//------------------------------// // Chapter 18: Nightmare’s return Part 6: Taking back the school! // Story: Finally at Pegasus A MLP: FIM and Ranma ½ X-Over // by Alicornian //------------------------------// Chapter 18: Nightmare’s return Part 6: Taking back the school! “A gate?!” Ranma asked shocked. “What? Ranma did you just say there was a gate up there?” Sparkle said shocked as well. “Yeah. And it’s closed.” The student said worried. “Ranma you don’t think…” Nabiki asked before. “ALOHA COLTSVILLE STUDENTS!” a voice rang out from the top of the school. Ryoga, Shampoo, Ukyo, Nabiki, and Ranma all looked up to the person on the roof and spoke only one name. “Principal Kuno!” The Principal just smiled down at all of the students. “What is he doing here?!” Ukyo said angrily. “I don’t know but he’s going to be leaving very soon.” Ranma said cracking his knuckles. “No Ranma, please don’t.” Summer said holding onto his arm. “Yeah, leave it to someone who has a bone to pick with him.” Ryoga said stepping forward before Jackie grabbed him. “Whoa there partner, let’s not go off on a stampede just yet.” Ryoga and Ranma was about to go against this when Nabiki stepped in front of them. “Jackie’s right you two. Let’s fall back for now and talk to the mayor, she’ll know what to do.” Both growled at the but agreed and began informing the rest of the student body along with the staff to leave the school grounds quickly and head to the town hall and the mayor. “HEY! WERE YOU ALL GOING! YOU NO COME TO CLASS YOU ALL…” Principal Kuno stopped as he remembered Happosai’s plan and his threat of bodily harm so gulped yelled what was needed, “WILL GAIN DETENTION!” Sparkle soon stopped and just stood there. “D-detention… but… but he can’t… he… he’s not the principal…” Dashie quickly took her hand and gave her a minor pull. “Sparkle it’s okay. It’s okay he’s not the true principal he can’t threaten that.” Sparkle moved slowly but was mostly dragged towards Mr. and Mrs. Armor who was not very happy at this along with many other teachers such as Miss Cheerily, Miss Lyra and her love Miss Bonny. Without a word the teachers nodded to them and they all left for the Mayor to report Principal Kuno to the Japanese Embassy and the local police and possibly S.W.A.T. teams. The moment they arrived at town hall they knew something was wrong as a set of police officers stood in front of entrance. “What in the world…” Mr. Armor said stepping forward. “Hold it sir. No one’s allowed inside today.” One of the officers said standing before him. “We have important business with the Mayor, let us through.” Mr. Armor told him calmly. “Sorry sir but I have my duty and that is to make sure no one goes inside at this time.” The officer said calmly. “Are you serious?” Ranma said annoyed. The officer looked to him then blinked. “You Ranma Cloudsdale?” Ranma blinked at this and slowly nodded. The officers looked at each other and pulled out a small pocket book and began reading out loud. “Ryoga Hibiki, Ukyo Choir, Nabiki Silver, Xian Fu, and Ranma Cloudsdale the Major would like to speak to all of you and you alone.” The small group looked at each other nervously. The officers moved out of the way and opened the doors form the small group. “Can we have someone come with us as council?” Nabiki asked worried. “Sorry ma’am the Mayor ordered that only you five are allowed in no one else.” The officer answered. Nabiki gulped at this. “Can we… see the mayor at another time?” The officer shook his head. “No ma’am, the orders where that you were to see the mayor the moment you arrived.” Ranma stepped next to Nabiki. “Don’t worry Nabiki. If something’s up Ryoga and I can handle it.” Nabiki gulped and nodded. “We’re going in. If we don’t come out within the normal time frame for a meeting… get to the Japanese Embassy and fast.” Ukyo said to the teachers who nodded. The small group walked past the officers and into the town hall where they were guided by two more officers to the mayor’s office. One officer knocked on the door and a voice rang out. “Enter!” The officer opened the door and allowed the group into the currently darkened room. Once fully inside the door closed. “Madam Mayor?” Nabiki asked carefully. It was at this the lights turned on blinding them for a moment till they could look to the mayor’s desk and all gasped. “Hello Ranma-darling it is so good to see you.” Kodachi said from the desk smiling. “Kodachi! What have you done to the mayor?!” Ranma said annoyed. “Why nothing my dear Ranma. She’s right here.” Kodachi said pointing to herself. “You’re treading on thin ice Kuno.” Ryoga said cracking his knuckles. “Ah, ah, ah, I wouldn’t do that. By law I am the new mayor of Coltsville.” Kodachi said producing a paper from the desk. Nabiki carefully walked close enough to the desk she could read it when Kodachi picked it up and offered it to her. “It is all legal Ms. Silver.” Nabiki carefully took the paper with a tissue and brought it over to the group. “Shampoo you know Kodachi’s work right? Anything on it?” Shampoo gave the paper a careful sniff then gave it a well-trained look. “I no see anything.” Ranma leaned over to her. “You sure?” Shampoo nodded. Nabiki soon gave the paper a full legal reading going over it twice before slowly looking up to the group. “Well?” Ukyo asked worried. “It’s… it’s legit. She’s now the new major of Coltsville.” Nabiki said gulping. “Okay Kodachi, what’s your game?!” Ranma said looking right at her. “No game darling. It is what it seems. I am now the mayor of your lovely little town.” Kodachi said smiling. “Okay then…” Ranma said stepping forward, “call the Japanese Embassy. Your nut case of a father is falsely running the school.” Kodachi looked offended at this. “Ranma-darling that is no way to speak about your principal.” The group’s jaws dropped. “You can’t be serious!” Ryoga said. “It’s true Mr. Hibiki as this paperwork I have clearly states he can and will be the acting principal of Coltsville.” Kodachi said holding out a folder she had out much earlier. Nabiki took the folder the same what she did with the paper. After Shampoo checked and okayed the folder and its contents Nabiki looked over the paper work and gulped. “Nabiki don’t tell me…” Ukyo said looking at her. Nabiki just shook her head. “No… no way. He can’t.” Ukyo said looking to Kodachi. “Oh but he can. He’s fully qualified and marked as stable enough to run the school and is even on medication to keep him inline.” Kodachi explained smiling. “This is all faked and you know it Kodachi.” Ryoga said hotly. “You even know what happened at Jackie’s farm and I’m going to make you regret EVER harming her farm.” Ranma and Shampoo quickly grabbed Ryoga as Kodachi laughed. “Oh come now Ryoga you just can’t go up and harm me. Doing so would place you in police custody faster than you could say Banzai.” Kodachi said smiling before she leaned forward in the chair. “Also where is your proof? Did you SEE me do anything to that farm? Did you SEE me even at the farm? Where is your evidence?” Ryoga just growled at this. “I thought so. Now I believe your all late for your classes so I will have one of my officers speak to my father about letting you and your friends off the hook this time but before you go I must inform you of some rules you must all obey.” Ranma stepped forward and placed his hands on the desk. “You know we’ll find out what’s really going on here Kodachi and when you do… we’re all coming after your nut case family.” Kodachi gave him a serious look. “I wouldn’t be threatening me Ranma-darling. I am the mayor after all.” Ranma just looked at her evenly. “Now onto the rules. Rule one is quite simple. You are not allowed to fight anyone with in the school grounds or within Coltsville itself. Doing so will land you in a cell for a bit. The second rule is that you must attend school on a constant basis meaning if you miss school you had better have a good reason why. If you miss more than a week of school you WILL be expelled. This goes for your sister as well Ranma.” Kodachi explained smiling. This unnerved Ranma quite a bit. “For now I’ll speak with my father about giving you all today off since I know today must have been quite stressful for all over you and your little friends. Go on home and please. DO stay out of trouble.” Kodachi said allowing the group to leave. Once outside the group looked quite grim. “Well what did the Mayor say?” Sparkle asked worried. “Not here. At our respected homes. Summer, Dashie, Sparkle, you go off with Ryoga and Jackie. Pinkie you go with Shampoo and Ukyo. Rarity you go with Nabiki. I’ll tell Ranko.” Ranma instructed. Everyone nodded and headed to their destinations soon followed by the teachers. Lyra and Bonny was about to go with Ranma when he gently looked to the two. “Sorry but… I need to speak to her in privet and… our aunt will be sent over to help calm her down. Don’t worry the others can fill you in. Maybe Pinkie would like some more company.” Lyra and Bonny didn’t like it but did as requested. --- “WHAT!” Octavia, Vivian, Lyra, Bonny, the Cakes, Cologne, and James said surprised by this news. “Hmm this could be of grave issues everyone. Kodachi and the Principal are not acting as they should.” Cologne said thoughtfully. “Miss Cologne should we try pulling Pinkie and her friends out of the school till Ms. Celestial returns and corrects all this?” Mrs. Cake asked worried. Cologne thought long and hard on this. Ukyo leaned back in her chair sighing. “I don’t know Mrs. Cake but with as much history as I’ve had with Principal Kuno, it might just be the best idea to do for now. I’ve seen what he can do to a school and well… medicine or not I don’t trust him.” Cologne nodded to this. “I agree. The girls will be fine with some home schooling till this is all solved.” Pinkie looked worried to her family but nodded. She didn’t want to be