"Yes, its a spatula why do you ask?" Leaf said, her husband still busy trying to extricate himself from her spell. A blue aura began to grow around the boy, and she stepped back ready to repell a spell. She was surprised when the boy took his umbrealla off his pack and stuffed the point in her husband's face.
"Then you're Ukyou's parents?" Ryouga asked, seemingly calm, looking down at the tentacles wrapping around the man's feet.
"You know Ukyou?" Leaf shouted eagerly, ignoring the obviously threatening position the boy was directing her husband. After all he was a kid, whatever he could do was nothing more than what Jiro deserved. "Where can we find her?"
"So he's the one made her pretend to be a boy and chase after Ranma? You're the reason I'm constantly getting clobbered over the head with a giant spatula?"
"Excuse me," Leaf paused and glared at her now very nervous husband. "Jiro, you made her pretend to be a boy?"
"I had a reason," he swallowed.
"Hmm, excuse me a moment, father, Mr. Saotome," Kasumi said as she breathed through the house to answer the door. She found a small crowd on the other side. "Oh my, I help you?"
"Is Sylphiel here?" Kasumi looked down toward the red-head who was standing in front of the group. She looked to be about twenty-five years old or so. Though she had that same look in her eyes of greater age that Cologne and Happosai had. Almost all of them had that same look however, the blonde woman and purple haired man more than the others. The lone exception was the fortyish looking blonde man that was obviously with the red head.
"You are here to see Sylphiel Tendo?" Kasumi said quietly.
"Sylphiel TENDO?" the odd blue-skinned man toward the back repeated. "Yes, well I suppose her name would change if she got married."
"Well where is she?" the red-head demanded again.
"I'm sorry, but my mother has been dead for many years now."
"Your mother? She's dead?" The black haired woman had been holding herself aloof up to that point, and now she suddenly looked very guilty.
"I'm afraid so, would you like to come in?" Kasumi moved herself to the side and gestured for them to come in.
"Certainly, thank you miss - ?"
"Kasumi," she answered the tall blonde woman. "If you'll excuse me I was just making dinner..." There was a blur as the red-head and the blonde man zipped past.
"Lina-san," the black haired woman gasped in embarrassment.
"Uh...Kasumi," her father called from the dining room. "Who are these people over here?"
"Friends of mother's, father," Kasumi answered as she let them in.
"OH My Late wife," Soun sniffed. "HOW I MISS YOU! WAAAAHH!!!!"
As the black-haired woman and the purple-haired man past she reached out to stop him, politely and unaggressively, but still firm. "Excuse me, are you a relative of my mother's?"
"No, why do you ask?" he said, turning closed eyes toward her.
"You bare a slight resemblance to my sisters," Kasumi answered.
"Surprise, sur..." the black haired woman paused and looked at the man. "SISTERS? Plural? Something I should know about, Xellos?"
"Now, now, Ame-chan, now's not the time," he pointed at Kasumi.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't be discussing our personal matters in front of you like this," the woman bowed formally.
"It is perfectly all right," Kasumi answered. "I thought I recognized him as mother's...friend anyway. I should apologize to you from questioning him here in front of you."
"Perhaps I should talk to you later, Kasumi-san," Amelia said as Xellos fake cringed past them. Amelia knew he was enjoying the meal, and it irritated her a little more. Though of course he had never seriously hurt her, well never intended to.
"Who won?" Akane asked as Ranma and Tenchi came into the house for dinner. She blinked as she saw a sopping wet Ranko walk in behind her fiancee's shell shocked cousin.
"Does anybody have any hot water?" Ranma-chan asked.
"Certainly," Sasami said, surprised but non-pulsed. She sure they'd explain where Akane-san's fiancee went in moment. She stepped up and drifted off to the kitchen happily.
"Who is that girl and what's she doing with Lord Tenchi?"
"Oh, Ranma, just why were you fighting near the lake?" Nodoka shook her head sadly.
"Smooth move, Saotome," Nabiki noted.
"I wasn't!" he snapped. "There was a mop bucket!"
"Come on, girl," Ryoko stood up growling. "Who are you and what are you doing with Tenchi?"
"Oh it'll be obvious in moment," Ranma started. Ryoko launched out with a fist, which Ranma blocked almost absently.
