"One of the heros that toppled that poseur emperor Kagato was discovered alive today," the news broadcast said. "When the space pirate Ryoko not only helped lure the assassin Nagi out into the open where she was captured by Galaxy Police forces, but also rescued a native of the now famous planet Earth from two slave traders." The screen switched to a view of an enraged Ryoko walking down the corridor of a Galaxy Police craft.
"Get that bleep thing bleep OUT of my face!" Ryoko shouted full into the view screen before stomping past the reporter. "When did the bleep G bleep P let you bleep on these bleep anyway!!" The camera followed her, its program obviously not possessing a self-preservation sub-routine.
"You seem upset about something," the reporter asked through the automated drone. "Aren't you pleased to see Nagi captured and facing justice?" Ryoko whirled and reached out, grabbing the camera and growling at it.
"I will be bleep PLEASED when that bleep bleep bleep are torn out and stuffed up her bleep bleep bleep bleep you bleep bleep." This was followed shortly by static and quick switch back to the news room studio.
"And so Ryoko sums up the general feeling that populace has for the most-wanted criminal Nagi," the anchor person said. "Certain shortsighted officials are even clamoring to reactivate the death sentence for...click"
"Ryoko is alive," Sasami said with wonder. She turned a reproachful look toward Washu. "Why didn't you tell us this?" She wasn't, as it seemed speaking in the Imperial third person, that was an affectation Sasami left for formal occasions. Unless she was speaking for the Empire she felt uncomfortable with such an attitude. No, she was speaking for herself and her sister.
"I didn't want to get your hopes up," Washu explained. "By the time we found she had survived it looked as if Nagi might have already killed her." Sasami nodded and sighed, looking very tired. Even as a virtual figurehead with other people to run most of the day to day affairs of the empire, this task was too much for her at times.
"We have bigger problems," Azaka said entering the room. "The ships escorting Nagi to the Galaxy Police Headquarters have gone missing."
"She's escaped," Sasami gasped, surprise and then anger clear on her face. That woman, that woman had shared their hospitality, had pretended to be an ally. Then she had nearly killed them all. She sighed, trying to calm down.
"She has half the galaxy looking for her, your Highness," Azaka said. "She'll be caught eventually."
"I..." she paused. "I think we should invite Ryoko to the palace. Before Nagi really does kill her."
"She might not come," Washu said.
"She has to come," Sasami insisted, pleadingly. "If Ayeka...she has to come see Ayeka at least." The two adults looked doubtful. "Please, I want to see my all my family again." She sighed, very tired.
"Where am I?" Ranma muttered as he blinked awake. He glanced around and found himself in the wide crystal room looking out on to stars. To his left was a great round sphere streaked by huge bands. "Ryo-Ohki?"
"Miao," the ship responded, speaking from all directions. Ranma nearly freaked again, almost imagining cats everywhere.
"Don't do that!" Ranma snapped. "What happened? I was runnin' from that..." he paused as he noted a small streak of red marring the otherwise clean ground. "Oh kami...where's Ryoko?" A door opened in the one of the formerly clear walls, showing the starfield to be a projection on a crsytal wall.
"Miao," this time the voice came from one isolated crystal hovering near the door.
"Through there?" Ranma asked. The crystal bobbed in what Ranma interpreted as a nod. He strode quickly across the room and walked in, nervous about what he'd find.
"Do you know what this is you little brat?" Ryoko was yelling at Ran Ran, waving around a piece of paper. "This is called a subpoena! Thanks to your little fuck up I have to show up in court and testify against those fuckin' flesh traders!"
"You speak very dirty," Ran Ran said back. "You no proper woman. You you..." Ran Ran paused and spoke something in the Amazon version of Mandarin that basically translated to gutter-crawling bestiality prone freak of nature that didn't know honor from a latrine. "Musk!!"
"I don't know what that means," Ryoko growled. "But I KNOW it's an insult. It is an insult, right?" She turned absent mindedly to look at Ranma, who was looking quite relieved at this point.
"You're alive," Ranma said in obvious relief. Ryoko blinked.
"Ehh?" she said. "What are you talking about?"
"There was blood on the..." he noticed the sling around Ran Ran's arm then and blanched. "That wasn't me, was it?" He asked nervously, pointing to Ran Ran's arm.
"Huh, she got shot," Ryoko said confused.
"And the blood was from that?" Ranma asked.
"Nope," Ryoko said. "That came from the nekojin you tore apart, along with their ship. After that all you did was follow me around and...stuff." Ryoko blushed slightly and quickly turned to face Ran Ran, not noticing Ranma blanch and quietly leave the room. "As for you...what's wrong with you?" Ran Ran's face suddenly looked shocked.
