Disclaimer: "Ranma ½" was created by Takahashi Rumiko, and is licensed to Shogakukan Inc., Kitty, Fuji TV, and Viz Communications Inc. "Tenchi Muyo" was created by Kajishima Masaki, and is licensed to AIC/VAP, NTV, and Viz Communications Inc. All original characters belong to me.

Chapter Three: Hereditary Principalities

Galaxy Police Headquarters

Colonel Hierax Adrolops, a N'Wellian from N'Wel VII, used one of his twelve purple tentacles to scratch at his bulbous chin absently. The transfer notice before him didn't make sense to him in the least, especially since the officer before him had worked so hard to get away from the partner she was being reassigned to.

He thought about questioning the sudden change of heart, but upon seeing both the Royal Seal of Jurai and the personal seal of the Commissioner, he changed his mind.

Politics and N'Wellians didn't mix well. It was one of the reasons that Hierax chose the remote desk job of a commissions officer. That he had attained the rank of Colonel was a fluke, or so he thought. He hadn't meant to save that Juraian Lord's life in the mess hall. It had been an accident at best; tripping over someone's tail and latching onto the Juraian's torso. One quick squeeze and whatever had been obstructing the man's air passage flew out and smacked one of the ranking officers wetly in the face. That very hour had marked his rapid raise in the ranks, something he regretted.

He shook his head and bemoaned his fate silently while affixing his own seal onto the official transfer notice. Perhaps he could put in for a transfer of his own, preferably to someplace quiet and well out of the way of scrutiny. With a sigh of regret, he shook his head and returned the papers back to the officer before him. It would never happen in his lifetime.

"Good luck, detective," he said in his nasally monotone. She nodded her head vigorously, as if she knew that she was going to need every bit of luck that she could get. "I hope that you enjoy your new assignment." It was an answer that he gave every officer; hollow and impersonal.

"Not bloody likely," she said under her breath as she left the commissions office. Hierax had to agree with her sentiment. He might have it bad, but it could get worse. Much worse. He wondered who the poor Theay had offended to be reassigned to Detective First Class Mihoshi.

Space is a vast realm; infinite, some say.

Lady Tokimi knew differently. The misconception that the various societies held close to their hearts was that the vacuum of space spanned forever, but that was simply wrong. The vacuum of space was immense, but finite, bordered on all sides by other elements that comprised their own vast realms.

Seas of plasma bordered oceans of helium, and in turn they were flanked by large seas of other elements not known to the denizens of this particular "universe".

Her domain stood on the outskirts of one such joining, a place where the reality of time/space was warped, dancing to and fro like a drunken mariner on his tossing galleon. She both loved and loathed it. It was like living in an exclusive villa on an isolated mountain, but without the means or the ability to leave.

She could call out and receive information from the corners of the vastness of the void, but she could in no way escape from her "home". It made for a terribly lonely existence.

She cursed the day that her sisters "escaped" the duties along their barriers and left her, their elder sister, stranded and alone. If everything went as planned, that would soon be a problem of the past, and she would be free.

She knew whom she would visit first. And heaven help Washu and Tsunami when she made her appearance! Tokimi laughed, a beautifully horrifying sound that made stars shiver with dread.

Washu laughed. She couldn't help herself; the looks on the newcomers' faces were just too much to take. Kasumi-chan's eyes were as large as saucers as she exited Washu's lab, and an odd little smile twisted her lips in a very un-Kasumi-esque expression. Washu knew the girl had potential, and if her first impressions were correct, the Greatest Scientific mind in the Universe would soon have a lab assistant. The idea was strangely appealing.

Nabiki-chan wasn't much better off, but her smile had more than a little drool associated with it. Washu wasn't sure she liked the feverish gleam in the girl's eye and made a mental note to upgrade her security systems. Nabiki looked intelligent; intelligence and greed didn't make good bedfellows.

But the elder Tendo sisters weren't the source of Washu's mirth. The sight of a very dazed Akane, holding Ranma's little green web-fingered hand made the resident mad scientist burst out laughing anew. Akane jumped and looked at little Washu with guarded fear.

"Kappa!"

"Ahhh!" Akane let out a little screech and nearly jumped out of her skin. Howling laughter floated into the youngest Tendo's ears, causing her to grumble, very quietly, under her breath. She turned her gaze onto the little green mutation that morosely brought up the rear.

"Kappa-Kappa!"

"Ranma!" she hissed at the little creature next to her. "Stop scaring me like that!" she scolded. It vaguely resembled Ranma in the eyes and wild black hair, but the scaly green skin, the beaked snout, and the large tortoise shell on its back made Akane's skin crawl.

Ranma could see the revulsion in Akane's eyes, and bowed his head slightly in defeat. Now what was he going to do? There's no way that anybody could love him like this! As if anyone loved him in the first place….

"…kappa…." His voice sounded miserable, and his utterly dejected posture softened Akane's heart. She knelt down and with only a little shudder in her hands, took his tiny Kappa hand again.

"You realize, of course, that this is entirely your fault." Ranma felt as though someone had hit him. He looked up at Akane and growled. "Don't growl at me Ranma! It was your own fault for insulting her!"

"KAPPA! Kappakappakappakappa!" Ranma began dancing around angrily but didn't let go of Akane's hand.

"What do you mean, 'How was I supposed to know she was over twenty thousand years old?'!" Her arms waved wildly as she yelled at Ranma. She refused to release her hold on his hand either, pulling and tugging Kappa-Ranma around like a small stuffed animal. "Did you think that a twelve-year-old girl could ever create a tenth of the stuff that she did?!"

"…k…ka…kapp…a…." Kappa-Ranma's eyes seemed to spin in his head.

Akane abruptly realized what she was doing and set the Kappa-boy down. "Sorry, Ranma," she amended quietly, and immediately set to the task of brushing him off. "But you know I'm right, so don't even try to deny it."

Washu watched Akane in amazement. How could this little, and definitely human, girl communicate with Kappa-Ranma? Washu knew for a fact that none of the kids were psi-positives — well, with the exception of Ranma, that was.

The boy was a lot like Tenchi on that note. They both came up as a blank slate on all of her scanning equipment. That was something that she would have to remedy. And soon.

But the others, Akane included, were nowhere near active psi levels. There were, of course, some latent possibilities, but everyone had at least some potential. She folded her arms beneath her small breasts and began analyzing the possible answers to this new puzzle.

Nabiki watched Washu's reaction with no little amusement. In the hopes of endearing herself to the master scientist, she sidled up and decided to help her out.

