Ok, I think I'm ready to finally post on the RAAC.
What do you guys think?
DISCLAIMER: Rumiko Takahashi is the creator of Ranma 1/2. Copyright belongs to Viz.
Lord Jeram is my own creation. I'd also like to pay quick homage to those esteemed authors whose stories of time and multiverses have inspired me, such as Skysaber, Metroanime and Jurai Knight.
A Quick Universe and Timeline Guide
(you'll need this because this story is about twisting and turning timelines and universes)
For now all you need to know regarding what a timeline is, is that each timeline is another possibility for a universe. As for what the really means in the end, well, you'll have to wait and see. Each timeline has the property of time moving at a certain rate, like in ours, it moves at, in reference to us, normal speed. Other timelines could flow slower or faster than ours, especially if they have to with another universe.
Note: Universes and timelines are not necessarily connected in any way to each other, but the general syntax will be:
List of Universes
List of Timelines for those Universes
Ranmaverse: Ranma's universe of origin
Vileverse: A universe similar to the original, but worse
Altaverse: A universe similar to the original, but different
Skyverse: A universe with a crystal-clear sky
Primary: Ranma's original timeline
Secondary: The second instance
Evil: The evil instance
Otherverse: A universe with a different history, and a different flow of time
Slow Primary: Otherverse's original timeline
Pocketverse: An artificial pocket dimension
Outertime: A very high (dimension-wise) timeline
In addition in the story, I'll announce the current universe and/or in a header if it changes. If there has been no change from either universe to universe or timeline to timeline then I won't add the extra info. E.g:
(The Incorrect Universe - The Really Fast Timeline)
Ranma looked in astonishment at the blurry figures around him.
"Huh? Why is everyone moving so fast?"
(The Normal Timeline)
"Wah! Ranma will never unfreeze!"
etc...
(Imagine that you are Ranma, casually strolling down the
road, whistling a tune, perhaps tossing a few chi attacks
into the nearest dummy, say Kunou. The day is perfect. The
sun is shining, not a cloud in sight. You haven't even been
splashed once, and the feeling is just great. Suddenly, the
world collapses in your face. Or does it?)
Emerald Ranma
==>An epic of Epic Proportions and a story of a story<==
Prologue
The End and/or the Beginning
(Ranmaverse)
Ranma is strolling down the streets of Nerima, whistling a happy tune. From time to time, he hops on some fences and rooftops, just for fun. The day is going so perfectly, that it seems to
be too good to be true.
Ranma grins. After the two huge meals he had received from Ukyou and Shampoo, he was feeling pleasantly stuffed. Even Kunou could not depreciate the day. After spouting an
crazy challenge, the insane samurai-wannabe had actually lost earlier than normal. Akane had not screamed at or hit him once. She had even flashed him that cute smile of hers.
Ranma takes in a healthy breath of fresh air, then lets it all out at once.
"Oh, man. This is the best day I've had in a long time. Nothing short of something nasty like Akane's cooking can possibly ruin this."
Ranma wanders over to a nearby park, and lies face up on the grass, absorbing the warmth of the sun, the coolness of the spring breeze, and the relaxing sounds of nature. He
closes his eyes, and starts drifting off into that place between sleeping and dreaming.
(Ranmaverse?)
A scream shakes Ranma to his core shattering his midday nap. He awakens with a start and jumps up. Horrified, he gazes at the destruction around him. Nothing is as it had been. Fire is raging everywhere, in the skies, and on the ground. Even the water was aflame. Grating rasps of pain
and suffering echoes around him. The world was, in effect, destroyed.
Breathing heavily, Ranma pinches himself repeatedly. He begins to utter a mantra of sorts. "It's only a dream. It's only a dream . . ."
He feels the pain from the pinches. "No! It can't be real! It's just a horrible nightmare," he tries to convince himself.
He starts backpedaling slowly, then starts increasing the pacing faster and faster. He falls backward, tripping over something. He reaches behind to pick it up.
The thing screams. Ranma's eyes widen as he drops the still howling severed head back onto the charred ground. He panics and starts running.
Not quite knowing where he is headed, he still runs as fast as he can. He wipes away the tears from his eyes, the tears from the smoke, the tears from the horror.
Then, he stops. There, in front of him, was the Tendo Dojo. His heart stops for a moment when he sees the broken gate. It starts up again when he sees that the dojo appears unharmed, apparently unaffected by the nearby blaze of the neighboring buildings.
Cautiously, Ranma steps inside. The house is completely silent, save for the distant sounds of death. Ranma looks around, hoping against hope.
"Hello? Is anyone here? Anyone?" No one answers.
His voice drops to whisper. "Anyone? Please?"
A lone tear slides down his cheek. "Pops? Mr. Tendo? Nabiki? Kasumi? Ak-akane?"
He lowers his head. 'They're all gone. I can't believe it! I'm all alone. All alone.' Depressing thoughts swirl inside his head.
He wipes his nose and breathes in. 'Wait! That smells like Kasumi's cooking!' Heart racing, Ranma rushes to the kitchen and nearly collapses in relief. Kasumi is standing the way she always does, leaning over the counter. She is cutting some carrots. Tears of relief fogs his vision.
