Disclaimer: Um . . . look over there!

. . .

All right. I think the owners of Ranma 1/2, Tenchi Muyo, Sailor Moon, and Dragonball Z are gone. This is another one of my fun fanfics. Enjoy.

Savior

Chapter One

By Michael Fetter

It could have been lightning and thunder the way it lit up the night. But the enemy outside was powerful and Ranma knew that was not a storm. The pigtailed man looked at nothing as he concentrated on the powers fighting outside. For sixteen years he had been forced to grow in strength in order to protect his family. When the last of them had fallen Ranma grew stronger to protect his friends. Now they too were dying off and Ranma was left with a feeling of hollowness. They had come to him for help and he had failed.

They were holed up in the basement of a relatively untouched building. Washuu needed somewhere to repair the damage done to Setsunna's Time Staff, but it wasn't easy while they were being pursued. A number of times Ranma or one of the other fighters would have to go out and draw the invaders' fire to protect the location of the makeshift lab. A number of friends had already been sacrificed in the hopes that Setsunna's plan to save the world would work out. Tenchi was outside now, Ranma could feel the power coming from the Wings of the Light Hawk being used like a defensive shield while blast after blast of energy were launched at it.

The redheaded scientist was finished with the repairs finally. Her face smudged with dirt, Washuu stared hopefully at Ranma as she explained what they were about to do. "Do you understand, Ranma?"

There was talk of time streams, paradoxes, destruction of the world, and while he knew these things were bad, in some way, it had mostly gone above his head. "Not really."

Washuu smirked a little bit. She thought his naivete was cute, but she and the others were counting on him too much to let it distract her. She tried again more simply. "When we send you back there will already be a Ranma Saotome on the earth. If you two ever came in contact it would cause a paradox. It could be anything from both of your deaths to the end of existence."

Ranma got it that time. "That sounds bad."

"Very," Washuu agreed. "But your cursed form does not exist in the past before a certain time."

"Jusenkyou."

"Exactly." She tried showing him a supportive smile, but the effect was lost when she shuddered as a new wave of attacks rocked the building. Washuu glanced at the woman resting on the floor and then back. "The part you're not going to like is that you will have to remain in your cursed form. Forever."

She was right. Ranma didn't like that, but he was beyond caring. If the permanent loss of his manhood was what it took to rescue not only his friends but also the rest of humanity, he would do it. "Otherwise the world might explode."

"Precisely."

"Let's do it."

Washuu nodded and looked to the woman on the floor. "Good. Tsunami?"

Ranma walked over to the woman's side and knelt so she could reach his hand. The Jurian Goddess looked withered; the energy drained from her body caused her cheeks to sink. It had been her hope a forced transformation would allow her to save Princess Ayeka and Ryouko, but her powers had failed, Sasami was not ready to channel so much energy. The woman smiled as much as she could and placed her hand over Ranma's. "Good luck, Ranma-chan."

Ranma felt the change as the goddess forced the transformation and then dispersed the magic that would allow him to return to his original form. When he opened his eyes again Ranma could see the red bangs and swept them out of her way. Tsunami's hand felt light and Ranma saw that it was fading. "Tsunami? Sasami?" Ranma clenched her jaw as the goddess disappeared forever. She stood and looked at the two other women in the room. Ryo-oh-ki looked miserable in Washuu's arms, mirroring the expression on her partner's mother. "What will happen to you?"

Setsunna stepped forward with the repaired Time Staff in her hands. "I only have enough power to make this a one way trip, Ranma. I have to try and reduce your disruption of the timeline so I'll be sending you to just before you enter Jusenkyou. That will give you about two years to prepare everyone."

"I've made a separate identity for you. Just find my past self and have her enter the information." Ranma pocketed the data strip she handed to the cursed martial artist. Hugging Ranma quickly, Washuu stepped back to allow Setsunna to do her part. "Good luck, Ranma."

Setsunna's gloved hand stroked Ranma's cheek. "My love goes with you, husband."

They kissed. Ranma stared into the woman's eyes as the energy left her Time Staff to rush over her body. "I will always love you, wife."

With the last vestiges of magical light fading, the two women were left alone in the dark. Washuu held up the cabbit to look into its sad eyes. "Ryo-oh-ki, it's time to leave."

The cabbit mewled pitifully and then leapt through the wall to turn into its secondary form. Washuu and Setsunna disappeared from the basement and reappeared on the bridge of the Ryo-oh-ki. Tenchi in full Jurian battle dress appeared a second later. He quickly doused his sword and looked about, finding only the two women.

With a deep sigh, Tenchi sat down, resting his back against a nearby wall. "Finished?"

"Yes, Tenchi," Washuu responded.

"I hope Ranma succeeds." Tenchi turned his head to take one last look at the planet that had been his home. "Goodbye everyone."

Standing quietly near the large view screen beside Washuu at the controls, Setsunna stared at blankly into space, her face as unreadable as the day the Moon Kingdom fell.

*~*~*

Jusenkyou, sixteen years earlier . . .

"We head home after this one, right pops?" Ranma Saotome, a cocky sixteen year old boy with visions of being the best martial artist in the world was finally finishing up a ten year training trip with his father. He followed his Genma through the wilds of China to what would be their final training area before returning to Japan. While Ranma didn't mind training, he was getting tired of living in near starvation.

"Yes, boy." Genma took a glance at his son, wondering when he should say something about what awaited the boy back in Japan. He thought of telling Ranma before, let the boy get used to the idea, but then thought the surprise technique would work best. "After this it will be time for you to return and prove your-Urk!"

The foot Genma had tripped over pulled back as a red-haired woman that looked to be in her early thirties stepped into view. She wore a black bodysuit that left little to the imagination and was not helped at all by the numerous rips. She smirked at the fallen man, "Genma Saotome?"

Ranma had to laugh. "Yer gettin sloppy, pops, if some girl can trip you."

The woman turned her attention to him. Ranma squirmed a bit as she seemed to be assessing him for some reason. She grimaced slightly at what she saw. "I forgot how weak you were at this age." Ranma was about to protest when the woman waved her hand dismissively. "Nothing some real training couldn't fix."

Eyes narrowed, Ranma puffed out his chest and struck it with his fist. "Hey! I'm the best!"

On the ground, Genma finally sat up as it seemed the woman was not a mother of one of the children he had engaged Ranma to. He stood up and brushed the dirt from his gi. "Have we met before?"

"In a way," the woman answered and turned to Ranma again. "Ranma, you should forget about Genma. He's a liar and a thief."

Ranma snorted. "I coulda told ya that."

Time to drop one of the bombs, the woman continued, "But did you know he had engaged you to eleven different girls? Sometimes just for a plate of food?"

"WHAT?!"

Genma made a show of looking disgusted and jumped into the woman's face. "Now that's a lie! There were only ten engagements!"

Rocking back a bit on her heals to avoid the smell of Genma's breath, the woman smiled maliciously. "One of them was to twins."

Genma thought a moment and then conceded the point. "Oh yeah."

"Oh yeah?" Genma seemed to have forgotten his son was in hearing distance. Ranma was looking red in the face with a vein sticking out on his forehead. "OH YEAH?! Is that all you have to say, you fat old man?!"

"Make this quick, Ranma. We have other people to get in touch with before your real training can begin," the woman said. It was like a green light flashed in Ranma's eyes and he charged his father with fists clenched.

"Now, boy," Genma held up his hands, already knowing the result of a fight with an enraged son. Ranma seemed to almost loom over Genma as his battle aura surged like a wildfire about his body. ". . . help?"

The woman sat beside Ranma's pack and watched as the boy swiftly placed a bruise on every one of Genma's vital points that led to screams one usually expected to hear from a girl. When it was over Ranma was patting his hands, his father a heap of twisted limbs on the ground. The redhead handed Ranma his backpack. "Feeling better?"

Ranma blinked at the woman who could lift his heavy pack so easily, but tossed the thought aside as he regarded the lump that was his father. "Oh, that felt good." He nodded to the woman and bowed. "Thanks for warnin me bout that marriage stuff, by the way. I'm Ranma Saotome."

"You can call me Ranko Meiou, and there's plenty more Genma did to you," she said, returning the bow. A bit of sadness entered her eyes when she mentioned her name, but it was pushed aside. If Ranko succeeded then Setsunna would not die and that was worth any price.

Ranma's anger was rising again as he glared at the quivering mass. "Watcha mean?"

Ranko nodded to the springs a few meters down the trail Ranma and his father had been taking. "This training ground he was taking you to is cursed."

