Disclaimer: All characters and concepts in this story are owned and copyrighted

by their respective creators. They DO NOT belong to me. I'm just barrowing them.

"Ultimate Crisis, Ultimate Warrior"

A Ranma 1/2 - Sailor Moon x-over (primary)

- Multiple Anime x-over (secondary)

Written by Trooper1023

Based on original story idea, "The Super Ranma", by Piccolo181

View at: http://www.geocities.com/nighthawktm/idea.htm

=text= is transmissions (long-distance communicators)

[text] is sounds/actions

*text* is emphasized words

~text~ is thoughts

_______________________________________________________________________

Part I: When in Need of a Warrior

Chapter 3: On the Home Front

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Nerima, the night of the eighth day...

In the guest room of the Tendo Dojo, Nodoka Saotome dreamed. She dreamed of

Ranma, or more precisely, *five* different Ranmas.

Ranma... dressed in a blue bodysuit and white armor, a flame-like aura of blue

around him. He is viciously trading blows with an older purple haired boy

surrounded by a similar aura only white. The older boy oddly looks a lot like

Ranma...

Ranma... standing bare-chested before another, a *hugely* muscled warrior, on

the field of what looks like an arena. His eyes flicker from blue-gray to gold,

radiating the ki of a killer so brilliantly that Nodoka shivers...

Ranma... his hair dark red, standing beside a shorter man who also has red hair,

both wearing the grab of a samurai with swords at their waists. As they turn,

Nodoka can see the cross-scar on the man's left cheek, and the long vertical

scar that runs down the right side of her son's face, over his right eye to the

line of his jaw. The man with the cross-scar seems oddly familiar to Nodoka...

Ranma... dressed in a matte-black bodysuit and glossy-black body armor, with two

black marks on the left side of his face. He holds a battle staff of black and

gold in a two-handed stance, and behind him float two angular blades of black

energy, like wings of darkness. Looking closer, Nodoka can see that his blue

eyes are slitted, like a cat's...

Ranma... in female form, with red-orange hair and dressed in an odd-looking

skin-tight outfit of black and gold, with black shoulder guards and a black

cape. Ranma narrows her eyes - which shift from the familiar blue-gray to

startling molten red - then rears back a hand. An orange ball of light forms in

her hand, which she throws with a shout at an ugly beast charging toward her.

The beast vanishes in an explosion of orange flames...

Nodoka woke with a gasp. Closing her eyes, she began to think of the images in

her dream. Of five very different versions of her son... one of them female!

~Why am I seeing these things in my sleep? Are these other 'Ranma's simply

examples of other ways my son that could have grown up, if things had turned out

differently? Or is the connection even closer than that?~

Suddenly Nodoka started, realizing why the man standing next to the red-haired

Ranma in her dream was familiar. ~That was Great-Grandfather Kenshin when he was

young! What was *he* doing standing next to my--~ Nodoka's thought cut off.

~This can't be right! That *was* Ranma in my dream, despite the red... hair?!?~

She shook her head in confusion. ~Great-Grandfather died just after meeting my

son, only a few weeks before Ranma's third birthday. What did he say... "You

were right... to name your son... Ranma... he reminds me... of a boy I adopted

once... a long time ago..."~ Nodoka's head spun as she tried to make sense of

the mess of images and memories in her mind. She shook her head violently. ~Ugh,

enough all ready. I'm going to question myself into madness at this rate.~ She

sat up on her futon and gazed out the window.

~Ranma... my son... please hurry home,~ she pleaded silently.

A few minutes later, a terrified scream reverberated around the house.

_______________________________________________________________________

-----------------------------DREAM-------------------------------------

-----------------------------START-------------------------------------

"Akane! This is sooooooo *boring*!"

"Ranma, you're going to have to learn about shopping eventually. Might has well

do it now instead of later, and here in the brand new mall in Juuban."

"But what kinda use am I gonna have for a *mall*?! All you're doing is walkin'

around in circles, stickin' your nose in random shop windows. Hell, you ain't

even buyin' a tenth of what ya pick up and look at!" Ranma-chan growled sourly.

