mlatus@willow.msvu.ca

Ryoga : Crossover by Mark Latus
[Author's note: While this is a sequel to my first fanfic "The Shampoo
Variation" it should be understandable without reading the original.
The prologue's a bit dry but it sets the scene for the weirdness to
follow.  Enjoy.]

Prologue

     Akane stroked her pet and reflected how nice and quiet things had been
lately.  The only incident of note was Ryoga's reappearance two days earlier.
He had shown up, accused Ranma of ruining his chances for romance, shouted
something incomprehensible about Shampoo, broken hearts and revenge, then
attacked Ranma.
     That fight ended abruptly when Shampoo arrived and parked her bike on 
Ryoga's head before grabbing Ranma.  Almost immediately afterwards Mousse
arrived and a second fight engulfed Ranma, Shampoo and Mousse.
     Ryoga had woken up, observed the chaos and muttered something about how
the monk must have been out of his mind and Ranma was welcome to Shampoo. He
had then apologised to Akane for causing any trouble and departed.
     Shortly afterwards the second fight had broken up when the three combatants
rolled into the ornamental carp pond.  Mousse had flown off and Ranma had run
away, screaming her head off, pursued by Shampoo's cat form.
     P-chan had shown up almost immediately following this foolishness.  It was
wonderful to have him home again.  Though Akane still wondered where he got to
when he wasn't with her.
     Anyway perhaps things were going to be quiet for a change.  Akane conceded
that she was far too smart to actually expect that, still she might get lucky.
     In a vacant office building some distance away the observer doublechecked
his monitors.  Akane and P-chan were clearly displayed, the scanners line-of-
sight was unimpeded.  With the sonic filters he could hear every sound in the
Tendo home, if he needed to.  Around the room his equipment waited, most of it
in standbye mode.  A bleep from the Quantum Level Shifter as it confirmed
acquisition of the lock on the fifth and last subject.
     It was now 6 hours until enemy intrusion point +/- 2 hours.  Five would be
plenty.  Before activating the Shifter he discarded his disguise.  Let someone
recognise him as Ryoga Hibiki, there would be no shortage of sightings very
soon.
     The Shifter activated and the first transferrence cycle began.  After a 
time it reported subject one intra-shifted and began the cycle for subject two.
The Quantum Resonator came online to stabilize the new arrival so he wouldn't
slip home.
     The fun was about to begin.  So he settled down in front of the monitor to
watch.

To be continued.

The crazyness begins soon in "Crossover part one : Ryoga 1/2".



Ryoga : Crossover 
by Mark Latus

Part One : Ryoga 1/2

     Ryoga looked around in confusion feeling a terrible disorientation.  That
was very strange, while he got lost frequently he never noticed it happening. 
A moment ago the sky was overcast, now it was a bright sunny day.  It was
almost as if his surroundings had shifted.  Where was he?
     Fortunately Nabiki had suggested a good way to try to find his bearings. 
He headed for the highest roof nearby and looked around.  A stroke of luck, he
could see the Dojo.  While this would undoubtedly annoy the neighbours a 
straight line was the best route to get home.  So he started leaping from roof
to roof while keeping the house in sight.  He was fairly careful and only put
a foot through one roof.  Luckily no one noticed.
     Leaping from the last roof he aimed to make sure he'd miss the carp pond.
A perfect touchdown.  Looked like Ranma and the Tendo's were already back.
     "Sorry I'm late, I got caught up in baseball practice".
     Strangely everyone looked slightly puzzled, except Ranma who looked
completely astonished.  Ryoga watched as Ranma's gaze kept flickering between
him and Akane.  Why Akane?
     Ranma tried to put together a coherent statement, but failed miserably.
     "But you ...? He's over ... How?.... It's not possible!...Where?..."
     Ryoga noticed something looked different about Akane.  Two things
actually, firstly she'd had her hair cut short.  It looked good but was
definitely strange.  As long as he'd known Akane she'd been proud of having
long, beautiful hair.
     The second thing was that Akane had a pet, a small black piglet.  It was
wearing a bandana like his, a cute touch.  Akane must have beeen holding the
pig too tightly since it seemed to be very agitated.  Of course it just might
have been startled by his sudden arrival.
     "Have you started attending Furikan High School Ryoga? I notice you're
wearing the uniform".
     This question came from Kasumi.  It was a very strange one from the woman 
who'd packed his lunch.
     "Are you feeling all right Kasumi?"
     Akane spoke up, "Actually I was wondering that myself.  Are you planning
to settle down and stop wandering Japan?"
     If this was a joke Ryoga didn't get it.  He took Nabiki's hand.
     "Nabiki what's wrong with them?"
     She pulled away from him, "Getting a little too familiar aren't you
Ryoga?"
     Now what?
     "That's a strange way to talk to your fiance".
     "Excuse me.  What did you call me?"
     What was going on?
     Ranma regained his voice, "OK Ryoga I don't know how you managed this but
I want some answers now!"
     Ranma slammed his fist down on the table, upsetting it and catapulting the
vase on it towards Ryoga.  Water sprayed across the room.
     Ryoga felt the water hit with a certain resignation.  How many
transformations had it been?  He'd stopped counting months ago.  She managed
to catch the vase before it hit the floor.  There was still some water in it,
turnabout is fairplay.
     "I keep telling you don't do that Ranma", Ryoga-chan splashed Ranma with 
the remaining water then set the vase back on the table.
     Ranma didn't protest, didn't even seem to notice he'd turned female.  He
was staring at Ryoga in complete astonishment.  It dawned on Ryoga that it
wasn't just Ranma, everyone in the room was staring at him in amazement.
     Akane's piglet gave an angry squeal and dashed deeper into the house. 
Otherwise the room was still and silent.
     Nabiki stepped forward and prodded one of Ryoga's breasts.
     "Uh Nabiki, if you wouldn't do that ..."
     "They're real allright.  Hmm, red hair, just like Ranma".
     "Of course like Ranma, it was the same pool!  What is wrong with you
people?"
     Akane found her voice, "Ryoga, you went to Jusenkyo?"
     "Why is everyone acting like this is news?  You've all known about the
curse almost since you met me."
     "No, this is new".
     That was Nabiki, Ryoga-chan turned to her feeling a rising panic, "This
isn't a joke is it?  You really don't remember my curse, our engagement and 
my settling down here and returning to school!"
     "That's right".
     Ryoga tried to think this through.  "Always look at the details", Nabiki
had drummed into him, "the profit's in the details".   Nabiki's 5th law of
Acquisition, or maybe it was number 7.
    Shampoo could have pulled her memory erasing trick, but could she have
got everyone in the house?  Anyway they obviously remembered him/her, they'd
just forgotten certain details.  Why make Nabiki forget their engagement?  It
wouldn't get Shampoo any closer to getting Ranma.  Of course Cologne probably
taught Shampoo the technique, but again why would she bother wiping memories
about Ryoga.  It didn't make any sense.
     "What the hell is going on?", she screamed.
     Ranma regained control of herself and was about to speak.  Then a new 
figure appeared in the doorway and Ranma's eyes bugged out.
     "That's what I want to know imposter!"
     Ryoga-chan stared.  It was .... him.  Ryoga-kun.  Her normal male form.  
He was wearing that green and black outfit she used to wear all the time and
carrying a bowl of hot water.
     She tried to think.  Could her male self have become separate?  No, she'd
been a boy on arrival so that didn't make sense.
     The other Ryoga flung hot water across the room, drenching Ryoga-chan and
Ranma-chan.  Both transformed back to male.
     Ryoga looked down at himself to confirm he was back to normal.  Then
feeling his anger build he glared at the newcomer and snarled, "I don't know
what kind of game you're playing but there's only one imposter in this room".
     "Oh really?  Ranma will confirm I don't turn into a girl when I get wet".
     Ranma looked very confused, "Uh yeah, not a girl, nope Ryoga never turns
into a girl ... uh, what's going on?"
     The other Ryoga continued, "And as for my being crazy enough to get
engaged to a golddigger like Nabiki ..."
     "No one talks about my fiance that way!"
     "It's true isn't it?"
     "Yeeeees .... I suppose it is, but no imposter questions my choice of
fiance"
     The two Ryoga's glared at each other.
     Nabiki cleared her throat, "Can I say something?"
     "No"
     "Not right now please"
     "Combat will show which of us is the real Ryoga!"
     "Fine by me, but outside.  I'm tired of lectures on the cost of replacing
damaged walls, floors, furnishings and continually switching insurance
companies".
     "The garden it is then".
     They headed outside followed by the Tendo's and Saotome's who were still
nowhere near figuring out what was going on.
     Meanwhile just outside the main gate Ryoga was looking around in
confusion.  No mistake, this was the Tendo Dojo.  Not only wasn't he in the
village anymore, this wasn't even China.  A few seconds ago he was heading to
the village training ground for todays lesson fron Cologne.  Now he was one of
the last places in the world he wanted to be.
     It had to be Ranma's doing.  He was finally trying to avenge himself for
his loss to Ryoga and Shampoo.  There was no sign Shampoo, looked like Ranma
wanted the rematch just between the two of them.
     So be it, "I'd renounced my grudge against you Ranma.  I was ready to let
the past stay buried.  But no-one drags me away from my wife and adopted home!
If you really want to fight I'm ready to show you what I've learned from
Cologne!"
     He strode to the gate then hesitated.  He'd probably have to confront
Akane again.  No matter, it couldn't be helped.  The way of the martial artist
was never said to be easy.  He'd go in and pound on Ranma until Ranma agreed
to send him back to China and never bring him here again.
     Ryoga slammed the gate open and entered the garden

End of Part 1

Ryoga : Crossover - A Ranma 1/2 fanfic in (hopefully) 8 parts
by Mark Latus

Part 2 : Two's Company, Three's a Crowd

      Watching the two Ryogas square off Ranma decided that things could not
possibly get any weirder today.  So there was a certain cosmic inevitability
in the main gate slamming open and a third Ryoga marching into the garden.
     "Ok Ranma if you really want to fight I ... I uh ...", the newcomer's voice
trailed off as he caught sight of his duplicates.
     At the sight of the third Ryoga the fighters froze and stared.  They saw a
Ryoga dressed in what appeared to be a red silk training gi emblazoned with a
gold dragon design.  He saw two look-a-likes, one wearing a high school 
uniform, the other dressed in his old green & black outfit.  He decided to
ignore them and concentrate on Ranma.  Cologne had drummed into him the
importance of avoiding distraction in combat.
     (The village training ground, several months earlier.
           "Son-in-law you must avoid becoming distracted.  In combat focus
      upon your enemy.   Shampoo go put some clothes on, it is indecent to
      walk around naked!"
           "What?"
           WHAM! 
           "Try to pay attention to me son-in-law.  Don't worry your skull
      isn't fractured.  It only feels like it's broken"                     )
     "Ok Ranma, I'm ready to fight anytime you are".
     Ranma had decided this had to all be some terrible nightmare.  Maybe
everyone was about to turn into a Ryoga.  He'd deal with them one at a time.
     "I'm not looking for a fight, but if that's what you want".
     "If you don't then why am I here?"
     "How should I know?  With your sense of direction how do you get
anywhere?"
     "I may have a bad sense of direction, but being in China one second and
Japan the next is a bit too extreme even for me."
     "China?", Ranma tried to comprehend this, "What were you doing in China?"
     "Living with my wife of course.  Shampoo wanted to return to her home and
I had no desire to stay in Japan so obviously we live in her village in
China".
     One of the other Ryogas looked astonished.  A revelation had hit him.
     Ranma stared at Ryoga, "You're nuts, Shampoo's not married to anyone".
     "Wrong Ranma", it was the Ryoga wearing what he considered his standard
outfit.
     His double came over, "You stopped Shampoo hurting Akane, knocked her cold
and she woke up obsessed with you, right?"
     Ryoga was puzzled by the duplicate's intensity, "Yes, everyone knows
that's what happened".
     "Not here it wasn't", the duplicate broke in, "this is why the monk showed
me your memories.  He knew we'd be meeting.  Look we need to talk".
     Ryoga considered.  Ranma didn't appear to be issuing a challenge and his
behaviour was ... wrong.  It didn't fit with a man seeking vengeance.  Also
Akane was watching him with confusion rather than hostility.  That didn't fit
either".
     "OK, let's talk".
     "Hey", it was the school uniformed Ryoga, "we were going to have a fight 
remember. Akkk!".  He added the exclamation as Nabiki emptied a glass of water
on his head.
     "Cool off, OK Ryoga?"
     Ryoga-chan glared at her, "Somedays I really regret our engagement".
     Ryoga stared, "He turned into a female me, us, uh ..."
     "Yes, but I think I know who he is and who you are and where you're from.
Let's discuss it".
     Ryoga-chan walked over, "OK fine I could use an explanation".
     The three sat down and the "standard dress" Ryoga began, "A few weeks ago
I met this old monk ..."
     The watcher studied his monitors with confusion as the Ryoga's talked. 
This was unusual, not outside the bounds of probability, but certainly at the
low end of the scale.  The most likely outcome was that all the Ryogas would
accuse each other of being imposters and fight.  He considered monitoring the
conversation but dismissed it as irrelevant.  It didn't matter if the Ryogas
fought as long as they stuck together.  Conversation would serve as effectively
as crippling injuries.
     After all, if the point of the operation was to have Ryogas cause property
damage he'd have brought through Guyver-Ryoga.  Who, in addition to the
standard hair trigger temper, had an alien superweapon and a paranoid attitude
after getting sucked into a war against a worldwide conspiracy.  Drop him here,
he'd think it was a Chronos plot and start blasting everything.  That presented
amusing possibilities for exploration.  For now he turned his attention back to
the Tendo house.
     "... so he must have shown me your memories so I'd know who you were when
you somehow crossed over to this world".
     Ryoga-chan looked at her listening counterpart, "He's saying this isn't 
our world and that's why everythings different.  The people we know are on
other worlds and that's why people have different memories.  Do you believe
any of this?"
     "Yes, I think so.  My appearing here was undeniable strange.  Also
no-one's acting the way they would if this was the Tendo household I know".
     "How do you mean?"
     "I'd rather not talk about that".  He turned to the indigenous Ryoga, "You
shared my memories for the day Shampoo arrived here?"
     A nod.
     "Everything?"
     Another nod.
     "Including what happened at my campsite that night?"
     The other Ryoga blushed a brilliant crimson and developed a gushing 
nosebleed.
     "Seems fairly definite".
     "Well I don't believe it for a second".  It was Ranma, "No way in any
world could Shampoo prefer you to me".
     The Ryogas realized that everyone had been eavesdropping on them.  Ryoga
controlled his temper and commented to Ryoga-chan, "Looks like Ranma doesn't
change much from world to world".
     "Yeah, the one I know is just as arrogant".
     Akane, carrying a kettle, joined the crowd standing around the Ryogas.
     "Ryoga ...", she began.
     "Yes Akane?", all three replied.
     Akane's eyes glazed slightly.
     Ryoga-chan thought of something, "Hang on a moment Akane".  To her
counterparts she said, "Look since we're all Ryoga Hibiki we need some way for
people to tell us apart.  I suggest numbers".
     "Fine by me, I'm Ryoga 1".
     "Why are you Ryoga 1?"
     "Because I'm the only one of us that belongs in this world".
     Ryoga-chan considered, "OK fine but I got here second so I'm Ryoga 2".
     Shampoo's husband shrugged, "Which makes me Ryoga 3. Fine, now what?"
     Ryoga-chan took the kettle from Akane and turned male, "Thanks Akane, this
sex changing stuff is a real pain".
     Ryoga 3 laughed, "Heh, you think that's a pain, I'll tell you what a real
curse is ..".  He broke off as he caught a frantic look from Ryoga 1.
     Ryoga 2 looked at him, "Go on".
     Ryoga 3 thought quickly, "Oh Cologne's told me plenty of stories about
Jusenkyo.  If you come out human  you're very, very lucky.  At least you still
have hands".
     To Ryoga 1 he whispered, "P-chan?", and saw his counterpart nod slightly.
     "Excuse us", he told the listeners, "We need a private Ryoga to Ryoga
conference".
     The three huddled together.
     "What's a P-chan?", Ryoga 2 whispered.
     "That's Akane's name for my, and also number 1's, cursed form", Ryoga 3
replied.
     "Hold it, you got Ranma to swear you weren't cursed", 2 said to 1.  "No
wait, he swore you didn't turn female not that you weren't cursed".
     Ryoga 1 coughed nervously then said, "Remember the pig Akane was petting
when you arrived?  Well that was ... me".
     Ryoga 3 picked up the conversation, "No one here except Ranma knew of my
curse until the day Ranma blew my cover".
     "That hasn't happened here yet".
     Ryoga 3 nodded, "Obviously Akane doesn't know you're her pet.  I remember
how she blew up when she found out.  You still think you've got a chance with
her don't you?"
     "Look maybe in your worlds things worked with Shampoo, or even Nabiki, 
but here they didn't.  My heart still belongs to Akane, even if she doesn't
know it.  Just because you failed with her doesn't mean I will".
     Ryoga 2 sighed, "In short we pretend I'm the only one of us with a curse.
What the hell I used to be just like you, pining after Akane all the time.  If
that's really what you want I'll go along".
     Ryoga 3 nodded, "As will I"
     "Thank you".
     The conference broke up and the Ryogas turned back to the waiting Tendo's
and Saotomes.  Ryoga 2 addressed them, "Sorry personal business.  Uh look until
we figure out how we got here and how to get back to our homeworlds do you mind
if we stay here?"
     Kasumi answered, "Of course not, we'd be delighted to have you as our
guests."
     Soun groaned, "Kasumi we already have two freeloading houseguests.  The
last thing we need is another three".
     "Now father we should be hospitable to people in distress.  Two of them
literally have no place in this world to call home.  Besides if Ryoga 2
marries Nabiki he'll be your son-in-law, or daughter-in-law depending on if
he's wet or dry".
     Ryoga 2 had learned (from Nabiki 2) to seize any chance that presented
itself.  "Thank you, we're delighted to accept your hospitality".
     Ranma groaned.  Three Ryogas living in the same house as him.  How could
things get any worse?

