The Great Crossover Crisis Disclaimer: My disclaimer lies over the ocean... my disclaimer lies over the sea... my disclaimer lies over the ocean... oh bring back my disclaimer to me... Kojiro: Ranma from Cat Fist Fury (Kojiro) D-Ranma: Ranma from Dragon Child (Draco) P-Ranma: Ranma from Fist of the Pikachu (Trainer) T-Ranma: Ranma from Ranmatech (Prototype) B-Ranma: Ranma from Fighting Blind (Koga) Ranma: Ranma Saotome from Ranma 1/2 < >: Thoughts (* *): Computer responses <* *>: Chinese language Note: This story takes place somewhere before the 30th volume or so of the manga. Chapter 7 The Final Destination Universe YKF 123453... "Red Five? You've turned off your targeting computer. Is something wrong?" "No. Nothing's wrong." B-Ranma wondered why he kept on hearing Obi Wan Kenobi's voice in his head. Behind him, Darth Vader was intrigued at how the enemy X-Wing was dodging his attempts to shoot it down. The way it bobbed back and forth. It was almost as if the pilot KNEW when and where he was going to shoot. Unfortunately, B-Ranma had to concentrate on hitting the exhaust port, so he was forced to focus his senses forward. He winced as his sixth sense went off. He had just slipped into Vader's gunsights. "I have you NOW!" That was when a laser bolt took out his right wingman. "What?!" "YAHOO!" The Millennium Falcon came streaking out of nowhere and fired off another laser bolt. Vader's other wingman slammed into him and sent him spinning off into space. Han Solo shouted into his communicator. "You're all clear kid! Now let's blow this thing and go home!" B-Ranma nodded as his senses picked up the exhaust port and he launched his proton torpedoes. At the same moment, nearby in his cloaked ship, T-Ranma activated his teleporter and exchanged B-Ranma for an injured Luke Skywalker. The X-Wing was sent off on autopilot back to Yavin 4 with the Millennium Falcon and the surviving Rebel fighters. The cruiser then decloaked and waited. The Death Star went up like a supernova and the quantum fields it produced reactivated the phase drive. The cruiser then was thrown into the dimensional nexus. Somewhere in reality... "Well done! They pulled it off!" The second hooded figure nodded. "When that energy bolt hit R2-D2, it also knocked Luke Skywalker out. Good thing those five managed to exchange him for the one Ranma who could access the Force." "Well like Ben Kenobi told Luke, 'your eyes can deceive you, don't trust them.' As if the Amazon Ranma ever did." He chuckled a bit. "So, they've already saved several realities now. Do you think it's time?" "Yes... it is time." Universe ZXC 1212... "Great shot Ranma! That was one in a million!" P-Ranma said. "Thanks." B-Ranma said. "So what now?" "Well I got some good news for a change." The technological Ranma said as he sat down at the console. "The Death Star's destruction had provided us with enough power for the kerium crystal to produce not one, but TWO quantum fields!" "You mean, we can jump again?" Draco asked. "You bet! And since this universe isn't our own, we can leave immediately instead of waiting a week for the phase drive to power up again. And here's some more good news. I think we may have a way of tracking down our own universes." "Really?" Kojiro said excitedly. "Yes. Our Amazon friend's enhanced senses may be the key. I've modified the ship's sensor arrays to boost the range and sensitivity of his metaphysical senses. He'll be able to pick up the psychic trails of our spiritual essences. We might be able to backtrack all the way to the point where we were thrown into the dimensional nexus in the first place. At the very least, we'll be able to narrow down our search to universes in which other versions of ourselves exist." "So we'll only be going to Ranma universes?" P-Ranma asked. "You got it. It gets even better. Look at this." He touched a control and a monitor swung down from above. "This special viewer will allow us to see what a dimension is like without us having to enter it. I just finished it today. We can travel down the space time continuum without having to randomly interfere with those realities and accidentally upsetting them. I'd like to avoid picking up another version of us. No offense Trainer." "None taken." P-Ranma assured then asked, "So let me get this straight. We'll be able to jump back into the nexus and be able to see only Ranma universes?" "Right. And sooner or later, we're bound to come across five realities of Ranma universes without a Ranma. They'd have to be our home realities!" "But what about realities in which Ranma had died?" Draco asked. "Yeah. How are we going to know if those realities aren't ours?" Kojiro asked. "We avoid those with the viewer. We'll be able to look into the reality without having to enter the dimensional interface to those worlds." T-Ranma said. "This sounds too good to be true!" P-Ranma said. He couldn't wait to get back to that Pokemon world and earn his next badge. He had also missed the company of Sam and Jeanette. Of course, traveling with four other versions of himself had not been boring. "Well let's do it!" B-Ranma said as he took his place in the seat beside T-Ranma. Somewhere else in reality... "No! It's too soon for them to go home!" The first cloaked person said. "I know. It looks like we're going to have to steer them toward their goal again." "So how are we going to do it?" "Hmmm, let me see. How about this?" The second person told the first person of his plan. The first person nodded and set the plan into motion. Now traveling down the space time continuum, the four of the Ranmas were in awe as they watched images on the viewer as they passed by different points of the dimensional nexus. At the console, B-Ranma was wearing a helmet-like device as he guided the ship across uncounted realities. The images being displayed on the screen were also being transmitted to his helmet so he could see them in his mind. "Check it out. Looks like we're not the only Ranmas to do the superhero thing." Kojiro commented. On the screen was a brief image of a Ranma that held up his