Ha-ha! Thought you'd heard the last of this series (again),
didja? Well, I'm not quite done for yet.

Thanks for all those that have supported me so far! I've
included a short list at the end.

What has gone before:

Ermh... The plot's too convoluted, even for me to explain.
Arby's dead, and Tuxedo Mask died, went to the afterlife,
and dueled with a dead, level 10 Super Sayajin. The more
surprising part of it was that Tux-boy defeated dear ol'
Kakkorotto.

The Sailor Senshi nearly got obliterated by a youma death
squad, but the Atomic Starlight Knight jumped in and saved
the girls, proclaiming his love for Sailor Moon. Sam
Beckett helped save Nephrite, and then finally got to leap
away... into Ikari Gendo.

Jadeite battled his, er... HER inner self and darkness. She
won, barely. ASK tried to kill her when he figured out
(took him long enough!) that she was really a magically-
transformed youma general. It all got worked out in the
end, though. Really, it did.

Any other subplots? Oh! Sailor Pluto took Ranma to Disneyland
to train.

And... That's about it. Read all about it at:

http://www.rakhal.com/florestica/ben-oliver/index.html

...or, I could send you the rest by request. I warn you:
The NETTG102.txt file is 834 KB long, and that's just in
plain text. I'm not really a slow writer... I just have
a funny way of organizing things. Enjoy!

(Continued from 21/??)

^_^;;;

	After a long day of being dead, meeting deceased friends,
enemies, and ancestors he had no clue about, and then literally
fighting for his life through the fiery depths of hell, Darien
Shields thought a bit of relaxation was in order.

	Much like several of his acquaintances, who had just managed
to stumble out of a taxi and find their respective bedding, the
man slumped down upon his unmade mattress and went out like the
last wretched, soggy match in a desperately-needed mountain survival
kit.

	A few hours later, a bony finger prodded him awake. "Unnnhhh!
Quit poking my eye...quit...stop..."

	AWAKEN. I AM COME.

	"Fivemminutshhhheerrshumthin," Darien slurred, wrapping his
pillow around his head. "Wha?"

	UNLESS YOU WISH TO DIE IN YOUR SLEEP.

	*Shhhick!*Shhhick!* Darien slowly, cautiously opened his eyes
when he heard the slow sharpening sounds of a whetstone against a
not-exactly-metal blade. "What?!" he asked, sitting up, just as his
pillow was cleaved in two.

	TIME'S UP.

	"GWAH!" the college student choked as his inborn Tuxedo Mask
reflexes forced him to roll away from another strike.

	VERY LIVELY FOR A DEAD MAN, BUT...

	The hooded figure suddenly paused when the city light from the
window illuminated Darien's face. Death's heavy tones grew slightly
annoyed. EH? WHAT ARE YOU DOING BACK AGAIN?!

	Darien gulped loudly. "I--I can't die! I just got back!"

	I CAN SEE THAT, Death said, shaking his skull and turning away,
holding up his skeletal hands in a gesture of frustration. THIS IS
HIGHLY IRREGULAR. NOBODY WISHES TO STAY DEAD AS OF LATE.

	"Yeah, know what you mean. I remember the good old days when
things like bullets and ki blasts used to kill people. Eh heh..."

	I MUST SPEAK TO THE UNION ABOUT ALL THESE DO-OVERS...

	"I fought for my life," Darien explained hastily, "against
impossible odds, and I won!"

	Death didn't seem to be paying attention anymore, caught up in
his own world-weariness. NOT LIKE IN THE OLD DAYS. I CAME KNOCKING
AND EVERYONE KNEW THEIR PLACE.

	"I'm alive!" Darien added.

	OH, CERTAINLY THEY COMPLAINED, BUT IN THE END, THEY REMAINED
THERE. He glared at the man with the blue fires glowing in his empty
sockets. NOT LIKE _YOU_.

	Darien recoiled at the word 'you,' which had as much force and
weight to it as the dropped lid of a giant stone sarcophagus.

	"Ugh!" Darien choked, covering his mouth with both hands.
"What's that cologne you're wearing?!"

	ODE DE LA TUME.

	"It's completely suffocating!!!"

	EXACTLY. BREATHE DEEPLY. DO YOU FEEL ASPHYXIATED YET? NO, I
CAN SEE YOU'RE NOT.

	"I'm not ready to die again just yet!"

	Death started pacing around.

	KIDS THESE DAYS... THEY NEVER KNOW HOW TO RESPECT AUTHORITY.
ALWAYS TRYING TO RESIST. THERE'S YOU AND, OH YES, THERE'S THIS
OBNOXIOUS KNIGHT THAT'S BEEN GIVING ME TROUBLE FOR AGES. I'LL HAVE
HIM, YOU KNOW. MAKE NO MISTAKE. IN THE END, ALL MUST ANSWER TO ME.

	"Um, yeah," Darien added uncertainly. "I'm alive now. I went
through Hell to get my life back and I think I've earned it, and I'd
appreciate not being killed again anytime soon..."

	YOU SAY IT AS IF YOU HAD A CHOICE.

	"Actually, I think I do in this matter."

	HOW DO YOU FIGURE THAT?

	"I'm alive. You only take away dead people. And if I were to
die, it would have to be of _something_, wouldn't it?"

	NORMALLY, YES. HOWEVER, YOU COULD DIE OF TERROR...

	"You're not that frightening!"

	Suddenly, the phone rang. Instinctively, Darien picked it up.
"Hello?" Then he frowned and looked at the clock. "Who are you and
what are you doing, calling at three o'clock in the morning?!" He
looked at his shoes, which were on the floor. "Uh, ten, why?" His
frown shifted into a scowl. "No, I'm NOT interested in buying a
new cellphone with a thousand minute calling plan!!!"

	The receiver nearly broke when the college student slammed
it back down on the hook. "I signed up with one company and the
rest are already hounding me!"

	A moment later, the phone started ringing again. Darien picked
it up and shouted, "WHAT?!"

	The Imfamous Split-Screen Phone Conversation(tm) came back,
and on the other side was the familiar friendly face of Kasumi
Incognito. "Oh my! Were you sleeping?"

	"Huh?!" Darien yelped in surprise. "Um, er, hi! Terra's mom,
right? No, I'd already gotten up. Why is everyone calling this
early?"

	"I was just a little worried about you," Kasumi replied.
"Are you feeling all right? You're not sick or anything, are you?"

	"I'm feeling fine, actually. Just a little tired."

	"That's very good! I thought you might be dying."

	WHO IS IT? Death asked, peering over the man's shoulder.

	*HACK-COUGH!*GAG!* "THAT cologne again!" Covering up part of
the receiver, Darien looked at him and said, "It's Kasumi, the mother
of a friend of mine." He turned his attention back to the phone.
"What would make you think I'm dying?"

