By Jeffrey Vasquez

Disclaimer:

All characters portrayed in this story are owned by their respective
creators and companies. All others belong to me.

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the long wait. Somehow it was inevitable that a bazillion
different problems would arise to impede its release. Hope you enjoy.

Many have been wondering about a time line and when these events
take place. All I'll say for now, is that it's at the end of both series.
Tenchi OAV/ Ranma Manga - For Tenchi it's after the first visit of the
royals, while for Ranma it's sometime before the failed wedding attempt.

********
Chapter Three:

Hereditary Principalities
Part One

********
Galaxy Police Headquarters

Col. Hierax Adrolops, a N'wellian from N'Wel VII, used one of his
twelve purple tentacles to scratch at his bulbous chin absently. The
transfer notice before him didn't make sense to him in the least, especially
since the officer before him had worked so hard to get away from the partner
she was being reassigned to.

He thought about questioning the sudden change of heart, but upon
seeing both the Royal Seal of Jurai and the personal seal of the
Commissioner, he changed his mind.

Politics and N'wellians didn't mix well. It was one of the reasons
that Hierax chose the remote desk job of a commissions officer. That he
had attained the rank of Colonel was a fluke. Or so he thought. He hadn't
meant to save that Juraian Lord's life in the mess hall. It had been an
accident at best; tripping over someone's tail and latching onto the
Juraian's torso.

One quick squeeze and whatever had been obstructing the man's air
passage flew out and smacked one of the ranking officer's wetly in the
face. That very hour had marked his rapid raise in the ranks. Something
that he regretted.

He shook his head and bemoaned his fate silently while affixing his
own seal onto the official transfer notice. Perhaps he could put in for a
transfer of his own. Preferably to someplace quiet and well out of the way
of scrutiny. With a sigh of regret, he shook his head and returned the
papers back to the officer before him. It would never happen in his life
time.

"Good luck Detective." He said in his nasally monotone. She nodded her
head vigorously, as if she knew that she was going to need every bit of luck
that she could get. "I hope that you enjoy your new assignment." It was
an answer that he gave every officer; hollow and impersonal.

"Not bloody likely." She said under her breath as she left the commissions
office. Hierax had agree with her sentiment. He might have it bad, but it
could get worse. Much worse. He wondered who the poor human had
offended to be re-assigned to Detective First Class Mihoshi?

********

Space is a vast realm, infinite some say.

Lady Tokimi knew differently. The misconception that the various
societies held close to their hearts was that the vacuum of space spanned
forever, but that was simply wrong. The vacuum of space was immense,
but finite, bordered on all sides by other elements that comprised their own
vast realms.

Seas of plasma, bordered oceans of helium, and in turn they were
flanked by large seas of other elements not known to the denizens of this
particular "universe".

Her domain stood on the outskirts of one such joining. A place
where the reality of time/space was warped, dancing to and fro like a
drunken mariner on his tossing galleon. She both loved and loathed it. It
was like living in an exclusive villa on an isolated mountain. But without
the means or the ability to leave.

She could call out, and receive information from the corners of the
vastness of the void; but she could in no way escape from her "home." It
made for a terribly lonely existence.

She cursed the day that her sisters "escaped" the duties along their
barriers and left her, their elder sister, stranded and alone. If
everything went as planned, that would soon be a problem of the
past, and she would be free.

She knew who she would visit first. And Heaven help Washuu and
Tsunami when she made her appearance! Tokimi laughed. A beautifully
horrifying sound that made stars shiver with dread.

********

Washuu laughed. She couldn't help herself; the looks on the
newcomers faces were just too much to take.

Kasumi-chan's eyes were as large as saucers as she exited
Washuu's lab, and an odd, little, smile twisted her lips in a very
un-Kasumi- esque expression. Washuu knew the girl had potential,
and if her first impressions were correct, the Greatest Scientific mind
in the Universe would soon have a lab assistant. The idea was strangely
appealing.

Nabiki-chan wasn't much better off, but her smile had more than a
little drool associated with it. Washuu wasn't sure she liked the feverish
gleam in the girl's eye and made a mental note to upgrade her security
systems. Nabiki looked intelligent; and intelligence and greed didn't make
good bed fellows.

But the elder Tendo sisters weren't the source of Washuu's mirth.
The sight of a very dazed Akane, holding Ranma's little, green, hand made
the resident mad scientist burst out laughing anew.

Akane could only look at little Washuu with guarded fear.

"Kappa!"

"Ahhh!" Akane let out a little screech and nearly jumped out of her skin.
Howling laughter floated into the youngest Tendo's ears, causing her to
grumble, very quietly, under her breath. She turned her gaze onto the
little green mutation that morosely brought up the rear.

"Kappa Kappa!"

"Ranma!" She hissed at the little creature next to her. "Stop scaring me
like that!" She scolded. It vaguely resembled Ranma in the eyes and wild
black hair, but the scaly green skin, the beaked snout, and the large
tortoise
shell on its back made Akane's skin crawl.

Ranma could see the revulsion in Akane's eyes, and bowed his head
in defeat. Now what was he going to do? There's no way that anybody
could love him like this! As if anyone loved him in the first place.

". . .kappa. . . ." His voice sounded miserable, and his utterly dejected
posture softened Akane's heart. She knelt down and with only a little
shudder in her hands, took his tiny Kappa hand again.

"You realize of course that this is entirely your fault." Ranma felt as
though someone had hit him. He looked up at Akane and growled. "Don't
growl at me Ranma! It was your own fault for insulting her!"

"KAPPA! Kappakappakappakappa!" Ranma began dancing around angrily
but didn't let go of Akane's hand.

"What do you mean 'How was I supposed to know she was over twenty
thousand years old?'!" Her arms waved wildly as she yelled at Ranma.
She refused to release her hold on his hand either, pulling and tugging
Kappa-Ranma around like a small stuffed animal. "Did you think that a
twelve-year-old girl could ever create a tenth of the stuff that she did!"

". . . k. . ka. .kapp. . .a . . . ." Kappa-Ranma's eyes seemed to spin in
his head. Akane abruptly realized what she was doing and set the boy
turned Kappa down.

"Sorry Ranma." She amended quietly, and immediately set to the task of
brushing him off. "But you know I'm right, so don't even try to deny it."

Washuu watched Akane in amazement. How could this little, and
definitely human girl communicate with Kappa-Ranma? Washuu knew for
a fact that none of the kids were psi-positives; well, with the exception of
Ranma that is. The boy was a lot like Tenchi on that note. They both
came up as a blank slate on all of her scanning equipment. That was
something that she would have to remedy. And soon.

But the others, Akane included, were no where near active psi
levels. There was of course some latent possibilities, but everyone had at
least some potential. She folded her arms beneath her small breasts and
began analyzing the possible answers to this new puzzle.