"Ever heard of browsing?"

"Um, yeah. So?"

"Ugh! You drive me crazy sometimes! This is what *normal* teenagers do with some

of their free time."

"You mean girls, doncha?"

"And? You're a girl."

"I AM *NOT*!!!" Ranma-chan roared. When practically half the mall turned her

way, she gave every looker such a glare that they all cringed and looked away.

Akane however giggled. "Wow, are you the touchy one."

"Shaddup, ya un-cute tomboy!"

"What did you call me?!"

"Ya heard me right! Tomboy! I ain't no girl, but I gotta say I'm *still* more

girlish than *you*!"

An angry red battle aura flickered into existence around Akane. "Do you *want*

to get malleted?" she asked in a lethally quiet voice.

"Ya know what? I *do* want it! Go a'head 'n' hit me!!"

"..." Ranma began to sweat as the battle aura vanished suddenly and a truly evil

grin spread across Akane's face. "In that case, I'm *not* going to give you the

pounding you so rightfully deserve. Instead... you're going to follow me through

every feminine clothing and hygiene store in the mall!!"

_______________________________________________________________________

"WWWHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYY MMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!" An anguished cry echoed around

the buildings of downtown Juuban.

Makoto Kino winced in sympathy. "What kind of terrible things have to be done to

some poor girl to make her scream like *that*?" Minako Ano nodded in silent

agreement. Suddenly a pair of beeping noses started coming from their purses.

The two Sailor Senshi pulled them out and activated them.

=Makoto, Minako?= came Ami's voice.

"Yeah?" they replied in unison.

=Get over to that new mall that just opened and do it fast! I'm reading a *lot*

of Negaverse energy building up underneath that mall. I think that's where the

next attack is going to be!=

"Got it, Ami! We're on our way!"

_______________________________________________________________________

---Fight scene: Inner Senshi and Ranma-chan VS. super-charged youma---

-----------------------------DREAM-------------------------------------

------------------------------END--------------------------------------

With a shriek Akane bolted upright in her bed.

Several thumps sounded in other parts of the house, and less than a minute later

both Kasumi and Nodoka were in Akane's room, holding her and trying to calm her

trembling.

"Onee-chan, what is it? What scared you so badly?" asked Kasumi, obvious concern

in her brown eyes.

Akane's trembling subsided and her gasping slowed to more normal breathing.

"Kasumi... I-it was--" her voice caught. Akane swallowed to try and continue,

but she turned away from her older sister to face Nodoka. "It was... a distorted

memory... kinda... Auntie, I-I was reliving that first attack Ranma and I got

caught in. The one in the Juuban Mall."

Nodoka leaned toward Akane, enfolding her in a hug of her own. "Akane, you said

it was distorted... how?"

"It was exactly the same as what happened, up to when I was digging Ranma out of

the rubble of the wall she was knocked through. But in my... dream... after

Ranma shook her head, she opened her eyes... and I found myself looking into the

eyes of a cat!"

"The eyes of a cat?"

"They were still blue-gray, but the pupils were so tall and narrow..." Akane

again trembled slightly. "Then I screamed and woke up."

After a few more reassurances that she was fine, Akane shooed Kasumi and Nodoka

out of her room so she could sleep. But instead of that, Akane found herself

recalling other events that had happened...

_______________________________________________________________________

Elsewhere, in "Ucchan's Okonomiyaki"...

Ukyou bolted upright, barely hold back a scream of her own. Slowly, her rapid

breathing eased. ~Another nightmare... No, that was more than a nightmare. It

was a memory...~

---------------------------FLASHBACK-----------------------------------

-----------------------------START-------------------------------------

"Kusooo! Why is it that *we* have to get attacked?!" grunted Akane, dodging the

tendrils that this youma used for arms for all she was worth. Ukyou didn't spare

the breath to answer in words. Instead, the okonomiyaki chef hurled her last

throwing spatulas at the youma. Charged with her chi from a technique Ryouga had

shown her and Ranma had adapted for her use, two spatulas cut off bunches of

thin, whip-like arms, while the last one sank into the youma's single eye. It

screamed in pain and began lashing out wildly in all directions.

