Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, any of the characters or concepts depicted here, or anything associated with them. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

The Shikigami Ranger and the Monster Mashers

Chapter 1: A Deadly Halloween Threat

"So how're the local PKE levels looking?" Ranma Saotome wondered as he made his way towards one of the installations maintained by Stingray Industries for the various teams making up the Champions. The pigtailed man was looking at technological bracelet that was projecting an image of one of his teammates who was helping to coordinate the Champions' efforts to deal with the latest disaster to hit the patchwork quilt of a world that was known as Coreline. "Any chance they've gone down any?"

"I'm afraid not," replied the amalgam of Yui Ikari and the Vision that was their resident communications and computer expert. The android woman came from a world where Gendo had found a way retrieve Yui's soul by transferring it from Evangelion Unit 01 into an android body that could house her mind and soul. She possessed a face and hair that was organic in appearance, but her android body was mostly white. "PKE levels are continuing to rise at all lei line convergences, as well as any other location with a high level of supernatural activity. If they continue to do so, the possibility of a dimensional breach at each of these locations will become dangerously high."

Issuing a heavy groan at this, Ranma shook his head and muttered, "Figures this would happen on Halloween..."

"Halloween is known for a dramatic increase in supernatural activity," Yui reminded Ranma, a hint of humor in her android voice. "Certain spirits, such as Samhain, grow far more powerful, and -"

"I know, I know," Ranma grumbled sourly. This wasn't his first Halloween in the crazy world of Coreline; the pigtailed martial artist knew just how nasty that particular holiday could get. "So how goes the preparations?"

"We have already mobilized all teams of Champions that specialize in dealing with supernatural crises to each of the locations," Yui reported. "All other available heroes are in the process of securing Stingray Industries assets and buildings to insure their safety, or are working with other superhero teams and the Foundation to evacuate civilians in the danger areas, as well as establish containment zones, in the event something happens."

"So if anything nasty does manage to break through, we should be able to hold it where no one will get hurt," Ranma gathered, glad that things were going smoothly, or at least as smoothly as could be expected. "Any problems working with Avengers Infinity or the Justice League or any of the rest of them?"

"None so far," Yui returned, her eyes narrowing somewhat. "Do you expect for a problem to occur?"

"Expect it? No. But with a mess like this, you better believe I'm anticipating it," Ranma explained as he looked over the building that was presently serving as the temporary headquarters of the super team selected to deal with the mounting PKE energies radiating throughout New York City. "Listen, Yui...I know Misa-chan vetted this crew, but are you sure they're up for something like this?"

Her brows furrowing somewhat at this, Yui then answered, "The Shikigami Ranger and his team have proven to be competent and extremely reliable in several crises in the past. And they are uniquely qualified to handle a supernatural disaster, as well as a large-scale extra-dimensional assault. Why do you ask?"

"Because I read up on this team," Ranma returned, despite having only skimmed over the team files. "And since the team in question is composed of a teenage boy and his harem...you'll excuse me if I have my doubts."

"So is that why you asked to be the coordinator with this team on this mission?" came another, more welcome voice. A moment later, a familiar, mischievous smile appeared within the holographic display. "Do they remind you of something? Maybe bring back some memories?"

"Hey, Misa-chan," Ranma replied, smiling fondly at his wife. Then he quickly sobered and replied, "Yeah, it brings back memories. Memories of the kind of chaos that happens with the sort of thing. Seriously, I've seen it happen too many times! Harems in a battlefield situation like this almost always wind up ending in total disaster! They have some problem they can't leave at the doorstep, or the girls start trying to outdo each other or grab the guy's attention, or -!"

"Ranma, I know. I've seen it happen a few times myself! Both before and after we landed in this crazy world!" Misato reminded him in a more pointed fashion. Then all teasing vanished from her face as she went on to say, "But Michiru Kururugi and his team have an excellent track record. Every mission they've taken on has been completed successfully, and with little to no civilian casualties. Plus, they have multiple experts on arcane forces and ancient magic. And since Michiru happens to be a Power Ranger, he and his team comes complete with Zords which have all been upgraded with the best technology from various zoids, Gundams, and other forms of mecha. So if we have something big and nasty show up -"

"I get the idea, Misa-chan," Ranma broke in, holding up his free hand in surrender. Then he issued a sigh of reluctant surrender. "But...I still have a bad feeling about this. There's a lot that can go wrong in a situation like this. And putting them here? In New York City?! We still have Shandor's feeder system for Gozer! It might be shut down, but that doesn't mean something can't start it back up again! And with these PKE levels -!"

"Don't worry, it's not like this crew is going in unassisted. The local Ghostbusters and several super teams are also ready for action." Then Misato gave him a playful wink. "Besides, even if the Shikigami Ranger and his team have problems...why, that's what you're there for! To reign in any chaos you find and keep everyone on task!"

