Dual Destinies

Ranma 1/2 and all the other characters that are mentioned either

belong to their respective creators or are totally made up. Don't

bother suing me since after expenses, my paycheck couldn't cover

the cost of a newspaper.

Chapter 30

Resurrection!

Deep within the confines of a broom closet in the Masaki

household, a certified 'mad' scientist was cackling over her latest

experiment. In the vast laboratory that was occupying a section of

subspace within the tiny closet, she was now checking over the

readouts of a monitor that was hooked up to a pair of large glass

cylinders that were the sizes of phone booths.

Within each cylinder was a large, featureless, pulsating mass of

protoplasm. The masses were currently suspended within a

bubbling mixture of nutrient fluids and were being bombarded

with various energies. When the masses had received a specific

amount of power, the greatest scientific genius in the universe

Washu smiled as she pushed a few key controls on her

holographic console. This caused another machine to suddenly

appear. She then took out the small disk that the Masaki twins had

given her and inserted it into a small slot. A few more commands

were typed in and the final ingredients were added to the

biological soup. A pair of grappling arms swung in from above and

grasped the two bottles that were resting on a nearby lab table. The

contents of each bottle were poured into a separate cylinder and

then Washu set the high-tech blenders to mix.

"I am such a genius!"

In the backyard of the Masaki house, Ranma Red was getting

quite a workout as he sparred with Tenchi's grandfather Yosho.

The aged but still formidable Jurai warrior began showing him the

intricacies of Juraian swordplay and the mystic twin was hard-

pressed to keep up with him. Their energy blades clashed together

dozens of times within the first few seconds of their match. As

they battled, they engaged in conversation.

"Well, I must say that you do have some considerable talent

young man!" Yosho ducked a slash, then made a counter thrust.

"Thanks!" Ranma Red backstepped and twisted to one side.

"When I grabbed the Light Star Blade, it transferred all the

knowledge and experiences of the previous champions." Ranma

then did a feint, hoping to lure his opponent closer.

"Hmmm. Tell me Ranma Red, did you have any visions of some

people you've never seen before? Does the name Tsunami ring a

bell?" Yosho backed off then made an upswing toward the twin's

head.

Ranma paused for a brief moment before answering. "Hey!

Come to think of it, that name does seem familiar! I think I heard

that name when the sword began transferring its knowledge to

me!"

"That's not very surprising Ranma Red." Yosho continued to

press his attack. "The Light Star Blade was forged on Jurai."

"Really?" Ranma Red ducked a swing, then parried his next

attack.

"Indeed. About ten thousand years ago, a master craftsman took

a small branch of our mightiest spaceship tree Tsunami and used it

to create the sword. He was contacted by Kami-sama and Tsunami

graciously donated a branch."

"So this sword was made by your people?"

"That's right. This information had been passed down through

Jurai's royal family for generations. No else knew that a second

Master Key had been created. The Light Star Blade has bonded

itself to you. You are bonded to your twin. As such, you and your

brother now have access to the power of Jurai's royal family, just

as Tenchi does."

"But why?"

"Well, if Earth is conquered by the Dark World, then what's to

stop them from going on to conquer the rest of the universe?"

"You know about the Dark World?"

"I know all about the Legend of the Chosen Twins. When Kami-

sama contacted us and commissioned that a second Master Key be

made, we were told of the importance of such an undertaking. The

Dark World could have invaded our universe at any given place,

but they chose Earth for a reason. You don't know it but this planet

happens to be one of the key junctions of dimensional interface."

"Dimensional interface?"

"That's right. It is in this particular location in which the space-

time continuum can be manipulated. All reality and physical laws

can be altered here, since it is such a rich source of ambient and

spiritual energies. Alternative dimensions use this place as a

reference point and diverge from every event that occurs on this

world. No matter where you go in this universe or any other

dimension, you'll always find some link to this world. Earth can be

considered the hub of a giant wheel, in which the spokes are the

diverging timelines of itself and other worlds as well."

