nibun@hotmail.com
Part 8, Version 1.0 2-22-97
Disclaimer: Any copyrighted materials in this story belong to their respective owners, that means all familiar characters belong to either Rumiko Takahashi or Akira Toriyama, but the story line, and any new characters I made up, are mine.
Ranma 1/2 Z Part VIII
(Or Ranma Nibunnoichi Z)
Written By Tony Chen
Words in brackets shows thoughts {}
Begin Ranma 1/2 Z Part 8
========================================================================== *It is now the next day. We see the Tendos and company lounging in the living room*
Ranma: *gets up and stretches* This is boring.
Akane: Oh be quiet Ranma, after all that’s happened, I wouldn’t mind a little peace and quite. Besides, we’re waiting for Dr. Tofu to have any news of how to get back your memory.
Ryoga: {Not if I can help it!} Ranma, since you’re so bored, how bout having a little spar with me?
Ranma: *Looks at Ryoga* huh? Ummm... Sure, I guess...
Trunks: That might be a good idea, maybe Ranma can at least get back some of his abilities. Ryoga, you have to go easy on Ranma.
Ryoga: *grin* Sure I will, I won’t hurt Ranma one bit! Let’s go Ranma!
*Ranma and Ryoga runs into the dojo*
Akane: *calling out* This had better be just a spar!
Genma: Akane, don’t worry, Ranma can handle it. My son will get his memory back yet!
*Someone knocks at the gate*
Akane: That must be Dr. Tofu right now! *Rushes to the gate and opens it*
Tofu: *enters* Good morning Akane.
Akane: *looks up at Tofu* Dr. Tofu, good morning, *frowns* I’m afraid Ranma has completely lost his memory, all thanks to Shampoo.
Tofu: *also frowns* Then this is going to be more complicated....
*Tofu is now with the rest of the group*
Trunks: So Doctor, you have a way to cure Ranma?
Tofu: Perhaps, it’s too sketchy to tell.
Akane: Ranma has to hear this too, I’ll get him! *Runs to the Dojo*
*At the Dojo, we see Ranma lying on the ground, badly beaten. Ryoga is menacingly advancing toward Ranma’s spot*
Ryoga: *cracking knuckles, while grinning evilly* This will be my chance to finish you, Saotome!
Ranma: *slowly backs away* What...the..hell..did...I..do..to....you?
Ryoga: That doesn’t matter now! *Lunges at Ranma, preparing the fatal blow*
Akane: *suddenly appears at the door* Ranma! Ryoga!
Ryoga: Nani! *Turns to see Akane, and immediately freezes* Akane-san!
Akane: *sees Ranma lying on the ground* Ranma! *Turns to Ryoga* Ryoga, What happened?
Ryoga: *sweat drops* Akane, Uhh....oh...Ranma? I guess he was weaker than I thought, I only used a little of my strength, and Ranma couldn’t take it. I was rushing over to him to help him up, Ha ha....
Akane: *looks at Ryoga* Can’t I leave you two for 30 seconds? *Walks over to Ranma, pulling him up* Get a hold of yourself, Ranma.
Ranma: *tries to shake the stars from his head* whoa....
Ryoga: {Damn damn damn!}
Akane: Dr. Tofu is here, he said he has a cure, let’s go!
*Back at living room*
Tofu: I dug out a very old book about Chinese myths. One of the myths was about a ancient city in China where it’s citizens were lacking long-term memory, and cannot remember events that happend more than one day ago.
Akane: Then how can the people in the city do anything? Since they always forget...
Tofu: Let me finish Akane.
Akane: *embarassed* Hai!
Tofu: The Emperor of the city had a garden that grows a very special plant. The plant is called the “Crane Ginseng”. The Emperor have his men pass out tiny particles of the herb to the city each morning, and when applied, one will remember all the events in his or her life since the day before.
Trunks: But isn’t that a big hassle? Having to go through that process just to live a normal life?
Tofu: Maybe, but all the people in the city has naturally excellent short term memory. They can skim through scriptures and remember every word without ever reading it again. All the events that happen in one day will be remembered crystal clear, that is, with the help of the Ginseng. So the people never have to repeat learning the same thing. That makes for a very efficient society with a high standard of education.
Akane: Dr. Tofu, do you have this “Crane Ginseng”?
Tofu: *slightly lowers head* No... I don’t. What happened in the end was that a huge rainstorm that wiped out that Emperor’s garden, destroying all traces of the herb... The people did not survive after that. One by one people started wandering out of the city, and no one knows what happend to them after that.