Looking at his wife's face, Ranma couldn't help but smile at her point. "Okay, okay. You win...again," he finally conceded. "But I'm really hoping this isn't a mistake, Misa-chan. This has been a crazy enough year as it is. We don't need anything else happening to add to the mess."

"No arguments here," Misato nodded thoughtfully. "Keep in touch, lover."

"Will do. Ranma, out," the martial artist concluded, deactivating the communications link. As his wife disappeared, Ranma again looked at the decent-sized building that was housing this particular team of Champions, and issued another sigh. "Oh, damn...I have such a bad feeling about this..."

But even so, Ranma knew there was a job to be done. And after pausing to pray to whatever deities that might be listening that this would not end in a total disaster, he made his way up to the building. Upon reaching the main door, he put his hand on a panel that looked like an ordinary, everyday intercom for an ordinary, everyday mid-size industrial building. The instant he did so, a digitized voice said, "Identify yourself, please."

"Ranma Saotome," the martial artist replied, aware that, even as he spoke, hidden sensory devices and computers were scrutinizing every detail of his body, everything from retinal eye patterns and voice print to DNA and dimensional energy signatures. All in an effort to make certain that he was who said he was, and whether or not he was to be allowed entrance.

An instant later, the door slid open, with the electronic voice saying, "Welcome, Mr. Saotome."

Bracing himself for what he was certain would be utter chaos, Ranma strode into the building, making his way towards where he knew the Command Bridge was located. If this crew has even half their act together, then that's where most of them will be, he thought, still suffering a bad feeling about this. Yeah, and since when does any harem have their act together?

Wincing at memories of some of the fiascoes that resulted from his own band of female admirers whenever they got together, not to mention his rivals and so on, Ranma continued down the hall, only to pause when two female figures appeared. "Huh?"

"Oh, you must be Mr. Saotome," greeted one of the girls, who he quickly recognized as a variant of the Demon Slayer Sango. Only this Sango was wearing a green uniform that was an odd mix of Power Ranger esthetics and her traditional Demon Slayer uniform. Even more surprising was that this Sango was a couple feet taller than most Sangos, boasted considerably larger muscles, and had the green hair, eyes, and skin that marked her plainly as a gamma mutant. "Headquarters told us you'd be coming."

"Uh...ah..." Ranma replied, taken somewhat by surprise. His surprise increasing when he looked at the other girl, was tall, busty, and seemingly nude save for a belt with an old-school Power Morpher, a black bikini hiding her considerable assets, and large swatches of fur on her arms and legs. Two tails stretched out from her posterior. She had orange, cat-like eyes, a diamond mark on her forehead, and cat ears sticking out of her pale yellow hair.

"Greetings," came the furry girl, greeting him with a polite bow of her head. "I am Kirara. Pleased to meet you."

"Kirara?!" Ranma blurted out, only to mentally smack himself in the face. He had met a few alternates of Sango and Kirara in the past, so it was easy for him to see the trademark details of the two-tailed feline in this cat-girl now that he knew what to look for. "Hey, sorry! I just...um..."

A beat passed as Kirara studied him, a slight frown marking her lips. "Weren't you briefed about the members of our team?"

"Uh..." Ranma hesitated, unwilling to admit that he had only skimmed over their files, having been unable to get past the horrifying notion that he was dealing with a boy and his harem, as well as the bad memories this notion brought back. "Sort of," he finally said with a note of humiliation. "With everything that was happening, things were pretty crazy. And...there wasn't enough time for a full briefing."

"I see," Sango returned sympathetically. "Things have been pretty chaotic ever since the alert was sounded." Glad that they were taking his half-truth at face value, Ranma waited as the gamma-powered Demon Slayer went on, "We'll give you a proper introduction to everyone once we get to the command bridge."

"Yeah, I'd appreciate that," Ranma confirmed, more reassured by Sango's mannerisms than anything else. She certainly had her act together, and if she was anything like the other Sango's he'd bumped into in this world, then he could certainly count on her and Kirara to function well if it came to a battle. "So...lead the way."

Nodding to this, Sango turned and started forward, with Kirara moving alongside of her. "So, uh...would you mind telling me a bit about yourselves?" Ranma started, wanting to get a better handle on this crew he was going to be working with. "Like...I've met a few alternates of you two before, but, uh..."

"None like us?" Kirara guessed, glancing over her shoulder at him, grinning a grin that showed off a set of cute little fangs. When Ranma nodded, the two-tailed girl went on to explain, "Alright. But it is something of a long story."

"In this crazy world? What isn't?" Ranma wondered rhetorically. "Just give me the abridged version of it."

Nodding to this, Kirara paused to take a breath before proceeding. "Very well. It all began with our Michiru, when he was forced on a strange journey after coming into contact with the sword Sounga. He landed in the New York City of our world, and had to work with the Ghostbusters there."

"Seriously?" Ranma started, not having expected this development.

Nodding, Kirara continued with, "Because of the legal ramifications surrounding his unexpected entry into the United States, he was forced to discretely make his way back home to avoid being arrested. In doing so, he made a great journey that put him in several strange situations, during which he met many...unusual people. Some of which you'll soon meet."

