Crossover Fan Fiction ❯ Blended Dimensions ❯ And We All Come Together ( Chapter 22 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Blended Demensions

By Bud


Chapter 22: And We All Come Together

"There! It's finally installed. Think it's ready?"

"We've been working on this for over three weeks now. Already blew up three engines and found the problem really quickly for each one. This is the last one we have left. Now, it's time to make or break technological history for this world once again."

"Aight babe. It's all on you now."

Three weeks have passed since Buddy and group entered the Zeboim to find a newer and permanent power source for Weltall, Ranma and Id's Gear. After a couple days of nearly non-stop fighting and taking care of a little dragon problem, they finally entered the Gear facilities that was habored on the building's first floor. Along with them, Emerelda, a young girl born from the knowledge of Ranma, Id and Elhyam's previous lives - Kim and Elly - and a living nanomachine colony joined the group after being fully revived by Id.

During these three weeks Buddy and Id have been hard at work researching and rebuilding a compatible engine and generator assembly for Weltall. The idea was to use the power of a Gear's engine and a power-efficient fuel charger to constantly refill a Gear's fuel cells. This theory was based off of the standard Gear recharge method of engines. Gear engines have an internal alternator within the engine called a 'booster' which serves two purposes. One, is a built-in super-charge which doubles the Gear's speed and reaction time at the cost of more fuel. Two, was a fuel recharger. But the recharging of fuel cells would cause the engine to 'shift' internally to change the polarity of the 'booster' to turn in the opposite direction to replenish fuel at a slow rate. It was through research during his captivity in Nortune, Kislev where Buddy brain-child the current idea.

The hypothesis was to take an engine and rebuild it to remove the booster alternator. Then re-route some of the internals to connect to an external and permament alternator dedicated to only recharging fuel cells. The new alternator would in actuality be a charger unit which actually enhances the fuel replenishing power of the booster during charging periods.

But Buddy and Id came to several road blocks during their research and developement. The first problem was the engine itself. Weltall's original engine was too weak to handle the power that would be generated by the new alternator. They found this out when it literally melted down into hot molten slag. After finding a more powerful engine, the second problem occured - the alternator or charger itself. It wasn't charging fast enough leaving the engine with a fuel cell level of fifty percent and slowly declining. That project the scrapped quickly. The second problem paused the project for several days. The end result of this had Montel in his Deathscythe, with Buddy and Id riding along, searching non-stop for high-end parts to continue their work.

Days later, they were back at it and working as hard as ever. Both decided that they wouldn't test the engine until it was double and triple checked by both of them. This time they used an OMEGA100 engine which had a power output of 100 and a fuel cell capacity of 1000. The engine was large and could barely fit inside of Weltall's housing. The next item they used was a Z-charger. It could restore fuel at a high-rate and was perfectly compatible to their modifications of the engine. But there was another problem to that. The Z-charge charged the fuel TOO fast and the end result was the engine blowing up, taking half of the Gear dock's east wall leaving a huge gapping hole and nearly killing Buddy and Id in the process. This was a huge learning experience for the two of them. Even though they almost died, they wished to keep trying until they get it right.

To Elly, Montel and Emerelda - whom where watching the two ever since they began several days earlier - they thought that the two of them were hard-headed and borderline on obsessing about the whole idea. Though Emerelda encouraged the reincarnation of her father - sometimes mother - and her 'uncle'.

Then came the idea that spawn the test that was happening today. Buddy brain-stormed the problem with the engine and the repeated failures. The first was the engine being weak. They fixed that problem by using a more powerful engine in the OMEGA100. The second problem was with the charging unit itself. They fixed that problem by using a Z-charger. Now the third problem was with both the engine and the charger. The unit charged to fast and the engine's fuel capacity was only a meager 1000 units. If only there was a way to cut off the charger at certain fuel levels...

It was at that point that Id and Bud looked at each other simultaniously, as if they both had the same idea. They smirked at each other and began to laugh like a couple of psychotic maniac mad scientist, scaring the living daylights out of their three teammates.

They began working on the charger itself now, something that they both have been neglecting. It was during one of the Yggdrasil's check-ups that Bud retrieved the YF-19 from the ship and flew it down into the Zeboim via the huge hole in the ground that Id-Weltall created weeks ago. The advanced varible fighter's computer was godsend for the two, allowing them to input data and virtually test the engine before hand. It also gave them graphs in which that could modify the charger to fit their needs. It was all in the wiring and programming of the circut boards of the charger. The end result was adding on a modified tank guard accessory that connected to the charger. The new tank guard can accurately detect the fuel level and activate the engine's charger - or Alternator - to replenish fuel then deactivate it when enough fuel has been restored. Test using the YF-19's computer were successful.

Now it was time to do the actual test inside of Weltall using it's own systems.

Id stood off to the side, a fairly good distance away from Weltall. Around her were various monitoring system that were directly connected to Weltall via cables. Besides actual movement and the ether machine, she had all of Weltall's systems at her disposal.

"Starting it up."

The black Gear started up with a loud whine and stood. everything seemed fine. Behind the Gear was the YF-19 in soldier mode, minus it's main cannons, holding it's shield up with the pin-point barrier deployed. Inside, Buddy was sitting in the co-pilots seat and monitoring Weltall's engine performance remotely.

"Everything seems fine now. Fuel level is steady at 1000 units; charger is not active as it is suppose to be." He paused. "Dump the fuel 50 units at a time starting, now."

Id did as she was asked. She checked her monitors before commencing the operation. The fuel level started to drop at a moderate rate. It seemed that the modified tank guard was doing a good job of guaging fuel cell levels.

"Stop there." Bud order. They were at 500 units of fuel now. Now was the time to make or break all the work that they have done up to this point. "Ready?"

"Damn right I am!" The red-haired girl nodded firmly. Her fingers typed it a command on a keyboard to change the fuel dump level. "Dumping one unit of fuel.... now." Her finger hit the enter key.

Buddy's eyes widened in fear when the OMEGA100 suddenly spiked in power. Then that fear turned into excitment when his computer confirmed the activation of the charger unit and the steady increase in fuel for Weltall. Within five seconds, Weltall's fuel cells charged from 499 units to 999 units before the charger stopped it's operation.

"YES!!" shouted the two of them before laughing like maniacs.

"Heh heh heh... haha.. hahha... HA HA HA HA HA!!"

-----

"Looks like the loonie bin got it right this time." Montel said off-handedly to Elly. He plainly ignored the two in favor of eating some rations left from Bart's last visit. "I guess we're done here."

The auburn-haired officer blinked in surprise. She actually watched Bud and Ranko lunge at each other and began to make-out at the base of Weltall. For some reason she felt jealous.

"Hey!" She shouted to the lustful duo. "I thought you're just friends!?" Said persons quickly seperated, Id looking embarrassed while Bud looked as if he didn't give a damn. "So, what do you think we'll do now since Weltall is upgraded?" she asked the black man once she faced him.

Montel shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. Bart should be here later today." He jerked his thumb over to where Deathscythe and Vierge stood. "Those two will probably wanna upgrade your Vierge too, since you'll be coming with us anyway."

"B..but I---" Elly sputtered. "I haven't decided anything yet!"

Montel looked her squarely in the eyes.

"We already know you wanna go, Elly! We can see it in your eyes and the way you act. You're thinking about all the time. Hell, even now you wanna know what it's like to travel."

"....."

"Emmy already said 'yes' to Bud." Montel threw in. "She won't leave without you."

Elly turned away and tried changing the subject. "I actually ment after THIS. When we leave this place and join with Bart and his crew. What will we do then?"

Oh, I see how it is, Montel thought. He was smirking and she didn't know it. "According to 'B', we'll have to handle the Ethos and Gebler once and for all. Bart should be able to handle Aveh with all that he has. After that, it's off we go into wherever."

"...."

It was at that point that a loud noise caught their attention. Elly held back a loud scream seeing Buddy and Id installing an engine inside her Gear without her notice or permission. She quickly ran over to Vierge and prepared to serve a major can of whoop-ass.

-----

The Yggdrasil arrived on schedule for their weekly check-up on the group. After greetings and introducing Emerelda to the captain, they quickly loaded up and boarded the Aveh pirate submarine. Except Buddy. Knowing what is contained within the Zeboim and how it could turn th tide in the war in this world, he fired his main cannons, sealing both the excavation site entrance and causing a cave in that sealed the hole in the ground along with burying the ancient city with over a million tons of earth.

It was a sad moment for both Id and Emerelda. For Id, the Zeboim held some very fond memories of when she and Ranma, or Kim, where in love and created Emerelda, their artificial child. For Emmy, that place was her home for over four millenia. It was her birth place. Both will deeply miss it.

Inside the Yggdrasil, the group along with Bart and Citan were assembled in the gun room. Just as they were about to speak, a pair of new faces made their appearance. Buddy easily recodnized the two as Jessiah and Billy Lee Black. He especially recodnized Billy for being apart of the Ethos.

"Ey, Hyuga-- HUH?!" The elder Black began but suddenly stopped when five weapons were suddenly trained on him and Billy. "What the---?"

"Put your hands up." Montel said firmly. The two men didn't respond. "I said put them up, NOW!"

"What the hell is going on here?!" Shouted Jessiah, upset.

The five of them moved to surround Billy and Jessiah. Elly stood on Billy's left, pointing her M4 carbine at his head. Montel stood to Jessiah's right with his own M4 trained to shoot either person. Ranma stood a few feet away with his own M4 aimed at Billy. Buddy had his M4 trained on Billy's chest. Emmy stood off to the side and trained her MP5 on Jessiah.

"Buddy! Ranma! Elly! Montel!" Bart snapped. "What's the meaning of this?! These two are guest! Put the weapons away damn it!"

"No can do, Bart." Bud said acidly.

"You can move over there." Montel motioned Jessiah away from his son. "Move it!" The black man shifted behind the grey-haired man to poke him in the back with his weapons barrel.

"Okay okay... shit."

Buddy stared at Billy Lee right in the eyes.

"This weapon fires a 5.56 sem 55-grain slug at 975 sharls per second. Now it you know what's good for you, you'll set all your weapons on the floor and step away from them." He spat on the floor. "Etone."

Billy glared at the scarred man but complied. He casually disarmed himself, setting down a pair of revolves, a pair of ether guns and a large guage shotgun on the floor.

"Anything else, murderer?" Billy spat, now recodnizing the guy and his companions.

"No, but thanks for complying." He glanced at Elly. "Thank him, Van Houten."

"No problem!" She swiftly delivered a quickly blow to Billy's head with the blunt end of her M4's stock. The white-haired Etone cried out and stumbled before collapsing to the floor.

"Elly!" Bart growled loudly. "What the fuck is wrong with all of you?!" he shouted at the group. Ranma turned to Bart with an apologetic expression.

"Sorry Bart, but us five can't trust him. He's an Etone and they've been trying to kill us ever since we entered the Zeboim. We've been targeted for assassination by the Ethos and Solaris. The only people we can actually trust is ourselves and the crew of this ship."

"Now I recodnize you guys." said Jessiah. He looked at Elly, Buddy and Ranma. Especially you three. You're faces are all over Solaris and Gebler facilities claming you," he pointed at Elly. "as a traitor, and you two as wanted men."

"How would you know of Solaris....?" Elly gasped. Citan and Jesse began to speak but Ranma beat them too it.

"Why shouldn't he, Elly? Like Ramsus, Sigurd and Hyuga, he's a former Elemental of the Element caste." he stated, information provided by Id.