Akane: *blinks* That’s it? No more Ginseng? Then what was the point of telling us that, Dr. Tofu?
*A small figure speedily hops onto the scene, extending a staff at Akane’s shoulder*
Akane: ekk! *Turns around* Obaasan!
Cologne: *wrinkly smiles* I heard what happend, and maybe I can offer some help.
Tofu: *looks at Cologne* That’s just what I was thinking, if anyone has the Crane Ginseng, it’ll be you.
Cologne: *laughes* No no, the Ginseng is too rare even for my collection. I haven’t heard that story in a long time.
Akane: *face-faults* Argg!
Tofu: Of course it’s only a myth, there’s no guarantee that the Crane Ginseng ever existed.
Cologne: *smirks* And I suppose the Jusenkyou training ground was just a legend.
Tofu:............
Trunks: Whatever, *turns to Cologne* Do you at least know where we can get some of this Ginseng?
Cologne: Lucky for us I do. It turns out that the ancient city the doctor described is actually very close to my own village.
Akane: Obaasan, what do you suggest we do?
Cologne: We’re going to China!
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*Cut to a dark and mysterious patch of space, we see a dark shadow slowly approaching another figure*
Voice1: Well? What is it now?
Voice2: We have bad news Doctor, it appears that Ranma Saotome is alive after all.
Voice1: *booming* What??? How is that possible?
Voice2: When his brain pattern disappeared, it seems that it’s only because Saotome has lost his memory, that is why we could not detect him at first. The scout bot has just confirmed the boy’s existence just now. He is seen with Trunks and the some other characters.
Voice1: Without his memory, that means Saotome would not be able to remember his fighting skills, and would not be able to turn into Super Saiyajin ever again!
Voice2: *in a slightly nervous tone* errr, Yes, for the time being.
Voice1: Eh?
Voice2: Saotome is last seen heading to China with a group of people, apparently trying to find a way to reverse his memory loss.
Voice1: NO!!! If he becomes powerful again, my plans would be compromised! Stop him immediately!
Voice2: We only have limited supply cyborgs, production of them has been a very difficult task... In this time period it is hard to find the right metal and material for construction. And the ones we’ve sent was dispatched by our enemies...
Voice1: Do not give me excuses!
Voice2: ...I will see what I can do. I’ll send two of our latest and most skilled ones, that should be more than enough to take care of them.
Voice1: It had better be!
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*Cut to sky scenery. We see Trunk’s flying craft zipping through the clouds. Inside, it’s passengers are Ryoga, Akane, Cologne, Shampoo, Mousse, Dr. Tofu, and Ranma. Just outside the craft is Trunks cruising along, going in the same direction and speed*
Cologne: *looks out the window* hmmmm, looks like our friend here isn’t just any normal human.
Shampoo: Aiya! Shampoo want to fly like bird too!
Ryoga: *mumbling below hearing range* I can fly too, just not as fast.....
Akane: Obaasan, even if we get the Ginseng, do you how to use it properly.
Cologne: Don’t worry child, I will know when the time comes.
Akane: *mumbling* What’s that supposed to mean?
Trunks: We’re almost there! I can see the mountains.
Cologne: This is an amazing piece of machinery...
*The group has now passed the Jusenkyou training grounds*
Cologne: We can stop here.
*The cruiser lands somewhere in a mountainous region*
Ryoga: *looks around, and sees nothing but trees* How can we find the Ginseng in a place like this?
Cologne: Come, I know a logical location of where the Crane Ginseng may be. *Heads off*
Shampoo: *follows* Great Grandmother, how come we no have special herb at the Nekohanten?
Cologne: Because, Shampoo, our village never needed such a plant. We do not have the problem the people of the ancient city had, therefor we paid no attention in trying to re-discover that lost herb. I know of it’s location, but even I paid no attention it when I first discovered it.
*The group eventually comes to a giant tree, with a trunk diameter of about 2 meters*
Tofu: Why have we stopped here?
Cologne: *points to the tree* The Crane Ginseng is right there.
Akane: You mean the tree is it?
Cologne: Not the tree itself. *Jumps up, and slices one of the branches off* Watch.
*Everyone stares at the broken branch, and notices that in the middle of the cut was a thin glimmering spot*
Ranma: Hey what’s that in the middle of the rings?
Cologne: That is the essence of the Crane Ginseng. Since the destruction of the ancient city, the Ginseng has combined with the life force of this ancient tree, in order to preserve itself.