"Neko-ken Ranma no attack you?" Ran Ran sounded dismayed.
"Well, I guess he can recognize friends either..." Ryoko turned toward Ranma only to find him gone. "Where'd he go?"
"No way," Ranma muttered to himself in the main room. "Ain't no way."
Shampoo was a mess. Pacing back and forth through the back room of the Nekohanten as her extended family watched nervously. Her normally flawlessly sculpted hair was dissarrayed and heavily mussed. Tufts of the purple stuck out at odd angles as Shampoo ranted in alternately enraged and worried Mandarin.
"This is our fearless leader?" Ryuu asked dryly. He turned to see the effect of his joke and immediately noted two glares being leveled his way. The master of the Yamasen sweatdropped and shrugged. "Just kidding."
The sound of someone knocking on the front door seemed to galvanize Shampoo into motion. One moment she was there, the next she was gone, apparently trying to compete with Ranma in the speed category.
"Yes?!" Shampoo shouted as she opened the door. On the other side of the door were those friend's of Ranma's new "wife." Both were wearing some sort of uniform that looked reminiscent of this countries police forces, though there was something odd about them. "What you want?" She paused, closed her eyes and got a hold of her speech. "What do you want?"
"We came to tell you about your daughter," the blonde one said.
"That's sister, Mihoshi," said the dark-haired one irritably. Shampoo noted the green hair and idly wondered if the woman was of Amazon stock.
"Oh right," Mihoshi said. "Anyway, your sister is fine and -- urk!"
"What you know about Ran Ran!!" Shampoo demanded angrily, throttling the blonde woman. "You tell Shampoo now or...let go!" Shampoo glared back at her husband and brother in law, each holding back one arm, as her target got her breath back.
"Let them talk before you tear them to pieces," Mousse said. Kiyone sweatdropped at the words as she helped Mihoshi stand up. The green-haired woman smoothly unbuttoned the holster of her gun, making it ready to draw.
"You let go of my arms right now," Shampoo growled. Mousse and Ryuu glanced at each other before obeying the command. Shampoo straightened her back, took a deep breath and glared at the two visitors. "Where is my little sister."
"She's fine," Kiyone said quickly. "She should be back any moment."
"Oh," Shampoo said, giving a sigh of relief before returning to a glare. "How do I know you're telling the truth?"
"Because Ryoko and Ranma saved her from a couple of slave traders," Mihoshi gasped out. Shampoo twitched. "She got shot in the shoulder," Shampoo twitched again. "But they had a medic fix her right up." Mihoshi unnoticing of Shampoo's reactions continued along blithely as she got her breath back. "Lucky she wasn't on the bad guy's space ship when it blew up..." Shampoo twitched, and Mousse was backing away from her, giving Ryuu signals to do likewise. Right by Shampoo, Lin Lin had arrived and was somewhat mirroring her big sister in reactions.
"Mihoshi," Kiyone moaned, with her hand in her face.
"And Nagi could have really hurt her too," Mihoshi said. "Imagine a little girl trying to challenge the most wanted criminal in galaxy." Shampoo and Lin Lin almost face faulted. "I mean Nagi blew up half a space fleet and demolished the palace of the strongest Empire in the galaxy just to get at Ryoko. I couldn't imagine what she would be willing to do to a little girl like that." Shampoo and Lin Lin both seemed to freeze into pale marble statues before toppling over. "Anyway, we might have to call her to testify later, okay? Hey what happened to them?"
"Mihoshi," Kiyone muttered. "Next time I'll do this part, okay?"
"It's good news," Mihoshi said. "Why are they acting like that?" Kiyone groaned and then looked up into the dark sky and at the glittering purple structure she could barely see above them. Then the ship vanished.
"Hello, Kiyone," an angry voice said behind her. Kiyone turned around to see Ryoko glaring at her. Ranma was a little back from her, looking troubled about something. The other Amazon sister stared around for a moment before seeing her sisters in a faint and rushing towards them.
"Now Ryoko," Kiyone started nervously. "I was just trying to protect you." Behind her, Shampoo and Lin Lin had recovered and were giving Ran Ran a scathing Mandarin lecture. Mousse was providing a great deal of help on this task, causing the background to be filled with loud, angry, Mandarin. The sound changed to that of interrogation after Ran Ran said something.
"Oh, yes," Ryoko said tightly, walking forward angrily. "I know that." She snapped out a fist and sent the police woman sprawling to the ground. "Thank you!" she spat, before starting to stalk down the street away from the scene.
