A Tail To Remember
by Gie (phowahcs.com)

A Tail To Remember
Arc Three, Chapter Twenty-Six: The Fight for Chikyuu

A month had past since the first attack of the Hachi, which
became known to the general population of Chikyuu as 'The End of
the World'. Some experts wrote it all off as a bunch of hoked-up
nonsense, but when the total came out from that first day, 437
missing, 'nonsense' was a theory many found horribly hard to swallow.
Especially to the family, friends, and witnesses of the day's loss.

At first, rumors quickly spread like wildfire, from 'aliens
attacking' to 'scientific experiments gone awry' sprung from the tip
of many a journalist's pen, when they tried to explain a way to define
the elusive 'bee creatures'. Others believed that the national
governments of certain countries were creating 'super soldiers',
mutating normal people to do their dirty work. The Hachi were
collectively called 'The Giant Bee Threat,' which was rather ironic,
for that was what 'Hachi' meant. Still, others thought that the end
of the world was at hand, and God Himself was royally pissed,
sending His demonic forces down to take His glorious wrath out on
all evildoers, turning them into demons themselves, and only His true
believers would be spared.

Of course, the Hachi were not an act of God--they acted on
their own, not led on by another being--only the drive to perpetuate
their species in the only way they knew how.

But the Chikyuu-jiin didn't know how close they were with the
prediction of 'The End of the World.'

Capsule Corp

pssht

"Ellie Mary Travers, come on down! You're the"

pssht

"So clean, it'll blind ya!"

"Really, Charlie? Gosh, that's some clean!"

"You bet! And for only $19.99 you'll get"

pssht

"Samantha, when are you going to tell him about the boy?"

"Oscar already knows--that's why he left for the Orient."

pssht

"Oh, sugah, you say the sweetest things! heeheehee!"

"Twernt any problem, mam. Now if you would hear from them
varmints again, you just give me a holler, ya hear? It's all part of
being shariff of these here parts."

pssht

"Are you going to actually watch something, Trunks-kun? Or
am I going to haveta 'wrassle ya for the ree-mote'?"

Trunks rolled his eyes at his cousin, who was sitting next to
him, cleaning his sword. "I would if there was anything good on. It's
all soaps and cheesy westerns at this time of the day."

"You're supposed to be watching the news for a sign of the
next attack."

The purple-haired male snorted, and pointed the remote at
the TV again. "I tell you, Tobu-kun, we should be out there looking
for the nest, not sitting here waiting for them to show their ugly
faces to news cameras."

"I know, I know. But you know as well as I that this is the
best way we can get a handle on them. We've searched for the nest,
and they attack so randomly and erratically that there's no definite
pattern to try and figure out the next hit." Tobuma stared at the
flickering images of some brightly-colored children's show and
snatched the remote from his cousin's hands. "Stop it! I'm getting
dizzy."

"Hey, that's mine! I was watching it! And you're already
dizzy in the head."

"Shut up." Tobuma frowned and turned on CNN, laying the
remote down on the far side of him.

A group of panelists were discussing the hot topic of the
month--the Hachi attacks--although they were focusing on the most
recent attack--one week ago in the Midwestern United States.

There were five people altogether, including the host, Tim
Bronkshaw. He was talking with the first panelist, the Chief of
Police in the largest town hit.

Tim: So tell us, Chief Talboo, what measures have been set up to
deal with last week's attack.

Chief: Sure, Tim. Well, we've activated a local Army Reserve unit to
help with clean up, and the hospitals are full with the injured.
Schools have been closed and we've set up a hotline to have people
call in if they have a family member missing, or to talk with grief
counselors about their losses. Although, we have to be grateful.
The losses weren't that heavy, compared to other times the things
attacked. Damage wasn't too bad, and the missing count is just over
a hundred on this run. It could have been worse if it was a heavier
location, and during rush hour.

Cella Thorougood, President of the PTA chapter, a 40ish woman with
graying hair, sputtered: What do you consider 'heavy,' Chief? Two
hundred, one thousand? What's the 'grand total' now?

Chief: (Looks down, cowed) Just over five thousand are MIA, ma'am.

Cella: (shaking her head) One life is too many, Chief. How long until
we're all 'missing in action?'

Trunks snorted. "Bossy bitch." Tobuma jabbed him with a
hard elbow.

"That's not very nice, Trunks." Both males looked up to see
Ranma leaning against the back of their couch.

"Yo, Otousan," Tobuma greeted him.

"Tobuma," he nodded back. "What are you two watching?"

"CNN. They have a panel for last week's attack."

Ranma walked over to a chair, falling into it with a sound thud.
He stared at the screen where Cella and the third panelist, a
scientist, were arguing back and forth. "Noisy bitch is more like it."
he murmured. Trunks snickered. "You two were the ones that broke
it up, ne?"

Tobuma nodded. "Hai. Bulma-obaasan was monitoring the
news reports and let us know, since we were out on patrol at the
time. About ten Hachi made the attack, but the number was up to
over fifty by the time we got there." A frown flashed across his
handsome features as he remembered what transpired. "That's the
worst part of this war crap--not getting there in time."

Ranma let out a sigh in agreement. "It's hard to deal with it,
but they give us no warning on where they attack! It's so damn
frustrating that we need to rely on the news," he gestured to the
large television, "to even get a generalized area. It bites that they
have no ki to lock on--or any kind of energy signature that would
indicate any activity. The only real thing that we can focus on is the
flared ki of the Chikyuu-jiin being attacked. And that's minuscule in
itself." He let an other exasperated sigh hiss through his clenched
teeth, and he rubbed a fist against his forehead. "Well, I vented
for the day."

Both Trunks and Tobuma chuckled. "No more sugar for you,
Ojisan." Trunks grinned at his uncle.

