Last time found Bloom recovering from her battle with her inner darkness. She found the others trying to get into the secret room The Trix had discovered, believing that it held a Construct piece. Bloom noticed that Layla and Nabu were treating each other more civilly, clearly becoming friends. At the same time, Carmen showed off her new dragon tattoo. The door was then opened and the Construct piece recovered. But then a hidden switch trapped Layla and Nabu in the hidden room, and it would be hours before the door could be safely opened again.
At the same time on Xaldo, Diaspro presented the first of her genetically engendered super soldiers, The Perfectives, to Zahidia and the rest of her dark entourage. The creature was everything the baddies wanted and more. But then it saw Toro and Darcy, whom had just finished trying to have a baby. Sensing the love between the two dark souls, the Perfective tried to attack, but Icy, Stormy and Vicky stopped it from hurting Toro and Darcy. Outraged, Diaspro tried to take her frustrations out on The Trix, but Icy slapped Diaspro in the face in a futile attempt to get the psychotic princess to see reason. Instead, Diaspro kissed Icy, inviting the frosty witches to her quarters for some 'personal' time. Icy went after her to kill her, but wound up sharing Diaspros' affections, somewhat. Just what this relationship will lead to, nobody knows.
Back at Alfea, Bloom and the others managed to get Layla and Nabu out of the room. The two of them emerged laughing like old friends. Later, Layla revealed to Bloom that her time locked in the room with Nabu lead to them being more then friends, much more. 'Nuff said, on with the show!
Chapter 31: Between Love and Duty part 2
For Bloom, the next few weeks passed both quickly and slowly. Quickly because she and her friends worked diligently in an effort to both find a way to destroy the Construct piece found at Alfea, and to find even the slightest of clues as to where their enemies were hiding, as well as what their next move would be and when that would happen.
Neither of those ventures worked out for Bloom and The Winx. Nothing they did could put a scratch into the seemingly innocent white orb that held the potential for nearly indescribable evil. There wasn't a spell or a potion that could harm the piece, and nothing physical like a sledgehammer or a chainsaw could harm it either.
And then there was the complete lack of information as to what The Trix and their allies were up to. Not a single whisper on the baddies since their failed attempt to steal the Construct piece. This alone was more than aggravating to Bloom, and combined with the lack of progress on the Constrict piece, it's a wonder Bloom wasn't crawling up the walls in frustration.
"I guess we'll have to protect it," said Tecna as her latest plan to destroy the piece failed miserably, "we'll move the piece to somewhere safe and keep it there."
"For how long?" Musa asked, "and just where will it be safe?"
"Well we can't take it to Solaria," said Stella, "things are finally back to normal there."
"And I doubt Layla's parents will let us keep it on Andros," said Flora.
Layla, now there was the cause of the slowness. Ever since Bloom heard from her friend that she was in love with the man she was being forced to marry, Bloom's mind had been trying to find a solution, but to no avail.
Bloom had always believed that one cannot be in love with two people at the same time, that a love triangle that Layla had with Tatewaki and Nabu would result in a serious conflict between the two boys, which would surely leave Layla devastatingly heartbroken.
But then something completely unexpected happened. Tatewaki returned from Earth, saying he had see Layla, "My heart could not take a moment away from thee, my ebony goddess."
He then heard that Layla's 'fiancé' was there. Now, had this been the Tatewaki Kuno that Layla first encountered on Earth during the Shadow Riders crisis, the same Tatewaki Kuno obsessed with pretty girls and constantly forcing other young men to fight for the object of his current obsession, he would have run right up to Nabu and challenged him to a duel to the death for the hand of 'the fair Princess Layla.'
But that Tatewaki Kuno no longer existed. Whether it was his meeting Layla and the rest of The Winx, the experience of traveling to other worlds and fighting & defeating a true evil, or just delayed maturity, or a combination of it all, Tatewaki Kuno was a changed man.
Tatewaki asked to meet with Nabu, in public, without weapons. Layla relayed this request to Nabu, and he agreed.
"I've a rotten feeling that this will end in tears," said Bloom as she and Sky walked down the streets of Magix the afternoon before the meeting, "sure, Tatewaki isn't the same girl-crazed bonehead from before, but he's completely infatuated with Layla. If he finds out that she also loves Nabu…"
"Which is why we're all going to be there to make sure the worst doesn't happen," said Sky, "if it looks like there'll be a fight, then we'll jump in and stop it before it starts. But I don't think the worst will happen."