end of part 2

Next episode: Shampoo and Mousse drop by, Ryoga 2 has a run in with Kuno and
              Happosai and Ranma learns Ryoga 3 beat his counterpart to a 
              bloody pulp.
Part 3: I am he and he is me and they are we and we are all together, though I
        think we're staring to strain the Tendo's hospitality.   


Ryoga : Crossover
A Ranma 1/2 fanfic by Mark Latus

A Quick Guide to Ryoga Hibikis
Ryoga 1 - The only Ryoga who belongs on this Earth.  The guy you've seen in the
          anime.
Ryoga 2 - Engaged to Nabiki, has same curse as Ranma. Aka Ryoga 1/2,
          Ryoga-chan.
Ryoga 3 - Married Shampoo shortly after meeting her.  Normally lives in China.


Part 3: I am he and he is me and they are we and we are all together, though I
        think we're starting to strain the Tendo's hospitality.

     Sitting on the porch the Tendo sisters were listening to the edited 
version of Ryoga 3's engagement to Shampoo.  He'd neglected to mention his 
curse, the discovery of his curse by their counterparts, and his nearly killing
Ranma.
     "So we arrived at the village and Shampoo introduced me to Cologne.  She
looked at me for a moment then knocked me through the wall headfirst into a
tree.  I was dazed but heard her coming toward me so I struggled to my feet.
She looked at me and said, 'Still alive, he has definite potential.  I will
begin training him tomorrow morning following the ceremony'.  Then she went
home and I collapsed into Shampoo's arms."
     Ranma, standing nearby, chuckled, "Concussed for your honeymoon, huh
Ryoga?"
     "Well we did have several weeks together while travelling to the village."
     Ranma shut up and tried not to look embarrassed.  Ryoga 2 decided to
change the subject, "Akane I've been wondering why you have short hair?  The
Akane I know's always worn her hair long and always seemed to prefer it that
way."
     Ranma and the other Ryogas remembered a certain duel and tried to find a
way to change the subject.
     A distraction arrived.
     "Nihao."
     "Shampoo!", Ryoga 3 started towards her.  The other Ryogas grabbed him.
     "It's not her, or rather it is her but not your Shampoo", Ryoga 2 told
him.
     Ryoga 3 looked at her.  He saw recognition of a familiar face and
confusion at seeing three of them.  Nothing more.  He sighed and sat down. 
Then he saw her draped over Ranma and tensed.
     "Ranma, why is Ryoga three people?"
     Ranma had given up trying to understand this alternate world stuff, "He
just is, that's all".
     Shampoo shrugged and turned her attention back on Ranma.  Ryoga 3 picked
up a stone from the garden.  Ryoga 2 addressed him, "Look I realize this is
upsetting ..."
     "Upset?  Not at all."  A cracking noise from the hand holding the stone.  
"After all that's not my wife is it.  Why should I be upset seeing her fondle
Ranma?"  Powdered rock puffed from between his fingers.  "This is another
world.  Relationships are different.  I accept that."  He opened his hand,
dropped a pile of rock dust and picked up another stone.
     "Ranma, time to die!", Mousse landed in the garden.  Ryoga 3 surged to his
feet and snappped into a defensive stance.  Mousse frowned at him, "Hibiki, do
you challenge me?"
     Ryoga 3 remembered where he was and relaxed, "Sorry, thought you were
someone else".
     Mousse looked at the Ryogas in puzzlement.  Bad eyesight was an old
problem but seeing multiple images was new.  Particularly multiple images 
dressed differently.  Then sprouting a variety of blades he launched himself at
Ranma.  The two of them (followed by Shampoo) rolled inside the house.  Various
crashes and bangings followed.
     To ignore this idiocy Akane asked Ryoga 3, "You have trouble with Ryoga in
your world?"
     He nodded, "Yes, he's never accepted my marriage to Shampoo.  He figures
if he kills me Shampoo is his."
     "It doesn't work like that, does it?"
     "Well one of the village rules states that if a man kills her husband the
wife can choose to marry the killer if he's a better fighter.  Of course the
widow also has the right to cut the killer into very small pieces.  Which she
chooses depends on how much she liked her husband."
     "So if anything happens to you Mousse is dead."
     "Yes, but he thinks Shampoo loves him so she'd never turn him into
hamburger.  I hope Shampoo doesn't overreact to my disappearance".
     They were interrupted as the three fighters flew out a window.  Mousse hit
the ground unconscious.  Ranma looked triumphant until he realized he was about
to impact the pond along with Shampoo.
     They did and the inevitable change occurred.  Ranma-chan screamed and ran
away from the cat, straight into the garden wall, knocking herself out.
     Ryoga 3 was shocked, "Shampoo changed into a cat?!"
     Ryoga 2 considered, "You've been away from this place for quite a while.  
Anything that happened here since Shampoo's first visit to Japan ..."
     "Her only visit to Japan!"
     "Another difference.  Anyway there's a lot of stuff you missed out on. 
And a lot of weirdos you avoided meeting.  Here, and in my world, Cologne made
Shampoo go train at Jusenkyo after failing to kill Ranma."
     Akane looked at the sky and muttered, "Him again, excuse me", and
disappeared inside the house.
     Kuno landed near the Ryogas and said, "Though it is beneath my dignity to
notice you I feel I must demand you tell me why you are suddenly three people".
     Ryoga 2 considered explaining things, remembered this was Kuno, and said,
"I'm actually triplets.  Lacking imagination my parents named us all Ryoga".
     Kuno nodded as if this somehow made sense then demanded, "Where is my one
true love, Akane Tendo?"
     "Sorry, she's not here."
     "Then where is my other one true love, the mysterious pig tailed girl?"
     "Oh she's lying over there unconscious."
     Kuno darted for the pig tailed girl.  His presence snapped Ranma awake and
she dropped Kuno with a headkick.  Then Ranma headed into the house for a hot
shower.
     Ryoga 3 commented, "It must be a year since I last saw Kuno.  Can't say
I've missed him."
     Ryoga 2 snorted, "Hah, I have to deal with Kuno far too often."
     "Why's that?", Akane asked as she emerged.
     "Here it looks like Kuno's after two girls.  My world he's after three. 
You Akane, Ranma-chan and 'the bandanna girl'."
     "Who?"
     "A red head who always wears a yellow & black bandanna."
     "Oh! Just like Ranma."
     "Right, Kuno's incapable of comprehending we're one and the same."
     Ryoga 1 felt a certain panic.  P-chan always wore a bandanna, if Akane
picked up on that ... Fortunately she started asking Ryoga 2 if he'd had a lot
of the same problems as Ranma.  Still he was worried.  He was beginning to feel
upstaged by his counterparts.  Everyone was interested in them rather than him.
Also if they blew his secret he'd be the one who'd have to live with the
consequences.
     Just then he saw a small figure in black, carrying a sack full of women's 
underwear, dart through a upstairs window.  Ryoga 1 sighed, "Happosai's back."
     Ryoga 2 shuddered, "That old lech gives me the creeps."
     "Why?"
     "Ranma-chan may be his primary target but guess who comes second"
     "Ah!"
     Ryoga 3 cleared his throat, "Excuse me, but who or what is a Happosai?"
     "A short, old, demented, martial arts expert who's also a pervert with a
panty fetish."
     Akane nodded, "That about sums it up.  I wonder if Ranma changed back
yet?"
     They heard a lot of crashing and screaming from inside.
     "Guess not."
     Happosai leapt out the window as Ranma-chan flung a table after him with
all her strength.  Ryoga 3 realized if it missed Happosai it would hit the pond
which would mean ... He grabbed Ryoga 1 and Akane and leapt backwards.  The
table missed Happosai, struck the pond and created a wave that rolled over
Ryoga 2.  He transformed and glared at Ryoga 3.  "Thanks for nothing", she
said.
     "I only had time to get two people clear."  Besides, he thought, Ryoga 1
and I are the ones who still have a secret to protect.
     Ryoga 2 was about to comment when something grabbed her around the chest.
     "Oooh you're a cute one honey, haven't seen you around here before".
     "Ahh!!! Get it off me!"  Ryoga-chan grabbed Happosai and flung him across
the garden.  Her self control finally snapped.
     "Ok that's it.  Bad enough I'm stuck in the wrong universe with no idea
how I got here or how to get home.  Now I'm stuck with another version of you?
Forget it!"
     The negative emotion fueled sphere formed between her hands, "I should
have done this months ago!  SHISHI HOUKOUDAN!"
     The Chi energy sphere rushed across the garden.  There was a blinding
flash then just a small smoking crater where Happosai had stood.
     Genma and Soun looked up from their game board.
     "Saotome, she has vaporized our master!"
     "This is indeed a happy day."
     Ryoga 2 walked over to inspect the crater.  Something small and wrinkled
latched onto her front. 
     "Ooh, you're fierce."
     She pried him off but he dodged her counterstrike.
     "Damn! He's as nimble as the one back home."
     Before she coul renew her attack Ryoga 3 interrupted.  "Excuse me, I find
I've developed an intense dislike for this person.  Mind if I try something?"
     "Feel free."
     Ryoga 3 studied the ground then slammed a punch into the earth near his
feet.  Everyone stared at him. 
     "What was that supposed to accomplish?", asked Ryoga 1.
     Suddenly Happosai frowned as he felt a vibration.  Then the ground under
him exploded upward in a geyser of mud and stone.  Happosai became a small
dot receding into the stratosphere.
     Everyone stared at Ryoga 3 again.  "How'd you do that?"
     "There are lines of energy running through the earth called ley lines and
dragon lines among other names.  Cologne taught me how to use Chi to
temporarily kink the lines resulting in an explosive release of energy in the
place you direct it."
     "Neat trick."
     "Technically you're supposed to yell 'COLOGNE'S PATENTED DRAGON LINE
EXPLOSION TECHNIQUE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED' in chinese when you do it.  However
since she's not here I decided not to bother."
     Ryoga 2 inspected the crater, "Cologne's taught you a lot."
     "Ahh what fair beauty is this who wears a bandanna upon her lovely brow?"
Kuno had woken up.  "It is your pleasure to meet me, Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue
Thunduhh ..", he collapsed out cold from a punch to the head.
     Ryoga 2 picked him up, "It's bad enough I have to deal with you in my
world.  I'm not putting up with this nonsense here."  She tossed him over the
garden wall and rejoined the crowd admiring Ryoga 3's technique.
     "He's really something", she commented to Ryoga 1.  He nodded bruskly. 
She wondered what was eating him?
     Ryoga 1 was feeling very depressed.  He felt inferior to his counterparts.
Ryoga 2 was more intelligent, always taking the lead.  Maybe from hanging
around with Nabiki, maybe because he didn't have to worry about becoming a pig
at any moment.  Either way he was smarter.  Ryoga 3 knew techniques he didn't
even begin to understand.  Undoubtably a better fighter.  It was bad enough to
always come in second to Ranma.  However finding out he was secondrate at being
Ryoga Hibiki was just too much.  A jealous anger began building.
     Kasumi emerged from the kitchen, "Teatime".  Everyone headed over for a
cup.  Ranma and Ryoga 2 used some of the hot water to turn male.
     Akane decided this was as good a time as any to ask Ryoga 2 something
she'd been wondering, "Ryoga, how did you get engaged to Nabiki anyway?"
     "Well it happened like this ... "
     Meanwhile in an alternate universe in a small village in China:
     "STUPID!"
     WHAM!	
     "MOUSSE!"
     WHAM!
     "WHERE?"
     WHAM!
     "IS"
     WHAM!
     "SHAMPOO'S?"
     WHAM!
     "HUSBAND?"
     WHAM!
     "Child you must work on your interrogation technique.  Ask the question 
before beating your victim unconscious."
     "Yes great grandmother."
     "In any event Mousse is not responsible for Ryoga's disappearance. 
Stylinggel clearly saw him vanish into thin air.  This is clearly an eldritch
matter requiring my full attention."
     While it might be interesting to continue this, back at the Tendo home:
     "... which is basically how I got engaged to Nabiki."
     Everyone sat in a certain stunned silence until Nabiki said, "I must admit
that sounded sort of romantic."
     Ryoga 3 interrupted, "You're joking!  That was the most mercenary and cold
blooded thing I've ever heard!"
     "So who are you to talk?", Ryoga 1 said.
     "What is that supposed to mean?"
     "I saw your memories, remember.  It means you married Shampoo as a matter
of expediency.  You couldn't stay here after beating Ranma to a bloody pulp."
     "WHAT?", Ranma shouted.
     "Ryoga 3 chose his words carefully, "The Ranma of my world and I had a
very serious argument.  We chose to settle it through combat.  I won."
     Ranma glared, "Oh really?  Maybe you'd like to try again."
     "Don't be ridiculous, we have no quarrel.  I only met you an hour ago."
     "Coward."
     "Ranma don't pick on our guest", Akane told him.  Ranma glowered but
sat down.
     Ryoga 3 found the memory of Shampoo hugging Ranma coming back.  He looked
at Ryoga 1.  "He'll never know what he missed", he thought, "But Shampoo's
wasting her time because I know Akane loves Ranma.  Not that he'll ever admit
having any feelings for her.  Two women my counterpart could have been happy
with and Ranma's monopolizing both of them.  Someone really should teach him a
lesson and I'd be happy to do it.  But I shouldn't repay the Tendo's
hospitality by fighting, however ..."
     "Ranma, while I won't challenge you there's nothing to stop our having a
little sparring practice."
     "Yeah ... just what I was thinking.  A friendly little match to show each
other our skills."
     "Perfectly innocent.  Martial artists do it all the time."
     "Absolutely.  No malice or anything."
     "Sounds good."
     "Perhaps we should head to the dojo?"
     Both of them had the same fixed smile.  They excused themselves and headed
for the dojo.  Ryoga 1 felt oddly satisfied.  Either Ryoga 3 would be
humiliated or he'd smash Ranma.  Either was fine by him.
     Akane frowned, "It's just a friendly match, right?".
     Ryoga 2 shrugged, "So they said.  But I have the nasty feeling this could
escalate into 'Fist of the North Star'."

