----------------------------- ----------------------------- Ah! ASMS Muyo ½! Data JR: Animated Love Tryst by John Rossmaier (the_rossmage82@hotmail.com) and Jon Carlson (jukkajikka@hotmail.com) Disclaimer: The series Ranma ½, Tenchi Muyo!, Oh! My Goddess, and Goldenboy are not ours, but I'm sure you guys know that already. Plus, suing us will get you nothing. Just don't try to sell this. As if it has any monetary value anyway. Synopsis: Last episode, our heroes, John Rossmaier and Jon Carlson, ventured into the wonderful world of self-insertion by crossing their dimension with an assortment of others. Now, John has already befriended Akane, Nabiki, Ukyo, and Kiyone as the assorted casts gradually make their way towards Hot Springs. What news do the goddesses bring? And what's this about an experimental test subject? Can poor John keep a lid on his anime interests, or will the mental clash of fantasy/reality spell certain doom for our favorite hero? Read on to find out! ----------------------------- ----------------------------- Chapter 2 : Fatal Attraction! The Dashing ASMS Consort?! Blue. A deep endless shimmering blue surrounded him, branching wholly in all possible directions as far as the naked eye could see... A rich, ethereal variation of hues, continually twisting and churning, impossible to fully encompass or comprehend, yet entirely impossible to ignore... A vivid apparition of otherworldly flavor, spanning the landscape, bathing all surroundings in a solid sheen of churning, chaotic light... tingling with incredible forces beyond the ever limited comprehension of mere mortals... Blue. John blinked again, floating aimlessly within this void of liquid color, his arms feeling lead weighted for reasons he could not fathom. Gritting his teeth, he again reached forth, pressing mightily against this invisible, unyeilding 'atmosphere' much like a twig dragging through the violent flow of a river current. His bare flesh tingled like a thousand needle pinpricks, and he shivered absently, enduring the odd sensation as he one again attempted to grasp or touch *something* in this non-reality. "What's going on here?" he screamed, panting heavily dispite the utter lack (and by extension, apparent extrinsic need) of air, heart thumping maddeningly in his chest. Again, he groped wildly, extending his limbs in each possible direction and hoping to scratch any solid surface. "Where am I? What is this place?!?" After a long moment of white silence, he whimpered tightly, dragging his arms to curl across his chest. "Is anyone there? Will *someone* answer me?!?" 'Do not be alarmed, young Avatar.' John gasped, hands darting through the viscous "air" to tightly grasp his temples. Had he been hearing things? "Hello? Did someone say something?!?" 'Please, calm yourself. Allow your body to relax.' "What's going on? Where am I?" 'Even if I were able to provide answers to those questions, young man, you would be entirely unable to comprehend. Please, be attentive, for the definitive strands controlling the destiny of mankind have been graciously placed within your control.' John's breath caught, his eyes widening. "*MY* control?" he squeaked. "But... but why?" 'You and another have shown an interest in the direction of your reality, and your efforts have not passed without due notice. The responsibilities of mankind's salvation and evolution now rest upon your youthful shoulders.' John adamantly shook his head, feeling his neck tingling with more than mere 'atmospheric resistance,' before returning in a badly shaken voice, "That webpage? No, you've got it all wrong! I didn't really want to change my reality! Just see a glimpse of something different! I don't deserve this responsibility! Jon maybe, but not me!" 'Your vicarious feelings were projected into your submission, meaning that, upon some level, you both desired change within your selves and your environment. Whether you two desire the obligation or not, mankind will forever feel the tremor caused by your final decisions. The responsibility concerning these matters are yours, and yours alone... and is entirely unavoidable. Shirking these duties will send your reality into utter and complete chaos.' John would have fallen to his knees, provided that some sort of 'ground' existed in this vast emptiness. "But... but... can't someone else..." 'No. You and your companion both now share an entwined destiny involving mankind's fate. And the *first* decision can *only* be made by you, young Avatar.' "Avatar?" 'One of the chosen. One of many...' A whisper of a breeze caressed his cheeks, and John blinked. For the first time, he noticed the semi-transparent image of his suitemate floating somewhat alongside him. The other seemed involved in an argument of an alternate sort, yelling and gesturing out into the nothingness, although he could not be heard. Another breeze passed by, and John glanced to the side. There, amidst the neverending field of chaotic, swirling blue, stood three figures, shrouded in the richest ebony. Faceless, featureless, shrouded by a cloak of darkness beyond blackest pitch... deeper than the deepest night... Briefly, John thought about the king of darkness, who shines like gold upon the sea of chaos... "Who are they?" 'Beings existing within your present world. Ones with whom you might befriend, share a fleeting moment, or share a lifetime.' The disembodied voice paused. 'With time, a choice shall be given to you, young Avatar...' '//One, young at heart, strong of mind, untainted by life's harsh trials... Three ones - focused, determined, jaded, kind, borne of differing walks of life... The one shall summon the wanderer three, and an eternal friendship shall eventually blossom amongst them. Passions shall flourish, flames arise, and an outpouring of joy shall grace the companionate foursome. But upon the eve of the demon god's armageddon, the four shall become half, and the one must choose amongst the three - fire of pearly white, stone of marble gray, wind of golden ash... So, shall the course of man be also set... by fire, by earth, or by wind... Follow thine heart, O one... to thy destiny...//' After a long period of absolute silence, the voice continued. 'Following an undetermined stretch of time, you shall be faced with a grave decision, one that shall determine the sum total of your future happiness... as well as the further direction of mankind. Your friend faces a similar issue of a different nature. Though your duties remain separate, you shall often interact as you move towards each problem's resolution. I am merely forewarning you concerning the importance of this issue, although I am more than certain that this memory will fade given time...' "Not bloody likely," John muttered to himself, still staring at the three figures. "Who are you anyway?" 'I have said my piece,' the voice returned, ignoring the question. Gradually, the black impressions began to fade back into chaotic blue. 'Go now, and prepare yourself for the reality that awaits you...' "No! Wait! I'm still confused here! Who are the three? What's the demon god? And what's with fire, earth, and wind?!" 'Go, young Avatar...' "WAIT!!!" 'Go...' "NO!!!" John squirmed desperately in the unending field of blue, stretching his arms helplessly towards the last remaining slivers of black... when white suddenly erupted everywhere, accompanied by a thunderous roar and a hellish wind... his body suddenly felt immensely weighted, and John felt himself falling faster... and faster... and... "HEY, BOY! GET UP, I SAID!!!" "Yaaah!" John yelped, twisting awkwardly to collapse on the floor amid a tangle of heavy fabric. For a short moment, he stared absently at the familiar matted roll of carpet covering his dorm room floor. Filtering some sort of background racket from his mind, he tried to discern the odd impressions and feelings tingling near the back of his memory. What was that... a dream? Something about a decision... and three... but related to what? And nothing but endless blue... The boy blinked suddenly, blearily glancing down at his comforter, half-strangling him as it currently imitated a boa constrictor. Aha, the blue comfortor! *That's* where the field of swirling blue came from! And the needling sensation and restricted movements... merely the numbing of the limbs, due to the blanket wrapping around and preventing him from separating his arms! Well, that solved a *couple* of mysteries, but that still left-- "Pop! What's the big idea?" ** "What're you doing here anyway?" "Making sure you don't slack off in your training, boy!" ** "Tendo managed to find us a nice little place here in town!" "For what?" ** "A little sightseeing?!?" "Exactly right, boy!" ** "Do I look like I'm stupid, old man? I know exactly what you're up to!" "Then why'd you bother to ask? Silly boy!" John frowned, the dream escaping swiftly like a startled bird, before glancing blearily from his position on the floor to watch a pair of white-clad blurs rush back and forth across the room, using high near anything remotely stable as a platform for combat. Worming his way out of his comforter's vice-like grip, he stood to his full height, easily a full foot above the crouching martial artists, and leveled the two with a baleful glare. Moments later, both Saotomes were seen being bodily hurled from an ASMS fifth story window. And for continuity's sake, both landed directly within a large puddle on the front lawn, having been formed by a specifically targeted rainstorm only five minutes ago. "What'd you do THAT for?!" an irate redhead called. "For disturbing my peace!" ** "Take it outside next time!" John shouted before slamming the window shut. Afterwards, he lingered for a moment, breathing a bit deeply while watching cursed father and son resume their age-old conflict on the ASMS front lawn. Genma's presence was not truly a priority in mind; he'd followed his son to America, intent to further develop his prodigy's talents... not to mention, to finally achieve the other, better known goal of his. Neither was John concerned with the housing arrangements Mr. Saotome and the Tendos might have pulled together; whatever they managed to locate, at least it could become a home away from the ASMS home, thanks to Akane and Nabiki's friendship. What bothered him, of course, was being woken up at five thirteen in the damn morning. Grumbling, John returned to his bunk, grabbing his dark blue comforter and yanking the fabric tightly over his head. 'I hope this doesn't keep up every morning,' he thought absently as consciousness gradually drifted away again. 