Ah My Goddess Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of Two Wallets ❯ Like a Boar in a China Shop ( Chapter 100 )

A Tale of Two Wallets

(An Altered Destiny)

Written by Jim Robert Bader

Proofread by Shiva Barnwell

"I bored," said Ling-Ling to her sister, "What we do for fun?"

"No idea," Lung-Lung replied, "Think hanging around mall no bring us closer to having cute boyfriends."

The two Chinese Amazons heaved a chorus of sighs and silently agreed on the absolute injustice of life and its treatment of cute girls seeking romance and adventure. Coming to Japan had seemed like a good way of meeting strong warriors worthy of their attention, and they had indeed encountered many a strong and able fighter, but it usually turned out they were either already committed or had equally strong girlfriends, and after a while giving out Kisses of Death was becoming too much of a habit.

The place that they currently found themselves was called a Mall, allegedly a place where boys and girls could hang out and meet one another, some by hanging around something called an "arcade," though the simulated fighting games there seemed much less appealing than actual Amazon tournaments. So far no boys had answered their challenges, so they had to fall back on reflecting on those they had actually fought within recent memory, easily recalling the names and faces of those who had at least demonstrated the greatest husband potential.

"That Recca boy very cute," Ling-Ling remarked, "Call real fire dragon, no like dance we use."

"But why he call girl Healer Princess?" Lung-Lung responded, "Big boy nice fighter, almost ignore he have face like boiled cabbage."

"Sooner date him Girlfriend," Ling-Ling snorted, "Wind girl at least cute, and very strong fighter."

"No half cute as boy with water sword," Lung-Lung sighed, a sigh matched with dreamy expression by her twin, Ling-Ling being in total agreement.

"He no have girlfriend," Ling-Ling agreed, "Maybe him worth second look."

"Is much better than stuck up boy with stupid five-part weapon," Lung-Lung noted, to which both girls heartily nodded in mutual agreement.

That was when they felt a rumbling in the floor, a rumble that traveled through the bench upon which they had been sitting and caused gasps and yelps of surprise from the various Mall patrons passing them by. As one both girls turned astonished looks towards a wall that was part of one of the shops that lined the indoor Mall, and before their eyes said wall exploded as if someone had used an Amazon stone cutting technique. Through the hail of dust and rubble a pair of figures stepped out, one a warrior woman and the other a very large and powerfully built man (whom of course the twins could not help noticing was also ruggedly handsome).

"This way, Gramps!" the dark haired girl sporting a headband urged as she all but dragged her male companion behind her.

"But where are we going?" the bewildered male inquired, "I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding…"

"Misunderstanding my ass!" the dark haired girl snarled back, "If they catch us they're gonna make us pay for the damages! I don't know about you, but I'm not exactly on an unlimited expense account, if you know what I mean!"

"Um…excuse me," the man sounded honestly puzzled, "But have we met…?"

Shortly after this pair made their hasty exit through the remains of what had been a second wall a number of uniformed security guards (and a fair number of store employees and patrons) came charging after the fugitive couple. Ling-Ling and Lung-Lung just stood to one side watching this fast-moving parade charge by, then in perfect synchronicity they blinked their eyes and exchanged puzzled glances.

"What that about?" Ling-Ling asked.

"You guess good as me," Lung-Lung answered, "We follow?"

"Is something to do," Ling-Ling reasoned, adding with a sly smirk, "And tall boy very handsome."

"Think girl call him Grandfather," Lung-Long noted, "Maybe he elder?"

"Who care?" Ling-Ling asked before adding, "Maybe she good date too. Is worth asking."

"Is good point," Lung-Lung smiled, and as one the twins joined the chase after the retreating pair vanishing off into the distance…

"Isn't she tired of doing this already?" Kennou asked for the fifth time, seeing Naomi wander past the now rebuilt dojo, "You think she'd have given up by now and asked for directions."

"Do you want to be the one to show her the way out of here?" Atsuko asked.

"That isn't funny, Oneesan," Kennou glared at her alleged "Big Sister," the term "Blind leading the Blind" coming all to readily to mind at this point.

"It's her own fault, really," Silk remarked, "If she was only less stubborn about admitting that she has a problem she could ask for and receive directions. It's not like I deliberately meant for her to spend the past several hours looking to find her way out of the yard on her own power."

"Now even I'm starting to feel sorry for her," Comb reflected, "But I thought she was a lot smarter than the average Hibiki. You'd think she had a system for working things out, like Kennou here."

"Wouldn't matter if she had one," Atsuko replied, "I've woven illusion spells around this place to baffle and confuse my mother's ability to scry here…that messes up even my already messed up sense of direction. I'm afraid she won't be able to make it until she asks one of us to show her the way to the front gates. It's tough, I know, but a lot better than dropping the ward fields."

"Perhaps Shirokuro could help her out," Kennou suggested, turning a glance to one side, "What about it, Mutt, you wanna help the lady?"

The Shadow Hound just growled in response to that.

"Hey, don't bite my head off," Kennou reacted, "A simple 'No' would have sufficed."

"I wanted to make a point with her," Silk sighed, "But this is too ridiculous for words. If she would just admit that I was right about her lacking a sense of direction then we could work on explaining to her the ties she shares to the Clan of the Hibikis."

"Something else I pity her about," Comb mused, "Two burdens I wouldn't wish on a Clan rival."

"Hahaha," Atsuko growled sarcastically, "As if we'd let just any old Toma, Doka or Haruka join up. We Oni tend to be a wee bit more selective than that.

"You sure about that, Sis?" Kennou asked, with just a touch of her usual sarcasm.

Naomi did not hear these words but she was fuming in anger at the baffling way she kept winding up traveling endlessly in circles. It was just a stupid yard, not a maze! There was no reason why she could not find her way out back through the gates, they were even in plain sight of where she was standing, yet every time she started to walk towards them she found them curving away until she looped back endlessly to the dojo.

**I'll bet they're laughing up their sleeves at me,** Naomi mentally seethed, **They probably think it's hilarious that I can't negotiate my way out of a simple square lot with two buildings in it! This is worse than elementary school, at least there I could always count on a teacher to help me…**

Unbeknownst to her, Soun had been watching the businesswoman's hopeless plight, which was distracting him from his latest game and giving Genma the chance to remove more than the usual number of pieces when he knew Soun wasn't looking. At last the Tendo Patriarch had had enough and got up, resolution emboldening him to take action.

"Miss," Soun said as he approached Naomi, "There's no reason for you to be lost like that. I'll show you to the gate myself."

