Ah My Goddess Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of Two Wallets ❯ Love Isn't Blind, Just Clueless... ( Chapter 76 )

A Tale of Two Wallets

(An Altered Destiny)

Written by Jim Robert Bader

Proofread by Shiva Barnwell

It was a Clow card after all, there was absolutely no doubt on that subject! Even if she had not been sensitive by nature to their presence, Sakura would have known a Card was responsible given the widespread nature of the disruption all around her.

That being a given, it was taking all of her hard-one skills to battle this particular Clow card, her normal means for containment having proven less than effective. Her Wind and Shadow cards were of no use in battling against the power of the Lust Card, for its very nature made it slippery and evasive. Even the Cold Water card hadn't done the trick in curbing the card's influence, for the power it was gaining from the people all around them was too great to be inhibited in such a manner. Sakura had even tried the Wood card, but that proved to be a mistake as what she got were tree-limbs that shaped themselves into phalluses, and that prompted some rather curious delights from a number of the semi-clad ladies who had been caught within its branches.

Worst still (as if all of this were not bad enough), the Lust card was even having an influence on Tomoyo, who for once was not sitting on the side with her trusty camera playing one-girl cheerleader to her heroine's heroics. No, this time Tomoyo had brought an entire film crew to capture for posterity Sakura's fierce battle against the errant Clow Card, and her efforts might have been a bit less embarrassing if not for the way that her friend was currently clinging to her body.

"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura cried in dismay as she clung to her wand while her friend clung to her on the rear of their flying keystick, "This isn't the time for this!"

"That's what you say," Tomoyo breathed into her ear as her hands roved up and down Sakura's body, even baring one of the latter's breasts to full view-MUCH to the dismay of Sakura! "Ohhh…do you know how long I've been waiting to do this with you? Oh, fly me to the moon and back, I love you, my darling!"

Sakura's mind was doing some rather interesting things while all of this was happening, not the least of which was attempting to keep the both of them airborne while crashing seemed like a more inevitable option!

"What are you two doing screwing around like this?" cried a cross voice, as a huge winged griffin appeared in the air beside them, "You've got work to do! Finish this off later!"

"Kero-chan!" Sakura pleaded to the guardian beast of all Clow Cards, "This isn't my idea! You've got to help me! Tomoyo-chan-HEY! Quit that already!"

"Oh," the griffin replied rather sheepishly, his expression owl-eyed, "Er…well…what exactly do you suggest?"

"Get her off of me so I can concentrate on the card!" Sakura pleaded, thinking of what an irony it was that Tomoyo usually fussed so much to get her INTO a costume, and now here she was trying to tear her own handiwork off of Sakura's body!

"Er…okay," the Griffin replied, and swooped up behind Tomoyo, gently fastening his claws upon her body and lifting her off of Sakura's winged wand, not to mention off of Sakura.

"Hey!" it was Tomoyo's turn to protest, "Sakura-chan-!"

"I'll just be a moment!" Sakura called out, producing a card from her side-pack that bore the signature of "The Void." She summoned the power of the card and all at once a whirling vacuum-shaped vortex surrounded a certain area where Sakura sensed the card's influence was strongest. Sure enough this time a Saffron-shaped image of a woman appeared, which was precisely what Sakura was hoping for. Swooping in low she converted her wand from winged to normal mode and summoned up her energies, crying out in a loud voice, "CLOW CARD, CHANGE TO YOUR TRUE SHAPE!"

She struck out with the bird-beaked head of her wand, and the energies swirled around there to form a more localized vortex. The Void card faded out, leaving in its place a second card that bore the emblem of the lusty golden woman.

"Whew!" Sakura sighed as she took this card in hand, "That was tougher than I thought it would be! I must be out of shape since it's been months since I fought my last Clow Card…"

Kero dropped down and deposited Tomoyo in the sand beside her, then shrank his appearance down to appear less fearful. Sakura's dark-haired companion blinked her eyes and glanced around before saying, "Wh-what happened?

"Tomoyo-chan," Sakura grinned in relief, "Are you feeling any better?"

Tomoyo blinked her eyes and actually thought about it for a moment, then raised a hand to her cheek and said, "Oh my…I embarrassed myself, didn't I? I'm so sorry, Sakura-chan…I don't know what came over me all of a sudden…"

"Forget it," Sakura flashed the card and winked, "With this thing contained you and everybody else should be returning to normal…huh?"

Much to her astonishment, Tomoyo put her arms around Sakura and buried her face in the other girl's shoulder, then in a trembling voice she said, "I've wanted to tell you for years, but…I was always afraid of how you would react. I never expected to have to divulge my deepest secret to you under the influence of a Clow card…"

"Hah?" it was her turn to blink, and Sakura wondered if maybe this card was maybe having residual effects upon its victims.

"It's just that," Tomoyo pushed away a bit to stare up into Sakura's eyes, and then in a trembling voice she said, "I love you…I always have. I never admitted it before, but I've been in love with you since the day we met, I've just never been certain if you care about me the same way. Sexually, that is…and I don't just mean that because of the Lust Card…"

"Hah?" Sakura repeated, her mind suddenly turning as blank as any cherry blossom.

"Uh oh," the mini-griffin at her side remarked with a hint of serious worry…

Nabiki's Journal Continues:

"In Brightest Day, in Full of Night,

Thy power spawned of infinite might,

That Cupid's shafts of Eros make

Should passion in the heart to wake,

Let now the spell that cast thee out

To swine whose lusts thou hast won out,

Begone now from these jaded hearts,

Return to thy setting, thy Mistress's arts!"

Okay, that was a rough translation of the words that Siren was speaking and as poetry goes I wouldn't even set it against the most insipid verse ever misquoted by Kuno. The point is that I could feel the current shaping themselves around her as the Archmage did her recall thing, and all I can tell you for a fact was that her spell was mighty effective.

Almost instantly I saw Yumi staggering on her feet, as did Ukyo and several other persons whom I spied here and yon behaving in a similar such manner. Even as this happened I saw the currents swirling around the bracelet in Siren's hand, and to my wondering yes it did indeed seem as if the pearls reformed out of nothing, like bits of sand coming together to form a pair of tiny marbles of glassy alabaster.

Seconds after she did this, I heard Atsuko groaning while my father clutched his head and leaned against Silk's shoulder. Even Kuno seemed to recover himself about then, only to immediately discover that he was cuffed and gagged, to which he voiced a muffled opinion that we all chose to ignore for the moment.

"Very good," Lotion remarked, "For once nothing went wrong."

"Your faith in me is underwhelming, Darling," Siren mused, "But in truth it was easier than even I believed would be the case. It's like some element of resistance went out at the end there, making my spell all the easier. I suspect whatever influence was causing the pearls to go out of control had been contained by another agency…of course that's only an educated guess. You could, of course, confirm it for me, O' mighty Lore Master."

"My senses have already confirmed the accuracy of your statement," Lotion replied, "I suspect the agency in question was drawn to this location by the release of my granddaughter's spell. You really should be more careful in filtering outside influences out of your summons, my dear."

"Hey," Silk protested, "I didn't have time to think about it, I was reacting on instinct."

"Oh man," Atsuko winced as she pushed up off of the sand, "Anybody get the number of that truck?"