"I just hope Layla will be alright," said Bloom, "you didn't see her when she told me she's in love with Nabu, she was completely serious. And I think he loves her back just as much. After everything that's happened, I'd just feel awful if something bad were to happen to Layla, or any of my friends."
"You always think of others before yourself," said Sky, "but sometimes you need to relax, things sometimes work out on their own."
"I hope so," said Bloom, "for Layla's sake, and Tatewaki, and Nabu. It doesn't matter that he and Layla are being forced to marry, he's a friend now and I want to help. I want this to work out so that everyone is happy."
"It may just work out," said Sky, "but you have to let things play out on their own. You can't run the universe, no matter how fun it sounds like."
"I wouldn't want to run the universe," said Bloom, "it's too big for anyone to run, except god maybe." she sighed, "maybe I'm over thinking all of this, maybe I'm just stressed out from everything."
"The second we get the chance," said Sky, "we're going on a nice long vacation to any place in the universe you'd like."
"I'll have to think about that," said Bloom.
"Well?" Stormy asked anxiously.
"Negative, again," Darcy sighed.
"I don't get it," said Toro as he placed an ice pack against his overused groin, "we've been shagging like minks for weeks now, yet nothing. My bollocks feel like they've been wrung out to dry three times over."
"I so did not need to hear that," said a slightly disgusted Naz, "I'm okay with my own love life, but hearing about other people's love lives just really creeps me out."
"Not me," said an eager Kevin, "tell me every juicy detail, and don't worry about embarrassing me."
"Oh yeah, let the rest of us cringe with shame," said an irate Sara.
"We've tried all sorts of positions," said Darcy, "you know that book we picked up from Earth, The Kama Sutra, we've tried every position in it at least twice, yet still nothing."
"Well maybe you're not trying right," said James, "maybe just loving each other isn't enough."
"Rolf's great-grandmother Muriel had recipe for the blessing of children; extract of mucus from a Silurian and the toe jam of a Zygon, combined with saliva of a Sontaran. Is guaranteed to beget many little boys and girls, yes."
"Your great-grandmother was a really sick woman, you know that?" a disgusted Kevin asked.
"Just where are you going to get that stuff?" Naz asked, "those are some of the most dangerous aliens in the cosmos."
"Great-grandmother Muriel didn't exactly say," said Rolf, "but she also said to get scrapings of the horn of a Judoon."
"I'll pass," said both Darcy and Toro.
"I don't thing my sister and future brother-in-law will want to be ingesting that anyway," said Vicky, "But I do think you have the right idea, Rolf. I think we should consider the option of fertility drugs."
"We only want one child to start with," said a slightly exasperated Darcy, "not eight or nine or ten at once. Are you trying to kill me or something?"
"Let's just see if there is something wrong with them before we resort to drugs," said Trabon. He looked around, "Icy still isn't back yet?"
"I don't like it that she's spending so much time with that psychopath," said an irate Stormy, "I don't care how satisfied Diaspro makes Icy, I don't like that crazy princess."
"I hate her to," said Vicky, "but Icy is hellbent on having this relationship, even if it disgusts everyone else."
At the exact same time, Icy lay in bed with Diaspro, both having just stated their desires again. The psychotic princess having fallen asleep, while the frost witch was still awake, contemplating her position.
'Why am I doing this?' she thought, 'why am I having an affair with this lunatic? I don't think she put a lust spell on me, and I don't think I'm being drugged. Why then? Why can't I stop thinking about Diaspro?'
She looked at the sleeping Diaspro, 'I could end it right now. I could kill this psycho and never have to worry about her again. She's fulfilled her obligation to Zahidia, that army of super soldiers is being made right now, so why is she still here? Why is Diaspro still on Xaldo if she's fulfilled her end of the bargain? Zahidia already gave her reward, I saw the bank statement for the hidden account. Diaspro has all the money she'll ever need, so why is she still here?'
Icy then formed a dagger of ice and held it over Diaspro, 'I can end this madness right here and now, and then make it look like she died of natural causes. I'd be easy, like stepping on an ant, or pulling the wings off a fairy. That's something for later, pull Bloom's wings off, and make Sky watch.'
She raised the ice dagger, but then lowered it, 'no, I still find her too attractive to just kill. I still hate her, but I want her more than I hate her.' Icy then vanished the dagger, got up and got dressed.