"So that old belief that the Earth is the center of the universe is

true?"

"Not quite. You could think of Earth as the center of one wheel

in a vast collection. Each world is its own hub with divergent lines

streaming out. Each wheel inevitably connects with another. One

wheel may turn the other, thereby affecting the two and more. If

one wheel were to be removed or destroyed, the resulting chain

reaction would be felt by others. Earth's position within Reality's

Great Machinery is a delicate one. Several hundred other worlds

are also in the same position. Take out these pieces and you may

drastically upset the entire workings of the multiverse. Earth was

chosen because it was the closest to the Dark World in the space-

time continuum."

Ranma Red pondered Yosho's words as they continued to spar.

As they increased their pace, he began to realize the incredible

responsibility of his role as one of the Chosen Twins. They

weren't fighting just to save the Earth! They were fighting to save

all reality!

As the two continued to battle, inside the living room, several

members of the Masaki family were getting to know their

relatives and their otherworldly guests.

"So you're a princess of Jurai?" Nodaka asked.

"Yes Nodoka-san. My sister and I are the first princesses of our

homeworld. Mind you though, we are only members of one of

many branches. Lord Tenchi is the direct descendant of the main

family and is next in line for the throne of Jurai."

"You're royalty?" Nabiki asked with interest.

Tenchi laughed nervously as he scratched his head. "Well, you

could say that."

"Meow!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Ryo-oh-

ki pad into the living room. The three former Tendo sisters

suddenly became pale as they saw the cabbit make its way to

where Ranma Blue was sitting with his wife, Ukyo.

"Ranma! Watch out!" Nabiki cried out, as she knew that

anything that remotely looked like a cat would send him into the

dreaded Neko-Ken. She and her sisters began inching away as

Nodoka, Tenchi, Sasami, Ayeka and Ryoko looked in confusion.

Cologne braced herself. Ukyo also flinched when she saw the

strange catlike creature approach them, then remembered herself.

Shampoo became a bit apprehensive, but calmed herself down.

Ranma Blue gazed down at the cute sometime spaceship, then

bent down to pick her up. He then began stroking behind her large,

floppy ears, which elicited a pleased purr from the cabbit. "So

what's the big deal?"

The three sisters stared in amazement at Ranma Blue calmly

holding Ryo-oh-ki in his arms. They had expected him to be

freaking out but there was no sign of the Cat Fist madness in his

eyes.

"Why Ranma Blue! However are you doing that?" Cologne

asked.

"Oh, didn't we tell you? My brother and I aren't afraid of cats

anymore. Soren and Taron cleared us of the Neko Ken."

"Neko-Ken?" Sasami repeated.

"You're cleared of it?" Akane asked.

"Yep! Soren used his magical skills to remove the Neko-Ken

from our minds."

"Oh right! I remember them telling us about that when they

removed my cat curse." Shampoo said.

"Your cat curse?" Kasumi inquired.

Shampoo smiled happily. "That's right! My darling doesn't

change into a girl and isn't afraid of cats, and I don't change into

one!"

"Neko-Ken? Change into a girl? Change into a cat? What are

you guys talking about?" Ryoko queried.

Ranma Blue gave a short laugh as he replied, "It's a LONG

story!"

Several hours would pass as Ranma Blue told the details of his

shared life with Ranma Red. Sometime in the middle of the

narration, his twin and Yosho entered the home and the other twin

assisted in the storytelling. After a long and detailed account of

the past, Ranma Blue wrapped it all up.

"That's� almost unbelievable!" Tenchi remarked as the story

was finished. "Your father actually engaged you to that many

girls?"

Ranma Red nodded as he held Shampoo in his arms. "That's

right. He'd sell us off to anyone who could feed his fat stomach.