"It's not that hard of a trick, really," she said mildly, watching the display unfold between Akane and what had once been her human fiancé. Akane fussed over and chided Ranma for being stupid. While Ranma made some disparaging remark that sounded remarkably like "Tomboy".

"Oh?" Washu looked up at the middle Tendo daughter appraisingly. She began to re-examine Nabiki, discarding her previous judgment in light of something much more… profitable. The girl was intelligent, attractive, and at first glance, mildly greedy. All in all, a good candidate for an experiment that she'd put on hold a while back.

Nabiki smiled, but the look that Washu was giving her made her very uncomfortable; she felt for the first time what it was like to be examined under a microscope. She found that she enjoyed being on the other side of that look more than she did the receiving end.

She gulped once and told herself that there was no way that she was going to let a twelve -year-old girl intimidate her, regardless of what the kid claimed. Twenty thousand-years old! Ha! She'd believe it when she saw the birth certificate!

The smug, superior look that she wore like a second skin returned full force, allowing her to continue. "Ranma has a limited vocabulary, and tends to be very predictable." Washu didn't respond; instead, she simply nodded.

Ranma hung his head under Akane's tongue lashing. She was right, of course. The crack about Washu being a "silly little kid" wasn't exactly how he should have handled the scientist. He could admit when he was wrong — mostly at gun point, or rather sword tip, as the case might be — and when he was wrong, he took responsibility for it.

He walked up to her and bowed as deeply at the waist as he could to Washu and mumbled what only could have been an apology. Kasumi smiled warmly and looked to Washu to see what her response would be. Washu, for her part, smiled and smacked the Kappa-boy on his shell rather forcefully. "Apology accepted, Ranma. No hard feelings, eh?"

Ranma groaned inwardly, but made sure to smile and nod. The less he offended the woman, the better off that he would be. Self-preservation was a well-honed tenet of the Saotome School. Unfortunately, he hadn't mastered all of its techniques yet. Either that, or the Tendo School had a very effective counter.

"Could you please change him back now, Washu-chan?" Kasumi asked sweetly.

"Sorry, Kasumi. The procedure doesn't work that way."

Ranma whimpered as his eyes bulged in fear.

"Oh my!" Kasumi said.

Akane pushed forward in front of Washu. "How long will it last?"

"Oh, a couple of hours at most."

Ranma groaned at the prospect of remaining like this for the rest of the night. At least it wasn't forever.

The late night snack was a magnificent affair. Kasumi, Nodoka, and Sasami worked their magic creating a feast fit for a king; which was good since one happened to be in attendance at the table. But in order to pull the impromptu meal off, raw recruits were drafted into service. Ryoko and Ayeka were sent to the store for missing ingredients, and Washu's matter duplication device was called to service to duplicate existing ingredients and other foods. The device made both Kasumi's and little Ryo-Ohki's eyes sparkle in wonder and excitement at the possibilities.

Even Ranma and Tenchi were called to help, allowing Ranma to put on a dazzling display of cooking that entertained the mass of women milling about the kitchen. Tenchi only smiled at his newfound cousin as the young man showed off.

It had been ages since Funaho had been allowed to even enter a kitchen with any hopes of preparing a meal for her family. It was an escape that she had missed when Sasami left with Ayeka in search of Yosho. She had been away too long, and was happy to be back. The love and camaraderie that abounded in the room made Misaki start crying, threatening to flood the fruit salad that she was preparing.

The emotional woman had to be escorted out of the kitchen before her waterworks ruined dinner. Kasumi, who had the most practice dealing with such emotional states, calmly led Misaki out to join the men in their silent vigil at the table.

Yosho and Azusa sat across from each other, staring out into nothingness. The silence left Nobuyuki in a very uncomfortable position, and he relegated himself to hide behind his newspaper in a very manly act of cowardice. The sight seemed awfully familiar in a very foreign way that Kasumi couldn't quite put a finger on.

Misaki seemed to feel the same way, but took it into mind to help the men "break the ice", so to speak. Her presence at the table sent a shiver down her husband's spine, and put a broad smile on Yosho's lips. Nobuyuki wisely remained barricaded behind the stalwart bastion of his newspaper. Kasumi found the whole situation wonderfully entertaining, but managed to pull herself away before she lost her composure. It wouldn't be proper to laugh at an Emperor. She returned to the kitchen and soon the sweet feast was thoroughly devoured.

Ranma had demonstrated remarkable constraint considering what was in front of him, more than any of the Tendo sisters had ever seen. But for Ranma, it came at a serious cost. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he watched Mihoshi and Ryoko literally gorge themselves on a particularly yummy-looking ice cream parfait. There was a moment when Nodoka thought that her son was going to break under the pressure, but the boy's resolve held firm.

She was proud of him for showing such restraint. There was hope yet that she could undo all the harm that Genma had ingrained in him, a task that she was eager to start. This thought was mirrored in Funaho's mind as well, but was directed at both boys, rather than exclusively toward Ranma.

A chill ran up Ranma's spine, and somehow, he knew that it wasn't from the small spoonful of ice cream that he had just eaten. He looked at Tenchi and saw the same tremor pass through his body. On some subconscious level Ranma was thankful that he wasn't alone in this pickle.

"WHERE ON EARTH AM I NOW?!" The pitiful cry rebounded off of the alley walls morosely. The sound mocked Ryouga Hibiki's loneliness. He'd been in this maze for over eight days now, and he couldn't get out. It had to have been one of the most frustrating predicaments that he had ever found himself. He was sorely tempted to make an exit for himself, but the memory of his last attempt stopped him cold. His irritation and impatience had caused him to lash out randomly at a wall, which had consequently separated a home's bath from the rest of the world. The young women bathing themselves at the time were understandably upset, and had told Ryouga in short order where they thought that he should go. The thought of the experience made the Lost Boy's nose start to bleed, but he managed to pinch it to stave off the flow.

His restraint wasn't getting him anywhere, though, and that made him even more despondent. So much so that an eerie green light began crawling up and down his arms. The tiny flames licked his firmly toned arms, exuding a painfully depressing weight on the young man's heart.

"Why am I so cursed?!" he asked the empty alleyway. A loud "Clang!" and an echoing "Thud!" were the first responses that Ryouga was given.

"Because, Jackass, you're an idiot." The feminine voice had become very familiar to Ryouga over the last few days.

Ryouga launched himself to his feet and grabbed his assailant by the shoulders. "Ukyou! What did you do that for?!" A second assault on his thick cranium sent his feet six inches into the pavement.