hand and said, "TRIFORCE TRANSFORMATION!" In an instant, that Ranma became the Hyrule Knight. The screen then changes to a Ranma in a green uniform with a strange-looking ring. "Who's that?" P-Ranma asked. T-Ranma read the report on an adjacent monitor. As they passed by each world, the computer would record the coordinates of each reality and scan it briefly for future reference. "In that reality, Ranma is the Green Lantern of Sector 2184." "Green Lantern?" B-Ranma asked. "They're kind of like the Galaxy Police and they safeguard the universe from intergalactic threats." "How about that one?" Kojiro pointed to another Ranma who was piloting a mecha with long blades attached to its forearms. "That one is a Gundam pilot." "And that one?" Trainer asked. "That one drives a Core Robot against some dictator named Ra Ra. Apparently those robots can only be piloted by females, but since he's cursed to become a girl like you, he's able to use it in either male or female form. Interesting." "Whoa! Check out the EGO on THAT one!" Kojiro remarked. T-Ranma looked at the readouts and shuddered at the power levels. "Whew! THAT one was the disciple of some demon sorcerer named Dark Schneider. I'm glad we didn't come to his universe." "Pikachu?" Raiden gestured to another image. "That Raiden, is when Ranma's bones had been fused to some kind of indestructible metal called Adamantuim. He was also given claws." "Man! I thought my claws looked wicked!" Kojiro whistled. "How about those two?" "Hmmm, whoa! And I thought the power levels on Dark Schneider's disciple were high! Those are twin Ranmas that gained near-godlike abilities." "Aw yuck! What about that one?" Kojiro asked. "It seems that this Ranma has someone named Ryoga as his adopted brother." Kojiro and B-Ranma moaned. They remembered their encounters with Ryoga. As the images continued to pass by, the five realized just how enormous their task was. Despite the fact that they were now only viewing universes where different versions of themselves existed, they had no idea just how many variations of Ranma Saotome there were in reality. After viewing several hundred separate universes, the five were about to despair in ever finding their worlds when B-Ranma cried out in triumph. "I FOUND THEM!" The four other Ranmas crowded around the viewer as the ship moved toward a section of the nexus that displayed images of five different worlds. "That's my home!" Kojiro exclaimed as he saw the images of Bastet, several members of the Felinar Clan and his Ucchan. Draco nodded as he saw A-Ko, C-Ko, B-Ko, Sojan and the four Dragon Kings. Trainer was playfully tossing his Pikachu into the air as he saw Sam and Jeanette heading toward the Fuscha Gym. B-Ranma smiled as he recognized the psychic impressions from his home at Pepper's Place and that of his Amazon relatives, Cologne, Shampoo and Jasmine. T-Ranma was satisfied at the readouts as well as seeing Nagi, Ryoko, Kiyone and Mihoshi. "We made it! We're home!" Kojiro shouted excitedly. "Confirmed!" The nanotech martial artist declared. "The energy traces here match those found when Draco, Ranma, Kojiro and myself were first pulled in. That later trace is when Trainer joined us! I had NO idea that the Pokemon world where we picked him up was so close to our own realities!" "So what now?" Draco asked. "I mean, how do we explain to our family and friends for being gone for so long? It's been eight months since we started!" "No problem! We can simply ride down the timelines of each reality and drop each Ranma off at about a few seconds after they left! It will be like you never left at all." T-Ranma said. "Awesome!" Kojiro remarked. "I can't wait to see Ucchan again." "That's good!" B-Ranma said. "I was about to lead the girls in a martial arts gymnastics meet against Kodachi." "I've missed my Mom and Kisara." Draco said. "I've got a Soul Badge to win." P-Ranma declared. "Pikachu!" "I can finally get those parts I wanted before this whole thing started." T-Ranma said while shaking his head and smiling. "Though it looks like my ship is going to need a major overhaul and get rearmed. You guys used up all my ordinance and all that dimension hopping put my engines through the wringer." "Who cares? The main thing is that we get to go home!" P-Ranma said. "You got that right. I'm now recording the coordinates for each universe. Though just remember, since we can only enter a universe, then wait a week before leaving it, I think it would be best if we headed to my universe first." "Why not one of ours?" P-Ranma asked. "Actually, it's quite simple. The parts to fully repair my quantum phase drive exist in my reality. If I can get it to become fully operational, then we won't have to wait at least a week each time for it to generate a quantum field. There's an intergalactic genius named Washu living on my Earth and I'm pretty sure that she can help repair my phase drive. I'll be able to drop each of you off in no time after that." "Sounds good to me." B-Ranma agreed. "I guess that would work." Kojiro said. The other two Ranmas nodded in agreement as T-Ranma nodded and began activating the quantum phase drive. In that pocket of reality... "Ready?" "Ready!" "Now!" Inside the ship, the five Ranmas braced themselves as their craft began to enter the nexus point where T-Ranma's universe was located. That was when a huge bolt of quantum energy knocked the cruiser off course and sent it tumbling toward another nexus point. Kojiro, Draco and Trainer were thrown from their seats and fell into a pile on the floor of the pilot's cabin. "OW! What's going on?!" The Cat Fist fighter shouted. T-Ranma gritted his teeth as he fought to regain control of his craft. "Damn it! We've been hit by a quantum surge! It's throwing us off course!" "NO! WE WERE SO CLOSE!" Trainer screamed. "GET US BACK THERE!" "Too late!" T-Ranma gritted as the cruiser disappeared into the nexus. Meanwhile, the hooded figures shook their heads as they watched the cruiser reappear into the universe they had been aiming for, and was now hurtling like a blazing meteor