[FFML] [fanfic][UY/Ranma/SisPri] "Lonely Souls" Part 9 B Side (final draft)

[Frederick Herriot]

And this is the last complete part that needs redoing.  Part 9 C Side still 
remains to be finished.  I'll hopefully work on it tomorrow before I have to 
go back to work on Tuesday night.

Fred

**** **** ****

	"Hmmm . . . Mizuho-chan?"

	"What is it, Nodoka-chan?"

	"Why is it every time we get together, we wind up naked as jaybirds?"

	The lovely twenty-something currently straddling over Nodoka's legs burst 
out laughing before she continued to knead the muscles and tendons around 
the older woman's shoulders.  "Maybe it's because I have such an animalistic 
sex appeal, you simply can't resist me!" Yamashina Mizuho slyly proposed as 
her fingertips dug into the flesh between Nodoka's spine and shoulder 
blades.

	Nodoka laughed as she reached back to playfully swat her friend's hands.  
Both were in Nodoka's bedroom, having shifted there from the furo after a 
long soak so that Mizuho could give the older woman a massage before they 
would go to bed.  It had surprised Nodoka when Mizuho appeared at her front 
door late the previous afternoon, sometime after Nodoka had returned home 
from her meeting with her father downtown.  Then again, given how close 
Saotome Nodoka had come to be with Yamashina Mizuho, the latter's surprise 
visits to Nerima had lost their real shock value long ago.

	Besides, given what happened between Nodoka and her relatives over the last 
couple of months, she really needed a friend at this time.  One she could 
confess ALL her problems to, hug and be hugged by when she needed it, whose 
shoulder she could cry on when it just became too much for Nodoka to handle. 
  Hisayo, bless her heart, was quite wonderful, but there were some things 
Nodoka, to this day, didn't want to burden her twin sister with.  Yamashina 
Mizuho, in a short space of time, had become Nodoka's perfect friend.

	"Feel better?" Mizuho asked.

	Nodoka moaned.  "Much better.  Has Nahoko-san been giving you lessons?"

	Mizuho chuckled.  "No, I learned this from someone else.  I hear you've met 
her over the last couple of weeks:  Moroboshi Negako."

	Silence.

	Nodoka looked up, her jaw dropping in shock.  "You know Negako-san?!"

	Sensing the surprise and underlying fear her friend was currently feeling 
about the grandmaster, Mizuho sighed as she slipped herself off Nodoka's 
legs, allowing the older woman to shift to her side so they could stare into 
the other's eyes.  "Of course I know her."  A smile crossed her face.  
"Surely you noticed the physical similarities between Nahoko-san and 
Negako-sama, Nodoka-chan.  Nahoko-san was the one who allowed her body to 
get cloned by Ataru-san's friends so Negako-sama could have her own body."

	Nodoka blinked.  "Mizuho, why haven't you told me about this before?"

	Mizuho sighed.  "Nodoka, the last time we spoke to each other was back at 
the hotel in Onogawa, sometime before you found out the truth about your 
son's curse and 'Tendou Ranko.'  Remember?  We haven't talked since then.  I 
never believed that a chance might come that you, much less Ranma-san, would 
ever get the chance to meet either Ataru-san or Negako-sama for that 
matter."

	Nodoka considered that, and then she slowly nodded, a hand reaching out to 
rub the younger woman's thigh.  One of the many things Nodoka had come to 
envy about Mizuho was her baby-soft skin.  It had such a silky feel!  It 
didn't take Nodoka long to conclude that ANY man would KILL to be able to 
touch skin like this.  Why Mizuho's husband had divorced her, leaving her in 
Onogawa pregnant -- these days, Mizuho had a cute six year-old daughter, 
Kahori, who was doted on by the all-female staff at the Hotel Kiraboshi -- 
all just to pursue some mad religious quest, Nodoka simply just couldn't 
understand.  Still possessing model-perfect looks, the turquoise-eyed, 
raven-haired Mizuho would not be wanting for dates if she decided to get out 
there and find a potential stepfather for Kahori.  That Mizuho often 
preferred to spend time with Nodoka, either in Nerima or whenever the older 
woman visited Onogawa for a couple days to take in the heated mineral waters 
at the Hotel Kiraboshi, had been one of the MANY mysteries surrounding this 
woman.

	Still, in spite of all that, Nodoka REALLY needed a friend . . .

	"I take it something's happened between you and your son."

	Nodoka blinked as she interpreted Mizuho's comment, and then she nodded.  
Taking a moment to marshal her thoughts, she gazed on her guest.  "Mizuho, 
could you tell me some things about Negako-san?  Ranma told me yesterday 
that Jusenkyou had come to affect him a lot worse that was suspected.  That 
he . . . "  Here, Nodoka paused as a lance of pain warped through her mind 
as Ranma's harsh words at the old shrine over twenty-four hours before came 
back to her.  "That my son is now mentally my daughter!  But Father believes 
. . . "

	Mizuho's sigh made her host go silent.  While the manager of the Hotel 
Kiraboshi had never said any really nasty words to her friend about Asagaya 
Isao and the way he had treated Nodoka, Nodoka knew that Mizuho did not hold 
her father in high respect.  "Your father thinks that Negako-sama must have 
done something to make Ranma-san believe that?" she wondered.  At Nodoka's 
nod, Mizuho continued, "Nodoka, Negako-sama wouldn't EVER think of doing 
something like that.  If there is one thing Negako-sama truly holds dear, 
it's the truth.  The whole, unvarnished truth.  If Ranma-san has come to 
discover that those pools in China did *that* to her, believe me, it 
wouldn't have happened because of something Negako-sama did.  In fact, I'm 
more than sure that Negako-sama must've done her best to help ease your 
daughter through that sort of change."  Mizuho ignored the wince Nodoka made 
on the former's mentioning of Ranma, as the latter's "daughter" instead of 
"son."  "Especially if Ranma-san has become friends with Ataru-san.  If 
there's one group of people in the world Negako-sama loves dearly, it's 
Ataru-san and their sisters!"

	Nodoka considered that.  "Yes, that's true, isn't it?  Forgive me, 
Mizuho-chan.  I don't want to get you into any sort of trouble with 
Negako-san, but Father is becoming pretty adamant on the idea of convincing 
Ranma-chan to be formally adopted into the clan."

	"'Adamant' isn't the word I'd use in that case, Nodoka-chan.  'Fanatical' 
is more like it.  Has he told you why he wants to do this?"

	"Well, Genma's gone now . . . "

	"But Ranma-san's Genma's son.  That HAS to bother your father . . . "

	A cell phone rang.  Mizuho stopped, and then she breathed out.  "Don't you 
just HATE that?!" she snarled before reaching over to yank the offending 
device from her skirt pocket.  As Nodoka laughed, Mizuho flipped it open.  
"Moshi-moshi, Yamashina here!" she called into it.

	As her friend heard the other end reply, Nodoka sat up, she reaching over 
to pick up a glass of water.  She was about to lift it to her lips when 
Mizuho's shocked voice called out, "Ayano, if that's a joke, it's not the 
damned least bit funny!"  Looking over at her friend, Nodoka tensed on 
seeing the pale skin and the look of shock on Mizuho's face.  "Did 
Negako-sama confirm it?" the manager of the Hotel Kiraboshi asked.  A pause 
as the other end -- it was Inaba Ayano, Nodoka knew, who was calling; the 
lovely sixteen year-old girl was one of the people who worked as full-time 
staff at the Kiraboshi -- answered, and then Mizuho nodded.  "Yes, yes.  I'm 
with her right now.  Does Negako-sama think Kasumi-san and Nabiki-san could 
stand a visit from her?"  Hearing the names of the elder Tendou daughters, 
Nodoka tensed further.  Despite what had happened between Ranma and the 
Tendous, especially over the last couple of months, the former matriarch of 
the Saotome Clan of Nerima did care a lot for the daughters of the late 
Tendou Kimiko.

	What had happened?

	Finally, Mizuho nodded.  "Hai, I'll bring her over.  See you soon."

	"What happened?" Nodoka asked as her friend closed the cell phone.

	Mizuho sighed.  "Tendou Souun is dead, Nodoka-chan.  He was murdered."

	Nodoka paled.

**** **** ****
"Lonely Souls"
By Fred Herriot
pyeknu at hotmail.com OR fherriot at yahoo.com
**** **** ****
Based on "Urusei Yatsura" and "Ranma 1/2," created by Takahashi Rumiko; and 
"Sister Princess," created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino Sakurako.
**** **** ****
Set in the universe of the fan-fiction series "Urusei Yatsura - The Senior 
Year," created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot
**** **** ****

NOTE:  The writer's notes are in a separate text file.

**** **** ****

THE NINTH PART, "B" SIDE - NEW FRIENDS

	"I had the dream again last night, Mujanba."

	Mujanba blinked, and then she gazed on Hinanba.  Both hunters were in a 
pond about a kilometre from the grounds of the Crystal Palace, enjoying a 
pleasant mid-afternoon swim.  Off in the distance, the other young hunters 
who had come with them to the Planet of Shadows to locate the Sceptre of 
Lecasur were also frolicking in the water, they enjoying the pleasant 
summer-like day.  Varena was sunning herself on the shore nearby, she 
keeping a casual eye on the others to ensure that nothing happened to them.  
Far overhead, large, non-reflective metal blocks, similar in general 
proportions to the black monolith from "2001:  A Space Odyssey" -- but far, 
FAR larger in size -- were slowly circling around.  They would soon move to 
form a solid wall between a good portion of the interior surface of the 
Dyson sphere and its captive sun, thus simulating night on worlds the 
Vosians were more familiar with.  "What dream was that, Hinanba?" the 
brown-haired, hazel-eyed native of Colony Nine asked.

	"The Voyager," Hinanba confessed, her hazel eyes turning down in shame.

	Mujanba sighed.  "Hinanba, you don't have to feel shame about dreaming of 
becoming one of the Maidens, you know.  After all you've been through, 
you've got the right to dream things like that.  Besides . . . "  She nodded 
in the direction of the other hunters.  "Your friends've had the same type 
of dream."  She scowled.  "And they were punished for it just like you were, 
I suspect."

	Hinanba's jaw dropped as she ran a hand through her caramel hair.  "Really 
. . .?" she gasped.

	"Yeah," Mujanba replied with a smile.  "There are times I think the 
Mikado's ideas about the Special Hunter Corps aren't worth the antimatter 
needed to blow them up.  Things would've been a lot easier if he had learned 
to relax the grip on society every once in a while."  She paused as the 
smile slipped from her face.  "If you ask me, I think things would've been a 
lot better if he had just done what was needed after the Ipraedies War, and 
then stepped aside and let civilian rule come back to the Confederation."

	"He's not going to last long, is he?"

	Mujanba breathed out.  "Not really."

	"Then why are we out here, Mujanba?"

	"Well, when civilian rule DOES come back to Vos, someone is going to insist 
on having the Sceptre around to ensure that whoever sits in the President's 
chair won't have his or her legitimacy questioned," Mujanba mused as she sat 
on an underwater rock.  Hinanba smiled as she glided through the water to 
sit beside her.  "And if we do this right, we'll make sure that when the war 
is over, what survivors are there of the Hunter Corps will get justice for 
their sufferings."  A pause.  "War is the sum of all evils, Hinanba.  The 
thing we always have to remember is that there'll be an 'after-war' phase.  
When that comes, it'll be too easy for people to slip through the cracks.  
And if you're associated with any of the atrocities that happen . . . "

	"You're damned to Purgatory without hope of salvation," Hinanba finished.

	"Right."

	Hinanba sighed.  "That's why I want to be one of the Maidens."  She gazed 
curiously on Mujanba.  "Why did the Voyager stop finding new Maidens, 
Mujanba?  I mean, all reports on it doing that stopped coming out some years 
before the rebellion began.  Why . . .?"

	The witch-hunter shrugged.  "Maybe it's primary mission is done.  Maybe the 
Chosen One has already been found."

	Hinanba considered that.  "I still want to be one of the Maidens."

	Mujanba stared at the younger hunter, and then she smiled as she reached 
over to draw an arm around Hinanba's shoulder.  Sensing that touch, Hinanba 
smiled as she leaned against the taller woman's shoulder.  "You want to know 
something, Hinanba?" Mujanba then asked.

	"Hmm?  What is it, Mujanba?"

	"There're times I wish I was a Maiden, too."

	"Really?"

	"Yeah, really!"

	Both women laughed, and then Hinanba held up a finger.  "I know!  We'll go 
find the Voyager and become Maidens together, okay?!" she then proposed.

	The laughter increased, and then Mujanba froze as her eyes began to glow.  
Hinanba noticed that, and then she tensed, her eyes sweeping around.  "What 
is it?" she wondered as her tracking powers activated.  "Is someone close 
by?"

	"I'm not too sure," Mujanba whispered.

*    *    *

	"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAI!  THIS PLACE IS SO NEAT!"

	"It is that, isn't it?!" Makoto stated as the energy comet bearing her, 
Hinako, Aria, Mie and Ayumu made a port turn after clearing the entrance 
into the Planet of Shadows, it levelling at thirty kilometres above mean 
interior ground level.  She reached over to wrap an arm around her lover.  
"Ever imagine coming to a place where the horizon would go UP instead of 
DOWN, Mie-vayae?!"

	"Not really!" Mie mused as she took her own look around.  "The Rover 
reports on this place don't do it any justice!"

	"Whoever created this place was NOT civilized!"

	Everyone stared at Aria.  "What do you mean, Aria-chan?!" Hinako asked.

	Aria pointed.  Everyone looked to see a familiar set of golden arches 
looming in the near distance.  "There's a . . .?" Mie sputtered.

	"McDonalds?!" Makoto finished.

	Hinako looked, and then she sighed.  "Aria-chan and hamburgers!"

	"Aria does NOT like hamburgers," the Parisian, as proud of her native 
France's varied and deep culinary traditions as any Korean would be of 
kimch'i, pulgogi or naengmyoun, sharply declared.  She then demurely smiled 
as she added, "Unless Shirayuki-chan makes them!"

	"Hai!" Hinako agreed with a knowing smile.

	"Yeah, it's a smart thing NOT to piss off the family chef," Makoto noted.

*    *    *

	Back aboard the "Windrider," inside the galley, the chef in question 
sneezed.  "Are you alright, Shirayuki-chan?" Noa asked.

	Shirayuki sniffed back the mucus in her nose, and then she gave the Elder 
Mother and her bond-mate a reassuring smile.  She had been working with Noa 
and Catty on preparing some snacks for everyone on the ship, in following 
the Sagussan weekend community tradition of Pang Manjok.  "Hai desu no, 
Noa-chan," she said as she turned back to the bread rolls she had been 
making.  "Someone must be talking about Hime right now."

