The characters of Ranma ½ are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I write this story for entertainment purposes only.

[]: Thoughts
{" "} Telepathic communication

Chapter 11
The Big Blowout!

     Both Ranmas stood in readiness as they confronted the most perverted individual on the face of the Earth. As they stood in their respective stances, they glared at Happosai with disgust.
     "Last chance freak! Get lost or get hurt!" Ranma Red snarled.
     "You heard my brother!" Ranma Blue added. "Go back to stealing underwear or food, but leave us alone!"
     "Tsk! Tsk! Such rude behavior! Is that any way to address your master?" Happosai stood with his arms behind his back and smirked.
     "You want to fight? Then come on!" Ranma Red shouted.
     Happosai shook his head as he said, "For the sake of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts, it looks like I'm going to have to get tough with you two! Get ready! This time, nothing is going to save you! You two are coming back to the dojo!"
     With those words, the ancient lecher leapt at Ranma Red, intending to plant a kick in his chest. He moved with enough speed to appear like a blur to the casual observer. However, both twins were now faster than Happosai expected. Before his foot could connect, the old pervert's eyes widened as Ranma Red faded from view. At the same time Ranma Blue also faded from view. Happosai landed with a confused look as he scanned the street for any sign of the brothers.
     [Since when could they do my Interdimensional Warp Technique?] Happosai scanned the area again, trying to pick up the presence of his former students. [Well, at least they can't attack me when they're like that!]
     It was at that time that Ranma Blue decided to prove him wrong.
     "MOKO TAKABISHA!"
     Before the ancient master knew it, a large yellow ball of chi energy hit him from behind against his back. The impact sent him fling forward. As he went shooting toward a wall, Ranma Red suddenly appeared in front of him and threw his fist forward.
     "SPIRIT FIST!"
     The huge fist of mystical energy surged forward and nailed Happosai in the kisser. The evil master went flying back to where Ranma Blue was standing. At that time, he dropped his camouflage technique and sent a roundhouse kick. The kick nailed the still flying master and smashed him to the pavement. The twins then moved back and waited for Happosai's next attack.
     Happosai got up from the ground and glared at the young upstarts. Never in all his years had anyone managed to get in the first hits so early in a fight. He began to fume. "You smart aleck punks! You think that you can beat me with some new tricks?" Happosai reached behind his back while leaping upward. As he reached the height of twenty feet, he took out his patented fuse bombs and tossed them down toward his opponents.
     "HAPPO-FIRE BURST!"
     Both Ranmas had expected something like this and easily dodged the blasts. As the smoke was still swirling around them, the greatest evil in all of Japan used this distraction to attack. Flipping in midair, he dived down at Ranma Red with his pipe. Catching his wrist, Happosai used a twisting motion, intending to catapult the pigtailed martial artist into the air. Normally, this trick would have been successful in the past, but both Ranmas had learned from their previous mistakes.
     In the instant that he was about to be shot into the air, Ranma Red lashed a hand out and grabbed Happosai by the front of his gi. The old lecher found himself being launched into the air with his intended victim. It was then that he let out a strangled gasp as his opponent delivered a fast rabbit strike to the throat. Ranma Red then followed through with several strikes to the ribs. This caused Happosai to wince in pain, not to mention get him ticked off.
     By now, the two had built up a considerable amount of anger, which Ranma Blue intended to use to his brother's aid. He began radiating calm as he waited for his sibling and the pervert to come down. At the same time, he began moving in a spiral.

The Realm of Infinity…
     Taron and Soren were watching their pupils battle it out with their former master on the circular viewing portal.
     {"Do you think we should intervene?"} Soren asked.
     {"No… I don't think that it will be necessary. If Ranma Blue is planning to use the Hiryu Shoten Ha against Happosai, then any help that we give them would be redundant. Besides, this is a good opportunity to watch how much they've progressed!"}
     {"Hmm… I agree. Wait!"} Soren cocked his head as his senses suddenly picked up something. {"There's a dimensional break in the barrier! It's big! Dark Worlders are starting to enter into the Earth Realm!"}
     {"Are you sure?"}
     {"Yes! Near the area that is designated as Kenya! In Africa! It'll take the both of us to patch that up!"}
     Taron looked back at the viewing portal. He then nodded to his eternal sibling. {"All right. It looks like our students are handling things. This won't take long!"}
     The twins vanished in a flash of bright light.

