Green Lantern Ranma

Disclaimer: Green Lantern and Ranma 1/2 aren't mine and 
therefore if you want to put the blame on someone, then tell it to DC 
Comics or Rumiko Takahashi.

< >: Thoughts, and ring communication.

Chapter 2
The New Defender of Space Sector 2814

<So that's why I brought you here. > The power ring said as it 
finished with its explanations. 

Ten-year-old Ranma looked at the strange; talking and glowing 
ring, as he was still in a state of disbelief of being on the Moon. 
Now he was being told of being selected to be some kind of space 
patrolman? Like a policeman? Didn't Papa tell him to stay clear of 
those kinds of people?

"But I'm supposed to be a martial artist. Papa said so."

<Oh? And does being a martial artist include being thrown into a 
pit of starving cats? >

Ranma shivered at the memory of that pit. He didn't like that Cat 
Fist training at all. He was very grateful to the ring for getting him 
out of that hole, but now it was telling him that his father was 
wrong in many things. The little boy was very surprised that the 
strange piece of jewelry knew so much about his life, including 
about the games that Genma taught him that had the little boy 
snatch something and have the previous owner chase him around. 
The ring had said that it had done something called a memory scan, 
(whatever that meant), and even produced pictures out of thin air, 
which displayed events in Ranma's life in incredible detail. Though 
the fact that the images were shown in various shades of green and 
no other color was a bit hard on the eyes at first.

The power ring sensed Ranma's reluctance to leave his father and 
knew that though Genma's influence hadn't completely entrenched 
itself into the child's psyche, problems would appear if the boy 
remained loyal to his parent. Despite all the hardships and abuse 
that Ranma had endured since leaving home, it was the only kind of 
life he knew.

The power ring hated to do this, but it decided that the only way for 
Ranma to completely break free of Genma's hold on him was to 
show the boy the true nature of his greedy and totally immoral 
parent. It didn't want to expose the still innocent child to such a bad 
thing, but if he were going to be a Green Lantern, then he would 
have to realize certain unpleasant aspects. The artifact then delved 
deeper into the boy's memories and projected an image.

<Ranma, do your remember this? >

The boy looked up at the scene and nodded. "Yeah. I was really sad 
when we had to leave Ucchan. But we got to keep the yattai for a 
while. That was a GREAT gift!"

<No Ranma. It was NOT a gift. YOUR father STOLE that cart! >

"Stole...? But Papa said..."

<Your 'Papa' LIED to you. Look at the image again. >

Ranma did so and began wondering why he never noticed it before. 
There he was, riding on top of the cart and waving goodbye to a 
crying Ukyo. Genma had an okonomiyaki in his mouth and pulling 
the cart along at a frantic pace. His buddy Ucchan was shouting at 
him, saying something about taking him with them. 

"Why did Ucchan want to come with us?"

The ring sighed as it remembered scanning the thoughts and 
memories of Ukyo Kuonji. Then it decided to show Ranma exactly 
how much he had unintentionally hurt his childhood friend.

<Ranma, there is something that I must show you. >

The images then changed from the past to the present as Ranma's 
eyes widened at what was being displayed.

"Hey! Is that Ucchan?"

The ring affirmed it. "Yes Ranma. That is 'Ucchan' now... in a 
foster home."

"F-Foster... home?" Ranma knew what that was. "What about Mr. 
Kuonji?"

<Ukyo's father had died... three years ago. The reason why your 
father got the cart was that he had promised Ukyo's father that he 
would take her with you. Mr. Kuonji was dying of a cancer and he 
wanted to make certain that his daughter was taken care of. That is 
why he engaged her to you, with the cart as a dowry. >

"What's an engagement? What's a dowry?"

The ring actually sweatdropped as it realized how shallow Ranma's 
general knowledge was. It seemed that Genma had deliberately 
neglected certain aspects of the boy's education. This was going to 
take a while.

Sometime later...

Ranma was crying when it was finally explained to him in full as to 
what had happened four years ago. Though Genma had told him to 
never cry, the ring had encouraged the act. Besides, who could see 
him crying on the surface of the Moon?