Billy regained his senses just in time to hear those words. He stared at his father, rubbing his sore head. "Is.. that true?"

Jessiah sighed, nodding in defeat. Billy would of found out sooner or later. He wished it wasn't like this, though. "We can talk later, boy."

"Yeah, because I have lot to talk about with the both of you. Especially you, Etone."

-----

Hours later, only the group along with Bart stayed in the gun room. Billy and Jessiah left earlier after hearing what the Buddy and Ranma had to say about the Ethos, their operations and how they are connected to Solaris' operations on the surface. To say Billy Lee Black was shocked was putting it mildly. At first, he didn't believe anything until his own father confirmed those suspicions. In moments, the world that he knew was shattered in an instant. As for Citan, he became curious of what Buddy and Id accomplished with Weltall and Vierge's engines so he excused himself to indulge on their break-through in Gear technology.

But now, the six of them sat at the Gun room's table. Bart sat at the head with Buddy and Montel to his right. Ranma, Elly and Emmy to his left. To say he was upset was a compliment.

"What the fuck is wrong with you guys?!" he shouted loudly. Outside and down the hall, many of the crew felt sorry for whomever was getting their asses chewed out by the young master. "I understand that you have some problems with the Ethos, especially their Etone's, but doing an act as blatant as what you did a couple hours ago was uncalled for. I should throw you all in the brig!!" He slammed his fist, making the five of them wince.

The was a long pause before he spoke again.

"Earlier in the week, Citan and I helped the Etone, Billy Lee Black, investigate a ship that was infested by Wels. It seems you guys were right about these Wels and how they thirst for blood. One of my crewmen was literally eaten alive on that ship. But if it wasn't for Billy, others would have bitten the dust too. So I owe him more than one, and you five better show some respect to that man despite what has happened at that excavation site." He looked at Emerelda. "Especially you, newbie."

Emerelda looks away in shame.

"Sorry, Bart.." murmured Ranma, followed suit by Elly and Montel.

"Sorry..."

"Hey, sorry."

"Shit, I ain't apologizing for shit." grumbled Bud. "I'll just warn you right now. He lays a finger on me or shows a killing intent, I'm gonna drop him like a bad habit."

Bart sighed. He knew that was the best he could get from the pilot. He sat back down and rubbed his forehead. Working with these guys was a major headache.

"Well, that's better than nothing, Bud. I'll just warn Billy later on." He changed the subject. "But I've got some news concerning the happenings around the world."

"It seems Ramsus's death was more than a major blow to Gebler than assumed. Some of of their bases in Aveh and Aquvy have suffered in morale and in their upper chain of command. Unfortunately, Bledavik's defenses have raise two fold within this month. From the looks of it, taking back my country is nearly impossible."

This got the group thinking.

"What about Nisan and Nortune?" asked Ranma, curious.

"I hear Kislev is still suffering from that failed bombing mission and the loss of their Goliath to you guys. Their currently under martial law."

"Speaking of Kislev, what happened to Rico, Hammer and Suzarn?" Elly asked curiously.

"I don't really know. The last I saw them was on the Thames a couple weeks ago. Rico's Gear, Stier is missing also. I guess he left. As for Suzarn, she works down in the engine room. Pretty good engineer, according to my Chief."

"Oh.."

"As for Nisan, they are managing. Shakhan doesn't possess anyone with the Fatima Jasper anymore, so Nisan isn't a key to his operations anymore. The only three that have the Jasper are all on this ship."

Sigurd soon entered the gun room carrying a rolled up map. He join the group and stood behind Bart's chair after rolling out the map on the huge table.

"Long time to no see, Sig." Buddy gestured to the other one-eyed pirate. The gesture was returned in kind.

"Same to you. All of you." He nodded to Ranma, Montel and Elly. "And I see we have a new member also."

Emerelda nodded to the platinum haired man.

"Emerelda Kasim. Sorry about this..."

Ranma slapped his forehead. Like father like daughter.

Buddy shook his head. He picked up some flag miniatures and placed them on the map. "Aveh, Kislev and Nisan." He placed down three flag, each representing respective country's flag. "Gebler." He laid down many flags sigifying Gebler bases, including Bledavik, with Solaris flags. "Thames." He set down a figure of said ship somewhere southwest of the Aquvy archopelago. "Ethos HQ." he set a small house on one of the larger northern Aquvy islands.

"Yggdrasil." Bart set a miniature of their ship on the sea between the islands of the Ethos dig-site and the Ethos HQ.

Ranma picked up some white flags and began placing them down on the map according to Id's instruction. He started naming the places also.

"Babel Tower." he placed a flag on the island centered with in the Aquvy archapelago. "Zeboim weapons facility and 'Mass Driver'." An island south of the Ethos dig-site at the southern most edge of the archapelago.

Ranma glanced over at Elly for a moment in pause. He set a Solaris flag on the large continent of Aquvy directly in the center of the land mass. He then began rising the flag straight up before pausing when he reached a good distanced up. The shadow of the flag remaind on the center of the continent.

"Solaris."

Elly looked away as Ranma set the flag back down on the map. Buddy began to look over the map.

"It's like a game of chess now." he glanced over at Ranma and nodded. The nodded was returned in kind. "What we have to do is figure out our priorities first and then figure out what we have to take in caution."

Miniatures of 'exclamation points' were placed by the Ethos HQ, Bledavik, one of the Gebler bases known as Soylent, and Solaris itself.

"From the information gathered, these four are of major importance. Especially Aveh." Bart nodded. Buddy continued. "Bledavik has a combined force of Gebler and Aveh military and would be considered a dangerous gamble to attack in force because of surrounding Gebler facilities."

"And the Gebler Special Forces and others of the Element caste rejects, like myself, are in Bledavik." Elly added in.

"Thanks Elly." Bud pointed to the Ethos HQ. "We'll need to team to infiltrate the Ethos and clear out all non-combative personnel before I blow the place to smitherines. There is a gate that is connected to Solaris which could provide reinforcements."

"The Soylent system." Ranma stated harshly when Bud pointed at the next item. "Id showed me the memories of that place."

"This is where many of the human experients come from along with how Wels are made. Experimented humans exit this place and are thrown into society. When they fully become Wels, the unknowning Etones come in and exterminate the 'monsters' and are made heros."

"Solaris." Elly stated, staring at the flag. "It's protected by a powerful barrier that only can be by-passed by Gates that you just mentioned, Buddy." She paused in thought. "But I didn't know an Ethos HQ had a Gate."

"The only important Gates are the ones located here at the Ethos HQ." stated Ranma. Unnoticed by all except Buddy, his eyes darted to the entrance of the gun room.

"Aren't we forgettin' somethin'?" Montel asked, pointing at the Babel tower. "What about Shevat?"

"Shevat?" Bart and Sigurd questioned. "You mean the that flying saucer that everyone see's?"

"Exactly."

"Montel has a point. What about them?" Asked Ranma.

Buddy paused in thought once again.

"It's up to you guys. Especially up to you Ranma. Shevat has some major issues concerning a certain red-haired God Slayer inside of you and would probably want to freeze you up in carbonite at the given chance. Plus, you know that HE is there."

"You mean 'Wiseman'?" Ranma shook his head, eyes darkening, "I'll handle him when the time comes." His thoughts turned very dark thinking of the masked man known as Khan Wong.

"If I remember from history lessons, Solaris and Shevat have had major wars between each other in the past. Yet, now they have stayed neutral while Solaris tries to take over the surface." Elly added in.

"The answers to everything will be in Shevat then. Maybe we would be able to get some help from Queen Zephyr and whatever remains of Shevat's military." stated Ranma firmly, standing up.

"You want to see them, don't you?" Buddy asked worriedly. "The people from Lahan."

Ranma nodded, looking away.

"I may have only known them a short time, but I at least owe them that much for what I have done."

"Lahan? Shevat?" Elly looked at the two of them. "What does Shevat have to do with Lahan?"

"Yui, Citan's wife, took what remained of Lahan's villagers to Shevat, her place of birth. That's according to what Ranko has told me."

Bart spoke up.

"If you all haven't noticed, the Yggdrasil can't fly. How can we get to something that is in the sky?"

Ranma smirked.

"Easy. We go to the place where Shevat was originally located." He pointed at the flag in the center of Aquvy.

"Babel Tower."

-----

"Are you sure you don't wanna go, Montel? Bart?" Bud asked, curious of the others. "Citan?"

"Deathscythe can't fly like the '19, Weltall and Vierge. An' I don't feel like being cramped up inside a gear or in the back seat again. Last time I rode shotgun, I almost threw-up with your psycho ass drivin'."

"Bitch ass niggah..." Buddy mumbled.

"WHAT?!"

"Nothin'...!"

"Better have..."

Bart sighed. "Same reason here. I don't want to be a burden on your three. Brigandier is limited to the ground like Deathscythe." He looked around the deck of the ship. "The Yggdrasil needs me more than you guys do. You can take care of yourself anyway." He looked at Citan. "What about you, Doc? You have family up there."

Citan shook his head.

"I am not in a hurry to see them at the moment. My time will come when I have the chance to step onto Shevat soil to see my daughter and my wife. They can take care of themselves as they have been for these past months."

"Your loss, Doc." Buddy tosses Emerelda his helmet. "The air shouldn't be that thin, but the fighter will pull G's that will cause severe loss of breath. I could handle it, but I don't know about you." He then caught his helmet, blinking curiously at the aqua-haired nano-colony.

"I do not breathe." Then her form suddenly shifted until she wore the exact copy of what Buddy was wearing. Helmet and everything. The young nano-girl was grinning sheepishly at the large asian man.

"Seems like a I got a fan already." He dawned his helmet and climbed up into the forward cockpit. "Ready, Emmy?"

"Yes."

"Dropping the canopy." Once the cockpits were pressurized, Buddy looked at Bart, giving him a salute. The blonde pirate smirked and returned the salute in kind. "You remember what I taught you about the radar and computer systems, Emmy?"

She nodded. "Yes, I do." She immediately strapped herself into the seat and awaited take-off.

Buddy let out a deep breath. He looked to the side and saw Ranma blinking at both him and Emerelda. He held in a laugh. Giving Ranma a thumbs up, the YF-19 began rolling down the forward deck as Bud pushed the throttle forward. Within a few seconds, the advanced variable fighter picked up speed and took off into the sky.

Back on the deck, Ranma watch the fighter take off. He shook his head. He and Id were suppose to be Emmy's 'father figure', yet their 'daughter' takes more of a liking to Buddy. Maybe it was just a phase. Everyone had a role-model besides their parents. Hell, even he idolized Bruce Lee and the hilarious Jackie Chan. Especially Jackie Chan, whose style was similiar to Anything Goes, yet wasn't.

Ranma shook his head again and mounted Weltall. Giving a final wave to Bart, Montel and Citan. He also took to the skies, followed by Elly in her Vierge.

"Emerelda really likes Buddy," Elly said when she caught up with the black Gear. "What do you think about it?"

"I think it's because of his attitude. Hell, even I was surprised and took a liking to him when I first met him. I wouldn't say he was a good role-model, but he's not a bad one. I trust him with my daughter."

Elly blinked. It was Ranma talking, but it didn't feel like it. It must of been his Kim persona. She just shrugged. This would be happening time and time again anyway. She would have to just get use to it.

"What I'm really glad about, is that she shares the same thrill of flight like my Anything-Goes school. I think flying is the YF-19 is as close as you can get to the REAL feel of flying."

"But our Gear's could fly." Elly made note.

