Last time Bloom and co. arrived on Sparkx and retrieved the orange Stone of Power. While dropping Sasami and Roderick off at Jurai, Washu announced that she, Elise, Timmy and Tecna had discovered how to find the remaining stones. Meanwhile, Icy, Darcy and Toro also head out for the next stone, joined by Trabon and another Shadow Rider, this one named Fat-D. Meanwhile, Stormy began to enforce her control over Kodatchi. On with the show!

Chapter 22: No Need for Hykyrians

"Coming out of hyperspace," said Beauregard, "In 3, 2, 1…" With a shudder The Night Rider emerged into normal space. As Bloom looked out the window, she saw that the sun for the system was blue. "I've never been to a star system with a blue sun," said Stella. "Who knows what blue sunlight will do to your powers," said Brandon.

The ship entered orbit around the fifth planet from the sun. Hykyrian 5 had blue landmasses with purple oceans. Several large cities dotted the continents. "Well there's something you don't see every day," said Ranma. He and the other martial artists were admiring the view from the ship's portholes. "That's the thing about traveling the cosmos," said Tenchi, "Every day you see something new."

"Well, how do you like that?" said Elise as she scanned the planet, "You know that really, really, really disturbing thing the Hykyrians do every 23 standard years? Well, it's happening as we speak" "Just great," groaned Riven, "Just thinking about it makes my skin crawl."

"What's this really, really, really disturbing thing that the Hykyrians do?" asked Bloom. "First of all," said Washu, "Hykyrians are a race of evolved reptiles, so they're egg laying people. Every 23 standard years these people spawn and lay the next generation of Hykyrians." "The disturbing part," said Riven, "Is that they mate in public."

"You mean we have to go down to a planet full of fornicating reptiles?" asked Mousse, "That's just sick." "Mousse boy be lucky," said Shampoo, "Mousse boy just take glasses off and he not see any mating lizards." "You're right," said Mousse, "I don't have to watch."

"The public fornication is only the first part," said Carmen, "When the mating is all said and done, and the eggs start to hatch, the majority of the adults commit ritual suicide." "They what!" exclaimed Bloom. "That's just wrong," said Musa, "That's just plain wrong."

"They don't think it's wrong," said Washu, "All who kill themselves say it's for the good of the race, that by killing themselves they release all the goodness within, that's why they're always smiling." "And here's the icing on the cake," said Elise, "The newly hatched young feed on the bodies of the dead adults."

"Okay," said Ryoga, "I am officially declaring that I'm not setting one foot on that planet." "I wouldn't go as far as to say that," said Elise as she continued scanning the planet, "According to my scans, we've arrived just as they finished the egg laying process. They shouldn't start stabbing themselves for a few days now." "Well let's just find that stone before they start eviscerating themselves," said Tatewaki.

The Night Rider landed on the outskirts of one of the cities, mostly to avoid attracting attention. To the west of the ship were several hills dotted with purple trees. As our heroes exited the ship, Bloom noticed that Tecna has holding a PDA-like device. "This scanner," said Tecna, "Should tell us when we're within three meters of the stone."

"According to the ship's sensors," said Lucinda, "The stone is about 800 meters west of our position in one of those hills yonder." "If we hurry," said Riven, "We can get that stone before any locals notice us." "Too late," groaned Morgan, her finger pointing towards the city, "Here comes the welcoming committee."

Indeed several red and blue-scaled aliens were approaching the ship. Bloom could see that they were indeed evolved reptiles with humanoid features such as opposable thumbs and the ability to walk upright, and that they were all smiling.

One of the Hykyrians, obviously the leader of the group, spoke first; "Visitors! And human visitors no less, welcome! You are all welcome to our fair planet! Please, enjoy your stay and leave refreshed in body, mind and spirit."

"Let me handle this," said Ryoko, "I've dealt with Hykyrians before." She then cleared her throat and spoke to the lead Hykyrian; "We are most humbled by your gracious welcome." "That we are," said Sky, "I wish we could partake in the many wonders of your fair planet, yet we're here on business."

"Business?" asked the lead Hykyrian, "Of what nature?" "Our sensors detected an ancient artifact on your fair planet," said Bloom, "One of terrible power if it fell into the wrong hands." "I know of no such artifact on this world," said the lead Hykyrian, "Can you describe it?"

"It is a round shape stone," said Helia, "Roughly the size of a human fist. We do not know its color, yet we'll know it when we see it." "Our scanners have determined the stone is buried in one of the hills over yonder," said Timmy, "We'd like your permission to retrieve the stone before our enemies come along and tries to take it by force."