Tobuma wrapped his sword and standing up, placed it behind
him in his sub-space pocket for safekeeping. "The ideal thing to
have would be something like a radar...like the dragon radar, to be
able to pinpoint when they are attacking, or where their damned
nest is." He sat back down again, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It would be ideal," Ranma mused. He turned to his nephew.
"Did your Okaasan try to do some sort of device like that? In your
time?"

Trunks shrugged. "I don't know. Not that I can recall. But
we knew where they were--they didn't try hiding the Hive once it
was built. There was no need for them to." He was silent for a
moment, thinking. "If we were to create a radar of some sort, the
hardest thing would be to figure out what we could focus on to track
them. They have no ki."

"Well, the Dragonballs don't have a ki either, ne?" Ranma
pointed out. "What did Bulma use to create the radar, then?"

"When they're active, they give off a unique low
electro-magnetic pulse. She didn't know of anything else that used
that frequency, so she was able to fairly easily make the radar to
home in on them specifically." Trunks explained. His eyes widened
slightly. "Do you think that the Hachi also have some sort of pulse
reading?"

Ranma shook his head. "I wouldn't know. Bulma would be the
one to ask that."

"But how will we be able to find the wavelength, if there is
one, mind you?" Tobuma asked. "It's not like we can capture a Hachi
and bring it back to Capsule Corp."

"Why not?" Ranma blinked a few times. "It's not like we
couldn't stop ourselves from destroying one."

Trunks shook his head vehemently. "Iie. They have a hive
mind, Ojisan. It'd communicate back to the others what happened,
and then we'd have the entire swarm on us within moments."

"Well, we just don't take it alive, then. Bulma can dissect it
and get what she needs that way."

"That won't work, either," Tobuma also shook his head. "If
we were to find a pulse or signal of some sort, the Drone would have
to be alive, ne? Otherwise, well, it'd be dead."

"But..."

Both future Saiya-jiin shook their heads again. "It was a
good thought, Otousan, but it'd never work. Too many things could
go wrong."

Ranma growled under his breath, leveling a glare worthy of
Vejiita at both of them. "Fine. Be that way. I try to help, but
nooooo...." The other two males just chuckled.

Tobuma nudged Trunks and pointed back to the screen. "Hey,
they're talking about us."

Cella: What I want to know, Chief Talboo, is who are those glowing
people that swoop in and kill these...things...

Chief: (scratches his head) Well, so would I, Miss Thorougood.
They are not part of any sanctioned law branch that I know.

Tim: Tell us of these...vigilantes...Chief Talboo.

Ranma let out a snort. "Vigilantes, my tail. If we didn't do something
about the Hachi, then this world would have been in a much worse
condition than it all ready is. The missing count would be a thousand
more times staggering."

Scientist: This would be more of my expertise area, Tim. Like
the Chief said, there is not much known about them. The only
information that I have, personally, is what is said from eye witness
accounts. Usually, the Giant Bees had been attack a specific area
for a while, but then all of a sudden these people just literally fly in,
without planes or air cars, mind you, actually fly. Some say that
they fizzle right out the air. But anyway, they fly in and start
attacking them, usually with fists and swords, and when the Giant
Bees are injured, they shoot a light at them, more than likely a high
powered hand laser of some kind, disintegrating them.

Chief: (nodding) That's what I have, too. These guys come flyin' in
and beat the Big Bees up. No one knows who they are, or who they
work for. They don't stick around long enough at the end of the
fights to answer any questions.

"Can you blame us?" Trunks shook his head at the TV. "We'd
end up being examined, or deported, or something."

"Or end up on trashy talk shows," Tobuma added. The fifth
member of the panel, a small 30-ish woman named Sonnie Wisemore
finally broke her silence and spoke:

Sonnie: I saw one of them kill my Billy.

The other four panelists turned to the once quiet woman, her
face covered by thick dark hair that hung in clumps around her
swollen features.

Tim: Please, continue with your side, Ms. Wisemore.

Sonnie: Me and my husband, Billy, were walking in the park with our
Lab, Sage, and all of a sudden the big bee things came swooping
down. Billy pushed me out of the way, and I lost my grip on Sage's
leash. I fell behind a park bench, and Sage ran away. But Billy
couldn't get away. That green light surrounded him and he couldn't
move. (She swallowed and her hands clenched the arms of the chair
she sat in.) I couldn't move either, because that green light was on me,
too. But I watched, from under that bench, as one of the creatures
put a piece of round metal on his chest. And I think I will always
remember the way Billy screamed. It sounded like his heart was
being ripped from right out of his chest. The green light went away
and I could move again, but I couldn't because I was in shock, under
that bench. I couldn't move for the life of me...or Billy... (She raised
her head, and all could see her eyes were wide, but no identifiable
expression covered her face.) I was still as he started to
change...into one of those creatures. New insect legs spurted out of
his contorting body. His hair fell off his head and feelers grew
from the top. His skin color changed, darkening to black. The thing
in front of me wasn't my Billy anymore; it wasn't the man I met in
high school. It wasn't the father of my child. (She ducked her head
again, laying a hand on her stomach.)

Cella: There, there, child. (She put a comforting hand on the
younger woman.) It's okay.

Sonnie: No, it's not. (she looked up again, and now you could see the
grief and pain written clearly on her features as she clutched at the
arm of Cella.) You don't know what happened! You didn't see it! You
didn't watch as your husband dissolved into ashes before you!

Ranma blinked and shook his head. "Woah."

"Damn," Trunks scowled at the TV, "she's gonna start
describing it, ne?"

"More than likely. Chikyuu-jiin are rather open with their
emotions and experiences when they want to be." The three turned
to see a frowning Vejiita in the doorway.

