Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Hand Maid May Fan Fiction / Gatekeepers Fan Fiction ❯ Retake ❯ Peanuts, Popcorn, Crackerjacks ( Chapter 20 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Retake: Chapter 20
"Peanuts, Popcorn, Crackerjax."

DISCLAIMER: Neither Bufi nor Chet (Chetu) are real characters. Any similarity to real characters is unintentional.

-------

"Actually, Greylle," began Fess, "I am unsure how these rumors or stories made it into circulation. The news seemed to indicate the whole thing was common knowledge."

Greylle let it go. If it was in public circulation there wasn't much he could do at this point. "What about the Furinkan area?"

"97% rebuilt, there were some unexpected setbacks," admitted Fess. "The epicenter particularly is being enhanced."

"Don't go overboard." Greylle pointed to the listing. "Genma will sell off anything too nice. Or Soun or Happosai will."

"Understood," agreed Fess. "Anything else before you go face your opponent?"

"How's Hotaru anyway?" Greylle asked. "Last night she was still in neko-mode and slept all curled up at the foot of my bed."

"She was apparently feeling better this morning, though for some reason she was very reluctant to change back from catgirl." Fess considered how much detail to go into and decided against it.

"Oh man, she's so cute in this timeline," Greylle said as the picture of Hotaru came up. "You'd think the boys would be lining up."

Fess would have blinked and sweatdropped if he were capable. "I believe she has her eye on a particular guy already."

"Oh?" Greylle thought about this between bites of a nutrition bar. "Lucky guy. See if you can do anything to help her along if he's okay. Just so he's not some perv or spaz or something, ok?"

"I see," said Fess. Maybe it was something particular to anime universes that the object of affection was oblivious to it in normal circumstances. "Very well. I believe she may need some reassurance after her loss of control earlier as a catgirl. Perhaps if you gave her some reassurance today?"

"Good idea," agreed Greylle. "Well. Off to the battle!"

Fess let out an electronic sigh and sent a few specific parts of the conversation to Hotaru. Who for some reason started grinning and walking into furniture. How very odd. Still, he'd been told to 'help her along' in the task of getting the guy she had her eye on. Fess wondered how he could accomplish this best.

------

Sailor Uranus stood near the small stream, looking around. "Did he do a 'no show' and forfeit?"

"Actually, you're starting at this end of the valley, he's starting at the other." Catgirl Sakura held up her microphone. "Everyone else, please remain behind the barricades, force field barriers will automatically engage if the fight gets intense. Fight is until one party surrenders or is unable to battle."

"Don't you think this is a bit much?" Uranus gestured at the four football fields worth of cleared land. "It's just me and that coward going one-on-one. One thrust with the Space Sword and he'll be history." Silently she added that he'd also be paying for tempting her and invading her dreams. She didn't *like* guys, damnit!

"Begin," said Sakura, jumping behind a barricade which lit up with blue light a moment later.

"Gone gone the form of man," said a voice relayed by radios in the stands. "Rise again - the dragon!"

That nagging feeling you'd forgotten something abruptly crystallized for Sailor Uranus. She hadn't remembered he was *that* big. Well, the bigger they are, the harder they fall, right?

The "big lizard" visible at two miles away, quickly gained altitude and seemed to stall.

"Perfect shot," said Uranus. "World Shaking!"

The dragon seemed to lazily dodge the attack, the distance giving sufficient warning to determine where the attack would go and to not be there. He continued to glide for a few moments, still gaining altitude somehow. Quickly rising to become a tiny dot in the distance.

"Coward! Come here and face me like a man!" Uranus figured that once he was in "Space Sword Blaster" range - bam. She turned towards the stands. "Can he hear me like this?"

"Yes, oh and you might want to pay better attention to the fight," said Sakura.

"You call this a fight? Hah," said Uranus, turning her attention back to -

*BOOM* Several tons of dragon shot overhead, moving at magically enhanced speeds of just over Mach 1.

The forcefields flickered slightly brighter as the dust, grass, uprooted trees, odd bits of garbage, and a Sailor Senshi were caught in the wake and briefly tumbled about the clearing.

Uranus spit dirt, getting thoroughly pissed and scanning the skies for that damn dragon. Still, the cameras were on and Michiru would be watching this. "One good shot does not win the battle. I'll beat the beast yet!" Hmmmmm. What was that odd beating noise? Uh oh. Slowly she turned.

Hovering briefly, the silver dragon's jaws distended. *FWUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU* A stream of frost sprayed out, covering dirt and grass and garbage with ice. Oh. And a Sailor Senshi.

The ice cracked and Sailor Uranus staggered out, still partially coated in ice. "For Michiru. For Earth. For my Princess." She looked around, finally spotting a glittering shape arcing up in the skies. Then looping down to skim near the ground. Even faster this time. Perfect target. "World! Shaking!"

Uranus smiled tiredly. She'd put everything she'd had into that one. The golden ball dwindling in the distance, striking the dragon full on and exploding. Yes. She'd won. It was over. It was-

The dragon emerged from the smoke and debris. Looked pissed too. Hmmmm.

Being a woman of action, Sailor Uranus acted. On being faced with several tons of a fang-jawed, nasty-clawed, bullet train bearing down on her, she turned and ran just as fast as she could.

A moment later several tons of dragon slammed into her, imparting enough momentum that she was embedded in the ground.

There was a brief moment of flailing legs before the dragon landed on her, and before the assembled host - scooped up the unconscious Senshi and (like some overgrown dog or cat) laying the defeated at the feet of a girl who had just come out from behind one of the barricades.

Hotaru hugged her dragon's neck briefly before climbing into place to straddle where neck met shoulders.

The two then began a victory flight over the arena.

--------

"So, Kaioh-san," asked Doctor Mizuno of her patient, "what of Ten'ou-san's vow on TV that if he won she'd join his harem?"

Michiru stared at the TV set. "MMFFmmmFFMM." (Haruka no baka.)

Doctor Mizuno went out into the hallway and gave a happy sigh. Most of the *real* nurses, or human nurses, original nurses? Well most of those who had been present for that kid's magical attack had transferred out or otherwise found different venues. So had patients.

When the explosion had occurred, Fess had quietly brought up certain plans.

Over 200 nurses had been produced, literally as they were marionette androids. They were a bit cold and impersonal at first but they were learning. Just as a section of Nerima was being rebuilt, so was her hospital.

Doctor Kumori Mizuno was a dedicated physician and the idea of getting access to the alien's technology had been gnawing at her since the first encounter.