	"That's a weird belief," Catty mused as she put danishes into an oven.

	"It's *their* belief, Catty-vayae," Noa reminded the doctor.

	"Hai, true."

	Shirayuki giggled.

*    *    *

	A worried look crossed Ayumu's face, one Hinako was quick to notice.  
"Ayumu-chan, are you okay?" Hinako asked.

	"Do you think Shirayuki-chan'll be mad if I don't eat her hamburgers?"

	The youngest sister blinked.  "Why?"

	"Hamburgers give me an acid stomach."

	"Well, it's not Shirayuki-sama's fault that you once tried to make 
hamburgers using ground nightlizard meat!" Makoto noted.

	Hinako and Aria stared wide-eyed on the Sagussans.  "You eat LIZARDS on 
Sagussa?!" the former demanded before her face screwed up.  
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEW!"  She turned away from them.  "That's almost as bad as 
someone eating dog meat!"

	"Aria wouldn't even THINK of doing that!"

	The Sagussans exchanged knowing looks.  "Well, broiled nightlizard meat IS 
tasty," Mie fondly lamented as she gave Makoto and Ayumu a sly grin.  "Then 
again, it HAS been a few years since I enjoyed it for supper . . . "

	Hinako and Aria, in sync, tongues out:  "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW!"

	"Mie, you're a meanie!" Ayumu scolded before she blinked.  "Road sign!"

	She pointed.  Everyone looked to see another green road sign, this one as 
big as the "Hasei'cha," floating ahead.  "What's that say, Bou-san?!" Hinako 
asked on seeing the Mandarin-like characters marking words in Vosian.

	***'Crystal Palace:  3000 kilometres,'*** the Staff helpfully translated.

	Everyone blink-blinked.  "What sort of place is this, anyway?" Mie asked.

	Makoto sighed.  "It does make you wonder, doesn't it?"

*    *    *

	"I got something."

	"What is it, Kanba?" Mujanba asked as she moved to dry her hair.

	Kanba, a grey-eyed blonde who was in the same class as Hinanba from the 
Mensohn School -- Nassur's alma mater -- shook her head.  "Some sort of 
high-frequency energy reading.  Signs of tachytron radiation, too.  It's way 
off ALL the scales on this machine, Captain.  And I'm picking up five 
humanoid life-forms.  Two appear to be Terran.  One Terran, although this 
one seems to possess some odd genetic modifications.  One Yehisrite, also 
with odd genetic modifications.  In fact, it's the same as her companion.  
And one . . . "

	Kanba stopped, her face paling.  "What?" Ryoonba, Kanba's pe'cha, asked.

	Kanba stared on her crimson-haired, brown-eyed friend.  "Yizibajohei."

	The other hunters froze on hearing that word.  Even Mujanba and Varena were 
visibly perturbed.  Despite the countless technological, social and cultural 
advantages their people had at their beck and call -- even after over three 
decades of devastating civil war! -- there was one planet in the whole 
galaxy people from Vos avoided visiting:  Yiziba.  That planet, chock-full 
of metahumans whose behaviour most often seemed a mad parody of what people 
on Earth would consider "chivalrous," had topped the Confederation's "avoid 
at all costs" first-contact lists ever since Unification two millennia 
before.  If one of them was here on the Planet of Shadows, the whole mission 
to retrieve the Sceptre of Lecasur could soon be in jeopardy.  Hopefully, 
Mujanba mused to herself, the Mikado would understand that; the four-century 
old Vosian dictator was, unfortunately, very well known for his considerable 
LACK of understanding when it came to things that had not succeeded.

	"Three Terrans, a Yehisrite and a Yizibajohei?" Varena, a brown-haired, 
green-eyed azhis'f from Colony Nine, whose dusky skin was decorated with 
many rune-like tattoos, trilled as she closed her eyes.  "Anything else?"

	"Scanning."  Kanba tapped controls on her machine.  After a moment, she 
blinked as a particular reading came up.  "All girls . . .?"

	"Eh?" Pamanba, Hinanba's best friend, called out.  "All girls?"

	"Yes," Kanba replied.  "The two pure-Terrans are very young.  Before 
puberty.  The altered Terran seems to be in her teens.  Ditto with the 
Yizibajohei.  The Yehisrite's in her early twenties."  She shook her head.  
"Never seen readings like this before . . . "

	"Wait!" Ryoonba called out, she pointing to their east.  "Is that them?!"

	Everyone looked.  Kanba nodded.  "It's them.  They seem . . . wait!"

	"They're landing at the Palace?!" Mujanba demanded.  "But why . . .?"

*    *    *

	"Crystal Palace, dead ahead!" Ayumu pointed.

	Everyone breathed out in relief as the enormous crystalline construct -- it 
instantly reminding Hinako and Aria of the many episodes of "Sailor Moon" 
both had watched time and time again, especially the stories concerning 
Crystal Tokyo -- began to grow larger in their vision.  "Staff, can you 
teleport us inside so we can get our hands on the Genesis Wand right away?" 
Mie asked.  "The sooner we get this done, the better.  Especially for you, 
Mako-vayae."

	"Sorry," the flightmistress apologized.

	***I would strongly recommend against that, Mie,*** the Staff responded.  
***The composition of the Crystal Palace's walls is of a neutronium-like 
material that could haze some of my abilities.  And given Ayumu's frequent 
bouts of narcolepsy, I don't believe you want me to risk doing that, and 
thus place Makoto in mortal danger.  The best avenue of approach for us is 
to contact the lone sentient I now sense within the Crystal Palace and 
explain the situation to him.  He might be willing to assist.  If you ask 
him nicely.***

	The Sagussans exchanged looks.  "There's someone living here?" Mie asked.

	"Who could it be?" Ayumu wondered.

	"Let's find out!" Hinako beckoned.

	Everyone gazed on the youngest sister, and then they nodded.  With that, 
the energy comet descended to the grassy lawn around the Palace.  The whole 
of the property was surrounded by dense forest, with some lakes and small, 
tree-shrouded hills stretching out as far as the eye could see.  Outside of 
the vast crystalline structure -- from Hinako's viewpoint, the Crystal 
Palace seemed to be large enough to swallow up all of Promised Island 
several times over! -- before them, there was no sign of any sort of 
habitation, save for what appeared to be an oversized, open-air car parking 
lot two kilometres off to their west.  None of the people from the 
"Windrider" could see the small Vosian starship sitting there at that time; 
the surrounding trees did a very good job of masking its presence, even from 
Makoto's sharp eyesight.  Yes, the Staff DID sense the small group of Vosian 
women standing close to a lake between the parking lot and the Palace, but 
it wasn't concerned.  Its controller and her companions were worried too 
much about Makoto's health to concern themselves about that.  Besides, if 
things did get out of hand, the Staff certainly had enough power to deal 
with them if Hinako asked it to.

	Five pairs of feet touched down on the lawn about fifty metres from the 
Palace's front doors.  As everyone took a deep breath, Aria walked forward 
to gaze on a more normal-sized road sign standing to the right of the path 
leading to the main entrance.  "Hinako-chan, what does that say?" she 
wondered as she pointed to the sign.  "Aria can't read that."

	***Just a minute . . . *** the Staff called out in their minds.

	Everyone blinked as the air before their eyes hazed over.  The Staff then 
projected a hologram that transformed the Vosian characters into Japanese, 
again complete with furigana over the kanji.  "'Welcome to the Crystal 
Palace,'" Hinako read.  "'No campfires, littering, wild parties, feeding the 
animals or karaoke singing allowed.'"

	"'Documentary film crews must phone ahead,'" Aria continued, blinking.  
"'By order of the Keeper.'  Hinako-chan, who's the Keeper?"

	Hinako scratched the back of her head.  "Hina's not sure . . . "

	"He's got to be the person the Staff sensed inside this thing," Mie said.

	"First contact time, then," Makoto declared.  "Let's go, people."

	Hinako cheered.  "Yay!  We're gonna make a first contact!"

	She then stopped, blinking.  "Hinako-sama, what's wrong?" Makoto asked.

	"Um, Makoto-san, what's a 'first contact?'"

	Makoto face-faulted!  "Haven't you ever seen 'Star Trek?'" Mie wondered.

	The youngest sister then nodded.  "Oh, Hina understands now!  Haaaaaai!"

	And off they went to see the Wizard . . .!  *Ahem!*  The Keeper.

*    *    *

	"Strange," Varena mused, her eyes glowing as she tried to focus her 
tracking powers on the small crowd hundreds of metres away.  "I can only 
pick up two brainwave patterns.  The two little ones in that group, I think. 
  I can't sense any of the others."

	Mujanba did her own sweep.  "Neither can I.  The Yehisrite I can 
understand, but the Terran and the Yizibajohei, too?"  It had been long 
known that Vosian tracking powers couldn't lock in on the brainwave patterns 
of a Yehisrite.  "This is too odd," she muttered to herself.

	"Major?"

	The older hunters turned as Hinanba and Pamanba walked up.  The younger 
hunters had dressed in their duty uniforms, the black cygnet insignia over 
their left breasts confirming to all who saw them which side in the Vosian 
civil war they were on.  The other hunters in the group were still getting 
dressed from their swim in the pond.

	"Ready?" Varena asked as the younger hunters gave her a salute.

	"Willing and waiting," Pamanba replied.

	"Okay, then," the major said with a nod, she pointing towards the Palace.  
"Go in, keep out of sight and observe.  Don't make contact with these 
people.  We don't know the situation about them.  If they're of a different 
level of technology and culture as we -- especially if they might be more 
ADVANCED than we are -- any mistake you make could come back to hurt us 
badly.  You were all drilled in these procedures at school.  Remember them."

	"Yes, ma'am!" both younger girls chanted.

	"Get going!"

	With salutes, Hinanba and Pamanba were off.  Mujanba and Varena watched 
them before exchanging a look.  "You think they're ready for something like 
that?" the former asked.  "None of these girls are exploration specialists."

	"True," the latter replied.  "But they have to learn that sort of thing, 
Mujanba.  Could you imagine what things'll be like for girls like them when 
this war's over and no one in power'll trust them with anything important?"

	"Good point."

*    *    *

	"Ah!  There's a doorbell!"

	The Sagussans blinked as Aria walked up to press the button beside the 
Palace's ten-metre high main doors.  "This place has a doorbell?!" Makoto 
wondered out loud as a beautiful chime echoed through the dark crystal 
doors.

	"What type of person lives here, anyway?" Mie asked.

	Aria stepped back as the bell's echo faded.  Silence fell over the scene as 
everyone waited for someone to answer it.  After a moment, Hinako turned to 
gaze on Aria.  "Aria thinks Keeper-san might be ill . . . "

	The doors then snapped open with a *WHOOSH!* of gale-force winds, they 
kicking up a storm of dust, dirt and shredded grass.  The Staff raised a 
force-shield around Hinako and Aria as Ayumu grabbed Mie and Makoto to hold 
them fast against her sides.  As the wind died, a thunderous voice then 
bellowed out, "***LOOK!  I TOLD YOU GIRLS TO COME BACK TOMORROW!***"

	Everyone looked to see a spry-looking Terran-like man, he appearing to be 
in his mid-sixties, standing at the doorway.  Dressed in a flowing blue 
robe, he had sharp brown eyes and grey hair with beard and moustache.  A 
gnarled cane as tall as he was held in one hand.  To the Sagussans, he 
seemed to remind them of their own Daimon'cha.  Why was that, none of them 
could truly understand.

	The angry look on his face melted into confusion as his eyes focused on 
Hinako and Aria.  "Who are you?!" he demanded as he gazed on them.

	"Ah, gomen nasai, Ojii-san!" Hinako spoke up.  "Hina and everyone else came 
here to get Tsue-san to help Makoto-san!"

	"Please, Ojii-san?" Aria added, she giving him her patented, starry-eyed, 
"cute-as-a-million-kittens-romping-with-toilet-paper-down-the-stairs" look.

	The Keeper blinked.  "'Mister Wand?!'  What are you talking about, girl?  
There's no 'Mister Wand' here.  The only thing that's here is the Sceptre of 
Lecasur."  He then sighed.  "Honestly, why can't the Vosians ever make up 
their damned minds about that old thing . . . "

	"Um, with all due respect, Amon'cha," Makoto spoke up after she gave the 
Keeper a sincere bow.  "If what I've heard of the Sceptre of Lecasur is 
true, it and our Genesis Wand of Parah -- 'Tsue-san' as Hinako-sama and 
Aria-sama prefer to call it -- are one and the same thing."

	The Keeper's eyes widened, and then his eyes locked on the 
windrider-embossed jumpsuits Ayumu and Hinako were wearing.  "Oh, you're 
from Sagussa!" he then declared before his eyes locked on the five 
wreaths-of-laurel rank insignia on Hinako's lower arms.  "Wait a minute . . 
.!" he muttered before he turned to Makoto.  "Is THIS your Daite'cha?!" he 
wondered, pointing at Hinako.

	The Sagussans fell flat on their faces!  ***Not exactly,*** the Staff spoke 
into everyone's mind.  ***It is Hinako's and Aria's brother, Moroboshi Ataru 
of Earth, whom the Daishi'cha of the Fifth Republic have elected as their 
Daite'cha and initial Daimon'cha.  We have come here to retrieve the Genesis 
Wand so Aria may become its controller.  May we proceed?***

	The Keeper blinked, and then he stared at the device in Hinako's hand.  
"You already have one of these things and you actually need ANOTHER one?!"

	Hinako blinked, and then tears started to well in her eyes.  "But if we 
don't get Tsue-san, Makoto-san will die, Ojii-san!" she burbled.

	The elderly man jerked as the youngest of Ataru's sisters started to 
sniffle.  Then a "Kusun!" escaped the other of Ataru's sisters as tears 
started to flow down her cheeks.  As Hinako and Aria turned on the 
waterworks, a look of blood-chilling FEAR crossed the Keeper's face.  
Watching him from behind their Daimon'cha's sisters, the Sagussans could 
only give him sympathetic looks.  Finally, when it seemed that Hinako and 
Aria were about to loose all control over themselves, the Keeper waved his 
hands.  "***ALRIGHT!  ALRIGHT!  ALRIGHT ALREADY!  YOU WIN!  YOU WIN!  YOU 
WIN!  CUT IT OUT WITH THE TEARS!  YOU CAN COME IN!  YOU CAN COME IN!  CUT IT 
OUT!  CUT IT OUT!***"

	Hinako and Aria cheered.  "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!"

	"I feel sorry for the man," Makoto whispered to Mie.

	"Don't argue with success," the latter hissed back.

	"Right."

*    *    *

	Minutes later, Hinako and Aria stepped inside the Crystal Palace.  At the 
Keeper's insistence, the Sagussans would remain on the front lawn while 
their Daimon'cha's sisters went in to get the Genesis Wand.  After the main 
doors had closed, Mie stretched herself before she turned to gaze on Makoto 
and Ayumu.  "I don't think this is something Ataru-kun would want to have 
happen to Hinako-chan and Aria-chan," the pilot then noted.

