Minna-san,

Here's the next revised chapter.  Unfortunately, I'll
have to press this to a C Side to cover the big fight
between Ranma and Genma...plus Ranma's visit to
Sanctuary and other things, too! ^_^

Enjoy!

Fred

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

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

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     Somewhere in space...

     "Lum-chan...?"

     *Konban wa, Lan-chan.  Sleep well?*

     "Strange," the rose-haired Seishin teen stretches, then gazes
at the controls of her scout.  Twitching her extremities to ensure
she has control of her body, she yawns, then does an adjustment
to the flight controls.  "I 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 Fates 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 opened her door
one evening to find two of the "Men in Black" at her door.  In the 
hands of one was an 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 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, then without being given a 
chance to say good-bye to her friends, she blasted off.  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 who paced them as far as Toshitto,
the Oni would closest to Earth -- Lan then realized that from then
on, NOTHING would be the same.

     Settling on Toshitto, Lan watched as Rei, who served as a 
deep-space sovereignty pilot, was ordered to Machibusu, scene of the
heaviest fighting against the Noukiites.  She wanted to go with him,
but military authorities wouldn't let her.  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 would be wide open.  That frightened
Lan.  The Noukiites were showing uncommon savagery against their 
centuries-old foe.  Victory, despite the propaganda being churned
out by the government, was becoming more faint by the day.

     Then...

     One night, when she was about to go to bed, she was struck down
by a blinding headache.  Fainting on her bedroom floor, she remained
unconscious for almost a day.  The newscast was on, reporting
about an anti-matter bomb that wiped out the heart of Onishuto,
the capital city of Uru.  Where Lum, her family, Rei's family, 
Ten-chan and so many others lived.

     A videophone then rang.  It was Rei's commander with more bad 
news.  The poor pilot had been caught in an ambush by Noukiite
irregulars, his fighter destroyed.  Overwhelmed by both grief and 
nausea, Lan staggered into the bathroom, then looked at her mirror.
Lum's image stared back...

*    *    *

     *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 the ship's 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 weak 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
air-breathers in that small craft yonder a chance to be truly free.*

     *Agreed...*

*    *    *

"Lonely Souls"
by Fred Herriot
fherriot@yahoo.com
**** **** ****
Plot elements/certain scenes here composed/written by Steve Cornett
**** **** ****
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 "A" Side of the 
Prologue.

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

THE FOURTH PART, "B" SIDE - FREEDOM FROM DREAMS

     Promised Island, Welcome House, after dawn...

     "Here you go, Hibiki-san."

     "What's this?" Ryouga blinks, then opens the zip-up package
to see a booklet of pictures inside.  "Oh, Yotsuba-san, you didn't
have to...!"

     "It's okay," the young detective grins.  The party at the chapel
had gone on later than Ryouga had hoped, forcing the wanderer to camp
outside the rotunda overnight.  He had been offered a chance to stay
at the cottage with Toshiko and Kumiko, but didn't want to risk 
spending a night close to Ranma's love-starved mirror-twins.
"After all, if it weren't for Hibiki-san, Ani-chama's and Ane-chama's
wedding dress party wouldn't have gone off so good!  Hibiki-san
deserves to remember it as much as everyone else!"

     "I...!" Ryouga blinks, then zipping up the package, slips that
into his pack.  "Thanks, Yotsuba-san.  I really appreciate that."

     "Ryouga-kun, are you ready to go?!"

     Both turn as Mamoru skates through the front gate after her 
daily rollerblading run through town.  "Yeah, I'm all set," Ryouga
nods.

     "Okay!" the athlete skids to a halt, then slipping an arm around
one of the wanderer's, beckons him towards the ferry dock.  "C'mon,
I'll take you down there so you can catch the first trip to the 
mainland!"

     "Try not to get him lost, Mamoru-chan!" Yotsuba advises.

     "Right, right!"

     Partings are made, then Mamoru and Ryouga race off, the wanderer
keeping perfect pace with the athlete.  Yotsuba watches them go, then
snaps a picture with her digital camera before heading inside.  "He's
a pretty okay guy even if he does have that big chip on his 
shoulder," she muses in her native English as she turns to head 
upstairs, then stops.  A sly grin crossing her face, the would-be
detective sneaks up to the door to Ataru's room.  Gingerly opening
it -- Ataru never believed in locking his door when he resided in 
Welcome House -- she peeks inside, then smiles.

     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 Yotsuba's personal relief.  Even if she,
like the other sisters, wanted the day when their big brother would
finally marry the transformed martial artist to come as soon as 
possible, even she believed they should take their time in developing
their relationship.  A glance to her right reveals Ranma's homemade
wedding dress sitting on Ataru's work desk.

     A groan escapes Ranma, causing Yotsuba to tense.  The detective
slips into the hallway, then gently closes the door behind her...

*    *    *

     "Ne, Ataru?"

     "What is it, Ranma?"

     "Does she always look in on you like that?"

     He chuckles, then gives her a warm squeeze.  "She's not the only
one," he opens his eyes, then gazes fondly on her.  "Not that I 
really don't mind it in the long term.  She does care."

     "Big change from Nabiki," she returns his look.

     They gaze at each other.  "Well..." he muses.

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

     Surprise crosses his face for a moment, then he chuckles.
During the wedding dress party, they had shared a chase kiss when 
Ryouga, acting as the preacher, declared them "husband" and "wife."
"Good idea."

     They slide together, their lips gently caressing.  Suddenly,
a camera flash goes off, causing them to spin to the doorway.  
"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 and cushions 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!!!"

     Back in the bedroom, the CIQ -- "couple" in question -- moan.
"Then again," Ataru embarrassingly chuckles, rubbing his scalp.

     "Yeah, then again..." she sighs, then smiling, tilts her face
so they can gaze once more into the other's eyes.  "So where were 
we?"

     "Right here," he leans down as they kiss again...

*    *    *

     Nerima, the Moroboshi home...

     "Ye gods, I can't believe it's THAT bad!"

     Toofuu Ono sadly shakes his head, kneeling across the dining
room table from Negako Moroboshi.  Before the chiropractor
was a line diagram of Ranma's head, various points marked out to 
indicate exactly what sort of damage the young martial artist has 
accumulated since she was five.  "It is that bad," the ninjitsu
grandmistress nods.  "Genma's basic purpose was, I admit, sound.
At the time this treatment was initially applied, Ranma was slipping
towards developing a chronic form of autism.  What Genma did not 
realize when he applied this treatment to Ranma is that the human
brain needs to recycle its neurons periodically to ensure one's soul
remains as intact as possible.  That could not happen once Genma 
conditioned Ranma's mind to focus on martial arts.  THEN add the 
damage from the Neko-ken...?"

     "It's a wonder he didn't become a mental vegetable," Toofuu
shakes his head.  "The only thing that ultimately kept him going..."

     "Was his overall intelligence and cognitive potential."

     The young doctor nods.  "So what do you want to do with 
Ranma-kun?"

     "To permit the treatment to take full effect in the shortest
period possible -- given the added problems his curse forces on him
emotionally and physically -- Ranma requires to remain in one body
for the whole of the treatment period," Negako instructs.  "Since
the curse's nature does not allow us to freeze Ranma as a boy, he 
must be a girl.  Therefore, write up a medical note to the school
authorities stating that Ranma will be locked as a girl for the 
period of this treatment.  If that requires Ranma to attend girl-only
classes, so be it."  A sarcastic smile crosses her face.  Seeing
that, Toofuu tries not to grin too much; Negako was not the type of 
person to express overt emotion to just anyone.  "I am quite sure 
that Pauline would take personal delight in 'torturing' Ranma this
way."

     "The principal, right?" Toofuu muses.

     "The same."

     "Negako-san, please tell me:  how did he get THAT name?"

     "If she was still alive, all you have to do is ask his mother."

     Toofuu jolts, then chuckles before a concerned look crosses
his face.  "There's something more to all this, isn't there, 
Negako-san?"

     "There is, but I will remain silent about that for a time..."

     Her voice trails off as her head turns west-north-west.
Toofuu stares at her, then reaches over to grasp her hand.  
"Negako...?"

     The grandmistress blinks, then her eyes widen.  "Lum...?"

*    *    *

     The Tendou dojo...

     "Tadaima!!"

     "Welcome back, Akane-chan," Kasumi looks up as Akane steps into
the living room.  "How was your run this morning, little sister?"

     "I'm a bit out of shape," Akane sits by the table.  A glance
around reveals they are alone.  "Where're Dad, Nabiki and the panda?"

     "Father and Uncle got very drunk last night, AGAIN," Kasumi
sighs.  "When I found them this morning in the dojo, all I could get
out of them was Uncle saying 'She saw me!  She saw me!' and Father's
'The schools will never be joined now!' routine.  I put Father in his
room and Uncle back in the guest room, though I WAS tempted to dump
him in the koi pond."

     "Idiots," Akane shakes her head.  "What about Nabiki?"

     Footsteps.  "Right here."

     Both turn as Nabiki steps into the sitting room, now dressed
in a black jersey and hakama trousers, a white belt tying her top 
down.  "Oh, my!" Kasumi gasps, shuddering delightedly.  "Nabiki,
you look beautiful!"

     "Thanks, Onee-chan," Nabiki smirks, sitting down.

     "Yeah," Akane nods.  "But why a white belt, Nabiki?  You made
it up to sixth-kyuu before the accident..."

     "True, but remember:  the Moroboshis' family Art is a *ninjitsu*
art," Nabiki reminds them.  "In Saikoo Jinseijitsu-ryuu,
there're only three main levels."  She points to her belt.  "White
represents a 'genin,' or beginner ninja.  Put simply, you don't know
the forms.  A black belt represents a 'chuunin,' or mid-level
ninja.  You know the forms.  A black belt with kanji on it represents
a 'joonin,' or senior ninja.  You know the forms AND you can teach
them.  Ataru-kun's at that level.  And if your belt has 'chi' on it,
then you're considered the grandmistress of the Art."

     "That being Negako-san," Kasumi nods.

     "That's pretty simple," Akane nods.

     "I only hope Father doesn't get too angry at the idea of you 
taking on a new teacher, Nabiki-chan," Kasumi ruefully warns.  "Even
though you were forced out of the dojo, you ARE seen as part of the
Tendou-ryuu."

     "Too bad," Nabiki snorts.  "If Dad won't get off his duff and 
start teaching me, much less Akane, seriously, I'll go somewhere
else.  Hell, I'd be tempted to ask Ranma-kun to teach me, to be 
honest with you."

     "Doubt he'll be in the mood to consider that," Akane sighs.

     "Give him time, Akane-chan," Kasumi advises, then perks.  
"Still..."

     "What?" the other sisters gaze on her.

     "Why don't you ask Negako-san to teach you, Akane-chan?"

     Akane considers that, then hums.  "There's an idea."

     "It's a good idea," Nabiki nods, then blinks before snapping
her fingers.  "Heck, why don't you come down to Negako-san's
place today, Akane?  You have no plans to go out with Tokoro or 
Asano, do you?"

     "Um, no, not really," Akane shakes her head.

     "Great!  Get your gi!"

*    *    *

     Twenty minutes later, the two younger Tendous step through
the gate of the old shrine Negako Moroboshi now resided in.  They 
stop on seeing the grandmistress of Saikoo Jinseijitsu Ninjitsu-ryuu
guide Chigaiko Inu in a basic meditation kata.  "Do not jerk your 
movements," Negako instructs, not bothering to glance at the Tendous.
"Good morning, Nabiki, Akane."

     "Ohayou, Sen-...!" Akane catches herself.  "Um, Negako-san."

     Negako blinks, then sighs.  "She can learn."

     Akane flusters.  "Ohayou, Nabiki-san," Chigaiko smiles, then 
sweeps her hand in a gentle block.  "Like this, Negako-san?"
she asks.

     "Yes.  Akane, you desire to seek instruction with me, do you 
not?"

     "Please?" Akane bows respectfully.

     Negako sighs.  "Very well.  But be warned now, Akane.  You have
MANY habits that require to be broken before you can progress in 
martial arts.  If you seek my instruction, those habits WILL be 
broken.  Understood?"

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

     She senses Negako's eyes rake over her, then turns away as a 
chill warps through her body.  Nabiki remains in her place, not 
moving to comfort Akane at this time.  In a way, the youngest Tendou
was grateful.  Even if she found it quite difficult to contemplate
taking over the dojo when she came of age, she was interested
in the Art.  Oh, if only Ranma could have found some way to break
past that pathetic chauvinism of his...!

