A Ranma ½ / Powerpuff Girls cross over mini-series. Rated PG for mild violence.

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Ranma 1/2 is a trademark of Viz Communications, Inc. and was created by Rumiko Takahashi.
The Powerpuff Girls is copyright ©1998 by Cartoon Network.

This story is of my own derivation and is not intended for commercial purposes, so please don't sue me.

    The city of Townsville. A bustling metropolis in the heartland of America. Uh - I know it's sort of near the ocean - monsters come tromping in from Monster Island just off shore. There's also some farms just outside the city limits. I'm pretty sure there's a volcano in town - Mojo Jojo lives in it for crying out loud! Oh all right - I have no idea where Townsville is! I'm just the narrator! If it isn't written in the script, I haven't the vaguest idea - what? Oh, right!

    The red-head followed a panda through the city. They stopped at a crosswalk and waited for the light to change. She hitched at her pack and grumbled at the panda.

    "What're we doin' here? We should be back in Japan."

    The panda held up a sign. 'I told you - it's a matter of Family Honor.'

    The girl's eyes narrowed. Anytime the old man brought up "family honor," it usually meant some kind of scheme that had the pair sneaking out of town in the dead of night.

    "Yeah - right." She glanced around to see if they were attracting any attention. "Do you have to use those? People will think we're strange. We should be tryin' not to stand out."

    That was when she noticed the monkey waiting at the corner with them. At least she thought it was a monkey... wearing a uniform... with a cape... and some sort of helmet. It noticed her staring.

    "What are you staring at? If you knew, you would be staring in fear! For I am the one, the only, Mojo Jojo! And when I rule this world, all will stare at the greatness that is Mojo Jojo. And they will all be staring in fear, for when this world is ruled by me, Mojo Jojo, then all will know that I, Mojo Jojo, will rule with an iron fist. And that fist will belong to none other than me, Mojo Jojo! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" He stopped laughing when he noticed the walk light had appeared. "Now I must proceed across the street, as the walk light indicates that crossing is permitted. And when one crosses now, they can be assured that crossing is safe, for that is the function indicated by the appearance of the walk light."

    Ranma continued staring as the monkey crossed the intersection.

    The panda held up another sign. 'Oh yes. We really stand out here!'

    Ranma rolled her eyes, then froze in shock. She turned to the panda and hooked a thumb over her shoulder. "Uh - should we be worried about the hundred meter, six-armed, fire-breathing crocodile destroying the city?"

    The panda shrugged as it flipped the sign around. 'No one else seems to be.'

    Sure enough, a glance around revealed everyone going about their business as normal. That is, if one could call a giant monster torching buildings and knocking over skyscrapers normal.

    Ranma shrugged and followed the panda. This place made China look normal. She shivered slightly. Now that had been a fiasco.

    The pair continued through the city, headed for the outlying suburbs.

****

    Professor Utonium stared at the postcard. "I'd best advise the girls of this development." He poked his head into the laboratory where Blossom was working on one of her experiments.

    "Blossom, Honey! I need to see you and your sisters for a moment."

    The red-head didn't bother looking up as she added something from a test tube into a beaker. "I'll be right out!"

    The Professor nodded and closed the door as he left. He headed upstairs to one of the girls' rooms. It still gave him a twinge of sadness that the girls were growing up so fast. Insisting on separate rooms had come as a bit of a shock, even if he had expected it. He knocked at a door, then stuck his head inside. "Bubbles!"

    The blonde quickly moved in front of a large black panther. "There's nothing going on here!"

    Professor Utonium gave her a stern look. "You know you're not allowed to keep wild animals, Bubbles. He'll have to go to the zoo." Townsville zoo had perhaps the largest collection of exotic animals due to Bubbles habit of "acquiring" unusual pets. "You can say good-bye, then come downstairs. I have something I need to talk to you girls about." He left the pouting girl standing in the room. "She's so cute when she's all pouty like that!"

    He knew where he'd find Buttercup. Sure enough, the practice room was in use, the danger lever currently dialed to twenty. He shook his head, despite knowing that twenty was just a light workout for the feisty brunette. He spoke into the microphone.

