"Aww, Lina, can't I just take one teeny look?" Zelgadis whined. He never whined...ever. Lina couldn't help but laugh at him. He looked so sad and innocent with his puppy eyes. Still, Lina remained adamant. Not only was she just being her usual, stubborn self, but she also felt the need to protect Zel from himself. Who knew what Zel would do with the Claire Bible? But Rinri had promised to allow Zel and Ranma to go first and she would transform after Ranma and his friends had gotten home. However, so far the only spells she and the Mozoku had managed were the ones to get them out of the Mozoku realm and that which would transport Ranma and co. back to their home.
"Lina, how much longer do you think it's gonna take?" Ranma said, hopping up and down with a childish sense of urgency.
Ryoga shifted nervously. What was he going to do? If he wanted the curse gone, he would have to admit it in front of Akane. He couldn't do that. Ryoga bit his lip in frustration. Then he sighed and tapped Ranma on the shoulder. He didn't know why, but somehow, Ryoga thought Saotome could help...
"Lina, I think this may be it...oh, wait, this is for a duck... Okay here! No, this is for an elephant...hoo! I feel sorry for the guy who fell in that spring!" Rinri said as she searched the book for animal curses. Of course, she never found what she was looking for, the Jusenkyo curses put on Ranma and Ryoga were unknown even to the ancient writers of the Claire Bible. These curses were even alien to Xelloss, and that guy knew an awful lot.
"Look, Rinri, I'm pretty sure you aren't going to find anything, so how about just getting us all home, okay?" Ranma said dejectedly, "According to you guys, Nerima and Japan shouldn't exist in the first place!"
Ryoga's hopes shattered. Ranma ruined everything. Before he was able to contain himself, Ryoga Hibiki drew his umbrella.
"RANMA SAOTOME, PREPARE TO DIE!!!" Ryoga screamed as he lunged at Ranma, knocking him to the ground.
"Awww, geez, Ryoga, now isn't the best of times you know. I'm sorry p...uh...pal, but this ain't gonna help!" Ranma said from under Ryoga.
"Oh, no, Saotome, not this time! This time you go too far. I can't just stand idly by while you..." Ryoga trailed off into a stunned silence.
Ranma held in his hand a cold bucket of water. "Look pig boy, either we go home or you...well you know the drill," Ranma said coldly as he sloshed the water around in the bucket.
Akane just looked from one boy to the other. Then she calmly, but firmly pushed Ranma's arm down to his side, "Ranma, I don't know what you could possibly prove by going girl on us, so just put the water down now." Ranma, strangely enough, did exactly as he was told.
"Ryoga-honey, I know you're...upset, but this isn't the way to solve it okay? Put away your umbrella," Ukyou gently pulled the angry Lost Boy's arm down to his side and, grumbling he put away his umbrella.
"Apologize," said both girls in unison. Ranma and Ryoga hesitated for a moment, but the girls' warning glares made them suddenly very eager to patch their "friendship" back up.
Amelia and Lina looked on admiringly...if only they could manipulate men like that!
The last thing anyone remembered was a high pitched screech followed by a faint ringing sensation in their ears. Then all went black.
"Akane, hey, Akane..." Ranma tried to wake his unconscious fiancée shaking her shoulders ever so gently to avoid aggravating any wounds she might have obtained. Ranma saw Akane stir and went to check on the others. Everyone was there and in one piece, except for Rinri. The Mozoku girl was nowhere to be found. Where could she have gone.
Ranma looked at the dragon-sized gap in the wall of the inn. The answer to his silent question could be found skyward, as the Mozoku girl was locked in a battle with a mysteriously familiar foe.
Lina came to in the midst of a large bit of debris. Gourry lay just to one side, reaching for her even in his unconscious state. She gently rolled off of the debris pile and went to stand with Ranma by the new window.
"Oh, man!" was all she could manage when she saw the sight above. Rinri flew locked in battle with what appeared to be Xelloss in Mozoku form. Rinri was winning. The Claire Bible was lying open on the floor, obviously dropped in some haste. Ukyou was struggling to push Ryoga's limp form off of her, and Akane was slowly picking her way towards Ranma. Zelgadis was walking toward Lina with a worried look on his face.
"Did he take the book?" Zelgadis asked.
Lina whapped him on the head, "Thanks, Zel, I'm just fine, never better..." she began, but soon let the matter drop. Now Gourry rose from the rubble and rushed to Lina's side, examining her for any injuries she might have. There were none clearly visible, though Lina suspected a few cracked ribs...nothing major though. Gourry suddenly turned white as a ghost. All the color drained out of his face as he slowly raised his hand to point behind Lina. Zelgadis saw it too. But Lina was too late to see the huge fist enclose her body and whisk her off into the sky.
"MAN!" Ranma yelled as he watched Lina get dragged off, "Well, here goes nothing."