"I could use a few stiff ones myself at the moment," Yumi slowly uncovered her eyes and glanced around, then in a low voice of menace, "WHERE IS HE? Where is that fat fool, Genma!"

"Uh oh," murmured Daddy as he, too, began to recover.

"Heeding the better call of valor," Hairbrush replied, nodding towards a retreating black-and-white mass whose distinctive shape was telling.

"I'll kill him!" Yumi reached up over her back as if expecting to find a spatula waiting there at hand. She paused when she realized that she was effectively without weapon, but then shrugged her burly shoulders then took off after Uncle Genma anyway, not doubt to relieve some stress that she was currently experiencing.

"Oh my," Kasumi remarked, "I hope she isn't too hard on Uncle Genma. After all it was the love pearl that was affecting her judgement."

"Somehow I don't think Kuonji senior is going to be very understanding about this," Kodachi remarked as if finding great amusement in the discomfiture of Ranma's father.

"How do you feel?" Silk asked of my father.

"Like I just walked into the middle of a play," Daddy glanced around then took notice of Silk's expression and instantly became concerned, cupping her face with one hand as we all began to notice the bruises and cuts all over her body.

"Who did this???" Daddy demanded, and from his wrathful expression it was plain that he was contemplating his "Divine Wrath" attack against the offending party.

Silk quirked a smile at that and said, "You did…airen."

To say that we all goggled at that was like saying the fish-eyed expression on my father's face was paler than normal. Silk maintained her smile before she finally took pity on him and said, "Just kidding. You don't think I'd take advantage of you like that, much though it is tempting…"

"But…but…how…I never…!" Daddy sputtered with his best, "caught in the headlights" expression.

"We'll discuss it later," Silk patted him on the arm, turning a glance towards Atsuko before adding, "Let's just say I caught a certain Fox in the hen house and leave it at that."

"Huh?" Atsuko blinked her eyes, and then her whole body reddened, "Ohgawd! Don't tell me…no way!"

"Mom?" Ryoga asked, not catching on to the significant way in which Silk was standing between the Oni and my father.

"Dad?" Akane asked with a similar expression.

"You don't want to know, sister," Kachu replied, "Believe me."

"Never mind, you two," Silk said as smoothly as her namesake, "Your parents and I just need to discuss something between us, and there's no reason why it should affect you."

"I got a feeling that's gonna be some discussion," Ukyo murmured under his breath.

"How are you feeling?" Lotion asked her, "Any lingering affects from your brush with the Love Pearl?"

"Love Pearl?" Ukyo repeated, then glanced at Akane, then back again, "Is that what is was? I…ah…don't feel any different…"

"You mean you don't remember?" Akane asked, trying to hide her disappointment.

"Um…" Ukyo swallowed, "Ah…actually I do…ah…"

"Hey, don't sweat it, Ucchan," Ranma clapped him on the shoulder, "Nobody was acting normal just now, and the less said about it the better."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo suddenly exclaimed, "What about Shampoo mother and Ranma mother?" she glanced around with a worried expression.

"A good point that," her father remarked, "Why don't the three of us go looking? I'm sure it's safe enough for me to come near to Nodoka…"

"SAY WHAT???" Ranma reacted.

"I've got a feeling there's going to be a lot of that going around," Siren said in obvious amusement, examining the bracelet in her hand, which was now sporting three pearls in its setting, "With folks returning to normal, a lot of customers aren't exactly going to be wild about discovering what they were doing."

"Do you think perhaps you might do something about that?" Tofu asked, "Maybe give them a temporary case of mass amnesia?"

"I'll think about it," Siren mused with a mischievous look in her eyes, "On the other hand, most of those affairs will only be more intensified forms of attraction between parties who may have had an interest in one another to begin with, so maybe this will be the necessary push to get a few such parties together…which reminds me…where did that delightful Cologne get off to?"

"No way!" Atsuko reacted, "I don't feel any attraction for HIM!" she pointed at Daddy, "And no way do I want to remember! All I want is to find my Gen-chan!"

"Well you'd better hurry up," Kodachi replied in some amusement, "Because if Kuonji Yumi catches him before you do, he'll likely be adorning the wall to her restaurant before sunset."

"SHE WHAT!???" Atsuko called out, "I've gotta stop her!" and with that she took off… naturally in the wrong direction!

"Mom!" Ryoga started forward, only to have Akane restrain him.

"Oh no you don't!" my sister insisted, "No sense having the both of you get lost at the same time!"

"Perfume go catch her," the Amazon Enforcer sighed, turning an apologetic look to her companion, the younger Lotion, "You wait here?"

"Of course," the blue haired girl replied with a gentle smile, "You do what needed, get Oni-girl and find panda."

As the brown haired Amazon took off at a run after the Oni, I turned to the elder Lotion and said, "What now?"

"Now," my mentor replied, "You need to go with your husband and wife to seek out their parents before Nodoka awakes to find herself in a most compromised situation."

"Uh…" I blinked my eyes as I understood her meaning, "Yeah…good idea. Hey, wait up, Ranchan, I'll come with you!"

"Ranchan?" I heard Ukyo asked me as I passed him.

"We'll discuss royalties later, okay?" I pleaded, not wanting to have to explain why I had instinctively taken to using his favorite pet name on my iinazuke…

"I don't understand," Usagi glanced around as they neared the pier without finding their elusive quarry, "Why did Rei take off like that? I thought those pearls…well…" she colored slightly.

"I'm sure she had good reasons for doing it," Ami replied, "Perhaps she was trying to avoid looking at you…or any one of us for that matter."

"Oh, she got a pretty good look at me," Usagi glanced down at the sands and experienced a brief memory of the look that was in the priestess's eyes before breaking contact, and of her own brief surge of desire that had resulted from the pearl she had almost swallowed, "What I don't understand is her running away like she was in terror."

"Well," Mina said aloud, "If Rei were here she'd probably say something nasty, but you're right…it is strange that she reacted so differently from how everybody was behaving who swallowed those love pearls."

"You're telling me?" said the white cat trudging along at her side, "And what was with you and the sudden interest in wildlife?"

"Excuse me?" Luna asked dryly, "Were you talking to me, Mister Hormones? And what was with you treating Mina's leg like it was rubbed in catnip?"

"Yeah?" Minako eyed the white cat, "What's the deal with that anyway? You'd think you were part dog the way you were acting."

"Ah…" the white cat said like one who desperately wanted to drop the subject.

"At least the effects appear to have worn off of everyone," Ami glanced around, "It almost seems as if everything thing is gradually getting back to normal…"

All of a sudden the three girls and two cats drew up short as another party of five crossed their path. The lead girl was pleading to the shorter girl at her side, "But Mill-chan…!"

"How could you betray me like that?" the younger girl complained, "Chasing after Rapier instead of me? Oneechan, you are only allowed to look on me with lust in your eyes! Why, if we were both back home I'd have the pair of you executed!"

"Urk!" a statuesque blond figure paled noticeably, her blue eyes darting to the shorter girl as she said, "But Princess…"

"Yeah," said another young woman whose wiry reddish-brown hair was held from her forehead by a headband, "What is the deal with that? And you chasing after Orin when you could have me for your bosom companion."