toward the Earth. "I really hated doing that." The first one said. "I know. But it had to be done." The second one said. "We'll take care of them after they had completed their final mission." "I really don't like manipulating them like this. I feel like we're no better than Sailor Pluto." "Yeah, well unlike her, those five will be able to fulfill their own destinies after this. It's THIS Ranma's life, in which we have to interfere with, if all of reality is to survive." "All right. Just because we have to do this, doesn't mean that I have to like it, Blue." The first figure lowered his hood, revealing the face of Ranma. The second person did likewise, also revealing the face of Ranma. Both Ranmas were identical in appearance, though both appeared to be in their late thirties. One wore a red band to hold his ponytail up while the other had a blue-colored one. Ranma Blue nodded as he said, "I'm not too crazy about this myself, Red. But like you said before, the kami weren't done with us after that Dark World business. Unfortunately, due to the rules of Kami-sama, we're not allowed to directly interfere. We're only allowed to choose our own champions and hope that these guys will be able to steer THIS Ranma onto the right course." Ranma Red nodded. "Each of these Ranmas has an aspect that our Ranma lacks. And if that Earth is to survive, then it is imperative that this one lives!" "Those five have their work cut out for them." Ranma Blue shook his head. "This Ranma is so much like we were when we were one person!" Meanwhile, in a suburb of Tokyo called Nerima... "RANMA NO BAKA! COME BACK HERE! I WORKED ALL DAY ON THIS AND YOU'RE GOING TO EAT IT!" "Ran-Chan! I made this okonomiyaki just for you!" "Airen! Come and eat too, too delicious Ramen!" Ranma Saotome, age 16 and cursed to turn into a girl when splashed with cold water, ran for his life. He knew that eating any one of the girl's cooking would be hazardous to his health. Eating Akane's cooking would have been akin to suicide, and eating the delicious foods of his other two fiancées would be no better, as a certain uncute tomboy would bash him anyway for not eating the toxic concoction she claimed to be sukiyaki. Ranma was pretty sure that sukiyaki was not supposed to be able to continuously change colors. He also recalled that sukiyaki was not supposed to move. The chase ran through the entire downtown area of Tokyo before heading back toward the Tendo home. Sitting on the back porch, Genma and Soun were playing one of their many games of shogi. Kasumi was busy hanging up the wash while Nabiki was watching television in the living room. Just as the chase was about to end up into a violent free-for-all when Ranma and the girls came near the house, everyone stopped in their tracks and looked toward the sky as they heard a loud whine. They all gasped as they saw a fiery object plummeting toward the house. The citizens of Nerima also looked up and saw what appeared to be a fiery meteor, but many paid it little mind. Ever since Ranma and his father had come to Japan, they had grown used to the craziness that had become commonplace. "Look out!" Ranma screamed as he dove to push the three girls out of the way from where the object was going to land, which seemed to be right in the middle of the Tendo's backyard! Inside the cruiser, T-Ranma struggled against high g-forces to prevent them from crashing. He then interfaced with the ship's systems. (*Affirmative. *) The ship began to throw off the heat of reentry as the forward braking thrusters fired. The nose of the ship began to level off. As soon as the craft became horizontal, the belly thrusters fired, slowing down the cruiser even more. Unfortunately, the cloaking field had been damaged by the quantum surge, so the ship was visible. The descent became controlled as the ship decelerated. Then, the cruiser's landing gear came out as T-Ranma guided his ship toward a suitable landing area. He saw a large, empty lot behind the Tendo dojo and set his cruiser down to it. He sighed in relief as the ship touched the ground, then shut down the engines. At the Tendo home, Nabiki was wide-eyed as she saw a veritable gold mine land in her lap! Aliens had just landed and she could just see the yen signs! She ran out with a camera to begin taking pictures and stake her claim on this ticket to untold wealth. At the same time, Genma, Soun and Kasumi joined Ranma and the three girls as they rushed to the empty lot. They all crowded at the edge of the landing area and stared at the gleaming craft that had just appeared in their lives. No one said a word as they gazed at it in silence. It was then that the hatch opened up and they began to hear very familiar voices. "Not one of your smoothest landings, Prototype!" "Hey, like the saying goes, any landing you can walk away from is a good one." "More like any landing you can survive!" "C'mon guys! We have to get out of here!" "Yeah, we might as well see where we ended up this time." "Pikachu." As the five Ranmas exited the ship, they stopped in their tracks as they beheld some familiar figures. Most have them were already acquainted with the Tendo family, Ukyo and Shampoo. However, their gaze became fixated on the pigtailed martial artist in front of them. (In the background, we can hear the original opening theme song of the Ranma 1/2 series) Some time later... "This is too much for even ME to swallow!" Ranma said as he and the others looked at five, nearly identical versions of himself sat across from them in the Tendo living room. Four of them were over six feet, while the one with an oversized mouse perched on his shoulder was only two inches or so taller. Their eyes all reflected the same gray-blue of his own, but they all seemed to be harder and more experienced. Their forms were far more muscular and they seemed to radiate a combined power level that made all of his most powerful opponents and rivals seem insignificant, like minor itches to be scratched. The tallest Ranma appeared to be the oldest of all of them. His face had sharply defined, chiseled