Last time a cure was found for the Jusenkyo curse, but there was only enough for three. Ranma gave up his share of the antidote so that Ryoga, Shampoo and Mousse could be cured. Mousse and Shampoo were so happy to be free of their curses, they finally admitted their love for each other, well, Shampoo admitted her love, and Mousse had already told his. Stella then convinced Akane to talk to Ranma. She told Ranma that she was sorry, he apologized as well and they got back together. Meanwhile Layla and Tatewaki spent the night repairing his sword, now infused with new abilities. It's now off to Eraklyon to get The Night Rider fixed and to find the next stone. On with the show!

Chapter 28: No Need For Spoiled Brats

"Looks like we're gonna make it Eraklyon without blowing up," said Amanda as she checked the engine sensors, "The backup for the anti-mater magnetic constrictor is holding. But I wouldn't count on it holding for another jump into hyperspace. Once we get to Eraklyon, that's it until we can install a proper replacement part."

"Don't worry about the parts for the ship," said Sky, "I called ahead to Eraklyon before we went into hyperspace. My parents are on vacation, but I talked to a guy I know who can help us." "Who would that be?" asked Bloom. "Chris Baxter," said Sky, "He's head of security for my family."

"This wouldn't be the same Chris Baxter you set up on a blind date last summer, would it?" asked Brandon. "I don't know anyone else named Chris Baxter," said Sky, "But I'm sure he's forgiven me for that."

"Forgiven you for what?" asked Akane. "Chris Baxter has been working for the Royal Family of Eaklyon for just about 20 years," said Brandon, "he can run faster than anyone I've ever seen and out-wrestle an ogre. One day over summer break, Sky thought it'd be nice if we set Chris up on a date, the guy was feeling lonely."

"I know the feeling," said Layla, "So what happened?" "Well we set Chris up with a very attractive woman that I was sure he'd like," said Sky, "Turns out she was a little too eccentric for Chris's taste."

"More than eccentric," said Brandon, "the girl happened to be from one of those species that devour the male after mating. Chris barely escaped from being eaten alive"

"That was months ago," said Sky, "I'm sure he's forgotten about that." "Not likely," said Brandon.

"You'll know soon enough," said Lucinda, "We're almost there." With a jolt, The Night Rider exited hyperspace and entered orbit around Sky's home planet of Eraklyon.

"How's this for blind luck?"" said Washu as she checked the ship's scanners, "I've got a fix on the next stone. It's somewhere in a ruined city on the second moon."

"I'm sure Chris can help us out with finding the stone as well," said Sky as the ship began it's decent towards the planet's surface. "He's gonna rip your arms out," said Brandon.

"Why would he do that?" asked Riven. "It was Sky's idea to set Chris up on a blind date in the first place," said Brandon. "Well it was your choice of a date that he wasn't happy with," said Sky.

Just then the ship shuddered as if something hit it. "What was that?" asked Bloom. "We hit a small meteor!" said Amanda as she checked for damage, "No hull breaches, but… sh$t! We're lost one of the stabilizer thrusters for landing!"

"F#ck me running!" exclaimed Lucinda, "Strap yourselves in! This landing just got interesting!" "Define interesting," said Flora.

"How about, 'Oh my gods! We're all gonna die!'" exclaimed Beauregard, his arms straining at the controls as he fought to keep the ship level.

All in all The Night Rider didn't crash, but the landing wasn't exactly what one would call soft. Several of our heroes suffered from whiplash from the hard jolt made during landing. "Well at least we're here alive," said Beauregard, "You've got to give me credit for that."

"I'm telling you man," said Brandon as they entered the Eraklyon space-port main terminal, "Chris won't be happy to see you, you'll be lucky to walk away in one piece."

"And I'm telling you," said Sky, "its all water under the bridge." "I'll bet you 'a phonebook' he's still mad," said Brandon. "You're on," said Sky.

Just then a tall man entered the waiting area. He had short brown hair and one light-brown eye; a black eye patch covered the other. "Chris!" said Sky happily, "How you doing, man?"

"You lousy, no good, scum-sucking, royal pain in the ass!" said Chris Baxter darkly "You've got some nerve asking for my help after what you did to me!" "I guess you're still mad at Sky," said Brandon.

"I'm mad at both of you," said Chris, "You set me up with a Talasian!" "We didn't know that Talasian women eat the males after sex," said Sky, "I'm sorry it didn't work out."

"You're sorry?" asked Chris, "You're sorry! She not only did she try to eat me, she also tried to rip my unit off!"

"Damn," said Ranma, "That's worse than being eaten alive." "How is that possibly worse than being eaten alive?" asked Akane. "If you were a guy," said Ryoga, "And you just had your member ripped off by the girl you just did it with, would you want to go on living?" "I suppose not," said Akane.

"Look, Chris," said Sky, "I said I was sorry, what more do you want?" "I want to see you punished," said Chris, "But with your parents on vacation, I can't do that." "I got this covered, Chris," said Brandon, "After all, you're still mad at Sky." He then went over to a phone booth and returned with a large phonebook.