"Hey," a blonde haired giant of a man remarked, "Leave me out of this one. I was an innocent bystander…"

The three senshi waited until this group had fully passed beyond earshot before Ami chanced to remark, "Well…normality is a very relative concept…"

"Ah…" Minako blinked her eyes, "Was I seeing things, or did it look to you guys like that one girl had a pixie riding between her bosoms?"

"You saw that too?" Artemis asked in a mixture of relief and worry.

Of a sudden Usagi turned and stared at the boardwalk, or rather at a shadowy place just beneath where the pier joined up with the boardwalk. Motioning to her friends she said, "Ah…guys? Would it be all right if you all wait here for a minute? I think I'd rather do this by myself."

"You see Rei?" Luna asked.

"I think I…I can sense her," Usagi took a deep breath and the added, "Wish me luck."

"Sure," Minako replied, "With Rei you'll probably need it."

"But you know you'll have us to talk to if either of you need us later," Ami said reassuringly, then stayed behind with Mina while Usagi walked under the shadow of the boardwalk.

"Rei, are you here?" she asked.

"Go away!" came the immediate confirmation.

"I can't do that, Rei," Usagi felt her confidence flagging and took a deep breath to regather her nerves, "We need to talk…about that Love Pearl thing. You don't have to worry any more, it seems to have worn off with everybody else."

"What makes you think I'm worried?"

Usagi located Rei's position by her voice and moved in closer, "Who are you trying to kid? You took off like you'd seen a ghost or something. Am I really that awful that you couldn't even look at me without running in terror?"

"With a face like yours, is that so surprising?" Rei automatically countered, but her tone lacked conviction, "Just go away, Usagi…I don't…I can't deal with this…"

"Well why not?" Usagi edged closer, "Don't you even want to yell at me and call me names? After all, it was my fault for swallowing that pearl like a total doofus…"

"It wasn't your fault," Rei replied, "You were just being yourself, Usagi."

"Ouch," Usagi winced, though she wasn't certain quite sure how the Shrine Maiden had intended that statement.

"It's my fault," Rei sounded miserable, "I'm the one who should be sorry."

"Hah?" Usagi blinked, taking a chance and coming near enough to Rei that she could make her out where the other girl was hunched down beneath the shadow of the concrete pillars binding the pier to the boardwalk, "How is it your fault? I'm the one who spat the thing into your mouth…"

"Don't remind me," Rei said in a low grumble, "I probably got Usagi germs in me or something."

"Now that almost sounds like the Rei that I remember," Usagi got as near to Rei as she could manage then sat down beside her, "Want to tell me why you ran? Am I really that awful?"

"No," Rei replied, then after a long moment she sighed, "Usagi…do you ever think at all about the future?"

Usagi blinked, "No…why, do you?"

"I didn't until now," Rei informed her, "We all know that Luna and Artemis keep going on about us recreating the Silver Millennium of peace and justice, and then there's Chibi-Usa from the future who showed us what our future might be like. From the looks of things the future seems pretty bright for all of us, provided we can keep those Dark Kingdom Nega-creeps from messing things up."

"What's this got to do with that Pearl?" Usagi wondered.

"Everything," Rei rested her chin on her hands, which were cupped over her knees, "I saw the future, Usagi…all of it, our whole damned lives laid out in front of us. Something about that pearl triggered my clairvoyance and gave me a vision…more like a revelation. It was like seeing everything being fast forwarded, about a thousand years going by me in the span of a minute. I don't remember too many details, but it was like I lived my life out in every exciting, fun filled moment, and it was beautiful…so very beautiful. It's the kind of life I want to lead…only…only it's nothing like I expected."

"You're talking in riddles again," Usagi gave her friend a faint smile of indulgence, "But if it was so wonderful, why did you cry out like that and run away?"

"Because…" Rei paused, took a deep breath, then started again, "Because the future I saw…was one where you and me…you and Mamoru…the three of us…" she paused again before resuming, "All three of us were in it together."

Usagi blinked her eyes then said, "So?" She blinked again and continued, "TOGETHER?"

"Ah hah," Rei nodded, "You, me and…and him."

"Ah…as in sharing a house together?" Usagi was a bit hopeful.

"As in sharing the same bed," Rei stated a bit more bluntly.

"The same bed?" Usagi thought that over a moment before her eyes got round and she glanced away with a faint, "Oh."

"Oh?" Rei arched an eyebrow, "Is that all you've got to say? Oh?"

"Ah…wait a minute," Usagi turned back to Rei as if to demand clarification, "Are you saying that the both of us are sharing Mamoru?"

"Among other things," Rei answered.

"Other…things?" Usagi asked faintly.

"Usagi," Rei was a bit short-tempered as she growled the word, "We weren't just doing it with Mamoru. I saw the both of us in bed…TOGETHER! As in YOU and ME, you got it???"

"Don't shout at me, Rei," Usagi replied, "I'm not that stupid. I just…I mean…really?"

"Really," Rei confirmed a bit sadly.

"Oh…" a long pause held in the air between the two friends as the implications of that slowly settled into focus. Only after the silence seemed to compel something else to be said did Usagi venture, "So…you mean to say that we both get married to Mamo-chan and live happily together in the future?"

"Just about," Rei answered.

"That's…pretty wild, Rei," Usagi noted in an unusually thoughtful manner, "I never thought you'd be that hard up to find your own boyfriend."

"Me neither," Rei answered.

"Unless…" Usagi paused again to turn a glance at her companion, who was barely visible in the gloom under the boardwalk, "Rei…do you like me?"

"What kind of a question is that?" Rei reacted with a start.

"I think it's a pretty reasonable one," Usagi replied, "Under the circumstances."

Rei glanced away and took her time before answering, "No, Usagi…I don't…like you…"

"Oh?" Usagi could not conceal a certain disappointment in her expression.

"I…love you," Rei concluded her statement.

"…" was Usagi's only reply.

That brought on another long pause, and then Rei continued again, "I had this really…strange ending to my vision…about the two of us when we're both really, really old…like a couple thousand years from now. In fact…I saw you…laying in bed…and you were dying…" Rei shut her eyes and for a moment could not speak about it, but when she did her voice was tight with emotion, "You were over two thousand years old and your body was worn out. You'd used the Silver Imperial Crystal one too many times, I think…or whatever it was…I was right there beside you…"

"Rei?" Usagi glanced at her fellow senshi with a look of amazement, seeing the faint gleam of tears upon her cheeks.

"It was so real!" Rei resumed, "It was like actually being there and seeing it happen! I was holding your hand and you were comforting ME! You were asking me to be brave, to look after Princess Rini, who you'd named as your successor. You were about to die and you wanted me to be strong, and I wasn't…"

"Rei," Usagi tried to gently get her attention.

"I wanted you to live!" Rei cried out, "I didn't want you to leave me! We'd both lost Endymion many years before that, and now it was like you were about to leave me for him, and I hated you for it, and I wanted to die with you so I wouldn't live without you!"

"Rei?" Usagi tried a bit more forceful.

"I was the one who always wanted to protect you!" Rei cried, "I swore an oath to lay down my life rather than to see you harmed! We were all your loyal soldiers, but I was the one who truly knew you, and you were the only one who really knew my heart…"

"Rei!" Usagi said more insistently.

"You can't know what it felt like to be the only one left…to be alone…to be the one who had to carry on the torch for the sake of the next generation, ME! The one who could never control her temper…"

"REI!!!" Usagi finally resorted to shouting.

