*Author's note: I've had to update a couple of the past chapters so as to straighten out some of the information that I had put in it. Like about Saffron, and Gotenks. Thanks to Carrotglace I got my Ranma villains straight (although he doesn't know it yet heh), and I have the latest DBZ video with Gotenks in it. So I would suggest ya take a peek at the past chapters, just so that you're not lost or confused.

Little heads up, going to be getting down and dirty here with the next few chapters, so those of you pining for a Kuno beating…well, ya just might get it. Kuno is too easy though, so maybe I'll use Mousse instead…then again, that would be breaking my 'no spoilers' rule, so maybe I won't do either. Guess you'll have to read on and find out. -_^

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RBL_M1A2Tanker

DBZR ½

Chapter 7: Training time.

"Hi, my name's Gotenks."

"Uh…." It was the only sound that came from Ranma. Gotenks' voice was strange to listen to. He spoke using both Trunks and Goten's voice, yet had totally different mannerisms from the two boys. Ranma simply held the boys hand in hers, a little stunned. Gotenks had other ideas though.

"Heh…" He smirked, and then tightened his grip. With a swift motion he reached forward with his free hand, grasped her tunic, and proceeded to toss her over his head. Air whistled past her ears as she flew by, heading for a distant wall.

"Not so fast. Can't let you go away with our sparring session not yet started." Gotenks said, flying slightly above her.

"What?!"

A kick was the response, stopping her in mid-flight, and sending her back the way she came. This time though, she managed to tuck into a roll, and ground her feet hard into the dirt. Stopping herself, she managed to look up just as the fused boy appeared before her. The look in his eyes was fearsome. Sheer arrogance, tinged with a horrible malice, or was it joy? She didn't get to ponder this though, for with a quick blur, he was gone. Before she could even look around, a kick to her rump sent her into the sky. Her butt exploded in pain as she sailed away, grimacing.

"Damn…this hurts!" She ground out, managing to look down at the ground. She saw Gotenks standing below, smirking, hands on his hips. "I'll show him!" She spat, as she charged her power. A glow surrounded her body as her efforts brought out her battle aura.

Now heading back towards the ground, she cried a battle cry, "MOKO TAKABISHA!" A tightly compact blue blast of energy leapt forth from her hands, blasting into Gotenks face before he thought to react. Smoke and dust filled the air as she flipped and landed on the ground, nearly falling flat on her face from the pain in her rump.

She panted as Akane, Genma, and Goku watched, all in astonishment. Before she could do more though, the dust and smoke cleared away as Gotenks flared out his aura a bit. All in the area could see and hear the golden glow about the lad. "Not bad…for a weakling." He smirked maliciously at Ranma.

"Oh yea? I'm not finished yet. My sparring session was with Trunks and Goten, but if you're all I'll get, then I'll just have to make do." Ranma said, breathing hard. Her statement merely made the young lad chuckle.

"Oh come off it. Can't you see how strong I am? If I wanted to I could fly around the planet a hundred times and still be able to beat you." The look in his eyes challenged Ranma to question it."Man…I have to admit…he's too fast." She thought. "Too strong…too…everything! Herb was a pushover compared to this guy!"

She would have challenged him anyways, if Goku didn't step between them.

"That's enough Gotenks. You're letting your power go to your head again." Goku said sternly. As Goku was facing the fused boy, Ranma saw an opportunity. Charging her strength again, she ran forward, leaping over Goku's surprised form, and landing directly before Gotenks, also surprised.

"Got ya…HIRYU SHOTEN HA!" She raised her arm, releasing energy she had channeled from Gotenks aura into a tornado effect. Caught off guard, Gotenks became swept up into it. Goku flipped backwards, nearly shocked at the attack.

"Ok…you had your fun, time to end this." Gotenks growled, charging up. She smirked, as he fed the spiral with his energy. His face became confused, as the power of the tornado about him got stronger, making it near impossible for him to gain control of his actions. He was hundreds of feet into the air, yet the tornado wasn't weakening.

"Uh oh…this is a problem." She thought with her arm still upraised in the middle of the spiral. Her clothing fluttered about her wildly, as Gotenks continued to pour energy into the attack in his effort to escape. She could feel her footing start to slip, as the tornado went past being a mere attack to a full-blown storm in its own right.

An explosion suddenly occurred beneath her feet, and she lost control, heading out from the now dying spiral. Within moments, the spiral attack dissipated, leaving her on the ground, stunned. Gotenks landed hard nearby, winded. His vest had been torn, with gashes cutting up his once white slacks. Goku finally lowered his hand, having been the one to put the attack to an end.

Gotenks panted, amazed. "Wow…for a girl she's pretty tough."