When she was ready to leave, she bent over to whisper into Diaspro's ear, "I don't know what you did that's got me so hung up over you, but I like it, for now. But you'd better make sure that I keep liking you, 'cause the second I don't like you anymore, you're dead." With that, Icy left the room.
Opening her eyes from her feigned sleep, Diaspro chuckled to herself, "all according to plan."
Icy then walked back to the rooms where her family and allies waited.
"Well look who's back," said an irate Stormy, "had fun with the lunatic?"
"None of your business," said Icy in a slightly distant tone. Already her thoughts were wandering back to Diaspro and it was taking a good portion of her concentration to focus on the task at hand.
"Well while you were romping with the psychopath," said Darcy, "me and my man here were using our time constructively."
"Oh really," said Icy daringly, "and how is near constant shagging constructive?"
"At least we're trying to make something," said an embarrassed and angry Toro, "we're trying to provide an heir for this family. But you…not that I have anything against people like you, but still…"
"But what?" Icy demanded, "you think I really swing the other way? Well get this, Pantyhose Toro, I can have any man I want. I'm with Diaspro because she's got some sort of hold on me."
"You sure got that right," said Kevin. James, Naz and Sara then giggled.
"You know what I mean," said an irate Icy, "Diaspro put a spell on me or something, something that's making me really like her. Well I hate her, despite how good in bed she is. The second I get free of this hold, I'll rip her to pieces. Then I'll clone the pieces so I can rip the clones into pieces."
"I'll hold you to that," said Vicky, "this family is in enough trouble as it is. The last thing we need is for you to get in too deep with that psychopath. If you're too wound up about this, if whatever hold she has on you interferes with your judgment, I'll step in an break her in half myself."
"That won't be necessary," said Icy, but then she said to herself, 'I hope.'
"So what are we going to do about my yet to exist niece or nephew?" Stormy asked.
"We're going to visit one of the imperial physicians," said Vicky, "and have him examine both Darcy and Toro. Hopefully we'll find out that there's nothing really wrong with them."
Unfortunately for Vicky and her family, the old adage of 'knock on wood' came into play.
"What the hell do you mean 'I had a vasectomy'!" exclaimed Toro as he grabbed the helpless doctor by the neck.
"That's what he said," said a shocked Darcy, "you had a vasectomy. Why didn't you tell me this before?"
"Because I didn't have one!" snapped Toro as he threw the doctor against the wall, breaking his spine, "I never had a vasectomy, my balls are in one piece!"
"Not according to this," said Vicky as she went over the exam results on the doctor's desk, "apparently, you had the procedure a few month ago, approximately shortly after you first arrived on Xaldo."
"That's impossible!" snapped Toro, "I didn't have a vasectomy! I've never even been to see a doctor since I've been here."
"That is true," said Vicky, "every entrance to the palace has a built in medical scanner that identifies and eradicates any potentially hazardous diseases or biological agents. It lets you know if there's anything seriously wrong with you, so there's little need to see a doctor while in the palace. We're lucky we managed to find one who could see us so soon."
"But how could Toro have had his nuts disconnected if he never saw a doctor?" Stormy asked.
"There's one possibility," said Darcy as she started to think clearly again, "remember when we went to Andros to fight The Winx?"
"I first met Bloom then," said Vicky, "what about it?"
"I stayed behind," said Toro as realization hit him like a tone of bricks, "so Diaspro could have a look at my DNA, you don't think…?"
"That she did something to you," said Darcy, "that she made is to you cannot have children of your own?"
"We'll know the truth soon enough," said Icy, a look of vicious intent on her face, "I'm starting to get over Diaspro now. Let's go pay the little psychopath a visit."
"Glad you're back to your old, evil self," said Darcy, while Stormy nodded in agreement.
They found Diaspro in her room, going over test results on her computer. Vicky blasted the door open, while Stormy stunned the psychotic fairy and Darcy mind-blasted Diaspro onto the wall.
"What the hell is this!" exclaimed Diaspro, "how dare you violate my inner sanctum!"
"Just like you violated me, you crazy bitch!" snapped Toro, "I ought to skin you alive for what you did to me!"
"No," said Icy in a cold tone, "she's mine."
"Why Icy," said Diaspro in a lustful tone, "if I knew you'd be here, I wouldn't have dressed so much."
"Save it, bitch," said Icy, "your hold on me isn't working now, I'm too pissed for your games. Darcy…?" Sensing her sisters' intent, Darcy forced Diaspro's arms out wide and held her legs together.