"What?" Rei asked, finally acknowledging her princess.

"I love you too," Usagi smiled, taking Rei by the hand, "Even if you do drive me crazy."

"Usagi-chan?" Rei blinked, squeezing back automatically and finding she liked the warmth of the other girl's hand between her fingers.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you," Usagi continued, "You know I never want to do that. I can't say what the future holds, I don't have your power to see things before they happen…but…wouldn't it be better if we maybe tried to live the future rather than try to live in it before it happens?"

"Usagi," Rei found herself smiling and crying at one and the same time, "Thank you."

"No…thank you," Usagi squeezed Rei's hand between her own fingers, "I've been such a thoughtless pest lately, going on and on about Mamoru. I haven't even seen the guy in almost a year, and the whole time you've been right there beside me trying to make me feel better. Is that clueless or what?"

"For you?" Rei managed a sly look, "No."

"Ouch," Usagi found herself smiling, "Tell you what…I try and be a little more considerate in the future. I mean…you spend more time with me than you do at the temple, and the least I can do is try and cheer you up once in a while."

"I don't mind," Rei said gently, "I may not admit it, but most of the time…I like being around you. Even if you do drive me crazy."

The two young girls shared a light chuckle over that, and then Usagi tugged Rei's hand and said, "Come on, let's go find the others, they've been really worried about you."

"Okay," Rei replied, allowing herself to be drawn to her feet, "I suppose we ought to go let them know that we're both all right, even if Minako-chan is an awful flirt and a gossip who can't keep her mouth shut."

"I DO NOT!!!" the aforementioned blonde herself cried out as she poked her head from around behind one of the piers, only to be yanked back hastily by the hand of Ami.

Usagi blinked her eyes and said, "Hey, are you guys eavesdropping on us?"

"Nobody here but us kittens!" a voice called out, followed closely by a muffled male voice crying, "LUNA!"

Usagi blinked her eyes then turned to her companion, "You knew they were listening in?"

"Of course," Rei smiled sly, "You have to know these things when you're a priestess…"

Shampoo's Diary Resumes:

Father showed us where he had last seen Mother and Ranma's mother together, and sure enough we crept up upon them and found them sleeping side-by-side, totally naked. Mother was curled up around Nodoka's body with the both of them were facing towards the east. It was a cozy spot nestled in the sand away from prying eyes and shielded by coral formations while dry enough not to disturb them, precisely the sort of place that I would have expected my mother to select, though usually I would have expected to find her in such a place cozying up with my father.

Under ordinary circumstances I would have found the pair of them very cute as we found them, two handsome warriors still in the prime of their youth and health, obviously having enjoyed the comforts of each others' bodies and having exhausted themselves with spirited vigor. Of course the fact that they were our parents no doubt prompted Ranma to experience a less favorable reaction, one I in some measured shared as this was not a thing either one of us would have expected.

"What the hell…?" my husband started to protest.

"Cool it, Ranma-kun," Nabiki urged, "You want to embarrass them both and make your mom feel dishonored? You know how prickly she can get on that subject…"

"She's right, Son-in-law," Father agreed with my wife, "Your mother is a very traditional minded woman, and while her conduct was no more under her control than my wife's, it would be better if we don't cause either one of them to feel too crowded."

"Then how are we to wake them, Father?" I asked, keeping my voice hushed so as not to carry far enough for our two mothers to hear us.

"A good question," he murmured in his usual sage and thoughtful way, then turned to Nabiki and said, "What do you think we should do, Daughter-in-law? You and Ranma have as much a stake in this as Shampoo, and you understand the traditional mindset that your mother tends to embody."

"Ah…" Ranma winced, "I don't think either me or Nabiki are all that traditional, but I guess Mom would feel pretty bad if she was doing something she thought Pop wouldn't approve of…"

"Not that his opinions should count for a whole lot here," I added, "Bottom line, what's the worst sort of reaction we could expect here? Think the two of them are gonna wake up and start screaming their heads off?"

"Wait," I said, catching sight of a slight movement as Mother's chest rose and fell, and then I heard her breathing deepen over the crash of the surf that was obscuring our own voices, "They are waking."

We all hunched down and held our breaths as Mother and Nodoka began to move as if regaining consciousness, and then the signs of slow recognition taking place caused us all to tense, and then my mother-in-law turned her head towards my mother and in a voice so soft even I had trouble hearing it said, "Comb-san?"

"Nodoka?" Mother sat upright and stared down at the other woman, then glanced wildly around herself and said, "What the hell…?"

"Oh my," Nodoka also looked around and seemed to take notice of the fact that the both of them were naked, "Where are our swimsuits? Did we just go skinny dipping together?"

Among the various discoveries that I have made during my stay in Japan, the one most appropriate for a situation such as this is called a facefault. I practiced this technique spontaneously, as did my wife, husband and even father. When we recovered I saw mother sitting up with a disbelieving expression on her own face, and then in a skeptical growl she said, "I think we did a lot more than that together…in fact…I…seem to remember…ah…"

"Oh my!" Nodoka also sat upright, but unlike mother she made a point to cover her breasts with her hands for some peculiar reason, "I…see what you mean. Oh my! Comb-chan…I never knew…oh dear…"

For a moment the both of them seemed to be experiencing recent memories of joint activities that they had no doubt shared together, and I would have to be supremely naïve as regarding such matters not to at least have some idea as to how they could have exhausted one another in a span slightly less than one full hour.

"My husband," Nodoka said as if just remembering him in passing, "How will I explain myself to Dearest? Genma will be so disappointed in me…"

"In you?" Mother asked, "What am I going to tell my husband? How the hell do I explain my sleeping with you of all people?"

"I know that this is very unexpected," Nodoka replied with a sheepish expression, "And I don't think it's the sleeping part that needs explaining…"

"Uh…oh, yeah…right," my Mother glanced away with a very troubled expression.

"I have dishonored myself and my family," Nodoka sighed, "Whether Dearest learns of my transgression or no, I have violated my sacred marriage vows and must atone for my dishonor in the only manner worthy of the daughter of my samurai ancestors."

"W-What?" my mother reacted, "You mean…? But that's CRAZY!"

"It is the Bushido," my mother-in-law replied, "I cannot ask that you understand our ways, but you must respect them, just as I do those Amazon rules that you are so fond of."

"But that's an entirely different-!" my Mother stopped herself, "Ah…well, maybe it isn't, but that doesn't mean you have to kill yourself!"

"As I said you don't have to believe in our ways," Nodoka said, "But as a fellow warrior I appeal to you to act as my second…"

"You-WHAT?" Mother reacted with typical non-restraint, "You want me to take your head off after you stab yourself in the throat???"

"Nani?" I heard my husband exclaim beside me, an understandable reaction as I was similarly dismayed upon hearing this revelation.

"Well," Nodoka replied, "You don't have to pretend as if you haven't thought about taking my head off…"

"That's not the point!" my mother reacted, "How could I ever face Genma or your son…?!?"

"I admit that it is a difficult situation that I am placing you in…"

"YOU'RE DAMNED RIGHT IT'S DIFFICULT!" my Mother shouted, "You're always putting me into these fixes, well-no way am I going to go through with something as wrong-headed as this, and I will not be making your son an orphan! Find some other way of getting over this, will you?"