Naomi turned to the handsome man as if Soun had sudden grown wings and sported a halo about his head. The look of gratitude she gave him caused Silk to inhale a breath from where she watched just a few meters away, though aloud what she said was, "Ah…thank you, but you don't have to go to any trouble on my account…"

"Nonsense," Soun replied, "You are my guest and it would be improper for me not to show you the courtesy of my house. The gate is this way, and I believe your ride is still waiting there for you."

Naomi thought to herself what a charming fellow this Tendo Soun was, and very handsome for a bachelor. No wonder that Chinese Witch was after his hand in marriage, which prompted her to don a sly smile as she glanced towards the house, seeing the Amazon's eyes boring upon them, which gave her a sudden inspiration.

"I suppose that it would be rude of me to refuse your kind offer," Naomi deliberately positioned herself in close besides Soun, who merely blinked his eyes in surprise at her forwardness as Naomi touched his arm and said, "Besides which, I would be…most grateful."

Silk's hand was suddenly gripping her silver flute, but Comb's own hand found its way to her shoulder, and with a swift shake of her head the Healer negated her friend's rash impulse.

"Ah well…I see," Soun swallowed, then accepted the businesswoman's arm and escorted her towards the front of the yard, even going to far as to see her to her limousine, where the Chauffeur put down his tea and paper and snapped to attention, moving smartly to get the door before Soun could think of such a gesture.

"How gallant of you to be of such service, Tendo-san," Naomi gave him a pleasant look that she knew would cause the other man to suffer a momentary (and entirely masculine) reaction, "Perhaps next time I will return the favor for you."

"Ah…well…if you wish it, Miss," Soun responded, then waited until the limousine drove off before turning to notice the five sets of eyes turned upon him.

"Oh yes," Silk said, "That was most gallant and noble of you, Soun-chan."

"What she means is that you undercut her negotiating position," Kennou interpreted.

"Seriously," Atsuko sniffed, "How now are we gonna get her to admit that she's a Hibiki?"

"It was a noble gesture," Comb remarked, "But I don't think you appreciate just how dangerous that woman might be if she has a mind to be a problem."

"I don't care," Soun said with firm resolution in his voice, "You were being deliberately cruel to a guest and trying to coerce her into making a concession for which she is obviously not prepared. No matter who she is or who she works for, I'll not have guests be mistreated while they are staying at my house. Do I make myself clear on this subject?"

Silk blinked her eyes, surprised at the unusually harsh reprimand in the Tendo Patriarch's voice, and it did not help her mood any that the panda at her side was holding up a sign which read, "Busted!"

"But I…!" Silk began to protest, only to see the man she loved waving a hand in front of her face as Soun singled her out for special attention.

"You thought you were acting in my best interests," Soun replied, "But you should have consulted with me before taking it upon yourself to put her through such a trial. I make a lot of allowances for you, Silk, and I do appreciate your otherwise good intentions, but this time you have gone too far. This is not your home and property that you can play the part of its Mistress. If you want that title then you are going to have to work to earn it."

"I…what…?" Silk's mind momentarily was derailed off her mental train tracks.

"Wait a second," Comb blinked her eyes, "You're challenging her? For real this time?"

"You will act as a witness?" Soun asked of the purple haired Healer.

"Ah…uh…yes, of course," Comb was non-plussed as she and her fellow Amazon exchanged surprised glances.

"What the heck is this all about?" Kennou glanced from one set of faces to the other.

"A marriage proposal," Atsuko replied, "Amazon style."

"A marriage proposal?" Kennou blinked, "I thought they were going to fight."

The panda at her side began to make a series of growing noises, and he held up the sign to illustrate points, giving a rapid low down on Amazon laws and customs, punctuated by side-comments and growls from Shirokuro, at the end of which Kennou cried, "You've gotta be kidding me!"

Meanwhile, back in the limousine, Naomi smiled as she picked up the car-phone and dialed a pre-set number, resolved to put her plan into effect that she hoped would even the odds for the next time she did pay a visit to the dojo. With the trademark smile that had earned her the nickname of "Shark" she waited for the connection to be made then said, "Fujikura Realty? I'd like to speak directly to Chairman Norunga about some inquiries I was making on behalf of the company that I represent…"

"Okay," Ukyo said to herself as she squared her shoulders and prepared herself mentally and spiritually for the ordeal that she knew was ahead, "Don't back down now, Kuonji…this has to be done. Do it for Makoto…"

She swallowed on a dry mouth and politely knocked on the cabin assigned to Akane, then waited until a soft voice murmured, "Come in."

"Here goes nothing," Ukyo murmured to herself as she slid the door open and entered, her Ninja-trained senses at once coming alert that there was something very unusual about the room even as she meekly made her entrance.

"Akane?" she asked hesitantly, wondering what the strange perfume-like smell was that was filling the air, and subsequently her nostrils. Then she saw movement on the bed and felt her resolve begin to quaver, for Akane emerged from beneath silken sheets and had a dreamy expression on her kawaii features, as if she had just awaken from a deliciously erotic dream…and to judge by the hungry look she turned Ukyo's way it was a safe bet that she had been (at least in a surrogate sense) a feature player.

"Ukyo…" Akane murmured softly, then rose further from the sheets to reveal the upper part of her fully nude body, "I was hoping you'd come see me…"

"Ah…" Ukyo would have turned and fled like mad but for the fact that someone doused her with cold water, causing her to sputter while her body changed from female to male aspect. Thus distracted he did not see the womanly form appearing directly behind him with an outstretched finger that touched the now-male chef at a point located on her/his lower back, roughly about the location of her-how his-liver.

That area briefly glowed to life, a tiny pearl-shaped object being delineated in the exact place where an undigested piece of silicon would logically come to rest. The dormant charge that had been expended over a week ago suddenly came to life as the finger drew a glyph in the air, then withdrew, having reactivated the spell that had once been there.

The effect traveled through Ukyo's system with the speed of a toxic poison, only instead of harming the mind the effect was to enflame deep buried passions, causing him to stare in wonder at the desirable girl laying on the bed, and with a shuddering gasp of long suppressed emotion he said, "Akane-chan…I'm here for you!"

"Ukyo," Akane spread the sheets to expose more of the bed and smiled, leaning back with a look that was altogether inviting.

Peorth withdrew with a soft chuckle, flowing through the wall as if the wooden partition offered her no obstacle, content to allow the magic "Incense of Erotic Passion" to do the main work of getting the Bishonen boy together with her beloved daughter. It was almost too easy to rig this trap to ensnare Kuonji, having had a sense that the chef was going to come looking for Akane sooner or later, not doubt to break up with her for sake of her lust after a senshi.

