Realities Byte
By Jim Robert Bader
(Inspired by the Works of Rumiko Takahashi & Others Including the writers of the Altered Destinies and Convergences Series.)
Chapter 10
Convergence.
Continuum #24968173
Roll Call:
Spring SaotomeRinse SaotomeRanko SaotomeEidolon Kuno Akira HibikiYinra SaotomeWatazashi SaotomeDragon Tendo Lylac TendoYangra SaotomeYaun-Yen TendoChi Kuno Shamran TendoTachi KunoTakane KunoSachio Kuno Ryokoma SaotomeRyoukio HibikiRazor HibikiMinos Taro Fragrance KuonjiBelldandy TofuKengo Yatai KuonjiBelldandy Taro Storm SaotomeIvory KunoJonma SaotomeBreeze Steinberg Lightning SaotomeBrand TendoTwilight SaotomeBelldandy Kuno Godai HibikiOkami SaotomeDai Yen TendoShinji Kuonji Ryonami HibikiKimiko TendoRui HibikiRei Saotome Towel KuonjiChameleon KurenaiKimiko HibikiAtsuko Hibiki Incense TendoKanazuchi TaroTakomo Arigami
The air above the heads of everyone gathered about the two Ranmas shifted into a giant blue disk, and one second later bodies literally began falling from out of the sky, some landing on top of the heads of the less wary, thus breaking the fall of the new arrivals, while others managed to catch their balance and land on their own two feet, thus crowding the free spaces with their wholly unexpected arrival.
Of course considering that the fight between the two Ranmas had brought them close to the edge of one of the storm control canals it was hardly surprising that the ones with Jusenkyo curses should happen to land in the water. The splash kicked up by their bodies just happened (by some amazing coincidence) to strike both Ranma and Ryoga squarely while Shampoo was caught trying to dodge away from the spray in her direction.
"Oh great," the older Ranma said two octaves higher than before, looking down at herself as her clothing miraculously self-adjusted to fit her now smaller frame. She then turned an accusing stare up at the heavens and said, "One day...just one whole day without getting wet, is that too much to ask?"
"What are you complaining about?" a younger and smaller version of herself asked, turning a glance towards where Ryoga had been standing, "Get a look at him."
"Ryoga?" Akane asked as she found herself looking at a bundle of clothing that included a now-empty leather jacket.
"Oh my," Kasumi was the first to say as she scanned around at the new faces looking at them from all directions, "So many people showing up at one time."
"I know what you mean, Sis," the younger Nabiki said, "And I didn't even sell them any tickets."
"Just great," one of the new kids on the block complained, "Where are we now?"
"Take a guess, stupid," somebody else snapped, "Just look who gawking at us."
The older Nabiki hastily brought out her wristwatch and passed it around in a circle as if using it like a tricorder. She stared at the readings and said a choice word of exclamation, then winced at the reproving glare this earned her from her (formerly) older sister.
"Oh my," Cologne looked around, "So many young people, and half of them look a little like my Shampoo."
"Quack, Quack!" protested Mousse, who had also been caught in the spray of a moment past.
"Great-great grandmother?" several of the new arrivals chorused, followed by equally astonished cries of "Father/Daddy/Pop/Dad/Mom/Momma/Mother" and (more curiously) "Fama!" The surprise generated by these statements was only compounded by the fact that they were not all addressed to the same parties, creating a cacophony of agitated voices that competed for attention.
"Wha-what's going on here?" asked Akane.
"Saotome," Soun asked, "Have you any idea what this is all about?"
"Not a clue, Tendo-kun," Genma replied, "But my guess is that the Boy is somehow involved here."
"Good guess, Pop," the older and taller female Ranma snorted.
The next minute or so was consumed by the bedlam created by two score people trying to talk all at once, only to have this near-riot of voice interrupted by a sharp whistle. It was Tachi Kuno who called for everyone's attention, calling out, "Hey Sibs, Parental Units! Let's have some order here! Everybody just quiet down and give us a chance to explain things, okay? Thanks!"
"Who are you?" Nabiki-jr asked, hesitating before she added, "You look a little like me..."
"There is a perfectly reasonable explanation for that, Mom-I mean-Tendo-san," Tachi winced at her own gaff then hastily leapt to the next statement before the damage had time to set in, "We've all been slightly misdirected by a fancy piece of jewelry that seems to have a mind of its own and has been hijacking us from several alternate versions of the future..."
