Great Crossover Crisis Disclaimer: Well I'll let you guys fill in the blanks since I am now running for my life. I'm being pursued by a very violent, uncute tomboy with a mallet that makes the ones used on City Hunter look like toys. # #: Panda signs < >: Thoughts (* *): Computer responses Kojiro: Cat Fist Fury Ranma (just don't ever call him Ranma or he'll tear out your liver) Koga: Fighting Blind Ranma, aka B-Ranma (don't pity him) Prototype: Ranmatech Ranma, aka T-Ranma (intergalactic bounty hunter and troubleshooter extraordinaire) Draco: Dragon Child Ranma, aka D-Ranma (he's great at barbecues) Trainer: Fist of the Pikachu Ranma, aka P-Ranma (gotta catch 'em all) Ranma: Ranma 1/2's original weenie. The guy who won't ever hit a girl, even if that girl is built like a stick, whose face makes him sick, thighs are too thick, can't even kick, dumb as a brick, talk like a hick, hair's a cowlick and itches like a tick... WHAMMMO! Ouch! I knew I should have stopped at weenie. Chapter 8 And Now... Ranma awoke early and wondered if the previous day had all been a dream. The thought of five alternate versions of himself, now living in the broom closet, made him wonder if he had finally snapped. The routine of craziness that had haunted him, since that plunge at Jusenkyo had taken its toll on his sanity every day. Could it be that he had finally gone over the edge? He shrugged as he got up to brush his teeth, leaving his panda father to continue to snore like a buzzsaw. As he went to the bathroom, he paused by the closet where his five counterparts were supposed to be living in. He opened the door and was disappointed to see nothing but a few brooms, mops and dustpans. There was no subspace dimensional gate, which lead to lavish living quarters. The closet appeared as it always had. He reached inside and felt only the walls of the small storage area. He sighed and decided that he must be going crazy as he turned to the bathroom. "Pikachu." The sound made Ranma turn around in surprise. His eyes widened as he looked down and saw an oversized mouse staring back up at him. Ranma gulped as he realized that yesterday was no dream. He remembered this creature had been sitting on the shoulder of a duplicate of himself, who claimed to be a Pokemon trainer. Raiden looked up at a counterpart of his master and marveled at how very similar he was in appearance. He wondered if there were any more like him, like all those duplicate Officer Jennies and Nurse Joys. It was then that the back part of the closet flashed and P-Ranma's head appeared out of the wall. He smiled at Ranma and said, "Good morning Ranma. Have you seen Raiden anywhere? Oh there you are!" The Pokemon trainer smiled as he stepped into the closet and picked up his favorite Pokemon and sparring partner. "T-T-This is all real? Yesterday w-w-wasn't a dream?" Ranma stuttered. Trainer smiled as he stroked his Pikachu from behind the ears. "Nope. This is all real, Ranma." "W-W-Where did you come from?" Ranma backed off nervously. "Oh, from the subspace pocket that Prototype created." P-Ranma gestured with a thumb to the wall behind him. "Prototype put up a barrier at the entrance to keep people like your father or Nabiki from getting inside. That's probably the reason why you only felt the wall of the closet." He then reached behind him and startled Ranma when his hand passed through the solid-looking wood like a ghost. "He calibrated the barrier to allow only us five and my Pokemon to enter or leave the subspace pocket. If you or anyone else wish to come in, you'd need one of us to take you inside. Say, we were just getting started in our training exercises before breakfast. Would you like to join us?" This perked up Ranma's interest. He was dying to see what kind of fighters these versions of himself were like and what new moves he could learn. "Sure!" "Okay. Follow us." Ranma eagerly went with his counterpart into the closet and vanished. A moment later, Ranma found himself in the great hall again. When he had been inside the last time, the place was still under construction. Now the area was complete with elaborate lighting fixtures, ceiling fans, marbled staircases leading to the upper and lower levels, as well a few fountains with intricate pattern designs and some potted trees and ferns for color. Ranma continued to gaze in awe at the splendor of his counterparts' living area as he followed P-Ranma down to the lower levels where the training areas were. They came to a door, which led to an open space that was about as big as Furinkan High's football field! Inside the area were the other four Ranmas as they went through basic warm-up exercises. The floor was covered in metallic tiles. Over on the other side were six doors. The roof was about two hundred feet above the floor and special photon lamps that hung from above lighted the entire area. "Welcome to the general practice area." P-Ranma said as he let his Pikachu run off to join his other Pokemon that were waiting at a far corner. "THIS IS THE GENERAL PRACTICE AREA?!" Ranma said in disbelief. "Yes, well we need a lot of room to practice, especially since some of our techniques are highly destructive. Heck, you'd have to make sure you're far enough away when Draco and Prototype practice." Ranma was still speechless as P-Ranma gestured to the doors on the far side. "Those doors lead to our own personalized training areas and one for my Pokemon. We use this room when we want to spar against each other or maybe engage in some sports." "Sports?" Ranma asked. "That's right, Ranma." T-Ranma said as he and the other Ranmas walked up to them. "This area is modular and will format into any kind of sporting arena. Here, let me show you." T-Ranma made a hand gesture and a panel in the floor opened in front of him. A console rose up and the technological Ranma keyed in a few commands. "Let's say that you're in the mood for basketball." Instantly, a basketball court appeared in front of them as the floor changed