Nabiki watched Washuu's reaction with no little amusement. In the
hopes of endearing herself to the master scientist, she sidled up and
decided to help her out.

"It's not that hard of a trick really." She said mildly, watching the
display unfold between Akane and what had once been her human fiancee.
Akane
fussed over and chided Ranma for being stupid. While Ranma made some
disparaging remark that sounded remarkably like "Tomboy."

"Oh?" Washuu looked up at the middle Tendo daughter
appraisingly. She began to re-examine Nabiki, discarding her previous
judgement in light of something much more. . . profitable. The girl was
intelligent, attractive, and at first glance, mildly greedy. All in all, a
good candidate for an experiment that she'd put on hold a while back.

Nabiki smiled, but the look that Washuu was giving her a very
uncomfortable feeling; she felt for the first time what it was like to be
examined under a microscope. She found that she enjoyed being on the
other side of that look more than she did the receiving end.

She gulped once, and told herself that there was no way that she
was going to let a twelve -year old girl intimidate her. regardless of what
the kid claimed. Twenty thousand-years old! Ha! She'd believe it when
she saw the birth certificate!

The smug, superior look that she wore like a second skin returned
full force, allowing her to continue. "Ranma has a limited vocabulary, and
tends to be _very_ predictable." Washuu didn't respond, instead she
simply nodded.

Ranma hung his head under Akane's tongue lashing. She was right
of course. The crack about Washuu being a "silly little kid" wasn't exactly
how he should have handled the Scientist. He could admit when he was
wrong (mostly at gun point, or rather sword tip, as the case may be.), and
when he was wrong he took responsibility for it.

He walked up to her and bowed as deeply at the waist as he could to Washuu and
mumbled what only could have been an apology. Kasumi smiled warmly
and looked to Washuu to see what her response would be.

Washuu for her part, smiled and smacked the Kappa-boy on his
shell rather forcefully. "Apology accepted Ranma. No hard feelings, eh?"
Ranma groaned inwardly, but made sure to smile and nod. The less he
offended the woman, the better off that he would be. Self preservation was
a well-honed tenet of the Saotome School. Unfortunately, he hadn't
mastered all of its techniques yet. Either that, or the Tendo School had a
very effective counter.

"Could you please change him back now Washuu-chan?" Kasumi asked
sweetly.

"Sorry Kasumi. The procedure doesn't work that way." Ranma
whimpered as his eyes bulged in fear.

"Oh my!" Kasumi said. Akane pushed forward in front of Washuu.

"How long will it last?"

"Oh, a couple of hours at most."

Ranma groaned at the prospect of remaining like this for the rest of the
night. At least it wasn't forever.

*********

The late night snack was a magnificent affair. Kasumi, Nodoka,
and Sasami worked their magic creating a feast fit for a king; which was
good since one happened to be in attendance at the table. But in order to
pull the impromptu meal off raw recruits were drafted into service. Ryoko
and Ayeka were sent to the store for missing ingredients, and Washuu's
matter duplication device was called to service to duplicate existing
ingredients and other foods. The device made both Kasumi's and little
Ryo-ohki's eyes sparkle in wonder and excitement at the possibilities.

Even Ranma and Tenchi were called to help, allowing Ranma to put
on a dazzling display of cooking that entertained the mass of women
milling about the kitchen. Tenchi only smiled at his new found cousin as
the young man showed off.

Strangely enough, Akane, Nabiki, and Mihoshi were no where to be
seen. A fact that didn't surprise any, and one that had put a fat wad of
bills in Nabiki's pocket book.

It had been ages since Funaho had been allowed to even enter a
kitchen with any hopes of preparing a meal for her family. It was an escape
that she had missed when Sasami left with Ayeka in search of Yosho. She
had been away too long, but happy to be back. The love and comradery
that abounded in the room made Misaki start crying, threatening to flood
the fruit salad that she was preparing. The emotional woman had to be
escorted out of the kitchen before her water works ruined dinner.

Kasumi, who had the most practice dealing with such emotional
states, calmly led Misaki out to join the men in their silent vigil at the
table.

Yosho and Azusa sat across from each other, staring out into nothingness.
The silence left Nobiyuki in a very uncomfortable position, and he
relegated himself to hide behind his newspaper in a very manly act of
cowardice. The sight seemed awfully familiar in a very foreign way that
she couldn't quite put a finger on.

Misaki seemed to feel the same way, but took it into mind to help
the men "break the ice", so to speak. Her presence at the table sent a
shiver down her husband's spine, and put a broad smile on Yosho's lips.
Nobiyuki wisely remained barricaded behind the stalwart bastion of his
newspaper.

Kasumi found the whole situation wonderfully entertaining, but
managed to pull herself away before she lost her composure. It wouldn't
be proper to laugh at an Emperor. She returned to the kitchen and soon
the sweet feast was thoroughly devoured.

Ranma had demonstrated remarkable constraint, more than any of
the Tendo sisters had ever seen. But for Ranma it came at a serious cost.
Sweat dripped down his forehead as he watched Mihoshi and Ryoko
literally gorge themselves on a particularly yummy looking ice cream
parfait. There was a moment when Nodoka thought that her son was
going to break under the pressure, but the boy's resolve held firm.

She was proud of him for showing such restraint. There was hope
yet that she could undo all the harm that Genma had ingrained in him, a
task that she was eager to start. A point that was mirrored in Funaho's
mind as well, but directed at both boys rather than exclusively toward
Ranma.

A chill ran up Ranma's spine, and somehow, he knew that it wasn't
from the small spoonful of ice cream that he had just eaten. He looked at
Tenchi and saw the same tremor pass through his body. On some
subconscious level Ranma was thankful that he wasn't alone in this pickle.

*********

"WHERE ON EARTH AM I NOW!" The pitiful cry rebounded off of the
alley walls morosely. The sound mocked Ryouga Hibiki's loneliness. He'd
been in this maze for over eight days now, and he couldn't get out. It had
to have been one of the most frustrating predicaments that he had ever
found himself.

He was sorely tempted to make an exit for himself, but the memory
of his last attempt stopped him cold. His irritation and impatience had
caused him to lash out randomly at a wall, that had consequently separated
a home's bath from the rest of the world. The young women bathing
themselves at the time were understandably upset, and had told Ryouga in
short order where they thought that he should go. The thought of the
experience made the Lost Boy's nose start to bleed, but he managed to
pinch it to stave off the flow.

His restraint wasn't getting him any where though, and that made
him even more despondent. So much so that an eerie green light began
crawling up and down his arms. The tiny flames licked his firmly toned
arms, exuding a painfully depressing weight on the young man's heart.