"Which side you want it?" asked Brandon as he held up the phonebook. "Now's not the time for this, Brandon," said Sky. "Yes it is," said Brandon, "Which side do you want it?" Sky sighed in annoyance before saying, "Left." Brandon then swung the phonebook into the left side of Sky's face. The force of impact knocked him to the ground.

"Does that give you satisfaction?" Brandon asked Chris as Bloom helped Sky up. "Yes," said Chris, "I'm satisfied." "You all right?" asked Bloom. "Nothing permanently hurt except my pride," answered Sky.

"So what can I do for you young delinquents?" asked Chris. "Our ship needs a few parts," said Amanda, "We need a level-8 magnetic condenser, a type-5 gravi-metirc inducer and the stabilizer thrusters need to be replaced, all of them, I'm not taking any chances this time."

"That shouldn't be a problem," said Chris, "Anything else I can help you with?" "There's an artifact buried in the ruins of the second moon," said Sky, "We need to find it before The Shadow Riders get it."

"Shadow Riders?" asked Chris, "I thought thy were all destroyed fifty years ago." "Well they're back," said Bloom, "And they're after these Stones of Power. We don't exactly know what the stones are supposed to do, but we can't let the enemy get all of them."

"I don't think that should be a problem either," said Chris, "We'll get your ship fixed in a jiffy. At the same time, I'll arrange for a shuttle to take you over to the moon."

Bloom and the others followed Chris across the spaceport, leaving Amanda, Beauregard and Lucinda to watch over the repairs to The Night Rider. "You know what?" said Sky, "I've got a good feeling about today. I mean, despite nearly crashing and then getting my face bashed with phonebook, I've got a feeling that today is gonna turn out all right."

"I hate to spoil your good mood," said Bloom as she stared at someone who was walking towards them, "But trouble is heading our way; trouble with a capital D." "Oh great!" said Stella, "It's her!" True enough, Diaspro, Sky's former fiancé, was heading straight for him.

"You think if we ignore her," said Musa to Bloom, "She'll just leave?" "I doubt it," said Bloom. "5,000 credits said that she's gonna try and get Sky back," said Riven. "I'll see your 5,000," said Morgan, "And raise you another 3,000 that she loses her cool." "You're on," said Riven.

"Why, Prince Sky," said Diaspro, "It's so nice to see you again. I had no idea you'd be here today." "Sure she didn't," whispered Stella to Bloom. "Oh," said Diaspro, "I didn't see you there, Bloom of Earth."

"I see you're looking well, Diaspro," said Bloom who was doing a great job hiding her disgust. "She is looking well," whispered Musa to Layla, "I'll bet she's throwing up after every meal." "It's a distinct possibility," whispered Flora.

"I can tell your taste in friends hasn't changed much," said Diaspro, indicating Ranma, Tenchi and the other martial artists, "I've seen better." "Better what?" asked Akane.

"Better 'entourages,' of course," said Diaspro, "But I suppose you're her servants, you certainly look the part." Akane's hand gripped her war-hammer behind her back and she was about to move forward to smash Diaspro's head in. Ranma stopped her, "She's not worth it," said Ranma, "Just ignore her."

"You didn't come here for idle talk, Diaspro," said Sky, "So what do you want?" "Isn't it obvious?" asked Diaspro, "I want you, Sky; I want you as my husband, I want to be Queen on Eraklyon."

"I knew it," said Riven to Morgan, "Pay up." "She hasn't lost her cool yet," said Morgan, "So the bet is still on."

"I thought we were clear on this, Diaspro," said Sky, "We're through, finished. My heart belongs to Bloom and no one else." "I don't want your heart," said Diaspro, "I want, no, I deserve to be your wife."

"I said it before," said Sky, "And I'll say it again, no." "Well I'm not giving up," said Diaspro, "I will be your wife, end of discussion."

"What is your major malfunction, young lady?" asked Chris, "do you need your ears checked? He told you no, that should be enough for you."

"There's nothing wrong with my ears," said Diaspro, who was starting to lose her temper, "I deserve to be with Sky, not some scraggly Earth fairy."

"Bleach-haired person should have respect for Bloom!" exclaimed Shampoo, "She is great woman, and she is hero, period!"

"Don't waste your breath," said Sky, "Diaspro has a one tracked mind. Let's just go." "Gladly," said Akane, "The air is starting to smell spoiled."

It was as Bloom and the others started to move on when Diaspro lost her cool, "What's so special about her!" she exclaimed, "What does that Earth girl have that I don't have?"

"For starters," said Flora, "Bloom is kind and sympathetic to others." "She has a great sense of humor," said Musa. "She's smart and quick thinking," said Tecna. "She has more courage than she knows what to do with," said Layla. "Most of all," said Stella, "She has a better fashion sense then you'll ever have."

"If I may interject," said Tatewaki, "Miss Bloom is also one of the most strong-willed individuals I've even encountered, and I've encountered many." "Along with being strong-willed," said Tenchi, "Bloom is incredibly powerful in terms of magical abilities, where as you, Diaspro, aren't as strong."