Oh, so that's how he picked up his harem, Ranma thought with a slight wince. I wonder what kind of nuts we're dealing with?

"At one point in his journey, Michiru found himself in the mountains outside Angel Grove, where he found a storage bunker left over from when the original Power Rangers' Command Center was destroyed," Kirara continued in her pleasant voice. "Inside, he found many artifacts that Zordon had had stored there, including the original Power Coins, as well as -"

"Now, wait a minute. Hold on," Ranma interrupted, holding out his hand. "I know a little about Power Rangers history, but - the way I heard it, I thought all of the Power Coins were destroyed!"

"You are correct that the Ninja Coins that were provided to the Rangers by Ninjor were destroyed," Kirara confirmed. "However, the original Coins, the ones that were first given to the Rangers and were subsequently depowered with the destruction of the Thunder Zords, remained intact. They had suffered a tremendous shock as a result of the Zords' destruction, and had subsequently been placed into storage. But over time, the Coins began to regenerate their powers."

"Really?!" Ranma gaped, surprised by this development.

"They were still very weak when Michiru happened upon them," Kirara continued. "But he could still sense the inherent power they held within. And so he decided to take them, as well as the remaining stored data and equipment there, hoping that they could be of use in the future."

"Eventually, Michiru found a way to use his magic to reenergize all the Coins," Sango noted with a hint of pride. "He made them even more powerful, and even found a way to create new Coins."

"Which explains your getups, I guess," Ranma decided, again focusing on Kirara. "And, so...I'm guessing that that Morpher has something to do with you...?"

Smiling again, Kirara nodded. "That's correct. Michiru gave me one of the coins he created. And when I bonded to it, the power it gave me enabled me to assume a humanoid form, even when not morphed." Heaving a deep, fond sigh, the two-tail mused, "I can't tell you what a blessing it was. To be able to speak in true words. To finally be able to express myself in a way that I could be understood by my friends and loved ones..."

"Okay, that's one mystery solved," Ranma nodded. Then he turned his gaze towards the gamma-Slayer. "But what about you, Sango? How'd you...?"

"End up big and green?" Sango wondered with a wry look on her face. "It happened shortly after Michiru returned to Japan. He used his magic to bring me to the present, and we...I wanted to see his world, his time. I wanted to see how well I could...adjust to it. To all of the changes that had taken place over the centuries, and..."

"You wanted to go out on a date, Sango," Kirara chided her companion. When the Demon Slayer turned to her companion, her cheeks darkening in a gamma blush, the two-tail added, "There's no use denying it. You wanted to spend some time with Michiru, where Miroku couldn't get in the way of your time together."

When Sango's cheeks darkened even more, Ranma cleared his throat, hoping to get back on subject. "So, uh, anyway...what happened?" he wondered, drawing the Demon Slayer's attention once more. "Did you wander onto the testing grounds of a gamma bomb, or...?"

The blush coloring Sango's green cheeks faded, and her eyes dropped somewhat. "No, I...it was...something else," she replied, a slight tremor of old fear in her voice. "A madman calling himself the Leader attacked Japan. He unleashed some kind of...gamma virus, and..."

"Uh-oh! You had me at 'The Leader'!" Ranma groaned, having run into variants of that ego-maniacal gamma genius and seen just how easily he could take a bad situation and make it ten times worse. "So, let me guess; he wanted to turn all of Japan into gamma-powered slaves? Something like that?"

Nodding to this, Sango continued with, "InuYasha was able to get Kagome and Kirara to safety. And Michiru, he was able to morph, so...he was protected. But...I wasn't as lucky."

"Michiru empowered more of the Coins and gave them to InuYasha, Kagome, and myself," Kirara continued. "With the help of some of the local superheroes, we were able to stop the Leader." Then she glanced at Sango, and frowned slightly. "But...not before some of the people were...permanently mutated."

Groaning at this, Ranma turned a sympathetic gaze on Sango. "Damn, I...I'm sorry, I..." As the Demon Slayer continued to look downwards, the pigtailed man asked, "So, uh...are you...you know...stuck like that?"

"Hmm? Oh, no, no! I can change back to normal!" Sango quickly assured him with a kindly smile. Then her expression darkened before she admitted, "But...at first, I was...I couldn't control myself at all. I was...pure rage...changing whenever I got angry, and..." His insides twisting at this, Ranma could only look sympathetically at the woman warrior as she went on. "It...took me...a long time before I could...get control of myself. And if it weren't for Michiru and his magic, I...I don't think I could have ever..."

Though her words had failed her, Ranma could very easily read the pain that she had not given voice to. He knew from seeing it with his own eyes the agony people who were forced to struggle with their inner beast went through before they were finally able to reclaim control of their lives, of their very souls. "But...anyway, I...it worked out in the end," Sango finally declared, her expression making it clear that she was merely shoving her pain to the side for the moment. "And I have to admit," she went on, pausing to flex a mountainous bicep, "all this extra muscle comes in handy. I know it certainly helped against Naraku."