"You've got one chance to tell the truth," said Icy as she summoned several ice daggers, "or I'm going to crucify you right here and now. Believe me, this will hurt, a lot."
"I'll know if you're lying," said Darcy, "so don't bother lying."
"Did you give me a vasectomy when you examined my DNA that time?" Toro asked.
"What are you talking about?" Diaspro asked in a confused tone, "what vasectomy? All I did was take some DNA samples. You know that."
"But what did you do afterwards?" Toro asked, "or did you do put me under a sleep spell and then messed with my balls? Tell the truth!"
"I didn't mess with your balls, you stupid Earth man!" snapped Diaspro.
"I don't believe it," said Darcy.
"Neither do I," said Vicky, "Icy, crucify her."
"I mean that I don't believe the fact that she is indeed telling the truth," said Darcy, "she didn't do this to Toro."
"Excuse me?" Icy and Toro asked at the same time.
"She didn't do it," said Darcy.
"But we know someone did," said Stormy, "so who was it?"
"I did," said Marissa as she walked into the room, "or rather, I did it through Diaspro, and then made her forget that she did it."
"You did what!" everyone exclaimed, everyone including Diaspro.
"Yep," said Marissa as she sat down in a chair and looked at her nails.
"Then it should be you who gets crucified!" exclaimed Toro.
"Gladly!" exclaimed Icy and Darcy as the latter released her mental hold on Diaspro, whom then slumped to the floor.
"What the hell is this?" exclaimed Diaspro, "how did you make me perform a vasectomy on Toro? That was months ago and I had never seen you until you showed up a few weeks ago."
"We saw each other face to face for the first time that day," said Marissa in a sly tone,. "but we've seen each other before," she then changed her voice, "haven't we?" she now sounded very familiar to Diaspro.
"What!" exclaimed a shocked and outraged Diaspro, "you're that woman who has had me under her thumb all this time!"
"Indeed I am," said Marissa in her normal voice, "I saved you from the Galaxy Police when you tried to kill Bloom and Sky that one time. I saved your life when you were about to get shot by that gunslinger on Eraklyon. I've been giving you instructions that, as of now, have no purpose whatsoever."
At that Diaspro was completely dumbfounded.
"If you've been using Diaspro in whatever sick game you're playing," said Toro, "why did you have her mess with my balls?"
"It was part of my overall plan to destroy Zahidia," said Marissa. "Even though she and I are of the same race, the last of that race in fact, and there was a time when we loved each other like sister, that and more, I hate her now. I hate Zahidia so much that I would ruin the lives of others in a discombobulated scheme, just to kill her."
"How does giving Toro a vasectomy kill Zahidia?" a confused Stormy asked.
"At the time I didn't want Darcy to be distracted with the burden of a child," said Marissa, "but that was before I discovered that Darcy is the last hope of her family. But that aspect of my plan has changed. It is now essential for Darcy to have a child, if only to carry on the bloodline curse and keep Domino a frozen wreck forever."
"What's Domino to you?" Vicky asked, "why should you care if Bloom has her world back or not?"
"This goes far beyond Bloom of Domino," said Marissa, "but back to my plan. When Diaspro resurrected Icy and Stormy, I had her plant some special 'presents' in their genetic makeup that would make them more agreeable to outside influence, specifically my influence."
"You wanted us under your control," said a shocked and outraged Icy, "you wanted us to kill Zahidia for you!"
"Clever as always, Icy," said Marissa, "yes, I wanted you witches, the four Trix sisters, to be the perfect tool of assassination against Zahidia. I was going to wait until both Darcy and Vicky had been killed and then resurrected, an easy feat for Diaspro, and then both be implanted with the commands to kill on my order.
"But that is no longer a viable plan, since Vicky cannot be properly resurrected. So here I am, to ask you lovely witches to willingly work with me in the effort to destroy my hated best friend."
"Are you out of your gods-damed mind!" exclaimed Darcy, "are you seriously expecting us to consider working with you after what you've done to us and tried to do to us?"
"Give us one reason why we shouldn't kill you right here and now," demanded Toro as he cracked his knuckles, while Vicky, Kevin, Naz, Rolf, James, Sara, Johnny and Plank, all looked like they were ready to spill some blood as well.
"Because of the reward I can offer you," said Marissa, clearly unconcern about being in a room full of irate Villains, "I have no desire whatsoever to run the new empire, but someone will have to do it once Zahidia is dead."
"You're offering us the empire," said a dumbfounded Icy.