Ranma shook his head. "But when I fly in Weltall, I don't FEEL like I'm flying. It's more like I'm just going in some direction my body wills." He glanced at Vierge. "It's really different. It's like I'm actually a bird cutting through the air to get where I wanna go. I could feel the air on my 'wings'. I can feel every movement I make like it was natural."

"Sounds like your drunk." Elly joked.

"Maybe, but that's what it feels like."

"Ranma?" Elly looked at his Gear through her cockpit. "Do you hear that noise?"

"...." He paused to listen in. "Yeah, I do." He searched up with Weltall's sensors to find Buddy. Couldn't see him. "Awwww... shit.."

BOOOOOOM!!!!!

"YEEEEHHAAAAHH!!" shouted Buddy in glee. The YF-19 cut between the small space between Weltall and Vierge, at the same time breaking the sound barrier knocking said Gears apart trying to regain their controls and balance. In the back of the fighter, Emerelda was giggling like a school girl.

"You shit for brains!" cursed Elly. "Stop horsing around!"

"I can't help it if you two are so slow!" Buddy taunted in a playful manner. They really were slow compared to his fighter.

"I'll give you a slow!" Ranma challenged. Taking a technique from Id's book, he manifested his aura and fed it into the ether machine. The yellowish glow of confidence and determination poured into a large sphere of power within Weltall's hands.

Buddy moved the fighter, while in gerwalk mode, back away from the black Gear. "Easy now, dude..." he said worriedly. Did he cross the line.

"See ya later slow-poke!" Ranma grinned. "MOKO TAKABISHA!!"

The sphere suddenly disappeared and reformed at the base of Weltall. The ether amplified ki blast shot down to the ground, pushing Weltall up at an extremely accellerated rate. The pigtailed man was laughing at Buddy's incredulous face.

"Asshole!"

Buddy growled. "Fuck you, Saotome!"

Alpha-One shifted to fighter mode, seeming to float in the air as it floated until it was parrallel with the Babel tower. Then in a bright flash of power, the twin thermonuclear engines ignited and shot the fighter upward cutting throught the air.

The '19 quickly caught up with the black Gear and were neck and neck as they passed the half-way point of the tower. They seperated to dodge the balcony before merging close together again. As they neared the top, Ranma dared to take a peak at the '19's cockpit. Seeing the cheering and smiling Emerelda warmed his heart greatly. It also cost him the race!

Twisting around Weltall, Buddy took a page out of the Saotome School of Anything-Goes, gaining more speed then suddenly shifting into soldier mode. He grasped the shoulders of Weltall then pulling up in a lunge, planting the feet of the battloid against the black Gear's shoulders using it as a spring board. Once clear of his race opponent, Buddy mentally shift the battloid into Gerwalk mode to make a safe sliding stop stop an inner platform.

"Ha! You lose, Saotome!" Buddy taunted. His eyes took note of his sensors for a brief moment before grinning at the approaching Weltall. "I would make up more taunts to hurt your wounded pride, but I believe we have a guest to deal with."

"Yeah, I noticed that too. I'll get you next time though, jerk."

"Bring it, fem-boy!"

Elly decided to finally join them a few seconds later. She seemed tired after having to use large amounts of ether to catch up to the speed demons.

"you... guys.. st-stop... horsing around...!" she said between breaths. "What's... that big thing showing up..?"

From the sky came a huge humanoid Gear, dark blue in color with red trimming. Buddy and Ranma easily recodnized the Gear as it belonging to Shevat. Ranma also thought that the Gear looked like an advanced version of 'Calamity', the Gear that he and Bart faced when they were lost in the stalagtite caverns underground. Surprisingly, there was a young girl standing on the top of the huge Gear holding a remote control, wearing a pair of goggles on her forehead and an ear piece. She began to speak through an open communications channel while the Gear hovered over the trio amid the noise of it's exhaust.

"From here is Shevat's territory." she stated. "Many people have tried to get in, but Seibzehn and I remove them."

"You're already dead, kid." Buddy replied to her claim. "You're out in the open atop your Gear and I can easily take you out. Whomever you've removed previous ain't got nothing on US three!"

"Wait a minute Bud. She's just a little girl..." Elly began. Ranma was smiling though. The young girl piloting Seibzehn was becoming angered.

"Get ready!" A missle struck the Gear in the chest as it began it's charge. The young girl screamed in fear before she realized that she was being held and tightly squeezed within a metallic grip. She gasped, following the arm and hand all the way to find that she was being eld by the strange looking beige Gear. "Let go of me or you'll be sorry!" she cried loudly.

"Oh yeah, what are you gonna do?" Buddy taunted harshly. Usually he wasn't this mean to young kids, but the girl seemed to full of herself. "Have your Gear beat me up? Ha! It's good Ranma and Elly are restaining..." he glanced at the huge Gear. "....it? Oh boy.."

Yes, Weltall and Vierge were restaining each of Seibzehn's arms, but with little or no success. The huge Gear was terribly stronger than the two Gears, it's arms easily waving around and flailing the white and the black Gear as they clutched on for dear life.

Buddy sweated.

Though Ranma was tired of being flailed around! On one attempt at being thrown off, Weltall's ankle thrusters fired on launching a devestating double foot smash into the side of Seibzehn's head, staggering the Gear and forcing it to stop flailing for a moment. This gave Elly enough time to let go and jump back before firing a salvo of five AERODs. Each ether controlled unit were guided and crash into the back of the huge Gear damaging one of it's flight boosters.

"SEIBZEHN!!"

Buddy set down the smal girl on the platform and allowed her to run to her functioning, but damaged Gear. She had tears in her eyes seeing the damage done to her Seibzehn. It could definately still fly with one engine, but the fact that these three other Gears - two actually, she didn't count the one that grabbed her as a Gear - damaged it made her not like them one bit.

"That's enough, Maria. Bring them in." came an aubible voice from a loud speaker.

"Yes, Queen Zephyr."

Ranma contacted Buddy and Elly on a secure channel.

"I'm guessin' we're in then." He looked over at Maria as she was lifted to the top of Seibzehn before taking off. "I'm kinda upset that we had to do that to her Gear, though."

"Who cares," Buddy grumbled. "We have our own reasons to be here and we were provoked to defend ourself from her."

"Buddy is correct," came Emerelda. "We were only defending ourselves."

"Emmy..." Ranma couldn't help but chuckle. "We're gonna have a long talk, you and I."

-----

At the peak of the Babel Tower the commonly scene flying saucer, also known as the Aerial Country of Shevat, began to slow itself to take position directly above the tower. Unlike how it is usually scene, the orange field that surrounded it was missing, allowing the two Gears and fighter to access the city.

Inside the huge flying saucer, Buddy, Ranma, Elly and Emerelda stood just outside the dock were they stowed away their mecha. All four of them, especially Buddy, seemed to be eager to explore what Shevat has to offer. But that would come at another time since the young girl from earlier approached the foursome. She still seemed to be upset about having her Gears ass handed to it.

"This is the dock floor located at the lowest layer of Shevat." she said grumpily. She eyes all four of them, especially Ranma. "My name is Maria Balthasar. I met you a little while ago."

"Met, she says..." Buddy murmured sarcastically earning a glare from the younger girl.

"Balthasar....?" Ranma looked at the girl. "Ol' Man Bal! That Gear of yours reminds me of Bal's Gear, Calamity."

"Calamity!?" Maria asks in surprises. "That's the prototype Gear my grandfather made." She looked up at Ranma. "Do you know my grandpa? Where is he now?!"

"I just happened to come across him in the caverns underneath the Aveh Desert. Didn't know the old man that well. He's just living their like an ol' hermit." He looked down at Maria, scratching his chin. "So you're Ol' man Bal's grandchild. I kinda figured that."

"Wow Ranma. Did you come to that conclusion all on your own or did Id tell you?" He ignored the wavering fist gestured at him. Buddy crosses his arms and glared at Maria. "The Queen wanted to see us, right? Lead the way, squirt!"

"I'm not a 'squirt'!!" She tried to kick Buddy in the nuts but was blocked, surprisingly by Elly and Emerelda. "Geez, take it easy, kid. Ya' might turn into an old hag earlier than you already are."

"Bud, stop picking on the little girl. We're technically guest here." scolded Elly, in a gentle manner. "Besides, she's more of a 'half-pint' than a 'squirt'!!" she giggle out soon after.

"DIE!!"

Elly held the girl at bay with her hand on her forehead while she flailed her arms like a windmill trying to pummel the former Gebler officer.

"Maria. That is enough." came a voice from a near by platform. It was a man in uniform, possibly a guard or actual soldier in Shevat. He looked at the four assembled team members and kindly gestured towards a platform. "If you would follow me, Queen Zephyr is awaiting your arrival."

-----

The platform was actually an elevator that took them from the bottom levels of Shevat to what would be the residential and city section of the flying country. The view was astounding to all four of them. The place seemed magic, in how buildings, walk-ways and platforms just seem to float in mid-air without support. The designs of the buildings seemed old fashion, until you look on the inside and see their technological advancements.

As they passed through the residential section, Ranma could not help but feel very self-concious as he immediately recodnized many of the citizens of the former village of Lahan. Just as easily as he saw them, they saw him, whispering to each other and sending glares of dislike or hate his way. It made both Ranma and Id upset and depressed at the same time. He would have his chance to see them after he met with Zephyr.

A few more minutes passed and the man in uniform eventually led them to what would be the central district of the flying city. The main building was actually as statue of some kind representing a woman with wings holding a harp. Inside the structure was a grand display of what could be similiar to the hanging gardens of Babylon. There were several levels, each with long beds of floral hanging from the edges of each level giving the building a feel of peace and calm. There were many people milling about, mostly those easily recodnized as soldier-types and those involved in politics, yet those were few than many. Being led to the highest level via another elevating platform and a flight of stairs, the group paused at seeing a certain figure standing at a pair of large oaken doors.

Wiseman.

This brought a mixed reaction from the grou. Elly and Emerelda, both whom have not met with the masked man, looked at him indifferently. But their eyes caught on to Bud and Ranma, both of whom seem to be glaring at he man for some reason they couldn't fathom. Bud, knowing exactly who Wiseman really is, was warry for his own health, along with the lives of Elly and Emerelda. Ranma was a different story. He also knew whom Wiseman really was - his 'father' Khan Wong from his former life, and the destroyer Grahf, also from his former life. Dark thoughts filled his mind, yet he kept his cool, knowing that attacking and killing the man before him was not a good idea at this time.

"Khan Wong." Ranma nodded to the masked man.

"Ranma." he returned the gesture, turning to follow the group as they entered the main chamber where the Queen was located.

Inside was a circular chamber with a circular platform a few feet in front of the door. Ranma and company walk up to it. Two smaller circular platforms rotate around a larger platform behind them and form a step. The rear platform has a young-looking woman, almost a girl, sitting on the throne behind green glass. The group jumps to the created step. The green barrier in front of the girl begins to slide away to the right behind her. Id immediately points out that this is Queen Zephyr, which Ranma stares at incredulously as they step up to the platform in front of her. Elly is surprised that the ruler of Shevat is a young girl, despite being told that she is over five hundred years old. Emerelda doesn't seem to care at all, lazily looking at the Queen. Buddy has a hard-on under his flight suit and isn't bothering to hide it at all.

"Thank you for coming such a long way. I am the Queen of Shevat, Zephyr." she spoke with a soft, yet commanding voice that demanded respect.

"Nice welcoming committee." Bud states sarcastically, jerking him thumb back at the now approaching Maria Balthazar. "Despite that, we appreciate the hospitality so far. Especially in the presence of a beautiful young lady like yourself."