"What the...?" Ryoko found she couldn't press her fist forward even an inch, and the red-head didn't seem to be having trouble at all.
"Sorry, I don't fight girls," Ranma-chan said simply.
Tenchi was still trying to process the recent event. He'd seen some strange things, but this had to top them. Washu leaned back and arched an eyebrow with curiosity and amusement.
"Here's your hot water miss..." Ranma-chan took the kettle and upended over her head.
"HOT!!!HOT!!!HOT!!!!" Ranma, now a he, danced around trying to cool off. All the Masaki crew aside from Tenchi, Washu and Yosho face faulted.
"How the heck did she...he...uh you do that?"
"Its a curse," Akane explained as Ranma blew his hands cool. "He fell into the Jusenkyo pool of drowned girl, so when he gets what he becomes a girl."
"This is...strange," Tenchi said finally. Yosho laughed, amused. He'd heard of the springs before, but he'd never thought that he'd see a victim, or that it would be his own grandson.
"Uh, why is she looking at me like that?" Ranma asked pointing at Washu. The Masaki crew sweatdropped.
"Hmm, THAT will make an interesting wedding night," Nobuyuki sniped. Ranma and Akane resisted the urge to smash him into the ground. After all, they were the guests.
"You get used to it," Nabiki said. "Lots of the gang back home is cursed, including one of the fiancees." Nabiki checked her watch. "Speaking of which."
"Speaking of which what?" Ayeka snapped. "Speak plainly if you can!"
"Patience, sister," Nabiki snickered. "Remember I when said two hours?"
"Yes and why do you insist on calling me sister? And what does this have to do with anything?"
"Consider it a display of female solidarity," Nabiki said. "And as for the comment two hours, I believe I said that...abouut...two hours ago...NOW!"
THUD
"What was that?" Tenchi asked. Ranma and Akane looked sick.
THUD
THUD
THUD
CRASH
The wall collapsed in a shower of dust.
"Nihao!!"
"Get away from my Ranma-darling you Gaijin hussy!!"
"Hey Ranchan, I'm here to save you from that heartless Nabiki!" Nabiki arched an eyebrow.
"Sorry about this," Ranma moaned.
"You know what?" Leaf tapped her feet angrily. "This bridge looks awfully familiar."
"I'm doing the best I can ALRIGHT!!" Ryouga shouted.
"This is the fifth time we've been here," Kuonji noted, then whistling innocently when they both glared at him.
"Just let me find someone to ask directions," Ryouga complained looking around for a sign of anything familiar. It was a futile gesture, Ryouga wouldn't recommend a structure unless it was on top of him. Suddenly Leaf's eyes widened in sudden fear.
"Eveyrbody hide!" they scattered to various positions as what seemed to be a cute blonde girl skated by, humming happily to herself. All that evil and darkness can't be coming from that girl, can it? Suddenly the blonde girl stopped and stared at stop sign.
"OH!! What a CUTE stop sign! Lisa-Maria come home with Azusa?" The cute girl ripped the sign out of the ground and happily skated back the way she came. Leaf sweatdropped.
"Is she gone?" Leaf looked over to see Ryouga shaking in fear high in a leafy tree.
If I hadn't felt her I'd be calling him a wuss, she said. Wow, I wonder what she is.
"What's the big deal about that girl?" her husband, Jiro, asked.
"She wants to take me home and put me in her collection of cute things," Ryouga whispered. "Is she gone?"
"I don't see her anywhere," Leaf said. "Now can we PLEASE get to this place and find my daughter?"
"Just a moment," Ryouga said. "I see somewhere we can ask directions."
"Hello," Ryouga said as the door opened. "Can you direct us to..."
"Oh...hello Ryouga," Kasumi said sweetly. "Ranma's not here, he went with Akane, Nabiki and his mother to visit his family."
"Well I'm not here to...WHAT...Akane AND Nabiki? Does he know no shame? RANMA SAOTOME PREPARE TO..."
"Jiro, spatula." Leaf pointed at Ryouga who was preparing to leave.
"Yes, maam."
clang
"HEY!"
"I'd be glad to let you run off it get lost, that is AFTER you help me find my daughter."
