VISIONARIES By: Matt Taylor Disclaimer: All Ranma 1/2 characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. All Tenchi Muyo characters are the property of AIC/Pioneer. I receive no payment for this, and am doing it for my own amusement. ************* CHAPTER 5 It had been a relatively peaceful two weeks since the fight with Ayeka ended. She and Sasami had settled into the house, with Ayeka profusely apologizing to them for her actions (well, apologizing to all except Ryoko). While Sasami had started helping out in the kitchen. "So you're a cook, Sasami?" Asked Ukyo. "Oh yes." "Would you like to help me with supper tonight?" "Sure." "You know, I'm a pretty good chef myself." Ukyo said proudly. "You're looking at the greatest okonomiyaki chef in Japan." "Okonomiyaki?" Sasami asked. "I'll make some for you later. Trust me, you'll love it." "Okay." ************* Of course, the feud between Ayeka and Ryoko continued on, with the two of them almost coming to blows several times a day, with either Tenchi or Ranma having to break them apart. "What is it with you two, anyway?" Tenchi asked Ryoko. Both of them where out on the newly repaired deck. "I know Ayeka from way back, Tenchi, she's the most stuck-up woman in the galaxy!" "But do you two have to fight everyday!?" "You don't understand Tenchi." Ryoko said with a shake of her head. ************* For some reason, Genma had been spending a lot of time up in his room, alone. Even now he sits in the middle of the floor, thinking. 'I didn't expect to encounter the Jurai royal family again so soon! So that's Ayeka. I didn't expect her to show up so soon, if at all! Eventually her parents are going to realize I've returned to this household, and I'll have a lot of explaining to do, to them...and my son.' ************* Tenchi was still unsure about what was going on here. Even now he sat on his bed, looking over the sword his grandfather had given him. Tenchi-ken. He looked at the blue blade, and the two gems in the hilt. Why did his grandfather want him to have this? How did it work? It was like something out of Star Wars. But Tenchi knew he was no Luke Skywalker. He'd have to sit down and talk, really talk, with his grandfather later. ************* Ranma has spent more and more time up at the shrine with Katsuhito. One of Ranma's goals is to someday gain the skill to defeat his grandfather. While it hasn't happened yet, Ranma looks forward to the day. "Ranma...now." Ranma got up from the spot where he was crouched on the ground, and ran at the old man. He somersaulted into the air and landed behind him. Katsuhito turned and blocked the young man's kick with his bokken. Ranma back-flipped away, hoping to make some room between them, he'd never win in close quarters. He considered throwing his chi attack again, but, his grandfather was too fast for that. Ranma was still thinking of what to do next when his grandfather appeared in front of him. Ranma barely had time to block the bokken. He grimaced, and reminded, himself to stay focused. ************* "This isn't Yokohama." Said a young man, walking down the streets of what appeared to be Okinawa. He was medium height, had a yellow shirt, and black pants, along with a yellow headband. He had a back-pack on, with a bamboo umbrella tied to it's top. He walked aimlessly down the street, looking at a map in his hand. "Excuse me?" He asked a person." Do you know the way to Yokohama." The person looked at the map and gave him some directions. "Thanks." This boy has traveled the world for the last few years, his thoughts those of revenge. His journey's long, and rife with suffering. "Soon Ranma, I'll find you, and vengeance shall be mine!!" ************* Tenchi, Ranma, Ryoko, Ukyo, Ayeka and Sasami sat in the living room, their chores done. Now most of them where left with nothing to do. "Hey guys?" Asked Ukyo. "You guys want to go out?" "Where to Ucchan?" "I don't know, into Yokohama? Maybe do some shopping?" "Sure!" Said Sasami. Sasami had wanted to see more of Yokohama since she got here. "I got nothing else to do." Ryoko piped in. Tenchi and Ranma both had slightly deflated looks at the thought of going shopping with the girls, each knowing what girls got like when they where shopping. Images of them both carting around arm-loads of clothes entered their minds. However they both seemed to be outvoted in this matter. "Come on guys." Said Ukyo. "Why don't you girls go ahead." Ranma said. "You don't really need us." "You want us helpless woman to go into town undefended?" Said Ryoko with a sly smile. "You're hardly helpless, Ryoko." Said Tenchi, the pirate just smiled again. "We need you two for this." Said Ukyo. "Why? To cart around the bags?" Ukyo grabbed Ranma's wrist, dragging him to his feet, Ryoko doing the same to Tenchi. "Yes." ************* "This isn't Yokohama." The young man stood outside Tokyo Tower, map still in hand. Why did this always happen to him. "After all the years of following him and dreaming of revenge, he manages to give me the slip." He said to no one in particular. "Excuse me, sir?" The boy once again asked for directions, and was pointed in the right direction. "Thank you." The boy once again set out, dreaming of his revenge. "You're mine Ranma, vengeance will be mine!" ************* "Hhmm...Would I look good