"Are you now?" Cologne asked, "Very interesting. So these two are not the only visitors from the future. By alternates do I take that to mean that you young people are in some way related to various parties who are currently present, including my great granddaughter?"
"Meow?" asked Shampoo with her ears forward and her whiskers twitching with amazement.
"Gah!" the Ranma of the Present reacted, "A Cat!"
"Ah, put a sock in it," the taller redhead beside him snorted, "It's just Shampoo. C'mere Kitty, let me dry you off before that nice fur coat of yours gets dirty."
"Ranma still has his Jusenkyo curse but he's overcome the Nekoken?" Nabiki-jr marveled.
"Mister Macho finally conquered his fear of cats," her older counterpart said simply, "After he stopped giving a damn about himself it was easy, just like he stopped looking for a cure to his other problem."
Of a sudden several people became aware that a large scaly face was appearing over the guardrail overlooking the storm drain. The dragon was certainly a terrifying sight to those who did not know any better, but this terror was slightly abated by the sight of the dark haired boy and purple haired girl riding on its back, not to mention a sopping wet pussy cat with indigo colored fur.
"Just great," growled another fearsome sight as a fur-faced Cat-man climbed over the rail, "More wet clothes to have to dry again..."
A furry woman with catlike features followed him in turn, only she vaulted the rail as if in understated display of her acrobatic talents.
"Showoff," growled an entirely male Ranko.
"Oh my," Kasumi put a hand to one cheek as she said, "I wonder what kind of spring those two fell into. At least Mister Dragon seems tame enough to handle."
"Don't let appearances fool you, sweet Auntie," Dai Yen remarked, "Where we come from Dragon is referred to as 'Mostly' harmless."
"Mostly?" Akane said dubiously before she noticed movement was taking place in Ryoga's jacket. She reached down to pick it up and expose the thing that had been creating the motion, only what she saw made Akane's eyes go wide before she cried, "P-chan?"
"Uh oh," said the older Nabiki as the younger one glanced nervously at her volatile sister.
"Ryoga...is P-chan?" Akane said as if the gears were grinding slowly in her head, gradually putting two and two together.
"No duh, Mom," said Yinra tartly, "You figured that one out years ago..."
"Not here she hasn't, obviously," said Yangra to his twin sister.
"RY-O-GA!" Akane growled as she took a step towards a somewhat larger version of her "pet" pig, who made a squeal like a cornered mouse and started to skirt away from the avenging Tomboy, only to find the older Ranma blocking her path.
"Akane-no!" she said, "Don't let yourself get angry..."
"Out of my WAY!" Akane didn't have to think, only react from well-conditioned reflex and threw one of her patented roundhouse punches at the red-haired girl, but Ranma did not budge an inch as her hand shot forward and made a circular motion that caught and disabled that punch before it could make impact. Akane threw another punch, only this time when Ranma's other hand intercepted her she allowed the motion to continue forward as Akane was thrown over onto her back with the force of her own momentum. Ranma did not release her grip on Akane's wrist but planted a foot on the angry girl's chest to hold her firmly to the spot where she had landed.
"I said no!" Ranma said firmly, "You're going to listen and hear me out for once! I'm never letting you get away with using violence to solve your problems around me again, you got it?"
"Let me go!" Akane snarled, then winced as Ranma firmed the tension on her wrist, "Ow! You're hurting me!"
"That's enough," Ranma told her counterpart, but the older Ranma just snorted and said, "No way, junior. You want me to ease up on her, but this is the only way she'd going to learn. Giving in to a bully isn't the answer, you've first got to take their advantage away from them before you can make them listen."
"Dad?" Ranko looked shocked at what he was seeing, "Mom?"
The pig started to move forward as if to defend Akane, but a hand reached out to seize him by the bandana and hoist him up to eye level as the older Nabiki said, "Not this time, Ryoga. Akane needs to find out for herself that violence isn't always the answer."
"What's going on here?" Rinse asked, "Why's Momma Akane acting this way?"
"Beats me," Tachi shrugged, "We landed in the middle of this act and nobody thought to give us programs."
"Father," Watazashi said carefully, looking from old to young before adding, "This doesn't seem to be obtaining the sort of results you are after. Perhaps you could allow me to speak with Aunt Akane, I have my own ways of being persuasive."
"Father?" the older Ranma let go of Akane's arm and studied the raven-haired girl with the blue-violet eyes and disturbingly familiar features, "Uh...don't take this the wrong way, but...do I know you?"