Ryoga: Obaasan, how do you know this is what we’re looking for?
Cologne: I learned of it’s mysterious powers long time ago. There was time that my great grand father was attacked by a the enemy of our family, and had his memories erased by their strange techniques. I did not know what to do, lucky one of the branches of this tree was also cut of during the fight. I noticed the strange glimmer in the center of the branch. I collected as much of this shining substance as possible from the branch. Then I used it to heal my great grandmother.
Mousse: I have never heard of this.
Shampoo: Shampoo not know either!
Cologne: There was no point in telling you this before, but now....
Trunks: Then quick! Use it on Ranma!
Cologne: *flashes a serious look across her face* What!?
*A metal blade come flying at Cologne, she dodges out of it’s way, but the branch that was in her hand is now sliced and sent flying off*
Trunks: *looks up* Who’s there!?
*Every jumps, and gets in a fighting position*
Ranma: Look! *Points up to the sky*
*Two teenagers is seen levitating in the air, both wearing Furinkan High school uniforms. One is brown haired and the other is black haired*
Akane: *sees the two* Hiroshi?? Daisuke??
Ryoga: Akane, you know them?
Hiroshi: We find you at last, and now that we’re here, you will all perish.
Akane: They’re in my class! What are they doing here?
Trunks: Akane, they’re not your class mates any more! They’ve become cyborgs! I can’t Dr. Gero is turning innocent students into his soldiers!
Daisuke: I just want to get this over with quickly! *Charges at Cologne*
Shampoo: Obaasan! *Throws bonbories at Daisuke, and leaps to Cologne’s side*
Mousse: Shampoo! I’ll protect you! *leaps beside Shampoo*
Cologne: I’ll let you two fight this machine, while I must collect the Ginseng for Son-in-law.
Daisuke: Interesting! *Throws beams at Shampoo and Mousse*
Trunks: *sees Shampoo and Mousse attacked by Daisuke* I gotta help them! *Flies to intercept Daisuke*
Hiroshi: *looks at Akane, Ryoga, and Ranma* Guess I’ll take care of you! *Charges the three*
Akane: I don’t like to hurt a classmate, but if I must.....
Ryoga: Akane, remeber what Trunks said, we have to destroy it, before it kills us! *Rips out head-bands and swing them at Hiroshi*
Akane: *turns around* Ranma, stay back, let us handle this!
Ranma: uhhh, Ok, *steps back* But if you need help...
*Trunks attacks Daisuke fiercely, delivering blows from all directions. Shampoo jump kicks Daisuke, only to be counter kicked. Mousse unleash a fury of maces, hammers, saws, and blades at Daisuke, who’s busy defending against Trunks, and gets pelted many times. Clunks, Clanks, and Crashes ensue.*
Daisuke: *blocks one of Trunks’s attacks and kicks him to a tree, and immediately creates forcefield around himself against Mousse’s weapons* Hey, don’t you ever run out of them?!
Mousse: Never. *Throws a grappling chain above Daisuke, and swings to Daisuke, kicking him in the face*
Shampoo: *bounces off a tree and heads for Daisuke, swinging her bonbories* Haiyahhh!
*Daisuke parries all of Shampoo’s attacks, grabs one of her bonbories, and smashes her down. Mousse jumps in just in time to catch Shampoo*
*On the other side of the battle field, thing are not going well for Akane and Ryoga. Ryoga goes fist to fist with Hiroshi, but even his strength is no match for a cyborg. Akane backs Ryoga up by throwing her vacuum wave into Hiroshi, who is disoriented by the blast. Ryoga comes from behind and does a Shi Shi Houkou Dan, smashing Hiroshi to the ground. But Hiroshi quickly gets up, and throws his own fireballs at thw two. Ryoga manges to cancel it out, but Akane gets thrown back to a tree. Ryoga tries to go for Akane, but is intercepted by Hiroshi. Ranma joins the fight, and does a jump kick up Hiroshi. Hiroshi easily counters, grabs Ranma’s feet and swing him into Ryoga.*
Hiroshi: *charges up fireball with both hands while lunging at Ranma and Ryoga* Haha, die!!! *Fires with both hands, unleashing a green energy beam at the two.
*Suddenly the air in front of Ranma and Ryoga is “cut” open, a arm extended form the hole, grabbing them into the hole, and blinks out of existence right before the green beam hits*
*The air is cut at another location, releasing a stunned Ranma and Ryoga, accompanied by Toma*
Toma: Good thing I got here just in time, ne?
