Modu annyoung,

Here's the next part of "Lonely Souls," just fresh off
the presses!  Enjoy!!

Annyounghi,

Fred

=====
Fred Herriotfherriot@yahoo.com**** **** ****"Fanfiction IS Real Life!"**** **** ****

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-- Attached file included as plaintext by Listar --
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-- Desc: LoneS-04.txt

	Somewhere in space...

	"Lum-chan...?"

	<<Ohayou, Lan-chan.  Sleep well?>>

	"Strange," the rose-haired Seishin woman stretches herself, then gazes at the controls of her small scout.  Twitching her fingers and toes to ensure she has nominal control of her body again, she yawns, then does a quick adjustment to the flight controls.  "Yeah, I actually did.  Weird that I can 'sleep' with you taking over my body.  Hmmm..." she stares at the astrogator readout.  "Not so far from Earth now."

	<<About another hour or so,>> a familiar woman's voice echoes deep inside Lan's mind.  <<No sign of any ship, especially Noukiite ones.>>

	"Thank the gods for that," Lan rubs her eyes, trying not to let her own grief overwhelm her as she assumes manual control for the final leg of her -- of THEIR -- escape from Oni space to Earth.

	It had been an annoyance at first.  Two weeks after that useless Tag Race ended, she woke up one day to find two of the "Men in Black" -- field agents of the United Nations' Special Committee on Alien Activities -- at her doorstep.  In the hands of one agent was an expulsion order declaring that Lan's residency visa was cancelled and that she had no choice but to return home.  Naturally, Lan tried to protest, but that died aborning when she saw the two other fellows accompanying the SCAA agents.

	Zephyrite Inquisitors.

	The next hour blurred past as Lan rolled up shop, turned over the lease on her property to the SCAA (they had got her small plot when she first came to Earth), then without being given a chance to say good-bye to her friends, she blasted off from Tomobiki.  At first, she thought it had been one of Lum's tricks that got her sent off Earth.  But when Lan saw the tiger-striped scout beside hers -- along with the Zephyrite destroyer that paced them as far as Toshitto, the Oni colony world closest to Earth -- Lan then realized that from then on, NOTHING would be the same.

	Settling down on Toshitto, Lan watched as Rei, then assigned as a deep-space sovereignty patrol pilot with the Seventh Frontier Group, was dispatched with his formation to Machibusu, scene of some of the heaviest fighting against the Noukiites.  Lan wanted to follow him, but military authorities wouldn't let her go.  The Noukiites were deploying starships of a design which outmatched anything the Onis possessed.  It was but only a matter of time before Machibusu was overrun and the road to Uru itself would be left wide open.  That frightened Lan.  The Noukiites, bearing a five century-long grudge against the Onis, were demonstrating uncommon savagery against their foe.  An Oni victory, despite the propaganda being churned out by the government, was becoming more faint by the day.

	Then...

	Then...

	Lan squeezes her eyes shut.  One night, when she was about to go to bed, the teen was struck down with a terrible headache.  Passing out on her bedroom floor, she remained unconscious for almost a day before awakening.  The newscast was on, reporting about an anti-matter bomb that had wiped out the heart of Onishuto, the capital city of Uru.  Where Lum, her family, Rei's family and so many others lived.  A videophone rang.  It was Rei's commander with more bad news.  The poor pilot had been caught in an ambush by Noukiite irregulars, his ship destroyed.  Overwhelmed by both grief and nausea, Lan staggered into the bathroom, then looked at her mirror.

	Lum's image stared right back at her.

	<<Lan?>>

	Lan jolts, then stares out the viewport to see a familiar blue sphere looming in the distance, accompanied by a large, airless moon off to Lan's left.  "Home," she whispers, then sits back in her chair, programming controls to begin gravity-well and atmospheric approach.

	<<For the rest of our lives, no doubt,>> Lum notes.

	"Hai, Lum-chan, for the rest of our lives..."

*    *    *

	<<Do you sense that, love?>>

	<<Yes...>> a weakened grunt escapes from the being in the hollowed pit of one of the two small rocks drifting close to Lan's scoutship.  <<It appears the Mother has brought us...>> a pause, <<...here for a reason.>>

	<<You are in pain, beloved.>>

	<<I can last, dearest...>>  If the wounded Nendo-kata could smile so as to reassure her mate, she would.  <<At least until we give the two air-breathers in that small craft yonder a chance to be truly free.>>

	<<Agreed...>>

*    *    *

"Lonely Souls"
by Fred Herriot <fherriot@yahoo.com>
**** **** ****
Plot elements and certain scenes composed/written by Steven P. Cornett <cornetts@siscom.net>
**** **** ****
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 FOURTH PART - FREEDOM

	Promised Island, morning...

	"Anee?!  Where are you, Anee?!"

	Mamoru peeks into Ranma's guest bedroom at Welcome House.  To the teen's surprise, the bed is empty, appearing as if no one had slept there the previous night.  Humming, Mamoru closes the door, then makes her way down the hallway to the passage leading to Ataru's room.  Stopping at the door, she knocks.  "Anii?!  Are you up?!  Anii!"

	No answer, save for a faint grunt.  Mamoru blinks, then carefully opens the door to ensure she made no noise.  Ataru did value his privacy, but he didn't mind it when his sisters peaked in to see if he was alright.  Looking inside, Mamoru gazes towards the bed, then her eyes nearly shoot out of their skull as her jaw hits the floor.  "Anii...?  Anee...?"

	Peacefully asleep on the bed, Ataru has a content smile on his face.  One arm is wrapped around a dozing Ranma, she leaning against his side, one of her arms laid out on his chest.  Both are dressed in their pyjamas, much to Mamoru's relief.  "Hmmm..." she gently sighs, closing the door behind her, then she makes her way into the recreation room.

	"Mamoru-chan?!"

	Mamoru turns as Kaho comes up from her own room.  "What is it?"

	"Where're Onii-chama and Onee-chama?" the younger girl looks around.

	Mamoru blinks, then smiles.  "Still asleep.  I guess they kinda need it.  C'mon, let's see what Shirayuki-chan cooked up for breakfast."

	"Er...?!  Uhn!" Kaho blinks, then nods, moving to follow...

*    *    *

	"Ne, Ataru?"

	"What is it, Ranma?"

	"If that had been Akane, you wanna know what she would've done?"

	Ataru sighs, drawing Ranma closer.  "Let me guess.  Call you a pervert because you were sleeping with another man, brain you with that mallet of hers, then try to do the same to me, right?"

	"Yep," she nods, sighing.

	"Pity."

	"Why'd you say that?" Ranma opens her eyes, blinking.

	"If she even got CLOSE to you with that mallet, I'd've given her a taste of the Seishin Shuriken Arashi at point-blank range," he chuckles, then hums.  "Or maybe something like the Henryoku Handou Kougeki."

	"'Paranormal Power Inverse-Fire Attack?!'" Ranma's eyebrow arches.

	"Yeah.  Let HER have a taste of her own medicine!"

	She blinks, then snickers.  "Much that I still care for her, I have to agree about that.  That WOULD be poetic justice!"

	Both laugh, then gaze at each other.  "Well..." he muses.

	"I guess we have to have a good morning kiss," she proposes.

	"Good idea."

	They slide together, their lips gently caressing.  Suddenly, a camera flash goes off, causing them to spin towards the door.  "CHECKY!!!" a madly grinning Yotsuba leaps up and down, holding her digital recorder camera, her free hand flashing the "'V' for Victory" sign.

	"***YOTSUBA!!!!  GET OUT OF HERE!!!***"

	Yotsuba cries out as a storm of pillows flies right at her face.  She scrambles clear, then sensing she is safe, whoops in delight as she races off to the tell the others.  "Ani-chama and Ane-chama just kissed!!" she sing-songs.  "Ani-chama and Ane-chama just kissed!!!"

	In the bedroom, the CIQ ("couple" in question) moan.  "Is she ALWAYS like that?!" Ranma rubs her forehead into Ataru's chin hair.

	"Yeah, you can say that," he sighs, then smiling, tilts her face so they can gaze once more into the other's eyes.  "Where were we?"

	"Right here," she leans up as they kiss again...

*    *    *

	Nerima, the Tendou dojo, breakfast...

	"***YOU DID WHAT?!?!?!***"

	Genma stares dumbfoundedly at Nodoka as the Tendous and their house guests enjoy another of Kasumi's culinary delights.  Akane had just asked Ranma's mother about when she was going out to get "her" new school uniform.  Genma instantly commented that Ranma didn't need such a frivolous item as a school uniform.  Akane then amended the question with "girl's uniform."  Genma demanded to know what Akane was talking about.  Nodoka then replied that she had already procured Ranma's new uniforms, using measurements Sakuya provided to her last night.  That set Genma off.

	"Yes, husband, I purchased three girl's uniforms for Ranma, which should last her for the remainder of the term," Nodoka sips her tea.

	Genma sputters.  "What are you talking about?!  Ranma has no need to wear a GIRL'S uniform!!  Ranma's a BOY, remember?!"  He turns back to his bowl of rice.  "Besides, he has no need of a uniform whatsoever!!"

	"Not when he will be spending the whole TERM as a girl, Genma."

	Silence.

	"***WHAT?!?!?!  SINCE WHEN?!?!?!***"

	"Since Moroboshi-shihan decided that it would be best for Ranma-kun to remain in one form while he heals up from all the brain-damage you and Akane gave him, Uncle Saotome," Nabiki sarcastically remarks, ignoring Akane's annoyed glare.  "Even more, she got Ranma-kun a special medical chit stating that he has to remain a she for the next seven weeks."

	Genma shudders, then slams his rice bowl on the table.  "Now, see here!!!" his fist follows the bowl, causing everyone's plates to jump.  "I do not CARE what that girl says is right or wrong...!  Eep!!"

	His face pales as the sharp tip of Nodoka's katana touches his throat.  "As you have been told several times, husband, your opinion has NO RELEVANCE in this case, now OR in the future!" Nodoka sternly declares.  "Or do you wish to discuss this matter with Master Happousai, perhaps?"

	Genma gargles, then jolts as a light weight lands on his head.  "Yes, Genma," Happousai, fresh from his latest panty raid, looks down into his student's face.  "Do you have a PROBLEM with Ranma-chan's training?!"

	Genma's mouth flaps open and closed, no noise escaping past his lips.  Happousai hops to the floor, then using his pipe, flips Ranma's father into the koi pond.  "I didn't think so," the grandmaster sighs, then setting his bag of "silky darlings" aside, takes his place at the table.  "Now, what's for breakfast there today, Kasumi-chan?!" he stares doe-eyed at her.

	"Just a minute, Ojii-san," Kasumi smiles.

	Outside, Genma-panda moans...

*    *    *

	Sometime later, Genma wanders off, no doubt trying to once again track Negako Moroboshi down and force the ninjitsu grandmistress to return Ranma back under his control.  Souun and Nabiki head to the dojo to train.  Since she has an arm in a cast, Akane goes to her room to do her homework.  Happousai is in his guest room ironing his newest acquisitions.  That leaves Kasumi and Nodoka to clean up the living room and kitchen.

	"It's good that your father is back training students again," Nodoka sighs, drying dishes as Kasumi washes.  "If he regains his confidence with Nabiki-chan, he might decide to open the dojo for new students as well."

	 "I hope so," Kasumi smiles.  "And maybe, just maybe, Akane-chan won't view Nabiki-chan's returning to the Art as a threat this time."

	"You don't suspect she might...?!" Nodoka gapes.

	"I can't say, Auntie," the elder Tendou daughter sighs.  "I mean, if Ranma-kun was here, Akane-chan would no doubt take out her frustrations on him in this case."  Seeing Nodoka's eyes flash, Kasumi moderates.  "Please, I don't mean to say that I ever condoned what my sister did to your son.  I certainly didn't.  But given how out of control Akane-chan got at times, especially before Ranma-kun came, it was a relief of sorts seeing her lash out at him instead of people who couldn't defend themselves."

	"You mean she hurt people at school?"

	"So Nabiki-chan once told me," Kasumi bows her eyes.  "Much that I have had to take Mother's place in this house, I couldn't really bring myself to discipline Akane-chan like Mother did.  It wasn't right, not by any stretch of the imagination.  She's my sister, after all."

	"Yes, that is true," Nodoka nods.  "Well, if you believe I will allow my son to return here just to force him to resume being a target for your sister's temper-tantrums, you are mistaken.  I will not have my son subject to that nonsense anymore, especially given how much it's hurt him."

	"That would be for the best, but it will make things uncomfortable here for the next while, I believe," Kasumi notes.

	The older woman blinks, then sighs.  "I am sorry, Kasumi-chan, but as far as I am concerned, my decision stands concerning a possible engagement between Akane and Ranma.  Further, I am seriously considering ending the whole arrangement between your family and mine."

	"But what of our family honour?!  What of yours, for that matter?!"

	Nodoka pauses as she considers the matter, then she shakes her head.  "No.  First, Ranma has more than enough reasons to not pursue anything with this family.  The dowry any one of you could provide in such a union -- the dojo -- is intact and can still be used if any of you should ever encounter someone who might desire that.  In Ukyou Kuonji's case, that is no longer so.  Further, I will not stand for any coercion for any of you to make Ukyou-san renounce her claim on my child.  If she was so incensed by the last wedding attempt that she'd freely disrupt it with bombs, then she certainly feels she has enough reason to press her claims.  And second, I don't really believe either you nor Nabiki-chan wish to marry Ranma."

	Kasumi considers that, then nods.  "You are correct.  If it weren't for it being a matter of giri, neither of us would desire to marry Ranma-kun.  That's not because we might find him unacceptable.  Your son is, despite his many faults, a very decent man.  He would make a very wonderful husband for someone once he's had the chance to mature, especially away from your husband's influence.  But, I'm afraid it can't be me.  He's like a little brother to me.  Regardless of how this might turn out, I can't imagine seeing Ranma-kun as anything more than that, Auntie.  And I know Ranma-kun has no desire to form a relationship with Nabiki-chan."

	"Yes, true.  Well, we have some time to wait before we have to make a decision towards that end," Nodoka sighs.  "In the meantime, I'll head to the Nekohanten and speak to Shampoo-chan's great-grandmother about this matter.  While her claim to Ranma is questionable at best by our standards, we have to remember that Shampoo-chan must live to the standards of her own culture even if she does presently reside here in Japan."

	"True..."

*    *    *

	Promised Island, a little later...

	Don't they look so cute?!!"

	The sisters laugh as they stare at the image in Yotsuba's digital camera, all now seated around a circulate table.  At the head of the table, Ataru and Ranma are trying not to blush too much as crooned "Kawaii!!" and "Don't they look SO nice together?!" echo from the others.  Much to Ataru's and Ranma's surprise, even the normally straight-laced Chikage is smiling.  On noting that, Ranma got this from Ataru:  "Now I KNOW we're in trouble!"

	Yotsuba takes her camera back.  The sisters notice the "couple's" continued embarrassment.  "Why're you two so shy about it, Aniki, Aneki?" Rinrin wonders.  "I mean, c'mon!  It can't be that bad, ne?!"

	"Well..." Ranma drones, then sighs.  "Geez, I..."

	"You gotta admit, the reception we got here'll be a lot nicer than what you might get if news of this breaks out in Nerima," Ataru notes.

	Ranma blinks, then moans.  "Gods, you sure got THAT right!!" she slaps her head.  "Jeez, that'd make the wedding fight look TAME!"

	"You will have allies standing at your side when the time comes to embrace your new life's path, Ane-kun."

	Eyes turn to Chikage.  "Who?!" Sakuya wonders.

	"I cannot say at this time, Sakuya.  I will have to spend an hour to properly divine what Ane-kun's and Ani-kun's future together might be.  There are still many variables to be taken into account."

	"Well, at least you're a lot better in coming up with predictions about the future than Cherry or Sakura ever were," Ataru snorts.

	"Oh, that's the Buddhist monk and the Shinto priestess you had to deal with back in Tomobiki, right?" Ranma stares quizzically at him.

	"The same.  Even more so, Chikage doesn't mooch off the whole damned refrigerator like those two did," Ataru rolls his eyes.

	"Wait..."

	Eyes turn to the sorceress.  Chikage has a far-away look on her face, then she reaches into her tunic to draw a deck of Tarot cards.  Clearing aside her plates, she shuffles the deck, then lays out several cards.  Gazing at the combination, her eyes narrow.  "Interesting..."

	"Something bad?" Ranma tenses.

	"Hard to tell, but according to this, someone Ani-kun once believed dead is not dead.  And that person might now be looking for Ani-kun."

	Ataru blinks, exchanges a look with Ranma, then he sighs.  "Damn, aren't they EVER going to leave me alone?" he mutters...

*    *    *

	Tomobiki, the Mendou estate, that moment...

	"***WHAT?!?!?!***"

	"It is true, Young Master," a Kuromegane kneels before Shutaro Mendou.  The scion of Japan's richest family has recovered from Monday's attack, though a light scar still marks his forehead over his left eye.  "Miss Lan's ship has just returned to her lot near the Moroboshi home."

	Mendou sits back in his chair, then closes his eyes as he tries to understand what is happening.  "But why would she be allowed back?  From what we discovered, the United Nations was determined to ensure ALL aliens from Uru were to remain off-planet as long as the war with Noukii-..."