"That...would take some explaining, Father," replied Storm as he knelt down and picked up Shampoo the cat, murmuring, "Don't worry, Mother, we'll get you changed back in good order."
"Um...excuse me?" Nabiki-sr. looked around at all the strange faces, some of which were looking towards her in a very curious fashion, "Is there something you people need to tell the rest of us, or should we just faint and get it over with right now?"
"Well..." Yuan-Yen winced slightly, "Like the Purple Boy says, it's kind of complicated...Mother."
As both Nabikis were mouthing that word like a pair of fish out of water Akane was struggling to get back on her feet when she saw a hand reach down to her, looked up and found Godai staring down with a friendly expression.
"If you need to get angry at somebody, Mom, you can yell at me," he said, "I don't mind it, really."
"Who are you?" Akane said, then she began to recognize little telltale traits and said, "Ryoga?"
"Not...quite," said the Amazon boy, "But you are close."
"Let me help her," Takane said, "She's my mother too..."
"Ah...no, that definitely would not be a good idea," said a male Lylac, "At least if experiences on my timeline has any relevant basis."
"Um...excuse me," Nodoka looked around at the bewildering variety of faces, "But where did all of you young people come from?"
"Never mind that," a red-haired girl growled as she shoved her way forward past anyone unfortunate enough to be standing in her path, "I want to know where we are and why we were dragged here so rudely from NERV base! There better be a Verdammit good explanation for why we were kidnapped along with all these...ruffians!"
"Asuka, it's all right," said a dark haired, slightly built boy with a somewhat nervous look about him, "I don't think it was deliberate, at least we're not hurt or in any danger, right Rei?"
"Hmm?" murmured an ethereal looking girl with pale blue hair as she glanced at the boy with no apparent trace of emotion.
"Atsuko?" Genma blinked his eyes.
"What was that, Saotome?" Soun asked his friend as if he'd barely heard him speak.
"Ah..." Genma was aware of the look Nodoka paid him and winced, "Nothing, never mind, never heard that name before in my life..."
"Something tells me the old Panda's holding a lot back," Ukyo noted, then turned to look at the handsome boy standing beside another lad who had a face distinctively cat-like, "Er...do I know you two, Sugar?"
Said boy and cat-youth exchanged nervous looks, then the indigo cat sitting on Jonma's shoulders gave the feline equivalent of a snicker.
"What is going on here?" Ranma-jr. asked as she surveyed a sea of disturbingly familiar faces.
"I'm with you on that, Junior," Ranma-sr. sniffed, "Nabs, you got any clue?"
"As a matter of fact, Saotome, I've got more questions than answers," the older Nabiki replied, "The Quantum Flux scans I just ran on these guys say that they're from different alternate timelines, around about a dozen or so, and the Chronal indicator makes them to be from seventeen to twenty or so years in the future."
"The future?" the younger Nabiki asked with rounded eyes, turning to see the smiles and shrugs from nearly a dozen youths looking her way as if in response to her unvoiced question.
"Oh my," Kasumi blinked, then turned to see several more girls who had instinctively gathered close beside her and she wondered why they all looked so familiar...
"I'm waiting for that answer," the one named Asuka/Atsuko said pensively.
"Put a sock in it, Sister," Ranko snorted before turning to look back at the woman he could now identify as his mother. At the moment there were a half a dozen girls crowded around the bewildered Akane, not counting Godai and Watazashi with still more hanging back, as he/she was, on the fringes.
Akane appeared to have forgotten all about her anger at Ryoga as she was presently trying to deal with the fact that girls and boys roughly her own age or slightly younger were calling her Mother, and even one purple haired girl who let slip the word Grandmother.
"You two...you seem so alike each other," she was saying to Rui and Kimiko Hibiki.
"That's because we're twins," the one named Kimiko replied, "Only I'm the oldest..."
"By about ten minutes," Rui snorted, "She always tries to hold it over me, like it means anything! Just because she's better than me with directions..."
"While you inherited father's lack of same," Kimiko replied with a faint sniff.
"Kuso," muttered Kanazuchi as she shook her head, "Bet that gets annoying after a while..."
"Would somebody mind telling me what's going on here?" a sopping wet woman with pale blue hair asked as she joined the others on dry land.
"And who might you be?" Cologne asked.
"My name is Breeze," she replied, "Steinberg Breeze, first Mate of the Amazon Flagship POJ, and yourself, honored Elder?"
Cologne's eyebrows arched noticeably, "Flagship? I was not even aware that we required the services of a navy. Tell me the name of your mother, youth."