"Because you is stupid, stupid-head Pig-boy!" Shampoo's high-pitched voice floated into Ryouga's ringing ears. "You tell Shampoo where Airen is, and she no cook you in Szechwan sauce for dinner tonight!" Shampoo's bonbori swished in the air as she swung them experimentally.

The balance was slightly off, and she thought that Ryouga might have bent something with his ridiculously hard head. She grumbled an ancient Amazon curse under her breath. It roughly translated into "Stupid barbarian Male!" with many colorful additions that he wasn’t quite sure how to translate. They had been following Ryouga religiously for the whole week, hoping that the idiot might by some chance get lucky and lead them to Ranma. So far they had had no luck.

Being unable to bathe, eat, or sleep without being in the presence of this clod was really starting to wear thin on both girls. If something didn't happen soon, Shampoo was going to go mad.

"Huh?" was Ryouga's intelligent response. Shampoo prayed to the Mother to give her strength. When dealing with Ryouga, she knew she was going to need it.

"CLANG!" Ukyou's giant spatula hummed as she removed it from Ryouga's head.

"Open your ears, BAKA!" Ukyou's voice was laced with worry, causing Ryouga's attention to focus on her again. "You said that you knew where Ranma was! And we've been following you for over a week now! Do you know where Ran-chan is, or don't you?"

"I said that I had an idea! An idea!" he growled. "Akane said that she was going to visit Mrs. Saotome for a few days."

"BONG!" Shampoo winced again as her second mace lost its finely-tuned balance. The situation was getting out of hand, and the young Amazon felt what remained of her patience slipping away too. She was also amazed that the idiot male before her didn't notice the heavy rope that she slipped around his neck. Ryouga was so thick-witted.

"Airen no where he s'posed to be, Pig-boy! Mama's house empty." Ryouga growled at the nickname. "You sneaky-sneaky in Violent Pervert Girl's bed; what else you hear?"

"HEY!" Ryouga protested.

"CLANG!" Ukyou made her presence known yet again, forcing Ryouga to return his attention to her again. Shampoo took the opportunity that the diversion provided to quickly tie the other end of her rope around her waist. She knotted it several times just to be sure that it would hold.

"WILL YOU PLEASE STOP HITTING ME?"

"CLANG!"

"No. Now answer the questions, Ryouga."

"I don't know where the jerk is."

Shampoo's dangerous smile made Ryouga swallow his anger. "You no know, or no tell?" She drew a very deadly-looking sword from nowhere, fingering it thoughtfully. "Shampoo think Szechwan pork sound delicious. What Spatula Girl think?"

Ukyou looked at Ryouga with the most disturbing expression that he had ever seen. It reminded him of that bear he had seen two winters ago in that really snowy place. That, combined with the water bottle in the chef's hands, convinced Ryouga that the world had gone mad. It was either that, or he was truly in hell. And then Shampoo leaned forward seductively. The motion caused Ryouga to freeze up; the look in her half-lidded eyes was hungry too.

"You tell Shampoo where Airen is. Yes?"

And then she did something unexpected.

She took his head in her soft, powerful hands and kissed him on the cheek. Ryouga's eyes flew open in shock! All the stories, all the rumors! He clenched his fist and cursed Saotome for all Eternity. Shampoo had just given him the Kiss of Death! Or was it the Kiss of Marriage? He couldn't be sure which, but he did understand one thing clearly enough, he was too young for both.

He did the only thing that the situation would allow. He retreated. Very quickly.

Ukyou grimaced as she watched him go and then turned her gaze to the grinning Amazon standing next to her. "Did you really have to scare him that bad? I mean, that was not a very nice thing to do, you know. Even to Ryouga."

The Amazon simply nodded her head, refusing to let Ryouga out of her sight for an instant, watching as the rope played out at her feet.

"Shampoo great-grandmother always say: 'When no have lead, follow gut instinct. They always lead to victory'"" Ukyou was about to denounce Shampoo's great grandmother, but was cut off as the rope attached to the purple-haired girl's waist went taught. Shampoo grabbed the okonomiyaki chef's hand and both were pulled down the alley after Ryouga. "Shampoo gut say follow Pig-boy to Airen."

"Are you sure it's not just indigestion?!" Ukyou cried as Shampoo navigated the obstructions in the alley.

Masaki Shrine,
10 p.m.

Azusa surveyed the room to which he had been relegated with derision. The Shrine office was smaller than one of the maintenance closets in the Palace. He had no idea how his wives had rooked him into staying here rather than on his ship.

"'It will be fun,'" he mimicked Misaki in a high-pitched falsetto, clasping his hands girlishly next to his face. "Slumber party. Bah!" he sneered. His eyes took in the tiny room, and knew that he would be sleeping on the floor tonight.

"This is intolerable!" he groused. How could the Emperor of the known universe be expected to sleep on the floor? His mental rant continued for a long time as he stalked the room. His long robes of state swished loudly as he paced back and forth like a caged lion.

On his last circuit of the small room, his attention focused on something that rested on a cabinet next to the table. With slow moderation, he picked the object up and stared at it for a long, silent moment. The image was crude and flat, but it captured his darling little girls in a moment of happiness that he had never before witnessed.

Sasami's cherub face was as bright as the sun, filled with the fires of life, and held a little of the mischievousness with which her mother had terrorized him when they had been courting. Ayeka, on the other hand, was his shadow: regal in her bearing in spite of the goofy smile on her face.

They looked so free here. It was no wonder they didn't wish to return. And the way that they both clung to Tenchi showed the deep affection that they had for the boy, an affection that he hadn't experienced in over seven hundred years. It had been difficult to let his babies go in the first place.

Had it not been for Funaho, the girls would never have set foot off of Jurai until he was dead and entombed. Well, that was not quite true, but it was all that he could do to get by after Yosho left. All of his dreams — everything that he had been building for his family and his people — died when Yosho disappeared, so he built new dreams that lay heavily on the shoulders of Ayeka and Sasami. His pride would never allow him to admit it, but he knew that he had driven them away just as he had Yosho.

His thoughts were interrupted by the door sliding open.

Ranma was ticked. The fact that a ghostly blue aura had erupted around the boy was more than enough indication for Tenchi. The way that the steps up to the shrine were lit up like they were basking in the noon day sun unnerved the small group of men as they struggled up the steep stairway.

Tenchi's father was especially uncomfortable. Out of all the inhabitants in the Masaki household, he was the only "normal" human being, and his finely-honed instincts told him that he should be far away from the glowing boy. Those instincts had never failed him before, especially where Ayeka and Ryoko were concerned. But now there was no place to go, nowhere to hide save the surrounding trees.