"I see," Nodoka sighed, "Then I suppose it must fall upon my son to perform his duties as my second…"

"NANI???" Ranma reacted, but Nabiki and I clamped our hands over her mouth to keep her exclamation from drowning out the crashing wave that struck the rocks at that same instant.

"You can't expect him to understand this any more than I do!" Mother was on her feet and typically heedless of her unclothed stature, "This is a totally unreasonable request of yours, and all because the two of us made out together…I mean, try and think logically for once! We weren't acting in our right minds, and it's not as if I wanted to make love to you of all people…"

"Oh?" Nodoka asked with a hint of disappointment, "Are you saying you wouldn't make love to me of your own free will?"

Mother blinked her eyes to that and said, "Come again?"

"Or is it just that I wasn't interesting enough for you to make love with?" Ranma's mother persisted, "For what it's worth, I had nothing to complain about, and you rather seemed to enjoy me."

"Hah?" my mother reacted in surprise to that, "Th-That has nothing to do with it! I just don't see why you have to kill yourself over a thing like this? You Japanese…you can be so exasperating…!"

"Is that why you fell in love with my husband?" Nodoka asked, "Because you find him exasperating?"

The surf was too loud at that moment for me to hear if Mother made any reply to this, but the two of them looked at one another for a very long moment, and then Nodoka got to her feet and faced Mother directly, smiling at her as she lowered her hands from her breasts and stood in a more confident manner.

"You don't have to be ashamed of admitting it, you know," Nodoka replied, "You knew him before he and I met, and he almost defeated you, which would have made him your husband. You chose to go back to China and seek out a man of your own to love after surrendering him to me. I never did have the opportunity to properly thank you for that, and even though Genma has not always been an ideal husband, he gave me a son that has made everything worthwhile."

"Wow," I heard Nabiki murmur at our side, "She's good."

I wanted to ask her what she meant by that, but I was too busy listening in on the conversation taking place between at least two of our parents.

"Wh-what are you saying?" my Mother was then asking her of her nominal rival.

"That if things had been different and he had chosen you over me," Nodoka resumed, "Or Genma for that matter, then I know you both would have been happy together…." She paused and added a wry smile before saying, "Of course you would have kept him on a tighter leash than I did, and you still would have had to deal with Atsuko, and then you might never have met your handsome husband and had your three lovely daughters, and I think that would be such a shame. But in a way things did work out for the better, so I guess that means that you and I are now family on more than one level…"

"More than one…what?" Mother asked as the rest of us strained to catch each word that they were saying.

"Well, after all," Nodoka said coyly, "Our children have united us in marriage, and yet we already share kinship ties on my father's side of the family, and your grandmother is, after all, my cousin…so we're all family, right?"

"W-W-W-What?" my mother started, which was a fair estimate of my own reaction.

"Didn't you know?" Nodoka asked sweetly, "Not too surprising…your grandmother does seem to keep a lot of things to herself, not that there's anything wrong with admitting to being family…and I guess what goes between family can't be wrong and dishonorable. After all…you were almost first wife to my husband."

"First…wife?" my mother's blinking was almost loud enough to be heard over the ocean.

"So maybe you are right and what we did was not dishonorable after all," Nodoka glanced away, "Although…for a brief time there I was strongly attracted to your husband, and in that moment I did dishonor my own husband…"

"It-It was the pearls that did it to us!" my mother blurted out, "We weren't behaving as ourselves…we were both under the influence of those accursed Love Pearls, only they must have worn off after an hour!"

"I suppose that might explain why we did it," Nodoka said simply, "But it doesn't change the fact that we did it, and for that brief moment I wanted someone other than my husband to make love to me. You prevented me from dishonoring myself with your husband, but the intent was still within my heart, and I must bear the weight of that from this day forward. It would be easier to seek the honorable path, but you are right to say that it would bring great injury to those I love, so I guess for their sake I must go on and live with this sorrow…"

"You're being ridiculous," Mother told her, "If you're dishonored then so am I, and if you think Amazon armor is any less than your Japanese pride, you're quire mistaken!"

"Perhaps you are right," Nodoka smiled, "Then perhaps we should go find our swimsuits so we can return to the beach and seek our husband to ask for their forgiveness."

"Now you're talking sensible at last," Mother said, glancing around, "Only…ah…I don't see my suit anywhere, or yours either for that matter."

"Then maybe we should wait for someone to find us," Nodoka said, "I'm sure Genma or Ranma will want to know where we are and what we have been doing."

"Urk!" Mother reacted, "On second thought…maybe I can do something after all. If I can just find my foldspace…" she patted her side, looking more than slightly disconcerted.

"Your what?" Nodoka asked her.

"It's a technique we Amazons use to store things," Mother replied, "Now be quiet and let me concentrate. This will take a moment…and I hope I have something stored there that we can both find useful…"

"Hey guys, what are you doing?" a voice startled the lot of us so that we all gave a yelp and turned around to see Atsuko approaching with Ranma's father in tow and no sign of Kuonji's mother.

"Ah, Atsuko-san," Father promptly explained, "I see you've managed to keep the fur rug on Genma's hide…what a pity."

"Ah, deal with it," Atsuko sniffed, turning to us and saying, "What are you kids doing hiding among the rocks? Did you find Comb and Nodoka?"

Seeing no use in denying this, my airen and I just pointed.

"SAY WHAT???" Atsuko exclaimed when she got a good look at the sight of her two rivals, even as I saw my father-in-law's eyes increase to twice their normal size.

"We're trying to figure out a way to let them know we're here," Nabiki said, "Do you think you could keep it down a little?"

"Yeah," Ranma agreed, "They're gonna hear you if you carry on like that."

"Oh really?" the Oni woman grinned hugely, then she gave a dark chuckle and stalked around the rock, "This I've just got to see for myself!"

"But wait…!" Nabiki hissed at her, only to be ignored by Ryoga's mother, who stalked out into the open and right up to her rivals with a hint of glee in her voice and expression. Genma hung back for a moment but then promptly hurried his pace to catch up to the Oni.

"Aha!" Atsuko cried, "Caught you two in the act, did we? And what were you two up to while you were under the influence?"

"Who are you to ask that?" Mother immediately responded, only to blink her eyes when she caught sight of Genma, even as Nodoka gasped, "Dearest?"

Ranma's father held up a sign in his paw, which read, "Are you two all right?"

"We are," Mother gulped, "Ah, look…it's not what it looks like…"

"Oh yeah?" Atsuko grinned, putting hands on her hips with a hint of triumph in her voice, "Looks a lot like you two were keeping pretty busy. Don't tell me you let 'Doka here seduce you?"

"Seduce me?" Mother blinked her eyes in reaction.

"Ah…I'm afraid it was more the other way around," Nodoka replied, "But it wasn't Comb-chan's fault…or mine either, I hope. Can you forgive me, husband?"

Genma turned the sign around and asked, "For what?"

After an obligatory facefault by Atsuko and my mother, the Oni leaped back to her feet and said, "THEY MADE LOVE TOGETHER, YOU CLOD! Don't tell me you didn't figure that one out?"

Genma turned the sign around again and now it read, "With or without Hairbrush?"

"Eh?" Mother replied, "What difference does that…?"

"Without him," Nodoka answered.

The sign turned around once again and now read, "So, what's the problem?"