"Who cares about courage, kindness and brains!" whined Diaspro, "I'm twice as good looking as her!" "Have you ever heard the phrase, 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder,'" asked Ukyo, "Because Sky obvious prefers her face to yours."

"I think a more appropriate phrase," said Ranma, "would be, 'beauty is only skin deep.' You may be a very cute woman on the outside, but on the inside, you're as rotten as last week's garbage."

"Watch your tongue, Earth boy," snapped Diaspro, "I can be very unpleasant when I'm upset."

"I'm just getting warmed up," said Ranma, "You're a spoiled, selfish, uncaring, greedy brat who wouldn't think twice about kicking someone when they're down. I'll bet you're a coward to boot; a coward who'd prefer to stab someone in the back than look him or her in the eye. In fact, I dare you to attack me when my back is turned."

He crossed his arms and turned away from Diaspro. "You just dug your own grave, Earth boy," said Diaspro as she shot an energy blast at Ranma. Only it didn't hit Ranma; Diaspro was so upset, her aim was off. The blast went to the left of Ranma and hit Tenchi in the chest.

"Tenchi!" exclaimed Ryoko as she rushed over to him, his assaulted torso smoking from the blast. "I'm alright," said Tenchi as he brushed out the soot from the attack, "It wasn't that strong a blast, I've had worse."

He then glared daggers at Diaspro, "Ranma was right," he said, "You are a spoiled, selfish, uncaring, greedy, cowardly brat. That blast was aimed for Ranma and it hit me, but you could have really hurt someone, you stupid bitch!"

"Who are you to say such things to one of Eraklyon's royal elite?" demanded Diaspro. "I am the grandson of Yosho of Jurai," said Tenchi, "Half-brother to Ayeka, Empress of Jurai. That makes me one-eighth Juraian and a member of the royal family of Jurai."

"By attacking Tenchi," said Timmy, "Your actions could count as an act of aggression against the royal family of Jurai." "One could go as far as to say it was an act of war," said Elise, "But that's just my opinion."

"There's no need to go that far," said Tenchi, "This can be settled in a simple matter. What you need, Diaspro of Eraklyon, is a good spanking!" "You wouldn't dare!" snapped Diaspro. "Oh I dare alright," said Tenchi, "Ryoko! Grab her!"

"With pleasure!" said Ryoko. She 'zoomed' over to Diaspro and grabbed her by the arms. "Let me go you barbarian space pirate!" raged Diaspro. "Former barbarian space pirate," corrected Ryoko, "And I'll let you go as soon as you've taken your medicine."

Akane meanwhile had provided Ryoko with a chair for her to sit down on. She then pulled Diaspro over her knees, her arms holding Diaspro in place, "She's all yours, Tenchi!" said Ryoko happily. "Stop this at once!" exclaimed Diaspro as Tenchi prepared to administer punishment, "I'll have you all locked up for assault and battery!"

"Lock up this," said Tenchi as he raised his hand to start the spanking. Yet Sky stopped him by grapping onto Tenchi's hand. "Oh, thank you, Sky," said Diaspro, her voice heavy with relief, "I knew you cared for me."

"I just didn't want Tenchi to hurt his hand," said Sky as he handed Tenchi a giant metal spatula, Sky had borrowed it from Ukyo. "Thanks," said Tenchi as he swatted Diaspro's behind with the spatula.

The spoiled brat of Eraklyon cried out in pain as Tenchi swatted her rear end again and again with the spatula. "He's really tanning her hide," said a stunned Morgan, "She's more than lost her cool." "You're right," said Riven, "I'll write you a check later."

After about three minutes, Tenchi finished his 'work.' He handed the giant spatula back to Ukyo, while Ryoko released Diaspro, who fell onto the hard floor. She winced in pain as her assaulted bottom slammed into the linoleum. "Talk about adding insult to injury," said Brandon.

"You'll pay for this humiliation," said Diaspro as she glared death at Tenchi and Ryoko, "I'll never forget this, not as long as I live!" "Well I hope it's a long and healthy hate," said Ryoko.

"I'm serious," said Diaspro as she stood up, "Maybe not today, nor tomorrow, but someday I'll have the two of you right where I want you. When that happy day comes, you'll be begging for me to end your miserable lives. As for you, Sky, keep your pathetic Earth fairy. In fact, I hope the two of you do get married. But I promise you this; your happiness will be short-lived."

"Are you finished?" asked Elise, "Because I think Tenchi is up for another round of 'rump-bashing.'" Fearing another assault on her still tender bottom, Diaspro quickly left the spaceport.

"It doesn't take a genius to tell why you dumped her," said Ranma to Sky, "You did the right thing." "I know I did the right thing," said Sky, "But I can't shake the feeling that we haven't seen the last of her."

"Who cares?" said Stella, "She's gone. Anyway, we have a stone to find." With that our heroes followed Chris across the spaceport for the nearest moon-shuttle.

The end of chapter 28. Next chapter it's off to the second moon for the next stone. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!