    "Buttercup. When you're done 'saving Townsville,' I need to speak with you a moment."

    "Sure thing, Professor." She went back to trashing the artificially generated opponents.

****

    Professor Utonium looked fondly at his teenage daughters. He sincerely hoped this worked out. "Do you girls remember our talk about 'dating' last year?"

    The girls all sighed sadly. Of course they remembered. Having reached an age when most normal girls started going on dates, they were in a rather unique situation. Anyone dating one of the Utonium girls would run the risk of kidnapping by the bad guy of the day trying to get leverage against the heroines. Even more unthinkable, they ran the risk of possible injury from the girls themselves over misunderstandings. The "incident" with Buttercup and a lecherous senior who thought that freshmen were fair game had precipitated "the talk" the previous year.

    He continued. "Do you remember the trip we all took to Japan when you were in kindergarten?"

    The girls frowned at the memory. Blossom was the first to speak.

    "I fail to see the correlation between the two, Professor."

    He looked distinctly uncomfortable. "Yes, well - you see girls, I sort of talked about your little 'problem' with Mr. Saotome. He was one of the martial artists we ran into on the trip. In return for your help, he promised to train his son to such a level that he wouldn't be at risk like a normal boy would be."

    The girls gasped and spoke in unison. "One of us is getting a boyfriend?!"

    Blossom frowned. "Is he intelligent?"

    Buttercup looked hopeful. "Is he cute?"

    Bubbles looked perplexed. "Does he like animals?"

    "What is he like Professor?" Once more in unison.

    Professor Utonium laughed nervously. "Well girls, to be honest, I haven't the faintest idea!"

    Blossom looked floored. "No idea?"

    He shook his head. "I've never met the boy."

    The girls exchanged looks.

    The Professor failed to notice as he continued. "They're on their way here now. You can meet the boy and see if you get along. Not that I'm trying to place you in any sort of -"

    He was interrupted by the doorbell. The girls started, then looked to the entryway.

    Blossom turned to her sisters. "That might be him! Let's go!"

    The Professor found himself staring at an afterimage as the girls practically teleported to the front door.

    Buttercup opened the door to find a giant panda with a girl over its shoulder. The girl was struggling and yelling in a foreign language.

    Blossom gasped. "A wild animal! And it's grabbed an innocent girl!"

    Buttercup sprang into action. She had the panda down in an instant as she punched it in the head. "Take this! And that! And this! And that!"

    Bubbles stared in horror as Buttercup pounded the poor beast.

    Blossom frowned. "Buttercup! What are you doing?!" Her sister really needed to learn some self-control.

    The girl got up from where she had fallen after Buttercup had grabbed the panda, and retorted in passable English. "Nah. That's all right. He had it comin'!"

    Blossom addressed the girl as Bubbles knelt by the panda's head. "Are you okay Miss?" She was baffled by the glare the girl gave her.

    "I ain't no girl!" She shouted, then kicked the panda. "Stupid old man! This is all your fault!"

    "Hey! Leave the poor thing alone!" Bubbles turned back to the panda and started speaking with it. "Growlf. Growf, growlf growlf growf."

    Ranma stared. "Uh - you don't really think you can speak with him, do you?"

    Blossom answered for her sister. "Of course she can! It's one of her special abilities. She can speak any language, human or animal."

    The red-head looked skeptical as the panda answered the girl.

    Bubbles turned back to the open door and yelled into the house. "Professor! Your friend Mr. Saotome is here! He says he needs some hot water!"

    The Professor's voice was heard from within. "Okay Bubbles. I'll be right there."

    Buttercup looked from the panda to the girl. "Wait. If that's Mr. Saotome, then you would be - ?"

    The girl looked irritated and sad at the same time. "Ranma Saotome. Sorry about this."

    Buttercup floated back inside the house. "Well, that turned out to be a real bust!"

    Ranma glanced at her chest and frowned, confused by the choice of words.

    Blossom questioned the girl. "If you're Ranma, aren't you supposed to be a boy?"

    Before Ranma could answer, Bubbles started talking to her father again. Ranma sweated. How could anyone look that cute grunting like a panda?