color and boundary lines appeared. Two panels on either side of the court opened and a pole extended from each, unfolding a hoop and backboard. A holographic scoreboard appeared above the court. "Or maybe some tennis?" With another press of a button, the basketball court switched to become a tennis court. The lines rearranged themselves to match those used as boundary lines in the game, and then a net strung itself across the middle. "Hockey sounds good." The surface of the area then took on a shiny appearance, as the floor became nearly frictionless. A goal appeared on either side of the pseudo-rink and backboards sprouted around the playing area. "If track and field is more your style." The rink disassembled itself and an oval track appeared. A pole vault, long jump, high jump and other areas was created, complete with equipment such as javelins, hammer balls and poles for vaulting. "In short, this room will accommodate any kind of sporting event, either terrestrial or non-terrestrial. This chamber is also part of the entertainment facilities that are available here as well as for martial arts training." "Awesome!" Ranma gasped. This place was much better than the dojo. Training in here would most certainly help in raising his own skill level very quickly. He was curious as to the specialized training areas on the other side. "What about those rooms on the other side?" T-Ranma nodded as he pressed a few buttons and the general training area returned to its default mode, a plain empty area with a metal floor. "Those areas were designed specifically for each of us and our unique fighting styles. Although we can just use the general training area, all of us also wanted places to develop secret techniques and get some privacy when we need to be alone. I've had each chamber tailor-made to each Ranma's specifications. That door on the far left is mine. The one next to it is Draco's. The third one is Kojiro's. The fourth one is Koga's. The fifth and sixth ones are reserved for Trainer and his Pokemon." "You guys have it all!" Ranma whistled. It was at that time that Koga said, "Hey Ranma. As long as you are here, would you like to practice with us? Perhaps get in a match? I'm curious as to what kind of skills you have." Ranma eagerly nodded. Some time later... "Ow, ow, ow!" Ranma winced as T-Ranma tended to his injuries. The pigtailed martial artist had just gone up against Koga... and LOST! His ego had taken a very bad beating, along with his body. Although Ranma was familiar with several Amazon techniques, such as the Chestnut Fist and the Hiryu Shoten Ha, fighting with the Unseen Light martial artist was like taking on a psychic. The blind boy would anticipate his every move, almost as if he could read his mind. "Are you SURE he's blind?" Ranma said as T-Ranma applied a salve that would cause his bruises to fade away in seconds. "Yes I am." Koga replied. "Though I prefer to be called visually challenged." Ranma shook his head as he remembered the match. Flashback... Ranma had started out with a simple sweepkick, high-punch combo, hoping to test his opponent's reactions. However, before he knew it, B-Ranma doged the leg and jabbed out with a finger at Ranma's extended arm, causing it to temporarily lock into place. In an instant, Ranma was thrown over his opponent's shoulder and slammed to the floor. Ranma's breath was forced out as he rolled to the side. His arm regained its movement as B-Ranma backed off. "Not bad, but predictable." Koga said as he took a new stance. Ranma took a calming breath, then tried another tactic. He tried a feint with a punch to lure him toward him, then lashed out with a roundhouse kick. Koga did not fall for it. His sixth sense told him of the true danger from the kick and his seventh sense tracked the incoming blow. He grabbed the foot above the ankle. He then twisted toward his opponent and kicked out at Ranma's other leg, tripping him up. Ranma twisted around to try to lash out with a punch, but B-Ranma deflected the blow and then landed several jabs to the midsection. Ranma backed off after the last punch landed. He was a bit winded. The force of the blows was like being hit by Ryoga, but much harder! B-Ranma's sixth sense picked up the sudden build-up of ki and recognized the way it was about to be applied. "KATCHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!" Ranma began throwing several hundred punches in rapid succession. "KATCHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN REVISED!" Ranma was shocked as B-Ranma began throwing his own Chestnut Fist. He had not thought that a blind person could know such a skill. Koga was not only moving with the same speed he was, but was actually blocking every one of his punches. Not one got through his defense. The two of them leapt back after completing their techniques. "Looks like we're pretty evenly matched." Ranma commented. "Nope." B-Ranma said while shaking his head. Ranma was about to attack again when he suddenly felt sharp pain in his hands and forearms. He winced as his arms locked up for a few seconds, then loosened. On the sidelines, Kojiro winced as he remembered B-Ranma doing the same to him. Ranma looked down in shock at his arms as several bruises formed, then back at Koga. "H-H-How did you...?" Koga shrugged as he said, "I was trained as a healer as well as a warrior. My knowledge of shiatsu attacks is quite extensive. While I was blocking your Chestnut Fist attack, I hit several pressure points. Count yourself fortunate that I aimed for points that induced only momentary paralysis." "He's right." T-Ranma said. "I can honestly tell you that Koga's ability to manipulate shiatsu points makes him quite lethal." Ranma gulped. It was clear to him that close-quarters combat with B-Ranma was not favorable. He had thought to try and draw him into a spiral for the Hiryu Shoten Ha, but B-Ranma was just too calm for that move to work! If Koga knew even a tenth of the pressure points that Shampoo's