With a thud and a groan, Mousse fell to the ground, unconscious.

Akane lowered her bow. "That takes care of him. Now, where's Ranma?"

With both hands, June grabbed an enormous club that looked more like a pillar. "Now, eat dirt!" she shouted and swung it around.

"YA! YA! YA!" Three quick slashes with the sword, and Ranma had reduced the dirt pillar into three smaller components. Blinking in shock, June looked at the small stump that remained in her hand. "Um… drat."

Amazon Ranma gave the dryad a cocky smirk. "You are defeated. Now, surrender!"

"I'm not going down that easy," June grimaced. She jumped over to where the two Vault Keepers and her fellow assistants were standing, and with one motion of the Dirt Rod, she encased the five of them within a big, hollow square of dirt.

"What are you doing?" Yuka squeaked. "Now we're trapped!"

"Not for long," June said. "I have a plan to get us out of here."

"Can't we just talk to Ranma and Akane?" Hiroshi asked. "If we explain everything to them, maybe they'll keep it a secret, too."

"No more sharing secrets!" June shouted. "You already involved Yuka and Sayuri, enough is enough."

"But won't they find out on their own sooner or later anyway?" Sayuri asked. "I mean, they already know the orbs and essences came from us."

"Don't worry about that, I have an idea. Now, where's the mirror? Everybody, hold on before they reach us…"

Outside, Ukyo gave the dirt cube a good sniff. "I think I can smell them in there," she said. "I never knew the dweebs were that good at hiding. Now how do we get them out of there?"

"Why don't you bash it with your mallet, Akane?" Nabiki smirked. "That usually does the trick."

"But Sayuri and Yuka are in there, too, and I don't want to hurt them," Akane told her. "Besides, I'm not sure that would be enough."

Ranma raised her sword. "Step aside. I'll handle this."

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Ranchan?" Ukyo asked as she nervously got out of the way. "We don't want to hurt them, just talk to them, remember?"

"Do not worry, sister-in-arms," the Amazon smirked. "I shall strike with speed, force and precision. No one shall be harmed." She drew back her blade and focused. Then she shouted: "Athena… guide my sword!"

She sped past the cube with one, powerful slash… and it fell apart in a pile of debris. However, there was no one inside.

"That's weird." Nabiki lifted the rubble aside with her magic. "Where did they go?"


Hiroshi, Daisuke, June, Sayuri and Yuka reappeared in the Vault's Summoning Chamber, in a pile of bodies and limbs.

"Th-that was a close one," Daisuke gasped. One after another, they stood up and caught their breath.

"Yeah, but what do we do now?" Hiroshi asked. "Now they know that we're responsible for the changes. And when we get back to Nerima, we'll have to tell them something."

"Relax." June wiped some dirt off her arm. "They have no real proof. If everything went according to plan, the Essence of Kokiri must be back in the Vault by now. And with no orbs or essences, they can't prove anything."

"They still know that we're keeping secrets from them," Sayuri said. "I really hate lying to Akane, she's our friend."

"You really should have thought about that when you decided to become an assistant," June frowned. "Anyways, I wouldn't worry too much. There are methods we can use to cover our tracks."

"What methods are those?" Hiroshi wondered.

June smiled. "Follow me. I'm about to teach you some advanced tricks the Vault Keepers have been using for eons."

Curious, the four teens followed the dryad. First, she went into the Chamber of Essences to gather a bottle of essence. Afterwards, she took it into the Chamber of Orbs, where she also chose one of the orbs.

"Now, you two already know how to use orbs and essences, right?" she spoke up. "Both of these relic types are powerful on their own. But say… what do you think might happen if one were to… combine these two powers?"

Daisuke scratched his head. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that we take an orb…" she lifted the orb in her right hand. "And an essence…" she raised the bottle in her left hand. "And we combine them. Easy, right?"

"Hold on… combining an orb with some essence?" Hiroshi gaped at her. "That works?"

"Why wouldn't it work?" June asked. "The most powerful magic usually comes into existence when you combine two or more different spells or sources of magical power with each other."

"So… what exactly does happen?" Yuka asked curiously.

