Ryoga : Crossover   
by Mark Latus
A Ranma 1/2 fanfic in nine parts

A Quick Guide to Ryoga Hibikis
Ryoga 1 - The only Ryoga who belongs in this world.  The guy you've seen in the
          anime.
Ryoga 2 - Engaged to the Nabiki of his world. Has the same curse as Ranma.  AKA
          Ryoga 1/2, Ryoga-chan.
Ryoga 3 - Married the Shampoo of his world shortly after meeting her.  Normally
          lives in China.  Trained by Cologne.

Part 4 : Three's A Crowd, Four's A Nightmare.

     The watcher studied his DNA tracker with a feeling of frustration.  Events
were not proceding as expected.  Social dynamics studies had indicated that,
despite a terrible sense of direction, there were places Ryogas were repeatedly
drawn to arrive.  The Tendo home was one of these places.  In fact at this 
point it was the most likely place a Ryoga would turn up.  While two of the
them (and the indigenous Ryoga) had found their way to the grounds quickly the
remaining three appeared to be avoiding the place.
     To be more precise, one had looked around on arrival then headed for the
restaurant district.  Given the infamous Hibiki sense of direction it was
uncertain this was his intended destination.  However he hadn't shown any
desire to remain at the Tendo's.  The second had spat on the gate and headed in
the opposite direction.  Charting his course it looked as though he was looping
around the town and heading back.  Still he had already avoided entering once,
would he do so again?  Why was he avoiding the Tendo home?  Perhaps inadequate
biographical study had been done on the alternates.  They were selected
primarily for the ease of transferring them to this world.  
     The third Ryoga had seen another Ryoga (Ryoga 3) enter the main gate and
responded in an unusual fashion.  He had concealed himself in a vantage point
overlooking the house and was watching events unfold from his hiding place.
Again, why?
     The watcher sighed, the plan had looked perfect in theory.  Why couldn't
people act the way they were predicted to behave?  How could he, of all people,
fail to correctly predict Hibiki reactions?  At least three Ryogas were in 
place, they'd have to do.
     Meanwhile inside the Tendo Dojo Ryoga 3 and Ranma took their positions.
They were about to start when the door slid open.  Ryoga 2 walked in followed
by the Tendos (minus Kasumi who was cooking dinner), Genma and Ryoga 1.  
Ryoga 2 smiled at them, "As this is just a friendly little contest I'm sure
you have no objections to our observing your techniques."
     Ranma grit his teeth, so did Ryoga 3
     "No, not at all.  Please sit down."
     "Make yourself comfortable and enjoy the show."
     They bowed briefly to one another then, before their audience was seated,
began exchanging blows.  They opened with a standard variety of kicks and
punches that both blocked.  It quickly became apparent to those watching that
failure to connect was angering both fighters.  Strikes became stronger and 
faster, both began sweating from exertion.  Ryoga 2 felt worried.  He'd hoped
an audience might keep them under control but neither seemed to remember there
was anyone in the room except their opponent.  It seemed unlikely either would
settle for declaring a draw, that meant escalation.  Also he'd been watching
Ryoga 1 out of the corner of his eye.  It almost looked as if he was rooting
for Ranma, which was crazy.
     Ranma decided it was time to move into advanced techniques.  "Block this,
TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!"  His hands blurred, delivering hundreds of punches in a
few seconds.
     Ryoga 3's hands also blurred.  The spectators were puzzled by Ranma's
shocked expression.
     "You blocked me?!"
     Ryoga 3 smiled, "You asked me too.  One of the first things Cologne taught
me was that speed punching technique.  My turn. TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!"
     Again their hands blurred.  Ryoga 3 was surprised.  He hadn't made contact
either.
     They separated, stopping a moment to consider.  Ranma felt a certain 
worry.  In their past fights Ryoga had had the edge in strength and endurance.
He'd always had the advantage in skill and speed, ending fights quickly before
Ryoga's endurance made any difference.  This Ryoga seemed as fast as him, 
maybe nearly as skillful.  