great-grandmother knew, then it would best to try to take him out from a distance. Ranma took a few steps back and began focusing his feelings of confidence. B-Ranma's sixth sense picked up the concentration of ki and noted that it was being focused in much the same way as P-Ranma's basic ki attack. It was using Ranma's feelings of confidence, the direct opposite to Ryoga's depression-fueled ki bolt. However, having already experienced the Shi Shi Hokodan in his world, B-Ranma already knew how to counter Ranma's variation. He held up his index and middle fingers of one hand and made a small ball of energy appear on their tips. "MOKO TAKABISHA!" A blue ball of energy went streaking toward B-Ranma. "KI CUTTER!" To Ranma's shock, B-Ranma made a sweeping wave, leaving a trail of ki energy from his fingertips. The arc cut into the incoming blast and sliced it into two. The portions of Ranma's attack dissipated into nothingness. "W-What the...?" Ranma had just seen his ki attack cut in half! B-Ranma smirked. Though it was easier to use his staff to perform the Ki Cutter, he had decided to fight this Ranma unarmed. He had long since perfected a way to perform the move with just his fingers. "Not bad Ranma. Now, try one of mine." B-Ranma cupped his hands back near his waist, then formed a blue ball of energy with white swirls. His senses reached out and found his target. Although Ranma's ki was similar to the others, B-Ranma could detect subtle differences in their spiritual essences and could tell them apart. "SPIRIT SEEKER!" The orb elongated into a screaming comet and rocketed toward Ranma. The pigtailed boy barely managed to duck out its flight path, but just as he was about to taunt his opponent for missing him, he heard a high-pitched whine and looked behind him. His eyes widened in horror as the comet made a tight U-turn and came right back at him! "WHOA!" Ranma hopped up, doing the splits as the ki bolt passed underneath. The bolt then shot upwards a few meters before diving back toward him. Ranma swerved to the side to avoid it, but that crazy missile kept on dogging him. Ranma flipped and somersaulted, just barely managing to avoid being hit, as the Spirit Seeker continued to plague him. As he landed on his back and rolled off to his right, Ranma saw B-Ranma's attack make another turn and streaked toward his back. He quickly turned around and focused his ki. "MOKO TAKABISHA!" B-Ranma smiled as he mentally guided the missile to evade Ranma's counterblast. Ranma let off a scream as the Spirit Seeker spiraled out of the way of the incoming Moko Takabisha, then blasted into him. KABOOOM! End of flashback... Ranma winced again. That Sprit Seeker hurt a LOT more than a normal ki blast. It had almost been as bad as being hit by a Perfect Shi Shi Hokodan. Unlike a normal ki attack, Koga's technique delivered psychological damage as well as physical. Although he was impressed at how B-Ranma had accomplished it. "I can't believe that I lost!" "Consider yourself lucky, Ranma." T-Ranma said as he finished healing his wounds. "Koga went easy on you." "THAT was going easy?!" Ranma said in disbelief. "Oh yeah." Kojiro said. "Remember when he paralyzed Akane for an hour yesterday? He could have just as easily done that to you instead of just paralyzing your arms temporarily." "Yeah, and you really don't want to be on the receiving end of his Spirit Beam." Draco added. "Spirit Beam?" Ranma asked. "That's my most powerful attack." Koga explained. "It's extremely draining for me but I could blast a mountain to rubble with it." Ranma was in shock. This blind person was really that powerful? "Well, now that Koga's had his fun, it's my turn!" Trainer said as he got up. "C'mon Ranma! Feel like going a few rounds?" Ranma was a bit more cautious and a little less confident. Being humbled by a blind opponent can certainly take a person down a few pegs. He slowly nodded as he faced off against Trainer. On the sidelines, Raiden and the other Pokemon were cheering on their master. "So what did you learn from being with Pokemon?" Ranma asked as he took a ready stance. "Oh, things like this. WIND CANNON!" P-Ranma suddenly threw his hands forward while cupping them. Ranma suddenly felt something slam into his stomach with the force of a speeding car. He didn't see the attack coming as he was sent back twelve feet. Ranma landed hard on his back and looked up at his opponent who was smirking at him. "W-W-What the hell was that?!" Ranma asked as he got up. "Oh, that was my Wind Cannon. It's a modified version of my Pidgeotto's Gust attack. Wind Rider can do it as well." He gestured to the bird Pokemon with a thumb. "Pidgooo!" Ranma rubbed his stomach for a moment, and considered it. P-Ranma's attack was similar to the horizontal version of his Hiryu Shoten Ha but was more concentrated, easier, and faster to pull off. He also had the feeling that P-Ranma was holding back. "And here's what I learned from Raiden." Trainer raised an arm with the palm facing upward. A ball of ki appeared above his hand. "So? I can do that too." Ranma did likewise, though he had to concentrate a bit harder to form the ki. "But can you do this?" P-Ranma then focused his energies and the blue ball began to change to yellow-white and crackled with electricity. "Pikachu." Raiden knew that this was going to be messy. "Huh?" Ranma stared at the ball of lightning in his counterpart's hand. "THUNDERBLAST BOMB!" ZZZZAAAAAAPPPPPP!!! A few more minutes later... "Sorry about that Ranma. I should have realized that you weren't used to high voltage like I am." "It's... okay. Man! You have to teach me THAT one!" Ranma winced as T-Ranma again healed Ranma of his wounds. This time, he had several, second and third-degree burns and his clothes were still smoking a bit. "Maybe you ought to stop Ranma." Kojiro said. "No way!" Ranma said after T-Ranma had finished with his ministrations. "Come on, Kojiro! I want to see what you can do!" "Well, I don't know." Kojiro scratched the back of his head. He was reluctant to spar with Ranma, since he knew that this dimensional version of himself had also gone through the flawed Cat Fist training. "C'mon! Let's see this True Cat Fist!" The Neko Ken warrior sighed and then shifted to his hybrid form. The results were predictable. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!" A little more time later, on a nearby bench... Ranma was still clutching his chest and breathing rapidly as Kojiro addressed him in his human form. "You see, Ranma? You can't even look at anything that resembles a cat without freaking out. Besides, my Neko Ken powers go far beyond anything that you can do when your phobia reaches the breaking point." "W-What do you mean?" "You probably don't remember stuff whenever you act like a cat, right?" "Yeah, but what people tell me, I can shred trees and stuff. I'm also a LOT faster." Ranma replied. "Kid's stuff." Kojiro said flatly. "Huh?" "Kid's stuff. You've got no control over the Cat Fist and you get distracted real easy when some one throws catnip or a ball of yarn at you. Now check this out." He turned to T-Ranma. "Hey Prototype. Bring up a few reinforced steel girders for me." Ranma thought. T-Ranma activated the control console and six metal beams appeared on two supports. They were laying on their sides like the stacks of bricks that Akane used in her training. Kojiro smiled as he picked up one of the massive slats and casually bent it double. Then he folded it again. Then repeated the folds two more times as if he was folding paper. He soon had in one hand a metal bundle the size of a medicine ball. He compressed the sphere even further, adding more pressure until the mass started to snap and crack under the strain. When the beam could no longer be compressed any further, Kojiro casually tossed the football-sized mass away, which made a metallic clang when it hit the floor. Ranma's eyes were like saucers (the flying kind). Kojiro's show of strength made Ryoga look like a wimp. Heck, he was even stronger than Akane was during that Super Soba incident. "My strength, speed, reflexes and natural senses were enhanced after I fell into the Spring of Drowned Monster Tiger at Jusenkyo." Kojiro explained. "I'm even more powerful in my hybrid form, which you saw earlier. I'm also able to shift into a full tiger form. As for the true Neko Ken..." Kojiro faced the stack of steel girders and kicked up two into the air with no effort whatsoever. As the girders came down, Kojiro delivered a ki-powered slash to them. "RIP CLAW SLASH!" The two girders were sliced cleanly in twain and the halves made a loud series of clanging noises as they clattered to the floor. Kojiro then faced the remaining girders and swept out with an arm, firing off three ki projectiles in rapid succession. "CRESCENT SLASH BARRAGE!" The remaining beams were cleanly sliced one after another and fell to the floor to join the others. Ranma was rendered speechless. The Neko Ken he had was a pathetic imitation to what Kojiro was capable of doing. He then glanced to Draco and T-Ranma with a questioning look. "Don't even think about it." T-Ranma said. Ranma was curious as to what the other two were capable of, but after being trounced by Koga and Trainer, not to mention being showed up by Kojiro, the pigtailed martial artist decided not to press his luck. These five were obviously more powerful and skilled than he was, and his mind reeled with the possibility of learning their techniques. With their help, he could truly become the best martial artist in the world! He decided to ask them later to train him. Afterwards, Ranma joined his counterparts for breakfast and thought that he had died and gone to heaven. The kitchen was a technological marvel and could prepare anything that he wanted, and as MUCH as he wanted. Unlike his usual mornings, where he would have to keep his father from stealing his food, or (shudder) eat whatever Akane had cooked up for him, Ranma's stomach was given free reign as he inhaled his food. Off to one side of the dining table, the Pokemon were also enjoying their morning meals. T-Ranma stared at his five other selves and shook his head. Draco, Trainer, Koga and Kojiro all had appetites to match Ranma, though Koga and Draco were a bit more refined in their eating habits, probably because of their upbringing. Koga's Amazon mother and Draco's dragon guardian must have taught them to at least chew slower and pause after swallowing their food. Still, it was like watching a school of Demitrian Trapjaws during a feeding frenzy. Prototype thought as he returned to his own breakfast. A few minutes later, the huge breakfast was gone and all that was left were empty dishes. "All gone?" Prototype asked nonchalantly as he touched a control, making the dishes disappear to be cleaned. "But not forgotten!" The others said as they rubbed their bellies. "Man! That was some breakfast! Almost as good as Kasumi's!" Ranma said as he sighed happily. "So what are you guys going to do now?" "Well, funny that you should ask that." Prototype replied. "I have an announcement to make that concerns all of us." The others listened to what the oldest member of their group had to say. After everything that they had been through, they had come to see the technological Ranma as the leader of the group. "Since we're going to be here for six months... it looks like we're going to have to go to school." Prototype said the last part very quickly. "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTT?!" The other five Ranmas all shouted at the same time and stood up abruptly. The Pokemon also looked in T-Ranma's direction after hearing this. Prototype sighed as gestured for his counterparts to sit back down. "Take it easy guys and let me explain!" He waited for a few moments as his counterparts to settle down and return to their seats. He then took a deep breath and said, "As I recall, before all of us got sucked into the dimensional vortex, some of us were