Disclaimer: Garlic Jr. and his minions do not belong to me. All other characters are from other shows and also do not belong to me. A few OC's, like Jenny and Hallie, are mine.

Witch or Wench

The journey has officially begun. Having just been freed from the cryogenic tubes, they set out to face the horror and hopefully destroy the evil. But they knew that there was no way they could defeat all of Black Shadow's billions of generals. They wouldn't even come close before perishing of old age.

Jenny sat in the bridge pondering this very thing. While Fulgore monitored the main computer terminal, Yamcha and Pico stood nearby doing nothing at all.

"So, what exactly are we looking for?" Yamcha asked.

"Right now, I'm just looking for signs of life," Fulgore said.

"You know, I don't see why we're doing this," Yamcha said. "I mean, there's no way we can beat all of Black Shadow's generals. We'll die of old age, if we're lucky enough not to be killed by those goons."

"That's where successors come in," Pico threw in. "When your sun sets, the sun rises for another to follow your footsteps."

"Well, that's all fine and good. But where do we find successors?"

"Make one."

"Excuse me?"

"Blossom into maturity and bear a son, then raise him to follow your footsteps."

Yamcha looked puzzled. "You expect me to have a baby?"

"That's right," Pico said. "You are capable of giving birth, aren't you?"

"Oh no, not me! That's what the women are for! The women are the ones who have the babies for humanity!"

"Oh!" Pico looked slightly surprised. "Well, good for them."

Without warning, a cloud of smoke appeared in the center of the bridge, and then vanished, revealing Canis Lupus in its place.

"Hello, people," he said. "I see you've gotten started on your quest."

Jenny looked at him. "Yeah, we're just starting…I don't know how far we'll get."

"Well, I have something for you all that should be of help. Here, take this."

When Canis spread his arms out, the Rebels held their arms out in front of them, their palms facing the ceiling. A blue hardcover book appeared in each of the Rebels' hands.

Jenny opened the book and flipped through the pages. "What is this?"

"This is the Universal Code book," Canis replied. "Read it, follow it, and rely on it. It'll help you remember what really counts with its words of wisdom. Remind each other of its statements, and apply it to your new lives."

"New lives?" Jenny asked. "That's not what I'd call it."

Suddenly, the main computer terminal beeped. Fulgore perked up and pressed several buttons. "I think I've found something. There are signs of life on that planet down there. But I'm guessing it's probably just the general and his minions."

Jenny stood up. "Well, I'm going to investigate. Who's coming with me?"

The others stared at her blankly.

"Fine. I'll call if I need you guys." Jenny pressed on her ring and teleported away.

She reappeared on a rocky planet. The planet had a close resemblance to Earth, with the white boulders, brown dirt, dead grass, and blue sky. Noticing a wooden signpost standing alone, Jenny dashed over to take a look.

PLANET: Brokaya
GENERAL: Garlic Jr., Descendant of Garlic Jr.

"Hmm, I thought he was dead," a voice remarked.

"Huh?" Jenny spun around to see a certain wolf wizard standing behind her.

"Wait, I get it now," Canis said. "This is the descendant of the Garlic Jr. that Black Shadow killed."

"So what are you up to?" Jenny asked.

"Oh, I'm here to rectify the mistake I made 3000 years ago," Canis said. "When I went to retrieve the Lightstar Crystal for you, I exhausted all of my power and was forced to go into hibernation. Had I not done that, I would've had the power to stop Black Shadow."

"I see..."

"Yes, I blame myself for everything that's happened. So I'm watching over you and giving you a little info on the generals. Not to mention the Universal Code that I just gave you."

"So what should we know about this guy?" Jenny asked.

"First of all, don't let his appearance fool you," Canis replied. "He may be a midget, but he's very powerful. Use caution when fighting him."

"Okay."

"See that tower over there?" Canis pointed to his right, where a tall thin pillar stood, supporting a huge hemispheric structure.

"Is that where Garlic Jr. lives?" Jenny asked.

"That's it," Canis said. "Now go get him!"

The wolf wizard disappeared in a puff of gray smoke. Jenny stared at the tower for a moment.

"Maybe I should check it out first," she thought. "If it proves to be dangerous, I'll call the others."

She took off into the sky and flew nonchalantly towards the tower. The courtyard was decorated with white tile floors and a garden of green bushes and red roses. The courtyard appeared to be empty. At first…

Without warning, two energy blasts shot up from the courtyard, striking Jenny before she could react. She lost control and fell towards the ground below...
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Two oddly colored warriors leaped over some bushes and dashed across the courtyard. One of them was bluish in color with whit hair that stood up to the top of his head. He wore dark red armor with a yellow cape.

The other warrior was significantly larger than the first. His skin was a light green color, and he had long brown hair, and he wore dark blue armor.

"I got it, I got it!" he cried.

"No way, it was my shot that connected!" the first man said.

"It's not fair, Spice!" the larger one said. "You shot the last intruder! Now it's my turn!"

"Vinegar, you just don't get it," Spice told him. "My aim is simply better than yours."

Finally, they reached their downed prey. It was a brunette adolescent girl, wearing blue denim jeans and a ragged white T-shirt. She lay on the ground, clutching her head and waist.

"Wha…it's some sort of witch!" Vinegar cried.

"No, she's a wench," Spice corrected. "Witches are women who study black magic."

"But…I thought those were wenches."

