this place?” Akane asked. “So far everything looks pretty normal, but a place called ‘Satan City’ doesn’t exactly sound very…visitor friendly.”“I’ve been wondering about that myself,” said Kasumi.Nabiki turned to her sisters with a look of disbelief, mostly aimed at Akane. “Okay…I wouldn’t expect Kasumi to be too interested in this, but Akane, I figured you’d know at least.”“Know what?”“This town’s named after the famous martial artist called Mr. Satan, who apparently saved them from some great disaster or something like that,” Nabiki informed them.“Oh yeah, I remember the name now, but I don’t remember anything about a disaster,” Akane stated.“Don’t rack your brain too hard little sister. We were just kids when all that supposedly happened.” Nabiki replied.“Although…now that you reminded me about Mr. Satan, I kind of wish I could get the chance to meet his daughter.”“His daughter?” said Kasumi.“What about her?”Akane shook her head and waved her hands defensively. “Oh it’s nothing,” she said. “It’s just…it’d be nice to meet a celebrity,” she said hurriedly. Trying to change the subject, Akane quickly added. “C’mon, let’s find that bakery and head home already, huh?”“Okay,” Kasumi said. Nabiki nodded in agreement, but made a mental note to press Akane about this later.[A few moments later]After a bit of searching, the trio found the bakery they were searching for and after a moment inside, the young girls exited with yet another box in hand.“Well that was sweet, wouldn’t you say girls?” Nabiki asked.“You think you’re ‘punny’ don’t you?” Akane replied.The older sisters both giggled. “Well, this was fun, but I think it’s time for us to call it a day,” said Kasumi.Her younger sisters nodded in agreement and the trio began to make their way towards the bus stop.[A short while later]The Tendo girls finally arrived at the bus stop. They’d arrived a few minutes ahead of schedule so they had some time to rest on the bench. As the trio waited for the next bus to arrive, Nabiki decided to bring up an old ‘glossed over’ subject.“So Akane, remember when you said you wanted to meet Mr. Satan’s daughter?” Nabiki asked.“Yeah, what about it?” Akane replied with a raised eyebrow.“You said it’d be nice to meet a celebrity, and while that’s true, wouldn’t the real celebrity be Mr. Satan himself? Why his daughter?” Nabiki asked.“Now that you mention it, I’m curious about that myself,” Kasumi added.Akane paused for a moment and took a small breath. “Okay…I’ve never told anyone this, but for the longest time, Mr. Satan’s daughter has been…something of an inspiration for me.”Kasumi and Nabiki’s eyes both widened at their little sister’s declaration. “Well this is news to me,” said Kasumi.“Yeah, you want to elaborate a little Akane?”A small smile forming on her face, Akane looked towards the sky as she began to reminisce.“Well…some details are still a bit fuzzy, but I remember watching the World Martial Arts Junior Division Tournament on TV, and she was the only girl there. As if that wasn’t enough, she was only 10 at the time, but every other competitor was a boy who was like, 13 or 14.”Kasumi and Nabiki were starting to get intrigued by Akane’s tale. True neither of them were martial artists, but they could tell that those odds weren’t exactly favorable for a 10-year-old girl.“Anyway, once the tournament began her first opponent was this one kid who looked pretty strong, and she beat him with one kick to the gut! At the time, I guess you could say I was a little awestruck,” Akane sheepishly chuckled.“Then what happened?” Nabiki asked, a bit more franticly than expected.“I remember she blitzed her way through all of her opponents, easily. It looked like she could’ve had a clean sweep…until the final round.”“The final round?”Akane nodded. “Her last opponent was this cocky 15-year-old guy, and unlike the other guys in the Tournament who just looked tough, this guy actually was tough.”“Boy or girl, why would they let a 10-year-old fight a 15-year-old?” Kasumi asked.Nabiki put a hand to her chin in thought. “Well…if memory serves, I think the Adult Division Tournament is 16 and up, and there are rumors that there actually didn’t use to be a Junior League at all.”“That doesn’t seem too fair to me,” Kasumi responded. “I mean, just think of what’d happen if say a 5-year-old has to fight someone twice their age. Shouldn’t there at least be different classes between the ages?”“Ahem!” Akane furiously cleared her throat.“Despite the great point Kasumi made, can I finish my story please?” she asked, visibly irritated.The two older girls quickly silenced themselves and gave Akane the floor again.“Thank you. So anyway, her opponent was a 15-year-old guy who was almost twice her size. After they clashed with each other for a long time, it got to a point where he had her pinned down. I remember watching her trying to break free, but it looked like it was no use, which only got worse once the announcer guy started counting to 10.”Nabiki and Kasumi were paying full attention to the story now. Though it was Akane’s memory, they could both practically see the scene playing out in their heads.“Once the announcer was almost finished, the coolest thing I’d seen yet happened!”
[Flashback]
A young 9 year old Akane was sitting cross legged on the couch, her excited eyes glued to the TV screen. On the screen, we see a 10 year old girl with blue eyes, black hair tied into small pigtails, and an eggshell colored gi being forced down on the ring tile by the knee of a tall dirty blonde haired boy.
Akane’s eyes began to quiver as the announcer started counting up to ten. The tall boy moved his head down closer to the black-haired girl’s ear, possibly with intent to gloat, but that was his biggest mistake. Once the announcer hit 7, the small girl on the TV managed to grab the collar of her opponent’s shirt. She then summoned all the strength her legs could muster and shoved off, managing to perform a somersault that, combined with her grip on his shirt, vaulted her stunned rival off of her back and out of the ring, making her the winner.
As the announcer made the call for the black-haired girl’s win, the scene then shifts to young Akane bouncing up and down on the sofa cheering on her new hero’s victory as she was being given a trophy and a gold medal.
[End Flashback]
“That moment is what motivated me as a martial artist for the longest time. After all, she’s only a year older than me, and if she could win a Tournament against a bunch of guys who were way bigger than her, then that’s the kind of martial artist I’d want to be like the most.” Akane finished.The two older girls paused. They’d mostly known Akane as a pretty envious girl. To have her admit that there was someone she legitimately looked up to for inspiration was a little shocking, but also reassuring.“What a great story,” Kasumi said. Nabiki could only give a small smile, but that was all she needed to show her agreement. “I think it’s great you have someone to look up to.”“Yeah well, a lot of good it’s done me so far,” Akane replied. “Compared to the crazy things I’ve seen and been through this past year, that big Tournament win seems pretty….”“Meh?” Nabiki suggested.“Not the word I was looking for, but…yeah. Also, I’m sure Satan’s daughter is still pretty strong, but I doubt she has what it takes to deal with the crap I have to deal with on a regular basis.”The sisters all giggled. The thought of anyone outside of their circle of family and foes dealing with the craziness they’ve endured made for a fun little laugh.Nabiki checked her watch. Five minutes had passed since they’d arrived at the stop (Akane’s story certainly helped pass the time), so the bus should’ve arrived by then.“Wonder what’s taking the bus so long,” Nabiki stated.Before either of her sisters could respond, a loud “BANG!” caught all three girls’ attention.“What was that!?” Akane exclaimed. Her answer came in the form of the sound of tires screeching accompanied by a loud siren.“The heck’s going on?” Nabiki asked. The sisters turned towards the direction of the noise and they all froze. Good news is the bus had finally arrived. Bad news, it was coming in fast…VERY fast. The worse news is that the bus was being chased by a police car, and the ugly news is that the ‘Bang’ they heard before was a gunshot; The police in the car were firing at the bus.“I know we’ve seen more intense things, but man, it’s not every day you get a front row seat to a police chase, huh?” said Nabiki.“Should you really be intrigued by this!?” Akane snapped.The impending argument was cut off by the sound of another gunshot, followed by what sounding like a loud hissing sound. The officer who fired had hit the bus in one of its tires and the large vehicle began to swerve out of control. While the driver tried desperately to get the bus back under control, it ultimately flipped over and began sliding across the road…right towards the Tendo sisters.“Guys, let’s move it!!” Akane frantically yelled. All three sisters darted away from the bus stop just before the bus slid into the bench they were on and screeched to a halt.As the girls dusted themselves off from their hasty exit, Nabiki had a realization. “Our stuff!”As they turned their attention back to the crash, they saw that all of their purchases had been scattered around the ground, but otherwise, didn’t look too worse for wear.“Oh my! Aunt Nodoka’s cake!” Kasumi added.“There it is.” Among the scattered clothes, make up, and other miscellaneous items, the sisters quickly spotted the cake box. It was right side up, so they were hoping it hadn’t gotten completely ruined.Kasumi quickly made her way towards the box and was about to make a reach for it when out of nowhere, she was grabbed by the wrist. Looking up, she gasped as she came face to face with a man in sunglasses holding a rifle in his free hand, accompanied by another in a mask.“Sorry little lady, but we’re gonna need your help for a bit,” the gunman said.Akane and Nabiki briefly paused as everything that was happening registered within them. Once everything sank in, Akane’s shock quickly became anger. Her fist clenched tight, she ran towards Kasumi and her captor, poised to attack.“HEY!!”The crooks turned towards the call and saw Akane rushing towards him. “Let go of my sister!” she yelled.The masked crook simply raised his gun and aimed it at the younger girl who instantly stopped in her tracks.“Don’t move a muscle kid,” said the gunman. “Unless of course you want your cute older sis here to get filled full of lead.” He finished as the leader turned his gun to Kasumi“No, don’t!” Akane exclaimed.“Akane!” called an approaching Nabiki.“I said, don’t move!” The gunman opened fire on the two girls, hitting the area right in front of them and forcing them to move back. As Akane avoided the gunshots, she stumbled backwards and bumped into Nabiki, causing both of them to fall to the ground.“Alright now, listen closely,” The head gunman spoke. “Your sis here is gonna help us with our getaway. Once we know we’ll be home free, you can have her back, nice and easy. Until then, you two stay put and keep quiet.” As he finished speaking, he put two fingers to his mouth and let out a loud whistle. Suddenly, two more guys with masks and guns came crawling out of the crashed vehicle.“You two, keep an eye on these two, I gotta chat with the coppers real quick,” the boss gunman ordered. The two subordinates saluted and aimed their guns at Nabiki and a shaking Akane as their boss dragged Kasumi back to the bus.[With Kasumi]Kasumi’s captor was very harshly pulling on her arm. She dare not try to pull away as the other two robbers had their weapons pointed at her. Once the group arrived at the flipped over bus, they heard a voice call to them through a megaphone.“Give up, your vehicle’s wrecked and we’ve got you cornered. Come out from behind the bus with your hands up!” The officer demanded.“I don’t think so Captain!” said the boss gunman. “After all, you wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to this little cutie here, would you?” He proceeded to step out from behind the bus while holding Kasumi in front of him as a human shield.The cops on the scene all visibly shuddered. ‘Where’d that young lady come from?’ the captain thought.“Alright, here’s the deal,” the boss stated. “We’ve got a few capsule vehicles here with us. “You’re gonna let us pop em’ open, load up the money we got, and drive away and I promise we’ll let the girls go.”“Girls? Plural?” asked the captain.“Yeah! This chick here has two sisters that the rest of my boys are keeping company,” he informed them. “Even if this one here gets away from us, it’d sure suck for her sisters, eh Cap?” he taunted.The Police Captain narrowed his eyes. He signaled his men to hold their fire and ordered them to listen to the demands…for the moment at least.[A short moment later]The criminals had managed to load two huge sacks of money onto the back of two ATV’s they uncapped, all the while leaving the cops and the Tendo sisters unable to resist lest they put Kasumi at risk. Once the boss got the AOK from his subordinates, he gave two of them the order to get moving.As one of the vehicles drove off, the two remaining crooks slowly made their way towards the remaining bike with Kasumi still in their grasp.“I’d like to thank you all for your cooperation,” The head crook said. The cops all narrowed their eyes at the Shades Man’s taunting.“Buuuut, before we go….” The sunglass clad criminal’s face began heating up as his arm, whch was wrapped around Kasumi’s waist, slowly started rising up her body and his face slowly approached hers.Upon watching the creep attempt to grope her big sister, Akane’s steadily building rage finally exploded.“Get your filthy hands off my sister you perv!!!” Akane yelled, rushing the crooks once again.“Akane wait!” Nabiki called out.Though slightly startled by Akane’s shout, the boss kept his arm resting just under Kasumi’s chest, causing the startled young woman to let out a squeal.“I thought I told you to freeze!” the masked henchman snapped back aiming his gun at Akane, who’s fierce rage quickly transformed into fear as her body froze and began to shake. “The boss hasn’t been this close to a pretty woman for almost a year, so if he wants to have his fun, y’all are gonna let him!”“Thanks Stretch,” said the boss. “Now,” he turned his attention back to Kasumi, looking down at her chest, then back at her face. “Where were we?”Akane’s mind and heart were racing. She couldn’t let that creep touch her sister like that, but what could she do? She couldn’t get close enough to stop him in time as long as that second creep was there with the gun…and why couldn’t she stop shaking!? She’s dealt with way scarier things than just some punks with guns right? She should be able to handle this, right? Because she was a martial artist…right!?Akane wasn’t the only one who was shaking right now, as Nabiki was practically seething with rage that both of her sisters had been captured. As for Kasumi, her whole body was shuddering in fear as she was at a loss of what to do. She could try to break free, but then, what would happen to Akane? She obviously didn’t want to let the bad guys get their way, but she didn’t see any other option. Steeling herself, she said, “Please…I won’t resist, just let my sisters go.” Kasumi stated.“Kasumi?”“Sis, don’t do it!” Nabiki called.The leader grinned. “That’s more like it, now pucker up sweetheart!”Kasumi closed her eyes and gently stuck her lips out.‘Kasumi’s giving up her first kiss…to save me!?’ Akane thought, tears forming in her eyes. “N-no…Kasumi…I’m sorry…this is all my fault.”As the boss moved in to kiss her, for a split second, the light overhead dimmed, catching everyone’s attention. The boss looked up and said “Wha-?” He was cut off by a foot colliding with his face, smashing his sunglasses, and forcing him back a good distance away from Kasumi.“Boss!” The henchman barely had time to register what happened as something that felt like a pair of slender legs wrapped around the back of his neck and flipped him over face first on the ground, knocking him out.“I swear, you’re the type of scum I hate the most!” snapped a fierce female voice. “It’s bad enough that you rob banks, but now you’ve also resorted to harassing young girls? Absolutely disgusting.”The boss picked himself and grabbed the shattered remains of his shades from off the ground. “Alright, who’s the dead jackass that did that!?” he shouted.“That’d be me,” answered the female voice. All eyes turned to a girl who looked around the same age as Akane or Nabiki. A girl with short black hair, blue eyes, clad in a pink t-shirt with a larger white shirt over it, and black, tight fitting athletic pants.“Maybe you’ve heard of me. The name’s Videl,” she introduced herself, taking a fighting stance. “And I’m the daughter of Mr. Satan!”(To Be Continued)
[Cue Roundabout]
(A/N: I really shouldn’t be writing another story right now when I’ve already got one on the backburner, but this is something I’ve been dying to get out. Ever since my early days on FF.net, I’ve always wanted to do a Ranma/DBZ crossover, but all my previous attempts have just been absolute crap, which is why you can no longer see them. However, after working on my DBZ/JL story, I think I may finally have the experience and ideas to get it done.
Speaking of that DBZ/JL story, I’ve sort of hit a block that I can’t continue from yet. My hours at work aren’t helping that either since they leave me mentally drained and not really in a writing mood [I work at a toy store and it’s November. I think you can guess how crazy things can and will get]. I’ll continue my DBZ/JL crossover at my earliest convenience, but for the moment, I’m going to try and keep my creativity flowing by trying my hand at something else for the moment.
As for this chapter, it’s just an introduction, nothing special. Although I will say, this is WAAAAAY Pre-BoG/Super on the Dragon Ball side (think Wrath of the Dragon) and the final arc in Ranma hasn’t happened yet, but Nodoka is already living with the Tendo Family. For now, I just hope the Tendo sisters feel right and everything regarding the ‘Hostage Scene’ is believable. Also, don’t worry, I wasn’t actually going to have the boss do anything M-Rated to Kasumi, this isn’t that kind of story (though Ranma and Dragon Ball both have their perverted sides). Anyway, leave a review and when we come back, we get to watch (read) Videl save the day and Akane dish out some well-deserved payback.)
This story is briefly inspired by the works of Megaminoeien on Deviantart. Specifically, the ones titled “You’re One To Talk”, “Sparring Partners”, and “Double Team” (I’ll link them on my profile if I can). They were the big inspirations for my early Ranma/DBZ attempts as well.
PSS. Happy Belated Veteran’s Day.
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My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
Prologue 2
All eyes turned to the heroine who appeared on the scene. The cops all looked relieved that their cavalry arrived. Nabiki was studying Videl with a curious eye. Kasumi was just grateful that she’d been released from the gunman’s grasp. Akane on the other hand was staring with wide eyes as Videl stared down the punk who had almost violated her sister.‘N-no way!’ Akane thought. ‘Is that…really her?’ she could barely believe her eyes, or fortune that her childhood idol had appeared, out of nowhere, and saved Kasumi in one fell swoop.Nabiki on the other hand was also admittedly impressed, but a fair amount less than Akane.While the Gunman was still busy picking up the pieces of his shades, Videl quickly rushed Kasumi back over to her sisters.“Are you girls okay?” she asked.“A little shaken up, but fine,” Kasumi replied.“Phew,” Videl exhaled. “Looks like I made it just in time.”Akane tried to say something, but before she could, the Gunman glared back at them.“YOU!” the gunman exclaimed. “You…BROKE MY SUNGLASSES!!” he boomed.“I’ll break more than that if you don’t surrender!” Videl taunted, dropping back into a fighting stance.With a yell of rage, the Boss rushed over to the girls, scooping up his gun, on the way.“Wait here!” Videl ordered. With an efforted grunt, she launched herself into the air and attacked with a flying kick, which the boss blocked with the barrel of his gun. Still airborne, Videl flipped herself forward and struck with a midair axe kick to the crook’s head, causing him to drop to the ground again.As Videl landed on one knee, the gunman looked up, his weapon aimed at the voung fighter and unloaded a stream of bullets at her. With a gasp, Videl quickly backflipped away from the mad gunfire and continued dashing backwards and sideways. The crook was determined to catch Videl, so he continued his barrage, following her movements.Meanwhile, the Tendo sisters were watching the battle unfold, each with their own varying opinions of the situation. Kasumi and Akane were both hoping that Videl would make it out of the fight unscathed, while Nabiki, though also hoping for Videl’s victory, was more or less just enjoying the show.‘I can’t believe she’s dodging all that,’ Akane thought. ‘She’s doesn’t seem as fast as Ranma, but still, it almost looks like she’s gliding,’ she noted.After nearly a full minute, Videl still remained on the evasive. Finally, the gunman’s rifle clicked and no bullets were released. He was out of ammo. Seeing this as her chance, Videl dashed forward preparing another attack. Not ready to give up yet, the Gunman pulled a capsule out of his pocket. Popping it open, he revealed a small pistol and quickly aimed it at Videl who was still moving swiftly towards the crook.The Tendo sisters gasped upon seeing this, though mainly Akane. ‘No! She won’t be able to dodge it!’ Akane worriedly thought. Acting almost through pure instinct, Akane rushed towards the scene picking up the first thing she could reach for.“Akane wait!” Kasumi called. Her big sister’s plea fell on deaf ears as Akane summoned all her strength and with an efforted yell, chucked the item as hard as she could at the criminal, just as he was about to fire.Distracted by the sound of Akane’s yell, the gunman turned in her direction only to be struck in the gut with something small but heavy. As the crook fell to the ground clutching his stomach, and dropping his gun, Videl’s used her momentum to launch into a handspring and attack with a double kick to his face, knocking him down.As Videl landed, she quickly put her guard back up and waited for her opponent to get up. After a few seconds of him not moving, she figured he’d been knocked out. Letting out a breath, she walked over to where he’d been standing and noticed something that probably shouldn’t have been there.“A dumbbell?” Sure enough, a small pink dumbbell was lying right where the guy had been standing before her last attack. She remembered he turned away just a second before her attack landed. Turning towards the Tendo sisters, she saw Nabiki and Kasumi right where they’d been when she left them and Akane a distance away from them panting heavily. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what had gone down.Picking up the dumbbell, Videl made her way to Akane’s position, the girl in question, seemingly tensing up. “Did you do that?” Videl asked.“Y-yeah…” Akane shakily answered. “He looked like he was about to shoot you with that second gun so I just…threw the first thing I grabbed as…hard as I could.”“Wait, what second gun?” Videl replied. Akane simply pointed back at the gunman’s unconscious form and not far from where he lay was a pistol. “Oh!” Videl thought back to her last attack. Everything happened so fast she couldn’t remember all the details, but she did remember seeing a small puff of smoke appear from out of nowhere. Judging from Akane’s comment and the fact that she herself didn’t notice it, she deduced he must’ve had a hidden capsule somewhere.‘But wait, if that’s true then…’ “I think you might’ve just saved me there,” Videl said.“Oh it...it was nothing,” Akane bashfully responded.“Nothing? How far away were you when you threw this thing?” Videl asked lifting the dumbbell. “Granted it’s not that heavy, but still. You must have one heck of an arm to throw something like this so far,” Videl praised.Akane could only chuckle in embarrassment. She was used to being praised for her incredible strength in many cases, but to have Videl of all people acknowledge her was like an old dream come true.“Seriously what you did was pretty impressive Miss…?”“Tendo. Akane Tendo,” she introduced herself. “And I’m…kind of a fan of yours Ms. Satan,” she added.Now it was Videl’s turn to let out an embarrassed laugh. “No need to be formal Akane, just call me Videl.”“R-right…no problem…Videl,” Akane said through a slight blush.Over with Kasumi and Nabiki, the two older girls stepped out from their cover, relieved that the ‘show’ was over.“Well, looks like little sis got her wish, huh?” said Nabiki. Kasumi nodded in agreement and went to approach Videl and Akane. She paused in her tracks when she made a sudden realization: The fight wasn’t over yet.“Akane, behind you!” Her warning came just a second too late as Akane was barely able to grab her assailant’s arm. It did her little good as the crook still managed to aim his gun in her direction and press it right against the front of her forehead, the cold touch of the metal silencing her.“You girls thought this was over? That you could beat me!? Well, you were all WRONG!!” yelled the gunman.‘How the hell did he recover so quickly!?’ Videl thought.“I’ll bet you’re wondering how I recovered so quickly, huh?”‘Lucky guess.’“Here’s some free advice: Always, make extra sure your opponent’s not playing possum!”Videl’s eyes quickly widened then sharply narrowed as she realized she’d been had. ‘Dammit. I got careless, and now this clown has Akane cornered.Kasumi put her hands to her mouth in worry as Nabiki took a couple of steps backwards. The tension of the situation had both girls frozen in place, fearing for their younger sister’s safety.Speaking of Akane, the girl in question was shaking with fear through narrowed eyes. Normally, beating someone like this would be a piece of cake, but in the position she was in now, there was no way she could think to escape without getting shot. ‘Is this it? Am I actually going to die here?’ she thought as her grip began to waver. ‘No…after all I’ve been through…I can’t die like this!’ Akane thought as memories of previous times she’s been in peril filled her mind. She realized that every time she’d been in major danger before, a certain someone always showed up to save her. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like there’d be another ‘Nick of time’ rescue today.“I told those cops that if they’d just let me and my boys go, nobody’d get hurt, but now…” He set his finger on the trigger. “I’m gonna make an example out of this kid!”“No, please don’t!” Kasumi begged tensing up.“Get away from our sister!” Nabiki demanded.“It’s too late for that. Maybe this’ll learn ya not to mess with Bends of the ‘Flex Gang!’” Having made his proclamation with a twisted grin, Bends pressed the gun even harder against Akane’s head and finally pulled the trigger.Akane closed her eyes as she waited for the inevitable, a single thought flooding her mind. ‘No…RANMA…!’
CLICK!
“Huh?” Bends pulled the trigger a second and third time. Click! Click! Nothing. Glancing to the side, Bends saw the ammo clip of his pistol lying on the ground beside them. It must’ve fallen out when he dropped it earlier. His crazed grin quickly fading into a weak smile, Bends chuckled weakly and pulled the trigger once more.
Click!
“Hrrrraaaaaagh!!!” Deciding not to give Bends the chance to think of an escape, Akane quickly pulled his arm forward and drove her knee into his gut, forcing him to double over in pain.As Bends briefly collected himself, he felt a pair of hands wrap around his collar. Before he could register the situation, he felt his body slam hard against the ground. So hard in fact, the ground below him cracked.As Bends slowly sat up, looked to see a triumphantly smiling Videl accompanied by a very, very angry looking Akane standing above him.“You want to take this one?” Videl asked.“Let’s finish this together!” Akane answered.With almost perfect synchronization, the two girls both drove their fists into Bends’ face launching him towards the direction of the cops, a stream of blood spewing from his nose.[A few minutes later]Bends and his remaining partner were in the process of being carted into the police carrier as the captain moved to talk to the girls.“Videl, you’ve done it again. If not for you, that rapscallion would’ve been long gone by now,” he praised.“Well…I can’t take all the credit for this one,” Videl said turning to Akane. “If not for your great aim, he’d have probably got me and escaped.”“L-like I said, it was nothing,” Akane replied. “He just got what was coming to him for messing with us.”“Nonsense, young lady,” interjected the Captain. “If Videl says you deserve praise for your hand in this, then by Jove, that’s good enough for me,” he finished, causing Akane to blush.“Captain!” called one of the officers. “We’ve got the Flex Gang’s boss, but two more suspects are unaccounted for,” he informed him with a salute.“Oh yeah, weren’t there two other guys?” Nabiki recalled.Videl grinned. “I wouldn’t worry about them.”“How come?” asked Kasumi.Videl pointed to the side of the police carrier and surely enough, the two other crooks from earlier where there, all tied up with their getaway bike in a wreck.“Where did they come from!?” Akane exclaimed.“My partner,” Videl answered.“What partner?” asked Nabiki.“My partner who couldn’t stay right now, but also really needs to work on his timing!” she said loudly emphasizing the last bit.Though tempted to press Videl about her ‘partner’, she decided to drop it for now, but made a mental note to ask her more about him later.A short moment later, the police had all four criminals in the carrier and were prepared to take their leave.“Thank you girls again for your help with this case,” the captain said saluting them. All four girls returned the gesture as the Captain entered his vehicle and drove off, the siren blaring.“That was insane!” Akane commented.Kasumi nodded in agreement. “I’m just glad it’s all over. I’d hate to think what could’ve happened if…things didn’t turn out so well.”“Speaking of things going wrong,” chimed in Nabiki. “Look at all of our stuff!” Following the bus crash, all of their belongings had been scattered along the ground, but for the most part still looked fine. Now however, many if not all of their stuff had large holes in them.As the four girls surveyed the damage goods, Kasumi gasped as she lay her eyes on something else they’d purchased that day. “Oh no! Aunt Nodoka’s cake!” Following Kasumi’s gaze, the other 3 girls saw a hole in the cake box and the pastry itself had turned to mush.“Well girls, so much for our great shopping trip,” complained Nabiki. “We lost all our stuff, lost our gift for Mrs. Saotome, and I’m pretty sure we’re low on the money Mrs. Saotome gave us in the first place.”“Not only that, but the bus is trashed,” Akane reminded them. “How’re we supposed to get home?”“Ummm…excuse me?’ All three sisters turned to Videl, who they’d almost forgotten was there.“If you want, I could give you girls a ride home,” Videl offered.“Really!?” Akane exclaimed.“In fact, I can probably even help you replace some of the stuff that got ruined,” she added. “After all, it’s kind of my fault this happened,” she said sheepishly placing her arm behind her head. “It’s the least I can do to make up for it.”“But…how?” asked Kasumi.Videl crossed her arms and gave the trio a smug smile. “I’m the daughter of Mr. Satan, I practically own this town. A hefty trip to the mall would barely make a dent in my Dad’s wallet.”“We accept!” Nabiki said darting forward.“Nabiki!” snapped her sisters.“What? She offered.”With a giggle, Videl reached into her pocket and pulled out her small box of capsules. Popping one open, she revealed her old Jet-Copter. She hadn’t had to use the old thing much lately, but she always kept it with her, just in case.Nabiki whistled “Nice ride.”“Hm, thanks,” Videl stepped inside the aircraft and began powering it up. As the engine sprang to life, she noticed that the Tendo girls hadn’t moved yet. “Well, are you three coming or what?”The sisters all looked at each other, then smiled in unison. “Looks like you’ll get your wish too Nabiki,” said Kasumi.A moment later, all four girls were strapped into Videl’s jet, Akane next to the pilot with her sisters in back.“By the way, Akane, I didn’t get your friends’ names,” Videl noted.“They’re my sisters actually. The nice one with the ponytail is Kasumi, and the greedy one’s Nabiki.”“Hmph. I’d normally be insulted, but she’s not wrong,” Nabiki huffed.Kasumi giggled. “Thank you again Ms. Satan.”“Like I said before, just call me Videl,” she said winking.“Well then Tendo Sisters, you all ready?”“Yeah!”“Then let’s go!”In a flash, the vehicle ascended into the sky and blasted off towards the Satan City Mall.(To Be Continued)
(A/N: And that’s the end of that. So yeah, I didn’t reveal the Boss’s name until he was almost beaten. I came up with it after I had him call his underling ‘Stretch’ last chapter, so I think you can guess what the basis for the name puns are supposed to be. As for the whole exchange between Akane and Bends, I’m satisfied with the result, but not completely. I think it’d be easier if I had a definitive answer to one question: How would Ranma characters react to gunshots?
While I think some major characters would be able to dodge a bullet at close range (like say, Ranma himself), I don’t think Akane is one of them. I also don’t think anyone from Ranma (except MAYBE Ryoga) would be able to take a bullet.
Also, regarding Videl’s ‘partner’, I decided not to include ‘You Know Who’ this time because that would’ve been WAAAY too easy, and I wanted the girls to take care of business this time around. Also, I have a few ideas for what happens when they do eventually meet him.
Next time, Videl and the Tendo Sisters take a trip and if all goes as planned, the crossover craziness could start).
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life's Stranger Than Yours
To the Tendo Dojo; Videl vs. Akane
In the skies of Satan City, a familiar yellow aircraft could be seen jetting out of the city limits."So let me get this straight," said the equally familiar pilot. "You girls live at a dojo?" Videl asked.Akane nodded. "Yup. The Tendo Training Hall in the Nerima ward.""Hmmm…it's not too far from here, but it's still quite a distance away." Videl noted. "What brought you girls to Satan City?"Nabiki shrugged. "Well, what can we say. We were offered a day out and we felt like going all out today," she began. "And the best way to go all out is to go to a city bigger than your hometown.""Well, you have a point," Videl chuckled."Speaking of going all out," she paused. "Akane?""Yes?""You're a martial artist, aren't you?" Videl asked."Well…yeah," Akane replied with a bashful smile.Videl chuckled. "I knew it! I admit, I had a doubt or two, but after seeing you throw a dumbbell, toss that guy from earlier and the fact that you live at a dojo…it seemed pretty obvious.""Akane's one of the strongest people in our town," Kasumi added.Nabiki crossed her arms. "True, but a lot of good that strength did us earlier," she teased."Nabiki!" Kasumi exclaimed."I'm just saying, for all of little sis' crazy strength, she probably could've taken all four of those guys out easily." Nabiki added.Akane's eyes narrowed. She opened her mouth to retort, but was quickly cut off by Videl."Really?"Akane's face flushed as her expression softened. "Well…yeah. I could've…if they weren't armed like that," she nervously replied."You never fought someone with a gun before, have you?" Videl asked."Well…no." Akane admitted."Then don't be so hard on yourself," Videl replied. "Honestly, any normal person probably would've froze completely in a situation like that. The fact that you were able to keep calm there really says something."Akane couldn't help but blush at the praise she was receiving. Her bright mood was quickly soured by Nabiki's next comment."Believe me when I say, 'calm' is not the word to describe Akane."Akane shot Nabiki a harsh glare and snapped, "Would you CAN IT!?""Told ya."Videl tried to stifle a laugh at the bickering sisters. She's used to seeing these kinds of 'fights' between Goten and Trunks (and sometimes their fathers), but something about it being between a pair of sisters made it a bit funnier."Okay you two, take it easy." Videl interjected. "We've still got some time before we get to your town so let's try and stay civil here, shall we?"Akane turned back in her seat as Nabiki slumped back into hers. In an attempt to ease the potential tension, Videl decided to start up a new conversation."Soo...if you don't mind my asking, who's the cake for?" Videl questioned."Oh! It's for our Aunt Nodoka," Kasumi replied. "It's actually thanks to her we were able to come out here today.""Really?""She got a pretty big check from her job at our local clinic and she graciously decided to share it with us," Nabiki explained. "The cake's basically a 'thank you'.""She sounds like a really nice lady," Videl commented."She is," Akane said with a small smile."If only we could say the same for her husband, am I right?" Nabiki chimed in."What about him?" Videl inquired."Let's just say, Uncle Saotome's not exactly the most honest man you'll ever meet," Kasumi vaguely answered.Videl sighed. "Believe me when I say, I know a thing or two about 'a dishonest man,'"she replied. "But, to his credit, he's doing his best to make up for it," she quickly added.Nabiki raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Ohhhh, now that sounds interesting," she said. "So, who's your liar?" she asked.Videl paused as she began to ponder whether or not she should answer. Sure she had a pretty big story to tell on the subject, but considering it it invoved more than just the person of discussion in the topic, she wasn't sure if it was her story to tell or not.Thankfully for her, she wouldn't have to decide as Kasumi soon called out, "Look! We're back in the city!" Sure enough, all three tendo girls looked out the vehicles window's to see that they'd arrived back in Nerima, and right now, they were really enjoying the skyward view."Hey, I think I can see Ukyo's place from here!" Akane commented."I can see the school!" Kasumi chimed in.Before the girls could continue their sightseeing, Videl quickly interjected, "Can you girls see your house?"The trio all looked in various directions trying to spot their home. A few seconds later, Akane exclaimed, "There it is!" pointing in it's direction."Alright then. Hang tight, you're all almost home." With that, Videl pulled on the throttle and rocketed towards the Tendo Dojo."Hey Videl," Akane started."Yes?""Once we get to the dojo, would you be interested in a little sparring match?" Akane asked. "I want to see what you're really made of."Videl briefly froze as she processed the question. After a pregnant pause, Videl replied with a spirited "I accept."Akane's face lit up like a lightbulb. The current situation was like an old dream come true; Here she was, riding with her childhood hero, and that same hero had accepted her challenge to a say that she was excited would be an understatement, though she did her best to try and hide it."Have you ever seen Akane this giddy before?" Kasumi whispered to Nabiki."Not since she got that swimsuit that made her able to swim," Nabiki dryly replied.[At the dojo]It was unusually quiet in the training hall right now. Soun and Genma were playing their usual game and Nodoka was in the kitchen getting dinner ready. As per usual, silence never lasts long around these parts and the peaceful aura was quickly disturbed by a loud 'whooshing' sound coming from outside."What in the blazes-!?" Soun exclaimed.The three adults dashed outside to see a yellow aircraft hovering over the dojo."I wonder who that could be," said Nodoka."Maybe it's someone looking for Saotome over there," Soun pointed to the now Panda Genma.'I'm just an adorable panda bear,' read Genma's sign.Nodoka, and Soun stood bracing themselves for whatever came next as the yellow aircraft started to descend. Once they heard the engine power down, the cockpit burst open and revealed a few familiar faces."We're back!" Akane called."Akane!" Soun exclaimed."Oh! Welcome back girls," Nodoka greeted as the Tendo sisters all exited from the jet. "How was your trip?" she asked. "Though I can probably guess it was exciting at least.""You don't know the half of it, Auntie Saotome," replied Nabiki.Once all three girls were out, the large aircraft seemed to...implode in a large puff of smoke and a fourth girl revealed herself."And who might you be?" Nodoka asked."My name's Videl," she introduced herself with a bow. "I brought the girls home after a...situation in the city left the bus out of commision," she began."Well Ms. Videl, you have my thanks," Soun gratefully said."Oh it was nothing sir. Especially after Akane saved me the way she did.""Oh? And how exactly did she save you, hmmm?" Nodoka inquired."I'd be more than happy to tell you after our match." Videl replied."Match?""Videl's a well known martial artist around her parts, and she agreed to a match with me," Akane explained."Oh now that does sound exciting!" Soun said. As the group entered the house, Soun exclaimed. "Follow me and I'll show you to the training hall!"As Soun led the two fighter girls to the dojo, Kasumi followed Nodoka back into the kitchen, the cake box in hand.Nabiki briefly pondered a moment, before following the fighters to the dojo, her new camera in hand. She just got the thing and she figured that a few shots of Akane duking it out with a very well known female martial artist would be able to fetch her some kind of price.[In the dojo]A few minutes later, Videl and Akane, garbed in her gi, stood across from each other, while Nabiki sat on the sidelines waiting for the battle to start."Can I just say something before we start?" Akane asked."What is it?""Well...I just wanted to say that you've been a huge inspiration for me!" Akane quickly blurted out. "So getting a chance to have a match with you like this is really an honor!" she followed up bowing.Videl could only sheepishly chuckle. "Well, I'm flattered you feel that way," Videl replied. "I've met my share of fans before, but it's not everyday one of them challenges me to a fight like this."It was Akane's turn to awkwardly giggle. "Well...I just hope I can make it worth your while.""Are you two gonna talk all night, or are you going to actually fight?" Nabiki interjected. "My camera's battery can only last for so long without being charged."Akane let out a huff. 'Who said you could even film this?' she thought. Opting to ignore the camera comment, Akane fell into a fighting stance and Videl did the same.The two girls stared each other down for a few brief moments. Akane made the first move as she threw a fierce punch at Videl. The black haired girl simply swayed to the side as she countered with a knee to Akane's gut.The blue-haired tomboy took the brunt of Videl's counterattack, but quickly recovered and began her own counterattack with a high kick. Videl blocked Akane's attack and retaliated with a punch to Akane's face. Luckily, Akane was able to catch Videl's hand before she made contact.Videl attempted to pull her hand back, but Akane kept a firm grip on her opponent. Deciding to get back on the offensive, Akane grabbed the collar of Videl's shirt with her free hand and with a great deal of strength flipped Videl over her shoulder and onto the mat with a loud 'SLAM!''Damn...that stings!' Videl thought. She didn't have time to dwell on the pain as a very female looking shadow cast itself over her. Videl looked up to see Akane launching towards her, her knee extended. Thinking quickly, Videl vaulted herself forward to avoid Akane's attack, landing back on her feet."You're pretty good," Videl complimented."Thanks," Akane replied."But...you've still got a ways to go.""Hmph, tell me something I don't know," Akane sarcastically replied.Videl fell back into a fighting stance as she prepared herself for Akane's next attack.The blue-haired tomboy rushed at Videl and fired off a volley of punches that Videl had to defend against. After a few seconds of blocking, Videl's forearms started to sting. If blocking Akane's attacks told Videl anything about her opponent, it's that she was very physically strong. If things kept up like this, her guard would sooner or later get broken. She had to get back on the offensive now!Akane reeled her fist back and launched what Videl could assume was a full strength blow. Seeing this as her opportunity, Videl ducked under Akane's attack and flung herself backwards and kicking Akane in the chin.While Akane reeled back, Videl responded by launching herself forward and striking with a flying roundhouse kick, which Akane managed to duck under. Before she could fully steady herself, Akane felt something soft and warm wrap around her neck. In the next instance, Akane found herself being swung down and hitting the mat hard, with Videl on top of her."Ack! What...happened!?" Akane strained out."Oh I...may have just thrown you with my legs," Videl smugly replied.Akane grinned. "Okay, you got me," she admitted. "But I'm not finished yet!" Akane threw a quick punch at Videl who dodged to the side and grabbed her hand. The two girls grappled as Akane tried to free herself from Videl's mercy and Videl struggled to keep Akane pinned down.Seemingly forgotten by the two combatants, Nabiki was watching the fight with great interest through her camera lens. "Filming this fight was a great idea," she whispered to herself. 'With this much physical contact between those two, I know a select few guys who'll pay top dollar for the replay of this fight.' she grinned.The two martial artists continued to grapple with each other with other, neither one managing to get a full leg up on the other, so to speak. While Akane had managed to swap their positions and get on top of Videl, Videl quickly broke free and managed to pin Akane once again.'Oh yeah. This one'll be a hit!' Nabiki thought."You. Giving. Up. Yet?" Videl asked through gritted teeth."No...way!" With a great deal of strength, and a loud grunt, Akane managed to lift Videl off of her and fling her back on the mat. As Videl began to pick herself up, she heard a quick cry of, "An opening!"Akane threw another punch aimed straight for Videl's face. This time however, she wasn't in an optimal position to dodge it and she took the full force of Akane's punch. The blow was stronger than Videl had anticipated. The force actually threw her back a foot or two and knocked her back to the mat.Videl finally picked herself up this time and turned back to face Akane who wore a confident smile on her face."I'll bet you're feeling pretty good about that one, aren't you?" Videl taunted."Maybe just a little," Akane replied."Well, enjoy it cause that's the last time I'm gonna let you get the drop on me like that!" Videl proclaimed, her own confident grin on her face."Oh I enjoyed it all right. In fact, this is the most fun I've ever had in a sparring match before!" Akane replied. "But don't think that means I'm going to let up!" With that said, Akane fell back into a defensive stance.With a grin, Videl also took a fighting pose ready to continue their bout. The two girls paused as they both waited for the other to make the next move. The silence however, was broken by the sound of thrashing coming from just outside the dojo, a sound that didn't go unnoticed by Videl."Hey, do you hear that?" Videl asked."Hear what?" both sisters asked."It sounds like it's coming from outside," Videl noted.The black haired girl dropped her stance and made her way to the sliding door. Before she could even make a reach for it, the door burst open inward and a small dark colored...thing zipped in and bounded off the wall."Get back here ya freak!" Videl heard from a distinctly male voice. Before she could react, Videl was quickly toppled over by a boy who looked to be her age in a red shirt and black pants."Where'd he get to!?" The boy questioned, scanning the area of the room."Hey!"He turned around to the unfamiliar voice and came face to face with Videl who was looking understandably upset."Huh? Who're you?" he asked."I'm the girl you just trampled ya jerk," Videl said."What're you talking abo-?" Before the boy could finish his question, his target reappeared and attached itself to Videl's chest."Waaaaahh!?" Videl cried out, her face flushed cherry red. She looked down to see what seemed to be a very small old man was groping her breasts and motorboating her."Ohhhhooohooo! Who might you be Ms. New Girl!?" The old man asked.Videl could barely form a sentence as the shock of being molested like this had yet to fully wear off."Hey old man," the boy from before exclaimed. "Don't forget, that I'M YOUR OPPONENT!" without thinking, he reached out a hand in an attempt to grab the lecherous old man.Being fully prepared for the attempted attack, the tiny elder quickly zipped away from his young adversary. Unfortunately for the boy himself, he was unable to stop his hand and wound up grabbing Videl's chest himself, and with the intent to grab the old man, he also wound up giving the mound a very firm squeeze."Wha-!?""Kya!" With a shriek, Videl snapped out of her previous state of shock and immediately retaliated by punching the boy right in the side of the head. As he was unprepared to take the attack, he stumbled backwards and fell right on his back side."Ow...that smarts," he said aloud. 'Dammit, that old man's gone and got me into trouble again!' he thought. 'Oh well. If I just apologize, I MIGHT be able to get outta this easily. After all it's not like I accidently grabbed...' the boy's internal musing was brought to an abrupt halt when he heard the very familiar calling of his name."Raaaaaanmaaaaaa!"With a look of pure dread on his face, Ranma turned around and came face to face with, "Akane...? How...how long have you been there?" Ranma asked."You PERVERT!"As Akane exploded, Ranma feared for his life, and Videl tried desperately to shield herself from Happosai's lecherous antics, the still spectating Nabiki was watching all the chaos unfold, again through the lenses of her new camera."Hmph...I'm gonna have a LOT of editing to do when all this is over, won't I?"
(A/N: I'm back y'all! If anyone's wondering about my long Hiatus, let's just say the Christmas season is NOT very forgiving for someone who works in a toy store. No free time to actually write, and no mental strength to actually get my ideas straight. I also return with good news and bad news. Bad news, I don't have a new computer. Good news is, I managed to get my old/current computer back into a functional state. More bad news is I'm now using writing software that's inferior to what I was before so Chapters may be a bit...off compared to my previous work. Constructive criticism is always welcome. So yeah, Akane and Videl had a little sparring match and the typical Ranma 1/2 antics come to end it before we have a winner. Videl better prepare herself. She may be used to aliens, gods, and demons, but will she be able to handle the unpredictability of the Ranma 1/2 norm!?)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life's Stranger Than Yours
Versus Happosai! May The Chaos Commence!
"Akane calm the hell-!" Ranma couldn't finish his statement as he rolled away from Akane's fist aimed for his head."Do you have any idea what you just did!?" Akane yelled. Grabbing a nearby bamboo sword, Akane swung it as she chased after an acrobatically dodging Ranma."Well...yeah, but it was an accident!" Ranma defended as he swayed away from another of Akane's attempted strikes."It's bad enough you interrupted our match Ranma!" Akane began. "But you had the gall to lay your perverted fingers on Videl!"Ranma's eyes lightly narrowed. "It. Was. An. Accident!" Ranma repeated. "I don't even know who...Vital is. I was just trying to catch the old freak!" he argued as he somersaulted away from another attack.Akane ignored Ranma's words as she brought the sword down once again. This time however, he was prepared to defend himself."Saotome Sword Catch!" Clapping his hands together, Ranma caught the sword and held it in place as Akane tried to pull it away. The two briefly struggled for a moment until they heard a shriek of, "Get...OFF OF ME!!"Turning towards the shriek, the two saw Videl furiously trying to pry Happosai off of her chest. At the sight of this, Akane's eyes instantly widened in panic."Oh God, NO!" she exclaimed."So, ya ready to stop hitting me and help take down the old man?"Akane let out a sigh. "Yeah, but don't think I'm finished with you yet!" she proclaimed."Whatever," Ranma shot back. Releasing his grip on the sword, he and Akane quickly rushed over to Videl's aid.Speaking of Videl, to say that she was having a horrible time right now would be an understatement. In the last few minutes, she'd been hit with a door, trampled, and groped by a random boy and a lecherous old man (though to be fair, she was sure that it was an accident with the former), and the latter was still clinging to her assets."Hmmmm...not very big, but they do feel reasonably firm," Happosai said evaluating Videl's bust. "You're still young so I'm sure they'll get plenty bigger once you get your growth spurt!" he delightfully added."Who asked you!" Videl yelled throwing a punch at him. To her surprise, he seemed to vanish in a huff. Crossing her arms across her chest, Videl quickly scanned her immediate surroundings for sight of the old lech. Her search was short lived as she now felt annoyingly familiar tiny hands at her rear end."Wha-!?""Now this area also feels firm like the top half, but it also feels comparatively softer."Her face redder than it's ever been before, due to a combination of fury, annoyance and embarrassment, Videl lifted her leg and threw a sloppy backwards kick. Happosai easily hopped over her attack and landed on her leg."Ohhhh...I think we have a winner here," Happosai commented as he latched onto Videl's thigh.Videl was beyond pissed off at this point. She's faced more threatening opponents than some perverted one-foot nothing old raisin, and yet here she was getting taken for a ride, with all of her personal space being violated. 'What. The Hell. IS this guy!?' Videl internally yelled.Before either of them could react however, Happosai was suddenly launched off Videl's leg and slammed into the wall. Turning to the side, Videl saw Akane and Ranma had returned, the former holding a bamboo sword."Videl are you alright!?" Akane quickly asked."I feel like I need a cold shower, but yeah," Videl replied. "Nice shot by the way.""Thanks," Akane replied."This fight ain't over yet," Ranma interjected.Sure enough, Happosai removed himself from his imprint in the wall and stood before the three teens looking visibly upset."Oh Akane, how could you not properly introduce me to you're new friend?" Happosai faux sobbed. "And to make matters worse, you interrupted me when I was introducing myself.""The time for introduction's over old man!" Ranma snapped. "We're ending this now!" All three young martial artists dropped into defensive stances as Happosai narrowed his eyes."Hey, Vital right?," Ranma whispered to Videl. "Can you fight?""It's 'Videl', and yes I can!" she fiercely whispered back."So, you insist on interrupting this old man and one of his few pleasures left in his very limited time left on this Earth eh?" Happosai sneered."Believe me, the time you leave this Earth is the day everyone on it breathes a sigh of relief," Ranma shot back."Why you! I think it's time I teach you naughty brats a lesson!" Happosai leapt towards the trio who all seperated to dodge him. Faster than they expected, Happosai quickly bounced back towards them, this time with a firecracker in hand."Secret Technique: Happo Fire Burst!" With all the strength his little arms could muster, Happosai lobbed the small pyrotechnic at the young trio."Look out!" Akane yelled. Her warning came just in the nick of time as Ranma and Videl both flipped away from the ball and the resulting explosion."What was that?" Videl asked. 'Was that an energy attack like Gohan and the others can do?' she mentally mused."It's just one of his stupid tricks where he throws bombs!" Ranma answered."Ya like it?" Happosai taunted. "Cause there's more where that came from!" Happosai proceeded to reveal numerous more firecrackers from seemingly nowhere and tossed them all at his young adversaries.Ranma quickly zipped in front of the girls and began his retaliation. "Amaguriken!" With blinding speed and expert precision, Ranma struck each of the explosives and forced them back at Happosai."Not bad, but not good enough!" Happosai pulled out a pipe and expertly volleyed all the bombs back at the teens, and the fuses on all of them were at the end of their wicks. As they flew towards the three young fighters, they all exploded in a brilliant blaze of smoke and fire."Heads up!" Videl exclaimed. As Ranma and Akane each zipped to the sides to get out of the blast radius, Videl opted to hover above the floor and quickly glide backwards, escaping the blast herself.Her movement didn't go unnoticed by Ranma who briefly froze with a contemplative look on his face. 'Is the smoke making my eyes screw with me, or was she just floating?' Ranma thought. As Ranma continued to wonder about Videl floating or not, his thoughts were interrupted by a large ball landing in his hands. "Oh sonova-!"
BANG!
The blast from that large Fire Burst ball was enough to launch Ranma through the wall into the yard where he promptly landed into the pond."Ranma!" Akane shrieked."I got him!" Videl exclaimed.'What happened? Ranma's not one to get distracted like that,' Akane thought. She couldn't dwell on the issue too much as Happosai came bounding back, this time towards her.Videl floated through the giant hole in the wall and landed besides the garden pond where she saw a familiar red fabric floating in the water."Hey...are you alright?" Videl asked reaching for the red cloth.The red clad martial artist burst out of the water, but to Videl's complete and utter shock, it wasn't who or what she was expecting. For standing where she expected a black haired young man to be, stood a short, red-haired, and curvy young girl who also looked to be around her age."Damn that old bastard!" The redhead growled. "He's gonna pay for that one!" she proclaimed while hopping out of the pond. Rolling up her sleeves, she stomped her way passed Videl and back to the dojo."Yo!" she called to Videl. "Are you getting back in this thing or not?" she asked.Videl just stood momentarily frozen before she finally managed to get out, "W-wh-who...who are you!?""Me? I'm Ranma, remember? The jerk who trampled you earlier?" Ranma replied."B-but-but...wasn't he-? You aren't-! You're a-!""Kyaaaaahh!"The duo turned back towards the dojo as they heard Akane scream."Look, I'll explain later, but right now, we gotta help Akane and take down the old freak!" Ranma said sternly."Oh! R-right!"The pair quickly hopped back through the hole in the wall where they witnessed Akane taking swings (and misses) at Happosai with the bamboo sword."Okay, Akane's got him on the defense, but what do we do now?" Videl asked.Ranma smirked. "Fear not Ms. Villa, for I have a plan that never fails!" he proclaimed."I told you before, it's Videl!" she corrected. "Also, what plan?""This! Hey Old Man!" Ranma called, stepping forward.. Akane and Happosai both turned to Female Ranma's voice."Get a load of this!" Without hesitation, Ranma pulled her shirt wide open revealing her ample, bouncing, bust to all patrons in the room."WHAT THE HELL!?" Videl exclaimed as her eyes were glued to Ranma's chest and her face became a deep scarlet shade."Ohhhhh! Boobies!" Happosai gleefully squealed. Bouncing away from Akane, he instantly launched himself at Ranma where he was promptly met with a fist to the face."You never learn, do you old timer?" Ranma deadpanned.Grabbing the old man by the head, Ranma turned towards Akane who was taking a batters' stance with the bamboo sword."Heads up Akane, here comes a...fastball!"With an efforted grunt, Ranma lobbed Happosai at Akane who promptly swung her weapon and cracked the lech in the head."Videl, you're up!" Akane called.The black-haired girl in question was still eyeing Ranma's breasts as Ranma had yet to close her shirt. 'Doesn't this chick have any sense of modesty!?' Videl internally asked."Videl!"At the sound of her name, Videl snapped out of her minor trance and looked up to see a familiar 'ball' flying towards her. Not wanting a repeat of her earlier encounter, Videl instinctively fired off a roundhouse kick knocking the unconscious elder back into the air.Ranma gave an impressed whistle, as she finally buttoned her shirt back up."Not bad," she complimented. "But I'll show you how it's done!" Darting to where Happosai was set to land, Ranma set herself in place and fired a full strength forward kick launching Happosai through the roof of the dojo and onward to parts unknown.Dusting off her hands, Ranma triumphantly proclaimed, "And that's the end of that." Putting her hands on her hips, Ranma let out a victorious laugh.Akane let out an irritated sigh. While she was glad that Happosai had been taken care of, it didn't change the fact that he and Ranma had all but ruined her match with Videl, a match she was positive she wouldn't get another chance to have.'Wait a sec, Videl!'Akane was quickly reminded of her idolized opponent. Turning towards the hole in the wall she saw Videl on her knees with the most unreadible expression of shock and confusion on her face ever.'Oh no.'Akane slowly made her way over to Videl where she sheepishly asked, "Are...you okay?"Videl shakily picked herself up and managed to reply, "I...I think I'll be fine."Akane let out a relieved sigh."One thing though.""Yes?""I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!"As Akane let out a nervous chuckle, the all but forgotten about Nabiki deactivated her camera and casually walked out of the room."Well I'd better get started editing this thing," she said. "With this much footage, I might have to pull an all-nighter for some good enough material."
(A/N: This chapter may be a bit shorter than normal, but I figured I'd just get the encounter with Happosai out of the way and leave the intros and exposition for next time. With Happy out of the way (for now) Ranma and Videl can get properly acquainted, and while Videl has plenty of questions for Ranma, Ranma may have a few for her as well)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life's Stranger Than Yours
Introductions Abound: Here's Ranma!
Akane and Videl sat in the center of the dojo in awkward silence as a now Male Ranma was hammering planks of wood onto the hole in the wall."Alright, finished," Ranma said.Wiping a layer of sweat off his forehead, Ranma went over to the join the girls."So...what're we talking about here?" Ranma asked attempting to break the silence."We were waiting for you to finish," Akane answered.With a bead of sweat falling down is head, Ranma sat cross legged beside the girls."Okay, first off, my name's Ranma Saotome and I'm the heir of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts," he introduced himself.Videl lowered an eyebrow in confusion. 'Anything Goes Martial Arts?' Deciding to ignore that bit of ridiculousness for now, Videl introduced herself."My name's Videl and I'm the daughter of the World Martial Arts Champion Mr. Satan.""Mr. Who?" Ranma asked."Nevermind that now!" Akane interjected. "I think you're forgetting something Ranma.""Forgetting what?""That you owe her and me an apology," Akane snapped.Ranma raised an eyebrow. "Okay, I know why I owe her an apology, but why do I have to apologize to you?" he asked."For ruining my match with her!" Akane exclaimed."What match?""Before you and Happosai came barging in here, Videl and I were having a very serious match," Akane explained."Okay, okay, I'm sorry already, geeze!" Ranma said raising his hands defensively.Videl sighed. "It's fine since it was just an accident...it was just an accident, right?""Well duh. I was just trying to catch the old man. It's not like I meant to squeeze ya like that," Ranma replied.Akane quickly smacked him in the head. "Can't you show any manners at all?"Videl chuckled. "Akane, take it easy. I'm not exactly pleased with what Ranma did, but it happened, I already hit him for it, let's just move on."Akane was faintly surprised that Videl wasn't as upset about Ranma's place in the previous mess as she was, but ultimately she took Videl's advice and let it go...for now."Speaking of that old guy," Videl began. "What was his deal?"Akane and Ranma both narrowed their eyes. "That old shriveled prune is nothing but an old perverted freak who doesn't know when to beat it!" Ranma said."He's more than that," Akane added. "He's also a very skilled Martial Arts master. After all, he trained both of our fathers.""A lecherous old martial arts master," Videl stated. "I've been there before, but believe me when I say that the one I've dealt with is completely tame compared to...Hype-O-Side?""Happosai," Akane corrected."Right," Videl paused as she tried to find a proper way tophrase her next question. "So...Ranma, right?""Yeah?""Was that red-haired girl really you?" Videl asked.Ranma let out an irritated sigh. "Yeah, it wa-AAAAH!" Ranma yelped as he was splashed with cold water from seemingly nowhere."That ought to make explanations easier," said a smug faced Nabiki holding a water bottle."Nabiki!" Akane exclaimed."What the hell was that for!?" Yelled a now Female Ranma. "And where'd you even come from?""Well I was trying to get some snapshots from their fight," she said motioning to Akane and Videl. "But since my camera needs to charge for a while, I thought I'd come back and see if anything else exciting was happening."Ranma sighed as she squeezed water out of her pigtail. "So yeah. Long story short, this is a curse. Cold water turns me into a girl and hot water changes me back into a boy.""A curse? Like...like magic?" Videl asked.Ranma nodded. "I'm not the only one. There are others with similar curses to mine, and they all activate through cold water," she explained."So if the curse activates with cold water...I guess that means you're normally a boy?" Videl guessed."Now you're getting it," Ranma added."So wait...when you transform," Videl added approaching Ranma. "You turn into a girl completely?" she asked placing a hand on Ranma's chest."If you're asking if they're real, the answer's yes now can you please stop that?" Ranma asked with a restrained annoyed tone.Videl grunted. "Well you did it to me first, so now we're even."Ranma giggled. "Alright, you got me there.""I do have another question though," Videl said, her face becoming tinted red. "If your female form is really female, did you have to flash your chest like that!?"'I swear, she's even bigger than Erasa,' Videl mentally added.Ranma shrugged. "Against the old perv? I do whatever works.""Well you really need to start finding a better way Ranma," Akane scolded."Heh, you're just jealous that I'm still built better than you," Ranma teased, striking a flirtatious pose."Why would I be jealous of a half girl like you!?" Akane exclaimed pounding Ranma upside the head."What was that for!?" Ranma exclaimed."Being a jerk!""I'd rather be a jerk than a sexless tomboy like you!""What'd you say!?"Videl sweatdropped as she watched the two go back and forth. Turning towards Nabiki, Videl asked, "Are they always like this?""Yup. Hard to believe they're engaged, isn't it?"Videl paused as she slowly processed what Nabiki had just said. After a few seconds to take it in, Videl exclaimed, "ENGAGED!?"Videl's outburst caused the bickering Ranma and Akane to momentarily freeze. They both then turned their eyes to Nabiki."Nabiki, why'd you have to bring that up?" Akane asked."What? It's not like it's a secret or anything," Nabiki defended.Before anyone could retort, the sloppily thrown back together dojo door slid open (then fell) as Kasumi appeared before the group."Oh, are you two finished?" Kasumi asked. "Oh Ranma's back too! Aunt Nodoka sent me to tell you that dinner's almost ready, and the bath's ready if you two want to freshen up a bit," she said to Akane and Videl."Will you be joining us Videl?" Kasumi asked."I...I'll think about it," she answered.Kasumi nodded as she left the dojo leaving the group alone.All four girls shared glances at each other before they all exited the dojo. Nabiki returning to her room, Ranma to the kitchen, and Akane and Videl headed towards the bathroom.[Meanwhile]Akane and Videl were in the bath dressing room, undressing. As Akane pulled her gi top off, she let out a disappointed sigh."I can't believe we didn't get to finish our match," she lamented."Don't take it too hard," Videl replied. "At the very least I enjoyed-!" Videl froze as she pulled both her shirts off and made a startling discovery."Enjoyed what?" Akane asked. "Videl? Enjoyed what?" she repeated. Akane turned to Videl to see the girl frozen and it looked like her face was red (again)."Videl, what's wrong?" Akane asked."My...my bra's gone...." Videl hesitantly answered."Aren't we about to take a bath?" Akane said confused."I didn't take it off yet...."Akane took a moment to understand what Videl meant, then it hit her. "Happosai...!" she sneered dangerously."How!? I know for a fact that he didn't go inside my...! Urgh!!"[Elsewhere]A small figure sitting at a campfire, took a puff from his pipe. "That new girl wasn't the best, but I'll be sure to have something to remember her by." On that note, he revealed a pink piece of cloth and let out a hearty laugh.[Back at the dojo]Akane and Videl sat together in the bathtub, basking in the warmth of the water. The last few moments had been pretty stressful for both of them and they both just wanted to relax right now."This is really nice," Videl said. "And after that mess, it's just what I needed.""I'll say," Akane agreed.The pair could've just enjoyed the bath in silence together, but frankly, there were still a few more things Videl wanted to know about Ranma."So Akane..." Videl started. "You and Ranma are really engaged?"Akane's mood immediately soured."Not by choice," Akane answered. "It's something our Dad's arranged," she explained."Really? Hmph, that's almost the opposite of what my Dad did.""What'd he do?" Akane asked."He says I'm not even allowed to date anyone unless he's stronger than him." Videl answered.'Okay, now that sounds like Kuno's ridiculous rule,' Akane thought. "That's stupid, but it still sounds comparatively better than having your fiancee chosen for you.""Yeah, but in the end, it doesn't matter what my father says. I have a boyfriend now, and we're happy together," Videl said a light blush on her face. 'The fact that he's way stronger than Dad too is just a bonus.'"Really!?" Akane gasped, her own face turning slightly red. Truth be told, she hadn't figured a serious martial artist like Videl would have time or much interest in a relationship, but the revelation that she had a boyfriend served to pique her interest.Videl could only nod with a smile."What's he like?" Akane asked."All I can say is he's probably the kindest person I've ever met...except maybe for Kasumi."The two girls giggled."I haven't even met the guy and he already sounds like he'd be a better fiancee than Ranma." Akane groaned."While you're probably right, Ranma doesn't seem like he'd be a bad choice either," Videl commented. "If you can get past the whole, you know, curse thing, then-" Videl paused."Wait a sec, when Ranma's a girl does he-?""No, no, he still has a guy's mentality even when he's in female form," Akane answered.'Well, that explains why he has zero modesty, at least' Videl mentally groaned."The curse isn't a serious problem," Akane grunted. "The problem is just...him!"Videl gave Akane an inquisitive look. "What's the problem?"Akane sighed. "I don't wanna talk about him right now. For now, I just want to relax a little."Videl took a mental note on how quickly Akane wanted to drop Ranma as a subject. This really wasn't any of her business, but she was curious about Akane and Ranma's relationship, among a couple of other things.[Elsewhere in the dojo]Ranma had gone to the kitchen to fetch some hot water since the girls were currently occupying the bathroom. Once he returned to his male form, Ranma made his way upstairs to Nabiki's room."Yo, Nabiki!" Ranma called while knocking on her door.A few seconds later, the door opened and Nabiki came to greet him. "Ranma, what brings you here?" she asked. "Is dinner finally done?""Almost, but that's not why I'm here," he darted into her room, pulling her in along."You said you recorded Akane and Videl's sparring match right?" Ranma asked."You're in luck! I just finished my first batch of snapshots," Nabiki reached under her bead and pulled out a small stack of photos of Videl and Akane grappling with each other on the floor. "Because you came at such a great time, I'l give you this first set for half price.""I don't care about that right now," Ranma snapped. "I need to know if you got our fight with Happosai.""Well, yeah, but I haven't even edited it yet." Nabiki answered.Ranma smirked. "Good. You think you can show me the playback of a certain part?""Of course I can...for 500 yen." Nabiki replied."You're a tough chick to deal with, ya know that?" Ranma deadpanned."Pay-per-view Ranma, Pay-Per-View."Ranma disdainfully handed Nabiki the money as the girl picked up her camera and fast-forwarded to the moment Ranma, Akane, and Videl started attacking Happosai. They watched the footage for a couple of minutes before Ranma shouted, "Hold it!"Nabiki quickly paused the video. "What's up?""Go back a few seconds," Ranma ordered. Nabiki sighed but complied."Pause it, and then zoom in on Videl.""What's the point of this?" Nabiki asked. The scene they were paused on was right after Happosai had deflected the bombs back at the three. Ranma could swear he saw Videl do something unusual, and he needed confirmation."Play it forward in slow motion and we'll find out."Nabiki restarted the video and Ranma finally got his answer as he now had a vivid image of Videl dodging Happosai's attaack."Ha! I knew it, she was floating!" Ranma exclaimed."Okay...why is that relevant?" Nabiki asked."Answer me this, did Videl float when she fought Akane?" Ranma asked."I dunno, I wasn't looking," Nabiki sarcastically answered.Ranma pulled out another 100 Yen and scornfully handed it to Nabiki."To answer your question, no. Videl was not floating when she fought Akane...although now that I think about it, she did do something similar back in the city?" Nabiki recalled. "Again I ask, why does that matter?""There's no doubt in my mind that her floating trick is some kind of martial arts technique!" Ranma answered."How'd you come to that conclusion?" Nabiki unenthusiastically asked."Call it a hunch, but since people can't usually fly like that, it's the only explanation I got." Ranma replied.'Also, when she did that, I could swear I felt her ki get lighter. Kind of like the opposite of when Ryoga uses his Shishi Hokodan' he thought."Well it makes some sense, since she is a martial artist, but who knows."With a satisfied smirk, Ranma zipped out of Nabiki's room, slamming the door behind him."Hmph, not even a 'thank you.'"[With Ranma]Ranma made his way downstairs thinking over his theory about Videl. 'If I'm right, then that girl can somehow use ki to propel herself through the air,' he thought. 'Last I checked, only Herb could do something like that, but that was because he was some kind of dragon guy. If a normal girl like that Videl chick can do it then maybe I can too. I just need her to show me.'Ranma's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his mother calling. "Ranma, dinner's ready, can you get the others?"'Although, that can wait until after I get some food,' he thought.[A few moments later]Videl was standing outside the Tendo home entrance accompanied by all three Tendo Sisters."Are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner?" Kasumi asked. "We have plenty to go around.""Thanks for the offer, but it's getting late and I think I should be heading home now," Videl replied."At least take this with you," Kasumi handed Akane a small box. "It's a few slices of the cake you got for us back in the city.""Thanks!"'I should be thanking you,' Nabiki thought."Videl...I'm sorry how things turned out today," Akane vigorously apologized."Believe it or not, I've seen some crazy things that rank pretty close to what I've been to today, if not exceeds them." Videl replied."Really?""It's true.""I still wish we could've finished our match at least," Akane lamented. "I wanted to show you what I could really do!""I think I have a pretty good idea of what you can really do, but if you really wanna finish our fight, why don't you come to my father's dojo after school?" Videl suggested."Really!?" Akane's face lit up.Videl pulled out a small business card with her father's face on it. "Here's the address. My cell number's on the back, so if you ever just want to chat, we can do that too." she said with a wink."T-thank you!" Akane shakily said."Well, this has been fun, but I gotta go now." Videl reached into her pocket and pulled out her jet capsule. After getting settled into the pilot's seat, the yellow vehicle levitated into the air and rocketed off in a blaze of flame and exhaust."Well Akane." The girls turned to see Nodoka approaching them. "It looks like you made a real nice friend."Akane's hands shook as she clenched even tighter to the card in her hand. She didn't know how, and frankly she didn't care, but Mrs. Saotome was right. Somehow, she'd just become friends with her childhood idol! Her excitement was through the roof, but she was positive she was hiding it well enough."Akane? Why're you shaking?" Nodoka asked."Don't worry Auntie Saotome," Nabiki reassured her. "Akane's just feeling a little...ecstatic. Come on, let's go eat!""But what about...?""She'll eat when she's good and ready," Nabiki said shoving Nodoka into the dining room.Akane looked the card over once more before placing it in the pocket of her dress. Finally calming down, she went to rejoin the others in the dining room.
[To Be Continued]
(A/N: Ha! You thought you'd have to wait a long time for a new, longer chapter, but...I don't know how to make a 'But it was me Dio' joke out of this. In all seriousness, I started this chapter immediately after the last one. At first I tried to make this an extension of the last chapter, but ending right after the fight with Happosai just felt too right. So anyway, Videl's gotten to know Ranma a little more, but is left with more questions and Ranma has his own curiosity about Videl. Also, while I don't believe Ranma can sense power the same way Dragon Ball Characters do, I know he CAN sense a person's ki when they're using a ki technique, which is what flying is. Case in point, the aforementioned Herb. Tune in next time as, if all goes as expected, the Ranma characters may get a taste of Dragon Ball's craziness)
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My Life's Stranger Than Yours
Preperations Abound; A Reason To FightRanma and Akane were making their way to school, Ranma as usual, walking on the fence besides her. To Ranma's confusion, Akane had been notably more cheerful than usual that morning."Well someone's in a bright mood," Ranma noted. "What's the occassion?""Oh nothing much," Akane replied. "I'm just glad I'll finally get to finish my match with Videl after school.""Really? She's coming over to the dojo again?" Ranma asked.Akane nodded. "No, I'm going to her place," she answered."Oh.""This time, I won't let anything get in our way!" Akane exclaimed."Geeze, I don't think I've ever seen you this eager for a fight before," Ranma stated.Akane shrugged. "What can I say. It's not everyday you get to go a round with the daughter of a world famous martial artist.""World famous...?" Ranma paused. "What makes her so special?" he asked. 'Aside from her floating trick?' he mentally added.Before Akane could respond, the pair found that they'd in fact made it to school, and on time for once. As long as they didn't run into..."Akane Tendo!"Surely enough, Kuno had exited the building and rushed right up to Ranma and Akane. As he approached them, Ranma bounded into the air and threw a flying drop kick."Mornin' Kuno," Ranma beamed."Begone you irritating fiend!" Kuno snapped swinging his sword at Ranma.The pigtailed fighter kicked Kuno's weapon and bounded backwards off of it, landing back besides Akane."I've no quarrel with you right now Ranma Saotome. I only wish to inquire with Akane Tendo about something that has recently been brought to my attention," Kuno stated."And what would that be?" Akane asked her arms crossed."Please tell me everything you know about the black haired girl in this picture!" Kuno exclaimed.Kuno reached into his robe and pulled out a photograph of her, Ranma, and Videl standing assembled before their attack on Happosai."Hey, that's from our fight with the old freak yesterday!" Ranma noted.Akane narrowed her eyes as she replied, "Why do you want to know?"Kuno placed a hand on his hip and hoisted his sword on his shoulder."Through the machinations of your sister, Nabiki Tendo, I've been able to witness this mysterious girl in action. That girl appears to have strength and skill comparable to yours, Akane Tendo. Yet she also seems to have grace reminiscent of that of the pig-tailed girl."Ranma sighed as he was less than thrilled to hear one of Kuno's bogus samurai monologues. Akane on the other hand was steadily getting more and more irritated as Kuno continued."I wish to meet this girl in person and witness her strength first hand. Then I will do her the honor of allowing her to go on a date with me." Kuno proclaimed.Akane sighed as she walked past Kuno uninterested in any of his plans, let alone giving him information to help him carry them out."Hmph, forget it Kuno," Akane said. "Helping you make Videl one of your 'beauties' is the absolute last thing I'm going to do.""Pardon me," Kuno interrupted. "But am I correct in assuming that her name is Videl?"Akane mentally kicked herself for letting even a sliver of information leak to Kuno. Either way though, she knew it didn't matter."It doesn't matter anyway," Akane responded. "Even if you do meet up with her, you'd just be wasting her time since she already has a boyfriend."Kuno shut his eyes and spoke with the most 'dignified' tone. "Hmph. You are correct Akane Tendo, it matters not. For once she witnesses the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, she'll realize that I'm much more man that whatever barbarian she currently clings to.""Yo, Blue Wonder!" Ranma called.Kuno opened his eyes wide as he felt an uncertain weight on his head. Glancing up, he found that Ranma was perched on top of his skull yet again."Cause I know you never pay attention to what others are doin', Akane left already."Kuno looked around the schoolyard to find that Akane had indeed gone away."Ya know, you can probably still catch her if you hurry," Ranma joked."Don't dare mock me, Ranma Saotome!" Kuno exclaimed.Before Kuno could make a move, Ranma hopped off his head and dashed to the school."I'd love to play with ya more, but my Mom'll give me hell if I keep gettin' to class late so...catch ya' later 'Senpai'!"Kuno growled as he tightened his grip on his wooden sword and raced after Ranma into the school.[Meanwhile]As Akane strolled through the hallways of Furinkan High, she couldn't help but notice all the looks she was getting from all the students.'What's everyone staring at me for?' Akane thought."Akane!"Akane turned to see Yuka and Sayuri approaching her."Hey girls, what's up?" Akane cheerfully greeted.Instead of a friendly reply, Akane was met with two pairs of narrowed eyes."Akane, how could you!?" Sayuri exclaimed."What? What'd I do?" Akane asked defensively."How come you never told us you knew Videl!?" Yuka replied.Akane let out a relieved chuckle. "Oh, so that's it. Let me guess, Nabiki?"The two girls nodded.As the trio walked off to their homeroom class, Akane gave them a brief rundown of her meeting with The Champ's daughter."Yeah, it's true," Akane began. "My sisters and I went shopping in Satan City and ran into her when we were getting set to go home. After that, she and I had a match at the dojo," Akane paused as she narrowed her eyes at the memory. "Then right when it was getting good, Ranma pops in out of nowhere and ruins it!""Really? What'd he do?" Sayuri asked."Well he was trying to catch Happosai, so I guess it wasn't entirely his fault," Akane reluctantly admitted. "Still, he wound letting Happosai get all over Videl and ended up dragging her AND me into his fight with him. I just wish he could've kept his chase away from our match!""Wow, you really wanted to finish that fight, huh?" asked Sayuri."That's an understatement," Akane replied. Though she hadn't told her friends about her admiration for Videl, they could already tell that losing a rare chance to match skills against a famous female fighter like her would be very upsetting.Although, something about the way she told the story and her current attitude wasn't quite adding up."You know," Yuka began. "If Ranma and the old man did all that, I'd think you'd be a bit angrier about the whole thing."Akane shot the two a sheepish grin."Well, honestly I probably would be if...""If what?""If I wasn't getting a chance to have a rematch with her after school," Akane excitedly said."Really!?"Akane nodded. "Before she left our dojo, she gave me the address to one of her Dad's places in Satan City, so I'm gonna go back there after school and finish this fight!" she proclaimed raising her fist in the air.Akane briefly got lost in her own fantasy of anticipation as she continued on to her homeroom class. As Akane steadily made her way out of eyesight and earshot, Sayuri asked Yuka, "Do you really think Akane can actually beat Videl?""Tough to say, it could probably go either way to be honest," Yuka replied."Still, I guess we should just wish her the best of luck."As the two girls followed their friend to class, a shadowy looking eavesdropper snaked his way in their opposite direction.[Later that day]It was PE and the girls were playing volleyball. As the boys sat on the sidelines waiting for their turn, Ranma was approached by Daisuke and Hiroshi."So dude, how was she?" Hiroshi asked."Who and what are you talkin' about?" Ranma replied."Videl stupid!" snapped Daisuke. "We know you and Akane got to meet her!"Geeze what's the deal with that chick?" Ranma asked. "She seems cool and all, and she's a pretty good fighter from what I saw, but why's everyone makin' a big deal outta me and Akane meeting with her?"The two boys stared at their 'friend' with the most blatant looks of 'Are you serious!?' on their faces."Ranma, you can't tell me you don't know who she is?" said Hiroshi."A martial arts chick who's admittedly kinda cute?" Ranma guessed."No she...well yeah, but more importantly, she's the daughter of the World Martial Arts Champion Mr. Satan!" Daisuke answered.Ranma thought back to the previous day, and remembered that Videl had also introduced herself as 's daughter, as if that was supposed to be important. Ranma's response was, "Mr. Who now? Never heard of him." 'And who the hell names themself after the Devil?'Daisuke and Hiroshi gave Ranma the most deadpan looks ever following that little 'revelation'."Ranma, you're a crazy strong martial artist and you don't know Mr. Satan!?" exclaimed Hiroshi. "I can't believe this!"Ranma narrowed his eyes in frustration. "Look guys, why don't you stop acting all surprised and tell me who this Satan guy is and why I should care!""Dude, Mr. Satan is said to be the strongest man on Earth!" Daisuke began. "While it may be exaggeration a little, he is still undoubtedly strong," he paused. " You see, around 8 or so years ago, he defeated a monster called Cell that wiped out a bunch of cities and even threatened the whole world!"Ranma raised an eyebrow in with a hint of both interest and skepticism."Okay, beating something that ripped up a city or two I can buy, but who or what the hell has the balls or insanity to threaten the whole world?" Ranma exclaimed."Look it up Ranma, it really happened. Although back then, we'd all have been kids," Daisuke recalled."Well, that at least explains why I'm outta the loop," said Ranma. "I was on a training Journey with my old man 8 years ago."As the two boys turned their attention back to the girls' game, Ranma began to process the new info he'd received.'Hmmm...all this sounds like something out of a crappy shounen manga,' Ranma thought. 'Then again, I've had my share of 'Shounen Manga' moments like with Herb, Pantyhose Taro, and that Orochi, so I guess I can't really talk.'Ranma paused in his thoughts and glanced over at Akane who was still in the heat of a fierce volleyball match.'I already wanted to meet that chick again myself so she could show me her floating technique. But now, I'm curious to what her old man's made of too. Akane's goin' to her place after school so maybe she'll let me tag along.'As Ranma continued to watch Akane and the other girls continue their game, he couldn't help but flinch as he witnessed Akane spike the ball hard.'Then again, after that mess last night...maybe not,' Ranma thought. 'Oh...whatever, I guess it wouldn't hurt to just ask. I just gotta make sure I ask nicely.'His plans for the day laid out in his mind, Ranma laid back on the grass to enjoy the rest of the girls' volleyball game...or take a nap. Whichever he was in the mood for.[Afterschool]The school day had let out without much of a hitch and Akane was out the door in a flash, quickly followed by Ranma. As the pair rushed home, Ranma attempted to talk to Akane."Yo Akane, wait up!" he called to her."What is it Ranma, I'm in a hurry!" Akane called back."That's what I wanted to talk to you about," he replied. "I know you're going to see Videl again, and I wanna go with ya'!""Not a chance Ranma!" Akane snapped.Ranma hopped off the fence he was currently running on and landed next to the sprinting Akane."Why not?""After all that crap yesterday, I'm not letting you ruin my match again!" Akane answered."Oh you know that wasn't my fault!" Ranma exclaimed. "Besides, you're not the only one who wants a match with that chick!"Akane slowed her sprint down to a casual walk. Ranma did the same, giving them a chance to continue their conversation at a more favorable pace."Wait a second Ranma, why do you want to fight her so badly?" Akane asked."That's my line," Ranma responded. "I asked you earlier, but you never answered."Akane sighed. She'd already told her sisters, though it's not like it was ever really a secret anyway."Fine. The reason I've been so eager to have a match with her is because she's actually someone who inspired me to become a martial artist," Akane answered.Ranma raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Wow...that was...unexpectedly kinda deep.""Now do you get it Ranma?" Akane asked. "I thought yesterday would've been my only chance to go toe-to-toe with my childhood hero, but luckily I got a second chance, and I don't want anything to screw that up.""No problem, I get it," Ranma assured her. "Believe me, if someone tried to screw with one of my fights with Ryouga, I'd wanna kick their ass too.""Don't you fight Ryouga all the time?" Akane asked."Yeah, but thinking back, we don't have too many real showdowns. Most of our fights just sorta happen outta the blue." Ranma replied."Back on topic, why do you wanna fight Videl so badly?" Akane asked.Ranma crossed his arms. "I saw the replay of our fight with the old man, and I don't know if you noticed something, but there was something she did in that fight that I wanna know more about," he answered."What'd she do?""When Happosai threw his bombs at us, she dodged them by floating in the air."Akane had an expression of disbelief on her face."Ranma, what are you talking about?""I'm serious. I saw her float, and Nabiki can back me up on it, but the thing that interests me is that her floating move is some kind of Ki Technique," Ranma explained."A ki technique?" Akane asked, now invested."Yeah. When I saw her do it, I also felt her ki get lighter, and I've seen someone use ki to launch themself in the air before.""Really? When?""Remember that time I got locked in girl form by that guy from the Cat Cafe?" Ranma said."The Cat...Oh!" Akane recalled a robed figure from the Cat Cafe. While she had seen many of Ranma's more intense battles, his fight with that guy was one that she'd missed."That Herb guy had a unique quirk to him, so at the time I thought only someone like him would be able to do that, but if a normal looking girl like Videl can do a similar move, then you better believe I wanna try it too!" Ranma proclaimed.Akane took a moment to think about all Ranma had told her. While the thought of people flying sounded kind of farfetched, she couldn't deny that she's seen way stranger things (Ranma's curse for instance). Also, if Ranma was right and floating was simply some kind of martial arts technique, then maybe...just maybe..."Ranma!" Akane exlaimed.The pigtailed boy flinched as he hadn't expected Akane to be loud."W-what!?""I changed my mind, I'll let you come along with me," Akane stated."Wha-? Really?""Don't get the wrong idea though," Akane interrupted him. "I'm only agreeing so I can keep an eye on you.""Wait, whadaya mean, 'Keep an eye on me?'" Ranma asked."If I said 'No' and stuck to it, you'd have probably followed me anyway and done something stupid to ruin our fight again," Akane replied"Stupid how?""Oh I don't know? Maybe something with one of your brilliant disguises?" Akane sarcastically remarked.Ranma sheepishly put his hand behind his head and let out a nervous chuckle. 'Am I really getting that predictable?'"Chill out would ya? I already said I wasn't gonna mess with ya." Ranma said defensively. "Look if it'll make ya feel better, maybe I'll go fight her old man while you're having your big rematch. I've heard some things about him from the guys, and I wanna see how much of it's true."Akane grinned. "If that's your plan Ranma, then I wish you luck, you just might need it. I know you're really strong, but Mr. Satan's the World Martial Arts Champion for a reason."'Although, if anyone realistically had a good chance of beating him in a fair fight, Ranma would definitely be high on that list.' Akane added. 'Buuuuut...he doesn't need to know that.'"In that case, I'm gonna have to go all out!" Ranma proclaimed.Ranma dashed off as the Tendo Dojo steadily came into view, Akane in hot pursuit.[The Kuno Manor]A dark clad figure snuck it's way into the Kuno manor where Tatewaki Kuno himself stood in the yard, his sword drawn before a dummy of Ranma"Kuno-senpai!" yelled the dark clothed boy."Gosunkugi, what business have you here?" Kuno asked uninterested. "Can't you see I'm busy prepping myself to finally strike down Saotome?""Yes, of course, but I bring news that may be of interest to you!" Gosunkugi pleaded."And what news would that be?""Akane and Saotome are about to head out to see that girl from the picture Nabiki Tendo gave you."Kuno's eyes widened in interest. "Is this true?" he asked turning to face him. Gosunkugi nodded his confirmation."Interesting indeed," Kuno said stroking his chin. "You! I want you to follow them and tell me where their destination lies!" he ordered."Yes sir!" Gosunkugi hopped over the fence, leaving the estate as Kuno went back inside.'That fool better not screw this up,' Kuno thought. 'If he returns with the information I seek, I shall go intoduce myself to that Videl girl, and she can have the honor of loving me along with Akane and the Pigtailed Girl!'As Kuno drifted into his own deluded daydream he let out a loud hearty laugh that was silenced by something droppig in front of him and exploding in a puff of smoke."Oh Brother dear, must you be so loud?" exclaimed Kodachi from the side. "I'm busy working on a new cookie recipe for Ranma Darling and you're boisterous laughing is distracting me!"Kuno was unable to reply as the smoke from the bomb took it's effect and left him utterly paralyzed.[Meanwhile]A familiar young pair exited a bus after a surprisingly lengthy ride, arriving in Satan City."Huh. I know this place is named after that Champ guy, but it's WAY too nice here to be called 'Satan City'" Ranma stated."I know right?"Akane pulled out the card Videl gave her yesterday and glanced over the address. "According to the card she gave me, the place we're looking for shouldn't bee too far from here.""Alright then, let's get goin'!" Ranma instantly bounded off."Hang on Ranma, I'm the one with the directions!" Akane called chasing after him."I'll find the place. Who do you think I am, Ryoga!?""Ranma!"With that, the duo raced off to reunite with their new friend.
(A/N: Okay, I'm gonna be straight, this Chapter is...basically all set up and a little exposition. I didn't even mean for it to come off like this, but ultimately I felt it was a necessary evil. After all, you can't have good action without some preparation, right? Yeah, this is undoubtedly going to be the weakest Chapter in this story, but hopefully, I'll be able to get to the fun stuff soon after...if I'm not distracted with Dragon Ball FighterZ! Seriously that game is SICK! It's already my second favorite DBZ Game (No. 1 is Infinite World for anyone who's curious) and it just came out. So, Ranma learns a bit more about Videl and her father and Kuno has his eyes set on Videl. Stay tuned as next time, Ranma and Akane return to Satan City and meet Videl again...for real this time, I swear.)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life's Stranger Than Yours
Satan City Mystery; The Long Awaited Reuninon
*DING* *DONG* *DONG* *DING*
That was the sound of the bell ringing at Orange Star High School. Once the bell tolled, the students began practically pouring out of the building. Two students however made their way through the school's interior. Their destination: the rooftop."Phew," Gohan sighed. "Now that class is over, I can't wait to suit up and go on patrol, especially after that mess yesterday," he said. Speaking of however, I don't think I apologized yet for bailing on you like that," he said placing his hand behind his head."Don't worry about it Gohan," Videl replied nonchalantly. "I knew you had to get home quickly, and I handled the whole situation easily," she said with a hint of confidence."Although," Videl paused. "I think I should apologize for not, being able to go on patrol with you," she stated."You're not coming with me?" Gohan asked.Videl nodded. "Not today.""How come? Is something going on?" He asked with a concerned tone."Oh it's nothing bad," she reassured him. "I just have other plans tonight. You see a friend from out of town is coming over today. What's more is she's a martial artist and she wants to have a match with me.""Oh, that's neat," Gohan commented. "Do I know them?" Gohan inquired."You probably shouldn't considering I just met her yesterday," replied Videl."Wait, really?""Yeah. She and her sisters got caught up in that robbery escape we were trying to stop. I saved them of course, but she actually managed to help me out of a tight spot," Videl began. "After the bad guys got caught, I offered to fly them home because the bus got wrecked. After that we just kind of hit it off." she concluded."Wow. Sounds like yesterday was pretty exciting for you," said Gohan.'Believe me Gohan, you don't know the half of it,' Videl thought.As they continued their trek through the school, Videl recalled her trip to the Tendo Dojo. Her unfinished fight with Akane, meeting Ranma, seeing Ranma's curse and that perverted old man, those last two memories causing a faint blush to appear on her face.Videl's internal flashback was halted when they finally made it to the door to the rooftop. Grrasping the knob, Gohan opened the door and motioned for Videl to enter."Heh, ladies first.""Why thank you," Videl said strutting through the door.The pair then rushed up the stairs until they finally exited on the rooftop. As Gohan hit the button on his watch and materialized his costume, Videl was already hovering above him."Hey Gohan, if you want to meet my new friend, you can," she stated."Really?""Yeah. Since you're gonna be in the city for a bit, just drop by my Dad's dojo. You know where it is right?""Yeah. I've flown past it before."Ascending into the air, the Great Saiyaman jetted off into the skies of Satan City."See ya later!" Videl called. As Saiyaman flew off, she managed to catch a glimpse of him waving back at her. Once he was out of sight, Videl hovered over the gates on the school roof and began to fly her way to Mr. Satan's dojo."Okay...assuming our schools let out around the same time, and given how far away Akane's home is from Satan City...I think I should have a good while before she shows up," Videl thought. "Still, I need to get over there and get the place set up."A short while later, Videl finally came across her father's dojo. To her surprise, there were police officers surrounding the building as well as a couple of ambulances."What the-!?"Hastily landing, Videl rushed over to the Police Captain, aiming to get some answers."Captain! Captain!"The officer in question turned to come face to face with the rapidly approaching Videl."Aw Videl, right on cue!" the Captain greeted.Giving him a quick salute, Videl began, "Captain, what happened here?""That's what we aim to find out," the Captain replied tightening his hat. "All we know is that someone trashed your Dad's place."Videl listened intently as the Captain began to give her the details."We were just about to ask questions when you showed up, so we don't have much of anything to go on, although eyewitnesses say they saw an unusual young man fleeing the scene.""Young man?" Videl repeated."Yeah. According to witnesses, a pretty well built guy burst through the door and fled the scene in a rush. The weird thing is he's said to look like a high school student, potentially around your age. Probably just some juvenile punk playing a stupid prank."As Videl forced her way through the stationed guards and enetered the building to survey the damage, she couldn't keep a gasp from escaping as she witnessed a giant hole smack dab in the center of the dojo. From the looks of it, it looked like someone had blasted the floor apart with some kind of explosive or something, at least, that was the best way Videl could describe it.'Whoever did this wasn't just playing a prank,' Videl mentally noted, narrowing her eyes.[Elsewhere, in the city]A familiar duo were walking down the streets of Satan City, one of them a sour look on his face."Are we there yet?" Ranma groaned."You know Ranma, whining like a five year old isn't very manly," Akane replied. "I wonder what your mother would think?" Akane smugly added.Ranma grunted, but held his tongue as he continued to follow Akane."Besides, it's your fault it's taking us so long to get there in the first place!" Akane exclaimed. "If you hadn't gone running off when we first got off the bus 'Mr. I'm not Ryoga', we wouldn't have gotten lost in the first place!"Ranma continued to say nothing. He could see how irritated Akane was right now, and he didn't want to risk setting her off...at least, not without a good reason.After a few more moments of walking, Akane's face brightened as in the distance, they could see a building with a large, conspicuous picture of Mr. Satan on it."Finally! We made it!" Akane beamed. "It's dead ahead!"Waltzing up next to her, Ranma took a glance at the sign from afar."Huh, this guy loves to make an impression, doesn't he?"Ignoring Ranma, Akane began to dash towards the building, Ranma right behind her."Hey wait up!"As the duo hastily made their way to their destination, their run slowed to a jog before coming to a halt."What the-!?" Akane exclaimed.The two froze as the front of the building was covered with police tape and there were a number of police cars surrounding the building."Huh, I've never seen this many police in one place before...actually I don't think I've seen any police back home," Ranma commented."Ranma, this is no time for jokes!" Akane snapped.Rushing up to the scene, she was quickly halted by one of the officers on guard."Whoa, whoa, there!" the officer began. "Sorry Miss, but this here's a restricted area," he told her."But...what happened?" Akane asked."Sorry young lady, but that's classified info," the officer answered."It's alright. She's with me," chimed in a familiar female voice.The trio turned to see Videl, already on the scene."Videl!" Akane greeted."Yo," added Ranma."Oh Videl, these two are friends of yours?" The officer asked.Videl nodded her confirmation. Giving her a salute, the policeman left the three teens and went to regroup with his squad."Glad you could make it Akane," Videl replied. "And Ranma, I admit I wasn't expecting you.""Yeah well, speaking of unexpected," Ranma pointed to the building. "What the heck happened in there?" he asked.Videl crossed her arms. "Unfortunately, we're not too sure," she answered. "According to what we know, somebody just broke in out of nowhere, took out all the guys who were inside and made a wreck of the place while doing so.""That's terrible!" Akane noted."Huh, this ain't the first time we dealt with a Dojo Destroyer, though this may be the first time he literally destroyed the place," commented Ranma."Destroyed is an understatement," Videl replied. "Inside it looks like someone blew the place up!" she excentuated with her arms. "Thankfully, the building is still in tact, but it doesn't look like anyone will be training here for a while."As Videl continued to describe the damage to Akane, Ranma slipped away from the girls and entered the dojo to survey the damage up close, ignoring the police tape as well. Taking a hard glance at the crater that used to be the Satan Dojo, Ranma had a small realization."Hey wait, I think this was...!" Ranma's thoughts were cut off by the shouting of one of the officers."Hey kid! Just cause you know Videl doesn't mean you can be in here!" the officer yelled."Jeeze, I just wanted to see the place myself a bit," Ranma groaned.'Why do I have a funny feeling I know who did this?' Ranma thought. 'After all, there's only one guy I know who could make a crater like that.'Crossing his arms behind his head, Ranma strolled out of the dojo and rejoined the girls, who were still talking."I'm sorry Akane," Videl began, "But I think we may have to put our match on hold a little while longer. I want to find the punk who did this!"Akane's expression fell, but she gave an understanding nod. Their exchange was broken by the hearty chuckle of the Police Captain."Nonsense. You and your friends can leave everything here to us," said the Captain."But Cap-!" Videl began."I promise, as soon as we find out anything new, you and your father will be the first ones we'll call," the officer assured her.Videl momentarily paused. After a brief amount of thought, she gave the Captain an affirmative nod."Okay, just promise me one thing," she said."What's that?""You'll call me before my Dad, cause I want first crack at this guy!"With a grin, the Captain gave Videl a trademark salute. "Roger that."As the policeman began to wrap up their business, Videl pulled Ranma and Akane aside."Think they'll actually find the guy who did this?" Akane asked."Doubt it," Ranma answered."What makes you say that?" asked a confused Videl."Let's just say...I have a hunch who did this, and if I'm right, it'll be a while before they manage to find him." Ranma replied."Wait...you have somebody in mind? Who!?" Videl exclaimed.Ranma shrugged. "Like I said, I could be wrong, so it doesn't really matter.""Ranma!" Akane growled.Videl narrowed her eyes. "So let me get this straight, you have an idea of someone who could be involved in trashing my father's dojo, and you're not gonna tell me?"Ranma shot Videl a sly look."I'll tell ya what," Ranma began. "I'll tell you who I think it is...if you can beat me!""Huh?"Videl froze as she was caught off guard by Ranma's request, as well as Akane's reaction."Oh no you don't!" Akane exclaimed, shoving Ranma aside. "In case you forgot Ranma, I'M the one who has the match with Videl!""Yeah, yeah, I know already," Ranma groaned. "I'm just saying, once you and Videl are done, I wanna go a round with her too," he said turning back to Videl. "And like I said, if you can beat me, I'll spill my guts."A confident yet serious smile forming on her face, Videl replied with a very firm, "You're on!""Oh! But where are we gonna fight if your dojo's trashed?" Akane asked.Videl giggled. "Don't worry. For now, we can just let the cops do their thing. If they find out anything new, I trust they'll keep their word and keep me posted," Videl assured them. "In the meantime, I think we ought to head to my place. We can have our matches there. Besides, I have to tell my Dad about the dojo anyway."At Videl's invitation, Akane once again couldn't help but show her giddiness (through another failed attempt at hiding it), causing Ranma to make a mental note.'Note to self: Ask Akane about her fangirling later.'[A few moments later]After a short walk through the streets, the eager young trio finally arrived at The Satan Manor."Well, here we are," Videl said."Whoa! It's so big!" Noted a bright eyed Akane.Even Ranma had to give an impressed whistle at the sheer size of the building. As he and Akane moved to head to the door, they were subsequently halted by Videl who had something of a worried look on her face."Uh guys, before we go in, I think I should warn you," Videl began."Warn us of what?" asked Ranma."For starters, my Dad can get pretty...eccentric at times, so try not to be too put off by his inflated ego," replied Videl.Akane dismissively waved her hand. "Oh that's no problem. I'm sure whatever ego your Dad has, Ranma has twice of, and I've managed to put up with him thus far.""HEY!""Okay," Videl replied stifling a chuckle. "Second, we have an...unusual houseguest," Videl continued."So do I," Akane deadpanned as Ranma crossed his arms."Believe me when I say...this guy is...even more...unusual," Videl noted. "With any luck, he won't bother us, but...just...be wary," Videl nervously added.Ranma and Akane both paused. The fact that there was someone in their house she had to warn them about caused both of them to raise their eyebrows. The thought was ultimately pushed aside for the moment as they followed Videl through the entrance."Hellooo!" Videl called.Her announcement was met with a shrill yelp coupled with the sound of small but quick footsteps.
"Rarf!"
Ranma and Akane stepped through the door just in time to see Videl get tackled to the floor by..."A dog?" asked Ranma.Sure enough, the stunned Videl was being mercilessly licked by a tan colored dog."Take it easy boy! I'm happy to see you too!" Videl said through giggles. Lightly shoving him off her, Videl quickly got back to her feet."This is Bee," Videl introduced. "My Dad found him and took him in when he was just a puppy.""Oh he's so cute!" Akane said kneeling down to pet him."Heh, is this the 'unusual friend' you were warnig us about," Ranma chuckled kneeling next to Akane."No...but speaking of which, I wonder where Dad is. It doesn't look like he's home," Videl noted. 'Thankfully, it looks like he took Buu with him,' she mentally sighed.
"Rarf, rarf!"
As the three young fighters got themselves settled, Bee ran off."Where's he goin'?" asked Ranma."Wherever he wants I guess. He's a pretty independent dog most of the time," Videl shrugged. "That being said, let's get to the gym, follow me."[Later]"Well you two, here we are," Videl stated.After what may as well been a brief tour of The Satan Manor finally ended when our trio finally arrived in a large spacious room with a giant tile, square ring sat."Whoa!" exclaimed Akane. "This looks just like the ring they use in the Tournaments!""That's cause it is, but it's much smaller than the real thing," Videl replied. "Still, it's the perfect spot for a gang of martial artists to just go a few friendly rounds.""Ehh, I dunno about perfect, but it'll do," snarked Ranma.Akane could only lower her eyebrows at Ranma's disrespect, but then again, she was used to it."Akane, if you need a place to change, there's a bathroom right to the side there," Videl motioned with her hand."Thanks!"An excited smile on her face, Akane dashed off in the direction Videl pointed, leaving her alone with Ranma for the moment."Okay Ranma, let's chat," Videl said turning to face him."Lemme guess, you're still upset about the whole me keepin' quiet about the dojo thing?" Ranma asked."Yeah, but what I really want to know is why you're doing it in the first place," Videl replied. "If you just wanted a match with me after Akane, all you had to do is ask.""Well for starters, the guy I have in mind may be innocent, and I don't wanna give him any heat without being certain, cause Kami knows he's had enough crap to deal with, and the last thing I wanna do is give him something else to blame me for," Ranma said crossing his arms.Videl placed her hands on her hips, a contemplative look on her face. "Okay, that's fair enough I suppose," she said with a sigh."But..." Ranma said."But what?""There's another reason I issued the challenge," said Ranma."What reason?""My end of the bargain.""What do you mean your end?""What I get if I beat you," Ranma smirked."Whoa, hold on!" Videl snapped. "When did I agree to give you anything!?""When you accepted my challenge," Ranma replied. "You win, I tell you who I think trashed your Dad's dojo. Naturally, if I win, I should get something in return."Videl's eyes sharply narrowed. "But wait, you just said you weren't sure if your 'suspect' was even the real culprit, so for all I know, you're info could just be a waste of time!""True, but I'm about 90% sure I have the right guy. I'm...mostly positive this won't be a waste of your time, and if it is, I promise I'll make it up to ya," Ranma reassured her.Her fist shaking, Videl eventually relented and let out a sigh. ""Fine, Mr. Saotome," she said with disdain in her voice. "What do you want if you win?""Easy," Ranma smirked. "I want you to show me how to do that floating trick of yours!"For a moment, there was nothing but silence as Videl processed Ranma's words."Huh?""When we fought the old man, I saw you floating in the air to dodge his attack," Ranma began. "I want you to show me how to do that."Another brief moment of silence passed between them. Suddenly out of nowhere, Videl just broke out into a fit of laughter, much to Ranma's confusion."D-did I...say something funny?" Ranma asked.Wiping away a tear, Videl answered, "No, I'm just laughing at the irony.""What irony?""Sorry it's...an inside joke to be honest, you don't have to worry about it," Videl said, finally managing to compose herself.'I wonder if this is how Gohan felt when I 'asked' him to teach me how to fly.'[Elsewhere]In the skies of Satan City, it's greatest defender let out a loud comical sneeze."Huh...wonder who's talking about me?"[Back at the Satan Manor]"Still, if that's all you want out of our fight then no problem," Videl said with a warm grin. "Although, if you wanted me to teach you how to fly, all you had to do was ask," Videl quickly added."Wait really?" Ranma asked raising an eyebrow.Before Videl could respond, the duo got distracted by the sound of loud barking from somewhere in the house.
"Rarf! Rarf, rarf!!"
"Is that your dog?" said Ranma."Bee? What's he barking at?" Videl asked dashing through the door.Ranma and Videl exited the gym and dashed down a hallway only to find Bee chasing after something small and black, coupled with the sounds of barking and squealing."What's that black thing?" Videl asked.Ranma's eyes dully narrowed. 'I freakin knew it.'Appearing out of a nearby door, Akane, now garbed in her gi, asked,"What's going on out here?"The short tempered tomboy paused as she took in the scene before letting out a shrill shriek."P-Chan!""Who chan?" asked Videl."My piggy!"Akane dashed to the two animals and scooped up P-Chan in one fell swoop. She was quickly approached by Bee who continued to bark as he got on his hind legs still attempting to pursue his small target as Akane held the little piglet above her head, keeping him from the canine's reach."Bee! No!" Videl ordered. Motioning with her hand, she called out, "DOWN!"The zealous dog, followed her commands and removed himself from Akane."Now sit," Videl ordered.Bee obeyed and sat down. Relieved that Bee was behaving himself again, Videl bent down and rubbed his head.As Akane let out her own relieved sigh that her pet piglet was safe now, Ranma gave the small mammal a suspicious look.'Don't get too comfy yet Ryoga,' Ranma thought. 'I got a couple questions for ya.'[A few minutes later]The three teens, joined by their four legged friends were reassembled back in the gym, P-Chan in Akane's arms and Bee lying down by the door."Sorry about that Akane," said Videl. "Bee's usually really well behaved. I don't know why he went after your pet piglet.""Oh it's okay," Akane replied. "P-Chan has a bad habit of wandering off and getting lost. Maybe this will teach him to stay closer to home," Akane said clutching him against her chest.As P-Chan let out a satisfied squeal as he snuggled up against Akane. His squealing became much more erratic as he was snatched out of Akane's hands by Ranma."Hey!" Akane shouted."What's the big idea, Ranma?""What? You two have a match to fight right?" Ranma reminded them. "I'm just gonna keep an eye on our little friend here and make sure the dog doesn't try to get him again while you two fight it out." Ranma said narrowing his eyes."Hmmmmm..." hummed a suspicious Akane. She was well aware that Ranma and P-chan didn't really like each other, but for the moment, he was the only one who could make sure Bee didn't try to attack him again. After some brief thought, she relented."Alright fine, but be nice Ranma, cause I know how you two are, and if anything happens to him Ranma, I'll...""Relax," Ranma cut her off. "Pup Chow here will be just fi-AAAIIIIEEE!!"Ranma was cut off by P-Chan biting down on his finger."Hmph, serves you right."As the girls stepped towards the ring, Ranma narrowed his eyes at the little black piglet, who was still attached to his finger."Yo Ryoga," he whispered. "I'm fightin' the Videl chick after Akane, but after that, we seriously need to talk."The small animal shot Ranma an angry squeal, but quickly silenced when he saw the serious look on Ranma's face. Opening his mouth, he released himself from Ranma and landed on the floor.[With the Girls]Now that there were no more distractions, both girls stepped into the ring and took their respective fighting stances."Sorry to keep you waiting Akane," Videl said."For a battle like this, I have plenty of patience," Akane replied. "And this time, we're playing this through to the end!" she firmly added."You know it!"Ranma sat cross legged by the ring, P-Chan beside him. As the girls finished prepping themselves, he took note of the look of intensity on Akane's face.'Huh, I know Akane said she's been looking forward to this fight, but I didn't think it was this much.'Glancing at Videl, he noticed her expression was similar to Akane's though notably more relaxed.'Hmm...I saw a glimpse of what she could do before on Nabiki's camera, but this'll be the first time i get to see her fight for real up close and personal. Now the question is, will she use her flying move against Akane this time?' Ranma thought.After a brief moment of staring each other down, waiting for the other to make the first move, both girls simultaneously rushed at each other, their fists drawn back to strike."You ready Akane!?""I was born ready Videl!"'Showtime!'
[To Be Continued; Cue Roundabout]
(A/N: Cliffhanger, hanging from a CLIFF...and that's why he's called Cliff Hanger[If you get that reference, you had a great childhood]! Yup, another chapter of buildup, I apologize. But on the upside, Gohan finally makes an appearance, as does everyone's favorite Lost Boy, who's coincidental appearance now is COMPLETELY unrelated to Mr. Satan's dojo! Gohan's gonna be a bit less active for the moment, but I intend to make him a more active player once he gets properly acquainted with the Ranma 1/2 Crew. When that'll happen, I can't say for sure, but hopefully it'll be within the next chapter or two. All that said, stay tuned!)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life's Stranger Than Yours
Fierce Rematch and Friendly Rivals; Videl vs. Akane Round 2
"Hiiyah!"The two girls both threw straight punches at each other that the other girl easily caught. Neither one of them relinquishing their grip on the other, the two were locked in a stalemate as they breifly stood in the center of the ring grasping each other's fist.With a grin, Videl winked at Akane who retaliated with an understanding nod. Both girls released their grips and took a few steps backwards, essentially setting their bout back to square one."The fight just started and it already seems like we're evenly matched," Akane commented."Not quite," chuckled a boastful Videl.Her eyes narrowed with determination, Akane struck with a fierce right hook. Videl easily ducked under Akane's blow and fired off a sweep kick that caused Akane to fall over. However, Akane managed to catch herself and backflip back onto her feet, only to be met with a boot to the gut by Videl, causing her to stumble backwards clutching her stomach.Quickly recovering from Videl's last attack, Akane rushed forward and threw a fierce roundhouse kick. Videl countered with one of her own and their legs clashed together back in the center of the ring. After a brief moment of inactivity, Videl felt her leg twinge with a surge of pain, causing her to retreat and take a knee."If you thought that was tough, just you wait! I'll show you my full strength!" Akane declared.As Videl rubbed her shin, she subsequently began to consider her next move.'I forgot, Akane's got some pretty insane strength,' Videl recalled. 'I'll have to keep moving, don't give her a chance to hit me at all.'Rising to her feet, Videl took a fighting stance as she prepared for Akane's next attack.As the girls stood poised to attack, Ranma was mentally commentating the entire fight.'That Videl chick's pretty quick,' Ranma noted. 'I've seen and fought faster, but she's definitely faster than Akane at least. Still this fight does seem pretty even right now, but who knows what'll happen next. She hasn't used her floating move yet, but if Akane hits a vital spot, she might not get a chance to.'As Ranma continued to watch the fight, he was soon approached by Bee who decided he wanted to lay his head down on Ranma's lap."Heh, so you wanted a better view huh?" Ranma said petting his head.The battle raged on as Akane threw a volley of punches at Videl, who seamlessly dodged and parried the assault. Unfortunately for Videl, Akane's attack speed was greater than she'd anticipated and some of her punches broke through Videl's defenses forcing her back.As Akane went on to continue her attack, Videl managed to straighten herself up. Steeling herself, she began to counter with her own barrage of punches. For a moment, both girls seemed to be at stalemate as they furiously traded blows with each other. The stalemate continued as the two clashed forearms with each other, both girls trying to overpower the other."You ready to give up yet?" taunted Videl."Not a chance!" Akane said sternly.Though Videl was holding her ground, she was eventually forced to take a step backwards due to Akane's superior strength. With a grunt, Akane used all the force she could muster and shoved Videl back, causing her to lose her balance and stumble.Akane tried to follow up with an overhead slam, but Videl was able to roll aside causing the attack to miss and Akane to strike the ring, leaving a small but notable crack.Videl's eyes briefly widened in surprise. She knew Akane was strong from the last time they fought, but strong enough to break the ring with her bare hands? That was cause for some alarm."An opening!"Videl's thoughts were cut off by the steps of the quickly approaching Akane. Leaping in the air, the anything-goes fighter wound up for a full strength punch, and with a fierce yell fired off what she intended to be a decisive blow."This is the end!"Almost instinctively, Videl launched herself skyward and, with a flip, glided over Akane, avoiding her attack, and landed gently back on her feet.'Did she just...!?' thought a stunned Akane. 'Is that what Ranma was talking about before?'Akane couldn't dwell on the thought for too long as, in her current position, she was unable to stop herself and kept moving until she landed out of the ring, her punch slamming into and through the wall.With a grin, Videl dropped her fighting stance and walked to the edge of the ring."Looks like it's my win," she said."Wait, what!?" exclaimed a shocked Akane."You said it yourself Akane, this ring is just like the one they use in the Tournaments, so naturally the rules apply to it as well." Videl replied."Yeah...I guess that makes sense," sighed a downtrodden Akane. "But...""Oh come on Akane, can't you just take your loss with a little dignity?" teased Ranma.Immediately becoming annoyed at Ranma's words she fiercly replied, "Ranma! You of all people don't get to tell me that! And I can still fight!""You sure about that Akane cause, your lookin' a little stuck," noted Ranma.Sure enough, Akane tried to pull her hand out of the wall only to find that it wasn't budging. She was indeed stuck."Hey...come...on!"Steadily growing more frustrated, Akane continued to try to free her hand from the wall, but to no avail.Both Ranma and Videl approached Akane with intent to help her with her, predicament. However, as soon as they both made it, Akane finally managed to force her hand free."Got it!" she triumphantly announced.Before anyone could make another action, there was the sound of a low rumbling coming from right beside the trio."Uhhh...what's that?" asked Ranma."Akane...when you hit the wall...did you feel anything metallic?" added Videl."Yeah...?" Akane cautiously answered."I think you might've hit a pipe!" alarmed Videl."Huh!?""Wait do you mean a water...?"Before Ranma could finish, Videl leapt aside as the wall erupted forth a gush of water that left both he and Akane drenched."Way to go," Female Ranma sarcastically said."Oh shut up."Wading through the large puddle that now filled the room, Videl approached the other two girls to check on them."Are you two okay?" Videl asked."Cold, wet, and annoyed, but fine," Ranma answered.Shaking herself off, Ranma nonchalantly took her shirt off and began to wring it out."What're you...!" exclaimed a frantically blushing Videl. "Do you always take your shirt off like that when you get wet!?""No, but at least there are only girls in here..." Ranma replied. "Unless of course you count them," she added pointing to the rapidly scampering Bee and P-Chan."Just...put your shirt back on before I change my mind about fighting you!" Videl said looking away."Okay, okay, geeze!" Ranma sighed.As Ranma shook her shirt out before putting it back on, Videl pulled Akane aside and the two girls stepped out of the room."Is he...she...always so...?" Videl began."Pretty much," Akane deadpanned.'Figures...' Videl thought."Look...I'm sorry about...cracking the wall and the whole pipe thing," Akane bashfully apologized. "I just...sometimes get a bit intense when I'm in the zone.""I think intense is an understatement," Videl replied. "Not only did you break through the wall, you cracked the ring a bit too," she recalled.Akane sheepishly grinned, putting her hands behind her back. "Again...I'm sorry for...that.""Don't worry about it too much," Videl assured her. "My Dad'll have to call someone to fix the pipe and the wall," 'Unless he can somehow get Buu to do it,' she mentally added. "But all of us should be able to clean up all the water without much of a hitch."Akane let out a sigh she hadn't even realized she was holding in, relieved that Videl didn't seem to be angry. Her expressioned brightened and she said with a determined tone, "Alright then, let's get to work!"Akane moved to go back in the room, but was quickly stopped by Videl."Hey what're you...?""Before you get started, you should probably get out of those wet clothes ASAP."Akane looked down, realizing that her gi was still dripping wet."Hehe, good point," Akane giggled.Akane dashed back into the bathroom she changed in earlier only to be met with a very disappointing discovery."Oh NO!!"Ranma and Videl (and P-Chan. Can't forget him) rushed to Akane's side to find that thehole Akane punched in the dojo wall extended into the adjacent bathroom and had also been flushed out from the pipe burst. Unfortunately for Akane, she'd left her clothes in the room and now they were sopping wet as well."Jeeze Akane, I've seen you crack walls before, but either you need a lesson in restraint, or Videl and her old man need to make their walls outta stronger stuff than...whatever this is," Ranma quipped."Shut it!" Akane exclaimed throwing an irritated punch at Ranma, that the latter dodged."Whoa now, take it easy you two!" Videl said stepping in between them. "We need to get this place cleaned up ASAP," Videl reminded them."But I didn't flood the place, so why do I have to clean up her mess!?" Ranma shrieked pointing an accusing finger at Akane."Nevermind her for now," Videl responded, narrowing an eye. "Like I said, Akane's gonna help us clean this up too, we're just gonna head upstairs and get her some dry clothes first.""Well what about me?" Ranma said motioning to her still wet outfit."Well if you want, I could probably lend you one of my Dad's old robes," Videl suggested.Ranma thought about it for a brief moment before dismissing the idea."Naah, I don't think I'm in the mood for old man smell on me right now."Akane smirked. "You know, since Ranma's in female form right now, maybe something of yours can fit him," she said to Videl."NO!" Ranma snapped.Videl couldn't help but chuckle at Ranma's reaction."Alright, it's your call, but both offers are open if you change your mind."Videl and Akane both strolled out of the room leaving an irritated Ranma alone."Tsk, women," Ranma huffed."You would know, considering you are one," chimed in a familiar male voice.Ranma turned to the ring to see Ryoga standing in human form, his arms crossed."How the heck did you change back?" Ranma asked."The bathroom sink. When Akane broke the pipe, it put the shower out of commission, but the sink still works fine. As for how I got through the puddle, well, I think you can figure that out," Ryoga answered."Whadaya want P-Chan?" Ranma teased."That's my line," countered Ryoga. "You said you needed to talk to me, and from the look on your face, it seemed important."Ranma clapped her fist in her hand. "Oh right! Before we get to that however..."Ranma grabbed an empty bucket and mop and tossed them at Ryoga who effortlessly caught them."Lend me a hand here, would ya?""Hmph, why should I lower yourself to doing your dirty work for you?" Ryoga smarmed."Cause the longer this water stays down here, the bigger the risk of Akane seeing you transform is." Ranma stated.Ryoga froze for a moment before twirling the mop in his hand."Begone foul liquid!!"[With the girls]Akane and Videl were up in Videl's bedroom, the former stripped down to her skivvies, and the latter laying out a spread of outfits for Akane to change into."Well, it's not all too fashionable, but something here should suffice until your clothes are out of the dryer," Videl stated.Akane picked up a set consisting of a long-sleeve yellow shirt and white shorts, and pressed them against her body."Are you kidding? You have really great taste.""You think so?" Videl asked.Akane nodded as she began to put the outfit on. Once she was finished, Videl's eyes widened. As Akane glossed herself over in the mirror, Videl had only one response."That looks...almost perfect on you," Videl complimented."You really think so!?" Akane beamed.Videl quickly tossed another outfit in Akane's direction, this time a large, loose fitting tunic style shirt with the word "FIGHT" sprawled across it, coupled with white pants. Akane once again slipped it on. Once again, Videl was taken aback by how...fitting her clothes seemed to be for Akane.Videl repeated this one more time, this time with light-blue dress, pink-ish colored pants, and a bright yellow jacket. Once again, it seemed to be a perfect fit once Akane tried it on."Okay, now this is getting weird," Videl said raising an eyebrow. "Are we the same sizes?""I don't know...are we?" Akane asked."Let's find out. What are your three sizes?" Videl asked."Sorry but I can't answer that," Akane replied."Why not?""Because the author doesn't know what they are," Akane answered. "And for that matter, I doubt he knows what yours are, so we can't even do a comparison.""Good point...""Still, I think it's safe to say we do have the same body type at least," Akane added, striking a small pose."Well my body type is strong, sporty, and tough as nails," Videl proclaimed, striking her own flirtatious, yet victorious pose."Then I was right," Akane said with a wink."Although...I do think you look a touch more...curvier than I do," Videl admitted."What makes you say that?" Akane asked.Videl quickly discarded her larger white shirt, leaving her in only her pink athletic tee. She then turned towards the mirror and motioned for Akane to do the same."I'm perfectly fine with how I look," Videl started "But you just look like you have that small bit of extra...something."Akane posed in the mirror and gave herself a once over."You think so?" Akane asked."Just look."Akane looked at herself in the mirror, then back at Videl and she started to see what Videl was getting at.While they did have comparable builds, Videl was notably thinner in the arms, thighs, and chest compared to Akane herself.'Wow, I really am a curvier than she is,' Akane mentally noted. As the thought crossed her mind, she had a sudden realization.'Wait, so is Videl saying...she's jealous that I have bigger boobs than her?' Akane thought. 'I don't know if that's true or not but I'll take it!!' As Akane's latest victory fantasy flashed through her mind, Videl let out a small laugh."What's so funny?" Akane asked."Look at us," Videl began. "One second we're trying to pound each other into the tile, the next we're sharing clothes and comparing body types."As soon as the words left Videl's mouth, Akane couldn't help but giggle at the irony herself."Ya know, despite only knowing each other for a couple of days, I think you're the fastest person I've ever warmed up to like this," Videl admitted."Really?"Videl nodded. "The last person on that list was actually my boyfriend, and it took me WAY longer than a couple of days for me to even see him as a friend."Akane lowered an eyebrow. "You know, the more you keep bringing up this mysterious boyfriend of yours, the more you make me want to meet him."Videl snickered. "Well then, you're in luck.""Huh?""I actually had to leave him after school so I could catch up with you and Ranma, and I just so happened to invite him over to the dojo," Videl explained."But wait, isn't your dojo-?" Akane asked.Videl snapped her fingers in frustration. "Dammit! I knew I forgot something! Excuse me Akane, I need to make a phone call!"Videl quickly zipped out of the room to find a phone. Before she did however, she had a few last minute things to say to Akane, "You can check my wardrobe and see if you find something you like, but don't take too long, cause we still need to clean up the dojo," Videl ordered."Right.""Also, try not to make a mess in here.""No problem"Last thing, are you sure you can find your way back down to the ring? This place is pretty big, and I don't want you to get lost."Akane confidently chuckled. "No biggie. Unlike a couple of friends of mine, I have a flawless sense of direction.[In the Ring]"ACHOOO!"The two young boys in the room gave each other weird glances following their simultaneous sneezes."That was weird," said Ranma."Nevermind that, just get back to work and dump this water already!" shouted Ryoga.A devilish grin rising on his face, Ranma picked up the bucket and chucked it at Ryoga, konking him in the head and dumping it's contents over him transforming him back into a tiny, angrily squealing, piglet."Well I dumped it, but ya should've said where buddy," Ranma taunted.His taunt was met with the tiny rapid kicks of the furious P-Chan.[Back with Akane]Akane began rumaging through Videl's wardrobe sliding through a large assortment of shirts, shorts, and other apparel. When she found a set that caught her eye, she took it out and pressed it against her body in the mirror."Hmmmm..." humming her discontent, Akane threw the outfit on the bed and repeated the process with another. ''I know she said to be quick and not make a mess, but there are a few outfits in here I just HAVE to try!' left to her own devices, Akane continued to try on more clothes.[Meanwhile, in Satan City]A familiar figure clad in greena nd wrapped in a red cape was zooming his way through the skies. Though he usually flies at a brisk easy pace, right now he seemed to be flying in a rush.'Man, I can't believe someone did that to Mr. Satan's dojo.' Saiyaman thought. 'Man, I wish I could've gotten there earlier,' he lamented. 'Oh well, at least nobody was seriously hurt.'As flew through the skies, he began a mental checklist of all the facts he received from the police when he did arrive on the scene.'So, according to the police, Videl already knows about this, so I gues it's safe to say Mr. Satan does too. However, they don't know all this new info the Captain told me about," Saiyaman recalled.'The Captain said he promised Videl would be the first to learn about anything new, but then I showed up after they finished asking questions. I'll tell her what he told me, I just hope she doesn't get upset about this.'As Great Saiyaman finished his mental checklist, he found himself approaching Mr. Satan's manor."Ahh, made it!" Saiyaman said aloud.As he hovered over the large building, he flew around to the side and landed on the second floor balcony that led into Videl's room.Taking his helmet off, Gohan looked through the balcony window, which was obscured by a curtain, and could make out a clearly female silhouette.'Ah, there she is.'"Hey, Videl! It's me!" Gohan called while knocking on the window.Now, Gohan knew how to control his strength (unlike some OTHER saiyans), but despite him being 100% sure he was knocking with a normal degree of force, to his surprise, the balcony door slid open accompanied with an ear shattering 'CREAK'.Once the door opened completely, Gohan's face lit up with a crimson red hue as he came face to face with a short haired girl, who clearly WASN'T Videl, clad in nothing but a white bra and panty set.There was an awkward stretch of silence as the two stared each other in the eye. All of a sudden, the girl knelt down into a ball to hide herself and let out an shrill, ear piercing scream.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!"
(To Be Continued)[Cue Roundabout!]
(A/N: Well...that was something. So Akane finally gets her long awaited rematch as well as a little bit of down time with her new friendly rival, but the antics don't slow down as a new player finally makes his way into the game. Stay tuned as next time, Ranma and friends meet Videl's 'Mysterious Boyfriend'.)
P.S.: When Akane is trying on Videl's clothes, we all know where the first two outfits come from, but who knows where the third one is from?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life's Stranger Than Yours
First Impressions; Meet Son Gohan
[The Ring]"Knock it...off!!" Strained an irritated RanmaAfter childishly turning Ryoga back into his cursed form, a chuckling Ranma was tackled by the furious piglet who attached himself to Ranma's face. As Ranma fervorishly tried to pry P-Chan off, the two bitter rivals paused as the heard a familiar female voice.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaa!"
"Akane?...AKANE!"With P-Chan holding on for dear life to Ranma's pigtail, the red clad fighter quickly dashed his way out of the ring hall and towards the first staircase he encountered.[With Akane]"Gyaaaaaaaaah!"Gohan let out a fearful shriek of his own as he took a cautious step backwards, slipping on the cape he was wearing and falling on his backside."Who...who are you...?" Gohan asked. "Where's Videl?"His question fell on deaf ears as Akane nigh instinctively grabbed the first large object she could and chucked it at her assailant, which in this case was Videl's wardrobe, many of her clothes falling out.With a panicked yelp, Gohan quickly got to his feet and caught the large closet with ease. Akane paused with shock as she saw this strange boy's display of strength.'He...caught it...!? But...how did...how is he...!?'Akane couldn't dwell on the thought for long as in the next instance, the door burst open and she turned to the sound of her name being called."AKANE!""Ranma!"Ranma burst through the door, with P-Chan on his head, kicking it in and rushing over to Akane's side."What's going o-Gyaaah!!?" Ranma cut himself off and took a panicked step backwards as he noticed Akane was a bit...exposed at the moment."Kyaaaah! Don't look!!" Akane shrieked throwing a shirt at Ranma and curling into a ball to cover herself again.As he removed the piece of clothing from his face, Ranma looked to find a guy in a strange costume over on the balcony putting a wardrobe down to the side."What the hell is that guy?""I don't know! He just came through the door and saw me in my underwear!" Akane blurted out, now wrapped in a sheet."Wait really?" Ranma quickly asked. "Then how come he's not out cold on the floor yet? Your tomboy macho-ness run out or something!?" he teased."Ranma listen! There's something strange about this guy," Akane warned. "I threw that wardrobe at him and he caught it...easily!""Seriously!?" Ranma exclaimed. 'This dude must be pretty strong,' Ranma concluded.Cracking his knuckles, Ranma prepared to dash at Akane's assailant. Before he could however, an angrily squealing P-Chan hopped off of Ranma's head and launched himself at the mysterious attacker. Unfortunately, his aim was off and he wound up sailing past the strange boy and going over the edge of the balcony."P-Chan!" Akane shrieked.As the black piglet sailed over the balcony rails, Gohan quickly caught him with one hand before he could fall too far out of reach."You okay little guy?" he said to the piglet. His question was met with a hard bite to the finger."Ow!" instinctively shaking his hand at the piglet's bite, Gohan unintentionally threw him off his finger and over the side of the balcony.Worried for the animal's safety, Gohan let out a sigh of relief as he saw the black piglet land in Mr. Satan's outdoor hot tub, which luckily was still full of water."An opening!"Thanks to P-Chan's distraction, Ranma was able to dash to the boy nigh instantaneously and fire off a fierce punch. To Ranma's surprise though, he was able to catch his punch with his free hand with seemingly little effort.'Wait, what!?'Ranma followed up with another punch from his free hand, but his opponent merely swayed away from his attack. His frustration steadily rising, Ranma attacked with a downward axe kick that once again, his foe dodged. This time however, Ranma was able to follow up by pivoting on his foot and attacking with a spinning round kick that Gohan blocked with his forearm.With Ranma wide open, Gohan put his hand on his chest and lightly shoved Ranma backwards, making him skid across the floor back into Videl's room.'Who is this guy? Ranma hasn't even touched him yet,' Akane noted.'Akane wasn't kidding,' Ranma thought. 'This guy's good, and I don't think he's even trying yet!'Ranma quickly rushed back into the fray when Gohan frantically threw his hands forward."Please, hold on a minute!" Gohan pleaded.Ranma paused his movements, but kept his defensive stance, cautiously waiting for Gohan's next move."Okay pal, what's your deal?" Ranma demanded. "Who even are you?""Look, I can explain," Gohan began taking a step forward. "Look...I know how bad this looks, but I assure you I wasn't trying to do anything inappropriate," Gohan stated. "I was just looking for Videl!""Videl?" asked Ranma."What do you want with her you creep!?" Akane exclaimed."What's with all the yelling in here!?" shouted a female voice.All eyes turned to the door to see Videl, her eyes lightly narrowed."Videl!" everyone called out.Videl's expression briefly fell as she saw Akane wrapped in a blanket, her clothes scattered around the room, her wardrobe was WAY out of place, and let out a surprised gasp when her eyes fell on Ranma attacking (and failing) her boyfriend."Gohan? When'd you get here?" Videl asked."Just a minute ago," Gohan shakily replied."Gohan?" Akane raised an eyebrow."What the hell does rice have to do with anything?" Ranma asked."Ehhh...she's talking about me," Gohan said raising his hand."Wait...you know him?" Akane asked."Of course I know him, he's my boyfriend." Videl replied.There was a brief moment of total silence as the Nerima natives processed what Videl just told them."EHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!?""He's your boyfriend?" Akane exclaimed."Wait, you have a boyfriend?" Ranma raised an eyebrow."Yes and yes," Videl answered. "Now if you wouldn't mind answering my question, what the hell happened in here!?""I'll tell you what happened!" Akane exclaimed. "That peeping tom walked in on me while I was changing!" she said pointing in the boys' direction."What!?" Videl replied sharply narrowing her eyes at the boys.Both boys froze up as Videl steadily approached them, a look of fury on her face."I swear it was an accident!" Gohan blurted out, frantically waving his arms.As soon as she heard Gohan's 'confession,' Videl froze in her tracks."Wait a sec Gohan, you're who Akane was talking about?" Videl asked.Gohan let out an awkward, embarrassed chuckle as he sheepishly put his arm behind his head.'I feel bad for this guy, but at least Akane can't get mad at me for this,' Ranma thought relieved."Okay, it's obvious a lot of craziness just happened that needs to be sorted out, but first things first, can we PLEASE get this place cleaned up!?"Everybody in the room remained frozen for a brief respet of time until they all simultaneously nodded their heads in agreement."Alright. You boys, can finish cleaning up the dojo while Akane and I fix my room back up.""Yes ma'am!" exclaimed Gohan.Both boys scampered out of the room, closing the door behind them. Once the boys were gone, Videl let out an irritated sigh as she placed a hand to her forehead."Boys, am I right?" said Akane."We'll discuss them later," Videl replied. "Right now, you think you can tell me EXACTLY what happened here?"Videl motioned to all her clothes scatterered across the room and her now empty wardrobe lying on the floor.Akane let out an embarrassed chuckle as she tightened her grip on the blanket she was wearing."I might've...thrown your wardrobe...at your boyfriend...." Akane shamefully admitted.Videl raised an eyebrow in surprise and slight disbelief."What?"'She's the same age, height, and build as me and she was able to throw a wardrobe full of clothes halfway across the room? She can't be as strong as Gohan or the others, but seriously, how strong is she?'Videl shook her head, coming out of her mental monologue."You know what, never mind. Just help me pick all this stuff up then we'll get your clothes out of the dryer. They've GOT to be done by now. After that, we'll meet up with the boys."Akane nodded and got to work assisting Videl in cleaning up the mess she made."Oh and Akane," Videl started. "Try not to be too harsh on Gohan. Despite...whatever happened, trust me, he's not that kind of guy."Akane slightly narrowed her eyes. "I'll...take your word for it...for now," 'But I'll believe it when I see it,' she mentally added.[With the boys]Ranma and Gohan were both hard at work mopping up the remaining water that covered the dojo floor."Man, where'd all this water even come from?" Gohan asked."Akane smashed the wall, busted a pipe and damn near flooded the place," Ranma grunted."That other girl from before?" asked a surprised Gohan. "Huh...come to think of it, she did throw that closet at me, and it was full of clothes," Gohan recalled. "She must be pretty strong to do all that.""Speaking of strength you seem pretty strong yourself to be able to catch the thing Akane threw at you, and defend against my attacks," Ranma said.Gohan backpedaled at Ranma's words, nervously scratching his head."Okay Rice Boy, spill it, you a martial artist?" Ranma asked"Uh...well..."Gohan was hesitant to answer. Ever since the Tournament, and everyone losing their memories of Majin Buu, he'd been trying his hardest to keep his true power a secret. Although, now that he thought back to their skirmish, he couldn't help but notice that Ranma had a higher energy signal than your average person.Actually, he had higher energy than Videl who, despite still being somewhat new to harnassing energy, also had higher power than the average person.With a regretful sigh, Gohan hesitantly nodded his confirmation."Yeah I am...sort of," he answered."Whadaya mean 'Sort Of'?" asked Ranma."I do practice martial arts, although not very often," Gohan replied. "Up until recently, I haven't trained seriously for a long time."Ranma crossed his arms, not convinced. Ranma's not someone who's very easy to defend against in any sense of the word. The fact that Gohan was able to was enough to pique his interest."Yo Gohan.""Yeah?""Why don't we go a quick round once all this water's cleared out?" asked Ranma."What? Why?""If holding me off is just a small bit of what a 'Sort-Of' martial artist can do, then I wanna see what else he has to offer. Besides, since we're actually in a fighting ring right now, there's no better time or place like the present," said Ranma."But...shouldn't we get back to the girls first?" Gohan reminded him. "I still need to apologize to your friend, and it's best not to keep Videl waiting."Having said his piece, Gohan turned back to the water bucket and continued mopping up the water.None to pleased with being written off, an overzealous Ranma zipped over to Gohan's position. Unfortunately, as he approached him, Ranma failed to notice the position of Gohan's cape on the floor and wound up tripping on it, crashing and falling into Gohan and a water bucket, it's contents dousing them, and the bucket landing on Ranma's head.As Gohan shook water out of his hair and wrung out his cape, he asked, "Ranma are you alright?"Ranma disgruntly lifted the bucket off his head and sarcastically replied, "Peachy."Gohan took a harsh double take when he saw and heard Ranma when he...she pulled the bucket off her head. The awkward saiyan quickly zipped away from the now female Ranma as she slowly got to her feet."Wait a sec...who...what...Ranma!?" exclaimed a dumbfounded Gohan."Yeah it's me," she answered."Wha-? What...happened...? You're a...?" Gohan stammered."Long story short, it's a curse. Cold water makes me a girl, hot water, back to a boy, and before you ask, I'm regularly a boy." Ranma exclaimed."A curse?" Gohan asked. "Like magic?"Ranma nodded. "You're more accepting of this than I expected," she admitted."Well...I've seen a lot of crazy things, so while your curse is definitely strange, it's admittedly not too out there," Gohan replied.Ranma looked at Gohan with a somewhat surprised look, but ultimately just let it go. Gohan knew about the curse, he accepted it easily, let's just move on. Although, now that she took a look at Gohan, she did remember something."Actually, if you don't mind, I've got a question for you," Ranma began."I already said I'm not gonna fight you," Gohan replied."Not that. I was gonna ask, what the hell's up with your outfit? And what's with the cape?"Gohan took a moment to look over himself and then mentally cursed himself as he realized that in all this confusion, he forgot to change back into his normal clothes.Gohan once again let out an embarrassed chuckle. His expression becoming more straight faced, Gohan said, "Well...Ranma you showed me your secret...I guess it's only fair I share mine...as long as you can keep it a secret."Ranma shot Gohan a confused looks, but nonetheless shrugged and nodded."The truth is...I am..."Gohan paused a struck a quick series of poses before finishing."The ally of Justice, Great Saiyaman!"Ranma had a bead of sweat rolling down his head as he watched Gohan strike a more bombastic finishing pose."Soo...you're some kind of Superhero...?" asked an unimpressed Ranma."Yeah...like I said before, I do still practice martial arts, and I admit, I have plenty of power," Gohan began. "But I'm not exactly the type who goes out looking for more strength unless I really need it. I much prefer to use the power I have to help out those who can't help themselves."Though reluctantly, Ranma gave Gohan an empathetic look."I can respect that. After all, protecting the weak is part of a martial artists essence." Ranma stated. "Although, I wonder what kind of hero peeps on innocent girls?" she joked.Gohan stumbled over, embarrasment evident on his face."T-that was an accident!" Gohan exclaimed. "I was looking for Videl because I needed to tell her something important!""Tell her what?" Ranma asked."You know about her Dad's dojo getting destroyed, right?"Ranma raised her eyebrows. "Oh yeah! I almost forgot about that.""Well, when I showed up, the officer gave me some info on their prime suspect, and I was rushing to her place to tell her, and...well, you can figure out the rest," Gohan said."What'd they tell you?" asked Ranma."I'll let you know once this place is cleaned up because Videl should probably be the first one to know this."Ranma sighed but nodded. "Alright, let's get this done already!" she exclaimed grabbing a mop.Gohan nodded in agreement and went to grab his equipment. With no more words, they got back to work.[A short moment later]Everyone was assembled in the living room, a now male Ranma sitting nonchalantly beside Akane (who finally got her newly dried clothes back on) who had their eyes fixated on a nervous looking Gohan, who was now back in his regular clothes.Videl stood up and got the 'meeting' underway."Okay, let's start with introductions." she motioned to Gohan.Gohan hesitantly stood up and interrupted the intro."Actually, before we begin, I first want to apologize for...what happened before," he said bowing to Akane. "Like I said it was all an accident and I hope I didn't offend you.Akane's expression notably softened when she heard the sincerety in his voice. Actually she was completely at a loss for words since it's not often she gets such a...straightforward apology.'I didn't expect him to be so...polite,' Akane thought."It...it's fine...I guess," Akane hesitantly replied. "But still, you really should knock before going into someone else's house, even if it is you'r girlfriend's!" she quickly added."I did knock," Gohan countered. "I landed on the balcony and saw a girl through the curtain and thought it was Videl. When I knocked on the door it just...came open on it's own."Akane's narrowed an eyebrow in suspicion. "Sorry but I find that a bit hard to believe.""It's actually easier to believe than you'd think," Videl chimed in. "You see the latch on the balcony door is...faulty to say the least. It usually stays locked but sometimes the latch will come undone with enough force...I've been meaning to have someone fix that for a while now..." Videl trailed off."Oh! Yeah, then that might've been my fault. I was pounding on the door pretty hard," Gohan admitted.Akane crossed her arms and nodded. "No, like you said, it was an accident.""Then if it's all the same to you, can we at least start over?" Gohan asked extending a hand.After a brief pause, Akane shot Gohan a small smile and shook his hand. "Sure."While Videl breathed a sigh of relief that Akane and Gohan were on good terms for now, Ranma was watching the whole scene with a great deal of disbelief."Sooo...that's it?" said Ranma. "Since when did you start accepting apologies as simple as that?""Since someone actually had the courtesy to apologize to me at all. Maybe you should try it some time Ranma," Akane replied."What do I have to apologize for?""How about all the times you've walked in on me?" Akane snapped."Most of those times weren't even my fault!" Ranma exclaimed. "Hell, the first time was your fault!"The two continued to go back and forth while Gohan watched in awe, a bead of sweat rolling down his head."Uhhh...excuse me but..."Videl grabbed Gohan by the arm and whispered, "Apparantly, this is normal for them.""Really?""Yep."Finally fed up with the arguing, Videl harshly clapped her hands together, getting their attention."Now that all that's out of the way, I think we can finally get everyone properly introduced." She motioned to Gohan. "Akane, Ranma, this is my boyfriend, Gohan. Gohan, this is my friend Akane and her fiancee Ranma.""Fiancee!?" Gohan exclaimed."Don't look too deeply into it," Ranma replied. "We ain't gettin' married anytime soon.""We're not getting married period," Akane backed up. "It's something our Dads set up.""Oh...I see," Gohan stated."Well...now that everyone's been acquainted, any questions?" Videl interjected in an attempt to alleviate the awkward."I have one," said Akane. "It's not really a question, but when Gohan came in your room before, he said he was looking for you, and now that I think about it, he sounded like it was pretty urgent," she recalled."Hey, yeah," added Ranma. "That reminds me, when we were moppin' up the dojo, he said he knew something about the dude who wrecked your old man's dojo Videl."Videl's eyes lit up and she frantically turned to Gohan. "Really!?""Oh yeah, I almost forgot!" Gohan exclaimed. "See, I went to the dojo after school like you said, but the police were there and they filled me in. Before I left though, the Captain asked me to pass some new info they gathered onto you."In a greatly excited fashion, Videl instantly got close up into Gohan's personal space and said, "Well, what'd he tell you!?"Gohan briefly froze for a moment and blushed at their close proximity.Before he could calm down enough to speak, however, they were interrupted by the sound of loud barking...again."Wait, Videl, is that Bee?" Gohan asked."Oh, what's he barking at now?" said Videl."I dunno, but it sounds like it's coming from the backyard," Gohan noted."Then let's get going!" exclaimed Ranma.[A short moment later]The quartet of friends rushed to the back to find Bee barking in the distance."Bee, calm down!" Videl ordered."What's gotten him so excited?" Gohan asked.As Bee growled, everyone turned their attention to the canine's gaze and saw a distinctly male figure approaching them."Wait, isn't that...?" Ranma thought out loud."Ryoga?" Akane exclaimed.Sure enough, Ranma's eternal rival stood before the group, wielding his signature umbrella.'Huh, I was wonderin' where he disappeared to,' Ranma thought. 'But how'd he get human again?'"Who...is that?" Videl asked."Ryoga," Ranma answered. "He's kind of my archrival, and he has a knack for showing up where he's not wanted.""Well what's he doing here?" Videl asked."If he's not lookin' for a round with me, we'll find out soon enough," Ranma replied.Ryoga stepped forward and stopped a couple of yards away from the others."You..." Ryoga growled out.Ranma stepped forward cracking his knuckles."So, you do wanna go a round after all, eh Ryoga?""Piss off Ranma! I'm talking to HIM!" Ryoga pointed his umbrella at Gohan."Me?!" Gohan asked surprised."Gohan? What does he want with Gohan?" Videl asked."I'm going to make you PAAAAAAY!!!!!"With a forceful yell, Ryoga lifted is weighted umbrella, dashed past Ranma and thrust his weapon at Gohan, who unfortunately was right behind the girls.As the girls dashed to the side to avoid Ryoga's charge, Ryoga let out a surprised gasp as he realized that Gohan had caught his umbrella with one hand.Ryoga wasn't the only one who was surprised as Ranma and Akane both looked at the scene with shocked eyes. They knew how heavy Ryoga's umbrella was and the fact that Gohan stopped it with only one hand was astounding."What's going on here?" Akane asked. "Why's Ryoga attacking Gohan?""I dunno, but whatever the reason, I think we're in for a show."
(To Be Continued)[I'll be the Roooundabout...]
(A/N: Geeze...this chapter was a pain in the ass to write...and I can't really explain why. I had plenty of good ideas going into this chapter but then I just got stuck like, five different times. Either way, I'm just glad I got this one outta the way. Right now I'm just hoping Akane being quick to accept Gohan's apology feels natural. While it doesn't always happen, I can think of one instance where Akane got walked in on, and though she still hit the guy who did it, she let it go quickly after, although that may have been a special case [In case you're wondering, it was Shinnosuke], although given how well mannered Gohan is, especially compared to boys in Ranma 1/2, she'd probably accept it anyway. So, now that this mess is over with, a new one approaches as Ryoga finally makes himself known to the others and he has his eyes set on Gohan for 'unknown' reasons...oh who am I kidding, everyone knows why. Prepare yourselves as next time, it's Ryoga vs. Gohan and maybe more...emphasis on maybe)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life's Stranger Than Yours
Mystery Solved; Prepare for Battle
"You will PAAAAAAAY!"Ryoga dashed forward and thrust his umbrella at Gohan who was standing right behind Videl and Akane.The two girls dashed aside as Ryoga's attack made contact, but to his, Ranma, and Akane's surprise, Gohan had caught the umbrella with a single hand.A dumbfounded Ryoga feverishly tried to pull his weapon out of Gohan's grip but to no avail."Whoa, that was close," sighed a relieved Gohan. "Are you girls okay?""Fine," Videl answered dusting herself off."I...I'm fine too," replied a stunned Akane."Hey! Don't ignore me!" boomed Ryoga, still pulling on the umbrella."Oh, sorry," Gohan replied.As Gohan released his grip on the umbrella, Ryoga pulled with all his might and wound up flinging himself backwards and onto the ground. As Ryoga shook off the shock, he was approached by Gohan who extended his hand."Are you alright there?" Gohan asked.Ryoga responded by swatting Gohan's hand away and backflipping back onto his feet into a defensive stance with his umbrella."Hmph, so you're a good sport at least," Ryoga conceded. "But don't think that means I'll forgive you for your crime!"Gohan and the others raised their eyebrows in confusion."Crime? What crime?" asked Gohan."Enough talk!" snapped Ryoga.The enraged Lost Boy swung his umbrella at Gohan who once again doged the blow with ease. Ryoga continued to strike with his unorthodox weapon until Gohan managed to catch it a second time."An opening!"Quickly releasing his grip on the umbrella, Ryoga threw a punch at Gohan's stomach. To his surprise, Gohan caught his fist and held Ryoga still."Look," Gohan began. "I don't know who you are, or why you're so angry at me, but please, let's stop this pointless battle," he pleaded."Pointless battle!?" Ryoga snarled. "Believe me, this fight has PLENTY point to it!"Raising his free hand, Ryoga threw a punch at Gohan's face that the young saiyan once again dodged. Retreating from his futile assault, Ryoga stood fast as Gohan tossed his umbrella back at him, which he easily caught."Well...if you don't mind...could you tell me what the point is?" asked a confused Gohan."Here's the point," Ryoga began. "I can't allow lecherous scum like you who peeps on innocent girls to live!"Gohan's face instantly lit up with embarrassment, as did Akane and Videl's."That was an accident!" Gohan quickly defended."Ryoga, wait! You don't have to do this! I can explain everything!" Akane quickly tried to console him."You don't have to explain anything Akane," Ryoga replied. "Just stand back and watch me bring this bastard to his knees!"Ryoga launched his next attack at the furiously blushing Gohan. Before either of them could make the next move, Videl intervened."Hey wait a second, how did you know about what happened with Gohan and Akane!?" she demanded.Ryoga instantly ceased his attack, frozen in his striking pose."Come to think of it, Videl's right," Akane added."Yeah, Ryoga, how DID ya know?" Ranma egged him on."W-well...I..." Ryoga stammered.In reality, he'd been there from the start in his cursed form. It was pure coincidence that getting thrown off the balcony would land him into a body of hot (enough) water to change him back to normal, but with Akane there, he couldn't let them know that."Believe it or not, it was PUUUURE coincidence!" Ryoga exclaimed pulling a microphone out of nowhere."I was just strolling through the city, having lost my way, when out of nowhere, I happened to hear a familiar voice screaming!" Ryoga explained."I knew instantly it was Akane, and being the chivalrous martial artist I am, I rushed towards where the sound was coming from to help...and I'd have shown up sooner if not for my cursed trouble with directions!!" Ryoga dramatically fell to the floor.'Chivalrous?' thought a sarcastic Ranma. 'Keh, hypocritical much?' he mentally deadpanned.Videl narrowed her eyes at the hysterically sobbing Ryoga, not buying any of his story. She was about to comment on it, until Akane beat her to it."Oh Ryoga, I'm glad you were just trying to help, but seriously, everything's alright now," she assured him."Wait, you actually believe him?" asked a skeptical Videl."You don't know Ryoga like we do," Akane replied. "Unlike some others," Akane sharply glanced at Ranma, "Ryoga's actually a pretty nice guy. He just has a bad habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.""That's the understatement of the decade," Ranma added. "Moron would get lost in a one story building that only takes up like, a few yards.""Who you callin' moron!" Ryoga boomed.Before Ryoga could make a move towards Ranma, he was stopped by Gohan placing a hand on his shoulder."Whoa, take it easy now," Gohan said. "We just ended one situation, so let's not start another one.""Hands off pal!" Ryoga exclaimed, darting away from Gohan."Ryoga, stop!" Akane pleaded. "I know you got lost when all that happened, but seriously, everything's been resolved now, you don't have to fight Gohan for my sake.""Gohan? Who said anything about rice?" Ryoga asked."Is...is everyone going to make that joke the first time they meet me now?" Gohan asked."Well, I didn't," Videl chimed in."You?" Ryoga said turning back to Gohan."Yeah, my name's Gohan," he finally introduced himself. "I know you were just trying to defend Akane's honor, but I assure you, that whole thing that happened was an accident. I'd never do anything to disrespect anyone like that, especially a girl."Ryoga narrowed his eyes. "Why should I believe you?""Well for starters, he has a girlfriend," Ranma began."And he knows that if he intentionally did something like this again, she'd kick his ass!" Videl concluded, causing Gohan to let out a sheepish chuckle."Wait, you two are...together?" Ryoga pointed to Gohan and Videl."Is that a problem?" sneered Videl."N-no, I just....""That shouldn't be surprising for you Ryoga, I mean, don't you have a girlfriend yourself?" reminded Akane.Ryoga briefly paused then let out a panicked yell."Gaaaaah! I completely forgot! I'm supposed to be meeting with Akari!"Ryoga began to make his way out of the yard, but paused."You!" Ryoga pointed to Gohan."Me?""You're lucky I've got someplace to be, so I'll let you go for now, but I have full intention to finish this fight!" Ryoga proclaimed. "I'll be back within a week's time, so you'd better prepare yourself!"Having said his piece, Ryoga quickly darted away from the Satan Manor, in a trail of smoke."Hey! Who said my house could be your battlefield!?" Videl shouted at the vanishing Ryoga.Gohan just stared in disbelief at Ryoga's retreating form, still completely lost to the current situation."Uhhm...what just happened?" Gohan asked."I...think Ryoga challenged you to a match," Akane answered."Heh, so first you make a move on my fiancee, and now you're tryin' to steal my rival? Unbelievable," said Ranma."I didn't do either of those things!" Gohan protested."Dude, chill. I was joking."As Videl giggled at the exchange, Akane went over to examine something on the ground that wasn't there before."Hey what's this?""What's what?" asked Videl.All eyes were on Akane as she picked up a folded piece of paper and opened it up."It's a map," she revealed."Ryoga must've dropped it when he bailed," Ranma guessed.The group examined the map for a few seconds before Videl asked, "What the hell kind of map is this?"The map they were viewing had no synergy whatsoever and was overall, just nearly impossible to make out aside from some...fairly decently done drawings."Well like we said, Ryoga gets lost pretty damn easily, so I'm guessing it's one he made himself," answered Ranma.The group continued to examine the map until a specific drawing caught Videl's eye."Hey look at that one!" Videl pointed to an area at the side of the map. "That looks like a picture of my father!"Ranma grabbed the map out of Akane's hands, despite her protests and turned it aside."You sure?""Yes! It's not a very good drawing, but I think I know what my own Dad looks like, snapped Videl."Ranma let out a sigh. "I knew it.""Knew what?" asked Videl."Ranma...you're not thinking what I think you're thinking are you?" asked Akane."If you think I'm thinking Ryoga's the guy who trashed the old man's dojo, then yes, I am," answered Ranma."What!?" exclaimed Videl."Oh come on Ranma, what makes you think Ryoga did it?" Akane asked."Well the old guy has his face on the place right, so Ryoga drawing the picture here might mean he's been there before," Ranma guessed."Not exactly," interjected Videl. "There's a sign with Dad's face at the city limits too, so it might just mean he found his way to Satan City, not necessarily the dojo.""Yeah," added Akane. "And there's still no proof he was even at the dojo in the first place.""Uhh...actually..." The previously silent Gohan chimed in."Remember what the police told me they found out about their prime suspect?" he began. "Though it almost slipped my mind with everything happening so fast, I just remembered what they said."'Don't tell me...' Ranma and Akane simultaneously thought."According to witnesses, the suspect was a fairly bulky young man with black hair, wearing a yellow shirt and bandana with black pants, carrying a large sack," Gohan revealed.At Gohan's revealation, Videl's eyes sharply narrowed and she clenched her fist tight, enraged."While he didn't have a sack with him, that does sound like it could've been Ryoga.""Gohan, you just confirmed it was Ryoga!" Ranma exclaimed. "I knew it!"Akane let out a defeated sigh. Though she didn't want to believe it, she couldn't argue that Ryoga was looking more and more likely to be their culprit."Why that...!" Videl growled. "I don't believe this! Why would he do that? How could he do that?""Like we said, he probably got lost again and wound up at the dojo by complete accident," Ranma replied. "As for how, he knows a technique that can blow through rock so he probably dug his way in...or out...either way, he's the only guy I could think of that could make a crater like that.""I don't care what he knows!" Videl proclaimed. "I'll make him pay for this!"Gohan placed a calming hand on his girlfriend's shoulder. "Videl, you need to calm down. I know how you feel about your father's dojo, but you probably shouldn't go rushing headfirst into battles like this."Videl sighed. "I know you're right Gohan, and I'm sorry, but I can't just let him get away with this!"Videl cracked her knuckles, her body shaking with anticipation. "He said he's coming back here in a week to fight you right? In that case, I'll be the one to fight him instead!""Videl, are you sure that's a good idea?" Gohan asked."Don't waste your time."All eyes turned to Ranma who smugly had his arms crossed behind his head."What do you mean by that, Ranma!?" Videl snapped."I've seen you fight and while you're pretty good, Ryoga's in a whole other league," Ranma answered. "I should know, he's my rival.""So what, you're saying I can't win?" Videl asked, an eyebrow narrowed."I'm saying that you got a long way to go before you can go against Ryoga.""Why you...!"Before Videl could retaliate, Ranma was pounded into the ground by Akane. "Just cause you have a point doesn't mean you have to be a jerk about it!" she glared."What do you mean 'he's got a point'?" Videl said."Exactly what it sounds like. Despite Ranma's tone, he's right, Ryoga's REALLY strong and tough to boot. Whenever he and Ranma fight each other, things usually tend to escalate to some pretty crazy degrees.""Take the crater in the dojo for example," chimed in a recovered Ranma. "If he can do that just from a casual stroll through nowhere, think what happens when he fights for real.""Videl...?"Gohan turned to see Videl with her head hanging low, though instead of any signs of negativity, her body was brimming with determination."I appreciate your concern guys, but don't worry, I can do this!" she proclaimed holding her head high."Videl are you sure about this?" Gohan asked."You bet Gohan, after all, I've got my family's honor to defend!""Although, it sounds like I'll REALLY have to prepare for this fight!" Videl added."That shouldn't be a problem, after all, you got two weeks," said Ranma."Two weeks? Didn't he say just one?" asked Gohan."Yeah, but given how horribly lost he gets, he won't find his way back to this city for at least a few days afterwards, another week tops.""Sorry, but I don't think anyone could be that bad with directions," said Videl."Heh, get to know Ryoga a little better, he'll surprise ya," Ranma replied."Still, do you think two weeks will be enough time for her to prepare for someone like Ryoga?" Akane asked. "After all, even you still have trouble fighting him Ranma.""Don't worry guys, Gohan will help me train. Won't you Gohan?" Videl beamed."I will?"Videl softly narrowed her eyes."I mean...of course I...will," Gohan shakily chuckled."Great! After all, it's been a while since we've trained together seriously, haven't we?" she winked."Yeah, I guess.""You think your boyfriend can help you stand up against Ryoga?" asked a skeptical Ranma. "He told me he wasn't that much of a martial artist.""Though now that I think about it, didn't he defend against you AND Ryoga attacking him?" Akane said to Ranma.Videl giggled. "He may not look it, but Gohan's actually a lot stronger than he'd lead you to believe," she praised. "Heck, he's the one who taught me how to fly." Videl added."Wait, what!?" Ranma and Akane yelped in surprise."Videl!" Gohan cried."What? It's not like it's a secret...anymore at least.""You showed her that floating move?" Ranma asked.Gohan slowly nodded his confirmation.Ranma furrowed his brow in contemplation. After a brief moment of thought, he made a proclamation."Good news guys, I'm gonna help you two train!""Huh?""Nobody knows how to fight Ryoga like me so it makes sense that I should be there to help Videl fight him.""Ranma, drop the charade," interjected an irritated Akane. "You don't want to help Videl train, you just want to be there to learn...whatever Gohan's going to show her!" she said pointing an accusing finger."Well, if Ranma wants to join us, I don't mind," Gohan replied."Huh?""Yeah, it's no problem at all," said Gohan. "And like he said, if he knows how to fight Ryoga best, then maybe it would help if he joined us.""But...but...!" Akane stammered.She's seen Ranma do some underhanded things to get what he wanted, but the fact that he was trying it here and the person he was trying to trick was just letting him get exactly what he wanted caught her completely off guard."You know Akane, if you want to join us, you can too," Videl added."Wha-wait, really?""The more the merrier, right?" joked Gohan."Yeah. Besides, I'll need a sparring partner won't I?" Videl said."S-sure...I'll be glad to help however I can!" Akane exclaimed."Well then I guess that's settled," Videl said crossing her arms. "We'll meet at Gohan's house in a couple of days, cause I think we all could use a break after today.""I'll say," Gohan agreed."Likewise.""Ditto.""If you want, I can give you two a ride home at least," Videl offered."That'd be great!" Akane beamed."A ride in what?" asked Ranma.A short while later, Videl's familiar yellow aircraft could be seen blasting through the skies of Satan City, once again destined for the Tendo Dojo.[Elsewhere]Unbeknownst to the quartet of fighters, a certain pale boy was cackling to himself, having accomplished his mission.'Kuno-Senpai's gonna love this. Once I tell him where the new girl lives and he decides to take her instead, I'll have Akane all to myself!'"Hehehehehehehe!"
(To Be Continued)
(A/N: This...did not turn out how I expected it to. I went into this thinking I was gonna do a fight between Gohan and Ryoga and came out setting up for a fight between Videl and Ryoga. How the hell did I even do that!? Either way, the identity of the dojo destroyer's finally been revealed, as if everybody didn't already know who it was, and Videl has a bone to pick with him, but not to worry, her mysteriously powerful boyfriend is gonna do whatever it takes to make sure she comes out of this fight with as little damage as possible. What's more, Ranma and Akane are tagging along for the ride, and with the training taking place at Gohan's house, Ranma and Akane may get more than they bargained for. And no, I didn't forget about Kuno wanting to 'court' Videl, but that's for another time. Even I have no idea what's gonna happen next chapter, so if you want to find out with me, stay tuned!)
Is it just me, or do these last couple of chapters feel kind of...weak?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life's Stranger Than Yours
Discussions and Anticipation; The Tale of Son Gohan
Through the skies of Satan City, four friends could be seen flying in a well known yellow aircraft."Sweet ride," complimented Ranma."Thanks," replied Videl. "I almost wish I used this thing more often though?""Well, why don't you?" asked Ranma."Cause a plane seems kind of superfluous when you can fly yourself," Videl grinned."Heh, if I knew what 'superfloss', meant, I'd probably agree with you," Ranma joked."It basically means 'pointless'," Gohan answered. "But on to more important things, why are we meeting at MY place?" Gohan asked Videl."We're going to train seriously Gohan, and to do that, there's no better place than the woods by your house," replied Videl. "Fresh air, plenty of space to work, it's perfect."Ranma and Akane both paused at Videl's last statement. "Wait a second; Woods?" They said in unison."Uh Gohan...where exactly do you live?" asked Akane."Mt. Paouzu, in the 439 Area," Gohan replied."Is...that far?" asked Ranma."Far!? That's like, hundreds of miles from this city!" exclaimed Akane. "How the heck do you manage to get to school on time!?""Oh I just...fly," Gohan replied."By yourself?" Ranma asked raising an eyebrow."Yeah...""Dude, how fast can you go? You must be pretty quick if you can fly all the way from the mountains to the city and back again so easily."Gohan scratched his head in thought. "I don't know exactly. I never measured myself before."Ranma sat back in his seat and crossed his arms. 'Man, the more I hear about this dude, the more I want him to show what he's really made of.'"Hmmmm...." Videl paused. "I wanted to go straight to Gohan's house to get started training ASAP, but if you want, I can pick you guys up first thing after school on meeting day."Ranma and Akane shot each other a glance then nodded at each other."Nah, I think we'll get up there the old fashioned way," Ranma declined. "If anything, it'll probably be a pretty good warm up.""Alright then, it's settled."As the conversation ended, Videl's jet was just coming across the Tendo Dojo."Huh, perfect timing," noted Videl.Videl took the aircraft down to ground level and hovered right by the dojo's entrance. A few seconds later, Ranma and Akane both hopped out."Thanks for the ride...again!" called Akane."No problem! We'll see you in a couple of days!" replied Videl.Pulling the throttle, Videl blasted off full speed back to Satan City. As Akane waved them off, Ranma made his way back into the dojo, today's events still on his mind. As he walked through the door, he instantly came face to face with his mother."Oh Ranma, you're back!" Nodoka greeted."Hey Mom," Ranma replied."Where's Akane?""Right here Aunt Nodoka!" said Akane darting inside.The trio made their way to the living room where everyone else had already assembled Kasumi just walked in from the kitchen, Nabiki was on the couch and Soun and Genma (who was in Panda form for some reason) playing their usual board game."Well, look who's back," said Nabiki."Welcome back you two," greeted Soun."Soo, how'd your match go?" asked Kasumi."Well, my rematch with Videl went off without much of a hitch," Akane began. "It's everything afterwards where things got...well...""Pretty damn interesting if you ask me," Ranma interjected."Interesting how?" Nabiki raised an eyebrow."Well for starters, we got to meet Videl's boyfriend." Akane replied."She has a boyfriend?!" exclaimed the remaining Tendo sisters."Ohh, that is interesting," giggled Nodoka."'Interesting's' an understatement. This is even juicier than a well cooked steak!" beamed Nabiki."So, tell us about him a little," pleaded Kasumi.Briefly shrinking at all the eyes that were on her at the moment, Akane let out a sheepish giggle before she responded."Well...we got off to...something of a rough start, to put it bluntly," Akane began."Rough start how?" asked Kasumi"Remember when I first revealed my curse?" Ranma interjected."Oh!" Kasumi squeaked knowingly."Well, that didn't take long did it?" joked Nabiki. "So, how hard did you hit him?""Believe it or not, I never actually did...though not from lack of trying mind you," Akane replied."Really? How'd that happen?""Well, aside from Videl breaking it up, he actually apologized. Despite the rocky start, he's actually a really nice guy, and apparently, he's a martial artist too.""Is that so?" Soun chimed in, his voice filled with interest."Guess it makes sense a fighter chick like Videl would hook up with another fighter...kind of like you Akane," teased Nabiki."Ignoring that," Akane deadpanned."Well, don't keep us in the dark, what's he like? What's his name?" asked Nodoka."Well, his name's Gohan, but we sadly didn't have a chance to really get acquainted."As soon as the words left Akane's mouth, Soun and Genma both froze and dropped their game pieces onto the table with an audible 'CLACK!'"Man, first Nabiki mentions steak, and now rice...when's dinner gonna be ready?" groaned Ranma."Soon Ranma, but don't whine. It's unmanly," scolded Nodoka.Sighing, Ranma headed for the dojo while the girls headed into the kitchen to continue their conversation, leaving Soun and Genma alone in the living room."Saotome...you heard what Akane said right?" Soun whispered."Yes, but I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you, it could just be a coincidence," Genma replied."True, but if that boy has the same name as HIM, then this may be the chance we've been looking for!" Soun countered.Genma crossed his arms. "Do you really think that boy would know the whereabouts of HIM?""I understand your skepticism Saotome, but Akane did say he was a martial artist, so there may be a chance," said Soun stroking his chin. "And any chance we have must be taken!""You're right Tendo!" Genma agreed.The two fiercely shook hands with each other, their plan about to be set into motion. First things first, they needed to talk to Ranma.[Elsewhere]Long since abandoning the jet, Gohan and Videl were flying themselves back to Mt Paouzu."Uh Gohan, not that I don't enjoy being there, but why am I going to your place now? We're not training with Ranm and Akane for another couple of days," Videl stated."Yeah, but I have to tell mom about this, and you know how she feels about me training. Heck, she barely lets me go out as Saiyaman," Gohan replied."True, but that doesn't explain why I'm here.""Cause I think it'll be easier to convince her if she knows you're going to be involved, and I just feel a bit more at ease with you supporting me."Videl's expression flattened. "You're really terrified of your mom, aren't you?""Videl, EVERYONE in our group's terrified of Mom...except maybe 18 and Vegeta," Gohan chuckled."Well at least I'll be staying for dinner. It's been a while since I last had Chi-Chi's cooking!" Videl beamed.Picking up speed, Videl flew ahead with Gohan in hot pursuit.[A short moment later]Gohan and Videl finally came across Gohan's house and subsequently landed. Entering, Gohan announced their arrival."I'm home!"The duo stepped into the kitchen to find Chi-Chi, hard at work preparing dinner."Gohan, you're back!" she greeted. "Oh! And Videl's here too!""Hey Chi-Chi," Videl bowed."Where are Dad and Goten?" asked Gohan."Oh they went out fishing. They should actually be back pretty soon," Chi-Chi answered.The three paused at the sound of the front door opening. "Speak of the devil.""We're home!" called Goku.Gohan and Videl went back to greet them."Hey Dad!""Hey, Gohan's back!"Darting into Videl's arms, Goten exclaimed. "And Sis is here too!""Nice to see you too Goten." Videl giggled."So, what brings you here this time Videl?" asked Goku. "You two just studying together or something, or are you having Gohan train you again?""Goku, please," Chi-Chi called from the kitchen. "Don't try to turn Videl's friendly visit into a training session.""Well..." Videl started. "I actually do need Gohan to help me train again. I've got a pretty intense battle coming up.""Intense battle?" asked an intrigued Goku. "With who?""Some jackass who trashed my father's dojo!" Videl snapped."That's terrible," commented Chi-Chi. "I'm not a fan of your father, but even he doesn't deserve to have his property destroyed by some...degenerate.""What's a degenerate?" asked Goten.His question was ignored as Goku followed up with his own question. "So this guy you have to fight, is he strong?""Apparently...at least according to a couple of friends of mine." she replied."Which reminds me," Gohan interjected, turning to Chi-Chi. "Those friends of ours want to help Videl prepare, so we were kind of wondering if it'd be okay if they came over to our place," he pleaded.Chi-Chi softly narrowed her eyes, and sighed. "Fine, but don't let this impending match get in the way of your school work...both of you!""Yes ma'am!" Gohan and Videl responded.'Wait a minute why did I respond?' Videl thought.Her thoughts were interrupted by another question from Goku. "So how strong is this guy?"Videl shrugged. "Don't know for sure, but Gohan might. After all, he did attack him.""Wait...who attacked who?" asked Goku."That guy attacked me...actually, now that I remember, I'm the one he actually wanted to fight," Gohan recalled."Really? Well why didn't you take it Son, and why'd he wanna fight you in the first place?"Gohan's face lit up a bright shade of red as he recalled walking in on Akane, and Ryoga's declaration to avenge her."I'd uhhh...rather not say why..." Gohan stammered. "But to answer your other question...he actually does seem fairly stronger than a normal human.""Really?""Yeah. He attacked me with a weighted umbrella...""An umbrella?" inquired Goten."Just roll with it....Anyway, the weight of his weapon was actually pretty intense. There's no way a regular person would be able to weild something that heavy.""Oh, so it was like the sword from the Supreme Kai's planet?""No, it wasn't THAT heavy. It was no problem for me, but for a regular person, it may as well have been." Gohan chuckled.Goku put a hand to his chin in contemplation. "So you think this guy Videl's fighting may have some kind of hidden power?"Gohan shrugged. "I can't say for sure, but our friends seemed pretty worried for one reason or another.""And considering they know what I can do, that is admittedly cause for caution," Videl added crossing her arms."Hehe, well, this does sound like a pretty intense battle," Goku grinned. "I'll leave you kids to train your own way, but if you need any help, don't hesitate to ask.""Thanks Goku," Videl said with a smile."Hey can I help Videl train too!?" Goten exclaimed."Why don't we talk about this after dinner," Gohan grinned. "Besides, we won't be starting for another day or two.""Okay!"As Goten dashed into the kitchen, followed closely by the others, the family of four and their special guest went on to enjoy thier evening, thoughts of the upcoming days running through the younger couple's heads.[At the Tendo Dojo]Ranma was in the center of the dojo doing a hand stand. A lot had happened today and he really needed to clear his mind, at least until dinner was ready. As he stood still on his hands, his concentration was broken by the sound of the dojo door slamming open."Ranma my boy, we need to talk!" Genma exclaimed, Soun by his side."What's wrong? Is Mom kickin' ya out or something?" Ranma joked.Genma replied by launching a sweep kick at Ranma's wrist which caused him to fall over, but he somersaulted back onto his feet."This is no time for jokes boy!" Genma snapped. "This could be the answer to one of our biggest problems ever!"Ranma placed his hands on his hips and shot the two a suspicious eyebrow. "What are ya talkin' about now?""The end of the Evil Master, son!" Soun replied.Ranma's instantly paid them his full attention. "Are you serious!?""Yes, but first, we need to ask you a couple of questions," Genma replied."About what?""That boy you met today, Gohan.""What about him?""He wouldn't happen to be Son Gohan, would he?" asked Soun."I dunno, he didn't say his full name," Ranma replied. "What does he have to do with all this?""We don't expect you to know this, but Son Gohan is the name of once well known and powerful martial artist," Genma began."Really?" said an intrigued Ranma.Genma nodded. "It's been said that Son Gohan was one of two students to have trained under the Legendary Turtle Hermit.""Turtle Hermit?""Yes, the master and practioner of the Turtle Style, an ancient and devastatingly strong battle art," added Soun."So...lemme get this straight, you think that Akane's friend's boyfriend is some old Martial Arts Hotshot?" Ranma asked sarcastically."Don't be a moron Ranma!" snapped Genma. "Of course that boy himself isn't him, however, the fact that they have the same name, and that he's a martial artist is...telling at the very least.""I get it now. You think Gohan...well our Gohan has a connection with the old man, and might actually know something about this Turtle Guy?" Ranma guessed."Precisely," answered Soun."And you want me to ask Gohan if or what he does know?""Correct," replied Genma."And if he does know and tells me where to find him, you want the old Turtle Man to train me to beat the Old Freak, right!?"
BZZZZZT!
"Wrong sir, but thank you for playing!" Genma exclaimed into a microphone."Then what am I even looking for him for!!??" Ranma yelled."Obviously, it's so HE can defeat the evil master for us," said Soun.Ranma hit the floor in disbelief. "I don't know why I'm even surprised," he groaned."Don't take it the wrong way Ranma. The Turtle Hermit's said to not be accepting students anymore, so you probably couldn't convince him to train you anyway," Soun reassured him.Ranma crossed his arms and sighed dejectedly. "Fine, whatever. Still, even if Gohan knows about the Turtle Guy and I do find him, how do we know he can even beat the old freak?"Soun and Genma sat in meditative postures as they both tried to come up with an acceptable response to Ranma's question."You have no idea if he can do it or not, do you?" Ranma deadpanned."Well, he is called 'The Legendary Hermit' for a reason.""Gaaaaaah!""Still Ranma, you have to admit, that even the slightest of chances to be rid of the Evil Master is a chance worth taking, is it not?" Soun asked."Tsk. Yeah, I guess.""Then it's settled boy!" Genma exclaimed. "Your trip with Akane now serves a second purpose!"Ranma gave a halfhearted nod as he accepted his...'mission'. He was already looking forward to meeting with Gohan and Videl again, but if what his father and Mr. Tendo said was true, then maybe their next meeting would be even more exciting than he thought. Pushing the thoughts aside for now, the three men rushed out of the dojo at the sound of Nodoka announcing that dinner was ready.
(A/N: Not much to say here either except that I sort of hoped to get this chapter out before March ended. On a more positive note, at least I didn't release it on April Fool's Day (weird how both April Fools and Easter fell on the same day this year). So yeah, nothing major happens this chapter, but I hope everyone enjoys the setup. So yeah, Soun and Genma have heard of Grandpa Gohan and the Turtle School, but only through word of mouth. Little do they know that the legends they heard have more truth to them than they realize. Until next time!)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life's Stranger Than Yours
Unforseen Adventure; Perilous Mt. Paouzu
Two days passed in the blink of an eye. All four of young fighters went about their days mostly uneventful. At least, as uneventful as it is around Ranma and friends. Finally, the day meeting day arrived.
[The Skies Above Mount Paouzu]"Come on Gohan, let's hurry!"School had long since let out and Videl wasted no time in jetting off. In fact, flying at her own top speed, she was making record time.Of course Gohan was right behind her, keeping pace. Sometimes he wondered just how he kept up with that girl's enthusiasm.'Man, Videl is really fired up today,' Gohan thought. 'Hopefully Ranma and Akane can find their way to my house soon.'[Meanwhile, in a forest area not far away]Speaking of Ranma and Akane, the pair had gotten off the bus up the mountain and had to continue down the familiar dirt road on foot. They continued on the path for at least around 15 minutes before one of them started complaining.Surprisingly, their ensuing fight ended before it began when Ranma pointed to a detour on the map they had. Though reluctant, Akane had agreed to take the detour road. The reason she was hesitant was because the detour led into the forest.[Five minutes later into the forest]"Man...how much further do we have to go?" asked Ranma."Don't complain Ranma, it was your idea to come this way," Akane reminded him.Ranma crossed his arms. "Yeah, after you were complaining about how long it was taking back on the road," Ranma snapped back.Akane narrowed her eyes but held her tongue. They continued on for another unspecified amount of time before Akane broke the silence."You know...this forest kind of reminds me of Ryugenzawa," she noted.Ranma couldn't help but twitch at the mention of that name. He remembered the adventure they had there, but he also couldn't help but recall the ordeal between him, Akane, and that Shinnosuke guy."Wha-what makes you think of that place?" Ranma stuttered."I can't really explain it..." Akane replied. "This place just has the same feel to it, like there's more to this forest than meets the eye.""What, you think a giant animal's gonna attack us or somethin'?" Ranma scoffed. "Please, the worst thing we'll probably come across here is a bear, and after all the times I knocked Pops' furry butt into the ground, I think we'll be fine."Akane was conflicted at Ranma's last statement. On the one hand, she agreed with Ranma to some degree that there probably wasn't anything out there TOO big for either him or her to handle. On the other hand, she didn't want to test that theory out either.Unfortunately, it looked like she'd get a chance when the leaves of nearby bushes started to rustle."Ranma..."Ranma gave a confident breath and stepped forward in front of Akane, taking a defensive stance."Relax, whatever it is, I'll just blast it with my Takabisha and we'll be on our way," Ranma assured her.Akane was less than assured when the rustling started to intensify. A moment later, the beast hiding in the plants revealed itself, and one of the two let out an ear piercing scream.
"Ggggyyyaaaaaaaaagh!!!"
[With Gohan and Videl]'Huh?' As Gohan and Videl continued their flight to Gohan's house, Gohan turned back in the opposite direction."Gohan? What's wrong?" Videl asked."I...I thought I heard something," Gohan answered."I didn't hear anything.""Hmmmm..." Gohan turned in the opposite direction, but ultimately, he decided to follow Videl's example and just continue forward.[Ranma and Akane]The duo could be seen sprinting for their lives as a pair of sabertooth tigers was right on their tails."'The worst is a bear', he says. 'I can handle it' he says!" Akane yelled sardonically.Ranma was unable to even make a snappy comeback at Akane's remark as he was still screaming in terror."Caaaaaaats!"Any other kind of wild animal probably wouldn't have been a big problem, but as luck would have it, the wild animals they DID happen to encounter, belonged in the family of Ranma's greatest fear. That fear only amplified as the tigers let out a pair of ferocious roars."Eyyyaagh!!!"Ranma and Akane both poured all their strength into their legs as they both sprinted away from their feline pursuers. The chase continued on, but the tigers still remained hot on their heels.'This is getting us nowhere!' Akane mentally screamed. 'Is there any place we can get away from these things?'Akane surveyed the area and from the corner of her eye, she spotted what looked like a cave. 'Maybe...'"Ranma! Over there!" Akane pointed.Ranma turned his head aside and fortunately, spotted the cave. Relieved at finally finding a place to escape, Ranma jetted towards the cave at full speed, unintentionally leaving Akane behind in the dust."H-hey! Wait for me!!" Akane yelled.Kicking her own speed up a notch, Akane managed to keep up with Ranma...only just barely. Unfortunately, as they were approaching the cave, Akane tripped and stumbled over a nearby tree root, hitting the ground hard and a couple of things falling out of her backpack. She was unable to get back up in time and run away, for the tigers nigh instantly caught up to her."Ranma...little help, please!" Akane called. Her plea fell on deaf ears as Ranma zipped into the cave, leaving her to the tigers' mercy.'My hero, folks!' Akane sarcastically thought.Akane steadily crawled backwards as one of the tigers advanced on her. The second tiger leapt over Akane and chased after Ranma into the cave. Unbeknownst to them, that was Akane's shining ray of hope.'Ranma's totally useless once his fear of cats kicks in...and against these kinds of cats I can't even blame him too much, but hopefully, the one that followed him in the cave will be just enough for...'Akane couldn't finish her thought as from the cave sprung an echoing, "Mrrrroooowwww!"In the next instance, the saber tooth bounded back out of the cave and rejoined it's companion, as it was now being pursued by Ranma, crouched on all-fours. In the next instance, Ranma leapt in between Akane and the first tiger, swiping at it with a 'clawed' hand, and forcing it to back off.'Yes! Ranma's cat-fist kicked in!' Akane inwardly cheered, rising to her feet. 'I don't know if this'll actually work, but it's our only option right now.'Cat Ranma stood defensively in front of the hopeful Akane hissing and growling at the two wildcats. Not ready to give up just yet, both tigers let out a pair of loud roars, which Ranma countered with a nearly as ferocious growl.The two cats and the cat boy continued to go back and forth at each other, neither one willing to give an inch. A few seconds later however, the tigers inexplicably froze up and seemed to be shaking. In an unexpected turn of events, both tigers let out fearful yelps and sprinted away.Akane let out a relieved sigh, then a triumphant giggle. "Haha, I think you did it Ranma!"The animal minded boy responded by leaping into Akane's arms and affectionately rubbing his face against hers."Nice kitty..." Akane gently said rubbing Ranma's head. After a brief moment of petting, Akane set Ranma down, but kept him from running away by grabbing a nearby branch and using it as a cat toy as she surveyed the surrounding area for her fallen goods.'I know I had a bottle of water in my bag somewhere, I just need to find where it landed...'Akane kept waving the branch as she scanned the ground behind her for her water bottle. Turning around, she spotted the bottle behind them and her face lit up."Aha! Got it!"As Akane swiped up her bottle, she couldn't help but notice that the sky overhead had gotten darker. Not only that, but now Ranma was the one shaking in fear, just like the tigers. Akane looked up to see that the sky hadn't gotten darker, but the two of them were shrouded in a giant shadow, and that shadow belonged too...
"GGGGGGRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRWWWW!!!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
[Gohan and Videl]
"Aaahhhhh!"
