Annyoung,

Here's the new version of the first part of Part 6. 
It'll go two parts this time.  Hopefully by now, the
muses are back on line and I can work with my usual
elan.

I hope, I hope, I hope, I hope, I hope, I hope!

Cheers and enjoy!

Fred


=====
<P><STRONG><EM><FONT face="Courier New">Fred Herriot AKA P'yeknu OR Gorgo</FONT></EM></STRONG></P>
<P>**** **** ****</P>
<P><A href="mailto:fherriot@yahoo.com">fherriot@yahoo.com</A></P>
<P>**** **** ****</P>
<P><A href="http://www.livejournal.com/~pyeknu/">http://www.livejournal.com/~pyeknu/</A></P>

______________________________________________________________________ 
Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca

-- Attached file included as plaintext by Ecartis --
-- File: LoneS-06A.txt
-- Desc: LoneS-06A.txt

     "Is this true?!"

     Nabiki gazes intently at Souun.  It is sometime after dinner.
Kasumi has gone to Tampopo's to return what dishes were left behind
from tonight's take-out.  Akane, after returning with Nabiki from 
visiting Negako, went to Yuka Tokoro's house to spend the night;
she had all her belongings with her for first classes tomorrow
morning.  Sitting on the low table between them is the sheet of paper
containing pertinent information on the Saotome family of Promised
Island.  Despite her understandable annoyance at her father's 
deliberate violation of her private space, the middle Tendou daughter
keeps her temper in check.  Perhaps with THIS, she could finally
talk Souun out of trying to press on with forcing a marriage between
any of his daughters and his late friend's son-turned-daughter.

     "Yes, it is."

     "Do you know WHY Ranma-kun is doing this?!" Souun demands.

     "She has no choice now," Nabiki announces, waving to the paper.
"This isn't just cosmetic, Dad.  This is as real as it gets."

     Silence falls as the Tendou patriarch considers that, then he 
gazes intently at Nabiki.  Despite his daughter's questionable
reputation, Souun knew that when Nabiki did gave out information,
it was always the truth.  "But how?" he wonders, crossing his arms.
"Save for that one time when Ranma-kun suffered that head injury
that made him think like a girl..."

     "Two things," Nabiki cuts in.  "Jusenkyou and the Neko-ken."

     "Explain!" he bids.

     She does.  It takes twenty minutes.  Souun remains impassive
as Nabiki details everything she learned from Negako concerning
how Jusenkyou had come to affect Ranma personally.  Finally, Nabiki
stops, a shrug rolling her shoulders.  "So there it is, Dad.  No 
matter how much you or your friend could've conceived this happening,
sooner or later, something would've come along to upset it.  It 
could've been Ranma's desire to finally deal with the Neko-ken.
It could've been Ataru-kun coming along to find the person he was 
bonded to when he was a baby.  It..."

     She turns her hands up in a "who knows" gesture.  Souun gazes
intently at her, then sighs.  "I see.  Does Akane know of this?"

     "She was told the same time I was."

     "And her reaction?"

     "Verbal denial.  But deep down, I think she realizes *this*
time, she isn't going to win out," Nabiki muses.  "And that'll hurt
her bad.  Much that I personally don't want to see Akane-chan
hurt, it's long since time she learned the world won't always bow to
her wishes.  We've coddled her for far too long," her eyes narrow.
"When we should've been forcing her to see the mistakes she was 
making, we let it pass or, especially after she came into our lives,
dumped all over Ranma, making it look like it was her fault.  That's
part of the reason Ranma doesn't want anything to do with us, Dad.
She won't let us hide from the truth anymore."

     Souun quakes slightly as Nabiki's words pierce through the 
barriers he subconsciously erected to blind him from his family's
shortcomings, then a reluctant nod twitches his chin.  "Yes, that is
true, isn't it?  And with what happened this morning between 
Ranma-kun and Akane..."

     Nabiki gazes knowingly at him.  "It's all over, Dad."

     "Surely you must have some feelings for Ranma-kun, daughter."

     She considers that, then nods.  "Hai, I do.  But for a long 
time, all I could bring myself to see of him was the chief source
of pain, discord and disruption in our lives.  I..." she pauses.
"I admit I did take joy in making his life even more miserable
since, at the time, it seemed to me that he just didn't care for all
the shit he was allowing to drop onto our heads."  Nabiki closes
her eyes.  "Of course, that was before we all found out what Genma
did to stop Ranma from fully learning from all his mistakes, from 
trying to think of some other way than fighting to deal with a 
problem.  Of course, by the time we all learned that, Ranma was on 
the road to discovering the truth about HERself.  Not to mention
forging pretty strong bonds with a family that was welcoming her with
open arms."

     "If you had a chance to do it again, Nabiki -- and if Ranma-kun
was so affected by Jusenkyou, of course -- would you have pursued
him?"

     "Knowing what I know now?  Sure I would," she nods, not sensing
the real meaning behind Souun's question.  "I think I could've
done a lot to make his life a lot easier.  Heaven knows, I sure knew
enough to make his life even more miserable.  But..." she shrugs.
"No use in wishing for what might have been.  Things didn't turn out
that way, Dad."

     "True, but one could still dream," he laments.  "Do you think
Akane would feel the same way?  Much less Kasumi?"

     Nabiki considers that, then shakes her head.  "Kasumi, no.  She
always looked on Ranma as a little brother..." she stops for a 
second, then smirks.  "Well, now 'little sister,' I guess.  As for 
Akane...?" she gazes out the door of the sitting room.  "It's like
I said, Dad.  We coddled her too much.  Hell, we practically
HANDED her the engagement.  She didn't have to work for it at all.
That probably helped create a lot of the problems between them.  Deep
down, Akane assumed Ranma was hers to do with as she damn hell 
pleased.  And you have to admit this, Dad:  you and Genma didn't
do much to change her opinions about that.  Neither did Nodoka."

     "Hai, that is true, admittedly," Souun slowly nods.

     "Yep," Nabiki nods in turn.  "And in that point, Ukyou and 
Shampoo both had an advantage and disadvantage.  They had to *work*
to be Ranma's friend before they could hope to press their own 
marriage claims on him.  That forced them to give him some leeway,
something Akane didn't feel she had to do.  The results of that...?"
she shrugs.  "Well, Akane learned that the hard way last Tuesday
and this morning.  Now that there's no official engagement hanging
over them, Ranma doesn't feel she has to defer to Akane anymore.
And with her able to see things a lot more clearly..."

     Souun closes his eyes.  "Yes, we did hurt Akane-chan, didn't
we?" he whispers, then stares out the doorway.  "But still..."

     "I know, Dad," Nabiki rises, taking the copy of the Family 
Registrar notes with her.  "But she'll be a better person because
of this, I think.  Besides, she needs a break from the pressure
too, just like Ranma does.  Hell, we all do, even you.  Anyhow,
I'm going to bed.  'Night."

     "Good night," Souun remains in place as Nabiki heads upstairs,
then closes his eyes as a slow nod shakes his head.

     Yes, NOW he knew what to do...

*    *    *

"Lonely Souls"
by Fred Herriot
fherriot@yahoo.com
**** **** ****
Based on "Urusei Yatsura" and "Ranma 1/2" created by Rumiko 
Takahashi; and "Sister Princess," created by Naoto Tenhiro and 
Sakurako Kimino.  This story is set after the end of the "UY" and 
"Ranma" manga series.
**** **** ****

NOTE:  The writer's notes are at the end of the Prologue.

**** **** ****

THE SIXTH PART, "A" SIDE - REALITY CHECKY!

     *Miree...*

     The ragged form in the torn, soiled robe drifts slowly downward
in a universe of solid black nothingness.  Her body shows the ravages
both of advanced age and forced starvation, her punishment for not 
accepting the "one truth faith" that had spread across her homeworld
like some firestorm a half-decade before.  A faith whose rapid 
promulgation heralded its own violent collapse in the fiery, 
anger-fuelled apocalypse many on Phentax Two and other worlds across
the local cluster now called the Cataclysm.

     *Miree...*

     Her turquoise eyes flutter as she feels herself "land" on 
something cushiony, like a waterbed or a big pillow.  Grunting
as the relentless pull of gravity overcomes her, she struggles
to prop herself on her elbows.  Reaching up with one bony hand, she
pulls back the hood to reveal a face pulled taunt against her skull,
her fiery red-brown hair shot through with grey and white.  Under
normal circumstances, she wore oval-framed glasses; the last chief
priestess of the Church of Hollywood was allergic to more common
cures for astigmatism.  They wouldn't be needed now, however.

     "Hey, kid.  Over here."

     Miree's eyes go wide as she recognizes that rough New York 
accent.  Turning right, she sees a 1950s-era coffee shop hovering
before her, it having appeared out of nowhere.  Seated around the 
counter were several people, Terrans all, now gazing warmly on the 
Niphentaxian.  Recognizing all of the people there, Miree tries not
to make a total fool of herself as she staggers to her feet, then 
makes her way to the counter.

     "Oh, dear!" a platinum-blonde woman in a white sleeveless
dress shakes her head.  "She looks like I did after the coroner
got to me."

     "Yeah, she does look like something the Krauts dragged in, eh?"
the one who first spoke to Miree notes, then he turns to the slicked
young man behind the counter.  "Here, kid, give her something
to drink."

     "No problem," the younger fellow nods, voice flavoured with the
soft tones of northern Mississippi, as he prepares a cup of coffee.
Soon enough, it is before Miree.  "Here you go, ma'am."

     Miree gazes on the cup, then the man who just served her, the 
total unreality of the moment freezing her in place.  Watching
her, the others at the table try not to smirk too much.  Finally,
a corpulent man rises to stand behind the Niphentaxian priestess.
"Before you ask, my dear, no, you are not dead.  Not yet," he places
a reassuring hand on her shoulder as the person seated beside Miree,
a roguish-looking young man in jeans and a jean jacket, vacates
the spot so the older fellow could sit down.  "Granted, you did give
up *all* your life force through the Staff of Gihan to save your 
delightful children's lives.  But Those Powers above us..." he pauses
as an amused twinkle glistens in his eyes, "...gave us the chance
to help you remain in the mortal world for quite a number of years
to come."  Another pause, then he adds, "Your life's task, my dear,
is not yet done."

     Miree gazes on him, then turns back to the offered coffee cup.
"I see..." she whispers, then takes the cup in hand.  With a nod to 
the man behind the counter, she drinks.  Instantly, new strength
floods her body as a strange glow covers her from head to toe.  That
glow fades, revealing Miree as she was in her early twenties,
her clothing morphed into a button shirt, slacks and a grey blazer.
Gazing surprisedly on the changes, she puts the cup down on the 
counter, then looks at her hands.  "How...?"

     "A little gift from all of us, kid, to our most passionate
fan from your homeworld," the first to speak to Miree declares,
casually adjusting the collar of his trenchcoat.  "Unless you feel
it IS your time..."

     Miree jolts as if someone just zapped her with a taser, then she
rapidly shakes her head.  "No, no, no!!" she waves her hand 
peacefully, a chuckle fluttering through her lips.  "I...!" she 
pauses, then closes a hand over her head.  "Forgive me!  This is so 
overwhelming!  To..." she looks around, taking in all the faces,
"...actually stand in the presence of those who gave my life meaning
since I was a small girl...!"

     "Maybe, ma'am, you could appreciate our position," the man 
behind the counter moves to give Miree a refill.  "Take me.  There
I was, in my bathroom, dying from all those pills..." he makes an 
exploding motion with his hands, "...then I find myself literally
reborn, merged with the coming together of the belief of so many on a
planet we never even HEARD of..."

     "Discovering new fans was always a delight for us," the blonde
seated to Miree's left smiles impishly.  "But I have to confess
-- and I believe I'm speaking for everyone here -- that the way your
people do it, Miree...!  Well..." she shrugs.  "It took us all by 
surprise."

     Miree considers that, then sighs.  "Lady, it has been our way 
for so long," she admits.  "From one Great Awakening to another..."

     "We know," the man in the trenchcoat admits.  "And that's now 
become a big problem, especially with what just happened to your 
'successors.'"

     The others in the cafe grimly nod.  Miree gazes on them, then
notices that her coffee cup is filled once more.  "I don't 
understand..."

     "Quite understandable, my dear," the stout man to her right 
sighs.  "Please humour us for a bit, though, then we hope you can see
things as we do.  Three billion of your countrypeople, those who 
worshipped that young Urusian girl, are dead thanks to the Staff of 
Gihan.  Now, you know how the Staff came to be programmed to do what
it did.  Add to that the fact that the person who, by just being 
there, triggered the Staff's 'doomsday' commands, was the 'great
evil' in the eyes of the Church of Lum.  Given time and luck, what
do you, my dear, think would happen if your people -- especially
those who can perceive the real truth of relations between your 
gallant rescuer and the 'image' the Lumites forced on him -- are 
allowed to interpret what happened without any potential outside
influence."

     Miree blinks as his words echo in her mind, then she looks up.
"They could trigger another Great Awakening!  This time with..."

     "With Ataru Moroboshi as the central 'deity,'" the man in the 
trenchcoat finishes.  "And his half-sisters as the 'holy circle.'"

     "Which, as you know, isn't what he wants," the blonde woman 
adds.

     Miree gazes on her, then drinks her coffee.  "Yes, that's true.
He..." her eyes then close as the fiery images of that day in 
Lumukyou flash through her mind.  "Oh Spirits...!  That thing he 
became..."

     "We know," the man in the trenchcoat nods.  "Thing you don't
know about that thing is that it's a modern representation
of a divine force from yet another planet.  A very *dark* divine
force, kid..."

     Miree looks at him.  "Which means?"

     "It means, my dear, that if those on Phentax Two try to create
a...!  Well, shall we say, a 'Church of Ataru'..." a chuckle escapes
the man to Miree's right, then a sobering look crosses his face.  
"Well, then it could easily lead to the total destruction of EVERYONE
on your planet."

     Silence.

     "Everyone...?" Miree pales.

     "Everyone," several around her echo in emphasis.

     The chief priestess takes that in, then finishes her coffee.
To her surprise, her hands don't shake in response to the profound
Revelation that was just dropped on her head.  Placing the empty cup
on the counter, she takes a deep breath, then asks, "What must I do,
then?"

     "The answer lies on the ship your daughters -- and soon 
yourself, my dear -- got their new bodies from," the man to Miree's
right explains.  "If your people had taken true advantage of what 
that ship could have given you the day you discovered it, none of the
pain and misery that followed the day the Church of Lum replaced
your own church would have followed."

     "Free the babies.  Let them go back and be with those who 
fathered them," the blonde woman adds, reaching over to squeeze
Miree's hand in reassurance.  "Through them, your people won't just
survive.  They'll evolve, too.  Isn't that what you personally
hoped might have happened?"

     "How did...?!" Miree stops herself, then nods.  Yes, she, along
with the more forward-thinking of her brother and sister clerics,
had tried to initiate specific genetic research into breaking the 
Niphentaxians' long-bred habit of mimicking other races' social and
cultural patterns.  It was that specific desire, the chief priestess
suddenly remembers, the Lumites had hung over her head when she 
sentenced a year and more ago to starve.

     No, not just the Lumites, Miree's eyes narrow as her hands 
clench into fists.  The Guardians, the very people who turned a 
doomsday weapon like the Staff of Gihan into the perfect vehicle
for their mad desires, also had a share of the blame.  Then again,
it did make sense, didn't it?

     If her people DID evolve from their present state, become fully
self-thinking AND self-creating, that which had ruled the natives
of Phentax Two for so long would be no more.  Yes, in that, the 
Guardians' prophecy was correct.  If profound change did come, 
society on Phentax Two WOULD be destroyed.  But from that would arise
a NEW Phentax Two.

     If her people did NOT evolve, though...!

     Miree gazes on her hosts, then rises, heading to the "door"
of this ghostly cafe.  "Thank you," she bows, then gazes upon the 
immortal Spirits which made her personal faith alive and vibrant.
"For everything."

     "Here's looking at you, kid," the man in the trenchcoat
winks...

*    *    *

     "Mother...?"

     Miree moans, feeling a solid body attached to her soul, then her
eyes flutter.  Bright light makes her squint, then as her eyes 
quickly adjust to the increased luminescence, she glances about.
"The factory...?"

     "Mother!!"

     Two girls, both about fifteen in Terran terms, appear in her 
vision.  The one to Miree's left, Jonna, is a girl with purplish
eyes and stringy blonde hair tied in a high ponytail.  She reminded
the chief priestess of her late husband Evis; he had been killed
by Lumite inquisitors three years ago.  The other girl, Orin, has her
mother's fiery hair and eyes, though she allowed her hair to grow to
her waist (Miree cut her hair very short).

     Staring at her beloved children, Miree lightly smiles, then 
reaches up to draw them close.  Feeling their mother's touch, the 
girls boost Miree into a sitting position, then allow her to draw 
them close.  "Mother..." Jonna and Orin burble as tears begin to 
flow, then the former gazes into Miree's eyes.  "We thought we lost
you!  What happened...?!"

     "A Revelation happened to me, precious one," Miree leans up to 
gently kiss Jonna's forehead.  "A Revelation unlike any other."

     "Mother?" Orin quakes.

     A reassuring kiss calms her.  "Enough, dearest life," Miree pats
Orin's back, then guides the girls away from her so she can stand.
A quick glance around reveals they are in one of the 
nearly-uncountable bioroid gestation rooms aboard the Avalon factory
ship.  There are five gestation chambers here, two still containing
the albino-skinned female-like bodies of untemplated bioroids.
"We've a very important Crusade ahead of us.  One that, if it's 
successful, will rescue our race from eventual extinction.  Where's
the...?" she looks at Jonna, then nods, noting she was holding the 
Staff of Gihan.  "Ah, good!  We'll need that most of all..."

     "Where are we going, Mother?" Orin asks.

     Miree blinks, then sighs.  "To be with Ataru and his family
for the time being.  We'll need his help, not to mention Negako's."
A scowl then turns her lips.  "And if Oogi is, even after so many 
died back on the Homeworld, so damned bent on 'avenging' himself
on the 'great evil,' then we'll have to ensure Ataru's sisters remain
free from harm."

     Jonna and Orin nod, then the former looks up.  "Mother, while
we were waiting for your body to be gestated, the Staff told me 
something."

     "What...?"

     The Staff's focusing crystal suddenly flares to life.  Two bolts
of energy lance out to coalesce on the deck near Orin.  They watch
as the energy morphs into living flesh, both clad in the dark blue
sailor suit uniforms of Tomobiki High School.  Miree's eyes widen
in shock, then she walks around Orin to gaze intently on the 
newcomers.  "Who...?!"