"Exactly what you would expect to happen," June said. "The effects of the orb and essence are combined. However, their magic will also be much stronger and affect more than just the person, his skills and his memories. You know how using an orb also transforms all the items of his old class into items that are more suitable for his new class?"

"Ah… you mean, how Akane's gi turned into a ranger's outfit?" Hiroshi asked.

June nodded. "Exactly! But with the powers combined, the transformation effect of the orb will not just change a couple of items… it will change much, much more. The user's dwelling place will probably change… maybe even the street he lives in… and maybe even a couple of the people living in his vicinity. Also, the memory alteration of the essence will also work on the class change now."

"That sounds… difficult," Daisuke winced. "Can you give us an example?"

"Why not? If someone combines the Orb of Mage with the Essence of Elf, he will become an elf mage, and everyone will remember him being that and nothing else. His house will probably transform into a magic tower. Some people living with him might turn into servants or apprentices, pets would become magical creatures… you get the idea, right?"

"Yeah, I think I get it now," Daisuke nodded.

"But wait…" Hiroshi frowned. "If the combination of orbs and essences is so powerful and can even affect multiple people at once… why don't we do that all the time?"

"For several reasons," June explained. "One, if an orb and essence are used in combination, they take much longer to recharge and can't be used for a long duration of time anymore. And two, you can't really control the outcome of the changes such a procedure might cause. The only definite outcome will be the combination of class and creature on the user. We only use these combinations on very special occasions, and only if the Keepers are confident that it is necessary." She gave the two boys a stern look. "Did you understand everything so far?"

"I… I guess so, yeah," Hiroshi said. Daisuke just nodded.

"But… why do we want to do this now?" Sayuri asked. "Do you really think it's necessary, June? Just because Ranma and Akane found something out?"

"If you have any other idea, I'm all ears," June shrugged. "Besides… causing such a large amount of change at once will usually muddle the perception of the people involved. Right now, they are certain that there are strange potions and orbs causing changes, and that you four are involved in it somehow. But let's say we changed the place you live in… into something were enchanted items and magical creatures are much more common. I think that would definitely cover your tracks. But, as Vault Keepers, it is Hiroshi's and Daisuke's decision, of course."

The boys exchanged a glance and thought about it for a while.

"What orb and essence did you choose, June?" Hiroshi then asked.


"Oh my darling Ranma, hold me in your strong arms… ooooh, Kodachi-sama, you are so beautiful and lovely, I must have you…"

A soft knock at her door made Kodachi Kuno gasp and hide whatever she was holding under her arms. "What?" she snapped. "What is it?"

"Umm, Mistress Kodachi?" asked Sasuke, ninja retainer of the Kuno family. "Can I come in? Am I interrupting you with something?"

"You're always interrupting!" Kodachi growled angrily. "You… didn't see anything, did you?"

"No, Mistress Kodachi. I didn't see you playing with your dolls again."

Satisfied, Kodachi quickly put the dolls away and turned around to face her servant. "Very well. Now, what was it again that's so important, Sasuke?"

"There's… a package for you, Mistress Kodachi.

"A package?" Now her interest was piqued. "For me, Kodachi Kuno, the Black Rose of St. Hebereke? Whatever could it be?" Her eyes then turned into hearts. "Oh, what if my darling Ranma has sent me a gift as a sign of his love?"

"I wouldn't know, mistress," Sasuke said, suppressing a sigh. Sometimes he really did wonder what it would be like to serve under masters that are not completely crazy.

"This deserves further investigation, Sasuke," she said. "Who was it that delivered the package?"

"I don't know, mistress," the ninja said.

"You don't… you don't KNOW?" she yelled furiously. "What kind of ninja are you, idiot? Who could ever sneak up on the grounds of the noble Kuno family, past the watchful eyes of our servants and past the hungry maw of my beloved Mr. Turtle?"

Sasuke lowered his head. "I don't know, mistress."

"Very well." She waved dismissively. "I think that's enough investigation for now. If it is indeed a gift from my darling Ranma, then I am sure he will have his ways. I simply cannot make him wait any longer… I am sure he is waiting breathlessly for an answer. Leave the package here, Sasuke, and go back to your post."