Add to that magical healing abilities and some of the other possibilities glimpsed?

If the boy had been older she'd have tried a more direct approach. If Ami bungled things it might come to that.

Besides, it *had* been at least ten years.

--------

Haruka Ten'ou slowly came to consciousness. When she realized that she'd been knocked out, she rolled to her feet and prepared to renew the fight.

The dragon wasn't there. Neither were the stands or the clearing or any of it. She was currently in a hospital gown, barefoot on a tile floor. A mummified figure from the other bed glared at her.

"Michiru?!" Haruka recognized those eyes.

"MFFFF!"

"Hold on, I'll get you loose," Haruka said and ignored her own bandages in order to grab ahold of a large section and pull it loose.

Fresh air poured into electrical burns as bandages and salve were removed forcibly.

"Urk!" Michiru tried to weather this gracefully.

Haruka looked at the skin. "I guess those are functional bandages and not some kind of restraint... sorry."

Michiru nodded.

"Well, well, the patient is awake," said a nurse. "If you'll be seated, Ten'ou-san, since you two are Senshi we've made available means of healing your injuries faster than would normally be available."

"I've changed my mind," Michiru stated, turning a bit pale at the sight of her own wounds with a quickly produced hand mirror. "I'll take the fastest method available."

"Oh," the nurse said. "Then-"

"Yes, I mean *that*," indicated Michiru.

"Fine. Anytime you're ready Kaioh-san." The nurse left.

"Haruka, you plan to join this boy's harem as you claimed on television?" Michiru wanted to be sure Haruka knew what she was getting into.

"Yeah, and once I've gotten a powerup!" Haruka pumped a fist. "I'll change sides again and use that enhanced power to destroy them!"

"Haruka, no. We will discuss this later." Michiru winced and was glad her face was unrecognizable with all the burns. "After you've dealt with the press."

"The who?" Haruka said before a tide of humanity washed in.

"Excuse me!" "EXcuse me!" "Miss Ten'ou, a word for the viewers?" "Now that you've revealed your Senshi identity to the world, will the rest of the younger Senshi follow suit? What of the original Sailor Senshi?" "What does your boyfriend think of you crossdressing and running around naked on TV?" "Will you abide by the terms of your wager, Haruka-san?" "Ten'ou-san what of your emerging image as Shard-san's greatest rival?" "Haruka-chan!"

Michiru merely moved her bandages to better conceal herself, and left when the stretcher-bed was brought in by a couple of nurses. She'd save Haruka from herself by demonstrating how dangerous it was.

------

"Any idea of the identity of the ship?" Greylle didn't immediately place the stylized, almost Aztec looking, winged dragonship.

"It does not match known species you've encountered," asserted Fess.

"Closest tech match-up?" Greylle preferred having *some* handle on what was coming.

"Gardeners."

Greylle nodded. The Gardeners were a recurrent race in a number of timelines. Sort of a 24th Century Bedouin culture who regarded themselves as responsible adults faced with children gone wild in the absence of any parents. So they took over planets. Good intentions leading to an odd "utopia" where most of the common problems facing mankind were eradicated. However their "children" - the conquered planets - never completely regained their independence.

Gardeners typically had access to technology that Earth normally wouldn't achieve until the 24th Century. Their technology was a little lopsided, as one might expect of alien minds. Their materials manufacturing technology and agrarian technologies were among the most advanced sciences they had. Computer and communication technology on the other hand was only a half-century ahead of Earth's.

This at least gave him a handle. Not the natural power of the Swarm, or the overwhelming technological advantage of the Clarkians.

The Clarkians were called that on those timelines where they intersected Earth, because their technology was so far advanced that it was incomprehensible to 20th Century Earth. Wholesale remaking of continents within seconds was routinely done by Clarkian technology. If he were up against *that* he'd have already lost.

"Communication?"

Fess hesitated. "We've tried laser coded pulses, radio, TV, high energy diffuse, subspace packets, and a low level message drone. Nothing. The drone could not even find an entry port."

"Hmmm. Well, you're already monitoring it. Keep doing that and inform me if something happens," Greylle said. "Oh have you seen Hotaru?"

---------

Hotaru Tomoe was at her shrine, practicing her duties as a shrine priestess.

Young boys stared at the young girl.

She was glowing. Not in the manner of a Senshi powerup, nor with rage.

Birds flitted down to land on crooked finger and sing at her. Deer, not normally found inside Tokyo city limits, frolicked on the lawn.

This was enough to get people's attentions. That some of the birds were really exotic was a bit more interesting.

The glowingly happy shrine miko, sweeping steps, and humming a wedding march, while small animals and exotic birds darted about in the background?

They were Japanese, the vast majority had cameras and were using them.

Hotaru typically listened to various New Age composers. Right now, she was thinking of the benefits of Shinto (she *was* a Shinto priestess after all) versus Western (faster, a lot less uncomfortable, and he *was* a Western dragon) versus a Civil ceremony.

The sun seemed to pass behind a cloud.

Hotaru winced and addressed the sun. "Can I at least do without the headress?"

The sun brightened again.

Hotaru sighed. Sometimes being a shrine maiden had extra chores involved.

----

They had just watched an episode of this new TV program named "Evangelistion" and the Hentai Sorcerers had arranged their tables with tracklights along the floor and various other "STEELE" references.

"The First Angel is ready," said one.

"They're hentai-daimon, we can't go calling them Angels like that," protested one of the others.

"Whatever, release it and we'll see how it does."

"I think we should get one of those giant robot things, that'd be cool."

"Moron."

-----

"There's a youma in Akihabara!" Luna exclaimed over the Sailor Communicators. "Let's go!"

"Usagi, can you bop that stupid cat?"

"Minako?!"

"I'm tired of this, Luna!" Minako pouted. "We've gotten our butts waxed on three missions lately! This isn't like facing those youma that Beryl used either. They're stronger, faster, and they don't bother with draining energy or something like that. And look at our numbers. We don't have Pluto or Mercury because that dragon prince has 'em and Saturn, and I'm *not* buying anything about them being mindless or sexslaves. Neptune is in the hospital. Uranus gave away her secret identity and got whip-creamed by that dragon. We're down members and we weren't doing that good before they left."

"We're not doing *that* badly," argued Makoto.

There was a brief silence.

"Okay, maybe we *are* doing that badly," conceded Makoto.

"What's this one do?" Usagi asked, hoping to smooth over the obvious friction.