     "Two of the 'casualties' from last week's bombing of Tomobiki
High School, Mother," Jonna explains.  "Himiko Kawamura and Mikiko
Serizawa.  Somehow, Oogi was able to capture their essences as their
bodies were destroyed, then he moved to create new bodies for them
to inhabit."

     Miree considers that, then tilts her head slightly before a hand
reaches out to touch the side of Himiko's face.  She concentrates
for a moment as non-corporeal gateways between her mind and that of 
the other Avalonian's open, then she draws her hand back.  "They 
haven't even been properly woken," she whispers.  "Where did you find
them?"

     "In Gestation Unit Twenty-Nine," Jonna reports.  "It appears
Oogi was trying to convert them into specially-made assassins,
most likely against either Ataru or the Earth Angel Negako.  Given
Oogi's current problems..." a smirk crosses her face as she exchanges
a knowing look with her sister, "...I don't think he'll learn of 
their removal anytime soon."

     "Most likely, he's still trying to determine some way to 
resurrect his precious 'holy apostles,'" Miree rises.  "Alright,
have the Staff sweep their minds clean of anything Oogi might've
put in them, then we'll head to Earth.  The Staff should be able to 
lock in on Ataru's bio-signature."

     The sisters nod as the Staff's focusing crystal flares...

*    *    *

     "Visiting a hot spring?!"

     "Why not?" Ataru shrugs as everyone relaxes in the living room
of the Moroboshi home, they enjoying hot chocolate prepared by 
Shirayuki.  "Now that the whole matter with schooling's been dealt
with, we've got a whole week to ourselves.  Let's take advantage
of it!" he smiles.

     The sisters consider his words, then nod.  "Yay!!!  Hot spring!!
Hot spring!!  Hot spring!!" Hinako waves her hands excitedly.

     The others laugh as Karen reaches over to draw Hinako back onto
her floor mat.  "Why not?!" Rinrin smiles.  "It'll give the 
construction crews on the Island a chance to finish up with your 
room, Aniki!"

     Ataru acks.  "What are you doing with my room?!" he demands.

     "Oh, just making it easier for you and Aneki to live together
when we get back to the Island," the teen inventor winks.

     Ataru and Ranma exchange a look, then breath out together.
"Well, if she DOES insist!" the latter chuckles, then gazes 
heavenward.  "Let's just hope this trip'll be a lot more quiet than
the last one I was on."

     "That was the one where you met Kimiko-chan, right?" Mamoru
perks.

     "Hai," Ranma nods, then glances worriedly at Ataru.  "Where're
we going, anyway?  Not some backwater spring house, I hope..."

     "Oh, relax!  I was thinking of going to the Onogawa Hot 
Springs," he waves her down in reassurance.  "It's not that far from
where Uncle Komeru lives in Sendai.  We could stay there right to the
weekend, then go back to the Island and get ready for school and all
that."

     Ranma considers that, then nods.  "I guess it's a plan, then!"

     "Speaking of Kimiko-chan, where is she?" Karen looks around.
"I haven't seen her since early this morning..."

     Speak of the devil, the door opens.  "Tadaima!" Kimiko calls
out.

     "Okaeri ne!" several of the sisters chime back.

     Ataru is quick to notice the giddy smile on the 
doll-turned-woman's face, not to mention the spring in her stride
and the wildly-altering chi patterns around her.  "And what have you
been up to this very fine day, Miss Tendou?" a knowing hum echoes
in his voice.

     Instantly, Yotsuba stands before Kimiko, spy glass in hand.  
"Oh, BIG checky here today!!" the would-be detective smirks, then 
gazes on her sisters.  "Yotsuba thinks that Kimiko-chan here has a 
boyfriend!"

     "EH?!?!" the others gasp.

     "Kimiko-chan, is this true?!" Sakuya instantly appears at 
Kimiko's side, a knowing look crossing her face as she leans over to
gaze knowingly into the bioroid's large eyes.  "Details, girl!  
Details!!"

     "I...!  I...!" Kimiko's cheeks instantly flame, then she claps
her cheeks in embarrassment.  "W-well, y-yes, I am interested
in him...!!"

     "Eh?!!" Yotsuba gasps.  "Kimiko-chan DOES have a boyfriend!!"

     "Let's hope he's a well-mannered fellow!" Haruka draws her 
gunsen and fans herself.  "One simply CAN'T tell these days about
people!"

     "What's his name, Kimiko?" Ranma prompts.

     Silence falls as the others await the doll-turned-woman's
answer, then Kimiko takes a deep breath.  "Hikaru Gosunkugi."

     Ranma blinks, then her jaw hits the floor.  "GOSUNKUGI?!?!"

     "You know this person, Aneue-sama?" Marie asks.

     "Yeah, I do!" Ranma pinches the bridge of her nose.  "He's a 
creepy guy in my class who's had this big crush on Akane for a long
time!!  He's into voodoo magic, too!  I think Chikage might like this
guy.  But..." she then smirks.  "Geez, who'd figure something
like that?!  Gosunkugi of all people actually winning the heart of a 
replica of Akane!"

     "Well, Hikaru-kun is a very nice man," Kimiko explains.  "I know
he doesn't like you very much, Ranma-sama, though he is pretty 
grateful that you helped me acquire this form," she indicates
herself.  "Atop that, he isn't a very strong person, not physically.
And there's this total boor named Kunou that Hikaru-kun knows, 
who..." she stops on hearing a groan escape Ranma.  "Ranma-sama,
is there something wrong?!"

     "Oh, damn, I forgot about Kunou!" Ranma slaps her forehead.

     "The dork who couldn't figure out your curse, right?" Mamoru
asks.

     "The same," Ranma groans, then gazes sympathetically
at Kimiko.  "You better be really, REALLY careful when it comes to 
ol' Blue Blunder, Kimiko-chan.  Instant he learns you're a different
person than Akane, he'll think you'll be a hell of a lot easier to 
'win over' and he'll be on your tail as much as he was on mine when
I was going to that place!"

     Kimiko pales.  "But what if he attacks Hikaru-kun, Ranma-sama?!
I have to defend him!  He wouldn't be able to defend himself...!"

     "There is a way around him."

     Eyes lock on Ataru.  "What sort of way, Nii-sama?" Shirayuki
asks.

     Ataru smirks.  "Just twist his words around to make the real 
meaning of his so-called 'challenge' so fuddled up, he won't be able
to talk his way back to the point where he'll feel confident enough
to challenge either Kimiko-chan or Gosunkugi head-on.  Make him look
like a fool in public and he'll never be able to live it down.  Do 
this right, you could have him run around in circles for the whole
school year.  By the time Gosunkugi moves into the third year, 
Kunou'll be on his way to college..."

     "If he doesn't flunk second year, of course," Rinrin warns.

     "Hai, true, true!" Ataru nods.  "Besides, he'll still have Akane
to chase around with once school starts tomorrow."

     "That's true," Ranma snorts...

*    *    *

     "Oh, man...!  Where'm I...?"

     "Mother, she's awake!"

     Crystal blue eyes flutter, then widen suddenly on seeing a very
unfamiliar ceiling far higher, in her point of view, than what would
be 'normal.'  "Where...?" she mutters, a hand reaching for her 
forehead.

     She jolts surprisedly as a younger girl with ponytailed
blonde hair and dark eyes looms in her line of sight.  "Konban wa, 
Kawamura-san," she greets her in accented Japanese, warmly smiling.
"How do you feel?"

     "I...!" Himiko blinks, then her eyes focus on one arresting
detail her questioner possessed:  her ears.  "You're an alien!!"

     The younger girl looks nonplussed, then chuckles.  "Well, to me,
YOU'RE the alien, Kawamura-san.  How do you feel?" she asks again.

     Himiko grunts, then slowly sits up, her hand rubbing the back
of her skull.  "Bit of a headache..." she mutters.  "What happened,
anyway?  Where the hell am...?" she looks around, her voice trailing
off as her eyes take in all the strange details of the gestation
chamber.  "...I?" she squeaks.

     "You're aboard the Avalon bioroid factory-ship, Kawamura-san,"
a more mature woman's voice makes Himiko spin around to see a woman
in her mid-twenties, she dressed in a button shirt, slacks and 
blazer.  Like the one who first talked to the swimmer, this older
woman had tapered ears, they barely visible under ragged, short 
red-brown hair.  Much to Himiko's surprise, she also had reading
glasses over her blue-green eyes.

     "What's that?" Himiko asks, noting there was another girl 
standing close to the person who just identified her location,
one who definitely appeared to be either a younger sister or daughter
of the speaker.

     "A craft created by a long-dead race to literally create another
race out of nothingness," the older woman chuckles.  "It's a long 
story, but I assure you, Kawamura-san, you'll get a chance to better
understand your situation soon enough.  In the meantime, let's see to
your friend..."

     "Eh?!" Himiko spins around, then gasps.  "Mikiko-chan!!"

     The prone form laying next to Himiko jolts as a hand snaps up to
cover her ears -- not that a near-ocean of green-tinged dark hair 
didn't do enough to cover Mikiko Serizawa's ears.  "Ouch!!" she 
gasps, squeezing her dark blue eyes shut.  "Do you have to shout so 
much, Himiko?!" she demands, her body quaking for a moment, then her
eyes open as she looks around.

     "Are you alright, Serizawa-san?" the red-haired younger alien
walks over to kneel beside Mikiko, placing a reassuring hand on her
shoulder.

     Mikiko pauses at her touch, then gazing intently at the alien
for a moment, slowly nods.  "H-hai..." she sits up as the alien lets
her go, then she looks at Himiko.  "What's going on here, 
Himiko-chan?!  Where are we?!  Last thing I remember was that awful
quake hitting the school...!"

     "'S funny!  That's the last thing I remember, too," Himiko 
mutters, reaching up to rub her shaggy, neck-length sky-blue hair.
She then looks at the three alien women with them.  "Hey, who are 
you, anyway?!"

     The eldest alien chuckles.  "Forgive me, Kawamura-san.
We should've introduced ourselves," she places a hand over her heart.
"My name is Miree ot'ndai-Bohgar.  I hail from Phentax Two, in the 
constellation you know of as Cancer, about a hundred-twenty
light-years from Earth.  These are my daughters, Jonna dai-Bohgar..."
she indicates the blonde girl to her left, then the younger redhead
to her right, "...and Orin dai-Bohgar."

     "Promoting yourself a little too early, Mother?" Jonna grins.

     "Daughter!" Miree glares her down.

     Orin laughs.  "Never heard of your planet," Himiko admits as she
stands up, then helps Mikiko to her feet.  "So how the heck did we 
get aboard this -- factory-ship, you called it? -- anyway?!"

     Miree sighs.  "In effect, Kawamura-san, you and Serizawa-san
died to get up here."  Ignoring their widening eyes and the paling
faces, the chief priestess continues.  "That was no earthquake
you experienced in Tomobiki High.  That was a terrorist bomb 
detonated by a fanatic from your planet's Islamic sect in hopes of 
killing all those who supported Lum."

     Silence.  "A terrorist...?" Mikiko gasps.

     "We DIED...?!" Himiko stammers.

     "Physically, yes, you did die," Miree reaches out to gently
hold their hands.  "Fortunately, this ship was able to snare your 
living spirits before they slipped from this life into the next life.
Then, when the chance came, new bodies were constructed for you to 
inhabit."

     The Tomobiki High sophomores take her words in, then look down
on themselves.  Mikiko raises her hand to give it a close inspection,
then on noting no physical difference between what she has now and 
what she is used to seeing, turns back to Miree.  "These bodies were
cloned from us, right?"

     "Roughly the same idea," Miree nods, indicating herself, then
her children.  "We, like you, experienced something similar not so 
long ago.  Be assured, before I got this body, I hadn't looked *this*
good in a VERY long time," she points to her unlined, youthful
face.

     "It doesn't bug you...?" Himiko stammers.

     Sensing the swimmer's fear, Miree gazes on her, reaching down
to hold Himiko's hands in her own.  "I'm alive, Kawamura-san.
Regardless of what else happened to me, I'm still alive.  That counts
for much, ne?"

     Himiko gazes into the priestess' eyes, then shakily nods, her 
own eyes tearing.  Immediately, Miree's arms wrap around her, 
whispered words of reassurance echoing in the swimmer's ears.  
Hearing them, Himiko begins to sob, her arms clinging desperately
to Miree as the full weight of what just happened to her -- not to 
mention the ugly realizations of what MIGHT have ultimately happened
to her! -- sink in.  Standing beside her, Mikiko hugs herself,
eyes misting.  Hands fall on her shoulders.  She turns to see Jonna
and Orin gazing her.  "I'm okay..." Mikiko tries to smile.

     It doesn't work.

     As Mikiko's own sobs quake her body, Miree flashes a knowing
look to Jonna.  The latter nods, using her free hand to hold the 
Staff of Gihan over their heads.  In a flash of light, they are 
gone...

*    *    *

     "So you want to stay here to stay close to Gosunkugi, right?"

     "Hai, Ranma-sama, I do," Kimiko nods as she lays out her 
bedroll.  The doll-turned-woman is making use of the second spare
bedroom in the Moroboshi home.  "I don't think that I'll be able to 
go into school, not without spending a lot of time catching up on 
things you take so much for granted.  Besides, if things between
Hikaru-kun and I work out..."

     "Well, if you don't mind becoming like Kasumi, all the world
to you," Ranma smirks as she draws out some blankets for Akane's
twin.  "But you should try to keep all your options open, 
Kimiko-chan.  Study when you get the chance to.  There're loads of 
catch-up courses you can take if you want," she notes, spreading
the blankets over the futon.  "And if the chance comes, you can get
yourself into university as an adult student and go on from there.
Don't let things overwhelm you, Kimiko-chan."

     "I'll try not to," Kimiko smiles, then her face blanks out for
a second as her eyes turn towards the front door.  "Eh...?"

     "What?" Ranma perks, then tenses on sensing a massive surge of 
chi energy from the front lawn.  "What the hell's that...?!"
she turns, then races out of the room to see what's going on...

*    *    *

     In the living room, most of the sisters are preparing for bed.
Michael is at the main doorway, whining impatiently as he paws the 
door.  "Michael, is there something wrong...?" Marie wonders, then
gasps as Ataru suddenly steps around her, heading to the door.  
"Aniue-sama!!"

     Ataru shushes them with a finger, then nudging Marie's dog 
aside, opens the door to look outside.  One look is enough to send
his jaw to the patio deck.  "Jonna?!!  Orin?!!  What are...?!"
his voice stops.

     "Ataru-sama!!!" a pair of very excited girls' voices herald
two typhoons of lovable alien teenager energy slamming into his 
midsection like a phalanx of NFL linebackers, sending him falling
flat on his back.

     The sisters cry out in shock on seeing Jonna and Orin, just as 
Ranma storms into the room.  "Hey, Ataru, there's...!!  HUH?!!"
she stops on seeing him being bear-hugged by a pair of girls about
Karen's age, the pointed ears on the sides of their heads speaking
volumes.

     "Onii-chan!!!  Who are these girls?!" Karen demands.

     "Hey, cut it out!!  I need to breathe!!" Ataru pants as Jonna
and Orin seem to turn on the glomp.  "Cut it out, for heaven's
sake!!"

     "Girls, let him up!" another woman orders.

     Eyes turn to the doorway, where an older woman with glasses
now stands, she framed by two teenagers in dark blue seifuku.  Seeing
them, Sakuya pales in shocked horror.  "Hey!!  Those're...?!"

     "Two people who should be dead, but are not," Chikage cuts in,
then noticing Ataru still trying to force Jonna and Orin away from
him, sighs.  Reaching down, the sorceress firmly taps the alien 
teens' foreheads.  The effects are instantaneous; Jonna and Orin drop
into unconscious heaps to either side of Ataru.  "Are you alright,
Ani-kun?" Chikage chuckles.

     Ataru staggers to his feet before peering intently at the eldest
of the newcomers at the doorway.  "Miree...?" he blinks surprisedly.
"But how the hell did you...?" he stops himself, then sighs.  "The
Staff?"

     "Hai," the Hollywoodite chief priestess nods, then gently guides
Himiko and Mikiko inside.  "As for your former classmates here, you
can thank Oogi and the bioroid factory for restoring them."

     Silence falls as Ataru considers what was just said, then his 
eyes widen surprisedly.  "The factory's HERE?!  In orbit over 
Earth?!"

     "Yes," Miree gravely nods.  "And yes, Oogi survived what 
happened in Lumukyou.  Barely, that is.  That still hasn't..."
she shrugs.

     Ataru blinks, then his head droops.  "Oh, terrific..."

*    *    *

     Later...

     "Your people worshipped Lum as a GOD?!!"

     Everyone sits in a circle in the living room.  Well, most 
everyone; Hinako and Aria are asleep in Jonna's and Orin's laps 
respectively.  Himiko and Mikiko sit to either side of Miree as the
chief priestess explains the current situation.  Ranma remains close
to Ataru, Kimiko beside Negako.  "Not exactly, Sakuya-san,"
Miree sighs.  "About ninety percent of my race, both on the Homeworld
and on the colonies, accepted the 'Church of Lum' to one extent or 
another.  Of that ninety percent, roughly seventy percent of that 
were hard-core members, those who followed Oogi's line of thinking."

     "And that line of thinking says that Anii's supposedly some sort
of devil 'cause he didn't kowtow to Lum like everyone else in 
Tomobiki did, right?" Mamoru asks, sparing the odd glance towards
her big brother.

     "Exactly," Miree nods.  "The seeds of the Church of Lum were 
laid a decade ago when Oogi dai-Zkuhsbagh, the son of a trading
magistrate, was rescued from the horrors of Uru's Terrible Swamps
by Lum.  By the time he returned to the Homeworld, the basic tenets
of the Church he envisioned were set in stone.  Once that happened,
it was only a matter of time before he convinced enough people to 
properly launch a Great Awakening.  Over the next five years, the 
Church expanded its power and influence to the point where it became
the First Church of the Homeworld.  And then..."

     "Then?" Karen prompts.

     "Then is when the leaders of the Church of Lum decided to drive
matters to the point where their creation would become the 'One True
Faith' of Phentax Two, Karen-san," Miree sighs.  "Those of other 
faiths who were willing to convert, did.  Those who didn't, such as 
myself..."

     Her voice trails off.  "Geez!!" Mamoru winces.

     "That's horrible!" Kaho looks nauseous.

     "That's not the end of it, Kaho-chan," Ataru warns.