Wow Bud, that was really smooth. Ranma thought mentally. He ignored the jealous rage Ranko was going through.

Queen Zephyr let out a girlish giggle. "I may appear to be like this, but I am actually 522 year old. No need to flatter me, Mr...?"

"Bud. Bud Arnold, pilot."

"522...? Is that really possible...?" Elly asked, still astonished by the girl's young appearance. She was actually expecting someone older than her father.

"Yes..." The Queen began. Though she smiled, it was a sad smile and she had a story to go along with it. "I and a select few of the vassels have undergone some specially life-extending treatments. We were required to continue living... Until that final day approaches. Because of one man... To continue living... This is out atonement... for the tragedy five hundred years ago..."

She stops.

"Let us discontinue this discussion of the past. I've heard many things about all of you from Wiseman. Wiseman has been conducting his operations on the surface under my orders... To keep an eye on that man's activities." She looked over the four assembled. "Also, he was ordered to bring anyone from the surface who would be of help to us to Shevat... 500 years ago we fought against Solaris for the freedom of the land dwellers. Even after that, we continued to resist Solaris although we are short of any real power."

She stood up.

"Land dwellers, can you find it in your heart to help us? We must free mankind from the grasps of Solaris... We must gain true freedom and build a peaceful world to live in."

Ranma, Bud, Elly and Emerelda huddled for a moment and began to discuss this to themselves. Queen Zephyr watched this curiously, wondering exactly what they were talking about. After a moment, they broke apart with Elly, Ranma and Emerelda flanking Bud, as if he was chosen to speak for all of them.

"No." Buddy stated firmly, gaining gasps from surrounding vassals, guards, Maria and even wiseman. "We have our own agenda, Queen Zephyr, but some of our goals are the same."

"Both of us wish to stop Solaris in it's tracks. That country is going out of control with their human experiments, enslavement of surface dwellers, and influence within certain countries, such as Aveh, Kislev and others in Aquvy. But we also wish to halt their operations within the Ethos and nullify any important military bases, especially Bledavik and Solaris itself. As of now, barely anyone on the surface besides the elderly, and select figures in the goverments have any knowledge of Solaris."

"But let us rewind the history books a bit." He started pacing back and forth in front of the Queen. "Five hundred years ago, the country of Shevat fought against Solaris for the freedom of the surface dwellers. The sides were even until Solaris slowly gained more strength to fight off Shevat and the surface countries. It came to a point that Solaris demanded Shevat and Nisan turn over a person or face total defeat. That person was the 'Mother' of Nisan, Sofia. Shevat, not wishing to sacrifice many lives for one person, planned to go through with this deal. But..." Buddy stopped in front of Zephyr and stared into her tear streaked eyes.

"But, Sofia instead hi-jacked a Shevat battleship and sacrificed herself to save the man she loved. A man by the name of Lacan." He glanced at Ranma before starting pace back and forth again. "Over the next few years, Shevat began to regain it's strength and resist Solaris once again, until HE appeared." He stopped in front of Zephyr again, staring at her. "This man, whom learned of what Shevat was planning to do with Sofia before her suicide, attacked both Shevat and Solaris without warning. He attacked with creatures of immense strength and caused the deaths of many lives, in Shevat, Solaris and the surface land. Over time, the man and his destructive creatures were defeated by Shevat and the allies of the kingdom of Aveh and Nisan. This was known as the Diabolos Wars." He paused to let the information sink in.

"The man, whom both you and I refer to, would go by the name of Lacan. Or more importantly, Grahf."

The chamber was deathly silent for the next moment. Queen Zephyr opened her mouth to speak, but Buddy beat her to the punch, continuing with his story.

"The country of Shevat and it's leaders, especially the ones responsible for the death of Sofia and the transformation of Lacan to Grahf, broke away from the surface world and hid themselves within the clouds behind a powerful barrier. Solaris didn't look a gift horse in the mouth and became the -Abel-, the controllers of the -Lambs-, or surface dwellers. For years this has continued under the observation of Shevat and their 'resistance'. While Solaris began human drug and genetic experiments, Shevat watched and allowed all this to happen. While Solaris used it's Gebler military force to take over Aveh and start a war between them and the country of Kislev, Shevat watched and did nothing. Nothing." He then practically yelled in her face, causing the now crying Queen to cringe back in fear. "NOTHING!!"

"BUDDY!!" Ranma shouted angrily. "That's enough!"

"Hmph!" The large asian man stepped back away from Zephyr to rejoin his group. He took a moment to calm down before speaking again. "If you continued to fight instead of hiding away, maybe the surface dwellers would of had a better chance at life. Maybe if you stopped Solaris earlier, the events that have happened within the last twenty years would not have happened, and we wouldn't be standing before you this day."

"I don't wish to side with a bunch of cowards."

Buddy looked around at the Queen's vassals, many he could recodnize as those that have lived over 500 years by the ones that looked away from him in shame. He returned the glares he did recieve though, mostly by the younger generation of vassals and guards. He then turned back to the Queen, angry at himself for causing the young looking elder of Shevat to crumble to tears. He spoke in a softer, apologetic voice.

"The words I said were harsh, but they needed to be said, Queen Zephyr. The mistake you made in the past was to bottle yourselves up in shame instead of correcting the problem that you caused." He paused to let this sink into their heads. "But you can build a better feature by changing the present, which you are eager to do now."

"We'll lend you our help until Solaris is taken care of. But once that is done the freedom of the surface dwellers are your's and their problem, not ours."

-----

It was minutes later that Buddy, Elly and Emerelda, along with the vassals and guards of the Queen left the chamber. Only the Queen herself and Ranma remained. As the last person left and the chamber door closes, Ranma turned to the still tear streaked Queen and speaks.

"I'm sorry about this. Bud can get kinda carried away when something really effects him..."

Zephyr waved him off.

"You don't have to apologize for him. I, along and many others, have had this coming for many generations. He was in the right to.. scold us like that." She wiped away her last tears and looked at the pigtailed man before her. "Ranma, is it? Wiseman has said many good things about you. And even some thing that disturb me."

"Disturb? Like what?"

"He has said that you are from another world." She sat down and tried to relax herself, but it wasn't working. "And that you are the reincarnation of Lacan and Sofia, along with many others."

Ranma nodded, looking away.

"Yes, right, though. Only Bud, myself and another friend of ours is from another world, Zephyr. We're trying to find our way back." He gazed around the chamber, marveling at the beautiful decor. "But we always somehow become involved with the worlds we come in contact, and stay longer than we should."

Zephyr looked at him curiously.

"We should of left many months ago, as a matter of fact. But we all needed a break from each other before we all went insane. Instead, we all somehow ended up intertwined with the history of this world. A world that I am directly connected to due to my previous lives which my souls has lived."

"Lacan and Sofia?"

"Yes, but there were more. It's really hard for me to explain." And suddenly before Zephyr's eyes, Ranma's form changed to that of a shorter, buxom, red-headed female version of himself. But what really caught her attention and instilled fear in her soul were the eyes. She had HIS eyes.

"Hello, Queen Zephyr." Id said evily, venom dripping from her words. "It's been so long since the last time I've seen you." She stepped closer to the young looking ruler causing her to slink back into her throne in fear. "Bitch."

And suddenly, Id was at Zephyr's throat, her petite hand grasping the other womans neck in a one-handed choke hold. Zephyr struggled, but didn't have the strength to over power the Slayer of God. Id smirked at the woman, leaning down to whisper in her ear.

"Hearing what Buddy said made my blood boil. It brought back very fond memories of how much of a coward you and your people are. Of how, in the future, you gave the order to freeze me in carbonite because you were afraid of what I am and what I would become." She increased her hold, having the Queen struggle for breath. "And how you wanted to give me over and force me to abandon my people, 500 years ago. You didn't even asked if I wished to sacrifice myself, Zephyr! You and your Shevat swine tried to kidnap me, Sofia, the mother of Nisan, and give me away like a piece of meat to Solaris just to save your own hides. I may have been a pussy-foot at the time, but I would of never turned myself in on false promises! That's why I stole your aerial battleship and sacrificed myself to save MY people and the man that I loved at the time."

Id left go of Zephyr's neck and the Queen of Shevat gasped for breath, staring wide-eyed at the red-headed devil in pure fear. Id, after calming down, turned to Zephyr with a calm, icy face.

"I am Id, Slayer of God and seeker of Power. I am also Sofia, mother of Nisan. And I am also Elhyam Van Houten, the former Gebler officer that you have met earlier. Ranma is my eternal soul mate, just like Lacan was to Sofia and a man by the name of Fei Fong Wong, the son of Khan Wong, was the soul mate of Elhyam."

"Eternal.. soul mate..?" Zephyr managed to breathe out, barely.

"Yes. ETERNAL soul mate. Because of events that have happened on this world, two people souls were bonded together that would share a life of hardship and end in tragedy. The Contact and Anti-type. The Anima and Animus. The Alpha and the Omega."

"As the name states, I am what would be the darker and evily thoughts of the human psyche and the one that acts on instinct. Eighteen years ago, a young boy by the name of Fei Fong Wong, Ranma's previous life, was subjected to many test by his own mother, Karen Wong. But it wasn't as it seemed. Karen was under the influence of a certain female known as 'Mother', or more commonly known as the female Miang."

"Miang?" Zephyr asked curiously. She remembered someone by that name. As a matter of fact, she did! "I know of her... She was a major influence in Solaris 500 years ago."

"And she still is now. Inside all females on this planet, the genetic signature of Miang or 'Mother' resides in a dormant state. When one host dies, another is born. The only females on this world that do not contain this genetic coding would be myself, you and many of the other women that underwent genetic treatment, Elhyam and Emerelda."

"Why are you telling me this, Id?" Zephyr asked cautiously. "What importance is this information besides telling me your story?"

"Do NOT take this information lightly, bitch! What I tell you holds the key to this worlds safety." Id turns away. "Soon the leaders of Solaris, The Gazel Ministry, will attack Shevat in a move to destroy what remains of the country with a weapon designed and built by Maria's father, Nikolai Balthazar."

Id stood in front of Queen Zephyr with a serious expression.

"But the Ministry's plans have been severely delayed due to the death of their guinea pig, Kahran Ramsus. I truly do not know if Gebler will actually attack or not as the timeline of this world has been drastically changed due to our presence here."

The Queen's face became serious, turning her look from that of a young girl to that of a serious young woman.

"If what you say is true, which I still doubt, then Shevat is in trouble. But I doubt that they the power to breach our barrier with force." Zephyr stood and turned away from Id. "I will assemble my vassals and discuss this with them. I'll take your recommendation and warning seriously."

Zephyr suddenly felt a pair of hands on her shoulder, and she froze. Against her will, she was forced to turn around and stare into the cold, hateful eyes of the red-headed slayer. Before she knew it, her lips were forcefully pressed together with Id and she could definately feel her tongue snake into her mouth and toy with her own. Under her own choice, she succumbbed to the red-heads will and tried to enjoy the embrace.

"Mmmm hmm hmm hmm.." the red-headed girl giggled evily to herself, releasing the youthful Queen. She turned away and left the chambers, leaving the dazed Queen clutching her throne and staring at the backside of the red-head.

"... Asshole.." the Queen cursed, uncharacteristically.

-----

In another part of Shevat, Elly and Emerelda were walking through the residential and shopping areas of Shevat's inner city. Luckily for the former Gebler officer, she was wearing her BDU's instead of her Gebler issue uniform she was comfortable with. She probably wouldn't of like the stares she would of got walking through this anti-Solaris country.