"Huh?"

Ranko walked over to Genma. "Had you gone to Jusenkyou you would have been cursed to change forms for the rest of your life." Lifting her foot, Ranko punted the man into the training grounds. "Observe."

Flying through the air must have torn Genma's attention from the pain his body was in. "Aaahhh!" Splash! A battered, bruised, and bleeding panda broke the surface of the spring. "Growf growf growf!"

Like clockwork, the Jusenkyou guide appeared a moment too late. "Aiyah, poor Mr. Customer, you punted into Spring of Drowned Panda. Tragic story of panda who drown in spring seven hundred years ago."

Ranko hadn't been aiming for any pool, but she smirked at the results. "Must have been fate."

Smiling broadly, Ranma laughed at his father. "Shut it, old man! Ain't like you don't deserve it!" He regarded the woman with more respect than he'd shown anyone else before. "So, uh, Meiou-san, how come yer helpin me out?"

The woman's smile dropped. "I need you and several other fighters to help me save the world."

". . ." He might have thought the woman crazy, but Ranma decided to give her the benefit of the doubt for what she'd done for him already. Smirking cockily he said, "Well you came to the right place. I'm the best after all. Ain't no one gonna beat Ranma Saotome!"

"You will have to forget about going home for about two years. This enemy is powerful beyond anything you have ever seen. I will train you as best I can."

Ranma scoffed. Everyone knew girls were weak and stupid. "I don't need trainin from some girl." Ranko had raised her hand in the direction of a distant mountain and Ranma's eyes went wide as he saw an energy ball grow in front of her. "What the?!"

"HA!" The energy screamed as it left Ranko's hand to impact with the distant mountain. She turned back to Ranma, already knowing the results. "That should take care of Saffron." She found it amusing the way Ranma's jaw hung around his chest. "You were saying?"

The top of the mountain was gone. Actually, Ranma could see bits of it coming down all over the place, but the mountain was definitely half the size it used to be. "Will you teach me to do that?"

Two birds with one ki blast, Ranko thought. She steered him towards a cliff side. "Come on Ranma, I need to catch the next fighter."

Ranma nodded numbly. With that kind of power he would be the best martial artist in the universe. "Sure."

Ranko timed her steps perfectly. After destroying the mountain, she had seen Genma and the guide high tail it out of the area, possibly to never again return. In their panic, both men ran into a fanged boy standing at the top of the cliff. Pushed over, the boy could only think of one thing to say. "Damn you, Ranma! This is all your fau-!"

Fortunately for him, Ranko caught the boy before he fell into one of the pools at the base of the cliff. She smiled at the surprised look on the kid's face. She hadn't seen Ryouga since he had attempted the suicide blast after Akane died nine years ago. "Right on time, P-chan."
"Huh?" He didn't get the joke, but he did notice he was being held by a smiling woman with obvious 'talent'. "Uh, do you, uh, no me, ma'am?" Ryouga swallowed when he glanced at the form-fitting black bodysuit.

Setting him on his feet, Ranko slapped Ryouga lightly on the shoulder. It was best to be blunt with Ryouga. "You're coming with me from now on."

"O-Okay." Whatever Ryouga had been thinking suddenly caused him to pass out with a trickle of blood running out of his nose.

Sighing, Ranko dropped him on the ground. "What a dope."

Ranma was busy looking at the boy, trying to place the familiar face.

*~*~*

Ranko sighed at the slightly miserable state Ranma and Ryouga had worked themselves into. After regaining consciousness, Ryouga had zeroed in on Ranma and sought his duel of honor. Of course, after that was over Ryouga was at a loss for where to go from there. He was used to getting lost and now his fight with Ranma was over. Following Ranko became just as good an idea as any. It helped that he would be saving the world.

Ranma cradled his cheek where Ryouga had gotten in a good hit. The fight had been rather fun and he was looking forward to having Ryouga as a sparring partner again. He'd won the duel of course, but it had certainly been tough.

With a hand on Ryouga's shoulder to keep him heading in one direction, Ranko guided them towards the Amazon village where she would find her next fighter. So far things were going just as she and Setsunna had planned.

The gates to the Amazon village were open for the annual tournament. Up on the challenge log were two women, one a tall brutish girl with a large sword, and the other was lithe and graceful with long purple hair hanging down her back.

Upon reflection, Ranma and Ryouga's sad state would probably be looked upon favorably by the Amazons since they were in Ranko's 'control'. A strong woman with two submissive looking males might be worthy of some immediate respect.

"Where are we?" Ranma asked as he followed Ranko into the village. There were women all around wearing light clothes and the occasional piece of armor. Most were fit like warriors and it brought a confused looking smirk to his face. Women fighters?

Ranko waited for the fight to end before seeking her next companion. She made sure to leave a hand on Ryouga's shoulder to keep him from wandering off. Ranko had thought of a leash, but it just wouldn't work without a spiked collar. "Amazon village. Don't fight anyone. You wouldn't like it," she answered.

Ranma frowned, but he wasn't looking to fight a girl anyway. There was something he found interesting though. Sitting near the fighting area was a large table, a sign flapping in the wind overhead. "Food." Salivating from the sight of such a large feast, Ranma barely noticed when his feet starting heading towards the big table.

Ranko dropped her fist over the back of Ranma's head and sent him to the ground. "Didn't I just say not to fight with anyone?"

"Hey! I was just gonna get sumthin ta eat. I'm starvin!" said the boy.

Shaking her head, Ranko picked him back up. "Eating the first prize would be just as good as challenging the village champion."

Ranma looked like he wanted to protest, but Ranko's glare quelled the rebellion and he pouted.

"Your men are lucky to have such an observant woman leading them."

Ranko recognized the voice and turned to the old woman balanced upon her cane. To most she looked like a raisin on a stick, but Ranko knew her to be great martial artist and repository of secret techniques. Bowing, she said, "Matriarch Cologne, I have come to speak with you of urgent matters."

"Indeed." The old woman arched a thin eyebrow and looked over the three Japanese. "What sort of urgent matters, miss . . ."

"Ranko Meiou," she said. "This world is next in a list of conquest by powerful alien fighters unless I can assemble a group of the best fighters in the world to defend it."

Others were beginning to notice the conversation and a small circle was formed. The cheering died down as the purple-haired girl helped her opponent off of the ground.

Cologne tried to get a sense for the outsider's aura, but she found it masked to near invisibility. That said much of the redhead's skill. "Do you have some proof of this claim?"

Actually, Ranko hadn't brought much with her and what she did have Cologne wouldn't recognize or care about. She was still wandering around in just the armored bodysuit she'd taken off of one of the invaders, but that was it. "I am from sixteen years in the future where the world as you know it is a wasteland. Most of the world's population has been slaughtered or sold to other worlds."

"Or you are crazy," added the old woman.

Ranko frowned and then looked about the snickering crowd of Amazons. Ranma and Ryouga had remained quiet, possibly thinking the same thing as the old woman. "I don't think we should be talking about this in the open." She brightened, "But if you want more proof I could show you a series of Amazon techniques that you taught me."

"No outsiders are allowed to know our secret techniques. If what you say is true then you should be killed."

There was just no winning with the Amazons, Ranko grumbled. "I don't have a lot of time to waste, Cologne. What can I do to prove I'm telling the truth?" A little heat had crept into her voice and a spark of red flames flickered over her shoulder.

Cologne noticed the slight release of control and studied the redhead again. "Your aura is rather powerful even with the amount you are concealing. Were you the one to destroy Jusendo the day before?"

The crowd was whispering now. Some put their hands over the hilts of their swords.

"Yes." Ranko smirked. "In about a year Saffron would have tried to ascend to his full strength and I thought it might be best to remove his distraction now rather than deal with it later." She finally noticed the crowd and the way Cologne shifted very slightly beneath her robes. "I am not threatening your village, Matriarch. If you refuse to help then I will not force you. It's understandable to be frightened when facing someone that I have yet to even draw even against."

Cologne smirked, seeing through Ranko's barb to hold back her anger. To even suggest the Amazons were weak was suicide, but for someone as powerful as Ranko that remained to be seen. "If you are from the future, who did you have in mind for defending the world?"

"You, Matriarch."

Cologne's grin widened at that. "Why not our village champion?"

"I know Shampoo as well." Ranko leveled a glare on the young girl. She felt like spitting in the purple-haired girl's face. She sneered, "I also know she will never amount to anything in her little life. Your great granddaughter won't be able to learn even the most basic of your advanced Amazon techniques. But you already know this."