     "Indeed," Miree grimly nods.  "Things went from bad to worse
in the weeks after the First Tag Race between Lum and your brother,
ladies.  As I'm sure you're all aware, as soon as Lum took up 
residence in Tomobiki, many of the people living there became quite
infatuated with her.  The leaders of the Church of Lum took that as a
sign that the 'perfect faith' had been found, thus began a massive
evangelizing program designed to win over as many converts as 
possible.  I tried to stop them, but..." she closes her eyes.  "I 
didn't succeed and was arrested for my 'heresy.'  And my daughters
and I would have suffered for it greatly hadn't your brother come to
save us sometime ago on Phentax Two," she gazes on Ataru.

     Ataru has the courtesy to look sheepish.  "Is this what you 
didn't want to tell us, Anigimi-sama?" Haruka gently wonders.

     "It's part of it," he admits.

     "You desired to kill Oogi to ensure the Niphentaxians
couldn't come to the Urusians' aid in their war against the 
Noukiites."

     Eyes lock on Chikage, then they turn back to Ataru.  "Anii..."
Mamoru's jaw drops in disbelief.  "Wh-why...?"

     Ataru blinks, then closes his eyes.  "There was no choice in the
matter, Mamoru-chan.  It..." he bites his lip, then breathes out as 
he stares on his sisters.  "Look at it this way.  You know how bad 
some people can be when it comes to warping truth around to fit their
own worldview.  Ranma's 'friend' Kunou is like that.  Well..."
he then shrugs.  "Oogi is millions of times worse, Mamoru-chan.
What's worse, he was at the time the PRESIDENT of Phentax Two atop
being the senior leader of his faith.  There was no one, NO ONE 
around to force him into seeing the truth about what he was doing,
especially to his own people.  And no one in the Federation wanted
to do anything to stop him.  And..." he squeezes his eyes shut.

     "Onii-chan...?" Karen blinks.

     "I didn't want him to hurt you girls."

     "Does this creep know about us?" Yotsuba wonders.

     "Can't say," he shakes his head.

     "He really wouldn't...!" Marie shudders.

     "He would, Marie-san," Miree cuts in.  "Ataru is quite right
about Oogi's level of fanaticism.  It is truly beyond any hope of 
redemption.  While most in Tomobiki would, I suspect, give you girls
much leeway even if they knew of your relationship to Ataru, Oogi 
wouldn't.  To him, you would automatically become..." she pauses
as she considers possible names the Lumite leader would use.  "The
'Great Evil's Wicked Sisters' or something like that.  Condemned
from the start with no hope of redemption."

     The sisters save Chikage pale.  "But this Oogi fellow doesn't
know us..." Shirayuki's eyes glisten with frightened tears.

     "It doesn't matter, Shirayuki-san," Miree shakes her head.  
"That you are Ataru's blood-relations is more than enough in Oogi's
eyes."

     Silence falls as the sisters exchange looks.  The chief 
priestess is quick to sense the growing fear in many of them 
concerning what now lurks literally over their very heads.  "Kaho
isn't evil..." sniffles then escape the cheerleader as she shuffles
over to sink herself in Ataru's embrace.

     Ataru quickly shushes her, gently kneading Kaho's hair as she 
weeps.  "What can we do now?" Karen looks around the room.

     "The answer is quite elementary, Karen."

     Eyes turn to Negako.  An icy smile cuts across the 
grandmistress' face.  "What's that, Onee-sama?" Sakuya demands.

     "Destroy Oogi, Sakuya.  Finish what Ataru started on Phentax
Two."

     "Can we do it now?" Ranma gazes on the grandmistress.

     Negako hums as her eyes turn heavenward, her chi senses reaching
into space to touch the cloaked factory.  A minute later, she 
relaxes.  "Onee-chan...?" Karen gazes concernedly at the ninjitsu
grandmistress.

     "No, Ranma, not now," Negako reports.  "But very soon.  Further,
we cannot do a direct force-on-force attack against Oogi."

     "What CAN we do?" Yotsuba demands.

     "Go on vacation."

     Everyone jolts.  "Onee-sama, this isn't the least bit funny!!"
Sakuya snaps, surprised by the supposed flippancy of Negako's reply.

     "I do not derive any enjoyment from this situation, Sakuya,"
Negako gazes on her.  "However, there are many factors which require
to be taken into consideration before a plan to permanently
deal with Oogi can be drafted, much less implemented.  I will remain
in Nerima analysing this matter while you are off to Onogawa.  Given
the many problems which beset your initial coming together with Ataru
on the Island, you need a chance to truly grow together as a family.
Doing that will serve to forge another wall against Oogi.  Other 
precautions will be taken.  I believe Miree and her children will be
of benefit towards that end.  In the meantime, it is best you all get
as much sleep as you can.  You clearly need it now."

     She rises, heading to her bedroom...

*    *    *

     Later...

     "There you go.  All asleep..."

     Souun grimly nods as he emotionlessly stares on Nabiki, she now
draped in a towel.  Kasumi had come back from Tampopo's an hour ago,
heading right to bed so she could get a good night's sleep.  Souun
had done nothing to stop her save remain in the sitting room, 
enjoying late night tea.  Once he felt it safe enough to initiate
his plan, he made his way into his oldest child's room and, with a 
quick shiatsu strike, ensured Kasumi wouldn't interfere with what he
planned for his other daughter...

     Soon to be his son.

     Having ensured that Nabiki couldn't possibly resist his actions,
Souun quickly scoops her into his arms, then carries her into the 
bathroom.  The furo is presently being filled with water, it below
the temperature Genma or Ranma once needed to reverse their curses.
With the shiatsu point he used on Nabiki -- Kasumi would no doubt
be quite stunned to learn that she wasn't the only person who had 
read the many books which had wound their way to the Tendou home from
Toofuu Ono's clinic -- Souun knew his soon-to-be "son" wouldn't
wake up when her skin touched cold water.

     Gently, he lowers her into the furo, allowing the water to soak
her.  Positioning her arms to ensure she wouldn't slump into the furo
and drown, Souun scampers out of the room.  A minute later, he 
returns, a large cask in hand.  Setting that on the floor beside
the furo, he wipes his forehead, then waits until the water gets to 
the level of Nabiki's breasts before he uncorks the cask, then 
empties it into the furo.

     The change is instantaneous.  Souun's eyes widen as the sensual
curves of Nabiki's body morph into the sharper lines of a lean yet 
well-muscled man.  Her/his hair darkens to black, it becoming 
shaggier.  A gentle moan escapes him, then his head droops back to 
lean against the edge of the furo.  Souun moves to keep him in place,
then relaxes on seeing that his transformed child was now much 
taller, about Tatewaki Kunou's height.  Well, that was alright,
the Tendou patriarch smirks.  Not only would his son be able to force
Ranma back where she belonged, he could also step in and finally
deal with that insane rich blowhard and his family.

     Now, all he has to do is wait ten minutes...

*    *    *

     Later...

     "Ataru-sama?"

     Ataru looks over his shoulder, then smiles.  "Are they asleep?"

     "Hai," Jonna nods as she and Orin step into Ataru's bedroom.
Ranma is currently in the furo enjoying a late night soak.  
"Ataru-sama, we..." the elder of the Niphentaxian/Avalonian
sisters blushes, bowing her head.

     "We're sorry that we embarrassed you in front of your sisters
and your friends," Orin completes, her cheeks flaming.  "But you 
did..."

     Ataru blinks, then grins.  "Oh, c'mere!" he holds out his hands.

     The sisters quickly slide into his embrace.  "We owe you our 
very lives, Ataru-sama," Jonna kisses his cheek.  "Without you, 
we..." she then stiffens as she tries to force the words out.  "We 
might've..."

     "I know," he nods, kissing Jonna's forehead, then Orin's.  "It's
alright, girls.  I understand.  And I'm glad that you're alright
now."

     They remain as they are, calmly enjoying the warmth of their
shared embrace with Ataru.  The bedroom door opens, revealing
Ranma draped in a towel, she drying her hair.  She stops on seeing
the younger women tightly clutching Ataru.  Ranma shudders as a surge
of jealousy thunders up her spine, then a grin crosses her face.  
"Hey, girls, I hope you realize that's MY boyfriend you're hogging
right now," she sweetly smiles.

     Silence.

     "Ranma...?" Ataru blinks, gazing at her in bewilderment.

     Grinning, Jonna and Orin draw themselves away from him, then 
walk up to Ranma.  Before Ranma could understand what is happening,
the younger girls swamp her with a pair of embraces.  "Ranma-sama,
you're so LUCKY!!!" Jonna croons.  "Winning Ataru-sama's love all by
yourself!!"

     "You're the luckiest girl in the whole universe, Ranma-sama!!"
Orin adds.  "Oh, I'd give anything to be in your shoes right now!"

     Ranma's cheeks flame.  Ataru laughs.  "Somehow, girls, I think
you really DON'T want to be in Ranma's shoes at this time," he 
scratches his head before walking up to them.  "In the meantime,
I've got a favour I have to ask of you," he leans over to gaze 
intently in the sisters' eyes.

     "What sort of favour, Ataru-sama?" Jonna wonders as she and Orin
pull away from Ranma, allowing her to finish drying herself.

     "Well, it concerns Hinako-chan and Aria-chan," Ataru sighs.
"I was hoping if both of you would stay close to them for the next
while."

     "Of course we could, Ataru-sama!" Orin nods.  "But why...?"

     "Well, let's just say that despite their being my sisters,
I haven't really been much of a big brother to either of them.  Hell,
to ANY of them to be honest with you," Ataru gently exhales.  "And
with you girls here and Oogi right now hanging over all our heads,
the full story behind what went down in Lumukyou is going to come out
soon.  I don't think Hinako and Aria're going to be able to deal with
that on their own.  Understand?"

     Jonna and Orin exchange a look, then nod.  "We understand,
Ataru-sama," the former replies, then smiles, a shrug rolling her 
shoulders.  "Besides, it'll be nice to deal with younger children
without having to worry about their calling you 'heretics' or 
'infidels.'"

     "What does that mean?" Ranma rubs her hair with the towel.

     "When we were incarcerated in Lumukyou, we were sometimes
allowed to babysit children of other prisoners," Orin explains.
"Of course, we didn't bother to attempt to convert them or do 
anything that would've brought even more trouble onto us.  Even with
that, though..."

     She looks down.  Jonna sadly nods.  "They even put babies in 
jail?!" Ranma wonders, staring at Ataru in shocked disbelief.

     "They did," he sighs.  "When I was there, I found several kids
in cryosuspension tubes.  I was able to get them out and see them 
reunited with their parents; those..." his eyes close, "...who 
survived what their jailers put them through, that is.  Don't ask me
why it happened..."

     "Most likely, their parents had angered their jailors to the 
point where those bastards decided to punish them by hurting their
children," Jonna grimaces.  "That's the way those monsters were like,
Ranma-sama."

     "Shit!" Ranma hisses.

     "Agreed," Ataru sagely nods, then turns back to Jonna and Orin.
"So can I count on you two to remain close to Hinako-chan and 
Aria-chan?"

     "Of course," Jonna nods.  "Excuse us, please."

     She and Orin depart.  Ranma watches them go, then blinks as 
Ataru gazes her way, a mischievous grin crossing his face.  "So 
what's this about me being your boyfriend, Ranma-chan?" he slides
over to gaze into her eyes.

     Ranma pales, then stops, confusion crossing her face for a 
moment before a light smile curls her lips.  "What do YOU think,
Ataru-kun?" she wraps her arms around his neck as she draws him 
close...

*    *    *

     "So let me see if I get this straight," Himiko holds up a 
finger.  "Ranma-san was born a boy, but because he fell into this 
magic spring, he's now a girl here..." she points to her heart, then
her head, "...and here.  And because somebody bonded Ranma-san
to your brother when they were kids, there was no way that Lum 
could've ever won Ataru-kun's heart?"

     "That's the way it is," Sakuya nods.  The two survivors of the
attack on Tomobiki High relax with several of Ataru's older sisters
and Chigaiko in the living room.  "And it's a good thing, too," she
sips her tea.  "Given the way that girl abused and assumed so much
about Onii-sama, I don't think any marriage could've worked out 
between them."

     "You're lucky Megane's dead, Sakuya-san," Mikiko giggles.
"If he heard you say that, he wouldn't've let you hear the end of 
it."

     "Amen to that!" Chigaiko ruefully shakes her head, then gazes
at her tea cup, a scowl twisting her lips.  "Pity Mendou survived.
If he'd've been pushed out of the way, Ataru-kun would have no more
worries."

     "Chigaiko-san, you can't wish that about Mendou-san!"
Mikiko gasps.

     Chigaiko gives the other woman a baleful look.  "I'm not like
some of the people at that place when it comes to that snob, 
Mikiko-san," she replies, then drinks the rest of her tea.  "I knew
what the jerk was really like from day one," she rises, turning
to her bedroom.  "There's nothing you can do to make me change my 
mind on that subject.  'Night, everyone."

     "Good night, Chigaiko-san," Haruka replies as she heads off.

     "Boy, Chigaiko-san really doesn't like that guy, ne?" Yotsuba
muses as soon as Chigaiko had stepped into her bedroom.

     "You blame her, Yotsuba-chan?" Karen wonders.  "After all, 
Onii-chan was the only one in the whole school who remembered
Chigaiko-san's name."

     The would-be detective nods.  "Checky!"

     "Yeah, I guess that'd be hard," Himiko agrees, then a sly smile
crosses her face.  "Still, when it comes to Mendou-san, one can 
dream."

     "Hai!" Mikiko grins.

     "About what?" Haruka's eyebrow arches.  "Yes, he is quite 
handsome and all that, but he takes gross advantage of his many 
assets to string along every girl who has the ill-fortune to cross
his path.  And his own overblown pride does not allow him to accept
things when a girl actually REJECTS him, as Lum-san and Chigaiko-san
have done.  Knowing that, is it any wonder that Mendou would find 
himself at odds with Anigimi-sama?"

     "Well, it won't matter after this coming weekend," Sakuya muses.

     "Why do you say that, Sakuya-chan?" Karen asks.

     "Oh, Reigi-kun told me this when we were at the Tower swimming,"
the eldest of the sisters smiles.  "Mendou's parents and the 
Mizunokojis have decided that the time's finally come for the fellow
to fulfil his primary obligation.  In other words..." she sips her 
tea, "...he and a certain Miss Asuka Mizunokoji are going to tie the
knot come Saturday."

     Silence.

     "WHAT?!?!" Himiko and Mikiko shriek together.

     "Hai, it's true," Sakuya nods.  "And, to ensure that there can
be no possible interference, Mendou'll be withdrawn from Tomobiki
High School as of tomorrow.  The actual announcement of the coming
nuptials won't be made until late Saturday morning.  Even more, it'll
be a private ceremony."

     "Oooh, the girls at Tomobiki High are NOT gonna like hearing
that," Yotsuba rolls her eyes, a sly giggle escaping her.

     "But...!" Mikiko stutters.

     "Mikiko-san, there's nothing you, much less anyone else, can do
to stop it from happening," Haruka warns.  "This is a matter of 
*giri.*  If Mendou refuses, he dishonours himself for life."

     "But marrying ASUKA?!" Mikiko demands.  "She's afraid of men,
Haruka-san!!  There's no way that sort of marriage'll last, you 
know!"

     "Oh?" Karen blinks.  "From what Onii-chan told us, Asuka-san
is actually quite comfortable with Mendou-san."

     Sakuya giggles.  "It was one of the things Onii-sama couldn't
stand about girls like Asuka-san.  They actually being cared for by 
other guys!"

     "Much less they caring for other men in return," Haruka politely
covers her mouth as giggles shake her.  "At least with us, 
Anigimi-sama will have a moral excuse since we are his kin.  Ne, 
Sakuya-chan?"

     "True, true," Sakuya nods.

     Himiko and Mikiko blink.  "You know about the crap Ataru-kun
pulled when he was living in Tomobiki and you all ACCEPT that?" the
former asks.

     "Well, no, we wouldn't like it if Onii-chan started acting like
that on Promised Island," Karen muses.  "But it doesn't mean we don't
love Onii-chan.  We do love him, Himiko-san.  He's our brother."

     "Besides, we're not gonna fall into the trap most folks in 
Tomobiki do and check everything from only one viewpoint," Yotsuba
adds.  "After all, according to Yotsuba's investigations,
Ani-chama wasn't the least bit responsible for over HALF of all the
weird occurrences that hit Tomobiki from the day he became 'engaged'
to Lum to the day Lum left."

     The Tomobiki High sophomores blink, their eyes widening in 
shocked disbelief.  "That can't be true," Mikiko blurts out.

     "Yotsuba checked it out with Negako-anechama.  It's all checky!"

     "Besides, when Anigimi-sama finally departed Tomobiki, he was,
in effect, stating he wasn't going to be forced into the position
where people would blame him for everything under the sun," Haruka
adds.  "And since he has turned away from allowing such behaviour
to dominate his life as it did before, he deserves a chance."  She 
draws her gunsen and fans herself.  "I'm sure you'll agree that he 
wouldn't get such in Tomobiki.  Ne?"

     Himiko and Mikiko exchange a look, then sigh.  "True."

     "Well, it doesn't really matter now," Karen muses.  "It's all in
the past and we're together with Onii-chan.  That matters more."

     "True, true," Sakuya nods.

     "You seem to have accepted him pretty easily," Mikiko muses.

     "Why not?" Karen shrugs.  "We may not have our mothers and 
step-fathers anymore, but we have each other and Onii-chan and 
Negako-oneechan, too.  We're a family now.  Yes, we all have our 
personal problems, but if we don't allow those problems to overcome
us, we'll be fine."

     "And there's no way in hell that we'll allow anyone to try to 
break us apart," Sakuya adds.  "We like things the way they are and
there's no way that we're going to allow it to change without our 
consent.  And if people in Tomobiki or Nerima or this Oogi creep've
got a problem with that because they don't like Onii-sama or 
Ranma-oneesama, that's too bad."

     "I guess you guys are pretty lucky," Himiko nods.  "I mean, to 
the rest of the world, I'm dead.  What happens to me -- to us..."
she indicates Mikiko with a hand, then sighs.  "What happens to us 
now?"

     "That is a concern," Haruka agrees.  "We should make an effort
to contact your parents and tell them the news."

     "Are they going to accept that, Haruka-chan?" Marie wonders.
"After all, they had bodies to bury.  They've gone through a memorial
ceremony and the funerals.  How could Himiko-san's and Mikiko-san's
parents ultimately accept them back as their children after enduring
THAT?!"

     "If they can't, all we have to do is adopt them into our family
and let them keep their current names," Rinrin proposes.

     "They should be told, Rinrin-chan," Shirayuki laments.  
"Besides, Himiko-san and Mikiko-san deserve to have their families
back."

     "Agreed," Haruka nods.

     "We'll worry about that in the morning," Sakuya checks her 
watch.  "It's getting pretty late.  We need to get some sleep."

     "True," Marie yawns as people move to head to bed...