"Huh?" Atsuko gasped, "You mean…you don't mind…how could you???"

Genma turned the sign around once more and it read, "I forgive you for Soun, and no one can blame me about Yumi."

"You…you do?" Atsuko's tone softened.

"You and…Soun?" Mother repeated.

"What about you and Yumi?" Nodoka asked with an odd expression.

I saw worry cross the panda's features as the sign turned around once again and read, "Never mind…forget I said that…"

I felt Nabiki nudge me and turned to see what it was that she wanted, only to see her point off to one side, where Ranma and I took notice of some bits of cloth laying in the sand. We understood at once, and the both of us slipped from our concealment to seek these barely noticeable strands out from where they lay half-buried in the surf, and sure enough we found a pair of swimsuits…or at least the top of one and the bottom of the other.

"I guess it's the best we can do," Ranma offered, "Now how do we get these to them?"

"Leave that to me," our clever wife replied, "You just keep looking for the rest of their swimsuits, okay?"

We of course agreed with this plan, and Nabiki headed off to where our mothers were to present to them the incomplete halves of their two suits. I did not know what words she said to them to explain our sudden appearance, but a short time later Mother and the others came out from behind the rocks with their suits complete and a smile on the face of the Oni. Father greeted them both very politely, but his soft smile was meant to be reassuring as he said, "I trust everything is well with you now?"

"Well enough," Nodoka replied, "But I think it would be best if we get back to where we left our belongings. Atsuko-chan is preserving our modesty, but I would prefer not to have to rely on her illusions."

"Same here," Mother turned to exchange glares with her other rival, "No offense, of course."

"None taken," Atsuko responded.

"Well then," my wife said with a cheerful smile, "Now that we're all friends again, and everyone agrees it was the pearls that were to blame, perhaps we can try enjoying what's left of the rest of our day on the beach?"

"That's right," Atsuko replied, "All is right and all is forgiven, so let's get down to party…"

A sudden wave crashed down over her head, getting her wet while the rest of us scattered. A moment later a Fox shook its wet head, the two parts of what amounted to a bikini the only testament that a grown woman had been formerly present.

"Who says all is forgiven?" asked Silk as she stepped out from her own point of concealment, giving the Fox a playful smile, even as my mother's bikini-top faded out of existence, as did the missing parts of Nodoka's own suit.

"SILK!" Mother cried even as she and Nodoka promptly covered their hands over the exposed portions of their bodies.

"Oops," Silk realized her gaff, but she recovered well enough and said, "So you two lost more than your inhibitions? No problem, just use hers. I'm sure Atsuko-chan won't mind."

The fox expressed an opinion that sounded contrary to that, but I saw Mother and Nodoka smile and knew that common ground had been arrived at, while Genma just blinked his eyes and shared a sympathetic look with my father.

"Well, this has sure been a day to remember," Ranma remarked matter-of-factly, "Not that I even want to."

"Which reminds me, you two," Nabiki eyed us both critically, "You sure neither of you got affected by any of those pearls?"

"Oh no," I replied, "This one made very sure that Ranma look at no one but this one."

"I had a pearl in my mouth for a few seconds," Ranma said, "But like I told Shampoo I didn't feel any different."

"Of course," I smiled, "When you already have the perfect marriage, how could things get any better?"

Naturally they had nothing to say in contradiction to this, nor would they dare voice a contrary opinion if they had one to share. After all, my airen are very wise and considerate people, and they know where their best interests lay, which means that they agreed with this one, and everybody is so very happy.

The consequences of not agreeing were simply not to be contemplated…

"Are you sure you're going to be all right?" Akane asked Ukyo for the fifth time in the past quarter of an hour since the threat of the Love Pearls had finally be cancelled.

"Yeah, I think so," Ukyo said sheepishly, "It was a pretty wild ride while it lasted, but you don't have to worry about me turning into another Kuno."

"That's a relief," Akane smiled faintly, turning a slightly reproving glare at Ryoga before adding, "Just make sure the both of you are on your best behavior. You've embarrassed yourselves enough on my account for one day at the very least."

"He started it," Ryoga growled, but his tone subsided as Akane's gaze hardened in his direction, "Well…he did…"

"I wasn't trying to start anything with you," Ukyo insisted with barely restrained patience, "In fact…YOU!" his gaze whipped around to glare beyond Akane's shoulder.

"Huh?" Akane wondered what could be upsetting the cursed boy/girl so much, only to follow the chef's gaze as they all turned to see Ambergris approaching with a somewhat anxious Makoto.

Ukyo stepped around Akane and met the Amazon partway, gripping Ambergris by the top strands of her suit and demanding fiercely, "WHAT DID YOU JUST DO WITH MAKO-CHAN?"

"I didn't do anything," Ambergris smiled back, ignoring the implied threat as she amended, "Much."

Ukyo drew back a fist, only to have it be deflected as Makoto stepped forward and caught Ukyo by the wrist, saying, "Stop it, Ucchan! Ambergris didn't do what you think she did…I mean…she didn't take advantage of me…well, she did but she didn't…"

"Huh?" Ukyo blinked his eyes, "You wanna explain that one to me, Sugar?"

"She means that we didn't have sex," Ambergris replied, "So there's no need for you to feel jealous."

"JEALOUS???" Ukyo reacted in surprise, trying to free her hand from Makoto, "I am NOT jealous!"

"Could have fooled me," Ambergris noted in dry sarcasm, even as the top part of her bikini came undone, leaving Ukyo to cling hold of it while the Amazon stood her ground and affected a nonchalance that belied her being nearly naked.

Ukyo, being in her cursed male form, could not help but goggle at the sight of a pair of firm bared breasts, then at the incriminating top in her hands, and abruptly he swallowed.

"I'll be generous here and assume that you weren't making a proposal, Kuonji-san," Ambergris noted dryly, "Although I will try and contain my disappointment…you'd make such a fine catch back home, if I could ever convince you to wear a dress in your cursed form."

"Hah?" Ukyo asked, now being more than slightly put off from her anger.

"I don't understand," Akane said as she frowned at the Amazon, then Ukyo and lastly at Makoto, "You're saying you didn't take advantage of her when you had the opportunity? But…"

"I found another way to help the both of us through this crisis," Ambergris held out a hand to Ukyo, who only hesitated a few uncertain seconds before handing back her halter, which the Amazon then promptly set about refastening over her bosoms.

"As you know," Ambergris continued sagely, "Makoto and I were under the influence of the magic of the love pearls, she enamored of me and I taken by a fancy for Hibiki-san. You talked me out of going after your boyfriend by reminding me that my love was only artifice, not a real and natural product of my own emotions. I knew then that I had to reassert control over myself, so I sought for a creative outlet with whom to vent my lust in a fairly harmless manner. Naturally had I chosen to I could have taken full advantage of Makoto-san here, who was drawn to me in a similar manner."

"That's right," Makoto confirmed, "She could have done anything with me and I would have gone along with it…in fact…I'm wondering why you didn't."

"I could not, in good conscience, take advantage of a friend or an ally in such a manner," Ambergris replied, "Not without forgoing that friendship once the effects of the pearls were ended. No matter what you may think of me, I do have enough integrity to know the difference between real and artificial emotions."

"So what did you do?" Ryoga asked.

"The next best thing to having sex," the Amazon leered, "I gave Mako-chan here a foot massage and a backrub."