"As you wish, Mistress Kodachi." The ninja retainer placed the package on a table and then vanished in a puff of smoke.

Kodachi strode up to the table and opened the package. "Now, let's see what secrets you reveal." She reached inside… and pulled out a shimmering orb with swirling colors inside. She watched in amazement as dark purple clouds mixed with splotches of blood red. The whole mixture moved as if the orb was filled with some sort of liquid.

"What… what is this peculiar ornament of questionable taste?" she asked as she raised it up in front of her face. "What did you send me, dearest Ranma? A doorstop? A paperweight? A lava lamp, maybe? Wait… are those letters appearing amidst those colorful swirls?"

She quickly read the message that appeared on the orb. "Drink… me?" She blinked. "This… this vile concoction is supposed to be a drink? It looks disgusting… still, I must at least give it a taste. But how do I open this thing?"

After several minutes of searching, she finally found a small, barely visible hole on top of the orb, just big enough for a drinking straw.

"Well, this vessel certainly isn't the most practical thing in the world," she huffed. "But oh well, I did find it in the end. Let's give it a test and hope it's not half as bad as it looks…"

She took a thin drinking straw and put it through the hole. Afterwards, she took a small sip.

"Oh… this…" Her eyes widened and she took a second, much longer sip. "Oh, this drink… is heavenly! I… I simply must drink more!" Her mouth quickly found the straw again, and her careful sips turned into long gulps of pleasure.

All the while she drank, her skin started turning deathly pale, sip for sip. Her beautiful, black hair turned even longer than before, while her ears grew pointy. Her regular clothes shifted and transformed into a long, flowing dress of dark purple silk, skimpy and alluring, with her shoulders and cleavage on display. As her greedy slurps continued, she let out a gasp while her teeth grew into sharp fangs and her eyes turned blood red.

Hers wasn't the only transformation in the room. Everything became much darker and more gloomy. The walls transformed into black marble, the curtains into red silk. Her bed was looking more and more like an open sarcophagus instead. Her beautiful, body-sized mirror completely disappeared, as did the windows in her room. The entire furnishings and even the architecture changed from the house of a modern, rich, Japanese family into something dark and gothic.

Even more changes were happening outside. The entire mansion changed shape and grew in all directions, even absorbing some of the surrounding buildings in the neighborhood. Dark clouds began to cover the sky above the building, while dark towers stretched up into the sky and loomed over Nerima. But the most extreme transformation was occurring deep underground.

Starting from directly underneath the former Kuno mansion, a wide, complicated network of tunnels, caves and catacombs began to stretch. Inhuman creatures in all shapes and sizes started skittering and slithering around the dark depths. And in the center of it all was a huge, glowing crystal that seemed to pulsate… the dungeon heart.

Meanwhile, all of Nerima was undergoing some changes. While a lot of it still looked like the normal, modern city it had been before, there were several unusual buildings mixed within that looked more like medieval Europe. Instead of cars, carriages and people riding on horses and… other creatures were the norm. The Tendo residence had turned into a mix between a dojo and an inn. The Nekohanten was suddenly surrounded by a small forest. And none of Nerima's residents seemed to notice anything odd.

After the liquid-filled orb was finally empty, the new Kodachi Kuno lowered it from her mouth with a sigh and wiped a few red droplets from her lip. "That really was refreshing. It's a pity fresh peasants are so difficult to come by these days. SASUKE!"

The retainer reappeared in a small plume of flames. "You called, mistress?" He was more or less unchanged, except for his dark brown skin, his pointy ears and his bulging, black eyes.

"Be a good imp and throw away this repulsive thing." The vampiress tossed the empty orb behind her, and the small demon hurried to catch it. "Its contents were delicious, but its aesthetics hurt my eyes. It's a pity my darling Ranma doesn't have the same sense for decor like I do."

The imp ninja sighed. "As you wish, Mistress Kodachi." Sometimes he wondered if anything would change if he had normal humans as masters. And in a flash, he was gone.