Gohan turned back around again, this time he was positive he heard something, and it didn't sound too pleasant. "Videl...tell me you heard THAT."Videl followed his gaze. It was faint, but she'd heard the echoing sound fade out. "I did this time, and it sounded like a girl screaming."As a bead of sweat rolled down Gohan's face, he turned back to Videl and said, "You don't think that was Ranma or Akane, do you?""It could be. Either way, I think we should check it out.""Right," Gohan nodded. Quick, grab onto me and I'll get us there in no time."Videl wanted to argue that she could fly herself just fine, but she knew Gohan could fly much faster than she could and decided to hold her tongue and comply. Once she was holding tightly onto Gohan, the half saiyan bathed them both in his energy and blasted off towards the direction of the scream.[Ranma and Akane]For the second time that day, the two martial artists were running for their lives, or rather, Akane was running for her life while carrying a fearful, still Cat Fist induced Ranma. The tigers were bad enough, but now a bright orange dinosaur was chasing them...a freaking dinosaur! The only reason Akane could think of as to why it was chasing them was because that cave they hid in was it's home and dealing with the tigers must've disturbed it.'I take back what I said before! The giant animals at Ryugenzawa were WAY better than this!' Akane thought.Almost miraculously, Akane managed to keep one step ahead of the large reptile, but only barely. As she continued sprinting, the dinosaur reared it's head back and thrust it forward with a fierce chomp! At the last second, Akane threw herself forward, Ranma still in her arms and managed to avoid the dinosaur's attack.Unfortunately, for the two, Akane had launched them at the top of a small hill and when she landed, they wound up rolling sporadically down the hill and into a nearby lake at the bottom, with the dinosaur still close behind them.Ranma pulled her head above the surface and spat out a small stream of water. "What the heck happened?"Her answer came in the form of a loud roar as she turned and spotted the dinosaur rushing at her."WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?" Ranma shrieked. Ranma started to swim to shore but paused when she heard erratic splashing behind her."Blbbaluub!""Akane!"Ranma quickly swam over to her flailing friend and grasped her by the waist. She wouldn't have much time to make an escape attempt as the dinosaur finally caught up to them at the edge of the lake.With Akane clutching onto her for dear life, Ranma floated them backwards as the dinosaur began to make slow strides to the two girls. Ranma started to weigh her options about what their next move should be. She could probably jump over the thing...if they weren't in water. She couldn't blast it with the 'Takabisha' either since she needed her hands to do that and they were currently keeping Akane from drowning.As Ranma tried to come up with a new plan, something even more unexpected happened. The dinosaur let out a low growl and began to approach them, only it didn't seem like it was in an offensive stance. In fact, the large beast seemed to just fall over forward, into the water causing a big splash. Once the water settled, the dinosaur just lay still in the water, not moving an inch. Upon closer and cautious inpection, the dinosaur seemed to be unconscious.Though confused about what just happened, but not wanting to miss the opportunity, Ranma, with Akane in hand swam to shore and got them both out of the water, panting heavily."Okay...you wanna tell me what's been going on?" Ranma snapped at Akane.Before she could answer, a different female voice chimed in, "That's what we'd like to know."Ranma and Akane both turned their attention upwards and saw Videl and Gohan descending down to them."Hey, it's you guys!" Ranma greeted."Are you guys okay?" Videl asked as she landed."Define, 'okay'," Ranma snarked."I'll take that as a 'kind of'," Videl replied."I don't know what happened here, but it looks like we got here just in time," Gohan stated as he touched ground."I'll say. I don't know how much more chasing I could deal with right now!" Akane exclaimed."Heh, no offense, but you two do look like you've been through alot," Gohan stated. "Come on, we'll head to my house and you two can dry off there."Ranma let out a relieved sigh. "Please tell me we're gonna get there in Videl's plane."Gohan and Videl both grinned at each other and said in unison, "Nope!""What!?""Calm down. We're still flying, just not in my jet," Videl clarified.Ranma and Akane could only shoot each other confused glances.[A few minutes later]"Whoooaaaa!!""This is awesome!"The four friends could be seen flying through the air, Ranma riding on Gohan's back, and Akane being carried by Videl. Ranma was actually enjoying herself, while Akane was a bit...less than thrilled."You doing okay there Akane?" Videl asked."I...I...guess." Akane stuttered."Relax, I'm not gonna drop you," Videl assured her."I know but...flying by yourself...like this...! This is actually seeming a lot less fun than I thought it'd be!""That's just because you're being carried," Videl replied. "Trust me, flying yourself is way more fun!""I'll take your word for it!" Akane exclaimed."Uhhm...if you don't mind my asking, what happened to you two back there?" Gohan interjected."We got chased by a dinosaur, genius, you know that," Ranma snapped."Yeah, but what I mean is why'd he start chasing you two in the first place?" Gohan asked. "I know the one that chased you guys in particular is a bit of a troublemaker, but the dinosaurs around these parts don't usually bother people, provided you stay away from their turf. You guys must've taken a wrong somewhere.""Well..." Akane pondered. "We might've snuck into his cave when trying to run from a couple of tigers.""Tigers?" Videl asked.At both mentions of the word 'tiger', Ranma visibly shuddered. 'Now I remember. I must've gone Cat-Fist or something again cause I don't remember anything before we wound up in the water.'"Okay, those guys just like to be jerks sometimes," Gohan added. "I still remember this one time a tiger stole my favorite hat when I was a kid and I chased him all around the forest trying to get it back."Ranma and Akane both looked at Gohan increduously. "You chased a tiger...?" "When you were just a kid...?"Gohan awkwardly chuckled and added, "Well...my hat had a family memento on it, that I had to get back."The duo continued to eye Gohan suspiciously as their flight continued.A short moment later, the group finally approached a peaceful looking house. Not far from it was what looked like crops."Ahh, finally we're home!" Gohan stated.Gohan started descending, the girls right behind them. As they got closer to the ground, they could see a woman carrying a basket of clothes just outside the entrance."Mom!" Gohan called."Hey Chi-Chi!"Chi-Chi was unable to immediately respond as she was still dealing with the clothes. Finally putting the laundry basket down, the always busy housewife turned to greet her son and his future wi-! I mean, girlfriend."Gohan, Videl glad to see...!"Chi-Chi paused for when Gohan and Videl landed, she also took notice of the two other girls accompanying them."Gohan, I remember you saying you were bringing friends over, but I don't recall you mentioning they were both girls," Chi-Chi said sternly raising a curious eyebrow."Uhhh...well...." Gohan stammered."Wait a sec, I'm..." Ranma began."Chi-Chi, these two are more friends of mine than they are Gohan," Videl quickly interjected, cutting Ranma off. "No offense, but I can't spend all my free time with Gohan? I need some female friends right?"Chi-Chi's expression softened. "Hmmhm, you're right. I'm sorry," she replied rather bashfully. As Chi-Chi turned to them, Ranma and Akane both ahd the similar thought of, 'She seems pretty nice,' flash through their minds."Hello, my name's Akane Tendo," she introduced, with a bow."Ranma Saotome."Chi-Chi paused for a moment and examined the two. 'She seems well mannered enough,' Chi-Chi thought glancing at Akane. 'But her on the other hand..." she turned her gaze to Ranma. "...Something seems...odd. Maybe it's because her name sounds rather masculine. Still, I shouldn't be rude.""My name's Chi-Chi," she introduced herself. "Excuse me, but if you don't mind my asking, why are you two all wet?""We kinda got lost on the way here and may have taken a dip in a lake," Ranma replied."Oh that's terrible. Come inside and I'll see if I can find you two a change of clothes," Chi-Chi invited them."Oh, thank you!" Akane exclaimed.As Chi-Chi led Ranma and Akane indoors, with Videl following after, Gohan remained outside alone for the moment, thinking, "That...went surprisingly well."Relieved that the meeting between Ranma, Akane and his mother had gone off without so much as a hitch, Gohan followed the others inside, ready to get to work.
(Chapter End)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life's Stranger Than Yours
Unexpected Battles: Ranma vs. Who? Videl vs. Who!?
As the group all entered the mountain home, Chi-Chi led Ranma and Akane to the couch."Wait here you two and I'll grab you some towels, and a change of clothes," Chi-Chi said to the guests."Actually Ms.Chi-Chi, I have a change of clothes, so just a towel will be fine," Akane noted."Alright then, and just Chi-Chi is fine," she replied. "Well she does, but I don't," Ranma groaned. "Could you tell me where your bathroom is?" she asked."Oh of course, just follow me." Chi-Chi motioned with her hand and Ranma began following her through the house."Well, I think I'd better get ready too," Gohan said. Exiting the room, Gohan dashed upstairs and went to go change into his training gear, leaving Akane and Videl alone."So...Gohan's mom seems pretty nice," Akane stated."Oh she is...most of the time," Videl replied."What do you mean 'most of the time'?" Akane asked."It's nothing crazy, it's just that Chi-Chi can be pretty intense at times, especially when she's mad. Heck, even her husband and his friends get scared stiff," Videl giggled.Akane raised an eyebrow. "How intense are we talking?""Well...funny story, but when Chi-Chi and I first met, we didn't exactly 'hit it off'," Videl began. "She seemed pretty quick to go from one extreme to another. One minute we're having a pretty ridiculous fight just growling at each other, and later that same day, she's basically trying to hook us up," Videl couldn't help but grin at the rather nostalgic memory."Hmmm...your parents trying to fix you up with someone...now where have I heard THAT before?" Akane smirked."Hey, go easy on Chi-Chi," Videl chuckled. "I don't know what the deal with your and Ranma's Dad is, but Chi-Chi was just trying to look out for her son, and I can respect that...now if only she'd stop asking 'When's the wedding?'.""Welcome to my world."The two girls could only let out a couple of strings of laughter before Chi-Chi returned with a towel in hand."Sorry to keep you waiting," Chi-Chi announced."It's no problem," Akane said hopping off the couch."Say, where did Gohan go?" Chi-Chi asked."He went upstairs to change," answered Videl."Don't worry, I'm here!"The ladies turned to see Gohan dashing down the stairs in his purple gi. "Sorry to keep you girls waiting."'Deja Vu,' thought Videl and Akane."So, where's Ranma?" Gohan asked."Hmmmm...I left a change of clothes for her. It shouldn't be taking her this long to get changed," Chi-Chi noted.As Chi-Chi left to check on Ranma, Gohan turned to the girls. "Uhh...shouldn't we tell Mom about...you know?"Videl shrugged. "She's gonna find out sooner or later, so why bother?""That...might not be the best idea," he noted.[With Chi-Chi]The matriarch quickly made her way back to the bathroom. To her surprise, she found the clothes she had laid out for Ranma were still outside the door. 'That's strange. I could've sworn I let her know these were out here, so why hasn't she changed into them yet?'Picking up the neglected garments, Chi-Chi then proceeded to knock on the door and call out. "Ranma, are you okay in there?"Chi-Chi waited for a short moment before she knocked again after receiving no answer."Ranma?" Chi-Chi repeated, rather agitatedly. Before she knocked again, she could hear the sound of a faucet being turned off.'Oh...I guess she didn't hear me over the water,' Chi-Chi thought.Deciding to cut to the chase, Chi-Chi grabbed the doorknob and let herself into the bathroom."Ranma, you really should answer when other people ca-!!!" Chi-Chi swallowed her words as when she entered the bathroom, instead of the perky young red-haired girl she was expecting, Chi-Chi came face to face with a well built, black-haired young boy clad in nothing but a pair of boxer shorts holding a black garment in his hands.The pair stood frozen in place, staring at each other in complete and utter silence. A bead of sweat rolled down Ranma's forehead as Chi-Chi broke the silence with an ear shattering scream.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!"
"GYAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"[In the Living Room]Gohan and the girls all harshly twitched as Chi-Chi's scream hit their ears."What was that!?" exclaimed Akane."That sounded like Mom!""That was your mom?"The questions were put on hold as the scream was soon replaced by the sounds of crashing, smashing, and just some general conflict. The trio quickly dashed through the kitchen and into the adjacent hallway where they witnessed a topless male Ranma, with his shirt in hand, dart away from Chi-Chi who was striking at him with a broom."WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!!??" Chi-Chi yelled, making everyone present shudder."Mom hold on!" Gohan cried waving his hands defensively. His plea went ignored as Chi-Chi dashed through Gohan and the girls, knocking them aside, and continued to swing the broom at Ranma."I...guess she knows about Ranma's curse," Videl stammered."I told you it was a bad idea."'Huh...so that's what Videl meant by intense...' thought a surprisingly impressed Akane.With a fearful yelp Ranma leapt over Chi-Chi's assault and dashed into the kitchen. He managed to slip back into his shirt, but was barely given time to rest as Chi-Chi advanced on him nigh instantly. Fortunately, Ranma was still able to keep one step ahead of Chi-Chi and nimbly avoid her attacks."Geeze Ms. Chi-Chi, calm the hell down!" Ranma quickly exclaimed.Dashing to the opposite end of the kitchen, Ranma grabbed a nearby mop and used it to parry Chi-Chi's incoming attacks. As Chi-Chi launched a powerful strike, Ranma bracedhimself and blocked it with his makeshift weapon. The two clashed and their battle was brought to a standstill as they struggled against each other."Alright Buster, start talking! Who are you, what are you doing in my house, and how do you know my name!?" Chi-Chi demanded."We just spoke a few minutes ago!" Ranma replied. "Do you always attack your guests like this!?""Only when they show up...UNINVITED!" Chi-Chi quickly shoved Ranma backwards, raising the broom in her arm intending to strike with a fierce downward swing.Ranma quickly fixed himself and prepared to counterattack. 'Hmm...I probably shouldn't be beatin' up on my new friend's Mom like this, but she attacked me first. I'll try and end this quickly.'"An opening!""Kyaa!"Quickly swiping his weapon downwards, Ranma struck at Chi-Chi's legs, sweeping her off her feet and knocking her onto her backside. Twirling the mop in his hand, Ranma gave a triumphant smirk as Chi-Chi toppled over and dropped her weapon.Before she could hit the floor however, Chi-Chi felt a strong arm wrap itself around her waist, holding her in place."Phew! That was a close one," said a cheerful male voice.Both Chi-Chi and Ranma gasped as they laid their eyes on an orange clad man with wild and spiky black hair who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, carrying Chi-Chi's discarded broom.'Who the Hell is that!?'"Goku!" Chi-Chi gleefully exclaimed.The Saiyan quickly helped his wife back to her feet while Ranma took a cautious step backwards. Just then, Gohan and the girls, having finally recovered from being trampled by Chi-Chi, quickly dashed into the room."Mom wait!" Gohan exclaimed.All eyes turned to the three teens and Goku shot them a warm smile. "Ah Gohan, Videl. You guys are back," Goku greeted.'Who's that?' Akane thought."Dad/Goku?"'That's Gohan's father?' Thought Akane."Dad, when'd you get back?" Gohan asked."Just a few seconds ago. I heard your Mom screaming on my way back and decided to use my Instant Transmission instead," Goku replied. "Now, can someone tell me what's been going on here?" Goku asked. "I just got back so I'm a little lost."Chi-Chi's eyes narrowed as she snatched the broom out of Goku's hand before menacingly aiming it at Ranma. "I'll tell you what's going on, this perverted little delinquent broke into our house!""Huh?""No I didn't! And who you callin' a 'perverted little delinquent'!?" Ranma snapped."No, she got that part right Ranma, you are a perverted little delinquent," Akane snidely remarked.Chi-Chi paused as a confused expression found itself on her face. Turning back to the others, she asked, "Ranma? Wait a sec, isn't that your red haired friend? Where is she? I almost forgot about her!"Ranma let out a sigh as he responded. "You can stop your searchin'."Goku and Chi-Chi shot Ranma a pair of confused looks as they watched him grab a cup off the counter and fill it with water. There confusion escalated when they saw him pour it over his head and his hair instantly changed from black to red and he appeared to shrink."Huh!?""WHAAAA-!?"As Ranma shook the water out of her hair, Chi-Chi froze and let out a flabbergasted shriek. Goku's expression matched hers, though to a visibly lesser degree."Hey wait a second, weren't you just a boy!?" Goku exclaimed."It's a LONG story." Ranma replied. Turning to Chi-Chi, she gave the stunned matriarch a sheepish grin."Ummm...I'm sorry you had to find out like this, but I hope we can at least move on," Ranma awkwardly said.Chi-Chi remained frozen in place for a brief moment until out of nowhere, she dashed at Ranma and grabbed her by the opening of her shirt."Hey wha-!?""Just what do you think you're doing!? Cover yourself up!" Chi-Chi exclaimed, quickly bringing the two ends together."Huh!?"When their 'fight' first started, Ranma had been topless as a male. Though he did get his shirt back on, he hadn't had any time to button up, so now that he was female again, Ranma was exposing quite a bit of her assets."Wait a second, you just saw me transform from a boy to a girl, and THAT'S what your first concern is!?" Ranma exclaimed."That's no excuse to go exposing yourself like some bimbo!" Chi-Chi exclaimed."Okay, I get it, now back off, I can button my own shirt!" Ranma desperately tried to shove Chi-Chi off but the frenzied mother was beyond reason right now as she tried to forcibly keep Ranma's shirt closed.Goku let out a small chuckle. "Yup, that's Chi-Chi for ya."As Ranma and Chi-Chi continued to grapple with each other, the others continued towatch from the sidelines."Hmph, that's what he gets for having no modesty," Akane scoffed."This is even worse than when Chi-Chi and I first met," Videl added with an awkward grin. "Right Gohan?""Ehh...ehhh..."Videl turned to see Gohan, his face red as an apple staring dead at Ranma and his Mother as they continued to tussle, for everytime they grappled with each other, Ranma's exposed chest would sway around and sometimes get exposed even more.A vein popping on her forehead, her eyes narrowing sharply, Videl harshly smacked her hand over Gohan's eyes and yelled, "Don't look!!"[A few minutes later]Everyone was gathered in the living room after finally having calmed down from the skirmish in the kitchen. As the tension died down, Gohan took the time to fully explain the situation to his parents while a now male Ranma also explained his curse."So...you change into a girl when you're hit with cold water and a boy when hit with hot water right?" Goku asked.Ranma nodded his confirmation."But wait, there's one thing I'm still a bit confused by. Are you a boy who turns into a girl, or are you a girl who becomes a boy?" Goku asked."The first one," Ranma answered."Oh, okay, I think I got it now," Goku nodded. "And you know, your curse kinda reminds me of my old friend Launch," Goku chuckled as multiple scenes of Launch sneezing and switching personalities played in his head."Who's that?" Videl whispered to Gohan.
"I don't know, I've never met them before."
"So when you were in the bathroom, you changed back into a boy and were wringing your clothes out, correct?" Chi-Chi asked."Yeah. Again, sorry for scarin' ya like that," Ranma awkwardly apologized. "I was gonna show my curse off anyway, but I didn't expect ya to barge in on me like that.""Is it me, or is this becoming a trend?" Videl whispered to Akane who shrugged.Chi-Chi could only blush awkwardly as the scene of walking in on Ranma replayed in her mind."I think I'm the one who owes you an apology, especially after attacking you like that."Ranma chuckled. "Nah, don't worry about it, I'm kinda used to getting attacked like that," he said. "But I gotta admit, the way you handled that broom was pretty impressive.""Well..." Chi-Chi gave a bashful grin."Man, I wish I'd gotten here fast enough to see that," said a slightly dejected Goku. "It's not often we get to see you fight, Chi-Chi.""Because unlike you Goku, I have better ways to spend my time than just fight and train all day," Chi-Chi said crossing her arms."Then...how come you were sparring with Goten the other day?" Goku asked."Wait what!?" exclaimed Gohan.Chi-Chi could only freeze with a flushed face, as she hadn't expected Goku to bring THAT up."Uhhhhmmm...I think that's our cue to leave," saiad Videl. "Besides, we've got work to do."Gohan nodded. "She's right. Let's get going!" he proclaimed."Hey! If you guys are gonna train, can I join ya?" Goku asked."Ehe, thanks Dad, but I think we'll be fine on our own." Gohan chuckled.[A Minute Later]Gohan, Videl, Ranma and Akane were all making their way out of the mountain home and into the forest while Goku waved them off."We'll be back later!" Gohan called running off."Remember, if you guys need any help, you can call me!" Goku replied."Sure thing Dad!"As the four young fighters disappeared into the forest, Goku stepped back into the house and turned to face Chi-Chi."Goku...how did you know I've been training with Goten again?" she asked."Well...I wasn't sure at first, but I couldn't help but notice you've been looking a bit more fit than usual, and since Goten's the only other person here while Gohan's at school and I'm out in the fields, I figured he was the only one you could've had for a training partner," Goku explained.At Goku's explanation, Chi-Chi couldn't help but give herself a quick once over. She hadn't notice any major difference in her body lately, but if Goku did, and her scuffle with Ranma was any indicator, then maybe her (not so) secret sessions with Goten actually were paying off."Well, I'd better get dinner started.""All right! I'm starving!" Goku exclaimed."Not so fast Goku!" Chi-Chi stopped him. "I already have some food prepared, but if you want to eat now, you have to finish the work in the garden first.""Aww, Chi-Chi, I already did that before I took Goten to Capsule Corp!" Goku pleaded."Oh really?" Chi-Chi raised an eyebrow."Yes!""They'd better be, cause if I go out to those fields and they're NOT, you're only getting one bowl of food tonight." Chi-Chi threatened.A large bead of sweat rolled down Goku's face. "Uhhh...actually, I'd better go double check first!" Goku instantly zipped out of the house and flew opposite the forest to their crops."Works every time."[With Gohan and the Others]Led by Gohan, the quartet sprinted through the perilous forest of Mt. Paouzu. The continued on for a good few minutes before they finally exited the forest and came into a lush green clearing.As everyone started doing their own warm ups, Gohan turned to Videl. "Videl, while I don't mind training you again, are you sure you still want to fight this Ryoga guy?"Videl stood firm and nodded, "You bet.""Okay. In that case..." Gohan turned to Ranma and Akane and asked, "You guys said before that Videl couldn't beat him right?"Akane was hesitant to answer and avoided eye contact with either of them, but Ranma opted to be direct. "It's true. If she were to fight him right now, she'd lose.""Could you stop talking about me like I'm not here!?" Videl snapped."Look, I'm just talkin' from experience," Ranma replied. "Ryoga's a tough ass nut. He'd have to be to be my archrival."Videl narrowed her eyes, but then flashed Ranma a smirk. "So basically, you're saying the only way I'll have a chance of beating this guy is if I can beat you?""No, I'm sayin' you won't stand a chance against him unless you can at least give me a serious workout," Ranma taunted."Hold on guys," Gohan said stepping in between Ranma and Videl. Videl lightly pushed Gohan aside and took a defensive stance before Ranma."So Saotome, ready to put your money where your mouth is?"Ranma gave a confident grin and took his own defensive stance while Gohan and Akane stood aside and watched the bout unfold."Should...should we try to stop them?" Gohan asked."Maybe...but then again, this is a fight everyone's been waiting to see!" Akane replied.Ranma and Videl stood facing each other off, both of them with cocky grins on their faces.Videl dashed forward to make the first move, however, she paused in midair when the ground between them appeared to spontaneously explode. Videl quickly flew backwards to avoid the blast zone as Gohan quickly jumped in to shield her from the rubble."Are you okay?" Gohan asked."Yeah, but what happened?" Videl replied.Through the smoke, the four could make out the sillhouette of a person carrying a large bag. The person stepped through the smoke and revealed themself to be a young man clad in yellow."Ryoga!?" Ranma and Akane exclaimed.Surely enough, Ranma's wandering rival had appeared from the ground below. No doubt having gotten lost somewhere again and having used the Breaking Point to move underground."Ranma!? What are you doing here? Am I back in Nerima?" Ryoga asked."You're at the Eastern Mount Paouzu," Akane answered.Ryoga quickly turned to his secret crush's voice and stammered, "Oh Akane, I didn't expect you to be-!"Ryoga paused for when his eyes glanced next to Akane, he saw a face he hadn't expected to see for a while."You!" Ryoga pointed at Gohan."Uhh...hey." Gohan awkwardly responded."What are you doing here!?" Ryoga snapped."I live on this mountain. My house is just through the forest back that way," Gohan pointed.Ryoga dusted himself off and chuckled. "Hmhmhm, and here I thought I'd have to wait a week to take you down. What fortune that I'll be able to beat you here and now!"Ryoga dropped his backpack and took a step towards Gohan before Videl quickly got in between the two boys."Sorry, but you won't be fighting Gohan today. I'm your opponent!" she declared.Ryoga looked at Videl for a few brief seconds before letting out a discontent sigh. "So...is this your game? Sending a woman in your place of our man-to-man duel? You're despicable!" he said to Gohan."Whoa, hold on a minute..." Gohan began.Videl sharply narrowed her eyes before she responded to Ryoga, cutting Gohan off, "Gohan didn't send me, and he doesn't need me to fight his battles for him. He's more than strong enough to beat you as is!"Ryoga chuckled. "You have a lot of faith in him. Let's see if it's well placed." He then proceeded to step towards Gohan, but Videl stood in his way again."I already told you, I'M the one your fighting!" Videl yelled back."Butt out!" Ryoga exclaimed. "I'd rather not waste my time fighting an inferior opponent, especially if it's a woman."'Damn Ryoga, harsh words,' Ranma thought.'Hmph, he doesn't have to be nasty about it!' thought Akane.A vein popped on Videl's forehead. "Inferior...? INFERIOR!?""Videl...take it easy..." A briefly sweating Gohan stepped forward to attempt to console his enraged girlfriend, but it was all for naught as she launched herself at Ryoga with fierce battle cry.Dashing forward, Videl launched her foot straight into Ryoga's gut before briefly retreating and following up with a powerful roundhouse kick to the side of his head. As she landed back on the ground following her attack, she turned back to Ryoga and said, "Who's inferior now?"Videl received no answer as Ryoga stood frozen for a brief moment. After a few seconds passed, Ryoga stepped forward and walked passed Videl seeming completely unfazed.'Wha-What!?'"Consider my taking those attacks of yours a little apology for insulting your skills as a martial artist, but now, I must ask you to keep out of our fight. This is between me and him." Ryoga proclaimed.'I put all I had into those moves and he's not even fazed!?' Videl thought in disbelief.Turning back to Ryoga, who was still approaching Gohan, Videl clenched her fist tight and launched a flying kick at him one more time. "Don't write me off you jerk!"This time however, instead of taking the attack, Ryoga quickly whipped around and grabbed Videl by the leg."Huh!?""I'm asking you to stop," Ryoga said tightening his grip on her leg. "Like I said before, I don't have the time or heart to strike an opponent who's that much weaker than I am.""Who's weak!?" Videl twisted herself around launching her free leg at Ryoga's face, but he once again took the attack without so much as flinching.With a vaguely irritated grunt, Ryoga casually tossed Videl behind him towards Ranma and Akane."Videl!" Gohan called."I got her!" Ranma quickly sprang into the air and caught Videl in his arms before safely landing back on the ground."Now that she's out of the way, let's pick up where we left off," Ryoga said dropping into a defensive stance.Gohan shot Ryoga a light glare. He hadn't intended to fight Ryoga at all, but after he manhandled Videl the way he did, he now had a reason to."Fine, if you're so eager to fight me, let's go!" Gohan proclaimed taking his own defensive stance.From the sides, Ranma and Akane were watching the scene unfold with great interest. Though they got a glimpse of his strength back at Videl's house, they'd yet to see hi fight seriously and were curious to see what he could really do, especially against Ryoga.Videl on the other hand watched the scene with her fist clenched so tight, it was shaking.Before either of the two combatants could make a move, a loud crash filled the sky as the light began to dim.Everyone looked up to see dark clouds rolling in which could only mean one thing a storm was coming.While Ranma let out an irritated sigh at possibly being transformed again, Ryoga let out an internal fearful yelp. He couldn't transform now, Akane was still here. Quickly darting backwards to grab his backpack, Ryoga stated, "We'll finish this at our regularly scheduled date, one week from today!"On that note, Ryoga dashed into the forest, completely unaware of what his next destination entailed.'Moron doesn't even realize it's been two days since he last showed up,' Ranma thought."Hey wait!" Gohan called after him, but too late. Ryoga was already gone beyond earshot."He has the right idea," Akane noted. "Let's get back to your place before the storm hits!""You're right," Gohan nodded. "Follow me!"Gohan dashed into the forest opposite Ryoga quickly followed by Ranma and Akane. As the others shoved off to Gohan's house, Videl just stood alone in the field staring at the direction Ryoga ran in, taking in the reality of how outmatched she truly appeared to be.'What...is he?' Videl thought."Videl, come on!" Gohan called.Stirring from her thoughts, Videl quickly ran after the others before she took to the air. As she flew, she couldn't stop thinking about the encounter with Ryoga. She'd been eager to make him pay for what he did to her father's dojo, but if their meeting today was any indication, then maybe this was going to be a lot tougher than she initially thought.
(A/N: So, Ranma has a brief fight with a surprise opponent and Videl gets a small taste of what Ryoga's made of. Speaking of which, I know Ranma's stance about fighting with women, but I don't recall Ryoga fighting a girl who WASN'T female Ranma (PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong on this, but don't be harsh), so I hope his interaction with Videl was accurate. As for Videl's attacks on Ryoga, well, Videl's a tough chick, but I think we can all agree that Ranma, even at the earliest of his series, was stronger than her (heck, even Akane's stronger), and if Ranma's initial attacks barely fazed Ryoga during their second MAJOR battle (The Bakusai Tenketsu fight), then I doubt that Videl as she is now would be much of a threat...so we'll just have to fix that won't we? Stay tuned as Videl learns exactly what she's up against and what she has to do to even up the score.)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life's Stranger Than Yours
Escape From the Storm: Clash in the Cave
Though our quartet of friends made a fast break back to Gohan's house, they were unable to fully avoid the incoming storm as it abruptly started drizzling."God freaking dammit," complained an irritated Female Ranma. "How much longer till we make it back to your place!?""Not too long...but if you'd prefer, I think I have another idea!" Gohan replied."Anything, just get us out of this rain ASAP!" Ranma yelled."Okay then, follow me!"Slightly changing his path, the girls followed Gohan until they found themselves at the mouth of a cave.'A cave?' Ranma and Akane thought."Uhh dude...!" Ranma began."Don't worry, nothing lives here, trust me!" Gohan assured them.Too irritated to argue, Ranma quickly dashed into the cave behind Gohan, followed by Akane and Videl, just as the light drizzle steadily began to become a downpour."Phew, glad we made it outta that before we got totally drenched," said Akane."Lucky us," Ranma snapped sarcastically wringing water out of her pigtail.Gohan stood by the mouth of the cave and kept an eye on the weather. "Okay. I think we should wait here a moment and see if the storm passes. If not, I'll fly us back home in a flash.""Yeah...but why couldn't you just fly us back to your house in the first place?" asked Ranma."Well...don't ya think it's a bit too soon for us to head back home?" said Gohan. "I mean, with that Ryoga guy showing up, and then the storm, we didn't exactly get a chance to really train.""True," Ranma replied."Speaking of Ryoga, do you think he got out of the storm in time?" asked a concerned Akane.[Elsewhere in the Forests of Mt. Paouzu]A small black piglet could be seen desperately scampering away from a saber-toothed tiger. The fact that it was actually outspeeding the wildcat was beyond impressive.'I swear, both Ranma and THAT guy will pay for this!'[Back in the cave]"Who knows," shrugged Ranma. "Eh, Ryoga's a big boy, he'll be fine," she nonchalantly added."I guess you're right...though I do wonder why he ran off the way he did. You wouldn't think a bit of water would keep him from a fight." said Akane.Ranma sweatdropped with a deadpan expression. 'If only you knew,' he thought."Well, either way, we may be here for a bit, so I think we might as well enjoy this little break while we can," Gohan said."Ehhh, I'm not ready to take a break yet," Ranma exclaimed. "Like you said, we barely got to actually do anything since Ryoga and the storm showed up."Gohan quickly took a brief second. Now that he noticed, the cave was actually pretty spacious. Maybe there'd still be plenty of room for them to actually get some work done."Alright, if you say so. Where should we start?" Gohan asked."Ranma!"All eyes turned to Videl who'd been all but silent since they'd entered the cave."Videl?""What is it?""Ranma, fight me!" Videl declared."What? Why?" asked Gohan."Well, looks like someone's upset about their fight with Ryoga...if you could even call it that," Ranma teased.Videl clenched her fist in irritation. Before she could make a move however, Akane beat her to the punch, literally, and pounded Ranma into the wall."Could you be any more insensitive you jerk!" Akane snapped.Videl let out a sigh, her previous anger dissipating. "Akane stop...he's right.""He is?""I am?""Videl..." Gohan interjected. He wasn't the best at readaing people, but he could tell that there was more to Videl's current mood than she was letting on."It's more than just you losing the fight that's bothering you, isn't it?"Videl shyly turned her head away from Gohan, avoiding eye-contact. After remaining silent for a few seconds, she spoke up."Gohan...you know good and well that this isn't the first time I've fought someone who could just take all my attacks and keep on going like I wasn't even there." said Videl.Gohan raised an eyebrow in thought. 'What does she mean by that?' It took him a few seconds but, but he soon realized exactly what Videl was talking about."Wait, you're not talking about...!"Videl nodded before he could finish, cutting him off."Wait what is she talking about?" asked Akane."It's...something we generally don't like to bring up," Gohan solemnly replied."Really? Why?" asked Ranma."Let's just say it's not exactly a pleasant memory...for either of us."As Gohan finished his statement, Videl let out desperate yell and proceeded to punch the cave wall in frustration."Videl!"'Dammit...I'm sick of being outmatched like this!' Videl internally exclaimed. 'I know I'll never be as strong as Gohan, or heck even Goten, but still...I want to at least be known as the strongest Human, and I won't let some big moron who can't even read a map beat me again!'"Ranma, you said I wouldn't stand a chance against Ryoga if I couldn't at least match you, right? Well in that case, I want to know just exactly what I have to work towards!"Ranma gave an impressed whistle. Springing to her feet, Ranma took a defensive stance. "Alright, if you insist, but don't get mad at me if you can't keep up!"Videl dropped into a stance of her own as Gohan moved over to Akane's side to give the two of them more room. Sure the cave was more spacious than expected, but there still wasn't too much to work with."Well, it looks like they'll finally get their sparring match after all," stated Akane.Gohan remained silent as he eyed the two with concern. Videl was a very prideful girl and the encounter with Ryoga had obviously shaken her, but he couldn't help but wonder if fighting Ranma would actually help her or somehow make things worse.The two combatants stood still staring each other down, until Videl decided to throw the first punch, which Ranma easily dodged by swaying to the side. Videl aptly followed up with another punch which Ranma dodged again. As Videl threw a third punch at the redhaired girl, she responded by hopping aside.Ranma nonchalantly placed both arms behind her head and continued to dodge as Videl threw punch after punch at her. As the 'battle' continued, Videl found herself getting more and more irritated."Would you fight seriously!?" Videl yelled."Sorry, I was just under the impression that we were just warming up," Ranma taunted.'Why does it feel like I've seen this before?' Akane thought with a disdainful look on her face.Her eyes sharply narrowed, Videl threw a high kick at Ranma that the pigtailed fighter blocked. Catching Videl by the ankle, Ranma lightly shoved her back, knocking her off balance and on to the ground.Videl rolled backwards, setting herself straight, but before she could fully recover, Ranma dashed in front of her instantaneously and playfully flicked Videl on the forehead.Videl looked up at Ranma with irritation in her eyes, but the aquatic cursed fighter stood over her and extended a hand. With a sigh, Videl took Ranma's hand and let her help her up."Let's just call this match a demonstration," said Ranma. "I'd fight a bit harder, but I don't want this place to come down on us.""Fair enough I guess...but next time, could you do more than just play defense?" Videl pleaded."Hmph, Ranma does that all the time when we spar. Dodge and block, but never fights back," Akane interjected."Really? Gohan's the same. I mean, I get that he doesn't want to hurt me and everything, but come on!" Videl replied."Uhhhm...we're right here!" Ranma snapped.Gohan could only turn away and grin, a light blush on his face. 'Don't worry Videl. After today, I promise I'll be stricter,' Gohan internally stated.As the girls, sans Ranma, laughed, the humourous moment was halted by a booming thunderclap, followed by a flash of lightning."Eeek!" Akane squealed bouncing into Gohan's arms.The young half saiyan yelped in surprise, unsure of what to do in this situation. To Gohan's fear, Videl raised an eyebrow with an expression that looked less than pleased. His fear was abruptly put to rest with Videl's following words."Akane...are you afraid of thunder?" she asked.Realizing the position she was in, Akane quickly motioned for Gohan to let her down before replying, "No, I was just...caught off guard."'Ya know, normally I'd make some sort of teasing comment about 'why'd you grab onto Gohan like that if you were just caught off guard', but since I already know you're not usually scared by thunder or lightning like this, I'm gonna pass this time,' Ranma mentally proclaimed.Sliding away from Akane, Gohan quickly went to the mouth of the cave to view the storm which, judging from the previous thunder and lightning, had only gotten worse."We can't stay in this cave all night," Gohan said. "Guess we have no choice. All three of you, grab onto me and I'll fly us home in an instant."Though Ranma and Videl nodded their agreement, Akane was hesitant. "Uhh...are you sure it's safe to fly out in a heavy storm like this?" she asked."Don't worry, I've flown through worse than this, and since my house isn't too far ahead, it won't be for long, maybe two, three minutes tops."Akane was still visibly hesitant but she eventually nodded her agreement as well.[A few seconds later]Ranma and Akane each wrapped an arm around Gohan's back while Videl had both of hers lightly wrapped around his neck, as the young saiyan prepared to blast off."Okay, you girls ready?""Ready!" Videl confirmed."I'm a guy ya jerk!" Ranma exclaimed."Heh, oh right...""I'm...ready!" Akane said sternly. Fear still evident on her features, Akane nigh instinctively pulled herself closer against Gohan until her chest pressed against his side.Gohan's face instantly lit up a light shade of red as Akane held onto him tightly. This however, did not go unnoticed by Videl or Ranma, the latter of whom's face became an impish grin."Oh Gohan, I know we're in a hurry, but please don't go too fast. I'd hate to fall off from so high up," she said in her best playful teasing voice."I...I'll do my best..." Gohan chuckled."Oh thank you!" Ranma said flirtatiously pressing her chest into Gohan's side as well.Gohan all but froze up from the excessive female contact. He'd never been this uncomfortably physical with a girl before, not even Videl. Speaking of whom..."Gah!"Gohan let out a small groan as Videl lightly squeezed her arms around his neck, before subsequently kicking Ranma in the back of the leg."What was that for?" Ranma and Gohan said simultaneously."You," she turned to Ranma, "stop teasing Gohan.""And you," she turned back to Gohan, "just focus on flying, okay.""Y-yes ma'am!"With a soft inhale, Gohan let his energy burst before he blasted out of the cave and in a white streak, jetted off for his home.Despite the pouring rain, Ranma was surprisingly unconcerned about getting wet, thanks in part ot him already being in female form. The thing that caught her attention now was the amount of power Gohan was emitting.'What the hell is this guy!?' Ranma thought. 'All he's doing is flying, but his letting off such an insane Chi. This is nothing like when I felt it from Videl, this is a LOT higher...I think it may be even greater than Herb's!'Ranma was unable to dwell on the thought for long because Gohan started to hastily descend. They'd arrived back at the mountain home in record time and dashed inside just as quickly.Slamming the door shut, the four young fighters panted as water dripped off all of them."Gohan! Is that you!?" Chi-Chi called from the kitchen. Dashing to the entrance, Chi-Chi let out a loud gasp as she laid eyes on the four drenched teenagers."H-hey Mom...we're back." said Gohan.
[Eyecatch]
Akane and Videl run to each other before passing each other and stopping in a position similar to the cover.
[End Eyecatch]
Gohan and a now Male Ranma, sat in the living room clad in nothing but their shorts and towels each while Akane and Videl were both garbed in white bathrobes."Honestly, you kids should've come straight home once the storm started, now look at you all!" Chi-Chi exclaimed."It's not like that Mom. We found shelter in a cave and waited to see if the storm would die down a bit," Gohan defended."What's done is done," Chi-Chi sighed. "Either way, I think you could all use a fresh set of clothes until yours are all dry. Gohan let Ranma borrow some of yours.""No problem." Gohan got up from the couch and dashed upstairs, with Ranma right behind."You two come with me," she said to Akane and Videl. "I'll lend you some of mine." Wasting no time, the two young girls followed Chi-Chi to her bedroom.[Shortly]Once Gohan and Ranma made it to Gohan's room, the half saiyan wasted no time in slipping his towel off and darting to his closet.As Gohan rummaged through clothes, Ranma was eager to get some new info about...what his deal was."Okay Gohan, spill it!" Ranma exclaimed."Spill what?""When we were flyin' back to your place, you were letting off a pretty high Chi signal," Ranma stated."Chi signal...wait you know how to sense energy?" Gohan asked.Ranma shrugged. "When they're expending energy, yeah. You saying you can sense chi just...whenever?""Yeah. It's one of the more basic techniques, but it's a pretty vital one amongst me, my Dad and his friends." Gohan replied.'Flying and sensing chi whenever you can...wonder what other techniques he's got under his belt,' Ranma thought.While Ranma was lost in thought, Gohan pulled out his orange gi and a green tracksuit and tossed them on the bed.Ranma glanced at the two outfits and raised an eyebrow. "Huh, what's with the Gym Teacher outfit?" Ranma asked.Gohan turned back and chuckled. "I...actually do wear that during Gym at school believe it or not.""Figures..." Ranma paused then turned his gaze over to the orange gi where his face briefly lit up. "Hey...isn't that the same kinda uniform your old man wears."Gohan gave a solemn nod. "Yeah, it is. My brother's outfit is similar, except it's black instead of blue."'Speaking of which...where IS Dad?' Gohan thought."Hmm...so like, is orange a family color or somethin'?" Ranma asked."Oh no, it's nothing like that. The orange and blue uniform is actually the staple of the school my dad trained in when he was younger," said Gohan."Must've been quite the place if he still wears the same uniform," said Ranma. "What's the school called anyway?""It's called the Turtle School.""Turtle School...?" Ranma repeated."Yeah."Ranma let the name sink in. For some reason, the name sounded familiar but he just couldn't place it. Ranma sat in silent thought for a few brief seconds before it hit him.'Wait a sec...didn't Pops and Mr. Tendo say something about...!'
"Son Gohan is the name of a once famous Martial Artist who trained under the Legendary Turtle Hermit!"
Ranma recalled his father's words and his eyes widened in realization. 'So Gohan does know about the Turtle Guy since his Dad was a student! Maybe Pops and Mr. Tendo were on to something after all!'Just as the pieces began to fall into place inside Ranma's mind, his thoughts were interrupted by Gohan calling his name."Ranma?""Yeah?""Punch me.""...What?""You said yourself you weren't going all out against Videl back in the cave, but I have a feeling it wasn't due to the lack of space," Gohan said.Ranma shot Gohan a smug grin. "Was it that obvious?""Maybe just a little," Gohan grinned back. His face becoming serious, Gohan simply took a light stance signaling that he was prepared for an attack."This time, I want you to hit me with everything you've got," Gohan stated.Ranma chuckled as he cracked his knuckles. "Okay pal, but remember, you asked for it!"With a low, but fierce grunt, Ranma threw a full strength punch at Gohan that the young hybrid easily caught.Ranma continued to try and put more force behind his blow, but Gohan's grip left the cursed fighter straining to even move. After remaining frozen in place for a few seconds, Gohan flashed Ranma a small grin before releasing his hand.Shaking his hand out and rubbing his wrist, Ranma asked, "Okay dude, just what was that all about?""I...just needed to check something," Gohan replied.Ranma was more than a bit curious at Gohan's reasoning for him wanting to hit him. Ultimately though, he decided to drop the issue for now...at least until he got some clothes on.[Meanwhile]Her robe discarded, Akane placed outfit after outfit against her frame in front of a mirror. Ever since Chi-Chi offered her wardrobe to the two girls, Akane was having trouble picking an outfit while Videl had made no attempt to even find one.'Jeeze, does Ms. Chi-Chi have anything that doesn't look like it comes from Shampoo's closet?' Akane thought.As Akane modeled more and more outfits, Videl was lost deep in thought as the memory of her recent encounter with Ryoga and her spar with Ranma replayed endlessly in her mind.
'I don't have the time or heart to strike an opponent who's so much weaker than me.'
The sting of his words made Videl's entire body tremble with frustration. 'Who the hell does he think he's calling weak!?'"Videl?...Videl!?""Huh?"Snapping out of her inner musings, Videl came face to face with Chi-Chi, who had just reentered, and Akane who were looking at her with a pair of concerned looks."Oh sorry, what were we saying!?" Videl exclaimed."I...asked if you were staying for dinner," Chi-Chi replied."Oh...yeah. How bout you and Ranma, Akane?""Sounds good to me, and Ranma won't turn down food," Akane replied.Though Chi-Chi was delighted at having more guests, she could also tell that something was bothering Videl."Videl, are you alright? You've been looking pretty out of it since you and the others got back," said Chi-Chi. "Wait...don't tell me being out in that rain got you sick!" she exclaimed placing a hand on Videl's forehead."Chi-Chi, please! I'm fine," Videl assured. "We'll be out in a few minutes okay."Chi-Chi was understandably skeptical, but she relented and left the two young girls to their own."You're still thinking about Ryoga aren't you?" asked Akane.Videl clenched her fists even tighter and replied, "I just can't believe it. I know I said this wasn't the first time I've fought a guy who could just take all my attacks, but at least with the other guy, I at felt like I was doing something before..." Videl quickly stopped herself before the memory became too vivid in her mind. "Grrrgh...Ryoga just brushed me aside like I was literally nothing." Videl strained."That's Ryoga's thing. He's adept at tanking attacks and then overwhelming his opponents with pure power," said Akane."But I've dealt with those types of fighters before! Are you telling me that he's just that higher leveled than me?" Videl exclaimed."Like we said, he's Ranma's rival for a reason," Akane noted.'Why do they keep saying that?' Videl irritatedly thought.Videl suspiciously narrowed an eyebrow. "You know, I may not know exactly how strong he is, but you talk about Ranma like he's invincible or something," she noted."Oh please. Ranma's gotten his butt kicked PLENTY of times before, but there's no denying that he's an incredibly strong martial artist...for better or worse," Akane groaned. "Both he and Ryoga have gone to some crazy extremes to beat each other, so it's no wonder that they'd be stronger than most normal fighters."'They're starting to sound like Goku and Vegeta,' Videl thought."So basically, you're saying that unless I go to some asinine length to train, I won't stand a chance against him?" Videl asked."Not necessarily, but if you want any hope of winning, you might want to come up with a technique that'll be able to break Ryoga's defenses first." Akane suggested.Videl slumped down on the bed and let out an aggravated sigh. "Well that'll be a cinch," she sarcastically snapped."What's with that tone?" Akane replied."Sorry. I'm just thinking that this probably wouldn't be a problem if Gohan would train me harder," Videl lamented."Well, you said it yourself, he doesn't want to hurt you, right?" said Akane."I know, but even if he doesn't want to spar with me, he could at least teach me how to use energy more.""Hmmmm...""What is it?"Akane thought back to the special techniques Ranma had learned. For the few he used on a regular basis, one person was at the forefront in teaching them to him.'Maybe...' Akane shook her head. 'No, no, that's a terrible idea! I can't take Videl to see her! Besides, there's no way she'd actually do it either!'"Akane, what're you doing?" Videl asked."I was just uh..." Akane stammered.Fortunately, Akane wouldn't have to finish her sentence as in the next instance, a familiar man garbed in orange and blue suddenly materialized beside the two girls. Under normal circumstances this would be a problem, but considering the two girls knew the man, one of them vastly more than the other, it wasn't...at least it wouldn't have been if Akane still had her robe on."Yo!""EEEEEEEKKKKKKKKK!"
(A/N: Hey all! Long Time no see! I bet many of you are wondering why this chapter took so long to release, and honestly, the only answer is Writer's Block. This Chapter was EXCRUCIATINGLY difficult to write for some reason. Eventually, I finally managed to put this hot mess together, but not without starting yet ANOTHER story. [For anyone interested, it's a Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows/My Hero Academia Crossover]. Here's hoping the next chapter[of both stories] won't take forever to get done. Also, regarding Ranma and Videl's 'match', I promise that they'll have a much more proactive battle some time in the future. Until next time!)
PS: Thank Zeno I got this out before the month ended!
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life's Stranger Than Yours
Reminisce and Rivalries: An Unexpected Challenger
"EEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!"At the sound of Akane's shriek, Chi-Chi burst through the door wielding a broom"Are you girls alright!?" she yelled."Hey hon, I'm back," Goku replied.At the sight of her husband, Chi-Chi let out a relieved sigh."Hey, is everything okay in there?" called Gohan from across the hall. "I thought I heard screaming.""Oh it's nothing son, everything's fine!" Chi-Chi assured him."Gee whiz Goku, I warned you about using your instant transportation like that! You nearly scared the girls half to death!"Goku turned to see Videl in front of Akane who was curled into a ball in an attempt to cover herself, the latter shooting Goku a harsh glare that could rival that of his wife's."Hehe, sorry about that. I just wanted to get home and outta the rain quickly after I finally finished out in the fields," Goku chuckled.Though they hadn't initially noticed when he first appeared, now that they got a good look at him, Goku was completely drenched and his clothes were dripping water onto the floor."In any case, you should hurry up and get out of those wet clothes. You still need to pick up Goten from Bulma's place," Chi-Chi reminded him."Oh yeah, that's right!" Goku wasted no time in pulling his farming outfit off. At the sight of Goku stripping, every female face in the room turned red and the two young girls proceeded to shield their eyes and turn their heads away."Goku! Not in here! Go change in Gohan's room!" Chi-Chi ordered."But I'm already in my gi," Goku replied.Peeking through their fingers, the girls saw that Goku was indeed back in his orange and blue uniform. How he managed to do that before Chi-Chi coud even finish her sentence was beyond them."Alright then. I'm off to get Goten," said Goku.Placing two fingers on his forehead, Goku flickered for an instant before vanishing from sight.Despite witnessing Goku's instant transmission a couple of times before, she couldn't hide her surprise and let out a low shriek."Why does he feel the need to always disappear like that?" Chi-Chi said shaking her head."How does he even do that?" Akane asked.Videl could only shrug. "Beats me.""Enough about him for now. You girls should hurry and get dressed," said Chi-Chi."We'd have finished sooner but...we're just having a bit of trouble picking out what to wear," said Akane."Oh?"Chi-Chi strolled over to the closet and began shifting through garments. A short moment later, she gasped as she pulled out an outfit, her eyes shining brightly."Oh my, I forgot this was here! It's been so long!"The girls stared while Chi-Chi stared longingly at a reddish-pink and blue fighter's outfit that matched the chinese style of her normal wardrobe."One of you girls try this one!" Chi-Chi tossed the suit over to Videl who gave it to Akane who was still undressed.The girl from Nerima placed the outfit against her frame before stepping in front of the mirror. While Akane checked herself out, Videl began questioning Chi-Chi's reaction to the suit."Chi-Chi, if you don't mind my asking, what exactly is the deal with that outfit?""That's the same outfit I wore the day I fought Goku in the World Marital Arts Tournament," Chi-Chi answered."Wait what!? Really!?" Videl exclaimed."You fought in the Martial Arts Tournament!?" Akane added.Chi-Chi nodded. "Mmhmm. Not only that, but on that same day, Goku and I got married!""HUH!?""I had the same reaction," Videl giggled.The girls turned towards Chi-Chi as she sat on the bed with a nostalgic expression on her face."When we were kids, Goku made a promise to marry me, but he was always running off training and going on adventures with the others so we didn't get to see much of each other. The Tournament was my best bet to see him again, and we were eventually pitted against each other. Goku ended up beating me and went on to win the whole Tournament and afterwards, he kept his promise and we got married."Chi-Chi stared lovingly into space as the memories replayed in her mind. As Videl watched Chi-Chi reminisce, Akane handed her Chi-Chi's old outfit."Here. I think this thing suits you a bit more than it does me."Videl held the outfit against her body and viewed herself in the mirror with a satisfied expression."You know Videl, you're welcome to keep that if you'd like," said Chi-Chi. "It...doesn't fit me anymore anyways, " she hesitantly added.Videl's expression grew steadily brighter. "Thanks Chi-Chi."Not wanting to intrude on the moment right now, Akane excused herself back into the closet for she still needed to find a something to wear. Shifting through outfits, she soon pulled out what looked to be a bikini with a cape."What the heck is this? A swimsuit!?""KYAAAAA!"Chi-Chi harshly twitched before dashing over to Akane and snatching the outfit out of her hand, desperately trying to hide it behind her back."I...just remembered, I need to go finish dinner! You girls hurry and get dressed!" On that note, Chi-Chi darted out of the room and slammed the door shut."The young girls could only stare in confusion as beads of sweat ran down their heads."What...was that all about?" asked Akane."No idea."[A few minutes later]The boys exited Gohan's room, Gohan clad back in his school garb and Ranma sporting a green tracksuit."Man, I hope my clothes get dry soon cause this really ain't my style," Ranma groaned."I'll say. You look more like a gym teacher than a martial artist," came the giggling voice of Akane.The boys looked ahead to see the Videl dressed in Chi-Chi's old fighting uniform and Akane dressed in a purple dress with an orange scarf.While Ranma's face soured at Akane's comment, Gohan's face flushed a light red and his eyes widened at the sight of Videl.'That's Mom's old outfit!' he recognized. 'It...really suits her.'"Gohan? Why are you staring at me like that?" Videl asked raising an eyebrow.The young saiyan's blush deepened as he quickly backpedaled. "I-I wasn't staring!""He totally was right?" Videl whispered"No doubt," Akane softly replied."I...was just thinking...it may be a while before your guys' clothes get dry...so uh...what should we do in the meantime?" Gohan asked."Well, I dunno about you guys, but I'm kinda hungry," said Ranma."Now that you mention it, so am I," Gohan added."Well then, you boys are in luck since Chi-Chi's in the kitchen, and she invited Ranma and Akane to stay and eat with us." Videl replied."Alright, perfect timing!""GYAACK!"The four teenagers stumbled back as Goku once again appeared out of nowhere, startling everyone sans Gohan."Dad you're back!" said Gohan."Yup, and I'm not the only one.""I'm here too!" said a small voice. Everyone looked down at Goku's leg to see what looked like a miniature Goku who proceeded to leap into Gohan's arms."Goten!" Gohan greeted."Hey Gohan!" Goten replied. "Hey bro, why's Videl dressed like Mom?" he asked.The girl in question responded by playfully noogieing him with a giggle.Gohan turned to Ranma and Akane and promptly introduced Goten who made himself comfy on his brother's shoulder."Ranma, Akane this is my little brother, Goten."'He's adorable!' Akane thought with a bright smile."Man, I heard of kids takin' after their parents, but this kid looks EXACTLY like his old man," Ranma commented."Yeah...we get that a lot," Goku grinned.As Gohan put him down, Akane knelt down to introduce herself at face level with him. Goten's face became a light shade of red as Akane looked straight at him and introduced herself."Hi, my name's Akane. The goof behind me is Ranma.""Hi I'm Goten," he quickly introduced himself while bowing.Videl raised an eyebrow at Goten's intro. "Goten, why are you bowing?""Mom said I should be more respectful when I'm talking to girls," Goten answered.Akane giggled at Goten and placed an affectionate hand on his head. "You're so cute.""How come you're not that respectful around me?" Videl asked crossing her arms in a playfully offended manner."Cause you're my big sister!" Goten grinned."Ehh...!"Videl and Gohan both flashed red before Goku and Akane let out a pair of chuckles."Now that introductions are out of the way, let's get going. I think Chi-Chi's almost finished with dinner!"Goku dashed off to the kitchen leaving the kids behind."Hey wait for us!" Gohan called. "Goten come on!""Right!"The two brothers jetted off leaving Videl and the Nerima martial artists alone."And that, my friends is the power food has over the men in this family," Videl commented."They're not the only ones," added Akane.Videl turned back to see that Ranma was already gone as well. No doubt chasing after the saiyans."Well, we better go too before there's nothing left," said Videl.[Moments later]The gang was back sitting in the living room, all the boys looking rather disappointed due to the fact that dinner wasn't quite finished yet."Aww man. I was hoping Chi-Chi would've been done by the time Goten and I got back," Goku whined. "I'm starving.""Me too," added the brothers."Me three," chimed in Ranma."Well, Chi-Chi always cooks a lot, but since we're here," she said referring to herself, Ranma and Akane. "She's probably making more than usual.""Makes sense." Akane noted."It's worth the wait though. Chi-Chi's an amazing cook." Videl assured."I believe you. Whatever she's making smells delicious!" Akane noted."I'll say," Ranma concurred. "I almost can't wait to try it out."There was a brief pause in the air before Goten started to whine out loud. "Man I'm bored! Can't we go do something outside?""Isn't it still raining?" Gohan replied."Actually, it looks like that crazy storm blew over already," Goku answered. "I don't know about you kids, but I think I'll get in a quick training session before dinner.""Oh Dad, can I go with ya!" Goten exclaimed."Sure son. Gohan, you wanna come with?" Goku offered."Thanks but, I think I'll pass this time Dad.""If you say so.""Can I come with you?"Goku paused and turned back to see Ranma standing with a vaguely eager look on his face."Ranma, what are you doing?" asked Akane."I'm askin' to see if Gohan's old man will let me train with him," Ranma simply answered. "Since we got rained out, none of us got a chance to do any real training today, and since the storm's over now, I figure there's no time like the present."'Also, I wanna see what techniques this guy has.' Ranma mentally added."Well, he has a point," Videl stated.Akane was about to retort when Goku spoke up, cutting her off."Sure, I don't see why not," he answered."R-really?" Ranma asked."Actually...I think I may have a better idea. Why don't you and Goten have a sparring match," Goku suggested.Any excitement that may have been building within Ranma quickly died down at Goku's proposal, while also being accompanied by confusion and disbelief."You...want me to fight the kid?" Ranma asked, a dry expression on his face. "No offense, but isn't that a little unfair?""Naw, it'll be fine," Goku assured. "Goten may be young, but you shouldn't underestimate him. Plus, I think Goten could benefit from having a different sparring partner than just us. So what do you say boys?""I'm game, but...Dad, are you sure about this? He doesn't look that strong," Goten pointed to Ranma.The pigtailed boy paused before slowly turning to Goten a vein visible on his forehead."What'd you say?"Akane could only let out a stifled laugh. "You heard him Ranma."Ignoring Akane for the moment, Ranma dashed over to Goten and yelled, "Just whadaya mean by that, kid!?" he exclaimed."Well...I can tell that you're stronger than sis, but you don't look or feel anywhere close to my dad or my brother," Goten answered.'Wait, what does he mean feel?' Akane noted.The offended martial artist clenched his fist before exclaiming, "Alright fine! You wanna know how strong I really am? Bring it on kid!"[A short moment later]Everyone (sans Chi-Chi) stood right outside the mountain home, Ranma and Goten standing poised to battle.Off to the side, Akane viewed the scene with a hint of doubt."Uh guys, are you sure this is safe?" Akane asked. "Ranma should know better than to fight for real against a child, but after what Goten said before, I'm worried he might actually hurt him.""Goten will be fine," Goku assured. "Like I said, you shouldn't underestimate him because he's young.""Even so, he's fighting someone twice his age, and Ranma can be...unpredictable at times." Akane added."Akane...believe me when I say that Goten is more than able to hold his own against Ranma," said Videl.'Even Videl's saying that?' Akane thought. Still not convinced, Akane turned to Gohan who had a look of concern on his face."Gohan...do you really think your brother can handle Ranma?" she asked."...We'll see," Gohan replied. 'If anything...the one I'm worried about is Ranma,' he mentally added. 'He's stronger than a normal human, but Goten...well he'll find out soon enough.'Ranma took a defensive stance while shooting Goten a harsh look of irritation. The young saiyan in question merely stood completely at ease. As Ranma continued to stare at Goten's completely neutral expression, his earlier anger steadily dissipated.'What am I doin'? I can't fight a kid for real,' Ranma thought. 'Huh, this is what I get for havin' a short fuse I guess. Still, I do still wanna make this kid eat his words, and this WAS Goku's idea in the first place....'His mind made up, Ranma mentally proclaimed his plan for the upcoming match. 'Alright then Saotome, don't hurt the kid. Just rough him up a bit and show him what you're made of.'"You ready to go kid," said Ranma."Uh huh!" At Goten's response, the young boy finally took a defensive stance.Acting as mediator, Gohan stepped forth raising his arm. "Ready guys?"Both parties nodded."Begin!"Ranma made the first move, dashing forward at Goten with his arm pulled back. 'Don't hurt the kid, just give him a chop in the head.'Ranma thrust his arm forward to strike, but to the pigtailed fighter's surprise Goten blocked his attack nigh perfectly.'Hmmm...'Ranma followed up his chop with a punch to the side of Goten's head, but the small fighter was able to avoid it by swaying away. Ranma quickly hopped backwards, distancing himself from Goten."Heh, not bad kid, but don't think I'll keep going easy on ya," Ranma 'taunted'."Hey, could you stop fooling around?" Goten asked."Huh?""Fight for real," Goten pleaded. "This won't be any fun if you're not serious."Ranma sighed. "Look kid. I get that you wanna play, but seriously if I try to figh you for real...""Ranma!" Gohan called cutting him off.As both pairs of eyes turned to the older half saiyan, Gohan could only respond with, "Do as he says."Ranma and Akane raised their eyes in surprise. He WANTED Ranma to hit Goten for real?"Uhhh Gohan, I don't think that's a good idea!" Akane warned."You heard him. Both of you, go all out!" Goku encouraged.'Why do they have so much faith in this kid?' Ranma wondered. 'Aww who cares,' he dismissed. 'At the very least, now I don't have to feel guilty when I pound him!'"Alright, you heard what your bro and old man said..." Ranma started.Dashing back at Goten, Ranma pulled his fist back before throwing a serious punch at the young saiyan. "Don't get mad at me for this!"Goten braced himself for Ranma's attack. As the older boy's fist flew at him, Goten raised his hand and caught the blow while getting very slightly pushed back."He...caught it!?" Akane exclaimed.'What the-!?'"Okay, now it's my turn!" Goten cheerfully replied.Keeping his grip firm on Ranma's hand, Goten pulled his opponent forward, throwing him off guard, and threw his own serious punch at Ranma nailing him in the cheek and blowing him back onto the ground."Ranma!" Akane yelled.The pigtailed martial artist shook his head recovering from that last attack before turning his attention back to Goten."Wow. I take back what I said. You're stronger than I thought!" Goten praised. "Guess that means I can go all out too!" he cheered.Ranma could only stare at the bouncing boy with a look of pure bewilderment on his face.'What the hell...IS HAPPENING!?' (A/N: So, Ranma may have wanted to spar with Goten following that little insult, but he may have gotten more than he bargained for after taking that first punch. Next time, Ranma and Goten's battle takes off and both sides of fighters and spectators will get a taste of what the other side is really made of, but who'll be more surprised?)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life's Stranger Than Yours
Ranma vs. Goten; What Is This Incredible Power!?
Akane stared wide eyed at the scene. Complying with Goku's request, Ranma had attacked Goten with a serious punch, but not only did he defend against it, his counter attack knocked Ranma down...hard.'What in the world-!?' Akane thought. 'Ranma just got taken down...by a little kid?'"What...what just happened!?" she exclaimed."Looks like Goten got in the first hit," Gohan replied."Yeah, but something tells me Ranma may have still been holding back with that last attack there," commented Goku."Wha-!? How are they not-!?"Akane," Videl placed a hand on her shoulder."Videl?""Believe me, I was just as surprised as you when I first saw Goten fight, but if you thought that one punch was shocking, then you'd better strap yourself in, because you haven't seen anything yet."Akane looked at Videl with an expression of disbelief. "Believe it or not, this isn't the first time I've seen Ranma get beat by a kid before, except last time Ranma had lost all his strength and become extremely weak."Videl paused and looked at Akane increduously. "Excuse me?""It's a long story. My point is, no little boy should be able to do that to Ranma so easily!"As Ranma got to his feet, he rubbed the sore spot where Goten had punched him.'What the hell happened?' he thought. 'Why does my face hurt so much? That kid couldn't have done that...could he?'"Hey, are we still fighting?" Goten asked.Ranma narrowed his eyes as he clenched fist tight, his hand shaking."Lucky shot..." Ranma muttered. "I held back a little cause your a brat...but this time, I ain't pullin ANYTHING!"Ranma sprinted towards Goten and fired off another punch that the miniscule saiyan simply sidestepped. Ranma followed up with another punch which Goten deflected."Not this time! Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!"Ranma fired off punch after punch at Goten at inhuman speeds. To both Ranma and Akane's surprise, Goten was defending from them fairly easily.'How is Goten/this kid blocking all that/this!?'With each punch Goten blocked, Ranma steadily got more and more irritated, his eyes narrowing all the while. Stepping forward, Ranma attempted to try overwhelming Goten with pure pressure. Without realising it, his strategy appeared to be working as his attack speed began gradually increasing and Goten started to fall back."I've had...ENOUGH!"With that frustrated yell Ranma pulled back and fired his own 'lucky shot' that nailed Goten in the face and forced him back a few inches."How'd ya like that!?" panted a smug faced Ranma."Ranma, don't gloat you jerk!" Akane yelled from the sidelines. "You just beat up a little boy!"As Ranma's breathing began to slow, Akane's words began to sink in and Ranma's expression changed to one of frantic panic.'Eep! Oh crap she's right! What've I done!?'A guilt ridden Ranma slowly started approaching Goten who was shaking his head from Ranma's last attack."H-hey...you alright little guy?" asked a genuinely concerned Ranma."Yeah, I'm fine!" replied a surprisingly spry Goten."Oh, phew, that's a relief," Ranma sighed. The pigtailed fighter then did a double take as he glanced at Goten and realized what he'd just said meant.'Wait, a second...he IS fine! Like...totally fine!' Ranma noted.'Ranma's attack barely even phased him!' Akane mentally added."Hey Ranma, if you don't get serious, I think you're gonna regret it!" advised Goku.'What?'Ranma turned to Goku in surprise then back at Goten. He still didn't get why Goku was so adamant about him fighting Goten seriously, although after going that last round with him, he was beginning to see why."Alright then, this time for real!" Ranma proclaimed.Leaping into the air, Ranma struck with a flying drop kick which Goten dodged by jumping. Using the momentum from his previous attack, Ranma bounded off the ground and leapt after Goten, firing off another punch at Goten.The young boy avoided Ranma's attack by hovering and allowing himself to roll backwards in midair. As Ranma's attack whiffed and flew past Goten, the small saiyan countered by charging up his power and rocketing himself at Ranma. Unprepared to react, Ranma took the full force of Goten's skull crashing into his midsection.Falling out of the sky, Ranma quickly fixed himself in midair and managed to land on his feet. Once he touched ground however, he hugged himself and fell to his knee with a strained grunt.'Damn...what is this kid!?' Ranma thought. As Ranma tried to plan his next move, his attention was turned upwards by a still airborne Goten.'Wait...he can fly!? Just like Videl and Gohan!?' Ranma noted. "So that's it..." he muttered under his breath.'This kid can use ki too, and from the looks of it, he's pretty darn good at it.' Ranma thought. 'Well if that's the case, then I guess it's fair for me to do the same,' he smirked."Hey kid, you gonna hang up there all day, or are you gonna come back down here and fight!?" Ranma taunted.A determined Goten flashed an excited but serious grin. "Okay, here I come!"Goten let his energy flare before he rocketed himself downwards in a veritable freefall. The others watching expected Ranma to try and dodge, but to their surprise, he stood his ground and took a defensive stance with his hands pulled back."What's Ranma doing?" asked Videl."Looks like he's gearing for some kind of counter attack," noted Goku.Akane watched the scene with a shred of worry evident on her features. 'Why's Ranma using that attack!?' she thought. 'He's just a kid...but then again...he's been outfighting Ranma this whole match so maybe...I don't know what to think anymore!''I probably shouldn't be using a move like this on a little kid, but judging from what's been going on thus far, he probably won't be too hurt from it. If he does however, then I apologize in advance. For now though, I'm gonna hit this kid with everything I got!' Ranma internally monologued.Ranma held his ground as Goten quickly approached. As the young saiyan's descent steadily picked up speed, Goku and Gohan noticed that Ranma's energy was increasing rapidly.'Ranma's energy is increasing?' they thought. 'I could feel he was stronger than most other Earthlings, but I didn't think he had this much power in reserve,' thought Goku.'I wonder what he's preparing to do,' added Gohan.Time seemed to slow as Goten nearly headbutted Ranma yet again. This time however, Ranma was prepared to strike back. Once Goten was barely a few inches away from Ranma, the pigtailed fighter steeled himself, and quickly thrust his arms forward shouting "Moko TAKABISHA!"A bright yellow flash of light erupted from Ranma's hand and enveloped the both of them. In the next instance, the light's intensity flared up before resulting in an explosion that blasted Goten away causing him to hit the ground."Goten!" yelled Gohan."What...what was that!?" Videl exclaimed."Whoa! I didn't know Ranma could use an energy attack," noted a surprised Goku.Videl let out a small inaudible gasp as she turned to Goku. 'No way...Ranma can do that too? What about Ryoga then? If they fight each other so often does that mean he can as well?'After picturing Ryoga firing off an energy wave, Videl shook her head. She'd worry about that later. For now, she just wanted to focus on the battle currently taking place between Goten and Ranma.Akane took notice of everyone's reactions to the last string of events and made a few mental notes. 'Despite the initial surprise from Ranma's last attack, they don't look too concerned about Goten's well being,' Akane noted. 'Do they really think he's alright after that attack, or are they just careless?'While Goten picked himself up off the ground, Ranma panted as he lowered his smoking hands. "Heh, sorry I had to do that to ya kid, but if it makes ya feel any better, I only use that move on really strong opponents," Ranma taunted."Really?" came a surprisingly upbeat response.Ranma raised an eyebrow as, despite some damage to his outfit, and a few minor indications that he'd taken some damage, Goten looked to be largely unharmed.'No...freaking...WAY!' Ranma internally yelled."He's...alright..." said Akane."That's it Son, now show him what you can do Goten," Goku quietly stated."Man, I didn't think you'd use an attack like that!" Goten said dusting himself off. "But now it's my turn!"Ranma paused. "Wait...your turn?"Goten cupped his hands together and pulled them back."Kaaa...mee..."To the Nerima fighters' surprise, the space between Goten's hands began to illuminate as a small ball of blue light formed.'I...don't believe this!' thought Ranma.Akane couldn't even comment as all she could muster was a string of surprised gasps."Haaaa...meee..."The light from Goten's hands began to shine brighter and brighter at the last two syllables before the light all but engulfed his hands in a brilliant blue glow."HAAAAAA!"Goten thrust his hands forward releasing a blue stream of energy right at a stunned frozen Ranma."Ranma look out!" Akane shouted.Making the only play he could think of, Ranma jumped up high to avoid the blast. To his surprise, Goten appeared out of seemingly nowhere poised to strike."Hyyyyyyaaaagh!"Raising his hands, Goten brought both fists down hard on Ranma's head laucnhing him back to the ground. This time however, Ranma couldn't recover and he hit the ground, face first with a hard THUD!"Ranma!" Akane exclaimed rushing to his side."I think that may be enough for now. Hey Goten!" Goku called.As Goten rushed over to his father, Gohan and Videl went to go check on their defeated friend."Man...that fight was more intense than I thought," said Gohan."I'll say. Who knew Ranma could use the same kind of moves you guys can?" Videl replied."I was surprised when he told me he was familiar with energy, but I didn't think he actually had his own finishing move to boot too," said Gohan.The couple paused as they witnessed Akane kneel down beside Ranma."Ranma...are you alright?" Akane asked.Ranma slowly but surely began to pick himself off the ground, and judging from the look on his face, he probably wasn't alright."Do I look alright?" Ranma replied.Akane narrowed her eyes. "Well excuse me for worrying," she snapped. "After all, you took a pretty harsh beating from Goten just now."
STAB!
Ranma flinched as Akane's words hit home."Yeah...go ahead and laugh why don't ya?" Ranma growled. "I just got my ass kicked by a seven year old!"Akane paused for a few brief seconds before letting out a light snicker that quickly turned into a small giggle.'I didn't think too hard about it until just now but he's right...Ranma just lost a fight to a seven year old...and he was being serious!'"Whatcha laughin' at Akane!?" Ranma yelled."Oh nothing," Akane innocently replied.A vein popped on Ranma's forehead as he scrambled back to his feet. He was about to retort, but was cut off by Videl."So Ranma...great match there," she said giving a thumbs up."What, are you gonna laugh at me too?" Ranma asked crossing his arms."Why would we do that?" Gohan interjected. "You actually did a lot better in that fight than I expected."Ranma's eye twitched as he processed what Gohan had just said."What's THAT supposed to mean!" Ranma yelled.Even Akane had to do a double take to make sure she heard that right. She'd been so busy taking in Ranma's 'humbling' experience, that she almost forgot about the impossible truth that lay before her."That actually reminds me," she interjected. "How is Goten that strong? Having skills at his age is one thing, but no seven year old should have his kind of raw power."'Sure, seeing the novelty of Ranma losing to a kid is great and all, but honestly, no little boy should be able to come close to Ranma's strength like that.'Gohan began to sweat a little. He was so caught up in the battle, that he'd forgotten to think of an excuse for Goten's insane power. Thankfully, Videl stepped in and gave an answer for him."Practice, sparring, and plenty of milk.""Like Hell!" Ranma and Akane both yelled.Though Videl couldn't help but chuckle, the questioning came to an end by the timely arrival of Chi-Chi who stepped out of the house with a couple of welcomed announcements."Hey girls, Ranma, your clothes are dry, and all of you, hurry and get cleaned up and changed, cause dinner's ready too!""Alright!" Goku and Goten exclaimed."Finally!" Gohan sighed. 'Perfect timing Mom.'As the saiyans strolled off, Videl motioned for Ranma and Akane to follow them. "Come on you guys, let's go before those three take everything."The pair followed after Videl, but a single thought crossed both their minds. 'We are NOT done talking about this!'[A few moments later]"Whooooaaa!"Ranma and Akane stared wide eyed at the veritable smorgasbord that Chi-Chi had prepared. Everything from meat to buns to vegetables and everything in between was present."Chi-Chi, I think you've outdone yourself," complimented Goku.Chi-Chi crossed her arms with a satisfied grin on her face. "Well we have guests tonight. With the way you and the boys eat, I couldn't just let you three take most of the food yourselves, so I made extra sure there'd be plenty for everyone.""Uh Ms. Chi-Chi, with all due respect, don't you think this is a bit much?" said Akane."Nonsense. I've cooked bigger meals for smaller occassions before. This is nothing," Chi-Chi replied. "But that's enough chit-chat, dig in everyone.""Alright!"The trio of saiyans wasted no time in grabbing plates and filling them to capacity before subsequently scarfing down food at crazy speed. Gohan being the more well mannered one, at a slower more controlled pace, but still insanely fast.Ranma and Akane both paused as they witnessed the pure spectacle that was saiyan consumption of food.'What...what...even IS this!?' Akane questioned, her eye twitching.To her surprise, she glanced over to see Videl eating rather nonchalantly in response to the saiyans' savagery.'How is she not even phased by this!?'Though initially just as shocked as Akane, Ranma shrugged it off and began to help himself to the food on the table.'Hmph. Might as well get what I can.' he thought filling up his plate. After taking his first bite, Ranma also began to stuff his face at a faster than average pace...for him at least."Ranma, can you at least try to show some manners?" Akane scolded."Lay off would ya. I'm not in the mood," Ranma replied through chewing.Akane was about to retort, but she quickly realized why Ranma was eating so aggressively. 'He's probably still upset about his fight with Goten,' she thought.With a sigh of surrender, Akane grabbed her own plate, filled it with food and began eating with the others.[A few moments later]Ranma was getting to work on his third filing of food with Akane on her second."Ms. Chi-Chi, everything here is so good!" Akane complimented."Glad you two are enjoying yourselves," said a prideful Chi-Chi."Never thought I'd say this, but I think you're an even better cook than Kasumi," said Ranma.Thanks...I think. But who's Kasumi?" asked Chi-Chi."My big sister.""You have a sister?" asked Goku"Two actually.""Akane's the youngest of three sisters," Videl chimed in."Really?" Chi-Chi beamed."Yeah. Kasumi's the oldest and the resident chef of the house." 'At least unitl Auntie Saotome started living with us,' Akane mentally added."I've had Kasumi's cooking before and she really is an exquisite cook," said Videl. "Probably the nicest and most gentle person I've ever met too, and she's real pretty to boot.""Ohh, she sounds like she'll make some guy a very lucky husband," Chi-Chi grinned."Yeah. Unlike some other girl I know who can't cook a decent meal to save her life," commented Ranma.
SNAP!
Akane's chopsticks snapped in half as she twitched and clenched her fist tightly."Sorry...my chopsticks broke...can I have another pair?" Akane strained through grit teeth.Everyone at the table sweatdropped as they could sense a certain amount of tension eminating from their guests.[A few more moments later]Akane stared in astonishment as Ranma and the Saiyans each placed their now empty dishes on top of an already gargantuan pile of dishes before they each went for what had to be their final serving, judging from the amount of food left. She knew Ranma had a fairly big appetite, as evidenced by his 4 empty bowls, but Gohan and his family (sans Chi-Chi) ate nearly 3 times as much as Ranma in about the same amount of time.'I don't think I've seen anyone eat that much since Ranma went up against that French guy with the freakishly huge mouth.'Chi-Chi, with an impressive display of balance, picked up two large stacks of dishes and stepped out of the room and into the kitchen. As she placed the dishes into the sink, she was quickly joined by Videl who had her own stack."Hey Chi-Chi, you need a hand there?" the young girl offered."Much appreciated," Chi-Chi sighed.Akane stared at the guys before turning towards the kitchen and darting after Chi-Chi and Videl. "I'll help too!"A couple of minutes later, the girls had gotten all of the dishes into the sink, but before Chi-Chi could get started in cleaning them, the boys strolled in with the last of their dishes."So boys, how was it?" said Chi-Chi."Amazing as always," said Goku."I'll say," added Gohan and Goten."That had to have been on of the best meals I've had in a long while!" Ranma complimented."Oh you flatterer," giggled Chi-Chi.""Thanks for dinner Ms. Chi-Chi, but I think it's about time for Ranma and I to get home," Akane bowed."Not yet..." Ranma paused. Turning to Goten, Ranma pointed a finger and declared, "I wanna rematch with you kid!"Recalling Ranma's potshot at her cooking earlier, Akane decided to take the opportunity to pay him back for it."Oh is someone still upset because a seven year old boy kicked his butt earlier?" Akane taunted.Ranma's eye twitched as he clenched his fist tight. His expression then changing into a twisted grin, he retorted, "Ya know what...I'm not gonna get mad about that. How could I after having great food from a really nice lady? Instead of some toxic slop from an uncute girl who looks worse than the trash she cooks."
CLANG!
The saiyans flinched as they watched a frying pan collide with Ranma's face, knocking him down."You wanna run that by me again?" Akane sneered, a pot in her hand.Rubbing the sore spot on his head, Ranma shot back, "You heard me! You cook like crap and look even worse!"
CLANK!
Akane struck at Ranma with the pot, but Ranma quickly grabbed the pan she threw at him and parried her attack. The two struggled against each other until Chi-Chi stepped in between them, wielding a rolling pin."Alright you two, break it up!" she exclaimed."Don't look at me, she started it!" accused Ranma"No I didn't, you insensitive jackass!" Akane shot back."I'd rather be a jackass than a sexless, talentless, shrew like you!""RANMAAA!"
THWAM!
With a fierce uppercut, Akane launched Ranma through the roof, out of the house, and into the forest.Everyone in the room froze following Akane's attack, the saiyans all taking a collective step backwards.'I knew Akane was an intense girl...but not this intense,' thought Gohan, a bead of sweat rolling down his head."Hey uh...Goten, I think we'd better go get Ranma back," said Goku."Okay.""I...think I'll call Grandpa and see if he can come fix the roof," added Gohan.On that note, the saiyans darted out of the room, all three of them shaking."Never thought I'd see the day, but I think your friend has an even shorter temper than your Mom Gohan," commented Goku."Hehe, and I thought Videl already fit that bill," Gohan chuckled.[Back in the kitchen]As the boys disappeared, Akane finally began to calm down following a string of deep breaths."Think...you went a little overboard there Akane," Videl commented."You heard what he said right!? He totally had that coming," Akane snapped back.Placing her hands on her hips, Chi-Chi chimed in, "That may be true, but I still think punting him through the roof and messing up my kitchen was way out of line young lady!" putting emphasis on the kitchen part.Akane let out a sigh. She and Ranma fought on a nigh consistent basis, and though not all of their bouts end with Ranma going skyward, she knew that Chi-Chi had a point."In any case, until Goku gets back with Ranma, Akane, you can help me with the dishes. Do that, and we'll call it even for the hole in my roof." Chi-Chi ordered."Yes ma'am.""I'll help too Chi-Chi!" Videl interjected."Oh I appreciate the thought Videl, but this is Akane's debt, you shouldn't-""Chi-Chi," Videl cut her off. "There's a much bigger than normal workload here, trust me, even with Akane's help you'll need the extra set of hands. Besides, I've done this song and dance before and I've got nothing better to do."After taking a short pause, Chi-Chi gave the girls a warm smile. "Well if you insist." She then tossed them a pair of aprons. "Well you know the old saying. Roll up your sleeves and let's get to work."All three women immediately got to work on the large stack of dishes, with Videl doing the washing, Akane drying, and Chi-Chi stacking them in place. After a short while, of nigh silent work, Videl broke the silence."Akane, do you and Ranma always fight like that? I've seen you two hurl insults before, but that was kind of new," Videl asked.Akane flinched but didn't answer. That silence however, was all the answer Videl and Chi-Chi needed.Chi-Chi sighed. "You kids. If you and Ranma both don't clean up your acts, neither one of you will ever get married."Akane and Videl both froze, the former dropping the dish she was holding."H-how'd you know Ranma and I were engaged!?" Akane squealed.Now it was Chi-Chi's turn to freeze."...YOU TWO ARE ENGAGED!?" Chi-Chi shrieked back.While Videl couldn't resist letting out a grin at Chi-Chi's intense reaction, Akane couldn't help but curse herself after letting that bit of info slip out, cause judging from Chi-Chi's reaction and the expression currently adorning her face, that little fact might've been best kept secret.'Me and my big mouth.' (A/N: Ranma finally got a taste of what a Saiyan can do and Videl got an even better grasp of what Ranma's really made of. On top of that, Gohan and his family got a sneak peak into Ranma and Akane's general routine and may learn a bit more when everyone's favorite [or least favorite, depending on who you ask] anime housewife starts pressing Akane for all the juicy details she's got. Stay tuned!)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"My Life's Stranger Than Yours"
Revelations and Rematches; Ranma vs. Goten Round 2
Following Akane's revelation and Chi-Chi's over the top reaction, the three women sat at the kitchen table while Akane gave Chi-Chi the abridged version of her engagement with Ranma, explaining how it was something their fathers had arranged."Well, that's the gist of it," said Akane.Chi-Chi mulled over Akane's story with a deep look of contemplation on her face. "I can't believe it.""I know. It's crazy!"Chi-Chi quickly whipped around to the girls and exclaimed. "Sixteen years old and already engaged! Videl are you really going to let a younger girl beat you like this!?""Chi-Chi!!" Videl shrieked"Wait, are you and Gohan...?"Videl quickly cut Akane off before she finished. "No, Gohan and I are not getting married!" she said sternly."Not yet at least," Chi-Chi winked. "But back on topic, Akane, when's your wedding?"Akane crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "I have no idea, and whenever it is, it WON'T be with Ranma. I guarantee it.""What makes you say that?" Chi-Chi asked raising an eyebrow."Cause there's no way I'm marrying an arrogant, insensitive jerk like HIM!!" Akane exclaimed!"Now what's with that attitude?" Chi-Chi sharply asked. "You two made a promise right? It's your duty to follow through on it."'Uhh...Chi-Chi, just because Goku made a promise to marry you doesn't mean it works that way for everyone else,' Videl internally sweatdropped."We didn't promise anything," Akane refuted. "Like I said, our fathers arranged it, and personally, I'd like the chance to pick my own husband...if I even ever decide to get married at all.""Okay, fair enough," Chi-Chi nodded matter of factly. "But let me ask you this, what makes you so sure you won't pick Ranma anway?" Chi-Chi added. "I admit that boy's already raised a red flag or two, but nothing seems to be a deal breaker...at least not yet, and nobody's perfect, right."'Just look at my husband for example,' Chi-Chi silently added.Placing her hands on Akane's shoulders Chi-Chi gave her a few extra words of encouragement. "I'm sure that whatever issues the two of you may have, you'll be able to work through them, right?"Akane released herself from Chi-Chi's affectionate gesture with a look on her face that said otherwise.'I'll bet she wouldn't be singing that tune if she knew Ranma had two other fiancees, but this conversation's been awkward enough. There's no WAY I'm letting that slip out!' Akane internally declared.As Chi-Chi and Akane finally ended their little tangent, Videl chose that moment to interject. "Okay...not that all this marriage talk hasn't been fun and all, but don't you think we oughta get back to the dishes? They're not gonna wash themselves you know, and there's dozens to get through."The remaining women turned to each other then back to Videl before nodding."Well, you heard her," said Chi-Chi. "Let's get to work girls!""Okay!"[Meanwhile]In the skies of the Mt. Paouzu, Goku and Goten could be seen scanning the forests."Can ya see him yet Goten?" asked Goku."Not yet. I can't sense him either." Goten replied."Huh...maybe we'll have a bit more luck at ground level. Let's head down Son.""Okay.""Let's split up Goten. If you find him, raise your power and I'll come to you," Goku instructed."Alright."Once the two had touched ground, they sped off in opposite directions."Hey Ranma, where are ya!?" Goten called. 'Weird, I still can't sense his energy either,' he thought.After minutes of searching, Goten came up short unable to locate Ranma."Man, how far did that girl hit him?" Goten thought aloud.As Goten continued his search, he soon found himself at a lake."He's not here is he?"Goten's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of splashing water. Turning toward the sound, Goten could make out what seemed to be a girl with red hair who looked like she was wet, with a red cloth draped over her neck."Hmmm...maybe she's seen Ranma."Scampering over to the red-haired girl, Goten called out, "Hey miss!?"When he didn't get a response from her, he called again. "Excuse me!"Having heard him this time, the mysterious redhead peered behind to spot the young boy. "Huh, look who it is."As she turned to face the approaching boy, the young saiyan quickly skidded to a halt, his face a deep shade of red."Glad to see ya again kid. I was worried I'd have to go through the woods again to get back to your place."Goten could only respond with a series of flustered gasps."Where's your old man and brother? Did they come lookin' for me too?"Goten continued to mutter incoherently as the girl raised a confused eyebrow."What's your problem kid? What are you babbling about?""Uhhh...uhhhh..." Goten managed to point a finger at her chest, prompting her to look down.Finally putting two and two together and figuring out what made Goten 'short circuit, she realized that she'd yet to put her shirt back on after wringing it out. Luckily, the sleeves of her shirt that was haphazardly thrown over her back covered the tips of her chest, keeping Goten from getting a full view, but still exposing enough skin to give the young boy an eyeful."OH! Sorry about that!"Turning around, she quickly slipped her still damp shirt on and buttoned it up before turning back to face a still flustered Goten."Well, now that the show's over, why don't we head back to your place?""Uhhh...actually Miss, I can't go home yet until I find my brother's friend." Goten replied.The girl raised an eyebrow at Goten before it hit her. 'I forgot, he doesn't know about my curse.'Placing a hand on her chin, the redhead asked, "That friend wouldn't happened to have been a boy with black hair in a pigtail, would it?""Yeah!" Goten perked up. "Have you seen him!?""Maaaaybe," she answered in a singsong voice.'Oh this is perfect!' she thought."How about this. I'll tell ya where he is...if you can beat me!"Goten was taken slightly aback. "Uhhh...what?""You heard me kid. Let's go a round and if you win, I'll show you where your friend went." she replied."Are...are you sure?," Goten hesitated."What's wrong kid? Scared of losing to a girl?" the redhead raised a smug eyebrow. "Don't worry, I'll go easy on ya."Goten remained still for a brief moment thinking on what the best course of action would be. He really wanted to find Ranma, but didn't want to fight the girl due to fear of hurting her (something that a couple of accidents while sparring with Videl made him pretty weary of).Goten thought it over for a few more seconds before finally giving his answer."Okay, let's go!" he said with a playfully confident grin.The pigtailed girl grinned as both she and Goten took defensive stances.'Alright. I underestimated the kid last time, but not this time. I'll blitz him with my increased speed and end this in a flash,' the redhead thought.The two combatants stood still for a brief moment as a melancholy wind blew by. Once the wind died down, the redhaired girl made the first move. Darting at Goten, she threw a wickedly speedy punch at Goten that the young saiyan narrowly avoided.The pigtailed fighter followed her attack with a low sweep kick that Goten simply hopped over. Anticipating his dodge, the redhaired girl quickly held herself off the ground with a single hand and spun into a dual side kick attack (A/N: Think Chun-Li's Spinning Bird Kick, but on the ground) launching the small boy aside.Goten however, was quick to recover and prepared himself for the girl's next attack. Unfortunately he was caught off guard by the girl's speed as she closed the gap between them in just a couple of seconds. As Goten let out a surprised yelp, the redhead girl simply flicked Goten in the forehead."Hey!" Goten exclaimed.Front flipping over Goten's head, the girl called out, "Catch me if ya can kid!" and darted into the forest."Get back here!" shouted an annoyed looking Goten.As the pigtailed girl zipped away from Goten, she turned back and was surprised to see that he was keeping pace with her.'He can keep up with me even in my girl form!? This is BS!'The girl decided to shift gears and try and get out of Goten's line of sight. Leaping into the air, she bounded off of a nearby tree and launched herself in the opposite direction. Goten skidded to a halt and turned back to see the girl repeat this process again, but this time poised to attack with a flying kick.Goten ducked under the girl's attack only to see her come back around again with the same kick attack, but much faster this time. This continued for a a few seconds until all that could be seen was a red blur darting between the trees and an orange and blue dot in the middle was avoiding them. Before long, the red blur seemed to dissappear, much to Goten's confusion.Unbeknownst to him, the girl had zipped up the tallest tree she could find in the area and was perched on a branch with plenty of leaves to conceal her, watching Goten from a bird's eye view.'A straight up brawl against that kid's gonna get me nowhere, so why not think like a kid and do a little hide-and-seek?' she mused."As soon as he drops his guard, I'll attack him from above and end this in one shot," she whispered.Goten kept his guard up scanning the area with his eyes. Still, despite his lack of experience in comparison to the others, Goten had enough experince to feel that something was still off. Placing his hands at his sides, keeping them balled into fists, Goten closed his eyes and remained still amongst the trees.The Pigtailed girl kept a constant watch on Goten. Though he'd dropped his stance, she could tell that he was still on guard. What she didn't know was why he wasn't moving. The wind had once again picked up as Goten remained motionless. Suddenly, the wind stopped and there seemed to be no sound at all.The redhead barely had time to raise an eyebrow in confusion before she felt a sharp pain in the pit of her stomach. As the pain fully began to register, the redhaired girl looked directly in front of her to see Goten with a satisfied grin on his face, and his tiny fist buried in her gut. Her whole body shuddered and quivered as she slowly clutched her midsection and curled into a ball, slipping off the branch centimeter by centimeter. Before she slipped off completely however, a single thought crossed her mind.'Damn...kid...beat me again...!'Finally, the inevitable happened and the girl fell out of the tree, holding her stomach tightly. As she prepared to brace herself for impact with the ground (or rather try to), she soon felt a tugging at the back of her shirt. Turning around, she saw Goten just as chipper as ever, gently floating her down."That was close. Are you alright?" Goten asked as he let her go."Fine," the girl answered, dusting herself off. 'Except for my pride.'The pair was interrupted by what sounded like clapping. "Not bad you guys," commented a familiar male voice. In the next instance, Goku warped right in between the two, startling the redhead and making her stumble back."Dad!" exclaimed Goten."Hey Son. I came back to see if you'd found Ranma yet when I saw you two running through the forest. Figured I'd wait and see how the fight ended. Although, what were you guys fighting about anyway?" Goku asked"That girl said she knew where Ranma was and wouldn't tell me unless I beat her," Goten answered.Goku raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Whadaya mean she'd tell you where he is? You already found him," said Goku.Now it was Goten's turn to be confused. "Wait, what?""Goku, he doesn't know about that yet," said the redhaired girl."Oh yeah! Goten wasn't there when you showed us," Goku realized."Showed you what? What are you guys talking about?" asked Goten.The girl sighed before turning back to Goten. "Believe it or not kid, I am Ranma," she finally revealed."What are you talking about? You're a girl and Ranma's a boy, and his hair's black," exclaimed Goten."Long story short kid, I turn into a girl whenever I get wet with cold water," Ranma explained.Goten could only give Ranma a look of disbelief and confusion before Goku placed a hand behind his head."Come on. Let's head back home and we'll show you what we mean," said Goku. "Besides, I'm sure the others are waiting for us."Ranma clung onto Goku's back as he and Goten ascended into the sky and made off for home. They could've used Goku's Instant Transmission, but Goku was adamant in not wanting to scare the girls again, so he opted not to this time.As Ranma rode along with Goku, her thoughts never shifting from her two bouts with Goten. She's suffered her share of humiliating defeats before, but none could even compare to the amount of embarrassment that came from getting beaten by a little kid...twice. That also begged the question, If a little boy could be this strong, how strong did that make Gohan, and for that matter, how strong could Goku be? The question remained on her mind as the three of them finally arrived back at the mountain home.[Meanwhile, some time earlier]Though the task was long and arduous, the girls finally got all the dishes cleaned and were taking a much deserved rest at the kitchen table."Finally, we're done," Videl stated wiping her forehead."Geeze...how do those guys eat so much?" Akane groaned."It's...hereditary dear. The boys get it from their father," Chi-Chi said half jokingly."Well...I can't really blame them. Your cooking was delicious!" Akane complimented."Thank you, I do my best.""Although, and I mean no offense, but I have to say, I still think I prefer Kasumi's cooking," Akane quickly added."None taken."Videl decided to add her two cents to the conversation. "Personally, I still think she's a notch or two below you. Now Kasumi and Nodoka together on the other hand...that may be a different story.""Who's Nodoka?" asked Chi-Chi."Ranma's mother. She moved in not too long ago and helps out around the house. Like Videl said, when she AND Kasumi are cooking together, dinner's always extraordinary."As she thought back to Kasumi and Nodoka's various dishes and let out a longing sigh. "I wish I could cook like that.""Wait, so when Ranma said before that you couldn't cook..." Videl began.Akane quickly cut her off. "Just cause he was...kind of right doesn't mean he can just insult me like that! Besides, I'm getting better!...sort of...I think....""If you're so adamant about learning how to cook, why not just ask your sister or Ranma's mother to help you?" asked Videl."I did, a few times in fact," Akane replied. "Let's...just say they didn't go well. Still I managed to make good food a few times...at least..."As Akane trailed off, disappointment evident in her voice, Chi-Chi lightly tapped her shoulder."You know, if you want to learn to cook, I could probably help you," she said."......Really!?" Akane perked up."Of course. I've shown Videl a thing or two about how to navigate the kitchen. I don't mind taking in another 'student'," said Chi-Chi."Well..." Videl bashfully giggled. "I'm no gourmet chef, but I can at least cook for myself, and make a decent meal for two." she proudly proclaimed.Before Akane could give her answer, the front door could be heard opening."Oh, it looks like the guys are back," Chi-Chi beamed."Hey uh Chi-Chi, we need some hot water!" Goku called.With a sigh, Chi-Chi grabbed a nearby tea kettle, which luckily still had some water inside and left to meet with the guys. "Excuse me a moment."As Chi-Chi went to greet them, Akane stayed behind deep in thought. Truthfully, she wanted to accept Chi-Chi's offer instantly, but was understandably hesitant due to all her previous failed cooking lessons. Her thoughts were stirred however by an empathetic Videl."Akane, I say go for it. Chi-Chi's a really gifted cook. I don't know what may have happened with you in the past, but I can say from experience that if anyone would be able to teach you how to cook, it's her," she assured.Akane remained silent giving the offer a brief extra moment of thought before her expression changed to one of determination. As she was about to respond to Videl, the two girls flinched at the sound of a surprised shriek.Zipping out of the kitchen, the two girls dashed into the living room, and came across the scene of Goten on the floor staring wide eyed at a wet, male Ranma."What happened?" they asked."My curse was just a bit too much for the kid to handle," said Ranma. "Almost damn near had a heart attack.""B-but how did you do that!? Are you like a wizard or something!?" Goten exclaimed."I ain't no magician, but there is magic involved. Either way, it's a lousy trick.""Okay, okay, that's enough excitement for one night, wouldn't you say?" interjected Chi-Chi. "Goten, you should start getting ready for bed.""Okay." Goten dashed upstairs, and while he ran, he couldn't help but think, 'I gotta tell Trunks about this!'"I think I'll turn in too," Goku said following after Goten.Once Goku and Goten disappeared, Chi-Chi turned to her three visitors and added, "On that note, I think it's time for you kids to start heading off for home.""Yeah, I guess you're right," Videl agreed."One sec. Just let me dry off first!" Ranma said darting to the bathroom.As soon as Ranma was out of earshot, Akane lightly pulled Chi-Chi aside."Ms. Chi-Chi?""Yes?""Well...I've given it some thought...and I accept your offer." Akane proclaimed.Chi-Chi paused for a second before her expression lit up. "Really!?"Akane nodded. "I figured I've got nothing to lose so why not just go for it? Besides, any chance to make Ranma eat his words is worth taking!""Not the word's I'd have used, but I like your enthusiasm. Just stick with me and I'll make you into the kind of cook a good wife should be!" Chi-Chi declared.Akane's enthusiasm briefly halted at that last statement, but nevertheless, she was grateful to Chi-Chi for accepting. "I'm...looking forward to it," she replied."Lookin' forward to what?"The girls turned to see Ranma return, a towel in his hand."Oh...just the next time we come and visit...whenever that is," Akane replied."Oh..."'Hmph...well then I guess that makes both of us,' thought Ranma. A scene of him overpowering Goten's Kamehameha with his Prideful Tiger Blast played over in Ranma's mind.'You're not gonna tell him?' Videl whispered.Akane nodded. 'No, I want to see the look on his face once he finds out he can never insult my cooking again,' she whispered back.A scene of an apron clad Akane denying a begging Ranma more servings of food played in her head as a mischievous grin plastered it's way onto her face.[A few moments later]As the sun began to set at Mt. Paozu, an unlikely trio could be seen outside the doors of a familiar mountain home. Ranma, Akane, and Videl were all being sent off by Gohan, Goku and Chi-Chi."Today may not have gone exactly as planned, but it was fun to have you guys around," said Gohan. "Still, I'm sorry we didn't really get a chance to train today," he added turning to Videl."Forget about it Gohan. This just means I'll have to come back again soon," she said with a wink. "At the very least, today helped me realize just what I have to aim for," she added."That's the spirit Videl," said Goku. "And Ranma?""Yeah?""I can tell from you're fight with Goten that you have a lot of potential." he praised. "Keep training and someday, you can become a real force to be reckoned with."Ranma was slightly taken aback by Goku's compliment. "Uh...thanks."'Still, lotta good that potential did me when fightin' the kid,' he inwardly snapped."Akane..." Chi-Chi whispered."Hmm?""Whenever you want to get started, just let Videl know, and she'll pass it on to me, okay?""Sure thing."After all was said and done, the aircraft sprung to life and ascended into the air with Gohan, Goku, and Chi-Chi all waving their goodbyes. As the plane disappeared into the sky, Gohan couldn't help but wonder what his mother was talking to Akane about.[In the plane]As soon as the three were a distance away from Gohan's house, Videl let out a low sigh. She didn't want to admit it in front of Gohan, but the fact that they hadn't made much progress training really bugged her, especially after their earlier encounter with Ryoga. The appoined time was drawing closer and the situation was starting to feel more or less hopeless. Still, Videl was never the type to give up (for better or worse). She just wished she had an idea of what her next course of action should be. Her contemplative look however, did not go unnoticed by Akane.[Much later]The gang finally arrived at the Tendo Dojo. The goodbyes were short and sweet this time as Videl hastily dropped off Ranma and Akane before blasting off into the sky again.As Akane waved her friend off, her thoughts shifted to her expression on the plane. She could tell that Videl was still concerned over Ryoga, and after watching Ranma go all out against Goten, it seems that she finally fully understood what she was up against. Videl needed some serious help if she still insisted on fighting him. Though she initially pushed the thought aside earlier, Akane had a feeling there may be no more avoiding it. If Videl insisted on fighting Ryoga, then she needed to pay a visit to the Cat Cafe.
(A/N: Dang it, I wanted to get a chapter (as well as a Chapter of Shattered Academia) out BEFORE September ended. I also wanted to try making a reference to the song 'Wake Me Up When September Ends' in this A/N but I guess that ain't happening either. So, Ranma does get his rematch with Goten...sort of, and Goten gets...let's just call it a show (NGL, I thought about having F. Ranma completely exposed, but since Goten's only 7-8 years old here, I figured it probably wouldn't have as much impact on him for me to write a comedic scene with as opposed to say, if he were his DBS age...but then again, there was that scene in DB Fusions where he and Kid Trunks see Towa). As for the girls, it looks like they're both going to get some unexpected teachings. Akane from Chi-Chi and Videl from...well, you already know who it is, but stay tuned to see it unfold. Next time, we return to Nerima to see some familiar faces.)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life's Stranger Than Yours
(A/N: First off, let me just say...HOLY CRAP! This story's already a year old!? How the heck did that happen!? I guess time flies when you go through one hiatus after another [Insert Hunter x Hunter joke here]. Secondly, I just wanna say thanks to everyone who's stuck around thus far and apologize to my Shattered Academia fans for not updating that story in a long while (I prefer to do update one story then go to the other, before doing the same one again. Obviously that's not happening anymore, but I'll try to get the next chapter back on track. Just sort of hit a roadblock. With all that said. Let's not waste time and get right to it.)
The End of One Crazy Day; Prelude to New Encounters
As Ranma and Akane entered, they were greeted by none other than Kasumi, with everyone else, sans Nabiki assembled in the living room."Oh, you guys are back.""Yeah, yeah, yeah," snarked a visibly irritated Ranma."Ranma..." Nodoka chimed in with a warning tone.Flinching at his mother's nigh silent warning, Ranma let out a sigh and left the room. "If ya need me, I'll be in the dojo."As the girls watched Ranma storm off, they were joined by Nabiki who was viewing the scene from the staircase. "Huh, what's eating him this time?""Ohhh nothing. He just lost a match, and is still pretty sore about it," Akane answered."Yup, that'd do it all right," Nabiki deadpanned."Akane, if you don't mind my asking, who exactly was Ranma's match against?" Soun interjected.Akane was about to reply but had a brief moment of pause.'Wait...should I really tell them about Goten?' Akane wondered. Initially, she didn't see any harm in giving them the details of the fight. On the other hand, she could easily visualize what their families could do with that information.
[Akane's Imagination]
Soun and Genma were towering over a defensive Ranma bellowing about how no heir to their glorious martial arts sanctuary. Meanwhile, Nodoka was weeping in the corner, her sword unsheathed, muttering something about how her only son had his pride and manliness stripped away. Nabiki on the other hand was surrounded by numerous students from their school all lining up for details on Ranma's most pathetic loss.
[Reality]
Akane shuddered as her fantasy ended. She didn't know how long she'd been out daydreaming, but she recalled her father's question and quickly blurted out, in faux excitement, "Oh it was nothing TOOOO bad. Ya see we were sparring, then Ryoga showed up, and he and Videl double teamed him...it was actually kinda funny! HAHAHAHAHA...!"Both families sweatdropped at Akane's mostly uncharacteristic outburst, though they had no issues with the story she gave them...at least everyone except the eagle-eyed middle sister."Anyways, think I'm gonna go take a bath and turn in. Ranma and I already ate so you don't have to worry about dinner for us. G' night!"While Akane dashed up the stairs to wind down the night, Nabiki viewed her little sister's retreating frame with skepticism in her eyes.'Okay, I don't know what that was all about, but it's clear she's hiding something,' Nabiki thought ascending the staircase.As the two girls left, Kasumi and Nodoka resumed relaxing in the living room while Soun and Genma huddled up over their shogi board."Well...do you think the boy found out anything?" Genma asked."Well, we won't know until we ask him now won't we?" Replied Soun. "Still, Akane's story about him losing a match intrigues me. Shall we inquire with him about that as well?""Yes, but first things first Tendo."The two partners in crime shot each other a nod of agreement before slinking out of the living room to the dojo.[The Dojo]As soon as Ranma entered the dojo, he threw his shirt off and immediately began punching and kicking the air, frustration behind every strike and grunt. Ranma continued to 'shadow-box' for an unknown stretch of time until his body had a thin layer of sweat running down it. Dashing into a handsprint, Ranma flipped forward three times before landing upside down on his hands.As Ranma remained still in his handstand, he kept thinking back to his fight with Goten. There's no way he should've been taken for a ride like that by a little kid. It didn't matter who his family was or what kind of special training he may have had, no small boy should be able to match him to the degree he did.'This sucks...' Ranma thought. 'How in the hell could I lose to an 8 year old brat!?'Flipping back onto his feet, the bout continued to replay in Ranma's head, and the more he thought about it, the more baffled he became. Above all, two unanswered questions lingered in Ranma's mind: First, where did Goten's unnatural physical strength come from, because no amount of training should make a child that strong. Second, what did Goten's abilities say about Goku and Gohan's true power?It's obvious that one or both of them taught Goten what he knew, and if their teachings made him that strong, they themselves have GOT to be nothing short of master level. Ranma had gotten a small taste of what Gohan was made of before, and while he was obviously powerful, he didn't think he could be THAT strong. After fighting Goten however, he had a feeling that..."Ranma mah boy, we need to have a word with you!"A startled Ranma twitched and leapt into a defensive stance as he was harshly stirred from his internal musings by his father and Mr. Saotome barging into the dojo."Geeze Pops, ya don't have to shout!" Ranma exclaimed. "What do you want anyway?""Don't play dumb boy!" Genma shot back. "Tell us what you learned!"Ranma raised a confused eyebrow. "Learned about what?""Ranma...don't tell us you forgot!!" fumed Genma."Forgot what?"Both men crossed their arms in disappointment. Soun let out a calming sigh before he reminded Ranma of his 'secondary purpose'. "During your trip to your friend's home, you were supposed to learn everything you could about the Turtle Hermit so he could potentially defeat the evil master!"Ranma's eyes lit up as he finally recalled that detail. "Oh yeah...sorry. Guess I did kinda forget about that.""RRRRRRAAAAAAAANNNNNMAAAAAAA!!" Soun screeched."Eeeeeeek!!"Ranma shrank back as Soun descended upon him with his demonic face."But I do remember learning one thing about him!!" Ranma quickly defended."Oh...?" said a now completely neutral Soun.Ranma panted heavily, clutching his chest after Soun's startling outburst."Well Son, don't keep us in suspense. What did you learn?" asked Genma."Well, it ain't much, but you guys were on to somethin' after all. Remember how you told me Gohan had the same name as one of this turtle guy's students? Turns out our Gohan's old man was a student at the Turtle School when he was younger.""You're right, that isn't much at all," said a dejected Genma."Still it is something, and a rather interesting something at that," added Soun. "What did you say your friend's father's name was?""It's Goku," Ranma simply replied."Goku...hmmmmm..."The two older men paused in thought for a moment as they attempted to recognize the name. There was a small familiarity, but neither one of them could quite place it."Ranma crossed his arms as he stared at the two men deep in thought. After a few minutes of complete silence and immobility, Ranma's patience reached it's limit."Well, if you two are done playing 20 Questions, I'm gonna go take a bath." Ranma stated rising to his feet.Before he left, the duo finally came out of their contemplative 'trance' and quickly halted him."Wait Ranma!" Genma snapped.Ranma paused and turn to face his father and Soun."The next time you go visit that friend of yours, you must learn more about the Turtle Hermit," Genma reminded him."Yeah, yeah, I got it," Ranma dismissed.As Ranma exited, Soun and Genma turned to each other and began discussing amongst themselves."Well, what do you make of this Tendo?" asked Genma."It's as Ranma said, we were on to something with this. A boy who's father was once the Legendary Master's student who also shares the name of another, it's almost too convenient. All we can do now is hope Ranma actually remembers next time and wait for what he brings back next time." Soun replied."Then I guess it'll be a long wait."
THWOOOM!!
The two were brought out of their discussion by the unmistakable sound of Akane's furious yell followed by Ranma crashing through the roof.[A few moments earlier]Akane sat submerged in the warm bath water, her kness hugged against her chest. She was trying to unwin after the eventful day she had, but considering what she was planning to do, it was hard not to be anxious.'Okay...so I'll drop by the Cat Cafe after school tomorrow and talk to Cologne. The problem is, how am I supposed to convince her to train Videl?'Cologne wouldn't listen to her unless it involved letting him go with Shampoo, and Akane was not about to let that fly. Then again...maybe Videl herself could convince her. She was an inspirational figure in the martial arts world...right? Akane sighed feeling at a loss of what to do when suddenly....
Sliiide!
The bathroom door slid open to reveal Ranma wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist."Man I really gotta...GAH!"The startled Saotome flinched as he lay eyes on Akane, submerged in the bathtub (blocking her uncovered form from his eyes) before freezing up in pure fear for he knew what was coming next."Uh...whups...!""RAAAAAAANMAAAAAAA!!"
THWACK!
"Sooooooooryyyyyyy......!!"[Present]"Wait...didn't Ranma say he was going to take a bath?" Genma asked."Oh right...Akane said the same earlier. Guess this one's on us then."[Later]Akane sat on her bed in a familiar position of contemplation. Akane had no idea how she should play out her meeting with Cologne tomorrow. After a brief moment of thought, she made up her mind. Darting out of her room, she made her way to the nearest phone.A few minutes later, Akane dialed the Cat Cafe and waited a brief moment before she could hear a familiar female voice on the other line.
"Nihao. This is Nekohanten! How may I help you?"
"Shampoo?"
"Akane? What happen, you wreck kitchen again?" Shampoo teased.
"No, and I didn't call to order food. I need to speak with Cologne," Akane demanded.
"Why you need see Great-Grandmother?" Shampoo asked.
"Let's just say...I need help and I think she's the best one who can." Akane replied.
"Sorry, but even Great-Grandmother can no perform miracle and teach you to cook," Shampoo snarked.
"It has nothing to do with FOOD!" Akane yelled.
"Oh...?" Shampoo paused for a moment. "Alright I go get Great-Grandmother, if you leave Ranma alone and let him take Shampoo out on date, yes?"
Akane could only facepalm. "Okay, I get it. Sorry for calling." On that note, she hung up the phone and let out a defeated sigh.Akane was about to head back to her room, but quickly stopped herself. Turning back to the phone, Akane stared at the keys before her expression tightned.'I guess whatever happens from this point on is up to Videl herself.' Akane steeled herself before taking the phone in hand once again.[Meanwhile]The well known yellow aircraft finally touched down before Mr. Satan's manor and a disgruntled Videl capsulized the plane before entering. As she walked through the door, her eyes widened to the scene of the entryway being a total mess and a handful of servants were hard at work fixing the place back up."What...what happened!?"
'Rarf!'
"Bee?"Videl followed the sound of barking to the rear where she could found Buu glancing upward at...something and Bee by his side barking furiously at that same thing."Buu?"The big pink djinn turned to Videl and a gleeful smile grew onto his face."Satan's daughter is back!!"Bee also welcomed Videl by playfully running around her legs."Glad to see you guys too." Videl grinned.Getting back on track, Videl turned seriously to Buu and asked, "Buu...you wouldn't happen to know what wrecked the house would you?""Bee was playing with new friend!" Buu answered."New friend?""Mmhmm. Friend to weak to play with Buu so Bee play instead."Bee responded by letting out a low threatening sounding growl. It didn't take Videl long to realize that their house was visited by some uninvited guests and the duo here must've chased them off, whether Buu realized it or not.'It's a good thing Bee's such a good guard dog,' Videl thought rubbing the canine's head. 'Still, I wonder who'd even try to make an attempt at our house. Dad is still thought to be the strongest man on Earth so it'd have to be someone with either nerves of steel or absolutely no brains...maybe both.'"Hey Buu, your new friend, what did he look like?" Videl asked."He wore some really weird clothes and spoke in a really funny voice!" Buu replied. Reaching behind him, Buu pulled out a long wooden stick. "But he real nice. He brought stick so Bee could play fetch!"On that note, Buu chucked the stick across the yard and Bee instantly shot after it barking excitedly. Once he returned with the retrieved stick, he dropped it in front of Videl who, upon closer inspection recognized the stick as a wooden sword. None she knew fought with weapons, but she' been to enough dojos to know how common they were (one pretty recently in fact).'Well, this rules out Ryoga at least sense he fights using that heavy umbrella, but this doesn't really narrow anything down either,' Videl internally lamented. Ultimately though, Videl opted to worry about this later. She'd had a pretty eventful day already and needed some time to relax.That relaxation time however, would be delayed by the sound of her cell phone ringing. Heading back indoors, leaving Buu and Bee to their own, Videl picked up the phone as she made her way to her bedroom."Hello?"
"Videl?"
The black haired fighter's eye's widened at the sound of none other than Akane's voice on the other line. She hadn't expected her to call back again so soon."Akane? What's up, is there something wrong?" Videl asked.
"No, nothing like that it's just..."
Videl couldn't help but notice the hesitance in her voice. There was definitely something wrong."What would you say if I told you I know someone who could probably prepare you for your fight with Ryoga?" Akane asked.Videl momentarily paused as Akane's question sank in. "I'd say...go on...." she replied, a contemplative look on her face.
"What if I also told you that this person is someone who's not really the 'helping' type and would most likely want something in return for them teaching you...if you coud even convince them to train you at all?"
Videl's expression changed to a cocky smirk. "I'd say...I'm interested.""Really?" asked a surprised Akane."Yeah. They can name whatever price they want. I'm willing to take the heat from my Dad if I have to," Videl said firmly."This person isn't someone who's easily swayed by money," Akane warned."Well, whatever the 'payment' may be, I'm willing to at least hear them out," Videl replied.Akane let out a breath that sounded like she'd been holding in for a while. "That's great. We can go there tomorrow after school. We'll meet up at my place then I'll take you there. But one more thing...you may wanna brace yourself.""Akane, I know my reaction to Ranma's curse was rather extreme, but after that, I don't think there's anything I'm not prepared for anymore." Videl told her matter of factly.
"If you say so. Then I'll see you tomorrow?"
"For sure."With that, Videl ended the call and after a pregnant pause, she fell backwards onto her bed and let herself bounce before laying down, unmoving.'So...I'm going to meet a new teacher tomorrow huh?' Vdel thought. 'I won't lie, I'm kind of excited. But at the same time...I'm really kind of nervous. The way Akane described this guy, he sounds like some kind of creep, and what does she want me to prepare myself for?'Videl rolled over, so she was now laying flat on her stomach, deep in thought about what to expect tomorrow. 'Well, like I said, it wouldn't hurt to at least check this person out, cause if they actually can help me stand a fighting chance against that Ryoga guy, then I guess I've got nothing else to lose."Unbeknownst to her, her newest friend was in a similar position both physically and mentally as Akane, clad in her sleepwear, laid down on her bed staring up at the ceiling.Both girls from their respective homes also had one similar simultaneous thought running through their heads."I hope I don't regret this tomorrow."
(A/N: This was my first time writing Buu and Shampoo. I wasn't 100% on how to write their speech so I kept their appearances brief. Don't know when or if Buu will appear again (or how I'll bring Mr. Satan in cause honestly, while he may be necessary for some future events I have planned, I am not really a fan of him. Don't hate him [anymore], but he's someone I don't like seeing on screen. He'll have to show up sooner or later since this story's Videl centric, but when and how that'll happen is up in the air), but we'll almost definitely be seeing Shampoo again real soon cause next Chapter, we return to Nerima. Also, a little subplot I may have set up in the beginning is finally going to make some headway. How much headway is anyone's guess, but it'll definitely start going places. Where will it go? Stay tuned to find out.
PS: HAPPY THANKSGIVING! [I didn't plan for this to happen, but we take those!]
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My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
(A/N: I don't really have anything witty to say this time other than FINALLY! This story hit 100 Favs! My personal goal has been reached! Like I said in the first Chapter, I've been wanting to do a Ranma/Dragon Ball crossover since my humble beginnings on FF, and the fact that the feedback to this one has been so positive is really flattering. Keep enjoying the story and I'll keep writing it. With that said, let's get to it)
Return to Nerima; Dealings in the Cat Cafe
In the skies of Satan City, if one looked, a familiar masked man could be seen jetting through the clouds, approaching Orange Star High. Once The Great Saiyaman made his landing and changed back into his street clothes, Gohan zipped through the roof entrance and dashed down the stairs. Once Gohan made his way down the steps and into the school, he ran into none other than Videl who was chatting with Erasa."Hey!" Gohan called out to them."Oh! Good morning Gohan," the two girls greeted him."I'll leave you two alone for now," Erasa said dismissing herself. "See you both in class."Once the pair was alone, they began to chat about future plans as they headed towards their lockers."So Videl," Gohan began. "You still have a decent amount of time before your match with that Ryoga guy, so if you want, you can come train at my placce again...and this time it'll be just the two of us."Though her expression briefly became one of discord, Videl flashed him a warm smile. "Thanks for the offer Gohan, but Akane offered the same thing first, so for the time being, I think I'll train with her.."Small traces of surprise could be found on Gohan's face. He hadn't expected her to turn down his offer to train together."Really? Well maybe I can join you again and see if I can help?" he offered."Thanks Gohan, but after all the crap that happened yesterday, I think I'd like a nice casual training session with someone on my own level." said Videl."Oh, I get it. You're taking it easy, but still want to try and make some progress, right?" Gohan replied."Yeah, pretty much," Videl confirmed. "And before you ask, Ranma's not invited either, so don't feel too bad about it.""Oh no worries, I completely understand where your coming from. Heck, back when Dad and I were training for Cell, he made us take a few days of rest in between the week before the big fight," Gohan replied."That reminds me, you still haven't told me the full story about that," Videl noted."Uhhhh...well...you-""Gohan, I swear, if you say, 'Well you never asked,' I'm going to get mad," Videl warned.Before Gohan could reply the warning bell went off with a loud RRRRRRIIIIIIING!"Saved by the bell. See ya in class!" Gohan called darting off.Videl stood still for a moment, a mixed look of concern and confliction on her face. While she hadn't lied to Gohan, she did conveniently leave out one pretty major detail, and she couldn't help but feel a shred of guilt at hiding something from him, especially after all the trouble she gave him for having secrets.'I wonder if I should tell Gohan that it won't just be me and Akane...' Videl thought. Before she could fully mull it over, the bell rang again, signaling the start of the school day.'No time to dwell on that now, gotta get to class!' With a huff, Videl zoomed down the hallway to her first period class.[Meanwhile, later that same day]It had been a rather uneventful day at Furinkan High, mostly due to the absence of a certain kendoist, and believe it or not, Ranma was actually upset that Kuno HADN'T shown up today."Jeeze, the ONE time I want that moron to come after me, and he's absent for the day," Female Ranma lamented.Raising an eyebrow, Akane asked, "Ranma, why do want to see Kuno so bad anyway?"A vein popped on her forehead "Let's just say...I was really lookin' forward to havin' somethin' to take my frustration out on!" Ranma replied clenching her fist.Akane sweatdropped. 'Looks like he's still upset about his match with Goten.'"Ya know, speaking of 'frustration', I forgot to ask, what were you yellin' about last night?" Ranma asked.A worried look sprang on Akane's face. 'That's right, I forgot I haven't told Ranma about my plan to take Videl to see Cologne.'"Y-you should already know you pervert!" Akane snapped back in an attempt to dissolve the question.Ranma flinhed, remembering the 'incident' from last night before letting out an exasperated sigh. "Ahh forget it. I'm already transformed so I think I'll try and score some free ice-cream at the shop.""Hmph, fine," Akane dismissed walking off."Hmph, tomboy." Ranma muttered. Turning the opposite direction, Ranma leapt onto the lowest rooftop she could find and bounded off to the ice-cream parlor.'Maybe I'll stop by Ucchan's place first,' Ranma thought.Once Ranma was out of eyeshot, Akane began sprinting as fast as she could for home. She couldn't help but feel a shred of guilt at almost starting a fight for no reason, but she really needed Ranma out of the way, especially if Videl was coming straight to the dojo after school. With Ranma off looking for...'comfort food', this was the perfect chance. All she had to do now was get home in time to meet Videl.[Elsewhere]A certain blue-eyed, black haired girl, could be seen gliding through the clear Nerima skies. As soon as school let out, Videl had said her goodbyes to Gohan and their friends and instantly jetted over to Nerima. She was honestly quite excited to meet...whoever Akane was going to introduce her to, but she still couldn't shake a feeling of uneasiness at the whole thing. Partially from guilt at not telling Gohan about this, the other part from not knowing what to expect from Akane.As Videl slowly made her way over to the Tendo Dojo, she couldn't help but take in the view of the city from above. Since she was flying herself, as opposed to in the plane, she was really able to enjoy the scenery from this high up.'Maybe once we're done training, Akane can give me a tour of the city,' Videl thought. While she picked up the pace, she quickly paused in midair when she spied a familiar character."Is that...?"A smile rising on her face, Videl called out her familiar friend's name as she hastily descended."AKANE!"The Nerima native paused at the sound of her name and hastily turned around scanning her surroundings for the one who called her."Up here!"Raising her view, Akane smiled as Videl descended before her, touching ground."Videl. When'd you make it to town?" Akane greeted."Not too long ago," Videl replied."Regardless, this makes things much easier. I was going to wait for you at home, but since you're here, we can just head straight to the Nekohanten.""The Neko-what?" Videl raised an eyebrow."Just...follow me."On that note, Akane jogged away in the direction of the Cat Cafe, Videl in hot pursuit, still wondering just what to expect of this trip.A short moment later, the two girls came across a place that, to Videl, looked like a restaurant."Well, this is the place," Akane proclaimed."Cat Cafe?" she read the sign on the door.Videl turned to Akane who had a surprisingly serious expression on her face.'Part of me really thinks this is bad idea, but if anyone can help Videl prepare for a fight with Ryoga, it's Cologne.'Akane let out a breath before stepping through the curtains, Videl right behind her. Videl looked around and from the looks of it, it seemed like a normal enough restaura-..."Shampoo, you've finally returned!"Videl shrieked as she was glomped on by a boy with long, black, hair clad in white robes."Get...off of me you creep!"Videl harshly kicked the strange boy off of her, forcibly knocking him onto the floor. Once he recovered, the boy turned back to Videl."Mousse, put your glasses on," Akane ordered.Mousse pulled out his swirly glasses and set his focus back on Videl and Akane. "Two Akane Tendoes!?"The two girls paused at Mousse's statement and gave each other a pair of strained looks."We don't look alike, do we?" asked Videl."We may have a lot in common, but we don't LOOK the same," Akane replied."What's all the commotion out here."The three teenagers turned to the counter to see a small, wrinkled, shriveled, creepy looking figure with the resembalance of a mummy, wielding a wooden-
KATHONK!
(A/N: OW!)
"Eeeeek!"Videl instinctively took a step backwards and crossed her arms over her chest at the sight of the small elder."It's him again? With a wig!?" she shrieked."Actually...she's a woman," Akane corrected."Huh!?"The elderly lady hopped off the counter onto a table close to the trio and began to introduce herself."Yes, I am. I assume you were mistaken me for that old perv Happosai, but I can assure you I am not him. My name is Cologne.Videl let out a relieved sigh as the introductions continued."That's Mousse, who I hope I need not remind should be returning to work," Cologne said narrowing her eyes.Adjusting his glasses, Mousse cleared his throat and retreated to the rear of the restaurant.Once Mousse was gone, the two girls sat at the table Cologne was standing on and began their chat."I must say, I wasn't expecting this visit Ms. Tendo. I assume you're not here for the after school rush," Cologne began."Sadly, you're right," Akane replied."What's Son-in-Law gotten himself into this time, and am I to also assume this young lady is involved in some way?" she asked pointing her staff at Videl.'Who's 'Son-in-law'?' Videl thought."Actually...this doesn't involve Ranma at all," Akane answered."Oh?"'Wait, Ranma's related to this lady?' Videl thought. 'If they're related in some way, does that mean she's the one who trained Ranma? Is that why Akane brought me here?'Akane noted the contemplative look on Videl's face and gave her a subtle signal that she'd explain later. Focusing her attention back to Cologne, Akane began explaining."I'll just cut to the chase. My friend here has a duel with Ryoga in a few...well...whenever he gets back to town, and we were hoping you could help her prepare for it."There was a pregnant pause between the three women. Cologne took a good long look at Videl. seemingly inspecting her before hopping off the table in a dismissive manner."I cannot." she added."What? Why not?" Videl exclaimed."I haven't the faintest idea what grudge you have with Ryoga, but I can tell you now, any attempt to fight him would just be a waste of time, and quite possibly life threatening for you."Videl sighed dejectedly. "I get it. I've heard the whole, 'You can't win' stuff from Ranma and Akane already, and I'll admit it; I KNOW I'm outmatched, but still. That blockhead trashed my father's dojo. I can't just let him go like that!" she said firmly."You're father's dojo eh?" Cologne hopped back onto the table and looked Videl straight in the eye. "Tell me girl, what is your name.""It's Videl. Videl Satan."Cologne's eyes widened. "Satan? As in Mr. Satan the so called 'World Martial Arts Champion'?""Uh-huh," Videl said with a prideful tone.Following a small pause, in the next moment, Cologne burst out laughing, rolling all over the table she was standing on."What's so funny?" Videl asked, her eyebrow twitching."Apologies. I just find it hilarious that the child of that showboating, buffoon of a fighter would show herself on my doorstep." Cologne chuckled wiping away tears from her eyes.It was at that point where Akane chose to intervene. "Now wait a second Cologne, you can't just trash talk Mr. Satan like that!""Considering his slanderous accusations towards true martial artists, I'd say I have every right to hurl a few insults back.""Slanderous?"Cologne let out a sigh. "Satan may be the World Martial Arts Champion of this current day and age, but his so called 'skills' don't hold a candle to the champions of yester-years. Numerous fighters with skills and power that would take most others most of their lives to learn and yet this buffoon has the audacity to write off decades of hard work and discipline as cheap sleight of hand? Despicable, truly despicable!"Videl couldn't help but avoid eye contact with Cologne, as she knew exactly what she was referring to; her father's numerous claims of Goku and the other's Ki abilities as nothing more than just cheap tricks. After meeting Ranma and Ryoga, she figured there may have been others on earth that may have the same kinds of abilities, and while Gohan and the other Z-Fighters just sort of...disdainfully let it go, it wasn't too farfetched to think that others would be less than willing to just write off what was essentially some random guy putting down their hard work and effort."Videl...what's she talking about?"Videl remained silent, ignoring Akane. Both pairs of eyes were on Videl, who'd been suspiciously quiet the whole time. For a moment, everything stayed silent until suddenly, Videl finally spoke up."Look Ms. Cologne, I get it. You don't like my father, and you have every right not to, heck my boyfriend's mom isn't a big fan of him either."'Wait, Chi-Chi hates ?' thought Akane."The fact is though, I'm NOT my father, nor am I LIKE him...at least in regards to how I am as a martial artist. Is it really fair for you to turn your disdain for him, on me?" Videl said sternly.Cologne lightly narrowed her eyes. "The sins of the father shall be visited upon the son, or in this case the daughter," her expression then softened. "But I suppose you do have a point, which brings me to my next question; why exactly should I train you anyway. Even if you are a more respectable martial artist than your father, I don't see why I should waste my time in trying to help you win a pointless battle."Videl slammed her palm down against the table, meeting Cologne's skeptical expression with a confident smirk. "Name your price grandma. You agree to train me, and I'll be sure to make it worth your while."Cologne countered with her own grin. "You've got moxie girl, I'll give you that, and while I do like the idea of having your buffoon of a father's money in my pockets, I'm afraid that mere monetary compensation isn't what I'm looking for."Videl's earlier hype died down as she shot Cologne her own skeptical look. "Well then, what are you looking for?"'Oh great,' thought an irritated Akane. 'Now she's gonna try and get Videl to convince Ranma to go with Shampoo, I just KNOW it!'Akane's fist clenched while Videl and Cologne appeared to be at some sort of stalemate as neither one had said a word for a brief moment until Cologne finally spoke up, "Believe me girl, you wouldn't be able to deliver me what I truly want."Videl's confident smirk soon returned, "Well what if I told you I was well acquainted with some of those 'yester-year' fighters?" Videl replied."Is that so?" asked a disbelieving Cologne. "Well if you're sooo well acquainted with them, why not have them train you instead?"'That is a very good point actually,' thought Akane."Because most of them have given up fighting, and the ones that haven't..." Videl trailed off. "...Let's just say, I still have a ways to go before I can try training with them for real."Cologne had a skeptical look as she mulled over Videl's words. It wasn't too farfetched to think that the previous generation of martial artists may have hung up their uniforms after all these years, but she still had her suspicions. Her thoughts however, were interrupted by the sound of a bell dinging, followed by a high-pitched female voice."Nihao! Great Grandmother, I back!"Swaggering through the door was a young but curvy, purple-haired girl wearing an outfit that, to Videl, wouldn't look out of place in Chi-Chi's closet."Who is that?" asked Videl."Oh Shampoo! You've returned for real!" From out of seemingly nowhere, Mousse sprang out of the backroom and latched on to the nearest living thing he could, which in this case, was a potted plant far out to Shampoo's side.Videl couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed watching the male Chinese Amazon snuggling up to a plant. Her embarrassment turned to shock when she saw a notably irritated Shampoo pour a cup of water on the boy and he seemed to shrink out of his clothes.
QUACK!
Her surprise grew as a white duck wearing a familiar pair of glasses popped it's head out of the recently discarded garments. Shampoo proceeded to pick the bird up and casually toss him out of the window."What...what just happened...?" asked a dumbfounded Videl."Long story short, Mousse has a Jusenkyo curse too, just like Ranma." Akane answered. "He turns into a duck."Videl took a moment to let that information register as Shampoo dusted off her hands and came to rejoin the other girls."Now that stupid duck boy gone, can Shampoo finally learn what going on here?" Shampoo asked."Yes of course. First let's get introductions out of the way," Colonge cleared her throat. "Videl, this is my great-granddaughter Shampoo," Cologne introduced. "Who couldn't have come at a better time.""What that mean?" asked Shampoo."It means I would like for you two to fight each other," Cologne answered.There was a brief pause between the quartet before the three young girls let out a simultaneous, "Ehhhhhh!?""Great Grandmother, why Shampoo have to fight new girl?""Shampoo, when you arrived, you asked why Akane brought her friend here. To answer that question, Akane brought young Ms. Videl here in hopes that I would train her for an upcoming duel with Ryoga." Cologne began."Aiyaa! New girl fight with Ryoga? It take more than Great-Grandmother training to battle him." said Shampoo.'Geeze, even this girl's saying the same thing?' thought an annoyed looking Videl."Regardless, Videl's managed to pique my interest, and I wish to assess her fighting skills with my own eyes, and I think you'd be the perfect opponent for her, which brings me to my proposition."Cologne turned her focus back to Videl and fiercely aimed her staff at the girl. "If you can win a match against my Shampoo, then I will at least consider prepping you for your fight with Ryoga. If you can at least manage that much, then you may have potential worth training after all. We can iron out the details of 'payment' later."While Videl didn't take too kindly at that small jab at her martial arts skills, she was determined to make this old lady eat her words, about her and her father (despite the truth they held)."So all I gotta do is win? No problem," said a confident Videl."Shampoo not know exactly why she has to get involved in violent girl's mess, but Shampoo won't lose to new girl, no matter what!" the young amazon fired back.The two girls glared at each other, visions of victory already filling both of their minds. Meanwhile, off to the side, Akane viewed the event unfolding with traces of regret adorning her features. 'I knew this was a bad idea.'[A few moments later]All four women found themselves in a rather well known vacant lot, Akane and Cologne viewing the impending battle from the sidelines as the two combatants dropped into fighting stances and stared each other down."Tell me Akane, do you think your friend stands a chance against Shampoo?" asked Cologne."Of course she does. I know how good Shampoo is, but Videl can definitely hold her own." A smug grin found itself onto Akane's face. "Who knows, she might just find some way to surprise you."Cologne made sure to take special notice of that line. 'Wonder what that's supposed to mean...aww forget it. I doubt that girl is capable of anything too impressive.'"Shampoo still no see why she need fight you, but Shampoo do need workout after delivery run."Videl's eyes narrowed. "Don't think you can just write me off like that. Even if you do beat me, it's not gonna be that easy, but I don't intend to let that happen!""Hmph, we will see."The two combatative girls flashed each other their own determined glares before Cologne pogoed over on her staff and gave the okay."You may now begin!"As soon as the words left Cologne's mouth, the two girls darted at each other, victory flashing in both of their eyes.
(A/N: Evil cliffhanger is evil. I kinda wanted to do some more funny things with Mousse, but I decided to stick to what he's good at: mistaking anything with a tangible form for Shampoo, but don't worry, he'll show up again sooner or later. So yup, Videl has to show what she's made of, by going toe-to with Shampoo before Cologne will even bother to hear her out. Speaking of, it seems Cologne's intrigued by Videl's 'acquaintances' as well as the surprise Akane mentioned. Who'll win this battle, will Cologne agree to train Videl, these questions will be answered and many more will be formed, next time)
PS: Next chapter may be delayed on account of Super Smash Br-I MEAN WORK!
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My Life's Stranger Than Yours
(A/N: HAPPY NEW YEAR! I'm back with the first new chapter of 2019, and what better way to kick off the new year than with the long awaited fight between Videl and Shampoo. No review response this time, let's just get straight to it.)
Videl vs. Shampoo; Tales of the Z-Fighters
As soon as Cologne gave the word, the two young girls each launched a fierce roundhouse kick at each other, their legs colliding hard. Following their initial attack, they both pulled away and fell back into their respective stances.While Videl still looked as determined as ever, Shampoo had a more inquisitve look on her face. Shampoo kept her stern glare on Videl as the short haired girl followed up by throwing a hard right cross at the young Amazon. Shampoo deflected and countered Videl's attack by turning her body and spinning into an elbow strike that nailed Videl in the back of the head.Videl stumbled forward attempting to recover, but Shampoo kept up the offense by throwing a palm strike into Videl's back launching her forward and onto the ground.A disgruntled Videl rubbed the spot where Shampoo's attack had landed as she picked herself back up. 'Okay...I admit that wasn't bad.'"Shampoo is willing to let new girl give up," the purple haired girl taunted."Hmph, not a chance," Videl replied turning back to face Shampoo. Taking a runner's position, much to the confusion of Shampoo and Cologne, Videl darted forward and launched herself at Shampoo intending to tackle her. Shampoo simply sidestepped Videl's attack, but the raven haired girl was prepared. Landing in a handstand, Videl twisted her body around and struck Shampoo with a spinning kick. Shampoo was briefly caught off guard but managed to block Videl's attack.Using her arms, Videl vaulted and flipped over Shampoo where she attempted to attack with her own elbow strike which the bouncy Amazon effortlessly caught. Shampoo quickly counterattacked with a swift punch but Videl was able to catch her fist, locking the two girls into a stalemate."Shampoo no understand why Great-Grandmother so interested in new girl. So far, Shampoo not impressed.""I'm just warming up!" Videl snapped back.Lifting her leg and pressing her foot against Shampoo's abdomen, Videl harshly kicked her away creating some distance between the two combatants. As Shampoo quickly regained her balance, Videl dashed forward and attacked with a roundhouse kick that Shampoo once again narrowly avoided.As Videl struck with a follow-up kick from her opposite leg, Shampoo dodged by letting her body fall back and back-flipping away from Videl. Not willing to let Shampoo escape, with impressive speed, Videl zipped within striking range and showered Shampoo with a volley of punches, keeping the young Amazon on the deffensive.As the two girls continued their bout, the two spectators began to voice their current opinions on the match at hand."Hmmmm..." Cologne hummed."What is it?" asked Akane."I'll admit this much, the girl certainly is a vastly more competent fighter than her bumbling father," the elder noted."See? I told you.""Still, nothing I've seen thus far has convinced me that training her would be worth my time," Cologne added.Akane held her tongue. She didn't want to admit it, but from how things were playing out now, Shampoo definitely seemed to have the edge. Still, she had yet to use her trump card. Akane could only clench her fist in anticipation.Back in the fight, Videl was beginning to get irritated. No matter what attack she tried, Shampoo was able to dodge, block and/or counter her and it looked like she was hardly trying. Determined to break through Shampoo's guard, Videl lifted both her fists and struck with a powerful overhead attack, but Shampoo was once again able to block the attack, this time parrying her strike with her forearms and lightly knocking Videl back."An opening!"Videl could hardly react as Shampoo closed the gap between them and fired off a fierce palm strike right in the raven-haired girl's face."Gaaaaah!"As Videl held her pained cheek, Shampoo stood poised ready to unleash a string of blows."Now it Shampoo's turn to attack!" she said with a victorious grin.Cartwheeling forward, Shampoo struck Videl with a back hand to the head which she raised her hand to defend against. Shampoo's attack was a feint however, and she actually struck Videl with a chop to the side of the torso. While Videl stumbled from her attack, Shampoo followed up with an uppercut to Videl's gut before finishing her combo with a sweeping leg kick, eliminating Videl's balance.'Oh no!' Akane internally shrieked.Videl was able to catch herself with her hands and regain her momentum, but Shampoo wasn't giving her a moment to breathe. As soon as Videl turned to face her opponent, she eyed Shampoo preparing to throw a potentially game ending fist at her. Despite regaining her composure, Videl was not in a favorable position to avoid Shampoo's attack...at least...not conventionally.'Time for me to take control of this fight!'With a cocky grin finding it's way to her face, Videl prepared to make her move. Shampoo finally fired off her attack at Videl, who made no effort to dodge it.'Hmph. Well, I guess that's that,' Cologne mentally sighed.Before Shampoo's fist struck Videl however, the short haired girl suddenly seemed to vanish from sight and Shampoo wound up striking the ground, creating small cracks in the earth beneath her."Eh...!?"'What!?'Before Shampoo or Cologne could fully process what had happened, Shampoo was knocked aside by a strong and harsh side kick to the side of the head."Aiyyee...!" Shampoo shrieked as she regained her composure."Sorry, but this fight isn't over yet!" she could hear Videl say.Placing a hand where she got hit, Shampoo angrily responded to Videl's proclamation. "Hmph, new girl got lucky shot!" Turning to face her assailanit, Shampoo continued speaking. "Shampoo not know how new girl dodge attack, but she won't let...Aiyyaaaa!"Shampoo let out a surprised shriek as she laid eyes on her opponent."What in...!?" Cologne had an expression of similar if not equal surprise on her face at the sight of Videl as well. Not only was the girl that Shampoo had previously been dominating looking none the worse for wear, she was also floating in midair!"That's...!?" Cologne stammered.Akane could only chuckle at the elder Amazon's loss for words. "See, I told you she had a few surprises in store!""How...how come New Girl floating!?" Shampoo exclaimed."Oh it's just a little technique I learned. Nothing too special," Videl answered, smugly placing her hands on her hips. "Then again, it's also something of a trump card, so I guess you could say it's a little special," Videl added raising her guard once again. "Now let's see how well you defend against THIS!"Videl zoomed over to Shampoo, closing the gap nigh instantly, and striking with a flying side kick. The surprised young Amazon cartwheeled aside to avoid the attack but was struck from behind and knocked to the ground by Videl flying into Shampoo with a midair tackle before handsprinting off the purple haired girl's back and landing flawlessly back on the ground.Shampoo quickly picked herself up, a look of extreme irritation on her face. "New girl may be able to fly, but that no mean she can win against Shampoo!" she declared."True, but if you wanna win this fight, you'll have to catch me first!" Videl challeneged. Making the classic, 'come at me motion' with her hand, Videl stood poised confident to take on Shampoo's next attack. Sprinting at Videl, Shampoo attacked with a quick jab that Videl simply sidestepped. Shampoo tried to follow up with a palm strike to the chest, but Videl simply levitated off the ground and flipped over Shampoo's head, launching and nailing another flying kick to her head.Shampoo quickly recovered and darted after Videl throwing blow after blow at her, but the Ki-inclined girl only continued to sway, acrobat, and float away from Shampoo's onslaught.Cologne continued watching the fight with a newly invigorated interest in Videl's abilities. 'That's bukujutsu, the 'Sky Dancing Technique'!'Videl continued her aerial onsluaght on Shampoo, striking with a flurry of rapid kicks before quickly zipping away in midair and following up with a more powerful straight kick. Shampoo managed to defend from the first barrage, but when she tried to defend from Videl''To be able to use such an advanced technique so effortlessly...this girl may have more talent and skill than I initially thought, but...' Cologne narrowed her eyes. "...to learn that technique in the first place...she has to have trained with...!!"Cologne's eyes snapped wide open as the face of a certain old man with shades and hair resembling a pair of wings flashed in her mind."Shampoo! Hold nothing back! Take that girl down at all costs!" Cologne shouted!"Huh?" Videl could understand Cologne wanting her great-granddaughter to win, but the urgency she heard in her voice was a definite red flag.A pleased sneer grew on Shampoo's face as she replied, "Of course!"Shampoo then proceeded to reach into the chest area of her dress and pull out what looked to be a small stick. Shampoo held the stick in front of her face and with a flick off her finger, the stick expanded revealing it to be a metal fan."What is-Gyah!"Videl was cut off by Shampoo tossing her fan at Videl, forcing her to duck under it."Hey! Watch the-GAH!"Videl was once again cut off by the fan circling back around like a boomerang and nailing her in the back of the head, forcing her back to ground level. As Videl shook off the shock from Shampoo's last attack, the hardenened Amazon rushed at Videl with two metal fans in hand, slashing them at Videl."Wha-!"Videl was able to back flip away from Shampoo's attack, but was kept on the evasive when Shampoo hurled both fans at Videl. Videl swiftly dodged the projectiles, watching them get stuck in the ground, but was barely given a moment to rest as Shampoo closed the gap between them and slashed at Videl with a curved sword. Videl was able to avoid a direct hit from the blade, but the front of her shirt had a wide gash in it."What the...where the hell did you get that!?" Videl demanded.Shampoo ignored Videl's inquiry as she simply continued swinging her sword at the stunned, honorary Z-Fighter. Videl could only continuously avoid Shampoo's barrage. With her being so close to her with that sword, if she made a single wrong move, she'd be on the receiving end of a potentially lethal slash, so she couldn't even make an attempt to fly away."Who said...you could bring weapons...to this match anyway!?" Videl snapped."Amazon use any mean to obtain victory, especially in Anything-Goes-Martial Arts," Shampoo replied.A bead of sweat ran down the side of Videl's head. 'I know Ranma brought that up before, but with a name like that, that's just begging for every rule in the book to get broken.'"Wait a second Cologne!" Akane interjected. "I thought this was supposed to be a sparring match! Also, last I checked, the fight's still going on so your 'Kiss of Death' rule isn't in effect either!""True, this was intended to be just a simple sparring match, but that technique of your friend..." Cologne trailed off."What about it?" Akane asked.Before Cologne could answer, the two of them paused at the sound of one of the two fighting girls letting out a loud pained scream."Videl!" Akane exclaimed.Back in the fight, Videl had done a great job of avoiding Shampoo's sword...though the current condition of her outfit may suggest otherwise. Despite not getting cut herself, Videl's over and undershirts were both left shredded tatters due to a few too many close calls. Unfortuantely, fatigue also began to take it's toll, and Shampoo finally managed to get a hit on Videl's thigh with her sword. Videl was sick of playing defense, and she couldn't keep it up. If she wanted to win this thing, she had to make her move now.As Videl retreated away from Shampoo's continued onslaught, she couldn't help but notice the beads of sweat rolling down Shampoo's face, as well as her expression. She was looking pretty winded herself, and judging from the look on her face, she was looking pretty irritated.'Guess it's now or never,' Videl thought.Taking a step backwards, Videl uncharacteristically stumbled, landing on her backside.'An opening!' Shampoo thought. Taking the initiative, Shampoo darted to close the gap between them, her sword raised skyward."This the end Flying Girl!" Shampoo declared.Videl shot her opponent a victorious grin. "Yup...for you!"Raising both her legs, Videl caught the blade between her feet before using the strength in her arms to twist her body around and fling the sword out of Shampoo's grip and into a nearby fire hydrant with a sign on it that said, 'Please Do Not Fling Sharp Objects At This Hydrant'"Aiyaaa!"'I had a feeling she'd leave herself open if she thought she had a definitive win over me. All I had to do was bait her,' Videl thought."Hmph, Shampoo no need sword to win, especially with cut in Flying Girl's leg," said Shampoo."This is nothing. I've taken worse than a single sword slash sister!" Videl shot back.The two combatants stood poised ready to continue their fight. They hurriedly rushed at each other as fast as their tired bodies could until....
CLANK!
SPLOOOSSSH!
The Hydrant with the sword in it finally gave out, spraying cold water onto all three girls, in the lot, Cologne pogoing away just in time to avoid the splash."Gyaaaa!" Akane shrieked."Ughh...why does it feel like I'm always getting wet lately, huh?" Videl thought aloud.As she wrung her shirt out, she couldn't help but notice that Shampoo was surprisingly silent in all that mess. As she turned back to her opponent, she was stunned to find that she seemed to have disappeared. Expecting Shampoo to launch some kind of sneak attack in the confusion, Videl quickly raised her guard up until she heard a soft sound coming from behind her.
"Meeeow."
"Uhhh...Akane...am I imagining things, or did you just hear a cat?" asked a confused Videl.Akane merely pointed and Videl's gaze followed until she was looking back at where Shampoo should've been, only this time, she looked down and gasped as she saw a very familiar looking Chinese outfit laying in a crumpled heap. The clothing started to rustle before a furry little head poked out from beneath the discarded cloth, revealing itself to be a small purple kitten. Recalling a similar incident from earlier, Videl finally put all the pieces together.'Wait...don't tell me...!'"Shampoo!?""Mrroooooww!""Her too!?" Videl exclaimed. "Geeze, how many people have this Jusenkyo curse thing anyway!?""Well...five off the top of my head, but you'd be better off asking Ranma, since there may be a few I'm just forgetting or he straight up hasn't told me about."[Elsewhere]A familiar boy clad in yellow let out a loud hearty sneeze which echoed across the mouth of the cave he was currently about to enter.'Huh....wonder who's talking about me now?' he thought as a low growl steadily began to emenate from the cave.[Back with the girls]"Well, I guess that's one way of ending a fight," Cologne sighed as she pogoed over to the younger girls, a tea kettle in hand.While Akane and Videl wrung their clothes out, Cologne poured the kettle's contents over the yowling kitten. From the ensuing cloud of steam, Shampoo emerged in human form...completely naked."Well...that's gotta be annoying," a lightly blushing Videl commented."Fly Girl have no idea," Shampoo replied grabbing her clothes."Regardless, I think it's fair we call this match a draw," said Cologne."Speaking of the match..." Videl interjected. "What the hell was the deal with the fans and sword!?" she exclaimed. "Wasn't this just supposed to be a sparring match?" Before Cologne could reply, Videl added, "You're not gonna say that was all 'to test my ability in critical situations' or something like that, are you?""No, but I will admit, you've shown yourself to be fairly competent in that kind of situation. As for your first question, I'll answer it with one of my own: Where exactly did you learn to use bukujutsu?""Boku what?""Great Grandmother means how can you fly," Shampoo clarified."Why do you need to know that?" Videl replied raising an eyebrow. "What does me being able to fly have to do with you two trying to kill me?""Apologies for the excessive force, but it was more or less a precaution, because that technique is an advanced yet signature teaching of an ancient, yet deadly martial arts academy: The Crane School!""Crane School? This is the first I've heard of it," Videl testified."Nevertheless, the Crane School is infamous amongst the world of serious martial artists for being the academy that birthed one of the world's most deadliest assassins. I figured if you had received their teachings in some form or another, it was best for Shampoo to not hold back," Cologne added."Hey Videl, do you think Gohan might know something about it?" asked Akane."Probably, but I know he didn't train with em' either," Videl replied.As Cologne raised a curious eyebrow, Shampoo asked "Akane, why you and Flying Girl talk about rice?"Akane snickered. "Has Gohan gotten sick of that joke yet, cause I feel like it happens to him a lot?"Videl couldn't help but chuckle herself. "Not as much as you'd think, but it hasn't gotten old yet.""What so funny now?" asked Shampoo."See, we weren't talking about food earlier, we were referring to my boyfriend. His name is Gohan, and he's actually the one who taught me how to fly," Videl explained. "Like I already said, I've never heard of this 'Crane School', but if I remember right, Gohan's dad was a student of the Turtle School when he was younger."Cologne's eyes snapped open in utter shock. "Did you say...the Turtle School!?" she asked, an inquisitive look on her face. 'Wait a second...Gohan...!""Satan Girl, you said your man's name was Gohan correct? It wouldn't happen to be 'Son' Gohan would it?" asked Cologne."Yeah but...how did you...know that?""It just so happens that Son Gohan is the name of one of the Turtle School's greatest students. Although from what I've gathered through the grapevine he's long since left this world. I don't think you're other half having the same is just some coincidence."'Huh, I never knew that. Is that how Gohan got his name?' Videl thought."I also heard that when the Son Gohan of old passed on, he was survived by a grandson, so now I ask; Your Gohan, what is his father's name?" Cologne added."It's Goku," Akane answered.As soon as the name had left Akane's mouth, Cologne let out a small snicker. Her snickering soon grew into a much more spirited grin before it evolved into a hearty, yet hysterical laugh."Aiyaaa, Great-Grandmother? What so funny?" asked a genuinely concerned looking Shampoo.Ignoring her Granddaughter, Cologne focused her attention back to Videl. "Young lady?""Yes?""When you first arrived at the Nekohanten you told me you were well acquainted with some of history's greatest martial artists. Let's just say, I have reason to believe you now. Not only that, but you've also shown your own competence as a fighter. Though you still have a long ways to go before you can even hope to challenge Ryoga," she stated."Does that mean...!?""Yes, I will train you in preparation for your upcoming battle." Cologne simply stated."Alri-AH!" Videl in a burst of exitement threw herself into the air, but quickly landed and took a knee. Unfortunately the resulting sharp pain in her thigh reminded her of her body's less than favorable condition at the time."Although I think it's safe to say we should start tomorrow," stated Cologne."Fine by me," Videl replied."But, let me give you fair warning. The training you'll go through may just be some of the most harshest and grueling trials you've ever had to experience thus far. Every hardship you've faced up till now will look like Kindergarten in comparison. This is the only chance you'll have to change your mind, so I ask you, are you absolutely sure you wish to go through with this training?" Cologne challenged.Videl stared Cologne dead in the eye, visions of some of her toughest experiences flashing back to her. From battles with criminals, to her battle with Spopovitch, to the whole Majin Buu debacle. It may have been a bit arrogant to think this, but Videl majorly doubted that anything Cologne could throw at her could top those (especially the one where she literally freaking DIES!).Videl nodded before sternly saying, "I'm sure.""Well then. Get that leg of yours patched up and get plenty of rest tonight, cause tomorrow after school, you may never be able to rest again! Who knows, by the time you're done, you might actually be level with my Shampoo." Cologne taunted with a grin.The girl in question let out a dissatisfied grunt as she crossed her arms. "Next time we fight, Flying Girl tricks won't catch Shampoo off guard again," she declared."Next time we fight, I won't even have to fly to get a leg up on you!" Videl shot back."Oh, one more thing. We'll discuss the terms of my services tomorrow as well. Remember, I'm not doing this for free, but money won't buy this either." Cologne added."Meaning?""You'll find out tomorrow. Come now Shampoo," on that note, Cologne hopped on her staff and started pogoing away, Shampoo jogging close behind leaving the two friends alone.Once the Amazon duo was out of sight and earshot, Videl fell flat on the ground, panting hard."Videl! Are you alright?" asked a worried looking Akane.The Furinkan fighter received her answer in the form of a low grumble."I think now I understand how Gohan and his family feel after a long, tough fight. I don't think I've ever been this tired or hungry in ages!" Videl playfully groaned."Maybe he's just rubbing off on you," Akane giggled.Videl extended a hand up which Akane heartfully grasped, helping her friend back to her feet. As Videl stood back up, Akane couldn't helpbut notice how shaky she was. Understandable after that fight with Shampoo. She could most likely still walk but it didn't look like she could go very fast'Hmmm...in that case.'Akane turned her back to Videl and took a knee. Videl could only look in confusion before Akane said, "Well, get on!""Akane you don't have to carry me, I can still wa-AAH!"Cutting Videl off, Akane took Videl by the arm and forcibly pulled her onto her back. "We're not having this argument. I've done it once with Ranma, and I'm not looking for a repeat. Now come on, let's get you patched up."With Videl on her back, Akane ran out of the vacant lot and off to the one person she knew would have Videl back fighting fit in no time.[Meanwhile]Shampoo and Cologne had returned to the Cat Cafe. While Shampoo stormed off to take a much needed bath, Cologne headed towards the rear of the restaurant, deep in thought.'That girl, Videl. She's acquainted with one of the Turtle Hermit's greatest students. It's not farfetched to think she may know the Turtle Hermit himself.' Her eyes narrowed. 'I must learn his whereabouts, because if anyone knows where she is, it's him!' (A/N: Welp that as they say, is that. After an interesting demonstration by Videl, as well as a few info drops being dumped, Cologne has agreed to train Videl. But what exactly is she expecting to get in return, and who could SHE be? As for the fight itself, well, what can I even say, everyone kind of guessed how things would play out right down to the wire: Shampoo initially has the edge, Videl's flight powers turn the tide, etc. [I gotta work on my unpredictability]. Next time we'll slow things down a bit as Videl gets introduced to a couple more of Furinkan's regulars, one of whom should be no surprise, and who knows what Cologne will have in store for Videl? Only one way to find out.)
I REALLY need to find a way to get around my block with my Spidey/MHA fanfic.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life's Stranger Than Yours
(A/N: By the time this chapter's out, this'll be old news, but...I CAN'T FRICKIN' BELIEVE IT! Videl's actually in Dragon Ball FighterZ! She was the ONE character I wanted more than anybody else! They said it wouldn't happen, they said I, and people like me were crazy, BUT WE WERE RIGHT!! I already main Adult Gohan, but you better believe I'm gonna main her too! [Current Team: Videl, Gohan, SS Goku, in that order]. That being said, That's not the reason this chapter took a while. Just needed to find my footing with it and if you follow me as an author, you know that I took a short detour to write a quick Valentine's Day Oneshot yesterday featuring DBZ's two best couples. With all that said, let's get into it)
A Little R and R; A Casual Stroll Through Town
Following the brutal battle with Shampoo, Akane had carried Videl through the unusually empty streets of Furinkan until they had arrived at a rather basic looking building."Ahhhh, finally. We're here!" Akane proclaimed, setting Videl down."Where is here?" asked Videl."It's our family clinic. Who better to patch you up than an actual doctor?""Hmm...makes sense."The two girls entered the building only to be greeted with an empty doctor's office."Is he not here right now? Dr. Tofu?" Akane called out.At Akane's voice, a figure suddenly appeared before the two girls revealing itself to be a skeleton."KYAAAAA!!"Videl shrieked out stumbling backwards into a sloppy defensive stance."Well if it isn't Akane," said a male voice. From behind the skeleton, a man in a black robe and glasses revealed himself."Dr. Tofu!" Akane greeted.The kindly physician let out a chuckle as he hooked the skeleton back on it's stand. "Please excuse Betty over here. She tends to get a little overzealous whenever we get a new patient. I hope she didn't startle you," Tofu apologized to Videl."Uhh..." Videl was left with no words as she tried her hardest to get a read on Dr. Tofu. At first glance he seemed like a normal enough doctor, but after that stunt with a skeleton (that he named), she was understandably a little skeptical."I have to say it's been a while," Tofu started. "Don't think you've visited since that weakness moxibustion incident."'Weakness what?'"Has it really been that long?" Akane murmured. "Regardless, it is nice to see you again too. Though I wish I could say this was a casual visit." Akane replied."Hmm, I figured as much. Am I right in assuming your friend here is the reason for your visit? Pardon my saying so, but she looks like she's been through quite a bit.""You don't know the half of it Doctor.""Here, wait on the bed over there and I'll be with you in a minute Miss...?""Videl.""Ms. Videl.""Yes sir," Videl politely replied.Dr. Tofu stepped out of the room, leaving the two girls alone. As Videl made her way to the bed, she was quickly halted by Akane."You know, if you have a spare set of clothes, you might want to take a minute to change." she suggested.Videl looked down at her clothes and remembered her clothes had been all but cut to ribbons courtesy of one too many close calls with Shampoo and that sword."Good call."Pulling out a capsule, Videl closed the curtain on the bed (just in case) and popped it open in a puff of smoke. In an instant, Videl was now in her trademark 'FIGHT' tunic.A few minutes later, Tofu soon returned with a roll of bandages and disinfectant spray in hand."All right. Let's take a look at that leg of yours."Taking a seat on the bed, Videl stuck out her leg as Dr. Tofu crouched down to examine the cut before he proceeded to spray the cut down with the disinfectant, causing Videl to wince at the stinging sensation."Oh sorry. I probably should've warned you about that," Tofu chuckled."Aww that's nothing. I've taken much worse than a little stinging." Videl boasted as he began wrapping her leg up in bandages.A short moment later, Tofu finished wrapping up Videl's wound before giving her upper thigh one last solid examination."Okay. The wound wasn't too bad, but you may want to try not putting too much pressure on your leg for the time being. That being said, It should be okay to remove the bandages in the morning," said Tofu."Sure thing," Videl simply replied."Actually if you don't mind my asking, how exactly did your leg get cut like that? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I won't lie. I'm rather curious about the whole ordeal because if I didn't know any better, I'd say the cut on your leg was done by a sword," Tofu proclaimed.Videl's eyes widened at Tofu's deduction. "How...how did you figure that out!?" Videl exclaimed.Dr. Tofu gave Videl a mildly surprised look. "I was...mostly joking just now. You were really struck with a sword?" he asked."It's...kind of a long story," Videl meekly replied."Though to make it short, she just had a sparring match with Shampoo." Akane chimed in."Shampoo?" Tofu asked. "Ahhh, so that's what it is. You're Ranma's latest suitor, aren't you?" Tofu asked raising an inquisitive eyebrow.Akane intensely flinched as Videl gave him a confused look. "Wait, what!?""Oh...am I mistaken?""Dr. Tofu it's not what you think!" Akane interjected. "Videl is NOT another fiancee, and Ranma has nothing to do with this!"Tofu and Videl both sweatdropped at Akane's outburst, but Videl was just left with a myriad of questions."Hold on. What do you mean by 'Ranma's latest suitor,'?" Videl asked."Well...I assume you know about Ranma and Akane's engagement, correct?""Yeah...?""Well, let's just say that Ranma's father has a really bad habit of promising Ranma to various girls for some reason or another," Tofu explained."That...that's insane!" Videl exclaimed. "A single arranged marriage is one thing but what kind of parent offers their kid up multiple times!?""To be completely fair to Mr. Saotome there've been a couple of times where Ranma gets himself into those kinds of situations, though it's usually been some kind of accident, like in Shampoo's case.""What do you mean Shampoo's case?" asked Videl."You didn't know? Well, to make another long story short, it's the law of Shampoo and Cologne's home village that if one of them is defeated by a man not from their tribe, then the two must get married and well...you've at least seen Ranma fight before correct?"Videl's eyes widened as her imagination went to work and she pictured a scene of Ranma dealing a finishing blow to a combatative Shampoo.'So that's why Cologne calls him Son-In-Law,' she realized.Videl turned to Akane intending to ask a few more questions about Ranma's multiple engagements, but held her tongue when she witnessed her friend clenching her fists tightly, seemingly seething with a serious fury."Still, if you can match blows with Shampoo you must be a pretty talented martial artist yourself," Tofu praised."Thank you," Videl said with a blush. "Cologne is actually going to start training me." Tofu couldn't help but do a double take at that revelation."Is something wrong?" asked Videl."No not at all. Though I do wonder what Cologne's true intentions are. She's done some pretty crazy things in her crusade to make Ranma choose Shampoo, so I wouldn't put using you in some way past her." Tofu warned.Videl giggled. "Thanks for the heads up Doc, but I've already gotten the warning." she said stepping out of the bed. "While I do intend to return what I owe for her training me, I'm not just going to let myself be a pawn in some scheme." she added sternly.Videl lightly kicked her leg out a couple of times to try and get a feel for the bandages. Thankfully it didn't seem like they'd interfere with her walking too much.'Hmmm...not bad.'"How's it feel Videl?" asked Akane.Right after Videl answered with a simple thumbs up, a low rumble filled the room, eliciting a blush to appear on her face.Dr.Tofu let out a light chuckle. "Well, it sounds like you have a healthy appetite at least."Akane couldn't help but giggle as Videl sheepishly turned her head aside."Thanks for your help Dr. Tofu," Akane called as she and Videl made their exit with a pair of waves. As the two girls disappeared, Tofu sat back in his chair and wheeled himself over to Betty."I don't know about you Betty, but I think our town is about to get a whole new kind of shaken up."[A few minutes later]"Well...that was one of the most...eventful doctor visits I've ever had...at least for just a simple patch up," Videl said."Dr. Tofu's a character alright, but he really is a great doctor. At least...when Kasumi's not near him." Akane mused."Kasumi, your sister...? On second thought, I don't want to know," Videl dismissed. "What I would like to know is...""What?" asked Akane. "Videl...? Know what?"Akane turned to see Videl standing motionless with a bright eyed expression on her face."Videl?""What is that amazing smell!?" Videl exclaimed.Akane raised a confused eyebrow, but in the next instance, she too got a whiff of something appetizing. Appetizing, but also familiar. The smell was soon accompanied by a fast moving shadow darting over their heads. Turning their attention upwards, the two girls caught a glimpse of a feminine looking figure covered in a LOT of red, from her clothes right down to her hair, carrying what looked like a takeout box soaring overhead and landing on a nearby rooftop.Pausing for a moment, she let out a breath before reaching inside the box and pulling out a disc shaped food and taking a sizable bite out of it."Mmph! Just what I needed!" she satisfyingly murmured. "Okay, NOW it's time to hit the ice-cream place." With a grunt, she hopped off to another nearby rooftop until she was out of sight.The two short-haired girls simply stood motionless as they watched the familiar redhead disappear."Was that...was that Ranma?" asked Videl."Yeah, I think so." Akane answered."Okay...and what was that she was eating?" Videl added her eyes getting notably wider."Looked like okonomiyaki. I guess now we know what that smell was," Akane noted. 'He said he was going to the ice-cream parlor, but it looks like he stopped by Ukyo's place.'Akane was ungraciously jarred from her thoughts by Videl fiercely grasping her hands onto Akane's arm and harshly yanking her back."There's an okonomiyaki shop here!?""Y-yeah. It's actually not far from here. You wanna check it out?""Yes!""Alright then follow me."Akane proceeded to dash up the street, Videl in hot pursuit. Truth be told, Akane was actually rather surprised by Videl's uncharacteristically excited outburst. Then again, if the previous rumbles from inside Dr. Tofu's office were anything to go by, she couldn't really blame her.[A few minutes later]"Well, here it is," said a panting Akane.Videl turned to the building they were standing beside and read aloud the sign out front. "Ucchan's Okonomiyaki?"Videl paused as the intense scents of a flaming grill and numerous appetizing ingredients assaulted her senses and elicited another low intense growl from her stomach."Geeze, I heard you the first time," mused an embarrassed Videl."Come on, let's get you inside before you die of starvation," Akane joked.Upon entering the establishment, Akane and Videl were met with a girl manning (womanning?) a large grill while another girl with a ponytail was waiting on the current group of customers."It smells delicious in here!" Videl exclaimed."Just wait till you taste em," Akane replied.Once the waitress finished delivering the order she was carrying, she turned to spotted Akane and Videl approaching."Well look who it is. Ms. Ukyo!""What is it Konatsu? I'm a little busy here!" Ukyo shot back."Another one of your special customers is here!" said Konatsu."Special customers?" The chef in question finished her current dish before turning her attention over to the approaching Akane and Videl."Oh, Akane," Ukyo pleasantly greeted."Hey Ukyo," Akane replied taking a seat."And who might you be?" Ukyo said focusing on Videl."The name's Videl.""She's not from around here and she wanted a bite to eat so...""Hup!" Ukyo cut her off. "Say no more. Two of the regulars coming right up!"Ukyo instantly got to work pulling out two small spatulas and tossing a myriad of ingredients on the grill. Videl watched in awe as Ukyo began tossing and turning the ingredients with insane speed and expert precision. Videl could only continue to stare at the performance in great anticipation. In a true display of 'Fast Food', Ukyo produced two serivngs of stuffed okonmiyaki within a few brief minutes."I gave Akane her usual, but since you're new in town, I gave you one of our specials."Videl wasted no time in picking the dish up and taking a bite out of it."Mmmmmmph-!" Videl let out a satisfied moan. "This is delicious!""Hmph I do my best," Ukyo said with a confident grin."I've had plenty of okonomiyaki growing up, but I think this one might be the best I've had yet!"Taking a small excerpt from the saiyans' book, Videl finished her food in record time (for her at least), and quickly ordered two more."Videl, take it easy. This isn't Food Wars you know," Akane grinned."Oh one of them's not for me. One of them's for Gohan. I'm sure he'd love to try one too.""Oh, so you want rice in one of them?" asked Ukyo."No I...well...actually yes, but that's not what I was talking about," Videl chuckled."She was talking about her boyfriend," Akane clarified.Ukyo raised an intrigued eyebrow. "Oh!?""He and his family love to eat, so I know they'd enjoy this place a lot.""Well next time you're in town, bring him over so he can get em' while they're hot!" Ukyo exclaimed."Sure thing."The two friends continued to eat while Ukyo proceeded to start cleaning the grill and Konatsu went off to make deliveries."Although, speaking of which, that reminds me," Akane suddenly spoke up. "Ukyo, Ranma stopped by here earlier, right?"Ukyo's expression turned mildly downtrodden. "Yeah, and he looked really upset about something. He didn't even stick around to chat. He just ordered, paid, and darted off to who know where."The two short haired girls sweat dropped.'Yup, he's still mad.' they thought in unison."Akane, are you and Ranchan fighting again?" Ukyo asked.'Ranchan?' Videl asked."No, we're not. Ranma's just all upset because he lost a sparring match," Akane informed her."Wait really? Ranchan lost? To who!?""No one important, but you know how he gets whenever he loses a match." said a nonchalant Akane."True enough I guess, but anyone who can give Ranchan a hard time, must be a pretty incredible guy," Ukyo said with a suspicious undertone."Hey Ukyo? Why do you keep calling Ranma, 'Ranchan'?"A small blush found itself on Ukyo's face. "Oh we've been friends since we were kids." she giggled. "He used to call me Ucchan, still does in fact."'Wait, she named her restaurant after a nickname Ranma gave her?' Videl's eyes widened as the pieces fell into place. "Wait a sec...Ukyo, do you have a crush on Ranma?" Videl asked.Ukyo's blush intensified. "Oh no, it's nothing like that. He's actually my fiancee," she declared.Videl halted as she suddenly remembered what Dr. Tofu had said earlier.
'Ranma's father has a bad habit of promising him to multiple women.'
"Uhh...Videl?" called a concerned Ukyo."Wait, so Ranma has three engagements!? How the hell does that work?" blurted a befudled Videl."It's all his old man's fault," Ukyo snapped."So I've heard," Videl deadpanned. "But let me see if I've got this straight, Ranma's engaged to you, Akane, AND that Shampoo girl?"Ukyo's expression instantly turned sour. "You just had to bring her up, didn't you?" Ukyo muttered. "You don't like her?""She and her grandma are nothing but a couple of pains in the ass. Not only does their restaurant steal my business, that purple haired-bimbo thinks she can seduce away my Ranchan!"'Geeze, talk about love rivals. I've seen a few love triangles before, but this is more like a love pyramid.' Videl deduced.Ukyo was nearly livid at this point, but she quickly took a breath and calmed herself down. "But in the end it doesn't matter because I'M his cute fiancee!" she declared with pride."Oh really?" said a skeptical Videl."What? You don't believe me!?""Oh no, don't get me wrong, you are a pretty cute girl, but don't you think you're being a bit too...sure of yourself?"Ukyo crossed her arms and triumphantly puffed out her chest. "Not at all, and do you know why? Because Ranchan told me himself!"'Hmph...point taken I guess.'Videl was about to continue eating but held herself when she felt a strange pressure invading her personal space. Turning to her side, she could see Akane trembling in a similar manner to how she was back at Dr. Tofu's office.'Maybe this was a mistake...'[A few moments later]The two short haired girls left Ucchan's, Videl with a takeout box in hand, and continued to roam the streets in awkward silence. Videl could tell that Akane was upset, but she still had a myriad of questions to ask. Finally breaking the nerve-racking quietness, Videl spoke up."So Ranma has three fiancees?""Videl, please don't, I'm not in the mood," Akane dismissed."Alright, fair enough, but at least answer this one thing," Videl requested."What?""If Ukyo's the 'cute' fiancee, what fiancee does that make you?"
STAB!
An emotional arrow lodged itself in Akane's chest as her expression darkened. "Heh, isn't it obvious, I'm the stocky, violent fiancee, who can't cook and has no sex appeal whatsoever!" Akane topped this declaration off with a punch to a nearby lamppost with a sign that read, 'New Titanium Alloy Lamppost is incredibly solid. Do not hit with bare hands.'As a small cracking sound reverberated through the evening air, Akane's eyes began to steadily tear up.[A few minutes later]The duo could be seen exiting Dr. Tofu's office, with Akane's left hand wrapped in bandages up to her wrist."I hate it when this happens," Akane muttered."So you've punched something and hurt your hand like this before?""Not...that often, but more times than I'd like to admit," squeaked an embarrassed Akane.'The two girls continued to walk together in silence. Due to feeling at least somewhat responsible for Akane hurting her hand, she didn't have the nerve to say anything anymore. To her surprise, Akane was the one to break the silence this time."You know...it's getting kind of late. You should probably be getting back home," Akane noted.Looking into the sky, Videl noticed that the sun had already begun to set. "Yeah, you're probably right."With a breath, Videl slowly began to ascend in the air. 'Maybe I shouldn't pry anymore,' Videl thought. Truth be told, she wanted to know more about the whole Fiancee situation, but if Akane's earlier actions were any indication, it was a majorly sour subject for her, at least in some capacity.She was about to jet off for home, but looking down at the retreating Akane, a mishievous grin rose to her face. Swooping down, Videl grabbed Akane by the waist and pulled her along into the air too."Whaaaaa-!? Videl what are you doing!?""Figured I could at least fly you home before I leave. But since we're already WAY to close to use my jet copter, I figured I'd do it the easy way!" Videl smirked."Could you at least gimme some warning next time!?""No promises!"A short flight later, Videl had finally let Akane down in front of the Tendo Dojo gates. "Well, I guess now we're even.""For what?""You carried me to the Doctor's place, I carried you home. We're even."Akane giggled. "Yeah, I guess so.""See you tomorrow?""Sure thing. You know how to get to the Cat Cafe, right?""I'll see it from the sky," Videl assured."Well then, goodnight!""Later!"As Videl finally made her way offf into the sunset, she couldn't help but think back to how Akane answered her question.'I'm the stocky, violent fiancee, who can't cook and has no sex appeal whatsoever!'Now that she remembered, Ranma had said something to that effect back when the two fought at Gohan's house. She didn't know the intricacies of their relationship, but if that was anything to go by, maybe she would be better off not getting involved.'Speaking of relationships,' Videl suddenly recalled. Quickly turning her attention to her communicator watch, "Hey Gohan, you there?"
"Videl?"
"Are you still in the city?"
"Yeah, I finished my patrol and mostly just hung out at the library. I was actually about to head home now."
"Well don't leave yet. I'm on my way back, and I've got a little treat for you!"
"What kind of treat?"
"It's a surprise, but trust me, you'll love it!"
"Hmmhm, if you say so. See you in a few."
Videl hung up the call and increased her speed. She couldn't wait to see the look on Gohan's face when he took that first bite.
(A/N: Little known fact, Videl's favorite food is actually CONFIRMED to be okonomiyaki [Look up the Character Guide on Kanzenshuu]. When I learned that, I knew I just HAD to do a scene of Videl meeting Ukyo at some point, maybe even becoming a regular. That being said, this was more of a breather chapter, but Videl becomes acquainted with more of Ranma's main cast and learns that Ranma and Akane may have more of a rocky road between them than she initially thought. Strap in folks cause next time, training begins!)
PS: Happy Belated Valentine's Day!
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
(A/N: Welp, I finally did it. I FINALLY got a new workable computer! I also quit my job, but that’s neither here nor there since I’m all lined up for a new one. The point is now, I have a machine that I can comfortably work with which means I may be able to get newer chapters out a faster pace or at the very least, the chapters I’ll release at my current pace may be longer. With all that said, let’s get right to it!)
The Powerful Point of Impact Technique; Videl’s Training From Hell
“I…have…RETURNED!”Furinkan High had let out for the day and as all the students began pouring out through the gate, they were met with none other than an extremely harsh looking Kuno who was barely managing to hold himself up with his wooden sword.“Huh…Kuno’s back?”“He was gone?”“Yes, I Furinkan High’s Blue Thunder have finally managed to find his way back from the depths of He-!!!”
THWACK!
In an instant, Kuno was met with a fist to the face, cutting off his speech and planting him 6 inches into the ground. Following a brief silence, Ranma, Kuno’s assailant, let out a deep exhale.“Ha…I feel SO much better now,” said an upbeat Ranma.“Rnnnmh Shatome-MMPH!”The muffled declaration was interrupted by Akane stepping on the still grounded Kuno’s head and trancing off in a rush.“Huh, where’s she goin’?” Ranma thought aloud.“Ran-ma…Saotome…!” Kuno strained as he picked himself up.“So Kuno, where ya been the last couple of days?” Ranma cracked his knuckles. “I’ve actually been lookin’ for ya!”“I’ve…no time to…waste with you, riffraff…. I must prepare for my rematch with…!”Kuno was once again cut off and subsequently thrown back into the ground by Ranma’s foot connecting with the back of his head.“What’s wrong Senpai?” Ranma said through grit teeth. “Don’t you wanna take a minute to greet your favorite ‘kouhai’!?”Kuno once again picked himself up off the ground and held his sword poised for battle. The only things that could be heard for the next several minutes were the sound of Ranma cracking his knuckles and a vengeful scream of “RANMA SAOTOME…!!!!”[Elsewhere]Akane’s brisk jog quickly accelerated into a light dash as she hurried over to the Cat Café. ‘She said she’d be able to find it from the sky…I just hope I can catch her in time!’[Meanwhile]Videl soared through the skies of Satan City, making her way over to Nerima. As she increased her speed, her comm watch began to beep.‘Oh…I do NOT have time for this!’ she mentally groaned.“This is Videl!” she said into the comm.
“Videl, it’s me!”
“Oh, Gohan! What’s up?”
“I was just wondering where you disappeared to. You bolted from class so fast, the others and I missed you.”
Videl facepalmed. She’d forgotten she hadn’t told Gohan (or anyone else) about her training with Cologne. “I just wanted to get out to do some training. You do remember my fight with that Ryoga guy, right?”
“Of course, but if that’s all, then do you want me to lend you a hand?”
“Thanks for the offer Gohan, but I wanna try something a little different.” Videl replied.
“Different how?”
“That’s for me to know,” she playfully winked. “You’ll just have to wait and see…Oh! before I forget, this training may take a few days so…we may not be seeing much of each other outside of school,” she quickly added.
“Awww, for real?”
Videl couldn’t help but giggle as she could flawlessly picture the pouty expression on Gohan’s face.“Oh, don’t feel too bad Gohan. Who knows? Maybe when we see each other again, I might have more of that okonomiyaki from last night.” She said in a teasing manner.
“……Well…that does sound nice,” Gohan sheepishly replied.
‘I thought he’d enjoy that.’
“If you change your mind though- “
“I know, you’ll be there for me.”
“Always.”
Videl ended the call and let out a loving sigh. While she did get annoyed from time to time when Gohan got a bit too protective whenever fighting was involved, it was still nice to have someone so supportive on her side. Vigorously shaking her head, Videl quickly shifted her focus from Gohan to her impending training session as she finally arrived in the skies of Furinkan.[ ]As Akane finally arrived at the Cat Café, she was met with Shampoo who was returning from a delivery on her bike.“Shampoo!”“Hmm…Akane here, where flying girl?”“Where do you think?” chimed in a new voice.The two Nerima natives turned upwards to see Videl softly descend by Akane’s side.“Shampoo surprise you show up.”“Hmph, you didn’t really think I’d just run away from this, did you?”Shampoo merely gave a huff before opening the door and inviting her rivals inside.“Great Grandmother, Akane and Flying Girl here now!” Shampoo called.In just a short minute, Cologne pogoed over to the girls with a pleased look on her face. “So, you decided to show up after all. Not going to lie, but I almost thought you’d flake on me.”“You too?” Videl scoffed. “Just who the hell do you think I am?”“Well, you’ve certainly got the right attitude. But before we begin, let’s discuss compensation,” Cologne reminded.Videl tensed up. She hadn’t forgotten that Cologne wanted something in return, but the fact that she had no idea what Cologne could want greatly unnerved her. Akane and Dr. Tofu laid out the possibility that she’d want her to get involved with some plan to ensnare Ranma, and she had no intention of involving herself with that mess. If she had to turn down her offer, at least she could always train with Gohan…right?“In exchange for my agreeing to train you girl, all I ask for in return is…”“Is…?”There was a pregnant pause before Cologne gave her answer.“An audience with the Turtle Hermit himself.”Silence.“…Huh?”“I wish to meet the Turtle Hermit in person…you can do that, can you?”“Y-yeah. That’s no problem at all,” Videl stammered.“You don’t sound like it’s ‘no problem’…” Cologne said taking note of Videl’s tone.“It’s really not a problem, I…just wasn’t expecting something so…simplistic.”Cologne let out a hearty snicker. “What, were you expecting me to say, ‘I wanted some impossible to find antique’ or something?”“I don’t know what I was expecting, I just know it wasn’t this…,” Videl chuckled.Akane raised a skeptical eyebrow. ‘While I’m glad Cologne’s request isn’t too…out there, why does this feel too easy?’“Well, if you have no more questions, then please, follow me,” Cologne ordered.“Actually…I do want to know why you want to see Master Roshi so badly,” Videl asked.“Sorry girl, but you’re going to have to earn that answer,” Cologne replied. “Shampoo, keep an eye on the restaurant.”With a dejected sigh, Shampoo headed back to work while Videl and Akane followed Cologne, shooting the two a disdainful glare.A few moments later the girls were assembled behind the Cat Café, large stones scattered all over the area.“What’s with all the big rocks?” Videl muttered.“Now, before we begin, I must once again remind you that even if you manage to succeed in learning this technique, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to defeat Ryoga. After all…”“…He’s Ranma’s arch-rival for a reason,” Videl finished. “Not to be rude, but I’ve heard this song and dance before, and I get that I’m outmatched. Either way, I’m not turning away from this fight,” Videl declared sternly.‘Hmm, even if she does fail, her spunk alone will have at least made this somewhat entertaining,’ Cologne smirked.“In that case, let’s not waste time.” Cologne motioned to one of the rocks, and the girls followed her gaze.“Now, punch that rock as hard as you can,” Cologne ordered.“Huh?” Once again, a beyond simple request caught the two young girls off guard. Regardless, Videl took a fighting stance before one of the rocks and with a yell, launched her fist into the rock, full force.Videl grunted as the impact took more of a toll on her hand than it did the rock, despite a small piece chipping off. If not for her fingerless gloves, her hand may have taken some actual damage.“…Is that really all you’ve got?” asked an unimpressed Cologne.“What? You asked me to punch it, and I did,” Videl replied shaking her hand.“The point of that was to ascertain your physical strength. You’re fighting skill and technique is adequate, but that won’t help if you don’t have the power to back it up. Considering you have the ability to manipulate your Ki, I expected you to completely shatter that rock,” Cologne explained. “If that was the extent of your power, then even IF you learn the technique, you still wouldn’t have a prayer against Ryoga. Seriously, even for Akane there, shattering a stone such as this is mere child’s play.”“What’s that supposed to mean!?” exclaimed an offended Akane.Videl didn’t wish to admit this out loud, but she knew what Cologne was getting at. Though she had no problems winning against opponents much bigger than herself, she knew that if they’d been contests of pure muscle, she’d have more than a few extra hardships. Even her father, despite whatever lies he may have told or whatever Gohan or the other Z-Fighters may say about her being a better fighter than him, did still have more physical strength than her. She could break through more than a few bricks all right, but even she couldn’t break her father’s record of 19 or punch through the side of a bus.Trembling with frustration, Videl exclaimed, “What even is this technique anyway? You keep talking about how it’ll give me a fighting chance, but what is it even supposed to do?”Cologne closed her eyes and sighed. “The Point of Impact Technique.”“Point of Impact?”“Akane, you recall The Breaking Point Technique, yes?” Cologne asked.Akane nodded. “Of course, that’s one of Ryoga’s signature moves.”“What are you guys talking about?”Ignoring Videl, Cologne hopped beside the rock she had previously punched and simply poked it with her finger. In an instant, the rock shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces. The girls had to shield themselves from the shower of pebbles as the accompanying dust began to clear.“What…what just happened?!” asked a dumbfounded Videl.“That was the Breaking Point Technique. You see, everything in nature has a breaking point that, when hit with the correct amount of force will cause it to shatter,” Cologne explained.‘Unbelieveable….’“However, there is one exception to this.” To prove her point, Cologne hopped in front of Videl and poked her in the forehead.“Whaaaaaa……!”“Calm down girl!” Cologne ordered. “Like I was saying, the one exception to the breaking point, is the human body.”“O-oh…” Videl let out a relived sigh.“Wait…” Akane interjected. “I understand showing Videl the Bakusai Tenketsu so she’ll know what Ryoga has up his sleeve, but what does this have to do with the technique you’re trying to show us now?”“Everything Ms. Tendo,” Cologne replied. “Point of impact is actually a variation of the Breaking Point Technique. The original Bakusai Tenketsu was initially created to deal with rocks in quarries, which is why it doesn’t work on humans. This technique, however, does.”Hopping back a short distance, Cologne stood perched on her staff in an intimidating fashion. “Now Ms. Satan, come at me!”Videl shot a glance over to Akane who could only shrug. With a sigh, Videl took a fighting stance before she dashed at Cologne, poised to strike. Firing off a low kick, Videl attempted to sweep Cologne off her feet, but the elderly Amazon simply hopped over the spunky fighter’s attack and countered by thrusting her staff at her.With an impressive display of speed, Videl caught the end of Cologne’s staff, but left herself wide open. Cologne then slid down the staff until she was level with Videl’s midsection. She then lightly tapped her tiny fist into Videl’s gut.“Ughh…”Videl barely had time to react as a great pressure swelled up in Videl’s midsection and she found herself lying laying down in a pile of jars, outdoor tools, and other miscellaneous junk.“Videl! Are you alright!?” Akane quickly rushed over to Videl’s side and helped her back to her feet.“Owww…what…what happened?” Videl asked rubbing her sore spots.“I just demonstrated the Point of Impact Technique,” Cologne replied.“Okay but…what…” Videl paused as she slowly fell to her knees, her body still shaking after getting launched away like that. “What did you…do!”“The Point of Impact Technique is exactly as it sounds. While the Bakusai Tenketsu is all about finding a specific area on an object and striking it with sufficient force, the Point of Impact is all about containing the force until the exact moment you make contact with your opponent.” Cologne explained.“Allow me to elaborate. When you draw the string of a bow, the arrow has potential energy. When you release it…”“…It becomes kinetic energy!” Videl finished. “Yeah, we just happened to be circling around this topic at school,” she chuckled.“It’s great that you understand the idea but putting it into practice is another story. The POI is a technique that only a martial artist who’s familiar with harnessing their Ki is able to perform because in this case, your ki is the bow being pulled back.”Videl looked down at her hands as she slowly but surely began to understand Cologne’s explanation. “So all I have to do is channel my energy into my hands and hold it there until I want to attack?”“So, you DO understand,” Cologne grinned. “Alternatively, you could also just use your Ki to enhance your physical abilities the old-fashioned way, like a burst of adrenaline. That may not be so useful in this upcoming bout with Ryoga, but it may help in the future. Just some food for thought.”At Cologne’s words, Videl couldn’t help but think back to how Gohan initially explained flight.