*    *    *

     "Son?"

     The limp form on the bed moans, his eyes fluttering as a hand
jostles him awake.  "Wh-where...?" he grunts, then looks left to see
Souun Tendou gazing concernedly at him.  "D-dad...?" he slides into
a sitting position, then glances around the bedroom.  "What's going
on here...?"

     "Indeed, what IS going on here?"

     Both scream as Souun spins around, his face paling on seeing
Negako standing cross-armed by the window.  A narrow-eyed Happousai
is perched on the ninjitsu grandmistress' shoulder.  "So you subbed
that Nanniichuan casket meant for Ranma-chan with some ordinary
spring water, eh?" the grandmaster of Musabetsu Kakutou-ryuu
sneers.  "Souun, I actually thought you were a hell of a lot smarter
than Genma when it came to moronic, hair-brained schemes like this,
but..." he shakes his head.

     Souun sputters, then spins around as the door opens, revealing
a weary-eyed Kasumi beside a younger dark-haired girl draped in a 
black cape.  "Father, we seem to have some guests..." the eldest
Tendou daughter begins, then her voice slams to a halt, her eyes 
going wide on seeing a ragged-haired, slender young MAN lying on 
Nabiki's bed.  "Oh, MY!!!"

     The man in question blinks, then sensing he has no clothes
on outside a towel, panics.  "Geez, Onee-chan!!" he quickly moves
to make himself decent, then scrambles to the closet.  "Can't a guy
get dressed for...?" he opens the door, then looks in before his 
voice stutters to a halt on seeing GIRL'S clothing hanging there.
"...h-heaven's s-s-sake...?"

     His hand pulls away from the towel, allowing gravity to drag it
down to his ankles.  Seeing him in the buff, Kasumi covers her eyes
as she spins away, a gulped "Oh, my!" her only response.  Negako
sighs, shaking her head.  "Chikage," she indicates the transformed
Nabiki.

     Chikage whispers a spell.  Light showers the young man, then he
finds himself draped in T-shirt and jeans.  "Oh, thanks!" he breathes
out, then spins on Souun.  "Dad, what's going on here?!  What the 
hell are GIRL'S clothes doing in MY closet?!" he points to the closet
in question.

     "Well, you see, son..." Souun moves to explain...

     ...then is sent flying into a wall by a Happou-daikarin!
"That's enough from you, idiot!" Happousai snarls, then looks 
doe-eyed at Chikage.  "Chikage-chan, dear, do you have a magic mirror
with you now?"

     "Hai," the sorceress draws an ornate mirror from under her cape,
then positions herself to allow the young man's image to reflect
from it.

     Negako, Kasumi and Happousai shift themselves to stare at the 
image there.  What they see is Nabiki dressed the same as her male
counterpart.  "Huh?!  Onee-chan?!  Ojii-chan?!  Negako-san?!"
Nabiki blinks, then her eyes lock on her "brother."  "What the 
hell...?" she pales.

     "Oh, my!" Kasumi covers her mouth.

     "WHO THE HELL'S HE?!?!" Nabiki then shrieks.  "WHAT'S HE DOING
WITH MY BODY?!?!  HOW'D I GET TURNED INTO A GUY?!?!?!"

     "Calm yourself, Nabiki," Negako sighs, gently squeezing the 
young man's shoulder in reassurance.  "There is an explanation
for this."

     "Nabiki...?"

     Eyes lock on the young man as he walks up to gaze closely at the
image in Chikage's mirror.  Despite the differences in looks and size
between himself and Nabiki, the latter's image accurately reflects
his movements.  The overwhelming nature of the moment blocks the 
middle Tendou daughter from screaming out in fright as her hands 
replicate his movements.  "I..." he blinks, lowering his arm.  "I was
created from you..."

     Nabiki blinks.  "Negako-san, please tell me what's going on 
here!"

     "You remember that Nanniichuan cask I drank at the wedding,
child?" Happousai perches himself on the young man's shoulder.

     Nabiki takes that in, then her eyes widen.  "Dad pulled a 
switch?!"

     "Yep.  What I drank was normal spring water," Happousai nods.
"Souun hid the real cask.  No doubt, he intended to use it to bribe
Ranma-chan, but when he found out the truth about what happened
to her..."

     "He exposed me to it to make me...!" Nabiki's voice trails off,
her eyes widening more.  "To make me into...?!  Into...!"

     "Into me," the young man now in control of her body finishes,
then he turns to Negako.  "So what the heck went wrong, Negako-san?
Ranma-chan's personality was transformed fully by Jusenkyou!
Why didn't it...!"

     He indicates the image in Chikage's mirror.  "It is because
you were exposed to the Nanniichuan's magic AWAY from Jusenkyou,"
Negako explains.  "This has never happened before, so not even the 
Jusenkyou guide could have foretold this.  Being so far away from the
springs itself, there was no 'support' to effect the psychological
transformation which befell Ranma.  To that end, it created a 
modified personality -- you, that is..." she points to him, "...but
it could not be fully grafted onto the personality already existing
in the body you have now," she then indicates Nabiki.

     "Can they be separated, Negako-san?" Kasumi asks.

     "No, not as they are now, Kasumi," Negako shakes her head.  "To
attempt something like that, given the way your brother here was 
created, would kill them both.  In cases like Ranma's, Jusenkyou
provides a magical 'support base' which would allow her essence
to live on in her new body should she and her birth-form be 
separated.  Because this was done away from Jusenkyou, no such 
support base exists for Nabiki and her twin."

     "Then there is only one thing...!"

     Eyes lock on Souun.  The Tendou patriarch is slowly picking
himself off the floor.  "And what, *Father*..." Kasumi's voice is 
flooded with scorn on speaking that word, "...would *you* propose
to do?"

     Souun glares at her.  "To see the process completed, as it was
done to Ranma," he shakily points to his magically-created
son.

     "That is now impossible, Souun," Negako replies, her lips 
curling into an icy grin.  "And I do not think your family will 
support you moving to destroy Nabiki's very soul just so you can have
a son to carry on your family line, much less marry off to Ranma.
Who, by the way, has no desire to marry into your family and, if what
I sense of her now is true, is about to consummate her relationship
with Ataru this evening."

     Souun pales, then screams, "WHAT?!?!?!  I FORBID...!!!!"

     A fist slams into his cheek, knocking him down.  Souun grunts
as he shakes his head clear, then looks up to see who struck him.  
"Son...?"

     The look on the younger man's face sends a chill down Souun's
back.  "Who the HELL do you think you are, anyway?!" he demands.
"Killing your own daughter, who worked her ass off to keep this house
over your head, just to make that fuckin' stupid pact you made with
Saotome come true?!!  No way, *Father!!*" he shakes his head.  "It's
NOT going to happen!!  Much that I happen to like Ranma-chan,
I'm not going to force her into doing something she doesn't want!!
'Sides..." he glances at Kasumi, "...you have to admit Ranma and 
Ataru-kun DO make a nice couple!  Ne, Onee-chan?!"

     "Yes, that's true, isn't it?" Kasumi smiles.

     "NO!!!!" Souun bolts to his feet, a blazing Demon Head surging
forth.  "SON, YOU WILL MARRY RANMA OR ELSE I'LL DISOWN YOU ALL!!!!"

     "You're hardly in a position to demand that, Mister Tendou,"
an icy voice causes Souun to freeze in place.  "Considering
that as of this very evening, you will be signing over control of 
EVERYTHING to Kasumi."

     Souun shudders, then looks over his shoulder to see a 
narrow-eyed Chikage standing there, arms crossed.  Happousai is now
perched on her shoulder.  The looks on both their faces send chills
down Souun's back, then he moves to reassert himself.  "What makes
you think that...?"

     "Check Six," Chikage grins.

     "Wha...?!" Souun tenses, then starts to turn.

     "***KONTOU!!!!***"

     A second later, an inhuman shriek echoes through Nerima...

*    *    *

     "Now, why would Negako make use of the soulsword at the Tendou
place?" Cologne gazes out the window of her bedroom at the 
Nekohanten.

     Sensing nothing else happening, the elder shrugs, heading for 
bed.  She would have time to look into it tomorrow...

*    *    *

     Dawn...

     "Oooh...!"

     Yotsuba stretches herself as she rises from her futon.  Glancing
around the living room, she does a mental head-count of who is 
sleeping there.  Shirayuki's futon is empty, lying where she had 
spent the night.  The would-be detective cants her head, her ears 
picking up faint shuffling noises from the kitchen.  *Making 
breakfast,* Yotsuba nods, then notices a futon folded by the wall.
"Where's Chikage...?" she whispers, then rises, snatching up her spy
glass as she heads towards the kitchen.  "Ohayou, Shirayuki-chan,"
she looks into the kitchen, then blinks.  "Eh?!"

     "Oh, Yotsuba-chan, ohayou gozaimasu desu no," Shirayuki looks
over from the stove.  "Kasumi-san came by to help out with breakfast
today."

     "Ohayou gozaimasu, Yotsuba-san," Kasumi, busy with chopping
onions -- hence, the swimming goggles protecting her eyes -- nods.

     Yotsuba blinks, then perks on hearing voices echo from the 
direction of Negako's bedroom.  "Did something happen at your house?"
she asks.

     "That..." Kasumi pauses, then sighs.  "Could be said."

     Shirayuki's hand squeezes the older woman's shoulder.  Kasumi
gives her a thankful smile.  "There's a mystery afoot!!" Yotsuba
giggles as she holds up her spy glass, then heads off.  "Yotsuba'll
check it out!"

     "Hai!" Shirayuki nods, then turns back to the stove.

     Yotsuba walks to the door leading into Negako's room.  Sliding
it slightly open, the detective peeks in -- then screams out on 
seeing Negako suddenly appear before her, a bemused grin on her face.
"Your curiosity towards certain matters might one day be the death
of you, Yotsuba," the grandmistress states, then slides the door open
all the way.  "Come in."

     Yotsuba giggles embarrassingly as she steps inside, then she 
stops, her eyes nearly springing out of her head on seeing the vision
of lovely young manhood seated beside Negako's work table, his eyes
closed.  Chikage stands off to his left, crystal ball in hand as she
whispers some arcane tome.  Also in the room is Ani-chama's
friend from outer space, Miree.  To Yotsuba's surprise, the 
Niphentaxian holds what seemed to be one of Chikage's magic mirrors,
its surface facing the very, VERY yummy...!

     *Yotsuba likes!!* the would-be detective shudders as his 
bishoonen features swim through her mind.  *Yotsuba likes, likes,
LIKES very much!!*

     Miree glances her way, then beckons Yotsuba to her side.  "Very
handsome, isn't he?" she whispers as the detective slides up beside
him.

     "Yeah!" Yotsuba prays she isn't drooling as her eyes dart up and
down his body.  "Yotsuba DEFINITELY wants to take a closer checky!!"

     "Oooh!!  Someone's got her head in the potty!"

     "EH?!?!" Yotsuba shrieks out, glancing wildly around the room.
That was a girl's voice, but it wasn't Chikage's, Ane-chama's
or Miree's!

     Chikage sighs, pointing to the mirror.  "Look there."

     Yotsuba looks.  Her eyes go wide on seeing a GIRL in the mirror,
dressed exactly like the fellow who caught her fancy.  Said girl -- 
*Hey, isn't this Nabiki Tendou?!* Yotsuba wonders -- is now leering
at the detective.  "What the...?!" she looks back at the fellow in 
question, then to Nabiki's image.  "How the hell...?!" she stutters,
staggering back.

     "Jusenkyou," Negako glances at her, then turns to Chikage.

     The sorceress relaxes.  "There," she lowers her hand.

     "How is he?" Nabiki asks.

     "Fully separated from you, Nabiki," Chikage slips her crystal
ball away.  "Now we have to work on building separate bodies for 
you."

     "There is a problem if you're thinking of making use of the 
Avalon factory ship, Chikage-san," Miree warns as the young man 
begins to stir.  "It's only programmed to create female bioroids.
There's been little research done towards re-programming
the ship to create male bioroids."

     "Then we will have to coax the Staff of Gihan to assist us in 
this matter," Negako concludes.  "Do you think you can do this, 
Miree?"

     "Not really," the priestess looks apologetic.  "I doubt Jonna
and Orin could assist in that regard, either.  The influence of the
Guardians' on the Staff's central programming matrix is still quite
strong."

     Chikage and Negako exchange a look.  "Ani-kun?" the former asks.

     "No.  Given what the Staff has already done to him, I doubt it 
will do any of us any good," the latter shakes her head, then closes
her eyes.  "Perhaps someone less fettered by entropic thoughts
would be needed."

     "What Staff?!" Yotsuba blinks confusedly.

     "Someone of a pure heart?" Chikage's eyebrows arch.

     "Exactly," Negako nods.

     "Hinako-san, perhaps?" Miree proposes.

     Chikage and Negako glance at the priestess, then exchange
a knowing look.  "A possibility," the latter nods.  "Perhaps,
given the problems we are now facing, obtaining a second device like
the Staff would be prudent.  Is there such a device somewhere
in close range of us?"

     "I'll investigate that now.  Excuse me, please," Miree hands
the mirror to Yotsuba, then heads out of the room.

     "What Staff?" Yotsuba stares quizzically at her sisters.

     "An energy conduit with nearly limitless ability.  Miree and her
children brought it from Phentax Two," Negako reports, turning as 
Nabiki's magically-created twin stands.  "Do you feel better, 
Shinshi?"

     "Yeah," he grunts, rubbing his forehead, then his eyes lock on 
the younger girl holding Chikage's mirror.  "Eh?!  Hi there!" he 
waves.

     Yotsuba's cheeks instantly flame as his warm gaze sends jolts
of hot desire ripping through her head.  Her hands spasm, letting
go of the magic mirror.  "Hey, wait...!!!" Nabiki's voice screams
out fearfully before the mirror crashes into the floor, the glass
shattering on impact.

     Yotsuba doesn't react to the noise, her eyes locked on 
Shinshi's.  A confused look creases his features for a moment before
realization dawns, then his own cheeks flame.  "Ah...!  Er, you 
dropped the mirror...!" he stutters, pointing to the pile of 
shattered glass at her feet.

     She blinks, then looks down.  "Oh!  S-sorry!!" she sputters,
side-stepping around the fragments to place herself beside him.  "Um,
do you want some tea, Shinshi-kun?" she flusters as her arm wraps
around his.

     "Er...!  Um, s-sure, Yotsuba-chan," he stutters.

     She walks him out of the room.  Negako and Chikage watch them
go, then the former gazes on the latter.  "I believe that is a 
clear-cut case of falling in love at first sight," her eyebrow 
arches.

     "Indeed," the sorceress chuckles...

*    *    *

     An hour later...

     "Hello?!  Is anyone here?!"

     "Ah, Akane-san, there you are!" Marie opens the door, then waves
Akane and Yuka into the living room.  "You're just in time."

     "Thanks," Akane nods, then spots Kasumi helping Shirayuki
with breakfast.  "Onee-chan, what's going on here?!  What's with 
Dad?!"

     Kasumi stops, then points to one side of the circle of people
now consuming yet another of Shirayuki's culinary delights.  "Look!"

     The newcomers look.  Seated beside a caramel-haired
girl wearing a Union Jack tie is a man about Nabiki's age, now 
dressed in a T-shirt and jeans.  The girl is busy feeding him morsels
of fried eggs.  Akane is quick to sense the growing attraction
between them; their rosy-shaded cheeks are a dead give away.  Yet the
boy...!  Boy...?  Oh, no...!  Not...

     "Nabiki?" Akane eeps, the shock driving her to her knees.

     The couple in question pause, then look her way.  "Oh, hi, 
Akane-chan, Yuka-chan!" Shinshi smiles, giving then a friendly
wave.

     "Shi-chama," Yotsuba sing-songs.

     He jolts, then accepts another morsel of egg from the would-be
detective.  "But HOW...?!" Yuka stammers, gazing at Akane.

     "No thanks to Tendou-san's so-called 'father,' Tokoro-san."

     Both spin around as Ranma steps into the room, draped in her new
chemise.  Yuka's eyes nearly bug out of her head on seeing the 
transformed martial artist clearly dressed like a woman.  Akane,
stunned by what just happened to Nabiki, doesn't take notice of the
chemise.  "What do you mean...?" she begins, then it hits her.  "The
Nanniichuan cask...?"

     "Yep," Ranma sits, then nods thanks as Shirayuki hands her a 
plate of piping-hot food.  "Turns out, your dad subbed the cask meant
for the wedding with a cask of normal spring water.  Guess he 
realized Oyaji'd be a pig about it when he found out the cask was 
around.  Then, after Nabiki found out the truth about what Jusenkyou
did to me and told Souun about it..." she shrugs, waving to Shinshi.
"Look what he did?"

     Akane blinks as she takes that explanation in, then her fists
clench as she turns back to her transformed sister.  "That means...!"
she points to Shinshi, looking back at Ranma.  "She's...!  H-he's...?
Nabiki...?!"

     Yotsuba and Shinshi gaze on her, then the former looks at her 
new boyfriend.  "Mind if she takes over for a bit?" she whispers.

     "Go for it," he winks.

     Taking a cup of hot water, Yotsuba douses Shinshi.  Akane and 
Yuka gape as the body morphs to what is normal for Nabiki.  The 
clothes, since they are magical in origin, shift to conform to their
wearer's dimensions.  She jerks confusedly before glacing around
the room, then nods thanks as Kasumi hands her a towel.  "About 
damned time!" she grumbles before gazing on her other sister.  "Oh,
hi Akane!  When'd you get here?!"

     Akane blinks, blinks again, then her eyes roll into her head.
Mamoru catches her before she crashes into Sakuya's breakfast
plate, then lowers her to the ground.  Everyone stares at her, then
sighs.  "Yotsuba guesses Akane didn't really check that," the 
would-be detective sighs...

*    *    *

     "Hina doesn't understand..."

     "It's quite simple, Hinako-sama," Jonna smiles.  She, Orin and
their mother are in the exercise room with the youngest of Ataru's
sisters.  The Staff of Gihan is in Jonna's hand.  "Bou-san here..."
she indicates the Staff, "...was once used by some very VERY mean 
people back on my home planet.  Because of that, all sorts of 
meanie-meanie thoughts've been stamped onto Bou-san's primary memory
unit," she points to the glowing crystal at one end of the staff.
"What Mother, Orin and I were thinking is that because YOU, 
Hinako-sama, have the purest heart of all your sisters, you can help
Bou-san get rid of those meanie-meanie thoughts."

     Hinako blinks, then tears sparkle in her eyes.  "Jonna-oneetama
says Hina has a pure heart..." she sniffs, then starts to cry.

