(Scene:  SKJAM!'s study.  The fire has burnt down, and both SKJAM! and 
Kira are sleeping in their easy chairs.  She's using a P-chan doll as a 
pillow.  Suddenly, an alarm rings, and the wizard starts awake.)

SKJAM!:  Kasumi-chan, come back!  Uh?  Oh!  Hey, Kira, wake up, the fic 
is back on.

Kira (yawning):  Oh well, your dream was getting really hentai anyways.  
(Blinks.)  Say, did you know you look a lot like Gendou Ikari?

SKJAM!:  I most certainly do not.  (Pushes his glasses up the bridge of 
his nose.)

Kira:  If you say so.  On with the fic.


On Tue, 30 Sep 1997, Robert Morrison wrote:

And now...we return to Onna: Red Side...

SKJAM!:  And about time!

	Act Four: Putting the "War" in "War Preparations"

Kira:o/~We did it before and we can do it again ~\o

	Chapter 18: Parting of the Ways

SKJAM!:  I thought everyone said they were staying.

	The mood in the palace's war room was tense and somber. Assembled were 

the 

Prince, the two Gurus, the three Magic Knights, the five warriors from
Nerima, Lantis and Primera, Mokona, Presea, and several of the Prince's
chiefs and retainers.

Kira:  o/~And a partridge in a pear tree~\o

	"Okay," Ferio began, "what do we know about the incident in Bima?"

SKJAM!:  We?  Very little.  Me?  Plenty.

	"Very little, Your Highness," said one guard.  "So far the only thing we
can determine is that magic was not responsible."

Kira:  Magic has an airtight alibi.

	Ferio's eyes widened, as did Clef's. "No magic? But...nothing else could
cause that..."
	Cologne frowned. "Except technology."

SKJAM!: Or psionics, right, Officer Midori?

Kira:  Right you are!

	Everyone from Cephiro blinked at her. She sighed. "Our world's magic is
subdued. Our civilizations tend to thrive on machines built by mankind..."
	"Mashins?" Clef asked. Cologne smacked herself in the forehead.

SKJAM!:  OOC.  She would smack *him* in the forehead.

	"No, no...don't misunderstand me. In our world, we create things that 

help 

us tame our world. Some of them are small, some are large; some are simple,
and some are complex."

Kira:  Some make sense, others are like this story.

	The Cephirans were clearly lost. Cologne frowned; how does one explain

SKJAM!:  Shouldn't have followed Ryouga.

technology to a world powered by magic? 
	Suddenly, Ryouga blinked, and slapped the table, almost denting it.

Kira:  Gotcha, Tsubasa!

"That's it!" he shouted. Everyone looked at him. Grinning, he said, "I know
how to explain it." He shrugged off his backpack, and began digging around
in it. "Hmmm....aha!" He pulled an electric lantern from his pack, and
switched it on. The Cephirans blinked. 
	"What is that thing? How did it produce light?" Presea asked.

SKJAM!:  (Ryouga voice) Well, the radiant energy is produced by a 
chemical reaction...

	"It's called a lantern," Cologne said.

Kira:  And that explains everything.

	"Doesn't look like any lantern I've ever seen," Lantis muttered.

SKJAM!:  Especially with that green glow and the strange ring attached to 
it. 

	"It's an electric lantern," Ryouga said. "Battery powered."
	"What powered?" Clef asked.

Both:  BATTERY powered!

Kira:  As long as it's not assault powered...

	"How best to explain this..." Cologne wondered. Then, deciding on her
approach, she cleared her throat and said, "In our world, some time ago
people figured out how to harness a force called electricity. It's like
very small lightning," she elaborated. "You know that metal attracts
lightning. In our world, people create devices with very small pieces of
metal, which attract the electricity, which powers our devices."
	"Ohhhhh...I think I get it," said Presea. Clef nodded understanding 

also.  
 > 	"But...how, without an incantation?" Lantis asked.