     "That is the first lesson you must learn," Negako muses.

     "Eh?!" Akane stares at her.

     "Your habit of blaming Ranma for all your faults," Negako 
crosses her arms.  "Akane, you are aware of how Ranma became the way
he is.  Why do you continue to take faith in such erroneous beliefs
as that?"

     "I..." the youngest Tendou shudders, then sighs, gazing 
ashamedly at the ground.  "I'm sorry, Negako-san.  It's a stupid
habit of mine."

     "I am not the one you need to apologize to," Negako shakes her
head.  "Further, I do not believe Ranma would receive an apology
from you anytime soon, especially given Tuesday's events.  Chigaiko,
you can stop now," she glances at the ex-Tomobikian behind her.  "You
need to catch your breath and have a good breakfast before 
continuing.  Do so now."

     "I...!  H-hai!  Excuse me, please!" Chigaiko stops, then bowing
to the grandmistress, heads into the old shrine.

     Noting that, Negako then draws out a small pair of clippers
from her pocket.  Walking up to Akane, she takes a lock of hair from
behind one ear.  Akane blinks, then gazes at her.  "What's that 
for?!"

     "Emergency purposes," Negako explains.  "Nabiki, take Akane 
inside and have her put on the shirt and hakama I laid out in my 
bedroom.  Her old gi will not be necessary here.  I will be with you
in ten minutes."

     "Right.  C'mon, Akane," Nabiki waves her sister with her.

     They head into the shrine.  "'Emergency purposes?'" Akane asks.

     "Search me, but Negako-san strikes me as the type who knows what
she's doing," Nabiki shrugs as they pass through the doors.

     Akane nods.  Negako watches them step inside, then looks up, her
eyes narrow.  "I know you can hear me," she clearly states.  "Respond
now."

     Silence, then a small beacon of light appears before her face.
*Oh, Angel of the Earth...* a weak yet female voice responds.
*What commands do you, beloved adopted sister of the Saviour, have
for my unworthy self?*

     Negako holds up the lock of hair.  "Prepare a body based on 
Akane's DNA.  Transport it to Chikage's room on Promised Island.
When the body is made, ensure all psionic abilities are sealed from
conscious control when sentience is bestowed.  I will unseal them 
when I deem it necessary."

     The hair disappears in a sparkle of light.  *It will be done.*

     The light then vanishes.  Negako gazes on it, then lightly
smiles.  *With that done, any ideas she might have about becoming
the high priestess of a 'faith' around Ataru are effectively
dashed,* she heads inside the shrine.  *Hopefully, her daughters
will be of a better temperament...*

*    *    *

     Minutes later...

     Chikage looks up from her tarot cards to see a nude body 
materialize out of nowhere beyond her desk, it lying now on a 
stretcher.  Standing, she walks around her table to give the new 
arrival a careful inspection.  "Yes, this will most certainly
do," she nods, then makes a hand gesture.

     Sparkles of light shroud the body from neck to toe, then 
solidify into a light brown, sunflower-embossed kimono.  Once that
is done, Chikage nods.  "Now for the final ingredient to our mix,"
she holds out her hands

     A flash of light later, a certain porcelain doll rests in her 
arms.  *Where...?!* the Noroi no Ningyou looks around surprisedly
-- as much as a doll could look surprised, of course -- then turns
up.  *Chikage-sama?!*

     "Aria is out of her room for the time being, so we will do this
now," the sorceress announces, lowering the doll onto the 
just-arrived body.  "I believe this will happen quite swiftly,
myself..."

     *Wha-...?!*

     A bright aura shrouds both the doll and the unmoving body.  The
body's eyes then open, those orbs glowing before reverting to a 
normal brown shade.  As the aura fades, the doll's body slumps,
its resident conscience having forever departed it.  Chikage lifts
the doll from the young woman's body, then teleports the former back
to Aria's room.

     At that time, a startled gasp escapes the woman as she sits up,
then looks confusedly around for a moment.  "What happened...?"
she demands, then looks down on her hands.  "This body...?" she 
blinks, then gazes on Chikage.  "Chikage-sama, what have you done?!"
she hesitantly rises.

     "Given you a body you may use as your own," the sorceress
explains.  "Since Akane Tendou was the last person you 'possessed,'
it seemed only proper that a permanent body for you be cloned from
her.  Negako-anekun facilitated that moments ago, though I'm 
presently unaware as to exactly HOW she did that.  Is this body 
sufficient for you?" her eyebrow arches.

     The girl blinks, then gently shifts herself around, moving each
joint to ensure they functioned as they should.  A content smile 
crosses her face.  "Yes, it is sufficient for me," she nods.  "I 
sense this is not a fully-human body, though.  Where did Negako-sama
acquire it?"

     "That, you will have to ask her," Chikage chuckles, then tilts
her head to the doorway.  "Would you like to see Ane-kun?"

     The other girl blinks, then nods.  "Yes."

     They step out, then head to the stairway.  Proceeding to the 
first floor, they walk into the dining room.  "Oh, Chikage-chan,
there you..." Sakuya stutters to a halt on seeing the newcomer.
"Who's this?"

     "An old acquaintance of Ane-kun's from a vacation she took with
her father and the Tendous some months back.  Where is she?"

     "Right here," Ranma announces as she steps into the dining room.
"Who are you talking...?" she stops as the girl in the kimono turns
to gaze on her.  "Akane?!  How the hell did you...?" her voice trails
off as her eyes take in the other girl's kimono, then it hits her.
"Oh, no...!"

     Seeing the martial artist tense, the newcomer cries, "WAIT!!!"

     Ranma stops, a mix of fear and sullen anger in her sapphire
eyes.  Seeing that she was still, the newcomer lowers herself to her
knees, then prostrates herself.  "Ranma-sama, I did you a terrible
injustice when we met months before.  Please, I humbly beg your 
forgiveness."

     Silence falls over the dining room as the others watch this 
curious tableau.  Ranma gazes on the girl wearing Akane's face, then
she gazes on Chikage.  "Um, can you tell me what's going on here,
Chikage?"

     "That, Ane-kun, is a long story," the sorceress sighs...

*    *    *

     Tomobiki, the Mendou estate...

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

     "It is true, Young Master," a Kuromegane kneels before Mendou.
"Miss Lan's ship has just returned to her lot near the Moroboshi
home."

     Mendou sits back in his chair.  "But why would she be allowed
back?  From what we learned, the UN was determined to ensure ALL 
aliens from Uru were to remain off-planet as long as the war with 
Noukii-..."

     A telephone rings.  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...

*    *    *

     Welcome House...

     "So your old owner was...?"

     "Violated and murdered by her brother," the doll-turned-girl
nods.  "And somehow -- though I don't understand how -- I gained
the ability to project my spirit into my beloved owner's body so that
I could...!"

     "Avenge her death?" Sakuya finishes.

     "Hai."

     "And that's how you came to be known as the 'Noroi no Ningyou,'"
Marie shakes her head.  "That's just awful!"

     "Why would her brother do something like that?" Mamoru asks.

     "I don't know, Mamoru, but I'll tell you this," Ranma shudders.
"If he was still alive and if I had the chance, I would've killed
him!"

     The others grimly nod.  "It's a good thing that Hinako-chan,
Aria-chan and Kaho-chan aren't here to listen to this," Karen muses.

     "Agreed.  So every time someone did something improper before
you, you felt compelled to redress such transgressions?"
Haruka asks.

     "I did," the newcomer nods.  "Ranma-sama was the last 'infidel'
I dealt with.  Though at the time," she gazes apologetically
at Ranma, "...I didn't realize that it was your father that provoked
that incident."

     "What did the jerk do *that* time?" Rinrin demands.

     "He stole a bottle of milk from me after coming out of the 
onsen," Ranma reports.  "It was the last one they had there, too."

     A chorus of groans flow from the sisters.  "That does not 
surprise Hime at all!" Shirayuki shakes her head.  "Not one bit!"

     "Anee, you're smart to dump the jerk!" Mamoru states.

     "Agreed," Sakuya muses.

     The front door opens and closes.  "Tadaima!!"

     "BIG BROTHER!!!" the sisters cheer as Ataru steps into the room.
He carries a smiling Hinako piggyback, Aria and Kaho holding off each
arm.

     "Got your spices, Shirayuki-chan," Ataru announces as he lowers
Hinako to the floor, then draws out some bottles from his jacket.
He then notices the newcomer sitting beside Ranma.  "Tendou-san,
what are...?" his eyes widen suddenly, then narrow.  "Wait!  You're
not Akane...!"

     "Um...!  No, she's not," Ranma rises.  "You remember me telling
you about that spirit-doll I bumped into some months back?"

     Ataru nods, gazing at this replica of Akane, then his eyes turn
to Chikage.  "I take it Onee-chan has something to do with this, 
too?"

     "Somewhat," the sorceress smiles.

     "Right..." he drawls.

     "Waaai!!  Ningyou-san is a girl now!"

     Everyone watches as Aria walks into the newcomer's embrace.
The taller girl blinks, then smiles as she draws the young Parisian
close to her.  "I am grateful to you, Aria-sama," she whispers.
"You gave me the ability to love and trust again.  I am forever
in your debt."

     The others smile, though one of the people present isn't 
pleased.  "Oh, Aria-chan is awful!" Hinako huffs, crossing her arms.
"Aria-chan got herself a new doll and she didn't tell Hina about it!"

     Laughter fills the room.  "I think the first thing we have to do
is give our new friend a name to call her own," Chikage announces.

     "I know!" Ranma announces.  "Kimiko."

     "'Kimiko?'" the doll-turned-girl gazes on Ranma.

     "Sure.  That's the name of Akane's mother.  Besides, it's a lot
better than 'Hey, you!' or 'Ningyou-san,'" Ranma shrugs, then leans
down to gaze into Aria's eyes.  "After all, she's not a doll now, is
she?"

     "No, Kimiko-neeya isn't," Aria shakes her head.

     A blush crosses the newly-named woman's cheeks on hearing Aria
call her "big sister."  "Then Kimiko I shall be," she nods.  
"Aria-sama?"

     "Hai?"

     "My old body is in your room.  Promise me you'll take care of 
it?"

     "Hai, Aria promises!" Aria nods.

     Everyone smiles, then the Rinrin Viewer beeps.  "Viewer on," 
Rinrin immediately orders, then blinks on seeing the man appearing
on the screen.  "Oh, Reigi-aniki, ohayou!  Is there something
wrong?!"

     "Hi, everyone!  Ataru-kun, we've got a problem," Reigi sighs.

     "Being?" Ataru tenses.

     Reigi explains.  As the information sinks in, the sisters moan;
they had heard all the tales about Lum's so-called "friend," 
especially when it came to Lan's desire to seek vengeance on the Oni
through her Darling.  Not to mention what problems Rei brought into
their big brother's life.  When Reigi is done, Ataru closes his eyes.
"Damn!" he shakes his head.  "I thought they were going to make sure
she didn't come back here!!"

     "I don't understand it myself," Reigi admits.  "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 sighs.  No, he couldn't always bludgeon even an selfish
idiot like Lan with the threat of the Holy Inquisition.  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."

     Everyone laughs.  "I take it you need help getting to Tomobiki,
Ani-kun?" Chikage moves to leave the dining room.

     "Definitely," Ataru nods.

     "Want some help?" Ranma asks.

     "Nah, no thanks.  You don't know this idiot like I do," he 
shakes his head, then indicates Kimiko.  "Besides, I think 
Kimiko-chan'd like a chance to get re-acquainted with you.  In a more
positive way, of course."

     "True," Ranma stares at Kimiko, who smiles back...

*    *    *

     Minutes later, Ataru and Chikage take one of the latter's
travelling rainbows to Tomobiki.  The sisters, Ranma and Kimiko watch
them go.  "Hina wishes Onii-tama would take everyone with him," 
Hinako laments.

     A hand gently squeezes her shoulder.  "Hinako-sama, Ataru-sama
is simply protecting you from those he feels are a grave threat,"
Kimiko gazes on the youngest of the sisters.  "Don't be angry at 
him."

     Hinako blinks, then hugs Kimiko's legs.  "Still, the sooner
he's finally finished with those jerks, the better," Sakuya crosses
her arms.  "Especially the ones like Lan and Rei.  Who gave people
like her the right to think we're no different than a pack of wild
monkeys?"

     "They were that bad?" Ranma asks.

     "Don't you know, Anee?" Mamoru wonders.

