----------------------------- ----------------------------- Ah! ASMS Muyo ½! Data JR: Animated Love Tryst by John Rossmaier (the_rossmage82@hotmail.com) and Jon Carlson (jukkajikka@hotmail.com) Disclaimer: The series Ranma ½, Tenchi Muyo!, Oh! My Goddess, and Goldenboy are not ours, but I'm sure you guys know that already. Plus, suing us will get you nothing. Just don't try to sell this. As if it has any monetary value anyway. Just for the record, this *is* an SI/crossover fanfic. Please don't judge this dual production on that standard, though. Both my friend and I have put quite a lot of effort into these works, trying to make them entertaining as well as believable and not self-gratifying. Hopefully, they'll read partially as a satire, partially as a bizarre combination of alternate realities... and partially as a serious, emotional fanfiction. If self-insertions aren't your bag, baby, then don't come whinin' ta me if you actually continue to read this. I'm warning you beforehand, in the hopes that you might actually choose whether to attempt reading this fanfic for amusement, and that I might avoid some additional headaches. That is all. For the best possible reading experience, it would be advised to flipflop between my friend's and my chapters, such that the chronological order remains roughly the same. As a casual side note, reading this fanfiction may cause blindness, paralysis, tooth decay, lovesickness, bankruptcy, insanity, insomnia, ingrown toenails, hair loss, or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Neither I nor anyone else in my organization is responsible for aforementioned side- effects. Please, simply sit back, enjoy the complimentary popcorn, sign the lawsuit waiver, and enjoy the story! ----------------------------- ----------------------------- Chapter 1 : Reality Check! John's Ultimate Crossover ** A sound. Familiar, repetitive. Soothing. Nothing more soothing than a commonly heard rhythm of beats and sounds, meant to untangle the nervous system and weed out buried tension. Well, perhaps more than merely a sound. An expression. A release. An opening into a new world. An exit. Also soothing. A way out. Part of natural existence involves the process of natural learning and response. Reinforcement. That’s what the psychology professor had called it. Given a natural situation, there is an inherit response producing the most desirable result. Some rewards, more food. Others, survival against opposition. Sometimes, escape. Negative reinforcement, the old man had said. Removing the problem through a specific form of behavior. Like scratching an itch to remove the pain, or fainting to allow subconscious control over breathing. ** That’s all it was, really. An evasion. An escape pod. A plea for distance. The natural response of one who desires space and closure. A barrier from the harsh truths of reality. Cowardly? Perhaps. Though cowards often live longer than 'brave fools.' Pathetic? It could be. Though escape can oftentimes be a desirable and more profitable means of survival. Habitual? Unfortunately... yes. Escape is a means of survival itself. And if one trains oneself to escape when under assault... ** Familiar, yes. Repetitive, yes. Soothing... not anymore. Escape cannot answer for everything. True, reality can be harsh and unyielding, but no one can truly remove the world’s great influence. Roots develop in the world of the living, and those roots cannot be nurtured from the closed environment. And roots with no maintenance fall into disrepair. But one who learns to escape knows only of escape. To ignore those failing roots, one runs again, trusting on a old habit to save the day once more. An old habit that had become a failing crutch. What does it take to break a bad habit? I’ve heard that three weeks of building a new habit can destroy the old one. Speaking from experience, I’m afraid that these people don’t understand how hard a bad habit is to break. Especially when faced with so many perceived reasons for continuing the old habit. Especially when you have no perceived alternative. So, how do you break a bad habit? How do you force change? Sometimes, you don’t have to do anything. Sometimes, it’s entirely by chance. ** ----------------------------- "Well, if'n this ain't a heartwarming environment." John Rossmaier grimaced, slowly scanning the open hanger bay. Both massive access doors tightly hugged the floor upon the far wall, barring entrance to anyone possessing less firepower than a mobile armor. A small assortment of windows lined an adjacent side, allowing a diffuse amount of cloudy, midnight lighting into the otherwise sealed room. Only two doorways, and he'd checked the second latch after closing the first. Locked. So, after briefly chasing away the shadows via the miracle of a portable flashlight, John stood resolutely amidst the darkness in the center of the gymnasium-sized room, formulating his second quick impression of the ancient structure. One word described perfectly the dank, musk-ridden metallic chamber -- desolate. Although that definition in and of itself seemed vastly inappropriate. Perhaps the empty mood originated from the dim and failing overhead lighting some thirty feet overhead. Half the bulbs had terminated their existence lifetimes ago, while the others stubbornly burned electric yellow, despite the layering of dust and cobwebs. Or, perhaps from the vaporous atmosphere, resembling an evening downtown street on the London strip. Quite possibly due to that water tank rupture in the far corner, compounded with the lack of sufficient ventilation. The room felt like an arctic jungle. Or, perhaps Occam's Razor provided the best excuse -- the utter lack of recent human habitation. Not only were the hallways and rooms void of any noise or presence marking those belonging to the aforementioned class and biological order, the assuredly once-glistening floors boasted a thick layering of dust and aged mildew. No footprints tainted the bed of microscopic debris either. No, this hanger had not been disturbed for at least the past fifty years. So, why exactly had his contact wanted to meet *here* of all places? John snorted, pausing momentarily to scratch idly behind his left ear before readjusting his dark-rimmed glasses. Informants were always like this... either finicky, worrisome individuals constantly watching their backs for snipers and thugs... or else slippery, cunning sharks coasting through the icy waters, drawing their opponents away from the crowd before sinking their teeth in. Briefly, John's fingers brushed against a small, heavy lump drawing down the front right corner of his trenchcoat. Well, no matter which informant decided to approach him today, he'd be more than prepared to cover himself should the snake reveal himself to be venomous. Besides, he had his usual backup. Turning slightly, he again spotted the small, nearly-invisible shape hugging the far corner of the room. He smiled. Feminine backup, that's what usually saved his bacon when the situation ran bad. As they often did. Thank the maker he'd selected *this* particular individual amongst the numerous candidates. Though reality continued to hurl problems his way, everything seemed easier, more enjoyable, with his partner at his side. A soft footstep, accompanied by the light rustling of vegetation. John's eyes dimmed. Business call, time to reminisce later. Slowly, he turned towards the second sealed doorway, awaiting his visitor. He didn't have to wait long. The door suddenly slammed open with great force, kicking up mountainous clouds of dust before colliding loudly with the wall. About that same time, a large number of floodlights floored his visual senses, like a thunderclap of informational overload. John quickly jammed both eyes shut, quite tempted to curse loudly as he mentally willed the large spots away. "Well, wha'd'ya know. Rossmaier, it's so very *good* to see you again," a lilting voice called from the entrance. John nearly blanked out from shock. That voice. So familiar... "Yeah, you too," he bit out, blinking owlishly to readjust his vision. Not like it helped. Instead of a bright white blob, all he could now see was a white doorway, a dark individual standing within. "Sounds like it," the voice returned, highly amused. "Let's not dwell upon old memories, comrade. My employers have need of your services, and I will *not* be deterred from accomplishing my mission." Steel tempered the remark, and shortly thereafter the person-shaped shadow in the doorway shifted. "Oh, and don't even think about escapin'. I'll hit you the moment you move one finger." A soft click resounded from the doorway. "Hmm? How about it? Dare ya ta try..." Damn. Perhaps a delaying tactic was in order. "Hey, how'd you find me anyway? And wha'd'ya need *me* for?" Yeah, keep 'im talkin'. Maybe that'll buy some time to think... and figure out who the *hell* he was dealing with. The other shrugged, apparently. "Oh, I'd consider the information courtesy of an 'inside job.' And *I've* got *no* idea what the bosses are plannin' for ya," although the barely withheld lilt of infinite delectation spoke volumes to a differing effect. "C'mon, now. Let's cut the game at two questions outta twenty. We've got an appointment ta make, if ya get my drift." No choice. Gotta bring out the reserves... Calmly, continuing to stare angrily towards the blinding light spilling through the doorway, John carefully shifted the toes inside his right boot. The Company had fashioned these special use clodhoppers for occasions like these, and an electric signal activated via a tiny switch near the toes made calling for assistance much more practical than simply yelling. Not to mention, less obvious. Quickly, he depressed the call button. Seconds passed as John began to sweat. What was wrong? Wasn't the signal transmitting? He pressed the button again, wishing fervently the first call had simply been missed. "Well, are you coming or what?" the voice called impishly. "We could do this easily, or we could drag you outta there. Either way, I get my pay. You've got one last chance, bub, you comin'?" Dammit, c'mon attack! Picking 