in this?" Sasami held a dress up against herself for Ukyo to consider. The Okonomiyaki chef looked at the dress, which dwarfed the girl holding it. "Well, it seems a bit big for you Sasami." In all honesty, this isn't the type of shopping Ukyo has wanted, at least not dress shopping. She hadn't worn a girl's outfit since she was six. Ukyo had always been most comfortable in boy's attire, and it showed in her clothing closet. She looked over at Ayeka, and Ryoko. Ryoko was checking herself out in a barely there black evening gown. While everything Ayeka tried only would show bare skin above her neck. "So tell me Tenchi. How do I look?" Ryoko grinned and showed off in front of Tenchi, who was sitting in a chair next to Ranma. Ukyo imagined herself in the gown and the look she would get from Ranchan for it. Tenchi looked embarrassed by the scene, but managed to squeak out a "wonderful." Ryoko smiled and went to pay for the dress. "Tenchi, if you keep talking like that, we'll never get rid of that woman." Ranma said discreetly. It was true that Ranma and Ryoko weren't exactly getting along, with Ranma praying that she would leave. Ukyo thought he had a problem with the pirates uninhibited nature. Her mind went back to their encounter with a similar uninhibited person in China. Ukyo shook her head in disgust at the memory, and wondered if that was the reason Ranma acted like this around her. "Hey girls." Ranma said. "Do you mind if we look around for a bit?" "Well, I suppose we'll be in here for awhile." Said Ayeka. "Go ahead, we'll meet you later." "I'll come along." Ukyo said. "I'm not overly comfortable in a dress shop anyway." "Oh...sure Ucchan." The three of them left the shop, entering into the main section of the mall, in indoor strip revealing hundreds of different shops. "Well boys, where shall we go first?" ************* "Is this it?" The boy looked up from his map, and a smile entered his face. He was finally in Yokohama! He would have his vengeance. He looked up at the sing, and it said "welcome to Yokohama." He leapt for joy, and began to run, out of town. After a mile, he stopped and realized that the buildings where gone. ************* "Ukyo?" "Yeah Tenchi?" "You never did tell me how you came to be traveling with Ranma." Tenchi asked. "You mind if I tell him, Ranchan?" "Go ahead." "Okay, well it started when we were six...." ************* When we were six, Ranma would always come to me and my father's Yatai to fight me. If he won, he would get okonmiyaki for free. Sometimes he won, sometimes I won. Eventually our fathers saw us playing and a thought came to my father's mind. "Look at them Genma." "Yes, they get along very well." "I have been looking for a possible husband for my daughter for along time. She needs someone strong, who can handle the responsibilities of being a hsuband." "And you're suggesting....?" "Why do we not engage your son and my daughter?" "I...I don't know." "Come now! I even offer a dowry for the engagement." "A dowry?" "Yes. My Yatai." "Your Yatai?" Genma turned to the cart, his interest piqued. Traveling around China was hungry work, and that Yatai would be a great help. "Think of it." "Hhmm....Very well. They are engaged." The two fathers shook hands. Genma looked over at the two children, wrestling on the ground. It was tough enough with just Ranma, Ukyo going with them would only make things harder. Later that day he went up to his son. "Ranma." "Yeah pops?" "I have a question for you. What do you like more? Ukyo or Okonmiyaki?" Ranma's forehead scrunched as he thought. "Okonomiyaki." Genma smiled. "All right then. Come, it's time for us to continue our journey." ************* "They left with the Yatai, leaving me alone." Tenchi looked shocked as he turned to his cousin. Ranma's face grew guilty looking, and he turned away. "I went after them on my own. For awhile I was certain that I would never find them, but about three months later, I found them. They had been staying at a martial arts dojo in Beijing. It was pure luck that we were both there at the same time. I found them and beat the hell out of Genma. It turned out they had already destroyed the yatai in an accident. Since Ranchan and me were still engaged I went along. I've been with them ever since." "Let's not forget how you treated pops for the next few weeks after that. Let's just say a day didn't go by where pops didn't need an ice-pack." Ranma said. Both of them laughed at that. "When pops asked me that question, I really thought it was a joke. It sounded like it at the time. I didn't even know that Ukyo was a girl." "How could you not tell?" Tenchi asked. "Well, Ukyo was never the feminine dresser." "What's the meaning of that?" Ukyo asked. "Nothing." Ranma said nervously. Ukyo gave him a look that he backed away from, before turning back to Tenchi. "We had quite the time in China, you wouldn't believe some of the people we met. Ranma got a whole load of stuff from the Amazon tribe there." "Amazons? In China? I thought they were from Greece?" "These are different Amazons. We had a very unusual time at their village." Said Ukyo. "They had this princess there who I had to fight." "I thought it was dishonorable to fight a girl?" "I was a girl at the time, and she challenged me. I went easy on her, though. She wasn't really that