A cry of "Kijin Raishu Dan!" announced that at least there had been one complete

victory. Ranma's vacuum-blade cut the other youma, blocky and as tough as hard

oak, in half. It then disintegrated. Ukyou flicked a glance Ranma's way...

"WATCH OUT UKYOU!!" he roared suddenly. Ukyou realized her mistake just as she

was hit.

Just before Ukyou blacked out completely, she thought ~He'll help Akane. He

loves her after all. Oh Ran-chan...~ Then she was unconscious and knew no more.

---------------------------FLASHBACK-----------------------------------

------------------------------END--------------------------------------

Ukyou lay back in her bed, a newly installed skylight in her room allowing her

to see the stars in the sky...

_______________________________________________________________________

---------------------------FLASHBACK-----------------------------------

-----------------------------START-------------------------------------

Ranma's eyes narrowed to slits. To his left, Ukyou had been stunned by a lucky

hit from one flailing tendril. Knocked off balance, she was falling over the

edge of the building. To his right, Akane was nearly out of space to move,

cornered by more of the youma's wildly waving arms. He had enough time to help

one of them... only one.

Ranma had to choose. He did.

~What are you just standing there for?! *Do* something!~ cried Akane mentally.

As if he'd somehow heard her thought, Ranma's eyes locked with Akane's. There

was a sadness there, as if... ~He's not going to help me.~

Then Ranma dived over the edge, after Ukyou.

For a second Akane was shocked motionless. Then her old stubbornness flared up.

~Well I don't need his help *anyway*!~ She reared back to throw her usual

haymaker... but lacking room to wind up for the punch, she ended up putting her

elbow through the already-weak wall behind her, inadvertently giving her more

room to move. Several whip-arms lashed the air where Akane had been standing a

second ago. Dodging backward, Akane found herself out of room yet again.

"DON'T TOUCH HER! PERFECT SHI SHI HOUKODAN!!!" A massive ball of green chi

erupted out on the roof, vaporizing the wounded youma. As its remains crumbled

to dust, Akane felt the strain of the fight finally catch up with her, and she

sank to the floor. "Akane!" She blinked, realizing that someone *was* calling

her name.

"Ryouga?"

"Akane... what happened?"

"We were attacked by two youma. Ranma killed one of them, but the other... the

other one knocked Ukyou off the roof and had me cornered."

"Just you three!? What did he do?! Tell me!"

"He... He jumped off the roof after Ukyou. I-I can't believe he'd just leave me

like that..."

"..." Ryouga was speechless.

"Ya think *I* can believe it myself?" Ranma wasn't.

"Nani?"

Ranma frowned oddly, Ukyou cradled to his chest. "Akane... I-I donno what

happened. I saw you cornered and Ukyou falling off the roof... And the next

thing I know, I'm falling after Ukyou. It... just... happened... so fast..." His

voice trailed off and he looked away, feeling guilty. ~Please don't hate me

Akane. I donno if I could live with that.~

Akane hugged herself tightly, shivering. ~He doesn't care about me.~ "You...

you... you *baka*!" Ranma flinched. ~No, he does. Otherwise he wouldn't have

that guilty look on his face. But he doesn't care about me as much...~ Her eyes

fell on Ukyou.

Ranma noticed her gaze. ~What the hell are these things I'm feeling!? Do I care

about Ukyou? Or do I care about Akane? Do I care about *both* of 'em?!~ "Urk!"

~I hope not! Not way I'm gonna be like Kuno!~ He looked into Akane's face, her

expression. She brought her gaze up to meet his, then looked away. ~Aw jeez, she

thinks I don't care. But I can't be two places at once, so how--~

Suddenly Ranma's face light up with a grin. ~Of course I can't be in two places

at once. I just need to have somebody else always watching out for Akane. And I

know just the person, too.~ He sent a certain kind of look toward Ryouga.