     Ryoga 3 considered his opponent.  This Ranma had more skills than the one 
he'd known.  What other techniques had this version learned?
     Both decided that it was best to end this fight as soon as possible.  
Before their opponent pulled any surprises.  Chi blasts might do it.  They
built power inside themselves and released it.  
     Unfortunately, for Soun's financial health, they both fired at the same
time.  The two energy waves collided in the centre of the room.  Failing to
overpower one another the energies exploded outwards.  The blast hit the walls
just above head height of those sitting watching.  Very large holes appeared
in the walls.
     The only two people standing, Ranma and Ryoga 3, were caught by the shock
wave and flung into the garden.  Ranma realized he'd been thrown close enough
to Ryoga to finally make physical contact.  His kick knocked Ryoga 3 towards
the pond, not the way he'd wanted to win but it would have to do.
     Ranma need not have worried.  Ryoga 3 focused a chi blast as he fell.  The
kinetic burst forced the water away from his impact point.  He bounced off the,
now dry, bottom and was gone before the water rushed back.  Studying the garden
as he flew he twisted in midair to hit the ground fistfirst.  Ranma immediately
jumped away from his own landing point.  The place he'd been standing exploded
upwards as dragon lines twisted briefly.
     Ranma landed not far from Ryoga 3.  Both of them studied each over.  They
felt a certain grudginng respect for each other's skills.
     "You're pretty good."
     "So are you, but I'm nowhere near giving up."
     "Me neither."  A pause.  "Looks like we'll have to up the ante."
     "Looks that way."
     Meanwhile, in what was left of the dojo, everyone was reacting in their 
own fashion.  Soun was becoming hysterical over the cost of making repairs,
while Nabiki was busy trying to work out which building contractor would be 
most likely to give her a kickback for getting the job. Ryoga 2 was looking out
through one of the large holes feeling his anxiety soar.
     Akane joined him, "It's gone quiet.  Is it over?"
     "Afraid not, look at those auras".
     Ryoga 1 wandered over to join them.  In the evening twilight the blue glow
around Ranma and Ryoga 3 was very easy to spot.  So was the fact the auras were
growing steadily brighter.
     "They're both building up Chi for one massive blast.  So far they've 
matched each other every step of the way.  I figure as soon as one of them's 
generated as much power as he possibly can he'll blast the other."
     Genma joined them, "Undoubtedly that Ryoga will reach his limits first.
No one can match my son, except me of course."
     Ryoga 2 decide not to bother disputing this, "Maybe.  I was wondering if
you've all seen that scene at the start of 'Akira' where Tokyo goes up in this
big ball of light."
     Soun stopped crying, Nabiki stopped calculating, everyone turned to look
at him.  
     "What are you trying to say?"
     "They may be the ones at the centre of the blast but we're all standing 
right next to ground zero.  I think we should back up to a safe distance."
     "Which is?"
     "A couple of kilometres ought to do it.  Shame to lose the house though."
     "WHAT!", shouted Soun, "My ancestral home ... We have to stop them."
     "A little late, I don't think they can stop now."  It was past time to
leave, he could grab Nabiki and Akane, dash into the kitchen and scoop up
Kasumi, then run like hell.  They might get clear before the blast.  The others
would have to look out for themselves.
     "Ranma!"
     Someone leapt from a neighbour's roof and landed between Ranma and 
Ryoga 3.
     "Ukyou?  What's she doing here?"
     Ukyou grabbed Ranma.  He blinked and began focusing on something besides
building Chi.  "Ukyou this is not a good time to .... "
     "Ranma-honey, you have to help me.  Ryoga's gone crazy, he thinks we're
engaged ... ", her voice trailed off as she realized Ryoga was behind her.
     "But ... but you were following me ... how?...", her voice shook as she 
caught sight of the other two Ryogas watching her.
     Ryoga 3 blinked at her, "Uh hello, I don't think we've been introduced."
     Ranma felt the power surging inside him.  Ukyou was between him and his 
opponent so he couldn't blast him.  But he had to get rid of the power now,