	Death idly twirled his scythe in the air for a moment. I'M
WAITING...

	"I just had a feeling," Kasumi said. "You're certain you're
not even the _slightest_ bit ill?"

	YES, Death added, placing his fingers on the man's shoulder,
PERHAPS YOU FEEL MY ICY GRIP UPON YOU OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT?
HA. HA. HA. HA.

	Death sounded as if he'd heard of laughter, but hadn't gotten
the basic tenets down. However, one could not argue about the effect
it had on the hair on the back of Darien's neck, which was rather
like what happens when you take a live cat and tie its tail to a
pair of charged high-tension power lines, minus the smoke and the
yowling. Well, some of it, anyway.

	"Mister Shields, why are you groaning?" Kasumi asked in the
thoroughly probing tone that only a mother can possibly hope to
manage. "Please tell me, are you feeling ill? Should I call an
ambulance?"

	"I've just got an unwelcome guest," Darien replied, glaring
at Death, who shrugged, obviously not considering the remark worth
commenting upon until finally muttering a bit to himself.

	NO ONE EVER INVITES ME. I AM SO UNAPPRECIATED. HERE I AM,
SHUFFLING YOU OFF THE MORTAL COIL, GETTING RID OF ALL THAT PAIN AND
SUFFERING, AND ALL YOU UNGRATEFUL MORTALS CAN'T EVEN TAKE THE TIME
TO INVITE ME IN FOR TEA AND BAGLES! WHEN AM I GOING TO BE
APPRECIATED?! WHEN?! WHEN'S IT GOING TO BE _MY_ TIME?!

	Then someone else picked up the line and started dialing.
After an uncomfortable moment, a scene with Terra jammed itself
into the split-screen conversation. "Hello?" she asked in a
slightly surprised voice.

	"Terra?" Kasumi whispered, rather puzzled herself. "Who were
you calling?"

	"Mother?" Terra replied, "I was feeling a little lonely and
was going to call Serena." Her expression and tone showed that she
also noted something odd about the situation. "Who were you talking
to?"

	"She was talking to me," Darien said. "She was worried that
something might be wrong and called. But nothing's wrong,
everything's completely under control." He looked uneasily at the
blade which the robed figure brandished.

	ALL'S WELL HERE, Death said, doing a particularly good job
of looming over the man. ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL. HMM. ACTUALLY,
ALL'S WELL BECAUSE IT ENDS.

	"Darien! That's good to hear," Terra replied brightly. "How
did the battle with all the other Sailor Scouts go?"

	"Er," Darien began, trying to move away from Death as best
he could, "It went well. It looked rough for a while, but then the
Starlight Knight showed up and finished off most of the youma."

	"There were a lot of them?" Terra continued.

	Darien nodded lopsidedly, his forced smile indicating that
he was about to generate a very large understatement, "Yeah, a
few dozen of 'em. All out for blood. And there was this really
loud one that just wouldn't die. I was on a roof nearby, getting
ready to toss my new axe at it, then I got blasted back by one
of those sonic waves."

	"That's right," Kasumi said, "but Sailor Moon gained her powers
back and finished it off."

	Listening in close to the phone, Death nodded. AH, YES, I WAS
THERE.

	Darien glared at Death and leaned away. "Why don't you leave
me alone?" he whispered, covering up the receiver. "I told you: I'm
alive!"

	NOT IF I HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT.

	"Are you sure there's nothing we can do for you?" Kasumi asked.

	NO, IT'S TERMINAL.

	"SHH!" Darien hushed Death before replying to Kasumi, "Umm, I
don't think there's anything I really need right now, just a little
more sleep."

	YES, SLEEP. SLEEP THE ETERNAL DREAM AND PASS ON TO THE NEXT--

	"Quiet!" Darien half-yelled.

	Death drew back a bit. WELL, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE SO RUDE.

	"Oh! Do you have company?" Terra asked.

	"Yes, he does," Kasumi said calmly. "Darien, can I talk to
him?"

	"What?!"

	WHAT?

	Darien looked at Death. "They want to talk to you."

	ME? WHY? Death asked with a confused grin as he was handed the
phone and held it uneasily to the side of his skull. HELLO?

	"Hi," Kasumi said, "I hope you don't mind us talking to Mister
Shields while you're visiting."

	EH? OH, IT'S NO PROBLEM. ONLY A MINOR INCONVENIENCE, REALLY.
QUITE MINOR WHEN COMPARED TO THE FACT HE DOESN'T _DIE_ WHEN HE'S
SUPPOSED TO. AND THAT'S QUITE A COMPLAINT WHEN YOU CONSIDER WHO I AM.

	"I'm sure you're quite busy, aren't you?" Terra added. "An
important person?"

	I AM EVERYWHERE AT ONCE, WHEREVER THE HEARTBEAT ENDS OR THE
FRAIL BODY FAILS, I AM THERE.

	As Darien listened in disbelief, Terra continued, "What do
you do, exactly?"

	I USHER SOULS INTO THE NEXT WORLD.

	"Have you been at it for long?" Kasumi asked.

	WHERE THE FIRST PRIMAL CELL WAS, THERE WAS I ALSO.

	"Do you have an office somewhere?" Terra inquired with great
interest.

	I AM NO FURTHER THAN THE THICKNESS OF A SHADOW. WHERE MAN IS,
OR WOMAN OR CHILD, THERE AM I.

	"Don't you plan on retiring, ever?" Kasumi pressed.

	WHEN THE LAST LIFE CRAWLS ITS FINAL INCH ON LEECHED SOIL UNDER
FREEZING STARS, THERE WILL I BE.

	Kasumi hummed, impressed. "So it's a permanent appointment,
then?"

	I SUPPOSE YOU MIGHT SAY THAT.

	"Then you must love your job to dedicate so much time to it,"
Terra noted.

	IT HAS, ER, ITS PERKS, IF YOU MUST KNOW.

	Kasumi nodded. "Oh, very nice! And what is your business with
Mister Shields?"

	HE HAS TRANSGRESSED THE LAWS OF NATURE AND, IN DEFIANCE TO THE
GODS, RETURNED TO WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN HIS CAST-OFF MORTAL COIL.

	Kasumi held her hand to her face in concern. "Oh my..."

	ON REPEATED OCCASIONS. NOT THAT IT MATTERS TO ME WHAT THE GODS
SAY, MIND YOU. ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, THEY DIE JUST LIKE EVERYTHING
ELSE IN THIS UNIVERSE. IT JUST GETS A BIT ANNOYING AT TIMES,
ESPECIALLY WHEN I WENT TO THE TROUBLE OF TAKING HIM IN THE FIRST
PLACE.

	"I'm sure he didn't mean it," Terra said innocently. "Can't you
give him the benefit of a doubt just this once?"

	WHAT?

	"You know," Kasumi said, "let him off with a warning this time?"