"Now, where was I?" Kodachi tapped her chin with an elongated fingernail. "Should I pay a visit to the slave pens, for some whipping fun? Or do I feed my beloved Mr. Turtle? Ah, the daily work of a Dungeon Keeper… so much to do. Ah, I know!" A delightful grin revealed her fangs. "I know who I'll be paying a visit… my darling sibling!"

The vampiress left her quarters and started descending into the depths of her dungeon. Here and there, she came past a wart-covered troll guard, who moved aside with a respectful grunt, or a scurrying kobold, who dove out of the way to avoid getting kicked.

Kodachi finally reached the prison cells, which were filled with filthy peasants and disloyal, magical creatures. Usually, she loved stopping at each of their cell doors to laugh and gloat, but today, she was here to visit a special prisoner. Hurrying past an imprisoned pegasus with cropped wings, she entered the room at the far end of the cell corridor.

The cell on the other side of the room was far more spacious than the cramped cells for the commoners and beasts. It was also far more luxurious, with tiled walls, a bed and even some books to read. The prisoner sitting on the bed was looking more bored than terrified or anguished. It was a beautiful girl, a bit younger than Kodachi, wearing a black petticoat dress and a sparkling tiara on her forehead. In her right hand, she was holding a short scepter that was, strangely enough, shaped like an ornamented bokken.

Kodachi approached the cell door with a smile on her pale face. "How are you faring, sister dearest?"

The younger girl gave her undead sibling an adorable pout. "It's boring. And the food down here is terrible. Can't you bring me something sweet, like a cake?"

"I shall have a talk with the head chef," Kodachi said. "It simply will not do that a Kuno is not treated with the proper respect, prisoner or not."

"How long do I still have to be in here?" her sister whined. "You said my beloved would soon show up to rescue me. Where is he? Where is my darling Ranma?"

Kodachi chuckled. "Oh Akiko-chan… you know that I desire Ranma-darling's love as much as you do, if not even more. You know I can't allow you to have him."

"But he will save me, I know it," the little girl smiled. "And when he does, he shall marry me. Me, Princess Tatewakiko Kuno, the bluebell of Furinkan High!" She struck a proud pose… and instantly swooned and sighed at the image of her heroic savior.

"I wouldn't count on that, sister dearest," Kodachi smiled. "Ranma-darling will have his hands full with me. Maybe the pig-tailed girl or Akane Tendo will rescue you instead."

Akiko snarled in annoyance. "Those two hussies only want to get their hands on my Ranma! He does not deserve either of them, he needs a princess at his side."

Kodachi nodded. "That, my sister, we can agree on."


Ranma grumbled as he followed Akane, Ukyo and Nabiki along the cobblestone path, back in his male form. "I can't believe they got away like that."

"You're just upset that you were denied your victory, Ranchan," Ukyo said. "Just let it go, and move on. Both your male and female forms are too proud for your own good. Also, be glad Nabiki heated that water for you."

"It was still too hot. AGAIN!" Ranma glowered.

"It's your own fault for not bringing any thermos, Saotome," Nabiki snorted a very horse-like snort. "What I can't believe is that the dweebs actually managed to trick us like that. They never looked like they had it in them."

"What happened, happened," Akane said. "When one prey escapes, a hunter needs to keep his eye open for the next one. And that would be Shampoo, who escaped with the potion."

"If it IS a potion," Ukyo pointed out. "It didn't really do anything to Nabiki and me, except taste bad."

"I guess we'll find out soon enough." Akane then stopped. "Say, guys… do you think the neighborhood looks different today?"

The others took a careful look around. "I don't see anything that seems out of place," Ranma said. "The same old houses, item shops, the magic bookstore…"

Ukyo frowned. "Wait… I think I see what you mean." Her eyes widened. "The… the nerve! That lizardman opened up his meat stand right in front of Ucchan's! Sorry guys, but you go ahead without me. I need to give scale face over there a piece of my mind." And the worgen girl ran off.

Nabiki felt a bit disappointed when she watched her appointed bodyguard leave the group like that. "I really hope we don't run into any other shady characters on our way to the Nekohanten," she muttered. "Saotome? If something happens, you're on unicorn protection duty."

"Since when?" Ranma frowned. "Whatever happened to those amazing magic powers of yours, great and powerful Nabiki? Didn't you say you don't need anyone."