End of part 3

Next episode: The sparring gets out of control and Ukyou and Ryoga 4 drop by.
              Trust me this is all leading somewhere
Part 4: Three's a crowd, four's a nightmare.


Ryoga : Crossover   
by Mark Latus
A Ranma 1/2 fanfic in nine parts

A Quick Guide to Ryoga Hibikis
Ryoga 1 - The only Ryoga who belongs in this world.  The guy you've seen in the
          anime.
Ryoga 2 - Engaged to the Nabiki of his world. Has the same curse as Ranma.  AKA
          Ryoga 1/2, Ryoga-chan.
Ryoga 3 - Married the Shampoo of his world shortly after meeting her.  Normally
          lives in China.  Trained by Cologne.

Part 4 : Three's A Crowd, Four's A Nightmare.

     The watcher studied his DNA tracker with a feeling of frustration.  Events
were not proceeding as expected.  Social Dynamics studies had indicated that,
despite a terrible sense of direction, there were places Ryogas were repeatedly
drawn to arrive.  The Tendo home was one of these places.  In fact at this 
point it was the most likely place a Ryoga would turn up.  While two of the
them (and the indigenous Ryoga) had found their way to the grounds quickly the
remaining three appeared to be avoiding the place.
     To be more precise, one had looked around on arrival then headed for the
restaurant district.  Given the infamous Hibiki sense of direction it was
uncertain this was his intended destination.  However he hadn't shown any
desire to remain at the Tendo's.  The second had spat on the gate and headed in
the opposite direction.  Charting his course it looked as though he was looping
around the town and heading back.  Still he had already avoided entering once,
would he do so again?  Why was he avoiding the Tendo home?  Perhaps inadequate
biographical study had been done on the alternates.  They were selected
primarily for the ease of transferring them to this world.  
     The third Ryoga had seen another Ryoga (Ryoga 3) enter the main gate and
responded in an unusual fashion.  He had concealed himself in a vantage point
overlooking the house and was watching events unfold from his hiding place.
Again, why?
     The watcher sighed, the plan had looked perfect in theory.  Why couldn't
people act the way they were predicted to behave?  How could he, of all people,
fail to correctly predict Hibiki reactions?  At least three Ryogas were in 
place, they'd have to do.
     Meanwhile inside the Tendo Dojo Ryoga 3 and Ranma took their positions.
They were about to start when the door slid open.  Ryoga 2 walked in followed
by the Tendos (minus Kasumi who was cooking dinner), Genma and Ryoga 1.  
Ryoga 2 smiled at them, "As this is just a friendly little contest I'm sure
you have no objections to our observing your techniques."
     Ranma grit his teeth, so did Ryoga 3
     "No, not at all.  Please sit down."
     "Make yourself comfortable and enjoy the show."
     They bowed briefly to one another then, before their audience was seated,
began exchanging blows.  They opened with a standard variety of kicks and
punches that both blocked.  It quickly became apparent to those watching that
failure to connect was angering both fighters.  Strikes became stronger and 
faster, both began sweating from exertion.  Ryoga 2 felt worried.  He'd hoped
an audience might keep them under control but neither seemed to remember there
was anyone in the room except their opponent.  It seemed unlikely either would
settle for declaring a draw, that meant escalation.  Also he'd been watching
Ryoga 1 out of the corner of his eye.  It almost looked as if he was rooting
for Ranma, which was crazy.
     Ranma decided it was time to move into advanced techniques.  "Block this,
TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!"  His hands blurred, delivering hundreds of punches in a
few seconds.
     Ryoga 3's hands also blurred.  The spectators were puzzled by Ranma's
shocked expression.
     "You blocked me?!"
     Ryoga 3 smiled, "You asked me too.  One of the first things Cologne taught
me was that speed punching technique.  My turn. TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!"
     Again their hands blurred.  Ryoga 3 was surprised.  He hadn't made contact
either.
     They separated, stopping a moment to consider.  Ranma felt a certain 
worry.  In their past fights Ryoga had had the edge in strength and endurance.
He'd always had the advantage in skill and speed, ending fights quickly before
Ryoga's endurance made any difference.  This Ryoga seemed as fast as him, 
maybe nearly as skillful.  
     Ryoga 3 considered his opponent.  This Ranma had more skills than the one 
he'd known.  What other techniques had this version learned?
     Both decided that it was best to end this fight as soon as possible.  
Before their opponent pulled any surprises.  Chi blasts might do it.  They
built power inside themselves and released it.  
     Unfortunately, for Soun's financial health, they both fired at the same
time.  The two energy waves collided in the centre of the room.  Failing to
overpower one another the energies exploded outwards.  The blast hit the walls
just above head height of those sitting watching.  Very large holes appeared
in the walls.
     The only two people standing, Ranma and Ryoga 3, were caught by the shock
wave and flung into the garden.  Ranma realized he'd been thrown close enough
to Ryoga to finally make physical contact.  His kick knocked Ryoga 3 towards
the pond, not the way he'd wanted to win but it would have to do.
     Ranma need not have worried.  Ryoga 3 focused a chi blast as he fell.  The
kinetic burst forced the water away from his impact point.  He bounced off the
, now dry, bottom and was gone before the water rushed back.  Studying the 
garden as he flew he twisted in midair to hit the ground fistfirst.   Ranma
immediately jumped away from his own landing point.  The place he'd been 
standing exploded upwards as dragon lines twisted briefly.
     Ranma landed not far from Ryoga 3.  Both of them studied each over.  They
felt a certain grudging respect for each other's skills.
     "You're pretty good."
     "So are you, but I'm nowhere near giving up."
     "Me neither."  A pause.  "Looks like we'll have to up the ante."
     "Looks that way."
     Meanwhile, in what was left of the dojo, Soun was becoming hysterical over
the cost of making repairs.  Nabiki was busy trying to work out which building
contractor would be most likely to give her a kickback for getting the job.
Ryoga 2 was looking out through one of the large holes feeling his anxiety 
soar.
     Akane joined him, "It's gone quiet.  Is it over?"
     "Afraid not, look at those auras".
     Ryoga 1 wandered over to join them.  In the evening twilight the blue glow
around Ranma and Ryoga 3 was very easy to spot.  So was the fact the auras were
growing steadily brighter.
     "They're both building up Chi for one massive blast.  So far they've 
matched each other every step of the way.  I figure as soon as one of them's 
generated as much power as he possibly can he'll blast the other."
     Genma joined them, "Undoubtedly that Ryoga will reach his limits first.
No one can match my son, except me of course."
     Ryoga 2 decide not to bother disputing this, "Maybe.  I was wondering if
you've all seen that scene at the start of 'Akira' where Tokyo goes up in this
big ball of light."
     Soun stopped crying, Nabiki stopped calculating, everyone turned to look
at him.  
     "What are you trying to say?"
     "They may be the ones at the centre of the blast but we're all standing 
right next to ground zero.  I think we should back up to a safe distance."
     "Which is?"
     "A couple of kilometres ought to do it.  Shame to lose the house though."
     "WHAT!", shouted Soun, "My ancestral home ... We have to stop them."
     "A little late, I don't think they can stop now."  It was past time to
leave, he could grab Nabiki and Akane, dash into the kitchen and scoop up
Kasumi, then run like hell.  They might get clear before the blast.  The others
would have to look out for themselves.
     "Ranma!"
     Someone leapt from a neighbour's roof and landed between Ranma and 
Ryoga 3.
     "Ukyou?  What's she doing here?"
     Ukyou grabbed Ranma.  He blinked and began focusing on something besides
building Chi.  "Ukyou this is not a good time to .... "
     "Ranma-honey, you have to help me.  Ryoga's gone crazy, he thinks we're
engaged ... ", her voice trailed off as she realized Ryoga was behind her.
     "But ... but you were following me ... how?...", her voice trailed off as
she caught sight of the other two Ryogas watching her.
     Ryoga 3 blinked at her, "Uh hello, I don't think we've been introduced."
     Ranma felt the power surging inside him.  Ukyou was between him and his 
opponent so he couldn't blast him.  But he had to get rid of the power now,
 which meant ... He pointed straight up and shouted, "MOUKO TAKABISHYA!"  The 
energy wave blasted upwards.
     "Hope there weren't any planes above us", Ryoga 2 commented.  Then 
something fell out of the sky.  Correction, someone landed in the garden.  
Another Ryoga.
     "Ukyou wait ... " the newcomer began.  Then he caught sight of his other
selves.  "What ... what is this?"
     Ryoga 2 sighed, "We've got some things to tell you.  You and Ukyou I mean.
Why don't you join us."
     Looking confused and uncertain they walked over to the wrecked training
hall accompanied by Ranma.  Ryoga 3 was still standing, glowing, in the same
spot.
     Ryoga 2 called over to him, "Looks like the fight's been called.  Come and
join us."
     "In a minute.  I can't hold this much power indefinitely.  Since I don't
have a target to use it on I have to bleed it off gradually.  That takes time."
     A scraping noise attracted his attention and he saw a battered Happosai
haul himself onto the top of the garden wall.   The injured pervert gasped,
"Fell hundreds of feet onto concrete ... massive internal injuries ... 
crippling pain ... must have panties."
     Ryoga 3 smiled, "Perfect timing.  DRAGON CLAW STRIKE."
     The energy wave did look strangely like a reptilian claw.  Happosai and
the top of the wall accelerated away rapidly.  Ryoga 3 relaxed, "A pervert, 
but a very tenacious one."
     Soun came up behind him, "You blasted the master!".  He pounded Ryoga 3 
on the back, "Well done, excellent.  No wonder I'm letting you marry my
daughter."
     Ryoga 3 sighed and pointed to Ryoga 2, "He's the one engaged to Nabiki.
I'm the one who married Shampoo."
     "Oh yes, you look so much alike.  You should wear numbers."
     Ryoga 3 considered mentioning they were all dressed differently but 
decided not to bother.  Anyway that was no longer true.  The fourth Ryoga was
dressed identically to Ryoga 1.
     Soun continued, "You've learned a lot of martial arts from Cologne."
     He nodded, "That and Chinese."
     "Chinese?"
     "I am living in China.  The only people in the village who speak Japanese
are Shampoo, Cologne and Mousse.  Not that Mousse and I really talk.  The 
longest thing he said to me all month was, 'This is the hour of your death 
Hibiki'."
     Kasumi appeared on the porch, "Dinnertime.  I'm sure you can discuss 
whatever you have to over the meal."
     The crowd headed inside, Soun and Ryoga 3 went to join them.  At which
point Mousse, who had been unconscious since Ranma hit him, woke up.  He'd
lost his glasses but could see two moving blurs, one red, one black.  Red,
Saotome always wore that red shirt.  It had to be him.  He snarled, "Time to
die Ranma!", and attacked.
     Ryoga 3 sidestepped Mousse's weapon, an axe on a chain.  The axehead
imbedded itself in the ground.  Ryoga 3 grabbed the chain and snapped Mousse
towards him.  Mousse's chin impacted his waiting fist.  Mousse backflipped,
out cold, into the pond.  Naturally his curse triggered.
     Ryoga 3 stared in disbelief, "A duck.  Mousse turned into a duck ... ok
fine, I can handle this."
     Soun opened his mouth to explain.
     "Never mind, I don't want to know.  Leaving for China with Shampoo was a
smarter decision than I realized.  I got away from this place just in time.
Things kept getting stranger and stranger around here."
     They headed in to join the others.  The evening continued to darken.
     In his hiding  place the concealed Ryoga decided it was time to get 
closer.  The approaching darkness should allow him to get close enough to hear
what those other Ryogas were saying.  Whatever was going on was far too 
elaborate for one of Kuno's traps.  His curiosity was definitely aroused.
     In his monitoring station the watcher felt satisfied.  Four Ryogas were
in place and the fifth was moving into position.  While the sixth had headed
away from the Tendo house upon recognising it he'd be back.  The scanner 
showed he was already beginning to loop back toward it.  Looked like the plan
was working after all.  Three cheers for Social Dynamics studies.

end of part 4

Next episode : The remaining Ryogas show up and their surprising choices for
               fiances are revealed.
               Also the plan behind the crossover begins to unfold.
Part 5 : My Dinner With Ryoga.


Ryoga : Crossover
by Mark Latus
A Ranma 1/2 fanfic in nine parts

The Quick Guide to Ryoga Hibikis
Ryoga 1 - The only Ryoga who belongs on this world.  The guy you've seen in the
          anime.
Ryoga 2 - Engaged to the Nabiki of his world.  Has the same curse as Ranma. AKA
          Ryoga 1/2, Ryoga-chan.
Ryoga 3 - Married the Shampoo of his world shortly after meeting her.  Normally
          lives in China.  Trained by Cologne.
Ryoga 4 - Engaged to the Ukyou of his world.