Ranma leaped up and caught the beast by the leg. He looked down as he felt something glomp onto his own leg. To his surprise and dismay, it was Akane.
"What are you doing Akane!?" Ranma demanded as he continued to cling to the Mozoku's leg.
"I'm not letting you go that easily Ranma, I'm in this too, and without Lina, we can't get home you know," she shouted.
"Still, that was a stupid thing to do Akane," Ranma chided gently.
Akane smiled, "Hey Ranma, I have an idea, let's do whatever it takes to get Lina back and get us home okay?"
Ranma nodded, "Okay!"
"Stupid old man!" Shampoo shouted as she chased after Happosai.
"Yeah! C'mon, tell us what you did!" yelled Mousse.
"Heh hehe heehe! Now my dear Shampoo, I think you know what that will cost you!" said a very hyper little Happosai.
"Shampoo be right back, keep him here Mousse!" shouted the blue-haired Amazon as she ran off in the direction of the Neko-hanten.
"Anything for you Shampoo my love!" Mousse called after her as he continued to chase Happosai around the Tendo Dojo.
Shampoo returned several minutes later with a small bag.
"Here old man. Here stupid payment! Now tell us how get to Ranma!" Shampoo yelled irritably as she tossed the sack to the old man.
"Hee hee hee! What a haul, WHAT A HAUL!" said the bouncing old pervert as he reveled in his new bras and panties, "Okay you win, here you go!"
Before she knew it, Shampoo was covered in strange smelling goo. Then she felt nauseous. Then, she looked up and the Tendo Dojo was gone. She looked beside her to find a very bewildered Mousse.
"Shampoo no think we in Japan anymore..." Shampoo said, suddenly scared. She didn't like the eerie quiet of this place. Shampoo shivered, suddenly chilled. Mousse put his arm around her shoulder and helped her stand.
"Are you alright Shampoo?" Mousse asked. When Shampoo did not respond, Mousse felt her skin. It was like ice. "Shampoo!" he exclaimed as she fell to the ground, twitching.
"SHAMOPOOOOOO!!!" Mousse screamed as he fell to his knees at her side, wrapping her in his long shirt.
From somewhere above, a voice could be heard, "You will not interfere. You have nothing to do with this!"
"Shampoo okay now Mousse, just get scared. You take shirt back now," Shampoo smiled weakly.
"Are you sure, my love?" Mousse asked as he slipped his shirt back on.
"Yes duck boy, now let's go. Must find Ranma!" she pointed down the corridor to their left and led the way. Still, those bad feelings had been strong enough to knock her to the ground. What was it?"
"Ranma-honey!"
"AKANE!"
"LINA!!!!!"
"Oh brother..."
"In the NAME OF JUSTICE! COME BACK YOU COWARD!""
Gourry led the charge against the retreating Xelloss, who was carrying away Lina, Ranma, and Akane. In the distance, Ukyou could see Ranma reach down and grab Akane's hand. He hauled her up and she clung to his waist and he clung to hers, not letting go of the Mozoku's leg. Ukyou sighed. It looked like Ranma really did care about Akane. Well, the little Dojo girl thought she'd won, but she was wrong. This little incident just made Ukyou's will stronger!
Xelloss boomed down at Ranma and Akane, "You will not interfere. You have nothing to do with this!"
"Wrong bub! We are just as involved as Lina and the others are! We ain't letting go okay? So just let Lina go!" Ranma yelled back.
"RANMA! LOOK OUT!" Akane yelled as a FIREBALL came two inches from creaming them both.
"ROOOOOWRR!!!" yelled the Mozoku as the FIREBALL hit him squarely in the eyes, blinding him. He dropped Lina and a sudden jerk worked Ranma's grip loose. He and Akane began to plummet toward the earth. Akane shut her eyes.
"Ranma, I..." Akane began. Suddenly, their descent stopped, as Lina had used her levitation spell on them. Akane breathed a sigh of relief and Ranma raised his eyebrow.
"This is weird!" Ranma said as he floated gently to the ground, still clutching Akane.
"You can let go of me now Ranma, we aren't falling," Akane said.
"Oh, okay, sorry," he said with a blush.
Xelloss had taken enough pain for one day, so he went crying home to Zellas Metallium. Lina smiled when she thought of that image. Xelloss whimpering like a little puppy, lip quivering and begging for his master to help him.
Rinri sat quietly, musing about the events of the past days. Amelia and Lina were hard at work on the wedding dress. The Claire Bible had sent Ranma and his friends home, but left Ranma a girl and Zelgadis a chimera. It was too bad, too. He would've made a fine human.
"Excuse me, but have you heard of Ranma Saotome?" Mousse asked the tall blonde swordsman.
"Actually yeah, but you just missed them. We sent them home about an hour ago."
Sweatdrop...