The Lost Boy sneezed. Then he caught the look Ranma was giving him and blinked.

~Is he telling me to do what I *think* he's telling me to do?!~

Akane shivered again in the cold evening air. ~So I'm on my own now, without

Ranma looking out for me. But isn't that what I always wanted? I'm finally rid

of that jerk... always getting... in my... way...?~ Suddenly a pair of strong

arms slid around her and picked her up. "R-Ryouga?!" she squeaked in surprise.

He blushed.

"Ah, um, please, lets just get you home safely. And, uh..." He glanced over at

Ranma.

"Chill Ryouga, I'll lead ya to the dojo. Then I'll go drop off Ukyou."

Akane looked at Ryouga. ~He didn't call him P-chan.~

Ryouga looked at Akane. ~He didn't call me P-chan.~

~What's up with him?~ they thought identically.

---------------------------FLASHBACK-----------------------------------

------------------------------END--------------------------------------

Akane tossed and turned in her bed as she recalled the rest of that night, just

under a month ago. That fight against youma had been the fourth Ranma and Ryouga

had been involved in, and the first in which Ranma used the Saotome Forbidden

Techniques. Akane shuddered at the thought of how that fight could have turned

out if Ranma hadn't opened up the Yamasen-ken and Umisen-ken.

After Ranma had left to drop off Ukyou at her restaurant, Akane found herself

confronted by Ryouga in her room. He had been so nervous, and then Akane had

found out why. That was the night that Ryouga finally worked up the guts to tell

her that he had a Jusenkyou curse. That *he* was her pet P-chan. Akane would

have pounded him flat and told him that she never wanted to see him again, if

she hadn't been exhausted from the fight. Fortunately for both their sanities

she *was* exhausted, giving Ryouga enough time to fumble his words and still say

what he wanted to say.

It was a knock on the head for Akane. Ranma had been hinting at P-chan's

identity all along, but couldn't say anything directly because of his honor and

his feeling of responsibility. And as for Ryouga, Akane had to admit that she'd

never given "P-chan" an opportunity to object to her treatment of him. Then came

the revelation of Ryouga's extreme shyness around girls... and the reason "P-

chan" got nosebleeds so often. Akane flushed in embarrassment at that thought.

However, what had really touched Akane was how Ryouga had kept every single

secret she'd told him whenever she'd been feeling down and started talking to

her "pet". Even though he'd run off as "P-chan" and come back as Ryouga,

swearing vengeance for something Ranma did to her, Ryouga had never revealed

anything of her private thoughts to anyone, keeping them only in his heart. The

final touch was when Ryouga opened up *his* heart to her. It stunned Akane to

learn that Ryouga had fallen in love with her that first time she'd defended

him, the "helpless piglet", from Ranma.

A huge weight seemed to have lifted from their shoulders. Suddenly feeling

daring, Akane had embraced Ryouga and given him a kiss on the lips, the kind

Shampoo kept trying to land on Ranma. Ryouga seemed to take it really well after

the initial shock passed, but afterward the thought of the more 'ecchi

activities that would come after the kissing gave the poor guy a major nosebleed

and he'd passed out. Akane thought she had heard somebody's laughter as she

dragged Ryouga into the dojo. She decided that Ranma wouldn't mind if she let

Ryouga use his futon and dragged that into the dojo as well.

The next day had been filled with seemingly endless moments of embarrassed

silence as she and Ranma tried to dig their feelings for each other out of

hiding. It was terribly painful, both of them ready to tear each other's throats

out at several points. Still, the feelings they brought to light were worth the

pain, not to mention how Akane felt like a total idiot for not making those

realizations sooner. And by the look on Ranma's face, he'd felt like he was just

as big an idiot as she felt herself.

As for the realizations themselves, well... Akane got one of the biggest shocks

of her life when Ranma had off-handedly commented that "Me and you bicker enough

to be siblings! 'Wish Pops'd realize that instead of pushing the engagement..."