"Why am I so cursed?" He asked the empty alley way. A loud "Clang!"
and an echoing "Thud!" were the first responses that Ryouga was given.

"Because Jackass, you're an idiot." The feminine voice was very familiar
to Ryouga. One that he hadn't heard in a very long time.

Ryouga launched himself to his feet and grabbed his assailant by the
shoulders. "Ukyou! What did you do that for!" A second assault on his
thick cranium sent his feet six inches into the pavement.

"Because you is stupid, stupid-head Pig Boy!" Shampoo's high pitched
voice floated into Ryouga's ringing ears. "You tell Shampoo where Airen
is, and she no cook you in sezchuan sauce for dinner tonight!" Shampoo's
bonbori swished in the air as she swung them experimentally. The balance
was slightly off, and she thought that Ryouga might have bent something
with his ridiculously hard head. She grumbled an ancient Amazon curse
under her breath. It roughly translated into "Stupid, barbarian, Male!"
with some colorful additions that, for the sake of the children, could not
be repeated here.

"Huh?" was Ryouga's intelligent response. Shampoo prayed to the Mother
to give her strength. When dealing with Ryouga, she knew she was going
to need it.

"CLANG!" Ukyou's giant spatula hummed as she removed it from
Ryouga's head.

"Open your ears BAKA!" Ukyou's voice was laced with worry, causing
Ryouga's attention to focus on her again. "Do you know where Ran-chan
is, or don't you?"

"How the Hell should I know where Ranma is!"

"BONG!" Shampoo winced again as her second mace lost its finely tuned
balance. The situation was getting out of hand, and the young Amazon felt
what remained of her patience slipping away too. She was also amazed
that the idiot male before her didn't notice the heavy rope that she slipped
around his neck. Ryouga was so thick witted.

"Airen no where he s'posed to be Pig Boy!" Ryouga growled at the
nickname. "You sneaky sneaky in Violent Pervert Girl's bed, maybe you
know where Airen go."

"HEY!" Ryouga protested.

"CLANG!" Ukyou made her presence known yet again, forcing Ryouga to
return his attention to her again. Shampoo took the opportunity that the
diversion provided to quickly tie the other end of her rope around her
waist. She knotted it several times just to be sure that it would hold.

"WILL YOU PLEASE STOP HITTING ME!"

"CLANG!"

"No. Now answer the questions Ryouga."

"I don't know where the Jerk is." Shampoo's dangerous smile made
Ryouga swallow his anger.

"You no know, or no tell?" She drew a very deadly looking sword from
no where, fingering it thoughtfully. "Shampoo think sezchuan pork sound
delicious. What Spatula Girl think?"

Ukyou looked at Ryouga with the most disturbing expression that
he had ever seen. It reminded him of that bear he had seen two winters ago
in that really snowy place. That, combined with the water bottle in the
chef's hands, convinced Ryouga that the world had gone mad. It was
either that or he was truly in Hell. And then Shampoo leaned forward
seductively. The motion caused Ryouga to freeze up; the look in her half-
lidded eyes was hungry too. And then she did something unexpected.

She took his head in her soft, powerful hands and kissed him on the cheek.

Ryouga's eyes flew open in shock! All the stories, all the rumors!
He clenched his fist and cursed Saotome for all Eternity. Shampoo had just
given him the kiss of death! He did the only thing that the situation would
allow.

He retreated. Very quickly.

Ukyou grimaced as she watched him go and then turned her gaze to
the grinning Amazon standing next to her. "Did you really have to scare
him that bad? I mean, that was not a very nice thing to do you know. Even
to Ryouga." The Amazon simply nodded her head, refusing to let Ryouga
out of her sight for an instant, watching as the rope played out at her
feet.

"Shampoo Great Grandmother always say, "When no have lead, follow gut
instinct. They always lead to victory." Ukyou was about to denounce
Shampoo's great grandmother, but was cut off as the rope attached to the
purple-haired girl's waist went taught. Shampoo grabbed the okonomiyaki
chef's hand and both were pulled down the alley after Ryouga. "Shampoo
gut say follow Pig Boy to Airen."

"Are you sure it's not just indigestion!" Ukyou cried as Shampoo
navigated the obstructions in the alley.

*********
Masaki Shrine, 10 p.m.

Azusa surveyed the room that he had been relegated, with derision.
The Shrine office was smaller than one of the maintenance closets in the
Palace. He had no idea how his wives had rooked him into staying here,
rather than on his ship.

"'It will be fun.'" He mimicked Misaki in a high-pitched falsetto, clasping
his hands girlishly next to his face. "Slumber party. Bah!" He sneered.
His eyes took in the tiny room and knew that he would be sleeping on
the floor tonight.

"This is intolerable!" He groused. How could the Emperor of the known
universe, be expected to sleep on the floor? His mental rant continued for
a long time, as he stalked the room. His long robes of state swished loudly
as he paced back and forth like a caged lion.

On his last circuit of the small room, his attention focused on
something that rested on a cabinet next to the table. With slow
moderation, he picked the object up and stared at it for a long, silent
moment. The image was crude, and flat, but it captured his darling, little,
girls in a moment of happiness that he had never before witnessed.

Sasami's cherub face was as bright as the sun, filled with the fires of
life, and held a little of the mischievousness that her mother had
terrorized him with when they were courting. Ayeka on the other hand was his
shadow. Regal in her baring, in spite of the goofy smile on her laughing
face. They looked so free here, it was no wonder they didn't wish to
return. And the way that they both clung to Tenchi, showed the deep
affection that they had for the boy; an affection that he hadn't experienced
in over seven hundred years.

It had been difficult to let his babies go in the first place. Had it not
been for Funaho, the girls would never have set foot off of Jurai until he
was dead and entombed. That was not true. But it was all that he could
do to get by after Yosho left. All of his dreams, everything that he had
been building for his family and his people, died when Yosho disappeared.

So, he built new dreams that lay heavily on the shoulders of Ayeka
and Sasami. His pride would never allow him to admit it, but he knew that
he had driven them away just as he had Yosho.

His thoughts were interrupted by the door sliding open.

********

Ranma was ticked. The fact that a ghostly blue aura had erupted
around the boy, was more than enough indication for Tenchi. The fact that
the steps up to the shrine were lit up like they were basking in the noon
day sun, unnerved the small group of men as they struggled up the steep
path.

Tenchi's father was especially uncomfortable. Out of all the
inhabitants in the Masaki house hold, he was the only "normal" human
being, and his finely honed instincts told him that he should be far away
from the glowing boy. Those instincts had never failed him before,
especially where Ayeka and Ryoko were concerned. But now there was no
place to go, no where to hide save the surrounding trees.