features and he seemed to express a form of confidence born from long experience. He seemed to say to them 'been everywhere, done everything, ten times over.' The one next to him seemed to emit a kind of otherworldliness that set him on edge. When he looked into his eyes, he flinched a bit when he saw that Draco's pupils were slitted. That made him tremble a bit as he was reminded of Herb. However, this counterpart seemed to be radiating FAR more dragon power than the prince of the Musk Dynasty did. He also looked down at the katana Draco had set down in front of him and was reminded of his mother. He shivered as he remembered the stupid seppuku promise that his father had made him unknowingly sign when he was five. Ranma then looked at Kojiro and felt that familiar shiver he experienced whenever he was near cats. There was something so... FELINE about him. However, there was no mistaking the raw, feral power within him. The pigtailed martial artist quickly averted his gaze to the next Ranma. The blind Ranma emitted a form of serenity and peace that was very foreign to him. Ranma had spent most of his life in turmoil and after arriving in Nerima, his life had become so chaotic, it was a miracle that he even got out of bed every morning to face another day. Ranma had never known true peace, but this version of him seemed to radiate a sense of calm that put Kasumi's to shame. He did not have his arrogance or sense of pride, but rather a kind of understanding of things around him. It was almost as if he had the ability to look into another's soul and that nothing could be hidden from him. Ranma could also sense a kind of mastery within this version of himself. He was like Cologne. Though Ranma did not like Shampoo's great-grandmother for her scheming ways, he did come to respect her for her wisdom and training him in Amazon techniques. Finally, he looked at the Ranma who had a strange creature perched on his shoulder. He saw a lot of himself within him. There was that never-give-up attitude and ego that he recognized, but then he saw something else as well. There was a feeling of great accomplishment. And it wasn't just from mastering new techniques. No, it was something deeper. As he looked at Trainer, he could feel the connection he had with that mouse on his shoulder. The close bond reminded Ranma of what he had when he and Ucchan were six. That was one of the few memories of his childhood that he cherished. The feeling of close friendship, of people that would never abandon him. He could see that within Trainer. "So let me get this straight. You guys are me, but from different universes?" "That's it in a nutshell." Prototype said. "Oh, and by the way, it would be too confusing to call us all Ranma, so call me Prototype." "I'm Draco." The dragon warrior said. The Cat Fist fighter growled a bit. "NEVER call me Ranma. I go by the name of Kojiro Shinakara." P-Ranma shrugged. "They guys call me Trainer since I am a Pokemon Trainer." "Pokemon? That's just a kid's anime!" Nabiki said, though she was still staring at an honest-to-goodness Pikachu. "An anime?" Trainer was a bit confused. "Pika?" Nabiki grabbed the remote and turned on the television. The channel was showing an episode of Pokemon. "Gotta catch 'em all, gotta catch 'em all!" Then the Pokerap started. "Aritcuno, Jynx, Nidorino, Golduck, Haunter, Squirtle, Chansey..." Nabiki turned off the television. Trainer had a big sweat drop. "Remember, the Sailor Senshi were anime in other worlds too." B-Ranma reminded as he addressed the Tendos and Saotomes. "You can call me Koga." "Koga?" The other Ranmas said. "That was the name of my master in the Unseen Light." B-Ranma explained. "Unseen Light?" "That's my main fighting style. I haven't practiced the Anything Goes very much since I was eight. I've been raised by the Joketsuzoku." This caught Shampoo's attention. "You raised by Amazons?" B-Ranma nodded as he switched to perfect Mandarin, Amazon dialect. <*Even though you're not the Shampoo of my world, it's still good to see you again, cousin. *> Shampoo was shocked to hear him speak to her in her native dialect, and was even more surprised to be referred to as 'cousin.' <*Aiyah! You are... my cousin? *> B-Ranma shrugged as he said, <*I was adopted by your aunt Jasmine, so technically speaking, we're not blood-related. *> Shampoo nodded as tried to take in the information she was given. She couldn't wait to tell her great-grandmother of this. As she looked at the Amazon Ranma, she had to admit that he was quite fine looking and more developed than her Airen. "While we're on the subject, it's great seeing you again too, Ucchan." Kojiro said as he smiled at the okonomiyaki chef. "I exist in your world, Ran-chan? I mean..." Kojiro held up his hand and said, "Yes you do. In fact, you happen to be my kolinshor. By the way, the Ukyo in my world calls me Ko-Chan. Don't ever call me Ran-chan. Okay?" "All right. So what is a kolinshor?" "Basically, it means fiancée in the Felinar Clan." "Felinar Clan?" "Oh that's a race of people who practice the Ultimate Neko Ken." "The Neko Ken?!" Ranma gasped. He got shivers whenever he thought about that pit of cats. Kojiro shrugged as he realized that this Ranma must have gone through the same flawed training as he had. "Yes, well unlike the stupid training that your equally idiotic father put you through," He gave Genma a very hard glare that made the panda man cringe. The others weren't exactly happy about being in the same room as him either. "I went through the correct training methods and am now a master of the True Cat Fist." "He's telling you the truth." B-Ranma said. "His Cat Fist fighting style puts whatever Cat Fist you have to shame. He gives me quite a workout. Oh, and by the way, Ukyo. Would you mind if... I have a look at you?" "Huh? What are you talking about?" Ukyo asked as B-Ranma moved up to her. "I... just want to see how much my old buddy Ucchan had grown, that's all." The blind fighter gently placed a hand on her face and lightly ran his fingertips over her cheeks, nose, mouth and