'em off would be a piece of cake! Finally, feeling wholly frustrated as to the nonfunctional equipment and caring not about the immediate consequences, John yelled, "Wha'd'ya waiting for? Shoot 'im!" A muffled shot rang out, followed quickly by a soft thump. John shook, feeling an impact around his left shoulder blade, his eyes widening. Another shot joined the first, and another sting erupted on his right shoulder. Already he could feel his body slowly numbing, a tingling sensation rushing throughout his veins as motor skills gradually began slipping away. His thoughts, however, remained rooted on the first assailant. He gaped, staring confusedly towards the corner of the room. "Sorry, hon," another shadowy figure called, striding from behind a large pillar, "but I had no choice." "No..." John muttered, feeling the world fading away. His partner... even after the years of mutual assistance, giving of one for the other, even after all that... she'd chosen to betray him. He couldn't reconcile the concept, his mouth operating almost of no accord. "How... how could you? After all we've... been through... together?" A soft laugh. "Well, to that, I only have one thing to say..." John braced himself, feeling all sensation leaving. Everything was dark now, and everything felt numb... "ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?" "Ack! Of course, but what's that got to do... with..." John blinked, staring confusedly over a sudden gaggle of laughing and chattering peers. Numerous other observances followed the first. Hmm... chalkboard boasting unrecognizable characters of an unknown language, a number of black-topped desks covered in metered sticks and papers, a Physics textbook... The mental engine turned... once... twice... ah, we've got a kickstart! Oh hell, Physics class! The odd remembrance of the daydream blasted into oblivion as John sat upright, blinked again, abruptly focused on a much-too-close instructor, and jumped back yelping. "Ah! Mr. Richter! Uh... what was that again?" Mr. Richter, world renowned German Physics instructor (yeah right,) gave a exasperated sigh, his mouth working oddly as he presented his best 'I-can't-believe-a-student-was-sleeping-in-my-class' face. After a moment of mental reorganization, he continued, leaning back into his student's face. "Mr. Rossmaier, I expect much more from you from now on. Just for that, you must come help me with this proof." The instructor left John's face to return to the front of the classroom, his abrupt departure signaling no allowances or escape. John groaned in frustration as he willed his muscles into action. It was just another one of those days. Better to get up there and get it over with then deal with another heart-to-heart with a 'concerned' teacher. "Curse my luck for getting the only physics instructor who demanded attention during class," John muttered to himself as he straightened his glasses and picked up a piece of chalk. After a brief but informative humiliation before the class, Mr. Richter was notified of the lecture's termination one minute ago. He promptly held the class an extra five minutes while he quickly explained two more sections in Chapter 17 and assigned the homework due the next class day. The students staggered out of the classroom, glaring balefully towards the German physics instructor as he bade the students good-day. Luckily, it was Thursday, and that meant another two hours until Multivariable Cal. John quickly made his way down the two flights of stairs back to the second floor, then across the glass-paneled walkway. He reentered the RLB, hastily ascending the stairs by twos as he headed doggedly amidst a swarm of chattering students towards the cafeteria. Grunting softly with each stride, he briefly wondered how busy the half-star restaurant was today. Curiosity was sated moments later, and John sighed heavily as he wandered past the massive crowd milling outside the cafeteria entrance. No doubt, the ASMS dining hall was stuffed to the brim, and that meant an hour-long lunch. Muttering about having better things to do, he wandered down the hallway, making a sharp turn before the elevators. After checking his mail, which was nonexistent again, he returned to the hallway and stabbed the elevator button. Dwelling briefly upon descriptions, John Rossmaier was not entirely an individual to stand out amongst a crowd. Being six feet in height did lend an amount of intrigue about his person, although the pasty white complection due to high-near unhealthy time spent indoors seemed to quell such mysterious interest. If one might fashion around that white blob a parted tangle of straight brown hair, an oval-shaped pair of dark thin-rimmed glasses, a budding mustache and goatee, and some sort of commercial movie/anime-inspired T-shirt and jeans combo, the reader would have quite a good mental impression of the young man in question. Also, for communicative purposes, one might also tag a large glowing neon sign to his back reading, "Nerd = Social reject." He might have taken offense for a short while, then shrugged his shoulders, laughed, and continued nonchalantly with his day. Such pretty much described our weird hero. As he punched the fifth floor on a waiting car, John shifted his backpack slightly and anticipated the welcome release of the internet. As always, he could find something to occupy his time if he had nothing better to do. Hell, he could find something to occupy his time when he *should* be doing work... probably the reasons behind his continually late assignments and gradually slipping grades. That being besides the point, or as John so casually ruled it in his mind, he set off towards his room. As he worked the lock, he noted his neighbor emerging from the fifth floor lounge, backpack still strung over his shoulder. Similar build, maybe a hair or two taller, more defined in the limbs and shoulders... and as much an outrageous otaku as himself. John smirked wryly at his friend. "Hey, Jon. Hefty lunch crowd, again, eh?" Jon nodded in agreement. "Won't deter Jenny, though. I've gotta get back there." John's smirk widened as he snapped his wrist, mimicking a whip's crack. His smirk was met with a hardly amused glare from his friend in passing, and said leashed boy muttered something uncouth under his breath. John's grin only widened, and he gave his buddy a thumbs up. "Ain't it great to be single?" Jon paused at his door for a moment before replying, "Just you wait. You'll probably end up in the same predicament." "Not if I have any say in the matter," John replied, smirking. "None of the girls *here* suit my fancy. Well, I'd better get to work." As he entered his room, he failed to repress a grin as he overheard his friend chortling about spending so much time on the internet. It was a complement to be spoken of in such a fashion, John had decided. Still, he had to wonder what exactly he was missing when he wasn't glued before his glowing screen. That thought still in mind, he surveyed his room. *His* room. *Only* his. Through a magnanimous and utterly impartial bestowment of privileges and pleasure due to extravagant performance in the fields of math, science, and the social arts (i.e., a random lottery), John Rossmaier had acquired a double-sized dorm room all for himself during his senior year attending the ever-wonderful college- prep high school of ASMS. Having a personal dorm room is a *wonderful* experience in any form or fashion, no matter the context, John had decided, and the boy relished it to its fullest extent. After all, coming from a family of six living in a house possessing only three bedrooms, the poor guy could really use the personal space. Thank goodness for all that bargaining and cajoling, John considered wryly, eyeing the absurd assortment of figurines adorning the far bookcase. Created mostly for a show of religious acceptance, and maybe even a bit of desperation (after all, he'd *REALLY* wanted that single, not to mention the fast-approaching onslaught of the annual Science Fair), the complete shrine to every known deity on Earth rested proudly near the window, casting their unblinking watchful eyes upon the entire room. But then, the entire back history concerning *THAT* little collection is another story entirely. Casually, he deposited his backpack next to the desk, then seated himself at his already running console. After queuing up his online connection, he paused to remove the disk that had been burnt earlier that day. A freshly created volume of Ranma ½ episodes in PC video format, just waiting to be stored for later viewing. John grabbed for an ever persistent marker and began his usual technical housekeeping routines. After a few minutes of trying to connect and rummaging through his computer for the umpteenth time that month, he finally heard the welcome squeal of the modem. The room fell silent for a few long moments as John proceeded to check his mail, update his fanfiction supply, search for more mp3s; generally, his typical daily routines. He had just typed in a new search in Altavista when his door swung open. John twisted, his fingers tapping the keys to close down all his open windows. He never liked others to see what he had been working on, unless they could be trusted not to make fun of his activities. He relaxed as Jon stepped into the room, a glum expression on his face. Turning back to the monitor, John posed a question as he reopened his browser window. "What's up, Jon? You look like you've had another fight." "Well, you just hit the nail on the head," his friend returned absently. "She's mad about something again, and for the life of me, I can't figure out why exactly. I made one little comment and she exploded on me." "Hmmm... looks like you'll be in here for a while, eh?" Jon permitted a small smile. "I guess so. Heh. What are you working on right now? You got any new Ranma episodes?" He added, suddenly interested. "No. I couldn't get any more from mIRC. The queue lines were too busy. Right now I'm lookin' for more fanfics." "Always the busy man." "Yup. Hey, here's a new one." He selected the seventh link from the returned websites, causing it to open