He silently wished that Sasami hadn't come up with the idea of the
slumber party, otherwise he'd be in his nice warm bed, instead of walking
next to a walking time bomb.

Tenchi on the other hand took the whole experience in stride, just
like he normally did. The boy was excited to have the chance to get to
know more about his cousin.

"You know Ranma," Yosho said from lower on the steps. "It could have
been worse." Ranma stopped ascending the steps and turned to his
grandfather with a raised eye brow. "They could have made us sleep in
Washuu's lab." Everyone shuddered and Ranma's aura guttered.

Yosho always seemed to know exactly what to say to put everyone
in their place. The idea of sleeping in the shrine took on a new, more
favorable light for the young martial artist. Ranma nodded and smiled, and
continued to walk up the stairs, whistling nervously. Tenchi laughed
nervously, and soon Ranma followed suit.

Soon, Tenchi began weaving stories about his "experiences" with
Washuu, to which Ranma countered with wild tales of various fiancees.
The playful competition began to escalate between the two boys, each
trying to out match the other with their girl troubles.

The Crown Prince of Jurai watched his two heirs begin to bond and
prayed that their friendship survived whatever his parents had in store for
the two. He shook his head and continued listening to the conversation as it
turned to more . . . interesting topics.

". . . they busted in on your bath!" Ranma said with a grin. "Man, I
thought that only happened to me!"

Tenchi looked at Ranma in mild surprise. "You too?"

Ranma smirked as he shook his head. "All the damn time. Sit
down for a nice warm, relaxing soak and WHAM!" His fist planted itself in
his palm with a loud smack. "Someone's either tryin' to kill me, or
somethin' equally physical." Ranma blushed and hung his head.

Tenchi patted his cousin's shoulder in sympathy. If there was
anyone who knew exactly what this young man was going through, it was
Tenchi. Both Yosho and Nobiyuki for their part were stunned. Women
throwing themselves at you in the bath was the stuff of dreams! How
could these two not enjoy it?

A sudden, disturbing, thought descended on the two men at the
same time. One that would need to be tested to verify. So many plans
rested on the shoulders of these two young men. Marriage was a high
priority, along with the grandchildren that would come of those unions.

Plus there were the scandalous rumor mills that would have to be
headed off, if their fears became reality. It wouldn't be so bad here on
earth, but on Jurai . . . it would be intolerable.

The boys maintained their banter up to the shrine building itself,
leaving the older men behind.

*********

Misaki's eyes sparkled in wide-eyed wonder at the dream come true
before her. There are perhaps three things that Misaki, Second Queen of
Jurai, enjoyed more than life itself.

1. Her baby girls.
2. Adorable, cuddly little things.
3. Sweets.

The order, of course, depended entirely on which caught her eye first.
Currently her attention was focused entirely on the mountainous, triple fudge,
marshmallow and whipped cream, brownie parfait that rested on the table in
front of her.

Sasami, bless her little heart, loved her Mommy more than anyone
else in the world. And this treat proved it! Little did Misaki know that
this was simply a diversionary tactic, employed by the little blue-haired
princess to escape the torrential ball of matronly emotions, known as
Mommy.

The tactic was well appreciated by Ayeka, who had desperately
wanted to avoid embarrassment while entertaining the shrine's guests. It
had been a draining endeavor, that required all of her attention focused and
sharp. An impromptu, affectionate, bear hug the moment Misaki's eyes
wandered in Ayeka's direction. Holding her hand beneath the table while
eating, and every time the eyes began to sparkle with tears of love . . . there
was a desperate search for Ryo-ohki, or some other equally cute and plush
distraction.

Mihoshi sat opposite of Misaki with more than a little drool
clinging to her tanned chin. The event set off alarms in everyone's mind
that knew Misaki.

Tension grew to a palpable level as Misaki took her first spoonful.
The taste was so heavenly it was sinful. A small whimper escaped from
Mihoshi's throat, causing Misaki to savor the treat all the more. Being a
Queen had its perks.

The second and third bites continued to torture the blonde-haired
detective. Each spoonful elicited a groan. Every "Klink" of metal chiming
against the china bowl caused Mihoshi's body to twitch involuntarily. And
for the second time that day Washuu, along with the rest of the inhabitants
of the room moved as far away from the table as possible.

Kasumi and Sasami made a mad dash to the kitchen. While Akane
and Nodoka huddled together in a corner as far from Mihoshi as possible.
Both had witnessed the wrath of Mihoshi vented on poor Ranma earlier
that evening, and neither had the desire to become her next victim. Ryoko
and Ayeka feared something much worse: Misaki unleashed.

Funaho sipped her tea as if nothing out of the ordinary was
transpiring.

*********

Ryouga ran. It was what one did when bereft of options. His
honor would not allow him to lastingly harm a woman, regardless of their
intentions. Both girls on the other end of the rope wanted him dead, and it
was all Ranma's fault. Again. He knew from the stories that he had heard
Ranma tell, that if Shampoo wanted him dead, she would follow him to the
ends of the earth. He could have fought to incapacitate, but there was
something else that held him back.

Amazon Law.

Death, or marriage. Sooner or later he would have to make a
choice. He just wasn't sure which was truly the worse fate. He looked in
back of him at the trailing figure of Shampoo as she literally flew in the
air behind. She did have an exotic beauty. The thought of her athletic
body alone threatened to give him a nose bleed. But the thought of her
aggressive spirit cooled his hormones considerably. He wanted a sweet,
quiet, girl to settle down with. Away from all the excitement. Someone
who would love him, rather than treat him like a piece of property.

The thought of marrying Shampoo made him run a lot faster. If he
ran fast enough he could lose her. And with his sense of direction, and
habit of . . . wandering, it would be years before she would find him!

Yeah! That was a great plan! He doubled his speed and looked for
a place to duck into. They were in some sort of entertainment district with
lots of clubs and large crowds. There were plenty of places to hide. He
looked behind him and to his dismay the two girls were still there!

**What does it take to lose them!** His mind cried out.

He looked again and finally noticed Shampoo's rope. And much to
his passengers' dismay, the wandering martial artist stopped dead in his
tracks. Shampoo swore loudly in Chinese behind him. Something about
pigs being "too smart for their own good." Or was that "not smart
enough?" He couldn't remember.

Ukyou screamed in a very high pitched, girlish way. But the
explicative that she voiced was anything but sweet. The truth was the
words that were rapidly flowing from her mouth would have shamed a
barroom full of sailors.

Ryouga did his best to ignore their voices as they rapidly grew
louder; and closer. What he couldn't ignore was the impact of two,
shapely, young women. Their momentum pushed all three through a
doorway of a small shop, knocking people over like bowling pins in the
process. The doorway seemed to glow a hot pink for an instant, and then
there was silence.