     "Nah, not really," the martial artist shakes his head.  "Until
I met Tampopo-chan, I only knew the general basics about life in 
Tomobiki.  Not that it wasn't important in the grand scheme of 
things, but to me..."

     "If it wasn't martial arts, it was cast aside?" Karen asks.

     "Hai."

     "Ranma, where did Ataru-kun and Chikage-chan go just now?"

     Everyone turns.  "Ah, Kumiko-san, Toshiko-san, ohayou!" Karen
beams.

     "Ohayou, everyone...!" Toshiko replies as the mirror-twins
come up, then both stop on seeing the elegantly-dressed
Kimiko standing beside Ranma.  "Ranma, what is SHE doing here?!"
her eyes flash dangerously.

     Kimiko winces at that hateful look, she moving to slip behind
Ranma.  "Relax," the latter sighs.  "Kimiko isn't Akane.  She's the
spirit of that antique doll I ran across sometime before I went to 
Mirror Mansion."

     "Her body got cloned from Akane's by Negako-aneki,"
Rinrin adds.

     "I...!" Toshiko blinks, then chuckles.  "Oh, I'm sorry!  Um..."
she then stops.  "Wait a second!  If she's here, what does she want?"

     A hand tugs Toshiko's arm.  She looks down into Aria's sorrowful
face.  "Toshiko-neeya, don't be mad at Kimiko-neeya.  Kimiko-neeya
likes Nee-ya very much.  Toshiko-neeya should like Kimiko-neeya,
too."

     Toshiko shudders -- even in her very short time on Promised
Island, she knew the most important rule about this place:  "DON'T
make Aria-chan upset!" -- then relaxes.  "It's alright, Aria-chan.
I didn't mean to make you cry.  I'm just concerned for Ranma's 
safety, that's all."

     "That is something we all share now," Kimiko lightly smiles,
then hums.  "Speaking of which, there is something I would like to 
do.  With your permission of course, Ranma-sama?" she gazes warmly
on Ranma.

     "Does that include beating the tar out of Oyaji?" Ranma smirks.

     "What do you think?" Kimiko's smile turns to pure ice.

     "Well, it is certainly rude to deny a lady a request, especially
one such as that," Kumiko walks up to grasp Kimiko's hand.  
"Kimiko-himesama, may my sister and I have the honour of escorting
you to your impending duel against the honourless lout Ranma must 
call a father?"

     Kimiko's cheeks redden.  Before she can reply, however, the 
ominous growl of an empty stomach makes its own statement.  "Ah!  
Hime thinks Kimiko-chan needs to have some breakfast first!" 
Shirayuki beams.

     Everyone else laughs...

*    *    *

     Tomobiki...

     The command car comes to a halt before the front gateway of 
Lan's old property.  That had yet to be sold.  The driver opens the
door, saluting as Shutaro Mendou disembarks.  Beyond the gate, Lan's
scoutship sits in its usual place, steam billowing from the 
retrothrusters.  The main gangway was already deployed.  "Remain
here," Mendou orders the driver.

     "Hai!" the driver salutes.

     Mendou approaches the scoutship, his heart turning over as his
mind replays the 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, allow her to live her own life?  If so, what would 
happen then?  Would the United Nations allow Lum and Lan to remain
this time?  What was going on here?!

     "Shutaro."

     He spins around to see a well-built, tomboyish yet beautiful
woman with dark brown hair and milk-chocolate eyes gazing at him.  
She is dressed now 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 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 green hair and twin 
horn-buds that had haunted his dreams and fantasies for two years.
Yet, even though she spoke with Lum's voice, the body was clearly
Lan's.  "Lum-san...?"

     Negako walks past Mendou, then stops at the bottom of the 
stairwell.  "Welcome back to Earth.  It seems you are in quite a spot
of trouble."

     Lan descends, gazing hopefully into the other woman's eyes.  
Then, to Mendou's surprise, Lan leans into Negako, wrapping her arms
around the latter.  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 will come soon.  He has been told
of Lan's return.  I dare say, he will be as shocked as Shutaro is 
about your 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, everyone!!"
Lan's voice returns to normal as she waves.  "I'm back!"  She then
stops before her voice shifts again.  "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 
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...!" 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 more secure location.  Your estate is the best place."

     "But of course, Sakura-sensei," Mendou bows with a delighted
grin, then turns to Lan, offering his arm.  "Lum-san...!  Er, 
Lan-san!"

     Lan wraps 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 spiritual training, lung at her, beads and 
spirit-sensor out to battle this -- in the clerics' eyes -- ultimate
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 to kiss 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 calmly steps off the prostrate clerics before stopping
to gaze at the clerics who had been the bane of his life since the 
day he and Lum became "engaged."  "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 Mendou 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," he 
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.

     He faints.  Ataru gazes at him, then 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 MOOD to put up to all the bullcrap!
Okay?!"

     They nod, wondering what sort of trick Ataru might pull out of 
his hat next.  "Darling!!" Lan/Lum huffs.  "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...?!"

     "It's a very long story," Ataru sighs...

*    *    *

     Promised Island, minutes later...

     "EH?!?!"

     Everyone gathers around the telephone by the kitchen to hear the
update from Negako.  Kimiko was now finishing breakfast in the dining
room.  Ranma was in her guest room making arrangements with Toshiko
and Kumiko to purchase new clothes and other personal items for the
latest person to come to Promised Island.  "Are you sure, Aneki?!!"
Rinrin demands, then blinks as the answer comes.  "Oh, man...!"
she breathes.  "How'd that happen?!"  A longer 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 else came back?!" Kaho demands.

     "Lum did."

     "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 to Earth.  Anyhow, I'm going to tell
Aneki, okay?"

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

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

     Rinrin steps in.  Toshiko is now pocketing a bankbook.  "We'll
make sure the panda doesn't take advantage of Kimiko-chan,"
she smiles.

     "Great.  Be careful, okay?" Ranma gazes on the mirror-twins.

     "We'll be fine," Kumiko smiles as they head out.

     The door closes behind them.  Rinrin walks up to place a warm
hand on Ranma's shoulder.  "Lum's come back too, Aneki," she 
announces.

     Ranma blinks, her eyes widening in surprise, then she sighs.
"Well, isn't that crazy?" she muses.  "Shit, you'd think that I'd be
used to weird things happening around my friends, especially
with some of the crap I've been through.  But that...?" she whistles,
then stares at Rinrin.  "How?"

     A quick explanation is given, then Rinrin crosses her arms.  "I
just hope Lum won't end up making things worse, like trying to make
Aniki stay in Tomobiki.  That's where all Federation aliens had to 
stay when they came to live 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?"

     She considers that, then shakes her head.  "Nah!  I don't think
so.  I mean, were this before Aniki went to Sanctuary the last time,
Lum'd have a chance.  But too much's changed now.  WAY too much.  
I've noticed it.  We all have.  Something really hurt Aniki when he 
went there."  A pause, then, "What did Aniki tell you about that?
Did he say anything?"

     Ranma blinks, then shudders.  "Three billion..."

     "Eh?!"

     She jolts, then notices Rinrin gazing quizzically at her.  
Catching herself, the martial artist takes a deep breath, then gently
squeezes her visitor's hand.  "I can't say anything about it now, 
Rinrin-chan.  Gomen."

     Rinrin blinks, then nods understandingly...

*    *    *

     "***WERE 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 performs
every demonic exorcism spell he knows of to remove the *saikoo 
jinseijitsu* from Negako's body.  He doesn't realize, of course,
that he'd end up killing her since she is the only spirit inhabiting
that body at this time.  Lan watches the nurse/priestess
rail at Ataru.  Within the possessed alien, 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 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 was created twenty years ago," she reports.  "I have seen
REAL Ming Dynasty vases, so I know what I speak of.  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 marches
up to him.  "What's going on here?!  If Sakura-sensei and Cherry
have problems with her, why aren't you listening to them?!" she 
indicates Negako.

     Ataru sighs, then he stares at his former girlfriend.  "Why is 
it you care, 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 second
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 clearly gained
great wisdom, but paid a hideous price for that.  He blinks, then 
gazes at Ryuunosuke the same way, causing the tomboy to tense.  Ataru
then stares at Lan.  Only then does his look soften.  But barely.
Only a bit.  He steps away from Shinobu, then takes a breath.  "You
will forgive me, Miyaki-san..." he gazes once more at her, his eyes
hooded.  "...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 managed to visit a planet that Lum-san and 
Lan-san both know of," he gazes on Lan.  "A planet that reminded
me a LOT of Tomobiki here.  Oh, yeah!!" he starts to pace around
the coffee table in the middle of the room.  "Especially, Lum, when
it comes to how they look on you."

     "You went to Phentax Two?" Lan wonders.

     "Yeah, I did!  Boy, was THAT a load of laughs!!" Ataru smirks.
"Oh, what do they call you, Lan?  The 'Sinful Doubter,' I believe?
The same title they give Shinobu!" he waves to Shinobu, then turns
to Ryuunosuke.  "You, Ryuunosuke, are just a 'Holy Friend,' I'm 
afraid, just like these two fakes yonder," he points to the 
still-unconscious Cherry and Sakura, then he turns to Mendou.  "But
YOU, my dear sir!  You are just going to LOVE what they call you.  
Oh, what was it again?!  Ah, yeah!  The 'Fifth Holy Apostle to the 
Goddess Lum!'  You see, Aisuru is -- 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 the 
Niphentaxian Union, a guy named Oogi, admired you so much, 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."

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

     Ataru shrugs.  "Why not?  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 a mid-afternoon?!
-- snack in class one day.  'Man is Face!'  Remember that?!" he 
stares amusedly at Mendou.  "Well, since I was sure that you wouldn't
really 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.  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, so that mean's you were ALWAYS right and I 
was ALWAYS wrong!" he points to Shinobu, then himself.  "Even a 
'sinful doubter' like you and Lan 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.

     "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 is THE BOOK OF LUM.  "Whoo, I gotta
admit 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.  The Book of Jariten.  The Books of the Holy Friends.
Benten, Oyuki, Nassur..." he pauses, then shakes his head.  "I 
haven't met him yet, but from what I've heard of him, I might not 
want to meet him.  Let's see...!  Ah!  The book of Cherry.  The Book
of Sakura.  The Book of Ryuunosuke.  No book of Rei.  The Books of 
the Sinful Doubters, Lan and Shinobu.  They're in the back..."

     "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.  I'm the Great 
Evil," 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 to Lan.  
"Also, after I discovered Lum's habit of using her spacializers
to jump ahead in time to read my diary, I decided the smart thing
to do was to keep the diary at Tampopo's and leave a FAKE in the open
to distract Lum so I can have at least SOME privacy with my thoughts.
And Tampopo's was the one place in Tomobiki where Lum knew she wasn't
welcome.  I guess getting brained by Tampopo-chan's spatula finally
made her realize I was entitled to some privacy.

     "Of course, 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 the Goddess made the Niphentaxians call her 'the Great Evil's
Most Powerful and Loyal.  So villainous in her contempt of the 
Blessed Goddess, so passionate in defending the Vile One within her
establishment, that...' -- this is Aisuru writing, by the way -- 
'...I can but pray that the One Above even the Most Holy of 
Holies...' -- that's another way of addressing Lum, I think -- 
'...will strike the Beast down with Divine Retribution.'"

     He puts the Book on a table.  "Darling..." Lum pleads, hoping
to turn him from WHATEVER madness he was charging into.  "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 gazes at Shinobu.  "I can understand that.  You 
see, Shinobu, five years ago, some tin-pot dictator somewhere
-- Vos, was it? -- decided he was going to assassinate Lum and her 
family.  Oogi got wind of it.  Being the faithful man he is, he DID
something!  Wanna know what he did?!  He sent an interplanetary
ballistic missile to this place's capital city, Lecashuto.  It was 
laden with a stew of stuff.  Um, let's see..." he hums.  "Oh, yeah!
There was anthrax, influenza, hepatitis, Hifuto syndrome -- that's
their version of ebola -- plus lead oxide dust.  Vosians, you see,
are VERY vulnerable to lead.  And, well, the missile hit the city..."
Ataru leans close to Shinobu.  "And five million people died."

     "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...?"