	"Don't worry about it, Mie," Ayumu assured her.  "They'll get Tsue-san!"

	"Yeah, they better!" Makoto ruefully mused.

	"And who's fault was that?!" Mie wondered as she stared on her lover.

	Makoto winced as she gazed remorsefully at her would-be bond-mate.  "You're 
not going to leave me alone about that, are you?!"

	"No, I'm not.  As soon as Eluza gets finished busting you to the bilge tops 
and Patty tans you a new hide for wrecking her Gladiator, it's MY turn!"  
She thumbed to herself, and then an icy smile crossed her face.  "And I have 
the perfect punishment," she added, she holding up a finger.

	Makoto twitched, a sweat drop pouring down her hair.  "Wh-wh-what . . .?"

	"Handfasting," Mie declared.

	Makoto jolted.  "SAY WHAT?!"

	"You heard me, Mako-vayae.  Just like they do it in Canada now."

	"AWK!"

	"By an intergalactic justice of the peace."

	"URK!"

	"OR a Sensualist priestess from Zeiwan!"

	"ACK!"

	"Including a wedding dress.  For YOU!  I'M wearing the tux!"

	"GCK!"

	"Yay!" Ayumu cheered.  "Mie and Makoto are getting married!"

	Mie nodded in triumph.  Makoto shuddered before she sank to her knees.  
"Lyna, take me now!" she moaned under her breath.

*    *    *

	"Oh, Hina understands now!  It's a funhouse maze!"

	The Keeper sighed.  It had taken him and Ataru's sisters a few minutes to 
get to the start of the maze that would lead Hinako and Aria to the Sceptre 
of Lecasur.  "It's not your normal funhouse, girls!" he sagely warned.  "I 
had to hire a few experts from all around the galaxy to make sure that not 
just ANYBODY can get at that old thing.  Not that I don't mind visitors, but 
given how powerful the Genesis Wand really is . . . "

	Hinako nodded understandingly.  "If some baka-baka came along and woke 
Tsue-san up, it'd be really, really, really bad, right?"

	"Right," the Keeper confirmed.  "It's a damned thing that no one on Vos, 
not even Lecasur -- and he was the smartest man from that planet that I've 
EVER met! -- figured out what the Wand could do if Horan hadn't disabled the 
damned thing in the first place.  Now, you girls be VERY careful!  And watch 
out for traps; they're spread out all over the place."

	Hinako and Aria nodded.  "Hai!"

	As both walked through the gateway into the maze, the Keeper's foot fell on 
something that made a sharp *crack!*

	A second later, a tanuki statue brained him!

*    *    *

	"There're only three!" Hinanba hissed.  "What happened to the other two?"

	Given the intensive physical training that had come hand-in-hand with the 
years of training in the psionic disciplines that made both Pamanba and 
Hinanba experts in the Dali'lama School of kari'fu, it hadn't taken the two 
hunters long to sprint the nine hundred metres from where they had been 
swimming to the edge of the forest surrounding the Crystal Palace grounds.  
Using macro-binoculars, the Vosians were able to get a good look at the 
three girls now standing by the Palace's front doors.  It didn't take either 
of them more than a second's use of their tracking powers to note that the 
women yonder were the three that Varena and Mujanba couldn't sense.  "I 
can't pick up the others," Pamanba mused as she did a sweep of the grounds.  
"Could they have gone in?"

	"I don't know," Hinanba replied as she focused her attention on the women 
by the doors.  "The Keeper was adamant on the idea of us returning tomorrow 
morning so Major Varena and Captain Mujanba could go in to get the Sceptre."

	"Who do you suppose these people are, anyway?"

	"Your guess is as good as mine . . . wait!"

	Both tensed as the girl in the short-sleeved blue jumpsuit with the red 
trim and boots turned, she unintentionally presenting the two young Vosians 
with a clear view of her front.  And of the red bird-like insignia that 
framed the deep "W" cut that showed off a considerable amount of teenage 
cleavage from the collar right down almost to the navel!

	Seeing that phoenix-like sigil, Hinanba visibly paled as she remembered the 
pictures she had seen of a great starship from a planet unknown to Vosian 
authorities right to this very day -- and of a golden version of that very 
insignia that had been painted on the flanks of that great ship's main hull.

	A starship she had constantly prayed would one day come and take her away 
from the living Purgatory that was the Mensohn School.

	From the horror of her "graduation" exercise, where she had been made to 
kill a half-dozen street kids said to be rebel spies.

	From the daily abuse from sadistic instructors and upperclassmen that 
eventually drove Hinanba to become addicted to kookyuu, a mental depressant 
that helped her forget -- even for a small time -- the blood that had 
drenched her soul for as long as she could remember.

	From the degrading sex she had been forced to engage in when Bujosur, 
personal assistant to the Corps' commander Furusur, had learned of her 
kookyuu addiction and seized it, transforming Hinanba, Kanba, Ryoonba and 
three others into his own personal hit squad/harem.

	Even when Bujosur had been assigned to another group by Furusur -- when 
Hinanba and her friends had been taken under the wing of Mujanba and Varena, 
the Corps' elite hunters, thus increasing their survival chances 
considerably -- the dreams of that magical place beyond the stars still 
haunted her.

	"The Maidens," Hinanba whispered.  "They're the Maidens."

*    *    *

	"Hello, Nodoka, Mizuho."

	"Negako-sama!" Mizuho breathed out in relief as she bowed respectfully to 
the grandmaster of Saikoo Jinseijitsu Ninjutsu-ryuu.  She then turned to 
accept Inaba Ayano's embrace.  "Konban wa, Ayano-chan!  Where's Nahoko-san?"

	"Doojou," Ayano replied as she gave Nodoka a look.  "Tread cautiously."

	"What about Kasumi-chan and Nabiki-chan?" Nodoka asked as she looked around 
the grounds of the Tendou home.  "What about Akane-chan?"

	"Speak to Nahoko first."

	Nodoka shuddered as the chill in Negako's voice warped through her.  
Staring at the ninjutsu grandmaster, Ranma's mother fought down the urge to 
visibly shake in the former's presence.  At the same time, as Mizuho's words 
on the very subject came back to her, Nodoka was instantly struck by the 
resemblance between Negako and the woman Nodoka knew as Horikawa Nahoko, the 
owner of the Hotel Kiraboshi.  She then blinked on feeling Mizuho's 
supportive hand fall on her shoulder.  As a wave of calm then surged through 
her body, Nodoka gave her friend a nod before both headed into the Tendou 
grounds.  Negako watched her, and then she blinked as Ayano's hands fell on 
her shoulders.  "Who's side will she take, Negako-sama?" the raven-haired, 
blue-eyed Avalonian who possessed the Niphentaxian name "Yua dai-Tythya" 
asked.

	A light smile crossed Negako face as her hand reached up to gently grasp 
one of Ayano's.  "That depends on what Naho tells her, Ayano," the 
grandmaster replied.  While Negako didn't mind the suffix "-san" applied to 
her name, hearing "-sama" almost grated on her as much as being called 
"Sensei!"  Then again, Ayano lived under considerable pressure by her sister 
Avalonians to treat Negako as one worthy of the most profound respect.  The 
fact that Ayano was willing to bow to that peer pressure was one of the 
things Negako found quite annoying about her would-be lover.  Still, there 
was something about Ayano's shows of doting affection that struck Negako in 
a way she didn't really comprehend.  "Will Naho give Nodoka the benefit of 
the doubt concerning what just happened?  Or will she condemn Nodoka to lose 
Ranma forever?"

	Ayano hummed as she leaned her chin on Negako's shoulder.

*    *    *

	"Hello, child.  Do come in."

	"Elder!" Nodoka hailed, she bowing to Cologne.  "Why are you here?"

	Cologne nodded toward the kneeling Naho, who was relaxing by the doojou's 
shrine.  Glancing around the structure she had last been in just before she 
had moved back to her own home, Nodoka was quick to note that it still 
required repairs.  She then stared at Naho before she blinked on noting that 
the other woman's kimono -- Naho had changed into the more formal wear 
sometime after she had made her appearance at the Tendou home -- had been 
partially undone, although she was keeping the flaps of the dress wrapped 
close to her.  Quickly sensing that the owner of the Hotel Kiraboshi was in 
fact friends with the Nujiézú elder, Nodoka nodded before she knelt in front 
of Naho.  "It's good to see you again, Nahoko-san," Nodoka greeted her with 
a bow.  "But . . .?"

	"What on Earth am I doing here?" Naho finished.

	Nodoka jolted before she covered her mouth to hide her smile.  Naho's 
ability to sense out what other people were thinking seemed almost magical 
at times. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Ranma's mother nodded.  
"Hai."

	Naho sighed.  "Very well.  Before I answer that, I should give you a very 
profound apology, Nodoka-san."  She bowed her head before her hands moved to 
pull apart her kimono.  "And show you this," she added on displaying the 
string-like bikini she wore underneath.

	Nodoka's breath caught in her throat as her eyes fell on Naho's lower 
abdomen -- and the criss-crossed lines of ugly scar tissue which extended 
all the way up from her crotch to past her navel, scars that the latter's 
bikini briefs barely hid.  Taking a moment to absorb that awful sight, 
Nodoka then turned up to gaze into Naho's pain-filled eyes.  "What happened 
to you?" she asked in a hoarse whisper, her hand rising towards her mouth.

	Naho closed her kimono.  "Again, I am sorry that I had to show you that, 
Nodoka-san.  Were this situation not as dire as it can become, I would've 
been less straightforward."  A pause.  "But this, I must tell you now, 
Nodoka-san:  *You* have a very stark choice to make this evening.  It is 
this:  You either side with your daughter -- and yes, I know what's happened 
to Ranma-chan because of Jusenkyou, so I WILL call her your daughter instead 
of your son -- or else you side with your father and forever lose a chance 
of any sort of reconciliation with Ranma-chan.  And you better pray to 
whatever gods you worship that Ranma-chan doesn't decide to declare a 
blood-feud against the Asagaya Clan for what happened this evening."  Seeing 
Nodoka pale, Naho grimly added, "Because if she DOES do that, Nodoka-san, I 
promise you that not only would your relatives AND YOU face her and her 
sisters, you will ALSO be facing the Moroboshi-Hana Clan, the Nujiézú and 
our many other allies overseas."  A pause.  "Do you understand me, 
Nodoka-san?"

	Nodoka blinked several times as the full meat of Naho's words sank into her 
mind, and then she whispered, "Blood-feud . . .?"

	"Yes," Naho replied with a stern nod, and then she sighed.  "You know, 
Nodoka-san, you share many qualities with my late mother Jiko.  The most 
profound of those, I'm afraid to say, is the fact that, like you with 
Saotome Genma, my mother was forced into a shotgun wedding with her husband, 
my father Seinen, when her passions got the better of her and I was 
conceived.  However, you were lucky.  All Isao . . . " -- Nodoka was quick 
to sense the torrent of scorn Naho expressed on her saying that name -- " . 
. . did to you was banish you from your birth-family and, save for some 
financial support to ensure your silence, he tried to effectively cut you 
off from all your relatives, even your twin sister.  What my maternal 
grandfather, Hoofuku Reiji, did to my family as a result of my birth was a 
lot worse."  She paused before taking a deep breath.  "You just saw what 
Reiji did to me in punishment for my very existence.  You can guess what he 
did to my parents."

	Nodoka's jaw dropped as the weight of THAT statement sank in.  "Nahoko-san 
. . . " she gasped, her voice barely audible in the doojou.

	"Naho."

	"Eh?"

	"That's my real name," Naho explained.  "'Horikawa Nahoko' in an alias I've 
been forced to use over the years to keep me hidden from Reiji.  My real 
name is Hana Naho."  A pause.  "If you've been watching television recently, 
you can probably guess what my relation to Moroboshi Ataru might be."

	Nodoka blinked as stunned recognition dawned on her.  "'Hana' is the maiden 
name of Ataru-kun's grandmother, isn't it?" she asked.

	"Hai," Naho replied.  "Nagaiwakai was my aunt, my father's older sister."

	"I see," Nodoka breathed out.  "Naho-san, what's this all about, anyway?"

	Naho took a deep breath.  "The answer to that ultimately leads back to the 
woman you know of as 'Moroboshi Negako,' Nodoka-san.  I look on Negako-chan 
as the daughter I never had.  Even though, in one sense of the term, she's 
FAR older than I am."  A pause.  "This all started shortly after the end of 
the Greater East Asian War, Nodoka-san.  You probably know what things were 
like in Japan at that time.  The country almost totally in ruins, under 
occupation by the Americans.  The members of the Black Dragon Society who 
led us into that stupid war in the first place being hunted down and 
punished for their crimes.  The very FUTURE of Japan being called into very 
strong question.

	"To the many shinobi clans that were active during that time -- the Hoofuku 
being one -- it was a golden opportunity.  Here was a chance to regain what 
the Meiji Restoration had taken away from them.  Even more, in fact.  There 
was such an underlying rage in the hearts of so many at the time.  So many 
of the cultural beliefs we had taken for granted for so long had been shaken 
up so badly, people just didn't know what to believe, who to trust, where 
they could entrust their futures, their destiny.  Add to that was the fact 
that for the first time in memory, Japan had actually SURRENDERED to a 
foreign power.  A power that had humiliated the Emperor, forced him to 
reject his divine connection to the gods, and seemed to be working hard to 
bring down everything that had made our society what it was.

	"So they began to disrupt and destroy everything they could get their hands 
on.  Ferment a civil war that Japan had NEVER seen before.  Take down 
everything that could have opposed them.  The zaibatsu.  The surviving 
militarists.  The supporters of State Shinto.  Traditionalists who were 
determined to maintain the pre-war social order at all costs in the face of 
the ideals the Constitution the Americans were forcing on us might ferment.  
Even more, the shinobi leaders knew that once the Americans came to see that 
their rebellion could create the nation MacArthur-gensui and 
Truman-daitooryou envisioned of post-war Japan, the chances were there the 
Americans would've told them, 'Go ahead.'  And they would've turned their 
attention elsewhere.

	"You know, thinking about it now, it might've actually done us all a lot of 
good had that sort of civil war happened," Naho then mused as she gazed at 
the doojou's ceiling.  "After all, we live today in a society chock-full of 
complete hypocrites.  Where we openly profess to believe in peace and 
harmony with the rest of the world, yet we wouldn't BEGIN to think of fully 
and properly apologizing to the Koreans, the Chinese and everyone else for 
the atrocities OUR soldiers unleashed on them during the war.  Where we 
profess to believe in social equality and yet we punish three million of our 
citizens just because their ancestors were burakumin, to say ANYTHING of how 
close we've become to destroying all of Ainu society and our constant denial 
of basic rights to those of Korean ancestry living here in Japan."