"That was an incredible attack!" Goku said as he walked over to where Ranma lay. Akane and Genma swept past though, reaching the prostrate redhead first.

"Say something son! Are you alright?" Genma pleaded.

"Ranma, are you ok?" Akane asked, rubbing Ranma's back in an attempt to wake her.

"Yea…sure. Just wasn't expecting that is all." She struggled to rise, and managed to rise to her elbows before she fell flat again. Bruises and cuts covered her body from the debris that had been in the tornado, and from Goku's energy blast.

"Oh Ranma!"

Goku bent down, and gently twisted the girl over onto her back. He dug into his sash a moment, and pulled out a small object. "Here, this'll help. It's a senzu bean; it'll give you back your strength. I manage to keep a couple on me at all times nowadays, so I can do without one." He slipped the bean into her mouth, and she instinctively began to chew. Akane and Genma merely watched, waiting to see what would happen.

She swallowed, and in moments her eyes snapped wide open. She stood up, all evidence of cuts or bruises gone. Akane dropped her jaw…Genma dropped like a rock. Ranma looked at her hands, flexing them a couple times, and then looked to Goku, who smiled back.

"There, that should do it." He said, rising to his feet.

"Hey! What about me?" The others turned to Gotenks, forgotten in the moment.

"You're fine. Ranma just caught you off guard. Had you been thinking clearly, instead of letting your power get to you, you would have caught on sooner that you were the one making the tornado so strong." Goku chided as Ranma stood.

The fused boy blinked, and looked to Ranma, who nodded. "The key to the Hiryu Shoten Ha is using your opponents energy against'em. You had lots, so it didn't take much to get the attack to work. It gets stronger the more hot energy is put into it."

Gotenks looks at the ground, contemplating. "I'll have to remember that." He said. Just then his body glowed, and he separated into Trunks and Goten again. They blinked as they returned to their powered down states, looking each other over.

"What did she do to us?" Goten asked.

"I'm not sure…oh well, we'll remember it later." Trunks replied.

A tapping on the roof got all their attention. Holding her cane, sat Cologne. "Very impressive. For all that power you had, Son-in-Law still managed to do some damage to you."

"Nah, it just drained him for a moment." Goku countered calmly. "It's a very impressive attack, but it was more luck and timing that made it work. Skillful, yes, but still lucky."

Ranma's eye twitched briefly then turned back to the old hag. "What do you want ghoul?"

"I came as soon as I felt the largest aura ever. I had to know what was going on." She hopped down to the ground, balancing on the cane with ease. "I've got some information as well, about your friends."

"Let's hear it, we have training to do still." Ranma stretched a bit, still amazed at the beans properties.

Cologne nodded, and began. "All three of you came here from the Jepoc circle. Many years ago, Amazon and Shinto priests managed to put wards on all the islands in the circle, containing a most malicious evil. A god of mischief had used the Jepoc circle as his entrance to this world, causing great tragedy and grief. It took many years, but in time it was managed to lock that door, keeping his powers contained within the circle. The door couldn't be closed completely, but at least it was managed to keep his influence contained within the circle."

All where sitting now, listening to the tale. Goku leaned forward, intent. Cologne continued, "Anything entering the circle is his to do with as he pleases, until they leave the circle. Granted, he has many other places he could go, but legend has it that this world held something special to him. What it was is unknown. But it is proven that anything that enters it, never escapes. Except for you three." She looked at the saiyans.

"Hmm…wonder why that is?" Goku asked aloud, scratching his cheek.

"Why indeed." Cologne nodded. "There is a rumor that the wards could be disrupted briefly if a strong power entered it from the outside of the circle. Now, we can say that that rumor is true."

They thought this over a moment. Akane spoke up first. "Ok, so to send them back, a strong power has to enter the circle first, right?"

"That isn't necessary child. They could go back now if they felt ready; however, they would fall under the God's power instantly. Who knows what he would do?" Cologne shuddered.

"This god guy, he have a name?" Trunks asked.

"His name is Toltiir. He derives his power from whatever mischief he can create, usually using someone's own dreams against them. Other times he makes a coincidence happen. It's whatever he can come up with, and the more he pulls off, the stronger he gets. He was known to work in short spans, gaining power, and then going away for a time. It was during one of those lulls that we managed to lock him out."

Goku looked up sharply, "Ma'am is there a specific energy signature within the circle?" Cologne blinked, whether at the polite term, or at the question is hard to say.

"Why…yes, there is. You should be able to sense it just by going near the circle. Why?" She blinked, not truly following.