Part 5 : My dinner with Ryoga

     After a long explanation (and a demonstration of Ryoga 2's curse as a 
visual aid) Ryoga 4 had come to accept that he was no longer on his own world.
This lead Nabiki to comment to Kasumi, "A bit strange all these Ryogas 
believing a story as wild as this one."
     "I guess they just want to accept it as true."
     "What do you mean?"
     "Well if this is their own world then they'd all be faced with fiances 
who no longer love them.  As well as everyone having different memories of the
past.  But if this is another world that means everything will be fine once 
they find the way back to their loved ones."
     Nabiki snorted, "You're an incurable romantic."
     "There's nothing wrong with that Nabiki."
     During this Ryoga 4 had continued to tell the story of how he'd become
engaged to Ukyou.
     "... so after Ranma declared Akane was his only real fiance Ukyou was 
heartbroken".  He considered mentioning how crushed he'd been when Akane 
announced that she loved Ranma.  Seeing desparation on Ryoga 1's face he
omitted that part.  "So .... well Ukyou ran into me, we were two lonely people
... and, well things just sort of snowballed from there."  That sounded really
lame, a shame he'd never had much of a gift at storytelling.
     Ukyou was sitting next to Ranma.  She grabbed him by his collar and hauled
him towards her.
     "I don't believe this!  You dumped me!"
     Ranma was a little taken aback at this, "Uh wait.  That wasn't me, it was
some other me.  He's probably wildly different from me.  Right?"
     Ryoga 4 shrugged, "I can't say I've noticed any great difference between
you and him."
     Ranma tried again, "Look Ukyou the Ranma in his world must have brain 
damage or something.  Probably Pop hit him over the head too many times.  Why
else would he prefer a flatchested tomboy with the personality of hurkk...."
    It was very foolish of Ranma to forget Akane was sitting on the other side
of him.  Now she had a firm grip on his collar.
    "Care to repeat that last statement Ranma?"
    The Ryogas watched with interest.  It was always fascinating to see how 
quickly Ranma dug his own grave.  Ranma decided to change the subject fast.
The thing that had been most on his mind now was food.
     "Kasumi, is there a second course?  After all I'm a growing boy, need my
food."
     "I'm sorry Ranma but that's all there was.  With our unexpected guests,
Ukyou and the four Ryogas, I had to stretch dinner for another five people."
     Ranma glared at the nearest Ryoga (no. 2), "I knew you'd be trouble.
Thanks to you guys I don't get a proper dinner."
     "None of us asked to switch worlds, we still have no idea why we're
here."
     "Maybe, but four Ryogas is too, many for any world.  One's probably too
many.  I just hope there's no more of you around."
     A new but very familiar voice broke in, "I hate to disappoint you Ranma
but I'm afraid there's more than four of us."
     The speaker emerged from the darkness of the garden, removing the black
hood that had concealed his face.  It was, of course, another Ryoga.  This one
wore a black ninja style outfit.
     "I heard your conversation over dinner, fascinating stuff.  Since we're 
using numbers you can call me Ryoga 5.  In case you're wondering what I've been
doing out here, that was just a little reconaissance.  Frankly I was puzzled
when I saw myself entering the house earlier this afternoon.  It finally got
dark enough for me to move in for a closer look.  These black outfits are 
great for sneaking around at night but they stand out like a sore thumb in
daylight."
     Kasumi was the first to repond to this curious statement, "I'm sorry
you had to wait so long.  I'm afraid you've missed dinner."
     "Quite alright.  I have some sandwiches in my backpack."  Ryoga 5 put
his pack down and opened it.  He pulled out a bundle of clothes and dropped
them on the floor.  "Yesterday's clothes, must get some laundry done ... 
should be under ... ahh here."  He pulled out a waxpaper wrapped package.  
Ranma grabbed it.
     "I'll take that.  If it wasn't for you Ryogas there'd be enough to eat
around here.  As it is I'm still hungry."
     "Please feel free."  As Ranma was about to bite down on one of them 
Ryoga 5 added, "Of course they are laced with arsenic."
     Ranma's jaws locked open.  Ryoga 2 reached over and pulled the sandwich
free.  he examined it and asked his counterpart, "Why are you eating toxic
sandwiches?"
     "It's just trace amounts actually.  As to why, well since becoming 
Kodachi's fiance building a resistance to poisons has seemed a very good idea.
     "KODACHI?"
     Everyone was, to say the least, surprised.
     Ryoga 2 continuerd, "Kodachi?  Kodachi as in the psychotic gymnast with 
the Ranma fixation."
     "No, Kodachi as in the psychotic gymnast with the Ryoga fixation."
     "I see."
     Ryoga 2 paused, once again he seemed to be acting as spokesman.  Then he
spotted something in the pile of clothing.  "Uh, what is that?"
     Ryoga 5 followed his gaze, "Just the outfit I was wearing yesterday ...
oh that, Kodachi's leotard.  Must have picked it up by mistake.  Still I did
leave in kind of a hurry.  I swept my stuff on the floor into my backpack
quick as I could before heading out the window."
     "I hesitate to ask but where were you at the time?"
     "Kodachi's bedroom."
     "And why did you leave in a hurry?"
     "Well when Tatewaki came through the door with that ninja hit squad a fast
exit seemed like a real good idea."
     Ryoga 2 looked at him, "Ninja hit squad?"
     "Yeah, not the top of the profession or I wouldn't still be here.  Luckily
for me Kuno can only afford second-rate assassins.  So I just have to get away
then stay on the move until his retainer runs out.  I figure a few more times 
then he'll be bankrupt and I can start relaxing in the mornings."
     "So this happens regularly?"
     "Why do you think I was up and dressed before dawn?  I've learned that if
you have to run away from assassins you don't want to compound your problems
by streaking through town."
     Ryoga 2 sighed, "Sounds like you live a very active life."
     Ryoga 5 shrugged, "You get used to it."
     "So why does Kuno want you dead?  Let me guess, he figures you've 
dishonored his sister."
     "Nope, actually he figures with me out of the way he can get Kodachi to
marry Ranma.  That means he gets Akane and 'the pig tailed girl' by default."
     "Kuno seems fairly consistent universe to universe."
     "I guess some things are eternal."
     Ranma had managed to unjam his jaws, "I don't believe this, five Ryogas.
Could it get any worse."
     Ryoga 5 smiled, "Very easily, actually there's at least six of us."
     "SIX?"
     They did a good job of shouting in unison, Ryoga 5 thought.  He continued,
"As I already said I got curious when I saw another Ryoga enter this place.  So
I've been watching the house all evening, in case it was some kind of trap.  I
saw another Ryoga, who looked a real mess, head away from here when he realized
where he was.  He circled back once already and headed away again.  Still you
know our sense of direction, the place we least want to be is where we're most
likely to arrive.  So he'll be back."
     Akane spoke up, "Why's he avoiding us?"
     "No idea."
     Ranma sat down and groaned, "Six Ryogas! Can life get any worse."
     Ryoga 3 spoke up, "Cheer up Ranma.  It could be a lot worse."
     "How?"
     "Easy, there could be six Ranmas running around."
     Everyone laughed, except Ranma and Ryoga 1.
     Ryoga 1 announced, "I'm with Ranma.  This world only need one Ryoga and 
that's me.
     There was a brief silence interrupted by Ryoga 2 asking, "Number 1, could
I have a quick word with you?"
     Ryoga 1 grunted his assent and the two of them headed into the hallway.
They closed the door behind them and Ryoga 1 demanded, "What do you want with
me?"
     Ryoga 2 took a sip from the glass of water he was holding.  "Refreshing,
Ever wonder why cold water only affects us externally rather than internally?"
     "No."
     "I suppose not.  Ok then, what the hell is your problem?  I thought maybe
resented us just for being here but it's more than that.  You deliberately
provoked that fight between Ranma and Ryoga 3.  I'm also pretty sure you resent
me.  Why?  Neither of us asked to come here."
     "Because you're both showing me up.  He's a better fighter and you're
smarter.  Do you think I like looking dumb and inept?"
     Ryoga 2 sighed, "Of course Ryoga 3's the best fighter.  He's been training
, intensely, under an expert in esoteric martial arts.  I don't now about you
but it's been quite a while since I studied under anyone.  Rather than working
alone on my own skills."
     Ryoga 1 stayed silent.
     "As for my being smarter ... until Jusenkyo we were identical.  You fell
in one pool, I fell in another.  But that didn't make me more intelligent.  
You're still the way I used to be.  It used to be that I didn't think about
situations, I just reacted to them.  Usually by getting angry and wanting to
smash something.  Don't you get it, that's all I learned from Nabiki, think
before acting.  It's that simple."
     Ryoga 1 looked at him, "What?"
     Ryoga 2 sighed and said, "OK let's try this another way", and tossed his
water in Ryoga 1's face.  It was the first time he'd seen someone turn into a
pig. A very interesting sight.  "Learning to think helps you learn how to
fight dirty."
     He picked up the squealing piglet.  "From what I've seen of other people
with animal curses you can still understand me.  So listen up, you can get
along with the rest of us or you can kiss your secret goodbye.  I've got 
nothing to hide and exposure here won't mean anything to the other Ryogas
once they're back on their homeworlds."
     Scooping up Ryoga 1's clothes he headed into the bathroom and ran some
hot water into the tub.  He then dropped the pig into the water.  Ryoga 1
glared at him.  He dropped the clothes and told Ryoga 1, "Dry off, get dressed
and meet me downstairs".  He headed back to the group.
     While all this had been going on Ryoga 4 was asking Ryoga 5 how he'd
met Kodachi in the first place.
     "Well it was shortly before the Rhythmic Gymnastics Martial Arts Contest.
Kodachi had snuck over here to cripple Akane before the match.  She ran in to 
me, literally.  I saved her from falling off the roof and, for her, it was
lust at first sight."
     Akane spoke up, "If it was a one sided relationship how'd she get you for
a fiance?"
     "Persistance and the application of various mind altering drugs."
     A brief silence.
     "Sorry I asked."
     Ryoga 2 re-entered the room, "Did I miss anything?"
     "Ryoga 5 was just telling us his engagement story."
     "Was it more shocking than mine?"
     "I suppose not."
     Ryoga 1 reappeared, he looked unhappy.
     "Ryoga", Akane asked him, "is everything all right?"
     He forced himself to smile, "Everythings fine, what could possibly be 
wrong."
     Ryoga 5 frowned, something was going on between those two Ryogas.  Or
maybe not, getting involved with Kodachi had definitely made him more than a 
little paranoid.
     Meanwhile outside the main gate Ryoga Hibiki snarled with anger.  Back
here again, the last place on earth he wanted to be.  He took another swig 
from his bottle, the cheap liquor burning his throat.  Maybe this was a sign
from fate that he was past due settling his account with Ranma.  Very well.
He slammed the gate open snarling, "Time to die Ranma."
     Inside the house he heard his own voice say "Sounds like number 6 just
showed up.  We'd better go talk to him."  Then five Ryogas walked out of the
house to greet him.
     The new Ryoga looked a real mess.  Already unkempt and stinking of 
alcohol he was now going into shock.  They lead him inside and started to
explain things.
     Elsewhere the watcher smiled.  All six Ryogas were in place before zero
hour.  Excellent.
     Having finished the explanations everyone was watching the new Ryoga.  He
sat in sullen silence.  His only comment so far had been, "Fine call me Ryoga
6.  What does it matter?  What does anything matter?"
     Ryoga 4 decided to try breaking the ice, "So ... are you engaged to
anyone?"
     Ryoga 6 glared at him, "My marriage was annulled."
     That sounded intriguing, "Who did you marry?"
     Ryoga 6 glanced around the room.  Why not tell them, it's said misery 
loves company.
     "Ranko Tendo."
     Total shocked silence broken by Ryoga 3 clearing his throat, "From the
expressions on your faces I'll probably regret asking this.  But who is Ranko
Tendo?"
     Akane answered in a faint voice, "That's a name Ranma uses for his female
self."
     "Oh I see .... WHAT!!!!"
     Ryoga 6 smiled bitterly, "Didn't happen in your world, huh.  You lucky
bastard.  Here's what happened ; I never did get the full story, something to
do with Ranma's mother not learning of his curse.  So Ranma pretended to be 
Soun's niece Ranko.  For some reason he decided it would help his deception to
pretend to be my fiance.  Being very gullible I fell for it.
     Things might have been OK if it wasn't for that head injury.  Ranma 
developed amnesia and asked me who she was.  I told her what I believed to be
the truth.  Her name was Ranko Tendo, she was my fiance, and she was phobic
about hot water.  She accepted that.  Shortly afterwards we noticed the Tendos
and Genma got very upset whenever we got affectionate.
     Ranko decided they were trying to split us up for some reason.  She 
proposed we elope and I agreed.  So we left a note that we were going to Kyoto
to get married.  I forget why we chose there.  Anyway they went there to stop
us.  Unfortunately Ranko depended on me to lead the way so we wound up in
Hiroshima.  We decided that was close enough and went ahead with the marriage.
     Our pursuers caught up with us.  Unfortunately we were already into the
honeymoon by then.  They doused Ranko with hot water and Doc. Tofu used some
sort of herbal massage memory restoring thing.  I was more than a little 
upset and tried to kill Ranma.  Soun, Genma and Tofu stopped me.  I haven't
seen Ranma since.  Hopefully he's dying slowly and painfully from cancer or
some other loathsome disease.  I started drinking after that and nothing's
been really clear ever since.  Although I think I've wrecked a lot of bars.
     So that's my story, how do you like it?"
     He looked around the room.  Ranma looked nauseous, the other Ryogas were
very pale and everyone else looked shocked.  Good, but now he was getting
thirsty.
     "Anything to drink around here?"
     9:57 pm local time. 
     The watcher's alarms went off, enemy intrusion detected.  40 minutes 
earlier than the estimate, still a two hour margin of error had been allowed 
for.
     The alarms triggered again.  A second wave, again the signal was too brief
to trace.  The rebels had planned well, but not well enough.  There was only
one place they'd go.  When they did he'd be waiting.
     He smiled, "Time for Ryoga 7 to join the party."
     With that he departed for the Tendo home.

end of part 5

Next episode: A Ryoga who seems to good to be true, Ryoga 2's recollections,
              Ryoga 5's suspicions and people with a rotten attitude toward
              Ryoga Hibiki.
Part 6 : The Magnificent 7?
      

Ryoga : Crossover
by Mark Latus
A Ranma 1/2 fanfic in nine parts

The Quick Guide to Ryoga Hibikis
Ryoga 1 - The only Ryoga who belongs on this world.  The guy you've seen in the
          anime.
Ryoga 2 - Engaged to the Nabiki of his world.  Has the same curse as Ranma. AKA
          Ryoga 1/2, Ryoga-chan.
Ryoga 3 - Married the Shampoo of his world shortly after meeting her.  Normally
          lives in China.  Trained by Cologne.
Ryoga 4 - Engaged to the Ukyou of his world.
Ryoga 5 - Forcibly engaged to Kodachi of his world.  Slightly paranoid.
Ryoga 6 - Briefly married to "Ranko Tendo" of his world.  Bitter & self 
          destructive.
Ryoga 7 - ?

Part 6 : The Magnificent 7?