After a little more coaxing and several more images of Ranma's 
early thievery, plus extrapolating what Genma had planned to do 
with him in the near future, the power ring had finally convinced 
Ranma to abandon his father and his teachings. Among the ring's 
many abilities was the power to scan possible timelines in the near 
future. What it showed of what kind of 'training' Genma had 
planned for him, (such as the speed training while being chased by 
angry wolves), made the child quite ill. After the boy had dried out 
his tears, the ring asked him if he was ready to begin his training 
and new life as a Green Lantern.

"Yes, but... can I see Ucchan one more time? I... want to say that 
I'm sorry."

The ring was pleased at this new maturity in Ranma. It assented to 
the request and began powering up. In an instant, Ranma became a 
streak of light once more and made a beeline toward Earth. As they 
approached the atmosphere, Ranma decided to get one more 
question off his chest.

"Er... Ring?"

<You can just think what you want to say if you want to talk to me.>

Ranma paused, then nodded. <Okay. Like this? >

<That's right. So what do you want to ask me? >

<Will I still be a martial artist? >

<I think we can work something out. >

On Earth, Japan, 12:50 am...

Ukyo awoke with a start and looked around in her bedroom.

"Ran-chan?"

When she saw that she was alone, she sighed and decided that what 
she had just experienced was nothing more than a wonderful dream. 
But it had been so real!

Flashback...

When her old friend had suddenly appeared before her, the daughter 
of Haruka Kuonji had raged in anger and tried to attack him with 
her throwing spatulas. However, she was shocked to see that her 
weapons were deflected by some eerie green glow that surrounded 
Ranma. She then saw the saddened look in his eyes as he knelt 
down and begged for her forgiveness.

The scene played itself out as Ranma started explaining that he 
knew nothing about the engagement, nor that he realized that she 
wasn't a boy, but a girl. He then begged her not to be bitter and still 
wanted to be her friend. The tears in his eyes made Ukyo's anger 
began to fade as he poured out his regret over unknowingly hurting 
the best friend he ever had. Ukyo became confused at this entire 
scene and wondered if she was dreaming, when Ranma suddenly 
took her in his arms in a hug and they were both bathed in that 
strange emerald glow. He then whispered that no matter what, he 
would always consider her his Ucchan and hoped that she would 
find it in her heart to finally forgive him. 

Ukyo's heart raced as she felt his arms around him and all she could 
think of was that her dreams might be coming true. What she didn't 
know was that she was still asleep and that Ranma's Power Ring 
was allowing his thoughts to eneter her subconscious. Thoughts of 
vengeance began to fade as she felt the sincerity in his words. She 
barely gave him a nod, signifying that there were no hard feelings. 
However, the moment passed by and Ranma broke the embrace, and 
said thank you, while holding one of her hands in his. She noticed 
that his middle finger had a strange-looking ring with a lantern 
design on it. It was then that something flashed at the base of her 
middle finger and she heard Ranma for the final time.

"Here is something to remember the friendship we once had. 
Something that I will always cherish. Goodbye Ucchan."

End of flashback...

Ukyo shook her head as she came to the conclusion that it had all 
been a dream. It was at that moment that she looked down at her 
right hand and saw something winking up at her in the moonlight. 
It was a simple ring that seemed to be made of green plastic. The 
top was shaped into a line design of a lantern.

Ukyo was sure that she never had such a ring before and wondered 
if it had been a dream.

 

Two years later after that encounter... 

In the vastness of space, specifically the orbit of Saturn, a streak of 
green light was hurtling through the sea of stars like a comet. 
However, unlike other comets, this particular one was making 
ninety-degree turns, spirals and zigzagging around like a dragonfly 
that was hopped up on drugs. The light suddenly made a dive 
toward the rings of the gaseous planet. The light then made several 
high-risk maneuvers as it darted about the deadly field of space 
debris and meteoroids. It barely evaded the huge chunks of rock, 
metals and ice that made up Saturn's rings. It then made a vertical 
dive toward the surface of the planet at a velocity that would have 
torn an Earth spacecraft to pieces. However, as the light was about 
to impact hard into the surface of the second-largest planet in the 
Sol system, its velocity suddenly decreased to zero and then inverted 
itself. When the light given off by the strange energy diminished 
enough for the naked eye to see what was within it, the last Green 
Lantern set his feet on Saturn's surface.