     "Hai.  My trip to Phentax Two was informative.  But I'm sure 
you'll agree with me that going to the Dominion and seeing how much
your people FUCKED them over -- well, that was MORE informative."
He shakes his head, whatever mirth vanishing from his eyes as he 
glares Lan down.  "You people.  You just couldn't swallow your pride.
You took advantage of a culture FIVE times older than yours in a 
moment of weakness, then subjugated them for a CENTURY on their own
home planet!  THEN, when they threw you off, you just couldn't
stand the FACT that they rejected the GREAT Oni Empire for..." he 
gasps in exaggeration, clapping his cheeks.  "Horrors!!  Their OWN 
way of governing?!  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.  Lan -- or is it Lum? -- 
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 really care?  You showed you were no
better than the rest of your people at the Second Tag Race, you and
the floozy airhead whose body you're borrowing.  And you now wonder
why is it someone in the Middle East decided to issue a fatwa -- 
that's a religious decree -- that demanded you DIE for what happened
in that garbage with the space-taxi all those months ago?!  The fatwa
that saw four guys who loved you DIE?!  The fatwa that killed 
Ryuunosuke's dad and Nagisa, not to mention two others..."

     "And your parents."

     Ataru blinks, then turns on Shinobu.  She jolts, sensing a 
cyclone of terrible rage appear deep in his eyes, then finds herself
rooted in place, realizing she just said something VERY stupid.
He stands before her, then his face softens.  "Yeah.  Them, too,"
he nods, then turns to Ryuunosuke, his eyebrow arching.  "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 gives her an "Aw, shucks!" gesture.  "I guess I disappointed
you then.  After all, if I *didn't* show up, you would've 
AUTOMATICALLY turned around and blamed that on ME.  Just like you've
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 the skills Onee-chan taught me," he waves to Negako, "...then
you wouldn't blame me.

     "Oh!" he then shakes his head.  "How stupid I was!  You don't
want to blame yourselves.  It's not Tomobiki's way.  It's always
gotta be MY fault!  Well, then..." he shrugs, turning to leave.  
"Knowing you guys, you'll probably get around to putting the blame
on me sooner or later."

     He walks towards the door, Negako moving to follow.  The others
watch him go, unsure of what to say.  Ataru stops, staring at them.
"If, on the VERY rare chance you decide I don't deserve blame for 
what happened, don't come looking for me to apologize.  I will not 
accept it.  You'll be turned away every time by whatever force is 
needed.  For you see, I am now of the strong opinion that the sooner
you all 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 
just 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..."

*    *    *

     Nerima, the Moroboshi home...

     "So where the hell did you go, Negako-san?"

     Negako glances at Nabiki, Akane and Chigaiko.  "There was a 
matter in Tomobiki that required my attention," she states, then her
eyes fix on the ex-Tomobikian.  "If you desire to know, Chigaiko,
Lan has returned."

     Chigaiko blinks, then her eyes narrow.  "What the hell is THAT
bitch doing back here?!  I thought the UN made sure they'd never come
back!"

     "Who IS Lan, anyway?" Akane asks.

     "A former classmate of Lum's," Nabiki provides.  "Acts like Miss
Sweet-and-Nice most of the time, but she's got a mean streak a 
kilometre wide.  Don't know why, but she came to Earth originally
to seek revenge on Lum.  I also know -- Momoe-san told me this -- 
that one of the ways she loved to antagonize Lum was to flirt with
Ataru-kun all the time."

     "I doubt she will be as much a 'pain' as she was before,"
Negako reports, then seeing Nabiki gaze quizzically at her, adds,
"Rei is dead."

     "Who's Rei?" Akane stares at Nabiki.

     "Lum's old boyfriend.  He later came to be very close to Lan,"
the middle Tendou daughter explains.  "He was even more gorgeous
than Kunou-baby, but dumber than a brick.  He was a metamorph,
too; turned into a tiger-striped bull as big as a truck.  Even more,
he had an appetite that put both Ranma-kun's AND his father's 
TOGETHER to shame."

     "Oh," Akane nods.

     "All the food vendors in Tomobiki will jump for joy on hearing
that one," Chigaiko shakes her head, crossing her arms.

     Akane stares at her.  "You really don't like them, do you?"

     "Nope.  And..." Chigaiko takes a deep breath, then shrugs.
"I really don't know, Akane-san.  I wish they'd be gone forever
from our lives, but I certainly wouldn't wish them dead.  What's
going to happen to Lan, Negako-san?" she stares at the ninjitsu
grandmistress.

     "Since she has no home now on Uru or any of her colonies,
Lan could be accorded war refugee status here on Earth," Negako 
explains.  "She will be denied the chance to access certain elements
of Urusian technology, of course.  The Special Committee on Alien
Activities can assist, as can the Holy Inquisition of Zephyrus.
Since Lan could easily pass as a normal Terran girl if she had to, 
the disguise is further enhanced."

     "Would she think of going after Ataru-kun?" Chigaiko tenses.

     "No," Negako shakes her head.  "With Lum dead, Lan's need for 
revenge is nullified.  Further, Lan's grief at Rei's death is too 
overwhelming to allow her to seek out my brother.  Even if Ataru 
learned of the level of physical abuse Lan's mother unleashed
on her when she was a child, I do not believe he would desire 
anything to do with her."

     "Not that what Ani-kun told those fools in Tomobiki wouldn't
deter her enough.  Eh, Ane-kun?" a voice echoes from the shadows.

     Chigaiko and the Tendou sisters scream out, then turn as the 
shadows melt into a purple-haired girl dressed in dark clothes,
a white cape draped over her shoulders.  "Was it difficult?"
Negako asks.

     "Not really," the newcomer holds up several spheroid devices,
each pierced by a pointed cross-like weapon similar to a shuriken.
"From what I could tell, the grounds are littered with these things.
I only retrieved those in the room where you and Ani-kun met the 
others, plus those in the surrounding rooms.  Who placed them there
in the first place, Ane-kun?"

     "A group of people who do not like Ataru," Negako replies.

     "Oh..."

*    *    *

     Elsewhere...

     "LOST?!?!"

     "Yes, sir," the technician reports.  "I tried to tap into our 
listening devices at the Fifth Holy Apostle's mansion in hopes of 
hearing what the Great Evil had to say to the Holy Company, but..."
he waves helplessly to the readout on the computer screen.  "The 
devices located in the Fifth Apostle's private atrium went off-line
as soon as they arrived!"

     Blinking, the senior officer sighs.  "How's that possible?"

     "I can't say, sir," the technician shakes his head...

*    *    *

     Welcome House, fifteen minutes later...

     A knock.  "Nii-sama, are you there?  Nii-sama?"

     The door opens, revealing Shirayuki.  She looks into the room,
then sees Ataru on his bed.  He is now gazing out the window, a lost
look on his face.  Tears glisten in his eyes.  Seeing that, the chef
walks in to place a hand on his shoulder.  "Nii-sama, what's wrong?!
Are you okay?!"

     Ataru jolts, then stares quizzically at his sister before a hand
absently slips up to give hers a squeeze.  "Y-yeah, I'm okay," he 
turns to gaze out the window again.  "Is lunch ready, 
Shirayuki-chan?"

     "I..." Shirayuki blinks, a chill racing through her, then nods.
"In about an hour or so, Nii-sama.  Do you want some tea?"

     He looks at her, then smiles.  "Yeah, that'd be nice.  Thanks."

     She withdraws, closing the door behind her.  Turning around,
Shirayuki nearly leaps out of her dress on seeing Yotsuba standing
there, an intent look on the detective's face.  "What's with 
Ani-chama?"

     Taking several breaths to calm herself, Shirayuki glares Yotsuba
down.  "Stop doing that to Hime!!" she snaps.

     "What's going on?"

     Both turn to see Ranma stand by the doors to the dining room.
"Oh, Nee-sama, there you are!" Shirayuki walks up to her.  "Will you
PLEASE have a talk with Nii-sama?  Something's really bothering
him!"

     Seeing the panic in her eyes, Ranma shudders, then places her 
hands on the chef's shoulders.  "Okay, I'll look in on him, 
Shirayuki-chan."

     "Oh!  Arigatou, Nee-sama!"

     "And YOU!!" Ranma suddenly spins on Yotsuba, pointing a warning
finger her way.  "Don't you DARE eavesdrop on us!  Got me?!"

     "H-h-hai!" the detective rapidly nods.

     "Good!" Ranma walks past them to Ataru's room.

     Shirayuki and Yotsuba watch her go, then the former grabs the 
latter by the arm.  "C'mon!  You can help Hime in the kitchen!"

     "Hey...!" Yotsuba yelps as she is dragged off...

*    *    *

     Ranma walks into Ataru's bedroom, then stops on seeing him 
sitting on his bed.  She blinks, then strides over.  As he turns to 
look at her, her hand slams into his cheek, nearly sending him into
the wall.  "***YOU IDIOT!!!!***" she snaps as he collapses on the 
bed, then she grabs him by the collar and yanks him up.  "What's
the hell's wrong with you?!"

     He stares at her, then his head droops.  The hot flash of anger
that just exploded from Ranma's heart quickly fades, then she lowers
him to the bed.  "Ataru, please!  I'm sorry, but will you damn hell
WAKE UP and see what you're doing to your own FAMILY, for heaven's
sake?!" she shakes his shoulders, then kneels before him.  "Ataru,
what...?"

     Her voice halts on seeing the helpless look cross his face.  "I
have no choice, Ranma..." waifs from his lips.  "I'm trapped..."

     "Trapped?!" she demands.  "How?"

     He blinks, then reaches up to wipe his eyes.  "I..." he begins,
then looks at his hands.  "I didn't know what to do, Ranma...!
I just didn't know what to do...!  Onee-chan got there before me, 
then Sakura and Cherry freaked out when they sensed what Onee-chan
was.  I had to drop them both, then Lum nearly broke my back when she
hugged me.  I pried her off, then Mendou went crazy, so I blew up his
damned sword and I..."

     His voice fades as a whimper escapes him.  Ranma stares at 
Ataru, then sitting on the bed, draws him close.  As muffled sobs 
escape from him, she reaches up to gently stroke his hair.  "You hate
them, don't you?"

     A minute passes, then he pulls away to gaze into her eyes.  "I 
really don't know what to feel about them now," he admits, then turns
away from her.  Slowly rising, he walks to the window, then stares
outside.  "On the one hand, I...!  I know I did a lot of stupid 
things when I was living in Tomobiki.  I can accept that, Ranma.
I really can.  But..." he quakes, then stares at her.  "I got there
and they started laying into me about Onee-chan and...!  And I..."
he lowers his head, then looks away.

     "Did they all do that to you?"

     "No, no..." he shakes his head.  "It was just Sakura and Cherry.
And deep down, I understand why.  They..." he bites his lip.  "They
know the story behind the *saikoo jinseijitsu,* but they never knew
what happened five years ago.  Instant they learned, Sakura went on a
bend, wondering if I'd totally lost my mind letting Onee-chan
free.  And there's Cherry trying to 'exorcise' Onee-chan's spirit
out of her body.  Shinobu was wondering why I wasn't listening
to Sakura and I..." he throws up his hands.

     Ranma slowly nods.  "You cut loose on them, didn't you?"

     "Oh, yeah.  That I did," Ataru wryly chuckles, then leans his 
head on the window.  "I told them about the Niphentaxians.
I told them about what I saw on Noukiios and elsewhere.  Tore into
Lum, tore into Lan, tore into every last one of them.  And then..."
he sniffs, a pained chuckle escaping him.  "I told them that I wanted
them all to die, to stay out of my life.  And just when Chikage
teleported Onee-chan and I out of there, I heard Lum and Shinobu
scream out..." he squeezes his eyes shut.  "Damn me..."

     Silence falls as Ataru walks back to the bed.  Sitting down,
he reaches into his nightstand to draw out some tissue.  "Why?" Ranma
asks.

     He blinks, then shrugs.  "I don't know.  I..." he pauses, then
sighs, gazing at the door.  "It was because of them, I guess."

     "The sisters?"

     "Yeah," he sucks in his breath, then stares at her.  "I don't
want to lose them, Ranma.  I never, EVER, in a million years want to
lose them.  But..." he looks away.  "I'm afraid, Ranma.  I really
am..."

     "That the folks in Tomobiki're gonna do something to make the 
girls turn away from you?" she reaches over to squeeze his shoulders.

     He considers that, then nods.  "Yeah.  And what's worse, 
it's..." he takes another deep breath.  "It's *Lum,* Ranma.  If Lum
wasn't involved in this, I wouldn't be so scared.  At least, I hope
I wouldn't be so scared.  But..." he shudders.  "Even as she is now,
without her own body, stuck in the back of Lan's mind...!  What does
she want, Ranma?  Does she still want to be with me?  If that 
happens, what about the girls?  We..."