The Realm of Oblivion…
     "Hah! They fell for it!" Zuruka chortled with glee.
     "Now we can proceed!" Arcodos agreed.

The Earth Realm…
     Ranma Red was using his levitation skills to stay aloft as he repeatedly exchanged punches and kicks with Happosai. Although the Anything Goes fighting style specialized in midair combat, Happosai found it difficult to keep up with an opponent who didn't obey the laws of gravity. He was forced to jump from street lamps and rooftops in order to attack the red- shirted Ranma. What he didn't know was that his brother was about to complete the spiral below them as they neared his position.
     Ranma Red smiled as he realized what his brother was attempting. He decided to add to the effort, by making Happosai even madder.
     "KATCHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN! ADVANCED!"
     Happosai was not used to a Ranma who could move at twice the normal speed that he was familiar with. As a result, he found himself hard pressed to dodge. He barely managed to evade nearly all the blows. However, several managed to hit solidly in the face.
     "OW! OW! OW! HOW DARE YOU STRIKE YOUR MASTER LIKE THAT?!" Happosai cried out angrily.
     "Easy!" Ranma Red grinned. "LIKE THIS!" With the last of his Chestnut punches, he smashed the old lecher down toward his brother and floated out of the way.
     Ranma Blue grinned evilly as he sent a corkscrewing uppercut toward the enraged master of the Anything Goes School. The hot chi met with his cold chi and…
     "HIRYU SHOTEN HA!"
     Suddenly, a huge tornado swept up the diminutive martial artist and sent him skyward. As he shot up past where Ranma Red was floating, the Saotome twin cupped his hands and let loose a chi attack.
     "POWER BLASTER!"
     Like shooting skeet, the large beam of energy smashed into Happosai and sent him even further up. Ranma Red floated down toward his brother and both waited for the pervert to make his landing.
     Happosai landed on his head and caused large cracks in the pavement. His body then lay prone on the sidewalk as the two Ranmas smiled in satisfaction. Happosai moaned in pain as he tried to get up. However, his body was too much in agony to make any half-decent attempt.
     "Face it freak! It's over!" Ranma Blue stated. For a minute, there was nothing but silence. The two boys began to relax. Then suddenly, they saw that Happosai's body had begun to glow with a red light. In an instant, his body flared as a huge bolt of energy blasted forward, catching the twins off guard. The two of them were knocked off their feet as Happosai suddenly sprang up. His face had a smile that made the both of them shudder.
     "Ha! Ha! Ha! Looks like I just got my second wind boys!" Happosai glowed with a dark red light that seemed to invigorate him. Both brothers stared in disbelief as Happosai's battle aura began to increase in brightness.
     Ranma Blue and his brother scrambled to their feet and took ready stances. Happosai's aura flared as he prepared to release his next attack. The diminutive master threw his arms forward and released a massive amount of energy.
     "TAKE THIS!"
     The blast of energy erupted from the ancient pervert and took a dragon-like shape that had Happosai's face on it. However, this chi blast seemed darker, more evil than usual.
     Ranma Red was quick to respond, pointing a finger at the incoming attack.
     "CHI SPLITTER!"
     A thin beam of white light shot forward and hit the chi energy head on. However, both Ranmas took on shocked expressions as the beam deflected off the dragon's head. Before they could do anything else, the attack plowed into them. The impact caused them to be thrown back ten feet or so.
     "AAARRRGGGGHHH!!!" Both Ranmas screamed as the energy burned into their bodies.
     Happosai's grin became even more pronounced as he watched his opponents writhe in agony. Never before had he felt this kind of euphoria. The pleasure that he took from fondling women's underwear and groping their bodies seemed dull compared to what he was experiencing now. His body was now almost bursting with raw power, the likes he had never felt before. Where that power came from, he had no idea, but he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Thrusting his hands forward, he sent another searing blast at the twins, knocking them back even further. The screams of the Saotomes echoed in the night.

