----------------------------- ----------------------------- Ah! ASMS Muyo ˝! Data JC: The Darkened Hall in the Deepest of Nightmares by Jon Carlson (jukkajikka@hotmail.com) and John Rossmaier (the_rossmage82@hotmail.com) ----------------------------- ----------------------------- Episode 3 : No Need for a Crossover! "Damn you, Washu, what the hell did you do this time?" demanded Ryoko, as she joined the rest of the large group that had accumulated in the subspace lab. The overpowering sound of a hurricane had drawn them in to investigate. There was a strong wind blowing, and strange multicolored bands of energy crackled everywhere, replacing the white glare. It was as impressive of a display as it was frightening. From far off, Ryoko could swear she could hear a light *thump* emanating from the center of the suspicious activity. "That's some way to talk to your mother, Ryoko," Washu commented back. "Well, fine, MOM, but what's this thing gonna do to us? Something this powerful usually means you've opened some kind of gateway." "That's the first intelligent thing out of your mouth today, Ryoko," spat Ayeka. "What was that, PRINCESS?" "Oh, nothing," yelled Ayeka, not just for the matter of being humane or tactful, but because the storm brewing in the lab quickly began to overtake them all. Hair flew and robes ruffled, as the gusts slowly gained the strength to lift each of them off of the ground. Before very long, every last one of the Masaki household was drawn into the jaws of the vortex. (And everyone should know what happens in those damn vortexes.) ----------------------------- Jon burst back into his room, a look of absolute panic in his eyes. He did NOT just see what he thought he saw, he resolved to himself. He pressed his ear to the door just to make sure. After a few tentative seconds of silence, he heard the muffled cries of... "SAOTOME, TODAY YOU DIE!!!" among a vast array of chain and bladed weapon sounds. "Yup," sighed Jon, unsteadily wandering over to his medicine cabinet, "I think it's time for Mr. Medication." He only got as far as the closet mirror, when a head peeked out and both of their foreheads collided. Jon flailed about as he clutched his head in pain. Stumbling backwards, he grabbed the remote control for his CD player. As his rear end impacted with the floor, the player activated and a blasting stream of anime music began to emanate from it. In an attempt to shut the stereo off by frantically pressing buttons, Jon merely succeeded in selecting the one track that truly drew a picture of the absurdity of the situation. Quite appropriate actually, admitted Jon absently, as the images before his eyes began to slowly process. Appropriate, seeing as how Ryoko's theme began to play on her bewildered and confused entrance! Jon looked up in stunned silence at the cyan-headed beauty. "What's with you?" she asked of the bug-eyed boy. She had better things to do then to have to deal with simple annoyances like the reactions of another primitive on this backwater planet. "Ryoko?!" intoned a bewildered teen. The Space Pirate immediately went on guard. There were only a handful of people that could know her name on planet Earth. They were normally placed in three categories: cops, rivals, and prey. She quickly ascertained that finding a fast answer was in her best interests. "How do you know who I am!?" she demanded of him, activating her energy blade and advancing menacingly on the youth. Jon backed away immediately. "OhgoodGod," he blurted, frantically pointing to his collection of anime videos. Ryoko looked confused for a moment, then amused, as she picked up a cassette of 'Tenchi in Space.' She started to giggle. The giggling transformed into a full-fledged laugh. Ryoko signaled off her conversation with Washu and turned back to the immediate matter at hand. Jon had shaken off his fear, and had simply stood there and marveled at her. Of course, he was enough of a geek to guess that she'd been talking to someone telepathically instead of staring at the ceiling, so he didn't pry. "Well, why didn't you just SAY we're famous?" she finally said, deactivating the blade of red energy emanating from her hand. She grinned, and gave him her patented 'cute-as-a-million-puppies' look. Well, rotwieler puppies, anyhow. As the youth got to his feet, he continued to hear the sounds of a commotion emanating from out in the hall. "Who are you people? Just leave me aloooone!" Jon immediately recognized this voice to be Tenchi's. They both ran out the door (well, Jon USED the door, Ryoko just phased through it.) The sight that greeted them was interesting indeed. It was the fifth floor boys side, and there was a whole lot of proverbial sh*t hitting the fan. First off, there was the fight that Jon initially saw and heard. That was just Mousse attacking Ranma, nothing new. Then, besides the two Nerimites there were two Masakis, namely Tenchi and Katsuhito. This was also in addition to the slightly-upset Cabbit that suddenly began leaping after a very startled Ranma. Then the bokken fighting began as Kuno (the Blue Thunder of... well, ASMS) joined the brawl. Jon and Ryoko just witnessed this in near stunned silence, as Jon watched Ryoko's temper get increacingly closer to the breaking point. Suddenly, Ryoko slammed her hand into the wall, causing a midsized crater to form, the visual input accompanied by a few claps of thunder and lightning bolts for an interesting multimedia effect. Everyone's attention was immediately focused on the obviously upset space pirate. "Stop... hurting... my... TENCHI!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she said, engaging her energy sword again, and leaping into the pell-mell fight. Bodies scattered, eager to get AWAY. The display of power silenced any and all desire to continue the fight on the part of the Ranma crew. Ranma himself, however, was paying more attention to the cat-like animal who had an unnerving interest in him. Similarly, Ryo-oki couldn't understand why this boy was so afraid of her. thought the innocent creature. Why not? It had worked on the Emperor of Jurai, hadn't it? After a small popping sound and a puff of smoke, a toddler-versioned Ryo-oki appeared before Ranma. This, however, had the opposite effect that was intended. "C-ccc... cat girl! Little Cccat Girl!" gibbered Ranma as he bolted away from the confused little Ryo-chan, who began to follow the martial artist with concern. In his plight, Ranma neglected to note the short-haired boy he shoved aside to avoid certain torturous mutilation from the, the-- <...best not to think about it...> Ryoko's already short fuse erupted immediately, as she sent an overwhelming amount of energy surging Ranma's way. Having instincts to these particular attacks, Ranma grit his teeth and immediately countered to avoid incineration. "Moku Takabisha!" he called, unleashing his own ball of energy. Neither of them could have predicted the results. When the life force energy from a mortal being (Ranma's chi-heated attack) met with the power of the eternal Gems (energy that stemmed from the powers Washu once possessed), the incompatible energy did not cancel out, but resulted in an immediate and earth-shaking detonation. The Lounge would never be the same again. When the dust settled and the smoke cleared, there was a hole in the wall that a delivery truck could be pushed through. Sideways. Each occupant of the room bore the telltale charrings of a flashfire, as did the surrounding walls and furniture. Ryo-Chan sat on the floor and cried. Mousse momentarily tried to take advantage of the situation by unleashing his "everything and the kitchen sink" attack on Ranma, but it didn't work even with Ranma's weakened state. What surprised them both was when Miss Hinako arrived on the scene to drain them both, and then carted off both of their limp carcasses. Jon