     He buries his face in his hands, a moan drifting through his 
fingers.  She gazes on him, then moves to comfort.  They remain in 
that place for a few minutes, then Ranma reaches up to draw his hands
away from his face.  "Ataru?" she whispers.  "Do you still love Lum?"

     Ataru blinks, then sighs.  "Not anymore."

     "So you're afraid she'll press you like she did before, right?
Do anything she can to make you come back to her, right?"

     He blinks again, then slowly nods.  "Yeah."

     Ranma considers that, then sighs.  "I can see why you're 
scared."

     "Yeah," he slowly nods.  "The last few weeks...!  Especially
the week before I met you...!" he pauses, then sighs.  "Well, it was
more than just a week to me.  I went to...!  A place called 
'Sanctuary.'  It's a time-space nexus, where the normal rules of time
don't apply.  I..." he takes a deep breath, then wipes his eyes with
the palm of his hand.  "I lost track of the amount of time I stayed
there, Ranma.  It was...!  Quite a while, I confess," he wryly 
chuckles, then sighs.  "And while I was there, I...!  I learned
things.  About me, about Lum and her people, about Grandma.  And 
I..." he squeezes his eyes shut.  "I don't know what to do now, 
Ranma.  What do I say to them?" he nods to the doorway.  "What do I 
keep quiet about?  This...!  Oh, gods, it's so damned complicated!
It's..."

     His voice fails, then he leans his face into his hands.  She 
gazes on him, then sighs.  "You gotta tell someone, Ataru.  And if 
this affects the girls, you HAVE to tell them sooner or later,"
she whispers, then stares at him.  "Look, if you're uncomfortable
telling them some things now, tell ME about it and maybe I can help
you deal with them.  Please?"

     Silence falls as he considers that, then he stares at her.  His
mouth twitches slightly into a smile.  "I did tell you the worst of 
it..." he admits, then sighs.  "But...!  It's a matter of degrees,
isn't it?"

     "I'm not going anywhere," she vows...

*    *    *

     An hour later, the door to Ataru's room opens.  Ranma closes
the door behind her, then walks into the dining room.  She stops on 
seeing the sisters save Chikage sitting there, worry etched on all 
their faces.  "Onee-sama...?" Sakuya rises, walking up to her.  "Is
he alright?"

     Ranma blinks, then sighs.  "He's getting there."

     "Why won't Onii-tama tell us what's wrong?" Hinako sniffs.

     Ranma gazes on the youngest of the sisters, then walks over to 
sit beside her.  Gently grasping Hinako's hands, the martial artist
draws them close to her.  "Hinako-chan, it's not that Ataru doesn't
want to tell you what's happened to him," she takes a deep breath.
"It's just that he's afraid that you all'd take it the wrong way and
come to hate him...!"

     "NO!!!" Hinako screams, shaking her head violently as she swamps
Ranma with an embrace.  "HINA'LL NEVER HATE ONII-TAMA!!!  
Onii-tama...!"

     Sobs steal her voice.  Karen walks over to draw Hinako away from
Ranma, taking her to a nearby couch so she could cry.  "Anegimi-sama,
you HAVE to tell us SOMETHING!!" Haruka pleads, bolting up as she 
slaps her hands on the table.  "Anything!  Tell us something,
please!!"

     Ranma jolts, then notices all of them staring pleadingly
at her.  A shudder runs through her, then she takes a deep breath.
"Alright..." she nods.  "I'll give you the basics, but that's as far
as I'll go.  Hopefully, what hurt Ataru won't come back to hurt you.
That's the biggest thing he's worried about right now.  And with Lum
back..." she pauses, then looks down, "...he's afraid that Lum or one
of those people in Tomobiki'll do something that'll hurt you.  And if
that happens..." her voice trails off, then she shakes her head.  "I
don't know how Ataru'll react."

     Silence falls as the sisters consider that, then Sakuya walks
over to kneel beside Ranma.  "Onee-sama, what can you tell us?"

     The martial artist blinks, then takes a deep breath...

*    *    *

     "I can't begin to believe it was THAT bad!"

     "Believe it," Negako places a cup of Marie's favoured cherry
tea before Chikage, then sits across from her.  Chigaiko had gone to
Tampopo's for lunch while the Tendou sisters had gone home for the 
day.

     The sorceress grimaces.  "I suspected a lot of what Ani-kun
went through.  But to be proven right so much..." her voice trails
off, then she drinks her tea.  "Lum's return is not the thing Ani-kun
needs now..."

     "Yes, she is the primary chink in Ataru's emotional armour,"
the ninjitsu grandmistress muses, then glances heavenward.  
"Still..."

     "You believe something will make this situation better?"

     "Yes.  It must be done with great delicacy, but I believe we can
all come through this relatively unscathed," Negako sighs.  "Ataru
understands that very much.  He wants to tell all of you about this.
But how could Hinako, Aria or Kaho, much less the others, truly 
understand it?"

     "You have a point, Ane-kun," Chikage rises to leave, keeping
her tea cup in hand.  "And yes, our relationship to Ani-kun might
prove a source of great trouble to all of us.  That, I've certainly
foreseen, especially given what these Niphentaxians are like.  
But..." she pauses, then smiles.  "Ani-kun needs to understand
that we will never turn away from him."

     "I do not believe I can help there..."

     "Ranma-anekun could."

     Both gaze on the other, then Negako's eyebrow arches.  
"Sanctuary?"

     Chikage nods.  "The sooner Ane-kun can truly look on herself
in the mirror and understand who and what she is, the better for her
AND Ani-kun.  In the meantime, I believe Sakuya and I can do 
something to derail Lum until such time as whatever you now just 
sensed can help her."

     She teleports away.  Negako lightly smiles...

*    *    *

     "Onii-chan...!"

     A chorus of stunned looks fall on Ranma.  Hinako now sits in her
lap.  "He FOUGHT with the Noukiites against the Onis?!" Rinrin 
demands.

     "But Aniue-sama said that the Noukiites practised slavery!"
Marie gapes.  "Why in the name of heaven would he support THEM?!"

     Ranma takes in a deep breath.  "Ataru found out that in the 
greater scheme of things, they're the lesser of two evils, 
Marie-chan."

     "I'd sure like that proven," Mamoru crosses her arms.

     "Did Anigimi-sama learn of things that would cast Lum-san's
people in such a light, Anegimi-sama?" Haruka shakes her head.

     "Yes, he did.  A lot of things," Ranma nods, then sighs.  "And
in finding out those things, whatever feelings he had for Lum took
a BIG hit.  And it just piled on and on and on until..." she shrugs.

     "Onii-tama said Lum-san wasn't bad!" Hinako protests.

     "Yeah.  And maybe deep down, he believes that she never got 
involved in any of that stuff, Hinako-chan.  But..." Ranma pauses,
then stares at the others.  "Try to look at it from Lum's direction,
okay?  She nearly gets killed when one of her people's oldest enemies
blows up her planet's capital city.  She loses her family and a lot
of friends.  Along the way, Lan loses her boyfriend to that very same
enemy.  So they decide to come here to seek refuge and escape.  
Neither Lum nor Lan know what Ataru's been through.  Suddenly,
they get back together and..." she shrugs.  "What do you think might
happen if Lum finds out that Ataru, her 'Darling,' had sided with the
Noukiites, a race the Urusians've been brainwashed over the last five
centuries or so to believe were barbarians?  Well?"

     The sisters consider that.  "Onii-chama..." Kaho sniffs.

     "So what do we do?" Yotsuba wonders.

     Sakuya blinks, then a stony grimace crosses her face.  "I know
what we can do," she flatly announces, then turns to leave before
seeing Chikage standing by the door enjoying a cup of tea.  
"Chikage...!" she breathes out, then looks at Haruka.  "You're coming
too," she orders.

     "Hai!" Haruka nods...

*    *    *

     "You feeling okay now, Lum-chan?"

     *N-n-no...* a trembling voice echoes from deep inside Lan's mind
as the Seishin teen relaxes in her living room.  *H-how could 
D-darling say those a-awful things...?  H-how could D-d-darling
believe all that g-g-garbage Oogi put out in that st-st-stupid
book...?!*

     Lan sighs.  "Maybe you should've told him before this happened."

     "Agreed.  Honest communication would have helped, Aruka-san."

     Lan gasps, then spins out of her chair, shocked on seeing a 
hooded figure standing behind her, dark eyes glaring her down.  Fear
quickly vanishes as anger takes over, the alien teen moving to grab
her bazooka out of a handy warp-space pocket.  Before it could be put
to use, a flash of light sees the weapon sliced in half.  Lan gasps,
then cries out as a sharp edge presses against her neck.  Glancing
right, she gargles on seeing a raven-haired girl in a pink-and-black
hakama standing there, holding the bladed halberd now pressing
against Lan's throat in one hand, a glittering war fan in the other.
"I suggest you don't move," the armed girl smiles.

     A third girl, this one with stringy long ponytails, steps into
view.  "I believe we have both their attention now," she muses.  
"Chikage, is there some way you can block this bitch's vampiric
powers?"

     "I doubt she would survive if she tried to use them on any of 
us, Sakuya," Chikage chuckles.  "Especially with Haruka's naginata
at her throat.  And especially given our relationship with Ani-kun."

     Lan blinks, then confusion slowly overcomes her fear.  
"Wh-who...?"

     "We want to talk to the one inside you, Aruka-san," Sakuya 
warns.  "Feel free to listen in since what we have to say, in part,
affects you."

     Silence, then Lan's facial demeanor changes.  "How do you 
know...?" she asks in Lum's voice.  "Who are you people...?"

     "I'm sure this starship comes equipped with internal sensors,
so when we leave, you can do a DNA scan and then do a parental
comparison with your precious 'Darling,' Redet-san," Sakuya smiles.
"Our half-brother."

     Lan's jaw opens.  She blinks, blinks again, then stammers
out, again in Lum's voice, "Y-y-you're Darling's s-s-sisters...?"

     "We are," Chikage states.  "And we have come to give you a 
warning, Redet-san.  To you, to Aruka-san, to anyone else who might
come from beyond Earth in your wake AND to those here in Tomobiki."
She walks around the couch to glare into Lan's eyes, causing the 
possessed Seishin teen to sink away from those burning orbs.  "It is
this:  Leave.  Ani-kun.  ALONE!!"

     "B-b-but...!" Lan/Lum stammers.

     "Are you hard of hearing?" Sakuya wonders.

     "I...!"

     "Perhaps, we should ask the Inquisition to turn this thing over
to the Noukiites and let them have their way with her," Haruka 
smiles.

     Lan pales.  "N-n-no...!"

     "That scares you, doesn't it?" Sakuya smirks, then seeing the 
alien teen look away, nods.  "Good.  After hearing of all the crap
both of you heaped over Onii-sama, it's about time you got a taste
of it in return.  Maybe, just MAYBE, it might teach you something
for a change."

     "B-but...!"

     "Shut up!!" Sakuya barks, causing Lan to duck.  "Let me make 
this VERY clear to the BOTH of you.  If you so much as even THINK
of trying to hurt Onii-sama again -- either by yourself, your pals
from outer space or running to the clods in this place and getting
their help in this -- you'll be giftwrapped and sent to the 
Inquisition so fast, your head'll spin!"

     "But Darling's...!"

     "Your husband?" Haruka wonders.  "Your fiance, perchance?
There, you are VERY wrong, Redet-san.  Anigimi-sama was NEVER your
fiance!"

     "THAT'S NOT TRUE!!" Lan/Lum screams.

     "It is," Chikage warns.  "The leadership of our family passes
from GRANDMOTHER to GRANDDAUGHTER.  In other words, from Nagaiwakai
to Sakuya right here," she points to her sister.  "Sakuya is 
head-of-clan right now.  And she has the right to decide who Ani-kun
will marry.  Not you, Lum.  Further, you do not have Muchi or Kinshou
to hide behind anymore.  You do not have Aisuru Megane and his three
fools to hide behind.  Shutaro Mendou is no longer relevant and I 
don't believe Shinobu Miyaki or Ryuunosuke Fujinami will be willing
to help you, either.  AND you do not have your father..." she leans
up, "...much less Oogi and the Niphentaxians..." she grins, "...to
hide behind, either!  You are alone here, Lum.  And this time, 
Ani-kun is no longer interested in you!  His destiny..." she backs
away, then looks elsewhere, "...belongs now to another."