"Yeah, I'll bet," Ranma nodded, having heard plenty of horror stories about Naraku. "So, uh...how much further to the Command Bridge? We still have a lot of work ahead of us."

"We're almost there," Kirara assured him.

True to the two-tails' word, less than a minute later, they reached the Commander Bridge. As the door slid open, Ranma found himself envisioning utter chaos. Girls arguing, taunting each other, fighting for the affection of the one guy each and every one of them had her heart set on. The same absolute chaos that was his life in Nerima.

To Ranma's utter astonishment, what he found was the exact opposite. Yes, there were numerous women of different ages, races, and even species, but they were either working away at some task, or they were seated in ways that made it clear that they were ready to launch themselves into action at a moment's notice.

The first thing Ranma noticed was a boy in his teens in a uniform that was nearly identical to that of the original White Ranger, though there were differences. The helmet he had under his arm had a mouth instead of streamlined metal, the tiger emblem at the center of his armored vest was replaced with a pentagram with Japanese glyphs on it, and his belt had a Power Morpher, as well as a Blade Blaster holstered on one side and the magical short sword Saba on the other. He had short, curly brown hair, and grey-blue eyes that seemed to miss nothing as he studied the various display screens and holographs there. And beneath his Ranger uniform, he possessed an extraordinary physique; the skin tight outfit did nothing to disguise a body composed of lean, rippling muscle.

"That's Michiru, over there," Sango pointed out needlessly. "Michiru!" Turning about at the gamma mutant's call, the Shikigami Ranger looked as she indicated Ranma. "This is Mr. Saotome, from Headquarters."

"Huh? Oh, right!" Michiru returned, looking a bit sheepish. Making his way over towards Ranma, the boy extended his free hand. "A pleasure to meet you, sir."

"Likewise. I just wish that it was under better circumstances," Ranma returned with a nod. "So...you're the Shikigami Ranger."

Smiling in a bashful manner that betrayed a shy nature, Michiru then nodded. "Yeah, I'm Michiru Kururugi." Then he glanced down at the short sword hanging from his belt, as well as the tiger head at the base of the grip. "And this is Saba."

"Hello," Ranma returned, uncertain how to greet someone with no hands, and decided to settle with a simple bow.

"Greetings, Mr. Saotome," the enchanted sword returned in a polite manner.

"Michiru! Over here!" came a woman who was seated at one of the computers. She was dressed in an odd patterned outfit consisting of red and black, a dark jacket of similar colors, and a Morpher on her belt. Her short, brown hair was done up in a bun, and a look of grave concern marked her features. "We're picking up a major spike in PKE energy! It looks like the beginning of a major cross-dimensional event!"

Making a face as he glanced back at the woman, Michiru then returned his focus to Ranma. "Uh, sorry, Mr. Saotome, but, uh..." Nodding his understanding, the martial artist watched as the Shikigami Ranger darted back to the woman, saying, "Uh, Sango? Kirara? Could you -?"

"Of course," Sango nodded. Then she looked at Ranma and sighed. "Sorry. He gets pretty serious at times like this."

"It's times like this when you have to get serious!" Ranma responded. As Sango again nodded, he glanced about at the other women present. "So, uh...you were going to handle the introductions...?"

"Yes, of course," Kirara nodded. Gesturing at the woman that had called for Michiru's attention, she explained, "Over there is Dr. Ilyssa Selwyn."

"Selwyn?" Ranma repeated, just before memory nudged his consciousness. "Wait - isn't she a descendent of -?"

Both Sango and Kirara held up their hands, making noises of negation at this. "Uh...yes," the gamma-Slayer replied, pausing to glance back at Ilyssa before continuing, "Sorry, but...Ilyssa...she really doesn't like being reminded of that..."

Deciding that he couldn't blame her for not liking the idea of being related to a genocidal maniac such as Ivo Shandor, Ranma nodded his understanding. "So, she's monitoring the mess we've got outside?"

"That's right. Ilyssa is an expert on all known forms of Ghostbusters technology, and has a great deal of arcane knowledge," Kirara confirmed. Then, in a lower voice, she added, "She has...other abilities, but..."

"You'd rather not talk about them with her around. Got it," Ranma whispered back, deciding that he didn't need to know her full story as long as she did the job. Then he glanced over at another of the ladies there, who was surrounded by arcane energies. She had long, light purple hair, and her eyes were glowing with magical energies. "Say...isn't that a variant of...?"

"Charmcaster?" Sango gathered. When Ranma nodded, she replied, "Yes, but we prefer to call her by her true name; Hope."

"So how'd she come to join up with your crew?" Ranma wondered, studying her garments. She was also wearing a variant of a Power Ranger costume, only this one was purple and seemed stylized towards her mystic heritage. "Aren't most variants of her...?"