Some time earlier at the Nekohanten…
     The restaurant had closed for business early that night as the proprietress and two other girls were sitting at a table, discussing future plans.
     "Ran-chan and me plan to get married as soon as we graduate from school!" Ukyo said with delight as she poured over several wedding catalogs.
     "Shampoo and Airen have traditional Amazon wedding when we get back to village!" Shampoo gleefully said as she looked over several fabrics.
     Cologne smiled as she watched the two girls. It wasn't that long ago that the two of them were at each other's throats. With the appearance of the Ranma twins, Shampoo and Ukyo had been tolerating each other's presence. In fact, in the last few hours, they appeared to have become close, since they no longer had to compete for the affections of the same man. Shampoo addressed her future sister-in-law as Ukyo, instead of Spatula Girl. Over the course of the three hours that she had been discussing with the purple-haired girl, Ukyo had discovered that Shampoo truly wasn't anything like the hussy she thought she was. As a result, she began to respect her as the strong and capable Amazon warrior that she was.
     "Shampoo so happy! Airen going to very busy when he come home with Shampoo!"
     "Oh? How busy?" Ukyo said.
     "VERY BUSY!" Shampoo said enthusiastically. She then let out a small giggle as she added, "Not going to get much sleep! Have new job!"
     "Job?"
     Shampoo nodded vigorously. "Have new position as father of many strong children!" Shampoo gave Ukyo a sly grin. "May have to work OVERTIME!" She crossed her legs seductively.
     Ukyo blushed at the thought, then laughed as she said, "My Ran- chan's not going to get much sleep either!"
     All three females shared a hearty laugh as they had some wicked speculations among them. It was then that they heard a huge gust of wind that blew from outside.
     The three of them rushed toward the window and peered outside. In the distance, they saw a huge tornado suddenly appear, followed by a streak of light that exploded against something inside the windstorm.
     "What happening great-grandmother?" Shampoo asked.
     "It seems that son-in-law or his brother is using the Hiryu Shoten Ha." Cologne replied.
     "Hiryu Shoten… oh yeah! Now I remember! That was the technique that you taught Ran-chan how to do when Happosai took away his strength!" Ukyo gazed at the tornado, which was now just dying down. "You think that he's in trouble?"
     Cologne looked in the distance with an intense gaze. "No… I doubt it. Considering how powerful the twins are now, it's unlikely that…" The aged matriarch suddenly froze as she felt a chill was over her. In another moment, the three of them glimpsed a huge burst of light and heard the agonized scream of two people.
     "What wrong?" Shampoo had rarely seen her great-grandmother freeze up so suddenly. Usually when she did, something big was about to happen.
     Cologne hopped onto her staff and began rushing out the door. Without looking back, she yelled to the two girls. "Shampoo! Ukyo! Come with me! The twins are in grave danger!"
     The two girls looked at Cologne in confusion as they rushed off after her. As they began to catch up with her, they heard in the distance, several explosions and the screams of the two people increased in intensity. The blood in their veins ran cold as they recognized the voices.
     "AIREN!"
     "RAN-CHAN!"