"You what?" Ukyo blurted, seeing Makoto blush a deep shade of crimson.

"We Amazons know a great many uses for Shiatsu-styled sutras," Ambergris explained, "All I needed was a relatively private spot where we could be uninterrupted while I used my hands to work the kinks and tension out of Mako-chan's body. As tempting as it was to play with her further, I only used my skills to bring her off in a fairly harmless manner that left her virtue intact and served to expiate her hunger."

"It was the most amazing thing," Makoto said in wonder, "She did everything BUT make love to me, and I felt so deliriously aroused and relaxed that I never even minded that she didn't go all the way with me…even though I wanted to very badly. You have got to teach me how you did that…"

"Perhaps another time," Ambergris demurred, "When neither of us has any other outside commitments that might…impede us from going all the way," she turned back to Ukyo and added slyly, "She is yours if you want her, I left her virginity as it is so that the lucky man who claims her will not feel cheated of his spoils."

"Huh?" Ukyo blinked hard at this, then swallowed.

"He already has somebody," Akane growled.

"Who?" Makoto asked, looking the shorter girl over and ignoring the way Akane's wings were twitching, "You? What makes you think you're woman enough for my senpai?"

"What?" Akane blurted, "I can't believe you just said that…!"

"Uh…huh?" Ukyo stared back and forth at the hostile glares being exchanged between cursed girl and senshi and his face became even more bewildered.

"I see you two have finally decided to stake out your claims," Ambergris said in obvious amusement, "Too bad I have to return to China or I might stick around a while longer and give you both some competition. Unfortunately I must bow out and surrender the field to the both of you ladies, so…may the better warrior be prepared to defend her territory."

"Their what?" Ukyo became even more bewildered, though the sparks that seemed to be filling the air between his two girlfriends left him to wonder if retreat might make a good option.

"Ah…Akane?" Ryoga asked in equal concern.

"BUTT OUT OF IT!" both girls promptly snapped without breaking eye contact, leaving Ukyo to exchange looks with Ryoga with the silent appeal of faint desperation…

"There you go, Tatewaki," Kodachi said as she removed the last of the restraints, "You are free at last…now I trust you will behave yourself much better than the last time?"

"Be assured, sister dear, that I have no intention of furthering my humiliation," Tatewaki said as he regained his footing and massaged his wrists to relieve their soreness, "What spell bewitched my thoughts has departed and I am myself once again…or rather the self that I have become rather than the love-sick clod that I was."

"No hard feelings, Tatewaki," Kasumi asked, being careful to position herself on the other side of Kodachi, "I hope that we can be friends now that this is all over."

"Friends?" the elder Kuno considered the word as if attempting to work his mind around the concept, "We are not enemies, if that is what you mean, and I do not bear you ill will. If anything I feel that I am in your debt, Tendo Kasumi."

"Your debt?" Kasumi asked with a puzzled expression.

"Indeed," Tatewaki replied as he turned to regard her frankly, "For you have wrought a most wondrous change in the nature of my formerly twisted sister, and because of your relationship, Kodachi is a very different person, and a better one in my own opinion. You helped convince her to reform her evil ways, and as such it is to you that I owe my current sanity. Fare thee well and do no lasting harm to one another, for I must needs now return tot he affairs of my family's business."

"Tachi," Kodachi said as the tall boy started to turn away, "I will look over those papers you wanted me to sign, and if I approve of the arrangement, then you can count on my supporting your endeavor."

"Thank you, sister," Kuno regarded Kodachi with a faintly amused expression, "I think I better understand your attraction to the fair Miss Tendo. She is a uniquely gifted human being, and a rare flower among womanhood. Indeed my brief infatuation for her is easily understood within that light, for like a Midsummer's Night Dream my affections did flow as hot and cold running water. Until the next time our paths cross, adieu."

Kodachi waited until her brother was halfway to the edge of the boardwalk before saying, "My brother is still a romantic deep down under that crusty exterior he has recently been demonstrating."

"It's a shame he doesn't have a girlfriend of his own," Kasumi remarked, "All that poetry is going to waste."

"Are you thinking of the position?" Kodachi asked her slyly.

"No," Kasumi smiled, taking her companion's hand in her own, "I've already got someone whom I'm interested in, and she makes me very happy."

"Oho?" Kodachi arched eyebrows in spite of the thrill she felt from sheer physical contact, "And you are certain nothing could alter that? Perhaps if you had swallowed one of the pearls and gazed upon, say…handsome doctor Tofu?"

"Oh my," Kasumi blushed demurely, "Maybe at one time I would have wanted to, but now I couldn't do that to my sister, and I'm happy with my choices."

Kodachi's heart soared upon hearing those words, but a nagging doubt clouded her happiness, and with lowered gaze she said, "Kasumi-sama…there is something…I have been meaning to share with you…something hinted at by Tatewaki. I should never have kept anything from you, but when he challenged me for my honestly…"

"Whatever it is it won't affect the way I feel," Kasumi reassured her.

Kodachi breathed an uneasy note to that and said, "I would not speak so in haste…until you hear me out. It…concerns my mother…"

"I know," Kasumi squeezed her hand again, "You've already told me…"

"Not everything," Kodachi paused to summon up her courage, "My mother was not an evil woman, but…she had deep character flaws, some of which I inherited from her. I've told you that she could be very hard on me and Tatewaki growing up, but she wanted us to be our best, and she felt so neglected by our father...and...and I wanted her to like me for myself, not just because she saw me as a reflection of her own lost childhood...""

Kasumi politely waited for Kodachi to continue, her concern plain upon her lovely features as the Black Rose began again, "I had as much of my father in me as my mother, and at an early age I took an interest in Chemistry and Botany, mainly because they were the only things my father and I had in common. He actually explained things to me in terms that I could understand, and he made it all sound so fascinating…and it turned out that I was very talented in growing leafy things for our garden. Of course I tended to the roses in my father's greenhouse, and I was present when he made his discoveries about the medicinal effects that could be derived from Black Rose petal extracts…"

"The drugs you made and were taking until now?" Kasumi clarified.

"The very same," Kodachi replied, "Only at the time neither one of us knew about the unfortunate…side effects of the derivative compounds…and as a consequence of tampering with things half understood, Father drove himself insane taking the very drugs that he himself created. I would later refine the extracts to create a kind of paralysis powder that could also be converted to an effective neural inhibitor and mood suppressant…and…I even experimented with the powder in an early raw phase…by feeding a little of it to my mother."

Kodachi winced and tightened her hand on Kasumi's still-warm fingers, not daring to look up into her eyes as she continued, "I only wanted to make my mother feel normal again, to take away her depression, but instead…it seemed to create the opposite effect in her…and a short time after this…she committed seppuku…"

"Oh…" Kasumi said after a long moment of silence between them, "…My."

"Do you see now?" Kodachi asked in a wretched voice as she stared down at the sand at their feet as if not daring to see the condemnation she feared would be in the eyes she so dearly loved, "I killed my own mother…I was the one who drove her over the edge of insanity to suicide because she believed that my father was unfaithful. I compounded this wrong by taking the drugs for myself to dull the pain and deny the guilt that I was feeling, and to keep Tatewaki from finding out…only he must have figured it out, damn him…"

"Kodachi," Kasumi's voice caused the Black Rose to finally turn tear-stained eyes in her direction, but instead of reproof what she saw in those warm brown eyes was deep understanding, "You were a child, you didn't know any better. Your father and mother tried to love you as best they knew how, but they didn't do a very good job of teaching you how to avoid getting into trouble. I don't blame you for any of this…it's not your fault…please don't hate yourself because of a mistake you made almost ten years back."

