Disclaimer: Inuyasha, Ranma and Yuu Yuu Hakusho don't belong to me.

Authors Note: I'm posting this story in the hopes that once it's out of my system I'll be able to continue K: TJC.

Sorry for the really late update, but I am seriously road blocked with writer's block.

Kagome - 20

Ranma - 18

Yusuke - 15

Maeko Amherst came from a wealthy family, one who traveled all over the world doing research for conservationists, never staying in one place for more than a year at the most. It was hardly a way to live, to raise a child. At the age of 5 she was in the heart of Africa while her parents studied and recorded elephant behavior. At 9 she heard the howls of the wolves that lived in northern Russia. After six months of studying the wolves they'd moved to the rainforests of Borneo, and that's where she had stumbled onto a nest of just hatched Reticulated Pythons. Among the dozens of twenty four inch long baby snakes, there was a little albino. Knowing even then that the chances of survival for the pale snake were very slim, she had taken it to her parents and they let her keep it as a pet. She hadn't gone to school, a tutor was always with them, teaching everything she needed to know.

Now, 16 years later she was the owner of the Amherst Exotic Pet Sanctuary and Veterinarian Clinic and currently she was standing in front of the massive gate to the mansion of one of her clients. Staring at the looming construct of wood and stone she sighed and stroked Sarita's scales for comfort.

This client was always a difficult one, but not only did she pay well, she was a good friend. Maeko had to admit that these check ups, though required by law, weren't really necessary as Midorigami was always as healthy as a 15 foot alligator could be. Fortunately, she knew how to handle Midorigami's mistress Kodachi, bringing her pet Sarita seemed to lend her more credibility in Kodachi Kuno's eyes so Kuno-san was more inclined to listen to her suggestions for Midorigami's habitat and diet. As her finger pointed forward to push the gate intercom a voice suddenly spoke up from behind.

"Good afternoon Amherst-san, Kodachi-sama is expecting you."

Pure reflex made her spin and slug the speaker in the face.

"Jesus fuckin' Christ Sasuke! I swear I've told you a hundred damned times to never scare me!"

"Oh ho ho ho! Your reflexes are as quick as ever my friend!" Kodachi laughed as the ninja of the Kuno clan picked himself up from the sidewalk and, holding his jaw, opened the massive gate that allowed entrance to the mansion.

The massive, black-scaled reptile affectionately known as Midorigami by his eccentric owner was patiently suffering through Maeko's examination of his feet while Kodachi Kuno rattled on about his diet of gourmet meats.

Maeko herself however, had her brow furrowed and her lips pressed so tightly together even Kodachi noticed.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes ... No. Has Midorigami been behaving oddly today?"

Had that question come from anyone but Maeko, Kodachi would have ignored it.

"He's been quite upset about something for the last few hours, since you have come he's calmed greatly. How did you know to ask?" Kodachi asked, looking a Maeko with a great deal of admiration for knowing.

"Because all the animals in the clinic have been upset too." She looked to the great scaled head beneath her hands. "I think they sense something big is either going on or coming."

She was only glad that black mass of muscle and teeth beneath her was hand raised and human oriented, it made medicating him much easier.

"Gourmet meats area all well and good Kodachi, but you've got to remember that he needs a calcium supplement if you don't let him eat bones." She sighed as she reached for a syringe. Kodachi's eyes went wide at the sheer size of it.

"What on Earth ...? This is absurd! I leave orders with the manor cook to lace his meat in the powder you prescribed before tosses it into Midorigami's pond!"

Maeko paused for a second before she slipped the needle between the scaled of the reptile's heavy tail and pushed the plunger, knowing that it wasn't enough to save him.

"Into the pond? Not beside it?" She hinted. Kodachi finally made the connection and looked positively thunderous.

"Why that incompetent plebeian!" She whirled to storm off in a righteous fury toward the manor when her arm was grabbed. "What!"

"You can deal with him later! Midorigami's In worse shape than I originally thought, he might die."

Kodachi's angry red face paled to ghostly white.

"Maeko-san, please tell me you can help him. Money is no object."

Chewing her lip thoughtfully Maeko looked at the dreadfully ill member of the Kuno family and considered her options.

It would take more than the calcium booster she had in her kit to help him, poor Midorigami needed an overnight intravenous of calcium at the very least.

She wanted to take him to her clinic for treatment, but physically moving at this point would mean risking his life unnecessarily.

A heavy sigh escaped her as she met Kodachi's eyes.

"It's bad Kuno-san, so bad that I could have you arrested for neglect right now."

Fear crept into Kodachi's face.

"But I know that if I do, he won't receive the treatment he needs here and he'll die. He's so fragile his life would be in danger if I attempted to move him to the clinic. I know that you never knew this was happening, and that you love Midorigami more than anything else in the world. That's why I'm giving you a warning for the future to either supervise his food preparation or do it yourself. Now, we need to save his life." She snapped open her cell phone and called her clinic, "Ten'ou-san, bring 4 calcium lines to Kuno manor stat!"

As they waited for Ten'ou to make the ten minute drive to the manor Kodachi and Maeko began chatting after Midorigami had been given the calcium booster. Inevitably, when two females are left alone to chat the subject will, sooner or later, turn to the members of the opposite gender.

"...earth makes you think I'd change who I am just to land a man?"

"Maeko, you are leaps and bounds above the mere commoners that surround us every day, surely you would be willing to change a little and attract someone of your class or higher!"

"Puh-lease! If you really believed that one should marry their own status or higher than you wouldn't be bothering to chase your beloved 'Ranma-sama'."

Kodachi flushed a nice shade of pink but never got a chance to retort for the theme from 'Jaws' sounded from the cell phone resting on Maeko's hip. An elegant eyebrow rose at the choice of ring tone and was replied in kind by a childish raspberry.

"Moshi moshi?"

"It's Ten'ou! Traffic's backed up for two miles because a transport for some kind of animal crashed and now it's loose!"

Maeko rolled her eyes.

"Then go help animal control catch it and put it in the damn truck you silly girl!"

"I - I ... I can't! It's too big!" She choked, on the verge of shedding tears of frustration.

"...Too big? Just what is it exactly ...?" Maeko's gut clenched. She had trained all her staff in her art to handle just about any reptile, amphibian or avian they could conceivably come across under the label of 'exotic pet'. And Ten'ou was not only a big girl, but her best student.

What on the gods green earth could balk her? Just last month she managed to fish out the adult Snapping Turtle all by herself without a nick!

"From what I can tell from here, either sub-adult or adult male Komodo Dragon. Did I forget to mention it was a zoo transport...?"

"Yer shittin' me." She ground out through clenched teeth. "Fine, I'll be there in five minutes. When I get there you better be on your way here with that calcium!" Angrily she snapped the flip phone closed, hanging up.

"Maeko-san?"

"I gotta go save a komodo dragon before the police decide to shoot him. My assistant will be here soon." She tickled Midorigami's head plate. "You'll be well soon you great behemoth."

And like a shot, she was racing out the gate and down the street.