gazed out the massive hole and finally found his friend-in-crime Rossmaier staring up at him from the front lawn. It appeared he was with Akane Tendo, (or was it Nabiki?) Jon attempted to speak, but his voice was failing him at the moment, so he merely pulled the slightly- dazed space pirate over to show John his discovery. She shortly disengaged herself from him and wandered off to find Tenchi. he thought to himself. *[End of Episode Three]* A/N: Okay, okay, I promise that chapters will be longer from now on! More to follow. ----------------------------- ----------------------------- Episode 4 : No Need for Fate! [brought to you by IBC Rootbeer!!] HOOOOOAAAH! As Jon backed away from the gaping hole in the lounge wall, he suddenly realized the gravity of the situation. he thought to himself. Jon started to worry as he met the still-dazed stares from his newfound guests around the room. Katsuhito nodded sagely in his direction. All eyes seemed to be on him. Clearing his throat, Jon decided to say what he could. "Well, what to say first? My name is Jon Carlson, and I have no idea how all of you ended up here just now but I know for a fact that you shouldn't be here." He was met instantly with looks of doubt and annoyance from many sources, Kuno the most distrusting. Jon looked directly at him. "Tatewaki Kuno, age 17, the so-called Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, you have a common interest in both Akane Tendo and a person you refer to as 'the pig-tailed girl,' am I right?" asked the young man. The kendoist was not amused. "Obviously my reputation precedes me," blathered the young man, "I am the rising new star of the high school kendo world, you know." Jon was not impressed as well, since he expected as much. He began pointing around the room, as Ranma burst out of the elevator, revitalized and looking for payback. he mentally screamed. "Ranma Saotome, son of Genma and Nodoka Saotome, you have a curse that is activated by water, as do you, Muu Tsuu Jiang of the Chinese Amazons," he started, getting enlarged-eye responses from the Nerima crew. Ranma noticed that Mousse had rejoined them as well, and proceeded to pound the Chinese youth. Jon continued, "Tenchi Masaki, while living in the Okoyama prefecture in Japan currently, you are only half human. The other half just happens to make you the second crown prince of Jurai's Royal family right behind you, Lord Katsuhito, or should I say Yosho?" It was now the Masakis' turn to facefault, and Jon noticed with great amusement that he had even managed to rattle Yosho almost visibly. "And finally, Ryoko Hakubi the Space Pirate, formally in the control of one, Kagato, evil scientist extraordinaire, and the daughter of one, Washu Hakubi, the Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe-" "Actually several universes now that you mention it!" squeaked a voice from behind Mousse. Washu stepped out of the Elevator, and onto the floor. Nobody was following boy/girl side regulations at this point, so Jon figured that it really didn't matter. He smiled at her warmly, and she grinned back at him. Jon then sat down on his haunches to mention the last of his present visitors. "And how could I forget little Ryo-Chan here," he said, giving the cute cabbit a few pats on the head as one would their housecat. "Friendly pet, trustworthy friend, formidable spaceship, and cute little girl," he intoned, as the chibi-cabbit myaa'ed at him happily. "Now, I may know all of you, your histories, personal strengths and weaknesses, but I'm afraid the only problem is I... don't know how all of you got here," he stated, standing up as everyone else in the room facefaulted. In truth, he did have an idea about what happened, but he was still adamantly refusing to believe that he had made that much of an impact on the universe just by playing with a page on the internet. Jon fumed slightly, and then directed his attention to Washu. "I was hoping you could give us some answers, Washu." "What was that?" asked the short scholar, pulling out a weapon that looked longer then she was tall. She cocked the complex gun a few times for effect. "LITTLE Washu!" corrected Jon. He already knew that this was going to be one of those not-quite-so-ordinary weeks. For good or bad, at least it would break the monotony. The little scientist smiled her characteristically cute smile, and tucked away her instrument of mass destruction (to where, no one could guess.) "That's better. Well, I can already tell this much, gang! And when I say 'gang' I mean everybody," she started. "We are all in another dimension. Jon here is the only one that belongs in this world, but each of us is from another alternate universe altogether. I don't know how or why we got here, but I have traced four specific signatures in this immediate vicinity." Washu turned to face all of them in turn. "Now bear with me everybody 'cause I know all of you aren't really the sharpest knives in the drawer. First, there is the energy signature that is characteristic of this world. Everyone who belongs in it shows it on my instruments. Second, there is the signature that I recognize as being 'normal' for me, that is, the members of the Masaki family, the Jurains, and my little family," she said, petting Ryo-Chan and giving a wink to an unreceptive Ryoko. "And Third, there is the group that belongs with you, Ranma Saotome. You appear to have a valid reason for coming here to America as exchange students (and thankfully our worlds thus far are alike enough for there to BE an America,) but can you remember how? I'll bet my title of genius that none of you can remember the flight over!" she challenged, watching the Nerimites and daring them to correct her. Ranma looked thoughtful. "Flight?" he finally asked aloud. Facefaults ensued. Washu continued her speech carefully. "Well, that answers that question," she said dryly. "I guess we'll have to make a plan for what we do next. What needs to happen first and foremost is that we all need to stay calm and not destroy everything around us," . Washu refused to dignify that with an answer, but activated her holo- top and began repairs on the wall. Within seconds, everything appeared to be as it was five minutes previous. "Second, what needs to happen is that we blend in with this world while I try and find out what's behind all this. In the worst case scenario for some of us, we all go back to the Japan we know, and that's that. Unfortunately for the Juraians, though, they wouldn't have a kingdom to go home to," she stated, letting her words hang ominously in the air. Jon spoke up. "I think the best thing to do right now is for everyone to assume places in the school. I know the Jurai power can be used to cloud the minds of the weak (and there are plenty of those around here,) but I'd also like to know if you could also do something to help with the adult population of the area not noticing too much, little Washu." "I'm on it!" stated the redheaded scientist. "It probably wouldn't hurt to do all the filing for admission for Tenchi and the girls, and let's see if we can squeeze in Yosho and Noboyuki as instructors somewhere. Besides, you can count on me that no matter what happens here we won't get any undue attention from the authorities." "Even fire alarms?" "ESPECIALLY fire alarms." "Thank God." "You're welcome," stated Washu. Jon eyed her skeptically as she let loose with her patented Evil Scientist Laugh (ESL#215©: "I just can't seem to stop impressing myself.") Something occurred to him to ask her a question, however. "Little Washu? You said that there was a Fourth signature?" asked Jon with some curiosity. The redheaded genius brought up a series of patterns and numbers on her holotop that meant absolutely nothing to him, but she began to point at them and explain excitedly. "You bet! Within scanning range there is one more