"Oh, Kasumi-sama!" Kodachi turned and put her arms around the older girl, and Kasumi hugged her back with sincere warm and maternal protectiveness until Kodachi's sobbing faded out and her body ceased to tremble. They held each other like that for a long while, but at last Kodachi whispered in the taller girl's ear, "How can you always be so understanding, so full of forgiveness…?"

"Because I love you," Kasumi gently pushed Kodachi back to where they could again make eye contact, "And because I know deep down that you are a good person who wants to do better."

"Can you show me how?" Kodachi whispered, "How I can forgive myself for all the wrong things I've done, all the mistakes I've made before I met you?"

"I can certainly try," Kasumi assured her, touching Kodachi on the chin with a finger, "But of course if we're talking about forgiveness, then I think we ought to go back to your place and discuss the matter further."

"Will you…punish me?" Kodachi asked with a little-girl expression.

"As much as I think you deserve," Kasumi reassured, "And I certainly think you at the very least that you deserve a spanking."

"Kasumi-sama," Kodachi bowed her head submissively, "It will be as you command of me…my Mistress."

"Good," Kasumi smiled, holding the other girl tighter, "Just as long as we are agreed about that."

The both of them smiled together, for all intents and purposes the only two people on the beach, which is why they were heedless of the various couples passing near at hand who were experiencing their own after-lust recriminations…

"I'm telling you," Kiyone tried to reassure her companions, "I wasn't deliberately trying to steal Tenchi away from anybody! I'm not like the rest of you guys, and I won't want to be his mistress!"

"Uh-huh," came a chorus of doubting Thomasinas as Ryoko, Ayeka, Washu and even Sasami eyed the Galaxy Policewoman with deep lingering suspicion. Only Mihoshi seemed more troubled than jealous, while Tenchi himself was staring at his feet and hunching his shoulders as if trying to look smaller.

"I can't believe you did that to me!" Ataru loudly protested, "Chasing after Shinobu of all people…"

"But darling…" Lum pleaded as she hovered in the air beside her angry near-husband, "I don't know how it happened, and you know I always am faithful…"

"That's more than you could say about these two," Shinobu snorted as she all but dragged Mendou by the wrist, "Bad enough I turned into a skirt chaser, but did you two perverts had to do a lip-lock together?"

"Don't remind me!" Mendou complained, "I need a stomach pump, I'm going to be sick! Only death can atone for this stain against my ancestors…!"

"Like you have something to complain about?" Ataru shot back, "And besides, you ain't that good a kisser!"

"Ah…Nanami…Aliel," Shayla swallowed, "About that…thing we just did with Makoto…"

"That wasn't Makoto," said Aliel, "That was Fatora."

'FATORA???" the redheaded Fire Priestess looked horrified, finding to her dismay that the near-twin of Makoto was clinging to her arm with a moon-struck expression that had nothing to do with any love pearls.

"Oh darling!" the Princess of Roshtaria cooed expectantly, "I never dreamed you could be such a hot hump in the sack…"

"HELP!" Shayla cried, pleading to her fellow Priestesses, who presently were engaged in their own nervous discussion.

"Ah…" Afura Mann glanced down at the sand and tried to get her jumbled thoughts back into some semblance of order, "You know I've always respected you…like a big sister…"

"I know," Fujisawa Mise also avoided eye-contact with the willowy brunette, "Neither one of us was acting in accord to the sacred principles, and the less said about it the better, or so I'm thinking. At least my husband is back to his old self…"

"Yes, and getting thoroughly plastered by the look of it," Afura nodded to where the male half of Mise's union was currently trying to drink Makoto under the table, with a concerned Ifurita looking on in faint disapproval.

"…And that's not all," Tomoyo was saying to Sakura as the both of them walked side-by-side without noticing the weird looking people all around them, "Lee-san also had it bad for you, which is why Meilee always saw you as a rival…"

"Really?" Sakura asked, amazed at this and several other revelations that her friend was only now making apparent.

"Of course Lee-san also had the hots for Yukita, go figure," Tomoyo continued.

"For an older BOY???" Sakura reacted, "You've got to be kidding!"

"Well, to be fair, Yukita-san always did strike me as very bishonen," Tomoyo said, "Which is why it seemed so strange that he hung out all the time with your brother. I think the two of them might have been involved in a relationship together…"

"NO WAY!" Sakura protested, "My brother is a homo?"

"Well, stranger things have been known to happen," Tomoyo considered, "Just look at us, carrying on an affair that began with both of our mothers."

"Well…I…ah…still kinda wonder about that," Sakura colored deeply.

"Ignore her, Tomoyo-chan," the miniature griffin hovering by their side remarked, "Sakura can't even fathom the fact that Riki-chan had such a big crush on her when they were little."

"No way!" Sakura declared, then after a brief pause she added, "Really?"

"Ah huh," Tomoyo reassured, "I'd have been jealous, but I've always somehow known that the two of us were going to wind up together. It was fate, like a red string that binds the two of us together…"

"Er ah, um…ah…" Sakura tried to think of something to say to that, but the warmth of Tomoyo's hand on her own blanked out all conscious attempts at reason…

"GANGWAY!!!" a slightly out-of-breath Happosai called out, now reverted back to his true age after a brief attempt to swim to safety.

"Come back, Master Happy!" Hinako cried out, only to widen her eyes as she saw something ahead and called out in warning, "Look out!"

"Hah, like I'd fall for that-!" Happosai said, one instant before colliding with the blunt end of a surfboard.

"Aiyaa?" said the redheaded girl holding the board under one arm, "Nuku Nuku felt something. Little man ran into Nuku Nuku's board? Even Nuku Nuku not that careless."

"Hey, you all right, old guy?" asked the young boy at the side of the redhead, to which he received a faint groan in reply.

"I'll take care of him, don't worry," Hinako knelt down and tended to the somewhat stunned Happosai, glad that she would not need to absorb any more energies to remain in her adult form…at least for the moment.

"Suit yourself," the redhead shrugged prettily, then cried out in delight as she saw a promising wave and at once took off with her surfboard.

"Master Happosai," Hinako said as she waited for the ancient pervert to recover, "Why did you run away from me like that? Don't you know it's me, your little Hinako?"

"Hinako-chan?" Happosai groaned in a slightly disoriented fashion, "'Scuze me if I…don't get up…I think I'm gonna take a nap now…"

"I understand, Master," Hinako said as she laid a hand over the forehead of the disoriented old pervert, "I just hope you don't have a concussion…we have so much catching up to do. It's been so many years since we parted…"

"Seems like yesterday to me," Happosai replied, then fainted.

"To you, maybe," Hinako murmured as she combed stray wisps of hair out of the old man's face, "To me it is a lifetime…but never fear, I'll help you to remember. Now that I've found you at last you need never chase after other women again. Just leave everything to your faithful Hinako."

Happosai did not reply, but in his dreams he shuddered faintly…

Continued

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