DNabikiTHCh19 Nabiki 1/2 "A Very Scary Thought!" THE HONEYMOON HENTAI CHAPTERS! By Jim Robert Bader (Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi & Others) Part Nineteen. HENTAI ALERT---(AS IF YOU NEED TO BE TOLD BY NOW!) CONTAINS SCENES OF AN ADULT NATURE, NOT THAT I MEAN TO IMPLY THAT ALL ADULTS BEHAVE MATURELY OR EVEN ACT APPROXIMATELY NEAR THEIR OWN AGE CHRONOLOGICALLY. IN FACT THERE ARE QUITE A FEW ADULTS WHO ACT AS IF THEY WERE PETER PANS WHO NEVER FIGURED OUT HOW TO GROW UP, AND POOR WENDY HAVING TO STRUGGLE IN THE HOPES THAT THEY'LL ONE DAY SEE THE LIGHT, WHEN THEY OUGHT TO GIVE UP ON THOSE OBVIOUS LOSERS AND...WELL NEVER MIND ABOUT THAT, BUT YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! "Well, you were right about one thing, Clark, it definitely was the Kraken." "No fooling," he noted to his wife as the two of them hovered high above the level of the waters, scanning down at the ocean bottom upon which lay the remains of a submarine's dead hulk, "It's got her mark all right, crushed almost beyond recognition, and the poor souls on board probably never even knew what hit them." "Like the hand of Poseidon himself reached out to do the deed," Diana averred grimly, "Of course the type of damage done to that ship definitely confirms that it was a torpedo, so we can pretty much guess who fired the first shot..." "That doesn't make this any easier for me," Clark replied, "I know Lao can be ruthless against those whom she considers a threat to herself and her loved ones, but even for her this is pretty excessive. Self defense or not, she never even gave those people a chance..." "Well, we know they weren't exactly innocents," Diana replied, "That sub has a hull number that definitely confirms that it was the one hijacked from the North Koreans about a week or so back. There are some who would say that they got what was coming to them..." "Yes, I know," Clark nodded, "But I've never been one of those kinds of people. I've seen too much death and senseless killing in my time to be so blasé about it." "I know," Diana gave her husband an affectionate smile, "But not everyone can live up to your admittedly high standards. I think we should just limit ourselves to finding Martha and Alison and leave questions of higher justice to those better qualified to make such judgements." "You're right, of course," Clark frowned, "I just can't help feeling...responsible somehow..." "For letting Lao continue to operate?" Diana asked sadly, "We both know the reason why." "I know," Clark grimaced, "But that doesn't make it any easier..." "HEY YOU TWO! ARE YOU JUST GONNA GAWK UP THERE ALL DAY OR ARE YOU GONNA SOCIALIZE WITH US GROUND-BASED PEONS?" Clark and Diana turned to look down at the booming speaker, an incredible giant of a man standing atop the conning tower of a most unusually designed submarine. Without pausing to hesitate the pair drifted down to where they could converse normally with this fellow, and then Clark replied, "You're anything but a Peon, Frank. Heck, you've even been in this business a lot longer than I have." "We're glad you took the time out from your daily business to help us out," Diana said, "We've spent the last two days doing reconnaissance, but so far we haven't been able to track down the POJ or find out what Lao has done with our two daughters." "Huh," the seven-and-a-half foot tall craggy-faced giant remarked, "If you need my help figuring that one out, then you're even more in the clouds than I thought. Hell, you've both been 'guests' on the POJ, you know the Kitty-Cat's methods even better than me..." "We do have some rough idea of what may be happening to my daughters," Clark said grimly, "And believe me, I'd like nothing better than to take Lao over my knee and tan her hide, but first we have to find her ship, and that's proving to be a problem." "It's not entirely of this world, you know," Diana explained, "And surrounded by a magic field, and with about a million square miles of ocean to canvass..." "I get the point," Frank waved it away then said, "The problem is that Lao doesn't exactly keep to a regular schedule, though she's off-course if she was really headed for the Philippines. My sources track her as last seen headed in a south-easterly direction. Don't ask me to explain it, I have trouble enough trying to figure out how that lady thinks sometimes..." Suddenly a midshipman in a seaman's navy-blue uniform appeared from the conning tower hatch and held up a missive in one hand, saying, "Doctor Steinberg...message from you, compliments of the Captain." The big man accepted the folded sheaf of paper in one large hand and then unfolded it to read the