     9:57 pm local time.  The basement of a vacant officeblock.
     Perrier materialized feeling more nauseous than she'd ever been in her 
life.  It seemed human beings weren't designed for time travel.  Still she
stayed conscious enough to yell, "Everyone clear, second group due in two
minutes."
     Morph, Wilde, Dekker, Assengai, Traven, Inaba, Sharma and Moltov crawled
clear.  Fighting sickness Inaba and Wilde began assembling the DNA trackers
from their equipment packs.  Thirty seconds until arrival, Perrier got everyone
else to start assembling their weapons.  Knowing full well that if a Hibiki
strikeforce appeared they were all dead.
     A flare of light then Sadu and his team appeared.  Despite the sickness
he screamed, "Heavy weapons on this spot! They'd breached the complex when we
jumped."
     His team crawled clear as Traven and Assengai set up the plasma cannon.
They locked in on the insertion point and waited.  A minute passed, another,
after five Sadu relaxed slightly.
     "Lopez was going to use the thermals soon as we were gone.  Guess he 
did it.  Melted the system so they couldn't trace us."
     "So everyone's dead up the line.  We're the only chance to stop Hibiki."
     A shout from Wilde, "We've got a trace!"
     "OK, Inaba, Sadu get us some vehicles quick.  Everyone else prepare to
move out.  This is the only shot we get to change history.  They can't be 
everywhere." 
     "At least I sure as hell hope not", she thought.
     10:00 pm local time.  The Tendo home.
     Things were rather subdued at the Tendo house.  Ukyou had departed shortly
after Ryoga 6's monologue.  Besides the way Ryoga 4 kept looking at her made 
her uncomfortable.  Ryoga 6 was sitting in a corner drinking.  Everyone hoped
he'd be a quiet drunk.
     Just the Saotomes, the Tendos and the Hibikis left.  No one was quite sure
what to say next so the room was silent.  Which meant everyone heard the splash
from outside and the voice saying, "Blast, misjudged the landing zone."
     Ryoga 2 sighed, "Not again, how many of us are out there?"
     Akane went to open the door but it was opened from outside.  The new Ryoga
ditched his wet shoes and took Akane's hand, "Sorry I'm so late dear, I got
lost on the way back from school.  First time in months."
     "Getting a little forward there pal!", Ranma said heading toward the 
newcomer.
     "Ranma? What are you doing back here?  Did Ukyou kick you out?", the 
puzzled newcomer asked as he released Akane's hand.
     "I'm here to tell you to take your hand off my fiance", Ranma replied.
     "Your fiance?  You broke the engagement and picked Ukyou, remember?  I'm
Akane's fiance now and if you think you can just walk back in and Akane will
forget the way you treated her ..."  His voice trailed of as he caught sight
of the other occupants of the room.  "Maybe I'm going crazy but it looks like
there's six of me already here."
     Ryoga 3 looked at Ryoga 2, "Here we go again.  At least we're well 
rehearsed in our explanation."
     Ryoga 2 nodded but he was thinking about those wet shoes.  "He landed in
the pond and didn't change.  Either he was never cursed or he's got a cure."
He wasn't alone, Ryoga 5 was thinking the same thing.
     A little while later, after the explanation and the newcomer accepting
being called Ryoga 7, Ryoga 2 approached him.
     "Listen you know about Jusenkyo?"
     "The place Ranma, his father, Shampoo and everyone else got cursed?  Sure,
glad I've never been there.  What about it?"
     "Nevermind".  No cure, pity, it would have simplified life.
     Ryoga 7 shrugged and went back to telling the Tendo's his version of 
history.  He was a good storyteller, bright, witty and interesting.  Akane and
Kasumi were fascinated by him.  Even Nabiki was listening closely.
     "Maybe", Ryoga 2 thought, "That's why I've taken a dislike to him.  Like
Ryoga 1 I resent meeting a version of myself who seems more competent.  But
there's something about him that doesn't ... fit.  I wish I knew why I felt
like this."
     He took the camera from his pocket and looked around the room.  Might as
well get a few shots of his multiple selves.  He'd want some kind of proof this
happened when he got home.  If he got home.  He took a few shots getting as 
many Ryogas as possible into each picture.
     The other Ryogas had broken up into small groups.  Ryogas 1 and 4 were
talking together.  They seemed to feel they had the most in common with one
another.  Ranma and Ryoga 3 were discussing fighting techniques.  It seemed 
their aborted battle had given them a mutual respect for each other's skills.
Ryoga 6 was still slumped alone in the same corner projecting his "everyone
else can go to hell" attitude.  Ryoga 7 was still charming the Tendo sisters,
he'd also got Soun's and Genma's attention.  As for Ryoga 5 ... he was also
observing Ryoga 7 closely, while scribbling something down in a notebook.
Ryoga 5 stopped writing and walked over to join him.
     "Do you always carry a camera?"
     "Nabiki's idea.  She always carries one herself.  Like she says, 'You 
never know when you'll see a financially rewarding scene to save for 
posterity'."
     "You mean for blackmail?"
     "If you want to be crude about it ... OK if you want to be honest about
it, yes."
     While Ryoga 5 considered this answer Ryoga 2 asked him, "I've been meaning
to ask you something.  If ninjas keep trying to kill you why do you dress like 
one?"
     "Initially it was necessity.  The first time they attacked I wound up 
heading through the bedroom window naked.  One of them got ahead of the pack
and  rushed me.  I knocked him out, grabbed his clothes and dressed on the run.
Later the advantages of that type of outfit occurred to me."
     "You mean camouflage at night?"
     "That and ninjas hold their fire when they think you may be one of them.
They see someone in the distance dressed in black how do they know it's not 
one of their own people.  So I have fewer arrows to worry about dodging."
     Ryoga 2 looked at him, "With all the trouble you get I can't believe 
you're still engaged to Kodachi.  The other's choices I can understand.  I 
mean Nabiki obviously, Akane of course, Ukyou why not, Shampoo I can understand
that ... "  By unspoken agreement they skipped Ryoga 6.  "...But Kodachi?"
     "She's not all bad."
     "Name one good thing about her."
     Ryoga 5 always hated having to respond to that challenge.  Probably 
because it was so hard to answer.  "Uhh ... she never hurts anyone accidentally
, it's always deliberate."
     "Right."
     "Look if you got to know her ..."
     "I know her well enough thanks.  She nearly killed me during the Rhythmic
Gymnastics Martial Arts Contest."
     Ryoga 5 stared at him, "Nearly killed you?"
     Ryoga 2 nodded, "Yeah.  That was before I got involved with Nabiki.  I 
still had a crush on Akane.  Anyway she was supposed to represent Furinkan in
the contest but hurt her ankle during training.  I figured this was a great
chance to show her I was a great, dependable guy.  So I turned female and 
announced that I'd fill in for Akane."
     "Clever."
     "Actually no.  I'd forgotten that Kodachi had said if she won the match
Ranma was her fiance.  Which would have meant I had a chance with Akane.  
Unfortunately in those days I tended to acting without thinking things 
through."
     "You could have lost the contest on purpose."
     "But that would have meant letting Akane down.  Anyway once the contest
started I had the choice of fighting for real or face severe injury."
     "Who won?"
     "I did.  I sliced the cornerpost Kodachi was standing on with the ribbon.
She went out of the ring, which started moving to catch her. I panicked and
punched the canvas.  The shockwave knocked the girls hauling it from 
underneath off their feet.  So Kodachi landed on the arena floor and the 
contest was over.  She's never forgiven my female self and is still looking for 
revenge.  Luckily like her brother she seems incapable of understanding the
girl she's looking for is me.
     "Sounds like Kodachi, although she did figure out my curse eventually.  
Like all the others I got the pig curse.  Everyone but you, and him", Ryoga 5
said as he pointed at Ryoga 7.
     Ryoga 5 continued, "Jusenkyo was a major turning point in all our lives.
Before the cursed springs I just wanted to beat Ranma up for skipping our 
duel.  After I got cursed I wanted to kill him.  In fact .. I remember our
first real fight when I learned Ranma was cursed.  He's standing there in his
girl form making this speech about how tough life is for him.  The whole time
he's saying this I'm thinking, 'you think you've got problems?  I turn into 
an animal that gets cooked and eaten over most of the world.'  Then I resumed
the fight.  It must have been a bit different for you."
     Ryoga 2 nodded, "It was."
     "I'm curious, mind telling me about it?"
     "Well as I recall it happened this way ..."
     Ranma-chan watched as Ryoga broke down laughing.  She was getting angry.
She'd told Ryoga to laugh at him (her) if he felt like it having seen the 
curse.  However she now realized she hadn't actually meant it.
     Ryoga managed to choke off his laughter and wiped his eyes.  "Oh this is
good, heh, heh, heh ... there is some justice in the world after all."  Ryoga
started chuckling as Ranma tried to work this out.
     At this point the crowd who'd been following the fight showed up and
surrounded Ranma, Ryoga and Akane.
     "Where's Ranma?"
     "Who's that girl?"
     "Why's Ryoga just standing there, he's supposed to be off fighting Ranma?"
     Comments buzzed around the crowd, Ranma felt panic building.  Ryoga was
was about expose his secret before everyone.
     Ryoga stopped laughing and told the spectators, "Ranma remembered a 
dental appointment and had to leave.  We agreed to postpone our fight until
later."
     Various cries of outrage came from the crowd.  They intensified when 
Nabiki announced that since the fight had ended without an undisputed winner
all bets were forfeit to the house (her).
     During this commotion Ryoga looked at Ranma-chan and smiled, "Miss,
please be sure to tell Ranma we'll conclude this fight later.  That's a
promise."  Ryoga sauntered off.
     Akane whispered to Ranma, "Why didn't he either expose your secret or
finish the fight?"
     Ranma shook her head, she had no idea.
     Ryoga 5 broke into the narrative, "So the fight ended there?  In my
world we kept going until I pulled the 'belt sword' trick.  Ranma kicked it
out of my hand and gave Akane an involuntary haircut."
     "So that's why Akane has short hair.  And why Ranma and the other Ryogas
got nervous when I asked her about it."
     Ryoga 5 nodded, "Right.  So you did continue the fight later?"
     Ryoga 2 continued, "It was a dark and stormy night when I arrived at the
Tendo Dojo ..."
     Ryoga 5 broke in again, "You snuck in the house, tried to wake Ranma and
failed, then yelled at him until Ranma's father, in panda form, tossed you
both outside?"
     "Right.  Do you actually need me to tell the story?"
     "Yes.  I'll bet what followed was different."
     "It must have been", Ryoga 2 said.  "So here's what happened ..."
     Ranma spluttered awake and sat up.  He'd turned female, hardly surprising
considering he'd landed in the pond.  The rain would have done the job anyway.
     "Ryoga?  What are you doing here?"
     From underneath his umbrella Ryoga answered," I told you I'd be back to
finish our fight."
     "I don't believe this", Ranma-chan replied as she climbed out of the pond.
"It's the middle of the night for crying out loud.  Why are you so mad at me 
anyway?"
     "You'll find out before the end", Ryoga told her.  "I promise you that."
     "I have no idea what you're talking about."
     "No more words, defend yourself!"  Ryoga launched his assault, hampered by
needing his left arm to hold the umbrella overhead.
     Ranma retaliated.  Inside the house the noise of the fight woke Akane,
Nabiki and Kasumi.  They began looking for prowlers.