	A telephone rings in the distance.  Seconds later, another Kuromegane races into the room.  "Young Master, it's Miss Lan!" he announces.

	Mendou picks up his extension.  "Moshi-moshi.  Lan-san?!"

	"Ohayou, Shutaro.  How are you today?"

	Mendou blinks, his face paling as that all-too familiar voice comes back to him.  "L-l-Lum-san...?!" he stammers...

*    *    *

	Promised Island...

	"Moshi-moshi, Welcome House, Rinrin here."

	"Ohayou, Rinrin-chan!  Is Ataru there?!"

	"Oh, Reigi-aniki, ohayou!  Just a sec' there!  Aniki!!"

	Ataru then takes up the receiver.  "Yeah, Reigi, what is it?"

	"Ataru-chan, you are NOT going to believe this one," Reigi sighs.

	He explains.  Ataru listens, then he closes his eyes.  "Damn!  I thought they were going to make sure she didn't come back here!!"

	"I don't understand it myself.  I'm trying to get someone to contact the SCAA and find out what's happening.  Do you want me to call Brother Sunfire and get the Inquisition over here just in case?!"

	Ataru blinks, then sighs.  No, he couldn't always bludgeon even an selfish idiot like Lan with the threat of the Inquisition forever.  Maybe a personal confrontation would get it through her head that she had no real place on Earth.  "No, but have Brother Sunfire call the Inquisition anyway.  If Lan's decided to come here, then something bad must've happened to Rei.  Let's find out what that's all about before making decisions, okay?"

	"Alright.  I'm putting the clan's forces on alert just in case.  I'll also call Negako and give her a head's up as well."

	"Don't bother, man.  She'll already know.  Trust me!"

	Reigi chuckles.  "Yeah, you got a point there..."

*    *    *

	Tomobiki, minutes later...

	The command car comes to a halt before the front gateway of Lan's old property, which had yet to be sold off.  The driver opens the back door, saluting as Shutaro Mendou disembarks.  Beyond the gate, Lan's scoutship sat in its usual place, steam billowing from the retrothrusters, clearly indicating it had recently landed.  The main gangway was already deployed.  "Remain here," Mendou orders the driver as he marches onto the property.

	"Hai!" the driver salutes.

	Mendou approaches the scoutship, his heart turning over and over again as his mind replays that unbelievable phone-call he received at the mansion.  Lum was ALIVE.  Yet she was now without a body, her soul having taken up residence in Lan's mind.  How did it happen?  Was there a way to restore Lum to normal, allow her to live her own life?  If so, what would happen then?  Would the United Nations -- would Moroboshi, for that matter? -- allow Lum and Lan to remain this time?  What was going on here?!

	"Shutaro."

	He stops, spinning around to see a well-built yet beautiful woman with dark brown hair and milk-chocolate eyes gazing at him.  She is dressed in a black martial arts gi of the same cut as a karate-ka's, a black belt wrapped around her waist.  On the end of the belt was stitched the kanji CHI.  Earth.  Gazing once more into her eyes, Mendou is quickly reminded of Ataru Moroboshi.  The similarity was striking.  Who was this...?

	"Negako-san?  Is that you?"

	Mendou turns as someone appears at the top of the gangway.  At first, he thought he saw the long, flowing blue-green hair and twin horn-buds that had haunted his dreams and fantasies for two years.  Yet, even though this person spoke with Lum's voice, the body was clearly Lan.  "Lum-san...?"

	Negako walks past Mendou, then stops at the bottom of the stairwell.  "Welcome back to Earth, Lum, Lan," a bemused smile crosses her face.  "It seems you are in quite a spot of trouble now, as the British would say."

	Lan descends, then stops before the ninjitsu grandmistress, gazing hopefully into the other woman's eyes.  Then, to Mendou's surprise, Lan leans into Negako, wrapping her arms around the latter tightly.  Negako seems to think about it for a moment, then she gently returns the hug.

	"Where's Darling, Negako-san?" Lan/Lum wonders.

	"Ataru is not here now, but he has been told of Lan's return.  I dare say, he will be as shocked as Shutaro is presently about your current state of jointness," Negako seems to smile.  "Much has changed, Lum."

	Lan pulls back, a hurt look crossing her face.  "How bad...?"

	"Lan?!!"

	Everyone turns to see a small crowd at the front gate.  Shinobu, Ryuunosuke, Sakura, Cherry, even Kotatsuneko.  "Hey, minna!!" Lan's voice returns to normal as she waves.  "I'm back!"  She then stops before her voice shifts back to Lum's.  "Er...!  Rather, WE'RE back."

	"Wha...?!" Ryuunosuke's jaw drops.

	Sakura walks up, drawing out her spirit-sensor as she waves it before the Seishin teenager.  The vanes rustle wildly, causing the nurse/priestess to pause before she sighs.  "I see..." she nods.  "The gods truly must have a strange sense of humour, then.  Welcome back to Earth, Lum."

	"Um, Sakura-sensei, that's Lan there...!" Shinobu protests.

	"With Lum's spirit within her as well, Shinobu," Sakura amends, then sighs, turning to Mendou.  "Given Monday's events, we should move this to a location where any xenophobes couldn't attempt to finish what that Alhamzi fellow started.  Your estate is the best place."

	"But of course, Sensei," Mendou bows, then turns to Lan, instantly offering his arm.  "Lum-san...!  Er, Lan-san!"

	Lan blinks, then smiles, shifting over to wrap an arm around Negako's.  "No offense, Shutaro, but we feel a lot safer around Negako-san here than anyone else," Lan/Lum sighs.

	The ninjitsu grandmistress sighs.  "If you insi-..."

	"**EVIL SPIRIT!!!  BEGONE!!!!**"

	Everyone turns as Cherry and Sakura, alerted to Negako's true nature by their own spiritual training, lung at her, beads and spirit-sensor out to do battle against this -- in the clerics' eyes -- enemy of humankind.  Before they can get close, someone dives at them from out of the sun.  The feet catch the monk and the priestess in the backs of their necks, sending them into the walkway!  Everyone jolts, turning away for a split-second, then on looking back, gape on seeing it was Ataru who intercepted them.

	"Darling!!!" Lan gasps, her voice a melodic blend of hers and Lum's.

	Ataru sighs, then calmly steps off the prostrate clerics before stopping to gaze at them.  "Regardless if she is a thousand years old, she is STILL my sister!  Got me, dorks?!" he winks at them before a pink-haired typhoon slams into him, nearly knocking him over.  "He-...!  Wwhoulf!!!"

	"DARLING!!!!" Lan, now speaking clearly with Lum's voice, sobs as she showers Ataru's face with kisses.  "Oh, Darling, I knew you'd come!!!"

	Ataru grunts, then tapping places to loosen the barnacle-tight glomp holding him down, gently shoves Lan away.  "Lum, would you MIND, please?!  I'd like to breathe, you know!!!" he pants, feeling his chest.

	"MOROBOSHI, HOW DARE YOU...?!!"

	"***SHINZOU BAKUHATSU SHOKU!!!!***"

	*BOOM!!*

	Everyone save Negako and Shutaro hit the deck.  The latter is frozen still, stunned beyond belief after seeing his katana literally EXPLODE in his face after Ataru tapped it with the Heart Blast Touch.  "DARLING!!!" Lan/Lum gasps, then breathes out on seeing that Mendou was okay.  "Darling, be careful when you do that!!!  You could've taken his head off!!"

	"Believe me, Lum, I was GROSSLY tempted to do just that," Ataru stares at the possessed Seishin teen, then leans over to gaze into Mendou's face.  "Next time, sword-for-brains, I aim for your head!  Got me?!"

	"H-h-h-hai..." the scion of Japan's richest family stammers, still overwhelmed by Ataru's display of martial arts skill, then he passes out.

	Ataru gazes pitifully at him, then shakes his head before he turns to stare at Shinobu and Ryuunosuke.  "If it hasn't sunk into your heads by now, let this be a warning.  The game has CHANGED.  I'm in NO DAMNED MOOD to put up to all the bullcrap these days!  Okay?!"

	They fearfully nod, wondering what sort of trick Ataru might pull out of his hat next to make his point stick.  "Darling, stop that!!" Lan/Lum huffs, crossing her arms.  "Honestly!!  They're not like those dorks you had to live with all your life!  Stop picking on them!!"

	Ataru sighs, then stares at her.  The possessed alien teen blinks, then on seeing the pain flashing deep in his brown eyes.  "Wha-...!" she covers her mouth, her eyes widening.  "What happened...?!"

	He blinks, then walks over to gently draw Lan into a comforting embrace.  "It's a very long story," Ataru gently kisses the possessed teen's forehead.  "C'mon, I'll tell you about it later."

	"O-okay..."

*    *    *

	Promised Island, minutes later...

	"EH?!?!"

	Everyone gathers around the telephone as Rinrin hears the update from Negako (Chikage had been the one who teleported Ataru to Tomobiki; she was shadowing him to ensure he stayed safe).  "Are you sure, Aneki?!!" Rinrin demands, then blinks as the answer comes.  "Oh, man...!  How'd that happen, anyway?!"  A pause, then she nods.  "Okay, I got you.  Thanks for telling us."  Another pause.  "Hai, I'll pass it on to Ranma-aneki.  Right, 'bye!"

	She hangs up.  "So who came back?!" Kaho demands.

	"Lum did."

	Silence.

	"But...!" Karen blinks confusedly.  "Lum's dead...!  Isn't she...?!"

	"Nah, not really," Rinrin shakes her head.  "Somehow, Lum's spirit got sucked up into Lan's head.  And since the Noukiites'd LOVE to get their hands on Lum if they found out she was still alive, they had no choice but to come here.  Anyhow, I'm going to tell Aneki, okay?"

	The others nod as the island's resident teen super-genius heads to Ranma's guest room.  Knocking on the door, she calls out, "Aneki?"

	"C'mon in, Rinrin," Ranma calls back.

	Rinrin peeks inside.  Ranma sits by a window, gazing out at the surrounding sea and landscape.  Rinrin walks up, then places a warm hand on Ranma's shoulder.  "Lum's come back," she announces.

	Ranma considers that, then she sighs.  "Well, that kinda makes sense, don't it?" she muses.  "I mean, that's what Chikage said, right?  Someone Ataru thought was dead would come back AND come looking for Ataru.  That's Lum, alright.  I don't think those people who got killed at the school there on Monday'd be too interested in huntin' down Ataru first."

	"Yeah, that's true," Rinrin crosses her arms.  "I just hope Lum won't end up making things worse, like trying to make Aniki stay in Tomobiki.  After all, that's where all Federation aliens have to stay when they come live here on Earth.  It's been that way since after the first Tag Race."

	Silence falls as they stare out the windows.  Ranma takes a deep breath, then sighs.  "Do you think he'll go back to her, Rinrin?"

	Rinrin blinks, then stares down at the martial artist.  "Aneki?"

	"Do you think Ataru'd go back to Lum?"

	The teen genius considers that, then shakes her head.  "Nah!  I don't think so.  I mean, were this before Negako-aneki took Aniki to Sanctuary, Lum'd probably still have a chance with him.  But too much's changed now.  WAY too much.  I've noticed it.  We all have.  Something really hurt Aniki bad when he went to that place to train."  A pause, then, "What did Aniki tell you about that last night?  Did he say anything?"

	Ranma blinks, then shudders...

*    *    *

	"A little boy..." Ataru's voice took on a far-away quality.

	"A little boy that was me, but somehow...

	"Somehow remembered all the bad things that happened in my life...

	"That boy cried out, 'NO MORE!'

	"And the Tao...

	"It responded...

	"And I blacked out, but I saw it all.  I remember it all...

	"The boy became One with the Tao...

	"And in his scream, MY SCREAM, of pain, the Tao's weapon remembered the Guardian's fear, the prophecy they lived their lives by...

	"And the Tao and the weapon and ME lashed out...

	"And made it all come true."

	He shuddered, his voice failing, sobs taking over from words, as he allowed Ranma to wrap him tightly in her arms.  Her eyes squeezed shut.  Together, they held each other, sobbing.  "And..." Ataru added.

	Ranma shuddered.  "And what?" she soothed.  "Tell me."

	He took a deep breath, then closed his eyes.

	"And three billion people died..."

*    *    *

	"Three billion..."

	"Eh?!"

	Ranma jolts, then notices Rinrin gazing quizzically at her.  Catching herself, the martial artist takes a deep breath, then gently squeezes her visitor's hand.  "You're not ready to hear this one yet, Rinrin-chan," she whispers.  "It's not because Ataru did somethin' wrong or anythin' like that.  But..." she pauses, then gazes up.  "He got caught up in somethin', saw somethin' NO ONE deserves ta see even in their darkest nightmares.  I don't think it'll come back to hurt you or anyone here, Rinrin-chan.  But it's gonna haunt Ataru for a long time to come.  A long time..."

	Rinrin considers that, then nods, leaning down to kiss Ranma on the cheek.  "Don't worry, Aneki.  Aniki'll come back to you."

	She heads out.  Ranma watches her go, then sighs, turning back to gaze at the world beyond Welcome House.  "I hope so..."

*    *    *

	Tomobiki, the Mendou estate...

	"***ARE YOU TOTALLY OUT OF YOUR MIND?!?!?!***"

	Everyone winces, watching as an incensed Sakura rails at Ataru, she gesturing wildly as she waves her spirit-sensor in the general direction of Negako.  The ninjitsu grandmistress, standing close to Lan, has a bemused stare on her face.  Nearby, Cherry was performing every demonic exorcism spell he knew of to remove the *saikoo jinseijitsu* from Negako's body (not realizing he'd end up killing her since she is the only spirit inhabiting that body at this time).  Lan watches the nurse/priestess rail away at Ataru.  Within the possessed alien teen, Lum seethes.  She was tempted to find the biggest book she could, then drop it on Sakura's head to make her stop shouting at her Darling like that.  Seated across from Ataru, Mendou, Shinobu and Ryuunosuke listen in, trying to understand what Sakura was so nervous about.  And Ataru...?  He almost looks ready to go to sleep.

	After Sakura loses her voice for a second, Ataru stifles a yawn, then sits back in his chair.  "Are you finished now?" he wonders.

	Sakura balks, then shuddering at his flippant attitude, swings back her spirit-sensor to knock some sense into the man's head.  Wrong move.  His hand catches her wrist, then he sends the priestess flying into a wall.  "Ataru-kun!!!" Shinobu gasps as Sakura slides to the floor, passing out.

	He sighs, a finger going into his ear.  "I'm sorry, but she gave me a nice earache from all that verbal diarrhea," he explains, then stares at Lan.  "Right now, the priority is getting Lum a body of her own..."

	"I am attempting to do that, lad!" Cherry announces, drawing out some incense to scatter over Negako.  "As soon as this dark ka-...!!"

	*WHAM!!!*

	A vase smashes into the monk's jaw, sending him sprawling.  Negako catches it before it crashes into the floor, then tosses it back to Ataru.  "Moroboshi!!!" Mendou snaps.  "That's a priceless Ming...!!"

	"It is a fake."

	Mendou stops, then stares at Negako.  "What did you say?"

	"It is a well-constructed fake created twenty years ago, Shutaro," she reports.  "I have seen REAL Ming Dynasty vases, so I know what I speak of.  Nothing close to the artistry potters from the Koryou Dynasty in Korea demonstrated, but quite exquisite none the less.  And THAT is not real."

	"Well, it was good enough to shut THAT fake up," Ataru points at a dazed Cherry, then he places the vase back where he found it.

	"Amen to that!" Lan mutters, the Seishin teen in full control of her body for now.  "All his muttering and moaning was giving ME an earache!!"

	Shinobu and Ryuunosuke exchange a look, then the former rises.  "Ataru-kun, what is going on here?!  I KNOW for the fact that you're an only child!  Who IS she, anyway?!" she points to Negako.

	Ataru sighs, then he stares at his former girlfriend.  "Why is it you care at all, Miyaki-san?" his eyebrow arches, then he stares at Ryuunosuke.  "Much less you, Fujinami-san?  Why do you care about what happens to me?"

	"I..." Shinobu blinks, her eyes widening.  That was the first time EVER that Ataru had addressed her, much less Ryuunosuke, so formally.  All the time before, it was "Shinobu-chan" and "Ryuu-chan" even when both girls were beating him up for some idiot act or another.  "I..." she starts again, then catches herself.  "I've always cared for you, Ataru-kun!"

	Ataru gazes at her, a distant look in his eyes.  Shinobu shudders.  He had NEVER looked at her like THAT in all the years she had known him.  It was the look of someone who had gained great wisdom at a terrible price.  He blinks, then stares at Ryuunosuke the same way, causing the tomboy to tense.  Ataru then stares at Lan.  Only then does his look soften, Shinobu notices.  But barely.  Only a bit.  He steps away from Shinobu, then takes a breath.  "You will forgive me then, Miyaki-san..." he then gazes once more at her.  "For not accepting that explanation at all."

	Shinobu blinks, blinks again, then feels herself stagger as if Ataru had slapped her.  "Wh-why...?" she rasps, her eyes tearing.

	"Why?" he clicks his tongue, then looks away.  "Not long ago (for me, that is), I visited a planet that Lum-san and Lan-san know of very well," he gazes on Lan.  "A planet that reminded me VERY much of Tomobiki here.  Oh, yeah!!" he starts to pace around the coffee table in the middle of the room.  The others are spellbound save for Negako, who seems wryly amused.  "Especially, Lum, when it comes to how they look on you."