“You basically just channel your energy underneath you, and let it lift you up.”
‘Hmmm…I wonder if it’s basically the same as how Cologne just explained it…’“Now then. Before you can work on learning the technique itself, we’ll first need to build up your strength,” Cologne proclaimed.“Okay then. Let’s get started,” Videl replied. While she had a look of pure determination on her face, Akane’s expression on the other hand became noticeably grim.‘I’ve seen Cologne’s training methods before, and if this technique really is like the Bakusai Tenketsu, then you’re going to be in for one hell of a ride. Still, I’ll be here to back you up every step of the way!’ Akane inwardly proclaimed.“First things first, you’ll need the proper gear for this training,” said Cologne.[A few minutes later]“What the Hell is this!?”The girls, Shampoo included, were all reassembled in the kitchen where all eyes were on Videl who was clad in a pink and red traditional Chinese outfit that looked cross between both Chi-Chi and Shampoo’s normal attire.“Shampoo admit, it actually look not bad on Flying Girl,” Shampoo complimented.“You know, she’s not wrong,” Akane added trying to quell the situation.“Well the Nekohanten doesn’t have a specific uniform, but you have to at least wear the proper attire if you’re going to work here,” Cologne answered.“Whoa, whoa, whoa, when did I agree to work at your restaurant!?” Videl burst. “It’s part of your training. We’ll get to the rough stuff soon enough, but for now, this will just help to build some of that old strength.”“How is working at your restaurant supposed to help me build strength?” asked a disbelieving Videl.Cologne proceeded to hop over to Videl and swiftly attached a choker to her next. Before Videl could ask what happened, Cologne pointed to a cup on the nearby counter with her staff. “You see that cup over there? Would you be a dear and fetch it for me?” Cologne smirked.Videl sighed but complied. As she attempted to reach for the cup, Videl realized that she was unable to move her legs.“H-hey…!”Videl continued to try and take a step but was still unable to move. She then tried to simply reach for the cup but found that she couldn’t move her arms either.“What the hell!? What gives!? Why can’t I move!?”“Oh! Did I forget to mention that that isn’t an ordinary uniform you’re wearing?” Cologne snickered.“Wha-!? AHHHH!”In the next instance, Videl harshly fell down barely holding herself up on her hands and knees. Akane once again moved to help her friend but was halted by Cologne.“What you’re wearing now is an old Amazonian training uniform designed specifically for raising up a person’s Ki. Because Ki control is so rare among Martial Artists in this day and age, I unsurprisingly, never get to use this thing. It’s time for this baby to finally pay off!”“Wait, so I’m just your guinea pig now!?” Videl boomed.“Cologne, what are you planning with this?” Akane asked.“It’s really quite simple. You see, when you first put the uniform on, it was nothing more than a plain old outfit. However, once I added the piece de resistance, the choker, it activated the uniform.”“Activated…what?”“You’re feeling a great deal of weight on your body aren’t you?”“You…think!?”“You see girl, you can raise your Ki the same way you build up physical muscle through basic strength training and the like. This is merely taking that concept to a much greater level. This uniform, when activated will instantly increase in weight for whoever wears it in accordance to their base Ki level. The smaller your Ki, the heavier the uniform will feel on you, and vice versa. All you have to do is work until you’re able to move around in that uniform as naturally as being naked!”As Cologne explained the purpose of the uniform, Videl continually struggled to pick herself up. Once she finished though, a panting Videl was finally back on her feet. “So…you’re saying I have to keep this damn thing on…at all times!?”“Well…for most others, I’d say yes, but given the circumstances, I’ll be nice and take the uniform off for you at closing time every night. However, in exchange for that, you must come DIRECTLY here after school until this part of the training is complete, capice!?”Videl hesitated to answer. It’s true she had told Gohan that she’d be busy for a while, but she had a life outside of school and training and wasn’t too sure if she was ready to throw that all aside for a grudge that, while completely justified, didn’t seem to mean much anymore in the grand scheme of things.“Of course, this does seem to be a bit much, so no one will blame you if decide to drop out. At the very least I had a good show watching your match with Shampoo,” Cologne taunted.Videl narrowed her eyes at the snarky elder’s words. Sick of being talked down to by this old crow, for a few brief moments, the impending fight completely vanished from Videl’s mind as all her focus shifted to a burning desire to make Cologne eat her words.Standing up as straight as she could, Videl let out a strained but determined, “Let’s…do this!”“Glad to have you on board Videl,” Cologne snickered. “Get to showing her the ropes Shampoo, the dinner rush is nigh!”‘Dinner rush?’Videl had been to enough fancy and local restaurants to know how crazy they could get during the evenings. As a vision of a large group of people swarming the place flashed through her mind, Videl’s face became a light shade of blue.‘What have I signed up for?’[A few moments later]After a reluctant string of goodbyes, Akane had left the Cat Café, a feeling of uneasiness washing over her as she made her way home. ‘Maybe taking her to see Cologne was a bad idea. I know she needs the help, but can she really do this…?’Before the worry could fully set in, Akane lightly slapped both her cheeks with her hands. “Don’t think like that! Videl’s a strong girl. You just need to have a little faith!” she thought out loud.Before long, Akane finally arrived back at the Tendo Dojo, where she was warmly greeted by Kasumi.“Welcome back Akane!” said Kasumi.“Hey Big Sis.”“And where have you been all day, Little Sis?” inquired Nabiki.“Nowhere special, just out with some friends.”Before the conversation could continue, Nodoka burst into the room and quickly exclaimed, “Oh Akane, you’re back! Have you seen Ranma anywhere?”“Ranma?” Akane closed her eyes as she attempted to recall the last place she’d seen him. “Come to think of it, I haven’t seen him since school let out.”“I know Ranma’s more than capable enough to handle himself, but I just can’t help but be a bit worried,” said Nodoka.“That ol’ Maternal Instinct kicking in, eh?” said a snide Nabiki.[Meanwhile]Ranma could be seen strolling down the streets with the most satisfied smile on face. “Man…now that was cathartic…and I’m not even sure I know what that word means! Whatever it means, I ain’t felt this good since I got my strength back after that moxibustion nonsense!” thought a beaming Ranma out loud.‘Well, now that I got all that outta my system, I think I can finally start trainin’ seriously again! I ain’t gonna let some little squirt make a mockery of me!’ No sooner than Ranma had finished the thought did he find himself falling down an open manhole that he hadn’t bothered to step over.‘Goddammit irony…’Elsewhere, on the outskirts of a city not too far away from Furinkan, a battered and bruised Tatewaki Kuno could be seen limping on what was left of his wooden sword, cursing the name of his most hated adversary repeatedly under his breath.“Damn you…Ranma Saotome……I swear…I will end you someday…so swears…The Blue Thunder…Tatewaki…Ku-!”Before Kuno could finish, his makeshift crutch finally snapped causing him to tumble and fall to the ground. The last thing Kuno saw before he finally blacked out was a strange image of of what looked like a man’s face; a man with a great deal of fuzzy hair. (A/N: I actually managed to get two chapters out in a month! It’s a miracle! Like I said in the first A/N, now that I have a comfortable, powerful machine to type with, future updates should be a piece of cake. Now it all depends on my writing mood. Videl now has a taste of what lies for her at the end of this proverbial rainbow, but will the journey for the metaphorical gold be worth it? And it seems like she’s not the only one who may have found herself a new master as everyone’s favorite wannabe samurai finds himself face to face with…you know who! Training Commences, next time so stay tuned!) PS: I've finally caught up with posting the story on AO3. From this point on, all future Chapters will be uploaded on FF dot net first and then subsequently posted here.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
I've Got a Secret! The Pros and Cons to Intensive Training
After Akane left the Cat Café, Cologne and Shampoo quickly pulled Videl aside to quickly give her a rundown of what her duties were. Given how hard it was for her to move with the Ki Restraint Uniform on, she was delegated to simply bringing orders to tables. Cologne figured the extra weight of carrying plates would be a nice bonus to the already heavy sensation.“So, I’m just a waitress?” Videl asked.“For the moment, but as you start to adjust to the feeling of the uniform on you, you’ll gain more tasks along the way and we can move to the practical part of your training in no time,” Cologne assured her.“Flying Girl better no make mess. Nekohanten still business to run and have reputation to uphold,” Shampoo warned.“That reminds me, if you drop any of our customer’s orders, I’ll increase the time you have to stay here by 15 minutes for each ruined order.” Cologne added.“Wait what!?” Videl exclaimed.“Come now, isn’t it reasonable that anything that causes this restaurant’s business to deteriorate deserves a proper penalty?”Videl held her tongue.“If you wish to get out of that uniform as soon as possible, you simply have to not screw up. Easy right?” Cologne sneered.Videl barely had a moment to think up a response before pair of patrons came through the door.“Good evening Grandma!” said one guy.“We’ll have the usual,” the other added.“Well, looks like this crash course is ending sooner than expected. Shampoo!” Cologne ordered.Barely needing her Grandmother’s signal, Shampoo quickly got to work in cooking the two regulars’ their food. In a speed comparable to Ukyo’s with her okonomiyaki, Shampoo quickly produced two large bowls of ramen.“Now’s your time to prove yourself.” In an instant, Cologne attached the choker to Videl’s neck, and the uniform activated, forcing Videl down to her knees once again.It took a minute, but Videl managed to get back on her feet, using the nearby counter to hoist herself up. Turning to the two Amazons, a large plate with both bowls on it was shoved in her face by Shampoo.With a grunt, Videl took the plate in her hands and almost dropped it immediately. Thankfully, she managed to keep it from hitting the floor and the contents in the bowls from spilling out. Normally, it would’ve been relatively simple to carry the food, even despite it having some heft to it. With the extra weight on Videl’s body however, she really had to strain herself to keep everything from falling.“Flying Girl better get moving. Customers no like when food gets cold.” Shampoo informed her.‘Gee, you think?’ Videl thought sardonically.With the food in hand, Videl could only take a small step forward as she made her way out to the dining room. She had only managed three steps before her body began to tremble with exhaustion.It hadn’t been too long, but the two customers were starting to wonder where their food was. Turning towards the kitchen entrance, they spotted the straining Videl with their order.“Oh, this place has a new waitress!” said the first one.“Must’ve just hired her. Just look how slow she is.”“Who cares about that, look how cute she is!”“Meh, she ain’t as cute as that one red haired chick they had before. Just look at her boyish haircut. Not much to see upstairs either.”As the two guys muttered on, Videl, fuming from having heard all the wrong snippets of their conversation finally arrived at their table.“Thank you for waiting!” Videl said in a faux pleasant tone. With a pair of loud THUDS, Videl harshly set their orders down on the table, and gave a forced out, “Enjoy!” before limping back to the kitchen.“Dude, you think she heard us?” one of the guys asked.They received their answer in the form of Videl turning back to glare daggers at them.“She heard us!” they said in unison.Once Videl stepped through the curtain into the kitchen, she instantly took a knee, straining to keep herself up, her energy being spent.“Not bad, for a first timer. Not bad at all,” Cologne praised.“No…sweat….” Videl panted.With a satisfied look on her face, Cologne removed the choker from Videl’s neck, turning the uniform back to a basic set of clothes again, causing Videl to completely plummet to the floor.“Huh? Hey what are you-?”“I think a brief rest is in order,” Cologne cut her off. “Those two out there were just a warmup. Believe me, you’re going to need all the energy you can spare for what comes next.”Videl’s face once again turned blue. If it had taken everything she had just to deliver a single order, what was she supposed to do when the place was sure to get busy? She hadn’t had much time to wonder as another customer quickly stepped through the front door.“Take five. I’ll handle this next order, but then it’s back to work,” Cologne instructed.Videl sat down on the counter as Shampoo quickly produced a bowl of food and Cologne swiftly served it up to the customer before hopping back into the kitchen. A short time later, after the previous customers had left, more people arrived in larger, but not unmanageable groups.“On your feet Ms. Videl. It’s time to get back to work.”Videl sighed as Cologne put the choker back on, activating the uniform. The Elderly Amazon then pogoed out to the dining hall and began to take orders while Shampoo got to work cooking them. A short moment later, Videl could be seen holding a pair of bowls in hand.“Well, here goes everything.”
[Later That Evening]
The Cat Café had finally closed its door following a steady stream of customers. All in all, however, it wasn’t as bad a rush as Videl had initially expected. Sure, the work was still beyond tiring with the weighted suit, but it wasn’t completely unmanageable. What did irk her however were all the lecherous comments from various male guests, many of them being boys at around her age. Thankfully, nothing escalated beyond words.Once all three women were assembled in the back room, Cologne removed the choker, deactivating the suit and Videl’s body dropped to the floor, a quivering mess.“Well, you did reasonably well for your first night,” Cologne praised. “Not a single dropped order.”“We do get complaints about food take too long to be served,” said Shampoo.“Tis to be expected with a new hire,” said Cologne.Videl got back up on her shaky legs, and responded, “That was tough…but surprisingly not…terrible.”“Well I’m glad you feel that way, considering you’ll have to do it all again tomorrow,” smirked Cologne. “Now go home and rest up girl. Something tells me, you’re going to need as much of it as you can get.”
[A few moments later]
Thanks to her lack of energy, the flight home was a long one as Videl was unable to go at her usual speed. Flying was STILL the much better option than walking, especially since Videl hadn’t brought her plane with her. Grasping and lightly massaging her tired muscles, Videl let out a sigh.‘If I’m already this drained after only one day, how long can I even keep this up for?’She decided to worry about that later as her house finally came into view. As she landed, the only thoughts going through her mind was the intentions to take it easy for the rest of the night and ease the strain of fatigue with a nice hot soak in a bath.“I’m home!” Videl called.“Oh, you’re back Ms. Videl!” greeted one of Mr. Satan’s servants.“Is my father home?” Videl asked.“He actually wanted us to tell you that he’ll be coming home later for a while. Something about some business to take care of with the reconstruction of the dojo that got destroyed,” the servant informed her.‘Hmmph, that’s just like Dad. Still can’t say I blame him.’“Alright then.” Stretching out her limbs, Videl informed the servants not to disturb her for the night, unless there’s an emergency. As far as she was concerned, she earned that bath.[Three Days Later]Over the next few days, Videl had gotten into sort of a pattern when it came to working at the Cat Café. Though she had managed to get the hang of working at the Cat Café with the uniform, but no matter how much work she seemed to get done, the weighted uniform just seemed to feel just as heavy as when she first started. Videl knew that gaining muscle didn’t happen just overnight, and since raising ki worked on the same general principle, she was willing to hold any questions she had about the results of her training…at least for now.One other small issue she had was her friends. Working at the Cat Café took a toll on Videl’s body. At various points in the day, someone would point out how Videl looked to be quivering, no matter how she tried to hide it. Her friends could tell that something was up. Each time they asked questions though, she continued to remind them that she told them she’d been training hard, though only Gohan knew the reason why. For now however, that seemed to be enough to quell their curiosities, but Gohan couldn’t help but remain skeptical.After finally arriving at the Cat Café, Videl was met by an angry looking Mousse who seemed to be expecting her. The two had gotten reacquainted on Videl’s second day on the job where he took over cooking duties for Shampoo while she went off on deliveries. There was some brief friction between the two given their first encounter, but generally they were neutral towards each other.“So, you’re back again.”“Nice to see you too Mousse.” Videl greeted.“I must admit, I didn’t expect you to endure the old mummy’s training for this lon-!”“Mousse have no time to talk to Flying Girl! Get back to work!” Shampoo chastised. “Flying Girl hurry and put uniform on! Nekohanten extremely busy today!”“Extremely…?”Videl paused as the sounds of commotion filled her ears. Opening the door to the restaurant, her eyes widened as every table in the establishment was filled to capacity.“What…what the hell is going on!?” Videl exclaimed.“Apparently, word spread that we got a ‘cute new waitress’ and every young man within the city limits wanted to see for themselves,” answered Cologne who hopped in out of nowhere.“Wait…do they mean me!?” Videl asked.“Worry about your reputation later. Right now, all three of you get to work! We have to clear this place!” Cologne ordered.Shampoo quickly gathered up a large box of food and strapped it to her bike before riding off while Mousse hurried back to the kitchen.Videl could only look on in imminent dread as Cologne tossed her the uniform. ‘I don’t see this ending well.’[Some time later]
Videl could be seen standing side by side the one and only great Saiyaman before a crowd of countless spectators at the World Martial Arts Tournament. The beloved duo fist bumped before each of them took a fighting stance.
“You better not go easy on me just because I’m a girl!” Videl shouted to her opponent. The opponent in question stepped forth revealing himself to be none other than Ryoga Hibiki, who had somehow miraculously arrived on the scene.
“I don’t have time to waste with you,” said a dismissive Ryoga.
A determined look in Videl’s eye, she quickly darted at Ryoga who poised to launch a counterstrike. With a single palm strike to the gut, Videl was launched far back and into the spectator stands with a loud, defeaning…
CRASHH…!!
“Wha-!? OOF!”Rubbing her sore spot, Videl shakily picked herself up, and quickly realized that she was in fact NOT fighting Ryoga at a Tournament, but was instead in class at Orange Star High, and all eyes were on her.The teacher at the front of the classroom let out a sigh. “Videl, I’m sure you’re very busy what with helping out the police and whatnot, but please, try to do your best to get the proper rest at night so then you won’t have to do it here in class, okay?”A furiously flushing Videl sat back in her seat as more than a few chuckles emanated from some other students. All it took was a single glare from the Champ’s daughter to shut them all up.“Okay students back to work,” The teacher instructed.Once the teacher went back to his lecture, Gohan leaned over to Videl and whispered, “Are you alright?”“I’m fine,” she replied.“What happened girl?” Erasa interjected. “It’s not like you to fall asleep like this, no matter how boring this class is.”“It’s nothing, just up later than usual,” Videl dismissed.“But Videl…”“You three! Quiet!” the teacher reprimanded him.Gohan, Videl and Erasa, silenced themselves, but eyes were still on Videl.“Videl, be honest. What’s really going on?” Gohan whispered. “Does this have to do with your special training?”Videl flinched as the events from yesterday replayed in her mind.
[Yesterday Evening]
The Cat Café was in total disarray. As if the large crowd of customers wasn’t bad enough, they all started getting testy due to Videl’s slow service. The icing on the cake however was all the lecherous stares and comments Videl kept receiving. Her uniform wasn’t overtly alluring or anything of the sort but given that many of the customers were boys from Furinkan High, they were pretty easily pleased. Things only got worse as many of them recognized her as Mr. Satan’s daughter and the already insane workload became all but asinine as many more patrons flooded the restaurant.
Determined not to let the workload overwhelm her, Videl began waiting tables at a faster than previous, but still rather slow pace. It took a lot more effort on her part for her to move even the slightest bit faster, but she managed to fight through the strain…for about a couple of hours or so.
On her way to serve up another order, Videl’s body finally gave in and she crashed to the floor, the food she was carrying spilling out everywhere.
With a sigh, a disappointed looking Cologne quickly replaced the discarded food and served up the customer, before bounding over to Videl.
“Perhaps this was a bit too much for a newbie.” Cologne thought aloud.
Even after getting the choker removed, Videl was unable to pick herself off the floor. Every ounce of energy in her body had been spent and soon she began to feel faint. A short few seconds later, her consciousness faded.
Before Cologne could call for someone to help Videl off the floor, a familiar face entered the Cat Café in the form of Akane, who gasped at the scene of Videl on the floor.
“Videl! Cologne what happened!?”
“Nothing much, the poor girl just wore herself out. Not surprising really, I mean have you seen this place today?” said Cologne. “Regardless, take her upstairs. Let her rest for now and when she wakes up, tell her I’d like to have a word with her.”
[End Flashback]
Videl tensed as she remembered the disappointed look on Cologne’s face when she woke up, as well as what she said afterwards.
“You exceeded my pretty low expectations from you, but given all your big talk, I’d have thought you’d last a little longer than this.”
Still, she tried her best to assure Gohan that she was fine. “I may have gone a bit overboard but trust me, it’s nothing I can’t handle.”Gohan nodded his acceptance, but somewhere deep in the back of his mind he had a feeling that things weren’t as fine as Videl tried to make them out to be.[After School]Videl once again headed to the roof and took off into the sky. Unbeknownst to her however, a certain half Saiyan watched her take flight from the roof.‘There’s something Videl’s not telling me.’ Gohan thought.Staying behind until Videl was out of eyeshot, Gohan popped his costume on and ascended into the air himself and followed far behind her above the clouds to keep himself out of sight, keeping track of her by sensing her energy.‘I have to admit, I feel a little guilty about spying on her like this…but I’ve got a feeling in my gut that says I should keep an eye on her. Gohan’s continued to shadow Videl until he finally saw her descend.‘Where’s she going?’Landing on a nearby rooftop, Gohan discarded his costume as he watched Videl run up the sidewalk and stop in front of a building.“Cat Café? Does that mean it’s a restaurant?” Gohan thought. “She said she was training for her match, so why would she come to a restaurant right after school?” Gohan continued to think up possibilities as he tried to figure out his next move. Both confronting her directly and continuing to stay hidden had their share of pros and cons, but Gohan was at a bit of a loss on what to do next.“What are you doing?”“GAAAAAH!”A male voice startled Gohan out of his thoughts and nearly spooked him off the roof. Regaining his balance, Gohan turned around to come face to face with, “Ranma?”“Yo!”“What are you doing here?”“That’s my line, cause last I checked, you don’t live in this town,” Ranma replied.“Well…Videl’s been acting a little strange lately and I wanted to find out why so I…kind of…”“So you’re spying on her.” Ranma plainly stated.“NO-! Yeah…maybe…” Gohan shamefully admitted. “Well…she used to spy on me when she was trying to find out who Saiyaman was…so this makes us even…right!?”Ranma only stared at Gohan with a blank, confused expression. “Dude, I have no idea what you’re talkin’ about…”“Right of course, you wouldn’t know about that…” Gohan chuckled. “Ranma be honest. Does me spying on Videl make me a bad boyfriend?”“Uhhh……?”Ranma stammered as he hadn’t expected Gohan to just ask him that kind of question.“I uh…can’t really say. I mean, normally it probably would be a bad thing…but if you’re just tryin ta look out for her then…I guess not…”Gohan sighed. He didn’t know what to expect from Ranma, but he clearly didn’t want to hear ‘that’.Ranma paused for a moment. “Gohan…when you said Videl was actin’ strange, strange like how?”“Well, she would always come to school looking tired, leave me and our other friends as soon as school let out, and just earlier today, she fell asleep in class,” Gohan explained.Despite the dismissive look on Ranma’s face, he too was curious as to what Videl was up to. The two boys turned back towards the Cat Café where they witnessed another familiar female face appear.“Hey wait a sec, is that Akane?”Sure enough, the foul tempered tomboy jogged up the street before dashing inside the Cat Café.“I wonder if she’s meeting with Videl,” said Gohan.“Wait, Videl went into the Cat Café?” asked Ranma.“Yeah.”Ranma’s face had a look of realization on his face. He wasn’t 100%, but he was sure he had an idea of what the girls were up to.“I wonder....”“Wonder what?”“Gohan, wait here!”“Hey wait!”Gohan fruitlessly called after Ranma who bounded away onto the streets below.
[Inside the Cat Café]
“I have to admit, I didn’t think you’d be back again, especially after that performance yesterday,” said Cologne.Videl stood firm, her uniform already on. “Hey, just because I overdid it yesterday doesn’t mean I’m gonna call it quits,” Videl exclaimed.“Hmph, your stubborn nature reminds me so much of the bridegroom, it’s almost laughable,” Cologne chuckled. “Still, after your little ‘misstep’ yesterday, you’re going to have to really push yourself if you intend for me to keep this training going.”“Speaking of, what is my current progress? And how much longer will I have to do this?”“That all depends on you Cologne answered. “Although, I will say that you’re progressing much faster than I initially anticipated. If anything, you should be glad that your current skill level and familiarity with Ki control is making this proceed much smoother than someone who’s just getting started. It shouldn’t be too long before we can get to the practical portion of the training.”Videl managed a prideful smile. It was rough, but it was reassuring to know that she was getting results…even if she didn’t really feel it.“Just try not to overdo it again,” said Akane. “The last thing you want to do is sputter out when you’re this close to the next step.”“Also, Flying Girl passing out create more work for Shampoo and Great Grandmother. It good for business but get annoying really quickly.”“Okay, I get it. I’ll try to pace myself.” Videl proclaimed.Unbeknownst to the four women, a pair of prying eyes and ears were listening in on their conversation. The Cat Café was currently ‘Closed for Lunch’ as it were, but that didn’t stop one Ranma Saotome from slinking his way through the still unlocked front door and eavesdropping on the girls’ conversation.‘So that’s what’s goin’ on here. Videl’s been gettin’ trainin’ from the Old Ghoul,’ Ranma realized. ‘Wonder what kinda trainin’ they’ve been doing though…’Ranma’s thoughts were interrupted as a pair of arms wrapped themselves around his waist causing him to let out a surprised and disgusted yelp.“Oh Shampoo! At last we’re finally alone!” exclaimed Mousse.“Put your glasses on stupid!” Ranma yelled kicking Mousse in the face.The Male Amazon complied and his expression sorely soured as he took a fighting stance.“Ranma Saotome!? What are you doing here!?”“None of your business!”“Ranma!”The boy in question froze up as a familiar female voice called out his name, a feminine pair of arms threw themselves around his neck and a soft set of female assets pressed into his sides.“S-Shampoo!?”“I so glad you come to date Shampoo yes?”“Th-that ain’t why I’m here!” Ranma declined.“Then by all means…ENLIGHTEN US!” came the furious voice of Akane who proceeded to toss a bucket of water over Ranma and Shampoo.“KYAAAAAAAAA!”[Meanwhile]As Gohan waited on the foor for Ranma to return, his expression perked up as the sound of a shrill shriek filled his ears. ‘Was that a scream? What the heck’s going on in there!?’ Wasting no more time, Gohan hopped off the roof and hurried over to the Cat Café.[Back in the Cat Café]Female Ranma proceeded to dart around the restaurant in a fearful frenzy as the now cat Shampoo remained attached to her face, much to the confusion of the spectating Videl.“Akane, what’s wrong with Ranma?”“Never mind that, just get some hot water!” Cologne ordered.Though still confused, Videl simply complied and darted back into the kitchen.After a few moments of darting back and forth around the restaurant, Ranma finally managed to peel Shampoo off her face and toss her away.“Shampoo! I’ll save you!” called Mousse.In an attempt to capture the flying kitten, Mousse proceeded to launch a pair of chains at the Jusenkyo cursed animal. However, his glasses having been knocked off earlier following Ranma’s initially fearful outburst, Mousse’s attempt was less than successful. Completely missing Shampoo, Mousse’s chains instead shot over to the approaching Videl who had returned with a kettle of water.“WHAAAAA-!”As Videl stumbled over Mousse’s chains, the kettle flew out of her hands, ironically, in the same direction as Shampoo.In the next moment, a boy with spiky black hair burst through the door. “What’s happen-!?” Before he could finish his question, a tiny purple kitten dropped into his hands, followed by a sizable splash of warm water.A now scarlet faced Gohan could only stammer incoherently as a curvaceous, busty, and very naked girl with purple hair suddenly appeared in his arms.“AIYAAAAAAAHH!!!”“GYAGHHHHHHHHH!!!”
(A/N: This chapter was surprisingly easy to write. I guess this is what happens when your motivation is just surging. So, Videl’s training starts to A.) Bare fruit and B.) Take its tolls and Gohan the ever-protective boyfriend returns to action only to come face to face with a scene more bizarre than anything he’s ever seen before, and the kid’s been to outer space before. Next time, the Nerima ward gets properly introduced to everyone’s favorite half Saiyan as the training continues)
PS: At the time of this chapter being uploaded, my birthday will have just passed earlier in the week so…Happy Belated Birthday to me!
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
An Unexpected Guest: The Chaotic Cat Cafe
Following a pair of ear-piercing shrieks, a trickle of blood fell from Gohan’s nose as Shampoo covered her intimate areas with her hands. Time all but froze as the next sound to fill the room was a yell of “Gohan!? What the hell are you doing here!?”Gohan very slowly turned his head until he was face to face with none other than Videl who looked a mixture of shocked and furious.“I-uh…!-I-….” Gohan’s scarlet face continually shifted from Shampoo to Videl as he attempted to come up with an intelligible answer.“STOP LOOKING AT HER!”“Eep! I’m sorry!” almost instinctively, Gohan tossed Shampoo into the air, causing her to shriek. Realizing what he’d just done, Gohan quickly prepared to catch Shampoo again, but Ranma quickly beat him to it, grabbing Shampoo in the air and covering her with her shirt.“Oh Ranma! You save Shampoo from pervert guest!” Shampoo cooed while snuggling against a still female Ranma’s neck.Before either Akane or Ranma could respond, an irate Mousse sprang in out of seemingly nowhere and immediately bore down on the still flustered Gohan.“How dare you lay your lecherous fingers on the woman who is to be my wife, you FIEND!!!???”A pair of blades springing from the sleeves of his robe, Mousse swan dived towards Gohan slashing his weapons in a cross pattern. Still not understanding what was happening, Gohan did the only sensible thing and rolled away from Mousse’s attack. With a determined growl, Mousse sprang back at Gohan, preparing to strike again, but was quickly disarmed when he dashed face first into a splash of cold water.Gohan’s previous fluster was replaced with confusion as the bespectacled boy who attacked him was subsequently replaced with a furiously quacking duck.‘What just happened?’ Gohan’s thoughts were interrupted by the raspy voice of an elderly woman.“I think that’s quite enough excitement for now,” said Cologne who was holding a bucket. “Now, who may I ask are you?” she said turning to Gohan.“I-agh!!” The overwhelmed Saiyan was unable to respond as he felt a sharp pain in his ear.“Excuse us Cologne, but I’D like to have a word with him first!” Videl demanded.“Very well, but make it snappy,” Cologne conceded.Videl proceeded to drag Gohan by the ear into the back room, Cologne watching with a small chuckle. “She’ll have to properly introduce us a little later. In the meantime, Shampoo, why don’t you prepare some lunch for those two while Mousse and I prepare to open up.”Cologne exited the room with Duck-Mousse in hand while the trio of girls shot each other a set of intrigued looks. ‘Subtly slipping over to the kitchen door and cracking it open, they peered inside, and spotted Videl with her arms crossed, eyes narrowed at Gohan who was rubbing his ear, while he wiped his nose with a napkin.‘Man, Gohan’s about to get a thrashing, isn’t he?’ Ranma thought.‘Videl always spoke so highly of Gohan, but what does she do when he actually does something wrong?’ Akane wondered.Shampoo stayed silent and merely continued to glare at Gohan.[With Gohan and Videl]“Okay Gohan, now that we’re alone, do you want to explain what you’re doing here?” Videl demanded.“Oh you know just…flying around.” Gohan shakily chuckled.“Oh really? Flying around? Then would you care to explain how your little casual flight led you to here which is like, two districts away from Satan City?” Videl added.“I…was looking for a bite to eat?”Videl placed a hand to her forehead and shook her head in disbelief. “Wow Gohan…I think your lying skills have actually gotten worse.”Gohan placed a hand behind his head and sighed. “You’re probably right.”“Just admit it Gohan. You were spying on me, weren’t you?”“Spying on you?”“Were you?”“Ehh…maybe…?”Videl’s eyes narrowed.“Yes…” Gohan admitted in defeat.“Okay, now that we got that out of the way, WHY were you spying on me?”“Well-I…”“No, no, don’t tell me. I already know. This is about the whole falling asleep in class thing, isn’t it?” Videl snapped raising an eyebrow.“Well…kind of,” Gohan replied.“I knew it,” Videl sighed. “Look Gohan, I appreciate your concern, really I do, but I told you I could handle it.”“I know, I know, and it’s not that I didn’t trust you or anything it’s just…”“Just what?” Videl snapped.“…you kind of have a habit of biting off more than you can chew…” Gohan slowly admitted.“Name one time,” Videl challenged.“What about that hijacked bus that rolled off a cliff?” Gohan responded. Videl’s face lit up a light red as Gohan continued. “Or that burning building where the water tower almost collapsed? Or…that time at the W-!”“Okay, okay, you’ve made your point, you can stop now!” Videl cut him off. Though still less than pleased, Videl’s expression notably softened and she let out a sigh.“Videl, I’m sorry for not having more faith in you, but I just felt that under the circumstances, you might’ve needed my help…is all,” Gohan apologized.“Again, I do appreciate your concern, but that still doesn’t give you the right to spy on me though!”“But…didn’t you used to spy on me when I first came to school?” Gohan reminded her.“Uhhhh…” Videl’s face flashed a bright red as she recalled the various times she had chased Gohan, both as Saiyaman and in his civvies, around the city.“I…you uh…W-we-well…we weren’t even together back then so…” Videl let out a defeated sigh. “Okay, you got me there, but my point still stands.”“Yeah I know…If anything, I guess this just makes us even,” Gohan chuckled.Videl couldn’t help but grin herself. “Yeah, I guess.”Back in the doorway, the trio of spies all looked on in interest as Videl and Gohan ended their argument and seemed to be making up, judging by how they were giggling.“It doesn’t look like she’s mad anymore,” Ranma whispered.“I’m glad things are looking okay for them,” Akane added.“Shampoo still think she be too easy on pervert guest.”“Sooo…does this mean I’m not in trouble?” Gohan asked.“…Not completely,” Videl answered, her tone darkening. “I can forgive the spying Gohan…” she said taking a step towards him. “But don’t think I’ve forgotten about the ‘other’ thing.”Gohan instinctively retreated as Videl inched closer and closer, a silent fury etched into her features. The now red-faced Gohan proceeded to play dumbe. “Wha-what are you talking about Videl?...”“Do you remember a girl with purple hair?”The deepening of red on Gohan’s face was all the answer Videl needed.“Hmph, now pervert guest get what he deserve,” Shampoo quietly cheered.“Well said my love,” commented Mousse.“All in all, I think we’re in for a pretty good show,” added Cologne.The three girls quickly whipped around to see the spectacled boy as the tiny elder landed promptly on Ranma’s head. “Mousse? Cologne? When did you two get here?” asked Akane.“Just now.”“Well, glad you’re enjoying the little show,” Ranma said through grit teeth. “But could ya do me a favor and GET OFFA ME!”Ranma grabbed for Cologne, but the experienced Amazon hopped away from her hand and knocked her onto the floor.Following the noise, a now startled Gohan and Videl turned towards the door to find a group of eavesdroppers.“Ranma? Akane? Shampoo!?”“Ohh…hey guys, what’s up?” Ranma stammered.“Sorry to interrupt, but you two had a few flies on the wall, or more accurately through the door,” Cologne snickered.“How long were you guys standing there?” asked Gohan.“Well Mousse and I just got here. These three on the other hand…” Cologne answered.The two went red as irritation (for Videl at least) and embarrassment quickly sound themselves spreading throughout the young couple.“Well, regardless, if you two are finished, I’d like to get formally acquainted with our new guest here if that’s no problem,” requested Cologne.Videl shot Gohan a knowing look that said, ‘Don’t think you’re off the hook’ before clearing her throat and proceeding to introduce the two. “Okay. Ranma and Akane already know who he is but, Cologne, Shampoo, this is my boyfriend Gohan. Gohan, this is Cologne, who’s been training me for the past few days and her granddaughter Shampoo.”“Nihao,” Cologne said through narrowed eyes.Shrinking under Shampoo’s gaze, Gohan hesitantly, but politely bowed as he greeted them. “Uhhh…it’s nice to meet you.”“Well…he’s certainly a well-mannered fellow, I’ll give him that,” Cologne said with a grin.“So guest is Flying Girl boyfriend…Shampoo remember she mention him when we fight before.”“Wait, you two fought? Who won?” asked Ranma.“It was a draw on account of curses,” Akane answered.Seeing the confused look on Gohan’s face, Akane quickly explained, “Oh yeah, in case you haven’t figured it out yet, Mousse and Shampoo have the same kind of curse as Ranma, only with animals.”“Ohhh…”“Man, I hate when that happens…” Ranma groaned. “Speaking of…” Ranma quickly darted to the sink to grab a glass of hot water as Cologne continued on.“I must say, it’s an honor to meet the son of the infamous Son Goku.”Gohan’s eyes widened. “Wait…you know my father!?”“Not personally, only through the grapevine. After all, he is the star pupil of the Turtle Hermit.”“You know Master Roshi too?”“Again, only through reputation.”“Wow…if you know about Dad and the others, you must be a pretty talented martial artist yourself,” complimented Gohan.”“Ohohoho, you flatterer,” Cologne grinned. “Still, you shouldn’t sell yourself short boy. Anyone who has Kame-Sennin under their belt has to be pretty impressive themselves.”“Well…” Gohan bashfully placed a hand behind his head at Cologne’s words. His unease only grew once Cologne darted past Cologne and invaded Gohan’s personal space, giving him a once-over.“Hmmm…” The blushing Gohan could only sheepishly chuckle as Shampoo continued to inspect him.“Find what you’re looking for Shampoo?” Videl asked sardonically.“Shampoo not see what make Rice Boy so special,” she stated dryly.“Excuse me?” Videl snapped.“Shampoo admit, he not bad looking, but he not look very strong. The way Flying Girl describe him, Shampoo expectations were high.”“Well what were you expecting?” Videl hissed.“I not know, but definitely not skinny pervert guest,” Shampoo replied.Ranma chuckled when Gohan’s face became a scarlet hue due to a mix of shame and embarrassment at Shampoo’s nickname. “P-pervert guest?”Videl clenched her fist and rebutted “Hold on! I get that you’re upset, and you have the right to be, but you do NOT get to talk about Gohan like that!”“Videl, calm d-!” Gohan tried to ease his rapidly raging girlfriend, but to no avail as she cut him off and continued to retaliate.“He’s probably the least perverted boy out there! Hell, he barely even looks at me like that,” her eye very faintly twitched at that statement and her expression briefly switched from blind rage to almost envy before landing back to anger. “If anything, isn’t it more your fault for not being able to keep your clothes on?” Videl shot back.Akane couldn’t hold in her snickers as Shampoo’s face flashed a brief tint of red. “Aiyaaa! Shampoo can no help that curse make her too small to wear clothes!”“Uhhh Videl, I appreciate you trying to defend me, but I think you should take it easy now,” Gohan placed a hand on her shoulder attempting to ease her back.Her eyes narrowed, Shampoo quickly attached herself to Ranma’s arm. “Well Shampoo bet he no match for Ranma. Even Mousse look like better martial artist.” She declared.“Oh Shampoo!” “Put your glasses on fool!”While Mousse was getting beaten and berated by Cologne for his blind antics, Ranma interjected. “Whoa Shampoo. I mean you’re not wrong when you say I could beat Gohan but saying Mousse could beat him is just a low blow. He’s WAY stronger than that.”“Screw you Saotome!” Mousse yelled while flipping off a stool.“Ranma, should you really be making claims like that considering what happened when we visited Gohan’s house the other day?” Akane quietly reminded him.Ranma’s flinched as the memory of his fight with Goten resurfaced, and he remembered that if Goten was that strong, then it was very likely that Gohan was much stronger.“Oh? What pray tell happened that day Akane Tendo?” asked an eavesdropping Mousse who finally had his glasses back on.Before anyone could answer, Ranma quickly threw a glass of water onto Mousse and chucked him out of the back door as a trail of feathers floated down.“Aiyaaa! Ranma, why you throw Mousse away! Shampoo need him to prove point!” the purple haired girl whined.‘I’m starting to see why Ukyo doesn’t like her,’ Videl thought. “Prove what? Gohan would’ve won anyway.”Shampoo crossed her arms and mildly conceded. “Maybe you right, but there no way he beat Ranma.”“Oh please, Ranma couldn’t even beat Gohan’s little brother. He wouldn’t stand a chance against Gohan himself.”
STAB!
As soon as the words left Videl’s mouth, Ranma grasped at his chest and fiercely twitched letting out a pained yelp.“Ranma, what Flying Girl talking about?” asked Shampoo.“LEAVE ME ALONE!!” Ignoring Shampoo’s question, an anguished Ranma detached himself from her and made a swift exit from the Cat Café.“Aiyaaaa! Ranma, why you run?” Shampoo called chasing after him.Following Ranma’s dramatic exit the rest of the crew were left dumbfounded. “What was that all about?” asked Gohan.“Just Ranma’s sad attempt to protect his ego,” replied Akane.“Remind me to ask you to elaborate on that Ms. Tendo,” said Cologne. “Still, it’s a shame Ranma flew the coop like that. I was starting to look forward to a match between him and Gohan over here.“Well, sorry to disappoint you,” Gohan meekly chuckled.“What’s done is done, but back to business, it’s time to resume Videl’s training,” said Cologne.Gohan perked up at Cologne’s words. In all the crazy excitement, he’d almost forgotten why he had come in the first place. “That reminds me, if you don’t mind my asking, what kind of training were you and Videl doing?”Cologne sighed as she began her explanation. “To make a long story short, I’m teaching Videl a technique that could help her in her upcoming bout with Ryoga.”“What technique?” asked Gohan.“It’s called the ‘Point of Impact,” Cologne answered. “If you wish to know more, I’m sure she or Akane will be able to give you the more explicit details. The point is, before she can learn it, she needed to raise her Ki.” Cologne paused, bringing out the choker. “Which is where this baby comes in.”Hopping over Videl, Cologne attached the choker to her neck and the weight of the uniform instantly fell over her, causing her to stumble over, but not to fall.“Videl, are you okay!?” called the ever concerned Gohan, rushing to her side.“I’m fine…” Videl strained, waving Gohan off.“Ms. Cologne, what’s happening?”“No one wants to sit through my full explanation again, so I’ll just say it’s weight training to the extreme. You build your body to build your ki, and the higher your ki, the lighter the uniform that Videl’s wearing feels.”“Weighted clothing? Huh, my dad used to do that too, my old teacher still does.” Gohan noted.“It’s a simple method yes, but it’s nonetheless effective. This uniform in particular is designed intently for raising a beginner’s basic level of ki.”Gohan gave an impressed hum as Cologne removed the choker. In that moment however, Shampoo burst back into the room in a huff. “Great-Grandmother! We have many customers waiting in dining room!”Sure enough, while the martial artists were having their conversation, the Cat Café was filling up with guests at an almost scheduled pace.“Wait a sec, why’re they coming in? I could’ve sworn I set the sign to closed!” Cologne exclaimed.“Raaaanmaaaa…” Akane growled.Cologne sighed. “Well whether he did or not, what’s done is done.” She then turned to Gohan. “I’m afraid we’ll have to finish this discussion some other time. It’s time for us to get to work.”“No worries. I can see that you’re probably going to be busy for a while,” Gohan chuckled.“You know Gohan, why don’t you get something to eat before you go. This is a restaurant after all,” Videl said with an unreadable glimmer in her eyes.“Is…that okay?”“As long as you pay for it like any other customer, it doesn’t matter to me,” Cologne replied.“You just let me cover the costs Cologne. Gohan, you just enjoy and order as much as you want,” Videl said in a nearly forced sweet tone.Gohan was visibly cautious of Videl’s tone. She almost never acts or sounds this docile (not even in their most private moments…not that private ya pervs!) unless she’s trying to send an unspoken message. His suspicions were confirmed with a small wink accompanied by a nerve easing smile.“Well, if you say it’s okay, then I guess I’ll go for it.”“Great. Hey Akane, if you’re interested, your food’s on me too.”“Oh…sure, why not,” Akane accepted.“Well Shampoo, guess we’d better get started,” Videl cheerfully proclaimed before heading back into the kitchen for some supplies.A bead of sweat fell down the Amazon’s faces as Videl strolled away. “Flying girl look extra happy today,” stated Shampoo.“Well, I guess having her fella here gave her a bit of extra motivation. Still, she has the right idea, let’s get to work Shampoo.” Cologne ordered.Akane watched the workers disappear with a similarly confused expression. She had a gut feeling Videl was up to something, she just couldn’t place it yet. Oh well, no sense in turning down a free lunch. Her spirits also heightened, Akane grabbed Gohan by the arm and pulled him away.“C’mon, let’s grab a table before they’re all taken.”[A few minutes later]The Cat Café staff was in high gear as Shampoo prepared order after order and quickly shoved a bulk of them off to Videl who proceeded to stroll around the restaurant as fast as her tied down body could carry her.“Hey Videl?” Gohan called out.“Sorry GOhan, but I’m kinda busy right now. I’ll get to you two in a bit!” Videl quickly replied before strolling away.“Is it always like this in here?” Gohan asked Akane.“Sometimes, but it usually only gets this crazy whenever this place gets a cute new waitress,” Akane crossed her arms.“Cute new waitress…?” Gohan turned back to see Videl sluggishly, yet vigorously dash around the Cat Café lugging a large plate of food around, Now that he wasn’t wracked with worry and small bits of guilt, Gohan was able to get a full body view of Videl in her uniform and if nothing else, the fancy Chinese style was a nice departure from her usual sporty attire. Plus, the ramen that Videl was serving up looked and smelled very appetizing.“Uhh Gohan…I think you’re staring,” Akane commented.With a fierce twitch, Gohan’s face become a darker red as he turned back to Akane.“N-n-no I wasn’t!” Gohan defensively stammered.“I’m prett sure you were staring at Videl pretty hard…” Akane added with a raised eyebrow.“I…wasn’t staring I was just…wondering what to order?”‘He really is a terrible liar,’ thought Akane.“Anyways…since we have a bit of time before Videl comes back, there’s actually something I’m curious about,” said Gohan.“What is it?”“Why’d Ranma take off like that?” asked Gohan.Akane let out a sigh as she dismissively shook her head. “He’s just all embarrassed because your brother beat him.”“Really?”Akane nodded. “To be completely fair, I can’t really blame him. I mean, sure Ranma is very egotistical, but who wouldn’t be embarrassed losing to a little kid?”“I guess.”“The thing is, he doesn’t want it getting out because there are a lot of people around town who’d probably use that to try and get to him,” she continued. ‘I may be using it to keep him in line, but it’s not like I’m blackmailing him or anything,’ Akane mentally added.“In that case, we should probably let Videl know,” Gohan proclaimed.“Let Videl know what?” Almost on cue, Videl appeared beside Gohan and Akane’s table, an eyebrow raised.“Videl, when’d you get here?” asked Gohan.“Just now, and my question is, what are you supposed to let me know?”Akane pulled Videl down and quickly whispered into her ear. A few seconds later, her expression perked up “Oh! Okay, I got it, though next time, let me know this stuff ahead of time okay?”“Sure thing,” Akane replied.Clearing her throat, Videl then put on a genuine server’s smile and said in an almost comically sweet voice, “Nihao, welcome to the Cat Café. May I take your order?”Redness once again tinted Gohan’s face as he was once again caught off guard by Videl’s excessively sweet act. Unlike before though, he felt sincerity in her tone.“Well, looks like someone’s finally got the right motivation on the waitress side of this gig,” Cologne interjected out of nowhere.“Right…well then I guess I’ll take two of these.” Gohan pointed out a large order of ramen, rice and meat buns, causing Cologne’s eyes to widen.“Well, I see someone doesn’t play around when it comes to cuisine.”‘You don’t know the half of it,’ thought Akane.“What about you Akane?”“Guess I’ll take the same, but only one and a smaller portion.”“Coming right up.”Videl then strolled off to the counter and delivered the order to Shampoo before heading back into the kitchen to grab some completed orders for other guests. Speaking of those other guests, many of the young male ones could only look on dumbfounded as to why this new guy who nobody recognized as a regular was getting the special treatment. The young female guests were just curious as to what the connection between the cute new guy and the new waitress was.‘Why was she so nice to him?’‘Do they know each other?’‘Think they’re dating?’Absentmindedly, Gohan once again turned his eyes to Videl’s retreating form. Between the fairly enticing uniform and the waitress act, it was getting continually more difficult for Gohan to tear his gaze away.“Couldn’t resist the sight of your lady in our uniform eh?” snickered Cologne. Akane couldn’t help but giggle as Gohan’s face became cherry red at Cologne’s provocation.Attempting to stop the two women laughing at him, Gohan decided to suddenly switch the topic over at his and Akane’s table. “So…Videl’s training is waiting in weighted clothes?”“In a nutshell yes,” Cologne answered. “It may be menial, but whatever works works.”“No kidding. Compared to how she was when she started this thing, it looks like things are actually progressing rather well,” commented Akane.“That’s something of an understatement Ms. Tendo. Despite that small roadblock yesterday, she’s actually improving quicker than I initially anticipated.” Said Cologne.“No surprise here,” Gohan interjected. “She was able to master flying in only a week and a half, and she was able to get off the ground on her first day.” Gohan recalled.“That is impressive,” Cologne admitted.Before the three could continue, the object of their discussion suddenly reappeared, with food in hand.“Wow, that was quick,” Gohan noted.“Fast food, am I right?” Videl winked.Cologne’s eyes lightly narrowed. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that.”Placing the food before her two customers, Videl let out a pleasant, “Enjoy,” Before excusing herself back to the kitchen.“Guess I’ll leave you two alone for the time being, and again enjoy.” Cologne said before dismissing herself.“Well, you heard them Gohan, dig in!”“Alright!”The two both took a single bite of their dishes and Akane halted as she watched Gohan’s eyes light up like flash.‘So THIS is what Videl was after!’ Akane finally realized.In the next instance, Gohan’s consumption quickly sped up. In less than two minutes later, Gohan’s bowl was emptied while Akane’s was still mostly full.“That was really good!” Gohan complimented.When Gohan started on his second bowl, again almost on cue, Videl appeared before their table with her waitress face on. “Are you enjoyed your meal?”“Yeah, I am.” Gohan enthusiastically replied.“Can I get you anything else?”“How about five more of these please?”“Only five? Wow Gohan, you must not be all that hungry,” Videl said dropping the waitress act.“Well, I have to save some room for dinner, right?” he chuckled.“Fair enough,” Videl grinned. “I’ll get right on it.”“Oh wait, I also wanna try out the dumplings so five orders of those too and three orders of subuta (sweet and sour pork).“Coming right up!” Videl said pleasantly. Retreating back to the kitchen, a mischievous grin found itself plastered on Videl’s face as she handed the order over to Shampoo.“Aiyaaaaaaaa!” she shrieked.“Well, it looks like you’ve got quite a bit of work to do, don’t you?” Videl taunted.Shampoo shot Videl a light glare as she exited the kitchen with another set of orders in hand. “Shampoo no let Flying Girl make fool of Shampoo!”Cracking her knuckles, Shampoo swiftly got to work preparing Gohan’s order.[Several minutes later]Videl returned to the kitchen to see Shampoo panting before a large plate that was stacked to the brim with large bowls and containers for the more ‘finger food’ dishes.Quickly fixing her composure, Shampoo crossed her arms before giving Videl a smug look accompanied by an, “Order up Flying Girl.”To the Amazon’s surprise, Videl looked not the least bit worried with the oversized serving. Even under the still restricting weight of the uniform, Videl proceeded with confidence as she lifted the large server’s plate with both arms and proceeded to make her way out of the kitchen at a slower than normal, but still brisk pace.Before she stepped through the door however, Videl turned back and winked to her coworker. “Thanks for the assistance Shampoo.”The purple haired Amazon could only look on in confusion as Videl went off to deliver the food.[Shortly later]The patrons of the Cat Café looked in absolute awe as the guy who was getting all the TLC from the cute new waitress proceeded to wolf down a meal that could very easily belong to a small family. Thankfully, Gohan was mannered enough to keep himself and his surroundings clean while eating so thankfully, none of the onlookers seemed to be disgusted at least. Even Cologne, who was used to seeing big appetites with the likes of Ranma, his father and Ryoga couldn’t help but stare wide-eyed as Gohan devoured his ramen like a starving dog.Unable to watch Gohan anymore, Cologne turned her attention to Videl who was off to the side panting. The flow of the restaurant had slowed to a crawl once all the attention was on Gohan, so Videl had a rare opportunity to catch her breath, and after that massive order she had to deliver, she needed it.Cologne couldn’t help but chuckle. “So she used that boyfriend of hers to earn a point in her little ‘scuffle’ with Shampoo, and amp up her own training regimen at the same time. I’ll admit it, with the proper training, she could really pass for an Amazon.”Turning her attention back to Gohan, Cologne’s expression darkened. ‘However, if we run out of ingredients because of that boy, don’t think that I won’t hesitate to give you a piece of my mind!’ she mentally declared.[Shortly later]Gohan had finished eating with an extra satisfied look on his face. Once the ‘show’ that Gohan was putting on had ended, the rest of the patrons returned to their own meals, some of them hungrier than ever while others seemed to have lost their appetites.“Well, how was it?” asked Videl.“It was really great!” Gohan replied.“Well, I’m glad you enjoyed yourself,” Cologne chimed in hopping onto the table. “But I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave now. I’m sorry but if you decide to order anything else, I’m afraid we’ll run out of ingredients.”“Oh don’t worry. I’m saving up room for dinner at home,” Gohan stated.Cologne froze wide-eyed with shock at Gohan’s statement before dismissively shaking her head and sighing, “And here I thought Son-in-Law was insatiable.”Cologne mounted her staff prepared to hop away, before she left however, she turned back to the three teenagers. “I have to say, meeting you has been something of an experience Son Gohan. I only hope that sometime soon, I’ll be able to see what an heir to the Kame-Style can do in battle.”“Well…” Gohan awkwardly placed a hand behind his head. “I can’t make any promises, but I can say I’ll probably come back here at least…unless Videl objects.”“It’s fine by me, but don’t think you’re fully off the hook, Gohan,” Videl sternly replied.“Yes ma’am.”“Well, if we’re all done talking now, Videl. Time to get back to work,” Cologne ordered before pogoing away.“Well, I guess that’s that,” Videl sighed. “I’ll be done later tonight so we can finish talking then then,” Videl replied. “And again, don’t worry about the bill, it’s on me.”“If you say so.” Gohan replied. “But what do I do until you’re finished?”“You know Gohan, if you want to stick around town until Videl’s done here, why don’t you stay at our place for a little bit,” Akane suggested.Gohan was slightly taken aback by the invitation and was a little hesitant to accept, until Videl spoke up.“Hmm…sounds okay to me,” Videl agreed.With a mental sigh of relief, Gohan responded, “Well, if you two are sure, then I guess I accept.”“Then I guess it’s settled,” Videl nodded. “Keep an eye on him for me Akane.”“Will do.”“Hehe, am I a pet now?” Gohan chuckled.Videl playfully rolled her eyes just as the two got up from the table.“See you guys tonight.” Videl called.“Okay, and thanks again,” Gohan responded. With that, Gohan and Akane left the Cat Café while more customers began to stroll in.Meanwhile, on a nearby rooftop not far from the Cat Café, a certain bespectacled water-fowl narrowed its eyes at the half-saiyan. With an enraged ‘Quack!’, Duck-Mousse brandished a set of kunai knives from his feathers before laughing (honking) maniacally into the afternoon sky.
(A/N: Not much to say here other than this chapter was a headache to write. While I haven’t lost interest in this story, my motivation to write has been low lately. Maybe it’s because I’ve been playing Persona 5 on the side (started WAY before Joker got released in Smash), maybe it’s something else, but I’m finally back. So Gohan’s trip to Nerima begins with awkward introductions (and a narrow crisis aversion) at the Cat Café. Next time, he’ll get acquainted with more of Ranma’s regulars as he meets the Tendo/Saotome family and a certain male Amazon is out for payback)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
A Brief But Eventful Rest: Taking it Easy at the Tendo’s
It had been 5 or so minutes since Akane and Gohan had left the Cat Café, the latter following behind Akane as she led him to her home.“Are we there yet?” asked Gohan.“Almost, just another block forward,” replied Akane.Before long, the duo finally arrived at the Tendo Dojo, Akane letting out a satisfied sigh. “Finally, we’re here!”As the two made their way to the entrance, Gohan paused and spoke up. “Hey Akane?”“What is it?”“If you don’t mind my asking, what’s your family like?”Akane hesitated before shrugging. “Why don’t you just find out for yourself.” Taking Gohan by the arm, Akane pulled Gohan through the door and announced, “I’m home!” To her surprise however, she didn’t’ receive a response.“Is…is anyone home?” Gohan asked.“I’m…not sure,” Akane replied. The pair received their answer once they entered the living room and spotted a note on the table.
“Ranma and Akane,
Nabiki and I are going shopping with Aunt Nodoka after she gets out from work. Father and Uncle Saotome have also gone out for the evening so you two will be alone for a while. We’ll be back soon, please try not to fight each other while we’re gone.
-Kasumi”
P.S. Kasumi has some snacks prepared, so there’s no need to try and cook anything. We DON’T need another kitchen disaster like last time little sis.
-Nabiki
“Well…this was unexpected,” Akane said with a small twinge of irritation.“What was?”“It looks like everyone’s gone.”“Aww, that’s too bad,” Gohan groaned. “I was looking forward to meeting your family.”Akane shrugged. “Someone will probably be back soon enough.” ‘And given the record for when Ranma and I are alone, it’ll be at the worst possible time.’ “In the meantime, what do you wanna do?”Gohan placed a hand to his chin in thought. “Well, now that I think about it, I do have some homework to finish.”Akane pounded her palm with her fist. “Dang it. I just remembered I do too!”“Well, I guess we’ll be studying together for now.”“Sounds good to me. Be right back!”[A few minutes later]Gohan and Akane were seated around the living room table, various textbooks and papers scattered about, accompanied by a half-eaten plate of rice balls and tiny sandwiches. Gohan was working without much of a hitch but looked up from his book when he heard Akane let out a groan.“Is something wrong?”“I’m just having a bit of an issue with this problem here,” Akane said pointing to a page in the math book.“Here, let me see…” stepping behind Akane to get a glance at her book, his eyes lit up. “Oh, I see the problem. You just have to…”Gohan proceeded to explain Akane’s error, and after a couple of revised explanations, she finally understood. “Oh, I get it now!”Gohan let out a chuckle as Akane excitedly wrote down her answer. “Geeze, that was a migraine and a half,” Akane groaned. “How’d you get it so easily? We’re not even doing the same subject right now?”An almost uncharacteristically smug grin found its way onto Gohan’s face. “Well, I don’t mean to brag, but I do have a reputation for being the smartest kid in Orange Star High.”“Is that a fact?” Akane said with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. Gohan replied with a simple chuckle as he reached for the plate of snacks. Unfortunately, his aim was a little off as he proceeded to knock the plate off of the table and spill its contents all over the floor and Akane.“Ack!”“Gah! I’m sorry, I swear that was an accident!” Gohan exclaimed.“Don’t worry, it’s fine,” Akane shrugged off. “Just wait here while I go grab something to clean this mess up with.Akane swiftly picked herself up off the floor, but before she could make her way to the kitchen, she was tripped up by her own bookbag causing her to tumble over.“Watch out!” Gohan quickly got up and reached out an arm to catch her, but wound up tripping over Akane’s bag himself and the two fell down on the floor together.[Meanwhile]Unbeknownst to Akane and Gohan, in the rear of the Tendo Dojo, an irritated Ranma was muttering to himself while he drowned his frustration in a fierce rep of push ups, flips, and katas. “Damn kid…stupid Akane with her ‘Oh, remember wha happen!?’, and damn nosy Mousse. None of his damn business what-!”Almost on cue, a shadow divebombed Ranma and launched a throwing knife at him. Thanks tp his sharp reflexes, Ranma was able to quickly dodge the projectile and snatch the shadow out of the air, revealing itself to be a duck wearing a pair of swirly glasses.‘Speak of the devil…’ “Mousse, what the hell are you doing here?”
“QUANK! HONK! QUACK!”
“Oh right, you can’t speak. One sec.” Reaching into his shirt, Ranma pulled out a capsule and popped it open revealing a thermos. ‘Note to self, remember to thank Mom for this idea when ya see her again.’ Pouring its contents into the top, Ranma then poured the (scalding) hot water over Mousse transforming him back into human form.“Eeeeeek! Did the water really have to be that hot Saotome!?”“Quit yer complainin’, at least your human again. Now would ya care to explain why you’re hasslin’ me for this time?”“Believe it or not Ranma Saotome, I have no quarrel with you this day. My anger is aimed at that miscreant who would dare lay his perverted hands on my Shampoo!” Mousse proclaimed.Ranma looked to the sky in thought. “Why does it feel like we’ve been here before?”[Elsewhere]A tiny black piglet, in the arms of a girl with long dark hair let out a loud sneeze.“Oh Ryoga, is that cold water getting to you?” the girl asked the piglet. “Don’t worry, there’s a public bath in town so we’ll have you warmed up and human again in no time!”[Back with Ranma and Mousse]“Look dude, do everyone here a favor and just let it go. In case you missed it, Gohan already has a girlfriend, and doesn’t like Shampoo like that, so you really have no reason to go after him,” Ranma stated.“Be that as it may, I still can’t forgive him for defiling Shampoo the way he did. Not to mention your implication of him being stronger than me.” Mousse snapped back.Ranma let out a chuckle before responding. “Okay, I’ll give you that last one, but even if you wanted to challenge him, unless he’s still at the Cat Café, I think you’re outta luck pal. Dude’s probably already gone home by now.”“Not true. For I saw him leave the Cat Café together with Akane Tendo. If anyone knows where Rice Boy would be, it’s her. I’d ask his lady friend who’s training at the Cat Café, but I doubt she’d be too cooperative.”Ranma did a double take at Mousse’s statement. “Wait, Gohan and Akane…together? Are you sure you didn’t just mistake them for some random couple on the street or somethin’?”Mousse nodded. “I’m positive. I had my glasses on when I saw them leave, although I lost them when I happened to fly through a rather low cloud.”Ranma crossed his arms. “Heh, even if they were together at the time, Gohan’s probably already gone home by now, and Akane’s not even home yet.”“Hmmmm…you make a valid point. Still, if he is still in town, and with Akane Tendo, I do believe they’ll show up here sooner or later. I’ll depart for now Ranma, but I’ll be back.” Leaping over the dojo’s fence, Mousse then bounded away, his search prompt to resume.Ranma sighed as he re-entered the dojo and sat cross legged on the floor, his encounter with Mousse all but killing his motivation to train. “Suit yourself, but I’m tellin’ ya you’re wasting your time. For all we know, Akane could be with her friends from school and Gohan could be five miles on his way home.” He thought aloud. Until…
“Kyaaa!”
“Huh? Who was that? Is everyone home already?”Exiting the dojo, Ranma quickly made his way to the living room. “Yo, is anybody here? I thought I…heard…a…scream……”Ranma’s speech slowed to a crawl as he witnessed a stunned Akane laying on top of a blushing Gohan.“Wha…what’s goin’ on here?” asked a dumbfounded Ranma.“R-Ranma!?” the pair simultaneously exclaimed.“What are you doing here?” Gohan added.“I live here. What are you doing here and why is Akane on top of you!?” Ranma countered. His eyes then lit up as he let out a hysteric gasp. “No! Don’t tell me…! Akane, I can’t believe this!” Ranma cut her off. “I thought Videl was your friend, but here I find you puttin’ the moves on her boyfriend!”Akane narrowed her eyes in shock before letting out a resounding “WHAT!?”“Wait a sec Ranma, Akane wasn’t trying to-!” Gohan tried to explain.Cutting him off, Ranma continued. “Are you really that desperate to feel sexy that you had to try and seduce a taken man!?”With a fierce twitch in her eye, Akane swiftly removed herself from Gohan and darted at the smarmy Ranma who dodged her incoming attack.“Raaaaanmaaaa! Get back here you jerk!” Akane demanded.“Not until I tell Videl what you two have been up to!” Ranma countered flipping away from Akane’s follow-up strikes. Picking himself off the floor, Gohan followed after the pair as the chase continued until the duo wound up back into the dojo.Akane grabbed a bamboo sword and continued her assault on the ever evasive Ranma. Her irritation reaching a fever pitch, Akane wound up, preparing what would’ve surely been a home-run swing, until Gohan quickly interjected. Warping in front of the two, he caught Akane’s sword with a single hand just as Ranma cartwheeled away and took a defensive stance.“Ranma, you’ve got it all wrong!” Gohan quickly exclaimed. “Akane just tripped and I caught her, but we still fell!”Dropping his stance, Ranma said in a gleefully dismissive tone, “Oh is that all it was? That’s a relief. For a sec or two, I thought you two were gearin’ up to go on a date or somethin’” Ranma chuckled.“Hey, Akane’s a nice girl, but I’d never cheat on Videl with anyone.” Gohan said firmly“Good on you for that pal, but why didn’t you just say somethin’ earlier?”“You never gave us a chance to explain!” answered Gohan.Ranma closed his eyes and put a hand to his chin in faux deep thought. “Hmmmm…not havin’ a chance to explain somethin’ that looks bad.” Opening one eye, he turned his attention to Akane with a smug grin and added, “Now why does that sound so familiar?”Akane’s face became a light red as she understood Ranma’s implications. Gohan on the other hand just watched the two with a look of confusion on his face. “Umm…am I missing something?”“Don’t worry about it pal. All you need to know is I just gave Akane a taste of her own medicine. Sorry I kinda roped you into it though,” Ranma explained.“A taste of her own…?”“Don’t try and turn this on me!” Akane exclaimed.“Hey, don’t get mad just cause you know how I feel when you do that crap to me!” Ranma shot back.“That’s cause it’s always your fault!” Akane argued.“It ain’t ALWAYS my fault!”“Name one time!”“Okay…how bout that time when I had to hug anybody who sneezed!?”“……Okay fine, you have one, but what about that time you tried to get frisky with our teacher!”“You already know what I was tryin’ to do! I was tryin’ to hit her pressure points so she’d stop stealin’ everyone’s energy!”The pair continued to go back and forth recounting many a time when Ranma was caught in a compromising position and disputing whether or not Ranma was truly at fault or not. Meanwhile off to the side, Gohan just continued to watch the heated exchange with worry and confusion on his features.Deciding it’d probably be best to not intervene in their little debate, Gohan slowly backed away out of the dojo and quickly returned to the living room. He still needed to finish his homework, not to mention clean up the food that he’d spilled earlier. Upon his arrival however, he was surprised to find the food already cleaned up, and the papers that had been scattered were neatly stacked back onto the table as well.“How’d this happen?” Gohan thought aloud.Gohan received his answer when the sound of gentle humming filled his ears and he turned to find a ponytailed girl, who looked not too older than himself enter the room with a fresh plate of snacks in hand.“Oh! I didn’t know we had a guest.”“A guest?” said another female voice. An older (but still fairly young, yet mature) woman entered behind the girl and the two greeted Gohan with curious, but inviting expressions. Unbeknownst to the Saiyan however, a third female was viewing the scene from the staircase just a short distance away from the three. She’d join them soon to meet and greet their visitor, but before she did, a single surprising thought quickly flashed in her mind. ‘He’s kinda cute.’[Meanwhile]Back in the dojo, Ranma and Akane had carried on their argument through shouting and a second round of Ranma being chased by a bamboo sword wielding Akane. After numerous recounts and refutes of Ranma being the initiator of many of his compromising situations such as the Jusenkyo Spring in the girl’s locker room and the flirtatious clone of female Ranma, among others, the argument finally ended when Akane threw Ranma into the pond in the garden.As Ranma angrily rang her shirt out, Akane let out a sigh of defeat. “You’ve made your point,” Akane muttered.“What’s it…?”“I said you’ve made your point!” Akane repeated. “I get it okay, I jump to conclusions a lot, I should listen to you first more, and I totally had your little prank earlier coming, okay? You HAPPY!?”Crossing her arms, Akane turned her back to a stunned Ranma who’s mouth was just all but hung open. Putting her shirt back on, Ranma cautiously approached the dismissive Akane and gave a single simple request.“Akane, hit me.”“…What?”“You just admitted you were wrong. I need to be sure that this is actually happening and I’m not in like a dream, or some mirror world or something.”Feeling more compelled to comply now, Akane brought her fist down an unprepared Ranma’s head, planting her into the floor.“Mmkay, dssh esh meel…” [A/N: Okay, this is real]. Picking herself out of the human shaped imprint, Ranma rubbed her sore head and quickly added. “At least now maybe you’ll think twice before you go accusin’ me of stuff I ain’t doin’.”“Don’t push it Ranma.” Akane warned. “Yeah, looking back, there were a lot of times where you were innocent, but there’ve been just as many times when you weren’t. Shall we go over them again?”“Naw, this chapter’s already derailed enough, and we need to get back on track,” Ranma refused. “Still, it was fun to be the accuser for once. Maybe the author will let it happen again.” She chuckled.“I hope not. Or at the very least, if he does do it again, I hope he doesn’t involve Gohan,” Akane added. “I’d hate to see him and Videl break-up, and I don’t think I could handle it if I were the reason for it.”“Speakin’ of which, where is Gohan?” asked Ranma.“He was here just a second ago? Maybe he just left?”“Can’t say I blame him after havin’ your heavy, barreled, body all over him.”
Twitch!
“Whoop-!”
THWAM!!
[A couple minutes later]“Okay, I’ll admit it…I had that coming.” Akane simply ignored her as the two girls returned to the living room, prepared to clean up the mess they remembered was there. They were not prepared however, for what they saw next.“So you’re top of your class at school?” came the intrigued voice of Kasumi.“Yeah.” Gohan replied between bites of a rice ball.“It’s not too often we get someone around these parts who actually puts stock into school work,” Nabiki commented.“A strong martial artist, who also has a high IQ?” Nodoka let out a longing sigh. “~Haaa~, Videl sounds like a really lucky girl to have found herself such a catch like you.”A blushing Gohan bashfully avoided eye contact at Nodoka’s compliment.As the three women chuckled at Gohan’s modesty, Kasumi finally noticed Akane and Ranma in the room, with stunned looks on their faces.“Oh! Ranma, Akane, there you two are,” greeted Kasumi.“What’s going on here…?” asked Ranma and Akane together.“Oh we were just getting acquainted with Gohan here,” Nodoka answered. “When you brought him up before Akane, you didn’t tell us he was so well mannered,” Nodoka beamed.“I…get it from my mother,” Gohan said placing a hand behind his head.“Well, we’ll leave you kids alone for now. Kasumi and I have dinner to prepare. Will you be joining us Gohan? Judging from that plate, you seem to have a rather healthy appetite.” Said Nodoka.“I’d like to, but I probably can’t. I’m only here until Videl gets back, then we have to get home.” Gohan declined.“Okay, but if you change your mind, the offer’s still open.” Nodoka emphasized as she and Kasumi left the four teens to their own,Akane sighed. “I think I need a bath.”“Yeah, if anyone needs me, I’ll be in the dojo,” Ranma said dismissively. To everyone’s surprise however, she didn’t make a point about wanting to change back to normal first. Now there’s a sure sign that Ranma’s just done at this point.The two then went their separate ways, leaving Gohan and Nabiki alone for the moment. The middle Tendo girl chose that moment to position herself beside Gohan just as he finished up the last bit of his rice ball.“Well, we’ve got some time to kill, so you wanna talk a little more?” Nabiki suggested.“I don’t mind, but I do still have some homework to finish,” Gohan earnestly replied.Nabiki raised an eyebrow. ‘He really does put a lot of stock in school…how bout that,’As Gohan picked up the previously discarded text book, Nabiki folded her arms beneath her chest before continuing on. “You know, when Akane told us about ‘Videl’s mysterious boyfriend,’ she really undersold you.”“Undersold?”“A smart, polite boy who’s also a strong martial artist, and cute to boot? It almost sounds like a too good to be true.” Nabiki complimented, her eyes becoming subtly catlike.Gohan could only reply with a coy, “Thank you,” before turning his attention back to his textbook.Nabiki crossed both arms behind her head as she laid back in the sofa seat. “Not gonna lie, it almost makes me a bit jealous.”“Maybe I oughta start jogging, since it seems the sporty, athletic type girls get all the guys,” she added crossing her legs together.Gohan turned to Nabiki, intending to ask what she meant by that, but upon noticing her…position, quickly buried himself back into his textbook. This did not go unnoticed by Nabiki, who quickly grew a mischievous smirk.“Speaking of athletic girls, how exactly did you and Videl get together?” Nabiki asked.“W-well…” a bead of sweat ran down Gohan’s forehead. “There’s not much to say really. I was new at school, we hung out together through mutual friends and then after a while we just sort of…hit it off.” Gohan meekly replied. “After that things just kind of…escalated from there.”Nabiki narrowed an eyebrow. That explanation was too…basic. There had to be more too it right?“So…what’s your favorite thing about her?” Nabiki followed up.Gohan’s meek expression quickly grew more positive. “That’s easy. It’s definitely got to be her strong determination. I know a lot of strong willed people, but there’s something about Videl’s ‘Never give up’ attitude that just…” Gohan paused as his face turned red. “…just speaks to me…even if it does tend to get her into trouble more than a few times.”Nabiki’s shady curious expression suddenly turned notably more earnest at Gohan’s heartful words.Unbeknownst to the two, their conversation was being heavily listened in on by Nodoka and Kasumi, who wanted to make sure Nabiki didn’t try anything skeevy. They didn’t think she’d try to do something like try and take Gohan for herself, but with Nabiki being as nosy as she is, it wasn’t farfetched to think she’d try to take advantage of him in some way to make money. Still, the two eavesdroppers, couldn’t keep their hearts from skipping a beat at Gohan’s heartful words. Given all the romantic entanglements around this town, finding someone who was so genuine with their feelings for their significant other was rather rare, and a nice change of pace.‘That was…’‘…so adorable!’Gohan and Nabiki sat in silence after their previous exchange of words, as Gohan wanted to focus on his work and Nabiki felt…mysteriously less inclined to keep pressing Gohan for details about him and his relationship with Videl.The entire house remained unusually quiet for the moment, barring miniscule sounds from both the kitchen and dojo, until Akane finally returned to the living room from her bath. As she strolled over to Nabiki and Gohan, the door hastily flew open, and in walked Soun and Genma in Panda form.“We’re home!” Soun announced.“Oh hey Dad,” the two sisters greeted their father.“Hmm, is Ranma home yet?” read Genma’s sign. His attention then shifted to Gohan who was still casually reading his textbook.“Uhhhhh…is that a Panda Bear?” asked a flabbergasted Gohan.“Why yes, yes it is,” Soun replied. “And who would you be, young man?” Soun.“Oh, my name’s Son Gohan,” the young hybrid politely introduced himself.The two patriarchs remained silent. Though their expressions were neutral on the outside, inwardly the two were exploding with a multitude of emotions ranging from shock, anticipation, and worry. Through a series of eyeglances, the two communicated to each other what their next move should be.
“So, this is the boy Ranma and Akane spoke of?”
“He just introduced himself with the same name as the Legendary Master’s pupil, so he must be?”
“For now just act natural. Mention the Turtle Hermit if you have to, but be subtle about it. We don’t wish to cause a scene if we happen to be wrong.”
The two nodded to each other before Soun cleared his throat and formally introduced himself and Genma.“Well, apologies for not being home to greet you earlier. My name is Soun Tendo, the master of this dojo, and this is my dear old friend and partner, Genma Saotome.”“Saotome? Wait, are you Ranma’s father?” Gohan asked.Before Genma could write a response on his sign, hot water was poured onto the growling panda’s head changing him back into human form.“That’s a yes,” Nabiki answered.“Well, now that Saotome here has introduced us, I hope you wouldn’t mind if the three of us men chatted a little,” Genma said crossing his arms.“I don’t mind but what about?”Before the two patriarchs could answer, there was a loud, shrill beep. While everyone was stunned by the unexpected noise, Gohan reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone.“Oh, looks like Videl’s finished at Ms. Cologne’s place. Sorry, but it looks like we’ll have to chat later,” Gohan said gathering his things.“Isn’t it a bit early for Videl to be finished training with Cologne?” Akane noted.“Maybe she’s letting her off early tonight?” Gohan suggested.“But why though?”“Guess I’ll find out. I’ll see you later Akane, and it was nice meeting everyone!” Darting out the door, Gohan sprinted up the street just as SOun and Genma hastily called out, “WAIIIT!”Just missing the speedy Saiyan, the two friends stumbled over each other and fell to the floor just as soon as the door shut.“I guess Gohan won’t be joining us for dinner after all,” interjected Kasumi. “In any case, dinner’s almost done, so everyone wash up and get ready, and could someone please get Ranma?”“I’m right here,” the redhead announced entering the room. “Hey Pop, why’re you and Mr. Tendo on the floor?”The duo responded with a grunt of failure.[Meanwhile]As Gohan made his way back to the Cat Café, his phone once again pinged. Pulling it out, he read the message with a confused look on his face.
“Gohan, change of plans. We’re not going home JUST yet! No time to explain why, just know that I need your help! Keep on the lookout for something out of the ordinary. Trust me, you’ll know it when you see it!”
‘What does she mean by out of the ordinary?’ thinking over Videl’s words, his sprint was slowed down by the sound of screaming. Angry screaming. A LOT of angry screaming. A lot of angry FEMALE screaming.“What…what’s that sound?” asked Gohan.Clearly ignoring the narration, the young Saiyan received his answer as the screaming was soon accompanied by the sound of hearty laughter. Turning to the opposite end of the street, Gohan’s eyes widened as he saw a mob of very irate girls, some of them wielding makeshift weapons from sports sticks to brooms and everything in between, chasing after something small and dark that was just bounding just out of their clutches.“I hit the motherload this time!” came a raspy voice. Upon closer inspection, Gohan identified the small black figure to be an elderly man with a black mask tied around his head carrying a green sack. As the elder leapt away from the attack of one of the women, something fell out of the sack, something that made Gohan turn very red.“Is…is that…a bra!?”Putting two and two together, Gohan finally realized why the mob of women were so angry. Amongst the ineligible angry screams, Gohan did manage to make out a familiar voice yell out, “Get back here you filthy freak!”Sure enough, pushing through the pack until she was at the head was none other than Videl who was looking absolutely irate.“Videl? Is this what she was talking about?” Putting the thoughts aside, Gohan immediately chose to spring into action…well…almost immediately. First things first, he needed to prepare.[Meanwhile, with Happosai and the mob]“I swear I’m gonna break you!” Threatened a heavily panting Videl.“Sorry Ms. New girl, but you still got a few hundred years before you can catch the great Happosai!” the elder taunted.“You wanna bet!?”Leaping into the air, Videl hovered above Happosai and launched at him with a dive kick. The smug pervert merely leapt away from the anxious girl’s attack with a tormenting laugh.“Like I said, you’ve got no chance against me!”Videl growled with furious irritation. Normally she’d be able to deliver on her threats, but given the fact that this old man was more slippery than a greased eel, not to mention Videl’s current state of exhaustion following her training with Cologne, making good on her words would prove rather difficult this time.As both Happy and Videl stood defiantly, waiting for either one to make the next move, the girls in the mob all turned their attention to a flowing shadow that suddenly appeared overhead. This didn’t go unnoticed by the two combatants who also turned towards the mysterious shadow. In the next instance…
STOOOMP!
“Bwwaagh!”Videl let out a victorious, “All right!” as the other girls gasped in shock.as a familiar figure in a green suit, orange helmet, and red cape, planted his foot on top of Happosai, driving him into the pavement and catching the sack that he’d subsequently discarded.
‘Who’s that?’
‘Is he with the old man?’
‘Why’s he dressed like a weirdo?’
‘He looks like a Power Ranger!’
‘Power Rangers don’t wear capes though.’
‘One team did…’
Inoring the murmurs of the curious mob, the green clad savior said to Happosai, “Excuse me sir, but I don’t believe those belong to you.” Without another word, the hero tossed the sack to Videl who then unwrapped it and let the other girls find their stolen garments.“NOOOOOOOOOOOO! MY TREASUUUURES!”“A word to the wise old timer, stealing is NEVER okay, especially from women…and that goes double for items that are as personal as those!” the green clad figure scolded.“Yooooouuuu…YOUUUUUUUUUUU…!!!” Happosai grit his teeth in pure rage as his battle aura flared to life. In a small explosion, Happosai disappeared from under the hero’s heel and stood defiantly before him.“YOUUUUU! I don’t know who you are, but mark my words sonny, I’ll make you pay for ruining this Elder’s one happiness in this cruel forsaken world!” he declared.“You don’t know who I am?” the hero replied with a smirk. “Allow me to tell you my name!”All the girls, Videl included watched the scene with anticipation. ‘And, here it comes,’ Videl thought with s light chuckle.Striking a pose where he crossed his arm across his chest, he began his signature phrase.“I am…an ally of justice!” Pose.“Who does not tolerate evil!” Pose.“I. Am…THE GREAT SAIYAMAN!” Ending pose!All the tension of the situation instantly died as everyone, with the sole exception of Videl looked at Saiyaman with looks of befuddlement.Happosai dropped his fighting stance and just stammered in bewilderment, “Wow…that was just…wow…”“It kinda reminded me of Sailor Moon, only not as cool or catchy!” added one of the girls from the mob.“I’m…unfamiliar with that name, but I can assure you, I’m more than capable of dealing with this lecherous miscreant!” Saiyaman declared taking his own fighting stance.“Sorry sonny, but after witnessing…whatever that was, I don’t even feel like fighting you anymore, so you know what, I’ll just take my consolation prize and be on my way.”Taking out a stick with a sack tied to the end, Happosai turned to make his exit. Saiyaman was a bit hesitant to go after him, since he did surrender after all. His hesitation was quickly squelched by the sack coming undone and a single white bra fell from it. Saiyaman sighed as he was about to make a move to retrieve the stolen garment but paused when he heard a familiar voice cry out.“Hey wait a minute......THAT’S MY BRA!” came the anguished yell of Videl.Both Saiyaman and Happosai paused at the proclamation, the latter of whom began to sweat bullets.“Saiyaman…”“Ms. Videl…”“Let him have it!”“With pleasure!”His motivation flying through the roof, The Great Saiyaman flew at the diminutive old man and pulled back his fist. Channeling his energy into his hands, the hero fired off his attack with a fierce yell of.“Justice…PUNCH!”Happosai cried out in absolute agony as Saiyaman’s attack hit like a stampede of elephants and launched him halfway across the globe, complete with a trademark Team Rocket *PINGAs Saiyaman stood triumphantly, the mob of girls broke out into a fit of cheers.
“That was awesome!”
“My hero!”
“You saved us!”
Giving a two-fingered salute, Saiyaman replied with a simple, “All in a day’s work.” Before taking off into the sky. As the girls waved the hero off, Videl let out a satisfied giggle before going to retrieve what was hers.[A few minutes later]Saiyaman was soaring through the sky, searching for a place to change back into Gohan. All the while, he couldn’t stop thinking about the bizarre encounter he just had. ‘Man, Mom, Bulma, and 18 think Master Roshi’s bad, that tiny guy, really took the cake. Even Elder Supreme Kai wasn’t this bad.’Saiyaman sighed. ‘Still, how the heck did he get Videl’s…?’ His thoughts froze as he quickly realized what Happosai’s theft meant. For a brief moment, Videl wasn’t wearing a…!Gohan quickly banished the thought from his mind just as a familiar voice caught his attention.“There you are Gohan!”Quickly fixing his composure, Gohan shakily, but heartfully greeted her. “Oh, hey Videl.”“Why are you still in the costume?”“Just looking for a place to change back.”“Just do it here, nobody can see us THIS high up.”“…True.”Hitting the button on his watch, The Great Saiyaman once again took the form of Son Gohan and the couple proceeded to fly back to Satan City. The two remained silent for the early minutes of their flight until Gohan spoke up.“So Videl, how’d your training with Cologne go?” he asked.“The bulk of it was the same, but it was all worth it. Cologne said that my energy may be at an acceptable level so tomorrow, we’ll try the technique for real!”“Wow, that’s great!” Gohan exclaimed.“She let me out early so I can rest tonight. I may have built up my energy over the past week, but I still have a long way to go before I can use it as effortlessly as you guys do.” Videl said with a determined look on her face.Gohan couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride in Videl’s announcement. He was the one who taught her to access her energy in the first place, and now she was on the way to learning an offensive technique. Still, he also couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty that he wasn’t the one showing her.“Hey Videl?”“Yes?”“I’m sorry for snooping on you but…”“If you’re worried if I’m still mad about that, then calm down. I’m already over it,” she assured him.“Heh, well I’m glad to hear that, but what I want to know is why were you so dead set on keeping this training a secret?” Gohan asked.“Well…” Videl trailed off, her face becoming a light red tint. “To be honest, the main reason I didn’t tell you was because…I kind of just forgot to…” she bashfully admitted.“Wait…you forgot?”“Initially, but after I remembered, I decided to keep a secret for a couple of reasons; For starters, I didn’t want you to get all worried over nothing and then make a scene trying to protect me or something…so kind of like what happened earlier she lightly narrowed an eyebrow.Gohan coyly chuckled as he avoided her gaze.“Second, I wanted to prove that I could handle the kind of training that you and the others can do.”“What do you mean by that?” asked Gohan.“Gohan…every time we train together, all you do is tank hits and play defense. I get it, you’re several times stronger than I am because you’re a saiyan and you don’t want to hurt me, but you really have GOT to stop taking it so easy on me.”Gohan quickly became defensive. “Wait Videl, it’s not like I’m not taking you seriously whenever we train together it’s just…”“Just what?”Gohan looked at Videl, a somber expression on his features. “I didn’t know you felt so strongly about this Videl. Why didn’t you say something?”“Honestly Gohan, if I’d have asked you before now, would you have actually started fighting back?”“I…I honestly can’t say,” Gohan admitted. “But I can say that I understand. Believe it or not, I went through this same sort of thing with Dad back when we were training to fight Cell.”“Really?” Videl’s eyes widened with intrigue.“Yeah. You want to hear about it?”“YES!”As Gohan began the tale of how he first became a Super Saiyan, he let out a mental sigh of relief as his plan to change subjects seemed to have worked. While he told the story, he also made a promise to himself to help Videl with her future training however he could…even if that meant having to get rough with her.
(A/N: For once I don’t really have anything worthwhile to say. This chapter took a bit to get started with, but I ultimately got it out in a relatively fair amount of time I think Also, this is my longest chapter yet. Not sure if this’ll be the standard going forward, but I hope I can at least keep this pace. Next time, we return to the Cat Café for Videl to start her TRUE training with the Point of Impact Technique. She may need to hurry though, cause Ryoga’s infamous horrible sense of direction is about to be mitigated)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
Videl’s Dilemma; Learning the Hard Way
The next day came in a flash and as soon as the final bell at Orange Star rang, Videl was out the door and into the skies in no time. Per her request, Gohan decided to opt out although he was still curious of Cologne’s technique, he wanted to respect Videl’s wishes and give her the space she desired, so while she went to her training session at the Cat Café, he got back to work in defending the city.Before long, Videl descended at the Cat Café where she was quickly lunged at by Mousse. “Oh Shampoo, you’ve finally returned!”Videl simply sidestepped the Male Amazon and dealt a chop to the back of his head. “Put your glasses on,” she deadpanned. After complying with her request, Mousse let out a gasp. “Gah! You’re back!”“Yeah, because I’m training with Cologne, remember?”“My apologies. I’ve no ill will towards you, but if you’re here, can I assume that friend of yours isn’t too far behind either?” asked Mousse.“Nope. I asked Gohan to stay behind this time, so unless HE’S SPYING ON ME AGAIN…” Videl shouted and waited for a reaction. After a brief pause, she continued, “…then he probably won’t show up today.”“Tch! Curses…it seems my retribution will have to be postponed longer than I’d have liked,” Mousse muttered.“Uhhhmmm…you know I can hear you right?” Videl stated.Mousse cleared his throat. “Regardless, the old lady’s not here at the moment,” Mousse revealed.“What? Then, where is she?” Videl inquired.“I’m not 100% sure, but she asked me to give you this.” Reaching into his sleeve, Mousse pulled out a scrap of paper and handed it to Videl who, after looking it over, narrowed her eyes in irritation.“What am I supposed to do with this picture of Shampoo?” Videl asked.“GYAGH!”Mousse hastily snatched the photograph away from Videl and handed her a second scrap of paper. Shooting Mousse a displeased look, Videl simply stated, “You know I’m gonna tell her about that picture right?”A red-faced Mousse simply shouted, “Just read the note dammit!”, before scampering off in shame.With a sigh, Videl opened the note and read aloud, “An opening?”As soon as the words left her mouth, Videl felt a light tap on her stomach before a sharp pain shot through her gut, blowing her back and bringing her to her knees.Videl slowly picked herself off the ground and looked up to see Cologne perched on top of her staff.“Glad you could make it. Did you enjoy your first lesson?” the elder smirked.“You…call that a lesson?” Videl strained as she got to her feet.“I guess ‘demonstration’, would be more accurate,” Cologne snickered.“You do know I’ve seen your demonstration before, right?” asked a disgruntled Videl.“Must’ve slipped my mind,” snickered Cologne. “Now for the fun part, follow me.”A short moment later, Cologne led Videl back to the vacant lot where a large number of cinderblocks were stacked together.“Now before we begin, tell me this though girl, how would you describe the sensation you felt when I struck you?” asked Cologne.“I…don’t know. Painful?”“Specifics girl, specifics!” Cologne demanded.“It felt like…my stomach started tingling…and then someone nailed me in the gut with a soccer ball.”“A bit basic, but not inaccurate. Watch closely.” Cologne hopped over to one of the cinderblocks before swiftly throwing a punch with her tiny fist. In the next instance the block was still intact, but there was a small knuckle sized indentation on it.“Whoa…” marveled Videl.“As I’ve previously explained, the key to this technique is holding onto your energy and releasing it at the exact moment your strike connects your opponent. As opposed to just utilizing your ki to amplify your attacks in the normal sense, this is a more precision based technique,” recalled Cologne. “By expending your energy, you can land a pre-emptive strike that can bypass enemy defense.”Videl looked down at her hands while Cologne explained. “Now first things first, let’s see how much your Ki has grown this past week.”Videl was caught fairly off guard by Cologne’s request. With the exception of flight, Videl hadn’t really used any form of energy that was actually visible before…except…. Thinking back to her early lessons with Gohan, Videl recalled the moment she was able to bring her ki out. She wasn’t quite sure if that’s what Cologne wanted to see but at this point, it was all she had.Cupping her hands together in front of her face, Videl concentrated for a few seconds before a small ball of light appeared in between her palms. Without realizing it, the ball steadily became bigger and bigger until it was about the size of a bowling ball.Cologne eyed Videl with an inquisitive look. ‘Hmmm…it could be better, but she should have just enough fuel in the old tank to…’ Before Cologne could finish her thought, Videl’s energy ball soon grew until it was the size of a large beach ball, and Videl could be seen visibly straining to keep it in check.‘Oh! Perhaps I spoke too soon.’ “Okay Videl, that’s enough!” Cologne exclaimed.The ball expanded another two or so inches before it finally bursting in a bright golden light. Panting, Videl fell to her knees, holding herself up on a pair of shaky arms.“How…was that…?” Videl strained out.“If I were to give you a letter grade…” Cologne hummed. “That’d probably be a B-.”“A B-?”Cologne nodded. “Your improvement from when we first began is clearly evident, but there’s still quite a gap for you to cross. Still, you did earn yourself a passing grade at the very least.”“Yaaaay…” Videl faux cheered throwing up a shaky fist.“So, now that your base ki is at an adequate level, and you can release your power with relative ease, we can begin the tricky part: holding that power inside…”Cologne took a glance over at Videl to see that while she was back on her feet, her arms were still shaking. She took that as a sign that Videl still needed a bit more time to recover. “…as soon as your energy replenishes.”[A brief moment later]Cologne observed as Videl concentrated. For a while, she seemed to just be idly standing around with her eyes closed. Before long however, a small whirlwind of dust began to pick up around her, showing evidence of Videl’s power being raised.‘So far so good…’ Cologne mentally noted. ‘Now focus that power where you want it to go.’Once she felt that she was at full power, Videl slowly extended her arm in front of her. Making a fist and clenching hard, Videl let out a small grunt as, similar to what Gohan had shown her with flight, she was able to focus her energy into her arm.Guessing that Videl was prepared to try her hand at the technique, Cologne quickly placed one of the cinderblocks before her and stepped aside to give her necessary space. After slowly rearing her hand back, Videl threw a punch at the stone block, and to her surprise, a large chunk of it crackled off before her fist even connected.“Did…did I do that?” asked a stunned Videl.“Believe it or not, yes.” Cologne confirmed. “That’s the good news. The bad news is, you failed to perform the technique.”“Then…what’d I do wrong? What happened?”
[A few seconds earlier]
When Videl threw her punch, the energy that had been focused in her arm was prematurely and unintentionally released, resulting in a small ki blast to shoot out of her fist and shatter the block.
[Back to the present]
“Basically, you released your power WAY too soon which resulted in it shooting out of your hand in the form of a ball,” explained Cologne.Videl remained silent at Cologne’s explanation, a look of disbelief on her face. As Cologne continued to give Videl tips on what she should be doing, which fell on deaf ears, Videl merely raised her hand, focused her energy and lightly palmed the air. As Cologne said, a ball of ki flew out and struck the ground. Making a small, but notable sized hole.A childlike grin etched its way onto Videl’s face as she raised her opposite hand and repeated the motion again. Sure enough, another small ki blast shot out. Followed by another, and another, and another.As Videl continued to fire off the ‘Energy Pellets’ her grin soon escalated into a giddy giggle, which in turn escalated into a frantic, excited laugh. All around the lot, Videl fired off the tiny, non-lethal shots until…
Ka-Thonk!
“Ow!”Videl rubbed the sore spot on her head and turned to see Cologne with a displeased look on her face.“Having fun are we?”Videl took a quick look around the lot and her face became a light red once she saw that there were now tiny holes and cracks plastered all over the area. Thankfully, it didn’t seem that she hit anything vital, but there would undoubtedly be several questions.“Maybe just a little…” Videl sheepishly chuckled.“Hmph,” Cologne narrowed her eyes. “Normally, this would be the part where I’d chew you out for ignoring me and my instructions,” Cologne began. “…But because you managed to impress me with your little ‘Chi-Blast’ display, I’ll let it slide this one time.”Videl let out a relieved sigh. If Cologne’s normal lessons were always so brutal, she’d hate to be on the receiving end of a major punishment.“Yeah, sorry for zoning out like that,” Videl apologized. “But after seeing Gohan, the others, and even Ranma of all people fire off shots like that…I just got a bit overjoyed that I could do it too now.” ‘Even though I know the force behind them is nothing compared to theirs.’“Oh. So you’ve seen Son-In-Law’s Tiger Blast in action, have you?” asked Cologne. “It’s not every fight he uses that technique, so his opponent must’ve been quite a handful. If you may, who exactly was Ranma fighting when you saw him use that technique?” Cologne asked.“Oh it was just a light sparring match with Gote…Ah!” Videl quickly bit her tongue as she recalled that Ranma’s loss to Goten was supposed to remain a secret.Seeing it only as a typical Freudian slip, Cologne let out a light chuckle as Videl took a quick sip of water. “So, Son-in-Law and that boyfriend of yours actually did have a match, didn’t they?” Cologne guessed.After recovering, Videl simply replied. “Actually…it was Gohan’s dad. He put up a solid fight but got thrashed pretty hard in the end.”“I’m guessing that’s what’s gotten him so flustered these past few days?” Cologne sighed. “If there’s one thing Akane’s right about when it comes to that boy, it’s his fragile ego. It’s no surprise he’s taken the loss rather poorly, but he shouldn’t feel too bad if it was against someone as renowned in the martial arts world as Son-Goku.” Cologne said.“I guess,” Videl added before taking another sip of water.“Now if he had lost to his son however, then Ranma’s ire would be more justified.”Videl suddenly coughed in surprise as the words left Cologne’s mouth. To not arouse any suspicion, she quickly apologized and gave a quick, “Wrong…pipe…” which seemed to do the trick.After a few more minutes rest, Videl was once again ready to attempt the technique again. However, she once again released her ki to early and wound up firing a small blast. Videl repeated the process over and over again until…“Gaow…!”Videl held her hand in pain as this time she hadn’t released her ki at all and struck the cinderblock with her bare fist. She did manage to crack the block, but thanks to her unfamiliarity with striking something so solid it also took its toll on her. Still, hanging true to the old saying, Videl continued to attempt the technique.[Many Hours Later]The sky was bathed in a bright orange light as Videl could once again be seen on her knees panting whilst rubbing her right hand and wrist. Off to the side, Cologne could be seen sipping a cup of tea with a manga just to the side. All around the two women were shattered remains of cinderblocks from Videl’s many, MANY failed attempts to perform the point of impact technique.Over these past few hours, Videl had repeatedly shot off small chi blasts that would break the blocks before she ever connected with them, or flat out just punch them with varying degrees of success in breaking them. After the many attempts and scrapes, Videl finally did manage to contain her energy and completely shatter a block or two with a single strike. Unfortunately, she was still quite a ways off from her desired results.“Dammit…why am I not getting this!?” Videl harshly muttered.“I wouldn’t be too distraught if I were you. Nailing the timing for this technique is admittedly rather tricky. If it’s any consolation though, you have at least learned how to concentrate your energy where you want it to go.”“Yeah, I guess…” Videl sighed.“I think it’s best if we call it a day right here,” suggested Cologne.“…Alright.”“Now what’s with that attitude? You’ve made considerable progress today…for a rookie.”“I know but…it’s just so frustrating. It feels like I’m this close to getting this right,” she motioned with her fingers, “But I just can’t for some reason.”Cologne sighed. “I figured someone with your martial arts experience would know that not every technique can be learned in a single day, let alone one’s first attempt.”“I know…but I thought this would be easier once I managed to get my energy to where it needs to be. After all, I did manage to float on my first day when I was learning how to fly,” Videl countered rather smugly.“As impressive as that is, a baby must learn to crawl before learning to walk,” Colgone replied sardonically. “Even if it knows how to stand up on its own, the child is likely to tumble and fall before it can fully take its first steps. To put into perspective, you’ve already got the crawling and standing thing down, you now have to take the step without toppling over.”“How do I do that?” asked Videl.“The old-fashioned way girl.”Cologne grabbed her things and pogoed onto a nearby fence. “I’ve shown you the basis of the technique, all you really need to do now is keep practicing the technique until you’ve got it down. If you wish for me to continue monitoring you, feel free to drop by again after school. Otherwise, you’re free to do as you like. I’ll be looking forward to your upcoming battle. Win or lose, we’ll discuss compensation afterwards.”“Okay.”Cologne quickly leapt out of the lot and hurried back to the Cat Café. She knew she could trust Shampoo to keep things under control while she was gone, but given what time it was now, things were sure to be rather busy.As soon as Cologne was out of sight, Videl remained still for a moment to think over her words. Of course, simply practicing would yield results sooner or later, but it couldn’t be that simple…could it. Also, something about the way she’d said it had sounded eerily familiar. Sadly, Videl’s thoughts would be interrupted by a low rumble filling the air. Videl looked down and sheepishly clutched her stomach. “It has been a while since I’ve eaten, hasn’t it?” she thought aloud. Hovering out of the lot, Videl began to fly her way over to Ucchan’s.Unbeknownst to Videl however, a tall, white-cloaked figure with sharp eyes could be seen hovering above the lot where she and Cologne had been. “Hmph, well what do you know?”[Some time later at Ucchan’s]“Thanks Ukyo.” Videl said, as Ukyo handed her a large box.“No problem, but when are you finally gonna bring that man of yours over?” Ukyo asked. “I’m dying to see how much he enjoys my okonomiyaki myself.”“Can’t say for sure, but it may be soon. Until then, just keep up the good work…and also, stock up on supplies.”“Will do,” Ukyo chuckled. “Catch ya later.”“Bye!”Videl exited Ukyo’s restaurant, food in hand. Already having had one, she decided to get some okonomiyaki to-go for her father, Buu, and maybe Gohan if they happened to meet again.Taking to the sky, Videl’s mind began to wander. She knew she was close to getting the technique down, she even knew what she was doing wrong, but what could she do to fix it? With a sigh, Videl decided not to think about it for now. She’d spent all day pretty much brutalizing her own hand with those cinderblocks, and she needed to unwind.[Meanwhile]At Mt. Paouzu, a familiar trio of a young boy, a young man, and an older man could be seen soaking in a wooden hot tub together.“Hurry up you guys, dinner’s almost ready!” Called Chi-Chi.“Okay!” The father and sons said simultaneously.As the three prepared to exit the water, Gohan, heard a familiar voice ring through his head.
“Gohan! It’s me.”
‘Piccolo? Finally.’“Hey, you guys go on ahead, I think I’ll stay here a little while longer,” said Gohan.Goku and Goten both shrugged. “If you say so Son, but don’t get angry if your brother and I eat most of the food,” Goku taunted.Grabbing their clothes and a pair of towels, the youngest son and patriarch entered the dome home. Once inside, Piccolo made his presence known and landed outside the tub.“Hmph, enjoying your bath?” teased Piccolo.“Never mind that now Piccolo. How’s Videl?”“Straight to the point huh? Well, if you’re worried if she’s going to get herself seriously injured or anything like that, you can rest easy. From what I saw today, she and the old lady she’s training with are just going through the motions of teaching her the technique.”Gohan let out a relieved breath. Sure he experienced first hand the kind of training Videl was doing with Cologne, he still needed that extra reassurance.“There’s more good news. She’s actually learned to harness her energy rather quickly. Though they’re weak, she can now, at least form a solid blast,” Piccolo continued.“Wait, Videl can use energy blasts now!?” Gohan exclaimed.Piccolo nodded. “Yeah, but like I said they’re weak. If she used one in combat, it probably wouldn’t be any better than throwing a small, but heavy stone.”“Still, it’s great that she’s progressing.” Gohan’s excitement quickly subsided. “Although…part of me wishes it was me that helped her get to that point.”“Isn’t being possessive of your mate considered a bad thing by you earthlings?” Piccolo joked.Gohan’s face instantly became beet red. “I’m not being possessive!” he defended. “It’s just…I was her first teacher when it came to energy control so…”“With her finding a new teacher, you’re feeling a bit left out?” Piccolo guessed.Gohan nodded. “I know it’s kind of my own fault, since I don’t train that often anymore…but still.”“If that’s you’re only worry, then you may want to hear this.”Gohan then faced his former teacher with full investment. “The bad news is, Videl seemed to be struggling with performing the technique. Knowing that girl, she’s most likely going to want to try and figure it out for herself, but she clearly needs some extra guidance.”Gohan put a hand to his chin. “So…you think I should try and be that guide?”Piccolo nodded. “The way I see it, that Cologne woman has clearly done all she can for her at this point, and you said it yourself, you were her first teacher for these sorts of advanced martial arts, so who better to help her fine tune things?” he replied with a smirk.A small smile grew its way onto Gohan’s face. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Thanks Piccolo…and sorry for getting you involved in this.”“Hmph. No worries. If anything, this just makes me curious to see where her training will go from here, so who knows, you might see more of me in the meantime.” With a flick of his cape, Piccolo ascended into the air just as the sun finally began to disappear. Now that Gohan was alone, he decided to think over the situation again.Piccolo may have had a point about him being the one to help Videl through her little slump, but would he even get the chance? Gohan was well familiar with how stubborn Videl independent she was/tried to be, so the odds of her straight up asking him for help at this point, especially after the Cat Café fiasco seemed pretty unlikely. Deciding to it over the night, for now, Gohan quickly left the tub, covered himself accordingly and made his way back inside. ‘Hopefully Dad and Goten haven’t taken all the best parts of dinner yet.’[Satan City]After finally making it back home, and enjoying the last bit of okonomiyaki with Buu, Videl stood under the tense-easing spray of hot water, thinking back to Cologne’s earlier words to simply keep practicing.
“I’ve shown you the basis of the technique, all you really need to do now is keep practicing the technique until you’ve got it down.”
“I’ve already shown you how to fly. All you really need now is a little bit of private practice.”
The realization suddenly hit Videl like a punch to the head. Gohan had said something similar when he first taught her to fly.‘It always comes back to Gohan, doesn’t it?’ “That figures,” Videl sighed.Shortly, after leaving the shower, Videl lay back on her bed, still in her robe recalling the last few days.
“You have a habit of biting off more than you can chew.”
The words rang in Videl’s mind as she recalled the incidents Gohan mentioned following that statement, and though she hated to admit it, he was right. Her current situation shouldn’t be too far out of her league, but given that she’s (presumably) short on time, maybe a helping hand wouldn’t be so bad after all.“Now that I think about it, Gohan did offer to help me quite a few times already…maybe I ought to take him up on it. [The next day]Morning at Orange Star High. The bell had yet to ring, so after arriving early and discarding his costume, Gohan decided to hang on the roof of the school and enjoy a little EXTRA bite to eat, courtesy of a café he made a brief stop at.As Gohan unwrapped his breakfast sandwich, a small humanoid shadow crept up beside him. “Good morning Gohan.”Turning aside, Gohan waved a quick greeting to an approaching VIdel. “Guhd…good morning Videl,” Gohan said while swallowing.“It’s not often I find you at school this early. I guess the prospect of a second breakfast after leaving home was motivating enough for you to hurry,” she teased, taking a seat next to him.“I’m not…that motivated by food!” Gohan defended.“Compared to your dad and brother you mean,” Videl chuckled while Gohan meekly pouted.“Joking aside, I’m glad I found you so quickly,” said Videl, her tone becoming notably more serious.“Hm?”“You see Gohan…I think I need help…” Videl began.“With…training?” Gohan guessed.“How’d you know? You weren’t spying on me again, were you?” Videl teased in a half joking manner.“O-of course not. I actually heard it from Piccolo,” Gohan slipped.“Wait…Piccolo?”Color seemed to drain from Gohan’s face. He hadn’t meant to tell her about Piccolo, but when she seemingly got suspicious again, he instinctively shifted the blame to him.“Gohan…please don’t tell me that you asked Piccolo to spy on me in your stead,” Videl said in a more threatening tone.“No way! I learned my lesson last time!” Gohan defended. “I did tell him about your training with Cologne though,” he admitted. “I guess something about what he heard got him interested enough to check out your training himself, and he just passed it on to me.”Videl looked at Gohan as he explained and while she could see the shakiness on his features, she guessed it was from her imminent anger as opposed to being a lie as she could also sense the sincerity in his voice.Her ire quickly dissipating, Videl let out a calming breath. “I see…well I don’t know what he told you, but yeah, this technique…is a bit harder to pull off than I thought,” she admitted. “Cologne says I should just keep practicing on my own, but I don’t think it’ll be enough.”“So basically, you’re saying you need a training partner?” Gohan asked, his face lighting up.Videl nodded. “I can find a partner anywhere, what I need…” Videl stood up and extended a hand towards Gohan. “…is a good teacher.”His face as bright as a spotlight, Gohan stood up and firmly (but carefully) took Videl’s hand. “Well, you’ve got one!”“Oh thank you Gohan!” Videl exclaimed throwing her arms around him. Their warm embrace was cut short at the sound of the bell ringing.“Well, that killed the moment,” deadpanned Videl. As Gohan chuckled, Videl quickly opened the door to the staircase. “We’ll head to your place after school. How’s that sound?”“Pretty good to me,” he replied.“Great!” Planting a quick kiss on his cheek, Videl rushed down the stairs and called back, “See you in class!”Gohan lightly rubbed his cheek as they both flashed red. Despite being together for at least a year, he just can’t help but get flustered every time he feels the press of her lips him. Quickly shaking himself back to reality, Gohan rushed down the stairs to class.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
Training Struggles; Who’s The Perfect Partner?
An anxious Akane Tendo could be seen strolling through the streets of Furinkan, Ranma following her on the fence beside her.“Where ya’ goin’, the Cat Café?” asked Ranma.“Yeah. I want to see how Videl’s training is coming along and if she needs any help,” she answered. “Why are you coming with me?”“Well I ain’t got nothin’ better to do, and I still wanna see what the Old Ghoul has in store for her. Plus, I’m kinda hungry,” Ranma added.“Well, you’d probably have an idea of what Cologne and Videl are doing if you hadn’t taken off like you did,” Akane taunted.Ranma crossed his arms and pouted. Seriously, how long was she going to hold his loss to Goten over his head like this? Before long, the pair finally arrived at the Cat Café and upon entering, much to their surprise, found it looking notably less busy than it had been all week.“Is it just me or is the atmosphere kinda dead in here?” noted Ranma.“Ranma!” exclaimed Shampoo who wasted no time in attaching herself to Ranma’s neck and pressing her chest against his.“Ggh! Shampoo, get offa me!” Ranma exclaimed.“Not until Ranma agree to go on date with Shampoo!”Before another word was said, water was splashed over the two and Ranma instantly let out a high-pitched shriek as he and Shampoo transformed. While the now female Ranma darted around the dining hall, hastily trying to pry Cat Shampoo off her collar, Akane was approached by Cologne who had come out from the kitchen.“If you’re looking for your friend Ms. Tendo, she’s not here today,” she noted.“What? How come?”“Guess she decided she wants to train on her own from here on out,” answered Cologne. “Can’t say I blame her. We’ve sort of hit the limit for what I can do for her now. The rest is up to her.”“I see…” Akane replied with disappointment in her voice. “Do you think she’ll be back?”“Who can say? She’ll certainly be back for the fight no doubt, but before then it’s anyone’s guess.” Cologne replied.Akane let out a dejected sigh. “Man, I really wanted to help her train again.”“I think the best way you can help is to give her some space for now and let her try to figure things out herself. I invited her to come back again if she so chooses, so I’m sure that if she needs any help in the future, she’ll ask for it and come back.”[At Mt. Paouzu]“Ker-choo!”“Are you alright?” Gohan asked.“Yeah, it’s nothing,” Videl replied rubbing her thumb against her nose. ‘Wonder who’d be talking about me at a time like this though.’After a quick trip to Gohan’s house so he could change into his training gear, the pair jetted into the forest so they could train together privately.“Well then, shall we get started?”“Of course.”“First things first Videl, the technique Ms. Cologne was trying to teach you, how is it supposed to be performed?” Gohan inquired.Videl put a hand to her chin in contemplation. “Well, she described it as channeling energy into your arm and holding it and only releasing it at the last possible second,” she began. “The thing is, I can’t keep my energy in for too long when I try attacking and I wind up just releasing it.”“Hmmm…could you demonstrate?” Gohan requested.Videl nodded before as she strolled over to a nearby tree. Closing her eyes in concentration, the grass around Videl began to shake as her energy began to rise.Gohan’s eyebrows raised in interest as he sensed Videl’s ki increase. ‘She really has learned how to raise her power. I wonder what else she learnt from Ms. Cologne.’Once Videl’s power was at its maximum, she took a fighting stance and channeled all the power she could into her arms. With a fierce yell, Videl threw a punch at the tree’s trunk and instead of the imprint that Cologne had demonstrated, a small ki blast fired out of her fist and burnt into the tree leaving a scorch mark.“Videl, did you just…?” exclaimed a surprised Gohan.“What, did Piccolo not tell you I could do that now?” Videl smugly winked.“He did…but seeing it in person is just a little astonishing.” Gohan lightly awed.“Thanks, but even so, all I can do is throw pot shots. They’re not going to help me against a tank like Ryoga,” Videl frustratingly admitted, her fist shaking.“Whoa, take it easy Videl,” said a consoling Gohan. “I know how much this means to you, and I don’t want to see you get hurt, so how about this, once we’re done figuring out Ms. Cologne’s technique, maybe I could…show you a couple of ours?”Videl’s expression immediately perked up with interest. “Do you mean it Gohan!?” she exclaimed getting right into Gohan’s personal space.“S-sure! I want you to win this match too, and I promised to help you however I could.”Retreating from Gohan’s body, Videl now had her fist clenched in anticipation. “So, you think I’ll be able to use the Kamehameha when this is all over?”Gohan chuckled. “Slow down Videl. Let’s focus on one thing for now and not try to do too much at once…and now that I think about it, that just may be your issue.”“What do you mean by that?” Videl asked raising an eyebrow.Gohan nodded. “It’s simple. When you use Ms. Cologne’s technique, you’re trying to use too much power all at once.”Videl paused as Gohan’s words registered in her mind. “Wait, is that really it?”“That’s what it seems to be. You’re attempting to channel more energy into your arm than it can withstand.”“Wait what do you mean ‘more than my arm can withstand?” Videl asked.“Well…” Gohan trailed off. “Answer me this Videl, when you were trying the move out, were you trying to put all of your power into it?”Videl thought back to her earlier attempts and realized Gohan was right. She did pour all her strength and energy into the technique. She then nodded her confirmation.“The move is performed by channeling energy into your arm and holding it in until you strike, right? You just may not have enough strength in your arms to hold the energy to perform the technique correctly…at least not yet,” Gohan explained.“So wait, are you saying that I won’t be able to use the technique until I build my body more?” asked a now hysterical Videl.“Not necessarily. If you just use less energy, the technique should come much easier for you.”“But aren’t you supposed to put everything into it?” Videl asked.Gohan shrugged. “I’m not sure about Ms. Cologne’s technique specifically, but generally it kind of depends on the move you’re trying to use. Sometimes it may be better to use less power instead of going all in for a single blow. You know that old saying, don’t put all your eggs into one basket?”Videl looked down at her hands while going over Gohan’s advice in her mind. Letting out a calming breath, she once again closed her eyes to concentrate. After a moment of silent focus, Gohan could feel her energy rise to its apex again.“Whoa hold it Videl, you’re at full power again. Dial it back a bit,” Gohan instructed.Videl nodded before she calmingly exhaled and her energy slowly began to drop. Once Videl was at about half strength, Gohan quickly ordered her to hold it.“Okay Videl, take a moment to get used to this level, then try the technique again,” he instructed.Videl took a fighting stance and let her energy simmer, the flowing grass beneath her signifying her increased power. At half strength, she channeled all her remaining energy into her arm and held it still for a few seconds before striking the tree once again. Once her hand made contact, the bark on the tree was cracked off as a small indentation could be seen in the remainder.“I think…I think I just got it!” she softly exclaimed.“Really?”“It wasn’t exactly like Cologne showed me, but I think I’ve gotten a better grasp of it now,” Videl stated shaking out her hand.“Well just keep at it and before long, you’ll be able to go full blast with that move in no time,” Gohan encouraged.“Who says I can’t right now?” Videl challenged, her expression becoming briefly mischievous.“Huh?”Videl closed her eyes and raised her energy again until she was at full power. “Videl, what are you doing?” alarmed Gohan.“You said I was using too much power for my arms to handle…” Videl took a crouched fighting stance before lunging at the tree yet again, this time launching a knee strike. “…but what about my legs!?”Videl drove her knee into the trunk of the tree and as soon as she impacted with it, the bark was full on blasted away while a deep circular indent could be seen deep within the trunk.Gohan was taken aback by Videl’s zealous surprise attack from her spike in energy to the splinters flying all around. Once the initial shock wore off however, Gohan’s surprised face became an expression of awe.“That was amazing Videl!” Gohan praised. His kind words were paused by the sight of Videl falling to the ground, as her legs seemed to quiver before giving out. “Videl are you alright?” Gohan asked as he dashed over to set her down gently.“I’m fine…just…I think I might’ve overdid it a little,” she strained as she lightly massaged her thigh.As Gohan took the moment to examine Videl as she recuperated, the girl in question continued.“You really weren’t kidding when you said I should dial back the power. I used the move just once and my leg already feels like gelatin.”Gohan chuckled. “Think it’s time to take a break.”“Agreed.”[Several minutes later]The two laid down beside each other as a light breeze began to blow throughout the field, reveling in the melancholy calm.“You know, thinking to try the technique with your legs was actually pretty clever. I was pretty amazed when you managed to pull it off at full power on your first try.”Videl shot Gohan a grateful smile. “Thanks Gohan, but I think I’ll take your advice and try using less energy for now. My leg is still tingling from before,” she raised her knee up to her chest as if to emphasize her point. “No pain no gain I guess.”“Don’t beat yourself up Videl, you are still new to this. The fact that you managed to improve this much in such a short amount of time really says a lot,” Gohan said in a consoling tone.“You’re just saying that.”“No I mean it. You learned to fly on your first day, mastered it in a week and a half, and after just some basic training, you’re already making considerable progress in utilizing energy offensively. You have a greater knack for this sort of thing than I realized, and I think Ms. Cologne sees it too. I don’t think she would’ve agreed to train you otherwise, no matter what kind of deal you two set.”Videl’s face became a light scarlet at Gohan’s compliments. “Thanks Gohan, and to spare you the trouble of telling me this, I know I still have a long way to go before I’m actually good at this energy stuff…which is why…!”Videl stood up and looked down at Gohan with a stern expression on her face. “…I want to have a match with you!” she proclaimed.“Wait, what?”“Come on Gohan. It’s been forever since we last sparred, and the more I train, the easier it’ll be for me to use energy going forward, so let’s go!” Videl requested.“Well…” Gohan was hesitant to response, but then he recalled the promise he made to himself. Getting to his feet, Gohan nodded his affirmation and dropped into a defensive stance. “Alright Videl, show me what you’ve got.”Videl gave an anticipated grin before closing her eyes and raising her energy. After a few seconds of powering up, Videl’s eyes snapped open, and she dashed forward throwing a solid punch towards Gohan who easily avoided it. Videl quickly followed up with a second punch from her opposite hand which Gohan deflected before blocking a follow-up kick attack.As the two struggled against each other, Gohan flashed her an impressed smile.“Wow, I think you’ve gotten a bit faster too,” he praised.“You ain’t seen nothing yet!”Videl brought her leg back and threw a second kick at Gohan who swayed away from it. Videl zipped after Gohan launching a volley of punches that Gohan effortlessly avoided. As Gohan continued to dodge, Videl steadily but surely became more and more frustrated at Gohan’s lack of retaliation.Determined to get him to fight back, Videl flipped over in midair and launched an axe kick at Gohan’s head. Prepared to take her strike, Gohan countered by shoving his forearm against Videl’s foot, knocking her off balance. As Videl tried to steady herself, Gohan finally went on the offensive and launched a palm strike at Videl, getting her right below the chest and blowing her back, the wind knocked out of her.Videl began to cough vigorously as she tried to catch her breath and recover from Gohan’s attack. “Videl are you alright!?” called a concerned Gohan.“I’m fine,” Videl assured, clearing her throat. “But now it’s my turn!”Videl ascended into the air and divebombed at Gohan, cupping her hands together at her sides. As she approached the now defensive Gohan, she began to channel her energy into both of her hands. Gohan took note of Videl’s increase in energy and raised an eyebrow.‘Is she trying to use Ms. Cologne’s technique on me? Regardless, I’d better brace myself.’Gohan crossed his arms in front of his upper body as Videl flew within striking distance. Throwing both of her hands forward, Videl’s palms collided with Gohan and the young Saiyan was lightly pushed back by a small, yet still considerable force accompanied by a bright flash of light.When the light finally died down, Gohan stared shockingly at Videl as the anxious girl hit the ground, her body visibly shaking.“Videl!”“Okay…that was a bad idea…” Videl strained out, her body quivering.“Hey, are you two alright out here?”Gohan and Videl both turned back to see a flash of bright colored cloth hiding behind the bushes.“Dad!?”Sure enough, the elder Saiyan stood before the young couple in his farming outfit with a look of surprise similar to that of his son“Dad, when did you get here?” asked Gohan.“Just now. Your mom asked me to come get you two for dinner, but man…it looks like you two went a little overboard. What kind of training were you guys doing anyway?”“We were just sparring a little and Videl tried to use a special technique. I think she may have done it incorrectly though,” Gohan answered.“What special technique?” asked Goku.“It’s a move where you hold your energy inside and release it at the exact moment you make contact with your opponent.” Gohan explained.“Really?”Gohan stepped over to Videl and knelt down beside his still straining girlfriend before helping her up to her feet. “Yeah, the problem is, Videl keeps releasing her energy too soon. I told her to try using less energy, but when we started sparring, she went all in. I guess using that much power must’ve taken its toll.”“I see,” Goku stated. He gave Videl a quick once over before placing two fingers on his forehead. “Hang tight you two, I’ll be right back.” Goku vanished before either of them could get a word in.As Videl leaned against Gohan in order to maintain her balance, Goku reappeared less than a minute later. “I’m back!” he announced.“Where’d you go Dad?”“I just popped back home to grab a Senzu Bean,” Goku answered holding out his palm. “I had a couple left back from when we fought that giant bug monster thing. Glad I kept them in an easy to find place.”Videl extended a shaky hand to grab the bean from Goku, and a s fast as her aching body could, heartily shoved it into her mouth. After a few harsh chews, Videl stood up straight and stretched her arms out.“Phew…that’s much better. Thanks Goku.” Thanked Videl.“No problem, but man. I didn’t know Gohan was showing you how to use energy attacks now,” Goku replied.Gohan let out a sheepish chuckle. “Well… I’m not exactly the one teaching her per say,” he awkwardly admitted. “There’s actually a funny story behind that.”“What story?”Videl went on to remind Goku of her impending battle with Ryoga and proceeded to give a cliff-notes version of her encounters with Cologne as well as her attempts at using the Point of Impact technique. When she finished her tale, Goku placed a contemplative hand on his chin.“Wow, so this Colon lady’s the one who’s been teaching you how to use energy?”“It’s ‘Cologne’ Dad,” Gohan corrected.“Oh, right.”Videl nodded. “Cologne’s been helping me build my body up so I’d have the energy to use the move, but now that were past the initial buildup, I’ve just been having a bit of trouble perfecting it,” Videl explained.“Well, it sounds to me like you need to build yourself up just a little more. Goku suggested.“So I’ve heard,” Videl sarcastically muttered.”If you two just keep at it, I’m sure you’ll figure it out sooner or later,” Goku encouraged. “In the meantime, I wanna know more about this Colon lady and what kind of training you did with her Videl.”“Cologne Dad,” Gohan corrected again.Videl shrugged. “Well for the most part, it was just some kind of tricked out weight training. Basically, I was a waitress at her restaurant, but I had to wear this REALLY heavy uniform that would get lighter the more my strength, and by extension my energy increased.”“Really? That sounds just like when Krillin and I trained under Master Roshi,” Goku replied with a nostalgic tone in his voice.“Oh yeah…” Gohan interjected. “I remember you and Krillin both told me that you used to do construction and yard work while wearing heavy turtle shells.”“That’s right. I guess sometimes you just can’t beat the classics,” grinned Goku.“OH!” Videl suddenly exclaimed. “Speaking of Master Roshi, that reminds me. One of the conditions that Cologne agreed to train me was if I could introduce her to him. Apparently, she knows about the Turtle School, but never met him in person, and she really wants to for some reason.”“Really?”Videl nodded. “She also knows about you and the others from your Tournament appearances. I guess you could say she’s something of a fan.”“Wow…I don’t think we’ve ever had a fan before…” Goku chuckled scratching his head.“What about the announcer from the tournament?” interjected Gohan.“Oh yeah. I almost forgot about him.” As the trio let out a quick group laugh, a low rumbling sound interrupted it.“Dad…” Gohan groaned.“Sorry son but talking about a restaurant just made me even hungrier.”“I’m kind of hungry too actually,” added Videl.“Well then, let’s head home. I’m sure Chi-Chi’s gotta be done cooking by now.”Goku placed two fingers on his forehead and motioned for the younger couple to come along. After focusing for a few seconds, the trio disappeared and reappeared right outside the Paouzu Mountain home.Before they could step inside however, Videl’s phone began to ring.“Who is it?” asked Gohan.Taking one look at the phone, Videl’s eyes lit up. “It’s Akane!”“Who?”“That girl who came to visit us last week?” Gohan reminded his father.“Oh yeah! She was friends with that girl who turned into a boy right?”“It’s actually the other way around Dad,” Gohan corrected.“Ahem!” Videl loudly cleared her throat, getting the two saiyans to silence themselves.“Right…we’ll wait for you inside.” Gohan darted inside the house, pulling Goku along as Videl finally answered the phone.“Hello?”
“Videl?”
“Hey Akane. What’s up?”“Nothing much, just missed you at the Cat Café today.”“Sorry I ‘flaked’ on you, but I decided to train with Gohan today since I figured he could help me figure this ‘Point-of-Impact’ move out.”“No worries, I was just curious.”Videl could note a small hint of disappointment in Akane’s voice. ‘Guess she really wants to be a part of this.’ A smile forming on her face, Videl continued.“You know, if you still want to help, come down to my place later tonight.” Videl offered.“Really?”“Yeah, just the two of us. Gohan said I needed to build myself up a little more, and I can’t think of a better sparring partner.”“Sounds great. Besides, I just remembered that I need to pay you back for beating me before,” a smug Akane replied.“You’re welcome to try anytime, but don’t get your hopes up.”“We’ll see.”“See you tonight?”“I’ll be there.”As soon as Videl beeped off her phone, Chi-Chi poked her head out the door. “Videl, what are you still doing out here? Aren’t you staying for dinner?”“Oh! Sure,” she replied entering. “Actually Chi-Chi, could you make a couple of boxes to go? It turns out I’m going to have company tonight,” Videl replied.“Oh? Who?”“Someone you’ve met before.”[Meanwhile]Akane hung up the phone and quickly made her way upstairs to grab her gi.“And where are you off to little sister?” asked a nosy Nabiki.“Videl’s place. She invited me back to train with her again!” Akane excitedly replied.“That’s great. Should I tell Ran-?”“NO!” Akane quickly cut off her eldest sister. “Don’t tell Ranma! Videl’s not bringning Gohan either cause this is supposed to be just the two of us.”“Geeze Akane. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you had a little crush on little Ms. Satan.” Nabiki teased.“Keep talking like that and we’ll see who gets crushed,” Akane deadpanned.“You don’t have the gall.”Huffing at her sister, Akane quickly darted upstairs and in a few short minutes raced back down with her gi and an extra change of clothes.“Catch you later!” Akane called slamming the door shut.“Well, someone’s in high spirits,” noted Nodoka.“It’s nice that Akane has a friend with so many common interests,” added Kasumi.“More like someone she can complain to about Ranma,” Nabiki snarked.[Back at Mt. Paouzu]Gohan and Videl were right outside the domed home, the latter with a pair of bento boxes all wrapped up, and her trusty jet un-capsulized. Given how far away Mt. Paouzu was from Satan City, she really needed the speed.“Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?” asked Gohan.“Thanks for the offer Gohan, but this time it’s just going to be me and Akane. No offense, but if I still have to raise my power, I think she’s the best sparring partner for me.”“I understand.”“Don’t sound so disappointed Gohan. I’ll be back soon enough. Akane may be my favorite sparring partner, but you’re still the best teacher.”“Gee thanks,” Gohan chuckled. “I wish you could’ve stayed a little longer for dinner at least.”“Well, I’m taking some of your mom’s cooking with me, so it’s not all bad,” Videl said loading the food into her plane.“Yeah, I guess. When’d you say you were coming back again?”As she fired up the engines, Videl put a hand to her chin. “Hmmmm…don’t know, but whenever I decide, I’ll let you know at school.”“Okay then. See you tomorrow.” Gohan waved.“Bye sis!” Goten exclaimed darting out of the door.“Goten, I told you to wait inside!” Gohan exclaimed narrowing his eyes at his brother.“But I wanted to say goodbye to Videl…”The yellow aircraft ascended into the sky and Videl waved back to the brothers below, as well as giving a quick two-finger salute to Goku who was waving from the window. In a fiery burst, Videl sped off for home.[Later that evening]The sound of frantic pantic could be heard through the streets of Satan City as one Akane Tendo ran hurriedly to the Satan Manor.‘Should I…really be rushing like this…?’ Akane wondered. ‘Videl said she was at Gohan’s place when I called…and that place is…thousands of miles away…could she really…get back home…so quickly?’ she thought between pants.As if to answer her question, Videl’s familiar jet could be seen zooming overhead. “Whooo…what are the odds?” Akane exhaled.Taking a deep breath, Akane continued up the street until she finally arrived at Satan Manor right as Videl was capsulizing her jet.“H-hey…Videl…!” Akane panted out.“Akane?”Turning to her friend, Videl laid eyes on a girl breathing hard, and drenched with a thin layer of sweat.“Geeze Akane, did you sprint here or something? Why are you all exhausted!?”“No I…wait…no wait, I think I did sprint here,” Akane replied after finally catching her breath.“You think?”“I was planning on taking the bus, but I didn’t want to wait so when I ran to try and catch it…I think I just kept going until I got here.”Videl shook her head dismissively and snickered. “I’ve seen people run to catch a bus before but ignoring the bus altogether for such a long trip is a new one.”Akane put her hands on her hips and stood triumphantly. “You got to work with Gohan earlier, so just consider that my warm-up.”“Fair enough.” Videl giggled.The two girls stalked towards the door, but just as Videl was about to grab the knob, there was the sound of a loud crash followed by loud barking.“Bee!?”“What’s he barking for?”Videl frantically opened the door and darted inside. When…“Gyaaaaaaaaaagh!”
CRASH!
As soon as Videl stepped through the door, she was met with the sight of a tall-ish guy who looked around her age, wearing martial arts robes with a bamboo sword in his hand get launched into a wall.“What…what the hell was that?”“K-Kuno!?”Videl turned to Akane who had a look of restrained irritation on her face.“You know him?”Before Akane could answer, the barking resumed as Bee ran up, followed closely by Buu.“Hmm? Why stick boy no play anymore?” asked Buu.“Buu?”The pink blob turned towards the sound of his name being called and shot Videl an inviting smile. “Oh! Satan’s daughter is back!”Akane on the other hand had a look of pure bewilderment on her face. First Kuno appears unannounced, and now…who or what is this pink guy, and how does Videl know him.“Buu…haaa…wait up…!” came the winded voice of an older man.All eyes turned to the hallway to see a dark-skinned man with an afro in a brown gi enter the room.“Dad?”“Oh…hey honey…when did you…get back…?” Mr. Satan wheezed out before falling face first onto the floor.“Dad!”The heir to the champ quickly rushed to her father’s side while Akane remained still with the ever-present look of confusion on her face.“What the hell’s going on here?”
A/N: I didn’t realize this until about halfway through the chapter, but I think I low key turned Videl into Full Cowl Deku.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
Satan’s Disciples; Meet Kuno and Majin Buu
Both Buu and Akane turned to Videl who was vigorously shaking her father’s body, attempting to get him back on his feet. It took a couple of minutes, but Mr. Satan finally found the strength to push himself onto all-fours.“Oh good, you’re alright,” Videl relieved.“Hey Honey…” Mr. Satan wheezed out. “Where’d Buu go…?”“I’m here.” The pink demon simply stated.“Take it easy Dad,” Videl ordered as she helped him to his feet. “Buu, can you keep an eye on him for a sec while I grab some water?”“Oh…okay!” Buu agreed.“Thank you.” Before Videl could make a mad dash for the kitchen, she quickly noticed the bewildered look on Akane’s face. “Okay…I’m sure you’ve got a few questions, and I promise I’ll answer them as soon as I help my Dad recover,” Videl pleaded.“Okay…” Akane nearly deadpanned.“Inversely, I have a question or two for you too,” Videl added.Videl’s words were swiftly drowned out by a gruff yelp. Turning towards the sound, the girls witnessed Buu hoist Mr. Satan over his head and stroll into the living room, Bee right behind.Akane could only sigh. “I guess I should at least bring this moron with them,” she said motioning to Kuno.‘‘This moron’’? Videl decided to make a mental note of that.As Videl dashed off to the kitchen, Akane went over to the unconscious Kuno and slung him over her shoulder before making her way to the living room. Where she spied Mr. Satan still breathing deeply as he lay on the sofa.“Thanks Buu…don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”“Is Mr. Satan okay?” Buu asked.“I’ll be fine…just wish Videl would hurry up with that water. By the way…did you see where Tatewaki went?”The champ received his answer as Akane finally entered the room with Kuno on her back. “He’s right here,” she stated.“We-he-hell, now who might you be? One of Videl’s friends?” Mr. Satan asked Akane with a surprising note of vigor.Akane nodded. As she tossed Kuno onto the nearest sofa before dusting herself off, a frantic Bee, quickly ran up to Akane and stood on his hind legs attempting to lick her face.“It’s great to see you again too Bee-!” Akane giggled as she was assaulted by dog kisses.“Well, looks like someone’s taken an early likin’ to you, young lady,” Mr. Satan noted.Buu on the other hand merely watched as the dog happily barked and zoomed around the overwhelmed girl.“We’ve met before,” Akane informed. Lightly shoving Bee off her, Akane bowed and introduced herself.“My name’s Akane Tendo, and I’m a martial artist at the Tendo Training Hall in Nerima,” she said with a bow.Mr. Satan let out a hearty chuckle before getting to his feet and puffing out his chest in his trademark (faux) courageous fashion.“Oh-ho, you’re a fellow martial artist, eh’? Well then, allow me to formerly welcome you into our humble abode. The home of the World Martial Arts Champion, MR. SATAN!”Once the champ was done with his spiel, Akane cold only stand in unreadable shock and awe, the atmosphere in the room quickly dying.“Dad…please stop.”Before Mr. Satan could give continue, Videl returned with a large sports bottle in hand.“Oh Videl, there you are. I was just about to introduce your friend here to Buu, since it seems she’s already been acquainted with Bee here,” he said stroking the dog’s head.“Yeah, she’s visited before when you two were out,” Videl added, tossing her father the bottle.Hearty gurgling could be heard as Mr. Satan seamlessly unscrewed the cap and chugged the entire bottle of water in no time flat.“Ahhhhh, that hit the spot. You always gotta remember to stay hydrated when you’re pumpin’ iron! DAHAHAHA!”Akane stifled a laugh as Videl crossed her arms with a red tint on her face. “Dad, guest!”“Oh! Of course.” He quickly fixed himself while clearing his throat.With a sheepish chuckle, Videl quickly stepped in between Akane and her father. “Well, now you’ve met my Dad, so what’s say we head to the dojo now, huh?”“What, aren’t you going to introduce me to…?” Akane motioned to Buu who was still giving Akane an observant look.Videl sighed. There was no running away from this meeting, but maybe she could keep things from going haywire. Clearing her throat, Videl slipped besides Buu and playfully leaned against him.“This big guy here is Majin Buu, he’s our houseguest,” Videl annunciated.Akane looked at Videl with a raised eyebrow at first, but after some brief thought she quickly understood what Videl was getting at. ‘Wait that’s right! She said something about an unusual houseguest when I first visited her place. Is this who she was talking about?’Knocking Videl off of his body, the unusually quiet Buu slowly approached an uncomfortable looking Akane.“Buu, what are you doing?” Videl asked with small alarm in her voice.Akane took a cautious step back as the rotund demon stood, nearly towering over her.“Uhhh…nice to meet you?” Akane awkwardly stated.Buu looked Akane dead in the eye before flashing her a playful grin. “Are you strong?”“Huh?”“Mr. Satan say you a fighter.”Akane shot Buu a befuddled look before putting her hands on her hips and replying, “Yeah, I’m a martial artist and I’m pretty strong I’d say.”Buu turned back towards the dog and let out a grin. Always at his friend’s beck and call, Bee wasted no time in running right up to Buu and pawing against his large frame.“You want play with Buu and Bee? Bee play with stick boy but stick boy to weak to play with Buu.”Akane turned back and as she saw Kuno’s snoozing form, things started to fit together. ‘I’m guessing Kuno tried to fight this guy for some reason and got his butt kicked.’Videl quickly stepped in between Buu and Akane and hastily tried to diffuse his sudden interest in Akane.“Actually Buu, if you’ve been ‘playing’ all day, then I guess you must be pretty hungry right about now, right?”“Hmmmm?”‘What is she doing?’As Akane was still trying to process the current events, Kuno began to stir from his slumber.“By the gods…what happened…?” he muttered to himself.‘The last thing I remember was seeing some pink demon accompanied with his hellhound. Afterwards, everything’s a blank.’As he shook his head, and his vision came back into focus, Kuno’s eyes widened at the sight of a terrible scene. The pink demon from his memories had returned, but this time not only was his beastly cohort with him again, they both had the object of his affection backed against a corner. In between them, however, was the metaphorical ‘X’ at the end of his long hunt.Pulling his bamboo sword from seemingly nowhere, Kuno sprang from his resting place on the couch and launched himself at Buu (and the girls) poised to strike.“You will keep your vile mittens away from these fair maidens you HEATHEN!”Before any of the humans could process what was happening, Kuno was halted in his tracks by a palm to the face courtesy of Buu.“Oh! Stick boy all better now?”Kuno failed to answer as he once again hit the floor hard face first (though Buu hadn’t really hit him that hard).“Kuno, are you okay?”At the sound of Akane’s voice, Kuno recovered near instantly and proceeded to throw himself at his charge with wide open arms. “Oh Akane Tendo! I should’ve known it would take only the mere sight of you to restore me to my full strength.”
SWACK!
“The feeling’s less than mutual,” Akane responded with a fist to the chin.“Oh, you two are acquainted?” asked Mr. Satan.“Right, you said something about that earlier Akane,” Videl added.Akane sighed. “He’s an upperclassman at my high-.”Akane’s explanation was cut off by Kuno once again launching himself at Buu. Kuno’s weapon made contact with Buu this time and promptly bounced off his rubbery frame. Kuno continued to strike Buu repeatedly until the pink majin launched yet another palm strike to the young swordsman’s midsection, launching him into a wall yet again.“Must…defeat…pink…demon…!” Kuno strained whilst picking himself up and taking a defensive stance.‘This guy’s a glutton for punishment, isn’t he?’ Videl whispered.‘You have no idea,’ Akane replied.It was at that moment Mr. Satan decided to put a stop to the charade. “Okay, okay, that’s enough of that. Tatewaki, I’m orderin’ you to stand down.”“But Master…!”“Master!?” exclaimed the girls.“You heard me.”With a huff, Kuno dropped his stance and, leaning his sword against the wall, crossed his arms.Mr. Satan then turned to Buu. “Hehehe, Buu I’m glad you’ve been givin’ Tatewaki here a good ol’ workout, but I think it’s time to stop playin’ for now. Why don’t you head to the kitchen for now? I’m sure the chefs have already gotten dinner started.”“Ohh! Okay!” With a gleeful expression, Buu skipped out of the room with Bee right behind him.“Astounding…” marveled Kuno. ‘Phew, glad that’s done,’ Mr. Satan sighed. ‘That could’ve gone bad real quick.’ Before Mr. Satan could dwell on the thought too long, he was grabbed by the collar and yanked away by Kuno.“Master, please tell me, how could you tame such a malevolent creature!?”Beads of sweat began to roll down Mr. Satan’s head. “Uhhh well…” he stammered.“Oh, my apologies.” Kuno released his grip on Mr. Satan and took a step backwards in order to give his ‘Master’ the necessary breathing room.Mr. Satan cleared his throat and replied. “Well, you know what they say my boy, “You should never judge a book by its cover. That ‘malevolent creature’ as you called him, is actually one of my older disciples.”“Is that…is that true?” Kuno asked in pure amazement.“Yes it is boy, and now that you’ve seen his astounding strength up close, you now have another goal to work towards. After all, a martial artist must always work towards gaining more and more strength!”Mr. Satan capped off his spiel with his trademark hearty laugh as Kuno proceeded to bow in respect to the champion fighter.From watching Buu and Bee exit to Mr. Satan and Kuno’s exchange, Akane’s bewildered expression said it all. “I…have so many questions…”“I promise I’ll answer them as best as I can, but first…” Videl stomped over to her father who was still laughing nigh hysterically. His laugh was subsequently silenced by Videl pulling him aside, by the ear.“Gah-ow! H-hey sweety. What can I do you for?”“Hey Dad, can I ask you something real quick?”“Yes?”“Since when did you decide to take on another ‘disciple’?”“Oh!” Mr. Satan cleared his throat. “That’s right, you haven’t been properly introduced yet. Tatewaki please,” he motioned to Kuno.The arrogant kendoist stood firm and brandished his sword on his shoulder. “Actually, I’m well acquainted with Ms. Akane here, as she is my junior at school.”‘They’re school mates? That makes sense.’ thought Videl.“Although…” Kuno brushed past Akane until he was standing face to face with Videl who now had a bewildered look on her face.“What are you…?”“I’ve witnessed your formidable skills as a martial artist before, and I must say it is an honor to finally meet you at last,” Kuno said taking Videl by the hands.Videl hurriedly pulled away from Kuno’s grasp. “I’m always happy to meet a fan, but what do you think you’re doing?” she firmly snapped.Akane facepalmed. ‘Dammit! I forgot about that!’ she chided herself.“Whoa there boy,” Mr. Satan interjected. “Videl appreciates her fans as much as the next gal, but you really should be more respectful when addressing my daughter, you hear me?”Kuno stood at attention and instantly put a few inches of distance between himself and Videl. “She’s your daughter!? Please forgive my hastiness Master and allow me to introduce myself properly.”AKane rolled her eyes as Kuno cleared his throat and began his introduction.“I am Tatewaki Kuno, aged 17 years old, and the head of Furinkan High’s Kendo Club. Also known as Furinkan’s Blue Thunder!” Kuno accompanied his proclamations with a small series of kendo stances, not unlike the poses of a certain helmeted superhero.An embarrassed bead of sweat rolled down Videl’s forehead before Kuno continued.“Although most recently, I have humbly become the student of the Mighty Mr. Satan himself!” Kuno proudly proclaimed with a nostalgic sigh. “Yes, I remember it like it was merely a day ago.
[Flashback]
Kuno could be seen on the receiving end of a nigh merciless beatdown by Ranma before being launched away by a fierce uppercut.
“It was a random day at school where I clashed with that miscreant Ranma Saotome. My memories of our battle are more than a little hazy, but the last thing I remember seeing is Master’s silhouette.”
Kuno could then be seen limping through Satan City, his sword being used as amakeshift crutch. Finally, the bamboo weapon snapped and Kuno fell to the ground face first in front of Mr. Satan’s dojo which was at the time still under renovations following its ‘vandalism’ attack.
A short while later, Kuno awoke finding himself on a sofa, striped down to his shorts with bandages covering much of his upper body. Before he could ask what had happened, one of the staff medics stepped through the door.
“Oh, you’re awake.” Said the medic. “Hey sir, the kid’s awake!” the medic quickly called out.
“You there, where am I?” Kuno asked.
“Oh you’re in the dojo break room. Mr. Satan said it’d be fine for you to rest here while your body recovered.” Informed the medic.
“Dojo? Mr. Satan?” asked Kuno.
Before the medic could continue, the champ himself strolled into the room. “Well now, glad to see you’re up and around kid. You gave us quite the scare there.”
“I take it you’re the one who took me in?” Kuno inquired.
“Indeed,” chimed the medic. “We were about to shut our doors for the evening, but just as Mr. Satan was about to head out, he found you passed out on the doorstep and quickly brought you inside for treatment.”
“How could I not? You looked like you’d been run over by a motorbike there, kid.” Said Mr. Satan.
Kuno let out a cocky scoff. “Ha, no mere two-wheeled vehicle could fell Furinkan High’s Blue Thunder.”
“Well somethin’ clearly did, or else you wouldn’t have been hurt as bad as you were there,” Mr. Satan countered, crossing his arms.
Kuno clenched his fist. “Yes…my most mortal of adversaries, a brute of a man named Ranma Saotome.”
“Is that so?”
Dismissing the medic, Mr. Satan pulled up a chair. “Why don’t you tell me more about this Ramen’ fella.”
“So, I informed Master of my various bouts with Saotome, as well as his various misdeeds against Ms. Akane Tendo. When all was said and done, Master looked nearly as livid as I felt.” Kuno continued to narrate.
After hearing of my perilous plight, It was then that Master offered me a place as one of his pupils. Initially, I was deeply flattered, but not too interested as I was a man of the sword. I didn’t believe that a dojo that specialized in unarmed combat would be too helpful for me. Until master brought up a great point; in order to master one’s weapon, one first must master his body. Then, in a way to show his appreciation for assisting me in one of my most dire times of need, I humbly accepted his proposal. He even offered to start my training effective immediately. Although, our first lesson was…complicated to say the least.
Kuno thought back to how when he first stepped forth into the ‘dojo’ part of the dojo, much of the area was still surrounded by ‘CAUTION’ tape and various other signs of construction. Thankfully, there was still enough free space available to get training done, but this did sour Kuno’s previously cheerful mood.
“I greatly dishonored Master’s school when I brought up how unsightly the place had appeared. I admit, I feel ashamed at myself for jumping to conclusions, because he then told me the story of how some mysterious assailant had appeared and nearly tore his prized school to the ground. I felt so guilty that as a token of apology, I offered to donate a sizable amount of money to the reconstruction of Master’s dojo.
The final memory was of Kuno bowing his head in respect as Mr. Satan told the story of the dojo’s near destruction followed by a quick image of the two of them shaking hands.
[End Flashback]
“From that point on, Master has been working with me one-on-one in order to improve my body’s physical capabilities.”Though initially uninterested in Kuno’s ‘backstory’, the girls had been paying attention as the story was the answer to their previous questions. Kuno’s melodramatic storytelling even served to make it a more enjoyable experience than it had any right to be.“So, the reason Dad hasn’t been home as often lately was not just because of the dojo repairs, but because he was also training with you?” asked Videl.“Correct,” answered Kuno.‘Part of me is surprised Kuno decided to train seriously. I wonder…could his work with Mr. Satan actually put him on par with Ranma?’ Akane wondered.“I’ve applied his teachings to my own sword technique, and it feels like his lessons are beginning to bear fruit.” Kuno finished, thrusting his sword onto the floor. “Which brings us to a most glorious opportunity.”Kuno thrust his sword towards Videl (A/N: Goodnight Everybody!) coupled with a look of determination plastered on his face.“I would like to request a match with you Ms. Videl.” Kuno proclaimed.“She refuses.”All eyes were on Akane accompanied with a unified “What!?”Grabbing Videl by the arm, Akane quickly excused the two of them and zipped out of the room.“Akane, what the heck was that all about?” asked Videl.“Videl, DON’T accept his challenge, trust me!” Akane pleaded.“Why? You don’t think I can beat him?” Videl snapped with her arms crossed.“Quite the opposite actually. I’m 90% sure that you’ll beat him easily, but-!”“Then what’s the problem? A quick match against someone more my level is why I invited you over today, but what’s the harm in switching sparring partners from time to time?” Videl paused before realization struck her face. “Wait, are you still upset that you missed me at the Cat Café earlier?” Videl guessed.Akane’s face briefly blushed, but she quickly dismissed the notion. “Videl, listen to me! It’s not a matter of winning or losing, or the Cat Café, or anything like that!” Akane bellowed. “I’m saying you shouldn’t fight Kuno because-!”“Hey Videl, should we take your friend’s answer as yours or have you reconsidered Tatewaki’s offer?” Mr. Satan called from inside the room.Videl placed a hand on Akane’s shoulder. “I’m sorry if you feel I’ve been ignoring lately, and I promise once this match is over, it’ll just be the two of us for the rest of the night. We can spar privately, I’ll answer any question I can about Buu, because I imagine you have quite a few, and we can chat over a couple of plates of Chi-Chi’s cooking, how does that sound.”Akane could only sigh as she walked away. “I’m going to get changed. I’ll meet you guys at the gym.”“That’s the spirit, and who knows. Maybe my match with Kuno can help me figure out something about Cologne’s technique,” Videl added.“You do you, BUT…!” Akane paused. “You are NOT allowed to say, I didn’t try to warn you!” Akane vigorously pointed her finger at Videl.“Warn me?” Videl raised an eyebrow. “Warn me about what?”Akane only shot Videl a look of combined smugness and pity before walking away leaving Videl with a bewildered look on her face. Deciding to brush off Akane’s words for now, Videl quickly re-entered the living room with a determined look on her face.“Where’d your friend go?” asked Mr. Satan.“She left to go change. As for your earlier question, I accept your challenge Kuno!” Videl triumphantly declared.“Wonderful!” Kuno exclaimed.“Heh, heh, that’s my girl! Taking on all comers, just like her old man!” Mr. Satan bellowed.Kuno rested his bamboo sword on his shoulder. “I’ve seen your skills captured on film before, but I’m looking forward to seeing them up close and in person.”“I’ll try to live up to your expectations,” Videl taunted.“Indeed you shall, and once our fierce battle is done, if you should happen to defeat me, then I will do you the great honor of allowing you to go out on a date with me!”All the competitive tension in the room instantly drained at Kuno’s proclamation. The father-daughter duo remained silent before replying to the cocky swordsman with a unified, “…Say what?”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
A Crazy Wager; The Satan School vs. The Blue Thunder
At Kuno’s outlandish proclamation, both Videl and her father were left frozen, dumbstruck in shock.“Ummmmm…excuse me?” said Videl.“If you defeat me in our battle, then you will have the honor, nay, the privilege of accompanying me out on a date.” Kuno repeated with a gleaming aura.Mr. Satan and Videl both remained silent for the moment, but both of them seemed to be seething with irritation, disbelief, and a few other unpleasant emotions.“Look pal,” Videl began. “I don’t know who you think you are but-!”“I FORBID THIS!” Mr. Satan interjected, cutting Videl off.Both teens eyes turned to the biggest mouth in the room who was absolutely fuming.“Dad?”“Master?”“Look here, you may be my newest disciple, but that does NOT mean you’ve earned the right to court my daughter!” Mr. Satan exclaimed.Videl was about to respond to her father, but was beaten to the punch by Kuno, who shamefully facepalmed.“Of course, how unacceptably rude of me. I forget, you only allow men who are capable of besting you in battle to date your daughter.”“Th-that’s right!” Mr. Satan emphasized. “You’ve shown considerable skill, but you’re still far off from the level necessary to take on a World Martial Arts Champion, like myself.”“I do wonder about that Master…” Kuno trailed off. Poking his sword in Mr. Satan’s direction, he continued. “Still, allow me to issue this challenge to you, for the honor of winning your daughter’s favor.”“Ha! If you think you can make it past me, you’re in for a rude awakening boy-!”
“HOLD IT!”
Both guys turned to Videl who was seething with irritation. “Look, I don’t care if you want to fight Dad, and I’m still willing to accept your challenge, but let’s get one thing straight; Win or lose, I am NOT going out without you, understand!?”Before Kuno could try to respond, Videl angrily turned to her father, “And as for you Dad, how could you go around accepting those kinds of challenges, when you KNOW I already have a boyfriend!?”Mr. Satan awkwardly fiddled with his fingers as he mumbled out an apology. “Sorry honey I…just got caught up in the moment.”“So…the stories are true…”The father-daughter pair turned back to Kuno, who was gripping his sword rather tightly, his expression darkened.“I heard tales that Ms. Videl had been taken by some lowly commoner. I initially dismissed the notion, but since the words came from Ms. Akane’s mouth, I knew I couldn’t discard them so easily. But now, to hear it straight from Ms. Videl herself…!”“Wait a minute…” Videl started. “You knew I had a boyfriend, yet you still thought it’d be a good idea to try and fight my Dad for the chance to try and win a date with me? Isn’t there some kind of ‘Guy Code’ about not going after a taken woman or something?”“Taken…woman…!?”Images of an indescribable male figure pinning Videl to the ground soon filled Kuno’s-“NO, no, no!” Videl interjected, dispelling the fantasy. “We’re not going down that route, and that’s not even remotely what I meant by ‘Taken’!”“For both your and his sake, you BETTER not have!” Mr. Satan exclaimed.“Still, it’s inconceivable…to think Master could be bested by a mere commoner…”“Whoa, slow your roll there boy, I was not bested!” Mr. Satan quickly chimed in.“If that’s true, then why per say, have you allowed him to fraternize with your daughter?” Kuno inquired.“Well uhh…because…I…I took a dive…obviously!” he replied.“Huh…?”Mr. Satan crossed his arms as he ‘recounted the time he gave Videl’s boyfriend his blessing’.“I’ll admit he wouldn’t have been my first choice for a partner for Videl, but he certainly proved himself a capable fighter in his own right, and then some. With maybe another couple years of training, he probably could’ve beaten me for real. But in the end, I realized that Videl chose him for a reason. I’m still trying to figure out what that reason is, but I decided to give him a chance, and in the end, I wound up throwing the fight for the sake of my daughter’s happiness.”“Dad…” Videl was at a loss for words. She’d been used to her father making up outlandish stories for the sake of upholding his own image, but this was unprecedented. To think he was now doing the same for her and Gohan’s sake. Still, the little white lie didn’t seem to deter Kuno in the slightest.“I see…so in the end, this feeble commoner was unable to best you in combat.” Kuno raised his sword skyward with renewed intent. “In that case, I will do what no man has done before and vanquish you with all my strength! I will prove that I am the one worthy of being Ms. Videl’s other half!”Videl facepalmed. ‘This is getting us nowhere!’ she mentally fumed. Her fist clenched tight, full of aggravation.“For the last time, I’m not…!”“Fine.”The young fighters had their eyes on Mr. Satan who had a rare serious expression on his face.“If you’re so eager to prove yourself ‘worthy’ of my little girl, take your best shot, but it’ll be on my terms,” Videl proclaimed.“Dad, what are you doing?”The Champ motioned for his daughter to be quiet, as he continued. “First, if you want to challenge her, you’ll have to get past me first, as per the rules.”“Of course,” Kuno agreed.“Second, if you manage to beat me, she’ll accept your challenge. If she wins, you’ll have to do whatever she says, but if you win, she’ll break up with her boyfriend.”“I’ll WHAT!?”“I ACCEPT!!”
[Insert cutaway of Gohan sneezing here]
Kuno’s entire body practically illuminated at Mr. Satan’s proposal.“We’ll meet in the Manor’s Ring in 15 minutes, so you’d better get yourself all warmed up boy, cause Mr. Satan is comin’ at you with all he’s got!”“Of course Master! I will show you a battle you can be proud of! Wait for me Ms. Videl, I’ll rid you of that commoner whelp in due time!”Kuno darted out of the living room in high spirits, heading to the in home gym to prepare himself.As Mr. Satan saw his student off, a dark, menacing aura flared up from behind him.“Father…” came a low, feminine voice.“N-n-n-n-n-now sweety, let me explain…”
SWACK!
CRASH!
“Hey guys, I ran into Kuno on the way back and he was looking all…”Akane returned to see Mr. Satan faceplanted into the cold tile floor with a large lump on his head, and Videl standing over him with a smoking raised fist, seething with rage.“Did…did I miss something?”[One explanation later]“He WHAT!?”
SWACK!
“GAAAAAHAAAAA!”Mr. Satan let out a loud anguished cry as a second smaller lump grew out of his first one.“Forgive me for saying this Mr. Satan, but I’ve lost a LOT of respect for you right about now,” scolded Akane.“That’s my line.”“Yeah, I know. I probably deserve it, but please hear me out!” Mr. Satan defended.Both girls stood, their arms crossed disapprovingly before the grounded fighter before he got to his feet and cleared his throat.“I know what I just did might have been a little hasty, but the way I see it, it was the only way.”“To…?”“To get that wacky student of mine to take a hint. I’ve seen his type before. He’s obviously someone where actions speak louder than words, so I figured taking it to the ring where all intents and emotions could be on full display would be the best way to make him back off,” Satan explained.Videl placed a hand to her forehead and sighed. “Okay, I understand that and appreciate the thought Dad, but did you HAVE to wager my relationship with Gohan!?”“And she can’t even back out of it because everyone knows that you have to swallow a thousand needles if you quit a bet.” Akane added.“Which is exactly why this is perfect. Tatewaki’s good, but either one of us can take him down no problem. Believe you me, you and Gohan should be fine,” Mr. Satan confindently chuckled. “Provided of course, he continues to behave himself,” he quickly added.‘He behaves better than you Father.’“Actually…it might not be as easy as you think Mr. Satan,” Akane chimed in.“Akane…what do you mean by that?” asked a cautious sounding Videl.“Kuno may be small potatoes for Ranma and I, but he’s not exactly a pushover either,” she warned.“You know, now that I think about it, Tatewaki kept sayin’ that name when we were trainin’ together. You mind tellin’ me what this Ranma guy’s all about?”“He’s Akane’s fiancée,” Videl simply stated.“Oh, I see-…FIANCEE!?”“It’s an arranged marriage!” Akane quickly exclaimed.“That’s beside the point!” interjected Videl. “The point is, Ranma is a very skilled and powerful fighter, to the point where even Goku and Gohan could acknowledge his strength.”Mr. Satan seemed to stiffen at Videl’s explanation. “G-Goku says this Ranma kid’s good?” He stammered. “W-w-wait…you don’t mean he…?”“Can use energy? Yeah. He can’t fly like I can, and he’s far from being on the level of Gohan’s family, but I think he might be comparable to…Krillin maybe? Possibly to a lesser extent?”Mr. Satan seemed comparatively calmer as Videl kept speaking, but he was still visibly shaken.“Hey, is your Dad okay?” Akane whispered.“He just gets a little…testy around martial artists who can use energy for… some reason,” Videl explained.“Well Kuno doesn’t have anything like Ranma’s Tiger Shot or that…turtle wave (?) that Gohan’s brother did. He’s a swordsman through and through so if you can just keep out of his range and counterattack, you should be fine. Fair warning though, his attacks are pretty fast and he’s stronger than you’d initially think.”At Akane’s rundown of Kuno’s ‘stats’, Mr. Satan’s confidence quickly returned. “Well if that’s all there is to it, then it’s no problem at all. In fact, you won’t even have to get your hands dirty sweety. Just leave this to your old man.”Dusting off his hands, Mr. Satan strode out of the living room leaving the girls to their own. Videl let out an anguished sigh, pressing a hand to her forehead as she slinked into a nearby couch seat.“Akane…I’m sorry for not listening to you earlier.” Videl apologized.“Don’t dwell on it too much. With how persistent Kuno is, you’d have probably wound up fighting him anyways.”“Let’s just get this over with,” steamed a visually irritated Videl. As she stalked out of the room with Akane right behind, the latter paused and placed a finger to her chin.“You know now that I think about it, couldn’t your father have made Kuno fight that big pink guy instead of himself?” noted Akane.………“Son of a BI-!”[Moments Later]The group were all assembled in the mansion’s ring, Kuno and Mr. Satan standing ready to face each other.“Master, although I have the utmost respect for you, I have no intention of holding anything back in this battle.” Kuno proclaimed brandishing his wooden sword.“Normally I’d be proud, but given the circumstances, I’m afraid that’s just not in the cards. If you wanna go out with my daughter, you gotta go through me first!” Mr. Satan replied.‘Way to forget I’m right here Dad,’ Videl internally deadpanned.“And for the sake of her love and respect, I’m gonna take you down boy!” he quickly added.‘…I take it back. Dad’s actually serious!’ thought a newly inspired Videl.“Do you think your Dad can win?” asked Akane.“I don’t know enough about Kuno to say, but he is the World Champion for a reason.” ‘Even if that doesn’t matter much anymore.’The two men stood at the ready, staring each other down. Over the course of the long pause, Mr. Satan began to analyze his chances for success.‘Alright Mr. Satan, just keep it cool. You’ve seen Tatewaki train before, so you know what he’s packin’. Still, what Videl’s friend over there said has me a little worried. If he really is like those guys, then I might be in real trouble…then again, she said he couldn’t do the same type a tricks like Goku or his boys so maybe I can actually win this thing legit-!’“Men!”“Eeee-!”Without warning, Kuno struck first, raising his weapon and bringing it downwards in a chopping motion. Though startled, Mr. Satan easily dodged the attack by swaying aside.Kuno followed up with a sideways slash, which Mr. Satan backed away from. With impressive speed, Kuno rushed after Mr. Satan and launched a thrusting strike for his midsection. Crossing his arms in front, Mr. Satan was able to defend against the attack, but couldn’t help but get himself blown back.“Hmph, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you’re still standing after guarding that last attack.”Shaking from the sudden attacks, Mr. Satan lowered his guard and let out a calming exhale before his temper quickly flared up and he started yelling at Kuno.“What’s the big idea boy!? There was no starting signal for the match!”“Pardon me Master, but in a true battle, victory goes to he who strikes first, and since I aim to snatch victory no matter the cost in this fight, that’s exactly what I did.” Kuno explained.Off to the side, the girls both had beads of sweat rolling down their heads. “Well…he’s entirely wrong but…”“Just…let it go and keep watching,” Akane urged.Back in the ring, Mr. Satan took another calming breath before bringing his guard back up. “Well, I can see that your time working with me has truly borne fruit, but like I said before, you still got a long ways to go before you got what it takes to take me-!”Cutting off Mr. Satan’s speech, Kuno rushed in again with another thrusting strike, this time for the face. With a startled yelp, Mr. Satan ducked under the attack before countering with an uppercut to Kuno’s midsection. The attack whiffed as Kuno was able to sidestep the blow and strike back with another downward slice that nailed Mr. Satan right in the center of his afro.“Deeaaaagh…!”Mr. Satan cried in pain as he held his aching head.“Now it’s time to finish…!”It was Kuno’s turn to get cut off as Mr. Satan fought back with a backhand punch right to Kuno’s cheek, knocking him aside.“Well, ya caught me off guard there for a second, but it’ll take more than that to fell me!” As Mr. Satan let out his trademark laugh, a large bump grew in between the two previous ones.‘If he loses this fight, will it be our fault?’ thought Akane.Videl crossed her arms at the display and nervously grasped at her sleeve. ‘Dammit Dad, fight seriously already!’As Mr. Satan continued to laugh, he was struck upside the head by Kuno’s sword yet again, knocking him to the floor. He was able to roll back onto his feet, though very off kilter. He quickly straightened himself out and the irritation on his face was beyond evident.“Alright that’s it. No more ‘Mr. Nice Satan’. I’m gonna end this thing in a flash with one of my trademark finishing-!”Kuno struck as Mr. Satan spoke, but this time, Mr. Satan was able to block the attack with his forearm and grab onto Kuno by the hem of his robes.“Hrrrrrraaagh!”With a strained yell, Mr. Satan flipped Kuno over his head and slammed him hard on the tile.“Impressive.” Kuno praised, stroking his chin in his indented crater.“Would ya have the decency to let me finish speaking!?” boomed an irritated Satan.“Apologies, but if you continue to leave yourself open then I will continue to attack,” Kuno announced as he rose to his feet. “My only wish is that you would quit attempting to dodge my attacks so that I may end this quicker.”In the peanut gallery, Akane looked rather intrigued by the battle at hand. “This fight’s closer than I thought. I figured that, no matter who had the edge, it’d be a one sided fight either way.”Videl remained silent as the fight went on. Instead of being analytical like usual, she just wanted her father to win and put an end to the mess he made.“Well, this fight’s been fun, but I think it’s about time for me to bring it to an end,” Mr. Satan declared.“If you think you can, then bring it on Master!” Kuno challenged.Mr. Satan brought his arms to the side and began to inhale deeply.“What’s your father doing?” asked Akane.“One of his signature moves.”‘Signature moves?’“Hraaaaagh…!” Mr. Satan let out a charge like yell as he rushed Kuno with his fist reared back.“Megaton PUNCH!”Kuno quickly raised his guard to defend from his attack but to his surprise, Mr. Satan’s blow struck with enough force to break his sword in half and nail him in the face, blowing him across the ring.Kuno rolled onto floor right at the edge of the ring, but still in bounds.“Well, you ready to give up yet?” asked a visibly winded Mr. Satan.‘That was a signature move? It looked just like a normal punch to me. A pretty strong punch at least, but just a punch regardless,’ noted Akane.“Incredible power! To think you’d be able to shatter my sword with a single blow,” Kuno praised straining to his feet.“Well, considering you yourself said you were a man of the sword, I don’t see how you intend to continue when your little stick is in splinters like that, so it really is in your best interest to surrender now before you get seriously hurt,” replied Mr. Satan.“Nonsense. A true swordsman is prepared for any situation!”Reaching into his robe, Kuno pulled out another wooden sword and stood ready to fight once again.“What the-!? Where was he keeping that!?” Videl exclaimed.“No one knows…answered Akane.”“Well…that’s uhh…pretty handy…” said a surprised Satan.“It’s more than that. Since you were bold enough to show me your finishing move, it is with great honor that I now unveil mine.”The air in the room darkened as Kuno’s stance began emanating a peculiar aura.“Hey, what’s goin’ on here?” asked Mr. Satan.‘Good question,’ added Videl. “Akane?”“Just watch.”“Now, Master. Feel the wrath of Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan’ High’s true power!”Mr. Satan flinched and quickly turned to Akane. “Hey I thought you said he couldn’t do-!”
“Blue Thunder Strike!”
A bolt of lightning flashed behind Kuno as he rushed Mr. Satan and struck with a barrage of thrusting blows.Stunned by the nonsensical lightning bolt, Mr. Satan was unable to bring his guard up in time and was hit with the full force of Kuno’s assault.“Atatatatatatata-!”“Daaaaaaghaaaaa-!”“Atatatatatatatata-Dorrryaaaaagh!”With one final swing of his sword, Kuno flung Mr. Satan out of the ring and into the wall with a loud crash. The girls watched in admitted awe as Mr. Satan slid off the wall and fell face first onto the floor.“Dad!” Videl cried rushing to his aid.Back in the ring, tears began to stream down Kuno’s face as he victoriously raised his sword. “Yes…it’s been done…the student has surpassed the master! I. Am. INVINCIBLE!”While Kuno boasted over his victory, Mr. Satan weakly picked himself off the floor. After a few seconds of struggling, he stood tall looking none the worse for wear. “Well boy, you got me. I’ll admit it’s my loss.”Unbeknownst to the girls, he flashed Kuno a discreet thumbs up. It took a moment, but Kuno quickly understood the implications. ‘So that’s it, Master took a dive again. He truly is a man to be respected. Regrettably it means I’ve yet to surpass his strength, but if this means I’ve earned his approval, then so be it…for now.’More tears streamed down Kuno’s cheeks, filled with (faux) pride. Meanwhile, Mr. Satan was bowing extra apologetically to his daughter.“Sorry sweety, but it’s all up to you now.”Videl sighed. “Don’t worry too much about it Dad,” Videl shrugged off. “Even if by some chance he manages to beat me, we have a backup plan.”“Backup plan?”Akane quickly whispered into Mr. Satan’s ear, and his expression lit up. “Well why didn’t you tell me sooner!? We could’ve avoided this whole thing!”“Firstly, we wanted to see if you were willing to clean up your own mess,” Videl started. “Secondly, I did still actually want to fight this guy, at the very least to test something out, so while I don’t appreciate the stakes you set behind this fight, I’m glad you set it up.”“Test out what…? Nevermind, just go in there and take that arrogant punk down a couple of notches! I’ll go get our backup ready!”Mr. Satan rushed out of the room while Videl made her way to the ring. ‘I’ll do more than take him down a notch.’“So, at last we meet in the hallowed ring of battle.” Kuno started, I must say it’s an honor to…”“Cut the pleasantries, and let’s just get down to business,” Videl cut him off.“Hmm, straight to the point. I like it. Very well then. For the sake of our future together, I must strike thee down with great-!”Taking a page from Kuno’s own book, Videl shut him up with a swift punch to the jaw, knocking him off balance.“Hmmm…so that’s how master felt during our bout,” noted Kuno.Videl kept on the pressure by dashing after Kuno and launching a rapid barrage of punches at Kuno’s face. The slow-witted swordsman was able to defend from the assault and managed to get in a counterattack with the hilt of his sword, striking Videl in her upper chest.“Gah-!”Videl clutched the spot she was hit as Kuno swung his sword back at her. Though she easily swayed away from Kuno’s attack, he didn’t give her a chance to recover and struck with a rapid barrage of slashes. Putting her nimbleness to work, Videl was able to weave through Kuno’s attacks with an impressive display of acrobatics before managing to spring herself into the air.“Take this!”Straightening herself out in midair, she launched a solid dive kick straight towards Kuno, but her armed opponent was prepared to counter. Pointing his sword downwards, he raised the hilt once again, knocking Videl’s leg away. Using her ki to steady herself, Videl back rolled in midair and launched a sideways kick that Kuno took full on.Though he was blown away by Videl’s last attack, he seemed relatively unphased. “That was a most graceful display in avoiding my earlier attack,” Kuno praised.“Flattery won’t save you tough guy,” Videl snapped.“I only speak the truth. The way you dance through the air is akin to a graceful dove, yet you strike with the savage intent of an eagle. It’s a flawless balance of beauty and pow-OOF!”Kuno was cut off by Videl driving her knee into his gut, making him keel over (at last).“I told you, flattery will get you nowhere…but thank you though!” she added cheerfully.‘Well…at least she knows how to just take a compliment,’ thought Akane.“I do say, your fierceness is on a similar tier to that of my beloved Pigtailed Girl,” Kuno complimented as he rose to his feet.“Pigtailed Girl?” asked Videl.“Yes, a small yet powerful maiden with fiery red locks tied up in a glorious braided twist. Swift as the great cheetah with the strength of a panther.”“Red hair in a…are you talking about Ranma?” Videl raised an eyebrow.Kuno’s grasp on his sword tightened. “I ask that you not mention that vile fiend in my presence again.”“Vile fiend? But didn’t you just compliment…“Yes. It’s common knowledge throughout our school that Saotome, in addition to martial arts is a practitioner of the dark arts who targets innocent women. His first victim being the Pigtailed Girl!”“Say huh-?”“With the teachings I received from your father, I aim to smite Saotome once and for all, and free the Pigtailed Girl from his malevolent clutches. This I swear it!”Kuno raised his sword as another inexplicable bolt of lightning flashed behind him. While he held his pose, Videl turned back to Akane and asked, “Does he…not know that…?”Akane answered with a nod. “It’s not even like Ranma’s keeping it a secret anymore (at least at school). Kuno’s just too blinded by his own stupidity to face reality.”A bead of sweat fell down Videl’s forehead. She’s met some thickheaded people in her time, but nobody could be that stupid…right?“And what do you plan to do with the ‘Pigtailed Girl’ after you’ve beaten Ranma?” asked Videl.“Obviously she will be most grateful for springing her from her captive. So much show that she will be more than willing to bestow upon me her everything! Mind, body, and soul. Then she along with you and Ms. Akane shall live a graceful, happy life with me until the end of time.”A mental image fluttered of the girls in questioned all throwing themselves at Kuno, causing the cocky swordsman to be lost in his own sea of fantasy. Videl however, once again stood completely motionless unable to form any kind of coherent response, physically or verbally. All she could do was stammer in utter disbelief.Akane shook her head dismissively. ‘I know I should feel vindicated since I tried to warn her, but I honestly just feel super sorry for her right now.’“Now then, enough about Saotome. Let us continue our bout,” Kuno proclaimed raising his sword defensively.Videl was still frozen from the complete idiocy she just had to endure, but was quickly snapped back to reality with the iconic cry of, “An opening!”“Huh-? WHOA!”Bending herself backwards, Videl was just able to dodge a sideways slash attack. Rolling into a backflip, she was able to counter with an upwards kick to Kuno’s chin, creating some distance, but not seeming to damage him that much.‘This is getting ridiculous, I’ve got to end this fight quickly before he gets lucky.’“Indeed, I agree. It is time for this battle to end.” Kuno proclaimed.“How did you know what-?”“I read the last sentence.”“Don’t literally read my thoughts you creep!”“Nevertheless, I shall deal you the same honorable defeat I dealt your father, my master.”Kuno stood in the familiar pose as the aura in the room darkened yet again.‘Great…’
“Blue Thunder Strike!”