Sonnie: One of those vigilantes came down and used a sword to cut
off Billy's head, then shot one of those hand lasers at him. (She was
quiet for a moment. Tim was about to speak up again, but Sonnie
started speaking once more.) And what was left of the man I loved
floated away in the breeze that the person with the spiky yellow
hair created when he turned away to kill another. (She finally broke
down into heart-wrenching sobs.)

"Which one of you went Super Saiya-jiin?" Ranma asked.

Tobuma frowned. "I did. I had five of them advancing on me,
and one was about to throw a paralysis beam. I don't remember a
bench, but I wasn't paying much attention to the scenery, either."

"Are you done in the gravity room?" Trunks inquired to his
father.

"Not yet, brat." Vejiita turned to Ranma. "When are the
females due back?"

He glanced at the clock. "Akane said they'd be back around
supper time, so in a few hours."

Vejiita just grunted in acknowledgment. He leveled a dark
glare at Trunks. "Come, brat. You deserve a beating."

Trunks rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Otousan." He slowly
pushed himself off the couch, earning a helpful shove from Tobuma.
"You just want to pound on me."

"That too. Now stop whining like a damn child." The pair left
for the gravity chamber.

Tobuma sighed and turned back to the TV. He gave the
sobbing Sonnie a scowl and turned back to his father. "So what are
you doing this afternoon?"

He shrugged. "Nothing too exciting. Akane gave me the duty
to clean out my closet of all the clothes that don't fit me anymore,
so she can have something to wear when she starts to get bigger.
But other than that nothing until she gets back from Nerima with
the other girls."

"What are they doing there?" he wondered. "Okaasan said
something about aerobics?"

Ranma stuck out his tongue. "Your mother is weird, that's all
I have to say." At Tobuma's confused look he explained further.
"She thinks that since I've 'forced' her to stop training, she needs to
do...something...to keep herself fit. So she's started a class at the
dojo in aerobics. Although no one will be able to keep up with her,
since she still has full access to all of her strength and flexibility."
He rolled his eyes at the antics of his mate. "Kami knows how that
thought got into her head. She's barely showing as it is. Keeps her
busy, I guess."

"I guess," Tobuma agreed. "Although I can see why Okaasan
would want to do something like that. She has all that pent-up
energy, and with no outlet to release it." Ranma gave Tobuma a
wicked grin. "Except for that outlet, but I really don't want to think
of you and her doing that. You are my parents." Tobuma shuddered
as he picked up the remote to flip through the channels again, but
was stopped when the chunk of black plastic was yanked from his
hand. "Hey!"

Ranma grinned cheekily and flipped it back to the latest
Jackie Chan movie. "I haven't seen this one yet."

"Oh, this one." Tobuma slouched farther down on the couch.

"Don't tell me what happens!"

"You know, I'm supposed to be watching for any signs of
Hachi attack, Otousan." Tobuma rolled his eyes impatiently. "The
TV in your rooms works just as well as this one."

"Uh huh," Ranma grunted at the screen. "Ooh, nice combo."

"Otousan..."

"Fine, Tobuma! You know, you're just as much fun to watch
TV with as Akane when she wants something." Ranma scowled at
him, tossing the remote into the tri-colored male's lap and stomped
out of the room.

Tobuma blinked a few times and a small smile curled at the
corners of his mouth. "Still works like a charm..." He put CNN on
picture/picture and focused back on the Jackie Chan movie.
"Oooh...now get him with a...oh yeah..."

Nerima, Tendo Dojo

In the weathered walls of the dojo, nine females bounced,
kicked, and sweated along to the driving beat of the hard, thumping
music that broadcast through the speaker system.

"Okay, now get those legs in the air, ladies! One and two and
three! Keep kicking! Switch legs! One and two and three! Come on,
Bulma-chan, higher! Now side crunches to the beat! One-two,
one-two! Keep it going...feel it burn in your thighs! And switch!"

Akane scanned with an amused smirk the flushed faces of the
eight other females pushing themselves to their limits. Should have
started this a long time ago. I'm barely breaking a sweat and
breathing hard, but they're about ready to die.

The music came to a halt and Akane stopped the heavy
aerobics, but continued to jog in place. "You're doing wonderful,
girls! Who wants to keep going?"

All eight voices made a unanimous grunt as they all fell to the
floor in one large heap of sweat.

"Nani? But we've only just started!" She shook her head as
she received a few pointed middle fingers in her direction.

"Seiika-chan, we don't have your 'train-until-you-die'
Saiya-jiin constitution, ne?" Bulma gasped as she panted on the
floor.

"We have been going straight for two hours, Akane-chan,"
Kasumi reminded her, wiping her glistening face. "And this is only
the 2nd time we've done this. Our bodies haven't developed a high
endurance to such activities yet."

"Fine, fine," she waved them off. "How about we have a
fifteen minute break and whoever wants to keep going can...keep
going." She shrugged and walked out. "I'll go get the water jugs
from the kitchen."

"We're going to take off, Akane-chan," Yuka spoke up.
"Sayuri has a class in an hour and I need to get ready for work."

She waved over her shoulder to the retreating girls. "Okay!
See you next week!"

Ukyou sat up, wiping her face with a towel. "Where does she
come up with all that energy?"

Bulma shrugged, her shoulders not moving much from her
sprawled position on the mat. "Who knows? Maybe her tail
generates it." She slowly stood up and leaned back, audibly cracking
her back. "Ooohh...that felt good."

Akane came back into the dojo, laden with several water
bottles in each arm, a large bowl of grapes, and her tail holding a
bottle as well. She handed them out, and drank from the one her
tail held. "Here you go, ladies. Drink up."

"Arigatou, Seiika-chan," Chi Chi smiled at the younger
female. "So how are you and the baby doing?"