'I don't think I could stand it.' Minutes later, the boy returned to the liberating state of slumber, his earlier memories of an azure dream tucked deeply away to be recalled on a much later date, and a duly important occasion... ----------------------------- Two hours later found our recently reawakened and bathed hero slowly making his way towards the ASMS cafeteria. Closing his eyes, he let loose a monster sized yawn before pulling back a wavy curl of drying hair. "Dang Saotomes... I'd been up late last night, too, and so had Ranma. No *wonder* he sleeps all day. I've got a sinking suspicion that staying with him isn't going to be very fun." He suddenly grinned, chuckling. "Although seeing his girl form is something else. Damn! Who'd have thought girl-type Ranma was really that hot? No wonder he hates it!" He continued laughing as he stepped off the elevator onto the third floor. "Ah, there they are." Waiting in front of the cafeteria entrance was an assortment of girls, chatting quite amiably this bright wintery morning. John voiced a jovial greeting and received a number of waves and 'hellos' in reply. As he neared the group, he called out, "Looks like we've got some additional guests today." "Hello!" a bright young woman bubbled, stepping forward. "I'm Mihoshi! Thank you so much for finding Kiyone for me!" "I wasn't really lost, Mihoshi," Kiyone mumbled, half-crossedly. "Besides, someone else would have noticed the ship sooner or later." "Speaking of which, what eventually happened to that?" Akane asked. "Yeah," Ukyo added. "I took care of it. It was no trouble relocating the Yagami to one of my spare pocket dimensions," a diminutive redhead replied impishly, jostling forth to grab John's hand and shake it vigorously. "Hello, there, didn't get to properly introduce myself last time! My name is Washu, the greatest scientific genius in the crossed universe. And you must be that handsome, wonderful young specimen Kiyone and Nabiki were droning on about all night long, hmm?" Both girls blinked, Kiyone gently shaking her head, Nabiki rolling her eyes and turning aside. "It wasn't like that," each one responded at the same time, though in differing tones. Washu grinned even more broadly as she continued to pump John's hand. "What did I tell you? Denial is the first hurdle, you know." And at that, Ukyo couldn't help but laugh, while Akane and Mihoshi blinked, each staring wide-eyed at her sister and friend, respectively. John chuckled bemusedly, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the atmosphere and conversational implications, when one single word finally managed to filter through the mental confusion. "Specimen...?" He quickly paled. "Oh, did I say that?" Washu returned, her face reeking with cutesy innocence and hidden mischief. Warning bells sounded all around, though half the girls present couldn't quite understand why they suddenly felt so uneasy. "What I really meant to say was..." She leaned up into his face, coming up about a foot and a half short of intimidating. "Would you be my new guinea pig?" She smiled, and her cuteness factor went from endurable to suffocating. It was all John could do to resist cowing down to her every demand. "Please, Mr. Rossmaier? Tenchi won't let me test on him anymore, and Jon strongly expressed a desire to 'simply be left out,' and I really *really* need a subject for my next project. Won't you help me? *Please*?!?" "Umm..." John bigsweated, wondering how the hell Tenchi or Jon could refuse this inquiry. Sure, for all intents and purposes, Washu was asking for utter control of his existance and well-being so long as the young fool shall live, but saying no just seemed cruel and utterly impossible... "Hold it, Washu," Kiyone interjected seriously. "Don't get someone else tied up into your experiments, alright? He's just your average guy, not a Jurian prince. I'm not sure it's such a good idea to be pulling regular civilians as test subjects." <'Course, you probably shouldn't be pulling *Princes* as test subjects either...> "But he was also one who designed this crossover," Washu returned, a pompous all-knowing lilt to her voice. "Citing himself as a main character no less. Meaning, he *wanted* to be a situational focal point, not to mention having a more exciting daily life. Now, if *that* isn't a call for attention and for a life in a bizarre reality, I don't know *what* is." John mused, idly scratching his forehead. Too bad Washu had shot that option down quickly enough. Oh well, she was probably right anyway. Besides, what could be the worst that would happen? So long as Mihoshi stayed away from any control devices... and no big problems decided to avail themselves... Curiously, John wondered about the highly ominous clash of thunder before shaking his head. Surely, such obvious signals wouldn't show up in *real* life, would it? Of course not. "Oh, why not? You live only once, right? I'll do it, Washu." "Thank you! But you'll have to call me Lil' Washu from now on." The small 20,000-year-old genius scientist waggled a finger menacingly. John nodded again, grinning, before turning to an approaching Kiyone. She blinked, looking slightly concerned. "You're sure, John?" "Yeah, I'm sure, Detective Kiyone. Look, don't worry. Besides, if it weren't me, it'd be some other hapless student who *did't* want to meet any of you." He laughed, wishing he felt as confident as his words. "I'll be alright. Washu-chan will see to that. And if not, well, you can always keep an eye out just in case." "For what?" Washu interjected mock-annoyingly. "As if I would ever make a mistake." "Hey, it could happen," Kiyone returned, although she now bore an accepting smile on her face. She turned, gesturing towards the cafeteria. "We should probably hurry up and eat, though. John has to be in class in a half hour." The others quickly agreed, and the seven individuals filed into the cafeteria. As the group stepped up to the breakfast counter, Akane asked, "Hey John, I thought you were going to ask if any of your suitemates wanted to come too." John frowned and began ticking names off his fingers. "Well... Ranma is still busy fighting with his father..." The Nerimans rolled their eyes, expessions of resigned comprehension covering their faces. "...Tenchi is being assaulted by a worried Ryoko and Ayeka..." The intergalactic visitors nodded, this being quite the norm around the Masaki household. "...and Jon's busy chatting with Grandpa Masaki about something-or-other. Couldn't overhear what, though. Considering last night, I'm amazed he's managed a level head, much less a level conversation. He'd been having a harder time coping with the crossover at first." "Poor guy," Ukyo soothed. "Guess everything shook him up pretty good, huh? Gave him a good first shock." John laughed, pouring himself a couple glasses of milk and orange juice. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. Methought he was still a bit too surprised and grounded in his old routine mindset to let loose and play along just yet though. But I think he's coming around." He turned and headed towards the dining tables, his brows furrowing in thought. "Well, that's nice to know," Washu admitted. "He seemed rather nice and polite... except for turning down my request and all." "Ah, you probably caught him at a bad time," John returned, sitting down at a large table. Smiling, he suggested, "Ask him again later, and he'll probably change his mind." "Alright," Washu replied happily before pulling out a small electronic device. Without hesitation, she proceeded to skim the contents of her meal with the tiny handheld... much to the surprise of the Nerimans. John blinked for a moment, startled, before shrugging his shoulders and joining the feeding frenzy with the two GP officers. "What exactly are you doing, Washu-chan?" Ukyo asked, staring oddly at the device. "Just checking for toxins. Jon warned me about the food already." Akane blinked before staring down at the contents of her plate. "Well, it *looks* normal." "Looks can be very deceiving, sister mine," Nabiki interposed. "Both you and I can testify." She snickered, poking her tongue at her now fuming younger sibling. "What? It's the truth." "Leave me alone. Just because I take a few liberties with the recipe..." And Akane hmmphed, snatching a small bite and shoveling the fork into her mouth. She then winced. "Bleech... This stuff is kinda nasty, John." John nodded, watching as Ukyo grimaced and fired up a small breakfast grill nearby, before he took a small sip of juice. "Yeah. That's why I'm sticking with the drinks. They're less apt to mess these up." "I don't see what's so wrong with any of this," Mihoshi puzzled between bites. She glanced back down at her still full plate. "Everything tastes fine to me." "That's just you, Mihoshi," Kiyone muttered. ** "Oh, no! This isn't good at all! There's barely a scrap of real food mixed in with all the preservatives and synthesized agents. And that says nothing about the nutritional content. Technically, John has the healthiest meal at the table!" Said boy smiled, tilting his drink before downing the rest. "Of course, considering what kind of stuff they put in *there*..." "Gulk!" John voiced brilliantly, gagging momentarily before depositing the drink back into its previous container. "Gah! Why didn't you say something, Washu?" "A-HEM!" "Washu-CHAN?" The scientist sniffed haughtily. "That's better. And I didn't tell you because you didn't give me the chance." John facefaulted. "So what are we going to do about breakfast?" Nabiki asked, pushing her untouched plate away. "I've got mine," Ukyo chirped. "Me too!" Mihoshi added, pulling everyone else's plates next to hers. The others sweatdropped before turning expectantly towards Washu. "What?" The redhead frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "What do you want *me* to do about it?" "You're a genius scientist, aren't you?" Nabiki pointed out. "Don't you have anything that might prepare a better meal for us all?" "Yeah. She's called Sasami." "You called?" a bright cheery voice added from the doorway. The seven (plus one or two other students; not many ate breakfast at the Math and Science School) turned towards the doorway to find the young blue- haired princess rolling a large cart into the room. Moving swiftly, Sasami deposited the cart near the table and smiled brightly. "Hello! I'm Sasami, and I'll be your waitress this morning!" She giggled before drawing a small pair of potholders. "Thank you, Sasami," Kiyone replied, appraising their improved breakfast. "It all looks delicious." "As always," Washu added. "Hmm... I've never had an authentic Japanese breakfast before," John mused aloud as he accepted a plate and rice bowl. "Where did you find the ingredients for all this?" "Well," Sasami considered, "there's this really nice shop downtown which let me borrow a few things. I think they were going out of business, though." "Maybe they were clearing excess stock," Nabiki suggested, sampling a small portion of her meal. "Wow, this really *is* good!" "Mmm-hmm. Reminds me of Kasumi's meals," Akane added. "Your big sister?" Kiyone asked. The youngest Tendo nodded. "I hope everyone's doing okay back home. I'm going to miss them while we're here..." "Oh, I don't think so," John replied. "I saw Mr. Saotome practicing with Ranma this morning, and if I know your dad like I think I do, I'm sure he's come along too. Probably brought Kasumi and Ranma's mom along as well." He tried a small bite. "Hmm... different, but pretty good. I think I'm really going to like this." "What? Mr. Saotome's *here*?" Ukyo blurted. "Yeah. I mentioned it earlier." "Well, I guess it sounded so much like routine that we didn't stop to consider," Nabiki admitted. "Oh well. So much for getting out from under daddy's watchful eye..." "You might want to find out where they're living around here, just in case," John added. "That way, you won't have to stay in this dorm all the time." "Right. And if we didn't search for him, daddy would simply find us instead." "Exactly." John took a small sip of tea, made a face, then set the glass back down again. "Hey, Washu-chan, I've been wondering. How did all of you get here anyway? Kiyone and I suspected a lab mishap." Washu hummed noncommitally, one finger at her chin. "Well, that's the long and short of it. Technically, there's more to the story than a simple lab mishap, though." John blinked, taking another small bite of rice. "Really? Like what?" The scientist shook her head. "Nothing you should be concerned with. Besides, it would take a short eternity to simply explain the problem, and I'm not entirely certain what went wrong in the first place." "So... you might not know how to get yourself transferred back to your home dimension?" The other nodded. "Not really, and I'm not even going to try." A good portion of the table blinked. "But... what about Jurai and the Galaxy Police?" Kiyone half-demanded, her breakfast forgotten. "Our homelands... are you just going to forget about them? How are we ever going to get back?" Washu grinned, waving her hands in a placating gesture. "You've got nothing to worry about, Kiyone. You either, Sasami and Ayeka. I've performed some preliminary calculations, and I've determined that only a small number of specific strands from each of our dimensions are mixing, weaving together like some massive multi-dimensional tapestry. However, over the next couple of months, our crossed universes will slowly coalesce into a single merged entity -- a new reality entirely, although this new reality will combine numerous aspects from the originals. Given time, the 'outer space' that all us otherworlders know and understand will appear in this dimension as well... meaning that the planet Jurai, the Galaxy Police Headquarters, a massive number of additional planets, and all their inhabitants will appear in the future. That's simply because the other realities have not established much knowledge concerning the greater portion of the universe. Our 'home' dimension is proving quite resilient, and it's merging almost completely into this new reality due to the void of human habitation throughout the known galaxy, as characterized by all of the other crossed realities." Pausing briefly for breath, Washu blinked, realizing that John seemed to be the only one still following her explanation. Shaking her head, she added, "At any rate, with your planets eventually coming to *this* reality, I feel it would be a wasted effort to try to find a way to 'return home.'" "The combination won't have any big effects on any of the realities, will it?" John asked. The other shook her head. "None whatsoever. The energy signatures from each dimension are still showing strong, being that they were crossed only recently, so I'm still able to tell what's having an effect where. For the most part and barring Hot Springs in particular, your Earth has remained entirely the same, although a couple of districts have been adjusted in Japan, as well as a sizeable province in China. The region of outer space, however, has converted almost entirely from your world to mine, suggesting that such a quick and simple transferral meant little headache by means of cross- dimensional rift. Another powerful signature has also emerged, although this one seems to supplement many other signatures rather than override them. And as for the last... it's so insignificant it's not even worthy of notice. All things considered, you chose five rather compatible series, Mr. Rossmaier." John nodded. "Cool. Well, I feel better already. At least you've still got your homelands now, right?" Ayeka smiled pleasently, her lightly thudding heart calming once more. "Oh, absolutely." "Yay!" Sasami cheered. Kiyone also looked more than relieved, while the assorted Nerimans slowly finished assimilating the redhead's previous explanation. Mihoshi ate with unconcerned abandon, as usual. After a short span of contemplative silence, John slapped a palm lightly upon the table and said, "Okay, back to the conversation preceding the obligatory 'make-some-things-kosher' explanation..." "Hey, I think it's considered bad form to tamper with the fourth wall too much, John," Nabiki warned. "Yeah. A fanfic like this is the result." ** The ASMS diners wondered momentarily about the hidden drummer. "Anyway, who's up for lunch this afternoon? I'm already taking Nabiki, Akane, and Ukyo on a tour of the downtown district. I can bus around a larger party if needs be." "That would be kinda nice," Kiyone replied. "Mihoshi and I can make it after our morning training session." "Yay!" her partner voiced, dancing about merrily. "I'd love to go, too!" Sasami added. "And I'm sure I can get Ayeka to come along!" "Excellent. How about you, Washu-chan?" The greatest scientific genius in the crossed universe shook her head. "Sorry, but I have business to resolve. I *will* have my first experiment ready for testing, John, so don't take off before I see you again." She grinned, back to her peculiar kawaii self. "Don't worry about a thing! Everything will work great!" "Wonderful. Now, why do I have that bad feeling again?" ----------------------------- A fair distance away, a slightly despondent pair of individuals panted as they crested another seemingly endless hill. Kintaro drew to a halt, puffing for a long moment, before signaling his partner in travel. "Hey, Ryoga... how about we take another break, huh?" Ryoga nodded before setting his knapsack down on the ground. Strapped across the back of the huge leather monstrosity was Kintaro's bike, still quite lacking in repairs. The boy paused, glancing over the countryside and the steep ravine nearby, before withdrawing a tattered map from his pocket. "You know, I don't think we're in even in Japan anymore. I've never seen hills like these on any of my journeys." "You call these *hills*?" The older man glanced over the side, boggling at the distance towards the river down below. Then Kintaro proceeded to blink as the other half of Ryoga's comment registered. "Hold on, how could we have left Japan without us knowing? We never... wait a minute. Aha! I *knew* that ferry across that river wasn't having serious engine trouble! We've travelled all the way across the Pacific!" He snapped his fingers, before pulling out a worn notebook. "See? I've seen these hills, in a picture, back when I was attending Tokyo University." And the ex-college student presented an old sketching for Ryoga to examine. The Lost Boy glanced over the image carefully, then turned to stare over the landscape again. "Hmm... The Grand Canyon, huh? Well, it *is* kinda impressive, I guess..." Kintaro smiled, assumed a cross-legged seat on the ground, and began to jot down a few more notes. "Only a frontiersman like yourself might consider this canyon an idle amusement, what with all the terrain you've covered in your life." "Yeah, I guess so. Well, now what are we going to do? How are we going to get back home?" "The same way we came, probably. But..." Kintaro flipped through his notebook, idly scanning an assortment of pictures and reference material. "I've been referred to a number of jobs and corporations here in this country due to my acquired skills back in Japan. This might be a good opportunity to look up some of these contacts." He smiled towards his partner. "Come on. Besides, it'll be something of an adventure, right? You might even find some martial arts place of interest here in America that hasn't been exploited yet." Ryoga nodded, his wandering lifeblood rebelling against the desire to return to Nerima. Yes, America, an untapped resource. Who knows how many techniques might be hidden within this vast land? And *this* time, he *will* find something to defeat Ranma, once and for all. "Alright, Kintaro. Let's--" Suddenly, a strong gust of wind ripped out over the canyon, blowing an inordinate amount of dust against the backs of the two weary travelers. Ryoga gritted his teeth, turning and shielding his eyes against the particle onslaught... when a loud cry emitted from the dust storm, startling him to the bones. Digging his shoes into the earth, the Lost Boy took off against the wind, dashing madly towards the origin of the extremely odd outcry. Ryoga had taken only a couple dozen steps before the air stilled as suddenly as the windstorm had developed, leaving gentle plumes of amber-colored dirt obscuring the landscape. He waited silently for a minute, allowing the clouds to dissipate. Then, one curl of smoke vanished, and out stepped an oddly dressed individual bearing black facial markings, a longish rod-shaped weapon of some sort, and a contemplative frown. The woman paused, surveying the landscape, before clucking her tongue. A small, tan-colored rabbit... or was that a cat? ...leapt onto the strange woman's shoulder, repeating the same growling cry as before but with much less intensity and volume. Ignoring the somewhat urgent message from her pet, the visitor continued to scan the landscape. "Hmm... the terrain doesn't seem quite as familiar this time around. I'm certain I should have located her dwelling from orbit. Yet no powers have registered since my atmospheric entry. Perhaps they have decided to take refuge elsewhere... Pardon me. Could you tell me where I am currently located?" Ryoga took a moment to realize her muttering had suddenly been directed to him. "Um... what was that again, Kintaro? The 'Grand Canyon' or something?" The other young man stared at the exotic newcomer for a long moment before answering in the affirmative. "Yeah. It's in the United States, I believe," Ryoga answered, turning back around. "Hmm... well, nothing to do but continue searching. I'm positive that she's returned to this planet once again. Come, Ken-ohki!" The small creature cried happily, before leaping off the woman's shoulder. Ryoga's eyes swelled to maximum capacity as Ken-ohki's form abruptly shifted, expanding in all directions to form some sort of flying, crystalline structure. The cabbit-turned-ship swivelled proudly in the early morning light, sending bands of transparent golden light across the landscape. After staring towards the object in the sky, the woman turned towards the young man. "Thank you for your assistance, stranger. May all of your future goals be realized." And tossing him a small wad of coins, the woman slowly phased into nothingness. The ship screamed once and was suddenly gone. Ryoga goggled. Kintaro scribbled. After a long moment of silence, the ex-college student smiled broadly, proudly examining his notebook. "Now *THAT* was *QUITE* educational." A three-quarters profile view of Nagi stretched across another page, plus a few additional