The village champion turned red in the face and stormed up to the redhead with her bonbori drawn. "Shampoo challenge outsider!"

Shampoo was sent flying into the challenge log as Ranko's aura surged forth and she barked, "BE QUIET, GIRL!" Given a moment, Ranko reigned in her power and returned to Cologne. "Your warriors are good, but it takes a special type of person to be among the best."

"And these two are among the best?" Cologne's gaze fell upon the two boys who had accompanied Ranko.

"Yes," she nodded.

The crowd was tense, waiting for the matriarch to give them an order. Cologne silently studied Ranko for a long moment before coming to a decision. "What do you need of me?"

A thankful smile, Ranko nodded at the old woman's acceptance. "I will train you to hopefully become stronger than I am now and I will need you to help me train the others."

"I may be too old for this," said Cologne with a tired grin.

Ranko reached for a golden light that responded to her command and pulled out a casket. She'd taken it from the guide's hut to pick up a little water from the only other spring in Jusenkyou she knew. "I know. You will die of old age in a little less than two years." Handing the casket to Cologne, she said, "Take this. I believe you have some permanence water already."

Cologne examined the casket seriously. "Do you know what you are asking of me?"

"Yes." Ranma and Ryouga shuffled uncomfortably as the crowd around them also became silent, not even a hushed whisper could be heard. Ranko clenched the muscle in her jaw. "I'm sorry, grandmother, but I need your help."

"I will return in a moment." Cologne hopped to her hut and let the door close behind her.

Ranma appeared at Ranko's side and glanced warily at the crowd. "What's going on?"

Ranko didn't respond immediately. When Cologne's door opened again there was a young woman in her mid-twenties. She had the same eyes as Cologne, but the aged silver hair had regained its youthful, purple bounce. Rather than being draped in a robe the girl was now filling out an old Amazon warrior's uniform.

Every Amazon turned their back to the old woman as she passed. Another elder grabbed Shampoo's elbow to force her to look away.

"Cologne has been cast out of the Amazons for using Jusenkyou for personal gain." Ranko caught Cologne's solemn countenance that warred between a youthful appearance and wizened emotions. "I'm sorry."

Cologne just walked by quietly without looking back at what had been her home for the better of three hundred years.

*~*~*

Ranma and Ryouga's training began immediately. Ranko didn't want to slow down their progress too much so they were kept to training they could do on the road. Both were sitting before a fire, provided by a quick blast of Ranko's ki, trying to pull out a dozen chestnuts. Besides the regular drill the boys were competing against each other to see who could grab the most chestnuts.

Both were nursing burnt hands and glaring at the other.

Cologne showed off the technique once again and then headed for where Ranko was sitting and watching. She hadn't spoken much since leaving her village. Ranko thought there might be tears, but Cologne was actually looking better on her own. Perhaps the old woman had dreamt of leaving the village someday. Sighing, Cologne put her back against the fallen tree Ranko was using and started rubbing her new, young feet. "They are good, but I don't know if they are the best."

Ranko watched the two boys grit their teeth as they tried to learn the technique again. After only two days they were both a good deal faster and Ranma seemed close to mastering the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken. "Ranma learns quickly. In the original time line he progressed enough in one year to defeat the transformed Saffron. Ryouga will not be far behind him."

Blinking, Cologne looked at the pigtailed boy again in wonder. She could see he was good, but that good? Ranko had her hair done up in a similar fashion, Cologne noticed, and the redhead seemed particularly expectant of Ranma. "You have some attachment with the boy?"

"He's the best."

Ranko had said it so evenly that Cologne was lost in how to take such a statement. Grimacing, she noted again how much more powerful Ranko was compared to the rest of them. "How powerful is our enemy?"

Ranko took a moment to answer that one. "The strongest is about ten times stronger than I am by Washuu's best estimate."

Cologne sucked in a breath and the two boys had paused in their training to look at Ranko incredulously. Swallowing the sudden nervousness away, Cologne asked, "Washuu?"

"Another woman who will be joining our team." Ranko's eyes went to the trees briefly before she got up to clean the rabbits they'd caught along the way. She spoke without looking at Cologne. "Get rid of them. I don't need weaklings like them getting in the way of training, and I won't hesitate to kill her."

Cologne didn't have to ask whom Ranko was talking about as a pair of Amazons ran along the trail in their direction. "It was because of you that I was forced to leave my village." Shampoo and Mousse were just entering the campsite. "I would like to bring Shampoo along."

Growling, Ranko continued on her way, not looking at the Amazons. "Keep them on a short leash."

*~*~*

Probably to keep Ranko appeased, the two Amazons started taking care of catching the food and cooking it. She added them to the training program when Ranma mastered the chestnuts roasting over an open fire technique in three days while Ryouga was still working at it. The Lost Boy was now tethered to someone by one of Mousse's chains at all times.

A week later Ryouga had finished his training. He was slightly slower than Ranma, but then Ryouga only had Shampoo and Mousse to compete against most of the time. Neither Amazon got close to succeeding in anything but burning their hands.

Now tethered to one another and carrying heavy boulders, Ranma, Ryouga, Shampoo, and Mousse were running for their lives as they were chased by a pack of wolves. The scent of rabbit blood on their clothes was making the beasts very persistent. Fortunately there was an ocean only a few more miles away where a nice swim would wash them off.

Ranko flew along lazily as she watched the teens. Cologne was resting on Ranko's back after a strenuous half-hour of forcing her ki to keep her afloat. The redhead caught Ryouga sprinting off perpendicular to the group and he was starting to pull the others along. "Focus, Ryouga! You're slowing them all down!"

"Is there a point to this exercise?" Cologne questioned tiredly as she peered at the ground over Ranko's shoulder. She felt wasted from her own training and could only wonder at the strength Ranko displayed, flying and carrying them both.

"Besides the cardiovascular?" Ranko chuckled. "Ryouga has a terrible sense of direction. I've seen him get lost trying to walk down an alley. Hopefully forcing him to pay attention to the people around him rather than just the surroundings will help him focus." Mousse suddenly ran on the opposite side of a tree than the others and got everyone tangled up. The wolves caught up quickly. "And it'll inspire a little more teamwork."

The teens fought off the wolves for a moment until they got themselves unraveled and could run again. Not discouraged in the least, the wolves also continued the pursuit.

They made the sea in ten minutes and dove straight into the water. The wolves paused at the bank, but when it became apparent their prey was not returning to the beach they howled and disappeared into the trees.

Swimming to Japan while carrying the boulders got Ranko a round of miserable whimpers that she ignored. Cologne had regained enough of her ki to speak again.

"What does our enemy want?"

Ranko could still see the people beaten of their wills and bound to one another. Cities leveled, the sky darkened with smoke, Ranko wanted it to be a nightmare, but it was there, just beyond her vision. "Profit," she growled and flew ahead of the teens.

"Where will they attack first?"

"Japan." The cold sea breeze flipped through Ranko's hair as she flew. "To prove their strength they will destroy a few cities and demand immediate surrender. When that doesn't happen they will wipe out most of Asia."

Resting her cheek against Ranko's shoulder, Cologne looked out to the horizon and found the sun melting against the sea. "Was there someone special?"

The silence seemed as endless as the water. Shrugging her shoulders, Ranko tossed Cologne off her back and continued on ahead. "Start practicing your flying again."

Cologne bobbed in the air, her feet brushing the waves though she strained to return to the sky.

*~*~*

The world was a different place before the war came. Ranko hadn't been able to spend much time by the sea in her world. The smell of the sea was not outdone by pollution here and none of the sand had been superheated into glass by ki attacks.

Ranko sat for long hours on the beach, her eyes closed, just listening to the fall of waves caressing the shore. Water brushed her bare feet and the sand crept between her toes. She wished Setsunna were here to enjoy it with her.

Opening her eyes, Ranko found Cologne crawling out of the water, most of her strength spent in the exercise.

"How are you feeling?" Ranko grabbed the woman's arm and helped her out of the water.

Cologne flopped onto the sand, her breath coming fast and hard. "Tired."

Ranko nodded and let the woman rest for a while. It would be some hours before the rest of the group showed up. She could feel them in the distance and could tell by the feel of their auras that two were on their last legs.

Cologne fell asleep with her face in the sand. Ranko considered carrying her off somewhere like a bench, but something better found her.

When the teens were close, Ranko shook Cologne's shoulder. Brown eyes wearily searched for the cause of her disturbance and found Ranko's amused smile. The redhead pulled a strange transparent strip from her clothes and handed it to Cologne. "Take this," said Ranko. "When the kids get to shore I want you to take them to this address and give the data strip to a redhead named Washuu."