    Bubbles listened to the panda and looked at her sister. "He says she is a boy - or should I say, he is a boy? I'm all confused!" She shook her head. "Well anyway, he says they need some hot water."

    Ranma boggled. "You really can talk to him!" She really shouldn't have been surprised, especially after China.

    Professor Utonium appeared with a teapot full of hot water.

    Ranma stared at Buttercup as she floated behind the Professor with her arms crossed. "Is she floating?! What's going on here?!"

    Blossom and Buttercup zipped up beside their sister as they all posed. "We're the Powerpuff Girls!"

    Ranma just stared as the Professor dumped some hot water on her head. This time it was the girls who stared as the cute red-headed girl morphed into a taller, rather handsome black-haired boy.

    Genma popped up beside Ranma, once more human. "Perhaps we should go inside and talk."

****

    Genma cried as he remembered back all those years. "My old training partner and I were out - uh - training with the Master. We had tried to get him drunk so we could bury him in a cave."

    Ranma boggled at his father. "You tried to kill your old sensei?!"

    Blossom, who remembered that day all too well, shook her head. "You don't know what he was like."

    Genma nodded. "Yes. She's right, boy. It had to be done for the good of the world." He sighed. "But we failed. That was when we ran across the Professor. It seems he was there with his girls and their class for some kind of field trip."

    What? No, I don't know why the Pokey Oaks kindergarten class would be on a field trip to Japan! I already told you, I'm just the narrator! I don't have that kind of information - look, let's just go back and watch the scene ourselves.

~~~~

    Ms. Keane led the group through the countryside. "Now class, it's not everyday you get the chance to visit another country, so let's be sure we appreciate the opportunity -" She stopped as Bubbles zipped up carrying a small furry animal.

    "Ms. Keane! Ms. Keane! Can I keep him? He's sooooo cute!" She rubbed her face against the animal's pelt.

    The teacher glanced at the Professor, then shook her head. "No, Bubbles. He belongs here in Japan." She turned to the rest of the class. "Now class, here is a prime example of a tanuki, also known as the raccoon dog of Japan."

    Bubbles floated off with the tanuki, looking rather downcast. She reappeared a moment later with a much larger, odd-looking bear. "Ms. Keane! Ms. - "

    "No, Bubbles. you can't keep that one either." She didn't need to look at the Professor on this one. "Okay class, this is one of the few species of bears native to -"

    She was interrupted as a diminutive figure all in black bounced along carrying a huge sack. "What a haul! What a haul!" He noticed the teacher. "Hotcha!" With that he launched himself at the woman, clinging to her chest.

    "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Ms. Keane ran around while trying to pry the figure off her.

    The class stared in horror at the scene. Three little girls yelled as one. "MS. KEANE!"

    The figure found itself in the grip of a black-haired girl no larger than he was. The girl struck him repeatedly with a force greater than ten grown men.

    "How dare you assault our teacher! Take this! And that! And this! And that!"

    Blossom frowned. "Buttercup! Over here!"

    Her sister punched the figure over to her sister.

    "Blossom!" Bubbles hovered overhead as Blossom kicked the figure her way.

    Blossom gestured to Buttercup, then the nearby mountain. "Buttercup! Quick!"

    Buttercup streaked off. She pulled the entire mountain up by the base. "Bubbles!"

    Bubbles deflected the figure coming at her towards Buttercup. The moment the figure passed under her, Buttercup slammed the mountain down on the offensive little creature.

    She dusted her hands off. "That'll teach him to keep his hands to himself!"

    As the Professor and the rest of the class tried to comfort the distraught teacher, two men dancing around with fans and tossing confetti prostrated themselves before the Professor.

    "How can we ever repay you!"

    The Professor was still trying to sort everything out that had occurred. "Um, well, I, um -"

    The three girls zipped over and hovered protectively around the Professor and Ms. Keane. "Who are you?" The look on their faces let the pair know they would brook no trouble.

    The pair gaped at the flying girls, then explained. "We were students to the Master." They cried large tears. "The things he would force us to do as training. Suffice it to say that it is not for the ears of girls such as yourselves. Thank you for ridding us of that evil demon!" They were prostrating themselves before the girls now.

    The girls looked rather unsettled. "Yes, well, you're welcome."

    Genma pulled Soun to the side. "Just think of what the schools would be like if my boy married one of those girls!"

    Soun looked shocked. "But Genma! What of our dream to unite the schools?"

    Genma raised a clenched fist. "It is for the good of the schools that I proposed it. If we push our agreement back by one generation, just think of what the schools would be like when one of your grandchildren married one of mine. It's just too bad you don't have a son yourself."

    Soun considered it. Have one of his girls marry Genma's son like they intended, or wait another generation and have the blood of those girls in his family. "You're right of course, Genma. Oh! If only I had a son!" He burst into tears as Genma sidled over to the Professor.

    "Uh, whose children are they?" He gestured to the floating girls.

    The Professor looked proudly at the girls. "They're mine!" He completely missed the greedy look that came over Genma.

    "So, have you thought about their future? You know, when they grow up and marry?"

    Professor Utonium stroked his chin thoughtfully. "You know, I never have. I guess I thought they would always be my little girls."

    Genma clapped him on the shoulder. "Well, strong girls like that are going to need strong husbands."

    The Professor looked shocked. "I never thought about that. You're right. With the life the girls lead and their special powers, they will need someone strong." He started to worry about it.

    Genma smiled widely. "I'll tell you what - I'll train my boy to be the strongest martial artist of his generation. Strong, honorable, and trained to protect the weak. We could then get them together and see what works out." He was inwardly cackling. There was no way the girls would be able to resist his boy once he was trained. After all, Genma was the one doing the training and wasn't he irresistible?

    The Professor looked a little doubtful. "I'm not sure -"

    Genma overrode his concerns. "Just you wait. Your girls will thank you! It's just a shame I only have one son."