Leaping into the air and hovered, crossing her arms and legs defensively, preparing herself to take the rapid-fire attack. In an inexplicable flash of lightning, the attack finally hit and Videl’s body was bombarded with impact after impact at an inhuman speed. Determined to hold her ground, Videl continued to take the attacks until Kuno ended his barrage with a fierce sideways swing.“Doooryah!”“Whaa-!”Videl’s guard was finally broken and she was launched backwards. Thankfully, her flight ability was able to keep her from getting knocked out of bounds. Floating back into a safe zone in the ring Videl’s body shuddered until she was ungraciously dropped to her knees.‘Why is my body so shaky? He didn’t hit me that hard, did he-!?’Videl let out a soft gasp when she noticed bruises forming on her arms. ‘No way…he did that?’“I told you he was stronger than he looks.” Added Akane.“It seems youth and vigor trumps experience and strength this day. I didn’t think you’d still be able to move after that attack did in your father, though I’m positive you won’t be able to survive a second strike.”As Kuno rushed in to deliver a finishing blow, Videl launched herself away and hovered over the ring just out of Kuno’s reach.“Ahh, once again, you ascend like the graceful terrors of the skies. Fear not, I’m patient enough to wait for you to descend so we can finish our battle like true fighters.”True to his word, Kuno held his sword over his shoulder and stood motionless while Videl took the moment to recover from Kuno’s last attack.‘Okay, now what’s my play here? Should I try to go in and end this fight now, or should I play it safe and go on the defensive?“Videl, now’s your chance! End this fight!” Akane urged.“I can’t be too hasty Akane. Like you said, he’s stronger than he looks so I’ll have to play this carefully, or else I could actually lose,” Videl replied.Akane shook her fist in irritation. “Videl, this battle’s gone on long enough, you have to finish it now! Before something stupid happens!”“Stupid like what!?”“I don’t know…like when Ranma and Happosai crashed our match back at the dojo?”The still Kuno instantly turned his attention towards Akane at the mention of Ranma’s name. “What was that Akane Tendo?”Taking a page from her new friend’s manga, Videl divebombed Kuno and flipped into a dropkick while calling out, “An opening!”“Wha-? DMMMMMMF!”Kuno was slammed into the tile while Videl backflipped away then dashed toward him as he rose to his feet.“Not today!”Before Kuno could raise his guard, Videl pivoted her body around and followed up with a spinning mid-air kick, faceplanting him back into the tile.“Incredible.” Kuno praised as he rose again.Getting continually frustrated with Kuno’s persistence, Videl rushed ahead and continued to fire off attacks at Kuno. Starting with a flying forward kick to his midsection, followed by another spinning midair kick to the side of his head, swiftly followed by a back-elbow strike.Videl’s attacks seemed to finally be taking a toll on Kuno, but rather than look tired, he just seemed more motivated than ever. “Yes, yes! The passion behind the fire in your strikes! I can feel it! Truly you are a woman worthy of the Great Blue Thunder!”Videl’s eyes narrowed dangerously as a vein ticked on her forehead, her fists clenching tightly through her fingerless gloves. Unbeknownst to her, as her whole body trembled with a silent fury, the air around her began to get lighter. In an instant, the air returned to normal as Videl seemed to calm down.“You know Kuno…throughout this whole fight, there’s been something I’ve been wanting to say to you.”“Oh? And what might that be, beloved?”“I get why Dad set this fight up, but it turns out, he was wrong. Neither actions nor words alone will break through that thick skull of yours…so…I’ll have to use both to make myself clear as crystal, capisce!?”“Videl?” called a concerned Akane.The air around Videl suddenly exploded as a fierce wind emanated from the small clear aura that now surrounded her body. In a mad dash, Videl flew headfirst at Kuno and drove her fist into his solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him.“I’ve only just met you…”Retreating, she hopped up and spin kicked him in the face again.“…and almost everything about you gives me the creeps.”Floating over to Kuno’s reeling form, she flipped forward in midair and delivered a fierce axe-kick to his cranium.“Even if I lose this fight…”Flipping in midair again, she stomped down hard on the crown of Kuno’s head with both feet planting him face first into the tile.“…I’d never leave Gohan…EVER.”Backflipping back onto the tile, Videl reared her hands back, her opposite clutching her dominant as she poured all the energy she had left into her attacking fist.“Even if Gohan and I ever do separate in the future, one thing is certain…”Kuno slowly picked himself up just as Videl’s hands were bathed in low, shining light.“…I will never, EVER GO OUT WITH YOU!”Before Kuno could fully comprehend what was happening, he was struck in the face by a hard, glowing fist courtesy of Videl. The moment her fist made contact with his face, the glow shone even brighter and Kuno was ungraciously launched from the ring and into the dojo walls in a similar manner to Mr. Satan.As the loser of the fight slid down the wall into unconsciousness, the winner was panting heavily as smoke rose from her fist and her body shuddered prevalently. After a pregnant pause, Videl fell to her knees completely winded from her last attack.“How’s…that…?” she softly snapped.Before Videl could fall back onto the tile, she was quickly caught from behind by Akane who helped keep her victorious friend on her feet.“Well Videl, welcome to the club.”“What club?”“The ‘Kuno Likes Me, so I Beat Him Club’.”There was a second of silence before Videl couldn’t help but snicker before devolving into a full on laughing fit. A fit so hard, she fell back onto Akane who quickly joined in the laughter as well.“Hey, I heard a crash in here! What happened!?”An alarmed Mr. Satan came back into the dojo with both Buu and Bee by his side only to find Kuno unconscious on the floor and his daughter and her friend literally rolling on the floor laughing together.“Uhhhh…are we too late?” asked Mr. Satan.The girls paused before breaking out into even harder laughter.[Shortly later]“Haaaa…”Videl moaned out as she sank into the warm, rejuvenating water of their indoor hot tub.“I don’t know why I’m surprised you have both an outdoor and indoor sauna when your father’s one of the richest people alive.” Noted Akane.“Less talking, more relaxing,” Videl dismissed as she laid her head on the sauna rim.“Sorry, but I still can’t get over how insane tonight was.”“I can’t get over how exhausted I feel after that fight. Seriously, I had no idea letting your energy just…burst like that was so draining on the muscles.”“Hehe, if you ask me, it was totally worth it for the knockout you dealt Kuno. Seriously, I don’t think even Ranma could’ve delivered a butt-kicking that thorough.” Akane praised.“Believe me, if he tries anything again, I’ll kick his butt just as hard!” Videl snapped.“Sad thing about being part of this club is, there always will be a next time. Kuno just never gives up.”“Hopefully, he will if my Dad has anything to say about it. He said he’d take care of Kuno while we try to relax. I just hope he’s true to his word.”“You have issues with your father, don’t you?” Akane raised an eyebrow.“Not really. I just wish he’d stop making outlandish promises he can’t keep or agreeing to fight battles he knows he can’t win.”“Wait, did you not think your father could’ve beaten Kuno?” asked Akane.“No no, that fight could’ve gone either way. I’m talking about…past battles.”“Well, enough about the past. We still have the future to worry about.”“Yeah I know, but now that I’ve gotten a real feel for Cologne’s move, I think I’ll be utilize it better in no time,” she said with determination.“Speaking of Ryoga, I wonder if he’ll even be back in time for the match?”“What, does he show up fashionably late or something to every fight?” joked Videl.“If by fashionably you mean a week, then yes.”‘A week?’[Elsewhere]A giant pig carrying a young girl could be seen barreling through a dense forest area, knocking various plants, rocks, and small animals out of its’ path.“Ryoga, where did you run off too this time?” called the girl.Unbeknownst to her, the object of her hunt was flattened under the hoofprints of the larger swine.[Back with the girls]As the two continued to enjoy their soak, a low rumble filled the area, making Videl blush and Akane snicker.“I guess fighting is hungry work,” teased Akane. “We should probably get out now.”Videl paused then snapped her finger as a lightbulb went off in her head. “There’s no need. I just remembered, I have a capsule with Chi-Chi’s cooking in my shorts pocket.”“For real!?”“Yeah. Wait here, I’ll go get it.”Grabbing a towel, Videl raced off towards the dressing room as Akane laid back beneath the water, reflecting on the events of the night.‘Hmmm…not that I care much but still, I can’t help but wonder what Mr. Satan’s doing with Kuno.’[Elsewhere]A familiar young man clad in samurai robes snapped his eyes awake, darting upright from his sleeping position.“Where am I? What happened? Where are the girls!?”Surveying the area, Kuno found himself outside Mr. Satan’s dojo yet again, only this time he was laid down in a sofa and wrapped in a blanket.“Master?” As Kuno stepped out of the sofa, he saw a note taped to the blanket. A note that read, “Great effort my boy, but you’re not there yet. Keep training. -Master Satan. PS, in accordance with the terms of the match, you have to listen to what I say, and I’m going to make this clear. I am NEVER going out with you! -Videl.“I see, so I was bested in combat…” Crushing the note in his fist, Kuno proclaimed. “No matter, she will come to me in due time, once I strike down the commoner who had to be handed his victory, she will see that Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder is the only man worthy of the affection of such a fierce, yet graceful beauty! This I swear!”Raising his sword high, accompanied by a bolt of lightning, Kuno let out a triumphant yet maniacal laugh, as he raced off to the outskirts of the city. As he dashed away, he stepped dead center into an open manhole cover and fell through, hitting his forehead on the ground beneath the sewer water.‘Somehow Ranma Saotome…I know this is your fault.’ He cursed before falling unconscious yet again. [A/N: I’m back. I didn’t mean to take a hiatus for this story, but the holiday season (as well as a private commission, and a smexy holiday oneshot) took the time away from me. Speaking of, can you believe I’ve been writing this thing for TWO YEARS!? TWO. YEARS! It’s insane that I’ve stuck with this story for so long. Any who, this is the first time I’ve written a fight scene with Mr. Satan so I just hope I captured his fighting skills accurately. I know he sucks compared to the Z-Gang, but he is still a strong martial artist, the same goes for Kuno. I figured he’d be able to defeat Mr. Satan because he was a genuine obstacle for Ranma back in the early days of the series, and I think we can all agree that even in Vol. 1, Ranma would be more than a match for Mr. Satan. Also, I know Kuno’s not exactly known for being a tank like Ryoga, but he certainly can take a beating given all the times Ranma and Akane have blasted him off Team Rocket style, so I think he’d at least be able to give Videl some trouble. Still, in true DBZ fashion, a burst of rage gave Videl exactly what she needed for victory. Her Ki’s been unleashed, and she has a whole new perspective on fighting with power. The day of the duel is drawing nearer…now if only Ryoga could get Akari to take him there.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
Dawn of the Final Day; The Final Preparations Are Set
(A/N: I SWEAR TO THE KAIS, BEERUS, AND ZENO, THIS IS NOT AN APRIL FOOLS DAY PRANK!)
[A Few Days Later]
“Haaaagh!”
THWACK
“Hyaah!”
Spak!
In the Tendo Dojo, Akane and Videl could be seen throwing back to back punches and kicks at each other, both of them blocking and countering whenever they could. With a fierce grunt, Videl launched a high kick that Akane ducked under before the latter countered with a sweeping low kick. Videl was knocked off balance, but was able to flip back onto solid ground.The two girls stood defensively at each other before they both dropped their guards and exhaled.“Think it’s time for a break,” suggested Akane.“Agreed.”The two fell to the mats and dried themselves off. As the two girls recovered, a third female voice chimed in between them.“Well, haven’t seen you in a while.” Leaning against the doorframe was Ranma with his arms crossed in female form.“Oh, hey Ranma.” Videl greeted back. “Feels like it has been a while, hasn’t it?”“What do you want?” deadpanned Akane.“Cool it Akane. I was just watching your guys’ match and I gotta say, Videl’s kinda stepped up a bit.”“Why thank you,” Videl said, her face beaming with pride.“I think at the very least, you’ll be able to survive your match with Ryoga, but I still doubt you can actually win,” Ranma added.Videl narrowed her eyes but kept a determined smile. “Just you wait. I’ve been working on something with Gohan and Akane these past few days, and I think I’m ready to use it for real.”“Ohhh, now you’ve got me all curious. Would you be willing to try it out on me?” Ranma challenged dropping into a defensive stance.“Ask again in like, fifteen minutes,” Videl declined. “Right now, I think I could use some water.”“Wait here, I’ll go grab a couple of bottles.”As Akane exited, Ranma took a seat by Videl as the latter stretched her arm out.“You’ve been prepping for this fight for quite a long time now haven’t you?” Ranma started.“Have I? How long has it been?” Videl asked.“Hmmm…I think around 10, maybe 11 days,” Ranma answered.“Eleven days!?” Videl exclaimed darting to her feet. “But…that means…our fight was supposed to be four days ago!?”“Relax.” A calm Ranma said pulling Videl back to the floor. “We already told you about Ryoga’s piss poor sense of direction, right? Well something we haven’t told you yet is said crappy direction sense causes Ryoga to ALWAYS be late to our scheduled fights, so you’re fine.”“Wait…seriously?”“Yeah. The first time we scheduled a match together, I had to wait 4 days at a lot behind Ryoga’s house, and according to him, I was gone by the 5th and he vowed to hunt me down and finish our fight, but that’s water under the bridge,” she dismissed. “Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if it took that moron a full two weeks to get back to Nerima.”“P-CHAN!”“Huh?”A gleeful Akane darted back into the dojo with the familiar black piglet cradled in her arms. “Look it you guys, P-Chan’s back!”‘Does every author ever just love proving me wrong?’ Ranma inwardly blanked.“Oh hey!” Videl said reaching out to pet the small piglet. “I haven’t seen the little guy at all since I started coming here regularly. I forgot you even had a pet piglet.”“Yeah, he gets out all the time, but he always finds his way back home, doesn’t he?” Akane gleamed, snuggling the now blushing mammal against her chest.Ranma’s eye twitched with irritation, but soon snickered as a mischievous smile rose to her face. “Easy Akane, who knows where the little guy’s been all this time. It looks like he could use a ba-!”Before she could finish, the black piglet proceeded to barrage Ranma with his tiny hooves. “Knock it off you little pest!” she cried swatting him away.“Ranma leave P-Chan alone!” Akane snapped, chasing after her pet.“Why that little…!”“Geeze Ranma, what’s your problem with Akane’s piglet?” asked Videl.“Well it’s…”
‘Squeee!’
The tiny animal returned to its duel with Ranma as did Akane who was, rather forcefully trying to split the two up.
*DING-DONG!
“Uhhhm…is anyone gonna get that?”Taking a second look at the scene in front of her, Videl sighed and exited the room in order to answer the door herself. Upon opening the front door, Videl was met with a girl around her age with long dark hair, not unlike she used to have (only not tied up).“Umm…Hello?” she bashfully greeted.“Hi. Um…by any chance have you seen either a small black piglet or a tall boy with a yellow headband come through here?”“Wait, why-?”
“SQUEEEAL!”
“What in…!?” Dismissng the new guest, Videl quickly exclaimed, “Excuse me a second!” as she ran back to the dojo. Empty. Heading out the back door, her eyes widened as she found Ranma and Akane…petting a giant pig?“Guys…?”“Oh hey Videl,” Akane replied.“By any chance, was there a girl at the door?” asked Ranma.“Katsunishiki!”The girl from the front door dashed past a confused Videl and the large pig instantly bounded away from the Tendo residents and snuggled up beside her.“Hey Akari!” said the two.‘Didn’t think she’d show up too,’ Ranma inwardly added.“Wait…you all know each other?” asked Videl.“Kinda. She is Ryoga’s girlfriend after all.”“Ryoga’s WHAT!?”A few moments later, the four girls were all sat down in the dojo accompanied with snacks and water following a few brief introductions.“So you and Ryoga are really a thing, huh?” asked Videl.“Well…” Akari could only put her hands up to her reddening face as Ranma let out an impish snicker.“Yeah, and they’re welcome.” Ranma added.“For what?”“Well…not to toot my own horn, but it was thanks in part to me that they actually got together in the first place,” Ranma bragged.“Seriously?” Videl turned to Akane.“I…actually can’t confirm or deny,” she shrugged.“It’s true. If it weren’t for Ranma…why…I’d still be searching aimlessly for a good, strong man,” Akari melodramatically proclaimed.Videl raised an eyebrow. “No offense Akari but…what exactly do you see in him? Ryoga’s strong, I’ll give him that, but I’d hesitate to call him a ‘good’ strong man…” ‘Though to be fair, he doesn’t really seem like a bad guy either.’ She added taking a sip of water.“It’s hard to explain, but there’s no doubt that Ryoga is the perfect man for me, because…he’s just like a pig!”Not unlike Gohan before her, Videl spat out her sip of water in a moment of pure shock, coughing as she recovered.“Excuse me!?”“Yes, he’s just as strong and energetic as a pig. If he weren’t, he’d never have been able to defeat Katsunishiki.”“Uhhhhh…”Ranma leaned over and whispered, “Long story, but the main takeaway is she really loves pigs.”“That probably explains why she asked if I’d seen P-Chan around,” Videl failed to notice Ranma flinch at her statement. “But…she does realize what ‘men are pigs’ means right?” Videl asks.“Probably not, but do you really want to upset her like that?” added Akane.“Could it be…your opinion of Ryoga is skewed because you’re having a match with him?”Videl turned to Akari but held her tongue.“I don’t think so. I don’t have anything against him personally, but he does still need to pay for trashing my father’s dojo.Akari sighed. “I understand, just please don’t hold it against him. Even if he did destroy your dojo, I’m positive it couldn’t have been intentional.”“I think we’ve already had this discussion before, but Akari’s right Videl. Ryoga’s an odd bird, but he’s generally not a bad guy all things considered,” Akane added.Videl sat with her arms crossed, mulling over the two’s words. Ryoga was an enigma, not helped by the various mixed signals she’d been receiving, based on both input from others and her own experience with him.“Hmph, odd-bird. ‘Strange-swine’ is more like-!”Her words being cut off, Ranma was met with a foot to the back of the head accompanied by a loud yell of, “Who you callin’ a swine!?”Low and behold, the eternal lost boy joined the girls in the dojo, standing faux triumphantly on Ranma’s head.“Ryoga?”“Ryoga!”The bulky boy was immediately embraced by the pig-obsessed girl and in a delightful haze removed his foot from Ranma.“A-Akari! Glad I found you here! I was afraid I’d gotten lost again.” Ryoga chuckled.“Nope, I’d say you’re right on time,” interjected Videl.Ryoga turned to face the lite Z-Warrior and his expression became sterner. “Oh, you’re here too. I assume your friend hasn’t forgotten about our match?”“What friend?” asked Akari. “I thought Videl was the one you were having a match against.”“Allow me to break it down for you Akari,” Ranma chimed in, whilst pulling out a crudely drawn diagram.“Videl wants to fight Ryoga because he wrecked her father’s dojo, Ryoga on the other hand wants to fight Videl’s boyfriend Gohan because of…an accident that involved him and Akane that Ryoga’s too thickheaded to let go, even though Akane herself already has. So, the deal is, if Ryoga wants to fight Gohan, he’ll have to get through Videl first.”“Wait wha…?” Videl paused before realizing what Ranma was setting up and she decided to go along. “I mean…that’s right. You haven’t forgotten have you Ryoga?” Videl taunted.Ryoga hung his head. “Forgive me, but I believe I may have. I don’t recall ever agreeing to fight with you,” Ryoga replied.“Sorry buddy, but you heard Ranma. You wanna fight Gohan, you have to get through me first.” Videl emphasized.“How pitiful, sending a woman in his place for a man to man fight. Truly unadmirable.”“Hey! Don’t you dare talk about Gohan like that!” Videl snapped.“Why not. If he’s so cowardly that he intends to send the woman he apparently loves headfirst into a hopeless fight just to save his own skin, then I fail to see what you could possibly see in such a man.”“Ryoga!” Akari gasped.Both Ranma and Akane took a step backwards as a visible vein ticked on Videl’s forehead and she stomped towards the yellow clad fighter. “Ohhhh, them’s fightin’ words,” the former muttered. Akane nodded in agreement.“Listen here pal,” Videl snapped pointing a finger in Ryoga’s face. “You don’t know a single thing about Gohan, so I’ll enlighten you; Son Gohan is the kindest most admirable person I know, and he’s the last person who’d need someone else to fight a battle for him, especially against someone like you! He’s way stronger than you could ever hope to be, but despite that, Gohan hates fighting pointless battles and he has no reason to fight you. I on the other hand, have plenty! Our fight’s not just for my Dad’s sake anymore, this is for Gohan!”As Videl wound down her monologue, Ranma gave an impressed whistle while Akane and Akari could only glance at her with similarly impressed expressions. Ryoga on the other hand merely chuckled.“I guess it’d be rude of me to decline your challenge now but make no mistake. Even though I’ve accepted, my true goal remains that man. We’ll have our battle tomorrow, but make sure he’s there.”“Don’t worry, he will be.” Videl confirmed.“Hmph, then until we meet again.” Throwing his umbrella up on his shoulder, Ryoga exited the dojo…and headed into the Tendo’s kitchen.“Uhhhhh…excuse us.”Grabbing Akari by the wrist, Ranma darted into the kitchen after Ryoga. Following a pair of splashes as well as the sound of various thumping, a now male Ranma returned to the dojo sans Akari and Ryoga.“Ranma, what did you do?” asked Akane.“Nothin’ much but Videl, I think it’s best if you come back to our town for the match instead of the other way around,” Ranma replied.“Why?”“I just set Akari up with some stuff so she and Ryoga can camp for the night. Akane knows as well as me that we can’t leave him alone and expect him to be back tomorrow, let alone find your place again. Also, I think the readers have waited long enough for this fight to happen.”“That’s true,” Akane nodded.[Meanwhile, at a vacant lot in the city]Akari could be seen snuggled up against Katsunishiki beside a tent while cradling a familiar, blushing black piglet against her chest.“Honestly Ryoga, did you have to be so harsh?” she lightly scolded.The black piglet let out a stubborn squeal as he laid his head down on Akari’s lap. As the three drifted off to sleep, a single thought played in pig-Ryoga’s mind. ‘She’s right about one thing, I really don’t know anything about that guy.’[Back at the dojo]Ranma and Akane were seeing off a newly determined Videl who was hovering just above them in the backyard.“Sorry to welch on our spar Ranma but…”“No, no, I understand. You gotta rest up for tomorrow.” He dismissed.“Do you really think you can win?” Added Akane.“I don’t know, but I’m gonna give him everything I’ve got and then some!” Videl proclaimed.“Well don’t worry, even if you and/or Gohan lose, I’ll be more than happy to slug him for ya a few times,” Ranma added with a thumbs up.“Thanks for the offer Ranma but trust me, even if I lose Gohan won’t.”“You have a lot of faith in him, don’t you?” asked Akane.Videl’s face flashed pink. “You have no idea. I’ll see you guys tomorrow!”Videl ascended as the two waved their goodbyes. Unbeknownst to them, another of the dojo’s patrons had returned with a mischievous glimmer in their eye.“I need to get a bigger memory card.”[Later that evening]Videl arrived home in a flash, darting past her father who was feeding Bee.“Whoa Videl, what’s all the rushin’ for?” Mr. Satan asked.“Dad, remember that guy I told you about that trashed the dojo? Well tomorrow’s the day of our fight, and I want to be ready for it.”Mr. Satan let out a signature hearty laugh whilst beaming with pride. “That’s my girl!” Placing both hands on her shoulders, Mr. Satan continued in a sterner tone, “Rest up while you can sweety and give em’ all kinds of hell!”“Will do Dad,” Videl chuckled. As she darted to her room, she was once again paused by her father. “Wait, don’t you think you should eat something?”“Later. I gotta shower and make a phone call!”As soon as Videl made it to her room, she activated her Comm Watch and was shortly face to face with Gohan…from behind a screen at least.“Oh, good evening Videl.”“Gohan, do I have news for you.”
[The Next Day]
Once the Final Bell rang at Furinkan High, the entire student body was assembled into the sports field, many of them sitting with friends in anticipation.“What’s with the crowd?” asked Ranma.“Didn’t you hear?” Ranma and Akane turned to find Daisuke and Hiroshi. “Mr. Satan’s daughter is coming to town for a match!”“Say wha-?”The startled boys yelped as Akane grabbed both bystanders by the collar and demanded, “How did you know about that!?”“Your sister!” they said simultaneously.Releasing them, AKane clenched her fist in irritation. “Naaabikiiiii…!”“Yes?”
“Wah!”
Startling the pair, the middle Tendo sister appeared beside them without warning. “Nabiki, this fight was supposed to be a private matter, why’d you tell everyone!?” exclaimed Akane. “Actually, how’d you even know about it, we never said anything about it to anyone.”‘Sans the Amazons,’ Ranma added.“Sorry little sister, but my sources remain anonymous,” Nabiki snarked. “Still, how could you not mention that your old ‘childhood hero’ was coming back to town to have a fight with one of our ‘hometown favorites’?”“Because again, it was supposed to be a private matter,” Akane emphasized.“Is that so? Well if you would’ve told me, I wouldn’t have set this whole thing up,” Nabiki smarmed.“Like Hell you wouldn’t have!” Akane pointed accusingly at her sister“Oh well, what’s done is done. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a pot to raise.” Nabiki left the two as Akane let out a distressed groan.“I can’t believe this!” Akane angrily exclaimed.“Are you really surprised though?”“No…”, she sighed.“Given how things get around at school, someone was bound to find out sooner or later, right?”“I guess…I just have a feeling that Videl isn’t going to be happy about this.”[Meanwhile]In the skies, the ever-familiar yellow aircraft could be seen with not only its familiar pilot, but also her father. Flying beside them was Satan City’s resident superhero.“You know Dad, you didn’t have to come along,” Videl informed.“Nonsense. If my girl is gonna throw down with the punk who wrecked my property, then you better believe I’m gonna be there to watch her give him a beating!”“It’s not that I don’t appreciate the support Dad, I just don’t want you to draw too much attention. You may live for the spotlight, but I’d prefer not to draw a crowd.” Videl replied.“That…might be a problem,” added Gohan.“How come?”“I can feel Ranma’s energy, but it feels like he’s already in a crowd,” Gohan replied.“Figures,” Videl sighed. “School must have just let out for them, so it makes sense there’d still be a ton of people around him. Oh well, let’s just do this already!”“Hold on…” Gohan closed his eyes and let his senses flow. Of all the ki he could sense in the area, there were two that stood out compared to the rest. He recognized Ranma’s as the one that was still, but he could sense another one moving quickly in Ranma’s direction.“I can feel another power level heading towards Ranma. It’s got to be Ryoga.”“Perfect,” Videl smirked.“Well don’t just float there boy, go after him already!” Hercule ordered.“Y-yes sir!” In a burst, Gohan zoomed after Ryoga’s energy, leaving the father and daughter pair behind.“Hey, wait up Gohan!”At full throttle, the champion duo took off after The Great Saiyaman.[Back at Furinkan High]The anxious students were all gathered in the fields waiting for either of the combatants to show up when suddenly, a loud squeal filled the air.“What was that?” asked a Random boy.“It sounded like a-.”
“Squeee!”
“Pig!”Sure enough Katsunishiki burst through the gates and into the field, mounted by none other than Akari and Ryoga. The large swine slowed itself down and halted abruptly, allowing Ryoga to dismount. As Ranma and Akane approached the odd couple, they could make out Ryoga saying his ‘goodbyes’ to Akari. “Thanks for the lift you two.”“We’ll be rooting for you, but try not to be to cruel to that girl.”Ryoga sighed, but nodded his agreement.“Yo, Ryoga!” As Ranma and Akane approached, Akari and Katsunishiki dashed off to find a seat for the fight.“You’re actually here before your opponent for once. That’s gotta be like a record or somethin’,” Ranma teased and greeted.“They’re not here yet? That girl seemed pretty determined to have this fight. It’d be a shame if her boyfriend’s cowardness had rubbed off on her,” Ryoga crossed his arms.“Watch it Ryoga,” Akane said dangerously. “You’re my friend, but don’t think I won’t hurt you if you keep talking bad about Videl or Gohan,” she warned.“I wouldn’t have so many harsh words if they’d had the courtesy to show up on time,” Ryoga countered.“Pot, meet kettle.” Deadpanned Ranma.In the next instance, a humming and whooshing sound filled the area.“What’s that?” asked Ryoga.“Sounds like an airplane or something,’”Ranma added.At Ranma’s proclamation, everyone turned upwards and began scanning the skies. A few seconds later, a random girl called out “Up there!” and pointed skyward.All eyes turned to see a yellow aircraft with the name “SATAN” emblazoned on it in all caps.‘She’s here!’ Akane’s face was beaming.[In the Jet]Videl glanced out the side of the aircraft and after some searching, spotted Ranma, Akane, and Ryoga altogether. A determined smile on her face, she quickly called out, “I’m taking us down!”“Wait!” Mr. Satan objected. “You can’t just land the plane like that! I know you said you didn’t want me to draw a crowd, but since one’s already drawn up, you gotta make an impression to let them and that bastard your fightin’ know that you mean business!”Videl hovered the jet over the school thinking over her father’s words. Her determined smile growing wider, she replied, “You’re right. Dad, take the controls!”“Wait, what are you doin’?” Mr. Satan asked as he complied.Turning to her father, Videl winked and replied, “Making a dramatic entrance.”“Hold on-!”Before Mr. Satan could object, Videl leapt out of the aircraft and swan-dived to the ground. Many spectating students gasped as she clearly had no parachute or equipment. Flipping in midair, Videl slowed her fall via flight and landed gently on her feet before turning to face her would be opponent.The students looked in awe at Videl’s skydive and many broke out into applause. Shaking off the flattered grin that grew onto her face, Videl’s expression turned serious as she approached the trio.“So, you’re finally here,” Ryoga said.“You think I’d miss this?” Videl smarmed.“Is he with you too?” Ryoga ignored her question“He has a name, and don’t worry. He should be here right about…” Videl checked her watch. “…Now.”The onlookers all had confusion on their faces. Weren’t Ryoga and Videl the oes fighting? In that instance, a low ‘FSSSH’ sound caught the attention of the martial artist group. Turning towards the gate was the figure of what looked like a man in a cape. As he came into view, the cape seemed to disappear as the figure revealed himself as a kid around their age in a white shirt, black vest, and red pants.“So, he did show up,” Ryoga growled raising his fist.
“Who’s that?”
“Is he the guy Ryoga’s fighting?”
“No, Ryoga’s fighting Mr. Satan’s daughter...right?”
“He’s kinda cute actually.”
The speculative murmurs continued as Gohan stood by Videl’s side. “Sorry I’m late, but I figured since this was your fight, you should take the spotlight.”“Well aren’t you a gentleman,” Videl gleamed.“Hmph, and here I thought your being here meant that you had the guts to face me head on, but it appears I was wrong. You still intend to hide behind that girl after all!” Ryoga exclaimed accusingly.Gohan opened his mouth to respond but was hushed by Videl. “Don’t waste time trying to explain yourself Gohan. At this point, nothing’s gonna sway either of us.”“It better not!” came a loud booming voice. All eyes turned towards the roof of the school where the champ stood, arms crossed, his cape flapping in the breeze.
“Is that Mr. Satan!?”
“No freakin’ way!”
“For real!?”
“It really is him!”
“That miscreant has dishonored the name of Satan, and I SHALL NOT forgive him, and it seems Videl feels the same. As much as I’d like to hop down there and give that vandalizing punk what for, my more than capable daughter should be more than enough to teach him a lesson. You hear me Videl!? Give. Him. HELL! DAHAHAHAHA!”Videl buried her face into Gohan’s shoulder as she desperately tried to not die of embarrassment. “Goddammit Dad…”“Hmph, such a shame that you have to suffer this humiliation for your partner’s indignity, but don’t worry yourself. I’ll make this quick.” Ryoga took a defensive stance as Ranma and Akane stood aside.“Be careful Videl,” Gohan whispered. Before he could clear the battlefield, Videl grabbed his arm. “What, no good luck kiss?”Gohan’s face flushed cherry red. “I…uhhhh…”“Kidding, but I am expecting a victory kiss once this is over.”“Deal,” Gohan nodded. Clearing the battlefield, Gohan went to join Ranma and Akane as the two combatants stared each other down.“Glad you could make it buddy,” greeted Ranma.“There’s no way I’d miss one of Videl’s fights,” Gohan affirmed.“You think she can win?” asked Akane.“I can’t say for sure. We’ll just have to wait and see.” ‘I just hope she’s not in way over her head.’[On the field]Videl took a defensive stance as Ryoga nonchalantly walked towards her. “Allow me to apologize ahead of time. I really don’t want to hurt someone who’s a friend of Akane’s, but if you still insist on going through with this battle, then I will fight with all my strength.”“Good, that’ll just make it that much sweeter when I kick your ass!” Videl replied.“Very well,” Ryoga sighed. “You asked for this!”Ryoga’s slow walk accelerated into a mad dash. Instinctively, Videl leapt backwards as Ryoga pulled his umbrella out of seemingly nowhere and thrust it towards Videl.‘Hmph, no problem.’Recalling her previous bought with Kuno, Videl stood firm and prepped herself to defend against Ryoga’s weapon, intending to counterattack afterwards. Too her surprise, when Ryoga’s attack hit, she found herself thrown to the ground as the weight of Ryoga’s weapon as well as the incredible force behind it broke through her guard.‘The hell…!?’As Videl shook off the after effects from the attack, Ryoga held his umbrella over his shoulder looking unimpressed.Her eyes narrowed, Videl quickly rolled onto her feet before darting back at Ryoga. Flipping forward, she launched a fierce kick to his midsection. Unfazed by Videl’s attack, Ryoga counterattacked with a side swipe from his umbrella. Videl was once again thrown aside as she failed to block the strike.As Videl moved to pick herself uo, she was halted by Ryoga pointing his umbrella down at her, seemingly pinning her to the ground.“If you know what’s good for you, stay down.”Channeling energy into her hand, Videl swatted the heavy umbrella aside and caused Ryoga to stumble, giving herself time to slip out of the lost boy’s range. Getting back to her feet, Videl stood defensively and proclaimed, “Not a chance!” (A/N: Long time no see, and again, this is NOT an April Fool’s Day joke. I’ve been meaning to update this story ever since February, but various situations in life kept me away from writing…and I don’t mean the infamous virus epidemic [Although that does play SOME part since it’s made my job a LOT more stressful this past month and a half]. Don’t wanna go into detail, but just know that it was something of a family situation. I’ll try and get the next chapter done quickly cause we’re at the part everyone’s been waiting for, and making you wait too much longer would just be mean (Also, 30 chapters! DAMN!). I wanted to write the whole thing here, but I figured a fight like that deserved a chapter all to itself, so I hope y’all enjoyed the appetizer. To contradict myself, a little, I know I just said I’d get the next chapter out faster, but I’m gonna be busy with some other works in the coming week or so. Specifically, a commission as well as submissions for the first annual HanVi week [Shameless plug is shameless]. That’s right, now EVERY canon DBZ couple has their own fandom week (GoChi Week actually just ended don’t ya know). If you’re interested in participating or just seeing what everyone else is cooking up, follow @HanViWeek on Twitter, run by the great @cc6512eng Who’s the lovely artist who made the cover for this story. Stay tuned as this is sure to be a blast! Next time, Videl vs. Ryoga; It’s finally happening)
PS: Fun Fact: The whole 10-11 days thing with Ryoga was actually unplanned. I just pulled a number out of nowhere that sounded like a feasible amount of time to have passed, but when I went back to check how long I’d written each time skip, it actually DID add up to about 10 days. I guess that’s what happens when multiple chapters take place in the span of a single day.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
The Awaited Battle, Videl vs. Ryoga! Show the Results of Your Training!
[A/N: The previous chapter was uploaded on April 1st, but I feel compelled to mention that the upload was an honest chapter of the story. If you skipped out on it thinking it was an AFD prank, I implore you to go back and read it because, and I cannot stress this enough, it was NOT an April Fool’s Day Prank. Okay back to your regularly scheduled shenanigans]
The Furinkan Student body looked in anticipation as Videl stood defiantly against her taller, burly opponent, shaken but far from deterred.“Yeah, it’s goin’ pretty much how I expected,” commented Ranma.“Just wait and see Ranma. Videl hasn’t used her new technique yet,” Akane added.“Oh believe me, I ain’t turnin’ away from this fight. I’m dyin’ to see what Videl learnt from the ol’ Ghoul.”A cross-armed Gohan silently stared at the battlefield, awaiting the outcome with bated breath. ‘Be careful Videl.’[]Ryoga let out a disheartened sigh. “Your martial arts skills may be competent, but sadly, you don’t have the strength to leave a single dent in me!” he taunted.Videl grit her teeth in frustration. Despite the bit of ‘bulking up’ she’d manage to do these past days, her attacks still had little to no effect on the burly lost boy. ‘I was kinda hoping my general training would be enough to at least wear him down, but oh well. I guess it’s time to bust out the new stuff!’Videl closed her eyes and took a deep breath before taking a defensive stance with her feet firmly planted on the ground. With an efforted grunt, she began to charge her energy.“What is she doing?” Ryoga muttered to himself.[]‘Show us the results of your training Videl!’ Gohan inwardly cheered.Her energy raised to its apex, Videl shot off at Ryoga at an impressive speed, winding up for a punch. Though Ryoga could still very easily dodge or block Videl’s attack, he simply stood motionless, wide open as Videl closed in on him. Finally, her attack connected and Ryoga looked completely unfazed.“It’s like I said, you don’t have the-!”
DMP-!
“Gah-!?”The spectators all gasped as Ryoga clutched his stomach and stumbled backwards, seemingly in pain.
“No way!”
“She hurt him!?”
“But her attacks weren’t working a minute ago…what happened?”
“That’s Mr. Satan’s daughter for ya!
[]“Alright!” cheered Akane. “She pulled it off!”“Looks pretty damn effective too. Imagine if someone on Ryoga’s level did that to him,” Ranma added.Worry was still evident on Gohan’s face, but he couldn’t help but smile at Videl’s current success, no matter how minor. The outcome of the fight was still to be determined, but a newfound confidence in his partner welled up inside the worrywart Saiyan.[]Ryoga looked at Videl with a shocked expression plastered on his face, an expression that seemed to match Videl’s own.“It…it worked…she stated softly.”Ryoga growled before his expression softened. “Okay…so you may be stronger than you look. That’s the price I pay for being rude and cocky,” he shook his head. “Still, after that, don’t expect me to give you any more free shots!” he declared.Videl’s stunned expression quickly turned into one of genuine confidence. “I appreciate that last one, but trust me, after that, I won’t need any more!” she shot back.Standing firm, she raised her energy yet again, though this time, the change in the air around her did not go unnoticed by Ryoga.‘That stance again…what is she?’His thoughts cut out as Videl once again zipped at him poised to attack. Not wanting to repeat their previous exchange, Ryoga brought his forearm up to block her incoming punch. Videl followed up her blocked attack with a second punch that was also guarded. Followed by another and another until she was showering the yellow clad fighter with a barrage of strikes that he was effortlessly guarding against.“What’s wrong? Where’d all your strength from earlier go!?” Ryoga yelled. Parrying one of Videl’s punches with his forearm, Ryoga swung his umbrella sideways which Videl avoided by flipping over the long tool in the opposite direction.‘An opening!’ Videl inwardly beamed. Landing in a crouched position, Videl launched herself forward and drove her knee into Ryoga’s gut with a loud yell.“Hrrryaaaagh!”
BDMP
“Graaaagh…!”The impact hit much harder and Ryoga nearly doubled over as Videl retreated, using his umbrella as leverage.“Gah…you…how are you…landing these big strikes!?” Ryoga demanded. “I’ve seen my fair share of strong women around these parts, and the last time we met, your strength didn’t even come close to any of them!”“To be honest, they still don’t,” Videl replied. “But to answer your question, let’s just say a little old lady taught me how to use my inner strength.”“A little old…?” Ryoga’s narrowed an eyebrow in confusion before realization hit. “I see…now it all makes sense. You…trained with Cologne, didn’t you?”Videl shrugged before playfully winking at Ryoga. “Guilty as charged.”Catching everyone off guard, Ryoga began chuckling.“What’s so funny?”“Nothing. I’m just feeling relieved that I can take the kid gloves off now,” Ryoga replied.“Kid gloves…? I thought you said you were gonna fight with your full strength from the start!” proclaimed an angered Videl.“I did, but honestly, in my heart, I just couldn’t go all out against someone who was just that much weaker than me,” Ryoga melodramatically replied, shaking his fist.“Excuse you!?” scoffed an offended Videl.“But, since you went through the trouble of enduring what surely must’ve been hellish training from that witch, it’d be rude of me to hold back now. Not only that, if you’re able to survive any kind of training from her, then you truly must be a fighter worth defeating!” Ryoga added, his voice gaining more and more vigor with each word. “I commend you for pushing me this far, and I must once again apologize if you happen to gain major injuries from this battle, but once again, you have no one to blame but that cowardly man!”Videl’s eyes narrowed sharply at Ryoga’s last statement. “Hey, I told you, you don’t talk about Gohan like tha-!”Videl swallowed her words as the looming presence of Ryoga closed the gap between them in an instant and towered over her.“What the…? How did he-!?“Hraaaaagh!”“Gwaaaagh…!!”The one who keeled over in pain this time was Videl as Ryoga swiftly and fiercely buried his fist into her stomach. In the next instance, his attack followed through launching the pained, winded girl away rolling her onto her back.[]“Videl no…!” Gohan hastily muttered.“Ohhhh…that looked like it hurt,” Ranma closed an eye, wincing at the scene.Akane could only clench her fists in frustration. “It’s not over yet boys…Videl can still win!”“Can she though?”Not even Gohan could’ve resisted pounding Ranma into the dirt after that one. “I was asking in earnest!” Ranma defended rubbing the two lumps on his head.Gohan sighed. “Sorry Ranma…I’m just worried….”“I don’t blame ya. Still, you gotta admit it ain’t exactly lookin’ good for her out there.”‘I know…I just hope we don’t have a repeat of…that.’[]Videl slowly picked herself off the ground as Ryoga held his umbrella over his shoulder. “I don’t know what Cologne taught you, but now that I’m aware of it, I won’t give you the chance to catch me off guard with it again. I’m going to end this battle now!” he proclaimed.Opening his umbrella, Ryoga tossed it by the handle and the unorthodox weapon spun like a top towards Videl. Still recovering from Ryoga’s last attack, Videl could only somersault away from the dangerous rotator. Sadly for her, that put her right in the path of Ryoga who was darting after her with a finger raised.“Since you’ve shown me what you learned from the old’ lady, it’s only fair that I show you mine! Take this, Bakusai Tenketsu!”With a startled gasp, Videl managed to launch herself away from Ryoga as his finger struck the ground where she sat. She wasn’t granted much if any relief however as the ground beneath her all but erupted in a storm of dust and rock, the debris striking her in midair.“Agh…!”As Videl instinctively rubbed dust out of her eye, her leg was grabbed and she found herself getting forcibly pulled out of the air and slammed onto the ground.[]“What was that!?” asked Gohan.“The Breaking-Point Technique,” answered a raspy voice.The trio turned to see Cologne appear out of practically nowhere, mounted on her staff as usual.“Ms. Cologne? What are you doing here?”“Do you really think I’d dishonor my student by missing her long awaited fight? This is what I trained her for. I admit, I have little faith in her winning, but I do expect her to put on a good show.”Gohan rubbed the back of his head. “Okay, that makes sense, but could you elaborate on Ryoga’s technique a little?” he requested.“I’d rather not bore the readers with my explanation since they already know how it works, but just know that I taught Ryoga that technique many months ago in preparation for a battle against Ranma and training for that technique is partially responsible for Ryoga’s incredible durability, and while it may be responsible for wrecking Mr. Satan’s dojo, the technique in itself is non-lethal to people since we have no physical breaking point.”Before Gohan could ask a question, Ranma interjected. “Still, didn’t think Ryoga would bust that out in this fight. He wasn’t kidding when he said he wasn’t gonna hold back anymore.”‘I wonder if she’s gonna push him to use that technique too…?’[]“Gragh-!”Videl gasped out as Ryoga climed atop her, pinning her hands to the ground.“You’ve put up a good fight, but this is where it all ends!” Ryoga proclaimed.Videl struggled against Ryoga’s grip, but to no avail as his strong hands kept her wrists in place. Her well of options running dry, Videl took in a deep breath.“JUST WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE TOUCHING!?”“Whaaaaaaa-!?”
“WHAT!?”
“HUH-!?”Instantly, murmurs grew all across the spectator field as all eyes were now plastered on the flustered Ryoga.“Wait…I didn’t…I’m not…!”[]With a certain quartet of spectators, a certain red-clad boy was on the ground laughing as a certain black-haired boy’s expression went through a quick succession of surprise, embarrassment, and anger as his fist trembled with irritation.[]In the span of a few seconds, Ryoga removed himself from Videl’s body before clasping his hands together and bowing apologetically. “I’m so sorry! I swear it was an accident! I didn’t mean to! It was just supposed to be finishing move, I swear…! Please Akari, Akane,…you…Forgive me!”“Take it easy already,” Videl said casually.Ryoga looked up from the ground to see Videl standing above him, her arms crossed, looking no better or worse than she was after his last attack. “You didn’t actually do anything inappropriate, I just shouted that to get you off of me.”Videl’s neutral expression quickly grew into a snort as she could not contain her chortles. “Honestly…I didn’t think it’d actually work…!”“Wish…you’d said that…sooner,” came a strained voice.The two teen fighters looked behind Videl to see Mr. Satan face planted into the dirt.“Dad?” ‘Did he seriously just jump off the roof of the school?’In the next instance, Shampoo and Mousse appeared and nonchalantly picked Mr. Satan up.“Now Fly-Girl keep fighting Ryoga, yes?” added Shampoo.The two combatants simply nodded.“Well then, enjoy your bout,” Mousse added as he and Shampoo carried Mr. Satan’s unconscious form away.Videl sighed in embarrassment. ‘I probably shouldn’t have done that, but still, that’s what he gets for trying to butt into my fights!’[]Gohan’s angered trembling eased up at her explanation as Ranma’s laughter only intensified.“I…I…I can’t believe she actually did that…! And I can’t believe that moron fell for it…!”[]“I can’t believe you did that!” Ryoga boomed. “Have you no honor!?”In a manner similar to her boyfriend and his family, Videl sheepishly put a hand behind her head as she answered Ryoga. “I’ll admit that was a bit skeevy, but I had no other ideas back then. Besides, isn’t this ‘Anything-Goes Martial Arts?’”“Don’t try to loophole your way outta this! That was dirty! No, that was Ranma level dirty!”[]“Ranma, don’t tell me you gave her that idea,” Akane accused.Ranma snorted. “I wish. That is totally something I’d do in girl form.”Gohan on the other hand was only breathing sighs of relief.[]“Well, if I’m ‘Ranma-level’, then I guess that means you’ve already lost this fight, doesn’t it?” Videl taunted.“Why you…!” Ryoga grit his teeth. “I’ve been facing you with respect due to your friendship with Akane, but if you continue to use such petulant methods to face me, I won’t hesitate to end you!”“Quit making excuses already and fight!” Videl spurred on.“As you wish!” Charging at Videl, a now enraged Ryoga scooped up his previously discarded umbrella and began to thrust it repeatedly at Videl who raised her guard and swayed aside in midair with her energy.‘This is just like Kuno’s attack, but I think it’s a bit slower,’ she noted. Sure enough, the speed of Ryoga’s thrusts were sluggish in comparison to the ‘Blue-Thunder’, but Videl was conscious of the power behind each strike. She needed to put some distance between the two of them and fast.Attempting to just fly backwards, Videl put it in reverse and let her energy carry her.“No you don’t!” With great force, Ryoga chucked his umbrella like a javelin at Videl. Though she managed to avoid a direct hit, the projectile caught onto her oversized shirt and managed to pin her to the ground once again.“Dammit!” Videl swore as she fruitlessly tried to pull her shirt free. Ryoga quickly closed the gap between them and raised both his hands.“You’ve put up a good fight, so I’ll honor your struggle by ending this with my best technique! I hope that worthless boyfriend of yours is watching cause this is just a small taste of what I have in store for him!”As Videl continued to struggle to free herself, a red ball of light began to form in between Ryoga’s hands.Videl’s eyes widened as a distant memory resurfaced and she realized what Ryoga was intending.‘I knew it…he CAN do it too!’[]“That’s…a Ki attack!” Gohan exclaimed.“Why are you surprised? You saw Ranma do the same thing against your brmmmm-!”The pigtailed fighter quickly put his hand over Akane’s mouth as Cologne gave the duo a suspicious look.[]Videl continued to pull at her pinned down clothes as Ryoga’s attack grew bigger and brighter. That’s when a more recent memory struck and an idea hit her.‘Looks like this move is gonna come in handy after all,’ With a determined look, Videl put her hands to the sides of her head and closed her eyes.“This is the end, Shishi Ho-!”
“TAIYOU-KEN[SOLAR FLARE]!
“Dyaaaaaaaagh…!!!”Ryoga reeled back as his eyes were assaulted by a blinding flash. Even the spectators had to shield their eyes.[]“What…the hell was that?” Ranma asked as he rubbed his eyes.The group heard a smug chuckle coming from Gohan, who upon closer inspection, could be seen sporting a pair of sunglasses. “I call it, being prepared!”As Ryoga rubbed the flash out of his eyes Videl finally managed to free herself by tearing the sealed part of her shirt apart. As she ascended into the air out of Ryoga’s range, she panted heavily thanking Dende, King Kai, and every other deity she could think of that she’d taken Gohan’s advice.
[A couple of days earlier]
Videl and Gohan were together in the forests of Mount Paouzu. After giving an abridged version of her encounter with Kuno, specifically the end of their fight, Gohan intended to gauge Videl’s current progress. After a brief sparring session, Gohan was surprised and delighted to discover that Videl had much more control of her energy.
“Impressive Videl. You’ve really leveled up, and so quickly too,” he praised.
“Guess I needed some extra motivation,” she giggled with a wink. “Speaking of, you said that you and your dad would teach me one of your moves if I could master Cologne’s.”
“We did? …Oh yeah, of course we did, I remember now,” Gohan shrank beneath Videl’s narrowed eyes.
“So, what are you guys gonna show me? The Kamehameha?” ‘PLEASE be the Kamehameha!’
“No, it’s not the Kamehameha,” Gohan quickly quashed her hopes. “We can show you the basics if you really want, but the move we intended to show you actually isn’t offensive at all.”
Videl crossed her arms. “So…is it a movement type thing like flying?”
“No it’s nothing like that, but I can guarantee it’s a technique that will probably save your life.”
“Really?”
Gohan nodded and explained the Solar Flare to Videl and after a quick demonstration, Videl was visibly less than enthused by the technique. However, after hearing a story of how Krillin used it to save their lives in the past, Videl was more intrigued but still uninterested. It took a promise from Gohan to AT LEAST increase her ki blasts capabilities to convince her to learn the Solar Flare, though she couldn’t help but wonder why he was so adamant about teaching it to her.
Fortunately, being such a simple technique, she was able to perform the Solar Flare after merely an hour of practice, and the duo moved on.
‘Trust me Videl, it may not be your upcoming fight, but someday, you’ll be thankful you know this move,’ Gohan stated.
[End Flashback]
Through her recovered panting, Videl smiled. “Well Gohan, you were right…again.”The effects of the Solar Flare finally began to wane and Ryoga slowly regained his eyesight. “What…what the hell was that?” he asked as he rubbed his eyes. To his confusion, Videl all but vanished in that previous flash of light.“Where’d that girl go?” Ryoga boomed. His question was answered in the form of an announcing whistle. Looking up towards the sound’s source, Ryoga was met with a heel to the face followed by the familiar extra impact of energy.Ryoga spun back at Videl’s attack, rubbing his sore spot. “You…you…!” His anger rising, he rushed at Videl and extended a hand attempting to grab her, but the proto Z-Fighter was able to avoid him with great display of aerial maneuverability. This game of ‘swat the fly continued’ as Ryoga launched fruitless punches that Videl merely levitated away from, managing to land some direct blows of her own with quick agile strikes. Those faster attacks lacked the same impact of her earlier, more focused attacks, but they were effective in wearing down one seriously lost boy.“What’s the matter, can’t hit what you can’t catch?” Videl taunted as she looked down at her larger opponent.“Don’t screw with me woman!” In a rage, Ryoga ripped his bandana off, revealing another one underneath it.“Well…it’s not white or a towel, but if you throw it now, I’ll accept your surrender,” Videl smugly proclaimed.A devilish smirk formed on Ryoga’s face. Oh I’ll throw them alright, but the one who’ll surrender, is YOU!”True to his words, Ryoga chucked his bandanas at Videl and to the swift flier’s surprise, they didn’t float down like she anticipated. In fact, they seemed to be coming right for her…at a really fast speed…and they were…spinning? Like frisbees?Her instincts kicking in, Videl dodged the pair of incoming projectiles, but one managed to nick her in the arm.“Agh…!”As she rubbed the sore spot, Videl pulled her hand away as she felt a wet sensation on her fingers. Sure enough, her fingers were stained red and she immediately grasped the weight of the situation. Ryoga flashed a toothy grin as his hands swung forward releasing a large array of his deadly bandanas.Videl zipped away from the barrage as Ryoga continued to hurl his unorthodox weapons. She was back on the defensive, but her evasive maneuvers were second to none…okay we know that’s not true but…you know what I mean.With midair flips, loops, and a few barrel rolls, Videl was able to survive the onslaught of clothed razors.“You can fly, but you can’t hide!” Ryoga shouted as he sprinted after Videl’s soaring form. He continued to hurl bandanas at her and Videl continued to avoid.‘Alright tough guy, you wanna play the ranged game, now it’s my turn!’ Looping around in midair, Videl flew right at Ryoga rearing her hands back. Outstretching them, her hands were covered with a dim blue aura that burst forth knocking the bandanas away before fizzling out.Ryoga skidded to a halt, surprise plastered across his face. “Was…was that?”“An energy blast? Yes. I don’t know what you were trying to do earlier, but news flash, I can do it too!” Videl boasted.“Hmph. If that’s the extent of your power then you’re only delaying the inevitable.”“Hate to disappoint you, but there’s more where that came from!” Cupping her hands together, Videl thrust them forward and released a large, but slow moving blue energy ball. Ryoga was easily able to withstand the attack and he casually walked forward as Videl fired off more and more shots that seemed to be doing little to no damage.“Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!” Videl swore as she fired off shot after shot, but to no avail. Even worse, her continued, intense use of her energy was beginning to take its toll for with each successive shot, Videl would begin to breathe heavier and heavier. Finally, Ryoga once again closed the gap between them and Videl decided to respond in kind by throwing a punch.Her attack was caught by Ryoga who swiftly forced her back with a palm strike to the gut. Videl was able to roll back onto her feet, shaken, but not yet beaten. Though her uneasiness would rise as a familiar red glow surrounded the area.“You’ve shown me the extent of your energy, so it’s only fair I show you a taste of what I’m made of!”Ryoga held his outstretched hands in front of him and the deep red glow grew brighter until it finally peaked.“It’s over! SHISHI HOKODON!”A red beam erupted from Ryoga’s palms and hurried towards Videl who managed to roll away from the blast in time, though the ensuing explosion was enough to blow her off her feet.[]“Videl!”“Oh no!”“Damn, Ryoga’s not playing around, is he.”Cologne sighed. “It would seem this battle’s been decided. Still, Videl shouldn’t feel discouraged. Most other fighters at her level or below would’ve been utterly trounced by now. The fact that she’s managed to survive this long is truly remarkable.”“That’s just how stubborn she is,” Gohan interjected. “Videl knows when she’s outmatched, but if she’s in a fight she truly believes she has a chance to win, she won’t give it up, no matter the odds. That’s probably her biggest flaw to date…”“Flaw?”“But…that’s also one of the things I really admire about her…” he added with a tint of red in his face.“Well, that makes two of us,” Akane concurred.[]“Congratulations, you managed to avoid my attack,” Ryoga condescendingly praised. Videl clenched her fist as she quaveringly rose to her feet.“Next time, I’ll do more than just dodge!” Videl proclaimed.“Is that so? Well then, show me!” Ryoga cupped his hands together and fired off another blast. Videl quickly dashed aside and countered with one of her own. Though it hit it’s mark, Ryoga was undeterred.“Useless.”Videl grunted as she knew he was right. her last attack had virtually no punch behind it. Her energy, both physical and internal was running low. She could NOT afford to take a direct hit of any kind. Weighing her options, Videl decided to beat a strategic retreat and take to the skies.“That won’t save you!” Reacting fast, Ryoga quickly fired off a Lion Blast above Videl’s ascending form, forcing her to return to ground level. Not fully recovered from the resulting force of the attack, Videl was ill prepared to defend herself from Ryoga rushing in at her. Barely managing to raise her guard in time, Videl was struck by a hard palm strike that blew her back into a nearby tree.Shaking off the dizziness from the impact, Videl looked up to see Ryoga looming over her. With callous eyes, he said a simple two words to his opponent. “Stay down.”Videl clutched at the ground in frustration. After being put through the wringer for a whole week, learning more about ki with Cologne AND Gohan, even managing to learn a new move or two, it still wasn’t enough?‘Is this really it…?’Videl was at a loss for what her next move was. She knew she didn’t have much left in her to continue, yet somehow, she still had the urge to keep fighting. Unlike other highbrow energy heavy fights, Videl didn’t feel hopelessly outmatched against Ryoga. There was still a chance, albeit a very small chance, for her to win.Steeling herself, Videl slowly rose to her feet in defiance of Ryoga’s plea. Clenching her fists tight, she let out a yell as her energy began to rise. Ryoga’s eyebrows raised in both shock and curiosity as even he could feel the change in her energy.‘Her ki feels…heavy…’ Ryoga noted.[]“It’s…almost over…” Gohan whispered.“Go for it Videl!” Akane cheered.Ranma and Cologne both remained silent and merely continued to await the battle’s victor.[]Videl had long since accepted that she’d probably never reach the same level as Gohan or the other Saiyans, but somewhere deep down, she’d hoped that she could at least measure up to the likes of Piccolo or at least Krillin and she was not about to be outshone by the cast of a completely different series.After a few seconds of straining and screaming, Videl’s remaining energy finally maxed out and her entire body was bathed in a dim blue aura. Her eyes sharp with determination, she launched, what she hoped to be, her finishing move. Springing into the air, Videl launched a downward axe kick at Ryoga who instantly moved to block it and was successful…or so he thought. Little did he know, Videl anticipated this and with a great deal of agility, bounced her leg off of Ryoga’s forearm and sprang into a backwards roll, using her energy to keep in midair.Straightening herself out, Videl’s flip turned into a charged upwards kick. Ryoga instinctively moved to block again, but with ki behind her kick she was finally able to break through his guard and cause Ryoga to stagger. Not missing the opening she was given, Videl quickly followed up with a one-two punch combo to Ryoga’s face before pivoting on her heel and launching a flurry of kicks to his midsection.Ryoga was forced back and Videl rushed in on him immediately with her hands pulled back. Many watched in awe as the aura surrounding her faded before accumulating in her hands. With a hearty yell, Videl thrust her hands forward, striking Ryoga in the chest with all the power she could muster knocking the wind out of him before….
DMP-! BMP-!
The impact shook Ryoga and he was shaken before being brought to his knees. As he recovered from Videl’s highly effective attack, he looked up to see her floating just above him with her fists clenched tightly.“I’m ending this now!” she declared.Ascending into the air, Videl’s body trembled as she gathered as much energy as she could muster into her right leg.[]“Videl…please…don’t do anything reckless,” muttered the spectating Gohan.“Isn’t she your girlfriend!?” Akane reprimanded. “The least you could do is have some faith in her!”While Gohan had plenty of faith in Videl’s abilities, he also had just as much faith in her knack for getting into trouble due to her insistence to fight even when her odds of winning had long since dwindled to zero. This was a rare opportunity where her back was against the wall, but she still had a chance. All she had to do was fight smart.[]“What’s she doing?” Ryoga asked as Videl’s limb began to glow.Ryoga’s eyes widened as he realized she was prepping another ki blast attack, but this one felt much different than her previous ones. With her performing the technique, the ki being used was on full display and Ryoga could grasp the weight of the technique.“I see…so you’ve decided to risk it all on your next attack. Fine!” Ryoga placed his hands in front of him and a familiar red glow began to form. To his surprise, Videl began to descend, head first, seemingly wide open. Ignoring her unorthodox actions, Ryoga continued to charge his counterattack as Videl’s falling speed increased.“It’s over! Shishi Hokodan!As Ryoga fired his blast directly at Videl, the athletic young Z-Warrior flipped in midair, creating a crescent of blue light as she brought her foot down in an energy charged axe kick that was able to part through Ryoga’s Lion Shot.“What!?”Videl strained as she forced her leg through Ryoga’s blast, encountering heavy resistence. Her muscles ached while her energy continued to drain. She still persisted, slowly dropping closer and closer to Ryoga. The Lost Boy was hesitant to pour more energy into his blast for he truly didn’t wish to severely harm Videl, but given the situation, he was left with little room.Clenching his hands, Ryoga let out a yell as he extended his palms forward, pushing the resistant Videl back up into the air. With a triumphant yell of her own, Videl poured all the remaining energy she could into her free leg and with a swift flip planted both feet down into the Ryoga’s palms.The moment the two made contact, the area was bathed in a blinding light as the sound of a tremendous explosion shook the entire school.
“What happened?”
“Who won?”
There were many a confused face upon seeing the chaotic scene that lay before them, but the answer was revealed as the light died down and the dust began to clear. To the surprise of many, both combatants were on the ground, though it was obvious who’d taken the brunt of the force.Ryoga looked like he’d taken a bit of damage, but at worst, he had some scorch marks on his skin and clothes. Videl on the other hand, looked much worse for wear. She was sprawled across the floor, seemingly unconscious with her outfit, also scorched, but also in tatters. To make matters worse, her right leg was covered in scrapes and burns.[]“Videl, no!” Gohan sharply gasped. Wasting no time, the concerned Saiyan rushed onto the scene.As Videl discouragingly fell to the ground, Ranma let out a sigh. “Well, I guess that’s that,” he said crossing his arms behind his head.“That may be, but she certainly put up a much more valiant fight than one would’ve expected from someone at her level.” Praised Cologne. ‘That girl is tenacious, and certainly a fast learner. With the right guidance, I could see that girl going far in the future.’The victor was obvious as Ryoga slowly but simply sat up and shook off the resulting dizziness. “What…what happened?” Taking in his surroundings, Ryoga turned to see Videl laying defeated on the ground. Rising to his feet and clutching his sore shoulder, Ryoga trudged over to Videl’s still form, but was quickly intercepted by her ever protective boyfriend.“Don’t move…you’ve already won,” Gohan said firmly.“Calm down, I just wanted to see if she was alright,” Ryoga said defensively.With a sigh, Gohan gave an understanding nod. “Well, as promised, I’ll be your next opponent.”“Wait!”Both boys looked behind Gohan to see Videl rising. She could only manage to get on one knee, but she was certainly determined to get back on both feet.“Videl, are you alright?” Gohan asked kneeling to her level.“Get…out of here Gohan…I…I can still fight…!” Videl strained.“Videl…you can’t fight like this. Look at yourself, you can barely stand up!” Gohan argued.“I’m not gonna lose! Not like this…not again…!” Videl hastily stood up, but her injured leg quickly gave out and she toppled over into Gohan’s arms.“Let…me go…!” she challenged.Doing the exact opposite, Gohan wrapped his arms around Videl and held her against his chest, eliciting a tint of red to form on her cheeks.“Videl please…I know how much this fight meant to you, and while it’s admirable that you don’t want to give in, you also need to accept your limits,” Gohan pleaded.Videl frustratingly grit her teeth, desperately searching for a rebuttal. After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, Videl finaly eased up and warmly returned Gohan’s embrace, burying her face in his chest with a sad sigh.Meanwhile, the spectating Ryoga shyly turned away from the pair’s impromptu fight and make up. They seemed to be having a moment, and his chivalrous side shining through, he decided not to interrupt them. When it looked like Videl had finally calmed down, he decided to interrupt them.“Hey!”The two separated before turning to Ryoga as he continued. “I understand that you wanted to fight me for what I did to your father’s dojo, but tell me this, why persist this much?”“Huh?”“I can’t put my finger on it, but why do I have a feeling this goes far beyond simple payback?”“Videl?”Videl clenched her fist in irritation, a blush on her face and a tear forming in her eye. With a sharp inhale, she quickly retorted, “You’re one to talk. Why do you want to fight Gohan so badly?”Ryoga froze as Videl continued. “What happened between him and Akane was just an accident, an accident she already forgave him for. I understand wanting to defend her honor…kind of, but why are you going this far for a girl who’s just a friend?”Off to the side, Ranma shot the fanged boy a sly eye-roll as he silently dared him to get out of this one. Clenching his fists, Ryoga’s response was simple, “Sometimes, a man’s got to do what he truly believes is right. I don’t know if a woman will truly be able to get it, but I’m sure he’ll understand by the end of our fight.”Gohan nodded to Ryoga before taking Videl in his arms and slowly made his way over to Akane and Cologne.“I’m sorry things turned out this way,” Gohan sheepishly apologized.“It’s not your fault…that just means I still have a long way to go,” Videl admitted.Finally arriving to the two, Gohan set Videl down against the tree they were under. “Keep an eye on her for me okay?”“Will do,” Akane nodded.Before he returned to the battlefield, Videl called out to him “Gohan!”Turning back, Gohan could see Videl with her hand outstretched. “Kick his ass.”With a nod, Gohan firmly clasped his hand with Videl’s. “Yeah.” Finally leaving the girls to their own, Gohan darted back to Ryoga while Akane took a seat beside Videl.“So, how are you feeling?”“My body feel’s like it’s on fire, and I haven’t been this mentally drained in like, a year.”“You were warned that Ryoga is not one to be taken so easily. Still, you put up a most admirable fight. Certainly one worthy of Son-In-Law’s greatest rival.”“Thanks…” said a discouraged Videl. Surveying the surroundings however, she noticed that the SIL in question was nowhere to be seen. ‘Speaking of, where is Ranma?’Sure enough, the pigtailed Martial Artist had left the spectator group and moved to get a front row seat of the impending battle. A seat between the leaves of a tree in a much closer proximity to the fight. ‘Alright Gohan, time to see what you’re really made of.’[]Gohan finally returned to the field, face to face with Ryoga. As Gohan’s expression became notably sterner, Ryoga could only flash a satisfied smile.“I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” Ryoga proclaimed cracking his knuckles.“But why?” asked Gohan. “I hadn’t really thought about it before, but Videl had a point. Why do you want to fight me so much?”Ryoga dropped into a defensive stance as he answered. “Come at me, and you might understand.”
“NO!”
The scene was interrupted by a flash of lightning coupled with that familiar booming voice. As a second flash shone across the schoolyard, a familiar robed individual wielding a wooden sword appeared between the couple and their would-be opponent.“You shall do battle with I, Tatewaki Kuno, age 17! Captain of the Kendo Club and the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High!”Kuno performed a series of sword slashes as he spoke his intro before culminating in him thrusting his sword upwards in a victorious pose. As he finished his intro speech, a bead of sweat rolled down the forehead of every spectator…all but one.‘Huh…that wasn’t half bad,’ thought Gohan.
(A/N: And that as they say is that! Videl vs. Ryoga. It’s finally done and it ends…with Ryoga on top. Sorry for those who were looking forward to Videl winning, but it just wasn’t in the cards. That being said, Videl may have lost, but the fight isn’t quite over yet, only it may not be the fight you were expecting. That’s right, Kuno’s back and he, like Ryoga has his sights set on Gohan and we’re prepared for an epic battle of gargantuan…who am I kidding, we all know Gohan’s gonna win, BUT, who’s to say there won’t be some surprises in store for not just Gohan, but the rest of the cast as well? Stay tuned.)
[P.S. Sorry it took two months but a previous commission not to mention a few other writing endeavors all but drained me in May and took time away from this story. Thankfully, I have nothing else major on the writing side of things going on in life so HOPEFULLY I can get the next Chapter out in LESS than two months. Till next time]
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
An Effortless Battle; Gohan’s Extraordinary Skill
The crowd watched with interest as out of nowhere, the Kendo captain himself Kuno had appeared.“Kuno!? Where did he come from!?” Akane exclaimed.“Gohan’s quite the popular feller today, isn’t he?” Cologne snickered at Videl.Videl merely shrugged nonchalantly. Akane on the other hand took action immediately and darted towards the battlefield.“Where are you going?” asked Videl.“To get rid of Kuno, what else? Gohan’s good, but fighting Kuno AND Ryoga together could be a problem. I’d urge you to go out instead, but you need to rest so I’ll go and at least make it a fair fight.”“I’ll speak for Gohan here and say, that while your concern is appreciated, it’s not really needed.”“What?”“Besides, it looks like Ranma’s already beat you to it,” Videl added.“What!?”[]After remaining in his finishing pose for a few extra seconds, Kuno turned towards Gohan and aimed his sword in his direction.“You!”“Me?”“We shall do battle here and now!” Kuno declared.“Huh?” Gohan could only glance in confusion as Kuno issued his challenge. “Wait…who are you?”“I already told you this last chapter. I am…!”
SWACK!
“No one wants to hear your intro again, dude.” Noted Ranma who inexplicably appeared on Kuno’s head.“GAAAAAAAH!”Kuno swung wildly at Ranma who flipped off of Kuno and over to Gohan’s side. As the pigtailed fighter landed, Kuno brandished his sword, poised to strike. Before he could make a move however, a hand attached itself onto Kuno’s shoulder and pulled him back. Sure enough, Ryoga was watching the scene unfold and was none too pleased with having his battle stolen.“Get in line Kuno. I’M the one who’s gonna fight this guy!”“You…you’re that miscreant friend of Saotome’s,” Kuno recognized.“We’re not friends.” Ryoga simply stated.“Love you too buddy,” Ranma deadpanned flipping Ryoga off“ENOUGH!” Kuno shouted. “Whatever purpose you have for fighting him pales in comparison to mine. This dishonorable, lecherous fiend shall be vanquished here and now!” he proclaimed.“Dishonorable?”“…Lecherous…?”“Yo Kuno, you wanna throw us a bone here and tell us why you suddenly wanna fight Gohan out of the blue?” asked Ranma.“I’ve no idea why you’re talking about rice Ranma Saotome, but if you wish to prolong your own life, even for mere moments, I suggest you step aside!” Kuno threatened, poising his sword to attack.“Anyone else think the author’s run that joke into the ground, or is it just me?” Ranma shrugged.“An opening!”Kuno went on the offensive immediately, striking at Ranma who leapt aside, putting Gohan in the path of his attack. In a familiar scene, Gohan simply caught the blade, between his thumb and two fingers, much to Kuno’s surprise. Kuno frantically tried to pull away from Gohan, but was shocked at his opponent’s iron grip. After a few moments of futile struggling, Kuno finally strained out,“Release my blade at once!”Complying with his request, Gohan opened his hand releasing Kuno and causing him to tumble backwards, much to Ranma’s amusement. Even Ryoga couldn’t help but snicker as Kuno ate dirt, as could the rest of the student body.Cleaning himself up, Kuno growled as his grip on the hilt tightened. “You dare make a fool of me? That’ll just be one more offense added to the list!”Gohan raised a confused eyebrow. “One more offense? What did I do? This is the first time we’ve met.”Kuno’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t think you can fool me for a second time you vagrant! I know all about your exploits with Akane Tendo! That is a deed that cannot go unpunished.”A blushing Gohan bashfully looked aside as Ranma shot him a teasing gaze. “Man, fate just won’t let ya live that down, will it?”“Look, I can explain-““Wait a second,” Ranma interjected. “How do you even know about that? Ryoga just happened to be in the wrong place in the wrong time like he always does, but how do you know about that little ‘spat’ between Gohan and Akane?”“I’ll never understand your fascination with rice today, Ranma Saotome, but all you need to know is that nothing gets past The Blue Thunder’s all-seeing eyes and all hearing ears.”“I’ll bet he had Sasuke spy on us,” Ranma crossed his arms. Unbeknownst to them, a certain sneaky someone who wasn’t Sasuke, scurried away from the fight, clutching a straw doll that looked suspiciously similar to Ranma.“I’ve done my part for this story. I’m out!”A confused look remained plastered on Gohan’s face until suddenly, his eyes lit up in realization. “Hey wait a second, are you the same swordsman Videl mentioned she fought with the other day?”Kuno’s expression lit up before he suspiciously narrowed an eyebrow. “You…are acquainted with Ms. Videl?”“We’re…a couple-““Of classmates!” Ranma quickly interjected. “They go to the same school so it’s not to farfetched they know each other.”Gohan flashed Ranma a confused look, and the pigtailed fighter returned it woth one that just said, ‘Trust me.’Kuno continued to glare suspiciously at Gohan until an equally confused Ryoga spoke up “Wait a second, you two are only classmates? I thought you said you were a couple. Aren’t you her boyfriend?”“Her…boyfriend…?”Ranma facepalmed hard as Kuno began to tremble with an unidentifiable emotion. After moments of viewing the peculiar scene, the emotion revealed itself to be joyous as Kuno’s trembling was quickly accompanied by a manic laughter.“Hmhmhmhmhmhmhmhm…hehehehehehehehe…DAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”“Ranma, what’s going on?” asked Gohan.“Somethin’ stupid.”“So, you truly ARE the one I’ve been searching for these past weeks!” Kuno proclaimed. “Not only do you defile the lovely Ms. Akane Tendo with your lewd gaze, but you’re also the unworthy miscreant who dares to keep Ms. Videl shackled!”“Unworthy…?”“It must be fate that caused our paths to cross on this day, for now, I shall vanquish the greatest threat to our fare town since Ranma Saotome!”Both Gohan and Ranma remained undeterred as Kuno raised his blade, and poised it to strike. Before he made his move however, a firm hand grasped his shoulder and Kuno turned back to face Ryoga.“What do you want?”“To call a truce. I have no say on whatever you plan to do with that other girl, but we share a common goal in punishing him for dishonoring Akane,” Ryoga affirmed, pointing to Gohan.“I see…then feel free to attack if you must, but I urge you to stay out of my way.” Kuno threatened.“That’s my line,” Ryoga replied as he strode towards Gohan, pounding his fist.“Make no mistake, once we’ve taken this menace down, I do intend to pay you back for harming Master’s daughter.” Kuno added matching Ryoga’s pace.“You’re welcome to try!” Ryoga broke off into a sprint with Kuno close behind.Ranma took a defensive stance while Gohan remained in his same neutral pose. “Two on one ain’t exactly a fair fight, so I’ll help you out with this one Gohan.”“Actually Ranma, I can handle this myself,” Gohan dismissed him.“You sure? Kuno’s no biggie, but if Ryoga’s backin’ him up…”“Trust me, I got this.” Gohan assured.Understanding but not fully convinced, Ranma nodded before leaping aside and leaning against a nearby tree. ‘Now let’s see what you’re really made of.’Kuno immediately struck with a sideways slash that Gohan easily backed away from. The strike was followed up by a thrust from Ryoga’s umbrella which was sidestepped. The two Nerima fighters attacked repeatedly with their weapons forcing Gohan to sway and dodge their strikes, all with a nonchalant look on his face. Frustration becoming apparent on both attackers’ faces, they both swung their weapons forward and to their surprise, clashed with each other.“What?”“Where did he-?”
FSSH!
The pair turned aside to see Gohan standing a few feet away from them with his hands in his pocket.‘I wonder…if I should just end this quickly…?’ Gohan contemplated.[]All eyes were on the boys as Gohan continued to effortlessly evade attacks from Kuno and Ryoga. While Gohan showed no signs of slowing down, neither weapon wielders looked to be letting up either.The boy certainly has speed, I’ll grant him that,” Cologne praised.“But why hasn’t he tried to fight back yet?” asked Akane.“He’s probably thinking of a way to end this quick and efficiently.” Added Videl.“Oh?”“Gohan’s not someone to get excited for every fight he partakes in so for these kinds of battles, he prefers to just get them over with.” ‘But in a way to not make people suspicious of his real strength.’[]“DIIIIIIEE!”Both Nerima fighters once again brought their weapons down onto Gohan. This time, instead of avoiding them, he raised both hands up to the side and caught them both.“What?”As the pair cried out in surprise, Gohan yanked his arms down disarming both opponents and pulling them face first into each other. While they each recovered, Gohan took a moment to admire the weapons.“Huh…I can see how a weighted umbrella would be useful, but how would a normal person ever use this thing?” he inquired.“Don’t…patronize me,” Ryoga spat clutching his forehead.Kuno immediately attacked Gohan yet again with a sword he seemingly pulled from nowhere. Gohan, easily as ever, deflected the oncoming strike with his confiscated sword. Kuno reciprocated with another slash which Gohan parried, keeping the struggling kendoist at bay.“You know…I’ve trained with swords before myself, but I’ve never gotten a chance to actually use one in a real fight before,” Gohan casually informed.“Excellent. Then you must realize how vastly inferior you are to…!”Gohan cut Kuno off by breaking the struggle with a forceful shove with his sword. As Kuno was launched back, Ryoga struck at Gohan with an outstretched finger.“An opening!”Anticipating Ryoga’s move, Gohan tossed the umbrella upwards and caught Ryoga’s finger in between two of his own. With his focus on Ryoga, Kuno chose that moment to strike again, but was thwarted by gravity as Ryoga’s umbrella came back down and struck him in the head, point first (close to the battlefield, a certain red-clad fighter was on the ground laughing). With a skull shaking impact, Kuno froze and slowly dropped face first onto the ground.[]“Well…looks like Kuno’s out,” noted Videl.“For now at least. He could wake up again.”[]“You know guys, I think it’s a good idea to stop now,” Gohan suggested as he propped the sword on his shoulder.Ryoga retrieved his weapon from Kuno’s unconscious form and aimed it at Gohan. “Not a chance. If anything, I should have a much easier time now with that moron out of my way.Gohan sighed. “If you insist on going through with this, then fine. I’ll still fight you, but first…catch!” Gohan reached into his pocket before swiping his hand at Ryoga, tossing something small and round his way.Ryoga caught the small projectile and looked into his hand to recognize it as a bean. “What am I supposed to do with this?”“Eat it,” Gohan replied.“…And what if I don’t want to?” Ryoga accused.“I’m not gonna force you to, but I figured it’d be good sportsmanship to offer it to you at least.”“Sportsmanship? How is giving a me a bean good sportsmanship!?” Ryoga blared.“Eat it and find out,” Gohan challenged with an uncharacteristic grin.Ryoga was at a loss. On the one hand, Gohan hadn’t done anything skeevy, but Ryoga was far from one to put his faith in an unknown opponent. Ultimately declining the offer, Ryoga chucked the small vegetable back at Gohan before taking a defensive stance with his umbrella.“Guess it’s his loss.” Gohan muttered. Returning Ryoga’s action, Gohan himself took a defensive stance with his bamboo sword. While Ryoga stared the taller boy down, practically daring him to make a move while Gohan only had a mildly stern look on his face.In an attempt to throw Gohan off, Ryoga quickly changed his grip and once again javelined his umbrella at Gohan. The casual Saiyan simply swung his sword at the incoming projectile and was able to deflect it…unfortunately, the weight of the umbrella was too much for a simple bamboo sword to withstand and the stolen weapon was ultimately split in two.“Then again…maybe with my penchant for breaking swords…I may be better off hand-to hand,” Gohan muttered.As Gohan tossed the useless hilt aside, he quickly swayed away from an incoming punch from Ryoga, and another…and another. The two were engaged in a classic scene as Ryoga proceeded to throw a volley of blows at Gohan, the latter of whom was dodging them with the utmost of ease.[]“Is this fight beginning to bore anyone else, or is it just me?” spouted a random onlooker.“It was kinda cool when Kuno was involved, but for cryin’ out loud, someone hit someone already!”The crowd was getting restless as, despite all the blows that were being thrown, there’d yet to be a solid hit (except for Kuno’s head).Even Cologne was starting to grow weary of the fight, but her interest was still piqued due to the simple fact that Ryoga, someone who she could recognize as an impeccable martial artist was unable to lay a single finger on Gohan. She could chalk it up to a difference in energy since Ryoga had fought Videl and actually had to try a bit, but this seemed to run much deeper than a simple matter of fatigue.[]“Why won’t you fight back!?” Ryoga boomed.As if to answer his question, Gohan simply raised a hand and caught one of Ryoga’s incoming punches.“Wha-GAH!?”Before Ryoga could fully grasp what happened, he felt a sharp pain in his gut and looked down to see Gohan’s palm outstretched across his abdominal area. Doubling over, Ryoga clutched his stomach and let out a strained groan.
“What happened?”
“Ryoga’s down? How?”
“Did the other guy hit him?”
“I didn’t see anything…”
Ryoga shared the audience’s confusion as he shakily picked himself up. “What…what did you do to me?”“You wanted me to fight back right? Well, I did.” Gohan simply answered.Ryoga growled before his expression settled into an accepting grin. “Fair enough. At least now I can feel at ease knowing that you’re an opponent I can cut completely loose with.”While Ryoga recovered, an equally surprised Ranma’s attempted to analyze the recent events. ‘Just one hit and Ryoga’s down? I don’t think that was a special technique like what Videl did either. Just how strong is Gohan really?”[]“Bakusai Tenketsu!”Gohan dashed backwards as Ryoga drove his finger into the ground with the force of a punch behind his strike, causing a grenade sized explosion right in his vicinity.“So we’re back to playing the dodge game, huh?” Ryoga taunted.“Well…it was one of my earliest lessons,” Gohan joked back.“Well then…” Ryoga took a breath before lowering his head and arms. “Let’s see if you’ve got the speed to dodge this one!”Gohan raised an eyebrow as Ryoga’s energy began to rise. His power rose but it felt…heavy. ‘What’s going on here? His energy feels…different…’Curiosity and caution taking over, Gohan took a defensive stance as Ryoga raised his head up and shouted, “Shishi Hoko-DAAAAAAAN!”[‘Oh shi-!’]With a ferocious yell, Ryoga let his power explode and a large mass of energy erupted from Ryoga before crashing back down creating a massive shockwave. Though surprised, Gohan was nonetheless able to avoid the blast by taking to the sky. As he surveyed the result of Ryoga’s blast, Gohan couldn’t help but be impressed by the resulting crater. ‘Whoa…I didn’t think there were other people here on Earth capable of that kind of power,’ Gohan inwardly praised. As he safely descended, Ryoga gave an annoyed sigh.“So, you managed to avoid it by taking to the sky…just like that girl.”“Who do you think taught her in the first place,” Gohan replied rather boastfully.[]Off to the side, Videl was staring in complete disbelief. “You…you gotta be kidding me!?” she distressed. “Ryoga has that kind of power!?”“Oh, having second thoughts on your old boy’s victory, now are we?” Cologne teased.“Hell no, I just can’t believe I’m still that far behind!”“Huh?” came the unified response of Cologne and Akane.“Ehhhhhhh…” the two hesitated.“Seriously…he learned it faster than that!?”“Well…we don’t know how long it took him to learn the basic version of the technique…so for all we know it could’ve been…two months,” Cologne stammered.Videl could only continue to watch the battle unfold with a pouty expression. ‘Something tells me, she’s even more distressed than I thought.’[]“Be that as it may, I ‘m positive that you can’t dodge forever!” Ryoga challenged. “SHISHI HOKODAAAAAAAAN!!“I don’t have to…”Gohan merely floated away from Ryoga’s follow-up attack, the power and pressure just as intense as the first shot.‘He still has that much energy after using an attack that powerful?’ Gohan noted. ‘That’s actually pretty impressive.’
“SHISHI HOKODAAAAAAN!”
VMMMMMMM!
Ryoga fired off yet another massive blast, again missing Gohan by a wide margin. With each shot fired, the crater around Ryoga grew deeper and wider, much to Gohan’s worry.‘This is starting to get pretty dangerous. I’d better finish this fast before someone gets hurt.’With a determined nod, Gohan dashed ahead just as Ryoga prepared to fire off yet another Shin Shishi Hokodan.[]“Wait, Gohan’s approaching him!?” Akane exclaimed.“How’s he supposed to win if he doesn’t get closer?” Videl smugly replied.“I don’t know if that was intentional or not, but you know Gohan has a potential way to win while keeping his distance,” said Akane.“Is that so?” asked Cologne.“Who knows?” Videl teasingly shrugged.[]
“SHISHI HOKODAAAAAAAN!”
Just as Ryoga fired the blast, Gohan zipped ahead and in an instant, planted his palm into Ryoga’s gut for a second time. Before Ryoga could fully register what happened, the blast came crashing back down, striking both combatants.“They’re hit!” cried an onlooker.“Are they both down?”As the smoke cleared from the resulting blast, all eyes fell on a strained Ryoga on the ground and Gohan looking mostly untouched save for tears in his clothes.
“They’re alright?”
“Ryoga looks hurt, but that other guy looks fine.”
“Did Ryoga miss or something?”
“How…how are you…still standing?” Ryoga inquired.“What do you mean?” Gohan asked innocently.“Don’t…screw with me!” Ryoga challenged. “You got hit by that blast, but you’re still able to move easily. You should at least be as injured as I am.”Gohan could only bashfully chuckle as Ryoga struggled to stand up.[]“And here it almost looked like we were about to have a repeat of Ryoga and Son-In-Law’s last major battle,” commented Cologne.“Speaking of…where is Ranma? I don’t see him over by the guys anymore.”To answer Akane’s question, our favorite gender-swapping martial artist, was laying unconsciously on top of the equally unconscious Kuno as he was just a bit too close to Ryoga’s hokodan barrage and couldn’t outrun the resulting shockwaves.[]Ryoga finally got to his feet, notably shaken after being hit by both Gohan and his own attack. ‘Thankfully, I still have power left, but what do I do here? He can dodge all my attacks, and it’s too risky to use a Shin Shishi Hokodan again since I’ll just be wide open to…!’Ryoga’s expression turned dark as inspiration struck. “That’s it…I know just what to do to end this, and this time, I’m pulling out ALL the stops!”[]“Is Ryoga going to use the Super Lion Shot again?” asked Akane.“We’ll see.”Ryoga charged at Gohan, his fist reared back. Confused, but not concerned, Gohan merely dodged aside.“Now! Bakusai Tenketsu!” Ryoga pulled his arm back and struck out with his opposite finger extended. Gohan went to retreat, but found himself getting pulled back. Looking down, he found that somehow, Ryoga had tied both their wrists together.‘Impressive. I was focused on dodging his punch, I didn’t even notice.’“This time, there’s no escape!”The contrarian he was, Gohan pulled his wrist against Ryoga, freeing himself almost instantly, but then found himself constrained yet again, as Ryoga, with an impressive (for him) display of speed, managed to slip behind Gohan and hold him in a full nelson.“Like I said, no escape!”[]“Ryoga’s got him!”“This could be checkmate.”[]Ryoga’s eyes glowed a dangerous red as he let his anguish and power rise from the depths. ‘This is the price you pay for preying on the woman I love!’ “MAX POWER SHISHI HOKODAAAAAAAN!”Ryoga’s energy erupted once again soaring skyward. Despite Ryoga’s resulting emotional emptiness, his hold on Gohan remained as firm as ever. The Saiyan in question merely inhaled as Ryoga’s blast began to descend. Right when the attack was merely a foot above the two, Gohan let out a guttural yell as he let his own power explode in a single swift burst.The force was enough to stir Ryoga from his daze, and also blow him away from Gohan. As the confused Ryoga tried to recover, he now found himself on the receiving end of his own strategy as Gohan was now holding him in a full nelson.Ryoga desperately tried to free himself, but to no avail as both he and Gohan were bathed in the crimson glow of Ryoga’s destructive ki.
FWWOOOOOOOSH!
The schoolyard shook as Ryoga’s blast finally fizzled out and the smoke from the resulting crater began to clear.The audience, Cologne included all gasped out in surprise as, in a familiar scene, Gohan rose from the crater carrying an unconscious Ryoga in his arms.“I think it’s safe to say, this fight’s over.”
“He won?”
“He beat Ryoga?”
“How?”
“I think he did the same thing Ranma did when they had that fight.”
The murmurs went on as Gohan laid the defeated Ryoga down.“Well, looks like it’s all over.” boasted Videl as she glided over to Gohan, surprisingly spryly.“Videl wait, aren’t you still recovering!?” Akane cried as she ran after her.Cologne let out a satisfied sigh as the two young girls ran off.[]“Whew…that was a messier fight than I expected,” Gohan commented wiping his forehead.“Gohan!”The Saiyan in question turned to face the approaching Videl, a satisfied expression on her face. “How was that?” he grinned.“A pretty good show, but something’s missing.”“Missing? What is?”“This.”Gohan’s eyes widened as Videl pulled his head towards her and lightly pressed her lips against his cheek. Amazingly, a simple peck on the cheek caused many onlookers to explode into a frenzy of ‘Oohs’, ‘ahhs’, and fangirl squealing.The resulting noise caused the discarded Saotome to finally to stir as the heat from the fight waned. “Whatsa happun?”Ranma’s awareness quickly spiked as he felt his pigtail being lightly pulled. “Oh, my pigtailed goddess, come into my arms so that I may caress your most delicate…”
THWAAAM!
Ranma immediately got to his feet and punted Kuno away with a boot to the chest. “Ugh…I need a shower…what the hell even hit…me?”Ranma turned to see a flushed Akane staring wide eyed at Videl who was kissing Gohan and over an unconscious Ryoga. “Wait…Gohan won…and I missed it!? The hell man!?” Irritation dripping off him, Ranma stomped over to the others until…”RYOGA!”The red-clad martial artist was trampled by a familiar giant pig who’s rider quickly dismounted and knelt down before the unconscious lost boy.“Akari!” Akane greeted.“Oh my…Is Ryoga…!?” Akari placed a hand on Ryoga’s scorched form, worry evident on her face.“Don’t worry, I promise Ryoga will be just fine,” Gohan said as he put an arm around Videl’s shoulder.“Do you mean that?” asked a panicked Akari.Videl knelt down beside Akari and leant closer to her. “Akari, If you want to be sure Ryoga will be alright, give him this when the two of you are alone.” Videl opened her palm to reveal a small bean.“A bean?”“Just trust me,” Videl enforced.Akari examined the small veggie before clutching it in her hand. “Katsunishiki.” Answering his mistress’s call, the large swine knelt down letting her mount him again as Gohan propped the still unconscious Ryoga on his back.“I’ll fill him in when he wakes up.”“Will do!” Akane gave a thumbs up as the odd trio made their exit.With the battles all but over for the day, many of the students began to disperse. Ranma who’d since regained consciousness (again) finally rejoined the others.“Yo!” he called out.“Ranma? Where’ve you been this whole time?” asked Gohan.“Never mind that, tell me how the fight with Ryoga went down!” he quickly demanded.“Sure…but uhh…”A loud grumble filled the air. “Can we eat first?” Gohan suggested.“Oh! Let’s head to Ukyo’s place!” Videl exclaimed. “I already promised her I’d take you there the next time I brought you to town.” She giggled, playfully elbowing Gohan.“Ucchan’s does sound nice right about now,” Ranma agreed.“Wonder where she was this whole time anyway…she wasn’t at school today,” noted Akane.“Speaking of wondering, I never did figure out why Ryoga was so dead set on fighting me,” Gohan added.“It ain’t your fault. Ryoga’s just on a different wavelength than most normal people.”“Ryoga’s more normal than you Ranma,” snapped Akane.‘Hmph, catch him in the rain and see if you still feel the same,’ Ranma mentally seethed.As the quartet of friends walked off, Cologne watched after them with a curious gaze. Shampoo, who’d been (wo)manning a makeshift concession stand, strolled beside her elder with an equally inquisitive look. “Shampoo no think pervert guest actually beat Pig Boy.”“The funny thing is, I don’t think that boy was even trying his hardest.”“Great-Grandmother think Fly-Girl boyfriend even stronger?”‘Stronger may be a bit of an understatement. He could very well outclass even the Musk Prince. I only wish I knew how deep his well of power goes. Oh well, I may be able to get some answers when I meet the Turtle Hermit face to face.’[]In a familiar vacant lot, a resting young man opened his eyes only to come face to face, with his long-haired lover.“A…Akari?”“Oh Ryoga, thank goodness you’re alright!” the pig-lover beamed latching onto him.“What happened? Where are we?”“Well…we’re back at our campsite…as for what happened…you kind of…lost the fight with Gohan,” she sadly informed.“What!? He beat me!?” Ryoga boomed. His anger quickly waned when he recalled the details of the fight. “That’s right, I remember now. For the second time, I was crushed under the weight of my own despair. I guess karma really is a cruel mistress.” He droned as he sat cross legged on the ground.While Ryoga took a moment to collect himself, Akari took the time to examine Ryoga up close…maybe a bit too close as a red tint became ever apparent on Ryoga’s face.“Akari…not that I don’t appreciate your interest in me, but…what exactly are you doing?” he asked through a twitching eyebrow.Ignoring the question, Akari swiftly grabbed the hem of his shirt and lifted it up.“Akari!!” exclaimed a fully flustered Ryoga.“Amazing…”“What’s amazing?”“You don’t have a scratch on you…” she noted.“I don’t?” Ryoga examined himself and sure enough, his body was practically spotless. Being defeated by Gohan would obviously leave some battle damage, but not even his minor injuries from his fight with Videl remained. Standing up, Ryoga threw a few warm up punches and kicks and found that not only was he fully healed, he was also completely energized.“Unreal…” Ryoga marveled.“I wonder…did that bean Videl gave me really work?”“Bean?”Akari nodded. “Before we left, Videl gave me a bean and said I should give it to you when we were alone.”Ryoga gasped in realization as he recalled his fight with Gohan.
“-I figured it’d be good sportsmanship….”
‘Did that bean really heal me? Then that means…!’Ryoga looked towards the sky deep in contemplation. “Son Gohan…I…want to fight you again…next time…I’ll be at my best.” ‘If you manage to get stronger, I don’t think I’d mind fighting you again either Videl.’[]“Seriously!? There was a fight at school today!? DAMMIT! I wish I hadn’t taken the day off!” groaned an exasperated Ukyo.“Don’t beat yourself up about it. We get it, you needed a day to keep your shop up and running, no one’s blaming you for it.” Akane tried to quell Ukyo’s distress.“Akane, you know as well as I do how many people show up to fights with Ranchan or one of the guys. I could of made a small profit today selling concessions, but now that darn Chinese bimbo’s gotten ahead of me!”“Welp, if it’s any consolation, we’re here today and like I said, Gohan’s a HUGE eater.” beamed Videl as she motioned over to Gohan and Ranma who were both on their 3rd okonomiyaki plates.“That is true…I don’t think I’ve seen anyone have an appetite like Ranchan’s except maybe his father.”“One more please!” Gohan exclaimed pointing his plate in Ukyo’s direction.“Coming right up! Konatsu! Keep the griddle hot, I think we’re going overtime!”“Yes Ms. Ukyo!”As the two cooks got busy, Akane leaned over to Videl. “Are you sure you can afford to pay for both Gohan AND Ranma?” she whispered.“Oh no worries, this isn’t the first time Dad and I have had to…!”Videl and Gohan both paused when they realized their fatal error.“We forgot my Dad/Mr. Satan!”[]Uptown Nerima, the World Champion could be seen limping across the sunset lit streets. “Hey…Videl…Gohan…kids!? I’m so gonna tell Chi-Chi about this…and Videl…as soon as I can feel my legs…you’re in big trouble little lady.”
[Originally Posted on FF.Net July 29]
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
A Deal is a Deal; Keep Your End of the Bargain
Nearly a week has passed since the explosive battles at Furinkan High and life returned to normal for our heroic duo. School went on as usual, they’d hang with friends, fight crime together, all was normal. Today however, a familiar scene was set as Satan City’s first defender stood opposite a tall, burly, yellow clad young man once again.
“So…you’re back for another round?” asked a tall, burly, yellow clad young man.
“Damn right. I’ve been training for this for a long time, and this time, I’m the one who’s gonna take you down!” Videl proclaimed as she stepped forward.
“Big talk from such a small girl,” snapped Ryoga.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m stronger than I look…and much stronger than last time!”
“Is that a fact?”
“Just watch!”
Extending her hands together, Videl’s palms began to glow. Ryoga’s eyes widened as he recognized her attack.
“Haaaaaaa-!”
In a brilliant flash of light, Videl let loose a large ball of energy that soared right at the eternally lost boy. Undeterred, he quickly countered with his own signature Ki Attack.
“Shishi Hokodan!”
To Ryoga’s surprise, Videl’s attack actually repelled his own. The two shots clashed until they eventually fizzled out.
“I see…so you weren’t just blowing hot-air after all,” Ryoga praised.
“That’s not all,” Videl boasted. “I’m gonna show you my new technique.”
Cupping her hands together, Videl pulled them to her sides and began to chant as her palms once again glowed, this time a bright blue color.
“Ka…me…”
‘Her chi is getting more intense…’ Ryoga noted.
“Haaaa…me…” As Videl continued, the light in her hands got brighter.
“You have indeed gotten stronger, but the depths of your ki can’t possibly compare to the endless well of energy I have.”
Ryoga crossed his arms across his chest before bringing them down to his sides, his energy exploding in a scarlet burst.
“SHISHI HOKODAAAAAAAN!”
As Ryoga’s blast flew skyward, the light in Videl’s hand shone in bright contrast to the light emanating from the Nerima fighter. Instead of falling back down atop Ryoga however, the Lion Shot instead dropped at an angle, diving straight for the proto Z-Warrior. Her energy at it’s maximum, Videl challenged the attack head on.
“HAAAAA-! Huh…?”
As Videl thrust her hands forward, expecting to release a bright beam of power, the light in her hands inexplicably flickered out, releasing only a small flash. As Ryoga’s attack fell closer, Videl opted to go for the old reliable and fly to safety. As she leapt into takeoff, she realized she wasn’t escaping the blast. Actually she wasn’t even moving. As opposed to her usual avian ventures, Videl was merely floating inches above the ground, unable to move forward or backwards.
Worry beginning to set in, Videl could only cross her arms over her body and attempt to take the the blast. As her eyes landed on the imposing red wave, she could see the unwavering jaws of a ferocious lion pouncing right at her. Worry turned to fear as her iron defense quickly began to crumble under the intimidating aura emanating from Ryoga’s chi. Finally, the blast made contact.
Videl could barely even scream as her every sense was assaulted by unbearably scorching heat and her body felt as if she was being buried alive under various tons of rock. As her conscious began to fade, she could barely make out the sound of condescending laughter echoing in her ears. The voice sounded similar to Ryoga, but steadily shifted becoming more twisted, darker…and somewhat familiar.
‘Is this it…am I gonna die…again?’
Her answer came in the form of her name being called and a strange pressure welling up near her upper back.
‘Videl…’
The young martial artist held her neck as the pressure seemed to increase.
‘Videl…!’
‘No…I won’t lose again…! NOT LIKE THIS!’
Summoning the last of her energy, she channeled it into her right hand and, with no real target, threw a wild, unfocused punch hoping for the best. Surprisingly, she managed to hit something, though she wasn’t sure what.
“Videl!!”
“Huh…!?”A startled Videl quickly blinked only to view a scene of a group of familiar faces from school with all eyes plastered on her and just ahead, a volleyball net with a hole in it, a certain blonde-boy with long hair unconscious on the ground with a bloody nose, and a volleyball rolling just around his head.Quickly realizing the situation, Videl clamped both hands over her mouth as her face flared red in humiliation.“Uhhhhmmm…oops?”
THWUMP!
[Moments later]A shameful Videl sat impatiently outside the health office, awaiting for the verdict on Sharpner’s condition. Moments later, Gohan, who’d been kind enough to escort the injured athlete, exited the room and turned to Videl with a look of relief on his face.“Well?”“Good news is, the bleeding stopped and Sharpner is going to be just fine,” he informed.“And the bad news?”“You kind of left a nasty mark,” Gohan quipped.Videl sighed. “Thanks for trying to make me feel better, but that’s not going to save me from the verbal thrashing my Dad’s gonna give me when I get home tonight. This is the first time I’ve gotten busted for hurting someone in class since Middle School.”Looking up, Videl saw Gohan looking at her with a raised eyebrow. “Ancient history,” she dismissed.“If you say so. Then we should probably talk about current events then,” he replied.“Such as?”“Videl, be honest…what’s wrong?”“Wrong with what?”“This isn’t the first time you’ve zoned out this week, and just in general you’ve been looking kind of…” Gohan trailed off.“Kind of what?” Videl narrowed an eye.“I don’t know…distracted? It just…looks like something’s been bothering you.”“I’m fine Gohan,” Videl refuted. “Just…still feeling the aftereffects from-.”“Your fight with Ryoga?”Videl’s expression softened as she leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. “Yeah….”“And what are those aftereffects?” Gohan inquired.With an exasperated sigh, she slid down the wall taking a seat on the floor. Gohan took a seat beside her and asked, “Let me guess, you’re still kind of upset you lost that fight?”“Yeah but….”“Don’t let it get to you, I mean, no one can win them all. Even Dad’s taken losses in his time,” Gohan beamed.“I know that Gohan. The problem isn’t just because I lost, it’s because of how easily overpowered I was.”“Videl…”“I know what you’re going to say Gohan: I shouldn’t feel bad because I’m still new at this, right?”“Well…” Gohan sheepishly shrugged.“Honestly, I don’t think I’d mind too much if I were fighting someone much older than us or something, cause yeah, of course they’d have more experience than me with this energy business, but Ryoga’s someone who could be a classmate and can already blow up a building if he wanted too…and unless I missed something, he’s not half-alien like you or the boys.”Gohan couldn’t resist chuckling before Videl continued. “I get that there are people way more powerful than me out there, but for one of them to be just some random punk, really feels like a slap in the face.”“Wait…Ryoga never hit you in the face,” Gohan pointed out.A now snickering Videl replied by slugging Gohan in the arm. “Pffft…shut…up! You know what I mean.” Her expression quickly fell again as she sighed. “It feels like every time I make any kind of progress I just get immediately outmatched. I wonder if there’s any point to learn this stuff anymore.”Gohan had no response as Videl buried her head into her knees looking severely distraught.“Videl, I’m going to be completely honest and say that I’m probably not the best one to talk to you about this,” he replied with a stern look. “While I can empathize with consistently feeling outmatched, I can’t say I’ve ever felt like I could never measure up to those who outclassed me…at least, not for very long.”“Then who should I talk to?” Videl rather irritably responded.Gohan closed his eyes in consideration. “Hmmmm…I think your best bet would be Krillin.”“Why Krillin?”“Well…he is the only human in our group who still fights…well, him and Tien, but nobody knows where Tien’s gone off to ever since we beat Buu.” Gohan shrugged. “Besides, since Eighteen isn’t fully human either, I think he knows what it’s like to…well…be…underpowered in comparison?” he stammered.‘Thanks for trying to break it gently Gohan,’ she semi-sarcastically thought. Videl took a moment to consider then nodded her approval. “Alright, I guess it wouldn’t hurt,” she shrugged. As soon as she finished, the bell rang signaling the end of P.E.“Guess we better get changed,” stated Gohan as he stood up. As he helped Videl to her feet, he asked, “You’re going after school, right? Do you want me to go with you?”Videl shrugged. “You can if you want, but I kind of want to figure this thing out on my own.”Gohan nodded. “I understand.”As the two made their way to the locker rooms, a single thought crossed Gohan’s mind. ‘I wish I could help you more than this Videl, but I hope you can find what you’re looking for.”[In the Girls’ Locker Room]As Videl pulled her usual large shirt back on, she was pulled aside by her busty blonde friend.“Hey Videl, spill it. What happened back there on the field?” Erasa asked.“Nothing, I just…got distracted and hit the ball back harder than I thought,” she replied.“I get that, but I could swear it looked like your hand was glowing.”Videl’s eyes widened at Erasa’s words. ‘Wait…did I…did I shoot the ball at Sharpner?...literally?’Before Videl could dwell too long on the situation, a shriek could be heard from the other side of the room. Dashing towards the source, Videl and Erasa pushed their way through a huddle of other girls.“What’s going on over here?” Videl demanded.“Look what I found!” exclaimed a brunette girl. Turning towards the onlookers, she outstretched her hands to reveal a small purple kitten, meowing fiercely and thrashing about wildly.‘Wait…is that…’ “Shampoo?”At the sound of her name, the kitten ceased its actions and turned to Videl before letting out a happy ‘Mroow!’“Videl, you know this kitty?” Erasa asked.“Kind of…?”Shampoo finally managed to free herself from the brunette girl’s grasp before running into the showers.“Oh, wait kitty!” the girl called chasing after her. Upon entering the showers, she came across Shampoo BARELY managing to spin the water on and in a blinding burst of steam, the purple-furred kitten was replaced by a bouncy, purple-haired young girl.“Whaaaaa-!?” the onlooking students all yelped in surprise as a naked, human Shampoo stepped through the steam.‘Who is that girl?’‘Where did she come from?’‘Where’d the kitty go?’Ignoring the other girls’ protests, Shampoo merely turned to Videl and greeted her with a bow. “Nihao Fly Girl!”“Shampoo, what are you doing here?” Videl asked.“You know her?” asked Erasa to Videl.Cutting the blonde off, Shampoo answered. “Great-Grandmother ask Shampoo to get Fly Girl from school. She wish for you to keep your end of agreement.”“My end of…?” Videl’s eyes perked up as she recalled what Cologne wanted. “Oh yeah, I remember.” ‘Funny coincidence since I was going to Kame House anyway.’ “I’ll drop by once school ends.”Satisfied with Videl’s response, Shampoo pulled a capsule out of seemingly nowhere and spiked it on the ground. When the smoke cleared, Shampoo was fully clothed and her signature bike had appeared. As she mounted her bike, Shampoo quickly added. “Shampoo see you at Cat Café at 3. You no want keep Great Grandmother waiting,” before riding off leaving many of the viewing students confused.‘Who was that girl?’‘What was wrong with her voice?’‘Videl knows her? How?’‘How’d she get her boobs that big?’‘Wait, where’d the cat go?’Videl crossed her arms as Shampoo rode through the halls, grasping the attention of the various faculty. ‘Looks like today’s going to be a wild one.’[Later]The final bell had rang and all the students poured out of the building. Gohan and Videl on the other hand, were united on the roof, as usual. The latter telling the former tales of a certain earlier encounter.“I remember Erasa told me that someone found a purple kitten in the girl’s room…who’d have guessed it was Shampoo…”“Regardless, it looks like I won’t be going to Kame House alone after all, so if you still want to come with…”Gohan giggled. “I appreciate the approval, but I decline. You said you wanted to figure things out on your own, and I intend to let you. But…if you directly ask me for help…”“…You’ll be there, love you too. Got it,” Videl finished.“We’ve done this too often haven’t we?”“Maybe a little.” Planting a quick peck on Gohan’s cheek, Videl leapt off the roof before taking off towards Nerima.[Meanwhile]“Man…when is it ever this quiet around town?” Ranma thought as he dashed along the fences. “We ain’t seen hide or hair of Ryoga since his fight with Videl and nothin’s really happened since then.”“Well I don’t know about you, but I’m enjoying the peace,” Akane replied. “I do wish Videl would call or something. She looked pretty messed up after that fight and I want to make sure if she’s okay.”“So what’s stoppin’ you from goin’ to visit her?” asked Ranma.“Nothing I just…don’t want to bother her. She’s been through quite a lot this past couple of weeks and I figured she may want some time alone.” Akane added defensively.As soon as the words left Akane’s mouth, their attention was grabbed by a swift moving shadow overhead. “What the…?” Looking up, Akane’s eye widened as she recognized a human shaped figure soaring above. ‘No way is that…!?’ “Videl!?”“Speak of the devil, am I right?” joked Ranma.The flying crime fighter continued on her way, not hearing Akane’s startled exclamation. “Where do you think she’s going?” Akane asked.“Who knows, but it probably ain’t any of our business.”“…I guess…” ‘Still…“Look, if you wanna see what she’s up to, I ain’t gonna stop ya. Just sayin, you may wanna leave her be for a bit longer.”Akane remained still as Ranma continued strolling on the fences. ‘I’m getting’ kinda hungry…think I’m feelin’ noodles today.’[Shortly later]Videl finally landed at the Cat Café, pausing to take a breath before entering. “Now that I think about it, it’s actually been a while since I last came here, hasn’t it?” Videl briefly thought back to when Akane first brought her over and introduced her to Cologne. The resulting fight with Shampoo, and the long days of working as a weighted down waitress.‘It’s definitely been a wild ride, but where have I been going all this time?’ Videl quickly shook her head, clearing her thoughts. ‘You can have a mental crisis later. Right now, it’s time to uphold your end of the deal.”“Oh Shampoo! At last you’ve returned!”Videl quickly sidestepped Mousse’s attempted embrace. “Put your glasses on,” Videl simply stated.Complying with the request, Mousse quickly changed to shifty host mode. “Oh, it’ you again. I must say it’s been quite some time since you’ve last paid us a visit.”“I already outlined that Mousse, they don’t need to read it again,” Videl dismissed.“Regardless, Cologne is expecting you.”“And she’s glad at how quickly you arrived.” The two teens looked to a nearby table to see Cologne seated on it.“Hey Cologne,” Videl greeted.“Glad you received my message. I trust you already know what this summons is for?”Videl nodded. “Uh huh. If you’re ready, we can hop in my jet and I can take you to Kame House now.”“Excellent. We’ll depart once Shampoo returns from her deliveries-!”“Nihao!”“Perfect timing.”Almost on cue, Shampoo strode through the curtain and was immediately launched upon by Mouuse. “Oh Shampoo you’ve re-QUAAAACK!”As the now duck Mousse flapped about, Shampoo immediately darted over to Cologne, discarding her spray bottle. “Fly Girl take us to meat old Master now?” she asked.Videl simply nodded as she pulled out her jet capsule.“Well then, let’s not waste time and get mov-!”“Yo Old Ghoul! You got room in the lunch rush for one more!?” called a familiar male voice. The three women turned towards the entrance to see Ranma stroll in.“Ranma?”“Videl?”“RANMA!”“Gyaaagh-!?”Before Ranma could ask Videl his obvious question, Shampoo wasted no time in attaching herself to Ranma, knocking him back through the entrance on the ground.“Would you get offa me!?”“You come date with Shampoo, no?”“No, I came for some ramen!”Shampoo’s expression fell. “Shampoo like make food for Ranma, but she, go with Grandmother and Fly Girl on important trip.”Ranma raised an eyebrow as he lightly pushed Shampoo off him. “What important trip?”“Fly Girl take Shampoo and Great Grandmother to meet with Legendary Martial Arts Master.”Ranma’s expression illuminated at Shampoo’s answer. Grabbing onto her shoulders, he exclaimed, “Wait, seriously?” Shampoo nodded. “It wouldn’t happen to be the Turtle Guy that trained Gohan’s old man, would it?”“Shampoo…think so,” she replied.Ranma’s eyebrows raised before narrowing into a mischievous smirk. “Well…it is a shame that I can’t go out with you right now, but do you think I’d at least be able to join you girls on your trip?”“You want come with Shampoo and Great-Grandmother!?” Shampoo excitedly asked.“Of course, if it’s alright with…!”Ranma was cut off as he and Shampoo were unexpectantly splashed with water, and Ranma immediately let out a shrill scream.“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa…!”[]“What the-!?”Videl and Cologne hastily darted outside to find female Ranma frantically running in circles with cat Shampoo attached to her face. Just beyond the two cursed fighters was a fuming Akane with a crushed bottle in her hand.“Akane?”At the sound of Videl’s voice, Akane instantly simmered down and replied with a confused greeting. “Videl? You’re here?”“Yeah, cause Cologne asked me to come over,” Videl replied.“Hmph…guess my intuition was right.”“Pardon?”“Ranma and I saw you flying when you came back into town and while we didn’t follow after you or anything, I figured here would probably be the best place to find you. I just wanted to see how you were doing after that battle with Ryoga.”Videl gave a dismissive shrug before warmly smiling at her friend. “I’m fine, for the most part. Just been feeling a bit more winded than usual.”“Whaaaa…!”Videl was interrupted by the still shrieking Ranma who’d yet to get Shampoo off her face.“So…what’s the deal with…?” Videl pointed to the manic martial artist.“Son-in-Law has a feline phobia,” Cologne replied.Videl did a double take. “Wait, seriously!?”“It’s a long story with all the blame going to his father, but you can talk about later, right now…” Cologne produced a kettle and tossed it’s contents over the redhead and kitten changing them back to normal…leaving Shampoo’s bountiful chest in a blinded Ranma’s face, causing them to crash into a nearby wall and fall on the ground in a heap.Akane viewed the scene with a shaking fist while Videl could only give an embarrassed sideways glance.“Aiyaaa…why Ranma have to smash Shampoo back against wall…?” she strained as she stood up.“Ummmm…phrasing!?” Videl exclaimed.Cologne tossed Shampoo her clothes. “If he wants to come with us, wake him up now, I’d prefer not to delay this trip any longer.”“Where are you guys even going?” Akane asked rather irritably.“I’m keeping my part of our deal and taking Cologne to meet with Master Roshi.”The youngest Tendo quickly eased up. “Wait, that’s where Ranma wanted to go?”Videl raised an eyebrow. “What did you think they were talking about? Eloping, or something?”Akane could only sheepishly shrink as Ranma began to come too. “Whazza happun?”“Get up boy, we’re departing soon!” Cologne exclaimed.“Depadee wha-?”“You heard her Ranma,” Akane said while lifting him up. “We’re going to meet a Legendary Master today!”Shampoo crossed her arms. “Why Akane come with? This supposed to be substitute date for Ranma and Shampoo.”“It’s fine with me if Akane wants to come along,” Videl dismissed as she uncapped her jet. “We’ve got a little catching up to do anyway.”Akane shot Shampoo a triumphant smile as she stepped to the yellow vehicle. Shampoo could only huff and pout.[Moments later]After a small hassle in regards to seating, the odd quintet were all loaded up in Videl’s jet, Ranma sitting shotgun with the other girls in the back, Cologne playing peacekeeper between Akane and Shampoo.“Is everyone ready?” Videl asked. Not waiting for an answer, Videl powered up the ignition and the aircraft began to ascend.“Aiyaaaaa!” exclaimed a marveled Shampoo.“Here we go!”
Fwoosh!
[Some moments later]“How long have we been flying over the ocean?” a bored Ranma deadpanned.“Don’t worry, we’re almost there…I think…” Videl replied.“What do you mean ‘you think’?” snapped Cologne.“I just don’t visit here too often so I’m still just a little iffy on location, but I’m sure enough we’re heading in the right direction.”“How Fly Girl so sure?” Shampoo challenged.“Because we’re here now!”“Huh?”“Look!”Sure enough, the aircraft was approaching a small island with only a single small house with the words ‘KAME HOUSE’ emblazoned on it.“That’s the place?” asked a less than impressed Ranma.“Yup. I’ll take us down.”As the jet descended closer to its destination, the group could see that there were people out on the beach, specifically a short man sitting on the porch steps of the house and a little girl riding on a turtle’s shell.“Who’s that?” asked Akane.“Who’s the kid?” added Ranma.“Is short man Legendary Master?” added an intrigued Shampoo?Videl’s eyes lit up as she stuck her head out of the side of the aircraft. “Hey Krillin! Marron!”[]As Turtle swam ashore, Marron on his shell, the child quickly dismounted the amphibious reptile and ran to her father in a giggly fit.“There you guys are,” Krillin greeted picking his daughter up. “So, how was the ride?”Marron replied with even more giggles before the pair heard a familiar voice call out to them.“Krillin! Marron!”“Hey Daddy, look!”Marron pointed up as a familiar yellow vehicle descended on the sand.“Is that Videl?” Krillin chuckled.His warm, inviting expression was quickly replaced with a look of confusion as not only did their friend step out of the plane, but also a slew of unfamiliar faces.“Hey you two!” Kneeling down, Videl was quickly met with an embrace by a pair of tiny arms as Marron ran up and practically threw herself into Videl. “Glad to see you’re doing o“Well Videl, this is a surprise,” Krillin greeted.“Yeah I know. Sorry to drop in unannounced like this but…” Videl paused as the Nerima fighters began surveying the island.“So this is the famous Kame House…” noted Cologne.“I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this…” added Akane.“Least the place looks alright, can’t say the same for the location.” Commented Ranma.“Shampoo think beach house be nice place for honeymoon!”A weary Marron ran behind her father as the Nerima gang approached, but Videl flashed the child an encouraging smile. “Don’t worry they’re friends of mine.”“Uh Videl, we don’t mind if you ever wanna visit but next time you wanna bring a group of friends along, you should give us a heads up first,”“I was actually coming to visit anyway, but decided to bring them along for another reason,” she explained. “It’s kind of a long story, but to make it short, they’re here to see Master Roshi.”“Master Roshi?” Before Krillin could ask another question, Cologne hopped forward, greeting Krillin with a bow.“Good afternoon.”“Uhhh…hello,” Krillin respectfully replied.“My name is…”
“Hey!”
KTHRAASSH!
Cologne’s introduction was interrupted by the sound of a woman’s voice, followed by a familiar crash of something getting launched through the roof of a house.“Déjà vu?” joked Ranma.“Déjà vu.” The two girls confirmed.“Daaaaaaaaaagh…! Oooomph!”A few seconds later, the figure that was knocked out the house finally landed in the sand right in between Cologne and Krillin, revealing it to be a bald, elderly man in shorts and a Hawaiian styled shirt.“Who’s the geezer?” Ranma stated, while peering into the dusty crater.In the next instance, the door to the house opened and all eyes turned to see a tall, blonde woman in a denim top and white pants, and she looked rather steamed.“I warned you what would happen if you tried that again old man,” she began as she came down the stairs. “Now you…” the woman paused as her eyes fell from Krillin and Marron over to Videl and Cologne.“Videl? What are you doing here?” she greeted in a rather reserved tone.“Hey Eighteen,” Videl waved.Just behind her however, a single thought crossed the minds of both Anything-Goes heirs and their Amazonian acquaintance(s).‘Who is she!?’
(Surprise, surprise, I actually managed to release a chapter BEFORE the end of the month. Kinda fitting that this chapter introduces Kame House to the Ranma crew since Roshi made it into FighterZ. Tangent time here, but to be frank, I was NOT expecting the old guy to make it cause he couldn’t fly and unlike other games, FighterZ didn’t seem to be taking liberties with it’s characters’ capabilities (in other words, no jetpack since Roshi never used one in the show or book) but low and behold he’s in…but as expected, in the same way Videl can’t reflect in that game, he can’t super dash. It’ll be interesting to see how he plays out, but I’m still crossing my fingers for a Season 4 that gives us the rest of GT, specifically Pan(my most wanted character at this point. I just want Gohan’s whole family), Baby, and Majuub (everyone’s expecting Omega Shenron this season, myself included). Okay, tangent over. This chapter was pure setup, but given how action packed the last couple of chapters were, I think its warranted. Next time, Ranma and friends get properly acquainted, not only with Roshi, but with his houseguests as well. Maybe, just maybe, they’ll even find out why Cologne wanted to meet him so badly, although, those who were paying attention in the early chapters around Cologne’s introduction may be able to figure it out. Until next time.)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
Chaotic Kame House; Meet the Turtle Master and Student
The young Martial Artists all had their eyes fixated on the blonde woman standing in the door frame of the house. None of them could explain it, but something about her aura just put all of their instincts on edge.All eyes turning back to Videl, they Akane, Ranma, and Shampoo each asked,“Videl…who is that lady?”“Who's the geezer?”“Who is short man?”Before Videl could answer however, the elder martial artist began to stir, drawing all the attention.“Ehhhhh…may have been a new height record with that one…” he muttered. Straining to his feet, Roshi staggered forward, continuing to mumble. “Sand…harder than I…remember…need…softer landing…!”As he swayed back and forth, towards the young fighter, a fully prepared Videl merely side stepped him. “Nice to see you again too Master Roshi“Oh Videl, it's you!” at the familiar voice, Roshi quickly straightened himself up and dusted himself off while the Nerima natives could only observe with skeptical eyes.“So this old geezer's the Legendary Master everyone's been hypin' up?” whispered Ranma.“Videl and that short man did call him ‘Master',” added Akane.“Shampoo only hope he no like Happosai.”“What brings you to our neck of the woods?” asked Roshi as his eyes slipped past her to the trio in back. “And who are your friends?” he added with a grin as he slowly walked towards them.“I don't like how he's looking at us…” Akane said dipping behind Ranma.“Neither do Shampoo…” she added doing the same.As soon as Roshi stepped past Videl, the female flyer grabbed him by the back of his collar and pulled him back in front of her.“What, you’re not gonna let an old dog introduce himself!?,” Roshi exclaimed.“You can get acquainted with them later…maybe. In the mean time, why don't you introduce yourself to the one who actually came here to see you.”“Ohhhh? And who would that be?” Roshi asked with an expectant grin.Videl merely stepped aside putting Cologne fully in Roshi's view. The two elders paused as they sized each other up.“You know, I’m flattered, but I'm not into women older than me.”
Kathonk!
Cologne wasted no time in connecting her staff to Roshi's head. “Men.” Cologne groaned.“Mostly just him,” snarked 18.“Okay, okay,” Videl interjected, getting between the two old masters. “I’m sure everyone has a lot of questions, so if we could all take a moment to calm down, I'll try and answer them as best as I can.”[A few moments later]The group was all assembled around the table in the living room, sans 18 who was on the couch with Marron in her lap, all served with liquid refreshments.“Allow me to introduce ourselves,” Cologne began, clearing her throat. “My name is Cologne, and the three youngsters here are my Granddaughter Shampoo…” the young girl waved. “…her betrothed Ranma…” “I ain’t nobody’s betrothed!” “…and our acquaintance Akane.”“She’s my friend who I invited on this trip,” Videl interjected.“Well then, guess it’s my turn,” Roshi cleared his throat. “Videl said you came here to see me, so I guess you must already be aware that I’m the master of the Turtle School, Roshi.”“I am,” Cologne nodded.‘So this old Geezer’s the master the old Ghoul’s been hypin’ up,’ Ranma thought.‘He doesn’t feel malicious like Happosai, but better keep my guard up,’ Akane mentally noted.“Well this old boy here is one of my former pupils Krillin,” Roshi began “That blonde knockout back there is his wife Eighteen,”“Watch it,” the cyborg warned.‘Her name is Eighteen?’ came the collective thought of all the Nerima fighters.“…Hehe right…and the cute little bundle in Eighteen’s lap is their daughter Marron.”The eyes of the teenage fighters were all on Marron who clung to her mother seemingly for dear life. Akane merely flashed the small girl a smile while waving at her and Shampoo followed suit. With a shy smile of her own, Marron waved back.The same thought raced through both girls’ minds. ‘She’s…adorable!!’Tensions eased as intros finally wound down, each side taking a moment to feel the other out. Finally the awkward silence was broken by Cologne who let out a pensive hum.“Now I remember. The Turtle School was said to only take on two disciples at a time. So you’re the one who trained alongside Son Goku,” she noted.“Wait, you know Goku!?” asked a surprised Krillin.“Only through reputation. I’ve yet to meet the man myself. Though honestly, it’s still flattering to be acquainted with any of the Turtle School’s disciples.” She replied with a grin.“Hehe, never thought I’d meet a fan in this day and age,” Krilli coyly chuckled.“As interesting as this all is,” Eighteen interjected. “I still want to know why you guys are here.”“I can answer that,” Videl replied. “You see Cologne here is…sort of my teacher.”“Your teacher?” Krillin repeated.Videl nodded her confirmation. “She’s helped me learn more about this whole energy thing you guys can do.”“Wait, are you for real?”To answer his question, Videl simply raised her hand and focused for a moment. Her hand began to glow until a sphere of energy formed. It wasn’t very big, but Krillin and Roshi could tell it was compact with an impressive amount of energy…for Videl’s level at least.“Well color me impressed,” praised Roshi.“Guess training with Gohan was just a bit too distracting for ya, wasn’t it?” Krillin joked.“Not really. After I started with Cologne, Gohan started helping me out more too.” Videl proudly crossed her arms. “He even showed me a move you might be pretty familiar with Krillin.”“Annnd what move would that be?”Videl quickly put her hands to the sides of her head and smirked. Krillin’s eyes widened at the familiar position. “Really? The Solar Flare?”Videl nodded. “Getting back on track however, Cologne only agreed to train me if…I could introduce her to Master Roshi.”The room fell silent again as all eyes turned to Cologne. “Well, you got me. Now what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” Roshi asked stroking his beard.Cologne sighed. “Well first, I’d like to issue an apology.”“Apology?” came multiple voices.“While I am incredibly honored to meet you face to face, I must admit, you’re NOT the one I was hoping to find,” Cologne began.“Wait a second…if you didn’t want to meet Master Roshi…then what was the whole ‘Deal’ thing about!?” Videl snapped.“Truthfully…the one I really wanted to find…is the ever-elusive Fortuneteller, Baba.”“Baba?”“Who?”“My sister?”Cologne nodded.“I didn’t know you had a sister Master Roshi,” Videl chimed in.“What do you mean you didn’t know!? You’ve met her before!” the elder fighter snapped.“I have?”“You have!?”“You know, the little old lady on the crystal ball with the witch hat?” Krillin described.“Oh wait, her!?” Videl exclaimed. “She’s your sister!?”“Did you really not know that?” Roshi mused. “Well, I guess since she doesn’t show up too often, it’s not exactly something that’d come up in conversation I suppose.”“How…how did you encounter her!?” Cologne asked in befuddlement.Videl hesitated to answer. “There’s… a lot that isn’t my story to tell. All you need to know is that I met with her briefly around the same time I met Gohan’s father…though now that I think about it…if you’d have said earlier that you really wanted to meet her, I’m sure I could’ve gotten Goku to take you to her easily.”Cologne remained silent as embarrassment flooded her features and the sound of snickering filled the air. A certain pigtailed boy was subsequently whacked upside the head.“Okay, so let me see if I got this straight; You wanted to meet with Baba, but you don’t know where she is, so you figured Roshi would be your best bet to find her, given they’re siblings.” Krillin explained.Cologne cleared her throat attempting to maintain her composure and confirmed the theory. “Yes, that’s the general idea. You see, we actually used to be old acquaintances back in our youth when she visited the village a time or two. Some of our ancient Amazonian treasures would go on to serve her divination career. We’d long since lost touch but recently, I’ve come to need her assistance.” Cologne explained.“But for what?” asked Roshi, a menacing gleam reflecting off his shades.Cologne narrowed her eyes at her bearded peer. “Sorry, but that’s classified.”“Now you’ve gotten me curious,” Krillin added.“Well, don’t keep us in suspense,” Ranma snarked.Cologne remained silent, her expression hardening before she finally responded. “I can’t go into too much detail, or else what little life I have left will be snuffed out…”The room grew silent as no one expected the news to be quite so…heavy. “Great Grandmother?”“At ease child,” Cologne assured. “All I can say is I need Baba’s divination abilities in order to locate an EXTREMELY vital piece of our village’s history. That piece also happens to be one of our most closeted secret treasures this side of one of Son-In-Law’s techniques.”“What technique?” Videl whispered to the girls.“It’s a secret,” they both scolded.Roshi let out his own speculative hum as he examined Cologne, his expression unclear beneath the tints of his shades. ‘She seems sincere, but I feel like there’s something vital in what she’s not telling us.’“Please Master Roshi?” Videl pleaded.“I don’t know…even if I did lend you my map to her place, she probably wouldn’t even help you unless you can pass her challenge,” Roshi answered.“Challenge?” everyone asked.“Oh yeah! I remember that!” Krillin exclaimed. “You see, Baba charges a small fortune for her divinations, but she’ll also do one IF you can defeat her five warriors!” he explained.“Five warriors?”“That’s news to me,” commented Eighteen.“I’ll tell ya the full story some other time, but Goku, Yamcha and I had to go through it before and it was…an experience to say the least,” Krillin stammered.Videl and the Nerima girls took a moment to take in the information while Ranma looked at Krillin with a curious eye. “What are these ‘Warriors’ like?” he asked.“Well…” Krillin crossed his arms as he thought back to the trials of Baba’s palace. He then paused as he remembered the first opponent he unfortunately had to face. “On second thought…I don’t wanna talk about it. Roshi, you tell em’, I need to go…get an ice pack…!”Excusing himself from the table, Krillin strolled over to the freezer and stuck his head inside. “What’s wrong with Daddy?” asked Marron.“Who knows?” Eighteen replied.“Well since Krillin’s probably repressing some deep, depressing memories, guess it’s up to me to take over,” Roshi joked.Clearing his throat, Roshi began. While he hadn’t been aware of his friends’ fight with Fangs the Vampire, he nonetheless gave a rundown of what he was familiar with. From Invisible Man through Devilman however, Roshi recounted the tale of how Yamcha and Goku (mostly Goku) took the gang down (Videl showing increased interest after learning Devilman was a previous World Martial Arts Champion). He then informed them that Baba’s 5th Fighter is different from the rest of the pack. While Devilman was customarily the fifth, Baba now employs various fighters who’ve long since left the living world.Though many were shocked, none were caught too off guard, what with Videl meeting Goku under the same circumstances, and Ranma, Akane and Shampoo having to battle ghosts before.“Sounds like a blast,” Ranma beamed.“More like a bust if you ask me,” Akane commented.Shampoo shot the youngest Tendo a teasing grin. “Akane scared she no can beat warriors?”“No, but I can sure beat you!” Akane snapped.“Since when Akane beat Shampoo?”
SPLASH!
Tossing the contents of her glass onto the purple-haired girl, Akane smugly replied, “Just now.”The Z-Gang all did a double take as Shampoo seemed to vanish from sight.“Wait…what just happened? Where’d Shampoo go?”The Turtle School fighters turned to Ranma who looked to be trembling, then back at where Shampoo was only to find her clothes…something that Roshi seemed a little too eager to realize.“Well…there’s these…Ehehehe…!” as he reached for the garments, and before the others could stop him, he was swiftly slashed across the hand.
“HSSSSssssss!”
“Gaaieee!” The elder fighter yelped in pain as from the bundle of clothes came a purple kitten.“Wait…is that…did she…she’s a…!?”“Kitty!”Catching everyone off guard, Marron hopped out from Eighteen’s lap and immediately toddled after the cursed feline. Shampoo took an instinctive leap back but eased up once Marron gently began stroking her head. Falling into the feel of the child’s gentle caress, Shampoo instinctively rubbed up against her arm, urging Marron on before hopping into her arms.Nearly everybody froze and merely stared mesmerized as Marron continued to pet Shampoo, even the ever icy Eighteen let a genuine smile flash.“Awww…” came the collective cry of Akane, Videl and Krillin.Breaking away from Marron, Shampoo hopped onto the table beside her grandmother. Still wanting to play, the little girl followed her in a fit of giggles.“As cute as that was, I think we’re all due for a little explanation as to what just happened,” noted Eighteen.“Uhhh…ya might wanna make that two explanations,” Krillin noted. Off to the side, Ranma was doing his best Spider-Man impression and clung to the corner of the wall, shaking like a leaf.[One Explanation Later]“Okay…despite all we’ve been through over the years…I gotta admit, this one still kinda takes the cake,” Roshi noted rubbing his head with his staff.“No, what takes the cake is him,” Krillin snickered, pointing at a cowering Ranma. “And I thought Goku’s needle phobia was a riot.”“Wait…Goku’s scared of needles!?” Videl giggled.“Yeeup!” he laughed.While she and Krillin continued to laugh, Eighteen strolled in placing a kettle on the table.“So hot water reverses the curse right?” she asked.“Correct,” confirmed Cologne.“Good, then change her back already!” Ranma exclaimed.“On it! I gotta see this!” Krillin beamed grabbing the kettle.“Wait don't!” Akane quickly halted him.“Why not?”“Because she’ll be naked genius,” Eighteen answered.Krillin paused. “Oh…oh yeah.” Quickly dropping the kettle, Krillin shrank back into his seat. Unbeknownst to the others, a glare shone beneath the Turtle Master’s shades.“Gee Krillin, I thought you had more class than that. Maybe you’ve been taking the wrong lessons from Master Roshi,” Videl teased.“Not funny!” Krillin shot back.The Z-Women both laughed, until the younger of the two was pulled aside by Akane. “Hey Videl…what’d you mean by ‘the wrong lesson’?” she whispered.Videl paused. ‘Dammit…I knew I forgot something!’ she mentally cursed herself. “Yeah…I probably should’ve mentioned this earlier but…”
SPLASH!
“AIYAAAAAAAAAAA!”“OHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”All eyes fell on a very human, very naked Shampoo who was scrambling to cover herself as Roshi let out a loud hearty laugh as Shampoo fell off the table, face up.Akane and Eighteen both scrambled to shield the males’ eyes while Videl attempted to shield Shampoo from Roshi’s gaze. She wasn’t quick enough to keep Roshi from getting a full view of Shampoo from her pert bottom to her buxom chest down to her thighs as she rolled off the table in a frenzy. The erotic view was too much for the old master and his nose erupted in a red burst, spilling all over the table.“You're making a MESS!” Killing all birds with a single stone, Eighteen dealt a swift uppercut to Roshi's chin launching and planting him through the second floor, into the roof.“Whoa…!” Akane and Shampoo marveled.“Impressive,” Cologne noted.“You think that’s impressive? You should see her in a real fight,” commented Videl.“Pass,” Eighteen deadpanned before sitting back down.“Uhhhhh…” everything grew silent as all eyes turned to Roshi implanted in the roof. “A little help would be appreciated…” he stammered.“Another old master…” Akane began.“Another old pervert.” Ranma finished.[Moments later]After Roshi got some tissue to plug up his nose, as well as bandages for his resulting injuries, he reassembled with the others in the living room.“Well…after that whole ordeal, how can I refuse the request of these gracious ladies.” Roshi guffawed. He was subsequently met with a myriad of silent glares. “Right…let me grab it for ya. Now…where’d I leave that thing…”” Excusing himself from the table, Roshi started rummaging around the kitchen.While Roshi searched for the map“Well…that wasn't the prettiest display of bargaining ever, but at least it all worked out in the end.” Cologne sighed.“Aiya…Shampoo feel like she need shower….”“We'd lend you ours but…” Krillin paused.Getting the point, Shampoo merely slumped in her seat while Ranma and Akane turned their glares to Videl who returned their gazes with a look of confusion. “What?”“Ya really couldn’t have warned us what we were dealin’ with here!?” Ranma snapped.“Sorry it just…slipped my mind,” Videl shrugged.“How does something like that slip your mind?” Akane exclaimed.“Because despite what just happened with Shampoo, Master Roshi is nowhere near as bad as…him!” Videl crossed her arms across her chest as she began to quiver just thinking about her previous encounters with the Anything-Goes master.Ranma raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Part of me believes you, but only because nobody can be as bad as that Old Freak.”“‘Old freak’?” asked Eighteen.“Uhhhh…you wanna let us in or is this some secret high school thing?” asked Krillin.“They’re just miffed I didn’t warn them about Roshi,” Videl replied.“Can you blame them?” added Eighteen.“No, but believe me when I say that Master Roshi's tame compared to the old perve they have to deal with on a regular basis.”“I find that hard to believe,” Eighteen challenged.“Eighteen trust me. I know how Master Roshi can be, but he’s nothing compared to Happosai.”Unseen to the others, a glare shone beneath Roshi’s shades as he tensed up. ‘Did…did she just say…!?’Minutes passed and Roshi finally returned with a rolled-up paper in his hand. “Well, here’s the map.” He said placing it on the table.Cologne eyed the paper with eagerness seeping onto her face. “Your contribution is heavily appreciated!” as she reached for the paper, Roshi hastily swiped It back.“Don’t thank me yet!”Cologne’s eyes narrowed as Roshi tauntingly tapped the map in his hands. “I did say I’d lend you the map, but you’ve got to earn it first, especially if you intend to take on Baba’s Challenge. I gotta make sure you kids can handle it.”“What do they have to do?” asked Cologne.“Simple, ya just gotta take it from me,” Roshi replied eagerly.Shampoo crossed her arms and turned away from Roshi with a pout. “Hmph, Shampoo apologize to Great-Grandmother, but no way she play dirty old man game!”“Ditto,” Akane added doing the same.“Ranma…”The pigtailed fighter sighed. “Fine, if I must, I guess I’ll save the day again…unless you’ll let Videl lend me a hand?”“I…might jump in…but I actually need to talk with Krillin first.” Videl declined.“Wha-?”“Ya know, I understand why you don’t wanna deal with the old man, but you don’t gotta…”“Remember when I said I already planned to come here before Cologne asked me?” Videl recalled.Eighteen raised an eyebrow in confusion and interest, but Krillin confirmed it. “Oh yeah, you did say earlier you were coming to visit.”Ranma gave a dejected sigh. “Fine, I’ll do it…but you owe me for this one old Ghoul!” Ranma replied.“Use my name and I’ll consider it.”“Haaaaaaa-Yagh!” Quickly darting out, Ranma reached for Roshi across the table who swayed back just outside the young boy’s reach.“You’ll have to try harder than that my boy,” Roshi taunted tapping the map on Ranma’s forehead.Before Ranma could retaliate, Roshi was hoisted up by the back of his shirt, courtesy of Android 18. “If you two are going to fight, do us all a favor here and take it outside.” With a nigh emotionless look on her face, Eighteen threw Roshi through the door, smashing it and faceplanting him into the sand.With a dangerous chill dipping down his spine, Ranma quickly blurted out a “Yes ma’am before chasing after the fallen elder.”“I think I’ll go keep an eye on Ranma,” Cologne sweat-dropped hopping out the door.“Well, I need to get dinner started. Can you girls keep an eye on Marron for a bit?” asked Eighteen.“Oh of course,” Akane accepted.Shampoo nodded her agreement “Shampoo no mind if Marron want play with kitty-ca-Kyaaaaa!”Before Shampoo could finish, Akane once again poured a glass of water on her purple-haired rival. As Shampoo let out an irritated meow, she quickly calmed herself as she was picked up by Marron and gently petted on the head again. With a playful mewl, Shampoo freed herself from Marron’s arms and bounded up the stairs, the small blonde eagerly following her.“You know where to find us!” Akane called following the pair.As the remaining three watched the girls off, Eighteen turned to Krillin and Videl. “Don’t take up too much time. After all, he’s got some holes in the roof to patch up.”“Wait, why do I have to fix em’? Roshi did it!” Krillin protested.“Oh he will, you’ll just be giving him a head start,” with a dismissive wave, Eighteen retreated to the kitchen.“Glad you two are doing well,” Videl giggled.“She’s been pretty cheery lately since your father finally held up his end of the deal he made with Eighteen but, same ol’ same ol’. Onto more current events, why exactly did you wanna talk to me?” Krillin asked. “Did Goku do something again?” he added.“No, this doesn’t have anything to do with Goku…or Gohan for that matter.”Krillin raised an interested eyebrow as Videl trailed off. “I should probably start from the beginning.”Videl went on to give a quick rundown of her encounter with Ryoga, picking the fight with him and Akane introducing her to Cologne. Her tone was upbeat to neutral for most of the tale but got notably more downtrodden as she spoke about the results of the battle.“Well, that was an interesting story and all, but why did you have to tell me about it?” asked Krillin.Videl paused, frustration evident on her face. “Gohan said you’d be the best person to talk to about this.”“About what?”Videl proceeded to repeat much of what she’d said to Gohan back at school. The consistent feeling of being outmatched, like none of her progressive training amounts to anything substantial, the irritation of losing so EASILY to an opponent who on paper should be an even match. Krillin could only remain silent as Videl laid all her insecurities bare. The rant finally ended with this comment from Videl.“Just be honest Krillin…am I just wasting my time…being a fighter?”Krillin gave the girl a warm smile before placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Hmph…Gohan was right after all, cause I understand exactly where you’re coming from Videl.”“Really?”The ex-monk nodded. “Goku and I used to be on the same level, and now look at the guy? Meanwhile, here I am, barely able to ever win a simple sparring match with my own wife.”“Hmmm?” Eighteen shot a playfully teasing glare in their direction.With a flinch, Krillin quickly fixed himself and kept on. “What I’m saying is, the only person who can decide if it’s worth it to keep training or not is you. You said yourself, you accepted that reaching Goku’s level was a goal too beyond your reach, so then you gave yourself a newer more palatable goal of at least getting onto our level. Ask yourself this, do you think that goal is too much for you to handle?”“I…I used to think no…but after my fight with Ryoga…I’m just not sure anymore. I know he’s not at the same level as you guys, but if I can’t even compare to that…then what hope for me is there?”Krillin briefly paused, seemingly confirming Videl’s fear. Luckily, he was bailed out by Eighteen who’d discreetly appeared behind her husband. “It always comes back to your fight with that boy, doesn’t it?”“Eighteen?”“No matter how much hot air a person blows, the fact remains that nobody has a perfect win streak. We all know for a fact, you’ve lost fights before, so what exactly makes this one so different?”“Geeze Eighteen, couldn’t you have phrased that a bit more considerately?” Krillin whispered.“I don’t know honestly…I think it’s just…after how much I managed to progress and how quickly too, to have it all just be for nothing…feels like a waste of everyone’s time.”“Was it really for nothing though?” Eighteen sharply replied.“Hm?”“At the end of the day, you did get a lot stronger right, and isn’t that the point? Something Master Roshi always said is ‘a true Martial Artist doesn’t fight to defeat others but to surpass himself’…or herself in this case.”Videl said nothing as she mulled over Krillin’s words. Finally, she could only reply with a small half smile and a simple “Thanks.”“Still…if you do want to give up fighting, I don’t think anyone’s going to blame you, especially since most of us have already sort of fallen down that well. I mean, just look at Yamcha…”
SWACK!
“Gah!”“Don’t mention him, aren’t you supposed to be encouraging her?” Eighteen whispered in Krillin’s ear.Krillin shot Eighteen an irritated look as Videl got up from the table. “Well…speaking of Master Roshi…I better check and see what’s going on with him and Ranma.”“Just tell them to hurry up. We don’t have enough for a large group of people like this,” Eighteen dismissed.Videl bashfully chuckled as she strode towards the door only to let out a shriek and dash aside as the elder in question came flying in, blood spurting from his nose and a footprint on his face.“Roshi!?” Krillin darted towards his old teacher.From upstairs, Akane darted down with Marron and the still Cat-Shampoo close behind. “What the heck was that!?”Videl narrowed her eyes. “I’ve got a pretty good idea.” Her suspicions were confirmed as she peered out the now broken door only to find a familiar red-haired girl standing triumphantly with Roshi’s map in hand.“Every. Time!” the girl giggled as she dashed through the door. “By the way Cologne, you’re welcome. Now let’s grab the girls and get out of…” Ranma paused as she realized Krillin, 18, and Marron were all staring at her.“Uhhh Videl…is she a friend of yours too?” Krillin asked pointing at the new guest.“Whatcha mean shorty, it’s me, Ranma!” the redhead introduced herself.“Wait…WHAT!?”[A short explanation later]“So it’s the same thing as Shampoo?”“Yup.”“So hot water…”“Cutting off the question, Ranma grabbed the kettle on the table and poured it over herself, changing back to male form.”An impressionable Marron clapped as if it were a magic trick while Krillin and Eighteen both remained silent. Eighteen merely shrugged and accepted the news rather nonchalantly while Krillin seemed to be somewhat short-circuiting.“Okay…I have no idea why I’m surprised…but…I’m still having a bit of trouble processing this…” he stammered.“Well…Goku compared it to an old friend of his named…Lunch I think it was…?” Videl recalled.Krillin’s expression nigh instantly cleared up. “You know what…I can see that. Makes sense now,” with a similarly dismissive shrug, Krillin accepted it and decided to move on.“Seriously, who the heck is Launch…or Lunch…or whatever the name was?” Videl muttered.“Okay, now that we’re done with series specific story cliches, I got the map!” Ranma announced victoriously.“…Should we even bother asking how? Akane deadpanned.“Why not? I wanna know.” Krillin interjected.“It’s nothing Son-in-Law hasn’t pulled before,” Cologne sighed.
[A few moments earlier]
Ranma dashed out of the house to meet with a Roshi who was dusting himself off after getting tossed by Eighteen. Ranma, taking advantage of the positioning, tried to slp over and swipe the map, but Roshi quickly zipped away, his guard still up.
“Do ya really think it’s going to be that easy My Boy?” Roshi taunted.
“Ehhh…50-50,” Ranma shrugged.
“RANMA!” came the hasty shriek of Cologne. “You and I both know you have a method to end this in an instant. Don’t waste time and get that map!”
“Hey lay off would ya!” Ranma snapped back. “I figured you of all people would wanna see this ‘Legendary’ master in action. Besides, I wanna see what the guy who trained Gohan’s old man is made of!”
Cologne sighed. “Fine, have your little game, but I swear if you don’t get that map…!”
‘Geeze, why does she want it so badly?’ Ranma mused.
“Well…if you’re so eager to see what the Turtle School has to offer my boy, then I guess I can school you!” Roshi taunted taking a fighting stance; the map in one hand, his staff in the other.
With a confident smirk, Ranma dashed at Roshi his hands poised to strike. “Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!”
Ranma threw his hands forward in a mach speed volley. To the young fighter’s surprise, Roshi brought his staff forward and spun it in place easily deflecting his strikes. Switching tactics, Ranma attempted to trip his opponent up with a sweeping kick. Roshi merely hopped over the strike and countered with a hard knock to the head courtesy of his staff.
“Gaow!”
While Ranma was still recovering, Roshi held his staff sideways and swung it like a bat, striking Ranma upside the head and launching him into the ocean.
“You’ve got some impressive speed, I’ll give you that, but you’ve really need to try and be less predictable,” Roshi chided.
“Is that so?” replied an unfamiliar voice.
“Ehhh?” Roshi turned to where Ranma had landed only to come face to face with a busty young red-haired girl, dripping with water from the ocean, slowly stride towards him. “Wai-!? Heha…who…who are-!?” Roshi was dumbstruck as countless thoughts filled his head, but many of the more logical ones were drowned out by the sight of the bundle of curves protruding from his ‘opponent’s’ torso.
“If you thought I was fast before, then check out my speed now!”
The red-haired girl leapt at Roshi with a diving kick, but the elder who was starting to regain his senses, backstepped the attack avoiding it. True to her word, she was able to follow up with a much faster attack by launching herself at Roshi’s face striking with a double kick.
Roshi bent over backwards to avoid the attack and pivoted around when he noticed the girl reach for the map he was holding. It was then it all started clicking for the Turtle Master.
“So…you’ve got the same kind of curse as that Shampoo girl, eh Ranma?” Roshi guessed.
“Guilty as charged Ranma confirmed, and this time, I’m gonna get that map if it’s the last thing I do!” she declared.
“I’ll admit, you’ve certainly shifted into top gear with your transformation, but you’re still too slow to keep up with this old dog,” Roshi taunted.
“I don’t need to,” Ranma proclaimed. “You said I should be more unpredictable, right? Well tell me Old Man, did you see THIS coming!?” In an instant, Ranma pulled the front of her shirt aside revealing her ample bust to the elder’s eyes and that was it for him. His eyes shattered through his shades as a stream of blood gushed from his nose. Before he could fully process the situation, he was met with a foot to the face, launching him back through the door, the map being discarded on impact.
“Why do they always make it so easy?”
[End Flashback]
Krillin crossed his arms with a contemplative look on his face while 18, who’d been listening from the kitchen could only facepalm and give a disapproving huff. “Unbelievable.”“I know right?” Akane added. “Ranma, you’ve GOT to stop flashing people all the time!”“I don’t do it all the time…and I’ll stop when it stops working.” Ranma’s triumphant laugh was silenced when he was unceremoniously grabbed by the pigtail courtesy of a none-too pleased Android 18.“Dow…watch the hair…!”“You think that’s funny? At the risk of sounding like Chi-Chi, do you have any shame at all?” Eighteen snarled.“I…” Ranma could only stammer as he shrunk under the deadly blonde’s icy glare. Thankfully, he was rescued by her husband.“Hey, don’t go too hard on the kid…after all, Bulma used to pull the same kinda stunts all the time when we were their age,” Krillin informed.‘Wait, what!?’ Videl inwardly exclaimed.“…Are you serious?” Eighteen asked in disbelief while loosening her hold on Ranma.“Me, Roshi, and Goku can confirm,” Krillin doubled down.“Ohhhh yeah…I remember…” Roshi guffawed as he slowly picked himself up. “Dehehehe…ahahaha…!”
‘Bwop!’
Roshi’s laughter was silenced by Eighteen pointing her palm in his face. “Deee…! Okay, I’ll stop.”“That’s what I thought.” Having seen and heard enough, Eighteen went over to Akane’s side taking Marron up in her arms. “If you want dinner, either get in there yourselves or call me after this meeting’s over. We’re taking a break.” The mother-daughter pair then retreated up the stairs.“Well…she seems…fun…” Akane commented.“Hey, she’s a lot more pleasant once you get to know her. I think all the extra uninvited guests just sort of rubbed her the wrong way,” Krillin dismissed.“Well, she can rest easy since we’ll be leaving soon. We have the information we came for, and regardless, it truly was an honor to meet a couple of distinguished names in the old Martial Artist community,” Cologne respectfully closed.Roshi rubbed his head with his staff. “Well, a deal’s a deal so I’ll lend you the map, but I do have to say, that wasn't exactly the most honest way to pass the test,” he turned to Ranma with a displeased look.A smug Ranma shrugged. “Hey, where I come from, anything goes.”Roshi hung his head in disdain. “That certainly sounds like something one of old Happy’s boys would say.”Ranma, Akane, and Videl all froze.“‘Happy's boys?’” Videl repeated.“Wait…you know Happosai?” asked Akane.Roshi only grunted his confirmation.“I suppose it shouldn't be so surprising since you two seem to be cut from the same cloth,” Cologne teased.Roshi stroked his beard. “We may have similar interests, but I can assure you, we couldn't be any more different when it comes to our values as Martial Artists.”“I'm gettin' the feeling you and the freak ain't too fond of each other,” said Ranma.“That's putting it lightly, but let's just call it a clashing of ideals and leave it at that,” Roshi said in a threateningly serious tone.“I'll be honest, I was quite shocked to hear Videl mention that little gremlin. The only reason I issued the challenge for the map in the first place is because I was curious if one or more of you were students of his.”“And you couldn't have just asked, why?” noted Akane.“Actions speak louder than words, Ms. Tendo,” Cologne interjected. “Is that it?”“More or less. I figured I could learn everything I needed by judging the way you kids fight, but your friend over there made it rather difficult,” Roshi motioned to Ranma.“Well to answer your question Gramps, neither me or Akane are students of that freak,” Ranma finally answered. “He trained my old man and Akane's old man back in their days, but he ain’t taught me a damn thing…well…nothing useful.”Roshi stroked his beard. “Hmm…I figured as much. I could certainly see inklings of Happy's style with the way you decided to ‘beat me', but you seemed too eager to fight me for real to be taught by him directly.”Ranma raised an eyebrow. “Hey, I only pulled that stunt cause like ya said, you and the Freak have the same ‘Interests' and that trick ALWAYS works on him.”Roshi bashfully chuckled. “Well, ya got me there kid. Guess I've only myself to blame for that one.”“Yeah, but I'll say this much, I actually think you're alright Old Man,” Ranma complimented. “You're still kind of a freak, but Videl was kinda right when she said you're nowhere near as bad as The Freak, so if you're in the mood, I wouldn't mind playing your game again…legit this time.”Roshi’s expression became more relaxed at Ranma’s challenge. “Now that’s what I like to hear, but fair warning; if you really want a rematch kid, you’d better bring your A-Game cause next time, I intend to give you a full course on what the Turtle School has to offer!”“Lookin’ forward to it.” Ranma accepted pounding his fist in his hand.As the eager fighters stared each other down, their challenging gazes were broken by Videl. “Sorry to burst your bubble you two, but it’s starting to get late,” she noted pointing towards the sun.“Indeed. We’d better return to the Cat Café before the dinner rush begins,” said Cologne.“Yo, can you make somethin’ for us too?” Asked Ranma. “We don’t want Akane to get any bright ideas about cooking tonight.”The tomboy fighter’s response was to chuck the still feline Shampoo at her pigtailed houseguest, watching his fearful scramble with a smug eye. The other onlookers, sans Cologne all chuckled at Ranma’s expense.[A few moments later]The Nerima Fighters were once again assembled in Videl’s jet, waiting for her to finish her goodbyes.“Well, sorry we kind of took over your night,” Videl sheepishly apologized.“If you’re still concerned about Eighteen, don’t sweat it. It was kind of fun to meet more legitimate Earthling fighters outside of our little friend circle. Kind of gives me hope,” Krillin replied.“I’ll say, it certainly does remind me of the days before all this Super Saiyan business and what not.” Roshi added. “Then again…I guess there always have been inhuman fighters out there in some way shape or form.”“I guess,” Videl bashfully responded. ‘But how many of them could straight up demolish a town?’“Videl.” Roshi said sternly.“Yes?”“Krillin told me about why you originally decided to visit, and I’d like to leave my two cents: No matter how strong you may get, there will always be someone stronger, but don’t let it discourage you. Instead, use it as a motivator to push yourself even further. After all, it’s worked wonders for Goku.”Videl gave a hesitant but understanding nod before she was called to by Ranma. “Yo Videl, you done yet!? The sun’s startin’ to go down for real!”“Thanks for the advice guys. I’ll try to keep it in mind.” On that note, Videl hopped into the plane and while waving the two off, raised it into the air. From the top floor of Kame House, Marron could be seen waving them off too, Eighteen beside her with a small smile. Returning the gesture, the plane then took off into the sunset.‘Use it as a motivator huh? Hard to stay motivated when every success just leads to more failure…’
“A true Martial Artist doesn’t defeat others, but himself…or herself in this case.”
“Videl?”“Huh?”“Are you alright? You looked a little…out of it for a second,” asked a concerned Akane.“I’m fine…just a little tired.,” Videl dismissed.“Well you kids better get as much rest as you can, because we’re going for Baba’s palace in two days, right when school lets out for you,” Cologne informed.“Speaking of…if the Old Witch lady has five fighters, aren’t we short one?” Ranma noted.“Maybe we ask Fly Girl Boyfriend to join?” Shampoo suggested.Videl nodded. “Not a good idea. I doubt Baba would let us go through with the challenge if Gohan’s involved. It’d be too easy.”Ranma’s expression flattened. “Geeze, I know Gohan’s a tough guy, but don’t you think you’re hyping him up a bit much there?”“Twenty Zeni says that Baba says the same thing when we meet her,” Videl challenged.“You’re on.”“Well, even if Gohan doesn’t join us, we still have options, don’t we?” Videl noted. “What about Ryoga again?”“You wanna find that walking broken compass in two days, be my guest,” joked Ranma.“We’ll worry about that when the time comes. For now, just focus on conserving your strength, because if Kamesennin’s words ring true, these upcoming battles will be tough.”[Meanwhile back at Kame House]Roshi and Krillin remained on the beach until Videl’s aircraft was fully out of sight. As they retreated back inside, Roshi let out a sigh. “To think…I’d meet acquaintances of Happosai in this day and age.”“Geeze, you really don’t like this guy, do you?” asked Krillin.“Ripping on that little imp was one of the few times that old Crane and I actually got along,” Roshi replied.“Wow…what’d he do to make you hate him that much?”“That’s a story for another time my boy. I’m in too good a mood right now to try and spoil it thinking about him…though I admit I am curious on what he’s up to now.”[Elsewhere]A diminutive man, even shorter than Krillin stood atop a shadowy cliffside. In his hands he held a simple newspaper with a picture of a man in a cape and helmet and a short-haired young girl. Clutching the print in his hand, the tiny man let out an angered grunt before crumpling it up and tossing it behind him. Instead of hitting the ground, the litter was caught by another, much taller figure who spontaneously appeared behind the small man.“Ahhh, so you decided to show up after all,” came the raspy voice of the shorter man.Stepping out of the shadows, the taller figure revealed itself as a young man, no older than late adolescence clad in a hooded cloak. “Why did you call me here, old man?”“Son…I’ve got a proposition for you.”
(A/N: This Chapter was surprisingly difficult to write. Maybe I tried to set too many things in motion at once, but I still tried to keep things interesting amongst all the set-up and exposition. Roshi’s a character I’m not a huge fan of, but I don’t hate him. I’ve only written Roshi once before this (technically it was concurrently alongside this) and given the nature of Ranma as a series, I truly wanted to try and find that balance between the wise old mentor and the jokey old pervert. [Also, can we take a moment to agree that Happosai is the worst perverted anime character ever? MHA fans rip on Mineta, but aside from being just kind of annoying at times, he doesn’t actively make things worse for the characters and he always gets punished when he acts up. Happosai takes all the worst aspects of anime perverts and cranks them to 12] Anyways, Cologne wanted to find Roshi to get to Baba. I think a couple of regulars here figured that out sooner, but I’ll have to double check. The next two challenges are, guess what Cologne wants to find and who was with the ‘Old Man’ at the end of this chapter. Next time, Videl and the Nerima gang take on Baba’s Palace, and hopefully, the latter manages to find some truth in Krillin and Roshi’s words. Let’s revitalize that fighting spirit.)
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My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
Encroaching Dilemma; Fighters Gathered
The next day, Gohan and Videl were assembled on the roof of Orange Star High, the latter seeking vital assistance from the former in regards to the dilemma of her upcoming trial alongside her friends from Nerima.
“And that’s basically it.” Said Videl as she finished her story.“Man…you’ve got your work cut out for you, don’t you?” Gohan replied.“That’s putting it mildly. Videl despaired. “We know Baba’s not going to let us take the challenge if one of you guys join us, so where are we supposed to find a fifth fighter strong enough?”“Did you ask your Dad?” Gohan suggested.“Gohan get serious!” Videl snapped.“I am. Mom, Krillin and the others may make jokes, but your Dad is still a real fighter, isn’t he?”“I know, but I don’t think Dad’s strong enough for this thing. Remember, this is something Krillin and your Dad did before.” ‘And he lost to that creepy kendo guy.’“Yeah you’re right…still it may be worth it to keep him in mind.”Videl sighed. “I guess our only hope is that Ranma or Akane can find someone because I think we’re at a loss.”As soon as her vocal thought ended, the two were interrupted by the sound of ringing and vibrating. “Speak of the devil, that’s Akane right now!” Videl read the name on her phone.“Hello?”
“Videl, we have our fifth fighter!” Akane gleefully exclaimed.
“Wait, seriously? Already? How!? Who!?”“You’ll find out on the weekend. I can just assure you that it’s someone we can rely on!” Akane teased.“If you say so. I’m looking forward to meeting them!”As a snickering Videl shut her phone off, an intrigued Gohan approached her. “I…take it that was good news?”“Putting it lightly again Gohan. Akane found us a fifth fighter!”“Really? That was quick and convenient.”Videl shrugged. “She did say she and Ranma knew some potential options. I guess it was just a matter of picking the right one. She didn’t say who it was, but we’ll head out to meet them tomorrow.“Wait, we?” Gohan perked up.“I know you’re just as curious as I am, and I don’t think Baba would mind if you just came to watch us fight.”Gohan flashed a bashful smile, confirming Videl’s statement. It didn’t take long however for his expression to switch to serious, but rational. “So there’s only a day until the challenge. Videl, are you sure you’re ready for this?”Videl hesitated in her response. Any other time she’d respond immediately with overwhelming confidence. This time however, she replied, “Honestly…I’m not sure. The fact that this is something Goku and Krillin had to do before has me both worried and intrigued. I just…wish I had a little more time to feel more prepared.”“Hmmm…”“What is it Gohan?”“I wonder…do you think Ms. Cologne planned for this?”“What do you mean?”“I mean that I think Ms. Cologne is intending for whatever trial Baba has to be some kind of test for you.”A look of deep thought fell on Videl’s face. “I never thought of it like that, but it makes sense I guess.”“Then you should also know that cramming the night before isn’t the best way to prepare,” Gohan proclaimed.“Of course, our resident brainiac has to make things academic.” Videl sighed.“I was being metaphorical,” Gohan defended. “My point is you probably shouldn’t worry about what you could’ve done differently. It’s best to just use what you’ve learned so far and do your best.”‘A lot of good that did me last time…’ Videl thought sarcastically. “Thanks for the vote of confidence Gohan, but either way, I think I’ll just head straight home anyway.”Gohan nodded. “I understand. Best to conserve your energy.”With a small smile, Videl ascended waving Gohan off before he did the same. As the two parted, Gohan couldn’t help but think of a potential solution that had long since been lost.‘I almost wish Piccolo hadn’t destroyed the Time Chamber…almost,’ he thought with a small sigh of relief.[Later that night]“Hyaaaaagh!”An intense Videl furiously launched a ki infused kick against a sandbag, blasting it apart and splashing sand all over the in-home gym.‘Hmmmmm…That’s not good enough…’ Videl mused. Looking down at her hands, she pulled them to her sides and focused her energy. Throwing them forward, she merely released a slow, yet large ball of energy that crashed into the wall, leaving a sizeable hole.‘It’s STILL not working!’ Discouraged, Videl laid down on the floor staring up at the ceiling. “What is wrong with me?” She’d been down here for a few hours, desperately trying to polish off her new techniques as well as finally try to perform another one. Specifically, one that Gohan had promised to show her the basics of.
[Flashback]
“Solar Flare!”
“Ggh…!” Gohan quickly shielded his face from the bright light before pulling out a pair of sunglasses from inside his shirt. When the light finally died, he flashed Videl a pleasant smile.
“Congratulations Videl, I think you’ve got it,” he praised.
“Okay…but how exactly is this supposed to be useful?” Videl sharply replied.
Gohan chuckled as he removed the shades. “Trust me Videl, this move will save your skin at least once in your life.”
“If you say so,” she half sarcastically sighed. “Now for the next part.”
“What next part?”
“You said you’d show me the basics on how to do the Kamehameha!”
Gohan sheepishly put a hand behind his head. “Well…you’re probably going to hate me for saying this but…”
“Gohan, if you say I’m too weak to use it, I’m going to…!”
“That’s not what I was going to say!” he quickly cut her off. “I was actually going to say that there’s not much for me TO show you because the Kamehameha is just as basic as it looks.”
Videl gave Gohan a dumbfounded look. “Wait…are you serious?”
“Pretty much. Just concentrate your energy, do the correct stance, charge, aim, then fire. It’s that simple.”
“If it’s that simple, then why haven’t you shown me how to do it before!?” Videl snapped.
“Because…!” Gohan quickly silenced himself, remembering Videl’s earlier threat. Thankfully, she put his nerves at ease when she acknowledged her own faults. “I get it. I wasn’t strong enough back then, but I am now, is that it?”
With a relieving exhale, Gohan nodded.
“Well, in that case, let’s give it a go.”
Planting both feet firmly on the ground, Videl channeled her energy as much as she could. Cupping her hands together, she pulled them to the side of her waist, channeling her energy and after hitting her maximum thrust her hands forward only to release a large ball of energy as opposed to the magnificent beam she expected.
“Uhhh Gohan, what’d I do wrong?” she asked flatly.
“Nothing but…” Gohan paused.
“Don’t say it…I get the picture.”
[End Flashback]
Videl narrowed her eyes at the memory. In the end, it didn’t matter whether she learnt the move or not because she still lost. She could perform Cologne’s technique with extreme ease now, even perform it with her legs, but she knew she’d need to learn more powerful techniques if she hoped to go anywhere as a fighter.She had considered asking Gohan to help her with the Kamehameha or a similar move again, but she decided against it considering she’d only have a day to learn it, and despite whatever anyone would say about her penchant for learning ki attacks, she knew she wouldn’t be able to master a move like that in just one day. Besides, if what he told her before was true, then there was really no point. The fact was, she just needed to build her body up to a greater level; nothing more, nothing less.As she imagined herself performing the Kamehameha, she thought back to the fight with Ryoga. The fact that he could so easily fire off a powerful energy blast like Gohan and the others just irritated her. She recalled the final moments of their battle.Videl had attacked Ryoga with a powerful combination attack that ended with her concentrating her energy and attacking with a double handed strike. Now that she thought about it, in that moment she’d instinctively done a motion similar to the Kamehameha when she attacked Ryoga, and it seemed to be pretty effective.‘I wonder…?’Springing back to her feet, Videl tried to replicate the sensation she felt back then. In a few seconds, her shirt began to flow, displaying her full power. Cupping her hands together, she pulled them aside and focused her energy in her hands. Taking a deep breath, Videl forced her hands forward and the room erupted in a bright blue flash.“Gwaaah…!”
THWASH!
Shortly after, a frantic Mr. Satan came darting into the room followed closely by Bee and Buu.“What was that!?”As the trio entered, they came face to face with a large cloud of sand and dust blowing in their faces. “Videl!?” Mr. Satan called out.“Rarf!” Bee trotted into the room, sniffing the floor. Finally, he came across the obscured form of a person and began licking at their face. A female voice began laughing as she picked herself off the floor.“Bee, stop! I’m fine!”“Videl!” Mr. Satan boomed as he caught up to the dog. “What on earth have you been doing in here!?”“Just trying to perfect a new technique,” she shrugged. “Though it kind of…blew up in my face…literally…and we need another sandbag down here.”Mr. Satan crossed his arms. “I’ll take care of the bag, but whatever kinda light trick you was doin’ better help with cleanin’ this place up.”Videl sighed. “I’m on it.”Some moments later, once Videl had finished sweeping up all the discarded sand, she decided to try her hand at the move one more time. This time, she’d change the procedure a little bit. This time, she formed her own ball of energy between her hands before bringing them to the side. The color of her ki began to change from yellow to blue and as she thrust her hands forward, the ball expanded in size before once again bursting apart in a flash of light and fizzling out into a brilliant display.Videl took knee as her body finally began to feel the effects of her continued use of her energy, but then she took a glance at her hands. ‘Hmmmm…it’s not the Kamehameha…but I might still be able to use this.’[The Next Day]After a completely average uneventful day at school, the Z-Duo found themselves in the streets of Nerima once again, on their way to the Cat Café. Finally, the pair arrived at the restaurant’s curtained entrance, with a closed sign in front of it.“Well, here we are. Who do you think the final fighter is?”“Only one way to find out.” Nodding to each other, the duo stepped into the Cat Café to find Ranma, Akane, Shampoo, and Cologne.“Ah, so you finally made it,” the elder Amazon greeted. “And I see you’ve brought Gohan with you.”“What happened to, ‘She won’t let him take the challenge?’” asked Ranma.“Oh I’m just here to watch,” Gohan explained. “Whatever Videl told you about Baba not letting me join you in the challenge was true.”“Hmph,” Ranma crossed his arms. “I wanna hear it from the old witch herself.”“Fair enough, but remember, you owe me 20 zeni once she does.” Videl giggled.“Speaking of, where is your fifth fighter?” asked Gohan. “Is it Mousse?”“Oh yeah, I forgot about him!” Videl beamed. “This is about an Amazonian relic right, so it makes sense that he’d have some involvement in this too, right.”Shampoo nodded denying the couple’s theory. “Duck Boy only come with if real fifth fighter no show up,” she replied.“So, if it’s not Mousse…?”
Fwip!
“Right on cue.”Turning back towards the curtain, the pair came face to face with yet another familiar figure. Specifically, a girl with long, brunette hair clad in a blue uniform, black stockings with a large, flat metal stick tied to her back.“Ukyo!?”Sure enough, the okonomiyaki chef returned their surprised reaction with a wave. “What’s up you two?”“Glad you could make it Ucchan,” Ranma greeted.“After you asked so nicely Ranchan, how could I refuse?”The Z-Duo both turned to each other then back at Ukyo. “Wait, you can fight?” asked Videl.With a snicker, Ukyo grabbed her signature giant spatula and swung it menacingly towards them. “You didn’t think this baby was just for frying dough, did you?”“Hehe…It certainly looks like an effective weapon,” Gohan chuckled as he shyly retreated from the large tool.“Okay, so Ukyo’s our last fighter. That’s all well and good, but why couldn’t you have told me this last night?” asked Videl.“We weren’t entirely sure she’d accept,” Akane replied. “We kind of had to promise a favor to get her in on this since she wasn't too keen on working with Shampoo.”Videl raised an eyebrow. “What kind of favor?”“Well…”Cutting Akane off, Ranma began explaining. “To make a long story short, we kinda said you and your old man would help advertise her shop a little. Tell some friends, maybe take a couple of pictures, that sorta thing.”Videl sighed. “Okay, that shouldn't be a problem, with but PLEASE don't make any more promises on my behalf before I even know about them.”“Sure thing,” Akane confirmed.“Well now,” Cologne interjected. “Are we all ready to depart?”“Yeah!”[Moments later]Videl’s iconic aircraft, flew after a costumed Gohan who was flying manually ahead of the jet, with the map in hand. Though Ranma and Akane were already used to it, Ukyo and even the Amazons couldn’t help but marvel at the Gohan’s flight speed. The fact that he could keep up and even surpass at times, a vehicle like Videl’s jet was nothing short of astounding. Before long, the group found themselves in a vast desert region before finally coming across a dome shaped palace with varying connecting buildings all surrounded by water.“There it is! I see it!” motioning for Videl to follow, Gohan descended into a dive and the jet hovered above him before landing slowly before the main entrance. Dismounting the jet, Videl quickly joined up with Gohan while the Anything-Goes Heirs and diehard chef took in the sights.“Looks pretty fancy,” noted Ukyo.“I’d probably enjoy it more if there wasn’t so much water,” Ranma complained.
“Ranma, whining isn’t manly!”
“Yeeep!”“Gotcha,” Akane snickered, pleased that her impression of Nodoka was still top notch.Bringing up the rear however, was Cologne and Shampoo who slowly stepped past the trio of sightseers to join up with Gohan and Videl who were also ahead of the pack. “If you children are done lollygagging, we should get moving.”As the group stepped towards the entrance, they were quickly approached by a peach colored ‘wisp’ in a straw-hat.“What’s that!?” Akane yelped.“Some kinda ghost?” suggested Ranma.Before the guessing game could continue, the floating ball spoke out. “Come in! Ms. Baba is expecting you!”The group followed the spirit into the palace where they were met with the shriveled face of a smirking old woman in a witch suit on a crystal ball. “Welcome.”“Hello Baba,” Gohan greeted.“Hmhmhm, always one to mind your manners, aren’t we Gohan? And I do believe it’s been quite a while since we’ve last met, hasn’t it Videl?”Videl could only give a sheepish chuckle and wave as Baba floated past the couple to meet with Nerima fighters. Ignoring the young group of girls, Baba floated over to Cologne who was perched on her staff, matching Baba’s eye level.“Speaking of long time, no see, look what the tigress dragged in. Cologne you old mummy, it’s been way too long.”“It really has been years, hasn’t it you withered old crone,” Cologne snarked.“It could’ve been much shorter if someone would’ve bothered to leave her number you wispy old Ghoul.”Cologne narrowed her eyes into a mischievous smile. “Watch it, only Son-in-Law can call me that.”‘Huh…guess the old lady does care.’“Son-In-Law eh? Seems like I missed QUITE a bit in the years since we’ve last met.”“You don’t know the half of it, but we’ll have to play catch up some other time.”“Of course. Although…” Baaba glided over to Ranma. “I take it this scrappy young lad here is your ‘Son-In-Law’?”With a shudder, Ranma took a cautious step back. “As-!”“As if!” Ukyo interjected clutching onto Ranma’s arm. “I’m the one Ranma’s marrying!” she proclaimed.“Spatula Girl let go of Shampoo husband!” Shampoo shot back doing the same.As Ranma froze up (with a steadily steaming Akane right behind them), Baba let out a hearty chuckle. “Ohohohohohoho…it has been a long while since I’ve seen a good old-fashioned love triangle…or is it more of a love quadrangle with that young lady back there too?” she motioned to Akane.Akane merely crossed her arms while Gohan whispered in Videl’s ear. “Are they always like this?”“I don’t know. I knew Ukyo had a crush on Ranma, but I’ve never actually seen them squabble like this…and why isn’t Akane doing anything?”Gohan only shrugged before Cologne cleared her throat. “Well, now that you’ve been acquainted with my Great-Granddaughter and our associates, let’s talk business.”Baba nodded and motioned for the group to follow. Before long, they arrived at a rounded ring and surrounded by water.‘How the hell do square tiles make a circular ring?’ thought Ranma.“I take it you’re here because you wish for me to divine something, and since I know you can’t afford my usual prices, you’re planning on taking my challenge, aren’t you?”“Ever astute, aren’t you?” Cologne replied.“Before we continue, Gohan.”“Yes?”“You aren’t intending to fight are you? If so, then we can hit the brakes on this whole deal.”Before Gohan could answer, Cologne interjected. “Oh you needn’t worry about him. These five young ladies here will be the ones to take on your warriors.”“Five?” Baba raised a curious eyebrow. There are six youngsters here, and out of them, I only count 4 young ladies.”“Ms. Tendo?”A mischievous grin grew onto Akane’s (and the other girls’) face as Ranma’s expression grew fearful. “Akane, don’t you…!”Ignoring his pleas, Akane grabbed the pigtailed fighter by the collar and chucked him into the lake.“Waaaaaaah-!”
SPLOOOSH!
An irritated Ranma poked her head out from beneath the surface of the water. “That was unnecessary!”“What in Kami’s name…!?” Baba gasped.“Jusenkyo old friend, Jusenkyo.”Baba’s eyes widened at Cologne’s simple explanation. “So the tales of the cursed springs are true. Very fascinating indeed,” Baba floated over Ranma examining her as she climbed out of the lake.Once out of the water, Ranma stormed over to Akane and exclaimed, “Okay, what’s the big idea!?”“The big idea Ranma, is that this is supposed to be a girl’s only ordeal,” Akane answered.“A fitting group to search for an Amaon relic, is it not?” Cologne interjected with a snicker.“When was that decided!?”“Yesterday, but you were too busy stuffing your face with ramen to listen,” snapped Ukyo.“Then how come Gohan’s here!?”“Rice boy no fight, he only watch.”“Basically, Gohan’s gonna be our Tuxedo Mask for the day,” giggled Ukyo.“Who Mask?” asked Gohan.“But wait, does that mean I’m Sailor Moon?” asked Videl. “Aww, but Jupiter was my favorite.”“Fly girl too short to be Jupiter.”“Excuse me!?”“Well look at it this way, Jupiter never actually got a boyfriend and you did, so you’ve one upped her. Though personally, Mars was my favorite,” added Ukyo.“I kinda like Uranus and Neptune best,” added Akane. “Though I swear, if anyone compares me to Mercury they’re going to get hurt!”The discussion went on for a few more moments as the two old women looked on with nostalgic sighs. “Ohhh to be young and impressionable.”“You said it you Crone.”[Minutes later]Gohan and Cologne stood to the side while the 5 young girls stood before Baba. “Now, before we get started, allow me to lay down some ground rules; First, you’re allowed to fight in any order you see fit, however the same person CANNOT fight two battles in a row …with a couple of exceptions that I’ll get into later. Second, once someone loses, they can’t fight again period, so choose your order carefully.”“What about those exceptions?” asked an impatient Ranma.“Let me finish and I’ll tell you!” Baba snapped. “As I was saying, you complete the challenge if you defeat all five of my warriors, now about that exception…”Baba paused as the group of girls listened intently. “As I said before, the same person can’t fight twice in a row, and losers can’t fight again. The first exception to the first rule is, of course, if you’re the last woman standing. The exception that applies to both is…” Baba paused again and pointed to one of the girls. “…You.”The other four girls turned towards the one in the center of their position revealing the ‘special’ girl to be none other than Videl. “Me?” Baba nodded.“Wait, are you giving Videl some kind of special privilege because you know her personally?” accused Ranma.“Yes and no. While it is true she get’s a special perk, whether or not it’s a privilege or not is…debatable.”“How so?” asked the Champ’s daughter.“Keeping into account the rules I’ve placed, no matter the outcome, the fifth and Final Fighter HAS to be fought by you before anyone else.”“Well that’s most unexpected,” snickered an intrigued Cologne.Videl gave Baba an incredulous look as she tried to figure out what was to come, as was Gohan. ‘Master Roshi said the fifth fighter was a dead person who’s allowed to come back to life for a day…if that’s true then that means Baba probably has a specific opponent set for me. I’m all for specialized challenges, but…’‘Why would she go through the trouble of picking someone for Videl specifically to fight?’“I see you’re wracking your brain, thinking of what’s to come. Don’t forget, you and these friends of yours have to make it to the fifth fighter first.”Videl’s expression turned to one of confidence. “I’m a lot stronger than when we first met, and these four are in a league of their own. We’ll make it all the way, right girls?”“Yeah!”“Ohohohohoho, I like your spunk ladies.” Baba giggled. “Now then, who’s going first?”The girls took a moment to consider before huddling together. “Okay, so taking what the witch said into account, we can all agree Videl’s not taking this first match right?”“Right.”“And taking what the old man told us about her fighters, the first one is supposed to be some kind of vampire?”“Wait, what!?” Ukyo exclaimed.“Oh yeah…you weren’t there for it, but we met the witch’s brother and she gave us a rundown of what to expect. He said the first fighter was a vampire.” Explained Akane.“A vampire huh…” a mischievous grin grew on Ukyo’s face. “In that case, leave this one up to me.”Breaking the huddle, Ukyo stepped forward into the ring and ‘unsheathed’ her giant spatula. “Well, we’ve got our first challenger,” beamed Baba. “Oh Fangs!”From the domed palace, a single bat flew out. Ukyo’s initial confusion was soon replaced with determination as the bat transformed into a pale, lanky, spiky-haired man in boxing garb.“So that’s the first guy?” Ranma mused. “Doesn’t look like much.”“Yeah. I think even my Dad could take him,” Videl noted. ‘Although, he’d probably be too freaked out because vampire.’“Hey wait a second…if he’s supposed to be a vampire, shouldn’t he not be able to be out in the daylight?” Akane pointed out.“Blue man did turn into bat. Maybe vampire just stage ruse?” Shampoo suggested.The fang-faced fighter looked at Ukyo with an eager grin. “Such fresh, young blood…and from a maiden! I’ll bet yours is delectable.”Ukyo gave a look of disgust before settling back to a smug grin. “If you’re hungry honey, just give me a minute and I’ll serve you up a fresh plate of defeat!” Swinging her spatula over her head and spinning it, she held it in front of her prepared to attack.“Well then, if both sides are ready, you may begin!” (A/N: And that’s all for now. So yeah, Ukyo’s the fifth fighter. I did actually consider Mousse for a moment, but I ultimately decided Ukyo because, despite Mousse actually being an Amazon, I did want to go the whole squad of five girls…well…four and ‘one-half’ [I’m so sorry]. Also, going to give a quick heads up, every one of Baba’s fighters besides the final one will be the same as from the original arc. Sorry to anyone expecting some super deviation, but it just wasn’t in the cards. Speaking of that final fighter, any guesses as to who it might be? Process of elimination, it’s NOT gonna be Grandpa Gohan and it’s not gonna be Ryoga again [speaking of guessing characters, somebody got it right last chapter. You may not know who you are yet, but good on you]. Also, Videl does a bit of solo training and might be close to a breakthrough. Not necessarily the Kamehameha, but something else may come of it. Strap in folks because next time is gonna be a battle-palooza with Videl and the Nerima Girls vs. Baba’s Five Champions, starting with Ukyo vs. Fangs the Vampire).
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My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
(Before we get started, I just want to say…Three Years. THREE. FREAKING YEARS! That’s how long I’ve been working on this crazy story! Sure I’ve taken some long breaks in between [Life Sucks for everybody], but I’m still pushing on through. I’d like to thank everybody who’s stuck with this story throughout all this time and hope you look forward to what comes up next. Str
ap in folks cause you’re in for quite a ride)
Crazy Battles Ensue; The Fatal Female Fighters
All eyes were on the ring as Fangs jeered at Ukyo, drool leaking from his mouth. The cautious chef kept her distance as she was aware of her opponent’s insane mobility potential. The two combatants continued staring each other down in tense silence.“Alright now…” Baba quickly raised her arm and waved it down giving the signal. “You may begin!”“Screeeheheheheheeee!”Fangs swiftly dashed in and threw a swift jab at Ukyo who dodged and countered with an elbow strike. Catching the pale boxer off guard, she followed up with a swipe from her giant spatula. Leaping over the giant weapon, Fangs once again zipped in close and threw a barrage of punches at Ukyo. Deflecting his blows with the handle of her spatula, Ukyo was able to keep a considerable amount of distance between the two. Despite that however, she was unable to spot any openings in his stance.‘Let’s get offensive!’As Fangs attacked with a hard right cross, Ukyo challenged his attack this time and parried, the united force making the toothy creature stumble back.“An opening!” Swiping her giant spatula at Fangs, the ghoul avoided her attack by transforming into his bat form before ascending and divebombing at Ukyo.“Oh no you don’t!” Reaching into her shirt, Ukyo pulled out three smaller spatulas and flung them at her airborne foe. Easily weaving away from the projectiles, the flying mammal opened his jaw wide as he went in for the bite. Denying his attack, Ukyo managed to catch the winged rodent on her larger spatula, swinging it around before slamming it down on the tiles. Lifting her tool up, the flattened form of Fangs appeared before regaining its third dimension and changing back to human form.“She got him!” cheered Akane.Though satisfied with her apparent easy victory, Ukyo kept her guard up as she slowly approached the seemingly beaten boxer. Playing it safe, she poked at him with the edge of her spatula and received no response. Releasing a breath, Ukyo brought her trusty weapon up to her shoulder, taking a victorious pose.“Well, that was almost too easy.” Ukyo proclaimed, seeming rather underwhelmed.With a snicker, Baba responded with, “Says who?”“Huh?”“Schraaaaaaw!”“Wha-AAHHH!”“Ukyo/Ucchan!”As soon as Ukyo turned to Baba, the still conscious vampire pounced at his young opponent, his namesake finding their way into Ukyo’s shin.“Get off me you…freak!!” Cracking him in the head with the edge of her spatula, Ukyo managed to get him off her leg, though not without stumbling backwards as the sharp pain shot through her leg. As Fangs licked his lips, seemingly intoxicated by his ‘beverage’, Ukyo stumbled to her knee, using her spatula as leverage.‘Dammit…I got careless!’ she chided herself. ‘Note to self…find some time to workout between school and the shop.’The nightcrawler licked his lips as his eyes fell to the wound on Ukyo’s leg. “Mmmmm…pretty good…I want MORE!”Fangs once again pounced at Ukyo, his teeth bared. This time, Ukyo blocked him with the handle of her spatula, his sharp teeth clanging against the metal sheet.“Graaaaaggh…!” As the bloodsucker held his jaw shut, recovering from the shattering ‘clang’, Ukyo took the moment to retreat, using her spatula like a makeshift crutch.“Is she giving up?” asked Videl.“I don’t think so…” Ranma refuted.Fangs shook off the dizziness before transforming back into bat form. Flying at the withdrawing Ukyo, he swooped ahead of her and tackled her right in the face.“Knock it off you little pest!” Ukyo called wildly swatting her hand.
‘KNICK!’