Having done the necessary research, Peorth had learned about the magic pearls and their effects some short time ago on a group of unsuspecting mortals. Most of the pearls had evaporated when the spell that had conjured them into life had been reversed, but the pearl Ukyo had swallowed had been partially absorbed into her system, and as such it had left its imprint. Reactivating the spell was childsplay for a Goddess of Peorth's rank, and while the charge would only last a couple of hours at most, that would be more than enough to seal the bonds between Ukyo and Akane so that the chef's sense of honor and integrity would forbid her from renouncing Peorth's daughter, thus insuring Akane's happiness, which was all Peorth desired (well…that and of course having Grandkids…).

Of course there was one potential threat to this relationship, but Peorth had already devised an equally cunning way of neutralizing this Kino Makoto. She slipped away from where Chef and Tendo were about to become like man and woman and sought out the towering Jovian girl, finding her on the prowl looking for Ukyo, which of course gave Peorth the means of directing the girl to an adjoining room, having whispered a few suggestions while surreptitiously activating the girl's own swallowed Love Pearl.

Inside the room Makoto noticed the barely illuminated lighting provided by a few glowing wands of incense…an incense that was oddly appealing in some odd way, rather like a lotus blossom mixed with lilac. A longhaired and obviously female form was stretched out on a bed moving her hands over her naked body, the silken sheets that she lay atop highlighting her sinuous form to excellent profile.

"Ucchan?" Makoto hesitantly asked.

"Guess again," purred a sensuous voice that sounded kittenish and altogether friendly.

"M-Minako-chan?" Makoto gasped, and she would have taken a step back but for the way an invisible hand pushed her forward, causing her to stumble until she all but landed on top of the bed and its single occupant, at which point amorous arms stretched out to invite her and all but threw her down on the bed with the strength of a sex-crazed panther.

Peorth shut the door on the two lovebirds and chuckled at her own brilliance. Two for two, and not a sign of any mishap! This was going even better than she had hoped for, and now all she had to do was sit back and enjoy the show as powerful magics coupled with human desires did her work for her, thus sealing the future…

"Thought I'd find you here," a voice startled the Goddess, "What are you doing, Mother?"

"Hah?" Peorth would have jumped if not for the fact that she was floating, whirling about with a guilty expression as she found someone standing there with arms folded and a slightly accusing expression, "N-Nabiki? Oh! You gave me such a fright…"

"Can't imagine why," Nabiki drawled, "Unless you're up to something that you shouldn't be doing, 'Mom.' That's Akane's room over there, right? The one she's presently sharing with Ami."

"Ah, yes, I was just…checking up on your sister," Peorth lamely explained, "She's in bed right now and not feeling all that well…"

A moaning sound emanated from said room, to which Nabiki lifted an eyebrow and said, "I see what you mean. From the sound of things she's either got a tummy ache or somebody's down on their knees giving her Cunnalingus."

"Ah…what an active imagination you have, Cheri…" Peorth smiled a bit weakly.

"It's not imagination," Nabiki said, "When you've got two bedmates like Shampoo and Ranma giving you plenty of examples. I was coming this way to speak with Akane after Ranma told me about Ukyo's romantic troubles. I was going to try talking some sense into my kid Sis, but it seems that somebody was a step or two ahead of me. You wouldn't happen to be trying to bring those two closer together through magic, now would you?"

"Why, I'm shocked at you, Nabiki-chan," Peorth replied, "How could you accuse your poor divine mother of resorting to any such thing?"

"Because Urd warned me about you," Nabiki replied, "She says you mean well but have this tendency to meddle. I think you'd better put a stop to things right now, Peorth, before they get too far out of hand."

"What makes you think that I can…or that I should?" Peorth responded, privately musing on interesting and inventive ways of dishing out pay-back to her fellow Goddess, "Akane would not welcome an intrusion at this point…"

"No, but it's wrong to make Ukyo act this way just to please Akane," Nabiki said firmly, "Mother, I know you want what's best for her, but they've got to make their own mistakes, come to their own resolutions, make their own choices if it's going to have any lasting meeting. You get them together under circumstances like this and it could turn into a real disaster, especially if Kuonji's really fated to make a life with Makoto. This isn't fair to her or Ukyo, and it's not…" Nabiki paused and glanced at the other door, "Who's in there?"

"Ah…that would be Makoto," Peorth winced nervously, then attempted a weak smile as if hoping to deflect attention.

Nabiki heaved a sigh, "What am I gonna do with you, Mom? I thought you promised Momma that you weren't going to meddle?"

"Who's meddling?" Peorth waved her hands disarmingly, "This is just…ah…giving them a slight push in the right direction…"

"I think I'd better see this for myself," Nabiki started forward, only to find the Goddess positioned in her path.

"I, ah…would not go in there, ma Cheri," Peorth explained, "You might be affected…ah…that is…someone is burning special incense in that room, and even I could be affected if I breathed it in too deeply."

"Love incense?" Nabiki arched her eyebrows.

"More like something that relaxes inhibitions and strengthens the libido," Peorth replied, "So unless you want to risk doing something spontaneous that might not meet with the approval of you wife and husband…I'd wait until I had a gas mask before going in there…if you take my meaning…"

"Lovely," Nabiki murmured as she pushed past the goddess and lifted part of her dress to form a rude filter.

Of course when she did push open one of the two doors and looked inside, what she and Peorth saw caused them both to gape in wonder and amazement.

"What?" Peorth exclaimed, then hastily covered her own mouth as her nostrils began to tingle from brief contact with the incense.

"Somehow I think your plan's backfired a bit, Mom," Nabiki said as she slid the door back into place then went to check on the other room, and after a pause said, "Now I wonder how this happened…?"

Akane welcomed Ukyo into her arms as the two of them kissed with intensity and passion. It was a moment each was longing for with equal fervor, a moment when the barriers would finally come down from between them and they two would be locked in the warmth of a passion that could not be denied regardless of reason or logic.

For Ukyo it was like a blinding revelation, as if he had awaken from a dream where all the previous doubt and uncertainty was banished to a very remote place far away from conscious awareness. Any thought of breaking up with Akane now was simply not to be conceived. Of course she loved Akane, who could not love someone so generous, warm and caring who had the aspect of an Angel, even minus her wings. Such a prize among women, not to be dismissed or undersold, and definitely a desirable package with her tight little body fitting snugly within his arms as Ukyo began kissing her face and working his way down to her throat. Akane had a lean and muscular figure beneath the soft outer packaging of her skin, and to hold her like this made Ukyo very much sympathetic with the legion of boys who once sought to fight for the privilege of dating her, or of Ryoga, who had pined for her in such forlorn resignation.