"Ukyou hits harder than him," Ryouga noted critically. Leaf blinked and started laughing hysterically.
"That's not funny," Jiro Kuonji whined.
"Excuse me, would you like to come in," Kasumi asked, as the "girl" started to calm down. "I was just serving dinner, and we would welcome more company."
"That sounds..." Jiro was cut off by a look from his suddenly serious wife.
"Sorry, but we have to go find our daughter..."
"Do you mean Ukyou?" Kasumi asked. Leaf and Jiro blinked. "Well she does take after you, and that man is wielding a giant spatula."
"So do you know where she is?"
"She went with the other fiancees to go after Ranma," Kasumi said sweetly. "It shouldn't take you long to get there, perhaps you'd want some rest and food first?"
"Hey Kasumi, what's with inviting people to dinner?" Ryouga asked, confused.
"Well, okay just for a little bit," Leaf said finally.
"Well it is moderately boring without Ranma around," Kasumi said quietly. "So I was hoping to make do. Mother's friends are certainly interesting, but I certainly wouldn't want to turn out such a good friend of the family as Ryouga or Ukyou's parents."
"Is there enough food?" Jiro asked.
"Oh, I'm used to cooking for Ranma and his father, well, step-father as it turns out," Kasumi said. "Genma is here, and two of mother's friends certainly have healthy appetites, but I think I can make do." She smiled sweetly.
"Yeah, yeah," LEaf sighed as she accepted the offer and walked into the house. "Garrick always said a mercenary should be ready to eat whenever they can. That was ONE thing he was right about at least."
"Hey look, Lina, its an elf!"
"I'm only half-elf you dolt!" Leaf snapped.
"We've become a dungeons and dragons convention Saotome," Soun noted wearily. Jiro stepped in, saw Genma and growled.
"Ah...Kuonji," Genma swallowed. "Long time no see."
"SAOTOME PREPARE TO DIE!!!" Jiro charged forward spatula upraised.
"Hey you spilled my food! FIREBALL!"
Kasumi smiled as the chaos continued. Now it seemed more like home again, she walked to the telephone to contact the contractors.
"There, finished," Kiyone said wearily, looking about the last bit of the ships quarters. It had taken long enough to do the job, but now she was done. Everything looked perfect.
"Hey, Kiyone," Mihoshi called to the swiftly calming detective.
"What is it Mihoshi?"
"What if she tries to show up at the apartment?" Kiyone blinked. "I mean we haven't paid the rent in two months, and last time we were there the place was a wreck from the fight when everybody visited last time."
"ARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
"Hey why don't we have headquarters give her Tenchi's address and meet her there?" Kiyone fought to get a grip on herself. When MIHOSHI was thinking clearer than she was, it was a BAD sign.
"That's a good idea Mihoshi, let's do that," she noticed a frame sitting on the control center. There were several individual pictures inside the glass. Mihoshi must have pulled it out while they were cleaning. She glanced at the picture of a younger Mihoshi, and her mother.
Kiyone had met the woman once or twice, and remembered she had a tendency to talk about future events as if they were history. She guessed it had something to do with being FROM the future. Still Bra was almost as big a ditz as Mihoshi. Still there were some people there she didn't recognize.
"Hey Mihoshi who are these other people here in these pictures?"
"Well, that's my younger brother," she pointed to an angry looking boy in a black, sleeveless t-shirt. "And our younger sister." The girl she pointed to was a red-head wearing metal bracers about four years old. There was a crushed piece of pipe in her hands, and she embarrassed. Kiyone noted that Mihoshi would have been about eighteen when this picture was taken so that was maybe seven years ago.
"And in this picture?" It was a young couple. One was an opportunistic looking woman with blue hair wearing a tee-shirt that said "capsule" across the front. The other had an angry expression similar to Mihoshi's brother, and wild, spiky black hair.
"Oh those are my grandparents that aren't born yet," she said as if it was no big-deal. "And this guy over here is my dad." Kiyone had thought that the individual in question wasn't supposed to be there actually, since his back was turned to the camera. He seemed to be scratching his head in confusion though, and knowing Mihoshi it fit.
"I can't wait to meet your family!" Mihoshi jumped up and down in delight.
"Yeah, well let's make those calls, then," Kiyone sat down and turned to the communications controls.