He silently wished that Sasami hadn't come up with the idea of the slumber party; otherwise he'd be in his nice warm bed instead of walking next to a time bomb.

Tenchi, on the other hand, took the whole experience in stride, just like he normally did. The boy was excited to have the chance to get to know more about his cousin.

"You know, Ranma," Yosho said from lower on the steps, "it could have been worse." Ranma stopped ascending the steps and turned to his grandfather with a raised eyebrow. "They could have made us sleep in Washu's lab." Everyone shuddered, and Ranma's aura guttered.

Yosho always seemed to know exactly what to say to put everyone in their place. The idea of sleeping in the shrine took on a new, more favorable light for the young martial artist. Ranma nodded and smiled and continued to walk up the stairs, whistling nervously. Tenchi laughed, and soon Ranma followed suit.

Soon, Tenchi began weaving stories about his "experiences" with Washu, to which Ranma countered with wild tales of various fiancées. The playful competition began to escalate between the two boys, each trying to outmatch the other with their girl troubles.

The Crown Prince of Jurai watched his two heirs begin to bond, and prayed that their friendship survived whatever his parents had in store for the two. He shook his head and continued listening to the conversation as it turned to more… interesting topics.

"…they busted in on your bath?" Ranma asked with a grin. "Man, I thought that only happened to me!"

Tenchi looked at Ranma in mild surprise. "You too?"

Ranma smirked as he shook his head. "All the damn time. Sit down for a nice warm, relaxing soak, and WHAM!" His fist planted itself in his palm with a loud smack. "Someone's either tryin' to kill me, or somethin' equally physical." Ranma blushed and hung his head.

Tenchi patted his cousin's shoulder in sympathy. If there was anyone who knew exactly what this young man was going through, it was Tenchi. Both Yosho and Nobuyuki for their part were stunned. Women throwing themselves at you in the bath was the stuff of dreams! How could these two not enjoy it?

A sudden disturbing thought descended on the two men at the same time, one that would need to be tested to verify. So many plans rested on the shoulders of these two young men. Marriage was a high priority, along with the grandchildren that would come of those unions. Plus there were the scandalous rumor mills that would have to be headed off, if their fears became reality. It wouldn't be so bad here on earth, but on Jurai, it would be intolerable.

The boys maintained their banter up to the shrine building itself, leaving the older men behind.

Misaki's eyes sparkled in wide-eyed wonder at the dream come true before her. There are perhaps three things that Misaki, Second Queen of Jurai, enjoyed more than life itself: her baby girls, adorable, cuddly little things, and sweets. The order, of course, depended entirely on which caught her eye first.

Currently her attention was focused entirely on the mountainous triple-fudge marshmallow and whipped cream brownie parfait that rested on the table in front of her.

Sasami, bless her little heart, loved her Mommy more than anyone else in the world. And this treat proved it! Little did Misaki know that this was simply a diversionary tactic, employed by the little blue-haired princess to escape the torrential ball of matronly emotions known as Mommy.

The tactic was well appreciated by Ayeka, who had desperately wanted to avoid embarrassment while entertaining the shrine's guests. It had been a draining endeavor that required all of her attention. An impromptu affectionate bear hug the moment Misaki's eyes wandered in Ayeka's direction, holding her hand beneath the table while eating, and watching the eyes began to sparkle with tears of love… each caused a desperate search for Ryo-Ohki, or some other equally cute and plush distraction.

Mihoshi sat opposite of Misaki with more than a little drool clinging to her tanned chin. The event set off alarms in everyone's mind that knew Misaki. Tension grew to a palpable level as Misaki took her first spoonful. The taste was so heavenly it was sinful. A small whimper escaped from Mihoshi's throat, causing Misaki to savor the treat all the more. Being a Queen had its perks.

The second and third bites continued to torture the blonde-haired detective. Each spoonful elicited a groan. Every "clink" of metal chiming against the china bowl caused Mihoshi's body to twitch involuntarily. And for the second time that day, Washu, along with the rest of the inhabitants of the room, moved as far away from the table as possible.

Kasumi and Sasami made a mad dash to the kitchen while Akane and Nodoka huddled together in a corner as far from Mihoshi as possible. Both had witnessed the wrath of Mihoshi vented on poor Ranma earlier that evening, and neither had the desire to become her next victim. Ryoko and Ayeka feared something much worse: Misaki unleashed.

Funaho sipped her tea as if nothing out of the ordinary was transpiring.

Ryouga ran. It was what one did when bereft of options. His honor would not allow him to lastingly harm a woman, regardless of her intentions. Both girls on the other end of the rope wanted him dead, and it was all Ranma's fault. Again. He knew from the stories that he had heard Ranma tell, that if Shampoo wanted him dead, she would follow him to the ends of the earth. He could have fought to incapacitate, but there was something else that held him back. Amazon Law.

Death or marriage. Sooner or later, he would have to make a choice. He just wasn't sure which truly was the worse fate. He looked in back of him at the trailing figure of Shampoo as she literally flew in the air behind. She did have an exotic beauty. The thought of her athletic body alone threatened to give him a nosebleed. But the thought of her aggressive spirit cooled his hormones considerably. He wanted a sweet, quiet girl to settle down with, away from all the excitement. Someone who would love him, rather than treat him like a piece of property.

The thought of marrying Shampoo made him run a lot faster. If he ran fast enough, he could lose her. And with his sense of direction, and habit of… wandering… it would be years before she would find him!

Yeah! That was a great plan! He doubled his speed and looked for a place to duck into. They were in some sort of entertainment district with lots of clubs and large crowds. There were plenty of places to hide. He looked behind him, and to his dismay the two girls were still there.

What does it take to lose them?! his mind cried out.

He looked again and finally noticed Shampoo's rope. And much to his passengers' dismay, the wandering martial artist stopped dead in his tracks. Shampoo swore loudly in Chinese behind him. Something about pigs being "too smart for their own good". Or was that "not smart enough"? He couldn't remember.

Ukyou screamed in a very high-pitched, girlish way. But the explicative that she voiced was anything but sweet. The truth was the words that were rapidly flowing from her mouth would have shamed a barroom full of sailors.

Ryouga did his best to ignore their voices as they rapidly grew louder; and closer. What he couldn't ignore was the impact of two shapely young women. Their momentum pushed all three through a doorway of a small shop, knocking people over like bowling pins in the process. The doorway seemed to glow a hot pink for an instant, and then there was silence.