"My mother is Lao Kung," the woman replied, "Captain General of the POJ and Matriarch of the Nyanichiczu."
"Matriarch?" Cologne replied, "You don't say. Tell me more about this..."
"Um, excuse me," said a transformed Shampoo, who was hugging a blanket around herself that the tall boy beside her had provided, "Shampoo very confused...you say you is children of Shampoo?"
"That's right, Mom," said Razor, gratified to finally get recognition from a face he found so familiar.
"It's not like we wanted to surprise you or anything," said Shamran.
"It's just that we've been having this really wild day..." continued Lightning.
"You want to tell me about it?" asked the cat-girl, Spring, "I feel like a rubber ball or some child's plaything."
"It really wasn't our plan at all, we assure you," Lylac followed up, only to have the purple haired Kimiko say, "It just sort of happened."
"Yeah," growled Rinse as she flashed an angry glare towards the now-female Akira, "Because Yo-Yo boy here had to go on walkabout and drag the rest of us through time with him."
"So many faces..." Shampoo's expression was doubly surprised when a boy with cat-like features holding an indigo-furred cat walked up to join them, "You all come from Shampoo?"
"Well...we don't all have the same fathers," Storm assured his mother, "But you can definitely say that we're all related with at least one parent in common."
"But you is son of Shampoo's true husband?" Shampoo turned a delighted look Ranma's way and seemed ready to jump right out of her blanket and at him as she said, "Wode Ailen...!"
"Uh-mom!" Lightning was in her path before the blanket could fall from Shampoo's hands, "Not in front of the others! You're embarrassing me...!"
Young Ranma's lovely features were troubled as she took note of all this, but before she could say a word she heard Ukyo say, "Hold on a minute here! Are you all saying that Shampoo here married Ranchan on this many other timelines?"
"Ah...well," Ryokoma shrugged, "On some timelines, yes, I suppose, but then there's quite a few of us represented here as well. Hey guys, back me up on this!"
"It's like he said, Mom," Ryoukio tried to sound reassuring, "Only where I come from you married Dad and raised me, so it doesn't mean one thing or the other."
"Says you," remarked Towel, "Frankly I don't see how she could have married anybody but my father..."
"You want to bet on that, Sugar?" Fragrance smiled ever-so-sweetly.
"Yeesh, give her a heart attack, why doncha?" Jonma sniffed, turning to Chi and adding, "I'm beginning to think being an only child wouldn't be so awful."
"Okay," the younger Nabiki sighed, "This is where the Host Announcer of Candid Cando pops out and says this has all been a big elaborate prank, right?"
"Candid what, Mother?" Incense looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"Quick on the uptake, isn't she?" Dai Yen asked the older Nabiki, then with a start he said, "Hey, what happened to the pendant that started this whole mess in the first place?"
"Huh?" two score heads whirled around and oriented on his position.
"That's right," Tachi looked around, "Did any of you guys have it?"
"No," replied Rinse, "Matriarch Lao had it when the last transition happened."
"Somehow I doubt that it remained with her when we left," Lylac surmised, "Which leads me to theorize that one of us must now be wearing it."
"But which one?" Spring wanted to know.
Everyone hastily examined himself or herself, but it was Akira who found the pendant around her neck. She stared at the talisman for a few seconds, then before anyone else could take notice she leaped forward towards the younger of two near-identical redheads and said, "I'm sorry, Grandfather, I don't have time to explain..."
"Explain what?" Ranma asked the girl with the purple pigtail who had grabbed her by the sleeve while holding up the pendant.
"Forgive me, Grandmother," Akira said as she closed her eyes and concentrated.
Please, she silently projected towards the amulet, I've done what you wanted me to do so far, now help me fulfill my mission!
A blue glow reached out to engulf not only herself and Ranma but an astonished Shampoo, then all at once they faded out of the sight of the others.
"Hey," cried Takomo, "They left us behind this time!"
"He can't do that!" Rui protested.
"Offhand I'd say he just did," grumbled Minos before turning to Kasumi with a shrug, "Some people have no consideration for others, Mom."
"Mom?" Kasumi covered her mouth before looking upon the tall minotaur-like boy, "Oh my..."
"Oh my, yes," said the girl named Belldandy, who had been sketching pictures to one side this whole time, only to look up in dismay as she said, "I hope this doesn't mean that we're all going to be stranded?"