away from her friends but… what else could they do with a known nut case running the school? --- “So let me get this straight.” Cheerily said to Ryoga in the Apple Farm house. “Principal Kuno, a known dangerous nut case and his equally insane daughter are in charge of the school and entire town?” Ryoga just nodded leaning back in his chair in the living room. “Does this mean we can’t go to school no more?” Bloom said pouting. She loved having fun at the school with her friends. “Yeah but it doesn’t mean we can’t do an alternative form of learning.” Ryoga said keeping his eyes fixed on the window towards the devastated farm. “You mean home schooling don’t you?” Cheerily asked. Ryoga nodded to it. “I know it’s not the best option but it’s the only one I think that might be open to us. Also it’ll show that none of us are willing to go along with their messed up plans… whatever they are.” Jackie placed a hand on Ryoga’s shoulder. “You sure we should be doing this Ryoga. I mean think about those rules that Kodachi girl told you.” Ryoga nodded at this. “She said we had to attend school, not how. If we can find loop holes like this in their planning we should be one step ahead of them.” Mac leaned back in his seat next to Summer who looked very frightened. “Good idea but still they have to follow the laws as well and as I see it those two already have the law on their side.” Summer quickly nodded to this behind her hair. She didn’t like the idea of homeschooling as it meant time away from Ranko. “Do… do we have to do it alone?” Summer soon asked quietly. “No Summer you don’t, we can set up study groups if we can even go this route.” Cheerily said with a bit of worry. “What do you mean?” Ryoga asked leaning forward. Cheerily looked down at this but explained. “Well… most home schooling has to be okay-ed by the local school which means…” --- “…which means no matter what the teachers will have to go about seeing Principal Kuno about doing the home schooling” Nabiki said pacing the meeting room in front of Rarity and Belle, “and the worse part of this that he’ll have complete say on that. So if he says no…” Rarity lowered her tea cup sighing and finished for Nabiki. “We’ll have to attend the school. This is quite a disaster isn’t it?” Nabiki just nodded. “I know how Principal Kuno and Kodachi work Rarity and this is not how they normally do things. Kodachi would not be acting as the Mayor of a town and Principal Kuno would not be threatening detentions. Kodachi would have enrolled at the school to chase down Ranma to date or worse marry him and chase down Ranko to seriously harm her or worse. Something… just doesn’t feel right about all of this.” Belle just looked between her sister and their newest friend. “Um… Rarity does this mean we’re all going to be in trouble with school?” Rarity looked to her little sister and frowned. “I don’t know Belle but… this is quite a predicament.” --- Ranma just paced before his Aunt. “They have us trapped. No matter how Ranko or I look at this we have no choice but to go to the school!” Nodoka sighed at this as looked at the notes Ranko and Ranma had written to each other conversation wise and had been keeping up with writing for the two. “Ranko says that we might be over thinking all of this Ranma. I kind of agree with her.” Nodoka said gently. “You can’t be serious. This is the Kuno Clan we’re talking about!” Ranma said before Nodoka gently pours cold water on him. “Your brother is getting a bit… upset at this.” Nodoka told her now niece. “I don’t blame him. I mean the Kuno Clan has been under our skin from day one.” Ranko replied continuing Ranma’s pacing. “Ranma’s always been one to just jump into a fight and think during the fight but me… I know I’m different than him so maybe… maybe I can come up with something.” Nodoka carefully nodded at this and pulled the pad out for writing again. “I’m ready.” Ranko paced as she thought things over hopefully giving Ranma time to cool down as well. “Okay let’s start with the facts. The month before the Kuno clan arrived Jackie’s farm was attacked with a virus that destroyed over three fourths of her orchard. After that was the thefts on a good number of businesses that most have closed down on. After this Principal Kuno shows up as the current acting Principal of the School and Kodachi became the Mayor. There has to be something about all this they messed up on by what?” Ranko then stopped and ran over to a shelf of books she had in her room and came back flipping pages through it. “Ranko?” Nodoka asked till Ranko smiled at her. “We got Kodachi!” --- Kodachi paced the office she now presided worried before Happosai. “I do not understand how you can have me do this Happosai even if I do like the power I now have over an entire town. There are still laws that must be followed.” Happosai nodded to this. “It is true that there is a law about what age you must be here to be mayor however the herbs, incense, and potion I have just given you will take care of this.” Kodachi looked to the dried and grounded herbs, the dark black and rose smelling incense cones and sticks, and the large clear bottle of purplish black liquid raised her eyebrow. “And just how will these items help keep me from jail?” Happosai pointed to each item smiling. “The dried herbs will cause anyone who eats them to become completely obedient to you and you alone. The incense cones makes it so you’ll be in control, burn those near the doorway. The incense sticks will cause anyone who smells them to see you as you would be for your new position. Lastly the potion is my little gift to you. It is darkness turned into a liquid state. Drink a glass a day and you will gain powers beyond your wildest dreams. You could even use those powers to make it so others outside this building to see you as a woman of correct age for a mayor but be warned do not drink more than one glass a day or there will be consequences.” Kodachi gave each a skeptical look but did remember what the earlier bottle of black liquid did to her brother and the girl Akane. “Very well Happosai I’ll do as you wish and instructed however… why only one glass a day, what consequences could there ever be to all of this?” Happosai looked to her before turning towards the doors. “You will have to find that out on your own my dear, for now I have a meeting to attend to with your Father and your brother. Take care.” Before Kodachi could push for more information Happosai disappeared into a shadow in the room. She soon turned her attention to the items on her desk. “What are you up to Happosai?” Sighing she got to work spreading the items around the room and prepared for the next day. --- The next day Ranko arrived before the town hall with the law book in hand. Thankfully it was the weekend so there was no school. “May we help you miss?” one of the officers at the door asked. “Yes I wish to speak with Mayor Kodachi. I wasn’t present yesterday so I came to pay my respects today.” Ranko said sweetly. “Very well miss. Allow us to speak to the mayor and be sure she is willing to see you first.” The officer said nodding to one of his men who went inside. “Thank you.” Ranko said smiling. “Oh yes, could you be so kind as to have one of your officers with me while I speak with her. I don’t wish to do anything that may offend her.” The officer gave her a skeptical look but nodded. The other officer soon returned and nodded to his chief. “Alright you can go in. Officer please go with Miss Cloudsdale here while she speaks with the mayor. She wants to make sure she doesn’t cause any trouble.” The chief ordered with the officer nodding. A few moments later they were in Kodachi’s office. “Ah, Ranko it is good to see you. How may I help you?” Kodachi said smiling. “I see you settled in quite quickly.” Ranko said drumming her fingers over the law book in her hands. “Yes, I felt the room needed to have a touch of home in it.” Kodachi said gesturing to all the black rose bouquets placed around the room. “Yeah… it makes the room smell… rosy. Anyway I thought it be nice and show you something in the California law books you might have missed.” The officer took interest in this. “It seems you have to be a certain age to be a mayor and sadly Kodachi you’re far too young to be mayor.” Ranko said opening and pointing to the law in the book. “You sure about this Ranko? That’s quite the accusation you’re making.” Kodachi said smiling. “It is because you’re only seventeen yours old!” Ranko said triumphantly. “Really? Officer can you be so kind as to tell me how old you think I am? Don’t worry I won’t be offended.” Kodachi said smiling. “Eighteen to twenty miss.” The officer answered with Ranko’s jaw dropping. “But… but…” Kodachi stood up and looked out the window of the office. “Ranko I’m ashamed of this. You really think I’m only seventeen years old?” Ranko looked right at her. “Only a years passed since I left Japan Kodachi. There’s no way you can be eighteen.” Kodachi turned and smiled to Ranko. “Oh but I am Ranko. Now I’m going to let this little offense slide but if you ever come into my office and accuse me of being of the wrong age to be mayor again I will have to have you removed by force. Unless you have proof I am only seventeen.” Ranko growled inwardly at that. “I didn’t think so. Officer please escort Miss Cloudsdale out of town hall please.” Kodachi said sitting back down at her desk. “Yes ma’am. Come along.” The officer said guiding Ranko out of the office. --- “Hey it was a good try Ranko.” Ukyo said serving her a stack of her best pancakes as it was still the breakfast hours. Thankfully Ukyo had the restaurant designed like her old one where you could sit up near the grill at a bar. “Yeah well… if only I had her birth certificate this would have gone off without a hitch.” Ranko said digging into her pancakes. “Yeah well… what did you expect? Besides