into a new window. The two watched as the page loaded, then John tapped the close box in the corner. "Not worth the effort," he muttered. "Too many ads and pop- up screens. Let's see what else is there." He scrolled down the list until a new link caught his eye. Curiously, he signaled the download, and his computer was suddenly awash with beautiful renditions of anime characters, most in poses and scenes that he didn't even know were in the anime. "Whoa! Check it out," he called, as a well-worked midi rendition of the Tenchi Muyo opening theme began to play. He glanced over the site once more. "This is really slick." "You can say that again. What's on it?" "I don't know. I only saw the name and decided to check it out. There wasn't any info on the site anyway." He glanced over the page, searching and cataloging all this page was providing. His eyes fell on one link... "Alright! The fanfics." He opened the directory and began scanning the contents as the new page loaded. "Hmmm. I've already gotten most of these..." "Really? I haven't read that one." "Maybe I'll get it to you later." Silence encompassed the room for a long moment. "Isn't that the file you've been trying to get me for the past two weeks?" Jon's tone darkened slightly. "The one you always promise each time I ask about it, but you never remember to actually give it to me?" "Um... I guess so... heh heh..." John muttered nervously, as a flashing icon caught his eye. "Hey! Would'ya look at that! Matt's online! Guess I'll just say hello... heh heh..." He turned his shoulder on Jon and began typing. Jon eyed him for a moment. "Coward..." John tapped at the keyboard for a moment, before deciding to reply. "Alright. I really, *really* promise this time, okay?" "Right..." "Anyway, let's get back to business, alright?" John turned back to the monitor, scanning the fanfiction again. Spotting a crossovers directory, he toggled the link and waited for the site to reload. "Hey, I've found the crossovers." Jon perked at the news. Anxiously, he leaned over his friend's shoulders. "Make sure you check for any Tenchi/Ranma crossovers, okay?" "I've got it covered. I'm not going to skip any fanfic, unless its dark, or I don't like how it ended." "Most people don't read stuff they don't like." "Makes perfect sense when you think about it," John returned dryly. "So, let's see what they got..." The two began sifting through the extensive list of crossover fanfiction, occasionally commenting on one that had been a good read, or that might appear to be one. John was in control, though, and didn't particularly like to read fanfiction with an audience, so the most he ever did was queue one up to download. "Hmmm... what's this?" "What's what?" Jon questioned, his eyes still darting over the titles of a few trailing multi-anime crossovers. "There's a really messed up graphic here in the corner." Jon drew his eyes towards the cursor. Sure enough, there was a badly mangled image fixated apart from the list of fanfic titles. The image seemed to be gyrating, its bits and pieces also cut up and swirling. He couldn't help but wonder why on earth someone would put such a useless and annoying graphic on a webpage. "Maybe it's a link or something." "I suppose so, but they could have used a better image. There isn't any text explaining where this link goes anyway." But John tested the image, and finding that it did indeed lead to another webpage, he opened it in a new window. John's computer thought for a few moments longer before the new webpage began loading. John sighed. "Blech, a survey. I don't ever care to look through any of these," he muttered crossly, scanning briefly over the assortment of prompts and answer boxes. "I like anime stuff and all, but unless it's multimedia, it's pretty much worthless." He began to close the page, when Jon interrupted. "Wait a minute. This isn't a survey. Check out the title." John's brief mental haze of frustration vanished against the onslaught of curiosity. His hand lingered over the mouse as he read the title to the webpage. "'Write Your Own Story'? What the? You can't write a story simply based on a handful of prompts. This sounds like one of those cheezy ad libs, where you just fill in the blanks and get some crappy generic story with a few modifications, according to what you want. Forget it." He moved to close the page again. "Aw, c'mon, John. There isn't anything else better to do, and we've already sifted through the fanfiction. Humor me, at least. I want to see what this page can do." The two shared a glance before John sighed loudly. "Alright. I guess we can check it out. Who knows. Maybe the page can conjure something good after all." An ominous gust of wind blew harshly outdoors, but was overpowered by a sudden round of Chrono Cross mp3s. ----------------------------- The two had been going at it for an hour. Haste became more prudent as time progressed, but John felt that this needed to be finished before class started. He wouldn't be interested in working on it later, and Jon wouldn't be there to give any helpful advice. He was the one who really wanted to try it, after all. However, Jon made it clear that he would have to leave shortly, allowing his buddy to complete the blanks on the webpage. Most were trivial information blanks, such as the time of day, the season, and the like. It was the other blanks that baffled the two. Why would they need to know where we were living at? Why do they care about what kind of people we are? Well, language was important, but this page was outputting in English. Wouldn't the story output in the same language? Both had nothing to say about it. They had been inserting the information in the few remaining blanks when Jon mentioned that he had to go. John checked the clock and decided that he'd better hurry, or else this page would have to wait until 2:30. As his friend left the room, John scanned the few remaining blanks. "Let's see, what's next? 'Series to be included'. Well, then. Jon and I know what we want in this one." Without hesitation, John filled in the necessary information. Ranma ½, Tenchi Muyo!, Ah! My Goddess, and Goldenboy. Four good anime series. Quite possibly, a major amusing result. "Next," John voiced, his tone and distaste in the activity much diminished from earlier. Maybe this *was* a little interesting. "'Major feel of the story'. Well, I like a good comedy myself. And I like twisted relationships. There ought to be a few out here. And, well, I like a story to end with a few good relationships ironed out. Can't leave the men and women hanging. But I like drama and suspense, so I'll have to add that too." Blinking momentarily, he began to chuckle. "Heh, a story with all that? I'm probably asking too much from the system..." But he typed the necessary information into the blank anyway, then proceeded to fill out information concerning the integral characters to be used in the series. On the whim, John typed his and Jon's names to see what kind of trouble this would cause in the fanfiction's creation. The following blank asked for major characters, and again, John obliged with the aforementioned duo. Make this a little interesting, he thought. I'd like to see what kind of story it would conjure up with us as the lead characters. It'll be cool, even if they don't act like us... "Wait a minute. When did I start thinking this would be cool?" John puzzled over the fact for a moment longer, then dismissed it to his habit of casually ignoring things he didn't want to admit. Deciding to correct some earlier information he had added in jest, he set to work. A few minutes later, he had completed the list, including his corrections. He glanced over the items once more before tapping the okay button in the bottom left hand corner of the page. The computers communicated for a moment as John grew impatient. After all, class should be starting in about fifteen minutes. He had missed lunch, and that was grounds enough to make him grumpy. He grabbed a few crackers and an 8 oz Sunny Delight from his fridge before returning to his console, and a message which read, 'Anime characters not recognized: John Rossmaier, Jon Carlson. Please clarify.' Inwardly, John groaned. A new page had loaded, filled with various specs and information readouts of nearest possible matching anime characters. There was another box on the side of the screen, presumably for adding new information, or quitting the process altogether. John was about to cancel the entire thing before he considered how much time he would have wasted. "And I'd have missed lunch for nothing," he muttered. "I guess I'll finish it." He screamed through the questions, filling in all the new information about himself and Jon, fudging only a *little* bit. John chuckled. Laughter faded gradually, and he paused for a long moment, then furiously typed at his console. He shrugged. Another moment of typing passed, and John paused again to examine his and Jon's stats. Many of the follow-up questions were basic enough as well, except for a particularly stumping one. 