"What is it?" Her mind was a bit fuzzy, but she thought it looked like a pink piece of plastic.

"Instruction and a letter from the Washuu of my time to make sure I have her cooperation."

Cologne nodded and tucked the thin data strip into her sleeve. She finally noticed that she wasn't lying on the sand anymore, but a rather lumpy fur mattress. Looking closer, Cologne found the mattress was breathing and there was a bruise over its head. Cologne chose not to ask where the panda came from and stood up to stretch out her muscles.

A few minutes later, Ranma and Ryouga came strolling out of the sea with an Amazon on each of their backs. Ranko smirked. "What happened to them?"

"They got tired three-fourths of the way here," Ranma replied, obviously annoyed. He noted the panda Cologne was leaning against. "What's with my pops?"

Ranko snorted. "The fool must have run here all the way from Jusenkyou before remembering he left you behind. I'm going to have to take you to the Tendou dojo or he's just going to keep pestering us. The rest of you go with Cologne and we'll meet up with you later."

Ranma blinked as Ranko started heading for Nerima. He supposed it didn't matter if they left Genma here since he'd show up at the Tendou's anyway.

Ryouga was caught in indecision as he watched Cologne and the Amazons heading to the right and Ranko and Ranma heading left. He'd heard of all the engagements Ranma had and that had only added to the list of bad qualities. Leaving Ranma alone with Ranko wasn't good. "I'm coming with you, Meiou-san," Ryouga called out suddenly and walked in the right direction. When he caught up he sneered at Ranma. "Who knows what this pervert will try when you're alone."

"What the heck is that supposed ta mean?!" Ranma glared at his 'friend'.

"That you're a dishonorable coward!" Ryouga shot back.

Sighing, Ranko smacked the lost boy on the back of the head. "Knock it off, Ryouga." She grabbed his neck to keep him in line. "If you want to come, come, but keep your arguments to yourself. I'll take care of myself if either one of you gets fresh with me."

They started heading into the closest town. Ranko was letting them walk to regain some strength before she made them run again. Ranma worked through his nervousness to ask, "So, uh, what's at the Tendou dojo?" He already had an idea.

"The other family that practices the Anything Goes style. Genma was going to try and marry you off to one of the daughters so he could have an easy life."

Ranma groaned. "Do you know what they're like?"

"The one who would become your fiancée is an insanely jealous, violent, man-hater. Though she's the heir to the Tendou dojo she doesn't have half your skill or speed." Ranko felt a little melancholy, but shoved it aside and kept walking. "Most of the time she'll be trying to hit you over the head with her mallet just for opening your mouth."

Ryouga smirked. "She sounds perfect for you, Ranma."

*~*~*

"Let me handle this and you keep a handle on that panda."

As expected, Genma caught up with them on the way to the Tendou dojo. He tried once again to remove Ranko from the picture, but the effort was thwarted without a thought. Ranma had asked when his father had come up with an invisibility technique and wouldn't stop asking until Ranko promised to teach him later. She'd been planning to since it had kept her alive for sixteen years. The Umisenken seemed to have been developed for sneaking around unbelievably powerful opponents.

At the moment Ranko, Ranma, and Ryouga were standing outside the Tendou dojo. Both boys had a grip on the panda's arms in case he tried anything funny. That wasn't likely with the sizable bruise Ranko added to his head alongside of the others. The dojo itself wasn't too bad looking for a private affair. It was built alongside of a two-story home and a large main gate surrounding the property.

Ranko led them up to the front door and knocked.

"This is a matter of family honor. Shouldn't I at least-"

It seemed without the curse that Ranma wasn't too opposed to see whom he might be engaged to. Ranko might have let him be, but she needed his focus. "When the world is not in danger I won't stand in your way if you want to come back here, but until then I need your full attention."

That seemed to quell things suitably.

The door opened and a pleasant girl answered. "Hello, may I help you?"

Kasumi was a nineteen-year-old woman with a calm, almost sedated demeanor. Though she was young, Kasumi Tendou was well respected for being a traditional Japanese woman, caring for the family in opposition of her own needs. Simple housedress and apron accompanied the steady smile on her lips.

Bowing shortly, Ranko spoke for the group. "My name is Ranko Meiou. I need to speak with Soun Tendou about an engagement to Ranma Saotome."

Except for a slightly puzzled look, Kasumi nodded her head and stepped aside. "I'm Kasumi Tendou, won't you come in?" To her credit, and maybe the validity of sedatives, Kasumi didn't blink at the panda the boys dragged in. "I'll go get father."

"She's nice," said Ranma as he watched Kasumi leave them in the anteroom.

"Taken," Ranko said simply. She could see Ryouga's scowl turn into a smug smile.

"He's here?" A man came rushing around the corner to stand before the group. He was a little older than Ranko, long black hair and moustache along with a black gi gave him the look of a wizened martial arts master. The image was slightly dispelled by the tears starting to rush out of his eyes. He pointed at Ranma. "Are you-?"

The boy nodded. "Ranma Saotome."

Ranma couldn't bow as he was suddenly placed in a bear hug as the older man wailed, "Oh, happy day!"

Others were coming into view. Ranko glanced over the sisters, slavers in Ranko's world had caught Nabiki. Akane was at least spared that indignity as she was killed alongside of Ukyou. Soun Tendou had died protecting Kasumi, but could not prevent the ki blast from tearing through his body to hit his eldest daughter behind him.

Belatedly, Ranko noticed Soun was still holding onto Ranma and crying and Nabiki had come closer to get a look. Reaching out, she grabbed Soun's long hair and pulled him away from Ranma. "Let go of him."

Soun jerked back, but forgot about the whole thing the next instant as he quickly directed everyone to the living room. "Yes, we must discuss the details of the engagement. This way please."

"Growf."

Ranko spared a quick glare for the panda when he roused. They all sat down at the table, Tendou daughters on one side, Soun at the head, and the others opposite of the girls. Akane and Nabiki were eyeing the panda warily, it kept them from making any immediate proclamations over their intended.

Nabiki looked away from the panda long enough to look at Ranko. She didn't look much like a man named Genma Saotome. "Who's this, daddy?"

Soun smiled and sat straighter. "Girls, this is . . . What was your name?"

Smirking, Ranko bowed in her seat. "Ranko Meiou. These are my students Ranma Saotome, Ryouga Hibiki, and their pet panda, Poopie."

"Growf!" Poopie sounded indignantly.

The boys snickered.

Putting that aside, Soun addressed his daughters. "Today one of you girls is going to get a fiancé and carry on the school!" To Ranma he said, "These are my daughters, Kasumi, nineteen, Nabiki, seventeen, and Akane, sixteen. Choose the one you want and she will be your fiancée."

"What?! I'm not marrying some pervert boy!"

Ranko was slightly surprised by this. Soun must not have warned his daughters ahead of time this time around. Akane's face had turned red as she glared at Ranma and then turned her anger on Ranko. The redhead smiled patronizingly. "Well, don't look at me. I'm not marrying you. There is the panda though."

The boys backed off as Akane went from bewildered to absolutely furious. "Uh . . ." They inched backwards ever so carefully.

Ranko returned to the pleased Soun. "Sorry, Tendou, but I'm actually here to annul the engagement."

"Absolutely not! This is a family matter!" roared Genma into Ranko's face. He shook a kettle in her face.

She turned to the boys with irritation. "I thought I told you to keep a hold of the panda."

"Saotome?" Soun asked, staring at the fat man with steam rising over his head. Forgetting the surprise, Soun quickly stood alongside Genma to glare down at Ranko. "Right! This a matter of family honor! Ranma must marry one of my girls!"

"I challenge you then." Ranko shrugged. She grabbed the kettle out of Genma's hands and chilled the water with her Soul of Ice technique. Poopie returned much to the Tendou's amazement. "If I win then the engagement is annulled without any loss of honor for either family."

Soun's mind was warring between what had happened to Genma and the deal with Ranko. "I won't-"

"As masters of the Anything Goes school you are not allowed to back down from a challenge," Ranko reminded him.

"Then Akane shall-"

"I did not challenge her. I challenged you. If you are too afraid you can concede." She was calmly watching the reaction of the girls as she talked to their father. Kasumi was still Kasumi. Nabiki looked a little undecided as she continued to glance over Ranma speculatively. Akane was-

"How dare you?! I challenge you!" Akane growled, flames of anger rising about her body.