SKJAM!:  You'll have to ask a Technomancer.

	Cologne shook her head. "Electricity is generally harnessed from natural
sources. No magic is involved."

SKJAM!:  Oh, sure.  *Lie* to the Sleepers.

	"As interesting as this all is," Ferio said, "We still need to figure 

out > what happened in Bima."

	"Could it have been a bomb?" Akane wondered.

Kira:  No, Speed 2 was nowhere near the place.

	Cologne nodded. "That is the most likely explanation."
	"That crazy," Shampoo said. "No is even gunpowder here. How they make
bomb?"
	"Actually, we do have gunpowder here," Presea said.

SKJAM!:  We use it to whiten our teeth.  Never did understand the name.

	"Oh, that's right...Presea-san did have a cannon in her armory," Fuu 

said. > 	"Hmmm...but who would bomb Bima, and why?" Clef wondered.

Kira:  Let me just check through the database to see if it matches a 
known MO.

	One of the healers entered. "Your Highness, Ascot is awake."

SKJAM!:  Cummerbund is still asleep though.

	Ferio, Clef, Cologne, and the Knights rose. Ranma shifted into Hikaru
without any fanfare. The group made their way to the room where Ascot was

Kira:  So Ranma's curse is barely that now, at least as long as he's in 
Cephiro.  The only thing he and Hikaru have to work out now is the love 
life situation.

being attended to. > 	
	Ascot looked up as the group entered. His eyes widened at the sight of 

the 

Magic Knights. "Magic Knights...they've returned..." he breathed. Then, he
noticed Hikaru. "How...I thought you were..."

SKJAM!:  A man in disguise.

Kira:  Swearing off fast food forever.

	"It's a long story," Hikaru said. "Right now we don't have time for it."

SKJAM!:  But we do have time for a few rubbers of bridge.

	"We need to know what happened to you in Bima," Ferio said.
	"Of course," Ascot said, nodding his head weakly. "I was helping
townspeople who were trapped in their homes. Then I heard a voice in the
air."

Kira:  Hallucinations, eh?

	"A voice? What did it say?" Clef asked.

SKJAM!:  (Caldina voice) I'm feeling much better!

	Ascot relayed the words spoken to him exactly. "I'll remember those 

words > to the end," he said.

	Umi's eyes widened. Fuu frowned. "This voice-san was speaking in an 

Osaka > dialect?"

	"Osaka dialect..." Umi whispered, then gasped. "That...I only know one
person on Cephiro who talks that way..."

Kira:  Most of them use their vocal cords.

	Ascot nodded. "And she's dead, by your own hand."
	Clef frowned. "Ascot...what are you trying to tell us?"

SKJAM!:  I've gone insane.

Kira:  I prefer short hair, actually.

	Ascot sighed. "The voice...I know it's not possible, but somehow...it 

was > Caldina. I'm sure of it."

	Clef went pale. "Caldina..."
	Presea smirked. "Well, seems like rising from the grave is fashionable
these days." Hikaru shot her a *look*. 

SKJAM!:  Nabiki would find a way to reuse the plots.

	"If it *was* Caldina," Clef mused, "why did she attack you, Ascot?"

Kira:  He skimped on the funeral.  Got the cheap coffin.
 

	Ascot shrugged. "I don't know. The last thing I remember is being struck
down by a bolt of black lightning."

SKJAM!:  (Black Lightning voice)  I was nowhere near the man!  Besides, 
this isn't a DC crossover!

	"Ascot needs his rest now," the healer said. Ferio nodded. "Yes, of
course. We will speak more later, Ascot."
	Ascot nodded weakly. "Yes, Your Highness." He closed his eyes. 

Kira:  Not that anyone could tell with his bangs.

	Back in the war room, Ferio sighed. "Any suggestions on how to proceed?"
he asked.

SKJAM!:  (Picard voice) I recommend total surrender.

Kira:  (Janeway voice)  Meet them with the deadliest of force.