"Fine, I guess," she smiled back and sat down on the mat next
to Bulma. "Although my hunger pains have started to kick in. I can't
stop eating--and I thought I ate a lot before." She devoured the
grapes in the bowl as an example.

"You aren't the only one, Seiika-chan. Vejiita almost choked
the other day because I ate just as much as he did." Bulma stole a
vine out from under Akane's searching hand.

"Since the gestation is different, Akane-chan, how far along
are you?" Nodoka asked from her spot on the floor, where she was
stretching her muscles out. She was still fairly flushed from the
workout, but she held her own against the younger females.

"Well, we're nearing the end of month two, so it's about the
end of the first trimester." Bulma explained. "Actually, we have a
doctor's appointment tomorrow, in the Capital."

Ukyou stared hard at the busily-eating Akane. "You're
starting to show, Akane."

The female Saiya-jiin blinked a few times and blushed,
putting a hand to the slight bulge of her lower stomach. "I know.
This is the one part of the pregnancy I was dreading." She caressed
the small bump affectionately.

Bulma nodded in agreement. "Hai, but it's a perfect excuse to
go shopping for more clothes!" The other girls laughed.

"Have you gotten morning sickness, Akane-chan?" Kasumi
asked concernedly.

"Iie. I've actually haven't been sick, yet. I don't think it's
going to happen, either. I feel fine in the mornings."

"Speak for yourself, Seiika," Bulma stuck out her tongue.
"I've been tossing up my spleen every morning. Thankfully, Vejiita's
usually out of the room by the time I'm in the bathroom, otherwise
he'd be complaining from hell to high heaven."

"I had horrible morning sickness with Gohan-chan as well,
Bulma-chan," ChiChi commented. "Goku wouldn't come near me for
over an hour after I was done, thinking he would catch what I was
'sick' from, and earn a trip to the doctor's office."

"Did you have any unusual cravings?" Bulma asked, munching
on grapes.

ChiChi shook her head. "Iie, only food. And lots of it.
Actually, if you want to call it strange, I ate a lot of meat.
Sometimes Goku-saa had to kill several deer a day to keep both of
us fed."

Akane made a pleasured murmuring sound. "Mmm...deer...That
actually sounds really good. I think I'll have Ranma go hunting
tonight."

"Ewww!" Ukyou made a face. "How can you eat venison?"

She smacked her lips. "Easily. The bloodier the better, too.
It tastes the best right after the kill, when the flesh is still warm
from the heat of the body and the blood hasn't coagulated." She
grinned and licked her lips again. "Maybe I'll join him on the hunt."

"Ack! Akane!" Several of the females made disgusted faces.
"That's just gross!"

"Actually, it sounds pretty good," Bulma agreed. She flashed
Akane a grin and stood up. "I think I'm done for the day,
Seiika-chan. I don't think my butt can be crunched any more. Is the
furo open?"

"It should be. There are towels in the closet right outside
the door. Make sure you put out the 'occupied' sign."

Bulma nodded and waved to the others. "Have fun!" As she
went down the hallway to the residential part of the property, she
heard the music kick back in and a very loud Akane whooping to a
fast-paced country song. "Boy am I glad I got out of there! She is
so hyper today."

She couldn't help but smile at the thought of the much-
younger in appearance but chronically-older than she female. Seiika
was a blast to be around, much more social and outgoing than any of
her collegues she considered her friends. A complete opposite of
her anti-social twin brother. More than likely the influence of her
Chikyuu upbringing.

And she was a very interesting person to talk to, as well. She
might not be on the same level of intelligence as she, but whenever
she speaks, she speaks truthfully, and with her heart for whatever
she believes in. And Bulma considered that to be a more desirable
trait than the level of intelligence. Just look at her best friend and
brother in everything but blood, Son Goku...

She entered the large furo, making sure to place the
'occupied' sign in clear vision of anyone who would enter. She quickly
stripped off the sweaty workout clothes, and scrubbed herelf clean.
Sliding into the steaming water of the tub, she let a hiss escape as
she felt the hot water ease into her tired muscles, working out the
knots gained from the vigorous, active workout.

She closed her eyes and relaxed, letting the always-present
tickle in the back of her mind, that of Vejiita and their Link, come
forward. She felt out the emotional state of her mate that he
allowed to pass through their Bond. Normally, she was an open book
to him, but he continuously kept a tight rein on his emotions. He
said that it was because of his training--if he let the walls down, she
would feel the affects of the intensity. When she asked if she
should put up her own walls and block, he snorted at her, saying
something to the effect of nothing to block out except for her
constant whining.

But she thought it was because of his privacy. Bulma found
out quickly, through the time he lived with her before Seiika
reappeared in his life, Vejiita was a very private man...well, male. He
didn't like to be referred to with the human term, 'man', since it was
a reference to 'human.' She smirked, remembering the lecture he
gave her after a very involved argument about the finer points of
human males, knowing that any comparison of male Chikyuu-jiin
to him would set his temper off immediately. But she didn't mind,
since he really wasn't an average 'man.' She had that with Yamucha.

But the fact remained that he usually kept to himself. He
had his moments, sure, when he would let down the barriers he'd
constructed over the years, but the Saiya-jiin no Ouji was a soul
that liked to be alone. He didn't really ask for much attention--only
when his gravity chamber broke down or the occasional meal. He
could fare for himself in the food department, since all he had to do
was push a few buttons. Although, that was one thing that intrigued
him to her. Not the ability to press buttons, but his ease to
adapting to any situation thrown to him, all without blinking an eye.
Being a senshi in Friezer's army would do that, she supposed, if one
wanted to live for the next day.