signature of note. I just can't pinpoint their location yet, and I have no idea who or what it is either. Whatever they are, they're powerful, and they're moving closer to us." ----------------------------- Keiichi crashed to the floor unceremoniously as he exited the mirror, followed closely by the lithe form of Belldandy. The slightly dazed youth gazed about himself to find that they were both in a darkened classroom surrounded by computer monitors. To his surprise, Urd took the opportunity to exit from one of them. "Ugh! What are these, 386's? What arcane technology!" she exclaimed bitterly as she dusted herself off from the mess the monitor had made of her. A sputtering noise from the hall water fountain told Keiichi that Skuld had successfully made the trip as well. The youth shakily got on his feet, then turned to the First Goddess to see what was up. She was already giving off an ethereal glow as the flowing tresses of her hair appeared to be beyond the control of gravity. "Any luck? Are we any closer, Belldandy?" he asked. She seemed to be in a light trance for a minute or two, then opened her eyes to gaze into his. "We're closer, but we're not there yet Kei," she said after a moment. A loud, repeated banging sound issued from one of the doors, as Skuld demanded entrance to the room. Urd hurriedly let her in before the youngest Goddess decided to use one of her bombs to do the job first. Belldandy continued, "This is the school that they go to, though. We should be able to find the creators here." "We should really start searching the town, sis," stated Urd. "Admit it, we have no real idea if this is the right place or not." They had nearly hit-and-miss traveled all the way from Japan, and it was beginning to irritate her. The way that they continually misdirected their jumps worried all three of them, as they realized that this was not the earth that they had gotten accustomed to. The Norn Goddess of the Past continued with little pause, "You take Skuld and the grease- monkey, and I'll search the school." "Hey!" exclaimed Keiichi indignantly. Belldandy sighed, and laid a hand on his shoulder. Turning to look at her, he received one of Belldandy's patented smiles (BGS#1: "You have now been sapped into a world of puppydogs and kittens.") which immediately diffused his mood. Her gazes were always hypnotic to him. That agreed, they split up to search the surrounding areas. ----------------------------- "Okay, Ranma, you've got your guys set up already. Get settled in, but for the love of Mog, just try and keep things calm, okay?" asked Jon as the Nerima crew that was present edgily went their separate ways to their newly assigned rooms to 'settle in.' "Tenchi, Ryoko, you two follow me," said Jon as Washu made an exit to perform a few 'creative filing' jobs for the school. It was agreed that the number of transfer students that the teachers and faculty already knew they were receiving should increase, but with a little luck along with Washu's powerful manipulation devices no one would be the wiser. This option seemed better then having to invent entirely new stories for the recent additions. One interesting change was that since there were no pets allowed on the premises, it was decided that Ryo-oki had to remain in her human adult form while she was in school. Washu saw to it that anyone besides those within their little circle would see a normal, quiet teenage girl; to the rest of them would appear the furry cabbit-girl that they already knew and loved. Thankfully, she excluded Ranma from this group. "Who made you leader, buster?" asked Ryoko, her hands already planted firmly on her hips in defiance, as Jon pushed the elevator button to go to the lobby. Jon folded his arms and gave her a 'stop wasting my time' look. "One, this isn't a fight or an assault so I'm not making myself any such thing. Two, I know the layout of this school like the back of my hand. I've lived here for almost two years now. And Three, I'm getting you guys room assignments, so if you want a place to sleep you can follow me, or not, it's entirely your choice," he said, turning to leave. Once they had reached the first floor, Jon was sure that Ryoko was well on her way to setting his hair on fire from the look he knew was boring into the back of his head. He stepped off of the elevator and into the foyer, where he noticed the rest of the crew(s) had gathered and were interacting with some interesting results. Sasami had just finished introducing herself to a pleasant, plain looking young woman with long brown hair and an enormous spatula. She looked up just in time to see the group enter the lobby, and smiled warmly to all. There were some Nerimites both too old and young to be attending the school, though no one really seemed to notice or care. He also noticed a very bubbly Galaxy Police officer in the security booth chatting excitedly to a nervous Principal Kuno. Jon sighed with sympathy, and approached the Residential Life Desk. "Hey, Drew, how's it hanging?" asked Carlson as he read the expression on the young RM's face. He motioned for all the Masaki clan to gather around him before he continued. "These are just latecomers for the exchange program; I heard the others had already checked in a few hours ago, but their flight was delayed," he said, lying straight through his teeth. Drew shuffled through some papers on his desk, then checked the files on his computer. "Well, okay, but I'm going to have to wait for clearance for room conformation, and I'm going to also have to see parent signatures and identification for all of you," listed the young man in a semi- authoritative voice. Yosho calmly stepped forward and addressed the RM directly. "You don't need to see our identification," he intoned carefully. Drew seemed to look straight back at him cautiously, and then through him as if he were studying a spot on the wall. "I don't need to see your identification," repeated the RM. "We're just the people you've been waiting for," said Yosho. "You're just the people we've been waiting for," repeated Drew. Jon rolled his eyes and unsuccessfully suppressed a chuckle. "You may give us our room keys now," Yosho continued, pointing to the rack of keys behind the desk. Drew went to retrieve the keys of the empty slots available. He returned and began passing them out, signing a form with each of their names as he went. Jon thought that this was particularly interesting since he knew for a fact Drew didn't know who they were. "You can all have your room keys now," droned the youth. Each of the crew looked at their room numbers. Ayeka and Ryoko thanked whatever God was watching them that they had separate rooms, on separate floors to boot. Ayeka and Sasami were rooming together, as were Ryoko and Washu. Tenchi became Jon's roommate, and Katsuhito appointed himself the RM of fifth floor, which had been vacant for almost three weeks now. It looked as if Noboyuki would have to settle for being a 'residential counselor,' and not even Jon could explain what the hell they ever did. Before parting their separate ways, Yosho turned back to the still zoned youth at the counter. "Have a nice day." "Have a nice day!" ----------------------------- Momentarily, the two Juraian sisters waited in their new room for Washu to return with some of their backup possessions. For safety reasons, Washu kept a continually updated scan of the house and everything in it, so in the unlikely (*ahem!