"Corrupted by the power of the Alpha Rune or by her uncle? Unfortunately," Kirara confirmed. "Michiru encountered her when he met the Ben 10 of his world, and they were forced to team up and destroy an evil Anodite that was stealing all of the mana on Earth. Fortunately, Michiru had already found the Power Coins, and was able to combine his magic with his Ranger powers, and together, they were able to trick the Anodite into a magical trap that drained all of her powers."

"Hope was nearly killed in the process, though," Sango explained. "Michiru was able to save her with his healing magic, and in the process, destroyed the corruption that was taking control of her. Later on, he and the others went to her home world and defeated Adwaita, freeing her people and sealing the Alpha Rune away so it couldn't hurt anyone else."

Deciding that he could see how something like that could get a girl to fall for him, Ranma was about to ask something else when another girl spoke up. "I wish you wouldn't talk about that. Not with Hope in the same room." Starting at this voice, the martial artist turned towards the owner, only to start when he saw that it was a female gargoyle. "I know she's projecting her astral form to investigate the anomalies, but...talking about that sort of thing..."

"We know, Angela," Sango assured her in a gentle manner. "But...Mr. Saotome asked, so -"

"Uh, hold on. Wait a second," Ranma broke in, holding up his hands as he studied the girl before him. She was indeed a gargoyle, and an attractive figure of one with lavender skin, long dark hair, and large wings that were presently draped around her shoulders like a cloak. She wore a crimson uniform that was almost like armor, and had a Ranger helmet under one arm. "Um, excuse me...Angela, was it?" The gargoyle gave a polite nod. "Um...don't take this the wrong way, but...you're a gargoyle, right?"

A beat passed before the gargoyle smiled pleasantly. "Of course," she confirmed. "Have you...not met one of our kind before?"

"On occasion," Ranma assured her. "But, uh...it's still daylight out. Shouldn't you be...you know...a statue right now?"

"Oh, that!" Angela blurted, drawing looks from some of the other femmes there. "I understand. But...well, after Michiru and I met, he devised a spell that would prevent my clan from turning to stone, and allow us to sleep as humans do."

Now this caught Ranma by surprise. "Seriously?!"

Nodding, Angela continued with, "He was able to create what he called a sunstone inside each of our bodies. It absorbs solar energy, allowing us to move about freely during the day." Pausing to glance over at Michiru, she gave a happy sigh. "I can't tell you what a miracle it was...being able to see the sun with my own eyes...feel its warmth..."

Getting an idea of how Michiru had first won this gargoyle's ardor, Ranma then asked, "But if this...sunstone thing allows you to stay up during the day, then how he doesn't give one to the other gargoyles in this crazy world?"

"Health issues," Kirara flatly replied. "Several lobbyists for gargoyles of various species have concerns about the long term effect of the sunstone, and want to be certain it wouldn't cause any lasting harm before allowing more to be created."

"That's right. Though I really don't know what they're making such a fuss over it," Angela admitted with a touch of annoyance. "I go into the doctors once a month for an exam, and they know that I'm in good health. Anyone can see that it's not hurting me."

"Yeah, it sure looks that way," Ranma confirmed, giving the gargoyle girl a quick onceover. Then he gave a helpless shrug and added, "But...you know politics. It doesn't have to make sense to screw stuff up."

"I know." Then Angela made a face and grumbled, "And...I can't believe that there are some gargoyles that don't want to be able to see the sun! They think it's wrong to want to not turn to stone, to -!"

"Um, Angela?" Sango interrupted in a gentle manner that instantly grabbed the gargoyle's attention. "I'm sorry, but...Mr. Saotome did want to meet the rest of the team. So..."

Letting out a slight gasp, Angela brought her clawed hand to her mouth. "Oh, of course! I'm sorry, sir!"

"Hey, it's no problem," Ranma quickly assured her. Then he glanced about at the other ladies that surrounded him. "So, uh...who's next?"

"Why not us?" waved a girl, one of a pair that were seated next to each other. The girl who was waving was garbed in a dressy, pink version of a Ranger uniform, but had accessorized it with a long, yellow coat. She also wore a set of purple shades. She was seated next to a girl with long, dark hair that seemed to match her dark expression. Her outfit was a fairly plain gun-metal grey Ranger suit, with nothing fancy or distinguishing.

Finding himself liking the first girl's outgoing attitude, Ranma went over to the pair. "Alright, why not you?" he wondered as he came up to their sides. "I'm Ranma Saotome. And you are...?"

"I'm Jubilation Lee," the first girl declared, and as Ranma watched, bursts of energy that looked like fireworks exploded from her hands. "But everyone just calls me -!"

"Jubilee, of course!" Ranma concluded, recognizing the mutant's powers immediately. Then he glanced over at her companion and asked, "And you would be...?"

A few seconds passed in an awkward silence before the second girl answered, "My name is Laura Kinney, but the name I was first given is X-23."