"Elly-mama. Look!" The aqua-haired nano-teen held up a bird that was nestled in her hand. She was smiling brightly, which had Elly smiling also. She was so innocent. "She's pretty."

"She?" asked Elly. "You can tell the difference?"

"Nn!" She threw her hands up, letting the bird fly away. "Studying during my stasis period was all that I could do. I had access to over millions of terrabytes of information and have researched and studied thousands of species in the known existance. That bird is currently one of the most endangered species in this time on the surface. Yet here in Shevat, they are abundant."

"They are one of the symbols of the current Shevat, Emerelda."

"Citan!" Elly exclaimed, surprised to see the doctor so soon. "How did you get here?"

The doctor scratched behind his head before adjusting his glasses.

"It's wasn't actually my decision. Bart was worried about you all, so he recruited Montel and myself to scale the tower by Gear through the insides. Wasn't very easy, if to put it mildly."

"Sup?" Montel gestured his chin towards Elly and Emerelda. The aqua haired girl latched herself to Montel immediately. "Sup, Emmy? How was the ride with 'B'?"

"It was fun! He let me fly for a little while!"

Montel blinked. "Really?" Buddy wouldn't even let him fly! The jerk! Oh well. "That's cool." He looked around. "This place is smashin'. But what's up with everyone lookin' at me? It's like they never seen a niggah before!"

"Naturally dark-skinned people are rare in all parts of the world. And they do not get as dark as you are, Montel my friend." explained Citan. The doc looked around the town and spied a certain house. He excused himself, leaving Montel, Elly and Emerelda by themselves.

"So, how'd it go with the Queen?" asked Montel.

Elly shook her head.

"Bud really shook her up. I fell really story for her. He really laid it on thick with the guilt and insults. But, we have their help until Solaris is defeated." She stood at the edge of a walk-way and leaned on it's rail, looking down at the blue sky and endless sea below.

"What's wrong, mama?" Emerelda asked worriedly. Lately, Elly has been looking really down whenever Solaris was brought up.

Sigh. "I have many friends in Solaris, Emmy. I'm worried about them and if I can fight if face them." She looked at Montel. "Gebler Special Forces unit that I commanded, wished me lucky when I told them I was defecting. They respected me greatly, even though I wasn't all that great of a leader to them. They even said they if I needed help, they would come when they get the call." She sighed again.

"We've been through this many times, gurl. But I feel for ya. Like Bud and Ranma said, if you wanna sit out on the fights against Solaris, we won't blame you one bit."

-----

After Id left the chambers, she was suddenly stopped by a pair of guards. Both of them were armed and looked serious.

"Who the hell are you?!" Shouted one of the guards.

"Who the fuck are you?" Id asked in return, sarcastically.

"Identify yourself, intruder." commanded the secon guard.

Id smirked evily, a fire building in her eyes. The guards suddenly shivered and backed away from the short, red-headed girl. Their lives flashed before their lives as they both could feel the immense killing intent of the girl. It was then that she identified herself.

"I am the royal concubine. I just finished servicing the Queen, so I'm off for the rest of the day." After saying that, she quickly took off leaving the two guard blinking with wet stains at the crotch of their pants.

"What the hell is a concubine?"

"I don't know. Aren't those animals that have spikes on them for hair?"

As you can see, these two guards were not really smart.

Down the ways, Id was giggling to herself, which turned into hearty chuckle when her form shifted to Ranma. The pigtailed man continued on his way, exiting the palace and heading towards the inner city. He didn't know where the rest of the crew was, so he decided to search around and see anything he could do for find someone he knew. He searched for only a few minutes until he found something he recodnized.

The smell of food attracted him towards a house. The aroma of the tender morsels of meat that were being grilled caused his stomach to rumble in a classic Saotome fashion. It wasn't until he entered the door and an excited bundle latched onto him that he realized were he was.

"Sensei!"

"Midori?!"

"Mama! Sensei is here!"

"YUI?!"

"Oh, welcome. You are looking good, Ranma." Yui Uzuki smiled from her location in the kitchen, cooking up a meal for a small Army. She knew Ranma was aboard Shevat and it would only be a matter of time until he found them. "The meal will be ready soon. Please join us and eat to your heart's content."

Ranma smiled and patted Midori on the head. The young child helped Ranma to his feet and escorted her sensei to his seat. She took her seat next to him and waited patently, gazing at Ranma with a look of hero worship. The pigtailed man looked around the place. It contained many items from Citan's old home, including pictures of himself and Fei, along with others like Timothy and Alice. He made a silent prayer for Fei and his pal Tim. He knew he'll eventually meet Alice later on.

"Have ya been practicing yer forms, Midori-chan?"

Citan's daughter nodded. "Yes, I have. Mother stresses that I should continue to practice or I will never get better. She has also been teaching me how to use the katana!"

"Really?" Ranma asked, surprised. "How good are you now?"

"Really good! Mother says that if I keep practicing what I know now, she'll teach me more and they I'll be almost as good as Father." She paused. "Where is father? I miss him. I haven't seen him in so long...." Midori said sadly.

Before Ranma could answer, a knock came from the door. Speak of the devil, Ranma thought.

"Ranma. Could you get that please?" Yui asked from the kitchen. "Thank you."

He walked up to the door and opened it, planning on greeting the Doc. But instead, Buddy stood there, whistling with his back turned.

"Bud?!"

"Oh, sup dawg." Buddy turned and waved sheepishly. "I was lookin' for ya all over and I happened to meet Yui at the store. She said she knew you and was expecting you at her place so I agreed to come along as long as I brung something to share with everyone." He held up a boxed pie.

"Well, ya might as well come in if she's expectin' ya."

Buddy set down the pie and stood, looking around the house of Uzuki. Very nice and very Japanese in certain aspects, Bud noted. He especially like the twin daisho set's of blades on the fire mantle. He turned and noticed a young girl, whom he recodnized as Midori. Just like in the game, she was deathly quiet and looked at him indifferently. Ranma decided to introduce him.

"Midori, I want you to meet Bud. He's the guy I told you about that saved my life."

The girl seemed to brighten herself up and bowed to Bud, smiling.

"Hello, Mr. Bud. I'm Midori Uzuki." she greeted him. Buddy was confused at first, but a wink from Ranma told him to just play along.

"Nice to meet'cha Midori. I'm Buddy, of course. And it's really nice to be in your family's place. I can tell by just lookin' at ya that you'll grow up to be a pretty girl."

Midori blushed and hid behind Ranma to hide her embarrassment. The two men shared a good laugh before the three sat down, Buddy sitting at the chair next to Ranma at the rounded table. It was then that Yui started bringing out mounds of food, causing both Bud and Ranma's mouths to water. She saw Bud and greeted him.

"I'm glad that Ranma's best friend could make it, Mr. Bud." She went back into the kitchen and brought out more food before continuing. "He spoke very highly of you back in Lahan."

Buddy looked at Ranma curiously. The pigtailed man looked away, embarrassed.

"Speaking of Lahan, why are you here, Yui?" Ranma asked.

"Oh? Didn't I tell you before? I was born here." she said. "After you left the village, I decided to return to Shevat along with the survivors of the village. Because the soldiers from Aveh and Kislev were showing up around there..."

Ranma looks down.

"I see..." He looks up at Yui. "I'm sorry for putting so much trouble on you."

Yui immediately walked over to the pigtailed man and smacked him upside the head.

"Ite!" He cursed in japanese. "What wasn't that for?!" he said in english.

"What are you saying?! It's not your fault. There's nothing to worry about. The people from the village understood after they came here and heard the story. They couldn't blame only you for that incident because Solaris was behind it." She sighed. "Personally, I wished that you stayed and knocked some sense into everyone. The way you buried Timothy had everyone peeing in their pants."

Buddy raised an eyebrow.

"Bakusai tengetsu."

"Oh."

"But most still blame you, Ranma." Yui finished, also placing the last plate of food on the table.

"I can tell." he shivered. "I saw alot of people from Lahan on the way here. Most of them came up to me and apologized, but alot of them stayed away and glared."

"Many lost alot of loved ones, Ranma." Buddy said, placing his hand on his shoulder. "Not everyone would be as forgiving as the next person."

The door suddenly opened. Both Yui and Midori's eyes brightened as Citan Uzuki, husband and father walked into his family home. He was suddenly bowled down by an estatic Yui and the strangly energetic Midori. He shared a long kiss with his wife and embraced both her and their daughter affectionately.

"I'm back." he said softly, tears coming to his eyes. "For good, this time."

-----

Day quickly turned to night, which became the next day as the sun rose from the east, shining upon Shevat from it's stationary position miles above the Babel Tower. The dinzens on Shevat's main capital continued on with their everyday lives, unaware of what was going on within one of the palaces chambers.

It was one of the chambers that haven't been used in many years, yet was kept in immaculate condition and updated regularly.

The War Room.

Shevat soldiers were busy running the controls. Radar, communications and monitoring the systems all over Shevat, especially the barrier. Within the center of the room, the floor composed of a huge screen which was currently displaying a very detailed and current map of the world. It also included serveral points of reference ranging from various cities, items of importants, and Solaris base locations and enemy movements. All within real-time.

Assembled around the map was Buddy, Id, Montel, Elly and Emerelda. Also joining them was the Queen, Wiseman, Gasper - one of the three wisemen, Citan, Yui and Maria. Included were also Bart, Sigurd, Billy Lee Black, and Jessiah from the Yggdrasil.

"I'm amused that we can all assembled on this dreadful day," Id grumbled audibly, glaring at Wiseman, whom seemed to not notice. "As some of you might know already, our group along with the Bart's crew have agreed to give temporary help to Shevat in dealing with Solaris. How we are going to deal with them is why we are here right now."

Buddy stepped up.

"The information on this map is all in real-time. Enemy location and movements that you see are only four to five seconds in varience, meaning we know where everyone is located in the world that has ties with Solaris in anyway." He looked down and walked across the holographic screen to Aquvy's largest continent. "Somewhere up in the clouds is Solaris. We have it's exact location so the need to project it on the map is not needed. Solaris is our main target, but it's not our only objective."

"Ethos Headquarters and Bledvadik, Aveh." said Id.

Billy was about to say something but his father prevented him.

She continued. "These three places are of key importance to shift the powers back into the hands of the surface dwellers and Shevat. Destroy the underground facilities of the Ethos and you take away one of their main gates. Recapture Bledavik and you'll get rid of the majority of Gebler's 3rd Army and special forces. Destory Solaris, and you've crushed their will."

"Those are all big jobs for such a small force," said Gasper. Many of the vassals of the Queen agreed with him, including Maria. "Attack all but the Ethos and they out number our units greatly."

"We have to treat this like a game of chess. And like in chess, you have to know your pieces," said Buddy, looking at the map in deep thought. He was handed a clip-board from a soldier and thanked him. He started reading over it and nodded.

"We have a total of sixty-seven Gears, the Yggdrasil, Shevat's battleship -Excalibur-, our own personal Gears, Deathscythe and my fighter."

"Such a small force..." whispered Yui.

Others also shared that same thought. The Gear total was of both Shevat and the Yggdrasil's hangar. And many thought that any mission attacking Solaris would be suicide.

"Hmmm.." came the combined thoughts of Bud, Citan, Id and Bart.

"As I said, this is a game of chess." repeated Bud. "Since we know our pieces, we could find out ways to deal with all three of these nuisences."