	Naho sighed.  "But unfortunately, it didn't happen. And it didn't happen 
for the simple reason that the Shoowa Emperor -- for whatever HIS reasons -- 
decided that the shinobi rebellion would've made him look like a liar in 
front of Truman-daitooryou and MacArthur-gensui.  After all, in 1945, the 
Emperor gave his word that Japan would surrender and that the nation would 
be at peace.  If the shinobi launched their civil war, well . . . "  A 
chuckle escaped her.  "We wouldn't be at peace then.  Wouldn't we?"

	"What happened?" Nodoka asked.

	"Well, wasn't it fortunate at that time that the matriarch of the ONE clan 
whose loyalty to the Imperial House had remained solid and steadfast for 
well over thirteen centuries . . . "  Here, Naho paused.  "Made contact with 
an alien race known as the Zephyrites?"

	Silence.

	"Nagaiwakai-sama . . . " Nodoka whispered.  "The Tenchiaiki Juukazoku."

	"Exactly," Naho confirmed with a nod.  "Here was the perfect opportunity to 
put the shinobi down once and for all.  And do it in such a way that would 
ensure that there could be NO chance of a future rebellion.  Well, it 
happened."  A pause.  "But some ultimately escaped."

	"Your grandfather," Nodoka quickly concluded.

	"Exactly.  And because of that, my parents were murdered in bed and I wound 
up being unable to bear my own children.  To say ANYTHING of the fact that 
I've been forced to hide under an alias all these years."  A pause.  
"Fortunately for me, Reiji is a lunatic.  And he wants to survive so he 
could gloat at all of those who had stood against him.  That means that he 
could never contemplate launching an attack on my aunt in Rishiri-tou.  
After all, the Zephyrites had a missionary colony there.  And Reiji learned 
very much how vicious the Holy Inquisition of Zephyrus could be when it 
comes to dealing with 'heretics' threatening the life of someone they 
anointed as a Righteous Gentile, the highest honour Zephyrites can bestow on 
outworlders.  And since he was a lunatic, Reiji never came close to finding 
me even though I was practically hiding in plain sight up in Onogawa."  A 
pause.  "But then, one day, he decided to go after a different prize."

	Nodoka considered that for a moment, and then she blinked.  "Negako-san?"

	"Negako-chan," Naho confirmed with another nod.  "A thousand years of 
martial arts knowledge, collected together into a living non-corporeal 
database that could be accessed as easily as someone logging onto the 
Internet if they had the right equipment.  The fact that Negako-chan was, in 
the end of it all, a sentient being who deserved of her own life . . . "  
She made a dismissive wave with her hand.  "Well, to Reiji, that didn't 
matter.  But with Negako-chan under their control, the Hoofuku would've 
succeeded in dealing with those who had tried to destroy them in the past.  
INCLUDING those stupid aliens who stuck their noses into something that 
wasn't their own business."

	Nodoka breathed out, "Your grandfather's a monster!"

	"Yes, he is.  But he can be a very charming monster when he needs to be, 
Nodoka-san.  And that's where your father got involved.  Look at the 
situation.  Your daughter, whom Isao wanted to force under his thumb all 
because he wanted to take away the last heir of Happoosai, the man who once 
seduced his wife, your mother Nana, long ago.  And she was becoming very 
close friends with the last host of the Saikoo Jinseijitsu.  Moroboshi 
Ataru, Moroboshi Nagaiwakai's last living grandchild and potential heir.

	"And because of that, Ranma-chan was able, once and for all, to free 
herself of EVERYTHING that had weighed her down because of her father, you 
and everything else that had mucked with her life for so long.  And, as I'm 
sure Negako-chan told you, Isao didn't want that at all."  Naho wagged her 
finger.  "Oh, no!  No!  No!  No!  NO!  That just wasn't right!  After all, 
Saotome Ranma was NEVER given the right OR the ability to think for herself! 
  It went against the laws of the Universe!  It had to be STOPPED, after 
all!

	"So Reiji offers Isao an interesting solution.  Why not ferment mistrust 
between Ranma-chan and Ataru-chan?  And how to do that?  It was easy!  Just 
turn Tendou Souun into a runaway killing machine so that he could kill off 
people Ranma-chan loved dearly.  And if it was done right, Ranma-chan would 
have believed that she shouldn't ever trust the Moroboshis again.  What 
might have happened afterward?  Well . . . "  Here, Naho shrugged.  "Reiji 
isn't one for long-term thinking, but the conclusion seems quite obvious to 
me."

	Staring at Naho, Nodoka felt a horrid chill warp through her as the 
implications of THAT began to sink in.  Her gaze then lost its focus as her 
eyes turned down towards the doojou floor.  Kneeling beside and behind her 
friend, Mizuho instantly tensed as her empathic powers quickly locked in on 
Nodoka's feelings.  Sensing a growing pit of despair blossom deep within her 
friend's heart, Mizuho squeezed her eyes shut before she turned to give Naho 
a questioning glance.  Noting that, Naho shook her head before she gave 
Mizuho a warning glare in return.  Seeing that, Mizuho squeezed her eyes 
shut once more as she swung her head away, tears starting to glisten in her 
eyelashes.

	Nodoka didn't take notice of that silent communication between Naho and 
Mizuho, but Cologne did.  Peering intently at Mizuho, the elder's eyes then 
widened.  *Another one?!* she thought as she gave Naho a glance, and then 
she turned back to stare at the Avalonian calling herself "Yamashina 
Mizuho."  *And she appears to love Nodoka.  How interesting . . . *

	Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Nodoka took a deep breath.  "Thank 
you for telling me this, Naho-san.  Excuse me, please."

	With that, she rose, bowed respectfully to Naho, and then she walked out of 
the doojou.  Mizuho remained in place as Nodoka went, and then she surged to 
her feet to follow.  "Stay here, Kaili," Naho then whispered, she raising 
her hand.  "There's nothing you can do now to help her."

	Mizuho, created ten years before as Kaili bedai-Tythya, spun around, her 
eyes flashing with murderous rage as a growl entered her voice.  "Do you 
begin to realize what you just DID to her, Naho?!" she snarled a syllable at 
a time.

	"I did," Naho replied.  "If you're concerned about your would-be lover 
taking the suicide option because she can't choose between her daughter and 
her father, don't be.  There are others involved.  And besides, you 
should've been able to sense the bioroid factory hovering in orbit as we 
speak."

	She pointed straight up.  Mizuho stopped, and then she yelped as a hand 
landed on her shoulder.  Spinning around, she then froze in place on staring 
into a tanned face pierced with burning crimson eyes, framed with brown hair 
and decorated with a musical note-and-dagger tattoo by the right eye.  
Taking that in, she then blanched, and then she paused as the other woman 
touched her lips with a fingertip.  The newcomer then asked, "Do you love 
her?"

	Mizuho blinked several times before answering, "More than my own life."

	"Then let's go.  We got some work to do."  The newcomer then tapped her 
communicator.  "Yomi, this is Priss.  Two to beam up."

	"Right," another voice called over the comm link.

	Cologne blinked as she watched Mizuho and Priss disappear in a sparkle of 
what just HAD to be a transporter beam; the elder knew her "Star Trek," too. 
  "And what's THIS all about?!" she demanded as she turned to gaze on Naho.

	Naho stood up, she moving to adjust her kimono.  "I think Nabiki-chan can 
answer that.  But let's let her cool off before we ask."

	Cologne nodded.  "Good point."

*    *    *

	The doorbell pealed.  "Hai!  Just a moment!"

	The door to the upscale apartment, located in Jinguumae, between Harajuku 
and Aoyama in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward, opened to reveal a smiling Asagaya 
Hisayo.  "Hai?!" she called out before her eyes focused on her visitor.  "Um 
. . . "

	"Please forgive me for disturbing you, Hisayo-sama," Catty Ray greeted 
Nodoka's sister with a bow.  She was dressed in a ruffled blouse, mid-thigh 
skirt and zip-up rider boots.  The lack of a bra was quite evident to 
Hisayo.

	Taking in the lovely lavender-haired woman with the odd gold eyes, Hisayo 
then said, "Um, forgive me for asking, but . . . "

	"Am I an alien?" the android-turned-bioroid finished.  "Hai, I am."

	"You must know Moroboshi Ataru then."

	"No, I've not yet had the privilege of meeting Ataru-sama, but my bond-mate 
Lufy and my adopted sister Catty have met him," Catty Ray replied.  
"However, it is not because of Ataru-sama that I've come to see you, 
Hisayo-sama."  She then paused as she considered something, and then she 
said, "Well, ironically, it actually IS because of Ataru-sama that I have to 
see you, Hisayo-sama!  Specifically, it's because of Ataru-sama's growing 
relationship with your niece, Saotome Ranma -- and what might happen to 
Ranma-sama if your sister Nodoka succeeds in carrying out a VERY foolish and 
illogical act of atonement this evening -- which has forced me to come see 
you this evening."

	Hisayo's eyes widened, and then a scowl crossed her face.  While she had no 
proof about this girl's sincerity, a voice deep in her mind told her that 
Catty Ray was speaking the whole and unvarnished truth.  And she had just 
called Ranma her "niece."  That implied that this strange yet very polite 
alien girl knew something that only Hisayo and Nodoka -- plus most likely 
Moroboshi Ataru and the other members of his family -- knew.

	"Let me get my coat," she advised before walking to the closet where she 
kept her coats.  "How long have we got before Nodoka-chan slits her throat?"

	"She has just left the Tendou family grounds, walking back to her home," 
Catty Ray explained as Hisayo slipped on her jacket and a pair of shoes.  
"We believe that as soon as she returns to her home, she'll proceed at once 
to terminate her own life.  We still have time."

	Hisayo grimaced as she locked her apartment door.  "It'll take too damn 
long to get there by the subway and a taxi," she muttered.

	"Allow me, then," Catty Ray offered as she gently grasped Hisayo's hand, 
her other tapping her belt-mounted communicator.  "Energize."

	Seconds later, the hallway before Asagaya Hisayo's apartment was empty.

*    *    *

	"Thanks for letting me use the shower, Karen-chan!"

	"It's alright," Karen absently mused as she watched the star field whip 
past.  The "Hasei'cha" was keeping even pace with the "Windrider" at a 
distance of two hundred metres; Karen knew the "Kiboo'cha" was doing the 
same thing on the other side of the barque.  Narrowing her eyes, she focused 
her attention on an observation gallery on the warpsloop's upper hull.  Two 
people were standing there.  Blinking, she reached over to her nightstand as 
Seiko walked out of the bathroom, totally naked save for the towel she was 
using to dry her hair.  Opening the drawer, Karen smiled on seeing a pair of 
macro-binoculars, just like the pair Ataru had in his cabin, sitting there.  
"I guess Onii-chan thought of everything when he had this ship rebuilt for 
us," Karen stated.

	"Here, let me show you how to use them," Seiko announced.

	After a quick set of instructions, the pianist put the binoculars to her 
eyes so she could see who was in the gallery on the "Hasei'cha."  "Ah, it's 
Spea-san and Amy-san!" Karen then announced before her cheeks started to 
colour.  "Oh, dear . . . " she breathed out.

	"What?" Seiko asked as she returned to drying her hair.

	Karen lowered the binoculars.  "They weren't wearing any clothes."

	"Well, that's to be expected," Seiko noted.  "They've been an all-female 
society for over ten thousand years, Karen-chan.  The idea of public nudity 
must be as totally irrelevant to the Sagussans as it would be to the 
Vosians."

	"Vosi- . . .?"  Karen then nodded.  "Oh, Nassur-san's people!"

	Seiko was quick to sense her host's understandable reaction to the expat 
Vosian hunter.  "Handsome, isn't he?" she asked.

	"Hai, he is that!" Karen admitted as she put the binoculars away.  "But 
he's too rugged for my tastes.  I'd prefer someone like Onii-chan."

	"Which Onii-chan?"

	Both laughed.  "Hai, that's true, isn't it?" Karen mused as Seiko wrapped a 
towel around her, and then walked over to sit beside her host.  "I mean, 
Onii-chan -- well, Ataru, I mean -- he's more like what I'd want.  Much that 
I am happy that Kaeru-oniichan's alive and okay, but . . .!  Well . . . "

	"The idea of him being so logical turns you off, doesn't it?"

	A nod.  "Hai.  I mean, it's not Onii-chan's fault, but still . . . "

	"It's alright.  Besides, it's not as bad as you might think.  Some of the 
Great School actually made contact with the Nagussans not so long ago.  They 
may act very logical on normal occasions, but when they're alone with 
someone they love . . .!  Oh, my!" she breathed out.  "It can get pretty hot 
and heavy at times!  All we have to do now is find some way to convince all 
of Naromo-san's people about what they really are, de-sterilize them, and 
then lock Kaeru-san and Naromo-san in a room somewhere."  She then raised 
her finger.  "Preferably one with a king-sized waterbed in it.  And no 
condoms in sight."

	Karen giggled.  "We'd all become aunts soon enough," she then said before a 
knock was heard at the door.  "Hai!" she called out.

	"It's Hime!" Shirayuki announced as she walked in, a tray full of warm buns 
in hand.  "Hime brought some Pang Manjok barely rolls."

	"Plain?" Seiko asked.

	"Iie desu no!" the chef assured her as she put the tray down.  "Hime put 
lots of cinnamon and cane sugar in them to make them really sweet."

	"Arigatou, Shirayuki-chan," Karen thanked her sister.

	As Karen and Seiko picked up a roll to nibble on them, Shirayuki quickly 
withdrew, closing the door behind her.  Seiko watched her go before she 
moved to nibble on the roll.  The sweet taste exploded in her mouth, she 
grinning with delight as Karen took her own bite.  "These are great!" she 
muttered.  "I wish I could cook as well as this."

	"Yeah, it would've saved you a lot of trouble, especially after your 
lollipop helped turned Onii-chan into twins that one time."

	"You girls would've loved that, I bet."

	"Hai!"  She then sighed.  "Seiko-chan, I don't hate you.  None of us do."

	Seiko stopped, and then she sighed.  "After what I did . . . "

	"You made mistakes," Karen assured her as she reached over to give the 
Nendo-kata's shoulder a friendly squeeze.  "And the biggest mistake of all 
was that you didn't try to *diagnose* the problem with Onii-chan.  You just 
charged forward and *punished* him . . . "

	"I had no right to do that!"

	"But who was to tell you otherwise?" Karen asked.