At this point, Ranma felt a bit nervous. He was familiar with variants of Wolverine and his clone, X-23, and just how utterly deadly they were. Humans that had been crafted into some of the deadliest killing machines their worlds had ever seen, and with exceedingly dangerous tempers to go along with their cutting claws and exceptional healing factors. They were great people to have on your side in a fight, as long as you didn't piss them off. And then there was the nasty matter of the Trigger Scent...

"Hey, chillax!" Jubilee beamed, apparently taking notice of Ranma's hesitation. Sporting a broad, happy grin, she continued with, "I know, X can have a bit of an -!"

"Fangs?!" Ranma blurted out, his eyes widening as he focused on Jubilee's grinning face. And of greater concern, the vampiric fangs that glinted dangerously in her mouth.

"No, she has an attitude, and - oh, you mean these," Jubilee interrupted herself, her grin fading almost instantly. "Sorry. Forgot about that." Then she gave Ranma a sheepish look and elevated her shades, revealing eyes with blood-red irises. "Uh...you don't have a problem with vampires, do you?"

"Uh..." Ranma sputtered out, trying to think of a way avoiding saying that, yes, he did have a natural wariness of blood-sucking ghouls that could turn him into an undead slave. Wracking his brain for some clever and graceful way out, he seized on something he read regarding variations of the mutant before her. "Well, uh - you just shot some fireworks, right? That's your mutant power?" Jubilee gave a quick nod to this. "And - you're a vampire? So -?"

"Oh, I get it, I get it! And since I lost my mutant powers before I ran into one of Dracula's brat boys, how can I...?" Jubilee went on in a joking manner. Relieved that he was able to fake his way out of that, especially as clumsy as he was in dealing with people, Ranma listened as the mutant vampire explained, "Well, uh..." Frowning slightly, she glanced over at Sango and asked, "Say, uh...did you tell him about Mitch's journey? About the Sounga and...?"

As Jubilee trailed off, Sango nodded. "We told him about how Sounga took Michiru to New York and how he had to travel to get back."

"Okay, great," Jubilee grinned, again baring her fangs. Seeming to realize this, she then faked a cough, covering her mouth, and then explained, "Anyway, sometime after Mitch landed in New York, he got kinda banged up in a fight with a creep by the name of Sabertooth." Wincing at this, Ranma groaned even as the mutant girl nodded. "Exactly. We had to take him back to the school for treatment. His Shikigami helped him pull through, but...it was still pretty nasty."

"I'll bet!" Ranma intoned, all-too familiar with alternates of Victor Creed and their legendary bloodlust. "But how'd you find Michiru in the first place?"

Jubilee opened her mouth to answer, but before she could speak, Michiru was heard saying, "Because I'm a mutant, like her and Laura."

Sensing a headache coming on, Ranma gave Michiru a strange look. "I - hold on! Did you just say -?!" the martial artist started, only to trail off as he struggled to process so much at once. "But - I thought your Shikigami powers were magic!"

"They are. But some mutant powers and bloodlines allow people to access and control magical powers," Michiru explained in a casual manner. "And since the Shikigami power is a bloodline trait...well..."

"So you have the X-gene, huh?" Ranma replied, to which Michiru nodded. "Whew...so I'm guessing that's how the X-Men found you."

"Got it in one!" Jubilee confirmed even as Michiru nodded. "Cerebro had a hard time locking onto Mitch at first - his magic really mucked up its systems - but we found him and got him back to the mansion for treatment." Nodding his comprehension, Ranma watched as the fanged girl directed a loving look at the Shikigami Ranger. "Anyway, he stayed with us for a while, and while he was with us, he heard about the problems me and X and some of the other students had. So Mitch, being Mitch, decided that he wanted to help."

Ranma gave Michiru a look, to which he gave a helpless shrug. "Restoring her powers wasn't all that hard, once Professor Xavier told me what the problem was," he modestly admitted. "But...I wasn't able to completely reverse the vampire transformation. The best I could do was modify the ichor in her bloodstream, make it similar to the blood of a half-vampire called Blade."

"So you were able to turn Jubilee into a Daywalker?!" Ranma gaped, becoming more and more impressed with Michiru's capabilities. For while he didn't know much about magic, he knew enough to realize that this was all high-level magic, beyond that of an average magician.

"Bingo!" Jubilee declared, grinning unabashedly. "I got all the perks, none of the weaknesses, I can enjoy a nice, sunny day on the beach, look myself in the mirror, and he even boosted my original powers while he was at it!"

Getting the feeling he knew what had enticed Jubilee into joining this odd harem, Ranma considered pressing Laura for some information, but then decided against it. Like most variants of X-23, she wasn't exactly talkative, and in all likelihood found discussing such private matters difficult and painful. So he decided to move on. "Well, thanks, Jubilee," Ranma said before looking about. "So, uh...is that everyone?"

"Not quite," Michiru announced, still looking a bit sheepish. "Lena's on her way up with Nefertina. They and Bigfoot just got back after doing some remote readings of the area. And some of the others are out helping to secure the area."

