Ranma Z

 

Chapter Nine

 

Aliens Land on the Earth!  Is This Really a Big Deal?

 

 

 

 

            Ranma frowns.  He looks around at the group that has been assembled.  (“Ryoko and Tenchi will be some help.  Ayeka can be used for defense, but she can’t fight.”)  He looks at the Senshi.  (“The Senshi are too weak to be of an use.  They’ll be in the way.”)  He tenses as the cabbit meows.  “Ryoko could you tell your spaceship to stop that.”

            Ryoko frowns and turns to Ranma.  “You don’t like it you can fly there by yourself.”

            “You gonna make me?”  Ranma asks.

            Ryoko growls.  She knows she can’t do anything against Ranma.  “Calm down you two.  Nothing good can come if we fight amongst ourselves,” Tenchi says.  Ryoko nods reluctantly and turns away from Ranma.

 

            An hour later

            “This sand’s going to get in my hair,” Usagi complains.

            “We really should have got some sunscreen,” Mako comments.

            “Just think after we win we can go to Giza!”  Ami sounds happy.

            Ranma groans and turns to Setsuna.  “Are you sure they’re warriors?”  Setsuna frowns but nods.

            “According to Washu one of the ships will land near here.  You’re group will handle this one.”  Tenchi points off in the distance.  “The other one will land around ten miles that way.  We’ll take that one.”

            Ranma nods.  “Be careful.”

            Tenchi nods.  “We will.”  With that Tenchi, Ryoko, Ayeka, and Katsuhito disappear into Ryo-oh-ki.  Ranma watches the ship disappear into the distance.  After a moment he floats into the air and takes up a relaxed mediation stance (think Picollo).

 

            Thirty minutes later

            “How much longer?”  Usagi cries out.

            “Who knows?”  Rei shrugs her shoulders.

            “But it’s so boring!”

            “I can’t wait to fight!”  Mako cracks her knuckles.

            “I agree!”  Hakaru says.  Ranma snorts and mumbles something.  “What was that?”  Hakaru demands.

            “I said, Baka,” Ranma repeats for her.  “When the fighting starts you guys just make sure you don’t get in my way.  I don’t want to have worry about any of you.”

            “Are you saying we can’t handle this fight?”  Mako asks.  She is angry.

            “Yep.  Compared to me, you’re nothing but a bunch of weaklings.  I could…” He stops speaks.

            “What?”  Mako demands.

            Ranma stops floating and lands.  He smiles and looks up at the sky.  “They’re here.”

“The Mercury Computer confirms that.  We two ships incoming,” Ami says.  The girls waste no time and transform.  Ranma begins stretching.

 

            Two streaks of light fly through the air.  One lands a few hundred feet from Ranma and the Senshi.  The other one lands off in the distance.  The Senshi look at one another and nod.  They run off towards the hole after the sand has settled.  “We’ll show you the power of the Sailor Senshi!”  Uranus calls back.

            Ranma sighs.  He activates his armor then turns to Pluto and Saturn, who have stayed behind with him.  “You going?”

            “We will stay with you and provide support.  There is no need to go ahead when the strongest fighter is staying back,” Saturn explains.

            “Really?”  Ranma arches an eyebrow and turns to Pluto.

            She sighs.  “I hate to admit it, but you are the best hope we have for victory.”

            Ranma nods.  “Smart and cute.  A deadly combination.”  Pluto blushes.

 

            “There it is!”  Jupiter exclaims.  The Senshi all come to a stop at the edge of the crater.

            “It’s a Saiyan Spacepod!”  Mercury comments.

            “So we have to fight another Saiyan?”  Venus asks.

            Just then, the door on the pod opens.  The air within it is let loses with a hiss.  A man (or it appears to be a man) exits the ship.  He is wearing armor much like Ranma’s, except his has shoulder pads (thinks Vegita’s from when he first arrived on the Earth).  He is wearing some kind of eyepiece (a scouter).  The Senshi immediately notice the lack of a tale.  The alien turns his head towards the Senshi after the scouter indicates that he is not alone.  He turns and stares at them for a moment.  Then the scouter blinks a few times.  He smiles and floats out of the crater.  He lands near the girls and looks towards them.  “Where is he?”