	"These days, I wish SOMEONE had done that!" Seiko stated, and then she 
turned to gaze on Karen.  "It's a pity that Negako-san didn't decide to come 
back earlier and set Darling's memories straight . . . oh, say right after 
Tag Race One instead of Tag Race Two.  It would've saved us all a lot of 
trouble in the long term."  She then looked down, she then adding, "And 
maybe it would've saved Ranma-san a lot of trouble, too."

	Karen sighed.  "Hai, that's true, isn't it?"  She then took another bite of 
the roll in her hand.  After swallowing it, she then gazed once more on her 
guest.  "You still love Onii-chan, don't you?  You'd marry him still if you 
got the chance, wouldn't you?"

	"Hai," Seiko replied with a nod before one of her hands drifted to rub her 
tummy.  "Even though I'd never be able to bear Darling's child in this body. 
  I can only mate with other women, even after I've Crossed Over."

	"That's pretty unfair, isn't it?"

	"Damn right it is."

	"Would you want a surrogate co-parent for your baby?"

	Seiko shook her head.  "No.  We really don't believe in that sort of thing. 
  You need two to tango.  And once you tangoed, you have to stay together to 
ensure the child grows up loved and cared for in a COMPLETE family.  To do 
otherwise . . . "  She shook her head again.  "No, that's not our way at 
all.  I couldn't think of doing that to my child."

	Karen nodded as Seiko took another bite.  "But you still love Onii-chan."

	"I'll love him to the day I slip into the Black Ocean and become one with 
the Cosmic Chain of Life," Seiko vowed.

	"Would you want to become my girlfriend?"

	Seiko jolted, and then she spun around to stare at her host.  "Karen!"

	The pianist laughed.  "Gomen nasai, Seiko-chan!  I didn't mean to shock you 
like that!"  She then took a deep breath before she gave the Nendo-kata a 
knowing look.  "But that WAS you on Monday, wasn't it?  When we were at the 
Tower pool swimming after shopping at Esmerelda's?"

	"Chikage-san said you were pretty sensitive to empathic probes."

	"Hai, Chikage-chan told me that a long time ago.  I've always remembered 
that."  A pause.  "It didn't take me too long to suspect who it might have 
been that made me feel that when I was at the pool.  Onee-chan confirmed it 
for me that night."  Here, Karen took a deep breath before she reached over 
to gently grasp Seiko's hand.  "I'm very flattered by your interest in me, 
Seiko-chan."

	"You deserve it, Karen-chan.  You are very beautiful."

	"Really?"  Karen's cheeks reddened further.  "Arigatou."

	The Nendo-kata then sighed.  "Still, I don't think it would really work out 
between us.  There're my feelings for Darling.  And even after finding out 
what I have about Ranma-san and what Lufy did . . . "  She shook her head.  
"I still love him, Karen-chan.  I'd die for him if it had to come to that."  
She then turned once more to stare at her host, her eyebrow arching 
knowingly.  "And there're your feelings for Darling, too."

	Karen blinked, and then she nodded.  "Hai, that's true."

	They gazed at each other, and then Karen leaned up to give Seiko a chaste 
kiss on the lips.  Seiko blinked as the sincerity of that contact surged 
through her, and then she reached over to draw Karen into her embrace.  They 
remained together for a moment, and then Karen pulled back, she extending 
her pinkie to the Nendo-kata.  "Friends?"

	"Forever," Seiko vowed as she linked her pinkie with Karen's.

	They kissed again, and then Karen stood.  "Why don't you get some sleep, 
Sei-chan?  We're still over an hour away from this place and I want to ask 
Lufy-san if we can find some way to contact Mie-san or Ayumu-san to see how 
Hinako-chan and Aria-chan are doing."

	"Thanks," Seiko replied as Karen moved to leave.  "Ka-chan?"

	"Hai?"

	"It's your bed, too."

	Karen smirked.  "Etchi!"

	Both laughed as Karen stepped through the doorway.  Seiko remained still 
for some time after the door closed behind the pianist, and then she sighed 
as she shifted over to gaze out the window at the "Hasei'cha."  Sure enough, 
Spea and Amy were still in the gallery, they currently in each other's arms 
and sharing very wet kisses.  Smiling enviously as she empathically took in 
the bloom of love emanating from the warpsloop's combat officer and 
coxswain, Seiko then moved to slip under the covers.

	"Darling," she whispered as she closed her eyes.

*    *    *

	"That could easily become a problem for us in the future."

	Karen stopped, and then she looked over to see Chikage reclining on the 
bulkhead by the door leading to the pilotage.  "Sei-chan, you mean," the 
pianist mused as she stood beside the sorceress, she clasping her hands 
behind her back.  "I don't think I could ever feel that for her, 
Chikage-chan."

	"True," Chikage agreed.  "I doubt any of us could feel that way to her, 
especially after we got a taste of how much hers and everyone else's actions 
against Ani-kun had come to hurt him in the long term, memory loss or no."

	Karen scowled as THAT particular memory of the time immediately after 
Ataru's arrival on the Island flashed past her mind's eye.  "Hai, that's 
true," she breathed out, and then she shrugged.  "Still, we should try to do 
something for Sei-chan.  But what CAN we do, Chikage-chan?"

	Chikage considered that, and then she smirked.  "There is a possibility."

	She gazed on Karen.  The latter blinked as she considered what her sister 
just said, and then her eyes widened as it hit her.  "You mean . . .?" she 
began before her voice faltered as she considered that fact.  Seeing Chikage 
nod, the pianist breathed out, "We can do that, can't we?"

	"If Ani-kun'll go along with it," Chikage warned.

	Karen nodded.

*    *    *

	"Ah, Negako-san!  Konban wa!"

	Negako blinked before she gazed over her shoulder to see six girls from 
Tomobiki, all of them having dressed in casual clothes before they came to 
Nerima, standing close to the main gate to the Tendou property.  "Shinobu," 
she returned Shinobu's greeting, and then her eyes sharply focused on Momoe 
before an icy smile crossed her face.  "I see Ataru had to use extreme force 
to deal with one of your kidnappers, Momoe.  I assume you have come here to 
consult with me about the emotional after-effects of that event."

	Momoe jolted as the grandmaster's words washed through her, and then she 
gave Negako a look as her eyebrows twitched.  "What on Earth are you anyway, 
Negako-san?" she demanded.  "Sherlock Holmes?  How can you tell all THAT?!"

	"She's the Earth Angel," Ayano, who stood at Negako's side, replied, and 
then she gazed on her.  "Ne, Tedai?"

	Negako sighed.  "Ayano . . . "

	"You're an Avalonian, aren't you?"

	Eyes spun around to gaze on Sawada Minako, she standing beside Shinobu.  
"ANOTHER one?!" Sakiko demanded as she turned to gaze on Ayano, an ironic 
smile crossing her face.  "Sweet Blessed Mother, how many of you actually 
got away from those devil-shark Niphentaxians?!"

	"Hopefully soon, we'll ALL get away from them," Ayano asserted.  "Right, 
sister?"  She winked at Minako.

	Seeing that, Shinobu began to fluster, her cheeks reddening.  She then 
stopped.  Why had she felt THAT way about Ayano winking at Minako?  Minako 
wasn't her girlfriend, for Heaven's sake!  Was she . . .?  "Right," Minako 
replied before she gazed at Shinobu.  "Shinobu-chan.  All Avalonians call 
each other 'sister' on first meeting."

	Shinobu jolted.  "Eh?!  Oh, I'm sorry!" she apologized.

	Embarrassed laughter then escaped her.  "Well, I will say this, then," 
Ayano observed.  "You have EXCELLENT taste in potential bond-mates."

	Minako jerked before her cheeks reddened.  "Um, th-thanks . . . "

	Shinobu's own blush deepened as her classmates began to snicker.  "You're 
trapped now, Shinobu!" Ryuunosuke then asserted.

	"Ah, we have more guests!"

	"Ah, Kasumi-san, konban wa!" Momoe hailed as Kasumi walked up, and then she 
blinked on seeing the tense look on the elder Tendou daughter's face.  Momoe 
had never met Kasumi before, but she had come to know a lot about the older 
woman thanks to her long association with Nabiki.  To see Kasumi look like 
THAT in PUBLIC was almost unheard of.  "Kasumi-san, what happened?!" she 
then asked.  "Are you alright?!"

	Kasumi blinked, and then she gave Momoe a weak smile.  "No, I'm afraid I'm 
not really alright.  We had an incident here . . . "

	Sakiko tensed.  "What sort of incident . . .?" she began before her 
empathic powers locked in on the people inside.  Her eyes then glowed as she 
did a quick telepathic scan before she winced.  "Oh, Mother . . . " she 
breathed out.  "My sympathies, Tendou-san."

	"What?!" Kumiko demanded.

	"Kasumi's father is dead."

	Eyes locked on Negako.  Kasumi gave the grandmaster a grateful smile before 
she turned away, she heading back towards the house.  "What happened?" Momoe 
asked before her eyes scanned around the yard.  "Where's Nabiki, anyway?!  
Did something happen to her?!  What . . .?"

	"She is well," Negako stated in a voice that quickly dampened Momoe's panic 
about her friend.  "Nabiki is currently engaged in some necessary 
stress-relief, allowing all the frustrations and anger which have built up 
inside her since her mother's death vent themselves out finally.  Given 
recent events, the target of Nabiki's anger may not surprise you in the long 
run, but it will most likely offend your sensibilities, Momoe."

	Momoe blinked as she took in Negako's words, and then she broke away from 
the others, she racing to the patio.  "Momoe-chan, wait!" Kumiko cried out 
as she moved to follow, and then she yelped as Negako's hand caught her 
wrist.  "Hey!" she cried out.  "What're you . . .?"

	"Momoe understands Nabiki in ways you do not, Kumiko.  Do not interfere."

	The others just stared at her.  Meanwhile, Momoe had stopped herself just 
before turning to walk into the Tendou sitting room, a sense of trepidation 
arcing through her.  She had never come to visit her friend at her home 
before; whenever Nabiki had wanted to see Momoe about business, the two 
always met either in Tomobiki itself or at the coffee shop on the border 
between Tomobiki and Nerima.  Taking a deep breath, she then moved to step 
inside when her hearing detected a faint sparking noise.  Pausing to 
consider what could be making that sound, she then squared her shoulders and 
marched in.  She then stopped on seeing what was there, instantly wishing 
she had stayed put.

	"Nabiki . . . "

	Nabiki jolted before spinning around to see Momoe standing nearby.  In her 
hand, the energy tip starting to burn a hole in the wooden floor of the 
sitting room, was Tomo's stun-baton.  Seeing the electricity sparking around 
that device, Momoe was instantly convinced that it was powerful enough to 
even stun Rei in tiger-bull format.  But it was what was lying beside Nabiki 
that caused a surge of bile to rise up in Momoe's throat.

	She had never met Tendou Souun, but she had heard enough descriptions of 
the man to recognize him.  Even if he was currently a corpse, a bullet hole 
of some sort in the chest, with deep burn marks scorched across his face.  
Burn marks that had to have come from the weapon in Nabiki's hand.  Momoe 
then focused on Nabiki once more.  Seeing the tears in the middle Tendou 
daughter's eyes, Momoe's revulsion vanished in an instant as she raced over 
to sweep her friend into a comforting embrace.  Nabiki didn't resist her as 
the stun-baton fell away from her hands to clatter on the floor near Souun's 
leg.  A second later, a hand scooped up the weapon and deactivated it.

	Momoe blinked as Tomo straightened herself, the Sagussan calmly stowing her 
weapon on her utility belt.  The latter sighed as she gave the former a 
knowing look, and then she tapped her left wrist-bracelet.  "Tomo to Yomi."

	"Yomi here," came the reply.

	Tomo gazed on Nabiki.  The latter nodded.  "Set transporter on maximum 
particle dispersal.  Beam this hunk of stormwalker dung outta here."

	"Right.  Energizing now."

	A transporter beam carried away Souun's body.  Momoe watched it vanish, and 
then she stared at Tomo.  The internal security officer took a deep breath.  
"On our planet, Marubeya-san, child abandonment is a capital crime."

	With that, she walked out of the sitting room.  Momoe watched her go, and 
then she gazed into Nabiki's tear-streaked face.  "Nabiki, what happened?" 
she gently prodded as she reached up to massage the other girl's cheeks.

	Nabiki blinked several times.  "Count yourselves very lucky, Momoe-chan."

	"Eh?"

	Nabiki then blinked before she breathed out.  "It's a long story."

	"We've got all night," Momoe advised her.

	Nabiki considered that.  "Yeah, we do, don't we.  Let's get out of here."

	With that, the two walked out of the room.

*    *    *

	A pair of hands crossed Mizuho's face to cover her eyes.  "Guess who?!"

	The manager of the Hotel Kiraboshi gasped.  She spun around to find herself 
gazing at what appeared to be a pointed-eared, teenage version of Sakurambou 
Sakura.  Blinking several times as she took in the other's measure, Mizuho 
then squeaked, "Otako . . .?"

	"Been a long time, sister," the replica of the high priestess of the Hegane 
Sect, Otako odai-Meinyak, noted with a wagging finger.

	Mizuho blinked several times as she took that in, and then with a delighted 
laugh, she rose from her chair to sweep Otako into her arms.  Watching this 
from nearby, Priss could only smirk before she turned back to gaze on the 
two active gestation chambers in this part of the Avalon bioroid factory.  
"I take it you know this lovely lady, Kaili."

	Mizuho chuckled as she wrapped an arm around Otako.  "We were created at 
the same time, Priss-san," she explained.  "The odai-Meinyak, in whose image 
Otako here was created, wanted an 'older sister' figure to play with while 
she was growing up."  She then tensed on feeling a wave of intense sadness 
warp through her skin from Otako.  Staring at the raven-haired woman, Mizuho 
then closed her eyes.  "When?" she asked.

	"When the ot'ndai-Zkuhsbagh seized control of the factory using the 
spirit-energy of many of those who were killed in Lumukyou," Otako replied.  
Since he was the founder of the Church of Lum, Oogi was accorded the highest 
name ranking among Niphentaxians, though both Priss and Mizuho were quick to 
sense that Otako really wouldn't care if Oogi either lived or finally died.  
"He was powerful enough to even overcome the influence of a controlling orb 
from the Milky Way 'Curses 'R' Us' Management Organization my other-self 
found in some rubbish heap near Uru sometime after I was first activated.  
With that, he seized control of the factory and blasted us off from Phentax 
Twelve . . . "

	"And when that happened, the whole planet got turned into an asteroid 
field, killing everyone who was alive on it," Priss finished.  Sensing 
Otako's surprise, the Sagussan smirked as she crossed her arms.  "I 
originally came here with some friends of mine to obtain a bioroid body for 
a companion android who'd achieved full sentience and wanted to be fully 
organic.  When we checked out the Phentax system, we saw what happened."