attending school. It's been about nine months since any of us had attended a class, and I think that continuing our education will keep us occupied. Besides, we can't just hang around here for the next half-year. It would be good for us to restart our academic programs. I've already done some background checking and the school programs here are virtually the same as the ones in Draco, Kojiro and Koga and my own. We shouldn't have any problems in adjusting to them." P-Ranma raised his hand. "What about me? As a Pokemon trainer, I was exempt from attending school in the Pokemon world. Before that, I haven't attended school since junior high, and that was when I was fourteen." "No problem. I've got a few learning enhancement programs you can use here to help you get up to speed with the others." "And what about you?" Kojiro asked. "Aren't you a little old to be attending school? Besides, you probably have more knowledge in that computer brain of yours than all the libraries in the world." "True." T-Ranma replied. "Biologically speaking, I'm over twenty-one and my memory banks are quite extensive. Don't worry though. I'll be attending school not as a student, but as a teacher." "Teacher?" The others gasped. "Well, I was an instructor in my world at Furinkan High, and my application to be a history teacher has been approved. I've also had you all registered as transfer students. We start this morning." "WHAT?!" All the other Ranmas gasped. "You've already registered us?!" Draco exclaimed. "How the hell did you do that?!" P-Ranma said. T-Ranma shrugged as he answered. "Well, as you know, technology is my territory and it was child's play to hack into the systems and bypass all that paperwork. In any case, we really do need to do something productive while we're here." Koga, who had been quiet since T-Ranma's initial announcement, then spoke up. "Guys, I think we should go along with Prototype on this one." "What do you mean?" Draco asked. "Hey, like he said, it's not like we have anything to do for the next six months and besides, this may be our chance to experience a normal life again with no hassles or some world crisis. It will help us get ready for when we return to our own worlds, right?" "I guess." Kojiro said. "I suppose you got a point." Draco concurred. "My dragon guardian Sojan did tell me that practicing only to be a martial artist isn't good for you. Overspecializing does leave you at a loss in situations that doesn't involve fighting. Something different happens and everything gets thrown out of whack." Ranma winced at the statement since he knew how uncomfortable he became when the circumstances did not involve martial arts. T-Ranma nodded. "You got it. Moreover, I'm sure that you don't want to be cooped up in here for six months. We've got to get out and this might help us understand how Ranma lives his life, right?" The others turned their attention to the native Ranma and nodded. Ranma became extremely edgy at this new development. "So which school are we attending?" B-Ranma asked. "Furinkan High." "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTT?!" The other Ranmas gasped again. T-Ranma shrugged as he said, "Hey, it was the only one that would take us this late in the semester. It was also the only school whose policies are loose enough for our... er, idiosyncrasies." "You mean, the only school that can take the kind of craziness that follows us." Kojiro said. "That's another way of putting it." Ten minutes later, the six exited the closet and headed toward the main hall. It was at that time that Kasumi greeted them. "Why good morning Ranma. Where have you been? You missed breakfast." Ranma shrugged and gestured to his other selves. "That's okay Kasumi. The others invited me to practice and eat breakfast with them." Kasumi nodded and bowed slightly to the other Ranmas. "Oh and good morning to all of you." The otherworldly Ranmas bowed back to her. Kasumi smiled as saw Raiden perched on P-Ranma's shoulder. She reached out to stroke Raiden behind the ears. "Pika!" The electric mouse nuzzled his head against her hand. There was something about this girl that gave him a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. The eldest Tendo daughter then turned her attention to the native Ranma. "Ranma, I'm afraid that your father is very angry with you for missing your training session and Akane is very upset that you weren't here to eat the breakfast she had cooked for you. Father and Mr. Saotome had to eat it." Ranma felt a cold chill creep down his spine and shivered at how lucky he was that he had decided to join his other selves. "Well... it's not like I didn't miss out on any training or nuthin'. The other guys gave me quite a workout, a lot more than Pop would have given me. As for Akane, well I guess I missed out and maybe next time ." It was then that Genma was heard shouting in the backyard. "Ranma! Where are you? It's time to train! You may have missed out on breakfast, but you ARE NOT missing out on this!" "Oh brother!" Ranma sighed as he resignedly began walking toward the back yard as Kasumi went to clear the dishes in the dining room. It was then that he felt a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. He turned his head and saw P-Ranma smiling at him. "Hey Ranma. Would you mind if I took your place?" The Pokemon trainer had an evil grin on his face. "Huh? You want to take on my Pop?" "Yeah. Out of all of us, I look the most like you. I don't he'd notice that I'm a couple of inches taller." "Why are you doing this?" Ranma asked. "Oh, I'm curious to know how good he is, compared to the one I left when I got transported to the Pokemon world. Besides... I haven't paid him back for dragging me to Jusenkyo and putting me through that Neko Ken training." Ranma considered it for a moment. He was still a bit tired from his bouts with Koga and Trainer. And it was not like Genma didn't deserve a good pounding for all the trouble he caused. "Okay Trainer. Go for