eyes. "Wow. You really grew up to be cute, Ucchan." "My god!" Ukyo gasped as she and the others realized that this Ranma was sightless. B-Ranma nodded as he said, "Yes, I am blind. And I have my FATHER to thank for that when he threw me into that pit of cats!" His battle aura suddenly flared as he turned toward Genma. Ranma could feel the intensity of hatred toward Genma and felt the true power that this sightless version of him concealed within that serene surface. It was far greater than his own! "Ease off Koga!" Prototype said, as he did not want this situation to degrade into violence. Though he also did not care for Genma after being thrown to lions, he kept in mind that this was not any of their realities. "Remember, THIS Genma is NOT your father!" B-Ranma took a deep breath and nodded while powering down. He sat back down and said, "Sorry about that." "It's all right Koga. We don't blame you for being angry at Genma." Prototype said as he gave Genma a penetrating glare. This was joined by four other sets of eyes, which promised immense pain. Genma found himself nervous, like a condemned man who was about to face the firing squad. B-Ranma took another deep breath and said, "I lost my sight when I was six. Those cats were the last things that I saw. Fortunately, when I was eight, an Amazon healer named Jasmine beat the hell out of Genma and adopted me as her son. She introduced me to a blind master who taught me how to use a secret fighting Style called the Unseen Light. I'm just as capable as the others and I don't want nor need anyone's pity." "You know we don't consider you as weak, Koga." Kojiro said. "Anybody who can hold his own against me and blast a meteor to ashes has got my respect." "A meteor? What are you talking about?" Ranma asked. The five Ranmas looked at each other and sighed. They then began to tell the Tendos and Saotomes about their own life stories and their adventures together while hopping dimensions. Some time later... "You're part-dragon?" Ranma asked. Draco nodded. "On my mother's side. Like the others here, I was put through the Cat Fist training." Draco gave Genma a menacing glare that made the fat martial artist cringe a bit. "Of course, being the absolute idiot that he is, he thought that I'd learn it faster with twice as many cats and half the amount of food! If it wasn't for a dragon named Sojan, I would have bled to death." Kasumi looked at Ranma's father and frowned. "Now that wasn't a very nice thing to do." "Ah... heh, heh... er...?" Genma went looking for some cold water, hoping to go into his 'I'm just a cute panda' routine. The glare he was getting from D-Ranma looked as if he was ready to slice off his head with that katana of his. This got him to remembering that seppuku pledge to his wife. D-Ranma glared at the counterpart to his parent and continued. "Well, after forming a Blood Blond with me, I spent the next ten years living in the Dragon World." "Dragon World?" Nabiki asked. "Yes. They raised me and trained me in the School of the Four Dragon Kings." "School of the Four Dragon Kings?" Ranma became very interested in this, as he was always interested in learning new techniques. "A very powerful fighting style that involves a lot of ki manipulation and magical energies. Like this." D-Ranma demonstrated by levitating off the floor, still sitting in the cross-egged position. "Cool!" Ranma began making a mental note to ask his counterpart to teach him. Akane just simply looked at him and thought he was just showing off. After setting himself back onto the floor, the dragon warrior continued with his story. "After ten years, I got back to Earth and found out that not only had Genma NOT learned his lesson, but he was about to make the same mistakes with my kid sister!" "What?" Ranma and the others said. D-Ranma nodded and said, "When I found my Mom, I found out a few things. She was part-dragon too, and when Genma finally came home after losing me, Mom later had a girl, my sister Kisara. That moron Genma had been secretly training her in the Anything Goes, which included stealing from street vendors." Nabiki, Kasumi, Akane and all the Ranmas turned to glare at Genma, who nervously smiled and said, "Uh, well it's all part of the training of the Anything Goes, right Tendo?" He turned to Soun for support. Soun waited a moment then nodded. He and Genma had gone through the dread master Happosai's training. "You live with your Mom?" Ranma asked, feeling a little jealousy. Due to that stupid promise of Genma's, Ranma was forced to pretend to be Akane's cousin Ranko whenever Nodoka visited. D-Ranma nodded and said, "In any case, it was a good thing that I came back, because Genma was then trying to take Kisara on a training trip that included putting her through the Cat Fist! It was even worse when I found out that he also planned to take her to Jusenkyo!" He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist while glaring at Genma with a look that would burn through lead. He then tried an experiment on Genma. He addressed him in Mandarin. <*Genma, what kind of idiot takes a little girl to a place as dangerous as Jusenkyo? *> "Huh?" He only understood his name and the word Jusenkyo. "He say, what kind of idiot take little girl to very bad place like Jusenkyo." Shampoo translated as she glared at him. "Shampoo agree with dragon-Ranma." "I thought so." Draco turned to Ranma. "That moron can't speak or read a word of Chinese, right? And judging by your aura, he took you there, didn't he?" Ranma was surprised that Draco could tall that he was cursed. He snorted in disgust as he nodded. "Yeah, he took me to that place and got us both cursed. He didn't even bother to find out why it was called a CURSED training ground." "That's what he did to me too." P-Ranma said. "Pika." Raiden was becoming less and less fond of Genma; the more he listened to the others' description of him. His cheek pouches began to spark as he prepared to let fly with a Thunderbolt at the panda man. P-Ranma waved his hand to the Pikachu on his shoulder, motioning him to power