TRTSS24: Ranma Who's Trek! – By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: R1/2, SM, ST, DW and other properties belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre story. This is also a 1000-plus word edition.
Special Note: This story focuses on the Saotome couple's adventures with the 11th incarnation of the Timelord known simply as "The Doctor".
Part 14: "Vampires in Venice" & "Amy's Choice"
Groom-to-be Rory William was with his boys down in the local pub, hoping to enjoy his bachelor's party, when the party took a decidedly strange turn…
"Hey, Rory, where's the cake?" said one of Rory's friends.
"It's coming, I guess," Rory said, as he hung up his phone. He had left a message on Amy's message machine, with the intent on checking on Amy and his soon-to-be step-daughter Melody. While he always loved Amy, starting with a crush when they were kids, he soon began to treat Melody as his own, after her deadbeat father Gino disappeared. He thought himself to be the luckiest man in the Universe…
For now, it was time for one last night of debauchery as a single man.
"Come on, Rory!" said another man.
"Okay, okay, calm down," Rory said, as he was pushed up to the cake. "It's not what's going to happen to be a big idea anyway-"
Suddenly, a certain pigtailed martial artist burst through the top of the cake, causing the bar patrons to go silent. He then looks around until he sees Rory.
"Rory Williams, right?" Ranma asked.
"Um, yes," Rory said with hesitance. "We…we were kind of expecting a girl."
"Oh, yeah, about that, sorry," Ranma said, as he rubbed the back of his head. "Something kind of came up…"
Just then, the Doctor enters the pub.
"Ranma, there you are," the Doctor said. "You should have waited for me."
"Well, I wanted to speak to Rory alone, and but the spatial disturbances of these cracks in the space-time continuum threw me off the mark."
"Yeah, and inadvertently caused you to trade places with the young lady in the cake," the Doctor said. "But don't worry, she's okay-"
"Hey, now, wait just a second," said one the more drunk patrons. "We all came down here to see some babes, so…WE WANT TO SEE SOME BABES!"
"Sorry about that," Rory said. "Thomas tends to go too far in drinking."
"Not a problem, Rory," Ranma said, as he steps to face the unruly guests. "Sir, you want to see a babe?"
"Yeah, I DO."
"Okay," Ranma said, as he performed a single-handed jutsu, before touching Thomas. "Sexy…no Jutsu: Other!"
When the smoke cleared, Thomas was transformed into a beautiful, bikini-clad vixen.
"What the hell?" Thomas-onna said, as Ranma presents a mirror to the transformed man.
"See?" Ranma said with a grin.
"He's a witch…or an alien or something!" said another guest. "Get 'em!"
"Oh, dear," the Doctor said, as he stepped back while a bar-room brawl ensued.
Later, back at the TARDIS…
"That…was bad," Rory said, as he recalled what happened. He then turns towards Ranma.
"Are you sure the boys will be back to normal?"
"Yeah, the effects of the 'Sexy no Jutsu' will be undone by morning," Ranma said, as he checked the instruments of the TARDIS. During the fight, Ranma changed all the men into beautiful, female versions of themselves.
"Although, that other friend of yours seemed to like the changes…"
"Chris tends to be the weird one out of the bunch, but he's harmless," Rory said.
Just then, Amy and the Doctor entered the TARDIS.
"Well, I put Melody back to sleep, and auntie will continue to look after her until morning," Amy said, as she stepped up the raised platform. "Now, Rory, you wanted to say something?"
"Yes, this," Rory said, as he motions to the TARDIS. "And what's this about you spending weeks traveling across time and space searching for 'Gino', who, I now know for sure, is a woman."
Pause.
"You're not, well, you know…"
"Know what?" Amy said, as she began to get upset. "You're implying that I'm a-"
"What else is the reason?"
"Perhaps I want to let 'Gino' know that 'he' has a daughter? That's the only reason I've been hanging around these two, Rory!"
"Well, I thought it was because of my charm," the Doctor said jokingly.
"Okay, so now what?" Rory said. "You want to call the wedding off?"