Onlookers from the crowd watched and waited for any signs of the tumultuous trio from the shop. But all was eerily silent. With warding gestures against evil, most people fled from the area in the hopes of finding a less cursed place to enjoy their night off.

The scent of Kasumi and Sasami's baking wound its way snake-like up the steps of the shrine, following the manly quartet up to their place of exile. Animals were roused, salivating from their sleep as the divine smell slithered on the air. Ranma stopped just short of the shrine's doors as the heavenly smell drifted into his nose from the direction of the house. His body shivered with barely controlled excitement as his brain catalogued the smells and sent the appropriate response to the tongue and the stomach respectively.

Similar reactions could be seen occurring among his companions. Yosho's glasses reflected the light of the fat moon that was just rising over the mountains. Nobuyuki's body hung in midstep, and his stomach rumbled thunderously in the night air.

Tenchi simply turned to Ranma and smiled hungrily. Both boys looked at each other with growing smiles.

"Brownies." The word was whispered reverently in unison by the quartet, even as a strange, fanatical look entered their eyes.

Azusa watched in awe as Tsunami stepped in from "outside" the shrine. He looked behind her as she closed the door and saw an immense tree, floating, as it were, in air. Tsunami demurely turned to regard the monarch of the Juraian Empire. Azusa immediately dropped to his knees, speaking the ancient rites as he did so.

"By my true name, and beneath the vault of heaven, I greet you, Mistress of Mercy. I live to serve. What is your need?"

"Do not worry, Azusa. The boys are still on their way up to the shrine. By the time they arrive, our audience will be long done."

"G-G-Goddess," he stammered as he knelt. Very little in the known universe could shake the mountain that was Azusa. Tsunami was at the top of the list. Not because he feared her; on the contrary, he loved her as a man loves his Deity. It wasn't every day that your Goddess appeared before you, let alone granted you an audience. He felt like a child caught in the act of committing a crime.

"Relax, Azusa. Be at peace." She smiled, and the tension faded from the man as tranquility suffused the room. "I have not come to judge you, Son of Jurai." It was as if she had read his mind; but then again, she was a Goddess, after all. The idea was not so far-fetched. Tsunami floated over to where the Emperor stood; halting herself an arm's length away. "I have come to advise you in your pursuit of an heir."

Azusa smiled nervously. "But Tsunami-sama, there's no need!" he chuckled. "I have already chosen my heir." Tsunami frowned ever so slightly, causing Azusa to begin sweating.

"Your faith in Yosho is commendable, Azusa, but I am afraid that I cannot sanction his ascension to the throne."

Azusa looked pole-axed. Anger and offense welled within him. "Why the hell not?!" He couldn't stop the words from rushing out of his mouth, nor could he take them back, either.

Tsunami's eyebrow twitched slightly, but aside from that she showed no other emotion. The smile that warmed her face spoke of forgiveness and love, as she knelt and lifted Azusa from the floor. He, after all, was little more than a child to her, and the statement that she had made was indeed a blow to the man's pride. She tilted her head slightly to the left and looked deep into his eyes.

"Answer me honestly, Azusa. Whom do you love more — the children of your body, or the Children of Jurai?" She hated doing this to him; putting him on the spot like this. But if the Juraian Empire was going to weather the up-and-coming advent, the man must be made to put away his pride. She watched in silence as Azusa warred with himself, only to come to an inevitable conclusion.

"The Children of Jurai, Goddess." It hurt to admit, because he felt as though he had just turned his back on his family. But he could not hide the truth from Tsunami. An Emperor's first duty was to the people. Everything else came second.

"I am glad to hear this," she said compassionately. "For if Yosho sat on the throne, all that you, and your fathers before you, have built would crumble away to dust." Azusa looked like a man ready to step into the grave at that moment.

It broke Tsunami's heart to watch. Azusa had been a refreshing change from his predecessors, each of whom had been more political in their natures. Azusa had the fire of life running through his veins, and necessity had forced Tsunami to take that from him.

"Do not mourn, Azusa. Your son fathered two very strong daughters, who in turn bore two very magnificent sons." She placed an elegant hand beneath the Emperor's bearded chin. "They are worthy of you, Azusa. And I take both as my Champions."

Azusa looked at Tsunami aghast. This had never happened before! Only the Emperor was considered the Champion of The Goddess, the Protector of Jurai. Two would eventually divide the entire empire!

Tsunami read Azusa like a book. "Be at ease," she said, holding up a hand. "One shall rule, while the other will assume the Regency. But," she said quietly, "it is for you to choose who will follow you onto Jurai's throne."

Tsunami gestured with her hand, and one of the shrine walls glowed white. Two large movies of both boys began to play themselves out for Azusa. One showed Ranma battling a winged man in a dazzling display of dexterity and power. It was nowhere near his true potential, and Azusa could plainly see that the boy hadn't even tapped his Juraian gifts yet. The other movie mesmerized the monarch as Tenchi played out his battle with the nefarious Kagato. The Wings of the Light Hawk were magnificent, and he had to admit that the boy had done an admirable job of protecting his daughters, as well as Tsunami.

Still, it didn't make sense for him to choose. Surely the Goddess could choose a more secure alternative, one that would lead the Juraian Empire into a new age. Azusa's brow knit in concern. "Why must I choose? Why not you?" Azusa almost fell over when he saw Tsunami blush lightly.

"Because I am biased," she whispered, her blush deepening.

Shock gave way to curiosity, but when Azusa was about to voice his inquiry, the voices of the boys filtered into the room.

"I am afraid that our time is done here, Son of my Heart." She smiled and touched her brow to his forehead. Their symbols of power glowed in response to each other. She pulled away slowly, letting a quiet smile touch her lips. Azusa had always known that she was beautiful, but in that moment Azusa wept at the magnificence of his deity.

"I will do all that you ask, Mother of my Heart," he said formally.

Tsunami nodded once and turned to the door she had come through. At the last moment she turned. "Endear yourself to the boys, Azusa. It will make things easier for you, and them. Your gruffness can be more sour than any lemon. You will see that Ranma is as wild and untamed as his name implies. And Tenchi… Tenchi would sacrifice all for you, simply because of who he is. Be wise, Azusa, be fair, and above all else… love them." She smiled at him mischievously, in a way that reminded him a great deal of Sasami. "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar."

Azusa's brow quirked at her statement. Honey? Vinegar? Flies? Before he could question her further she was gone, and the Emperor of the Universe's most powerful Empire was again left to his musings.