“Ow!” pulling her hand back, Ukyo saw a familiar red stream flow to her wrist.“Tasty blood! Give me more!” Fangs screeched.The airborne fiend once again dived at Ukyo who was still shaking blood off her hand. Unbeknownst to the looney eyed flier, the cooking combatant had a small grin on her face.“If you’re so hungry sugar, EAT THIS!”Reaching into her shirt, Ukyo produced a small okonomiyaki dish and chucked it at her target. Surprisingly, he didn’t try to avoid it. He merely changed back into human form and opened his mouth, catching the fried dish and chomping it before changing back to bat form.“Mmmm…that was tasty…but all that salt has made me thirsty!” With a victorious screech, Fangs swooped down to Ukyo who looked surprisingly nonchalant.‘What’s she doing? Shouldn’t she try to dodge?’ thought Videl.Ukyo had a contemplative look on her face. “Okay, so this recipe causes thirst. Note to self; use less garlic salt.”Fangs froze as he was mere millimeters from Ukyo’s face, his expression turning extremely fearful. “G-g-g-g-gar…lic…?”“Oh yeah. That okonomiyaki was a new recipe where the main spices were a mix of garlic powder and salt,” Ukyo answered sweetly revealing the two spices from her shirt.Fangs’ eyes all but bugged out of his face at the sight of the garlic powder before changing back to human form and clutching at his throat. The fiend began hacking and wheezing, writhing on the floor as Ukyo slowly approached him, her spatula raised.“You know, if you’re thirsty, I know just the place you can go for a drink!” Sliding the head beneath her fallen foe, Ukyo lifted it and him over her head before flinging the coughing count into the lake.Not ready to give up yet, Fangs changed back into bat form and flew sporadically back to the ring.“Doesn’t that flying rat ever give up?” Irritated, Ukyo pulled out the garlic powder once again. Unfortunately for her, whatever plan she had was halted as Fangs divebombed her yet again, knocking the spice out of her hand.“Hey! That’s Ucchan’s brand property!” reaching out to the falling vial, the glass container shattered on impact with the ground and bathed the plucky chef in her own makeshift weapon.“Kyaaaaaaaa-!” as the dust cleared, the group could see Ukyo on the floor trembling in what looked like pain.“Ucchan, toughen up! It’s just a little spice!” Ranma jeered.“Stings! It stings! It stings!!”Akane perked up. “That’s right! Ukyo got bitten before! Getting covered in an acidic spice like Garlic Powder after that would be akin to…”“Rub salt in open wound?” Shampoo finished. “Spatula Girl look like she have trouble.”High above the spicy cloud, Fangs let out a gloating laugh. Thanks to his ability to fly, he was able to keep away from the dust. Unfortunately, his hubris came back to bite him in the wings as he unintentionally inhaled more garlic dust, making him hack and wheeze even more intensely.Changing back to human form, Fangs clutched his neck once again as gravity took hold and made him fall right into the garlic dust. Not wanting to squander her chance, Ukyo grit her teeth as she once again grabbed her giant spatula.“If you’re thirsty, I know the perfect place for you to have a drink!” Taking a batter’s stance, Ukyo swung with all her might and cracked Fangs right in the torso flinging him out of the ring and into the lake.Floating over to the still twitching Ukyo, Baba raised her arm signaling the match’s conclusion. “That’s it. Ms. Kuonji wins.”“Yea-AH!” Ukyo’s victory was halted as the stinging in her limbs swelled up yet again.“You may need to clean those before they get infected,” snickered Baba.Exiting the ring, Ukyo rejoined the female quartet and instantly sat on the ground. “Nice work Ucchan,” Ranma praised.“You okay there? Those bite marks looked painful…especially after that garlic shower,” noted Videl.“Believe me honey, once this is over, a shower is the FIRST thing I’m getting. In the meantime, anyone have any bandages?”Off to the side, Cologne sighed. “I guess you and I will be playing the role of medics today Gohan.”“That’s fine by me,” he replied pulling out a capsule. Popping it open, Gohan revealed a first-aid kit and approached the girls.“While he’s treating her, which one of you little cuties would like to step up next?” Baba asked.Ranma cracked her knuckles and grinned. “If you girls don’t mind, I think I’ll…”“I’ll go!” Akane announced.“I think someone minds,” joked Videl.Akane stepped forward before pausing and doing a double take. “What, is no one going to object?”Ranma shrugged before crossing her arms behind her head. “Nah. True I did want to get some action, but I think I can wait,” she replied.“Shampoo?”“Shampoo no mind if Akane want fight first,” she simply proclaimed.Akane kept a skeptical eye on Shampoo before turning back to the ring and proceeding. ‘I don’t know why, but for some reason, I was expecting some kind of objection, at least from Shampoo.’Stepping into the ring, Akane took a deep breath before taking a fighting stance. Baba raised an eyebrow in intrigue. “Well, someone sure looks ready, even before her opponent appears.”“Don’t joke around. We know that your second fighter is invisible,” Akane replied.“Ohohoho, did my brother tell you that, or was it Gohan’s father? Either way, if you know of Invisible Man, then I guess you also know that the battle has already started little missy,” snapped a smug Baba.“Wait, what?”
THWUNK!
“Doof-!” Akane doubled over, clutching her stomach. “Agh…cheap shot…!”Akane quickly raised her guard and prepared to defend for the next attack. Sadly, her instincts fell short as she was whacked in the back of the head. “Ow…!”After taking a few seconds to recover, Akane opted to try and predict her invisible foe’s moves. Following a pregnant pause, the young Tendo turned to her left and raised her guard again, successfully blocking what felt like a punch.“Gotcha!”Akane threw a punch in the direction of the blocked attack but only wound up hitting air. “Damn I mi-WHAAA!” Akane cried out as she was swept off her feet and landed flat on her rear.“Akane looks like she’s having a rough time,” commented Gohan.“Gohan, even you would have problems fighting someone you couldn’t see,” Videl snapped.“Maybe, but it probably wouldn’t be so hard as long as I could still sense them.”‘Sense them?’ noted Ranma.Videl sighed. “Of course, because you and the others just have all the answers when it comes to combat, don’t you?”“Not always.”Back in the ring, Akane once again stood stone still as she awaited her opponents’ next move. Throughout this entire match, he hadn’t said a single word. Made sense as he was most likely aware that any sound would give away his position. “Hmmmmm…”Akane scanned the area for any miscellaneous signs of Invisible Man’s movements, but unsurprisingly was unsuccessful. Slowly trotting forward, Akane stood defensively but still open to attack. Her face lighting up, Akane pivoted and raised her elbow just in time to block a chop from above.“This time for sure!” Akane threw her leg out and once again struck nothing. “Damn!”“Akane can’t win,” Ranma stated.“Way to be a supportive fiancé, Ranma!” Videl reprimanded.“Just let me explain!” Ranma snapped defensively. “It may just be instinct, but Akane has been able to defend against his attacks. The problem is, she can’t block and attack at the same time and…apparently, the invisible guy is fast enough to dodge her counterattacks.”“Ranchan’s right. I’m not saying Akane can’t win, but it’s going to be pretty hard.”“Msybe…but it’s probably better this way,” said Gohan. “If Akane could see that guy, I guarantee this wouldn’t be much of a fight.”‘I can follow this guy’s movements, but I still can’t hit him…I need some way to keep him from moving once I catch him!’ Akane pondered quickly an a lightbulb lit up. She had a plan that could work, she just needed to be fast.‘If I’m reading him right…then he should be attacking…HERE!’ Akane once again pivoted on her foot, twisting aside and blocking an unseen strike. This time however, the attacker was unable to escape.“Oh!”“Huh…!”“Whoa!”On the arm that Akane used to block could be seen a white band of cloth. In the instance Akane raised her guard, she managed to wrap the belt of her gi around her sightless opponent’s arm.“She got him!” Videl cheered.“Not bad,” praised Ranma.“Impressive,” added Cologne.“This time, there’s nowhere to hide!” Akane proclaimed. Tugging her bound hand forward, Akane pulled the Invisible Man forward off balance and with her free arm, launched a fierce punch right where she figured his gut would be. Her guess would pay off as she could clearly feel the sensation of a person larger than her falling onto her striking hand. Retreating, Akane let her opponent hit the floor, carefully keeping the tie from loosening.“Ehhh…I dunno how durable the invisible guy is, but given Akane’s crazy gorilla strength, I doubt he’d be able to take a second hit,” Ranma commented.A vein popped on Akane’s forehead, her button clearly pushed. Putting a hand on her hip and turning towards the cheeky redhead, Akane put on a faux smile and replied, “I’ll take that…as a COMPLIMENT!!”
FWIP!
Everyone froze as the sound of cloth flowing down and hitting the ground filled the air and a petrified Akane’s face turned beet red before she glanced downward to find her top half exposed, her white bra in full view. “KYAAAAAAAAAA!!!!”The ever-intelligent Saiyan quickly averted his gaze while the cursed Saotome let out a surprised yelp.“Don’t/No look!” Shampoo and Ukyo quickly shoved Ranma down, obscuring his view.In the myriad of confusion, Invisible Man quickly fumbled with the binding on his wrist and quickly tugged away in an attempt to free himself. Though he succeeded in undoing the belt, he failed however in getting away fast enough to escape the wrath of a full blown livid Akane who quickly grasped him by the neck.Though no one could see his expression, everyone could feel the fear emanating from Invisible Man as a deathly aura seeped from Akane, her hair flowing. “You just made…a big mistake!”With a single fierce uppercut, Akane socked the Invisible Man in what felt like his chin and his voice finally could be heard as he was launched far out of the ring.“Whaaaaaaaaahaaaoooooooo…!!!”
*Ding!*
The girls all watched (or rather heard) as Invisible Man blasted off to parts unknown, the guys slowly turning back to see what was transpiring.“What happened?” asked Gohan.“I think Akane won,” said Ukyo.“Yeah…invisible or not, I don’t think that guy’s comin’ back,” snarked Ranma.While Akane quickly redressed herself, Baba floated over. “Oh Akane won alright, she won the moment Invisible Man decided to pull that little stunt.”“Huh?”“Even if you hadn’t given him what he deserved, I’d have disqualified Invisible Man right then and there for that little stunt he pulled,” Baba began. “I may encourage an anything goes style of combat, but I’m a lady too. I don’t care how desperate Invisible Man was, there are some things you just don’t do when fighting a lady…unless you’re a freak like my brother.”[Meanwhile]
*Kaaachoo!*
“So that’s where you’ve been hiding!”“Ggggh…!”[Back at the Palace]“Come to think of it…even when the business in this place was ‘booming’, we rarely if ever got any female fighters to take on my challenge…need to make notice for these boys to watch the hands when it comes to fighting women,” Baba pulled out a pad and pen writing the note down.An irritated Akane sighed as she left the ring. “Why do I always get the dirty creeps for opponents?”“Hey, you didn’t get bitten by a guy with a bootleg Jusenkyo curse, no complaining!” Ukyo challenged.Akane sighed. “Fine…Ranma, Shampoo, who’s going next?”Shampoo raised her arm, bouncing with excitement. “Shampoo take next battle!”“Ohhh, so the old Ghoul’s own young blood finally takes the stage eh?” Baba guffawed.“I told you, only Ranma can call me that you shriveled up witch,” Cologne playfully snapped.“For these next two fights, we’ll proceed inside.” Motioning for everyone to follow, Baba floated into the palace.[Moments later]The group was led to a large gorge where two statues of sitting demons could be seen. “Welcome to…The Devil’s Toilet!” Baba announced.“Well…that’s a pleasant name,” deadpanned Ranma.“And that looks like a long way down,” Ukyo added looking down the pit.“Oh don’t worry your pretty little head deary. Though this little hotspot USED to house a lake full of acid, it’s been cleaned up not too long ago and now, the only thing down there is a lake of hot water…”“Wait, acid!?” Akane exclaimed.“Yes, though very few people ever made it that far. However, a few fortunate…or unfortunate souls managed to make it to Round 3, and after some serious, everlasting injuries, maybe even a death or two, the families of those poor souls started getting suits involved,” Baba grimaced as memories of a mob of clean cut men with briefcases strolled up at her palace.“So for legal, and some ecological reasons, the acid was cleaned out and now the lake is just a lake…” Baba paused, a twisted grin on her face. “Granted, it’s a boiling, steaming, scalding, lake. You may not die when you hit the bottom, but don’t expect a pleasant hot-spring experience either,” Baba warned.Videl chuckled. “I guess Gohan and I are on retrieval duty if someone falls in.”“Shampoo,” Cologne turned to her granddaughter who in turn nodded before stepping out onto the stone ‘tongue’ bridge.“Alrighty then, on to Round 3. The rules remain the same, if you fall into the water or surrender, you lose.” With a deep breath, Baba called out for her next fighter. “BANDAGES!”A door slid up at the mouth of the opposite demon statue and out strolled a tall, darkish skinned man wrapped head to toe in, of course, bandages.“Geeze, it really is a Monster Mash in this joint,” Ranma deadpanned.Shampoo stood unguarded as Bandages approached her on his end of the bridge.“Hehehe…such a shame you have to fight me little girl, but don’t worry. I promise to be gentle,” Bandages taunted.“Hmph, Shampoo no need mercy from ugly big man.” With a huff, Shampoo took a fighting stance as Bandages seemed to be trembling. “U-u-ugly…!?”“Enough with the chit-chat you two, let’s see some action! You’re free to begin!”Taking the initiative, Shampoo handsprung forward launching a fierce double kick at her large opponent. To her surprise, he seemed unphased by her attack, but was still trembling furiously. “You…called me ugly!?” Bandages exclaimed. “I’ll…!”Cutting him off, Shampoo leapt up and launched a kick to the gauzed fighter’s face, silencing him and forcing him backwards before gracefully landing back on the narrow ground. “Hmph, Bandage man big, but he no fast enough to…”“Shampoo, behind you!” called Cologne.“Eh-?”
THWACK!
“Kyaaa-!” Shampoo cried out as she was launched across the bridge and into the stone devil’s face.“That girl…I always tell her to NEVER let her guard down,” Cologne shook her head.“Well…given how simple Akane and Ukyo’s fights were, it’s not hard to imagine why she’d think this fight would be another easy win,” Gohan commented. “Aiyaa…Mummy Man faster than Shampoo thought…” she rubbed her head as she stood back up.“I was gonna take it easy on ya cause you’re a lady…” A mischievous smirk found it’s way on Bandages’ face. “…A pretty darn cute one too, but if you think you can get away with insulting me you damn brat, you got another thing comin’!”Bandages charged at Shampoo, his fist reared back. The agile Amazon was able to flip over f her massive opponent and quickly counter by dashing in and striking him in the gut. Bandages stumbled back but seemed relatively fine. Shampoo’s attacks did seem to be doing damage, but not nearly enough to cause lasting impact. Flipping backwards into a defensive stance, Shampoo braced herself as Bandages sauntered over her and slammed both of his fists down.Challenging her massive opponent, Shampoo caught Bandages’ wrists and tried to force him back locking the pair in an intense power struggle.“Grrrrgh…you’re pretty strong for a small lass!”“You no underestimate Amazon!”The pair attempted to step forth, neither one of them managing an inch on the other. After moments of struggling, the stalemate finally broke as they both shoved each other back. As both fighters panted, Shampoo’s face grew to a smirk. “Look like Shampoo need fight for real after all.”Reaching into her shirt, Shampoo pulled out her trademark chui mace and tossed it into the air. Flipping backwards, she pulled out an identical weapon and grabbed the airborne one landing in a battle-ready stance.[]“Hmhmhmhm…that girl’d never admit it, but even she takes pointers from Mousse when they happen to work,” snickered Cologne.“Mousse?” asked Gohan.“Dude has weapons hidden all over him,” answered Ranma.[]Shampoo took the initiative, launching herself into the air and striking diagonally with her maces. Bandages blocked the attack with his forearm, though not with as much ease as he thought. Though he was able to force Shampoo back, he quickly grabbed and rubbed his sore forearm.“Well…those could be problematic…” Bandages muttered.“Hiiiyaaa!” Shampoo dashed forward and resumed attacking with rapid straight blows. Bandages was quick enough to avoid some, but his large frame made him too large a target to fully dodge Shampoo’s barrage. Taking hits to his midsection, Bandages was forced to take a knee as Shampoo drove both maces into his gut.“Graaagh…!”“Surrender before Shampoo make paper man all wet!” she threatened.“I ain’t gonna lose to some smarmy brat!” Bandages defied.Shampoo flashed the gauzed ghoul a mischievous, victorious grin before raising her weapons. “Shampoo beg to differ.”Swinging her arms down, Shampoo launched her finishing blow, but was denied by Bandages grabbing her wrists. Naturally, Shampoo pulled away from her captor, but try as she might, he held onto her tight.“You…let Shampoo go!!”Bandages smirked. “I think not!”“Let…Shampoo…GO!!”“Hehehe, if you insist!” complying with her request, Bandages released his grip on Shampoo, causing her to fling herself back.“Aiyaaa…” as Shampoo rubbed her sore spot, she noticed something attached to her wrist; a white band. Sure enough, her other hand shared the same fate. Following the path, she noticed that both strands connected back to massive opponent who looked at her with a mischievous smirk.“Aiyaaa!”“Hang tight girly!” yanking the metaphorical chains, Bandages swiftly reeled in a screaming Shampoo.“Aiyaaaaaaaaa…!”Once she was within range, Bandages stepped forth and fired a fierce front kick straight into Shampoo’s gut.“Gwooof-!”Despite being launched again, Bandages kept on the offensive by yanking her back in again and repeating his kick, turning Shampoo into a human paddleball.“Gaagh…!”[]“This looks bad,” commented a concerned Gohan.“Well…you’re not wrong, but don’t freak out yet pal,” Ranma eased.“Shampoo may be a pest at times, but I can’t deny she’s one tough chick,” Ukyo reinforced.Akane only nodded an affirmation as Videl added, “Take it from me Gohan, they’re right. I should know, I’ve fought her before myself.”“Same.” Said the other girls in unison.[]Bandages pulled Shampoo in and prepared to launch yet another kick. This time however, Shampoo was prepared to counter. As the menacing mummy raised his leg, Shampoo repositioned herself in midair and countered his kick with one of her own, with both feet.“Gwah-!”Knocked off guard by the unorthodox parry, Bandages staggered backwards as Shampoo freed herself, landing safely with a backflip. As Shampoo composed herself after that harsh onslaught, she noticed both of her maces were gone. Looking over to her foe, she saw both of her chui within his grasp, or rather wrapped in his tape. “Hehehehehe…!”Bandages guffawed menacingly as he began swinging his new makeshift weapons like a pair of flails, forcing Shampoo to retreat.“Graaagh!” throwing one mace forward, Bandages struck at Shampoo from a distance, forcing her to hop in avoidance. Repeating this, Shampoo ducked under it. Bandages then swung the ‘flails’ sideways keeping Shampoo on the defensive. The nimble young fighter continued to sway away from her stolen weapons.‘Shampoo need to get chui away from Mummy Man!’“What’s wrong little girl? Too scared to get up and personal with old Bandy here?” Bandages taunted.Her eyes narrowing sharply, Shampoo, took a crouched position before leaping high above the arena. Preparing to counter, Bandages wound up one of his makeshift flails, preparing to strike when Shampoo was within range.As Shampoo started her descent, Bandages thrust his hand forward launching his stolen weapon at Shampoo. Unexpectedly, Bandages was met with a mysterious flash of light to the eyes as Shampoo straightened herself out in midair. The flash shining brighter, Shampoo dove into a midair front flip narrowly avoiding the off-kilter flail. Shampoo swiped her hands down as she landing behind the menacing mummy in a single swift motion.As his eyesight returned, Bandages took a moment to look himself over and saw no signs of damage. Strange since he could swear he saw her attack. Regardless, he was ready to get back on the offensive…until he brought his hands up. To his surprise, the chui he’d stolen from Shampoo were nowhere to be found. In fact, not just the weapons, both of his hands were completely gone! Turning to Shampoo, he witnessed the smug faced amazon with her hands behind her back. With an innocent grin, Shampoo brought her hands forward revealing a curved sword.“Seriously…where the hell does she keep that thing?” muttered Videl.“What the…did you…did you cut my hands off!?” Bandages exploded.Shampoo nodded before her deceptively sweet expression turned impish. “Mmmhmm, now Shampoo wonder where she cut next?”Shampoo slowly approached a trembling Bandages, her sword gleaming as she held it in an offensive position. Bandages took a cautious step backwards shaking as Shampoo inched closer and closer to him, genuine fear adorning his face.“I…I ain’t done yet!” Throwing his dismembered forearms forward, Bandages shot two bands at Shampoo who responded simply by slashing them away. Bandages continued throwing bands at Shampoo and she continued slicing them apart. Bandages ceased his restraining attempts as Shampoo finally closed the gap between the two.“Now…time for Shampoo to show what Mummy Man look like without bandages,” she declared raising her sword.His face exploding with fear, Bandages quickly fell to his knees, trembling. Through his shaky words, Bandages shamefully squeaked out, “I…I give up…”“Hmph.” With a few slashes in the air, Shampoo took a relaxed stance before bowing to her defeated foe.“Impressive. It’s a rare sight to see one of these jokers actually concede,” Baba snickered.“To be expected. We Amazons are a clan of warriors,” beamed a prideful Cologne.A bead of sweat ran down Gohan and Videl's forehead. ‘A couple of words off and that'd straight up be a Vegeta line.’As they both shelved their shared thought, Shampoo returned with a bountiful jaunt.“So, how Ranma like Shampoo fight?” she asked cheerfully.“Well…it was certainly one of your best…in a while at least….” Ranma stammered.Ukyo gave a firm but neutral nod. “He's not wrong, I'll give you that.”Akane held her tongue, but silently agreed.“I'm most surprised that you girls have been breezing through my fighters thus far,” Baba praised. “Either you girls are much stronger than I give you credit for, or I need new warriors. Then again…it could be your timely visit with my brother gave you the info you needed to prepare yourselves accordingly.”“Maybe…” replied Ranma as the girls all turned faux coy. “Well, since you're so well informed, I assume you know who's next?” she asked turning to Ranma.Ranma pounded her fist in her hand before cracking her knuckles. “Oh I know what's next, and I'm ready!” she confidently declared.“See that you are.”Before stepping onto the bridge, Ranma turned to the others. “Kick back ladies, I'm gonna give you girls a show!”“Then by all means, dazzle us.” Akane sarcastically deadpanned.“Good luck Ranchan.” Ukyo encouraged as Shampoo vigorously nodded in agreement. Videl gave a simple thumbs up as Ranma stepped onto the stone bridge.“DEVILMAAAAAAAN!” Baba called.As soon as the name left Baba’s mouth, a blast of trumpet heavy music boomed through the cave.“What the-?”
“In the dark who is that? Who is that? Who is that? There he is the devil. Devilman, Devilman!!”
“Hey, isn’t that the theme for-?”“Turn that shlock off before we get sued!!” Baba hollered, cutting Ranma off.“Hmph…you peons lack showmanship,” replied a smooth, deep, male voice. From the opposing cavern stepped an exceedingly tall man covered in black(blue?) with batlike wings, a long, pointed nose, a sharply tipped tail and horns.“Huh…you actually don’t look TOO different from the anime character, just less red.” Ranma noted.“I’d watch your mouth if I were you little lady. After all, not just anyone can survive a tussle with yours truly,” Devilman bowed.Ranma narrowed her eyes and flashed a confident smirk. “Oh I’ll do more than just survive.” Crouching into a combative stance, Ranma motioned for Devilman to make his move. “Bring it on!”Devilman chuckled before taking his own battle position. “With pleasure.” Spreading his wings, Devilman swooped at Ranma who was caught off guard by her opponent’s speed.‘He’s fast!’Devilman struck with a swift punch. Ranma leapt over it, but was nicked in the leg by his claws.“Ggh!” As Ranma attemoted to land, Devilman kept up the pressure by flying at the descending redhead and following up with a one-two claw swipe. With impressive flexibility, Ranma turned herself in mid-air to avoid his attacks, countering with a backflipping kick.Devilman forced himself backwards to avoid Ranma’s attack but was unprepared for the follow-up as Ranma landed on the head of the demon statue and rebound off it, launching herself at the airborne fiend.“Hrrryaagh!”“Dooooo-!”Ranma dove headfirst into Devilman’s stomach, knocking the wind out of him and mauling his flight patterns, forcing him to return to ground level to recuperate. Meanwhile, Ranma had landed safely back on the stone bridge, rubbing her head but otherwise fine.A panting Devilman turned his face into an excited smile. “Well, I must admit, I wasn’t expecting you to last more than a single attack, but low and behold, first blood is yours.”“Cut the act pal, we already did the vampire bit with Ucchan.”“Oh don’t worry my dear, you won’t have to worry about me sucking your blood, even after it spills out of you!”“Devilman! Contain your murder impulse!” Baba chided.“Nah, let him cut loose,” Ranma challenged. “Even if he comes at me with everything he’s got, I have no intention of dying today!” she proclaimed.“Well…death or not, prepare yourself for a world of PAIN!”Dashing across the stone tongues, Devilman attacked with a rapid barrage of clawed thrusts. With her focus sharp, Ranma was able to dodge and block much of the assault, even managing to get in some counterstrikes but not unscathed. As the two continued to trade blows, a small, snakelike appendage slunk it’s way to Ranma’s leg before harshly tripping her off, causing her to tumble off the edge of the bridge.“Whhoooop-! RAAAAAA-!”“Ta-ta!” Devilman waved at his falling foe before letting out a smarmy laugh.“Ranma!” The Nerima girls called out.“I got him!” Videl announced. Before she could make a leap at the cursed fighter, she was stopped by Gohan.“Hold on a minute…”“What for!?”“Hey Baba!” Gohan called. “As long as the fighters don’t hit the water, they’re still in the fight, right?”“Yes…” Baba raised an eyebrow.In the next instance, a low whoosh could be heard coming from beneath the bridge. “Hmmm? That didn’t sound like a splash…and where’s the agonizing scream?” pondered Devilman.Devilman’s question would remain unanswered as a red blur shot up from beneath the pit below, Devilman just barely managing to avoid it. Landing on the stone tongues, the blur revealed itself to be a familiar red shirt, this time however, worn by a black-haired young boy.“I’m back!”“Wha-!? Who the hell are you!?” Devilman boomed.“Ranma!”“He back!”“But…but how…how did he?”“Judging by his trajectory, I’d say he rebounded himself off the walls,” guessed Gohan.“Maybe, but how is he a guy again? He didn’t hit the water did he?”“I can confirm, he did not,” answered Baba.
[Flashback]
A fearful female Ranma hollered as she found herself drawing closer and closer to the surface of the water. ‘Dammit, dammit, dammit!!! Why’d I forget that I wanted Videl to show me how to fly!!??’ she cursed.
As the end drew closer, Ranma felt something brush against her face…something warm. Steam. ‘Right…the old lady said this water’s boiling…wait…boiling water! I lose if I fall in…but maybe if I can just get splashed…!’
Turning herself in the air again, Ranma rolled into a nose-dive and cupped her hands to the side. ‘I gotta time this just right or I’m finished!’
Ranma kept the position until her face was nearly a foot away from touching the water. In a single swift motion, Ranma thrust her hands forward with a burst of energy pouring out.
“Prideful Tiger…BLAST!!”
As Ranma’s trademark energy attack cut through the water, the residual back blast encompassed Ranma before he shot himself towards the wall and bounded off it back to the stone tongue bridge.
[End Flashback]
“So Ranma used the Tiger Blast to launch himself?”Cologne let out a loud hearty laugh. “That’s son-in-law for you! Always the one to recover by the skin of his teeth.”“Hmmm…I think I remember a story of someone Dad fought in the Tournament doing that same sort of thing with the Kamehameha!” Gohan noted.[]“So you…you’re…that same red-haired girl?” asked Devilman.“Who you callin a girl ya freak?”“Pot meet kettle,” Devilman muttered with a snarl. “Hmp…I suppose it’s better this way. After all, I can sleep easier tonight knowing I didn’t send a cute young lady to her doom. Also, I can now punish an upstart punk who had the gall to play with the heart of a demon!”“Yeah, yeah, yeah, just make your move before I thrash ya already.”“Fine then boy, but remember. YOU ASKED FOR THIS!” Extending his hand, a large sharp-tipped fork materialized in Devilman’s hand. As Ranma braced himself for the incoming attack, Devilman caught him by surprise by chucking the fork at him like a javelin. Ranma leapt over the projectile just in time to see Devilman diving at him from above with another demonic pitchfork in hand.“Hrrrragh…!”Throwing at again, Devilman managed to snag Ranma by the scruff of his shirt and pin him to the demon face.“Gah…hey what gives!”Devilman sneered as he landed back on the stone tongue bridge. With a wicked glare, he placed two fingers at each side of his head and the area around him began to glow violet.Ranma raised an eyebrow in concern and worry as Devilman laughed. “Now…show me your evil hearts!”“Evil…the heck’s that mean?” asked a bewildered Ranma.“You wanted Devilman to fight at his fullest, did you not?” interjected Baba. “Well, here comes the part where you may heavily regret that decision dear boy.”“Huh?” Ranma turned back to Devilman who sneered as he pointed his fingertips at Ranma.Back with the spectators, Cologne and the others began to sweat. “Ummm…should we be worried about what Baba just said?” asked Ukyo.“Ranma can beat whatever Demon Man have plan,” encouraged Shampoo.‘I wish I had your faith Great-Granddaughter. I don’t know what it is, but something about Baba’s words has me worried.’The glow converged in Devilman’s hands as he let out a fiendish laugh. “Vanish you impudent fool! DEVILMITE BEAM!!” From his fingers, he shot a purple burst of energy in the shape of a spiral.“Devil what?”“Son-In-Law, move!” Cologne called.Her warning would prove useless as Ranma couldn’t free himself from his confinements in time and the light engulfed Ranma who braced himself for impact but felt nothing.“What’s going on?”“Now…expand!”Ranma raised a confused eyebrow before he could feel his heartbeat accelerate. Ranma began to pant, clutching his chest as his heart pounded faster and harder. Quickly curling into a ball.“Ranma?”“Something’s wrong with Ranchan!”“It’s…his heart…!”All eyes turned to Gohan who had a downright fearful expression on his face. “Gohan, what’s happening to Ranma!?” Akane exclaimed.“I don’t know specifically, but something…something’s wrong with his heart!” Gohan firmly repeated.“It’s the Devilmite Beam,” Baba answered as she floated over to the peanut gallery. “That technique takes the negative thoughts and emotions of whoever the user’s target is and causes those thoughts to expand until finally…they explode.”The temperature in the room dropped as the gravity of the situation hit. “Ranma…Ranma’s heart…will explode…?”“That mean…“Ranchan…”“Is gonna die!Shampoo fell to the floor as Cologne quickly bounded up to meet Baba face to face. “You witchy old bitch!”“Hey now, don’t get snippy with me,” Baba shot back. “You all heard Ranma, he’s the one who asked Devilman to fight at his best. Whatever happens to him now is all his own fault.”“Ranma-!” Akane quickly climbed the edge of the viewing area, preparing to jump into the fray, but halted at Baba’s exclamation.“Hold it girl, if you jump in before the fight is called, then this whole challenge is void,” Baba challenged.Akane grit her teeth pondering whether or not to continue. Of course she didn’t want to make the battles they’d fought up to this point superfluous, but she wasn’t willing to risk Ranma’s life for it, and from the looks of it neither was Cologne.“Before you do something hasty, I’ll have you know that there is a way to survive the Devilmite Beam.”“But you won’t tell us, will you!?” snapped Ukyo.“I literally can’t tell you since I don’t know what that way is, but I have seen it before…from his father,” Baba pointed to Gohan.“Dad?”“Gohan!” Shampoo and Ukyo quickly darted to the flustered Saiyan, desperation in their eyes.“Please tell us you know how to stop that Evil Beam or whatever!” Ukyo pleaded.“I…don’t…know….!” Gohan stammered.“Useless, pervert guest!” Shampoo snapped.“Now hold on…if we just think for a moment, we can probably figure out…”“We no have time! Look!”All eyes turned back to the scene with Ranma writhing against the wall, gritting his teeth ina desperate bid to fight back the agony he was experience. “I…won’t…lose!”“There’s no escape boy!!”The spectators watched in fear as Ranma continued to resist the imminent danger. His struggle was being well fought, but they all knew he’d succumb soon.“Wait, if the technique works by exposing a person’s evil thoughts, doesn’t Ranma just have to not think of anything bad?” suggested Gohan.“I’m afraid it’s not as simple as that my boy,” Cologne denied. “Even a simple competitive spirit can be viewed as malicious intent, and knowing Son-In-Law, competition is his entire forte. The only way he could get out of this alive is if he feels absolutely…!”Cologne stopped herself as the realization hit her. ‘Of course! Ranma CAN survive this!’“Son-In-Law! If you can hear me, remember this; The Weakness Moxibustion! Your training for that technique!”“That technique?” asked Videl.Ukyo and Akane both gasped as they both understood Cologne’s implications. ‘Ranma/Ranchan…’[]With bloodshot eyes, Ranma’s body began to go limp while his heartbeat continued to accelerate, growing louder and louder with each passing beat. ‘Why…does my body…feel so hot…my heart is…burning…’
“Remember…your training…weakness…moxi…”
‘Training…?’
‘Ultimate weakness…’
‘Weakness…?’In his weakened daze, the burning sensation sizzled straight through from Ranma’s chest to his back, inciting a rugged sense of déjà vu. Suddenly, everything froze. Ranma’s face went blank as his heartbeat steadily slowed to normal and then even slower.“What is this?” asked a surprised Devilman.Thanks to all the writhing, Ranma’s shirt finally tore, releasing him from the fork causing him to land face first on the stone bridge.“Ranma!”“Is he…?”As the Nerima ladies viewed Ranma, Videl turned to Gohan who gave a silent confirmation on his current status. Devilman on the other hand, was unable to tell how his opponent had fared from his position so he slowly and cautiously approached Ranma’s seemingly lifeless body.“Hmmm…I don’t know why his heart didn’t explode, but I guess all the strain his attempts at beating back my technique caused was too much for him to handle after all,” Devilman sneered.“Ranchan…he’s…”“Aiya…it…cannot be…”Tears welled up in the eyes of the young Amazon and the chef. Their tomboyish rival on the other hand could only clench her fist in seething fury. “You…you monster….”“Well then who’s next?” asked a smarmy Devilman.“Don’t get ahead of yourself.”All eyes turned to Gohan who had a cocky look on his face. “After all, your fight’s not over yet.”“What are you…?” Devilman turned back to find his red-clad opponent slowly picking himself off the ground. “He’s still alive!!!??? HOOOWWW!!!???”[]“So…he did hear me after all,” snickered Cologne. The younger girls all breathed relieved sighs as Videl began asking questions.“Does this have anything to do with that technique you mentioned earlier?”“Just wait girl. Something tells me, you’ll be seeing it pretty soon.”[]Devilman grit his teeth in rage. Seeing his Ultimate Technique fail once to that monkey-tailed boy was bad enough, but now this pig-tailed scrapper too!? Taking a breath, he calmed himself. His attack may have failed, but unlike with Goku, it actually had an effect. Surely there’s no way in hell he could survive it again, right?Taking up his position, Devilman once again pointed his fingertips at Ranma. “You got lucky last time boy, but this time you DIE! DEVILMITE BEAM!”Once again, the purple spiral zoomed at Ranma who’s emotionless face shifted into a small smile. “Just what I wanted.”Taking a knee, Ranma reared his fist back, prepared to strike at the incoming projectile. “Revised Ultimate Technique…”When the DM Beam was mere centimeters from Ranma, the pig-tailed fighter threw his fist forward with a triumphant yell. “Horizontal…HIRYU SHOTEN HAAAA!!!”Devilman’s attack was completely engulfed as a Ki Infused tornado erupted from Ranma’s fist. The flabbergasted demon was unable to avoid the attack as he was sucked into the windy spiral and blasted through the opposite stone demon, out of the palace onto parts unknown.[Elsewhere]‘Huh…whoa…what’s that energy? It’s nobody we know, but that’s too big for a normal Earthling.’“Goku, get back over here! These turnips won’t pick themselves!”“Coming!”[Back at the Palace]Shampoo and Ukyo clasped hands, cheering in unison at Ranma’s victory all the while, Akane and Cologne eased their tense nerves. Gohan, Videl, and Baba on the other hand could only gawk at Ranma completely stunned.“What…was…”“That…!?”“Some insane power, I’d say,” noted Gohan.“But…but how did…!?” Videl continued to stammer as Baba examined Ranma, who had collapsed on the ground.“Well…needless to say, this is your win Ranma,” Baba announced.“Yay…” Ranma gave an exhausted thumbs up.[]The two young rivals continued celebrating together and Videl finally found her voice again. “I have…a few questions… but can we start with how Ranma survived that Death Beam or whatever?”“The Soul of Ice.” Cologne replied.“In essence, it’s a mentality that ensures perfect emotional balance. Ranma may not have been able to devoid himself of any wicked thoughts, but since he was fully in control of them, he was able to stave off the Devilmite Beam. What happened next could only be described as either a sheer lucky break or blessing in disguise. Figures that of all the forms that Devilman’s technique could take, it would happen to be a spiral.”“A spiral?” the couple asked in unison.“Does that have something to do with Ranma’s Dragon Twister or…whatever that was?” Gohan added.“Apologies, but that’s as much as I can say on the matter…for now at least,” Cologne dismissed. “Someone should go retrieve Son-In-Law before he falls into the boiling water for real this time.”“I got him!” Akane announced as she appeared with a drained Ranma on her back. ‘You better not give me any heat for not changing you into a girl again before carrying you…’ Akane’s face twisted into a wavering smile. “You jerk…”[Many Moments Later]The gang was all assembled back in the circular ring. Ranma had regained consciousness but was set aside with Cologne and Gohan. That last battle took a lot out of him, so even IF someone else had to take over this next fight, he was in no position to do so.The other girls all stood back as Videl stepped forth. “We’re down to the final battle, and Videl’s the last woman standing!” Ukyo noted.“Still…Shampoo wonder why Psychic Lady want Fly Girl to fight last.”‘She’s right…Baba has something planned for Videl…but why do I suddenly have such an uneasy feeling?’ Gohan inwardly pondered.“Does it even matter at this point?” asked Akane. “All we can do now is have faith that she can end this thing and do it cleanly.” ‘Good luck.’“I must admit, I haven’t had someone make it to the fifth and final round since Goku and the others did all those years ago. Just for making it this far, win or lose, I’ll be willing to do the divination for only a fraction of my usual asking price. I’m certain your esteemed father can afford it,” Baba snickered.“Thanks, but don’t count us out yet. I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to top what Ranma just did, but I can assure you, I will win this!” Videl declared.Baba snickered before retreating into the palace. “If you’ll give me a short moment, I must fetch the final fighter. He’s been waiting at Yemma’s place, and now’s the time to bring him in.”As the devious diviner disappeared, Videl turned back to the others who looked eager, yet cautious. Gohan on the other hand looked rather anxious, then again…he was always like that whenever Videl fought so that was nothing new.‘I sure wish Gohan would calm down. I get why he was worried with Ryoga, but I’m still a lot stronger now, and I doubt Baba’s going to revive someone like Cell…she’s not gonna revive Cell, right?’As if on cue, Baba returned emerging from the shadowed dome with a devilishly mischievous smirk on her face. Gohan’s face however, turned pale.“Gohan? You okay there dude?” asked a concerned Ranma.‘That energy…why does it feel so familiar…and why don’t I like it…?’Videl glanced back to Gohan, noticing his panicked expression. Worry sat in as she turned back to Baba who floated aside to make way for the mystery opponent. “Sorry to keep you waiting. The person you’ll be fighting, is him.”As Baba motioned with her arms, a large figure emerged from the dome. Videl and Gohan’s eyes both widened as the instantly recognized the figure; A tall, pale, bald man with muscles large enough to make his veins bulge. Plastered on his gray forehead was a curved letter ‘M’.“N-no way…!”“It’s…you…!?”“Satan…!”Shaken, Videl took a step back as her large opponent towered over her.
“Spopovitch!”
(A/N: Cue the Roundabout! Welp, a LOT of people guessed who the mysterious final fighter was. Sure enough, Spopovitch is back and it’s time for the rematch of the century! I apologize if the fights in this chapter feel a bit rushed, but I REALLY wanted to get to this point. I hope I that between four fights at least, it was satisfactory enough. Also, this being this story’s 3-Year Anniversary, this is also my longest chapter yet. I can say with certainty the next Chapter won’t be THIS long, but I intend to give a show. Next time will Videl prevail against the first foe who gave her a taste of a ‘real fight’ or will history repeat itself?)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
Raging Rematch: A Vengeful Videl vs. Spopovitch
All eyes were on the ring as Videl stood defiantly against her larger opponent, Ranma and the girls looking on with disgust.“Egghh…I know we had to fight literal monsters, but this guy is probably the ugliest yet,” commented Ukyo.Shampoo and Akane nodded in agreement. “No kidding,” added the latter. The ridicule would be cut short by Gohan who was still in disbelief.“To think…Baba would choose to bring HIM back…” Gohan muttered. All eyes turned to Gohan, Cologne’s gaze filled with curiosity. “I take it you two have history with this one?” she asked.“That’s…putting it mildly.” Gohan’s eyes narrowed as he recalled the World Martial Arts Tournament…and the gruesome scene that followed.‘Wait, did they fight this guy before?’ thought Akane.[In the ring]Videl cautiously backstepped as Spopovitch remained motionless “H-how…why…why is he here?”“You already know about the dead being able to walk the living world for a single day, so I’ll answer your second question,” Baba interjected. “Believe it or not, when word got out that Goku and the others were joining that Tournament, I was actually watching, which means I also saw what happened that day,” Baba began. “After the match finally ended, I couldn’t help but think the big guy here would be a great fighter for my challenge so I asked King Yemma to put him on ice for me just in case that time came,” Baba reminisced.“Turns out that day would be today, for as I’m sure my servant spirit told you, I knew you’d be coming here today. That sort of comes with the Psychic-Deal Dearie,” she cackled. “Once my Crystal Ball showed me you with Cologne, I couldn’t help but assume that she’d taken you on as a student, so I’d figure now would be a great time for a little rematch.”Videl stood stone solid as Baba finished her explanation. “Rematch?”“Yes. Figured I’d get a real taste of what the old mummy managed to teach you, and what better opponent to go all out on than him?”As the spectators all eyed Spopovitch, as well as listened in on Baba’s explanation, the one to first ask a follow up question was Gohan.“Wait, why does he still have that mark on his forehead? Last I checked, it’s supposed to disappear upon death.” he asked pointing to the ‘M’.“Hmmm…you’d probably have to ask King Yemma himself since he’s the one who gave this brute his body back, though it certainly helps add to the authenticity of this little rematch,” Baba cackled.[]“Rematch? So they fought before?” Akane asked again.Gohan silently nodded.“Why do I have a feeling it goes deeper than that?” asked Cologne.[]Videl’s fists clenched tightly as she glared at Baba. “You’re a crazy, sadistic, old hag, you know that?”“That’s ‘MS. Crazy Sadistic Old Crone to you dearie. Still, even with my ability to see the future, I cannot see how this fight will pan out until you two play it out yourselves…and before I forget,” Baba turned towards the non-fighting spectators and pointed at Gohan. “If anyone disrupts this match in any way, not only will Videl be immediately disqualified, but I’m revoking the other girls’ chance to finish this fight!” she ordered.“So if we jump in, instead of just tagging out, it’s an instant loss?” Ukyo clarified.“Yes. Though I have faith that you girls could abide by the rules, this is mostly just in effect to discern those boys from getting any bright ideas about playing ‘Hero’,” Baba explained.“Heh, no problem. Videl won’t need need help for this one anyway, right Gohan?” said Ranma.No response. “Uh Gohan-? Eep!” When Ranma turned to Gohan, the spiky-haired hero had his eyes narrowed into a deathly glare catching all of the Nerima fighters aback.As Cologne bounced back, the younger girls could all feel a tingle rise up their spines. As long as they’d all known Gohan, he’d been an awkward but generally friendly guy. To see him looking so…intimidating, even despite knowing he’s a martial artist was just off-putting.‘Is it just me…’ Ukyo began.‘Or do Rice Boy look…’‘Scary?’Taking a breath, Gohan’s expression softened to an eased but still stern face before he nodded to Baba. “I understand.”“Well then…” Baba turned back to the ring. “You two may now begin!”Spopovitch slowly sauntered towards Videl, a stone sneer on his face. Videl, contrary to her usual style hopped backwards, as if she were waiting for him to make a move. For the moment, both fighters remained stationary, staring each other down.[]‘Huh…Videl usually throws the first punch. Wonder why she hasn’t made a move yet,’ thought Akane.[]The moment Spopovitch extended his arm, Videl instantly went on the attack, dashing forward and driving her knee into his gut. In a familiar scene, the attack seemed to have no effect as Spopovitch merely sneered. Her expression showing unease, she leapt into the air and fired off a flying kick to the face before landing back on her feet.Spopovitch slowly turned his head back to Videl before darting in her direction and throwing a sloppy hay maker that Videl hastily ducked under. The large baldy repeated this with his opposite hand forcing Videl to roll away.His next attack was an attempt at a grab causing Videl to dash backwards. Before long, Spopovitch got into a rhythm of attacking Videl and the agile fighter continued to dodge, not making any attempts to block or counter.[]“Ya know, I don’t think I’ve actually seen Videl fight before. She’s pretty fast,” commented Ukyo.“Shampoo wonder why she no fly though.”“Probably just being conservative with her energy?” guessed Akane.‘No Ms. Tendo, I don’t think that’s it…’ Cologne thought with a critical glance.[]Spopovitch extended his hand, a purple glow forming around his hand. Videl shuddered as she recalled the motion. In response, she raised her hands, cupping them together sideways. As Spopovitch’s hand glowed brighter, Videl winced before quickly taking to the sky.Spopovitch pointed his hand upwards at Videl’s retreating form and with a wicked smirk, fired off a purple beam of energy.“He can do that too!?” startled Akane.‘Interesting. Now I’m even more curious about their last encounter…’ thought Cologne.“Wha-!?” Bending herself backwards, Videl was able to avoid a direct hit, though the front of her shirt was scorched. Before Videl could reorient herself, a wild holler caught her attention. Glancing down, Spopovitch charged at her head-first slamming into her midsection.[]“Oooh, that looked bad,” winced Ukyo.“No worries. She can take a hit.”Cologne’s eyes narrowed as the battle raged on. ‘I don’t think her defenses are the issue.’[]Spopovitch grabbed Videl off his head before tossing her downwards. Though she was able to straighten out, she was still being pressured as Spopovitch fired yet another blast at her.“Tsk…!”As Videl flew away from the beam, Spopovitch dove for her attempting to grab her once again. Videl retreated from the burly brute and was able to rebound off the ring and launch herself over her foe’s head. Quickly turning back to face him, the musclebound bruiser could only smirk as Videl stood panting but cautious.[]“Is it just me, or is Videl being more defensive than usual?” Commented Ranma.“Ranma’s right,” Akane answered. “It makes sense to play defense when you’re being bombarded, but it doesn’t look like Videl’s even trying to get back on the attack. She’s usually a lot more offensive than this.”“I wonder…” said Cologne.“Wonder what?”“I’ll let you know as soon as I confirm it.”[]The grey brute stomped over to Videl who continued to retreat. It didn't take long for Videl to be forced to edge of the ring, with no place left to run, or fly.“You know, if you weren't feeling up to this fight, you could've said something earlier and I wouldn't have made this little stipulation,” Baba taunted.‘Oh shut up.’“There's no shame in surrendering, at least if it keeps you alive.”Teeth grit, fists clenched, Videl finally approached her opponent with a raging battle-cry.“Haaaagh-YAAAGH!”Summoning all of her energy, Videl dashed forward and struck Spopovitch with a fist up into the chin, knocking him back. Before he could recover, Videl dove after him. Flipping in midair, she launched a barrage of kicks to his face and torso before launching a hard midair side-kick to the jaw, knocking him to the floor.[]“Now that's more like it!” praised Ranma.“FINALLY! She’s back in this fight!” cheered Akane.“Guess Fly Girl still easy to taunting.”“So, if she can just keep that up, she could win this thing no problem, right?”Cologne was about to respond but Gohan spoke first. “No.”All eyes turned to Gohan who's eyes dripped venom. “It won't be that easy.”“Well…someone's a real supportive boyfriend,” snarked Ukyo.“The boy may be right,” Cologne interjected. “Look.”The young fighters watched as Spopovitch stood up. He'd taken significant damage from Videl's last attack, but he looked plenty ready to keep fighting.“Okay, so he's durable,” noted Akane. “That doesn't mean she can't beat him.”“You seem to have a lot of faith in her Ms. Tendo. Let's see how well placed it is.”As the Nerima gang watched with intrigue, Gohan watched with a seething scowl, his fists clenched.[]The panting Videl could only palm her face as her opponent rose back to his feet. “Great…” she sighed sarcastically.The sadistic juggernaut only snickered as he spat out blood before zooming to Videl. Prepared for his attack, Videl darted to the side, but was sadly out sped and flew face first into Spopovitch's beefy chest.With no time to recover, Videl was helpless as Spopovitch slammed both of his massive fists into Videl's back, planting her into the tile.[]“Oh no!”“That look…very painful,” Shampoo winced.Gohan's fist began to shake as his already sharp eyes narrowed even further.[]In a mountainous region, a lone caped figure in a meditative pose was jarred from his mental training by a sudden wave of pressure.‘Gohan…’[]Rubbing her back, Videl picked herself up only to roll away as Spopovitch tried to stomp on her.“Not this time you freak!”Her vigor steadily returning Videl dashed back to Spopovitch, her outstretched hand glowing.With a grin Spopovitch responded in kind with his palm glowing the familiar purple. Both combatants jumped into the air with their hands pulled back. As the approached each other, they both threw their hands out forward, their respective energies shining against each other.“Take THIS!”“MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!”Finally the pair collided in the air, their energies forced against each other. Summoning all the strength she could spare, Videl thrust herself harder against Spopovitch’s dark light, but try as she might, she’d ultimately be outpaced. With a twisted cackle, Spopovitch poured more energy into his hand, engulfing Videl’s before forming into a beam that fully overtook Videl’s body, blowing her back in a fuchsia explosion.[]“No!” Gohan’s enraged expression was hastily replaced with worry as Videl got blasted out of the sky at point blank. He and the others would breathe a sigh of relief as Videl managed to levitate herself and land safely on all fours, but it was evident Spopovitch still held the advantage.“Geeze, what’s Videl’s damage?” asked Ranma.“She just got blasted genius, what do you think her damage is!?” exclaimed Akane.“That’s not what I meant! I mean why is she fighting so lame right now?” he clarified.“What do you mean?” asked a now calmed Akane.“All of her movements are kinda sloppy and unfocused, not to mention they don’t look like they have much impact behind them. She may have lost, but she looked MUCH better than this when she fought Ryoga.”“Ranma no think Ugly Bald man stronger than Ryoga, yes?” asked Shampoo.“It isn’t purely a matter of strength or skill,” said Cologne. “It’s an issue of the mind.”“The mind?”“What Great-Grandmother mean?”“I noticed it right before Videl first took to the air. Take a look at her now.”The scene in the ring had hardly change as Spopovitch slowly approached Videl, who instinctively hopped backwards in response. Though Videl’s narrowed eyes showed determination, the rest of her body told a different story.Only well-trained eyes would notice, but all the martial artists present were able to see the quivering in Videl’s posture.“Is she…shaking?” asked Ukyo.“She did just get hit with Chi-Blast,” commented Shampoo.“That is true my girl, but we’ve already established that Videl, despite her size is a truly respectable fighter. It’d take more than a few bruise inducing hits to shake her like this. I think a more logical conclusion to be drawn here is…”“…She’s…afraid?” guessed Akane. “Of this guy?” The twinge from Gohan was all the confirmation she needed.“What’s she got to be afraid of? Sure the dude’s big and ugly, but…” Ranma began“Gohan…does this have anything to do with their first fight?” called Akane.The young Saiyan’s face changed from anger to one resembling guilt, quietly answering Akane’s question. Though his solemn expression quickly changed back to a piercing glare as he watched the remainder of the battle.“Gohan, you alright there?” Ranma hastily stood up to try and get Gohan’s attention physically, but was halted by both fatigue kicking back in immediately as well as Cologne stepping in.“Let it be Son-in-Law. Though I myself am curious as to what unfolded between them, I don’t believe now is the best time to press for details.”Ranma turned from Cologne back to Gohan, and judging by his face, Ranma decided to take the Elder Amazon’s word.‘What on Earth could've happened to make Videl this unnerved?’[]Videl jetted back into the air, her arms at her side. Throwing them forward, she launched a pair of small ki blasts at Spopovitch that were easily delflected. Cupping her hands together, she fired a larger, stronger blast that was similarly knocked away.“Gotcha!” upping her speed, she attempted to strike at Spopovitch’s gut with a double fisted ‘Point-Of-Impact’. Like her blast attempts before, her fists, along with the rest of her was swatted away by Spopovitch’s huge fist.“You son of a bi-! GGHAGH!” Videl attempted to retaliate, but the moment she turned back to her nemesis, she was grabbed by the throat by the cursed berserker.“RRRAAAAAAGH!”Spopovitch divebombed back to the ring, Videl flailing behind him, in his grasp. With a heavy grunt, Spopovitch slammed Videl into the tile face first before tossing her to the edge.[]“Look really painful…” Shampoo flinched.[]Videl slowly sat upright, wiping blood off her forehead and shaking off the aftereffects, but was hardly given time to breathe as she was grabbed by the head and raised up.[]“No…”[]Videl was subsequently punched in the gut, forced to double over before releasing her and launching his knee in her face. As she tumbled to the floor, Spopovitch once again grabbed Videl by the neck, grasping her throat tightly.[]“Videl…!”“Okay, that’s going too far!” cried Ukyo.“Shampoo no have issue killing enemy, but she no fan of how Ugly Gray Man fight fly girl.”“It’s not a very tasteful style I agree, but in a real fight, the one true decider is life and death,” proclaimed Cologne.“Cologne, you were shrieking with the rest of us last chapter when Ranma almost died, don’t play that calm and collected mentor crap now!” Akane scowled.A bead of sweat fell on Cologne’s head before everyone was hit with a massive surge of pressure. All eyes turned to Gohan who was violently trembling.“Gohan…? Y-you okay bud-? GAH!!” Ranma placed a hand on Gohan’s shoulder but hastily pulled back as he was zapped by some unknown energy.“Ranma/Ran-Chan!”“You…okay?”“I’m fine but…” Ranma’s own eyes narrowed at the uncharacteristically stoic Gohan. “Something tells me Gohan’s kinda pissed right now.”‘He’s watching his girlfriend get choked out and he can’t do anything to help her, that’s got to be torturous,’ thought Akane.[]Gohan’s dilemma was the least of it as Videl grasped at Spopovitch’s fingers, desperately trying to pry them off her throat, but to no avail. Before all the breath was ejected from her however, Spopovitch took action once again, headbutting Videl in her bloodied spot.“AGH-!”Spopovitch once again continued to squeeze Videl’s throat, slowly applying more pressure with each passing moment. Occasionally, he’d ease up his grip solely to headbutt Videl again before resuming his harsh squeezing. He didn’t want her to pass out just yet.With every exertion of her strength, every hit to the head, a scene from their first encounter would play out in Videl’s mind. From their initial clash to Videl’s head spinning kick. From Spopovitch’s flight debut to getting blasted out of the sky. Every punch, every blow, every last bit of pain and misery came flooding back until it all culminated in a scene that plagued her for nearly a full year.‘I won’t…let it be…like last time!’ Slowly placing her hands at the side of her head, Videl managed to squeak out, “Solar…flare!”
CHEEEEUUU!
“Hrgh? GAAH!”Dropping Videl, Spopovitch quickly shielded his eyes as Videl lightly rubbed her neck, gasping for air.[]Gohan let out a calming breath as Videl finally managed to escape her enemy’s clutches, but his gaze never once wavered from the battlefield. Videl once again took to the sky while Spopovitch was still reeling from the Solar Flare’s effects. So far, everything had gone quiet as both fighters took time to reorient themselves.“Thank goodness she got free,” relieved Akane.“This is getting crazy…maybe one of us should take over for her?” Ukyo suggested.“Shampoo have no problem beating Ugly Big man!” she declared.“Probably not a good idea,” Ranma interjected. “She may not be doin’ too well, but somethin’ tells me she ain’t lookin’ to surrender either.”“Just like last time…”All eyes turned to Gohan who’s angered face now looked one of despair. Light reflected off the small droplet that formed in the corner of his eye.‘Is he-’‘-crying?’In that moment, Cologne hopped over to Gohan, a stern yet curious look on her face. “Like last time huh? Would you care to elaborate a little?”Gohan remained silent before wiping his eye and steeling himself. “It’s…not a moment we like to remember…” Gohan began. “Every fighter has lost at least one battle, but some losses…hit harder than others.”
[Flashback]
In the ring of the World Tournament, the crowds were silent as Spopovitch once again stood up from a merciless onslaught by Videl. Even the Z-Fighters watching from the fighters’ area were beginning to grow weary. Furious annoyance on her face, Videl leapt up and dealt a hard kick to Spopovitch’s head that completely spun it around.
Even after falling down yet again, Spopvitch refused to stay down as he quickly stood up and spun his head back into place. After taking a retaliatory blow from Spopovitch, Videl ascended into the air to try and collect herself. That plan would be moot as Spopovitch too flew into the air and shot Videl with a purple Ki Wave.
From that moment on, Videl would throw attack after attack but every blow would be either deflected or shrugged off as she took much heavier shots from her larger opponent. Even through all the pain and bloodshed, Videl wouldn’t surrender, even at Gohan’s plea. A fatal mistake as she would ultimately be pinned to the floor, having her head stepped on.
A spectating Gohan watched the scene with a quiet fury before finally he couldn’t contain his rage anymore, bursting into Super Saiyan and flying to the ring. Sadly, he wouldn’t get the chance to act as Spopovitch finally tossed her out of the ring.
As Gohan rushed an unconscious Videl to the Tournament’s medical wing, a single thought crossed his mind. ‘I’m sorry…’
[End Flashback]
The Nerima gang all grew silent as Gohan finished his tale, Gohan himself growing agitated yet again.“Gohan…” Akane trailed off.“No wonder Videl hesitate to fight Bald Man…he almost kill her.”“It’s understandable how a life-or-death experience can shake one’s demeanor, but to affect her this much, that battle must’ve been quite the beatdown.”“It was…”“Well…that does explain why she’s been so off her game…but what about you?” Cologne squinted at Gohan.“Me?”“Throughout this whole match, you’ve been exuberating an aura that would make lesser folk flee like an exposed ninja. While I do imagine it’s not easy to watch someone you care for get the stuff beaten out of them, I don’t believe that’s the only reason you’ve been so aggravated,” Cologne guessed.Gohan looked down at his still shaking fist before hanging his head in shame. Cologne was right, for the guilt he felt about not being able to help Videl when she really needed it was something that hung in the back of his mind for months on end…although, he couldn’t help but shake the feeling that Cologne already knew that, so what was she referring to?“Well, you wanna share with the rest of us or…?”The moment Ranma spoke, Spopovitch finally regained his eyesight. With Videl nowhere to be found in the ring, he instantly searched upwards to find her panting in midair. With a ferocious growl, the muscled menace shot up after her in a violet burst.‘Dammit!’ Videl could barely raise her guard as Spopovitch drove his fist to her midsection. Though she was able to block the attack, her defenses were utterly shattered as she was blown back off kilter. Without even a chance to save herself, Spopovitch grabbed her by the leg and began to spin around.“Whaaaaaaaa-!”[]“Oh no!”“Is he gonna throw her outta the ring!?” asked Ranma.“No…he’ll throw her alright, but he’ll knock her back into the ring…!” predicted a newly seething Gohan.“What? Why!? Why not just end the fight already!?” asked Ukyo.“Bald man is sadist?” asked Shampoo.“Looks like it. If what Gohan told us before is true, then the longer this battle drags on, the harder it will be for Videl to succeed, especially if she doesn’t get her head on straight,” commented Cologne.‘Although…I think the only way she’ll be able to do that is with your help boy.’[]As Gohan predicted, Spopovitch tossed Videl towards the outer side of the ring before warping over to her landing spot and knocking her across the ring.“That was fast!” Marveled Akane.Spopovitch once again vanished to Videl’s landing spot and kicked her up in the air again. Warping one more time, Spopovitch appeared above Videl and slammed his foot down into her stomach, pressing her hard back into the tile. When the smoke finally cleared, Videl was planted inside a small crater while Spopovitch stood beside her with a pleased grin on his face.Videl quickly regained her composure and tried to pick herself up but was forced back down by Spopovitch quickly slamming his foot on her head.“Agh…!”Videl slowly tried to get up again, but Spopovitch once again placed his foot on her head, this time keeping it in place and applying pressure.[]The Nerima fighters all winced, at the scene, Ukyo averting her gaze. “Look away if you must kids, but the moment any of you step foot into that ring, this challenge is null and void.”“Then why don’t you stop this thing already!” yelled Akane. “We get it okay, Videl lost the match so call it!”“She’s at a disadvantage yes, but she hasn’t lost yet. Unless she either admits defeat herself or Spopovitch throws her out of the ring, this fight will play on.”His teeth all but grinding, Gohan’s hair started to flow as the same malicious aura began to flow yet again. Turning away from the ring, Gohan struggled to contain the massive wave of rage and frustration that consumed him.‘Dammit…DAMMIT!! It’s happening again…and just like last time…I CAN’T DO ANYTHING TO STOP IT!!!’[]Videl struggled to free herself from Spopovitch’s clutches yet again. The solar flare wouldn’t help this time as she couldn’t perform the pose in her current state. With every passing second, the pressure in her head would grow stronger and stronger.‘No…not again…I don’t want to lose…like this…again!!’Memories of their first battle came flooding back. Despite her best efforts, the results ended the same; crushed under the heel of a demon-possessed brute.‘My head…everything hurts! I can’t think!!’Slowly but surely, Videl’s resistance started to wane as her vision began to fade away. ‘Please just make this stop…’
“Unless she admits defeat herself, this fight will play on!”
Throughout this head splitting torture, Videl could barely make out what the others were saying and heard Baba’s rule.‘Should I…just give it up? Maybe…if I listened to Gohan…back then…’
“Videl, you can’t beat him! Stop being so stubborn and give it up or he’ll kill you!”
‘I…won’t…make the same mistake twice…’Shakily, Videl lifted her arm prepared to tap out.[]“So…I guess it is over,” Cologne dismissively proclaimed. “She was a fine student. I have no regrets taking her on, but if these last couple of performances were any indication, she’s really squandering my teachings.”“Well…which one of us is going after her? Ranchan would probably be best, but he can’t fight anymore.”“Leave to Shampoo. This fight to find Amazon treasure, so fitting that Amazon Fighter be one to finish fight,” Shampoo argued.Ranma could only sigh as the fight reached it’s peak. Gohan on the other hand, started to calm down now that the battle seemed to be nearing it’s end. Though he hadn’t wanted things to end like this yet again, he was at least glad that it was finally all over. Now he should probably call one of the others to grab a Senzu-.“VIDEL, GET UP!!”All eyes turned to the resident tomboy of the group who was hollering like a madwoman. “Videl, get up dammit!”‘Akane?’[]Before Videl could bring her hand down, the sound of her name caught what little attention she had left.
“-del! Videl!”
‘Who’s voice…?’
“Videl, get up dammit!”
“A…ka…ne…?”Managing to inch her head aside, Videl was able to see the spectators out of the corner of her eye and managed to see everyone staring at a livid looking Akane.[]“Come on, you’re stronger than this!? You’re not just going to give up now are you!? I don’t know exactly what happened between you two last time but you’re stronger than before aren’t you!? Use that new strength to pound this freak already!”[]Almost instinctively, Videl began struggling against Spopovitch again, though still to seemingly no avail. At the very least, she failed to tap out and lowered her hand not in surrender, but defiance.[]While the girls were trying to calm Akane down, Gohan could only stare at her with a look of shock on his face. Finally turning back to the ring, the scene from the Tournament replayed in Gohan’s mind, the whole ordeal. It was then, Gohan turned back to Akane with a look of realization on his face. ‘I…I get it now…so that’s what Ms. Cologne meant…. I made a mistake last time, it’s time for me to fix it.’Taking a breath to calm himself, Gohan stood firm and closed his eyes.
“Videl…Videl can you hear me?”
[]
“Videl?”
‘That’s…!’ “Go…han…?” “Good, you can hear me.”“How…?”
“I’m speaking to you telepathically. You don’t have to speak, just think and listen. I don’t know how much longer you can take this so I’ll make it quick…starting with an apology.”
“Apology…?”
“Back when you first fought Spopovitch…when the tides started to turn against you…I remember I kept telling you to give up and it’s something I’ve secretly regretted ever since.”
“But…you were right…I should’ve given up back then…then I wouldn’t have…”
“Even so, that’s no excuse for being a hypocrite. It may not have held the same stakes, but I can’t tell you how many time’s I’ve been in life threatening fights against people I KNEW I couldn’t win against…then again, I was just a kid in those days,” he chuckled.
“My point is no matter what happened, I should’ve supported you all the way through. I shouldn’t have signed on to you surrendering unless you yourself thought it was the thing to do. So let me ask you this right now, do you want to give up?”
Videl continued to struggle against the insane pressure as she tried to find a concrete answer. More than anything, she wants this pain to stop. If surrender was the only way to make that happen then maybe there wouldn’t be any shame in taking that route…luckily enough, surrender is NOT an option.
“No…no I don’t!” Videl though sternly.
“Alright then, show this creep how much stronger you’ve become. After all, aren’t you the daughter of the World Champion?”
“Better than that, I’m the student of an Amazon Master AND the man who killed Cell!”
“Time to show off what you’ve learned!”
“Right!”
[]Gohan opened his eyes and softly exhaled only to come face to face with Ukyo and Shampoo who were staring at him with curious looks.“Oh, he’s awake again,” noted Ukyo.“Shampoo thought Rice Boy pass out from watching Fly Girl get hurt.”“I appreciate your concern, but I’m fine,” Gohan chuckled.“You certainly sound better than you did moments ago boy,” noted Cologne.Gohan nodded. “I’m not the only one.” Crossing his arms, Gohan’s attention turned completely back to the battlefield. Contrary to his earlier seething expression, this time Gohan wore a confident smile.“What does that mean?” asked Ukyo.“And what the hell are you smiling for?” Ranma added.“Just watch.”[]Videl once again raised her arm, extending her hand once again. This time instead of preparing to give up, a familiar glow grew in her hand, shining brighter until it engulfed her whole arm. The light slightly blinded Spopovitch, but not enough to deter him. That is until the blast extended from Videl’s hand striking Spopovitch right in the eye.“Gaaaagh…!” clutching his face, Spopovitch staggered backwards with an enraged snarl as Videl slowly got back to her feet. Her body was beyond battered, but showed no signs of the shaky hesitation from earlier. Turning back around, Videl stared her past trauma in the face before dropping into a combative stance.“I really bit it that time, but I won’t lose again. You hear me you black magic freakshow!?”[]All spectators sans Gohan gasped at Videl’s sudden burst of vigor. Merely seconds ago she looked like she was about to have a nervous breakdown, and now she looked like she was ready to fight an entire army.“Whoa…I guess someone got a second wind,” noted Ranma.“Was…that because of me?” asked Akane.‘Well…partially,’ Gohan silently answered.“Huh…I guess sometimes words do speak louder than actions.”The odd one out was Baba who had an eye on Gohan, though contrary to expectations, her expression was surprisingly gleeful. ‘Well, there’s no rule against verbal help as long as you aren’t backseat fighting. I don’t know what you said to her Gohan, but whatever it was, must’ve lit the fuse Ms. Tendo had set.’[]With a smug look on her face, Videl made the motion for Spopovitch to come at her, which he did in kind. His malicious aura sparking to life, he charged at Videl in a fiery, violet burst. Naturally, Videl dodged by going airborne, though unexpectedly, Spopovitch managed to stop on a dime and change his direction to go straight up, chasing after Videl.‘I'm ready for you this time!’ Back flipping in the air, Videl nosedived back to Spopovitch, barely grazing his evil aura. Straightening herself out, she extended her hands out and fired a large Ki Blast, nailing Spopovitch right in the back.[]“Bullseye!” cheered Ukyo.“A solid hit yes, but I can't say if it really did much damage.”[]The smoke cleared to reveal Spopovitch with a scorch mark on his back, though looking more angry than damaged.Charging at Videl, he attempted tp grab her again. With an impressive acrobatic display, Videl maneuvered around her foe's large limb before launching a ki-infused Kick to the face.“Heee-YAGH!”“GRAH-!”Spopovitch was forced back on the air, but kept his positioning. He attempted to grab Videl again, succeeding, wrapping his arm around the back of her neck and once again spinning her around.“Whaaaaa-!”This time however, he would also descend as he rotated. Once he was a mere foot above the ring, he chucked Videl down into the tile before charging after her once again bathed in the violet glow.Videl shakily picked herself up, still reeling from the earlier damage she took. Luckily, she was able to dash aside in time to avoid the massive impact.[]“This is bad,” said Gohan.“Would you pick a side already?”“I have faith in her, but I am a realist,” Gohan replied.“He's right,” Cologne concurred. “Videl may have gotten a second wind, but that doesn't negate the damage she's already taken. If she doesn’t find a way to end this quickly, she’ll lose.”“Do Fly Girl have technique strong enough to end fight?” asked Shampoo.“We'll just have to wait and see what she comes up with.”[]“You're not the only one,” shot a panting Videl. Placing her fists by her sides, Videl's energy began to rise until she was once again bathed in a cyan glow.“Take this!” Handspringing forward, Videl launched herself into the air before firing off a fierce divekick to the chest, knocking Spopovitch backwards. Dashing after him, she spun herself around launching a swift trio of spin-kicks towards his face, the last one being ki-charged. The first two hit, but Spopovitch was able to block the last attack in time and retaliate by punching her in the gut launching her away.‘Should’ve figured it still wouldn’t be that easy…’ Videl lamented. Though her will to keep going was still strong, her body couldn’t keep up and a winded Videl was forced to take a knee as her aura died down. Shooting her a twisted sneer, Spopovitch sauntered over to the seemingly defenseless Videl.‘Dammit…what do I do now? I’m running on fumes and he’s still running like a bulldozer.’ Spopovitch inched closer, making Videl’s mind race as she struggled to find a course of action, fast.Worry began to set in as Spopovitch’s shadow loomed over Videl’s downed form. Raising both hands, Spopovitch slammed them down above Videl. “Hrrrrraaaaaagh!Rolling forward into a slide, Videl slipped between Spopovitch’s legs before springing back to her feet and cupping her hands together. ‘This is the one thing I haven’t tried yet, so this better work!’[]Gohan’s eyes widened in surprise at Videl’s stance. ‘Is she trying that!?’ Steadily, a blue ball of light started to form in her hand. ‘Win or lose, this move will decide the whole thing. Go for it Videl. Show him what you’re really made of!’“That pose! Could it be…!?” Cologne started“That’s the same pose as Gohan’s little brother,” noted Akane.“You have a brother?” asked Shampoo and Ukyo.‘No doubt about it, she’s trying to perform the Turtle Hermit’s Ultimate Technique. I guess it makes sense she’d know about it given who she hangs around, but can she really pull off such an advanced technique?’[]Videl stood, what little energy she had left flowing. Her blue aura sparked to life once again as the orb in between her hands shone intensely. Spopovitch once again approached her, slowly before breaking into a sprint, charging like a mad bull.Videl pulled her hands back as Spopovitch drew closer and closer. ‘I haven’t gotten it to work yet, but even if I can’t use the Kamehameha for real that doesn’t mean I don’t have an ace up my sleeve!’His body covered in the familiar purple aura, Spopovitch leapt at Videl, his hand pulled back surging with power. Outstretching his arm, his hand glowed a dark-light as he lunged at Videl, prepared to blow her away.Standing firm, Videl’s aura flared even higher as the orb in her hands began to glow brighter and grow in size. With a spirited yell, Videl thrust her arms forward, her blue sphere colliding with Spovitch’s energy.The spectators all braced themselves as the two combatants once again clashed their powers against each other, neither one of them giving an inch. Spopovitch willed himself to dive deeper against Videl’s energy sphere, but the harder he pushed, the harder she’d resist, her sphere growing in size.Spopovitch let out a sadistic laugh as his energy seemed to overwhelm Videl’s, the young fighter being forced back, skidding against the tile. Every last nerve was on fire as Videl expended every inch of energy she could muster, pouring all her power into her makeshift power-ball, making it grow larger and larger.‘No…not again! I won’t lose to you…again…! I can’t…I refuse!’The resulting light shone a brilliant mix of blue and purple as the spectators shielded their eyes from the optical onslaught.“Who’s winning!?” asked Ranma.“I don’t know but…I think we’ll find out soon!” said Akane.‘To think she could still produce this much chi. I guess she was holding back more than any of us realized.’Spopovitch sneered as his energy finally seemed to be overtaking Videl’s yet again as she was finally pushed to the edge of the ring, seeming to lose ground. Spopovitch raised his free hand and it began to glow, signaling a game ending move. Videl on the other hand saw this as-‘An opening!’ In a swift motion, Videl pulled her hands back and thrust them forward again while shouting, “KAMEHAMEHA!”Though she didn’t get the expected beam, her energy sphere grew immensely, engulfing both her and Spopovitch before erupting in a blinding gleam. After shielding their eyes from the light, the illumination finally died down to reveal Videl standing in her firing pose, her entire body smoking.“Videl!” Gohan called.“Is she okay!” exclaimed Akane.“Wait, where’s the big guy?” added Ranma.The group searched around until Cologne brought their attention upwards. “Look up there!”Up in the sky, a large human shaped object could be seen descending at high speed.“Is he…attacking?” asked Shampoo.Her answer came in the form of Spopovitch falling headfirst into the ring before his body slumped over and rolled onto the ground.“Hehehe…it still didn’t work…but…it’s good enough…!” Videl laughed as she dropped to the ground, panting on all fours.Baba flew around the ring, surveying the fighters. “Well now, it seems this challenge is over, Videl wins!”
(A/N: And that as they say is that. I’ve been wanting to do this fight for a LONG time. I do apologize if this battle feels a bit rehash-y only with Videl winning this time. I admit, my brain kind of turned off for this one in more ways than one, but I hope I made it worth the wait. Also, I TOTALLY 100% did NOT forget that people controlled by Babidi lose his insignia upon death. [All joking aside, I do intend to give a REAL explanation why he has it next chapter, but for now, just roll with it]. Next time, the group finally gets to take a much- needed breather and Cologne gets to learn the location of her ancient relic.)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
End of the Fight; Memories, Recoveries, and Celebrations
Cheers filled the air as Akane and Ukyo celebrated Videl’s hard fought victory. Ranma, Shampoo and Cologne all gave their own silent approval while Gohan unleashed a breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding in.Back in the ring, a drained Videl slowly got to her feet, but fatigue caused her legs to fail and she fell back to the tile. Lucky for her, she landed in the firm wrap of her ever-supportive lover who’d practically warped over to her.
‘How did he…!?’
Akane stepped forth but was halted by Cologne. “Leave them be Ms. Tendo. We’ll all have plenty of time to congratulate Videl later, but for now, I think its best we let them have their moment.”Glancing over to the ring, Akane smiled as the couple could be seen embracing each other. With a nod, Akane retreated. ‘I can’t say I don’t share your sentiments Akane. As her teacher, my pride compels me to congratulate her as well…oh well. I guess it’d mean more coming from him anyway.”“You did it. You finally did it,” Gohan stated.“Yeah…”“How’re you holding up?”“Well…I can’t feel my arms, my legs feel like noodles, but other than that, fine,” she joked.Gohan chuckled as Videl fell into his comforting arms. Their intimate moment would be broken however by the timely arrival of Baba who was hovering just above them. “Sorry to interrupt you two lovebirds but allow me to thank you for putting on a great show,” she praised.Before Videl could protest, a throaty scream filled the ari. The trio turned back to see Spopovitch jerk back to consciousness, his dark energy overflowing from his body. Gohan defensively stood in front of the two women in case the grey bruiser tried a last ditch effort attack. The assumption would prove correct as a white-eyed Spopovitch darted at Gohan and Videl, causing a startled Baba to flee.“Sorry to interrupt, but I think this fight’s already over.”The shaken couple gasped as a spiky haired man in a light brown outfit appeared from nowhere and held the raging Spopovitch at bay by the face. “Yo!”“Dad!?”“Goku!”[]“Who…who’s that?” asked Ukyo.“Where Gardening Man come from?”Ranma and Akane paused before gasping in realization.“Hey isn’t that…”“…Gohan’s old man!?”Cologne’s face stiffened before slowly creaking towards Ranma. “What…did you say…?”“That’s Gohan’s old man!” Ranma repeated.“Wait, that’s Gohan’s father!?” marveled Ukyo.“Rice boy is…son of farmer?” asked a confused Cologne.“Never mind his job, where’d he come from!?” Ukyo emphasized.“I think he did that same thing before back at Gohan’s place,” Akane recalled.“Really? How come I don’t remember that?” Ranma scratched his head.“Think you were in another room…”As the pair continued recounting their first encounter with the mountain dwelling Saiyan, Cologne could only stare aghast as Goku conversed with his son and (future) in-law all while still holding a steadily deflating Spopovitch back.‘It seems this day is just full of surprises,’ she snickered.[]With a swift burst of power, Goku blasted the now drained Spopovitch back into the tile while the depowered giant fell back into unconsciousness, his pupils whiting out.“Phew…that was close, huh?”“Ehehehehehe, always with the timely entrances, eh Goku?” Baba snickered.“Hey Baba!” Goku greeted.“Dad, what are you doing here?” asked a flabbergasted Gohan.“Just came to make sure you didn’t explode again son. We could feel your energy all the way from home.”
[Moments ago]
Goku, holding a basket of vegetables followed Chi-Chi back into the house. Before he entered however, the weary Saiyan paused before turning to the sky. ‘That’s…!’
“Goku come on, I’m about to get the hot tub ready,” Chi-Chi called. Stepping out of the house, she paused, viewing Goku setting the veggies down, and stepping away. “Goku, where are you going?” she demanded.
“So, you feel it too?”
The pair turned aside to see their Namekian acquaintance perched on the branch of a nearby tree.
“Piccolo, why are you here?”
“Ask your husband.”
“Goku?”
“It’s Gohan,” Goku finally revealed.
“Gohan? Isn’t he in the city with Videl?”
“I dunno, but something is making his energy spike, like he’s angry about something…” Goku informed.
Panic began to set in as Chi-Chi brought her hands to her cheeks “Wait…you don’t think…!?”
Goku put two fingers to his forehead before replying. “Not sure, but I’ll go and check up on him just in case.”
“Before you go, you’ll need this.” Piccolo opened his hand to reveal a single small green bean.
[Present]
Gohan shamefully shied away from his father. “I guess I was sort of struggling to hold back…” he admitted.“Well…can’t say I blame you Son,” Goku replied. “I know it must’ve been rather hard for both of you to relive that battle again. Although now that I think about it, what are you two doing way out here anyways?”“Obviously Goku, if they’re here they’ve come for a divination,” Baba answered. “And you of all people should know of my ability to bring the death back to life for a single day.”“I know, I know, but I wanna know why?” Goku whined.“Why don’t we save the questions for until AFTER you fork over that Senzu Bean in your hand,” noted Baba.“Oh yeah.” Extending his hand, Goku presented Gohan and Videl with the Senzu he’d gotten from Piccolo.“Perfect!” beamed Gohan.Handing the bean over to the aching girl, Goku continued. “Yup. Only had the one, but it should be just enough to take care of Videl.”“Yeah but…what about Ranma?” she asked.“Who?”Videl pointed aside to the Nerima crew and a gleeful Goku quickly recognized the pigtailed young boy and the girl with short hair. “Oh hey, it’s those two again! Yo!” he waved to them.[]While Akane cheerfully waved back, Ranma asked, “Is that our cue to join em’?”“Not yet I don’t think,” Cologne denied.[]“That’s no problem. We’ll just split the bean in half,” said Gohan. “It won’t be as potent as the full thing, but it’ll be more than enough to keep you two on your feet.”“Really? You can do that?” asked Videl.Gohan answered by taking the bean from her and breaking it in half. “Here, eat that while I give this to Ranma.” Gohan launched himself over to the Nerima crew. Before he could hand over the bean however, he was quickly bombarded with questions by the girls.“Gohan, what’s your father doing here?” asked Akane.“How did he even get here so quickly in the first place?” added Ukyo.“And what you give to fly girl?” concluded Shampoo.“Whoa now, take it easy!” Gohan defensively waved his arms. “I’ll introduce you all in a moment, but first things first.” Turning to the shaken pigtailed fighter, Gohan extended his hand. “Ranma, eat this. It’s a fast-acting medicinal plant that’ll make you feel better.”“Quite the bold claim, isn’t it boy?” interjected Cologne.Ranma narrowed an eyebrow in suspicion. There’d been too many times where someone asked him to eat something that ended with him either doubling over in abdominal pain, paralyzed, and many other unpleasant sensations. He was understandably hesitant, but then again, for as long as he’d known Gohan (which wasn’t very long at all mind you), he’d yet to steer him wrong. Steeling himself, Ranma popped the bean in his mouth and swallowed it.“Egh…!” Ranma was hit with a small but intense, sudden surge of energy. Getting to his feet Ranma did a few stretches before looking his body over in astonishment. He wasn’t fully recovered, but he was certainly in a more battle-ready state.“Ranma you’re…feeling better?” asked Akane.“Better yeah, though not perfect.”“That’s cause it was only half. I gave the other half to Videl,” Gohan explained. “The both of you should be fine enough to move around on your own, but you may still want to take it easy for a few days.”“No problem,” Ranma agreed still checking his body over.Cologne let out an amused chuckle. “Even now, you still manage to surprise me boy.” Separating from the group of youngsters, Cologne pogoed over to the ring. “Now I believe you were about to introduce us to your father?”“Oh…right. Come on you guys.” Taking the lead from Cologne, Gohan led the group back to the ring.[]Goku resumed asking questions. “Okay, so why did you two come all the way here in the first place.”“Allow me to answer that,” chimed in the raspy voice of the Amazon Elder. She along with Gohan and the rest of the Nerima gang strolled into the ring huddling together.“Is she a friend of yours?” asked Goku.“An old acquaintance would be more accurate, but I think she’d be a better fit to explain things,” Baba motioned to Videl who was currently stretching after taking the effects of the Senzu Bean half.“Let the girl recover,” the Amazon declined. “I’m capable of introducing myself. “My name is Cologne, and I must say it’s an absolute honor to meet you in person, Son Goku.”“You’ve heard of me?” asked the elder Saiyan.“Of course. What kind of Martial Arts master would I be if I didn’t know the students of the infamous Turtle Hermit?”“You know Master Roshi too?”“I actually took her to Kame House just last week, so she’s already met Krillin and his family too,” Videl interjected.‘Man…now I kinda wish I’d gone with them…’ Gohan internally added. (A/N: I bet you would’ve Gohan.)Strolling over to the staff wielding old lady, Videl motioned her to Goku. “Cologne’s been my teacher of sorts this past month or so.” She introduced.“Really? She’s your teacher?” Goku paused for a moment and closed his eyes before opening them again with an impressed chuckle. “So that’s why your energy feels higher than before.”Cologne nodded before continuing. “Yes. Under my wing, Videl’s been nothing short of an exemplary student…for a novice at least.”“Novice!?”“You are a quick learner girl, but you’ve still got a ways to go before you can compete with Son-in-Law in that department.”“Who’s Son-In-Law?” asked Goku.“He’s Son-In-Law,” Cologne pointed to Ranma.“But I thought those two were together,” he pointed to Ranma and Akane.“Ranma no Akane boyfriend! Ranma Shampoo husband!” she declared latching onto his arm.“Eeeeegh…!”“No, he’s MY fiancé!” Ukyo challenged taking his opposite arm.Goku was slowly getting overwhelmed by the wealth of new faces, but ultimately just replied to the girls with a polite wave before dipping back over to Gohan. “Your friend’s pretty popular, isn’t he?” Goku snickered.“That’s…one way of putting it.”The father-son duo both shrank as a deathly aura filled the space around them. Though Gohan had grown somewhat accustomed to Akane’s silent rages, Goku shuddered as the youngest Tendo once again sent a chilling vibe, not unlike his wife’s up his spine.An agitated Akane merely stood beside Videl, crossing her arms, glaring daggers at the physical contact between Ranma and the other girls, she was quickly reigned in by Videl who placed a calming hand on her shoulder.“If you’ll allow me to finish…!” Cologne snapped, her patience clearly wearing thin. Once she had the floor, she proceeded to explain to Goku the deal to train Videl about meeting Roshi so she could find Baba.“But I think I get it now. You needed Baba to find this ancient treasure for you and Videl was the only person you knew with any kind of lead.”“More or less, though if I’d known that both she and your son were so mutually acquainted with Baba from the get-go, I’d have saved myself much hassle.” Cologne lamented.“Maybe, but where would the fun be?” giggled Baba.“True, true.”“So if you needed Baba to divine something for you, you’d have had to go through her five warriors…and since she can revive a person for a day…” Goku turned to the still unconscious Spopovitch and both Gohan and Videl tensed up.“Yup,” Gohan confirmed.“Wow…and she won this time? That’s pretty impressive,” Goku praised before turning to Cologne. “You must’ve trained Videl pretty hard to get her to this level so quickly.”“True, but I can’t take all the credit,” Cologne replied bashfully. “After all, I certainly didn’t show her the form of the Legendary Kamehameha Wave.”Goku turned to Gohan with an impish smirk. “Gohan?”The shy teen Saiyan, glanced away from his father with a blush on his face. “Yeah…that was me….” He admitted.“Truly remarkable, though I guess it’s to be expected of one who shares the name of the Turtle School’s most Legendary Student.”Goku’s expression changed from cheeky to stunned at Cologne’s proclamation. A second later, his face turned skyward with a nostalgic grin. “If you know about Master Roshi, it makes sense you’d know about Grandpa too….” He started. “Man…being here, seeing that challenge again, talking about him…really takes me back.”“You aren’t the only one Goku,” Baba added. “That was a pretty great day for all of us, wasn’t it?”Images of a young boy with a monkey-like tail and an elderly man in a cat(rabbit?) mask flowed across the ring as Goku and Baba silently reminisced.“Ahem…” Cologne cleared her throat. “I’d hate to break up the nostalgia party but…”“Yes, of course. I’ll get to your divination once I put this brute back where he came from.” Baba motioned her arm and her group of spiritual familiars appeared and carried Spopovitch’s lifeless form into the tent.While Baba was busy in the tent, Goku turned back to the young fighters. “Well since we have a moment, maybe you guys can tell me your names again?”
THWUMP!
“It has been a while since we’ve last met, so I guess it’s not surprising you forgot our names,” Akane huffed.“Wait, wait…don’t tell me yet, let me see if I can remember…Cane and Ramen, right?”“Akane.”“Ranma.”“Hehe, I was close.”Cologne snickered before stepping forth. “Now, this one here is my Granddaughter,” she motioned to Shampoo.“Nihao.”“The brunette with the giant spatula there is a mutual acquaintance.”“Ukyo Kuonji,” she introduced.“Giant spatula? Are you a chef?” asked Goku.Puffing out her chest, Ukyo placed her hands on her hips with a prideful grin. “That I am. The greatest okonomiyaki chef in the East!”“Okono…oh wait, I think I remember now. Gohan brought some home once and wouldn’t share with his brother and I,” Goku pouted towards his son.“That was a gift from Videl, of course I wasn’t gonna share it!” Gohan argued back.A greedy grin found itself on Ukyo’s face as a glint shone in her eye. “Well if you want, you can stop by my restaurant sometime and you can try it for yourself,” she offered.“That sounds great! Can we go now!?” exclaimed Goku.‘Well…I see where Gohan gets his appetite from,’ she mentally giggled.Videl and Gohan could only look on as beads of sweat ran down their foreheads. ‘She is going to regret that…’Finally, Baba exited through the curtain and floated between the large group. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Now then Cologne, what is it you were searching for?”Dipping over to her fellow elder, Cologne whispered into Baba’s ear and the all-seeing crone stifled a gasp. “I see…well then. Just give me a second here…” Baba raised her Crystal Ball and the tool began to glimmer. After a few moments of concentration, the image of a green laden mountain appeared in the ball.“A mountain?”“Is that where your secret Amazon treasure is?” asked Ranma.“It seems so, Son-In-Law,” Cologne confirmed. “Looks like Shampoo and I still have much work to do, but I promise we will repay this debt in kind.”“Don’t forget Cologne, I’m repaying you for training me. We’re even.” Videl clarified.“I suppose so.” She grinned.“Ehh, don’t worry about it. I was in this for the thrill. I’m just hopin’ whatever this crazy treasure of yours is was worth the hassle.” Said Ranma.“And I was just here to help Videl,” Akane added.“Then I suppose the only one who’ll reap any immediate reward is Ms. Kuonji, since we’ll most likely have to close down the Cat Café while we go searching for the artifact. You won’t have to worry about us ‘stealing your business’,” Cologne narrowed her eyes.“You know what, I’ll take it,” Ukyo gleefully accepted.“Again, I cannot thank you all enough for your assistance. As a small token of appreciation…”“We’re eatin’ out tonight!” Ranma finished.Cologne sighed. “Yes, yes, we’ll have a celebratory dinner at the Cat Café.”“That sounds awesome, I’m starving!” Goku exclaimed.“Uh Dad…what about Mom,” Gohan reminded.“This’ll just be a snack Son. I’m never too full for your Mom’s cooking.”‘That’s an understatement.’ Thought Akane and Videl.“Shampoo make dinner for Ranma at Nekohanten, yes!?” the purple-haired fighter exclaimed latching onto his arm again.“I’ll need to borrow your guys’ grill for my okonomiyaki!” stated Ukyo.Before Ranma could try and pry Shampoo off, the two of them were doused by water eliciting a scream from the now red-haired female Ranma.“KYAAAAAAAGH…!”Goku watched in confusion as Ranma scrambled back and forth around the ring desperately trying to pry a yowling purple kitten off his head. “Wait…what just happened?”“We’ll…tell you on the way,” said Videl.[Moments later]Videl and the Nerima Crew were all assembled in the iconic yellow jet while Goku and Gohan stood aside. Everyone was ready for takeoff and were just awaiting Cologne to wrap up her spiel with Baba.“Well, this wasn’t the most graceful of reunions, but it sure was an interesting one.” Cologne started.“Definitely. It’s been far too long since so many promising youngsters stepped foot into my realm.”“Though I must know, was choosing that giant clod for a final opponent really just a happy coincidence?”“Some of it may have been premeditated. I AM All-Seeing.”“Of course,” Cologne rolled her eyes. “Can those all-seeing eyes of yours see when we’ll meet again?”“No, but they can see that you’re not likely to achieve your goal old friend,” Baba’s tone suddenly shifted from jovial to stern.“Is that a fact?”“My predictions aren’t always 100% yes, but they are usually accurate. The future you’re expecting to create isn’t likely to come to pass.”Cologne narrowed her eyes. “I’ve seen quite a few impossible odds be overcome. I think it’s about time I tried my hand at doing the same.”Baba sighed. “Very well, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”The two shared a silent glance before Cologne dispersed to join the others. “See you soon you withered Crone.”“Any time you foolish old ghoul.”Once Cologne hopped into the aircraft, the famous jet ascended in a windy huff, followed by Goku and Gohan (in his costume). As the group blasted off, Baba retreated to her tent.[A few moments later]“You know Gohan, I just remembered something,” said Goku.“What is it?”“How come that big guy still had that ‘M’ on his forehead? Last I checked, after Vegeta lost it when he died, so why’d Spopovitch still have his?”“I asked the same thing, but Baba said it was just King Yemma’s choice.” Gohan replied.“Heh, I can see him doing that. After all, he put Dabura in heaven cause he’d have liked Hell.”“Wait…Dabura’s in heaven!?”[Meanwhile]Baba found herself standing before a large desk headed by a giant, mountain of a man with red skin in a blue suit.“There you are!” he boomed.“Glad to see you too Yemma. I take it our guest of honor has made a safe return?”The Otherworld Master motioned aside and called, “You can come out now.”From behind the desk stood a familiar large man with a full head of flowing brown hair in a familiar styled tunic only colored a dark green instead of the previous black. The veins on his body returned to normal as did his skin tone to a more natural looking color. The most notable feature of all was the lack of an ‘M’ on his forehead.“Was that…enough?” he asked.“Not enough to get you into heaven, but you will be allowed to keep your body for the time being at least.” Said King Yemma. “For the moment, I can let you be a guardsman in hell before it’s your turn to have your soul cleansed.”“I’ll accept on one condition…”“Yes, you’ll get to watch over Babidi’s cell.”The large man let out a sneer before retreating back behind Yemma’s desk. As he disappeared, Baba spoke. “I merely wanted him for one of my fighters. Did he really deserve a second chance like this, even if he’ll never make it to Heaven?”“Probably not, but before that crazy Wizard appeared, he was just an ordinary man. Not a saint by any means, but just an average man with some good and bad on his record. I think those souls who were just living their lives before he swayed them to his cause deserve…a bit of leniency.”“Was making him rampage against an innocent girl part of that ‘leniency’?” Baba accused.King Yemma cleared his throat. “That…wasn’t part of the initial plan, but I would’ve been more confident if someone didn’t restrict a certain young Saiyan from interfering.”“That…was a necessary measure to make sure she could overcome her greatest fear on her own.”“As was recreating Babidi’s enchantment. Anyone can tatoo an ‘M’ on their body, but I hope you realize the risk that came with using energy from the cleansing machine to restore…or at least replicate his power.”Baba let out a bashful snicker. “I do, and am glad it all worked out. Though I do have to wonder why you put so much stock into the development of a single girl…”“Well she’s involved with that boy of Goku’s isn’t she? Figure if she manages to get past this little ‘block’ of hers, then those guys could potentially have another strong ally.”“Hmmm…I suppose you do have a point.”“What about you?” countered Yemma.“Oh…maybe I just have a thing for emotion driven fights,” Baba snickered.“Hmph…twisted old crow.”“Crone, thank you.”[Meanwhile]All the patrons in the Cat Café (sans Gohan and Videl) stared in absolute awe (and a little disgust) as a certain middle-aged Saiyan stacked a final bowl at the top of a large stack. All in all, the bowl count was beyond four dozen with one more bowl laying in front of him.In less than a minute, Goku slurped up the noodles and laid the now empty bowl on the stack. “Phew…that was amazing!” Goku complimented.Seconds later, Shampoo slumped out the kitchen, struggling to stay on her feet. “Shampoo…no can cook…anymore…!”“Oh don’t worry about it. I’ll have the real meal when we get home,” said Goku.“Real…meal…?” stammered Ukyo. “You just ate…like…50 bowls of Ramen…and you’re still…hungry…!?”“I…don’t think he ate this much when we visited Gohan’s place before, did he?” asked Akane.“I dunno…I was too busy eating myself,” replied Ranma.“That’s Dad for you. Whenever food’s involved, he’ll be there.” Gohan added.“I’ll…send my Dad the check…” murmured Videl.“I should charge extra for the amount of extra labor you’re going to put on us when all this is over, but since you’ve already done so much today, I’ll waive the bonus fee this once.”[Moments later]While Shampoo and Mousse got busy washing the astronomical amount of dishes, Cologne sought to seeing their guests out. Ranma, Akane, and Ukyo had long since departed leaving only the Z-Fighter Trio behind.“Well, this has certainly been an exciting day for all of us. It may be a good idea to take it easy going forward.” Suggested Cologne.“Definitely. That bean helped, but I’m still feeling shaky all over.”“Well, it’s been nice meeting you Cologne. It’s not everyday you get to meet a great old master.”“The feeling is mutual Son Goku. I only wish we had a bit more time to chat about the battles of old.”“Maybe some other time…I know a few battles I wouldn’t mind reliving. I also wouldn’t mind knowing a bit more on what you showed Videl.”“Some other time. Right now, I think we’re all battled out.”“I guess.” Placing two fingers to his forehead, Goku turned to Videl. “Should I take you home first or are you coming with us for dinner?”“I wouldn’t mind Chi-Chi’s food after today,” Videl answered.“Well then, guess we’re having a guest for dinner.”“Well then, I guess this is where we part ways dear girl,” said Cologne.“Yeah…” Videl paused. “I still can’t thank you enough…for everything.”“I can’t stand to see talent get wasted…provided the effort to improve is there, and improve, you most certainly did.”“Yeah but…where do I go from here?”“Why don’t you ask that lad of yours. He was your first teacher, was he not?”“I mean…technically my Dad was but…”“Cute. Now just stay cute until we meet again and I don’t mean a simple passing by weneer you come to visit Ms. Tendo, I mean a true reunion.”Cologne extended her small arm, which Videl reciprocated in full. “Sure.”“Videl!” called Gohan.Videl flashed Cologne a quick two fingered salute before latching onto an eagerly awaiting Gohan. In the next instance, the trio vanished with a FSSH!“Next time we meet, I’ve got to ask what that warping is all about.[]
Goku, Gohan and Videl arrived at the Paozu Home greeted by an irritated Chi-Chi who quickly softened up upon her elder son’s arrival with the always lovely Videl accompanying them. Upon hearing the tale of Videl having to go a second round with Spopovitch, Chi-Chi’s mood quickly went from frantic to elated upon hearing of her victory. Similarly to Cologne, Chi-Chi put her culinary skills into overdrive in order to brew up a feast worthy of a prize fighter, even convincing Goku to fetch Mr. Satan and Buu, the latter going through a similar storm of emotions as Chi-Chi before bursting in hysterical tears with pride. As the festivities continued, the hustle and bustle of an ever growing family echoed through the sunset into the nightfall.
[Meanwhile]“Great Grandmother!” called Shampoo. After finally finishing up with the dishes (or rather sicking her load on Mousee), the young fighter searched the home for Cologne who seemed to have disappeared.“Great Grandmother?” upon further searching, Shampoo finally found Cologne rummaging through a large trunk.“Great Grandmother?”“Shhh!” Cologne snapped.“Sorry but…why we need quiet?”“Because I don’t want that fool downstairs to hear this and let it potentially slip to any of the other greed fools in this town!”“Let what slip?”“Shampoo, what if I told you that I could show you our ‘secret Amazon treasure’ right now?”Shampoo’s eyes widened with intrigue as Cologne reached into the trunk and revealed a small pouch. Emptying it’s contents into her hand, Cologne revealed an orange sphere about the size of a baseball. Emblazoned on that sphere was a single red star.“Amazon treasure is Crystal Ball?” asked a confused Shampoo.“I may have exaggerated some details to Son-in-Law in the others, but the part about making desires comes true was more than mere myth child. Trust me Shampoo. If all goes well, Ranma will be yours and yours alone.”Cologne could only let out a mischievous laugh that steadily got louder, echoing through the hollowed streets of Nerima.
(A/N: How bout that? I managed a second chapter this month, and right before the New Year. Let’s be real folks, 2020 sucked for everyone. While Co-Vid wasn’t a big factor for me beyond making work a pain in the ass, the hits kept coming in other more interpersonal affairs that I’d rather NOT get into right now. But on a more positive note, I feel like I made plenty of headway with this story and as a fanfic writer in general between all the one-shots and smaller projects I managed. Speaking of this story, three years going and we’re not done yet. If anything, the plot thickens. After this little ‘Arc’ I’m going to take a LONG break from writing as a whole so don’t expect any updates in January, but fear not. Again, we’re not close to finished and I already have the outline to the next ‘Arc’ all planned out…well…partially at least. Sorry to burst any bubbles, but they won’t involve Cologne’s ‘treasure’, but it is something I set up a bit ago. Anyone who’s savvy to the Ranma side of things may be able to figure out what’s coming next. Until next time…
Videl, Gohan, Akane, Ranma: HAPPY NEW YEAR!)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
A Hectic Vacation. Relax at the Onsen Resort
(A/N: This is a Ranma ½ story, so this was 100% necessary)
Days have passed since the nerve-wracking battle between the young quintet of friends and Baba’s Five Warriors. With the Amazons leaving town to search for their ‘Village Treasure’ , much of the town of Nerima quieted down as its most popular hangout spot was closed down. Although, for those who just HAVE to eat out, Ucchan’s Okonomiyaki shop was more than capable of picking up the slack. Onto the others involved in that scuffle, Ranma and Akane continued their day-to-day shenanigans, although with Shampoo gone, they surprisingly fought less frequently. Still, some things seldom change as the pigtailed boy was being pursued by the heated tomboy after one of her infamous cooking fiascos.
On the other side of the spectrum, life went on without so much as a hitch for the two young Z-Warriors. Despite the crazy encounter, school proceeded normally for Gohan and Videl. Attend classes, catch up with classmates, fight criminals, the works. Speaking of which…”
[In streets of Satan City]The sound of gunfire filled the air as police and robbers alike were engaged in a fearsome firefight. The tides of battle would quickly change as the criminals were bombarded by concussive balls of light, halting their fire and drawing their attention upwards. The leader of the nameless thugs was met with a boot to the head as the city’s familiar, female defender, dived in and knocked the creep out with a single kick.“Shit…it’s Mr. Satan’s daughter! Take her out before Buckethead shows up!”The remaining goons all turned their weapons at Videl who responded in kind by placing her hands aside her head. “Solar Flare!”The blinding flash stunned the crooks enough for Videl to dash in and take out two more in swift succession. As she pivoted her hip, attempting to strike a third one with a roundhouse kick, she let out an anguished yell. “AGH…!!”Grabbing the side of her body before crumpling to the ground, Videl pressed her lips together cursing her horrible luck. ‘Dammit…still hurts!’Seeing his opportunity, the last remaining criminal charged at Videl, holding his rifle like a bat. Before he could swing it down however, his attack was halted by Satan Cit’s Caped Crusader who blew his foe back with a swift, invisible burst of energy.“That’s enough out of you.” Taunted Saiyaman.[Moments later]Once the police finished carting off the criminals, Videl and Gohan could be seen on a random rooftop, the former seated, rubbing at her sides. “Videl, are you alright?”“I’ll live.”“What happened out there?” he asked taking a seat beside her.“Nothing major. Think I just pulled a muscle is all.”“But that’s not all to it, is it?”Sighing, Videl confirmed Gohan’s suspicion. “Admittedly, that is all it was today, but to be completely honest, I’m still just a LITTLE sore from fighting at Baba’s Palace.”“Oh…is that really all it is?” relieved Gohan.“Pretty much. I know you said half a Senzu Bean wouldn’t be as potent, but I kind of figured I’d be back up to 100% by now.”“Hmmm…” Gohan pondered. “If I had to guess, I think your body may not have enough energy to heal properly.”“What do you mean?”Gohan proceeded to give a brief, intensely worded explanation on how the body normally heals and added a few extra tidbits in relation to ki. In laymen’s terms, Videl overexerted herself during the fight, and the energy she’d reclaimed with half the senzu just wasn’t enough to allow her body to heal at a normal rate. Still, the beans healing properties were potent enough to do most of the job for her, but that last bit she needed was just coming up slow.“I’m not a doctor, but I think you may want to take it easy over the weekend. Maybe stay at home and try to relax,” Gohan suggested.“I’ll keep that in mind…although…”“What is it?”“You wouldn’t happen to know if there are any ‘natural’ remedies for muscle pain, would you?”“Uhhhhmmm…a massage?”
THWUMP!
“I mean…you’re technically not wrong, but I was thinking more like some kind of natural version of muscle cream, like how aloe can treat burns,” Videl clarified as she picked herself up.“Hmmm…I can’t think of anything off the top of my head, but Mom might know something.”“Thanks. Think I’ll head home and call her now. You can handle the rest of patrol on your own, right?”“It’s what I do. Catch you later!” Waving her off, Gohan reapplied his helmet before blasting back into the city.[Later that afternoon]A familiar woman in a yellow Eastern outfit and a bandana was outside stringing up sheets when suddenly, the phone began to wring. Quickly heading back in doors, Chi-Chi picked the phone up and answered, “Hello?”“Hey Chi-Chi.”“OH Videl! This is a surprise.”“Hey Chi-Chi. I talked to Gohan about this, but I was actually wondering if you could help me out with something.”“With what exactly?”“Well…” Videl proceeded to explain her various aches from her fight at Baba’s a few days ago and how she was hoping Chi-Chi may have an effective home solution to ease them. Once Videl was finished explaining, Chi-Chi replied in the most unexpected manner by giving a rather impish giggle.“What’s so funny?” asked Videl.“Oh not you dear, I’m just laughing at how perfectly timed your call was.”“Perfectly timed how?”“Well, it just so happens that Bulma, 18, and I were all gearing up to take a trip this weekend, and the place we’re going to may have just what you need to get yourself back into tip-top shape.”“REALLY!?”“Mmmhmm. To be honest, I wanted to wait until you and Gohan finally tied the knot since I felt this would be a perfect honeymoon destination…”“CHI-CHI! Would you PLEASE get serious!”“I was serious! I’ve never visited the place myself, but Bulma says it’s dazzling!”“That’s not what I meant!” Videl huffed.“Don’t deny it. We all know it’s only a matter of time before Gohan pops the question.”“We’re still in school.” Deadpanned the young fighter.“Okay, okay, all joking and hysterics aside, we truly DID plan to not tell you about these trips until you and Gohan at least got a bit more…intimate for lack of a better term since these trips are sort of…a ‘Wives Only’’ thing for us.”“Okay, I guess that makes…wait, what do you mean ‘these trips’?”“Well, every year, the three of us take a trip, just the three of us to sort of…unwind from all the craziness in our lives. You and Gohan have only been together for a year, so you have no idea what it’s like living with a bunch of Saiyans.”“Eighteen’s not married to a Saiyan, and believe me, a year is more than enough time to at least have an idea of how chaotic that must be.”“Yeah, I suppose so” Chi-Chi confirmed. “Still, after what you had to relive, I don’t think they’d mind letting you in on this trend a bit early.”“Glad to hear it…or at least I will be once you tell me where we’re supposed to be going,” Videl noted.“I think it’s best to keep it a surprise for now…although I will say this, you REALLY might want to bring a swimsuit.”“A swimsuit? Are we going someplace tropical?”“You’ll see,” the housewife grinned. “Although, I am willing to answer any other questions you might have.”Videl paused for a moment to think about the whole offer. On paper and out loud, it sounded like a good idea. The only downside that she could see was being the only girl amongst a group of married women, one of them being her boyfriend’s mom. Talk about a recipe for awkward…unless….“Actually, I do have one question.”“Yes?”“Can I bring a friend?”[Meanwhile, in Nerima]“Oh girls~!”“Akane, Nabiki, come quick!”Nodoka, accompanied by Kasumi returned to the Tenod dojo, the latter quickly calling for her older and younger sister.“Kasumi? Aunt Nodoka?”“What’s all the hectic about?”[]“Seriously!!??” Nabiki exclaimed.“Yup!”
[A few moments earlier]
Nodoka and Kasumi passed a lottery wheel while on their way home with groceries. On a whim, Nodoka decided to give it a spin and as luck would have it, she won the lottery by getting the gold ball. The Saotome matriarch received 4 tickets for a weekend at a luxurious Hot Spring resort.
[Present]
“That…is so cliché…” Akane stated.“Who cares? Free vacation!” Nabiki beamed.“Hmmm…I guess.”The two older sisters retreated up the stairs to pack their bags, leaving their youngest alone with Nodoka. “You don’t seem as excited as I thought you’d be,” stated Nodoka.“Don’t get me wrong, I am glad you got the trip, I just…have a bad feeling…”“How come?”“Because EVERY time there’s a hot spring involved, something crazy happens. Usually it’s us getting peeked on, something Jusenkyo related, or a whole host of other nonsense.Before Nodoka could respond, the phone suddenly rang. “I got it!” called a female Ranma. “Hello?”
“Ranma, is that you?”
“Oh Videl. How you holdin’ up since the other day with that Psychic Witch?”
“Fine I guess, but that’s besides the point.”
“I know, I know, you wanna talk to Akane, don’t you? Gimme a sec. YO! AKANE!”A few seconds passed and the youngest Tendo sister greeted her friend on the other side of the phone. “Hey Videl. I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting to hear from you again so soon, especially since Cologne’s still gone.”“Figured as much, but that’s not why I’m calling.”“Oh?”“You see, I’m going on a trip with Chi-Chi and a few of her family friends and she said I could bring a friend along so I wouldn’t be the only girl my age.”“Really?”“Mmhmm.”Akane sighed. “As much fun as that sounds, I can’t come. I’m actually going on a trip with my sisters and Aunt Nodoka.”“Seriously!? Geeze, what are the odds we’d both be going on trips this weekend?”“Who knows?” Akane shrugged. “Still, maybe there’s someone else you could bring along?”“Doubtful. You see Gohan’s family and their closest friends are kind of inclusive to a degree. Because you’re already well acquainted with Chi-Chi and Eighteen, you were my only real choice.”“If it’s that important I could probably…wait, Ms. Eighteen’s going too?”“Yeah. Apparently, it’s a thing they’ve done for years now. They’re just letting me come along as a sort of reprieve from that fight at Baba’s Palace.”“I see. Still, if you need someone to come along with you, I could probably…!”Videl cut her off. “No, no, don’t change your plans for my sake. You said it yourself, you’re going with your sisters and Mrs. Saotome right? It’s a family trip and family comes first, right?”“…Yeah, I guess. Still hope you won’t be the odd one out or anything.”“I’ll be fine. This won’t be the first time I’ve been together with the three of them…but this is the first time I’ve really been…invited to a thing like this before.”Akane’s expression lit up. “Wait, three of them? There’s Ms. Chi-Chi and Eighteen, but who’s the third lady?”Before Akane could answer, a loud crash, followed by barking could be heard through the phone. “BEE! BUU!” Videl yelped. “Sorry to cut this call short, but I’ve got a small situation here! Have fun on your trip!”“You too.”Hanging up the phone, Akane turned to find Ranma who’d been listening in on the conversation. “So…what’d Videl want?”“You ever hear of a thing called privacy?” Akane snapped.“Hey, I’m the one who answered the phone in the first place,” Ranma reminded her.“Hmph…Videl wanted to invite me on a trip she’s taking with Gohan’s mother and a few others, but I had to turn her down since I’M going on a trip with your mother and my sisters.”“Huh…how’s that for a weird coincidence?” Ranma shrugged.“I know right?”“Well, where’s she goin’?”Akane palmed her forehead in exasperation. “Dammit! I forgot to ask! …I guess it doesn’t really matter,” she sighed. “It’s not like we’re going to run into each other this weekend anyway.”“I guess…though now that I think about it…where are you girls goin’ with my Mom?” Ranma added.“She won tickets to a hot spring resort from a lottery.”“………Wow, that’s cliché,” Ranma deadpanned.“I KNOW!”“Huh, glad I ain’t goin’. Given how things usually go at those kinda places, I ALWAYS get in trouble for crap that ain’t my fault…or the old freak shows up and ruins everything for everybody.”“Maybe you’d get into trouble less often if you’d stop being a lecherous little deviant.”Ranma twinged in irritation before flashing her a flirtatious look and striking a rather provocative pose. “And maybe you’d be sexier if you weren’t such a stocky little ball of violence.”“Jerk!”“Sexless!”“Tramp!”“Flatty!”Just outside the door, Nodoka giggled at the little exchange while Soun and Genma could only sweat drop. “Well…I guess we’ll have to survive on leftovers for the next couple of days Saotome.”[The next day]A Capsule Corp brand aircraft blasted towards an island with a heavy tuft of steam blasting near the peak of its tallest mountain.“Take it all in girls. For the next three days, it’s nothing but us and a host of steaming hot, au naturale baths!” proclaimed the blue-haired pilot.A glimmer shone in the eyes of the youngest of the three passengers. “I can’t believe we’re going to an onsen resort!”“I told you this would be a perfect remedy for your soreness,” Chi-Chi proudly proclaimed.“She’s not the only one who desperately needs this trip,” Eighteen interjected. “I swear, I just CAN NOT enjoy a bath or shower anymore with that old man creeping about everywhere.”“I can relate,” said Bulma. “Never lived with him, but I did spend QUITE a lot of time at his place with the guys back in the day.”“Last time he tried that with me, Gohan was there to put a stop to it.”“Because I raised him right,” Chi-Chi nodded.Though the conversation died down, the mood remained in high spirits as the flight was quickly nearing its conclusion. “Here we are girls; Sir Veese Resort!”The aircraft touched down before a large, five story building decorated with lights. Upon exiting the plane, the quartet were greeted by a row of maids and butlers. “Welcome honored guests.”“Ms. Bulma,” called a male voice. Stepping forward, Bulma approached a middle-aged man with a black moustache in a white suit. “We’re so glad to have you here with us.”“Why thank you. Sir Veese I presume?”“Yes, I am the owner and manager of this resort. Please, you and your guests step this way and you’ll be taken care of swiftly.”“Thank you.” Motioning for them to follow, Bulma and the others entered only to be met with a glimmering, luxurious, hotel lobby.“Fancy,” commented Videl.“Is that really all you have to say?” asked Bulma.“I’ve been around the hotel scene a time or two with my Dad Bulma, so it’ll take more than a decorated lobby to impress me.”“Right…I keep forgetting you’re a wealthy gal too,” she giggled. “What about you two?”Bulma’s question would fall on deaf ears as Eighteen held an unconscious, starry-eyed Chi-Chi in place. The sheer magnitude of the wealth being displayed here was just a bit too much for the mountain dwelling housewife to fully process, causing her to short circuit. Luckily, Eighteen was keeping her from falling, and with merely a finger too.“Can one of you give me a hand with her please?”[A few minutes later]A fully conscious Chi-Chi was catching her breath in one of the lobby’s, VERY comfortable waiting chairs. “Sorry about that girls. I was just a bit overwhelmed.”“Not going to lie, you’re not the only one,” added Eighteen. “I kind of want to see all of what this place has to offer.”“I’d advise advise to hold off until you’ve received your keycards,” joked Sir Veese. After a few moments of punching keys on a computer, Sir Veese presented the quartet with their key cards and in his most pleasant voice said, “Here you are, Room 4396. Enjoy your stay.”“We will. Let’s go girls.” Bulma beamed.The quartet disappeared into the corridors just as another group of guests strolled in. This group was similarly comprised of an all-female quartet, though with three teenage girls and one mature looking woman in a kimono.“Oh, the Saotome party I presume?” Greeted Sir Veese.“Yes that’s us. It should be under the name ‘Nodoka’.”“Ah yes, the winner of our famous raffle I presume,” he chuckled.“That’s us.”“Follow me Mrs. Saotome.”Leading the quartet to the waiting area while he got everything prepared, Sir Veese called for one of his employees, before excusing himself as the family of four took in the sights. “Hold tight for a moment and my assistant will make sure you ladies are taken care of.”“Thank you,” Nodoka bowed. As Sir Veese retreated, Nodoka turned back to the marveling sisters. “Well girls, what do you think?”“This is by far, THE fanciest place I’ve ever visited!” Akane beamed.“Must be a nice change of pace from that Picolet guy’s place, eh little sister?” snarked Nabiki.“That place was nice, but the price of admission was far from worth the scenery.”“Either way, I’m just glad we actually get to experience the pleasantries for once and not get sidelined like we usually do.”“She does have a point Akane,” added Kasumi. “Whenever we take a trip, it’s usually only you, Ranma and whoever you two happen to be fighting at the time who get to really ‘experience’ the place.”“Is that so? Do tell,” Nodoka interjected.Before the conversation could begin, the quartet was approached by a young-looking black-haired woman in a professional looking suit. “Mrs. Saotome, I presume. My name is Misty, and I’m the assistant manager. I’ll be taking over for Sir Veese for the moment while he handles accommodations with another group. First things first, let’s get you four your room keys.[Meanwhile]Bulma and her group had already made themselves comfortable in their room, Videl already buried in the softness of the bed.“Wow…I don’t think I even need the springs anymore. I could probably heal just from this bed.”“Now where’s the fun in that?” giggled Chi-Chi. “We didn’t invite you along so you could sleep on us the whole weekend. You’re here to get rejuvenated, now come on. Let’s go hit the sauna.” Grabbing the younger girl by the collar, Chi-Chi rushed out of the room leaving their roommates in a stupor.“Well, I don’t know about you, but I think I’ll check out the gift shop first,” Eighteen proclaimed.“Already fixing to bring something home for Krillin and Marron?” Bulma teased.“Kind of. For now, I just want to see what they’ve got. If I happen to see something Krillin or Marron might like, I’d be willing to drop a few zeni.”Bulma snickered in understanding. “Fair enough. As for me, I think I’ll take a page from the Saiyans’ book and get some room service. That flight here left me pretty famished.”Flashing a light grin, Eighteen exited the room while Bulma grabbed for the phone.[Meanwhile]Nodoka and the Tendo Sisters strolled through the corridors until finally finding their room. “Here it is, 4396,” Kasumi read aloud.“Finally, I can put this case down and check this place out,” Nabiki groaned in relief.“Nabiki, we still have to unpack,” noted Kasumi.“Why don’t you girls go on ahead. Leave the packing to me and I’ll join you as soon as I can,” Nodoka offered.“Aunt Nodoka, this is supposed to be a vacation, you shouldn’t have to trouble yourself like that.”“Nonsense. I’ll only be a minute. You girls go enjoy yourselves.”“Well, if you insist, if you need me, I’ll be at the gift shop!” Beamed Nabiki before darting off.“Figures,” said Akane.The eldest sister giggled before the Saotome matriarch asked, “And where will you two be heading?”“We could go straight to the springs but…”“Oh! Ms. Misty did say they had a sauna here. Why don’t we try that?” suggested Kasumi.“…Alright.”“Oh! That sounds divine! I’ll be with you girls as soon as I can!”The sisters scampered off while Nodoka fumbled with her keycard. Upon finally entering the room, she was taken aback by the sight of some other luggage already being present. “What in…?”“Oh! You’re here already? That was fast!” came the voice of a woman. Glancing aside, Nodoka came face-to-face with a woman seemingly close to her age with short blue-hair in a tight, green dress. “Hey, where’s my order!?” she exclaimed in annoyance.“E-excuse me?” stammered a confused Nodoka.“Oh I get it, you’re out of ingredients for part of it and you’re here to ask if I’d like a replacement. You could’ve just called, but I do admire the hustle.”“I’m not…”“Well, if you’d be so kind as to tell me what ingredient your missing, I can…”“What are you doing in my room!?” Nodoka finally snapped.“…Huh?”“My girls and I are staying here for the weekend and we were given the keys to this room!” she emphasized.“Wait, what!? That can’t be right, I booked this room in advance a month ago!” the blue-haired woman argued.“Well I won this trip in a raffle!” Nodoka boasted.A bead of sweat falling down the blue-haired woman’s forehead, she sighed. “Look, let’s not lose our minds here. Why don’t we both just head to the front desk and see if Sir Veese can lend us a hand.”Though the grip on her sword bag tightened, Nodoka gave a calm affirmatory nod.[Elsewhere]The resort’s gift shop was surprisingly large. About the size of the dining area in a bistro. Adorning the walls were various knickknacks, fancy curios, and other accessories one would expect to see. But the more high-end side of things contained the likes of capsules and a few pricey, high tech trinkets such as fancy cameras and phones.The shop was surprisingly empty, though two customers could be seen zipping across the establishment, their eyes all but sparkling at the various goods. A young girl with shoulder length brown hair, and a blonde-haired woman, both of them giving off a similar air of sharpness.“Hmmmm…I wonder if I can use that lens accessory?” thought the girl aloud.“A two-tailed cat? Cute. I’m sure Marron will like it, but what to get for Krillin?”Both shoppers would eventually wind up at the Capsule stand before hastily and simultaneously asking the worker on duty, “What’s in this Capsule?”The overwhelmed worker could only shrink beneath the sharp gazes of the materialistic women.[Meanwhile]Surrounded by a blanket of steam, Videl let out a loud moan as the hot air assaulted her weary figure.“Feeling better?” asked Chi-Chi.“I feel kind of sticky all over…” she paused pulling at her towel. “But I do feel a bit less sore.”“Just a bit? Well then, we should probably fix that.” Chi-Chi quickly darted from the sauna leaving a confused Videl alone. Seconds later, Chi-Chi returned carrying a whole mass of towels. Quickly laying them down in layers on the benches, she motioned Videl over.“What’s this for?”“Lay down already. This thing is hot and the towels are so you don’t burn yourself,” Chi-Chi ordered.Slightly confused, Videl ultimately complied and lay on the towels, face first. “This is nice, but now what?”“Now this.” Positioning herself above the younger girl, Chi-Chi reached down before pressing her palms into the spunky fighter’s spine. Her face flustered, Videl yelped in surprise before quickly easing down into a soft, pleasured moan. Chi-Chi would continue to rub her hands up and down Videl’s back“Now how does that feel?”“Much better~!”As Chi-Chi giggled, seemingly pleased with her response, Videl continued. “Thanks again for inviting me on this trip.”“It’s no problem. Anyone could use a nice pick-me up after what you likely went through. I still can’t believe you fought that burly guy again…let alone the fact that you won this time.”“Gee, thanks,” Videl sarcastically droned.“Sorry, that came out wrong. I really am glad for you, it’s just that after how badly things turned out for you last time….”“Yeah, I get it, but that’s all in the past now. I’m not the same overly cocky girl chasing after her father’s shadow I was a year ago. Now…”“You’re chasing after Gohan’s shadow?” Chi-Chi snickered.“Hey…!” Videl’s spiel was prematurely quashed when Chi-Chi applied more force to her hands, hitting a sensitive spot across Videl’s spine. “Mmmmph…!”“You can thank us again later but save all the ‘I’m getting stronger’ talk for when you’re with the guys. For now, just try to relax and let me finish up.”“Yes ma’am.” Resting her head in her arms, Videl steadily fell calmer as Chi-Chi continued her massage. Though the solemn moment between the two would be abruptly halted when the door to the sauna opened.“Oh! I didn’t realize someone else was already here,” came a soft-spoken female voice. While Chi-Chi turned to meet the figure directly, Videl on the other hand perked up, as the voice sounded somewhat familiar. Following Chi-Chi’s gaze, the duo was met with a young girl, similar to Videl’s age, though a bit older, with her hair covered by a towel.“If you two want to be alone, then my sister and I…”“Wait a sec…Kasumi!?”“You know her?” asked Chi-Chi.Peering through the steam, the eldest Tendo could finally make out the one who called out to her, gasping with a signature, “Oh my!”“Hey sis, what’s all the…!?” Darting into the sauna herself was yet another familiar girl with short, dark hair. “Videl!? Mrs. Chi-Chi!?”“Akane!?” They exclaimed in unison.Scrambling to her feet, Videl scurried to meet her old friend, the pair clasping hands together. “Of all places, I did NOT expect to run into you here!”“I know! What are the odds, and even after I had to decline your invitation too.”“In the end, you two are together again,” giggled Kasumi.“Well…I must say, this isn’t exactly the most expected place for us to meet again,” Chi-Chi started. “But regardless, it is nice to see you again Akane.”“You too Mrs. Chi-Chi. This is my oldest sister Kasumi. Kasumi, this is Chi-Chi, Gohan’s mother.”“It’s nice to meet you,” she greeted with a bow.Chi-Chi approached the younger girls and returned Kasumi’s greeting with glee in her eyes. “The pleasure’s mine. You know, Videl has told me you’re quite the sweetheart, and a good cook to boot. I didn’t expect you to be this well-mannered.”“Oh…well…being the oldest gives a girl quite a bit of responsibility,” she replied with a blush.“I think I can relate, having two boys and a husband to watch over,” Chi-Chi pulled Kasumi over to the bench, the pair continuing to chat while Akane and Videl just watched with intrigue.“Well…looks like they’re hitting it off.”“I’ll say.”Taking their own seats away from the older pair, the two girls took the moment to catch up. “So, you call to invite me on a trip this weekend, I decline because I’m going on a trip this weekend, and we wind up at the same place.”“What are the odds!”“Probably slimmer than the raffle Aunt Nodoka won to get this trip.”“Wait, you guys won this trip in a raffle?”“Mmmhmm, and I’m guessing your father’s paying for this trip?”“No actually. The person paying for this little getaway was the third lady I told you about. I think she’s still up in our room actually.”“That reminds me, what room are you guys in?”“Four-three-nine-six I think. How about you girls?”“I…can’t remember actually, but it’s on our cards. Hey Kasumi!” she called.“Yes?”“What was our room number again?”“I believe it was 4396.”“Excuse me!?” Chi-Chi exclaimed.Akane’s expression sparked at the realization. “Wait, isn’t that…!”“The same number as…our room?” Videl finished.Suddenly, the door to the sauna once again burst open, revealing Misty with a panicked look on her face. “Excellent, I found you all!”“Ms. Misty? What’s wrong?” asked Kasumi.“Well…”[Elsewhere, in the hotel lobby]A tension filled standoff could be seen as Nodoka, her sword brandished stood before an annoyed looking Android 18, Bulma standing smugly behind her. Meanwhile, Nabiki had her camera fixated on the action unfolding, occasionally taking some EXTRA time pointing the lens at the blue-haired genius, a subtle twinkle in her eye.‘Best. Trip. Ever!’[Back in the corridor]Draped in robes, the group from the sauna dashed alongside Misty, rushing to the lobby. “How the heck do you guys accidently double-book two unrelated groups!?” snapped Videl.“It was an honest mistake. When Ms. Bulma called to reserve your suite, she accidently picked the one that had already been reserved for the winners of a raffle our resort was involved in. Nobody bothered to dispute it because…”“You didn’t expect anyone to actually win it, is that it?” Misty’s silence was all the confirmation Akane needed.“You’d think a place as high-brow as this would be a bit more professional than this,” Chi-Chi scolded.“What’s done is done. I promise we’ll get the room situation straightened out, I just ask that you lot please break up the fight happening in the lobby!”“How did the fight even start anyway?” asked Kasumi.[Moments ago]
An irate Bulma and Nodoka both arrived at the front counter before a rather overwhelmed Sir Veese. “Ladies…is there a problem?”
“Why is she in my room!?” Bulma began.
“I think you’ll find that that room was for us!” Nodoka argued back.
The pair began listing off grievances about their displeasure while Sir Veese tried desperately to calm them down.
“Look, I don’t care much about how this happened, I just want her and whoever came with her out of our room!” Bulma demanded.
Her grip on her sword tightening, Nodoka rebutted, “I do believe that’s…MY LINE! Ooop-!” In an effort to come off as more intimidating, Nodoka unsheathed her sword in a flash, though it ultimately slipped from her hands and went flying across the lobby.
Thankfully, it was halted from it’s fatal flight by the firm hand of a sharp eyed blonde. “Now where the Hell did this come from?”
“Sorry, it slipped,” Nodoka bowed apologetically.
Hardly acknowledging Nodoka’s remorseful plea, an irritated looking Eighteen casually stated, “You know, it’s not a good idea flash a sword at someone,” before returning the blade to sender, the blade landing firmly in between a cautious but impressed Nodoka, and a shuddering Bulma. “Unless you know how to use it.”
Eighteen approached the two feuding women, a menacing air surrounding her strut. Quickly taking up the her sword once again, Nodoka stood defiantly against the blonde cyborg as Bulma scurried behind her combative friend.
[Back in the lobby]Neither party had budged an inch as they both seemed to be daring the other to make the first move. The one to break the stalemate was in fact Eighteen who taunted, “Well, are you going to actually use that thing or are you going to end this charade? Fair warning though, if you choose the former, the one who’ll get hurt, is you.”There was visual irritation on Nodoka’s face as she seemed less than convinced to step down. At least until Nabiki spoke up. “I don’t quite get what’s going on Aunt Nodoka, but I think you might wanna listen to her. I can’t comment on whether blondie is bluffing or not, but I don’t think you wanna take that chance since she’s with…!”
“HOLD IT!!”
All attention turned to the corridors where Videl and Akane, followed by the grown-ups, dashed into the lobby.“Videl/Akane? Wait, you know her?”“Ummmm…? Am I missing something?” asked a lost Bulma.With the momentum briefly halted, Misty dashed to her boss and pulled him aside to explain the situation.[A few moments later]The large group of women were sprawled across the hotel lobby, all earlier confusion quelled. As everyone took the moment to fully collect themselves, Sir Veese apologized profusely for the massive error, but seemed rather relieved that most, if not everyone present seemed previously acquainted with each other. As a show of appeasement, he offered to upgrade them to a suite large enough to accommodate all 8 of them, which Bulma was more than willing to foot the bill for.“Sincerest apologies for the mix-up, but everything has been taken care of. We hope you ladies enjoy your stay.”“Thank you,” Bulma bowed. “Well, let’s go girls.”[Moments later]The girls finally arrived at their extra-large suite. Upon entering they were met with a large room easily double the size of the ones they had before. All the necessities were there as well as some extra flair such as a balcony: Perfect for the imminent sunset view. After finally getting all their stuff settled, Akane and Videl took the moment to properly introduce everyone who hadn’t yet met each other.“Okay, let’s do this right this time. Chi-Chi and 18 have already met but, Bulma this is my friend Akane, her older sisters Nabiki and Kasumi, and her fiancé Ranma’s mother Nodoka.”“The woman with the bun is Gohan’s mother Chi-Chi and that’s her friend 18 and…”“Bulma,” she introduced herself.Taking the reigns, Nodoka stepped ahead of the sisters and bowed apologetically. “I’d like to apologize for earlier for earlier and thank you for help in resolving everything.”“Hey, don’t worry about it, it wasn’t even your fault,” Bulma dismissed.“Except for the part where you threw a sword at me,” Eighteen interjected.A blushing Nodoka shied away from Eighteen. “Sorry about that. I’m still working on my draw.”“Though…why do you have the sword anyway.” Asked Chi-Chi.‘I’ve been wondering the same thing actually,’ Videl internally added.“Well…”“Hey! Can we go to the springs now!?” Akane interjected.‘She doesn’t want us to know, does she?’ the Z-Women collectively thought.“I’m with Akane. We’ve been darting around all day, and I think we all could use a nice soak,” added Nabiki.“Guess we’re finishing intros in the water,” Bulma shrugged. “Let’s get going.”[]“It may have taken a bit longer than expected but wouldn’t you ladies say it was worth the wait?” asked a smarmy Bulma.“Yeah~!” moaned a dazed Chi-Chi.“Any bath I can take without fear of the old man is worth a little extra patience.”“Hmmm…I will say, it’s been quite a while since I’ve taken an onsen trip with others,” Nodoka added.“Speaking of others, wonder what’s taking the kids so long,” said Chi-Chi.“I’m sure they’ll be out soon enough. In the meantime, I have a few questions I’d like to ask Nodoka.”“Yes?”“Chi-Chi’s told me about Akane a time or two, but what’s Ranma like?”[In the changing room]Akane and the Tendo sisters could each be seen shedding themselves from their clothing. As they each got undressed, Kasumi spoke up. “Hey Videl?”“Yeah?”“The blue-haired woman is Bulma right? She wouldn’t happen to be…?”“The head of Capsule Corp, and the richest woman in the world!!??” Interjected a star-eyed Nabiki.“Yup, that’s her.”
SWACK!
“Ow!” Videl shrieked as Nabiki whapped her in the head. “What was that for!?”“Not introducing us sooner!” Nabiki snapped. “I mean, I get that you’re a wealthy gal too, but you’re friends with THE richest, and most stylish woman on Earth and you DON’T let us get acquainted!? Damn you!”“I take it you’re a fan?”“Real smooth there big sis,” snarked Akane.“Oh like you weren’t the same way when we first met Videl.”“She’s got you there Akane,” the Z-Girl snickered. “Back to business, I sense you want something from her and want to use me as a go-between?”“Nothing much, I just wanna chat with her alone for a bit. See what it’s like to be a rich, gorgeous, heiress.”“And you couldn’t ask me what that’s like, why?”“Bulma’s richer and more beautiful than you.”Videl stood stone still, her fists trembling. “I’ll give you that first part, but did you have to be so blunt about the second part?”“Feeling a little inadequate?” Nabiki teasingly shifted.“Of course not. I know Bulma’s a pretty lady, but she’s also way older than us…”[]TWINGE! ‘What the hell was that!?’“Are you okay Bulma?”“Fine…just…a really irritating jolt in my spine.”[]“…so why would I bother comparing myself to her?”“Just saying, being the smallest cup size in the room would cause some girls to rage the hell out. Take Akane for example…” Nabiki clammed up as a dark threatening aura emanated from the two tomboys, causing a bead of sweat to drop from the middle sister’s forehead.“Too far?”“Maybe just a little.” Sighed Kasumi.“Eheheh…”Crashing filled the changing room as Akane and Videl darted after the smugly chuckling Nabiki. Leaving the younger girls to their own, Kasumi grabbed a towel before exiting to join the adults.[Meanwhile]“Hmph…the way you describe him, Ranma sounds like he’s cut from the same cloth as our husbands,” snarked Bulma.“Oh really~?” grinned a beaming Nodoka‘He certainly has the disposition of a Saiyan,’ Eighteen mentally added.“Still, I feel that it might not have been such a good idea to let your husband take Ranma away for so long,” chided Chi-Chi.“I can agree that my husband has made quite a few unreasonable choices, but in the end, I think he’s done a well enough job turning Ranma into the kind of son any woman could be proud of.”Eighteen snickered. “You talk about your son the same way Chi-Chi talks about Gohan.”The farming housewife blushed as Nodoka replied, “I can’t say I blame her. Gohan seems like a really model young man. Studious, well mannered, and I hear he’s also a martial artist. I’d love to see how he compares to Ranma one of these days.”The other women knowingly and collectively rolled their eyes, deciding not to rain on Nodoka’s parade. Cutting off their conversation, the younger girls finally came from the dressing room.“Sorry to keep you waiting,” apologized Kasumi.“Hope you weren’t having too much fun without us,” said Nabiki.“Oh, just chatting about Mom stuff,” Nodoka dismissed.“What took you girls so long? Get in here already!” urged Bulma.Following the buxom genius’ orders, the girls each stepped in the water before sinking besides each other. “This really does feel amazing,” commented Kasumi.“I’ll say~!” Moaned Videl. “I don’t feel sore at all anymore.”“Sore? Wait, is it from your fight at the Fortuneteller’s Place?”“Oh yeah. Chi-Chi told me you had to fight that huge, burly guy from the Tournament again, and you actually won this time!” praised Bulma. “Though I’d like to know why you even had to fight him in the first place.”“It’s…kind of a long story.” Though some were already familiar with what happened, Akane and Videl told most everything that happened from when Videl first met Ryoga, to Videl’s training with Cologne all the way up to the fight itself and the subsequent battle at Baba’s palace. During the latter portion of the recap, Bulma couldn’t help but get a bit nostalgic at the memory of watching Goku make child’s play out of Baba’s Warriors…except old Grandpa Gohan.“Sounds like you girls have been through quite the journey together.”“I think it’s mostly been Videl’s journey though. I’ve pretty much just been a guide.”“Don’t sell yourself short Akane. More than that, you’ve also been my ideal sparring partner, even more so than Gohan.”“Well…”“Still, I think it was in poor taste for Baba to revive someone who put you through the wringer like that. Couldn’t she have revived some lowly criminal that you’re used to fighting!?” Chi-Chi groaned.Videl shrugged. “Believe me, I was less than enthused to see that guy again, butI’m glad I got a chance to redeem myself. It was the perfect chance to see how much I improved from last time.”“Now that’s the kind of spirit that’d fit right at home at the Anything-Goes School,” Nodoka praised lovingly.“This has been a fun round of story time, but can we not talk about fighting for five minutes?” droned Nabiki.“Seconded.” Added Eighteen.The tomboy pair snickered. “They’re right. I came here to recover from fighting.” Videl laid against the rim of the bath and laid her head down. “And I intend to do just that.”“Sounds good to me,” Akane similarly laid her head against the rim, seeming to drift in to a relaxed trance.The others glanced at the pair, each of them sharing a similar thought. Said thought was vocalized by Bulma who whispered to the others, “I can see how those two are friends, they’re so similar.”“It’s almost uncanny,” added Kasumi.“I think it’s nice Akane can have someone she truly gets along with. I hear she’s none too fond of the other girls around town.”“Kinda hard to be civil when so many others are gunning for your man, wouldn’t you say?” Nabiki whispered.“I guess Videl feels a similar way. When we invited her on this trip, she asked if Akane could come along because she wanted a friend her own age with her.”“Really? Then we should probably leave them alone for now,” suggested Kasumi.“I guess, but I intend to finish that massage I started before we leave this tub. I want my future in-law to always be at her best.”“Hmmm~. A massage would be nice right now,” groaned Bulma.A sparkle shining in her eye, Nabiki exclaimed, “I can help with that!”“Nabiki!?Though a bit offput by the middle Tendo’s enthusiasm, Bulma wasn’t about to decline a relaxing rubdown. Turning herself over the rim of the spring, she lay her head down and let Nabiki place her hands on her shoulders, gently squeezing them before steadily applying more force. Though not as strong as her younger sister, the strength she used was just enough to satisfy the blue-haired heiress.“You’re pretty good at this.”“Thanks. I have steady hands since I work with cameras a lot.”“Think those steady hands could go a bit lower?”“Of course.”Nodoka and Kasumi could only stare dumbfounded as Nabiki continued to run her hands along Bulma’s spine. “Kasumi…”“Well…Nabiki did admit to us she’s quite the fan of Ms. Bulma, so why don’t we just let her have this.”“Kyaa~!” Bulma squealed before snapping back to an apologetic Nabiki, her hands crossed over her chest. “Now just where do you think you’re putting your hands missy?” she smirked.“Never mind.”“Sorry…I couldn’t help it. They’re just so nice! You HAVE to tell me how you still look so amazing after so many years!”Dropping her arms beneath her chest, Bulma flashed the young fangirl a wink before replying, “It’s mostly au naturelle, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t take any effort at all.”“Please tell me your secret!”“Why? You look pretty well built yourself…” Bulma waded around Nabiki, seemingly inspecting her. “…with plenty of time and room to grow.” She added grasping onto her waist.Nabiki let out a chuckle, as she and Bulma continued complimenting and examining each other. Deciding to follow the younger girl’s example, Chi-Chi waded over to the relaxing Videl and gently but firmly pressed her hands onto her back. Startled by the sudden contact, Videl made no effort to deter her, surrendering to Chi-Chi’s experienced touch. Opting to let the ‘future in-laws’ have their moment, Akane rejoined her ‘potential’ future in-law and oldest sister. Eighteen meanwhile had already dozed off, a comfortable grin on her face.While a large group of eight sounds like it’d be quite the noisy bunch in stark contrast to the earlier fracas in the lobby, aside from the occasional splashing, only silence filled the air around the resort’s famous hot springs.[Elsewhere]In a steamed outdoor bath, a trio of women could be heard moaning their satisfaction. “I say, it does these old bones good to rest in these warm waters.”“Shampoo hear spring help keep young girl energized.”“Reall, we can’t thank you enough for getting us up this mountain,” said the grateful elder.Their companion, a cheerful woman with long flowing purple-hair (a darker shade than the younger Amazon’s) giggled. “It’s no trouble at all. It’s the least I could do after you girls helped my food truck with your ramen. Today was a major profit, so I think it’s only fair if you get to indulge in it a little.”A blush forming on her face, she shied away from the Amazon duo. “Besides, I owe it to you after that little…incident when we first met.”The trio was reminded of a scene where a similar looking woman with blonde hair held the young girl at gunpoint while Shampoo herself had her signature sword tip pressed right up against the blonde woman’s neck.“Quite alright. Though we aren’t known for being fond of firearms, we Amazons do respect a gal who can hunker down and instill fear in one if she needs to.” ‘I’m still surprised that happened all from a simple sneeze. And I thought Jusenkyo curses were a headache.’“This has been a nice night, but we must be going by morning.”“Sure thing. Thanks again for the ramen ingredients. I’m sure my regulars will love it.”The trio all giggled as the steam of the water concealed their forms beneath the moonlight.
[A/N: ………I can explain…. Okay I can’t, but I will say, I went into this chapter prepared to go degenerate mode (and I still might in the future) because, hot-springs chapter/episode, and 8…I’ll shut up. Still, this ended up being a LOT more wholesome and genuine than I expected. Like I said at the top, since this is also a Ranma story, a Hot Springs trip was almost a requirement. Anyone with me on this? Yes? No? [hears guns cocking]. Right…but there was still some genuine progression here. Bulma makes her debut and gets introduced to the Ranma cast (though jury’s out on whether or not she’ll have a role later), the women of the Tendo household gets introduced to the Z-Ladies and…yeah that’s about it, but don’t tell me Videl didn’t earn this trip! Next time, we dive straight into the REAL plot…but before that, I’m gonna shelve this AGAIN for a bit because HanVi Week 2021 is coming up, and I gotta get my stories out for that. I already have…most of my themes chosen (still debating a couple). If you want more info, checkout @hanviweek2021 on Twitter. We have a new hostess, and a few new faces on the artist side. Also, check out my entries from last year. Also shelving because by the time the next Chapter comes out (unless I can write something in a week) I’ll be another year older. Until next time. Also, cameos gonna cameo.]
P.S: I feel like I’ve been saying this a lot recently, but this is my longest chapter yet. Here’s hoping I can keep outdoing myself.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
A Mysterious Opponent!? Panic In Satan City!(Minor Edit as of April 4, 2020)
“So…this is the place huh?” A young male figure spoke aloud looking at the sign that greeted him. A familiar sign brandishing the face of the world’s ‘Savior’ flashing the iconic peace sign.
“Why anyone would name a city after someone this ugly is beyond me, but that’s besides the point.” Looking down at a scrap of paper in his hand, the youth examined the image of a girl with short cut, black hair and a man clad in a helmet and cape. Crushing it in his hand, the young man bounded off into the city.
‘I hate being a pawn, but if he’s true to his word…then this is an opportunity I CAN’T pass up!’
Another day of uneventful education had ended at Orange Star High and the students were, as usual exiting en masse. In the hallways however…“Hey Gohan!”The hybrid in question turned to find his long-haired blonde classmate strolling up. “Hey Sharpner. What’s up.”“Nothin’ much. I was just wondering if you’ve seen the girls anywhere. I know it’s standard for Videl to disappear right when class lets out these days, but this is a new thing for Erasa.”“Oh they actually left together…sort of….”“The hell do you mean ‘sort of’?”“Well…”
[Earlier that day]
“Erasa!”
“Hmph!”
“I said I was sorry!”
“Hmph!”
The daughter of the champ could be seen practically chasing her busty, blonde friend down the halls as a pouty Erasa stomped away.
“Erasa, you know you can’t outrun me!”
Finally facing her athletic friend, Erasa shot Videl a huffy glare. “Oh I don’t have to outrun you Videl, since apparently you’ve already left me far in the dust!”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I get that you may have other friends, and I can accept you wanting to spend more time with them, but when you get a chance to go to a spa for the weekend and don’t even think about asking me to tag along, excuse me for feeling a little betrayed!” Erasa crossed her arms.
A nervous bead of sweat rolled down Videl’s forehead as she gave a sheepish chuckle. “Come on Erasa, it’s not like I planned the trip ahead of time and chose to exclude you. I was invited by Gohan’s Mom!”“And you said she let you bring a friend, so why wasn’t I at least considered?”
“Because Gohan’s family is a bit inclusive and they don’t really know you, so a mutual friend was just the best option.”
Erasa’s ire finally seemed to deflate at Videl’s explanation. “Fine, I get it, but I’m still mad you didn’t even offer.”
“And that I haven’t been spending much time with you in general lately?” Videl added.
Her irritation now resembling the fussiness of a child, Erasa huffed before snapping away from Videl, a small blush on her face. “So that is it huh?”
The spiky haired fighter wrapped her arms around her friend’s neck, embracing her from the rear. “If you’ll give me a chance, I’m willing to try and make it up to you after school.”
“Make it up how?”
[Present]
“She didn’t say where they were going, but those two are going to spend the rest of the day together.”“Okay, makes sense.”“As for me, I’m doing what I do best.”“Burning daylight at the library?”“No, the OTHER thing I do best; Watching the city while Videl’s busy.” Waving Sharpner off, Gohan headed towards the rooftop staircase, leaving the blonde jock alone.“Heh, you dork.”[Meanwhile in the city]Videl and Erasa could be seen carrying a large amount of bags and boxes, courtesy of an afternoon at the Satan City mall. From the various stores to a sweets smorgasbord at the food court, the smile on Erasa’s face told Videl that her ‘apology’ was accepted.“So, how was it?” Videl grinned smugly.“A blast I’d say. Seriously, when was the last time we just got to bust loose at the mall like this?”“It really has been a while, hasn’t it? I’ve spent so much time training and fighting these last few weeks…heck, if it wasn’t for my trip over the weekend, I think I’d have probably forgotten how to relax.”Erasa pressed her forearm over her eyes, letting out a string of fake, hysterical, sobbing. “You poor dear. That’s so tragic!”Playfully smacking Erasa in the arm, Videl giggled. “Knock it off you drama queen!”[]Moments later, the pair were seated at a bench right outside the mall’s lot. Despite whatever strength Videl may have, carrying this much stuff for so long was beginning to take it’s toll. Unbeknownst to them, a pair of sharp, callous eyes lay on the girls from afar. “Finally. I’ve found you.”[]“I know I said today was on me, but did you really need me to buy this much stuff for you to forgive me?”“No, but hey, you offered, so I’m gonna capitalize,” Erasa flashed Videl a haughty snicker before continuing. “And don’t pretend that you didn’t buy a lot yourself too.”“Well duh, why would I not buy anything while on a girls’ day out with my best friend?”“Your best friend? Are you talking about me?”“Erasa!”“Sorry, I’m kidding. But all joking aside, it really feels like we haven’t spent much time together lately. Before you were just hanging with Gohan a lot, which I can’t really blame you for, but recently, you’ve been spending all your time in another city, and when you aren’t, you’re back with Gohan, who’s mentioned your other friend a few times.”Videl flashed her downtrodden friend an apologetic look before replying. “I never knew you felt so strongly about this. I’m sorry if you feel like I’ve been ignoring you, but the time I’ve been spending with Akane hasn’t exactly been all fun and games you know.”“I take it this Akane is who you’ve been palling around with lately?”“Yes, but like I said, we haven’t been just hanging out for the fun of it, she’s my new sparring partner.”“Sparring partner?”Videl nodded. “You know how hard it is for me to find someone to train with besides Gohan. Well it’s even rarer to find a female martial artist in our neck of the woods, especially one our age, so when Akane and I first met, we had a match and just sort of hit it off. Ever since then, she’s been my go-to training partner, even beating out Gohan…although the three of us have trained together on occasion.”“I wish you’d have said so sooner. If I’d known this Akane girl was a fighter chick like you, I’d have probably been less upset. After all, it’s not every day you find another girl who’s a martial artist that can keep up with you, right?”“Does that mean you’re not mad anymore?”“Get us a spa day and ask me again,” Erasa winked.“You’re pushing it Erasa…” Videl warned. “But then again, another massage does sound nice. I’ll see what I can do right after I get home.”Latching on to her athletic friend, Erasa cheered out, “Yay! Thanks Vi!”“What can I say, that trip on the weekend made me a fan. As much I love knocking heads, I wouldn’t mind NOT fighting for a good long while.”“You could do what I do and not fight at all.”“Ehh, no thanks.”As the two girls laughed, they failed to notice a masculine figure approaching them amidst the crowd of shoppers and patrons.“Well, should we call it a day here?”“Fine by me. For once, even I’m all ‘mall-ed out’.”With a nod, Videl pulled out her jet capsule. As she tossed it, the small cap was quickly caught by a firm hand, preventing it from revealing itself.“Hey, what’s going on!?”The girls came face to face with a tall, slim but sturdy young man who looked comparable in age to themselves, if not a year or two older. Garbed in a green, Eastern style uniform with strands of hair flowing aside his face, the sharp-eyed seinen smirked at the two girls earning a look of contention from Videl and a marveled gaze from Erasa.“Oh wow…and who might you be?” asked Erasa.“And can I have my jet capsule back?”Without a word, the young man flicked the capsule back to Videl who dodged as it popped open, nearly flattening the two. “That was rude. What’s your problem?”“Am I correct in assuming one of you is named Videl?” the young man finally spoke.“Who wants to know?” the girl in question asked stepping between him and her friend.“My name…” the boy paused before clenching his fist. Through grit teeth, he continued. “My name is none of your concern. What is however…” he extended his finger in the girls’ direction. “…Is the fact that you must come with me.”The duo stared in momentary shock at the boy’s audacious announcement. “Excuse me?”“You must come with me now!” the boy emphasized.“Now you listen here-!” Videl stepped forth to and poked an accusing finger at the newcomer, but her wrist was quickly grabbed by the sharp eyed boy.“That wasn’t a request.” Attempting to get deter their assailant, Erasa in a rare showing of backbone, inserted herself between the pair. “Look here. I don’t know who you think you are, but don’t think just because you’re kind of hot you can go around telling girls what to do, especially the strongest girl in the world.”“The strongest girl in the world?” the young man smirked. “I can think of a couple who may outclass you and one who certainly does, but if that’s true, then let’s settle this like ‘true’ martial artists and fight it out. You win, I leave. I win, you come with me.”With a sigh, Videl muttered. “I jinxed it, didn’t I? Fine, but if I win, I hear you out,” she corrected. “Then I will decide if I go with you or not, deal?”With a smirk, the young man released his grip on Videl and replied. “Very well. After all, your chances of defeating me are nonexistent.”‘What a smug jackass. Still…’ Videl looked down at her hand, noting the ounce of pain in her wrist. ‘Something tells me, this guy isn’t just all talk, and my gut says this fight could get messy.’ “If we’re gonna do this, let’s go to a place less crowded.”“Fine by me. Lead the way.”“Erasa, you should head home without me.”“No way girl! It’s been forever since I’ve actually seen one of your fights, and what better way to rectify that than to see you flatten this jerk?”“If you insist,” she grinned.[Meanwhile]The Great Saiyaman followed the sound of sirens and gunfire as the police were engaged in a high-speed chase through the streets. “There’s never a slow day in this city, is there?” As the half-saiyan soared past the the various skyscrapers, a lone figure observed the hero, perched atop a random smokestack, through a red scoped visor helmet.“So he’s the one the old man wants dead, is it? I can’t imagine what he has against him personally, but I can say he certainly seems like someone I’d want to kill of my own volition. Using our school’s technique for these cheap heroic theatrics.”The mysterious figure flipped his hair, knocking his ponytail off his shoulder. “Still, I can see why he called me in for this. I don’t know who this man is, but he certainly isn’t your average cosplayer. I just wish that boy would finish his task already. After all, mine’s all ready for action.”A metallic hand reached into a pink shirt to pull out remote control with a large red button.[Moments later]The three were assembled at the base of the infamous cliffside road, Route 81. As Erasa spectated from beneath a nearby tree, Videl and the arrogant youth stared each other down, both poised to strike.“Before we get started, do you think you can finally tell me just who the hell you are?”At Videl’s question, the boy noticeably tensed up, his open hands clenching into fists. Ignoring the question, he zipped forth throwing a swift, punch at the Satan City hero.Videl raised her forearm blocking the strike and attempted to counter with a swinging kick that he was able to back away from. “Huh, you’re quiet all of a sudden-WHOA!”Videl swayed away from the green clad boy’s follow up strike to her face. This time with more force and speed, Videl managed to land a counterstrike by kneeing him in the midsection.Though he was staggered, the green boy powered through Videl’s attack, grabbing her by the collar and tossing her onto the ground. Whilst Videl mentally recomposed herself, the green boy took a page from her book, striking with a knee drop attack. With a gasp, Videl rolled away and back onto her feet.“Wow, this guy’s pretty good, if he can keep up with Videl,” commented Erasa.‘He’s more than just pretty good…’ Videl inwardly noted. ‘He’s really good. Something about fighting this guy reminds me of Ryoga…although it doesn’t feel like he’s as durable as him.’ Videl flashed her opponent a confident smirk. ‘Not to mention, I’ve gotten better since then. This guy should be a cake walk!’As the green boy straightened himself out, Videl struck back, using her new friends’ classic line. “An opening!” Leaping into the air, Videl struck with a diving kick that the mysterious young man raised his arms to block. His eyes widened as he noted Videl’s foot beginning to glow.‘What the-?’“Hyyyyagh!”Surprised by the alarming amount of force, the green clad youth was once again staggered as his guard was utterly shattered.“Go girl!”With a victorious smirk, Videl dashed in once again, this time her kneecap glowing. “Take this pal. Hawk Arrow!”“Grrraaaaaagh…!”Struck dead on by Videl’s finishing move, the older boy was launched a ways into the forest behind the spectating Erasa. “Whooo! Nice shot!”Erasa stepped away from the trees as Videl remained in her defensie stance, preparing herself for any potential counterattacks. Except for the wind, everything remained silent for several short moments. Ultimately, Videl finally lowered her guard. “I guess that’s that.”“And that’s another win for the strongest girl in the world!” Erasa cheered. The two girls reunited double hi-fiving each other before turning back to the space where her opponent seemed to have vanished. “Still…don’t you think we should go check on the guy? This road is pretty dangerous.”“I’d prefer not to…but it’s the right thing to do,” Videl sighed.Videl took a single step towards the bundle of trees and froze immediately as a sharp pain emanated on her left side. Glancing aside, she could barely make out the fizzle of a yellow beam of light that had pierced through her shoulder leaving a harsh stain of blood on her shirt.“Aagggggggh…!”[]“Huh…?”En route to assist the police in their latest failed criminal bust, Saiyaman paused in the air as something, probably instinct drew his attention towards the city’s outer limits.‘That’s weird…I thought I just felt some sort of energy spike…and…did I hear screaming?’Elsewhere, the mysterious helmeted figure pressed a button on his remote and in an instant, various spots in the city filled with smoke before panicked screams filled the air.“What the…?”Managing to witness one of the smoky explosions, Saiyaman saw a menacing drone pop out from the capsule like gas and point its pincers towards a woman and her young son who happened to be passing by.“I’ll have to worry about that later. Right now, duty calls!” nodding in affirmation, the caped wonder dove down and smashed the robot in a single stomp, earning a pair of grateful cheers from the family.“Impressive,” praised the perp. “Regardless, I’ve done my duty. If anything goes wrong now, it’s all on that fool.”The pink clad man leapt to the base of the building he was on and lightly kicked the smokestack, knocking it over. In an impressive show of strength, he chucked the concrete tube in the direction of the city’s exit before leaping atop it, surfing across the skies with a wicked smirk adorning his lips.[]“Videl!” Erasa shrieked as Videl clutched her arm, falling to her knees.“Shoulder…pain…!”“But…what happened? What was that light?”“Hehehehehe…hahahahahahaha!” From the shadows of the trees, the green youth emerged, pointing at the two girls with a string of smoke coming from his fingertips.“And that, foolish girl, is what happens when you’re merciful to your foes.” He taunted.“How…are you…?”
[A few moments ago]
After being struck by Videl’s finishing move, the young man was hurled amongst the trees before finally rolling onto his back. ‘Hmmm…so she’s better than the old man originally described. Guess that means it’s time for me to get serious.’
Getting to his feet, the young man tiptoed to the clearing of the woods, eyeing the girls from beneath the cover. Once Videl dropped her guard, the snakelike boy pointed at her and his finger began to glow. “Dodonpa.”
[]
“You cheater!” Erasa accused. “Sneak attacking is bad enough but using those same light tricks that Mr. Satan always talks about is just low!”“Erasa…shut up…!”“But…Videl!”‘I don’t know what he did, but he can use the same kinds of moves as Gohan and the others. Still, Erasa’s not wrong. This guy is a dirty fighter!’“Hmph, I had no intention of fighting this battle to the end,” the boy proclaimed. “Like I said before, you’re coming with me and it’s NOT a matter up for discussion.” With a twisted grin, he approached the girls, Videl standing protectively in front of Erasa.“Videl maybe you should…”“No way. I may be down an arm, but I can still fight!”“Let me guess, you’re going to try with your legs next? Well…how can you kick what you can’t catch?”The girls flashed confused glances to their adversary until he crossed his arms and began to ascend into the air.“What the-!?”“He…can fly…??”‘I don’t know why I’m surprised…. Maybe it’s cause Akane and her friends can’t fly.’“Now you insolent wench, I’ll give you one last chance to come peacefully, or else I’ll have to…!”
Bwoop!
“Gah-!” CHOOM! The youth blew out a puff of smoke as the resulting explosion of Videl’s ki blast left his face charred. Before he could let out his angered rebuttal, he instead let out a startled yelp as Videl, holding her injured arm chased him into the sky, headbutting him in the gut.“Dooof…!”Recoiling from Videl’s attack, the young man was quickly launched away yet again as he was kicked in the head and knocked into a nearby pond.“How’d you like…Eeek!” Succumbing to her wound, Videl was forced to the ground where she was quickly supported by Erasa.“Are you okay?”“I’ll be fine. Just…grab my jet. I can set it to autopilot and have it take us home. I’ll get patched up then.”While Erasa followed the directions, Videl took the moment to reflect on this last battle. Yet again she was met with some new upstart guy who had a handle on how to use ki. Unlike Ranma or Ryoga however, this guy also knew how to fly. Despite all that however, his physical fighting prowess seemed to be a step below those two, even if he did seem somewhat comparable.There were also two questions lingering in the young fighter’s mind; why did he refuse to give his name and why did he want her to go with him in the first place. Regardless, she won so it probably wouldn’t matter anymore. If anything, this should be an interesting tale for Gohan.Just as Erasa was set to uncap Videl’s jet, a low rumble filled the air.“What’s that?”The girls turned back to the water, noticing ripples appearing beneath the surface. “Tsk, guess he’s back for Round 3.”“Well look on the bright side, he may be a jerk but at least it’s a cute guy and not some big, ugly brute,” Erasa beamed.“I have a boyfriend, remember?”“Just sayin’.”‘She does have a point. I’d rather fight a jerk with a nice face than something like Spopovitch again. Still, I won’t let him catch me off guard again, one arm or not!”Taking the firmest stance she could in her current condition, Videl held her ground as the rumbling grew more and more intense. Suddenly, all went silent. As the girls eyed the lake in anticipation, they both shrieked in surprise when a giant, hairy fist punched through the surface.“What the…!?”The giant fist was quickly joined by a large body whose shadow towered over the two teens, the non-combative girl letting out a fearful yelp. Even Videl was frozen in a mix of shock and fear as the large being glared at the daughter of the champ.“Erasa…two things.”“Huh…!?”“One: Call Gohan. Two: YOU JINXED IT!”[Meanwhile]The sound of crushed metal and iron clanking could be heard as Saiyaman dispatched the last of these mysterious drones, dropping it’s shattered form before the police chief. “Well, I think that’s the last of them.”“Thank Kami. These things were all over the place. You’ve saved us again Saiyaman.”“It’s no problem, though I wonder where these things came from. If it were just a few, I could understand how crooks may have managed to acquire some, but there were WAY too many for just a few backwater deals amongst the criminal underworld.”“Personally, I’m wondering where Videl was in all this. She’s usually quicker to action than you,” noted the chief.“Let’s just say, she’s taking some much needed time off.”As soon as the words left the helmeted hero’s mouth, a digitized jingle filled the air and the he subsequently pulled out a cell phone. “Speak of the devil, that’s her now.”Tipping his hat, the lead officer left Saiyaman to his own as he answered his phone. “Hello?”
BMMMMMMMMMMMM…
Instead of the assuring voice of spunky young girl, Saiyaman was instead met with the concerning sound of a dial tone. “That’s…that’s weird. Did she bum call me?”“Hey, what’s that!?” asked a random officer.“Oh, hey, it’s Videl’s jet!” noted the chief.Sure enough Saiyaman looked up to see Videl’s iconic jet coming in hot, though he immediately noted two things wrong: First, she was coming in extremely fast, much faster than necessary. Second, there was no exhaust from her plane. In fact, there was no souond of the engines either. After a moment of thought, he noted a third and final strike: as it sored overhead, he could plainly see the craft’s downward trajectory.Quickly realizing what was going on, Saiyaman blasted into the sky, chasing after the yellow jet. Grabbing the aircraft from the underside, Saiyaman held the plane in his arms before gently setting it down on a nearby rooftop.“Videl what happened to…Erasa?”Further confusing the colorful savior, instead of the plane’s usual pilot, he was met with his buxom classmate wrapped up and gagged in some unconventional looking bindings made of...nylon? Loosening the straps from across her mouth, Saiyaman was met with a frantic caling of his true name.“Gohan!!”“Erasa, calm down! What happened!?”“Videl’s been kidnapped!”“She…she what…!?”
Far outside Satan City, a large chimeric creature could be seen flapping through the air. Within it’s massive clutches lay the famous daughter of Mr. Satan, battered, bruised and unconscious.
(A/N: Remember when I said I was taking another small hiatus after last chapter to do my HanVi Week stories? Well, I finished them, did an outline for this chapter and everything just…flowed. This chapter was surprisingly VERY easy to write, and not just because it’s much shorter than my last one. I’ve actually played this scenario in my mind COUNTLESS times, and one of the elements featured here, I did NOT originally intend to add. On the other hand, another MAJOR element I actually alluded to back in Chapter 34 (That I think only one or two people correctly predicted). The Ranma-centric readers may have already figured out who Videl’s kidnapper is, while the Dragon Ball centric readers should know who was spying on Saiyaman. Next time we get to see the latter events of Videl’s fight and Gohan gets introduced to one of Ranma’s greatest adversaries)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
Miniature Mystery; The Kidnapper Revealed
Gohan stared aghast at Erasa following her shocking declaration. “What…what do you mean Videl’s been kidnapped!? Erasa, what happened!?”“This weird guy showed up and then turned into some kind of monster! We went to the mall, then he showed up, challenged Videl to a fight and then…!”“Whoa, whoa, slow down!” Gohan eased. “One step at a time Erasa. First let’s get you out of…whatever this…thing is…and then start from the beginning.”Taking a breath to calm herself, Erasa nodded her approval as Gohan got busy undoing her bindings. Moments later, when she was finally free, she began recounting their encounter with Videl’s kidnapper.
Erasa recalled how she and Videl were approached by an attractive guy who wanted Videl to accompany him somewhere. She then told of the battle between the two. At first it seemed Videl had a clear advantage, but all that changed with a single sneak attack. The mention of a light piercing through Videl’s shoulder drew worried intrigue from Gohan. The same could be said with the mention that after that little incident, the boy started to fly. The aura however took a major nosedive once Erasa told what happened next.
“So after that, Videl knocked the guy into the water and after we were about to get set to go home and get Videl patched up, a giant freaky monster pops out of the water!”“Monster?”
[Moments ago]
Videl and Erasa stood frozen in shock and fear as from the demure lake rose a giant, hairy creature of chimeric proportions. A large primate body with the head of a steer, white wings protruding from it’s back coupled with a whole set of tentacles and a long, scaly looking tail. As the beast landed, his eyes fell squarely on Videl who gave a quick retreat order before leaping away from the monster’s giant, descending fist.
“Erasa, call Gohan NOW!” Videl flew aside as the giant beast swatted at her, narrowly avoiding him.
“R-right…!” Still spooked by the shocking transformation, Erasa fumbled trying to pull her phone out. “Got it!”
At Erasa’s declaration, the giant creature turned his attention to the fearful blonde who instinctively dashed away. In a move that surprised both girls, the winged fiend pointed two fingers towards Erasa. Anticipating another energy attack, Videl hastily threw herself in the path of the creature’s gaze crossing her arms defensively.
Surprisinly, it wasn’t a beam of light that shot from the beast’s fingers, but a wave of black liquid.
“Waaagh…!?”
Caught off guard by the unorthodox projectile, Videl was pushed back as she was subsequently blinded by the black sludge. As she quickly tried to wipe her face clean, Videl shrieked out as she was grabbed by the massive, furry paw and fiercely squeezed.
“Gaaaagh…! Let me…go!”
The bull-faced demon snickered before granting Videl her request, by raising her up high before tossing her groundward right towards the scampering Erasa.
“Waaaaagh…!
“Kyyaaaa-!”
A loud thud echoed throughout as Videl collided into Erasa and the pair rolled into a nearby tree. Erasa removed herself from a woozy Videl before letting out a distressed cry as she viewed her now shattered cell phone. Her distress would be shortened by the winged fiend looming over them.
“Videl, get up! We’ve got to…KYAAA-!”
Erasa shrieked as one of the creature’s long, slimy appendages snaked down before wrapping around Erasa’s midsection and reeling her in. The buxom blonde could only squeal in terror as she was hoisted skyward above the monster’s bull-like head.
“Whazzat-?”
“Videl, HEEEEELP!!!!”
“Erasa…?” Glancing back to her large opponent, Videl swiftly shook the dizziness off from it’s last attack before glaring daggers at the thing. “Hey!” Dashing back, Videl leapt into the air before zooming straight towards it. “Let go of her you freak!”
The chimeric figure punched at Videl who somersaulted over the deadly blow before scampering up the monster’s hairy arm. Instinctively, he swatted at her as if she were an insect, and again she evaded. At his second attempt, Videl flipped over his attacking arm before bounding off his shoulder right for Erasa.
“Sweet moves girl but…!”
“I know, I’ll have you out in a sec!” Raising her hand, Videl’s palm began to glow. With a single fierce palm strike, the tentacle uncoiled releasing Erasa, and earning a screechy wince from the monster. As Videl floated Erasa safely to the ground, the steer-faced stooge let out an irritated growl before diving straight for the girls.
Videl once again took evasive action, swaying away from the massive menace, though the dangling Erasa nearly got grazed by his horns.
“Gyegh! Videl, you gotta move faster!”
‘I could if I didn’t have all this extra weight slowing me down…but I can’t just drop her.’
“Mmmoooooooooogh!”
“Gah-!”
The chimera ascended, striking at the girls with a raised fist. Videl once again managed to dodge, but it was obvious she couldn’t keep this up while carrying Erasa. Sadly, they were still too far up for her to safely release her and the creature was coming back for a third attempt.
Summoning as much energy as she could, Videl finally divebombed towards the ground, the monster in hot pursuit. ‘I need to time this just right!’ Determination was etched on Videl’s face as the ground grew closer and closer.
“Uhhh Videl…you might wanna slow down a little?”
Erasa’s suggestion was ignored as the rush of the wind grew ever more intense with Videl’s descent. “Videl!”
As the monster pursued the duo, he finally went for the long range and lashed out his tentacles at the two girls.
“VIDEEEL!”
“Now!”
‘Okay, now that Erasa’s out of harm’s way maybe now I can finally call-!‘
SPROING!
As Videl looked down to her comm watch, she turned back to see her giant foe darting after her in a swift rush. In a brilliant display of mimicry, the giant beast outstretched his tentacles and used his momentum to bounce himself off the ground right in Videl’s direction. With the extra exertion needed to pull off the maneuver, the chimera was able to launch himself much harder and faster, speedily catching up to Videl and subsequently tackling her, full bodied.
“Gyaaaagh-!”
SMAAASH!
The pair collided into the side of the rocky road, Videl crushed between her opponent’s immense weight. She wasn’t the only one to take a hit as the creature slammed his head into the rock as well, stunning himself. A now unconscious Videl fell out from between the crevice in the rock wall, landing with a thud as her watch fell off her wrist.
The chimera soon regained consciousness, looking down at the defeated girl. As he finally picked up his quarry, he glanced aside towards the source of a small, panicked whimper. There he saw a quivering Erasa retreating as he approached her. Though she was only minorly injured from being thrown by Videl, she’d yet to fully recover from her harsh tumble, and after witnessing Videl get practically mauled, by that giant thing, needless to say she was too terrified to even try running. With his massive hand reaching towards her, all she could do in defiance was let out a shrill, ear-piercing holler.
[]
“After that, he tied me up, stuck me in Videl’s plane, then threw it all the way back to the city…you know the rest…”While Erasa took the moment to try and compose herself, Gohan began mentally reviewing the notes of Erasa’s story. Though most of it sounded rather outlandish but not too crazy by the Z-Gang’s standards, there was one detail about the story that just irritated him. Intending to press for more details, Gohan turned back to Erasa but held his tongue when he viewed her current state.The usually cheerful blonde was curled up beside the hull of the plane, shaking like a leaf in the wind. Despite her best attempts at keeping calm, Erasa just couldn’t keep herself from trembling. Her jitters would briefly subside as Gohan placed a hand on her shoulder. “You’ve been through quite a lot today, haven’t you?”“That’s a real understatement.”After putting his helmet back on, Gohan helped Erasa back on her feet. “Come on, I’ll take you home. After all this, you should probably get some rest.”“How can I rest when my best friend just got kidnapped by some giant, weird…thingy!? I want to at least do something to help her…especially after I just got captured and froze up at the end…”“Don’t beat yourself up over that. You’re not a fighter like we are. No one expected you to be a day saver.”“I know…but I still wanna help some way!”“You’ve already helped by just telling me the story, but if you’re that determined to keep helping, then I’ll need you to answer a question or two more. I know you probably don’t want to relive that whole mess, but if I’m right, then the info you give me could be crucial.”A sudden burst of resolve shining through, Erasa nodded vigorously. “If it means saving Videl, I’ll answer even more than just ’20 Questions’.”Gohan responded in kind with his own affirmatory nod. “Okay then. My first question is, which way did the monster go?”Erasa merely pointed in the direction opposite her deathly flight and Gohan faced it. Closing his eyes, Gohan opened his senses, attempting to feel Videl’s energy. After a short moment of silence, he grunted in contention. ‘No good, I can’t sense her energy at all. She must be unconscious or something. Looks like we’re going in blind.’“Dammit…”“What’s wrong?”“Can’t explain how, but I was trying to find Videl just now. Sadly it didn’t work.”“Oh.”“Don’t worry, I will find her…somehow. In the meantime,” Gohan placed his helmet back on before hovering. “I need you to come with me.”“Where are we going?”“We need to relay this information to someone very important and…” a bead of sweat rolled down Gohan’s forehead. “I think I’ll need some moral support.”“Moral support?”[A few moments later]“Videl is WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!!!!!??? I DON’T BELIEVE THIS!! HOW ON EARTH COULD SHE GET TAKEN SO EASILY!!!??? WHAT ON EARTH WERE YOU DOING!? WHAT KINDA SUPERHERO LETS HIS GIRL GET KIDNAPPED!? WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU!!”‘So this is what Gohan meant…’A shaken Erasa shrank as she witnessed Gohan receiving a verbal lashing by Mr. Satan. On the way to the manor, Gohan noted that leaving Mr. Satan out of the loop here was probably not a good idea. Upon delivering the bad news, his reaction was about what one would expect of hearing that their daughter’s been kidnapped. To her surprise, Gohan just stood there and took every swear and insult, completely unmoving. Finally, Mr. Satan ended his furious rant, panting as sweat poured down his face.Stepping forth, Gohan placed a hand on Satan’s shoulder. “Feel better now?”Taking a few breaths, Mr. Satan replied, “Yeah…yeah. It’s all outta my system.” Finally, the quelled champ slumped down on a nearby cushioned chair, before quickly being joined by Bee who seemed to have a concerned look on his face. “Sorry for snappin’ at ya son but…”“Don’t worry, I get it. Believe me, I feel the same way, but this isn’t the time to get mad. Right now we need to remain levelheaded,” Gohan clenched his fist, an electrifying spark coating his hand, “But the time to take action will come soon enough.”“Well said Gohan!” As Mr. Satan scratched the loyal dog’s head, Erasa finally stepped up with a regretful expression.“This is my fault. If I hadn’t gotten so bent out of shape about her disappearing all the time…”Once again, Gohan put a hand on the distressed girl’s shoulder. “Don’t blame yourself Erasa. You did nothing wrong. If what you told me back in the plane was true, then whoever this kidnapper was might’ve tried going after Videl anyway. You just happened to be together at the time.”“What? What’d she tell you?” urged Mr. Satan.Gohan relayed a cliff notes version of what Erasa told him earlier to Mr. Satan, earning a panicked look from the afroed champ. Darting to Gohan, Satan grabbed him by the shoulders, vigorously shaking him. “DID YOU SAY TENTACLES!!!???”“Uhhh…yeah…?”“Gohan, you’ve gotta get Videl back YESTERDAY! Do you have any idea what kinda things freaks with tentacles do with girls her age!!??”“Uhhhh…?”Silencing Mr. Satan’s spiel, Erasa swiftly clamped a hand over his mouth and whispered, “I don’t think he does, and I think it should stay that way.”With a small nod, Mr. Satan released Gohan and recomposed himself, clearing his throat. “I uh…apologize for that outburst. I’m calm now.”“Pardoning Mr. Satan here, the problem is we don’t know where they went,” Gohan defended.“Can’t you just find her with your weird energy mind scan whatchacallit?”Erasa could only glance in confusion as Gohan nodded. “If you mean sense her energy, I already tried. Wherever she is, her energy’s too low for me to pinpoint.”“What’s that mean?”“Well…to keep it brief, I think her energy’s so low is because she’s unconscious. Naturally the only thing we can do at the moment is wait for her to wake up but…”“You wanna sit here and wait!? Even if she is knocked out cold like ya said, who knows when she’ll wake up!? Not to mention what that octo-bull-flyin’ whatever freak could do to her in that time?”“Mr. Satan, please calm down! Despite the situation, I think I may actually have a lead.”“What?”“Really!? That fast!?”Gohan nodded. “There was one part of your story that caught my attention, though I didn’t know why, but then I remembered something. Erasa, you said the monster appeared when Videl knocked the other guy into the water, right?”“What other guy?”“Oh! You mean the hot jerk? Yeah. Videl kicked him into the lake, and then the monster popped out. I didn’t see him come out of the water and I don’t think the monster took him either so unless he drowned, he might’ve run away while it was chasing and fighting Videl.”Gohan’s eyes narrowed. ‘I see…in that case…maybe I AM right!’ Rematerializing his costume, Gohan darted for the exit, the others chasing after him.“Hey wait! Gohan, where do you think you’re goin’ boy!?” called Mr. Satan.“Let’s just say I’ve got a hunch, and if I’m right, then I might know a couple of people who can give us some more info about this ‘kidnapper’, maybe even help us find Videl!”Bursting out the front door, Gohan immediately blasted into the sky and jetted off. As the two bystanders watched him exit, a yawning Majin Buu strolled in. “Good morning! Breakfast?”Mr. Satan could only clench his fist before snapping back to Buu. “I’ll feed ya quickly Buu, but when you’re done, we’re goin’ out cause we got a situation!”[Moments later]“Would you quit dodging and fight!?” shouted a stern female voice. In typical fashion around the Tendo Dojo, Akane was throwing blow after blow at a nonchalant Ranma who easily evaded her strikes while reading a manga.“Hmm? You say somethin’ Akane?”“Would you get serious!?” Launching a harsh uppercut, Akane knocked the book out of Ranma’s hands earning a look of light ire.“Well…guess I’ll never know how that story’s endin’.”Despite his ‘distraction’ being gone, Ranma continued to glide around Akane’s attacks, all the while their fathers watched on in neutral interest.“You know Saotome, it’s quite the rare opportunity to see these two train together without it escalating into an genuine lovers’ quarrel.”“Enjoy it while it lasts Tendo. Around these parts, you’ll never know when some weirdo will just come falling out of the sky.”In a massive burst of dust and air, a distinctly male figure plummeted in the midst of the Dojo’s backyard.“Told ya?” snarked Genma.“What in blazes?”Attracted by the loud noises Nodoka and the remaining sisters quickly darted out back to see the commotion. When the dust finally dispersed, everyone laid eyes on a man clad in green, a red cape, and an orange helmet.Ranma and Akane quickly recognized the ‘intruder’ before simultaneously exclaiming, “Gohan!?”With not even a shred of his usual softness in his voice, Saiyaman turned to the two betrothed and said, “Ranma, Akane, I need your help.”[A few moments later]“Videl’s been KIDNAPPED!?” exclaimed the sisters.“Oh dear…” added Nodoka.“I don’t believe this…this is terrible!” trembled Akane.“Well look at the bright side…at least it wasn’t you this time,” Ranma smirked.As Ranma snickered he was hastily grasped by the collar and punted out of the living room into the pond. “I know you were thinking it too!” female Ranma called back.Ignoring the upcoming clash, Soun crossed his arms, a stern expression plastered on his face. “Well Son, this matter is of the utmost urgency, I agree, but I do wonder what purpose you have in coming here, if not simply to inform us. I don’t suppose you have any ideas as to who or what could’ve taken her, do you?”“Actually Mr. Tendo, a lead I have is exactly why I’m here. A friend of ours got caught in the middle of things and judging from what she told me, I think Videl’s kidnapper may be someone with a Jusenkyo curse,” Gohan explained.“A Jusenkyo curse!?” the others exclaimed.“How can you be so sure?” asked Ranma.“I’m only going off what I was informed. Apparently, Videl fought someone and happened to knock him into a lake. All of a sudden, some monster appeared and the guy she fought is nowhere to be found. It’s not definitive, but that does sound like a Jusenkyo curse to me.”“Wait back up, monster?” asked Akane.Gohan nodded and everyone sans Nodoka and Kasumi narrowed a skeptical eyebrow. “You wouldn’t happen to know what this ‘monster’ looks like, would you?” asked Genma.“According to our friend, it was a hairy, bipedal beast with the face of a bull, a snakelike tail, wings, and tentacles.”The skeptical looks of everyone sans Akane turned into dejected sighs while Akane’s own expression turned to restrained rage. “Pantyhose Taro.”“Uhhhhh…excuse me?”“The guy who most likely kidnapped Videl? It’s gotta be Pantyhose Taro!” replied Ranma.Confusion still evident on his face, Ranma gave Gohan a quick rundown of their target, explaining his chimeric curse and his grudge with Happossai. Once all was said and done, Gohan only had one question. “Wait a second, how does an octopus drown when they live underwater? Were the freshwater springs not conditioned to house a saltwater creature?”“That’s your takeaway from everything I just told you!?” exclaimed Ranma.“Sorry but…something about that just seems a bit too out there for me to ignore, even by my series’ standards.”“Eh, I can understand that. Think we’ve been there before a few times ourselves right?”“Mmhmm.”“Yup.”“Definitely.”“Getting back on topic here-!” interjected Akane. “We know who kidnapped Videl, but we don’t know why he did it or where they are.”“We can beat the why out of him after we find em’!” Ranma palmed her hand.“Do you know how you’re gonna find em’?” asked Nabiki.“Not yet, but I’ll think of something.”“Perhaps I could be of assistance?” interjected a new, raspy, female voice.All eyes turned to the open door to find a familiar old woman in a witch hat riding on a crystal ball. “Greetings kiddies!”“Who’s the witch?” asked Nabiki.“Baba!”“Baba…wait…you don’t mean the infamous All-Seeing Crone, do you!?” asked Soun.“The ‘infamous’ was unnecessary, but you get points for getting my title right,” the elder snickered as she floated in. “I’d love to introduce myself properly, but I believe we have more pressing concerns at the moment.”“But…what are you even doing here?” asked Ranma.“I’m called ‘All-Seeing’ for a reason boy…oh sorry, ‘girl’,” Baba snickered.A pouty Ranma exited to grab some hot water while Baba continued. “I had a vision that old Videl would find herself in quite the pickle, and so soon after her rather…perilous battle with her previous demons. I figure the least I could do is lend a hand and point you where you lot would need to go, but I am going to have to charge you for this one.” Baba slowly turned to Gohan who was briefly lost before realizing her implications.“Give me a minute,” he sighed.[Meanwhile]At the outskirts of Satan City, Mr. Satan, Erasa and Buu, followed behind Bee as he frantically sniffed the area around the pond.“Got anything yet boy?”The young dog could only whimper as his ears drooped down, de-confirming his success. “Don’t sweat it boy, just keep on at it, I’m sure you’ll find it soon!” the champ encouraged.