"Times change," Nabiki simply said. "And if you do your job well, I might consider not taking any more pictures of your female side." She rubbed her chin with her hoof. "Then again… I don't know how many customers are into that whole muscular, amazonian beauty thing."

"More than you think," Akane said. "But never mind that now… we're here."

The road turned into a narrow dirt path that lead into the small woods surrounding the Nekohanten. Instinctively, Akane drew an arrow and carefully peered through the shrubbery.

"Is it just me, or does this place keep growing every time we come here?" Akane asked. "Wouldn't surprise me, the little brat does love her trees."

A soft giggle made them look up into the foliage. "Lookie here, a trio of adventurers trespassing in my woods. Do they want to play, I wonder?"

Ranma gritted his teeth. "Cut the act, little brat! We're here because of that bottle your great-granddaughter ran away with. So why don't you just give it to us so we can leave?"

Cologne giggled again as she appeared on a branch high above them. "Teehee… you said 'leaf'."

"How can such an immature child be related to a fierce fighter like Shampoo?" Nabiki wondered. "I really don't see the resemblance."

"Oh, we're not biologically related," the Kokiri girl smiled as she sat down on the branch and waggled her little legs. "I adopted her grandfather when he was abandoned in my home forest near the Joketsuzoku village. That makes her my great-granddaughter."

"That actually makes a lot of sense," Nabiki nodded.

"Enough reminiscing, Cologne," Ranma said. "Where's the bottle?"

"Bottle, bottle?" Cologne feigned ignorance. "Hmmm, I don't really know. I don't believe I have any bottle you might be interested in." Which was, technically, true. The bottle of Kokiri Essence was already back in the Vault.

"That's it!" Ranma quickly punched the tree the Kokiri was sitting on. It wasn't nearly strong enough to damage it, but it shook under the force of the punch and several leaves fell down. Cologne jumped down onto the path.

"Careful, son-in-law," she said with a more sober expression. "I really don't like it if anyone hurts my trees. Are you really looking for a fight? If you recall, you never managed to beat me."

"I don't care, I just want to wipe that smug grin off your little face once and for all," Ranma growled.

"Wow," Nabiki said. "That's the first time I met someone with the full intent on clobbering a child. Although in this case, my bets are on the child."

"Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" Ranma yelled as he tried punching Cologne, faster than the eye could see… tried being the key word. He didn't manage to land one single hit. The little forest girl easily avoided him doing a number of impossible-looking jumps, backflips and cartwheels.

"Using the technique I taught you against me?" Cologne disapprovingly shook her head. "You disappoint me, son-in-law. But maybe it's time I showed you another one of my tricks… DEKU BULLET SEEDS!" She jumped high into the air and, with one swift motion, pulled a bunch of small seeds and nuts from her pouch, throwing them at Ranma in almost the same instant.

Ranma gasped when he was suddenly bombarded with small, painful, pellet-like seeds. Each seed didn't do a lot of damage on its own, but together, they were like an angry swarm of mosquitos… and every hit stung just as much. At the same time, the nuts hitting the ground around him broke apart in bursts of flashing light, blinding him multiple times. "Ah, dammit!" He tried holding his ground, but there wasn't really anything he could do to stop the attack. "That was a cheap shot, little brat!"

Cologne chuckled as she jumped back up on her branch. "Did you have enough? Or do you wish to play some more? After we're done, maybe I can invite you for some food at the Nekohanten… Shampoo made it with love." She winked.

"That's it!" This time, it was Akane who shouted these words. She grabbed Ranma's arm and pulled him back down the path, out of the woods.

"W-w-wait! Akane… that's the wrong way. The bottle's at the Nekohanten…"

"I don't care about that stupid bottle anymore. I'm not letting you flirt with that Chinese bimbo over some ramen when I can cook for you back at the inn."

Ranma groaned with misery.

Nabiki suddenly realized that she was all on her own, in the middle of the woods, in the presence of the scariest child Nerima had ever seen. "Um, hehehe…" she nervously chuckled. "I'll be going now, then…"

"Leaving so soon?" Cologne smiled. "If I recall, my great-granddaughter was very interested in taking that horn of yours. Isn't that true?"