Hiroshi: What? Where they go?! They can’t move that fast! *See’s Toma* Who are you?
Toma: *brandishes his illusion sword* I am Prince Toma, your new enemy!
*At the other battle, both Shampoo and Mousse has been badly bruised. Trunks concentrates all his chi, and threw a powerful Kamehameha at Daisuke. But Daisuke dodges, and let the wave blow up half a mountain. Trunks realized he had made a mistake by using up his chi, and Daisuke takes advantage of this and mercilessly beat on Trunks, hammering him to the ground next to Shampoo and Mousse*
Daisuke: Time for some shishkabob. *Pulls arms back, then lunges forward, sending over a thousand sharp blades at the three.*
*A yellow braze comes between the hail of blades, and after a series of clinks and clanks, all the blades have been dispatched. A royal figure stands among the mountain of dented swords, holding a shiny pair of carved chopsticks*
Daisuke: Nan...Nan da!
Kirin: *looks up* You must be one of the automatons that dared to attack Kirin’s citadel. Kirin shall make you pay!
*Cut to Toma’s fight*
Hiroshi: I’ll beat you just like I beat them! *Charges Toma*
Toma: *grin* heh, you cannot harm what you cannot see. *Swings his sword around himself, and disappears in a flash of light*
Hiroshi: What??
*Hiroshi’s body jerks around, being attacked by the invisible Toma. Toma reappears, and decides to changes his strategy*
Toma: *calling to Akane and Ryoga* I’m gonna mess up this guy’s sight, so when I give the word, attack. *Charges his Sword of Illusion*
Ryoga and Akane: Hai! *Both stands ready*
Toma: *swinging the glowing sword in a wide angle at Hiroshi* Wave of Deception!
*The surge of light hits Hiroshi head on*
Hiroshi: *surrounded by light* What? That didn’t even hurt!
Toma: ATTACK!
*All three charges Hiroshi, who just stands there like an idiot. Hiroshi gets attacked everywhere, sending the sound of clashing metal all over the mountain*
*Back to Kirin*
Kirin: *glares at Daisuke* Kirin shall make you rue the day you were built! *His chopsticks glow bright yellow*
Daisuke: Oh yeah? *Charges Kirin*
Kirin: Hyahhhhh!!!! HASHI BARRAGE! *Charges his hand foward, and shoots out thousands of chi-powered, razor sharp shafts at Daisuke*
Daisuke: *Gets pelted, and two of the chopsticks also penetrated his eyes, cracking his visual lenses* ARGGG!!! My eyes! *Gets thrown backwards*
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*Back to the dark and mysterious location*
Voice2: I have just found something very interesting in the computer databases, Doctor.
Voice1: Oh? And what would that be?
Voice2: It would seem that Saotome has a weakness, a rather embarrassing one at that. It just might prove advantageous for us.
Voice1: Then exploit it at once!
Voice2: Yes Sir, I know exactly what to do.
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Cologne: *having gathered a good amount of the Ginseng during the fight* This should be enough. Tofu, do you have mixing bowl?
Tofu: Hai, *produces a bowl*
Cologne: *puts the medicine in the bowl, and heats it up with pure chi* Tofu, drag my son-in-law here, if you please.
*Tofu finds Ranma and brings him to Cologne*
Ranma: Now what?
*Sounds of fighting can be heard*
Cologne: Turn around. *Scoops up the steaming glob with two of her fingers*
*Ranma did as he was told. Cologne jumps up, and jabs the Ginseng into the back of Ranma’s skull, exactly at the point where he received multiple injuries.*
Ranma: *with smoke coming out of his hair* YOOOww!!! *Jumps up and down*
Cologne: Calm yourself, son-in-law.
Ranma: *finally settles down, the smoke no longer emmitting* That hurts!
Tofu: Well Ranma? Can you remember?
Ranma: *tries very hard to remember past events, and tries to conjure up images of Akane and the Tendos* uhhhhhhh.......*snaps out* Nothing!
Cologne: Nothing? It didn’t work?
Tofu: Now what do we do?
Cologne: I don’t under stand this, maybe the potency of the Ginseng got weaker as the centuries roll by.
Tofu: Then there is no hope.
Voice: Ranma Saotome!
Ranma: huh? *Looks up, and sees another figure dressed in Furinkan High clothes* Who are you now?
Figure: *hands on his back* I am Haruma, but you may call be number #24.
Cologne: Son-in-law, be careful!