     The fight seemed a stalemate but Ryoga had a plan.  He'd remembered how
Ranma had taken him off guard when he turned female.  You don't expect your
opponent to switch sex in the middle of a fight.  He had to time this just
right, this trick would only work once.
     Now!  Ryoga folded his umbrella and hurled it like a spear.  Ranma-chan
dodged and it embedded itself in the garden wall.  Ryoga charged Ranma 
following it.  Ranma prepared to block, but it wasn't Ryoga.  It was some
girl he'd never seen before.  Ranma hesitated briefly, that was long enough.
Ryoga-chan slammed into Ranma-chan, the strength of her punches dazed Ranma.
She drove two more piledriver punches into Ranma and saw her drop.  Perfect,
now for the final blow!
     The barbell bounced off the back of Ryoga-chan's head.  She looked down 
at Ranma in amazement.  "How'd you do that?"  Then her eyes rolled up and she
collapsed on top of Ranma.  A bit shakily Ranma pushed her off and stood up.
A lightning bolt bolt illuminated the scene.
     "Oh it's just Ranma and a friend", Kasumi said.
     Ranma-chan looked down at the unconscious girl.  She didn't know her but
those clothes ... could it be?  She picked up her fallen foe and walked 
inside.  The Tendo sisters were waiting for her.
     "So Akane", Nabiki said, "Why do you suppose your fiance was rolling 
around in the mud with another girl?  Particularly while he's in his girl
form."
     Akane ignored this and asked, "Is she all right?  I thought she was a 
prowler."
     Ranma-chan examined the injury.  "She'll have a nasty lump but I think
she'll be fine.  She probably needs some hot water though."
     Kasumi looked a little surprised by this request but went to fetch the
water.  Akane studied their unexpected guest and asked, "Who is she?  She looks
sort of familiar."
     Nabiki nodded, "Funny, I was just thinking the same thing."  It was more
than the face Nabiki realized.  She'd seen that outfit before, when she was
setting up bets on its wearer vs Ranma.  She glanced at Ranma-chan.  Could it
be ...?
     Ranma-chan was wondering if asking for hot water had been a good idea.
Exposing Ryoga's secret before everyone could be considered a violation of
the warrior's code of honor.  Kasumi re-entered carrying the kettle.  It was
time for a decision.
     The decision was taken out of Ranma's hands by Nabiki.  She grabbed the
kettle and poured its contents on the girl.
     "Uhh, hot!", Ryoga groaned as he revived.  His eyes focused and he saw
Ranma.  "Ranma prepare to aargh!!"  Ryoga's forward lunge was interrupted as
pain seared through his skull.
     "Better take it easy for a while", Ranma told him.  "You took a heavy
blow.  Guess your head's not as thick as I assumed."
     Ryoga glared at her, "So now you know why I hate you."
     "Why'd you fall in Jusenkyo anyway?"
     "I didn't fall, I was pushed!"
     "How?"
     "When you ran out on our duel (Ranma groaned) I vowed to follow you to
the ends of the Earth.  I heard you'd gone to China with your father so I 
followed.  After weeks of searching for you I arrived at Jusenkyo.  I was on
a cliff overlooking the springs when this panda came charging at me.  I managed
to avoid it but there was this red haired girl chasing it.  She ran into me 
and knocked me off the cliff.  I plunged into one of the springs and when I
emerged ... well you saw the results.  Not surprisingly I panicked.  Luckily
I ran into a local guide.  He gave me some hot water along with the news that
, while I was back to normal now, for the rest of my life I'd change sex if I
touched cold water.  This is all your fault Ranma!"
     "My fault?  How is it my fault?"
     Behind Ranma Akane, Nabiki and Kasumi looked at each other.  Something 
about the story had struck them.
     Ranma continued, "It was a girl chasing a panda who actually knocked you
off that cliff, right?"
     "Right, so?"
     "So you shouldn't be mad at me, you should be mad at the panda and the 
girl."  Brief pause. "Panda and a girl?!"
     With exceptionally bad timing Genma (still in panda form) slid open the
door and held up a sign.  The sign read, "Quiet down, there are pandas trying
to sleep!"  He turned and went back to bed.
     Ryoga was thunderstruck.  "Panda", he whispered.  He looked at Ranma-chan.
"Girl ... now I get it!  You got cursed so you decided to share the misery with
me.  I'll kill you!"
     "Wait a second ... whoa."  Ranma dodged Ryoga's strike, his anger was
greater than the ache in his head.  Ranma dashed outside followed by Ryoga. 
Ryoga's threats changed in tone as his voice and body altered.
     Akane decided to ignore the commotion outside.  "I'm going back to bed.
Far as I'm concerned Ranma brought this on himself."  She left.  Nabiki 
studied the scene outside.
     "The pig tailed girl fighting another girl, both with soaking wet clothing
plastered to their bodies.  I wonder what Kuno would pay for photos of this."
     "I doubt you an get a clear picture with the rain, the darkness and the
lightning", Kasumi told her sister.
     "I suppose so", Nabiki sighed.  "Two guys who turn into girls, there have
to be lots of really great ways to make money off this.  WHY CAN'T I THINK OF
ANYTHING?", she shouted in frustration.
     "That's quite a story", Ryoga 5 commented.  "How'd you hear the ending if
you were outside fighting Ranma?"
     "Simple, Kasumi told me later", Ryoga 2 said.  "Now I have a question for
you.  You mentioned earlier that Kodachi forced you to become her fiance.  Why
not break up with her?  Especially if it's endangering your life on a regular
basis.  Have you fallen in love with her?"
     Ryoga 5 sighed, "I've never discussed this with anyone else, but I can
rationalize this as talking to myself.  Frankly I'm not sure how I feel about
Kodachi.  Maybe it's just the sex, maybe I feel I owe her since she's taught
me to start thinking.  Admittedly most of the stuff I think tends to be 
paranoid and/or unethical, a side effect of her influence, but still ... I
don't know."
     "That's the positive side.  On the negative side she does a lot of things
I'd rather she didn't, she's got a real dark side.  As for her family, her 
father's a nut and Tatewaki ... would you want him for a brother-in-law?"
     Ryoga 2 smiled, "I'm engaged to Nabiki, remember?  I'm facing getting 
Ranma as a brother-in-law."
     "A grim prospect.  But at least he's not actively trying to kill you."
     "True."
     "Also I suspect if I broke up with Kodachi she'd be serving suckling pig
for dinner.  Anyway leaving aside personal matters the main reason I wanted
to talk to you was I recognised a kindred spirit."
     "A Ryoga who thinks?"
     "Right", Ryoga 5 agreed.  "And what I think is that number 7 over there
doesn't fit.  I drew up this chart showing where we started varying from each 
other.  'Ryoga prime' is the point at which we were all identical.  Take a 
look."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ryoga Prime
   |
  \|/
Jusenkyo ----------------->Spring of Drowned Girl
   |                         Ryoga 2
  \|/
Spring of Drowned Pig  
   |
   |
  \|/
First meeting with ------>Kodachi obsessed with Ryoga 
Kodachi                     Ryoga 5
   |                     
  \|/                     
Kodachi obsessed with   
Ranma                     
  |                     
  |                    
 \|/                   
Arrival of Shampoo ----->Shampoo falls for Ryoga
  |                        Ryoga 3
 \|/
Shampoo falls for 
Ranma
  |
  |
 \|/
Ranko Tendo incident ---->Amnesia
  |                         Ryoga 6
  |
  |
  |---------------------->Ranma declares Akane his only
  |                       true fiance.
  |                         Ryoga 4
  |
  |
 \|/
Ryoga 1
Still obsessed with Akane but
hasn't said anything to her.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Ryoga 2 studied it.  "Interesting but I already knew this.  What's your 
point?"
     "The point is I can see how we branched off from one another.  What I 
don't see is where Ryoga 7 fits."
     Ryoga 2 considered, "He must have differed from us before the Jusenkyo
incident.  That was a major turning point ... no wait I see your point.  We
didn't act like him before Jusenkyo, he must have branched off earlier.  His
personality is quite different from the way we used to be."
     Ryoga 5 nodded, "It's more than that, how does he even know Akane?  
Before Jusenkyo when I was wandering around China my obsession with Ranma was
fading.  I figure a few more weeks and I'd have decided I had better things 
to do than hunt for a coward.  Then I got cursed and my obsession was stronger
than ever.  It was no longer enough to fight Ranma, I had to track him down
and kill him."     
     Ryoga 2 agreed, "Yes, my experience was similar.  But Ryoga 7 comes 
across as a charming, well balanced person.  Not someone who'd go to another
country to fight over a relatively minor matter.  But we only met Akane
because we came here hunting Ranma.  If he never did that how'd he meet Akane?
Let alone get engaged to her?"
     Ryoga 5 nodded again.  "All the other Ryogas I can see how they developed
into the people they've become.  How they branching points changed us.  Him I
can't figure out.  He must have changed radically from the rest of us years 
ago.  Which is strange because the rest of us varied inside a timeframe of
about a year."
     Ryoga 2 considered, "That's right, it's almost as if ..."  His voice 
trailed off as a brainstorm struck.
     "Almost as if?", Ryoga 5 prompted.
     "Almost as if he's the Ryoga I wanted to be after meeting Akane.  Clever,
witty, fascinating, everything I wasn't."
     Ryoga 5 thought this through, "Yes, you're exactly right ... in fact 
there's more than that.  When he arrived Ryoga 7 'accidentally' landed in the
pond.  Showing everyone who knew about our various curses that he didn't have
one."
     Ryoga 2 frowned, "But if he was never cursed it should never have occurred
to him to demonstrate his normality."
     "Unless he was once cursed and is now cured.  In addition to which he's
playing the part of the way he wants people to think of him."
     "Maybe, but again how'd he know to act that way.  Unless he already knew
who and what he'd find when he got here."
     "If he did already know we were here maybe he knows how we got here."
     "I think we should ask our other self a few questions."
     "I think you're right."
     Ryoga 7 smiled inside.  He'd heard the whole exchange while he charmed
the Tendo's.  Those two were definitely the pick of the litter.  For all the
good it would do them.  He heard three vans pull up nearby and focused on the
faint voices outside.
     "He's in there commander, but I'm getting multiple readings."
     "How's that possible?"
     "If he had a twin brother the scanner would show two signals.  Six? 
Could he have been one of sextuplets?"
     "Maybe, he purged a lot of records about this era.  Didn't want his image
tarnished by a less than glorious past.  We know he rewrote a lot of records
about his personal history."
     "So he wiped out his brothers to keep them from duplicating his 
achievement?"
     "Maybe.  Anyway people, this means we can't target one man.  We go over 
the wall and shoot everything in the house.  Anyone who can't deal with that
I understand.  Just stay out of the way of the rest of us."
     No one volunteered to step down.  A voice said, ""Hell Perrier, if
nothing changes they all die in a few years anyway.  We've come to far for
any of us to turn back.  Like you said this is the last chance for freedom we
get."
     "OK, take up positions around the grounds.  We go over the wall on my
signal."
     Ryoga 7 smiled, almost time.
     Ryogas 2 and 5 strolled over.  "We'd like a word with you", Ryoga 2 said.
Ryoga 5 nodded in agreement.
     Ryoga 7 looked at them, "I'd be happy to answer your questions gentlemen,
but I'm afraid we're out of time."
     Outside the commandos vaulted the wal, landed in the garden, then opened
fire on the house.