	"It didn't matter, anyway," Otako observed.  "By the time the 
ot'ndai-Zkuhsbagh came to the factory, my other-self's orb had succeeded in 
completely subverting the living spirits of every Invader on Phentax 
Twelve."

	"Where'd it exactly come from?" Mizuho asked.

	"An friend of Lum's family, the Lady of the Oak Forest Asteroid," Otako 
answered.  "When Lum was born, invitations were sent out to all of the 
Invaders' friends to attend the christening and baby shower.  The invitation 
to the Lady of the Oak Forest was lost.  She took it personally, and then 
she created a curse to ensure Lum would never know true love.  For some 
reason, when my other-self found it, the curse's power grew out of control." 
  She bowed her head.  "What happened after the ot'ndai-Zkuhsbagh came . . . 
"

	"Was a mercy-killing," Mizuho finished.  "I grieve for you, sister."

	"Thank you," Otako replied, and then her eyes focused on Priss.  "We've all 
noticed what one of your co-workers did for us when you last came here.  
You're lucky that the ot'ndai-Zkuhsbagh is so obsessed with destroying the 
'Great Evil,' he hasn't had time to devote himself into making sure that 
none of us can seriously rebel against him."  Her eyes turned down.  "Still, 
as long as Gloriana remains locked away in the main computer core by the 
ot'ndai-Zkuhsbagh, we can't hope to free ourselves from his control."

	Priss blinked as she took that in, and then she closed her eyes as she 
considered what options there were for the Avalonians.  She knew "Gloriana" 
-- that was a slurred version of an ancient Kyre'sha phrase, "glorgh-anghya" 
("the Divine One who beholds all of Creation") -- was the name given to the 
central controlling conscience inserted into the factory by the people who 
launched Project:  Avalon millennia ago.  "Do you have any DNA samples left 
from the time the Project was started?" she then asked.

	"All gone," Otako replied.  "They were destroyed as soon as the Invaders 
were able to figure out how to keep Gloriana from reasserting full positive 
control over the factory.  None of us dares try to do anything like that."

	Priss hummed.  "What about DNA samples from Lum?"

	Otako blinked.  "Lum?"  She shook her head again.  "They're gone, too.  The 
ot'ndai-Zkuhsbagh deleted them from memory."

	"No doubt, to ensure his precious 'goddess'' memory remained as pure as 
possible," Mizuho added, and then she peered at Priss as the Pathfinder's 
ultimate idea finally came to her.  "Priss-san, who could we use as a 
physical template for Gloriana's new body, then?"

	"Ataru's out; he's the 'great evil' in Oogi's eyes and that's that.  Izumo 
Seiko is out since her body's based off three of her friends from Tomobiki.  
We can't use Miyake Shinobu since she's considered a 'sinful doubter' . . . 
"  Her voice then trailed off.  "Hey, wait a minute . . . " she whispered 
before she snapped her fingers.  "She's perfect!"

	"Who?!" Otako and Mizuho demanded in sync.

	The Pathfinder flashed them an icy smile before she tapped her 
communicator.  "Priss to Yomi.  I need Tomo for a job."

	"Can I help?!" a high-pitched voice then demanded over the line.

	Priss blinked.  "Chiyo?!"

*    *    *

	The Mizunokooji estate was well lit in the early evening as two people in 
kimonos walked through the beautiful gardens close to the main residence.  
It had thoroughly annoyed Mendou Shuutarou that, almost as soon as he had 
returned from being rescued from Elle, he had been packaged off and 
delivered to the front gates of his fiancée's home just to spend some 
"quality time" (his father's words) with Mizunokooji Asuka.

	But, in the end, it WAS family honour that forced him to agree to come 
here.  And besides, Asuka was, despite her quirks, delightful company.  Even 
if they WERE currently being shielded from potential outside problems by 
half of the Kurotenshi, the Mizunokooji Clan's in-house troop of young, 
gorgeous female bodyguards whose quite revealing uniforms -- polo shirts, 
leather ties, hot pants, leather knee-high boots and shooter's glasses -- 
were just as ubiquitous as the Kuromegane's three-piece suits and dark 
Ray-Bans.

	"Onii-sama, are you alright?"

	Mendou jerked on hearing Asuka's question, and then he flustered as he gave 
her an apologetic look.  "Gomen ne, Asuka-chan," he said, he reaching to 
give her hand a squeeze.  "I'm still bothered because of today's events."

	"Okaa-sama told me about that Elle woman," Asuka said.  "I was afraid she'd 
put you into her awful refrigerator, just like she tried to do when you 
first met her!"  She then reached over to wrap her arm protectively around 
one of his.  Fortunately for the young heiress of the Mizunokooji sports 
empire -- not to mention her fiancé -- Asuka had been given a lot of tips 
from her classmates at Keppeki Girl's Junior High School about how to deal 
with a man she cared for.  "I'm just glad that you're safe again, 
Onii-sama."

	"So am I," Mendou confessed before a blank look crossed his face.

	Asuka did not notice as his eyes turned once more to the starry night.  
That was good, for the young scion of Japan's richest family had a lot on 
his mind.  And the primary thing that was bothering Mendou Shuutarou was a 
man whom he dared not mention to his fiancée, even if, as it seemed these 
days, Moroboshi Ataru would not succumb to the disgustingly lecherous 
behaviour that had so frightened Asuka in the past.  Of course, Mendou 
really couldn't bring himself to believe that his hated rival had truly 
changed, had evolved away from his idiotic past.  But the evidence of the 
last two weeks, especially the events on the "Rose Emperor" earlier, were 
strongly shouting otherwise.

	To believe . . .

	Moroboshi had KILLED!

	What was worse, he had killed a WOMAN!

	Worst of all, he had killed demonstrating the same general lack of emotion 
one might express when one squashed a cockroach!

	And if he had done that . . .

	What could happen next?

	Indeed, what WOULD happen next?

	And how could he, Mendou Shuutarou, react to it?

	What indeed . . .?

	"Eh?!"

	Mendou jolted as Asuka's grip on his arm tightened considerably, he 
instantly coming to a stop.  Looking at Asuka, he then followed her line of 
vision to a point in the path five metres ahead.  Seeing what was presently 
sitting there gazing at them with dark eyes, Mendou's jaw dropped to the 
ground in shocked disbelief.  "What on Earth . . .?" he demanded as his mind 
tried to wrap around that image.  "A tiger . . .?"

	Saying that, the scion of Japan's richest family dismissed that description 
of the odd-looking, beige-furred feline up ahead.  While the beast was 
indeed about the same size as a Siberian tiger, it had the lanky leanness of 
a North American cougar.  Atop that, there were snake-like muscular 
appendages sticking out from both sides of the beast's neck, just beyond the 
curve of its jaw.  And that did NOT take into account the huge, furred, 
bat-like wings sticking out from behind its shoulder blades.  Even folded 
against the creature's side, the wings could at LEAST span ten metres from 
tip to tip if they were extended.  And the long tail that was currently 
curled against the beast's forepaws ended in a diamond-shaped flat pad of 
flesh similar to a beaver's tail.  Realizing instantly that this creature 
could simply NOT be from Earth, Mendou tensed himself as he drew his katana 
from under his kimono.  "Asuka-chan, stay behind me . . . " he warned his 
fiancée.

	"Don't worry," a female voice called out.  "Tadakichi won't hurt you."

	Everyone blink-blinked several times as a slender woman dressed in the 
light green-and-gold of a Sagussan civilian medical officer moved out from 
behind the feline.  Seeing her, Asuka's jaw dropped as she instantly 
recalled a certain manga series a classmate of hers had shown her -- and of 
its lead star.  "Chiyo-chan . . .?" she gasped as she pulled away from 
Mendou.

	Mendou blinked.  He knew a little bit about "Azumanga Daioh" -- while he 
didn't partake in reading that form of common entertainment, he had heard a 
lot about various popular series at school -- so he understood the 
reference.  But attaching the name "Chiyo" to this strange woman was pushing 
it.  In Azuma-sensei's manga, Mihama Chiyo was a child genius who had been 
promoted straight into first-year high school from fourth-year elementary 
school, which made her ten years old at the start of the series.  The woman 
Asuka just called "Chiyo" had to be eighteen, if not twenty!  And she 
certainly had the body to back up such an assertion, given the very nice 
pair of breasts that seemed almost ready to burst free from her oddly-cut 
jumpsuit top, to say AHYTHING of a body that rivalled Sakura-sensei's in 
general shape, plus she standing as tall as Asuka!  Further, while the woman 
WAS wearing her dark caramel hair in the ponytails the manga character had, 
Mendou knew Mihama Chiyo did NOT have tapered ears!

	"Close enough," the newcomer asserted as she pulled her hand away from the 
alien beast beside her, and then she bowed, clasping her hands together in a 
splayed-finger prayer-like gesture.  "I sincerely apologize for disturbing 
your time together, but I've come here to speak to you about something of 
great import."  Her eyes fell on Asuka.  "Asuka-san, how'd you like to be a 
. . .?"

	"WHO IS THIS?!"

	Everyone screamed out in shocked surprise as Chiyo and her companion spun 
around to stare into a matronly woman's face frozen in a perennial smile, 
she draped in a flower-embossed kimono.  "Okaa-sama!" Asuka gasped.

	Mizunokooji Saeko quickly focused her starry eyes -- a feature she shared 
with both Asuka and her son, Tobimaro -- on the intruder.  "WHO IS THIS?!" 
she hotly demanded before blinking wildly as Chiyo drew out a scanner from 
her first aid bag -- no Sagussan doctor or nurse ever left home without one! 
-- to pass it over her face, the device chirping.  "Eh . . .?  What are you 
doing?!  Why are you waving that thing in my face?!"

	Chiyo hummed as she drew her scanner back to examine the readout on her 
medical tricorder.  "Oh, my!" she breathed out.  "I never thought I'd ever 
see a case of facial palsy quite like yours, Saeko-san.  Have you ever had a 
chance to see a neurologist to be treated?"

	The iron-willed matriarch of the Mizunokooji family shuddered as outrage 
billowed from every point on her body, and then she screamed out, "***I AM 
NOT DISEASED!  NOW, WHY ARE YOU HARRASSING MY DAUGHTER AND HER FIANCÉ . . 
.?!***"

	"***DOUBLE CHOP!***"

	A pair of clasped hands came down HARD on Saeko's head, driving her into 
the walkway.  Seeing that, Mendou dodged in front of Asuka, he partially 
drawing his katana.  Multiple hands then gripped his arms and legs.  A 
glance over his shoulder quickly revealed that ALL of the Kurotenshi were 
hiding themselves behind him, they fearfully gazing on the black-and-blue 
dressed woman who just knocked down their employer with ONE BLOW!  "Young 
Master!  Protect us, please!" Makige Kinko, the Kurotenshi's wavy-haired 
leader, wailed.

	"Tomo!" Chiyo screamed out.  "You didn't have to hit her THAT hard!"

	"Hey, it ain't MY fault this perp was threatening you!" Tomo yelled back.

	Staring at her, Mendou blinked, his jaw dropping.  "It's you!" he gasped as 
he pointed at the Sagussan internal security officer.  "You're the one who 
was on the 'Rose Emperor' when Seiko-san and Sakiko-san came to rescue us!"

	The scion of the Mendou fortune found himself staring at a monster with 
blazing eyes and a battle aura that would scare the bejeezus out of Saotome 
Ranma!  "***WHO GAVE A MORON LIKE* YOU *THE RIGHT TO CREDIT* THOSE *TWERPS 
WITH SAVING YOUR SORRY ASS FROM ELLE?!  IT WAS ATARU-SAMA AND HINAKO-SAMA 
WHO SAVED YOU, NOT ANYONE ELSE!  AND DON'T YOU EVER FORGET THAT!  GOT 
ME?!***"

	Mendou and Asuka screamed as both leaped behind the massed Kurotenshi to 
get away from that horrid vision.  "TOMO!" Chiyo yelled.  "JUST BECAUSE 
THEY'RE FROM A TOGHMOGHBIKI DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO GIVE THEM HEART 
ATTACKS!"

	Tomo reverted to normal as she glared at her friend.  "It ain't MY fault 
THIS kimei'aidoei acts like such a fool when it comes to Ataru-sama, Chiyo!"

	The doctor paused as she considered the internal security officer's words.  
After a moment, she nodded.  "Yes, I suppose that's true!"  A disapproving 
glare was then sent Mendou's way.  "His behaviour when it came to Ataru-sama 
DID leave a lot to be desired!"

	"WHAT?!" Mendou cried out.  In a flash, he lunged over to grasp Chiyo's 
hands.  "Miss, you MUST reject Moroboshi . . .!"

	An ear-splitting roar then sent Mendou scrambling away from Chiyo as the 
animal she called "Tadakichi" leapt to his feet and spread his wings out in 
a threatening posture.  The doctor sighed before she drew out a handkerchief 
to wipe her hand down.  Seeing her do THAT, Mendou froze in paralysed shock 
as Chiyo turned to Tomo.  "Honestly!  The man simply can't respect any 
choice a woman makes, can he?!" she muttered.

	"Yeesh!  Tell me about it!" Tomo replied before she thumbed the still-dazed 
Saeko, the derision she felt for Asuka's mother flowing in torrents from her 
voice.  "And to believe this dipwit actually wants to force her own daughter 
into marrying the stupid twit!"

	Chiyo sighed.  "Well, what did you expect from a woman who raised her 
daughter in total isolation from all men for FIFTEEN years?!"

	Hearing that, Tomo started, and then she turned to peer intently at Asuka.  
"Yeah, that would explain why is it she's so darned afraid of guys these 
days, huh?!"  The internal security officer then snapped her fingers as she 
gazed on the doctor.  "Sounds like child abuse to me!"

	Chiyo blinked, and then she sighed, a sweat drop pouring down her hair.  
Even if she WAS a doctor, she had no real skill when it came to trying to 
curb Tomo's frequent wild mood-swings.  Only Koyomi, Ayumu or another of the 
Azudai Clique, Kagura, seemed to have any luck doing THAT!  Besides, given 
what she knew of Mizunokooji Asuka's history, it was easy for Chiyo to 
conclude that her mother WAS ultimately responsible for the girl's 
androphobia, regardless of what or who finally triggered it and then forced 
it into such an acute state.  And Saeko and her husband honestly that Asuka 
was fit to marry Mendou Shuutarou when she obviously had next to no real 
control over her physical strength?

	Terrans were SURE strange people, weren't they?!

	Oh, well . . .!

	"Hai, it's child abuse!" the doctor then muttered as she waved Tomo off, 
the tiredness in her voice quite apparent.  "Have fun!"

	Tomo jolted.  "Really?!  You mean it, Chiyo?!"

	"I said it, didn't I?"

	"YA-HOO!"