     Happosai was having the time of his life. Already, he had fired ten huge, searing blasts of energy at his opponents and they had yet to launch any countermoves. He paused in his barrage to gloat. "Well now boys. Not so confident anymore, are you?" He laughed maniacally at his victims as he began powering up for the coup de grace.
     Sprawled on the pavement amid the rubble, both Saotome brothers were in agonizing pain. Their clothes were tattered and burned in several places, not to mention their bodies. They were barely conscious as they tried to stand up and face their tormentor.
     {"Arrgh! I'm in serious pain here!"} Ranma Red thought.
     {"I don't feel so good either!"} Ranma Blue replied. {"Since when did that little freak get that much power?!"}
     {"I don't know but we better do something fast! I don't think I could take another one of those blasts!"}
     {"We have to buy some time!"} Ranma Blue informed as he began powering up his ki.
     Taking his brother's lead, Ranma Red also began collecting some his ki as the two of them forced themselves to their feet. They were in unbelievable pain as they desperately held on to consciousness.
     {"Ready bro?"} Ranma Red asked.
     {"Let's do it!"} Ranma Blue replied.
     Happosai snorted in contempt as his battle aura took on huge proportions. "This fight is mine!" He raised his arms to deliver the final blast.
     "NOW!!!" Both Ranmas shouted as they released their desperation moves.
     "SONIC BLAST!" Ranma Blue shouted as he slammed the palms of his hands in front of him. As the hands clapped together, they released a massive burst of sound that made a sonic boom seem like a whisper. Nearby windows and street lamps shattered as the sound waves ripped across the area, giving Happosai a nasty earache.
     "SUNBURST EXPLOSION!" At the same time that Ranma Blue had released his sound attack, his brother let loose a huge ball of blinding light. The sphere exploded as soon as it impacted with Happosai, subjecting him to a brilliance that was a million times more intense than staring into a ten thousand watts flashbulb.
     Happosai screamed in pain as he held his ears and shut his eyes. As the light and sound was just starting to fade away, the two brothers began powering up their ki for the final attack.
     {"Well bro, we have to take him out! If we don't beat him now, he'll come after us again!"}
     {"I know! But how? He took our best shots and he's still coming at us! We're in no shape to fight now!"}
     {"Combine your powers!"} Taron yelled from the Realm of Infinity.      {"Huh?"} Both Ranmas said.
     {"Combine your most powerful attacks and hit him with everything you've got!"} Soren yelled.
     {"But…"} Ranma Blue started.
     {"Trust us!"} Both of the immortal twins said.
     Both Ranmas looked at each other, then nodded. Silently, they took a stance and began focusing their remaining reserves into the mystic field and elemental power of the Earth, just as the last of the light and sound energy dispersed. The twins glowed with their respective red and blue auras as they summoned up their most powerful techniques.
     Cologne, Shampoo and Ukyo arrived on the scene just as Happosai had regained his sight and hearing. Shaking his head to clear it, he spotted the three and sent a blast of energy at them as casually as if he were swatting a fly.
     Cologne just barely managed to bring up her staff and focus her ki into it to block the energy. Her hands burned with sharp pain, but she bit down and held on as the energy bolt deflected off the wood. Happosai was about to deliver a more intense blast when he noticed the flare of light that was in front of him.
     The Ranma brothers were now glowing with mutual white auras. Dark clouds were beginning to form overhead as white mists swirled around the pair. Ukyo Shampoo and Cologne stared in awe as they witnessed the two absorb more magic and elemental power than was ever thought to be possible.
     Suddenly, a huge lightning bolt came down from the heavens and struck the two of them. Amazingly, both boys showed no ill effects, as the power of the lightning combined with their auras. The electrical power also mingled with the mists that were swirling about them, giving them an eerie look. Both of their eyes glowed with white brilliance as they brought their hands back and cupped their palms.
     Happosai had seen enough. He began focusing his newfound power into himself and prepared for an all out blast. His battle aura grew until it was the size of a ten-story building. At the same time, his small frame also increased in size, until it was as big as his aura.
     It was at that time that he felt something strange. It felt as if someone else had taken control of his body. He struggled as he tried to lower down his power levels. He wanted to humble the twins in defeat, then take them back to the dojo. Not kill them. However, his body had other ideas. It wasn't trying to control the energy. It wanted to let out at full force. He struggled to contain it, but to no avail. His arms and legs wouldn't obey him.