"Hey wait, Ryoko!" Mihoshi shouted. "What was that for? Nagi would have kille..." She was stopped by Kiyone placing a hand on her shoulder.
"She barely tapped my," Kiyone said, wiping her mouth.
"Wait!" Shampoo called out, rushing towards the silver haired woman. Ryoko whirled to face her, barely noting Ranma moving to back her up.
"What is it!?" Ryoko demanded.
Shampoo regarded the woman closely, cautiously. From what she had heard, Ranma and this woman had battled each other to a draw after more than a day of fighting. That meant that Shampoo herself had no real chance in a battle against her. Fortunately that wasn't what Shampoo had in mind.
"Ranma-Neko liked you?" she asked coolly, watching both Ranma and Ryoko as she asked the question.
"Eh?" Ryoko said, taken aback. "You mean when he was acting like a cat?" Shampoo noted the worried and embarrassed look on Ranma's face and the slight, but discernible blush on Ryoko's face.
"I see," Shampoo said, straightening her back. She smiled briefly. This might blow Ran Ran's chance out of the water, hopefully she knew that, but it meant something else for someone else Shampoo cared about.
"You see what?" Ryoko asked cautiously. Then to her surprise Shampoo suddenly gave her a companionable hug, backed off and bowed to the confused space pirate. All this provoked a shocked yell from Ran Ran behind her. Shampoo's smile faltered a moment, but returned as she said something in Mandarin. Then she turned about and began to stalk toward Ran Ran again.
This girl will have to learn about recognizing opponents that are too dangerous, Shampoo thought to herself.
"What was all that about?" Ryoko demanded from Ranma. Ranma stared blankly for a moment, looking flustered before answering.
"Uh, she was talking too fast," Ranma said hesitantly. "I couldn't get it."
"There's something about this 'Neko-ken' you're not telling me," Ryoko said coolly. She turned about and stalked down the street a few moments before lifting slightly off the ground and floating. Ranma took a relieved breath before following.
"Ryoko," Kiyone called out. Ryoko hesitated a moment and glanced over her shoulder. "If I weren't a police officer, I'd probably agree with you. I do what I have to do."
"So do I," Ryoko snapped.
"Maybe you should talk about this when you're both less upset," Ranma suggested, hoping to get away from the Amazon's before they explained to Ryoko just what Ranma was leaving out about the Neko-ken. It had to be some kind of fluke.
"Whatever," Ryoko muttered. "All day wasted on this crap." She huffed, crossed her legs mid-air and then vanished.
"Great," Ranma muttered. "Now where'd she go?"
"Miao," Ryo-Ohki answered at his feet. He glanced down at the cabbit, one of two Kiyone noticed and rolled his eyes.
"Great," Ranma said. "That means mom's gonna lecture me about 'lover's spats' or something." He threw his hands up in mild disgust before jumping to the rooftops, followed by the cabbits.
"Since when did Ryo-Ohki connect with anybody other than Ryoko," Kiyone wondered quietly.
"Okay, listen," Ukyou said irritably. "You and I may agree on the goal, but that doesn't mean tricking my ninja into doing something for you, under my name!"
"It is all for the greater good," Nodoka insisted. "And it certainly worked. They have not been seen all day." A light appeared in her eyes as she continued. "I am certain that my son is proving his manliness right now."
Man, she's scary sometimes, Ukyou thought.
"Excuse me," a new voice interrupted. Ukyou and Nodoka turned to see Ryoko floating there in mid-air. "There's something about this Neko-Ken that no one's told me about yet. Maybe you could fill me in."
"Errr..." Ukyou watched the hovering woman nervously. "What do you mean exactly?"
"Neko-ken?" Nodoka repeated. "What is that?" Ryoko and Ukyou glanced at her in surprise.
"Nobody's ever told you?" Ukyou gasped.
"I have heard it mentioned," Nodoka said. "When I asked, Ranma said that it was a technique his father trained him in that didn't quite work."
"He didn't explain more than that?" Ryoko asked.
"I do get the feeling that he was afraid I might take issue with his father over it," Nodoka said. Ryoko smirked viciously and vanished for a moment, reappearing with a slim book.
"Take a look at this," she said tossing the book to her rather odd mother-in-law. As Nodoka started to peruse the book she turned to Ukyou. "Now what is so big about Ranma liking me while he's looney?" Ukyou blinked and then cracked a wide smile.
"Excuse me ladies," Nodoka said tightly, walking to the side to grab her sword. "I must have a word with my husband." Ukyou and Ryoko smirked as she left the room.