     Handing the Staff to Orin, Jonna leans down to warmly embrace
Hinako.  "Hush, Hinako-sama, hush," she soothes, gently stroking
Hinako's hair.

     Hinako sniffles, then reaches up to rub her eyes.  "Onee-tama's
so nice to Hina.  But..." her eyes fall on the Staff, "...Hina's
not sure if she can make Bou-san better.  Besides, Bou-san belongs
to Onee-tama..."

     "Iie," Jonna shakes her head.  "I can't make Bou-san better
because I've been through many bad things, especially in the last few
years."

     "Can't Onii-tama make Bou-san better?"

     "No, Hinako-chan, he can't because..." Miree kneels beside her,
then pauses as she tries to think of the least-wounding way to say 
this.  "Your brother can't because Bou-san was used to hurt your 
brother badly just before he met us," she points to herself, then on
sensing a surge of shock race through Hinako, moves to comfort her.
"You, Hinako-chan, can make sure that Bou-san will never, never,
NEVER hurt your brother again."

     Hinako blinks, then stares at the Staff.  "Bou-san hurt 
Onii-tama?"

     "Bou-san was MADE to hurt Ataru-sama," Jonna emphasizes.

     Silence falls as the youngest of the sisters considers what was
just said.  She then looks up to Jonna.  Seeing her nod, Hinako gulps
before her hand reaches out to the Staff's scarred trunk.  As her 
fingers wrap around its ancient metal, a strange warmth surges up her
arm.  Hinako gasps, her eyes closing as a torrent of ghostly energy
flows from the Staff's focusing crystal to gently wrap around her 
body.  The three Niphentaxians back away as Hinako's hand shifts
the Staff from horizontal to vertical, its tip resting on the floor.
Hinako's other hand reaches over to grasp the Staff, her eyes 
remaining closed.  "It's started," Miree whispers.

     "Will this help?" Orin asks.

     "We must have faith," the Hollywoodite priestess sighs...

*    *    *

     "Eh?!  What's that?!"

     Sakura's head cants to the east.  The Shinto priestess had been
busy making morning tea when that surge of energy flowed through
her.  Moving to her kitchen window, she glances outside.  Her eyes
narrow as she tries to focus on what exactly that energy might be and
what its presence in Japan might mean.  It was certainly beyond her
personal experience...

*    *    *

     "Ominous..."

     Cherry is also gazing intently eastward.  Raising his beads,
the Buddhist monk intones a prayer, then glances at his cooking
pot.  Seeing the hidden signs there, he blinks, then turns back 
towards Nerima.

     "Or is it...?"

*    *    *

     "Sakiko, you okay...?"

     Sakiko jolts, then glances at Ryuunosuke.  The couple had spent
the night aboard the former's scoutship, camouflaged under a 
holographic cloak on Ryuunosuke-jima.  "Oh, it's..." the 
Seishin-turned-Nendo-kata/Terran shakes her head, then glances north
towards Tokyo.  "Something.  But it doesn't feel threatening,
I think..." she crosses her arms.

     Ryuunosuke takes that in, then rises, walking over to stand 
behind Sakiko.  Wrapping her arms around her girlfriend, the tomboy
kisses her earlobe.  "If it's not threatening, then why are you so 
worried?"

     Sakiko gazes on her, then laughs...

*    *    *

     "Is there a danger, Seiko-sama?"

     Seiko blinks, then gazes confusedly at Yukimi Kitahara.  A quick
glance around the kitchen reveals that the other Avalonians living
here were on their feet, glancing quizzically towards Nerima.  "I..."
Seiko blinks, then turns to look herself.  "I'm not sure, 
Yukimi-chan..."

*    *    *

     "Such power..."

     Cologne now sits on the roof of the Nekohanten, gazing towards
the old shrine now serving as the Moroboshi family home.  No, it 
wasn't either Ataru, Ranma or Negako that was tapping into WHATEVER
it was that was pumping torrents of raw chi into the surrounding
environment.

     So who WAS tapping into this thing?

     And for what purpose?

     Why...?

*    *    *

     "Hinako-chan..."

     Toofuu Ono is on the front porch of his office, his face paling
as the implications of this sink in.  Ye gods, to put a device with
THAT MUCH power into the hands of a girl of only eight?!  Who on 
Earth was...?

     A clawed finger taps his shoulder.  The chiropractor gasps,
then turns to see the panda reborn thanks to Genma Saotome gazing
worriedly at him.  A sign goes up.  [ARE YOU ALRIGHT, SENSEI?!]
The sign twirls.  [YOU LOOK LIKE YOU JUST SAW SOMEONE DIE!]  Another
twirl.  [WHAT'S WRONG?]

     "I..." Toofuu shudders, then moves to race off.  "Please stay
here!  I have to look in on something over at the Moroboshis'
place...!  AWK!!!"

     A furred arm grabs him around the waist, then the panda bounds
for the nearest telephone pole.  [I'LL GET YOU THERE FASTER!]

     Toofuu screams out, though he doesn't try to pull himself free.
*Now I know how Akane felt at times when Ranma carried her 
anywhere...!*

*    *    *

     *Where's Hina...?*

     Darkness envelopes the youngest of Ataru's sisters from all 
sides.  Before teary-eyed panic could seize Hinako, stars begin to 
appear.  In the proverbial blink of an eye, she finds herself 
drifting through a galaxy.

     "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaai..." she looks all around her, her 
mind nearly overloading from the sheer, primal beauty surrounding
her, then after what seems an eternity, her eyes turn down to her 
body.

     Her naked body.

     "AAAAAAAH!!!!  WHO TOOK HINA'S CLOTHES AWAY?!?!"

     A sparkle of energy surrounds her, then Hinako finds herself
draped in a form-fitting, black jumpsuit with a golden bird-like
insignia on her chest.  The suit comes complete with golden buccaneer
boots and wrist-bands holding her sleeves in place.  On her lower
sleeves are five wreaths of laurel divided by a miniature of the 
bird-symbol on her chest.  "Funny suit..." she then glances at her 
hands before she remembers something else.  "Eh?!  Bou-san!  
Bou-san!!" she looks around.  "Where'd Bou-san go?!"

     A spark of light appears before her.  Hinako blinks, then 
reaches out to cup the light in her hands.  The light explodes,
blinding Hinako for a moment.  She cries out on feeling something
HEAVY land in her arms, then as the light fades, she looks down to 
see HERSELF in her own arms.

     "Another Hina...?"

     The double's eyes open, then she gazes on her template.  With
a gentle push of her arms, the double places herself before Hinako.
Noting that she herself is also naked, the double closes her eyes.
A shower of sparkles creates another form-fitting jumpsuit, though
this one is totally black and is covered by a shawl similar to what
priests wear.  The bird-like insignia is stitched into the shawl and
the double's arms are trimmed in white lace like what trimmed most
of Aria's clothing.  As soon as the sparkles vanish, the double's
eyes open again, a smile crossing her face.

     ***Greetings.***

     Hinako blinks.  The double's mouth hadn't opened, yet Hinako
had clearly heard that greeting in her mind.  "Bou-san...?"

     ***Affirmative,*** the double nods.  ***What you see before
you is a metaphysical projection of the sentience of the device you
know as 'Bou-san.'  This unit assumed this form so this unit may 
interact with the new controller, designate 'Hinako Saeru.'  How may
this unit serve you?***

     Hinako blinks, then her eyes widen.  "Waaai!!!" she waves her 
hands excitedly.  "Bou-san's like Mecha-Rinrin-chan!!"

     The double's eyes glow for a moment.  Hinako blinks confusedly,
then relaxes as the double's eyes revert to normal.  ***Affirmative,
though this unit is more advanced than the automation the new 
controller's sibling, designate 'Rinrin Hatoyama,' is in the process
of constructing.***

     Hinako giggles, then looks around her.  "Bou-san, where are we?"

     The double blinks, then her cheeks slightly flame.  ***Do not 
panic.  It is an operational error on this unit's part.  The new 
controller is presently accessing one of this unit's initial 
memories.***

     "Floating in space...?"

     ***Affirmative,*** the double's smile fades.  ***This unit's
memory was damaged thousands of years ago.  It is impossible
for this unit to repair that damage or restore this unit's memories
before that time.***

     Hinako gazes on her, then sniffs.  "Bou-san was hurt...?"

     The double nods.  ***Affirmative.***

     "Hina's sorry."

     Confusion then crosses the double's face.  ***What is the logic
of giving an apology for an event the new controller could not 
influence?***

     Hinako jolts, then giggles.  "Bou-san talks funny!!"

     ***Does the new controller wish this unit to converse in a 
format the new controller would be more comfortable with?***

     "Uhn!!"

     ***As you wish.***  A pause, then the double smiles.  ***So what
do you want me to do, Hina?  Do you want to play with me?***

     "Uh...!" Hinako stops, then nods.  "Uhn!!  Um..." she stops 
again, then sighs.  "Jonna-oneetama told Hina that Bou-san was once
made to do some very meanie-meanie things back on Onee-tama's
planet.  Um..."

     ***Hina, you are my controller now,*** the double reaches over
to squeeze Hinako's shoulder.  ***Yes, Jonna was right.  I WAS made
to do those bad things.  But that was when I had another 
controller.***  She winks, moving to warmly embrace Hinako.  ***Who's
my controller now?***

     "Hina is!!"

     The double nods.  ***Yep, Hina is!***  She then pulls away from
Hinako, glancing nowhere in particular.  ***Uh-oh...***

     "Something wrong?"

     ***No, but I think you'd want to back to Jonna and her family,
not to mention your family.  They're worried about you.***

     Hinako gasps.  "Ah!!  Hina forgot!" she giggles, lightly bopping
her head before a thoughtful look crosses her face.  "Um, 
Bou-san...?"

     ***What is it, Hina?***

     "Does Bou-san like Hina being Bou-san's controller?"

     The double smiles.  ***Hai!***

     "Waaaaaaaaai!!" Hinako gushes...

*    *    *

     "Hinako-sama, are you alright...?"

     "Hinako-chan...?"

     Hinako blinks, looking confusedly around the exercise room, then
her eyes focus on the device in her hand.  To her surprise, the Staff
of Gihan had morphed from its original three-metre-plus
height to something Hinako can easily grasp with one hand.  Even 
better in the eye of Ataru's youngest sister, the Staff transformed
itself into a glittering gold rod decked with enamel wings and 
sparkling diamonds, the whole topped with the main focusing crystal
forming its "head."  A glance to herself reveals that Hinako now 
wears a gold version of the jumpsuit she had worn when she first 
spoke to the Staff's sentience; the bird-like insignia and all other
markings a brilliant sky blue.  "Waaaaaaaaaai...!" she gushes, then
she hoists the Staff high in the air.  "Hina's a magical girl now!!"

     A hand reaches for the Staff.  Hinako blinks as some sort of 
force-shield deflects the hand away, then she turns to see who had 
just tried to grab the Staff.  "Ah, Toofuu-sensei!!" she beams.

     "The Staff is now bonded to Hinako-san, Doctor," Miree 
pronounces; she and her daughters now stand behind the chiropractor.
"There is nothing you can now do to force the Staff away from her."

     Toofuu gazes on the Niphentaxian priestess, then kneels before
Hinako, firmly grasping her shoulders.  "Hinako-chan, are you 
alright?"

     "Hina's fine," Hinako lowers her arms, keeping the Staff close
to her.  "Onee-tama just wanted Hina to help Bou-san get rid of all
the meanie-meanie thoughts all of Bou-san's old controllers
put into her."

     Toofuu blinks confusedly, then he rises, staring at Miree.  
"While I may not fully understand what's going on here, madame,
placing a device of THIS nature..." he points to the Staff, "...in
the hands of a child Hinako-chan's age is something I would not, in 
the least bit, condone..."

     "Calm yourself, Toofuu.  In this case, allowing Hinako to gain
control of the Staff of Gihan is the prudent thing to do."

     "Ah, Onee-tama!!" Hinako gushes as Negako steps in, then she 
holds up the Staff.  "Look at the nice present Jonna-oneetama
gave Hina!"

     "Yes, it is that, is it not?" Negako's hand strokes the Staff's
focusing crystal.  Since the grandmistress wasn't moving to pull the
Staff away from her younger sister, the Staff's automatic defence
fields don't initialize.  "In the meantime, there is a problem I 
believe Bou-san..." she says that with a straight face, "...can
assist us in solving."

     Hinako perks.  "What sort of problem, Onee-tama?"

     Negako waves her to follow.  Everyone walks to the living room.
By then, Akane has recovered, she now barely nibbling at the 
breakfast Kasumi and Shirayuki made for her.  Yuka is doing her best
to cheer her friend up.  The panda relaxes near Chikage, he having
an interesting sign-conversation with the sorceress.  Still in 
control of herself, Nabiki, seated beside Yotsuba, perks on seeing
Negako approach.  "Oh, Negako-san, there you are," the middle Tendou
daughter scratches the back of her head.

     Eyes lock on Hinako.  "Hinako-chan, what are you doing wearing
THAT?!" Karen bolts up, pointing to her sister's new jumpsuit.

     "Eh?!" Hinako stops, then looks at herself before giggling.
"It's okay, Karen-chan!  Bou-san turned Hina into a magical girl."

     "'Bou-san'...?" Ataru stops, his eyes focusing on the Staff,
then he glances at Jonna.  "Are you SURE this is a good idea, 
Jonna?!"

     "It's okay, Onii-tama!" Hinako cradles the Staff close to her.
"Hina'll make sure Bou-san won't hurt Onii-tama anymore."

     Ataru blinks, then tenses on feeling Ranma's hand squeeze his 
shoulder.  They exchange a look, then he reaches up to squeeze her 
hand back.  Seeing this, Yuka's eyes nearly shoot out of her head.
Akane also sees this, then turns away, squeezing her eyes shut.  The
other sisters exchange looks, then Rinrin walks over to give the 
Staff a close visual inspection.  "Hey, Ono-sensei, is THIS what you
were panicking about when you and Panda-san there came in earlier?"
she glances at Toofuu.

     "It is," the chiropractor grimly nods.

     "Are you suggesting this is not a good idea, Sensei?" Haruka
asks.

     "Of course!" Toofuu nods again.  "I can only guess at this 
weapon's full potential, Haruka-chan.  And if my guess is close to 
being accurate, this thing is capable of wiping out all life on 
Earth.  Do you really think it's wise to place control of this device
in Hinako-chan's hands?"

     "But Bou-san likes Hina being Bou-san's controller!"

     Sniffles turn everyone's attention to Hinako.  Seeing the sad 
look crossing the young girl's face, Toofuu winces, cursing himself
for saying something like THAT in hearing distance of the person
it most affected.

     Before the chiropractor could moderate, Miree places a 
comforting hand on Hinako's shoulder.  "Your concerns are valid,
Doctor.  But there are times when we must take trust in, as Abraham
Lincoln once called them, the 'better angels' of human nature.  Yes,
it is true that the Staff had been used to cause great harm to many,
on my homeworld and elsewhere.  But that was when the Staff was 
controlled by people who were quite narrowly focused in their 
worldview.  Before it fell into our possession sometime ago..."
she indicates herself, then her children, "...the Staff was made to 
unleash an holocaust of unimaginable proportions upon my people."

     Everyone blinks.  Many of the sisters briefly glance at Ataru
before turning back to Miree.  "But now..." the alien priestess
squeezes Hinako's shoulder.  "Now, the Staff is controlled by a young
girl, one unfettered in the most part from the prejudices and selfish
ideals that seem to dominate more 'mature'..." she makes 
finger-quotes, "...elements of society.  Now, the Staff is in the 
hands of someone who could not, for the utter life of her, conceive
of bringing harm to anyone, most of all those she loves with every
fibre of her being.  Now, for the first time in its existence,
the Staff is bound to someone who possesses a pure heart, one 
unburdened by those petty prejudices and selfish ideals I spoke of 
earlier."

     "People have said, madame, that those who believe they are doing
the greatest good often commit the greatest evil," Toofuu warns.

     "Those who say THAT, Doctor, are often those who feel that their
own worldview is the only valid one," Miree counters.

     "Wait!"

     Eyes turn to Karen as she walks up to gaze into Hinako's eyes.
"Hinako-chan, are you SURE you want to use something like this?"
she points to the Staff.  "If it's as powerful as Sensei and 
Miree-san have said..."

     Hinako sniffs.  "Hina won't let Bou-san hurt Onii-tama..."

     Silence.  People gaze on her, then Ataru.  "Onii-sama?"
Sakuya walks up to him, then stares at the Staff.  "Is this...?"
she stops, looking back at him.  "Is this part of...?  What you won't
tell us...?"

     Ataru blinks, then sighs.  "Hai," he bows his head.

     "Ataru-kun..." Chigaiko shudders.

     "Onii-chan," Karen walks up to him.  "Tell us.  Please...?"

     He quakes, then feels a hand slip into his.  He looks left to 
see Ranma standing there, a knowing smile etched on her face.  Taking
a deep breath, he gazes on the Staff.  "As Miree indicated, the Staff
was, at the time I first saw it, in the hands of a very narrow-minded
individual.  A woman named Hekiko if I recall correctly.  She was..."
he moves to sit down in the circle.  "The leader of a group of 
Niphentaxian priests calling themselves 'Guardians.'  They believed
that if there came a time when one single faith would win the 
approval of almost all on Phentax Two..."

     "The Church of Lum, you mean?" Mamoru asks.

     "Yes," Ataru nods.  "Well, if such a church came into being,
then..." he takes a deep breath, "...if something happened that would
destroy the spiritual foundation of such a church..."

     "Like Lum's death," Ranma cuts in.

     Ataru nods.  "Well, then..." he gazes on the Staff.  "The 
prophecy warned that if this circumstance occurred..." a pause, then
he finishes in a voice full of ashes, "...then Phentax Two would be 
doomed."

     Silence.

     "So this Staff learned of Lum's death from you..." Nabiki points
to the Staff, then to Ataru, "...and this..." she gulps.  "It 
happened."

     "Yes."

     "Onii-chan...!" Karen covers her mouth.

     "How many died?" Rinrin asks.

     "Three billion people."

     Eyes lock on Negako, then turn to Ataru.  "Anii..." Mamoru 
gapes.

     "Onii-sama...!" Sakuya shudders.

     Ataru stands, then heads to his bedroom.  The others watch him
go, unsure of what to say.  Ranma turns, heading off to look in on 
Ataru.  No one stops her.  Finally, Rinrin whispers, "It's no wonder
Aniki didn't want to tell us!  Gods...!!" she looks away, crossing
her arms.

     "Is that why Nii-sama had to stay in Sanctuary for a whole week,
Nee-sama?" Shirayuki gazes concernedly on Negako.