So as she probed the Link, trying to squeeze past the
barriers he had placed, she found to her surprise, that the walls
were fairly easy to surpass. Smirking slightly as she sank lower in
the water, so only her nose and above were visible, she spoke to her
occupied mate: Watcha doin', Otoko?

The dark tickle stirred slightly and she could picture in her
mind's eye his black gaze as it focused on her. What do you want,
Onna?

Nothing much, just wondering what you were doing.

For your information, I am in the GR beating the hell out of
the brat.

Oooh, how fun, at least for you, that is. Bulma blew out a
breath, making bubbles form in the warm water. Is Trunks-chan
enjoying himself as well?

Doesn't matter. Are you still with Seiika?

Hai. Although she's still torturing the other girls. I'm
relaxing in the furo.

Bulma shivered from head to toe as a fleeting sensation
swept her. Che. You should be in with the others. Work off that
flabby ass of yours. His tone held a hint of amusement.

Although, Bulma didn't catch it. Flabby? I'll tell you,
Muscle-for-Brains, that you can bounce a coin off my ass cheeks!
She huffed into the water again, spraying droplets across the
surface.

I'll just have to test that then, won't I? Another shiver
tickled her spine as she felt the dark tickle skim through her mind,
and soon images popped into memory recall, rather vivid images of
just how he could prove her claim. A chuckle floated through her
thoughts. When are you coming back?

Whenever Seiika-chan wants to. She let a small moan
escape as more visions sprung to life. Maybe I can convince her to
come back earlier...nani?

Vejiita, back in the gravity chamber at Capsule Corp, pulled
away from the spar with Trunks when Bulma trailed off her
thoughts. He furrowed his thick eyebrows and stared hard at the
floor. Onna, what is it?

Trunks blinked a few times when Vejiita backed away.
Midway through their spar he noticed his father get a glossy sheen
to his eyes, which meant he was talking telepathically to someone,
more than likely his mother. "Otousan? Is something wrong?"

"Quiet, brat," Vejiita hissed. He closed his eyes and floated
back down to the ground, concentrating on the flicker he knew to be
his mate's presence in his mind. She hadn't responded back yet.
Onna, what is going on?

Gomen, Vejiita, I just got startled when I heard the door
open, but no one answered me.

Weak Onna. Bulma snorted and a chuckle echoed through
her head. Next time put out the occupied sign.

Ha ha. I thought I did. Oh well. Nani? Who's there?

Now what, Onna? I thought you said there was no one
there?

She was quiet for a moment. There wasn't, but all of a
sudden the inner door opened and this small, black piglet came
through, pulling a large backpack. I guess, well, I really don't know
why he's doing it, either... The bag looks really heavy, and the piglet
seems to be pulling rather easily. Cute thing, though. It has a
yellow bandana around its neck, so it must be one of the girls' pet.

I really don't care about the dressing habits of snacks,
Onna.

Trunks cleared his throat. "What's going on? Is something
wrong?"

Vejiita opened his eyes to see the worried expression on his
future spawn's face. "Nothing is wrong. The Onna just got startled
by some little pig pulling a backpack in the bathroom."

Trunks blinked a few times. "Oh, okay. Are we going to
continue?"

"What do you think?" Both fell into identical stances and
attacked each other simultaneously.

He's on the edge of the tub now. I don't think he sees me.
Friendly little thing.

Are you going to bathe with the animal?

I've bathed with you.

You're in rare form, baka Onna.

Trunks suddenly stopped and earned a kick in his stomach for
his inattention. He groaned and gasped out, throwing a glare at
Vejiita. "Did she say a little pig? Does it have a yellow bandana
around its neck?"

Vejiita narrowed his eyes. "How did you know?"

"Crap," Trunks swore, "That's..."

Aaaiieeee!!!

"Onna!" Vejiita yelled out, surprising Trunks. What's
wrong?

HENTAI! crack

A Few Minutes Prior, Tendo backyard

Always, no matter how long I travel, or what direction I go,
or my final destination, I always end up here, at the dojo. The
frustrated Ryouga shook himself dry, his flappy piglet ears slapping
against his head. He turned behind him to grab his clothing and
backpack. And always as the pig. No matter what I do, it seems I
can never be truly happy. I am reminded of how my life is one big joke
of the Kami. But what is true happiness? 'One man's pain is another
man's pleasure'--isn't that how the saying goes? Right, my pain, and
Ranma's pleasure!

He found the hole under the fence that seemed to always be
there, and pulled his backpack through with only a small struggle.
After a few good tugs, it came free and he made his way up to the
porch.

He had pulled the pack up to the sliding door and he nosed
the door open a crack when it was pushed all the way open for him.
He spilled in from lack of support, pulling his cargo with him. "Hello,
little one!" Ryouga glanced up to see the smiling face of Ranma's
mother, clad in a pair of tight spandex shorts and shirt. A clinging,
wet, white, t-shirt. He bent his head quickly in embarrassment.

Nodoka blinked at the small animal and his 'equipment.' "I'll let
Akane-chan know you made it back in time to see her, P-chan."

Akane's here? Ryouga dropped his pack from his mouth in
surprise. He let out a squeal and repicked up his load, pulling it with
renewed vigor down the hall.

The elder woman smiled and watched him go. "I swear he
understood me! Akane will have to remember to bring him back with
her when she and Bulma leave tonight." She nodded and turned back
to the dojo.

Akane's here! I haven't seen her for several months! Not
since...that day...when she and Ranma... His little piggy mouth turned
down in a frown as he remembered the events of that day. He had
been trying to forget them, passing them off as a strange and
horrifying nightmare. They can't be aliens...can they? But it seemed
all so real...