     Both Ranmas grimaced as they witnessed this. The ancient master seemed to no longer have control of his body. They knew that whatever was giving him this much power, intended to see the both of them dead. They would have to let Happosai have it at full force. No holding back.
     {"This is it Red!"} Ranma Blue warned.
     {"I know!"} Ranma Red nodded as he turned his head to the three observers. "ALL OF YOU! GET OUT OF HERE NOW! TAKE COVER!!!"
     Ukyo, Shampoo and Cologne took one lingering look at the twins, then bolted toward the nearest building.
     It was then that Armageddon came down on Tokyo.
     Happosai threw his arms forward, delivering an energy blast that could bring down Mount Fuji. The energy was a bright blue as it shot toward the twins. At the same time, both brothers threw their cupped hands forward and shouted out their combined attack.
     "RAGING THUNDERBOLT DRAGON!!!"
     The energy that had been contained within roared forward and took the shape of a dragon that was composed of pure electricity. Swirls of elderitch mists streamed out behind the apparition as it raced toward the giant Happosai. The energy from his attack collided with that of the twins. For a moment, the two energies seemed to be evenly matched. Then suddenly, the energy dragon smashed through Happosai's blast and exploded against him. The once diminutive lecher screamed out in agony as he was enveloped in the explosion. The power was at first contained around the giant pervert, then it lashed out in all directions, destroying anything and everything in its wake.
     Using the last of their waning strength, the two Saotomes barely managed to leap back to avoid the resultant carnage. They landed on their backs, a few feet from the door of the building where their fiancées and Cologne had taken shelter. The aged matriarch quickly used her staff to pull the twins inside, just as the combined ki, magical, elemental and chi energies set off a chain reaction and caused a massive detonation that took out an entire city block. Gas mains exploded, thereby adding to the destructive force of the Ranma twins' final attack. Fortunately, the explosion was in an area that was scheduled for demolition.
     The night suddenly became day as the explosions flared outward. The ground shook as the shockwaves spread out. The tremors were equivalent to 4.8 on the Richter Scale. For a brief moment, the denizens of Tokyo had thought that the Americans had dropped another atomic bomb on Japan.
     Derelict buildings that were in the immediate area of the blast were leveled within seconds, including the one that both brothers and their party were in. Fortunately, Cologne had not lost her wits as she hopped forward and stabbed her finger into the wall opposite to the chaos.
     "BAKUSAI TENKETSU!"
     Suddenly, the wall exploded outward, leaving a large hole. She hopped outside, followed by Shampoo and Ukyo. Both girls had their fiancées slung over their shoulders as adrenaline pumped through their systems, giving them a strength that they never knew they had.
     Everyone stumbled outside into the open as the building behind came tumbling down. The five rested on solid ground as the last of the explosions died off. As the light faded and the noise of destruction gave way to utter silence, they looked around at the carnage wrought by Ranma Red and Ranma Blue.
     Virtually every structure that was within half a block had either been knocked over or collapsed. The ground was littered with huge gaping holes where gas mains had exploded and fires raged around the asphalt. Smoke and dust clouds still hovered in some areas as sirens were heard in the distance. What was the most striking feature was the huge crater that was near the building that Cologne and the two girls had taken shelter in.
     The depression measured more than 200 feet in diameter. The sides of the hole had been blasted smooth by the explosion. What caught Cologne's eye was the small, almost charred form that was curled up at the center. Motioning the girls to stay with their loved ones, she began hopping toward the edge of the crater. Seeing that the sides and floor of the crater was cool enough, she made her way down the slopes and stopped in front of Happosai's body.
     Looking over his ruined form, she used her staff to turn him on his back. He was a mess! His clothes still smoked and his flesh was almost entirely red. He had several second and third degrees burns all over and what little hair he had, was totally burned away. His eyes were glazed and he had a stupid expression on his face, as if he were laughing at the whole incident. Cologne shook her head as she turned to make her way back up to the others. It was then that she heard a moan.
     Turning around, her eyes widened as she saw Happosai's eyes begin to loll around. His open mouth slowly closed as he began to regain consciousness. In a tired and almost soundless whisper he said, "Did I win?"
     Cologne would have smacked him right then and there if he wasn't so injured. Instead, she glared at him and replied, "Happi, you're just like a cockroach! Hard to stomp and just as disgusting!"