Ranma: I’m getting tired of this, if you want to fight, then fight!
#24: I see you still have your fighting spirit, but let see if you still have your courage after this! *Throws something in front of Ranma*
Ranma: huh? *Looks down, and sees a small cat, with black and white fur. A wave of chills run through his body, accompanied by a pulse flashing through his brain* k.....k....k....CAT!!!
*The cat purrs, and jumps onto Ranma’s face*
*Ranma falls to his knees, his face turns blank. Smoke starts rising from the back of his head again. Ranma stays in his condition for a few moments, then his face starts to jerk. The cat licks Ranma once, then jumps off from it’s unstable territory.*
Ranma: *aura starts to form* Rwwworooeowww *facial expression changes dramatically, eyes seem to be growing huge, and mouth almost seem to develop fangs* Meeeooooooowwwwww!!!
*Ranma’s aura expands, almost like in Super Saiyajin mode, and gets in a crawling position, similar to a cat, menacingly looking at #24*
Cologne: *snapping finger* So that’s it! *Notices Ranma* So Son-in-law decides to use Neko-ken, but this much more powerful than the last time I saw him use it.
#24: *notices Ranma in Neko-ken stance* What’s this? I thought cats would make Saotome weak! Not stronger!
Ranma: Rerrowwww!
*Ranma jumps at #24 at blazing speed, madly thrashing his claws. #24 had no time to dodge, and soon Neko-Ranma is upon him, busily scratching out his metal skin and soon reached his internal wirings*
#24: Arggggg!!!!!! *Sparks fly from his body, as Neko-Ranma quickly turns his entire body into metal scraps, literaly*
Neko-Ranma: Meeoowwww! *Blazes across the battle field to Hirsoshi and the others*
*meanwhile, Hiroshi is getting dented in many places on his body, but he finally charged his body and caused an explosion around himself, knocking out Akane, Ryoga, and Toma*
Hiroshi: *turns around, and notices something coming at him at incalculable speed* Oh shit! *Calls out to Daisuke* Daisuke! Let’s beat it! Unless you want to be a scratching post! *Starts flying away*
Daisuke: *was about to finish Kirin with a fireball* What?! *Sees Hiroshi flying away* Wait for me! *Follows Hiroshi*
*Neko-Ranma runs up to Akane, and hisses at Hiroshi and Daisuke*
Akane: *gets up slowly* Ranma.......
Cologne: I think it’s time for son-in-law to be back to normal. *Throws cold water at Ranma*
Ranma-Chan: *coughes* Hey, watch it! *Blinks* what happend?
Akane: *Struggles up* Ranma, tell me what can you remember.
Ranma-Chan: I don’t remember anything that has happend in the last few days, starting from when I was fighting with #22.
Akane: *frowns* But you can remember everything before that?
Ranma-Chan: Hey I don’t have that bad of a memory! I must be just out cold or something...
Akane: *beams* Yata! Obaasan, you did it!
*The injured group of people gathered around, preparing to go home after a long day. The two princes are also saying their goodbye*
Akane: *looks at Toma and Kirin* Thank you both for coming, the result of this fight might have turned out a lot different if you didn’t show up.
Toma: Think nothing of it, Akane. I was getting bored with training by myself, so I might as well test my skills against a real opponent.
Kirin: And Kirin is also tired of days of endless training, Kirin thirst for revenge against the villains that ranscacked my sacred citadel.
Ryoga: Well you guys just do whatever, and we’ll be on our way too.
Toma: Sayoonara. *Cuts open the air around him, and disappears into the hole*
Kirin: Sayoonara. *Turns and jumps onto the top of a tree, and jumps out of sight*
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*The group is on route back home. Even Trunks is too tired to fly by himself, and pilots the cruiser manually*
Cologne: So as you can see, all the Ginseng needed was a sudden emotional shock for it’s effects to be complete, and to son-in-law, nothing serves better than a cat, Ha ha ha ha.
Ranma: Not funny!
*Ranma swings at Cologne, who dodges by jumping on top of Trunks’ head*
Trunks: hey watch it! *Fumbles the directional stick*
*The cruiser goes out of control, does a couple of wild spins, twist, dives, and soars, accompanied by sounds of screaming, as it soars through the sky in an disorderly pattern back home*
====================================================================== -end part 8
New parts are getting harder and harder to write, for some reason. I suppose it’s because there’s so many things I’ll have to consider. Well, in any case, see you next chapter!
Tony Chen
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(Ranma Nibunnoichi)