“Rarf!”
Bee continued to sniff around while Erasa and Buu could only spectate, the latter in confusion. “What Bee doing?”“I’m hoping he’ll be able to find Videl’s scent and then he’ll be able to lead us to her!” Mr. Satan explained.“Scent?”“It’s a pretty good idea Mr. Satan, but do you think Bee’s really up for it? He’s still just a puppy, isn’t he?” asked an unconvinced Erasa.“Hey, he may be just a pup, but I’ll be darned if he’s not the most reliable dog a fella could ask for. Trust me, just give him a few moments and we’ll find Videl in no time!”At that moment, Mr. Satan’s phone began to ring. “One moment please.” Excusing himself, Mr. Satan instantly exclaimed into the phone, “Look whoever you are, this is gonna have to wait. I’m in the middle of something VERY important at the moment and I’m afraid I don’t have time to sponsor whatever…!”
“Mr. Satan it’s me, Gohan!”
“Gohan! What is it!? Ya got good news!?”“Yes. I’m here with someone who can help us find Videl. Thing is, the information won’t come free.”Mr. Satan clenched his fist before booming into the phone, “Gohan, all I need is your assurance that this person, whoever they are really CAN tell us where Videl is! If you can guarantee that the info your gettin’ is 100% legit, then cost ain’t no object! For Videl, no price is too high! You hear me!!??”“Very…loud and clear sir,” Gohan replied, shaking out the dinging in his ears. “I’ll call you back once we get everything situated.”“Alright!” hanging up the phone, Mr. Satan let out a relieved breath before returning to the others. “Good news guys. That was Gohan on the phone, and apparently he found someone who can tell us where Videl is!”“Really? Already?”“I’m just as surprised as you, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned…it’s better not to ask any questions. Come on, let’s head back to town while we wait for him to call back. I need somethin’ to calm ma nerves.”As the Earthlings and Majin began to walk off, Bee quickly chased after them carrying a familiar wristwatch in his mouth.[At the Tendo Dojo]“Was that Videl’s father?” asked Nodoka. “He seems eccentric.”“Well he is a more…theatrical fighter,” added Nabiki. “Still, I can respect the guy for dropping a huge chunk of change to save his daughter.”“Well, then. We’ll hash out details later, but that’s good enough for me,” hopping onto the table, Baba began to wave her arms around the levitating crystal ball. The group all watched in anticipation as a foggy image beginning to form. After another moment of deliberation, it finally revealed itself to be a rocky, cavernous region accompanied by waterfalls.“I can’t pinpoint her exact location, but it seems our girl’s been taken to this rocky area towards the northeast,” noted Baba.“Something about that place…seems familiar…” commented Gohan.“You can have a flashback later buddy, right now, we’re on a rescue mission!” exclaimed a returning Ranma.“Huh?”“You didn’t think you were going alone, did ya?”“I don’t know what Taro’s scheme is, but I don’t intend to let him get away with this!” Akane sternly added.“I appreciate your concern guys, but really, I can…”“Look buddy, you’re good. We know you’re good, but Pantyhose is dangerous, especially if there’s no hot water around.” Ranma interrupted. “Hate to admit it, but even I can’t beat him one-on-one that easily whenever he transforms, so you’re gonna need all the help we can get. Besides…” Ranma pulled Gohan in before whispering in his ear. “…even if I decided not to go, I don’t think Akane would let you do this without her, I mean just look.”Turning back to the girl in question, Gohan gazed upon a fierce determination within Akane’s eyes, as well as a restrained fury. Seeing he wasn’t winning this argument, he shot the pair a nod. “Alright then let’s get going.”[Moments later]The Tendo House patrons watched in awe as The Great Saiyaman shot off into the sky bathed in a white blur, Ranma and Akane in arms. The last thing they saw before the trio blasted away was the flow of his cape and an ever familiar ‘ping’.“I didn’t know Gohan was into cosplay,” joked Kasumi.“I don’t think you’re wrong big sis, but I also don’t think that’s the case.”While the housemates returned inside, Baba remained outdoors, looking out into the sky. ‘Good luck kids, not that you’ll really need it. Still, with my part done in all this, we’re even over Cologne’s little…deception.’[]In the skies above Nerima, one Son Gohan narrowed his eyes beneath his visor. ‘Hang in there Videl, we’re coming for you.’[Meanwhile]‘What…what happened?’Light returned to the eyes of a barely conscious , raven-haired girl. Sitting up, she shook her aching head in a daze. When her vision finally cleared she found herself in what looked to be some sort of laboratory inside of a cave.“Where am I?”As she tried to pick herself up and process her surroundings, she found herself unable to move her arms.“Don’t bother,” said a male voice. “With those restraints, you’re going nowhere.”From the shadows stepped forth the unpleasantly familiar face of that green-clad boy, making Videl gasp. “You!” In an instinctual rage, she tried to rush at him, but as soon as she was within a hears breadth from her captor’s face, she was halted by something tugging at her leg. Looking down, she found herself shackled to the floor, not to mention her body quickly devoid of energy.“Like I said, you’re going nowhere,” he taunted.Videl continued to struggle against her bindings before finally giving up…for now at least. “Who the hell are you and why did you kidnap me? You know people are going to come for me right?”“Oh dear girl…or shall I call you Videl?” interjected a new voice. This one was also male, but sounded distinctly higher in pitch. Stepping forth, a ponytailed man in a pink fighter’s suit with a mechanical like helmet upon his head stepped forth. “We know a certain fool will come looking for you. In fact, we’re counting on it.” He sneered.A weary Videl glared daggers at the new arrival, his expression seemingly neutral beneath his teched-out mask. “Who the hell are you?”The ponytailed man merely flicked his trademark braid and turned away from Videl who asked again, much more forcefully.“Now, now, Tao. You should have a bit more courtesy towards a young lady,” chimed in a third voice. From the shadows entered a man much older than the metalhead wearing a red and green tunic, a hat with a bird shape poking out of the top, and sunglasses.“Good afternoon Ms. Videl. Pardon my brother’s rudeness, he’s more a strong silent type when he’s on the job. My name is Shen, better known as the master to the Crane School,” introduced the old man.“Crane School?” ‘Why does that name…sound kind of familiar?’“I’m sure you have numerous questions, but you have my word that you won’t be harmed any further if you cooperate.”“Why would I cooperate, and why should I believe you?” Videl glared.“Well, we were kind enough to patch you up after our newest pupil had to get a little excessive,” Shen replied motioning to a dismissive Taro.‘Oh yeah…’ Videl recalled her battle with the younger guy earlier and how he’d shot her through the shoulder with a ki attack. Looking at her shoulder, she noted a bevy of bandages wrapped around it. As she tried to raise her arm, she winced.“Hehehehe, even without that shackle, I don’t think you’d be getting very far with that bum arm of yours.”“Then you won’t mind un-shackling me?”“Sorry dearie, but no can do. We need to make sure you stay put for our guest.”Videl’s expression became deadpan. “Guest? So that’s it? You kidnapped me as bait? That’s so cliché! Who are you even trying to lure here, my father?”The Crane brothers both broke out in varying degrees of laughter, Tao stifling his while Shen burst out loud.“Sorry to burst your bubble kid, but your father is worthless to us,” Shen guffawed.“Not entirely. I admit, I wouldn’t mind seeing that cowering look on that buffoon’s face a second time,” sneered Tao.“Wait…second time? You…you know my father personally?” asked Videl.Tao flashed their captive a knowing smirk. “If you see him again after this ordeal is finished, ask him about his master. I’m sure he’ll have quite the tale to share with you.”“Enough of this pointless chatter!” snapped Taro. Though he’d been mostly quiet until now, he looked to be growing restless. “We have to prepare ourselves for his arrival. If you two geezers foul this up for me…!”“Watch your tone boy!” snapped Shen. “I admit, you may be able to trade blows with me, but don’t forget that Tao can easily destroy you!”“Hey boys.” Videl interjected. “If you don’t mind my guessing, you wouldn’t be waiting for…?”“Your friend in the cape and helmet? Yes,” answered Taro.Videl rolled her eyes. “Kidnapping me to lure in Saiyaman…I take it back, that’s not cliché, that’s THE oldest scheme in the book!” She paused her spiel before glancing back to her captors. “Then again, I guess it’s fitting for a couple of geezers.”“You disrespectful…!” Shen thrashed towards Videl but was halted by his brother. “Wait…don’t waste time with her.” Tao paused as the scopes in his eyes began to flash red, retracting and protruding before settling back into idle. “Someone’s coming, and it could very well be our target.”Taro flashed a pleased smile. “Finally.” Stepping towards the exit, Taro proclaimed, “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a body to claim. Hehehehe…Dahahahahaha!” With a wicked chuckle, Taro dashed out of the hidden bunker to meet their ‘guest’.“Do you really think he can do it?” asked Shen.“Of course he can’t,” Videl chimed in. “I don’t know why he wants Saiyaman so badly, but whatever the reason, he’s going to lose.”Not even responding, Tao zipped over to Videl and jabbed his finger in the side of her neck. Following a sharp sting of pain, Videl’s consciousness faded and she hit the ground face first with a thud. “He was talking to me, you rude child.”“Ahem…” Shen cleared his throat.“To answer your question, it’s too early to tell. His growth from your training has yielded favorable results, but this caped clown is hiding his true power. I can feel it.”Shen flashed a twisted grin. “I think you can rest easy. While it is true that we have a lot riding on the boy taking out that green eyesore, we all know he has just as much, if not more riding on it. After all, I don’t think he’d want to blow his one chance to get the thing he wants most.”“I suppose, but let’s just say I’ve a gut feeling that we’re in for quite an experience.” Tao replied.“Well, if it’ll ease your nerves little brother, why don’t we go keep an eye on the boy. After all, it doesn’t matter WHICH one of us kills Signer Man, he just needs to die.”“True,” sneered Tao. “But if it comes to that, then I guess that means the boy won’t be staying with us for the foreseeable future?”“Maybe, maybe not. Either way, he could prove to be a major asset for the revival of the Crane School!”EDITED: June 15, 2021 (A/N: I meant to get this chapter out sooner, but a combination of everyone’s BFF writer’s block as well as some situations going on IRL kept me out of the right headspace for writing. Regardless, I finally managed to knock this one out of the park. Onto the situation itself, I think only one person guessed correctly back when he was initially teased in Chapter 34, but yep, the mysterious assailant was Pantyhose Taro. I’m a little surprised at how many people didn’t get him last Chapter, but glad a lot of you did [Don’t know if I made that clear enough last chapter, but I thought the word ‘Chimeric’ would have been a dead giveaway]. Also, to the one(s) who don’t know who the one who unleashed the robots was, all I’m gonna say is ‘Read Dragon Ball’. Not Z, not Super, classic Dragon Ball, and I do mean READ [No issues if you wanna watch it instead, just saying, anime has a lot of filler. Some of it actually enhances some things, others just waste time]. I’m sure most of you have already figured it out, but there are a few stragglers, so yeah. As for the fight in the flashback, let’s be real. Videl could handle human Taro, but there’s no way she’s handling his cursed form, even with her recent powering up. Don’t worry, she’ll get there…eventually[I had to reread Taro’s fights in the manga for this one, and I COMPLETELY forgot he could shoot ink from his fingers!] Side note, I actually didn’t initially plan to include Baba here but I figured since the mystery would be resolved quickly, the actual SEARCH should be resolved quickly as well, and with no time to just wait around for Videl’s energy to reappear on the ol’ Ki Radar, well, she made sense. Next time, we’ll get a little bit more insight into Pantyhose’s reasons for taking Videl as well as his partner’s angle in this whole spiel. Stay tuned.)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
(A/N: Minor edits made to last chapter. Read before this chapter)
Team S.A.V.E! Saiyaman And Friends’ Videl Extrication
In the air above a rocky region, our heroic trio scanned the area for the slightest hint to lead them to their captured comrade’s location.“Yo Gohan are we there yet?” asked Ranma.“I think so. This does look like the same area Baba showed us in her crystal ball, but so far, nothing seems out of the ordinary.” He replied.“Think you should let us down and we search on the ground while you keep at it from the air?” Akane suggested.“Not a bad idea but keep on your guard you two.”The pair nodded as Gohan dove down, releasing them before ascending back up above the rocks. As Gohan flew away, Akane darted off in a random direction with Ranma close behind.“Whoa, slow down Akane!”“Ranma, you know what’s at stake here, right? We don’t have time to screw around.”“Duh, but do you even know what we’re supposed to be looking for?”“We’re looking for Pantyhose Taro, right? It’s kind of hard to miss a 10-foot tall winged freak with tentacles.”“That ain’t gonna mean anything if he’s in human form,” Ranma countered.Akane skidded to a halt, a contemplative look on her face. “True…but then what do you suggest we do?”Before Ranma could respond, the sound of loud skittering caught their attention. “What was that?” startled Akane.The pair searched their surroundings and finally lay eyes on something small, round, and metallic with four-legs. “What’s that thing?”“Some kinda robot?”The pair approached the drone, Ranma picking it up to examine it. “This ain’t some kinda toy, right?”“Why would there be a toy in the middle of a cavern?”“Campers?”
BREEEEP! BREEEP!
“Gaagh!”The pair yelped as the droid’s lens flashed red and it let out a shrill beep.“Ranma, what’d you do!?”“I…I don’t know! I ain’t good with machines!”“What’s going on down there!?” Following the sound, Saiyaman returned to the duo to find them standing cautiously before the drone. His eyes narrowed beneath his helmet, Gohan simply stepped on the robot, crushing it beneath his foot.“While I appreciate you making it quiet again Gohan, did you have to break the thing?”“Yes,” Gohan sternly replied. “I’m kind of just guessing, but I think that was some kind of surveillance drone.”“A serving what?”“Wait…you mean that robot was spying on us?” Akane asked.“Most likely, which is good and bad.”“How so?”“The good news is, this robot looked similar to the ones I had to fight back in Satan City, but smaller. That means we’ve got to be at the right place,” Gohan explained.“Wait, wait, you fought robots?” asked Ranma.“Yeah.”“……That sounds pretty cool actually…” Ranma pondered.“Focus!” Akane snapped. “What’s the bad news?”“We lost the element of surprise. This Taro guy probably knows we’re here now.”Ranma nonchalantly threw his arms behind his head. “I wouldn’t worry too much. As long as we have our secret weapon, that nylon nutcase won’t be a problem.”“Wait a minute…you said you fought more robots like that one back in Satan City, right?” asked Akane.“Yeah?”“And when did you find out that Videl got taken?”“It was shortly after I finished…destroying…the robots…” Realization shone on Gohan’s beneath the helmet. Clenching his fist, Gohan pounded a nearby rock, smashing it to pieces with a loud, hearty, “Dammit!”Ranma and Akane took a cautious step back, giving Gohan the space to blow off the steam. Though they couldn’t help but be reminded of Gohan’s behavior back at Baba’s palace.“O-okay…am I missing something?” asked Ranma.“That whole robot riot in town was just a diversion,” Gohan explained. “Just a ploy to keep me busy while this Taro guy went to attack her.”“Oh, I get it now.”“To be fair, I think Videl could beat Taro in his human form, so it’s nothing to beat yourself up over,” Akane beamed, trying to ease Gohan’s tension.“…Maybe, but I still feel like I should’ve been there to stop it,” Gohan replied with a soft exhale.“You can cry about that later. Right now, let’s just focus on finding them already!” Ranma exclaimed.“Right,” Gohan replied with a stern nod. Flicking his cape over his shoulder, he jetted back into the air and…“Wait!!”…fell face first into the ground.“What’s wrong now Akane?” Ranma rolled his eyes.“I just realized something.”Gohan picked himself up and replied, “What?”“Where did Taro get the robots from?”The boys glanced at Akane before bowing their heads in thought. “That’s…a good question,” said Gohan.“Yeah…that moron’s too stupid to make machines, and he ain’t rich enough to buy em’ either.”“Akane, you’re not suggesting that…!?” Gohan paused before turning his attention to the top of a nearby cliff.“Gohan?”“What’s…?”“Look out!”
CHOOM!
Diving towards the betrothed couple, Gohan tackled them both to the ground, just out of the path of a small flash of light that scorched the ground where they once stood.
“Tsk…figures the crossdresser’s here too.” The male figure reached into his shirt pulling out a radio. “Master, we may have an extra little nuisance to deal with.”
[]“Ow…!” Ranma groaned.“Sorry about that,” he apologized. “Are you two okay?”“Yeah…but what was that?” asked Akane.“Someone’s firing at us,” answered Gohan. “It was some kind of ki attack.”“How can you be so sure?” asked Ranma.“Well you see…”“Incoming!”The trio looked up to see another blast heading straight for them. Thankfully, they were all fast enough to easily avoid it.“Where the heck is that coming from?”Silently answering the question, Gohan closed his eyes as yet another blast headed their way.“Dude, get down!” called Ranma.Ignoring the warning, Gohan merely swayed away from the blast, his eyes flashing open, before narrowing. ‘Got it!’“You two, find some cover and wait here.”“Why? Where are you going?”“I’m going straight for the source.” With a clenched fist, Gohan snapped into the air before jetting off in the direction of yet another blast.“Gohan wait!” called Akane. Her yell would fall on deaf ears as his cape faded from view. “Dang it…! We’ve got to go after him.”“Race ya there!” With a smirk, Ranma leapt atop a nearby rock formation and onto the next, chasing after Gohan.“Hey wait up!” yelled a pursuing Akane.
CHOOM!
“Gah-!”“Kyaaa-!”Ranma leapt away from yet another yellow blast, bounding off the rock and back down to Akane’s level. “Alright where’d THAT come from?” he demanded. “I thought Gohan said it was comin’ from ahead of us!”“That would be me,” came a throaty snicker.The two turned again to a nearby rock formation to see a man with a teched out helmet and some kind of…barrel arm?”“Who the hell are you?”The older man placed something in his hand, twisting his wrist before replying, “Sorry kids, but I’m the last man you’ll ever see.”Akane instinctively raised her guard at that proclamation. Ranma on the other hand, decided to retort. “What, you’re tryin’ to kill us? Did that ol’ legging loser not have the balls to come face us himse-!”“Kyaa-!”“Whoa-!”Ranma yelped as the pink-clad man seemingly appeared right in front of them and thrust his hand forward, all four fingers pointed outstretched.‘Whoa…didn’t even see him move!’ Ranma noted. The young fighters each retreated, before standing defiantly against their opponent.“Impressive reactions children, but for your sake, I hope that’s not the best you can do,” taunted a raspy voice.“What the hell are you? A Power Ranger villain?” joked Ranma.‘Kind of fitting given Gohan’s costume,’ Akane inwardly snickered.“My name is Tao, and I’m also your executioner,” the elder introduced himself.“Executioner?”Tao nodded. “You know, our pupil told us to be weary of you boy. Apparently, you’ve caused him quite the trouble in the past, and he’s determined to make sure nothing disrupts his goals today.”‘Wait…our pupil?’ Akane mentally noted.“What is he even after? Why’d he take Videl?” Ranma asked.“Ask your caped friend.”“Ohhh…so it was just to get to Gohan eh? Man, that’s cliché…but what beef does Pantyhose have with Gohan anyway?”Tao remained silent. ‘This kid…he keeps saying the name ‘Gohan’. Why does that sound so familiar…and why does it…irk me so much?’ Determined to keep his concern from showing, he finally replied.“If you want to know all the details, you’ll have to ask our pupil himself. But of course…” Tao hopped over the pair, before landing in their path. “You’ll have to get past me first, and I don’t intend to let that happen.”“Well I don’t intend to letcha stop me!” Ranma countered, also dropping into a defensive stance.“Ranma!” Akane exclaimed.“Fine, you won’t stop us. Happy now?”“Not that…I think Gohan’s going to have more trouble to deal with than Taro, one of us needs to be there to back him up.”“If you’re trying to come up with a plan to get past me, don’t bother. I think I’ve changed my mind, I’ll allow one of you to pass,” Tao condescendingly raised a finger.The pair narrowed their eyes, privy to what he was playing at. ‘He’s probably gonna attack whichever one of us decides to….’Before Ranma could finish his thoughts, Akane quickly dashed away in a dusty burst. “Hey, Akane!”Not even bothering to turn back or respond, Akane kept sprinting, determination etched on her face. Ranma’s own eyes softened as he gave a firm nod to Akane’s retreating form. His gaze then shifted from Akane’s to the cybernetic man before him.“Fear not boy, I you have my word that I won’t pursue the girl…that is…not until after I’ve dealt with you, but don’t worry, I’ll make it quick and painless. After all, I enjoy the hunt, and I don’t intend to let that nice little piece of prey escape.”“Like I said before old timer, I ain’t gonna let you!” Ranma took a defensive stance as Tao flashed his young opponent a twisted smirk.Responding in kind to his young charge, Tao took a defensive stance ad the pair stared each other down. After a short silence, Ranma threw the first blow, leaping in the air and striking with a dive-kick. Tao simply hopped backwards from the attack and swayed away from Ranma’s counterattacks, jumping over his sweep kick and swaying away from his high punches.Bounding a short distance away, Tao shot Ranma a taunting smirk and raised his hand before giving the classic, ‘come at me’, motion. Not one to disappoint, Ranma resumed his offensive.[]On a nearby rock formation, a narrow-eyed Taro grunted at the rapidly approaching Saiyaman. “Guess it’s come to this.”In a fierce burst of wind, Satan City’s hero appeared right before Taro, his arms crossed and cape flowing.“So, we finally meet face to face,” Taro began.“I’m not here for pleasantries,” Saiyaman shot back. “Where’s Videl?”“Straight to business huh? I heard through the grapevine that you’re a showman. Aren’t you going to properly introduce yourself?” Taro taunted.“Where. Is. Videl?” Saiyaman sharply repeated.With a sigh and a shrug, Taro forwent his attempts at taunting. “Fine, fine, I see how we’re doing this. You want to know where that girl is? Unfortunately, I can’t tell you.”“Why not?”“Because even if I did, it won’t matter. You won’t live long enough to see her again!” raising his hand, Taro pointed at Saiyaman with the familiar yellow glow. “Die! Dodon Ray!”[]After leaving Ranma alone with Tao, Akane blazed ahead, desperate to catch up with Gohan who’d similarly left them behind. ‘That old guy said Taro was ‘Our’ pupil, so that probably means Gohan’s going to have to fight a two-on-one fight! He won’t be able to handle both Taro and whoever else is working with them!’Akane’s thoughts finally ended as she came across the scene of a cross-armed Great Saiyaman faced with a smug-faced Taro.“There he is! Goha-!”
BMMMM!
“Kyaaa-!” Akane hopped back as yet another yellow beam was fired at her. “Getting real sick of this…!” she sharply muttered.“Get used to it girlie. After all, it is our signature technique,” came a sinister chuckle.Akane turned towards the voice and was met with yet another old man, this one wearing a bird shaped hat and sunglasses. “I take it you’re a friend of that guy in the helmet?”“We’re brothers actually. My name is Shen, and I’d appreciate it if you stayed out of our pupil’s inaugural battle.”Akane’s eyes narrowed. ‘So Taro found himself a master,’ she deduced. “So you’re the ones who sent Taro after Videl!”“Maybe…” shen snickered.Rushing for the old fighter, Akane raised her fist, poised to attack, but Shen countered her attempt by grabbing her wrist and tossing her over his shoulder. As the young fighter tried to recover, she was struck fiercely in the gut by Shen’s diving knee.“Gaaaaagh-!”Shen bent over the writhing Akane who clutched her stomach tightly. “Now if you behave yourself, I promise I won’t have to get rougher. Though you should consider yourself lucky you’ll get a front row seat to watch your friend’s ultimate downfall.”Akane rolled over to her front before managing to stand on her knee. Glancing up a nearby rocky ledge, she gasped as Taro swiftly pointed at Gohan and fired the same blast at him, point blank.“No, Gohan!”[]Saiyaman made no attempts to avoid Taro’s attack and took the Dodon Ray full force, resulting in a small explosion. After a moment of silence, Pantyhose Taro let out a wicked chuckle before blowing the smoke off his finger. “Hmph…that was almost too easy. How disappointing.”“My thoughts exactly, if that’s all you’ve got.”The smoke cleared to reveal Saiyaman looking nigh unscathed, only a hole in the chest area of his costume.[]“Not bad,” praised Shen.‘Wow…Gohan didn’t even flinch!’ added Akane.[]Taro snickered. “So, you can take a solid hit. Excellent. That’ll make the moment I take you down all the more glorious.”“What business do you even have with me?” Saiyaman countered. “It’s obvious you took Videl just to lure me here, but why?”“You’ll figure it out in your next life!” With a twisted cackle, Taro rushed to Saiyaman throwing a punch to the face. Saiyaman easily swayed away from the strike as well as his follow up attack. The assault continued with Saiyaman’s expression remaining unchanged while Taro slowly but surely grew more and more irritated.“Would you hold still!?”Seemingly complying with Taro’s wish, Saiyaman ceased movement, standing idly with his arms crossed. Taro growled before rearing his fist back and striking at Saiyaman with a full, straight punch. This time instead of dodging, Saiyaman caught the attack, holding Taro’s hand firmly.Taro instantly tried to free himself, but to no avail. His ire grew with each failed attempt to pull away from the helmeted hero.“Let go you…!”In direct opposition to Taro’s wish, Saiyaman gripped his hand harder while also pushing him back. Taro was forced to step back as Saiyaman advanced forward. Despite Taro’s desperate attempts to retaliate, he was quickly and effortlessly being brought to his knees by Saiyaman’s firm grip.[]“I don’t believe this!” exclaimed Shen. With a sigh, the Crane Hermit shook his head, disappointment etched on his face. “Such a shame, and to think he showed such promise. Especially with how easily he learned our techniques. Oh well, I guess I can throw him a bone this once.”Akane shakily got to her feet as Shen reached into his shirt, revealing a capsule. As he was about to hurl it towards Taro and Gohan, Akane hastily tackled him, throwing off his aim.“Get off me, child!” Shen shoved Akane back, though this time, she remained firm.“Lucky shot last time. This time, I’m going to take you down!”“You’re welcome to try girl, though if your skills are comparable to that napping friend of yours, then you don’t have a prayer!”[]“I’m going to ask you one more time. Where. Is. Videl?”Taro grabbed Saiyaman’s wrist, fruitlessly trying to pry him off his own. As before, his efforts were in vain as he struggled to free himself. “You…let me go!” Taro demanded.“I will as soon as you tell me what I want to know!”
Bagoon!
The pair turned to the sound to see what appeared to be a glass bottle hurtling towards them.“What is…?”“Dodon Ray!”With Saiyaman distracted, Taro dashed forward and fired at the incoming projectile shattering it and letting its contents rain down over them. Taro let out a wicked snicker as his form began to change, slowly but surely getting bigger. Saiyaman made an aerial retreat as the kidnapper finally unveiled his crazed, chimeric form and let out a deep echoing, “MOOOOOOOOOO!”[Meanwhile]Ranma showered Tao with a barrage of blows that the cyber assassin was successful in defending. Every punch Ranma threw would ultimately be parried, but fortunately for Ranma, he left no room for Tao to attempt countering.‘This boy’s good,’ Tao inwardly praised. ‘His speed is truly astounding, but it’s nothing I shouldn’t be able to handle. I just need to make him back off.’Ranma’s attacks increased in speed, and Tao slowly started getting overwhelmed as Ranma forced him back against a rocky wall. Finally, it seemed Ranma was close to breaking through Tao’s guard. Determination plastered on his face, Ranma threw a heavy punch at his metal foe, a stronger but much slower punch, which was just the opening Tao needed.With a fierce grunt, Ranma attacked and the two would remain still as Tao once again blocked the strike. The one to react first would be Ranma who let out an anguished yell. In the next instance, Tao struck with his elbow in Ranma’s midsection before kicking at his head, tossing him to the ground.Ranma managed to roll onto his hands, but quickly crumpled to the ground as a sharp pain surged through his right hand. Looking down, he could see a deep gash between his middle and index fingers, streaming blood like a river.“What…what the hell just happened?”Tao sneered as he approached the downed Ranma before revealing in his left hand, a straightened blade.“What the…a sword?”[Moments ago]
As Tao moved his hand up to block Ranma’s punch, his metal hand detached from his wrist and in its place sprang Tao’s hidden blade. Not noticing his foe’s missing hand, Ranma’s fist flew straight into the blade before he let out a pained holler.
[]
“I think it’s in your best interest to give up now boy. That is, unless you’d like your limbs sliced apart,” taunted Tao.Ranma merely ripped off his right sleeve and tied it around his hand creating a makeshift bandage before flipping back onto his feet, ready to continue the fight. “It’ll take more than a cheap shot to take me down Buckethead!” ‘Though I’ll give him this, he’s better at hiding weapons than Mousse. Who knows what else he’s got under all that metal? He could have a freakin’ Mega Buster for all I know…’Ranma’s thoughts were interrupted by a loud, low roaring sound. Though it took a moment, he quickly recognized it as Pantyhose Taro’s cursed form.“Dammit…Pantyhose transformed, didn’t he? I gotta go help Gohan and Akane quickly!”Unbeknownst to Ranma, Tao once again flinched at the name Gohan. Shaking off the small shock, Tao rushed at Ranma, swinging his blade horizontally. More than used to being lunged at with a sword, Ranma bent over backwards, flipping and kicking Tao’s weapon-hand upwards knocking him off guard. Landing back on his feet, Ranma dashed in and delivered a stern punch to Tao’s gut, bringing him to a knee.“You’d better surrender if you don’t want your robo-parts turned into scrap metal!”[]Akane and Shen’s scuffle was halted by Taro’s presence grabbing roar. Looking up, they saw both the costumed hero and the winged, bovine monstrosity floating in midair, staring each other down.“Oh no!” cried Akane.“Oh yes!”“Gohan, get out of there!!” Instinctively calling out to her friend, Akane dashed after them but was once again grabbed by Shen and tossed back. Akane rolled into her fall, back onto her feet and swiftly tried to pass Shen by leaping over him. Determined to keep her from escaping, Shen too jumped in the air, poised to launch a kick at the young fighter. Unable to dodge, Akane crossed her arms across her body, blocking the attack, but getting forced back.“You’re a tenacious one, aren’t you?” Shen noted.Akane quickly got back to her feet and dashed back at the old fighter. “You have no idea!” Throwing a swift punch, Akane’s attack was easily deflected and she was once again grabbed at the wrist. Instead of tossing her however, the Crane Hermit managed to put her into a hold, forcing her arms behind her back and her head to the ground.“Let…go of me…!” Akane strained out.“In due time child. First things first, you get to watch your friend fall to the Crane School’s Newest Ultimate Disciple!”‘That’s a mouthful!’[]Both Saiyaman and Taro stared each other down, hovering in the air. While Gohan looked nonchalant as ever with his arms crossed, though his expression unreadable beneath his mask, Taro had a clearly malicious smirk on his bullheaded face.“So, this is your cursed form? If you ask me, this seems much more fitting of the title than Ranma or even Shampoo’s.”Taro just snorted, dismissing Saiyaman’s taunt before raising his massive fist in the air, prepared to strike.“Bring it on,” Gohan challenged.On ground level, Ranma and Tao continued to trade blows, fully engrossed in their clash while Akane called out for Gohan to look out and Shen called for Taro to crush his foe. As if answering each other’s allies, Taro slammed his giant hand down towards the colorful hero, but Gohan made no attempts to avoid the attack. Instead, he casually raised his hand up just as Taro’s fist came crashing down.With a loud boom, everything froze. Ranma and Tao halted their battle, turning towards the source while Akane and Shen could only watch in pure astonishment, the latter’s jaw practically hitting the ground. Most shocked of all was Pantyhose Taro himself who, like before found himself stuck in the grip of his now much smaller foe.Taro’s eyes nearly popped from his skull as he tried to pull his arm away from Saiyaman but, like their earlier tussle, found himself being forced back as Saiyaman floated forward. Despite the mighty gust of his wing flaps, Taro could not advance against Saiyaman’s nor could he break his firm grip. With his free hand, Taro pointed at Saiyaman with two fingers.‘Why does that look like…?’Before Gohan could finish his thought, he found himself getting sprayed with an inky black liquid. Seizing the opportunity, Taro once again pulled his arm away, but once again failed to break the grip.“I see, so you were hoping that I’d let you go on instinct to wipe my face,” proclaimed Saiyaman. I’ll admit, that probably would’ve worked if I were wearing my bandana and shades, but since I have my helmet today…” Saiyaman knocked on his helmet, emphasizing his point. “That’s barely more than a messy drizzle.”From two fingers to one, Taro fired another Dodonpa at Saiyaman who easily deflected the blast, making the chimeric fiend shudder. Snorting steam, the raging Taro curled his hand into a fist and swung it at Saiyaman and once again met the same fate; his arm caught in the Hero’s unbreakable grip.[]“What is that fool doing!?” boomed Shen.“Yeah, that seems about right for him,” sighed Akane.[]“I fail to see how you thought that’d work,” Gohan taunted.Realizing his mistake, Taro froze. Fruitlessly, he tried to pull away from Saiyaman, but the helmeted hero just smirked at the chimeric kidnapper’s misfortune. Saiyaman once again advanced on Taro, forcing him backwards against a rock formation.[]Shen and Akane both stared at the resulting scene in disbelief.“What on Earth is going on!? How is Taro being overpowered like this!!??”“I wish I could gloat and tell you, but I’m just as shocked as you,” Akane replied. ‘How is Gohan that strong? Is it the costume or is he actually just that powerful?’“Taro! Stop fooling around and crush him already! End him! Kill him!”His focus on his failing protégé, Akane seized the opportunity to free herself from the Martial Master’s grasp, launching him off her with her impressive strength before darting off.“You…! Get back here!!” Shen took off after the escaping Akane, raising his finger up. “Dodon Ray!”“Whaaa-!” Akane rolled ahead to avoid the blast, but never slowed down. ‘After that, I’m trusting Gohan can handle Taro himself. Meanwhile, I have to go save Videl!’“I won’t let you escape!” tapping off the ground, Shen ascended into the air, hovering before launching yet another Dodonpa at the retreating girl.“I’m getting real SICK OF THAT MOVE!!”[]Pantyhose Taro was now sweating bullets as he was pushed further and further to a rocky wall, uselessly forcing back against his smaller foe. Despite his incredible strength, it was all for naught. Beyond desperate, Taro lashed his tentacles around Saiyaman and once again attempted to pry him free. Still unable to remove his arms, the ropelike appendages wrapped tightly around the hybrid’s lower body and squeezed intensely.A single yelp from Saiyaman was the hidden signal Taro needed to hear. With all his might, Taro yanked Gohan away with his tentacles while tugging his arms away, and to both their surprises, he managed to free himself. Not bothering to question his massive stroke of luck, Taro swung his tentacles in a circular motion before tossing Gohan away. Not willing to miss his chance, Taro soared after the limp form of Saiyaman.[]Ranma yelped as he narrowly avoided yet another slash from Tao’s bladed hand, strands of his hair falling to the ground. Over the course of their fight, Ranma got in his share of hits, but he looked to be the one who took the most damage, judging by the various cuts in his outfit and a gash on his arm.“You’ve got some very impressive speed my boy,” Tao praised. “Killing you is almost a shame. With the proper guidance, you could be a glorious assassin.”“I ain’t no saint, but I ain’t a murderer either ya freak. Though I will say, if you weren’t tryin’ ta kill me, I wouldn’t mind taking a lesson or two from ya.”“Is that a fact?” Tao sneered. “In that case, I’ll give you your first and final lesson.” Raising his un-bladed hand, the mechanical limb fell off unveiling a metal arm cannon.“I was joking before! He really does have a Mega Buster?”“This is no game whelp, this is the end of your life!” sunlight gleaming off the barrel of Tao’s gun, the mad killer aimed at Ranma.“If I had 10 yen for every time I heard that, I’d be richer than Videl’s old man,” Ranma muttered. Cupping his hands together, Ranma prepared to counter the incoming attack with his own signature blast.“Dodonpa!”“Moko Takabisha!”The combatants fired their attacks leading to a massive clash in the rocky field, dust scattering in the winds as the two blasts collided with each other. The foes poured more strength into each of their respective attacks until finally, the beam dissipated in a large, dusty explosion. With their vision cleared, both Ranma and Tao leapt high into the air, attempting to scout each other out.Determination still evident on both of their faces, the fighters maneuvered themselves in midair and positioned to strike each other with a pair of flying kicks. Their imminent clash however, would be denied by the timely arrival of a green projectile descending right between them, hitting the ground with a loud crash.Their momentum gone, Ranma and Tao both landed before glancing at the nearby crater. “What the hell was that?” asked Ranma.His answer came in the form of a woozy Saiyaman stepping out of the man sized crater he crash landed in.“So, the hero of our story joins the main attraction,” laughed Tao.“Dude, are you okay!?” called Ranma.“I’m fine…just kind of confused.”“Well I wouldn’t worry too much if I were you.” Tao could be seen putting his mechanical hands back in place. “In just a few short moments, you won’t have anything else to think about when I send you two to the next world.”Ranma dropped back into a defensive stance while Gohan could only stare at Tao in surprise. “Hey wait a minute, I know you!” he declared.“What’s that now?”His question would be put on hold, as the sound of heavy snorting filled the air. Turning back to the sky, the three spotted the incoming form of an enraged, cursed, Pantyhose Taro.“Great, that Legging Loser’s back,” groaned Ranma.“The only losers here will be you two.” Tao tauntedAs Taro landed, Gohan took the few moments they had to piece things together. ‘I remember now…I fought this guy the week before we fought Cell. I guess that explains where all the Dodon Rays are coming from. That also might explain why he took Videl. This guy’s a hired hand, so someone must’ve hired him to do it, but who? And why? Also…why did my strength just fade away back then?’“Uhh Gohan?”Jarred from his musings, Gohan turned to see Tao and Taro standing side by side, the latter with his wings and tentacles brandished for battle. Set to continue their bouts, the villainous duo approached.“I told you what would happen if you tried to fight Taro by yourself,” gloated Ranma.[Meanwhile]On a random rocky plateau, a sternly built young man clad in yellow looked intently at a large parchment before asking aloud, “Where am I now?”
(A/N: This was difficult to write, but also super exciting. The exciting part: Having three different encounters at once. The difficult part: Gohan’s entire existence. It’s no secret that Gohan could stop this whole charade in a matter of moments if he had the chance. How do you make conflict out of that? Simple, don’t give him the chance. Gohan’s not the type to use force to get information out of anyone…at least, not unless it was pure do or die, but I feel like he’d have no problems with intimidation tactics, hence why he only showed off a taste of his real strength to show Taro how outmatched he was. I don’t follow the series, but I feel like I kind of pulled a One-Punch Man here…or if not, then at least a Superman, especially considering Gohan’s sudden weakness spell. Speaking of, I’ll give you three guesses as to what caused it in the first place. The answer may shock you…or it may make no sense whatsoever. We’ll see in due time but heads up there’s also another player being added to this crazy game. Someone we haven’t seen for a good while that you probably already figured it out. But I guess you all haven’t figured out who orchestrated this whole mess. Stay tuned to find out.)
PS: For those of you out of the loop, the title is a reference to the chapter in the Ranma manga where Akane gets kidnapped by Pantyhose Taro. It was called “S.W.A.T: Save Widdle Akane Team.” I got EXTREMELY lucky there was a synonym for rescue that started with ‘E’
I’ve started collecting the Ranma Manga volumes recently (Only 4 short of a full set) so I have a LOT of stuff to refer back to now. I’ve for the most part been going off of memory with only a few refreshers here and there. While that got me plenty far on the Dragon Ball side (we see the same story every year or so in video game form, so remembering stuff is easy), but for Ranma which I hadn’t read to completion in forever, it’s quite astounding that so much material just stuck with me as well as it did.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
All Out Brawl! Anything Goes vs. Crane School
Ranma and Gohan stood at the ready, prepared for any incoming attack from Tao or Taro. The cursed chimera snorted as he tilted his head forward, as if preparing to charge. Glancing aside, Gohan whispered to Ranma, “Hey, I think we need to fall back for a moment.”“Nah, I think as long as we take out Taro quickly, we may be able to handle the two of them,” Ranma countered.“It’s not that, it’s something else.”“What something else?”“I’ll explain later, but first, we’ve got to get out of here.”“Okay, okay, fine. Got a plan?”“When I say now, close your eyes.”None too privy to their whispering, Taro finally let loose and sprinted, headfirst to the duo, letting out a bellowing “Moo!”“Now!”Ranma did as he was told and closed his eyes as Gohan put his hands aside his face. Tao’s optics zoomed in on Gohan as he quickly recognized the stance. “Wait, that’s the-!”“Solar Flare!”The area lit up in a blinding flash as Gohan called for Ranma to run, as did he. Taro was disabled by the light and wound up dashing head first into a random rock formation as Tao shielded his eyes. Though initially stunned by the flash as well, his optics quickly adjusted and his vision returned sooner than normal. Unfortunately, the two young fighters were nowhere to in sight, though Tao was undeterred.“You may be able to run boys, but you can’t hide.” He proclaimed.Taro picked himself up out of the rock, just as Tao seemingly materialized onto his back. “Get up Pupil, they can’t have gone far,” Tao noted.Nodding, Taro shook the debris off his body before branding his wings and taking to the air. Tao’s enhanced vision was able to pick up traces of the two’s movement, so finding them would be no issue at all. It was only a matter of how far they could manage to run in those few short seconds.[]With the two boys each boasting incredible speed, distancing themselves from the villains was an easy feat. Hiding in a wide open crevice, the pair took the moment to recuperate.“Okay Gohan, start talkin’. Why are we running?”“Before I answer, I have a question of my own about…Pantyhose,” Gohan replied.“What is it?”“By any chance, are his tentacles venomous?”Ranma raised a confused eyebrow. “I…don’t know actually…but why are you askin’?”“Well…believe me or not, I was holding my own against him pretty well. However, he wrapped his tentacles around me and out of nowhere, I just felt…very weak for some reason.”Ranma’s confused look quickly turned to one of empathetic dread. “Uhhhh…define ‘weak’? Are we talkin’ like, ‘I have a cold’ weak or somethin’ worse?”“I can’t really explain it but to put into perspective, I was holding his arms back and then he’s suddenly able to overpower me once he has me all bound up.”“Gohan, take off your shirt!” Ranma demanded.“Excuse me?” asked the confused hero.“It’ll make sense in a bit, and don’t make it any weirder than it already is, just turn around and take your shirt off!”“Okay…” dispelling his costume, Gohan lifted his civvies up and over his head before revealing his back to Ranma. “Uhh Ranma, what are you doing?”“Just hold still, I’m still lookin’.”“Looking for what?”Ranma remained silent as he continued to examine Gohan’s back. Ultimately, nothing seemed out of the ordinary and he let out a relieved sigh. “Phew, looks like you’re fine.”“Fine? Fine from what?”Ranma went on to give a quick rundown of his experience with the Ultimate Weakness Moxibustion and how he feared that Taro or the old guys MIGHT have gotten their hands on it somehow, which would explain Gohan’s sudden weakness. Because he found no marking on Gohan’s back however, that couldn’t be the case.The mystery of Gohan’s weakness spell remained open as Gohan brought the conversation back to Taro’s tentacles potentially being venomous, though Ranma quickly discounted that theory, noting that if he was venomous in any way, it’d be something he’d use a LOT more often (Although, he didn’t fully dismiss the possibility as Taro could always learn new tricks). They’re brainstorming would ultimately end when a large shadow cast itself over their heads.Glancing up, the two could make out a large four-limbed silhouette above them. “Guess that means they found us,” noted Gohan.“You wanna make a fast-break again until we can figure out what’s wrong with you?” asked Gohan.Raising his fist, Gohan sternly replied, “Not a chance,” before reactivating his costume. “I admit, I may have taken this guy a bit too lightly, but now that I know what he’s capable of, I intend to end this quickly. Whatever he did to me before, I’m not going to let it happen again.”“Dude, you can’t really take them both by yourself!” exclaimed a surprisingly reasoned Ranma.Flashing his impromptu partner a confident grin, Gohan gave a thumbs up and replied, “Just watch.”[]From Taro’s back, Tao continued to scan for their two charges. ‘They should be somewhere right around…’
“SNORT!”
“What’s the problem pupil-GAH!?”Tao’s question was silenced by the large chimera suddenly charging straight ahead. Recovering from the shocking motion, Tao was prepared to scold Taro, until he glanced ahead and saw Great Saiyaman floating motionlessly.Kneeling, Tao grasped Taro’s fur for dear life. “I admire your enthusiasm, but don’t waste your time with this one!” he ordered.Ignoring the call of his elder, Pantyhose Taro continued zooming straight for the cross-armed Saiyaman, his horns front and center. Aside from the blowing of his cape, Saiyaman remained still, making no attempts to either dodge or defend Taro’s upcoming attack. Seeing this as his big chance, Taro straightened his wings, increasing his speed, and with a hearty snort, he rammed straight through Saiyaman…but felt zero impact.As the confused chimera turned back around, he saw the image of Saiyaman vanish like a mirage, and Tao let out a sigh. “I knew it. An afterim-!”
THWAM!
Tao leapt off the giant beast as he was struck squarely in the dome of the head by a hefty dropkick. His consciousness fading in and out, Taro was unable to keep himself airborne and quickly found himself fluttering down to ground level. Lucky for him though, he was able to steer himself away from the numerous rocky pillars and kept himself from crashing. Tao on the other hand, landed gracefully on a pillar behind the behemoth.‘This is starting to get a little concerning. He was able to ground our pupil with a single blow. A sneak attack, but one strike, regardless. Not only that, but he even knows the Taiyo-Ken and the afterimage. Just who is this boy?’Taro’s descent finally stopped and he rubbed his sore head just as Saiyaman landed behind him, quickly accompanied by Ranma who gave an impressed whistle. “Not bad. I won’t say sorry for doubtin’ ya, but I will say I’ll probably start listenin’ to ya more.”“Thanks I think…” Gohan chuckled.Reaching into his shirt, Ranma pulled out a capsule. “Now, what’s say we make things a bit easier for us and…?”
BLAM!
“GAAAAAAGH-!”Ranma keeled over, clutching his injured hand as a familiar yellow light struck it, making the capsule fly away in the process. “No, the hot water!”“I knew it,” came the familiar voice of Mercenary Tao. The elderly assassin leapt over the two young fighters to rejoin his partner in crime who was beginning to recover from Gohan’s earlier attack.Less than pleased at being sucker punched (or kicked in this case), Taro once again prepared to charge at the two, but was halted by Tao raising his hand.“Hold it boy, there’s something I want to ask him first,” Tao pointed to Saiyaman.“Me?”“Yes. You said a while ago that you knew me?”“You know him?” asked Ranma.Gohan silently cursed himself for letting that nugget of information slip while he was in costume, but ultimately shrugged it off. “Yeah. I don’t know if you’ll recognize me, but we did meet before.” Removing his helmet and cape, Gohan stared Tao in the face and the elderly cyborg put a hand to his chin.“I admit you do look vaguely familiar…almost sort of like…!” as realization began to set in, Tao’s expression quickly dropped from confident smarm to worried panic. ‘Wait a second…!’ Tao slowly but surely began recalling the times earlier today he heard a certain name, and why it gave him such unease. “Kid, what’s your name?”A cocky smirk forming on his face, the unmasked hero replied, “It’s Gohan. Son Gohan.”‘Gohan…? Wait…! I REMEMBER NOW!!’ Tao’s face went from worry to full on fear as his body trembled, retreating behind Taro. “N-n-n-no…No…! Why…? Why…does this keep…HAPPENING!?”Both Ranma and Taro looked at the crumbling Tao absolutely dumbfounded. “Well…that was unexpected…,” noted Ranma.Annoyance evident on his face, Taro pulled out a sign and quickly smacked Tao in the head with it. “What the hell is the problem Old Man!?”“That kid…the one he wanted…he didn’t tell me it was the son of Goku!”‘He?’ Gohan mentally noted.“Who the Hell is Goku, and who the Hell cares who his father is!?” “Doesn’t matter! What does matter is, I’m pulling out of this operation! I’m not even getting paid for this bullshit, so I sure as hell don’t intend to put my neck on the line dealing with that family of freaks!” Tao proclaimed.Taro’s response was an angered, full bellied “Moooooooo!” just as Tao began sprinting away. The elder assassin paused in his retreat. Turning back to Taro, Tao glanced the beast square in the eyes and the two shared what seemed to be a silent agreement. Returning to the battlefield, Tao’s earlier fear vanished as he regained his usual cool demeanor.“I’m ashamed you had to see that side of me, but I don’t intend to let either of you leave with the memories of my fear,” Tao proclaimed.“Dude, what’d you do to him?” asked Ranma.“Me personally? Nothing, but apparently he’s terrified of my father for some reason.”“Your earlier attack was just a lucky shot!” Tao proclaimed. “I don’t know how you and your father are so inhumanely strong, but this time it won’t matter, for I have my own inhuman force of strength!” Tao raised his hand aside and as if introducing himself, Pantyhose Taro began to flex. His animalistic muscles bulged with each pose, his wings stretched and flapped elegantly, his tentacles took on the grotesque mystique of their original owners before Taro leapt in the air and finished his routine with a strongman pose, all his extra limbs stretched out.A baffled Ranma was about to speak up but held his tongue when Gohan stepped forth. “My father’s strength comes from his endless desire to better himself. Mine however, comes from my endless devotion to protecting this world!” Gohan struck a pose, thrusting his hand across his body as he continued. Spinning on his heel he struck another pose as he continued his intro. “Sometimes I’m a scholarly student, other times I’m a caring son and older brother, and sometimes an affectionate boyfriend, but my truest identity is…!” Pressing the button on his watch, his costume disappeared before reappearing, his cape and helmet back in place. “The ally of justice who does not tolerate kidnappers and assassins! I am…The Great Saiyaman!”
BOOOM!”
A small explosion went off as Gohan struck his finishing pose, leaving all present eyes flabbergasted. Tao was completely motionless, while Ranma had the biggest look of embarrassment on his face.‘This is the worst Kamen Rider I’ve ever seen…’Pantyhose Taro on the other hand had a small, but notable twinkle in his eye after witnessing Gohan’s performance. Sensing the intrigue, Gohan flashed his current rival an approving nod, before the two retreated to their respective partners.“Gohan…please don’t tell me you do that in public…” Ranma lamented.“No…I sort of made that up on the fly. When this is over, I’ll show you my standard routine.” Gohan said proudly.“How has Videl not left you?”“What…what’s that supposed to mean!?”“Well, I do enjoy a showman, but it’s time for the curtain to fall. Pupil?”Taro nodded and reascended into the air, with Tao quickly hopping back on his back.“So, it’s a sky battle they want huh?” grinned Ranma.“Maybe…but why do I have a feeling that’s not what they’re going for?”“Huh?” Glancing back up, Ranma noted that all 8 of Taro’s tentacles were spread wide, bathing the area in a wide shadow. The shadow lessened as the tentacles slowly moved forward and the tips on them began to glow. It didn’t take long for the pair to realize what was about to happen.“You gotta be shi-!”“Move!”Grabbing Ranma by the collar, Gohan zipped away from the shadow as a barrage of Dodon Blasts showered down on them.“Seriously!? He can fire from his tentacles too!?” yelled a frustrated Ranma.The silent Gohan continued to dash and warp away from the yellow light rain remaining on the defensive. ‘Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem for me, but I have to keep Ranma safe. He’s fast, but I doubt even he could avoid something like this.’“That’s right fools, run! Run like the vermin you are!” Tao taunted with a vicious cackle.[Meanwhile]A panting Akane hid behind one of various rocky pillars as Shen continued to glide overhead.“Come out little girl. Don’t you want to play with old Uncle Crane?” he taunted.‘I would…if I could somehow hit him from here…,” she lamented.“You can run, but you can’t hide for long.”From her hiding spot, Akane saw the old master landing atop the peak of one of the various pillars. ‘What’s he doing?’Shen extended both of his index fingers and they began to glow. Tiptoeing on his right foot, Shen then began to spin in place. “Dodonpa!”From both fingers, Shen fired the Crane’s signature technique, over and over repeatedly and indiscriminately blasting everything within the immediate radius. Akane ducked for cover but quickly found herself having to flee when a stray blast shattered her hiding spot. Hoping he was too busy spinning to notice her, her hopes were swiftly dashed when the energy bullet-hell ceased just as quickly as it began.“Gotcha!” Leaping from his perch, Shen swan dived straight for the retreating Akane. While she had wanted him to get closer, she was in no position to deal an effective counterattack so her only option for now was to keep running until she could get him back on the defensive.Shen quickly cut off that hope with another Dodon Ray. Firing right between Akane’s legs, the resulting backlash was enough to stumble the girl and make her fall. Seemingly caught, Akane’s only defense was to protectively raise her arms up as the Crane School elder swooped down to grab her.Instead of the fabric of a gi, or the flesh of a young girl, Shen’s hand came into contact with…an umbrella?“What the-? DOOOF-!”Shen was forced back as the tip of the surprisingly heavy tool jammed itself in his forehead. The wielder of said tool revealed themselves to be a tall, yellow clad, bulky young boy. “I don’t know who you are, but I won’t let you lay a finger on Akane!” he proclaimed.“Ryoga!” Akane gleefully beamed.The lost boy rested his umbrella on his shoulder, flashing a toothy smirk. “Looks like I got here just in time.”“I’ll say.”ShenPicking himself up, Shen fixed his disheveled crane hat before dashing back to the pair. “You…who are you and where did you come from!?” he demanded.“Ryoga Hibiki prefers not to converse with kidnappers, but because I’m a man of honor, I’ll tell you.” Pulling a microphone out of his shirt, Ryoga recounted his arrival.
[Moments ago]
Ryoga wandered aimlessly around the rocky valley, following a hand-drawn map that, as usual, led to nowhere.
“Akari and I had gotten separated shortly after my last return to Nerima and I tried desperately to find her again. Crossing mountains, forests, and even a swamp, I eventually found myself in this cavern.
Zipping straight into a random rock formation, Ryoga began to dig his way through using the Bakusai Tenketsu. After digging for what felt like a half hour, he soon found himself met with what felt like…a metal plate? Confused on what it was and why it was there, Ryoga ultimately ignored it and continued to blast through with the Breaking Point. Upon bursting through the metal and rock, Ryoga soon found himself in a room that looked extremely technology heavy.
“What in the…? Where am I now!? This doesn’t look anything like any of the usual places I wind-AGH!”
Ryoga fell face first on the cold floor as he stumbled upon some unknown object. Turning back to curse the thing for tripping him, Ryoga’s eyes widened as what tripped him revealed itself to be an unconscious young girl chained to the floor, and not just any girl. A girl that Ryoga was well familiar with.
“You…you’re Akane’s friend! The one with that weird, perverted, but strong boyfriend!” Ryoga quickly stumbled over his words trying to recount her name, stammering out every feminine ‘V’ name he could think of until finally he remembered. “Vital…Vidle…Videl…RIGHT! Your name is Videl!”
Quickly patting himself on the back for remembering, he examined the unconscious Videl and took note of her rather ragged look. “Hey…are you alright?” Lifting her head up, Ryoga received no response. Thankfully, she was still breathing so she was still alive, but there were still so many questions to answer.
Before he could ask any of those questions, the room shook as a loud BOOM was felt, even from inside the metallic room. “What was that?”
Rushing towards the door, Ryoga punched the metal seals away and from a distance could make out the silhouette of a familiar, large, winged beast.
“Is that…Pantyhose Taro!?” Ryoga gasped. Turning back to Videl, Ryoga started piecing everything together. “Now I get it…that demon bastard kidnapped you, didn’t he?” Strolling back to Videl’s unconscious form, Ryoga raised a finger and jabbed it into the chained anklet, shattering it. With her now being freed, Ryoga hoisted the unconscious girl on her back.
“I’m sure that boyfriend of yours is probably going nuts trying to find you. Apologies for stealing your glory Son Gohan, but I’m going to be the hero today. I suppose it’s the least I could do to repent for my earlier mishap.”
Ryoga returned to the lab entrance, intending to leap from the large perch, but he halted when a bright flash of light from just to the side, caught his eye. It was closer to the lab than Taro was, so Ryoga was able to make out the scene below. A scene consisting of an airborne old man chasing after a girl. Upon closer inspection, Ryoga’s narrowed eyes widened as he quickly recognized the girl being pursued.
“AKANE!!”
[Present]
A cross armed Ryoga nodded as he finished his tale. “And that’s how I ended up here.”Shen and Akane remained still taking in Ryoga’s story. The awkward silence was ended by Akan who asked, “Uhh Ryoga, what did you do with Videl after you came to save me?”The cocky lost boy froze stone cold as he realized his massive error. “Uhhhhhh…?”“She’s still in their hideout!?”“Yeah…but she’s free to leave now since I broke the door and the chain she had on her,” Ryoga chuckled.Shen sighed. “Well…she has already served her purpose so I suppose letting her go isn’t much of a loss at this point…” putting a hand to his chin, he continued pondering. “Then again, it’s probably best to keep her here to ensure that caped fool stays put. So excuse me children, but I have to…”Shen was cut off by Ryoga’s umbrella driving straight into the ground in front of him. “Well that was rude. I let you finish your story. The least you could do is let me finish speaking.”“My rescue may not have been perfect, but I’m not letting you undo it!” Ryoga proclaimed.“Well said Ryoga. Keep him busy for me would ya!?” calling back to him, Akane dashed off amidst the rocks.Shen quickly attempted to pursue her but was halted by the whizzing of Ryoga’s bandana blade barely nicking his moutache. “I won’t let you touch her,” Ryoga sternly announced.Shen grit his teeth. “I’m getting sick of playing these stupid games with you whelps. I’m done fooling around. I’ll take care of you quickly and capture the girl in due time.”Ryoga raised his index finger and Shen followed suit, his own glowing. After a tense stare down, neither of them daring to make a move, Shen aimed at Ryoga and fired his Dodonpa while Ryoga dug his finger into the ground launching shards of earth at the Crane Master. The thin beam tore a straight path through the rock and shrapnel but couldn’t prevent it all from reaching it’s target. Similarly, Ryoga couldn’t avoid getting hit with the deadly beam, though he was fortunately able to keep it from hitting a vital area as it struck his arm.“GAH!” ‘Damn…that burns…lucky it didn’t pierce my skin though.’“Wait…why does that technique seem so familiar?” Shen asked aloud.“Here, take another look!” Bounding at the bird-headed fighter, Ryoga threw his hand down right in front of Shen who instinctively backed away from the lost boy’s strike. The sudden attack was enough to catch Shen briefly off guard, making him unable to fully avoid the Breaking Point’s impact. Unfortunately for the grounded Ryoga, Shen continued to rise higher and higher beyond the range of Ryoga’s technique.“Your technique is impressive boy, but while the Earth may be your weapon, it’s useless against a man who walks across the skies!” Shen taunted.‘He can fly too?’ Ryoga chuckled as he recalled his previous bouts with both Videl and Gohan. “You’re right Old Man. My Bakusai Tenketsu can’t reach you up there…” Ryoga then cupped his hands together in front of his body and a blue ball of light began to form. “…but I bet this can.”Shen’s eyes widened as felt the young fighter’s energy rise. ‘No way…that technique looks just like his! But it can’t be…can it!?’“Take this! Shishi Hokodon!!”Thrusting his hands, Ryoga fired a wide blue beam at his airborne opponent who gasped before ascending out of the blast’s path.Following his hearty evasion Shen breathed a sigh of relief. ‘So, that wasn’t the Kamehameha. Still, to think that a whelp in this day and age would know a similar technique…then again, we did teach the Dodonpa to Taro.’“You wanna play this game old man? Let’s play!”Raising a glowing index finger, Shen swooped down, replying, “With pleasure!”[Elsewhere]Beneath the lightshow that was the two ensuing battles, Akane kept herself out of the crossfire as she continued sprinting through the rocky paths. ‘I probably should’ve asked Ryoga where…what am I thinking? I’d be in an even worse position than I am now. Still, since Ryoga was able to see everything, that means their hideout has to be close by. I just wish I had some kind of sign to find-.’ “OOP!”Akane’s thoughts froze as she hit the ground, tripped up by what seemed to be…a large metal plank? “The heck is this?” Examining the thing, she flipped it over to reveal what looked to be a handle. “A door? Wait!”Recalling Ryoga’s story, Akane looked up a large rocky mountain. Backing up, she spotted what looked to be a cave in the side of it. “Bingo!” Quickly smacking her cheeks, a determined Akane leapt upon the rocky formation and grabbed onto its rough surface, pulling herself up bit by bit.[Back with the guys]Gohan and Ranma continued to zip around the rocky terrain as Taro fired Dodon Rays from his myriad of tentacles. With the latter now clinging onto the former’s back, Gohan was able to keep them ahead of Taro’s blasts, though with his concern of keeping Ranma safe, there was little to no room to counterattack.“Hey Gohan, you got any ideas to get us outta this!?” asked Ranma.“I could try and fire back at them but…”Ranma facepalmed. “Oh DUH! Okay, you keep flyin’ I’ll blast em’ down!”“Ranma?”Turning up towards their massive enemy, Ranma raised his arm and called out, “It’s counterattack time. Moko Takabisha!” From Ranma’s hand came a yellow beam that Taro had to dart backwards to avoid, nearly throwing Tao off.“Whaa-!? Oh right. I nearly forgot that boy also has a special technique of his own.” He quietly noted.With Taro stunned, the energy rain finally ceased, giving the guys the opening they needed. “Now’s our chance!” Quickly turning back, Gohan flared his energy and zoomed right for Taro.Though the giant was able to recompose himself, his resulting counterattack would prove useless as Gohan, with Ranma surfing on his back weaved through a tangle of tentacles with beams added courtesy of Tao. Taro’s last attempt to grab Gohan with his elastic appendages failed as the heroic pair vanished from sight.“Where did they go!?” Tao immediately scanned the area, but saw nothing. In the next instance, an intense beeping filled his ears as his optics once again protruded. “Wait, is that…?”
“Mmmmmmmmmmo!!”
“Gagh!”After an intense flinch, Taro froze in midair, his wings ceasing to flap and his tentacles falling limp.“What’s wrong boy!?” asked Tao.Taro could only mumble in response but made no movement. Tao climbed atop Taro’s body, resting at his head before glancing down to see his eyes practically bugging out of his bull-faced head. Looking slightly ahead, the assassin was then met with a smug faced Ranma flashing him a V-for Victory sign and Saiyaman with his fist buried deeply in Taro’s gut.“No…this can’t be…!” Tao muttered, fear present in his voice.“That’s not all pal,” taunted Ranma.“What do you mean?”“Ain’t you wonderin’ how a guy with wings is still floatin’ while his wings ain’t even movin’?”A short second later, Tao realized Ranma’s implication, but held his ground. “No matter. You think I can’t recover from a few stories high fall?”“Uh pal, I don’t think you realize how high up we really are,” Ranma noted.Scanning the area around them, Tao’s expression grew blue as he realized, not only were they much further up than a few stories high, was nothing for him to safely land on. Clutching his metallic dome, Tao screamed in frustration upon realizing their decision to attack Ranma and Gohan from a distance had backfired, mentally cursing himself for never learning his brother’s signature technique.“Tell us where Videl is, and I promise I’ll let you both down gently,” Gohan replied. “If not…”“You wouldn’t!”“Wouldn’t I?” to make his point clear, Gohan retracted his fist and Taro began to inch backwards.“Why you…!” Tao quickly aimed his Super Dodonpa at the two, and Ranma’s response was to casually cross his arms behind his head.“Hey man, you can shoot that if you want, but remember what happens if he gets knocked away. You sure you wanna take that chance?”Tao’s firing arm quickly grew shaky as he was now covered in a cold sweat. The stare down continued as Gohan retracted his fist even more and Taro once again inched back. Finally, Tao fell apologetically to his knees. “Fine…I give up…I’ll…tell you where she is. My brother and this freak be damned! I intend to live through this!”Both Gohan and Ranma smiled, the latter tauntingly adding, “Now was that so hard?”Tao sneered as Ranma let out a victorious chuckle and Taro’s large body began slowly descending to the ground.“Before we touch down, would you mind telling us where Videl is?” asked Saiyaman.Tao mumbled an incomprehensible statement and Saiyaman froze. “What was that? I couldn’t quite hear you.”When Tao failed to respond, Ranma hopped off Gohan’s back onto Taro’s head to confront him directly. “Yo Gramps, ain’t you hear what he said? Tell us where Videl…!”“Hyaaaaagh!”Tao lunged at Ranma with his blade out and ready. Though surprised, Ranma was able to react in time to stop his attack, grabbing him by the wrist. “Wow…that was kinda pathetic.”“You okay Ranma?”“Fine, but I don’t think these two will be.”“That’s my line boy,” Tao sneered.“What’s that supposed to mean?”“NOW!”Before either of them could realize what was happening, Taro clamped his giant massive hands around Gohan, squeezing him tightly.“Gohan!”When Ranma turned back to check on his friend, Tao quickly poked the barrel of his blaster into Ranma’s chest. ‘Dammit!’ Stepping aside, Ranma was ultimately unable to avoid the attack, though he did manage to keep Tao from hitting a vital area, instead getting blasted through the shoulder.“Gaaaaagh…!!”“Damn, I missed. And at point blank too. How shameful.” Tao chuckled.Ranma clutched his bleeding arm as Tao stood over his weakened form. “You could’ve lived had you decided to walk away from this, but now you and Goku’s son will both meet your ends.”“I wouldn’t count on that.”Ranma and Tao looked down to see a panicking Taro try desperately to close his hands over Saiyaman who was pushing his hands back.Realizing what was likely to happen next, Tao retreated from Ranma quivering. “This…can’t…be…happening…!”With a hearty yell, Gohan’s aura exploded, blasting Taro back and knocking both Tao and Ranma off him. Snapping down, Gohan grabbed his injured friend by his good arm while Taro caught Tao and proceeded to descend.“Are you okay?”“I’ll be fine, but do you think you could do the dramatic hero thing a little quicker next time?” Ranma snapped.“Sorry. I’ve been trying to prolong this fight, until they either told us where Videl was or she’d recovered enough that I could sense her presence, but I think that ship has sailed. It’s obvious at this point that we’ll have to find her the old-fashioned way, so it’s time to end this fight.”“For sure,” Ranma concurred. “But look on the bright side, maybe Akane’s found her by…!”They both gasped as they remembered their third teammate was currently fighting alone against someone who’s suspected to be a much superior fighter.“Crap, we forgot about Akane!”“Give me a second!” Gohan closed his eyes and opened his senses, attempting to find Akane’s energy. Instead however, his senses were attracted to two powers much higher than Akane’s, though with some extra focusing, homed in on hers not too far away.“I can feel Akane’s presence that way!”“Wait, you can sense her from this far away? How?” asked an intrigued Ranma.“I’ll explain later, but she’s not the only one I can feel. Someone else is there besides that Tao’s brother,” Gohan informed.“I’m not sure, but it feels…familiar for some reason…Wait!”Gohan and Ranma were both drawn to yet another blast lighting up the sky. With the energy now fully expelled, Ranma was able to get a feel of it as well. “Okay, even I felt that one…!” His eyes lit up as he too felt a familiarity with it. “And I’d know a chi that heavy anywhere. That’s gotta be Ryoga!”“Ryoga? Why would he be here?”“Moron probably got lost again, but if he’s here, then I’m sure he’ll keep Akane safe…”Ranma paused after making the statement and Gohan had no immediate response. Finally he awkwardly replied. “Well if you think that…”“But…I should probably get over there to make sure he doesn’t screw anything up!” Ranma quickly added.“O…okay…if you say so…” Gohan gently descended before letting Ranma down. “I’ll catch up with you guys once I’ve finished dealing with these two.”Ranma nodded. “Normally I’d try and discourage you from doin’ this but since you’ve actually fought the Old Guy before, I’m gonna trust you know how to beat him.”Gohan smirked. “You might say that.”“Okay then. Go and…OH! Wait!”“What is it?”“I almost forgot about my thermos!”“Thermos?”“My mom suggested I start bringin’ a thermos with me so I could change back whenever my curse activated. I pulled out my capsule with it, but the old guy shot my hand and made me drop it.”“I get it. You want me to find it so I can turn Taro human again.”Ranma nodded. “You’re probably gonna have to go through a lot of rocks to find it, but if you ask me, it’ll totally be worth it.”“Got it. Just leave those two to me, now go and help Akane and Ryoga.”Ranma sprinted off before leaping off one of the rock formations and dashing between the pillars, leaving Gohan alone. Taking a deep breath, Gohan ascended.‘Sorry Ranma, but you’re going to have to buy a new thermos.’ Bathed in a white aura, Gohan jetted off after the retreating villains. ‘I know Ranma was just trying to help, but I can handle Taro, even in his cursed form. It’s time to stop playing around and end this.’“Tao! Taro!”At the sound of their names being called, the pair turned to see Saiyaman fast approaching, his fists outstretched as if poised to attack. Terror in their eyes, Taro straightened his wings to increase his speed, but was ultimately fruitless as Saiyaman blasted ahead and rammed straight into Taro’s back, driving him straight into the ground, and Tao was subsequently squashed by Taro’s massive hand on impact.“Gaagh…!”Tao cried out in pain as Taro let out a weak “Moooo…”Saiyaman stood triumphantly over Taro’s deflated form while Tao pushed his hand off him. Before he could try and escape, Saiyaman fired a small blast, signaling him to stay put.“It’s over you two.” He declared. “We’ll find Videl on our own soon enough, and when we do, you two are going to tell us everything.”“What do you even want to know? We took the girl to lure here, simple as that!” Tao yelled.“Maybe, but why were you even after me in the first place?”“Ask him!”Gohan looked down at a dazed Taro and a bead of sweat rolled down his face. “I…don’t think that’s possible right now.“Tough luck kid, cause he’s the one who wanted you so badly,” said Tao.“You’re lying.”“Huh?”“I remember earlier, you said “He” was the one who wanted me, and you weren’t referring to Taro.After a moment of thought, Tao inwardly cursed himself as he recalled his verbal slip up. The hired hand still refused to give an inch.“You want answers, you’ll have to get em’ from him. As for me…” Tao reached into his shirt and pulled out what seemed to be a grenade. When he tossed it up, Gohan instinctively went to grab it on the way down. To his surprise, the bomb detonated not with a bang, but a flash, or rather a flash bang to be precise.Though stunned by the initial flash, Gohan’s eyes were shielded from the optical assault by the visor on his helmet and he was able to make out Tao zipping away. “They always run, but I won’t let you escape this time!”Gohan leapt off Taro to pursue Tao, but would find himself forcibly yanked back down as his leg was bound by one of Taro’s tentacles. “Fine big guy I guess I’ll take care of you first…!”As Gohan spoke, his hand was quickly bound before all 8 of Taro’s tentacles wrapped around his body completely encasing him. With a sharpened glare, Gohan raised his energy, and prepared to blast Taro back when once again, his power suddenly dropped when Taro’s tentacles bound his lower body.‘A…again…!? W-why…!?’Gohan’s confident vigor was soon replaced with genuine worry as he felt his strength fade until the point where he couldn’t even struggle against Taro’s bindings, let alone raise his power level. Before long, Gohan’s vision began to fade.‘Maybe…I should’ve taken Ranma’s advice….’The last thing Gohan could remember before completely blacking out, was the enraged face of Taro snorting at him, as well the name of his beloved other half.‘Videl…!’[Meanwhile]Sprawled across the cold, dusty ground of a hidden cave, a fit, petite, female figure could be seen laying unconscious as the world around her was engrossed in pure chaos. Despite all the madness happening below her current position, a single sound had managed to find it’s way to her ears, or rather, straight to her mind; the sound of her own name, from a very familiar voice.“Go…han…?”
A/N: In regards to Taro’s tentacles potentially being venomous, I did a Google search and, as it turns out, all octopi are indeed venomous. Probably wasn’t common knowledge back when Ranma was being written, but imagine Taro being poisonous on top of the rest of his curse’s…features. That’s kind of terrifying.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
Defeat Taro! Rescued to the Rescue
Taro let out a triumphant snort as his tentacles wrapped tighter around Gohan’s body. Despite his best efforts, Gohan couldn’t summon the strength to break free. ‘Why…why is this happening…? Why can’t I…fight back?’Though he’d continue to struggle to no avail, Gohan’s mind began racing a mile a minute, desperate to find the source of his prevalent weakness spell. The only conclusion he could come to was his aforementioned poison theory, but even that was starting to feel farfetched.‘Maybe…if I transform I can…’ Instead of relying on muscle, Gohan attempted to raise his power level, but that too seemed ineffective. ‘It’s no use…’ Still considering venom, GOhan quickly abolished the thought of trying again, recalling the effects of Super Saiyan on an ailing body.Seemingly satisfied with his capture, Taro proceeded to fly off with the still struggling Gohan entangled in his extended limbs, in the direction of the Cranes’ hideout.[Meanwhile]Ranma bounded through the rocky region, an irritated scowl on his face. ‘Don’t think I’m gonna let you upstage me Ryoga. If you try anything with Akane, I’m gonna…!’Ranma’s thoughts and sprint paused as a familiar shadow glided overhead. Looking up, Ranma quickly recognized it as Pantyhose Taro. “The Hell’s he goin’?” Examining the behemoth, Ranma gasped as he saw a familiar figure dangling from Taro’s tentacles. “Is that…Gohan!?”Once Taro passed, Ranma sighed. “Dammit…it’s my own fault. I shouldn’t have left him alone…and I’m guessing he didn’t find my thermos capsule either…oh well. Guess I’ll let Ryoga have this one.”Hopping atop the rocky pillars, Ranma chased after the Jusenkyo ‘Demon’, calling out to him. “Get back here you Stocking Suck-Up!”A vein popped on Taro’s forehead and he turned to spy Ranma bouncing after him. Aiming two fingers at the pigtailed fighter, Taro shot a blot of ink at Ranma that he was easily able to avoid. He did however, fail to notice the second pool of ink that was right in his landing space, and would proceed to slip on the black puddle and slide face-first into a rocky pillar. With Ranma seemingly disposed of, Taro beat his wings faster and ascended higher.“Wait, get back here!” Ranma quickly fixed himself and continued to bounce after Taro, but with him flying higher, catching him was turning into a more severe issue by the second. ‘Dammit…I gotta get higher! But where do I…?’Thankfully, Ranma’s trek would lead him to some higher rocks that could potentially get him in range of Taro. He just had to be quick. Summoning all the strength he could, Ranma launched himself full speed at the largest rock and upon tapping the rugged surface with his feet, bounced up it’s length before doing so again and again until he reached the top, just in time to meet with an approaching Pantyhose Taro.‘Hang on Gohan, I’ll save ya!’ Cupping his hands together, Ranma prepared to fire a Prideful Tiger Blast at his flying foe, but Taro was quicker on the draw, firing a massive Dodon Ray from one of his free tentacles. Ranma braced himself for impact but was bewildered that the blast wasn’t aimed at him. His confusion would be quickly quelled when the ground before him began to rumble.“Oh God…DAMN-!”
CRAMBLE!
“Gyaaaagh...!”Ranma yelled as he fell toward the dusty ground, but before he could make it, a long, ropelike tendril grabbed him, keeping him in the air. With a deadpan expression, Ranma said, “I’m guessing he didn’t save me outta the goodness of his heart?”His question immediately getting answered, Ranma was spun around before getting flung into a massive boulder that crumbled on impact. Coughing amidst the dusty debris, Ranma picked himself back up, clutching his arm. His earlier injuries from Tao were beginning to act up thanks to Taro’s last attack. Thankfully, Ranma was still well enough to keep on his feet, backed up by his infamous tenacity.“I ain’t done yet ya freak!” he yelled flipping Taro off.With a snort, Taro dived at Ranma who quickly raised his guard before leaping over his giant attacker. As Ranma flipped over Taro, his gaze sharpened as his eyes fell over the defeated form of one Son Gohan wrapped snuggly in his tentacles.‘I gotta get him outta there!’ Twisting himself in the air, so he was now upside down, Ranma prepared to fire another Prideful Tiger Blast at Taro. Before he could launch it however, Ranma could feel something at his ankle. It felt like a hand. With a yelp, Ranma was hoisted upside down, his firing pose broken.“Sorry boy, but we don’t need any of that now, do we?” Glancing up, Ranma gasped to see Shen, sneering at him.“Where the hell did you-!?”“Oh pupil, looking for him?” Shen called, cutting Ranma off.Taro glanced behind him and smirked as Ranma was haphazardly chucked by Shen in his direction. Before he could fix himself, Taro’s tentacle lashed out at Ranma. Though he managed to dodge the initial attack, he was ultimately snagged, again by the ankle, and whipped about into a giant rock formation.Dazed and in pain, Ranma was unable to retaliate against Taro fully coiling his tentacles around him. Satisfied that he’d now captured his two targets, Taro raised his arms victoriously, letting out an enthused, “MOOOOOOOOOO!”“Well done Son,” Shen praised with a slow, yet sincere clap. “You’ve done well to honor our wonderous academy. Since the red one was your own personal foe, you’re free to dispose of him how you wish, but as soon as we deliver the green one, I promise you will be-!”
“Lion’s ROAR!”
The villainous duo dashed away from each other as a beam of light passed between them. The source of said beam was an angered, Ryoga Hibiki sprinting straight for them.“I finally found you old man!” Ryoga exclaimed.“Ryoga…?” Ranma weakly asked.“How!? How did you find us!?” barked Shen.“I may have gotten lost in those rocks, but you can’t get rid of me that easily!”[Moments ago]
Ryoga was raging at his elderly opponent. Every jumping attack he threw would merely be swiftly avoided and Ryoga would find himself getting counterattacked by either a swift kick or a blasted from the Dodon Ray. Shen’s aerial mobility kept him at a blatant advantage, and even though Ryoga could counterattack with his Lion Roar Shot as well as other projectiles, the Crane Master was just too quick to land a clean hit.
“Would you get down here and fight like a man you coward!?” Ryoga fumed. ‘Even Ranma isn’t this evasive in our fights, and he’s man enough to fight me on even ground. Or at least, not go places where I can’t catch him.’
“You’ve only your juvenile persistence to blame! If you weren’t such a sturdy whelp, this fight would’ve been over long ago!”
“If you weren’t such a damned chicken this fight would’ve been over long ago!”
“Chickens can’t fly you idiot!” Shen snapped.
Ryoga growled at the insult and lifted his umbrella. Holding it like a javelin, he prepared himself to throw it at the Crane master before suddenly pausing. ‘Wait a second…’ Glancing to his trademark weapon, Ryoga flashed a toothy smirk before strapping his umbrella to his back. Cupping his hands together, Ryoga aimed downwards and shouted, “Lion’s Roar!”
In a dusty burst, Ryoga launched himself skyward at his elderly foe who once again floated aside to avoid Ryoga’s head on attack.
“This charade is getting very old,” Shen groaned.
“Lion’s Roar!”
A familiar flash of light shone down from above, startling the bird-headed hermit and colliding with his chest, knocking him down, but not out of the sky.
“What in…how did you…? WHAT!?”
As Shen fixed himself, his eyes fell on the form of Ryoga, seemingly hovering mere meters before him. One hand aimed at Shen revealed a strand of smoke while the other was attached to the handle of his opened umbrella, slowing his descent to a crawl and keeping him airborne for the moment. “You may be able to fly old man, but you’re not the only one commanding the skies anymore!”
Shen growled, his irritation finally at its peak. “I’m done with this!” Dashing straight for Ryoga, Shen launched a midair side-kick at Ryoga. The lost boy was able to dodge by closing his umbrella, quickly dropping before reopening it to regain his airtime.
“You’ll have to do better than that to…GAH!”
Ryoga hastily pulled his hand back in pain, his palm suddenly scorched red. “What happened to…?” Ryoga quickly let out a sharp, quiet swear as he realized his fatal mistake. A heary yell was heard as Ryoga plummeted to the Earth below, while above the umbrella stood Shen, twirling along with the took as both he and it descended gracefully.
“That should take care of him for the moment. Now, let’s see how the boy’s holding up…but first.”
Increasing the umbrella’s rotation with his foot, Shen kicked it away as it parasailed through the sky. As intended, the enraged Ryoga, who had recovered from his meteoric fall, chased after his trusty weapon before disappearing amongst the rocks in the area. Satisfied with his distraction, a floating Shen coolly glided away opposite Ryoga’s direction, a twisted sneer on his face.
[]
“I don’t know what you did to make me lose my umbrella the way you did, but fortune shone down by leading me right back to you!” Ryog proclaimed.“Oh…I get it. You tried to make him get lost, but it actually brought him to where he wanted to be. Ya gotta love irony sometimes, huh?” commented an impressed Ranma.Shen clenched his fists and teeth in irritation. “We’ve no need to waste any more time with the likes of you! We have what we came for, plus a bonus. If you wish to take the girl back, go on and do so, she’s of no use to us now.”“She’ll be fine, but I do request you release those two,” Ryoga pointed to Taro’s captives.“We’re willing to release your red friend, but the green one stays with us,” Shen replied.“Wait!” Ryoga halted. “If we’re bargaining, I’ll let you keep Ranma and return Gohan.”“The Hell kinda savior are you!?” snapped Ranma.“Gohan takes priority since I owe him a debt. You’d be merely an unwanted bonus Ranma,” Ryoga snarked.“Why you…!”“No deal boy. The green boy, the one you call Gohan is an essential prize for us. Still, if you intend to continue to oppose us, then we have no choice but to do…this.”His eyes completely soulless behind his shades, Shen tossed a capsule and in a puff of smoke, revealed a singular pistol.Ranma couldn’t help but gasp. He knew Ryoga was durable, but even he couldn’t take a bullet unscathed at point blank range. “Ryoga!”“Don’t insult me Ranma. You really think I can’t dodge a simple gunshot?”“We’ll see about that boy.” Shen raised his weapon, eyes fixated on his young target. Ryoga’s own gaze matched the intensity of the Crane Hermit as the two of them engaged in a stone-cold stare-down.Time seemed to slow as the two enemies remained fixated on nothing but each other. The one to make the move was Shen who’s finger slowly squeezed down on the trigger. Noticing the minute motion, Ryoga quickly dove away from the gun’s barrel.“Too slow!”In an incredible display of speed, Shen appeared to have vanished before reappearing right in front of Ryoga’s path of motion. The Eternal Lost Boy barely had time to gasp as the trigger was pulled and his world turned dark not with a bang, but a squirt.“Dammit, wrong gun! Huh?” Shen’s confusion turned to sinister delight as he laid eyes on a whimpering, small, black piglet right where Ryoga used to be. “Well…what have we here?”[]Efforted grunting could continually be heard as Akane hoisted herself up the rocky cave inch, by inch. ‘Almost there!’ Sure enough, she was nearing the opening where presumably, those metal doors dropped from. If that drone from before was any indication, the kidnapping Cranes’ hideout was nearby, and presumably so was Videl…at least she hoped so.‘Dammit…Videl, you better be up here, cause I swear if I climbed this damned rock for nothing I’m going to…!’
CRRRK!
Akane gasped as her hold began to crumble. “No, no, no, no, no, no…!” Scrambling to find a new hold, Akane hopped up to grab another edge, but unfortunately, it too crumbled beneath her.“Kyaaaaa-!”Akane screamed out as she rapidly began to fall, and right near the edge of her goal. All the youngest Tendo could do was swear inwardly as she felt the wind sail past her body. Normally she’d wish one of her companions would save her, but realizing how unaware they were of her current predicament, she knew the chances were beyond slim. She could barely even find a grabbable ledge that seemed it could hold her, at least not after that last attempt.Akane’s feared gaze resigned to one of acceptance as she prepared to resign herself to fate when suddenly, nearly before she could even start falling, she stopped. She could feel a hand grabbing at her leg as she’d been falling upside down and instinctively, she placed her hands in front to keep her dress from falling (rising?).“Well…I admit you weren’t the first person I expected to see,” giggled a familiar female voice. Glancing up, Akane’s face beamed with joy at the sight of her savior; the one she came to save.“Videl! You’re alright!”“Depends how you define alright,” Videl joked. Pulling Akane up onto stable ground, the two girls tumbled over each other before Akane trapped the former kidnappee in a tight embrace.“Agh…arm-!”Akane quickly disengaged, apologetically raising her arms. “Sorry, sorry. I’m just glad you’re okay.”“Okay’s a bit of a stretch but likewise, I’m glad to see a friendly face,” Videl eased.“Still…it is a little embarrassing to get rescued by the kidnappee you’re trying to save.”“Ranma’s not going to let you live that down, is he?”“Not if he doesn’t find out about it.”“Gotcha…although speaking of rescuing, you didn’t come here alone, did you?” asked an alarmed Videl.Akane nodded. “Of course not. The boys are somewhere out there dealing with Pantyhose Taro and the old guys.”“………Ummm…excuse-?”“The guy who kidnapped you. His name is Pantyhose Taro.”Videl opened her mouth to speak but Akane cut her off. “Long story short, he was named by Happosai and according to some law, only Happosai can change it.”“That…that’s so unfortunate.”“Never mind that now! We have to get back and help them,” Akane urgently noted. “I don’t know how Ranma and Ryoga are faring against the old guys, but either way, it’s going to take all of us to beat Taro!”“Ryoga?”Akane nodded. “He got lost…again and found this…whatever this place is. You were chained up before, right? He’s the one who set you free.”Realization striking, Videl looked down to her ankle and noted that while the shackle was still there, the chain had indeed been shattered. ‘Oh yeah. I didn’t even think about how that happened!’“Guess we’re even now,” Videl giggled. “But Akane…where’s Gohan?”“Gohan went to fight Taro alone. I remember watching them fight and he had the upper hand, even against Taro’s cursed form, but I didn’t see how it ended because the old man in the bird hat attacked me,” Akane answered.Videl looked out over the horizon, a stern but noticeably concerned expression on her face.“What’s wrong?”“Call it intuition but…”“You think the guys are in trouble?”Videl nodded. “I don’t want to believe that because I know Gohan’s way better than that…but I just can’t help but feel…”Videl silenced herself when Akane put a hand on her shoulder. “Whether Gohan’s in trouble or not, you’re not just going to sit here and wait for him, are you?”Her eyes brimming with determination, Videl firmly responded, “Not a chance! I may have been out of commission for the bulk of this fight, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still get a little payback!”“Right, but where should we go?” asked Akane. “Ryoga’s fighting the bird hat guy, and Ranma’s fighting the old guy with the helmet so I think they’ll be fine on their own. We need to find where Taro and Gohan are.”The two stepped over the edge, surveying the area around them. Despite the battles that should’ve been taking place, the area seemed suspiciously quiet.“No good. I can’t see anyone from here.” ‘I’ve got to get Gohan to teach me how to sense people.’ Videl lamented.“You’d think Taro wouldn’t be hard to miss in his cursed form.”“Then maybe he’s in human form?” Videl suggested.“Possible, but doubtful. He wasn’t the last time I saw him, and I don’t know where the guys could’ve gotten hot water from.”“Hmmmm…then let’s try a real bird’s eye view.” Taking Akane by the hand, the two girls floated up past the crevice in the rock until they reached the structure’s peak. Peering down, they were finally able to view their main target.“There he is!”Sure enough, even despite the distance, Pantyhose Taro was smack dab in plain sight. From what they could make out, it looked like he was calmy flying away.“Where’s he going?” asked Akane.Videl’s face grew worrisome, “Where are the boys?”“They probably had to fall back. I bet he’s searching for them. Why else would he be flying so casually like that?”“I don’t know, but whatever’s going on, we’re not letting him get away!”“Right!”Nodding to her partner, Videl descended into a swooping dive, jetting straight for the cursed, chimeric, kidnapper, a vengeful glare flashing in her eyes.[]Atop Pantyhose Taro’s furry back, Crane Master Shen grinned as the wind gently blew against his mustache. “Well, that was certainly an experience. I hadn’t expected any youngsters from outside of Roshi’s school to be so…potentially capable. Still, all good things must come to an end, wouldn’t you say boys?”Ranma grunted as he fruitlessly tried to free himself from Taro’s tentacles and Ryoga rustled about trying to break out of the sack Shen had tossed him in. Gohan could only fire a harsh but weakened glare at the Turtle School rival. “Where…are you taking us?”“I’d prefer not to spoil the surprise, but let’s just say, you’re going to be met with an old…acquaintance of mine.”“Acquaintance?”“Yeah…although…we do still have to find that AWOL brother of mine so that trip may be delayed.”Taro let out a haughty snort before raising a sign that read, “Your brother can find us! I’m not waiting anymore!”‘Waiting for what?’ thought Gohan.“Yo Pantyhose!” called Ranma. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with…!?”Ranma was silenced as Taro smashed his side upside the Saotome Heir’s head, silencing him.“Thank you boy. Any who, I suppose you’re right. You’ve done well and deserve your reward. We can look for Tao later.”Taro gave a pleased snort as he continued flying. With the Crane duo so fixated on their apparent victory, they failed to notice the flying figures approaching them from the rear.[]“There he is!” Akane repeated.“Good!” Videl raised her power as much as she could, dashing after the bovine behemoth. Once they’d gotten close enough, the heir to the champ let out a distressed gasp at the view of Ranma and Gohan wrapped up in Taro’s tentacles.‘What in the-!?’ “No…no way…!”“Videl? We’re slowing down. What’s the-?”“GOHAN!” Calling out to her boyfriend, Videl hastily accelerated, startling Akane and throwing the element of surprise out the window.“Vi-del?” As he whispered her name, his gaze shifted to behind Taro where Videl, Akane in hand was rapidly approaching them. ‘She…she’s alright!’ he inwardly relieved. ‘I just wish I could say the same for myself. Dammit…why…can’t I power up…?’With newfound determination, Gohan once again attempted to raise his power level, but once again to no avail. Still, he continued to struggle against his tightened bindings. After a few precious seconds, he managed to free his arm and attempted to pull at Taro’s tentacles. With his faded strength however, a fruitless effort. To make matters worse, he wasn’t the only one now privy to their imminent arrival. Shen and Taro both turned to the duo and let out a less than interested sigh.“Oh yeah, nearly forgot about them. Well, lucky us, we won’t have to waste time with this perfect little distraction.”“What distraction?” asked Ranma.Shen looked towards the sack before turning to face the girls directly. Once they were at equal level, Shen flashed the girls a sinister smirk.The pair were about to go in for an attack when Shen raised the sack. Remaining cautious, the girls hung back, preparing for what they expected to be some sort of counterattack. Instead, he peeled the tip of the sack down, revealing its content.Their gazes falling onto a familiar dark ball and Videl’s eyes lit up. “Wait, isn’t that…?”“P-CHAAAAAN!” Akane cried.Pleased by the girls’ reactions, Shen raised the squealing piglet and chucked him off of Taro’s back.“NOOOOOO!”Breaking out of Videl’s grasp, Akane instinctively reached for her pet, diving after him, Videl subsequently doing the same for her. With the girls distracted, Shen turned back to Taro and said, “Floor it boy.”With a nod, Taro spread his wings and flapped them hard, zooming away from the rocky region in a huff.“Okay, I don’t like Porky that much, but that was just low,” Ranma stated.“It’s part of something an old ‘acquaintance’ of mine likes to call ‘Anything-Goes Style’,” Shen gloated.‘Anything Goes?’ “I knew it! Yo Pantyhose, whatever he’s promising you, he ain’t gonna-!”Taro’s response was to whip Ranma around before headbutting him, knocking him cleanly out.“Ech, that one’s prattling was getting quite grating. I can see why you don’t like him.”[]The freefalling Akane reached for her ailing pet, who in turn reached back to her with his tiny hooves. Unfortunately, the ground was getting closer as well.“Almost…almost….”Twirling into a midair somersault, Akane grabbed P-Chan by the hem of his suspiciously familiar bandana, snuggling him against her chest. “GOTCHA!” For a brief moment, the duo were elated to be reunited that their current predicament was merely an after thought. Thankfully, Videl finally managed to catch up with the two and safely land them on the ground.“Oh I’m so glad you’re okay!” said a relieved Akane. P-Chan happily squealed in response.“Yeah, but how’d he even get here?” asked Videl.“Never mind that, we have to find Taro quickly!” Akane proclaimed.“Right…but…which way did they go?” Videl asked.The group began to scan the skies with no sign of the cursed kidnapper anywhere in sight. “No, no, DAMMIT!” Videl swore. “Did we really let them get away?”“No, we can probably still catch em’ if we book it now!” Akane replied.“But book it in which direction?”The two continued to banter back-and-forth, unaware of the piglet wandering away. P-Chan was about to dash off when a small glimmer caught his eye. Before he could approach it, he was quickly scooped up by Akane.“No wandering for you mister,” she reprimanded.“You’ve caused us enough trouble for one day. The last thing we need is to save you a second time.”P-Chan began squealing frantically, pointing his hoof in a random direction.“What’s he doing?”“I don’t know? Maybe he’s trying to point us towards the guys?”The two continued surveying the area until they too spotted the mysterious shine. “What’s that?” Videl bent over the small sparkle revealing it to be a capsule.Turning back to Akane, the Tendo heir simply nodded. Nodding in response, Videl opened the capsule revealing a familiar container.“Hey, that’s Ranma’s thermos!” Akane noted.“He must’ve dropped this to give us a clue where they’re going!” Videl guessed.“Nah…he’s not that bright,” Akane discounted. “He probably dropped it by accident. “After all, why would he intentionally throw it away when he could just use it to change Taro back…to…normal…?”The girls turned to each other in delightful realization.“You know…even if Ranma did drop this by accident….”“Who says it still can’t point us in the right direction?”The placement of the capsule wasn’t exactly a decisive clue but it was the only one they had. They HAD to take the chance. With no other options, the girls once again interlocked hands before taking off, hopefully after the kidnapping Cranes.[]Shen let out a yawn as the uneventful flight rolled along. With Taro long since decreasing his speed after escaping the girls, there was little to do in terms of entertainment, until a soft moan rang through the air.“Uggh…what happened?” groaned Ranma.“Oh, so you’re finally awake again, eh boy?”“…We’re still not wherever you’re takin’ us?” asked Ranma.“Nearly, but I suggest you keep that mouth of yours shut. My pupil is eager to wrap up our little errand, but given his attitude towards you, I don’t think he’d mind a quick detour to silence you permanently.”Taro gave an emphasizing snort, while Ranma’s expression flattened. As he scanned the nearby air, his eyes came across a familiar sight approaching their captor. “Heh, about time they came to the rescue,” he muttered with a snicker.“What’s so funny?” asked Shen.“Oh nothing…just this moron’s train of thought,” Ranma taunted.Taro growled before shooting Ranma a dirty glare. “I dunno why he wants Gohan, but he ain’t gonna give you watch you want Pantyhose, so you’d be better off just letting us go and gettin’ lost.”Taro growled as Shen added, “What are you speaking of boy?”“I could tell you…but I’d rather wait until AFTER the girls get here.”“The girls…? Wait!” Shen quickly whipped around to find Videl and Akane once again on route to intercept them.“No…how did they find us? And so quickly!?”A listening Taro raised his free tentacles, aiming them all at the two girls. “Heads up Videl!”“I see em’!” Videl was prepared to dodge a barrage of tentacles, but was caught off guard by a familiar, thin, beam of light firing from the tendril.“Wha-!?” Videl swiftly ascended, the blast barely missing Akane. “Okay…wasn’t expecting that.”“Guess I missed that part of the fight,” Akane joked.The tips of Taro’s tentacles began to glow and Videl ascended again, avoiding the continuous fire of Dodon Rays. “We’ll never save the guys unless we get in closer!” Akane stated.“No offense, but it’s a little hard to maneuver like this,” Videl countered.“Then let’s switch things up.”Seeing the girls seemingly hanging back, Taro briefly ceased his assault on Shen’s orders, taking the moment to assess their next actions. Seconds later, the girls were once again in hot pursuit of the giant chimera, this time with Akane on Videl’s back, giving the pseudo Z-Fighter the freedom she needed to get really aerodynamic.“Here they come again! Fire!”Taro once again unleashed a barrage of blasts at the duo. With their new pose, Videl was able to much easier avoid the attacks while advancing their pursuit. Though it took a deal of effort, they managed to get close enough to Taro to finally counterattack, though Shen was determined to keep that from happening.“No you don’t!” Adding to the offense, Shen aimed his finger at the two girls and prepared to fire the Original Dodonpa. Before he could unleash the blast however, his vision was obscured by the rapid poundings of tiny hooves.“Gaagh-!” Shen quickly tried to free himself of the little black obstruction while Akane was more than a little bewildered at how her tiny pet’s behavior.“P-Chan? How…when did…?”“Guess he wanted a bit of payback too. I don’t think he liked being tossed out of the sky earlier,” joked Videl.“Speaking of tossing…” Videl turned to a winking Akane, quickly understanding her implication. With a hearty ascent, the two locked hands before Videl dove into a midair flip and with all the strength she could muster, hurled Akane right at Master Shen who’d finally managed to remove P-Chan from his face.“Why you little…!”“Don’t you DARE!” striking with a midair tackle, Akane halted Shen’s second attempt to discard the little piglet who, in term perched himself on Akane’s head as she attempted to keep him pinned down.“You disrespectful whelp! Pupil!”Taro raised his tentacles to assist his mentor, but before he could attempt to grab Akane, they were swiftly blown back by a small sphere of energy, courtesy of the still airborne Videl, her hands cupped together.“Akane, the capsule!” Videl yelled before dodging another grab attempt.“R-right!” Akane quickly reached into her shirt and pulled out a capsule, quickly uncapping it to reveal Ranma’s thermos.Shen’s eyes quickly grew wide as he knew what this would mean for Taro. “No!” With a hasty grunt, Shen shoved Akane off of him, making her drop the container. When he reached to grab it, he was once again lightly pummeled by a furiously squealing P-Chan.“You filthy…!”Akane quickly reacquired the Thermos and got to work unscrewing it before she was beamed in the head by her own pet, staggering and dropping the thermos yet again, this time, off of Taro’s back.“No! Videl, the thermos!”With a nod, Videl dove down and luckily caught the cylinder, but not without her ankle just barely getting snagged by Taro’s tentacle. “I got…dammit….!”With a panicked yell, Videl was whirled around before Taro slammed her into his own back, specifically into a defensive Akane who was focused on Shen. With the two girls recoiling from the impact, Taro then lifted them up with his tentacles, pleased to see their barely conscious forms drop the meddlesome container one last time.Unbeknownst to him however, the thermos wouldn’t hit the ground, but would instead land in the gloved hand of his first major captive. Realization flashed across Gohan’s face. Though his second hand was still wrapped in place, Gohan would still be able to unscrew the thermos with his thumb, thanks in no small part to Akane loosening it. Gohan urged himself to move faster when he heard Shen let out a snicker.“Well little ladies, you’ve caused us quite the ruckus. I should just throw you off, but in addition to this one being able to fly, I think you two will make a nice little bonus.”“Bonus?” groaned Akane.Shen’s expression turned notably dour before he dismissively replied. “Don’t ask. Trust me you don’t want to know.”“Know what?”“Patience. I promise you’ll find out soon…!”Shen paused as the hairy ground beneath him completely vanished and both he and his treasured pupil hovered in the air while their captives fell into a swift descent.“…enough…” Shen finished.“What the hell happened!?” Exclaimed Taro.The girls managed to compose themselves, Akane grasping onto a floating Videl before glancing back at a bewildered Shen and Taro“Look! Taro’s human…again….”Everything froze as both girls turned beet red and Taro glanced downward, realizing that since he’d just come out of his cursed form, he was completely naked.Akane and Videl shrieked, shielding their eyes, as did Taro before darting away, ashamedly calling out, “DON’T LOOK AT ME!!”“Get back here you fool!” Shen chased after his exposed pupil.Once the noise had died down, the girls opened their eyes to find that Shen and Taro had both disappeared.“Well…of all things that happened to me today, that was not something I was expecting to…” Videl was cut off by a fierce whoosh, blasting straight into Videl, nearly knocking Akane off her back.“Whaa-!?”Recoiling from the shock, Videl found herself being tightly held not only by Akane, but from a an ecstatic Gohan, who had the biggest relieved smile on his face.“Gohan….”“Videl…I’m so glad you’re alright!”A light red tint on her face, Videl returned the hug wholeheartedly and replied, “Likewise.”“Ummm…excuse me,” Akane interjected. “I’m sorry to break up your guys’ reunion but…where’s Ranma?” Akane asked.Gohan’s face lit up. “Gah! I almost forgot about him! I’ll be right back!” With a sense of invigoration, Gohan let his power flare, blowing the girls back a bit before blasting downwards into a vapid descent. ‘Huh…my energy feels normal again!’ he mentally noted.[Meanwhile]A hysteric Pantyhose Taro continued to zoom away from our heroic group with Shen in hot pursuit. “Will you get back here you moron!?”“Not until I get some clothes on dammit!”“Did you forget I can turn you back to your monster form!? As soon as you put the clothes on, they’ll be destroyed again!”Taro immediately halted in the air and let out a calming sigh. “Apologies…I was…swept up in the moment.”“Good, now just hold still. They may have caught us off guard, but we’re not leaving without that green goober!” Shen reached into his robe, pulling out the same gun from earlier. “I knew there was a reason I brought this thing along. Just to be safe, Sehn shook the gun and confirmed the sound he wanted to hear: the swooshing of water. Finally, Shen pointed it at Taro and fired.[]A similarly hysteric Ranma could only flail helplessly as he descended faster and faster towards the earth. Sure he could keep himself afloat a little longer with his Tiger Blast, but that wouldn’t amount to much when there’s nothing to land on or rebound off of. He continued to rack his brain, trying to find a way to save himself until he found himself safely in the grasp of a warmly smiling Gohan.“Are you alright?”A pouty Ranma crossed his arms before replying, “Fine, except my pride….”“Well that has a…familiar ring to it…” Gohan chuckled.“Gohan!”Turning to his name, Gohan saw the girls approaching them, Videl with a rather estranged look on her face. “What’s wrong?”The two girls pointed upwards revealing a furious Pantyhose Taro diving straight at them, Shen once again surfing atop his head, his finger already primed to fire his school’s signature attack.“This guy just don’t know when to quit, don’t he?” snarked Ranma.Gohan rather crudely tossed Ranma into a flustered Videl while Gohan floated above them, his expression unreadable behind his bang.“Gohan?”“Videl, I’ve been holding myself back because I needed him to tell me where you were,” Gohan began. “A big mistake since, while I don’t exactly know how, he had a way to take me out of commission.”“Dude, what are you…?” Gohan’s monologue continued, cutting off the confused Saotome.“But…since I know you’re safe and sound now…” Gohan’s lips slowly twisted upwards as he was quickly revealed to be wearing a stern, yet rather sinister looking smirk on his face. “…There’s no reason for me not to cut loose anymore, is there?”“What does that…?”Videl and the Nerima fighters were once again blown back by a small surge of Gohan’s energy. With a fierce yell, Gohan let his power spike before blasting off straight for Taro and Shen.“What the…!? Where did all that Chi come from!?” asked Ranma.‘And where was it when he was wrapped up before?’ Videl mentally added. ‘I know he said he was holding back, but something doesn’t seem right here.’“Chi or not, we’d better go back Gohan up before he gets himself caught again!” said Akane.Videl flew off after Gohan, though not at the invigorated speed one would expect of someone worried for their better half.“What’s the holdup Vi, fly faster!” Ranma complained.“Don’t make me drop you.”“Sorry…though now that I think about it, you still owe me a flyin’ lesson!”“Ask me again in a chapter or two.”[]There was near silence in the empty void of this rocky wasteland. The silence would be shattered by the enraged moo of a crazed flying beast, diving for a group of airborne adolescents. One of those teens however, would meet the monster head on, flying straight towards it.The monster’s rider, glared at their green-clad opponent, his finger aimed straight towards him. “You’ve caused us quite enough trouble you clown. He just wants you, he never said you had to be alive!” Taro once again pointed his tentacles at the rapidly approaching Saiyaman before also raising his finger. On Shen’s command, the two of them fired blast after blast of the infamous Dodonpa, Gohan seemingly vanishing between the blasts, avoiding them effortlessly. Taro once again attempted to grab Gohan with his tentacles, but having learned from his past mistakes, Gohan wasted no time in grabbing the first tendril and swinging it and them around, tossing them in the direction of the spectator trio, who barely missed Taro’s falling form.”[]“Whoa…!”“The hell did Gohan do to make that happen?” asked Ranma.His question would go unanswered as a familiar green blur whizzed past them after Taro who seemed to be recovering. Once Taro regained his awareness, he quickly fired a Dodonpa at Gohan who subsequently vanished from sight.“Dammit, where did he go?” asked Shen.“Ka…me…”Shen and Taro both scanned the area, Shen’s expression shifting from confusion to cautious anger. ‘No…it can’t be…!’ Shen could never forget those infamous syllables.“Ha…me…”The pair finally found their target above them, a blue sphere of light visible beneath the sunlit glare.“It is his technique!” Shen snarled. ‘Hmph. So, he is one of Roshi’s boys, eh? Well that’ll make it all the more sweeter when my newest star pupil blows this green clown out of his cape!’ “Get all those tentacles up there boy, I want to see the largest Dodonpa ever fired!”With a snort, Taro aimed his finger and all 8 tentacles in a single massive stream. Shen in turn added his own power to the blast with a tenth Dodon Ray. The yellow rays all converged into a single massive burst, rising right for the still charging Gohan.His unwavering expression was only met with a single thought. ‘This is for Videl.’ “HAAAA!!” With the single furious yell, Gohan let loose the Turtle School’s Legendary technique, instantly overpowering the Multi-Tiered Dodonpa.“What!? No-no-NOOOO!!” Shen let out a fearful holler while Taro was determined not to give up. Pouring more energy into the blast, Taro desperately tried to repel the Kamehameha, letting out a desperate, throaty ‘Moo’ all the while. Ultimately it would all be in vain as he and Shen were completely engulfed in the blue light.Videl, Ranma and Akane finally caught up only to shield their eyes in the face of Gohan’s overwhelming energy attack.“The Hell is that light?”“Is that…Gohan?”Videl only gave a small smile as the light finally died down revealing Gohan, still in his firing pose, his palms smoking. On the ground below lay an unconscious Pantyhose Taro with Shen’s twitching arm seen among the sprawled-out form of his tentacles.Floating back at attention, Gohan let out a soft exhale before starting a soft descent. When he and the others finally touched ground, all he had to say was, “It’s over.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
A Dangerous Deal; Anything Goes Crane Style
Gohan let out a relieved “Phew!” as he glanced over Pantyhose Taro’s unconscious form. His ease would only grow stronger as Videl sauntered up beside him, wrapping her arm around his waist. He returned the action by throwing his over her shoulder.“Is he…?”“Don’t worry, he’s still alive,” Gohan reassured.“Think we should do something about that?”“Ranma!” the couple snapped.“All joking aside, we should probably change him back to human form before he comes to,” Akane suggested.A bashful Gohan placed a hand behind his head with a hesitant chuckle. “Sorry but, I think I lost the thermos. After I changed him back before, I sort of threw it away because I was so focused on Videl at the time.”“Wait! Here it is!” Ranma called to the others. Sure enough, his thermos wasn’t far from their position. It was however heavily cracked from the long fall. Thankfully, there was still some water left inside. Whether or not it was warm enough to trigger a Jusenkyo curse was unknown. The answer came soon as Ranma dumped the miniscule remains of his now broken thermos onto Taro’s face. May have been just barely, but it was warm enough to turn the giant hairy beast back to his human form.“Well, that was fortunate for once.” Ranma proclaimed. No sooner had the words left his mouth did the thermos completely shatter into pieces. “…I had to say something, didn’t I?”Following the splash, Taro awoke to find himself atop an unconscious Shen, with the heroic quartet stood triumphantly over them.“You…!” Taro attempted to launch an attack, but quickly crumpled to the ground, devoid of energy.“I wouldn’t do anything strenuous if I were you,” said Gohan. “Even if you were in your chimera form, taking a blast like that would wipe anyone out.“No…I can’t…I can’t stop…here!” Taro once again attempted to prop himself up only to shakily fall to a knee. “I have…to beat you…!”An unimpressed Ranma quickly knocked Taro on the head, rendering him unconscious yet again. “Man…I ain’t never see him keep going this long after getting his butt kicked. He really thinks the old freak’ll keep is word.”Videl and Akane, who’d been averting eye contact with the still naked Taro turned to Ranma following his proclamation. “The Old Freak?”“It’s just a hunch, but come on Akane, you know anything else that would make Pantyhose fight this hard?”Akane pondered briefly before concurring Ranma’s theory. “Yeah, it does make sense…but can you please find him some pants before we start grilling him!?”[Later]Taro, covered by a familiar red cloth, once again awoke to the two martial arts couples. Once again, he attempted to lunge at Gohan. This time however, it wasn’t fatigue that stopped him, but his partner. Turning back down, Taro found himself handcuffed to the now stirring Shen.“Wha…wha happun?” muttered Shen.“You two were just about to answer a few questions for us,” Videl proclaimed.Shen’s expression immediately sharpened. “You’re wasting your time. Our lips are sealed!” Taro was similarly dismissive, not saying a word.“You sure we can’t convince you to change your mind?” Videl clenched her fist.“I’m down to try,” Ranma added, cracking his knuckles.“Easy guys,” Gohan quelled.All eyes turned to the hybrid who had a surprisingly jovial expression on his face. “These two may not want to tell us what we want to know, but I know someone who will.”All went silent until Ranma’s face lit up. “Oh, do you mean that robot head guy?”“Oh yeah, I forgot about him!” added Akane. “Where is he anyway?”“He bolted, but he’s not too far away. I can feel his energy getting further though, so I’ll make this quick.”“Wait, are you talking about my…?” Shen’s question was cut off by the whooshing burst of Gohan’s energy as he shot off into the sky.[]Through the rocky terrain, the infamous assassin tore through the land, before finally skidding to a halt. Revealing a capsule, Tao opened it to reveal a large stone column. “Glad I decided to start bagging this thing. Finding a suitable mount just isn’t what it used to be these days.”Picking the pink stone up, Tao hurled it as hard as he could, launching it far and high into the air. With a hearty huff, he leapt onto the column, riding it like an airborne surfboard. After a moment of ease, Tao allowed himself to relax with a relieved sigh. “Easy now old boy. Once this old thing lands, it’ll all be over and you can go about your business looking for jobs that WON’T involve that freak of nature Goku or his family.”“I wouldn’t say that exactly.”Tao whipped his head around searching for the source of the new voice. His search would cease as the pillar abruptly halted in midair, the whiplash actually throwing Tao off it. His resulting scream was similarly swallowed as he was hoisted by the collar.“D-d-d-don’t tell me….” With a shameful expression, Tao looked up to see a smugly grinning Gohan, his opposite hand clutching the pillar.“Guess who?”Pure defeat shone on Tao’s face as he dejectedly turned to the ground. “I really shouldn’t be surprised at this point.”[]Coughing up the resulting dust, Shen continued. “If he thinks he can find that useless younger brother of mine, he can be my guest. Even if he does, there’s no way Tao will tell him anything!”“I dunno old timer. He seemed pretty freaked when Gohan introduced himself,” Ranma countered.Shen huffed. “Tsk, my brother may be a failure when it counts, but what he isn’t is neither a coward nor a squealer. He won’t tell him anything.”As soon as Shen finished his sentence, Gohan returned, holding Tao by the collar. “Hey guys, our metalhead friend here has just agreed to have a little chat with us,” he announced.Shen looked up to his younger brother, shooting him the most disgusted glare he could muster. Tao could only glance downward in shame.[]Tao sat alongside his fallen Crane brethren as the young fighters began the interrogation. “Okay, so we’ve already learned that you kidnapped Videl to lure me out,” Gohan began.“But the real question is, who sent you after Gohan in the first place?” Videl finished.“A real cretin of a man,” Tao answered. “A gremlin so vile he makes that old Turtle fool look tame in comparison.”Ranma and Akane’s eyes both narrowed. “So I was right, it was the old freak Happosai after all!”Shen perked up at the mention of the name. “Wait, you know him?”Akane nodded. “He trained our fathers, and ever since, he’s been a constant thorn in everyone’s side.”Shen sneered. “Bested by the spawn of his disciples…I guess this is the price I pay for associating with that degenerate.”“You’re an assassin,” Videl pointed out.“He’s the assassin, I’m just a martial artist who’s not afraid to do whatever it takes to win!” Shen pointed out.The quartet turned flatly to each other. “I’m starting to see how you two worked together,” Ranma noted.“Don’t misunderstand boy! I never would even consider working with that bastard, had our agreement not been mutually beneficial.”“Mutually?”“Care to elaborate?” asked Videl.“You’ll have to ask him,” Shen motioned to Taro.“Well Pantyhose, you gonna spill your guts or what?” taunted Ranma.“I’ve nothing to say to you crossdresser. These spineless geezers may bend at a single defeat, but I’m made of much tougher stuff than…!”Taro swallowed his words as he was yanked off the ground, Shen tumbling along. To everyone’s surprise, the one who dragged Taro up was Gohan, an uncharacteristically grim scowl on his face.“What, you think you can intimidate me?”“All I’m going to say is, remember what I managed to do to you while you were in your chimera form?”Taro’s eyes slanted, his mouth rising into a smarmy grin. “Remember what happened to you while you were entangled in my tentacles?”“Yes, but am I in your tentacles now?” Gohan countered.Taro glanced aside, avoiding eye contact as Gohan’s gaze narrowed and he continued. “I’m not the type of person who likes to make threats, but I am the type of person who always keeps his word, and I assure you, if you don’t tell us what we want to know, I’ll be more than happy to find out how well you can take my attack in your human form.”Tao inconspicuously whimpered beneath Gohan’s menacing tone while Ranma and Akane could only look on aghast.“Damn…!”‘Is it just me…or has Gohan been getting scarier lately?’ Akane mused.“Just tell him boy. There’s no sense in keeping secrets anymore…especially since they know the who,” Shen encouraged.With a sigh, Taro nodded and Gohan, in a move opposite what he just showed, let Taro down gently. Gohan released his own calming breath before retreating to his friends. To the Nerima fighters’ surprise, Videl began clapping. Slowly, but sincerely.“Not bad Gohan,” she praised.“So how’d I do Videl?”“For your first time playing ‘Bad Cop’, really well I’d say. You should probably do it more often.”Gohan shyly rubbed his head. “Ehhh…that might not happen much, for a number of reasons.”Ranma and Akane turned to each other, simultaneously thinking, ‘This is just a bit for them?’Once Taro and Shen were settled, Taro began recounting his most recent encounter with Happosai. “I received a not so anonymous letter by arrow mail. When I realized who the sender was, I was initially uninterested, but on the other hand, any situation that leads to me catching that filthy old creep is one I can get behind, so as per the letter’s instructions, I went to meet him.[A Few Weeks Ago]
On a cliffside in the dark of the early night, a cloaked Pantyhose Taro approached an expectant Happosai as he smoked a pipe. “So you decided to show up after all,” greeted the elder.
“Why did you call me here old man?” Taro demanded.
“My boy, I’ve got a proposition for you.”
“Tsk, whatever it is old man, you can shove it. I’ve no intention of making deals with you…but I will…!” Taro proceeded to pull out a bottle of water that was quickly knocked away by Happosai’s thrown pipe.
“Now, now, there’s no need for that. Trust me, you’ll want to at least hear me out before doing anything hasty.”
“Why should I?”
“Because if you agree to this and succeed, I can assure you will receive the two things you want more than anything else in this world,” Happosai grinned.
Taro dismissively crossed his arms. “I’ll admit, you’ve piqued my curiosity, but why should I believe your being truthful?”
“Patience boy. How this all goes also depends on the cooperation of an old acquaintance of mine.”
“Acquaintance?”
Happosai nodded. “He’s the one who can grant you the second thing you want.”
[]
“So I’m guessing one of these two was the aforementioned acquaintance?” asked Akane.“Yes. After an irritatingly lengthy trip, the old man led me to this old man and his metalhead brother. Our introduction and negotiations were…less than smooth.”[]
“Shen you old bean, how’s it been?”
“DODONPA!”
At the sight of the Anything-Goes Master, the Crane Hermit immediately fired his signature blast. “You’ve got quite the nerve to show your face around here you worthless pest!”
“Now, now, is that any way to treat your old classmate?” Happosai hysterically sobbed.
“Classmate?” asked Tao.
“He was a fellow student of Master Mutaito. Long story short, he didn’t last long because in addition to being the worst kind of cheater he was just the most irritating, being this side of that one annoying insect that always manages to escape you!”
Taro snickered at the chaotic exchange. “Well, seems like your infamy extends even to your oldest compatriots, eh old man?”
“Hmm? And who might you be boy?” Shen asked.
“He’s just a youngster whom I helped bring into this world, so he owes me a debt,” Happy grinned.
“I owe you nothing, but you owe all of us an explanation!” Taro demanded.
“You’ll get it boy, but first, why not let a couple of old dogs get reacquainted?” Happosai pulled out his pipe and lit it up before turning to Shen. “So Birdy Boy, I heard through the grapevine that your school wasn’t doing too hot. Ever since your best student defected and you over there,” he motioned to Tao. “…Were defeated by Roshi’s boy, there hasn’t been much going on at the ol’ Crane Academy. Is that true?”
Shen grit his teeth as his entire body tensed. “If you’ve come to make fun of me, get your laughing done with and be on your way before I’m forced to take action again!”
“No, no, I’m not here to tease. In fact, I’ve come to help you rebuild your school,” Happosai proclaimed.
“What!? You can’t be serious!”
“Oh but I am, and it all starts with him!” Happosai jabbed his pipe in Taro’s direction. “This one here, is to be your newest disciple,” Happosai announced.
“WHAT!?” came a unified trio of cries.
“I don’t know what you’ve been smoking in that pipe of yours shrimp, but if you think I’d train any student of yours, you’re sorely mistaken!” Shen proclaimed.
“Feeling’s mutual. I’ve no intention of wasting my time and energy with some decrepit , washed up has been.” Taro snapped.
“You’d better watch that mouth of yours whelp!” Shen retaliated.
“Or what old timer?” Taro taunted, crossing his arms. The pair began approaching each other, malice evident on both their faces.
“ENOUGH!!” Happosai quickly lobbed his signature firecracker between the conflicting fighters, forcing them apart. “Look, I understand this isn’t an ideal set up for any of us, but I can assure you, if we can all play nice for just a little while, we can all come out of this happy as clams.”
“What are you talking about?” asked Shen.
“We both know that you’re struggling to find students, and this boy here has loads of potential just waiting to be unleashed. And you,” Happy turned to Taro. “I know you’re always looking for ways to gain power. You’ve always relied on that curse of yours, but that can only get you so far! I think it’d do you some good to power-up the old-fashioned way.”
“Curse?” the brothers asked.
A twisted grin grew onto Happosai’s face. “You’ll get to see it in full force soon enough. For now, why don’t you lot get acquainted like true martial artists.”
[]
“After that, the boy and I began sparring,” Shen recounted their match as Taro was able to parry many of Shen’s own attacks. Though he was unsuccessful in counterattacking, the fact he could still keep pace with the Crane Hermit drew the old master’s attention.“Like Happy said, there was plenty of potential within him, and I could tell from the callous look in his eyes that he would definitely be right at home under the crane school. However, I was still less than interested in taking any of Happosai’s associates under my wing…until I saw his.”“His what?”“Are…are you talking about his actual wings?” asked Akane.Shen nodded with teary eyes as he recalled the battle.During the match, Taro managed to reclaim the bottle that Happosai had previously knocked away. Pouring its contents all over himself, he revealed his cursed form to the Crane Brothers. Needless to say, the two of them were more than stupefied at Taro’s great transformation, Tao attempting to hide his quivering. ‘First Goku, then his son, now this!?’
With his now superior size, Taro went on the offensive and managed to get Shen on the backfoot. He was however, still unable to land a solid hit, much less a decisive one due to his elderly opponent’s superior speed. That gap in maneuverability would get wider once Shen took to the air. Determined to keep up, Taro spread his wings and zipped after the Elder Crane. When Shen glanced at his beastly opponent, for a split second, time seemed to freeze for him as his gaze fell to Taro’s white wings.
“It was unmistakable…though attached to the form of a demon, those pure, white, crane wings were a true sight to behold!” Shen sobbed.“Wait…are his wings actually from a crane?” asked Videl.“Yeah. The thing that drowned in Pantyhose’s [“Don’t call me that!] cursed spring was ‘A yeti, riding an ox, carrying an eel and a crane’,” Ranma explained.“An…ox?” Gohan guffawed.“Does that mean anything to you?” asked Akane.“Let’s just say…that’s my Grandpa’s spirit animal.” He replied with a chuckle.“May I continue?” Shen interjected. “It may have been against my principles since Happosai was involved, but how could I say no to such a magnificent specimen? In the end, after seeing his potential for growth, as well as the power his curse granted, I agreed to take him on as the one to revive the Crane School to it’s former glory.”“Well, that explains you’re motivation, but I thought he wasn’t interested in joinin’,” Ranma pointed to Taro.Taro grunted before responding. “It’s true, I was in no way interested in whatever plans the old man had for his failing academy…but one thing made me reconsider.”“I’m guessing it was the Dodonpa technique?” asked Gohan.Taro nodded as he recounted his days of training with the Crane Brothers.[]
In an undisclosed forest, Taro repeatedly got thrashed around by a sneering Tao as Shen calmy observed sipping tea. Taro quickly reached for a stray container of water but was quickly halted by Shen and thrown back to Tao who struck him in the spine.
“Weeks and weeks of hell on earth, being unable to use my full power. The pain…the inner turmoil and humiliation! That’s something I’ll probably carry with me to my grave. The results however…were more than worth it.
Taro now fought Shen in midair as the two floated above the trees in the forest before exchanging blows with each other. It was clear Shen still held the advantage, Taro was now able to consistently land counters on the occasion Shen showed ‘AN OPENING!’ [A/N: Sorry, I had to].
Their clash would end with the two of them firing the trademark Dodonpa at each other, bathing the forest in a golden light.
[]
“To think…the power to fly in human form and a deadly attack that, when played to its greatest potential can kill a man in a single shot,” Taro sighed nostalgically. “I feel no shame in admitting that training with you was one of the best decisions I’ve made in recent memory.”“I’ll also say, it was nice to have a student appreciate my teachings again,” Shen replied with a sobbing tone.The young heroes all collectively deadpanned the hysteric duo before turning their attention to Tao who’d been silent to this point.“Okay…so given what we know thus far, there’s still something that I don’t understand; Why’d he send you after me in the first place?” asked Gohan.“He didn’t say why he was aiming for you all he said was,”
“Train with The Cranes, strengthen yourself as best as you can, because you’re going to need it for your upcoming battle.”
“What upcoming battle?”
“You forget, I summoned you to bargain. Here’s the deal. Once your training is complete, you are to fight HIM!” Happosai pulled out a newspaper showing a photo of The Great Saiyaman posing for the cameras.
“Who’s this?”
“He’s the one who stands between you and your greatest desire.”
Taro’s gaze narrowed before his expression illuminated. “You mean…!?”
Happosai nodded. “Yes. If you manage to defeat this Soyman in battle, I will allow you to choose a new name for yourself.”
Taro’s welling excitement paused. He knew Happosai too well. There’s no reason for him to do something this ‘generous’ without some ulterior motive. “What are you after Old Man? You promise me a chance to change my name and lead me to a master who could increase my power ten-fold, and you’re helping said master rebuild his fallen school. Everyone gets something out of this…except you. You wouldn’t do any of this unless there was some personal gain.”
Happosai sat down, his expression now fully serious. “Look here my boy. This Soyman character is a fool who likes to galivant around in some garish cosplay thinking he’s some sort of hero, but for all his ridiculous theatrics, he’s extremely powerful. I could feel his intense chi when we crossed paths, it’s beyond anything I’ve ever felt before. I don’t think it’s wrong for me to admit that were we to meet again, he’d probably end me. You on the other hand, have a great power that can overcome many a strong foe, you just need to cultivate it because as you are now, you can’t beat him either. After training with Shen however, there is a chance for you to overcome. What will I get out of it you ask? Only the greatest satisfaction of seeing that annoying otaku CRUSHED beneath the heel of one of my greatest students! REVENGE WILL BE MINE, SAWYERMAN! YOU HEAR ME!? MIIIIIIIINE! GAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
[]Ranma and Akane both nodded. “Yeah, that sounds about right for the old freak,” he confirmed.“No idea what you did to piss the old man off, but whatever it was, you have my respect,” Taro praised.“What did you do Gohan?” asked Akane.“I just stopped him from stealing…uh…well…?”“He was on a panty raid wasn’t he?”A flushed Gohan could only nod. “Yup, that’d do it.”“After that, he showed a picture of that girl and said she was our best link to get to you,” Taro continued.“Using an old, abandoned Red Ribbon Army lab as a base of operations, we plotted everything out accordingly. You’d be surprised how many of those are still scattered around,” Tao concluded.“The what army?” asked the unfamiliar heroes.“I’ll tell you about them later,” said Gohan.“I assume you know the rest.”As Taro concluded the explanation, everything went silent as everyone took the information in. “So, this whole thing was just one of the old freak’s revenge plots.”“I think this one ranks up there with the weakness moxibustion…at least in terms of scale.”At the mention of that event, Gohan was quickly reminded of an earlier conversation with Ranma. “Oh! I almost forgot, I do still have one-more question.”“And that would be?”“What did your tentacles do to me?”“What are you talking about?”“When you had me constrained, I couldn’t break free. I’ve broken through stronger bonds before, but your tentacles were different. It wasn’t just my being unable to free myself, every muscle in my body got weaker. Do your tentacles have some kind of numbing toxin or venom in them?”“Don’t be ridiculous! Octopi aren’t venomous, and even if they were, don’t you think I’d be abusing that power much more if I possessed it?” Taro snapped.“Are octopuses poisonous?” asked Akane.“I don’t know, Gohan’s the smart one,” Videl whispered back.“But then how…?”“Maybe you’re just not as strong as you like to think you are,” Taro taunted.“Aren’t you forgetting he beat you?” Ranma interjected.“For now, but the next time we meet will be different!” Taro proclaimed. “I may have lost today, but I’ll take the win soon enough!”“Well, I doubt you’ll be getting a second chance anytime soon, cause the three of you are going away for a long time!” Videl proudly proclaimed.Shen and Tao both chuckled. “Do you truly believe any mere prison cell can hold us?” Shen casually rose to his feet, revealing a pair of shattered cuffs in his hand.“Hey how did you…!?”“Should’ve seen that coming.”“But did you see this coming!?” Tao’s mechanical eyes shone against the setting sun’s glare before bathing the area in an blinding orange glow. When the light finally died, the Crane Elders were nowhere to be seen. Taro on the other hand, stood atop a rock formation, his arms crossed. “Hear this Saiyaman, sleep with one eye open because I shan’t rest until I’ve crushed you and claimed my prize!” Stepping back off the rock, Taro ascended in the air before flying off,“No you don’t!” Videl zipped into the air, but was halted by Gohan taking her by the wrist. “Gohan what are you…!?”“Let him go. I think after today, it’ll be a while before they even think about causing too much trouble again. Besides, if Taro’s really that determined, he’ll be back soon enough.”Videl nodded before landing and finally collapsing on the ground. “I’m not the only exhausted one am I?”“No, I think we’re all kind of wiped out,” Akane replied.“We have been through quite a bit today, haven’t we?” Gohan added. “Come on, let’s head home. I think your Dad is still freaking out.”After moments of recovery, the group finally made their way back to civilization, where Videl was warmly welcomed home by her father and best friend. Thanks to Buu, all the pain and fatigue of battle was swashed away for our young quartet.As promised, Mr. Satan received quite an alarming bill from the infamous fortuneteller. While he took his frustration out on Gohan, Ranma took the time to ‘play’ with a very curious Majin Buu. Long story short, their playtime didn’t last long as, after nearly a dozen ‘rounds’, Ranma was soundly knocked unconscious by the jovial Majin. P-Chan was reacquainted with Bee who was much friendlier to the piglet this time around. Finally, Videl took the time to introduce Akane and Erasa. One glance was all it took for Erasa to understand why Videl had taken such a fancy to her, and in Akane’s eyes, Erasa seemed like a fun enough person to hang around, though her extreme cheeriness (not to mention her endowments) did give her some small memories of Shampoo. All in all though, the two took the moment to introduce themselves further while Videl snuck away to find Gohan, who’d finally been let off the hook from Mr. Satan’s wrath, thanks to the timely arrival of Baba herself. Her search would lead her to, where else, but her balcony where a helmetless Saiyaman was prepped to take off.“You weren’t really going to leave without saying goodbye were you?”“Of course not, just waiting for you to get back,” Gohan chuckled.Videl giggled before letting out a tired sigh. “Another crazy day huh?”“That’s putting it mildly. I still can’t believe all this happened because of that Happosai guy.”“Ranma and Akane did say he was petty, but orchestrating a kidnapping? That’s way over the line for petty revenge.”Gohan nodded his agreement. “Yeah, but what are supposed to do about him?”“What do you mean what? You’re a Super Saiyan superhero!”“Videl, you know I can’t just go around killing common criminals.”“I didn’t say kill him…not that he doesn’t deserve it, but don’t you think you can just do…something with your power?”“I can, but what would it matter? From what the others say, no matter how many times you punish him for acting up, he just comes back. It’s like if Master Roshi were a villain.”Videl’s eyes lit up. “Wait, maybe Master Roshi has an idea on how we can deal with this!”“You think so?” Gohan paused to ponder before he too had a look of realization. “Yeah…you might be right. After all, Master Roshi knows both the Crane Hermit and Happosai right? If anyone will know what to do, it might be him.”“So we’ve got a plan?”“Yah, but let’s save it till later. I’m sure we could all use some time to decompress, especially you with all you’ve been through today.”“Yeah…as soon as Akane and Erasa head out, I’m hitting the bathtub.”“Huh…I think I could use a bath myself. My back’s been bothering me for some reason.”Videl’s face turned red as she narrowed an eyebrow at her boyfriend. “Gohan…are you implying what I think you’re implying?”“…What do you think I’m…?!” Gohan’s face also flushed before he defensively waved his hands. “N-no, I didn’t mean…! I meant when I got home!”“Oh I know, I just love seeing you get all embarrassed like that,” Videl giggled.Gohan sighed in defeat. “You just can’t stop teasing me, can you?”“Only when it stops being funny.”“Figures.”Placing his helmet back on, Gohan headed for the edge of the balcony, floating above it. “Well…I guess I’ll see you around Videl.”“Oh! Wait!” Videl quickly leapt off the balcony, into the air after Gohan.“What is it?”“I never did get to thank you did I?”“For what?”“Saving me…again….”“Well…technically Akane and Ryoga saved you this time so…”“Just kiss me you idiot.”Gohan barely had time to gasp before Videl pulled his face to hers, softly pressing her lips to his. After getting over the initial shock, Gohan put his hands on her shoulders and reciprocated in full. After a few long seconds, the duo finally split apart unaware of the audience of three retreating from Videl’s room.“We should probably leave them alone for now,” giggled Erasa. “And maybe best not to tell Mr. Satan.”“…Yeah,” replied a blushing Ranma and Akane.[]With their goodbyes now set, Gohan finally darted away from the Satan Manor, Videl waving him off. Once he was out of sight, Videl closed the balcony window, drawing the curtains shut. Once she was fully alone in the shade of her darkened bedroom, she tightly clenched her fist. With a frustrated grunt, she threw her fist into the wall, leaving an unsightly hole.“Dammit…dammit…DAMMIT!”Dropping to her knees, Videl punched the floor, tears welling up in her eyes. ‘Every goddamn time.’[]After a rather relaxing flight, Gohan finally returned home, informing his family of the day’s events. Goku was understandably surprised to hear that Tao and Shen were still out and about causing mischief, but debatably more surprised about them getting a new student.With all that said, per Chi-Chi’s orders, the father-son trio resigned themselves to the hot-tub while Chi-Chi got busy with dinner.While Goku and Goten splashed around, Gohan was staring off into space. Understandable since he had quite a bit to think about between Happosai, the Cranes, and his sudden weakness spells, which he’d conveniently failed to mention to Goku.His mind so far distracted, Gohan failed to notice his younger brother’s cries for help as Goku playfully shoved him under the water.“Gohaaaa~~bbbbb…!”“Sorry kiddo, but I don’t think he’s helpin’ ya this time,” Goku taunted.As Goku submerged Goten yet again, the youngest Son managed to escape his father’s grasp, though chose to take his frustration out on his inattentive brother.Swimming behind an unaware Gohan, Goten pressed his hands together, his two fingers outstretched. Before he could make the move however, he spied a much more intriguing target on Gohan’s lower back. With an impish snicker, Goten drove his fingers into the dark colored spot eliciting a loud pained scream from Gohan.“GAAAAGGH…!”“Whoops…sorry I…Waaagh~bbbbbb!”Taking a page from his father’s book, Gohan shoved Goten beneath the water, holding him down for a few seconds before pulling him back up.“Whoa you two, take it easy!” Goku got between his sons separating a startled Goten from a clearly annoyed Gohan.“Not cool Gohan!”“Neither was hitting me in the back like that…that ACTUALLY hurt you know!” Gohan rebutted.“It was just a joke, I didn’t know hitting that dot over your butt would hurt that much.”“Yeah well, it does so next time…” Gohan paused as he quickly recounted Goten’s words. “Wait a sec Goten, what did you just say?”“About what?”“Something about a dot?”“Oh…you have a real big dot over your butt…is that normal?”Gohan placed a hand down to his lower back and sure enough, felt a familiar small bump, wincing upon coming into contact with it.“Oh, I think that’s probably where Gohan’s tail used to be,” said Goku.“Gohan’s what!?”“Didn’t you know? Back when he was a kid, Gohan used to have a tail. I did too actually,” Goku explained.“Really?”“Yeah. I’m sure your mom must’ve shown you some old pictures of your brother when he was little, right Gohan? Gohan?”Goku got no response as Gohan was once again staring into space. This time however, his face wore a calculating look that hastily shifted into frantic realization. Planting his palm to his forehead, Gohan exclaimed, “So THAT’S what was happening! I get it now!”“Uhhh Gohan…what are you talking about?”Gohan turned bashful as he rubbed his head. “Well…I didn’t want to mention this because it’s kind of embarrassing but…” He then proceeded to explain how whenever he got constricted by Taro, he’d lose his strength.“Oh I get it. When he wrapped you up, he must’ve been pressing against the stub of your tail!” Goku realized.“No wonder I didn’t think of that…I didn’t even know that spot had any feeling left in it after my tail got cut off.”“Now that I think about it, you never did train your tail to stop it from being sensitive, did you?” Goku asked in a teasing manner.“I mean…” Gohan shrank against the tub’s rim. “I…never got the chance to. Piccolo took it off before we started training, and I remember you told me it grew back but then Vegeta cut it off.”“Why’d Trunks’ Dad cut your tail off? And how come I never had a tail!?” whined Goten.“Well…we’ll tell you that first part later, but we can’t really comment on the second part. For now, it looks like we’ve got some work to do,” Goku announced.“Dad, what are you talking about?”“Gohan, turn around.”“Why…?”“I’m gonna help it so that spot won’t hurt anymore!”“Uhh Dad…can’t this wait until tomorrow!”“I mean, we can, but the sooner we get started, the sooner we can have this little problem taken care of.”“Oh, I think Mom’s calling! Dinner’s ready, I’m getting out!”Gohan frantically hopped out of the bath, darting inside wrapped in a towel while Goku and Goten glanced at each other. “Ehhh, maybe it would be better to wait until tomorrow. After all, don’t wanna miss your Mom’s dinner.”“Yeah…but seriously, how come I never had a tail?”“Don’t feel too bad Son, Trunks never had one either.”The two followed Gohan’s example and headed indoors, unaware of the familiar callous gaze hovering just beyond their front lawn.“Guess this one’s not entirely your fault kid. I’ll take some responsibility, but know this; if just a little constriction was too much for you, then you’re in for a world of pain when your father and I run that little fragility out of your system.”[]While Goku and his family ate, the one who was noticeably not eating much was Goku himself who, like Gohan earlier, seemed to have a distracted look on his face.“Goku, is something wrong?” asked Chi-Chi.“No, not wrong…just wondering something.”“Wondering what?”“One sec…” Goku put two fingers to his forehead and vanished, much to Chi-Chi’s chagrin. Before she could even complain however, Goku reappeared, a deep red mark sprawled across his face.“Okay, I’m good,” Goku chuckled.“Dad…where’d you go?”“I went to Capsule Corp. I wanted to see if Vegeta still had a piece of his tail left…he does.”“Goku…by any chance was Bulma in the room too?”“Yeah. How’d you know?”Chi-Chi shot him a shamed expression before resuming eating. “Call it a theory.”A blue faced Gohan also resumed eating, causing a confused Goten to look around at all the adults. “Grown-ups are weird.” (A/N: Okay. I planned a LONG while ago to have Taro work with the Crane School. I did NOT however, plan for it to be a surprisingly effective match because I forgot what the exact animals tossed into Taro’s Curse were, but low and behold, one of them was a crane! I knew I HAD to keep them together after I realized that accidental stroke of brilliance. Speaking of, we haven’t seen the last of them either…well, Taro at least. Whether or not the Crane Elders return currently remains to be seen. But yep, Happosai was the one who set everything in motion, and soon it’ll be time for him to pay for it. As for Gohan’s major struggle, like I said, someone managed to correctly guess what it was : the remnants of his tail. I knew going into this it’d be something of a stretch, but I still think it makes sense. Gohan was the only one between his father and Vegeta to NOT get over his tail’s weakness so I figured the spot where his tail was would still be sensitive [That’s actually a fairly common headcanon around other parts of this fandom, so I didn’t just pull it out of nowhere] and with Gohan getting himself completely constricted, it’d be a sensible way for that spot to get touched because why would you attack at such a random area unless you knew specifically about that weakness? Is it a bit flimsy? Maybe, but how else was Taro supposed to be any kind of threat? Also, before anyone asks if Gohan even WOULD still have the stub of his tail after so many years had passed, while it’s not an exact science, we know Vegeta still had his after at least a year and a half had passed (6 months from the Freeza base to Namek and the year he was chasing after Goku in space), so I don’t think it’s too farfetched to assume Gohan could still have his…even if anime filler could suggest otherwise. Moving on, next time we return to Kame House in search of a way to stop Happosai’s schemes once and for all!)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
Return to Kame House; The Turtle School’s New Student
Videl’s iconic aircraft sped above the ocean, Ranma and Akane accompanying her. Her grip on the throttle tightened as she recalled her last meeting with her partner.
“What do you mean you’re not coming with us?” asked Videl.
“Exactly that. I told Dad about what happened with Taro and the Cranes yesterday and they were insistent on helping me get over that little…hurdle,” he awkwardly admitted.
Videl raised a suspicious eyebrow as Gohan continued. “The long and short of it is, it’s a Saiyan thing and they want to make sure that it wont be a problem in the future. If someone like that Taro guy could put me out of commission so easily, think how bad it would be if an actual threat appeared.”
“Okay, okay, I get it,” Videl conceded with a sigh.
“Oh! Before I forget, I also did mention Happosai to them, and Piccolo said to ask Master Roshi about the Mafuba.”
[]
“Videl?”“Hm?”“Yo, you still there or is this thing on auto-pilot or somethin’?” joked Ranma.Jarring from her mild flashback, Videl noted that they were quickly approaching Kame House Island and proceeded to take the aircraft down. Moments later, they came across the sight of a sleeping Master Roshi, a magazine draped over his face.The girls merely sighed at Roshi’s typical display while Ranma glanced from afar with a look both agreeing and partially ignoring their notions.“Master Roshi?” Videl called. She was met with snoring. “Master Roshi!?” Again, no response. “MASTER ROSHI!”“Oh yeah Baby!” darting up from whatever dream he was having, Roshi leapt at a startled Videl but was met with a couple of shoes to the face courtesy of Ranma and Akane.As Roshi hit the sand, Videl breathed out a quick, “Thanks guys.”“Plenty of practice,” Akane bragged.“Uggghh…what hit me?” Roshi groggily picked himself out of the sand, replacing his discarded sunglasses as he turned towards the teens. “Oh, it’s you kids again.”“What’s goin’ on out here?” The gang all turned to the house to find Krillin viewing the scene from the top floor. “Oh, what’s up you guys!?” he waved.“Hey Krillin,” Videl greeted as the Nerima pair waved.“Not that we aren’t glad to see you all again, but what brings you back to my old abode?” asked Roshi.“Let’s just say…we’ve got a problem,” Videl said sternly.[Elsewhere]Son Gohan has battled everything from aliens, to androids, to death itself, to embarrassment from his mom, but never since his battle with Cell had he felt more pain, fatigue, and shame than what he was currently experiencing.“To think, this is all it takes to bring down the mighty hero who saved us from Cell,” smirked Piccolo. Currently, the Namekian master had his arm wrapped around Gohan’s waist, his long fingers pressing deep into the stub that used to be his tail. With Goku’s help, Gohan attempted to simply rise to his feet, but with the intense sensitivity of his tail spot, even that simple mundane action took a herculean amount of effort to even attempt…and fail at.“Hey lighten up Piccolo. Even I had to go through the same sort of thing when I was around his age…except my tail actually grew back,” Goku laughed.“Even so, having such an easily exploitable weakness is inexcusable. Though I can’t say I wouldn’t have welcomed this actually being effective when we fought Vegeta.”“You call this…easy…?” Gohan panted out. Despite the support from Goku, the numbness shooting through his body ultimately won out and Gohan was forced to a knee.Piccolo shook his head. “This is getting us nowhere.” Unwrapping his arm, Piccolo reeled it in, allowing Gohan to regain his normal strength and get to his feet.“Agh…that…wasn’t pleasant,” Gohan groaned.“Training rarely is,” Piccolo snapped.“Says who?” Goku jokingly challenged.“You know what I mean. I can handle intense training, and can enjoy it from time to time but that? That just felt like some kind of torture!”Piccolo couldn’t help but smirk. “It’s almost like you’ve become a child again Gohan. I haven’t heard you complain this much since you were four.”“I’m not complaining I’m just…a little overwhelmed,” Gohan coyly replied.“Don’t be too hard on yourself son,” Goku eased. “Like you said last night, none of us even knew you still had feeling there, and to top it all off, you don’t even have your whole tail, so even compared to what I had to go through, you have it much harder. Just have to keep at it and eventually it won’t be a problem anymore.”“Are you sure about that Goku?” asked a skeptical Piccolo.“Mostly. What I did was try to constantly use my tail whenever I could like say, doing pull-ups with it. If my tail is strong enough to support my whole body, even if I was smaller back then, then surely it has to be able to get strong enough to not be sensitive to touch anymore. Since Gohan doesn’t have his, replicating the situation that put him in this mess is probably our best bet for getting him out of it. We just need to keep at it, but it may take more than just a day.”Gohan took a deep breath, calming himself before tightening his belt. “Okay…I just needed a minute, but I think I’m ready to try again.”“That’s the spirit son, but what do you say we take a quick lunch break?” asked Goku.“I think I’m game to try once more before lunch,” Gohan’s claim was suddenly broken by a low growl. “Then again…it’d probably be best on a full stomach.”Piccolo crossed his arms. “Tsk, you Saiyans and your insatiable appetites.”“Well we’re going fishing at your favorite stream today Piccolo so even you’ll have a chance for some of your favorite water,” Gohan informed.Piccolo’s ears twitched a the mention of the stream. “…It’s my second favorite. Northern runoff is still the best.” He replied with a grin.[Elsewhere]“Well, that’s the gist of it,” Videl finished recounting the tale of their encounter with the Crane Masters and their new pupil. Roshi was understandably stunned by the ordeal.“Well…I’ve got to say, that’s quite the story you lot have brought me,” he said, stroking his beard. “To think that little shrimp would actually get that ol’ Crane geezer to work with him…though I’m a little more surprised Tao went along with it.”“Speaking of…” Ranma interjected. “You have any idea why the old metalhead guy was so scared of Gohan?”“Yeah, he mentioned they met before,” Akane added.Roshi chuckled. “Well, I can’t speak for Gohan’s own meeting with him, I know he’s terrified of ol’ Goku for not only knocking him senseless in a rematch I assume for the ages, but also kicking a bomb in his face! Ha!”“Goku did what!?” the trio asked.“If you want more details, you’ll have to ask Goku himself, but let’s get back on topic,” Roshi cleared his throat, regaining focus. “Ahem, now why don’t you tell me more about this…ehehehe…Pantyhose Taro feller,” Roshi guffawed.“Well…” Akane was about to explain when an impatient Ranma cut her off. “He’s pretty strong, but he’s a dumbass. Though it kinda doesn’t matter since his true power comes from his cursed form.”“Cursed form?”Ranma and Akane explained how Happosai bathed him in the Jusenkyo springs as a baby and gave him his name. Though he revels in having the strength of a monster, he despises Happosai for giving him his ridiculous name.“If you ask me, it’s not that silly of a name,” Roshi replied.“You would think that,” Akane replied sarcastically.“No I’m serious. While not exactly, it sounds like a name not unlike a relative of Bulma’s or something.”“Look Gramps, the point is, we gotta take the old freak down once and for all!” Ranma interjected.Roshi sighed. “I admire your passion and I agree Happy needs to be dealt with, but I don’t think there’s much I myself can do.”“What do you mean by that?”“I do believe I could beat Happy in a fair fight. You’ve always dealt with him by preying on our common weakness, but then what?” Roshi asked.“What do you mean ‘but then what’?”“What would you do with Happy once he’s taken down?” Roshi added.“I…guess we trap him again like our fathers did?” Akane suggested.“Wouldn’t he just break out again?” Ranma noted.“What if we drown him!?”The pair continued to list off ideas leaving Videl and Roshi to discuss amongst themselves. “Master Roshi…I know there’s a point you’re trying to make, but I’m not sure I know what it is.”“Anyone can fight Happy until either party loses, but either way, he’ll just recover and be back up to his old tricks in no time. There’s only two ways to deal with Happy for good.”“And they are…!?” Ranma asked impatiently.“Happosai can’t be contained through traditional methods, so if you truly wish to be rid of him, you’ll have to either end his life…or your own.” Roshi challenged.“………” A tense silence fell over the young fighters. They’d expected Roshi to take this seriously, but this was far beyond what they’d expected him to say. “What do you mean his life or ours?” asked Akane.“I said Happy couldn’t be contained through traditional methods. There is however, a way to seal him away for good. The method to do so however, is quite risky if you aren’t fully prepared for it,” Roshi warned. “Other than that, the only other way to permanently be rid of that old bastard is to kill him, which while I don’t personally condone, I also wouldn’t blame you for doing so…assuming of course you’ve got the stomach for it.”None of the three said a word. Videl obviously had no real killing intent, and despite the constant death threats from Ranma, Akane, and their rivals, more often then not they amounted to little more than heated, but ultimately hollow threats (except maybe for the Amazons).“That’s what I thought,” Roshi figured.Breaking the tension once again, an incredulous Videl spoke up. “By any chance, would that other method happen to be called, ‘The Mafuba’?” she asked.“Ohh, so you’ve heard about it, have ya?” Roshi chuckled.“What’s a Mafuba?” asked Akane.[]Piccolo hummed as a sea of memories began to flood back. “The long and short of it is, it’s an ancient sealing technique that can trap even the most malevolent of beings, as long as it’s done correctly. Master Roshi’s old teacher once used it to seal away my predecessor, the Demon King Piccolo many years ago. Hell, before your father and I fought, Kami tried using it on me at the World Tournament Semi-Finals.”“I remember that,” Goku chimed in while chewing. “You actually reflected that back at Kami, didn’t you?”Piccolo replied with a smug grin. “Feeling nostalgic?”Breaking up the potential match between his father and teacher, Gohan chimed in. “That’s very intriguing Piccolo, but why’d you have me tell Videl about it?”Piccolo crossed his arms. “I don’t know much about this old master, but from the way you described him, he sounds like nothing more than an extreme nuisance at best. However, if he’s able to rally Roshi’s old rivals, then he can’t be completely ignored either. Knowing you however, neither you or Videl are the type to just kill an old man, so I figure the best way for you to permanently be rid of him is to seal him away. The Mafuba seemed like the perfect technique to do so.”[]“So you’re sayin’ we can trap the old freak and he actually won’t be able to escape!?”“As long as the seal doesn’t break, yes,” Roshi answered.“Gramps, you GOTTA show me how to do that!” Ranma exclaimed.“Hold your horses boy! Like I said, that technique is dangerous if you aren’t prepared for it!” Roshi rebutted. “I give you this warning because it requires an astronomical amount of energy to even attempt, especially if the target is more powerful than the user. Using this technique just once cost my master his life, many years ago.”The tension returned at Roshi’s tale, the young trio once again caught off guard by Roshi’s heavy handed past. Once again the awkwardness was sliced apart when Roshi forcefully thrust his staff towards Ranma. “Before I even attempt to teach you this technique boy, you’re gonna have to toughen up quite a bit if you want to live another day.”“What do you mean toughen up? I’m sure I can handle this Demon Seal Blast or whatever it’s called,” Ranma boasted.“No, you can’t,” Roshi plainly replied.“How do you know,” Ranma challenged.“Don’t forget, we’ve crossed fists before. Though neither of us were going all out, I could get a general gauge of where your power and skill landed,” Roshi explained stroking his beard.“You sure about that Old Timer,” Ranma replied.A swift flash shone across Roshi’s shades as he gave Ranma his own confident smirk. “Ohohohoho, so you want to show me what you’re really made of eh?”“Anytime!” Ranma confirmed.“Ranma, are you sure you should be…?” Akane spoke up to interject, but Videl stopped her.“Actually Akane, maybe we should let this play out. It’s pretty obvious they both want to do this and I’m actually curious to see what Master Roshi can do when he’s serious.”“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of…” Akane deadpanned.[]The girls stood aside while a curious Krillin and his family watched from the roof. Though they’d all been silent, they’re curiosity kept their eyes viewed on the scene. Krillin more so than Eighteen and Marron.In a familiar scene, Ranma stood poised to strike while Roshi stood completely unguarded. “Fair warning, if you intend to beat me by usin’ the same trick you pulled last time boy…!”Ranma nodded before cutting him off. “Not this time Old Man. I’m gonna kick your ass properly this time!”“You’ve certainly got the bravado, but let’s see if you can really back it up.” Extending a hand, Roshi gave Ranma the ‘Come at me gesture’, prompting him to leap in and strike with a swift punch.Roshi merely ducked under it and flipped backwards, countering with a kick to Ranma’s chin. Quickly shaking off the blow, Ranma, followed up with another punch which Roshi swayed away from and countered with a spinning blow from his staff. Ranma was able to deflect the attack this time and retaliated with a twirling side kick. Roshi once again ducked the attack before striking Ranma in the ankle with a knife-hand strike.“Eeegh…!” Ranma hit the sand as his foot gave out and Roshi followed up with a flying drop-kick. With a hearty yell, Ranma lifted himself with his hands and struck Roshi with a fierce donkey-kick, dead on to the chest.While Roshi took the moment to dust himself off, Ranma dashed in before striking with an overhead punch that blew away the sand as Roshi rolled away. Getting back on his feet, Roshi struck with his staff, thrusting rapidly forcing Ranma back on the defensive. Thankfully, he was able to keep pace with his attacks with the Amaguriken and any attack that slipped through his wall, he was able to dodge. Sadly there was little to know room for Ranma to counterattack so for the moment he had to just take the assault.“Wow…” marveled Akane.“Yeah…this is my first time seeing Roshi fight too,” said Videl.‘Guess that makes three of us,’ Eighteen mentally added.“Wow…Gramps is pretty strong!” Noted Marron.“If you think that’s good, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” Krillin assured with a grin.After careful observation, Ranma found his opening by catching Roshi’s staff. His run in with Tao’s knife hand made blocking and dodging a wooden staff seem easy by comparison. With Roshi off kilter, Ranma was able to kick the old master away, stealing his weapon all the while.Roshi recovered to see a smugly smiling Ranma twirling his staff before brandishing it menacingly. “You do realize that the weapon doesn’t make the fighter, right?”“Oh I know, but that doesn’t mean I won’t take any advantage I can get.” Twirling it above his head, Ranma brought it down to his side before thrusting it forward, attacking with a sideways twirl that Roshi merely hopped over before landing gently on the staff.“Care to be a gentleman and help an old man get his cane back?” Roshi taunted.“Do I look like a gentleman to you?” Ranma deadpanned.“You’re the polar opposite of a gentleman,” Akane teased.“Hey, I ain’t that bad!” Ranma countered.“An opening, boy!”Ranma cried out as Roshi chopped him square in the skull, causing Ranma to drop the staff and clutch his head.“Dehehehehehe…I’ll say this much, I haven’t had this much fun in over 20 years!” Roshi guffawed.“And I’ll say, you’re the first old timer I’ve actually had fun fighting,” Ranma replied.“Alas, the time for fun is over. I think it’s best if we stop here for today. I’ve gotten a better understanding of where you stand and while you’re certainly a bit better than I anticipated, you’ve still got quite a ways to go before you’d be able to handle the Mafuba,” Roshi stroked his beard.“Aww come on, I still ain’t show you what I got up my sleeve!” said Ranma.“Is that a fact? Okay then, enlighten me boy. Show me what you got, and I’ll take it.”“Huh?”“I want you to literally hit me with your best move. I won’t step away from this spot, just come on and throw everything you’ve got at me!” Roshi once again gave the challenging hand gesture, though despite his overwhelming confidence, Ranma hesitated. ‘If he means my absolute best…then I can’t. If he won’t move, I can’t do the Dragon Heaven Wave…even if I could, I don’t wanna destroy the whole island…guess we’ll have to go for option two…but with a twist.’The air around Ranma grew dark as his energy began to rise, but with a strange heaviness to it. This didn’t go unnoticed by Akane who recognized the sensation. ‘The Shishi Hokodan? Why is he…?’“Combined Lion Roar…” Ranma began chanting as he cupped his hands together and his energy began to expand. “Prideful…Tiger…!” Raising his hands up, he thrust them forward as they shone a yellow-brown tone, releasing a bright wave of light. “BLAST!” Ranma’s amped up blast flew straight for Roshi who merely cupped his hands together sideways and braced himself.The moment Ranma’s attack made contact, Roshi let out a yell and blocked it, causing it tosplit apart and strike the water behind him. Despite that though, Roshi was unable to keep himself from sliding across the sand as Ranma kept firing. Finally before long, Ranma’s attack ceased, the pigtailed fighter panting as his smoky hands fell to his sides.“Wehehell, that was truly impressive. Nothing I haven’t seen before, but impressive nonetheless,” Roshi backhandedly praised. “But now…it’s my turn.”“His turn?” asked Akane.Roshi brought his fists to his sides and let out a strained yell. All but Videl could feel Roshi’s energy rapidly increase. ‘What’s that old man doin’ now?’“Hrrraaagh!” With a final grunt of effort, Roshi’s body bulged, his small, fragile looking fram immediately being replaced with a large mass of pure muscle, shocking all but Krillin.“What the-!?”“Whoa-!”“Hmph…not bad old man.”“What…the hell…?”Ranma’s tired, but still confident smirk disappeared in the face of Roshi’s Full Power. His worried look only worsened as he saw Roshi bring his hands together. “Kaaaaa…Meeeee…”“Wait isn’t that…Whoa!?”Akane’s question was quashed by Videl grabbing her and bringing them to the Kame House roof.“Haaaaaaaaa…meeeeeeeee…!” As Roshi brought his hands back, a blue sphere of light began to form.Ranma recalled the technique vividly as the image of a miniature Goku making the same stance reappeared in his mind. His pride ultimately won out in the end and Ranma decided to match Roshi, crossing his arms in front of his chest, bracing himself to take the blast.A small glimmer flashed on Roshi’s shades before he smirked at the young heir and finally unleashed the attack, thrusting his hands forward. “HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”Ranma let out a yell as he closed his eyes and braced himself for impact. To his surprise however, the attack never came…at least, not at him. When he reopened his eyes, Ranma could just barely see the remnants of Roshi’s blast soar right past him and into the ocean, splitting the sand and seawater into back to back waves. What truly caught Ranma’s eye though, was the pure size of the blast itself. It was MUCH larger than what Goten had done during their little bout. Even if that’s to be expected for an older, more experienced fighter, the difference was night and day. Then it hit him, ‘Wait…did Gohan use the same move to beat Pantyhose Taro?’Ranma turned back to see a winded Roshi shrunk back down to his normal size. “Whew…it’s been a long time since I’ve had a workout like that…I gotta get back into proper fighting shape myself.”“That wasn’t proper fighting shape!?” called a spectating Akane.“He’s been takin’ it easy since all his students have surpassed him and he’s had no new ones to warrant training again,” Krillin explained. “Until now I presume,” he snickered.[]“Sheesh…that’s gotta be more Chi than the old freak’s Battle Aura…how the heck…?”“If that impressed ya, then you should know that all of my students have already surpassed me in terms of raw power. If you wish to learn the Mafuba, then you’ve got to at least be able to match me at my eased level.” Roshi noted.Ranma stared down at his hand before clenching his fist. He’d seen some crazy feats of energy before, but in just a few days, many of them had been clean blown out of the water. It was both frustrating, but also intriguing. Never one to let himself stay put, Ranma turned to Roshi and with a confident grin, nodded. “If it means we can get rid of the old freak, then I’ll do whatever it takes!” he declared.“I’m so glad to hear you say that,” Roshi replied with a grin.“I…don’t like the look on his face…” noted Akane.In the next instance, Roshi popped a capsule and in the brief puff of smoke, a clearly female voice shrieked out, “Yaaa~! That’s cold!” When the smoke finally cleared, Roshi could be seen holding a dripping water pistol before a now female Ranma.“We really should’ve seen that coming,” deadpanned Akane.“If you’re gonna train with me, you’ll do it like this!” Roshi declared.“Whoa, whoa, hold up, I didn’t agree to this!” Ranma rebutted.“You just said you’d do ‘Anything’ to get rid of Happosai. You’d think this would be a simple request!” Roshi argued.The two would continue to argue back and forth while the others watched with waning interest. “This will probably take a while,” noted Krillin. “You girls want a snack?”“Sure.”“Sounds good.”[]Moments later, Ranma and Roshi stood before the others as the Turtle Elder cleared his throat. “Krillin, Eighteen, for the foreseeable future, we’re going to have another houseguest,” he announced.“Huh…so you actually agreed to go through with it, eh?” asked Krillin.“We reached a compromise; I’ll stay in female form around the house, but change back to a boy when we’re actually training,” Ranma explained. “Figured that’d be enough to keep him off my back for the time being.”“As long as you don’t forget the rest of our bargain,” Roshi added.“What is the rest of your bargain?” asked Videl.“I’d…rather not talk about it…” Ranma shyly replied.Krillin and Eighteen exchanged a look, the former’s face turning a bluish tint. ‘I’m getting some bad flashbacks….’“You know…it’s always customary for the turtle school to accept two students at once, so if one of you two would like to…”“Declined,” Akane and Videl simultaneously replied.“At least let me finish!”“Give it a rest old man. You should count yourself lucky Ranma even agreed to it,” Eighteen deadpanned.“I won’t lie though…knowing a move to seal Happosai away is a pretty tempting offer…” Akane softly admitted.“Well, if you’re still interested in learning the technique, then might I direct you to Tien Shinhan?” Roshi added.“Tien…oh wait, wasn’t he the three-eyed guy from the Capsule Corp Party?” Videl realized.“Wait what?”“Pardon?”“He’s a friend,” Krillin clarified. “And if you’re still referring to him as ‘the three-eyed guy’ then…now that I think about it, you really haven’t met with him that often, have you?” noted Krillin. “Still, I didn’t know he knew that technique.”“Evidently, he taught it to himself after seeing me use it. I swear, between the Kamehameha and then that, you latter generations are determined to outshine me in every conceivable way. Regardless, if you do decide you want to learn the technique, he’s your best alternative.” ‘Truly. There’s no way these girls can handle Piccolo’s training.’“Where is he?” asked Akane.“Tien can be quite the nomad when he wants to be but generally, he and Chiaoutzu spend most of their time in the Eastern Mountains.”“Hmph…I guess it wouldn’t hurt to ask at least, and it is still pretty early,” Videl shrugged.“Well, I’ll wish you girls luck. Tien’s not harsh, but he can be extremely stern.”[]Later, Videl’s plane could be seen jetting off of the small island, the pilot and her passenger waving down to the house patrons. “Bye-bye!” squeaked Marron.Akane flashed the young girl a jovial grin before her gaze shifted to Ranma. The two locked eyes, unsure of how to really respond. Ultimately, the two silently broke eye contact as Videl flew away. Unnoticed by Videl, Akane clenched her fist.‘Just you wait Ranma. I won’t be left behind this time.’Back on the island, Ranma sighed. Despite the silent exchange, Ranma couldn’t shake the feeling she should’ve said something, anything to Akane. But then again, she’d probably say something wrong and set her off, and now was not the time to be distracted.“Okay Gramps, what’s the first order of business?” asked Ranma.“First…” Roshi pulled out another capsule and opened it revealing a large, purple, turtle shell. “Put that on,” he ordered.Ranma incredulously stared at the shell before asking, “What kinda sick cosplay are you trying to get me to do old man?”“Ranma, just do it, trust me,” Krillin interjected. “It’ll all make sense soon enough.”Taking the short fighter at his word, Ranma bent over and hoisted the shell up and let out a marveled, “Oh…it’s a little heavier than I expected….”Roshi guffawed. “Alright then boy, now let’s get that shell up on your…” The Turtle elder paused as the red-haired girl was casually spinning the weighted shell on her finger like a basketball, all while Marron gave a small applause.“Sorry Gramps, what were you saying?”Turning away from the others, Roshi pulled out a notepad and wrote down, ‘Note to self; get some heavier shells for training.’[Meanwhile]“Hmph…so Tao’s bowing out, is he?” asked a light, raspy voice.“Part of me can’t blame him, but the other part of me wants to give that useless brother of mine what for!” replied a similarly raspy voice.“Never mind him, how’s the boy?”“Angry, but still determined. I don’t think he’s ready to call it quits yet.”“Good that’s what I like to hear, cause he’s only getting one more shot at this. If he doesn’t succeed well, not only will he not get his desire, but I take it you’ll also be short a star pupil,” the diminutive elder chuckled.“Taunt me if you dare you filthy raisin, I can still destroy you.” Replied the mustachioed elder.“Can you Shen, can you really?”While the two old men stared each other down, their young compatriot stood alone, clenching his fist in pure aggravation. ‘One more chance huh?’“Boy!” called Shen. “Come. It’s time you got accustomed to one of the Crane School’s more…dangerous techniques,” Shen said with a twisted grin.
(A/N: We’ve returned to Kame House and Roshi gains a brand new student in Ranma Saotome, but Ranma’s not the only one getting trained. Both Gohan and the girls will have their own trials to overcome in the coming days. Question is, who’ll have it harder (probably Ranma). Also, before anyone asks me about the Lion/Tiger blast attack, look up the It’s a Rumic World animated short featuring Ranma, Inuyasha and Urusei Yatsura [Last I checked, there’s a damn good fandub of it too]. Ranma does it there and while that technically isn’t canon, I figured it’d be a nice way to boost his normal Ki Blast attack since the simple Takabisha is probably small potatoes in comparison [Side note, I wanted to keep things on the Ranma side Manga Canon which is why I’ve avoided some events and characters like Sasuke, but going forward, I’m just gonna use everything. I kinda already did with the Ranma v. Devilman fight and the horizontal Hiryu Shoten ha (that’s from an OVA), but just a heads up. I am still primarily following manga lore by including Nodoka]. And speaking of, we’re busting out the Mafuba. Soun and Genma may not have been able to keep Happosai sealed away, but this certainly can. Next time, Gohan continues with his tail, Ranma begins training with Roshi, and the girls meet up with Tien. Stay tuned)
[PS. This will be updated before the actual day of the anniversary, but OH MY GOD! I’ve been writing this thing for four years now. FOUR FREAKING YEARS! I know there’ve been some breaks in between but sheesh, I didn’t think I’d still be doing this thing. Guess this shows you what raw passion and a bit of free time can get you.]
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My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
Crane Defectors; The Power of Tien Shinhan
It had been over an hour since Akane and Videl left Kame House and all they could see were grassy mountains.“Hey Videl, what’s this Tien guy like exactly?” asked Akane.Videl could only shrug in response. “I…can’t really say,” she replied. “I’ve only met him a few times at large gatherings. He seemed nice enough though, if a little wound too tightly.”“If that’s all the info you’ve got about him, then how do you know he’ll be able to help us?”“Well for starters, I trust everyone else’s judgement, and they all speak pretty highly of Tien so it’s in our best interest to at least go see him ourselves. Secondly, and I just learnt this pretty recently, he’s a former World Champion.”“Really?” Akane beamed.“Yeah. I don’t know if Gohan mentioned this, but his father was the champion before mine, but before Goku, it was Tien. Though from what I heard, it was just by a hair.” Videl explained.“I see, so anyone who’s good enough to tangle with Gohan’s Dad, even in his younger days, has to be someone to watch out for.”“That’s the general idea.” ‘Or at least part of it,’ she mentally added.Moments passed and the girls still saw no signs of anything that looked like a shelter.“Are you sure we’re in the right area?” asked Akane.“To be honest, no. We are in the area Master Roshi gave us, but I don’t see any village or farm anywhere.”“Hmmm…well, if we’re in the right spot, maybe we’d be better looking on foot?” Akane suggested.“Maybe, but let’s keep to the skies for just a bit longer.” No sooner than the words had left Videl’s mouth, loud booms suddenly filled the air.“What was that!?”“An explosion?”The girls weren’t given much time to ponder as the deafening sounds returned, noticeably louder than before. This time accompanied by the plane suddenly shaking from what could only be described as shockwaves.A panicked Akane grasped onto Videl who was struggling to keep the plane steady. “Videl, what’s going on!”“I don’t know, but could you give me some elbow room!?”“I told you we should’ve landed!”“Landed where!? We’re above a mountain!”Despite the brief bickering, the girls managed to calm themselves enough to get the plane back under control, both of them breathing sighs of relief.“Okay…what the hell was that?” asked Akane.“Ummm…turbulence?” Videl half-joked.“I don’t think turbulence goes ‘Boom!’!” Akane countered.“Hey, I’m just saying….” Videl was cut off by another explosive shockwave knocking the plane off course again. “Hang on!” Videl once again pulled hard on the throttle, attempting to steady the plane. As Videl pulled back with all her might, the plane suddenly stopped.“Huh?”“Phew…nice job,” praised Akane.“I’m…not making it do that,” Videl admitted.She tried fiddling with the throttle again, but to no avail. The plane was still running, as evidenced by the engines still being live, but no matter what she tried, the two of them were just halted in midair. As the girls tried to figure out what was happening, the plane suddenly descended, slowly, on it’s own. Despite no longer being in control, a gut feeling told Videl that her plane would be handled safely.Still, just to be safe, Videl extended a hand to Akane and said, “Let’s go.”Though still unsure because of the current situation, Akane took her hand and the two descended on their own. Videl’s plane soon followed.“Okay…that was weird…” said Akane.“No kidding.”As the girls took a moment to collect themselves, they were quickly swayed by an approaching male voice. “That was close. Is everyone okay?”Turning towards it, the girls were met by a tall, bald man with a third eye in his forehead clad in a deep blue robe, white-long sleeve shirt and matching pants, and a large white scarf. Accompanying him was a small, white faced, almost doll-like person garbed in a large (for him) robe and a winter style hat.‘He really does have three-eyes!’ Akane inwardly marveled.“You’re…Tien, right?” Videl inquired.“And you’re Gohan’s lady friend, aren’t you?” Tien replied.Videl bashfully nodded as the small person added, “Your name is Videl right?”“And you’re…” Videl paused, her blush deepening at her own lack of knowledge.“Chiaoutzu,” he introduced.“And this is…?” Tien turned to Akane who similarly, bashfully introduced herself.“Akane Tendo.”“Well, nice to meet you,” Tien politely replied. “Though I have to admit, you Videl were one of the last people I’d have expected to run into.”“I’m a little surprised I’m not at the very bottom,” she joked.“You have met Vegeta before, right?”“True.”“Who?”“Bulma’s husband.”‘Huh…now that I think about it, she did mention him back at the onsen a few times,’ Akane recalled.“Pleasantries aside, is your plane okay?” Tien asked.Videl went over to her jet and gave it a quick once over. Firing up the engines, everything seemed in order. “Yep, looks like it’s fine. Though I still don’t know what knocked us off course before.”“Yeah…about that….” Tien shied away from the two girls before turning back to them with an embarrassed expression. “I think I may be the one responsible,” he admitted.“What?”
[Moments Ago]
Tien and Chaioutzu stood far apart from each other, the former in a combative stance while the latter had a bevy of boulders floating above his head.
“I’m ready Tien!”
“Fire at will Chiaoutzu!”
The pair remained still before Chiaoutzu swung his arms forward, launching the giant rocks at his tri-eyed compatriot. Tien shifted from combat to defense as he stood straight and clutched his hands together. Unleashing a guttural yell, Tien focused all three-eyes on the incoming projectiles before the rocks imploded.
This repeated as Chaioutzu threw another volley with his telekinesis, but they all met the same fate. Chiaoutzu hurled one final, absurdly large boulder at Tien, though this one took a great deal of effort an the small being’s part. While Tien looked perfectly fine, Chiaoutzu looked like he was getting winded.
Tien smirked at the incoming formation and once again shattered it with a mere yell and a flex of his aura. As the pebbles came raining down over the two of them, Tien went to go check on his small charge.
“Are you alright there Chiaoutzu?” he asked helping him up.
“A bit shaky, but fine,” he confirmed.
“Think we ought to take a little break,” said Tien.
“No, I can still go one more round!” Chiaoutzu challenged.
“If there’s one thing I learned from Goku back from when we were fighting Cell, it’s the importance of letting your body recover. Pushing yourself is great, but if you push yourself too hard you can…”
“Wait! Tien, do you hear that?”
Tien paused and opened his ears. Before long, he could hear what sounded like a vehicle engine. “Yeah…you think it might be a jet car or something?”
“Maybe but…you don’t think our training session might’ve caused them some sort of malfunction, do you?”
“I should hope not. I think we were far enough away that….” Tien paused as his third eye picked up the image of a vehicle in the sky. From the looks of it, it seemed to be diving out of control. “Shot myself in the foot with that one. Come on, let’s go help em’ out!”
[Present]
“So then, Chiaoutzu landed the plane for you and here we are,” Tien finished.“Wait, what do you mean he landed the plane?” asked Akane.Chiaoutzu merely smiled before waving his arm at Akane. In the next instance, Akane shrieked as she felt herself ascending off the ground. “Hey, what the-!? What is this!?”“You asked how I landed the plane, right? Well, like this,” Chiaoutzu giggled before letting Akane down.“So you’re psychic,” she asked.“Yep.”“Among a few other things,” Tien added. “Although back on topic, if there’s anything I can do to make up for nearly blowing you girls out of the sky, just let me know.”The expression on the girls’ faces turned seriousness, a fact that didn’t go unnoticed to the three-eyed fighter.“Actually, there is something we want to ask,” said Videl.“What is it?”“We were hoping you could show us the Mafuba.”Tien raised an eyebrow. “The Mafuba?”“Yeah. We heard from Master Roshi that you’d be able to show us,” Akane chimed in.“Well if you heard it from Master Roshi, then why not have him…” Tien halted himself as he gave the girls a once over. “On second thought, never mind, I understand. He’d likely be too…distracted to give a proper demonstration,” he cleared his throat.“So you’ll do it?”Tien grinned with a shrug. “Sure, I don’t see why not. I do owe you girls after all.”“Can we take a break first,” interjected a panting Chiaoutzu. “Levitating that plane after all those rocks took a lot out of me.”“That’s fine with us. We’re a little drained from the flight over here anyway,”“Alright then. That should also give you girls a chance to explain to me why you’re so interested in the Mafuba,” Tien added.The girls nodded as Tien led them back to their nearby campsite.[Meanwhile]“Uhhhh Goku…are you sure this is a good idea?”After some trial and error, Gohan was finally able to stand up straight even with the sensitive stub of his tail being touched. Now however, Picclolo’s arm still wrapped around his waist, he was poised to fire a Kamehameha with Goku a ways away doing the same.“Awww, don’t worry Piccolo, Gohan will be fine. It’s not like this is the first time we’ve clashed our energy,” Goku dismissively replied.“Maybe, but all those previous times, Gohan wasn’t handicapped,” Piccolo noted.“That’s not…entirely true Piccolo, considering I was more often than not the weakest link between the three of us when we trained together,” Gohan shakily added.“Be that as it may, you were still at your physical best all those times, but now….”“No pain, no gain, right?” Gohan countered. “If anything, I’m more worried about you. If I can’t repel Dad’s blast, won’t you get caught in it too?”“Not if I keep my distance. I may lose this arm, but we all know that’s no major issue,” Piccolo assured.“Alright then, ready when you are Gohan!” called Goku.Gohan summoned as much of his energy as he could. Sadly, it was nowhere near his full potential with his current handicap. Still, the familiar blue orb of light shone between hands as he raised his power even further.Goku mimicked the motion and a much larger ball of light appeared in his. The Father-Son duo stared each other down, seemingly daring the other to make the first move. Finally, the two thrust their arms forward, releasing their attacks with a pair of deep yells.“Haaaaaaaa-!”In a brilliant burst, the two beams collided and almost immediately, Gohan’s was overtaken. Still, he was able to raise his power high enough to keep himself from getting fully overwhelmed. Slowly but surely, he began to push Goku’s blast back.“Not bad Son,” Goku praised.Gohan could only grunt in effort as he poured more of his restrained power into his attack. Goku kept his power-level mostly stagnant, only raising it incremental whenever Gohan managed to repel his attack. Eventually however, Gohan’s attack stopped pushing back and before anyone knew it, the slight increase by Goku was just enough t completely overpower Gohan, knocking him across the ground and into a bunch of trees.“Agh-! Gohan!”Goku and Piccolo rushed over to their hybrid-student where he was brushing dust and leaves off of his body.“Are you alright?” asked Piccolo.“I certainly felt that attack…” Gohan spun out his shoulder. “But I’m fine for the most part.”The two masters breathed a relieved sigh before Goku spoke up. “For just being able to stand up, you lasted for quite a while there Son,” he praised.“I admit, Goku may have had the right idea for this one, though I think he had the wrong method,” Piccolo spoke up.“What do you mean method?”“Wouldn’t it have been more sensible to have Gohan try to transform before we got into any sort of offensive territory?”Goku sheepishly rubbed his head. “Now that you mention it…I guess we did maybe jump the gun a little on this one.”“But would that even matter?” asked Gohan. “I can power-up to my maximum and beyond without transforming thanks to Elder Kai now, remember?”“Can you do so with your tail being touched?” Piccolo snapped.Gohan remained silent, catching Piccolo’s point. “Alright, I get it. Once I can transform like this, I want to try this again,” he proclaimed.“Alright then, let’s take it from the top!” exclaimed Goku.“Before we do….” Piccolo raised his arm to reveal that, as anticipated, it had been blasted off along with Gohan. “I think I could use a hand in getting all these trees out of the way.”“Did…you just make a pun…?” Gohan asked in disbelief.“…I’ve been talking to King Kai from time to time. I think maybe a bit too much actually.”The two saiyans chuckled as Piccolo regrew his arm.[Back at the Campsite]Tien wore a contemplative face as the girls explained their reasoning for searching him out.“So you want to learn the Mafuba to trap this…Happosai character. You originally went to Master Roshi at Gohan’s suggestion, who in turn pointed you to me after you likely declined his offer to teach it for understandable reasons. Is that correct?”The girls nodded, their faces firm and serious. Tien was unsure of their source of motivation, but the determination he could sense from them urged him to see their request through…for the time being.“I see, though that leaves me with a touch more questions than answers,” Tien replied.“I don’t know if we have the time, but if you want to know the full story, then you should probably strap in,” said Videl.“Well, we’ve got time, so why don’t you just take it from the top.[Many moments later]“No way! You were attacked by Master Shen and Tao!?” squealed Chiaoutzu.Tien wore a shocked expression as the girls began a cliff-notes tale of the battle with the Crane Masters. “No way…he actually hired them to kidnap you and kill Gohan?”Videl nodded. “Partially. He was only hired to kill Gohan, which obviously didn’t happen.”“Of course.”“I was kidnapped by their new ‘pupil’.”Tien’s eyes perked up at that new nugget of information. “Pupil?”Akane went on to give a rundown on Pantyhose Taro and the workings of Jusenkyo, as well as how menacing he’d become with the Crane School’s techniques under his belt.“I…never would’ve imagined he’d actually find himself a new student…especially after what happened with his last two…” Tien gasped out.“What did happen to those last students?” asked a curious Akane.Tien flashed the young fighter a smirk. “Well…you two shared your story, I guess it’s only fair that we share ours…if you think you’ve got the time for it,” he joked.“Well, you were kind enough to hear us out. It’s only polite that we do the same,” Videl snarked back.‘I can see why Gohan’s so fond of her. She’s feisty, but not overtly so.’ Tien chuckled before beginning his story.[More moments later]Videl and Akane sat, nigh awestruck as Tien neared the end of his story. Briefly going over his battle with Goku in the 22 World Tournament, skipping to the next Tournament where he (and Roshi) put the Crane School in their place, seemingly for good.“That’s insane,” Marveled Videl. “I know we don’t really know each other that well, but just from initial impressions, I never would’ve guessed you were part of a school like that.”Tien solemnly crossed his arms, a nostalgic smile on his face. “I was a different man back then. If it hadn’t been for Goku…well…in another timeline, it could’ve very well been Chiaoutzu and I out there trying to catch you two.”The three Z-Fighters all giggled at the seemingly ridiculous potential outcome. The jovial laughter was subsequently halted by a seemingly random shriek courtesy of Akane.“Akane what’s wrong!?”“I just remembered where I heard the name ‘Crane School’ before!”“What are you talking…?”“Cologne! Remember? When you fought with Shampoo!?”Videl halted and racked her brain, recalling her match with the young Amazon. Suddenly Cologne’s words shone in her mind. “Oh yeah, now I remember!”“Uhmmm…pardon me ladies but, is this really the best time to be talking about cosmetics?” asked Tien.[One explanation later]“Huh…I noticed your energy was significantly higher than when we last met, but I figured that was from training with Gohan. Didn’t think you’d find yourself another teacher…outside of our friend group at least.”Videl managed a small smile. She knew it wasn’t much, especially compared to the others, but the acknowledgement that she was getting stronger was a welcome notion.“I’ve enjoyed all the stories, but don’t you think we should get back on topic?” chimed in Chiaoutzu.“Ah-!”The group quickly regained their composure and brought their attention back to the current goal. The one to re-initiate the conversation was Tien. “Well, you two have certainly found yourselves in quite the predicament.”“That’s putting it mildly,” said Akane.Tien gleamed the girls over, a fiercely contemplative look on his face. “I understand the situation but…I’m not so sure I’ll be able to help.”“What? Why not!?”“I’m sure Master Roshi has at least mentioned how perilous a technique the Mafuba can be correct?”The two nodded though before Tien could continue, Videl cut him off. “You’re going to say we aren’t strong enough to handle it, aren’t you?”Tien sighed but nodded his affirmation. “I’m sorry, but it’s also because well…I don’t think that I, in good faith, can teach someone a technique so self-destructive unless it were a truly do-or-die situation.”Akane breathed a calming sigh. “I guess I can understand that but given the circumstances…” Akane hesitated before clenching her fist, her face showing intense resolve. “I’m willing to take the risk!” she proclaimed.Tien was honestly surprised that Akane was so gung-ho about the whole ordeal. He knew what shen and Tao were capable of, but if she were willing to go this far to put this Happosai character away (though without killing him), he respected her drive at the very least.Finally, he returned Akane’s statement with a soft chuckle. “Well, you’ve definitely got spirit, I’ll say that much. I’ll admit, I may have been a bit too hasty to shoot you girls down…figuratively speaking of course.”“So does that mean…!”Tien cut Akane off. “Hold on, I didn’t agree to anything yet, but I do need to take a moment and really think about this.”Akane was about to voice an objection but was halted by Videl grabbing her wrist. “That’s fine with us. Though I hope you don’t mind if we stick around until you’ve made your choice.”“That’s fine with us,” Tien chuckled back. “Though it’s probably not a good idea for any of us to just hang around here.”Getting up from the campsite, Tien dusted himself off before motioning for the others to follow him. “Come on. We have a cabin at a village nearby and I’m sure it’s a much more favorable waiting area than a mostly barren mountain.”[]Moments later, the quartet were casually flowing through the sky, the girls reveling in the fresh air from flying outside of a vehicle.While the girls were just enjoying the trip, Tien and Chiaoutzu were, unbeknownst to them, engaged in a mental conversation.