"Come on, will you just go face it?" Luna asked the currently reluctant superheroes.

"I'm in!" Sailor Uranus announced over her communicator. "I'm on my way."

------

Hotaru blinked. There was a monster in Akihabara. She quickly crossed to the shrine office, pulled on a candlestick holder with a special switch, dropped down the secret passageway-

"Fess?"

"Yes, Hotaru?"

"Why am I wearing skintight black leather with a mask and dark blue cape? With a bat symbol on my chest?"

"Oh. Sorry. It appears the test data on the costumes wasn't cleared."

Hotaru nodded and accepted that, checking a mirror for a quick glimpse to confirm. Yup. Batgirl. Hmmm. Kind of looked kinky. She wondered what her fiance would say about it. "Any other outfits?"

"Just the Evangelion plug suits."

"Oh," said Hotaru, wondering if that had any better a concealment value. "Any information on the youma?"

"Errr. Yes. It's kind of strange though."

Hotaru blinked and wondered what could be sufficiently bizarre to register as "kind of strange" to Fess.

------

"No more sweets!" Moon pleaded, covered in icing.

"Tastee!" The latest of the hentai-daimon proclaimed.

"Waaaaa! How am I supposed to get all this chocolate syrup out of my hair?!" Moon touched her tongue to the chocolate topping. "Not bad though. Kinda of a chocolate caramel. AAAAAAAA!"

"Sailor Moon, this is " *thud!*

"WAAAAA! Mamo-chan just slid down the stairs."

Jupiter struggled from where she was bound by donuts. "This does not look good."

Venus, captured within cake, agreed. "Someone call the androids! We need back up! I'm too young to be a pastry!"

"You can do it," called out Luna.

*SPLURT!*

"If I were able to move my hands, I'd applaud," said Venus as Luna gained a layer of maple frosting.

Tastee, who bore a strong resemblence to the droid Marzipan, got ready to unleash another strong attack. Except there were no other attackers around. "Tastee?"

"Ah, it's gonna finish us off!" Moon cried. "MMmfff!"

Tastee admired the work of the grapefruit-sized cherry gagging Moon before she moved on to the next. Soon enough, they *were* finished off. Sort of.

"We're not dead?" Venus realized.

Tastee looked over at the cake from which a Sailor Venus protruded partially. "What kind of daimon do you think I am?"

"The really kind, gentle, lets-girls-go, kind?" Jupiter asked hopefully.

"I am Tastee, the hentai food daimon!" The daimon posed dramatically. "I'm not into cannibalism. I'm not a killer. Heck, I'm not even that much into doing anything hentai. More like food preparation."

The brown frosted Luna fell over.

A large glob of whipped cream slowly moved up the stairs. "Do you mind letting us go then?"

"After I've defeated the rest of your team, sure," said Tastee, licking her lips. "Hmmm. Speaking of which, you look kinda tasty yourself sugar."

Tuxedo Mask wiped whipped cream away from his face. "Would it help to tell you that this *is* our team? Uranus and Neptune are in the hospital. Pluto, Mercury, and Saturn have broken away from this group."

"Oh." Tastee thought a moment. "Sure, sugar. Let me get the camera. That way I can prove I did it to my Dark Hentai Master and y'all can get back to whatever y'all do the rest of the time."

Much blinking. That was it? A coating of sugar products and a slap on the wrist and the Enemy was just letting them go?

"What about all these other girls?" Mamoru asked, the gesture causing more whipped cream to slough off his costume.

"They can go too. Y'all can keep the extra pastries and stuff I made for the inconvenience," said Tastee, readying her camera. "Smile, y'all!"

"NOT SO FAST!"

Many Senshi (and a hidden Artemis) groaned.

"Please, just go back to the hospital," pleaded Tuxedo Mask.

It felt a little odd operating without Neptune, but Uranus was up for the job. It was a pity those newshounds had followed, but now they would record her stunning victory!

"Y'all lied to little old me?" Tastee turned a hurt look towards the whipped cream-and-tuxedo clad male mascot.

"She's *supposed* to be in the hospital," explained Tuxedo Mask.

"World!" Sailor Uranus held her hand up, summoning power. *fizzle*

Sailor Uranus blinked, suddenly feeling very tired and realizing in that fight with the dragon she *had* thrown everything she had at her opponent. Leaving her barely able to summon 1/10th of what she normally could.

"Tastee!" The daimon of toppings declared, sending her own attack towards the lone Senshi.

"Shaking!" Sailor Uranus tried. *SPLURT!*

"She's pink," remarked Venus. "Strawberry frosting?"

"Yeah," said Tastee, looking around. "Okay, who's next?"

"Ms. Youma, you've just defeated the Sailor Senshi, what are your plans now?" A particularly foolish (or brave) reporter surged forward.

"Uhm," Tastee thought about that briefly. "Oh, I know. I'm going to Disneyland!"

-------

Hastily, signs were constructed at Tokyo Disneyland.

[No youma allowed.]

-------

Several hentai sorcerers drooled over the pictures.

"Not bad, not bad, but wait till I finish *my* daimon!"

-------

Catgirls Mercury, Pluto, and Saturn listened briefly, then shrugged. Not much point in them even getting involved.

-------

"Uhm, can we get out now?" Venus asked hopefully.

Tastee thought about it and nodded. "Yeah. At least until I run into some of those others. I probably ought to face them."

"Okay."

Batgirl dropped down from the ceiling.

"Batgirl?!" Tastee stared. "But I'm supposed to fight the Sailor Senshi."

"Then you shall," said another voice as Pluto and Mercury dropped down.

"TASTEE!" The daimon sent a stream of ice cream at Batgirl. Batgirl rolled to the side and threw a batarang.

"Watch where you're throwing that," cautioned Tuxedo Mask. "You almost hit Luna."

"Saturn Ring Toss," tried Saturn/Batgirl.

"Tastee?" Tastee found glowing rings encircling her.

"Do you surrender?" Pluto and Mercury asked, holding attacks ready.

Tastee tried the barrier, found that she couldn't get through, and nodded. "Okay."

A couple of police officers came over and slapped handcuffs on as soon as the daimon was freed from the rings.

"She's a very sweet girl," said Batgirl/Sailor Saturn, "it's just that she's a violent maniac."

The donuts faded away from Jupiter, Venus hit the floor as her cake disippated. An eclair resolved into Sailor Mars. Everyone else found their prisons likewise fading away.

"Now who's going to clean this up?"