Ranma stiffened as he felt a prickling on the back of his neck. An immense amount of power had flared and then faded suddenly. He looked in the direction of the shrine and tensed even more. The Emperor had come before them, and kings always had a lot of enemies. Ranma spared Tenchi and the others a glance to see if they had noticed anything.

Tenchi had a very concerned look on his face as well. The concern blossomed into full-born worry when the other boy realized that he wasn't alone in feeling what he had. Ranma's eyes bugged out in amazement, as Tenchi's Juraian battle armor materialized about his body. The little fluffy puff-balls were a bit much for Ranma's tastes, but on the whole Tenchi reeked of power. Ranma smirked and wondered if his cousin was any good at the Art.

There would be time enough for that later. The Emperor could be in danger, and here Ranma was thinking about sparring! Both boys took a unified step towards the shrine, only to be pulled back by Yosho's strong grip.

"Grandpa?" both boys said in stereo. The event would have been eerie to anyone but Yosho.

Unified in spirit and purpose! What good boys I have! He smiled broadly with pride. "It's all right, boys. My father was simply visiting with an old friend."

Ranma looked at Tenchi, and watched in wonder as the armor disappeared. He allowed himself to relax, and savor the scent of the brownies again. His reverie was shattered as the shrine door slammed open, and Azusa burst from the shrine. The broad, happy smile on his face was contagious, and Ranma soon found himself grinning as well.

The young martial artist turned in time to see Tenchi tense, and watch Yosho's face drain of color. He didn't understand what the big deal was. Azusa was happy; that was a good thing right?

"Boys! Come give your great-grandpa a hug!" The gathered men all face faulted painfully on the stone path.

Yosho recovered quickly, and leaned down to whisper in the boys' ears. "Scary."

Both boys nodded in unison. Tenchi silently wished that he had not removed his armor.

Azusa stopped half way to the boys and sniffed, testing the cool night air. He closed his eyes and allowed the divine smell to settle in him. It had to have been the sweetest smell that he had ever encountered.

"What is that wonderful smell?"

The other men looked at each other, allowing bright smiles to replace the fearful masks that they had been wearing. And together they cried out in one great voice: "BROWNIES!"

Ryouga pulled to an abrupt stop as he looked at the interior of the shop. He idly wondered why it seemed so much bigger on the inside than the outside. He scratched his head in puzzlement, giving his two passengers enough time to catch up to him. Ukyou and Shampoo hit Ryouga's back with enough force to knock the poor boy off of his feet and send him tumbling.

The mighty ball of flesh and flailing arms crashed through a series of very advanced-looking technological devices. It was his luck, or rather lack thereof, to find himself hopelessly tangled and bound with the two women. The rope that had been Shampoo's ingenious method of tracking the Lost Boy soon became the trio's prison.

"You jackass! Move your hand, or I swear you'll lose it!"

"Aiyah! Pig-boy no touch Shampoo there! Shampoo is no you wife!"

Ryouga squirmed, eliciting a stream of curses from Ukyou and a sound that made his nose bleed from Shampoo. The Gods hated him. He just knew it.

That's about the time Washu's Anti-Mihoshi security system made itself known. Ryouga could only scream along side his two feminine companions as various terrifying machines bore down on them.

Akane, Ayeka, and Funaho watched the scene before them with jaded eyes. Two-dozen brownies had been divided equally between Mihoshi and Misaki and then topped with an obscene amount of ice cream, whipped cream, hot fudge, and maraschino cherries.

The mountain of sweets was every little kid's extreme chocolate fantasy, and for some women, the ultimate chocolate orgasm. For the three women sitting at the table, it was a common occurrence. Ayeka had seen Mihoshi down worse, Akane had seen Ranma perform a similar feat, and Funaho… Well, Misaki was her sister-wife, after all.

Nabiki and Ryoko however, looked a little green around the gills.

"How can they do it?! It's like Ms. Hinako on steroids!" Nabiki whispered to Kasumi. The eldest Tendo simply shrugged, and smiled. It didn't matter in the least. She was just happy that they were enjoying what she and Sasami had baked.

"Extremely high metabolisms." Funaho smiled and turned her attention away from the cross-stitch in her hands. Nodoka nodded wisely from her grandmother's side as she worked on her own needlepoint.

Nabiki blinked dumbly and went back to watching as the two gorged themselves. Mihoshi giggled at Misaki, and the Queen of Jurai giggled right back. It was simply too eerie to comprehend, so Nabiki excused herself to the bathroom.

Sasami tugged at Kasumi's sleeve. "Would you like to see my room?" The little princess had found a kindred soul in Kasumi and meant to capitalize on the good fortune while it lasted. Everyone seemed to forget Sasami in the hustle and bustle, everybody except for Tenchi and Ryo-Ohki, that was. She hoped that Kasumi would think about staying for a while. It would be nice to have a new friend.

Kasumi smiled brightly, illuminating the room. "I would love to, Sasami-chan. If it's okay with your mother."

"Is it okay, Mommy?" The little blue-haired girl asked with hopeful eyes. Misaki grunted absent-mindedly from her rapidly dwindling mountain of pleasure, causing Sasami to look to Funaho for approval.

The First Queen of Jurai smiled softly and nodded, receiving a squeal of happiness from her sister's daughter. Sasami wasted no time in pulling Kasumi to her feet, and with Ryo-Ohki on one shoulder, both disappeared up the stairs.

Akane and Ayeka observed the rapidly dwindling treats, as the two women seemed to inhale them. "What happens when their plates are empty?" Akane whispered worriedly to the princess.

Ayeka shuddered. "They'll get bored." Visions of Misaki and Mihoshi bored and looking to entertain themselves flashed through each girl's head. For Ayeka this meant that she would be subjected to public humiliation. For Akane it meant the possibility of Mihoshi wanting to practice her first-aid techniques.

A look of abject horror passed over the two girls' faces, and turning to each other in unison, whispered, "We've got to do something!" With a bit of whispered conversation the two came to an agreement, and made their way to the kitchen to execute their plans.

Ryoko looked down from one of the rafters, happy that she was well out of the range of any conflicts for once, especially where Ayeka's cooking was concerned. The former space pirate shuddered.

"Does everyone understand their roles in the Assault?" Azusa asked as he faced his heirs. He was dressed in what he would have called his "stealth armor". The whole outfit seemed little more than purple and brown spandex to Ranma.