	The internal security officer whipped out her stun-baton, flicked it on, 
and then went to work.  Seeing what Tomo was doing to their employer, the 
Kurotenshi remained frozen in place.  Mendou was also frozen stiff, his eyes 
spiralling from Chiyo's sharp show of rejection.  As Saeko's pained screams 
echoed across the property, Chiyo tiredly turned to Asuka.  "Gomen nasai, 
Asuka-san!" she apologized with a bow to the young heiress.  "I only wanted 
to ask you to be a hero, but my friends insisted that Tomo come along with 
me!"

	Asuka blinked.  "A hero . . .?"  She pointed at herself, her eyes widening. 
  "You want me to be a hero, Chiyo-chan?"

	"Hai."

	Asuka blinked again, and then she nodded.  "Okay!"

	Hearing that, Chiyo beamed.

*    *    *

	"Just what do you think you're doing, Nodoka?"

	Nodoka gasped as that question echoed in her ears, and then she spun around 
to see someone standing in the entranceway of her home.  She blinked several 
times as her mind tried to interpret who it was.  As realization dawned, 
Ranma's mother shakily turned away from Hisayo, her eyes focusing on the 
tantou before her.  A sheet of expensive paper, a calligraphy brush and ink 
well were off to one side, ready to be used when Nodoka would compose her 
farewell poem.  She was draped in her most formal kimono, the flaps around 
her collars pulled a bit away to expose her neck; for the wives of samurai, 
it wasn't the abdomen that was ripped open when one committed suicide.  
Blinking as it dawned on her why Hisayo had come to see her, she then 
sniffed back tears.  "Don't stop me, Onee-chan.  Please . . . "

	"Oh, I'm going to stop you, alright!" Hisayo growled as she kicked off her 
shoes and stepped into the living room to drop herself down in front of 
Nodoka.  Though it was possible for the latter to snare the tantou before 
the former could grab it and toss it aside, Hisayo did nothing of the sort.  
Nodoka's sense of manners wouldn't allow her to act that way, even in a 
situation like this.  "I'm damn hell gonna stop you from making the most 
stupid mistake of your life, Nodoka-chan!"  She blinked as tears began to 
trickle down her cheeks.  "You're my sister, damn it!  And there's no way 
that I'm going to allow my sister to kill herself, especially for something 
idiotic li- . . .!"

	"'IDIOTIC?!'" Nodoka shrieked.  "Kasumi, Nabiki and Akane are ORPHANS now!  
And they were killed by Naho-san's GRANDFATHER . . .!"

	"I KNOW THAT!" Hisayo roared back.  "I just got told the whole damned 
story!"  She waved to the doorway.  Catty Ray was standing outside waiting 
for Hisayo to call her in; Nodoka's sister had a communicator on her shirt 
collar.

	"Then you know why I have to do this!"

	"Tell ME, then!"

	Nodoka shuddered as Hisayo's glare bored into her.  "Onee-chan, when she 
finds out what happened to Souun tonight, Ranma-chan could possibly go all 
the way into declaring a BLOOD-FEUD against Father and our whole family!"

	"And what's so damned wrong about that?!"

	"Onee-chan!"

	Hisayo frowned.  "Nodoka, what has our having that name done for us?!"

	"It's the name we were born by!"

	"Is it really?"

	"Onee-chan!"

	Hisayo crossed her arms.  "Nodoka, you know how I feel about our so-called 
'father' and our brothers!  You know how I feel about what they did to you 
in response to you making a simple mistake when it came to Saotome Genma!"

	"Father had a right to do that . . .!"

	"NO, HE DID NOT!" Hisayo barked.  "AFTER ALL THE SHIT HE PULLED ON MOM, 
THAT BASTARD HAD NO RIGHT TO JUDGE YOU AT ALL!"

	Nodoka's eyes flashed before her hand lashed out at Hisayo's cheek.  Before 
it could strike, a hand snared Nodoka's arm, yanking it back hard enough to 
cause Ranma's mother to scream out.  She nearly collapsed before her eyes 
turned up to see who had intercepted her slap.  They then widened as the 
newcomer's many features came to her.  "Wh-who . . .?"

	"Thanks," Hisayo breathed out.  "You must be Priss."

	"That I am.  Guess I was just in time," Priss replied before she gazed at 
the entranceway.  "Ray, get in here!" she yelled.

	The door opened, revealing Catty Ray.  "Update from Chiyo, Priss," the 
android-turned-bioroid reported.  "Another twenty minutes or so."

	"Any sign of detection from Ataru's playmate?" the Pathfinder asked.

	Catty Ray shook her head.  "No."  She then perked.  "Oh, Koyomi called.  
She has the other prisoner in mid-transport suspension."

	"I'm sure Naho would love to hear that," Priss noted, and then she stared 
down at Nodoka.  "You gonna behave yourself?" she wondered.

	Nodoka blinked several times, and then she hesitantly nodded.  Even though 
she really did not have anything close to the ki-sensing abilities her 
daughter could call on when needed, some deep voice in her head was loudly 
warning her that any, ANY show of defiance toward this strange woman would 
be a VERY stupid thing to do.  Priss then let go of her hand before she 
dropped unceremoniously to the floor beside her.  "Okay, then!  It's time to 
play a little game here.  It's called 'Revelations.'  You, Nodoka, are going 
to be told a rather complex and long story that concerns your daughter in a 
most intimate way.  And, if we go along with the mating rituals of your 
race, that story also deeply concerns the man you would look on as your 
future son-in-law."  Seeing Nodoka's eyes go wide, Priss added, "Moroboshi 
Ataru."

	Silence.

	"Have they gone all the way yet?" Hisayo asked, she trying not to smirk at 
Nodoka's imitation of a guppy on hearing THAT statement.

	"No, not yet," Priss responded.  "But you really can't blame Ataru, though. 
  After he got a VERY up close and personal look at three billion people 
getting turned into instant air pollution back on Phentax Two, his libido 
took a nose-dive."  She then raised an objecting finger.  "But that's 
another story we can talk about later.  First, we have to explain to Nodoka 
about *this!*"

	She pulled out a picture from her vest top, flipping it around to show to 
Ranma's mother.  It was a two-dimensional photograph, which had been printed 
from a hologram Lufy created from bioscans her equipment had made of 
herself, Ataru and Ranma that fateful day in Sendai thirteen years before.  
Priss knew that if she had pulled out a portable holographic projector or 
something else that would be "flashy" for Nodoka, the latter could easily 
try to deny the visual evidence as the whole, unvarnished truth.  A 2-D 
image, what Nodoka would see as "normal," worked better in this case.

	"That's Ranma . . . " Nodoka whispered as her finger felt the picture.  
"And this must be Ataru-kun . . .!"  She pointed to the other boy, and then 
the blonde girl with the same skin colour as Priss.  "Who's this?!"

	"My oldest, dearest friend -- and Catty Ray's lover -- Lufy," Priss replied 
with a wave of her hand to Lufy's bond-mate.  "As you'll probably remember, 
thirteen years ago, your late husband took your son on a little training 
trip that ended with him winding up in intensive care at the city hospital 
in Sendai for a month, recovering from a whole slew of broken bones and deep 
slash marks over most of his body."

	Seeing Nodoka's eyes widen in realization, Priss continued, "That was Lufy 
and a large feline companion of hers, Starleaf.  We hail from a planet named 
Sagussa, located thirty thousand light-years from Earth.  The reason Lufy 
came to Sendai that day was . . . "

*    *    *

	"Naho-san, I don't even know what to begin to say . . . "

	The crowd from the Tendou dojo -- minus Cologne, who had gone over to the 
Moroboshi home to retrieve Shampoo and Mousse -- had shifted themselves to 
Okonomiyaki U-chan's to enjoy a late dinner.  Hana Naho had just finished 
explaining about the tortured history of her part of the Moroboshi-Hana Clan 
and how that had come to so badly affect the surviving members of the Tendou 
family earlier that evening.  "Don't bother, Shinobu-chan," Naho replied 
before she gave Konatsu a nod as he placed a fresh okonomiyaki in front of 
her.  "Just be thankful my grandfather's obsession with obtaining 
Negako-chan's knowledge didn't lead him to do something to anyone in 
Tomobiki.  Even if Lum had many advantages, it would've been child's play to 
chop off her horns and render her powerless enough to turn her into a very 
impressive hostage to force Kinshou to come open about a few things 
concerning what happened to Ataru-chan.  After all, since that fat ignoramus 
Lum called a father was willing to do ANYTHING to protect his child, the Men 
in Black would've responded immediately by calling in the Zephyrites.  And 
given the suspicions in the Holy Republic concerning Urusian involvement in 
my aunt's murder, they would've most likely turned around and punished Lum 
in the place of those people who were truly responsible for what happened."  
Her eyes focused on Izumo Sakiko.  "Seq Yethis, Rei's uncle, being the 
primary suspect on that list, of course."

	The crowd from Tomobiki took a moment to absorb that information.  "It 
woulda been one hell of a friggin' fight," Ryuunosuke mused.

	"That it would be," Sakiko agreed with a grimace before her eyes fell on 
Negako.  "And if Darling was hurt in any way . . . "

	"I would have willingly killed everyone who was involved, regardless of 
their affiliation," the ninjutsu grandmaster finished.

	"Which could've started an intergalactic war," Naho finished.

	"Damn!" Momoe exhaled, and then she gazed on Negako.  "You know, maybe it 
was a smart thing you never did come to Tomobiki before the Second Tag Race, 
Negako-san.  Given how possessive Lum was with Ataru-kun all the time . . . 
"

	"Even after living for three years with Naho, Mizuho, Ayano and the others 
in Onogawa, I still required more time to fully adjust myself to being free 
and living my own life under my control, Momoe," Negako said.  "If I came to 
Tomobiki to fully deal with all of Ataru's problems before I was sure of 
myself, the possibility was there that I might do something which would have 
ultimately made Ataru's position worse."

	"It's ironic, isn't it, Tedai?" Inaba Ayano mused.

	"Yes, it is."

	"What is, Negako-san?" Kasumi asked.

	"The situation concerning the First Tag Race," Negako replied.  "As you are 
all now aware, the Urusians learned about Nagaiwakai's connection with the 
Zephyrites prior to the First Tag Race, which prompted Pochik Ando's attack 
on Rishiri-tou while Ataru was attempting to tag Lum's horns.  What the 
Urusians never learned -- as Ataru and I discovered when we were training 
together and we finally captured Ando and the members of his strike force -- 
was what Nagaiwakai asked ME to do in case Lum won the race."

	"Don't tell us!  Let us guess!" Nabiki declared with a raised finger.  "You 
were ordered to kill her."

	"Correct," Negako confirmed.  She ignored the shocked looks from Lum's 
former classmates as she continued, "Once that happened, I would have then 
employed a lava blast, using Fuji-san as the firing point, to destroy the 
'Kashin' and ensure that whatever fragments from Invader's flagship would 
have splash-landed in the Pacific Ocean."  Negako then took a deep breath.  
"If I had done THAT, the Urusians would have suffered a fatal disruption in 
their overall plans to seize control of Earth.  By the time occupation 
forces could have deployed here from Toshitto, a Zephyrite fleet would have 
arrived in the system from Jiyuu and be in a position to intercept."  She 
lightly smiled.  "In essence, Nagaiwakai's murder would have given the 
Urusians no advantage."

	"Poor Ando-kun," Sakiko crooned, she tilting her head to and fro.  "All 
that work and it was ultimately for naught."

	"You knew this jerk, Sakiko-chan?" Ryuunosuke asked.

	"Please, Ryuu-chan!" Sakiko groaned.  "DON'T ask!"

	"Right . . . " the tomboy drawled.

	"What happens now, Kasumi-san?" Gekasawa Kumiko asked.

	Kasumi sighed, she giving Horikawa Mutsumi -- they were holding hands -- a 
grateful smile before she turned back to Momoe's friend.  "Well, with Father 
now gone, I see no real reason for us to remain in Nerima, Kumiko-san.  I 
had him stricken from the family register this afternoon, while everyone was 
busy with Ataru-kun's 'fiancée,' so his death need not concern the 
authorities."

	"That's good," Nabiki snarled.

	"Further, come Friday morning, the real estate people will take possession 
of the property," Kasumi then added.  "Hopefully by then, we'll all be able 
to move in with Ataru-kun and his family on Promised Island . . . "

	"'Promised Island?!'  Where's that?!" Momoe asked.

	"Oomure-jima, off the coast of Odawara in the Sagami Sea," Nabiki provided. 
  "'Promised Island's' the nickname of the place."

	"That's right!" Ryuunosuke said, she snapping her fingers.  "That's the 
island near our island, Sakiko-chan!"

	"I doubt Darling'll like the idea of any of us visiting him there," Sakiko 
warned as she considered that point.

	"And I KNOW that Ataru-kun and the sisters certainly WON'T like the idea of 
Mendou finding out where they live now," Nabiki added as she gave Momoe and 
Kumiko knowing looks.  "Right, girls?" she asked, an eyebrow arching.

	Momoe sighed, a content smile crossing her face as she quickly understood 
what her friend was implying.  "Nabiki, the man just killed to save my life. 
  I've made up with him and I've accepted his apology for what he did to me 
in the past."  A pause.  "If he wants me as a friend, I'll gladly call him 
my friend.  Hell, I'll even date him if he wants.  No matter what, though, 
he's got nothing to fear from me."

	"Nor from me, either," Kumiko added.  "But I'll pass on the dates."

	Shinobu, Ryuunosuke and Sakiko laughed.  "What about the Rosebuds?" Nabiki 
asked, she crossing her arms.

	"Who're the Rosebuds?" Sawada Minako wondered.

	"Mendou's town-wide fan club," Ryuunosuke answered.

	"At times, they were just as obsessed with Mendou as Megane and his fools 
were with Lum," Nabiki added with a raised finger and a wink.

	The rose-haired Avalonian nodded.  "Aaaah!  Gotcha!"

	"Hey!  We weren't THAT bad!" Kumiko cried out defensively.

	"Then why on Earth did you all try to lynch Ataru-chan when he simply 
wanted to retire from being class representative?" Naho asked.

	Kumiko flustered.  "It was a mistake, Naho-san!  We all thought Ataru-kun 
was dumping Lum once and for all!"

	"And that was a problem?" Naho wondered.

	Kumiko balked.  "Well . . . "

	"They were afraid that if Ataru succeeded in ending his relationship with 
Lum, she would turn around and seek Shuutarou out romantically.  That, of 
course, would have effectively destroyed any hopes Momoe, Kumiko and their 
friends -- even Shinobu -- might have possessed in winning Shuutarou for 
themselves," Negako explained to her "mother."  "Of course, given how 
immature and irresponsible Lum's behaviour was at the time, the chances were 
better than good that she would have most likely permanently maimed Ataru in 
retaliation for his 'betrayal.'  And once that happened, the Kuromoroboshi 
and the Sunin would have come down to permanently maim -- if not KILL -- Lum 
in turn."