it." The other Ranmas snickered a bit. This was going to amusing. P-Ranma nodded as he set his Pikachu down off his shoulder and told Raiden to watch with the others as he casually strode out to the backyard. What waited for him was a sight to behold. Genma was dressed in his usual white gi but his entire skin had taken on a different hue. Several hues in fact. Eating what Akane referred to as miso soup had actually turned his skin to plaid! He looked like a Scotsman's kilt and he was none too happy about it as he glared at his son. P-Ranma and the others tried to stifle their snickers. "RANMA! WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU?!" Genma raged. "WHY WEREN'T YOU HERE TO EAT THE BREAKFAST THAT YOUR FIANCEE MADE FOR YOU?!" P-Ranma shrugged as he said, "Well maybe because I'm rather fond of living. And besides, like I said before, she ain't my fiancée." This was the truth in Trainer's case. He and Ranma had discussed the native's life over breakfast and Akane's cooking. Since he still retained some of his cockiness from his previous life, it wasn't hard for P-Ranma to imitate Ranma's personality. In any case, he dropped into a standard Anything Goes stance and said in a mocking tone. "Well Pops, I hope Akane's breakfast didn't make you too sick to get pounded!" "INSOLENT BOY! IT'S TIME THAT I TEACH YOU TO RESPECT YOUR ELDERS!" He leapt into a high kick toward P-Ranma's head. However, training with Pokemon had given P-Ranma reflexes and strength that was far above that of normal people. Using his Machop's blocking move, which could stop a Primeape's Mega-Kick, he caught Genma's outstretched leg and then began swinging him around into a Seismic Toss. "Whoooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!" SPLASH! Genma made a huge belly flop into the koi pond and surfaced in his cursed form. "Growf!" P-Ranma jokingly put a hand to his ear. "What's that Pops? Can't understand a word you're saying. Speak up!" "Growf!" Genma fumed, then splashed some water at P-Ranma. "Look..." Ranma began, then was as shocked as Genma when the water hit his counterpart. P-Ranma didn't even bother to move out of the way as the cold water splashed onto him. The look on Genma's face was priceless! Genma held up a sign as he continued to stare. #How did you DO that?! # Ranma was also flabbergasted. "He told me that he fell into the Nyannichuan. Why didn't he turn into a girl?" Trainer continued to grin as he bent forward and said in a mocking tone to Genma, "Would you like to know how I did it?" Genma nodded eagerly and leaned forward to hear him. P-Ranma simply shrugged and winked. "Well... THAT is a secret!" He then let off a series of guffaws. Genma facefaulted into the koi pond. In a place far removed from normal space... Ranma Red shook his head and said, "Where did THAT come from?" Ranma Blue shrugged. "I guess Xellos must be watching from somewhere." As a matter of fact, in another part of reality, a certain trickster priest was laughing his head off. Back in Ranma's universe, P-Ranma continued to pound the living daylights out of Genma. The cursed panda man thought he could get the drop on the boy while he was laughing, but the Pokemon trainer proved to be far more than he bargained for. As soon as he lunged, P-Ranma simply leapt up and bounced off Genma's head, kicking him right back into the koi pond. A moment later, Genma leapt out to try an aerial attack, but Ranma simply countered him in the air, grabbing him in midleap, and slammed him to the ground with another Seismic Toss. The impact he made with the ground caused the entire backyard to shudder. Before Genma could even think of getting up, Ranma grabbed him by the feet and sent him up. As he came down, P-Ranma reared back with a fist and focused his energy. "FIST OF THE PIKACHU!" P-Ranma delivered an uppercut that was similar to an Electabuzz's Thunder Punch, but was amplified and had also had ki energy backing it up. Since Genma was still wet from being dunked into the koi pond twice, the soaked fur became an excellent conductor. KRAKOOOM! As if he had been hit by the great-granddaddy of all lightning bolts, the fat martial artist was lit up like a Christmas tree and his skeleton showed briefly as he blinked on and off. Genma flopped onto his stomach and was smoking from the impact. He groaned pitifully as Ranma and the others stepped out into the yard. "Who likes their panda steaks well done?" P-Ranma joked. "That was AWESOME!" Ranma exclaimed. "You have GOT to teach me that move!" Genma was still dazed as he looked up and saw two versions of his son. He weakly held up a sign. #Hey! Wait a minute! You're not Ranma! # "Sure I am! I'm as much as Ranma as he is." P-Ranma said. "It's just that I'm not your son. Thank Kami-sama for that!" The others applauded their counterpart for trashing Genma and then began laughing. On the way to school... Since Akane was so angry with Ranma for not being present to eat her cooking, she had stormed off to school without waiting for him. As a result, Ranma was now walking to school with his five other selves. As usual, he was walking on the fence as the others decided to take the streets. Four of the otherworldly Ranmas were dressed in school uniforms while T-Ranma was dressed in a conservative suit and carrying a briefcase. P-Ranma had his Pikachu perched on his shoulder. Raiden was currently using his cloaking pendant. "I still gotta know why you didn't turn into a girl like I do. What's your secret?" "Well..." P-Ranma was about to show Ranma his Water Stone when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked over to his right and saw T-Ranma slowly shake his head. The Pokemon trainer was about to ask his technological counterpart as to what was going on when he saw the expression in his eyes, which brooked no argument. He reluctantly nodded and said to the native Ranma, "I'm sorry Ranma, but... I can't tell you." "Why?" Ranma was burning to know how his counterpart didn't have to worry about