"Kasumi! You're . . . you're alive!" He chokes back the tears. "Thank everything that's holy!"
Kasumi chuckles. "Ranma, I've been waiting for you." She turns around.
Ranma screams, a cry beyond normal sound, one echoing from the depths of the soul. Kasumi's face had been shorn off completely, and her eyes glow with a horrible flaming light. Worst of all, around her neck, hung the severed head of her sister. For the first time, Ranma notices the other
heads displayed like trophies around the blood-soaked room. She hadn't been cutting carrots.
As Ranma drops to his knees, Kasumi cackles and raises her knife. Ranma closes his eyes and just resigns his fate. The killing blow never came.
Suddenly, Kasumi screams. Ranma's head jerks up in surprise. The scream fades and Ranma could swear that he heard her sigh in relief. As she fades from her tortured existence, Ranma notices a figure standing behind her, whose hands were outstretched. Ranma blinks his eyes and clearly
sees a short man with pale skin and dark hair. Tears stream down his face. Anguish and pain mark his features.
"It never gets any easier," the man mumbles softly.
Ranma rises to his feet and peers at the stranger, terror momentarily forgotten. "Uhm, who are you?"
The man is startled by this and looks at Ranma as if only noticing him for the first time. The man stares
intently at Ranma, assessing him.
"How can this be? You! You're not corrupted!" the man exclaims. A look of intense joy appears on the man's face.
Ranma stumbles back in surprise. "Uh, heh heh. Who are you, mister?"
The man smiles at Ranma. "We have a chance after all. Will you come with me to try and save the world?" He outstretches his hand.
Ranma struggles internally for a few moments. "Oh, hell. What have I got to lose? It's not like I can lose anything more than I already have." Ranma grips the man's hand and is gone.
(Vileverse)
Kasumi ran.
Smoke-induced tears soaked her dress and obscured her vision. She staggered as she felt a wave of hunger pass over her. She fell back and tripped over a stone, falling to the ground. She kicked off her heels in disgust, got up and continued her escape. She knew They were right behind her, gaining ever so slowly. She pumped her feet harder, and sensed Their laughter.
Wiping the water from her reddened eyes, she made out a figure in front of her. Coming closer, she saw her beloved father, weeping intensely on the charred earth. Not being able to help herself she approached and knelt beside him, stroking his hair.
"Father, please, feel better. It will all be over soon. It will all" she choked on the words but forced herself to continue. "It will be all right. It has to." She started tearing again and was barely able to control herself. "Father? You've stopped crying. Is everything . . ." Kasumi gasped, then screamed as her father slumped onto the ground. Kasumi rose like a rocket, eyes blazing.
"That's it! I don't care if I have to use the technique on you. Prepare to be destroyed for good!" The figure in front of her laughed.
Kasumi attacked.
(Skyverse)
Ranma found himself in a small room, with walls painted with sky landscapes, though when Ranma looked closer, he realized that the clouds were moving. He looked up at the ceiling and instantly flinched away, as there was a sun shining brightly. He ran his hands over a wall and was surprised to feel a normal texture.
"What the heck? What kind of weird room is this?" He looked closely at the moving pictures on the wall, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. "It looks almost real."
"That's because it is." Ranma whirled toward the origin of the voice. A tall man stood at the other end of the room. He appeared like an ordinary human, with dark hair and a short-trimmed beard. An expression of deep sadness was clear on his countenance. His robe, was a deep black color that seemed to draw in light. In sharp contrast, bands of bright light that refused to disappear streamed and crisscrossed each other on the surface of the robes. The man spoke again, his voice rumbling forcefully yet without being loud at all. "It is actually merely transparent material. We are floating in the middle of the sky above the Pacific Ocean."
Ranma closed his eyes and held his head. "But the sky isn't this color anymore. It's a horrible orangish color."
The man sighed. "Indeed it is. But this is not the same universe. I brought us here to buy us some time before we can escape this timeline." While Ranma thought that over, the man shook his head. "By the Infinite, I wish I knew more about temporal mechanics."
At that, Ranma quickly looked up at the man. "What do you mean you wish you knew more? I don't need this." He mumbled the last part to himself.
The man smiled slightly. "I'm afraid that it isn't my area of expertise."
Ranma scratched his head. "Well, not to rude or nothin', but what is your 'area of expertise' anyway? Universe-hopping?"
Suddenly, the man turned his head and looked behind. "Listen, friend, they'll be plenty of time for questions later. For now we have to get out of here while we still have time."
Ranma blinked, confused. "But how?"
Emerald Ranma
->The story of an epic and an epic of the story <-
Chapter One:
Once Again Couldn't Hurt or Could It?
(Ranmaverse - Primary)
(Thirty thousand years and one second ago)
Two ancient cavemen stood around. One chewed the meat off of a tasty bear carcass, while the other sat pounding rocks together.
The first one grunted and spit out a small piece of bone. The second one picked it up and chewed it for a moment before spitting it out. The first one looked up, then went back to his feast.
The second one pounded one stone into the piece of bone.