"Our first priority would have to deal with the Ethos HQ and the gate. The Gate is located close to one kilometere underground. The only thing I know that can penetrate that deep would be my main gun on full power, or some sort of large naval battery like the one on the Excaliber."

"If we attempt to attack the gate, then Solaris or Aveh would send a task-force to try and stop us." said Elly.

Buddy smirked. "What's why at the same time, another group will be attacking Solaris." he motioned to the locations of the Ethos HQ and Aveh, while he stood where Solaris was located.

"The unit attacking Solaris needs to be a powerful, yet small force that would warrant the use of reinforcements from Aveh. While the Ethos is being attacked, Gebler commanders would have to worry about whether their post or home country is more important. Assuming they would do the right thing, they would send a large force to dispatch the Solaris attackers. And that would leave..."

"An opening for us to strike at Aveh and retake the capital!" exclaimed Bart.

"Yes. While Gebler is trying to help Solaris homeland, Bart and Shevat's ground forces along with the Yggdrasil will take back Bledavik and restore order there. Timing would be tough, and there could be the possibility that they would just bunker down and prepare for an attack."

"No. The 3rd Army understands that Solaris will always be important." stated Elly. "The possibility of more than half of their forces moving to defend the country is a ninty-nine percent chance."

Buddy paused in deep thought.

"There is also the chance that the 3rd Army would just destroy Bledavik." Elly added. Bud started to speak out, but Bart cut him off.

"She make a valid point." stated Bart. "If the 3rd Army decided to ditch their post, they would most likely destroy Aveh's capital in an act of revenge if per chance Solaris is destroyed. I cannot sacrifice my people like they are cattle to the slaughter."

Buddy looked at Bart for a moment. He could see in eyes that he was firm on this belief. Letting out a sigh, he shook his head, rubbing his temples.

"And we are back to step one."

-----

Hours later, Buddy was found in the hangar section of Shevat's lower levels. Ranma silently following him using his Goshin Dai Ryuu Sei Fu, keeping himself invisible so his large friend won't spot him.

When the the war council ended, the fighter pilot left the chamber is non too a good mood - royally pissed off would be a better phrase. After hours of debate, point and counter-point, all plans were thrown aside since everyone had their own opinions and refused to sacrificed any elements of their military. Bart refused to let Bledavik become attacked by Solaris or Gebler. Shevat refused to allow themselves to become vulerable to attack. Both sides were backed up by their advisors, with the exception of Sigurd and Wiseman. The latter brought a hateful throught to his mind.

When he arrive in the hangar section, he was surprise to see his friend talking to one of the hangar chiefs. Listening closely, he barely heard something about a test flight and heard he was being cleared.

Why would he do that, though?

It wasn't until he saw his friend suiting up that he noticed the look of the fighter. He gasped, dropping down from his perch and landing a few feet away from Bud.

"Yo." he greeted.

"Hey."

"Where ya goin'?" Ranma asked curiously, but already knowing the answer.

"Just a test flight." Obviously a lie.

"With a full war-load?"

Bud frowned behind his helmet. "A LONG... test flight."

Ranma snickered and started walking towards Weltall's paddock. "I'm coming with you then."

"I don't care."

"Everybody's gonna be pissed off at you."

"I don't care."

Ranma climbed into his Gear and started the power-up sequence. He instantly connect to he YF-19 through their private comm channel, just as the hatch locked into place. "Are you that eager to get yourself killed? You want to die that badly?"

"I don't care."

"...." That hit Ranma hard. "... I care.." he whispered.

"..... thanks." came the simple reply.

And the two took off, leaving the Shevat hanger.

-----

Once they were a good distance away from Shevat, the YF-19 shifted to Gerwalk mode to allow Weltall to keep up at it's maxium speed. The two pilots started to converse about their target.

"So, what is it?"

"I was planning on hitting Solaris with just you. It would be a thirty-five percent change of survival. But I guess with the calvary, it sky rocketed to one-hundred." Buddy was smiling now. The first time all day.

"What are you talking about? Calvary?"

"HEY YOU DIPSHITS!!" came an angry, urbanized voice.

Coming up on their flank was a recodnizable pair. One huge Gundam XXX-002 and the lovable white and pink-colored Vierge. The pair quickly caught up, Deathscythe detaching the booster rockets, yet continuously flying with the help of some type of propulsion pack.

"Ranma, why did you guys leave with out us?!" growled Elly, obviously upset. "Where all family now, right? Family sticks together!"

"Yeah!" Emmy added in.

'Family?' thought Bud. How long has it been since he's seen his real family? Two.. three years? He looked at the video images of Ranma, Montel, Elly and Emmy. His helmet hit the tear that trickled from the corner of his eye. He did say that they were family now, but he didn't believe it himself. 'I'm such a fool...'

"And a family fights together." Montel added, solidifying their little pact. Ranma and Bud nodded.

"Elly, I'm popping the rear canopy. Drop Emerelda in. I can't fight without my new co-pilot." He heard the childish, yet teenaged girl squeel in excitment. The rush of air and the drag caused the fighter to lurge suddenly. But he remained in control, reducing his airspeed and allowing the jade-haired nano-girl to drop down into her seat, at the same time shifting herself into her mimic of Buddy's combat flight suit.

"So where to?" asked Montel.

"Set course to 035, Mark 23, elevation of 30,000 meters above sea level."

"Solaris?" Elly gasped.

Ranma looked at her. "Any problem with it?"

There was a short pause before she spoke. But she felt confident. "No. Not anymore. Just try to avoid the fouth and seventh arm's of the station. My family could be in either one."

"Understandable."

"There is a chance we might die doing this," Buddy stated seriously. "Any last words you wanna get out."

"I love you, man."

"You're not getting my Pepsi, Montel."

"Damn!"

"All joking aside..."

They all nodded to each other.

"Let's go!!"

-----

"What the hell is going on?" Bart grumbled, walking into the War Room within Shevat's central district. Flanking his presence was Sigurd, Maison and Margie.

Sirens were blairing and emergency strobe-lights were set off a few minutes ago for some unknown reason. He and several others were called to the War Room urgently. And now he was here. His lone eye took in the room, now different from what it was a few hours ago. Soldiers were hurrying about, shouting commands. Many had paniced looks while others had facades of calm collectiveness. A large holographic representation of some sort of... spired-tower was set in the center of the room. It was very detailed, showing various blips circling about in different, randomized patterns. Many blips were disappearing while others emerged from the 'structure.' Several other blips, colored differently from the ones coming from the tower remained a constant on the holoprojection.

He quickly grabbed a soldier that was passing by.

"What's the heck it's going on?!"

The soldier stuttered. "W-w-we're at war!"

"What?! With who?" he demanded.

"Solaris, who else!!"

Bart looked at Sigurd, who just shrugged. "So we are Bud, Ranma, Elly and Montel? And that Emerelda chick?"

"That is question has an obvious answer." Queen Zephyr appeared behind Bart before brushing past him and staring at the holo-projection. "It seems that they are acting on their own because we are hesitant to take action. Again we, ourselves, are making mistakes that would cost us dearly. I see that now."

"What do you mean?" Sigurd asked in curiousity.

"A spy of ours told us that Solaris was planning to attack Shevat by evening, just hours from now. But Mr. Bud possibly caught wind of this and took matters in his own hands."

"You mean..?!"

The Queen nodded.

"Yes, they are attacking Solaris and planning to destroy the whole country."

While they stared at the projection, no one noticed Wiseman slip away, disappearing without a single trace.

-----

"Ranko! Break right and start your attack against the station. Hit the sections containing their power supplies first so we can take out some of their defenses. Montel and Elly will cover your ass-end until that's done, then we'll all attack the station."

"Elly, Montel! Keep a maximum distance of 2000 meters from Weltall. You go where she goes. Keep her safe and watch her ass during the battle!"

"What about us?" came the question behind him. Buddy steeled himself.

"Our job is to protect those two."

The orders were barked out with the most serious tone Bud ever presented himself with to them. And they obeyed without question. It was his planning, tactics and strategy that would keep them alive. Just like other times they all fought together. If they forget the plan now, then they all will die.

"On three." Bud kept a silent count. "BREAK!!"

The black Gear, Weltall, suddenly blasted forth and transformed, turning on it's central axis, it's six ether wings seemingly caught air and pulled it towards the right into a powerful bank, diving down partially while pulling extreme g-forces. The now Red Gear increased it's speed with a burst of power and homed in onto a section the central column of the station.

Following it's path, Vierge and Deathscythe broke formation and speeded as fast as they could after Weltall. The hulking black Gundum suddenly roared from it's head and shoulders, firing off what remained of it's vulcan machine guns at incomming Gears, swatting a few out of the sky like flys. Behind it, several slivers of white shot over the Gundam and started flying in random patterns in the distance, firing of blast after blast of ether energy. Reaching closer to the station the two then clashed with the massive army of defenders in displays of fire and sparks.

A hail of rapid laser fire rained down a Gear hangar opening, which was promptly followed by a pair of missles. Their high-yeild warheads exploded, literally taking out the compartment and causing a light vaccuum which pulled surviving soldiers into the high altitude only to fall to their deaths at terminal velocity.

It was that moment when the dance of death truely began.

-----

Id was having the time of her life! She was enjoying reliving one of her most wondering memories from her time of Fei. This one especially in particular. It was during one of his 'Id' episodes when he destroyed Solaris, one of his greater accomplishments.

She loved this.

Weltall cut through the air, it's 'wings' of ether becoming large and it's speed picking up. A thin barrier formed around the body of the Gear just as it made it's first attack upon the station, cutting through one of the many arm sections. The Gear dove through over forty levels of habitation before blasting through the other side. Explosions followed her wake along with ones of debrii. The Red Gear pulled up above Solaris to view it's handy work.

A huge fissure appeared along the arm. Id could visibly see cracks and the splintering of metal and other materials as the arm's structural integrity rapidly deteriorated. The arm section snapped in half, exploding violently as power sectors and other volitile chemicals caught on.

She wiped the drool off of her face.

Id really loved this.

Weltall suddenly disappeared, then reappeared within a group of elite Gears that were heading her way. Startled, the attack force tried to get away, but they were simply too slow. A pair of palm strikes slammed into two of them, causing them to explode on contact. One other tried to attack, but Weltall shoved it's hand into it's torso, squeezing suddenly and pulling out. The hand was coated with the blood and particles of the pilot, or what remained of him/her. The last one dealt with swiftly, a powerful roundhouse kick that ripped the Gear in half and sent the pilot falling out of his cockpit without the aid of a parachute.

Id turned back to Solaris, her palms pressing firmly onto the twin sphere used for her controls. Her psychotic mindset caused her to grin maniacly, feeding dark ether into Weltall's ether machine and multiplying it several fold. The arms of the Gear suddenly sprouted black auras while the hands straightened into knife-edges. The aura sharpened and condensed before elongating into a curved, pointed edge.

The arms became blades.

The Red Gear blasted from it's position in the air and continued it's attack upon the hapless country. It's flight path cut through many appendages that ran along the central section of the station. She even went as far as crashing into what would be the promanade of the station and causing havok among the military and civilain populace. Arms flailed, slicing through everything with perfected ease. Weltall then tore through the central district, blasting through the hull of the station causing multiple chain reactions. Explosion spread out among the station surface. And Weltall continued, crashing into and through sveral of the stations arms, being particular care not to hit certain areas.

She didn't want Elly to be mad at her, after all.

-----

"Yahooooo!!!" Buddy exclaimed loudly.