~~~~

    Ranma jerked his father up by the collar of his gi. "You mean you put me through ten years of hell just so I could marry one of these girls?!"

    "And survive!" Genma nodded.

    The Professor and the girls frowned as the pair started fighting in the living room.

    "Settle down! I won't have guests fighting in my house!" The Professor projected a stern image when he wished.

    Ranma stopped and moved off. "We'll just take this outside then."

    Buttercup smiled. "Actually, we have a practice room inside for testing our abilities. Perhaps you'd like to go a round with me."

    After the training he had been through in that Amazon village, Ranma had no qualms about that. He needed to blow off a little steam and he was curious as to exactly how powerful these girls were.

    "Sure. Lead the way."

    Genma draped an arm across the Professor's shoulders. "See? They're getting along fabulously. I told you this would be a good idea."

    The Professor looked quite uncomfortable. "Um, yes. Well, let's just see how things go. I need to be sure the boy can handle things first." He followed the girls and Ranma to the practice room, Genma right on his heels.

****

    Ranma and Buttercup squared off in the empty room. He glance around. "Doesn't look like much to me."

    Blossom activated the room, setting the danger level to one as this was just a sparring match.

    Ranma blinked as the room changed into a street alley. "Okay. That's a little better." He could see how useful the room was now. He picked up a trash-can lid. Very useful indeed if it could recreate environments to this level. He could do any kind of training he wanted here. Things were looking better.

    Buttercup smiled. "All right. Let's see what you can do."

    Ranma didn't bother getting into a stance, something he regretted the moment Buttercup moved. The girl was on him so quick, Ranma didn't have a chance to think. It was all he could do to dodge or block the girl's punches or kicks. The fact that the girl never once touched the ground made her kicks that much faster. He finally missed one and was sent sprawling into a pile of overturned trash-cans. He got up and smirked.

    "That all you got?"

    Buttercup smiled even wider. "Well, I guess you can take some punishment after all. I guess I can start holding back a little less."

    Ranma's smirk died as the girl seemed to vanish. I wasn't an instant before she was all over him. He couldn't block even half the blows. He took some serious blows before being slammed into a wall.

    "Oooooooh." He rubbed his head. That would have taken him out for sure if he hadn't had that Breaking Point training. He pulled himself upright again and nodded. Time to stop holding back as well. He launched himself into the air. Buttercup met him there.