<Wow! That was SO COOL! > The twelve-year-old Ranma said as 
he addressed the ring on his right, middle finger.

<Yes, that wasn't half-bad for your first spaceflight. > The ring 
replied telepathically. <Though I really wish you hadn't taken the... 
scenic route through Saturn's rings. Your mental capacity for flying 
still needs some fine-tuning for maneuverability. We almost crashed 
into several of those rocks up there. >

<Aw, don't be that way, Ring. We made it through didn't we? >

<Yes, and it was a good thing that I also had put up a protective 
barrier, just in case you made a miscalculation with your speed and 
distance. However, you're still getting your feet wet in space travel 
and that's a very large universe out there. So now, are we ready to 
go out a bit further? >

<Sure! But won't we get lost if we go too far? I mean, you've only 
taught me about the solar system and its nine planets, so far. >

<Don't worry about it. I happen to have very extensive knowledge 
about the locations of millions of star systems and galaxies. I'll be 
able to guide you back. In any case, I do have to get you acquainted 
with Sector 2814. That will be the primary area that you will be 
defending. >

"How big is it?"

<Oh, fairly large as sectors go. Your sector covers most of what 
your people refer to as the Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way. That 
includes more than three hundred million races and star systems. > 
Ring noted Ranma's apprehension of being responsible for so many 
and tried to assure him. <Don't let it get to you. Sector 2814 is no 
more than a minute speck in the cosmos. And since I do have 
hyperlight capability, you'll be able to traverse those distances with 
no problems. >

"Hyper-light what?"

<Hyper-light travel. Being able to travel beyond the speed of light. 
That Earth scientist Einstein had the right idea with his Theory of 
Relativity, but that only applies when you APPROACH the speed of 
light, but when you exceed it, then those laws don't apply anymore.>

"Theory of what?"

<Hmmm, I keep forgetting that you're just twelve standard Earth 
years old. Don't worry about it. I'll take care of your interstellar 
education as well as everything else that you need to know to be a 
Green Lantern. And I'll still be continuing in your martial arts 
training as well. There are several intergalactic styles that I think 
you can benefit from. >

<Great! >

<Ready to go? >

Ranma took long look in the direction of Earth and sighed before 
nodding.

<Don't worry Ranma. We'll get back to Earth later. After all, I've 
already spent two years with you in helping you grow and learn on 
that world before I decided that you were ready to head out into the 
cosmos. >

Ranma nodded as he remembered back over the last four years since 
he and the Ring bonded. Since Ranma was now on his own, the 
power ring had seen to it that Ranma received the proper education 
and social skills. They had been using a tropical island with lush 
vegetation and plenty of fresh water for a home as the artifact 
opened Ranma's mind to focusing his will through it. Ranma's 
martial arts training was also seen to, since the ring was already 
familiar with the various fighting styles and techniques of the Earth 
during its first exploration of the planet. It was quite impressed with 
how quickly the boy absorbed things like a sponge. Without Genma 
telling him to focus on only martial arts, Ranma's mental capacity 
was just as great as his ability to easily grasp martial arts concepts. 
Furthermore, he now had some better manners, but he still needed 
to associate with others. The ring knew of planets with humanoid 
species and figured that they would help if Ranma were to meet 
with them.

<Ranma, before we get started, I believe that it is time for you to be 
wearing the proper garb of a Green Lantern. >

<What's wrong with what I'm wearing now? > The boy looked 
down at his clothes, which consisted of a green top, a black pair of 
pants and kung-fu style shoes. Since one of the ring's powers was to 
reorganize the molecular structure of inanimate objects, it was a 
simple matter to provide the boy with clean clothes and such. The 
boy had grown quite tall for his age and the power ring had 
corrected the five years of malnutrition that Ranma had suffered 
under Genma's care. (You don't really think that Genma gave 
Ranma the proper nutrients and medical care, do you?) Ranma's 
black hair had grown long and was now reaching his shoulders. The 
boy had decided to tie it back in a loose ponytail with an emerald 
green band. He also had a green headband over his forehead with a 
yin/yang symbol imprinted on the front.