Staggered by the size and nature of this harem and starting to wonder how Michiru kept up with all these women, Ranma paused to shake his head wearily. "This is some team you've got," he muttered. "So you've got a Bigfoot on your team, huh?" Michiru gave a nod to this. "And what's she like?"

"He," intoned X-23. Starting at this, Ranma gave the mutant a look, who reiterated. "Bigfoot. He's a he."

Again, Ranma was surprised. In all his time dealing with the various crazy harems, including his own, he had found it very rare for there to be more than one male involved with all the ladies. "Uh...o-kaaaay..." he intoned, getting the feeling he was missing something. "So what's he like?"

"Big, tough, competitive, and...hmm..." Trailing off into a thoughtful smile, Michiru then said, "Actually, I think it would be easier if you just met him."

Now certain that he was missing out on some kind of joke, Ranma considered the matter for a time before shrugging. "Okay, sure," he replied, deciding that it wasn't important enough to pursue at the moment. "Anyway, uh...you mentioned a Nefertina, right?" Michiru again nodded. "And...isn't that the name of one of those mummies that's alive?"

"That's right. She's a mummy," Angela confirmed before glancing over at Michiru. "I still wish you hadn't let her come with us on this, though."

"I tried to talk her into staying at home, remember?" Michiru countered with a hapless shrug. "But you know how she - or any of the rest of you - gets once she makes up her minds about something!"

"That's true," Sango nodded as the other girls tittered.

"Wait a minute, why would you want one of your team to stay at home?" Ranma frowned, not liking the sound of this. "Is something wrong with her."

"Not exactly," Kirara intoned, a feline grin on her face. "But she is close to term, so naturally, we're all concerned about her."

As these words lodged in Ranma's brain, he felt his eyes bulge in surprise. "Wait a second...close to term?" he repeated, certain that he had heard them wrong. But when a couple of the girls nodded, he gave Michiru a look of patent disbelief. "You mean - she's pregnant?!"

As Michiru's cheeks colored, Laura gave Ranma a somewhat snarky look. "Yes. She's expecting some time this or next week."

Blinking several times in rapid succession, Ranma then issued a heavy groan. "Okay. I know that I'm gonna regret asking this, but since I feel like I'm already going nuts, I'm gonna do it anyway." The pigtailed man then heaved a deep breath before demanding, "How the hell did you manage to IMPREGNATE a WALKING DEAD PERSON?!"

"Mr. Saotome, please!" Ilyssa hissed out, shooting him a poisonous look. As Ranma met this glare, she added, "I'm trying to track the source of the PKE energy and determine the exact nature of this manifestation! I need to concentrate!"

Groaning at this, Ranma was about to respond when Ilyssa turned back to her workstation. "Sorry," Jubilee smiled helplessly. "Ilyssa gets kinda intense when she's at work."

Deciding that he couldn't blame her for this, especially since she was working on finding the source of anomaly that could bring about the end of the world as they knew it, Ranma then returned to the previous topic. "Okay, but that doesn't answer my question," he grumbled, eyeing Michiru dangerously. "How did you manage to turn a mummy into a mommy?!"

Groaning as he was once again put on the spot, Michiru rubbed the back of his head for a time. "Uh, well, you see...she's not exactly a mummy. Not anymore," he explained in an evasive manner. "You see, I...I sort of..."

"He sort of brought her back to life," came another, snarky voice, one that Ranma didn't recognize. "Mitch, we are in serious trouble."

Looking about, Ranma realized that it was Charmcaster who had spoke. No longer did magical forces radiate and surround her, and a worried expression marked her face. "What did you learn from your astral incantation?" Michiru wondered even as she approached. "Did you find out who or what we're dealing with?"

"He brought her back to life?" Ranma repeated, not sure that he had heard this correctly.

"No. But I can tell you that things are even worse than we realized," Charmcaster gravely intoned. Gesturing at the computer screen before Ilyssa, the young sorceress explained, "There's an incredibly intense buildup of mana occurring here, but the mana seems to have multiple sources."

"Multiple sources?" Michiru repeated with a distinct frown. "So more than one creature is involved in this?"

"He can seriously bring the dead...back to life?" Ranma intoned, still trying to get this reality sorted out in his head. "How the heck does he do that?!"

"Well, like he said, it really wasn't all that hard," Angela assured him with a look of knowing sympathy. "Nefertina's body was already being animated by Egyptian magic. And her mind and soul were already bonded to it."

Nodding, Jubilee went on to say, "Yeah, so it was just a matter of reconstituting some of the cells in her body, and -"

"Yes, but it's more than that," Charmcaster explained, raising her voice over the others' chatter and shooting them a look of annoyance before continuing. "Some of the mana, the mana that set the increase in spiritual energy in motion, is of this world, or at least, is tied to the Earthly realm in some way. But the rest of it..."

"It's coming from someplace else?" Michiru gathered. Then he frowned, and asked, "Or...some places?!"