     "Yes," the older girl nods.  "Ataru did not only see what 
happened on Phentax Two with his eyes.  He did not only overhear
what happened there with his ears, Shirayuki.  He FELT it in the pit
of his soul.  The Staff, at the moment this happened, forged a mental
link between Ataru and those condemned by the Guardians' prophecy.
Could you imagine being linked to so many people for the briefest
of seconds -- then experience all of their lives being snuffed out?
Just like that?" she snaps her fingers.

     Everyone winces.  Hinako blinks, then stares at the Staff.  
*Bou-san, is it true?* she sniffs, trying not to break down and cry.

     ***Yes, Hina.  It's true.***

     Hinako shudders, then wipes her eyes clear.  *You couldn't
stop yourself from doing that, could you?* she mentally asks.

     ***No, Hina.  I couldn't.***  A pause, then, ***At least now,
with you as my controller, an incident like THAT will not happen
again.***

     The youngest of Ataru's sisters blinks, then blushes at the 
implied trust the Staff of Gihan was bestowing her.  Then the number
of people lost on Phentax Two comes back to her like a tidal wave.
*All those people...*

     ***Are now at peace, Hina.***

     *Huh?!*

     ***They are in the Very, Very Bright Place now, Hina.  The place
we, even someone such as I, will go to when our time in this life is
done.  That is the Place where Marie's parents, Haruka's mother,
Sakuya's and Rinrin's step-fathers are now, Hina.  There, they are at
peace.***

     Hinako feels a smile cross her face as she gently strokes the 
Staff's focusing crystal.  *You mean they're in Heaven now, Bou-san?*

     ***In your eyes, yes.***

     "Hinako-chan, are you alright?"

     "Huh?!" Hinako jolts, then notices everyone gazing worriedly
at her.

     "You just blanked out for a moment," Mamoru explains as the 
others start to relax.  "What's wrong, Hinako-chan?"

     "Eh?!" Hinako sniffs, then wipes her eyes.  "It's okay, 
Mamoru-chan.  Bou-san was just telling Hina about those people 
Bou-san was made to send to Heaven.  Bou-san says..." she smiles,
"...that they're at peace now."

     Everyone considers that, then Sakuya takes a deep breath.  
"Hinako-chan," she kneels in front of her sister.  "Do you want to 
keep Bou-san?"

     Hinako blinks, then nods.  "Uhn!" she gazes on the Staff's
crystal.  "Bou-san likes it that Hina's Bou-san's controller.
Hina..." she sniffs.  "Hina can make sure that Bou-san'll never hurt
Onii-tama again."

     Sakuya gazes on her, then smiles, rising.  "Well, then..."
she turns to Toofuu, then gazes on Miree.  "I guess we'll have to 
trust in the better angels of Hinako-chan's nature," she gently 
squeezes Hinako's hand.

     "There's still a danger, Sakuya-chan," the chiropractor
warns.

     "There's always a danger when one tries new things, Toofuu-kun,"
Chikage walks up behind him, placing a comforting hand on his 
shoulder.  "But what's the worst thing to do?  Try a new path and 
face the possibility of failure?  Or not try at all and never know
the possibility of success?"

     He gazes on the sorceress.  The other sisters and the Tendous
are surprised that the chiropractor isn't succumbing to another
bout of love-madness being so close to Chikage.  "Well, if you say 
so," he sighs.

     The others smile.  "Now that we have that resolved for the time
being, let us turn to other matters," Negako guides Hinako to Nabiki.
"Hinako, I think Bou-san can explain to you Nabiki's current 
problem."

     "Huh?!" Hinako gazes up at the grandmistress, then perks as a 
whispered non-voice echoes deep in her mind.  She stares at the Staff
for a moment, then looks at Nabiki, eyes widening in shock.  "That's
stupid!" Hinako cries out, causing everyone else to lean away from
her.  "Why'd your baka-baka father do something really, really dumb
like that?!"

     "Hinako-chan, can you help them?" Kasumi asks.

     Hinako stares at the eldest Tendou daughter, then perks as the
Staff provides her an answer.  "Soo ka..." the youngest of Ataru's
sisters sighs, then stares apologetically at Nabiki.  "Gomen nasai,
Nabiki-san.  But Bou-san says she can't split you and Shinshi-san
apart.  There's not enough energy for Bou-san to use to make separate
bodies for both of you."

     "What if replacement bodies were obtained, Hinako?" Chikage
asks.

     "What do you mean, Chikage-chan?" Hinako gazes on the sorceress.

     "She means what happened to us, Hinako-chan," Himiko declares
as she and Mikiko walk up to her.  "After all, the Avalon bioroid
factory's here now over Earth, so why don't you use that instead?"
she points up.

     Hinako gazes on them, then perks as the Staff whispers the 
necessary information to her.  "Eh?!" she looks up, the Staff 
enhancing her vision to the point where Hinako could see the 
twenty-kilometre long factory clearly.  "Waaaaaaaaa...!!
What a BIG spaceship!!" she gushes, then perks as the Staff adds 
details.  "Eh?!  It can only make girls?  Why can't it make boys?!"
she stares at the Staff, then cants her head as the device replies.
"Oh, you can fix it up?!  Okay!" she hoists the Staff into the air.

     "Hey, Hinako-chan, what're you...?!" Mamoru calls out.

     The focusing crystal flares, blinding everyone...

*    *    *

     "Where did three of these units go?"

     "We are not sure, Otako," one of the factory unit's volunteer
technicians shakes her head.  The small group of Avalonians,
all of whom bear the racial features of the "Invaders" -- what the 
bioroid race always addressed their "masters" as -- now stand in the
gestation unit where Miree and her children obtained their new 
bodies.  "Internal security monitors for this chamber were disabled
shortly before we departed Phentax Twelve.  We didn't learn of it 
until routine diagnostics were per-..."

     Her voice is cut off as a blinding flash of light fills the 
chamber.  The Avalonians scream out as they clap their hands over 
their eyes, turning away from the gestation units.  The light soon
fades, allowing the bioroids to pull their hands away, they blinking
rapidly to restore their sight.  "What was...?" the technician
turns to the chambers...

     ...then her jaw drops in shocked disbelief on seeing that ALL 
FIVE of the gestation units were now empty!  "...that?!" she 
sputters...

*    *    *

     "***WHO'RE YA TRYIN' TA BE, HINAKO?!!  SAILOR MOON?!!***"

     Mamoru's shout echoes through the living room as people cover
their eyes from the burst of blinding light the Staff of Gihan now 
produces.  Within seconds, the light fades, allowing people to rub 
their eyes and blink their vision back to normal.  Suddenly, 
Yotsuba's delighted shout of "Oh, BIG checky here!!!" makes everyone
turn to where Nabiki was standing.

     She is no longer alone.

     "Nabiki-chan..." Kasumi gapes.

     "With...?" Akane sputters.

     "Shinshi-kun...?" Yuka covers her mouth.

     A pair of groans escape the two people now standing beside a 
gushing Yotsuba.  Hinako gazes on the Staff's work, then smiles.
"Hai, hai!  All fixed up!!" she turns to the others, then perks as 
the Staff whispers something to her.  "Huh?!  Oh, okay!" she nods,
then gazes concernedly on Shirayuki.  "Shirayuki-chan,
Bou-san says that Shinshi-san and Nabiki-san'll need soft food for 
their first meals in their new bodies."

     The chef stares wide-eyed at the middle Tendou daughter and the
young man born of her memories and spirit thanks to Jusenkyou,
then she catches herself.  "Oh...!  OH!!  H-hai, Hime'll make 
something now!"

     She races off.  Kasumi and Akane exchange a look, then walk over
to stand before their siblings.  "Nabiki-chan...?" the former gently
prods Nabiki, then Shinshi.  "Shinshi-chan, are you alright...?"

     Both jolt, then exchange a look before gazing on their sisters.
"Um...!" Nabiki begins, then sighs.  "I..." she feels her forehead.

     Yotsuba gazes intently at Shinshi through her spy glass, then
turns to Kasumi.  "Yotsuba thinks that Shi-chama and Nabiki-san
need to lay down and get some sleep before doing anything else,"
she reports.

     "That..." Shinshi grunts, then blinks on feeling Yotsuba slide
up to support him.  "Sounds like a really good idea, Onee-chan..."

     Kasumi hums, then sighs.  "Alright, then.  Shirayuki-chan?!"

     "Hai?!" the younger chef calls out from the kitchen.

     "Can you put whatever your making into a bento, please?!  We'll
take it with us back to our place!  Nabiki-chan and Shinshi-chan're
going back with us to our home to sleep for a while, alright?!"

     "Hai!"

     "Yotsuba wants a bento, too!!" Yotsuba calls out.

     "Hai!!"

     Noting the would-be detective's behaviour concerning Nabiki's
new brother, the other sisters exchange knowing looks and muffled
snickers...

*    *    *

     Sometime later...

     "Nee-sama, is Nii-sama...?"

     Shirayuki falls silent as she steps into Ataru's and Ranma's
room.  Her brother is now asleep on his futon, his head cradled
in Ranma's lap.  Ranma looks up, then shushes the chef before 
indicating a clear spot on the floor for the tray of tea in 
Shirayuki's hands.  "Thanks."

     "Soo desu no," Shirayuki blushes, then quietly withdraws.

     Ranma sighs as she turns her attention back to Ataru.  By then,
his eyes are opening.  "Who just came in here?" he whispers.

     "Shirayuki brought in some tea," she reports.

     Ataru takes that in, then nods, slowly sliding himself up into
a sitting position.  Ranma moves to pour them some tea, casting
a glance in the direction of the living room.  "The Tendous've
left.  Ditto with Yotsuba.  I guess she's really got it in for 
Shinshi there."

     He blinks, then sighs.  "Well, she's of the age when that sort
of thing starts to haunt her whole outlook on life," he nods thanks
as she hands him a cup of tea.  "Let's just hope he doesn't do 
something that'll hurt her in the long run.  Yotsuba certainly
doesn't deserve that."

     "I think they'll have to work on some way of giving Shinshi
his own legitimacy," she pours herself a cup of tea.  "Not to mention
do something to ensure Souun doesn't screw up their lives anymore."

     "That'll be the easy part," he smirks.  "Onee-chan nailed him 
with the soulsword flat last night.  His mind's gonna be scrambled
up for quite some time to come.  Enough time to allow all the 
paperwork to be done to give Kasumi there full control over their
family's assets.  Once that's done, Shinshi could be inducted in as 
an adopted member of the family.  If they want, we could get the SCAA
involved since Shinshi IS an alien."

     "That's true," she sips her tea, then blinks confusedly.
"Would Nabiki be seen as that now?  What about Himiko and Mikiko?"

     "Hard to say.  I'll call Zed and ask his opinion about this soon
enough.  We..." he pauses, then shrugs.  "Well, we certainly don't
want to advertise that we have an easy way to give someone 
immortality."

     "How long do Avalonians live?" she perks.

     "Eight hundred to a thousand years."

     Ranma winces.  "Ai-cha...!!"

     A knock.  Both look as Karen peeks into the room.  "Gomen nasai,
Onii-chan, but Tokoro-san wants to talk to Onee-chan."

     Noting that an anxious-looking Yuka is now standing behind 
Karen, Ranma sighs.  "Right," she sets the tea aside, then stands.
"C'mon," she waves Akane's friend with her to the front porch.

     Karen watches them go, then blinks as Ataru comes up to her.  
Seeing the pensive look on his face, she flusters, then sighs.  "Do
you blame yourself for what happened on Miree-san's planet, 
Onii-chan?"

     He considers her question for a bit, then sighs.  "I'm not sure
what to think right now, Karen-chan," he reaches for her hands.  "On
the one hand, if the Staff didn't get the information about Lum's
death from me, it could've gotten it from somewhere else.  What 
could've happened then...?" his voice trails off, then he shrugs.
"Hard to predict, I guess."

     "But...?"

     "Well..." he shakes his head.  "I've been haunted by bad luck
for so long living in Tomobiki that..." he pauses, then stares 
heavenward.  "That when I came to live with you guys, the Fates that
were fooling around with my life couldn't stand the thought of me 
experiencing some good luck for a change.  So they..." he shrugs,
then shakes his head again.  "Damn..."

     "Onii-chan," Karen whispers as she embraces him...

*    *    *

     "So you're really a girl now?" Yuka asks.  "Everything
that Negako-san said about you last night is all true, right?"

     She and Ranma now stand on the front porch.  The latter is 
gazing at the bright sky over the Tokyo area, arms crossed.  "Yep,"
she nods, turning to gaze on Yuka.  "So why are you concerned
about what happens to me?"

     Yuka winces, then sighs.  "Akane-chan..." she begins, then 
sighs.  "Akane-chan cried about it last night.  About what Negako-san
said about you and Ataru-kun and all that..." her voice trails off,
then she hugs herself.  "In all the time I've known her, I've never
seen her that hurt."

     Ranma looks away.  "I'm sorry it had to come to this, then.  
But..." she takes a deep breath.  "If you think I'm going to do 
anything to try to reverse all this, Tokoro-san, you're wrong,"
she shakes her head.

     Yuka winces, then gazes pleadingly at her.  "She loves you!"

     A shudder races through Ranma on hearing Yuka's assertion,
then she closes her eyes.  "That's not going to change anything,
Yuka.  Nothing will now.  It was too late long before I ever met 
Akane."

     Yuka takes that in, then she looks at the patio deck.  "So 
you're running away, are you?" her voice is a hoarse whisper.

     Silence falls.  Yuka stares at the other woman, surprised
that her comment hadn't provoked Ranma's usual reaction to being 
referred to as anything less than brave.  A shudder races through
Yuka as she tries to determine what to say to make Ranma bend even
a little bit for Akane's sake, then she jolts as the other woman 
turns to face her.  "Is that all you can think of saying to me?" 
Ranma asks, the emotion slowly draining from her face.  "That just
because your friend is in love with me, *I* have to be the one who 
has to ALWAYS bend for her?  To make her happy, to make her feel 
content?  Well, what about MY happiness, Yuka?  What about my 
desires, my dreams?  Don't they count?  Didn't they EVER count?!"

     Yuka quakes as Ranma's piercing gaze seems to bore right into
her soul, then she takes a deep breath.  "You never gave her a 
chance!"

     Ranma slowly nods.  "I know."  She turns away from Yuka, leaning
against one of the pillars holding the roof up.  "I know."  A deep
breath, then she reaches up to rub the bridge of her nose.  "I 
know..."

     "Ranma..." Yuka blinks, then she walks over to place a hand on 
her shoulder.  "Why did you just give up?  Just..." she shakes her 
head.  "Just turned around and let this happen to you?  Surely,
there must've been some way to stay as a man even with this bond you
have with Ataru-kun..."

     "Maybe," Ranma reaches over to guide Yuka's hand away from her.

     Yuka takes a step back.  "Did you want to hurt her?"

     "Akane?"

     "Hai?"

     "No," Ranma shakes her head, then takes a deep breath.  
"Actually, Yuka, I..." she grimaces.  "I wanted to stop hurting
her, once it finally dawned on me how much I really WAS hurting
her.  But how the hell was I supposed to do that?" she shrugs.  
"Oyaji never wanted me to think for myself.  All Souun ever really
saw in me was the person who'd guarantee his family's so-called
'legacy.'  Mom was useless.  I had no friends to turn to for help.
My fiancees all had their own agendas.  Those who were helping them
out, like Cologne or Konatsu, couldn't really do anything..."
her voice trails off.  "And I just got so tired of it all, Yuka."

     "All the fighting?"

     "Yeah."

     Yuka blinks, then tries to smile.  "I guess it would get tiring.
I suppose none of us really appreciated how much all this was 
weighing you down.  You..." she bites her lip.  "You always seemed
to enjoy it."

     "Yeah, I did, didn't I?" Ranma smirks, then closes her eyes.

     "Please stay."

     Silence falls as Ranma seems to consider Yuka's plea, then she
sighs, pulling herself away from the pillar.  "No," she turns to gaze
on Yuka.  "Look.  You're Akane's friend.  And Akane's pretty 
fortunate to have you as her friend.  And I know you want to see her
happy.  But..." she pauses, then shakes her head.  "Look what just
happened.  As much as I was manipulated by Oyaji to do whatever
he wanted, Akane's dad manipulated her into doing whatever he wanted.
Akane doesn't deserve that, Yuka.  And as long as being with me 
appears to be an option for her, then all she's doing is moulding
her life to what her FATHER wanted of her, not what SHE wanted!
It's Akane's life in the end, Yuka, not Souun's!  What could possibly
happen next after what just happened to Nabiki, for Heaven's sake?!"

     "But Kasumi said that as of today, her father'll be thrown out
of the house and put into an asylum for what he did to Nabiki, 
Ranma..."

     "That's not enough," Ranma shakes her head.  "That's nowhere
close to enough, Yuka!  If I'm there, I take away Akane's freedom
of choice.  She sure as hell doesn't deserve something like that,
especially after all the crap we've been through.  There's..."
she stops, her fists quaking as she tries to force the words out, 
"...just too much damned baggage between us!  And..." she looks away,
closing her eyes.  "I don't love her anymore, Yuka.  And I don't WANT
to love her anymore.  It's over.  Let it be!"

     Yuka considers that, then sighs.  "She won't let it go."

     Ranma remains silent.  Yuka waits for her to say something,
then turns to walk off the property.  Stopping some distance from 
Ranma, she looks again at her.  Ranma turns back to the house.  "Go."

     Yuka stares at her, then bows.  "Thank you for all the good 
things you've done for my friend, Saotome-san," she intones, then 
turns to leave.

     Ranma remains still as Yuka walks through the gate, then takes
a deep breath.  "Thank you for being there for her now, Tokoro-san."

     "Onee-chan, are you okay?"

     She perks on seeing Karen standing before her, a concerned
look on the younger girl's face.  "She pleaded with me to stay with
Akane," Ranma explains as she steps into the living room.  "I told
her I couldn't."

     "I guess she really hasn't accepted you as a girl, much less you
falling in love with Onii-chan," Karen moderates, shrugging.

     "Yeah!" Ranma nods, her smile fading.  "How is he?"

     "Sleeping.  He cried because of those poor people on Phentax
Two, but..." Karen sighs.  "I guess he did most of his mourning
in Sanctuary."

     "Surprising," Ranma muses.  "Those people who died there 
would've though it a great victory if Ataru was the one who died."

     "Hai, that's true, isn't it?" Karen sniffs, then wipes her eyes.
"It's horrible, isn't it, Onee-chan?  All of us, thinking we're doing
the right thing in the end, but because we're so different..."

     "Yeah," the martial artist reaches over to squeeze the younger
girl's shoulder, then she heads off for her bedroom...

*    *    *

     Later...