Ranma might have made the comment, but Akane realized just how true it was. It

made sense after all. Looking back on her relationship with Ranma and all the

fights and disagreements they'd gotten into, Akane realized that they *had* been

bickering with each other like only siblings would. Of course, Akane practically

had to beat Ranma in the head with his own comment, but then he too realized its

truthfulness. Thinking back, Ranma remembered the Martial Arts skating match

with Mikado Sanzenin and Azusa. Despite his proclamation of Akane being "his

fiancee", Ranma had been acting more like a brother protecting his little

sister's innocence.

It was really weird. Neither Ranma nor Akane found it very difficult to start

thinking of each other as siblings. Then Ranma realized that he'd been

*thinking* of Akane like an annoying sister that needed to be teased, since the

failed wedding!

And then Akane found out that she *had* heard a guy's laughter as she dragged

Ryouga away the previous night, Ranma's laughter!

---------------------------FLASHBACK-----------------------------------

-----------------------------START-------------------------------------

"Ranma... you were *eavesdropping* on my conversation with Ryouga?" asked Akane,

a vein bulging on her forehead.

"Yup." Ranma simply didn't notice the warning signs.

"And...?" Akane's hand flexed, poised to mallet the baka in front of her.

Ignoring all common sense, Ranma continued... "It's great that you and Ryouga

are finally admittin' you're feelings. Like we just did." ...and by some

incredible change of luck, happened to say exactly the right thing. Akane

blinked, her battle aura dispersing.

"And who would'a known that Ryouga was a good kisser!" Ranma teased, that

annoying smirk spreading across his face.

"H-how did--" Akane stammered.

"Ah com'on Akane! I saw that blush you had on as you hauled him into the dojo.

You were red as a tomato!"

"Grrrr... Ranma no baka!"

"And you know you enjoyed it too tomboy!"

---------------------------FLASHBACK-----------------------------------

------------------------------END--------------------------------------

Akane chuckled to herself, remembering how that conversation had dissolved into

their usual bickering. It was different though; from that point on, Akane found

that bickering with Ranma was... fun. The smirk that rode his face during

bickering matches told Akane that he too got a kick out of it...

~Please come back to us soon... you baka brother of mine.~

_______________________________________________________________________

Ukyou had woken up late the next mourning in her own bed, her injuries expertly

wrapped and treated. Simply relaxing for a change, she'd almost jumped out of

her skin when Ranma had come bounding into her restaurant around mid-day, a

*huge* grin spread across his face.

---------------------------FLASHBACK-----------------------------------

-----------------------------START-------------------------------------

"HI U-CHAN!"

"Wah!" Startled, Ukyou lost her balance.

"Whoa, careful there U-chan. Maybe you shouldn't be up so soon." Ranma was there

in a flash, steadying her. Ukyou blinked.

"Yo, Ran-chan, are you ok?" ~He's never *this* friendly because he's afraid

Akane'll walk in and get the wrong idea...~

"Hell yeah!" Ranma crowed, bursting with energy. "I haven't felt this good

since... since..." He blushed and looked away. "...Since we played together U-

chan. As little kids." He looked back at his friend and blinked. "U-chan?"

"Ah, Ran-chan, are you sure you should be so... enthusiastic?" Ukyou remarked,

pointing behind him. Ranma turned to see Akane standing in the door.

"Yeah, and?" Ukyou's eyes bugged in shock.

When the sound of wood being hit by something harder reached her ears Ukyou

turned back to the door. [Blink] Akane was banging her head on the doorframe,

muttering "Baka, baka, baka," over and over again. Abruptly she stopped. "You're

own your own, dummy. Don't expect any help from me if you can't explain it

right." Then she was gone.

[Blink] [Blink] "Ok Ran-chan, what the *hell* is going on here?"

Ranma smirked, his mirth very apparent. "Last night Akane found out that a

certain someone is a surprisingly good kisser."

"What?" Ukyou was suddenly up in Ranma's face, her tone of voice glacial. "Ok

Ran-chan, tell me *exactly* what you mean by that statement."