	"You went to Phentax Two?" Lan wonders.

	"Oh, yeah, I did!  Boy, was THAT a load of laughs!!" Ataru smirks, then hums.  "Oh, what do they call you again there, Lan?  The 'Sinful Doubter,' I believe?  The same title they give Shinobu here!" he waves to Shinobu, then turns to Ryuunosuke.  "You, Ryuunosuke, are just a 'Holy Friend,' I'm afraid, just like these two fakes over yonder," he points to the still-unconscious Cherry and Sakura, then he turns to walk up beside Mendou.  "But YOU, my dear sir!  You are just going to LOVE what they call you there.  Oh, what was it again?!  Ah, yeah!  The 'Fifth Holy Apostle to the Goddess Lum!'  You see, Aisuru is -- or pardon me, WAS -- the 'First' Apostle.  Then Daremo, Shitto and Urayamu.  I don't know which way, though.  I guess it was ordered by whoever met the 'Goddess' first.

	"You want to know something, Shutaro?" he then looks directly into his rival's eyes.  "It turns out that the President of Phentax Two, a gentleman named Oogi, admired you so much that he actually got COSMETIC SURGERY to turn himself into a NEAR-DOUBLE of you!"  Seeing Mendou's eyes widen, Ataru smirks as he leans closer.  "You might say, ol' boy, I was actually pretty impressed by his devotion.  And..." the humour vanishes from his eyes, "...I took great pleasure in killing him."

	Silence.

	"What...?" Shinobu gasps, her voice hoarse.

	"Well, of course!" Ataru shrugs.  "After all, we know how proud our friend is here," he waves to Mendou.  "He wouldn't begin to TOLERATE such an INSULT on his very own IMAGE!  He said it after all when Rei came to have a mid-morning -- or was it mid-afternoon?! -- snack in class one day.  'Man is Face!'  Remember that?!" he then stares at Mendou.  "Well, since I was sure that you wouldn't want this guy to run around with your looks, I decided to do it the good-old-fashioned samurai way and took his head off with one clean blow from my grandfather's sword.  Quite painless, I assure you.  'S funny, y'know," he then sighs.  "Folks on Phentax Two would write then that Oogi was a martyr in Lum's service.  He died for his faith.  Just like Aisuru, Shitto, Daremo and Urayamu could be said to've died for their 'faith' on Monday morning, eh?  Jeez!  That is something, isn't it?"

	"Ataru-kun..." Shinobu whispers.

	"Well, what can I say, Shinobu?" Ataru shrugs, moving towards her.  "After all, I AM the 'Great Evil' in their eyes.  Everything I've done, as they see it, was against the Goddess' wishes, so since I wasn't just going to lie down and let Lum take control of my life, I was doing evil.  She is the Goddess, after all.  And all of you loved and cared for her all the time, so that mean's you're all right and I'm wrong!" he points to Shinobu, then himself.  "Even a 'sinful doubter' like you and Lan there were more inclined to support Lum than me.  It said it in the Book itself."

	Lan blanches.  "You read it...?" Lum's voice nearly breaks.

	"Oh, yeah, from front to back," Ataru gazes at her, then reaches into his top to draw out a velvet-lined hardcover book about the size of the average hotel-room Bible.  On it, in Japanese, is written THE BOOK OF LUM.  "Whoo, I gotta admit here that I've never been insulted to my face like I'm insulted here!" he opens it to the index.  "Ah, here we are.  The Books of the Holy Apostles, one to five.  The Book of Jariten.  There're the Books of the Holy Friends.  Benten, Oyuki, Nassur..." he pauses, then shakes his head.  "I don't know who he is.  I guess I might not want to know.  Let's see..." he scans the index.  "Ah!  The book of Cherry.  The Book of Sakura.  The Book of Ryuunosuke.  No book of Rei, of course.  The Books of the Sinful Doubters, Lan and Shinobu.  They're in the back, you see..."

	"So where's your book?!" Ryuunosuke wonders, wondering when Rod Serling was going to show up and tell them all that they had just taken a trip into the Twilight Zone.  "I know you keep a diary of your own."

	"Well..." Ataru sighs.  "You gotta remember, Ryuunosuke.  I'm the Great Evil, after all," he shrugs.  "Who in their right mind would allow the words of a DEVIL like me to get into their holy text?!  I mean, do you see Satan's writings in the Bible?" he gazes at Shinobu, then turns to Lan.  "Also, after I discovered Lum's annoying habit of using her spacializers to jump ahead in time to read my diary, I decided that the smart thing to do was to keep the diary at Tampopo's.  After all, it was the one place in Tomobiki where Lum knew she wasn't welcome.  I guess getting brained a few times by Tampopo-chan's spatula finally made her realize I was entitled to some privacy.  Of course, as it says here," he points to the Book of Lum, then flips it open to a section near the start.  "...the fact that she did THAT to their Goddess made the Niphentaxians call her 'the Great Evil's Most Powerful and Loyal.  So villainous in her contempt of the Goddess, so passionate in defending the Vile One within her establishment, that...' -- this is Aisuru writing in his Book, by the way -- '...can but pray that the One Above even the Most Holy of Holies...' -- that's another way of calling Lum -- '...will strike the Beast down with Divine Retribution.'"

	He closes the Book, then puts it on the coffee table.  "Darling..." Lum tries to gather what strength she could to turn him away from WHATEVER  madness he was charging headlong to.  "Please!  You've got to believe me!  You can't accept what those monsters say as the truth!!"

	"Well, then, what the hell was I SUPPOSED to accept, Lum?!" he stares at her, throwing up his hands in frustration.

	"Lum, why have you never told us about these people?" Shinobu asks.

	Lan/Lum shudders, then looks down.  "I hate them..."

	"Yeah," Ataru nods, then gazes at Shinobu.  "I can understand that, Lum.  You see, Shinobu, about five years ago or so, some tin-pot dictator somewhere -- Vos, was it? -- decided he was going to assassinate Lum and her family.  Oogi got wind of it.  And being the faithful man he is, he DID something about it!  Wanna know what he did?!  He sent an interplanetary ballistic missile to this place's capital city.  It was laden with a stew of stuff.  Um, let's see now..." he hums, tapping the side of his mouth.  "Oh, yeah, I just remembered!  Well, there was anthrax, hepatitis, Hifuto syndrome -- that's their version of ebola -- plus lead oxide particles.  Vosians are VERY vulnerable to lead poisoning.  And, well, the missile hit..." Ataru leans close to Shinobu.  "And five million people died."

	Silence.

	"Five million...?" Shinobu hoarsely exclaims.

	"Yeah," Ataru nods, then turns away, waving his hand before his face.  "You know, I wonder what the smell must've been like in Lecashuto.  All those dead and decaying bodies.  The old, the young, all the people in between, what animals might've died...!  Whoo, that must've been ripe!" he shudders, then glances at Lan.  "But not, I believe, as ripe as what I smelled on Okusei.  And Tunchusei.  And Kurrusei.  And Noukiios itself."

	Lan blinks, then turns sheet-white.  "You went to...?"

	"Oh, yes, I did," Ataru nods.  "You see, my trip to Phentax Two was pretty informative.  But I'm sure you'll agree with me that going to the Dominion and seeing how much you Onis FUCKED them over -- well, that was much MORE informative."  He shakes his head, whatever mirth vanishing from his eyes as he glares Lan down.  "You people.  You couldn't swallow your pride.  You took advantage of a culture FIVE times older than yours in a moment of weakness, subjugated them for a CENTURY as slaves on their own home planet, THEN when they threw you off, you couldn't stand the damned FACT that they rejected the GREAT Oni Empire for..." he gasps in exaggeration, clapping his cheeks.  "Horrors!!  Their OWN way of governing themselves?!  Not for ONCE accepting what the 'smarter' Onis taught them in their century of so-called 'benevolent rule?!'  How TERRIBLE!!!

	"And so you tried to starve them out!  And you slapped on who knows what sort of stupid trade sanctions to force them to give up those colony planets -- which were Noukiios' BY RIGHT OF TREATY, by the way!! -- and even persuaded your friends in the Federation that the Noukiites were the bad guys, no different than the Ipraedies or the Seifukusu themselves!!

	"And you WONDER why is it they finally decided to lash out back at you when they finally got the chance?!!  You WONDER why they decided to detonate an anti-matter bomb in the middle of your capital city to wipe out all your leaders?!  You WONDER why ALL the citizens' militias on Machibusu and elsewhere are being slaughtered wholesale, even the CHILDREN?!!"

	Everyone stares dumbstruck at Ataru, stupefied that this man, one they thought they knew, had changed so dramatically.  Lan -- or is it Lum within? -- tries to say SOMETHING to counter what he just revealed.  Ataru blinks, then takes on that detached look as he backs away from the alien teen.  "Well, what do you care?  You showed you were no better than the rest of your race at the Second Tag Race.  You and the floozy airhead whose body you're borrowing right now.  And you wonder why is it someone in the Middle East decided to issue a fatwa -- that's an Islamic religious decree, by the way -- that demanded you DIE for what happened in that garbage with the space-taxi?!  That fatwa that saw four guys who loved you DIE six days ago?!  That fatwa that killed Ryuunosuke's dad and Nagisa, not to mention two others!  Totally innocent kids, whose names, I bet, NONE of us know!"

	"And your parents."

	Ataru blinks, then turns on Shinobu.  She jolts, sensing a cyclone of rage appear deep in his eyes, then finds herself rooted in place, realizing she just did something VERY stupid.  He walks over to stand before her, then his face softens again.  "Yeah.  Them, too," he nods, then turns to Ryuunosuke.  "Do you want to know why I came on Monday to help out with the mess Ibrahim-san made?  Do you really want to know?"

	"Well..." the tomboy stammers, then shrugs.  "Um, yeah!  Sure!"

	He them smiles before giving her an "Aw, shucks, ma'am!" gesture.  "Well, I guess I kinda disappointed you, then.  After all, if I *didn't* show up, you would've AUTOMATICALLY turned around and blamed that whole mess on ME.  Just like you've all blamed EVERYTHING ELSE on me, too!  It says it right in the book, there," he points to the Book of Lum.  "I figured that if I did show up, use all the things Onee-chan taught me," he waves to Negako, "...then you wouldn't blame me at all.  Oh!" he shakes his head.  "How stupid I was, I guess!  You don't want to blame yourselves, after all.  It's not Tomobiki's way.  It's always gotta be MY fault!  Well, then again..." he shrugs, turning to leave.  "Knowing you guys, you'll probably get around to putting the blame all on me sooner or later."

	He walks towards the door, Negako moving to follow him.  The others watch him go, unsure of what to say.  Ataru then stops, turning once more to stare at them.  "If, on the VERY rare chance that you decide I don't deserve blame for what happened..." he muses.  "Don't come looking for me to apologize or to reforge a friendship.  I will not accept it.  You will be turned away every time by whatever force is needed.  For you see, I am now of the strong opinion that the sooner you DIE, the sooner EVERYONE in this hellhole DIES, the better off the human race will be at the end."  His eyes then fall on Lan, his eyes narrowing.  "Especially you, Lum."

	"Darling..."

	"Let's go, Onee-chan."

	They walk through the doors, then vanish in a sea of black.  The doors close, then Mendou races off to pursue.  Flinging open the doors, he stops on seeing nothing but the outer atrium of the Mendou mansion, no sign at all that Ataru or Negako Moroboshi had been there.  "Gone..."

	Twin screams of heart-shattering pain divert his attention back as Lan and Shinobu collapse, wailing as the finality of what happened sinks in.  Ryuunosuke and Mendou move to comfort them immediately.  Sakura stares at the place Ataru had been, then turns to look on Cherry.  "What could have happened to him to make him be like THAT, Uncle?!" she wonders.

	"I cannot say, my niece," he shakes his head, then lowers his eyes.  "But even if he would reject it outright, we must pray for him..."

*    *    *

	Promised Island, minutes later...

	A knock.  "Ataru?"

	Ranma peeks into his room, having immediately come over when Chikage warned her it might be best for Ataru to not be left alone.  Ataru is by the window, gazing out at the sea.  His eyes are narrowed, tears glistening between the eyelids.  Ranma gazes at him for a moment, then moves to stand beside him.  Only when her hand gently squeezes his shoulder does he move.  A tilt of the head and one hand reaching out to squeeze hers in thanks.

	"What happened, Ataru?" she gently prods.

	"Oh, nothing much," his mouth quirks, then he sighs.  "I just basically told them off.  Probably made them think I'm so psychotic right now that if they decided to bother me again, I'd kill them on the spot."  He then snorts.  "Well, that would've been true back in Sanctuary after I got back from my visit to that planet of lunatics.  But..." he sighs.

	"Jeez, they can't be that bad," Ranma shakes her head.

	"Who?!"

	"The folks in Tomobiki."

	Ataru blinks, then shakes his head.  "Well, I dunno.  I mean..." he bites his lip, then breathes out.  "The attitude's the same.  You know, after everything went to Hell..." he closes his eyes, the images of people vaporized at an industrial scale flashing through his mind, "...I found this jail near where the 'great Lum church' was located," a snort, then he sighs.  "I broke into it and there were about two dozen people.  People who adhered to one of the pre-Lumite churches or actually didn't buy into any of that.  And they were almost as thin as people who got out of the death camps after World War Two.  They were being STARVED to death because they didn't follow the damned, fuckin' party line!" he spits out, then sighs.

	"It's the attitude, Ranma.  That's what I came to hate about what I found on that planet.  And that made me finally see, finally realize the truth about everyone in Tomobiki.  And me, too!  AND ME, TOO!!" he thumps his chest, the tears finally flowing as his hand moves to his face.

	As sobs steal his voice, Ranma moves to draw him close, allow him to embrace her as he squeezes his eyes closed tight.  Time becomes meaningless as Ataru weeps, sometimes shaking his head in pained frustration over some insane incident or another.  The hallmarks of a reckless youth lived with total abandon and a complete disregard for what was right.  Finally, Ataru takes several deep breaths to calm himself, then he pulls away, he guiding Ranma into sitting in his lap.  They stare at each other for a moment, then slide into a gentle kiss before gazing anew into each other's eyes.

	"Tell me what you're thinking?" she strokes his cheek.

	"I..." he breathes out.  "I know I've done things wrong.  I admit it.  I always have, I guess.  But..." he pauses, then looks outside.  "What I didn't see -- or, hell, I didn't bother to acknowledge -- was that when everyone else screwed up, they didn't BOTHER to admit they were wrong.  Maybe...?" he nibbles his lip.  "Maybe I let them get away with it too much.  I dunno.  Maybe I just didn't care.  I should've..."

	"You can't always protect people from being first-class idiots," she sighs.  "It's the same type of mistake I made with Akane, Ataru.  There she was, always believing that she could be the best in whatever she did.  In martial arts, cooking, sewing...!  And here's the tragedy of it:  she COULD be pretty damned good if she only quit thinkin' she could do it right on the first try.  You can't do that.  You know it and I know it.  And..." she closes her eyes.  "I never thought of tryin' to show her that's not the way you learn things.  After all, the only method of teaching I knew was Oyaji's.  If you did good, all you got was a grunt and maybe, just MAYBE, a 'Good work.'  If you did bad, you got called every name in the damned book and maybe a beatin', 'specially when I was younger."  She sighs.

	"You know, on Zephyrus, child abuse is a capital crime."

	Ranma blinks, then gazes at Ataru.  "Guess your grandma's friends are really smart," she grins, then snorts.  "And I guess that must've been part of the reason Kinshou wanted you to forget your grandma."

	"Oh, yeah, probably.  After all, I AM the grandson of a Righteous Gentile," he clicks his tongue, then rubs his eyes before leaning over to give Ranma another playful kiss.  "Right now, I just want to chase those idiots out of my head, all of them.  I bet you want to do the same, ne?"

	"Yeah.  Yeah, I do.  So what do you want to do?"

	"Care to sample the jacuzzi in this place?"

	Ranma blinks, then smiles.  "Sounds good..."

*    *    *

	Nerima, the Tendou dojo, after lunch...

	"Well, at least Ranma'll be properly dressed when she goes to school on Monday," Nodoka nods, giving the three school uniforms an appraising look.  Kasumi and Nabiki stand beside Ranma's mother; the former had helped with some tucking and knitting (using suggestions Nabiki provided) to give the bland blouse and jumper a more "personalized" look.

	"Damn right about that, Auntie," Nabiki smiles.  "By the way, did Ranma-kun get all he needs to get on that island there?"

	"Hai," Kasumi nods.  "Turns out that one of Ataru-kun's sisters even found some 'Ranma socks' for Ranma-kun to wear."

	"'Ranma socks?!'" Nodoka and Nabiki blink.

	"Oh, yes.  White knee-highs with stallions and orchids as trimming."

	The others exchange a look, then Nabiki's brow furrows.  "Now, how the HELL do you get socks like THAT on a place like Promised Island?!"

	"Perhaps they're made there?" Kasumi shrugs.

	Laughter fills the room, then the women jolt on hearing an outraged scream from the front patio.  "***WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE...?!?!***"  That is followed by Genma crying out in shock, then the hard *twack!!* of a body hitting the sakura tree, ending with a *splash!!* of said body falling into the koi pond.  Nodoka hums.  "I believe Negako-san is here."