 which meant ... He pointed straight up and shouted, "MOUKO TAKABISHYA!"  The 
energy wave blasted upwards.
     "Hope there weren't any planes above us", Ryoga 2 commented.  Then 
something fell out of the sky.  Correction, someone landed in the garden.  
Another Ryoga.
     "Ukyou wait ... " the newcomer began.  Then he caught sight of his other
selves.  "What ... what is this?"
     Ryoga 2 sighed, "We've got some things to tell you.  You and Ukyou I mean.
Why don't you join us."
     Looking confused and uncertain they walked over to the wrecked training
hall accompanied by Ranma.  Ryoga 3 was still standing, glowing, in the same
spot.
     Ryoga 2 called over to him, "Looks like the fight's been called.  Come and
join us."
     "In a minute.  I can't hold this much power indefinitely.  Since I don't
have a target to use it on I have to bleed it off gradually.  That takes time."
     A scraping noise attracted his attention and he saw a battered Happosai
haul himself onto the top of the garden wall.   The injured pervert gasped,
"Fell hundreds of feet onto concrete ... massive internal injuries ... 
crippling pain ... must have panties."
     Ryoga 3 smiled, "Perfect timing.  DRAGON CLAW STRIKE."
     The energy wave did look strangely like a reptilian claw.  Happosai and
the top of the wall accelerated away rapidly.  Ryoga 3 relaxed, "A pervert, 
but a very tenacious one."
     Soun came up behind him, "You blasted the master!".  He pounded Ryoga 3 
on the back, "Well done, excellent.  No wonder I'm letting you marry my
daughter."
     Ryoga 3 sighed and pointed to Ryoga 2, "He's the one engaged to Nabiki.
I'm the one who married Shampoo."
     "Oh yes, you look so much alike.  You should wear numbers."
     Ryoga 3 considered mentioning they were all dressed differently but 
decided not to bother.  Anyway that was no longer true.  The fourth Ryoga was
dressed identically to Ryoga 1.
     Soun continued, "You've learned a lot of martial arts from Cologne."
     He nodded, "That and Chinese."
     "Chinese?"
     "I am living in China.  The only people in the village who speak Japanese
are Shampoo, Cologne and Mousse.  Not that Mousse and I really talk.  The 
longest thing he said to me all month was, 'This is the hour of your death 
Hibiki'."
     Kasumi appeared on the porch, "Dinnertime.  I'm sure you can discuss 
whatever you have to over the meal."
     The crowd headed inside, Soun and Ryoga 3 went to join them.  At which
point Mousse, who had been unconscious since Ranma hit him, woke up.  He'd
lost his glasses but could see two moving blurs, one red, one black.  Red,
Saotome always wore that red shirt.  It had to be him.  He snarled, "Time to
die Ranma!", and attacked.
     Ryoga 3 sidestepped Mousse's weapon, an axe on a chain.  The axehead
imbedded itself in the ground.  Ryoga 3 grabbed the chain and snapped Mousse
towards him.  Mousse's chin impacted his waiting fist.  Mousse backflipped,
out cold, into the pond.  Naturally his curse triggered.
     Ryoga 3 stared in disbelief, "A duck.  Mousse turned into a duck ... ok
fine, I can handle this."
     Soun opened his mouth to explain.
     "Never mind, I don't want to know.  Leaving for China with Shampoo was a
smarter decision than I realized.  I got away from this place just in time.
Things kept getting stranger and stranger around here."
     They headed in to join the others.  The evening continued to darken.
     In his hiding  place the concealed Ryoga decided it was time to get 
closer.  The approaching darkness should allow him to get close enough to hear
what those other Ryogas were saying.  Whatever was going on was far too 
elaborate for one of Kuno's traps.  His curiosity was definitely aroused.
     In his monitoring station the watcher felt satisfied.  Four Ryogas were
in place and the fifth was moving into position.  While the sixth had headed
away from the Tendo house upon recognising it he'd be back.  The scanner 
showed he was already beginning to loop back toward it.  Looked like the plan
was working after all.  Three cheers for Social Dynamics studies.

end of part 4

Next episode : The remaining Ryogas show up and their surprising choices for
               fiances are revealed.
               Also the plan behind the crossover begins to unfold.

Part 5 : My Dinner With Ryoga.