Heck, what we've told you are only the fianc�es that we know

about. Kami-sama only knows how many more are still out there. "

"He wouldn't face the consequences of his crimes, and we'd

usually end up paying for them." Ranma Blue added. "But that's

over and done now. We're married and there's nothing that stupid

panda can do about it! He's going to have to clean up his own

messes!" He leaned over and kissed Ukyo. His brother followed

suit and kissed Shampoo.

Nodoka nodded as her face took on a stern look. "And if I ever

catch that man, he'll be committing seppuku!"

Akane looked wistfully at the twins and their spouses then

shook her head sadly. <That could have been me!> She fought

back the tears and then sighed. It was then that she saw Washu

approach them.

The greatest scientific genius in the universe cleared her voice,

getting the attention of all those present. "Excuse me you two,

but� they're ready."

"Who's ready?" Kasumi asked.

Both twins disengaged themselves from their wives and stood

up. Ranma Blue addressed the group while setting down Ryo-oh-

ki. "The reason why we came here in the first place. We have to

take care of something. Please don't wait up for us at dinner. This

is going to take a while. We'll give you all an explanation later."

He turned to Washu. "Lead the way."

Deep within the laboratory, the two cylinders had stopped their

mixing and energy saturation and were now put on standby. Within

each tube was a naked humanoid figure that was suspended in a

thick, viscous liquid. Tiny bubbles floated around each body as a

monitor displayed their vital functions and energy readings.

Except for the quiet hum of background machinery, all was silent.

Washu led the twins to the tanks and the three of them gazed

upon the figures in the glass casings. Washu looked down at the

monitor and nodded as the readouts gave her the current status of

the two subjects.

"Vital functions are ready to activate the moment the bodies

receive their spiritual energies. Let me tell you, this wouldn't have

been possible without the information you gave me. Cloning

perfect replicas of the original bodies without any samples wasn't

easy! It's a good thing that disk contained the schematics I needed

to create these copies. By the way, are you sure that you don't

want me to correct those deficiencies?"

Ranma Red shook his head. "No. The bodies must be exactly as

they were before they got altered. Otherwise, we run the risk of

complications. I've never tried a soul transfer before and even

though the Light Star Blade has explained it to me in detail, I'm

little more than nervous about this. Ready bro?" Ranma Red turned

to his brother.

"Let's do it."

Washu nodded as she took her place behind the console. "Now

remember. I'll be feeding energy into the bodies to keep them

functioning. The waters that contained their souls have already

been added to the nutrient gel. However, since they happen to be a

product of magic and elemental power, I'm going to need the both

of you to make this work. Are you ready?"

Both twins nodded and began powering up their auras. Washu

took a deep breath and threw the switch.

The rest of the Masaki family and the guests were still

wondering what was going on in Washu's lab when they became

startled at a bright flash of white light that came from the door of

the broom closet. The another series of lights were emitted, this

time they were red and blue. This symphony of brilliance went on

for a full minute and lit up the entire house like an Aurora

Borealis. Ryoko and Ayeka quickly went to Tenchi's side to

protect him while the rest of the Masaki clan crowded behind

them. Then as suddenly as it began, the light show stopped. There

was an ominous silence that filled the air and no one spoke. Then a

cackle was heard from the closet. The laughter was so chilling that

it made most of the family's hair stand on end. The residents of

the house recognized the voice as Washu's.

"HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! IT'S ALIVE! ALIVE!!!"

Then there was another moment of silence before that same

voice said in an embarrassed tone, "Sorry! I've always wanted to

say that!"

Everyone in the room had a large sweat drop on the backs of

their heads.

"They're alive?"

"That's right Akane. Mousse and Ryoga are now resting in their

stasis tanks for now. Washu says that they'll be back on their feet

by tomorrow." Ranma Red hugged his wife, who was crying a bit at

the return of an unwanted, yet not totally disliked former suitor.

"But� I thought it was impossible to bring them back!" Akane

remarked.