	"I'll bring her up," Kasumi walks out of the room.

	Nabiki and Nodoka relax as Kasumi soon returns, Negako in her wake.  "Konnichi wa, Negako-san.  Where were you this morning?" Nabiki asks.

	"I was busy with Ataru dealing with the unrepentant fools in Tomobiki, who seem more curious about what I am than concerned over Lum's current predicament," the grandmistress announces.

	"Lum?!" Kasumi blinks.  "But isn't she dead, Negako-san?"

	"Physically, yes, but her spirit wound up in Lan's body," Negako replies, then noticing the disbelieving looks on everyone's faces, moves to elaborate.  "I believe this happened because Lum and Lan were both fitted with special bio-neural transmitters at the order of Lum's self-defence instructor Nassur four years ago.  When Lum's body was destroyed, her spirit was immediately shifted into Lan's body.  Naturally, Ataru was willing to help Lum secure a body of her own, but the questions everyone else rose about me..." she lightly shrugs.  "Did not improve his mood."

	"I hope no one was hurt," Nodoka muses.

	"Physically, no.  However, Ataru's words had a profound effect on their confidence in themselves and their situation.  In essence, they now believe my brother is homicidally insane, which might make them VERY wary about returning to their old modes of behaviour concerning him.  I believe that will even deter Lum from continuing a romantic pursuit of Ataru that will, I am now quite sure, end in abject failure."

	"Oh, dear, that's too bad," Kasumi sighs.

	"Do you think it might be smart to get the news out on this?" Nabiki then wonders, her mind rolling over the possibilities of new profits.

	"No, that will not be wise, Nabiki.  Remember, if a xenophobe like Ibrahim Alhamzi was able to do what he did on Monday, there could easily be many more like him waiting for their chance.  Do you wish to facilitate such a chance and risk the lives of innocent bystanders?"

	Nabiki blanches.  Yeah, she liked making money and didn't mind the odd hurt feelings here and there, but THAT...?!  "Hell, no!!!"

	"I believed you would say that.  In the meantime, since I have rendered Genma unconscious for the remainder of the day, I will take Ranma's uniforms back to her guest room at our residence."

	Nodoka hands the uniforms over.  With that, Negako heads out, then down the stairs.  Akane is ascending at the same time, she gazing curiously at the ninjitsu grandmistress; when Negako had arrived, Akane had seen her deal with Genma using only ONE arm!  Negako passes her without a word, then stops.  Setting the uniforms aside, she gazes at Akane.  "Wh-what...?" the latter stammers, unused to having ANYONE look at her like THAT.

	Negako's eyes fall on Akane's arm.  Without hesitation, she takes the arm by the wrist, moves the sling aside, then taps the plaster holding the elbow in place.  Akane gasps as the plaster shatters, then blinks as Negako uses her other hand to vibro-tap several points above and below the joint.  The former gasps as jolts of pain rip through her, then blinks, her eyes widening as the pain suddenly fades.  "What the...?!" she gapes.

	"There.  Kasumi, ensure Akane takes in twice the amount of food she normally has for dinner and all her meals tomorrow," Negako instructs, then she stares at the youngest Tendou.  "News of the end of your engagement to Ranma has already reached certain parties who also attend Furinkan High School.  Their reaction to that is to re-instigate what I believe you call 'the Fight.'  You best prepare yourself, Akane."

	With that, Negako scoops up the uniforms, then heads outside.  Akane remains in place as Kasumi follows the grandmistress out.  She then spins on Nabiki.  "DID YOU TELL THEM...?!!" she howls, Mallet-sama out and ready.

	Nabiki waves her hand peacefully.  "Hey, it wasn't me...!!!"

*    *    *

	Outside, Negako has slipped on her shoes, preparing to head home.  "I'll make sure Akane-chan's fed and ready, Negako-san," Kasumi bows.

	"That is good," Negako's eyes then narrow.

	Her foot taps the ground several times.  Bolts of invisible chi lash out from that point to the sakura tree beside the koi pond, where Genma (as panda) now lies.  The panda hadn't moved since Negako socked him into the pond, but that didn't mean he hadn't fully recovered.  He had.  And he now was waiting for the chance to get his paws on those damned uniforms, then rip them up to ensure Ranma would be dressed PROPERLY for school.  There was just no WAY he was going to stand around and see his son...

	*Cr-rack...!*

	Eh?!  What was that...?!

	*CRUNCH!!!*

*    *    *

	"Oh, my!!!" Kasumi gasps as the largest branch of the sakura tree, the one leaning over the pond, drops right onto Genma's head.

	The panda cries out painfully, then slumps once more into blessed unconsciousness.  Negako does not react as she walks past, then bounds over the gate before heading home.  A second later, one of Genma's panda-signs floats up from under his body.  [HOW DID SHE KNOW...?!]

*    *    *

	Tomobiki, Lan's property, early evening...

	"So THAT'S what happened to you!!  Thank Bensaiten for that!!!"

	Lan sighs, staring at Benten's image on her command bridge main viewscreen.  Lum was currently speaking for them both.  "Hai!  Sorry that I didn't get back to you sooner, but we believed that the sooner we got away from Urusian space, the better.  How's Nassur-chan, by the way?!"

	"Sends his apologies for not tellin' you about those bio-transmitters we all got in our heads," Benten points to the side of her head.  "Oyuki and I got 'em, too.  Turns out he did somethin' more, but he wants to surprise us about that.  It's a good surprise, too!"

	"From Nassur-chan, it's ALWAYS a good surprise!" Lan/Lum giggles.

	<<Yeah, suuuuuuuuure!>> Lan drones from inside her brain.

	*Lan!* Lum scolds, though she did understand where the Seishin teen was coming from.  Nassur and Lan had been enemies for some time now, that starting when Lan's youth-sucking powers went out of control and the expat Vosian bounty-hunter/mercenary found himself being the closest possible target.  Knowing that, it surprised Lum that Nassur had done unto Lan what he did to Lum, Benten and Oyuki (all of whom cared very deeply for him).

	"So, you met up with Moroboshi yet?" Benten asks.

	Lan jolts, then her eyes become hooded as tears spill down her cheeks.  She shudders as the two souls within her switch places, then the Seishin teen sighs.  "Darling wasn't very nice to Lum-chan today, Benten," she breathes out.  "He found out about Oogi's planet of morons.  A little TOO much, unfortunately.  And he's been to Noukiios and the colonies."

	The Fukunokami teen blinks, then her eyes widen.  Benten's home planet, who hadn't enjoyed cordial relations with the old Urusian Empire, was neutral in the long-running Oni-Noukiite dispute.  Benten herself knew few Noukiites would view her kindly if they learned she was close friends with an Oni.  "Fuck..." she hisses, then sighs.  "That probably explains this little titbit Nassur sent me.  He got it off the Home Base computer."  Home Base, an asteroid near Uru, was Nassur's present base of operations.  "Where that thing got it from, I got NO idea, but you GOTTA see it!"

	Benten taps controls to draw up a sub-screen on Lan's viewscreen.  The Seishin teen taps controls to blow up the image, then hums.  "This is Lumukyou?!" she wonders, remarking on the capital city of Phentax Two.

	"Yep.  Watch."

	Lan blinks, then her eyes widen as a flash of light bursts from the Great Lum Church (a replica of Tomobiki High School).  The burst expands to cover the whole screen, obliterating everything in sight.  Seconds later, the explosion's light fades, revealing a sea of total devastation.  "Oh, gods...!!" Lan covers her mouth, her eyes tearing.  Like Lum and all those who closely associated with her, she had no love whatsoever for Oogi or the Church of Lum.  But to see an entire city of five million sentient beings vaporize in an instant was too much even for her.

	"Watch the blow up," Benten advises.

	Lan blinks as a target icon falls over the site of the Great Lum Church.  The screen then magnifies to show the hazy image of a man.  The image then clears up.  At the lens' distance -- *What sort of probe could show off pictures like THIS?!* Lan wonders -- the facial details are quite obscure, but the body is quite clear.  "A cyborg...?!"

	<<Who is that?!>> Lum demands.

	"Okay, I'm blowin' up the face," Benten advises.  "Tell Lum to brace herself, Lan.  She AIN'T gonna like seein' this!"

	Target icon appears, locked on the machine-man's head.  The image blows up, hazing immediately.  It then clears as the entity seems to turn and face the camera's eye.  Seeing that image, Lan gags, she covering her mouth as nausea overwhelms her.  The hair.  The general facial shape.  The still-organic right eye, now matched to a glowing orb, ruby-red.

	"Gods...!!" Lan tries not to choke on her bile.

	<<DARLING?!?!?!>> Lum exclaims.

	"Watch what comes next," Benten warns.

	The camera lens falls back as something seems to burst from a pile of wreckage directly behind the transformed Ataru.  He spins around to gaze on a vaguely humanoid shape in the tattered robes of a monk.  In the figure's hand is a two-metre staff topped with a glowing ruby.  Ataru braces himself as the figure points accusingly at him.  She -- a woman? -- levels the staff.  The ruby flares, a blast of energy hitting Ataru.  No effect.  He lunges, one hand grabbing the staff by the ruby.  The gem flares, this time creating another nuclear blast.  The camera lens falls back all the way to near-orbital space.  A burst of light explodes from the site of Lumukyou, followed by a concussive wave that spreads over the whole of Phentax Two.

	"What is that...?!" Lan demands.

	The wave eventually vanishes after covering the whole planet.  The camera lens then zooms up once more on Lumukyou.  Now, standing alone in the wreckage of the Great Lum Church, the still-cybernetic Ataru is looking about.  A close-up of his face reveals that his still-human eye is wide with shock.  He then drops the strange staff like it was a poisonous snake or worse before falling to his knees and screaming to the heavens.

	<<Darling...>> Lum sobs.

	"What happened, Benten?!!" Lan demands.

	"Well, way Nassur thinks it happened, that staff-thing must've been some sorta power conduit," Benten sighs as the sub-screen vanishes, revealling the Fukunokami teen scratching the side of her face.  "As ta what sorta power that thing drew from, he has NO idea whatsoever.  Some sort of doomsday device Oogi's morons created one day?!  I dunno!"

	Lan shudders.  "What about that woman who confronted Darling?" she then wonders, Lum now in control of the body.

	"According to what Nassur has on the Church of Lum, she must've been a Guardian.  They're a sorta pre-Lumite sect that's been around since the time the Niphentaxians first got inta space.  According to what the Home Base computer knows, the Guardians kinda're like the Inquisition's Special Enforcement Teams on Zephyrus.  They handle the REALLY big, nasty problems.  Atop that, they also kinda believed that if something bad happened to the one faith that attracts the worship of almost EVERYONE on Phentax Two, then *BOOM!!*  They all get wiped out."  A pause, then, "I guess it came true."

	Lan/Lum blinks.  "When Darling left Tomobiki and we were all sent back to Uru..." she muses, then pales.  "Do you think they might've captured Darling?!  Tried to kill him or something like that?!"

	"Hard ta say, Lum," Benten shrugs.  "Anyhow, about that big blast wave that covered the whole planet:  wanna know what it did?  It terminally cooked three BILLION people.  Nothin' left to bury!  Nothin' at ALL!!  Near as Nassur can figure out now, the ones who died were the hard-core Oogi supporters, the ones who hated Moroboshi's guts and all that."

	Lan sinks back in her chair.  "Tcha...!"

	"Yeah," Benten sighs.  "Look, Nassur don't believe that Moroboshi woulda intentionally killed three billion people even IF any one of 'em would've killed him if they got the chance!  I agree!  He ain't that type of guy!!  But..." she shrugs again.  "If the Church leaders who survived that mess, the ones with the Niphentaxian Fleet and on the colonies, saw that...!  Hell, you can sure guess what they'll all end up concluding!"

	Lan blinks, then looks down.  "Oh, Darling...!"

	"Right.  Don't worry about it, though.  Nassur's keeping totally mum about it, at least until he can come down to Earth and have a chat with Moroboshi about this," Benten smirks.  "'Sides, with Oogi and all the top idiots all ashes now, the non-Lumites might decide to finally do away with that nonsense and finish off the rest of those clowns!"

	"I hope so, Benten," Lan/Lum nods.  "I don't think Darling would be in ANY sort of mood to meet any more of my friends, even Nassur-chan, after what he just went through.  And there's Negako-san to worry about, too.  Nassur-chan might be good, but he's nowhere in Negako-san's league.  And if she thinks that Nassur-chan might be threatening Darling..."

	The ominous warning hung in the air.  "Right," Benten nods.  "Well, anyhow, I got to get to Home Base."  She was calling from her parents' home in Bensaikyou, Fukunokami's capital city.  "I'll call you guys soon as I get a chance to get to a videophone, okay?!  See ya!"

	The link is cut, then Lan sinks in her chair.  Silence falls over the scout's bridge as the possessed Seishin teen stares nowhere in particular.  <<Lum-chan...?>> the Seishin teen's voice echoes in her mind.  <<What can we do now?  Darling doesn't want to have ANYTHING to do with us...!>>

	"I don't know, Lan-chan..."

	<<Perhaps we may be of some assistance?>>

	Lan jolts, then spins around to gaze toward the hatchway of her ship.  Floating up the stairwell to her entryway are two balls of salt water, each the size of Rei in his tiger-bull form.  As if seeing perfectly-symmetrical balls of seawater float up to her door wasn't unnerving enough, each ball contained within it something that looked vaguely like a giant squid, each with a pair of glowing eyes.  "Who...?!  What the?!!" Lan/Lum gargle incoherently (and nearly synchronously).  Lum and Lan had both met all sorts of beings in their young lifetimes, but nothing like THIS!

	<<Forgive us for disturbing you like this, but we could not help but sense your current state of jointness,>> the one on Lan's left transmits.  <<Such a state is clearly life-threatening to the both of you, which will do your friends nor your surviving family any good in the long run.>>

	"Who are you?!" Lum, finally gaining the composure to take charge of Lan (and now her) body and the situation, asks.  "WHAT are you?!!"

	<<That, Lum Redet, is very easy to explain...>>

*    *    *

	Nearby...

	"Cripes, I just can't BELIEVE that guy!!!"

	Walking towards Lan's private lot to look in on their friends, Shinobu, Ryuunosuke and Mendou seem to sway between outright indignation and bone-chilling fear.  Shinobu has the copy of the Book of Lum in hand, she having scanned through the part of the text supposedly ascribed to her before they came.  "Maybe," she sighs.  "But then again, if Ataru-kun really believed this thing actually contained ACCURATE copies of our diary entries (and given the tone of this book), his opinions do make sense."

	"I don't understand, Shinobu-san," Mendou gazes questioningly at her.

	"Well, except for the 'flowering' of the language, the parts of this book taken from my diary are dead on.  Except for one thing," Shinobu holds up a finger.  "Everything, at least in my 'book' (and I assume, everyone else's), has been rewritten to follow a sort of basic 'party line.'"

	"That bein'?" Ryuunosuke's eyebrow arches.

	"That Lum is the Goddess, that she is ALWAYS in the right concerning EVERYTHING she does, that we all blindly support her..." Shinobu pauses, then closes the Book of Lum.  "And that everything that, in any way, shape or form, 'defies' Lum's wishes is Ataru-kun's fault since he is..."

	"The Great Evil," the tomboy finishes.

	"Hai...!  EH?!!"

	"Wha-...?!" Mendou looks over before his jaw drops.  "Gods!!"

	The three, now by the front gate of Lan's property, arrived just in time to see two LARGE balls of seawater *float* up to her hatchway.  As soon as they disappear through the scoutship's main entrance, the Terrans scramble to the gangway, ready for anything.  Given all that has befallen them in the last week, none desired to take any chance of losing their friends TWICE!  Seeing that the coast is clear, Mendou draws his katana, then ascends the gangway, Shinobu and Ryuunosuke right behind him.  In seconds, they arrive in Lan's living room, then pause, surprised to see Lan staring wide-eyed at the two balls of seawater -- and the beings within.

	"Are they...?!" Mendou pauses, then lowers his katana, though he remains tense.  "Er, friends of yours, Lum-san?"

	"Um..." Lan/Lum begins, then shrugs.

	Mendou's eyes then fall on the shapes WITHIN the watery globes, before widening more in surprise.  Whatever these things were, they distantly resembled his own octopi companions.  And unless he was VERY mistaken, the one on Lan's right is badly injured.  Gritting his teeth, he sighs.  No matter what these newcomers' intentions actually were, there was perhaps only ONE person who might be able to help.  Grabbing his cell-phone, he dials a number before noticing of Ryuunosuke's glare.  "Hey, wait until we at least *know* whether they're hostile or not before calling...!"

	Mendou turns away as the other end responds.  Ryuunosuke blinks, then pauses on hearing him utter the words "Yamada-sensei."  The tomboy keeps her peace as Mendou explains the situation, then hears a high-pitched voice respond with "I'll be right there!"  "Arigatou, Sensei," Mendou nods.

	"Hey, who did you...?!" Ryuunosuke demands.

	He faces her.  "I contacted the one person who can help a sick octopi or other mollusk.  One of Lum-san's visitors is injured," he indicates the wounded entity to Lan's right.  Noting Ryuunosuke taking a look, then her understanding nod, he adds, "If anyone can help, he might be able to."