	Death glanced at Darien, who still had his arms folded and was
looking defiant. I DON'T THINK A WARNING WOULD SUFFICE IN THIS CASE.

	"Could you at least go easy on him?" Terra requested. "He's
a friend of ours."

	Death paused to consider that. I WILL SEE WHAT I CAN DO. NOW,
IF YOU COULD FINISH YOUR CONVERSATION WITH HIM QUICKLY, I WOULD BE
EVER SO OBLIGED.

	"Of course," Kasumi replied.

	Death returned the phone.

	"He seems like a reasonable fellow," Kasumi said in her typical
cheerful and overly optimistic tone. "Maybe you could talk it out
with him."

	Darien glanced at the robed skeleton, and with raised eyebrows,
eloquently said, "Er..."

	"And then," Terra added, "you could come over in the morning to
have breakfast with us and tell us how it all went. Would you like
that?"

	"Yes," Kasumi agreed with a nod, "would you care to drop by
in the morning, around seven? I could make pancakes and I'm sure
you'll have all sorts of interesting things to tell us."

	In the corner of Darien's range of vision, Death shook his
head. NO, I DOUBT YOU'LL HAVE TIME FOR THAT.

	"Uh, sure!" Darien replied in a sort of forced cheerfulness.
"I'd be glad to come over. See you in the morning."

	"See ya!" Terra said, even more cheerfully than her mother.

	"Bye!" Kasumi said.

	"Bye!"

	BYE.

	*Click!* Darien hung up the phone, just in time to duck another
swipe from Death's scythe. "Hey!"

	SORRY, COULDN'T RESIST.

	"I'm alive right now," Darien insisted, "and you're not going
to make me die of terror, okay?!"

	Death nodded. YES, I SUPPOSE TERROR IS TOO MUNDANE. PERHAPS
YOU SHOULD DIE OF BUBONIC PLAGUE...

	The man gagged. "Bubonic plague!? There hasn't been a case of
that around here for ages!"

	YES, Death said in agreement. I WAS THERE WHEN IT HAPPENED,
YOU KNOW. HOW ABOUT CANCER? CANCER'S IN STYLE NOWADAYS.

	Darien's mouth hung open in horror. "Cancer?! That's a horrible
way to die!"

	INDEED. IF YOU DON'T LIKE THAT, THEN SIMPLY JUMP OUT THE
WINDOW. IT'LL BE QUICKER.

	"No!"

	THEN HOW DOES DERMATITIS SOUND?

	"Dermatitis?!" Darien asked incredulously. "Nobody dies of
dandruff! How about old age, years and years from now?"

	Death paused, scraping a finger against his jawbone as he
considered that.

	WELL...

	"Well, what?!"

	Death tilted his head at the man.

	WOULD YOU PROMISE NOT TO COME BACK AFTER THAT?

	Darien threw up his hands. "Uh, sure! I mean, I would have
lived a long, full life and everything. What more would there be to
do after that?"

	GOOD. I EXPECT YOU TO ABIDE BY THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT IN
FORTY YEARS. WILL YOU?

	"Forty years?!" Darien asked incredulously. "You've got to be
kidding! I'll barely be past my prime by then!"

	MOST PEOPLE DON'T GET THIS SORT OF OFFER. I SUGGEST YOU TAKE
IT.

	"I've had dreams and seen the future, though! I'm almost
completely convinced that I'm the Prince of the Earth, and I'm
supposed to live for thousands of years!"

	YES, RATHER INCONVENIENT, THAT.

	"Good, it isn't a delusion," Darien whispered to himself
before adding, "So, I'll need a _lot_ more time than just forty
years!"

	THAT'S A BIT TOO LONG AND INSPECIFIC. HOW ABOUT TWO HUNDRED?

	"Oh, come on! For Pete's sake, that wouldn't even get me
through the Great Ice that's supposed to happen! Four thousand, and
not a century less!"

	THAT'S TOO MUCH, EVEN FOR ONE OF YOU STUCK-UP PRINCES. FIVE
HUNDRED YEARS.

	"I have to fulfill my Destiny! Three thousand seven hundred
years."

	ONE THOUSAND YEARS AND NOT A DAY OVER.

	"At least give me three thousand! The kingdom's supposed to
last forever!"

	TWO THOUSAND AND YOU STOP YOUR SNIVELING.

	"How about two thousand five hundred?"

	TWO THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY.

	"Two thousand three hundred and seventy five?"

	YOU'VE GOT YOURSELF A DEAL!

	Darien and Death shook hands, supposedly sealing the agreement,
but halfway through, the more bony individual paused.

	ON SECOND THOUGHT, COULD I GET THAT IN WRITING?

	"Oh, fine!" Darien muttered, scrambling around for a pen and a
piece of paper.

	Death positively beamed at this turn of events. HAVE TO MAKE
SURE OF THESE THINGS, YOU KNOW.

	"Yeah, yeah," the aforementioned Mister Shields muttered, half
in relief, half in exasperation.

	A few minutes and a signature later, Death grinned down at the
man before departing, and after that, Darien Shields never felt more
alive.

...

	While Death departed, something occurred to him about one of
the women whom he spoke to on the phone. TERRA INCOGNITO? WAS THAT
WAS HER NAME? I WONDER IF THAT COULD BE...

	Atop his floating white horse, the black-robed figure pulled
out a very large, obsidian hourglass, about a foot and a half high
and seven inches in diameter. Parts of it had strange and ugly
symbols carved into it, but over those, large pink and red bows had
been tied. Flowers, also pink, were painted all over the device at
regular intervals. Inside, a dull pile of black sand on the receiving
end was topped by a few sparkling grains of gold. A very, very tiny
patch of brightly-colored specks slowly trickled down from the top.

	AH, YES. HER. NOT LONG NOW, AND IT'LL BE ABOUT TIME. NOT EVEN
MOST GODS LIVE THAT LONG. TOO BAD, REALLY. EVEN AFTER SO LONG, SHE
WAS JUST BARELY GETTING INTERESTING.

	Death spurred his flying steed onward. There yet remained a
great deal of work for him to do this night.

@_@;;

	It would take more than a thousand years and an artificial ice
age before the human race civilized itself sufficiently to the point
where they decided that mucking up the timeline wasn't just for world
heroes, villains, and Purple ArbyFish. For this reason, laws against
time travel had to be placed in order to keep Destiny from being
tampered with.

	It wasn't so much that lifestyles had degraded to the point
where everybody wanted to change them, nor was it the fact that the
people felt like rebelling against the delighfully ditzy totalitarian
regime that had forbidden such interference. The problem was, rather,
that with improved technology and knowledge, the human race sadly
edged toward total self-annihilation every generation or two.