Lazily looking the girl over, Ranko answered, "No." She smacked the panda coming up behind her into the koi pond in the backyard. "I choose my own battles and you aren't worth my time." Ranko looked directly into Soun's eyes. "Well?"

"And if we win?" Nabiki broke in.

It was strange how much maturer Ranko felt in front of the younger version of her family. It was like indulging a child to speak with them. "What do you want?"

Nabiki grinned. "We could use a maid."

Although Ranko knew Nabiki to be a mercenary, her family truly did come first. Ranko could only assume that Nabiki wanted a new person to take care of them so they could survive while Kasumi finally left to find a real life. "Deal." Ranko pulled out a copy of the contract and filled in the condition Nabiki had specified. "You and Ryouga will sign as witnesses after."

Taking the papers, Nabiki looked them over and nodded. "Planning ahead, were you?"

"I thought it might come to this." The fathers and Ranko signed immediately. Ranko stood up and looked over the two fathers. "Shall we?"

Both men, or man and panda, looked at one another. Soun might've had problems with fighting a woman, but not when it concerned the continuation of the schools. Genma found some hot water and then they all headed for the dojo. The Tendou girls and the boys stood to one side of the dojo while Ranko, Soun, and Genma took up positions for the match.

"Kasumi, if you don't mind?" Ranko asked.

"Certainly." Kasumi stepped closer to the fighting area and raised her hand. "Ready? Begin." As her hand dropped Soun rushed forward. Genma took a strange stance and his form became invisible once again.

Ranko jumped Soun's sweep and dodged between his punches. She'd never actually seen the old man fight and wanted to take a look at what was the Tendou School of Anything Goes. There were subtle differences. The Tendou School was a ground-based school that based its philosophy of power on water. The river rushes and flows through its obstacles. It was one of the reasons Akane would never inherit the school, but the dojo. She could never get the basic of her own school's philosophy.

Where the Tendou School was water, the Saotome School was air. Genma chose to believe in speed over strength that came with water. He was after all a thief at heart.

After sixteen years, Ranko's original discipline was molded into something more useful for her life; she was fire. A flame can be taken anywhere and flow around anything, but it will also burn through the strongest force in time. It was also a little more serious in terms of combat.

"HA!"

The invisible Genma and slow Soun were tossed across the dojo by the force of Ranko's aura. Soun was slow to get up since he had been so long out of practice. Genma bounced back quickly and began using other Forbidden Techniques now that he had already decided to use them.

Ranko flipped out of the way of a few vacuum blades and caught Genma under the chin with her heel as he was about to land. In the same motion, Ranko grabbed the charging Soun by the head and slammed him into the ground. Pulling her leg back, Ranko found Genma's head was stuck in the ceiling. She waited a few moments, but when neither moved she bowed.

"I believe that is match," said Ranko to the audience. Everyone had their jaws hanging around their chests as they stared at her. Akane's eyes were nearly sparkling with hope. "If you wouldn't mind signing now?"

Ranko kept a hand on Ryouga and followed Nabiki back to the house where the contracts were left.

Kasumi and Akane were still in the dojo a few moments longer as they stared at the two unconscious men. Genma's head finally came free of the ceiling and he collapsed onto the floor beside Soun. "Oh my, she's quite good, isn't she?"

Akane nodded mutely and then left for the house. She caught up with Ranko just as the woman was about to leave the house. "Excuse me, Meiou-sensei?"

Ranko hadn't expected that level of respect from the daughter of the man she'd just beaten so easily. Both boys turned to the girl as well. "Akane?"

Without pause, Akane dropped to the floor in a deep bow with her head touching the floor. "Would you do me the honor of allowing me to be your student?"

The muscles in Ranko's back tensed. She did this specifically to make sure Akane was not around when the fighting started. "No."

Akane was about to thank her for accepting when the word caught up with her brain. "What? Why not?!"

Grimacing internally, Ranko continued, "Because you're an undisciplined, ill-trained, prejudiced, foolish student whose only claim to martial arts is an empty dojo." It had hurt Ranko to say it, but she couldn't let Akane come along. With the girl's temper she would be killed in battle again.

Akane's aura was burning about her body once again. She screamed, "How-?! You-!! What gives you the right to say that about me?!"

"I've seen enough to know it is true. I'm not here to train someone for the fun of it. I'm taking students with the potential, determination, and skill to be the absolute best."

Ranma stepped a little in between Akane and his new sensei. "Come on, Ranko. Akane doesn't look that bad and her aura is pretty strong. She could probably be really good with the right training."

"Yeah. She's probably stronger than Ranma," Ryouga added with a toothy grin.

Ranma immediately went on the defensive. "She is not! Ain't no girl better than Ranma Saotome! They're all just weak and stupid."

Ranko's eye twitched. With the group of fighters she was planning on, Ranma would definitely require a change in attitude. She looked over Akane again and wondered how good the girl could be with the proper training. Her aura was strong and she did learn faster than average. Not to mention, Ranko had already seen Ranma blush when he first got a look at Akane. Sighing, she said, "Fine."

"What?" Ranma stared at Ranko for a second before he understood what she'd meant. He started to smile until Ranko continued.

"She's your pet, Ranma. You feed her and leash her. She slows us down and I take it out on you."

That didn't sit too well with him. "W-Wait a minute."

Akane's eye twitched as she glared at Ranma. "P-P-Pet!"

Ranko clapped her hands right in front of Akane's face. "This is training, Akane. You want to be my student then you will listen and do as I say. I get two years with no breaks and if you can stick with it I will turn you into one of the top ten fighters in the world." Her smile quirked. "Better if you can beat Ranma and Ryouga."

"Two years." Akane glanced between Ranko and her sisters. She'd always thought of herself as the best martial artist in Nerima, but to be the best? Could she dare? Akane bowed. "Thank you, sensei."

Letting out a long breath, Ranko gestured towards the stairs. "Pack what clothes you need. I'll be taking care of the rest." As the girl rushed off, Ranko turned to stare at the boys. "Akane is a student now. That means the both of you will be training with her and if I catch you going easy on her I'll turn you into target practice for my ki attacks."

"Ready!" Akane presented herself in a yellow gi and elastic headband. To the boys she looked like a child wanting to play grown-up.

"Oh man." Ranma's shoulders slumped.

Grabbing the pigtailed boy by the shirt, Ryouga shook him in the air. "Damn you, Ranma! This is all your fault!"

The children carrying heavy packs walked out of the Tendou home. Ranko paused at the door to speak with the other sisters. "I'll make sure Akane checks in with you every so often."

Kasumi still had a smile and bowed to the older woman. "Thank you, Meiou-sensei."

"Kasumi."

"Yes?"

Ranko thought of family first too. "Don't put your heart on hold. You'll regret it later on."

Hopefully Kasumi would understand her meaning before the fighting started.

*~*~*

There are those days when you feel ready to do anything. The sun is brighter, the smell of roses is stronger, and you're ready to tackle some new problems. Cologne rolled her eyes, being young somehow made the world more confrontational. It was like there was a weight pressed down on her chest.

"Don't worry, Shampoo. That monstrous woman won't harm you while I'm around!"

Cologne shook her head. "Mousse."

"Yes?"

"I am not Shampoo."

"Huh?" Mousse pulled his glasses down with one hand to take a look at the woman he was hanging off of. "Ack!" Mousse somehow jumped straight into Shampoo's arms, smiling nervously at Cologne "You are quite a bit . . . fuller, elder."

Shampoo snorted and dropped a bonbori onto the boy's head. "Stupid Mousse!" Stomping heavily on his stomach, Shampoo followed her mother into a closed off area with two great wooden pillars marking the entrance. There were a few strange marking she couldn't read and assumed it was Japanese. "Great grandmother, why you follow Crazy Woman?"

Cologne felt a little odd about it too. She never trusted someone so much before in her life. There was just something in Ranko, something she believed she could trust and also something she'd been looking for. "I believe she is telling the truth. Her aura was also one of honesty and pain."

"Pain?"

"Like someone who had suffered a great loss." Could it be true, Cologne wondered. Had she in another time felt so sure about someone that she would jeopardize her standing in the Amazons just to have someone to pass her knowledge on to?

Cologne had seen the progress Shampoo had been making and it saddened her to know that her great granddaughter had reached her peak. There had been nothing she could do to give her great granddaughter the motivation to break through whatever wall had been placed in front of her.

The blind boy picked himself and dusted off his robes before following. The lights to one of the wooden pillars lit up. "A strange group that was."