On lookers from the crowd watched and waited for any signs of the
tumultuous trio from the shop. But all was eerily silent. With warding
gestures against evil, most people fled from the area in the hopes of
finding a less cursed place to enjoy their night off.

*********
The scent of Kasumi's and Sasami's baking wound it's way snake-like up the
steps of the shrine; following the manly quartet up to their place of exile.

Animals were roused, salivating from their sleep as the divine smell
slithered on the air. Ranma stopped just short of the shrine's doors as the
heavenly smell drifted into his nose from the direction of the house. His
body shivered with barely controlled excitement as his brain catalogued
the smells and sent the appropriate response to the tongue and the
stomach respectively.

Similar reactions could be seen occurring among his companions. Yosho's
glasses reflected the light of the fat moon that was just rising over the
mountains. Nobiyuki's body hung in midstep, and his stomach rumbled
thunderously in the night air.

Tenchi simply turned to Ranma and smiled hungrily. Both boy's looked at
each other with growing smiles.

"Brownies." The word was whispered reverently in unison by the quartet, even
as a strange, fanatical look entered their eyes.

********

Hereditary Principalities
Part Two

********

Azusa watched in awe as Tsunami stepped in from "outside" the
shrine. He looked behind her as she closed the door and saw an immense
tree, floating, as it were, in air. Tsunami demurely turned to regard the
monarch of the Juraian Empire. Azusa immediately dropped to his knees,
speaking the ancient rights as he did so.

"By my true name, and beneath the vault of Heaven I greet you Mistress of
Mercy. I live to serve. What is your need?"

"Do not worry Azusa. The boys are still on their way up to the shrine. By
the time they arrive, our audience will be long done."

"Go. . .God. . .Goddess." He stammered as he knelt. Very little in the
known universe could shake the Mountain that was Azusa. Tsunami was
at the top of the list. Not because he feared her. On the contrary, he
loved her as a man loves his Deity. It wasn't every day that your
Goddess appeared before you, let alone granted you an audience.
He felt like a child caught in the act of committing a crime.

"Relax Azusa. Be at peace." She smiled and the tension faded from the
man as a tranquility suffused the room. "I have not come to judge you Son
of Jurai." It was as if she had read his mind, but then again she was a
Goddess after all. The idea was not so far fetched. Tsunami floated over to
were the Emperor stood; halting herself an arm's length away.

"I have come to advise you in your pursuit of an heir."

Azusa smiled nervously. "But Tsunami-sama, there's no need!" he
chuckled. "I have already chosen my heir." Tsunami frowned ever so
slightly, causing Azusa to begin sweating.

"Your faith in Yosho is commendable Azusa, but I am afraid that I cannot
sanction his ascension to the throne."

Azusa looked pole-axed. Anger and offense welled within him.
"Why the Hell not!" He couldn't stop the words from rushing out of his
mouth, nor could he take them back either.

Tsunami's eyebrow twitched slightly, but aside from that she
showed no other emotion. The smile that warmed her face spoke of
forgiveness and love, as she knelt and lifted Azusa from the floor. He,
after all was little more than a child to her, and the statement that she
had made was indeed a blow to the man's pride. She tilted her
head slightly to the left and looked deep into his eyes.

"Answer me honestly Azusa, whom do you love more - the children of
your body? Or the Children of Jurai?" She hated doing this to him; putting
him on the spot like this. But if Juraian Empire was going to weather the
up and coming advent, the man must be made to put away his pride. She
watched in silence as Azusa warred with himself, only to come to an
inevitable conclusion.

"The Children of Jurai, Goddess." It hurt to admit, because he felt as
though he had just turned his back on his family. But he could not hide the
truth from Tsunami. An Emperor's first duty was to the people.
Everything else came second.

"I am glad to hear this." she said compassionately. "For if Yosho sat on
the throne, all that you, and your fathers before you, have built would
crumble away to dust." Azusa looked like a man ready to step into the
grave at that moment.

It broke Tsunami's heart to watch. Azusa had been a refreshing
change from his predecessors, each of whom had been more political in
their natures. Azusa had the fire of life running through his veins. And
necessity had forced Tsunami to take that from him.

"Do not mourn Azusa. Your son fathered two very strong daughters, who
in turn bore two very magnificent sons." She placed a elegant hand
beneath the Emperor's bearded chin. "They are worthy of you Azusa.
And I take both as my Champions."

Azusa looked at Tsunami aghast. This had never before happened!
Only the Emperor was considered the Champion of The Goddess! The
Protector of Jurai. Two would eventually divide the entire empire!

Tsunami read Azusa like a book. "Be at ease." She said, holding up a
hand. "One shall rule, while the other will assume the Regency. But," she
said quietly. "It is for you to choose who will follow you onto Jurai's
throne." Tsunami gestured with her hand, and one of the shrine walls
glowed white. Two large movies of both boys began to play themselves
out for Azusa.

One showed Ranma battling a winged man in a dazzling display of
dexterity and power. It was no where near his true potential, and Azusa
could plainly see that the boy hadn't even tapped his Juraian gifts yet. The
other movie mesmerized the monarch as Tenchi played out his battle with
the nefarious Kagato. The Wings of the Light Hawk were magnificent, and
he had to admit that the boy had done an admirable job of protecting his
daughters, as well as Tsunami.

Still, it didn't make sense to him to choose. Surely the Goddess
could choose a more secure choice. One that would lead the Juraian
Empire into a new age. Azusa's brow knit in concern. "Why must I
choose? Why not you?" Azusa almost fell over when he saw Tsunami
blush lightly.

"Because I am biased." She whispered, her blush deepening.

Shock gave way to curiosity, but when Azusa was about to voice
his inquiry, the voices of the boys filtered into the room.

"I am afraid that our time is done here, Son of my Heart." She smiled and
touched her brow to his forehead. Their symbols of power glowed in
response to each other. She pulled away slowly, letting a quiet smile touch
her lips. Azusa had always known that she was beautiful, but in that
moment Azusa wept at the magnificence of his deity.

"I will do all that you ask Mother of my Heart." He said formally.

Tsunami nodded once and turned to the door she had come
through. At the last moment she turned. "Endear yourself to the boys
Azusa . . . . It will make things easier for you, and them. Your gruffness
can be more sour than any lemon. You will see that Ranma is as wild and
untamed as his name implies. And Tenchi . . . Tenchi would sacrifice all
for you. Simply because of who he is. Be wise Azusa, be fair, and above
all else . . . love them." She smiled at him mischievously, in a way that
reminded him a great deal of Sasami. "You catch more flies with honey,
than vinegar."

Azusa's brow quirked at her statement. Honey? Vinegar? Flies?
Before he could question her further she was gone, and the Emperor of the
Universe's most powerful Empire was again left to his musings.

