A/N: Interesting greetings there and XYGirl2019 is here, and I would like to thank everyone that read the 26th chapter of the Multiverse Adventures While Riding On A Bus.
Anyway, enough chit-chat and let's do a dumpster dive with this story!
Disclaimer: With the exception of several OCs and concepts, I don't own anything.
The scorching sun beat down on the barren sands of the desert located somewhere in the island of Elsaragozademontelban, illuminating the endless horizon with a stark white glow.
A group of individuals, including Brook the Soul King, Loki the Lion, Rise Kujikawa, Teddie, and Vivi Nefertari, are strolling through the expansive desert. Brook and Vivi hail from the world of pirates, while Rise and Teddie come from the modern world, and Loki is the only local from a world brimming with magic.
"Yo-ho-ho-ho!" Brook hollered a laughter, "What's got you so jumpy, Loki?" he asked with his non-existent eyes glancing sideways at the Celestial Spirit.
Loki's spiky hair fluttered in the hot desert breeze as he squinted into the horizon, "It's the quiet." he murmured with his voice barely carrying over the crunch of their footsteps on the sand, "In places like this..." he trailed, "... silence means something's stalking us." he shared.
Rise cocked an eyebrow, "And what does it mean here?" he asked.
Brook shrugged his arms in response, "Could be anything." he replied, "Or nothing." he added, "But we should keep moving." he beckoned.
They had been traveling for hours under the relentless sun, their shadows stretching out behind them like long black fingers. The vast expanse of sand and rock was a stark contrast to the lush greenery of the previous location, and the harsh environment was taking its toll on all of them. Vivi had pulled her hood up to shield her from the heat while Teddie had donned a pair of sunglasses to protect his sensitive eyes.
Suddenly, Loki's ears twitched, "There it is again." he growled with his eyes narrowing.
Brook stopped in his tracks, his skeletal body creaking slightly, "What is it?" he asked.
Loki pointed with his finger, "Look." he beckoned.
In the distance, a giant black and white scorpion emerged from behind a dune, its pincers snapping in the air as it caught their scent. The creature was easily the size of a small house, its carapace gleaming in the sunlight like polished marble. The sight of it sent a shiver down Rise's spine.
"We've got to run." Rise beckoned with her voice tight with fear.
Teddie gulped in response, "Oh, yeah, let's let." he replied.
The giant scorpion's eyes locked onto them, and it began to charge, the earth trembling with each thunderous step. Its tail, tipped with a wicked stinger, whipped back and forth as it gained speed.
"Split up!" Brook shouted and the group scattered while trying to put as much distance between themselves and the monstrous creature as possible. Vivi's robes billowed around her as she sprinted, her nimble legs carrying her surprisingly fast across the uneven terrain.
The scorpion's tail whipped through the air, narrowly missing Teddie as he leaped over a jagged rock, "It's too fast!" he yelled with his voice echoing in the desolate landscape.
Brook nodded in response with his mind racing, "We need a plan!" he exclaimed.
"I don't think we have the time to think for one!" Vivi shouted back.
Loki suddenly spotted the grand canyon in the distance, "Look, the grand canyon!" he exclaimed, "The location where the massive holographic figure instructed us to head to!" he reminded.
"If his words hold any truth..." Rise added, "... that is our sole sanctuary in this island." she pointed out.
"Then we must hurry!" Teddie yelled in a state of panic.
Panic set in as they sprinted through the scorching sands, the scorpion gaining on them with each passing moment. Teddie let out a terrified shriek as the creature's stinger narrowly missed him, the poisonous tip glinting in the harsh desert sun.
Just when it seemed like all hope was lost, a deafening rumble filled the air. The ground trembled beneath their feet as a massive anchor plummeted from the sky, crashing down on the scorpion with a resounding thud. The creature let out a final, defeated screech before collapsing into a lifeless heap.
Confusion turned to disbelief as the group of misfits stared at the unlikely savior perched atop the anchor. He was a goofy, young man with a mischievous glint in his eye, his slick-back red hair tousled in the desert wind. He flashed them a wide grin, waving enthusiastically as if he had just performed the greatest magic trick in the world.
"Hey there, strangers!" Ed the Lump greeted, "Looks like you could use a hand." he called out cheerily with his voice carrying over the quiet desert sands.
Teddie expressed his relief, "I'm speechless but I'm relieved that the scorpion is no longer a threat." he uttered out loud.
"We now have to contend with a joker wielding a massive anchor." Rise remarked.