The little poofy cotton balls on the shoulder joints looked kind of gay, but all in all it was cool. The brown leaf design was neat and the whole ensemble offered freedom of movement, without the noise that normal cloth would give. The fact that he was wearing a black version of the outfit felt really weird, though. Tenchi seemed to be okay with it, so Ranma did his best not to fuss. He could be just as much a man as these guys, despite the fact that he felt naked. That would be the extra incentive needed to avoid getting caught.

He'd die of embarrassment if Akane saw him in this getup.

Washu made her way into the lab to find her intruders, trussed hand and foot to the cold examination tables, naked as the day they were born. The two girls looked ready to kill and maim on a galactic scale, while the boy wore a cheesy grin and endured a nosebleed that would have killed lesser mortals.

"Well, well, well. What have we here?" she said with a smirk.

"LET ME OFF THIS, YOU LITTLE mrfflwmgndf!" Ukyou's tirade was cut off as the table morphed a tiny bit, creating a gag of metal for her overzealous mouth.

Washu looked at the very alarmed purple haired girl — there was no way in the Nine Hells that the Amazon was going to admit that she was scared — and smiled.

"Feisty one, isn't she?" Shampoo only nodded dumbly. Washu smiled again and called up her holo-terminal. After a quick verification, to be sure of what she was dealing with, she looked over Shampoo and Ryouga with an unhealthy amount of interest. There was a gleam in her eyes that Shampoo had seen before. Bu Ord had worn it when she decided to find out what a rabbit looked like from the inside out. By the Mother, Shampoo hated that look.

Washu shrugged nonchalantly and returned to her terminal. "Well, let's see how you managed to get past the primary lockout, shall we?" Images flashed before the scientist's face, causing her to laugh. Especially at the dialogue from the spirited girl and the one named "Shampoo".

But the boy's entrance to the lab is what puzzled her. She had sealed and locked that door to Tokyo when the shop reopened months ago. She retraced the time index for the door and found the problem. Two days ago someone had accessed the door. But how had the little pain-in-the-neck gotten past the new security system?

Someday soon, she was going to uncover the mystery that was Mihoshi. If it killed her, she would!

"What shall we make them?" Ayeka asked as she surveyed the kitchen in dismay. She had never truly felt at home in the place. There were too many foreign concepts here that eluded her.

"Well…." Akane paused for a moment, following Ayeka's line of thought almost precisely. "I'm not really that good of a cook…." She hated to admit it, but she might as well get it out in the open before Ranma did. "So I think we should keep it simple."

Ayeka looked at Akane with a smile of understanding. "I am not well-practiced in cooking either." She was glad that she had found a kindred soul of sorts in the Tendo girl. "What would you suggest?"

Akane returned Ayeka's smile happily. "How about some chocolate chip cookies?" An easy recipe. Surely they could pull it off together. This was going to be fun!

The universe, for one single instant, shuddered with fear.

Galaxy Police Prison G-Alpha 26,
Veridant Quadrant.

The cylindrical tube had been Knohet's penitentiary for over seven thousand years. The first three thousand had driven him mad. The next two had refined the madness into megalomania, and the last two were spent planning his revenge against the people that had imprisoned the shape-shifting assassin.

Washu and Azusa had worked very hard to create his prison, binding science and the power of Jurai into something that even he couldn't escape. Who cared if he had murdered the previous King of Jurai?! That ungrateful brat Azusa should be thanking him for placing him on the throne.

Something tickled on the edge of his consciousness, something that reminded him of both Washu and Azusa for some reason.

Do you desire freedom? a voice asked his mind.

Yessss, he responded hungrily.

Know then that your life belongs to me, and through me to the Lady Tokimi. Do as I require, and I shall release you. It wasn't the most favorable circumstance, but it was an opportunity.

I accept the terms. Contracts were known to be broken. The thought was hidden at the back of his mind, in a deep recess, shielded against the prying of normal minds. But the mind that touched his own was anything but normal.

Betray Tokimi at your peril, sentient. I am her agent, and you are to be her pawn. Remember your place, and your life will find fulfillment. The viscous blue jelly that represented Knohet's "body" actually quivered at the dead tone in the other being's thoughts. Do you still wish to accept?

Without a second thought, Knohet acquiesced. Anything was better than this endless existence. Goood. The voice seemed to purr. Then this is what you will do….

The shape-shifter smiled happily. It wasn't Washu's head on a pike, but it was definitely a start.

Akane and Ayeka fled the kitchen with a look of terror in their eyes. With frantic abandon, they started using various pieces of furniture throughout the various rooms in the house to barricade the kitchen door. Soon a veritable mountain of chairs, tables, bureaus, and couches blocked the offending room off from the rest of the occupants of the house.

The two girls looked at each other with a sense of pending doom. How were they supposed to know that mayonnaise and caramel would make something so volatile? If Ranma and Ryoko ever found out about this…!

Both girls shivered as they moved away from the door. Akane began whistling nervously, and Ayeka picked up the tune absentmindedly as well. All the while, both girls were dreading the wrath of their respective sisters.

One look at the two told Ryoko all that she needed to know.

Ayeka had destroyed the kitchen. She shook her head and phased through the wall that separated the two rooms and quickly drew her head back upon witnessing the….

Damnation! There were just no words for what she saw.

A smirk played across her lips and her golden eyes narrowed gleefully. Ayeka was going to be in debt to her for the rest of her life! If Mommy dearest found out that her little princess couldn't cook, then Ayeka would be shipped off to learn….

Hey! That wasn't a bad idea!

Hee-hee! One more look, and maybe a snapshot for posterity's sake, and then off to Misaki! The throaty chuckle loomed ominously in the air as Ryoko passed her head and shoulders through the wall again.

A moment of silence hung in the air, and then Ryoko let out a very explicit curse as her entire body was pulled into the kitchen. Sounds of mayhem and casual destruction echoed from the direction of the kitchen.

Funaho and Nodoka continued to cross-stitch with small content smiles. Mihoshi and Misaki finished their desserts at relatively the same time and groaned with utter contentment.

Azusa was impressed, a hard feat at best. The boy, Ranma, was a natural in subterfuge. The moment he had entered the trees, Azusa had lost track of him, and only an orbital scan of the area could pinpoint the little shadow's fleet progress. Tenchi, on the other hand, while fairly competent needed more work. Nobuyuki was hopeless, and so was told to "hold down the fort".