'Title of anime series'. "How in the world am I going to answer that?" John mulled to himself. "There's not any series we even *might* be a part of. Or maybe..." Deciding to take a gamble, he filled the blank with one word: 'Reality.' "Maybe that would work." He completed this second page and clicked the button to continue. A darkened page returned with a single highlighted message. Warning symbols flanked the text, and John wondered what there had to be a warning about. He barely had time to read the first few words before his internal clock's screaming woke him up. He was late to Calculus. "Shoot!" Quickly, he selected the okay button after printing the screen. "I guess I'll read it later, after I save it to an image file." Grabbing his backpack, he leapt out of the room, half-jogging to the elevators. The next couple of hours kept him busy. Second Year Calculus included another new chapter of information, not difficult work, just time consuming. After that, a slightly shorter long-haired fellow happened upon our bespeckled 'hero' as he departed from Dr. Conner's classroom. During their walk back to the residential dorms, John and Matt Titus, another fellow student of the Math and Science School, prattled back and forth, fleshing out an absurd series of mismatched conversational snippets, most of which revolved around which one of the two claimed rightful ownership of a certain purple-haired crew member of the battleship Nadesico. (Megumi *truly* belonged to John; Matt was simply being stubborn.) One brief segment of head shaking later found the two chuckling knuckleheads parting for their respective floors. John then spent another forty minutes mulling over various documents in the ASMS Resource Center - technical name for their rather old and restricted Library. After scrounging enough reference material for a semi- thorough report covering the history of Gothic architecture, John packed his bag and made his way back to the fifth floor, stopping only for a Dr. Pepper in the lounge's coke machine. He returned to his room to find a pair of maintenance staff inspecting the plumbing in the bathroom. Honestly surprised, he wandered over to them, trying to peer over their shoulders without annoying them. Finally, he popped a question. "Hey. What's goin' on?" "There's been a problem with the pipes. Leakin' water everywhere." At that John gasped and reflexively checked the objects in his room. He didn't have anything really valuable placed on the ground, except his computer, and that was far enough away that it shouldn't have been bothered. But if someone complained, then it would have had to leak out of the room. And if it got as far as the door, then the computer was easy... His mental tirade ground to a halt as the worker continued. "Don't worry, though. None of your stuff got wet. It was just some of the stuff downstairs. Leaked through the ceiling. The only problem you're going to have is that the hot water isn't gonna work in this sink for a little while. Not until we get it fixed anyway." John breathed a sigh of relief. He could live without hot tap water. Had the shower he shared with his suitemate been affected, that would be a different story. Deciding that the situation didn't need his immediate attention, John turned back to his computer. He blinked in surprise, then remembered his and Jon's escapades before 'lunch.' Snagging his seat, he pulled up to the keyboard, then proceeded to save a copy of the screen he printed earlier. The save command popped up just as the door swung open. Jon stepped into the room, glancing at the two workers as they left. "What were they doing in here?" "Hey. Had a problem with the plumbing. I won't have any hot tap water for a little while, not like it bothers me. Hey, you make up with Jenny yet?" The nauseating feel of glumness radiated about the room, and John guessed the answer before it was spoken. "No. She's really mad this time. I tried to talk to her, but she just ignored me." His voice became more grieving as his philippic progressed. "I don't know what to do whenever she's like this. If something doesn't happen, then I don't think I'll..." "Hey, calm down, man. Keep glowing like that and you'll have enough depression chi to fire off a Shishihokodan. And I'd hate to see you ruin my Evangelion wallscroll." "Oh, sorry." He looked sheepish for a moment before starting abruptly. "Wait a minute. Depression chi? I was glowing?" John blinked. He blinked again. He kept blinking for a few moments, stunned by the implications of Jon's words. If that were true, then he would be... "You were generating an aura," John supplied quietly. Jon's eyes bugged out. "You've got to be kidding. Aura's are real? I thought they only happened in anime." Silence encompassed the room for a long moment, then John scrambled frantically at the keyboard, trying to pull the image file onto the screen. He succeeded after a moment, and stared at the warning label he had missed earlier. "Holy..." "What?" Jon asked, a slight waver in his voice as he peered over his friend's shoulder. The sound of heavy breathing filled the room for a few moments before he continued in a shaky voice. "Please tell me this is some kind of joke." Numbly, John shook his head. They both stared at the image, afraid of what the implications of this message could be. 'Warning. Please consider the results of this entry. The listed series for the lead characters will cause a rift in the fabric of time in order for the above specifics to be ensured. Any other problems may arise from this banding, and the situation becomes permanent if the continue button is selected. If within the next 24 hours, you desire to change this crossover, please email the Director at the address listed on the page. Are you certain you wish to do this?' "A rift in the fabric of time? John, what the hell did you type in?" "I just listed you and I as the main characters. They had me enter some specifics about us, but it should have just created an extra pair of characters or something. There were no entries that would have caused it to affect..." His eyes widened sharply. "To affect what, John?" John stared numbly at the computer, his mouth working uselessly. After a few seconds, he was able to respond. "'Reality.' It was that blank that did it. I probably screwed everything up just by doing that." Jon eyed his friend, having completely failed to comprehend everything his friend had just said. "Could you explain, John? I didn't catch any of that." "There was a blank on the list of specifics that asked which series the unknown characters belonged to. I couldn't think of anything else that applied, so I just typed in 'Reality.' But how could that page change reality? It's not possible." "So, you're telling me that you crossed this real plane of existence with anime?" "I think so." Suddenly the phone rang, startling the two. John calmed down, a bit, and picked up the receiver. "Hello?" Jon watched for a moment as his friend's expression changed from nervousness, to confusion, then resignation over the course of the two minute call. "Alright, I'll be right down. Right out front, huh? And they'll be there how soon? Five minutes? Alright. Yeah, sure, I'll be there. Alright. Bye. Dang, they're stickin' me with a roommate," he muttered as he set the phone down. "This late in the year, too. Somethin' screwy's going on..." John turned to glare at the shrine against the wall. "Fat lotta good you guys did!" Unseen behind a Buddha statue, a porcelain figure of Kami-sama winked. Jon frowned. "Why would they be admitting people right now? It's the spring semester, for cryin' out loud. There's not enough time to catch these students up, not to mention getting them accustomed to a new school so late in the year." "Yeah, I know, but this has to do with some overseas transfer students. A few students are coming from Japan to spend the rest of this schoolyear over here, though some will be staying longer. They've learned English, so there should be no communication problems at least." "Yeah, that's true." John craned his head slightly. "Hey, is your phone ringing?" The other bolted from the room faster than John could blink. Some phrase resembling "Maybe it's Jenny!" wavered through the air as the door closed. John shook his head. Sometimes, Jon was just too tied up for his own good. Forgetting about the anime/reality dilemma, John left the room, heading for the elevators. A few moments later, he was waiting impatiently in the first floor lobby of the RLB building, just outside the Registrar's Office. He slouched farther in the faded blue armchair, trying to embed his back into the cushiony fabric. Suddenly, he heard the grinding sound of the sliding door moving and glanced upright. What he saw practically gave him a heart attack. Eight people stepped up to the front desk. The majority of the crew were late teens, probably about his own age. There were, what looked like, three guys and three girls, but John knew better. Two seniors and four juniors. Three possible candidates for roommate, though one (and possibly another) weren't legitimate candidates for an all-male residential floor. John hoped to God that it was the completely illegitimate 'male.' The other two in the party looked like they didn't even belong. A young girl and a brightly dressed Hawaiian yokel stood before the group of young adults, who were even now beginning to act roles in which John was very familiar with. Five involved themselves with petty arguments and bickering, a harsh word here, a slap or blow there. The last calmly regarded the scene. The young girl turned, flashing something towards the assembled students, who immediately quieted, though continued to glare at one another. The registrar on duty was obviously overwhelmed. "Ummm... can I help you?" Without missing a beat, the 'Islander' replied, "Aloha! Me'sa bringin' bran' new students fo' yo' school, ya! Me'sa present exchange students from Furinkan High!" The mental strain was too much for John, who promptly passed out in the armchair. ----------------------------- "So, They've finally shown," a voice murmured softly. Its owner smiled, ignoring the numerous error messages, warning lights, and flickering computer screens located throughout his immense chambers. "I truly do not know whether I am relieved or further unsettled. But now, I'm more than certain the path that must be followed. Stride forward young heroes, take your life by the reigns... and I hope your little 'character accomodations' do not spell additional trouble for the both of you..." ----------------------------- Darkness. Now, a greyish darkness. Like the clearing of a thick fog. Objects began to form, aided by a brilliant backlight of solid white. John's eyes finally uncrossed. He lay comatose for a long moment, staring only at the bright flourescent lights dotting the ceiling of the RLB lobby and wondering about the phantom images that danced before his eyes. Silence. "Unfamiliar ceiling..." John blinked, then shook his head once to clear his vision, twice to stretch his neck. "Gotta stop watching that at three in the morning..." He sighed, leaning back in the chair. "Yeah, I guess it was all in my head..." "Mr. Rossmaier?" John jerked upright, then grabbed his forehead as it exploded in pain. Grimacing, he made his way to the Registrar's Office. "Yeah?" "If you're ready, the new transfer students have finished their orientation." The lady glanced around the lobby. "I... don't see any other students in here, so I suppose you'll have to show them around campus yourself." John grimaced. "Sure thing." "Alright," she replied, smiling knowingly. "One moment..." John nodded and turned back towards the lobby, cradling his forehead with one hand. "Yeah, just a dream," he muttered to himself as his eyes tracked a pedestrian through the glass door. "Alright, Mr. 