"Good. Then we need to lock him out of our world as well. Who knows what damage he may have caused." Goku looked determined, eyes set, his mind locked on a specific goal now. He turned to the old woman again, "Cologne, is there some way that we can be protected when we enter the circle?"

She thought for a moment. "Yes. There is. We place spirit wards on you, so that your trip wouldn't be disturbed. But take them off for just a moment, and that's all he needs. You would also need to place wards around his entry point to your world, much like we did here. Do you know of any priests that have that kind of skill in your world?"

Ranma interrupted before Goku could reply. "I bet not, but I know of at least one here." Everyone turned a blank stare to Ranma, who grinned widely. Cologne's eyes grew wide at the implication.

"Are you suggesting…"

"Yup. You're it old ghoul." The pig-tailed fighter smirked. "After you're done there, he can bring you back afterwards. We know he can get here, so that shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Eh hehe." Goku scratched the back of his head. "Well, you see…there's a problem there." Now it was Ranma's turn to stare blankly. "In order for me to use the Instant Transmission, I need a strong energy signature to focus on. There really isn't one on this world that I can lock on easily. I had a hard enough time tracking the boys." He blinked, as an idea crossed his mind.

"That's it!" He turned to the boys before they could say anything. "Do you two think you guys would be ok if I left you here until we lock this Toltiir guy out of our world? I'll make sure to clear it with your mothers." That relaxed them.

"Yea, that would be ok to me." Trunks said.

"Sounds fun!" Goten agreed.

"Great!" He turned now to the two Nerima teens. "While we're there, maybe I can do something for you."

"Ahh…what's that?" Ranma asked, suspicious. What came next blew him and Akane away.

"Why not both of you come to our world with us? You could learn a lot, and show me some more of your techniques while I'm waiting for her to be finished." He motioned to Cologne, who was thinking of ways to turn this new development to her advantage.

"My boy will go with you Master Goku!" Genma suddenly sprang up, seemingly from nowhere.

"What? I didn't agree to anything…" Ranma began, but was interrupted by his father.

"Boy, you'll do this without complaint. You'll go with this man, and learn all there is to learn! You'll make this school one of the strongest schools of martial arts there is!" Dollar signs flashed in his eyes briefly as thoughts of all the students his son would teach. His son, for his part, merely hung her head in defeat.

"Guess I'll go, if just to shut him up." She said.

"Show your father some respect boy! Take this like a man!" Genma took a flying kick at his son, but was stopped in mid-flight. Goku held his outstretched leg, and then tossed the older man behind him into the pond. Goku turned to Ranma, who sat in surprise at the action.

"You know, he is kinda annoying. For some reason, that felt pretty good." Goku smiled. Ranma grinned back cheerfully, his measure of the man up several levels.

"Goku, if you wouldn't mind a request." Goku turned back to the old woman.

"Sure, what is it?"

"You wouldn't mind bringing at least one more person would you? I have a Great-Granddaughter wouldn't mind learning some new techniques." Before Ranma could get a word in, Goku answered.

"Sure! The more the merrier! Sometime tomorrow would probably be a good time to do this."

Akane smoldered, her hair slowly rising as her anger fueled her energy. Ranma glared at the old woman, who merely looked back content. "Why Son-in-law…you wouldn't think I would leave your wife behind would you?"

"She's not my wife you old hag!" Ranma cried.

"Yea!" Akane replied.

"Neither are you for that matter, you uncute tomboy." Ranma said without thinking.

"What did you call me?! I'LL SHOW YOU!" With a flash of blue she charged up her energy, hair on end. Instead of the gold it was the night before, her aura glowed a bright blue. There were still blond streaks in the hair, but her eyes didn't change color this time. From nowhere, a mallet appeared in her hand as she charged.

"MALLET WHACK ATTACK!" Within the space of less than five seconds, Akane had pummeled the redhead over twenty times, ending with a finishing move that knocked the cursed martial artist into a wall on the other side of the yard. She left an imprint in the wall, legs tucked in, arms splayed out, fingers in the shape of horns, with the thumbs pointing to her head.

Akane huffed as she put the mallet away, her aura dieing back down. Goku, Goten, Trunks and Cologne merely looked on in wonder. Goku turned to the old woman, "Is she always like this?"

"Usually. It's normal around here." She shrugged.

"Oh." Goku blinked.

Unbeknownst to them all, a camera clicked away furiously from some bushes, catching every movement, attack, and technique. As they went back to training, a figure continued to take pictures, and then slipped away over the wall. The figure turned to look back, a red bandanna on its head. "Soon Ranma Saotome, you'll be at my mercy, you and your friends. I'll know everything there is to know about how you fight, and I'll earn the love of Akane!

With that said, the young man known only as Copycat Ken leapt away.

To be continued….