--------

Minako slowed to a halt. Makoto and Rei noticed, followed her gaze, and also came to a halt. Usagi and Mamoru got a lot further before they returned to see what the problem was.

A video store with dirty windows and faded posters, looking every inch the sort of sleazy dive you'd find in a number of major cities.

"Oh dear kami NO," breathed Rei.

[Sailor V Versus The Tentacle Demon IV]

"Do I want to know?" asked Minako with a tremble in her voice.

"They've been putting those out since the initial appearance of Sailor V in 1989," said a girl nearby.

"Who?" Most of the gazes turned towards the girl were a little glazed over - as in lost in some private horror.

"In most timelines," explained the girl, "it is the discovery of these videos and related items that causes Sailor Moon to unleash the ginzuishou and purify the world."

"You're one of the androids," said Mamoru. "There's more of these?"

"There are at present seventy four different titles of hardcore, forty eight of softcore, and assorted toy sales." Kirsten being an android who regularly pooled data with others, had access to quite a lot of data.

"Cute little dolls for girls, right?" Minako asked, her eyes pleading.

"Those too. Sorry." Kirsten shrugged. "From records, as soon as one of you made a public sighting, a number of these companies immediately started looking for lookalike 'actresses' and putting these together. Along with the toys."

"What kind of... toys would they sell in a store like this," came Makoto's voice. It wasn't really voiced as a question.

Kirsten at first didn't answer. After Minako and Rei asked, she started listing them off. She paused twice to let the sometimes-Senshi throw up.

"As stated," Kirsten continued, "after repeatedly saving the world, finding these usually is the push that causes Usagi to become Queen Neo-Serenity and purify the world - exiling those who resist to Nemesis and creating Crystal Tokyo."

"We saved the world, we risk our lives, and they..." Minako looked about ready to run off crying.

"Hey, you dames!" The store owner stepped out. "Either come in or get off da sidewalk, don't go blockin' my..."

*KA-POWIE!*

Kirsten looked over at Makoto. "You realize that did absolutely no good, don't you? There are over 387 such stores in Tokyo under nearly as many owners. The Yakuza own most of the owners. The video and 'adult toy' manufacturers make too much money for this to have any effect."

Mamoru considered. He had differences with the dragon but there were times having a high powered ally could come in handy. "Does the dragon know of this?"

Kirsten cocked her head. "Does he know that this sort of thing provides the trigger for Crystal Tokyo? Yes. Does he know it happens? Yes. Does he partake of these videos? No. Fess and Cyberdyne have already stopped the 'Super Doctor Mizuno Versus Rape-man' video, and have applied injunctions against the catgirl, maid, or civilian likenesses of those under Shard-sama's banner being used. Since they are listed as employees of Cyberdyne - Cyberdyne has the legal authority to defend them."

Rei's eyes widened. "No wonder we've got these hentai monsters coming after us. Whoever has been sending them has been watching things like this for *three years*?!"

"Not completely," provided Kirsten. "Sailor V has been around the longest. Then when you vanished, the market disappeared for these things. I was able to access sales data and it was only after your reappearance that rentals and sales resumed."

"...eeee..." Minako twitched, her bright and perky shell having developed a few cracks.

Artemis wondered if he could say ANYTHING that would make a difference at this point.

"I gotta go," managed Minako. "I... gotta go."

"Maybe you *should* purify the world, Usako," said Mamoru softly.

Kirsten shook her head. "That would require the ginzuishou. Even purifying this district would be beyond her current capabilities. On the other hand, if you like, I can request you be allowed on the next Yakuza hunt."

Makoto volunteered so quickly she could barely get the words out comprehensibly.

-------

"Well, Chetu, this just in at the NewsCenter 12!" The female half of the anchor was glad that it wasn't another "duck" or other fluff piece. "Seems the Sailor Senshi have admitted that there is dissent among their ranks and this is part of the reason for their less than stellar performance of late."

"Yes, Bufi. Details are not forthcoming but Sailor Uranus had this to say about it:"

The film was of Haruka in her hospital gown. "The dragon cheated. That's all there is to it. I challenged him to a man-to-man fight. He came as a dragon. He specified time and place and this clearly gave him an unfair advantage."

Reporter: "What of the stories that you as Haruka Ten'ou have repeatedly cheated on races in the past?"

Haruka: "Simply rumors spread by men who don't know how to lose gracefully. Pathetic really."

Reporter2: Is there any truth to the rumors that the younger looking Senshi are incompetents who are simply trying to force the slightly older group out of power, a rebellion between the Sailors?"

Haruka: "That's not even worth commenting on. Some of our members have been tricked by a cheating dragon!"

"Oh my, Chetu, that's quite some facial tick Ten'ou-san has going there."

"Right you are, Bufi. Things got worse after the attack of the daimon Tastee in Akihabara's new Desserterie. While pink frosting was being chipped off of her, she had this to say:"

Haruka: "OUCHHHHH! Damn dragon and his harem!"

Bufi shook her head. "That's twice Ten'ou has mentioned a harem. What exactly is she referring to?"

"Well, Bufi, at first we thought it might be some alien custom, but as near as we can determine there are currently three people accumulating fiancees that might be considered developing harems."

RANMA SAOTOME: "No. No how. No way. Not even. Uhm. What's a 'harem?' Uh huh... WHAT?!" (Thud)

"As you can see, Bufi, just explaining the concept to Mister Saotome caused him to faint. We ran into the other candidate for harem lord in our parking lot where he was apparently trying to find a campsite."

RYOUGA HIBIKI: "A what? Uhm. Is that camera on? You're kidding right? This must be some rumor Saotome started! Arrgghh! Ranma Saotome! You'll pay for this!"

"Chetu, were those *fangs*?"

"Unfortunately, Bufi, Hibiki charged off right after that. Unfortunately because four cars in our parking lot were damaged by his run. We're trying to find the owners."

"..."

"Bufi?"

"I still had twelve payments on that car. Rrrrr. Ryouga Hibiki! You'll pay for this!"

----

Nabiki set her bracelet off to the side. It had been a pain to find and remove it, and then get the other two from Kasumi and Shampoo but having that sort of threat hanging over their heads would not have been good.

The bracelets were old and magical and granted the wearer the lifespan of an elf. All well and good. They also transformed the wearer into a female elf. Not so good. Said female elf would be under the control of whoever wore the command ring.

Which is why the bracelets had been removed and were ready to be consigned to a wooden box with spirit wards engraved on the surface and given to Hotaru's shrine.

Nabiki knew darn well *who* had the command ring and was not going to go there.