how can we really be sure she was sixteen when we both met her? I mean to me she looked about seventeen.” Ukyo said finishing another plate for a customer. “Sis table fourteen is ready!” Octavia came over took the plate and headed to the table the order was from smiling. “I’m surprised Octavia wanted to help you out around here.” Ranko said adding more syrup to her stack. “Well this did use to belong to our grandfather before he passed away. So we both decided we’re try and run it together as a family. Though I’m not sure how with the Kuno clan around.” Ukyo explained with a hint of worry at the end. “Hey if Principal Kuno wants to cause trouble let him, it’ll just give us more reason to toss his butt to the Japanese Embassy and the nearest jailhouse.” Ranko said taking another bite of the pancakes. “Ukyo these are good.” Ukyo smiled at this. “Thank Ranko.” --- Principal Kuno did not like how things were in this school. He had his two men go over the entire school and neither of them could find the principal’s office. It was as if the school didn’t even have one but this didn’t matter for the moment. He was perfectly fine with the spare class room her found and turned into his personal office but still this was an issue school wise. It meant he couldn’t target any of the problem students like Ranma and his group. Yet… he wasn’t going to go against Happosai’s orders, not one bit. “Stage one of the second half of our plan is complete Kuno. How goes everything here?” Happosai said stepping out of the shadows. “It be good if we could find the student records. We can’t even find the Principal’s office where the Big Kahuna can reign.” Principal Kuno said from behind his desk. “I see. It doesn’t matter for now. The boy and his friends have already gone to see your daughter. They’ll now be keeping an eye on you for here on end. Meaning you must not go back to your old ways.” Happosai said looking at him. “But I must teach the problem students how to not mess with the big kahuna, what I do if they try to cause me to wipe out?” Principal Kuno said worried. “That is why I am here. Your daughter said you were on medication for your… condition. So here,” Happosai replied tossing a small medical bottle over to him, “begin taking those.” Principal Kuno opened the bottle to see solid black medical tablets inside. “What be these?” Happosai turned towards the shadows and soon spoke. “Those are pills made from darkness. They will help keep you in control of your insanity as well as give you the power to see into the darkness and keep an eye on our target without being seen. However only take two a day, one during the day and one during the night. No more than that. The instructions are on the bottle along with a common name for the medicine you need. Any more than what is on that bottle and there will be consequences.” Principal Kuno looked to the bottle in his hand. “What kind of side effects or consequences?” Happosai turned to look right at him angered. “Do you question my advice and gift to you?!” Principal Kuno shook his head and quickly took the first pill for the day. Kuno soon gagged at the pill as a dark aura soon covered him and then dissipate. “Good… now where is your son?” Principal Kuno soon looked up to Happosai with pitch black eyes that soon returned to normal. “He… he be in the gym practicing.” Happosai nodded as he began walking into the shadows. “Good. Take care Kuno.” Principal Kuno soon sat down in his chair as he looked to the medicine bottle smiling madly with pitch black eyes. --- Happosai soon stepped into a dark velvet room where a woman sat on an obsidian throne. “How are you adjusting to your new form?” Happosai said to the woman smiling. “Invigorating. I’ve never felt so much power before. I like it.” The woman replied in Japanese. “I’m pleased you do. Now I have given Kodachi and Kuno the items we talked about but I think this last one you should do the honors of giving.” Happosai said smiling. “You are far too kind Happy. Very well.” The woman said taking up a solid black and obsidian laid kendo-ken. “This Dark Kendo-ken will do nicely as a gift for our dear Tatewaki.” Happosai nodded bowing as the woman walked into the darkness of the room and disappeared. --- Tatewaki sat meditating in the dark gym. He could feel the darkness around him, empowering him, filling him with energy he could never have dreamed of. “I see your adjusting to your new powers.” Akane said stepping out of the darkness. “Ah my fair Akane. What do I owe to this greatest of honors?” Tatewaki said smiling. “A gift from my sensei.” Akane said tossing over the Kendo-ken. “A sword? Why would he give me a sword?” Tatewaki said catching and examining the kendo-ken. “Because I requested it for you Tatewaki.” Akane said soon wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning into his back. “Y-you would r-request such a blade… f-for me?” Tatewaki asked blushing. “Why wouldn’t I? You and I are now a part of the dark. What better than the Dusk Blade as your personal honor blade?” Akane said smiling. Tatewaki looked at the blade intoxicated. Akane had this dark weapon forged for him… and even now he could feel as if she could just drink up her silky soft spoken words. “I shall use it with great honor yet tell me more of this fine weapon.” Akane let go of him and began walking around his seductively. “The sword you have is called the Dusk Blade; it is made from the darkest oak, carved in darkness with a carving blade of dark obsidian and soaked in liquid darkness. It is shadow made solid, darkness made sharp, and a weapon worthy of a dark samurai.” Tatewaki looked to the weapon in awe. “A weapon worthy of a dark samurai?” Akane nodded. “I shall use this blade with the full power of my samurai clan and show all that no one underestimate the dark powers!” Tatewaki said beginning to laugh insanely. Akane smiled at this as she soon walked back into the darkness saying one thing in Chinese, “Foal.” --- With the weekend over the teachers and parents came forward to speak with the ‘new’ Principal over their concerns. “Principal Kuno on behalf of the staff here at Celestial Moon High School we all feel that we can’t work under you do to your past.” Lyra said representing the Teachers. “I know of your concerns miss but I assure you that I do not have the condition you seem to be worried about.” Principal Kuno said calmly. “Still you have quite the history and sadly we don’t quite feel safe with you here as acting Principal.” Lyra said calmly. She had to stay calm for everyone or this would end up quite badly. “Really I’m being treated and even taking medication to keep me from going loco in the coconut. Speaking of…” It was at this he pulled the bottle Happosai gave him and prepared to take his newest dose when Lyra spoke. “Hold it. How do we know those aren’t just sugar pills you’re taking so you can keep us all in the dark?” Principal Kuno frowned at this. “If you don’t believe me come take a look.” Lyra stepped forward and took the offered bottle in her hands. She read the bottle, tipped out the medicine looking at them then putting all but one back in the bottle and carefully put it away in her pocket after handing the bottle back. “Okay so you are on medication.” Lyra said as she watched the Principal take the pill as the bottle instructed. “This still doesn’t excuse last week’s introduction.” Principal Kuno frowned at this. “I do apologize for that. Seems I had hit the gate control by mistake and I couldn’t find out how to open them back up. I’m giving everyone a excused day of absence on my part.” Principal Kuno said calmly. “Still, we can’t trust this so… we ask that we be allowed to home school our students till we feel we can finally trust you as our new principal.” Lyra said offhandedly. A good number of parents stepped forward as well with writing requests for home schooling. “You all wish this?” Everyone nodded. “I am disappointed in this. Just because I am Principal now, you all decide to toss me out because of my past. Why not think of the students and how they feel about not being in school? They need to interact with other students to know how to make friends and socialize no?” Principal Kuno said disappointed. “This was our kid’s decision Mr. Kuno.” Mr. Cake said stepping forward. Principal Kuno thought on this with an amazingly clear head. He was still amazed at the power this Dark Chi had as he was able to actually think much faster than normal along with know what to do in such situations as this. “Very well. If you all feel this is what you must do than I will allow it.” This caused many people to become highly confused. “You… sure of this?” Lyra asked carefully. “You don’t trust me no? So why should I pressure you and the students to come to a school they no trust?” Principal Kuno asked wisely. Lyra thought on this and strangely he had a point. “Very well. Thank you… Mr. Kuno.” Principal Kuno nodded as everyone left. Once he was sure everyone was gone he spoke to the darkness. “So how did you think that went?” Happosai stepped out of the darkness smiling. “Excellent Kuno. However this will mean we must alter our plans. Have your son attract the attention of Ranma and you can go after Ryoga. Kodachi and Akane will handle the rest when the time comes for the second round. Now… go.” Happosai instructed. Principal Kuno nodded and soon left never seeing Happosai smile. --- “So you want me to take a closer look at this?” Cologne said holding up the solid black pill in her fingers. “Yes. You seem to know a lot about plants and items I was hoping you could figure out what this was.” Lyra said to Cologne. “You’re wise to seek my advice my dear as I do know quite a bit about medicine. Now let us see what we got here hmm?” Cologne said moving to the living quarters of the restaurant. Lyra followed close behind to a private room of the