	Everyone from Tomobiki blinked.  "Who're they?!" Ryuunosuke asked.

	"The Kuromoroboshi were my aunt's kunoichi bodyguards," Naho explained.  
"The Sunin were my grant-aunt's sumotori bodyguards."

	"You know about them, Konatsu?" Ukyou asked from behind the grill.

	"Only the Kuromoroboshi, Ukyou-sama," the male shinobi replied.  "They're 
some of the finest shadow warriors in Japan, if not all of Asia.  Of course 
. . . " -- he flashed Negako a smile -- "They're nothing compared to 
Negako-sama."

	Negako's eyebrow twitched.  "Konatsu . . . "

	"Tedai, that's enough," Ayano gently scolded as she playfully batted 
Negako's arm.  "He has every right to admire you, because you're so 
admirable!"

	An incredulous look responded.  "Oh?"

	"Negako-chan, take it easy for once," Naho added.

	The grandmaster shook her head as muted laughter echoed from the others 
around her.  "Um, can I ask a question?" Gekasawa Kumiko then asked.

	"What is it, Kumiko?" Negako wondered.

	"What does Ayano-san mean when she calls you 'Tedai?'"

	"Easily explained," the raven-haired Avalonian replied.  "'Te' comes from 
'Terra,' the Latin name for your home planet, Kumiko-san."  Ayano then 
sighed.  "And my home planet now, I must confess.  And 'dai' is Niphentaxian 
for 'blessed one.'  A more proper translation for that would be 'Earth 
Angel.'  It's what we all sometimes call her."  She gazed fondly at Negako.  
"After all, the Earth speaks and she listens."

	"You mean you can actually 'hear' the chi and mana flows of everything on 
Earth, Negako-san?" Kasumi wondered.  "Even sense the Dragon Lines?"

	"Yes," Negako confirmed with a nod.

	"Negako-san, that must overwhelm you at times," Sakiko noted.

	"It initially did," Negako replied.  "In the more than three years after I 
was freed from Ataru's subconscious mind, Sakiko, I was bombarded CONSTANTLY 
with what seemed an endless storm of thoughts, images, feelings and the like 
from every point on the planet.  As Naho, Ayano and their friends may 
confirm, in the first thousand days of my freedom, I was fully cognizant 
for, at most, THIRTY of them."  She then took a deep breath.  "Because of 
that, I was unable to see what real harm I had unleashed on Ataru."

	"Wiping out his memory, you mean," Ryuunosuke mused.

	"That and one other matter, Ryuunosuke."  Negako closed her eyes.  "And I 
sadly confess it was that second matter which, in part, caused Ataru to 
attempt to molest you all as often as he did from the time he passed into 
puberty until I restored his memories and removed him from Tomobiki itself." 
  Another pause, and then the grandmaster added, "Something that I, had I 
then been in a much more stable frame of mind, would have eliminated from 
him as soon as possible after I was freed from his subconscious."

	Everyone gazed curiously at Negako.  "If you don't mind our asking, 
Negako-san, how exactly did you do that?" Saotome Kumiko asked.

	A smile turned the grandmaster's lips.  "Before I explain that, Kumiko, I 
wish you all to consider what my exact situation was at the time I was first 
inserted into Ataru's subconscious mind."  Her eyebrow then arched.  "Well?"

	She paused to allow the others to think about it for a moment.  "According 
to the biography Yumoa-san presented about you on TV Tokyo after the school 
was destroyed, you became fully self-conscious in 1808, right?" Shinobu 
began.  At Negako's nod, Ataru's former girlfriend then breathed out, "And 
until you were finally freed, you worked constantly to try to seize control 
of your host's body so you could be free."

	"As any slave would react when she fully becomes aware of the nature of her 
slavery," Yusa Rinko added.

	"Ataru-kun WASN'T prepared to be your host, right?" Momoe asked.

	"Exactly."

	"You must've felt like you'd hit the jackpot," Sakiko noted.

	"Indeed I did, Sakiko," Negako replied.  "Everyone, you must understand 
that at the time I was inserted into Ataru's subconscious, I had never, 
NEVER truthfully enjoyed any positive experiences with normal humans."  Her 
eyes then focused on the Tendou sisters.  "My three encounters with Happy 
during Emperor Mutsuhito's reign were very brief ones.  And in the third 
encounter, Happy was punished by elements of the Moroboshi-Hana Clan ALL 
BECAUSE he wanted to help me live my own life."  She turned back to gaze on 
the girls from Tomobiki.  "In spite of those -- NO, even BECAUSE of those 
encounters with Happy -- to me, every human I encountered potentially 
contributed, in one way or another, to my enslavement."  The people around 
her began to quake on seeing the look of sheer, pure RAGE crossing the 
grandmaster's face as she continued, "I was a monster that had to be caged 
at all costs.  A beast that should never see the light of day.  The ultimate 
expression of the darkness in human hearts and souls.  Anything I did, 
anything I said . . . "  A deep breath.  "It was to be ignored.  I was a 
nightmare best forgotten."

	"Jesu Cristo!" Shinobu whispered, sympathetic tears welling in her eyes.

	Everyone remained silent for a moment, and then Minako said, "And then you 
got downloaded into Ataru-kun's head."

	"Indeed," Negako said.  "A five year-old boy.  Not prepared in the LEAST to 
be my host.  No one even SUSPECTED where I was at the time it happened.  To 
me, being placed into Ataru was akin to Shinobu here finding the Garden of 
Eden.  I could finally do what I waited YEARS to do.  And given the 
fractious relations between Kinshou and Muchi on one side, Komeru on 
another, Nagaiwakai on yet another and with Naho in hiding . . . "  She 
shrugged as a sly smile crossed her face.  "What could I NOT do in a 
situation like that?"

	Negako then raised an objecting finger.  "However, there were problems.  
Number one:  The psionic bond with Saotome Ranma.  Number two:  The empathic 
bonds Ataru shared with Priscilla, Tomo and all of their kind.  Number 
three:  Ataru's body, if it was to be of ultimate long-term use to me, had 
to be gradually upgraded so that I could employ all my knowledge and skills 
when the day came that I would finally free myself.  So I had to go forth 
and seek a way to built up the necessary heavy ki energy -- 'dark' ki if you 
will -- so that when the day came, I could destroy Ataru's soul and seize 
his body for myself with as minimal amount of problems as possible.  To do 
that . . . "  A pause.  "I decided to use Ataru's empathic bonds with 
Priscilla's people . . . "

	"The Sagussans," Nabiki helpfully cut in.

	"Thank you, Nabiki," Negako carried on.  "Using those empathic bonds and 
Ataru's inner desire to reunite with the Sagussans, I slowly, gradually 
transformed him into a receptacle of heavy ki, which was then transmitted 
into the large mana node that exists under Tomobiki to this very day."  She 
gazed directly at Sakiko and Shinobu.  "You encountered one sentient 
expression of that mana node sometime ago, prior to the second Tag Race."

	"The Pseudo-War?" Momoe asked.  "That thing under the Tarouzakura hill 
where Lum disappeared to just before the fighting started?!"

	"Exactly, Momoe.  The 'Memory of Tomobiki' as it addressed itself."

	Nabiki then snapped her fingers.  "Oh, I get it now!"  She then gazed on 
Negako.  "You made Ataru act like a letch and an idiot to gather up all that 
dark ki, and then you used this thing under the Tarouzakura as a huge 
storage battery.  And when you finally had enough heavy ki, would've 
eventually helped you wipe out Ataru's mind and seize control of his body 
for your own use."

	Negako nodded.  "Yes."

	"Damn!" Ryuunosuke whistled.  "So every time Moroboshi went crazy . . . "

	"People struck back," Negako finished.  "Physical blows, verbal rejections, 
the growing estrangement between Ataru and his parents, the inability of 
Ataru to forge any friendships, to say ANYTHING of forging a relationship 
with Shinobu.  And then, after the First Tag Race, energy attacks like Lum's 
bio-electricity, Oyuki's ice-manipulation powers, Jariten's flame-breath, 
the threats from Ran to absorb Ataru's youth and other events.  ALL that 
produced heavy ki that his body transmitted to the node under the 
Tarouzakura for my later use.  And as that carried on, his body was slowly 
but surely altered to Sagussan levels of physical ability.  His superhuman 
speed, his ability to absorb blows that would have killed a normal person, 
his stamina."  A tired smile crossed her face.  "All that came originally 
from me."

	"And all you had to do then was sit back and wait," Kasumi added.

	"Exactly," Negako replied with nod.  "And that was the state of affairs 
until five years ago, when a woman named Sunhair Windrider . . . "

	"The captain of the Zephyrite battlecruiser we locked alongside with after 
the business with Elle," Nabiki augmented.

	Negako nodded.  "When Sunhair, the daughter of a friend of Nagaiwakai's 
from the Zephyrite colony of Magairu, mind-probed Ataru one day when he was 
visiting Nagaiwakai at Rishiri-tou . . . "  She then closed her eyes as 
tears began to stream down her cheeks.  "Her mind made contact with my 
spirit within Ataru's subconscious.  Once she understood what I was, she 
informed Ataru.  He was, despite my attempts at making him ignore whatever 
had been told to him about me, aware of what I was, how I came into being.  
And then . . . "

	Here, the grandmaster stopped, her eyes turning to the table before her.  
The others stared at her, all of them anxious to hear what happened next, 
yet afraid to come out and ask Negako to continue.  Finally, Nabiki breathed 
out as she reached over to squeeze her hand.  "Then what, Negako?"

	Negako blinked before she reached up to wipe her eyes.  "And then, Ataru 
did something I never believed ANY human being outside possibly Happy would 
ever have done for me.  He asked Nagaiwakai a very simple question."  A 
pause.  "'Why can't she have her own life?'"

*    *    *

	"Oh, by the Lady Pizalna!  It just CAN'T be . . . "

	The hunters gazed on Varena.  After identifying the Maidens by the jumpsuit 
the Yizibajohei-born one was wearing, Hinanba and Pamanba had psi-flashed 
their friends.  As soon as the other junior hunters had gotten dressed and 
prepped their kit, everyone raced over to join their friends in the hedge 
bordering the manicured lawn surrounding the Crystal Palace.  As the younger 
ones took turns looking through their binoculars to take in all the details, 
Varena and Mujanba walked off to one side to put their heads together and 
decide what to do next.  Still, even the witch hunters from Colony Nine were 
excited.  This after all, to any Vosian, was the ultimate first contact:

	To actually MEET the Maidens of the Eternal Voyager!

	"Major, you recognize the Pirpirsiw'r?" Kanba asked.

	Varena nodded as she lowered her binoculars.  A smile crossed her face as 
she gazed on her friends.  "As a matter of fact, Kanba, I do.  She's Izripra 
of Varakos, a court sage.  One of the wisest people ever to live."

	"I thought no one was to know any of their real names," Ryoonba said.

	"The common folk on Yehisril, yes," Varena confirmed.  "My 
great-grandfather on my mother's side, however, was a wandering mystic from 
the northern hills of Kyotos who was willing to teach his craft to anyone 
who wanted to learn and had the aptitude to learn.  Lady Izripra, when she 
was on her honour-quest before she was formally welcomed into the Sisterhood 
of Steel, trained under him."  The "Sisterhood of Steel" was the most common 
name applied to the Most Dangerous Ones as a group.  "He grieved when Lady 
Izripra was killed, but later became overjoyed when he later sensed that the 
Eternal Voyager had come and taken her off to its home planet."

	"Yeah, wherever that is," Hinanba mused.

	"So what's the plan, Major?" Ikura, a grey-eyed, platinum-haired azhis'f 
and another of Bujosur's former personal harem, wondered.

	"We stay here for the time being, Ikura," Mujanba answered for the other 
Colony Nine native.  Instantly sensing the disappointed looks appearing on 
the younger hunters' faces, the captain chuckled.  "Girls, I know you all 
want to meet them.  Believe me, I'm as excited about this as you are.  But 
we have to keep this in mind:  Lecasur's original contact with the Voyager 
really didn't produce a lot of hard data on the Maidens.  And much of that 
was later lost when Lecasur disappeared with the 'Unification.'  We can't 
base our opinions on the legends, wild theories and what-have-you when it 
comes to the Voyager and the Maidens.  Now's the time for hard facts.  
Understood?"

	Nods from the others.  "Don't forget, the Maidens might have detailed 
intelligence on events on Vos," Varena added with a warning finger.  "After 
all, it WAS the Voyager that destroyed that Ultimate Weapon those rogue 
Kamahanites might have used against the Mikado."

	The others nodded.  Forty years ago, relations between the military 
dictatorship running the Confederation of Vos and all its immediate galactic 
neighbours -- including the Royal Kingdoms of Yehisril, Vos' oldest ally and 
economic trading partner -- began to plummet into the sub-strata when 
elements of the Mikado's cabinet began to make ominous noises about 
territorial expansion into sectors of space already claimed by those other 
powers.  It got to the point where radical militarist elements from 
Kamahana, a planet near Zephyrite space which was the home of a 
highly-advanced race of reptilian humanoids, seized control of an Ultimate 
Weapon (a six kilometre-long flying antimatter gun that could easily blast 
apart a small star) and moved to use it against Vos itself to force the 
Mikado to abdicate.  The Voyager intercepted the Ultimate Weapon near 
Tokkaebos (an independent world which shared the same solar system as Vos 
Colony Forty), and destroyed it with its anti-proton shock cannons.  Despite 
the resulting propaganda that loudly declared the Eternal Voyager clearly 
supported the Mikado's "benevolent dictatorship," cooler heads later 
concluded the Voyager had intervened simply to prevent some idiot from 
turning Vos into an asteroid field and slaughtering billions of its 
citizens.

	"That's true," Kanba mused.

	"What do you suppose they're doing here, anyway?" Ryoonba asked.

	"Yeah, why ARE they here?" Ikura parroted her friend.

	"Could they be after the Sceptre?" Pamanba wondered.

	A chorus of confused and concerned looks was exchanged by everyone.  "It 
just might be a possibility," Varena mused.  "The Keeper didn't mention 
anything about anything else being stored in the Palace outside the 
Sceptre."

	"But why would the Maidens want the Sceptre?" Sanba, a green-haired, 
purple-eyed girl who was yet another of Bujosur's harem, asked.

	"We can ask them," Kanba proposed.

	"Can we do that?" Hinanba wondered.

*    *    *

	As whispered chatter picked up between the hunters, the young girl kneeling 
beside Sanba slowly stood, she silently turning to head deeper into the 
forest surrounding the Crystal Palace, and then she started arcing toward 
the Palace itself.  This was Tsuna, the last of Bujosur's harem.  An