            The girls look at one another in confusion.  Finally Mercury asks.  “He?”

            “The mutant.  We tracked his spaceship’s signal back to this planet.  Now where is he?”

            “The mutant?”  Sailor Moon thinks for a second then snaps her fingers.  “Oh!  You mean Ranma!”

            “His name is meaningless.  Now where is he?”  The alien asks again.

            “What will you do when you have him?”  Uranus asks.  (“If we give up the Saiyan then we can kill two birds with one stone.”)

            “He will return with us.  Though he is no doubt weak he can still prove useful.”

            “Useful?  In what way?”  Mercury asks.

            “Revenge of course.  The Saiyan race has been secretly gathering strength these last two decades.  Soon the Saiyan empire will be rebuilt.”

            “You talk as though you aren’t a Saiyan,” Neptune comments.

            “I am not.  Some of my race fought against the Saiyans in a secret war about ten years ago.  I was one of those that sided with the Saiyans.  In the end most of my race was destroyed, and the Saiyans won.”

            “You helped destroy your own people?”  Usagi asks.  The alien nods.  “How could you?”

            “I simply went with the side that was going to win.  The Saiyans have rewarded me.  I am now more powerful than I could ever imagine.  If I succeed in helping bring back the mutant I will be rewarded with a Saiyan wife.  My bloodline will become even stronger.”

            “So you’re nothing but a power hungry maniac?”  Mars asks.

            The alien growls.  “You mock me?”  He holds his hand aloft and begins to gather his ki.

            Mercury pales as she looks at the computer’s readings.  “He’s even more power than those demons Ranma beat!”

            “Die!”  The alien lets go of his attack and grins evilly as the attack nears its target.

            It is, however, batted away at the last second.  The alien smiles as he notes the tail coming from the new comer.  Ranma frowns as he regards the alien.  “Growing stronger and strengthening one’s bloodline isn’t a bad thing.  But doing so at the cost of others is a mistake.”

            “There you are!”

            Ranma falls into a loose stance.  “I am Saotome Ranma heir to the Mutsubetsu Kakuto Saotome Ryu.”

            “I am Benjamin of the Saiyan Honorguard.”

 

            Elsewhere

            Tenchi tenses as the air escapes the pod in front of him.  He waits for the occupant to exit.  A hand placed on his shoulder causes him to whirl.  “Grandpa?”

            “Can you feel it Tenchi?”  Katsuhito asks.  “The air is charged with power.  Whatever is in that thing is powerful.  Powerful beyond anything I’ve ever faced.”

            Tenchi nods as his sense begin to sense it as well.  “I will Tsunami was here we could use her.”

            “Unfortunately Gods cannot interfere.  She has already done everything she can do.  She has chosen you as her Champion.  That is the limit that has been placed on her by Kami-sama.”

            “I know, I know.”

            “Good.  Now is not the time to wish for things that are beyond our reach.  Activate your full power and prepare to fight.”

            Tenchi nods.  He spares one final look at the spaceship.  Someone has stepped out of it.  He is a tall balding man, nearly seven feet tall, with muscles to spare, and something dangling behind him.  “Saiyan.”

 

            “What’s the matter mutant?”  Benjamin asks as he and Ranma streak through the sky.  “For a Saiyan you are very weak!”  He zanzoukens in front of Ranma and proceeds to pound on the boy.

            Ranma is sent crashing to the sand with a slap.  He falls out of the Keio-ken but gets up.  The Senshi are staying back hoping that Ranma can do something.  (“I’ll have to use a Double.”)

            “That it?”  Benjamin asks.

            “Not by a long shot!  Keio-ken Times Two!”  Ranma shots towards his enemy with renewed strength.  The two clash and begin exchanging blows at a mind boggling pace.