"Why should we believe you?" Vicky asked.
"Because you have no choice but to believe," said Marissa, "you especially will believe, Vicky, for you are slowly dieing. But with the full resources of the empire behind you, you'll surely find a way to live."
"That is a good reason," said Vicky, "but not good enough. If you want me to even consider sparing you, you're going to have to take off whatever whammies you put on my sisters, and take them off now."
"I had a feeling you'd ask that of me," said Marissa. She waved her hand, sending out a pulse of dark magic that touched Icy and Stormy, "there, no more hidden triggers that would place you under my control, you're free now."
"She's telling the truth," said Darcy, "I can see it in her eyes."
"Okay then," said an awkward sounding Icy, "we're free now. But what about me? Did you make me like Diaspro? Or is that her doing?"
"I had nothing to do with your affair with Diaspro," said Marissa, "whether that was her doing or not, I have no idea." With that she got up, "think about my offer. I will have Zahidia destroyed one way or another, but it would be that much easier if you were to willing help in her demise." With that she walked out of the room.
"What about my balls!" Toro exclaimed.
Marissa came back in and waved her hand again, sending a pulse of dark magic at Toro's groin, "there, you've got your balls back, but I wouldn't recommend that you try to have a child for a few days, give your body a chance to readjust. Now, is there anything else I can do?"
"Uh…no," said Darcy as her magic told her that Marissa was telling the truth again, "That's it."
"Smashing," said a grinning Marissa, "let me know if you wish to talk about my offer again," with that she left.
"Am I the only one who has no idea what just happened?" Stormy asked.
"You're not alone," said Icy.
"I think we all have much to think about," said Vicky, "as if we didn't have enough to deal with." With that she, her sisters, Toro and Trabon left the room.
"Hey!" Diaspro snapped after them, "what about me?"
"You just stay out of our way, bitch," said Icy, "and no, I won't be visiting you in your rooms again."
"That's what you think," muttered Diaspro, "nobody walks out on me and gets away with it, nobody."
The actual meeting between Tatewaki and Nabu was going rather well, considering that neither of them were hostile to each other, nor were they arguing over who was to have Layla. In fact, the two young men seemed to be getting along nicely.
"I think this could work out after all," said Bloom to Sky as they and the others watched from a distance as Layla sat with Tatewaki and Nabu at a table in an outdoor café.
"I told you that it would," said Sky.
Just then a hover cab drove up, and out from the car came Layla's friend Ann, holding a sealed letter in her hand an a depressed look on her face.
"Uh-oh," said Bloom as she and everyone watched Ann walk over to Layla, "this doesn't look good at all."
Ann handed the letter to Layla, "What do my parents want now?" Layla asked.
"It's really bad," said Ann, "they know you and Nabu have been spending time together."
"As friends," said Nabu, "more than friends, but certainly not as husband and wife to be."
"Then what foul news doth the sovereigns of Andros deliver to their daughter?" Tatewaki asked.
"No," said Layla as she looked at the letter, "oh those miserable bastards!"
"What is it now?" Stella asked as she broke cover and walked over to Layla.
"My parents just issued an ultimatum," said Layla, "either I go back to Andros and marry Nabu, or I can just stay away from Andros forever."
"They're trying to force you to come home and get married," said Flora as she and everyone else came over, "they know you can never abandon your home world, so they'll make you leave Tatewaki."
"They know me too well," said Layla in a defeated tone. She looked at Tatewaki and Nabu both, "my parents only want what's good for the kingdom, even if it will leave me miserable. I love you both," she looked at Tatewaki, "but I love you even more. But I can't abandon Andros, I just can't."
"The hell you can!" said Nabu, "I'm sick of these political games your parents and mine are playing. They want an heir to the throne of Andros? They'll have to find someone else, because I'm not getting married by force, end of discussion."
"Neither will I stand by and see my beloved Layla suffer at the hands of tyrannical parents," said Tatewaki, "long had I suffered in silence at the drama of Ranma ,Akane Tendo and the divine Pigtailed Girl. I now know that my feelings for both women were only ignorant infatuations brought on by pretty faces and desirable bodies. I now know that my heart belonged among the oceans of the stars."
"You truly have a way with words," said Nabu, "I'm glad we're friends."
"As am I," said Tatewaki, "for with my time among the stars doth came understanding of the mind and heart. If there was anyone I would share the fair Layla's affections, it would be you, wizard Nabu."
"And I wouldn't trust her heart with anyone else, samurai Tatewaki," said Nabu.