"Either that," the elder Nabiki remarked as she glanced at the older Ranma, "Or somebody's gonna have to call dispatch and fetch a Taxi..."
Continuum #30197684
Both Ranma and Shampoo gasped upon finding themselves somewhere else in the presence of the mysterious Akira. Although time travel was not an entirely new experience for either teenager, the sudden transition from one place and climate to the other was more than a little bit disorienting. It took several seconds for either one to realize that they were standing in the middle of the Amazon village of Joketsuzoku with bodies stretched out everywhere as far as the eye could see them.
"What the...?" the redheaded Ranma stared in horrified amazement.
"My people!" Shampoo cried in dismay, "What happen to Shampoo village?"
"This is what I brought you here to prevent, Grandmother," Akira replied, urging them both to follow her as she stepped gingerly past the bodies towards a given destination, "They're not all dead yet, and there's still time to save them, but you've got to come with me."
"Where are we going?" Ranma asked.
"To see my friend, the Doctor," Akira called over her shoulder, but when she saw the two hesitate she added, "Look, I don't have time to explain. I'm sorry I brought you here so suddenly, but it's an emergency! We need you to help save my people."
Ranma and Shampoo exchanged looks then started to follow the strange girl as she led the way towards a large building that Shampoo recognized as the Council Chamber of the Elders.
Inside what they found was an emergency hospital in full operation with dozens of bodies being tended to by a pair of outsiders who were clearly not Amazon in origin. One of these-a tall man with curly brown hair wearing a long frock coat and a multi-colored scarf-the other a woman who resembled him in both dress and appearance. The man looked up as Akira called out to him, smiled and then said, "Ah, back already? Good! And I see you brought them both just like I asked."
"Doctor," Akira indicated the two astonished teenagers trailing behind her, "These are my grandparents before they were married. I hope we're not too late to save them!"
"Grandparents?" Ranma blinked her eyes while Shampoo's widened.
"Not at all," the Doctor said as he came to join them, smiling as he took Ranma's hand and shook it, "My dear boy...or should I say girl at the moment? It's so good to see you once again, the years have been kind to you and your lovely fianc e..."
"Uh...?" Ranma said in a slightly higher than normal voice, "Fiancee?"
"Right this way, come along," the tall man insisted, heading towards the far end of the chamber while the other figure tending to the sick looked up in surprise, revealing the face of a beautiful young girl dressed very similarly to the Doctor.
Ranma was sure her capacity for surprise had already been taxed to the limit when he and Shampoo were presented to a pair of figures laid out side-by-side on matching cots. The surprise came when he and his companion recognized both figures as a much older version of her male self and Shampoo stretched out and unconscious. Akira wasted no time rushing up to the side of the purple-haired matron, kneeling down to take one of her hands between her own before murmuring softly, "Grandmother?"
Reddish-brown eyes slowly opened as the yet-handsome Shampoo of the future tried to focus upon her grandson, then in a weak voice the matronly figure said, "Did you bring them like I asked, Akira my darling?"
"Yes Grandmother," the girl said reverently before indicating the two wide-eyed youths in question, "They're here...or you both are...or...well...something like that."
The purple haired woman smiled tolerantly and said, "You have done well, child. Your mother and father will be proud of you. Doctor?"
"I'm here, Matriarch," the Doctor replied, ignoring the gasp of surprise that came from Shampoo's direction.
"The Virus..." the woman tried to say, but her strength was obviously failing.
"There's no danger of any further infections," the Doctor replied, "The Daleck virus isn't transmissible in its secondary stage, and Helexia and I have taken the liberty to inoculate everyone with a drug that will delay the final stage for a few more hours. That should be sufficient time to create a vaccine with the assistance of your younger self and that of your husband..."
"Husband?" Ranma reacted with further amazement.
"Yes," the Doctor smiled as he turned towards Ranma, "Thanks to that phenomenal constitution of yours I should be able to synthesize the antidote using your enzymes, and those of your companions. There really is no harm to either of you, but we must act fast if we are to save the lives of everyone in this village."
"Our help?" Shampoo asked, "What must we do?"
"I'll require a sample of your blood," the Doctor replied, "From each of you. There's not a moment to lose, this way to my laboratory. Helexia, I could use your assistance."
"Yes Father," the brown haired girl straightened out, following the tall man as he ushered a much bewildered Ranma and Shampoo towards the nearest available exit...
Continued.
Comments/Criticisms/Cytoplasmic Gene Therapy: shadowmane
It all comes together in the next chapter...be there!
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