"No, wenches are like peasant girls, like this one. Her clothes have to be at least 3000 years old. It must be all she can afford."

"Okay, so what are we supposed to do with her?"

"We'll take her in," Spice said. "Lord Garlic has been looking for a competent housekeeper."

"Great! Let's do it!"

Spice carefully approached the girl as she was still writhing in agony. "Are you all right, wench?"

The girl sat up. "What? Wench...?"

"Look, we'll help you," Spice said as he helped her up. "Come with us."

He started to walk, but Vinegar grabbed his shoulder and pulled him aside.

"What are you doing?" he whispered. "You just shot this girl down, and now you're being nice to her?"

"Just trust me; I know what I'm doing," Spice responded.

The wench stared at them, confused. "What's going on?"

"It's nothing," Spice told her. "My colleague is a little cautious."

"I see. So, who are you?"

"Oh, my name is Spice."

The wench looked at him oddly. "Spice?"

"I know, it's an odd name. Together we're the Spice Boys – me, Vinegar, and two others inside. We serve and protect Garlic Jr."

"Garlic Jr.?"

"Yeah. I'm sure he'll love to meet you."

When they reached the castle, they stepped inside the large double doors and into an empty throne room. Spice led the girl across the room and sat her down in the throne. Two more warriors gathered around her. One was short, red, and chubby, with purple armor and a yellow Mexican hat. The other was tall and gray-skinned, with brown hair and armor.

"Hey, it's a witch!" the short one exclaimed.

"Where'd she come from?" the other mutant asked.

"We found her outside," Spice said. "I shot her out of the sky. Wench, this is Salt and Mustard, the other Spice Boys I mentioned."

"Spice Boys?" the girl asked. "Spice, Vinegar, Salt, and Mustard. How weird."

"Wait a minute," Salt said. "What's your name?"

The girl looked puzzled as she pondered for a moment. Then, with a blank expression on her face, she shrugged her shoulders.

The Spice Boys glanced at each other. Spice led the other boys away and they huddled together.

"This is perfect," Spice said. "Lord Garlic has been seeking a competent housekeeper. Since this wench doesn't know who she is, she doesn't have anything else to do."

"Yeah, it's perfect," the boys agreed.

"I'll inform Lord Garlic immediately. The rest of you keep the wench company." Spice turned and left the throne room.

"Wench? I thought she was a witch," Salt said.

"Nah, Spice says that witches are women who study sorcery," Vinegar replied. "A wench is a poor peasant girl…but on the other hand, we saw this girl flying through the air. Maybe she is a witch."

"So is she a witch or a wench?" Salt asked.

"Maybe she's both," Mustard concluded.

In a room illuminated with blue candle flames, the midget general Garlic Jr. knelt down in front of a huge portrait of himself up on the wall. Or at least the figure in the portrait looked like him.

Garlic Jr. was light green in appearance, with dark spots on his bald head. He wore a black uniform with a white cape over it.

"Great ancestor, hear me," he said. "I've recently received word that the legendary misfits have escaped from their cryogenic slumber. Their only mission is to challenge the generals on their assigned planets. I can only hope that they arrive here soon. I've been looking for some action; it's been pretty boring around here."

"Excuse me, Lord Garlic," a voice said.

Garlic Jr. spun around. "Spice! You know that this room is off limits!"

"My apologies, Lord Garlic, but I have a report," Spice went on. "A young wench was found in the courtyard, and she's suffering from amnesia."

"An amnesiac wench, eh? Fine, I'll be out in a moment. Now get out of my private chamber!"

"Yes, sir!" Spice left the room and closed the door gently.

Garlic Jr. knelt in front of the portrait again. "Great ancestor, I must go now. I must check out this wench that the Spice Boys have brought in."

"Lord Garlic will be out shortly, miss," Spice said.

"Okay," the wench said. "Spice…no offense…but how can I be sure that you're not setting me up? I mean, I can't remember anything, not even my own name. How can I trust anyone?"

Spice nodded. "I understand."

"Another thing," the girl continued. "Sooner or later, everything will come back to me. When that happens, I won't be able to stay here."

"You won't have to worry," Spice told her. "We'll take good care of you."

"We will?" Salt asked.

Just then, Garlic Jr. entered the room. He walked straight up to the throne, where the wench was sitting. Both Garlic Jr. and the wench stared at each other for a long, tense moment. Neither face showed any expression.

"What is this…wench…doing in my throne?" Garlic Jr. asked.

Getting the message, the girl quickly slipped down to the floor. Garlic Jr. leaned forward, looking into her eyes.

"So…you remember nothing?" he asked.

"That's right…" the girl replied timidly. "I don't remember anything."

"I guess you'll just have to stay with us," Garlic Jr. said. "Of course, you'll be expected to perform certain duties on board."

"Okay…"

"What are we gonna name her?" Salt asked.

"A name…that sounds like a good idea," Garlic Jr. said. "How about…Pepper?"

The wench pondered for a moment, then sighed. "Pepper…it is a name that suits me."

Garlic Jr. smiled. "Now, Pepper, you will be our housekeeper. Your job is cooking, cleaning, laundry, and anything else I can think of. Now get me dinner!"

Pepper scrambled to her feet and dashed out of the room.

"Amazing; she found the kitchen on her first try," Spice observed.

Garlic Jr. smiled again. "This will work out quite nicely."