down. The electric rodent did so, very reluctantly. It would not do for guests to electrocute their hosts, at least not at this moment. Sensing the tension in the air, B-Ranma decided to change the subject. "So Ranma. I see that you still stay with your father and are now living here. Tell me, have you been roped into an engagement?" "Yeah. How did you know?" B-Ranma shrugged and then asked, "So whom did you get engaged to?" Soun proudly puffed out his chest and replied. "Ranma shall marry my Akane, and the two shall carry on the Anything Goes." Akane was quick with the denial. "We are NOT engaged! There's no way I'm going to marry that sex-changing pervert!" "AS IF I'M INTERESTED IN MARRYING AN UNCUTE TOMBOY LIKE YOU!" Ranma retorted. Soun, oblivious to the insults being thrown, said in a cheerful manner. "You see, they're the perfect couple!" "Indeed. A match made in heaven. AS martial artist's they shall carry on the legacy of the dojo." Genma said while looking solemn. All five dimensional Ranmas groaned and shook their heads. "You've got to be kidding!" P-Ranma said. "Pikachu." "Man! What a mismatch!" Kojiro replied. "Now I'm REALLY glad that I'm engaged to Ucchan back home." Ukyo became very interested in hearing this. She had been stealing a few glances over the Cat Fist fighter's muscular frame and thought that the Ukyo in his world was a very lucky girl. "I know this isn't my business Ranma, but I must say that you made a very poor choice." T-Ranma said quietly. "Hey! It's not like I chose to be engaged to her! Pop and Mr. Tendo set that pledge up before I was born! They didn't give me a choice!" Ranma protested. "Well that explains how you became the fiancée of an ill-mannered brat." B-Ranma said nonchalantly. The room temperature suddenly dropped twenty degrees. "What... did... you call me?" Akane said slowly. The rage she had was just barely in check. "I didn't know you were hard of hearing." B-Ranma shrugged as he turned back to Ranma. "If you have to marry a Tendo, then you'd be much better off with someone like Kasumi or Nabiki." The two other Tendo daughters became startled at this suggestion. "After all, what does Akane have to offer you? She gets angry far too easily and is too immature to be considered as a future spouse. From what my senses are telling me, she's not even a decent martial artist." "RANMA NO BAKA!" Akane grabbed the living room table and swung it toward the blind martial artist. Unfortunately for her, B-Ranma had long sensed the attack, and struck out with the Advanced Breaking Point, causing the table to crumble into powder. In another instant, he then hit several pressure points, locking the voluntary skeletal muscles and paralyzing Akane in mid-strike. "Huh? What the heck was that?" Ranma was impressed. His blind counterpart had disarmed and neutralized Akane in two seconds and from a sitting position. Everyone else was also in shock. Shampoo stared at the Amazon version of her Airen. She had witnessed the skill in which he delivered the strikes. He was comparable to the best healers and matriarches of her village. She also recognized the movement for the Backusai Tenketsu, but she never recalled the technique being able to crumble things. And wasn't it only supposed to work on rock? That table had been solid oak! "What the...?" Akane found herself unable to move as B-Ranma wagged a finger in front of her face. "In the words of the great elder Cologne, you are a hundred years too early to beat me! No, check that. You are a THOUSAND years too early to be even a decent workout!" Akane fumed at his taunt, but was unable to do anything about it. "You cheated! I wasn't ready!" "I don't think so." Kojiro said. "From what I saw, you were the one who attacked him. If you attacked when you weren't ready, then you're just as bad as the Akane in my world. She doesn't have much in terms of discipline and lets her anger control her." "I tend to agree." Draco supported. "She left herself wide open and her charge was way too predictable. She really has very little in terms of defense." "She acted as if she expected Koga to just sit there and let himself be hit. Didn't show any discipline to me either, and she's pretty slow." P-Ranma said. Like the others, they had assessed the brief battle and were now commenting on Akane's skills. Back on the Pokemon world, Sam and Jeanette were advancing fairly well in the martial arts and it wouldn't take long for them to surpass Akane's skills. "Far too easy to evade and counter. Slow recovery time and I can see that you do not think things through." T-Ranma said. "The Akane in my world also suffers the same problems. This Akane may have a little higher skill and power level than the one in my reality, but not by much." B-Ranma then added the final insult to injury. "I've faced off against twelve-year old novices in the village that could fight better. She's no martial artist. She's just a wannabe." "WHY YOU?! HOW DARE YOU?! I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S THE REAL MARTIAL ARTIST! I CHALLENGE EACH OF YOU, AND I'LL BEAT YOU ALL!" "I doubt it." B-Ranma said nonchalantly as he stood up. "Besides, didn't I just beat you a minute ago?" "Not a chance." Kojiro said simply. "Don't think so." Draco said. "Not likely." T-Ranma added. "I doubt you would last ten seconds with Raiden." P-Ranma gestured with his head to his Pikachu. "Pikachu." Raiden had gotten to dislike Akane now. She was becoming extremely hostile toward his master and his counterparts. Raiden tended not to like people who threatened his master. "You see?" B-Ranma said to Akane. "To us, you're not a martial artist. From what I'm reading from you, you don't come anywhere near of what a real martial artist is. I'm detecting four, maybe five years of training, and not very intensive." He turned to Prototype and the others. "What do you think?" "That's about right by the readings I'm getting." T-Ranma said. "Her power and skill levels aren't much." D-Ranma added. Akane's temper began to boil over. "WHY YOU... ERK!" She found herself unable to speak