<Well, your regular clothes are good for everyday wear. > The ring 
admitted. <However, as the new guardian of Sector 2814, you will 
need the uniform that designates you as a Green Lantern. There are 
many races that will recognize the garb of the Green Lanterns and 
will offer you assistance when you need it. Furthermore, since you 
will be living on Earth, it would also help you keep your powers a 
secret. >

<I guess so. > Ranma admitted as he nodded.

<Good. > The power ring flashed and Ranma's clothes began to 
alter themselves. The short sleeves of his shirt became longer and 
molded themselves to his skin. They coated his hands and formed 
black gloves. At the same time, his black pants merged with his 
shirt and shoes, forming a skintight bodysuit with boots. The entire 
ensemble was completed as his headband moved downward and 
formed a mask that covered his eyes and the bridge of his nose. His 
hair was shortened a bit and he now sported small ponytail. (Think 
Tenchi) When the transformation was complete, the ring projected 
a shape that resembled a mirror and Ranma looked at himself.

<What happened to my hair? >

<Don't worry about it. Your ponytail would be a dead giveaway, so I 
just regressed it a bit. It will grow back to its normal length when 
you change back. > 

Ranma saw his reflection in a green and black uniform with a 
fancy-looking emerald mask. He had black boots and gloves that 
joined with the black pants and top with no apparent seams. The top 
of the pants seemed to taper off into a point of black that reached 
the middle of the chest. The front of the top was mostly green, but 
had a fancy circular white pattern with a line image of the Green 
Lantern's insignia in its center. Ranma held up his hand and looked 
down at the ring, which was still pulsating with power.

<So, how do you like it...Green Lantern? >

Ranma looked at his image again then decided... what the heck! It 
was pretty stylish. He nodded to the ring. <So, let's get going! 
There's a big universe waiting for us out there! >

The new protector of Sector 2814 streaked off the planet Saturn and 
was soon soaring the spaceways.

Ranma at age thirteen, on a forest moon in Delta sector...

<That's it, Ranma. Strike this tree and catch as many of those 
falling nuts as you can. No blanket shielding. This is an exercise to 
help with your fine mental control, precision and speed. >

Ranma leaped up and gave the tree a hard strike with a reverse spin 
kick. The top of the tree shook and it began raining down walnut-
like pods. Ranma focused and began emitting dozens of tiny energy 
constructs shaped like hands. Each construct flew out to catch the 
falling nuts. When some of the nuts began to get through and strike 
the ground, Ranma also began using the martial arts skills that he 
had learned on various other worlds. Using a newly developed speed 
technique that he had picked up from the Zadorians, he began to 
also lashing out with his own hands, catching several dozens of nuts 
and tossing them into a neat pile to join with the others that his 
energy constructs were depositing.

The Ring approved. <Very nice innovation. >

At Galaxy Police Headquarters, when Ranma was fourteen...

"I'm telling you Commander..." The officer insisted.

"Have you been drinking on duty again, Sergeant?" His superior 
accused.

"No sir! I haven't touched a drop in weeks! I was flying my usual 
patrol out in Sector Four of the Gamma Quadrant and some green 
streak of light passed by my ship and did several loops around it. 
When I established visual contact with it, I saw a young humanoid 
boy flying unaided in space. He was wearing a uniform that 
resembled that of the Green Lanterns. He waved at me, then 
streaked off into hyperspace!"

"Green Lantern? Don't be ridiculous! The Green Lanterns died out 
centuries ago after the planet Oa was destroyed along with the 
Guardians. Their disappearance was the main reason why the 
Galaxy Police were formed in the first place."

"But..."

"Do you have any evidence to support your claim if seeing a Green 
Lantern?"

"I'm... sorry sir. I don't. My energy sensors were overloaded when 
they tried to scan him, and the short-circuit caused all the data to be 
lost, including the visual recordings."

"That's it. I'm reassigning you to space-traffic duty in the Aridian 
Nebula."

"But sir! That's way out in the boonies!"

"Right. And the natives have no alcoholic beverages, so I can be 
sure that you'll stay sober!"

"Aw Commander!"