"Yo-ho-ho-ho!" Brook laughed heartily, "I'm thankful nonetheless." he stated.
"Ed!" a voice called out.
All heads swiveled to witness Aelita Schaeffer, Bentham of the Wild, Erza Scarlet, Mousse, Robin Nico, and Yukiko Amagi approaching them at a brisk pace. Meanwhile, Akane Tendou and Junpei "JP" Shibayama remained by the bus, as individuals from both groups began to recognize each other.
"Brook!" Robin exclaimed with delight.
"Yo-ho-ho-ho!" Brook laughed joyfully, "It's Robin!" he exclaimed in joy.
Vivi squinted her eyes, "Miss All Sunday..." she mentioned while looking at Robin, "... and Mr. 2." she added while glancing at Bentham.
Bentham chuckled awkwardly, "This is quite the situation." he remarked.
"Rise, Teddie!" Yukiko called out with relief.
"Yukiko!" Rise exclaimed happily.
"I'm thrilled to see you!" Teddie shouted with tears in his eyes.
"I didn't expect to see you here, Loki." Erza said with a smile.
Loki chuckled in response, "I'm surprised too." he admitted.
Mousse exclaimed, "Oh?" before adding, "Seems like I'm the only one missing out on a reunion." he commented.
Aelita responded, "Looks like we're in the same situation." she uttered.
Afterwards, everyone made the decision to escape the scorching heat and headed back to the bus located between two canyons. The large premise provided shade from the sun, allowing for a proper introduction and discussion among the group.
JP smoothed his hair back and playfully aimed two finger guns at Rise, "Well hello there, gorgeous~" the boy in a jumpsuit greeted, "Care to join me for a little adventure?" he inquired, "Prrrr~" he added with a playful purr.
Akane then gave JP a light smack on the back of his head, "Cut it out, will you?!" the raven-haired martial artist scolded.
Rise chuckled softly, "What's all this about?" she questioned.
Aelita and Robin then took the time to fill the newcomers in on the current situation, and they quickly caught on to what was happening.
"I see." Vivi uttered in acknowledgement, "That explains why we suddenly found ourselves in this island." she commented.
"It's really weird and it's even weirder from that one's I've experienced." Teddie stated.
Loki crossed his arms, "So, what should we do now?" he asked.
Robin recommended that everyone board the bus, "It's scorching out here, so you all could use some time to cool off." she declared.
"Absolutely, I could use a break." Rise confessed.
Robin smiled, "We still have guard duties to finish, so we'll be here for a bit longer." she mentioned "Catch you all later!" she added cheerfully.
And so, Akane, Bentham, Brook, JP, Loki, Mousse, Rise, Teddie, Vivi and Yukiko boarded the bus while Aelita, Erza and Robin, along with Ed, stayed outside to keep watch.
And to keep themselves entertained, Ed decided to share a story.
"Tell you that the story begins with three space outlaws, who crash-land on a robot planet." Ed started.
"Amazing!" Erza exclaimed in awe.
"I'm intrigue." Robin admitted.
"R-Rated." Aelita mused.
"And they have to fight off the robots but they also must try to escape back to earth or the robots will grind their bones to bits." Ed elaborated, "When the three spacemen lose control of their ship and hurtle into a field of asteroids that almost crush them into space dust." he furthered, "They're sucked into a dimensional time portal that transports them to the robot planet." he added, "The heroes find their ship destroyed." he shared, "They're marooned on the robot planet." he concluded.
Aelita then recalled, "Oh, Ed..." she began, "... what exactly were you doing when you fell from the sky?" she inquired, "And with a huge anchor, no less." she remarked, "And if I'm not mistaken, you were with a group." she remembered.
Ed pondered for a moment, allowing his mind to process the information, "Ah!" he exclaimed in realization, "I was testing my strength by throwing an anchor into the sky!" he declared with a wide grin, "I just forgot to release it." he admitted with a chuckle.
Erza and Robin shared a laugh while Aelita shook her head, "You never fail to surprise me, Ed." she said in amazement.
"I'd love to spar with you someday." Erza beckoned, "Your strength is really impressive." she remarked.
"Do you want ketchup or mustard?" Ed offered.
"She meant a different kind of challenge, Ed." Robin joked.
"Ed!" a voice called out.
The attention of everyone is then drawn to Mereoleona Vermillion and Yami Sukehiro, who are joined by five figures as they approach the others.