(Something about that latter thought disturbed Ukyo on the periphery of his awareness, but being too far under the spell placed upon him he did not allow this twinge of conscience to disturb his growing ardor)

For Akane the act of being kissed by her beloved Ucchan was a dream come true, and yet for all the sweetness it entailed there was a nagging sense that something was not quite right, or rather less than fully perfect. Considering how a powerful wave of lust was now coursing through her system it was amazing that she could even think coherently, let alone realize that there was something amiss to this otherwise complete picture. Ukyo was most certainly the boy that she had dreamed about for many a night and a day, and every bit as sensitive and giving as she had hoped that he might be, and yet as his kisses drifted down her throat, Akane became aware of a nagging wrongness to this picture, and it was that which caused her to put a hand to Ukyo's chest and gently push against him.

Sensing the change in his companion's mood, Ukyo paused in the act of his kissing and said, "What's wrong, Akane-chan? Is something the matter?"

"No…yes…I…don't know," Akane temporized, looking up into the dimly visible face of the handsome Bishonen boy before her, "I…Ukyo…do you love me?"

"Do I love you?" Ukyo's voice was husky as he smiled without hesitation, "What kind of a question is that, Sugar? Of course I love you…would I be here if I didn't?"

"And what about…Makoto?" Akane asked with a slight hesitation.

"Makoto?" Ukyo blinked, "Who's…Mako-chan?" Ukyo blinked, "That name…I know her…Mako-chan? But…"

That told Akane as much as she needed to hear. Her perfect mood was shattered as she pushed against the handsome boy and got up out of the bed, heedless of her nudity, "I thought so…you're under some kind of a spell, aren't you? I should have known you wouldn't come to me this easily…"

"Akane-chan?" Ukyo sounded puzzled, seeing the girl he loved standing there in the dim light of burning incense.

"I-I care for you…truly I do, Ucchan," Akane slowly backed away, "But I want you to come to me of your own choice, not because somebody makes you do it…"

"Akane-chan…?" Ukyo got up from the bed, feeling a hardness in his trousers swelling to get out.

"I…I…" Akane's resolve wavered as she stared at the altogether handsome boy, her lust nearly overwhelming her, though she understood now why she hesitated to commit herself, which gave her a sad but logical idea that would at least temporarily abate the problem, "Wait here…I'm gonna heat up some water, then…we'll talk. At least…I want to know if you-if the real you-is as open about this as I hope you are…"

Feeling her resolution already begin to crumble, Akane turned and headed for the nearest door that she could spy in the dim light, which just happened to be the door that adjoined her room to another cabin. She did not see the forlorn look that crossed Ukyo's features as the sex-changed boy-girl wondered what he had done wrong to offend his beloved, and so after only a momentarily hesitation he turned to follow after.

Meanwhile, as all of this took place, Makoto was wrestled to the bed and pinned by an amorous Minako, who also was under the effects of the magical incense and had every intention of making her erotic fantasies into reality as she bent down to plant a kiss on the taller girl, which was instantly returned as Makoto was under the thrall of her own potent libido.

Minako passionately explored Makoto's mouth with her tongue, meshing their juices as she pressed her body against that of her fellow senshi. Venus most definitely was in the House of Jupiter as the naked girl's blonde hair showered down to cover a much aroused brunette like a blanket of love as Minako's hands began to squeeze and fondle Makoto through the thick barrier of the latter's clothing. Makoto responded to this squeeze by reaching out with a hand to caress the soft texture of Minako's skin, sliding hands up to cup and return the fondle as Minako's breasts presented delightful fruit just hanging there waiting to be sampled.

Minako thrilled to the sense that she was fulfilling her own fantasy, but right as she was about to begin removing Makoto's dress, she became aware of a slight cramping sensation that swelled up within her and threatened to momentarily convulse her.

"Damn," Minako whispered as she broke off kissing a willing Makoto.

"What's wrong?" Makoto asked, sensing a shift in the attention of her beloved friend and fellow Senshi.

"I gotta pee," Minako made a slight face, "This would happen to me now of all times! Just wait here and I'll take care of things. Don't move an inch from this bed, you hear?"

"But I want to come with you," Makoto said pleadingly, "I don't want you to go…"

"I know," Minako's smile could not be seen in the dim light of the room, but the warmth she radiated was felt by Makoto as the blonde got up off of the bed and left Makoto's side in search of the adjacent privy.

"Mina-chan?" Makoto sat up, too much under the spell of the love pearl to pay heed to Minako's insistence that she wait. All she knew was that the girl she loved had left her side and was moving away into the gloom surrounding them, and that was simply not to be tolerated. Makoto was on her feet moving towards where she thought she saw Minako vanish through a doorway, and so she started to follow, only to bump her knee against a bed post, which caused her a few tense moments during which she paused to rub her wounded member.

And as such her back was turned when Akane walked into the room from the adjoining doorway.

Akane was certain that she remembered seeing a kettle on one of the electric heating pads in the room next to the one assigned to her and the curious girl named Ami. Akane intended to heat up the water so that she could restore Ukyo to female status, and then she would either engage Ukyo in conversation or pick right up where they had left off, secure in the thought that she would be making love to the girl whom she had fallen in love with and not simply the handsome boy that Ukyo became in his cursed form.

Her reasons for why this seemed important to her was difficult for her to understand, though if asked she would have said that she wanted to know if her own feelings for Ukyo were genuine and not just the product of baser lust. She wanted Ukyo with an intensity that almost frightened her, and that alone was cause enough to cool her ardor and make her proceed with greater caution. With all the magic and spells that had been flying about lately the last thing she wanted to do was entrap Ukyo under false pretenses.

Her thoughts briefly traveled to the curious girl named Mizuno Ami, a girl whom everyone kept insisting looked just like her, though Akane wondered just how much of a resemblance could be drawn between her and the shorter haired friend of Makoto. Ami had blue eyes and blue-black hair while Akane's eyes were unmistakably brown, and she was a real bookworm with only moderate martial arts training while Akane was an above-average student who loved sports and physical activities more than reading. Ami spoke with a refined, cultured voice that had very few cultural colloquialisms and she behaved with such formal manners that even Kasumi seemed tomboyish by contrast. The girl was shy to the point where just asking if she had a boyfriend could cause her to blush and titter like a middle school student, yet she was so brainy and confident in her ability to make complex calculations that she seemed to be practicing her own form of mental martial art, and the things she could do with a calculator were simply not to be believed!

Oh sure there was a superficial resemblance between herself and this Ami character, but it wasn't that close of a resemblance, and if anything she had about as much in common with the other girl as…well…as Kachu had with Kasumi!