changing into a girl. That would solve a majority of his own problems, especially with Kuno. "Ranma, we need to have a little privacy. Sorry." T-Ranma ushered his counterparts off to one side and made certain they were out of earshot. (*Acknowledged *) Suddenly, the group became surrounded by a large, transparent, energy bubble, which kept any sound from being transmitted to the outside. T-Ranma nodded and said, "Okay, we can talk freely now." "Okay Prototype, what's the deal?" P-Ranma asked. "Pikachu?" Raiden dropped his cloaking field so that he could participate in the discussion. T-Ranma took a deep breath and said, "Guys, I think it would be best for all of us if we didn't let on about a few things to Ranma, specifically that we can cure his curse. The same thing goes for anyone else of this world." "What do you mean?" B-Ranma asked. "Well, last night, while you were all sleeping, I decided to review the scans that my ship's dimensional viewer had recorded about this world, and especially about the native Ranma here. After seeing it all, I decided that advertising a cure for Jusenkyo curses is just asking for trouble." "What?" The other Ranmas said. "Well, I think the best way for me explain is to show you." (*Acknowledged *) Instantly, T-Ranma's aura began to glow, which triggered the auras of the others. The four Ranmas began seeing in their minds of images that the nanotech soldier had seen the night before. The native Ranma's entire life up to this point flashed through their heads. Some of them became horrified and disgusted at some of the actions of their native double. They just couldn't believe just how pathetic Ranma could be. Kojiro became angry at how callously Ranma had treated Ukyo. Koga became displeased at his double's ignorance to Amazon law and how he treated Shampoo and Cologne. Draco shook his head at all the chaos that seemed to follow Ranma, while P-Ranma sighed in relief at all the things that never happened to him after being transported to the Pokemon world. Ranma's entire life became an open book to all of them. After a few minutes, the images stopped and the five returned to reality. "Now do you understand?" T-Ranma asked. "Man! I can't believe just how pathetic he is! He's almost like Genma!" Kojiro said in disgust. "He's got quite an ego and tends to put his foot into his mouth." Koga noted. "No tact whatsoever." T-Ranma agreed. "I can't believe that he's like that." P-Ranma exclaimed. "Pika." "Well, in his defense, should you have expected otherwise?" Draco said. "Unlike us, he never got away from Genma at all and I'm afraid that stupid panda has had quite an influence on him." "After seeing all that, I'm REALLY glad that I got sent to the Pokemon world!" Trainer exclaimed. "Pikachu!" Raiden wholeheartedly agreed and shuddered to think that his master would turn out like that. Of course, P-Ranma wasn't too much different from the native one, but at least he was changing his personality and at least didn't have a chronic foot-in-mouth disease. "Now I can understand why you don't want us to reveal the existence of Trainer's Water Stone or that I can possibly remove his curse." Draco said. "I can imagine that once Ryoga, Mousse or Genma gets wind of it, they won't leave us alone, would they?" "Exactly." T-Ranma affirmed. "This reality is chaotic enough without us adding to it." Back in that other reality… "Oh he doesn't really believe that they can avoid the chaos, now does he?" Ranma Blue said to his sibling. "No matter which dimension, you can always count on one thing." Ranma Red replied. "Any counterpart of ours, including ourselves, will always be followed by chaos. I guess it's in our karma." Back in the Ranma universe… "In a way, I've got to hand it to Ranma for putting up with this stuff, day in and day out, without going insane." Trainer said. "But, I really feel sorry for him. I know what it is like to be cursed. I went through some hard times dealing with my curse before I got the Water Stone from Professor Oak." "Yes, but you became a better person by adapting to it and making it work for you, instead of letting it control your life." Koga said. "The same thing goes for Kojiro's Neko Ken and my blindness. We could have taken the easy way out, but we all decided not to. It is because we all learned that it's not the blindness, the Neko Ken or the curse that causes the problems, but rather the way we deal with it. We've all learned to turn our burdens into boons. We've learned to adapt and overcome our weaknesses and that's made us stronger for it." "Yes, well this Ranma will take any and every opportunity to get rid of his curse and that's caused him to make some very foolhardy decisions. Not to mention that whatever problems that does crop up, he doesn't try to resolve them, but leaves them alone and hopes that they will go away." Prototype said. "He's shirking responsibility for his actions, just like Genma does." Koga said with irritation. "The more we talk about him, the more I start to dislike him." Kojiro said. "Keep in mind guys, that he hasn't had any of the opportunities we've had. Perhaps what Ranma needs are a few pushes in the right direction." T-Ranma stated. "I have the feeling that all Ranma sees in us is a way for him to become free of his burdens and follow that one-track mind of his to become the best martial artist. We are not going to solve all of his problems for him. He's going to have to do that himself. What we can do is to show him that what he has been doing so far is self-defeating and he really needs to make some major adjustments to his personality." "We could remove his curse." Draco said. "That seems to be one major cause to his troubles." "Sure we could. We can also get rid of all his enemies, resolve his engagements and make him the greatest fighter in the world. But WHAT will he learn from all of that?" T-Ranma asked. "Nothing. He will learn absolutely nothing if he has all his problems solved for him and given everything