"Yes. Perhaps we should inform Princess Ayeka?" the other asked.

"Yes."

Both faded from sight.

It was a short path to reach the Masaki home. Cologne and her group were approaching the house as two people were coming down to meet them.

The two in question were a young Tenchi Masaki and his conservative alien relative, princess Ayeka. Tenchi was trying to greet the group, but Ayeka continued to pester and grab Tenchi's clothes in an effort to enforce her caring. Irritated, but trying not to show it, Tenchi pried the girl's hands from his shirt again. "I'm sure it's nothing, Miss Ayeka."

Trying to keep her voice from going shrill, Ayeka continued to follow. "But Azaka and Kamidake picked up high energy readings. You should be careful, Lord Tenchi."

The strange stopped being strange when it decided to stay in his house. Tenchi could actually use something to get away from what he now considered routine. "Hi there. I'm Tenchi Masaki. Can I direct you to the shrine?"

Cologne and the Amazons returned Tenchi's bow. She removed the paper Ranko had given her to read the name. "No. We are here to see a," Cologne looked at the paper disconcerted, "Washuu-chan."

"Someone call my name?"

Cologne stared at the rip in space where a young girl with a large mane of red hair stepped out. She wore a lab coat and glasses with the lenses removed, and had begun to take scans of the group with a computer that seemed to be made of light. Cologne ventured, "You are-?"

Washuu perked up and smiled wickedly at Cologne. "Why the greatest scientific genius in the universe, of course!" Her voice sounded nasal, maybe in the effort to be cute. The girl continued to circle the group, tapping at the controls of her light computer. "Let's see now. Bioelectric energy with unique quantum signatures. Nothing too unusual." Washuu passed her scanners over Cologne and various beeps began to sound. "Ah, so you're what my scanners picked up! Higher levels of energy encapsulating a solid matrix of unidentified variable power. Looks a bit like Tsunami, but-"

Cologne wasn't sure what to expect, but she'd assumed Ranko's friend would be a bit older. Perhaps they hadn't met until the young girl was an adult in Ranko's time. Shaking her head, Cologne removed the data strip. "Excuse me, Washuu, but I believe this an urgent matter."

The girl stopped her scans to stare at her flatly.

Cologne's shoulders sagged and she amended, "Washuu-chan?"

"Sure!" Washuu snatched up the data strip and began working through the message she had sent herself. Everyone noticed the change in attitude and wondered what the young scientist was reading.

"What is it, Miss Washuu?" Tenchi asked, looking blankly at the scrolling text on Washuu's computer.

In a normal voice, Washuu answered, "Tenchi, would you mind getting everyone together in the house? This is pretty important."

"If you say so, Washuu."

Ayeka paused to consider going after Tenchi or finding out what was happening from Washuu. A second later she decided pawing the boy was preferable to catching Washuu's scientific curiosity. Once had been more than enough.

A new hole opened up in the air and Washuu took a step inside before glancing back at the stunned Amazons. "I'm going to take care of Ranko's needs and then I'll meet you in the house. We should probably wait for her to arrive before we get started."

"Are we having guests, Tenchi?" Sasami asked as the boy approached the house.

Tenchi shrugged his shoulders at the younger princess with blue hair. "Looks like it, Sasami."

"That's great." The girl turned her freckled cheeks and purple eyes to the guests and bowed. "I'm Sasami, pleased to meet you."

Cologne smiled at the innocence Sasami exuded. "I am Cologne. This is my great granddaughter, Shampoo, and Mousse."

"Can I get you something to drink?"

"Tea, please."

"Sure." Sasami disappeared into the kitchen while the guests followed Tenchi to the living room.

"She is strangely powerful, though the power seems dormant," Cologne mentioned. She was wondering if Ranko was going to be using the girl.

Tenchi nervously rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, yeah, uh, you don't say?"

"What's this, Tenchi? Not more girls. Aren't I all the girl you need?"

"Stop it, Ryouko." A new girl jumped into Tenchi's arms, or rather floated about his neck. The boy didn't try half as hard to remove this one however.

Shampoo stared at the scene for only a second before she pulled out both of her bonbori. "Demon!"

Ryouko, a lavender haired woman with yellow eyes like a cat, noted the Amazon lazily. "That's right. What of it?"

"Shampoo kill!"

Ryouko vanished and reappeared a few meters to the left when Shampoo came charging in.

To the other side the haughty princess Ayeka laughed into her hand. "Seems you can't disguise your true nature from everyone you monster woman."

"Shut it, granny," Ryouko snapped and ducked under Shampoo's bonbori.

Logs passing lightning began to appear about Ayeka as her face turned red with outrage. "How dare you?!"

Stuck in the middle, Tenchi put up his hands in a peaceful, yet nervous, gesture. "Now, now girls, let's not fi-!"

Frustrated from missing her kill yet again, Shampoo smacked Tenchi over the head and sent him into the table. "Stupid boy move out Shampoo way!"

"Tenchi!"

Both girls turned to glare at Shampoo who hadn't the intelligence to know she should be worried.

An energy sword sprouted out of Ryouko's left hand. She tried to follow Tenchi's rules about not seriously injuring guests, but this, she felt, was justifiable. "You're going to pay for that, little girl."

"I shouldn't have expected much better from a barbarian," Ayeka sneered and fixed her electric logs onto the Amazon.

Blind following the myopic, Mousse jumped into battle. "I'll protect you, Shampoo!"

Cologne watched the fight build up, but felt no need to enter it herself. She sighed at the hotheaded great granddaughter of hers and wondered if she'd ever use for anything but an ornament.

"Here you go."

A cup of warm tea was pressed into her hands and Cologne turned to the young girl and nodded her head. "Thank you, Sasami."

The hallway closet could be seen opening from where Cologne sat. When it closed she could see Washuu walking over to the table to sit down. Another cup of tea found its way into her hands as well. "Where is Ranko now?" she asked of Cologne.

"She mentioned needing to stop by the Tendou dojo first."

Nodding, Washuu looked to where a small light display was occurring. Mousse was on the ground with a bonbori resting on top of his head. Ayeka seemed to have her own troubles with a length of chain wrapped about her body. Washuu smirked at her daughter and snapped her fingers. "Ryouko, show some manners around mommy's guests."

"Urk!" Face meeting the ground, Ryouko could feel a small stone statue shatter on top of her head.

Cologne reached out when Shampoo was close enough and tapped the girl on the small of her back, sending her straight to the floor, paralyzed. "I don't believe Ranko would appreciate your foolishness right now, great granddaughter."

". . ." went the crowd watching Washuu and Cologne. The two women seemed very alike, frighteningly so.

Washuu smiled and rested her chin in her hand. "Great granddaughter, huh? That must be one hell of face lift."

Cologne answered with a playful smile, "Yes, I feel twenty years old again."

*~*~*

There was another stop they had to make before catching up with Cologne at the Masaki's. Whereas Ryouga was used to being on his own and Akane's family wasn't so far away, Ranma still needed to see his mother before moving on. Ranko didn't deceive herself into thinking that Ranma really had his concentration just on her when the idea of his mother was so close.

While Ranko had gotten to know her mother before, their relationship wasn't what Ranko had intended. Surrounded by the fiancées and enemies there was never enough time to talk. She wondered how it might've been with a better start.

Ranma adjusted the strap to his backpack and hurried up to Ranko while Akane continued to glare at him. He was uncomfortable around girls just as Ryouga was. Akane was different from Shampoo and Ranko because she became more irritated with things then they would. Maybe this is what a real girl was like. He sighed, "When do we start training?"

"One more stop, Ranma, then we'll head to the Masaki shrine," Ranko answered. Behind them Ranko could sense Ryouga showing off his new move for Akane to show her what sorts of things they had been trained to do so far.

Akane watched Ryouga's speed punch with awe. "Will I be able to punch that fast?"

He nodded with a silly grin. "Just takes practice. That Amazon assistant of hers is a real taskmaster though."

Looking at her own hand, Akane clenched it into a fist. Ryouga began to sweat as he saw that gleam in her eyes and recalled Ranko's words about a man-hater. "I will become one of the best."

"Akane. Ryouga." The two fell silent as Ranko looked at them. It was strange how easy it was to fall into a teacher's role with this group. Standing in front of a house, Ranko gave Ranma a small push and knocked quickly on the door. "Go ahead, Ranma."

The boy looked at her confused and stared at the wood door. The house was bigger than the Tendous, and seemed to have been carefully maintained. "But who-?"