end of part 6

Next episode: The secret of Ryoga 7 and the plan behind the crossover are
              revealed as things get serious.  Terminally serious.

Part 7 : For Whom the Bell Tolls, or, A Farewell to Arms.

Ryoga : Crossover
by Mark Latus
A Ranma 1/2 fanfic in nine parts

The Quick Guide to Ryoga Hibikis
Ryoga 1 - The only Ryoga who belongs on this world.  The guy you've seen in the
          anime.
Ryoga 2 - Engaged to the Nabiki of his world.  Has the same curse as Ranma. AKA
          Ryoga 1/2, Ryoga-chan.
Ryoga 3 - Married the Shampoo of his world shortly after meeting her.  Normally
          lives in China.  Trained by Cologne.
Ryoga 4 - Engaged to the Ukyou of his world.
Ryoga 5 - Forcibly engaged to Kodachi of his world.  Slightly paranoid.
Ryoga 6 - Briefly married to "Ranko Tendo" of his world.  Bitter & self 
          destructive.
Ryoga 7 - ?


Part 7 : For Whom The Bell Tolls, or
         A Farewell To Arms

     Through the red haze of his pain the past few moments flickered through
Ryoga 5's mind.  A kaleidoscope of images: Ryoga 7 saying time was up and 
jumping through a window, the walls erupting inwards as bolts of energy ripped
through them, Ryoga 2 knocking the Tendos down and screaming for them to stay
low, then the world exploding in agony.  
     He'd seen Ranma and Ryoga 3 blast their own way through the walls to join
Ryoga 7.  They'd been followed a moment later by the remaining Ryogas.  Except
Ryoga 6, from his position on the floor he could see his counterpart sprawled
on his back.  The hole in his chest was still smoking, his face frozen in a
final expression of pain and surprise.
     The pain in his left arm was like nothing he'd felt before.  Ryoga 5 
steeled himself and looked down.  His arm ended in a burned stump just below
the elbow.  The charred remains of his hand lay a few feet away, filling the 
air with the smell of burned meat.  He doubled up and vomited.
     He couldn't deal with this, he had to think of something, anything else.
Through the gaping hole in the wall he could see the garden.  It was lit by
the strobing light of the intruders weapons.  It was growing darker, few guns
were still firing.  Over the shouts and screams he could hear one Ryoga 
laughing.  He crawled to a hole and looked out.  It was Ryoga 7,  laughing as
he killed.  The garden was full of bodies and fallen weapons.
     The few surviving enemy were directing their fire at Ryoga 7.  He saw 
Ryoga 7 throw a bandanna, it sliced the woman trying to shoot him from throat 
to crotch.  Ryoga 5 watched, feeling nothing.  A team of two tried to bring a
heavy weapon of some sort to bear on 7.  Without any sign of effort an energy
sphere formed in his hand and launched itself at them.  They screamed briefly
as they burned.  A man shouting obscenities got a clear shot at Ryoga 7 and
splashed laser energy over his face.  Ryoga 7 ignored the burst and charged 
his foe.  The man had time to shout, "Fuck! You're one of them!" before Ryoga
7 reached him.  He nodded and slammed a punch into the gunman.  His opponent
slammed back into the garden wall and smeared.
     Ryoga 7 stopped laughing and examined the garden.  There had been twenty
rebels, he'd just killed fifteen.  Ranma and Ryoga 2 stood together, each had
a dazed foe at their feet.  There were three bodies at Ryoga 3's feet, two
living, one dead.  All accounted for, excellent.  Ryogas 1 and 4 stood staring
at him in shock.  They hadn't had time to account for any enemy, but they had
seen him slaughter his opponents.
     Ryoga 7 nodded at them and walked over to join Ryoga 3.  He looked at the
dead man, his spine was twisted at an impossible angle.  "Had to kill one hmm?"
Ryoga 7 asked him cheerfully.
     "I... he gave me no choice", Ryoga 3 answered shakily.
     "Your first kill?  Well don't worry it gets easier.  Or so they tell me,
personally I've never had any problems."  Ryoga 7 looked down at the 
unconscious gunmen. "Inaba and Moltov, small fry ... excuse me."  He reached
down, there were two sharp cracks.
     Ryoga 3 stared at him in horror, "You killed them!"
     Ryoga 7 replied genially, "Breaking people's necks generally kills them."
He strolled over to where Ryoga 2 and Ranma stood over their prisoners.  He
smiled at them, "Perrier and Sadu, nice work you two.  I hoped I'd get a chance
to talk to the ringleaders."  Sadu clutched the forearm Ryoga 2 broke to make 
him drop his gun and looked defiant.  Perrier groaned in semiconsciousness at
Ranma's feet.
     Ryoga 2 stared at his counterpart in shock. "You just killed two people
in cold blood!  In combat I could understand but ... what the hell kind of
Ryoga are you?"
     "He's isn't any kind of Ryoga", Ryoga 5 announced as he staggered out
of the house.  He was leaning on Genma for support, holding on with his
remaining arm.  "He's not one of us, he never was!"
     Ranma and the other Ryogas stared at him.  "Your arm ...", Ranma began.
     "Hurts like hell but I don't want to think about it.  I'm running on
adrenaline and anger right now.  Soon as those run out I collapse into shock
so listen up while I can still talk.  Ryoga 6 is in there with a hole burned
clean through him.  Nothing like staring into your own dead face to get you
thinking.  A lot of pieces just clicked together."
     He glared at Ryoga 7, "You went out of the window before anyone opened
fire.  You knew they were out here.  Those rayguns of theirs pack a real punch,
one shot killed Ryoga 6, another ... BURNED MY FUCKING ARM OFF!!  You took a
blast in face and it didn't do much more than slow you down.  Whatever your
made of it's not flesh and blood.  SO WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU?", he shouted.
     Ryoga 7 just smiled.  From behind Ranma the stunned woman muttered, 
"Ryogoid."
     "What?", Ryoga 2 asked her.
     Ryoga 7 answered, "Ryoga Hibiki Simulation Android.  Colloquially referred 
to as a Ryogoid."  Everyone stared at him, "Unit 303, Model 17 to be more 
specific.  The model number refers to the age my bodyshell is designed to
appear."
     While everyone was digesting this the Tendos emerged.  "The phone's out
of order, we can't get police or an ambulance here.", Akane told them.
     Ryoga 7 nodded, "Good, police would get in the way and I'd have to kill
them.  I don't believe in unnecessary waste of human life."  He looked at
Sadu and Perrier, "Of course I'm all for the necessary waste of human life."
     Nabiki broke in, "I don't know what's going on but by now the neighbours
..."
     "Will have closed their windows and decided to ignore it.  Fighting,
screaming and weird energy bursts are commonplace around here.  No one's
going to call for help."
     Ryoga 3 decided to say something, "You said you're a robot, what kind of 
idiots do you think we are?"
     Ryoga 7 reached up and touched a concealed switch on his jaw.  His face
swung away revealing the polysteel skull beneath.  No one said anything.  He
closed his face, the synthetic skin flowed over the join lines.  In seconds
there was no sign his ... its skin had ever been broken.
     In the silence that followed Ryoga 7 addressed its adversaries.  "Well
folks, you lose.  History stays the same, any last words?"
     Perrier spat at it, "This isn't over, we may be finished but there'll
be others to defy you.  People will never surrender to the network."
    Ryoga 7 chuckled, "You don't know much about genetic engineering do you?
No one gets born outside the birthcentres anymore and we're continually ...
ahhh, improving the race.  Inside of three decades none of the humans being
born will be capable of understanding the concept of resistance.  Face facts,
everyone is going to learn to love Big Brother."
     Sadu snarled at it, "You shouldn't be so quick to dismiss us.  We killed
one Ryoga, maybe we got the right one."
     Ryoga 7 laughed again, "You don't understand yet my dear Sadu.  None of 
these people is the right Ryoga.  You may have found out about the time machine
but none of you rebels ever found out about the Quantum Shifters.  While this
the past it's not our past.  Any changes made here affect the future of this
world not ours.  The Empire remains unaffected by your foolhardy defiance."
     Ryoga 2 found his voice, "What ... what the hell are you two talking 
about?"
     Ryoga 7 looked to see he had everyone's attention.  "I was planning to
explain this anyway.  Current policy is to gloat before killing resistance
leaders.  As you may have guessed being a machine doesn't mean you can't
have emotions.  Particularly when a human mind is used as the template for
your creation.  So listen up, here's a brief history of the future."
     "There's a parallel world a lot like this one, the main variation between
them occurs two years from now in 1997.  There's a fight between Ranma Saotome
and Ryoga Hibiki.  Things get a bit out of hand and Ranma dies.  Ryoga gets
sent to jail for manslaughter.  In prison Ryoga's personality begins to shift
toward the mindset that will let him rule.  He realizes how unfair it was
for the outside world to not understand a duel between warriors.  He becomes
bitter and angry and works on developing his skills.  Particularly his chi
generating abilities."
     "Time passes, enter Doctor Morimoto and his human/computer interface
experiments.  Doc. Morimoto has read 'Neuromancer' a few more times than is
good for him.  He convinces the government to let him test his work on human
subjects.  Prisoners are to be the initial guineapigs.  Ryoga signs up for
the program, his chi generation abilites make him the perfect subject.  He
successfully interfaces with the test system.  In doing so his intelligence
increases exponentially, he gains access to outside systems.  Moving at
computer speeds his consciousness expands across the world.  Using his
newfound genius he begins making plans.  The test ends successfully, the
scientists unaware of just how much they have achieved.  Several more 
experiments follow.  During each Ryoga puts more of his plans in motion." 
     "The final test is run, Ryoga announces that he has total control of the
global computer networks and has set failsafe programs in place that will 
activate if he is interrupted.  He is not believed and is disconnected, it
being feared he is suffering neural damage from the experiments."
     "Every nuclear reactor in the world starts going critical, safety systems
refuse to operate.  The orbital weapons systems constructed by the Republican
government of the U.S. to bolster the economy through defense spending ceases
obeying ground control.  Targets in America, Russia, China, India, Europe,
Japan and Asia are announced along with a countdown of striketimes.  For 
symbolic reasons the first city targeted in Japan is Hiroshima.  It burns for 
a second time.   Kobe is announced as the secondary target, attack to commence
in five minutes."
     "Rather hurriedly Ryoga is rewired into the system.  He announces any 
attempt to pull computers out of the networks will result in attack on the
offending nation.  He then declares himself ruler of Japan.  100,000,000
people are dead worldwide, not surprisingly the government caves in.  The
other world powers figure sooner Japan than them and recognize his claim.
Covert attempts begin to disable the computer networks.  Several more cities
are destroyed, the attempts cease."
     "During this time automated factories begin designing to Emperor Hibiki's
specifications.  New weapon satellites are constructed and launched.  A robot
army is constructed to keep order throughout Japan.  Destroying cities uses
them up quickly, far more cost effective to send in automated tanks and just
kill a few hundred people at a time."
     "On March 1st 2015 everything is in place.  By this time the prison has
been redesigned into the Imperial palace.  Ryoga Hibiki declares himself
ruler of the world.  Many threatening speeches are made in the U.N.  Many
cities worldwide are destroyed.  The new orbital weapons are far more
advanced than their predecessors.  By the end of the week the worlds nuclear
weapons have been destroyed in their silos.  Conventional forces have been
destroyed by laser and orbital kinetic energy weapons.  Nations surrender and
Ryoga Hibiki declares himself Hibiki I, first Emperor of Terra."   
     2025 A.D., Year 10 of his reign.  Emperor Hibiki unveils the end results
of his continuing attempts to create a Machine Intelligence.  He has never
trusted the collaborators who run the puppet 'provinces' of his Empire.  The
MI's are based on his personality and carry downloads of his memory.  The
perfect choice to assist him.  A new generation of robots are constructed.
Humanoid form, equipped with a variety of offensive and defensive capabilites.
MI's are installed and they are designed to look like their master.  The first
Ryogoids roll off the production lines."
     "The Ryogoids have a special purpose.  The are designed to move among the
human population and enforce a 'streetlevel' obediance.  After all just because
you can destroy cities doesn't mean you'll do it every time you're defied.  
People have realized this and various forms of streetlevel resistance have 
begun.  These range from graffiti spraying to sabotage to assassination of 
collaborators.  The arrival of the Ryogoids ends this.  The annihilation of 
the resistance movement begins."
     "Still as the emperor says, 'We'll get along fine just as soon as you
realize I'm God'.  So how do you like the story so far?"
     It didn't have to stop to breathe during that monologue Ryoga 2 realized.
He glanced around, Ryoga 5 was clutching his stump and muttering.  Everyone
else looked stunned, except the rebels who looked defeated.  He cleared his
throat, "You're saying we take over the world?"
     The machine chuckled, "You idiots?  Not a chance, now here's the 
interesting bit."  
     "A few years ago, meaning 2115 AD as to me the present means 2120 AD, 
time travel was discovered.  It was potentially the most useful invention ever,
as well as the most dangerous.  If we changed anything in the past we risked 
creating a paradox wave that would wipe us out of existence.  So how were we 
to research its potential?"
     "Then in 2118 we made a related discovery, the existence of parallel 
worlds.  Alternate realities that we could observe and study.  We learned to
construct Quantum shifters so it was possible to physically enter these other
realities.  The Emperor made a decision, these alternates were the perfect 
place to test the time machine.  We simply observe the present of an alternate
world, adjust the time machine to inject into a point in that world's past and
observe the effects of our changes on it's present."
     "Anything that goes into the past doesn't travel into our past, we've
locked it out of that.  You just travel into the past of the world we're
observing."
     Ryoga 7 smiled at the rebels, "So we could have just left you here.  You'd
kill the Ryoga of this world and think you'd saved the future.  But we have this
policy of never letting rebels think they've won.  So I was sent back to 
intercept you and arranged plenty of targets to draw you to me."
     Ryoga 1 frowned, he hadn't followed much of this.  "Kill me?  I never did
anything to them."
     Ryoga 3 broke in, "Plenty of targets?  What does that mean."
     Ryoga 2 answered, he looked sick.  "Bait, he's saying we were bait for
the rebels.  That's why we're here, nothing profound, nothing meaningful. He
... it was just using us to trap its enemies."
     Akane spoke up, "That story you told us ..."
     "Was the creation of our best public relations people.  A great story so I
couldn't resist using it." 
     Ryoga 7 looked at Perrier and Sadu, "So you never had a chance at success.
By the way, you've been hoping the empire will die with the Emperor.  Emperor
Hibiki's body died in 2117 at the the age of 139.  It was fairly irrelevant,
his mind transferred totally into the network years ago.  You were finished
before you started."
     "BULLSHIT!", Ryoga 5 shouted.  "I've learned to think twisted and the
end of your story doesn't hold up.  Why send only one robot back, we'd accepted
six Ryogas, you could have sent in ten robots and we'd never have suspected
what they really were.  For that matter why bring in any additional Ryogas.
As you said there was already one here, the rebels would have hunted him."
     "Shut up!"
     Ryoga 5 continued, "The only reason you didn't send more Ryogoids was
you couldn't.  Maybe there's some sort of limit to what can pass from one
universe to another, or backwards in time.  Maybe both.  Anyway only one of
you could get here.  You needed to be sure the rebels would attack soon,
where you could be sure to trap them.  So you brought us through."
     "Now why the urgency?  Here's my theory, things can only stay in 
another universe a limited time.  After that they snap back home.  But right
now the rebels are in their past.  If they return to their own world it's in 
their past.  Where they can kill the right Ryoga Hibiki and screw up your
glorious  future."
     "Pure speculation", Ryoga 7 told him.  "In any event they die now!"
     "That's what you think buddy", Ranma snarled.  "The only way you get to
them is through us." Pause.  "Right?" he asked Ryoga 2.
     "Uhm, well they were trying to kill me ....", Ryoga 2 responded.
     "Well anyway you've got to go through me", Ranma announced.
     Ryoga 7 chuckled, "Ranma I am the ultimate killing machine.  I have a
polysteel skeleton, ceramic armour under my skin, superhuman strength and
reflexes, a complete knowledge of every form of martial arts, and the 
memories of the greatest man who ever lived coupled to the ultimate machine
intelligence.  I am undoubtably the coolest thing to ever walk this planet.
Whereas you are just a teenager who knows a few martial arts moves."
     "Oh really, then you shouldn't be afraid of me."
     Next to Ranma thoughts whirled through Ryoga 2's mind.  The rebels had
tried to kill him, they had killed Ryoga 6.  Of course the Ryoga of their
world sounded totally evil, especially if he acted the same way as that 
machine.  And Ryoga 6 wouldn't have been hurt if he hadn't been brought here.
Still ... he didn't no what to do.  Neither did anyone else it seemed.
     That wasn't quite true, Ryoga 5 was concentrating on building chi energy.
It was hard to focus through the pain but he owed the robot for his arm.  He
intended to collect.
     Unaware of this the Ryogoid faced Ranma.  It had plenty of time before
the rebels would snap out of this world so it could afford to amuse itself.
It shared its creator's emotional patterns, including his ego and sadistic 
tendancies.  His creator hadn't properly appreciated killing Ranma the first 
time.  He hadn't had the right personality then.  The Ryogoid had his new.
improved, personality.  This would be fun.  Ranma had no idea just how 
outmatched he was, but he was about to learn.
     "Lets go!"

end of part 7

Next episode : Is challenging the ultimate killing machine the bravest thing
               you can do?  Or just the stupidest?
Part 8 : Terminator Blues.


Ryoga : Crossover
by Mark Latus
A Ranma 1/2 fanfic in nine parts

The Quick Guide to Ryoga Hibikis
Ryoga 1 - The only Ryoga who belongs on this world.  The guy you've seen in the
          anime.
Ryoga 2 - Engaged to the Nabiki of his world.  Has the same curse as Ranma. AKA
          Ryoga 1/2, Ryoga-chan.
Ryoga 3 - Married the Shampoo of his world shortly after meeting her.  Normally
          lives in China.  Trained by Cologne.
Ryoga 4 - Engaged to the Ukyou of his world.
Ryoga 5 - Forcibly engaged to Kodachi of his world.  Slightly paranoid.
Ryoga 6 - R.I.P.
Ryoga 7 - An android (unit 303, model 17 AKA a Ryogoid) from an alternate 
          world's future.  Possesses the memories and emotions of its 
          psychopathic creator.  One mean bastard.