Ranma is now sixteen...

Japan and the rest of the world was in a state of panic as the media 
began giving the bad news. Apparently the scientists were wrong in 
their calculations and the comet that was supposed to miss the Earth 
by more than a billion miles was actually going to strike the planet 
smack in the middle of where Japan was. Due to the size of the 
comet and the speed at which it was going, the resulting impact 
would atomize Japan and cause such huge cataclysmic disasters that 
the human race would be doomed to extinction. Most of the other 
life forms on the Earth would soon follow, aside from a few species 
of bacteria, as the expectant nuclear winter would block out the 
sun's rays. It would be just like the time in which the dinosaurs were 
wiped out and it seemed that Homo sapiens would soon be going the 
same way as those huge lizards.

In Nerima, Nabiki and her family watched the television in shock as 
the attempt to destroy the comet with nuclear missiles had failed. 
The Americans, Russians and all other nations with nuclear 
capability had put aside their differences and banded together to use 
their warheads to either destroy or deflect the incoming chunk of 
space debris. However, the missiles had proven to be ineffective as 
the guidance systems of the weapons had gotten scrambled due to 
some strange, electromagnetic fields that the comet was emitting. 
The entire barrage missed the comet and exploded uselessly out into 
space.

In her restaurant, Ukyo saw that this was the end and looked down 
at the green ring that she had worn for six years. She had long since 
forgiven her old friend and took comfort that when the comet hit; 
wherever he was on Earth, she would finally be reunited with her 
Ran-chan in the Great Beyond.

Of course, she didn't know that her Ran-chan was actually not on 
Earth, but soaring through space and was returning toward the 
planet of his birth.

In the Tendo compound, Soun held his daughters tight around him 
as they waited for the end. Akane, Nabiki and Kasumi wept as they 
prayed to be reunited with their mother when the end came.

In the Amazon village near Jusenkyo, Shampoo stood out defiantly 
with full battle gear with her great-grandmother Cologne beside her 
as they watched the only television set in the village. 

All over the world, people watched and waited as the end drew 
near. The comet had already passed the moon and was making its 
final approach. It was then that the people of Earth heard a voice in 
their heads.

"In brightest day."

A green streak of light was seen racing alongside the comet as the 
people of Earth became glued to their television sets.

"In darkest night."

The satellite cameras began focusing in on the newcomer and the 
population saw a glimpse of something or someone inside of that 
shaft of emerald brilliance.

"No evil shall escape my sight!"

In Japan, the Sailor Senshi were huddled around the television at 
Rei's Temple. As the telescopic lens zeroed in on the figure within 
the green light, the tallest of the Inner Senshi commented that the 
person looked like her old sempai. A moment later, she was pelted 
by a barrage of pillows from her fellow Senshi.

At the Time Gate, Sailor Pluto was alerted to the sudden influx of 
ancient power that she had not sensed in centuries. Then she gasped 
as she looked at the image being depicted.

<It couldn't be...>

"Let those who worship evil's might..."

At the Masaki Shrine, Washu had been preparing to fire her 
dimensional cannon to destroy the comet, but then her scanners 
began picking up energy readings that were WAY off the scale. She 
then peered at the monitor as her mad scientist curiosity began 
thinking about adding THIS specimen to her guinea pig list.

Kiyone gasped as she saw the image on the television. Her eyes 
focused on the white chest emblem as she remembered back to her 
history classes at the Galaxy Police Academy. Mihoshi smiled and 
clapped her hands as she thought that this was some new kind of 
superhero anime. She always loved those sentai series.

At the same time, four members of the Jurai Royal Family suddenly 
stopped and stiffened. Tenchi, Yosho, Ayeka and Sasami felt a 
strange sensation course through their bodies as Juraian energy 
began to stir in response to another ancient power. 

"Beware my power..."

The green streak of light raced ahead of the comet, then stopped to 
reveal a very handsome and well-built person hovering in the path 
of the comet. The last of the Green Lanterns held up an arm, 
pointed the Power Ring at the comet and let loose with a massive 
beam of emerald energy that made the Wave Motion Gun of the 
Yamato look like a pea shooter.

"GREEN LANTERN'S LIGHT!"