hurt. But after the fight she kissed me for some reason." Ukyo's face turned red, and steam rose off her body as Ranma talked about this. She remembered that. Who was that hussy to just go up and kiss her Ranchan!? And in his girl form at that! "That wasn't all we did, thought." Ranma said, cutting off her thoughts. We did go to school a few times. Met some interesting people there. "But Ranma kept getting into duels with people." Said Ukyo, with a sigh. "Some of them even followed us around, trying to take vengeance on Ranma." Ukyo giggled. "Let me tell you about some. One of them was the real stupid kid called...." ************* "Okay, I am in Yokohama." The boy stood in the middle of Yokohama, certain that he would not get lost this time. He would finally have his vengeance. Now all he had to do was find Ranma. He reached into his pack and found a picture of the boy in question. "Now to ask around." The boy started to speak with various people, showing them the picture, and asking if they had seen him. After three hours he began to get disheartened. He knew Ranma said his home was in Yokohama, he had to be here! The boy looked around and wondered where he had wound up, after all the questioning. "A mall?" Well he was hungry, anyway. He saw a nice restaurant and went to get something to eat. He couldn't face Ranma on an empty stomach. He ordered some ramen and sat down. Been along time since he'd had the chance to sit down in a restaurant and eat. He had spent many years preparing for the fight, learning moves, and upping his strength in China. He had already planned out a way to fight Ranma, which he thought would lead him to victory. He was so into the thought that he almost missed hearing some familiar voices talking, a few feet away from him. "But Ranma kept getting into duels with people, some of them even followed us around, trying to take vengeance on Ranma." That voice. It was incredibly familiar. Wasn't Ranma carting around some woman with him? That was her voice. "Let me tell you about some. One of them was this real stupid kid called...." That was Ranma's voice! He leapt from his chair, flipping in the air and landing in the front of the small café. "Ranma Saotome! I've finally found you!" "Ryoga Hibiki!!!" Ranma said in shock. The boy called Ryoga pulled the bamboo umbrella from his pack, and flung it towards the stunned young man. It collided with him, and knocked him back into the wall. "Ranchan!?" Ukyo said, turning to Ryoga. Wishing she brought her battle spatula, Ukyo jumped at him anyway. Ryoga moved to the side swiftly, as her kick missed. "This has nothing to do with you, woman. I do not want to have to hurt you." "You hurt my Ranchan! You'll pay for that!" Ukyo charged at him again. But an arm came up to block her. She stopped and saw Ranma standing in front of her. "No Ukyo. This my fight, you and Tenchi stay back." "But..." "Please." Ukyo looked apprehensive for a moment, but eventually did as she was told, herding Tenchi back with her. All other people in the mall were already running away from the scene. "Hello Ryoga. It's been a long time." "Silence Ranma. You must pay for the sufferings you have caused me!" "Sufferings!? I don't know what you're talking about. By the way, where were you the day of our duel? I waited three days for you." "I...got lost. But I got their only four days late." "Oh right, the Hibiki family directional curse. I remember hearing about that." Ranma said, with a cocky grin. "You finally learn to get to the bathroom without ending up on the other side of the world?" "Enough talk! DIE!!!" Ryoga rammed himself at Ranma, and hitting him full force. Ranma was sent flying back again, but flipped in the air, and landed on his feet. Sheesh! Since when was Ryoga this strong? That felt like a freight train hitting him. Ranma rammed back at him, and jumping into a twirling kick in the air. It connected with his opponent's face, but he was un-affected. "Now, what's this horrible suffering you're talking about?" "No, you won't distract me by talking, Ranma. You will pay!!!" Ryoga flung several benches at Ranma, who had to move quickly to dodge them. More and more big, flying objects went flying at him. "After all this time, after all the pain and sorrow, vengeance will be mine!" "Is that all you can say?" "Jeez, Ukyo. How strong is that guy?" "He wasn't this strong the last time we saw him! He's been working out." Ukyo watched in slight horror, as Ryoga uprooted a stone column from the mall floor, and swung it like a baseball bat at Ranma. Ranma leapt over it, and flung himself at Ryoga, kicking him in the face. Ranma followed it up with a barrage of punches and kicks, hoping to knock out his enemy. Ranma hit the chestnut fist, and Ryoga was starting to look wary. Suddenly he leapt into the air, and landed behind Ranma. "I won't lose, I have traveled to far to lose!" Ranma ran at him again. Ryoga caught him with a spinning kick to the head. He ran to his umbrella and flung it again, whacking Ranma on the side of the head. Ryoga was a blur as he attacked Ranma, hundreds of punches and kicks ladned on the young man. Ranma finally fell to his knees. Ryoga walked up to him. Ranma swept his legs out from under him, his trick working. Ranma jumped up to make some room between them, and his