	Those with ability to view the timeline secretly knew that they
were all an inch away from destruction, and as such, they had good
reason to keep people on track with what Destiny decided What Must
Be. In the later years of history, Destiny had gotten tired of being
pushed around by galactic destroyers, fuku-clad warriors for love
and justice, and artificial knights with funny ideas about taking
control of their lives.

	In a cosmic way, Fate decided that anyone who fought against
their place in the grand scheme of things would be stopped,
preferrably in a painfully educating manner. The reason for this is
simple: if Destiny is toyed with too much, She might someday toss up
her arms, scream "Forget you all!" in frustration, and stalk away in
another direction, taking the Universe with Her.

	After some rather enlightening experiences and a lot of theme-
park-induced meditation, Sailor Pluto decided that she had learned
her lesson. Destiny had decided that she and Ranma were meant for
each other, and as a reformed follower of Destiny, she accepted the
fact that the boy was now her One True Love.

	Besides, getting out of it wasn't worth risking Everything on.

	Having spent some time reviewing Ranma's history and having
gone with him on every action/thriller ride in Disneyland, she came
to realize that he wasn't such a bad choice for a husband after all.
He could be very nice and was forgiving of mistakes. He didn't even
think much of her attempt at making him learn the Kawaii-ken!

	Certainly, he had his quirks, Sailor Pluto considered, like the
curse and a few other minor problems problems, but she was certain
she could change him, given time. The curse could be cured, if it
came down to that. It wasn't like there was some mystic energy field
that made sure he kept it or anything.

	The woman giggled, only a slight manic edge remaining in her
voice. After she and Ranma had gotten back from their brief vacation,
they wasted no time in going to the Crystal Palace to inform the
proper authorities of their pending union.

	In retrospect, Setsuna noted to herself, Neo-Queen Serenity had
taken it remarkably well.

?!!?!?

	Seated in the waiting room just outside the emergency room at
the Crystal Tokyo Special Response Hospital, and dressed in official
Sailor Senshi garb, a very female Ranma hunched over and buried her
face in her hands, weighed down by guilt and large sweatdrops. "Uhhh.
Um. That is... I'm really sorry your queen died, Setsuna."

	Beside her, Sailor Pluto stroked the smaller girl's hand in her
own. "Don't worry. It wasn't your fault."

	"How was I supposed to know she'd react like that?" Ranma
lamented. "I said we planned on, you know, getting married and all,
but why did she have to grab her chest and keel over like that? She
didn't even look old or sick or anything!"

	"She will be all right," Setsuna reassured her fiance, putting
an arm around her shoulders. "You just gave her a bad shock. We have
the best medical staff and facilities in the galaxy. There is no need
to worry."

	"I just hope she's okay."

	"Don't worry," Pluto insisted. "She's done this before. It
never keeps her down for long."

	A minute later, the one Ranma recognized as Sailor Mercury
came out of the emergency room, flanked by a pair of nurses or
doctors. She wore medical scrubs and a mask, which she pulled off in
order to better speak with the waiting duo. She smiled at them and
opened her mouth to speak. However, before she could, Ranma leapt up
and grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her wildly.

	"Is she gonna be okay?! Please tell me she's okay!"

	"She's fine!" Mercury replied, pulling her way out of the
redhead's grip. Once she freed herself, she straightened her
spectacles and added, "She's all right. It was just a mild case of
shock. Her circulatory system is in perfect condition. She was never
in any real danger. Now, please calm down."

	King Endymion ran into the waiting room, his face red with
exhaustion. "I was in negotiations halfway out of the solar system,
but I came as quickly as I heard. Is she all right?!"

	Mercury nodded at him. "She's fine. You'll find her just down
the hall."

	The King of the Earth rushed past her and continued toward his
wife.

	Ranma breathed a sigh of relief and slid back into her seat.
"That's a relief! I was worried there for a while."

	Mercury glanced through the papers on her clipboard. "Neo-Queen
Serenity is quite healthy, despite all that she's experienced
throughout the years. In fact, all of the Senshi, including King
Endymion, have maintained excellent health for many centuries." She
looked toward the two sitting before her. "She said that something
you two mentioned surprised her. What was it, may I ask?"

	"Well," Ranma began, fidgeting wildly, "that is, errr--"

	Setsuna grabbed Ranma around the waist and pulled her
close. "Ranma and I are getting married!"

	Mercury suddenly gasped and went pale. Her jaw fell open and
her eyes rolled back, then she clutched her chest and swooned into
the arms of her assistants. "M-married?! You and Set...su...na?"

	Ranma frowned at this turn of events. "Hey! What's so wrong
about that?!"

...

	A few more days and a few dozen more heart attacks later,
Ranma and Setsuna got an official audience with the recently-
recovered Queen. The accolades of what happened in Crystal Tokyo
between these two love birds after this fateful occasion could
fill volumes.

	However, in order to avoid mass confusion and hysteria, the
Watchers of this part of the universe have compiled a Frequently
Asked Questions list concerning all of these loving, tender moments
of the premarital Ranma and Setsuna.

	Q. Where did Ranma sleep? How and why?

	A. Ranma slept in a simple, yet elegant suite with lots of
pink drapes, a goosedown bed with silk sheets, and a large
wardrobe filled with some of the finest dresses to be found on
the Earth. It was an official room set aside for any up and
coming Sailor Senshi like Ranma. He didn't like it very much at
all, obviously. While luxury was nice from time to time, it did
not mesh well with his self-image. Three times out of five, he
went to sleep on the roof.

	Q. So, why did he sleep only three out of five times on the
roof?

	A. Because, the other two times, it was raining slightly too
hard for Ranma to rest in, even with some of the bed sheets as a
makeshift tent.

	Q. How about Setsuna. Where did she sleep?

	A. Setsuna slept in her own separate room, which was similarly
elegant, but several times larger than Ranma's. But, given her
mental state in the past few weeks, she hadn't rested very much
in that time. Between Neo-Queen Serenity's coronary trouble and
the official meeting, she had a chance to catch up on her sleep
time considerably.

	Q. Okay, I guess that clears things up. What about the rest
of the Senshi or Endymion? How did they all react and interact
with Ranma and Sailor Pluto?

	A. All of them except for Endymion spent a great deal of
time in bed, recovering from the shock of the marriage
announcement. The King of the Earth spent most of the time with
his wife. Therefore, not a lot of interaction took place.

	Q. And the Outer Senshi? Come on, Haruka and Michiru
wouldn't have been all that shocked!

	A. Quite right. However, they were off chasing people who
weren't expecting the Senshi Inquisition. They actually halfway
got their introduction speech down. It went something like this:

Haruka: Nobody expects the Senshi Inquisition!
Michiru: Our three main weapons are...
Hotaru: Fear, surprise, a planet-destroying polearm, and an almost
fanatical devotion to the Queen!

	Nice, huh? Bohemian Rhapsody was such a nice song. It's good
to see some people still appreciate fine music groups.