The small piglet stopped when he realized he was in front of
the bathroom. Oh, heavenly day! The Kami are smiling on me. He
pushed at the heavy door, easily opening it and pulled his pack within.
I've missed you so much, Akane. I thought about you each and every
step of the way on my training journey. Your warm brown eyes, wide
with happiness. Your beautiful mouth, curled in a glorious smile, just
for me. I hope that the cur Ranma hasn't soiled your gentle and
pure soul.

Ryouga ignored the pile of clothes, and the call of the
unfamiliar voice as he concentrated on the female he sorely missed.
He also did not take note of the clearly marked 'occupied' sign, as
well.

He jumped up and onto the edge of the furo. For you,
Akane-chan, I will defeat that bakayaro that plagues your happiness.
I have been training hard and long these past months and my
pursuits for supremacy over that mongrel Ranma have not been in
vain! I will be a true man for you, Akane-chan, you can count on that!
And he jumped into the water.

But if Ryouga had been paying attention to his surroundings
when he climbed onto the edge of the steaming furo, instead of
cursing Ranma inside and out, he would have noticed a certain
blue-haired genius staring at him in a particular manner.

But he didn't.

And when the shrill screams pierced his thoughts as he broke
through the surface of the water in his original human male form,
Ryouga became aware of the occupied status of the furo.

Unfortunately a little too late.

"Hentai!!" Bulma screamed and lashed out a foot, catching
Ryouga squarely in the jaw.

Normally, the young marial artist wouldn't have felt such a
blow, and would have shrugged off such a pitiful attempt to hurt
him. But due to the fact that he didn't expect a foot to be in the
water with him, he was completely and thoroughly surprised to find
out about the owner of said appendage--a strange, unfamiliar,
beautiful, naked, woman--had occupied the water, and he would have
reacted accordingly. But Bulma's foot did the job and knocked
Ryouga out of the tub. And as he went flying over the edge, he
reached for a sturdy handhold to stop his decent onto the cold, hard
floor. Although what he grabbed was the water nozzle, and as he
fell, the water was turned on full blast--cold water.

Which being the water magnet he was, changed him back into
piglet form.

"Hentai! Hentai!" Bulma blindly lashed out at the
unidentified, young, naked male who had attempted to accost her.
In her fright, she did not see the water turn him back into piglet
form, so she was still screaming. Along with throwing any available
object her hands could find.

After a few moments of stark raving terror, Bulma calmed
down enough to see that her molester was gone--but the piglet from
earlier was back. She put one and one together, and came up with
seven. "You!" she growled, "What are you?"

The pig-human did not answer; he had passed out from blood
loss when he saw Bulma's complete naked glory.

She fumed furiously, staring at the unresponsive animal.
Noticing that it was not going to answer, the blue-haired genius got
out of the water quickly, wrapping a towel around herself, all the
while not taking her eyes off the unmoving Ryouga. Ignoring her
dripping state of dress, she roughly picked up her molester by the
wet bandana and left the bath, marching down the hallways to get to
the bottom of it all.

She stomped into the dojo, where ChiChi, Akane, her sisters,
and Ranma's mother were cleaning up the dojo after the workout had
finished. "Seiika!"

Akane whirled around, eyes wide. "Nani yo, Bulma? Why are
you wet?"

"Well, I didn't have time to stop and pat myself dry," Bulma
spat as she made her way up to the younger female. "I was busy
trying to fend myself off from shape-shifting perverts!"

"What are you talking about... P-chan! Come to Mama! I've
missed you so much!" Akane finally saw who/what Bulma held in her
grasp. "You found P-chan!"

"Oh, I was going to tell you, Akane-chan," Nodoka
remembered, "I let him in. He was scratching at the back door."

"P-chan?" Bulma blinked in surprise. "You named
this...creature?"

Akane nodded and took the small animal into her embrace,
rubbing nose with her long lost pet. "Hai. He's my pet. I haven't
seen him since...well...since the day Ranma and I got our tails back."

Ryuouga had just awoken and was blissfully soaking up the
attention Akane was lavishing on him. I've dreadfully missed you,
Akane. But his eyes went wide at her last sentence and he let out a
squeal of surprise. Tails?? Then it was not a dream...but a sick
reality... Large tears silently flowed down his cheeks.

"Seiika! How can you cradle such a disgusting thing!" Bulma
stared at her in shock. "Does Serori know of this...P-chan...thing?"
She turned her stare to the black animal in Akane's arms.

"Disgusting? He's rather clean, at the moment, actually, but
hai, Ranma does know about P-chan. Although they don't like each
other much. Ranma is always picking on him or teasing him for some
reason." She grinned at the small animal. "Right my little P-chan?
Big bad Ranma isn't here to tease and torment you today!"

"Seiika-chan," Bulma blinked a few times, realizing that her
sister in law didn't know about her pet's shapeshifting abilities.
"That is no pig, or pet. That is a man."

Ryouga snapped his head around and let out a silent scream of
horror. Iie! She can not find out!

The other females all stared at Bulma in surprise. "Nani?
What are you saying, Bulma-chan?" ChiChi asked, shocked. She
turned back to the small pig. "Like P'uar and Oolong?"

She shook her head. "Iie, he changed with water." She pointed at
Ryouga. "That...shapeshifter...came into my bath and started to
molest me while I was talking with Vejiita." Her eyes shot open as
she remembered. "Vejiita! Oh, Kami! I totally forgot I was talking
with him." She closed her eyes and concentrated on the familiar
tickle that was now a rampaging twister of Saiya-jiin. Vejiita!
Calm down, I'm okay!

Onna! What the fuck is gong on! How could you block me
just now? Has that onore touched you?

Who?

The brat called the pig, Ryouga. He's Serori's rival. She
was overwhelmed by the waves of emotion that were washing over
her as Vejiita relayed the information that Trunks had told him.