'Rose-marry.' We're ready to go!" John's eyes bulged, his headache magnified tenfold. Slowly, achingly, he turned around, aware that his jaw had dropped three feet. Before him, Akane and Nabiki Tendo stood, flashing a pair of cheeky smiles. "All set!" Akane added, wincing slightly as Ranma's presence became known, what with the grumbling filtering in behind her. Nabiki rolled her eyes as her sister turned to admonish her fiancé. When they both turned forward again, John was already laid out on the floor, a small wisp of smoke lingering over his sightless eyes. ----------------------------- "And here's the Admin building, called such because the administrative offices are downstairs." John swallowed, glancing nervously over his attentive audience before gesturing towards the handful of classrooms on the second floor. "There's a few classrooms here, mostly for biology and chemistry, but most of the classes are upstairs." "With the exception of the computer courses, right?" John nodded towards Nabiki. "Yeah. They're over in the other building." "Computer courses?" Ranma grumbled, jabbing his hands into his pockets. "I didn't know we hadda take classes like *that* to come over here..." "Well, it *is* an elite school for the sciences, Ranma," Nabiki returned, a wry grin on her face. "How you managed to get in continues to baffle me... but at any rate, you'll still have to participate in the advanced courses." "No way am I gonna take any computer courses..." "Pardon me, fellow student, but mighten you inform me upon which floor the classes pertaining to the warrior history of Japan are located?" Kuno tapped his everpresent bokken against his shoulder. John sighed, sweatdropping. "Look, Kuno, for the last time. This is America. As such, in America, you'll be spending the bulk of your time learning about OUR history, not yours. We're much more Europe- inclined over here than learning about the Orient." Kuno scratched at his head, puzzling for a moment. "But shouldn't such a school surely partake of the wondrous deeds of Japan's proudest ancestors?" "I guess we could, you know. But then we'd be in high school until we were thirty." Kuno blinked. "Of course. Pardon for my interruption. Please proceed with the tour." John shook his head, shared a knowing glance with the other four individuals present, and headed towards the stairway. Attepting to sound casual and uninformed, he asked, "So, what happened to your other friend?" Numerous groans sounded from behind him. "She's definitely NOT a friend," Akane muttered. "At least the school could see that the psychopath was a walking hazard before they actually admitted her." "She's probably still ranting with the President downstairs. With time, she might actually wear them down," Nabiki added. John grinned, flashing the assembled group a pleased smirk and a light wave. "Nah. I wouldn't worry about that. Considering our educational leader, I think she could win any bitching session..." He chuckled to himself as he turned towards the third story door. Nabiki grinned in reply, following directly behind. "Now, on this floor..." ----------------------------- "So, how long are you going to keep up the ignorance act?" John froze, his hand lightly touching the stairway banister. Slowly, he turned to find Nabiki staring at him intently. He swallowed, before allowing his tense muscles to sag. "I should have known that you'd catch on. You're far more perceptive than the other four." "You don't have to tell me that," Nabiki snorted in reply. "I'd just like to know why you seem to know who we all are, Mr. Rossmaier." John sighed. "Alright, alright. I'll tell ya." "Me too," another voice added from around the corner. Both John and Nabiki turned to catch the youngest Tendo step into view. After a moment of silence, Ukyo also joined those gathered in the hallway. John rolled his eyes, throwing up his hands in defeat. "Sheesh. I should have skipped the whole tour. Okay, do either Ranma or Kuno want to know, 'cause it would be a lot easier to tell you all now than to find out later..." "Find out what?" "That none of you should exist in this universe." The three girls blinked. Ukyo, slightly rattled, waved her hand. "They wouldn't care. Now, what was that again?" Suddenly, John grinned, shaking his head bemusedly, before leading the three downstairs. He waved an arm theatrically, and offering a complimentary grandiose tone of voice, said, "Well, now that I've got your interest, perhaps you'd like to take this conversation elsewhere? Like, a local restaurant, maybe? And would any of you happen to be carrying dollars in lieu of yen?" Nabiki fumbled through her pockets before returning with a small wad of bills. "Um... yeah. Why do I have one hundred dollars instead of ten thousand yen?" "Process of switching over," John replied, stepping up to the Residentual Life desk and complimenting himself on some quick insight. "Had to keep plotlines correct. At least they kept the conversion factor the same... Hey, Drew, care to check us out? In the literal sense, this is." The young RM operating the front desk grinned before locating the small group's personal files and placing them on the table. "Are you trying to spoil my fun?" "Nope. Succeeding," John returned, signing his name out. "Alright, girls, follow suit, and I'll tell you why you've also got an American driver's license in your purse." Chuckling, he headed towards the sliding doors. Nabiki blinked, before absently rechecking her pockets... and removing a laminated rectangular card boasting a DL number, her stats (who the hell managed to get her weight?!), and an utterly horrific visual depiction of her person (licenses tend to display your bad side, whether you like it or not.) Heads swimming with unanswered questions, the Tendos and one Kuonji followed the leading Rossmaier out the ASMS RLB lobby and down the crowded streets of Hot Springs. About five blocks later, after ignoring countless calls to hold up and explain things, John turned and smiled, gesturing towards a small ice cream and coffee parlor nestled between similarly styled two-story buildings on the city block. Blinking and silently fuming, the three girls entered through the swinging glass door and stepped up to the front counter, whereupon they promptly acted on natural instinct, purchased the most expensive items on the menu, and charged them all to the young bespeckled man following in their presence. John shook his head, selected a small Dr. Pepper, and joined the three Nerimans after settling the bill. "Alright, sugar," Ukyo said, dipping her spoon into her chocolate ice cream parfait, "I believe you owe us some explanations here." Akane adamently nodded in agreement. "Okay. Where should I begin?" John puzzled, taking a sip from his drink, before tilting his head slightly and smiling broadly. "Well, first off, you all belong in an anime series." Nabiki's brows raised, while Akane and Ukyo choked on their respective desserts. Then, the middle Tendo nodded. "That would explain why you seem to know everyone that showed up earlier. Of course, if we're all part of an anime series, then why are we here in the first place?" "That's my second point. While surfing the internet, I happened upon a website that supposedly would create anime crossover stories much like a mad lib; you fill in the blanks and the website would generate a story based upon your specifications. I wasn't going to try it at first, but a good friend pressured me into the role, and I decided it was kinda fun after all." He paused, taking another sip. "The only problem was that I included me and my friend as major characters in the crossover. When I submitted the crossover setup, the website flipped out because neither he nor I were part of an anime series. So I instead mentioned that our 'series' was reality. In essense, I've crossed your dimension with mine, somehow." Nabiki shook her head, savoring another bit of ice creamy confection. "Interesting. And how many other series did you involve?" "Only three others. I'm not certain whether or not you're all familiar with 'Tenchi Muyo!', 'Oh! My Goddess', or 'Goldenboy', but they were included too." "Hmm... and how do we know you're not pulling our collective legs here?" Nabiki raised a brow, staring intently at her host. John scratched his chin. "Well, are you aware that you've been speaking in English ever since you arrived?" "Yeah ri--" Nabiki paused, blinking. She stared absently at the young man seated across from her, before regarding the other two silent girls at their table. Akane and Ukyo shared a startled glance, mouthed a few syllables, then jumped, hands covering their faces. Nabiki's jaw dropped as she reassessed her ASMS tour guide. "How come we're not speaking in Japanese?" "The same reason you're carrying American dollars and an Arkansas driver's license, Nabiki. To create the crossover, some items had to be altered for the setup to make sense. First of all, I'm supposedly a major character; thus, a plotline was developed which would send characters from those series in my general direction. Can any of you remember why you accepted a transfer to this school? How about the plane trip over here?" The three girls looked positively stumped at the wracked their brains for any memory pertaining to these events. "Well, we did come over as exchange students..." Akane murmured hesitently. John nodded. "And that's the plotline involving the Ranma characters which brought them over to the Unites States. In all actuality, ASMS does not accept foreign exchange students