Nabiki gulped. "I'm rather attached to my horn, thank you very much."

"Oh, I'm just teasing you, little pony," the Kokiri girl grinned. She jumped off her branch again and landed on the teal unicorn's back. Nabiki's first impulse was to buck her off, but she decided that wouldn't be a wise choice.

Cologne giggled as she hugged Nabiki's neck. "Your fur is so soft and cuddly. I've always wanted to ride a unicorn… wheeee!"

"Sorry, but I'm not quite in the mood for frolicking around the woods at the moment," Nabiki said. "Considering you Amazons want to cut off my horn…"

"Oh, don't be a silly pony," Cologne snickered. "I never would do anything like that. I'm afraid Shampoo completely misunderstood the recipe of the potion. We don't need a whole unicorn's horn as an ingredient, we only need a few fragments, a bit of chipping, nothing more. And as far as I remember, you unicorns file your horns on a regular basis, to keep it from getting dull. So I'm sure you always have a small amount of horn filings you're throwing away."

"Wait… you just want me to give you some of my horn filings?" Nabiki asked in surprise. "That's all?"

"Sure," Cologne nodded. "Cutting off your horn… we're not barbarians, you know. Also, I'm willing to offer you a good amount of yen for those. You are a businessmare, Miss Tendo, are you not? So, how about it? Shall we make a deal?"

Nabiki's expression of worry slowly turned into a devious smirk. "Let me hear your offer."


Hiroshi, Daisuke, Yuka and Sayuri couldn't believe their eyes after their return to Nerima. They almost didn't recognize their home town.

"All of this… happened because of one single orb and essence combination?" Sayuri muttered. "I don't believe this…"

"Yeah, I know?" Yuka grinned. "It's truly incredible, isn't it?" The lover of fantasy novels barely contained her excitement. "Look around! It's like we're in a village right out of a role-playing game. And all those fantastic creatures… oh, is that a gnome?"

"I really don't get how turning Kodachi into a vampire and Dungeon Keeper affected the whole town," Hiroshi said.

"It's quite simple, actually," June explained. The dryad casually strolled alongside the four teenagers through Nerima, not really standing out that much among the new, fantastic populace. "A Dungeon Keeper can only keep power as long as he attracts monsters that inhabit his dungeon. And since there aren't that many monsters to your world, she needs several magical portals through which she can summon monsters and magical creatures from other worlds. As soon as they appear within her dungeon, she can enslave them, form a pact with them or simply buy their services with gold. But, as you can imagine, not every summoned creature actually wants work for an evil vampire queen. So what does she do with those?"

"She… imprisons them?" Daisuke took a guess.

"Some of them, yes," June nodded. "But others managed to escape from her dungeon, into Nerima. That's why your hometown has become a haven for a wide variety of non-human creatures."

"And what about all the item shops for adventurers?" Yuka asked. "The armory and the inn? Did the non-humans open them?"

"A few of them, but that's not the main reason for their existence," June said. "A Dungeon Keeper is a huge threat to the lands around his keep, you know? His minions leave his domain to pilfer and ransack the surrounding villages. But at the same time, a Keeper's dungeon also attracts a lot of heroes and adventurers who aim to rid the land of the evil overlord or to simply raid his keep for all the riches inside of it. That's why Nerima has become a town for raiders and adventurers, who want to prepare themselves before they delve into the dungeon. Do you understand?"

"I only understand that I'm losing track of all the different kinds of keepers," Daisuke muttered.

Sayuri nervously bit her lip. "June… didn't we just make a huge mistake? You said it yourself, a Dungeon Keeper is a big threat to everyone who lives nearby. Didn't we put all of our friends and family in danger by giving Kodachi so much… power?"

"You kids still underestimate me," June smiled. "Don't you think I would think of such problems? Don't you think I have enough experience to predict how events will turn out? Listen, from what you've told me, that Kuno girl is a complete failure as a villain. Sure, she has the ego, the ambition, the lunacy, and she lacks quite a bit of remorse… but I don't believe one bit that she truly has what it takes to be a competent Dungeon Keeper. The adventurers probably won't remove her from power… and why would they? Kodachi's basically the main source income for the townsfolk. But her minions won't do any sort of everlasting damage, I can assure you that."