home and carefully walked inside. Inside was books, tomes, and the usual science items one would find in a lab. “Nice place you have here.” Lyra said walking over to Cologne. “Thank you dear. Now let’s see… hand me the book labeled Medical Remedies if you would please.” Cologne said looking over the pill. Lyra nodded and did as requested. “Thank you dear now let’s see.” Cologne flipped through her book trying her best to find the pill but could not. “Hmm interesting. This is not a normal pill, nor the one you described before. Hand me the book called Remedies Around the World please.” Lyra did as asked and looked over Cologne’s shoulder respectfully. “So… if it’s not normal medication what is it then? Some kind of sugar pill?” Cologne shook her head as she closed the book and rubbing her chin. “No dear this is no sugar pill it’s something I don’t believe is in any of my normal books. However I might know someone who might know just what this is.” Cologne quickly jumped onto her staff and began pogoing out of the place in a hurry. “Come along dear we don’t have a moment to wait!” --- Ranko sighed as she walked with Summer through the market. “Thank you so much for helping me with my shopping Ranko.” Summer said happily. “No problem Summer. But still, aren’t you worried about Principal Moon and the Mayor?” Ranko said worried. Summer sighed and nodded. “I am worried but… I know they’ll be back.” Ranko gave Summer and gentle hug as they continued to shop. “Hey what are you doing?!” someone soon yelled. “This food disgusts me! Away with it!” a familiar voice called out. “No way… Summer run.” Ranko said gently pushing her away as a crowd started to run out of the market. “Ranko?” Summer asked worried. “I said run! Go!” Ranko yelled before a large number of water melons came flying there way. “Ah!” Summer screamed as Ranko jumped in their way crying out, “Kachū Tenshin Amaguriken!” Summer soon felt a shower or cold water over her body and looked up to see that the melons had be turned into slush by Ranko’s fist. “Go!” Rank said with Summer nodding and running off. Quickly going over to a still warm cup of coffee she quickly wrote one word on a napkin and poured the warm liquid over her hand changing over quickly to Ranma. “What the…” Ranma said before he heard familiar laughing and looked down to the table and saw the note. “Tatewaki?” Ranma read looking up. He looked to himself quickly and was glad Ranko dressed in a way it wouldn’t harm them changing if needed and ran towards the insane laughing. “Disgusting… disgusting, disgusting, and DISGUSTING!!” Tatewaki yelled as he began trashing the shops within the market. “What’s his problem?” Ranma asked looking at the wildly swinging Kuno. “Huh?” Tatewaki turned slowly and looked right at Ranma. “Saotome… so… the foul sorcerer has finally left his little grove of light to face me.” Ranma just looked at the kendoist. “What’s your deal Kuno? Can’t hurt me so you take it out and innocent people’s shops?” Ranma asked looking at him. “You call this food? Ha! This filth isn’t even worthy to touch my tongue let alone feed a worm!” Tatewaki said crushing a piece of fruit under his foot and using his black kendo-ken to destroy yet another food stall. “Can’t fight him here so…” Ranma said carefully to himself as he studied his opponent. “Why not try hitting something that can fight back Kuno?!” Ranma yelled running up to him and then jumping over and running towards the old theme park. “That can be greatly done!” Kuno said soon giving chase. --- Ryoga just sighed as he looked around the devastated farm. Only a small section of the orchard had survived the virus but… “This just won’t be enough.” Ryoga said leaning up against one of the unharmed trees. “Why did this happen?” “Maybe because I wanted it to happen.” A voice said behind him. Ryoga quickly turned to see… “Principal Kuno.” Ryoga said forming a fist. “Looks like the lost boy truly is lost no? Too bad the virus couldn’t take all the trees.” Principal Kuno said smiling. “You… you did all this?!” Ryoga said gesturing to the devastated Orchard. “Of course. What better way to take the town and teach you all a lesson than to make it effective no?” Principal Kuno said smiling. Ryoga only shook and growled as he looked at the Principal. “Kuno!!!” Ryoga said leaping at him. Principal Kuno jumped out of the way of Ryoga’s grab and laughed running away. “Catch me if you can little piggy!” Ryoga growled and ran right after the Kuno head not knowing that it was a trap. --- Cologne smiled as her second old friend Zecora or Cora as she was now known as looked over the pill. “It is good to see you again Cologne.” Cora said normally. It had taken her many years to finally speak without rhyming but it was now do able. “That it has my friend, so what do you believe our mystery medication is?” Cologne said then asked with Lyra next to her. “I believe this is no ordinary medication Cologne. I’ve never seen pills this pitch black before, it is almost like tar.” Cora replied as she studied the pill. “Plus I’ve never seen a pill start to dissolve in intense light before.” Cologne and Lyra blinked at this as Cora showed them the now half dissolved pill. “Did you just say… it dissolved in intense light?” Lyra asked confused. “Yes. I’ve never seen such medicine as this.” Cora replied. “Yet I have my friend.” Cologne said giving the pill a dark look. “How I could not have recognized it till now I don’t know. Could be my old age finally catching up with me.” Lyra and Cora looked to Cologne confused at this. “What is it Miss Cologne?” Lyra asked looking to the pill. “It’s dark medication, or better known as a Dark Chi pill!” Cologne said causing Cora to drop the pill quickly. “Dark Chi? What’s that?” Lyra asked looking to the pill that was now on Cora’s floor. “Dark Chi is pure evil chi derived from darkness. Its power is not to be used lightly for its power comes with a cost.” Cora explain using a pastry dish to collect the evil pill. “Power at a cost? Okay someone explain to me what this is.” Lyra said finally lost. “First do you know what Chi is?” Cologne said looking to Lyra. “Well… yeah. Ranma explained it to me once. In Chinese medicine and philosophy it the energy or life force of the universe. It’s believed to flow around the body and to be present in all living things. He also said that you can manipulate Chi in two ways. Acupuncture and Chinese Martial Arts.” Cologne nodded to this. “Good but it goes deeper than this.” Cora nodded and pulled out and age old book and opening it to a yin yang symbol. “What do you mean?” Lyra asked confused. “There are two types of Chi in the world Miss Lyra. Good chi or Light Chi derived from Yang the principal of Light, heat, motivation, and good. Evil Chi or Dark Chi derived from Yin is the principal of Darkness, negativity, evil. The body needs to have a balance of both to have harmony with itself and that around them. Too much of either tips that balance and corrupts the soul. According to some if you fill yourself with nothing but good you would gain enlightenment however there is a price for this which is the need to seek a way of non-violence. Most monks are like this. Those who fill themselves with darkness however fall into one of six fields: Dishonesty, Hatred, Sadness, Greed, Disloyalty, and Chaos.” Cologne explained looking to the pill. “Is… that the cost you speak of?” Lyra said worried. “No my dear it’s what becomes of those who pay that price. Those who become Dishonest loose themselves to lies and begin living a life of constant lies, those who are Hate lose their ability to be kind to others and wish only to cause pain and suffering. Those who are Sad cannot laugh nor see the good in things that are bad. Those who are Greedy only wishes for items for themselves and care not what happens to others. Those who are Disloyal become unfaithful to all around them and feel they cannot have faith in others. Those who are full of Chaos become disorderly, random, and most importantly unpredictable. Their opposites however can easy combat those like this. Those with Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, and Friendship can easily take those who fall into darkness but save them my dear… I fear that in not possible.” Cologne explained sadly. “Then Principal Kuno is…” Lyra said before gasping. “Yes my dear. A Dark Chi User.” Cologne said giving the Dark Chi pill a worried look. --- Principal Kuno just laughed as he ran towards the planned battle ground. The Crystal Mines just north of Coltsville, the perfect place to fight a fighter who uses the earth itself as a Chi Technique. “Kuno!” Ryoga yelled as he chased him. “Come get me piggy!” Principal Kuno called back laughing which got a reaction, a tossed coconut sized rock to his right! “Whoa! I think that one got lost on the way to my head just like you, eh?!” This only cause Ryoga to growl as Principal Kuno laughed as he got into an empty mining cart. “Catch me if you can!” Ryoga just punched the ground as Kuno pulled the break and headed into the cave. “Bakusai Tenketsu!” a loud explosion was heard but no yelling of harm. “Ugh! When I get my hands on that Kuno I’m…” Ryoga said before grabbing an empty cart on the same line and got in and pulled the break soon following the insane Principal. As Ryoga entered he began wondering why Principal Kuno led him in here. “It’s a mine so… he have plenty of hiding places in here to strike from! Ugh I’m so stupid. I just gave him a tactical advantage!” Ryoga hit the cart hard enough to grant it a good dent before calming down. “Okay relax. You have the upper hand, this is a mine so the Breaking point will work perfect here.” Ryoga said to himself as his cart finally came to a stop at the current mining area. “Don’t be so sure piggy.” Principal Kuno said waiting for him. “Oh yeah? Bakusai…” Ryoga said before Principal