"You two are the best," said Layla, "if only I could have you both."
"Who says she can't?" Elise asked abruptly.
"Excuse me?" Layla, Nabu and Tatewaki asked.
"Who says she can't have two husbands?" Elise asked, "where does it say that the heir to the throne of Andros can't have more than one spouse?"
"I think you're jumping the gun there, Elsie," said Bloom, "not that I have anything against multiple partners, and I really don't mind so long as it stays private, but this is marriage we're talking about."
"But what if she can have both of them?" Stella asked, the idea of such a wedding shining in her imagination.
"Just give me a second," said Tecna as she typed furiously into her wrist computer, "and we'll know if she really can."
"What are you looking for?" Timmy asked.
"The royal ascension laws for Andros," said Tecna, "in the original text. If there's a way for Layla to be with both her men, I'll find it," her computer then beeped, "oh, there is a clause that says that if the heir to the throne is in love with more than one, then he or she can have a second, or third if that's the case, spouse."
"Then they all can be together!" said an overjoyed Stella.
But then Tecna frowned as she read more, "oh, there's this part here."
"What part?" Brandon asked.
"Apparently all sides in such an arrangement must be of noble blood," said Tecna.
"I should have known it would be impossible," said Layla. She looked at Tatewaki, "my parents would never accept you, no matter how brave and noble your heart is. You'll always be a commoner to their eyes."
"Then say no more," said Tatewaki, "I will not come between you and your home world, even if it means my own demise through heartbreak."
"You don't have to do that," said Nabu, "we could find a way."
"Would you have me skulking through the shadows like a thief?" Tatewaki asked, "stealing a moment or two here and there with her? No, I will not seek the dishonorable path. I know that I love Layla enough to let her go."
Just then a very familiar and very annoying laugh could be heard. Everyone looked up to see Kodatchi, the Black Rose, jump down from a nearby building and landed nimbly in front of Tatewaki, "why my dear brother, you've lost your edge, giving up on your one true soul mate like that."
"Who's this?" Nabu asked.
"My psychotic sister," said an annoyed Tatewaki, "what is it that thou wants, Kodatchi? I am in the middle of destroying myself."
"You don't have to, brother dear," said Kodatchi, "isn't that right, Tenchi darling?"
In came Tenchi Masaki, another young swordsman from earth, whom just happened to be the one to tame the psychopath that Kodatchi is. Tenchi is also one eighth Juraian on his grandfather's side of the family, making him the great-grand nephew of Ayeka, Empress of Jurai.
"Long time no see, guys," said Tenchi. He was a tremendous help during the struggle with the Shadow Riders, having killed one of the enemy leaders himself.
"How've you two been?" Bloom asked.
"We're alright," said Tenchi, "but things have been kind of boring back on earth. I know I said I preferred a quiet life, but I miss traveling the stars."
"So we decided to come back and see what mischief we could stir up," said a smiling Kodatchi, "and lo and behold, we heard of my brother's predicament."
"And just what have you heard about me?" Tatewaki demanded.
"That you're in love with a princess," said Kodatchi, "whom is being forced to marry someone she can't stand." she eyed Nabu, "clearly that fact has been proven false, but you still cannot be with her."
"The three of them can be together," said Elise, "there's a loophole in the laws of Andros that allows the heir to the throne to have more than one spouse."
"And the two men like each other enough to share Layla," said Musa, "but it'll never work out."
"Tatewaki's still a common Earthman," said Helia, "The King and Queen of Andros will never accept him."
"They will after this," said Kodatchi as she produced an official looking document written in kanji.
"What is this?" Sky asked.
"It's a notarized certificate," said Tenchi, "proving without a doubt that the Kuno family is descended from the Tokugawa Shogun dynasty, and therefore is a family of noble blood."
"Thou must be jesting!" said a surprised Tatewaki, "I was under the impression that no heir to the Tokugawa dynasty survived the Meji Revolution."
"One did," said Kodatchi, "our ancestor."
"It's true," said Tenchi, "you are a noble family, and you have my word to back it up. And if anyone questions my word, then they have to deal with my great-aunt, the empress of Jurai."
"I'm sure my mom and dad have no wish to cross Ayeka," said Layla, finally smiling for the first time in a while, "but…"
"But what?" Kodatchi asked, "once your mother and father hear that my brother is indeed of noble stock, then they will have to accept him as your fiancé."