chi started to flair around him. "Fierce Tiger Domineering blast!" The chi blast slammed from his hands, and connected with Ryoga. Ryoga was sent to the ground, but was back on his feet and charging again. Ranma was caught by surprise, figuring the blast would end it. Ryoga's fists where incredibly powerful, as they slammed into him. Ryoga's spinning kick sent Ranma flying back. He suddenly began to charge again. "This ends now!" Ryoga suddenly stuck his finger forward, and was directing it toward Ranma. Ranma moved, as the finger collided with the wall behind him, shattering it immediately. "Where'd you learn that?" Ranma asked. "None of your business!" Ryoga had the pillar again, and was swinging it. It hit Ranma again, and knocked him to the floor. Ryoga brought the pillar up above his head, as he brought it down, a blur slammed through it, shattering it. The stone pieces showered down around the young man, as he saw a woman floating in the air in front of him. "My, my. Trying to kill him? Despite my feelings toward him, I'm afraid I can't allow that.' Ryoko said. "Aside. This is not your matter." "This very much my matter. You see those two over there?" She pointed to Ukyo and Tenchi. "Those are friends of mine. You could have hurt them. I don't enjoy people attacking my friends." "Ryoko! Are you responsible for this?" Came a high shrill voice. Ayeka ran to the scene, towing Sasami behind her. "No way Ayeka! It's all this guys fault. I intend on making him pay for it." "I will not fight a woman. It is dishonorable." Said Ryoga. "Too bad." Ryoko struck like lightning, as her energy bolt slammed into him. Ryoga was knocked head over heels, and landed hard. Ryoko flew into the air, and came down fist first at the young man, knocking him back to the ground. Ryoko picked him up by the chin, sending two punches into his stomach. Ryoga was strong, but his strength was nothing compared to Ryoko's. Ryoko wound up, and sent an uppercut into him. Ryoga went flying through the ceiling, and into the sky. "And don't come back!" She yelled after him. "(Groan). What happened?" Ranma asked as he crawled to his feet. "I just saved your ass, kid." Said Ryoko. "What! You interfered in my fight!? You can't do that?" "He was going to kill you Ranma!" Said Tenchi. "Be thankful that guy doesn't fight woman, or it may have been much more difficult for me to get rid of him." Said Ryoko. "Not that I couldn't have, anyway." "Um guys. I think we should get out of here." Tenchi said. "Police are going to be here, soon." "Hhmm? Oh sure, Tenchi." Ryoko concentrated, and all of them disappeared. ************* "AAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" Ryoga Hibiki flew through the air, cursing that woman who did this to him. How dare she come between him and his rightful vengeance. He wondered just where he was going to land. He finally saw what looked like a wooden dojo roof. That was all he saw as he crashed through it. Just before unconsciousness came over him he saw a young girl in a yellow gi running up to him. "Dad! Come quick! Someone fell through the roof!" This was all he heard, as Ryoga fell into the bliss of unconsciousness. ************* "Hhmm. He sounds like a very strong boy." Katsuhito sat before his charges, everyone but Ryoko, sitting on the floor in front of him. "Why would he want to attack you Ranma?" "I don't know gramps. I knew Ryoga from one of the high schools we went to on our journey. Every day in the lunchroom, there would be a rush for the bread, with me usually getting the last piece. Ryoga always went without bread, and he eventually he started getting angry about it. He challenegd me to a duel then. It was to take place behind his home in an alley. I came there and waited, I waited for three days, and he never showed up. So I finally left. This is the first time I've seen him in years." "Interesting." Katushito rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a few moments, his gaze drifting off to infinity. "According to what I heard, he took you down, Ranma, even though Ryoko's intervention makes the fight a draw, you will have to do better that that. Especially if he returns. Tenchi I want you to start carrying Tenchi-ken with you at all times, as well. Especially if such a fight becomes a danger to you or others." Both boys nodded. "You are all dismissed." The group left the shrine then. "Do you think this Ryoga guy'll come back?" Tenchi asked. "He did strike me as the obsessive type. We might see him again." "Of course, there is the famous Hibiki family directional curse." "The what?" "A small problem our boy has." Ranma said. "He has the worst sense of direction in the entire world. It'll be forever before he actually finds his way back here." "That's not really reassuring." Tenchi said. "You saw how strong he is." "Yeah. He's obviously been working out some since I last saw him." Ranma said. "Don't worry about it, I know what to expect from him now." Tenchi hoped his cousin was right. He could imagine what a fight like that could do to their home. It had taken them long enough to repair it from the attack of Ayeka. Ryoga seemed even more dangerous, and without a space-ship! Who else from Ranma's past was going to show up looking for him? TO BE CONTINUED. NEXT CHAPTER: CHAOS IS SPELLED S.H.A.M.P.O.O.