The door opened and an older woman with dark red hair answered. She looked as stately as the home, her hair tied back in a bun, and a clean flower print kimono on. The woman stared at the group blankly for a moment before fixing her gaze on the pig-tailed boy with the familiar blue eyes. Staring hopefully she asked, "Ranma?"

The boy choked for a response as tears came to his eyes. "M-Mom?"

Akane and Ryouga watched from the background as the boy and woman embraced each other. Though the boy was obviously a pervert, Akane couldn't help but smile. "What's going on?"

Ryouga grinned a bit for his partner in training. With his family, Ryouga understood what it was like to see a family member after being alone for so long. "Ranma's been on a training trip for ten years. I think this is the first time they've seen each other."

Nodoka set her son back to get a better look at him though her eyes were still full of tears. "You look so manly."

Rolling her eyes, Ranko whispered to the sky, "Thank god."

"Oh, won't you come in?" Nodoka asked, already dragging Ranma inside. She showed them to the living room. "Can I get you something to drink?" She sat down before anyone could answer so Ranko left for the kitchen. Nodoka sat down beside her son and stared at him intently. "I want to hear everything that you've been doing. Where is your father? Is this a girlfriend of yours? Give me another hug."

Ranko smirked at the embarrassed look on Ranma's face and set down some cups with a kettle. She offered a cup to Nodoka first. "Tea?"

"Oh, thank you dear." Nodoka took the cup and quick sip before realizing there was someone else in her house besides Ranma. She stared at Ranko with the similar red hair.

"Ranko Meiou."

Nodoka smiled and followed her as she sat down. "Are you one of my son's girlfriends? He is quite handsome."

Ranma spat out the tea in his mouth.

Rising with righteous indignation, Ryouga screamed, "Ranma, how dare you try and force yourself on Ranko-sensei!"

Akane was quick to follow this up with a mallet. "You pervert!"

The teens were quick, but Ranko was quicker. "They're very excitable," she commented, removing her fingers from the back of their heads. Both teens slumped forward in a dead sleep. "Mrs. Saotome, I'm afraid Ranma isn't done with his training just yet."

The smile suddenly left the woman's face and she looked pleadingly to Ranma. "But it has been ten years."

"Yes, and he is one of the best of his generation, but I need him to be even better." Ranko set her cup down and stared at the woman seriously. "In a few years some very powerful enemies will arrive in Japan. The only thing that will stand in their way of destroying this planet will be the martial artists I can find willing to allow me to train them to be the best."

Nodoka looked Ranko over, starting with the bright red hair to the form-fitting body suit and her ample proportions. "You? Certainly a lovely young lady like you isn't interested in fighting? That's a man's duty."

The woman's old views slightly irritated Ranko after all that she had been through with other fighters. "I have already gone to the Tendous and annulled the engagement there by challenging both fathers. Ranma has also given me his word that he will be my student for the next two years. I brought him here because he had not seen you in a long time and it might do him some good."

"But," Nodoka looked worse now that she knew Ranko was serious.

"I'm not taking Ranma away from you, Mrs. Saotome. You may accompany us. I'm sure Ranma would not mind."

There was a moment as Nodoka thought all of this over and then looked at Ranma. "Is all of this true, my son?"

Ranma nodded, looking as though he wanted to apologize. "Yes, mother. Ranko is the most powerful martial artist I've ever seen, and if people are in danger then it's my duty to protect'em."

"That's very manly of you, Ranma." If this was Ranma's duty as a man then Nodoka would accept it. She pats him on the arm and looked back to Ranko. "What's this about the Tendous? That was a contract based on family honor."

Ranko winced. She was pretty sure that Nodoka would not like this so much. "Neither family lost any honor on the matter. I simply challenged both fathers and beat them. A contract for the challenge was made and signed by everyone involved." Nodoka did begin to frown. "I suppose you might feel better knowing that Akane has decided to come along as one of my students as well."

This brought a smile to Nodoka's face. She glanced over to the young girl asleep on the couch. "Really? Oh, I had hoped you would be able to make one of the girls fall in love with you! Such a manly son!"

Ranko glanced worriedly at Akane's unconscious response. " . . pervert . . ."

It was time to wake them up anyway. Ranko tapped a few spots on the back of their necks and watched them slowly rise from their forced slumber.

Ryouga was the first to make an intelligent response. "Huh?"

Ranko shook her head at them. "You two will learn to control your tempers or I will beat that control into you." She stood and looked around. "We should be going. I want you to meet the rest of the fighters you will be training alongside."

"Should I bring anything?" Nodoka asked timidly.

"There's no need. The Masaki shrine isn't so far away."

Ranko held open the door for the group and waited for Nodoka to lock it. She figured Nodoka would either stay here and visit on the weekends, or find a room at the Masaki's with Washuu's help and do what she could to assist Sasami in the kitchen and maintain the house.

Almost ready to leave, Ranko glared when she noticed a fat man creeping around the property.

"Nodoka! Thank goodness I found you! There is a mad woman running about, raving that the engagement with the Tendous has been annulled and Ranma is her student now. Absolute nonsense."

"It's Poopie," Akane said, surprised the man was awake.

"You remember your husband, don't you Mrs. Saotome?" Ranko got a wicked gleam in her eyes as she stared at the buffoon. "The man who sold your son for food ten times, taught him to be a thief, threw him into a pit of starving cats when he was six, told him you were-"

Nodoka pulled a katana that no one had noticed before and glared angrily at the cowering man. "DIE GENMA!"

"Eep!"

Ranma watched the chase for a moment before looking at Ranko suspiciously. "I don't remember pops ever calling mom those things."

"Oh? Didn't he teach you that all girls were weak and stupid?"

"Uh," Ranma wasn't so sure he should answer that in front of Ranko and Akane.

"Isn't your mother a girl?" Ranko continued.

The boy hadn't thought about it that way. Charging his aura, Ranma shook his fist at his father. "Get him, mom! Carve him into strips!"

After a brief, yet violent reunion between wife and husband, Nodoka returned, wiping the blood off of her katana with the silk wrapping. "Genma no baka. Stupid jerk." She became all smiles for the group of nervous teens. "Shall we get going?"

Ranko snorted with amusement and picked Nodoka up in her arms. The woman was startled for a moment and then held on as Ranko ascended into the air. "Try to keep up, students."

Down on the ground, Ranma grinned when he heard his mother laugh at her first ki supported flight. He always knew his mother had to be the better parent.

Back on the front lawn, a fat martial artist moaned in pain.

*~*~*

It took an hour to reach the Masaki's by foot. The group was slowed down by Ranma who had to carry Akane when she got tired at the edge of Nerima.

Now that they were at the Masaki home, everyone was sitting around the living room staring at one another. Ranma was eyeing Ryouko with a bit of fear; he just reminded her of something.

"Let's get introductions out of the first, okay?" Ranko stood up since she knew everyone in the room and what this meeting was going to be about. "I'm Ranko Meiou. This is Ranma Saotome, heir to the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts, and his mother Nodoka Saotome. Akane Tendou, heir to the Tendou School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. And Ryouga Hibiki of the Indiscriminant Grappling School of Martial Arts. Cologne, the greatest warrior to ever be produced by the Joketsuzoku Amazons, her great granddaughter, Shampoo, and the blind Hidden Weapons master, Mousse." Everyone nodded or bowed with their introductions and Ranko walked to the other side of the table to stand behind the first pair of people. A hand on a ditzy looking blond and a blue-haired woman in a uniform, she said, "This side. Mihoshi and Kiyone of the Galactic Space Police."

Kiyone was uncomfortable with everyone looking at her.

Mihoshi smiled absently and put a finger to her chin questioningly. "Gee, have we met before?"

Ranko passed another pair of girls. The younger had answered the door and was easy to get along with. The older girl kept eyeing Akane and Ranko angrily, her eye twitching every now and then as Tenchi couldn't help but follow the wiggle of Ranko's battle suit. "Princess Ayeka and Princess Sasami of the planet Jurai."

The next looked like a young girl, but something in her eyes marked her otherwise. "Washuu-chan Hakubi, greatest scientific genius in the universe."

"Oh, stop. I'm not," Washuu pretended to blush.

Two of the girl's little creations jumped onto her shoulders. They actually looked like small models of her. "Yes you are!" the first one cheered. "Don't be so modest, Washuu-chan!"

"Nobuyuki Masaki and his son, Tenchi Masaki."

Both men bowed, Tenchi earning another scowl from Ayeka as he blushed again.