"Co-fiancé," said Elise, "she can have both."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Sky asked, "let's all go to Andros, right now, and settle this matter once and for all."
"Right now?" Layla asked.
"Why wait?" Nabu asked, "I'm sick of our parents having us on edge all the time. If they want us to marry, then they'll have to accept Tatewaki, and they'll just have to wait for the wedding until we're all ready."
"Truer words have not been spoken," said Tatewaki.
Layla hesitated, as if trying to find something wrong with this plan, but couldn't. "Alright, let's go back to Andros and get this taken care of. I'm sick of arguing with my parents too."
It seemed impossible, but as Bloom stood in the audience chamber of the royal palace of Andros, she saw things turn out alright. She saw Kodatchi and Tenchi present the Kuno family credentials to Layla's parents, then Elise showed them the section of Andros law that would allow :ayla to have two husbands.
Nabu's parents were there as well, and the four parents tried to find something wrong with this logic, but they couldn't. Slowly, they came around and finally accepted Tatewaki as a co-fiancé. Overjoyed at this overdue good fortune, Layla finally made amends with her parents, and they in turn with her.
"Things do work out after all," said Bloom, "and this makes me thing we can settle the rest of our problems as well."
"Speaking of problems," said Kodatchi as she and Tenchi walked over, "we have a small confession to make. My brother's problems wasn't the only reason we came to visit."
"Things have gotten bad with Ranma and Akane again," said Tenchi, "really bad, like near worst-chase scenario bad."
"But they seemed to have finally worked things out," said a disappointed Stella, "they did elope after we finished fighting The Shadow Riders."
"And things were perfect for them," said Kodatchi, "for the first month that is."
"True," said Tenchi, "They eloped and walked off into the sunset together. But when the sun came up the next morning, that's when the trouble really got started."
"You know that those two never really got along," Kodachi said, "Ranma would always say something that got Akane's goat, while Akane never really trusted Ranma to be faithful to her and her alone. Come to think of it, that's what I wanted from Ranma, before I realized that Tenchi was the one for me. But I digress.
"Anyway, about a month after they were married, Ranma and Akane were arguing as usual; they were having fights nearly every day. But this time was different. I wasn't there, so I don't know what they were shouting at each other for."
"I heard that Ranma had insulted Akane's cooking again," said Tenchi, "Which is understanding, since Akane couldn't cook to save her life. Come to think of it, she can't even boil water to save her life. And don't get me started on how she still can't swim."
"I can understand that," said Bloom, "That and more."
"Exactly," said Tenchi, "but apparently what set this fight off was this; Akane was preparing a roast of some sort because her father and Ranma's parents were coming for dinner, as well as Akane's sisters and a few friends. Of course, Akane burned the roast."
"She did more than that," said Kodatchi, "I heard they had to call in a haz-mat cleanup crew."
"That's just a rumor," said Tenchi, "Anyway, Ranma was out of the house at the time, but when he got in, Akane exploded at him, saying it was his fault that dinner was ruined. Ranma denied having anything to do with dinner, saying that it's Akane's fault for trying to cook in the first place."
"As you can imagine," said Kodachi, "Things got pretty ugly fast. By the time the parents arrived, Ranma and Akane were nearly at each others throats. Just then Ranma did something pretty stupid for a martial artist; he turned his back on Akane.
"Akane, seeing her 'beloved' husband with his guard down, reached for her trusty mallet, but she had left it in the bedroom. So Akane grabbed the next best thing, a kitchen knife. Before Ranma could react and move out of the way, Akane had stabbed him in the back."
"No way!" exclaimed a shocked Bloom, "There's no way Ranma would allow himself to be venerable to an attack."
"Well I guess being married to someone he cared and loathed at the same time had softened his instincts a bit," said Tenchi, "For that's what happened. Akane had stabbed Ranma. The blade went in enough to cause a cut deep enough to pierce his heart. I can't remember the exact extent of the wound, but it was enough to seriously endanger his life. Still, it wasn't gravely serious at the time; he would have been somewhat alright had he sought immediate medical attention.
"But Ranma, being Ranma, was just too stubborn to let something this heinous go. He pulled the knife out of his back, which caused the wound to bleed even worse. But he didn't care, all he wanted was revenge."
"Now Akane," said Kodatchi, "she was shocked that she managed to hurt Ranma, shocked enough to just stand there while Ranma glared at her like she was just another enemy to defeat. Ranma then kicked as hard as he could. They say she was knocked through the apartment walls, through the hallway into the next door apartment and out into the street three stories below.