*********

Ranma stiffened as he felt a prickling on the back of his neck. An
immense amount of power had flared and then faded suddenly. He looked
in the direction of the shrine and tensed even more. The Emperor had
come before them, and King's always had a lot of enemies. Ranma spared
Tenchi and the others a glance to see if they had noticed anything.

Tenchi had a very concerned look on his face as well. The concern
blossomed into full born worry when the other boy realized that he wasn't
alone in feeling what he had. Ranma's eyes bugged out in amazement, as
Tenchi's Juraian battle armor materialized about his body. The little
fluffy puff-balls were a bit much for Ranma's tastes, but on the whole
Tenchi reeked of power. Ranma smirked and wondered if his cousin
was any good at the Art.

There would be time enough for that later. The Emperor could be
in danger and here Ranma was thinking about sparring! Both boys took a
unified step towards the shrine, only to be pulled back by Yosho's strong
grip.

"Grandpa?" Both boys said in stereo. The event would have been eerie to
anyone but Yosho.

**Unified in spirit and purpose! What good boys I have!** He smiled
broadly with pride. "It's all right boys, my father was simply visiting
with an old friend."

Ranma looked at Tenchi, and watched in wonder as the armor
disappeared. He allowed himself to relax, and savor the scent of the
brownies again. His reverie was shattered as the Shrine door slammed
open, and Azusa burst from the shrine. The broad, happy smile on his face
was contagious, and Ranma soon found himself grinning as well.

The young martial artist turned in time to see Tenchi tense, and
watch Yosho's face drain of color. He didn't understand what the big deal
was. Azusa was happy; that was a good thing right?

"Boys! Come give your Great Grandpa a hug!" The gathered men all face
faulted painfully on the stone path.

Yosho recovered quickly, and leaned down to whisper in the boys'
ears. "Scary." Both boys nodded in unison. Tenchi silently wished that he
had not removed his armor.

Azusa stopped half way to the boys and sniffed, testing the cool
night air. He closed his eyes and allowed the divine smell to settle in
him. It had to have been the sweetest smell that he had ever
encountered.

"What is that wonderful smell?"

The other men looked at each other, allowing bright smiles to
replace the fearful masks that they had been wearing. And together they
cried out in one great voice: "BROWNIES!"

*********

Ryouga pulled to an abrupt stop as he looked at the interior of the
shop. He idly wondered why it seemed so much bigger on the inside, than
the outside. He scratched his head in puzzlement giving his two passengers
enough time to catch up to him. Ukyou and Shampoo hit Ryouga's back
with enough force to knock the poor boy off of his feet and sent tumbling.

The mighty ball of flesh and flailing arms crashed through a series
of very advanced looking technological devices. It was his luck, or rather
lack there of to find himself hopelessly tangled and bound with the two
women. The rope that had been Shampoo's ingenious method of tracking
the Lost Boy, soon became the trio's prison.

"You JACKASS! Move your hand or I swear you'll lose it!"

"Aiya! Pig Boy no touch Shampoo there! Shampoo is no you wife!"

Ryouga squirmed, eliciting a stream of curses from Ukyou and a
sound that made his nose bleed from Shampoo. The Gods hated him. He
just knew it.

That's about the time Washuu's Anti-Mihoshi security system made
itself known. Ryouga could only scream along side his two feminine
companions as various, terrifying machines bore down on them.

*********

Akane, Ayeka, and Funaho watched the scene before them with
jaded eyes. Two dozen brownies had been divided equally between
Mihoshi and Misaki, and then topped with an obscene amount of ice cream,
whipped cream, hot fudge, and maraschino cherries.

The mountain of sweets was every little kid's extreme chocolate
fantasy. And for some women, the ultimate chocolate orgasm. For the
three women sitting at the table it was a common occurrence. Ayeka had
seen Mihoshi down worse, Akane had seen Ranma perform a similar feat,
and Funaho. . . well, Misaki was her sister-wife after all.

Nabiki and Ryoko however, looked a little green around the gills.

"How can they do it! It's like Ms. Hinako on steroids!" Nabiki whispered
to Kasumi. The eldest Tendo simply shrugged, and smiled. It didn't
matter in the least. She was just happy that they were enjoying what she
and Sasami had baked.

"Extremely high metabolisms." Funaho smiled and turned her attention
away from the cross stitch in her hands. Nodoka nodded wisely from her
grandmother's side, as she worked on her own needle-point.

Nabiki blinked dumbly and went back to watching as the two
gorged themselves. Mihoshi giggled at Misaki, and the Queen of Jurai
giggled right back. It was simply too eerie to comprehend, so Nabiki
excused herself to the bathroom.

Sasami tugged at Kasumi's sleeve. "Would you like to see my
room?" The little princess had found a kindred soul in Kasumi and meant
to capitalize on the good fortune while it lasted. Everyone seemed to
forget Sasami in the hustle and bustle, everybody except for Tenchi and
Ryo-ohki that is. She hoped that Kasumi would think about staying for a
while. It would be nice to have a new friend.

Kasumi smiled brightly, illuminating the room. "I would love to
Sasami-chan. If it's okay with your mother."

"Is it okay Mommy?" The little blue-haired girl asked with hopeful eyes.
Misaki grunted absent mindedly from her rapidly dwindling mountain of
pleasure, causing Sasami to look to Funaho for approval.

The First Queen of Jurai smiled softly and nodded, receiving a
squeal of happiness from her sister's daughter. Sasami wasted no time in
pulling Kasumi to her feet, and with Ryo-ohki on one shoulder, both
disappeared up the stairs.

Akane and Ayeka observed the rapidly dwindling treats, as the two
women seemed to inhale them. "What happens when their plates are
empty?" Akane whispered worriedly to the princess.

Ayeka shuddered. "They'll get bored." Visions of Misaki and
Mihoshi bored and looking to entertain themselves flashed through each
girl's head. For Ayeka this meant that she would be subjected to public
humiliation. For Akane it meant the possibility of Mihoshi wanting to
practice her first aid techniques.

A look of abject horror passed over the two girls' faces, and
turning to each other in unison, whispered: "We've got to do something!"
With a bit of whispered conversation the two came to an agreement, and
made their way to the kitchen to execute their plans.

Ryoko looked down from one of the rafters, happy that she was
well out of the range of any conflicts for once. Especially where Ayeka's
cooking was concerned. The former space pirate shuddered.

********

"Does everyone understand their roles in the Assault?" Azusa asked as he
faced his heirs. He was dressed in, what he would have called, his "stealth
armor." The whole outfit seemed little more than purple and brown
spandex to Ranma.