Ranko smiled at the woman innocently floating in the air behind Tenchi and playing with his hair. "Ryouko Masaki, ex-space pirate and Tenchi's wife."

"Wife?!" Ayeka openly glared at Ranko and Ryouko.

Ryouko blushed demurely and hugged Ranko about the waist. "Oh, you think so? What a wonderful woman, you are!"

At the end of the table Mihoshi had begun to cry and grabbed Kiyone around the shoulders. "Tenchi and Ryouko got married? I'm so happy for you!"

"Did I miss something?" Ranko questioned the older man who had yet to be introduced. "Didn't Ryouko and Tenchi get married before Ryouko got pregnant?"

"PREGNANT?!" Ayeka screamed, her face burning with anger.

"Really?" Ryouko placed a hand over her stomach and floated into Tenchi's lap and squealed. "Oh, Tenchi!" She smiled adoringly at Ranko. "How do you know?"

Ranko grinned. She always did like Ryouko more than Ayeka anyway. The Ayeka chick was just too snobbish to get along with. "Trust me. I can see it."

While Tenchi and Sasami tried to quell Ayeka's rising anger, Ranko moved to the last of the group with a cocky grin that his old self would have recognized and become concerned about. "Last, but not least, Katsuhito Masaki, also known as Yosho, crown prince of Jurai."

Yosho winced. "You needn't have revealed so much."

The revelation did bring Ayeka out of her rage as she zeroed in on Yosho. "Brother?!"

"Sorry, Yosho, but it's best we get this out of the way now," was Ranko's response as she moved to the head of the table to get out of Ayeka's way.

The girl stared at the older man dizzily as he dropped the image of an old man for his true appearance. "Brother."

"Miya?"

Ranko grinned at the small animal rubbing itself against her ankles and picked the cabbit up. "Oh, excuse me. This sweet girl is called Ryo-oh-ki."

Ranma's response was immediate. "CAT!"

". . ."

Washuu set about having the new hole in the wall fixed. It was becoming quite routine around this house.

Nodoka stared questioningly at the hole. "Ranma?"

Ranko snapped her fingers. "I knew I was forgetting something." She scratched Ryo-oh-ki behind the ears and answered Nodoka's unasked question. "Remember what I said about your husband tossing him into a pit of starving cats. Ranma was six at the time and your husband did it a few dozen times." Everyone around her looked a little green. Pumping up her aura, Ranko set the cabbit down and headed out the hole Ranma had made. "Excuse me everyone."

The Masaki group wasn't prepared for a regular human flying off. ". . ."

Washuu's eye twitched and she began typing rapidly on her light computer. "She was hiding all of that power?! I can't wait to get her into my lab for some tests!"

The Nerima group inched a little further away from the unhealthy look in the redhead's eyes. It took a little while and conversation was understandably slow as they waited for Ranko to return with Ranma.

"We're back."

The group looked to the hole and found Ranko landing with Ranma purring in her arms. She suffered another lick on the cheek before dropping the insane martial artist on the floor.

Ranma-neko looked over the group with his head cocked. "Meow."

Smirking, Ranko swatted him towards the curious Ryo-oh-ki. "Go play with the cabbit."

Ryo-oh-ki bounced happily into the backyard with Ranma following. "Miya!"

"Meow!"

". . ."

Sitting down at the head of the table Ranko took a quick sip of her tea. "All right, here's the score." Everyone turned to her looking a bit frightened by what she had to say after seeing Ranma. "I'm from the future and it really sucks. In about two years this planet will be attacked by a pair of powerful fighters called Saiyajins."

There was synchronized swallowing.

"Saiyajins?" Washuu asked.

Ranko nodded to the woman. "They're an engineered species that came about while you were trapped by Kagato." Her face turned grim as she continued, "Anyway, it is their job to ready planets for sale. They will come down here and kill as many as they have to so the government will give its unconditional surrender."

"What do you mean for sale?" Akane asked with her hand raised.

Ranko was worried because she didn't want to scare everyone away. "These aliens scour the universe for useful planets to sell to other growing intergalactic powers. I think they're just after the Earth's resources."

Yosho clenched his jaw. "What resources?"

"Minerals, food, water. I also saw cages for slave traders and-" Ranko looked away from her mother and Mihoshi, "sex toys."

Ryouko clenched her fist in the following silence. "No problem then. Now that we know we just wait for them to come and blow them out of the sky."

Ranko shook her head. "It's not that easy. I'm not exactly sure where they are coming from or where they attack first except that it will be in Japan. They are also a great deal more powerful than any of you can handle right now. I have two years to get you ready so I, Cologne, and Yosho will be teaching you how to improve your skills."

Ryouko snorted. "You?" She phased out.

Ranko reached behind her and caught the reforming Ryouko by the neck and slammed the cyan-haired woman into the ground at her feet. Ryouko made a choking noise as she tried to pull Ranko's hand away. "Yes, me."

"You should listen to her, Ryouko. I have proof that what she tells us is true." Washuu nodded at her light computer. "According to the report I sent back with her from the future you, Ayeka, and Kiyone died in the initial attack after less than a minute against these Saiyajins."

"The only real survivors from my time were myself, Washuu, Tenchi, Setsunna, and Ryo-oh-ki. Tsunami faded a minute before I left." Ranko stared hard at the table, flexing her fists tighter to fight off the anger of her memories. "If I can get you strong enough to defeat the Saiyajins we might stand a chance against the army that will follow. I'm not going to force any of you to fight, but you must decide now because training starts tomorrow." Ranko stood up and headed for the backyard. Ranma and Ryo-oh-ki stopped in their game of tag to watch her light up again.

Yosho stood behind her at the door. "Where are you going?"

"There's one last group of fighters I want to bring in on this."

Yosho watched her fly off with an uncertain feeling about the future Ranko had presented them with. From what he could see Ranko was a very capable fighter, stronger than he was, but she was also harboring a great amount of anger that may get released at the wrong time. Hopefully the peace of the past will give her the time to find an inner peace.

The seriousness of the news had reached the others as well as they sat around the table thinking of what Ranko had said. Ryouko had floated back over to Tenchi and grabbed a hold of his arm worriedly. "Tenchi?"

The boy look saddened at Ryouko's quiet plea to stay safe. They could leave with Ryo-oh-ki and never face the threat, but Tenchi couldn't abandon his home. "I have to fight, Ryouko. I have to stop this from happening."

Nodoka stroked her son's hair as he pushed his way into her lap. She did not want to lose her manly son so soon. "Meow."

*~*~*

There was a disturbance.

Setsunna felt it that morning as she woke up for work as a fashion designer. After so many years of waiting for the Sailor Scouts and the following years of fighting, she now had the time for more enjoyable pursuits. There was a dark spot in the time stream that she was not allowed to see, but she had only assumed that Usagi was not to be allowed how she became queen in case it affected her badly.

The time ripple she felt gave her much worse impressions. If it was a fight that was coming, Setsunna wasn't sure if the Scouts would be prepared. It had been a long time since the last fight and most of the girls were getting out of practice. They had all become lax in their duties with the long peace.

How ironic that the end they thought they had reached was truly just the calm before the storm. By the look of the following darkness in the time stream that storm was a hurricane made of fire.

A meeting had been called so Setsunna could warn the others. She waited for them now to get out of school and meet at the Cherry Hill Shrine. The Outers were already on their way.

A powerful aura entered the area, causing Setsunna to whip her head in that direction. She found a short redhead in a tight black suit. "Ranma," she whispered.

Ranko smiled briefly at the green-haired woman before her. "Hi, Setsunna."

"Do I know you?"

The redhead nodded slowly, her eyes holding Setsunna's. "You sent me from the future to prepare the Scouts for the dark period in time you cannot see."

Setsunna tensed and held the girl by the shoulders. "What is it? Who are you?"

It was too much, seeing Setsunna like this, not knowing what happened to her before. Ranko grabbed the taller woman by the waist and pressed her head into Setsunna's bosom.

Setsunna stiffened as the red-haired woman cried into her chest. She was still in this nervous position when the rest of the Scouts entered the shrine.

". . ."

Ranko would explain what is happening to the Scouts as she did for the Masaki group and then all of the characters for the coming drama would be gathered.

End Chapter One

* * *

What I really hate about this one is that it's written so poorly. It had a good mix for an old plot and I think having Ranko Meiou taking the place of Goku lends the story new meaning.

Oh well, it was easy to crank out and helped relax my mind between working on other things.

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Or visit my website at www.geocities.com/jehtek

Ja ne.