     "...my son...!  Marry...!  Ranma-kun...!  He-he-he..."

     The paramedics ignore Souun's nonsensical babbling as they lift
his stretcher, carrying him out of the sitting room.  Standing
by the kitchen doors with Kasumi are Toofuu Ono and several members
of the Nerima district board, including the ward manager.  "Such a 
terrible thing to occur," he, a man in his mid-fifties, shakes his 
head.  "For so long, we believed your father was such an upstanding
member of the community.  Then..."

     A shudder steals his voice.  "Yes, it is unfortunate,"
Kasumi dabs her eyes.  "Much that I did my best to respect Father's
wishes, that he...!" she stiffens for a moment, then relaxes.  "Oh,
dear..."

     "Your sister is well?" one of the ward councillors asks.

     "Hai, she is.  She's resting now, as is our new brother,"
Kasumi nods, a smile slowly crossing her face as she gazes on her 
guests.  "Well, perhaps this'll turn out for the best.  All we have
to do to give Shinshi-chan some semblance of legitimacy, then we can
proceed from there."

     "Whatever help we can provide towards that end is yours for the
asking, Tendou-san," the ward manager vows, the councillors
bowing to Kasumi at the same time, then he asks, "But what of young
Saotome?"

     Kasumi perks.  "Ranma-chan?  Is there a problem, sir?"

     "Yes.  We've just heard that he has transferred out of Furinkan
High School, heading to another school somewhere in Kanagawa,"
the ward manager reports.  "Isn't there any way to persuade him to 
remain in Nerima?  After all, if he leaves..." his voice trails off
in ominous warning.

     "I'm afraid that's impossible, sir," Toofuu speaks up.  
"Saotome-hime, when she elected to break ties with her family as a 
way of putting an end to all her multiple engagements, petitioned
one of the highest courts in the country to aid her in that effort,
with the help of a family that has maintained very close ties with
the Imperial Household for a very long time.  I don't think any sort
of persuasion by anyone here in Nerima will force her to stay if she
chooses to live on Promised Island."

     "But what about Tendou-san's old master?" one of the councillors
frets.  "What of those Chinese Amazons?  What of that one fellow
who turns into that goat-monster who comes by from time to time?  
Who'll stop them when they decide to go on their next rampage?!
If Saotome leaves...!"

     "I personally think that's part of the reason Ranma-chan
has chosen to leave," Kasumi cuts in, a disapproving frown crossing
her face.

     "I agree with that, Kasumi-san," Toofuu nods.

     The Nerima councillors are speechless.  "B-but, S-sensei...!"
one sputters.  "Who'll stop all the fights, for heaven's sake?!"

     "There are people willing to help out in matters like this,"
Toofuu holds up a reassuring hand.  "I suggest we simply leave 
Saotome-hime be and wish her the best from now on.  If there is a 
problem, it will be dealt with.  Now, gentlemen, I suggest we allow
Kasumi-san and her family a chance to recover from what happened
last night and this morning."

     "I...!" the ward manager blinks, then nods.  "Yes, Sensei,
you are in the right.  Please excuse us, Tendou-hime," he bows to 
Kasumi.

     They turn to leave when a knock echoes at the doorway.  Everyone
turns to see Miree standing there, an overnight bag in hand.  "Ah,
Miree-sama, please, come in!" Kasumi brightens on seeing the alien
priestess.

     The other visitors perk on seeing Miree's ears.  "You're an 
alien!" the ward manager gapes, then quickly composes himself.
"Er, pardon me, madame, but aren't people like supposed to be in 
Tomobiki?"

     Miree looks indifferently at him.  "That restriction,
as I recall, only applies to citizens of the various member 
planet-states of the Galactic Federation.  My citizenship was 
stripped from me when I was accused by the government of my homeworld
of gross heresy.  Since I -- along with my children -- are, in 
effect, stateless, I'm sure your planet's Special Committee on Alien
Activities would allow us to reside wherever we so choose."  A 
beautiful smile then crosses her face, one which causes the other
visitors, even Kasumi and Toofuu, to hang off every word she says.
"And seeing that Nerima-ku IS such a beautiful part of this ancient
land of yours, why should I NOT choose it as a future home?"

     "I..." the ward manager stutters, then his heart nearly freezes
as Miree's deep eyes lock on his.  "Ah...!" he composes himself,
then bows gracefully to the alien priestess.  "I apologize, 
Ojou-sama, for making such a presumption in the first place.  Please,
feel most welcome here."

     "I accept your welcome with gracious thanks," Miree nods in 
return.

     With that, the representatives from the ward office leave.  As 
soon as they've filed through the gate, Kasumi gazes curiously
on the Niphentaxian priestess.  "Miree-sama, what WAS that you just
did to us?!"

     "Some sort of broadcast empathic wave, I think..." Toofuu muses.

     "You're quite correct, Doctor," Miree nods, placing the 
overnight bag on the floor.  "It's an inherited ability all 
Avalonians possess."

     "All...?" Kasumi blinks.  "Then Nabiki-chan and Shinshi-chan..."

     "Have it as well, yes," Miree nods.  "That is why I've come here
now.  Both your brother and your sister will need to learn how to 
properly master their new powers.  I don't believe you'd want either
of them to psionically bond themselves with an unsuspecting
stranger by accident, much less force Shinshi-kun into a premature
relationship with young Yotsuba-chan, ne?"

     "Psionic bond?" Toofuu blinks, then his eyes widen.  "Like what
happened to Ataru-kun and Ranma-chan when they were children?"

     "Exactly.  The same type of bond, to be precise," Miree then 
raises her hand.  "And before either of you ask, no, I've no idea how
to sever the bond between them."  She lowers her hand.  "Besides,
from what I could sense of them, Ataru and Ranma seem willing to let
things be."

     "Understandable, I suppose," Toofuu nods, then blinks as 
footsteps herald the arrival of a certain would-be detective.
"Oh, Yotsuba-chan!"

     "Are they alright?" Kasumi asks.

     "Hai, Shi-chama and Na-chama are all checky!  Akane-san's
all checky, too; Yotsuba thinks Akane-san'll need a day off after
what happened this morning," Yotsuba holds up a measuring tape.  
"Yotsuba's gonna go to a nice boy's shop to get Shi-chama some 
clothes.  Yotsuba doesn't think Shi-chama wants to walk around in 
magical clothes Chikage-chan whipped up for him."

     "Well, if you need some money..." Kasumi offers.

     Yotsuba shakes her head.  "It's checky!  Yotsuba's got loads
of money to spend for Shi-chama.  Best thing about being related
to someone like Grandmama.  Anyhow, Yotsuba'll be back to check on 
Shi-chama soon!"

     "Have a good time, dear," Miree smiles as the younger girl 
leaves.

     "Oh, my," Kasumi covers her mouth, a knowing grin crossing
her face.  "She's really infatuated with Shinshi-chan, isn't she?"

     "Her attraction for him's like Hito-Phentax in sunstorm season,"
Miree smiles.  "I think I came just in time.  I don't believe anyone
would approve of the poor dear becoming pregnant so soon in life."

     Kasumi pales as Miree's warning sinks in.  "Oh, MY!!!"

     A knock is heard.  "Hey!!  Boss, you in here somewhere?!"

     "Who...?" Toofuu blinks.

     "One of Nabiki's friends!" Kasumi smiles.  "Come in, 
Chieko-chan!!"

     Into the living room walks a second-year student with beautiful
amethyst eyes and rusty-red hair shaggily styled to her shoulders,
a bookbag in hand.  Chieko Fujii, one of several students at Furinkan
who worked as Nabiki's assistants, was a member of Akane's class.
"Ohayou gozaimasu, Kasumi-san...!  Ara?!  Ah, Toofuu-sensei!!"
she beams on seeing the chiropractor.  "The Boss told me you finally
decided to come back..." her voice suddenly trails off as her eyes
focus on the third person in the room.  "Who...?" she gives the 
Tendou matriarch a curious look.

     "A new friend of ours from very far away, Chieko-san,"
Akane answers as she steps into the sitting room, she in relaxed
clothing.  "Did Hinako-sensei send you here?  Yuka-chan made it back
to school on time?"

     "Ah...!" Chieko flusters.  "W-well, I came here as soon as I 
heard from Yuka-san that something really weird happened to you guys
today!  She hasn't explained any details to anyone and Sensei was 
curious..."

     "That, Chieko-chan, is the understatement of the century,"
Kasumi gives the younger girl a pained look, then glances at Akane.

     "Got that right," the youngest of the Tendou daughters moan.

     "Eh?!" Chieko perks.

     "I think, Kasumi-san, it's best you make some tea," Miree 
proposes, gazing knowingly at Kasumi, then she turns to Chieko.
"This whole matter will take some time to explain to Nabiki-san's
girlfriend."

     "Yes, that does seem best!" Kasumi turns to the kitchen.

     As people proceed to the sitting room table, Chieko stares at 
Miree, an icy chill warping through her heart.  *How does she 
know...?!* Akane's classmate mentally shrieks, she trying not to 
shiver...

*    *    *

     "So you won't be coming back to school?"

     "I'm not too sure about that, Sensei," Seiko Izumo shrugs as she
and Sakiko enjoy a cup of tea with Sakura in the nurse's office at 
Tomobiki High School.  "Much that I'd personally love to come back
here and try to fit in again..." she shrugs, glancing out the window.

     "You're afraid that you might slip and someone might recognize
you as Lum," the nurse/priestess finishes, a knowing grin crossing
her face.

     "Hai," Seiko nods.  "Besides, Darling doesn't come here anymore.
It just would..." a faint shrug twitches her shoulders, "...just
wouldn't feel the same as it did before this all started.  And I 
don't think he'd really like me following him to whatever school
he might be attending now."

     "You never really seem to concern yourself with whatever he was
thinking beforehand," Sakura points out.  "Save for when he decided
to go chase girls or verbally object to you two being 'married.'"

     "I know," the woman who was once, in part, Lum Redet nods.  "And
that was part of the main problem between Darling and I, Sensei."

     "If only you really noticed it before you got booted off the 
planet, ne, Sei-chan?" Sakiko gives her sister a knowing smile.

     "Hai, Saki-chan, if only I did," Seiko nods, gazing nowhere
in particular.  "Then again, even if I did notice it, there is that
bond between Darling and that other girl he's with now."

     Sakura blinks.  "What bond?!  What girl's he with?!"

     "Some sort of psionic bond, a real passive one, between Darling
and a girl named Ranma Saotome, from over in Nerima," Sakiko 
explains.

     The nurse's jaw drops in shocked disbelief.  "Ranma...?!
Saotome?!  Sakiko, you must be mistaken!  Ranma-san's a boy, not a 
girl!"

     The two Nendo-kata shake their heads.  "Ranma might have been
a boy at birth.  She isn't that now, Sensei," Seiko warns.

     Sakura takes that in, then titters, covering her mouth.  "What's
so funny, Sensei?!" Sakiko's eyebrow arches.

     "I...!" Sakura sets her cup aside, then takes a moment to 
collect herself.  "Oh, that is SO ironic!" she shakes her head.  "To
believe that a woman-crazed man like Ataru Moroboshi would actually
be bonded, mind to mind, with another MAN!!  Especially one like 
Ranma Saotome!  It..." she stifles back a laugh.  "Oh, the gods MUST
have a sense of humour if they actually let something like THAT 
happen!!  Indeed...!"

     She snickers.  Seiko tries not to scream out, much less drop a 
rock, at Sakura for the nurse's continued dismissal of Ataru as a 
genuinely good person.  Even as Lum, Seiko knew that most people
in Tomobiki felt little if any good thoughts when it came to her 
Darling.  Indeed, reflecting on it now, one of the reasons Lum wanted
to get married to Ataru as soon as possible was so she could pull him
away from this place, take him somewhere where he wouldn't be sneered
at, spat upon or treated like so much garbage.  Even if Ataru's
behaviour wasn't often the least bit excusable, the fact that his 
friends, schoolmates and even his own FAMILY...

     Seiko catches herself, then nods thanks on feeling a hand 
squeeze of warm support from Sakiko.  Well, at least the family part
had finally been dealt with.  Ataru's parents were gone and he now 
lived with thirteen very devoted sisters, people who cared very much
for him and his future.

     And then, there is Ranma.

     Ranma...

     "What do you know about her, Sensei?"

     "About who?" Sakura asks.

     "Ranma-san?"

     "Ranma Saotome?" the nurse muses, then shrugs.  "Not really
that much.  All I know of him comes from what the gossips in Nerima
say about hi-...!" she catches herself.  "Excuse me, 'her.'"

     "And that is?" Seiko asks...

*    *    *

     Sometime later, the Izumo twins step out of Tomobiki High, 
heading back to the apartment building they currently shared with 
Yukimi Kitahara, her lover and her four sister Avalonians.  Giving
Lum's old homeroom a brief glance, Seiko takes a deep breath.  Sakiko
watches her, a light smile on her face.  "You can't wish for things
to go back to the way they were, Sei-chan," she shakes her head.  
"Too much has changed.  WAY too much!"

     "I know, I know!" Seiko nods, then throws up her arms.  "But 
what in the Mother's name could it be, Saki-chan?!  I can understand
the part about Darling wanting to leave Tomobiki!  Why would he risk
losing or alienating what family he has left if he let the people
here get to them?!  But..." she shakes her head.  "Why?!  Why's he so
mad at ME?!  I know I did a lot of stupid things when I was with him!
I know that, Saki-chan!  But he said when I left that he actually
would've WANTED a chance to love me!!"

     "Yeah, yeah," Sakiko reaches down to squeeze Seiko's hand.  
"Well, we'll probably learn that sooner or later, ne?  'Sides, I know
for a fact that you're also pretty upset that there's now another
girl who's sinking her claws into Darling and there's nothing you can
really do about it!"

     Seiko shudders, then deflates.  "Hai, that's true...!  Eh?!"

     She stops, her eyes glowing.  "What?!" Sakiko gazes on her, then
extends her own powers out to lock in on what Seiko now sensed.
"Oh, blessed Mother..." she breathes in.  "It can't be!!"

     "It IS!!!  C'mon!!" Seiko bounds into the sky, using her 
telekinesis to propel her straight for the old Moroboshi home.

     Sakiko gasps as her sister flies off, then grunting, leaps off
after her.  "Wait for me, Sei-chan!!" she screams out.

     In a New York minute, the Izumo sisters land on the front law of
the two-floor edifice Ataru once called home.  Gazing towards her 
Darling's old bedroom, Seiko grimaces, then runs to the front door.
Feeling it locked, she snarls as a telekinetic cutting bolt shatters
the lock, then she races inside.  Sakiko is hot on her sister's
heels as Seiko lunges up to the bedroom door.  Flinging the door 
open, she looks inside, then stops, her eyes nearly shooting out of 
her head on seeing who lay within.

     "Mother!!"

     Sakiko squeezes past her sister, then looks herself before her
jaw hits the floor.  "I...!" she shakes her head, then a wry grin 
crosses her face as she gazes on Seiko.  "Gee, Sei-chan!  I don't
recall either your dad or mine ever mentioning to us that we had twin
sisters!"

     "Much less Benten and Oyuki..." Seiko returns her look, then 
tenses on sensing who else had come with the four doppelgangers
now passed out on the floor by the open closet doors.  "No...!"
her eyes lock on a miniature cryostasis chamber between the ersatz
Lum and the ersatz Benten, it now containing the body of a young Oni
boy.  "Oh, Mother, no!!  TEN-CHAN!!!!"

     Seiko races over to kneel beside the glass tube, fighting
back a sudden surge of nausea on seeing the hideously scarred,
sickly skin of her beloved cousin's face and body.  A quick glance
at the chamber's control unit reveals that Ten-chan is in perfect
stasis, his bodily functions frozen solid until such time as he could
be freed.  Preferably in a well-equipped medical centre, Seiko 
grimaces as she turns to her Oni-self's replica.  "Hey, wake up!!"
she jostles the other woman.  "Hey!!!"

     A pained groan escapes her, then her eyes flutter as she turns
to face her questioner.  "Tcha..." she mutters in a perfect rendition
of Lum's accented voice.  "Please..." she tries to focus on Seiko.
"Help us...!" a hand reaches over to grasp the Nendo-kata's
shoulder.  "Find Darling..."

     The energy drains from her as she passes out anew.  Seiko 
blinks, then stares wide-eyed at Sakiko.  The latter shrugs...

*    *    *

     "Onee-sama, you've got a pair of visitors!"

     Ranma looks up from cleaning one of her new eunuch's blades,
Et'a Yekaechsuch-at', to see Sakuya at the doorway.  Ataru himself
is busy doing a field stripping of his preferred distance weapon,
a musket-like firearm from the planet Yehisril called a qu'f-piaqu'r.
"Who?!" Ranma asks.

     "Your okonomiyaki-lover, plus I think her father, too," Sakuya
gives her brother's girlfriend a warning look, nodding to the front
door.

     "Right," Ranma nods, exchanging a knowing look with Ataru.

     He nods, moving to reassemble his musket's breechblock.
"Get the girls somewhere out of sight," he gazes on Sakuya.

     "Hai," the eldest of the sisters nods, heading off.

     Ranma stands, running a cloth over Yekaechsuch to clear away the
last of the cleaning oil, then straightening her chemise, heads out,
the sharp alien sword in hand.  Stepping into the living room, she 
notices a pensive-looking Ukyou standing by the door.  Beside her is
a barrel-chested man about the same size as Genma, he dressed like
his "son" in an okonomiyaki-ya's gi and trousers, a big battle 
spatula slung over his back.  The look on his face tells Ranma 
plenty.  "Ohayou, Kuonji-san," she nods lightly at Ukyou, then gazes
impassionately at her companion.  "I assume this must be your father.
Forgive me, sir, for not recognizing you at once."

     A tremble warps through Haruka Kuonji's body as he senses the 
lack of any proper show of respect coming his way from Ranma, then
he glares at Ukyou.  The younger Kuonji tries not to wilt, then she
reaches into her top to draw out a folded pile of papers.  "What's
this all about, Ran-chan?"

     "I assume you got those from the Court of Special Appeals,"
Ranma blinks, staring at Ukyou, then her father.

     "We did," Haruka snarls, taking a step towards the redhead.
"I'm not sure what sort of pathetic game you're trying to play with
my child, boy, but if you think you're going to get away with this,
you're wrong!"  He aims a finger at Ranma.  "You WILL marry my child,
boy!  You will marry her and forget all this nonsense about you 
declaring yourself a girl or trying to separate yourself from your
honourless fool parents!!"