As she was thinking these thoughts she did not see Makoto stumbling towards the door, unaware that it was the door adjoining the other room and not the privy where Minako was presently located. Makoto was just in the process of sliding open the door when it began opening seemingly on its own power, and then she stared with a start at the figure standing on the other side of this partition, and then her eyes made contact with the figure standing before her.

Ukyo was startled to find Makoto was blocking her path, but as their eyes locked together she felt something curious begin to happen. The tiny resonance that had been the Love Pearl began to pulse inside her, responding to the resonance frequency corresponding to the Pearl in Makoto's body, and thus the spells affecting both of their minds reset, finding the already existing patterns of their emotions and intensifying the bonds of their mutual attraction. That coupled with the erotic intensity of the magical perfume scent made inevitable what next was about to happen.

It was Makoto who made the first move, reaching out to enfold Ukyo in the powerful embrace of her arms and bearing the now-tall male (almost as tall as herself, but only slightly broader in the shoulders) backwards as Ukyo staggered backwards and allowed himself to be borne over to the bed. They did not have the presence of mind to slide the door behind them, but such was hardly necessary as events were to make this less than essential.

Minako came out from the privy having concluded her business with all the haste that a girl suffering such intensely erotic vibrations could have managed, and so great was her urgency to find and conclude her business with Makoto that she stumbled blindly into Akane, having not seen the other girl in the dim light of the chamber.

Akane was taken completely by surprise and the two of them fell to the floor in a heap, their yelps going unnoticed by the pair already rolling on what had been Akane's bed, who were in their own little world and beyond noticing the greater world beyond them.

"What are you…?" Akane started to say.

"What the hell are you…?" Minako started to say at the exact same time when a curious effect fell over both of them, which halted their outraged protests and caused their mutual surprise to turn into something even more surprising.

Akane found herself beneath a naked girl whose hair felt as soft against her cheeks as Kasumi's, and she even had a similar body-scent. She was well padded in the places where Akane's hands were positioned and the touch of that skin was incredibly smooth and altogether inviting.

Minako felt an equally warm and naked girl lying underneath her and her first impression was that it was Ami whom she had landed atop. Certainly the face that greeted her with much amazement looked very much like Ami, and while this was not too surprising in itself (after all, Ami slept in the next room with that Akane girl for a room mate), but what was astonishing was the sudden surge of attraction that flared up within her as the lust that had been directed at Makoto was now focused upon "Ami."

She had always felt close to Ami, who was like a little sister in a brainy, nerdy kind of way, but now she was altogether aware and attracted towards the blue-haired senshi of Mercury as a vibrant and sexually attractive young woman, and as such she found herself reacting with sheer wanton desire, behaving on an altogether instinctual level, not even able to question this sudden surge in animal lust that was taking over her mind and overruling her reason, encouraged all the more when "Ami" responded to her advances.

Akane did not know why but the smell of the woman lying on top of her mingled with the perfume-like incense in the air served to overwhelm what was left of her resolve and crumble her resistance to such erotic impulses as now flooded her consciousness like a form of possession. Though she had never been with a woman before and had been set and determined to make Ukyo her first she found the allure of a girl who could remind her of Kasumi more potent than any aphrodisiac imaginable. As such her body responded to the other girl's advances with equal ardor and soon the two of them were rolling on the floor like a pair of wild cats in heat, heedless of anything but ravishing one another.

Thus when the door slid open and a two sets of eyes-one mortal, the other divine-peered in to see the frenzied activity taking place within this chamber they hardly took notice, even when one of the pair said, "…Now I wonder how that could have happened…?

And less than a thousand miles away a certain lady smiled as she surveyed her latest creation, peering beyond the abstract colors as she murmured to herself, "Like taking Candy from the Lollipop Guild. Too bad, Peorth old girl, but you'd need to be at least a couple thousand years older to be better at this game than yours truly…"

"Did you say something, Grandma?" Ryomi asked as she sat waiting in a chair close nearby.

"Just thinking out loud, Ryo-chan," Ganglot smiled, "Now just hold still a bit longer. I need to put a few more touches to this work, and then I'll do your portrait, as I promised."

"Cool," Ryomi smiled, then paused before adding, "This isn't gonna be another one of those cubist thingies you were doing earlier in the day? I mean…if you're gonna do me it'll look like me, right?"

"Of course, Darling," Ganglot replied, "Trust me…even you'll be impressed when I get finished. Now…a few strokes here and…voila…another masterpiece! Now…all we need to do is wait and the effects should take hold in another few minutes…"

Ryomi decided not to ask what that latter comment entailed, and suspected she was better off not knowing, though it would have surprised her to know that it directly concerned her older brother, who was even then wandering lost on the decks of the Nekonron sky ship.

"Where am I now?" he asked in what had to be one of his more notorious trademark lines, and even he had to wonder how anyone could get lost on a ship even of this size, though he was surprised to find himself upon the bridge of said vessel. Seeing several of the ship's crew on hand, he decided to ask for directions, only to be surprised when one of them turned to him with a rather stern expression.

"You there," the Nekonron Officer of the Deck pointed at him, "You're one of the Prince's guests, right? I need to find the Captain and tell him something, so you might as well get over here and make yourself useful."

"Um…sure," Ryoga replied, "What do you want me to do?"

"Just take the wheel and hold it on course for a bit," the officer replied, "Don't turn it left or right, just keep it steady and don't do anything until I get back."

"Ah…sure," Ryoga said, "I guess I can do that…but what about them?" he nodded to the two other bridge crewmembers.

"Can't use Te-Skuaer," the officer replied, "He's the navigator and he's got to plot the course according to our rudders. Hi-Ganz here's been up all night and he's dead tired. In case you haven't noticed, we're all a bit exhausted on this trip, that being because we had to run hard to avoid getting caught on the edge of a storm that creeped up from the South. Of course you young kids wouldn't notice a thing like that…probably think this is a damned luxury cruise for your enjoyment…"

"I wouldn't think that…" Ryoga replied as he took the wheel away from a half-asleep Hi-Ganz, who stumbled off to a nearby palate for some much needed sleep and was in the land of Nod before his head hit the pillow.

"Sure you do," the Officer said as he left the deck, muttering to himself, "Foreigners…what is the prince thinking…?"

"Ah…" Ryoga found himself virtually alone holding the wheel while the only other crewman conscious was too busy pouring over some maps and log-books, leaving him to wonder how he had let himself be talked into this but not daring to leave his post as it might cause the air ship to go off course and delay their arrival in Nerima.