----

"Ah, at last I have found you!"

Hotaru blinked from behind the counter of the fortune telling booth of her shrine. "Oh. You're that skater guy whose name I can never remember."

Sweeping his hair back and posing slightly, the skater looked as bishonen as he could manage. "The name, my dear, is Mikado Sanzennin. Half of the infamous Golden Pair of Martial Arts Figureskating. I'm sure you'll be able to remember me in detail now."

Hotaru finished selling an ema (wooden plaque) to a couple of Middle School girls. "Hmmm?"

Mikado twitched. "Clearly what's needed is to fashion some favorable memories, and what I suggest is an evening full of memories that you'll fondly look back on. Shall we say about eight?"

Hotaru blinked. "What?"

"Oh hi, Hotaru, i..." Greylle paused. Hotaru wasn't falling for Mikado the Molester was she?

"Sempai!" Hotaru's reaction was to blush and for some reason she was surrounded by soft lighting with a lot of flowers in the background.

Mikado twitched. A tall and clumsy looking gaijin? Well, he'd broken up couples before. "I challenge you..."

Not having time for this, Greylle went for the simplest method of dealing with this Romeo. "Okay." *THWAM!*

The slapstick light was apparently on as Mikado was simply embedded into the ground like a tent peg. His eyes blinked for a few moments, being suddenly on ground level.

"Oh, sempai!" Hotaru quickly came around the corner. "Your collar is crooked." Deft fingers quickly straightened the errant cloth.

There were a few errant snickers and muted comments from the crowd at the sight.

Mikado offered a mumbled protest that he was a skater, not a step ladder.

Hotaru suddenly realized what they looked like and fled back to the shrine's booth where the shadows might conceal the resulting blush.

Realizing that Hotaru had stepped on Mikado, Greylle was happy to see Hotaru grinning and that Mikado wasn't the boy she was fixating on. "Well, I was just checking up on you, Hotaru-chan. See you a bit later."

-------

"Look," said the girl in the lead, holding up a photo. "That's one of them."

Ranma grumbled to himself. Yet *more* troubles. He was sure Ryouga had something to do with this. Now... oh crap.

Ranma leapt to the side as a vaccuum blade attack sliced sidewalk where he'd been a moment ago.

"So, Ranma Saotome, enemy of all women, destroyer of schools, and murderer, at last we meet."

Ranma looked around quickly. High school girls. Five of them. "You're not more fiancees are you?"

"We are the school defenders," said one.

"-who strike against evil," continued another.

"-our cause is righteousness," continued a third.

"-to destroy jerks like you," added a fourth.

"We are the Shinsengumi!" The leader pointed at Ranma with her bokken. "Your butt has just been declared prime kicking area."

Ranma let out a deep breath. "Let me guess. Ryouga."

"Yes, Ryouga Hibiki has spoken of how he is merely an innocent dupe of you and some wicked dragon!" The leader sneered at Ranma. "And today you will pay for your crimes against women and society!"

"Uh huh," Ranma said, wondering if he could get back up on this. Fighting crazy chicks seemed to get him in trouble. Not fighting crazy chicks got him in trouble. Heck, just *seeing* crazy chicks was probably trouble. Maybe he should find a monastery somewhere.

"Ryoko Mitsurugi, of the Mitsurugi sword style," said the leader.

"Megumi Momoi, pro wrestling style martial arts," said the second.

"Xiaoxing Huang, shibari style martial arts," said the cute and very young third of their number.

"Asuka Kuronari," was the one dressed like a ninja.

"Aoi Asahina," was the quiet announcement of the fifth. "Celestial Sword style."

Ranma wondered how bad it would hurt his reputation to just turn and run. Probably not as bad as if he stuck around. In which case.

"Ya ain't laying a hand on him," said a voice as a girl with a large spatula dropped down next to Ranma. "Five on two ain't quite as bad as five-on-one, right?"

Ranma muttered something unkind as just running away now wasn't a possibility. Or was it? "Ucchan? On the count of three."

Ukyo nodded and brought her baker's peel to the ready. "Whenever you are, Ranchan!"

"One two three. Run away!"

Ukyo blinked twice. "Huh? What?" Ukyo glanced over at Ranma only to find the area empty. "Ranma?" She realized she as in shadow. "...oh crap..."

*Boom!*

"After that pervert!"

-----------

*Zoooooom!*

Shampoo blinked. There went her airen.

"Get him!" *zzzooooom!* "Die Ranma Saotome!"

Shampoo blinked. Five women? Shampoo was curious and looked back where they'd come from. "AIYAH! Fate has left Shampoo a present! Obstacle is for marrying off to someone else!"

"MFFFFFF!"

*Clatter clatter thunk thunk thunk.* "Hello, Bingbing Delivery? Shampoo just love cellphones," said Shampoo to the crate she'd just slapped together and decorated with "Fresh Tart - You No Open", "Preserve Freshness: Keep Sealed", and addressed to that little farmhouse she'd visited with those idiot senshi or whatever they called themselves. "Shampoo glad this close to store Great Grandmother set up. Will have much fun with airen now that silly spatula girl find much much happiness with someone else."

Zooooom!* "Outtamyway!"

Shampoo blinked as a small metal cylinder bounced at her feet just moments after her airen had passed by. "Hmmm?"

*Fsssshhhh!* The cloud of pink smoke erupting from the cannister was less puzzling.

Megumi noticed the girl, determined it was not the target in one of his clever disguises, and threw her in the crate and sealed it. That way if this was another ally of Ranma, she'd be trapped in the crate.

Ten minutes later, Bingbing Deliveries picked up the crate.

-------

Mikado chose his target well. Not a martial artist. Cute and having a very nice figure. Perfect for his newest target and to regain his groove. "Well, hello there, such an interesting outfit you have there. My name is Mikado Sanzennin, and I'm sure it's your pleasure to meet me. Why don't you let me treat you to a nice lunch while we discuss plans for our date tonight?"

"Freeze Arrow!"

Mikado wondered why he was suddenly encased in ice.

Nabiki shook her head. Yet another pervert. Still, she was beginning to see why Akane collected them. There was something satisfying in dealing with them like this. Hmmm. Maybe. "ELMEKION LANCE!" Yup. Definitely satisfying. Got some good hang time out of that too.

-------

Warnas, evil god of slavery, wondered about this nonsense.

Here he was a god of evil whose philosophical path had long been referred to as Lawful Evil. He was the god of evolution, empires, and the strong ruling the weak.