"Huh?!" Ranma got out amid the confused noises of the rest of Michiru's team.

Her eyes narrowing somewhat, Charmcaster murmured, "So...you sense it, too?"

Pressing his lips together, Michiru replied, "I might not have the years of experience you have, Hope, but...I can still sense the abnormalities in the forces of nature. I was hoping that I was just anxious or that it was just the mana being more chaotic than usual...but..."

"Wait a minute, what are you two talking about?" Ranma wondered with a distinct scowl. "I might not know anything about magic, but I know enough to know something bad when I hear it!"

Frowning, Michiru glanced at Charmcaster, who nodded softly. Taking this as a cue, the Shikigami Ranger turned back to Ranma and explained, "According to Hope, something - some power here on Earth - is exerting tremendous amounts of spiritual energy to weaken the barriers that keep the different dimensions apart. And at the same time, something on the other side of the barrier is trying to breach it. Trying to break through to us."

"Yeah, I got that part," Ranma nodded somewhat impatiently. "So...?"

"They're saying that it's not just one dimension that's trying to break through to our world," Ilyssa chimed in from her station.

His eyes widening in dismay, Ranma eyed Ilyssa with mounting horror. "Wait...you mean there's more than just one world trying to reach us here on Earth?!"

"Exactly," Charmcaster declared with a scowl that seemed more in keeping with variants of her. "I can't be sure how many worlds are trying to break through, not from here, but...I can definitely sense the mana of the Ghostworld, as well as other forms of mana. But the other portals are too far away for me to able to tell just how many worlds we're dealing with here."

Furrowing his brows, Ranma asked, "So...any idea how much longer we have until these worlds break through to ours?"

"I don't know. I've never dealt with these kind of energies before," Charmcaster admitted. "There's just so much going on that I can't make sense of it all."

"One thing's for sure; we don't have much time," Ilyssa declared with furrowed brows. "At the rate the PKE readings are rising, a cross-rip event is almost certainly immanent. Spirit activity is already rising at an exponential rate; we're already seeing an increased number of ghosts within the Manhattan area."

"Venkmen's gonna love all the overtime," Michiru noted in a semi-sarcastic manner. Then, pausing to take a deep breath and compose himself, he looked at Ranma. "Mr. Saotome, could you please relay our findings to Headquarters? You'd probably have easier time getting through the red tape than we would."

"Yeah, you got it," Ranma assured him.

"Hope, Ilyssa, keep track of this thing. Sango, Jubilee, Laura, you're with me. We need to get down to the garage, get our gear ready," Michiru ordered, making his way to the door. "Angela, Kirara, find Lena and Nerfertina. Get them back up here and tell them about what we found."

"What do you have in mind?" X-23 wondered, giving Michiru a stern look.

"It's like Hope said; something here in this world is generating the power that's weakening the dimensional membrane, allowing whatever's on the other to try and punch through to us." Michiru intoned in a grave manner. "So I'm betting that if we track down the source of that mana and shut it down, we might have a chance of cutting whatever's going on off before it can even start!"

Author's Note: I've been reading Uruz 11's story, "Chronicles of the Shikigami Master: Part One", which features Michiru's adventures with the Ghostbusters, and I've been considering all the possibly ways such a journey could go afterwards. And so, when I heard about the Coreline challenge on DeviantArt for this month, "This Is Halloween", the nightmare factory that is my mind took these things, put them together, and went insane. So I decided it might be fun to a story featuring Michiru in the world of Coreline, long after his journey in "Chronicles" had been complete, now living with, not only Sango, but the various women that had fallen for him over the course of that journey.

Keep in mind that this is my story, done without Uruz 11's input. I have no idea if the characters seen here will show up in his works. This is just me letting my brain go insane, and taking such a journey and going as far with the potential consequences of it as I can. And I can only hope that you all enjoy the results.

For those of you wondering what the heck Coreline is...well, here's the opening narration regarding this mega crossover, as written by Marcoasalazarm:

''It has been ten years since the end of the world as we knew it. A world-wide Internet infection by an unusual type of virus (called CLULESS) was the trigger. Reality was torn to bits, never to come back fully to normal.

90% of mankind vanished without a trace for 23 hours. The things we believed to be Fictional appeared in their stead. The battles that followed devastated the world.

And once the 23 hours ended, mankind came back, adapted to this new world, willing to embrace the Fictions with open arms... something that many of those who survived the "23 Hours of Madness" are not willing to accept, nor take lying down.

This is an Era of Badass. The Tropes mold your destiny. Out in the open and within the shadows, it is the Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny-Good versus Evil, Real versus Fiction, Canon versus Non-Canon, Rationality versus the Rule Of Cool, the final victor still undetermined.

No place is "safe", only "safer". And outside of it, there is a Multiverse and one timeline-the CORE timeLINE, "Coreline", "C-Line" or "The Line" for short-slowly going crazier.

We bid you welcome. Leave your sanity at the door. And for what's worth, enjoy your stay.''