"Yahooooo!!!" A softer voice in the compartment behind him mimiced.

The YF-19 was dancing throughout the skys, bobbing and heaving in an intracite display of speed, power and precision. Like all ways, the advanced variable fighter performed it's mid-air ballet of destruction, taking out enemy after enemy after enemy, and with the simpliest of ease that always shocked the enemy commanders and placed them in positions that didn't really favor them.

An enemy came from behind. Shifting from soldiers to gerwalk, a sudden burst of power from the main propulsion and a quick jerk of the HOTAS flipped the bird-human hybrid fighter up and over the enemy Gear. Transforming to fighter, Buddy dove down and used his mental connection to his fighter to shoot down the enemy with his rear-facing central-dorsal pulse laser. Pulling up and banking, he fought against the massive amount of g-forces that forced him to take a deep breath before transforming to gerwalk and blasting backward. His gatling cannon roared and filled the space he just occupied with explosive, incendiary and armor-piercing penatrator ammunition.

A squad of Solaris Gears fell from the sky.

Remaining in gerwalk mode, Buddy directed the fighter to his left, firing a close-range shotgun-like burst from the main guns into the bridge of a destroyer-class airship.

"Shit!" he cursed. "Airships."

"I have several on radar now." Emerelda stated calmly. "They are closing fast. All destroyer class with one large capital ship. They are moving to intercept Weltall, Vierge and Deathscythe."

"Hold on tightly now."

The fighter rolled back, twisted and transformed into fighter-mode before blasting off towards the counter-assault force. Shots from the enemy airships started to passed around him. His eyes remained forward in concentration, his hands moving quickly to control the fighter. To keep them alive.

A beam of energy nicked the fighter's pin-point barrier.

Missles suddenly started flying off of the external pylons of the fighter before it used that cover to transform into soldier-mode. Buddy directed his mecha to 'surf' the clouds and move horizontally as he moved out of the medium-range and closed into the short range sector, five miles out from the airships. Missle erupted from the weapon bays on the fighter's fast-pack armor and streaked towards the enemy ships.

He stayed back for a few moment, bringing up his armshield to strengthen the pin-point barrier towards his front. He watched as four airships began to fall out of the sky from direct missle strikes while others didn't to fair well either. But many remain unharmed along with the capital ship.

"Damn it." he pulled back and turned toward Solaris, transfering back over to fighter-mode. He blasted away from the incomming reinforcements and thought up another plan while avoiding the enemies around them. But all his plans ended up with one solution.

Pulling up hard on the controls, his mentally shifted the fighter to soldier-mode and positioned the main gun.

"All green." Emerelda stated.

He pulled the trigger.

-----

Montel ignored the huge beam of energy coming from Buddy's fighter. Deathscythe twirled around in mid-air, slicing through multiple enemies with ease. The Gundam turned and rose quickly with it's scythe, stabbing up into an attacking Gear. It seemingly dragged the impaled Gear through the air and slammed it into one it's comrades, impaling the other also. Again Deathscythe swung the two Gears and it's scythe, this time slamming the two into the seemingly immovable armored hull of Solaris.

"Allow me to escort your personally to hell!" he shouted over an open channel.

Deathscythe turned quickly, it's buster shield deploying and sailing through the air. It quickly drilled into an airship, cutting through the lightly armored hull of the frigate-class ship and causing explosions inside it's engineering sector. The shield returned just in time to the ship to explode.

Vierge wasn't fairing off as the other's though.

The white and pink Gebler officer's model seemed to be the main target of almost all of the defending forces! Elhyam Van Houten is considered a traitor in the eyes of the Solaris Military and Gebler. There was even a high-stakes reward on bringing her in dead or alive. The enemy Gear pilots tripled their efforts in attempts to bring in their traitorous cash-cow.

Elly knew this is what would happen when she joined up with them. She already knew the responsibilities she had and the hardships she would be facing during this mission. She would not let being outnumbered by 1000 to 1 bring her spirits down or discourage her.

A calm and collected expression came upon her visage. Vierge was surround by exactly the odds that were placed against her. Solaris Gears closed in more, trapping her in a sphere of death. But Vierge only stood proudly in mid-air, crossing her rods in front of her chest in preperation.

A glow surrounded Elly inside her cockpit. Her eyes flashed opened, revealing fiery orbs as her ether seeped into Vierge's ether machine to amplify it's strength by fifty times. But the strength of the spell was even further multipled another fifty times after going through an 'Ether Doubler' enhancer.

"Thermo Explosion." she whispered.

A blinding flash spreaded from Vierge and expanded outward. After a few seconds, the rumbling sound of a powerful explosion caught up with the sphere of power as it expanding outward and enveloped all 1000 enemy Gears. Their metallic bodies were instantly incinerated from the attack and or melted down into falling scrap. The heat from the sphere was so hot that even before the attack connected with many of the Gears, the blood of the pilots boiled inside of them and evaporated out of their skin, killing them instantly.

The roar of the blast lasted a few seconds longer, even after the sphere collapsed upon completion of the technique. Sound was trying to catch up to the light.

Elly looked around and noticed Weltall blowing through the main support structure of Solaris. The sky country was falling now, breaking part more severely after taking on so much damage. Yet she didn't feel any sadness from this. Only reflief of seeing escape transports safely making progress away from her former home.

A black blur sped by Vierge, knocking the white Gear into disarray. Elly gasped at seeing an enemy heading straight for Weltall.

"ID!!"

-----

"What the---?!"

Id found herself seeming to float in mid-air before her mind finally came back to reality. She growled loudly off of the front of her console, slamming herself back into the seat and grabbing the control spheres. Weltall burst into action and tore through the sky, avoiding the impossibly fast blur that was tailing her.

The light-blue etheral ether wings of the red Gear grew large enough to drawf the wingspan of a 747 jumbo jet, it's speed increasing dramatically to match the unknown enemy. A red aura appeared around the front of Weltall that generated immense heat, friction caused by it's speeds. Reaching a higher altitude, higher than Solaris's falling remains, Weltall stopped on a dime and place it's arms in a block.

It stopped the kick from crushing it's head.

"Grahf!" growled the red-head, immediately recodnizing the possibly twin to Weltall, Alpha-Weltall.

"You and your annoying comrades have ruined the path this world has previously taken and prevented the ressurrection of God. You all shall die this very day." said the Seeker of Power. "And I shall begin with you."

"Then bring it, o'Seeker of Power. Tool of Destruction." taunted the red-head, pissed off beyond belief.

Grahf's voice became like venom to her ears. "There can only be one Slayer of God."

Id nodded. "Then let's settle this once and for all."

Black and Red clashed together, becoming blurs in the sky as they battle. Punches and kicks were thrown in combos, feints and deathblows. All were skillfully blocked, dodged or countered with seemingly praciticed ease.

Grahf appeared in front of Id, coming down with an overhead chop that was blocked with a fore-arm. He disappeared again, this time appearing at her rear and lashed out in a powerful spining back kick that sent the Red Gear flying forward. Again he disappear only to reappear to her side, but this time Id grabbed hold of the incoming fist and used her momentum to pull and propell herself over the Black Gear and slam a pair of kicks onto the base of the Gear's neck. The two Gear's split apart.

They came at each other again, but Grahf quickly gained the upperhand. His first strike slammed into the forward chest armor of Weltall, seeming to stun the Red Gear with the dark energy that came from it's palm. Five more palm strikes connected before the Black Gear jumped, flipping forward in mid-air and coming down in an axe kick that sent Weltall dropping lower in the atmosphere. He quickly followed.

As Grahf came closer, Id smirked to herself. Dodging a flying punch, Weltall rolled in mid-air and connected with a powerful backfist to Alpha-Weltall's head section. Cold chi was injected into the ether machine and it encased the black Gear in ice. Several more back-fist connected with Grahf, encasing him and his Gear further in a huge falling rock of ice. It was then that Weltall spinned the opposite direction, slamming a powerful double-hammer fist blow against the falling iceberg, cracking it and sending it and it's occupant higher in the sky.

-----

"Holy shit..." Montel gasped, seeing the incredible fight taking place before his eyes. He was so info the battle that he didn't detect the enemy sneaking up on him.

"Duck!"

"What?!!"

A shotgun-like blast erradicated the Gear behind Deathscythe, just as the YF-19 pulled up next to the larger mecha. Buddy looked at Deathscythe though the canopy window, seeming to glare directly at Montel.

"Pay attention, asshole. I might not be able to save your ass next time." Buddy growled.

The Solaris units were retreating to some unknown location now. The only ones left were stragglers that had nothing to lose. He gave the order to only attack those that attack them. Like a short few, Buddy did have some shred of honor and he refused to shoot a retreating man in the back.

"Emmy, take over." he relinquished his controls. He suddenly lost his connection to the fighter, yet he could feel Emerelda link to it. He could tell because it responded differently to her because the fighter was not use to her brain-waves.

"Should we help her?" Elly asked, watching the enemies depart with one eye and the fight between Id and Grahf with the other.

Buddy shook his head.

"I don't think we'll be of any help at all." He stared up at the high-altitude battle, mouth open in awe as each party fought with seemingly God-like powers. "Compared to them.."

"We're nothing."

-----

Grahf and Id broke apart and gained distance from each other. The Seeker of Power had a evil, confident grin under his mask. He knew that he was the one that had the upper hand in this battle. And with the next more, he will crush her.

Id, on the other hand, was losing her confidence. She had a scowl that would frighten even the devil himself if he choose this moment to take a look at her. Her breathing was labored. She was frustrated because she couldn't land any more solid attacks after using one of her deathblow combinations.

"You look tired, young one," taunted Grahf. He nodded to himself. "Very well, I shall finish this for you then by taking your life. I shall show you my power...!"

Her eyes widened at feeling the sudden rise in power from Grahf.

"So be it!" Alpha-Weltall's hand rose up elbow pointing down and palm up. A red glow enveloped it. "My fist is the divine breath!" The other arm rose up and mimiced the first and began to glow black. "Blossom, o'fallen seed, and draw upon thy hidden powers!!" The fist suddenly clenched, shooting out to the sides of the Black Gear as a purple corona of energy formed around Alpha-Weltall.

"Grant upon thee thy power of the glorious 'Mother of Destruction'!!!"

Id stared, frozen in shock and fear. She could only watch as a gigantic sphere of purple energy formed above Alpha-Weltall. She could only watch as Grahf grabbed upon that energy and swung it like a sledgehammer, smashing into her Gear and effecting her very soul.

"AAAAAAARRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH-----!!!"

The cry of endless agony was enveloped by the explosion that followed suit. When the blinding light of the attack ended, all that remained was Weltall in it's normal state, seeming to defy gravity and float in the air.

It was completely motionless.

"And so, there was only one..." Grahf spat.

-----

"......" "....." "......" "......!"

The four of them stared at the scene, shocked beyond belief. They wanted to think that this was just a dream, but they knew it was harsh reality now. Not a game.

Yet, only one wished that this wasn't true.

"...no... no..." Buddy stared at Weltall's limp, floating form. ".. no!! NO!!!"

"RANMA!!!!!!!"

-----

As if it was a mircle, Weltall snapped to attention and dashed backwards away from Grahf, surprising the Seek of Power out of his high-throne.

Ranma shook his head, a headache coming on from being suddenly thrown into control when he least expected it. But that was a problem.

He couldn't hear her.

"Id...? Ranko?" He smacked his own head a couple times. "Id? You there? Shit..." He was on his own now. "WOAH!!"