contents, cocking a green-tinged eyebrow before saying, "Heh...what do you know? Looks like the Cat's getting careless in her old age..." "What do you mean?" Diana asked. "It's a message from Triton, an associate of mine," Frank replied, "He says the dolphin song has been relaying reports of a ship matching the POJ's description. It was spotted about three hundred miles from here, due east. Says the ship's approaching a floating island...and I think I know which one that is. Come on down and hitch a ride with us, we can be there in a few hours, and it's safer for the both of you than if either of you try and face Lao directly." "Lead the way," Clark replied, descending to the submarine with Diana close by his side, and before too long they were on their way, the great dark mass of the world's most notorious submarine sliding into the briny depths as silently as a ghost-ship and moving with the sleek grace and speed of a giant Orca, barely creating even a ripple in its passage... "Landing site secured, Lieutenant Commander," Sergeant Waverly reported, "No signs of hostiles or natives so far encountered. Shall we send scouting teams ahead to check out the perimeter." "Make it so," Lotus replied as she waded onto land with the rest of her away party, watching the marine detail fan out with professional efficiency, forming three teams of three to move out into the tall brush that lay just beyond the sandy beach and the line of palm trees that marked where the highest tide levels could be found, a bit closer to the shoreline than she would have imagined. "Jordi," Lao said to her companion from the Sciences Division of their ship, "I want a survey done of the local flora and whatever fauna you can find in the next ten minutes. Take soil samples and have then analyzed. I want to know if the food here is fit for consumption, and how much of it we can expect to transport back to the ship. Alula, you're with Chekhov and me..." "That's Chernokov, LC," said a slavic-born engineer in her detail, "You're thinking of somebody else..." "Oh right, sorry about that," Lotus replied as she gave an apologetic nod to the bespectacled girl with the clip-board, "You make a list of the things we need and check them against whatever is available. This isn't like one-stop shopping, but if they have it and we want it..." "Right," the girl engineer replied, adjusting the taped bridge of her glasses so that they fit on her nose while studying the lists made out in front of her as though memorizing the lines for a play. "Sir!" the Sergeant reported after seeing one of her people wave back and make a warning sign from her position, "We've encountered natives, and they appear to be hostile. Recommend taking defensive action..." "Do whatever you have to but---for pity's sakes---don't fire the first shot!" Lotus pleaded, remembering the last time Waverly and her band of raunchy mercenaries were let loose on an innocent band of natives, "Alula, send a message back to the ship and inform them that we have a first-contact situation...directive protocols will be observed in accordance with the Captain's orders and..." "LC!" Chernokov cried out, pointing down at the sand upon which they were standing and calling everyone to attention over the fact that a large shadow appeared to be...moving to surround them. "I don't believe---" was as far as Lotus got before the darkness fully engulfed them, and while---on later reflection---she would remark to herself that it was a pretty lame thing to say at a moment such as this---she was a bit at a loss to be creative on the matter, falling into the pattern of some old movie cliché which a heroine might gasp just before the scene faded to black, which was a pretty good description of what happened to them the next moment later... There was no sense of transition that could prepare him for that moment. One moment Ranma was engaged in something **interesting** with Kodachi, the next minute he found that he was in the ocean and was swimming against the tide, struggling with the currents without even remembering exactly when he had fallen overboard or which ocean it was through which he presently traveled. All he knew was that he had to keep swimming and not let himself be overcome with the current, as if to slacken in his efforts would be to allow the currents themselves to overwhelm him. Somehow he managed to keep his head above the water in spite of a tremendous undertow and the choppy waves of the seas threatening to drown him, but all at once an object appeared just ahead of him, and upon it was crouched a familiar figure... "Ranma-kun!" Nabiki? Somehow she had managed to get there ahead of him, which