unless they are presently living in Arkansas and *applied* to attend ASMS at the *beginning* of their Junior year in high school. Might I assume that none of you girls have ever lived in Arkansas, much less applied to this school?" Nabiki, Akane, and Ukyo shook their heads. Again, John nodded, before taking another sip of his drink. "So what this crossover had to do was alter your memory so that the trip and such were glossed over, although you had an excuse for being here. In addition, you now speak English instead of Japanese, and all your yen has been converted into dollars and cents. I don't know any additional lengths this crossover might have involved; heaven help us if Jusenkyo was moved to Colorado or something like that." Abruptly, John tilted his head slightly, an odd thought occuring to him. "I'll also bet that any merchandise, images, stories, music, and whatnot associated with your series will eventually disappear from our plane of existance... which means I'll have no other proof to back up my claims. But I think the fact that I know Ranma turns into a redheaded girl, practices Anything Goes Martial Arts, and has been engaged to all three of you at some time... should be proof enough." Nabiki sat back, feeling honestly flabbergasted for the first time in her life. Oddly enough, the feeling was almost a relief; after trying to keep tabs on life in Nerima for the past couple of years, she'd learned to cope with ignorance concerning an out-of-control situation such as this. At least she had an inside source, so to speak, who could offer the information up front. Nice and polite, too. Might be prudent to get to know this character before entering the webwork of this school. Shaking her head, she silently finished her snack before turning back to the young man. "So, what else did you write in for your crossover's specifications?" "I..." John blinked, lowering his raised finger in confusion. "I don't remember, actually..." After extracting herself from the floor, Nabiki nodded in grudging comprehension. "Yeah, since you're supposedly a major character, then the crossover would have to wipe certain memories from your mind, too, for the stories to flow correctly." John blinked, then smiled and nodded. "I guess so. That sounds about right, anyway. Well, girls, have I answered your questions, or have you anything else to throw at me?" He glanced back and forth between the still stunned Ukyo and Akane, before eyeing Nabiki. "Hmm... well, do *you* have anything to ask, Nabiki?" "Actually, I do." She idly crossed her legs, and stared at John in all seriousness. "Why would you want to cross yourself into an anime series in the first place?" "Uh..." John blinked, shirking back to hover protectively over his glass of Dr. Pepper. "Well, I thought the page would only generate a story document or something. I didn't know it would become real life. I guess I just wanted something interesting to happen to me, kinda like what happens to you guys on an episodic basis. Of course, it'd be more for vicarious purposes, but still... And with more series involved... well, that would make life that much more interesting, right?" Then, in almost a whisper, he added, "And, I guess I could also see if any girls from those series might like me..." "Pardon me?" John shook his head. "Nevermind that last. I just wanted to see about making life more interesting. I might have considered the consequences first, though..." "Sounds just like Ranma in that respect. Charge on in without considering the possibilities." "Hey, I'd never thought that a stupid webpage could alter reality! Cut me some slack, alright?" Nabiki grinned, hands cupped beneath her chin, as she eyed the mildly frustrated boy seated across from her. "You know, you're also fun to tease, just like Ranma." John blinked owlishly towards his new schoolmate, before settling on a slightly flushed grin. "Jeez, with all the teasing I get from some other friends, you'd think I'd be used to it by now." "You take some things pretty seriously, don't you, John?" "Heh, yeah. I guess I do. Probably why I do as well as I do in Differential Equations." Nabiki's elbow slipped, allowing her face to plant firmly into the table. She sat upright, eyes a bit wider. "Differential Equations? Isn't that a college level course?" John grinned, swirling his near empty drink, before commenting, "Oh yeah. There's only five people in the class, and I think I'm setting the curve." He chuckled, eyes proudly displaying his inner mirth. "Yeah, I'm one of the biggest math nerds in this school, not to mention a quickly budding fanboy, a gaming fanatic, and a variable band jock. I'm about as weird and odd as they come... maybe." Nabiki chuckled too. "Then I guess you'll fit right in with the rest of us, huh?" "Provided I somehow fall in love with someone, right?" At that, Nabiki laughed. John joined in a moment later, and the two continued conversing amidst the merriment for a long time afterwards, heedless of the two fainted Nerimans sharing their table. ----------------------------- Meanwhile, the rest of the Nerimans were experiencing a slightly rougher time of it, although in varying circumstances. Kodachi, having been chased from the old refurbished hospital-turned-gijuku due to the infamous Dread Doctor Logan, soothed her budding anger by applying for attendance at the local standard Hot Springs high school... and vying for a direct competition between the elite institution and her own new pride and colors. Afterwards she proceeded to purchase an unused and somewhat distant bathhouse, remodeling the structure as would befit a noble daughter of the House of Kuno. Sasuke, the enternally honorable yet underpaid manservent, arrived late that evening via UPS air mail, sporting only a few bumps and looking no worse for wear than the usual. The able-bodied Principal Kuno, upon hearing of his daughter's latest conquest, decided upon himself to grace the house with his own presence. He set up shop near the rear of the building, converting one of the bathchambers into a private homage to Hawaii and doing his best to assemble a new concoction to be utilized by the ASMS faculty. Tatewaki Kuno might have shared in his dear father's sentiment, had he not picked a fight with Ranma for "abducting" fair Akane and spiriting both her and the pigtailed girl to an undisclosed location. Before the delusional swordsman could extrapolate upon the countless "evils" acted upon both helpless maidens, Ranma clouted him over the head with a handy metal desk. Needless to say, Kuno had a massive head start for that evening's rest. Ranma himself had seen a relatively uneventful evening, aside from the usual 'babbling Kuno' incident. After dinner, concerning which he'd stated could use a little culinary assistance (and, of course, mentioning that said assistance must NOT come from a certain mallet- weilding master of toxic cookery,) he had idly bummed around the accessible areas of the ASMS campus, noting the locations of handy bathrooms and various facilities not identified during the tour. A little side benefit to this little jaunt included scouting for the absent Akane, Nabiki, and Ukyo, who'd all been missing for the past couple of hours. Being one constantly on his guard, and for good reason, Ranma only felt more uncomfortable after his search turned up fruitless. "Hmm... I guess they've left for downtown or somethin'," Ranma brooded, stepping back into one of the RLB's elevators. He stabbed the fifth floor button before returning his hands to his pockets. "Sheesh, they could have told me before taking off. At least I would've had a story to tell Kuno, not that he'd have believed it..." After a moment, the elevator jarred to an abrupt halt before opening its doors. Ranma shrugged, stepping lightly into the hallway. "Alright, so my room's down this direction, huh?" Ranma glanced left, then shifted his light pack. "Hmm... I wonder what my new roommate's gonna be like? Hope he's not *too* bad... Aw, what am I saying? Hell, anything's gotta be better than pops. So long as he doesn't love c-c-cats... then I'll be okay... Huh?" Sensing a nearby release of energy, Ranma dropped into a quick combat stance... when suddenly a nearby door flew open, emitting a taller blondish-haired student wearing glasses and a large grin on his face. The energetic newcomer took all of two steps before freezing, dropping his jaw some three feet, quickly rotating 180 degrees on the axis, and reentering his recently departed room. The loud slam of the door woke Ranma out of his confused combat-ready stance. "What the hell was that about?" Ranma muttered, bewildered, as he glanced at the door's room number. "Hmm... my neighbor, I guess? But why'd he--?" "SAOTOME, TODAY YOU DIE!!!" "Gack!" Ranma whirled about, adroitly dodging a half dozen razor- tipped lengths of chain, before catching sight of his newest assailant... and groaning. He quickly shifted his combat stance, tossing his bag to the side, before yelling, "Dammit, Mousse, what the hell are *you* doing here?!?" And thus, the first major... well... minor, comparitively... battle upon ASMS grounds commenced... Although, considering the fact that the screaming Second Crown Prince of Jurai suddenly appeared in midair a few additional paces down the hallway, completely unnoticed by the two engaged combatants, this battle might be staged to escalate a might bit faster than usual... ----------------------------- "Looks like things are coming to a general head... Interesting..." Smiling absently and staring at a nearby monitor, Kami-sama idly swirled his half-empty bottle of Third Day Muscadine white wine -- the absolute oldest in existance, and quite possibly the best vintage Day ever -- when a light ping at his console sounded. Ah, Belldandy had arrived at last. Casually placing the mildly incriminating evidence behind his desk, Kami-sama leaned forward, steepling his fingers before toggling the intercom. "Verthandi, you may enter." Moments later, the beautiful young Goddess hesitently stepped into his immense chambers. Clasping her hands demurely at the waist, Belldandy stepped forward, her bare soles padding