sketches involving Ken-ohki in either form, as well as assorted notations. Kintaro grinned again. "Ahh, an exotic angel... lost in pursuit over the wide open canyon... hunting..." He shivered briefly. "Perhaps we shall meet again..." ----------------------------- A timespan of roughly four hours passed, in which the usual and extremely unusual denizens of Hot Springs passed their time this bright Friday morning in the most familiar and duly warranted manner. This manner however need not be truly homogenous with the expectations, beliefs, and lifestyles of the pre-crossover age, as any knowledgeable historian might dub the strange occurrences of yesterday. Case in point, the locals did not question the incoming swarm of moving vehicles labeled with foreign kanji, nor the flurry of activity within a recently remodeled bathhouse. In addition, the hardly inconspicuous house and dojo -- located within an oddly located expanse of residential woodlands a good five blocks from the Majestic -- seemed quite right at home in Hot Springss, as did the nearby and conveniently positioned Japanese shrine and long-forgotten restored temple. Shape-shifting martial artists were wholly ignored, cackling and abundant laughter was merely shrugged off, and the occasional small tremor, laser blast, or explosion was chalked up to bizarre seismic activity. In short, life seemed extraordinary only to the individuals directly partaking in the action. "Ah! What a magnanimous afternoon greets the noble scion of the House of Kuno!" a familiar blue-clad swordsman exclaimed, posing grandly at his open dorm room window. He breathed deeply, savoring the brisk winter air. "'Tis the gods mark of another fine day! Methinks that the henious Saotome curse be banished, granted this blissful visage!" Of course, Tatewaki Kuno did not necessarily operate on the same general wavelength. After assessing the landscape, the young kendoist frowned deeply. "Be that as it may, however..." Kuno glanced around his small room in mild disgust. "'Tis a shame for one such as bold and magnificent as I to dwell in such a lowly chambers. Oh, what wretched fates yet await the brilliant Blue Thunder of... excuse me, dear sir, but what was this school's name, perchance?" Tenchi, caught walking past the open door to Kuno's dorm room, paused in mid-stride. He turned, his eyebrows raising slightly as he chanced a quick look into the room. "Umm... are you talking to me?" "Of course, dear fellow. Might you inform me whither the name of this proud school?" "Umm..." Tenchi scratched his head. "I think it's called the Arkansas School for Math and Science, or ASMS for short." Kuno leaned his head back slightly, closing his eyes. "The Blue Thunder of ASMS..." he whispered to himself. "I believe that shall work," he continued loudly, pulling his bokken from his waistband. "Yes, for I am Tatewaki Kuno, the Rising New Star of the modern fencing world, the illustrious Blue Thunder of ASMS!!!" The delusional swordsman brandished his weapon, lightning crackling outside the open window. Tenchi blinked, then swallowed a mouthful of Coke before stepping into the doorway. "Excuse me, your name is Tatewaki?" The post-Furinkan High attendee returned his sword to his belt. "Kuno please, dear sir. So, you have heard of me. Why would it not be so? The noble, pure conquests of this magnificent creature must be known throughout the world." He bowed his head, clenching his fists in determination. "Fear not, my loves. I shall see the foul demon defeated. Then my tales of woe shall be come epic legends of justice!" Complete in his tirade, Kuno began cackling madly. Tenchi briefly entertained thoughts of fleeing, when the purpose of his question returned to him. "So, you are a kendoist?" "Of course. Whatever skills should the legends of heroics be referring to?" "Err... well then. How long have you been practicing?" Kuno's eyes became fierce. "Since the true awakening of my glorious heart, as long as the blood of a thousand warriors clouds my veins." Tenchi grimaced. "Yeah... sure. I mean in years." "Roughly fourteen, in practice." The Jurian prince smiled. "Great! So you're pretty good?" "*Pretty good*?!?" Kuno stepped forward, overpowering arrogance alighting each step. "Doth thou doubt the epic tales of my glorious feats?" "What?" "Disbeliever! You would ignore the truth so plainly displayed before thee?!?" Tenchi backed into the hall. "What! No! I mean, I just wanted to know if... well, I practice kendo too, and... well..." "I see," Kuno growled, leveling his bokken at the other. "You desire to test your own might against the House of Kuno. Very well, then! Your name, perchance, fellow student?" "Uh... Tenchi Masaki..." "A duel of honor it is, then! I shall see thee upon the fielded glade behind this very school within a single half-turn of the hour hand! We shall then see the true extent of your capabilities, young Masaki! Prepare yourself!" And with that, Kuno disappeared into his room with a grand flourish of his kendo robes, slamming the door. Tenchi paused in the hallway for a long moment before continuing to the fifth floor lounge. "That was decidedly weird," he muttered as he crossed to the 'bay window,' the new nickname for the lounge's gaping hole in the wall. Well, actually Washu had kindly repaired the damage yesterday evening shortly after her arrival, but after an additional incident involving Ukyo, Akane, and a delusional madwoman screaming about 'tempestuous harridans,' the local community had agreed that a nice open window -- helpfully screened by an invisible atmospheric shield unit; Washu never ceased to amaze -- would be best, allowing the free passage of coming and going supercharged combatants while protecting the room from the external environment. At any rate, Tenchi strode up to the open, guarded doorway and took another sip of his drink. "Maybe I'll regret doing that later... I hope it doesn't interfere with lunch..." "Somebody say 'lunch?'" a seductive voice purred from over his shoulder. Tenchi yelped, sensing before feeling the twin arms snaking sensuously about his neck. "I know someplace where we can eat, Tenchi..." The young boy blushed, staring resolutely into the metal can. "Maybe after the fight, Ryoko. I really think this guy's missing a few screws, and if I don't show up, I won't ever get a moment's peace." Unfortunately, his idly fashioned evasion provoked an unintended response. "You mean you're actually agreeing to come with me?!" Tenchi paled, his previous words repeating endlessly like a criminal sentence within his mind, as the excited space pirate snuggled even closer to her betrothed. "Oh, Tenchi, you can't go back on your word now! And the princess will be occupied to boot!" "Ayeka?" Tenchi inquired, somewhat desperately. Although bringing the two squabbling females within glaring distance always resulted in combat and turmoil, at least the violent activity distracted Ryoko from a number of additional pursuits. "Why? Where's she going?" "Oh, just on a little tour of the city with some local..." ----------------------------- Within the steel, unforgiving walls of a nearby building, the aforementioned local had been waiting impatiently all morning, desiring to fulfill this comparitively simple duty... and fulfill a little secret dream. "That's all for today, class. Tomorrow, we'll be..." John ignored the rest of the directives as he shoved a thin textbook and binder into his backpack. Then, after waiting until the instructor had turned the other direction, he swiftly slunk into the hallway, before opening the engines wide and barreling down the two- man staircase like a runaway golf cart; cumbersome and gyrating wildly. Merely a scant handful of seconds later, John erupted through his dorm room door, brutally startling Ranma out of a contemplative metitation. "Sorry, Ranma, but I'm gonna be busy for a little while longer. I've gotta check out." He threw his backpack onto the lower bunk and proceeded to grab a jacket and some extra cash. Ranma blinked, then rose from his sprawled position on the floor. "Um... alright. Where're you goin'?" "Out for lunch. Yeah, I know last night I said I'd help with a little catchup tutoring, Ranma, but I've gotta split. How about later this afternoon, or tomorrow or something?" Ranma shrugged. "Sure thing." John paused at the doorway, zipping up his jacket, and regarded Ranma for a moment. "Hey, sorry about this morning and all. It's mainly your father's fault I got mad. I'm just not that much of a morning person, that's all." "Hey, no problem. Old man gets on my nerves too." "Did you see where he was headed after you two finished sparring?" Ranma shook his head. "He took off downtown to find some hot water, but he coulda gone anywhere from there." "Yeah, you're right. Well, I'll see ya later, then. Feel free to check out any of my stuff until I get back." And after waving a hand to Ranma's responsive nod, John turned briskly and headed for the first floor of the RLB. There, a contingent of females awaited him, quickly reducing the boy's concise, determined thoughts into something akin to primordial ooze. Kiyone smiled and waved lightly, further depleting his mental reserves, before commenting, "Well John, it looks like everyone's here. Mihoshi and I have managed to take a longer lunch break than usual, so you'll be able to guide us around town." "All set," Mihoshi added, locking up the security office. "Let's go!" John nodded, pulling his thoughts back from the brink, and smiled. "Okay, everyone! First off, we'll be stopping downtown to pick up something to eat; I'm thinking either the Wok or the Backhouse Grill, but I love to entertain, so I'll be taking requests once we get there. After that, we'll take a little jaunt through the surrounding hills and backstreets, just to see what we've got in the center of town. I don't have a car with me, so we'll be reduced to easy walking distances." John considered wryly, glancing over the sea of cute faces again. "Well, if we've got everybody, then let's head out." "HOLD IT!" John jumped, latching tightly onto a surprised Kiyone's arm for emotional support, as a comically stern-faced Washu-chan stepped into the room, hands at the hips. "You were thinking about leaving here without my first experiment, weren't you?" The boy considered a brief moment, calmed down somewhat, and then shook his head, slowly relaxing his vice-like grip on the GP officer's arm. "It... just slipped my mind, Washu-chan. Sorry. What do you need me to bring?" Washu winked. "You won't be 'bringing' anything. You'll be wearing it!" And suddenly, a large device materialized into thin air before the genius scientist. Before John could protest the size, the box shifted open to reveal an intricately designed muscle shirt. Closer inspection revealed fiber wiring which trailed across the shirt in a weblike fashion towards the back center, where the cords met at a housing unit roughly the size of a thin laptop. Washu grinned as she pulled the shirt from the box, which promptly disappeared. "Just slip this on under your regular