annoyed him for some obscure reason. Nonetheless he redoubled his efforts and was soon reaching out a hand to take the one she was extending his way, and within moments was pulled onto the raft upon which she and the others were clinging, a raft that was tossed about by the currents yet somehow managed to remain upright for all of that. Ranma glanced at the others and found---to no great surprise-- -that Keiko and Kodachi had made it with them and that all four of them appeared to be in the same boat---uh---raft...clinging to one another for dear life against the currents. "Where are we?" Ranma asked. "I have no idea!" Nabiki replied over the sounds of the howling winds and clashing waters, "I'm as much in the dark about this as you!" "We all woke up and found ourselves swimming in the same waters," Kodachi replied, "It's as much a mystery to us as it is to you!" "What happened?" Ranma asked, "Did the ship sink or something?" "Impossible," Keiko replied, "The POJ can take just about anything that the ocean dishes out, so unless someone exploded a fireball or a bomb..." "That could be it," Nabiki suggested, "Maybe one of Lao's 'guests' took exception to her hospitality and decided to get nasty." "Could be," Kodachi admitted, "Although with all the steps the Mistress took, I don't see how..." All at once the ocean roiled up and curled to form a looming shape directly before them, forcing all four teenagers to turn and gape as a dragon's serpentine shape took form, gazing down at them with cold, menacing eyes, her body entirely watery as a booming voice roared up from within her, "WHO DARES TO BRAVE THE LAIR OF THE QUEEN OF THE UNDINES? WHO ARE YOU WHO CHALLENGES THE MIGHT OF ULQUALSH THE EVER-RESTLESS?" "Uh oh," Nabiki murmured, "This looks like trouble..." "Ulqualsh?" Keiko blanched, "That's Madam Lao's familiar!" "More like her silent partner," Kodachi averred, "And she looks to be a bit peeved for some reason..." "Um...hi?" Ranma asked timidly, "Sorry if we're bothering you, but..." "YOU?" the huge head craned down to stare balefully at Ranma, "LATISHA'S MINION DARES BRAVE THE LAIR OF MY STRONGHOLD? WHAT UNMITIGATED EFFRONTERY IS THIS? YOU OVERSTEP THE BOUNDARIES OF YOUR REACH, MORTAL!" "Hey, I didn't do it deliberately," Ranma protested, "Being here's an accident..." "ACCIDENT OR INTENT, YOU HAVE DARED TO CHALLENGE ME, NOW PAY THE PRICE FOR YOU MISERABLE HUBRIS!" The Dragon loomed to her full height and expanded her jaws, opening wide enough to pose a genuine menace as she prepared to strike, most likely to devour the whole raft in one gulp, a fact Ranma realized instinctively, which prompted him to act with a spontaneous burst of genius. He had defeated the self-described Salamander Queen some two months back by using a maneuver that he had invented for his Honosenken, and now he attempted to do something similar with the Fire Dragon's opposite number, falling back on the Yamasenken maneuver known as the Deep-Sea Canyon Wave, which consisted of him getting to his feet and balancing on the raft, then moving his hands apart with such haste that he created a vacuum, one that sucked in part of the elemental's mass from within her mouth, only at the last instant to move his hands in a rapid circle, thereby dispersing the water. The water dragon was caught off guard and thrown into confusion as the maneuver literally turned her inside out and broke up her attack before it could happen. Ranma then saw patterns of heat and cold forming within the swirling moisture of the dragon's shape and began to move his left hand in a clockwise circle, crying out, "CONTAIN AND CONFINE ADVANCE!" which effectively created a horizontal water-spout to further confound the elemental. Ranma felt his Chi rise up and burst out to expand like a bubble that surrounded the others and kept them safe from the moisture (with Nabiki remaining female), only then he collapsed that bubble and let the suction draw it in to his left arm, channeling it away as the oceans slowly began to return to normal. "Ranma-kun?" Nabiki asked, surprised to see a swirling column of moisture surround her husband's hand, only to vanish as though absorbed into that arm by a sponge-like suction. One moment later the dragon was gone and only they remained with Ranma standing facing the ocean calmly, the waves lapping at their raft only a gentle roll that hardly disturbed them. "Okay," Keiko said, "What the hell just happened?" "He absorbed the elemental into his body," Kodachi marveled, "But how did he do this?" Ranma stared at his own arm with widened eyes and said, "I-I don't know...I just..." All at once he felt something lurching up from within him, and