	"Injured?" Lan/Lum gasps, then turned her attention to the entity in question.  Sure enough, there are several deep, bloody gashes in her flesh, though to both Urusians' surprise, no blood is flowing from the wound.  "I...!" the possessed teen stammers.  "I...!  I didn't know...!!"

	Suddenly, a high-pitched, watery squeal of excitement rings out from near Mendou.  Shinobu and Ryuunosuke turn to see one of the curious fish-headed people who turned up ever so often run up to gaze, space-helmet to glowing eye, with the visitors.  "Amazing!!!" Yamada gasps.  "I've heard all the legends of the Nendo-kata since I was just a guppy, but I never thought I'd actually encounter a *live* one, let alone TWO!!"

	The others blink...

*    *    *

	Nearby...

	"Splendid," Negako gazes in the direction of Lan's scoutship from the vantage point of the Toranoseishin Tower.  "With them involved, *some* sort of rationality might curb them from their more annoying excesses..."

*    *    *

	Later...

	"Sensei, do you think this might work?!"

	"Of course it'll work," Yamada nods.  Once explanations were made, the alien doctor had the Nendo-kata shifted to Lan's on-board swimming pool so they could relax their telekinetic powers and prepare for what must now happen to save the lives of both Lan and Lum.  "Oh, don't worry about it at all, young lady.  The Great School has been doing this for over a hundred thousand years, even more.  It's quite automatic to them."

	"But...!" Ryuunosuke, now sitting beside Shinobu and Mendou near the small pool's edge.  "I mean, sacrificin' themselves just to give Lum a new body to use, then do the same thing to Lan...?!  Jeez!!  There's gotta...!"

	"Be another way?!" Yamada sighs.  "My dear, according to them, both Lum-san and Lan-san could die from a complete brain burn-out within forty-eight hours, Ryuunosuke-san.  And with this war situation, do you honestly believe we could rush back to Uru, find some samples of Lum-san's DNA, then locate SOMEONE in this galaxy who has the right sort of cloning technology to help us in time?"  He holds up a finger.  "And, of course, that doesn't BEGIN to mention what might happen if the Noukiites get any wind of this."

	The Terrans exchange a look, then sigh.  "But what happens to the souls of the Nendo-kata when they merge with Lum and Lan?" Shinobu asks.

	"Oh, they won't fade away into the 'black ocean' as their kind would say," Yamada chuckles.  "Their souls'll merge with Lan-san's and Lum-san's, thus bestowing the morals, teachings and herstory of the Great School onto your friends.  Nothing detrimental, of course.  Shinobu-san, ask yourself this:  if your friend was in danger of dying," he indicates Ryuunosuke with a webbed hand, "...wouldn't you sacrifice yourself to save her?"

	"I..." Shinobu blinks, then nods.  "Of course I would."

	"So why would you think that other sentients might do otherwise?" Yamada sighs, then gaze on the two Nendo-kata.  "Anyhow, I must look in on our wounded visitor there.  Will you please excuse me?"

	"Of course, Sensei," Mendou replies as they rise and head out.

	Yamada watches them go, then turns his attention to the wounded alien in the pool.  "You're clearly doing better now than when you were first wounded, ma'am.  But, I'm sure you realize that you still don't have the required mental strength for the Crossing Over.  You could still die before you complete the process, and then you'd both doom yourself and Lum-san."

	<<Do you have a suggestion as to how to resolve this to everyone's benefit, Healer?>> the uninjured Nendo-kata inquires.

	"What about giving Lan-san's persona to your companion, and merging her life-force with Lan-san's body during the process?" Yamada muses, the tight line of his mouth indicating the severity of the situation as he stares at the life-aura graphs on his personal scanner.  "That could work."

	<<Indeed it would, Healer, but there is another concern,>> she replies.  <<In scanning not just Lum and Lan, but many of the sentients around us now, a considerable amount of xenophobia against members of the Great School of Uru now exists here in Tokyo.  Lum especially will have to assume a form which won't draw specific attention to herself if she wishes to continue to reside here on Earth.  Wouldn't you agree, Healer?>>

	"Yes, I quite agree.  They'll need to match themselves to the local populace.  While Lan-san can pass as a surface-dweller on this planet, she's unfortunately become a little too notorious to live safely here in Tomobiki," Yamada nods.  "Never mind what the Noukiites might do if they learn that Lum-san survived their attack on Onishuto.  The SCAA and the Zephyrites would hold the deciding card on both their lives."  A bubbly sigh escapes him as he remembers one other thing.  "And that sadly means that both their lives now depend on the good graces of all their friends.  Not to mention Shutaro-san's rival, Ataru Moroboshi!"

	<<Do you believe this 'Darling' that both place such importance on would allow them to be harmed if Shutaro presses matters too much?>>

	"Wouldn't he?" the doctor sadly muses.  "Ataru-san didn't seem inclined to help them the first time they were sent off after he broke up with Lum-san.  Besides, I've noticed that humans often use the people they profess to care about as pawns in their many conflicts.  Watch any of their visual broadcasts and you'd see that is the case.  If the case is heated enough, their children and loved ones are often the first sacrificed."

	<<Many humanoids we've encountered are the same way,>> the Nendo-kata sadly sighs.  <<They carry a veneer of Unity and courtesy, while gladly courting the forces of disUnity at any and every opportunity.>>

	"Agreed.  Why do you think millions of humans here fight and kill each other over 'sacred lands' with such fervour that they forget *why* they are sacred?!  They profess reverence to religions whose prophets and gods teach peace, love, and respect for their fellows.  Then they gladly repress, brutalize, and murder each other in the name of the same god!"

	<<They are undisciplined.  They cannot turn from their own passions and momentary desires long enough to see the harm they cause.>>

	"You want to know what I think the real problem is?" the alien doctor wonders, then explains.  "They're too simple.  For all their intelligence and culture, the cold hard fact is that they're still wild animals.  Too close to the cave and the forest they evolved out of to really accept the truths they themselves discovered.  They know the words of angels, but the wild, destructive, savage instincts of the beast lie still within them."

	<<Saddening, isn't it...?  Oh!>>

	"Um?  Sensei?!"

	Yamada turns to see Lan standing at the entrance to her pool area.  "Oh, Lan-san, there you are!  I believe we've discovered a possible route by which both you and Lum-san may finally get your lives back in order."

	"Er..." Lan blinks, then sensing Lum's urgent desire to be free and have a body of her own push her, nods.  "Alright..."

*    *    *

	Promised Island, midnight...

	Chikage sighs, indulging herself in one of her favourite pastimes:  moon-gazing.  Clouds are in the sky, but the moon is bright.  Taking a deep breath, she closes her eyes.  Tomorrow, the sisters would be heading to the mainland to set things up for Ataru's and Ranma's return to Nerima.  Once that was done, they would back off and let things go at...

	Eh?!

	Chikage's eyes snap open as she turns to gaze towards Welcome House.  Rising, the sorceress levitates, then soars off for Ataru's room.  Reaching the window, she looks inside, then pauses, her eyes widening.  "Ani-kun!"

	Ataru is in bed, lying an arm's width from Ranma.  The latter is curled up in a ball, though she is not being wracked with any sort of dream or nightmare.  The former lies flat on his back, facing the ceiling.  His eyes are open.  And his left eye is glowing.

	"Ani-kun...!" Chikage blinks...

*    *    *

	Tomobiki...

	"Oh, dear!  This isn't going well..."

	Yamada gazes fretfully at the readouts on his scanner.  So far, the Crossing Over for Lum was proceeding without difficulty.  The Nendo-kata bonding with the Oni teen had taken a "psionic scan sample" of the DNA of Shinobu Miyaki, Ryuunosuke Fujinami and Shutaro Mendou, mixing them all together to create a strand which would exhibit the best quality of all three Terrans.  The doctor estimated that Lum would finally emerge from the Crossing Over by early evening, about eighteen hours away.

	Lan was another problem.  Yes, the soul and the life force of the wounded Nendo-kata had been successfully transferred into the Seishin girl's body.  However, the strain on Lan's own body was too much given the sheer differences in matters such as lifespan, paranormal powers, not to mention the unique parthenogenetic reproductive abilities members of the Great School had possessed for a hundred millennia.  If something didn't happen soon to stabilize Lan's life force, she would be lost.

	Yamada sighs, then turns to where a sweating Lan now lay on the living room couch.  Walking over, the alien doctor places a hand on the Seishin teen's head.  "Be strong, Lan-san.  Please, be str-..."

	His voice fails as a bright flash of light turns his attention behind him.  The luminescence fades, revealing a figure draped in gold-trimmed, black form-fitting clothing.  And gunmetal grey cybernetic parts covering half the chest and upper abdomen, the whole right arm and left leg, part of the left arm and right leg -- not to mention most of the face.

	Staring at this apparition, Yamada's jaw flaps open and closed in stunned disbelief, then he finally squeaks, "A-ata-Ataru-san...?!"

	Without replying, the Cyborg walks around Yamada to kneel beside Lan, he gazing forlornly on her damp face.  A metal hand gently touches her forehead, then a hollow sigh escapes between the skull-like jaw that now stood as his mouth.  He then turns to stare at Yamada.  The alien doctor shudders, suddenly realizing that the situation between Tomobiki's most infamous resident and his former schoolmates was MUCH more complex than he first imagined.  For even if he had only one organic eye in this form, that eye told Yamada much.  The being kneeling before the doctor had seen a near-infinity of tragedy, endless levels of pain and grief.  For what, Yamada couldn't imagine.  He then decides he didn't WANT to know.

	It would help him sleep easier at nights.

	Taking a deep breath -- *Odd,* Yamada muses.  If this entity's jaws and cheeks were skull-like, why did he have a fully-shaped nose? -- the Cyborg holds up his arm.  Something ejects from a hatchway above the wrist joint.  A pole.  Drawing that out, the Cyborg waits for it to morph into a beautiful medical caduceus, then he holds it over Lan's heart.  The device glows as a shower of energy pours down to sprinkle the Seishin teen from head to toe.  Lan gasps.  Yamada immediately turns to his scanner.  His eyes then widen as all of Lan's vitals take a marked climb up.

	The shower stops, the Cyborg returning the staff to its holding place on his arm.  Gazing once more on Lan, he nods.  "**The remainder of this process should go on without further problems, Sensei,**" he announces, his voice a hollow, metallic twang.  "**By the time Lum's come through what she's experiencing, Lan should make a full recovery.**"

	Yamada blinks, then asks, "Why?"

	A pause as the entity before the doctor seems to consider if he would answer or not, then he sighs.  "**I cannot be what Lum wants me to be, Sensei.  Even now, I can sense her praying, hoping, dreaming that things would go back to the way they were before the last Tag Race.**"  He shakes his head.  "**They can't.  My destiny was written -- by whom, I've utterly NO idea -- long before I ever met Lum.  And there's no way I'm going to tolerate her trying to go back in time to change things to her benefit.  Fate's got other ideas for me...**" his eyes close, a single tear trailing down his cheek, "**...and She won't tolerate any interference.**"

	"But, then why did you...?"

	"**I know,**" the Cyborg nods.  "**I had to do that, Sensei.  Much that I hated it deep down, I had to do it.  Right now, I'm too dangerous for most of the people in Tomobiki to be around with.  And right now, I seem to have found someone who's in as much need of help getting herself out of the pit her life's become as I needed it weeks ago.  But...**" he stares at Lan once more.  "**At least Lum will have someone to be with her from now on.**"  He reaches out to touch Lan's forehead again.  "**Pity I didn't learn of what your mom did to you when you were a little girl, Lan.  Seems we've got something in common now.  Take care of her, Lan-chan.**"

	Another flash of energy, then Yamada finds himself alone with Lan.  "Oh, dear..." the doctor breathes out...

*    *    *

	Promised Island...

	"Ani-kun...?!"

	The glow disappears from Ataru's eye as they close, then he turns to his side, his arms reaching for Ranma.  The latter shivers at that inviting touch, then with a moan, she turns around to lean into his embrace.  Gazing at them from the window, Chikage blinks, then lightly smiles before gliding away from the room to give them privacy...

*    *    *

	Furinkan High School, sometime after dawn...

	"IS THIS TRUE?!?!?!"

	"You bet, Sempai!" Daikun Takuichi, the number two man in the kendo team, nods excitedly.  "Saotome's mom pulled the rug out from under his 'engagement'..." his derision flows in torrents from his mouth, "...with Akane-san!  I heard it from Ukyou Kuonji!  She got it from Nabiki-san herself!!  Akane-san's a free woman again!  And this time, there isn't going to be a re-engagement, either!!  Saotome's mom won't have it!"

	Standing before a crowd of about forty young men -- the noble lads who, a lifetime ago, went out every school morning to duel the fair Akane Tendou to win the right to date her -- Tatewaki Kunou shudders, then cries out with unbridled joy.  "AT LAST!!!  Justice has shone upon us!!  FINALLY, after so long watching our beautiful tigress wither in the clutches of that foul beast, we can once more take up our noble cause, show Akane Tendou the true meaning of love!!!  Ah, it fills my noble heart with joy!" he pats his own chest, then sighs.  "But alas, my heart is still heavy with concern!!"

	"You okay there, Sempai?" Nagao Koriko, another kendoist, wonders.

	"Regretfully, no, Nagao-kun!" Kunou holds up his hand, then looks to the skies.  "For even though fair Akane is free, the beauteous pig-tailed girl is not.  Nay, nay, NAY, I say!!!  She is entwined even more deeply into the darkness, for not only does the foul sorcerer Saotome still hold the fire-haired damsel's heart fast with his dark magic, but a more EVIL beast has now turned his vile gaze upon the pig-tailed one!!"

	"Who?!" Daikun wonders, trying desperately not to laugh.  Despite their own interest in Akane -- or, perhaps, IN SPITE of it -- the other Furinkan students had pretty well come to understand Ranma's curse, not to mention Kunou's blind eye to it.  "Who are you talking about, Sempai?"

	"I speak of a creature who sought not only to deflower the fair ladies of his own school!  No, that was not ENOUGH to sate his twisted, demonic appetites!!" Kunou raises a hand to the sky.  "For this beast decided he'd also take the noble virtue of those NOT OF OUR OWN WORLD!!!" he points to the heavens.  "I speak of none other than...!  Eh?!"

	Everyone blinks, then looks up -- as a rainbow in all its beautiful tinctures flows out of a cloud, the edges heading right for Kunou's face!  "LOOK OUT!!!!" Nagao screams out as the others scramble away.

	Kunou doesn't move in time as the rainbow's edges drop to the ground right behind him.  He turns, then sees something fly at him.  Something of the female persuasion, wearing a tan skirt with a black overskirt.  And a petticoat.  Pure white.  Thick enough to hide whatever lay underneath...

	*CRUNCH!!!*

	The kendoist finds his mouth full of white cotton as a super-cute package of eight-year-old primary school student named Hinako lands on his face.  In her hands is a wrapped package as big as she, it falling from her grasp as her derriere lands HARD on Kunou's jaw.  Daikun is quick to catch it before it hits the ground, then as the girl stands to dust herself off, he hands it back to her.  "Um.  You dropped this, miss."

	Hinako blinks her They-Don't-Get-As-Big-As-This purple eyes, then she smiles as she takes the package back.  "Thank you!!" her grin widens as her eyes sparkle with appreciation.  A light gust of wind then shifts her light caramel-shaded hair (that tied into two stubby ponytails at her temples) as a shower of sparkles seems to whip past her.  Seeing this, the other boys gag, simply overwhelmed by her innocence.  Kunou, of course, is still flat on his back, overwhelmed by some of Hinako's other attributes.

	She steps aside as a high-pitched squeal of delight turns everyone's attention up.  Coming down now is an image straight out of Victorian-era England, complete with petticoat, skirt (blue, this time), overskirt (this one white), blue blouse, a bonnet covering a head of electric-blue hair, eyes the same shade as Hinako's, bowties, a bright blue umbrella and more crenelle lace trim than you can shake a stick at!  Deploying said umbrella to slow her landing, Aria's feet slam into Kunou's stomach.  And since Aria is a ten-year old, thus taller and heavier than Hinako, the impact on Kunou hurts worse.  "Oh," Aria gasps in her usual squeaky tones, noticing that she has dropped down on someone, which (as her governess and Nii-ya told her all the time) was a rude thing to do especially when travelling around on one of Chikage's magical rainbows, then she steps off, a hand holding her skirt up to prevent the dust from marring it.  "Aria is sorry."

	"Aria-sama, you forgot your present!!!" a voice calls up from above.

	Eyes turn up as Aria's governess, a lady from Toulon in her twenties named Jeanne-Marie Louise Guenevere Rochelles (Aria always shortens that mouth-filling name all the time to "Jii-ya") soars out of the clouds to land on Kunou's ribs!  In her hands is a gift as big as Hinako's.  Standing up immediately, she nods thanks to the dazed kendoist for breaking her fall, then she walks over to stare at Aria.  "Honestly, Aria-sama!  If all your sisters are bringing presents for Ranma-sama and you went and forgot yours, what would Ranma-sama think of you, Aria-sama?!" she gently scolds.

	Aria, unfortunately, has a LOW tolerance when it comes to scolding.

	Read:  NONE!