Weltall flipped in mid-air, flying over Alpha-Weltall. He suddenly felt self-consious of himself. Here he was facing Grahf, a being stronger than even Id. How the hell could he win this match?! Grahf was too calm to use most of his devestating attacks, some of which he knew couldn't even work in a Gear-Gear battle. He only knew he could do one thing.

Run.

"Damn it to hell..!"

Grahf's voice suddenly assaulted his ears. The Seeker was giving chase now, seeming to find amusement in stalking his prey and taunting them with insults.

"Run little mouse. Run. Run like the coward you are!"

...coward...

Coward.

COWARD?!?!

R anma suddenly felt it coming to him. Anger, and lots of it. His eyes clouded over, his vision becoming red as a dark aura appeared around Weltall. He could feel it coming to him. He could feel the power that would grant him strength to destroy Grahf!

"My fist is the divine brea---- NO!!"

Ranma's eyes widened. "NO!!" he shouted again. This power was wrong. He didn't want it. Look what happened to him in the past. He turned into a power hungry destroyer. He turned into Grahf! "I don't want this power!! NEVER!!"

"Then use shall die."

Ranma glared at the amused Grahf.

"You want to see power?!?! I'll show it to you!!"

Without the influence of Id, Weltall once again transformed into it's armored state and faced off against Grahf. Suddenly, the six wing ports on the back shifted and spread out into six point and burst forth with power, forming a red circular corona. Weltall raised it's fist to it's face, seeming to stare at the palm as Ranma spoke. Words that haven't been spoken in so long.

The words of his fifth reincarnation.

"This hand of mine glows with an awesome power!" Weltall's hand began to shine with a white aura, enveloping the appendage and coating in with a power never seen before.

Grahf stared in awe at such a display of concentrated power.

"It's burning grip tells me to destroy you!!"

In the blink of an eye, Weltall appeared in front of Grahf. The Red Gear brought it's arm back and thrusted forward, grasping the head of Alpha-Weltall before erupting into a blinding white sphere that enveloped the both of them.

"Take this!! My love, my anger and all my sorrow!!

The last thing Grahf saw was the intense look hatred staring at Grahf from both Weltall and it's pilot.

"SHINING FINGER!!"

-----

"... holy mother of god..." Buddy stared wide-eyed at the sight.

"... beautiful..." Emerelda whispered, staring at the center of the white corona of light.

When the sphere of light disipated, only Weltall in it's normal state remained. In clutched in it's hand was the crushed head of Alpha-Weltall, warped by the grabbing fingers of Ranma's Gear.

"What the fuck just happen?!" came Montel and Elly, both at the same time.

"... that was his.. fifth reincarnation.." Buddy said dumbly, unable to focus on anything else besides Weltall. "... his fifth life was.. was.."

"WAS WHAT?!"

"... Ranma's fifth life was.. Domon Kasshu!"

"Holy shit!" replied Montel.

Weltall tilted back and started to fall. Fortunately Bud, Elly and Montel were fast enough to catch the unmoving Gear. While Vierge and Deathscythe supported the black Gear, Buddy popped the canopy and ran up to Weltall's hatch. Pulling the emergency level, the hatch popped open and revealed the inside of the Gear.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"He's sleeping," he reported. Stepping inside, he placed his grabbed Ranma's wrist and placed two fingers against his neck, close to the jugular vein. "He's seems physically fine, but I'm not sure about the rest." Leaping out, he closed and sealed the cockpit before jumping into his own fighter.

But let out a sigh.

"You two carry the crazy bastard." Montel and Elly agreed quickly. "We'll have to lay low in a well-protected area. And we need a means to get some of you guys into space."

"Space?" Elly asked curiously, though you can tell she was more worried about Ranma.

"I'll explain on the way." Buddy said calmly, knowing how she felt also. But someone had to keep a level head now. "Emmy?"

"The ancient Zeboim facility that houses the Mass-Driver should suffice. That is also the location of all of that era's weapons of mass-destruction. That of which including Intercontinental Ballistic Missles (ICBMs) and similiar inventory."

Montel, Elly and Bud nodded to themselves.

-----

A week after the fall of Solaris, the nations of the world went to war. Shevat invaded Aveh led by Bart and his pirate crew. Nortune invaded Aveh. Nissan and their small military force invaded Aveh. It was as if all the nations that had anomosity toward each other threw it out of the window in favor of destroying the greater evil.

Solaris and Gebler.

Within that single week, Bart had rightfully regained his place as the King of Aveh and purged his home of Bledavik of all Gebler forces.

Battles still were still being raged around the world against Solaris and their allies, though the battle was more in the favor of Shevat unlike the war 500 years ago. This time, Shevat wasn't making the mistakes it made last time.

And all this was thanks to a small unit of brave fighters.

Buddy and family hid out for that whole week to repair, resupply and recover from the battle that resulted in the destruction of Solaris. The underground Mass-Driver facility and Missle Silo Emerelda recommend was perfect for them. Only the occassional trip to the outside world was required, mostly for information and food supplies.

Ranma recovered a couple days out of his sleep. The stress of having to suddenly use almost all of his ki and forcing it unto Weltall's ether machine to empower the 'Shining Finger' almost cost him his life. His body forced itself into a deep sleep to recover. Though he was glad to be alive, he was estatic to hear the voice of Id, whom he thought was finished. He couldn't think of a day he could live without her reassuring voice.

While Bud was contantly in and out of their hide-out and Elly watched over Ranma, Montel and Emerelda searched throughout the facility. After a only a couple days search, the two of them came across a pair of large silo's that housed exactly what they needed.

A pair of space shuttles.

Once reported to Buddy, they large asian pilot had an incredulous look on his face. He couldn't believe it. It was just to good to be true. He also stated that it was ironic how the facility would have exactly what they needed. It was then that Emmy explained that during the Zeboim era, space travel was limited to satellite and experimental space station construction, but it was possible. It wasn't until he actually saw the pair of shuttles that he believed them.

-----

"Are you okay, Elly?" Ranma asked, watching Vierge exit the shuttle after it's autopilot kicked in and went into a stationary orbit.

He, along with Montel and Elly, were wearing space suits, or normal suits as Buddy call them. At first she didn't want to wear it, but after explaining the effects of the exposed body to the vaccuum of space, Elly quickly dawned the thick suit. After she cleaned herself off of vomit.

"It's... strange." she comment, pondering on her first feelings of being weightless. "I feel disoriented, yet I don't. Both at the same time."

"You'll get use to it," Montel assured her. "All you have to know is that no mattere which way you face, everywhere is up."

Ranma snickered.

"Don't scare her dude."

"You guy's ready?" Buddy announced after returning from the moon. The fighter stopped on a dime, fire blasting from the leg thrusters taking him from 25,000 kilometers per hour to zero. "Whoever wants to stay, say it now..."

Silence.

"I'm with you all the way, 'B'." said Montel.

"You already know my answer," Ranma grumbled, with a hint of amusement in it.

"...." Emerelda placed a hand on Buddy's shoulder, smiling. He smiled back.

"I already said we're family," Elly stated. "Family sticks together."

He nodded to Elly, smiling at her. With a quick input into the YF-19's computer, the group disappeared in a flash of green light.

-----

The Present, Zoids Demension...

"And that's how everything went." Buddy finished, looking down at the black bespecled man named Lawrence. The camp fire was blazing now, lighting up the section of forest with it's red ember and yellow and orange light.

Unlike the group in the begining of the story, this group was different. Gone was the laid-back goof offs that loved to joke around. Gone was the beautiful Naomi Fluegel. Gone was the hospital in the city of New Helic. Gone was the Civil Defense Force. The experienced they face were gone. Even the original group that consisted of Buddy, Montel and Ranma were gone completely, replaced by another group. The story that was told was not that of the original three in the begining of this fanfiction.

It was THEIR story.

Emerelda returned with more firewood, placing it nearby but not close enough to accidentally catch fire. Elly was busy stirring the soup she was making. Montel, Ranma and Bud were speaking with the injured black man. A guy Bud and Montel recodnized as a friend for their world.

His name was Lawrence.

Unlike the other group, they did not accept the invitation from New Helic to become their defenders. But they did happen to stumble upon the battle in the city and saved a Shadow Fox zoid from getting torn asunder by Republic weaponry. Bud and Montel were shocked to find out it was one of their best friends.

Though at this very moment, they were doubting that he really was.

Montel removed the glasses from the injured, immobile black man, much to his complaint. Buddy held two fingers in front of the man's face.

"How many fingers do you see?" he asked in a serious voice.

"D-d-d-dawg! Y-you know I have b-b-bad vision." He squinted his eyes a bit. "I s-s-s-s-s-see two. N-now gimme some ch-ch-ch-chili-cheese fries. And a banana koniac... bitch!"

Montel nodded to Bud. The large asian man rose to his feet. Pulling out a pistol, he pointed it down at the black man and fired a pair of .45 cal ACP rounds into his chest before plugging his forehead with a single round.

He didn't even bat an eye at this, nor did he say anything about Ranma dragging the corpse away to dispose of it.

"Why the hell did you do that?!!" she shouted, shocked completely that he would do that to someone that he considered a friend.

"That's not our friend." Montel piped up for Bud. Elly gave him a quizzicle look. "Our real friend, Lawrence, don't stutter as much as that one. And they way he reacted to some of the story was completely out of character."

"What do you mean?" Emerelda asked, curious also.

Buddy looked up, resting his chin on his hands, elbow on his knees.

"He was quiet. Listened. And didn't make any rude out-burst that would of interrupted us. OUR Lawrences wouldn't of been like that."

Elly shrugged her shoulders. Life goes on. Ranma returned shortly and sat down, just as Elly began to hand-out dinner.

-----
End of chapter 22
-----

Author's Notes:

WOOT!!! Can yo believe how long it took me to finish this blast piece of shit? God damn. I'm relieved. It only took me this long because I got writers block. For those of you that like this story and were patiently waiting for a new chapter, blame an anime called Naruto. It's evilness seduced me to watch it and write another story about my favorite character of the series.

Anyways, in this chapter, I was planning on doing some huge triple invasion of the Ethos, Aveh and Solaris. But I realized that wouldn't work. I realized that changing some of the personalities to fit the story was actually killing it, another reason I had writers block. I was also introducing too many new characters that it haulted my thought process on plot and it's developement. So what I just did was threw a scenario together in my mind, prettied it up and put it down in type. And what you have left is the rest of chapter 22.

On a note, the part I stopped at before I started writing on it again was during the first War Room meeting. Then I started writing my Naruto story at that point.

Could the battle between our Hero's and Solaris been better? Yes, it could of, but wanting to quickly end these flash-back chapters and get on track was first priority before everything else. So, there you have it.

The scene between Grahf and Id, the fight, was actually inspired by watching Dragon Ball Z. The move Grahf pulled off was actually the Kishin X move Fei Fong Wong uses for Weltall when he reaches level 85. The move Id used was the deathblow Square, T, T, X (T=triangle) that involves pounding the enemy with ice.

And the move Ranma used was inspired by G-GUNDAM!!! Yes, that's right people. Ranma's 5th reincarnation was DOMON KASSHU! BWAhahaha!! The incarnation order is like this: Abel, Kim, Lacan, Fei, Domon, Ranma. If Ranma is Domon, Ranko/Id is Rain Mikamura. And that would explain Id's excellent piloting experience during the Gundam chapters.

From now on I'm going to limit the lengths of my chapters. I'm placing a 5000 word minimum and 10k word max. This way I can manage it more effiently and not burn myself out on long chapters.

Next is Chapter 23: Fold
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