then he automatically extended both arms, feeling the rival forces threatening to tear him apart as a column of fire and a stream of water flowed out from either arm, taking the form of two rival dragons who eyed each other levelly then clashed in a swirl of blue and crimson that caused the world itself to swirl about them like a mad "Spin Cycle" conjured up all around them, or a Hiryu Shoten Ha formed by his own Chi framed in separate currents. For a moment everything was in turmoil, and then reality settled down again, and they found themselves on surprisingly calm water, still floating on a raft but with a sky above that was clear and effervescent. "Whoah," said Ranma after several long, tense moments of attempting to get his bearings. "Kami-sama," Nabiki murmured at his side, staring up in amazement, "It's...full of stars..." "How curious," Kodachi remarked, "It's like looking at the Milky Way galaxy itself as projected towards the domed roof of a planetarium..." "Yeah but...am I going nuts...or is it kind of shaped like a...tree?" Keiko wondered. Ranma continued to stare as the pattern of the stars slowly formed an immense tree in which the stars became lights decorating the branches, and those branches stretched out to encompass everything with a trunk in the center that grounded the sky to the Earth through roots that also extended out to embody other times and dimensions. And then, as he continued to stare, the tree took the shape of a man...an immense giant who was impossibly vast and unbelievably ancient, prompting him to ask, "Who is that?" "Adam Kadmon, the Great Souled Being whose mind and body comprise the whole of your world," came the surprisingly gentle voice of a maiden who appeared in the air beside their raft, "Have you never studied the Kabala?" "Who are you?" Nabiki automatically asked as she saw the angelic being descend to where her feet were just barely touching the water, and for some odd reason she found herself asking, "Kasumi?" "That individual is not directly known to me," said the vision of loveliness as she manifested before them, her body surrounded in a radiant gold aura, "I am but an emanation of she who normally guards the threshold that you have trespassed. You are not authorized to go beyond this point...please state the nature of your visit and what it is that you wish to know concerning the Tree of Knowledge?" "The Tree of Knowledge?" Keiko asked of the vision. "Curious," Kodachi mused, "She must refer to the ancient belief of the World Tree, said to support the Nine Worlds of Creation that it encompassed within its branches..." "Actually there are twenty-two dimensional spheres that are embodied within Yggdrasil," the vision replied, "And uncountable alternate realities that form the Multiverse in which you live. I am from the Higher Order that maintains the balance of reality itself, a Protocol sending of the Yggdrasil data relay system drawn in the image of She whose Name I am unworthy to Process. How may I be of service to you who would seek the wisdom of the Tree of Ultimate Insight?" "You mean...do we have a question for you?" Nabiki said, "Well...for one thing...do you know why Madam Lao and her ship are so bloody powerful, and if they can be beaten?" "One moment," the radiant vision closed her eyes and was silent for a few seconds, then opened her eyes and said, "The individual whom you identify is known by the name of Lao Kane, born of the Joketsuzoku Amazons, currently the named owner of the Avatar Ship called the 'Tung Chiao ,' which also goes by the more commonly known title of 'The Floating Piece of Junk.' Said individual is soul-bonded and contracted to her ship by a pact with the Neflim Avatar known to many as the Kraken. As its recognized human host, she has the resources of both the ship and the Avatar which---combined with her combat skills and knowledge of Oriental Magic---gives her a formidable reach and a major part to be played in the destiny of the once and future Nexus of the Japanese Islands..." "The Kraken?" Ranma asked, "What is the Kraken anyway, and how can something so powerful exist?" "The Kraken is the name given to the Neflim Avatar known as Uliel," the vision replied, "One of the most powerful beings currently residing upon the Earth Plane...ancient creatures who sometimes have been identified with the Legendary Titans of old, whose counterpart is the Neflim Avatar known as Leviathan. Another name sometimes given to this level of ancient being is the name of Angels..." "Angels?" Nabiki repeated with an eyeblink. "As I have said, that is one of the names by which they are called," the vision replied, "But I am also what is known