lightly on the marble floor. Kami- sama smiled warmly, gazing into her worried face. "Thank you for coming, young Goddess of the Present. I assume you have already experienced our most recent phenomenon, in addition to the various shifts and power surges adorning the entire planet." Belldandy nodded. "Yes, Father. Why is that? Has some awful wish managed to penetrate the system barriers?" The Almighty calmly waved a hand. "No. Nothing quite so... mundane. Although the wish system was involved, the program was accessed by a completely different source." He sighed. "I am afraid one of our own Operators slipped up by forgetting to encode the basic wish protection subroutine into an experimental online webpage housed on the Yggdrasil mainframe. Among an assortment of similar prototype releases, this webpage would allow viewers from a number of various dimensions to design a text-based story concerning any number of anime series unique to that specific dimension. Unfortunately, one of the first beings to access the webpage decided to cross our reality with his own, in addition to a number of other universes." Belldandy blinked. "But surely that wouldn't have caused the chaos present in the world today..." "Absolutely. However, due to the absense of your sister, her job duties remained unfulfilled, allowing a small number of bugs to hamper various pieces of software in the system. One such bug altered the experimental webpage's programming, removing the line 'text-based.' I assume I do not need to tell you the net result." The young Goddess nodded. "I understand. Is there any way to repair the damage to the system, or return the universes to their natural environments?" "Yes, although we ourselves are powerless to accomplish this feat. The crossed universe does stem from a directive implanted into the Wish System, and such programming is extremely tricky to unwire. The only option available to us is the timely retraction of the original intended crossover. However, since the Wish System was involved, only the individuals who created this 'alternate reality' may cancel the crossing of these universes." "And that's why you've sent for me," Belldandy replied. "Since I am already operating within the regions effected, you wish to send me to negociate with these individuals and separate the universes again." "Exactly. You shall probably require assistance, so I would recommend the aid of your sisters and your beloved on this mission. You have roughly a few months at most before the crossover becomes far too ingrained to remove." Kami-sama sighed, resting his palms gently upon his desk. "As always, should your mission be uncovered or should you be taken prisoner, Heaven and the Norn Pantheon will, of course, disavow all knowledge." "Father, you say that every time," Belldandy returned, absently rolling her eyes. "No matter how hard you try, I don't believe this 'Covert Ops' approach of yours will ever catch on." Kami-sama grinned. "It was worth a try, Verthandi. Although I *do* wish you might humor me every once in a while." The smile faded, as a small metallic device appeared before the waiting Goddess. "This capsule contains the means to which the universe can be reinstated. After locating the two individuals, you must scout a region of magical amplification for your magical circle. Once you have completed this, I will inform you concerning new directives and additional materials you may require. Touch base frequently, as we are still experiencing problems and computer glitches due to the dimensional combination." "Yes, Father. I love you." "And I you, dear Verthandi." The young Goddess bowed deeply before turning and silently departing the chamber. Kami-sama smiled, reaching down to gently grasp his bottle of heavenly alcohol. Oh, he hoped that the Norns could forgive their dear Father of committing an act of falsehood... The cover story was entirely correct. However, the electronic piece that Belldandy possessed would merely compound the problems inherent in the system, not solve them. But guiding his daughter as he had would allow this 'system malfunction' to remain... and for a few of his chosen Avatars to finally meet in the correct, not to mention same, dimension. Given time, an important question would be posed, and two equally determined individuals would forever alter the course of history throughout the world... maybe even throughout the universe... provided that the additional two arrive in time to save it. Humanity, at long last, was staged to move forward, whether such evolution was desired at this time or not. All due to the timely actions of a pair of anime-brained individuals. If only John and Jon knew what they were truly getting into, and what parts they would eventually play, thanks to their actions... ----------------------------- "So... what do you do with your spare time, Nabiki? Besides bribing half the student body, of course." Nabiki looked remotely incensed, crossing her arms in mock irritation as the four ASMS students slowly made their way back to headquarters, Akane and Ukyo chattering a few paces ahead of the other two. Darkness had enveloped the town a short while ago, and after stopping again for a full meal, the four decided to return home. "My reputation precedes me, I see. Don't think I'm *that* much of a heartless bitch, Mr. Rossmaier." John grinned palely, waving his hands in a mildly placating gesture. "Hey, hey... Sorry for assuming as such, but the anime and manga series portray you as a thieving backstabber who'll use Ranma for high near anything just to make a few yen. I'm just asking about any other possible hobbies of yours." "For what particular reason do you ask?" John shrugged. "Just wondering. We might have something more in common than simply attending the same school." "Not that you might be interested in me?" "Mmm..." John sniffed noncommitally, turning to glance back towards the school. He then proceeded to blink. A whole lot. "Um... quite a bit off current topic, but you wouldn't happen to know why the fifth floor lounge is missing its exterior wall, would you Nabiki?" He paused near a shock-still Akane and Ukyo on the ASMS front lawn, gazing intently at the missing wall in question. Much like a good number of the residents of Hot Springs. "Hmm?" And sure enough, there seemed to be a very large (and still smoldering) hole located on the RLB fifth story. Provided that 'hole' was synonymous with 'gaping crater-sized structural vacuum.' You could push a semi sideways through that opening, including the extended trailer. Absently, John wondered how the hell the sixth floor managed to remain intact... "Who are those people?" John blinked, turning to catch Nabiki pointing towards the opening. "Well..." he considered, glancing back into the lounge. "That's... hmm... remember what I said about the other crossed anime series?" Nabiki nodded. "Those are characters from the series called 'Tenchi Muyo!' The old man there is Katsuhito Masaki, and the unfamiliar pony-tailed boy is his son, Tenchi. The little catgirl... yes, it's really a catgirl... is Ryou-ohki, the one floating there in midair is Ryoko Hakubi, the most wanted space pirate in the known universe, and the one holding her..." John smiled, waving broadly towards the fifth floor. "That's my suitemate, actually. YO, JON!!! WHAT'S UP?!?" Said friend remained immobile, staring confusedly and nervously over the assembled crowd as Ryoko gently extracted herself from his grip and floated back indoors, naturally calling for Tenchi. John sighed, eyed the charred interior of the building, before turning back to the three girls in his company. "Hey, this'll probably take a while to sort out... you have anything else you want to do in the meantime? Besides unpacking?" Suddenly, he brightened, a thought occuring to him. "Hey, we could visit the local park! I bet it's really nice and quiet out there right now..." Nabiki grinned. "Quiet, huh? Trying to avoid a certain degree of chaos you know might be brewing up there?" John nodded vigorously. The other laughed. And, maybe allowing just a *hint* of a normal, carefree schoolgirl smile, Nabiki nodded towards her host, before dimming her slight happiness to a level of grudging acceptance as Akane and Ukyo turned around. "I think that would be advisable, wouldn't you say, girls? After all, it also looks like Mousse, Kuno, and Ranma are all waiting up there... If anything, I'm pretty sure the evening's excitement is far from over." "You're probably right, sugar," Ukyo conceded. "I think I can hear Kuno ranting again already..." Akane nodded. "And after your bombshell earlier, Mr. Rossmaier, I don't think we need any more excitement tonight..." "Sounds good. And please, just call me John, alright?" The boy turned, heading again for the sidewalk. "Or else, just call me Rossmaier. There's enough 'Johns' here to make it confusing sometimes..." Thus, the four returned to the downtown streets of Hot Springs before heading towards the National parkland atop the hill... and directly into the very situation they wished to avoid... ----------------------------- Far away, across the globe in fact, a familiar bandana clad figure was slowly making his way across a weather-blasted landscape... "Where on earth am I now?!?" Ryoga shouted against a rush of wind as he crested a short hill. Panting heavily, he slowly glanced over the vast array of treetops, before resolutely plodding back down into the forest. Grimacing, he trudged onward through the dense foliage, heedless of the harsh weather conditions. It had been raining for the past week or so, and he was soaking in mud and filth. His clothes had long since soaked through, and the dirt and grime covering one pant leg was finally beginning to irritate his skin. To make matters worse, he was almost out of his waterproof soap. His last bar rested in his backpack, already halved in size since opening the thing yesterday morning. At least he was lucky in that respect. It had only been a couple months ago in which he had stumbled into Jusenkyo again. However, a recent flash flood had left the pools flooded again, much to his chagrin. Luckily, he *did* run