(Secondary)
(Thirty thousand years and three second ago)
A bright light in the sky startled two cavemen. One dropped the flesh he was enjoying into the dust and the other dropped his rocks.
The light faded.
(Evil)
The second caveman picked up the meat. The first caveman grabbed it back forcefully. The second caveman felt a strange emotion. He growled and picked up a pointed stone.
(Secondary)
The first caveman picked up the meat and continued eating. The second caveman looked at his rocks and grunted. The first caveman ripped off a chunk of his meat and gave it to his son.
They ate.
(Altaverse - Primary)
(Ten years ago)
"Give that back!" Akane chased her sister. "Give me back my dolly!"
Nabiki didn't stop, but yelled over her shoulder "It's mine now. You gave it to me fair and"
(Evil)
Nabiki tripped on a girl's outstretched and slammed her head into the pavement.
The girl grabbed the doll and ran away.
Akane ran up. "Nabiki? What's wrong? Where's my dolly? Nabiki? I hate you!"
(Primary)
"square!" Nabiki finished. She jumped over scattered toys and kept running.
Akane, bawling like the little girl she was, stopped and flopped on the floor. "Nabiki! I hate you!"
Nabiki felt a small pang of conscience, but ignored it.
(Secondary)
(Ten years later)
Ranma closed the book he was reading and took off his glasses.
He sighed. "Now that was a good book. Too bad the library's closed."
"What if I told you I could show a library that contained every literary work in existence?"
Ranma leaped up at the sudden noise and whirled around to view a short stocky man with blond hair and a greasy beard.
"Uh, sure, I guess. Where would this library be located?"
The greasy man smiled. "Right here." He snapped his fingers.
(Pocketverse)
Ranma found himself in a small room, with grey colored walls and ceiling, and no door or window apparent. He frowned and looked at the man, who now sported dingy black robes.
Ranma decided to play it safe and ask the non-invasive questions first. "Uh, where are we?"
"Aren't you more interested in knowing who I am?"
Ranma, a little taken aback at his thoughts being read so easily, wasn't able to stop himself from replying. "Ok, then, who are you?"
The man floated over closer to Ranma. "You may call me Lord Jeram."
Ranma frowned. 'Lord' Jeram? Lord of what?
"The title refers to the country I rule over." Lord Jeram said to Ranma's surprise.
"What?" Ranma thought. "Can he read my thoughts?"
"Not exactly," Lord Jeram said. "But your thoughts are practically being shouted to the metaphysical skies. But not many would be able to so easily 'hear' even those shouted thoughts. I am a Mental Master, a wearer of the black robes of the power. I have come to this universe to talk to you." Ranma's mind was still reeling, as he was trying to figure out exactly what this visitor was telling him.
"Okay, but why exactly do you want to talk to me?"
"Because I have been searching and searching through many universes, trying to find candidates for a special program I have devised."
Ranma frowned. "Oh yeah? What kind of 'program' is that?"
Lord Jeram smiled. "You'll see." He waved his hand, and instantly the two were in another room, this one as luxurious as any Ranma had ever seen. Magnificent pieces of art were arranged throughout the room, while every piece of furniture, down to the smallest coaster, was a work of art. Ranma found himself sitting in a luxurious chair, which seemed firm and downy at the same time. The wood was a silky black, the armrests sculpted into the fierce countenance of a pouncing panther, while the cushions seemed to emulate the velvety nature of a great cat's luxurious pelt. Lord Jeram sat across from him, in a similarly designed chair, calmly observing Ranma's reaction to the room. "Like the accommodations? It took me months to find the greatest works of panther-related art. And after all that, he didn't even want them."
Ranma peered at the black robed man. "Who didn't want them?"
Jeram smiled slightly. "Just a friend. As it turned out, he already had copies of most of these items already. So I used them to spruce up this extra-dimensional subspace matrix. Before it was mostly black with cascading energies lining the edges. A nice effect, but hardly comfortable for guests."
Ranma breathed deeply. "As much as I appreciate this whole." He waved his hands at the room. "Accommodation, I would like to know why you've brought me here."
Jeram frowned. "To be perfectly honest with you, Ranma, I thought that perhaps this place would help you transition more easily from your universe. I'm sorry to see that you still having prolonged transitional anxiety. And to answer your question, that means you have a condition where if you are displaced from your universe cluster of origin, you experience a form of hypertension." He sighed, and Ranma realized that he was indeed feeling rather anxious, and he released his tight hold of the armrests of his chair. "Well, I suppose there's nothing to be do except be done with it." Lord Jeram waved his hand, and before Ranma could react, he found himself in another place.
(Altaverse)
Ranma appeared in a flash of green light high above the streets of Nerima.
(Evil)
A plane flying overhead neatly decapitated him, and promptly was disintegrated by Ranma's post-death spell.
(Secondary)
He peered around and slowly dropped to the ground, unseen by anyone or anything.
(Otherverse - Slow Primary)
Ranma gazed at his wife lovingly. "Dearest, could you make me a sandwich?"
(Evil)
A trillionth of a trillionth of a second passed.
(Slow Primary)
Ranma's wife smiled obligingly and rubbed her husband's broken leg. "Sure thing, love."
End of Chapter One