	Tears well up as Aria begins to sob.  "Jii-ya always yells at Aria all the time!" she burbles, then wails.

	Guenevere panics, then moves to calm the weeping girl down.  The others watch this, then Daikun turns to Hinako.  "She ALWAYS like this?!"

	"You get used to it," Hinako shrugs, then looks up the rainbow, waving.  "Minna-tama!!  C'mon!!!  We gotta get to Onii-tama's house before Onii-tama and Onee-tama get there so we can surprise them!!  C'mon!!!"

	Whoops and laughter echo the arrival of Ataru Moroboshi's other sisters.  Mamoru is first, riding her skateboard over Kunou's face.  Then comes Marie and Michael, both chasing her hat as they leave footprints and pawprints all over his arms.  Haruka avoids Kunou altogether, but her handy naginata (she NEVER leaves home without it) nearly clips off the man's ear.  Then Shirayuki and Karen, both of whom have presents AND at the same time carry a small chest of cooking supplies and spices.  THAT lands on Kunou's stomach!  Then Kaho, who uses his stomach as a springboard to practice her cheerleader's leap.  Then Yotsuba, who gives the others a "checky" with her magnifying glass (she doesn't see Kunou, though she tap-dances on his ribs).  Sakuya then arrives, hitting the poor kendoist down *there.*

	And then comes Rinrin.

	Riding Mega-Rinrin.

	Mega-Rinrin is also carrying Rinrin's present for Ranma.

	And other supplies...

	*CRUNCH!!!!*

	"Sempai...?!" Daikun blinks, unable to see ANYTHING of Kunou within the rut in the ground made by the tall robot's feet.

	Finally, Chikage.

	But she avoids Kunou.

	Easy to do now.

	With a wave of her hand, Chikage disperses the rainbow, then turns to the others.  "Minna, let's go!  Ani-kun's home is this way!"

	"Hai!!" the others chime.

	They follow the sorceress off the property.  Kunou's friends watch them go, then wave as Hinako and Aria wave good-bye to them.  As soon as the sisters disappear around the corner, everyone exchanges looks.  "So what the heck do we do now?" Nagao wonders, crossing his arms.

	"I don't think Kunou-sempai's gonna be around tomorrow," Daikun shakes his head, staring at the hole Mega-Rinrin made.

	Nagao blinks, then smirks.  "Well, then we can have ALL the fun to ourselves this time!!" he claps his hands excitedly.

	Daikun hums, then nods.  "Damn!  You're right, man!  Hey, guys, let's get practised up for tomorrow!!  We got a lady's heart to win over!!!"

	The others cheer...

*    *    *

	The Tendou dojo...

	"AH-CHOO!!!!"

*    *    *

	The Moroboshi home, two hours later...

	"Glad we stopped by Tampopo-chan's before coming back!" Ranma nibbles on a sweet potato as she and Ataru approach the front gate.

	"Yeah, she's always got something for the road," Ataru gulps down the rest of his bag of energy snacks, then he opens the front gate.

	Stepping onto the old shrine's property, they head to the front door.  As Ataru slows down a bit, a knowing smile tugging at his mouth, Ranma reaches the door first, then opens it.  Instantly, congratulation balloons and noisemakers go off as twelve voices chime, "***WELCOME HOME!!!!***"

	Ranma balks, then notices all of Ataru's sisters in the sitting room grinning at her.  She then sighs, slipping off her backpack as she gives Ataru a knowing look.  "This was your idea, wasn't it?!"

	"No, theirs!  They did the same thing to me when I first arrived on Promised Island," he smirks, then stares at Sakuya.  "All ready?!"

	"Hai!" she stands, then slipping an arm around Ranma's, guides her to her guest room.  "Right this way, Onee-sama!!  Your suite awaits!"

	Ranma plays along, then on reaching the open door to her room, stops, her jaw hitting the floor.  "Oh, jeez!!  Giiiiiiiiiiiiirls!!!" she moans on seeing the twelve wrapped boxes sitting on her futon.  All the clothes bought on Promised Island have been packed away in a new wardrobe off to one side.  Hanging from one wall peg are her new school uniforms.  "You didn't have to go out and do all THIS for me, for cryin' out loud!!!"

	"Now, you hush, Onee-sama!!  It's your turn to be pampered today!" Sakuya winks as she ushers Ranma inside...

*    *    *

	The Tendou dojo, a half-hour later...

	"There we go!  All set for the party!"

	"Ah, thanks, Nee-chan!!" Nabiki takes the wrapped bundles in hand, then turns to leave the kitchen.  "Can't wait to meet these girls!"

	"Why is that?!  Hoping to learn Ataru-kun's darkest secrets now?" Kasumi mock-scolds as they walk into the living room.

	"Nee-chan!!" Nabiki growls.

	"Where are you going?!"

	Nabiki pauses, then stares at Akane, who had come down from her bedroom.  "Heading over to the Moroboshis' to meet Ataru-kun's sisters.  I was invited to a little party celebrating the end of Ataru-kun's training trip.  I'll be back later tonight, so don't wait up for me.  Ciao!"

	Without waiting for Akane to reply, Nabiki slips on her shoes, then heads off.  Her sisters watch her go, then Akane sighs.  "I really have to wonder what sort of 'training' that pervert supposedly underwent," she mutters, turning back to head to her bedroom.

	"Akane!!" Kasumi gasps, then puts her hands to hips.  "How could you say such a thing?!  You've never even met the man..."

	"So what?" Akane stares balefully at her.  "What do you care about what I say or think, Onee-san?  After all, it don't matter in the end run, ne?  Seems to me that's the way everyone thinks around here these days."

	Kasumi is stunned speechless as Akane heads upstairs, then she squeezes her fist over her heart.  "Akane..."

*    *    *

	Down the street, Nabiki whistles happily as she heads in the general direction of the Moroboshi home.  Despite the cheery demeanour, the middle Tendou daughter is alert.  She hadn't seen hide nor hair of Genma since breakfast, when she did make an announcement about the party at Ataru's place.  That only had to mean one thing, given how moronically predictable an idiot like Genma was:  he was determined to follow her so that he could attempt to force a confrontation with Negako over Ranma.

	Now, would she...?

	"Genma, when will you ever learn?"

	Nabiki stops, then grins, turning around to see Negako standing some metres behind her.  The air before Negako fizzles, then morphs into a angrily quivering Genma, his finger pointing accusingly at the ninjitsu grandmistress.  "Where is my idiot son?" he snarls.

	Negako blinks, then hums before glancing around before shrugging.  "I have no idea.  After all, I don't recall you having an 'idiot son,' Genma."

	Hearing that, Nabiki nearly falls over laughing.  That reply doesn't do much to improve Genma's mood.  "You mock me, girl?!" he snarls.

	Suddenly, Negako is standing not a foot away from Genma, she leaning into his face.  Genma backs off, his anger slowly fading from his face as fear starts to crawl up his spine.  She moved so FAST!!  "No, I do not mock you, Genma," Negako shakes her head.  "It is YOU who mocks YOURSELF.  It is YOU who continues to delude himself into thinking the world will let what YOU do to so many pass by.  You haven't even the SLIGHTEST comprehension of how much you have failed in your chosen life's task, boy!" a touch of Happousai's snide tone enters her voice.  "Not to mention how much you have failed not just your family, but your 'dear friend,' too."

	Growling, Genma steels himself, then smirks.  "Then let's see how much I can mock YOU, girl!!  ***KIJIN RAISHOU DAN!!!***"

	Nabiki gasps as Ranma's father unleashes his dreaded vacuum blade attack, then blinks on seeing no one standing before him.  Genma stops, gaping in shock on seeing that Negako has just disappeared, then jerks as a hand lands on his shoulder.  "A pathetic attempt.  I sensed that coming well before you even spoke, Genma," Negako whispers in his ear, then backs away.  "Now, it is MY turn.  ***HENRYOKU HANDOU KOUGEKI!!!!***"

	Genma painfully screams as the last elements of the chi he expended in unleashing the Kijin Raishou Dan turns against him as the counter-chi bubble of the Paranormal-Power Inverse-Fire Attack forms, then collapses.  His whole body is twisted and turned by the very vacuum blades HE had tried to use on Negako, his gi shredded before Nabiki's wide eyes.  Then, the Inverse-Fire Attack dissipates.  Ranma's father collapses face-first into the asphalt as Negako backs off, then she calmly wipes her hands.

	Silence falls, then Nabiki approaches.  "You okay, Negako-san?"

	"I am fine, Nabiki," Negako sighs, then turns away from Genma.  "Come.  Ataru, Ranma and the others are expecting us."

	"Right," Nabiki nods, then jogs off after the grandmistress.

	Silence falls over the scene as Genma lies still, unconscious.  A moment later, a shadow falls over him...

*    *    *

	The Moroboshi home, after lunch...

	"Hai!!  Chiiiizu!!!"

	Yotsuba clicks her camera shutter.  The camera flash goes off, then she lowers it, grinning.  "Checky!!!" she beams.

	Laughter fills the living room as she takes her seat.  "So let's see how they turned out?!" Nabiki, sitting beside Sakuya, holds out her hand.

	Yotsuba hands the camera over.  Nabiki hums as she adjusts the controls, revealing a picture of Ranma and Sakuya grinning before the camera, both holding up forkfuls of Shirayuki's uzura-dango.  The middle Tendou daughter sighs, giving Yotsuba an envious look.  Despite all the time she spent using cameras in getting pictures, Nabiki had yet to go digital.  The pictures did come out much better.  Well, something to keep in mind in the future.  "Thanks," she hands it back to Yotsuba.

	"Hai," Yotsuba smiles, then snaps up the camera.  "Checky!!!"

	Nabiki acks, then finds her wide-eyed expression immortalized on digital film.  "Hey!!!" she yelps, vainly grabbing for Yotsuba's camera.

	"Oh, relax, Nabiki-san, she does that all the time!" Marie smiles, gently stroking Michael's back fur.  "You get used to it after a while."

	"Well, it's a nice change from all the times Nabiki surprised the rest of us with her camera," Ranma snidely muses.

	Nabiki flusters, then relaxes as Shirayuki returns from the kitchen with more treats.  "Anyone for some sakura-mocha?" she asks.

	Cries of "Me!!  Me!!  Me!!" echo from the younger ones in the crowd.  Shirayuki quickly moves to serve them as Nabiki sits back, taking a little time to do her own little evaluation of the expanded Moroboshi family.  It was just being prudent, after all.  If Ataru and Negako were going to stay in Nerima for the next school term at least, Nabiki might as well know who the extra players might be if visits from Promised Island were frequent.

	Karen was your average "Everygirl," a lover of parfaits, playing the piano and touring amusement parks.  Kaho had chosen to pursue cheerleading as soon as she learned of Ataru in some hopes of showing her own love for her "onii-chama."  Mamoru was a tomboy whose love of sports matched Ranma's love of martial arts.  Sakuya, the big sister of the lot, was up-to-date on most modern teen trends, though still a romantic at heart.  Hinako, "Hina" to all her friends, no doubt loved being the baby of the crowd, doing all in her power to keep Ataru's attention.  Marie was pure bookworm and a dog lover; Nabiki shuddered at what Ranma's possible reaction could've been if Marie loved cats instead.  Shirayuki was Kasumi Tendou in miniature.  Rinrin was pure egghead, not to mention a show-off when it came to her inventions.  Haruka was Kunou without the bombast and the bad poetry; an icon of poise, etiquette and honour.  Aria was as much a baby at heart as Hinako; it was utterly no wonder the two were the closest of friends.

	And Chikage...?

	Gazing at the sorceress, now standing by a window chatting with Negako, Nabiki tries not to shudder.  Damn, Chikage could probably give COLOGNE an industrial-strength case of the willies.  The first time Nabiki had looked into the sorceress' dark purple eyes, she nearly had a heart attack.  NO ONE had ever stared Nabiki Tendou down like Chikage did.  It was as if she'd said, "Been there, done that -- and I've been to many MORE places than you can ever DREAM of!  You don't impress me at ALL!"

	Then, there is Yotsuba...

	Yotsuba...?

	Nabiki glances around, then finds herself caught up in Ataru's recounting of the so-called "Tomobiki Pseudo-War" to his sisters.  This was the first time Ranma (much less Nabiki) had heard the full facts behind that particular incident, hence Ranma was now plugging Ataru with a storm of questions.  "So they decided to waste ALL that ammunition and blow up the whole friggin' town when all they had to do was wait for Lum to get out of this 'meeting' she had with this Memory thing under Mendou's tree?!"

	"That was the jist of it," Ataru shakes his head.  "Morons!!"

	"So why didn't you join in, Onii-chan?" Karen wonders.

	Ataru hums, then shakes his head.  "Back then, I never really believed in doing that sorta thing.  Personally, I didn't want to stoop to Mendou's level and all that.  Then again, I couldn't really escape it.  Right at the end, when Lum reappeared, that nitwit Sakura told the rest of the fools that things were shifting once more back to 'normal.'  And then..." a sneer turns his lips.  "Sure enough, Megane and his idiot brigade yanked up their guns, then started trying to shoot me down."

	"Jerks!!" Mamoru sneers.

	"Oh, but here's the best part!" Ataru winks.  "Soon as we meet up with Lum again, we took a picture together to commemorate the whole thing.  And THEN, the Sunin show up and pound EVERYONE else into bean paste!!  Put 'em all in the friggin' hospital for two weeks afterward!"

	Everyone save Nabiki and Ranma laugh.  "Who are the Sunin?!" the former demands.  "I never heard anything about that!"

	"Well, that was a 'floating' reminded that no matter how much Kinshou tried otherwise, Ataru couldn't fully 'escape' his grandmother's reach," Ranma smirks.  "The Sunin are ninjitsu-trained sumotori who were once the personal bodyguards of Ataru's great-grandmother, Kimaenowakai Hana."

	"She died sometime before Grandma did," Ataru augments.

	Nabiki blinks.  "Momoe never told me about that."

	"Doubt she could 'cause by the time she saw what the Sunin had done to her precious 'Mendou-san,'" Ataru mockingly sweetens his voice as he flutters his eyelashes, "...the Sunin were long gone.  Don't forget, I was as brainwashed in my way as Ranma was in her own way, Nabiki-san.  I had no idea what was going on.  The only clue we ever had was Kinshou neighing every time they showed up before she got stomped into paste."

	"Neighing?" Nabiki's eyebrow arches.

	"Yeah.  Great-grandma was a horse farmer.  Grandma raised cows."

	The middle Tendou daughter absorbs that, then sighs.  "Please don't take this personally, Ataru-kun, but you come from a WEIRD family."

	He rolls his eyes sorrowfully.  "Tell me about it."

	"Indeed," Negako muses from nearby.  "I always thought that mixing ninjitsu and sumo wrestling was a thoroughly INSANE idea mysel-...!"

	"HARK!!!!"

	The sisters (save Chikage) scream out as the front doors fly open, revealing a garishly-dressed Yotsuba now donning a Musketeer-like cape and eighteenth-century clothing done in a mix of reds, oranges and golds, that topped with a wide-brimmed hat and a mask over her face.  White gloves, black pants and buccaneer boots finish the ensemble off.  A duellist's rapier is in her hand as she points at Ranma.  "Forsooth, I have heard that *presents* have been bestowed to the beauteous Lady Ranma!!  Me thinks the lady doth not deserve such gifts, so I shall take them for myself!!!"

	"EEEK!!!!" Kaho wails in perfect cue.  "It's the Bishoojo Kaitou Clover!!  Save the presents!!!  Save Onee-chama's presents!!!"

	The others scramble off towards Ranma's bedroom, Yotsuba in hot pursuit!  Nabiki watches them go, then turns to Ataru.  "The 'Beautiful Mysterious Lady Thief Clover?'  What the hell's THAT all about?!"

	Ataru smirks.  "Yotsuba-chan's reaction after seeing the Errol Flynn 'Robin Hood' too many times," he winks at her.  "Right now, it's her way of telling Ranma it's time to open up the presents."

	Ranma laughs.  The sisters then come racing back in, presents in hand.  A minute later, Yotsuba (sans mask and hat) joins them.  Without further adieu, the gifts are presented to Ranma.  "HERE YOU ARE!!!!"

	"Aw, jeez, girls!!!" Ranma waves them back, laughing...

*    *    *

	The Tendou dojo...

	"Saotome-kun, are you alright?!"

	A dazed Genma staggers into the Tendou living room, then collapses face-first into the floor.  A pained moan escapes him as he passes out again.  Staring at him, Souun sighs, then watches as Nodoka steps down.  "I see Genma is as hard of hearing as he usually is when it comes to Ranma," she shakes her head, then moves to lug him to the guest bedroom.  "Come along, husband!  You need not be loafish here!!"

	Hefting her husband into a fireman's carry, Nodoka carries him upstairs.  Souun watches her go, then relaxes as Akane comes downstairs.  "What got Uncle there, Daddy?" she thumbs behind her.

	"Moroboshi-shihan, no doubt," Souun gazes at the shogi board before him, arms crossed.  "Such a pity..."

	Akane blinks, then shakes her head.  "That is just impossible!"

	"Hmmm?  What is, Akane?"

	"A girl who's only twenty or so and she's ranked 'shihan?!'"

	Souun blinks, then chuckles.  "Ah, you don't know what Nabiki found out about Moroboshi-shihan, I take it."