The assault group slipped up to the house, finding Ranma waiting patiently on the roof above the kitchen window. Ranma motioned that all was well, and the three men made their way from the shadows. Ranma was impressed with his grandpa's abilities. He moved pretty well for an old guy. The look on his face though was something that Ranma remembered from his days on the road with his dad. There was a mischievous gleam in the man’s eyes that made the young martial artist want to run and hide. But it did feel kind of good to be doing this stuff again. He hadn't done any serious training since he and Akane had returned from China.

Azusa made an odd gesture with his hands that confused the heck out of Ranma. The boy sat on the roof looking down at the Emperor in bewilderment. Azusa made the gesture again, reminding Ranma a great deal of that Pope guy, but for the life of him, the young man couldn't understand what his great-grandfather wanted from him.

Yosho coughed quietly into his hand from behind his father, drawing the monarch's gaze. The heavy knitted brow reminded Yosho of the many disagreements between father and son, most of which were as yet unresolved.

Yosho simply moved into Ranma's vision and pointed to the window and made his fingers walk across the air in a slow, tip toeing fashion. Comprehension dawned on Ranma's face, and he nodded enthusiastically.

Azusa shot his son an incredulous look. "You can't be serious," he whispered, deadpanning.

Yosho shrugged. "I haven't had the time to teach them Battle Sign yet," he said quietly. The father weighed the son with his eyes, and Yosho was found wanting. And not for the first time, either.

"We will have to remedy that," Azusa said coldly. The tone of his voice chilled Yosho and at the same time made him incredibly angry. Tenchi looked at the two men with a deep sense of foreboding. If the determined look in the Emperor's eyes meant anything, both boys were in for a world of hurt— Er, "Training".

A resigned sigh issued forth from Tenchi's lungs, as his life yet again spiraled helplessly out of control.

Ranma grinned in innocent bliss, completely unaware of the new danger that had just entered his life. All that mattered were the brownies. He deftly hung himself upside down, and without a sound slid the window open. This was fun; it reminded him of the first night that P-chan "slept over". Only this time, he wasn't going to let Akane bean him in the head.

As this thought passed through his mind, a meaty purple tentacle reached out and grabbed him by the throat, pulling him into the kitchen.

"Ranma!"

Tenchi cried out in alarm as Ranma was pulled bodily into the kitchen. He hadn't known his cousin for a day, and already there was some sort of monster or alien out to get him too. Why couldn't his life be a quiet one?

Without hesitating, Tenchi rushed headlong into the danger. His Juraian battle armor flowed around him as he ran.

Yosho and Azusa looked at one another and shrugged. Neither of them wanted to miss such a promising display.

Washu heard Ryoko's mental scream of terror and looked worriedly through her "daughter's" eyes. The sight of a purple, tentacled thing both excited her and alarmed her.

She couldn't understand why Ryoko hadn't simply teleported to safety. The space pirate's vision, swung to the window, showed a very heroic looking Tenchi climbing through the window. Washu grinned at the tactic.

Good for you, Ryoko! Pride and embarrassment at Washu's praise welled through the link that they shared. Ryoko's vision took in the handsome, and very tantalizing, form of Ranma in his "stealth suit". This looked promising indeed.

"You'll have to excuse me," she said to her subjects warmly, favoring Ukyou with a slight pat to the girl's cheek as she passed. "I'm needed elsewhere."

Ukyou and the now-transformed Shampoo and Ryouga watched with thankful hearts as the red-headed scientist left her lab. Ukyou was grateful that the witch hadn't done any more "examining". She shivered involuntarily.

The whole discovery of Ryouga's curse was a fluke. The lunatic had tripped over a cord, sending her tea into the Lost Boy's face. The sudden shift in mass confused the table and its mistress long enough for P-chan to make a break for it.

He had made it seven and a half feet before the security system activated, putting him in what looked like a clear Plexiglas box. Exactly how that was managed Ukyou couldn't say, because the box had no doors or hinges. Ryouga simply passed through the box. When the small black pig tried escaping, he found out the hard way just how hard the "Plexiglas" was.

Shampoo had been next to be tested, and she put up little in the way of resistance when she was put in a similar box, leaving Ukyou alone and naked on the examination table. Now that the Wicked Witch of the West was gone, Ukyou set to looking for another way to escape. That's when the the clueless blonde gaijin woman walked in.

"Washu, Ayeka's created a monster in the kitchen again… Oh!" Mihoshi walked over to Ukyou's table. "Washu's been playing 'Doctor' with you, hasn't she? Is she still here?" The vapid detective looked around hopelessly for signs of the diminutive scientist.

The comment made Ukyou blush terribly, and she shook her head in frantic denial.

"She's not? Oh, then she's probably gone to get some toys." Ukyou's eyes bugged out, and she began hysterically bucking the table in hopes of breaking free. Mihoshi giggled and patted the distraught girl on the head. Ukyou started crying in fear.

"Don't worry, she'll be back soon," Mihoshi said consolingly. "I know how you feel, though — once, she left me in here for a whole week!"

Ukyou's gagged mouth emitted a high-pitched squeal that cut off abruptly as she passed out. Her mind just couldn't take the idea of being kept in this torture chamber for a week.

Ran-chan, save me! her mind whimpered. The poor girl passed out from the fearful imagery that kept passing through her mind.

Mihoshi patted the girl's head again. It was good that she was asleep. That way the time would pass faster.

"Oh! What a cute little piggy!" she squealed in delight, picking up the box. Ryouga looked at the girl with very sad eyes, wondering how he had ever gotten himself into this mess.

Oh, right. It was Ranma's fault.

"Would you like to be my friend, little piggy?" the attractive girl asked, causing Ryouga to wonder why his cursed form got so much attention. His depression plummeted to new lows, as he came to the conclusion that he was dog-ugly as a man, but cute as a button as a pig.

"What a pretty green color! Um, Washu hasn't been experimenting on you, has she?" The little pig shook his head. What a smart animal. Mihoshi just knew that this was a special friend. Maybe he was like Ryo-Ohki! How neat! She wouldn't have to worry about ever crashing her ships again!

Washu was so thoughtful!

Mihoshi hugged the glass to her chest gleefully, until it cracked and finally broke. P-chan found himself crushed against an impressive amount of cleavage, and for the second time that day he passed into the sweet arms of oblivion.

Shampoo watched as the blonde woman left with Ryouga clutched to her bosom. She wished the idiot male luck wherever he went; she was sure that she would see him again someday. In the meantime, she sat in her cage, biding her time and learning the ways of her enemy. When the slip came, she would escape and revenge herself on the red-haired demoness. Until then, she would pretend to be docile, just like her great grandmother had taught her.

To be continued.

Webmaster: Larry F
Last revision: May 21, 2007