“Chiaoutzu, what do you think I should do?”
“Wait, you mean you’re not going to teach them?”
“Initially, I wasn’t, but I sort of lacked the words to let them down gently. Now that I’ve seen how determined Akane is, I actually am considering it, but…I still have my doubts.”
“I get it. I mean, the Mafuba did kill Master Roshi…”
“It’s not just that,” Tien added. “There’s also Tao and Shen. Even if I train the girls up to use the Mafuba, they don’t stand a chance against either of them. From what they told me it sounds like they only survived because Gohan was there. Come to think of it…if he’s involved too, why didn’t Gohan come to me instead?”Chiaoutzu put a finger to his chin. After a moment of thought, he perked up. “Wait, doesn’t Piccolo know the Mafuba too?”Realization flashed across the tri-clops’ face. “Right! Since Kami knew it and they fused. I see…that’s why Gohan sent them to Master Roshi’s in the first place, because he knew they couldn’t handle Piccolo’s brand of training.”“Still…if Gohan’s learning the Mafuba from Piccolo, then why do these two want to learn it?” asked Chiaoutzu.Tien thought for a moment before replying. “Well, they are martial artists. They probably saw this as a chance to better themselves, which is something I can greatly respect.”
“Maybe they also wanted someone else to be able to use the technique in case something went wrong. Remember when Kami tried it on Piccolo at the Tournament?” Chiaoutzu recalled.
“Yeah…that makes sense….” Tien remained mentally silent as they continued their flight. Though he ended his conversation with Chiaoutzu, his thoughts remained conflicted. On the one hand, the girls really hadn’t given him a reason to refuse their request, and for all intents and purposes, it was inspiring to see two young, mostly normal girls want to try to step up as fighters.On the other hand, Tien knew first-hand what it was like going into a battle that you know you have no hope of winning. Despite he himself being significantly stronger than Tao and Shen, these girls, as far as he could tell by energy alone, were far below even Yamcha’s level. He didn’t want to give the girls false hope that his training could let them fight toe-to-toe with his old foes, and he certainly didn’t want to knowingly send two young girls to their potential deaths, especially since one of them shared a special bond with his friend.Speaking of that friend there was also him to consider. From what Tien understood, Gohan was aware of the situation at hand. He did send them to Roshi after all, but why? Was it just to try and appease his girlfriend, or did he truly have faith in their abilities? Either way, it was likely he was going to be involved in the fight, so they shouldn’t be in too much danger. Still, if they were anything like the women he usually associates with (excluding 18 of course), then it’s probably for the best he tempers their expectations and declines their offer.They may be capable in their own right, but due to their lack of experience, they both run the risk of trying to ‘help’ with their newfound skill increase and potentially ruining something for Gohan. With a sigh, Tien steeled himself as his mind was made up. Luckily, they were just coming up on the village too. Unluckily however, since he came to a decision over the trip, he’d now run the risk of inviting the girls’ ire for essentially wasting their time. With any luck, maybe they’ll enjoy the village and its folk enough so that the trip won’t be a total waste for them.[]Upon arrival at the village border, the quartet were unceremoniously met with the sound of panicked screaming coupled with many of the villagers sprinting towards them.
“Help!!”
“We’re under attack!”
“What’s going on here?” asked Akane.“I don’t know…” answered Tien.Amidst the scampering crowd, the quartet managed to get through and Tien paused as he witnessed the quivering form of a short old man. “Elder!”The Crane defectors darted over to help the old man to his feet, earning a quick thank you. “Tien Shinhan…you couldn’t have come at a better time,” beamed the village Elder.“What’s happening? What’s everybody running from?”“It’s terrible I say,” started the elder. “The village is being ravaged by some fearsome…creature.”“Creature?”“I couldn’t get a good look at it myself, what I can say is that it wields power over flames and is already scorching everything in sight!”“A monster that wields fire? Are you certain it’s not some kind of dragon?” asked Chiaoutzu.“If it is, then I’ve never seen a dragon breathe fire that bright before,” the elder coughed. “Regardless, if it isn’t dealt with soon, the whole village could go up in flames!” he wept.“The crops!” Chiaotzu exclaimed. “Tien and I do farm work here and if that monster burns everything down then all our work will have been wasted!”“Don’t worry Chiaoutzu, I won’t let that happen.” Tien declared. “Whatever this monster is can’t be any more threatening than the foes we’ve faced all throughout the years.”“Seconded,” Videl added.‘Just what the Hell have these guys been fighting?’ pondered Akane.“Oh! Before I forget, there’s one person who didn’t evacuate yet!” The elder added.“Who?” asked Videl.“A woman. Long, dark, curly hair. A real sweetheart from what I could recall. I remember she got swept up in a cloud of dust. I don’t know if the monster got her or not, but if by some miracle she’s still alive…”“Wait…a kindhearted woman with long, dark, flowing hair…” Tien pondered.“Tien, you don’t think it could be-?”Chiaoutzu’s question was interrupted by the thunderous sound of rapid, repeated, bangs just ahead in the distance.“What the heck is that!?” asked Akane.“I’d know that sound anywhere. That has to be gunfire,” Videl sternly answered.“Gunfire?”Videl nodded. Given how much of it she’s had to dodge over the past few years, the sound of raining bullets was nigh unmistakable for her.Tien’s expression conversely turned noticeably more panicked as if he’d just had a massive realization. ‘I knew it.’“Chiaoutzu, let’s go. You girls stay here!” Tien ordered before dashing off into the village.While Chiaoutzu followed his old compatriot, Videl and Akane quickly called out to them. “Hey wait up!”Being caught off guard, their call fell on deaf ears as Tien and Chiaoutzu vanished from sight. The elder, now recovered enough to move on his own headed in the opposite direction. “Come on girls, let’s join the others and get out of here.” Unbeknownst to the oblivious senior, both girls had already vanished themselves, following heading towards the source of the quickly forming smoke cloud.[]It wasn’t long before Tien and Chiaoutzu found themselves approaching the village square, the smoke getting heavier and the rapping sound getting louder. ‘Videl was right, that is gunfire, which means….’Focusing with his third eye, Tien managed to peer through the thickening blanket of smoke to see the silhouette of a woman form. Upon arrival in the town square, the full picture was unveiled. Many buildings were either crushed or set ablaze. The ground was covered in ash and soot while many nearby plants were also scorched. Somehow, miraculously, the trail of destruction seemed to be leading away from the aforementioned crops, though not without some of them being burned away as well.“Well, at least there’s some good news,” Tien stated.“But Tien where’s the…? Gyagggh!”Tien and Chiaoutzu were both forced to shield their eyes as a giant ball of light illuminated the sky. “What is that thing!?”“I think that’s our monster,” Tien noted. ‘But where’s…?’The light died down as a stream of fire descended from it. From what they could tell, the source of the light seemed to be hovering over a specific area before it proceeded on. From the erratic movements of the thing, it almost seemed like it was chasing something. Focusing his enhanced vision once more, Tien got a full, better view of what the light was firing at; A woman with long flowing, blonde hair holding an assault rifle, fruitlessly firing back at the light sphere in the sky.“I knew it!” Tien exclaimed.The light fired yet another stream of flames at the woman and she looked prepared to dodge. She wouldn’t get the chance as a stern-faced Tien zipped in, sweeping her into his arms and away from the opposing heat source.“Hey! I dunno who you are, but if you don’t put me down now, ya gonna be eatin’ more lead than that glowin’ bitch up there, you hear me!!!??” The woman frantically struggled trying to free herself from her rescuer’s grasp, but ultimately eased up when she heard his voice.“Launch, calm down. It’s me.”Listening for once, she eased up and her gaze fell upon a familiar trio of eyes. “Tien!”“I’m here too!” called an approaching Chiaoutzu.“Well, ya sure took ya sweet ass time boys,” Launch smirked.“Where have you gone to impudent wench!?” Boomed a female voice.“Wait…was that the light?” asked Chiaoutzu.“Impudent wench?” Tien shot an accusatory glare at Launch.“Now hold up Tri-Clops, don’t gimme dat look! I ain’t the one who started it, she did!” Launch defended.“She?”The three were forced to shield their eyes as the light approached them before dimming in a brilliant flash revealing a six-armed, three-headed woman, rage spilling on all of her faces. “Step aside fool! The Fool’s hubris must be paid!”“Who are you?” Tien demanded.“I am called Rouge, the mighty Asura!”“An Asura?”“Quit yer yappin’ and kick her ass already!” Launch screeched.“Impudent…!” Rouge lunged at the sharp-tongued blonde, but quickly found herself frozen in midair. “What…what is this?”The oft ignored Chiaoutzu could be seen with his eyes glowing a cool azure as he held his hands outstretched.“Okay. I get that you’re upset, but maybe we should take a moment to discuss this like civilized people,” Tien mediated.Rouge continued to struggle against Chiaoutzu’s psychic paralysis while Tien turned to Launch. “Okay Launch, lets hear it.”“Hear what!?”“What did you do to upset her?”“I AIN’T DO NOTHIN’!”“LIAR!”Rouge spat flames from all three of her mouths, startling Chiaoutzu away and freeing her from his grasp. In a rage, Rouge dashed past the Crane fighters and lunged at Launch, grasping her by the neck and heading to the sky.“Let me…go!” she choked.Rouge merely grunted as she continued to ascend.“Launch!” Tien quickly chased after the two, but he and Chiaoutzu were both forced back by a bolt of lightning, barely missing scorching the three-eyes’ jacket. ‘So, it’s fire and lightning huh?’ “This could be interesting.”Tien continued to pursue the fleeing fiend, though any time he’d make any significant advance, Rouge would spit out a torrent of flames from one mouth, lightning from the other, keeping him at bay. Though Tien did have ranged attacks of his own, he didn’t dare run the risk of potentially hitting Launch.‘I can catch her, but how do I get her to release Launch?’“Begone!”Rouge spat fire from all three of her mouths, surrounding her and launch in the familiar sphere of flames. As Tien paused to shield his eyes, Launch screeched out, “Hey…can you hurry it up…I’m burnin’ up over here! And I ain’t…dressed for sunbathin’!”Beneath his shielded gaze, Tien’s eyes managed to perk up. ‘Now there’s an idea.’Against the blazing lights, Tien was forced to fall back, allowing Rouge to take off yet again.‘Now!’In a swift motion, Tien zipped ahead of Rouge. While she was caught off guard, Tien raised his hands to the sides of his head. “Solar Flare!”“Gahgh-!”Rouge instinctively covered her first face’s eyes with all her hands, releasing a screaming Launch. The feisty blonde, gunslinger was grabbed by the wrist and hoisted up into her rescuer’s arms.“Sorry if I kept you waiting,” smiled Tien.“Blow this bitch out the sky and we’ll call it even,” she replied.Tien nodded before handing Launch over to an accompanying Chiaoutzu. “This won’t take much longer, but don’t think you don’t still owe me an explanation,” Tien demanded.Launch could only grunt as Chiaoutzu flew her away from the area. While Rouge was slowly regaining her eyesight, her gaze fell onto the silhouette of a bald man, his arms crossed.”“I don’t know what your problem is demon, but I’m ending you now!”“How can you be so blind yet possess three eyes, fool!?” Rouge spat.“Launch will get her comeuppance as well, I promise you that, but I can’t forgive you for decimating this peaceful village!”“Arrogant…! My power is divine! I shan’t be defeated by the likes of you!”“Care to test that theory?”[Back in the village]Videl and Akane finally caught up to witness the wanton destruction of the apparent flame monster’s attack.“This is terrible…” said Videl.“That’s an understatement…this place looks like it was caught hit by a volcano or something,” said Akane.“Yeah…but I don’t think you can fight a volcano. Though speaking of fights, where’d Tien go?”“What are you girls doing here!?” The two looked up to see Chiaoutzu hovering down carrying a fierce-faced blonde woman.“Chiaoutzu! There you are, and I take it she’s the lady who got left behind the old man was talking about?” guessed Akane.“The name’s Launch,” she introduced herself. “And I didn’t get left behind. I stayed back on purpose to give that three-faced bitch a piece of my mind! She just…”“Wait, ‘three-faced bitch? Do you mean the one who torched this village?” asked Videl.Launch nodded and began to explain. “Some freaky chick with three faces that can spit fire and lightnin’ and she has six-arms!”Akane paused at the description. Something about those details rang a bell, but she couldn’t quite place it.“That sounds kind of insane, but I’ve seen crazier,” Videl replied.“You and me both kid. Though the real crazy thing is, for a while, she looked just like a normal ass kid,” Launch added.“You mean she transformed?”Launch nodded and Akane’s expression lit up. “Ummm…Miss…”“Launch.”“Launch…by any chance, did she transform after getting splashed with water?”“Hmm?” Launch pondered momentarily before raising an eyebrow. “Now that you mention it…I think so….”Videl’s own face startled with realization from Akane’s question. “Wait…are you saying that…!?”Akane nodded to the confusion of Launch and Chiaoutzu. “Wait…what is she saying?” asked the latter.“We’ll explain on the way, right now we need some hot water!” Akane exclaimed.[]The battle between Rouge and Tien was not going great for the multi-faced fiend. Despite her best efforts, he was able to easily counter and deflect all her attacks. Any physical strike she threw would easily be avoided or deflected. Even with her superhuman strength, Tien’s reactions far outpaced her own.When she attempted to follow up with a torrent of flames, Tien merely blew the flames away with a burst of his energy. He’d been holding back for Launch’s sake before, but now that she was out of the crossfires, he felt confident in letting his real power spring forth.“Give it up. You can’t defeat me,” Tien simply stated.“If you continue to impede me in my pursuit of that woman, then I WILL defeat you!” Rouge spat back.Tien smirked. “Well too bad for you, she’s more than likely long gone by now. Face it, even if I let you go to start searching, you’d likely not find her again,” he said whilst crossing his arms.Rouge growled in irritation before a familiar loud sound rang through the decimated lands.
RATATATATATATA!
The layer of sweat that now coated Tien’s face came not from the flames, but from the pit in his stomach from where he knew that sound was coming from. ‘You’ve got to be kidding me!’“Hey freak! You want me!? Well I’m right here!!!” Launch called to the pair before aiming her assault rifle at the combatants, opening fire.“Launch you fool! What are you still doing here!!??”“There you are!!” One of Rouge’s mouths spat fire at the distracted Tien, catching him off guard before divebombing towards the gun-toting woman, hissing as she reached towards her target.“Dammit!” Tien ripped off his top, dispelling the flames before they could spread across his body and sped off after Rouge. ‘She got a bigger head start than I thought, and she’s moving faster than before!’ he noted. ‘She must be serious now!’ Tien repeatedly warped ahead, hoping to close the gap between him and Rouge. Though it seemed to be working, it wasn’t clear if he’d make it in time or not.Launch smirked as she sprinted off away from her pursuer. ‘Great, she took the bait!’“You shan’t escape!” Rouge roared.Launch’s response was to flip Rouge off as she kept running. With a growl, Rouge’s frontward mouth let out an ear-piercing screech as lightning erupted from her jaw.“Launch, get out of there!” Tien yelled as he pointed at the blast. “Dodon Ray!”Tien’s beam collided with the lowest point of the bolt, causing a small, explosion near Launch, throwing her onto the ground. Thankfully, she was spared from a direct hit by the lightning. That did little to improve her mood as she quickly turned to them and started shouting.“Hey, watch it! I know she’s tryna kill me, but whose side are y-y-y-y…!”Launch’s spiel was interrupted as the resulting dust from the explosion entered her nostrils. A few small inhales later, “YAAAAACHOO-!”In the next instance, Launch’s hair changed from a striking blonde to a cooler, more reserved, indigo shade and the ever-present scowl on her face was replaced with a calmer, more inviting look of confusion.Off to the side, a trio of spectators, viewed the scene and each voiced their own reactions accordingly.“Wait, what just happened?”“Hey wait, I remember her now!”“Gaagh-! Oh no!”Leaving their hiding spot, a frantic Chiaoutzu zipped onto the scene, leaving a confused Videl and Akane with a heated kettle in hand.“Hey! Chiaoutzu, get back here!” called Akane, chasing after him.“Akane!”[]Back in the field, Launch picked herself up and asked aloud, “Where am I? And what…?”“Begone!”Turning to the clearly angered voice, Launch shrieked as she was met with the three, furious faces of Rouge the Asura.Before Rouge could attack, Chiaoutzu flew between the two women, outstretching his arms in a defensive position.“Chiaoutzu!”“Launch run!”Rouge took a breath, preparing to launch flames (or ‘flame Launch’ as it were [SWACK!] Ow!). As her mouth ignited, she was suddenly beamed in the head by something round and metallic, stumbling backwards.“What was that!?” asked Launch. She glanced down to find a now dented kettle. “Where did that…?”“Chiaoutzu!!”The two turned back to see Akane quickly approaching them, Videl close behind. Unfortunately, Rouge had recovered from the surprise attack and was now more irritated than ever. “Who dares to…!?”“Hrrragh!”Yet another interruption appeared in the form of Tien, kicking Rouge across her face(s), launching her back. “What are you all still doing here!?” he reprimanded.He received no answer as Rouge erupted from her landing spot, once again surrounded by a blinding, sphere of fire and lightning.“All of you stay back, I’m going to put an end to this freak, once and for all!” Tien began to ascend and pressed his hands together.“Tien wait! There’s something you need to know!” Akane spoke up.With what time they had, Akane explained that Rouge was yet another victim of a Jusenkyo curse, and behind her current form as an Ashura, she’s actually a really innocent girl. Tien was skeptical at first, but recalled the times he’d seen his Saiyan allies lose themselves in their own transformations.“So if we can just splash her with hot water, she’ll be depowered and human again?” asked Tien.“Yeah!” Akane confirmed. “And thankfully we have just the…” Akane stepped forth to retrieve the projectile that had struck Rouge, only to now see that the top was removed and it’s contents were spilt all over the ground.“Ohh…” Akane sheepishly rubbed her head. “Okay, not a problem…we can get more water and heat it up again…but we just need to keep Rouge busy for a little bit longer.”Tien’s focused glare quickly turned into a look of realization as he let out a small chuckle. “Do you girls remember why you came to find me today?”“Yeah…?” Videl answered.Tien walked over to the discarded kettle and picked it and it’s lid up. He then proceeded to glare intently at the container and his third eye began to glow. From the orb came a beam that burned into the houseware’s side. After a few seconds, Tien revealed the kettle, now with the symbol for ‘Demon Containment’ burnt into it. “Well then…you’d better watch closely.”“Wait, Tien! The spout!” called Chiaoutzu.“Huh…? Oh! Good catch there.”Chiaoutzu let out a relieved sigh as Tien picked up a pebble and jammed it into the kettle’s spout. “Okay, NOW watch closely.”Tien, kettle in hand stepped towards the sparking, blazing orb as it began to twist. The rotation turned faster and faster before it began to stretch out, converging into a large, shining funnel. “I’ve enough of this farce! If you stand with that miserable cretin of a wench, then I shall obliterate you all!” Rouge proclaimed.“Take your best shot.” Tien challenged.“Asura Ultimate Technique; Flaming Stormy Dragon Dance!”The funnel erupted into a fiery twister, bathed in bolts of lightning. Slowly but surely, it began to expand.“Uhh girls…maybe we should get further back!?” suggested Chiaoutzu.The miniscule fighter was pulled back by launch and held comfortingly against her chest whilst the two younger girls continued watching the scene unfold through the blinding light. ‘Geeze…I really wish I had a pair of…oh wait! I almost forgot!’Back in the battlefield, Tien stood firmly against the (wo)man made natural disaster. His eyes remained unwavering as he took up a defensive stance before standing straight with his hands and legs closed tightly together. With a mighty yell, Tien let his energy flare and he released a full powered “Kiai” wave right into the heart of the twister, blasting Rouge straight through and out of it. The excess burst of energy also blew the flames away, dispelling them before they could cause any further damage to the village.Rouge managed to keep herself afloat, the quivering of her body was evidence that Tien’s attack had shaken her in more ways than one. ‘How…how did he break through my technique…and so easily!?’A panting Rouge finally landed, her body still reeling from Tien’s attack. “You’re more powerful than I thought, but don’t think I won’t still annihilate you!”Tien merely stepped forward and set the kettle down in front of him, much to Rouge’s confusion. “I’m not going to fight you. I’m going to end this,” Tien proclaimed.With a yell, Tien reared his arms back, his energy rising. Sensing something amiss, Rouge’s exhausted quivering soon turned to worried shivering. She didn’t know what his next move would be, but something, probably instinct, told her that she should probably retreat. Not a bad idea considering she’d spent so much energy on that destructive tornado. As Tien continued yelling, Rouge suddenly sprang upwards, intending to flee, but Tien only grinned in response.
“Evil Containment Wave!”
Thrusting his arms forward, a visible, green gust shot forward at the multi-limbed fighter, seemingly sucking her in and swirling her around in midair.“What the-?”‘Whoa…!’The young fighters marveled at the emerald glimmer that illuminated the sky, as the form of Rouge continued to flow through the light.“What is this!!??” Rouge echoed through the emerald stream.Tien continued to yell before raising his arms upwards, manipulating the stream accordingly. With a grunt, he yanked his arms down and the stream once again followed suit, pulling a yelling Rouge downwards.The scream continued to echo as the green light descended and ultimately crashed into the open kettle. Once the light died down, Tien dashed in and placed the lid back on the kettle. Wiping a layer of sweat off his forehead, Tien grabbed the kettle and strolled back to Chiaoutzu and the girls.“Well now, did you two enjoy the demonstration?” he chuckled.
(A/N: Somehow, I managed to get this out before the end of the month. I wanted to update last month, but December is ALWAYS a stressful time. Not much time to write, especially for me who went through a LOT this December, and not a lot of it was good. Regardless, I’m back with the first update of the new year and we’re starting with a BANG! Akane and Videl meet with Tien and then meet up with two characters even I didn’t see coming: Launch and Rouge. When I say I didn’t see this coming, I’m not exaggerating. My Plan A was to have Tien just decline and have the girls try to prove themselves, but that felt too much like a retread of Cologne and while it didn’t seem unreasonable for Tien to do something like it, it didn’t feel fully accurate either [speaking of accuracy, I’m hoping the interactions between Videl and the newly introduced veterans feels alright because, realistically speaking, they HAVEN’T interacted much [Pre-Super at least]. For real, she’s interacted with Yamcha more than the Crane gang]. Back on topic, adding Launch was a sensible enough idea since she still likes Tien (and she actually WAS included in the anime version of “Son Goku and His Friends Return” which is how Videl recognizes her in her nice persona), but Rouge on the other hand, I didn’t even consider until much later, but ultimately, everything fell into place. She’s a powerful enough threat can cause significant damage that neither Videl nor Akane can reasonably defeat, having her target Launch would give Tien extra incentive to want to attack her beyond the village’s destruction, but given that she’s a Jusenkyo victim and not usually malicious [unless provoked], killing her wouldn’t be a great option, making her a perfect target for the Mafuba as opposed to just…Tien using it on Chiaoutzu for the demo. Also, about Rouge herself, I know she doesn’t usually talk in stock villain dialogue, but I hope it works since she was enraged here. Why was she enraged? We’ll find out next time. Side note, her Ultimate Attack is one I made up by combining her actual TWO ultimate attacks: Fiery Dragon Dance [which creates a fire tornado] and Flames of the Storm [Which shoots a spiral barrage of lightning…despite the name…saying flames…has she been taking naming conventions from Pikkon?]. Also, in a similar vein to Pantyhose Taro being a fit for the Crane School cause he has ACTUAL crane wings, Launch and Rouge were kind of a fitting pair because they both have the whole Sweet Girl/Violent Chick dual personality shtick going on. This one was kind of difficult but hey, things happen and we move forward. Oh yeah, Gohan’s making progress too. We’ll catch up with Ranma in a bit as well…maybe. Stay tuned for the next chapter, and before I forget, Happy Belated New Year!)
PS: How do you all on Ao3 like the cover art? I've had it for a while, but didn't know how to insert images into the story. Thankfully, I figured it out.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
Two Tales of Two Faces; Tien’s New Students
The heated, hectic scramble finally reached it’s end as Tien regrouped with Chiaoutzu and the girls, the kettle holding Rouge in hand.“So girls, did you enjoy the demonstration?” he asked with a prideful grin.“Wait, what…just happened?” asked Akane.Tien shook the kettle and answered. “That girl…Asura…whatever she was, she’s inside here now.”“Ummm…okay, I know I’ve seen some crazy techniques, but how exactly does that work!?” Akane exclaimed.Tien gave a quick summation of how the Mafuba works, putting special emphasis on the two most important aspects of performing it correctly; specifically, the lidded container and the seal. He promised to go into more detail later, but for the moment wanted to focus on what to do with Rouge. Not to mention Launch’s role in the whole ordeal.“Tien, what about the village?” asked Chiaoutzu. Sure enough, in the wake of the battle, much of the village had been decimated. Thankfully, the fires had died out and the crops were mostly okay, but nigh all the buildings and some surrounding trees were destroyed.“One step at a time Chiaoutzu. First, we need to figure out what to do with her.” Tien motioned to the kettle.“We just need to change her back to human form,” said Akane. “But where do we get the hot water?”“Where’d you get it the first time?”“Well…”
[Moments ago]
After explaining the situation to Launch and Chiaoutzu, Akane and Videl led the two to the village pond. Launch happened to have a kettle capsulized with her (she enjoys tea while taking breaks in her food truck) so a simple fill-up later, Chiaoutzu used his kinesis to hold the kettle over one of the still open flames to heat it up.
[]
“I see…well Launch having a kettle was certainly convenient, but what are we supposed to use to boil water now?” asked Tien.“Oh we don’t have to boil water again,” Launch spoke up. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a capsule and tossed it to reveal a house. “We can just use the bathtub.”The four fighters looked at the innocently smiling lady with a look of disbelief. The kettle was one thing, but this was just TOO convenient. Then again…it wasn’t too farfetched to think she’d have a capsule house if her deliveries went far or long. Opting not to ask questions, the group piled inside.[]After everyone gathered in the living room, Akane appeared with a basin full of heated water from the bathroom.Tien set the kettle down, and as he was about to open the lid, he paused. “Akane, are you sure this is a good idea?”“Trust me. Rouge is harmless in human form, she’s not even a fighter. I just need to splash her with this as soon as she comes out of the kettle…and that still feels weird to say.”“You do seem rather sure about this…alright then.” Taking a breath, Tien grasped the lid and slowly uncapped the kettle. For a moment, nothing happened. Suddenly, the kettle began to glow green and an aptly colored mist sprang from it. Suddenly, a bewildered Rouge emerged from the kettle, panting profusely as she tried to get her bearings.“What happened? Where am…?”
SPLOOSH
!
The instant the water touched Rouge’s head, her three faces became one. Her six arms, retreated into two, and the sharp-eyed, fang-toothed glare she sported was replaced with a confused, but ultimately docile expression.“What…what happened?” she squeaked out.Tien and Chiaoutzu were taken aback. To think that this scared, confused, innocent girl was the same destructive, multi-limbed nuisance that destroyed the village. Had Tien not seen it himself (or been acquainted with Saiyans), he’d probably disbelieve it too.“Hey Rouge, are you alright?” asked Akane.“Oh! I remember you now. You were part of that nice family who saved me from that thieving pervert that one time!”Videl raised an eyebrow. “Thieving pervert?”“It’s a long story…although now that I think about it…it is kind of related considering who the ‘thieving pervert’ was,” she realized.“Don’t tell me…”[Elsewhere, on a more rugged mountain]
“KEER-CHOO!”
A large, bovine figure let out a powerful sneeze, unintentionally causing a rocky avalanche to tumble down on his giant form.[]“To think, that horrid beast of a man would be the one to lead to us meeting again,” Rouge dramatically proclaimed.Akane could only bashfully chuckle. “Well…I guess you could say that, but we’re actually here for a different reason.”“Oh?” Rouge scanned the room, the events of the past few moments slowly coming back to her. The moment her eyes fell on Launch, her face alit.“Oh! Its you!”“I’m glad you remember me too,” Launch sheepishly replied.“Wait…so you two are on good terms with each other?” asked Chiaoutzu.“Why wouldn’t we be? I owe this nice lady far too much!” Rouge exclaimed.That revelation left quite a few confused glances aimed at Rouge. “Wait, if you owe her so much then whey were you trying to…?”Tien put a hand over Chiaoutzu’s mouth before turning to Akane and Videl who both nodded. It didn’t take much thought to realize what the situation was, but they still needed answers.“If you don’t mind my asking, how exactly did you two meet?” said Tien.“Well…”
[Some days ago]
Launch recalled the day she’d taken a much needed trip to a luxurious hot-spring resort. After getting acquainted with a little old lady and her young granddaughter, she was prepared to get back to work. On her way down the mountain, her truck was thrown off course by what looked to be some bright, fiery comet? Whatever it was landed in a lake just off the main road, prompting her to investigate.
As she arrived at the lake, she noticed that what definitely should’ve been cold water was now steaming, almost like a hot bath. From the water came Rouge who looked all but exhausted. Bringing her back to the food truck, Launch offered her some provisions, much to the younger girl’s gratitude.
Rouge went on to explain how she was looking for a specific hot spring resort, but had managed to get herself lost in the mountain. She also said something about her power draining due to her not bringing enough…sources? Whatever she meant by that, she was running low with only a couple left on her immediate person that she wanted to save for emergencies.
Thankfully, Launch wasn’t too far down the mountain where turning back wasn’t an option so in another act of kindness, she offered to give Rouge a lift to the resort, again elating the young girl.
While driving up the mountain, Launch’s truck began to malfunction, sputtering before grinding to a halt. She may not have been as mechanically inclined as Bulma, but Launch was used to these sort of small mishaps happening from time to time. While Rouge stayed put, Launch got to work examining the problem.
With Launch distracted working on the truck, Rouge, probably against her better judgement, opted to try and take one more piece of Launch’s merchandise. She was vehemently against stealing, but she figured that since Launch had offered her the same food earlier, she wouldn’t mind if she had just one more for the road.
When Rouge exited the passenger seat and headed towards the trailer, Launch was quickly met with overpowering engine fumes and a tuft of smoke blasting in her face. As she staggered away from the truck coughing, the intense scent of burnt car parts ultimately made her sneeze and her soft indigo hair turned blonde.
Briefly bewildered, the now irritable Launch quickly recognized the truck and made the realization she must be on a delivery of some kind. That thought would be pushed aside as she noticed someone trying to scramble their way into the trailer. Not one to be ‘out-thieved’, Launch quickly procured a pair of twin pistols and had them trained on her would-be robber.
An even more confused Launch lowered her guns when her target turned out to be a scared, crying, girl she didn’t recognize. Fear overtaking her senses, Rouge did the sensible thing and bolted into the woods beside the main road, leaving Launch alone. Deciding to just move on for now, Launch noted the state that the truck was in and got back to work on fixing it. Thankfully, this form of hers was much more mechanically savvy.
Rouge sifted through all the mountain foliage, fearing for her life from the gun-slinging, blonde lady. As she finally found a moment to recollect herself, she’d wind up stumbling over a root and falling face first into a puddle where her fearful face would be replaced with three glares of fury.
Meanwhile, back with Launch, she’d finally managed to get the truck back up and running and was prepared to make her way…wherever she was going. She hadn’t yet recalled what she was doing before changing personalities, but if all else failed, she could always visit Tien at that village.
As soon as she was prepared to take the wheel again, the previously blue sky turned a blazing reddish-orange and in the sky flew a lone figure with multiple limbs and faces. “I shan’t let you harm her you fiendish wench!”
Launch barely had time to capsulize the truck as Asura Rouge began raining down fire from her front mouth. Scrambling to not get burned, Launch uncapped a faster, more maneuverable jet-bike and made her way down the mountain, with Rouge in hot pursuit.
[]
“After that, I remember chasing after that scary woman onto the boat that left the island. She managed to get away in some kind of capsule plane, but I managed to take her down with my lightning. Unfortunately, she crash landed in the forest and I hadn’t managed to find her until earlier today,” Rouge concluded.Turning towards Launch, Rouge took her hands apologetically. “I’m so sorry for leaving you to fend yourself in the clutches of that crazy witch, but I…was just way too startled to help…at least until….”Launch gently pulled away from Rouge with her own apologetic glance. “No, it isn’t your fault. You see….”Chiaoutzu cut Launch off, “Uhhh…Ms. Rouge, there’s something you should probably see.” He then proceeded to procure a feather out of seemingly nowhere and rubbed her nose with it. Launch inhaled a few times before letting out a high pitched sneeze, transforming her hair once again, earning a shocked squeal from Rouge.“What the hell?”“Kyaaagh-!”“Hey, I remember you! You were that truck thief!” Launch accused.A panicked Rouge darted for the bathroom, but was halted by Akane and Videl. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on!” Videl dissuaded.“But…but that’s…!”“You just saw her change right?” Akane pointed out.Chiaoutzu tickled Launch’s nose with the feather again, making her sneeze again and Launch changed back to her docile persona. That seemed to do the trick as an astonished Rouge watched the transformation play back a couple more times.“So she’s…?”With Rouge now at ease, Launch took the moment to properly explain her condition, and Rouge (as well as Videl who’d yet to see this side of Launch either) seemed to accept it surprisingly gracefully.“Oh wow…your condition is a lot like my Jusenkyo curse,” Rouge noted.‘Now I get why Goku compared Ranma’s curse to Launch,’ Videl whispered.‘Yeah but boy or girl, Ranma’s the same jerk-ass.’“But wait…if your condition just changes your personality, how come you attacked me?” Asked Rouge.Launch gave an apologetic bow. “Sorry but, it sometimes takes a moment for me to remember what my other half was doing…it goes both ways I think,” she explained.“So in the eyes of your other persona, Rouge was a thief, but from Rouge’s point of view, you were some sort of assailant,” Tien finalized. “So this whole crazy chase was just the result of one massive misunderstanding.”“Huh…I feel like I’m experiencing deja-vu,” said Akane.Launch and Rouge both turned to the other and bowed profusely. “I’m so sorry!”“While it’s nice you two made up, I think the real apologies should go to the villagers. Regardless of who started what, the fact remains that your conflict with each other scorched this entire village to the ground,” scolded Tien.“It’s kind of miraculous the crops managed to survive, but a lot of houses and other buildings were destroyed.”With an uncommonly stern face, Launch proclaimed, “I know…but I promise I’ll do whatever I can to fix this mess!”“As will I,” added Rouge. “It truly is a tragedy that such calamity had to befall such a peaceful place. I will do as I must to ensure that it returns to its former glory. Even if it takes the rest of my days!” she proclaimed into a microphone.‘But…you were the calamity….’ Videl inwardly droned.Tien turned to the two teens. “Sorry girls, but given all that’s happened I don’t think I’ll have the spare time to show you the Mafuba, much less train you to handle it.”“Unless we help you guys out with the cleanup you mean?” Akane smugly added.“Akane what are you…?”“No, I couldn’t ask you two to….”“No, we get it. You’re about to be very busy and won’t have time to waste on just a couple of girls you barely know…unless of course they can pull their own weight,” Akane glanced to Videl and gave a knowing wink.Finally understanding what her friend was doing, Videl followed up. “Oh, don’t worry. I’ve helped my father with construction projects before and learned a little farming from Chi-Chi. I assure you, I can more than handle what needs to be done.”“Hey hold on a minute, I didn’t agree to…!”Launch could only giggle as Chiaoutzu pulled Tien aside, cutting him off. “Tien, maybe you should just let them help. With a village this big, we’ll need as many hands as we can get. And would training them really be all that bad? It’s obvious they’re both really serious about it.”Tien glanced back at the girls before pondering Chiaouztu’s words. No matter how he thought about it Chiaoutzu was right. He still had some hesitance on signing two young girls onto a task like this, but thinking back, merely standing up to Rouge’s Asura form, no matter the circumstances took guts. Speaking of Rouge, he did owe them a solid for helping to stop her…with minimal bloodshed at least.Managing a small chuckle, Tien relented. “Well, I guess I can’t exactly turn down a couple of volunteers now, can I? Especially two who are willing to learn at all. Okay girls welcome aboard.”“Yes!” The pair gave a quick high-ten before straightening themselves up.“I’ll work out details of a schedule later, but here’s a warning; If you don’t put your all into restoring this village, I may not put my all into training you two.”The pair nodded in understanding, to Tien’s delight. “Alright then. First things first, we should probably let the villagers know what’s been happening.”“Wait a sec,” Akane chimed in. “If all the houses are destroyed, where is everyone supposed to sleep until their all fixed again?”“I could lend my Capsule House?” Launch suggested.“Do you have enough to shelter a whole village?” asked Akane.“No….”“But I think we know someone who does,” Videl beamed. Chiaoutzu and Launch soon followed suit, understanding her idea. “Bulma!”“I’m sure if we explain the situation, she’ll lend us a hand.”“Isn’t she like, really busy with…I don’t know…CEO stuff?” asked Akane.“No it’ll be fine. Bulma actually has more free time than you think…which now that I think about it, between running Capsule Corp, being a mom, and a scientist in general, is kind of insane….” Videl pondered.“Yeah. And this village isn’t too big, so we shouldn’t need that many Capsule Houses as long as the villagers are willing to share,” noted Chiaoutzu.“Hold on a minute,” Tien interjected with a stern, contemplative look on his face. “As great an idea as asking Bulma for help is, I don’t think we should ask for Capsule Houses.”“What? Why?”“As you can no doubt tell, this village is a very low technology zone. There’s the occasional vehicle, and they do utilize empty capsules to help them in their daily lives, but otherwise, they prefer to keep things as natural as possible," Tien explained. “If we do go to Bulma for help, I think it’d be best if we asked her for tents and building materials instead to keep things as they were."The group nodded in understanding and Tien gave a confirmatory smile. “Alright then,” he turned to Akane and Videl. “You girls call Bulma and let her know what’s going on here. Chiaoutzu and I will go and tell everyone it’s safe to return.”“What should I do?” asked Launch.“You can stay here with them or come with us, it doesn’t really matter,” Tien replied “And you…” he sharply turned to Rouge.“You are definitely coming with us. I think you have a few words to say to the people out there.”A flushed Rouge nodded in understanding.[]The villagers all breathed a sigh of relief as Tien lead his group back to the villagers’ refuge where they were met with a hero’s welcome. After a quick explanation, everyone was distraught to learn that their village had been destroyed. Even more so when it was revealed that Rouge was the culprit behind it. Her overly dramatic apology did manage to sway some, but not all of the onlookers to her remorse.Before anyone could object to her however, Tien stepped forth to take the heat, explaining that they were hopefully due to receive some fresh materials and that he’d make sure Rouge assisted in rebuilding the village and promising that he and the others would keep her in check. Despite some warranted skepticism, everyone relented when they saw the apologetic look on Rouge’s face. The welcome was far from warm, but they accepted Tien’s proposal and returned to the village, prepared for a long and arduous process of rebuilding.[Meanwhile]A blinding golden flash alit the fields as Gohan transformed into his Super Saiyan form, Piccolo’s arm still wrapped around his waist against his tail stub.“How do you feel Gohan?” asked Goku.Taking a stance and throwing a few warm up punches, Gohan tested himself and things felt comparatively normal. “So far, so good.”“Hmph. It seems once you transform, the power you gain is enough to outstrip the sensitivity in your tail,” noted Piccolo.“That makes sense. I remember when Gohan became a giant ape against Vegeta, he grabbed his tail but that didn’t slow him down.”‘I almost wish I could remember that too,’ Gohan inwardly added.“I guess brute forcing it was the right way to go…at least in this case,” said Piccolo“Yeah but…what’ll happen if I power down?”“Let’s find out.”With a nod, Gohan exhaled and returned to his base form, Piccolo still pressing into his tail. He looked a little shaken, but much less so than earlier. Doing a few more warm-ups, Gohan found himself feeling significantly stronger than earlier. Not quite up to full power, but he was able to move freely now.“You’re doing great Gohan,” praised Goku. “It took me much longer to get this far and here you are already so resilient after only a day.”“I guess having Super Saiyan gives me something of an unfair advantage,” he joked.Retreating his arm, Piccolo added “Considering your tail is almost completely gone to begin with, I’d say it balances out.”“True.”“Well, we’ve made considerable progress today, but it is starting to get a little late,” said Piccolo. Sure enough, the sun was beginning to set, bathing the area in a red-orange glow.“Huh…we really have been at this all day, haven’t we?”“If you want to turn in for the night and pick it up tomorrow, I won’t blame you,” said Piccolo.“Not just yet. I want to try one more time,” Gohan turned to Goku and the pair exchanged a knowing glance.“Hmph, if you insist.”The trio assumed their positions, Goku and Gohan faced each other while Piccolo stood aside, his arm wrapped around Gohan’s waist.“Ready Son?”“Always Dad!”In unison, the pair chanted out, “Kaaa-Meee-Haaa-Meee…”Piccolo braced himself for the incoming brilliant flash.“HAAAAAAAA!”Pulling their arms back, the simultaneously thrust them forward, unleashing their respective blasts and entering an energy standstill. Compared to earlier, Gohan was more even with his father. Despite Piccolo’s hold on him, he was able to push Goku’s attack back, though the older Saiyan wouldn’t let his son overtake him so easily. Pouring more energy into his attack, Goku’s blast began to push Gohan’s further back. This time however, Gohan was able to keep the beam’s steady.The struggle continued for moments more until Goku’s attack once again began to swallow up Gohan’s. Determined not to repeat his earlier failure, Gohan nigh instinctively burst into Super Saiyan, his blast enlarging against Goku’s. Following suit, Goku too transformed and the beams broke even before exploding, throwing everyone back.The trio were quick to spring back to their feet, everyone seemingly satisfied with the results (not the resulting damage mind you but…you know what I mean).“Wow Gohan, you really are almost past this,” Praised Goku.“Yeah. In fact, we may not even have to wait till tomorrow. If we can, I’m willing to pull an all-nighter since we’re so close!”“Your dedication is admirable, but that may not be up to you or me,” Piccolo replied.“What are you…?”“Chi-Chi.”“Oh yeah…I guess she is expecting us to be back right about now, won’t she?” said Goku.“Think maybe she’ll let us back out after dinner?” asked Gohan.“She may let me come back out, but I think she’ll be keeping you on a tighter leash Gohan,” Goku teased.“I don’t know…she’s been a little more relaxed than usual lately.”“I don’t think you can count on Videl to be your ‘get out of study’ free card forever Gohan,” teased Piccolo.“Oh it won’t be forever right? I mean, once they get married, they’ll have their own place, right?”“DAD!”“Sorry Son, I had to do it at least once!” Goku guffawed.Even Piccolo couldn’t hold back a snicker at Gohan’s flustered expression. Exasperation on his face, Gohan merely strolled away from his teachers before calmly ascending, frustration etched on his face.[Elsewhere]Waves crashed and sand erupted on the Kame House beach as the island master and it’s newest occupant traded blows, the latter with a large, metallic shell strapped to his back.“You’re doing well to keep up with me with all that extra weight, Boy.” Roshi praised parrying a strike.“This is nothing!” Ranma bragged as he unleashed a swift barrage. Roshi spun his staff in place, deflecting Ranma’s attack before darting through his defenses and striking him in the forehead.The attack didn’t hurt Ranma too much, but there was enough force to knock him off kilter, which when coupled with the intense weight of the shell, through Ranma completely off balance. As Ranma struggled to regain his footing, Roshi casually walked up to him with with a cheeky smile.“Looks like I win this one.” Swatting Ranma’s foot with his staff, the young fighter tumbled into the sand with a loud thud.Roshi let out a hearty chuckle before offering Ranma a hand. Despite the be grudgingness on his face, Ranma accepted and rose to his feet, shell and all.“I do have to say, the fact you’ve been hoisting that bad boy around so easily makes me think I should up the weight a little,” Roshi pondered.“How many of these things do you have!?” Ranma snapped.“Well generally, I only have two in a couple of weights and sizes and what you’re wearing now is the heaviest I’ve got, clocking in at a quarter-ton.”“A quarter ton…that’s…?” Ranma began counting on his fingers when Roshi gave the answer.“That’s five-hundred pounds boy! You’re a student, aren’t you? I figured a simple equation like that wouldn’t be a headscratcher.”Ranma dejectedly crossed his arms. “I’m a martial artist. What do I need to know that kinda stuff for anyway?”“I’m not going to preach to you the importance of a decent education, but I will say, don’t undercut it either.”“Whatever you say gramps,” Ranma shrugged.“Now come on, it’s almost dinner time…as well as….” Roshi’s face grew into an expectant smile and Ranma planted his foot firmly into it.“I know, I know, just let me get this damn shell off first.”Moments later, Roshi and Ranma returned to the house to find 18 and Marron lounging on the couch while Krillin was in the kitchen.“I thought it was 18’s turn to cook tonight,” noted Roshi.The blonde fighter shot him an annoyed look. “I’m just saying.”“So how’d things go today?” asked Krillin.“Ask me again when I get out of the bathtub…my back is killing me…” Ranma groaned as he retreated up the stairs.“Hey Mama, can we take a bath with Ranma too?” asked Marron.“No sweety, we cant.”“But why?”“Ask your father.”“H-hey, why me!?”As Marron looked to Krillin for an answer and he stammered to come up with one, Roshi took the moment of confusion to slip up the stairs after Ranma, pausing when he heard 18 sharply clear her throat.‘Patience Roshi…you’ll get your chance,’ he resolved.[Back at the ruined village]Many of the villagers had begun salvaging what they could, surveying the destruction of their homes. Needless to say, they were all devastated from the battle’s results.Hope wasn’t all lost as the survival of the crops, plus the delivery of food from Launch’s trucks kept everyone’s spirits up. As everyone indulged in the calming ‘festivities’ (if you could call it that), Tien stood atop a discarded pillar, his face as stern and stoic as always.Finally, Videl had to ask, “What is he doing up there? It’s been like, what 20 minutes?”“Twenty-five I think,” Launch corrected.“I don’t know why, but he’s just letting his Ki rise,” Akane answered.“Wait, you can sense his energy?”“Yeah but…not too deeply. I can feel a strong pressure coming from him, but not much beyond that.”“Hey Videl, when you called Bulma, when did she say our supplies was going to get here?” asked Chiaoutzu.“She said she was sending Trunks too…”“Well that explains it,” Chiaoutzu interjected. “He’s making a beacon for Trunks.”“Oh yeah, that makes sense.”“Trunks is…Bulma’s son right? How old is he again?” asked Akane.“A year older than Goten.”“What?! But Goten’s like, 8 years old! How is a kid supposed to…?” Akane cut herself off as a familiar, loud whooshing filled the air. Turning towards the sound, she could barely make out a figure bathed in a whitish aura.‘What’s that?’‘It’s about time.’ Finally removing himself from the pillar, Tien leapt down to meet with the smoky figure who, upon landing, revealed himself to be a small boy with a purple bowl cut.‘He…he can fly too…why am I even surprised anymore?’ Akane pondered.“Trunks, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”“What’s up Tien?” Trunks casually greeted.“Hey!”Glancing aside, Trunks strolled over to greet the others, high-fiving Chiaoutzu and Videl. “What’s up you guys?”“Quite a bit,” Chiaoutzu replied.“What are you doing here Videl? And who’s your friend?”“Hi, my name’s Akane,” she introduced herself.Trunks’ face turned contemplative before erupting. “Hey wait! Are you that girl who turns into a boy Goten told me about!?”“I what-!?”“N-no Trunks, that’s her fiancé, and he’s not here right now,” Videl corrected.“Awww man, I kinda wanted to see how it worked,” Trunks groaned.Shaking off the shock of the question, Akane continued to study the young saiyan. ‘Goten’s cuter…and much nicer.’“Not that we’re not glad to see you again Trunks…” started an approaching Tien. “…but don’t forget, your mom sent you here for a reason.”“Oh yeah!” Reaching into his pocket, Trunks pulled out a capsule case and handed it to Tien. “That should be enough to put this place back together. I don’t know what happened, but it looks like that giant bug monster was here.”“Giant bug monster!?” exclaimed Akane.“That’s…a story for another time,” Videl dismissed.Tien studied the case before taking a capsule and popping it open. An ear shattering crash rang through the village as a baker’s dozen of large trees slammed onto the ground.“That’s…definitely a good amount of wood…” Tien stammered.“Ummm Trunks…are all of those…?”Trunks nodded. “No, not all of them. Some have tools, others have some metal, I think there’s a few bags of cement in one…she said it was just all the essentials.”“Leave it to Bulma to go above and beyond,” Tien chuckled. “Tell her I said thanks.”“No problem. Now I gotta get back home quick. It’s almost dinner time!” Trunks strode off about to fly but was halted by Launch tapping his shoulder.“If you want Trunks, you could have a quick bite from my food truck,” she offered.“Really!?”“Yeah. You Saiyans always have such massive appetites, so I’m sure Bulma won’t mind.”While Trunks did a quick victorious jump, Akane whispered to Videl, “Hey, what’s a Saiyan?”Videl could only stammer, attempting to come up with a response. Finally, she replied, “I…don’t know. Gohan won’t tell me either.”“Huh…” Akane shot her friend a skeptical look, but decided to buy it before joining the others at Launch’s truck.Before following suit, Videl inwardly mused, ‘Sorry Gohan, but that explanation’s on you!’[]“Gachoo-!”“Gesundheit.”“Maybe we shouldn’t come back out after dinner after all….”
(A/N: Welp, after the intensity last time, I think a little breather was in order. Plus, we get to see Kid Trunks, even if it’s only briefly. Don’t worry though, he’s not going away too soon (and before anyone asks, I don’t know when, how, or if I’ll include his father). That being said, I’m slowly but surely running out of primary characters to introduce on both sides of this crossover. Though I’ll say that a certain reviewer has sparked an idea for a couple more characters. One of them I already had plans for (in the immediate future, wink wink) while the other one, I barely even considered. That person’s idea probably won’t happen for a long while, but I have an inkling of what I want to do with them when the time comes. In other news, we get a small glimpse into the training of Gohan and Ranma. The former seems to be doing fine while the latter, may have a ways to go. We’ll get a bit more into his side next time, alongside the girls when they begin their training with Tien. Not much to say except I wish I could’ve gotten this out in February. Stay tuned.)
P.S. By the time this goes up, my birthday will have passed.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
Chaos Continues; Never Ending Hardships
In the quiet hours of the morning, a lone figured crept up a flight of stairs, bathed under the shadows of dawn. Upon reaching the top, the figure opened the door with a creak and slowly approached a slumbering figure on the floor.Said slumbering figure was a young red-haired girl garbed in shorts and a tank-top, sprawled across a disheveled futon. A small glimmer shone in the shadowy figure’s eyes as it raised a hand and reached down at the slumbering girl, aiming right for her loose bosom. Before they could touch her however, she rolled away narrowly avoiding the grope attempt.The shadow’s glimmer faded, though not completely as his gaze shifted to her lower half. Once again, they attempted to place their hands on her thighs, and once again she rolled. This time however, she rolled towards her assailant and her fist collided with their face.Grasping their head, they shook off the impact before once again attempting to grab at the unconscious redhead. This time, they missed as she tossed and turned in her sleep and wound up kneeing the shadow in the chin.‘This boy’s instincts are better than I thought,’ the figure inwardly mused. Biding their time, the figure awaited for the young girl to settle down Once it seemed she was sleeping peacefully once more, the assailant made one final attempt at his prize. With as much caution as they could muster, the figure slowly crept back to the redhead, though the moment he raised his hands, they were met with a surprise uppercut that launched them through the roof of the house.The loud sound coupled with the sudden burst of cool air was enough to shock the girl into semi-consciousness. “Whazzat?”“Hey Ranma…what are you doing in there?” called a male voice.“Huh…nothin’…think I just…hit somein in my shleep…” She hazily replied. Snuggling back up in her futon and fell back asleep.Meanwhile, just outside, the elderly assailant laid defeated in a pile of sand. “Yep…definitely better instincts than I expected….”[Elsewhere]Morning rose on the ravaged mountain village and many of the patrons were already up bright and early hard at work in repairing their destroyed homes. Not much later, they’d be joined by their two young visitors who’d stayed with Launch in her capsule house.“Morning,” Videl and Akane greeted each other.“Morning girls.”The pair turned to find Launch, surprisingly still in her docile mode, handing out food to the villagers. “Breakfast?” Not even giving them a chance to respond, Launch tossed two capsules at them and they instantly erupted into a couple bowls of rice and eggs.“Thank you!” they said in unison.As the girls ate, they were soon approached by Chiaoutzu. “Morning ladies!”“Morning Chiaoutzu. Where’s Tien?” asked Akane.“He sent me to tell you that your girls’ training session is going to be a little late today,” Chiaoutzu explained.“How come?” asked Videl.“We’re already low on supplies and Tien wants to make sure everyone has what they need to keep rebuilding before he can focus on training.”“What? How are we out of supplies already?” Videl exclaimed.Chiaoutzu’s face grew a light shade of red. “Let’s just say, a couple of the capsules Trunks gave us last night were…the wrong ones.”“Okay, fair enough.”“But wait, if it wasn’t construction stuff, what was in those wrong capsules?” asked Akane.Chiaoutzu floated over to the girls, his face an even darker shade of red and whispered, “I don’t think you want to know.”Launch tried her darndest to stifle a laugh as she recalled the events of last night.
[Late last night]
After the girls and some villagers had turned in for the night, Tien and a few more decided to keep working. When they began running low on supplies, Tien popped open another Capsule. Instead of a surplus of expected construction tools however, Tien and the villagers were showered by a multitude of salacious magazines. Though many of the accompanying villagers didn’t seem to mind the mishap, Tien quickly confiscated all of them and re-capsulized them. Borrowing Launch’s phone, he had a rather heated chat with Bulma who in turn redirected her own heat to her father.
Given the time of night however, Bulma agreed to send Trunks back with the proper equipment first thing in the morning. That should’ve been the end of that, but because fate enjoys sick jokes, a blonde Launch had to stumble upon Tien with the incriminating capsule in hand. She hadn’t been around to see it’s initial explosion so naturally she was curious about its contents. When Tien had denied her that info, she, expectedly became testy, trying (and failing) to wrestle it out of Tien’s hands.
Her opportunity arrived when she noticed him waver at their close proximity. Striking the hot iron, she pressed her chest into him and as he instinctively made some distance between them, she was able to swipe the capsule while he was briefly distracted.
Letting out a triumphant “Ha!” Launch popped the capsule open and was virtually buried in a lake of perverse books. Tien could only let out a sheepish chuckle as Launch turned to him with her gun cocked.
“You wanna explain this now or wait till I run outta ammo!”
“Launch, you know me, you know those aren’t mine! They were in the capsules that Trunks-!”
Tien’s explanation fell on deaf ears as a barrage of gunfire struck the three-eyed fighter. Thankfully he was tough enough to not die, but getting shot is never fun.
[]
“Now that I think about it, Launch, what were you shooting at last night?” asked Videl.“Hmmm…I can’t quite recall…” Launch lied. “You know how it takes a while for me to recall whenever I change? Sometimes the memories don’t return at al, though I think they’re usually minor things.”Despite a feeling Launch was hiding something, Videl opted not to press further and continue eating. The peaceful consumption would once again get derailed by Akane asking, “Speaking of missing people, where’s Rouge?”“Oh, she’s taking a bath in the lake right behind the village,” Chiaoutzu answered.“But why? We have a capsule house. She could’ve taken a bath here,” said Videl.“She did say she loves hot springs,” Akane recalled. “And since she has fire powers….”“She can make a hot spring in almost any water she finds!”The mention of hot springs took Videl back to the trip she’d taken with Chi-Chi and the other Z-Ladies. Of all things, she hadn’t expected Akane, her sisters, and Mrs. Saotome to show up too. It hadn’t been too long ago, had it? Now that she thought about it, she promised to take Erasa there sometime, didn’t she?“You know…I don’t think I’ve taken a natural bath ever since we went to that resort,” Akane stated, as if reading Videl’s mind.“Are you thinking…?”“I think so.”“I’m sure Rouge won’t mind if you girls go join her, and like I said Tien’s waiting for Trunks to get back with more supplies so you’ve got plenty of time,” noted Chiaoutzu.The pair nodded to each other before dashing off to the village’s rear side. After waving them off, Chiaoutzu put a hand to his chin. ‘Okay, so I delivered Tien’s message…but why does it fee like I’m forgetting something?’ His thoughts would be jarred by Launch letting out a calm sigh.“Oh, I wish I could join them.”“What’s stopping you?” asked Chiaoutzu.“I still have so much work to do with my food truck. More and more people are waking up now and I’m pretty sure many of them would want breakfast.”“Maybe I could….”“I appreciate the sentiment, but you’re needed out there. Although, I wouldn’t mind another set of hands in the kitchen until Tien gets back.”“I can do that much at least.”Chiaoutzu floated into the truck just as more customers approached them. This was going to be a hectic morning.[]The trek through the woods was a quick one as Akane and Videl were quickly met with steamy vapors amongst the trees. Minutes later, they found themselves at the mouth of a large lake blanketed in steam, a lone, female figure seen amongst the obscuring mist.Their presence was quickly made aware to the bathing girl who hastily covered her chest with her arms. “Who’s there!?”“Rouge, relax, it’s us!” called Akane.“Oh, thank goodness,” she sighed.“Hope you don’t mind but…”“If you wish to join me, please feel free. I heated it myself after all,” Rouge boasted.The pair shared a quick glance to each other before they proceeded to undress. Soon after, the trio were reveling in the relaxing heat of their own, personal, hot-springs.“Mmmm~ this is nice,” Akane swooned.“Not that I’m not happy to have company, but why are you girls here? I thought you’d be with Mr. Tenshinhan.”“Tien had something else to take care of before he could start training with us, so we decided to unwind a little before we’re probably put through another wringer,” said Akane.“Another wringer?” asked Rouge.“Videl trained with an old…acquaintance of mine and long story short, she was a tough master,” Akane explained.“Lot of good it did me though,” Videl deadpanned.“Are you still upset about losing to Ryoga?”“No…kind of…okay yes, but it’s more than that,” Videl started.“This whole Pantyhose Taro thing is really eating you, huh?”Before Videl could reply, she was interrupted by a gasping Rouge. “That perverse thief is back!?”“Oh yeah! You said yesterday that you two actually met while fighting him before?” Videl recalled.Akane nodded and began the story of Rouge’s visit to Nerima.[Elsewhere]In the skies above the mountain, a scar-faced man with short, dark hair accompanied by a small, teal, floating feline companion could be seen zooming towards the ravaged village.“Man…I can’t believe the whole place got burned down. Why didn’t Tien call sooner? He knows we’d have been there to help in a flash!”“Take it easy Yamcha. He probably wanted to give the villagers time to reconcile before putting them to work.” Suggested the cat.“Yeah I guess. Still, Tien needs to stop turning himself into a stranger, especially after the last reunion party. Don’t you think so Puar?”“Oh definitely!” Puar squealed.The pair grinned on their flight until something caught the floating cat’s eye. “Hey, what’s that?”Turning in the indicated direction, Yamcha laid eyes on what appeared to be…some kind of pillar of mist? Fog? Or smoke!? No, it was too bright to be smoke…then smog potentially? This area isn’t known to be foggy so the mist could be almost anything, but if it was smog, then what was the source of the smoke? Was the village on fire again!? He’d figure out the specifics later. What he knew was that something unnatural was happening near the village.“C’mon Puar! Somethin’s happening, and we gotta find out what!”“Okay Yamcha!”With his friend holding on, Yamcha flew straight towards the smoky tower, hoping he wasn’t to late to do something about it.[]Akane, Videl, and Rouge all finished their stories of their encounters with Pantyhose Taro. Though Rouge was aware that Akane had dealt with him before, she was unaware that he’d kidnapped her on their first meeting. Upon learning that Videl shared a similar encounter not too long ago, she could only sob in empathy at the two friends.“I knew that pervert was a vile man, but to think he’d do something as sacrilegious as kidnapping two innocent young maidens!”“Well…I won’t deny that Taro’s not exactly a ‘good person’, but to be fair, it’s not entirely his fault, it’s Happosai’s,” Akane clarified. “If we manage to put the old man away for good, then maybe, just maybe, Taro will actually be able to improve as a person.”“Do you really believe that?” asked an unconvinced Videl.“Do I think it’ll happen? Hell no. Do I think it’s possible? Kind of. After all, excluding the time we met Rouge, Happosai is the main reason Taro’s come after us, so it’s not too unreasonable to think so, right?”“Fair enough I guess.”Rouge stood up sternly. “I believe in forgiveness. If it means that detestable man could be given a genuine chance at redemption, please, allow me to assist you in dealing with this Happosai character.”After her proclamation, Rouge was met with two of the absolute coldest looks from her two bath-mates. The pair stood up and each put a hand on her shoulder before responding.“Not that we wouldn’t appreciate the help but…”“Believe us when you say…”“You do NOT want to get involved with him!” they firmly finished together.“Is…is he really that terrible?” asked a now quivering Rouge?The conversation would be interrupted by the sound of ruffling leaves and whooshing. Before someone could even ask what it was, a figure burst in from above, landing just at the edge of the lake.“Yo! Is everybody okay o…ver…here…!”The figure revealed themselves as a man with a scarred face clad in a white, eastern style shirt and black pants. When he came across the three young girls however, there was a brief pause before a trio of screams rang out and the girls dove back beneath the water. V“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Came the guy’s apologetic voice. Videl froze. She didn’t get a good look at the guy through the steam, but she recognized that voice. She received confirmation when he followed up. “I swear I didn’t mean to…! Yeagh!”The ‘assailant’ dodged a large rock from seemingly nowhere as Rouge swam ashore and reached for a bucketful of water. She had the foresight to set aside some water below room temperature just incase she’d need to transform for some reason and the actual water would be too hot to do so. Tossing its contents onto herself, the raging Ashura returned and set her six-eyes on the peeping tom.“What…the…Hell…!?”[Meanwhile, at Kame House]A yawning, female Ranma sauntered down the stairs to be met with Krillin and his family already having breakfast.“Morning…” she greeted.“Look who’s finally awake,” sad Krillin.Ranma sat beside the miniscule patriarch and took his share of food just as the elderly owner burst through the door. “Yo. Mornin’ Gramps.”“Now what were you doing outside?” asked a smarmily suspicious 18.“Just felt like sleepin’ in my chair,” Roshi replied.“Then why are you covered in sand?”“It got windy.”“If you say so.”“Regardless, you need to hurry and get yourself ready boy. Today we’re heading out for training,” Roshi announced.“Really!? What are we doin’?”“You gonna put him through the fields?” asked Krillin.“Don’t spoil the surprise Krillin!” Roshi exclaimed.“What are ‘the fields’?” asked Ranma.“You’ll find out soon enough. Just finish eating then change back…of course if you want to stay like this while we train….” Roshi’s gaze fell to Ranma’s chest which was barely restricted beneath his tank-top.Ranma raised a fist, but before he could throw it, he was unceremoniously hit with scalding hot water and leapt about, trying to cool himself off. “Hot! Hot! Hot! Too hot! Too hot!”“Eighteen, that water just came off the stove! Give it a moment before ya burn the kid, huh?”“It was either that or get ogled all morning. He’ll thank me for this later.” She replied.‘Looks like I’ll have to get creative in the future,’ thought Roshi.Moments later, Roshi and a now male Ranma boarded an aircar and took off. From the upstairs window, Krillin looked on as the duo disappeared. The fact that Roshi was taking on another new student couldn’t help but tug at Krillin’s nostalgic strings. The fact that he was pulling the old ‘Field Training’ as well only strengthened those memories.“Krillin?” the ex-monk turned to find his wife at the door.“Eighteen? I think I’ll do some heading out myself today?”“You going to watch the old man beat up a kid again?”Krillin shrugged. “Who knows? All joking aside though, I really do want to see how Ranma handles Master Roshi’s training cause I’ll say right now, he’s probably stronger than we were when he trained us.”Eighteen grinned in response. “I guess that means Marron and I have the house to ourselves today.”Waving her off, Krillin leapt through the window before shooting off into the sky.[]Fire and lightning erupted above the lake as Rouge unleashed hell upon the latest on her ‘peeping tom’ list. To her surprise, the pervert took to the skies, not unlike Videl or Tien and proceeded to dodge her attacks.“Get him Rouge!” Akane cheered.“Aggggh~!” came a shrill squeal.The grounded girls turned to find a small floating animal viewing the aerial assault from the edge of the lake.“What’s going on!? Where did that thing come from!?” squealed the animal.“Who or…what’s that?” asked Akane.“Puar! Is that you!?”The critter turned to find a familiar young girl, swimming towards him. “Videl!? What are you doing here?”“I think that’s my line.”“You know this thing?”“I’ll introduce you later, but first things first, can you get us our towels?”“Oh! Sure!”Once the girls were covered up, Puar asked again what she was doing here, but Videl reminded him that they needed to split up Rouge and Yamcha before a repeat of yesterday happened. Thankfully, they had all they needed…or rather they would’ve if Rouge hadn’t accidentally burnt the bucket she used when she transformed.“That’s no problem! Leave it to me!” Puar proclaimed. In a matter of seconds, Puar transformed himself into a bucket in a puff of smoke.“Perfect!”Akane opened her mouth to ask questions, but was ignored as Videl dipped the bucket into the water. Grabbing a spare towel, she jetted up to separate the conflicting pair, but paused when she realized they had disappeared.“How did they…!?”“They went that way!” Akane pointed.Thankfully they were moving away from the village. Unfortunately, they were still quite a ways away so it’d probably take Videl a bit to catch up to them, and considering how long Puar could stay transformed for, that could be problematic (not to mention the water’s temperature).“Akane, head back to the village and tell Tien that Yamcha’s here. If he asks where he is…ummm….“I’ll make something up. Thanks!” Videl shot off after the two, turning the two-way chase into a three-way (A/N: G’night everybody)![]With impressive aerodynamics, Yamhca avoided the treacherous onslaught of fire and lightning. Still, whatever this thing was, it was relentless. He barely had time to breathe, let alone counterattack. Still, Yamcha could sense it, he could take this thing no problem, he just needed a second to catch his breath.Descending, Yamcha dove into the woods, just managing to escape Ashura Rouge’s gaze. Unfortunately, he’d be quickly find by one of her extra sets of eyes and pursued once more. As Rouge herself dove between the trees, she lost sight of Yamcha who’d seemingly vanished.“Come out and face me like a man you cowardly pervert!” Rouge demanded.She received no vocal answer, but did turn her head at the sound of rustling leaves. “There!” Turning towards the sound, she fired a torrent of fire but instead of hitting the target, she felt resilience against her attack. That resilience took the form of a large, yellow, ball of light that flew straight through her flames and beamed her right in the main face.“Gaggh~!”Rouge was able to quickly recover from the surprise attack and believed she was prepared when the sphere came hurtling back towards her. Slashing with three of her arms, she attempted to swat the irritating ball away but was caught off guard when the ball went above her arms and fell right atop her head, slamming her down.As Rouge was harshly grounded, the sphere continued underground. When Rouge picked her head up, she was instantly struck once again by the ascending energy ball, getting blown onto her backside.[Meanwhile]As Videl flew after the two, she and Puar took the time to explain to each other why they were in Tien’s neck of the woods. Akane and herself to train with Tien while Puar and Yamcha were called to help with rebuilding. As for where Rouge fit in, that story would be put on hold as Videl lost sight of the two when they dove between the trees.Once again, she cursed her inability to sense energy as finding them just got a bit more difficult. After a minute or so of searching, Puar spoke up.“I’m sorry to add more pressure, but my Transformations’ going to run out soon!” he warned.“Why is it never easy?”The search would finally come to an end as a familiar yellow energy ball ascended past the trees before descending back into the dense forest.“That was Yamcha’s Spirit Ball!” said Puar.“Hold it together just a bit longer Puar!” Videl pleaded.[Elsewhere]A familiar, lavender-haired young boy could be seen gliding just above the forest, his expression teeming with boredom.“Man, this sucks! Why do I have to be the delivery boy again!?” Trunks groaned. “Maybe if Launch is still there I can at least get another bite to eat from her truck.”The second Trunks finished his thought, the sky flashed in an intense gleam. “What the…? Was that lightning? Is it gonna rain now too!?”Lightning once again filed the sky, prompting Trunks to find cover beneath the trees. As he descended however, he could make out what looked to be dark clouds ahead. Surrounding the clouds was the image of a person. Trunks closed his eyes and focused before two distinct energies revealed themselves to him. One he recognized, the other he didn’t. It wasn’t too high, but it felt…scary.“Well…maybe this won’t be a boring trip after all!” Letting his power flare, Trunks jetted off towards the mysterious figure just as lightning struck once more.[]“You…I will find and annihilate you, even if I have to burn this whole forest to the ground!” Rouge proclaimed.From his vantage point, Yamcha could only glare. At least now he had an idea of what started the fire. Now the question was why hadn’t Tien taken care of her already? She was good but nowhere near strong enough to contend with the best of their group. Her clamis of burning the forest down also sounded less than favorable. He needed to end this now.‘You may have six-eyes freak girl, but the forest is my domain! I’m the predator in this story and you’re just prey…prey to my…’ “Wolf-Fang FIST!”Erupting from his hiding spot, Yamcha pounced, just barely managing to catch Rouge in her blind-spot (directly behind her). Though she was able to defend against the initial strike with her multiple arms, Yamcha’s superior striking speed allowed him to cut through her defenses and land the finishing blow of his trademark combo right in her midsection, knocking the wind out of her and launching her into a tree.“Now it’s time to finish this!”Ascending over Rouge’s downed form, Yamcha cupped his hands together and pulled them back. “Kaaa-Meee-Haaa-Meee…”
“WAIT!”
Yamcha paused just as he was thrusting his hands forward. Searching about, he managed to make out the figure of a short-haired girl, descending towards him. Once she was at ground level, Yamcha instantly recognized her.“Videl? Yo, didn’t expect to see you here.”“We can play catch-up later Yamcha. First….”Videl tossed the bucket over Rouge and the bucket changed back into a teal, catlike critter, the still warm water splashing them both. A panting Puar rolled off of Rouge’s naked form before Videl hastily tossed her a towel.“Wait…what just happened?”“Videl…why are you assisting this lecherous cretin?” Rouge asked, curling into a ball.Videl sighed as she prepared herself for yet another explanation. A brief rundown of events later, Videl finished up by saying, “…So this whole thing was just another huge misunderstanding.”“That’s putting it rather mildly, wouldn’t you say?” asked a male voice.Everyone turned up to find Tien, Akane in his arm, descending towards them.“Yo Tien! What’s good buddy?” Yamcha greeted.“Great to see you again too,” Tien smiled as they shook hands. “I’m grateful you and Puar answered my call, though I didn’t expect you to have to deal with…our spunky young friend over there,” he glanced at Rouge.“Well…it’s not entirely her fault. I mean…I did kind of….”“Don’t beat yourself up over it. Akane explained the whole thing to me, and it’s clear it was just an accident…it was just an accident, right?”“Dude, I’m not Oolong!” Yamcha defended.“Just making sure,” Tien smirked. “Anyways, let’s get back to the village. Trunks should be showing up any minute now with the proper equipment and I want to be there to….” Tien trailed off before glancing up at the sky. “Actually, I stand corrected.”Sure enough, a hazy blur burst through the trees before landing with the rest of the group. “Guys! What happened!? I was on the way here and I saw some fire, smoke, and lightning going crazy all over the place!”Everyone in the know turned to Rouge before bursting into a fit of laughter.“What’s so funny?”“We’ll tell you on the way. Come on, let’s get back to the village and take a break.” Tien ordered.[Meanwhile]Just as Krillin had said, Roshi had led Ranma to a large open field. “Okay Old Timer, I’ll bite. What are we doin’ here? You pick this place so we can go all out without risk of wreckin’ your place?”“Oh no, we won’t be sparring today my boy. Today, you’re going to be plowing this entire field.”Ranma’s gaze straightened. “How is that training? That just sounds like work to me.” ‘And not even the kind of work that’s disguised as training.’“The fact that you’ll be doing it barehanded.”“Barehanded? Yup. No rakes, no shovels, no hoes, no bit-!”Ranma planted his foot to the elder fighter’s face. “Watch it Gramps! We’re a T-Rated story and we could get cancelled for those kinds of jokes.”“Gagh! You’re right!” Roshi cleared his throat and straightened out his composure. “Regardless, the task remains the same. You’re to plow these fields using only your bare hands…and don’t forget the piece de resistance.” Roshi grinned as he hoisted up the heavy, metal, turtle shell.Ranma rolled his eyes. ‘Of course. The extra weight makes it training.’Beneath his shades, a mischievous glimmer shone in Roshi’s eyes. He knew what Ranma was thinking and couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when he finally got it. Moments later, a straining Ranma could be seen digging through seemingly endless open field. Signs of exert could be shown on his face, but he didn’t look close to his breaking point.Roshi continued to focus on Ranma. As he watched the young fighter continue his task, he let out a nostalgic sigh. “Never thought I’d see the day where I’d find yet another promising young pupil…aye Krillin?”Sure enough, the diminutive fighter appeared behind the old master. “Tried to keep my power low.” He chuckled.“Yeah, but I could sense you flying after us. I knew it’d only be a matter of time until you caught up. Couldn’t fight the old’ nostalgia itch, could ya?”In a Goku like fashion, Krillin rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, won’t lie. Seeing Ranma out there does bring back some memories.”“Among other things?” Roshi inquired.“What do you mean by that?”Roshi snickered. “Call it ‘Master’s Perception’, but ever since the kids came to visit us that one time, you’ve been fidgety to put it mildly. Almost like you’re preparing to go for a lap around the world or something. Care to elaborate?”Krillin gave a defeated sigh before taking a seat besides his old master. “What can I see? Those kids are an inspirational bunch…but still….” Krillin trailed off.Roshi chuckled. “Ha, I think those kids are more inspirational than you think, cause you’re sounding an awful lot like Videl right now.""Can’t say I don’t sympathize with her.”“Maybe, but while she’s got spirit, you’ve got experience. So why don’t you put that experience to use.”“What are you…?” Krillin raised an eyebrow as Roshi gave a cheeky smile.“You know, some teachers need a little assistance,” he said simply.Krillin glanced out over to Ranma who, despite the insane amount of weight on his back, continued to glide through the ground at an even pace. He remained silent, but kept Roshi’s words in mind.[]Once the group returned, Tien instantly got to work giving orders to the villagers. With the new supplies from Trunks, the rebuilding process resumed without a hitch.On the way, Akane explained to Trunks that the thing he saw was Rouge and how she had the same kind of water transformation as ‘her friend’ she mentioned last night.Trunks immediately wanted to see Rouge transform again, upset that he missed a brawl with a potentially strong monster girl, but after wearing herself out chasing Yamcha, Rouge insisted on taking some time to rest.She wasn’t the only one however as Videl also requested a breather as she had also spent quite a bit of time and energy chasing after Rouge and Yamcha herself (and she had a time crunch to boot).Tien happily allowed it, but told Videl to prepare herself for later in the day, as he intended to go all out on both her and Akane when it came time to start their training. In the meantime, he did opt to pull Akane aside. With everything proceeding smoothly at the moment, he figured it’d be a good time to at least get a head start on training the girls.Videl, accompanied by Trunks opted to watch from the sidelines, the former quickly explaining to the latter what Tien intended to do with them. Though Trunks was initially disinterested, talk of a special technique piqued his interest. Between that fact, Launch’s food truck, and the chance to see Rouge transform, Trunks decided maybe he’d stick around just a little bit longer.“Okay, first things first. I’m a tad more familiar with Videl’s level, and while I do believe its safe to assume you two are on par with each other, I’d like to assess where each of you are individually.” Placing a hand behind his back, Tien outstretched his free hand and made a challenging motion. “Come at me however you like.”Akane took a combative stance and nodded. With a spirited yell, she rushed the three-eyed fighter and threw a straight punch. Tien easily deflected her strike and just as easily avoided her follow up attack. Akane continued to throw punch after punch that Tien would easily defend against.When Akane opted to attack with a side kick, Tien hopped over her strike and continued to remain on the defensive.“You’ve certainly got spirit, but your form is subpar,” Tien criticized.Her ire rising, Akane laid on the pressure, throwing punch after punch at Tien. Even slipping kicks into her barrage, her offense had no avail. Tien remained coolheaded against Akane’s attacks until finally leaping over her. Akane whipped around prepared to strike again. This time, instead of deflecting or dodging, Tien blocked her attack with his forearm and locked them in a struggle.His strength was obviously superior, but he made a mental note of just how much effort he had to use to keep her at bay. Nowhere near his full strength but just enough for him to notice her own.‘She’s much stronger than she looks…kind of reminds me of Chi-Chi in a way. I think I understand now.’ His third eye shifted to Videl before all three eyes fell back on Akane.Shoving Akane back, Tien let out a breath and stood casually, signaling Akane to be at ease. “Okay, that should be just enough for now.”“Enough? But that was barely even a fight!” noted Trunks.“This wasn’t meant to be serious match, or even an intense sparring session. It was supposed to be a gathering of information and I think I understand where you both stand. I do still need to test Videl to be certain, but for now, I think I have enough information to form a solid workout plan.”“Really? Trunks wasn’t wrong, that was a pretty short evaluation,” Akane emphasized.Tien gave her an assuring smile. “Don’t worry. You two may be my first pupils, but I can assure you, if you just plant a bit of faith in me, you’ll see results soon enough.”Akane’s expression remained skeptical, but ultimately, she gave an approving nod.“Well now that we’re all warmed up, let’s get back to the others and get busy…unless you’d like to be judged right now Videl?”“I’m fine waiting until we start training for real.”“If you say so.” Tien led the young fighters back to the village where he quickly put the girls to work with the rest of the villagers.[]In the latter hours of the day, the previously green fields had turned brown beneath a descending sun as a panting Ranma Saotome stretched out his now unshelled back.“Damn…that took way longer than I thought it would.”“Look at the bright side, you beat Goku and me by like, almost an hour!” called an approaching Krillin with Roshi.“Oh…when’d you get here?”“Since…the beginning. I wanted to see how the new kid compared to Goku and I when we had to do this.”“And how would you rank me?”“You can have your evaluation after we grab some lunch,” Roshi interjected.Moments later, the trio were spread out over a blanket, a moderate spread of food laid out. Thanks to the lack of a certain Saiyan, Roshi was able to take it easy with the preparations (although Ranma seemed almost dead set to give a boyhood Goku a run for his money in the eating department).“Have to admit, I’m rather impressed you beat our time and with a harder stipulation too,” Krillin praised.“What stipulation?”“Your shell’s heavier than ours were, and you wore it on your first day out so you’ve got us beat there too.”“Ehhh, he was gonna have an easier time than you boys no matter what I threw at him. Ranma here was already a great deal ahead of where you and Goku were when you were training with me,” said Roshi. “I think its safe to say he was on a similar level to where you guys were at the first Tournament.”Ranma raised an eyebrow in intrigue. “You know, everybody keeps talkin’ about this World Tournament but I actually hadn’t heard about it until I met Videl, since her old man’s a champ and all.”Roshi and Krillin both gave Ranma a dumbfounded look. They hadn’t expected someone with Ranma’s ‘devotion’ to martial arts to be unfamiliar that unfamiliar with the World Tournament. Even if he hadn’t been around for the Tourney’s golden years, they’d expect him to at least have heard about Mr. Satan before (though they were both a little glad he hadn’t).“Well then my boy, let me tell you a tale…” Roshi began.Roshi began recounting the story of how after Goku and Krillin’s training was done, he enrolled them into the Tournament as a final exam. Compared to the more showboating nature of the modern tourney, the Tournaments in the old days were a true test of strength and skill. He told of how Goku had gotten runner up in the 21st and 22nd Tournaments, first against someone named Jackie Chun and second against Tien Shinhan, the very same person he’d sent the girls to train with. Goku would finally take a win in the 23rd Tournament, but Roshi didn’t give a name to his opponent. He did however, give assurance that said opponent was truly a powerful one.“Huh…I guess third time really is the charm…but wait…if Gohan’s old man won, but Videl’s old man is the current champion…!”“Don’t even go there Ranma. Videl’s dad is nowhere near Goku’s level. Hell, he’s below Videl’s level according to Gohan,” Krillin interjected.“How can you be so sure?”“Ranma, can you sense another person’s energy?” asked Roshi.“Yeah, but only when I’m close.”“Hmm…well next time you see Satan and Goku, open your senses and then compare what you can feel from each of them.”Ranma gave a dismissive smug before realization flashed across his face. ‘Hey wait a second….’ “Now that I think about it, Gohan could sense the old bird guy’s energy from like kilometers away. Think you can teach me how to do that gramps?”“Shouldn’t be a problem adding it to the resume,” Roshi replied pulling out a notepad and pen. “But enough small talk, let’s get back to work.”“Alright. What’s next Gramps, we gonna spar again?”“You know there’s more to training than sparring, right?”“Is the wise old master worried that the new young blood is gonna outpace him?” teased Krillin. “You did say you needed to get back into shape.”“Oh and like you don’t!” Roshi snapped at his former pupil.Krillin rolled his eyes. “Hmmmm…I might, so how about this. Why don’t you let me spar with him?”“Eh?”“Huh?”The pair remained silent at Krillin’s suggestion until Roshi let out a hearty guffaw. ‘Krillin, you sly little fox.’ “Oh what the heck, it’ll be interesting at least, and I assume you have no objections Ranma?”Ranma gave a nonchalant shrug. “Well, he’s technically my senpai, so he should make for as good a fight as any.” Ranma clamped his fist in his hand, preparing for battle.The pair bounded to an clearer area before taking their stances. Both Ranma and Krillin wore cocky grins as they seized each other up.‘If the old freak is any indication, I shouldn’t underestimate this guy just cause he’s short.’‘This kid has a lot of bravado, but I think he needs to be taken down a peg.’The stare down continued until Roshi raised his staff. With a downward swipe of it he exclaimed, “And begin!”[]As many local grownups and kids had a hand in restoring their ravaged village, Trunks took the moment to breakaway from the pack and went to find Rouge. Peeking his head inside the tent closest to Launch’s truck, he found the young girl fast asleep, despite how early in the day it still was.‘I’ve GOT to see what this girl turns into!’ Creeping up beside her, he pulled a bottle of water out of his pocket. ‘Goten and Videl’s friend said it activates with cold water so….’ Unscrewing the cap, he released its contents on the unsuspecting girl before getting blinded by a flash of light.
(A/N: Quite a bit is happening, huh? We finally get a real glimpse of what Ranma’s up to at Kame House while Tien and the girls just can’t seem to catch a break while Rouge is around. Also, while his role is still minor, I told you we hadn’t seen the last of Trunks. We also have another introduction in Yamcha. When I decided to include Tien in this story, I knew I had to bring Yamcha in too and yes, this is one of the characters that
certain reviewer from last chapter was talking about [To emphasize what I said last time, I already had plans for Yamcha and again, while I can’t promise anything, I do like their idea enough to consider it]. I know I said last time that we’d get a bit more into Tien’s training with the girls, but it looks like the bulk of that will be saved for next time alongside Ranma. No Gohan this time since we all know what he’s up to. Next time however the ball keeps rolling with a match between Ranma and Krillin…among other things.)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s stranger Than Yours
(A/N: I can’t believe I wrote 50 Chapters of this nonsense, and for over 4 years going on 5!)
Stronger Than They Look; The Z-Warriors’ True Power
Ranma took the initiative in the fight, launching himself forward and throwing a straight punch at Krillin. The minuscule marital artist merely smirked and stood firm. When Ranma was within striking range, Krillin merely swayed aside, dodging Ranma’s attack when everything froze.The two held their position, staying stone still until Krillin let out an impressed whistle. “Wow kid, you’re better than I thought.”When Ranma launched his attack, Krillin subtly launched his own counterattack, aiming a punch right to Ranma’s gut. To the Kame Student’s surprise, Ranma managed to catch Krillin’s fist, though only barely as Ranma could feel the stinging in his palm.“You didn’t think I’d go down that easily, did you?” Ranma taunted. Releasing his grip on Krillin’s hand, Ranma vaulted himself backwards, reengaging his combat stance.“Looks like I may have to get a little serious after all,” grinned Krillin.[]A brilliant light shone from the village causing many lookers to scamper away. They were all familiar with this scene and likewise, didn’t want to risk anyone getting hurt in the process. When the light finally died, the tatters remain of a tent fluttered in the wind as Rouge in Asura form stood before a casual Trunks who, after shielding his eyes gazed upon Rouge’s curse.“Are you the one who awakened me from my rest, child!?” she demanded.Fully regaining his sight, Trunks could only look at Rouge in a look of astonishment. “Whoa! You have six arms and three heads!? That’s awesome!”“Are you blind boy!? I’ve only one head! I have three faces!” Rouge corrected.Invading Rouge’s personal space, Trunks floated up to the War Goddess and inspected her up-close. “Oh, you’re right. That’s still really cool.”Rouge crossed two of her arms and huffed. “Flattery won’t save you boy. If you wish not to be punished for waking me, I suggest you leave now!”Trunks let out his own huff as he landed. “Alright fine. Geeze, I just wanted to see if that water curse thing was true.”“You speak of the Springs of Jusenkyo?”“I dunno what it’s called, I just heard my friend talk about a boy who became a girl when he got wet and Videl told me you had something similar.”“Yes, I recall…that one boy who, in my time of need was able to restore my waning strength and assist me in defeating a horribly wretched thief.”“Waning strength?” Trunks raised a curious eyebrow. “Hey lady, how strong are you?”“Strong enough to reign chaos and destruction on all those who wrong me!”Trunks’ inquisitive look, quickly turned to one of childlike intrigue. “Sweet! Hey, you wanna have a match with me!?”Rouge broke out into a haughty, nigh condescending laugh. “I’m flattered in your high perception of me, but even I’m not merciless enough to bring my full power down on a mere child.”“Didn’t you threaten to punish me earlier?”“I was merely going to give you a spanking. Though with three arms, it certainly would’ve been a harsh enough punishment.”Trunks instinctively grabbed his backside and winced as the image of himself bent over Rouge’s knee formed in his mind.“I’ve enjoyed our chat boy, but I suggest you leave now before I decide to incite that punishment for real,” Rouge threatened.“I ain’t scared of you lady,” Trunks dismissively replied.“What?”“While it is cool that you can turn into a six-armed monster, I like my transformation a whole lot better," he boasted.Rouge’s eyes widened. "Transformation? Have you been cursed by the springs as well?”Trunks nodded with a smirk. “Nope. This is all natural.” Taking a deep breath, Trunks let out a yell and let his energy rise. Yet another brilliant flash shone from the tent followed by an intense burst of air blasting it away.Despite the Asura’s own intimidating air, she gawked wide-eyed at the child before her, his previously lavender hair now blonde and standing sharply straight up while his whole body was bathed in a golden light.“What in…!?”Trunks eased his aura and grinned at the cursed girl. “Whadaya think?”“Visually, your appearance leaves much to be desired…but I can sense an incredible aura about you.”Trunks rubbed his nose and replied. “Still think I can’t handle you in a match?”Rouge stared at Trunks. For all intents and purposes, she should decline. He was a child and she didn’t want to hurt him, yet at the same time, the energy she could feel from him was far beyond what a child should reasonably possess, and that was worrying.While she was still pondering a course of action, the pair was approached by Yamcha, who’d been summoned by the villagers following the light show.“Yo, what’s goin’ on over here?”“Hey Yamcha, Rouge and I were just about to fight!”“Huh?”“Hold your tongue boy, I didn’t agree to that.”“Aww come on, don’t tell me the crazy, six-armed, fire breathing lady is scared to fight a little kid.”“Whoa Trunks,” Yamcha intervened. “I think it might be best if we take a second and….”“I don’t fear you child!” Rouge interjected."Then why don't you prove it, unless you're actually not that strong after all?”Rouge clenched her six fists. “It seems this child needs a harsh punishment after all. I shall teach you not to pick fights you can’t win!”“Except I’m gonna beat ya!” Trunks countered.“Hold on you two-!” Yamcha’s request fell on deaf ears as both Trunks and Rouge let their aura’s flare before shooting up into the sky. Yamcha could only watch on dumbfounded as a gold streak zipped around a fiery sphere.“I could probably handle this myself…but then again…maybe I should get Tien….”[]Ranma continued his offense, keeping a calm, and collected Krillin on the defensive. Still, with his superior skill, Krillin was more than capable of slipping in his own counterattacks. Though Ranma could defend against them just as easily, he took note of just how hard he had to steel himself against Krillin’s attacks.Every caught punch would need a lot of strength to keep him at bay, while every blocked punch left his wrist stinging. Ranma expected Krillin to be good, but despite the stalemate, he could tell he was holding back a great deal.Flipping over his heel, Ranma brought his foot down upon Krillin in a fierce axe kick. The small fighter raised both forearms to defend himself and shoved Ranma back, causing him to backflip onto proper footing.“Guess it’s my turn now,” Krillin smugly replied.“Bring it on short-stuff!” Ranma taunted.Shooting him a sharp smirk, Krillin brought both arms back at his sides and thrust them forward unleashing a slow wave of energy that Ranma casually swayed away from.“Ummmm…was that supposed to be the Turtle Destroyer Wave or whatever?" asked a confused, neutral Ranma.“Wait for it!”Krillin raised his hands and the sky lit up. Ranma glanced upwards to see that Krillin’s attack hadn’t dissipated after missing its mark, he was guiding it upwards.‘Wait, you can do that!?’ Ranma marveled.“Hyyyyyagh-!”Krillin slammed both arms down and the blast separated into multiple smaller waves that appeared to be homing right in on a now panicked Ranma.“Oh crap…!”Immediately taking evasive action, Ranma dashed away from one wave before somersaulting away from the next. With barely time to recover, he back flipped away from a third before finally getting caught off guard by the fourth blast exploding right behind him. Rolling away, Ranma vaulted back to his feet to zip away from the remainder of the attack. Though he managed to avoid any direct hits, he didn’t come out unscathed as the impact of the blasts left him scorched.Krillin eased out of his stance as Ranma’s form was concealed beneath a veil of dust. Though he couldn’t see Ranma, he expected him to launch his own counterattack when the dust cleared, so he kept his guard up. As the cloud began to dissipate, Ranma’s silhouette gradually became clearer to the former Kame Student. Deciding to maintain his offensive, Krillin dashed in and launched a midair side-kick at Ranma. To his surprise however, Ranma’s silhouette took on a ghostlike stance and Krillin wound up hitting air as he burst through the cloud.“Huh?”Not only had Krillin’s attack missed, Ranma was nowhere to be seen. The dust had fully cleared up when Krillin flew into it, so even if Ranma had managed to avoid the attack, he still should’ve been visible. As Krillin scanned the surrounding area attempting to find his young opponent, a spectating Roshi wore an intrigued look as he made a starting discovery about his newest student.‘I didn’t know the boy was capable of something on that level.’“Where did he get to?” Krillin pondered.Left, right, front, back, and above. No matter where Krillin looked, Ranma was nowhere to be seen. It was then Krillin had a horrible thought. Did he accidently use too much energy and scorch the kid to death? The moment the thought crossed his mind however, an intense, malicious aura made itself known right behind Krillin. Before he could turn to face it, he was bombarded with a large assault of attacks.Krillin was ultimately knocked down, clutching his head and back in pain before a smug Ranma appeared from seemingly nowhere, posed triumphantly behind him.“What the Hell was that?” Krillin asked as he got back to his feet.“A Saotome School Secret Technique,” Ranma proudly proclaimed.“Okay, but what did you do?”“Sorry pal, family secret. In actuality, I didn’t want to use that technique, but you were startin’ to force my hand.”A mischievous smirk grew onto Krillin’s face as he got to his feet. “Well, glad to know I’m worth it kid, but if I’m forcin’ your hand, then I guess it’s best if I return it in kind!” Steeling himself, he took a familiar pose with his hands cupped to his side.“That’s the move Gohan and his brother used!” Ranma realized. Returning the expression, Ranma took his own charging pose, thrusting his hands out together. “So I finally get a chance to face this technique head-on!”"Ka-me-ha-me...!"Balls of light illuminated the hands of both fighters as they charged their respective attacks, steeling themselves as the ground beneath was blown away by their energy.“Moko…Takabisha!”“Haaaaaaa!”A collision of yellow and blue light illuminated the fields before erupting in a blinding gleam.[]Not long before, Tien had pulled Akane and Videl aside to continue their evaluation. Specifically Videl’s. Now that she was well rested and warmed up from the work in the village, she felt well enough to proceed.Videl’s test was extremely similar to Akane’s, with Tien playing defense for the most of the fight. Blocking every attack Videl threw, Tien countered with open palm strikes before taking to the sky. Videl quickly followed him and struck with a point of impact punch, forcing a blocking Tien to recoil, though he easily recovered.He knew Videl had learned ki control and flight from Gohan, but that was a new trick he’d yet to see. He recalled how the girls mentioned that Videl had trained with a new teacher and became intrigued. What else had she learned since they last met?Signaling to stop, Tien and Videl both descended. “Okay girls. This time, I want both of you to come at me together.” He ordered.While Videl took a moment to stretch, Akane quickly joined her before taking a stance. Once both girls were prepared, the two of them rushed Tien who dodged them easily. As the match proceeded, Tien made numerous observations about both girls. Every blocked and avoided attack told him something new. From what he could discern, Videl’s power level was significantly higher than Akane’s, but Akane’s physical condition was better than Videl’s. While Videl had more agility with her flight capabilities, Akane had faster reflexes. An interesting contrast between the two to be sure, but certainly something he could work with. Both girls still had plenty room to grow beyond just learning the Mafuba and Tien couldn’t help but wonder if he should be the one to bring them to those heights.When the girls closed in on him, Tien let his energy flare, blowing the two back. Though they were able to keep themselves steady, they weren’t ready to surrender yet. Before the match could resume though, Tien’s attention was drawn to a sudden spike in energy.“What the-?”Jarring the thought, the sky would be illuminated a familiar reddish orange catching the girls’ attention as well.“What was that?”“Umm Tien?”The trio turned to find none other than Chiaoutzu standing casually before them. “We have a little problem.”“Don’t tell me that Rouge….”“Again? Seriously!?” Videl exasperated.“Anyone else starting to get sick of this bit?” asked Akane.The trio darted off after Chiaoutzu, asking questions about the situation. “What the Hell is Rouge doing now?” asked Tien.“Its not just Rouge, it’s Rouge and Trunks,” Chiaoutzu answered.“Should’ve figured that kid would be up to this!” Videl exclaimed. “I’ll make sure Bulma puts that kid in lockdown!”“Wait a second,” Akane intervened. “No matter what Trunks did, he is just a child. There’s no way Rouge would cause that big of a ruckus from a little kid fooling around, right?”“You tell us, you’re the one who dealt with her before,” Videl snarked.Seconds later, they returned to the village to find the villagers all staring awestruck at a giant ball of fire in the sky chasing after a small blur of light, both sides launching bright projectiles at each other. Contrary to expectations, despite the imminent danger, the villagers didn’t seem to be panicking this time.“What the hell?”“Oh, you guys are back already?” greeted Launch.“Launch? What happened?”“I’m not really sure. I just remember a flash of light and then Rouge and Trunks were fighting.”“Where’s Yamcha?” asked Videl.Launch merely pointed upwards and the gang laid eyes on Yamcha casually floating away from the inferno in the sky, spectating the unfolding chaos.“Wait here.” Said Tien as he floated to Yamcha. “Yamcha!”“Yo, you guys back already?” greeted Yamcha. “How’s the training going?”“Forget that Yamcha, what happened with Trunks and Rouge?”“I don’t know the full story, I just know that Trunks said some things, Rouge said some things, and here we are. I did consider stepping in to break them up, but I thought maybe it’d just be best to let them get it out of their system. But don’t worry, I’m here to make sure things don’t get out of hand!” Yamcha gave a half-hearted thumbs up.Tien rubbed his temple. “Okay, enough, I’m ending this!” Tien floated forward into the fray, but was halted by Yamcha. “What are you doing?”“I think it might be best to let this play out.”All three of Tien’s eyes narrowed. “Yamcha, surely you realize the risks of letting them fight like this, right? If things get out of hand, they could wipe out what’s left of the village before we even get a chance to rebuild.”“Dude, I told you, that’s why I’m here!” Yamcha emphasized. “I know Trunks can be rowdy, but I think I can handle him, even if he is a Super Saiyan and we both know I can handle Rouge. Besides…” Yamcha reached into his pant pocket and pulled out a capsule. “Got a kettle full of water, right here.”“Even so….”“Like I said before. It’s probably best we just let them finish up now, so then we won’t have to deal with it again going forward. If something else does happen in the village, better it breaks now rather than when we’re almost done, right.”Pressing his fingers between his main eyes, Tien let out a sigh. He didn’t like it, but he knew Yamcha had a point. Still, he wasn’t about to let these two put the villagers in jeopardy again. “Wait here.”“Tien….”“Don’t worry, I won’t stop them…completely.” Floating between the fiery sphere and the smoky blur, Tien put his hands to the sides of his face. “Solar Flare!”The resulting light was bright enough to outshine even Rouge’s flames as she, Trunks, and many spectators shielded their eyes. When the light finally died down, Rouge turned an irritated gaze to Tien.“You! How dare you…!”“Save it,” he dismissed. “Whatever beef you guys have I won’t interfere with it. All I’m asking is that you take this fight somewhere else. With both of you throwing around so much raw power, sooner or later, someone uninvolved is going to get hurt,” Tien admonished.“Oh, is that it? That’s fine by me,” Trunks agreed. “I was about to finish things up here anyway.”“Surely you jest boy!” Rouge declared. “I admit you’ve shown remarkable power, but you’re a fool to think your ki outmatch my own!”Flipping Rouge off with a bratty smirk, Trunks snapped out, “Then put your money where your mouths are lady.” before jetting off in the direction of the lake. “Catch me if you can!”“You disrespectful little…!” Rouge let out an annoyed growl before pursuing the young hybrid.With the pair out of sight, Tien released a calming breath before descending to the ground, accompanied by Yamcha. As much as he didn’t like the risks of letting the battle continue, at the very least, it was now mitigated. Once he was back on the ground, he turned towards the girls. “Okay. Now that that’s taken care of, for now at least, let’s pick up where we left off, shall we?”“Taken care of? You’re just letting Rouge attack a little boy!?” Akane protested.“It does sound bad when you put it that way, but trust me when I say, Trunks can more than handle himself against someone like her.”“He’s a child!” Akane emphasized. “Having him fight an older kid is one thing, but Rouge in Asura form!? That’s just insane! It took Ranma and Pantyhose Taro working together to even touch Rouge when they fought her before, and they’re two of the strongest people I know!”Tien’s expression remained firm, but more relaxed. “Your concern is greatly appreciated, but ultimately not that warranted, at least as far as Trunks’ wellbeing.”“How can you say that!?” Snapped Akane.“Let’s just say, Trunks isn’t exactly your average kid, though I’m sure you’ve already noticed.”“If you’re talking about him being able to fly, then that just means he learned an advanced technique, right?”“It’s more than just flight,” Tien replied. “You’ve met Gohan’s brother, right? I’m sure you’ve noticed that he’s…special. In a sense, Trunks is the same.”Akane considered Tien’s words. What exactly did he mean by special? Though she mostly only brought it up to keep Ranma in check, she still remembered the match he had with Goten. Goten may not have been taking things seriously, but the degree of power he showed was staggering. Still, that was against Ranma, a strong but reasonably normal guy. Was Tien suggesting that Trunks could match Rouge in Asura form? There’s no way that could be true. Steeling herself, Akane dashed into Launch’s capsule house. Seconds later, she returned with a kettle in hand. Zipping past the others, she headed towards the woods.“Where are you going?”“I don’t know what you guys think or know what Trunks is capable of, but I won’t just sit here and leave a little boy alone with someone that dangerous!” With resolve in her eye, Akane dashed into the woods.“That girl’s a stubborn one, but at least her intentions are noble,” Tien noted.Yamcha and Chiaoutzu nodded in agreement. Tien proceeded to instruct the two to resume the reconstruction with the villagers while he and Videl went after Akane. The girl in question however was briefly left behind with an inquisitive look on her face. After Akane’s insistent to chase after Trunks and Rouge, a certain thought had crossed the young girl’s mind, ‘I know Gohan used to say I was stubborn too, but did he used to think of me like that?’[]Back in the field, a massive cloud of dust died down unveiling the form of Krillin and Ranma still in their firing poses, though the latter was covered in a layer of soot. A beat later, the young martial artist toppled over and crashed onto the ground, coughing out a puff of smoke.“Welp, I guess that’s that,” Krillin triumphantly beamed.Ranma sat up and dusted himself up before being extended a hand from his opponent. Begrudgingly, Ranma accepted it and let Krillin help him up.“Well, that was quite the explosive finish,” noted an approaching Roshi. “I have to say, every time I think I have a lock on your level, you still manage to surprise me boy.”“I could say the same thing about him,” Ranma turned to Krillin as he dusted himself off. “I figured you’d be pretty strong being a former student of the old man here, but I didn’t think you’d just completely overthrow my attack like that.”Krillin chuckled. “I may have taken a hiatus, but I still got it.”“Whatcha mean hiatus?”“Ehhh, haven’t been fighting much since 18 and I got married, but that’s neither here nor there,” Krillin dismissively replied. “But, back in the present, level with me. How did you disappear like that earlier.”Ranma glanced aside with a contemplative hum. “I can’t give any specifics because again, it’s a family secret, but in a nutshell, it’s a technique that can erase the user’s presence.”“Wait seriously?”“Of course, Krillin. Don’t tell me you didn’t realize Ranma’s energy disappeared,” Roshi admonished.“Huh…” Krillin put a finger to his chin, recalling the exchange. “Now that you mention it, I guess I did kind of miss that. I may be rustier than I thought.”“That’s a bit disappointing to hear, but don’t beat yourself up too much. We’re both shaking off a bit of rust,” said Roshi.“I guess.”“In spite of that, it’s nice to see you haven’t lost a step.” Roshi chuckled.“Okay so what now Gramps?” asked Ranma.“Right now, we call it a day. So far you’ve performed well…a little to well in fact. I think I need to reevaluate your regimen a little if this was too easy for you. Also, don’t think I forgot about your lesson in Ki Sensing. We’ll work on that first thing tomorrow.”“Sounds good to me,” Ranma concurred.“In the meantime….” Roshi picked up a cup and a pitcher. Pouring the latter’s contents into the former, he then thrust it at Ranma, splashing the young fighter and forcing his transformation.“Hey, what’d you do that for!?” she shrieked.“Training’s over for today. This was part of the deal.”“Couldn’t you have waited until we got back home at least?” asked Krillin.“A deal’s a deal, so deal with it!” Roshi snapped.Ranma sighed. ‘Sad thing is, I’d still rather him than the freak.’Once everything was packed up, Roshi and Ranma took off in the jet car while Krillin followed beside them. An absentminded Ranma stared at the airborne fighter before asking, “Hey Gramps, any chance you could teach me how to fly too? I asked Videl once and even though she said yes, we both kept forgetting about it.”Roshi stiffened. “Sorry kid, but if you wanna learn to fly, it won’t be from me. I’m sure Krillin will show you if you really want, but personally, I’m not a fan.”“How come?”“…My school has its signature techniques, Crane’s school has its own.”Ranma remained silent before finally letting out an understanding “Ohhh….”[]After an intense dash, Akane arrived back at the lake and was instantly blinded by the resulting gleam of Rouge’s flames reflecting off the surface of the lake. When she managed to see through the light, she was quickly met with a stray ki blast. Leaping away from the bright projectile, another quickly hurled right towards her. This time, it’d be deflected by Tien who appeared shortly after.“Are you alright?”“Yeah.”“Come on, let’s get a better vantage point.”Taking Akane in his arms, Tien floated upwards, away from the battle but still in clear view. The two were quickly joined by Videl and Yamcha who, after powering through the illumination, also began spectating the battle.“Glad you guys are here. Think one of you can fly over and dump this over Rouge?” she asked holding the kettle.“Maybe, but I don’t think we’re gonna, right?” Yamcha asked.“You could’ve asked a bit more tactfully, but yeah,” Tien concurred.“What’s wrong with you guys!!?? If we don’t do something Trunks is going to get hurt.”“Against this chick, doubtful,” said Yamcha.“Akane, just watch. I understand how it may be hard for you to believe, but Trunks really is more than capable of handing an opponent like Rouge.”“You…can’t be serious…right.”“It’s true Akane,” Videl finally added. “You’re not wrong when you say Trunks could get hurt, but it won’t be anywhere near as bad as what you’re probably thinking.”“Videl….”“Actually, consider watching this battle to be part of your training. A demonstration if you will,” started Tien. “Trunks is something of a special case, but with enough time and effort…well…you’ll see.”Akane followed along and watched the battle unfold. It was all she could do at this point, having all of her concerns basically ignored. She still had her doubts, but Videl’s words were something she trusted. How Tien considered this training however, was beyond her. As she watched Rouge and Trunks exchange projectiles, she finally noticed something peculiar.While watching the fight from ground level, she remembered seeing a gold blur whizz around Rouge. She assumed it was a ki blast or technique, but now looking this close up, she could see the silhouette of a person amidst the bright light, a very small person. Squinting her eyes, she gasped as she recognized the outfit Trunks was wearing.‘That gold thing was Trunks? Why is he glowing!?’[]“Furious Comet Blasts!”Rouge and Trunks traded shot after shot with the former throwing literal great balls of fire and Trunks with a barrage of ki blasts. Many shots collided in the air, bursting on impact while the shots that got through the barrage merely got brushed away by bth fighters’ intense aura.Both fighters unleashed a single giant sphere of their power once again, they exploded on impact, illuminating the sky and throwing both fighters back. Rouge began panting. This battle had been going on for quite a while and it was beginning to take its toll. Trunks on the other hand seemed just as spry as he was at the start of the fight.‘How can this child keep pace with me…at this level? Does it have anything to do with his golden glow?’ she pondered.“Hey lady, you have any cooler moves? This was fun but you’re starting to bore me,” Trunks replied.Rouge’s response was a torrent of flame from all three mouths. Trunks simply yelled and let his energy dispel the fire.“C’mon, I’ve seen the fire breath already. Show me somethin’ BIG!”Rouge clenched her fists at Trunks’ provocation. Somewhere in her mind she still didn’t want to unleash her full power on a child but Trunks had proven himself throughout their entire bout to be a match for her so her reservations were quickly dwindling. Ultimately, she made her choice.“Very well boy. You want big, I’ll give it to you!”Trunks put his hands on his hips and watched intrigued as Rouge spread all six of her arms and began to wave them. Her hands started sparking with energy and with an intense twist of her body, she unleashed a volley of lightning bolts.“Flames of the Storm!”“Wait, why’s it called that if you’re shooting light-!”
BZZZZZZZZT!
With a yelp, Trunks zipped away from the falling voltage. Rouge began to spin faster launching out more bolts of lightning that Trunks continued to evade. He silently praised himself for going Super Saiyan earlier. Without the extra boost, he’d have probably gotten struck by one of the bolts by now.[]The resulting flash caused the spectators to shield their eyes. Taking caution, they all distanced themselves further from the battlefield. When they could all see again, the Z-Fighters watched with mild intrigue while Akane could only look in pure bewilderment. Though further away, she could still make out the golden streak that was Trunks flying and avoiding every single attack Rouge threw at him.‘How is he…keeping up?’[]“On second thought, maybe this is a little much,” Trunks muttered.Trunks finally halted and took aim at Rouge, but was forced on the move again by the relentless lightning. Not granted a moment to stop, Trunks resumed firing smaller ki blasts at Rouge. His efforts would be in vain as his attacks would be blocked by the nigh endless downpour of lightning.“Maybe I should use something stronger!” Flying up above Rouge, Trunks raised his hands up to the side of his neck in a peculiar pose. Before he could make his next move however, he was blindsided by a stray lightning bolt, zapping him downwards.[]Akane shrieked in fear as Trunks was blasted seemingly out of the sky, but still the others seemed unfazed. Videl did look like she had a moniker of concern for the boy, but seemed similarly as dismissive as Yamcha and Tien. Their eased state would be proven fruitful as Rouge’s lightning storm seemed to fade and a familiar golden glow streaked back towards her.[]“Now do you see child, the consequences of what happens when you trifle with an Asu-!” Rouge cut herself off with a gasp. Slowly, the funnel began to dissipate as her movements began to slow down. ‘No…dammit…my power’s fading…!’ “But why?” Reaching to her back, Rouge felt around before letting out a distressed gasp. “No…they must’ve fallen off during my last attack! I need to retreat!” Rouge wouldn’t be granted much retrieve as Trunks swiftly reappeared in front of her. “What?”“How…how are you still up after that?”“Okay, that was cool, but now it’s my turn!” Trunks replied.‘Shit…I need to recharge…!’ Rouge inwardly muttered. “Asura Flash!”Rouge let her energy flare blinding a stunned Trunks (as well as the spectators) before flying back towards the village.After regaining his eyesight, Trunks noted Rouge’s retreating form. “Hey! Get back here!” Flaring his energy, the young Super Saiyan shot off after her, catching up to her in a flash and blocking her path."How-?""You didn’t really think you could escape, did you?” Trunks cockily brandished. "But now, I’ll show you what I can do!”Taking the same position, Trunks set his hands aside his neck and they began glowing with purple energy. “Here’s what my Dad showed me, Galick Gun!” Thrusting his hands forward, Trunks released a violet beam of pure energy at a stunned Rouge. In her sluggish state, she was unable to dodge Trunks’ blast and took it head on with a shrill scream. Purple light illuminated the sky as Rouge crashed into parts unknown. After firing, Trunks flashed a triumphant grin before striking a victorious pose and powering down out of Super Saiyan.[]Akane was once again left speechless at Trunks’ final attack. Visually it wasn’t anything too spectacular, but seeing a move like that come from a child for a second time was just too much. The whole battle left Akane with more questions than she knew how to ask. The others seemed to take the whoe event in stride remaining mostly neutral.“Phew, glad that’s over,” sighed Yamcha.“Well, I guess that’s that,” said Tien.“How…what?”“Have something to add Akane?”““How did Trunks take Rouge’s attack? How was he able to fire that blast? Why was he glowing gold!? And HOW THE HELL DID A LITTLE KID JUST BEAT ROUGE!?”Yamcha casually shrugged. “What can we say. Even as kids, Saiyans are just built different."Missin Videl’s panicked expression, Akane raised an eyebrow. There was that word again. Videl said before that she shoud ask Gohan, but since it seemed like these two also knew, she decided to ask again. “Okay seriously, what the Hell is a Saiyan?”Following Akane’s question, Yamcha realized his mistake. “Oh wait, was that supposed to be a secret?”“Yamcha!”“Wait, so you do know what it means?” Akane turned to Videl.Videl gave a relenting sigh and replied “Fine, I do. But still, it isn’t our place to talk about it, Yamcha.” The former bandit bashfully turned away as Videl continued. “Again, if you really want to know, you should ask Gohan because it’s his secret to tell. All I can say is…it involves both his family and Trunks’ family.”Akane’s ire began to recede since she was no stranger to keeping another person’s secret (even if said person seemed to abandon the secret over time). Still, her intrigue only increased as to what it could mean and how it affected Trunks’ power.“Does whatever a ‘Saiyan’ is have anything to do with Trunks glowing before?”Videl only gave a small nod as Trunks approached them, grinning about his recent victory.“Okay Trunks, have you had your fun?” asked Tien.“Yeah, I guess. Rouge was pretty good, but I’m just better,” he boasted.“Speaking of, shouldn’t we go see if Rouge is okay?” said Videl.“Good call, but…where did she land?” asked Yamcha.
“Tien!”
Tien gasped as Chiaoutzu’s voice shouted in his mind. “Chiaoutzu?”
“You guys need to get back to the village now!”
“How co-!?” “Wait a second….”“Tien? What’s wrong?”Tien’s eyes narrowed as realization began to form. “Follow me you guys,”The others were confused but followed as Tien flew away, Akane in his arms. Tien lead the flight back to the village where everyone was gathered around a giant crater. Fortunately from what could be gathered, nobody was hurt but there was one more thing to fix in the village/ Floating above the huge indentation, the group laid their eyes on the flattened, buried form of a scorched Rouge.“Trunks, you may have cut a bit too loose back there,” said Tien.The young boy chuckled bashfully and replied, “My bad.”[]Moments later, Yamcha watched over a now human Rouge who rested after reapplying a new set of massage magnets to her back and giving a brief explanation on how her power diminished before Trunks’ last attack hit (six arms can tire a girl out).Trunks made his leave per Tien’s request, and the young saiyan was happy to oblige. After all, he had to call Goten ASAP. Tien took the girls to resume their work on rebuilding, but assured them that the coming days would be much more straightforward.Videl seemed to take it all in stride, but Akane remained lost deep in though. She still had too many questions about Trunks and by extension Gohan and his family. It may not have been her place to know, but after watching a little boy make child’s play out of one of the most dangerous Jusenkyo curses, she couldn’t not know. Videl told her to ask Gohan, but given the current situation, that seemed likely to not happen anytime soon.‘Oh well. Whatever the hell a Saiyan is, it can’t be any weirder than the stuff I’ve dealt with.’[]Out there in the world, two sets of fathers and sons all unknowingly sneezed simultaneously.
(A/N: Another chapter, another mishap with Rouge. Though to be fair, it wasn’t her fault this time. Not much to say except I hope you enjoy the brief little battles and shenanigans. There may be some discourse about Trunks going Super Saiyan after Rouge transformed, but I’m just going to be completely straight here and say he was just showing off. We all know he didn’t need to go Super Saiyan to tango with Rouge, he just wanted to play the Transformation game with her. Conversely, it gives Akane something to think about. If Trunks could beat cursed Rouge, then what does that
really say about Goten beating Ranma? Maybe she’ll find out, maybe she won’t. For now, training continues for Ranma and the girls.)
(To everyone that has stuck around for all these years and chapters, thank you and I hope you’ll continue to tune in. I may not know how I’ll get to the end of this story, but I do know what the ending will be.)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
The Struggle Is Real; Training’s Finishing Touches
At the base of a mountain, a mischievous trio of two old men and their young cohort could be found. The taller of the elders turned to the young man and asked, “Are you ready?”Taro nodded before taking a firm stance. With a guttural grunt, he began to raise his energy before slowly ascending into the air. Clasping his hands together, he spread them out in a diamond shape and aimed straight towards the mountain.“Ki-Ko-HO!” With a loud, yell he let his energy erupt and fired a nigh invisible blast at the giant formation, leaving a large square imprint.A satisfied Taro began descending, panting between his pleasured chuckling. “How was that…old man…?”“Excellent!” Shen praised.“Even I have to admit, that was a stellar display there boy!” Happosai followed up. “With that technique, that caped clown won’t stand a chance!”“Don’t get ahead of yourself Happy,” Shen dissuaded. “He’s learned the technique, but now he must master it before we go after those Turtle hatchlings again.”Happosai gave a dismissive shrug. “Well, it’s your technique so whatever fluffs your feathers pal. Regardless, I think that’s quite enough for tonight. If you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go turn in.”“If by ‘turn in’, you mean going for one of your raids in the nearby village,” Shen sneered.“I shan’t confirm nor deny.” With an impish guffaw, Happosai left the others.Moments later, Shen and Taro were gathered around a campfire, the latter still reeling from his previous usage of the Crane technique. Despite his exhaustion however, Taro wore a look of determination on his face.“I never would’ve imagined you’d have a technique this powerful.”“While flight may be the Crane School’s signature technique, the Tri-Beam is the most powerful. It takes a strong body and soul in order to use effectively,” Shen explained. “You boy, are only the second one who managed to perform it.”“You mean the student who abandoned you?”Shen nodded, with his fist clenched tightly.“If you don’t mind my asking, what did happen to that student?”Shen took a calming breath before staring into the fire with contempt. "Strap in my boy, this is going to be a long one.”Moments later, Taro wore a somber expression as Shen finished his story, a tale of vengeance and betrayal that left the Crane Hermit a nearly broken man. As much as he didn’t favor Happosai, introducing him to Taro was the first flash of hope he’d had in nearly two decades.Taro could sympathize with Shen’s ordeal given his own personal beef with Happosai. Despite his ordinarily deceitful nature, he was determined to make sure he paid his due by ensuring that his teacher’s hope wasn’t ill-placed.“I’m sorry to hear that happened.”“What’s done is done, what matters now is that you have all that’s required to help me revive the Crane School!”“As well as finally get that dirty old freak to change my name!” Taro quickly added.Shen wore a contemplative look and crossed his arms. “Level with me boy, do you really expect Happosai to keep his word?”“Not in the slightest,” Taro simply replied.“Then how will you be sure you get what you want from him?”“I haven’t quite figured that part out yet, but I’ll think of something before the time comes.” Taro narrowed his eyes but quickly calmed himself. “Still, I do have the slightest bit of hope that he’ll keep his word since he led me to you, and I must say, training with you has been an extremely beneficial experience.”“I’m so glad to hear that,” Shen sneered. “Because I think I may know just the insurance you need.”Taro raised his eyebrow with intrigue. “I’m listening….”“You see, back when we first got this deal of ours underway, Happy and I decided to reminisce and he told me a story that, I really didn’t care to hear, but it may come in handy now.”
[Months ago]
In a familiar, large, bustling city, a masked Happosai, his sack of ‘loot’ in hand, slinked his way over to the largest domed house in town. He’d been casing this house for some time now, deciding it would be his next hit when he visited West City again. After spying on the place for a few nights, Happy came to know three of the residents. An older blonde woman who still looked appealing for her age (besides, she’s way younger than Happosai himself), a young boy with purple hair, and finally, the object of his intrigue, a knockout ‘mature’ woman with short cut blue hair. Judging from her slim yet curvaceous figure, Happy figured that her ‘treasure’ would be the crown jewel of his collection. Maybe the blonde lady would have something worth collecting too, given how big her chest was. Today however, as far as he knew, the lady in charge and the boy had left the house. The older woman shouldn’t be an issue. Even so, she’s only one obstacle to get past. Nothing the great master of ‘Anything Goes’ can’t handle.Thankful for his small stature, he zipped across the place’s front lawn before leaping his way up to a rear balcony. Taking careful precision to undo the lock, Happy let himself in and quickly made his way to what he presumed to be the matriarch’s room. After minutes of searching around, he finally found what he was looking for: a dark brown lingerie set, with a bra made for a very bust woman, complete with a garter belt.
“Eureka~!” Happy guffawed.
Dying to savor the moment, Happy slowly reached towards the clothes, an expecting, breathy smile on his face. Just as he was about to grab them, a gruff male voice sounded out.
“Are you finally back? Excellent.”
Happy could only let out a shocked “Wha-?” before the door burst open and in walked a man with hair that stood straight up, nearly like a flame on a candle with a fierce expression on his face, clad in a dark-blue bodysuit. “The drones in the gravity chamber need to be…!?”
The man paused when he saw the diminutive elder rummaging through his wife’s drawers and his already sour expression turned into one of fury. “Who the Hell are you!?”
Ordinarily, Happy would’ve lobbed a firecracker by now and attempted to make an escape, but in the face of an extremely large ki glaring down at him, even the great evil master himself couldn’t help but freeze against such an overwhelming presence.
The moment Happosai fully regained his senses, it was already too late. In a scene mirroring many of his other defeats, Happy was swiftly punched in his tiny gut and subsequently launched through the window and far away to parts unknown. This time however, was different. Despite his age, Happosai could very easily take a hit from opponents with superior strength. The pain he felt from the punch of that man was unlike any sensation he’d felt before. Even getting blasted by Ranma’s Heavenly Dragon Wave paled in comparison to the intense agony he currently felt. Further adding to Happosai’s ire was just the amount of time he’d been flying. He was no stranger to punch induced flights, but this lasted nearly a full half hour before he landed face first in a pile of…snow?
Further adding insult to injury, when he was launched away, his sack had fallen off meaning now he was hundreds of thousands of miles away from civilization, freezing, hurting all over, and he’d lost his newest collection. Just when things possibly couldn’t get worse, Happosai started to fall unconscious before the figure of what appeared to be a large, heavyset man in a dark blue coat.”
[]
As Shen finished the story, Taro burst out laughing. It was rare for the old man to be defeated so thoroughly, and even rarer for him to talk about those great defeats. “Okay, I don’t know what that story has to do with bargaining, but hearing it sure made me feel better at least.”“Yes, yes, it’s AOK to laugh. I had to hold back my own snickering when he told me," Shen replied through more snickers. “But, back to the point, that woman may be the key. Happosai is very easy to please, so if you can get your hands on…”“I refuse to play that bastard’s game.” Taro quickly declined.“I can’t say I blame you, but I was actually going to suggest Plan B first.”“And what is Plan B?”“A simple photograph of that woman, an exposed photograph, if you catch my drift.”Taro grit his teeth. He still wasn’t to fond of appeasing Happosai like this, especially if it meant taking pages from the old master’s book, but getting a few spicy pictures were an easier pill to swallow than stealing clothes.“How would I even go about getting pictures of this woman when I don’t even know what she looks like?”“I’ll brief you about her later. As luck would have it, I’m…somewhat acquainted with that woman.”“Really!? How!?”“She’s one of the Turtle School’s supporters. I’ve seen her at past Tournaments, and I can say, despite her being much older these days, I haven’t forgotten her face!”[]
BANG!
In the Capsule Corp lab, Bulma let out a disgruntled sigh as the drone she was repairing was crushed to scrap under the intense pressure of her sudden, intense hammer swing.“Dammit…where did that even come from? I didn’t meant to hit it that hard.”“Bulma, what was that?”“Nothing serious but…you’re going to be one drone short for a while Vegeta.”[]“I can tell you where she lives, but as for getting your bargaining fodder, you’re on your own boy.”“Don’t worry about me. I’ll find a way to get it while I’m perfecting this new technique,” replied a determined Taro.“Excellent. Work hard boy, and do me proud.” Shen gleefully sneered.[]Shockwaves boomed across Mt. Paouzu as Goku and Piccolo assaulted a defending Gohan with a barrage of strikes. After their last session, they figured having Piccolo wrap his arm around Gohan’s waist was starting to become a hassle. Now they had the more simple solution of using an extremely tight belt, courtesy of Piccolo. With the stub of his tail still being pressed down on, Gohan was initially on the receiving end of a massive beatdown from his father and teacher. All that would change when he finally summoned the strength to transform. The fight would become less one sided as Gohan defended against the two, but not entirely as it was still two against one.It would all come to a heat as both Goku and Piccolo fired off their signature blasts at Gohan; Goku with a massive Kamehameha and Piccolo with a Demon Wave. Gohan countered with his own Kamehameha, but was quickly being forced back. Determined not to falter, Gohan willed his power to rise and soon his power erupted as his hair shifted from gold back to black and his blast quickly overtook his mentors’.In his Unleashed form, Gohan smirked before powering back down to base, panting.“How ya feelin’ Gohan?” asked Goku.“Tired, but fine.”“Considering you only unlocked that power a year ago, you feeling tired might be a little concerning,” noted Piccolo.“Lighten up Piccolo. Don’t forget, Gohan was handicapped.”“Speaking of, I hope that little scene of you transforming yielded some results.”Feeling around his lower back, Gohan pressed against his tail stub and flinched. There was definitely still feeling in that spot, but he didn’t feel the same crippling weakness he did during the fight with Taro.“It still stings, but it’s more like a bug bite now,” said Gohan.The two teachers smiled. It thankfully wasn’t very long, but it looked like their training bore some much desired fruit.“Good. Now you won’t have to deal with someone else taking advantage of your super secret oddly specific weakspot ever again,” said a teasing Piccolo.Gohan shyly rubbed his head. “Are you ever going to let this go?”Piccolo chuckled. “Don’t worry. I don’t blame you for forgetting about it. I still can’t believe it actually happened though.”“Well, we don’t really fight too many people with constricting abilities so I was…less than prepared for it,” said Gohan.“What about Gotenks’ Ring technique?” said Piccolo.“You mean the Galactic Donut?” Gohan pondered back to his battle with a Gotenks absorbed Buu. “Thinking back I remember he had me at the shoulders, stomach and legs. He must’ve just missed my tail stub…not that he was aiming for it or anything.”“Hmmmm…now that I’m remembering, I actually had to fight an octopus once when I was a kid,” said Goku.“Seriously?”“Yeah. He didn’t grab my tail though, and his tentacles were wrapped in a way that I could still move my arms.”“Speaking of which, I should probably start using my arms in battle more often,” said Piccolo. “I’ll be honest, I almost forgot I could stretch them out until Goku suggested we try it.”“I guess both of us are prone to forgetting things about ourselves,” Gohan giggled.The trio shared a small laugh altogether until they were interrupted by Goten who, at Chi-Chi’s behest, summoned them back home for the night. While Goku followed his youngest son, Piccolo went his own way, leaving Gohan alone for the moment to contemplate. Now that he could focus less on his own training, his thoughts shifted to Videl. He’d heard tales about Master Roshi’s training and couldn’t help but wonder if Roshi would be as harsh with her and Akane as he’d been with his father and Krillin. There was also the issue of Roshi…being Roshi. Ironically, those thoughts countered each other. Roshi obviously wouldn’t put the girls through anything they couldn’t handle, for one reason or another, but on the other hand, he wasn’t the type to baby his students either.‘I hope you girls are alright.’ With his mind eased for now, Gohan took off for home.[]It had almost become routine for Tien to take the girls out on their own and work with each of them individually in order to iron out each of their personal shortcomings before they really got to work on learning the Mafuba. Today however, things were just a bit different. Instead of working with the girls one at time, today he was leading both of them to an unknown spot.“Hey Tien, where are going?” asked Akane.“Just hang tight for a moment,” he replied. The trio remained quiet until finally,“Ah, we’re here!”Tien led the girls out of the forest and into a large clearing where they were met with the base of a tall hill.“Where…is here?” said Videl.“Tien!”The three turned up to find Chiaoutzu approaching them, a large boulder floating just above his head. Carefully, he set the giant rock at the top of the hill before landing beside it to take a breather.“Thank you Chiaoutzu. You’re free to head back now if you want.” Tien’s young helper gave an approving nod before flying off back to the village.“Okay girls. Today’s training is going to be a little bit different than what you’re probably used to,” Tien began.“What exactly are we doing?” asked Akane.“I’m glad you asked. The exercise itself is actually pretty simple. Videl, you will roll that boulder down the hill and Akane, your task is to stop it without destroying it.”“Say what!?” they exclaimed.“I’m sure you two have your questions, but I’ll break it down. After working with you two these past few days, my conclusions are as follows; Videl. You have an exceptional basic understanding of controlling your energy, but your physical condition needs a bit of touching up. Akane, your physical strength is impressive, but before you can properly learn to harness your energy, you need to increase your endurance. This little exercise I came up with will accomplish both at once.The girls shared a look with each other conveying the same thoughts. Tien may have had a point, but this exercise seemed a bit overkill.“Don’t you think this is a bit…much?” asked Akane.“Nah. This is a step up from what we’ve been doing, but all in all, this is pretty light all things considered.”“You call that boulder light?” snarked Videl.“Feel free to make jokes, but realize that if this is too much for you two, then I surmise you won’t stand a chance against that old master,” said a stern Tien.Though Tien wasn’t trying to bait the girls, both of them took his statement as a challenge. Though not to the infamous degree of the Saiyans, both girls had their pride and weren’t about to take that little jab lying down. With a pair of determined nods, they both headed their respective positions.“One more thing. If things do get a little out of hand, don’t worry. I will step in!” Tien confirmed.With Videl atop the hill by the boulder, Akane stood firmly at the base, steeling herself.“You ready down there!?” Videl called.“Ready!” Akane confirmed.Rubbing her hands together, Videl placed both hands on the boulder and summoned all of her strength, pushing it. It’s irregular shape made it a less graceful roll than a more smoothened, round rock would have been, but with enough effort, she slowly but surely moved it over to the hill’s incline. After about half a minute of effort, Videl finally managed to get the boulder to the slope and it began rolling down to a suddenly unnerved Akane.Quickly regaining her composure, Akane steeled herself and just as the boulder was about to roll into her, she thrust out both hands and held and held back the giant rock, though not without getting pushed back and almost toppled over. It took a greater deal of strength than anticipated, but Akane was eventually able to halt the rock.Tien nodded in approval at the success of the exercise. “Not bad for a first attempt,” he praised. “We’ll do this for a few more reps and then you girls can switch positions.”“Oh joy,” Akane sarcastically droned.“Now, who wants to roll this thing back up the hill?”“She does!” they frantically pointed to each other.Tien could only chuckle at their response. “Kids.”Moments later, the two girls now swapped positions with Akane atop the hill and an incredulous Videl at the base.“You ready?” called Akane.“Not really,” Videl half joked.Tien snickered before giving Akane the okay. With apparent ease, Akane shoved the boulder onto the slope and it rolled straight for Videl who was looking tense. As the rock rolled faster and faster, Videl threw her hand out and just as she made contact, the rock was obliterated into tiny pebbles.Videl fell to the ground, breathing a relieved sigh. That is until an irritable Tien called out her name.“Videl, did you forget that you weren’t supposed to destroy the boulder?” he scolded.“No I just…sort of…did that by instinct…?” Videl looked down to see her hand bathed in a small, whitish glow. Sure enough, she’d used the ‘Point of Impact’ technique to destroy the boulder.“I can overlook a first offense, but don’t forget that the point of this training is to buildup your body. Your energy will rise alongside it and then….”“Yeah, yeah, I know can I just…try that again?” Videl dismissively interjected.Tien nodded before ascending. “Take a breather until I get back. Something tells me you girls may need it,” he ordered.As Tien disappeared, Akane slid down the hill to the ground besides Videl. “I take it he wasn’t happy with that?”“Believe it or not, that’s not putting it lightly,” Videl replied. “I made a mistake, we’re moving on, simple as that.”“Okay, then.”Taking Tien’s advice, the two girls lay down besides each other, their bodies at opposing poles.“Hey Akane?”“Yeah?”“Do you think Ranma’s training is harder than ours?”“I dunno. Why?”“It’s just that…Tien called this light and we’re both already worn out. If this is light, I can’t help but wonder what ‘heavy’ looks like.”“I think I have an idea of what ‘heavy’ looks like, but unless there’s something incredibly specific, I don’t think it should be anything beyond what Ranma can do,” Akane replied.“Akane, let me say right now, what you think is heavy might be completely different than what Tien and Goku’s other friends think is heavy.”“What makes you say that?”“Let’s just say, I’ve seen Goku and Gohan spar before and their friendly matches can get insane. If their casual fights can kick up a storm, a serious fight could probably start a hurricane.”“Don’t you think you’re exaggerating a bit? I know you care for Gohan and want to support him, but maybe you shouldn’t be hyping him up this much.”Videl could only give a silent grin. ‘I have my reasons,’ she thought with a blush.The solemn conversation would be abruptly halted by a loud, startling crash. Followed by another, and another, and another. Both girls frantically rose to their feet, taking defensive stances.“What the hell!?”“What’s going on!?”“Relax girls, it’s just us,” came the calm voice of Tien.Sure enough, he along with Chiaoutzu returned with a large number of boulders that were dropping like spilled marbles. “I figured just in case we have any more accidents like earlier, it’d be better to have a few spares lying around so we won’t have to waste time.”The girls froze with an uneasy blue tint covering their faces. “Well that…”“…Makes sense.”Tien chuckled. “Alright then. Let’s get back to work.”[Meanwhile]“How much longer do we have to go?” asked Ranma.“Not much further,” replied Roshi.The young fighter was following behind the elder master, while holding two large crates of milk in both hands. As the pair skipped across the road, stopping only so Ranma could make his deliveries, an airborne Krillin watched the scene play out with even more nostalgia.After many days, it became abundantly clear to Roshi that no matter how much he tried to pile on the load to his standard routine, be it the shell, more milk, or anything in between, Ranma was beyond his typical training methods. Still, he was adamant that one should never forget the basics, especially when preparing for something as risky as the Mafuba, so Roshi would continue to give Ranma the Turtle School Special, and if he finished his tasks soon enough, he’d then let Krillin take over the lessons and train Ranma as he saw fit.For the most part, Ranma and Krillin just sparred which they both seemed to enjoy. Ranma loved having a teacher who didn’t try to actively screw him over in anyway and Krillin enjoyed having a sparring partner that was below his level but still skilled enough to keep pace so he could fight seriously.In the moments where they weren’t sparring, Krillin would take it upon himself to give Ranma more information on Ki Manipulation, more specifically, his Scatter Wave attack. Using the Ranma’s Prideful Tiger Blast as a basis, Krillin was eventually able to demonstrate to Ranma how he could control his attack after having already fired it. Ranma got the basics down, but his failed attempts did lead to some…unfortunate damage to the house when he tried ironing out the kinks on the island, much to Roshi and 18’s chagrin.In addition to manipulation, Krillin would be instrumental in assisting with Ranma’s Ki Sensing. He already had the skill, but Krillin would help him refine it. Taking place in the familiar fields, a simple session of ‘Hot and Cold’ was the key to expanding Ranma’s senses. With the young fighter blindfolded, Krillin would raise his energy and instruct Ranma to sense and find him. After every success, Krillin would hide himself further and further away, only increasing his energy when necessary. Like the manipulation, this too had its share of mishaps including Ranma walking into and tripping over various objects like rocks, logs, and (regrettably) even a stream a few times.Despite the road bumps, Ranma seemed to be doing well. He wasn’t on the level where he could sense a strong enough power from miles away, but his scope was certainly expanded from what it was.Outside of training, Ranma had also been earning his keep as a houseguest. After spending so much time outside doing yardwork, milk deliveries, doing a few indoor chores like dishes or watching Marron for a short while was small potatoes.The routine would continue for days on end until finally, one day, Roshi pulled Ranma aside on his own.“What’s up Gramps?”“Ranma my boy, I don’t know what else to say. I knew you were exceptionally skilled when you first showed up on my island, but even I didn’t expect you to be this far beyond my training,” Roshi finally verbally admitted.“So does this mean…?”“Yep. Starting today, we’ll officially begin training for the Mafuba proper,” Roshi declared.Ranma clenched his fist with an excited grin. “Alright!” ‘Just you wait you old freak. Your days are numbered!’[]Days have passed since the girls had began Tien’s ‘Boulder Routine’. Despite a strong showing on the first day, both girls had gotten more than a little scuffed up in the process, Videl moreso than Akane.Like he anticipated, Videl would wind up destroying some boulders with her Impact Technique as survival instinct would often win out against ‘success’. On the occasions she didn’t destroy the rocks, she’d be more easily toppled over than Akane who didn’t get off scot-free either.Like Videl, she would sometimes break the rocks by punching them. A few too many instances of this, as well as some poor timing when genuinely trying to stop the rocks, would leave her dominant hand in bandages for a short while. Still, even despite the countless failures, aches, and sore muscles, the girls were determined to see Tien’s training through to the end. Once they were fighting fit again, Tien would begin increasing the rocks’ sizes until finally, they reached a size where neither girl could reliably move the rock at all, let alone down the hill. After encountering this roadblock, Tien decided to switch things up a bit.“Okay you two, I think it’s time we switch things up a bit,” he declared.“How so?”Tien positioned himself besides the boulder and explained. “This time, I’ll be the one rolling this thing down and you two will have to work together to stop it.”The looks on both girls faces said it all. They both wore looks of uncertainty.“Is something wrong?” asked Tien.“No but….”“You two are having doubts?” Tien guessed.“After that whole montage of us getting shaken and rolled, can you really blame us for being a bit cautious?” said Videl.“Being cautious is a good thing, but another key to martial arts is confidence. You two have shown a bevy of confidence thus far, so don’t let it waver when we’re in the home stretch.”“Home stretch?”Tien nodded. “We’ll keep at this exercise for today and after taking tomorrow off to rest up, I think we’ll be able to start with the basics on the Mafuba.”That caught the girls’ attention. They were both still sore and a little uncertain after having to deal with all the boulders, but after hearing they were this close to the next step, they both silently agreed they couldn’t stop now. Moments later, they both took their positions at the base of the hill.“You two ready!”Sharing a look, both girls made their final preparations before taking their stances. Videl stretched herself out while Akane patted her face. Determined looks on both their faces they simultaneously called out, “Yeah!”A grinning Tien nodded before nudging the giant rock over the hill. Sure enough, the huge stone rolled to the two girls at a brisk pace. Easily avoidable if intentioned, but instead the duo braced themselves for what they expected to be a severe impact. Sure enough, the rock slammed into them with intense force instantly pushing them back, but neither of them fell. It took a great deal of effort on both girls parts, but with time and a lot of energy, they were able to keep the boulder at bay, even if just barely.Winded from their strenuous success, the girls fell to the ground, though their break was short lived as Tien floated over to them and said, “Don’t fall apart on me just yet. You two still have to roll it back up the hill.”The girls could only groan in response.[]A whitish blur zoomed across the ocean, revealing a young man in a dark blue gi. With a stern look on his face, Gohan upped his speed. ‘I probably shouldn’t be worrying, but I don’t think dropping in to see how everything’s going should be a problem.’ Moments later, the lone island finally appeared to the young Saiyan’s sight. To his confusion though, it wasn’t Videl and Akane he saw on the beach with Master Roshi, it was a face he hadn’t seen for a short while. “Ranma?”On the beach proper, Roshi stood besides Ranma as the latter was poised with his hands by his sides. Before him lay Turtle and a jar with its cap on the sand. “Okay my boy, now just as I showed you earlier.”Ranma nodded and prepared to attempt the technique. As a fearful Turtle retreated in his shell, anticipating what was coming, a voice called out to them from the sky.“Hey!”All eyes turned up just in time to see Gohan land on the beach. “Well, if it isn’t Gohan,” Roshi greeted.“Hi Master Roshi.”“Not that I ain’t happy to see you or anythin’ but, what are you doin’ here?” asked Ranma.“I think that’s my line Ranma, but since you asked first, I’ll answer. I wanted to check and see how Videl’s training with the Mafuba was coming along.”“Videl? She ain’t here,” said Ranma.“Excuse me?”Roshi nodded in confirmation. “Yeah. The girls weren’t too keen on me being their teacher, but they still insisted on learning the Mafuba so I directed them to Tien.”“Tien? I didn’t know he knew the technique too.”“Then you can join Krillin in that club,” Roshi joked. “Ayways, if you’re looking for the girls, they should be with him back towards the Eastern Mountains.”“Okay, thanks. Tell Krillin and 18 I said ‘Hi!’” Gohan leapt off the beach prepared to take off when he was swiftly halted by Roshi.“Gohan wait!”“What!? What’s wrong?”“If you don’t mind, why don’t you hang around for a while,” Roshi suggested.“I…don’t mind staying since I’m not really in a rush, but can I ask why?”“Same,” Ranma added.“Gohan, I want you to be Ranma’s target,” Roshi stated.“What!?”“Huh?”“Like I said before, the Mafuba can cause great strain if your target is more powerful than you. This will be the first and last test for you Ranma. If you can seal Gohan in that jar, then you’ll be more than capable of handling happy.” Roshi explained.Ranma incredulously crossed his arms. “Hold on a sec Gramps,” why does it sound like you’re implying Gohan’s stronger than the Old Freak?”“Because he is,” Roshi simply replied. “Gohan isn’t the type to brag about his power, but I feel little shame in saying that that boy there is leagues beyond even me.”“Master Roshi…”Gohan wore a worried expression as Ranma shot a contemplative glance at his hybrid friend. Ranma did notice that Gohan seemed to be better than most other guys at his age and level, but he couldn’t really be stronger than both the old guys, right? Then again, there was still the issue of his brother. Ranma had unintentionally stored that memory away, but whenever he remembered it, he couldn’t help but ponder, if the kid was that strong, how strong was Gohan really?Dismissing the thought for the moment, Ranma shrugged. “If you say so Gramps. The less times I gotta do this means the quicker the Old Freak gets put away!”Roshi nodded then turned to Gohan. The pair shared a look of understanding and Gohan nodded back. Even being as casual as possible, Gohan’s energy would probably still be too high to not drain Ranma, so he’d have to consciously lower his power further, but not too much.Once he was mentally prepared, Gohan stepped in place of a relieved Turtle who sat besides Roshi while Ranma took the appropriate stance, and raised his energy.In that instant, Ranma could already feel a strain on his body as he stared down a stern looking Gohan. ‘The old man wasn’t kidding when he said this took a lot of energy. I already feel winded and I ain’t even done nothin’ yet.’Gohan also took note of Ranma’s condition. From what he could sense, Ranma’s power had increased these past days. Not by a wide margin, but enough to be noticed.Ranma narrowed his eyes as Gohan returned a look. The pair nodded and Ranma thought, ‘Here goes nothin!’ Thrusting his arms forward, Ranma called out, “Mafuba!” and the sky seemed to be bathed in a green glow. A neon green cyclone shot straight for Gohan who instinctively crossed his arms in front of him before it hit. In seconds, Gohan was swept up by the vortex and even despite his own incredible durability, he couldn’t help but let out an anguished yell.Once the beam had hit Gohan, the strain Ranma felt intensified ten-fold. Every muscle burned as Ranma struggled to keep the stream under control. Summoning all his willpower, using what he learned from Krillin, Ranma rocked the vortex to and fro until finally raising his hands up in the air, willing it to do the same. With a fierce, guttural yell, Ranma slammed both arms down bringing Gohan and the twister down with it, right above the open jar.Gohan screamed as he felt himself get pulled towards the container. Though he couldn’t move himself, he braced himself for the inevitable crash but instead of landing inside a dark container, he landed face first into the sandy beach.“Gack-pwa…!” Spitting out the mouthful of sand he received, Gohan turned to see Ranma frozen in the Containment Wave’s dropping pose. “Hey, what happened Ranma?” asked Gohan.He received no response as Ranma’s body subsequently collapsed.“Ranma? Ranma!? Ranmaaaa!”[]“Okay girls, its time for your final task,” said Tien.Akane and Videl were once again at the base of the hill with Tien at the top with the boulder. After repeating the exercise for a while and taking a decent amount of time to recover, Tien reassembled them for one more run-through.“You’ll only have to do this once. If you can succeed, then I can feel confident that at least one of you could be able to handle the Mafuba.”“And what are we doing this time? The same boulder rolling again?” snarked a sarcastic Akane.“Yes, but this time I’m not just going to casually roll it. I’m putting my real strength behind it,” Tien clarified.Though Akane had a dismissively smug look, Videl was visually more concerned. She knew Tien wouldn’t intentionally try to hurt them, but knowing that he was someone who could fight on Gohan’s level (comparatively speaking) so hearing that he was going to get serious was alarming to say the least. Turning back to Akane, the Tendo heir looked as confident as ever.Despite taking her own lumps, but she didn’t seem ready to give up yet, and Videl wasn’t ready to fall behind. Summoning a newfound confidence, Videl stood besides her partner and held up her fist. Taking the cue, Akane bumped her fist with Videl’s and the pair stood prepared.“We’re ready!” the said in unison.“Alright then…here goes!” Summoning his inner and outer strength, Tien shoved the boulder with a ki-infused arm thrust, and the difference compared to the previous sessions were made instantly apparent. The girls barely had half a minute to brace themselves before the rock slammed into both of them. Like before, they were both forced back, but not knocked over. This time however, they were being pushed way back.Videl’s hold appeared to be slipping as she was slowly but surely shoved back from the intense weight of the boulder. Akane’s superior strength helped lighten the proverbial load, though she too seemed to be struggling to keep the rolling rock at bay.Videl struggled, desperate to at least attempt to match Akane’s strength. When she did however, she kept reminding herself of her previous failures that wound up destroying the rocks, and she was determined to not repeat the same mistakes. Summoning her energy, instead of focusing it in her fist like usual, she let it all burst outward, her body bathed in a familiar clear aura as she pushed back against the rock. With that extra boost, they finally seemed to be making some leeway as they and the rock appeared to decelerate.“A-kan-e!”“Just…a bit…more…!”With a newly amped Videl and an always hardened Akane, they shifted their stances so that they were now leaning forward whilst pressing both their palms forward in unison. The decelerating boulder slowed even further as did their sliding. Sliding their closest hands together and with an intensified yell, the two girls thrust their palms forward and halted the giant rock in its tracks.Both their strength finally fading, Akane and Videl both collapsed clutching their arms. As soon as they let it go however, the boulder began rolling again. Before they even had a chance to be scared, Tien warped in and held it at bay.“It was pretty touch and go there for a moment girls, but you pulled it off.”“Yay…” Akane raised her opposite hand before falling back on the ground, panting.“I…don’t think…I can….”Tien raised a hand for quiet. “Don’t worry. After a performance like that, you girls can take all the rest you need. We can start the actual technique training once you’re both back to full.“Thank goodness,” groaned Videl. “I don’t think I can even fly back to the village like this.”“Guess I’ll be your ride back,” Tien chuckled. Crouching down, he hoisted each girl up on his shoulders before taking off. “Once we return, I’ll have Launch and Rouge watch over you girls for the night, because you both look like you could use a bit of freshening up.”The reply he got was soft breathing entering both ears. “Can’t say I blame them.”[Meanwhile]In the fields of the famous Mt. Paozu home, Goku was hacking away at the dirt of the crops when a sudden loud crash filled the air.“What was that?”The crash then repeated itself, only this time, a more alert Goku could feel a certain energy not too far away. The energy wasn’t big, but it was certainly much larger than the standard power level one would expect. Placing two fingers to his forehead, Goku honed in on the energy and warped to it.Arriving on the scene, Goku was met with the surprising sight of a large, square shaped crater plastered onto the ground. “Whoa! Where’d that come from?” ‘If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that looks just like….’“Who’s there!?”Goku glanced up to see a young man floating in the air, probably similar to Gohan’s age with long dark hair and a sharp gaze. Goku hid his surprise as beyond the kid being able to fly, he recognized his energy as the one he was sensing before. Keeping his composure, Goku gave a simple wave and greeted, “Yo.”“You there!” he called as he descended. He took a quick but solid glance at Goku and replied, “A farmer? What are you doing in these woods?”“I was working on my crops when I heard that large explosion,” Goku replied. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?” he asked in a knowing manner.“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t,” Taro dismissed. “Either way, it’s none of your concern. If you know what’s best for you mister, you’d best do well to stay out of my way. I won’t be held responsible for what happens if you get in the way of my training.”Goku’s eye sparked with intrigue. “What kinda training are you doing out here?”“I said, it’s none of your business,” the young man snapped.“If you say so,” Goku replied with a shrug. As he began to walk off, Goku quickly added, “But just let me tell ya, if that was the Kikoho you were doin’ back there, you may want to do it in a place where there are less people and animals.”The young man quickly turned towards the retreating Saiyan with surprise plastered all over his face. ‘Wait…how does he…!?’ “You there hold on!”Complying, a smug Goku turned back to the boy. “Who are you, and how do you know of the Kikoho?”“It’s one of my friend’s signature techniques, and as for me, I’m Goku.”
(A/N: I meant to get this done last month, but I got caught up with some other things including a small private project, and a playthrough of Persona 5 Royal. Regardless, I managed to update
right before the month ends so I guess that counts for something. Anyways, before we talk about the girls, lets talk about how the Saiyan prince finally manages to make a small appearance here and doing what everyone wishes they could do and punting the FUCK out of Happosai and making it hurt…like REALLY hurt. Fun Fact, initially, Vegeta wasn’t in this Chapter’s original draft, until I decided to give Bulma a small role in this performance, even if she herself doesn’t know it yet. For anyone wanting to see more of Vegeta, let me quell your expectations now, I don’t know when he’ll appear again, or if he’ll play a bigger role in this story beyond small cameos. Why? Putting my own personal distaste for Vegeta aside, Videl has next to no connection with Vegeta. I know the same can be said for Tien as well, but hear me out. The main reason I excluded Vegeta is because he’s too out of this world for this more down to Earth story. What I mean is Vegeta always fights his hardest as opposed to the halflings and the Earthlings who’d hold their strength back in the right situation, and the fact that again, unlike the Earthlings, he wouldn’t waste his time screwing around with two teenage girls. Tien being human made him more eligible to get a more significant role. Also, there’s the fact that Tien is a former World Tournament champion. A little forced, but there is a connection on that front.
Speaking of Tien and the girls, he really put them through the ringer or should I say, really ‘rocked’ their socks off? [Guns cocking] Tough crowd. Anyways, yeah. The girls went through their own trials, Ranma got off comparatively easy by comparison but still gets rocked in the end (no pun intended that time), and Gohan’s rejoined the fray. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Pantyhose Taro is trying to master the Tri-Beam, and in doing so has come face to face with the man his master’s brother has come to fear so deeply. What will come of Goku and PHT’s meeting? Will the girls be fighting fit when they wake up? Is Ranma still alive!? The answers to all these questions and more (probably) next time.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
An Unlikely Alliance; The Plan to End Happosai
Pantyhose Taro stared dumbfounded at the man who just introduced himself as Goku. "Goku? You mean 'Son’ Goku?”“Yeah,” Goku nodded. “But…how’d you know that?”The reply Goku received was unorthodox to say the least. Instead of a sensible answer, Goku was met with low laughter that steadily intensified into a maniacal cackle. “Well, this is unprecedented, but not unwelcome.”“Hey, are you planning something?” Goku asked accusingly.“Oh, I’m planning alright. Planning to take you down!” Taro immediately went on the offense, throwing a sucker punch which Goku easily caught. “Good, so you can defend. It’d be rather anticlimactic if the pupil of Master’s Archrival couldn’t take a punch.”“Your Master’s Archrival?” Goku took a moment to consider everything. Between this kid practicing the ‘Tri-Beam’, and talks of Goku being the pupil of his master’s rival, Goku quickly realized who Taro was referring to. “Oh I get it now.” Releasing his grip on Taro, he followed up. “You’re training with the Crane School, aren’t you?”Clutching his wrist, Taro nodded his confirmation. “Yes I am, and while you weren’t part of the plan, I’m sure Master will appreciate me taking you down all the same!” With an hearty yell, Taro resumed his attack on Goku showering him with a barrage of punches. The former Turtle student merely avoided all the young fighters attacks with seemingly minimal effort. Any attack that managed to break past Goku’s evasion was subsequently blocked by the experienced fighter.Taro began to visibly get more and more frustrated with each failed attack. He was able to remain calm however as he reminded himself who he was dealing with. It made sense that this man wouldn’t be an easy opponent to take down, given his history as a fighter…at least…not while he remains as is. Ceasing his assault, Taro launched himself backwards, much to a smug Goku’s confusion.“What’s wrong? Weren’t you gonna take me down?” Goku taunted.“Make no mistake, I will defeat you. This will just require a change in tactics,” Taro declared. Reaching into his shirt he pulled out a capsule an popped it revealing a bottle of water. Dumping its contents onto his head, Taro laughed as his body transformed, unveiling his chimeric form to a genuinely surprised Goku."Whoa! What the heck are you!?"Taro let out a bellowing “Moooo!” before throwing his giant fist at Goku. Despite his initial shock however, Goku still easily held his fist back.“I see, so this is what you do when you wanna fight serious, huh?” asked a nonchalant Goku. “Guess I’d better fight for real a bit too.” Grabbing Taro’s giant wrist, Goku flipped the giant chimera over his shoulder before tossing him into the ground.Ignoring the pain that now stung alongside his back, Taro’s frustration was much more apparent now. There’s no way he was letting his curse form get overpowered again. Pulling himself out of his aptly sized crater, he once again stood defiantly before Goku.Goku, with a signature confident smile, took a defensive stance, which Taro reciprocated, his tentacles wriggling menacingly. Goku took notice of his opponent’s extra appendages, and something suddenly flashed in his mind. Didn’t Gohan say something about fighting a monster with tentacles? Before he could dwell on it for too long however, the giant chimera lashed his extra limbs out at Goku, who quickly jumped to avoid it. Though Goku dodged the tentacles, he didn’t dodge the black sludge that splashed him right in the face.“Gah…ewwww, what is that stuff!?” he groaned.While Goku wiped his face, Taro took the moment to completely wrap Goku up in his tentacles. With a triumphant snicker, Taro raised his tentacles upwards with intent to slam the captured Goku into the ground. Before he could even attempt it however, he could feel a force trying to force his extra limbs away.Taro desperately tried to keep his hold on his prey, even clutching his hands around the wrapped bundle, but it was all for naught as a smoky white blur burst out from Taro’s tentacles, revealing a hovering Goku, his body bathed in the white, misty, aura. A surprised Taro could barely react as Goku vanished from sight. The next thing he knew, his tentacles were being grabbed. Glancing backwards, he found Goku with all 8 of his tentacles in his arms. Before he could try anything, Taro was unceremoniously tugged back by his tentacles and roughly spun around. As the seconds passed, Goku would spin faster and faster until he let out a yell of effort.“Hyyyyyyyyyyagh!”Finally releasing the giant chimera, Taro was hurled deep into the forest knocking into countless trees before slamming headfirst into a giant rock. Unlike most of his other collisons with stone, this one shattered on impact and split apart right down the middle. Normally, such a blow from an opponent of that caliber would be enough to render the bovine fighter unconscious, but his resilience was notably greater thanks to his intense training from the Crane Master. Still, he wasn’t recovering from that last attack unscathed.As Taro lay a dazed mess on the ground, Goku flew over to examine the bovine fighter. “Hey buddy, you alright down there?” he asked with genuine concern. Hovering over Taro’s seemingly defeated form, Goku quickly determined he was still alive, which was good, but now he was at a loss on what he should do next. Unbeknownst to the calm Saiyan, one of Taro’s tentacles began to slink up behind him.As Goku pondered his next move, the tip of Taro’s limb began to glow yellow. In an instant, a matching beam fired from the tip which Goku quickly swayed away from. “Was that the Dodon Ray? Wow, I didn’t know you could fire it from your tentacles!”A fully awakened Taro snorted before raising another tentacle and firing again, receiving the same result of Goku dodging. “Sorry, but you’re going to have to do better than that if you want to…WHOA!”At Goku’s provocation, Taro lifted all his tentacles simultaneously and fired at Goku who dodged by bending himself backwards. At Goku’s successful dodge, Taro attempted to grab him again, but Goku dodged by back-flipping away.Taro quickly got back to his feet and took to the skies.“Huh? Is he running away?” Goku asked aloud. Shielding his face from the sun, Goku scanned the skies to find that Taro hadn’t in fact flown away, but was instead hovering. Curiosity taking hold, Goku flew up after Taro, but was quickly put on edge when he felt a familiar spike in in energy.“Wait, is he going to…?”As Goku got closer, he took notice of Taro’s pose. Sure enough, Goku recognized the sign his hands were positioned is. “He is! That’s the Tri-Beam!”Taro let out a loud echoing ‘Moo!’ before his hands began glowing and a wide burst of energy fired from his hands. Goku quickly crossed his arms in front of himself to defend the attack, but even he couldn’t help but get forced back. Quickly shaking off the recoil, Goku continued his flight to the chimera. A determined Taro quickly prepared to fire again. When he did however, Goku vanished from his sight. A now confused Taro tried to find his target before getting intensely struck in the center of his gut.Glancing down, Taro doubled over as he caught a glimpse of Goku with his fist in his stomach. The pain from the attack coupled with the strain from performing the Tri-Beam twice in a row ultimately overtook Taro, leading his consciousness to finally fade. As he fell, Goku warped up and grabbed him by the tentacles once more.“Phew…that could’ve gotten pretty messy, but I still had fun,” he beamed. “Still, that does beg the question, what should I do with you? I can’t just leave you here, and I don’t think Chi-Chi would like it if I brought you home like this…is there any way for me to change you back?”Goku thought back to his first encounter with Taro and he recalled that he poured water on himself before he transformed. Suddenly realization struck. “Now I remember! Gohan said that the monster he fought had the same kind of curse as his friend who became a girl…I guess that’d be you.”The unconscious Taro failed to reply as Goku took off out of the forest, with Taro in hand.Moments later, Goku returned to his home and dropped the unconscious chimera on the front lawn. Quickly darting indoors, Goku called out, “Hey Chi-Chi, do we have any hot water ready?” Before his startled wife could answer, Goku found her at the stove and sure enough, there sat a steaming kettle. “Ah, perfect!”“Goku, what are you-?”Chi-Chi was ignored as Goku grabbed the kettle and went back outside, quickly followed by Chi-Chi.“Goku, answer me! What are you doing with that hot-!? AHHHHCK!” Chi-Chi held her tongue as she was met with the unconscious form of a large bovine monster. “Goku, what is that thing!? And why did you bring it here!?”“Remember Gohan’s friend who can turn into a girl?”“What about…? Oh!” she quickly realized. “So this thing is actually a person?”With a mischievous grin, Goku replied, “Yup. Watch this.”Pouring the kettle’s contents over the unconscious chimera, it began to shrink down amidst a cloud of steam. As the steam cleared, a young man lay where the monster once did.“Oh my…I know Ranma said it could turn people into animals, but I never thought I’d see something like…this,” Chi-Chi stepped back.The sound of coughing then filled the air as the unconscious Taro slowly woke back up. Likely helped by the warm splash. “Gack! Where am I!?” he demanded.“Oh, you’re awake already? You must be tougher than I thought,” said Goku.“You!” Taro immediately darted towards Goku but was surprisingly knocked down by a flustered Chi-Chi.“I don’t know what your problem is, but don’t go around picking fights until after you’ve put some pants on!” she exclaimed.Taro looked down and upon realizing his state of undress, and in front of a woman, immediately covered himself with his hands. “Dammit! I forgot my clothes got destroyed when I transformed!”Goku chuckled with a hand behind his head. ‘I guess the same thing happened to me and Gohan when we turned into Great Apes.’Chi-Chi sighed. “Goku, keep an eye on him while I find him a set of replacement clothes.”“Sure thing.” Once Chi-Chi was out of earshot, Goku’s expression turned noticeably more serious. “In the meantime though, I think you and I should have a little chat.”“About what?”“What’s the Crane Master planning to do to Gohan and his friends?”Much later, Goku and Taro, the latter clothed in a white and blue tracksuit were together at Goku’s crops. With their son being involved, the former didn’t want Chi-Chi to overhear their conversation…not that Taro was being too cooperative. He finally decided to comply however when Goku offered him a place at their dinner table (without Chi-Chi’s approval, but he knew she’d come around).Once the two were alone, Taro laid out his whole spiel with Happosai. Gohan had mentioned the name when he told them the story, but he didn’t give any details beyond the fact that he was the master of Ranma and Akane’s fathers. Now Goku had a clearer picture of the situation; Happosai’s grudge against Gohan, Taro’s reasoning for following him, as well as the Crane School’s place in this.“I see. So if you beat Gohan, he’ll allow you to change your name, right?”“In a nutshell, yes,” Taro concurred.“You know, speaking of, I don’t think I ever actually got your name, did I?”“That’s because you haven’t asked for it, and even had you, I would’ve refused to tell you.”“I guess that’s true,” Goku chuckled. “Still, don’t you think this is a little extreme just to get your name changed?”“It’s the law of my homeland!” Taro snapped. “If I could just change my name myself, I wouldn’t have resigned myself to being that filthy old raisin’s puppet!”“But if you hate him so much, why are you following his orders?”Taro clenched his fist. “It’s undoubtedly an insult to my pride, but if it gets me the one thing I want more than anything else in this world, it’s a pill I’m willing to swallow.”“But what if he still doesn’t let you change your name even if you beat Gohan?”Taro let out a chuckle. “Funny, I had this conversation with Master Chen just a few nights ago. Anyways, to answer your question, I’m more than expecting that lying bastard to welch on our agreement, and I do have a plan to give him incentive to keep it. The problem is, getting that incentive.“What incentive?” Goku paused and considered what Taro told him about Happosai. From what he gathered, he seemed just like a more mischievous, if not malicious, version of Master Roshi which meant, he could probably be swayed just like Roshi too. “Wait, don’t tell me, it’s pictures of a pretty lady, right!?”Taro nodded. “Yes, but not just any lady will do…at least in this case. There’s a certain lady whom he tried to steal lingerie from and failed due to…presumably her husband. If I can get pictures of that woman, or her clothes, and use them as a bargaining chip, I’m positive even he would keep his word if meant getting his hands on either of those.”“What lady?” Goku nigh instinctively asked.When Taro began relaying the story Shen told him, he remembered something he said. The woman in question was ‘A Turtle School Supporter who was at both of their Tournament appearances.’ Coupled with the description Taro gave, it didn’t take long for Goku to realize who Happosai’s failed target was.“So this Happy-side guy was targeting Bulma huh?”“So you do know her!” Taro exclaimed. With a hopeful glimmer in his eye, Taro zipped up to Goku and took him by the hand. “Please! If you can, assist me and help me get something from that lady!”“Whoa, whoa, whoa, take it easy!” Goku said retreating from the now hysteric Taro. “I guess I could go talk to Bulma, but I don’t think she’ll be too willing to help…especially after the last time I asked her to do something like this….” Goku chuckled as he recalled an irate Vegeta yelling at him on the Supreme Kai’s planet, as well as an equally, if not even more so furious Bulma yelling at him not long after that day.Goku put a hand to his chin in thought before a grin shone on his face. “Then again, I think I might know someone who can help!”Placing two fingers on his forehead, Goku extended a hand to Taro, who reluctantly, yet curiously took it. In a flash, the two vanished.[]‘Where am I…and why does everything hurt…?’ came the innermost thoughts of an unconscious Ranma Saotome. ‘Did I say something to piss off Akane again? Or did Ryoga get in a lucky shot…? No…that’s not it. My body feels all…tingly…. Wait, did Kodachi drug me again!?’The young fighter continued to rattle his brain for potential reasons for his current situation, all the while trying to move his body. As he did, familiar voices filled his ear.
“Hey Gramps, he’s moving!” said what sounded like a little girl.
“Wait, really!?” added the aforementioned ‘Gramps’
“Is he waking up?” added another man’s voice. This one sounding much younger, but still adult.
‘Wait, I know those voices,’ Ranma realized. Almost sporadically, he tried to sit himself up, to no avail. Summoning all the strength he could, Ranma jerked himself up and forward, gasping and panting profusely.“What just…?” Quickly taking In his surroundings, Ranma came face to face with the Turtle Hermit just as Marron was taking her leave.“Glad to see you’re still with us sleeping beauty,” joked a guffawing Roshi.“You had us worried there pal. You were out for nearly the whole day,” added an entering Krillin.“Out for…what happened?”“You mean you don’t remember?”Ranma began rattling his brain recalling what happened before she passed out. She remembered she was on the beach trying out Roshi’s Containment technique…on Gohan! Ranma hastily attempted to get off of the sofa, but quickly stumbled over his feet before being caught by Krillin.“Whoa, take it easy. You’re still low on energy, so try not to strain yourself.”“Low on energy?” asked Ranma.“Yeah,” Roshi spoke up. “You know, it sounded good on paper at the time, but in retrospect, maybe having Gohan be your first Mafuba practice target wasn’t the best idea,” Roshi rubbed his head with his staff.”“Why? I get Gohan is stronger than a Turtle but why would he not be good practice?” asked Ranma. “Actually, where is Gohan anyway?”“He’s already gone,” answered Krillin. “For what it’s worth, he was worried about you and did intend to stay until you woke up, but we assured him we’d keep an eye on you and keep him updated. After we assured him you were fine, we sent him on his way because he still wanted to go see the girls.”“Right, I remember now. He only came here cause he didn’t know they were training someplace else.”Interjecting his vocal thoughts, Roshi said, “To answer your other question, Gohan is someone who’d require a lot of energy to seal away. Even moreso than Happosai.”“What are you talking about Gramps?” Ranma demanded.Krillin and Roshi’s expressions both turned solemn. Glancing to each other they shared a look before Roshi continued. “It’s not exactly my place to say, but for now just accept that Gohan is a special kind of fighter.”Ranma raised an eyebrow in confusion before realization struck his face. “Wait, does this have something to do with him being a superhero?”The Turtle Fighters both toppled over, briefly thankful for Ranma’s moments of denseness. Quickly recovering, Krillin said, “Sure, let’s go with that.”“Okay, I think I get it now,” Ranma began. “Whatever power Gohan uses to be the Green Sailorman probably makes him stronger than most average people. You figured if I could handle Gohan, then the old freak would be small potatoes in comparison, is that right?”“I’m pretty sure you got his name wrong,” said Krillin.Roshi rubbed his head. “Barring that however, you’re more or less right,” he confirmed.Ranma then grit her teeth, his fist clenched. “So I guess that means I need to practice some more before we fight the old freak, huh?”“You always need to practice more before a fated encounter,” Roshi affirmed. “Although for what it’s worth, for your first time performing the Mafuba, you did surprisingly well,” he subsequently praised. ‘Especially considering you’re still alive after all that mess.’“Don’t try and make me feel better Gramps,” Ranma dismissed with a sigh.“I’m not, that is my genuine assessment,” Roshi replied. “Barring you passing out, the only real issue was your aim. Just work on that and you can keep ol’ Happy under wraps.”“But…?”“……But…”“There it is,” said a sarcastic Ranma.“Given your response to using it on Gohan, the way I see it, you’ll only have one chance to trap him before you’d be most fully devoid of energy.”Ranma’s snark soon turned to confidence. “Heh, if that’s the only other downside, then no problem. One chance is all I need!”“That’s the spirit kid. And besides, even if you screw it up, at least you’ll have a backup plan with the girls learning it too, right?” Krillin added.“Oh yeah, I almost forgot about them.”Laying back against the sofa, Ranma considered that he hadn’t gone to see Akane and Videl since he started training. Now that he thought about it, he couldn’t help but wonder what they were going through right now. He didn’t know what this Tien person was like, but whatever he was doing to them can’t be any worse than what he was going through with Roshi, right. Then again, there’s also the Mafuba itself. Maybe it was just because he performed it on a powerful target, but the fact that it took him out for nearly the whole day started to worry him. If one of the girls happened to try the attack on someone that much stronger than them, would they be fine in just a few hours, or would they suffer a much worse fate? Roshi did say at the beginning if you weren’t careful you could actually end yourself.‘You better not die on me Akan-!’“Yaaggh…! Hey!”A now female Ranma was subsequently jarred from her thoughts by a snickering Roshi with a bottle in his hand.“What was that all about?”“Well you looked a little distracted so I thought I’d get your attention,” Roshi giggled. “Also, we’re not training to day, and need I remind you of…?”“Fine, okay, I get it!” Ranma rolled off the sofa and again staggered to her knees. “Actually, if you wouldn’t mind, I think I’d like to take a hot shower first.”Roshi crossed his arms, but showed an understanding look. “Well, that’s all fine considering what’s happened to you today, but you better change back once you’re all done in there.”“Yes Master,” Ranma rolled her eyes.As Ranma retreated up the stairs, a glare flashed in Roshi’s shades. Taking a seat on the couch, Roshi remained still. Meanwhile in the kitchen, Krillin and 18 peered at their landlord.“Huh, you think he’d have tried one more thing before letting Ranma off for the night,” said Krillin.“He already did, but little does he know, he already failed,” 18 smiled at him.“You want to explain how?”Without turning back, 18 merely tossed something to Krillin, soon revealing itself to be a camera. “You’ll never guess where I found that camera.”Rolling his eyes, Krillin replied. “I dunno, I’ve got quite a few ideas.”“Ideas about what?”Krillin and 18 both yelped before coming face to face with Goku from out of nowhere and a boy around Gohan or Ranma’s age.“Goku!?”“Yo!” the Saiyan greeted.“Goku, what the heck are you doing here? And who’s this guy?” asked Krillin.Krilln’s question fell on deaf ears as Goku was preoccupied greeting Marron who’d strolled in from the other room.“Uncle Goku’s here!”“How’s it been Shorty?”“Goku!” Krillin called again.He was again ignored as a frantic, towel clad, female Ranma rushed down the stairs. “What’s going on here, I thought I heard scream-!? Hey, it’s Gohan’s old man…! And…PANTYHOSE TARO!?”“The Crossdresser!?”
“Don’t call me that!”
Before Roshi could make an attempt at Ranma, she and Taro instantly zipped to each other, their fists reared back. As their punches were unleashed, they were both caught by an intervening 18 who, judging by the visible vein on her forehead was not amused.“Everybody QUIET!”With that intense exclamation and the colliding of the cursed teens’ heads, everybody froze. Following a pregnant pause, Goku broke the silence, asking, “Actually is this a bad time?”Moments later, everything finally calmed down allowing explanations to be made…after Goku stopped laughing following the revelation of Taro’s whole name.Goku revealed to Taro that Ranma, Gohan and the girls had a plan to seal Happosai away, but he quickly objected.“NO! I can’t let you do that!”“Until after he changes your name, you mean?” snarked Ranma.Before Taro could retaliate, Goku spoke up. “That’s actually why we’re hear. We may have a way to make sure this Happening guy actually lets Pantyhose change his name.”The immature snicker from Krillin didn’t go unnoticed by Taro himself or 18 who both shot him a scornful look.“And what way is that?” asked a curious Ranma.“We figured we may get him to comply if we have a bargaining chip,” Taro replied.“And that’s where you come in Master Roshi.”“Who me?”“You wouldn’t happen to have any pictures of Bulma we could borrow, would you?” asked Goku.“Okay, we’re done here. Come on.” Sensing where this conversation was going, 18 excused herself outside the house, taking Marron with her.Krillin glanced back to his family and the table, unsure of whether he should follow them lead or stay seated. Ultimately he chose the safe option and zipped after her.“Eighteen wait up!”“Krillin, where are you going?” asked Goku.“Sorry guys, but something tells me I don’t want to know the details of this plan of yours cause if Bulma finds out, I will not be held responsible for the ass kicking she’ll give you guys!” ‘Not to mention the one 18 would give me if I stayed.’ Darting out the door, Krillin took off after his family."You know, he’s not exactly wrong,” Roshi concurred. “Jokes on him though cause, contrary to what you might think I actually don’t have any hot pictures of Bulma.”“I dunno who this Bloomers lady is Gramps, but you better not be holdin’ out on us cause you don’t wanna share with the freak,” Ranma deadpanned. ‘Although, that name does sound familiar for some reason…’ he pondered.Roshi coyly rubbed his head. “I’ll admit, you got me there boy. I’d definitely need a hard sell myself in a case like this, but even setting that aside, I really don’t have any. All the pictures I have of Bulma are pictures of all of us together. I’ll admit I had some but….”“I’m guessing that blonde woman trashed them all?” said Taro.A remorseful Roshi nodded in regret. “It was a grand collection too, dating back all the way from the days of the 22nd Tournament in fact! Over two decades worth of gold, gone in a flash!”A dejected Goku crossed his arms. “Well…so much for that. Guess I do have to ask Bulma directly after all, and I don’t think she’s gonna be in too good a mood about this.”“I implore you to at least try. I may be conniving, but even I have standards,” said Taro. There was a brief pause and Taro turned to Ranma. “What, no snarky remark this time crossdresser?”During the chat, Ranma was deep in thought. Something about Bulma’s name stirred something within her. She could swear she heard the name before. After a moment of pondering, it suddenly hit.“Yo!” Ranma interjected. “I’ve never met her myself, but by any chance, does this Bulma lady have short blue hair?”Goku and Roshi shared a look before confirming. Ranma’s face illuminated as she finally recalled not only where she’d seen Bulma before, but also where they just MIGHT find a source for their leverage.“Guys, I think I may know someone who can help!”[]A frantic Gohan blasted across the horizon until he found himself near the Eastern Mountain region. ‘According to Master Roshi, Tien and Chiaoutzu are based somewhere around this area. I might be able to sense them once I get close enough.’Halting near the peak of the mountain, Gohan closed his eyes and focused. It wasn’t long before a trio of familiar energies revealed themselves to him. “So Tien and Chiaoutzu are here but…is that Yamcha too!? I guess it makes sense they’d stay connected after our last reunion.” Flaring his aura, Gohan dove downwards, making his way into a forest area. Unbeknownst to the zooming Saiyan, he’d fly right over a large, lake, unintentionally making waves for the trio of girls currently floating in it.Finally, Gohan arrived at his destination to find Yamcha and Tien amongst a gaggle of villagers that seemed to be doing some kind of construction.“Hey!”Glancing up, the older Z-Fighters smiled to greet their young friend. "Yo, it’s Gohan!”Tien snickered as the young Saiyan landed. “I guess it was only a matter of time before you showed up. “How’ve you been Gohan?”“I’m fine. Just….”“You’re wondering how Videl and Akane have been doing lately?”“Straight to the point huh,” Gohan shyly chuckled.“You have my word that they’re both doing fine, but if you’d rather hear it straight from the source, they and an…acquaintance of ours are over by the lake.”“Okay thanks!” Gohan quickly took to the sky and headed towards the lake, just barely missing out on Tien calling out his name.“Wait Gohan, don’t go…!” His warning came to late as Gohan shot off into the woods. Tien couldn’t help but send out a small prayer for his young friend as the results of Gohan’s hastiness would surely be messy to say the least. A mess that Tien didn’t want to get involved in.[]In the heated lake, Videl, Akane and Rouge were still collecting themselves after an intense burst of wind shot through the forest.“Whoa…where’d that big gust come from?” asked Videl“I don’t know, but I thought I saw something big fly by.” Akane replied. “You think that could’ve done it?”“Maybe. It was probably a dinosaur flapping its wings,” Videl dismissively shrugged.“I don’t know…whatever it was, didn’t look like a dinosaur. Heck it didn’t even look like an animal.”Rouge’s expression darkened as she covered her chest with her arms. “What if its someone trying to spy on us!?” she suggested.Videl chuckled as she leaned on the bank of the lake. “Rouge calm down. I can understand if you’re still a bit weary, but that whole thing with Yamcha was an accident, remember.”“True, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen,” Akane concurred.“I guess…but then again, that gag’s already been done in this arc. What are the odds the author’s going to do it again?”(A/N: To answer Videl’s question…) The moment the words left her mouth, leaves began to rustle, drawing the girls’ attention. Instinctively they all covered up until the rustling revealed itself to be a small flock of birds.“Huh…its usually monkeys that cause a stir in hot springs,” noted Akane.“Well this isn’t a natural spring, it’s a lake that Rouge heated up.” Swimming to the bank of the lake, Videl laid back to relax before her face lit up. “You know, now that I think about it, don’t you think the big change in temperature could have an effect on the animals that use or live in this lake?”Neither Akane nor Rouge answered as they both just stood frozen, their faces apple red. “Girls? What’s up?”They simply pointed behind her, prompting Videl to turn and come face to face with none other than an equally red-faced Gohan hovering, though unmoving. Following a single beat of silence, Gohan was the one to break it with a shy, fearful, “Ummmm…hi ladies.”“KYAAAAAAAAGH-!”Though Akane and Videl covered themselves and descended into the water, Rouge proceeded to completely freak out. Leaping out of the lake to a nearby bucket, dumping its contents over herself.Gohan was hastily blinded by a sudden flash of light, but the next thing he could recall seeing was a female silhouette bathed between the same gleam.
“Vanish you vile-!”