	"About what?" Akane's eyebrows arch.

	"That, dear child, is a story..."

	A scuffling noise echoes from upstairs.  Souun and Akane look up, then, sensing that Nodoka had just dropped Genma onto the floor of the guest room, turn back to their conversation...

*    *    *

	Upstairs, however, it is not Genma who is passed out on the floor, but Nodoka, courtesy of a well-applied shiatsu strike at the back of her neck.  Such a blow would keep her unconscious until later tonight.  With that, Genma proceeds to where the Saotome clan katana was kept, wrapped in its protective rice paper covering, in the corner of the room.  Unwrapping the sheathed blade, Genma lightly smiles, then moving to ensure the door remained closed, sat himself in the middle of the room to wait.

	He jolts as a surprised shout from the main floor distracts him for a second, then realizing it is only Akane, relaxes...

*    *    *

	"A THOUSAND YEARS OLD?!?!?!"

	"Give or take a few decades," Souun solemnly nods.  "That is the reason I will have her properly addressed, Akane.  Such a being, with ALL her knowledge in ninjitsu and other subjects, is a very valuable resource, one both Ranma-kun and Nabiki are readily tapping into as we speak.  You should, if you wish to progress, consider doing the same, Akane."

	Akane blinks, pale-faced as that information sinks in.  She knew it had to be the truth; despite all her actions, Nabiki never lied when it came to matters like THAT.  And if this Negako Moroboshi actually fixed Nabiki's shoulders up, did things even Toofuu Ono couldn't do, then she had to be good -- no, BETTER, MUCH better! -- than Ranma, even better than that old freak Happousai or Shampoo's great-grandmother.

	Oh, gods!

	"I..." Akane begins, then nods.  "Hai.  I'll think about it, Daddy."

	"That's my girl," Souun nods, smiling.  "And since our own Art is a branch-off of Saikoo Jinseijitsu-ryuu, there is really no conflict of interest in this case."  His eyes then harden as he holds up a warning finger.  "Do not bring shame onto the family, Akane."

	"But what about Moroboshi-shihan's brother?" Akane's eyebrows arch.

	Souun sighs.  "Akane-chan, when will you learn that not all boys are perverted like those reckless fools who attacked you at school before Ranma-kun came, much less that pompous blowhard Kunou?!"

	"Or Ranma...?"

	"Enough!!!"

	Akane jolts, surprised by the angry bark in her father's voice.  Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Souun stares intently at her.  "Akane, I have not said this beforehand in hopes that you would come to realize the many errors you have made concerning Ranma-kun.  But I have had enough of this immature, pointless bickering between you.  Don't forget, Ranma-kun had to KILL to save your life not two months ago!  Do you realize you now owe him your LIFE?!  Do you really believe you could have fought someone like Saffron and hoped to have won?!  Do you?!!"

	"I..." Akane blinks, then shudders as events on Mount Phoenix replay in her mind.  "Daddy..." she squeezes a hand over her heart.

	Souun closes his eyes.  "Akane-chan, I am truly sorry that I agreed to go against what I had promised you and Ranma-kun after the wedding when Saotome-kun convinced me it was time to try again.  With the way you and he were getting along much better, it seemed as if the opportunity was there.  I was wrong.  Saotome-kun and his wife were wrong as well.  You clearly are not ready to consider another engagement.  Ranma-kun clearly doesn't desire to pursue such a matter now, especially with all the other..." a pause as his lips twist distastefully, then he sighs.  "Problems."

	"Then why doesn't he do something about it, Daddy?!" Akane demands.  "Damn it all, it isn't my fault or our family's fault that Ranma's been stringing along those other girls all this time!"

	"And you say it is his fault?"

	"I...!  Well, no!!  But it's his responsibility!!"

	"But does he understand what he must do to that end?"

	Akane blinks as that question sinks in, then she sighs.  "I..."

	"Akane-chan, all you really had to do when matters started up again was tell Ranma-kun that you trusted him," Souun sighs.  "That you knew deep down what his feelings were.  If he didn't say it, he certainly SHOWED it on Mount Phoenix, didn't he?!  Why did you suddenly decide to forget that altogether, then go back to treating him like you did before Saffron?!"

	"I..." Akane shudders, then squeezes her eyes shut.

	Souun sighs, then places his hands on Akane's shoulders.  "Akane, believe it or not, I was like you once.  Believing I could do no wrong regardless of what happened to those around me.  But I had to learn that could never be true.  So must you.  Because if you do not, the one who will hurt the most at the end is yourself, Akane-chan."  He takes a deep breath.  "Now, as things stand, the chances of you marrying Ranma-kun are very slim.  Do you want another chance, Akane-chan?  Do you really?"

	"I..." she pauses, then shakes her head.  "I don't know."

	"Then take time and think about it.  Take as much time as you need.  But you best be prepared in case Ranma-kun turns you down.  He has that right, unfortunately.  Some would say, especially when it comes to the matter of Ukyou-san's dowry, that Ranma-kun in fact has an obligation to refuse us.  I wish it weren't true, but it is.  If you do decide you want him, you will have to do so quickly, then act quickly."  A pauses as Souun draws Akane into a gentle embrace.  "Or you will loose him forever."

	Akane blinks, then nods.  "Hai, I understand..."

*    *    *

	Watching from the kitchen, Kasumi tries not to cry at the sight of Souun holding Akane close.  Finally, FINALLY, her father had found it within himself to push away the mountain of grief that had built up since Kimiko's death, finally reassert himself into his role as Akane's father.  And with Nabiki once again studying the Art, no doubt to be joined VERY soon by Akane...!  Taking a deep breath, she turns back to the stove.

	Time to see what other miracles could happen today...

*    *    *

	The Moroboshi home, later...

	"Wow...!"

	Ataru stares flabbergasted at the sight of Ranma now in a lovely black wrap-around swimsuit, one of the items of clothing Sakuya had bought for her on the side.  Even his sisters are speechless at how beautiful the martial artist looks.  Nabiki's hand twitches for her camera.

	"You can sure say that again, Anii!" Mamoru stutters.  "Wow!!"

	"Wow...!" Ataru repeats.

	"How does it fit, Onee-sama?" Sakuya walks over to ensure everything was tucked in perfectly.

	"Well, yeah, it fits okay!  Can I swim in it?!" Ranma wonders.

	"Wow...!"

	"Hai, you should, plus you can sunbathe in it.  But you better watch out for the tan lines if you lie down on your back," Sakuya warns.

	"I not sure I'm gonna sunbathe in this one, Sakuya."

	"Wow...!"

	"Well, at least Onii-chama likes it," Kaho pats Ataru's shoulder.

	"Wow...!"

	"CHECKY!!!!"

	Ranma gasps as Yotsuba's camera flash goes off, then she sighs.  Damn, couldn't that girl every control herself?!  Even when...!

	Uh-oh!

	"Wow...!"

	"Hey, Yotsuba-chan, how'd you like to...?!"

	*WHAM!!!!*

	"Ugh!"

	Nabiki is now buried face-first into the floor thanks to Ranma hitting her with a tossed chair in the back of her head.  "Don't even THINK about it, Tendou," Ranma sighs, then moves to slip on a button shirt.

	"Wow...!"

	"Hey, Aniki, you okay?!" Rinrin stares concernedly at Ataru.

	Ataru blinks, then passes out.  The others stare at him.  "Oh, my!" Marie covers her mouth.  "Aniue-sama, are you alright?!"

	"That suit DEFINITELY gets four stars from Anii," Mamoru smirks.

	Ranma sits down, then slaps Ataru in the stomach.  He gasps, then surges back into a sitting position.  "Geez, not so hard!!" he grunts.

	She smirks, then leans over to kiss his cheek.  "Thanks for the..."

	*FLASH!!!*

	"CHECKY!!!"

	"...vote of approval," Ranma's eyebrow twitches, then she turns to glare intently at Yotsuba.  "You MIND putting that away, there?!"

	"I..." Yotsuba blinks, then acks.

	"Yotsuba-chan, PLEASE, I want a copy of that photo!!!" Nabiki, now holding onto Yotsuba's leg, pleads.

	"Well..." Yotsuba sweats, then turns to Ranma.  "Um, Ane-chama, do you want me to give her a copy of that photo?"

	"Well, it's gotta be worth MY while, I guess," Ranma crosses her arms, then she stares at Ataru.  "What do you think?"

	"Oh, yes, definitely," he nods.  "Make a good deal, Yotsuba-chan."

	"Hai!!" Yotsuba hums, then stares at her camera readout before gazing at Nabiki.  "Ne, Nabiki-san, how would you like to get ALL the pictures I've got here?  Not just the party pictures and Ane-chama's swimsuit photo, but all the pics of Ani-chama and Ane-chama on the island?!"

	Nabiki blinks, then lets go of Yotsuba's leg, crossing her arms as she considers that, then she gazes at Yotsuba.  "Okay, what sort of pics are we talking about?" she wonders as Yotsuba sits down.

	"Oh, loads of pics of Ani-chama and Ane-chama all over the island," Yotsuba muses.  "Looking to the totally uniformed like your average *couple* getting to know each other a lot better."

	Nabiki stares at her, then turns to Ataru and Ranma.  "What exactly were you two up to over there?!" her eyebrow arches.

	The "couple" exchange a look, then shrug.  "Nothing much, really," Ranma sighs.  "But given the way some of the morons in this place tend to leap to conclusions about the utterly SILLIEST of things at time..."

	"If they see some of the pictures there, they'd think that the..." Ataru blinks, then hums.  "Oh, how are you called again, Ranma...?"

	"'Beautiful pig-tailed girl.'"

	"Ah, right!  They'd think that the 'beautiful pig-tailed girl' was falling hopelessly in love with another man."

	"Which is bound to set ol' bokken-for-brains off like a rocket!!"

	"And we both get the pleasure of pounding him into hamburger!"

	Nabiki blinks.  What was WITH these two?  "Okay, that's Kunou-baby.  But what happens if I show those pics to Ukyou or Shampoo?!" she demands.

	"Well, why should I care one bit about their opinions when they sure as hell don't care about mine?" Ranma shrugs.  "If they can't..."

	"Or don't want to," Ataru interrupts.

	"...or don't want to see the truth, well then," Ranma shrugs.  "I guess that means they don't love me at all.  Right, Sakuya?"

	"Right," Sakuya drinks her juice.  "Atop that, if they can't stand still to accept the explanation, that means they don't TRUST Onee-sama, which ultimately means they don't love her, either!"

	"And without truth and trust, there is no respect, thus, no love," Ranma shrugs.  "And there's no way in HELL I'm gonna marry ANYONE unless I love that person and that person loves me back."

	"Which entails four remarkable concepts called Truth, Trust, Respect and Hope.  And it's clearly obvious to me that neither Ukyou, nor Xian-pu, nor your sister, Nabiki-san, don't have that with Ranma," Ataru shrugs.

	"But what about honour?" Nabiki demands.

	"Without truth, it's meaningless," Ranma shrugs.  "Right, Negako?"

	"Indeed," the ninjitsu grandmistress nods.

	"And since Mom agrees to Negako's concept of honour, then I've no choice but to agree to what my mom says, right?" Ranma shrugs, then holds up a finger.  "Even Cologne can't realistically argue against it since the Amazons believe a mother's wishes have utmost priority."

	"She may not let you go that easily, Ranma."

	"Nabiki, do you believe the Nyuchezuu will allow a male who welds the power to kill a GOD into their clan?" Chikage wonders from beside Negako.

	The middle Tendou daughter blinks, then hums.  "Yeah, that's true," she nods, then turns to Yotsuba.  "Okay, what's the offer?"

	"Total cancellation of Ane-chama's debt with you, plus you making a promise to ask Ane-chama's PERMISSION to take pictures of her in the future, especially if you're gonna sell them off," Yotsuba proposes.

	"ACK!!!" Nabiki winces.

	"Besides, with the amount of pics you can sell of that swimsuit, plus the fact that Onee-sama is living here with Onii-sama and Negako-oneesama, you can finally get some money to fix up your home good," Sakuya adds.

	"I saw your place when we came in from the island," Rinrin sighs.  "I hate to say it, but it looks like it's been through World War Three."

	"Didn't look good to me when I looked at it," Ataru adds.  "Besides, if you want, I can get you a good deal with a company that used to fix up my home in Tomobiki every time something weird went down."

	"Consider it my paying back to you guys for the crap that's hit the place since I arrived," Ranma shrugs.  "As for Oyaji, you can do whatever you want to him.  Rent him off to the zoo if you want!"

	"Selling him might be better!" Shirayuki sneers as she starts to clear up dishes.  "I couldn't believe it when Nee-sama told me about all the times that creep did all those awful things to her!"

	"Amen to that," Karen shudders.

	Nabiki blinks, then sighs, humming as she runs some quick figures through her head, then she stares at Ataru.  "You sure you won't mind being challenged by Kunou-baby all the time, Ataru-kun?"

	"It's exercise.  Besides, I hit a LOT harder," Ataru smirks.

	"Okay," she sighs, then nods to Yotsuba.  "Deal!"

	Everyone laughs...

*    *    *

	The Tendou dojo, later that afternoon...

	A knock.  "Uncle Saotome, dinner's on."

	A yawn.  "I'm not hungry right now, Kasumi-chan.  Very tired."

	"Oh?!  Alright, I'll keep things warm for you.  Is Auntie with you?"

	A shushing noise.  "She's asleep right now."

	"Oh, I'm sorry," Kasumi's voice lowers.

	Footsteps echo as Kasumi returns to her kitchen.  Inside the guest room, Genma returns to his position, the katana in his lap.

	Unseen by anyone, a shadow lurks in a nearby tree...

*    *    *

	The Moroboshi home...

	Ataru knocks.  "Hey, you got your present there for your mom?"

	"Yeah, just wrapping it up," Ranma looks over her shoulders at her host, then turns back to wrapping the jewel box up.  "Thank the gods I'm not all-thumbs with this sorta thing now..."

	Ataru walks in, placing his hands on her shoulders.  "She is going to love that, Ranma.  Good thing you talked to Jii-san about what sort of jewels to get her to go with that necklace."

	"Yeah.  Lucky thing I had those pictures of myself as a guy with me just in case..." Ranma's voice trails off, then reaches back to gently grip Ataru's hands.  "What's happening to us, Ataru?  I mean..."

	"You'd never believe that you'd do that sissy stuff with a guy, right?" he kneels down to gaze into her eyes, she turning her head to meet his look.  "Much less a crazy ol' skirt-chaser like me, ne?"

	"Yeah," she smiles, then they drift into a kiss.  They pull apart, their eyes not turning away from the other's.  "I think..." her voice is suddenly dry, then she clears her throat.  "I think we're comin' to the point..." a gulp, "...where we're gonna come out an' say it."

	"Do you think you're ready to say it?" he gently inquires.

	"I..." Ranma bites her lip, then she breathes out.  "Part of me does.  The part of me that's acceptin' what you and Chikage and Negako've said about what the curse is doin' to me."  She then reaches up to trace his lip with her fingertips.  "The other part, the part that don't buy the story about the curse, well..." she smirks.  "That part's grateful that you sure as hell haven't acted like any other guy I've met since I got this curse."

	"Well, I've had to learn some things in my time in Sanctuary and elsewhere," he pats her hand.  "Let me tell you something, Ranma.  I do love you.  Right now, as a friend.  And since I strongly believe you will, sometime soon, become a girl here," he points to her heart, "...I'd be more than happy to love you as a lover and..." he shrugs.  "As for the future, well...!  Let it come at its own pace.  But if something happens that it doesn't click in between us?" he sighs.  "I'll still love you as a friend, you know.  And if you get rejected because your mom can't hack it, I'll certainly be there for you.  After all, child ABANDONMENT is treated with the same gravity as child abuse on Zephyrus, you know."

	Ranma smirks, then whoops.  "Off with her head!!!"

	Both laugh, then Ataru pats her shoulders, heading out...

*    *    *

	The Tendou dojo...

	"A present for Auntie Saotome?!  Oh, that's nice!"

	"Yeah," Nabiki sighs as she sips some lemonade.  "It's an amethyst necklace with a winged heart broach.  Open it up and you have two pictures there.  One of Ranma-kun as a boy, one of him as a girl.  Geez, I can't even GUESS how much that little sucker must've cost!"

	"Who paid for it?" Kasumi wonders as she puts the dishes away.

	"Ataru-kun did," Nabiki smiles, then pulls out a case carrying a small CD-ROM.  "Anyhow, Ranma-kun'll be here in a half-hour to give it to his mom.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna look this over."

	"What's that?!"

	"Pics Ataru-kun's sister Yotsuba took of Ranma-kun on the island, plus the party pics," Nabiki explains, grinning.  "Should be good enough to set off a whole bunch of goofballs here when they see them..."

	"Nabiki!"

	"Hey, would you believe Yotsuba made me forget ALL of Ranma-kun's debt to me just to get my hands on this?!" Nabiki winks, then heads out.

	Kasumi watches her go, then sighs.  "Oh, Nabiki, when will you ever learn?" she waves her hands in surrender, then turns back to the dishes...

*    *    *

	"A half-hour?  Good..."

*    *    *

	Twenty minutes later, heading towards the dojo...

	"Hey, P-chan!!  Where've you been for the last while?!"