Mercy was not in his lexicon. Forgiveness not an eventuality. When he said he would do something, he had given his Word and it was as good as done.

If he could bother to pay attention. This was getting irritating enough that he might actually have to bestir himself.

As an Elder god he could easily tell what had occurred.

Shampoo had taken a crate which had previously been used for Chinese vegetables and stuffed a bound rival in there and called for a delivery. She had ended up getting bound and shoved into the crate herself. Which had been *after* Ranma Saotome had doubled back and hidden in the crate.

"Toltiir, it *has* to be him, otherwise I still wouldn't be getting visitors." Warnas considered the possibilities. He needed a break. A glance at the delivery woman and he had an idea.

He was fairly civilized. Nice was not part of the equation.

Erasing them from existence was a possibility. Lacked something though. Instead he just had them delivered.

With a few changes of course.

--------

She awoke in the dim lighting and immediately rolled to her feet, hands reaching for a gun that wasn't there. Something was wrong however and she bounced around as if she was almost in freefall.

"Good morning," said a pleasant male baritone. "Nice to see you're awake."

The woman quickly went over the nondescript motel room with steel shuttered windows. "Obviously my cover was blown. So what's the plan? Torture? And why am I wearing pink bunny pajamas?"

"We had it in your size available," said the voice.

"Mind showing yourself, I like knowing who I'm talking to," she said while checking the room for something to use as a weapon.

The shutters slowly raised.

"Oh *crap*," said the woman, realizing why she felt as if she weighed 1/6 what she normally did.

"Rosita Villalobos. Age 39. Central Intelligence Agency of the United States. Actually working for the Mexican government as a deep operative. Codename: Sidewinder. You seduced, robbed, and killed your first man at age 12. All the same guy in fact. Recruited as a sleeper agent at the age of sixteen."

"This trip down memory lane have a purpose?" Rosita asked.

"The reason I don't show you my face is that I am an artificial intelligence. However, I think we can make use of each other's talents."

"I remember finding that elevator, then nothing," mused Rosita. "Must have been fast acting. Okay, you hold the cards. I'm listening."

"Your files show you to be ruthless and completely amoral. You don't enjoy killing, it simply is something you're very good at and you see absolutely nothing wrong with killing. If I allowed you to go free, you would likely kill one of the employees or visitors eventually just to keep in practice. Hence your current prison."

Rosita considered. "I'm on the Moon. No air. No food. No water. At least for a hundred thousand miles or so. What's your deal?"

"You are a huntress. The ship you are currently in will travel to a distant star and eject your capsule on a world far from our own. The deal is for you to explore it and report back using the transmitter in the capsule."

"What do *I* get out of it? I was in data gathering, not wetwork."

"No, and you've only killed three times in the past year, there is only one other alternative I can think of though."

Rosita looked out at the barren moonscape and gave an experimental hop. It could have been a fake but she knew of no way to fake lighter gravity. The choice was obvious. Go on this mission and try to find a way back. Don't and suck vaccuum. "When do I start?"

Fess was relieved. Sending this girl into the desmense of a god of evil would shift her loyalties, but he was fairly sure that nobody would be happy with the results. "Whenever you're ready."

"Let's get it over with then."

--------

Ryoga was ready to kill Ranma. Nothing new.

Lots of women wanted to kill HIM. That was new.

His cousin Shizuma Kusanagi wanted to fight HIM. That was not new so much as something frightening.

To some degree, Ryoga Hibiki viewed his cousin as being a lot like him. Fangs, family bandana, great stamina and strength, oodles and oodles of chi, enjoyment of fighting, etc. No getting lost and an appetite similar to a Saotome. However, Shizuma was a *lot* more competitive and fight oriented. Ryoga enjoyed a good fight. Shizuma LIVED for a good fight.

So when a mutual acquaintance crossed Ryoga's path and told the lost boy that cousin Shizuma had caught the rumors about Ryoga being able to destroy an entire school with one blow, Ryoga decided he needed to get lost NOW. It was perfectly understandable.

Ryoga was many things, but fond of cousin Shizuma was not one of them.

-------

Minako wiped tears away, trying to catch her breath and dignity.

"Are you sure about this, Miss Aino?" The hovertruck driver asked the girl. The android thought that it was just that she was reacting to a sudden shock, and that maybe a leisurely drive would give her time to cool, but the girl had insisted they come here.

Minako nodded once.

She had fought menaces and criminals. She had suffered under the curse laid upon her by Danburite. She had *died* to save the world!

She'd visited one of those video stores after leaving the others. One of those filthy, dirty, sticky floored, disgusting video stores. There they had been in all their cheap plastic covers with the cheap artwork. Sure enough, the first one had been a British import made in 1989. When she'd only been twelve and fighting evil for the first time and getting cursed by Danburite. 1990 had seen the bulk of the films. If you could call them that.

She had saved the world and championed for peace and love and justice. And the world had turned around and betrayed her. The things on these tapes, declared in bold yellow letters, done to her and her friends. The monstrous things done to them in lurid detail.

The way Minako Aino saw it, she had three choices:
a) turn her back on the whole thing. She would never become Sailor Venus again. Artemis would get kicked to the moon if he tried to force her. The world had revealed that it was a dark ugly place and if some alien menace was to come and destroy it - let someone who still believed in humanity save it!
b) go with the way that one android had said had occurred elsewhere. Get Usagi, find a way to get the ginzuishou, purify the world. Exile the makers of that filth to some forgotten world outside the solar system.
c) do this.

Minako Aino walked down the path towards the house, stopping halfway and waiting.

------
Shizuma Kusanagi has fangs and a tiger bandana. Cousin of Ryoga Hibiki? Shizuma and the members of the Shinsengumi appear in the "Real Bout High School" manga put out by TokyoPop as a trade paperback.


omake omake omake omake

"Sure you want to stick around here, kid?"

Ranma sighed, then turned and glared. "I've handled the worst that you can dish out!"

Toltiir blinked. "Excuse me? The *worst*?!"

Ranma glared at everyone snickering. "Yeah!"

The cat grinned. "Let's see, how about if I do - THIS!"

----------

"Here's a story,
'bout a man named Tendo,
who lost his wife,
and his daughters,
with emotional excess!"

"Here's a story,
'bout Saotome,
who had a little son,
that he dragged around,
and they were all alone!"

"Then one day Tendo came to realize,
and it was much more than a hunch,
he needed daughters - so adopted,
that's the way that he got a Tendo Bunch!
The Tendo Bunch!
The Tendo Bunch!
Way too many - but that's the Tendo Bunch!"