Kuno said, “Then the town will go broke.” Ryoga stopped just before hitting the ground. “That’s right,” Principal Kuno said smiling, “this mine is one of two ways the town gains an income and since we already took out three fourths of the first…” Ryoga got out of his Bakusai Tenketsu stance and looked right at Principal Kuno. “So you did attack Jackie’s farm.” Principal Kuno just laughed. “You hit the melon on the head Hibiki!” Ryoga just glared at him. “You see I always get what I want and what I want it the school and the town. I don’t care how as long as I get my way. And if someone does…” Principal Kuno took out two hand powered hair clippers and smiled madly, “well let’s not lose our head now eh?” Ryoga just shook his head as he began removing multiple bandanas from his head. “Yeah well… I don’t think I’ll have to worry about that Kuno. You on the other hand…” Ryoga began spinning the now razor sharp bandanas ready to throw them, “I’d worry. Ha!” Ryoga quickly tossed the cloth based shurikens at the Principal who just smiled and to Ryoga’s shock dodged them all. “What?” Principal Kuno smiled till a small cut formed on his cheek. Running a finger over the cut and looking at his redden finger before looking at it angrily. “You… You cut me!” Ryoga smiled at this till he saw Principal Kuno start to give off a blackish purple aura. “NOW YOU’LL SEE WHY I’M THE BIG KAHUNA!” Ryoga quickly shielded himself from the dark winds the dark chi was producing. “What the… was he hiding this the whole time?” Ryoga asked protecting himself till, “Hawai no dākuu~ēbu!” --- Ranma ran quickly towards his preferred battlegrounds as Tatewaki gave chase. “Got to lead him away from the town.” Ranma said as he ran towards the run down fun park. It was out of Kodachi’s no fight zone and gave him plenty of room to pull off the big moves if it came down to it. “I tire of this!” Tatewaki yelled stopping and turning to set of houses. Ranma turned and stopped looking at him. “What’s wrong Kuno? Out of breath?” Ranma’s only response from Tatewaki was him walking away from him. “You aren’t even worth my time Saotome. You run from me when you could have fought me in honorable combat but all you want to do is run. I’ll now go and do find better challenge than this.” Tatewaki said walking then stopped when Bloom and her friends came out of a shop. “I bet children are better challenge then you are.” Bloom, Scooter, and Belle all stopped at hearing this looking to the kendoist. “Kuno are you out of your…” Ranma said before Tatewaki went to strike Bloom. “No!” Ranma quickly grabbed Tatewaki’s arm tossing him over his shoulder into a small garden pond. “Ranma what’s going…” Scooter said getting to her now shocked friend. “No time! Get Bloom and Belle out of here! This guy’s gone nuts!” Ranma said gaining a nod from Scooter who grabbed Bloom’s hand with Belle and ran to safety. “What’s your deal Kuno? You’ve never attacked kids before!” Tatewaki stood back up and looked right back at Ranma. “So… you’ll face me now?” Ranma just looked at him shocked. “What?” Tatewaki soon turned around and started towards the house of the garden he was tossed into. “If you don’t face me now Ranma. I’ll just find someone better to fight.” “I’ll fight you Kuno but not here!” Ranma said trying to gain Tatewaki’s attention. “Ha, I don’t believe you. You’ll just run away like you did last time.” Tatewaki said getting closer to the house. “Kuno! You’re a samurai. You attack the people in that house and you’ll become disloyal to your samurai ways.” Ranma said trying to convince Tatewaki to fight him instead. “You know Ranma.” Tatewaki said stopping. “Your right. I’m a loyal samurai am I not?” Ranma sighed at this. “Yeah you are Kuno and you’ve challenged me. I’ve accepted but we fight where I want us to fight. Free of innocent people and wide enough we can pull out the stops if we have to.” Tatewaki tapped his shoulder with his kendo-ken. “I see. Still… I have no more need for the OLD samurai ways.” Ranma blinked at this. “And I have no need for a weapon such as this.” Tatewaki tossed his Kendo-ken, which was really the Kuno Honor Blade sheathed, and lifted his hand to the house. “I think my new way is much better for the only one I need to be loyal to… is me. Dāku-fū no naifu!” Ranma watched as Tatewaki dropped his hand quickly sending razor sharp blades of darkness towards the house’s front door slicing it to pieces. “Kuno!” Ranma said running up to him and grabbing him. “You're crazy, you could seriously harm someone!” It was at this Tatewaki punched Ranma in the face sending him to the ground. “Then you had better face me Ranma or I’ll just have to keep going till someone does.” Ranma got back up and looked to Tatewaki. “What about… your red haired goddess? Would you want her to see you doing this?” Tatewaki blinked at this. “My… pig-tailed goddess is here?” Ranma nodded at this. “Then… I…” Tatewaki gapped as he thought over the news. “I have Akane… but… my goddess. She is closer correct?” Ranma nodded standing up. “Yeah. Knowing her she’ll want to see you. Follow me and not harm anyone on the way and you can see her.” Tatewaki looked at him at this then thought it over. “Lead the way.” --- Ryoga shook his head as he lifted himself out of the rubble pile he found himself in. “That Hawaiian Darkwave was… ugh.” Ryoga flinched as he moved. Principal Kuno’s chi attack wasn’t just powerful… it had seriously hurt. -Moments earlier- “Hawai no dākuu~ēbu!” Principal Kuno called out unleashing a wave of pure Dark Chi from his entire body towards Ryoga. Luckily Ryoga had been hit with powerful Chi attacks before so blocking this was nothing… but he was wrong. Moment it hit it hard and it hurt. It felt like his entire body was being torn to pieces, rubbed raw, seasoned in salt, marinated in fresh squeezed lemon juice, then lit on fire all at the same time. It had hurt! “Ah!!!” Ryoga screamed as he was tossed into the back wall which soon fell on top of him. -Now- Ryoga shook his head as he tried to stand. “Need a hand piggy?” Ryoga heard in front of him. Quickly looking up he saw Principal Kuno with a ball of Black Chi in his hand. “Let me teach you some more! Hawai no dākuu~ēbu!” Ryoga quickly brought his arm up to block the chi attack only to feel the pain he felt before but much worse. “I just hate, hate, HATE it when students that just won’t learn.” Principal Kuno said as he walked away from Ryoga who was trying to get up from the pain. “You see not once has a student EVER stood up to me and anyway. Yet my son, oh he be a bad boy no?” Principal Kuno said looking to the ceiling of the mine. “He be the only student who no respect the Big Kahuna. So I try to teach him a lesson and have him respect me. You see I never did like his hair so I cut it all off. But did he didn’t learn after that so I taught him again and again but no matter what I do he no learn and I began to hate Tachi. I left to find those that will learn to respect the Big Kahuna, went to Hawaii, there I got no respect hated it, hated the school, hated the students, hated all of it.” He said elongating the All. “So I come back to Japan, think that they learn. What they do? They again no respect the Big Kahuna! So I had to teach them all again and again and again! I hated repeating the same thing! I HATED students like Ranma! I HATED IT ALL!” Principal Kuno yelled unleashing the Dark aura once again. “But now… I just hate man. I hate it all and what I really hate now…” Principal Kuno said his eyes jet black frightening Ryoga, “is YOU!” It was at this a men’s necklace appeared and placed itself around Principal Kuno’s neck with the very center of the necklace having a solid black looking bee or yellow jacket in it. “This… don’t look good.” Ryoga said looking at the very ticked off Principal. --- Summer ran as quickly as she could towards Jackie’s home. This was bad, very, very bad! She had just returned home after Ranko told her to run for safety when she saw a bright pink glow come from her bedroom. Worried she had gone to see what it was and found it was from her Element which she had stored away deep in her closet. The Element of Kindness was glowing bright enough that the solid wooden box she had placed it in when they were all given the Elements at their last birthdays by the Princess couldn’t hold back the glow. This meant something bad was either coming or happening. “Summer!” a voice yelled out from behind her. Summer turned quickly to find Sparkle, Rarity, Dashie, and Pinkie all running up to her. “Summer let me guess. You’re Element?” Sparkle asked from her place on Dashie’s back pegs. It wasn’t the safest way to travel at the moment but it was the best. “Yes it started glowing all of a sudden.” Summer said before noticing all the girl’s own Elements upon then. “No time to explain but we have to find Jackie and fill her in fast. Looks like something big is coming!” Sparkle said to her. “Your right. It is.” A voice said from the shadows. “Who’s there?!” Dashie yelled ready to protect Sparkle. “Oh come now Dashie, or should I say, Rainbow Dash.” The voice said shocking the group. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten about me already.” The girls all looked to each other confused till Jackie landed before them. “Jackie!” the girls all said running up to her. “I’m fine girls… but we got a whole new issue to take care of.” Jackie said getting up. “That’s right Jackie, or should I call you Applejack.” The girls looked to the darkness. “And before you even try to come up with some excuse for your true identities Twilight Sparkle let me just say I’ve always known who you were, even if you’ve taken human forms.” The voice said smoothly. “Applejack, Element of Honest, once an Earth Pony Apple Farmer. Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty, once a Pegasus stunt flyer. Fluttershy, Element of Kindness, former Pegasus animal care taker. Rarity, Element of Generosity, former Unicorn seamstress, and you Twilight Sparkle, former Unicorn and personal student to Princess Celestia.” The voice named each to the girls shock. “I know you all because…” a person stepped out of the shadows smiling, “We’ve all met before.” The girls all looked to the woman in absolute shock. “Nightmare Moon!” Twilight said towards the woman. --- Ranma could not believe what was going on. Just moments ago he had just gotten Tatewaki to follow him outside of the town when Tatewaki began heading back towards town, as if his sister Ranko didn’t even matter to him and now he was attacking him with a solid black kendo-ken along with pitch black Chi attacks he’s never seen or heard of before. “Where’s your loyalty to the samurai code Kuno?” Ranma asked launching off a few Chi blasts of his own towards Tatewaki who just parried them away like they were flies. “What loyalty? To my father, my former loves, who should I be loyal to Ranma if not to anyone?!” Tatewaki yelled launching off another one of his Lightning Slashes. Ranma was lucky to be able to see the attacks this go around as the first time Tatewaki did it was after his Dāku-fū no naifu or Dark Wind Knives attack. He got a few nicks from the first round but this time Tatewaki got far too close for comfort. There was also this odd looking men’s necklace with a jeweled storm cloud decoration that just had appeared onto his neck after saying he was loyal to no one. It was as if that necklace alone was enough to amplify his Dark Chi attacks let alone the odd black kendo-ken Tatewaki was now wielding. Luckily for Ranma he had quite an amount of experience with odd and unusual magical items so he knew right off that if he got that necklace away from Tatewaki the Dark Chi attacks would become weaker and possibly tire him out, depending on his reserves. Tatewaki was no Herb or Saffron but after seeing those attacks, he was starting to have his doubts about his earlier encounters with Tatewaki. Ducking down into a ditch to catch his breath he tried to come up with a game plan along with trying to figure out just how and when Tatewaki had gained such Chi. “Okay… let’s see here.” Ranma said to himself carefully breathing heavily. “First off… is his Dark Wind Knives.” He said poking his head up only to duck right back down as the said attack sliced through a set of tree that was next to him. “He gives off a sign whenever he fires that off. I keep an eye out for that sign I can dodge it. His other move though… it’s fast. Really fast.” Ranma remembered how close the Lightning Blade attack was to him numerous times and was well named. Not only was the Chi attack as fast as lightning it was lightning itself launched through the kendo-ken Tatewaki was using. If he could only see the attack again he could figure out how to counter it. “Come on Kuno! Is this the best you got?!” Ranma yelled looking from his hiding place. He soon regretted his taunt. --- “We defeated you!” Twilight yelled at the woman. “That you did but now I’m back and in a body of my own.” The woman said releasing the dark armor that covered her revealing… “Akane Tendo?” Rarity asked confused. “Akane Tendo? You mean Nabiki’s going mad little sister?” Dashie said looking to her friend. “Yes that is my human name for many years.” Akane replied summoning her giant mallet. “But that’s for much later, should you and the others survive.” Fluttershy looked to the Tendo girl. “Others?” Akane just smiled at this as she leaned against her mallet. “Why the foals Ranma, Ryoga, Nabiki, and all the others. Already Tatewaki and Principal Kuno are handling Ranma and Ryoga for me.” Fluttershy gasped at this. “Girls, we got to stop her, now!” Twilight yelled summing the power of her element. “Oh… go ahead and try.” Akane said smiling. The other girls gathered up their Element’s powers and together unleashed the powerful rainbow magic that had defeated her before but… the rainbow soon exploded sending the girls to the ground. “What… what happened?” Jackie asked stunned. “The… the Elements didn’t work on her!” Fluttershy cried out greatly scared. “Of course they didn’t. I’m protected by the Elements of Disharmony.” Akane said giggling. “Elements of Disharmony?” Twilight asked dazed. “Yes. You see they are the opposites of your Elements of Harmony. As long as they are around you can’t harm me.” The girls all looked at her confused. “Don’t worry girls, I’m not going to lay one hand on any of you, I have much more important matters to attend to. For now I’ll let your opposites take care of you.” Akane said snapping her fingers. To each of the girls’ surprise a black portal appeared below them dropping them away from each other with Akane, Nightmare Moon, laughing. --- “Whoa nelly!” Jackie yelled as she fell onto the floor. “So it’s begun?” a voice from the shadows asked. “That you Sparkle?” Jackie asked knowing the voice wasn’t of anyone she knew. “Who knows.” The voice said till lights went on revealing the mayor’s office. “Mayor Kuno?” Jackie asked looking to the teenage mayor. “Yes. I see that you’re the one I’m to fight correct? You do know we can’t do to my rulings.” Kodachi said rising from her seat. “Very well let’s get on with it so I can toss you in jail.” Jackie looked at Kodachi and soon noticed a solid silver necklace with a jeweled black rose in its center. “Come on Mayor, I don’t want to fight you.” Kodachi stopped and looked to Jackie. “I do.” Jackie swore she saw something in Kodachi’s eye before a black rose passed by her. Gulping Jackie turned slightly to see the black rose that was tossed at her was now embedded in the wall. “N-now let not be hasty now.” Jackie said looking back to the current mayor. “What are you waiting for? Fight me.” Kodachi said readying another rose. It was then Jackie saw what she was looking for, Kodachi’s eyes moved slightly when she said this. “You don’t want to do this don’t you?” Jackie asked looking at her. “Of course I do. I will do anything for my father.” Kodachi said lying again. “Really? Because I don’t think you honestly believe that.” Jackie said walking up to her. “Stay back!” Kodachi yelled tossing yet another rose at Jackie missing her. “Come on now darling, why you lying?” Jackie asked as rose after rose missed her. “Stop where you are! I will harm you if I must!” Kodachi said taking out another rose before Jackie took her hand. “Come on now darling, you don’t want to fight me or hurt me do you?” Kodachi looked right at Jackie with frightened eyes. “Let me go! LET ME GO!” Jackie carefully pulled Kodachi towards her causing her to think that Jackie was going to punch her but instead… she hugged her. “You don’t want to lie anymore don’t you?” Jackie said kindly. “I-I’ve never lied in my life.” Jackie felt Kodachi get tense at the lie. “Darling, I can tell your lying.” Kodachi’s eyes went wide at this. “I can read a person like a book and tell when they’re lying.” Jackie said still holding her. “P-prove it.” Kodachi said shaking. “You don’t really like your Pa. When I arrived you didn’t want to fight me… you want help.” Jackie said pulling her away from her gently. “I don’t want anyone’s help!” Kodachi cried looking at Jackie. “Darling, you do and I’m going to help you as best I can. Now, how is it you’re the mayor?” Jackie told then asked. “The old mayor gave up the title to me legally.” Jackie looked to Kodachi and found she didn’t flinch or move her eyes when she said this meaning it was true. “Okay, then your eighteen, right?” Jackie asked carefully. “Of course I am.” Kodachi said flinching. Jackie sighed at this. This meant Kodachi was only seventeen not legally eighteen. Jackie looked around the room and saw multiple vases of black roses. “You like roses don’t you?” Jackie asked looking at her. “Yes, I love then dearly.” Kodachi answered showing she wasn’t lying. “Blacks your favorite?” Jackie asked pointing to the roses. “Yes.” Kodachi said flinching. “Okay. You won’t mind me taking a look at them would you?” Jackie asked looking at her. For moments Kodachi said nothing till she shook her head yes her eyes turning down as she did. Jackie went over to one of the vases full of roses and soon spotted something red between the roses. Carefully she moved the roses to see burning incense which didn’t smell very good. In reality it smelled like someone was burning a garden of roses mixed with cow manure. “Mind if I water them a bit darling?” Jackie said smiling to her. Kodachi looked to her blinking and shook her head yes quickly. It was at this Jackie grabbed the vase and quickly smashed the vase putting the incense out. “There more of this stuff darling?” Jackie asked Kodachi who shook her head no with her eyes down. “Going to a mess around here isn’t it?” Jackie said smiling. Kodachi shook her head no… with her eyes down. --- Ryoga could barely stand after the constant assault of Chi blast he was under. Principal Kuno stepped up his attack by firing black lightning at him through the hand powered shaving tools he wielded. “Got to…stop him… somehow…” Ryoga said panting behind some crystal. “Come out so I can teach you some more! Don’t make me have to find you!” Principal Kuno said his eyes still pitch black. “Got to… hold on for… Jackie…” Ryoga said quietly to himself. “Come out, come out, where ever you are.” Principal Kuno said before stepping around Ryoga’s hiding spot. “There you are. Now… let’s finish this shall…” Principal Kuno never got to finish what he was saying before someone fell on top of him. “Ouch…” the person said sitting up. “Summer?” Ryoga asked weakly. Summer looked over to the person who spoke and gasped. “Ryoga, oh my, your hurt.” Summer got off of Principal Kuno and went over to Ryoga who tried to stand. “Summer… we got to… run… Principal… Kuno. He’s gone… insane.” Ryoga said