*) event of the house suddenly detonating into a million charred pieces, they would all be able to return to a normal existence fairly soon with the aid of Washu's genius and a few subspace portals. Ayeka hadn't been around for the explanation of their current situation, but she soon got the idea enough. As she understood it, she would be stuck here on earth without a home planet if they couldn't return to their own world. It wasn't as simple as getting booted out or time elapsing as with Haruna; this was a world that had drawn them in, and quite possibly wanted to keep them. She didn't know what she would do if it turned out that they would never see Jurai again. A princess without a kingdom is no princess at all. Sasami noticed the thoughtful look on her sister's face as she stared out of the sixth floor window. "It'll be alright, Oneechan! Washu-chan will find a way home for us," beamed the young girl. Ayeka humored her little sister with a slight smile before turning back to the window. The face she met there startled her, and she nearly fell out of her chair. "And I am fairly confident that if she cannot, I can," finished the Goddess reflection, smiling as much as her counterpart. Ayeka went slack-jawed as she was once again presented with Tsunami's beauty as reflected in the mirror surface of the glass. Tsunami made a knowing look and said no more. she thought in all her divine wisdom. Her thoughts were interrupted as the diminutive scientist that was once her sister entered the room. Washu took one look around the room, and shook her head sadly. "This will just not do," she said, sighing discontentedly. "Okay girls, out! I have a few changes to make!" she ordered, shooing the two Princesses out of their newly assigned dorm. The door closed behind them, and immediately there was a flash of light from under the door and around the edges. The sisters looked frightfully at the door, then at each other, and finally around to check if anyone was watching them. Soon, the light subsided and Washu opened the doorway to an impossibility of physics. "C'mon in!" she giggled happily (Evilly? Sadistically? All the same for Washu.) The Princesses carefully ventured forward in awe as they explored their new accommodations. The room was easily now three hundred square feet, and covered with a thick velvety carpet. Large crystalline orbs dangled from the high ceilings to bathe the room in light. Everything was done in the style and taste of the Royal Family of Jurai. The walls here were painted in rich purples and sapphire blue, trimmed with Jurain script. Sasami read the lettering and giggled. "Home is where the heart is!" exclaimed the Princess, and smiled back at Washu. Ayeka was speechless. The room was fully furnished with two king-sized four-poster beds, a complete side of the room for each of them, a fully modern entertainment center as they had at the Masaki residence, and a numberless assortment of plush couches, chairs and various other pieces of furniture. The two were nearly struck speechless. Truth to be told, it had been a long while since the two princesses had actually been treated like princesses, so it was well received. Ayeka seemed to appear slightly choked up when she turned back to Washu to thank her. Washu looked back at her with a serious warm smile. "I know you didn't expect this. Sometimes I'm a little stingy with my gifts, and I was always a little more reluctant to do things for you, Princess Ayeka, because I knew you had grown up in the lap of luxury and I thought it might be good for you to have to tough it out like the rest of us commoners," she said with a wink. "I've noticed over the years, though, how you've managed to work and fight your way though any situation, in any condition, and for what it's worth not complain as much as I'd expect you to," she said. "So even with this new situation, you two were just ready to bear it for the good of the team and accept whatever comes your way, and I couldn't just let you two live that way when I could have made it better." It was a moment before Ayeka could reply. She prided herself on not being overly emotional (except when it came to anger,) but she was genuinely touched by Washu's gesture. "I'm speechless, I'm afriad. Thank you very much, little Washu," said Ayeka thoughtfully, "I'm proud to call you my friend." "Well, thanks a million, princess!" laughed Washu. "Do you and Ryoko have a similar room to this?" asked the princess. Washu clapped her hands and answered. "Ha! I'm keeping the size just the way it is so we can work on getting closer in our mother-daughter relationship!" (ESL#148©: "Teehehe, I'm so sadistic!") Ayeka could tell immediately that she had returned to her 'Washu-chan' act and all serious thoughts were now banished. "Just remember your 'friends' when the royal pardons list come up, m'kay?" "Umm, sure," said the princess with uncertainty. Washu gave a final wave and departed the room to find her next victim of generosity, Tenchi. A few curious students poked their heads in the door and stared in gapemouthed wonder at the room before them. Sasami invited them in with a smile. ----------------------------- Jon sat at his desk trying to piece together the events of the past few hours. He looked up and over his desk to reconfirm his surroundings. Across from him looking no worse for wear sat the crown prince of Jurai. Once again, Jon placed his face in his hands and wondered what had he taken this morning to be seeing these kinds of hallucinations. These people couldn't be real. A light knock on the connection door signaled the arrival of his suitemate, and the look on his face didn't improve the mood. John took one look at Tenchi and seemed to get a little shaky. "Jon, what's going on here? I just had lunch with Akane Tendo, her sister Nabiki, and Ukyo Kuonji!" exclaimed the worried youth. Jon shook his head in loss. "Yeah, well I was nearly blown up in a firefight between the Space Pirate Ryoko and Ranma Saotome, so how do you think I feel?" replied his friend. Tenchi gave one of his patented worried looks (TWL#23: "I don't know what's happening here but I don't feel very comfortable right now.") as the two turned back towards him. Jon realized he hadn't bothered to ask Tenchi a few questions before now. "So, Tenchi, how did the whole Masaki crew get here in the first place?" asked his new roommate. Tenchi seemed to draw a blank for a moment, then open his mouth as if to speak, close it again, stare upwards as if the answer would lie there, and stutter a few times. Thankfully for Tenchi, Washu took that moment to make her entrance. "I'm afraid even I can't answer that, guys; all I can say is that it somehow revolves around you two," said the diminutive scientist. Both Jo(h)n's gave her bug-eyed stares, then exchanged glances nervously. John immediately *eeped,* then ducked back out of the room, bolting the connecting door. Washu pretended not to notice as she continued, "We were drawn into this world when a harmless seeming bit of disruption in my lab turned into a full fledged sh*tstorm and sucked us all in." "Washu!" exclaimed Tenchi sternly. "What?" replied the redhead with a flash of indignance. Tenchi turned to his new suitemate with an apologetic look. "Sorry, Jon. She tries to hide it mostly, but she has a ca-ca mouth like you wouldn't believe," he said to the newly-surprised teen. "Whatever," shot back the eons-old genius. "So, do you want your stuff now or what?" she replied with a slightly-irritated tone. Jon noticed the twitching eyebrow and bulbing vein that was characteristic of an atomically bad mood coming on. Tenchi recognized this with a gulp, and nodded nervously. Washu immediately got to work on her holotop, and Tenchi's possessions began to fall from the sky. Soon there was a pile of clothes, a heap of books and CD's (possibly broken,) and a carefully wrapped box. When Washu was finished, she just stood there with her hands on her hips. "Thank you, little Washu," said Tenchi with a bow. <*Yoooooooo* *klink*, *klink!