The energy beam struck the comet dead center and caused it to 
explode into fragments. Most of the comet would fall to Earth and 
burn up harmlessly while entering the atmosphere. All except one 
chunk, which was more than five miles across and was still heading 
toward Japan!

Ranma caught sight of the meteor and knew that it was already too 
late to blast it as it was passing through the ionosphere. He dove 
down at better than Mach 20 to beat the falling chunk, and then 
hovered above the main island of Honshu at an altitude of two 
miles. He aimed the Power Ring at the meteor but knew that 
blasting it now would result in a deadly shower of fragments that 
would rain down on the population. No, he would have to catch it. 

To the amazement of all those who were watching, Ranma focused 
his mind and caused a gigantic hand to form out of his ring. The 
solid energy construct spread out and caught the falling chunk like 
a baseball outfielder catching a fly ball. Ranma gritted his teeth to 
keep his mind focused and then reared back with his arm. The 
gigantic hand also reared back to mimic his movements and threw 
(yes, THREW) the meteor up into the sky as if Ranma was throwing 
toward home plate. The hand immediately disappeared as Ranma 
streaked upward to finish the job. The satellite cameras followed his 
movements as the Green Lantern of Sector 2814 rocketed up into 
space again. To the awestruck viewers of Earth, Ranma approached 
the last piece of the once-mighty comet and flashed toward it in a 
nimbus of energy. He impacted hard into the chunk, causing a huge 
explosion that blinded everyone temporarily. When the light finally 
faded away, the comet was no more and Ranma floated 
triumphantly in space, his body still flaring with green energy.

The people of Earth could only stare in total awe as they had just 
witnessed the homecoming of the last Green Lantern.

On Earth, the populace cheered as Earth's newest defender dived 
back down toward the surface. Tracking stations tried to track his 
reentry, but lost his signal after he had passed the ionosphere. Even 
Washu became frustrated as that same energy suddenly cloaked 
itself and was invisible from even her advanced scanners. She threw 
a bit of a fit, but then calmed down and started thinking.

<An actual Green Lantern! I haven't seen one in centuries! From 
what I saw, he does indeed possess one of the legendary Power 
Rings, reputed to be the most powerful weapon in the universe! 
Wait a second. I thought that all Power Rings shared the same 
weakness against anything that was yellow. That comet had a lot of 
yellow-colored ores inside of it, but he didn't have any trouble 
handling it. Could it be that this Green Lantern's ring is some kind 
of new prototype? Ooh, it looks like I might have another chance! >

There were very few things that ever frustrated the greatest 
scientific genius in the universe. The inability to discover the secret 
of Tenchi's Juraian power (mostly because he still refused to give 
her that special sample). The fact that despite all of her high-tech 
security systems and efforts, Mihoshi STILL somehow manages to 
get into her lab and mess her experiments. One last thing was the 
fact that she had never been able to duplicate the Power Rings of the 
Green Lanterns. And now, this newcomer had just been designated 
as her newest, soon-to-be guinea pig! Not only did she want to study 
his weapon, but she was also interested in the ring bearer. Power 
Rings weren't handed out to just anyone. In the old days, only 
certain individuals with special characteristics were ever selected to 
become Green Lanterns. The Guardians had turned her down!

<Oh yes, my little green guinea pig... we're going to be very good 
friends! >

At the Time Gate, Sailor Pluto had decided to pay a visit to the Rei's 
Temple and have a very long talk with the other Senshi.

To be continued...

Author's notes

Well, I guess that it was inevitable that Green Lantern Ranma 
would be continued, along with Tattoon Ranma. Now as for where I 
could go with this, well a crossover with the Sailor Senshi and 
Tenchi Muyo could be in the works. As for the rest of the DC 
superheroes, well I decided not to include them. If heavy hitters 
such as Superman or the rest of the Justice League existed, then 
they could have stopped that comet without Ranma's help. I decided 
just to let Ranma be the only DC superhero that exists in this 
universe, but that doesn't mean that I won't be getting into the 
superhero business and there would be plenty of worldwide 
situations as well as the possibility of aliens coming to Earth as 
well. Ah well, we can always hope can't we?