Benjamin zanzoukens away from Ranma.  Ranma zanzoukens back in front of him.  Benjamin zanzoukens to the side, then to the other side, then above Ranma’s head.  This continues to some time before the alien catches one of Ranma’s punches.  “Not bad.  But you can’t match my power.”  Benjamin slams Ranma into the ground once, twice, three times.  Finally, after the fourth slam, he lets go of Ranma’s arm.  He then kicks him in the side shattering his ribs.  Ranma skids to a stop about thirty feet from his original position.  “You really should give up.  If you won’t join us, I’ll at least kill you quickly.”

            Ranma gets to his knees and coughs up some blood.  “Shut up!  If you’re goin’ do just do it!”

            “As you wish.”  Benjamin holds his hand aloft once more and begins to gather ki for his attack.

            (“What now?  He’s got me totally outclass in power, and my body can’t take a Triple Keio-ken.  Is this it?  Am I going to die?”)  He growls in anger.  (“No!  I will not give up!”)  Images flash through his eyes of his battles.  (“There’s got to be something…something I can do.”)  Finally his mind ends on the fight with the demons.  (“That’s it!”)

            “Die!”  Benjamin cries out as he attacks with his full power.  The attack streaks forward and passes over Ranma.  The beam then causes an explosion in the distance.  “That was all too easy.”  The scouter beeps and alerts him to a power.  “Nani?”  He turns and is surprised to see Ranma floating in the air behind him.  “No way!”

            “Taiyoken!”  Ranma yells out.  And with that everything went white.

 

            “What the hell was that?”  Benjamin yells in anger.  His vision is finally returning to normal, but he can’t find Ranma.  “Where is he?”

            “Holy Shit!”  Someone yells out.  Benjamin turns to the voice and is a bit surprised to see the girls from earlier.

            (“I completely forgot about them.”)

            “Impossible!”  One of them yells.  “He can’t do that without the full moon!”

            (“Full moon?”)  Benjamin’s mind runs through every option he can think of.  Finally something clicks.  “Oh no.”  He turns slowly and does not like what is standing in front of him.  It is a giant ape wearing the same armor that the boy was wearing.  “Oh shit.”

            Ranma-Oozaru smiles.  “That pretty much sums it up.”

            “How…How did you transform without the full moon?”  A very scared Benjamin asks.

            “Now that’s my secret.”  Ranma moves forward and tries to crush Benjamin with his foot.  The alien, however, has other ideas.  He knows the weakness of the Oozaru and moves to cut off Ranma’s tail.  Ranma punches at the alien.  Benjamin dodges frantically.  Ranma-Oozaru’s persistence is rewarded when one of his punches connects with the alien.  Benjamin is sent flying.

            “God that hurts.”  He tries to stand but finds most of his strength is gone.  (“Getting hit by a transformed Saiyan will do that to ya.”)  He looks up to see a blue light barrel towards him.  “Oh shit,” He mutters before his life is ended.

 

            Ranma-Oozaru smiles down at the Senshi, who are shaking with fear.  Finally Pluto speaks.  “How did you transform without the full moon?”

            Ranma points up.

            Pluto looks up but cannot see anything.  A moment later the only cloud in desert moves (there aren’t many in the desert).  Pluto is genuinely surprised see a ball of white ki floating in the sky.  “This ball copies the effects of the full moon perfectly.”

            “I see.”

            “Now, time to see if Tenchi needs any help.”  Ranma moves to leave but stops when the orb in the sky explodes.  He spins to confront whoever destroyed it but finds no one.  Finally his senses pick up someone zanzoukening around.  He picks him up a little late, however.  In a flash of speed and ki, Ranma’s tail is removed.  A shocked roar escapes Ranma’s throat as he finally finds his opponent.

            He is a tall balding man, nearly seven feet tall, with muscles to spare, with a tail dangling behind him.  (“Saiyan.”)