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.)

<snicker> (Interesting note: Lurker here actually *does* look like Gendou,
with a slightly thinner beard...I really need to shave one of these
days...)

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

SKJAM!:  And about time!

Indeed.

	Chapter 18: Parting of the Ways

SKJAM!:  I thought everyone said they were staying.

They are, but do things ever go *that* easily? <g> 

	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

<groan>

	"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.

<snicker>

	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!

Heh...actually, considering who the invaders are, there's a small amount of
truth to *that*...
<blink> I think, anyway...

	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.

Hmmm....maybe being younger now has something to do with it? <shrug>

	"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.

<snicker>

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

SKJAM!:  Shouldn't have followed Ryouga.

<laughs as that remark is going to go down in flames in about ten seconds
here...>

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

Kira:  Gotcha, Tsubasa!

<Tsubasa impression> Anou...that's just a table. I'm actually Ukyou-sama's
spatula...

"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...

<rolls eyes>

	"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. 

<whaps SKJAM!>

	"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.

<groan> Great...*two* of them hung on WoD now...

	Cologne shook her head. "Electricity is generally harnessed from

natural

sources. No magic is involved."

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

<drops an anvil on SKJAM!> 

	"Actually, we do have gunpowder here," Presea said.

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

<snicker>

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

SKJAM!:  Cummerbund is still asleep though.

<groan> The MSTing I can take. The punishment is getting a little hard to
deal with.

	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.

Uhhh...something like that....

	"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?

<Ascot voice on pot> I see deamons!

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

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

<snicker>

	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.

<snicker>

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

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

LOL...

	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!

<drops a 1-ton bale of DC comics on SKJAM!'s head>

	"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.

<grin>

	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.

(Sisko voice) Find out what their connection is to the Dominion.

(Kirk voice) Things were so much more simple 100 years ago...

	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?

<hello! spoiler here!> It's the last of Cephiro's Mashins.
However...............

	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!!!

Lurker: <evil grin> <MML>

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...

<snicker>

	"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.

I know it didn't need to be there. I mainly added it to signify a pause. I
guess I'll change it to read like this:

"In the morning, Mokona will send the Knights and Lantis back to our world.
The rest of you," she continued, turning to the other five teenagers, "will
begin..."

That work better for you?

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.

Right...I'll probably deal with that in 19 or 20.

	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.

<snicker>

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

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

LOL....

	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.

Heh. Of course, *that* is why Tokyo has all those nifty trains...

	"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.

<snicker> 

	"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?

Right. I'm going to try to flesh out the character development more in this
act, as well as shift the flow of the action. Thus far it has mostly been
personal internal struggle...in this act, there should be a *lot* more
"action"...and I do mean a *lot* more.

Kira:  Looking forwards to next time!

I'm hoping to get the next one out by Sunday at the latest.

Thanks for the C&C!

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Zankoku na tenshi no TEEZE
Madobe kara yagate tobitatsu
Hotobashiru atsui PATOSU de
Omoide wo uragiru nara
Kono sora wo daite kagayaku
Shounen yo shinwa ni nare

The Eternal Lost Lurker
EternalLostLurker@worldnet.att.net

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