It would not be until two hours had elapsed that the officer would return to relieve him, but the damage had been done by then and no one would discover this until they failed to arrive at their destination the next morning, exactly as Ganglot had intended, though even she did not calculate just how long it would take for the crew to finally arrive back in Nerima…

"You needn't have shouted like that," Siren winced as she rubbed a finger in one ear, "Honestly, Cologne darling, you can be so very melodramatic."

"How did you find me?" Cologne demanded from where she had withdrawn by a good three meters, her eyes as wide as dinner plates as she studied the naked blonde Enchantress as though Siren were more dangerous than an amorous Anaconda.

"Did you think you could avoid me that easily?" Siren gave her fellow Amazon a chiding look before leering, "As if I wouldn't cross hill and dale to be with you in your self-imposed exile. By the way, why are you holding onto that big mallet?"

"Eh?" Cologne became faintly aware that she was clutching hold of said wooden hammer but merely shrugged her shoulders and said, "Ayeka keeps a supply of them on hand for dealing with Ryoko. Don't change the subject, I asked why you are here?"

"Take a wild guess," Siren lowered her eyelashes and batted them in the Matriarch's direction, "I came to find you of course, Silly. Where else would I be but at the side of my darling, beloved Kho-chan?"

Cologne tightened her grip upon the mallet she was clutching, regretting that her staff was out of reach, but even as she took a more defensive posture she was staring at the blonde Archmage with eyes as wide as the proverbial saucers.

"You what?" Cologne asked, only to gasp in surprise as Siren vanished from sight momentarily, to reappear once again directly behind the blue-black haired Matriarch.

"You won't need this for dealing with me, Kho-chan," Siren cooed as she deftly removed the mallet from Cologne's unresisting grasp and tossed it to the side, where it vanished like smoke, leaving Cologne virtually defenseless. Once again Siren's arms snaked around to cuddle and fondle Cologne's supple body while her own body pressed up against the Matriarch's backside, positioning her face so that her lips could nuzzle one ear of the astonished Amazon Elder.

"You don't know how long I've been dreaming of this moment," Siren cooed as Cologne felt her breath blow against the base of one earlobe, "Of holding you, of being with you again. Three hundred years is a long time to wait for unrequited lust you know…"

"Let me go," Cologne struggled in vain, finding Siren elusively resisting her best counter-motions, "Siren…this is no way to behave…"

"Wrong," Siren replied, "It is exactly how I've wanted to behave with you since we were both younger girls innocently sharing out meals together and wondering what the future might hold for us both. Now here I am the strongest Mage of our tribe, and you the greatest Warrior of our generation, exactly as we dreamed it would be…before all of that unpleasantness happened."

Cologne gasped as she felt hands reach and caress places that no one had dared to touch on her person in a very long time, but finally she struggled free of the other woman's grasp and put as much distance as she could between them both, splashing furiously until her back rested up against the stone railing.

"What are you so afraid of?" Siren asked as bobbed in the water with a faintly disappointed expression, "I won't bite you…at least, not unless you ask me nicely…"

"You haven't changed," Cologne was panting, her heart beating like a triphammer, though why she would be so intimidated at the forward advances of her one-time best friend was something she would have been at a loss to explain had anyone asked her, "You're still as irresponsible and reckless in your ways as I remember."

"Oh, now that hurts, Kho-chan," Siren pouted, "You know I would never do anything that was truly contrary to your nature. Are you telling me that you feel nothing when you look on me as a woman and not just what I represent?" and with that the blonde Archmage rose up out of the water and flexed her arms as she struck a pose designed to show of her quite remarkably physique to excellent effect. Cologne's eyes drank the sight of her in and for a moment she was utterly stupefied, only to wrench her eyes away with considerable effort.

"It makes no difference who you are and what you have become, Siren," Cologne fought to keep her voice steady, "You can't just come into my life and pretend the last three centuries never happened…"

"And did I say anything about that?" Siren asked, "And what is there about the last three centuries that would stand between us, pray tell? You've been married twice and so have I, you've had children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and even more that are on the way…and so have I. We've both seen generations come and go, yet we're both still here, and each of us is in rather good shape if I dare say so myself," she paused to strike another fetching pose, only this time Cologne ignored it, causing Siren to pout the more deeply.

"As you say, we have seen generations come and go," Cologne replied, "And we owe it to those generations yet to be born to serve as examples for the future…"

"Says who?" Siren asked, "The future will take care of its own, we should have a mind to take care of our own needs as we've done more than earn the right. There is no clan division between us, no rivalry between your family and mine, and I've always been content to let you rule as Matriarch without contesting your position. I'm not aware of any personal animosity that you should bear towards me, and you know that I would be more than willing to lend you my support, had you ever thought to ask me."

"Oh?" Cologne studied the hovering Archmage warily, "And I don't suppose you would know a way that I can restore my appearance before the rest of our people?"

"You mean hide yourself once more behind the illusion of the Crone?" Siren paused to consider this, "As I understand it, it was a splash of Jusenkyo water that cost you this ability by reinforcing your self-conception as a young girl and not an old woman. Doesn't warm water such as this weaken the effects of your Jusenkyo curse."

"You think I haven't tried that already?" Cologne frowned, "Even with hot water I can't reconstruct my illusion."

"Well, there you have it," Siren smiled, "The power of Jusenkyo water is certainly beyond the scope of ordinary magic, almost divine or sinister in nature, caused no doubt by a powerful intelligence far older than Amazon memory. It would seem in your case, however, that the power discharged itself in canceling out your illusion, effectively locking you in place as though it were Chiisituan itself…"

"Can you break this spell?" Cologne asked, cutting short this diagnosis.

"Hmm," Siren stroked her chin as she slipped back into the water, "Possibly…though I seriously doubt that it would be easy. Of a certainty it is beyond the means of any Lore Master, not that I'd suspect your former apprentice of being inclined to help you out. Of course I should stipulate that I would be most reluctant to agree to assist you in this deception, seeing how I've always been opposed to your hiding the truth from the Council in the first place."

"Never mind that," Cologne snapped, "Can you do this?"

'Hmm," Siren mused, "Perhaps I should qualify my earlier statement to make it plain that there is one exception to my earlier offer of assisting you…such as asking what is in it for me if I did go along with your desire to resume your identity as a dried up old piece of Mackerel Jerky?"

"It's my decision to make," Cologne replied with utter firmness.

"Oh really?" Siren arched pale eyebrows, "And here I thought it might either be the will of the Fates of the Gods that you end your long years of denying your Juraian heritage. You're far too honest a person to go on living a lie like this just to avoid the jealousy and resentment of your fellow Elders. What would Be-Dea and the others say if they knew that you had been keeping a thing like that from them all of these decades? Sooner or later you are going to have to face the music, Kho-chan, and it's better to do so on your own terms rather than having this choice forced upon you."