    Ranma used every technique for mid-air battle he had learned, using his blows against the flying girl to keep himself aloft. This allowed him to use his legs the same way the girl had earlier. He channeled his ki to his limbs, speeding and strengthening their movements. He took advantage of Buttercup's shock, putting everything behind one blow that sent the girl skidding along the ground. He smirked as he landed lightly.

    Buttercup stood and brushed off her dress. She looked more like she had been out for a walk than fighting all out. Ranma's smirk died at the look on the girl's face. Sure, those Amazons had been a bit bloodthirsty, but this was just scary!

    A voice came over an intercom as the room reverted back to normal. "Okay, Buttercup. I think we've seen enough for now."

    Buttercup deflated. She kicked at the air as she floated toward the door. "Awwwwwwww! And it was just getting good!"

    Ranma sweated and thanked whatever kami inhabited these lands for the interruption.

    They all moved back towards the living room. Ranma moved up next to Buttercup.

    "Do you fly everywhere you go?"

    Buttercup nodded. "Of course. What good is it to have superpowers if you never use them?"

    Ranma frowned. "But if you never use your legs to walk or run, how do they keep their strength without exercise?"

    She rolled her eyes. "Helloooo? Superpowers, duh!"

    Ranma frowned and pushed past her. The girl may like to fight, a plus in Ranma's book, but she had an attitude to match. She'd have fit right in with those Amazons. He sat on the couch by his pop.

    Bubbles came flying up, carrying a tray of drinks. "I got drinks for everybody!"

    She reached the living room just in time to collide with Buttercup.

    Buttercup bopped her sister on the head. "Watch it, clumsy! You could have gotten that on me!"

    Bubbles rubbed her head. "Well if you hadn't been floating in the middle of the room, I wouldn't have run into you! Now just look at this... mess..." She trailed off as she looked over at the couch where the Saotomes had been sitting. The red-head and the panda were back. Bubbles threw her hands up. "PANDA!" She zipped up to the panda and started speaking with it again.

    Buttercup poked Ranma in the chest. "You know, that's not much of a superpower."

    Ranma was off the couch and in her face. "IT'S NOT A SUPERPOWER! IT'S A CURSE!"

    Buttercup floated back away from the glowing girl. "All right! Sheesh! Whatta grouch!"

    Blossom appeared in a blur before Ranma. "You know, you haven't told how you came to be like this. I assume you weren't always this way?"

    Ranma frowned. "No, it was a short time ago in China..."

~~~~

    Ranma and Genma slipped away from the Amazon village late at night. Ranma glanced back at the village.

    "Why we leavin', Pop? That was some of the best trainin' I ever got." He continued under his breath, "as opposed to yours."

    Genma gave him a hard look which was difficult to pick up in the darkness. "You ready to get married, boy?"

    Ranma stumbled in shock. "Of course not!"

    Genma nodded. "Well, if you remained there any longer, you'd have to."

    "What?!"

    Genma nodded again. "Well, all those techniques you were learning are only supposed to be taught to members of the tribe, so I promised the old ghoul that you would marry her great-granddaughter if she taught you."

~~~~

    Ranma drove an elbow into the panda's skull. "I still can't believe tried to marry me off to one of those Amazons!"

    It rubbed its head and held up a new sign. 'Of course I didn't!' The panda flipped it around. 'That's why we're here instead of back in China!' It pulled out another sign. 'So anyway...'

~~~~

    "Run boy! I think they're catching up with us! Unless you want to get married..."

    Ranma needed no further prompting. They ran flat out across the mountain paths. They quickly outpaced their trackers. Ranma wondered at this.

    "Hey Pop. If they live 'round here, why are we outrunnin' them? Shouldn't they know the lay of the land better?"

    Genma laughed. "That just goes to show you, boy. No woman could ever hope to challenge us Saotome mennnnnnnnnnnnnn -"

    His voice trailed off as both he and Ranma plunged over the cliff toward the unseen pools below. The Amazons showed a little later. They might have been falling behind, but only a fool rushed into Jusenkyo at night.