clothing, and no one will be the wiser! Am I good or what?" Sighing, John glanced over the shirt, feeling quite relieved. After all, the scientist could have demanded a lot more than simply wearing a shirt for a few hours. She'd even decorated the garment quite tastefully; darkish green cotton, which appeared to be quite comfortable. "So, what's it supposed to do?" The redhead waggled a finger. "You want to spoil the results? If I told you, it might influence the outcome of the experiment." "Ah," John nodded in comprehension. After all, didn't those science instructors yammer on about similar stuff every day in class? "Mmm-hmm. All I can say is that there's nothing to worry about. Now, let go of Kiyone's hand and get over here." John blinked, feeling the hairs dotting the nape of his neck start to rise. "Uh... let go of..." He trailed off slowly before glancing to the side. Sure and unbelievably enough, his fingers were laced tightly with the GP officer's, apparently finding a home there after loosing their hold on her arm. Feeling his ears burn crimson, John slowly glanced up into the young woman's face. Kiyone herself seemed more than slightly flustered and now also boasted a large blush, being quite unused to feelings of contentment stemming from a source outside her job. Not to mention, being caught in public with her hand idly resting within the grasp of another's. A moment of silence passed, before numerous catcalls erupted as the whole of the foyer focused upon the two individuals. Mihoshi couldn't help but cry, dabbing her eyes occasionally with a handy handkerchief, her response more than customary for the typical blonde. "Oh, it's so beautiful, Kiyone! Love at first sight, oh I'm so happy for you!" Her tears gradually descended into joyful bawling, and Sasami giggled brightly as she patted her friend reassuringly on the arm. Ayeka wondered curiously, the present scene striking her as nothing short of completely unorthodox, before bemusedly shaking her head and smiling warmly. Despite the odd situation, she was quite content to see a good friend find a measure of emotional peace; although, considering Kiyone's expression, she seemed quite unsure how exactly she might act upon these feelings... and perhaps, more significantly, from where they originated. Nabiki stood off to the side, a detatched and contemplative mask adorning her face... although... was that *longing* seeping out along the edges? No, couldn't be... Also nearby, Akane and Ukyo gasped at the scene, the odd romantic fervor currently swirling about the room making even these bickering rivals wish to be with their chosen one at this particular moment. Upstairs, Ranma sneezed. Twice. Briefly, he scanned the environs again before shrugging his shoulders and reinstating his uncertain perusal of his roommate's desktop computer. ** Meanwhile, back downstairs... After a couple minutes of enduring multiple congratulations, John swallowed, kicked his logical brain back into gear, and smiled hesitantly at Kiyone before gently withdrawing his hand. "Uh... sorry about that," he muttered abashedly, placing his other hand behind his head. "Um... no problem," Kiyone returned, feeling a small bit of crimson fade from her cheeks, although her palm continued to tingle. "Ahem. If you two lovebirds are finished oogling each other, maybe you'd like to put this on, John?" Washu's voice broke the spell, and John jolted, blinking repeatedly. "Oh yeah. Uh, sure, Washu-chan." He pulled off his jacket, then reached for the scientific test garment. The redhead frowned, quickly pulling the object back. "Huh-uh, Mr. Rossmaier," she admonished, shaking her head slowly as if instructing a small child. "It's a muscle tee, so it must be worn against the skin, understand? Besides, your body heat provides the power to operate the device." John grimaced, then glanced self-consciously about the room before pulling off his shirt. And staring in utter shock. His stomach looked trim, not the slightly flabby bulge he'd developed since the seventh grade or so, and all the muscle groups were clearly visible beneath the skin. Sure, they weren't nearly as big as Ranma's, but they were definitely more than he'd had previously. Moments later, John came to the conclusion that, after crossing the universes, his physique had been adapted as well, taking the trim form of most anime males. And he didn't even have to exercise to do it. "Yahoo!" the boy cried, dancing about the room before halting before a surprised Washu. Ignoring many confused stares (and a couple hungry ones... from individuals who again failed to logically ascertain the exact reason), John pulled the spider tee over his head. "Alright, Washu-chan. Is that everything?" The scientist nodded. "Yup. I'll find you later when it's time to test the system, alright?" "Okay." John turned back towards the group, slipping his arms through his jacket sleeves. "Alright then. We're finally ready to take off. Follow me, girls." And after flashing a tentative yet heartfelt smile towards Kiyone, John exited through the doors, the host of giggling and chattering women following in his wake. Blinking his eyes, Drew leaned outside the front desk. "Hey! You didn't check out!" "Don't worry about it," Washu exclaimed, waving the man off. "They'll be fine. It's not like he's just a kid anymore." The RM puzzled over this fact before idly shrugging his shoulders. "Whatever. Everything else has been damn screwy since yesterday afternoon. Don't see why it should stop now," he added before turning back to his computer to continue his game of 'Starcraft.' Left to herself, Washu glanced out the front doors for a long moment before shaking her head and disappearing down one of the hallways. Seconds later, a sultry, elegantly dressed woman exited the computer lounge, boasting a massive grin on her face. "That worked out better than I had expected," Urd purred, chuckling to herself. "Just a small sprinkle of dust, and there's already a couple fires brewing within that little crew. Besides, there's also *plenty* of original emotions stirring among them too, some barely as young as a day, some multiple *years* in length. This must be some kind of gold mine here. Hmm... I'll have to thank Peorth for screwing up so badly when next we meet..." The silver-haired goddess paused, hefting a small bag labeled 'Urd's Own.' She smiled. "Well, I just can't leave the new lovebirds hanging. How about I give their new relationships a little 'kickstart,' just to get the hearts pounding and the passions burning, until gradually, those emotions blossom into the purest of feelings between men and women! John Rossmaier, prepare to face the challenges of Urd, your new love-mistress!" And swirling her arms in an intricate fashion, the laughing goddess disappeared amongst a bright burst of smoke. ----------------------------- Some might have referred to the confrontation as the battle of the century. Namely, because a certain number of collective plotlines would be seriously jarred by this deceitfully simplistic conflict... as well as the understandable result. Those being grounded to the mortal plane, however, merely nodded, accepted the situation as 'normal' upon hearing the entire story, and continued blissfully with their day. Standing impressively at one end of the wide field above and behind the ASMS residential dorms, Kuno posed once more and slashed his weapon to the side, again addressing his opponant. "It seems you have shown after all, Masaki. Perhaps you muster enough courage to approach the Blue Thunder, but you shan't defeat him." Tenchi sweatdropped, holding his own bokken lightly at his side, while Ryoko boredly leaned against the metal fence surrounding the hill. "Come on, Tenchi. Finish him off already..." "And you, woman. I should like you to be quiet during our bout." Ryoko scowled but held her peace. Tenchi shook his head, seeing Ryoko stiffen and pale, before turning back to the situation at hand. "Alright, Kuno. Just a standard practice match, right? Let's go, then." Both warriors nodded, then presented their arms. Tenchi assumed a defensive stance, patiently awaiting the first attack. He didn't have to wait long. Yelling a loud battle cry, the Neriman kendoist charged forth, bokken held high. Tenchi raised a brow, assessed the other's wide open form, then drew his own weapon and dodged to the side. In one smooth motion, he neatly slapped the other across his unprotected chest, feeling a small grin of satisfaction blossom quickly across his face. That grin abruptly exploded into a surprised yelp as Kuno deftly swirled about, slicing his sword through the air. Tenchi barely managed to block the weapon before stumbling backwards out of Kuno's effective attack radius. Coughing once, the blue-clad swordsman snorted, leveling his weapon once more at Tenchi. "So you have some talent. But you shall still be hard pressed to defeat one such as I." And as Kuno resumed his assault, Tenchi felt dismayed to realize the other's proclamation was *somewhat* true. While he spent a great deal of time practicing his Art, his skill remained infinitesimally inferior to his grandfather's. Also, contrary to popular belief, practice of the blade was not a primary focus in the young Masaki's life, although his family honor and beliefs continued to play an important role in how he spent his time. Kuno, on the other hand, seemed to spend a great deal more time in his efforts, and while untrained by manner of a master swordsman, the boy seemed quite capable of fending off a speedy and skilled opponant. Namely, because he took daily licks and butted heads with the best martial arts prodigy to grace this generation. Compared to someone with such a massive and unrestricted battle capacity, one might forget that Kuno was a rather capable swordsman, once he put his mind to the matter. Of course, Tenchi could just open up the Light-Hawk Wings, and then all bets would be off, hard won skills or not. The battle continued as a stalemate for a little while, Tenchi parrying and capitalizing on openings, Kuno returning the assaults with excessive vigor. Despite her confidence in Tenchi's hidden powers, Ryoko herself began to worry about the outcome of the match and decided to bolster her beloved's waning spirits. "Come on, Tenchi! Kick that guy's ass! You can do it!" Kuno strained, teeth gritted, and slammed his bokken against Tenchi's before growling out, "What didst I tell you, woman? Clearly, an uncouth, older, vicious plebeian such as yourself knows nothing of honor and promises!" Tenchi gulped, taking a couple steps back. "Uh... I don't think you should have said that..." "WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!?" Before Kuno could blink, a snarling Ryoko darted forward and slammed her fist into the other's gut, launching him directly into low earth orbit. The otherworlder fumed in midair long afterwards, watching the young man disappear in the distance, her tail bunching furiously behind her. "I am not 'old,' you bastard!" Tenchi sighed. "Well, so much for the match. I guess I need to practice