	Ryouga jolts, then spins around to see Ranma walk towards him.  "Ranma!!!" he snarls, then stops, his eyes dancing over the VERY feminine blouse and form-fitting jeans she now wore.  "Wha-...?!"

	Ranma stops, quickly noting the slight glaze in his look, then sighs.  "What's the matter?!" she crosses her arms, keeping her present tucked under her right side.  "Never seen a girl in jeans before?!"

	"I...!  Ah...!!" he stutters, then jerkily points at her.  "What the HELL are you doing wearing THAT, Ranma?!" he snaps, trying to make SOME sense of this.  "What fiendish plot have you got running now?!"

	She blinks, tilts her head sideways a bit, then sighs.  "What makes you think I'm planning something?!  Geez, you are one dumb idiot, you know that?!  Honestly!" she makes a 'why me?' gesture with her hands.  "Now I know what Ataru-kun felt like in Tomobiki with everyone blamin' him for everything that happened there!!  Sheesh!!!  When you decide to grow a brain finally, Ryouga, I'll talk to you then, okay?!"

	She walks past him.  The wanderer blinks, then growls as he spins around to follow.  "Just a goddamned minu-...!!  *Bweep!!!*"

	His backpack falls to the ground as Ataru pulls back a canteen of cold water.  "Cool off, studley!!" he walks past the struggling P-chan to stand beside Ranma.  "She's got better things to do than feed your ego, Hibiki!  Why don't you climb Fuji-san or something?!"

	"What are you doing here?!" Ranma wonders.

	"Well, I don't think you'd want to see your present to your mom wrecked if you got into a fight with him, ne?!" Ataru shrugs.

	She takes that in, then sighs romantically, fluttering her eyes.  "Why, I DO declare!!" she croons in a faux-Southern belle accent.  "My dear Mister Moroboshi, the one TRUE gentleman in all of Nerima!  Would you, kind sir, be willing to escort little ol' me to the Tendou home?"

	"Why, my dear Miss Saotome, I would be truly honoured and privileged to see such a beautiful lady as yourself safely to your destination," Ataru sweeps into a formal Western bow, then offers his arm.

	"Thank you!" Ranma slips her arm around his as they head off.

	The transformed Ryouga, having now crawled clear of his clothes, is frozen still as they head off, wide-eyed with disbelief.

	Was that actually RANMA?

	DRESSING like a girl?!

	TALKING like a girl?!

	Actually accepting a MAN'S escort to the Tendou dojo?!!

	With a pained "Bweeeeep...!", Ryouga passes out.

	*It's the end of the world...!*

*    *    *

	"There you are..."

*    *    *

	The Tendou dojo...

	A knock.  "Oh, we have a visitor!" Kasumi rushes out the front door, then makes her way to the gate.  Opening it, she looks outside, then gasps.  "Ranma-kun!!  Oh...!" she then notices the man beside her.  "Ataru-kun!"

	"Hi, Kasumi!  Is Mom here?!" Ranma wonders as they head inside.

	"Hai, but she's asleep right now," Kasumi reports.

	"Asleep...?!"

	Ataru blinks, then turns his eyes towards the upper floor of the Tendou home.  Those eyes narrow as he scans the chi patterns and nexuses located there, then they widen as a window flings open.  "LOOK OUT!!!!"

	He grabs Kasumi and dodges left.  Ranma, quick on her feet, lunges right as a white blur rips past her.  She screams out as a hot flash of pain lances through her side below the short ribs, then collapses.  Ataru rolls around to ensure Kasumi didn't get dirty, then lands on his feet, his eyes spinning around to see who had hit Ranma.  "Genma?!!"

	Kasumi looks, then gasps, eyes wide on seeing Ranma curling in on herself, a LARGE red bloodstain forming on her shirt.  She then looks right to see Genma standing there, the Saotome clan sword in hand, its tip red with blood.  "Uncle Saotome, what on Earth...?!"

	He roars, aiming a hand her way, "***KIJIN RAISHOU DAN!!!!***"

	Kasumi screams as Ataru grabs her, flinging her clear of the oncoming vacuum blades.  An explosion rips through the front yard, sending a spiral of chi flying into the darkening sky over Nerima...!

*    *    *

	"Bweep?!!"

	Ryouga jolts on seeing the geyser of chi, then realizing that it had to have come from the Tendou dojo, races off...

*    *    *

	"What the hell was THAT?!!"

	Ukyou turns to look from putting away her shop noren, then blinks as the sky lights up.  "Oh, damn, that's the dojo!!" she cries out, then turning to Konatsu, waves the kunoichi with her.  "C'mon!!!"

	"Hai, Ukyou-sama!!" Konatsu races after his boss...

*    *    *

	"Aiyah!!  What was THAT?!!"

	"Something's happening at the Tendou dojo!" Cologne's eyes narrow as exploding waves of chi energy flowed past her, then her eyes widen.  "What in the Goddess' name...?!" she nearly goes sheet-white.

	Shampoo blinks, then braces herself.  "Ranma's there, I'll bet!" she announces in Mandarin.  "Something's happening!!  C'mon, Mousse!!!"

	She races off.  "Wait for me, Shampoo!" Mousse cries out as he races from the kitchen in hot pursuit of his beloved...

*    *    *

	"What was that explosion?!"

	"It is in Nerima, Young Master," a Kuromegane announces.  "According to the observation tower at the Air Corps' airfield, the target point appears to be the Tendou Dojo.  It's a training hall for a martial art known as Musabetsu Kakutou-ryuu.  Ranma Saotome practices that Art."

	Mendou blinks, then stares out the window at the distant geyser of energy.  "Have people deploy immediately to investigate!" he orders.

	"Hai!!"

*    *    *

	Water explodes!

	"DARLING!!!!"

	Yamada turns to see a raven-haired girl with brown eyes burst from Lan's swimming pool, then flop dazedly onto the edge.  The alien doctor moves to draw the Oni-turned-Nendo-kata/Terran out of the water, then fetches a towel to dry her skin of the gestational fluids used in the Crossing Over.  "Now, now, dear, just don't move!" he begins to dry her.  "You need the chance to gain some strength, Lum-san...!"

	"N-...!  N-n-NO!!!" Lum tries to bat him away, she glancing to the deckhead as her eyes begin to glow.  "N-no!!  DARLING!!!!"

*    *    *

	"Oh, boy!  You did it now, Genma...!"

	Happousai shakes his head, relaxing on the roof of Furinkan High School as he draws out his pipe to watch the fun...

*    *    *

	"***WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON OUT HERE?!?!?!***"

	Nabiki flings open her window to gaze onto the front courtyard, then her jaw drops as she takes in the scene.  Ranma, badly wounded, by the koi pond.  Genma, holding a blood-caked sword, standing close to Ranma.  Kasumi off to one side.  A blast-point, still burning, close to Kasumi.  "Oh, shit...!!" Nabiki focuses on Genma, quick to see the total lack of emotion on his face, then she moves to scramble downstairs.  "Damn it!!!"

	A Demon Head bursts from the living room.  "SAOTOME, what are...?!!"

	"***KIJIN RAISHOU DAN!!!!***"

	An explosion rocks the Tendou home, sending Nabiki sprawling as Souun is sent flying into a wall.  Akane manages to get clear by jumping out the window, then yanking out Mallet-sama, charges.  Genma spins on her, the katana flashing.  One slice rips the chi mallet in half as his foot slams into Akane's gut.  She doubles over as Genma tilts himself for a beheading stroke.  Before the katana could come down, a metal hand grabs his, then with a yank, Genma is sent flying at the dojo.  Crashing through a wall, he slams into a stanchion, causing the whole building to quiver for a moment before the walls explode outward, the roof dropping on Ranma's father!!

	"Oh, my!!!" Kasumi cries out, then turns to see who saved Akane before dropping to her knees in horror.

	Akane pants, then staggers to her knees as she tries to take some breaths and recover.  A hand hovers before her.  She grabs it, nodding thanks, then her eyes register what the hand was made out of.  Turning to stare slowly up and to her right, her voice catches on seeing the hideous, Terminator-like image gazing neutrally at her.  "**Guess that mallet can't help you in a fight like this, ne?**" the Cyborg observes.

	Akane sputters as she yanks her hand away, then staggers back, not wanting to stay any closer to this thing than she had to.  Sighing, Ataru holds up his left arm.  A rod ejects from the arm, then he tosses it to her.  Akane catches it, then gapes as the rod turns into a cadeucus.  "**Use that to heal Ranma,**" he orders.  "**I'll handle the panda.**"

	Akane remains still as Ataru turns to gaze on the demolished dojo.  At that moment, a blast of chi disintegrates part of the roof, Genma quickly climbing clear.  Spinning towards Ranma, he growls, then leaps into the air, the katana swinging high as he aims for her neck.  Before he could get close, a black-and-grey mass appears before him, a fist slamming HARD into his face!  Genma is sent flying back to create a rut in the ground leading to near where Ataru had stood when Ranma's father had tried to kill Kasumi.  Ataru moves to follow, then turns on Akane, noticing that she is just kneeling there doing nothing.  "**MOVE IT, YOU IDIOT!!!**" he bellows, causing Akane to scramble back to her feet.  "**Ranma's bleeding to death and you're just STANDING there, you fool?!!  MOVE!!!!**"

	Akane watches as the Cyborg advances methodically on Genma, then jolts as a hand yanks the cadeucus from her hand.  She turns to see Shampoo staring disgustedly at her.  "Stupid Violent Kitchen-Destroyer don't know ANYTHING!!!" the Nyuchezuu warrior-maiden spits out as she moves to help Ranma.  "How Shampoo work this thing, Ataru?!"

	"**Aim the bottom of the staff on the wound!**" Ataru instructs as a roar heralds Genma's emerging from the ground, he charging headlong at the cybernetic monstrosity now standing between him and Ranma.

	Ataru remains still, then his hand lashes out in a vicious backhand slap, sending Genma flying at the wrecked dojo.  The katana is knocked out of his hand, Ataru catching it.  With a flick of his wrist, the Cyborg sends the blade into the wall surrounding the Tendou property.

	As Ataru moves to advance on Genma, Shampoo kneels beside Ranma, taking the cadeucus and holding it above the latter's bleeding side.  "No move, Airen!!" Shampoo grits her teeth, then grins as the device glows, a shower of energy pouring down on Ranma.  "Aiya!!  It work!!!"

	"Whoa, sugar!  Hold that steady there!!" Ukyou lands beside Shampoo, her hands reaching out to keep it on target.

	Shampoo grunts as the energy pours down.  Using her free hand, she pulls back the shredded cloth of Ranma's shirt to examine the wound.  Already, the flesh was starting to mend together.  "Aaai, that must smart!!" she grunts.  "Who do this to Airen?!"

	"Genma, who else?!" Nabiki runs out at that time.  "I just found Ranma's mother knocked out in her bedroom!"

	"WHAT?!?!" Ukyou bellows, then letting go of the cadeucus, she bolts to her feet.  "HE did that t-...?!!"

	With the cadeucus jerking around thanks to people grabbing on and letting go of it, the tip drops down to touch Ranma's skin over the wound.  A flash of energy from the point of impact blinds Shampoo for a second, but it is enough to make her let go of the staff.  It falls down on Ranma's body, then instantly disintegrates, a much brighter flash blinding almost EVERYONE in the Tendou front yard as a pained scream is heard...

*    *    *

	"Oh, Goddess...!!" Cologne nearly falls off her staff...

*    *    *

	"Whoo, boy!" Happousai shakes his head...

*    *    *

	"Oh, no...!!" Lum, now standing on Lan's bridge, stares at Nerima...

*    *    *

	"A pity," Negako muses, standing in the front lawn of her home...

*    *    *

	"***OOOOOOOOOOOOOOYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAJIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII...!!!!***"

	A concussive explosion from where Ranma once was knocks everyone off their feet as something leaps out from the spire of chi by the koi pond.  As Genma moves to rise from where Ataru had flung him, a snarling humanoid form lands in front of him, then clawed hands lash out to rip into him.  He screams out as burning chi starts to shred his body, arms and legs, then he is sent into the wrecked dojo with a snap-kick to the jaw!

	By that time, the light has faded enough to allow people to see.  "What the hell was...?!" Ukyou demands, then on seeing who now stood near where Genma last was, stutters to a halt.  "R-r-r-Ran-chan...?!"

	Now draped in a shredded white shirt and torn jeans is a red-and-black furred feline humanoid, complete with tail, slitted eyes and puffy cheeks with whiskers, the same size as Ranma's female self.  However, the one noticeable alteration from what might be expected of such a being are the furry, bat-like wings, hooked to the spine at the shoulder.

	Standing behind Ranma, Ataru sighs, crossing his arms.  "**Now THERE'S something you don't do see every day,**" he quips.

	Ranma shudders, then watches as Genma, now looking like a living scratching post for a tiger, staggers up.  Glaring at the man who had seemingly done everything in his power to destroy her life since she was a baby, Ranma snarls as she feels chi claws extend from her fingertips.  "**I have HAD it with you and your bullshit, Oyaji!!!**" she growls.  "**Who the FUCK gives you the right to use a damned SWORD on your own child?!!**"

	Genma pauses, then smirks.  "You are no son of mine."

	Silence.

	"Oh, fuck me...!" Ukyou gulps.

	"Uncle Saotome...!" Kasumi gasps.

	Ranma blinks, then she sneers.  "**Fine,**" she holds up a hand.  "**If that's the way you want it, that's the way you get it!**"

	Before Genma could react, a bolt of chi slams into his stomach, doubling him over.  Ranma lunges at him, then with a claw-tipped backhand strike, nearly rips open his throat.  Genma staggers as Ranma's other hand grabs his ankle, then a hard elbow crashes into his knee to snap the leg.  Picking him up like some broken ragdoll, Ranma sends him flying past Ataru into the wall, he collapsing to the ground near where Ataru had flung the Saotome family sword.  Genma moans as he staggers back up, then seeing the blade, yanks it clear.  "Uncle Saotome, NO!!!!" Kasumi shrieks.

	Before he could raise the weapon, Ranma is on him, her fingertip hitting the side of the blade.  "***SHINZOU BAKUHATSU SHOKU!!!!***"

	The katana explodes, fragments of it ripping into Genma's skin as he is flung once more into the wall.  As he collapses to the dirt, Ranma takes a deep breath, then slowly announces, "**The promise you made to Mom, I will no longer recognize, Genma...**" she leans down.

	Grabbing him by his neck, Ranma yanks him face-to-face.  "**All the engagements you forced me into, I will no longer recognize...**"

	A hand arcs around to smash his face aside.  "**The Saotome-ryuu is no more, for you will not live to teach another...**"

	A backhand slap sends Genma's head the other way.  "**And by the laws of the place I and the Other truly call our home, you are hereby charged with countless acts of child abuse and abandonment...**"

	Another slap.  "**Found guilty...!**"

	Yet another backhand slap.  "**And sentenced to die!**"

	Genma moans as Ranma tilts herself back on her legs, then she tosses him towards Ataru.  "**TAKE HIM!!!!**" she screams.

	"**My pleasure,**" the Cyborg crouches.  "***KONTOU!!!!***"

	Everyone screams out as a blazing chi katana forms in Ataru's hand, then with one thrust, he sends it into Genma's back.  The Cyborg then flings Ranma's father into the koi pond before dispersing the soulsword.  A second later, an unmoving panda floats to the surface.  To the surprise of everyone seeing this, there is not a mark anywhere on the animal's body.

	Silence falls over the courtyard as people try to make sense of this insanity, then Ranma walks over to drag the panda out of the pond, dropping him at Nabiki's feet.  "**Call the zoo.  Make sure you get paid!**"

	Nabiki blinks, then jerkily nods as Ranma walks towards Ataru.  Fire suddenly envelopes both of them.  Everyone gasps as both seem to disappear in pillars of burning gas for a second, then blink as the flames vanish, revealing Ataru Moroboshi and Ranma Saotome, both fully human.

	Without a word, Ranma stumbles into his embrace, then shudders as a pained wail escapes her.  He shushes her, his hand stroking her hair.  Out of the corner of his eye, Ataru sees a pale-faced Nodoka staring wide-eyed at the scene of destruction before her.  Shaking his head, he turns back to Ranma, then blinks as Negako's hand falls on his shoulder.

	"Missed the fun, Onee-chan," he whispers.

	"Not really," she smirks, then sighs.  "Take her back to our place.  I will tend to her when I get back."

	"Right."

	He boosts Ranma into his arms, then moves to carry her away from the Tendou dojo.  Negako remains still, then sighs.  "Your search is complete."

	Ataru stops, then nods.  "I know."

	Without another word, he bounds over the fence, then heads off.  Negako sighs, then stares at the unmoving panda.  "I believe that Ranma told you to call the zoo," she then gazes at Nabiki.

	Nabiki blinks, blinks again, then nods.  "Er...!  Y-yeah!  I'll go do that..." she moves towards the house, shaking her head in bewilderment.

	Watching this from the side, Ukyou and Shampoo exchange stunned looks.  "Have you EVER seen anythin' like that?!" the former demands.

	"Never," the latter shakes her head, then jolts as a squeal turns her attention to Akane, now passed out on the ground.  P-chan is trying to do his best to revive her with licks to the face.  "Neither did she."

	Ukyou shakes her head.  "Oh, man..."

*    *    *

To be continued...

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