"You haven't answered my question," Ryoko said, irritable again suddenly.
"Well," Ukyou said, smiling. "To my knowledge the only two people that have been safe around him like that were this little old lady he knew as a kid, and..."
"And who?" Ryoko demanded, a smouldering fire in her eyes.
"And Akane," Ukyou said. Ryoko blinked, suddenly not sure of what to say. The silence was broken by a scream of effeminate terror, followed shortly by a panda rushing out through the room holding a sign reading "I was tricked into it! I swear!"
"Get back here, Genma!" Nodoka was screaming as she followed after the panda, blade out. "If you think I'm letting you near our next child!"
"Next..." Ukyou blinked, watching after them. "Wha -- "
"So you're saying he's got the hots for me is that it?" Ryoko said in disbelief. She laughed nervously. "Not that I'm not the hottest thing in twenty galaxies, but you think that cold, emotionless prude is capable of that?" She laughed again. "Thanks for the joke lady, I needed that after today." She alighted on the ground and walked past Ukyou, still chuckling and sweating slightly.
Ukyou watched her go with a slight smirk on her face. She turned again at the sound of the door opening to see Ranma walking followed two of those little rabbit things and looking nervous and perplexed.
"Is there a reason Mom's chasing Pop through the town?" Ranma asked. "I mean a specific reason."
"Ryoko showed her the Neko-ken manual," Ukyou said. Ranma flinched. "So, I hear you've been a good kitty." And Ranma flinched again.
"She told you," Ranma guessed.
"Mmhmm." Ukyou nodded, giving him a knowing smirk.
"And you told her," Ranma guesssed.
"Mmhmm." Ukyou nodded again, her arms crossed.
"Great," Ranma said, deadpan. He looked at Ukyou and then frowned. "Oh come on, it doesn't mean anything. I never attacked you, or Kasumi or Nabiki."
"None of us have ever been stupid enough to get near you," Ukyou said. "And I don't think anything would attack Kasumi."
"Yeah, right," Ranma said. "Look, it doesn't mean anything okay!" He walked past her toward his room. "Tomorrow we're getting this thing annulled and we each go our separate ways, got it?"
"Right," Ukyou smirked.
"That friend of yours told me something funny," Ryoko said as he entered the room.
"Oh yeah?" Ranma said. "Well don't believe it."
"Right," Ryoko said dryly. "That's what I said."
"Yeah, there our tons of people I haven't attacked like that," Ranma said.
"That's what I thought," Ryoko said, gaining back something of her footing. "Must be able recognize allies for allies or something." She lay back on the bed, relaxed, but vaguely disappointed.
"Guess so," Ranma said, sitting down next to the wall and getting ready for a night's rest. "Akane's the only one the cat ever kissed."
"Urk."
Ran Ran paced in her room listening to the giggling from her twin's room. She frowned and considered her punishment. House arrest, though Shampoo had called it "being grounded" for some reason. It was probably something she picked up from these outsiders. How dare Big Sister Shampoo punish for doing what any Amazon would do, get rid of an obstacle? And why was she so happy about this sorceress and HER Airen?
She paced a few more times and looked toward the mirror.
"Of course know," she muttered. "THIS mean WAR." She tried to pose and jerked her shoulder. "After shoulder all better."
And with that she grabbed one of those silly outsider disc things her sister had brought back from her "honeymoon" with that Ryuu person. She seemed to remember a couple of stories that had some good ideas for winning someone's heart. Something with a black and white cat chasing around some other black and white cat while things kept turning white and falling apart around them.
"Rabbit funnier though," she muttered as she found the proper disc.
"Do you have a fiendish sorcerer and a fair damsel in need of desparate rescuing registered here?" a heavily bandaged samurai in a rather ratty hakama. The innkeeper blinked in confusion at the figure before her and then checked the log.
"No sir," she said, confused. "I don't see that name registered anywhere here."
"Then perhaps you can show the Blue Thunder of Furinkan ab open room so that he might recoup from the battles laid before him by the most foul Saotome?"
"Well we have one such room," the innkeeper said. "This way mister Blue Thunder?" She turned and walked toward the corridor, a lurching mummy with a bokken behind her. "Be careful of the doll on the..."
"What foolishness is this woman!" Kuno demanded. "Some child has left their playthings scattered about the hallway, you should take care to be more thorough in your cleaning." The woman winced as he brushed the doll off the pedastal to the floor."
"...pedastal." She sighed and shook her head. "I suppose this means you will not be enjoying your stay at the Vengeful Spirit Doll Inn."