more..." Ryoko gasped, forgetting about Kuno's remark, and cuddled up to his back. "No no, Tenchi! You were wonderful! You were magnificent! You were--" "Losing," the other supplied. "Only because you didn't go all out," Ryoko returned encouragingly. "You would have destroyed him otherwise." "Yeah..." Suddenly, Ryoko brightened. "Say, I know what'll cheer you up and help you forget about this whole stupid mess! Lunch! Come on!" Grinning widely, the floating demon pulled the reluctant Prince of Jurai towards the stairway, intent on finding a local establishment to celebrate their dual victory, as it were. Meanwhile, halfway across Hot Springs, Kuno growled, head buried deep within a thick concrete slab. "Demonic wretch," he yelled, voice echoing throughout that cramped space. "I shall never forgive this, Masaki! And you, foul demon-girl! The might of heaven shall be swift to punish!" Kuno cackled madly, causing a small handful of passerbys a small amount of confusion and worry. And thus, this fine day, a new rivalry was born. It's that sweet? ----------------------------- Sasuke felt somewhat perterbed by the present situation, though he only partially understood the reasons. After all, the Kunos had lived for generations upon that one plot of Asian soil, never to lay claim to a home beyond the boundaries of the estate walls. Now, however, all three remaining members of the Kuno clan had suddenly left the country, taking up residence in this backwards nation to attend a local school for the gifted. As if they couldn't have afforded a finer facility, given the Kuno's wealth. Although, given their reputation, perhaps this *was* the only facility available to them. That stack of rejection papers citing hereditary idiocy and insanity seemed mightily suspicious... At any rate, Sasuke didn't quite agree with his master's change in address; however, being the faithful manservent that he was, he deemed it unnecessary to enlighten his employers concerning this fact, and simply decided to cheer up. Which explained why he was diligently scrubbing the floors of this recently acquired bathhouse. All in all, the large structure was not lacking, despite its age. The bedrooms were quite exquisite, the facilities were complete, and the decreased number of rooms and entrances actually made his daily job much easier to fulfill. Playing the master chef, floor cleaner, and perimeter defense orchestrator became a much easier role once you decreased the available floorspace. For this reason, he was actually humming this fine afternoon as he lathered his sponge for another wipe at the floor. "Sasuke!" "A summons!" Immediately, the ninja straightened and leapt across the room, flailing about as he landed upon the recently mopped floor, before tripping and skidding to a halt at his master's feet. He grinned ashamedly before assuming the proper bowed pose of submission and willfulness. "Yes, mistress?" Kodachi sniffed haughtily before withdrawing a long gymnastics ribbon. "Now that our North American abode has been secured, I desire to meet with my beloved Ranma-sama this fine afternoon. Surely, he longs dearly for my presence, being held captive within such a heinous mockery of the proper educational facilities by those heartless wenches and bestial administrators. In light of this, I am afraid my dejeuner shall be taken in haste on route, so you needn't concern yourself with providing for my nourishment. I leave dear father in your care, Sasuke." Saying so, the Black Rose erupted into an extravagant sequence of arrogant laughter, before leaping through a peculiarly positioned open window. Her emotional cries for her 'Ranma-sama' were heard long after her departure. Sasuke sweatdropped and eyed the sudden abundance of black rose petals upon the carpet, before turning back towards his incomplete duties. This strange land might not be the original Kuno estate, but everything seemed just like home already. ----------------------------- "You're saying that loud bang I heard earlier was Jon casting a Dragon Slave? Inconceivable!" John shouted in utter disbelief. The lunch party was amassed near the closest streetlight, having maneuvered merely a block before the topic had arisen. Naturally, John found Kiyone's recollection to be entirely impossible, and had paused the tour to inquire further. Ayeka puzzled. "Perhaps, but that's how Jon referred to that brilliant blue light. Isn't that right, Kiyone?" Kiyone mulled for a second, then commented, "Well, he *called* it a 'Dragon Slave,' although he mentioned he had just summoned his chi to attack, so I don't think he actually *cast* anything. Regardless, the alley was completely decimated, like some explosive force had detonated within the center of the alley. But it wasn't a standard combustion explosive; there were minimal signs of actual scorching." "Whew, that's quite a bit easier to stomach," John breathed, odd thoughts concerning magic in his reality bombarding his already stretched (but still broad) mental limitations. Although, considering the prospects, why *hadn't* he added 'Slayers' into the mix, just for kicks? Oh well. Too late now, anyway. "At any rate, it's still pretty weird," John considered, scratching his forehead. "I know that Jon's been practicing some meditation techniques lately; heaven knows, he needs the mental peace to cope with his girlfriend." Knowing smirks passed between the collected women, as John continued, "But I didn't think he's progressed *that* far in his skill. I know he mentioned being able to find his spiritual center much more easily a few weeks ago, but I didn't know he could manipulate it. Heck, I didn't know it *could* be manipulated." The boy lapsed into a brief silence, those thoughts turning over again within his skull. "Maybe the crossover lended a hand in magnifying his powers," Nabiki commented. "That could be. It would explain why he had trouble controlling it, too, being unused to physically manipulating his spirit force. I suppose he threw in that whole 'Dragon Slave' bit just for flavor, and maybe a little bit of focus." Suddenly, he perked up. "Say, does that mean that *I* can create auras and throw 'em around?" John thought back to the handful of times he'd interrupted his friend's meditations, quickly analyzing Carlson's actions. After a moment, he closed his eyes, cleared his mind, and mimicked his suitemate's deliberate hand motions. Nothing happened. After about a minute, Mihoshi stepped forward, tapping the young man on the shoulder. "What are you doing, Mr. Rossmaier? Aren't we going to go eat?" John slowly opened his eyes again, brows furrowed. "I guess I haven't had as much training as Jon has. Or maybe it's like that 'El Hazard' effect, how all the guys originating from Earth gained superpowers after crossing to the land of El Hazard. Maybe Jon and I got separate powers or something." John smiled brightly. "Yeah! Maybe *I've* got something special that only *I* can do! But what might that be...?" "Well... don't worry about it, alright?" Ukyo interjected, feeling somewhat left behind concerning the conversational flow. "There's nothing you can do about it right now. At any rate, you promised us all a tour and some lunch, sugar, and I believe you've only managed to strand us out here instead." The sole male in the party gulped before nodding quickly and moving forward again. After all, it wouldn't be prudent to upset a group of females as large as this. Tempting such fate would be like poking a dragon in the eye, and then pausing to laugh while it slowly got up. Pushing those thoughts into memory, John turned and gestured to both sides of the street. "Sorry for the delay, girls, but here we are. The thriving commercial district of Hot Springs!" He laughed. "Well, not really, but it's a busy tourist region regardless. Take your time and check the shops on both sides; restaurants are often hidden among the art galleries and special interest shops." "'Special interest?'" Nabiki murmured. "Don't worry about it," John sweatdropped. "I don't come downtown for the shopping anyway." "Nice to know." The group meandered down the street at a slightly leisurely pace, gradually taking in the commercial sights during the bright midafternoon light, before the fore of the line ground to a gradual halt. Said halt developed half into a collective moan, and half into a collective glance of mild confusion. Mihoshi puzzled, as was her usual wont, before commenting, "Um... John, didn't you say that really good Chinese restaurant downtown was called the Wok?" John sighed. "Yeah, I did..." "That's the restaurant that was going out of business," Sasami supplied helpfully. "I couldn't remember the name earlier." Akane glowered. "And of all the restaurants to take its place..." "Nihao! Welcome to Cat Café, American branch!" And sure enough, roughly twenty feet before the idle brigade of man and women, a mop of lucious violet hair riding atop any supermodel's dream body pierced the thick flow of pedestrian motion much like a firework through a bland, gray cloud. Shampoo, in all her primped Amazonian glory, stood proudly before the hastily relocated Cat Café, her crimson silken cheongsam tightly hugging those inticingly sensuous curves as she happily distributed fliers to numerous tongue-dragging males (which earned them a hasty rap on the forehead from any nearby dates, girlfriends, fiancées, and wives.) The troop stood, half in dejected astonishment, half in hesitant confusion... leaving one lonesome member trying valiently to regain his mental bearings and return his brain to standard operational mode. Nabiki smiled grudgingly as she appraised the new establishment. "At least Cologne knows how to operate a successful business. Selling her ramen here should do just as well, if not better, than back in Nerima. And I thought the old Amazon warrior was only good for martial arts and stirring up trouble." "Now's *not* the time to be impressed by the old bat's business sense, Nabiki," Ukyo muttered darkly. "At least that explains why Mousse was at the school last night," John commented, reason finally permeating his hormone-addled mind. "Decided to confront Ranma before Shampoo could stop him." Nabiki nodded. "Makes sense..." Hearing her name amongst the roiling chatter of the crowd, the young Amazon turned, before targeting her gaze upon the small number of familiar, and duly hated, women. Or rather, rivals. "You! What you all do here?!" Bunching her fliers into a tight wad, the now-irate Amazon stomped over to the group. "Why do you care, sugar?" Ukyo growled in reply, hands itching for a good strong grip on her combat spatula... which was conveniently left within her new room. Damn common courtesy. She'd have to make a point of carrying her bandoleer around again... Akane tensed her own muscles. "Yeah? What're you doing here anyway, Shampoo?" "Is obvious," the warrior returned. "Ranma leave country. So Shampoo and great-grandmother follow Ranma." "Quick to the point, isn't she?" John commented quietly, arms resting idly behind his head. He shivered, then turned to the others. "Well, what