"Excuse me, could you please tell me how to get to... Ukyou? Wait that means

that I'm back in Nerima..." Ryouga blinked, noticing Ranma position relative to

Ukyou. "Um, what did Ranma do *now*?"

"...He kissed Akane, that's what." Ukyou growled flatly.

"NANI?!?" Ryouga whirled on Ranma, looking mighty pissed. However, in the time

it took for Ryouga to find out why Ukyou was so steamed, Ranma managed to figure

out what he'd said wrong.

"Who said *I* kissed Akane?!?" Both Ukyou and Ryouga stopped and blinked. "What

I actually said was, 'Last night Akane found out that a certain *someone* is a

surprisingly good kisser.' I never said it was me!!"

"Oh." Ukyou flushed in embarrassment. "Um, sorry Ran-chan."

Ranma held his head in his hands and groaned. "Ugh, don't worry about it. These

things *always* happen to me."

"Ah, right... Hey, hold up a second!" Ukyou stared at Ranma. "Akane was kissed

by some guy and *you*, Ran-chan, are *happy* about it!?!"

"Um, actually, Akane kissed *him*. But he returned it pretty damn good, if *her*

blush was any indication." Ryouga's face began to twitch. "Heh, she even

admitted that she enjoyed it!"

"RAAAANNNMMMMAAAAAA!!! You were *spying* on me and Akane last night?!? HOW DARE

YOU! PREPARE TO--"

"Aw, give it a rest Ryouga. Come on, I'll take you to the dojo so you get

started on some really *private* activities with your girlfriend." Several

'ecchi images involving him and Akane in her bed, without clothes, popped into

Ryouga's mind. A few seconds later he passed out from a massive nosebleed.

Ukyou continued to gape open-mouthed at the scene before her. ~Akane and...

Ryouga?! And Ranma's *encouraging* them!?~ A hand waved in front of her face,

and Ukyou shook herself out of the daze she was falling into. "Ranchan, *please*

tell me what in Kami-sama is going on here?"

[Groan] "It's kinda obvious Ukyou. Ranma's been teasing Ryouga again... isn't

that right, baka?"

Ranma rolled his eyes. "That's something to get mad at? Jeez Akane, ya gotta do

something 'bout your boyfriend's shyness problem. At this rate you wont get past

first base!"

Akane pulled an eyelid down and stuck her tongue out at Ranma. "And you teasing

him about it is going to help?"

"Ain't gonna hurt him either." [SPLASH] "Oui! What was that for ya tomboy?"

Ranma-chan growled, swiping wet red hair from her face.

"For being you." Akane turned to Ukyou. "How'd he piss you off before he finally

explained himself?"

Ukyou slapped a hand on her forehead. "That jackass said that you found out last

night that 'a certain someone is a surprisingly good kisser'. Of course, I

thought he was talking about himself." Akane couldn't reply immediately because

she was too busy laughing.

Ranma-chan snarled, "What am I, punching bag of the day? I *said* 'surprisingly

good kisser' for a reason."

One chestnut-brown eyebrow rose. "Oh? And why was that?"

"Because it'd be surprising ta find out that *I* am *not* a good kisser, 'cause

Shampoo's always lookin' for a chance to glomp and kiss me! If I wasn't a good

kisser than she'd only be lookin' to glomp me anyway."

Akane facefaulted Takahashi-style while a vein on Ukyou's forehead bulged. "You

arrogant jackass! Shampoo's only been forcing kisses you, right? You've never

actually kissed a girl, so how would you know if you're a good kisser?!"

Ranma-chan grinned evilly. "You wanna find out... Ucchan?"

"Huh? Wha-mmph!" 'mmph' because at that moment Ranma-chan tackled Ukyou in a

glomp that would have made Shampoo jealous and kissed her full on the lips.

Ukyou went stiff in shock as a strange feeling rolled across her body. Then she

found herself beginning to return the kiss! ~WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING!?! YES I

WANT TO KISS RANMA, BUT *NOT* IN GIRL FORM!!~

Akane sweatdropped. "Ranma no baka. You're supposed to be a guy when you do

something like that. Here, let me help." Then she proceeded to dump a kettle-

full of hot water she got from somewhere over the two girls. Turning the redhead

into a guy.