	Q. But why was everyone so shocked, anyway?! Did Ranma do
something in the past that they all remember?

	A. Partly, it was the fact that Setsuna was getting married
at all. Secondly, it was that she was marrying another girl.
Third, and probably the least important, was a massive temporal
displacement paradox that caused a nearly fatal cascade failure
in all their central nervous systems that could easily have been
mistaken for a heart attack. It is, however, generally accepted
that they overreacted.

	Q. Well, what about all that time Ranma and Setsuna could
have been spending together, going out on dates and stuff in
Crystal Tokyo? I wanted to see that!

	A. I wanted to see that, too. To make a long story short,
Ranma got a chance to look around town some more, as a man for
once. While it might have been fun to show how a couple of dates
went between Ranma and Pluto in such a peaceful setting, it will
have to suffice to say that all went well and the status quo was
generally kept. There, aren't you glad you didn't have to see the
status quo maintained?

	Q. What about Akane, Ukyou, Shampoo, and Kodachi? Aren't
they going to do anything about Ranma getting married?!

	A. I wouldn't put it past 'em, in whatever time period the
wedding takes place.

	Q. Why doesn't Ranma just do the hot and cold water splash
treatment to show everyone that he's really a boy?

	A. He probably hasn't had a chance to think about it yet.
Give him a little while longer. Obvious things aren't figured out
in the same week, y'know.

	Q. What part is Death going to play here?

	A. He's not taking theatrical roles at the moment. Sorry.

	Q. What's going to happen now?

	A. Something about an official meeting with Neo-Queen
Serenity to get a marriage license or something.

	Q. Sounds great! Get on with it! What happened next?

	A. Now, where were we? Ah, yes. At first, Serenity had
insisted that the meeting be conducted in an official manner.
Official, in this case, meant either princess-like dresses and
sailor fuku for women, or tuxedoes and formal armor for men.

	"Hey!" Ranma protested as she was dragged into the room by
her fiancee, wearing the pink-highlighted Sailor Earth outfit.
"I'm a guy!"

	"We talked about this before," Setsuna whispered to her.
"When she sees you, she sees the Terra who died centuries ago.
She's traumatized for life and... just doesn't get it."

	"I ain't Terra! I barely even know who she was!"

	"I'll show you the file later. She was a very kind and
brave, if short-lived, Senshi."

	"What happened to her?"

	"She sacrificed herself to destroy the Dark Kingdom--an
old enemy from ages ago."

	"Oh."

	"I'll tell you the details later," Setsuna added when the
large, opaque sapphire doors swung open. "We have to make a good
impression if we wish to get our marriage license."

	"Why do we need a license? Can't we just ask to get it over
with already?"

	"Oooh, I love your initiative! But no, we cannot. Centuries may
turn, delightfully ditzy dictatorships may raise, but bureacracy is
forever!"

	Ranma winced. "Uh. Um. Okaaay... So, shouldn't I, like, change
back or somethin'?"

	"I wouldn't bother. That would just complicate things."

	"But everyone'll think that--"

	"They already think that. You remember how many heart attacks
we made everyone go through, right?"

	"Uh, yeah."

	"Do you want to cause another dozen more?"

	"Heck no! I don't need THAT on my conscience."

	"Then let them have their illusions. Straighten up, now.
Remember: I'm the beautiful, yet highly love-deprived Guardian of
Time, and you're my lovely secret assistant-slash-mistress from
Lebanon."

	"Oh, great, so now I'm Lebanese?!"

	"That's right!"

	"Why?!"

	"It's proper! Arby taught you all about being proper, didn't
he? Heeheeheehee!"

	Ranma slapped her forehead. "You're really freaking me out,
you know that?"

	Sailor Pluto giggled maniacally. "Like it or not, you're
marrying me, Ranma. Freaky is now officially part of the job."

	"Uh, yeah. Say, have you taken your medication today, or
what?"

	Soon, the hallway opened up into a very large official audience
chamber. Neo-Queen Serenity stood up from her throne and motioned for
the two to come forward. She was flanked by the four Inner Senshi,
and her daughter hid behind the throne, and occasionally poked her
head out to see what was going on.

	As Ranma and Setsuna approached, Serenity nodded toward them
and said, "I'm glad you're both here." On her shoulder sat a white,
seal-like creature with a cape and glowing red irises.

	"Yesss!" hissed the White ArbyFish. "Kill them now!"

	"Quiet, Bruce!" Serenity shot back.

	"You must!" demanded Bruce.

	"Oh, go make another sweater!"

	"Fine," replied the ArbyFish, who turned around and took out a
set of knitting needles. For a moment, he looked prepared to jab them
into Serenity's neck, but he stopped at the last minute and began
work with some wool yarn. "I will." He glared evilly at all of those
around him.

	Serenity grinned sheepishly at the newcomers. "I'm sorry. I don't
know why I keep him around."

	"It's because he's a very good tactical advisor," Sailor Mars
noted.

	"Umm-hmm!" Venus nodded. "He's a lot better at plotting than
Artemis. That's for sure."

	"Whatever," Sailor Pluto said. "That's a very nice ArbyFish
you've picked up, M'lady. I would have stuck with Arby, but there's
no accounting for taste, I've come to learn."

	"Arby died," Mercury said. "Over a thousand years ago."

	"That's his business," Setsuna said while rolling her eyes
and waving off her comment. She looked back at Serenity. "You know
why we've come. We want your permission to get married."

	The Queen nodded. "Of course. I've had some time to think
about it, and I was kind of against it at first. But eventually, I
decided that it was about time you got married." She frowned. "But
why Ranma? I knew you were good friends, but I had no idea that--
Well, you know how I feel about Haruka and--Couldn't you at least
have found a MAN?!"

	Setsuna's eyes twinkled. "Oh, believe me, Ranma is manlier
than most other people on this planet."

	"I still think you should kill them!" Bruce tried.

	"No," Serenity whispered back, before looking into the eyes
of the Time Senshi. After a brief staring contest, she shook her
head and sighed. "I can see you're not joking." She looked at
Ranma. "Sailor Earth, do you want to marry Sailor Pluto?"

	Ranma had been distracted by Reenie, who ran out from
behind her mother and jumped onto the redhead's back.

	"C'mon, let's play horsie again!" the little girl with pink
hair shouted. "Horsie, horsie, horsie!" She bounced up and down.

	Serenity pursed her lips before calling out to her. "Small
Lady! Will you please leave Sailor Earth alone?!"

	"It's okay," Ranma said quickly. "Now what were you saying?"

	"I asked if you wanted to marry Setsuna."

	"Uhh, sure!" the redhead replied while gently pulling Reenie's
arms off of her neck and placing them onto her shoulders.

	"And will you still be able to fulfil your responsibilities
as Sailor Earth?"

	"Um, okay, if that means powering up and busting all the bad
guys that come along, I think I'm up to that."