"If you find what it is your are looking for," said the lead Hykyrian, "What would you do with it?" "We would keep it in a safe place," said Bloom, "Where our enemies cannot use it for evil." "This puzzles me," said the lead Hykyrian, "Would you not use such awesome power for your own needs?"

"We don't know exactly what the stone does," said Akane, "Or how to use it. We just want to keep the stone away from the bad guys." The lead Hykyrian turned to discuss this with his peers before saying, "Very well, you have permission to retrieve the artifact." "Groovy!" said Timmy.

Using Tecna's scanner, our heroes soon found which hill the stone was buried under. "The stone is 2.4 meters beneath us," said Tecna. "Allow me," said Ranma. Using the speed of the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken technique, Ranma soon dug up a large wooden chest. It was secured with a rusty lock, but Ryoga used his strength to pull it off. With bated breath, Bloom opened the chest to reveal a violet colored stone, identical in shape and size to the stones they already had.

"Nice of you loser pixies and Earth freaks to do the dirty work for us!" Bloom turned around to see Icy, Darcy and Toro, along with Trabon and Fat-D. "Oh great," said Stella, "The usual gang of idiots is here." "They've brought aome new faces, I see," said Brandon.

"Where's Stormy?" asked Musa, "I thought she wouldn't miss the chance to get her ass whopped again with the rest of you." "As luck would have it," said Darcy, "Stormy is allergic to Hykyrians, so she stayed behind to 'educate' her new mind-slave, Kodatchi." "That's my sister you're talking about, you goat-sucking harlot!" raged Tatewaki, "Give her back or thee shall surly taste my keen edged steel!"

"You can have Kodatchi back if you can find her," said Icy, "I don't know why Stormy wanted her as a mind-slave in the first place. Anyway, we can do this the easy way or the hard way, Bloom. Just hand over the stone and nobody gets hurt." "Since when have you ever been concerned about hurting anyone, Icy?" asked Bloom. "She's just going through the motions," said Darcy, "So what's it going to be?"

"Allow me to settle this," said Mousse as he grabbed the stone and, at least to the point of view of the baddies, swallowed the violet stone. Bloom and the others knew that Mousse only palmed it. "Damn it!" raged Darcy, "That Earth nerd did it again!" "Not a problem," said Trabon, "We'll just gut him like a fish and take the stone from his dripping intestines." "It'll be my pleasure," said Toro.

"Oh really," said Mousse as he passed the stone behind his back to Shampoo, "You'll find that I'm not so easy to gut, Pantyhose Toro." "My name is Toro the Destroyer!" raged Toro, "And don't you forget it!" Unknown to Icy or any of the baddies, Shampoo had passed the stone to Riven, who passed it to Flora, who passed it to Akane, who passed it to Tenchi, finally making its way to Bloom.

"It doesn't matter who's name is what," said Fat-D, "The Earth man with the glasses doesn't have the stone. I know, I can tell when people are lying." "Well if he doesn't have the stone," said Icy, "Who does?"

"That can easily be found out," said Fat-D as he removed his gloves. There were identical cuts on each of the palms of his hands, cuts that opened and closed like small mouths. Fat-D then aimed his hands at Stella and Sky. A dark purple beam shot from each hand at the two, causing then to stumble and cry out in agony.

"What are you doing to them!" demanded Bloom. "I'm just absorbing their life energy," said Fat-D as his body began to expand from the energy he stole from Stella and Sky, "Now, if you don't want your friends to die from severe energy loss, I suggest you hand over the stone."

"Don't do it, Bloom!" exclaimed Sky as he fought the pain of having his energy stolen, "They can't have the stones!" "Don't worry about us!" cried Stella, "Just keep the stone away from them."

"Let them go!" demanded Brandon, his sword drawn and ready to get some killing done, "Let them go or die!" "Take one step closer," said Trabon, "And Fat-D will drain all their energy in one shot." "And I'll do it to," said Fat-D

"What's it going to be, Bloom?" asked Icy, "The stone, or your friends?" Bloom hesitated for a second before answering, "Okay, you win, this time." She then tossed the stone over to Darcy, it landed about three paces form her feet. "This will make Malaketh very happy," said Darcy as she walked over to pick up the stone.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you!" said a male voice that sounded like it was digitally altered. Bloom turned her head to see the source of the voice. Standing about thirty feet away was a man in a black tuxedo with a matching cape and top hat. A white mask with red eyes covered his face.

"You!" exclaimed Trabon, "But you're supposed to be dead!" "How true, Trabon," said the man in the tuxedo and mask, "I died, yet here I am." He then turned to face Bloom, "Princess of Sparkx," said the masked man, "At last we meet. I am The Phantom Renegade."

The end of chapter 22. Next chapter it's The Phantom Renegade vs. The Shadow Riders. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!