"By then Ranma had lost quite a lot of blood. Genma, his idiot father, had enough sense to call an ambulance. But by the time paramedics arrived, Ranma had already passed out. I wasn't there, but they say that he had lost nearly half his blood before the doctors could get the bleeding to stop."
"Akane wasn't is good shape either," said Tenchi, "Being kicked through several walls and falling three stories onto concrete, it was a miracle that she was even alive. Fortunately two sets of paramedics had arrived at the scene. While one team was helping Ranma, the other looked to Akane. She had suffered seven broken ribs, a broken left arm and two broken legs and a fractured skull."
"Both were drifting in and out of conscious when they were brought to the hospital," said Kodatchi, "Ranma was in the operating room for several hours while they sewed up the cut to his heart and back. Akane meanwhile was in a medically induced coma while they carefully removed a skull fragment from her brain.
"She woke up four days later with her legs, arm and torso in casts and her head bandaged. Ranma wasn't allowed to move about on his own for a week until the doctors were sure his cut wouldn't tear itself open. The two of them didn't see each other until about six weeks after the fight, all the while both of them were still healing. The first thing Ranma said to Akane was, 'I'm so sorry, Akane.' Akane replied, 'I'm sorry too, Ranma.' She then said, "Ranma, I want a divorce.' And Ranma said, 'So do I.'"
"They signed the divorce papers an hour after they were released from the hospital," said Tenchi, "and haven seen each other since. Akane moved back in with her family, while Ranma moved in with his mom."
"That's another thing," said Kodatchi, "Bloom, you haven't met Ranma's mother, Nodoka Saotome."
"She's the one who agreed to the suicide pact with Ranma's idiot dad," said Bloom, "The one where she gets to behead the both of them if Ranma didn't become 'a man among men.'"
"Well she would never have gone through with it anyway," said Tenchi, "I mean seriously, what mother would willingly slaughter her only child over something as stupid as a promise that unscrupulous idiot Genma made?"
"As I was saying," continued Kodatchi, "Nodoka was the one who finally convinced Ranma to get a divorce. She had the lawyers and divorce papers already prepared while Ranma and Akane were recovering."
"I heard that Genma and Soun, Akane's father, were devastated at the divorce," said Tenchi, "Those two are hell-bent on Akane and Ranma staying together so that the two Anything Goes Martial Arts school would merge, but I honestly don't see a reason why. Ranma is the true martial artist, while all Akane did was train and break bricks. I seriously doubt she can handle herself in a real tournament, while Ranma would sweep the tournament without breaking a sweat."
"I agree," said Brandon, "from what I remember, Akane wasn't that much of a fighter. All she did during the fights with The Shadow Riders was bash peoples heads in with that mallet of hers."
"And they never did truly love each other," said Flora, "I honestly don't know why Ranma even bothered staying with Akane as long as he did. From what I heard, she said several times out loud that she hated him, and he never said that he liked her either."
"It's for the best that they separated," said Tecna, "such a relationship was bound to end in tragedy sooner or later. I'm just glad that when blood was finally shed, both of them lived to finally agree to call it quits without further violence."
"So what's Ranma doing now?" Riven asked.
"He's living with his mother," said Tenchi, "trying to figure out what to do with his life. I hope he finds a new purpose soon, he deserves to find happiness after all the crap he's put up with."
"Well I wish him well," said Sky.
"Me to," said Bloom. Just then she had an idea, "you'd think he would like coming back to Magix? From what I remember, he was very happy traveling the stars as well."
"He was happy," said Tenchi, "you think he would find what he's looking for in The Magical Dimension?"
"It's possible," said Kodatchi, "we'll ask him, but let's give him some time first. He's still recovering emotionally."
"I'll wait a bit before extending the invitation," said Bloom, "and I hope he accepts it, not just for his own well being. We're in a real mess."
"The Trix are back," said Kodatchi in a grim tone, shuddering at the memory of her captivity among the Shadow Riders and the torment inflicted upon her by Stormy, "we heard. I know what you're thinking, that Ranma could help turn the tide."
"If anyone can," said Sky, "it's Ranma Saotome."
The end of chapter 31.
The Dragon Princess and her companions attempt to prevent the dark ones from stealing the final piece of the dark puzzle. But the dark ones have a plan of their own. One will pay the ultimate price as the battle for the universe continues.
Next chapter: Assault on Ginaz
'for those with wings, fly to your dreams'