*> He knew he was treading a thin line with the genius. "Hmph!" exclaimed the deranged genius. "You should see the room I gave Ayeka and Sasami! Maybe you'll learn to be a little more polite next time!" Tenchi could tell by her impish voice that she was playing with him at this point. He walked over to where she stood, and got down on one knee. "Thank you very much, little Washu. We would all be lost without you. I'm sorry," he said with a genuine apologetic voice. Washu patted him on the head, and he got back on his feet. A moment of silence passed in which the little scientific genius held her ground for only a moment more before breaking. "Okay, okay, I forgive you, Tenchi, but this had better teach you some respect!" she said, reactivating her holotop and pressing a few more buttons. Suddenly, the room was awash in white light, as the teenage boys covered their eyes desperately. As soon as the flash started, however, it was gone just as fast. The three youth opened their eyes to see a much improved room. Jon swore it gained around forty square feet, and it suddenly looked like he imagined the Masaki home would. All of Tenchi's and Jon's things were well put away, and the room appeared very nice and neat, with a huge picture window overlooking the city. Jon turned back to the diminutive scientist and got on both knees himself. "From now on, I will pray to you, always," promised the youth as Washu let loose with another cackle (ESL#53: "Bow before me, foolish mortals!") ----------------------------- After the resident genius had departed, Tenchi decided to go on a walk to explore the school by himself, leaving the two Jo(h)n's in quick debate. They agreed that a conference was in order. Jon intensely leveled his eyes at his freind, making sure he had the young man's full and undivided attention. "So, what's it going to be?" he asked, knowing full well their options. They could either wipe the whole thing from existence, or stick it through and deal with the consequences of the characters finding out who was behind their sudden departure from their normal lives. "What do you mean?" feigned John. Given the current situation, he had prospects he couldn't have imagined twenty-four hours ago. Wiping this world from existence didn't rank high on his priority list. Jon sighed, expecting this reaction. "You know exactly what I mean. We have a few choices in front of us, the first being that we go back to that page, click a few buttons, forget this ever happened, and go about our daily lives!" "We can't do that!" John exclaimed. He had been given his dream, and he wasn't about to let it slip through his fingers. Jon didn't want to admit that he also didn't have any serious urge to end the ride, either, but he had too many questions, and too many fears. He reluctantly nodded his head in agreement, and continued. "Well, we have to at least tell them what we did," Jon said with resignation in his voice. He knew that some of the 'visitors' didn't like the idea of their lives being messed with on a person's whims. It happened on a daily basis in some of their lives, though, so he also figured that they might be used to it by now. "We have to give them the chance to choose." "Um... too late?" John said, his eyes on his watch. Jon noticed it himself as he thought carefully about when the two of them had implemented their 'fanfic.' The twenty-four hours would have expired at lunchtime that day, just about the same time John told Akane that she was an anime character. Jon still would not relent, though. "Well, then, all the more reason to tell them what's up," he insisted. "So, when do we do it?" asked John. "I really don't see a point; I mean, Akane, Nabiki, Ukyo, and Kiyone all know. Don't you think they would fill everyone else in already?" Jon pondered that thought for a moment. "We need to tell them all at once. You know how some of them don't trust each other, and I'm sure that with everyone in one place, with Washu to back us up, things'll turn out just fine. Besides, I don't see us all getting together in the same place until after school tomorrow, so how about then?" he said, smiling at the finality. "Sounds good," admitted John. "So, then after school, around five or so, in the Chapel?" "Yeah," agreed Jon. Suddenly, something struck him upside his mind so hard that he nearly doubled over in mental pain. "Chapel! Ohsh*t! I was supposed to meet Jen today after school in the Chapel!" he exclaimed, running out the door at full tilt. What happened in the chapel is not necessarily important and so escapes description, thankfully. Suffice it to say, Jon was not met with a warm reception, and he had a sore cheek to prove it. he thought to himself wryly, remembering the calm face as she slapped him, and the chilling voice and words she used before calmly walking away. As the sun set behind him, he almost felt it was a perfect Evangelion moment, complete with off-key piano music hammering in the distance. he thought to himself. He sighed and held his temples between thumb and forefinger as he lightly massaged his face, trying to alleviate the headache starting to form. Unbidden, voices in his mind arose and made themselves known. He began to see himself seated in a darkened room, filled with similar incarnations of himself as his mind began to wander. commanded Jon to his own mind, banishing the horrid visions from his mind. He turned to leave the upstairs Chapel area, but paused momentarily, first gazing out into the open chamber of the old Chapel itself. He once again beheld the beauty of the orchid painting at the far end, and marveled at its calm beauty. This, he felt, was his place; this was the balcony he came to for comfort and rest where he could ponder all of life's mysteries. All too soon, however, a melodious voice interupted his reverie. "The orchid is a magnificent survivor. Its beauty betrays its underlying strength," said the voice from behind him. With a start, Jon whirled around only to have a hand cover his mouth to prevent him from crying out. Before him stood a silver Goddess. She held up one finger to her lips to signal him to silence. Urd smiled quietly to herself as she watched the young man's reaction to her presence. "My name is--" "Urd, Goddess Second class, type two license, limited. The Norn Goddess of the Past," finished Jon. It was now her turn to almost make an outburst as Jon quickly covered her mouth. After a moment of calming down for the both of them, Urd determined that they had a few choice words to share. "So, you *are* one of the creators, aren't you?" she asked with a smirk. Jon straightened himself out to his full height, and replied calmly. "Yes, I am. I'm not sure how I did it, but we're behind all this," he said with no hint of remorse. Urd solemnly considered the young mortal before her. "What you did was tap through a backdoor high-end connection to the heart of Yggdrasil. From there, the page you accessed began running numerous commands it shouldn't have had the access to do," she told him in her melodious voice. "We're here to see if we can reverse the effects before the strands of time and space itself is too interwoven and entangled for separation. You've caused a lot of trouble, young man," she said with a superior tone of distain. Jon frowned and decided then and there to be difficult. "Is separation that critical?" asked Jon in a casual tone. "I mean, if each universe completely and totally merged, would that be so bad?" he asked, clarifying his meaning. Urd frowned and narrowed her eyes at the young man. "It's not your place to decide what is good and bad, mortal. Peorth sent us to clean this mess up and that's exactly what we're going to do!" "Mortal? It appears to me, Urd, that what we got were our wishes which are meant to be followed to the letter no matter what. Besides that, you know that if something wasn't supposed to happen, and if there was any true danger, the Almighty would never allow it," he said, gaining confidence in every word. He smirked as he saw her frustration and continued, "Besides, I never thought you'd have it in you