     Lan jolts, then shudders before the pressure of Haruka's 
naginata increases, causing her to wilt.  "Since it's inhumane
to force you to leave Earth while your planet is in the midst of 
total war, you can stay," Sakuya states.  "But if you screw up even
ONCE, you're out of here.  For GOOD!!  Believe me, Onii-sama will not
shed a TEAR for you then!  Let's go, girls!"

     Chikage waves her cape.  Lan automatically squeezes her eyes 
shut as the cape blocks out her vision, then opens them again to find
herself alone in her living room.  The panic she felt from facing
the sisters drains as she sinks to her knees, she taking in ragged
breaths to try to calm herself.  "L-lum...?" she whispers, sensing
herself back in control.

     Silence answers her.  Grunting, Lan staggers to her feet, then
makes her way into the scoutship's pilotage.  Sitting at her chair,
she taps controls to draw up the ship's internal sensor logs.  The 
image of her and the sisters in the living room appears on the screen
before her, then she taps commands to do a DNA scan review.  A moment
later, the readouts come up.  Drawing up a memory file of Ataru's
DNA, she does a comparison.

     Ten seconds later, her eyes widen on seeing the result.  "Oh,
Fates..." she covers her mouth.  "It's all true...?"

     A *beep!* echoes from her communications board.  Lan taps 
controls, then blinks before calling out, "Lum-chan, it's Benten."

     Silence.

     "Lum...?"

     A pained moan echoes in her mind.  *He hates me, Lan...!*

     Lan closes her eyes.  "Benten's calling, Lum."

     The moan fades.  *What do I do now?*

     Lan bites her lip.  "I don't know, Lum-chan..."

*    *    *

     The Tendou dojo...

     "WHAT?!?!?!"

     Nabiki and Akane lean back from Souun as everyone relaxes in the
sitting room.  "Well, what did you expect us to do, Dad?" the former
then crosses her arms.  "Just keep on waiting until doomsday?"

     Souun shudders, then wails.  "Oh, Nabiki, how could you do this
to your poor, suffering father?!  To actually seek instruction
from another master?!  Oh, the shame of it all!!  The SHAME of 
it...!"

     *WHAP!!*  The Tendou patriarch is slammed face-first into the 
table thanks to Happousai.  "Quiet, boy!!" the aged grandmaster
snaps, then turns back to his tea.  "Considering how right she is 
about how LAZY you've become as of late, you've got no place to 
complain!"

     "I trust you girls enjoyed yourselves with Negako-san,"
Kasumi comes in, placing a plate of fruit on the table.

     "It was great," Nabiki takes a watermelon slice, then nibbles
on it.

     "It was pretty instructive," Akane picks up a slice of 
cantaloupe.  "I can't believe how many holes I've got in my basic
defence stance.  I swear, that girl's a whirlwind!"  She then glares
witheringly at Souun.  "And I thought for all this time that my 
defence WAS perfect!"

     Souun shudders, then quickly sits up, assuming the demeanor
of the sage martial arts teacher.  "Your defence was perfect already,
Akane-chan.  Besides, you were facing an entity that's a thousand
years old.  Surely in all that time, that woman would learn all sorts
of deception techniques..."

     He gargles as Happousai's battle aura flares.  "Are you saying
that my friend is a LIAR, Souun?" the aged grandmaster glares at him.

     Instantly, the Tendou patriarch is prostrating himself before
Happousai.  Seeing this, Nabiki and Akane giggle.  "Actually,
I think Negako-san could really pull a fast one on anybody," the 
former sips her tea.  "She just doesn't see the need for it, that's
all."

     The front gate then opens.  "Oh, we have guests!" Kasumi rises.

     "Hello!" a familiar voice calls out.  "Is anyone home?!"

     "Oh, it's Ranma!" Akane rises.

     Before his daughter could get to the door, Souun is already
there, going into the Demon Head.  "***RANMA, HOW DARE YOU...?!!***"
he bellows...

     ...to an empty courtyard.  "Eh?!" Souun reverts to normal,
glancing around in shocked surprise.  "Where did Ranma go...?!"

     "Boo!"

     He screams, stumbling off the patio on sensing someone BEHIND
him.  Spinning around, he quickly senses someone he assumes is Ranma
standing there.  "***RANMA, HOW DARE YOU...?!!***" he goes back into
Demon Head...

     ...then screams out as a wall of condensed air sends him into
the koi pond just as "Ranma" fades from view.  "Holy!!" Nabiki gasps,
having seen it all.  "Toshiko-chan's converted the Umisen-ken
cloak into an attack!"

     "Oh, my!!" Kasumi gasps.

     "Who's Toshiko?!!" Akane demands.

     "Oh, that's one of Ranma's mirror-twins," Happousai shrugs.

     "WHAT?!?!" bellows from outside.

     Everyone turns as a soaked Souun storms inside, glaring around.
"They've come back?!!" he demands, then spins on Nabiki.  "Nabiki,
I thought you were to get rid of those meddlesome troublemakers...!!"

     "I wouldn't say that if I were you, Souun," Happousai warns.

     "***HAKU DATO SHINSHOU!!!!***"

     Souun's body jerks several times as invisible ki blows punch
through his body, sending him face-first into the floor!  As he 
falls, the air warps, revealling Toshiko Saotome.  Akane is quick
to notice the different hair style, then pales on seeing the incensed
look on the newcomer's face.  "I HEARD that, Tendou-san," Toshiko's
voice drips with malice.

     "Indeed, Father, that was VERY rude!" Kasumi scolds, then smiles
at Toshiko.  "Toshiko-chan, would you like to have some tea?"

     "Please," Toshiko steps over Souun, then sits down before giving
Happousai a sweet look.  "I have a present for you, Ojii-san!!"

     "Eh?!  Present?!  Where?!!" the aged grandmaster perks.

     "Where do you think?" Toshiko winks, pointing at her cleavage.
To the others' surprise, she is wearing a leather bustier that does
WONDERS for her looks, that over biker's trousers.  "But you have to
fetch!"

     Happousai is quick to accept the invitation.  "HOT-CHA!!!!"

     Squeals echo through the Tendou home as Toshiko tries to fend
off the quickly dodging grandmaster.  Akane tries not to look 
disgusted at the perverted display before her.  Kasumi ignores the 
antics.  And Nabiki is quick to see what is REALLY happening.
Finally, after thirty seconds, Happousai leaps clear, a lacy black
bra in hand as he takes his seat.  "Oh, a well-earned prize!!"
he croons, then rubs his face into a bra cup.

     "Hmmm," Toshiko sighs, staring at her hands.  "Needs some work."

     Nabiki snaps her fingers.  "Oh, I get it now!" she laughs.
"You're trying to perfect some sort of anti-chikan form, right?!"

     "Hai!" Toshiko winks.  "And who better to practice it on than
the greatest bra-fetishist in all of Japan?!" she smiles at 
Happousai.

     "Yes, yes, she is improving!" Happousai hugs his newest 
treasure, then looks around.  "Eh?!  Where's Kumiko-chan?!
Oh!" a sly look then crosses his face.  "She's hiding, isn't she?!
I'll find her!!"

     He bounds off.  By then, Souun has recovered from Toshiko's
White Snake Fist attack.  "How did you escape the compact?!"
he demands.

     "Eh?" Toshiko gazes at him, then shrugs.  "Oh, that was simple!
Ranma didn't like the idea of seeing us placed back in the mirror
so he stole the compact from Nabiki, then let us free!"

     "WHAT?!?!" Souun screams, his battle aura flaring as a new Demon
Head forms.  "How DARE Ranma-kun steal from Nabiki-chan!!
Why, I aught to...!"

     "***HIRYUU SHOOTEN-HA KITEI!!!!  KIJIN RAISHUU DAN 
TAIFUN!!!!***"

     Souun screams out as a swirling storm of vacuum blades slams
into him, sending him flying into the property wall by the front 
gate.  Toshiko is still seated, a relaxed look on her face.  The 
Tendou sisters are all speechless.  "By the way, Tendou-san,
our fate was none of *your* business, much less your daughter's,"
the crimson-haired mirror-twin smirks.

     "B-b-b-...!" Akane sputters.

     "What's your problem, Miss Mallets?" Toshiko glares at her.

     Hearing that, Akane's face flushes with rage.  "HEY!!!  Who the
heck are you to call me that?!!" she demands, rising...

     *WHUMP!!!*

     ...and down she goes courtesy of Toshiko's own mallet, marked
with ULTIMATE BAKA BASHER in katakana on the flanks.  "After what you
did to Ranma, what did you expect me to do?" Toshiko wonders.

     "Itte...!" Akane grunts.  *So THAT'S what it feels like...!*

     Unconsciousness overtakes her.  "Toshiko-chan, though I 
sympathize with your concern for Ranma-kun, that was not nice!" 
Kasumi scolds.

     "When your sister decides to be a real martial artist instead
of a bully, I'll lay off her," Toshiko retorts.

     Kasumi blinks, then nods.  "That's agreeable."

     "Kasumi-chan, how could you side with this thing against your
own flesh-and-blood?!" a voice demands out of nowhere.

     The still-conscious Tendou sisters look around the room.  "Oh,
my!  The great hypocrite just arrived!!" Toshiko mutters, then 
vanishes.

     Genma then appears near Kasumi.  "Hah!!" he laughs triumphantly.
"What's the matter, demon?!  Scared of a REAL martial artist?!!"

     "How soon we forget," a voice muses, "...there are TWO of us!"

     Genma's eyes widen.  "Wha...?" he tenses too late...

     "***MOUKO TAKABISHA KITEI!!!!  HAKU DATO SHINSHOU ARASHI!!!!***"

     Bolts of energy lash out from the far wall to slam into Genma's
back, sending him flying out of the house into the cherry tree by the
koi pond.  As he drops to the ground, the air by the far wall 
fizzles, revealling a black-haired version of Toshiko in a white 
bustier and biker's pants.  Kasumi looks at her.  "Oh, my!  Did you
fell into the Nyanniichuan?"

     "Hai, I did!" Kumiko chuckles, then yodels, "Ojii-san!!!"

     "HOT-CHA!!!" Happousai bounds out of nowhere to leap at her 
bust.

     Another fast whirl of hand blocks responds.  This time, Kumiko
lasts fifty seconds before Happousai snares her bra.  "Hah!!" the 
grandmaster leaps down to the table, holding up his white silky 
prize.  "By George, I think they're getting it!" he laughs, then 
moves back to finish his tea.

     Toshiko de-cloaks herself as Kumiko moves to sit beside her.  By
then, Akane has begun to recover.  "Oooh...!" she moans, then blinks
on seeing TWO copies of Ranma, one black-haired and one redhead,
sitting there.  Screaming, she bolts to her feet, arms ready to 
fight.  "Akane!!!" Kasumi snaps, causing her sister to falter.  "What
are you doing?!"

     "I...!  I...!" Akane sputters.

     "I do believe Miss Mallets there isn't used to the idea of 
receiving her own medicine," Kumiko smirks, then blinks.  "Ah...!"

     "What...?" Kasumi stares at her, then tenses.  "Oh, another
guest..."

     "Stay here, Kasumi-san," Toshiko waves her down.  "That one has
some business with the panda.  It's not nice to interrupt a lady when
she wishes to soundly thrash an honourless dullard like him, ne?" she
winks.

     "Is this because of a skipped food bill?" Nabiki wonders.
"Or another fiancee Ranma-kun might've overlooked?"

     "No.  This concerns a trip you all took to a certain ryokan
in the mountains before we came out of the mirror," Kumiko winks.

     Silence.

     "The Ningyou-yakata Inn?" Nabiki pales.

     "Oh, my!!" Kasumi covers her mouth.

     "Her...?" Akane shudders, clutching a hand over her heart.

     A pained scream fills the air.  The Tendou sisters and Happousai
are quick to recognize the shout as Genma's.  "My, Kimiko-san
seems very upset, doesn't she?" Kumiko sighs, then nods thanks as 
Kasumi hands her some tea.

     "'Kimiko?!'" the Tendou sisters gape.

     "Hai.  Ranma felt it was only proper to name her after your 
mother, especially since Kimiko now has a body cloned from Miss 
Mallets here."

     Hearing that, Akane bolts to her feet, then races out of the 
sitting room.  Nabiki and Kasumi quickly follow.  The mirror-twins
and Happousai remain in place, though they exchange knowing looks.
"Negako-chan is SO evil at times," the aged grandmaster chuckles,
filling Toshiko's tea cup...

*    *    *

     Presently, Genma wonders if he shouldn't take a long vacation.