~~~~

    "BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" Buttercup was rolling on the ground laughing. Well, rolling in the air laughing at any rate. "That's the stupidest thing I ever heard! What a couple of morons!"

    Ranma growled and ground her teeth.

    "Now now, Buttercup. It's not nice to say things like that." The Professor managed to keep from laughing himself - for about ten seconds. "Even if it's true! Hahahahahahahaha!" Everyone was laughing except Ranma and Genma.

    Ranma sighed. It would have been funny to her too, if had been just her pop. "Can I get some hot water?"

    The Professor wiped his eyes. "Of course, Ranma. I'll just heat some more up."

    Ranma winced. The water the Professor had used earlier had been much hotter than necessary. "Uh - Professor? It needn't be quite so hot."

    The Professor nodded. "Well, you could try some hot water from the taps."

    Ranma was dumbfounded. "You got hot water at the taps here?" Piped hot water was not something Ranma was used to, having grown up in Japan and just recently come over from China.

    "Of course. There's a bathroom upstairs. First door on the right." He turned to the panda. "Aren't you going to go too?"

    The panda quit talking with Bubbles and held up another sign. 'I'll give the boy a chance to cool off.'

    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

    Everyone glanced up the stairs.

    Professor Utonium thought about it. Bubbles' room was right across from the bathroom. Apparently Ranma had forgotten which side the bathroom was on. "Buuuuubblessssssss. Do you still have that black panther in your bedroom?"

    The girl looked down in obvious guilt. "Nooooooooooooo." She had never been able to lie convincingly.

    The panda looked puzzled and held up a sign. 'What's a black panther?'

    Blossom looked smug. "Panthera pardus, a leopard in the black color phase." The smug look dropped as she noticed the panda was still puzzled. She rolled her eyes. "A big cat."

    Everyone stared as the panda flattened itself against a wall. 'A cat?'

    The Professor looked worried. "Is there something wrong with that?"

    The panda waved its arms.  'Of course not!' It flipped the sign around. 'It wouldn't have anything to do a special technique I trained the boy in.'

    Buttercup perked up. "Special technique? How does it go?"

    'You wrap the trainee in fish sausages, then throw him in a pit full of starving cats.'

    The girls turned green. Buttercup waved her hands.

    "I think I'll pass on this one."

    The Professor considered it. "You would think that would give the trainee an irrational fear of cats."

    The panda flipped around the sign. 'It does.' It pulled out another one. 'So I tried getting him over over his fear by repeating the technique.' Another flip. 'Three more times.'

    Everyone stared.

    Blossom asked hesitantly. "So, um, did it work?"

    'Not exactly.'

    Buttercup frowned. "What do you mean, not exactly?"

    There was a cry from the stairs. "Mmmmrrrrrooooowwww!" Ranma leapt down the stairs in a single bound, then paced around the living room on all fours. She stopped and started grooming herself, just like a cat.

    The panda held up a sign. 'When his fear gets to him, he thinks he is a cat.'

    Everyone stared.

    "KITTY!!" Bubbles jumped up and hugged the girl. Ranma started to rub against Bubbles leg and purr. "Oh Professor, can I keep her?!" She stroked the cat's - er - girl's head.

    The others exchanged a look.

    The Professor looked amused. "Uh, Bubbles, you do realize that is Ranma, right?"

    "BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" Buttercup was back to rolling in the air, laughing. "HAHAHAHAHA! Some superpower that is!"

    Ranma growled as she looked at the laughing girl. A blue aura formed around Ranma and took on the shape of the cat. She sprang with a loud howl. "MMMMMRRRROOOOOWWWW!!"

    "AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!" Buttercup was overwhelmed as the insane martial artist laid into her.

    Bubbles waved her arms. "Bad kitty! Stop that! Down kitty!"

    Eventually, Buttercup shot from the blurring forms, through the living room wall, and slid to a stop in the front yard. She rubbed her aching head. "Oooooooooooooooooo." She grit her teeth and zipped through her bedroom window. She floated back down into the living room carrying her titanium alloy bat.

    "Here kitty kitty kitty." She spotted Ranma lying in Bubbles lap and purring. "Ah HA!" She sprang with the bat.