to run off to obey her orders!" There are some things you just do not say to a Goddess, even one that is second class limited. Urd's eyes grew to the size of saucers as she prepared to use a divine bolt against the impudent mortal before her. As she began to speak the words, however, they died in her mouth. Yggdrasil would not let her harm him. With a shock (literally, in this case,) the Goddess took a step back and rethought her purpose. She considered the young man before her. He was brave, to be sure. Very few people have the *cahones* to speak that way to a Goddess of any level. Still, she knew when she was being a pain in the ass so she really didn't blame him. Additionally, she had seen the exchange that occurred not one minute before, so she also guessed that he wasn't too happy with the feminine persuasion at the moment. She didn't need a conflict with him, not when she needed him to set things right. Giving him a seductive smile, Urd took another approach. "I'm sorry, I know we got off on the wrong foot there. Let's not fight," she said, watching his expression soften up. "I don't need a love Goddess, Urd, but what you can do for me is help provide some answers and some solutions for these people," said Jon as he took a seat on the railing. "You say that the true absolute reason for the things that are happening is that Yggdrasil has merged the dimensional planes?" "That is true. The Ultimate Force is the highest authority in all of existence. Even the Almighty who designed the system must bend to its will once it is in motion. This is the work of the world tree Yggdrasil," said Urd at some length. She was still trying to lower his defenses so as to manipulate him properly, but he still wasn't buying. "So what was the page? Some kind of demon-diversion set up to lure a mortal worthy of a wish into doing their dirtywork for them?" he asked with a degree of interest. "No, if it were only that simple. In today's fast-paced world of the internet and the endless line of emails and chatrooms, we at the Goddess and Earth helplines are branching out into other means of locating and fulfilling wishes," grumbled Urd as she knew what she had to answer next. "So it is a Goddess service," said Jon with some thought. "Well, then if it is a geniune wish service, why the sudden need for a housecall? Why the resistance if all's well in the land of the holy?" asked Jon. Urd sighed, and the sigh therof was great indeed. "This was Peorth's pet project, and with your background knowledge, I'm sure you know how enthusiastic she can get," said Urd with annoyance laced in her voice. "The idea was unfinished and the project experimental. Peorth didn't mean to publish it just yet, and she didn't mean to leave such a high level of authority in an automated system. She goofed," concluded the silver-haired Goddess. Jon left his perch on the balcony railing and made a few even strides towards her. "So what do you propose we do? The page clearly stated that we had twenty-four hours to reverse the effects of the 'wish' as we see it now," he stated, leveling his eyes at Urd. "Well, there you have it, genius! We just need you and Mr. Rossmaier to stop what you've done, and--" "It's already been over thirty-two hours since the call was finalized, sweetie," Jon snarled with his hands behind his back. "Plus, you already know the Almighty finalized the deal and it was meant to go through. So what's your real reason for being here?" he asked, almost in the Goddess' face. he thought as he watched the self-righteous Goddess squirm slightly under his gaze. she thought as Jon questioned her. When Urd gave a thought to the subject, she hit a mental brick wall, which startled her. She had thought she came here with a purpose, to stop the merging of the realities from occurring. Jon watched her eyes, and he knew just as soon as she did. "You don't know, do you?" he asked carefully. "It's just the same as the Ranma crew; they had a reason for coming, but they don't remember the fine details on how they got here. The Masakis already had a reasonable and plausible explanation for getting here: Washu. They didn't need any memory gaps because *twinkle*, and they're here. You, however, needed a mission, and a purpose, just like the Nerimites, or else it just wouldn't make sense," he said at length. At that precise moment, Jon could swear he just reminded himself of Colombo. "What wouldn't make sense? What are you hinting at?" asked the Goddess incredulously. Jon fixed her with a small grin before continuing. "It's your *plot device*, Urd. You needed an interesting reason for coming to see things here yourself, though you knew before you even left that it could all have been handled from Yggdrasil or by an agent sent directly, if there was any true danger to reality," he said, starting to feel comfortable with the concept he was playing with. He cocked his head to the side and continued his line of Quid pro quo. "How do you see things as you coming here, Urd?" "What do you mean?" she responded. "What I mean is, do you see yourself in your own world taking care of two mortals that drew two outside worlds in?" asked Jon as he finally grasped the concept correctly. "Yes, of course," Urd said, growing impatient of his questions. Jon smiled, having found his answer. "Well, sorry to burst your bubble sweetheart but I think it's time for you to take a very careful look about yourself and ask Toto if you're still in Kansas," said Jon, this time thinking for sure he was breaching serious Jack Nicholson territory. "Washu recorded four separate signatures on her instruments: this world, her world, Ranma's world, and one last, powerful signature that was as yet unidentified but very powerful and not of this dimension." "What are you getting at, mortal?" "What I'm getting at is that you and your sisters were part of the fanfic bundle and still are!" exclaimed the youth. Urd's eyes went wide as saucers. "The deal was that there were four anime worlds brought together: Tenchi Muyo!, Ranma ˝, Oh! My Goddess!, and Goldenboy. That story was the reason you came here, but something tells me that there's just enough truth in it to point towards some foul play on your side of the fence," concluded Jon as the wheels in his brain began to smoke from being pushed into overdrive too much in the last five minutes. he reasoned. Urd caught on to what he meant though, and her divine fury began to surface. "Why, that stuck-up, snotty..." "Yes, it was Peorth that orchestrated the page, and when it was activated by accident, the system needed a representative and a story from your universe. She of course then had a problem on her hands that she needed to dump on someone else, so then she ordered you here with a story and you couldn't hop-to fast enough!" he finished with a smirk. Urd managed to get some degree of her anger in check. "So why are you telling me this now?" she asked. Jon cocked an eyebrow at her and answered slyly. "Because you yelled at me, and because if I know you, and I do, you won't leave me in peace until I spell it out for you. I don't know what purpose the Goddesses are going to serve in this little story, but I think for once I'm going to let things play out and enjoy myself. I'm not going to hide, I'm not going to quit, and I'm not going to stop whatever's happening until I see fit, on my terms. This is my choice, my fate, and my life." With that, Jon descended the steps onto the ground floor and proceeded back to his room. Urd turned away with a contented smile on her face. "Good. One of them has finally understood," she said, looking skyward. "I was worried about him, but it looks as if he is overcoming his fear. He has seen past the veil, and has found the truth. This one is ready," said Urd, closing her eyes as an ethereal voice echoed through the chamber. "Good Work, my child. We will see where