	Neo-Queen Serenity turned back to Setsuna, her lower lip
trembling. "All right, I guess you can get married. I mean, Terra's
been worried that things will go badly if her replacement doesn't
work out. She's been so busy lately!"

	Sailor Pluto looked about ready to wave off the comment again,
but she stopped. "Er, excuse me? You say _Terra's_ been worried?"

	Serenity nodded. "Oh, yes. She's quite busy with the
interplanetary agreements, and trying to get Nemesis to agree to a
ceasefire. You remember the accords we were drawing up a week ago,
don't you?"

	The Time Guardian stared at the Queen in a manner that
suggested someone before her had just grown six heads, nine legs, and
started to yodel. "Terra, as in the former 'Sailor Earth' Terra? Red
hair, sweet personality, and was an adopted princess in her past
life? THAT Terra?"

	It was Serenity's turn to look confused. "Yes, that Terra. Who
else would it be?"

	Setsuna took a deep breath. "Ah, forgive me for mentioning it,
but Terra is dead--"

	Everyone except for Pluto and Ranma gasped.

	Mercury put her hands to her cheeks. "When did this happen?!"

	"Not Terra!" Jupiter looked on, aghast.

	"That's NOT a funny joke, Setsuna," Venus noted, grimacing.

	Reenie fell off of Ranma's back. "No! Not Auntie Terra!" the
little girl cried. "Who's gonna tell me stories on Tuesday nights
now?!"

	While Sailor Pluto may have been literally drunk on her own
confusion and driven insane by her fiance's antics, there was
something about the entire situation that had the sobering effect
like that of a month in a medieval monastery. A strong vacuum
formed in the pit of her stomach and she found it difficult to
speak for a minute.

	Ranma placed her hands on her hips. "Hey, what gives? I thought
you said this 'Terra' died."

	"She DID," Setsuna whispered back, then took a step toward
Serenity. "But, my Queen, surely you remember the day after the
war with the Dark Kingdom ended. Terra sacrificed herself for all
of us, and the next day, you drew the short straw and had to tell
her mother--"

	Serenity shook her head. "Terra didn't defeat the Dark Kingdom.
I did, and she helped, along with the rest of the Senshi. We went and
had a big party afterward--"

	"--and you couldn't bring yourself to tell Mrs. Incognito
about what happened, so you spent the day at her house, baking
cookies and grinning nervously--"

	"--and I was so sad because Terra died, then I went to her
house the next day to tell her mom about what happened, but I knocked
on the door and Terra grabbed me by the arm, and we ran off to
school--"

	"--so Raye and Amy had to drag you along the next day to tell
her what really happened. Terra's mother was crushed, but she came
to accept it. This is your least favorite story to tell--"

	"--it's my favorite story, because it had a happy ending."

	All four Inner Senshi looked at each other, then at the Queen.
"That's not how it happened!" they protested at once.

	Pluto stared at Serenity. "Terra died," she insisted.

	Serenity stared back in concern. "No, she didn't." She looked
away. "Yes, it did, and yet, not quite like that, but in a way,
sort of, kinda..."

	"Terra died very bravely," Mercury said.

	"She had a cold and couldn't come to the final battle," Mars
added.

	"That knight-guy merged with her and blew up the whole town!"
Venus cried. "It was horrible! We never recovered, and everybody
died." She paused. "Except for me. You know why?" Her shoulders
slumped. "But, but, but!!!"

	"Auntie Terra reads me stories," Reenie said, "'cause Arby
grosses me out all the time, calling me little mucus and--Wait,
who's Terra? And Arby. What's an Arby? Is it kinda like Bruce?"

	Setsuna paled. "This is bad."

	"Yeah," Ranma said while helping Reenie get up off the floor,
"nobody seems to remember what really happened. Think this is gonna
delay dinner? I'm kinda hungry--"

	The Time Senshi winced, the spark of pain lancing across her
mind. She grabbed Ranma by the arm. "No, you do not understand!"
A sudden, intense headache drove her to her knees. "The timeline
has changed--is changing!"

	Ranma frowned. "Is that a bad thing?"

	Setsuna nodded frantically. "Usually."

	*BAMPH!* Reenie disappeared in a puff of smoke.

	Serenity gasped. "Small Lady! Where did she go?!"

	"Small who?" Mercury asked, before vanishing. Her computer
dropped out of her hands onto the floor. Soon after, Jupiter and
Mars popped out of existence.

	The Queen looked on in horror at her hands, which were
growing transparent. She glanced toward Pluto. "Setsuna! What's
ha...pen..ing...?" She faded away. The Crystal Palace's entire
structure started to quake.

	Setsuna leapt to her feet. "Ranma, we have to get out of here,
NOW!"

	A chunk of crystal landed by their feet. "What's going on?!"

	"Do you know what a paradox is?!"

	"No!"

	"Do you know what the 'End of the Universe' means?!?!"

	IT MEANS I FINALLY GET TO RETIRE.

	Ranma looked around as fires started to sprout up all over
the place. "Who said that?!"

	"It means that the Future is doomed!"

	The girl's jaw dropped and she stared at her fiancee. "What?!
Naaaw. That can't be happening. You're the one making sure that
doesn't happen, right?"

	"In case you haven't noticed, I've been too busy concentrating
on you to do my job! I'm afraid there's no stopping it now!"

	"Do you mean to say that the universe is doomed, we're all
going to die, and there's absolutely nothing we can do about it?!?!"

	Setsuna held her hand behind her neck and laughed nervously.
"Ahehehehehehehehehheheheheheheeee. Sucks, huh?"

	"YEAH, it does! Can't we do ANYTHING?"

	Sailor Pluto shook her head while debris continued to fall
around them. "Not really. A parodox this severe isn't easily escaped!
We have two options, as I see it. One: There's an off chance if we
both focused all our powers into the Garnet Orb," she touched the red
sphere on the top of her staff, "we MIGHT be able to make it to the
Time Gate and POSSIBLY escape to go back before the paradox started
and find a way to fix it!"

	"What's the other option?"

	The woman grinned mischievously. "If you want to go out with
a bang, this could be our last chance."

	Ranma backed off. "Eh heh, what do you say we try to save the
universe first?"

	"Very well." Setsuna didn't look too disappointed. Deep down,
she knew the timeline was more important than a simple, impulsive
idea that wouldn't last long anyway. She held out her staff. "Then
hold on to the Time Key and focus your ki!"

	Ranma did so. She grabbed the staff and concentrated. An aura
sprang up around her.

	"That's not going to be much help if you don't say 'Earth
Power' while you're doing it."

	"Earth Power?!" A glow suddenly sprang up on Ranma's tiara.
"Why?"

	"It's a compatability thing. Senshi powers combine more
easily. Besides, they're all voice-activated! Haven't you figured
that out yet?"

	"Oh! Right."