"No, Rory, I still want to find Gino," Amy said, as she throws up her arms into the air. "And with this wonderful machine, I can do so before sun up."
"Really?" Rory said.
"Really," Ranma replied. "Doc, I think I have a strong reading on Usagi's location."
"Time and place?" the Doctor said, as he prepares to confirm the sensor readings.
"Year 1580 CE: Venice, Italy."
"Now, so you see what I'm trying to do, Rory?" Amy asked.
"I…I suppose so," Rory said. "Well, I guess I should go home and wait for you to return-"
"Well, now, why bother?" the Doctor said. "You're here now."
"Really?"
"Really. We have the space for the trip."
"So I noticed…"
After a brief stint outside of Time and Space, the TARDIS rematerializes near a bustling market on the outskirts of old Venice.
"Ah, Venice!" the Doctor said enthusiastically, as he surveyed the scene. "Founded by refugees fleeing Attila the Hun, a collection of floating houses has become a powerful city."
"With a powerful smell," Ranma said with a frown, as he scrunched his noise.
"I agree," Amy said.
"It's…quaint," Rory said, as he watches a mother and child walk pass by. "So, this is where Gino is?"
"Possibly, or 'his' past self may be around here…I'm not sure." The Doctor said.
"Come again?"
"Don't worry about it," Ranma said with a grin. "You'll get used to it."
"That's what I'm afraid of…"
Upon entering the city proper, after the Doctor convinced the plague inspector that he was a monsignor, that Amy was a countess, that Ranma was a knight, and that Rory was a eunuch, the four went deeper into the city.
"That's odd," the Doctor said.
"What is it?" Amy said.
"There isn't a plague at this time."
"Just looking at this place, I'd be surprise if there wasn't," Rory said.
"Perhaps the Signora Rossana di Calvierri simply wants to control the economics?" Ranma offered. "I know that the 'merchant wars' are fierce around this time."
"How do you know?" Amy asked.
"I used to frequent these parts, just before setting sail to the Americas," Ranma said, as he thought back to his earlier years. "But let's see. I went to America in 1492, before going back to Europe to hang out with 'Liz' for a stint, then back to America to hang out with Cuzco in South America, and then I went home for a bit, before becoming the wife of the emperor of Chosun, in order to save my daughter's life…"
"Um…"
"No, I should be in Japan right about now, before returning to Europe, where- of course!"
"What is it?" the Doctor asked.
"I remember correct, Usagi will be in Venice with Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez and Connor MacLeod. Ramirez wanted to teach Connor other fencing techniques, and I was suppose to meet up with them here in a few months."
"Wait, then you know the future, then," Amy asked.
"I know of MY past, Amy. Time traveling is never in a straight line. You could easily change the past, but YOU past might stay the same, unless you're caught up in a paradox loop."
"Huh?"
"Exactly, which is why we must be careful if we see-"
"Ranma?" said a familiar voice.
"Oh, no," Ranma said, as he slowly turns around to see the Usagi of this era. She was dressed in an elegant Venetian dress. She wore a small cap, had a purse, and carried a parasol. Her demeanor was that of a sophisticated lady of her stature. Behind her were her servant and bodyguard.
"Hello, Usagi," Ranma said with a grin.
"Pray tell, what manner of dress are you wearing?" Usagi said, as she stepped forth. She then widens her eyes.
"Wait, you're from our home era?"
"Er, well…"
"Indeed, that is the case, Usagi," the Doctor said.
"And you are…?"
"I'm the Doctor."
"You can't be MY Doctor," Usagi said.
"I'm a future model."
"Ah."
"And who is this?" Rory said.
"It's…Gino," Amy said breathless. She couldn't believe how beautiful her Gino was.
"Okay, then I want a word with her," Rory said, as he steps up to Usagi's person.
"Rory, wait-!" Ranma said, as Usagi's body guard drew his sword on Rory.
"Ulp!" Rory said, as he barely felt the tip of the blade.
"Rory!" Amy said.
"Rory, in this era, be careful about stepping into the personal space of a royal," the Doctor said.
"So I noticed," Rory said, as he broke out in a sweat.
Tbc.