     That is, of course, if he could spare some brain cells from the
waves of pain this double of Akane was delivering him to actually
THINK!

     A fist slams into his chest with the force of a runaway wrecking
ball, sending him rocketing across the lawn to hit one of the cherry
trees by the dojo.  As the breath explodes from his lungs, he 
blearily watches as that demoness races at him.  Trying to recover,
he manages to get his chin up to knee level.  That is enough for 
Kimiko to give him a two-knee blow to the jaw.  Using her momentum
to front-flip onto his back, she pivots her weight to her feet, 
flipping Genma upside-down.  Before he could get clear of her, she 
vaults him back across the yard to slam into the cherry tree by the
koi pond.  A pained moan escapes Genma as he slides to the ground.

     "That," Kimiko wipes her hands as she walks over to stand across
the pond from Genma, "...was for stealing Ranma-sama's milk."

     Watching this from the patio, the Tendou sisters blink.  
"'Milk?!'" Nabiki demands.  "What the hell's this all about?!"

     "Oh, that's easily explained," Toshiko announces as she and 
Kumiko step onto the patio, tea cups in hand.  "You see, the panda
stole milk from Ranma when you were at that ryokan, then provoked
a fight that wound up with Ranma crashing into the table where 
Kimiko-san was resting.  THAT'S what made her possess Miss Mallets
in the first place."  She takes a sip of her tea, then gives Akane
a withering look.  "Not that Miss Mallets there would actually
ACCEPT the truth in the first place given how much she loves to blame
Ranma for EVERYTHING that happens to her!"

     Akane winces as if Toshiko just slapped her.  "Oh, my!" Kasumi
shakes her head, then gives Genma a reproachful look, putting her 
hands to hips.  "Uncle, HONESTLY!!  When will you ever learn to 
behave yourself?!"

     "Should I call the zoo, Onee-chan?" Nabiki wonders.

     "Don't TEMPT me!" Kasumi marches back inside.

     By then, a pained moan escapes Genma.  Hearing that, Kimiko
sighs.  "I best finish up with him," she walks around the koi pond.

     Akane watches as her twin grabs him by one arm to drag him up,
then gasps on seeing an evil smile on his face.  "LOOK OUT!!!!"

     Genma's fist flies at Kimiko's jaw, but to the latter, his 
movements are painstakingly slow.  She ducks the shot as her free 
hand smashes into the side of his ribs.  He screams out as the 
audible *cracks!* of bones snapping sends chills down the onlookers'
spines.  Kimiko then twirls away from the cherry tree, dragging
Genma through the air like a doll.  Akane hits the dirt as her twin
winds up, then sends Ranma's father into and THROUGH the property
wall, some distance from where a wide-eyed Souun was kneeling,
he having recovered just as Kimiko had begun her attack.

     "Oooh!" Nabiki winces.  "THAT, Uncle, you had coming to you!"

     Once Ranma's father is stilled, Kimiko reaches into her top to 
draw out a folded sheet of paper.  Scanning the diagram there, she 
nods, then tossing the paper aside, walks over to Genma.  Akane 
blinks, then picks the paper up, opening it to read.  "A shiatsu
attack...?" she blinks.

     Kimiko grabs Genma by his top, then pulls him out of the wall.

     "...meant to destroy the part of Uncle's mind..." Akane 
continues.

     Kimiko cocks two fingers back, then crouches.

     "...containing the sealed knowledge of..."

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

     The fingers slam into the back of Genma's head.

     "...the Umisen-ken and the Yamasen-ken..."

     Genma quakes for a second as the chi bolt from his attacker's
fingers rips through his mind to do just as Akane read.  Kimiko then
lets him go.

     "Thus guaranteeing that only Ranma, Kumiko and Toshiko Saotome
are the only people who can practice those techniques," Akane 
finishes.

     The Saotome patriarch collapses face-first into the dirt, then
Kimiko wipes her hands clean before walking to the patio.  Stopping
before Nabiki, she bows respectfully.  "I apologize for bringing
such disharmony upon your household, Nabiki-sama," she lightly 
smiles.  "However, I do sense that you and your sisters wouldn't
mind if that honourless lout yonder was truly and thoroughly
thrashed for his many crimes and misdemeanours."

     "Oh, that's alright, Kimiko-san," Nabiki bows in return.

     "'Kimiko?!'"

     Everyone turns as Souun walks up.  "Hai," Nabiki nods.  
"Ranma-kun named her after Mom.  He felt it was the right thing to 
do."

     Silence.

     "Ranma-kun named you...?" Souun turns on Kimiko.

     "Hai, Tendou-dono, he did," she nods.

     "Oh, please, dear, call me 'father!'"

     "As you wish, Otou-sama."

     *Uh-oh!!* Kumiko and Toshiko tense, seeing the look on Souun's
face.

     Souun shudders as he turns away from Kimiko and Nabiki.  Gods,
such SPEED!  Such POWER!  Such GRACE!  And it was clearly obvious
that Kimiko liked Ranma!  Even if she didn't have any formal 
training, her potential outstripped Akane's and Nabiki's COMBINED!!
Yes, yes, it was PERFECT!

     "Otou-sama...?" Kimiko prods.

     "Yes!!" Souun nods, then turns to place a hand on her shoulder.
"It is decided!  Ranma-kun will marry Kimiko-chan and unite the 
schools!!!"

     Silence.

     More silence.

     Still more silence.

     Then...

     "***WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!?!?!***"

     Souun screams out as Akane's mallet sends him flying into the 
Shakujii River!  Kumiko and Toshiko watch him disappear, then 
exchange a nod.  "That, he DEFINITELY had coming to him!" the former
mutters.

     "He's as stupid as the panda," the latter shakes her head.

     Akane lowers Mallet-sama to the ground, then spins on Kimiko,
her eyes burning with both wounded rage and heartbreaking
sadness.  Sensing what she might be thinking now, Kimiko moves to 
moderate.  "Akane-sama, you don't understand!" she approaches
her.  "I have no...!!"

     "NO!!!!" Akane screams, racing into the house.

     "...interest in Ranma-sama," Kimiko watches her go, then sighs,
gazing on the ground.  "Oh, dear," she shakes her head...

*    *    *

     Tomobiki...

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

     Lan sighs, staring at Benten's image on her pilotage's 
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've got 'em, too.  Turns out he did 
somethin' more, but he wants to surprise us about that sometime
soon.  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 blinks.  Benten's home planet, which hadn't 
enjoyed cordial relations with the old Urusian Empire, was presently
neutral in the long-running Oni-Noukiite dispute.  Benten knew few 
Noukiites would view her kindly if they knew she was friends with an
Oni.  "Fuck!" she hisses.  "That explains this titbit Nassur sent me.
He got it off the Home Base computer."  Home Base, an asteroid
near Uru, was Nassur's home.  "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 an exploding wave of light
bursts from the Great Lum Church, a replica of Tomobiki High School.
The burst expands to cover the whole screen, obliterating everything.
Seconds later, the explosion's light fades, revealing a sea of 
apocalyptic devastation.  "Gods!" Lan covers her mouth, her eyes 
automatically tearing.  Like Lum and 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 vaporized
in an instant was too much even for her.

     "Watch the blow up," Benten advises.

     A target icon falls over the Great Lum Church.  The screen 
magnifies to show the hazy image of a man.  The image clears up.  
With the lens' distance -- *What sort of probe could get pictures
like THIS?!* Lan hums -- the facial details are 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 falls back as something bursts from a pile of 
wreckage behind the transformed Ataru.  He spins to gaze on a vaguely
humanoid shape in the robes of a monk.  In the figure's hand is a 
tall 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.  The gem flares, this time
creating another nuclear blast.  The camera falls back to 
near-orbital space.  A burst of light explodes from Lumukyou,
followed by a concussive wave that spreads over all of Phentax Two.

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

     The wave vanishes.  The camera lens then zooms up again on 
Lumukyou.  Standing alone in the wreckage of the Great Lum Church,
the cyborg Ataru is looking about.  A close-up of his face reveals
that his human eye is wide with shock.  He 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 high-tech power conduit," Benten sighs as the 
sub-screen vanishes, revealing 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 once again in control of the body.

     "According to what Nassur has on the Church of Lum, she must've
been a Guardian.  They're a pre-Lumite sect that's been around since
the time the Niphentaxians first got inta space.  According to what
the Home Base computer says, the Guardians'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 doesn'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 just ain't that type of guy!!  But..." she shrugs.  "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.  "Still, I don't think 
Darling would be in ANY 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..."

     "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, 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 synchronously).  The young Urusians 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...*

*    *    *

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

     Walking towards Lan's lot to look in on their friends, Shinobu,
Ryuunosuke and Mendou presently 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.
"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.'"

     "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 pilotage, 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 fall on the shapes WITHIN the watery globes,
before they widen 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.  Drawing his cell-phone, he dials a number before sensing
Ryuunosuke's annoyed glare.  "Hey, wait until we at least *know*
whether they're okay 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..."

*    *    *

     Nerima...

     "I didn't mean to make her think THAT!"

     "It's okay, Kimiko-chan," Kasumi gently pats Kimiko's hand.  The
older Tendou daughters, the mirror-twins, Happousai and Kimiko relax
around the sitting room table.  "Father's become torqued over the 
whole matter with the schools since before Akane-chan had her big 
fight with Ranma-kun on Tuesday.  And after what you just did to 
Uncle..."

     "Let's just hope the other fiancees don't get wind of this,"
Nabiki grimaces.  "The one thing Kimiko here doesn't need is for 
Shampoo to lay a Kiss of Death on her, not to mention Kodachi 
sneak-attacking her..."

     "The only solution to that is for Kimiko-san to get some 
training," Kumiko sips her tea.  "Perhaps we best let Negako-san
deal with this."

     Hearing that name, Nabiki blinks, her eyes widening.  "The hair
lock..." she whispers, then grins.  "Why, that sly dog..."

     "What?" Kasumi asks.

     "Never mind," her sister shakes her head.

     Happousai chuckles, puffing on his pipe.  "You best head out 
before Souun and Genma recover, girls.  Genma's gonna be on enough
of a bend because of what Kimiko-chan did and Souun..." he shakes
his head.

     "That seems the best," Kimiko rises, then bows.  "Thank you very
much for your hospitality.  Please excuse me."

     She heads out.  "Go with her," Toshiko gazes on Kumiko.

     "Right.  Have a good night, everyone," the raven-haired
mirror-twin rises, bowing to the Tendou sisters, then races out.

     Seeing that, Toshiko then turns to finish her tea.  "With your
kind permission, ladies, I'm just going to look in on Miss Mallets
and make sure she isn't going to start something stupid," she rises.

     "Please be discrete, Toshiko-chan," Kasumi asks.

     "No problem," she vanishes behind the Umisen-ken cloak.

     The sisters and Happousai stare at the space where she had been,
then the aged grandmaster breathes out.  "It's a damn good thing they
burned those scrolls after Ranma dug them out," he then sips his tea.

     "The scrolls are gone?" Nabiki blinks, then smiles.  "Too bad."

     "Indeed," Kasumi nods...

*    *    *

     Cloaked by the Umisen-ken's null-chi shield -- the mirror-twins
had given this remarkable manoeuvre the name "Goshin Sora Fu" 
(Body-Defence Air Cloth) -- Toshiko walks outside, then leaps into
the cherry tree to peek into Akane's room.  Her eyes narrow as she 
sees Akane now on her phone, speaking rapidly into the receiver.
Okay, who was she calling...?

     "...still have it?!" Akane asks, then nods.  "Oh, it's fully
mended itself, has it?  That's wonderful!" she grins.  "Look, can you
tell Dou-chan that Akane needs him at the dojo as quickly as 
possible?"  Another pause, then she slams her hand on the table.
"Look, just do it, okay?!"  Another pause, then she nods.  "Thank
you.  Good night!"  She slams the receiver into its cradle, then 
sinks into her chair.  "No...!  He's MINE, you bitch!!  You're not 
taking MY fiance away from me...!"

     Toshiko blinks, then smirks.  *That's what you think, Akane,*
she slips away from the cherry tree, then bounds over the fence to 
land in the street.  Turning to head towards Kasugachou, she gasps
on seeing Negako Moroboshi standing there, a bemused smile on her 
face.  "Negako...?" she gasps, then sighs, dropping the screen.
"What are you doing here?"

     "I see Akane is not taking well to this latest development,"
the ninjitsu grandmistress waves Toshiko with her.