------------

"How could you kill them off?" Ranma demanded of the Elder god.

Toltiir blinked. "What are you talking about? She went off to live with relatives and took her daughters with her. Look into the pool. Kasumi's working as a short order cook, Nabiki's attending business college, and Akane's off with her ski club. They just happen to be nowhere near Nerima."

"And who're these girls?!" Ranma pointed to the number of *new* Tendo girls.

"They're from a 'Kingdom Hearts' set of universes," said the Elder god of mischief. "Letting them get swallowed by Darkness is no fun, so they just ended up a little younger and partially amnesiac."

"Kingdom Of Hearts?! That's dumb."

---------

Soun held up the postcard. "At last! Today's the day! Aerith! Cinderella!"

The two girls stepped out of the kitchen and smiled at their adoptive though silly father. "Yes, father?" "Otou-san?"

"Family meeting," said Soun, crossing to the backyard and sticking his head in the koi pond. He'd had to expand it considerably, but when summer got unbearably hot the depths of the pool cooled things off. "Ariel!"

The red head looked up from where she was reading and nodded.

Soun went up stairs and knocked on a door. "Yuffie?"

"Yeah, pops?"

Soun banged his head against the ceiling, then turned to confront his sneaky "daughter". "How do you *do* that, anyway?"

"It's a knack," admitted Yuffie, ninja-thief of the household. "Family meeting, right?"

Soun nodded and tried to get his heartrate back under control. "Have you seen..."

"Mulan? She's jogging, I think. Jasmine's probably on the roof again. Belle's in her room, want me to get her?" Yuffie offered.

Soun frowned.

Yuffie sighed. "Fine. No charge."

--------

At the Well, Ranma-mw blinked and scowled. "What are *they* doing here?"

"Well, they're orphans, and they're princesses. The bad guys are after princesses," explained Toltiir.

"Shinobu Maehara is a princess?!"

"Well, in a manner of speaking," admitted Toltiir.

---------

Soun went into the spare building. Even he could admit than when he'd started adopting girls, well, he'd gone just a little overboard.

"Makoto! Hotaru! Michiru!"

"Yo!" "Hai, papa!" "I was just going to practice my violin."

"You can do that later, Michiru, family meeting," said Soun. He quickly crossed over to the other dorm room, steeled himself, and addressed the occupants. "Rei, Lillith, Sasami, Shinobu. Family meeting. Rei, stop putting spirit wards on Lillith. Lillith, get your big sisters and stop trying to drain Rei's blood."

"Morrigan! Setsuna! Stop fighting! Family meeting!"

----------

"What about *them?*" Ranma-mw pointed at the display. "They're not princesses!"

"Well, they weren't happy with their original timeline," allowed Toltiir.

---------

"Rei, Misato, Asuka, Maya," called Soun. "Family meeting."

--------

Maleficient glanced at Jaffar out of the corner of her eye. "Soon."

Jaffar smirked. "No. Soun."

"He'll want to engage one of his 'daughters' to this... Ranma," said Maleficient slowly. "It was a sufficient obsession with him to adopt them upon their escape to this world."

"Pfeh," spat Sephiroth. "Watch. If I offer that Genma a decent amount of coin - he'll sell his son off before they come anywhere near the Tendo Dojo. Providing we don't simply unleash the Heartless and destroy this world before then."

----------

"Where do I begin?" Soun began.

"Oh, this is about Ranma, isn't it?" Setsuna said as she consulted her day planner. "Odd how time gets away from me anymore."

Everyone but Soun laughed for some odd reason that completely escaped him. "Yes, well. Family honor demands that he marry a Tendo. An honor arrangement made before his birth."

"Hold it right there," said Morrigan. "What was the exact wording of this document? Do you have a copy?"

"Uhm, it was an honor arrangement - verbal. I..." Soun began to sweat as he usually did when Morrigan focussed her full attention on him.

Shinobu moved through the group, passing out glasses of iced tea.

"Could it have actually been something like: 'Tendo - we should unite the two Schools Of Anything Goes by uniting the families. My son should marry your daughter(s).'"

"You engaged *all* of us to him? Oh my." Shinobu turned red.

"No no no no no," said Soun hastily. "ONE of you must marry him."

"Oh," Morrigan snapped her fingers. "Pity."

Soun twitched a couple of times. Maybe Morrigan should be excluded. On the other hand, one week engaged to Morrigan and Ranma would be experienced enough to make one of his other daughters happy. "What I'm suggesting is that he spend one week engaged to each of you, and then decide at the end of that time which he'll marry."

There was some general dismay over that suggestion. Makoto glared around the group. "Whose idea was that?"

Lillith tried to look innocent. She failed.

"Might have known."

"He'll be here any minute," began Soun.

"Let go of me, you old fool!" A voice was raised in apparent frustration.

"That would be them," said Setsuna.

-------------

Ranma STARED. This could not be covered by a simple stare or sweatdrop or boggling. No, this required all caps STARING.

"And this is Shinobu, she's 11," said Soun. A short haired girl curtseyed and offered a shy smile.

Another shorthaired girl nudged him. "Here's a program. Lists all the girls, has a photo, their likes and dislikes, what turns 'em on, and how far they'll go. A steal at just 10,000 yen or three materia!"

Soun cleared his throat. The girl sighed, rolled her eyes, and stalked off with a "maybe later."

Genma puzzled. "How many daughters do you *have*, Tendo?"

"Well, in order of age, there's: Morrigan (21), Misato (20), Setsuna (20), Aerith (19), Cinderella (18), Tifa (18), Belle (17), Maya (17), Michiru (17), Makoto (16), Mulan (16), Rei Hino (16), Yuffie (16), Jasmine (15), Rikku (15), Ariel (14), Asuka (14), Rei Ayanami-Tendo (14), Lillith (13), Hotaru (12), Shinobu (11), Sasami (9)." Soun caught his breath.

"Twenty two daughters?" Ranma turned a blank look towards his father. "You engaged me to over twenty different girls at the same time?!"

"Well, my boy, I've always thought you could be a 'man among men' - now's your chance to prove it."

----------

"Sh-sh-shampoo!" Ranma ducked and ran.

"Ranma, you no escape! Shampoo kill!" The Amazon leapt up over the roof, ready to pursue.

"SOUL FIST!" "Deep Submerge!" "Silence Glaive!" "...dead scream..." "Jupiter Thunder ATTACK!" "Eat hot lead!" "AT Field Projectile." "Thrown frypan!"