panting. Summer carefully got Ryoga’s arm over her shoulders and began carrying him out of the mine. Once they got to the return cart Summer began loading Ryoga inside it before… “Now it’s be rude to leave the Big Kahuna during a lesson.” Summer turned to see Principal Kuno standing up slowly his eyes so black you could easily lose yourself in them. “Summer… run…” Ryoga said before Summer jumped into the return cart and pulled the handle. “On no you don’t! Seitekina dāku!” Principal Kuno yelled unleashing another round of his Dark Static Chi attack. Luckily each blast missed as they rode the cart to the surface. “Summer… when we’re out… help me… with one last attack…” Ryoga said breathing hard. “D-do we really have to fight him?” Summer asked worried. “Summer… sometimes… we got no choice… but to fight.” Ryoga breather out before he continued, “Principal Kuno… is too cruel… to run… anything. He… he hates everyone… everything. We… we have to…” Ryoga said before he clutched his side where a dark bruise was. “We… we can’t. I… I don’t want to…” Summer said shaking. “RYOGA!” a voice cried out from the mine. Summer turned only to scream at what she saw. Principal Kuno’s body looked like it was becoming quite sickly. His eyes were now gone, his hair began falling out, his skin began to turn a pasty white, he looked bad. “P-principal Kuno?” Summer asked worried for the principal. “You… you did this to me… I… hate this… I… I hate you…” Principal Kuno said before beginning to fall over. Summer quickly ran over and caught the ailing Kuno head before he fully fell. “W-we have to get you to a hospital.” Summer said concerned. “I hate… hospitals…” Principal Kuno said his breathing slowly becoming ragged. “Principal Kuno please. Don’t talk anymore.” Summer said beginning to cry. “Why… would you care? I hate… all of you…” Principal Kuno said looking at her with empty eye sockets. “Someone… someone has to. No matter how mean or hateful you become… someone has to care.” Summer confessed sadly. “You… don’t… hate me…” Principal Kuno asked looking at her. “I don’t hate anyone.” Summer said looking to him. “If only… I had met… a caring student… like you…I’d have… loved my job.” Principal Kuno confessed. “I know someone out there loved being your student. You just didn’t notice.” Summer said kindly. “You’re… too kind… I… I like that… I like that… a lot. Thank… you…” Principal Kuno said before passing away. Summer cried as she gently put the Kuno head down on the ground. “You’re welcome… Principal Kuno.” Slowly getting up she moved over to Ryoga and began treating his wounds before… “Summer!” Summer looked up to notice Mac, Cora, Lyra, Bonny, and Cologne heading her way. She wave to them as they finally got up to them. “Summer you’re alright!” Mac said hugging his cousin. “Ryoga’s hurt.” Summer said crying into his shoulder. “And Principal Kuno?” Cologne asked before she heard Lyra gasp. “Cologne… you need to see this.” Cora said walking up to the former Principal. Cologne slowly pogoed over to the two and was shocked at what she saw. “That poor fool.” The three looked down to the now dead Kuno head, one of the ultimate prices for using Dark Chi. “Cora did you bring the box?” Cologne said sighing. Cora nodded and produced a box from the shoulder bag she had brought with her. Using her staff Cologne removed Principal Kuno’s Element of Hatred and placed it into the specially made Box of Kindness and locked it with a special key. A Key that matched Summer own Element in design. “Let us tend to Ryoga now; we have many more of these to collect.” Cologne said solemnly. Lyra, Bonny, and Cora all nodded going over to Ryoga. Cologne just looked at the foolish Principal who had at least a satisfied yet sad smile on his face. “So… the Element of Kindness cleansed your soul before you left. That girl is a true saint.” Cologne said before turning and pogoing to the group. --- Jackie wiped the sweat from her brow. Just how many incense vases did Mayor Kodachi need? “That the last one?” Jackie asked the current Mayor. Kodachi flinched as she nodded. Jackie sighed as she looked around and saw only a bottle filled with black liquid. “Is that the last one?” Kodachi shivered. “Mayor Kodachi?” Jackie asked looking at her. Kodachi brought her hand up to her necklace and looked down. “It’s nothing dangerous, just a decoration.” Jackie looked to Kodachi and looked her over. It sounded true but… it also sounded like a lie. Which was it? “You sure it’s not dangerous?” Kodachi flinched and shook her head no. “It’s just a decoration?” Kodachi nodded to this as well but didn’t flinch until a few moments later. Jackie looked to the bottle frustrated. How did you get rid of something that could be dangerous? And if it wasn’t a decoration what was it. “Let’s get back to that later. Problem with your necklace Mayor Kodachi?” Jackie said then asked. “No, no issues at all.” Kodachi said looking away from her. Jackie thought back to the conversation with Akane before. Alongside their Elements of Harmony there were Elements of Disharmony. This meant she was wearing the Element of Dishonesty, her opposite. “Hun you mind trying to take it off?” Jackie asked looking at it. Kodachi just looked at her. “Can you?” Jackie asked starting to get worried. “Maybe.” Kodachi answered. It was an honest answer and this worried Jackie. It was neither a lie nor the truth. Kodachi just didn’t know. “Look… I don’t think that thing is healthy for you so… I’m going to help you get it off okay?” Jackie said slowly walking up to her. Kodachi didn’t move but did look quite scared at her. “Remember, I’m here to help you.” Jackie reminded gently putting a hand on the arm Kodachi’s hand was using to hold her Element. “Now… on three we’re going to pull okay?” Jackie said looking her in the eye. “We won’t pull on three and it’s not okay.” Kodachi said gulping. “One… two… THREE!” Jackie counted then with Kodachi’s help pulled hard and sent the Element of Dishonesty flying across the room. “We did it!” Jackie said smiling. Kodachi looked down to where the Element was and slowly began to cry. “You… you helped me… why?” Jackie wrapped the current Mayor in a kind hug before answering. “Because I always help my friends Miss Mayor, that the honest truth and well… I thought that maybe we’d be friends since you like gardening a lot.” Kodachi pulled away from Jackie and wiped her eyes smiling. “I haven’t had a true friend in years.” She then looked to the bottle. “Miss Apple I was given that bottle by a man by the name of Happosai. He tricked my ‘father’ into the Dark Chi arts and… I never did like my ‘father’ after what he had done when Ranma left.” Kodachi shivered at the memories of her father’s ‘celebration party’ of Ranma’s departure which resulted in Furinkan High School to shut down for the year due to heavy water damage and after a full year of being gone his seeing and being part of his reaction to the news of where Ranma could have been. She still had the scar from her father lashing out in her garden. Though she hated the black roses she did at least care enough to use them as she was drilled. “You okay darling?” Jackie asked concerned. “It’s… my father. For many years I thought I loved my father, that my father was not how everyone said he was but… I… I leaned it far too late.” Kodachi said lifting her blouse enough to show the scars over her back and sides. “My stars…” Jackie gasped. “Father… did not like the idea of Ranma being here. When I refused to go to America with him… he started destroying my garden. Though I hate the black rose I still respect it enough to use it in bouquets and he tossed me into them. It was just a few cuts but… he… he…” Jackie just hugged the poor girl. What kind of father would harm his own daughter? “Come on. We better go get you checked out. Some of those scars look mighty fresh still.” Jackie said gently guiding Kodachi out of the town hall. --- Dashie shook her head after the teleportation or whatever it was. “Ugh my head…” Dashie looked around and found herself in an old falling apart amusement park. “Where am I?” Dashie asked before she heard someone yelling from above her. “AH!” Dashie hit the ground the same time the poor person landed on top of her. “Ugh… so that’s how it feels…” Dashie said to herself before looking at the person on top of her. “That… hurt…” Ranko said getting off Dashie. “Ranko?” Dashie asked confused. “Dashie? What are you doing here?” Ranko asked back confused. “I should be asking you that and why did you fall into me or more precisely how did you fall into me?” Dashie said and asked back. “No time we got to get out of here.” Ranko said getting up before grabbing her left arm. “Ranko!” Dashie said checking her friend over. “I think he broke my arm.” Ranko said remembering the fight that caused it. -Earlier- Ranma regretted taunting Tatewaki as a bolt of black electricity hit right in front of him tossing him backwards and right into an unseen pond which Ranko soon came out of. “Ugh… okay I’m guessing Ranma couldn’t handle this.” Ranko said soon standing up only to jump back as blades of wind cut the trees around her. “Whoa!” Ranko said freaked. “My goddess?” Tatewaki asked walking up to her his kendo-ken and necklace giving off black sparks of electricity. “Kuno? What’s going on?” Ranko asked confused. “Your… brother has led me here to find you, and you are as lovely as ever however… I must fulfill my duty and… end you.” Tatewaki confessed. “End… whoa take it easy Kuno. I mean sure I brushed you off a lot but do I really deserve this?” Ranko asked stepping back. “No yet even if you begged for my forgiveness and I forgave you my goddess… I still have my duty.” Tatewaki said raising his Kendo-ken. Ranko only had one shot at this and took it as Tatewaki swung down. Quickly gathering Chi into her left arm and her right fist she blocked Tatewaki’s strike only