into the guide. The man ushered Ryoga into his cabin for the evening, after apologizing again for the cooking incident way back when. As he was about to settle down for the night, Ryoga had noticed a set of weathered boxes sitting in the corner. Curiously, he'd asked what they were. "Crates here contain famous Jusenkyo waterproof soap. Amazons order while ago, but refuse when find only lasts for few hours or so. So I stuck with extra soap." Ryoga blinked in astonishment. "I'll take some!" Thus, the guide had sold him a crate of the soap at a discounted price, and Ryoga used it whenever he showered. The less time spent as a pig, the better. At least, when he wasn't acting as P-chan. But he hadn't seen Akane for the past few months, and wasn't sure if he'd ever see her again. The last time he'd seen her smile was... how long ago? He couldn't remember. "Oh, Akane. If only I could see your face once more..." "Hey! Look out!" One loud crunching sound later, Ryoga lay sprawled out on the concrete, absently rubbing his head. Nearby was a badly mangled bike and an absolutely drenched driver muttering something about thunderstorms and night biking not mixing. Ryoga blinked, then sat upright. "Hey, what's the big idea?" The other leaned forward as well. "Whoa, I'm really sorry about that. But, I told you to look out. What were you doing standing in the middle of the road?" "Never mind that!" Ryoga yelled, blushing furiously. "Hey, don't get all defensive!" the second figure yelled back in a panicky voice. He backpedaled, right into his busted transport. "No! My bike! The Mikasuki Five! Aw, man... Where'm I going to get someone to repair this?" Ryoga watched for a moment as the other started to pout morosely, grumbling about having to miss his job appointment the next morning. Feeling just a little guilty for having a hard head, Ryoga turned to him. "Look. I'm sorry about the bike and all. I'll help pay for repairs, if that'll do any good." "Actually..." the other returned. "I'd really appreciate that. Say, what's your name? And why are you wandering around at night?" "Um... my name's Ryoga Hibiki. And I'm trying to find the Tendo dojo, in the Nerima district of Tokyo. You wouldn't happen to know how to get there, would you?" "Uh, no. I've never heard of the place. My name's Kintaro Oe, and I was on my way to a job interview in Tokyo myself. But my map's all ruined now. Do you think you could help me find a place to fix this bike and get some directions?" "Hmmm... I think I passed through a town a few minutes ago. That way." Ryoga pointed off in a completely random direction. "I'll walk you there." "Sure thing!" Thus, they turned and headed east, Ryoga carrying Kintaro's busted bike with little effort. Neither noticed the sign reading [Leaving Tokyo] as they wandered further into the woods... ----------------------------- "Saotome, are you sure about this?" Genma nodded, hefting his bags before stepping onto the airplane ramp. "Positive, Tendo. After all, just because the youngsters get a vacation to America doesn't mean that us old folks have to skip out. It'll be an adventure." He turned, winking conspiratorially. "Besides, once we locate that school, we'll be able to keep tabs on our children. Ranma and Akane may be stowed away together inside that school building, but so are those other girls. If we're going to get our wayward children to marry against that opposition, we'll have to intervene ourselves." Oddly enough, Soun seemed uninfluenced by his good friend's words. "But..." "Come along, father," a cheery Kasumi added from his side as she guided the poor distraught man up the ramp. "It will be so much fun to visit another country, don't you think? There's no need to worry. Saotome-san even located a beautiful residence, right outside of town! It will almost feel like home away from home!" "But..." "Kasumi's right, Tendo-san," Nodoka added from behind. The copper- haired woman smiled brightly as she cradled her wrapped sword in her arms. "Simply relax and enjoy the trip. There's absolutely no reason to tie yourself in knots over this." "But..." Genma sighed. "But what, Tendo?" The long-haired man paused for a short moment before erupting in a burst of tears. "Why must *I* always pick up the tab?!?" ----------------------------- "Is everyone ready?" Belldandy asked, glancing determinedly over the individuals present. Keiichi nodded, gently squeezing her hand as he gripped an additional suitcase. Urd absently shined her fingernails on her suit, a musing and contemplative look on her face, before glancing up and providing a curt nod. Skuld frowned, clutching her mallet tightly to her body, before answering in the affirmative. Belldandy glanced over the group again. "Hopefully this exercise will not take long. We must locate the two American humans named John Rossmaier and Jon Carlson, and then convince them to return the crossed dimensions to their normal state. Father will direct us after we have achieved these goals." "Right, right, you've mentioned that already, Belldandy," Urd murmured. she thought moodily. "Let's just get this over with." The Norn Goddess of the Present swallowed before nodding. "Alright. Everyone, please travel to the coordinates I've given you, or similar ones if a transport medium is unavailable. Keiichi and I will be waiting when you arrive." The four nodded. Belldandy turned, gently placing a palm against the wall-mounted body-length mirror... ----------------------------- "Wow... it feels really wonderful out tonight, doesn't it?" Ukyo stretched her arms, relishing in the slight evening breeze. Akane nodded as she rested idly on a nearby park bench. "It's been a long while since I just sat down and enjoyed an evening breeze like this..." "Yeah. Usually you guys are much too busy for some casual relaxation, aren't you?" John grinned, glancing over from his position atop a nearby rock. "Ranma can surely be a handful, right?" "You're telling me," Akane muttered. "And would you please keep the informative references down, sugar?" Ukyo added plaintively. "We're still a little uncomfortable about your knowledge concerning our past." Shaking his head, John smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I would catch you up to date about *my* personal history, so we'd be on more even grounds, but there's nothing interesting to tell. Basic smart kid, grew up in a nice home, large family, had a number of friends, varying on the weird end of the personality spectrum, but is generally more mature than others of his kind. Or so I'm told. The physical lacking..." John gestured towards his limbs, "...kinda keeps girls away, I suppose. I haven't dated much at all." "But why should that matter?" Akane wondered aloud. "You seem like a nice enough guy..." Ukyo laughed. "Am I hearing you right, Akane? *You* think a *guy* is *nice*?" Akane snorted, toying absently with the folds of her skirt. "Well, Ryoga's a nice guy too. And so's Doctor Tofu. I don't think my calling some guy nice is completely unheard of." "True," Nabiki added from atop rock near John's. "And John *is* a nice guy. I suppose you just haven't talked with enough girls in your lifetime, John." She winked, causing the other to blush. Chuckling, the male teen smiled wistfully. "Yeah, that's true. I'm usually not very outgoing... that is, until I make some good friends, or people who can relate to me. Then I feel more comfortable chatting about nothing..." The group lapsed into silence again, content to relish the light breeze and admire the starlit sky. For being so close to a brightly lit commercial district, the forested hills surrounding Hot Springs were remarkably devoid of phosphorescent pollution, making the region ideal for stargazing. The four seemed to be the only ones interested in the night sky, however, since the park seemed abnormally vacant. Or perhaps this was due to the explosion back at the school... after all, a calamity such as that would probably be more interesting than a host of stellar bodies... John mused idly to himself, scanning the three women in his presence, the seriousness and abnormality of the whole situation *finally* breaking through to direct mental scrutiny. John paused, scratching his head. He sighed. "Hey, John?" "Hmm?" Nabiki turned slightly, glancing over her shoulder. "You still have to attend classes tomorrow, right?" "Yeah..." "Well, we get the day off to settle in and try to make some new acquaintances. The advisors we met with also recommended that we find another student to show us around town. I was just wondering if you might give us a tour of Hot Springs after you get out of classes." Nabiki turned to the other two girls present. "What do you think, Akane? Ukyo?" "Sounds like a good idea," Ukyo responded. "Yeah," Akane added. "Maybe you could show us some good restaurants along the way." John nodded, smiling. "Sure thing. And believe me, you'll surely appreciate the information. The ASMS cafeteria gets really old, really fast." He chuckled lightly to himself for a moment... before a loud bang shook the ground, throwing the four students to the pavement. "What the?" John gritted, raising quickly to his feet and scanning the surrounding hilltop. Ukyo unsheathed her spatula and pointed the combat utensil towards a slowly rising plume of dust and smoke. "It's over that way! Come on, let's see what happened!" The four students quickly made their way over the hilly terrain, dodging the occasional tree and hot spring tank, before entering a gradually expanding dust cloud. Coughing lightly, the group continued through the shrouded woodlands... before stumbling into a wide crater. And John's eyes widened as he stared at the object in the center... "What on earth is that?" Akane shouted, pointing towards the sleek dark red monstrosity resting awkwardly within the crater. Occasional beams of white light flickered through what appeared to be windows, and a creaking metallic grind jostled the ground on odd intervals. After a long moment, a side door slid open, emitting a long teal- haired young woman wearing a decorated yet hastily donned uniform... "Yup, it's the Yagami," John whispered to himself.