this leads him, then," stated the voice. Urd smiled. *[End of Episode Four]* A/N: I know, everyone's proably thinking that up until now, I've been a rather big pain in the butt with my attitude towards the characters. I'll have to say that half reason I did this is that I wanted to avoid the "Wow, it's a crossover! I'm gonna make freinds with all my favorite characters and we'll all be happy and freindly!!!" stereotype of an SI, and besides, it's not in me to do that kinda thing. The truth is, I'm an easygoing guy, but when confronted, my personality can cause friction with others. ----------------------------- ----------------------------- Episode 5 : Revelation! Do you have Juraian Jeans (err... Genes?) [brought to you by IBC Cream Soda] The next morning, Jon walked into the cafeteria just in time to see John bolt out of it, headed for class. "Can'ttalktoyounowi'mgoingtoclassbutI'mtakingthegirlsforatourofthetown lateryoucoming?" called the youth as he scrambled down the hall. Jon mustered every bit of his energy to hold back his fits of laughter. "Sure!" he answered, in time to see the stairwell door close behind Rossmaier. "Great!" echoed the reply from the stairwell. Jon shook his head and continued into the cafeteria, taking the time to make his customary waffles and cereal. Taking a seat in the normally vacant cafeteria, he was greeted by the sight of several young women taking part in a traditional Japanese breakfast. Upon seeing him, they waved him over. Jon looked decidedly uncomfortable at the odd sight, but he set his jaw in determination. "Hey, girls; how's it going?" he asked, amid smiles all around. He wasn't receiving the reaction he was expecting earlier, which really helped him ease his mind. he thought. "Rossmaier said he was conducting an impromptu tour this afternoon. I told him I'd tag along to help, if that's ok?" he said, preparing to dig into his breakfast. "Sure thing," said Akane, "the more the merrier." "Besides," added Kiyone, "it sounds like the two of you would know different sides of the city, so between the both of you we're likely to get an interesting view of town," she said, giving him a knowing look. Jon gulped. "Different sides? Wh-what do you mean?" he said, feeling the back of his head suddenly itch lightly. His eyes suddenly bulbed out the way he thought they never could. Several pairs of eyes were giving him 'the look' at this point. "What?" he asked. "What's she been saying about me?" he demanded. Washu grinned like a kid with stolen candy. "Only good things," she replied cryptically. She eyed him up and down. Jon suddenly felt very dirty. He gulped yet again. "Well, I guess it's a cinch to say all of you have had the chance to meet my ill-tempered fiancé then," he said with a raised eyebrow. "Does she know who all of you are?" he asked. "No, but she gave me a really strange look when I introduced myself!" exclaimed Mishoshi. "In fact, when I said my name, she got all red and slanty-eyed!" she said, one finger to her cheek in what seemed to pass as contemplative for Mihoshi. "Why do you think she did that?" Jon then flashed them all a sheepish grin and furtively began to dig into his food. All eyes were once again on the hapless bespeckled boy. He finally relented with a bout of nervous laughter. "Heh, heh, well, it's kind of an inside thing... I kinda tease her sometimes... by calling her... Mihoshi," he said at length, his words become more and more quiet at they progressed. Washu and Kiyone reacted instantaneously. "FIND her and apologize to that girl this INSTANT!" demanded Washu. "NO ONE deserves that kind of humiliation!" chimed in Kiyone. The two angered females were suddenly all over Jon like ants to a Hershey's. He reflexively threw up his hands to protect himself. "Jeez! I'm sorry! I keep telling her I'm sorry! It's just a joke!" he protested. Mihoshi looked mildly confused. "What's wrong, guys?" she asked, sweatdropping. She was completely oblivious, as usual. The two women slowly backed down from their contemplated slow torture of the young man and resumed eating. Jon sighed, and got back to his meal. Nabiki gave him and his plate a strange look. He stopped and contemplated what she was thinking. He held up one finger and sagely closed his eyes. "What does not kill us only serves to make us stronger," he stated, continuing to eat. "Yeah, but it's that 'kill us' part you have to look past sometimes," said a voice from behind him. Jon bug-eyed a second time, then made room for the blonde who had come to eat breakfast with him. He cowed his head for only a moment before she flashed him a genuine smile and he returned it, relieved to see that the mood had passed with her. "Morning, Jen," he said, grinning madly. Jon motioned around the table. "I see you've already kind of met our new friends, but I think since you seem to like to keep out of my habits, I'll have to re- introduce them." Jon pointed to his immediate left. "This is Washu, the Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe," he stated, regarding the redhead. Washu nodded to the young lady. "Respect my authoritah," she said, as only Washu could. "Charmed," replied Jenny. "Next, is Princess Sasami of the Planet Jurai," Jon said, continuing around the table. The young princess returned his warm smile. "Pleased to meet you!" she said, handing Jen a plate of food. The blonde stated at the contents with surprise before replying with a 'thank you.' Sasami blinked and nodded cutely. "You're welcome!" she said. Jon pointed to the next occupant of the table and she introduced herself. "Akane Tendo," she said with a wave, "and this is my sister Nabiki." "Now, I know you two. Jon forced me to read one of your manga," she said with an elbow in the ribs to aforementioned geek. She turned to him and asked, "Isn't that the series where the pig turns into a- Gsrph!" said Jen as she was cut off with a prompt hand to the mouth. She was about to take out the cause of the blockage when Jon put a finger to his lips. "She's not supposed to know that," he said with a whisper. "It's like telling the world who Clark Kent is. It's just not done," he told her. She nodded and seemed to understand. Fortunately, Akane had gone back to eating and ignored the breach of social protocols as her character is prescribed to always do when such information is revealed or leaked. Nabiki smirked, having long ago found out what they were talking about. Kiyone offered the next introduction, her own. "Hi. I'm Detective First Class Kiyone Makibi. I believe you know my partner already, if only by reputation," she said, as Mihoshi waved at Jenny with a smile that covered most of her face. Jon sighed again, and Washu momentarily wondered if he suffered from a perpetual lack of oxygen. She then took the opportunity to ask him again for his... assistance. "So, Jon!" she began, turning on the cuteness as high as physics would allow. "Are you ready to start that experiment now?" she asked, sparkles in her eyes. Jon grimaced and looked at Jenny with a 'help me!' look. Jen shook her head frantically. She had seen the "magic fingers" episode once before, and that was the chief memory she had regaurding Washu. "Maybe later, little Washu," said Jon weakly, as he checked his watch once more and downed that last of his cereal. "Wow, gee, look at the time! Jen, we've got to go!" he said, darting out of the clutches of certain death. "Bye girls!" he said, lifting his tray from the table and turning to leave. "Bye Jon! Maybe you can meet Oneechan later!" "Bye Princess Sasami! I'm looking forward to it. See you later!" "Yeah, see you later, horndog," said Nabiki with a smirk. He glanced at Jenny and she gave him her usual impish grin. All Jon could do was sigh one last time before departing the cafeteria. When safely in the hall, he took Jenny to the side. "Jen, I don't know how to explain