"And who are you to lecture me about responsibility?" Cologne asked flatly.

"No one special," Siren replied, "I just happen to be the person who is in love with you, that's all, and I have been…for almost as many years as I have known you."

Cologne stared in blank-eyed amazement at that as Siren turned away and sounded actually quite serious as she continued, "No, I will not consent to this, Kho-chan…not even for you. I will not assist you in resuming your lie or ducking out on a choice you must clearly make for yourself. You may call me selfish and irresponsible, but I love you too much to want to help you continue to bury a truth that you do not find comfortable in sharing with others…not that I can understand why you should feel that way, seeing as you do have a very lovely family, both the terrestrial kind and those who come from other planets."

"I'm not ashamed of my roots," Cologne insisted, albeit with a softer tone than she had used before, "I just don't think the Council will ever be ready to learn the truth regarding our origins…"

"Perhaps so," Siren turned a harder stare on Cologne than the latter would have anticipated, almost fierce with emotion as she seemed to bore into the Matriarch's very soul, "But we will never know if you insist on keeping the facts to yourself while swearing those few of us who know the truth to perpetual silence. It is not fair to the younger generation, like Ambergris herself, who must lead our people in time if she is to fulfill the prophesies of Lotion. You know as well as I do that Fate is a jealous mistress who does not like being cheated."

Cologne lowered her gaze as she stared into the water before responding to the unvoiced accusation, "You know that if I appeared to the Council as I am there would be trouble. Our entire way of life would be unsettled…"

"So who says it has to be common knowledge?" Siren asked, "The Elders can be trusted to keep a secret among themselves. Besides, if it's their wrath you're worried about, you know I will back you all the way, and so will Lotion. Between the three of us there is no one on the Council who would dare to challenge our combined authority. Your family and clan will not suffer reprisals and our people will be the stronger for the sharing of your knowledge."

"I am not as certain of this as you are," Cologne said reluctantly, "What I know…even you cannot suspect some of what I know. There is much that I would be reluctant to share with anyone…"

"Then share it with me," Siren mused, "Do you think you could stand to know some of what I know on account of my training? I've been to places you cannot even imagine, Kho-chan…I've done things…sometimes questionable, other times fully justified, and if you think it's easy living with that…well, I'm afraid we have radically different definitions of the word 'easy.'"

"I will allow that as a given," Cologne shrugged, "But the truth is that the task of being a Matriarch involves more than being a great fighter. I doubt even Ambergris could learn everything she needs to know from simply living life on the road or studying with the council."

"If you want to have a part in her future training, then you should go to her and offer to train her," Siren argued, "You would hardly be the first to groom your own successor, and she's far too intelligent to eschew your advice. No doubt she would even welcome a visit from you from time to time to give a critique of her performance?"

"Perhaps," Cologne mused thoughtfully, "As you say, it is something to consider."

"You see?" Siren smiled, "Learning to trust people to make their own decisions isn't as hard as you seem to imagine."

"Is that what you want me to do?" Cologne asked, "Trust in people to govern their own lives? And what of your trust in me…or are you waiting for me to lower my guard so you can deposit one of those Love Pearls that I know you're holding."

"Is that what's set you so much on edge around me?" Siren gave Cologne a coy expression, "You think I'm going to coerce you into surrendering your love to me by use of a Love Pearl? Well…let me set your mind at ease on that. I had considered resorting to the pearls in order to make you more…compliant with my wishes…but on further reflection I decided that this was not the way that I wanted to earn your love, so I gave the Lifetime Pearl to someone more in need of a change of venue. My young apprentice will now have to cope with the undying affections of a certain boy we both know who used to be a nuisance for your great-granddaughter…"

"What?" Cologne blinked her eyes, "Frost…and Mousse?"

"Don't you think they'll make a lovely couple?" Siren gave Cologne a kittenish expression, "Assuming Frost does not choose to remove him from existence in the corporeal world, or turn him into something even more loathsome and unpleasant. She might even grow accustomed to the thought of having the boy be her faithful love slave…the very same boy she's had a crush upon for years, and whose jilting of her was responsible for Frost losing so much of her youthful innocence."

Cologne considered the boy who had proven such a problem for Shampoo over the years, turning his affections towards the albino girl whose tolerance for his childish antics would prove remarkably brief, and gave a slight shudder, feeling actual pity for the boy who was the descendent of one of her most hated rivals on the Council.

"As for the day pill," Siren smiled, "I swallowed that one myself before I came here."

"You WHAT???" Cologne was amazed, even though it would account for the Archmage's preferred choice of extending her greetings.

"Indeed," Siren mused, "I wanted to make certain…and you know what? It didn't change my feelings for you in the slightest. That's because the pearls have only a limited effect upon true love, so my feelings will not wear off at the end of a day but will only grow more intense for you over time as I make plain the full extent of my desires." She gave Cologne a look that was knowing and confident as she added, "Mark me well, I will claim your heart for my own, Kho-chan. It is only a matter of time, and I think you already know that. You will never hide your feelings from me again and will come in time to know that those feelings are genuine, without artificial enhancement. Resist all you want, play hard to get with me if you must, but you and I will be lovers before long and then…oh yes! Then I will show you a world of enjoyment just waiting around the corner…all the love that has resided unrequited in my heart as I have watched you give your heart to others time and again. You will not deny me any longer, my beloved, dearest friend, and before a month is out you will even admit you love me. Count on that, for I have spoken."

The Archmage made a sweeping gesture with one hand and caused a water spout to form around her, briefly obscuring her from view, only to die away as suddenly as it had happened, leaving no trace of Siren in its wake. Cologne stared at the empty space rippling in the water for a long, tense moment, then released a slight shudder…though less from fear than of an unexpected certainty that Siren's words had been anything but empty.

And most confusing of all, she did not know of her own feelings on this matter, which truly was a disturbing concept…

"Oh man," Usagi grinned in relish, "Get a load of that sunset."

"I know," Rei replied as she squeezed Usagi's hand, "We never get sunsets like that in Tokyo…"

"This whole trip has been like some kind of a dream," Usagi mused as she rested her head against that of her beloved Shrine-maiden (well, less a maiden, but still much beloved) as the two shared a sigh, relishing in the warm of their mutual close contact, "What a bummer it has to end by tomorrow."

"Speak for yourself," Rei cooed ecstatically, "I'm gonna remember this cruise in the clouds for as long as I live, Usagi-chan."

"Make that double for me," Usagi turned her face towards her dark haired companion and kissed her.