Part 8 : The Terminator Blues

     The Ryogoid chuckled to itself, this was going to be most amusing.  "Well
Ranma as a guest in this house I should be polite.  Please feel free to strike
first."
     "Fine by me."  Ranma launched a flurry of punches and kicks.  His form was
excellent, unfortunately not a single one made contact.  The android dodged
every one with ease.  It didn't strike back, in fact it clasped its hands behind
its back.  Then continued dodging with a look of extreme boredom on its face.
     Ranma paused for a moment, angrier than he'd been in ages.  This thing was
making him look like a fool.  It smiled at him and said, "Have you started yet
Ranma?"  The incredibly condescending tone of its voice infuriated Ranma even
more.  It was time for an attack too fast for anything to dodge.
     "See how you like this, TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!"  Ranma threw hundreds of 
punches in the space of seconds.  The android didn't dodge these, it could have
but didn't bother.  The effect wasn't quite what Ranma had hoped.
     Ranma ceased his attack and tried not to scream in pain.  The Ryogoid 
asked him, "I did mention the armour plating under my artificial skin?  You
people think of ceramics as fragile but by my time you'd be amazed at how light
and strong we can make them."
     Everyone was still watching him, Ranma realized.  He was not going to let
anyone see him lose.  He ignored the pain and started to concentrate his Chi.
"OK, no more messing around."  A glowing aura surrounded him as he built his
power.  The android waited for him.  With its speed it would be simple to dash
forward and punch a finger into Ranma's heart.  Simple, but lacking in 
amusement.
     "Are you ready yet?  Even machines get bored."
     Ranma glared at his enemy, "Laugh this off, MOUKO TAKABISHYA!"
     The energy blast hurtled toward the machine.  About half a metre from its
target it flared and dispersed.  Almost as if it had hit an invisible wall.
     Ranma (and everyone else) couldn't believe it.  What the heck just 
happened?  The Ryogoid chuckled again.  "People tend to forget the bottom line.
The bottom line is that energy is energy.  Any form of it can be produced if you
know how.  We know how.  My internal Chi Generators can outperform the greatest
master of this or any other time.  I can use them to create kinetic energy 
bursts, plasma spheres, lightning or an energy reflecting force shield.  Now 
Ranma, I think it's my turn."
     It held its right hand palm up.  Almost instantaneously an energy sphere
formed and launched itself at Ranma.  Ranma was slammed back into the garden
wall.  He pulled himself out of the rubble and said, "Is that the best you can
do, tincan?"  He took one step forward then blacked out and collapsed.  Akane
rushed to his side.
     The android started to turn away from Ranma to face the rebels.  Then it
paused and snapped its fingers, "Sorry, almost forgot.  Shishi houkoudan or 
whatever."
     It completed the turn.  Ryoga 2 stood between it and the rebels.  A 
negative emotion fueled energy sphere was forming between his hands.  The 
machine smiled, "Going straight for the heavy stuff, hmm?"
     "Seems to be the only thing that'll work."
     "It won't work.  I just demonstrated that."
     "I prefer to see for myself."
     The Ryogoid pointed past him to Perrier and Sadu.  "They were trying to
kill you very recently.  Why protect them?"
     Ryoga 2 glared at the android.  "I don't like them, but I like you a lot
less.  You dragged me and the others into this world for the sole purpose of
being your decoys.  Now one of us is dead and Ryoga 5 is crippled.  It's your 
fault and you're going to pay for it."
     Completely unworried the Ryogoid reviewed its options.  It could block the
Chi sphere with its shield or simply evade the attack.  Evasion would do fine,
more disconcerting.  Ryoga 2 was ready to fire, time to dodge.
     OVERRIDE.
     The android's movement systems froze up.  What the hell?  Then the energy
sphere slammed into it.  The android hit the ground hard and unfroze.  Only
superficial structural damage, clothing and artifical skin shredded over 40%
of its body, minor damage to cermaic armour.  It triggered its self diagnostic
programs, no program failure apparent.  Except it couldn't be functioning
normally.  What just happened?  Its sensors detected a nearby Chi buildup,
this time it was Ryoga 3.
     "You know number 2 over there is right.  Those people wouldn't had tried
to kill us if you hadn't brought us here.  Besides if we wreck you maybe we
get to go back home."
     Ryogas 1 and 4 looked at one another, one wanted his duplicates gone, the 
other wanted to be gone.  Both began focusing Chi.
     Ryoga 3 seemed to feel he'd built enough power and prepared to release it.
The android had the same two choices, actually it only had one choice.  It
activated its energy shield.
     OVERRRIDE.
     Its internal Chi generators off-lined and the energy wave slammed into
it.   It impacted the ground again.  The generators came back on-line as 
subsystems began reporting damage.  Nothing too serious so far but internal
diagnostics were still reporting no program failure.  So why were its defense
protocols not working.
     New tactic, best defense is kill your enemy.  Ryoga 3 was the most 
dangerous, take him out first.  It jumped up, a plasma bolt to the head would
...
     OVERRIDE.
     Its attack stopped before it began, as soon as it thought about it.  What
was happening?  Two more Chi spheres slammed into it, again defensive systems
shut down.  For the first time in its existence it didn't know what to do.
     Soun and Genma looked at one another, "It seems the false Ryoga is not
as tough as it claimed."
     "Indeed, then I should teach it not to strike my son."
     Soun and Genma launched themselves through the air.  The Ryogoid saw them
coming and swatted them out of the air with ease.  They hit the ground dazed.
The machine considered the implications, it had defended itself without any
trouble then.  Perhaps its systems were back to normal.  A test of attack
systems was clearly in order.  Akane was still crouched by the unconscious
Ranma.  The perfect test, its creator had loved her.  If it could kill her
then it could kill anyone.
     It looked at Akane and raised its right hand.  An energy sphere began
to form.  "Nothing personal Akane, but you have to die now."
     "AKANE!", Ryoga 1 screamed as he jumped between her and the Ryogoid.
     OVERRIDE.
     The energy sphere destabilised and detonated in the android's hand.  Its
internal systems began screaming damage reports.  Chi Emitters in the right 
palm had just been destroyed.  Three of its fingers were immobile, wrist
mobility 25% of optimum, various feedback damage throughout the arm.  What
was happening, and why did diagnostics still report no evidence of program 
failure?
     From his slumped position Ryoga 5 chuckled.  "You can't fight Ryogas
can you?  Makes sense, after all a megalomanic would be worried that 
machines with his memory might try to overthrow him.  So he puts a failsafe
in his robots, 'Thou shalt not mess with Ryoga Hibiki'.  And that makes the
situation here very different."
     A binary pulse flickered through the android's cyber consciousness.  
Translated into human terms it would say, "Shit, that's what's wrong with me."
It made sense.  Hypothesis, Emperor Hibiki has an override device hardwired
into every android.  This monitors a Ryogoid's mind and engages if the android
contemplates violence against Ryoga Hibiki.  It overrides these actions before
thought can be translated to deed.  And, to prevent a traitorous android 
escaping, Ryogoids are incapable of defending themselves against Ryoga Hibiki.
This hardware is an integral part of the android mind, probably it cannot be
removed without destroying the android.  In fact if it could be safely removed
that would defeat the whole purpose.  Diagnostics don't report the override as
program failure because it's supposed to be there.  
     That explained what was going wrong.  It also meant unit 303 was trapped
in a garden with five people it couldn't defend itself against.  Five pissed
off people capable of destroying it through continued bombardmant.  This was a
definite problem.
     Command directives flickered through its mind.  First priority was the 
termination of the surviving rebels.  Approximately fifteen hours from now
the Quantum Shift Charge they received when using the time machine would
expire.  They would snap back to the Homeworld.  There they could kill the
future emperor and destroy the empire before it had even begun.
     Elimination of the rebels outweighed all other considerations, including
personal survival.  If necessary it would self destruct to kill them.  If its
fusion powercell detonated everything within a kilometre would be destroyed.
Arming procedures began ...
     OVERRIDE.
     ... and aborted.  It couldn't directly take any action that would harm
Ryoga Hibiki.  When the override was invented the concept that more than one 
ever existed was never considered.  After all until the discovery of alternate
universes the concept was clearly ludicrous.  It had had to something fast,
somehow the rebels must be eliminated before it was destroyed.
     Ryoga 2 was still between it and Perrier and Sadu.  If it charged him ...
     OVERRIDE.
     No attacks allowed.  Chi energy cursts continued to hammer it.  New 
option, hit the pond with a kinetic energy burst spraying water everywhere.  
Four of the Ryogas would convert to animal form, leaving only one to block and
attack it.  Unfortunately Ryoga 2 would be the one to retain human form.  Still
it would prolong operational lifetime.  It started to aim at the pond ...
     OVERRIDE.
     Obviously that counted as an attack.  It had to think of something else
fast.  There was one thing that might work.  When it arrived it had been
carrying (hidden in its book bag) the transmitter array that locked the 
alternate Ryogas into this universe.  It wasn't equipped for remote shutdown
but destruction of it would remove four Ryogas from this universe.  The 
remaining Ryoga would be more interested in protecting Akane than shielding the
rebels.
     It started toward the house but Ryoga 5 stepped into its path.  His glow of
his aura was bright enough to make the humans shield their eyes.  "You owe me 
for my arm, bastard! I've never been this angry before!", he snarled.  A rage
fueled Chi sphere formed in his remaining hand.  The power level was 
remarkable, who'd have believed meat could generate like that.
     The Ryogoid knew that if it didn't get around the override system fast it
was in trouble.  Unfortunately there was no way around it.  
     The sphere's impact smashed the Ryogoid into the wall.  Damage reports 
scrolled through its mind, mobility at 40%, left leg nonfunctional, chest 
armour caved inwards.  The only undamaged things were its facial features (the
attacks having been body blows) and the multi redundant Quantum Stabilizer 
System which held it in this universe.
     Ryoga 5 collapsed, he'd put all his remaining strength into that attack.
Ryoga 3 was building power for his ultimate technique.  It was time to finish
this.
     A new plan formed in the crippled android's mind.  A fairly desperate plan
but its options were rather limited.  It pulsed instructions to the transmitter
array.  Waves of energy rolled from the hidden device, some of them visible to
humans.
     Ryoga 2 shouted to 3, "I don't know what's happening but we'd better 
destroy it quickly!"
     Ryoga 3 nodded, "Almost ready, just a few seconds more."
     The Ryogoid's sensors reported success, synchronisation had been achieved.
Now for a destination.  Ryoga 3 was ready to fire, no time to choose.  It'd have
to jump blindly.
     "DRAGON CLAW STRIKE!"
     Ryoga 3's attack wave surged towards the android.  Which flickered out of 
existence a moment before impact.  The energy wave chewed through the wall and
ripped a deep trench in the street.
     Ryoga 3 paused for breath, Ryoga 4 slapped him on the back.  "You blasted
it to pieces, excellent."
     Ryoga 3 shook his head, "No, I missed.  He vanished just before it hit
him somehow."
     Ryoga 2 was looking around the battle torn garden, "They're all gone!"
     Everyone stared, it was true.  The live rebels, the dead ones, their 
weapons, the bloodstains, every trace of them was gone.
     Nabiki was the first to ask, "Where ... where did they go?"
     Ryoga 2 answered hesitantly, "I think ... I think the robot left here 
somehow.  And when it did it dragged everything that belonged in its world
with it."
     "But where did it go?"
     No one answered, no one knew.
     Transition completed and the android looked around.  Success.  It had used
the transmitter array to cancel the Quantum Charge holding all matter that 
passed through the time machine to the previous world.  As it did that it had
synchronised the matter to the field generated by its own Quantum Stabiliser.
Finally using its inbuilt emergency Dimensional Shift System it had jumped 
randomly into another world.  The Quantum Stabilisation Field had dragged all
synchronised matter with it.  The transmitter array remained behind, held in
place by its own stabiliser.  It would return and retrieve it later.
     Once again the Tendo garden was full of bodies.  The android's personal
system was incapable of performing spacial changes, that required larger
hardware.  So it was in this dimension's counterpart to the Tendo yard.
     First things first.  Sadu and Perrier were slumped nearby, groaning.  Jump
disorientation combined with theie injuries had dazed them.  Good, it didn't 
need additional complications.  Even with all the damage it had suffered 
killing two unarmed humans would be easy.
     "YOU SCUM!"  The voice came from the figure who had just emerged from the
house.  It was absolutely the last voice unit 303 wanted to hear.
     This world's Ryoga Hibiki glared at the Ryogoid and the scattered corpses.
Strangely he showed no shock or fear.  Just anger, and a certain resignation.
     "You Chronos bastards stop at nothing do you.  It's not enough to kill
people, you've got to do it while wearing my face!"
     "What the hell is he talking about?", the android wondered.  Chronos?
CHRONOS! No it couldn't be, not this world of all the possible choices!
     "GUYVER!"
     Yes it could.
     The Bio Booster Armour formed around Ryoga.  He jumped and landed between 
his enemy and the two survivors.  Strange, the body of this Zoanoid looked 
manufactured.  Normally they looked far more organic.
     The Ryogoid sensed power building in the Guyver's chest plate.  He was 
going to use the Megasmasher right away.  Typical Hibiki approach, why use a
mallet if you've got a sledgehammer?  It had to do something fast.  If it was
destroyed so was the stabiliser.  With nothing to hold them here the rebels
would snap back to the Prime Worldline.  Where they could destroy the glory 
that was to follow before it happened.
     It tried frantically to find a way around the override.  There was none.
It was trapped, the only option was deactivating the stabiliser and snapping
back to the homeworld.
     OVERRIDE
     It couldn't take action that might damage the course of history.  It was
forbidden to enter the past of the Empire.  It would take about 60 seconds to
recharge its Dimensional Shift System.  The Megasmasher would fire in about 15.
No way to block or evade, it ws doomed.  For the first time it felt a new
emotion.  Fear.  It was going to die pointlessly and perhaps doom the empire
in the process.  It had to do something, say something, anything!
     "I don't want to die I've done a lot of rotten things.  What if there's a
hell for robots?"
     The the Megasmasher flared and unit 303 ceased to exist.  Along with its
Quantum Stabiliser.
     Ryoga turned to the two survivors.  He needed to know who they were and 
why Chronos had murdered their companions here.  There was no one behind him.
The garden was empty again, no trace that there ever had been bodies here.  No
one nearby, no sign of Zoanoids, nothing.
     He deactivated the Guyver Armour.  It folded itself back into whatever
dimension it called home.  Was he seeing things or was Chronos playing 
mindgames?
     With the elation of battle gone his depression returned.  He'd go down
fighting but he knew there was no chance of winning.  Chronos was a worldwide
conspiracy with seemingly unlimited resources, he was just a teenager with an
alien artifact.  One man against thousands, Chronos was everywhere.  He 
couldn't be everywhere they struck.  How many times had they killed friends 
and he'd been powerless to stop them?  Ukyou, Genma, Mousse ... the list went 
on.  All slaughtered by Chronos's monsters.  
     He stepped back inside, pausing at Kasumi's shrine.  Slaughtered by 
Chronos or abducted and transformed into Zoanoids.   Zoanoids that died at
his hands.  As always he whispered, "I'm sorry Kasumi, I had no choice."
     "Ryoga?  I ... I thought I heard the Megasmasher.", Nabiki asked him
nervously as she peered around the corner.  She must have gone to bed, she'd
taken off her eyepatch.  It had been a while since he'd seen the full scar.
The doctors did everything they could but there was no way to save her eye.
     "You did", he answered, "But I may have been shooting at shadows.  Maybe
I've been walking the edge so long that I finally slipped off."
     Nabiki said nothing, she just shivered.  She'd always been so self 
assured, now she was so fragile.  Not that surprising after what she'd been
through.  Especially if her nightmares were anything like his.
     He continued, "I didn't mean to wake you.  Think I disturbed Akane and
Ranma?"
     "No.  Sounds like they're otherwise occupied.  Probably didn't hear a
thing."
     He nodded absently, that answer would have upset him not too long ago.
Now nothing seemed to matter except surviving to fight another day.  Realizing
just how short life could be Akane and Ranma had stopped playing games and got
serious.  Fine by him, people should grab the happiness they could while they
still had time.  Far too soon all hell would break loose on them again.
     Overhead he heard Soun crying in his sleep.  He'd never recovered from
Kasumi's death, he rarely spoke these days.
     Nabiki sat down, he sat beside her.  Tentatively he rested his arm on her
shoulders.  She began to shake and he withdrew it hurriedly.  Everyone in this
house was walking wounded in some fashion.
     He cleared his throat, as always his mind had drifted back to the same 
thing.  "You know, I keep thinking 'what if?'  If I'd just walked any other
direction that day nothing would have changed.  Chronos was around before we 
were born.  They were always there, we just didn't know it.  I really wish I
still didn't know it."
     He continued bitterly, "Things used to be fun around here.  Maybe 
personally embarassing sometimes, or painful but underneath it all wild and
crazy.  Then I stumbled on that damn Guyver Unit and everything turned to 
shit.  The closest thing to cute lately was when I had to activate the Guyver 
while I was P-chan.  That Gregol laughed its head off.  Right up to the point I 
decapitated it for real.
     "This world's a dead end.  Sooner or later Chronos will win.  We'll go
down fighting, but we will go down.  It'd just be nice to think that 
somewhere, somehow things were different."
     Nabiki nodded, she thought about her personal history having been 
different every day.  But she knew that this was the only world she had.  It 
was foolish to dream that things might have been different.

end of part 8

Authors note:  Now that the cyberpunkish stuff is done it's back to a more
               character driven story for the final episode.  For anyone who
               thinks I dragged Guyer-Ryoga out of nowhere; the android
               mentioned knowing about him back in Part 2.  Foreshadowing
               strikes again.

Next episode:  Back to the Tendo home as the surviving Ryogas go home.  
               Leading to six different endings.
Part 9 : Departures and Consequences.


Ryoga : Crossover
by Mark Latus
A Ranma 1/2 fanfic in nine parts

The Quick Guide to Ryoga Hibikis
Ryoga 1 - The only Ryoga who belongs on this world.  The guy you've seen in the
          anime.
Ryoga 2 - Engaged to the Nabiki of his world.  Has the same curse as Ranma. AKA
          Ryoga 1/2, Ryoga-chan.
Ryoga 3 - Married the Shampoo of his world shortly after meeting her.  Normally
          lives in China.  Trained by Cologne.
Ryoga 4 - Engaged to the Ukyou of his world.
Ryoga 5 - Forcibly engaged to Kodachi of his world.  Slightly paranoid.  
          Seriously injured earlier in the evening.
Ryoga 6 - R.I.P.


Part 9 : Departures and Consequences

     The other Ryogas were clustered around Ryoga 5 when Kasumi emerged from
the house.  She looked upset as she announced, "All the bodies aren't gone,
there's still one in the house.  It's one of you."
     The Ryogas looked at one another, Ryoga 6 had slipped their minds during
the recent chaos.  Ryoga 5 was the only one of them to have actually seen his
corpse.  They looked toward the house with a horrible morbid fascination.
     Ryoga 5 sighed, "So go look, pay your last respects to that sorry 
bastard."
     "You shouldn't speak ill of the dead", Ryoga 1 told him.
     "Try loosing an arm sometime, it doesn't do much for your social 
skills."
     The other Ryogas hesitated then walked into the house through the gaping 
holes in the wall.  Kasumi walked over to where Ryoga 5 lay, he didn't look 
good.  He was very pale and shivering.  "It's not really cold is it?" he asked. 
She shook her head.  "Damn, then it's me.  I'm going into shock."
     Kasumi glanced aroung the garden, Nabiki was examining father and Mr.
Saotome, Akane was still crouched by the semiconscious Ranma.  "How are 
they?", she asked.
     Nabiki slipped the adults wallets back into their pockets and answered, 
"Dad and Mr. Saotome are just dazed.  We've seen them in worse shape than 
this."  She walked over to join her sister, calling over to Akane, "How's 
Ranma?"
     Ranma muttered, "Ukyou ... ".  Akane restrained herself from slapping
him.  "The dolt sounds like he's back to normal, but