"See, Sayuri?" Yuka smiled. "June knows her stuff. Quit worrying and just enjoy this. Aren't you excited to find out all the different things that have changed?"

"Weren't you the one with doubts when we first accepted this job?" Sayuri frowned. "And all of a sudden I'm the voice of reason? Am I the only one who finds this alarming?"

While they were talking, they came past the Tendo Dojo… which had changed quite a lot. The dojo was still there, at the backside of the house, but now the entire front had transformed into an inn… and it was quite crowded, too. There was a new, wooden sign above the entrance that read: 'Tendo-Saotome Inn and Dojo'. A couple of tipsy patrons were just coming out, while a new group just arrived. They were carrying swords, torches, lanterns and maps… the stereotypical group of adventurers, returning to town after a successful dungeon raid.

"Please come in, honorable guests," a familiar voice welcomed them. "Make yourselves at home… oh!" Kasumi Tendo stepped outside the inn when she saw the small group of friends. She was the same sweet hostess as before, but now she was wearing an old-fashioned waitress outfit. "So nice to see you, everyone," she smiled. "I'm sorry, but Ranma and Akane aren't home yet. Or have you come for a nice meal? You know you're always welcome here."

"Hello, Kasumi-san," Hiroshi said. "Thanks for the offer, but we're actually…"

"Oh, it really smells nice in there," Daisuke interrupted his friend. "Did you cook, Kasumi?"

"Oh no, Ranma's mother is the cook," Kasumi said. She gestured inside. The door leading to the kitchen was slightly open, and they were able to see Nodoka working at the grill. Soun was standing behind the counter as bartender, and there was also a nervous-looking girl in a maid outfit that looked like an anthropomorphic panda.

"Say, would you like to try our dish of the day?" Kasumi asked. "We have sautéed salamander tails with soy sauce and rice."

"We do have some time, right guys? Let's not turn Kasumi's nice offer down." Daisuke looked at the others with pleading eyes.

"But there are already so many customers in there," Yuka pointed out. "I don't want to put too much work on poor Kasumi-chan."

Kasumi looked at her. "Yuka-chan, you're here too? I'm sorry, I didn't see you over there." A small frown then appeared on her face. "Yuka-chan, why aren't you in your waitress outfit? You know we always have a lot of customers in the evening and need every employee. You're quite late, on top of that."

"W-waitress?" Yuka stuttered. "M-me? Serving food?"

"Why, of course," Kasumi nodded. "You told me your parents need some extra money for their shop of magic tomes. That's why you volunteered to work part-time at our inn, isn't that right?"

"Um… I did?" Yuka asked. She looked over her shoulder. "June?"

"Hmmm. I can only imagine that quite a few things in your personal lives have changed," she pondered. "Just try to find out what they are and get used to them."

"For real?" Daisuke blurted out. "But we don't know anything about what's different in this Nerima."

"That's one of the upsides and downsides of being a Vault Keeper," the dryad smirked. "Unlike everyone else, you get to keep your old memories. Oh well… have fun, Yuka-chan."

Kasumi looked at the dryad with confusion. "Excuse me… I'm not quite sure what you just talked about, but are you new here? I'm not sure we've ever met before."

"We haven't," June said. "My name's June, those four are my friends."

"Oh my, it's so nice to see new faces," Kasumi beamed. "It's a pleasure to meet you, June-chan. And welcome to Nerima, I hope you'll have an enjoyable stay."

"Oh, I will…" June smiled as she followed Hiroshi, Daisuke and Sayuri inside the crowded inn, while Kasumi was dragging a sour-faced Yuka to the employees' lounge next to the kitchen. "I will."


Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

The Dryad (NPC) and everything Terraria belongs to Re-Logic.

My little Pony belongs to Hasbro.

Wonder Woman belongs to DC Comics.

World of Warcraft belongs to Blizzard.

The Legend of Zelda belongs to Nintendo.

Dungeon Keeper belongs to Bullfrog Productions.