as B-Ranma paralyzed her vocal cords. "Oh do be quiet! Apparently, you do not take criticism very well either, which supports my opinion that you ARE a brat, and a spoiled one at that! Your claim to be a martial artist is nothing more than a way to draw attention to yourself! Do you truly believe that you can beat any of us, when it is obvious that we are WAY beyond anything you could ever hope to achieve? That is laugh! Your skills don't impress us in the least and even if you are a martial artist, then so what? Big deal!" He turned back to his counterparts. "Guys? Akane here claims to be a martial artist. Does that mean anything to us?" "No." T-Ranma said. "Not one bit!" Kojiro said. "Should it?" Draco asked. "Not really." P-Ranma said. "Pikachu." Koga nodded as he turned back to her. "There, you see? Being a martial artist to us is commonplace. It doesn't really impress us at all if someone claims to be a fighter. What DOES get our attention is if that person can back up his or her claim. We've all gone up against opponents that would have chewed you up and spit you out!" He gestured to P-Ranma. "Trainer here has trained with Pokemon that could make mincemeat out of excellent fighters!" He then pointed to Draco. "Draco was trained by dragons!" He then gestured to Prototype. "Prototype has traveled the galaxies and gone up against space fleets and hundreds of alien races!" "Thousands." T-Ranma corrected. "Thousands." B-Ranma amended then pointed to Kojiro. "Kojiro is a MASTER of the CAT FIST!" He gestured with his thumb to himself. "I COME FROM AN AMAZON VILLAGE THAT STARTS TRAINING THEIR WARRIORS BEFORE THEY ARE SIX YEARS OLD! By the time that they are ten, they are capable of killing adult fighters! Shampoo would certainly confirm it, right cousin?" Shampoo nodded. "Is true. Shampoo started training when she five year old." "So in short, we don't care about your claim to being a martial artist. Yes, I'm calling it a claim, because you have shown nothing to prove to us that you are." B-Ranma then took a deep breath, then turned to face his counterparts. "There, I said it. I feel better now." "Good." T-Ranma said as he and the others stood up. "Now that you've gotten that off your chest, we'd better go check on the ship." "Wait." Ranma said as he got up. "What about Akane?" B-Ranma shrugged. "The pressure points on her will wear off in an hour. She'll be able to move and speak by then." Without another word, the five Ranmas headed out to the back, leaving Akane to seethe in silence. An hour later... "Well guys, I've got some good news and some bad news." Prototype said as he exited the ship. His counterparts, the Tendos and the Saotomes were all standing outside. Ukyo and Shampoo had gone home at this time. The cloaking device was now operational, and as soon as the hatch closed, the craft disappeared from sight. "Hey! Where did it go?" Nabiki asked. "It's still there. I just engaged the stealth field." Nabiki looked at where the ship was and began to think about the technological goodies within. If she could get her hands on whatever super-technology was in it, she could make more money than she could spend in a thousand lifetimes. Genma was also thinking along the same lines. Surely, such a technologically advanced craft would have a few things within it that was worth a few billion yen. B-Ranma detected the feelings of avarice in the middle sister and shook his head. It seemed that he would have to have a long talk with this Nabiki as well. Prototype noticed the gleam in Nabiki's eyes and said, "Don't even think about it, Nabiki Tendo. The ship's auto-defense systems are active and they aren't too friendly with attempted break-ins." This curbed Nabiki's interest for the moment as Prototype gave his counterparts the good news. "The good news is that the ship's auto-repair systems are online and it will eventually be able to fly again. The navigational computer saved the coordinates to our own home universes as well, though I did memorize those coordinates before the quantum surge." "So what's the bad news?" B-Ranma asked, though he and the others had a feeling what it was. T-Ranma sighed as he said, "The quantum phase drive was overloaded during the surge and the kerium was almost totally decrystalized. I'm afraid that we're stuck here until the recrystallization is complete and the kerium builds enough of a quantum field for us to enter the dimensional nexus. It looks like we'll be staying here for at least..." Prototype paused. "...six months." "SIX MONTHS?!" The others gasped. It was then that Soun Tendo jumped at the opportunity. During the time that T-Ranma was inside his ship, Soun and Genma had been secretly making plans. The introduction of five Ranmas with unbelievable power was just too much temptation and they planned to somehow have two of them engaged to Kasumi and Nabiki, thereby triple-ensuring the future of the dojo. Of course, these two morons had not considered such factors such as the Ranmas refusing to go along with their schemes, that they won't be here permanently, or that their combined power was more than enough to defy their wishes. But then again, the disciples of Happosai were not known for their collective IQ ratings. "Well now, it seems that we have some new houseguests." Soun said. "Indeed." Genma said with a smile. "WHAT?! YOU CAN"T BE SERIOUS DAD!" Akane gasped. To her, one Ranma was barely tolerable, but SIX of them? "It's bad enough that we've got to put up with Ranma and his father, but we CAN'T support five more of him!" "Now, now Akane. They are our guests!" Soun said, brooking no argument. "Yes, Akane. Please don't be rude." Kasumi said. The five otherworldly Ranmas looked at each other with knowing glances. They had a good idea why Soun and Genma were being so generous. However, since the ship could not be moved for a while, until the structural repairs were completed, it would be best for them to stay nearby. They would also prefer not to sleep inside the ship and cherished the idea of warm beds, rather than bunking in the cramped spaces of