Mulan made a disgusted noise. "Darn it! You didn't leave anything for *me* to fight!"

Yuffie paused from where she was looting the body. "She's not dead. Maybe you can get in a fight after she's recovered some."

Shampoo groaned. Just her luck she'd run into a Japanese Amazon Village.

---------

"I, Jadeite, claim your energy for the Dark Kingdom!"

"SOUL FIST!" "Deep Submerge!" "Silence Glaive!" "...dead scream..." "Jupiter Thunder ATTACK!" "Eat hot lead!" "AT Field Projectile." "Thrown frypan!" "Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken - archery version!" "Steal Materia!" "Summon Materia! Bahamut!" "Dolphin Fist!" "Pretty Sammy - Cute Look Attack!" "Fire Soul!"

Ranma bounced up. "There's some villain guy around here, right?"

Everyone pointed to a pile of ash.

Ranma frowned. "Okay, I'll settle for his hench-youma."

Everyone pointed to a second pile of ash.

Ranma went off to sulk, muttering something about not getting to kick anyone's butt lately.

--------

"Ranma Saotome," sneered Tatewaki Kuno, "today is the day I free the fair Rei and the tidy Belle from your sorcerous grasp!"

"Ranma, today is the day I free Michiru from your perversions," proclaimed Haruka, trying to crack her knuckles.

"Ranma! Today is the day I avenge what you did with Jasmine!" Ryouga thumped his chest.

Ranma sighed. "I don't suppose anyone's figured out yet that:
a) Michiru's only interested in my girl form, and that marrying me would give her an extra measure of respectibility because she feels that she could marry a guy and still make out with my girl form?
b) I turn into a girl with cold water, and that two of you three still haven't figured it out?
c) I'm not doing anything with anyone except going out on dates and the only thing interesting in *those* has been when a martial arts battle occurs?"

"Prepare to die, Ranma!"

"I didn't think so," Ranma said, casually spinning Haruka into Kuno's multi-strike thrust attack pattern. "Nobody ever listens." Ranma bounced off Ryouga's head just a moment before a bokken cracked in half on meeting that skull. "It's like all that training I get at the dojo. You wouldn't believe half the crap I have to dodge in the morning." Do the splits under Ryouga's umbrella thrust, uppercut.

---------

"Ranma, I'd like you to meet a very good friend of mine, we met several years ago and she's... a lot nicer than her reputation." Mulan indicated the girl with her.

"The infamous Ranma Saotome, I was beginning to wonder if you really existed. Mulan and a number of the Tendo girls helped me through some dark times, if you hurt them, I will get even."

"Kodachi! It's nothing like that," Mulan made a dismissing gesture. "Ranma has a little problem expressing himself. That's all. Take a look at the father that raised him and you'll forgive relatively small faults."

"Perhaps," said Kodachi Kuno. "If you can forgive me my deranged brother, I can forgive your father to some extent. In any case, the movie starts shortly. Shall we?"

---------

Ariel sighed. She knew she couldn't go out on a regular date, she had to worry about drying out among other things.

Ranma + cold water = Ranma-chan. Who at this point was trying to figure out what the heck to even talk about with Ariel since they had so little in common. Sure, she was cute, but so were most of the girls.

Ranma paused in rowing the boat. Come to think of it, there were only a few of Soun's daughters he had anything in common with and could have a reasonable conversation with. Get along with - most of them fell into that category.

Tifa, Morrigan, Misato, Makoto, Asuka, the younger of the two Rei - all were pretty good martial artists. Nowhere near his level, of course. Well, maybe Tifa and Morrigan.

Ariel interrupted. "Deep thinking?"

"Yeah, I..." Ranma winced as he noticed what was on the boat heading their way.

"I'll get that mermaid yet!" Cruella DeVille called out from her boat. "I'll dine on her flesh and become immortal!"

"I'm not into girl+girl," yelled back Ariel, deliberately misunderstanding. "Meet you back at the docks, Ranma."

---------

Maleficent chuckled as the Heartless poured past her in their hordes.

Captain Hook had been soundly defeated by Ranma and his crew. Ursula had ended up sashimi. Jafar had been turned into a genie and stuffed in a lamp.

She was different though. There would be no evading her forces, and while they were busy with the Heartless, she would take the Princesses and...

"Ahem!"

Maleficent was a Disney character, they did not normally form a large sweatdrop. She did. Slowly and with a certain villainous elegance, she turned.

Ranma cracked his knuckles. Mulan whirled her sword through a quick manuever and held it ready. Saturn brandished her Silence Glaive. Pluto held her Time Key Staff ready. Sailor Neptune checked her hair in the Neptune Mirror. Morrigan smirked and formed a ball of purple lightning.

Maleficent blinked.

Misato clicked the safety on a BFG. Aerith held up the bracelet with her Summon materia. Cinderella looked unhappy. Tifa was grinning and adjusting her "goon smacking" gloves. Sailor Mars held a handful of ofuda/spirit wards. Jasmine was making a couple of experimental passes with a scimitar. Asuka and Rei Ayanami-Tendo had matching assault rifles. Ariel was in her wheelchair and holding a harpoon gun. Pretty Sammy had her ribbon out.

Maleficent pursed her lips thoughtfully.

Shampoo held her sword. Ukyo readied her spatula. Sailor Uranus looked perturbed. Tatewaki Kuno looked bewildered. Kodachi had her clubs out.

"You cannot stop me," said Maleficent. "Behold my power! I..."

Yuffie and Rikku ran away, holding the witch's staff and power orb.

"DIE!" The witch began summoning her power.

An awful lot of attack phrases were used.

----------

The Ranma at Mimir's Well groaned as everyone began a chorus of "Ding Dong, the witch is dead."

Toltiir shrugged. "Disney characters. You have to expect a musical number every so often."

"So who do I end up with in *this* mess," grumbled Ranma.

"Her," indicated the cat.

Ranma fainted as the song "Under The Sea" began playing.

==========

(1) Shinobu Maehara from "Love Hina". Lillith and Morrigan from "Dark Stalkers". Makoto Kino/Sailor Jupiter Hotaru Tomoe/Sailor Saturn Setsuna Meiou/Sailor Pluto Michiru Kaioh/Sailor Neptune from "Sailor Moon." Asuka, Rei, and Misato are from "Evangelion". Various Disney Princesses and Final Fantasy characters their respective sources. Sasami from Tenchi Muyo.