	*CRASH!* The two teleported away, just as the palace collapsed
in an impressive display of magical demolition.

	A white light shined at the point of obliteration at the center
of Crystal Tokyo. Its glow intensified and spread past building after
building, vaporizing everything in its wake. The shockwave silently
spread past the borders of the city, engulfing the island, then the
continent, and finally, the world.

	The temporal explosion did not stop there. It ballooned to
the size of the solar system, then the galaxy, then a galactic cluster,
and on and on it went, accelerating and obliterating everything that
stood in its path.

...

	At Milliways, the Restaurant at the End of the Universe, the
master of ceremonies tapped the microphone and said, "If you'll please
bear with us for a moment, our show will begin a little earlier than
normal." He cleared his throat and straightened his tie. "Everyone,
note the blast from the Milky Way. Who here's from the Milky Way?"

	A few hands shot up.

	"Oooh, too late to worry about who's going to be next in line
to the Juraian Throne, now, isn't it, Princess Ayeka?" The MC
turned back to the window. "Note the sheer SPEED that the temporal
explosion is moving at. Faster and faster and faster! In seven days,
the Universe was created, and now, in seven minutes, the Universe
will end, all for your viewing pleasure! Kind of makes you feel
guilty, doesn't it?"

	A number of chuckles rose from the audience.

	"To think, all of you get to go home after this and get
educations, raise families, and have quarrels amongst yourselves
for the greater good and the wonders of the future!" He put the
back of his hand to his cheek as if to whisper. "But we all know
it's pointless. It's all going to end now anyway. So, eat, drink,
and spend merrily here at Milliways, for right now, it's all going
to end!"

...

	After Belldandy had insisted on going back to apologize to
that annoying galactic destroyer fragment, Skuld had decided that
she couldn't bear to participate--or even watch, really--and headed
back to Heaven to get some more late-night work done.

	As usual, there were plenty of bugs to squish and problems to
fix. However, a few minutes after she sat down at her computer
terminal for a nice cup of hot chocolate, the young goddess saw
something that made her spit her drink out in a fine spray all over
the screen and keyboard. Aloud, she read the words on the medium-
dark-blue screen. "General Protection Fault in TIMELINE32.DLL!?? WHO
WENT AND INSTALLED WINDOWS IN THE MAIN SERVER!?!?!?!?!!"

	"Oye did!" Onto the keyboard hopped Arby the ArbyFish, who had
a little yellow halo above his head and a pair of cheesey plastic
wings strapped to his back. He grinned at the goddess, waved, and
exclaimed, "Oye'z ya new supa'voisa', Oye is!" He straighetened up
proudly as he presented his ID tag. "Bow before me, for Oye iz Root!"
He patted his chest. "Come on. Do ya duty!"

	Skuld nearly tore her hair out. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The terminal in front of her started sparking and making unpleasant
chugging noises before finally exploding.

[End Chapter 10, Part 2.]

To be continued...

[Sailor Sez]

(Scene of the Atomic Starlight Knight and Sailor Pluto kissing each
other relentlessly.)

"Heh. This year, we learned an important lesson about friends and
family."

(Scene of Terra beating the heck out of her dad.)

"If you have problems, you should always try to work things out..."

(Sailor Pluto bludgeons the tar out of ASK.)
(Male Jadeite chokes the other Jadeite mercilessly.)

"...The violent way!"

(Dead Kakkorotto smacks a dead Tuxedo Mask a million miles down
into the depths of Hades.)

"In the end, you can always fix your relationship."

(Ukkyo kisses 'Tim on the lips.)

"But, hey, who wants that?"

(The Universe explodes, much to the chagrin of Ranma and Sailor
Pluto.)

"Live fast, beat everyone else, and do it in record time.
Sailor Nuke Sez. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAAA!!!"

---

Author's end notes:

Oh dear... I didn't really write all that, did I? ^_^;;;

Well, I've been looking for a spot to end the chapter and blow
up the future section of the story for quite some time now. I've
had it planned for years, but only now have I found a proper spot
to do it in.

I'd like to take the time to thank all those that have helped
me out so far. Here's a short list:

Jason Hanks
Larry Fontenot
Jussi Nikander
Esa Karjalainen
Joseph Fenton
Jason Liao
TeflonCat
Ookla the Mook

...

And a bazillion other people I haven't heard from for a little
while. If you remember helping out on the entire NETTG chapter
10, part 2 section, stand up and take a bow! You deserve it!

(Applause!)

If anyone has any comments on the entire NETTG 10-2 chapter,
go ahead and say them, because soon, I'll be doing a major
revision on the whole series, dividing it into books, chapters,
and including cover pages... It's going to be a major facelift
for the series. Plus, it'll make the segments more manageable,
I hope.

Additionally, and I may or may not announce it officially, if
anyone wishes to write a section with Ranma and Sailor Pluto
"maintaining the status quo" in Crystal Tokyo, you're welcome
to do so, and if it's REALLY good, I'll include it on the site
and give you credit for it. ^_^


So... All that I have to do now is make an Omake, right?

Well, I'll let you have one, just to fill up some space and
not waste a scene that I had come up with, but couldn't use.
This would be what would have happened if the timeline hadn't
gone loopy and destroyed them all.

Enjoy!

&&&[OMAKE?! NOOOOOOOOO!]

	Due to some weird protocol that had been instated a decade ago,
probably after a one of the realm's more rambunctuous parties, a
formal audience with the Queen required petitioners to be in their
best attire. Best, in Ranma's case, had two problems. He was a she,
and she was in a Senshi fuku.

	As a side note, that particular piece of ettiquette required
the Senshi uniform to be in the highest mode available to the wearer.
Fortunately for the temporally-displaced martial artist, she had not
discovered Super or Eternal Senshi levels, or the entire experience
would have been made all the more nerve-grinding by the addition of
more skirts, bigger ribbons, hair decorations, and, quite possibly,
fluffy, feathery wings.

	"I mean," Serenity continued, "I know about Neptune and Uranus,
but I never imagined that you, Sailor Pluto..."

	"Eh heh." Ranma looked at her pink, knee-length boots and
rubbed her toes uncontrollably against the soft sole. "No, I don't
feel my masculinity or my identity threatened or anything like that.
No-sir-ree-bob!" she muttered to herself low enough that the Queen
couldn't hear. The woman standing next to her, on the other hand,
could.

	"We'll explain it to her later," Pluto whispered to her fiance,
then burbled in glee, "For now, we have to get our engagement
officially announced!"

	"Uhh," Ranma replied not-so-intelligently, somewhat taken aback
by Setsuna's uncharacteristic giggling.

	Neo-Queen Serenity looked rather distraught over the entire
concept. "You want to marry Sailor Earth, Setsuna?"