The little poofy cotton balls on the shoulder joints looked kind of
gay, but all in all it was cool. The brown leaf design was neat and the
whole ensemble offered freedom of movement, without the noise that
normal cloth would give. The fact that he was wearing a black version of
the outfit felt really weird though. Tenchi seemed to be okay with it, so
Ranma did his best not to fuss. He could be just as much a man as these
guys, despite the fact that he felt naked. That would be the extra
incentive needed to avoid getting caught.

He'd die of embarrassment if Akane saw him in this get up.

********

Washuu made her way into the lab to find her intruders, trussed
hand and foot to the cold examining tables. Naked as the day they were
born.

The two girls looked ready to kill and maim on a galactic scale,
while the boy wore a cheesy grin and endured a nose bleed that would have
killed lesser mortals.

"Well, well, well. What have we here?" She said with a smirk.

"LET ME OFF A THIS YOU LITTLE mrfflwmgndf. . . !" Ukyou's tirade
was cut off as the table morphed a tiny bit, creating a gag of metal for her
over zealous mouth.

Washuu looked at the very alarmed purple haired girl (there was no
way in the Nine Hells that the Amazon was going to admit that she was
scared) and smiled.

"Feisty one isn't she?" Shampoo only nodded dumbly. Washuu smiled
again and called up her holo-terminal. After a quick verification, to be
sure of what she was dealing with, she looked over Shampoo and
Ryouga with an unhealthy amount of interest. There was a gleam in her
eyes that Shampoo had seen before.

Bu Ord worn it when she decided to find out what a rabbit looked
like from the inside out. By the Mother! Shampoo hated that look.

Washuu shrugged nonchalantly and returned to her terminal.
"Well, let's see how you managed to get past the primary lock out shall
we?" Images flashed before the scientist's face, causing her to laugh.
Especially at the dialogue from the spirited girl and the one named
"Shampoo".

But the boy's entrance to the lab is what puzzled her. She had
sealed and locked that door to Tokyo when the shop reopened months ago.
She retraced the time index for the door and found the problem. Two days
ago someone had accessed the door. But how had the little pain-in-the-
neck gotten passed the new security system?

Someday soon, she was going to uncover the mystery that was
Mihoshi. If it killed her, she would!

********

"What shall we make them?" Ayeka asked as she surveyed the kitchen in
dismay. She had never truly felt at home in the place. There were too
many foreign concepts here that eluded her.

"Well. . . ." Akane paused for a moment, following Ayeka's line of thought
almost precisely. "I'm not really that good of a cook," She hated to admit
it, but she might as well get it out in the open before Ranma did. ". . . so
I think we should keep it simple."

Ayeka looked at Akane with a smile of understanding. "I am not
well practiced in cooking either." She was glad that she had found a
kindred soul of sorts in the Tendo girl. "What would you suggest?"

Akane returned Ayeka's smile happily. "How about some
chocolate chip cookies?" An easy recipe. Surly they could pull it off
together. This was going to be fun!

The universe, for one single instant shuddered with fear.

********
Galaxy Police Prison, G-Alpha 26, Veridant Quadrant.

The cylindrical tube had been Knohet's penitentiary for over seven
thousand years. The first three thousand had driven him mad. The next
two had refined the madness into megalomania, and the last two were spent
planning his revenge against the people that had imprisoned the shape-
shifting assassin.

Washuu and Azusa had worked very hard to create his prison,
binding science and the power of Jurai into something that even he couldn't
escape. Who cared if he had murdered the previous King of Jurai! That
ungrateful brat Azusa should be thanking him for placing him on the
throne.

Something tickled on the edge of his consciousness, something that
reminded him of both Washuu and Azusa for some reason.

**Do you desire freedom?** A voice asked his mind.

**Yessss.** He responded hungrily.

**Know then that your life belongs to me. And through me to the Lady
Tokimi. Do as I require, and I shall release you.** It wasn't the most
favorable circumstance, but it was an opportunity.

**I accept the Terms.** Contracts were known to be broken. The thought
was hidden at the back of his mind, in a deep recess, shielded against the
prying of normal minds. But the mind that touched his own was anything
but normal.

**Betray Tokimi at your peril sentient. I am her Agent, and you are to be
her pawn. Remember your place and your life will find fulfillment.** The
viscous blue jelly that represented Knohet's "body" actually quivered at the
dead tone in the other being's thoughts. **Do you still wish to accept?**

Without a second thought, Knohet acquiesced. Anything was
better than this endless existence. **Goood. . . .** The voice seemed to
purr. **Then this is what you shall do. . . .**

The shape-shifter smiled happily. It wasn't Washuu's head on a
pike, but it was definitely a start.

********

Akane and Ayeka fled the kitchen with a look of terror in their
eyes. With frantic abandon, they started using various pieces of furniture
throughout the various rooms in the house to barricade the kitchen door.
Soon a veritable mountain of chairs, tables, bureaus, and couches locked
the offending room off from the rest of the occupants of the house.

The two girls looked at each other with a sense of pending doom.
How were they supposed to know that mayonnaise and caramel would
make something so volatile! If Ranma and Ryoko ever found out about
this. . . . Both girls shivered as they moved away from the door. Akane
began whistling nervously, and Ayeka picked up the tune absent mindedly
as well. All the while, both girls were dreading the wrath of their
respective sisters.

One look at the two, told Ryoko all that she needed to know.
Ayeka had destroyed the kitchen. She shook her head and phased through
the wall that separated the two rooms. . . and quickly drew her head back
upon witnessing the . . . . Damnation! There were just no words for what
she saw.

A smirk played across her lips and her golden eyes narrowed
gleefully. Ayeka was going to be in debt to her for the rest of her life!
If Mommy dearest found out that her little princess couldn't cook,
then Ayeka would be shipped off to learn. . . . Hey! That wasn't a
bad idea!

**Heehee! One more look, and maybe a snapshot for posterity's sake and
then off to Misaki!** The throaty chuckle loomed ominously in the air as
Ryoko passed her head and shoulders through the wall again.

A moment of silence hung in the air, and then Ryoko let out a very
explicit curse as her entire body was pulled into the kitchen. Sounds of
mayhem and casual destruction echoed from the direction of the kitchen.

Funaho and Nodoka continued to cross stitch with small content
smiles. Mihoshi and Misaki finished their desserts at relatively the same
time and groaned with utter contentment.

********

Azusa was impressed, a hard feat at best. The boy, Ranma, was a
natural in subterfuge. The moment he had entered the trees Azusa had lost
track of him, and only an orbital scan of the area could pinpoint the little
shadow's fleet progress. Tenchi on the other hand, while fairly competent
needed more work. Nobuyuki was hopeless, and so was told to "hold
down the fort."