     "Yeah, she isn't!" Toshiko nods as she follows Negako to the 
tops of the telephone poles, they racing for the Moroboshi home.  
"She just put in a call to get the Densetsu no Doogi back.  I'll lay
bets that come sometime tomorrow, she'll try to challenge Kimiko-san
for Ranma."

     "Foolish.  Ranma would not tolerate such a thing," Negako 
smirks, then glances at Toshiko.  "I think the time has come to 
advance Ranma's healing to the point where she will have no doubts
about herself anymore."

     "How can you do that?!" Toshiko demands.

     "It is much easier than you think," the grandmistress
replies...

*    *    *

     Tomobiki, later...

     "Sensei, do you think this might work?!" Shinobu asks.

     "Of course it'll work," Yamada nods.  Once explanations
about the two new arrivals were made, the alien doctor had the 
Nendo-kata couple shifted to Lan's 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, young 
lady.  The Great School has been doing this for over a hundred 
thousand years.  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.  "According to them, Lum-san
and Lan-san could die from a complete neural burn-out within 
forty-eight hours, Ryuunosuke-san.  And with this war situation,
do you honestly believe we could rush back to Uru, find 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 wind of this."

     The Terrans exchange a look.  "What happens to the souls of the
Nendo-kata when they merge with Lum and Lan, Sensei?" 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 in the Universe
might do otherwise?" Yamada sighs, then gaze on the two Nendo-kata.
"Anyhow, I must look in on our wounded visitor.  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 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 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 presently 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?*

     "I agree.  They'll need to match themselves to the populace.
While Lan-san can pass as a surface-dweller, she's unfortunately
become a little too notorious to live safely 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 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 their
friends, not to mention Shutaro-san's rival, Ataru Moroboshi!"

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

     "Wouldn't he?" Yamada muses.  "Ataru-san didn't seem inclined
to help them the first time they were sent off.  Besides, I've 
noticed 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.  If the case is heated enough, their children and 
loved ones are 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..."

*    *    *

     Welcome House, sometime before midnight...

     "You want to take me to this Sanctuary place?"

     Ranma stares incredulously at Negako as both relax in the dining
room.  "Yes," the latter, who had come to Promised Island via 
Chikage's travelling rainbow -- then spent an hour recovering
from the icy fear her hydrophobia unleashed when she crossed the 
Sagami Sea -- as soon as she saw the mirror-twins and Kimiko secured
at the old shrine, nods.  "In essence, it will be like your normal
training trips, but compressed in time due to the temporal 
differences between here and Sanctuary.  A five-week period of time
in Sanctuary would, at present, equate to you returning to the House
before dawn tomorrow morning.  Are you interested?"

     "Five weeks?" Ranma blinks.  "In other words, if what Chikage's
hinted to me is true, I'd come back as a girl both in mind and body."

     "Yes."

     "Why are you offering me this now?"

     "Lum's return is part of the reason," Negako explains.  "The 
other part is your own would-be suitors, especially Akane.  
Tonight..."

     She gives a quick re-cap of events at the dojo.  Ranma listens
in, then shudders, a faint battle aura forming around her.  "You mean
to tell me that after Kimiko pasted Oyaji and old man Tendou blabbed
out that he wanted Kimiko to marry me to unite the schools, Akane
assumed Kimiko wanted to become my fiancee.  And now she wants to 
fight Kimiko for me?!"

     "Exactly."

     "Well, to HELL with that!" Ranma snaps, slamming her fist into
the table.  "I renounced the engagement on Tuesday!  Akane doesn't
have any right at ALL to fight on my 'behalf!!'  Especially not 
Kimiko!"  She rises, then walks away from the table.  "And especially
if Akane's gonna get her hands on that damned doogi and use it 
against Kimiko, too!!"

     "May I propose something?"

     "What?" Ranma stares on Negako.

     "That if you come with me to Sanctuary, we strive to cross-train
each other in our Arts," Negako proposes.  "You teach me what you 
have learned through your experiences and I would reciprocate.
After all, a soulsword thrust into the Densetsu no Doogi's belt 
buckle would destroy it far beyond anyone's hope to repair.  If it 
was *you* who did that, Ranma, you would shatter Akane's illusions
about herself far more thoroughly than anything you might have done
to her to date, even counting Tuesday's events."

     Ranma blinks, then sighs.  "Why not bring Ataru, too?"

     "I don't want you to think I'm trying to pressure you, Ranma."

     Both turn to see Ataru standing at the doorway.  "Ataru?"
Ranma blinks, then chuckles.  "Hell, some could say you're already
pressuring me to go along with that through her," she indicates
Negako.

     "Hai, true, true," he laughs, then sighs.  "Ranma?"

     "What's wrong?"

     He blinks, then shrugs.  "Look, I know what the girls think 
about you now.  And..." he walks over to her.  "If you come back 
and...!" he stops, then gazes at her.  "Well, if you're inclined
to...!  Oh, hell, this is..."

     A finger lands on his lips.  "Hey, you had the same problem
with Lum, remember?  Just like I did with Akane," she smirks, then
sighs.  "Ataru?"

     "Yeah?"

     "Would you want to come?"

     He blinks, then shakes his head.  "No.  I've spent too much time
in Sanctuary as is.  You'll understand when you come back after 
Onee-chan's done with you.  But..." he pauses, then smiles.  "Like
it or not, Ranma, you ARE a martial artist.  Hell, you've been living
and breathing the Art since you were old enough to walk.  Yeah, you
were denied the chance to choose your life's path because of Genma,
but even if you shift into a new career choice, the Art will 
influence your life in many ways.  It suits you, Ranma.  It does.
But..." he points to himself.  "It's not for me."

     "Bullshit, Ataru!  You ARE good...!"

     "Yeah, but look what I've just been through!!" he counters,
then places his hands on her shoulders.  "I just helped fight a war,
Ranma.  I watched a whole race nearly get wiped out before my eyes.
I met people who were brainwashed into believing my race are no 
better than monkeys in the tree, people who'd do ANYTHING to keep us
laid low!  I..." he pauses, then sighs.  "I'm tired, Ranma.  Yeah,
many would think me a warrior and a martial artist, but...!" he pulls
his hands away.  "This 'warrior' right now just wants to lay up the
Lawgiver, the qu'f-piaqu'r, his eunuch swords and the camouflaged
cloak, then be a normal person for a change."

     A hand squeezes his shoulder.  Ataru blinks, then gazes on 
Negako.  "We want to help you gain control of your life, Ranma,"
the latter turns to her.  "Yes, you are both martial artists.  But 
you deserve to be 'normal' people as well.  Let this be a way you can
take to achieve that."

     Ranma blinks, then sighs.  "What happens afterward?"

     "Your choice," Ataru smiles.

     They stare into the other's eyes, then Ranma nods.  "Okay..."

*    *    *

     Minutes later, Ranma comes down the stairs, backpack in hand.
She stops on seeing a small crowd by the front doors.  "Everyone..."
she gapes, then blinks as Kaho comes up to her, pompoms in hand.  
"Kaho-chan..."

     "Onee-chama," the cheerleader smiles.  "Kaho wants to cheer 
Onee-chama when she goes with Negako-oneechama to Sanctuary.
But..."

     "You have been told several times that it is a dangerous
place to visit, Kaho," Negako walks up to stand beside Ranma.

     "Uhn!" Kaho nods, then sighs.  "Onee-chama, please don't be 
angry at us because we want Onee-chama to fall in love with 
Onii-chama.  W-we..."

     "We just want both of you to be happy," Marie finishes.

     Ranma blinks, then stares at Sakuya.  "You're part of us now,
Onee-sama," the eldest of the sisters comes up, then squeezes Ranma's
shoulder.  "This is your home now.  Just like it's become Onii-sama's
home."

     The martial artist blinks, then gazes at the others.  Seeing
the acceptance in their eyes, she looks down.  "Thanks, guys.  I mean
it," she nods, then turns to Negako.  "I'm ready.  What do we got to
do?"

     "Follow me," the grandmistress waves her to the doorway.

     The sisters back away, then Hinako breaks free of the crowd,
a stuffed rabbit in hand.  "Onee-tama," she hands it to Ranma.

     Ranma looks, then grins.  "I'll bring it back," she scoops 
Mister Bunny into her free arm, then gives her a kiss.  "I promise."

     "Ganbatte, Onee-chama!!" Kaho shakes her pompoms.

     "Stand back, Hinako," Negako beckons the youngest of the sisters
away from the doors, then she draws out a rectangular device and 
places it on the wall beside the doorway.  "Brace yourself, Ranma."

     "Hai!" Ranma nods.

     Negako taps a control.  A strange hum echoes through the 
rotunda, then the doors open.  Instead of revealing the courtyard
in front of Welcome House, the doors now open on a black, 
star-studded tunnel leading to a faint point of light an infinity
away.  "Come, Ranma."

     She steps into the tunnel.  Ranma blinks, then heads in after
her.  Just past the gateway, she turns, waving to the sisters.
They wave back as the doors close behind the martial artist, then the
hum fades.  Silence falls over the foyer, then Karen sighs.  "I don't
think we'll be getting much sleep tonight," she walks up to place
a hand on Hinako's shoulder.

     "Oh, don't panic about it, Karen!" Mamoru chuckles.  "Anee's
gonna be back here in six hours and she'll be in perfect shape!"

     "Hime thinks she better make some calorie milkshakes if we all
want to stay up late tonight," Shirayuki thoughtfully muses.

     "Shirayuki-chan?"

     Everyone turns to see Ataru by the doorway to the dining room.
"Is there something wrong, Nii-sama?" Shirayuki wonders.

     "Make mine coffee.  And black," he turns to head into his 
bedroom.

     "Um...!  H-hai...!"

     The others giggle as Ataru steps into his room.  Before he could
head to his bed, a hand lands on his shoulder.  He turns to gaze into
Chikage's dark eyes.  "Don't panic, Ani-kun.  This is EXACTLY what
Ane-kun needs."

     He considers that, then nods.  "I just wish it didn't have to 
happen *this* way, Chikage-chan," he squeezes her hand in return...

*    *    *

     An hour after midnight finds Chikage indulging herself in one of
her favourite pastimes:  moon-gazing.  Clouds drift in the dark sky,
but the moon is bright, a waning quarter.  Taking a deep breath,
she closes her eyes.  Tomorrow, once Ranma came back from Sanctuary,
the sisters would head to Nerima to help her and Ataru move back into
the old shrine.  Once that was done, they would back off and let 
things develop...

     Eh?!

     Chikage's eyes widen as she gazes 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!"

     Despite the request he had made earlier for coffee, Ataru is now
in bed, obviously asleep.  Yet why were his eyes open?

     And why was his left eye 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 had taken a "psi-scan sample"
of the DNA of Shinobu Miyaki, Ryuunosuke Fujinami and Shutaro Mendou,
mixing them together to create strands which would exhibit the best
physical qualities of all three of her Terran friends.  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 of such an insertion on Lan's 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 of the Nendo-kata had possessed
for a hundred millennia.  If something didn't happen 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...?!"

     The Cyborg walks around Yamada to kneel beside Lan, he gazing
on her sweat-soaked face.  A metal hand gently touches her forehead,
then a hollow sigh escapes between the skull-like jaw that now stood
for his mouth.  He then turns to gaze at Yamada.  The alien doctor
shudders, immediately realizing that the situation between Tomobiki's
most infamous resident and his former schoolmates was MUCH more 
complex than he first had imagined.  For even if he had only one 
organic eye in this form, the look in 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 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 the shape of a 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,
her body quivering.  Yamada immediately turns to his scanner.  His 
eyes widen as all of Lan's vitals take a marked climb up.

     The shower stops, the Cyborg then sheathes the staff.  Gazing
on Lan, he nods.  "**The remainder of this should happen without
problems,**" he announces, his voice a hollow, metallic twang.  "**By
the time Lum's come through what she's experiencing, Lan should make
a recovery.**"

     Yamada blinks, then asks, "Why?"

     A pause as the entity seems to consider if he would answer or 
not, then he sighs, looking nowhere in particular.  "**I cannot be 
what Lum wants me to be.  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 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 slowly nods.  "**I had to do that, 
Sensei.  Much that I hated doing it, 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.  "**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.  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, ruefully shaking his 
head...

*    *    *

     Promised Island...

     "Ani-kun...?!"

     The glow disappears from Ataru's eye as the eyelids finally
close.  Gazing at him from the window, Chikage blinks, then lightly
smiles before gliding away from the room to give her Ani-kun some 
privacy...

*    *    *

To be continued...


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