The Realm of Oblivion…
     "Blast those twins!" Zuruka raged as he sent an energy bolt at the viewing portal, obliterating it.
     "It seems we had underestimated the power that those two could generate. So now what?" Arcodos asked.
     "Apparently, Happosai did not have what we needed. No matter! He is no longer of any use to us and I doubt he'll last through the night! A pity! He had so much potential! I've never seen so much evil in a mortal in over ten thousand years!"
     "Indeed. So how are we going to explain our failure to Master Sharoka?"
     "We will have another chance, I'm sure of it. Already, the barrier weakens even further and I'm sure we can some way or SOMEONE that can finish off the Saotomes before the time of the Contract Renewal! If not, then we can still destroy them during the challenges. All we can do is wait…"

The Earth Realm…
     At Nodoka's house, the mother of the Saotome twins fretted over her offspring. Both had been put to bed after binding their wounds. Although Ranma Red had invoked a healing spell to speed up their recovery, they were still too weak to get up. Furthermore, Shampoo and Ukyo refused to let the twins do anything besides breathe as they doted over their future husbands.
     On a spare futon in the guestroom, Happosai had also been laid down and tended to. Cologne had insisted to take care of the old lecher as she was eager to question him on how he had gained so much power to battle both the enhanced Ranmas.
     After several hours, both Ranmas were recovered enough to begin explaining what had happed to them.
     "Man! I can't believe that the old freak is still alive!" Ranma Blue said.
     "He won't be for long." Cologne said with a stern face as she entered the room.
     "What?!" Everyone said.
     Cologne nodded as she explained. "His ki has been greatly diminished. Even I am unable to stop his deterioration. He has a day, perhaps two before his life energies give out completely."
     "He's… dying?" Ranma Red said in a shocked tone.
     "We… we didn't mean to kill him, but…"
     Cologne shook her head and declared, "No son-in-law. You and your brother acted in pure self-defense. You had no choice but to stop him. He was already too far-gone when he used that evil power to fight you with. I'm afraid that the Dark World had used their influence to boost Happi's power level. Unfortunately, it had also drained his ki to the point of no recovery. It seems that the Dark World considered Happi's life as expendable in their pursuit to kill you."
     {"She's right."} Taron said.
     In an instant, the immortal twins appeared before the group in a flash of light. Both of them had grim looks on their faces as they approached the beds where the Saotome boys were resting on.
     "Don't worry about Happosai you two." Soren said as he raised one arm and sent a beam of white light into the room where the master of the Anything Goes Martial Arts was resting in.
     Taron followed suit and sent his own ki blast into the room.
     "What was that?" Ranma Red asked.
     "We just sent Happosai enough of our own ki to sustain him until his body could regenerate his own. We also put him into suspended animation to keep him quiet while his body healed itself. He'll be well enough by morning. He'll be very weak, but he won't be dying any time soon. The process will cleanse his body of any lingering traces of Dark World magic."
     "He may be a disgusting little pervert, but even he doesn't deserve to die after being controlled by the Dark World." Taron said.
     As they came near, Cologne bowed her head to them and said in a respectful tone, "It is good to see you two again. You were right. Ranma will marry my Shampoo!
     Soren smiled as he replied, "We told you so."
     Both Ranmas, Nodoka and the girls looked at Cologne in surprise as Ranma Red stammered, "Y-You…know each other?!"
     Cologne smiled as she replied, "Why yes. Soren and Taron are old friends of mine."
     "Why didn't you tell us?" Ranma Blue asked.
     "Must have slipped my mind. Besides, you never asked me." Cologne grinned as she looked at the shocked faces of her future in-laws. "Come now. Don't be so surprised. It wasn't hard for me to believe your explanations when you two first appeared. I'll admit, I was a little shocked when I probed the two of you and found that your ki energies were identical. When you explained to me that you were the Chosen Ones, I figured that these two rascals had something to do with it!" She gestured to the immortals. "I am well acquainted with the legend of the Chosen Twins. After all, we Amazons have also taken a part in its history."
     "You mean…" Both Ranmas said.
     "That's right." Cologne replied. "One thousand years ago, twin Amazons in our village had been selected to become the Champions of Earth. Taron and Soren had trained those two, ten centuries ago. Their names were Shampoo and Cologne. I should know because my great- granddaughter and I are the direct descendants of those twins. We had been named in honor of those two."
     "Aiya! Shampoo not know that!" The purple-haired Amazon looked at her great-grandmother with awe.
     "So what's your connection with Soren and Taron?" Ranma Blue inquired.
     "More than two and three quarter centuries ago, I met them when I was a mere girl of eighteen. They were as handsome then as they are now. I challenged one of them to a duel. It was then that they revealed their identities to me. They had also informed me that I had an important role to play in the next Contract Renewal."
     "Really?" Ranma Red asked. "They knew you were going to live three hundred years?"
     Cologne nodded. "That's right. You see… I am the only one who knows a secret that you two will need in order to defeat the Dark World. This secret has been passed down through countless generations."
     "What is it?" Both Ranmas asked.

To be continued…


AUTHOR'S NOTES
     Wow! I can't believe that it's been eleven chapters since I started writing this fan fiction. I'm getting very excited as this thing is picking up even more steam and there will be more plot twists and surprises along the way. Chapter Twelve will be posted sometime in the next two weeks or so.


On to Chapter 12
Back to the Title Page

1