The assault group slipped up to the house, finding Ranma waiting
patiently on the roof above the kitchen window. Ranma motioned that all
was well, and the three men made their way from the shadows. Ranma
was impressed with his grandpa's abilities. He moved pretty well for an
old guy. The look on his face though was something that Ranma
remembered from his days on the road with his dad.

There was a mischievous gleam in them that made the young
martial artist want to run and hide. It felt kind of good to be doing this
stuff again. He hadn't done any serious training since he and Akane had
returned from China.

Azusa made an odd gesture with his hands, which confused the
heck out of Ranma. The boy sat on the roof looking down at the Emperor
in bewilderment. Azusa made the gesture again, reminding Ranma a great
deal of that Pope guy, but for the life of him, the young man couldn't
understand what his great-grandfather wanted from him.

Yosho coughed quietly into his hand from behind his father,
drawing the monarch's gaze. The heavy knitted brow reminded Yosho of
the many disagreements between father and son. Most of which were still
as yet unresolved.

Yosho simply moved into Ranma's vision and pointed to the
window and made his fingers walk across the air in a slow, tip toeing
fashion. Comprehension dawned on Ranma's face, and he nodded
enthusiastically.

Azusa shot his son an incredulous look. "You can't be serious." he
whispered, dead panning.

Yosho shrugged. "I haven't had the time to teach them Battle Sign
yet." He said quietly. The father weighed the son with his eyes, and Yosho
was found wanting. And not for the first time either.

"We will have to remedy that." Azusa said coldly. The tone of his voice
chilled Yosho, and at the same time made him incredibly angry. Tenchi
looked at the two men with a deep sense of foreboding. If the determined
look in the Emperor's eyes meant anything, both boys were in for a world
of hurt - er "Training."

A resigned sigh issued forth from Tenchi's lungs, as his life yet
again spiraled helplessly out of control.

Ranma grinned in innocent bliss, completely unaware of the new
danger that had just entered his life. All that mattered were the brownies.
He deftly hung himself upside down, and without a sound slid the window
open. This was fun, it reminded him of the first night that P-chan "slept
over." Only this time, he wasn't going to let Akane bean him in the head.

That was about the time that a meaty purple tentacle reached out
and grabbed him by the throat, pulling him into the kitchen.

********

"Ranma!"

Tenchi cried out in alarm as Ranma was pulled bodily into the
kitchen. He hadn't known his cousin for a day, and already there was some
sort of monster or alien out to get him too. Why couldn't his life be a
quiet one? Without hesitating an instant more Tenchi rushed head long into
the danger. His Juraian battle armor flowed around him as he ran.

Yosho and Azusa looked at one another and shrugged. Neither of
them wanted to miss such a promising display.

********

Washuu heard Ryoko's mental scream of terror, and looked
worriedly through her "daughter's" eyes. The sight of a purple, tentacled
thing both excited her and alarmed her.

She couldn't understand why Ryoko hadn't simply teleported to
safety. The space pirate's vision, swung to the window, showing a very
heroic looking Tenchi climbing through the window. Washuu grinned at
the tactic.

**Good for you Ryoko!** Pride and embarrassment welled through the
link that the shared at Washuu's praise. Ryoko's vision took in the
handsome, and very tantalizing form of Ranma in his "stealth suit". This
looked promising indeed.

"You'll have to excuse me." she said to her subjects warmly, favoring
Ukyou with a slight pat to the girl's cheek as she passed. "I'm needed else
where."

Ukyou, and the now transformed Shampoo and Ryouga watched
with thankful hearts as the red headed scientist left her lab. Ukyou was
grateful that the witch hadn't done any more "examining." She shivered
involuntarily.

The whole discovery of Ryouga's curse was a fluke. The lunatic
had tripped over a cord, sending her tea into the Lost Boy's face. The
sudden shift in mass confused the table and its mistress long enough for P-
chan to make a break for it.

He made it seven and a half feet before the security system
activated putting him in, what looked like, a clear plexiglass box. Exactly
how that was managed Ukyou couldn't say, because the box had no doors
or hinges. Ryouga simply passed through the box. When the small, black,
pig tried escaping, he found out the hard way just how hard the "plexi-
glass" was.

Shampoo was next to be tested, and she put up little in the way of
resistence when she was put in a similar box. Leaving Ukyou, alone and
naked on the examination table. Now that the Wicked Witch of the West
was gone, Ukyou set to looking for another way to escape.

That's when she the clueless, blonde, gaijin woman walked in.

"Washuu, Ayeka created another monster in the kitchen agai. . . Oh!"
Mihoshi walked over to Ukyou's table. "Washuu's been playing 'Doctor'
with you hasn't she? Is she still here?" The vapid detective looked around
hopelessly for signs of the diminutive scientist.

The comment made Ukyou blush terribly, and she shook her head
in frantic denial. "She's not? Oh then she's probably gone to get some
toys. . ." Ukyou's eyes bugged out and she began hysterically bucking the
table in hopes of breaking free. Mihoshi giggled and patted the distraught
girl on the head. Ukyou started crying in fear. "Don't worry, she'll be
back soon." Mihoshi said consolingly.

"I know how you feel though, she once left me in here for a whole week!"
Ukyou's gaged mouth emitted a high pitched squeal, that cut off abruptly
as she passed out. Her mind just couldn't take the idea of being kept in
this torture chamber for a week.

**Ran-chan save me. . . .** her mind whimpered.

Mihoshi patted the girl's head again. It was good that she was
asleep. That way the time would pass faster. "Oh! What a cute little
piggy!" She squealed in delight, picking up the box. Ryouga looked at the
girl with very sad eyes, wondering how he had ever gotten himself into this
mess.

Oh, right. It was Ranma's fault.

"Would you like to be my friend little piggy?" The attractive girl asked,
causing Ryouga to wonder why his cursed form got so much attention. His
depression plummeted to new lows, as he came to the conclusion that he
was dog ugly as a man, but cute as a button as a pig.

"What a pretty green color! Uhm, Washuu hasn't been experimenting on
you has she?" The little pig shook his head. What a smart animal. Mihoshi
just knew that this was a special friend. Maybe he was like Ryo-ohki!
How neat! She wouldn't have to worry about ever crashing her ships
again!

Washuu was so thoughtful!

Mihoshi hugged the glass to her chest gleefully, until it cracked and
finally broke. P-chan found himself crushed against an impressive amount
of cleavage, and for the second time that day, he passed into the sweet
arms of oblivion.

Shampoo watched as the blonde woman left, with Ryouga clutched
to her bosom. She wished the idiot male luck wherever he went, she was
sure that she would see him again someday. In the mean time, she sat in
her cage, biding her time, learning the ways of her enemy. When the slip
came, she would escape and revenge herself on the red haired demoness.
Until then, she would pretend to be docile, just like her great grandmother
had taught her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

• To be continued...
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