to feel a sharp pain in her arm as she brought he right fist up into a mixed right hook and uppercut to his jaw sending him skipping across the pond but not before a burst of electricity and air sent her flying skyward. -Now- “Don’t move your arm too much. Um…”Dashie said trying to remember her health class first aid class. Grabbing some still usable tent material and a few pieces of unbroken pipe she braced Ranko’s arm correctly and placed it into a sling. “Thanks Dashie. Now let’s get out of here before…” Ranko began to say before she had to push Dashie out of the way of a bolt of electricity. “You hit me quite hard. I think I’m done with you… girl.” Tatewaki said limping a bit. “Just how stubborn is he?” Ranko asked to no one in particular. “Don’t matter, we need to go now.” Dashie said getting up from the push. “No way Dashie, you go back to town and get the police as fast as you can.” Ranko said taking up a defensive stance. “No way am I leaving you the way you are. We’ll both take him on.” Dashie said taking up an unknown stance. “Dashie I know you can use martial arts but there’s no way you can fight him. He’s way out of your league.” Ranko said concerned. “I don’t care, I’m not leaving you!” Dashie said ready for a beat down. “It won’t matter anyway. I’ll take you both before the day is done. Ha!” Tatewaki said soon launching yet another bolt of electricity at them both. Dashie didn’t want to but she quickly tapped into her Pegasus magic and dodged the bolt just as Ranko did and rushed the young Kuno male who quickly launched a blade of wind at Dashie. Being a former Pegasus she felt the attack coming and dodged out of its way before delivering a back fist to Tatewaki’s face and soon followed it up with a left hook causing Tatewaki to spin around a bit and caused him to be a bit dazed. Ranko was impressed with the combo but didn’t let it stop her and she soon joined in with a round house kick to Tatewaki’s gut knocking the wind out of him. He dropped his Dark Kendo-ken and grabbed his gut only to look up in time to see both girls give him a double right handed uppercut to the chin knocking the young Kuno male backwards and into unconsciousness. The uppercut also tossed off the Element of Disloyalty from his neck causing its magic to dissipate. “Nice combo.” Ranko said looking to Dashie. “Thank, and nice choice for the follow up.” Dashie said smiling. “So… what we do about those?” Ranko asked pointing to the kendo-ken and the necklace. Dashie gulped and looked to Ranko. “What about them?” Ranko pointed to Tatewaki. “I’m guessing those items are some kind of Chi amplifiers so… we need some way of carrying them back to town.” Dashie sighed silently to herself. Good she didn’t suspect they’re magic. “I think Sparkle might have something. Got your cell?” --- Happosai sneered as he read the Dark Chi from Kodachi, Tatewaki, and Principal Kuno from the top of the school’s clock tower. “Report.” A voice said behind him. “It is as you wished Lady Nightmare. The Kuno clan began their needed assault on the boy and the bearers of the Elements of Harmony however I regret to inform you that Principal Kuno is dead, Tatewaki Kuno has been finally put into his place, soon to be placed in jail or an institute, and Kodachi has let go of all her lies. Yet… I must ask my lady. How?” Happosai reported and soon asked. “It seems my absence has caused us issues. It may be possible that we underestimated our old enemies and possibly your old student. It does not matter now what does matter is that we recover their dark elements quickly before… ah!” Nightmare/Akane spoke before she felt a part of her once enhanced power leave her three times. “My lady!” Happosai yelled coming to her side. “The Elements of Hatred, Dishonesty, and Disloyalty… I can no longer sense them. Ah!” Nightmare explained before two more of her enhanced powers left. “No… now I cannot sense Sadness and Greed! How is this possible?!” “Might it be because you allowed your Dark Powers to blind you?” A familure voice said behind them. “How did you escape my cells?!” Happosai said pointing to the woman who spoke to them. “Twilight is much smarted than you take her for Happosai.” A second woman said smiling with Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity behind her. Happosai only growled. “Give up now Nightmare and release the girl you’ve possess.” Luna/Kasumi said pointing at them. “First explain to my dear Happosai how you escaped and defeated my warriors of Greed and Sadness.” Nightmare said not even looking at them. “I think not Nightmare. Do as we said or you will face the Elements.” Celetia/Celestial said towards them. “I wish I could dear Celestia but…” Nightmare turned to reviel herself as Akane in Nightmare Moon like armor, “it’s hard to give up a body you’re the soul of.” Celestia and Luna looked at her shocked. “Let me face them my lady I will not allow them to seal you into…” Happosai said before Nightmare placed her hand on his head. “No my warrior. Though you would fight valiantly not even you can face the power of two Alicorns. Remove your Element.” This shocked the girls even more. “Wait… your just surrendering?” Twilight asked confused. “Experience has told us what would happen if we did not. I would be banished to this world’s moon, Happosai possibly turned into a statue like Discord had… No Twilight Sparkle. I will not fall for my own pride a second time. Besides… Like Celestia and Luna, I wish to adapt to this new life I’ve been given.” Nightmare explained removing her dark armor and returning to being Akane yet still hold signs of being Nightmare, such as having Nightmare’s cutie mark glowing on her along with her eyes now dragon like. Happosai sighed as he removed his Element of Chaos and placed it on the ground. “At least I have gained what I wanted as well. Akane was an excellent student and I am pleased to finally have a second chance at life.” He soon turned to Nightmare with sadden eyes. “You… will take me with you to this Equestria correct?” Nightmare smiled to him and nodded. “If we are allowed to my Warrior. If we are allowed to.” --- It had been a full week since the takeover of Coltsville. Tatewaki Kuno and Kodachi where informed of their father’s death and stated that it was for the best as he wasn’t truly a… father at all. They had both asked that they be allowed to live in America after their small trials. The trials went smoothly and with little issue. Tatewaki was charged with destruction of Property and assault but nothing more but came out of it with a court order of counseling and manual labor in Coltsville. Amazingly he didn’t mind. Kodachi was charged with falsifying her age so she could become mayor but after some research found she didn’t. Kodachi was only a day away from legally being eighteen and mayor. Also the former Mayor had admitted that she had signed the papers to place her as Mayor since she was coming to the end of her right as Mayor. However this wasn’t taken kindly by the court as Kodachi didn’t run for office but thanks to the witnesses and the evidence placed mostly on her side Kodachi only got off with a fine along with a court order for counseling, the former Mayor however requested she be allowed to run as mayor this coming election as she had some very nice plans on improving the look of the town. Principal Kuno’s body was sent back to Japan as per the will that was found in the Kuno Mansion. However the former Kuno’s Tatewaki and Kodachi had to fight for their inheritance as Principal Kuno stated that no one was to get anything from him other than a toothpick and a pineapple. They were still having a court hearing over it. Kodachi and Tatewaki had also changed their last names to something more appropriate, Kodachi Rose and Tatewaki Kendo. Genma and Soun were placed back in jail and was to be sent back to Japan to be given proper justice. Oddly the two had somehow escaped jail and when returned weren’t in the best of conditions. Genma looked as if he had gone absolutely made and was placed in solitary confinement do to his personality change. It seemed that the Element of Greed had a very serious side effect to its use that being a dangerous ‘collector’ as a few guards who tried to remove a set of books from his cell quickly found out. Soun however did not make it to Japan as the Element of Sadness caused him to no longer be among them. He passed a week after his capture due to his health. Seemed while he had escaped he had constantly tried to ‘drown his sorrows’ as it were. Luckily there was a Will that Nabiki, Kasumi, and Akane could receive money and other things from. As for Akane. Nobody had heard of Akane since her sighting by Sparkle, Jackie, Pinkie, Rarity, Dashie, and Summer. The girls kept it secret that Akane, or Nightmare as she really was pony wise, was placed in a cell in Coltsville and was constantly visited by Kasumi and Celestia each night. As for Happosai he was still around as well but not as people thought he’d be. Happosai wasn’t put to Jail as many would think, no, he was placed in a cell right next to Akane who continued to teach her the Art. It was strange seeing the two as friends but it was a start. As for Ranma well… his life finally went back to what he called normal. School, work on the farm which picked up after Kodachi presented Jackie’s family with a large check and offer to help them plant brand new trees once she had finished her needed counseling, time with his friends and well… life was good. For his other half, Ranko, life was so much better. She had many more dates with Summer which each becoming much more romantic. She had also attended her good friend Vivian’s dub step parties which was the best. Things just looked up for the two but still… something just… didn’t feel right. Neither Ranma nor Ranko could tell what this was… at least for now. To be continued.