as an Angel...a lesser manifestation of the Modron, who are of a much higher order of being..." "But what are these Angels...I mean...the Kraken and...there are other creatures like it?" Ranma gulped. "They are the Planetars," the vision replied, "Earthly guardians who protect the divine order. Some might term them as Mindless Beasts as they ruthlessly pursue an agenda that is not entirely consistent with the higher order. Chief among this breed of lesser emanation is the earthly embodiment known as Adam, who sleeps the sleep of the millennium..." "Adam?" Keiko blinked, "Then who's Eve?" "The Mother of the Races," the vision replied, "Second among the Host, whose companion is Lilith..." "You're saying these guys are named for the Biblical Adam and Eve?" Keiko asked with amazement. "And the rest of these...Avatars...all bear the names of Jewish Angels?" Kodachi marveled. "Incorrect," the vision replied, "They are the Planetar counterparts to the Angels so named, the reason why they are referred to as Avatars, though the correct term for them is Neflim..." "Neflim?" Ranma asked, "What does that mean?" "Giants in the Earth," murmured Nabiki, "Angels who descended from heaven to mate with the daughters of men to create a race of giants called the Neflim..." "That is more-or-less correct," the vision acknowledged, "The Neflim are the ancient product of a union between the earthly and the divine, but they are far more than human and more ancient than you can imagine. Over the course of their nearly endless lives they have grown to take on forms and shapes that are considered monstrous and inhuman, but they are guided by an intelligence that protects the planet called Earth from terminal ravagement in preparation for the Day of Judgement when all earthly souls will be harvested and judged..."" "Harvested?" Ranma repeated in a tone of disquiet. "I don't like the sound of that," Keiko averred. "It was set down in ancient protocols that, should the balance between heaven and earth be broken, the Neflim will arise to doom the sons of Adam to the wrath of judgement, so saith the great Programmer in the heavens," the vision explained, "The Neflim will seek out and join with Adam and his Host to bring about Third Impact, the final judgement of humanity where the spirit of Lilith shall rise and reclaim the children of Eve into her bosom..." "I most definitely do not like the sound of that at all," Kodachi murmured, "Is there a way of preventing this...Third Impact from occurring?" "Yes," the vision replied, "The balance must be maintained and the Covenant must remain unbroken, else the Neflim will perform their function as has been set into their nature. It would not be a very good thing from the perspective of the human race should this occur, thus it is important that the Sleeper to the South must not Awaken. The Neflim have their place to serve in the destiny of the world, but should their mission conflict with the destiny of man, then woe betide the world itself when the day of judgement shall happen." "Oboy," Ranma winced, "Yeah, that definitely doesn't sound too good. So...this Kraken thingie...?" "Is a Neflim bound to the Avatar ship known as the 'Piece of Junk' through its covenant with a mortal named Han Bo-Lo," the vision replied, "So long as the Covenant remains firm the Neflim called Uliel will remain a benevolent force serving the will of its Mistress, but should it free itself from this dominion..." "It could unite with Adam and bring about Third Impact," Keiko suddenly exclaimed, "Now I understand! The Mistress told me something about this a couple of years ago, when I asked her myself about the Kraken! No wonder she considers her link with the creature to be some kind of a burden..." "Indeed," Kodachi said, "A burden upon which the fate of humanity must rest, and who in all sanity could wish for a thing such as that upon their conscience?" "Are you saying that Lao keeps this Kraken thing from becoming a real problem?" Nabiki blinked. "It almost sounds like she's performing a service to the world itself," Ranma said, "But...what was the Kraken doing before this Han Bolo guy sealed it to the ship?" "It rested in the sleep of the millennia," the vision replied, "Once---long ago- --the Kraken arose to take part in the Titan wars against the Gods, and most of the world was almost drowned in that conflagration...but then Lord Zeus sealed the Kraken away in his crypt of memories..." "I get it," Keiko said, "And this Han Bo-Lo guy woke the thing up so he'd have a powerful monster in his service...only now the Kraken is so much a part of the POJ that a part of its own body resides within the lower holds of the