Rouge’s declaration of war was quickly quashed by a towel clad Videl who’d already grabbed a bucketful of still hot lake water and dumped it over Rouge’s cursed form.“No, no. I already told you, we’re NOT going through that again!”“Going through what again?” asked Gohan.Akane only sighed as the situation, while resolving itself, still drew irritation from her.The next few moments were full of explanations as each party got the other one up to speed. Gohan went first explaining how he wanted to check the girls’ progress with the Mafuba. He also apologized for his earlier intrusion, explaining that in his mind, the girls would only be swimming in the lake and would thusly be be appropriately covered. Due to the lack of any natural hot water around these parts, he wouldn’t have figured anyone would be bathing out here.Finally, it was the girls’ turn to explain and the two friends quickly introduced Gohan to Rouge, explaining her curse and how they used her literal firepower to heat the lake up.“Wait, wouldn’t changing the water’s temperature so drastically have some kind of effect on the ecosystem here?” Gohan asked.“I actually just wondered the same thing,” Videl added.“Focus you two!” Akane interjected.Handing the proverbial mic to Rouge, the pseudo-Ashura bowed her head apologetically. “I must apologize. I’m so used to hastily dispatching perverse men, I never dreamed that one day Ms. Videl’s lover would be one to gaze upon me.”“I…I…ummm….” Gohan stammered over his response. Despite the sincerity in her voice, nothing about her words sounded apologetic past the first line. Nevertheless, Gohan accepted it. “Thanks…I think….”“You should count yourself lucky we were all still under the water cause if we’d have been a few centimeters over…”“Then I’d be in trouble?” Gohan finished.“Yup.”“Big time.”“Glad to know I dodged a bullet there.”“Gohan, I’ve seen you catch bullets before. You dodged a Kamehameha,” Videl joked.“Speaking of special techniques, how have you two been progressing with the Mafuba?” Gohan asked.“Why don’t we finish this conversation back with Tien in the village after we put some clothes on?” suggested Akane.The whole time, the girls were wrapped in towels and though Gohan was too focused on their conversation to really pay it any mind, Akane bringing up their current state of dress couldn’t help but fluster the chivalrous saiyan.“R-right. I’ll leave you girls to it and catch you in a little while. Later!”As Gohan turned and dashed away, he’d barely gotten a yard before he ran smack dab into another person. A familiar man in farmers’ clothes with wild, black, spiky hair.“Dow…what was…? Wait, Dad?”“Gohan!”“Goku?”“Videl!”“Yo Gohan.”“Ranma?”“Ranma!?”“Akane!?”(A/N: TETSUO!)“KYAAAAAA-!”“WHAAAGH-!?”The long string of name calling was halted by the frightened hollers of the two guests. As all eyes turned to their respective newcomers, the girls shrieked at the appearance of their old adversary while Ranma gasped at the appearance of an old acquaintance.“Pantyhose Taro!?”“What’s he doing here!?”“Hey, is that the girl with the Ashura curse?”“You’re that demon woman!”“It’s the vile pervert!”Taro immediately reached into his pocket and pulled out a capsule and popped it to reveal a nearly depleted water bottle. Rouge immediately shrieked and threw herself at Taro.“No!”Taro held her back by the face as she desperately tried to advance. Taro smirked as he uncapped the lid, but grunted when his bottle was hastily knocked out of his hands by Ranma.“Look pal, I know you and her have beef, but we need to focus on why we’re here!”“Yeah. Actually, why are you guys here?” asked Gohan.“Can we save the questions for after we get dressed, please!?” Akane snapped.[]Leaving the girls to their own, the guys returned to the village where they were promptly greeted by Tien.“Gohan, you’re back and…Goku? When did you get here?”“Hey Tien, how’s it been?”“It’s certainly been interesting lately to say the least.”“You mean with Videl and her friend?”“Partially, but that’s a story for a bit later. Right now I’m more interested in these two,” he turned to Ranma and Taro who were glaring at each other.”“I’m sure the girls have explained already but the one in the red shirt is Akane’s fiancée Ranma and the taller one is Master Shen’s new pupil Pant-!”“DON’T SAY IT!” Taro hastily planted his foot in the back of Gohan’s head.Tien let out a sheepish chuckle before replying. “The girls already told me your name and situation Taro, but I will respect your wish and not use your…full name.”“Huh, guess you lucked out eh Pantyho-?”“Don’t call me that!” Taro’s next attack was aimed at Ranma who quickly blocked his punch.As the two continued trading and blocking blows, Tien watched the pair with intrigue. Judging from what he could sense, their power was certainly higher than your standard athlete. He could see why Roshi and Shen would have in interest in training them.As Gohan broke the two up, Taro turned his attention to Tien.the group was then joined by Yamcha, Chiaoutzu, and Launch, the two fighters having sensed the group’s arrival.“H-hey, it’s Goku and…two other kids?”“Yamcha!”“It has been a while, hasn’t it,” greeted Launch.“I’ll say. I haven’t seen you since Mr. Satan’s party!” Goku replied.The greetings and introductions continued until they were finally quashed by an inquisitive Tien. “Not that we aren’t glad to see you Goku, but why exactly are you here?”“We’re waiting for the girls to get back,” Gohan interjected.“Here we are!”As if on cue, Videl, Akane, and Rouge returned from the lake, the latter keeping her distance from Taro.With everyone reunited, all the relevant parties assembled into a nearby hut while the rest returned to monitor the village restoration. With everyone all set, Ranma took initiative.“Okay people, as we all know, we’re here because we’re trying to put the old freak away for good. However, Pantyose Taro here-.”Taro cut Ranma off, by jamming his elbow into his head and continuing where he left off. “I can’t let you get rid of him until after he changes my name, but the only way he’ll do that is if I defeat you,” Taro pointed to Gohan.“I can’t just turn myself in to him, but I’d be more than willing to take a dive if it’d help,” said Gohan.“I’d much rather just take you down the old-fashioned way, but given what’s at stake here, I’ll accept it. Although your cooperation is appreciated, it isn’t the main point of contention. Its making sure the old man keeps his word.”Ranma threw Taro off of him, reasserting the proverbial mic. “Which is where I came up with the bright idea to bargain with him.”“Bargain what?” asked Akane.“With pictures of Bulma!” Goku exclaimed.“Wait, WHAT!?” came a unified response.“Who is ‘Bulma’?” asked Rouge.Her question was ignored as Tien spoke up. “Uh Goku, are you sure that’s a good idea?”“What? It’s not like this is the first time she’s done something like this before.”“Maybe, but she also wasn’t married before. Don’t you think Vegeta will object to this too?”Ranma shot Gohan a look, and the latter simply mouthed, “Her husband.”“Yeah, but what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him, right?”“Goku, ignoring how just…wrong this plan of yours is, what I want to know is why are you telling us about this!?” snapped Videl.“You’ll have to ask Ranma about that. He said he knew someone who could probably help, but needed to talk to Gohan first.”“Me?”“Yeah. Well, you, Videl, even Akane. I just needed one of you to confirm something.”“Confirm what?”“Akane, remember the hot-spring trip you took with my mom and your sisters? You told me Videl, Gohan’s mom, and her two friends were there too. Did one of them happen to be Bulma?”“I can confirm that,” Gohan interjected. “I heard all about it from Mom.”“That’s weird…how come I don’t remember your Mom mentioning anything like that?” asked Goku.“I think you were with King Kai on the day she came back,” Gohan chuckled.“Hehe, oh yeah.”A mischievous grin grew on Ranma’s face. “Perfect! Next step, I need someone to take me home!”Everyone again let out a simultaneous, “Huh?”“Wait, aren’t you going back to Master Roshi’s place?” asked Goku.“A bit later, but the person who can help us get Taro’s bargaining chip is back home.”Everything was silent until realization flashed across Akane’s face. “Wait a minute, you’re not thinking of-!?”“Yes I am!”“Get real Ranma, there’s no shot she’ll help you out in this!” Akane argued.“Still gotta try. Besides, once she hears what its for, I’m sure she’ll at least be open to discussion.”While Ranma and Akane argued, Videl pulled Goku and Gohan aside. “I don’t know who Ranma’s talking about, but you guys do know that Bulma’s not going to like this, right?”“That’s an understatement…I’m still shaken from the whole Elder Kai situation.”“Elder Kai?”“Yeah. You see, in order for him to power Gohan up, we agreed to…”“We agreed not to talk about this!” Gohan interjected clamping a hand over Goku’s mouth.While everyone seemed to be lost within their own private conversations, an irate Taro finally stepped in. “Enough with the secrets!!” he demanded.“You there, crossdresser! Tell me now who we’re visiting!”“Just for calling me that, I ain’t tellin’ ya! Still, you’ll find out soon enough once someone gives me a lift back home.”Taro grunted before taking a breath to calm himself. “If you’re speaking the truth, I’ll fly you back to Nerima myself!”“In that case-!” Ranma grabbed Taro by the arm and dashed out of the hut, pulling him along.“Where’s he taking him?” asked Goku.“Probably the lake.”Sure enough, mere moments later, a large winged behemoth appeared above the recovering villages, sending many an onlooker into a frenzy. The panic was quickly quashed as the bovine chimera flew off peacefully, mostly ignoring the villagers.As the group watched Ranma and Taro fly off, all eyes turned to Akane, being the only one who understood Ranma’s plan.“Don’t leave us in suspense Akane, what’s Ranma’s planning?” asked Videl.Akane remained silent, her eyes narrowing. ‘The only person who’d be able to get perverse snapshots of Ms. Bulma.’ “I’ll…let you all know later. For now let’s just…get back to work.“Oh yeah. You girls were training to use the Evil Containment Wave,” Goku noted. “Gohan came over here to check on you two, but I’m curious to see your progress too.”“Then you’re in luck, because today’s the day the girls are going to make their first proper attempt at using the technique,” said Tien.While the girls shared a high-five, Gohan flinched. He still remembered Ranma’s attempt at the Mafuba that was used on him and the worrying result of it. Still, he held his tongue, desperate to uphold his promise that he’d let Videl have more independence when not training with him. Still, the moment anything went wrong, he would make sure to make the appropriate move.[]Moments later, Ranma and Pantyhose Taro returned to Nerima. After taking a quick trip to the bathhouse to turn Taro back to normal, the pair rushed to the Tendo Dojo.“Yooo, I’m back!” Ranma announced.“Hello Ranma,” greeted Nodoka.As Ranma whizzed past her and Kasumi, the eldest sister said, “You and Akane have been gone for quite a while. Is everything alr-?” Kasumi paused as she laid eyes on Ranma’s companion.“Pantyhose Taro!?” read Panda Genma’s sign.“What’s he doing here!?” exclaimed Soun.“Pops, Mr. Tendo, calm down. Pantyhose Taro’s here for a reason. We’re gonna get rid of the old freak for good!”“What!?”
“You have a plan?”
“I’ll tell ya later, but right now, where’s Nabiki?”A few seconds later, Ranma burst through Nabiki’s door to find the middle sister doing her usual stretches.“Ranma. So what do I owe this visit?”“Nabiki, I’ve come to bargain!”
(A/N: And we’re back and finally coming to the end of the preamble. I think I still have at least ONE more chapter of buildup before the gang faces Happosai directly, but that’s just an estimate. We’re nearing the final battle with the most hate-able anime pervert, a character so detested in his series that even our antagonist is joining the heroes in taking him down. Speaking of the alliance, I’ll apologize in advance for the lack of interaction between Taro and Tien [and subsequently Taro and Rouge], but we needed everyone to get up to speed. Besides, this may have been the first time Tien and Taro meet, but it certainly won’t be the last. In IRL events, I’ve scored myself a new job…at the place I quit late last year. Same store, different location. That said, my schedule isn’t too taxing for the moment so I may be able to keep updates to a regular…though we’ll see if that still holds true when November rolls around [which now that I think about it will be this story’s 5th anniversary. FIVE YEARS OF THIS NONSENSE!]. Also, to anyone who may have complaints about my usage of a ‘bargaining chip’ for Happosai, I’m just going to say, this is a Ranma ½ story, that kind of thing comes with the territory. Until next time, enjoy!)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
The Deals Are Done; The Final Stretch
An incredulous Nabiki wore a contemplative look as Ranma finished explaining the situation to her.“And that’s basically it,” he concluded.“Hmmm….” Nabiki leaned back, her legs and arms crossed. “I’ll say this much Ranma, you’re plan isn’t terrible, but it has one major flaw. You’re very bold to assume I even have any pictures of Bulma, let alone any sexy ones.”“Maybe so, but I still remember a certain someone boasting about how they met Bulma after they came home from a trip,” Ranma countered.“I won’t deny that,” Nabiki chuckled. “But what about that makes you think I have any pictures of her?”Ranma narrowed his eyes. “Call it a hunch, but if you want a more specific answer, how about this? I know for a fact you had a camera with you. After all, how else would Akane have gotten that picture of you three with Videl?”“Fair enough, but one commemorative photo doesn’t mean I took any pictures of her…besides the one group photo with all 8 of us girls.”“Get real Nabiki. I only learned about this lady a moment ago, but from what everyone’s sayin’ she sounds like she’s a pretty big deal. There’s no way you’d pass up an opportunity to snag at least a few pics and charge an arm and a leg for em’. Especially to the guys from our school.”Nabiki wore a blank expression before shooting Ranma a teasing smile. “I’m almost impressed that you came to such an obvious conclusion,” she said sarcastically. “Still, since it’s for a good cause I’ll cut this “Conan” case short and admit it. I do have a handful of pictures floating around, but they’re not for sale.”Ranma’s expression turned from hopeful to shocked at Nabiki’s proclamation. Given her penchant for selling out both him and Akane, the fact that she wasn’t willing to part with what surely would’ve been a major score for her was downright baffling.“What do you mean they’re not for sale!?”“Exactly that. Those pictures are for my eyes only,” she doubled-down.Ranma’s stupefied expression remained before Ranma suspiciously narrowed his eyes. “Hey Nabiki…is there something you’re not telling everyone.”Nabiki replied with a silencing glare before adding, “Shut up, it’s not like that…though I won’t deny she’s absolutely gorgeous.”Ranma rolled his eyes, but let Nabiki speak. “Question: Did Akane ever tell you that Videl was an inspirational figure for her as a martial artist?”“I think she may have mentioned somethin’ like that…” Ranma pondered.“Well, in a nutshell, Bulma’s kind of the same thing for me. At the very least, she’s everything I aspire to be: A rich, brilliant gorgeous woman who knows how to get what she wants so having some up-close and personal memorabilia of her is kind of a big deal for me. Believe me, I’d actually be willing to bargain since it involves getting rid of Happosai for good, but I don’t want to part with-.”“Cut the drama and just name your price already,” Ranma deadpanned, cutting her off.“I get to choose the picture, and the price is for a rental cause I was dead serious about how much these mean to me. When this is all over, I want my photo back so you’d better make sure nothing happens to it. Capice?”“Alright fine, just gimme a price already!”Nabiki beckoned him over to her before whispering into his ears. Instantly, Ranma’s eyes expanded.“You gotta be kiddin’ me! No high school kid has that kinda money!”“I told you Ranma, they mean a lot to me personally and since I’m putting one on the line, you better believe I’m going to need it to be worth my while. Don’t worry though, I’m more than willing to accept a long-term payment plan if you’re willing to negotiate. Didn’t you say you were here to bargain?” Nabiki smirked.Ranma seethed before quickly calming himself. She was right, he did come to bargain, and now it was time to lay his chip down. “You know what, you’re right and I’ve got a proposition for you!”“No Ranma, I’m not giving it to you for free no matter how many pictures of yourself in girl form you’re willing to shell out.”Ranma’s expression stiffened. “Good to know, but I was actually hoping you’d at least hear me out and consider a discount?”“…I’m listening.”Ranma took a breath before replying. “What if I told you that there was a certain outfit I promised to where that I’m positive would be a massive hit with your…regular ‘customers’?”“I’d need to see the outfit first, but if you’re willingly opting to pose in it for me, it has to be worth something.”Ranma nodded with a sigh. “Wait here, I gotta make a phone call.”As Ranma left the room, Nabiki laid back against the wall with a mischievous grin. “This is going to be interesting.”Seconds later, Ranma slid back down the stairs, rushing to the foyer, stopping only when he passed the living room to find Pantyhose Taro conversing with his mother.“I still can’t believe a woman as friendly and distinguished as you is mother to that cross dressing….”“I’M NOT A CROSSDRESSER!” Ranma exclaimed, kicking Taro in the head.[Meanwhile]Back at the mountain village, all eyes were on Videl as she stood sternly, her energy steadily rising. Before her laid a couple of simple components: a rock and a pot with the top uncapped. It was decided that since she had more experience in training with ki than Akane that she should be the first between them to attempt the Mafuba.As everyone watched with baited breath, Tien gave a last minute instruction.“Since you’re dealing with an inanimate object you won’t have to use much energy to perform the technique. For now just focus on getting the wave out.”Videl nodded as she brought her hands to her sides just as her energy reached its apex. Steadily, the area around them started to glow the familiar, citrus green tint catching everyone’s intrigue.‘Videl’s power feels even higher than her rematch with Spopovitch,’ Gohan noted. ‘I knew she had a talent for this, but who’d have thought she could improve this much so quickly?’Goku shot his son a prideful look as he recalled his own instance of surprise and accomplishment in his ‘student’.Akane however was fully focused on Videl. Whatever Videl did now, she herself would have to match or exceed so she needed to be as mentally prepared as possible, especially since this would be her first foray into ki control.With her body steeled, Videl threw her arms forward aiming at the rock and blowing t into the air in a green gust which swirled into a vortex. Unlike with a sentient opponent, she didn’t encounter any attempted resistance, but she could certainly feel some strain on the front that maintaining the wave took more energy than she had anticipated. Still, she kept her wits about and with effort, raised her arms up manipulating the vortex in that direction.“Okay, now aim carefully and finish it up!” ordered Tien.With a yell, Videl hastily brought her arms down, making the wave descend right for the open pot. Just as the rock made contact with t however, it barely flicked the rim of the pot knocking it over while the rock itself slammed into the ground.Finally, the green vortex dissipated and a winded Videl fell on her back, panting as she took a moment to recover. Gohan, followed by Akane, quickly rushed to her aid as Goku and Tien both analyzed her performance. The fact that she was able to fire the technique at all was certainly impressive, but the aftereffects were about what they expected. Her energy had decreased a notable amount, but not enough to leave her winded. Still…would that be the case when used against an actual opponent?“Are you alright?” Gohan asked as he helped Videl to her feet.“Yeah but…I feel all tingly.”“You should count yourself lucky that’s all you’re feeling,” said an approaching Tien. “For a first attempt that wasn’t half bad, but you will need to work on your aim.”“Noted…” A shaken Videl tried to step away on shaky legs. With support from Gohan, she finally left the area to let Akane take her turn.Videl and Gohan sat down at a nearby tree while Akane prepared herself.“How are you holding up?” asked Gohan.“Still a bit shaky, but fine.”Gohan let out a relieved breath before turning his eyes back to Akane. “Do you think she’ll fare any better?”“Tough to say. She’ll probably handle the backlash better than me if nothing else.”Akane took her place and closely mimicked Videl’s poses. Stood firm, hands at the side, and her energy gradually increasing. Silently, Gohan made a mental note that Akane’s energy felt similar in range to Videl’s but still noticeably higher. If anything their energy compared to each other’s was on the same sort of tier as Goten and Trunks; always on par with each other while gradually increasing their power individually.“Whenever you’re ready, just let it rip!” said Tien.Akane nodded in understanding and continued raising her energy, the green glow returning. Thrusting her hands forth, Akane shot out not a vortex, but a small, green mist. There was an awkward pause as everyone took in Akane’s failure, most of all Akane herself.“What…what did I do wrong!?” Akane exclaimed.“I didn’t see anything blatantly incorrect,” Tien replied. “At your level, even if the wave wasn’t complete, there should’ve been more to it than that.”“Ummmm…” Videl raised a hand to speak up. “If I may, I think it may be because Akane never actually learned to manipulate her energy.”Tien shot Videl a surprised look before turning to a now bashful Akane. “Is this true?”“Maybe…” she hesitantly replied.“Whoa for real? Akane’s power is much higher than most normal people so I thought she’d be able to at least form a basic ki blast by now.”Akane twitched as Goku’s words jabbed straight at her ego.“Okay, okay. I’ll admit this would’ve been useful to know beforehand, but it shouldn’t be too much of a problem,” Tien reassured. “We’ll work on the finer details later. For now, let’s just try the Mafuba once more. This time however, I want you to put everything you’ve got into it. You may not be adept at using your inner chi, but you can still raise it, right?”Akane gave a determined nod before taking the stance once more. This time, she focused her energy to it’s maximum, the depths of her inner power catching everyone’s attention. Her energy was much higher than before, quickly outpacing what they all sensed from Videl, though granted, Videl hadn’t put her all into the technique. Once Akane’s energy reached its apex, she thrust her hands forth once more and a vortex significantly bigger than Videl’s shot forward. The problem was, Akane completely missed the target rock and the wave shot straight at Goku.“Whoa!”Goku quickly warped away from the wave, reappearing besides Gohan but the blast continued on until it hit a random tree fully uprooting it, sucking it into the viridian spiral. Though not the intended target, Akane nonetheless put her all into completing the technique. With extreme effort, she raised her arms, throwing the tree upwards.“I’m not gonna screw this up!”With a fierce grunt, Akane threw her hands down bringing the tree with it. Unfortunately, her aim turned out to be worse than Videl’s as the wave was a good few feet away from the pot. With the wave having missed its target, the energy dispersed before unleashing the tree in it’s normal size, causing it to slam loudly into the ground.“God…dammit…!” Akane mumbled as she too stumbled over. Though she initially caught herself, she was brought to her knees by massive strain and exhaustion. She was helped to her feet by Tien and Chiaoutzu, but seemed to be even more shaken than Videl.“How…was that…?” asked Akane.“Impressive in some ways, sloppy in others,” he bluntly replied.Akane let out a dissatisfied grumble, but sighed with acceptance. She didn’t like it but that assessment sounded about right.Akane was quickly set beside Videl, Gohan giving her his seat on the ground. Once the two had recovered enough, Tien gave his analysis.“Okay…we knew there’d be complications, but so far, things aren’t looking bad. Videl only needs to work on aiming the wave into the target. Akane on the other hand….”“You can spare me the criticism, I know. I blew it,” she huffed.“Maybe so, but it was still impressive you were able to perform the technique at all given your lack of experience,” Tien praised.Akane seemed to take the compliment in stride, but disappointment still wore evident on her face. It was then Gohan chimed in with a couple of notes of his own.“I’m glad they were able to fire off the wave but…are you sure they’ll be able to use it to put Happosai away?”“Love your enthusiasm Gohan,” Videl sarcastically jabbed.“Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that…I just meant in the sense that his energy is still higher than you girls so wouldn’t the backlash be…greater than this?”“Yeah, we know but the backlash won’t be fatal against Happosai, right?” asked Akane.“I’d have to observe Happosai’s energy myself to say for certain, but surely you’ve felt his energy before. Compare what you can recall from him to your own energy and ask yourself that question.”Akane pondered back to the many encounters she and the others have had with Happosai, but the one that stuck out was the weakness moxibustion incident where, after doing his best to suppress his battle aura, it all culminated in a massive burst once Ranma tempted him with pictures. The mental image of trying to shove that into a small jar, while comical for a moment seemed more daunting than it had been previously.“That look on your face doesn’t inspire much confidence,” said Tien.“Akane….”Though she tried her best to hide her own worries, the beads of sweat forming on Videl’s forehead told that she was just as weary as Akane.The moment was subsequently interrupted by a familiar chiptune jingle. A tune that sounded like the theme of a fiery, headstrong sorceress.All eyes turned to Videl who was hastily pulling her phone out.“One sec guys…hello?”There was silence as Videl listened to the one on the other end on the phone. The one who broke the silence was Gohan who asked, “Who is it?”“It’s Ranma. He’s asking if Goku’s still here.”“…Yeah I am, but what’s he need from me?”“He says they need a quick lift to Kame House because they need to see Master Roshi about something.”“Oh is that all? No problem. Ranma’s energy is higher than most other people so finding him shouldn’t be too hard.”Placing two fingers on his forehead, Goku turned opposite the group until finally… “Ah, there he is!”In that instant, he vanished. On the other end of the phone, they all made out the sound of a female shriek before the call disconnected.“Should we be worried about that?” asked Gohan.“You tell us, he’s your father.”“Back on topic, while Goku does his part, I think we should focus on you Akane,” said Tien.“Me?”He nodded. “Its impressive you were able to fire the wave, but since your overall ki control is lackluster, I think its only fair we show you the ropes. Right Gohan?”“Gohan?”“Me?”“Yes you. You are the one who taught Videl how to fly, right?”“Yeah but….”“Then why not lend Akane that same support? Of course, Videl will be joining us as well unless she decides not to.”“Not a chance!” she refuted.Gohan paused to consider Tien’s…rather forced proposal but ultimately saw no reason not to help, especially now that he’d gotten past his own personal hurdle.“Okay, count me in too.”“Well then, what’s say we take a quick break before getting back to work?”“We don’t have to take a break, I’m still ready for a little more!” said Videl.“You may be, but I think Akane needs it,” said Tien.“What are you talking about? I’m fine!” she refuted.Tien slowly walked up to the young fighter and merely poked her in the shoulder. Immediately her body shuddered before she stumbled out of her seat.“That doesn’t look fine to me,” said Tien.“Okay…maybe a little break won’t hurt after all.”“Good, and I think you’ll need it since Gohan won’t be your only teacher going forward,” Tien revealed.“Huh?”Tien said nothing and simply grinned.[]Back at the Tendo Dojo, Kasumi had been sent to fetch Ranma from the kitchen. As she was entering, she was immediately met with Ranma accompanied by a wild-haired man in farmer’s garb suddenly darting into the living room.“Yo, Pantyhose Tar-!”“Don’t call me that!”Ranma blocked the imminent strike before pointing a finger back towards Goku. “Our ride’s here.” With Goku’s presence, Taro’s ire lessened as Ranma continued.“Go get Nabiki, I still got a couple of things to do down here.”“Very well.”Taro retreated up the stairs as Ranma rejoined Goku who’d been largely silent the whole time. The other patrons of the dojo could only stare at Goku with befuddlement.“Okay, I know a lot’s happening right now and you all must be confused, but long story short, meet Gohan’s old man,” Ranma introduced.All eyes instantly alit at Ranma’s proclamation.“Wait, you mean this is…!?”“Hey, I’m Goku,” he introduced, cutting Soun off.“Goku, those two are my old man and Akane’s, that nice lady’s my mom, and the girl we just ran past is Akane’s oldest sister Kasumi.”“Hi,” Goku waved.“Hello.”While the ladies politely introduced themselves, Soun and Genma on the other hand eyed each other before sharply turning to Ranma.“Boy, I think you owe us an explanation!”Genma demanded.“About what?”Before the conversation could continue, Nabiki and Pantyhose Taro made their way downstairs. “We are ready!” The latter announced.“Sweet!”Nabiki paused as her eyes fell to Goku. “Ranma, who’s…?”“Oh this is Gohan’s dad and he’ll be our ride back to the Kame House.”Soun and Genma grew even more frantic at Ranma’s words, the former demanding an explanation.“Son/Boy, tell us what’s going on right now!!”Before Ranma grabbed onto Goku as Taro and Nabiki were doing, Ranma flashed the two a cocky grin before replying, “We’re puttin’ the old freak away!”In a flash, the group disappeared leaving the already bewildered onlookers even more confused.“Well…I certainly wasn’t expecting to meet Chi-Chi’s husband like this, but it sure was a welcome surprise.”“Maybe next time they can stay longer. I do wonder where they were going in such a hurry,” Kasumi added.“Shouldn’t we be more concerned about how they all just vanished!?” snapped Genma.“Does it matter Saotome?” Soun eased. “I don’t know what Ranma’s gotten himself into this time, but considering he’s fully gotten the support of the Turtle School to get rid of the evil master, I don’t think we should complain.”Genma pondered for a moment before calming himself. “I suppose that’s true, but I’m making him spill his guts the moment they get back home.”[]The quartet reappeared right outside Kame House where they found Krillin, Marron and Android 18 outdoors, the latter watching the other two playing in the sand.“Yo, Krillin!”“You guys are back already?” he greeted. “And…who’s the girl?”“Oh this is Akane’s sister,” said Goku.“I remember you.” Eighteen interjected. “From the trip to the resort.”“Oh yeah! From the souvenir shop!” Nabiki recognized.“Your name’s Nakiri, right?”“Nabiki,” she corrected. “Didn’t think I’d run into you again like this.”“Feeling’s mutual kid.”“Speaking of kids, who’s the little cutie in the sand?” Nabiki pointed to Marron.“Hi!” the small girl waved.“Ahem…!” Ranma harshly cleared his throat. “You two can play catch up and introductions later. Right now, Nabiki, you and me gotta see the old man!” Ranma exclaimed.“What old man?”“I’ll explain inside now come on!” Tugging her by the arm, Ranma burst through Kame House leaving the others outside.“So…what should we do while we wait for Ranma?” asked Goku“Actually, if you don’t mind, I’d like a match with you, little man,” Taro challenged Krillin.“Me!? Why me?”“You’re a student of Master Shen’s rival, are you not? He may have bested me, but I still intend to say I took down one of you at least!”Krillin glanced back to his family where 18 shrugged before giving a single approving nod.Krillin rolled his eyes with a grin. “Okay, if you insist.”Eighteen called Marron back to her side, followed by Goku to give the two some space. Though Taro took a hardened defensive stance, Krillin remained uncharacteristically chill.The one to make the first move was Taro who lunged at Krillin with on overhead punch. The miniscule Z-Fighter merely braced himself before evading at the last moment.Before Taro could retreat however, he felt an intense discomfort in his torso. Glancing down, his eyes widened to the site of Krillin’s fist buried in his gut. Stumbling backwards, Taro clutched his stomach as Krillin taunted him.“I dunno what you expected, but I hope you weren’t thinking this was gonna be easy,” he said finally taking a defensive stance.“Go Daddy!” Cheered Marron.“What a showoff,” Eighteen grinned.Taro could only grit his teeth as he recovered. He figured fighting another Turtle Student wouldn’t be easy, but he was genuinely starting to feel that maybe he might be a bit outmatched.[]Inside the house, Ranma and Nabiki dashed in to find Roshi fawning over an aerobics video and the two instantly deadpanned.“Uhhh…is this a bad time gramps?”Roshi acknowledged Ranma’s presence, but didn’t turn to face them “Oh, you’re back eh? If you’re still rarin’ for a fight, go talk to Krillin. Right now I’m tryin’ to enjoy a little alone time.”Ranma smirked. “I got somethin’ you may enjoy even more. I’m cashin’ in our deal!”Roshi sprung straight up from his laid down position and immediately turned to face Ranma straight in the eye. “Well why didn’t you say so boy!? Let’s get…!”It was in that moment that Roshi finally noticed Nabiki. “Well now who’s this?” he asked adjusting his sunglasses.Nabiki Tendo,” she introduced herself.“Tendo? Oh, you’re related to Akane I take it?”“Her big sister.”“Well, I have to say as cute as she was, you definitely-!”Roshi was immediately dissuaded from continuing by Ranma hastily kicking him backwards.“Don’t even think about it old man.” Quickly pulling him aside, Ranma firmly said to Roshi. “Look Gramps, I’m gonna need you to show the tiniest bit of self-control here. Its’ thanks to her that I’m cashing in earlier than we agreed on, and the last thing I need is for you to screw this up for both of us!”Roshi sighed but nodded in understanding. “Regrettable, but fine. Still, I can’t be too upset since I’ll have plenty more to think about tonight!”Ranma gave a disgusted glance before hanging his head. ‘The things I have to put up with.’“Hey boys, not that this hasn’t been a fun trip so far, but you think we can get to hashing out some details?” Nabiki requested.“What kind of details?” asked Roshi.Ranma then went on to explain his deal with Nabiki and give Nabiki more details about his deal with Roshi. During the explanation however, it was revealed that Nabiki sold snapshots of female Ranma on the regular. Once that was revealed, Roshi asked for a sample and was quickly met with one of a semi-topless female Ranma waking up.Before Ranma could demand where she got it from, Roshi quickly offered a price for the snap which Nabiki gleefully accepted. After the first ‘transaction’, Nabiki assured him that she had plenty more and would be willing to share more for the right price.An ecstatic Roshi accepted her proposal and the two shook hands, signaling a wondrous new partnership.“Count your lucky stars Ranma,” Nabiki beamed. “As a thank you for the new place of business, I’ll accept your discount request, no questions asked.”“Really!?”“Yup, though I still get final say on what that discount is, which means I still need to see the outfit.”“Fine…” Ranma rolled his eyes.“Look, can we just get this over with already!?” Ranma exclaimed. “The sooner we get this done, the sooner we help out Pantyhose Taro and won’t have to deal with him or the old freak again!”“Okay, okay, but for that, we’re gonna need our favorite, little-red, starlet,” said Nabiki.“I’m on it!”Roshi quickly grabbed a random vase and dumped its contents, flowers and all over Ranma, leaving her in a wet mess of petals.“You know, you could’ve just given me a second to change right?”“Oh you’ll be changing alright!” said Roshi as he rummaged through the closet. “Changing…into this cute little number…HERE!”Turning back to the girls, Roshi brandished a set of black lingerie adorned with pink frills, complete with matching stockings.“Behold, the Turtle School’s training uniform!”Though Ranma wore a shameful, disbelieving look, Nabiki, after sharing the sentiment for a moment, examined the outfit with a contemplative hum before showing a small smile.“Not bad…not bad at all.”Ranma sighed as he recalled the deal he and Roshi made at the start of their training. Roshi had been adamant about Ranma training in female form and though Ranma usually didn’t mind what form he was in while training (though he always would prefer his normla male form), he wasn’t going to let Roshi use training as an excuse to ogle and potentially grope him.In addition to their compromise about training as a boy and lounging as a girl, Roshi also asked Ranma to pose for him in female form while wearing a specific outfit. Though he was hesitant since he hadn’t actually seen the outfit, he figured it wouldn’t be anything too out of the ordinary from what he may have done in the past so after setting a photograph limit, Ranma agreed. Having actually seen the outfit up-close, Ranma was feeling regrets. True the clothes themselves were about what he expected, something about them just seemed a bit over the line. Still, this wouldn’t be the first time he’d have to swallow his pride, and if it meant putting Happosai away for good, it would all be worth it in the end.“Ranma, this may be a winner for all of us!” beamed a jovial Nabiki.“Whatever, just gimme the damn outfit already and gimme some privacy PLEASE!”“You heard the girl old man, beat it,” Nabiki scolded.“I meant BOTH OF YOU!” Ranma clarified as she darted up the stairs.With Roshi and Nabiki suddenly alone, the former took the chance to get up to his usual antics. “So…!”Nabiki quickly shut him down. “Look old timer, I appreciate that you’ve got good taste, but let’s get one thing straight: no matter how many pics I may sell of Ranma or someone else, I’m not on the menu, capisce?” Nabiki emphasized. “I may not be a martial artist like my little sister, but I do still have a mean right leg.”“Oh I understand…” Roshi trailed off, his glance descending to Nabiki’s bare legs. “And I do see….”
THOK!
Roshi was hastily knocked in the head by another random vase.“What’d I just say!?”“Hey, you’re the one who brought em’ up!”Before Nabiki could retort, a loud boom shook the island.“What was that?”Roshi and Nabiki dashed outside, with Ranma viewing from the top floor and all eyes fell on Pantyhose Taro in his cursed form laid out against the sand. Just to the side stood Krillin wiping sweat off his head while Goku and 18 spectated with Marron hiding behind her mother’s leg.[]“What happened here?” asked Nabiki.“Looks like we missed quite the battle,” said Roshi.“Ehhhh…wasn’t that much of a battle,” Krillin dissuaded.
[]
After their initial clash, Pantyhose Taro decided to try fighting at a distance, firing off a Dodonpa. Krillin effortlessly dodged the initial blasts and the follow up attacks.
As Krillin launched his own ranged counterattack, Taro was forced on the defensive, taking to the sky to dodge. Krillin kept up the pressure by flying after him and unleashing a swift barrage of strikes.
Taro was able to block and parry most of Krillin’s attacks, but was quickly overwhelmed by the small man’s superior strength. It wouldn’t be long until Krillin broke through Taro’s guard and slammed him into the sand.
As Krillin descended, Taro looked up with disdain. He was determined not to lose to another Turtle student. Krillin prepared to give a taunt but Taro quickly hightailed it to the ocean. A young boy hopped into the water, but a winged, tentacled beast popped out, startling Krillin and outright scaring young Marron who hid behind 18.
Using his superior size, Taro tried slamming his fists down on Krillin, but his significantly smaller size made him even harder to hit than an average person. Taro continued to rampage across the beach, his tentacles sashing out trying to grab Krillin, but in an impressive display, Krillin grabbed two tentacles that Taro launched at him. As Taro launched more, Krillin flew into the air with Taro in his grip. With a grunt, Krillin flipped Taro over his shoulder and slammed him into the ground.
[]
“The kid was pretty good, but I think he might’ve done better if he didn’t make himself a huge target,” said Krillin.“I was thinking the same thing,” Goku chimed in. “Maybe he should stop relying on his transformation so much,” he suggested.Eighteen gave a small smile before signaling for Marron to stop hiding.The group outside were son joined by Ranma, kettle in hand. Pouring it onto Taro, she joked, “Don’t let the kid come out yet, she can’t see this.”Surprisingly though, it wasn’t Taro that 18 was shielding Marron’s eyes from as all eyes were on Ranma as she sported the outfit Roshi left for her. Nobody said anything, but the expressions ranged from confusion from the likes of Krillin and 18 to delight and intrigue from Roshi and Nabiki, the former with a huge grin.That silence was then broken by Goku who had a look of realization on his face. “Hey isn’t that that outfit we had to wear when Launch started living here?”“Wait…what?”All of a sudden, Krillin let out a smarmy chuckle, “Heheha, I told you we had to wear those too 18!”A red tint on her face, 18 shot back, “Idiot, not in front of Marron!”“Wait a second…if Goku and Krillin wore this too…this actually is some sort of training gear…!?” asked a flabbergasted Ranma.A newly conscience Taro took one look at Ranma and asked the simple question, “What the hell are you doing now cross-dresser?”“Don’t CALL ME THAT!”[]Back in the mountains, Akane and Gohan were seated cross-legged to the side while Tien watched a fierce match between Videl and their newest recruit Yamcha.Yup, while Gohan was busy explaining the basics of Ki control to Akane, Yamcha was summoned to serve as a sparring partner for Videl. Akane would get her moment to match up against him as well, but for now, the Earthling Z-Fighters clashed as Yamcha swiped his clenched fingers at an incredibly evasive Videl.“Whoa!”Videl launched herself aside as Yamcha swiped at her again.“Don’t get to comfortable kid, cause I’m comin’ at ya!”Yamcha dove after Videl before she could try and fly away, but instead, she counterattacked.“Hawk Arrow!” With ki flowing into her legs, she launched her knee at Yamcha who braced himself and caught her attack.“Now it’s my turn! Hurricane Claw! With Videl still in his grip, he swiped in an upward spinning motion with his free hand before Videl managed to launch herself back, narrowly avoiding his attack.“No you don’t! Wolf Fang Fist!” Dashing after Videl, Yamcha unleashed a barrage of swipes that Videl was forced to block before ultimately being blown back by the final, dual handed thrust.Despite Yamcha’s superior strength, she was able to take the attack relatively unscathed, though she could tell it was because he was holding back. Determination shone on her face as Yamcha merely gave her the ‘come at me’ hand motion, which she was more than happy to oblige.With Gohan and Akane on the other hand, their scene was currently mirroring a treasured moment from the former’s past, specifically when he was teaching Videl the art of flight. Like Videl in the past, Akane had her hands beside each other, trying to summon her inner strength.Contrary to her usual demeanor, Akane was breathing deeply as suggested by Gohan (before being instructed to by Tien), in order to ease herself. Being as headstrong as she was, tension was almost a default for her, but in order to gain full access to her ki, she’d need to calm herself first. The guidance seemed to be paying off as a small gust of wind began to blow around the two and a small spark began to glimmer between Akane’s palms. Gohan only watched the scene with hints of pride and nostalgia before giving an approving nod.Tien, sensing the small rise in Akane’s energy glanced back and shared Gohan’s sentiment. The girls themselves would continue on with their current partners, determined to make any improvements necessary to finally put Happosai away for good.Unbeknownst to most of the trainees, a familiar pair of sharp eyes lay on the group of fighters, a trusted comrade of theirs clad in a white cape. Despite the low stakes of their imminent goal, he couldn’t help but smile at the amount of effort they were all putting into it.Given the circumstances, maybe he’d make his own contribution to the effort. After all, it’s never a bad idea to rid the world of a nuisance.Leaping off his perch, Piccolo took to the sky and sent a long distance message to his Divine ‘Protégé’. ‘Dende, see if you can get me connected to King Kai. I have a favor or two I need to ask.’[]Later that evening, a lone male figure could be seen resting atop a cliffside. Judging by his relaxed posture, he seemed to be awaiting someone or something. Before long, a small, round figure appeared and approached the young man.“You wanted to see me?” said the small figure.“Old man, we need to talk.” A stern Pantyhose Taro glared daggers at an inquisitive Happosai.“What about?”“Something that’ll make us both happy.”
(A/N: Long time no see. I’ve been stuck on this chapter for quite a bit and wanted to try and get it out by the end of November, but no dice. Speaking of November, as of the 12th its OFFICIALLY this story’s 5th Anniversary. Can you believe it…FIVE FREAKING YEARS! I originally started fanfic writing in general in High School for me to just screw around with series I loved, and now here I am, SEVERAL years later writing a darn near Novel Length work just out of pure passion. Unlike with many other stories I’ve started in the past, I don’t intend to end this one until I reach the end. That’s how serious I’m taking this. Speaking of other stories, I’ve just started another one. Sorry to shill but all you need to know is that it’s a Sonic story. I haven’t gotten far in that one yet, but I do have plans for it. Speaking of plans, in honor of 5 years, I’ll share a plan or two I have for this story going forward, cause win or lose, Happosai won’t be the end.
[A powerful artifact from Ranma winds up in the possession of an unsuspecting DBZ character and winds up causing numerous benefits and complications]
I dare anyone to guess the artifact before I tease it ‘officially’, but you won’t get any points for guessing the character.
As a bonus ‘tease’ I’ll also explain this story’s conception. Most every fanfic starts with a simple question of “What-if…?”. For this story the ‘What-If’ was “What-If this Ranma character used the Dragon Balls for [redacted]?”. Filling in the blanks would be MAJOR spoilers to something I want to do in the future, but I will say, its not Ranma using them to cure his curse. Its still a long way off before I fill in the blanks and answer that question, but you’re free to try filling them in yourselves and if you guess it correctly, of course I won’t tell you but I hope it’ll be something to look forward to.
Onto this chapter proper, the preparations are winding down and the stage is being set. The girls have made progress but still have some work to do. Before anyone asks ‘How can Akane use the Mafuba if she can’t control her energy?’, I’m just going to point you to the times in OG Dragon Ball where the characters could use special techniques without being able to use basic ki blasts. To make another comparison, think Yusuke in Yu Yu Hakusho
FIRST using the Spirit Gun. He could fire it once a day, but couldn’t do anything else yet until he learned to wield his spirit energy properly (just like Goku’s first Kamehameha).
Also, about the Mafuba itself, Tien practiced the move multiple times off screen/page back in the King Piccolo saga so assuming the opponent is weak enough it can be fired multiple times as long as the user has energy just like any other energy blast in the series. I could be wrong, but that’s my interpretation of things here. Also, I’ll admit I’m not entirely sure it can be used on inanimate objects, but I don’t see why it couldn’t be (Then again, what object would one want to seal away? Questions for later.).
Also, to everyone who mentioned using Oolong to get pictures of Bulma, I’m going to admit, I did NOT even consider that. I planned on having Nabiki be the
supplier LOOOONG ago, but now that the idea’s been brought to my attention, even I have to agree having Oolong do it is a MUCH quicker and probably more sensible solution (Hell, I also could’ve had Puar do it instead since I brought in Yamcha). In universe, let’s just say it never came up cause Ranma was the one making the plan and he doesn’t know Oolong…yet. I don’t know how yet, but I will try my to give one of the shapeshifters a role in the climax, though it isn’t a guarantee considering I already have a general layout of how I want this final battle to play out (also, one reviewer brought up something that I undoubtedly WILL consider using cause conceptually, it’s too badass to ignore). Speaking of Nabiki, one reason I wanted to have her be in this is cause I wanted to write her SIMPING for Bulma a little more. Sorry to that one reviewer from the Onsen chapter who wanted more of Nabiki and 18 interacting, but despite their reunion here, not much will be going between them. Speaking of interactions, how about Nabiki and Roshi though? I hope I’ve got room for more deals between those two.
This long AN aside, this was a pretty lengthy chapter. Not one of my longest but I feel this one had quite a few moving parts. Thankfully, it’s all almost over. Until next time, stay tuned.)
PS: Happy Holidays
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
How To Catch a Pervert? Building the Ultimate Trap
Nighttime at Kame House, a jovial Nabiki appeared jaunting down the stairs, an equally as happy Roshi right behind her. Bringing up the rear was Ranma, back in her usual garb, a dejected look on her face.“Hey, look who’s finally back,” greeted Goku.“Please don’t…I’m not in the mood.”As he and Krillin chuckled, Ranma took note of their missing guest.“Hey, where’s Pantyhose Taro?”“DON’T CALL ME THAT!”Taro appeared from seemingly nowhere, kicking Ranma across the room.“Keep it down! Marron’s sleeping,”18 admonished them.Not wanting to invoke 18’s wrath, Ranma, Taro, Roshi and Goku all stepped outside where Ranma once again asked Taro where he’d been.“I’ve good news and bad news,” Taro explained.“What’s the bad news?” Ranma deadpanned.“We’re officially on a clock for catching the old man.”Ranma stiffened at Taro’s declaration, but quickly shook it off before asking, “So what’s the good news?”“I’ve ensured that he will change my name before this whole ordeal is done. However, I'll need the cooperation of your son," Taro turned to Goku as he finished.Goku nodded before placing two fingers to his forehead.[]Night fell on the mountain village and the girls were once again relaxing in the heated lake (courtesy of Rouge). All the while, Tien, Yamcha and Gohan were off on their own discussing their progress.Videl had, rather expectantly, handled her time with Yamcha well. Thanks to her previous training with Cologne, she was able to keep up with the ex-bandit in a casual match.Akane had similarly gotten more accustomed in bringing her energy forth and could even fire a weak blast, but it’d be a while before she could reliably fire off a blast as powerful as the Mafuba.Just as they were pondering what the next move was, the trio was subsequently joined by Ranma, Taro, and Goku who warped back.“Dad, Ranma, you guys are back.”Before Goku could greet his son, Taro stepped forth and pointed to Gohan. “You!”“Me?”“I realize I’m probably not in a position to ask, but I’ve a request to ask of you.”As Gohan was about to ask for details on Taro’s request, the group was quickly joined by Launch and Puar, the former announcing that dinner was fast approaching. Unfortunately, the moment Ranma set eyes on the floating shapeshifter, she let out a piercing scream that echoed across the mountain.[]Videl, Akane, and Rouge were for once, enjoying the quiet ambience of the forest as they reveled in the comforting warmth of their own personal, natural bath. Unfortunately, that serenity would be hastily quashed as the unmistakable sound of a girl screaming entered their ears.“You girls heard that too, right?” asked Akane.The others nodded before Videl asked, “Think we should check it out?”The decision would be made for them as the screaming seemed to be getting louder. Seconds later, its source would reveal itself to be a frantic female Ranma who, in her fearful stupor stumbled over a rock and dove headfirst into the heated water.“The hell…did this hot spring come from?” Ranma asked hacking and spitting up water.As he wrung out his pigtail, Ranma paused as he took in his surroundings and shrank as he realized his fatal blunder. He could only mutter a startled yelp before an angered call of his name echoed across the region.“RAAAAAANMAAAAAAA!”[]Moments later, the girls garbed in towels stood apologetically behind a thoroughly thrashed and burnt Ranma.“So he freaked out after seeing Puar, got it,” Videl noted.“Is Puar even a feline? I thought he was more like a little fox,” said Akane.“I thought she was a rabbit,” said Rouge.“Never mind that,” Ranma interjected. “Just get dressed and hurry back to the campsite. Pantyhose Taro’s got somethin’ to tell everybody.”Later, everyone reassembled at the campsite, Puar having been removed for Ranma’s sake (Though it didn’t stop Yamcha from taking a few jabs at Ranma’s phobia). With all eyes on Taro, he began recounting his recent meeting with Happosai.[Last Night]
“You say you have a proposition for me?” Happosai asked.
With a sharp gaze, Taro turned to face the old master. “First, let me ask you this; what guarantee do I have that you’ll allow me to change my name if I do defeat this Saiyaman character?”
Happosai pouted and flitted his eyebrows. “You honestly think a poor old man like me wouldn’t keep his word to his beloved godson?”
“Hmph, I honestly think that your promises aren’t worth a single damn…which is where my proposition comes in.” Reaching into his shirt, Taro pulled out a laminated scrap of paper and presented it to Happosai. As soon as he laid eyes on it, his expression alit.
“Is that…!?”
“A photograph of the Capsule Corp CEO taking a bath? Yes it is.”
“WHERE ON EARTH DID YOU GET THAT!? And why are all the good bits covered up!?”
Taro proceeded to capsulize the photo before replying. “My methods aren’t important, and the picture is in its full under the lamination, but what IS important is this: Keep your end of the bargain and let me change my name and the picture is yours.”
A nonchalant Happosai trotted away with a capsule in hand. “Hmmmm…let me think about this for a moment….”
“What the…when did you…!?”
“Happo Fire Burst!”
Lobbing a firecracker at the stunned Taro, a manically guffawing Happosai bounded away before popping the capsule open. “At long last I’ll finally be able to say I’ve-!”
Happosai froze when he laid eyes on the capsule’s contents and was met with a picture of Shen amidst a thick blanket of steam. As he came out of his disgusted stupor, the sound of a taunting laugh came up from behind.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t expect you to try and steal my leverage?” said Taro.
“Clever boy,” Happosai backhandedly praised.
“Now that you realize how serious I am, I ask you again. Swear on your honor that you’ll change my name should I defeat Saiyaman, and the photo is yours.”
[]As Taro wound down his tale, Ranma let out a disapproving huff. “If you think that old freak has any honor to swear by, you’re a fool.”“Ordinarily, you’d be correct cross-dresser, but who said he swore as a martial artist?” Taro replied with a smirk.“Don’t tell me: He swore on his honor as a lecher?” Akane guessed.“Bingo.”“If he went that far, it’s almost a miracle he and Master Roshi don’t get along,” Yamcha chuckled.“Please…don’t give us that visual…” said Videl.“Anyway, he ultimately agreed to my terms, but with a caveat. If I haven’t defeated him within a week, the deal’s off and he’ll go back to trying and steal the photo off of me,” Taro motioned to Gohan.“So we’ve got a week to master the Sealing Blast, huh? No problem,” said Ranma.“It’s not just that Ranma, what about Gohan?” said Akane.“I’m not opposed to taking a dive. We just have to make it look convincing, right?” said Gohan.Taro smirked. “Then it seems my time was well spent, though I’m not too keen on your implication that I can’t defeat you in a real fight.”“I think we can both agree that fooling Happosai is more important right now, but if you want to have a real rematch once this is all over, I’ll be more than happy to give it to you,” Gohan declared with a soft edge in his voice.“Then I shall take you up on that,” Taro smirked.“Gee Son, it’s not like you to go around accepting challenges like this,” Goku noted.Gohan coyly chuckled. “Just trying to do my part.”“So…how should we go about this?” asked Videl.Ranma spoke up with a mischievous grin. “Leave it to me!”“Ranma, the last time you thought up a performance to make Happosai change Taro’s name, everything that could’ve gone wrong, did go wrong,” said Akane.“Okay Ms. Critic, then if you’ve got an idea, let’s hear it!” Ranma challenged.“No, the girl’s right. Your plans never go right, which is why I’ve taken the liberty of coming up with a screenplay all on my own!”Taro pulled out a large scrap of paper with crudely drawn images of him in cursed form, Saiyaman, and Haapposai. The makeshift comic strip showed Chimera Taro presenting a battle worn Saiyaman to Happosai, the old master giving a happy nod, followed by an ecstatic Taro flying away.Everyone viewed the illustration with embarrassed disbelief.“What the hell kind of plan is this!?” Videl snapped.“Its simple. Gohan’s already agreed to take a dive so I just hand him over to the old man, our deal is done and you all capture him afterwards.”“So you’re saying you just want us to do all the work while you get what you want?” asked Akane.Taking Akane by the hand, Taro said, “Thank you for understanding.”Taro was hastily knocked to the ground by Ranma. “Sorry Nylon Boy, but if you think you’re gettin’ outta this without lifting a finger, you got another thing comin’!”While Ranma an the girls argued with Taro, Gohan took Taro’s plan and began examining it, quickly followed by the other Z-Warriors. After a moment of thought, Gohan proclaimed, “This could work.”The verbal fight stopped and everyone present let out a unified, “Huh?”“Taro’s plan. It could work, but it just needs a little bit of adjusting.”“What adjusting? My plan is flawless!” Taro snapped.“Not quite pal,” Ranma interjected. “Even if Gohan ‘plays dead’, what’s going to stop the old freak from just changing his mind the moment he gives you the permission? Or if he realizes that he wasn’t actually beaten? Remember last time?”Taro remained silent as he contemplated Ranma’s point. He was right. There were still many variables he hadn’t considered.“It’s been a long day for all of us,” Tien noted. “I think it’s best if we sleep on this plan of yours and hash out the details when we’re all of sounder mind.”“Yeah…that’s probably for the best,” Gohan concurred.The others all agreed and made their preparations to turn in for the night. Those rebuilding the village returned to it, Gohan and Ranma went with Goku while Taro stayed behind at Tien’s request.Once the two were alone, Taro inquired why Tien wanted to speak with him.“I want to talk to you about Master Shen.”[]
And so, many days have passed since the group meeting in the mountain village. While Akane, Ranma, and Videl all committed themselves to their own diligent training, Gohan assisted where he could while also making necessary preparations.
Before long, seven days had passed and for many citizens of Satan City, the day was as normal as could be.
[]
The last bell at Orange Star High finally rang, signaling the end of the school day. As they gathered their belongings, Gohan and Videl shared a stern nod with each other before heading to the door.“And where are you two going?” asked Sharpner.“Out,” they said in unison.“Oh, is it date night or something?” teased Erasa.“It’s something alright,” Videl replied. “Let’s go.”As the couple left the room, Sharpner and Erasa shared a look with each other.“Now what kind of ‘something’, do you think they’re up to?” he asked.“I don’t know, but I want to.”“So we’re following them?”“Oh yeah.”[]Moments later, Sharpner and Erasa found Videl and Gohan on the roof, as usual. As they peered through the door, they could hear the two discussing…something.“So, is it go time?” asked Videl.“Yeah. I can already sense him somewhere in the city,” Gohan replied.“Alright then. Get over there and do your part, and I’ll do mine.”“Right.”The two nodded then floated off before shooting in opposite directions, much to the two blondes’ confusion.“Hehe, what do you know, they really aren’t going on a date,” Erasa chuckled.“Great observation Erasa,” Sharpener said with an eye-roll. Jokes aside, where do you think they’re going?”“I don’t know, but do you think we should go find out?”“Should we? Probably not.”“But are we going to anyway?”“We will if you’re up for it.”Erasa paused before giving a cheeky smile and nodding her affirmation. “So who are we going after, Gohan or Videl?”Normally I’d say Videl, but I want to know who Gohan’s meeting with, so we’re following him.”With a nod, Erasa zipped back into the building, Sharpner slamming the door behind her. They’d find out what Gohan and Videl were up to one way or another.”[]Though it took a bit of searching given Gohan’s aerial mobility compared to Sharpner’s basic mode of ground transportation, but thanks to Satan City’s surprisingly on point news casting, the pair were able to get a lead on Saiyaman’s location before eventually following him to a tall building with an antenna. The real surprise was that there was a person already perched on said antenna. Saiyaman approached the stranger calmly and merely floated before them.“Who’s that?” asked Sharpner.“I don’t know, but it looks like they’re…talking about something?” Erasa guessed.“Quick, in the glove compartment. I have a capsule with a pair of binoculars in it!” said Sharpner.“Why do you have binoculars in your car?”“For…emergencies.”“Right~,” smirked a disbelieving Erasa.Erasa quickly retrieved the capsule, but before she could open it, both Gohan and the mystery man flew off.“Where are they going now?” she asked.“Don’t know, but we’re following them.”[]The ensuing drive took the two to the outskirts of the city, to a spot that Erasa was more than familiar with; a certain highway path overlooking a patch of forest.Once Sharpner pulled over and exited the car, Erasa to his surprise, hung back. “Hey, is something wrong?”“Fine…I’m just still a bit rattled from what happened the last time I was over here.”“Oh right…isn’t this the place where Videl fought that monster guy and got kidnapped?”Erasa hugged herself, shuddering at the mere mention of that ‘monster guy’. Sharpner, in a moment of genuine concern, put his arm around her shoulders.“Hey, don’t worry. I’m sure it must’ve been a scary experience, but that was then, and this is now. You’re safe here with me, and if you aren’t, Gohan’s right there to lend us a hand.”Taking a quick breath, Erasa’s tension seemed to ease up. Nodding, she joined Sharpner as he led her to the edge of the cliff. Though they had to stay on the elevated path, the two had a scenic spot to view the exchange between Saiyaman and his guest.“You got the binoculars?”In response, Erasa popped the capsule and peered through the scopes. As she scanned the area and saw Saiyaman’s flowing cape, she let out a loud gasp, dropping the binoculars when her eyes fell on the other person.“Hey, easy with those!” Sharpner snapped. His ire quickly vanished when he noted Erasa once again hugging herself and shaking. “Erasa?”“That…that’s the same guy from before…!” she whipered.“What?”Sharpner quickly grabbed his, thankfully not too damaged binoculars and glanced through them to get a full look at Gohan and Pantyhose Taro.“That guy’s the monster? But he’s built like a stick.”Erasa nodded. “That’s him alright. I couldn’t forget a face that hot, no matter how creepy he is.”“You think he’s hot?”“I’m just saying, he has a very nice face…even if he is kind of scary.”“Wait, are you really saying…!?”“Nah. His whole monster shtick kind of kills any real interest I might’ve had.”“Guess that’s something else that separates you and Videl,” Sharpner snickered.“What was that?”“Just wondering what those two are talking about.” Sharpner replied zooming in on the pair.[]“You’re sure about this?” Taro asked.Gohan nodded. “Yeah. I’ve handled worse before, so don’t hold back.”Taro flashed Gohan a menacing grin before making some space between them and then pointing his finger at Gohan. “Last warning, I can’t guarantee I won’t accidentally kill you.”“I’m not afraid of dying.” ‘For more than one reason.’“Very well then. Take this, DODONPA!”In a flash, Gohan was forced back as the flash of light pierced through his shoulder.“Ggh…okay…really felt that….”“Dodonpa!”Another beam shot into Gohan’s body, this time his leg.“Dodonpa!”Taro continued firing shot after shot at Gohan who made no attempts to defend himself. Erasa and Sharpner could only watch, mouths agape as Saiyaman endured every blast, the chimeric fighter steadily gaining an ever-growing sneer with each shot fired.“The Hell is going on? Why isn’t Gohan fighting back!?” Sharpner snapped.“I don’t know but…maybe we should…do something…?” whimpered Erasa.”“Do what exactly!? We can’t go down there…for a couple of reasons!”“Yeah…but…we can’t just leave Gohan alone like that…right…?”“You’re right but…what can we do…?”The panicked duo pondered for a moment before they realized what they needed to do. “Call Videl!”[]Videl hastily flew beyond the city limits toward the next town. She wasn’t sure how long Gohan would take, but either way, it was best to get to her destination and finish her task quickly. Her focus would be lightly barred by the familiar beep of her communication watch.‘Erasa?’ “Guess I could at least see what she wants.” Pressing the button, she was quickly met with her friend’s distressed voice.
“Videl! Thank Kami you picked up. We’ve got a situation!”
“What kind of situation?”“A serious kind! That monster guy is back, and he’s beating on Gohan! I know Gohan’s tough, but I think you need to get back here stat and lend him a hand.”Erasa’s panic changed to confusion as Videl gave the most unexpected response ever. She was…laughing.“Videl, the Hell’s wrong with you?” came Sharpner’s voice. “Your boyfriend’s getting his ass kicked and you’re laughing!?”“Calm down you two. Believe it or not, Gohan and I are actually working with Taro for a case.”
“Say what!?”
“I’ll give you two the abridged version.” She quickly informed the two that they were trying to catch a common enemy and Gohan and Taro needed to damage each other for their trap to work and that Gohan was more than tough enough to not be seriously damaged at the end of things.“Why the Hell…do they need to damage each other?” asked Sharpner.“No time to explain, but you guys may want to get clear, especially you Erasa.”
“Wait, why me?”
“Oh! Sorry, got to go. I’ll call back later and give you the highlights when I can.”Videl hung up and quickly dialed a new number. It was time to give Ranma and Akane the signal.[]The befuddled blonde duo could only stare blankly at each other trying to fully grasp the situation at hand. Their attention would quickly be re-grabbed by a pained shriek from below. Peering back at the scene, Gohan looked completely ragged with his costume full of holes and his skin with numerous burns courtesy of Taro’s repeated attacks.Finally, the assault seemed to have stopped as a panting Taro stood above a knelt over, smoking Gohan.“That…should do it,” breathed Taro.Gohan stood up and shook himself off. Despite the outward damage, he still seemed to be in top physical condition, a fact that Taro made sure to keep in mind.“Alright, then, I guess it’s my turn,” said Gohan.“Very well…” Taro sighed. Let’s just hurry and get this over with.”Gohan nodded and brought his hands together up to his forehead while Taro defensively crossed his hands over his chest.“Masenko!”Taro braced himself as Gohan fired a blast that encompassed his whole body. Taro fought against the wave, desperate to not let himself get overwhelmed. Despite Gohan using significantly less than his full power, Taro was still forced away by the force of the blast, getting launched into the retreating forest.[]“What was that light?” asked Erasa.“Gohan just blasted the guy!” replied an ecstatic Sharpner.“Really?”“Yeah…it looks like…Gohan’s going into the forest now….”“Let me see!”Erasa snatched the binoculars from Sharpner and looked to see Gohan take into the sky and land indiscriminately into the forest.“What’s happening now?”“I don’t know, they disappeared into the trees.”The two remained still, waiting for something to happen, but for a moment, there was nothing. No movement, no noise aside from a light wind, not even other people or animals. The calm air was shortly disturbed by a notable rustle of the leaves.“What was that?”“What was what?”Sharpner once again reclaimed his binoculars and glanced in the direction of the movement only for the rustling to steadily grow more intense. A few seconds later, another beam of golden light shone through the trees, followed by another and another.“What the hell are they doing in there?”Zooming in the binoculars, Sharpner tried his darndest to make heads or tales of the situation in the forest. The struggle seemed to have paused until there was another rustle in the leaves. As Sharpner turned his attention to it, he squealed as a large dark mass burst through the leaves and shot off into the sky. Erasa also toppled back with a scream as she recognized Pantyhose Taro’s cursed form, in hot pursuit was Saiyaman and they seemed to be flying back into the city.“What…what…the hell…was that…!?” stammered Sharpner.“That…was the other guy’s monster form…” replied a shaken Erasa.Picking himself up, Sharpner slumped over to his car and sat against the door. “You…gotta be kiddin’ me! What the Hell are Gohan and Videl up to with a guy like that!?”“I don’t know and part of me doesn’t want to find out, especially with the warning Videl gave us….”“I…think I’m with you there. I really do want to find out just what’s going on…but I think it’s time to bow out.”With a nod, Erasa quickly hopped back into the passenger seat and buckled up. Needless to say, she was eager to get moving. Sharpner on the other hand, remained still, staring up at the sky.“Sharpner?”Shaking out of his trance, he got behind the wheel and said, “Let’s go.”[]Back in Nerima, Akane was doing her usual shtick of smashing bricks while Ranma was practicing forms in the dojo. Today was the day they’d finally put Happosai away, if all went well at least.Thinking back to their strategy meeting at the mountain village, everyone mutually agreed that the best plan was for Gohan to play possum until Happosai finally gave Taro what he wanted, though to sell the act, they both had to look disheveled, as if they’d fought the most epic battle that nobody got to see. An easy task for Gohan to endure Taro’s attacks, and luckily Gohan had more than enough control of his strength to return fire to Taro without putting him down.After that, everyone would have to do their part to keep Happy distracted so he wouldn’t change his mind, and they’d do it under the guise of trying to rescue Gohan from whatever Happy had planned for him. Once they found an opening, they’d take their shot and seal the old pervert away for good.In addition to the strategic planning, they and Videl had been preparing themselves physically, using what each of them had learned from their respective teachers and doing their best to refine it, with varying degrees of success. Ranma was the most successful in performing the Mafuba, so the honors would have to be done by him, but as expected, against someone like Happosai, who still outclassed Ranma himself, he’d only get one chance.The girls each individually were able to raise their power enough to fire the technique, but neither could fully control it and against Happosai, the energy needed could be fatal. Whatever happened today, they were in for one hell of a battle.Akane had another stack of blocks all lined up, ready to smash some more but paused when she was called by Kasumi.“Akane, Videl just called. She says she’s on her way here.”Akane took a breath before proceeding to smash the bricks in a single blow. Turnng to her sister, she gave a single nod.A moment later, Akane made her way to the dojo to be met with a flipping Ranma. “What’s up?”“Videl’s on her way, so get ready!”With a confident smirk, Ranma cracked his knuckles. “Of course.”Moments later, Ranma and Akane dashed through town to meet up with Videl who quickly descended before them.“You two ready?”“Oh yeah!”Quickly boarding Videl’s plane, the trio made their way back to Satan City.[]The midair chase quickly caught the eye of many an onlooker. Taro’s previous visit to the city remained largely unknown to the general populace, but there was no way anyone could miss Saiyaman chasing a giant winged beast. The pair continued to fire low powered blasts at each other, in order to minimize collateral damage, but if Happosai was near, they both knew they’d need to kick things up a notch in order to sell the performance. As Taro swerved in the air in a faux attempt to shake Gohan off his tail, he could barely swell the feeling of expectation welling up inside him.Taro wouldn’t dwell on his thoughts for too long as he was swiftly checked by Saiyaman slamming into him from the side. Taro quickly fixed himself in midair and launched his tentacles out at the costumed hero.Saiyaman made a number of exaggerated dodges before attempting to fly away, only for his cape to be caught by the aquatic appendage. Swirling his tentacles like a carousel, Taro swung Gohan around and launched him towards the streets below.Gohan was able to fix himself and land safely on his feet with a deafening crash before launching himself back at Taro who shielded himself with his arms and tentacles. Enduring the brunt of Saiyaman’s tackle, Taro continued guard against his follow up, barrage of punches. An easy feat given how low power his blows were. Gohan’s attacks did however, force Taro backwards and the two of them kept soaring back through until they were near the city limits, away from the masses.With the coast clear, the two broke their apparent stalemate, staring each other down in midair. As their eyes locked, they both smirked at each other in silent confirmation. The pair proceeded to circle each other, neither one taking their eyes off the other. The first to move was Taro who fired a quick Dodon Ray which Saiyaman easily deflected.Taro tried to Rush in but Saiyaman warped away managing to get behind him. As Taro turned to reface his opponent, he was met with the sight of Saiyaman charging the Turtle School’s signature move."Kamehame...HA!"Once more wrapping himself up with his tentacles, Taro braced himself, taking Gohan’s blast head on. With a quick burst of his energy, Gohan’s blast soon encompassed Taro blowing him to the ground below.Gohan slowly descended to the crater Taro’s impact had made and stood cautiously before him. He could see that Taro wasn’t moving but could tell from his still heightened energy that he was none the worse for wear. He held a great deal of power back in that last attack, but they needed to make their fight look as convincing as possible.Gohan once again held still, inspecting the fallen form of his faux foe. Peering deeper into the crater Gohan was caught ‘off-guard’ by Taro’s tentacles lashing out and grabbing his wrists. In a burst, Taro zipped out of the crater and into the air. Facing downwards, he proceeded to restrain all four of Gohan’s limbs with his tentacles before bringing his hands together in a similar diamond shape pose.With a bellowing ‘Mooooo!’, Taro fired a full strength Tri-Beam at a fully exposed Saiyaman, releasing him right at the moment of impact. With no way to defend, Gohan was harshly forced into the ground, deep within a large, rectangular crater. A shaky Taro descended over Gohan’s landing spot. Sure enough, a firm, but seemingly disheveled Gohan appeared from the crater, grinning beneath his helmet.“So, you are still alive,” read a sign Taro pulled out.“Yeah…and I think this should be convincing enough. Now you just have to ‘deliver’ me.”Nodding with a twisted sneer, Taro pointed at Gohan and fired one final, good measure Dodon Ray at Gohan, right at his chest, blowing the front of his costume away. Shortly after, Taro ascended once more with an ‘unconscious’ Saiyaman in his tentacles, flying back towards the heart of the city.Despite the literal weight on his back, Taro couldn’t help but feel hopeful about their success. Despite the numerous things that could go wrong, something about this plan in particular felt like it had a high chance of success. In just a few moments, he’d finally be rid of his accursed title and be able to be known by a more respectable name. After that, the world would be his oyster, thanks to his newfound power (and a little assistance from a respectable enemy).Speaking of that power, the thought of his current level up brought Taro back to his conversation with Tien.
[Several Days Earlier]
“Once this is over, do you plan to remain as Master Shen’s Disciple?” asked Tien.
“Hmph, that depends. I’m willing to stay with him a little longer, but once he’s outlived his usefulness, I’ll leave that old crow in a heartbeat.”
Tien’s eyes narrowed at Taro’s response. Though he did find solstice in Taro’s willingness to leave the Crane Master, he couldn’t say he agreed with his reasoning. Despite his shortcomings as a person, Shen still deserved due respect as a master at the very least.
“Now I’d like to ask you something,” said Taro. “Why did you leave him? I know I have little room to judge given my own loyalties towards him are paper thin, but from the way he spoke of you, he made it sound like you literally stabbed him in the back.
“Figures he’d still feel that way,” Tien chuckled. “But frankly, I did sort of turn my back on him. I’ll always be grateful for the teachings I received under his tutelage, but at the end of the day, his goals and mine just didn’t align. I wanted to see how far I could push myself as a fighter, he just wanted to turn me into an assassin.”
“An assassin?” asked a surprisingly intrigued Taro.
Tien nodded. “When I refused to deal a fatal blow to a certain opponent, Master Shen didn’t take it too well, and the rest is history.” Tien paused in reminiscence before continuing. “I can tell that you’re a very talented fighter. I won’t tell you what course of action is best for you, but I think it’d be wise to strongly consider the path you choose to take before making any commitments.
[]
He’d been so focused on the mission at hand, Taro really didn’t think of what would come next after he finally got his name changed. Oh well, he’d have plenty of time t think it over once the shame of his current title would be erased for good.[]Meanwhile, a familiar yellow plane zoomed into Satan City. Despite how brief her trip to Nerima was, Videl was gone just long enough to receive a call from SCPD of Saiyaman fighting some sort of winged, bull monster and that he may need some assistance.All was going according to plan. News travels quickly around Satan City so if word had already gotten out that Gohan and Taro were fighting, then there was no doubt that Happosai was privy to it. Now they just had to find Taro and stay out of sight until the moment was right. Good thing Taro’s cursed form is so conspicuous.
(A/N: Long time no see, but I’m back, and happy late new year. I didn’t intend to take this hiatus, but after a personal project or two (as well as exhausting work hours for a time) took a lot out of me, I needed more time to recharge. Either way I’m back and we’re near the title fight. Before anyone gets the wrong idea, I’m just going to say this now and emphasize: Taro did
NOT defeat Gohan in a real fight. Gohan took his attacks to appear damaged, and Gohan held his power back to not harm Taro too much. They’re trying to sell the image of them having an intense fight that Taro won. I don’t wanna see any reviews about Gohan being nerfed, because that’s not what’s going on here. Just needed to get that clarified. In other news, Erasa and Sharpner make a return. Will they have a hand in the final battle? Maybe, maybe not. Either way, I thought giving them a small little misadventure would be a nice lead-in/breakaway from things since we’ve been at Tien’s village for so many chapters. In other, other news, some of you will be happy to hear that, I actually DO have a plan to introduce Vegeta properly now. I can’t say how many chapters it’ll take, but it WILL happen. Also can’t say if it'll be worth the wait, but again, he isn’t a priority character in this story. Regardless, I’m glad to be back and hopefully it won’t take four to five months for the next update.)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
Ranma: Hey guys check it out! The story’s finally been updated!
[Ranma sees Gohan and Videl standing silently, alone together, their heads bowed]
Ranma: What’s…goin’ on here?
[Akane pulls Ranma aside and whispers in his ear]
Ranma:…Oh…I…didn’t know.
Akane: Its fine.
Ranma: Should we…give them a moment.
Akane: Maybe, but I think we should pay our respects too.
[Ranma nods before he and Akane stand beside Gohan and Videl and bow their heads. Before the quartet is a statue of Toribot]
R.I.P. Akira Toriyama.
Happosai’s Scheme! The Unexpected Adversary
“Ahhh, its been quite a while since I’ve visited this town, hasn’t it?” A jovial Happosai strolled about the streets of Satan City. He knew he had to come here today, though for the moment he couldn’t recall why. Still, its not every day one gets to visit such a high-profile town, so he might as well enjoy the scenery.Unfortunately for him, the object of his interest would be tougher to grasp as it seemed the whole city was falling over itself for some reason. Many people were panicking with some of the police force struggling to keep everyone from scrambling. Seizing the opportunity, Happosai would present himself before a random, long haired woman and ask, “Excuse me young lady, but what seems to be all the hubbub?”“You haven’t heard? Saiyaman was fighting some giant winged monster!”“Saiyaman…?” Taking a moment to recount the familiar sounding name, Happosai’s face alit. “That’s right! That’s why I came to town today!” Beaming, Happosai launched himself up, attaching to the lady’s chest. “Oh thank you for jogging this old man’s poor, unreliable memory!”Desperately trying to pry the od lecher off, the lady shrieked out, “Get off of me!”Her cries would go answered as the diminutive elder was launched down into the pavement. The woman wasted no time in making herself scarce just as Happosai was picking himself up.“Who dares disrupt the great master Happosai!?”“You truly are beyond salvation you irritating imp,” came the familiar voice of the Crane Hermit.“Oh Shen, its you. Fancy meeting you here.”“Fancy nothing. In case you’d forgotten, our little prodigy is supposed to be having a duel today.”“Oh perish the thought, of course I haven’t forgotten. I’m just entertaining myself until he arrives with my prizes.”“Uh-huh,” Shen rolled his eyes before taking note of Happy’s last statement. “Wait, prizes?”“In addition to defeating Caped Sailor Man, Pantyhose Taro and I also hashed out a little bonus.”“You mean he’s giving you incentive not to welsh on your deal.”Happosai crossed his arms and pouted, offended. “Hmph, do you really think I’d have the gall to try and trick my precious Godson out of his greatest desire.”“Not when there’s something in it for you,” Shen deadpanned.Happosai shrugged. “Ahh, details. So anyways, I asked around and heard that Pantyhose Taro and Slinging Man have been all over the city.”“Yes, I’ve heard as much myself,” Shen concurred. “It’s only a matter of time now.”“Yup. So if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to use this time wisely.” Happosai started walking off, but Shen quickly blocked his path.“Oh no you don’t! Though I care little about what chicanery you decide to get yourself into, I DO care about having to chase after you! We’ll wait for him at the park, though we’ll have to leave when he gets close. We can’t exactly conduct business in a crowded area.”“Fine,” Happosai relented with a sigh.Amongst the panic ringing throughout the citizens of Satan City, the two elders would disappear into the bustling crowd.[]The flight back to Satan City was tense as Pantyhose Taro flew with the ‘unconscious’ Great Saiyaman wrapped in his tentacles. Before re-entering however, Gohan would quietly inquire, “So Taro, where are you meeting up with Happosai?”Taro obviously couldn’t speak in his cursed form, but the bead of sweat rolling down his forehead told all. Apparently, Taro and Happosai hadn’t set a specific meeting place which meant they’d have to find him the old-fashioned way. Thankfully, Happosai’s energy was noticeably higher than the average Joe’s, so finding him may not be an issue.What was an issue however was the panic that Taro’s presence caused as his large shadow glided above the frantically, scampering citizens.‘We’d better find him fast before the city falls into total chaos.’[]While half the city was still in an uproar, the park and its surrounding area was surprisingly normal. Though it was sure to change when Saiyaman and the winged monster eventually made their way over, for the moment it was a nice spot to get away from the average bustle of the city life, making a random bench in said park an equally nice spot for the nefarious masters to await the arrival of their protégé.Though Shen hadn’t anticipated a long wait, he’d come prepared with a handful of magazines (No, they weren’t those kinds, much to Happosai’s dismay), while the Anything-Goes Master was more than content to people watch…that is to say, ogle any developed female within a 5 yard radius.Being the lecher he was, Happosai was extremely eager to get a closer look at his ‘targets’. Luckily for all the girls, Shen was there to keep the tiny elder grounded…at least as much as he could. If any girl got close to them of their own volition, well, they’d be on their own.“You know Shen, I wasn’t to keen about waiting here, but I must admit, the view has certainly been worth it…partly.”“Well, I’m glad one of us is enjoying himself.”“This was your idea.”“Yes, and my idea of enjoyment doesn’t include keeping you on a proverbial leash!”“Well then, why don’t you be a pal and let that leash go?”Shen merely flattened his brow in irritation. ‘Grin and bear it old boy. Once the boy gets here, you’ll never have to associate with this degenerate fool ever again.’“We both know why I can’t do that Happosai.” Shen was prepared to give a response though surprisingly, Happosai didn’t respond. “Happy?” A brief wave of panic washed over the Crane School master as he feared that Happosai had somehow managed to slip away while his eyes were turned. Surprisingly, Shen turned back to find that Happosai hadn’t zipped off (yet at least) but was instead staring, longingly at his latest target: A young girl with short blonde hair clad in tight jeans and a tight green tube top that accentuated her bountiful cleavage.Happosai remained still as his eyes remained fixated on her chest as she strolled across the park. In the next instance, “Jackp-!!!”Happosai was swiftly planted into the hard ground once more by a wholly agitated Shen. “For the last time, STAY PUT!”With an impressive showing of strength, Happosai would grab Shen by the ankle and toss him off, making him hit the ground. “Stay put my ass! There’s no way I’m letting such ripe, precious melons go unpicked!!”“Not until after we’ve gotten what we came here for!” Shen challenged as he got back to his feet.Happosai raised his arms, prepared for a fight before his face alit. With a mischievous grin, he countered, “We’ll see about that, won’t we! Although…speaking of melons…I’m actually pretty hungry right now.”Shen once again hit the ground at the sudden dispersion of Happosai’s ire. “After that display, you’re cool as a cucumber because you’re hungry?”“Hey, it’s been a long wait for Pantyhose Taro to show up, can you blame me?”“Its only been 10 minutes,” Shen replied checking a pocket watch.“Not when you factor in the trip to the city.”With a loud groan, Shen put a hand to his forehead. Though he wasn’t a fan of Happosai’s bi-polar actions, he couldn’t deny that a little bite did sound appealing. “Fine. If it’ll keep you sated for just a little longer, we’ll get some food. There’s probably a stand around here somewhere.”“Oh that won’t be necessary. I actually remembered that I packed these earlier!” Pulling a capsule out of his robe, Happosai tossed it to unveil a basket of stuffed buns. “Ta-da!”Shen’s previous irritation evaporated as he took in the scent of the buns. “Oh my! Those smell delicious!”“Then by all means old boy, take one!” Happosai gleefully presented the basket and Shen took a bun. Unbeknownst to the Crane Master, Happosai’s twisted grin returned and the moment he took a bite, Happy snapped his fingers.[]Elsewhere in Satan City Park, a familiar pair of young, blonde teenagers were“I told you following Gohan was a bad idea!” Sharpner groaned.“Pardon me mister, but weren’t you the one who specifically said we should follow Gohan instead of Videl?” Erasa replied.“Yeah…but it was your idea to see what they were up to!” he countered.Erasa teasingly rolled her eyes. “Don’t get mad at me just cause your car ran out of gas.”Sharpner flinched dramatically before letting out a defeated sigh. Erasa, bubbly as ever put a calming hand on his shoulder.“I’ll admit, I’m not exactly in the mood to do all this walking myself either, but look on the bright side. We’re actually in the city instead of being out at that cliff, and we’re taking a nice, stroll at the park. This could be way worse.”Crossing his arms, he replied, “Yeah, I guess. Still wish we could’ve been on the opposite end of the park where there’s a station close by.”“I wish we could’ve been near a food cart or something, I’m starving,” Erasa groaned.“Yeah I’m kinda hungry too actually. I think there’s a vending machine around here somewhere.”As the duo scanned their surroundings, their attention was swiftly drawn to an appetizing waft.“What’s that…delicious smell!?” Erasa beamed.“I dunno but I wanna find….!” Sharpner quickly caught himself as deja-vu struck. “On second thought, let’s just get through the park already and hit up the usual joint.”“Aww, but Sharpie, I wanna at least see where that smell’s coming from.”“Erasa, the last time we went on a chase like this we wound up…here.”“Sharpner, we’re in a park. The trek here wasn’t great, but we’re safe in the city and whatever that monster guy’s up to, Videl said she and Gohan were handling it. What’s the worse that could happen?”Before Sharpner could argue, a raspy voice interjected. “Pardon me youngsters!” Sharpner and Erasa turned to see a small old man, carrying a wooden basket.“Forgive my intrusion but I couldn’t help but overhear your talk of an appetizing smell and I had to ask…,” he then uncapped the basket to reveal a steaming pack of buns. “…Could it have possibly been these?”The young pair lit up as the aroma filled their noses. “Yup, that was it alright,” Sharpner confirmed.“What kind of buns are those, Gramps?” asked Erasa.“Oh I’ve got a few different kinds, but they all have one very special ingredient.”Erasa quickly flitted her eyebrows at the miniscule elder. She needed to fill her belly, and she wasn’t about to let the opportunity for a free bite slip away. “Hey, do you think you’d be willing to share one with a cute, young girl?"The old man gave Erasa an inviting smile before presenting the basket to her. “Oh but of course! Here, take your pick!”Sharpner rolled his eyes at the scene. Friends or not, even he would call Erasa a knockout, but she wasn’t exactly the ‘feminine wiles’ type so seeing her actually go there for a bite to eat was at least amusing, if not a little sad. Still…he was hungry too so maybe he ought to just ask the old man for a bun too?As Erasa finally made a selection, mini-elder’s smile shifted from one of jovial glee to one of twisted expectancy as she finally bit into the bun. As soon as her face lit up from the taste, the diminutive master leapt at Erasa and snapped his fingers whilst whispering in her ear.In the next instance, Erasa, almost robotically, grabbed the hem of her top and tugged it down.“AHHHHHHHHHHHHH-!”[]Shortly after re-arriving in Satan City, Videl had received an urgent call from the police. Upon answering, Videl was quickly informed of multiple eyewitness accounts saying that Saiyaman was fighting some giant winged monster in the middle of the city.The trio shared a knowing smile before Videl gave assurance that she and Saiyaman were taking care of things. Though Ranma wore a confident smirk Akane looked more concerned. Sure they’d fought Happosai countess times before, but this was clearly going to be their biggest bout yet.“Hey Ranma?”“Yeah?”“Do you…really think this whole thing will work?”“Hmmmm…I’d say its about 50-50.”“What about Taro? If Happosai doesn’t give him what he wants, what’s to stop him from just turning on us?”“Well if that happens, Gohan won’t have to play possum anymore, so he can just deal with that.”“Maybe, but won’t that mean Taro will just keep being a nuisance going forward?”“Then we’ll just seal him away too. Outta sight, outta mind.”“Ranma, will you get serious!” Akane snapped. “Look, I want to get rid of Happosai as much as the next girl, but don’t forget, we also have to help Taro.”“I know, I know! I’m just saying, that if things do go wrong, putting the ol’ freak away should be priority.”Though she knew Ranma had a valid point, she still didn’t want to just brush Taro off. Their exchange would be jarred by Videl’s phone ringing again. This time, it was…Erasa? Again? Videl was tempted to ignore the call, given that she’d already given her and Sharpner a brief enough explanation of things and didn’t need more distractions…but it was her best friend. With a sigh, Videl picked up.“Erasa, this better be important-.”“Videl HELP!!!”“Erasa? Erasa what’s going on!?”Videl would be met with another scream followed by a familiar sounding laugh and a loud crash.“Erasa? ERASA!”“What the hell was that!?” asked Akane.“Videl? Are you there!?” a male voice answered on the phone.“Sharpner? What’s going on? Where are you guys!?”“We’re at the park! We met this old guy, he had some buns, Erasa ate one, and now she can’t keep her shirt on and the old guy’s chasing her!”Sharpner was speaking too fast and sporadically for anyone to wholly comprehend, but if Erasa’s screaming told them anything, they had an inkling of the situation at least. Before Sharpner could resume, a loud “Moooooo!” echoed through the phone followed by a loud, popping explosion before the call finally dropped.“Sharpner? SHARPNER!?”“I think I heard ‘old man’ so…I think the old freak found your friend,” said Ranma.“And I think Gohan and Taro found them too!” Akane added.“And now we know where we’re going! Hang on guys I’m going full-!”The plane was subsequently knocked off course by the sudden impact of a person sized object slamming headfirst into the windshield. As the trio yelped in shock, Videl swiftly tried to stabilize the aircraft, though to little avail as they’d ultimately wind up grounded, scraping against the brick of a random rooftop.“Are you guys okay?”“Define okay,” Ranma droned.“What the heck hit us?” asked Akane.Dismounting, the trio surveyed the plane to find that the one who’d crashed into their windshield was none other than the Crane Hermit himself.“Is that…the old bird guy!?”“Wha-!?” The girls’ eyes widened as they realized that Happosai finding Erasa wasn’t the only snag in their plan. “Oh my God…we completely forgot about him! How did we even do that!?”“I guess with all of our focus on Happosai, he just slipped our mind.” Videl noted.“Wh-what happened…?” A woozy Shen began to stir, peeling himself off the plane before face-planting into the ground. The young fighters stood defensively as he slowly but surely regained his senses.“What do we do? We have to get to Erasa and the others,” Videl whispered.“You two go on ahead. I can handle this guy myself,” Ranma assured.Akane was about to speak up, but Videl grabbed her shoulder. “No time to argue.” Reluctantly, Akane nodded and the two girls ran for the edge. Leaping off the roof, the two joined hands before taking off into the sky.‘Note to self, remember to get my plane back.’[]With the girls now airborne, Ranma was left alone with a dazed Shen who finally picked himself up. “Ugggh…where am I?”“Hogging the airspace, old-timer. Just look whatcha did to our ride.”“What the…Ah! Its you! Happy’s boy!”Shen quickly backed into a combative stance as Ranma launched himself at him. Throwing a swift punch, he loudly proclaimed, “The old freak ain’t my master!”Shen easily blocked Ranma’s strike with his forearm, leading the two to a brief stalemate. After a moment of struggling against each other, the two pushed each other back.“Gah! I don’t have time to dawdle with the likes of you Boy! I need to get back to that traitor Happosai and blast his head in!”Ranma raised an eyebrow, but kept his guard up. “Whatcha mean ‘traitor? What’d he do?”Shen put his hands behind his back before dismissively turning away. “Hmph, I’ve no reason to divulge that to you. With that said, if you have your own need to confront him, just know you’d better do it fast before I find him again!”With a twisted cackle, Shen ascended into the air, Ranma reaching out towards him. “Hey wait!”His call falling on deaf ears, Shen started flying in the same direction as the girls. Instinctively, Ranma chased after him, but stopped himself once he recalled his position. He could probably leap down to an adjacent building safely enough, but Shen would likely be long gone by then. In a frustrated fit, the pigtailed fighter could only swear beneath his breath, snapping his fingers.Before he could contemplate his next move however, the Crane Hermit ceased his vapid laugh, pulled an about face and zoomed off, opposite the direction of Satan City park. Ranma could only stare in confusion as he flew off in presumably the wrong direction. Though he still couldn’t figure out where that whole thing came from, that was one less problem to deal with. Now was time to take care of the big problem. Glancing around, Ranma found a building he could safely jump to and made his way to it.‘Once this is over, I’m makin’ Videl keep her promise. It’s been 40 freakin’ chapters already!’[]In the city skies, Taro and Gohan were flying somewhat aimlessly before a sudden spike in energy told them where Happosai was. “Taro, he’s at the park! Head Northeast!”With a snort, Taro shot off in the direction the park and arrived in nearly no time. As they approached, Gohan hit a button on his watchThe previously peaceful park was thrown into disarray when a young girl screamed. That minor disarray became pure chaos when the area was then bathed in shadow and a loud “Moooo!” echoed out.The winged chimera paid no mind to the scattering onlookers as his gaze was fixated on one individual; the miniscule old man who was…chasing after a girl covering her chest? A familiar girl at that.Upping his speed further, Taro slammed himself down in between Happosai and his target, making his presence fully known. The girl let out a scream as a male voice called out, “Come on, let’s move it!”Gohan’s eyebrow rose as he recognized both voices. ‘Sharpner? Erasa?’ He was given little time to dwell on the thought as the area was quickly lit up via one of Happosai’s fire-burst bombs.“We can play later boy! There’s a treasure I’ve got to get my hands on right now!” A dismissive Happosai exclaimed. As he attempted to leap past Taro, he was quickly met with a tentacle attempting to bind him. Undeterred, Happosai knocked it away, along with the rest of Taro, with his pipe, sending the startled chimera skyward. With Taro out of the way, Happosai continued his pursuit of Erasa, snapping his fingers before she and Sharpner could get too far.“Noooooo-!”“YESSSS!!!”In the air, a startled Taro getting tossed away was enough to make him loosen his grip on Gohan, who was currently contemplating his next move. Obviously, he needed to save Erasa, but he couldn’t exactly make his usual boisterous entrance without giving away their secret.‘Maybe I can make this look like an accident.’ Flying over to a dazed Taro, Gohan held him over his head before closing his eyes, searching for Happosai’s energy. ‘Okay. I need to not put too much power into this. Just enough to get him there.’ “Here goes!”With a small grunt, Gohan chucked Taro’s large body in an upward arc towards the ensuing chase before following after the scene himself. It wasn’t long before the perverse elder came into eyeshot. ‘I will end your lecherous raid!’ As he steadily accelerated, Saiyaman muttered his new special attack: “Justice Tackle!”Back on the ground, Erasa was bawling as she and Sharpner desperately tried to keep ahead of Happosai. Their earlier head start was able to keep his snapping fingers out of earshot, thus sparing the shameful Erasa from flashing any (un)fortunate onlookers, but his cackling could still be heard far back and it was getting closer.“Sharpner, what do we do!?”“I dunno…keep running!?”“There you are my darling!”A squealing Erasa covered her chest as Happosai finally caught up to the bewildered pair. With a twisted guffaw, Happosai raise his hand, prepared to snap his fingers. Before he could make the motion though, his instincts kicked in, alerting him to something approaching before he was swiftly and unceremoniously planted into the ground by the a familiar falling man in a red cape.The sheer bewilderment from the two blondes was quickly replaced by joy and relief as they recognized their scorched friend arriving just in the nick of time.“Goha-!”“Saiyaman! Thank Kami!” Erasa beamed, remembering to keep his identity secret.Gohan held back the urge to greet his friends in order to keep up the act, but couldn’t help but panic when Erasa ran towards him. Thankfully she stopped and retreated when Gohan’s body began to rise via a pair of tiny little arms from underneath him.An irate Happosai was able to toss Saiyaman’s ‘limp’ body off of him before then leaping onto his chest, his aura flaring.“Yet again, you’ve appeared to spoil my happiness, but I swear this will be the last time!” Pulling out a fire burst ball, Happosai raised his arm, prepared to spike it into Saiyaman’s chest.Sharpner and Erasa, who’d taken cover behind some nearby bushes could only watch in confusion as they were torn on their next move. On the one hand, now would be a good time to make a break for it, but on the other hand, they didn’t want to leave Gohan alone.“Erasa, do we bail or should we help?” Sharpner whispered.“I mean…this is Gohan we’re talking about so I’m sure he’ll be fine….”“Maybe we should call Videl again just to be safe?”“No way! I can’t let her get subjected to….” Erasa paused, crossing her arms. “Whatever the hell this is. I’d sooner ask that monster guy for help.”Sharpener’s face alit as he recalled, “Hey wait a sec, wasn’t that monster guy with Gohan the last time we saw him? What the heck happened to him?”Before she could reply, a loud thud echoed throughout the park as the large form of Pantyhose Taro crashed right behind Happy and Gohan.“Uhhhhh…speak of the devil!?” Erasa joked.“What the hell is going on here!?”[]“Pantyhose Taro? Where did you come fr-?” Happosai’s face alit as he quickly remembered, he was actually supposed to be meeting with Taro today, and if the current situation was any indication, it looks like he did keep up his end of the bargain after all.Turning back to Saiyaman, Happosai was calm enough to really took a look at his foe’s status and he finally realized his current status. ‘Well now…this is most interesting.’ Hopping off of Saiyaman, Happosai strolled over to a stirring Taro. “Wakey wakey Pantyhose Taro!”With a snort, Taro bolted awake and swung at Happosai with a sign reading, “DON’T CALL ME THAT!”The tiny master merely leapt above Taro’s attack, landing on his arm. “Take it easy boy! I haven’t forgotten our deal! I was just preoccupied earlier.”That seemed to be enough for Taro who took a breath and let Happosai down. He then pulled out a capsule revealing a kettle and poured its contents on himself, changing back to human form. As the now human Taro glared daggers at Happosai, the tension between the two was immense as neither broke eye-contact with the other. The diminutive martial artist looked straight at his young charge but never faltered. Instead, he’d break the ominous silence with a simple greeting.“So then, are we finally calmed down Pantyhose Taro?”A vein bulged on Taro’s forehead, but he managed to restrain himself from attacking Happosai again. “Today is the last time you will call me that old man. As you can see, I’ve held up my end of our deal,” Taro replied, motioning to the ‘unconscious’ Saiyaman.“Yes, it appears you have!” said a gleeful Happosai.“Enough with the pleasantries old man!” Taro snapped. “I kept my end of the deal, now you keep yours! After all, don’t forget what happens if you don’t.”Taro quickly presented a laminated piece of paper and Happosai’s eyes widened.“Is that…!?”Taro nodded and turned the page around, revealing a photo of Bulma, though her torso was covered by a sticky note. Peeling the note away, the smallest flash of pink filled Happy’s eyes immediately fueling his urge to snatch the photo right then and there. Still, he knew he had to play this carefully.Quickly straightening himself up, Happosai cleared his throat and replied, “Very well. But if you’ll pardon the formalities, I actually decided to have your ‘prize’ done in writing. A little bit of insurance of my own to ensure that you didn’t just waltz away as soon as I gave you the permission.”“Oh?”Happosai reached into his pocket and revealed a scroll. Unwrapping it, he showed that it was in fact a form allowing Taro to legally change his name. Ordinarily, Happosai wouldn’t go to such lengths to actually keep a promise, but in his mind, the prize was worth the rare moment of honesty this time.“So…our business is finally coming to an end now, isn’t it?” said a gleeful Taro.“I’d imagine so…but sadly, it is not.”Taro’s gaze sharpened. “What are you talking about,” he snarled.“Our business can’t be ended…because your battle isn’t over yet.”The stationary Gohan was able to conceal his surprise, but Taro couldn’t hide the beads of sweat steadily forming on his face.[]From their cover, Sharpner and Erasa continued to watch things unfold, still contemplating their next move. Fortunately, their choice would be made for them as Erasa’s phone chimed. Thankfully, it seemed the fighters either didn’t hear or chose to ignore it.Picking it up, Erasa was met with a text from Videl that read, “Akane and I are at the park! Where are you guys!”“Akane too?”“That’s her martial artist friend, right?”Erasa nodded as she typed her reply. “We’re hiding in the southwest area, but the old pervert and the monster guy are talking about something, and Gohan’s here too but not moving.”Between watching Gohan and the monster guy blast each other back at the cliff side and now this whole spiel at the park, hopefully this could all make sense sooner or later.[]With a false air of bravado, Taro asked, “…What are you talking about?”“I’m talking about how our friend here is still kicking.”“What’re you talking about? You didn’t ask me to kill him, you just wanted me to bring him to you!”“Correction: I wanted you to defeat him and bring him to me. You fulfilled the second part well enough, but ya skipped part one boy!”“The Hell I did! He’s lying right there, out colder than an ice cube! If I didn’t defeat him, then I transform into a puppy!” Though Taro’s frustration was legitimate, his shouting also served to mask the worry creeping up from him. Somehow, Happosai was onto them. Thankfully, Gohan remained still so with a bit of finesse, they may be able to pull off the act.Happosai strolled back to the motionless Gohan. “You’re right about him lying still, but his chi is FAR too warm for him to be out cold.”Taro flinched at Happosai’s proclamation. Now, even Gohan couldn’t stop the sweat from forming on his brow. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t been actively suppressing his energy, had he?“You there, Grand Singingman! You can stand up now! I know you’re conscious! I dunno why you’re lying there playing possum, but I could feel your chi when you tackled me!”Gohan could only curse himself. He hadn’t meant to let his energy raise, but he HAD to save Erasa. Maybe if he just remained still, they’d still be able to sell the illusion.“What does it matter if he can still fight? I delivered him to you!”“Just let it go Pantyhose Taro. I know you’re eager to get your little hooves on this form, hell I’m DYING to get MINE on that pretty little picture, but a deal’s a deal.”“Give me the form now and the picture’s yours,” Taro deadpanned.Happosai froze and his body started shaking. If one were to look, his eyes were bloodshot and his vibrating already bore a hole in he ground. After a moment, he finally managed to stammer out. “N-n-n-n-n-n-no….c-c-c-c-c-c-can…d-d-d-d-d-d-d-dooooo! N—n-n-n-not without…HIM!” As soon as the final word left his mouth, Happosai seemed to sputter out before collapsing in his self made mini-crater.He may have hated Happosai’s guts, but even Taro had to marvel at the display of Happosai resisting an offer for a lewd picture, especially one that’d been long sought after. That could only mean that whatever he had planned for Gohan was major, and that wasn’t good. Still, as much as he didn’t want to play into Happosai’s hands, they needed some progress and it seemed there was no point in keeping up the charade anymore. Clenching his fist, Taro took a breath and called to his ‘opponent’.“If you can hear me Saiyaman, stand up and face me for real!”Gohan could only assume that Taro was letting him know that their plan was a bust. With a disappointed sigh, Gohan slowly got to his feet and dusted himself off. Happosai soon followed suit.“There, now was that so difficult?” the elder taunted.“Surprisingly yes. It took all of my willpower not to strike you down the moment your disciple here brought me to you.”“Ahhh, I see. When you and the boy fought in the city, you took a dive to make him bring you here. I’m guessing it was your eagerness to get to me that let your chi leak. That’s something you’ll definitely need to work on in the future, my boy,” Happosai taunted.Gohan and Taro were both relieved that despite their act failing, Happosai apparently didn’t know the real reason behind the façade. If they played this right, they may still be able to pull this off, though they still had to wait for Ranma and the girls.“Now listen here boy. I wouldn’t put it past you to try and pull a fast one on me and try to knowingly deliver Soft-boiled Man to me while he’s still fighting fit, but I can just as easily see this being an honest mistake, so I’m willing to give you one last chance; Defeat him right here, right now, before my eyes! You do that and we can conclude our business.”Taro glared at Happosai before turning his attention back to Saiyaman. There was no way to feasibly fake a fight with Happosai right before them, meaning there was only one course of action left to take. Stepping back into a defensive stance, Taro proclaimed, “You nearly made a fool of me once, but it won’t happen again.”Saiyaman merely crossed his arms, his cape flowing as his energy slowly rose. “I guess we’ll see about that, won’t we.”The two young fighters stared each other down. Despite the appearance of two fierce rivals preparing to strike at each other, the two were inwardly sweating. Taro had no qualms about defeating Gohan legitimately if he could, though Gohan was worried that if he went too serious, he may wind up defeating Taro and then all would be for naught. Maybe at the very least, their battle could help them come up with a plan. Before anyone could throw the first punch however, Happosai raised his hand.“Oh wait, I almost forgot. Since you two have already gone through round one, you boys might be running a little empty. Pulling out a capsule, Happy popped it open, revealing a fresh basket of buns.“Care for a little snack?”As Happosai brandished the food, the spying blonde duo quietly gasped before Sharpner harshly whispered, "Text Videl, NOW!"[]Pausing at the park entrance, Videl received Erasa’s text and smiled. “Okay, it looks like Gohan’s all set.”“But Ranma’s not here yet and he’s still better than us at the Sealing Wave.”“We’ll worry about that later. Right now, I just want to get Erasa and Sharpner out of there!”As the two entered the park, Videl’s phone buzzed again with yet another message from Erasa. “I almost forgot! The old man…did something to me.”Both girls narrowed their eyes as they could only imagine what sort of debaucherous actions he could’ve submitted her to.
“What. Did. He. Do!?”
“I don’t wanna say it! It’s too embarrassing!”
“Erasa, you’re my best friend, you can tell me. Besides, if he did anything to humiliate you, well that just means the others and I will have to kick his ass harder.” There was a brief pause between messages before Erasa finally replied, though her response would leave the flying fighter bewildered.
“…I don’t know what he did exactly, but whenever he snaps his fingers…I…pull my shirt down.”
“Ummmm…what?”“What? What’d she say?”Videl showed her phone off to Akane who at first shared in Videl’s confusion before realization and worry flashed across her face. “Hey Videl? I think we may need a bit more context.”Videl texted Erasa back, asking her to elaborate and she received a cliff-notes version of events; Sharpner’s car running out of gas, their trek through the park, meeting Happosai, eating the buns he offered them and then Gohan and Taro showing up.“Oh no….”“Akane, what’s wrong?”“YO!”The girls quickly turned their attention back towards the park entrance to find Ranma dashing in.“Ranma? What happened to the Crane Master?”“I dunno. He said somethin’ about the old freak bein’ a traitor then just up and left. Enough about him though, what’re you two waitin’ over here for?”“Ranma, I think we’ve got a bigger problem than we thought,” Akane interjected.“Whatcha mean?”“Remember that time you were forced to hug anyone who sneezed?”Ranma shuddered, crossing his arms. “Ugh, don’t remind me. What’s that got to do with…? Wait…you don’t mean…!?”Akane quickly presented Videl’s phone to him, letting him read the conversation and Ranma quickly shared her dread. ‘Well I guess that explains why the Bird Guy flew away,’ Ranma mentally noted.“You guys want to fill me in?”“In a second. Right now, ask Erasa for an update!” Akane ordered.Videl quickly texted Erasa and received word that ‘The old man just offered Gohan and the monster guy a basket of buns’, causing Ranma and Akane to freak out.“Screw this! I’m stoppin’ this thing now!” In a hasty rush, Ranma leapt into a nearby tree before bounding off to the next.“Wait, Ranma!” Videl called out to him but was halted by Akane.“No, he’s got the right idea! We need to move, NOW! I’ll fill you in on the way!” grasping Videl by the wrist, Akane dashed into the park, after Ranma.[]“What are you playing at old man?” Taro deadpanned.“What? I do want to see a good fight and its best not to battle on an empty stomach.”Taro crossed his arms. “I decline. My next meal will be a victory feast.”Saiyaman raised a hand and interjected, “Well, if he doesn’t want it, I’ll take one.”“Ahhhh, now that’s the spirit!”[]Sharpner and Erasa watched fearfully as Gohan reached for Happosai’s basket.“Erasa, we gotta do something!”“But what…!? I don’t wanna go back out there because…!”“…Right, forgot about…that,” a flushed Sharpner replied. “But we can’t let Gohan eat one of those things! Just think what he could make him do!”Erasa bit her lip as a scene of Saiyaman destroying countless buildings played in her mind. Sharpner was right. Gohan was their friend and since Videl and the others were still AWOL, it was up to them to save him.“Sharpner, if he does…that again, you better not look!”“I can only promise to try,” he smirked as Erasa puffed her cheeks.“Fine, I promise not to, now lets save Gohan already!”With a nod, the two stood up, prepared to leap out, but before they could, a red blur whizzed in followed by a loud thud. From a cloud of dust stood a pigtailed boy, with his leg raised.Sharpner and Erasa quickly ducked back into their hiding spot, relieved that they didn’t have to reveal themselves.“Well, that was lucky, but who the Hell is that guy?”“Its Akane’s boyfriend!”[]‘Ranma?’“RANMA!?”“Cross-dresser!”Ignoring Taro’s nickname, the pigtailed fighter let out a relieved sigh. “Few, looks like I made it just in time!”“Where on Earth did you come from!?” Happosai paused as he realized his basket was now gone. “And what did you do to my precious buns!?” Happosai demanded.“Those buns are for the birds now, ya old freak! I know what you’re up to and I ain’t gonna let you-!”Ranma was cut off as an irate Taro swiftly grabbed him by the collar. “What. The Hell. Are you DOING!?” he growled.“Saving your ass, that’s what! See the old freak-!”“What you’re doing is ruining everything!” An irate Taro cut him off. In a frustrated frenzy, Taro tossing him into a nearby bush where he would wind up colliding headfirst with a spying Sharpner, narrowly missing a startled, yelping Erasa. Upon checking on the two, it looked like they were both out cold.“Uhhhh…boys?”Happosai quickly turned towards the noise’s source positive he’d heard an appealing sound. He’d be dissuaded however by Taro bringing the topic back to their deal. “Well now that the cross dresser’s gone, Saiyaman and I can…wait…where did he go?”Sure enough, in the confusion of Ranma’s entry, Saiyaman had disappeared.“No! He’s gone!”“At ease you two,” the hero announced as he descended, the wooden basket in hand. “I’m right here. Apologies for my impromptu vanishing act, but I believe in not wasting perfectly good food.”Happosai gave a relieved sigh. “Oh its no worries, and thank you for saving my buns.”“How’d you get them anyway?” asked Taro.Gohan remained silent but recalled instinctively warping up to catch the basket after Ranma kicked it away (Saiyans just couldn’t let go of food)…though that did make him realize, ‘Where’d Ranma go?’[]Erasa desperately tried to shake the boys awake, but to no avail. Her worries only grew as she heard Gohan talking to Taro and Happosai. She couldn’t make out everything, but their talk of buns only made her more and more anxious.“Well, since you were kind enough to save my hard earned work, it’s only fair for you to finally get to indulge in it.”Opening the basket, Gohan could fully take in the buns’ appetizing aroma, and they smelled just as good as they looked. Despite Happosai being the deviant that he is, he may also be a fairly decent cook.Happosai could only watch in silent delight as Gohan picked a bun from the basket and tossed it in his hand. Instinctively, he slowly approached the unassuming hero with a smirk on his face and his hand raised. Gohan finally opened his mouth for a bite when a familiar female voice suddenly called out.“Gohan don’t!”All eyes turned to Erasa who’d, without thinking burst from her hiding spot. Gohan and Taro were both surprised to see her, thinking that she’d already escaped from earlier, but Happosai was wholly elated the moment he saw her!“My precious melons have returned to me!” Immediately, he launched himself at Erasa, but was grabbed by Saiyaman.“Now, now, there’s no need for that.”Happosai smirked and replied, “Oh no worries, we can all enjoy the show,” before Gohan or Taro could question him, Happosai snapped his fingers and a tearful Erasa quickly tugged her top down.Taro was taken aback as Saiyaman’s eyes bugged out through his visor and he let out a flabbergasted yelp, throwing his arms up in surprise. While Happosai was freed from Gohan’s grasp (reclaiming the dropped basket as well), both Taro and Gohan had their eyes glued to Erasa’s chest before pair of female voices called out, “DON’T LOOK!”Their attention was drawn before both Taro and Gohan had their vision obscured by a newly arrived Videl while an accompanying Akane launched a fist at Happosai who’d tried to go after Erasa again, forcing him to back off.“Wha-Videl!?”“Videl! Oh thank God!” Erasa beamed as she was finally able to fix her shirt.“Oh wow, Akane and her lovely friend are here too! What a welcome surprise! I didn’t expect you two darlings to show up today!” Happosai beamed.“Stuff it old man!” Akane snapped. “We know what you’re up to and we won’t let you get away with it!”“Wait, what is he up to?” asked Gohan. “I thought he only wanted Taro to defeat me.”“Did Ranma not fill you guys in? Wait, where is Ranma?” Videl noted.Right on cue, a hefty aura began emanating from a nearby bush and from the leaves stood an angered Ranma, glaring daggers at Taro.“Pantyhose TARRROOOO!”“Don’t call me that you crossdressing BASTARD!”Taro immediately broke away from Videl and rushed at Ranma who bounded back at him and the two began striking at each other in midair before landing, poised to attack again. Their imminent battle would be halted by Akane stepping between them.“Would you two break it up and focus!?”“Out of my way wench, unless you wish to face my vengeance first!”“Leave Akane alone!” Ranma and Videl shouted in unison.“After ruining our plan, you traitors don’t get to order me around anymore!” Taro growled.“Traitors!? We’re trying to save your ungrateful ass ya moron!” Ranma shot back.“From what!? Your own idiocy!?”“Uhh guys.”“WHAT GOHAN!?”“Happosai’s gone.”Everybody froze and quickly surveyed the area. Sure enough, the impish master had disappeared during the confusion, and from what Gohan could tell, he was suppressing his chi so even he couldn’t find where he was right now.“Grrrrgh, DAMMIT!” Ranma swore, snapping his fingers in frustration.
Boing.
All eyes turned to a now topless Erasa before everyone screamed. The guys in shock while the girls hastily tried preserving the buxom blonde’s modesty.“Ranma you pervert.”“Oh gimme a break! That was instinctive!” he defended.“What the hell is wrong with this girl anyway. Are you some sort of exhibitionist?” Taro spat.“Take that back you jackass!” snapped Videl.“IT’S NOT MY FAULT!” Erasa cried as she fell to her knees.“Ummm…with all due respect…why did you…do that?” Gohan coyly asked.“That’s what we were trying to save you guys from. Happosai put some kind of spell on her and was trying to do the same to you guys,” Akane explained.“What!?”“How?”The explanation would be silenced as a small ball fell from the sky and landed in between the group of teens. Ranma and Akane shrieked as they recognized it as a Fire Burst Ball.“Hit the deck!”Everyone dashed aside as the firecracker exploded. Before anyone could wholly recover, a large volley of Fire Burst bombs began raining all over the area. Everyone ducked for cover except Saiyaman, who took the offensive approach and began trying to shoot them all down before they could hit the ground.All sans Videl watched in awe as one by one, Gohan blasted them all down with simple Ki Blasts. Bit by bit, every last fire burst ball exploded in a brilliant flash. Many remaining onlookers stopped to marvel at the appealing explosions while some made themselves scarce, still weary of that battle between Saiyaman and the winged monster.Once the barrage, seemingly ended, everyone poked their heads out from their hiding spots, checking if the coast was clear.“I think it’s over,” said Saiyaman.“One more!” called a random voice.Everyone ducked back to cover as Gohan whipped around to blast it but held back when he realized it wasn’t an explosive, but…a bun. Catching the finger food, Gohan shrugged and took a bite of it. Once everyone took a look at the scene, Ranma, Akane, and Videl all froze.“Gohan…?”“Yeah?”“…Where did you get that bun?”(A/N: Bun button)“It fell out of the sky, why?”The answer appeared in the form of Happosai, appearing from seemingly nowhere and descending onto Gohan’s helmet. “ATTACK PANTYHOSE TARO AND HIS ALLIES!”Before anyone could react, Gohan was struck with a Fire Burst Ball for real. While Gohan was unharmed, Happosai was charred on the ground.“What happened?”“Where did that last attack come from?” asked Akane.“Hey guys!”All eyes turned to the disheveled bush to see a Sharpner emerge, holding his head.“Sharpner, you’re okay!” Erasa beamed. The blonde jock chuckled as she ran up to him“I forgot he was here too,” Videl whispered.“Don’t tell him that,” Gohan grinned as he picked up the unconscious Happosai.“Sorry I missed the show, but I guess my fastball came in clutch,” Sharpner boasted as he dusted himself off.“What are you talkin’ about?” asked Ranma.[Moments ago]
While Gohan was shooting fire bursts out of the sky, the deafening noise caused an unconscious Sharpner to begin to stir. “Wha…? Wha happun-?”
Rubbing his head, Sharpner leaned against the nearby tree, but quickly noted the rustling of leaves above him. Glancing up, Sharpner was hit in the head with something round. Picking it up, he growled as he fully turned his attention upwards and could just barely make out Happosai sitting on a branch.
Sharpner was lost as he’d missed everything prior to his awakening, but he could tell something bad was afoot. To his surprise, Happosai threw something at Gohan that the costumed Saiyan caught, though Sharpner couldn’t make out what it was. He was given no time to think about it though as Happosai leapt from the tree onto Gohan’s head.
Needing to act fast, Sharpner wound up and chucked the round thing he’d caught earlier at Gohan. He figured even if he missed the old man and hit Gohan, he could take it so might as well take a chance. To his surprise however, the ball exploded and Sharpner was less certain Gohan was alright, though thankfully it seemed his gamble paid off. Gohan’s costume barely looked any worse, but Happosai was covered head to toe in soot as he hit the ground.
[]
“Wow, that was clutch Sharpner,” Videl praised.“Yeah, sorry about the whole explosion though. I didn’t know the thing was a bomb,” Sharpner apologized to Gohan.“No worries. I’ve taken much worse than a firecracker,” Gohan dismissed. “Back on topic though, what was he even trying to do?”Videl and the others quickly explained Happosai’s buns with the kairaishiand revealed their theory that he was trying to control one of them, making both Taro and Gohan shudder with fear.“And…I ate one!?” Gohan trembled.“Thankfully, I think Sharpner stopped him from giving Gohan a command,” said Akane.“And even if he did, it’ll wear off sooner or later,” Ranma added.“How much later!?” Erasa interjected.“Should be at or around bedtime,” he shrugged.“That’s all well and good, but what do we do now?” asked Taro. “If he was hiding in that tree the whole time, then he clearly heard us and knows that we were plotting something against him. I find it highly unlikely he’ll be willing to bargain with me now.”He fighters pondered before Akane’s face alit. “Wait, you said he had a form written out, right?”“Yeah?”“Well can’t we just steal it then put the old freak away?”There was a pregnant pause before Taro barked out, “Give him to me now!!!” before reaching for Happy’s motionless body from Gohan.“Huh…kind of an anticlimactic ending for this whole thing, wouldn’t you say?” said Akane.“As long as the old freak bites it, who cares?” Ranma replied.“True.”Rummaging through his robe, Taro found a few feminine garments, much to the girls’ disgust, a couple of capsules the guys opened (revealing more garments and a binder full of lewd snapshots), and yet another fire burst ball. A frustrated Taro tossed the explosive away, as he continued searching Happosai’s person. Everything would halt however, when the ball exploded.Once the ‘boom’ rang out, everyone froze as, in the next instance, Pantyhose Taro would find a fist driven into his gut, courtesy of the Great Saiyaman himself!“What…the hell…!” Taro coughed before clutching his stomach and falling to his knees.“Gohan! What did you do that for!?” Videl chided.“I…don’t know. I just…moved without thinking…!” Gohan stammered.“Ohohohohoho, I get it now!” beamed a raspy voice.All eyes turned to Taro to find Happosai’s robes with a substitution doll in it. The real Happosai would emerge from behind Saiyaman’s cape, perching atop his head once more before bounding off to a nearby bench“Get back here old man!” shouted a newly invigorated Taro.Happosai pulled out a fire burst ball but instead of throwing it at the group, he merely tossed it up and let it explode harmlessly. In the next instance, Saiyaman appeared before Taro and kicked him in the torso, launching him into a nearby tree.“Gohan!? What are you doing!?” Videl yelped.“Oh…no…!” Ranma and Akane looked on in dread, realizing what was happening.“That’s right kiddies!” Happosai taunted. “I’d intended to merely use a classic snap, but it seems our pal muscle head over there made it so the command to trigger the kairaishi is actually a good old bang!”Happosai then spiked yet another fire burst ball onto the ground, causing Gohan to strike at the still downed Taro, though thankfully, Ranma was able to move him aside in time.As Gohan reeled back from his involuntary strike, he could only look back at his group of friends, a feeling of dread washing over him.‘What do we do now?’[To be Continued]
Ranma: I’m sorry to hear about…you know.
Gohan: Its fine. It happens to everyone at some point or another…it just…feels too soon.
Akane: Its always too soon.
Videl: But hey, look on the bright side. Don’t you guys have a new series coming out?
Ranma: That’s right! We’re back and set to kick some ass!
Akane: Come to think of it…don’t you guys have a new series coming out the same month as ours?
[Videl crosses her arms]
Videl: I don’t know, do we?
[Gohan rubs his head]
Gohan: Sorry. She’s just a little ruffled since neither of us have been shown off yet. To be honest, it is…concerning to say the least.
Ranma: Well, even if neither of you are in the new show, don’t ya also got a new game coming out too?
[Gohan and Videl high five]
G/V: Oh yeah!
Akane: Crazy to think how much has happened after all this time…although now that I think about it, when was the last Chapter?
[Gohan pulls out a laptop]
Gohan: According to this it was…OVER A YEAR AGO!?
Everybody: WHAAAAT!?
(A/N: Yup, it’s been over a YEAR since I last updated. Wish I could give you all some dramatic tale about how I literally
couldn’t update due to crazy circumstances, but honestly it was all just a combination of writer’s block and a lack of motivation. It wasn’t just this story, but after a while I couldn’t write anything at all. I figured maybe a bit of a break would be in order, but that break just kept extending as I desperately tried to string this whole mess of a chapter together in my spare time. Eventually, I had to just bite the bullet and start from scratch and it wound up being my longest chapter to date at 8.5K words (not counting the bits at the start an end and this A/N. Still wasn’t easy, but progress has been made. I’ve probably said this before, but I cannot stress enough: making the antagonist a genuine threat when one character is just so much more vastly powerful than them is a HARD thing to do. Last time I needed to do it, I had to exploit a secret weakness, but this time, I’m turning said powerhouse into the problem.
Fun Fact, my original intention was to have Happosai bust out the Weakness Moxibustion again, but that lead to one
very major problem: How exactly was Happosai supposed to hit Gohan with it? Maybe I could’ve thought of something, but nothing I came up with didn’t sound extremely contrived, so I took a step back and decided to scour the Ranma manga for anything else that could be genuinely dangerous to someone like Gohan and eventually recalled that the only thing Saiyans love more than combat is food and eventually it all started coming together. I almost ran into a similar problem, but getting someone who loves food to eat something spiked is an easier task than striking someone with super reflexes with a tiny projectile.
Something I also didn’t expect to get mileage out of was Sharpner and Erasa. They were just supposed to be bystanders, something to give the heroes extra motivation to stop Happy, but they were surprisingly rather involved here. Can’t say the same for the Crane Hermit, though I couldn’t just
not mention him. He served his purpose, he’s not important anymore, he’s gone. Hopefully I can wrap this “Arc” up next chapter cause I wanna move onto the next part already! The next ‘arc’ is something I’ve had cooking in my mind for a LONG time and I’m dying to get it out there. I can’t say for certain when I’ll update again, but I can (hopefully) promise it’ll be less than 14 months.)
PS: As the characters already pointed out, new Ranma anime plus Dragon Ball Daima in October. Looking forward to both, though I do have my worries. I won’t spell out those worries, but to give you an idea for one of them, let’s just say, and to reference another massive event happening this year, ‘There’s a reason I’m glad MHA is ending, and its not cause I hate the series’ (On the topic of a series ending, Twin Star Exorcists is also ending this year and you all should read it. It’s peak shounen). Either way, in terms of Dragon Ball and/or Ranma, Sparking Zero is where all my hype is at right now (though finally getting that elusive final Ranma 2-in-1 manga was also a highlight). Looking forward to making some what-if fights and I hope Android 21 gets added as DLC.
Final Note: I’m not gonna make the characters reacting to current events a regular thing, but its something I thought of doing a while ago in the light of Toriyama’s passing, also because it’s been so long since the last update. I MIGHT bring it back on occasion, but again, it won’t be recurring.
Once more, R.I.P Akira Toriyama and thank you. Your work has inspired so many the world over, myself included.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
My Life’s Stranger Than Yours
Happosai’s Hectic Chase! The Anything Goes Gambit!
Saiyaman clenched his wavering fist as he and his comrades glared daggers at a sniggering Happosai who was bouncing yet another Fire Burst ball in his hand.“Well kiddos, its your move,” he taunted.“When I get my hands on you, I’m gonna…!”Ranma’s threat was cut off by Happosai snapping his fingers and everyone scrambling once Erasa once again pulled her top down. Though Gohan and Ranma had the courtesy to look away this time, Sharpner was obstructed by the girls. This little mess gave Happosai the opening to toss the explosive. Though before he could flee, he narrowly avoided a thin beam, courtesy of a downed, but still conscious Pantyhose Taro.“You’re not going any…!”Taro’s threat was stifled by Happosai’s bomb exploding, prompting Gohan to pound his head into the ground.“Thank you Great Saiyaman! You truly are my hero!” Happosai called as he bounded off towards a nearby tree.“You ain’t getting away!” Ranma leapt after him only to also be halted by Gohan’s fist as a second fire burst ball went off somewhere in midair.“S-Sorry…” Gohan apologized as he gently let a reeling Ranma down.“The hell…did you punch me for…!? Thought you were only hittin’ Pantyhose Ta-!”“DON’T CALL ME THAT!”Taro and Ranma instantly went to blows while the others took a moment to recuperate.“Well…glad to see he’s feeling better,” Akane droned.“Why did he attack Ranma though?” asked Erasa.“Happosai ordered me to attack Taro and his friends, so I guess that just means anyone he was working with for that trap.”Gohan’s explanation drew a touch of concern from the girls. So far, Gohan’s only attacked Taro and Ranma…but if Gohan’s theory was right and the trigger were to be pulled when they were alone with Gohan…would that mean…?“Ohohohoho!”Happosai’s taunting laughter echoed across the clearing as he bounced between the trees, putting everyone on edge. Gohan was certain he could catch him, but was hesitant due to the Fire Burst Balls. Even if he did catch him, if another ball exploded, the spell from the bun would likely force him to release the old lecher anyway, not to mention the risk of hurting the others.“Guys, I think we should fall back and rethink this,” said Gohan.“Not a chance! I’m not leaving without that form!” snapped Taro.“Oh, you mean this form?”All eyes turned towards the voice’s direction before witnessing several scraps of paper flutter from the tree’s leaves. Taro’s expression quickly fell to one of despair. “N-no…NO!” Falling to his knees, a hysteric Taro grasped the scraps, tears streaming down his face.“…And now the monster guy is crying…” Sharpner deadpanned.“That’s what you get for crossing me boy, but don’t think we’re done here!” Happosai taunted. “You whelps aren’t going anywhere until I get my prize!”.“What prize?” asked Sharpner.“Later, but first things first, we need a distraction,” Gohan ordered.“Got it. Erasa, flash him again!”Sharpner quickly took two hits to the face from Akane and Videl before Erasa cried out “I’m not gonna-!”She was silenced by a pair of snapping fingers courtesy of Ranma. The moment her shirt fell, an elated Happosai leapt from his hiding spot in the trees and launched himself straight at her bust…only to then be met with a fist to the back of the head and planted straight into the hard pavement.“Hehe, works every time,” Ranma snickered.“Raaaaan-!”“You can punish him for that later Akane. Right now, we should retreat!” said Gohan.“Why? The freak’s right there, let’s just-!” Ranma halted his thoughts as a familiarly menacing aura began emanating from Happosai’s collapsed form.“On second thought…SAOTOME FINAL ATTA-WHOA!”Ranma yelped as everyone darted off, Akane grabbing and dragging him by his pigtail. Gohan hung back with Pantyhose Taro who was hysterically trying to piece the paper back together.“Come on!”“Not yet…just another minute or so and I’ll have it all…!”“You’re…getting...NOTHING!” Happosai growled as he finally managed to pull himself free. “Sorry boy, but all your dreams are gonna go BOOM!”Happosai’s implicative words drew a tinge of worry from Gohan. “Dammit!” In a rush, Gohan grabbed Taro by the collar and blasted off just as Happosai lobbed a Fire Burst ball at them. Thanks to Gohan’s inhuman speed, he was able to get out of earshot when it exploded. Though Pantyhose Taro was spared the indignity of getting sucker punched, the name change form was quickly reduced to ashes.The explosion’s flames flared up as Happosai, his own aura burning, made a bold proclamation. “You younglings can run, but before this day is that photo will be mine, MINE!”[]Moments later, Gohan with Taro in hand finally reunited with the others on the outskirts of the park to find Ranma face down in the ground with a large smoking lump on his head, Sharpener seated beside him with a handprint on his face, and all three girls glaring at them, their arms crossed.“Uhhhh…what’d we miss?” Gohan stammered.“Nothing much. Just getting Ranma back for that stunt he pulled a moment ago,” said Akane.“And Sharpner for giving him the idea in the first place!” Erasa added.“I mean…it worked didn’t it?” said Sharpner.Erasa raised her hand to smack Sharpner again, but was halted by Gohan grabbing her by the wrist. “Okay…as much as I’m sure these two deserved what you girls did to them, I think we should focus.”“Focus on what!?” snapped a revitalized Pantyhose Taro. “That treacherous old shit destroyed the form and there’s no chance in Hell he’ll change my name now!”Erasa and Sharpner paused at Taro’s hysteric declaration before the latter exclaimed, “Wait, what!?”“Do you guys think you could give us the full details on what exactly is going on here?” Erasa added.The fighters took a moment to give a quick rundown on Pantyhose Taro’s desire to get his name changed and their plan to fake a bargain with Happosai and put him away for good afterwards.“Huh…you’d think all this BS would be super excessive just to get your name legally changed, but I don’t think I can blame ya, ‘Pantyhose’,” Sharpner sneered.In an instant, Taro drove his fist into Sharpner’s gut. When he doubled over, he grabbed him by the collar and glaring daggers straight into his eyes, he growled, “Do. Not. Call me. That!”“Karma’s bitter Sharpner,” Erasa grinned.“Back on topic, what do we do now? Our plan was good on paper, but everything possible went wrong“Well, only thing left to do now is catch the old freak and put him away for good.”“You will do NO such thing! Not until that filthy little bastard changes my name!” Taro declined.“Whatever you say Pantyhose Ichiro.”As Taro was about to lunge at Ranma, his attention shifted to a snickering Sharpner. “Is something funny blondie!?”“Nope…,” Sharpner clammed up.“If you guys are finished, we need a new plan here!” Videl snapped.“We already have one,” Ranma interjected. “Give him a taste of his own medicine, or in this case, his own buns.”Akane quickly perked up. “Right! It worked with Shampoo last time.”“But how are you guys supposed to do that?” asked Erasa.Adding his two cents, Sharpner said. “Little bastard is pretty damn squirmy. I doubt you’ll be able to catch him, let alone force a bun in his mouth,”A cocky smirk grew onto Ranma’s face. “Chasin’ him’s a pain in the ass but it ain’t nothin’ new. Plus we could always just lure him in if all else fails.”Erasa quickly covered her chest. “I swear, if you’re thinking about using my boobs as bait again, Videl will kick your ass!”Ranma snickered with a sarcastic, “Right….”“Okay first, Erasa, don’t use me as a threat. Second, what do you mean, ‘Right’?”“Guys! Focus!” Akane interjected.“Oh no worries, he wasn’t planning on using you as bait. In fact…” Taro uncapped a bottle of water before squirting it onto an unsuspecting Ranma’s head. “…he was just getting ready to volunteer himself.”“No the hell I wasn’t!” Ranma snapped at a snickering Taro.“Would you two break it up!” Akane intervened.“Well as I was saying, I didn’t mean me or Erasa here, I meant…!” As Ranma turned back to Erasa and Sharpner only to find the blonde duo completely stunned silence. “What?”“Oh! That’s right, they don’t know about Ranma’s curse, do they?” asked Gohan.“Wait…curse?”The group quickly explained how the same magic that turns Pantyhose Taro into a monster also makes Ranma swap genders and the pair took to it surprisingly well. After everything they’ve seen like that giant bug monster (among other things), this was relatively low key.“Now that everyone’s up to speed, can I say my plan now?” an irritated Ranma crossed her arms.“One question,” said Sharpner.Ranma rolled her eyes. “What?”“Are those actually real?”Everyone stumbled over at Sharpner’s question.“We’re in the middle of a situation here and that’s what you choose to focus on!?” Ranma snapped.“Not to mention its rude to ask a lady something so personal!” Saiyaman added.“But…he’s not really a girl right so…is it really?” Sharpner tried to defend.Ranma opened her mouth to retort but instead yelped as a soft pair of hands grasped her chest from behind.“They feel real enough to me,” said Erasa.“Get offa me!” Ranma shoved Erasa back into a disapproving Videl.“Really Erasa? Really!?”“What? I’m a girl, and I just wanted to know how big they were. Besides, this makes us even for making me do that in front of the old man,” Erasa argued.‘Why does that sound so familiar?’ Videl pondered.”Ranma rolled his eyes. “Fine, you got me there…though to answer your question, they’re smaller than yours but still bigger than Akane and Videl,” he replied rather proudly, brandishing his feminine assets.As the aforementioned girls pounded Ranma in the head, a flushed Gohan could only watch the scene play out in bewilderment. ‘Should…should I be listening to this?’“You can all gawk at the crossdresser later, for now, just let him speak.” Taro interjected.“I ain’t a crossdresser!”The two threw punches at each other, but both were halted by Gohan, catching both of fists. “Getting back on topic, what I think Ranma meant is he’ll still come after us for the picture.” he interjected.Taro paused before he and the girls exclaimed, “Oh yeah! I almost forgot about that!”“What picture?” asked a confused Erasa and Sharpner.“The…prize he mentioned before,” Gohan answered.Ranma nodded. “There ain’t no chance he won’t come chasing after us for the thing…frankly, I’m surprised he hasn’t shown up already.”Unbeknownst to the young fighters, Happosai had gotten distracted by the sudden appearance of a trio of young women. As his mind thought back to Erasa, a sickening grin arose on his face.“So we have bait if we need it, but we still need to steal the buns from him,” noted Videl.“You don’t think he’d be willing to just trade the photo for the buns do you?” Gohan grinned.“Gohan, be serious here!” Videl scolded.Ranma and Akane paused contemplatively before the former replied, “He is stupid enough to fall for it in the right circumstances, so we’ll make that a backup plan.”“Back on track, how do we steal the buns?”“The old fashioned way!” Ranma proclaimed.“Ranma, get real. Do you really think you can just swipe them off of him?” asked Akane.“Maybe, but I won’t have to if he just gives one to me.”“I thought you said that was the backup plan.”“I said trading was the backup plan. I’m talking about the old-fashioned way,” Ranma tugged at his shirt.“Soooooo…you are gonna use your boobs as bait after all?” asked Sharpner. His answer came in the form of Ranma, kicking him in the face.“Ranma, even Happosai wouldn’t just hand you one, even if you decide to flash him.”“I’m not gonna…!” Ranma sighed. “You know what, never mind. You’ll get it when you see it.”Akane and Pantyhose Taro both wore a disbelieving look but held their tongues. Given the circumstances, Ranma’s plan was currently their only plan so they had to follow his lead.“Well, if you guys have gotten everything figured out, then I think Sharpner and I are gonna bow out,” Erasa shakily proclaimed.“If you want, I could fly you guys home. Hate to say it but…I’d probably be a liability at this point,” Gohan shamefully offered.“Sad but true.” Taro was then met with an elbow to the ribs“If that’s on the table, then can you drop me off at a station instead? I can get home myself after I fill up,” said Sharpner.“Sure.”As the two bystanders clung onto Gohan, Videl halted their ascent and asked, “What are you going to do afterwards?”“I’ll stay airborne and see if I can help from the air. It’s probably best to stay out of earshot of any explosions.”As soon as the words left Gohan’s mouth, Videl perked up. “Wait a second…. I think I have an idea myself!”“What idea?”Videl took her blonde friend by the hand before taking to the sky. “Sorry Erasa, but I still need you for a bit. Gohan, come with me. You three can go after Happosai and we’ll join you later.”“Wait, ‘we’?”Gohan and Erasa barely had time to ask before Videl shot off into the sky, Saiyaman in pursuit.The three remaining fighters could only watch them disappear in bewilderment. “What do you think she’s planning?” asked Akane.Ranma shrugged. “No idea, but you heard what she said. Let’s find the old freak!”“Right!”The trio then dashed off in a dusty burst leaving a flabbergasted Sharpner alone. “Fine…guess I’m walking to the station.” As soon as Sharpner turned to leave, he was unceremoniously hoisted up by the back of his shirt.“What the-!?”“Sorry Sharpner, but I remembered there’s a station by Videl’s place.”“That’s great but watch the shirt Gohan!”With Sharpner in hand, Gohan soared off to catch back up with the girls.[]In the midst of Satan City, a jovial Happosai skipped about the streets humming to himself. “Well now, who’d guess that I’d be able to salvage such a chaotic day? As much as it pains me to see that ingrate, Pantyhose Taro turn traitor, I can’t be mad after the massive haul I got.”After Ranma and the gang escaped, Happosai had retaken up his previous guise of a friendly, old man sharing homemade buns and unfortunately, had already amassed a crowd of willing samplers. Thankfully, a number of them being young men and children had urged Happosai to turn them away, but that didn’t prevent a number of young women from falling victim to the ‘stripping snap’.Once the women had shed themselves of their clothes it was easy pickings for the old lecher to swipe them and make his escape.Taking a seat on bench, Happosai took a breath. “Hmmmmm…maybe I should just call it a day. I may not have gotten that coveted photo, but the amount of fresh…juicy melons I’ve seen today more than makes up for it!”Pulling out a capsule, Happosai let out a contemplative hum. “Then again…I can’t let those brats get too uppity in their attempts to fool me, plus I still have Slinging Man under my spell…ah the heck with it! I’ll make those brats pay! Once I’ve had my fun with Supper Man….” Happosai trailed off as the image of Taro and Saiyaman crumpled on the ground played in his mind, quickly followed by the sight of Videl, Akane, Erasa, and Female Ranma all losing their tops.“Ohohohoho…I can’t wait!”Happosai’s solitary laughter paused as a conspicuous blur whizzed past him before settling itself on the edge of the bench. Said blur was revealed to be a girl with long dark hair in a ponytail, clad in athletic attire, fanning herself with her hand.‘Ohoho! This day just keeps getting better!’ Happosai inwardly guffawed.“Phew…that should do it for today…now where’s that café…?” Turning back, seemingly looking for something, the girl finally noticed Happosai. “Oh! Excuse me Gramps, but could you lend me a hand, I’m a little bit lost.”“Oho, it’d be my pleasure, young lady. What can I do ya for?”“I’m just winding down my daily jog and I really need to get some lunch now. I remember there was a café somewhere on my route that looked good, but now I can’t seem to find it. You wouldn’t happen to be able to point me in the right direction, would you?”A glimmer in his eye, Happosai chuckled. “Ohohoho. Though I regrettably can’t say I know where that humble café is, but I think I can help your lunch problem.” Popping a capsule, he presented her a basket. “Might I interest you in one of my buns? I’ve been sharing quite a few with the good folks around town, but I can definitely spare one for a pretty young lass like you.”When the girl took a look at the basket, she began to sweat. The appearance of the buns wasn’t an issue, but what was an issue was the number of them, or rather the number of it. There was only a single bun left, a fact that did not go unnoticed by the pair of onlookers atop the building behind them.“Well…that makes things…a bit more difficult,” said Akane.“Difficult, no. Perilous, possibly,” replied Pantyhose Taro. “The goal remains the same. All this means is that we’ll only have one shot, so that damned cross-dresser better not screw this up.”Akane glanced at the thermos besides her, hoping she wouldn’t have to use it just yet. Knowing Pantyhose Taro, he’d do something rash if Ranma took too long.[]‘How the Hell did this damned freak get rid of so many buns so quickly!?’ Ranma inwardly snapped. ‘Whatever, I just gotta make this count.’ Putting on his best demure girl face, Ranma coyly replied, “Oh Gramps, you’ve only got one bun left, I couldn’t possibly-!”“Oh nonsense dear girl! These buns were meant to be shared with lovely young ladies like you!” Happosai“Well then…can we split it?” Ranma asked, flittering her eyebrows.Happosai crossed his arms with a contemplative look on his face. “Tempting, but I must insist you take the whole thing. A culinary work such as this is best eaten whole.”Ranma sighed. They were only going in circles at this point. He knew getting Happosai to eat the bun willingly would be nigh impossible, but they had to at least try. Time for Plan B.“Well Gramps, if you insist…” Hesitantly, Ranma took the bun before attempting to stroll away. “Thanks for the snack!”“Whoa, whoa, don’t leave just yet. Be a friend and tell your ol’ gramps how it tastes,” Happosai bounded in front of Ranma, blocking his path. “I put quite a lot of time and heart into buns, so I enjoy getting feedback.”“Well, if you say so.” With a conspicuous smirk, Ranma began tossing the bun in his hand, gradually getting higher and higher with each toss. Happosai on the sidelines, eagerly watched the bun rise and fall, getting more and anxious with each throw. Finally Ranma threw it as high as he could see it and opened his mouth. Happosai said the buns were best eaten whole, so Ranma was going to hold him to it.As the bun fell, Happosai’s mouth gradually opened in vapid anticipation, just what they wanted. Subtly, Ranma pulled his arm back, seemingly poised to strike. In that instance, Akane quickly realized Ranma’s plan and crossed her fingers. If he was planning that then this could be their one chance. With an open palm, Ranma struck forth and-“S’cuse me, comin’ through!”A small…pink(?) blur whizzed past Ranma and Happosai. Before they could identify the diminutive figure, a loud squeal echoed across the street, followed by a female voice calling, “Wait! Please come back!”While Hapoposai dashed aside to avoid the large swine that came barreling through, an off guard Ranma was knocked aside. Meanwhile, Akane and Taro above could only freak out as the plan seemed to fall apart.“What was that!?” snapped Akane.“It looked like a girl riding a big pig,” Taro noted.“A girl on a…?” ‘Akari? Why is she here?’“Never mind that, what became of the crossdresser and the old man!?”Glancing down, the two could see Ranma sprawled across the bench and Happosai reclaim the falling bun.“Dammit, he’s got the bun back! Enough of this, I’ll get down there and force it down his throat!”“No wait!” Akane quickly tugged him back, but Taro tried to shove her away. With her considerable strength, Akane was able to counter Taro’s attempts to escape, but the impatient Taro continued to attempt his preemptive attack. Their tug of war would end when a daring Taro switched strategies and pulled her towards him causing her to tumble until they hit the ground, inadvertently knocking over Akane’s thermos.The moment the duo realized their blunder, they both went stone still as things just got worse.[]Ranma finally recovered just as Happosai slowly approached him, bun in hand. Reflexively, he tensed up. He wasn’t sure what just happened, but if Happosai had the bun back, then surely it means the plan failed. To his surprise though, Happosai extended his hand, bun and all.“Pardon me young lady, but it seems you almost dropped the bun when that little ‘accident’ happened. Good thing I was fast enough to catch it for you,” said a jovial Happosai.Ranma nearly tumbled out of his disguise in relief and disbelief. He’d worry about whatever knocked them over later. Right now, he wasn’t going to squander this second chance.“Thanks a ton Gramps!” Ranma reached out to take the bun again, but just as he grasped it, he was struck in the head by something falling, followed by a heated splash.“Gah-! That’s hot!” Ranma shook out his hair, attempting to cool himself off before freezing as a menacing aura flared up behind him.
“Raaaanmm-!”
“Nope!” Ranma preemptively struck Happosai, kicking the angry, off-guard elder away. The moment Ranma was able to mentally recover however, he realized his fatal mistake. “Oh no, THE BUN!”Before the realization could linger, the laced foodstuff dropped promptly into Ranma’s hand. “Huh…what do you know. Good luck for once.”Looking upwards, Ranma raised his hand to show Akane and Taro that he’d procured the bun, much to their relief. Taking Akane by the waist, Pantyhose Taro slowly descended to ground level.“That was too close,” said Akane.“No thanks to you ruining the crossdresser’s disguise.”“That was your-!”“I AIN’T A CROSSDRESSER!”Before Ranma and Taro could attack each other, the trio flinched as a familiar aura flared up from further up the street. Everyone’s training with the Turtle and Crane Alumni helped them sense chi from further away, but they didn’t need sharper senses to feel Happosai’s anger closing in on them.“On second thought, we’ll finish this later.”“Agreed!”The three teens braced themselves as the visage of a furious demon shot forth from up the street. “You damned kids shan’t spoil my fun today!”‘Videl, whatever you guys are doing, please hurry!’[]Having dropped Sharpner off at a nearby gas station, the remaining Orange Star trio arrived at Videl’s home. Upon entering, Videl hastily began rummaging through a drawer at her bedside.“What’s she looking for?” Whispered Erasa.Gohan shrugged right before Videl exclaimed, “Aha! Got it!”The pair turned to see Videl eyeing something with a huge grin on her face. Before she could unveil it however, her watch started beeping.“Ugh, Gohan answer this for me. Erasa, come here.” After tossing her watch to Gohan, Videl pulled Erasa aside while Gohan returned to the balcony.Clearing his throat, Gohan answered the call in full hero persona. “Officer, this is the Great Saiyaman reporting!”
“Saiyaman? Where’s Videl?”
“Momentarily pre-occupied, but she’s right here so whatever she needs to hear, she will.”
“Alright, it’ll actually be much better if both of you hear this. Anyway, we’ve got two major problems. First off, that giant winged cow monster thing is back. I thought you two said you were handling him.”
Gohan’s expression sharpened. Whether Taro transformed willingly or accidently, this likely meant that something on Ranma’s end went wrong.“We are…though its currently a work in progress,” Gohan hesitantly replied. “I can assure you, we’re taking steps to get that taken care of. For now, what’s the second problem?”
“Well…this part is more appropriate for Videl’s ears only but we trust you enough to be professional, so I’ll give you the cliff notes version.”
Gohan’s expression dulled to one of confusion. What did he mean by, ‘appropriate’ for Videl’s ears. With an affirmatory hum, Gohan braced himself for what was next.
“Well…we’ve gotten multiple reports of women having their garments stolen. That’s all I can reveal to you for now, but I can add that the culprit is said to be a small elderly man.”
Gohan’s face turned blue as he pictured the obvious culprit with a large sack on his back.“Thank you for the update sir,” Gohan replied. “Believe it or not we’re actually working on that issue as well. No time to explain, but the two cases are actually connected.”
“Are they now?”
“We’ll fill you in later. For now, we have to get this done. Saiyaman out.” Ending the call, Gohan barged back through the room. “Videl, we’ve got a problem!”“We’ve got a lot of problems Gohan.” Pausing, Videl’s stern expression grew into a smarmy grin. “Thankfully, I’ve got the solution to a big one.”“What solution?”“Gohan, take off your helmet.”[]Chaos erupted in he heart of Satan City as Happosai and the three young fighters clashed, more so Ranma and Pantyhose Taro who were on the offensive, though Akane kept busy by helping play keep away with the poisoned bun.“Give that back!” Happosai dove for Akane who currently had the bun in hand. Just as she was set to defend herself, Happosai was finally caught by Pantyhose Taro.“Finally, I’ve got…!” Taro’s victorious boast was cut short by the reveal that he’d captured a substitution doll. In the next instance, a familiar call rang out.“Happo Fire Burst!”“Incoming!”A trio of round explosives descended towards the trio, but an irate Taro was prepared. Quickly turning up, he aimed his finger. “Dodonpa!”One by one, the fire burst balls exploded, bathing the trio in a layer of smoke. From the smoke burst Happosai who struck at his adolescent adversaries with his pipe. Ranma countered his attack with an upwards kick. As Happosai rebounded off Ranma’s forearm, both parties stood defiantly as the battle came to a brief halt.“If you want your bun back so badly old man, open wide and say ‘Ahhhh!’”,Taro taunted.“In your dreams whelp!” Happosai said whilst twirling his pipe.“Then how’s about a bargain,” Ranma took the bun from Akane. “You eat this bun, and we’ll also throw in this!” Reaching into his shirt, Ranma pulled out the ‘censored’ picture of Bulma and despite some evident falter, Happosai remained firm.“I appreciate the offer, but I decline…although if you’ll allow me a counteroffer…” Happosai pulled a fire burst ball out of his robe. “…Why don’t you eat that bun, hand over the photo and I won’t smoke you brats like the rats you are!”“Hmph, I’d rather stomach Akane’s cooking then eat this ya old freak!” Ranma quickly found the back of his neck being grabbed and his confident expression quickly fell.“Well, if you’re not eating anything, then maybe you should keep your mouth shut!” An angered Akane tossed Ranma over her shoulder towards Happosai who quickly avoided the living projectile.Ever the opportunist, Ranma figured that maybe, if he could recover in midair, he might be able to invoke his original plan and end this battle now. Sadly, an on guard Happosai left no opening that Ranma could strike at, whether he fixed himself or not.As Ranma tumbled to the ground, rolling back on his feet, he’d find himself grabbed yet again, this time by Pantyhose Taro.“What’s the big idea stocking boy?”Knocking Ranma in the head, Taro turned their attention to a nearby hydrant.“Ohhhhhh, I get it.”Aiming his finger, Taro blasted the hydrant with a Dodonpa and the water splashed over the duo changing Ranma back to female and Taro into his chimeric form. With Ranma on his back, the winged bovine towered over the tiny lecher, but Happosai remained undeterred.“Its always a shame when the students just never learn.” Happosai tapped his pipe in hand, mentally prepared for Ranma’s next move, or so he thought.As he’d done countless times before, instead of attacking, Ranma instead pulled his shirt open, revealing his female form’s assets.“Oh…BABY!” Immediately, Happosai leapt at the young redhead before quickly finding all four of his limbs bound by Taro’s tentacles.“Its always a good day when you make things easy for us,” Ranma boasted.As he was raised up to Ranma’slevel, Happy could only curse his own ‘bad luck’. “Curses, shaken by my one weakness!”“Now, why don’t you be a good old fart and take your medicine?” Ranma taunted as he eased the bun towards Happy’s mouth.“Never, you smarmy ingrates!”Happosai continued to turn away from Ranma as the young fighter continuously thrust the bun towards Happosai’s face. Using the Roasting Chestnuts technique Ranma was able to launch a barrage at Happosai, but the old master, even while bound, was swift enough to avoid Ranma’s attempts at force feeding.“Come on…! Gah-!” A frustrated Ranma tried to accelerate his hand until he suddenly felt his hand get struck by something hard.Happosai grinned as he revealed that during the barrage, he’d managed to slip his pipe into his mouth and using the large end, whacked Ranma’s hand causing him to drop the bun.“Akane catch it!”On cue, Akane dove for the falling snack, and with an impressive slide caught it. Sadly for her, the bun was accompanied by a fire burst ball that fell from Happosai’s pant leg.“Eeeek!” With barely a second left, Akane managed to dash away but still caught the latter end of the blast, causing her to fall and the bun to go flying again.“Akane!”With Ranma distracted, Happosai managed to slip another fire burst ball out of his pant leg and with his pipe, knocked it at Ranma who was wholly unable to react in time. The resulting explosion blew not only Ranma but Taro back, causing him to inadvertently release Happosai. Finally free, Happosai bounded off of Taro’s head and launched himself towards the skyward bun.Despite his incredible speed however, the laced food was narrowly snatched away from Happosai’s greedy hands by a surprise assailant. As everyone recovered from the recent scuffle, a familiar, female voice called out, “Looking for this?”All eyes turned to the voice, quickly revealed to be Videl, bouncing the laced bun in her hand.“Videl!”“Oh-hoooo, so the new blood returns! I admit I was having so much fun with my old friends here, I almost forgot about you.”Videl shot Happosai a venom fueled glare, but remained silent, a hint of determination in her gaze.“But if you’re back…does that mean your bouncy blonde friend is here too!? Or what about Sunny Man?”“Forget about them, I’m your opponent now, and I fully intend to make you pay for what you did to them!” Videl proclaimed.Happosai let out a hearty laugh. “You talk a big game girlie, but I haven’t seen anything too impressive from you…aside from those succulent looking thighs of yours.”A recovered Akane quickly stood defensively before Videl. “I won’t let you lay a finger on her you disgusting creep!”Videl put a hand on her shoulder. “Much appreciated Akane, but leave this to me.”Pantyhose Taro let out an angered moo, pulling out a sign that read, “Get serious woman! You don’t stand a chance!”“Hmph, just watch me!”As Videl stepped forth to challenge the old master, the remaining young fighters watched on disbelievingly. As she did however, something he said rang out to them; where was Gohan? His circumstances aside, there’s no way Gohan would let Videl face someone like Happosai alone. The trio quickly recalled their earlier conversation and realized that this challenge was likely bait and Gohan was probably hidden somewhere close. Whatever new plan the two had, they had to be sure they didn’t ruin it.Mere meters away, Videl revealed a capsule. Clicking it, the bun disappeared within, leaving everyone confused. Furthering the confusion, Videl tugged at her collar and slipped the capsule into her shirt.“Videl, what are you doing?” asked Akane.Ignoring her, Videl kept her focus on Happosai and egged him on. “You want it? Come and get it!”Wriggling his fingers, Happosai replied, “Hehehe, gladly!”With an eager laugh, Happosai launched himself at Videl who stood firmly but made no attempt to defend herself. Akane and the boys knew this had to be bait, but it still took quite a bit of restraint for the Tendo heiress not to jump in, and she was hardly the only one as Satan City’s defender, his body hidden and his power suppressed, waited on the sidelines with baited breath, prepared for his cue.‘Videl….’A bead of sweat rolled down Videl’s head as she saw Happosai bounding straight for her. Though confident in her skills, especially after recent events, she wasn’t arrogant enough to think she could take on a master opponent like Happosai in a fair fight. Fortunately, fairness was the last thing on everyone’s mind. While she wasn’t immodest enough to take a page from Ranma’s book and flash him, despite the rather suggestive challenge, she was mischievous enough to flash him literally. With merely seconds to react, Videl put her hands aside her head.Ranma and Akane quickly recalled the pose and realized what was coming next. As Ranma hid behind Taro and Akane turned away, Happosai was left defenseless as Videl unleashed the attack.
“Solar Flare!”
“Gaaaagh!”
Happosai cried out as his eyes were assaulted by the blinding light. While his body flailed wildly as he desperately shielded his eyes, his momentum carried him forward past an evasive Videl and Akane and into the waiting hands of Saiyaman who warped into position.With one hand wrapped around Happosai’s tiny frame, the other kept his already agape mouth open, made even easier by Happy’s strained hollering.“Guys, I got him!!”“Alright! It worked!”Akane and Videl strolled up to regroup with Gohan, but he quickly urged them back.“Not yet!”The girls were left confused until the area surrounding Gohan went up in smoke with a loud ‘Boom’. Happosai must’ve tossed a Fire Burst Ball up while the area was bathed in light, most likely a contingency in case things went too far South for him. Saiyaman appearing should have been super advantageous to him, but to his surprise and dismay however, once the smoke cleared, Happosai was still in Saiyaman’s clutches.“Sorry to disappoint you old master, but your trick no longer has any effect on me!” Saiyaman proclaimed.Happosai could onlyattempt to scream in frustration as the group was finally joined by Ranma and Taro.“What took you guys so long?” asked Gohan.“This idiot fell on me,” Ranma sneered.
“No one told you to stand behind me, and neither you or that girl warned me about the light!”
“You can hit each other later, just give Happosai the bun already!” snapped Akane.“Right.” Videl quickly pulled the capsule out of her shirt and tossed it up. Unbeknownst to the young fighters however, Happosai had one last resort to use. Pulling his foot into and back out of his pant leg, he kicked a small something up into the air, causing two distinct bursting sounds to fill the air and instead of a single bun popping out however, it started raining lingerie much to everyone’s disgust.“What the-!?”“Ewww-!”“The fu-!?”“Gah-!”While everyone quickly tried to free and shield themselves from the fabric rain, Gohan instinctively reached to pull a bra off of his helmet that also obscured his view. Unfortunately that was the opening Happosai needed to free himself from the young hero’s grip.“Gohan!”“Whoop-!”Gohan realized his blunder too late as Happosai slipped out of Gohan’s hand and touched ground. Launching himself back at Saiyaman, he struck the off guard saiyan with a swift kick to the head, dealing negligible damage but knocking his helmet off, revealing a pair of headphones hidden within.
[Many moments earlier]
Back at Videl’s house, while Gohan was speaking with the policeman, Videl had fished a pair of headphones out from her dresser drawer. Long ago, Videl had learned the hard way that between Buu, a dog, and her father’s usual bluster, quiet time was a luxury even she couldn’t always afford.Regardless, she quickly had Erasa put them on and snapped her fingers. Thankfully, it seemed her gambit paid of and Erasa didn’t pull her shirt up. They’d need to quickly test it with a soft explosion to see if it would shield Gohan’s ears from Happosai’s ‘Fire Burst’ attack, but Videl was confident this would work, especially if Happosai couldn’t see it coming.
“Gohan, take off your helmet!”
[]
“So that’s what the deal was!” Happosai smirked. “But now that that’s out of the way…!”Before anyone could strike, Happosai spiked a Fire Burst ball onto the ground, shielding himself in a cloud of smoke and the explosion once again triggering Gohan’s curse, forcing him to strike Pantyhose Taro straight in the gut.Taro let out a shaky moo as he doubled over in pain while Gohan could only curse his own mistake.“Dammit…I need to fall back! Its too dangerous.”“No wait!” Videl called out as Gohan went skyward.“Nah, he’s right. We’re just lucky he default hits Pantyho-““AHA!”The gand turned back to find Happosai amongst the fallen garments holding the bun in his hand.“Catch him dammit!” snapped Akane.“On it!” Ranma immediately pulled his shirt open, but in an impressive display of willpower, Happosai chucked a thermos at Ranma, its contents covering him and turning him male again.“That’s the thermos we dropped before!” noted Akane.“Saw it on the ground and snagged it once Pantyhose Taro let me go before. Not much left, but just enough and still warm enough!”“Heh, not bad old timer, but ya shouldn’t have wasted it on me!” Ranma taunted.An enraged, Taro sprang up behind Happosai, swinging both of his fists down but narrowly missing the evasive elder. Unable to keep his eyes on his speedy foe, Taro was launched away thanks to a swift kick from Happosai who rebounded and landed on a nearby car.“You played a good game kids, but you’re still decades off from defeating me! Now, how exactly can I pay you brats back for making me have to give up my darling-!?”Happosai’s boast and threat was cut short by the car he was on subsequently exploding, launching him skyward. A quick glance upwards showed Gohan with his hand extended. It seems he was being true to his role as ‘air support’ after all.“Nice shot,” Videl murmured.“He still has the bun! After him, quick!”The remaining fighters all dashed for where Happosai seemed to be landing, but before anyone could attempt to grab him, Happosai was struck by something else flying from the opposite direction and knocked to the ground sooner than anticipated.“What the-?”“What was that?”Gohan kept a safe distance, but descended low enough to see alongside the others what crashed into Happosai: an odd-looking bat.“Ummmm…why is a bat flying around in the daytime?” asked Akane.“Who cares? Just grab the-?”Ranma was cut off by a puff of smoke emanating from the bat which then re-revealed itself to be a small anthropomorphic pig.“Wait…Oolong!?”“You know him?”“Oh, what hit me…?” As Oolong began to stir, his eyes went to Videl, the only familiar face. “Oh Videl, how’ ya been? Who’s yer…fr-fr-?”Oolong stammered as his gaze shifted from Akane, to Ranma and finally to Pantyhose Taro who was still in his cursed form!“Monstah!”“Quiet down, I’m sleepin’ here!” snapped a newly conscious Happosai.“Shit, the old man’s awake!”Before anyone could make a move, Happosai quickly grabbed onto to the shuddering, similarly sized Oolong, a Fire Burst ball in hand. “Alright kiddos, nobody move! That goes for Slater Man too!”Videl glanced up and locked eyes with Gohan. After getting the signal to stand down, Gohan silently swore. Guess Happosai was bound to catch on sooner or later. He probably could’ve reclaimed his helmet before flying off, but he was so focused on the potential risk of the curse, he wasn’t thinking.“What the heck’s goin’ on here!?” snapped Oolong.“You don’t need to know, but you kiddos better listen up, cause here’s what’s going down! Give me the picture and I’ll release the swine. If not, then the little piggy goes ‘Wee-Wee’ to the next world!”“Again I ask, what’s goin’ on here!?” Oolong repeated.While Ranma and the girls hesitated in their next move, a frustrated Pantyhose Taro raised his fist to strike.“Stop you idiot!” Ranma called.“Don’t you dare hurt that cute piggy!” A female voice shouted.Oolong could only give a simple, “Oh no...” before a familiar loud squeal filled the air.“What the…?”“Look out!” Akane pulled Ranma aside while Videl and Taro went airborne, leaving a surprised Happosai to get trampled by a familiar, large swine, ridden by none other than Akari Unryu.“Katsunishiki!”The giant pig squealed before assaulting the miniscule master with a barrage of hooved strikes.“Akari?”“So it was her that knocked you down before!” said Akane.“What’s she even doing here?” Ranma asked.“I’m guessing she was chasing after…hey, where’d Oolong go?”The trio surveyed the area to find that the humanoid pig had disappeared. With Happosai getting attacked and everyone’s attention on that, Oolong had taken the opportunity to slip into a nearby alleyway.“Dende, if you can do me a solid, please don’t let any of them find me here!”“Psst…Oolong!”“God damn-!”Oolong’s mouth was covered by a gloved hand revealed to be Gohan. “Calm down its me.”“Gohan? What in blazes is goin’ on out there!?”“I’ll explain later, but right now, I’ve got a favor to ask you.”“If it involves getting’ mixed into that nonsense, then you can forget it!” Oolong quickly denied, his arms crossed.“At least hear me out?” Gohan stammered.Oolong turned raised eyebrow to Gohan. If nothing else, Gohan wasn’t the type to involve him in something skeevy like Bulma or Goku was.“Fine, lay it on me.”Gohan then whispered his request into Oolong’s ear and the pig-man yelped. “What!? Why!?”“Long story short, we’re trying to trap the old man over there, and we need a way to let his guard down.”“I get that but why her specifically?”“I…can’t say.”“Well then I can’t help you.”Gohan was about to try and plead to Oolong again but paused when he felt Happosai’s aura spike and heard a loud, pained squeal.‘Dammit…no time left…!’ With a sigh, Gohan cursed himself for what he was about to do. ‘Please forgive me for this.’“Oolong, I’ve got a proposition for you.”[]The remaining teens all watched casually as Katusnishiki continued to slam Happosai into the pavement. The one to finally speak up was Pantyhose Taro who pulled out a sign.
“Uhhh…shouldn’t we try and get the bun from him now?”
“One more minute. You gotta admit, watching the freak get beaten by a pig is pretty frickin’ hilarious.”While the boys watched Happosai get thrashed, the girls took the moment to speak with Akari who was zipping around rather frantically.“Where did he go? Where’d that little piggy go!?”“Akari, please chill!”“Oh! Akane and the girl who fought Ryoga.”“Videl,” she reintroduced herself.“Focus girls. Akari, what are you doing here?”The story would be halted before it began as a massive burst sprang forth from up the street, managing to blow Ranma away and a defending Taro away.“What was th-?”“Look out!” Akane pulled the other girls away as Katsunishiki crashed down onto the pavement, fully unconscious.“Katsuni!” Akari ran over to her pet only to be halted by the menacing form of Happosai’s aura, rising like the sun.“I should be mad at being belted by that swine, but who could be angry in the presence of such a cute, new gal!?” he guffawed.Dashing defensively in front of Akari, Akane and a recovered Ranma proclaimed, “Don’t even think about it!”“Videl, get Akari out of here!” Akane whispered to her.“What about you two?”“Get movin’ already!” Ranma urged.With no more questions, Videl took Akari’s hand and ascended just as Happosai’s aura came rushing towards the young fighters. Off to the side, a recovered Taro tried to salvage the situation by firing a Dodon Ray at Happosai, but the intensity of his aura was able to deflect the feeble attempt.Instinctively, Ranma shoved Akane aside and braced himself too take the blast himself crossing his arms acrosshis body.“Ranma!”Everyone shielded their eyes a they awaited the inevitable, but to their surprise, the blast never came. As everyone peeked at the scene, everyone could see Happosai staring off to the side.‘What’s he looking at?’ was the unified thought shared between all the fighters. Following his gaze, they all saw a familiar blue-haired woman in a tight, green dress strolling up the street.“Is that…?”“Bulma!?”“Ya mean the lady from the picture that…?” Ranma paused as he realized what this meant. “Oh no.”To their horror, their fears were realized with Happosai’s next proclamation. “On second thought kiddos, you can keep your picture. I’m going after the real treasure!”“No you don’t!” Ranma dashed off to try and stop Happosai, but halted as Akari landed atop him, Videl having dropped her before rushing to the old master herself.“Bulma, run for it!” Videl called.Without even turning to acknowledge her, Bulma shot off as fast as she could up the street. Happosai began to pursue, but even in flight, he was notably faster than Videl (at least at ground level. Thankfully the young heroine would receive backup in the form ofher trusted Saiyan partner who descended on the scene with a divekick.“I shan’t let you, fiend!” Gohan proclaimed in full Saiyaman dialect.Without even looking, Happosai tossed a Fire Burst Ball right in Videl’s direction to keep the young fighters off his trail. It was likely that Saiyaman had retrieved his helmet and was thus unaffected by the mushroom curse, but either way, he should be home free.As expected, Saiyaman dashed aside to a defensive Videl to then deflect the incoming bomb. When it exploded however, he flew over to Taro and harshly shoved him back up the street. Apparently even though he’d have retrievedhis helmet, it seems the hidden headphones were AWOL. Oh well, either way, Happosai was certain he won this one as he chased after the retreating Bulma.“Ohh noo, he’s getting away!” Gohan dramatically droned.“Then get your cape in gear and let’s go after him already!” snapped Ranma.Ignoring Ranma, Gohan removed his helmet, showing that he did in fact put the headphones back on. “Sorry, I didn’t catch that.”“Wait…you had those on?”
“Then why did you shove…!?”
“Nevermind that now,” Ranma cut Taro off. “Let’s go after the old freak already!”“Not yet,” Gohan dissuaded with a knowing smile.“THE HELL DO YOU MEAN, ‘NOT YET’!?” everyone yelled in unison.“Gohan if we don’t stop he’s going to feed his last cursed bun to Bulma!” Akane noted.“Oh no he’s not,” Gohan impishly grinned.“Okay Gohan, what the Hell are you not telling us?” Videl askedCrossing his arms behind his head, Gohan grinned, “Ohh…nothing.”“Son Gohan, you’re the worst liar ever, now tell us! What are you up to!?” Videl demanded.“Have you noticed somebody’s missing?”“Missing?”“That piggy!” Akari interjected. “Where did he go?”Once Akari mentioned Oolong, it all clicked for Videl. “Wait…you mean!?”The grin on Gohan’s face said all and Videl couldn’t resist cracking up herself. “Oh my God…that’s brilliant and hilarious!”The Anything Goes fighters watched the Z-Couple giggle amongst themselves until Taro held up a sign.
“What are you two laughing about?”
“I’ll explain on the way, but we need to hurry. This may be the last chance we get to end this mess.”[]After running away at Videl’s behest, Bulma found a bench to rest at. Grasping her chest, she surveyed the area to see if who or whatever Videl had warned her about was still chasing her. From the looks of things, the coast was clear so she let the fatigue overwhelm her.“Whew…I’m beat,” she droned. “Once I get back home, I’m hopping straight into the showers.” As she spoke her thoughts aloud, a low growl filled the air. “Although…maybe I should find a bite to eat first.”As if on cue, a raspy voice replied, “Oh, pardon me madame!”Bulma turned to see the diminutive old man, exuding a bright aura as he casually approached her. With a raised eyebrow, she asked, “Can I help you?”“Oh perish the thought my dear, though I couldn’t help but overhear your little predicament.” Immediately, he fished out his basket and presented it to her. “Might I interest you in one of my homemade buns? I’ve been sharing them all day and have just one left for the prettiest young lady.”Bulma crossed her arms and legs whilst giving Happosai a skeptical look. “I’m not one into accepting random offerings from strangers, but then again, I also can’t deny a nice old man with good taste, unlike a certain nasty old pervert.”Happosai dismissively shook his head. “I hear ya. Those types give folks my age a bad rap, but we’re not all such degenerates.”Readily accepting the bun, Bulma grinned, “I’ll take your word for it old timer.”Happosai flashed a jovial smile, taking care to hide the deviousness in his grin. All he had to do now was wait, watch and he’d have the sweetest eye-candy since the blonde girl.“You know old timer, since you were kind enough to help me out here, I’d like to give you a little token of my thanks,” Bulma said with a wink.“Oh…well…I couldn’t possibly…” Happosai coyly chuckled.“No please, I insist, let me thank you properly,” Bulma said whilst bending over to Happosai’s level.The tiny elder’s eyes immediately fell to beneath Bulma’s neck, straight to her cleavage. Happosai summoned all of his willpower to restrain himself and not dive straight into her right then and there. Just another moment and he’d have the full package.“Well, if you insist,” Happy guffawed.“Good, now close your eyes.”Happosai immediately followed his instructions and closed his eyes with an expectant grin. Though a small ‘Pop’ did fill the air, he paid it no mind. What finally did bring him back to focus was a raspy, distinctly male voice called to him.“Eat up pal!”As Happosai opened his eyes and instinctively gasped in surprise, he was met with a familiar visiage of a pig-man and his tiny hand shoving itself into his mouth, along with a warm, meat bun. Before Happosai could fully process what was happening, the pig disappeared in a puff of smoke, replaced by a serpent which coiled itself around Happosai’s head.The old master desperately clutched at the slinky reptile, trying to pull him off his face but to no avail. As Happosai tumbled to the ground, the young fighter quintet finally arrived on the scene.“Alright, looks like it worked!”On the flight over, Gohan and Videl had explained in more detail about Oolong’s shapeshifting capabilites and Gohan then explained how he’d convinced Oolong to help them bait Happosai into lowering his guard by changing into Bulma. It then made sense why Gohan had them give Happosai a head start, they needed time for Oolong to play his part since his transformations only last 5 minutes. Although on the topic of time, how much longer did Oolong have?They’d recive their answer soon enough as a puff of smoke appeared over a toppled Happosai’s face and Oolong in his normal form landed beside him.Quickly sitting up, a seething Happosai turned his attention to Oolong. “Why…you little…!”“Let Pantyhose Taro change his name!” Ranma quickly gave the command and snapped his fingers.“Pantyhose Taro has my permission to change his name,” Happosai proclaimed.“Thank you!” Videl said pressing a button on her phone. Not only had they succeded in getting Happosai to give Taro the permission he so desperately wanted, Videl had the foresight to record the whole thing, just in case the laws of Taro’s village were called into question.Finally realizing what just transpired, Happosai fell to the ground in despair. “Nooooooo…! I won’t let this stand! You will always remain Pantyhose Tar-!”Ranma snapped his fingers.“Pantyhose Taro is allowed to change his name…NO!!”The first time that statement hit his ears, Taro froze in disbelief as if needing to process everything. The second time however, he fell to the ground, tears welling up in his eyes. Though probably not as touching a moment had he been in human form, but even in his chimeric form, the pure bliss and relief on his face was evident.“I’ve dreamed of this moment for years!” read Taro’s sign.“Yeah, yeah, good for you bullhead, but we still got stuff to do!”Ranma turned everyone’s attention to Happosai who was still laying defeated on the ground. Before he could make any attempts at escaping the five young fighters surrounded him. Finally, he got to his feet, disdain on his face.“Hmph, enjoy it while you can boy! The mushrooms only last a handful of hours. Once they wear off, I’ll be back and you will now, and forever more be known as Pantyhose Taro!”Everyone shared a knowing smile before Ranma snapped his fingers, negating that last proclamation and let out a smarmy laugh. “Sorry to burst your bubble old man, but you won’t get that chance!”“What are you talking about?”Everyone backed away while Ranma got some distance, taking an offensive stance. “I’m putting you away for good you disgusting old freakshow!”“Buzz off kiddos, you already won today. Don’t think that just cause you made me eat that spiked bun means you can get lucky again!”Ranma cockily chuckled. “I don’t think you quite understand what I’m getting at, so why don’t we just cut to the chase.”His curiosity piqued, a now intrigued Happosai stood on guard as Ranma stood with his arms at his sides. Slowly, Ranma’s energy began to rise and he was bathed in a white light.“Ranma wait!” Gohan called out, but his warning fell on deaf ears as Ranma’s ki continued to increase. “Dammit!”Gohan would then go rummage through his pockets until he finally found a capsule and rushed to uncap it. As he did, Ranma’s energy would finally reach its apex. Happosai stood at the ready, mentally prepared for whatever he may be trying to do but was caught completely off guard when Ranma thrust his hands forward and a massive green burst of energy flew forth.“Whaaaaaaat is THIIIIIIIIIIIIS!!????”Happosai screamed as the energy wave engulfed him and we was sucked up in the hazy vortex. Ranma then raised his arms, aiming the wave upwards as a hollering Happosai continued to get swirled around.“Dammit Ranma, I told you to wait!” Gohan lightly swore as he finally uncapped the capsule revealing a small urn with the characters “Demon Seal” etched into it. “You three stand back!”Taro and the girls did as told while Gohan dove in, placing the open urn beneath the massive green cyclone. “Ranma, now!”“You’re finished freak! Evil Containment Wave!”Happosai screamed as Ranma thrust his hands downward and the cyclone descended, straight towards the urn. Finally it dissipated one the tip crashed down and everything was bathed in a cloud of smoke.“Did…did it work?” asked Akane.Finally, the smoke cleared to reveal a dazed Happosai lying beneath a toppled urn.“Oh crap…I missed…!” Ranma panted as he fell to a knee.“Ranma, are you alright?” asked a concerned Akane.Ranma was shaking from the backlash, but nonetheless was able to get back to his feet. Though winded, he didn’t appear entirely drained just yet. “I’ll be fine, though I think I only have one more of those left in me, just make sure the old freak doesn’t…HEY!”All eyes turned to see Happosai trying to scurry away. Surprisingly, he seemed just as shaken as Ranma. When the pigtailed fighter called out to him however, the diminutive master could only glance back with a terrified look on his face.“What…on Earth was THAT!?”“Just a little trick called the ‘Mafuba’!” Ranma boasted.“That’s impossible…! That’s Master Mutaito’s secret technique!”“You know about it?”“I never got to witness it, but tales of Master Mutaito’s special technique that triumphed against a Great Demon King stretched all over the land to martial artists everwhere, but that was centuries ago! That technique should’ve been lost to time! How in the world did you whelps learn about it…let alone how to perform it!?”“Does it matter? You won’t be around to hear the story!” Ranma threatened. As he took the stance once more, Gohan put a hand on his shoulder.“Ranma, are you sure you’re up for this? Not to doubt you but you look a little worse for wear. I can….”“Thanks for worryin’ about me, but I got this! I may only have one more shot at this, but its all I need!”Gohan gave an understanding nod and stepped back. Though he was willing to step in if Ranma should fail again, given their history, he was content to let Ranma take the reigns.“There’s no way I’m letting you get away with that nonsense a second time!”“You ain’t got a choice!”Ranma once again raised his energy and thrust his arms forward, letting the technique fly once more. Ranma was confident that if Happosai tried to dodge, Gohan or Taro would be able to keep him in the blast’s path, but surprisingly, Happosai remained still. Surprisingly, he seemed to take a stance similar to Ranma’s.The one to realize what was coming next was Gohan who let out a small worried gasp as Happosai made his move.“You shouldn’t have missed before Ranma cause the same technique doesn’t work on me twice!”With a yell, Happosai’s own energy spiked and he called out, “Mafuba Reflect!”“What!?”Nearly everyone cried out in surprise as Happosai let loose a wave of battle aura and the green vortex suddenly went in the reverse direction towards a stupefied Ranma.‘How the Hell did he do that!’“Karma’s a bitch ain’t she Ranma!?”Happosai let out a hearty laugh as the wave closed in on a petrified Ranma. Before he could get sucked in however, Ranma was launched aside and in his place stood Gohan, his own power raised.“Gohan!?”“What are you doing!?”“I’m sorry Ranma, but I think this is the part where I intervene!”Ranma tried to get back up, but after firing the Mafuba a second time, he found himself immobilized by the severe lack of energy. He didn’t know what Gohan was planning, but he’d have no choice but to accept itHapposai on the other hand, looked rather elated. “This was meant for Ranma but sealing Sugarman here will be even better!”Gohan’s expression quickly turned focused. “The only one being sealed here, is you you lecherous fiend!”Taking the signature stance, Gohan thrust his hands forth and let his power burst. “Reflect Reversal!”“WHHHAAAAAAAT!!!???”Like what happened before with Happosai, the Mafuba reversed directions once more, swirling back towards Happosai the wave now more powerful than ever.“You were only able to do it on a whim, but when my master taught me the move, he also taught me the reversal…cause he was the first one to do it!”“What is with you kids these days…!” Happosai could only scream as he slowly got pulled into the vortex. Unfortunately, he did still have a card left to play.“You may catch me with the wave…but you can’t trap me with no… JAAAAAAAAR!”Right before the Wave’s vortex sucked him in, Happosai launched a small projectile (probably a pebble) towards the jar, shattering it just as Gohan raised his arms.“Oh no, the jar!” The girls panicked as it seemed that their final gambit had failed, but Gohan quickly quelled their worries.“Don’t worry, any container will do, as long as it has a lid!” he called.“Any container…?”The girls quickly scanned their surroundings when Akane perked up. “Wait, the thermos!”Sharing a nod, Akane made some space while Videl braced herself for incoming.“Gohan, now!”With a huff, Gohan thrust his arm downward and directed the wave in the girls’ direction. With almost perfect precision, the wave landed right inside of the thermos with Happosai’s anguished scream echoing across the land.“Noooooooo…!!! Damn you Saiyamaaaannnn…!!!”Once the wave dissipated, Akane quickly capped the thermos and everyone froze as tension seemed to dissipate. Breaking the silence (not really) was Taro who raised a sign reading, “Is it over?”Gohan nodded. “Not yet its not! We still need to apply a seal before….”The moment he spoke, thejar began to shake in Videl’s hand. “Uhh…what’s going on?”“Dammit!” Zipping over to the girls, Gohan grabbed the thermos and pressed onto the lid just as it seemed to be unsealing itself.“We need to apply a seal now!” Gohan exclaimed.“But how? The only seal was on the jar!” Akane exclaimed.“We have to make a new one!” Gohan strained as the thermos started vibrating against him.“With what!? We don’t have the time or materials!”“Oh yes ya do!” The raspy voice of Oolong rang forth as he strolled up to the girls.“Oolong? You’re still here?”“You can be surprised later! What matters is I can be a turn into a temporary seal until you can make a permanent one!”“But we still need something to write with.”A large ‘sploosh’ filled the air as a black liquid was launched onto a nearby tree, courtesy of Taro who shifted his outstretched fingers into a thumbs up.“Ink, perfect! Now we just need a brush or something!” Everyone scanned the area and as Akane’s eyes fell on the felled Ranma, her eyes alit. “Got it!”Darting over, Akane grabbed Ranma’s body and dipped the tip of his pigtail into Taro’s ink.“H-hey!”“Man up Ranma, this is an emergency!”“Okay Oolong, now!”With a huff, Oolong transformed into a blank seal and Akane quickly got to work using Ranma’s hair and Taro’s ink to write the characters. Though the jar was preprepared for them, Tien also had the foresight to show them the appropriate seal during their training just in case they needed to make another.“You girls need to hurry! I don’t think I can hold it…much longer!” Gohan strained harder as the thermos shook more violently.“Just a second!” called Videl.Gohan could feel the lid start to part from the container. If Happosai escaped now, everything would’ve been for nothing, and he wasn’t going to let that happen. As Gohan steeled himself, prepared to do something drastic, Taro rushed over held his hand over Gohan’s, his added strength seemingly keeping the mafuba at bay.Akane rushed to finish the seal, but she couldn’t go too fast lest she risk miswriting a character, thus rendering the seal useless.Gohan and Taro continued to hold the thermos closed, but its shuddering soon grew incredibly violent to the point where it started jerking against them. The vapid yanking eventually caused Taro’s hands to slip, leaving Gohan to continue holding it alone. Without Taro’s added strength, however it was only a matter of time until Happosai eventually broke free, especially with his impressive energy.With no options left, Gohan decided to take drastic measures. With a breath, he let out a yell and was quickly bathed in a golden light as his hair changed from black to blonde.Ranma was unable to see what was happening due to his current status as a makeshift paintbrush, but even he couldn’t miss the massive spike in Gohan’s energy.‘What the Hell just happened?’His thoughts were jarred by Akane yelling, “Finished!”With little abandon, Videl grabbed the seal and slapped it onto the thermos and almost instantaneously, the shaking stopped.As Gohan finally set the thermos down, the group took a moment to let everything sink in but judging from the calm air surrounding them, it looked like their gambit paid off.“It worked…?”“It’s over…?”“Not quite yet.”Taking the thermos, Gohan dipped his finger into the pool of ink and started finger painting on the thermos’ free side, specifically writing the seal directly on the thermos itself.Finally finished, Gohan pulled the ‘Oolong seal’ off the thermos and set it down just as the pig-man’s transformation timed out. As everyone took a cautious step back, nothing happened. The thermos remained standing still on the ground. All remained silent until everyone present let out a string of surprised and elated gasps.“It worked….”“It’s over….”“The old freak…” Ranma had finally recovered enough to move and was able to join in the unbelievable sight before them.Gohan smiled as he reverted back to base form. “Yup, he’s gone.”(A/N: It’s over…it’s finally really over! I feel like I’ve been stuck on this arc forever and my year long hiatus didn’t help things any. But alas, our heroes have triumphed and have sealed Happosai away. I know I’ve harped on this before, but I cannot stress enough, making an antagonist a viable threat whilst the protagonist [or one of them at least] is vastly more powerful than them is a HARD thing to do. I have MUCH more respect for people who write Superman stories cause I now know how much of an ask it is (Speaking of Superman, looking forward to that new movie; my second favorite comic hero BTW). When I tell you, this chapter did NOT go the way I thought it would…I’ve no words to describe it. Ranma disguising himself to steal the bun was something that was always planned, but the way it failed wasn’t set in stone which is where Oolong and Akari came in. Speaking of, to the one old commenter who suggested I use Oolong, congratulations, you got your wish. Initially, I wasn’t going to use Oolong since, while I did think involving him would actually be a good idea, I couldn’t think of a way for him to be added without it seeming too convenient…and then I remembered what Oolong was and the prospect of adding him via Akari just made too much sense not to include. As for the Mafuba scene, that was always going to be the easy part for our heroes since even if Ranma or the girls failed in the Mafuba, Gohan could do it easily. Still, I didn’t want to make things too easy so the prospect of ‘seal troubles’ came up, but I needed something believable that also wasn’t as ridiculous as how Goku screwed up in DBS. On the topic of the girls, I did toss around the idea of doinga sort of “Reflect Volley” where everyone sans Taro got a chance to reflect the Mafuba until finally landing it, but that felt a bit too farfetched. The girls are both getting stronger, but they shouldn’t be at that level after just a few days…at least not with something like the Mafuba. Another idea was for Akane and Videl to combine their ki to use the Mafuba together asa way to sort of compensate each other’s weakness but that felt more like just going in circles so in the end, I had the guys do the heavy lifting while the girls capped everything off. Also, if anyone’s wondering how Happosai was able to reverse the Mafuba from Ranma, to that I say, ‘How was Frost able to reflect it in the ToP?’ All smarm aside I’m just going to chalk it up to experience cause when Happosai isn’t distracted by boobies, he’s genuinely capable and dangerous, plus he is still more powerful than Ranma. I’m sure there are a handful of other questions, but those will have to wait until next time to be answered. Not counting this A/N, this is still undoubtedly my longest chapter ever. The word count is higher than Goku’s power level in the Saiyan Saga at over 10K, but I’d say it was worth it since everyone’s likely waited long enough for this saga to conclude(me included) and we’ve finally reached the end. Next time is going to be all wrap-up before we move forward. Until then, thanks for staying with me thus far, especially since it didn’t take me a whole year to update this time.)
PS: Happy Belated New Year
PSS: No promises, but I do have an idea for…let’s say a small spin-off. There are two characters I kinda want to write interacting but that wouldn’t exactly fit in a story focused on Akane, Videl, and their respective partners. Again, no promises, but keep an eye out.