"Well, aren't you two sounding chipper," chimed Ami as she looked up from the book that she had been reading, "I was beginning to wonder if the both of you would spend the whole trip in your room."

"Tempting," Usagi mused, "Especially with the kind of room service they give here. I never knew breakfast in bed could taste so sexy…"

"Especially when you eat something sweet off of the person you love," Rei agreed, giving Usagi a very naughty and self-indulgent smile that caused the odango-haired Moon Princess to shiver with delight at the mere memory of same.

Ami rolled her eyes and went back to her reading, even if the pages were starting to blur the longer she had to endure hearing the love-talk of her two best friends without fleeing for the safety of her own shared cabin. A vibrator was starting to sound a lot more interesting than the facts and figures of her text, and if she did not do something soon to relieve herself of sexual tension, then she was rather certain that she would very shortly go mad from sheer frustration.

"By the way," Usagi turned towards Ami as if just then remembering she existed, "How are you getting along sharing a room with that girl, Akane."

"Yeah," Rei sounded equally amused, "Any truth to the rumor that she's really your long lost twin sister?"

"I don't see how anyone could mistake the two of us for twins," Ami set her book aside and silently reminded herself that it was improper to think such thoughts as committing statutory rape on her two best friends, one of them even being her princess, "She's a nice enough girl, I suppose, but we have very little in common. She doesn't seem at all interested in either math or history, though she's hardly as ignorant as you on that subject, Usagi."

"Hey, don't bite my head off already," Usagi frowned, "What's eating you, Ami-chan?"

"Yeah," Rei also noticed the unusually sharp tone in their friend's voice, "Don't tell me you're not enjoying this cruise like the rest of us?"

"Oh, you know Ami," Usagi chided, "She probably fretting that she's the only member of our crew who came on board without a romantic interest, like her boyfriend, Uruwa, who's somewhere off in Okinawa studying with his father."

Correction, Ami mentally thought to herself. It was improper for her to be considering flogging her princess with whips, chains, strap-on dildos and a hot poker.

Aloud what she said was, "I would agree insofar that the curious meteorological effect provided by the sun reflecting off of those clouds as we are nearing sunset does create a most panoramic effect that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye and induces a pleasurable state upon the mind, but I am perfectly capable of enjoying such a view without requiring companionship, thank you very much."

"Translation," Rei murmured, "It's none of our business."

"Ah…I guess," Usagi said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head, "Sorry…I guess I really put my foot in my mouth that time…"

"Yeah, Riceball-Head," Rei chided, "Next time try putting your foot in my mouth."

"Ooh, you'd like that, would you?" Usagi leered.

Ami was beginning to miss the old days when all those two would do was fight and endlessly name call one another. She doubted rather much if she could be held accountable for her actions in a court of law if they insisted on torturing her this way…you never knew when she might just follow through on her baser impulses.

"Nihao," they were greeted as the priestess, Mon Mon, appeared on deck beside them, scanning the rail before adding, "Another lovely day comes to an end. I suppose you girls are enjoying the view, care of our prince?"

"Oh, we're definitely grooving on it, thanks," Usagi responded.

"It's weird you guys having a ship this advanced when you live in such a remote part of China," Rei noted.

"Not so very strange when you think about it," the Courtesan replied, "And we are not completely isolated from the world beyond our borders. This ship originally was a gift of the Italians in return for a generous supply of Pickled Olives that our then-Prince shipped to Rome as a gift for their Pontiff. Some German engineers installed much of the basic electrical systems after their Kaiser received a years supply of Sour Kraut, and they taught our people how to maintain the Royal Barge in good working order so that it is still airworthy after nearly a hundred years of service."

"I find that all quite fascinating," Ami remarked, "But I am interested in knowing how much further we have to travel before we reach Japan?"

"Not all that long, according to our navigator," Mon Mon replied, "Less than half a day's travel, which means we should be nearing Tokyo harbor by early morning."

"Gee, I think I can see land down there right now?" Usagi peered down over the railing, "And look…seagulls! We must be getting close to the Main Islands…"

"Ah…" Rei blinked her eyes, "Usagi-chan…those don't quite look like seagulls…"

"Eh?" Ami got up and went to the railing and had a look herself, then gasped, "You're right…those don't look at all like seagulls, and no gull can fly this high, nor are they as large as…" she fell silent for a moment then said, "I don't believe it!"

"Eh?" Mon Mon wondered what these young girls were going on about, but she used the excuse to lean in closer to the short-haired one named Ami (whom her Courtesan instincts were informing her had a serious case of pent-up sexual frustration, and thus much in need of relieving). Peering down through the clouds she scanned a number of dark objects that were in motion, gliding with the warm breezes that surrounded a looming volcano roughly the size of Mount Fuji, and as they approached this curious landmark they saw one of the winged predators angle towards them, drifting leisurely by until they could all see plainly that it was not a member of the bird family and was, in fact, rather lacking in feathers…

Minutes later Ranma, Shampoo and Nabiki came out on deck to stretch their own legs and saw the way that their friends were staring out over the rail as if mesmerized by something, and as they came over to join them Ranma asked, "Hey, Usagi-chan, what's the big deal here?"

Rather than answer him verbally, his blonde cousin merely pointed.

"Huh?" Nabiki glanced over the rail, and suddenly grew quite pale, "I don't believe it…!"

"Nabiki-chan," Shampoo's voice was unusually subdued as she asked, "Is usual find bird with no feathers as large as elephant?"

"That's no bird," Nabiki's voice quavered, "Those are Pterodactyls!"

"No way!" Ranma declared, "Stuff like that only exists in a movie!"

"Does that look like special effects to you?" Rei asked rhetorically as one particularly nasty looking specimen drifted closer to investigate this curious intrusion into its airspace.

"How could such a thing be possible?" Mon Mon asked in as much disbelief as the others, "Our pilot would never steer us off course from Japanese territories, yet somehow we have arrived at the near mythical island known to legend as Pangea!"

"Pangea?" Nabiki asked without taking her eyes off from the wicked row of teeth that was so easily gliding past their bow.

"Indeed," Lotion announced as she mysteriously appeared at their sides, "Otherwise known as The Lands that Time Forgot, visited long ago by a fellow named Doyle."

"But how could we possibly get this far off course?" Mon Mon wondered.

"Yeah," Rei agreed, "What idiot would deliberately steer us to some primitive Monster Island?"

"It would have to be someone who utterly lacked any sense or direction," Ami spoke aloud, then as one all faces exchanged sharp glances of mutual realization, followed shortly by a near-universal cry of, "RYOGA…!!!"

Continued

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