    Ranma swiped lazily with one hand and the bat fell in segments.

    Buttercup looked at the handle she was holding. "Now that's a superpower."

    Blossom considered the girl Bubbles was petting. "So how do we get her out of this state?"

    Genma was back in his human form. "He usually snaps right out of it after a nap."

    Buttercup looked at her shredded dress. "I think I'll go change and have a nap myself." She floated unsteadily back up the stairs.

    Genma considered the situation. "Well, it seems the boy has a liking for Bubbles."

    The Professor scratched his head. "I guess. Maybe this will work out after all."

    Genma looked ecstatic. "Let's celebrate! Break out the sake!"

    Professor Utonium frowned. "I'm afraid you'll find no alcohol in this house. Other than what I use in my chemistry experiments that is."

    Genma deflated.

    So once again, the day is saved! Thanks to kitty-Ranma! Gee, I sure hope she's house-broken. YEOW! Hey! Watch the claws!

****

    Soun opened the letter with tears in his eyes. Genma had finally written from America. Things seemed to be going according to plan. His boy was getting along well with one of the girls. The future of the schools seemed assured. If only they could join the schools in this generation. If only Genma was here with him. If only he had a son of his own to marry one of the Utonium girls.

    He scanned the letter further, then nearly ripped it apart as he read one paragraph. Cursed springs? Changes into a panda and a girl with cold water? If he hadn't studied under the Master, he might not have believed his old friend. If he hadn't seen three kindergartners defeat the Master, he might not have dared think such thoughts. But he had and they had. His tears became tears of hope.

****

    Akane growled as she stomped next to Nabiki down the street away from school. It had been nearly half a year since Kuno made his proclamation. Half a year of the challenges. Half a year of crazy happenings. She started to actually tear her book-bag apart. "I'm going break them in half! Break in half and feed them to Kodachi's pet crocodile!"

    Nabiki let Akane get a step farther ahead. Her little sister was near the breaking point. She could sense it. It was too much for her. Maybe she shouldn't have tried to capitalize on the chaos as much as she had.

    The pair entered the main gate and stopped to remove their shoes at the entryway just past the front door.

    "We're home!"

    Soun jumped in front of Akane and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Go get packed, Akane! We're going on a little trip!"

    Nabiki frowned. Daddy looked happy - happier than he had in the last ten years. "Okay Daddy. What's going on?"

    Soun frowned. Should he take Nabiki too? Nahhhh. She was insufficiently trained. "Nothing Sweetie. I just felt it's time for Akane to advance in the arts. We are going on a training trip to make a new man - er - person out her." He clenched a fist in determination.

    Akane looked ecstatic. "Really Daddy?" Her father had quit teaching her years ago. She couldn't help but feel she could be so much more if her father would just take an interest in her training again.

    Soun nodded. "I put a pack in your room. Only take what you need. We will travel light and fast."

    Akane ran for the stairs.

    Nabiki frowned. She knew there was more going on here, but Akane was close to a break-down. This trip would give her a chance to get her nerves back. She might also hit another level of skill, giving Nabiki something more to work with. She glanced at her father. "So you will just leave me and Kasumi here alone?"

    Soun frowned. "Kasumi is of age now, and you're not a little girl. Should I find someone to babysit?"

    Nabiki rolled her eyes. "Really Daddy. The very idea..." She walked off smiling. A little vacation sounded rather good right now. With just her and Kasumi, she could concentrate on her own life for a change.

    Akane came running down wearing her gi, running shoes in one hand and the pack in the other. "I'm ready! Where are we going?"

    Soun smiled. "America! But first, we have to make a quick stop in China."

End chapter 1

Author's Notes: There have been a variety of Ranma / Powerpuff Girls crossovers recently, some of them pretty good. None of them were exactly what I was thinking about, so I decided to do my own. That's the beauty of fanfiction - if you think you can do it better, you're free to try! A note on Ranma's training: since Genma intended for Ranma to marry someone capable of lifting mountains while still in kindergarten, he has gone a little more overboard on the training. Hence the stop at the Amazon village before going to some obscure training ground. We'll see something similar concerning Ranma's old friend Uc-chan and Ryoga as well.