this, but I guess I've got to at least try," he began. The ever-undecipherable face of the blonde turned into a more understanding one. He could see that she was thinking openly at this point. "I know these particular people showing up here and now is both odd and disturbing. You've probably already guessed, too, that I'm behind it somehow," he said with much shuffling of feet and figeting of hands. "Well, I guessed so, but I know you don't have the funds to hire a brigade of cosplayers to invade the school, Jonboy," she said with a smirk. "Well, through a very complicated process, including the forces of God himself, and a webpage Rossmaier and I played around with, we've managed to cross over four anime series' dimensional planes of existence with our reality," he said, struggling with the words as he went. Jenny slowly nodded her head. "I knew smoking so much pot in elementary school was a bad idea," she said, turning to go to school. "I might as well enjoy this while it lasts though, right?" she asked, reaching for his hand. Jon threw her a lopsided grin and grabbed her hand; content that at least she wasn't upset with the situation. He slipped his hand around her waist, and continued down the stairs to the umbilicus. "You have a good day, allright? We're giving the 'hallucinations' a tour of the town this afternoon, so if you feel like going downtown, I'd like for you to come with us," he said, as they separated to go their respective classes. "Sounds like fun," she said, waving to him as she disappeared around a corner. "We check out for lunch, though!" she called out, passing out of range completely. Jon nodded to himself, already eagerly awaiting the passage of time until the gap in class that was 6th hour, which on Friday made it his own personal lunch period before everyone else. ----------------------------- Glossing over his day with daydreams and worried bouts of depression as he is often wont to do, Jon found himself at the RLO desk in no time, awaiting the arrival of his beloved. Drew seemed halfway back to normal, despite the occasional "thousand meter stare," as the marines put it. He kept chitchat to a minimum while he waited. After ten minutes had passed he nearly gave up all hope, until he finally caught sight of his girl strolling down the hall to meet him. Within moments, they were turned loose on the hapless city before them, a grinning Mihoshi wishing them a 'nice lunch' from the security booth. Jenny really didn't believe that what was happening was the consequence of hallucinations, but she still felt that something was a completely new brand of out-of-the-ordinary weird about the school recently, and she couldn't just accept Jon's story at face value. thought Jon, Rounding the corner and passing through the vines on the dirt path, they both found themselves in the fabled "Secret Garden," an area reserved for the elite outcasts of ASMS who needed solace, a quiet place, or just somewhere where no one could watch. Jon was the first in the rocky alley-clearing, so he was the first to see the gun barrel pointed directly at them. They were both startled to see five youths of varying race, age, and size all lounging around the area. Jon could immediately tell they were all very, very high. "Okay, man, gimmie the caaaaaaaaassssssh!" asked the short one with the gun. His headgear was less then encouraging as to his mental state. thought Jon to himself, wondering why Hot Springs suddenly seemed much more aggressive then usual. "Whoa, trying to... party crash, huh?" Jon decided to try and shrug it off, and perhaps win over the altered punks by humor. He smiled warmly instead of screaming loudly, which is what his mind was doing quite beautifully at that moment. "Naw, man, just hanging with my girl," he said with a grin. "What do you guys have there?" "Dude, he's... asking toooooo many questionssssss, man," drawled out one. "Mind if we hang with your girl?" asked another. "No. I mean YES!" said Jon, as the guy with the gun jerked the barrel closer to his chest. If this wasn't enough to set Jon off, the giggling did a good enough job. The rest of the group began as well, stumbling to their feet and staggering over to the center of the scene. "Wax 'em, man! I wanna see you do it!" said one. "Dude, I'vvvvve been waiting for thisssss for awhile now, man," said another. "I wanna see some BRAINS, man!" "Friends of yours?" Jon asked over his shoulder. He received a well placed strike in the center of his back for his words. Jon began to panic as they closed in on him. One briefly mentioned that he should get a Dell, whatever that meant. He had no weapons, and with the slightest movement the guy could pull his trigger. The only thing he could do was speak, but he knew diplomacy would get him nowhere. he thought at length, an idea forming in the back of his mind. thought Jon, reaching his arms to the ground, and beginning the chant in his mind's eye. With his minimum experience in meditation, he knew to clear his mind and calm his thoughts, entering the centers of Chi. This time, however, he felt it working like it had never done so before, the energy coursing through his veins and burning his muscles like hot lava. With eyes that burned of crimson, Jon looked directly into the eyes of his assailant. he began, feeling his spiritual centers liven even more with the percieved spellcasting. Jenny nervously looked over his shoulder, as she saw the sphere of energy begin to coalesce in his hands. The thugs were noticeably growing nervous, as the sky around them darkened and the wind picked up quite suddenly, blowing the sandy-blond hair away from Jon's face. Jon continued in his thoughts as the power began to grow uncontrollably. he thought. Shrugging his shoulders wide, Jon brought the power (from whatever source he could not discern) to full bear, unleshing the power before him. "DRAGON SLAVE!" ----------------------------- Elsewhere in the span of time and space, Lina Inverse sneezed, and the Sneeze thereof was great. ----------------------------- Ayeka was lounging in her newly-made room, standing beside a gargantuan pillar in the marble-floored portion of the room, in her best Royal Kimono, reveling in the sunlight pouring into the room, and the breathtaking view of the city her windows afforded her. (Read: "I will not condone an action that will lead us to war.") It was at that moment when the world exploded. A pillar of fire rose plainly into the sky as birds from miles around took to flight, scattering in every direction. Ayeka put her hand to her mouth with a gasp. "Oh my, something dreadful has happened!" she exclaimed, bolting from the room and shedding the frilly outer layers of her garb. It was short work to find Kiyone and fill her in on her observations. They soon checked out of the RLO office and proceeded downtown. Everyone else seemed to be in class for seventh hour. Ayeka was the only one that didn't have a class after noon. ----------------------------- The Garden would never be the same again, thought Jon, repeating his previous thoughts on the lounge. Only this time, it was he himself that did the destroying, not demons from another dimension. He managed to not get the soot marks that denoted being caught in a blast, but he couldn't say the same for the thugs. In fact, they looked quite remarkably like any other given group of thugs that the Dragon Slave might have been used to dispatch at any time: disoriented, burnt to a crisp (but miraculously still barely conscious and coherent), and haphazardly thrown in every direction. Jon of course knew that it was impossible for him to have actually called fourth the Dragon Slave, but he knew that some sort of spiritual energy had been focused through his body at that moment. A massive crater marked the epicenter of the blast impact. Jon took one look at Jenny, and she fainted.