Ranma-chan's short, busty form morphed into the long, lean, muscled body of

Ranma-kun, and Ukyou's eyes nearly popped out of her head as a wave of heat

surged through her body. She was finally doing what she had always dreamed of

doing, locked in a passionate kiss with Ranma. But the real thing was *far*

better than anything she'd imagined! Adding in the weird feelings still floating

around from when she'd been kissing Ranma in girl form, Ukyou's vision went red

and she knew no more...

...Until a painfully familiar, outraged, and female voice screamed, "AIYA! WHAT

SPATULA GIRL DO TO AIREN?!? AIREN NEVER KISS SHAMPOO LIKE THAT!!! OBSTACLES FOR

KILLING, YOU DIE TODAY SPATULA GIRL!!!"

---------------------------FLASHBACK-----------------------------------

------------------------------END--------------------------------------

Ukyou sighed wistfully as she recalled the rest of that incident. Shampoo had

been *very* angry, and had been putting out a battle aura as big as the one

Ukyou had put out before that. Ukyou laughed again as she thought of the name

Ranma had later tacked on that size and color of battle aura: the Jealous and

Outraged Fiancée aura. For copyrighted use by furious fiancées only. Ukyou

suspected that Ranma got that last bit from the thought of what Nabiki would do

when inventing something.

As for Shampoo, well... Ranma *hadn't* been happy to see his best friend (and

possibly more, Ukyou blushed at the images that came with the thought) attacked

by another with lethal intent. She, and Mousse too (he had been following

Shampoo), had been shocked to hear Ranma roar, "DON'T YOU DARE!" and send

Shampoo sprawling with Ukyou's own combat spatula, straight into Mousse.

Fortunately for the almost-blind Amazon's health, he realized that Ranma wasn't

going to take any crap, from him or from anyone else. Mousse simply picked

himself and Shampoo up and leaped away. Ukyou, Akane, and Ryouga (awake again)

blinked collectively, but Ranma only stared down at his hands, as if they had

betrayed him.

Ukyou sighed once more. It still eluded her, why Ranma had been so stubborn

about hurting any girl, including Shampoo. While she *was* glad that Akane and

herself no longer had any reason to be at odds with each other, Ukyou found

herself sharing Ranma's pain.

~Oh Ran-chan... Please come back to me... My heart is empty without you...~

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

In five places far away from Nerima, four boys named Ranma and one girl named

Ranko sneezed. Three times. Each.

To be continued...

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

fs_______________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

A lot of people have been asking for explanations of some OOC stuff in UCUW

Part 1-A. That's what this part is; just some history to the story, and to set

up for the rest of it.

*HOWEVER*, this part is *NOT* finalized! By no means at all! I slapped this

together because I need to start putting some thought into just how

relationships between the Wrecking Crew members are going to change. This is a

sort of a "see the result, then see the reasons/history later" type thing. Go

ahead and flame me if you think 1-C is *that* bad, just make sure you include

useful criticism and suggestions. Otherwise I won't be able to make it better!

First Posted: 11/8/01

Cut end section off Part 1-B and turned it into Part 1-C. Worked in

scene/flashback of the changed relationships between Ranma, Ukyou, Ryouga, and

Akane. Also added to Nodoka's reaction to her 'dream'.

Update: 11/16/01

Moved Akane's and Ukyou's flashbacks to another chapter, where they could be

used better.



Update: 12/29/01

Moved Akane's and Ukyou's flashbacks back to this chapter after some

rewriting. Hopefully this chapter will now better explain some of the back

history to UCUW's first chapter.

Update: 1/24/02

Nearing completion. Re-ordered the flashback and dream sequences so they

have continuity. Wrote out the fight scene "Ranma, Akane, and Sailor Senshi vs.

super-charged youma". Changed Nodoka's vision of "Ranma Masaki"; got an idea

about using Tsunami's sister Goddess Tokimi.

C&C to: bjhaberman@prodigy.net

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