	"Yes," the Guardian of the Gate of Time replied quickly. "We
had an absolutely delightful time at a very nice theme park, where
I had a chance to think it over. No one has ever been more kind,
caring, accepting, or forgiving of me. I had different feelings
once, but now, I want to marry Ranma, to have and to hold, in
sickness, in health, and in or out of curse, all the days of my life,
not even after Death do us part."

	WE'LL SEE. UNTIL THEN.

	"I see," Serenity said, rubbing her chin. "And you, Ter--I
mean, Ranma, want to marry her as well?"

	The sixteen-year-old moved her jaw to speak, but only closed
it again. With disbelieving eyes frozen like those of an ancient
peasant that had heard of dragons and just barely had the chance
to see one breathe fire and destroy his farm, Ranma took a step
back and took measures to compose herself. "I, er, yeah, sorta,
kinda..."

	Setsuna took the girl by the shoulder and whispered into her
ear, "This is our ONE chance for happiness here. Don't let fear
of commitment blow it now!"

	"Sure!" Ranma blurted out.

	Neo-Queen Serenity looked downward. "Okay... Well, if you're
both committed to it, then I guess I can sanction it."		

	Near the door of the Royal Audience Chamber(tm) a pair of
guards whispered among themselves.

	"Mercury gave her a dictionary for her last birthday."
	"Not only that. She made her learn what 'sanction' meant."
	"For a public figure, it sure took her long enough."
	"When was she born?"
	"About a thousand years ago."
	"Sheesh."

	"Thank you!" Setsuna beamed, clasping her hands to her heart.
"I knew you'd agree with me."

	Serenity breathed a sigh of relief. "It's done, then. I'll
have it announced tomorrow evening." Then her lips fell into a pout.
"But there's one thing I won't stand for."

	"And what might that be?" Pluto inquired. "Ranma must remain
male during the honeymoon and his off hours? Very well, we accept."
She locked arms with the shorter girl and tugged her closer.

	"No, do as you like there," the Queen replied, "but I just
won't let you two get married without proper wedding dresses."
She put her foot down loudly against the polished marble floor.

	Ranma rubbed the back of her head and said, "Well, not me.
I won't need a dress, I'll, uh, need a tux--"

	"I put my foot down, Ranma," Serenity retorted firmly. "You're
both getting the prettiest gowns in the realm for the ceremony, and
that's final!" She took both of them by the arm and cheerfully led
them outside. Her white wing-things nearly got caught in the door
when it closed behind them.

	Ranma looked nervously at Setsuna. "I think we should break it
to her. I don't wanna hafta get fitted for no wedding dress!"

	"We can tell her on the way," Setsuna replied encouragingly.
"I'm sure she'll understand."

...

	Thirty-eight volumes of manga...

	Seven seasons of reruns...

	And a truckload of fan fiction later...

	Neo-Queen Serenity remained all a-twitter about the idea of
going shopping for wedding dresses. "Oh, Ranma, you'll look so CUTE
with lots of white--and ribbons! We shall have to get you lots of
ribbons." She tilted her face upwards. "And both of you must have
a bouquet that matches your hair. I'm sure we can find some very
nice red and green flowers for you. Maybe some pink ones, too.
Do you like pink ones, Setsuna? Sure, we'll get some pink ones."

	Setsuna put away the laptop computer where she had been
demonstrating Ranma's background information while the redhead
stared, agape at the Queen's lack of comprehension. "She's ignoring
us," the time guardian noted. "I'll distract her. Flee when you
see an opening."

	Ranma nodded her hearty agreement and began her search for
escape routes, but was quickly thwarted when the Queen locked arms
with her once more. "Ugh..."

	"It'll be so neat! Just wait and see!" Serenity announced with
no small amount of excitement.

	Reenie tugged at her mother's dress. "Thanks for letting me
come, Mommy!" A genuine look of complete innocence filled her face
while she examined the engaged couple. "So soon we're gonna see a
real, live Lebanese Wedding Ceremony?"

	Everyone else fell down, leaving the dear, sweet, Small Lady
to frown at them for a minute.

	"I-I, er," Serenity stuttered, getting back up, "sort of.
We're just getting their dresses now. We'll have the wedding in
a month or so."

	"Can I come to that?"

	"Ah, sure, why not?"

	"Neat!" the little, pink-haired girl said in her little, whiny
voice. "I've always wanted to go to the middle east." Off in her own
little world, she turned aside and looked out the window. "Oooh,
look! The candy store. Can we get some?"

	"Later, Small Lady, later."

	"But I want it now!" Reenie folded her arms and pouted.

	It took the Queen a few minutes and a promise to buy her a
bunny-backpack to get the princess to calm down, but she eventually
did.

	They had taken the Royal Limousine, which was, oddly enough,
being driven by the Royal Coach, who normally taught things like
Tennis and Volleyball, but really wanted to get out and try out being
the Chauffeur for the day. They stopped outside the best bridal shop
in Crystal Tokyo, who had been informed of their arrival and bustled
about, getting everything ready.

	"Planning, planning, planning," Serenity continued, tapping
a finger to her cheek while she looked the happy couple over. "So
many details to iron out. "Do you want bows on your invitations?
Oh, of course you do. Who are you planning to invite?"

	"Invite?" Ranma said, suddenly put on the spot and given a
moment to think. "I think I should at least invite Mom--"

	"Yes! Your mother. I can't wait to meet her."

	"And shouldn't, like, one of our moms," Ranma continued,
pointing between herself and her fiancee, "be taking care of all
this?"

	"Nonsense!" Serenity replied. "I'm the Queen, so I get to make
all the big decisions on this. I'm sure your parents won't mind me
doing this for you!"

	Ranma looked at Setsuna. "Later, can we go back and pick up
Mom? I think she'd want to see all this through."

	Setsuna thought about that for a second, then nodded. "Oh,
yes. It falls outside the Time Gate's Fair Use policy, but I've
learned that some rules are meant to be broken." She giggled
maniacally. "I've already broken about a third of them by bringing
you here in the first place, but it's not like the Universe is
going to blow up or anything because of it." She paused to glower
for a second. "Besides, Destiny _owes_ me. Big time."

---

	"Hmm... Could this work?" the author asked himself.

	After staring at his computer screen nonstop for two months,
he came to an indecision. "Nah, anyone can get Ranma into a wedding
dress. I'll blow up the universe instead."

	He pushed The Big, Red, Shiny "Erase History" Button.

	*BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!*BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!!!*

&&&[That, as they say, is that.]

Hope you liked it! If you did, please say so!

If you didn't, tell me all the same! Any response is better than
none. ^_-

----------------------
Benjamin A Oliver
boliver@U.Arizona.EDU
http://rakhal.com/florestica/ben-oliver/index.html

        "We are the Bored. Lower your shields and surrender your fics.
         We will add your standup and slapstick comedy to our own.
         Your humor will adapt to make us laugh.
         Resistance is and always has been: Futile."


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