Iie, he didn't touch me, although he startled me really
bad...his name is... "Ryouga?" she said aloud, staring at the pig in
Akane's arms.

Akane looked around for her lost friend. "Ryouga-kun?
Where is he?"

"In your arms, Seiika," Bulma pointed to the hyperventilating
pig. "Vejiita said that the pig is a guy named Ryouga, Serori's rival."

"Ry--Ryouga?" Akane blinked down at the animal in her hands.
"P-chan is..but how...why?"

Bulma could tell Akane wasn't sure she was telling the truth,
so she relayed what Vejiita said Trunks told him. She summed it all
up with one word: "Jusenkyo."

Akane gasped and dropped her once-beloved pet. Ryouga fell
to the ground, not even bothering to brace himself or fall correctly.
"Ju...Juu...but but I saw them together at the same time..didn't I?
It can't be true..." She glanced from person to person, her
expressions pleading for someone to tell her it was false. Her eyes
settled on Nabiki. "Oneechan...onegai..."

Her middle sister smiled apologetically. "Gomen nasai,
imoutochan."

"Iie...iie...I told P-chan everything! All my secrets...my
fears..." She stared down at the unmoving animal. "Everything I
thought and felt about Ranma." A tremble rippled through her
frame as she closed her eyes, trying to control her raging emotions.
She opened her black, black eyes, a visible storm raging in them as
she calmly spoke. "Can someone get some water?"

"Bwee!"

She glanced down at the small animal and narrowed her eyes
in anger. "You don't want me to get the water, do you? You know
what's going to happen, don't you?" An angry red aura sprung to life
around the visibly shaking Akane. "You don't want me to know! You
want to keep me in the dark, laughing your ass off behind my back,
don't you!"

Kasumi had left to go get some water and when she returned,
she saw the state Akane was in. She spoke quietly, her words
urgent in their intensity. "Someone needs to call Ranma, now. I
think Akane is about to lose control." ChiChi nodded and left the
room quickly. Kasumi turned back to Akane and put a hand on her
shoulder, wincing at the heat radiating off her little sister.
"Akane-chan, I have the water. But you need to promise me that
you'll think before you react. Remember, Akane-chan, Ryouga was
your friend before this."

"Friend? Friend!" Akane let out a sharp bark of laughter as
she glared at her oldest sister, who had visibly paled at the pure
fury radiating off the shorter female. "Does a friend take
advantage of the confidentiality I placed in him? Does a friend use
the information willingly given in trust to harm another?"

ChiChi came back in the room. "I called Goku-saa, and he's
going to teleport Serori here." She stared at Akane, her eyes wide
in disbelief. "Seiika's ki levels are skyrocketing. I'm surprised she
hasn't," a golden flash made ChiChi pause and let out a sharp hiss,
"gone Super Saiya-jiin yet. That pig is about to become pork
sausage."

The smell of scorched wood filled the air as Akane's powerful
aura burned at the wood under and around her. "Does a friend sleep
curled in the other's chest!" She was positively livid. Bolts of ki
were ricocheting off her as she panted in her rant. She snatched
the bottle of water from her sister and evaporated half of it away
with a lick of ki. "I'll show you a friend," she hissed as she poured
the boiling water over the small pig.

Akane's howl of rage covered the screams of pain as the
boiling water blistered skin immediately as the once beloved and
trusted pet of Akane morphed into the male known as Ryouga. A
naked, blistering, trembling Ryouga.

He had his arms crossed over himself as he laid curled in a
ball on the floor, his head tucked to his chest as if waiting for the
finishing blow. Akane obliged him, screaming as her hands lit the
room with a bright glow as she gathered her ki. Her voice dropped
to a dead pitch as everyone stared in silent terror at the power in
front of them. "I trusted you, Hibiki Ryouga. I trusted you with my
heart and you took that trust and used me. Used me against my own
mate. For that offense, for treason against the Crown, I sentence
you to death, Hibiki Ryouga...may Enma-daiou have mercy on your
soul." She slammed her hands together and called out her finishing
attack:

"Catatonic Symphony!"

"Iie! Akane!"

The Dojo was silent as everyone was still in shock from
witnessing the fury emitted from the Saiya-jiin no Oujo. Most of
the people in the room were used to her anger...but never at this
scale, and that magnitude. All eyes were trained to the trio in the
middle of the room.

Akane glared hatefully into the aquamarine eyes of her mate
and future son, each holding one of her arms straight up in the air.
Arms that pointed to the non-existant roof that, well, doesn't exist
any longer. "Let me go."

"You don't want to have his death on your conscience, Akane.
You are not a murderer."

Her eyes narrowed. "Did you know?"

The mated pair stared at each other in silence for several
minutes. The entire dojo felt the tension build in the room each
second Ranma did not respond. The only sound was the crackling of
their auras. Akane quietly repeated her question. "Did you know,
Serori?"

Ranma blinked at the use of his Saiya-jiin name. She never
used his birth name. "Akane..." he swallowed.

Her aura flared as her anger roared once again. "DID YOU
KNOW! Answer me!"

"Hai."

"Traitor!" she hissed, pulling her arms out of his and
Tobuma's grasp, backing up and away from them. The look in her
eyes was murderous. "Traitor! Where is your sense of honor? Your
giri!" She charged up her ki again. "Letting me believe that P-chan
was ... P-chan!"

Ranma flinched and hung his head. "I had to, Akane," his
voice was soft. "Ryouga was cursed because of me and Oyaji, and I
promised him not to say anything. But then you went and made him
your pet, and I tried so many fucking times, Akane!" He pointed a
trembling finger at the still cowering Ryouga. His voice was at
normal pitch, but growing louder as he got more and more
frustrated. "How many times have I called him 'P-chan' or 'Pig-boy'?
Pointed out that both him and P-chan have the same lousy sense of
direction? How many times did I chase P-chan around the house
with hot water? They wear the same god damned bandana, Akane!"