the craft. After being together for so long, the five knew each other's thoughts and feelings. They made a collected nod of resignation as T-Ranma approached Soun. "DAD! We have no room! Ranma and his father are already using the guestroom! And besides, if those five eat like Ranma and his father, we'd all starve to death!" "Excuse me Mr. Tendo." The two turned to Prototype. "My counterparts and I do agree that we must remain near the ship as it repairs itself. We would also prefer not to spend our time cramped inside the ship. Therefore, we have decided to accept your offer." "Excellent!" Soun exclaimed. Akane was horrified. "What?! But..." T-Ranma held up a hand. "Do not worry Mr. Tendo. I assure you that we will not add any burden to you, your family or the Saotomes. All that I require is that you point us to an unused storage or broom closet in your house. The others can bunk with me." "What?" Akane said in disbelief. Ten minutes later... Ranma, Nabiki, Akane, Kasumi and the other four Ranmas were standing outside a broom closet where T-Ranma had entered and shut the door behind him. He had brought with him a few spherical devices that the other dimensional Ranmas recognized as his construction drones. They had repaired the city of Sailoon back on the Slayers World and were now crowded inside the tiny cubicle. They began hearing noises within the closet and wondered what was going on. Finally, T-Ranma emerged from the closet with a smile. "Okay guys. You can come on in." The four other Ranmas followed their technological counterpart into the storage facility and shut the door. The Tendo girls and Ranma were quite confused, as they had just seen five people and a Pikachu just crowd into an area of no more than two cubic meters. After a minute, their curiosity got the best of them and they followed them inside. What they saw was beyond belief. Expecting to find five Ranmas cramped inside the closet with the brooms and dustpans, they instead found themselves inside a wide-open space that looked like the lobby of the plaza hotel! There were staircases leading to lower and upper floors with spacious living quarters for each Ranma. There were three floors and the hovering construction drones were modifying the interior. The areas were impossibly larger than the interior of the closet and were lavishly decorated. It was enough to make Bill Gates envious. The five dimensional Ranmas were gathered near the center as they looked around. The Tendo girls and their Ranma walked up to them with shocked expressions. "What the heck is all this?! How did you do this?" Ranma asked. T-Ranma shrugged as he said, "It's a little trick I picked up from an intergalactic genius named Washu. I just had the drones create a subspace pocket inside the closet by warping and folding space. It's the same principle that my nanites use to store my weapons and equipment. " He turned to his counterparts and said, "Okay guys. The sleeping quarters are upstairs and to your right. You'll find a room for each of you and for Trainer, I've had the drones create a separate living area for the Pokemon. I know how much you guys would like to have your own rooms after being cramped in my ship for months." The others nodded as Kojiro whistled. "This is SO cool!" "You've outdone yourself Prototype." B-Ranma commented. "Where did all the furniture and fixtures come from?" Nabiki asked. She had not seen him carry anything from that cloaked ship of his, except for those robots. T-Ranma smiled and said, "The drones have built-in synthesizers and created the stuff from stray molecules." He addressed his counterparts once more. " The entertainment and recreational rooms are down that hall and to the left. The kitchen and dining areas are to the right. The training areas and facilities are located on the lower floors and the equipment I had made is specifically designed for each of your fighting styles and techniques. The baths, showers and jacuzzi are located between the kitchen and the entertainment rooms." "A jacuzzi?! You've got a jacuzzi down here?!" Nabiki exclaimed. Prototype gave her a whimsical smile. "Hey, after all the stuff that we have to face in our daily lives, not to mention all those worlds, I feel that we're entitled to have some time to relax, right guys?" "YOU BET!" The other four chorused. "But… what about electricity, food, gas and water? Where are you getting that from?" Kasumi asked. "Don't worry." T-Ranma assured. "I have a couple of fusion generators installed to provide for electricity and gas. As for water, I had water-recycling systems put in as well as a fresh water reservoir, which is stored in a different subspace pocket. As for food, the kitchens are equipped with synthesizers like the one you see on that old TV show, what was it again? Oh yeah, Star Trek. If the guys feel like eating out, I've got plenty of money anyway." "You do?" Nabiki's eyes glittered with this information. "Yep. So long as we're staying here, we might as well enjoy it. As you can see, we are totally self-sufficient, so you guys don't have to worry about us putting you into any financial burdens." Ranma was very envious of his other selves at the moment. He was forced to share a small guestroom with a panda, while they had living conditions equal to a royal suite. Akane snorted in disgust at how her world was now being turned into even more chaos with these five interlopers. Nabiki was scheming like mad at how to turn all this potential to her advantage, as well as how to get these five Ranmas under her thumb. Kasumi was wondering where she was going to store the brooms. Somewhere else… "Well they've made one big first impression." Ranma Red remarked. "Yes, but this is just the preliminaries." Ranma Blue replied. To be continued… In the next chapter, the five Ranmas are going to meet up with the rivals and other people of the canon Ranma's world, as well as experience what living in his world is like. Of course, they just might make a few enemies as well as give the canon Ranma some advice on just how to straighten out his life.