Splitting Heirs

by Jeffrey Vasquez

Nodoka Saotome has a secret, her father has a secret, and her Grandfather has a secret. Add them all together, and poor Ranma's life is going to be turned upside down...forever.

3. Splitting Heirs Chapter Three

Splitting Heirs
By Jeffrey Vasquez

Disclaimer:
All characters portrayed in this story are owned by their respective
creators and companies. All others belong to me.

Author's Notes:
Sorry for the long wait. Somehow it was inevitable that a bazillion
different problems would arise to impede its release. Hope you enjoy.

Many have been wondering about a time line and when these events take place.
All I'll say for now, is that it's at the end of both series.

Tenchi OAV/ Ranma Manga - For Tenchi it's after the first visit of the
royals, while for Ranma it's sometime after the failed wedding attempt.

********
Chapter Three
Hereditary Principalities
Part One

********
Galaxy Police Headquarters

Col. 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 officer's wetly in the face. That
very hour had marked his rapid raise in the ranks. Something that 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 re-assigned 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 who she would visit first. And Heaven help Washuu and Tsunami when
she made her appearance! Tokimi laughed. A beautifully horrifying sound that
made stars shiver with dread.

********

Washuu 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 Washuu's lab, and
an odd, little, smile twisted her lips in a very un-Kasumi- esque
expression. Washuu 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. Washuu 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 Washuu'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 Washuu 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."

Washuu watched Akane in amazement. How could this little, and definitely
human girl communicate with Kappa-Ranma? Washuu knew for a fact that none
of the kids were psi-positives; well, with the exception of Ranma that is.
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 Washuu'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 fiancée. Akane
fussed over and chided Ranma for being stupid. While Ranma made some
disparaging remark that sounded remarkably like "Tomboy."

"Oh?" Washuu 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 Washuu was giving her a very uncomfortable
feeling; 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." Washuu didn't respond, instead she simply nodded.

Ranma hung his head under Akane's tongue lashing. She was right of course.
The crack about Washuu 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 may 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 Washuu
and mumbled what only could have been an apology. Kasumi smiled warmly and
looked to Washuu to see what her response would be.

Washuu 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 Washuu-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 Washuu.

"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 Washuu'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.
Strangely enough, Akane, Nabiki, and Mihoshi were nowhere to be seen. A fact
that didn't surprise any, and one that had put a fat wad of bills in
Nabiki's pocket book.

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, but 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 water
works 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 Nobiyuki 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 she 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. Nobiyuki 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, 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. A point that was mirrored in Funaho's mind as well, but
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 sezchuan 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 some colorful additions that, for the sake of the children,
could not be repeated here. 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 sezchuan 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 that 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 that her mother had
terrorized him with 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
laughing 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. That was not 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 fact 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 path.

Tenchi's father was especially uncomfortable. Out of all the inhabitants in
the Masaki house hold, 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
walking 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 Washuu'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 Washuu, to
which Ranma countered with wild tales of various fiancées. The playful
competition began to escalate between the two boys, each trying to out match
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 said 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 Nobiyuki 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. 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 focused and sharp. An
impromptu, affectionate, bear hug the moment Misaki's eyes wandered in
Ayeka's direction. Holding her hand beneath the table while eating, and
every time the eyes began to sparkle with tears of love...there was 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 "Klink" of metal chiming against the
china bowl caused Mihoshi's body to twitch involuntarily. And for the second
time that day Washuu, 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 their 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 was truly 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 nose bleed. 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.

On lookers 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 it's 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. Nobiyuki'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
rights 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."

"Go...God...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 were 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 to 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 King's 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 sent 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
there of 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!"

"Aiya! 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 Washuu'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 is. 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 get up.

********

Washuu made her way into the lab to find her intruders, trussed hand and
foot to the cold examining 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 nose bleed 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 over zealous
mouth.

Washuu 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. Washuu 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 worn it when she decided to find out what a rabbit looked like from
the inside out. By the Mother! Shampoo hated that look.

Washuu shrugged nonchalantly and returned to her terminal. "Well, let's see
how you managed to get past the primary lock out 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. Surly 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.

Washuu 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 Washuu 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 shall do....**

The shape-shifter smiled happily. It wasn't Washuu'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 locked 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 absent-mindedly 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!

**Heehee! 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 them that made the young martial artist
want to run and hide. It felt 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, which 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 still 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, dead panning.

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.

That was about the time that 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 an instant more Tenchi rushed head long 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.

********

Washuu 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, showing a very heroic looking
Tenchi climbing through the window. Washuu grinned at the tactic.

**Good for you Ryoko!** Pride and embarrassment welled through the link that
the shared at Washuu's praise. 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 else
where."

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 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 was 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 she the clueless, blonde, gaijin woman walked in.

"Washuu, Ayeka created another monster in the kitchen agai... Oh!" Mihoshi
walked over to Ukyou's table. "Washuu'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, she once left me in here for a whole week!"
Ukyou's gaged 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! Uhm, Washuu 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!

Washuu 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 mean time, she sat in her cage, biding her
time, 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.

***********
End Part Three