on a silver platter. Granted that we all got some breaks that he never got, but we also have our own problems to deal with back home, right?" All the others nodded. Though they did gain some good things from their experiences, they also remembered the hardships they had to endure in order to resolve their problems or at least tolerate them. The problems that the native Ranma faced every day were never solved, and more kept on piling up. Something was bound to snap, and they could see that the native Ranma's life was a spiraling dive toward burnout and mental breakdown. "Now what I suggest that we start doing is observe Ranma for a week or so. Although we have seen what his life has been like so far, we need to see him in action, what he's like and how he reacts to things. We might be able to stop him from making any further mistakes and guide him toward a better future. It also wouldn't hurt for him to get away from Genma's influence and let him make his own decisions." "Yeah, I can see that a lot of his problems are because of that stupid panda." Kojiro said, to which the others nodded in agreement. "Even so, should we be meddling in things that aren't our business?" Draco asked. "I mean, it IS his life." T-Ranma sighed. "Look at me in the eyes, and tell me straight that you don't feel the need to help Ranma after seeing those images. You're the one who suggested that we should remove his curse. Now if that isn't meddling, then I don't know what is." "Touché." T-Ranma nodded. "All right guys. Are we agreed? Do we want to help Ranma, despite the fact that he's egotistical, boorish, chauvinistic, rude and couldn't keep his foot out of his mouth if his life depended on it?" "I guess." Kojiro said reluctantly. "At the very least, he's got to stop treating Ukyo as someone with whom he can get a free meal and leading her on like that." Koga nodded. "It might do him some good to see that Shampoo and Cologne do have their good points and teach him not to take everything at face value. Maybe he'll be able to have more respect for other people's feelings." T-Ranma nodded. "I can understand how you can be an expert in that field." "Since I am the closest to him in many ways, I might be able to teach him how to open up more and show that martial arts isn't the only thing." P-Ranma suggested. Draco nodded. "Well I guess I can show him a few things too. I saw in those images that he has to hide from his mother because of that seppuku pledge. Maybe I can help him with that." Prototype then wrapped things up. "His immaturity has GOT to go. He's gone on too long like this and it's only going to get worse if he doesn't learn some independence and try to think for himself. He's relied too much on others, especially on Genma and Akane, despite the fact that Genma uses him as a meal ticket, and Akane abuses him, day in and day out, whether he deserved it or not." "Well, we can change a few things in that department too, right guys?" Kojiro gave his counterparts a knowing smirk. The others nodded. In the pocket of reality… "Oh boy! I have a feeling that Genma and Akane are in for six months of major changes and pain." Ranma Blue observed. "Well, it's not like we can say that Genma doesn't deserve to be on the receiving end and pay for the consequences of his actions." Ranma Red responded. "If he doesn't take his lumps like everyone else, then he's going to keep on committing crimes and getting away with them." "A pity we can't do this to ALL of the realities in which Genma acted this way." "You know the rules. We are only allowed to alter THIS Ranma universe only. Once the task is completed, those other Ranmas will be returned to their home worlds to live out their own destinies." "And Akane?" Ranma Red nodded. "She and all the other girls are going to have a bit of an attitude adjustment and realize that Ranma is a person, and not just something to fight over like a prize. Akane will probably be the most affected as she interacts with five Ranmas that neither hold her in high regard, nor consider her as anyone special. She's going to have a lot to think about in the next half-year." "She's not all bad you know." "You know that, and I know that, but this Akane must also learn a few lessons as well, just like ours did. And I'm afraid that just like ours, she'll have to learn the HARD way. She's going to be getting huge servings of lumps with side dishes of humility. However, she might just be able to come out of this a better person. If not, then she won't have anyone to blame but herself for not understanding the lessons that these five are going to teach her." "Sometimes this job really gets to me." "I know, but we both knew the ups and downs of this job when we took the positions." Back on Earth, T-Ranma dispelled the sound suppression field as he and the others rejoined their native counterpart on their way to Furinkan High. Although Ranma kept on badgering P-Ranma on how he was able to handle his curse, the Pokemon trainer would smile and change the subject. After ten minutes with no headway, Ranma decided to table those thoughts for later. He was sure that he could convince his other self to reveal his secret. It was then that the six Ranmas arrived at Furinkan High… To be continued… Author's Notes Well that takes care of this chapter. Now for those of you who were expecting something hilarious to happen, I'm getting to that part, but I also want to explore more deep writing as well. The last few chapters were done strictly for amusement and I was in a real silly mood at the time. After all, this story is called the Great Crossover CRISIS and you can expect our intrepid five to play merry havoc with the canon universe. Who knows? Ranma might just take a trip with the others on their journeys (hint, hint). In any case, I hope to keep you all tuned in. As for now, I've decided to finish off the next chapters of Fighting Blind and Cat Fist Fury, and maybe put up another chapter of Gundam Warblade while I'm at it.