     All emotion drains from Ranma's face as she returns Haruka's
look.  "To believe that a decent person like Ukyou was born from a 
gutless, blind coward like you," her voice turns frigid, the steel
in her eyes promising very great pain if the older chef tries 
something.  Ignoring Haruka's trembling lip and quivering forehead,
she continues.  "It sure as hell should've sunk into whatever serves
as your brain the day your family met mine.  You actually, really
TRUSTED a thieving fool like Genma Saotome to honour an engagement
between your daughter and myself?!"  She shakes her head.  "Well,
if you're THAT much of a gutless, blind coward, I pity Ukyou then!
It might explain why the hell you forced her into acting as a boy for
ten whole friggin' years, instead of doing the honourable thing and
acknowledging that YOU were at fault for trusting Genma at all!!"

     "HOW DARE YOU...?!!" Haruka roars as he lunges at Ranma, his 
hand snapping back for his battle spatula...

     ...then he screams out as Yekaechsuch's sharp tip rips through
his right cheek, snapping Haruka's head towards Ukyou.  His spatula
is caught by the sharp end of a naginata, the honed blade slicing
through the handle with ease.  As the spatula's parts drop to the 
floor, the naginata's blunt end catches him in the back of the knees,
tripping him onto his backside.  Before he could recover, the 
naginata's edge jabs his throat just as his eyes lock on Ranma, she
now holding Yekaechsuch's tip at Ukyou's throat.  The younger chef
is staring at her ex-fiancee, a mixture of surprise and sad 
resignation flashing deep in her eyes.  She has not tried to reach
for either her battle spatula or the throwing spats slung across
her chest.

     "Anegimi-sama, is this uncultured barbarian threatening
you?!"

     Ranma glances left to see Ataru's sister Haruka standing over
Ukyou's fallen father, the determined look on her face speaking
volumes to all.  "He presumes to dictate terms to me, Haruka-chan,
but he is certainly no threat at all to me.  What do you think should
be done with him?"

     "Well, perhaps he should be shown the folly of his ways?"

     "Perhaps," Ranma gazes on Ukyou's father.

     "Pardon us, but are we interrupting something here, child?"

     "Oh, Elder Kun-lon, Kamekichi-san, ohayou gozaimasu!" Haruka
smiles on seeing Cologne and Tampopo standing on the front porch.

     Both newcomers quickly glance over the Kuonjis, drawing all the
necessary conclusions.  "Your father, I assume," Cologne gazes on 
Ukyou, casting a dispassionate nod towards Haruka Kuonji.

     Ukyou nods.  Her father turns to gazes on the newcomers,
then his eyes focus on the diminutive Nyu-che-zuu elder.  "You must
be the great-grandmother of that tramp who...!" his voice melts into
a shocked gasp as Haruka's naginata jabs anew into his throat, this
time drawing blood.

     "Well, you were certainly right about one thing, Haruka-chan,"
Ranma ruefully shakes her head, gently lowering Yekaechsuch
from Ukyou's throat, though the younger chef is quick to realize
that the blade could be snapped back up in the flash of an eye.  "An
uncultured barbarian, indeed!  Doesn't for an instant recognize
how much has been done for him and his family!"

     "Pity," Cologne sneers.

     "Some people are so bull-headed," Tampopo shakes her head.

     "Got that right," Ranma turns to Ukyou.  "You've been given 
every chance in the world to walk away from this.  Your dowry has 
been returned to you.  The man who ultimately caused you all your 
pain is dead.  His crime against your family is now known to the 
proper authorities.  And with my becoming a girl, a relationship
between us would have no legal standing here."  She takes a step 
towards the chef.  "Far as I can see, you've got no reasons to 
complain anymore, Kuonji-san..." her eyes cast down to Haruka Kuonji,
"...save for the fact that this slime you call a father doesn't
seem to give a damn about all the crap you've lived through since
the day years ago when we were forced apart by Genma's greed."  She
turns to back to Ukyou.  "So what's it going to be, Ukyou?  Friend
or fiancee?"

     Slipping Yekaechsuch into her left hand, she extends her right.
Ukyou shudders, her eyes glancing towards her father, then she 
reaches out.  Gently grasping Ranma's hand, Ukyou pulls the latter
towards her.  As soon as they are within easy reach of the other,
Ukyou takes Ranma's hand and allows it to slip into her tunic.  
Ranma's eyes widen as her fingers brush past a hard point somewhere
close to Ukyou's heart.  They remain frozen for a moment, then Ukyou
allows Ranma to draw her hand away.  The redhead takes a step back,
staring at her hand, then she glances anew at Ukyou.

     "That's because of you, Ran-chan," Ukyou sniffs, tears streaming
down her cheeks.  "I can't shut what I feel off, Ran-chan.  None of 
us can, you know!  Not Akane, not Shampoo, not Kodachi..." she sniffs
again.  "Not me.  I love you, Ran-chan.  I really do.  Please, why is
it so wrong for me to feel that way for you?  Alright, you're a girl!
So what?!  I'm legally a guy!  I've lived this way for a decade!
I can live that way for the rest of my life if I have to!  We can 
still get married, Ran-chan!  I'll love you no matter which way you
are!  You know that, don't you?!"

     Silence.  Ranma stares at Ukyou, then closes her eyes for a 
moment before lowering the hand that had felt the latter's breast.
She then looks at Ukyou's father before turning back to the younger
chef.  "What I don't know is this, U-chan," a light smile crosses
her face.  "Is that really you talking to me...?" her smile drops
as she glares balefully at Haruka Kuonji, "...or is it ultimately
you parroting whatever he says?!"

     Ukyou blinks, glancing at her father, then on feeling Ranma 
gazing on her, winces.  She doesn't return her look.  "Gomen, 
Ran-chan..."

     "She appears trapped, does she not, Ane-kun?"

     Ranma turns to see Chikage and Sakuya standing by the hallway
leading to the kitchen.  Glancing at Haruka Kuonji, Ranma frowns.
"Hai, Chikage-chan, that she does.  Hibaa-chan, paralyse this dork,
please!"  Before the older chef could react, a strike at a shiatsu
point by Cologne's cane cuts off controls between his brain and his
body.  Seeing that, Ranma nods.  "I don't want Haruka-chan's
blade sullied by his coward's blood!"

     Haruka draws back, she moving to stand beside her sisters.
Ranma then walks over to stand beside Ukyou.  Seeing that, Sakuya
calls out, "Onii-sama!!  Could you come in here, please?!"  Winking
at Ranma, she then adds, "And bring your friend with you!  Your BIG
friend!!"

     "Hai, just a sec'!" Ataru calls back.

     Silence falls for a moment, then footsteps herald Ataru's 
entrance into the sitting room.  Lying at rest on his right shoulder
is his qu'f-piaqu'r.  In his free hand are several shotgun-like
shells, ammunition for the alien-built weapon whose name in Yehisrite
means "fire stick."  Seeing *that,* the frozen Haruka Kuonji pales.
Ukyou's eyes go wide, then she jolts on feeling Ranma's hand firmly
grasp hers.  Ataru stops in a spot between his sisters and the frozen
okonomiyaki chef, then turns back to Sakuya.  "So what's all this 
about, Sakuya-chan?"

     "Oh, a pretty complex problem here, Onii-sama," Sakuya walks
up to stand beside him, gazing balefully at Ukyou's father.  "You 
see, poor Ukyou-san there got the notice from the Court of Special
Appeals about what's happened to Onee-sama, but her father here..."
she waves to Haruka Kuonji, "...doesn't seem to want to accept what's
happened."

     "Has he now," Ataru blinks, then turns to Ranma.  "So he came
here to try to force you into marrying his daughter, right?"

     "Hai, Anata, though right now, I think U-chan here's still 
legally a boy," Ranma lets go of Ukyou's hand, walking over to join
Ataru.

     "'ANATA?!?!'"

     Both Kuonjis had uttered that shout.  Ranma turns to Ukyou,
then slips an arm around Ataru's as he proceeds to load his musket.
"Yes, 'Anata.'  Ataru here is my boyfriend, soon to be my fiance.
A fiance, by the way, that **I** chose," the smile slips from her 
face as a hissing growl enters her voice.  "Not Genma Saotome.
Not Nodoka Saotome.  Not Souun Tendou.  And certainly not Haruka
Kuonji.  From this day on, I AND I ALONE will choose my future,
Ukyou!  No one else but me!!"

     "THEN KILL HIM!!!!"

     Ukyou gasps, spinning on her father.  Cologne moves to jab the
fool's throat silent, but a stern wave of Tampopo's hand holds the 
Nyu-che-zuu elder back.  Ranma quickly shifts herself to block any 
advance from Ukyou.  Sakuya and Haruka tense.  Chikage is as stony
as ever.  Ataru remains quite calm, though his thumb slowly pulls
the qu'f-piaqu'r's hammer to the "ready" position.  "D-dad...?!"
Ukyou sputters, glancing at Ataru before turning back to her father,
then she turns to Ranma.  "Ran-chan..."

     "Kill him!!" Haruka snaps.  "And if this *girl*..." he sneers
at Ranma, "...refuses to acknowledge what honour demands of *her,*
kill her, too!  She's hurt you enough, Ukyou!!  Make her marry you or
kill her!!"

     Silence falls.  Ukyou is frozen in place, glancing at her 
father, then Ranma, then Ataru, back to her father, then no where
in particular.  "I...!" Ukyou's voice freezes up, then she looks at 
Ranma.  "Ran-chan..."

     "Walk out of the trap, U-chan," Ranma smiles, raising 
Yekaechsuch to rest on her shoulder.  "I did it.  Ataru did it, too.
So can you."

     Haruka Kuonji glares at his child.  "Ukyou, if you do not do 
what I say, then you are no longer my child!!" he snarls.

     "Oh, my!  That sounds like child abandonment, doesn't it?"

     Eyes lock on Haruka Tenhiro.  "Yes, Haruka-chan, it does," 
Sakuya sagely nods.  "Don't you agree, Chikage-chan?  Elder?  
Tampopo-san?"

     Chikage and Tampopo nod.  "That it does," Cologne then glances
at Ataru.  "And what is the Zephyrite punishment for child 
abandonment?"

     Ataru sighs, raising the qu'f-piaqu'r to his shoulder as he 
lowers the muzzle at the heart of Ukyou's father.  "Death," he evenly
replies.

     "NO!!!!"

     Ukyou moves to stand in the path of the alien musket.  Ranma
lunges over, jabbing a point on the chef's back to lock her legs in 
place, then she yanks Ukyou back from falling flat on her face.  
Seeing that, her father pales as the realization dawns on him that
THIS time, he wasn't going to get his way -- and that he might soon
pay for his determination to avenge Genma's crime with HIS life!  "I
suggest you reconsider your position, Kuonji-san," Tampopo warns.
"If you take a good look into Ataru-chan's eyes, you'll notice 
they're marksmen's eyes.  The eyes of a man who has killed many times
in the last while.  Do you really believe you'll be able to avoid
being disintegrated if he decides to kill you?"

     Haruka nearly gags on his bile.  "Ataru-kun, please, DON'T!!!"
Ukyou pleads, then glances at Ranma.  "Ran-chan, make him stop!!
Please!!!"

     "Not until he answers one question, Kuonji-san," Ataru holds
up an objecting finger, then he stares at Haruka Kuonji.  "Why?"

     "Wh-why...?" the older chef sputters.

     "Yeah!  Why force your daughter through TEN YEARS of being what
she's not, all to make up for YOUR stupid mistake?!" Ataru snarls,
then glances at Tampopo.  "Tampopo-chan, correct me if I'm wrong,
but when a dowry is offered up as part of a marriage pact, it's to 
the bridegroom's FATHER that the dowry is handed to before the 
wedding takes place?"

     "Yes, that's right," Tampopo nods.

     "So if Genma disposed of the dowry without any intent whatsoever
of giving same to his child, much less not even bothering to TELL his
child about the engagement -- much less the dowry -- doesn't that 
mean the engagement itself has no legal standing?" Ataru's eyebrow
arches.

     "Yes, people could agree to that."

     "I do not!!" Ukyou's father snarls.  "Ranma recovered the 
dowry!"

     "And returned it, after it was properly repaired and refurbished
AT RANMA-CHAN'S EXPENSE, to its rightful owner," Tampopo indicates
Ukyou.

     "Besides, the person that dowry was meant for no longer exists,"
Ranma adds.  "I am NO LONGER Genma or Nodoka Saotome's son.  And if 
you refuse to acknowledge that, well..." she shrugs.  "You're in 
contempt of court, buster.  The highest family court in the land.
And nothing will save you from that court's reach if you keep this
up, Kuonji-san."

     Haruka moves to retort, then gags, his skin sallowing on seeing
Ataru take a step towards him, the muzzle of the qu'f-piaqu'r
looming very large in his field of vision.  Ranma turns to Ukyou.
"Let it go, U-chan!" she presses the shiatsu point to unlock her 
friend's legs, walking around the chef to stare into her face.  
"Why?!  Why are you letting this gutless bastard get away with 
putting you through this shit, U-chan?!  Why?!!"

     Ukyou stares pleadingly at Ranma.  "Ran-chan, please..."

     "WHY, U-chan?!!"

     "He...!" her eyes fall on her father's, then she shakes her 
head.  "He'll take it all away from me...!  If I couldn't...!
I can't...!"

     "Fine," Ataru grimaces, bracing his body as his finger curls
around the musket's trigger.  "He won't live long enough to do 
anything to you."

     Cologne and Tampopo clear the field of fire.  "NO!!!!" Ukyou
screams out, then gasps as Ataru backpedals, swinging the musket
to lock on her.

     "Well, what's it gonna be?!" Ranma suddenly appears behind 
Haruka, swinging Yekaechsuch down to allow the eunuch's blade to rest
on his throat.  "Are you going to renounce this whole farce AND 
accept your daughter back AS your daughter...?  Or do I have my lover
kill her?!"

     His eyes go wide as the sharp blade presses into his throat.
"Ran-chan, no...!!" Ukyou shifts herself to force Ranma away from her
father, then screams as a metre-long bayonet erupts from a projector
slung under the qu'f-piaqu'r's muzzle.  Shuddering as the blade's
heat scalds her bare neck, she shakily turns to Ataru.  Haruka has 
moved to her brother's side, holding up her naginata to block the 
chef's escape.  "Pl-please..."

     "We're very sorry, Ukyou-san," Haruka looks apologetic.
"But none of us will stand idly by and allow Anegimi-sama's
life to be continually disrupted like it's been since she first came
to Nerima.  Besides..." she spares her brother a glance, "...we've
known from the start that Anegimi-sama's destiny is to marry 
Anigimi-sama.  And no one will be allowed to interfere in that, not
from here in Nerima, nor from Tomobiki."

     Ukyou shudders, then gazes at Ataru.  He remains still for a 
moment, then asks, "Remember what I told you in the park?"

     She blinks, then nods.  "You said your family could help me,"
she sniffs.  "Because in your eyes, what happened to me was child
abuse."

     "Yes," he nods.

     Ukyou looks away.  Ataru shuts off his weapon's electro-bayonet,
then draws back.  Haruka lowers her naginata.  The chef stares 
curiously at them, then turns to her father.  A glance up at Ranma,
then she takes a deep breath.  "Father, Genma and Ranma Saotome
are dead," she unslings her battle spatula, letting it rest on the 
floor.  "You have what you wanted."

     "No, I do not!!" the older chef snaps.  "Ranma's right here!!"
his eyes fall on the redhead holding the sword at his throat.

     "No," Ukyou shakes her head.  "On Sunday night, when he was 
finally cornered by the authorities, Genma stated he neither had son
or daughter."

     "That does NOT matter!!!" Haruka thunders.  "You will do as 
you're told or you will no longer be my child!!  Do you understand
me?!!  You will never be allowed to practice the Art again!!!  
Never!!!  NEVER!!!!"

     "Fine, then.  If Ukyou-chan agrees, she'll be MY apprentice."

     Ukyou stares wide-eyed at the person who just spoke up for her.
Haruka's eyes spin around to stare at Tampopo.  "You have no right!!"

     "Correction, boy!" the other chef sneers.  "I've every right
in the world to take anyone on as my apprentice!  And since you did
such a nice job training her, I won't have to do much work to expand
her knowledge and let her evolve into what she CAN be."  Her face 
then melts into an emotionless mask.  "And do be assured of this,
Kuonji:  you will get no victory from this evening!  Do you HONESTLY
believe that we're not going to let you go before we make DAMN sure
you can't do a THING to hurt Ukyou?!"

     "The courts could charge you with both child abandonment
and child abuse," Ranma adds.  "Everything you decide concerning
U-chan would be ignored.  Her family name?  She can keep it.  Her 
career?  Same thing.  And as for you?" she snorts.  "Your life'd
be dragged into the gutter.  If you tried to attack U-chan or 
Tampopo-chan, YOU'D be the one who'd suffer for it!  After they 
pounded you into the dirt, the courts'd throw you into jail and your
whole life'd be screwed to the END of your life!!"  Shaking her head,
she stands up, then steps away from him, keeping Yekaechsuch
aimed in his direction as she moves to stand beside Ataru.  "So 
what's it going to be?  Are you going to wise up finally and accept
what's happened?  Or are you going to be as much a blind fool as 
Genma and Soon were?"

     Haruka glares at her, then turns to Ukyou.

     "Do what I told you."

     Ukyou remains in place, then squeezes her eyes shut.

     "DO IT!!!" Haruka bellows.

     Silence.

     "Tampopo-sensei?"

     Tampopo perks.  "What is it, Ukyou-chan?"

     "If you and the Elder there don't mind, drag that jackass'
carcass out of this house," Ukyou stares balefully at the man at her
new teacher's feet, he now staring in disbelief at her.  "I don't
think Ataru-kun's sisters'd appreciate me spreading blood all over
their floor."

     "Alright, then," Tampopo nods.

     Before Haruka could fire a response at his traitorous child,
a finger taps his throat to silence his larynx.  "You, boy, have no 
right to speak to anyone in this house anymore," Cologne icily 
intones.

     He moans, his eyes still flashing defiance.  "One more thing,"
Haruka Tenhiro claps her hands three times.  "Jinseiko-san!"

     A flash reveals the leader of the Kuromoroboshi, now kneeling
beside the raven-haired woman's feet.  "You summoned me, Young 
Mistress?"

     "Please have your girls remove this uncouth barbarian from our
land when Ukyou-san finishes pummelling him for his stupidity,"
Haruka indicates Ukyou's father with a dismissive finger.  
"Preferrably in a place far from Tokyo.  Also ensure that he remains
paralysed for the remainder of the day.  I'm sure by this evening,
our friends in the Court of Special Appeals will have removed his 
parental rights concerning his daughter."

     "Of course, Young Mistress," Jinseiko bows.

     Haruka Kuonji moans...

*    *    *

To be continued...


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