Akane blinked a few times, her ki dissipating as Ranma's
words struck home. "But I've seen him get wet and not change..."
She glanced down at Ryouga, confused.

"You mean the time with the water-proof soap?" Her eyes
widened as they met Ranma's and he nodded somberly. "Akane, I
have wanted to tell you since Day One, and I was furious when that
rat-bastard started taking advantage of you! But," he closed the
distance between them, stepping over Ryouga and taking up her
hands in his own. "No matter how many times you told me I was
jealous of a little pig, I seethed inside knowing what he was doing.
Several times I almost just blurted it out to you, and take the abuse
you'd dish out, but then he'd throw my promise back in my face. So
many times..."

Akane powered down, her anger turning into dispair. Ranma
followed suit, letting his now black spikes fall back around his face.
"But I trusted him! He..." She fell into Ranma's arms crying her
broken heart out.

"Shh, I'm so sorry, Akane. I'm so sorry." Ranma buried his
face is her dark blue locks, rubbing her back comfortingly. His tail
wound around hers, adding more contact.

Everyone blinked out of their stupor, realizing the crisis was
over and faded out of the dojo. Ranma caught movement out of the
corner of his eye and growled under his breath. "Stop, Ryouga."

The lost boy froze in place, his back ramrod straight in
fright. "Hai?"

He gave Tobuma, who stood slightly behind him a glance, and
nodded to Ryouga. "Go with Tobuma and get dressed. I want to talk
to you."

"But...I..." he glanced confused from Ranma and the
unfamiliar male.

"Shut up, Ryouga, and I'll explain in a few minutes." He
turned back to Tobuma. "Keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn't
get lost."

Tobuma nodded. "Hai, Otousan." The future Saiya-jiin
turned to the completely confused naked male. "Your things should
still be in the furo, Ryouga-san. I'll take care of those blisters and
then you can get dressed."

The young martial artist glanced sadly at the mated pair that
clutched at each other in the middle of the dojo. "I never meant to
hurt you, Akane. Suminasen." He turned back around and allowed
Tobuma to lead him away by the arm.

Ranma tightened his grip on his sobbing mate, whispering
comforting words into her hair. After a few moments he picked her
up, cradling her in his arms, and ignoring their relatives' questions,
carried her upstairs to her old room, which was still the way she left
it, excluding the things she brought with her to Capsule Corp.
Setting her down gently on the bed, he left for a moment but
returned, albeit female, with a wet cloth and a large glass of water.
Silently he cleaned her face and when her sobs calmed and she was
able, he held the glass up to her mouth for her to drink.

She sawllowed most of it, and after a few moments of
silence, she spoke. "Why? Why did he deceive me like that? I
wouldn't have minded the Jusenkyo curse at first, but why the
deception for so long?"

He sighed and sat down next to her, pulling the unresisting
Akane into his open arms. "He loves you, Akane. You are the only
stable thing in his life. He hasn't seen his parents for who knows
how long. He can't stay in one place long enough to make friends, but
when he ends up back here, you are always waiting and willing to open
your arms and offer him unconditional love."

"But as a pet? Who would want to live their life as a pet for
another?" She tucked a few stray wisps of red hair behind Ranma's
ear, giving her better access to his cloudy eyes. "And what about
Akari?"

"I don't know anything about the Akari situation," he shook
his head, "but I really don't think he intended to stay your pet for
forever, Akane. At first, he did it to get me mad, but then it
became a habit--and he couldn't break it. He feared if he told you
he'd lose what relationship you two had, albeit weird and one-sided."
He gave her a gentle smile, his feminine features softening. "But
for one, I am relieved that it is finally all out in the open. I'm sick
of keeping it from you. It was eating away at my soul."

Akane gave him a small frown. "You should have told me right
away. Didn't you trust me?"

"Come on, Hima-chan!" He laughed out loud, earning a scowl
from her. "This is right after you got your hair cut off in that first
big fight! Would you have believed me? Trusted me, you
kawaiikunee otemba." He winked and nipped her nose.

"Oh, well, I guess not, baka hentai," she nipped back. "But
after we re-Bonded, you should have told me. Mates have to trust
each other." She narrowed her eyes, poking him in the chest..

"Well, actually, Hima-chan," he rubbed the back of his neck,
and his tail thumped the bed behind him, "I completely forgot about
it. I've been focusing on the Hachi so much and well, we haven't seen
him since before our memories came back. Never crossed my mind."
His face drew into a frown. "And that reminds me that I need to go
talk to Ryouga. I have Tobuma watching him for me."

Akane spat, her eyes flashing in anger. "I want nothing to do
with him, Ranma. Don't even think of asking me to forgive him. It's
not going to happen, ever."

He nodded and stood up. "I understand. But I do want him
around to help with the Hachi attacks. He'd be a good asset to have,
ne?"

"As a decoy, maybe," she growled out. She waved her hands.
"Fine, fine. Go tell him what's going on, but don't expect me to talk
nicely to him, okay?"

"Hai, Hima-chan." He smiled and kissed her, a long full kiss
that both needed to heal after the day's relevations. He pulled away
after a few moments. "You stay up here and take a nap, okay? I'll
send one of the girls to check up on you later."

Akane nodded and then smirked, staring at Ranma's
pronounced chest. "Well, make sure it's someone I can have some
fun with."

He rolled his eyes. "You're a horny little devil, Akane. Maybe
I should send Vejiita, ne?" Akane stuck out her tongue. "Baka. Love
you."

"Love you too, Ranma." Akane said quietly.