"Well, the way we figure it," Ranma Blue replied. "When the

Mark of the Demon altered their bodies, it amplified their curses.

When their bodies were destroyed, their link to Jusenkyo

remained. Their souls became one with the power of Jusenkyo and

each were put into their own springs. I sensed their spiritual

energies when I got Storm Striker."

"But if their bodies were destroyed, how can they be alive

now?"

"The disk we got from Kami-sama contained all the genetic

codes that he used to create them in the first place." Ranma Red

replied. "We didn't think of that since we thought Ryoga and

Mousse had died when they committed suicide. It never occurred

to us to ask Kami-sama what those two were made of."

"That's right!" Washu said with pride. "And you have me to thank

for making all this possible! My cloning techniques are far more

advanced than Earth's so it was NO problem to create new bodies

from some spare protoplasm I had lying around! It's a good thing

these two had that disk! Anyway, the boys managed to use their

magic and elemental powers to merge the souls with their bodies.

Of course, they had to also merge the Jusenkyo waters with them

as well. Ryoga still has the Curse of the Drowned Pig, while

Mousse turns into a duck with cold water! Oh well! Two out of

three isn't bad!"

Ranma Red and his brother smiled as he said, "Miss Washu, on

behalf of all of us, we thank you."

"Oh please! Call me LITTLE WASHU!"

"Uh� sure, Little Washu. You are after all the greatest

scientific genius in the galaxy."

"IN THE UNIVERSE!" Washu corrected as her two puppets

appeared on her shoulders.

"WASHU IS A GENIUS!"

"HOORAY FOR WASHU!"

["Indeed"]

The people looked around for the source of the voice then

were a little startled when Taron and Soren appeared.

"Well now. It's been quite a while since I have seen the two of

you." Yosho remarked as he bowed to the newcomers.

"Hello you handsome devils!" Washu greeted. "Have you two

finally agreed to be my guinea pigs?"

"You know each other?" Ranma Blue asked.

"Oh yes. I met Soren and Taron some thirty years back and they

told me to expect Tenchi's twin cousins would come to our home

during the time of the Final Contract Renewal. That's why I wasn't

too surprised when you two showed up."

"I met these rascals a few years before I was sealed up in that

shrine for seven hundred years. They told me that I would play an

important part in the Final Contract Renewal. Guess I already

filled my part."

"That you did Washu, and we thank you." Soren said.

"Oh come on now! Call me little Washu!"

"You still haven't changed!" Taron remarked.

"You knew this would happen?!" Ranma Red said with

confusion.

"Actually, no." Soren replied. "We only carry out the wishes of

Kami-sama. He doesn't tell us what will happen and only he knows

what path you must take. We only follow his orders and give the

necessary nudges and pushes to fulfill your destinies. Trust us,

Kami-sama knows best and will not let the Earth or all of reality

be destroyed."

"That's right." Taron agreed. "All the events that have gotten us

to this point have been Kami-sama's plan to win the Contract. And

now that you have completed your final trials, you two are now

ready to face the challenges of the Dark World.

"Final trials?" Ranma Blue asked in confusion.

Soren nodded. "Bringing back Ryoga and Mousse, despite the

fact that they were your hated rivals, proves that you have the

compassion and the sense of responsibility you will need when

you go up against Sharoka! The strength of your powers is nothing

if your hearts do not have equal amounts of courage, virtue and

honor!"

"Prepare yourselves, Ranma Red and Ranma Blue! For

tomorrow, you shall face your DUAL DESTINIES!"

To be continued�

Author's notes

Whew! With all the other fanfics I have, I was quite surprised

that I was able to continue writing this! I know that it sounds a bit

corny at the end, but that's life! This story is now picking up speed

as the First Dark World Challenge for the fate of the universe

begins. We shall finally meet with Sharoka and Akane will

confront Ryoga about deceiving her. This is what the twins have

been training for! The battle royal will start in Chapter 31!