The first figure is a teenage boy with an average height, he had a lanky frame and a fair complexion, he had a short messy hair and he had dark blue-colored eyes. He wears a green short-sleeved shirt over a red long-sleeved undershirt, white pants, and green sneakers with yellow streaks. He wears a blue cap with a white symbol. This is Kouichi Kimura.
The second figure is a teenage boy with an average height, he had a lanky frame and a fair complexion, he had a shoulder-length black hair tied in a low ponytail and he had dark blue-colored eyes. He wears a blue jacket with yellow stripes on the sleeves over a yellow t-shirt with a blue neckline and sleeve trimmings, ankle-length grey pants, long blue socks and white sneakers with blue stripes. On his head, he wears a blue bandana with dark grey stripes. This is Kouji Minamoto.
The third figure is a small male cat with a round-bipedal appearance and he had round ears. He had a white muzzle, small red-colored eyes and a scar running down across his left eye. He wears green pants, blue socks and brown shoes. This is Panther Lily.
The fourth figure is a teenage girl with an average height, she had a slender body and a fair complexion, she had a knee-length blue hair tied in two hair buns and had a pair of frontlocks held by bell-like hairpins, and she had brown-colored eyes. She wears a pinkish-red qipao tunic with red accents, ankle-length pinkish red pants and a pair of black slip shoes. This is Shampoo.
The fifth figure is a young boy with a short stature and a fair complexion, he had a short brown hair and he had green-colored eyes. He wears a mustard-colored shirt under a white V-neck shirt with short sleeves, a dark green collar and dark green trimmings at the sleeves and the bottom, he also wears yellow shorts with two pockets at the front and red suspenders hanging loosely from the sides, orange socks, and white and green snickers. On his head, he wears an oversized orange newsboy cap. This is Tommy Himi.
"Hi, guys!" Ed greeted with his usual goofy smile.
"Welcome back." Robin greeted as well.
"Ed..." Yami trailed, "... next time you want to showcase your strength, make sure you don't find yourself flying into the sky." he advised with an exasperated voice.
"Sky is the limit, sky is the limit." Ed commented.
Yami sighed in response, "Why do I even bother?" he questioned to himself.
Mereoleona chuckled, "Well, he is funny, so I don't mind." she admitted.
Robin then turned to the new faces, "It looks like you found these people in your search." she pointed out.
Mereoleona nodded in response, "Indeed they are." she confirmed.
Lily flew over to Erza, "I'm glad to see you're doing well, Erza." the exceed greeted.
"Same to you." Erza replied with a smile.
"Are the others here too?" Lily asked.
"Not everyone, but some of our guild members, including Gajeel, are here." Erza answered.
Lily grinned in response, "That's typical of Gajeel." he commented.
Ed then looks at Kouichi, Kouji and Tommy, "Oh, by the way..." he began, "... JP, Takuya and Zoe are here." he informed.
"Is that so?" Kouichi said with a sigh of relief, "That's great news." he remarked.
"I'm glad to hear that they're all right." Kouji said with a smile.
"I can't wait to see them again!" Tommy exclaimed in joy.
Aelita raised an eyebrow, "Ed..." she started, "... how do you know that they're friends with JP, Takuya and Zoe?" she inquired.
Ignoring her question, Ed turned to Shampoo, "And Shampoo, your beloved Ranma is here." he revealed.
Shampoo's eyes lit up, "Really?" she exclaimed excitedly, "Oh, Ranma, I can't wait to feel your loving embrace again." she said eagerly.
"Mousse is here too." Ed added.
Shampoo's expression changed, "What?!" she exclaimed, "He's here too?" she said in disbelief.
"Seriously, Ed, how do you know all of this?" Aelita questioned.
Jason the Watcher then emerged from the bus and greeted the new arrivals with a smile before Ed could say anything.
"Great, you've brought everyone." Jason said with a sense of relief. "These five are the final ones we need to rescue in this area." he shared, "Now that they're here, we can move on to the next location." he explained.
"Where to?" Robin inquired.
"From one hot spot to another." Jason joked, "We're heading to the volcano region." he revealed.
CUT THE ROPE! That's the 27th chapter of this story and I hope that you all enjoyed it.
Debuting Cast of Characters:
Kouichi Kimura, Kouji Minamoto and Tommy Himi are characters from Digimon Frontiers.
Panther Lily is a character from Fairy Tail.
Shampoo is a character from Ranma 1/2.
That's all I can share for now and I hope you'll look forward for the next chapter.