	Clef rubbed his chin. "For now, I think we need to concentrate on
retrieving the other Fire Mashin, and on locating Escudo for weapons for
our new allies."
	Hikaru nodded, and shifted back to Ranma. Ranma said, "We'll have to go
back to our world, and go to China, to get the last Mashin."

SKJAM!:  Are you *sure* it's the last Mashin?

	"The five of you," Presea said to the group from Nerima, "will need to
remain here in Cephiro to find Escudo, and improve your skills with magic."

	"But we can't just send Ranma back alone, can we?" Ukyou wondered.

Kira (Ukyou voice):  Kodachi will have him all to herself!

	"We'll go with him," Umi said. Fuu nodded.

Kira (Fuu voice):  And once he's away from these other girls, we'll 
strike! 

	Clef thought about that for a minute, then nodded. "It would be best if
all of the Magic Knights were present for the awakening of the Mashin," he
conceded. "Also, it shouldn't prove that difficult to retrieve this one.

SKJAM!:  BWAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!

I've seen the skill our new friends possess, and I'm confident that they
will be able to defend against any attack in the absence of the Magic
Knights."

Kira:  As long as the attacker doesn't defeat Shampoo...

	"I would go with them," Lantis said, "to ensure their safety."
	"Are you sure, Lantis-san?" Fuu asked. "We're going to a different 

world, > after all.

SKJAM!:  One where people bathe regularly.

	Lantis shrugged. "I can do my brother no good by standing over his bed
worrying, and we don't even know who our enemies here are yet. I would feel
better if I could do something useful in the interim."

Kira:  Well, there is farming, but okay.

	"Alright then, it's settled," Cologne said. "In the morning, Mokona will
send the Knights and Lantis back to our world. The rest of you, will begin

SKJAM!:  Don't need the comma here.

your search for the Escudo. I suggest you all get a full night's rest," she
concluded.
	The meeting adjourned, and the young warriors retired to their
bedchambers.

Kira:  Shampoo, Ukyou and Akane all fought to share sleeping quarters 
with Ranma, though of course Akane wouldn't admit that's what she was 
doing.

SKJAM!:  And now poor Akane no longer has her favorite sleep aid.  We 
really should see some followup on that, by the way.

	The next morning, after farewells were made, Ranma, Fuu, Umi, and Lantis
stood in a small circle, as Mokona bounced happily in front of them. 

Kira:  Umi kept missing with her pistol.

	"Be careful," Cologne said. "Try to stay out of trouble."

SKJAM!:  You're asking this of *Ranma*?

	The four nodded. With a mighty "Puuuu!", Mokona created a portal beneath
them. As the group disappeared, Presea said, "Okay you five, to my armory.
I'll show you where to go for the Escudo."

Kira (Presea voice):  No, really, this time for sure!

	The observation deck of Tokyo Tower solidified beneath the Knights and
Lantis. As they recovered their wits, Umi realized where they were, and
growled. "MOKONA!" she yelled.
	"Puu?"
	Umi grabbed the white creature by what could have been its neck, and 

tried 

to throttle it. "What kind of BAKA stunt is this? Do you realize you
dropped us a VERY LONG WAY from China?"

SKJAM!:  Not to mention from anyone's home.

	"Puu."
	"Argh! Stupid...I should make fluff out of you!"
	"Puu..."

Kira:  Unfortunately, since no one except Hikaru understands Mokona, the 
elaborate pun failed to amuse.

	"In any case," Fuu said, "We had best make plans. We have a long journey
ahead of us."
	Umi sighed, and dropped Mokona. "Just great."

SKJAM!:  I suppose they can get Kunou to pop for transportation.  I'm 
hoping for more character development next time.  How do the Magic 
Knights feel about Ranma?  Is Akane going megalomaniac?  Now that Mousse 
can see, will he finally realize Shampoo doesn't like his romantic 
overtures?

Kira:  Looking forwards to next time!



SKJAM!