do you say, guys? We want to move along? This can't get anything but uglier." "Tenchi, let's try this one!" a loud voice called over the hum of traffic and idle chatter. The non-squabbling group members blinked, turning to stare in the direction they came. Sure enough, a very familiar woman was enthusiastically pulling a nondescript young man through the crowded flow of traffic on the sidewalk. John winced, eyeing a dark faced Ayeka and the impending explosion. "Speaking of uglier..." "Ooooh, that woman!" the princess growled, balling her fists at her sides. "What is she planning to do to Lord Tenchi? I apologize, Mr. Rossmaier, but I must be leaving now." "Believe me, I understand completely." The group watched as Ayeka quickly made her way through the crowds, already dreading the second eruption of violence that was sure to follow the still budding first. John winced again, then turned to the remaining members of the tour. "Well... I think heading back that way would be a really bad idea... We'd better keep going." "Yeah, that's probably the most prudent course of action," Kiyone agreed, feeling slightly nervous herself. "Come along, Mihoshi. Let's see what's further down." "Huh?" the blonde returned absently. "You mean we're not going to be eating here?" "No, I don't think so," John returned as barbed words and flaring, steadfast gazes flooded the air between the three rivals competing for the heart of a certain pigtailed martial artist. "How about we try the Backhouse Grill? I don't think anyone's breezed in and bought *that* establishment just yet..." And the young man turned, shifting through the crowd as he waved the remaining group onward. Unfortunately, having been engrossed in his continuing conversation with the four members of the Tenchi reality, John neglected to realize that Ranma's suitors had spaced themselves apart a liberal distance and were preparing to resolve their usual disagreement in the usual manner. Meaning, the poor young lad was blindly wandering into the midst of a budding fistfight. "Um, John?" Nabiki cautioned, somewhat worriedly. "Watch out for--" "Die!" Shampoo screamed, charging directly towards Akane. Ukyo and the young Tendo reciprocated her sentiment using similar battle cries before stepping into the attack. About this time, Mihoshi noticed the goings on, promptly launched into motion, and offered a tapered "Watch out, John!", before stumbling on the pavement and inadvertently shoving the young man even more firmly into the impending line of Eternal Doom. Secretly, John had always wanted to be the center of feminine attention. Unfortunately, you sometimes get what you wish for... ** Time slowed to barely a crawl as John bounced awkwardly from Shampoo's fist to land on the pavement some dozen feet away. A loud gasp emitted from every girl present, shocked hearts thudding briefly in tandem... before general chaos and confusion erupted. "John!" Kiyone and Nabiki gasped. "Mr. Rossmaier!" Mihoshi wailed. "John-oniichan!" Sasami cried. Deftly avoiding the confused crowd, the young princess darted forward and tugged the boy into a relaxed, seated position, quickly examining his injured back and forehead. A crying Mihoshi began to babble distraught apologies before kneeling down next to her partner. Kiyone professionally scanned the young man with a portable GP medical device, moderating his breathing patterns and checking for major fractures or tears in the bones or muscles. Actually, her armored resolve closely mirrored Nabiki's as she too crouched on the opposite side, absently biting her lip and supporting one sagging shoulder. Akane and Ukyo, content to watch the proceedings without interfering, instead glanced quickly between the young man and Shampoo, who remained frozen at the apex of her assault. The young Amazon quickly shook herself from her daze before gasping and stepping forward. "Aiyaa! Shampoo so so sorry! You okay, mister stranger?" John's pupils dialated, although he managed to nod his head absently. "Wha...? Did someone get the number on that truck? No, officer, I wasn't smoking anything..." He shook his head again, only managing to slightly worsen the headache. John mulled absently through the mental haze. After another moment, John groaned and gently moved his arms to grasp his temples. "Oh man. What happened?" "That crazy bimbo hit you from behind," supplied Ukyo. "Shampoo not crazy!" "Cut it out," interjected Nabiki. "Now's not the time for this." "Yeah," Kiyone added. "Our priority here is John. Are you feeling okay? Nothing's broken, right?" John winced, stretching a couple tense muscles. "I don't think so. I might be bleeding though..." "Bleeding?!" Mihoshi broke into a fresh wail. Kiyone ignored the gushing stream of tears and clutched John's shoulder. "Where?" He gestured absently towards his back. Nabiki frowned, examining for herself. "Hmm... you don't think Shampoo's attack broke the skin, do you?" "Well..." "Wait!" The group turned, finding Shampoo staring determinedly from the front door of the Cat Café. "You wait here. Shampoo get great- grandmother to help!" And with that, the purple-haired Amazon darted into the store. Akane grimaced. "You think we should trust her?" "Sure," John replied, earning him a number of confused gazes. He smiled slightly, feeling somewhat overwhelmed though quite assured of his reasoning. "Look, I'm not seriously hurt. Besides, neither of them want to kill me, so there's no harm in asking for assistance. And we might even get a free lunch from the deal, too. Hmm?" After a moment, Nabiki nodded. "He's right. Look, Cologne might be a scheming old bat, but she's not really that evil. She'd help given that Shampoo caused the injury." "Speaking of that," Kiyone interjected, "let me have a good look at your back, John, to see if there's any scarring or bleeding." "Urgh... sure thing." ----------------------------- Hidden beneath a convenient overhang above the Cat Café, Chibi-Urd smiled broadly, replaying the previous exchange along in her mind. "I couldn't have set the thing up better myself," she exclaimed. "After dusting everyone back in that school's foyer, my magic was only supposed to slightly escalate the feelings inherit in that group so I could determine their future loves, but I never expected the reaction to be *this* strong! Good heavens! *Both* Kiyone *and* Nabiki are quickly showing signs of confort in expressing their hidden emotions! Granted, emotions in which I greatly magnified, but this is still highly irregular! Showing such *powerful* signs *this* quickly after dusting...! And with Shampoo attacking John, the situation will only progress that much more quickly!" True to assessment, Urd watched raptly as a curiously blushing Kiyone began to closely examine her unknowing charge's back. After charting the young woman's hesitant progress, she shifted her gaze to the other slightly flushed girl in the vicinity. Nabiki stood a small distance away, masking her face with the usual blank slate of emotion, but Urd could detect the telltale signs of romantic interest bubbling underneath the facade. Clearly, these two women had suddenly fallen head-over-heels for this young man... and seemed to be either confused by these emotions or determined to fight them every step of the way. Well, we couldn't have *that* now, could we? "Nothing to do but assist in the matters of love!" Urd proclaimed. Reaching into a convenient magical pouch, she sprinkled an additional extremely powerful dosage upon the new romantic tenants for the young man's heart. "Just a little something to *really* relax those emotional barriers, girls! We simply can't keep these feelings all bottled up, you understand!" She watched as the golden dust gradually dissipated above both girls, leaving an ethereal pinkish hue. Both girls shivered. "Now *that* should get their hearts burning in *no* time! Good luck, you two! Maybe now, you'll *really* make some headway with your true love!" Laughing quietly, she swirled once before disappearing in a small burst of colored smoke, leaving her residual mark on the two women below. Eternal love never did lend to reason... Which probably explained Kami-sama's choice for Heaven's Love Goddess. Odd how the minds of the gods and goddesses function, you know? ----------------------------- "Great-grandmother!" The wizened, old Amazon woman closed her eyes, sighing heavily. "What is it you want, Shampoo? Don't you understand that we need to be working?" "Hai, Shampoo understand, but this important!" Cologne opened her eyes, turning to stare at a frantic Shampoo wringing her hands in the doorway to the kitchen. She blinked. "What is it, then? What's wrong?" Shampoo opened her mouth, then floundered for breath, shame tainting her youthful features. Cologne raised a brow as her great- granddaughter tried again. "Violent girl and spatula girl show up on street! Shampoo challenge, but injure other man instead! Was accident, Shampoo swear!" The girl seemed on the verge of tears but resolutely tried to maintain her composure. Cologne sighed, understanding the young child's emotional turmoil. After all, despite the rough training and warlike society, the Amazons refrained from injuring idle pedestrians as often as possible. While this tradition did not necessarily lend itself to buildings and terrain, most Amazons upheld the unspoken rule much like iron tribal law. Which explained why Shampoo felt such awful shame at the moment. "Don't worry, child. How is the young man faring?" Shampoo blinked, confusion beginning to replace shame upon her face. "Um... was up and talking. Seem okay. May be bleeding, though." "Very well. We shall attend to his needs at the moment, and determine how much medical assistance he will require. Do not concern yourself with the problem until we find out this young man's status." The girl nodded, feeling slightly better, before following the old woman out the front door. There, the assembled women greeted them with silent stares as the two stopped before the young man. "Are you alright, child?" Cologne inquired. "I apologize for my great-grandaughter. She is often quite zealous about her pursuits and did not mean to injure you." "I know," John replied, rubbing his shoulders absently. "It's alright. Nothing's broken, and I'm not bleeding. Detective Kiyone already checked. Apparently, whatever I was feeling earlier was nothing." The old woman nodded. "Very well then. Are you sure there is nothing we could do for you?" John blinked, then tossed a mildly calculating grin in Nabiki's direction before musing aloud, "Well, I was on my way to deliver these girls a tour of downtown Hot Springs." He gestured idly over the contingent of women. "We were planning to have lunch before the real tour got underway; however, I'd planned on selecting the Wok for our afternoon meal..." He trailed off, wiggling his brows furtively. Cologne chuckled. "You're quite the calculating young man. Take note, Nabiki Tendo, this one's right up your alley." The girl blushed deeply in response. The Amazon matriarch raised her brows in idle surprise. She smiled. "Very well, young man. You and your dinner party shall be the first to dine at the American Nekohaten. The first course shall be ready in roughly twenty minutes." "That'll be perfect," John returned happily, then gestured towards the now-opened restaurant. "Alright everyone, let's go!" And as the eight girls and one lucky guy entered the relocated Cat Café, he added, "Say, I should probably explain something else to you first, though, Amazon Matriarch Cologne..." ----------------------------- In a closed room, a mirror swirled, then opened into a vortex of odd colors. A head poked through the blackness swirling in the center of the mirror. Belldandy, Norn Goddess of the Present, nodded and pulled herself out of the glass. Behind her, another passed through, holding tightly onto the trailing folds of her robes. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that, Bell." The goddess turned to regard the young man. "I'm sorry, Kei. But, traveling through mirrors is the fastest, most inexpensive mode of transport. There wasn't any other method for arriving here as quickly as we did. Besides, we both know that your financial standing at this moment is not extremely favorable." "You don't need to bring that up, Bell," Keiichi blushed as he began to stand. Belldandy ducked her head slightly. "Sorry, Kei." The young man sighed, then favored the goddess with a smile. "It's okay. Just try not to remind me so often. So... where are we now?" Belldandy glanced around. They were standing within a small bathroom with white walls, abundant clensing supplies, and a faucet tagged on the left knob with a note reading: 'Does not work. Sorry, Ranma.' She stepped towards the faucet, turning the right knob. As cold water began to fill the basin, she replied, "We should be in John Rossmaier's bathroom right now. Urd told me last night that she'd already contacted the other boy, although she seemed rather evasive when I asked about her progress concerning the second portion of our mission." "Yeah, you mentioned that. And speaking of which, why did we wait this long before confronting Mr. Rossmaier?" Belldandy tipped her head to the side, musing slightly. "Father contacted me sometime last night with some updated information concerning the realms crossed into this dimension. I've spent all evening and morning examining the records of a great number of individuals and facts, familiarizing myself with our present mission." Keiichi whistled appreciatively. "Wow! And I thought you were just busy elsewhere all morning and forgot to include me. I couldn't find you anywhere on the temple grounds. (Odd that we'd find a shrine here in *America*, so close to our target too, but anyway...) So, was Skuld with you too?" The goddess flushed, expressing an odd cross between amusement, resignation, and frustration. "I had sent her out on random scouting and reconnaissance. She instead became distracted by a local ice cream establishment." The other nodded. "Speak no further. I understand. So, what do you know about some of the people we might run into?" After stopping the flow of water, Belldandy spent the next few minutes relating a large assortment of strange people, varied places, bizzare concepts, and impossible histories. Keiichi boggled at the sheer number of individuals, as well as their situations, personalities, and histories. After the goddess fell silent again, he queried with bewilderment, "And these two guys actually *wanted* to bring all the others into the *same* reality?! What were they thinking?!" Some distance away, the two Jo(h)ns sneezed. Belldandy merely smiled, idly shaking her head. "They just wanted to pretend for a while, Kei. I'm sure they never intended for this universe to stand. All we need to do is locate John and..." A somewhat more stable Keiichi nodded, being familiar with the next stage in their plan. Suddenly, the water in the basin of the sink sloshed, then began swirling. Despite having experienced Skuld's mode of transportation more than a few dozen times, Keiichi still felt uncomfortable being this close to a giant glowing celestial portal. Clenching his fists, he pressed gently against the bathroom door, while Belldandy watched the arrival of her youngest sister with a calm anticipation. And at that moment, Ranma Saotome, new ASMS resident and possessor of this very bathroom, decided that Nature'd been knockin' long enough. Keiichi tipped backwards through the now open door as Skuld rose from the water via a transparent column of white light. Ranma blinked slightly as the dark-haired, floating goddess slowly lowered to the floor, then gave another intruder a massive hug. Keiichi clutched the marble linoleum, shaking his head to remove a sudden cloud of dizziness and confusion. The jolly heartwarming ground to a halt as Skuld noted the open door, complete with boggling pigtailed boy. "Umm... oneechan? I believe we have an audience..." "We do? Oh!" The two goddesses separated, blushing slightly. "Hello. I'm sorry for this intrusion..." Ranma shrugged his shoulders. "No problem. Happens all the time, actually. You think I could step in for a moment, though?" "Hmm?" Belldandy blinked suddenly. "Oh! Of course, Mr. Saotome. Forgive us." She stepped lightly out of the bathroom, followed by Skuld and Keiichi. Ranma simply blinked. "Uh... how did you know who I am?" Keiichi grimaced. Every once in a while, Belldandy continued to exhibit the kind of pure, tactless conversational skills and 'thoughtful' assistance she always had. Being around humans has helped quite a lot, altough some of the finer subtleties still evaded the goddess's inherent knowledge. The young man shrugged, gesturing towards the bathroom. "Look, why don't you take care of your business, Ranma? We'll explain everything when you get out." Ranma, still looking confused and now somewhat distrustful, proceeded into the bathroom. A couple minutes later, and after introductions, Belldandy got to the true purpose of her visit. "We're looking for a young man named 'John Rossmaier.' You're his new roommate, right? You wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?" The pigtailed boy shook his head. "Sorry. He left for downtown some time ago, but he didn't say where. I don't know how long he'll be gone either." Belldandy sighed. Skuld mused for a moment, chewing on her inside cheek, before brightening. "I've got an idea, Belldandy! Remember those data files you gave me earlier today? Well, I could simply run a scan of Hot Springs through my computer. It might take a little while, but we could probably find out where he went." The elder goddess smiled. "That sounds great, Skuld!" "Alright!" The young (comparatively) goddess pulled a small assortment of machines and metallic objects from the pouch on her back. She promptly collapsed to the floor, working diligently towards her desired goal as Belldandy hovered over Skuld's shoulder. In the meantime, Ranma and Keiichi decided to amuse themselves with idle chit-chat. "So, you're looking for John too?" "Not really. I'm just here with Bell." Ranma nodded. "What d'ya need him for?" "Well..." Keiichi hedged, glancing abashedly to the sides. "If it's about that 'crossover' thing, then..." "You mean you know?" "Well, John explained it to me last night, although I don't think I quite understand everything that's going on." Ranma shrugged absently. "Wouldn't be the first time, though. I can handle it, no matter what's happened." "I wish I had your confidence, Ranma." "Heh. By the way, how did all of you end up in my bathroom in the first place?" "..." "Found him!" The two boys turned to catch an exuberant expression on Skuld's face. She was pointing towards a floating screen before her, showing John's current location to Belldandy. The elder goddess seemed rather pleased as well. "Excellent, Skuld. Where is he?" The other squinted her eyes. "At some restaurant down the road." "I see. Goodness, he seems to be in the company of a number of young women, many of them from the other crossed dimensions." "Really?" Keiichi asked. "Like who?" "Well..." Skuld mused, thinking back to the assortment of photos Belldandy handed her over breakfast. "That short-haired one sitting next to him is Miss Tendo, I think. Oh, and that one on the other side is... um... I can't really remember, but she's kinda cute in that uniform and the long hair and all. Wow! They must really like him, too, 'cause they've both been hugging on him, and now they're arguing a little, and... where'd Mr. Saotome go?" Keiichi blinked, turning to catch a large wisp of dust -- suspiciously resembling a crouching pigtailed martial artist -- dissipate into thin air. "You're right, where did he go? Oh well. So, are we going to go find John now?" "Right! Are you ready, Kei?" Belldandy held out her hand expectantly. "Not the mirror..." "Come now. It'll only take a moment." The boy sagged. "Okay, Bell. Let's go." Moments later, the room was again empty. ----------------------------- Akane and Ukyo... A short-haired Miss Tendo and a cute long-haired uniform-wearing girl, arguing over a guy... A feeling, just like during that cursed jewel incident... He couldn't simply sit back and allow another to steal his friends away from him, much less get them to ignore him. And John said he wasn't really interested in dating... Yeah. Right. Ranma stormed out of the elevator, heading straight for the double doors. Suddenly, a petite hand grabbed at his wrist, slowing him with surprising tenacity. He turned and stared angrily into Miss Hinako's curious face. "Where are you going, Mister Saotome?" "Downtown," he gritted, resuming his dogged pursuit of the door and John's timely destruction. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to check out first." "I don't think this can wait," he growled in reply. Something flashed at his side. "I'm warning you, Ranma Saotome. If you don't sign out, I'll have to discipline you instead." Ranma thought, quickly scanning the RLB lobby. No one else was present. Drat. He was about to make a break for it anyway when suddenly... "Excuse me, you wouldn't know how to get to Furinkan... RANMA?" "Ryoga! Perfect timing!" ----------------------------- Kodachi mused, resting atop the ASMS residential dorm, and watched closely as her beloved and that uncouth bandana-clad ruffian bolted from the lobby, tossing barbed words and accusations between the two. The gymnast smiled amusedly at their rivalry before catching a sliver of the conversation... "What? Akane Tendo and Ukyo Kuonji enjoying the company of another young man downtown? This, I must investigate." Saying so, she deftly made her way to the downtown rooftops, keeping a watchful eye on the slow progress of the two bickering males. And thus, the party of downtown trackers grew from two to an unknowing three as Ranma, Ryoga, and Kodachi painstakingly made their way towards the Cat Café. Like moths to an electric bug zapper, dear readers. Of course, most moths aren't equipped with 1450cc's of nitro glycerine... *[End of Chapter 2]* ----------------------------- -----------------------------