ship." "Not too shabby a lifestyle when you think about it," Kodachi mused, "It powers the ship, it keeps the Undines alive in their quasi-elemental state, and it gives whomever is its current owner almost unlimited resources upon which to draw...and all Mistress Lao has to do is feed it the occasional odd morsel." "More like the dreams and memories of the people on this ship," Keiko revealed, "Sometimes Mistress Lao feeds a girl to the Kraken in order to have her purged of some unpleasant experiences...it's perfectly harmless...the Kraken leaves them intact while giving them renewed health and a purging of negative experience, then it spits them out again clean and whole like a newborn baby..." Nabiki shuddered, "She turns them into mindless drones by using this Monster to do her dirty work?" "Ah...not exactly," Ranma said, "You're putting a negative spin on things, Nabiki...the Kraken doesn't really harm the girls, it just...chews them over a bit and helps them get a fresh start on life..." "And how do you know that?" Nabiki rounded on him. Ranma blinked, "I...don't know...that just sounded right for some reason..." "The point is that the Kraken is potentially a far greater threat if it were free of its bounds to Madam Lao," Kodachi pointed out, "So long as this ship has a Mistress...or a Master...it will serve humanity...but should it be free to carry out its original function..." "Yeah," Keiko shuddered, "That would be bad..." "Yeah, but if this Adam guy is the key to the whole thing, then letting him sleep it off is the real deal, huh?" Ranma asked, "I mean...nobody would be stupid enough to want to wake him up...would they?" "Unfortunately there are men who seek power for its own purposes and who do not count the danger as seriously as you do," the vision replied, "Should one of limitless ambition and narrow wisdom find the tomb of Adam it could bring doom to the mortal plane. The Neflim are above human morality as you understand it, and some even appear to be men. You all carry within you a spark of Adam in your genetic code, meaning that you are all joined together by a common destiny, a destiny better served by living out your lives and fulfilling the role that fate allots you, but should one arise who seeks the path of hubris in defiance of the Covenant of Heaven..." "Right," Nabiki said, "We got that part. Do not open until Ragnarok unless we want to bring about the 'Rapture of the Saved,' right?" "Saved is the operant word here," the vision replied, "Your vital statistics would be saved, filed and duplicated for storage, but there would no longer be a version of you living on your planet." "..." Nabiki uttered as she took that in, then said, "Okay...nice safety tip. Now...where are we and how do we get back to the others?" "What do you mean where are you?" the vision smiled, "You are where you have always been, you are there right now, all you must do is open your eyes and awaken." "Huh?" Ranma replied as he felt his consciousness expanding, "Awaken...but...?" And then he came back to himself with a start, fluttering his eyes as he awoken back in his natural body, finding himself reclined back among the pillows that formed his bedding in the middle of the seraglio, and there at his side, resting on his arm and opening her own eyes was... "K-Kodachi?" Ranma blinked. "Ranma-kun?" Kodachi replied, looking equally surprised at finding herself within his embrace. All at once they both sat upright and turned to look...somewhere else, both feeling incredibly awkward as the moment of confused memories briefly brought them back to an awareness of what they had been doing a short while before falling asleep from mutual exhaustion. At their sides the twined pairing of Nabiki and Keiko also came back to full awareness of both themselves and their surroundings, then looked around with mutual confusion before remembering who it was who was sleeping at their side, though it was only Nabiki who registered anything like an unpleasant reaction. "Gah...Keiko-chan...I mean..." she swallowed. "Welcome back, sleepy head," Keiko leered, "Did you have a nice nap?" "Um..." Nabiki looked chagrined and embarrassed, but then she turned to Ranma and said, "Ranma-kun...you...and Kodachi?" Belated realization of his awkward place at the side of a naked and blushing Black Rose made Ranma automatically raise his hands and cry, "It's not what it looks like! I mean---um---er---well...maybe it is, but...!" "But...it would seem that the four of us...were a bit...distracted...for a while there," Kodachi said awkwardly before turning a hesitant look towards Nabiki, "Does...anyone besides me seem to remember something about a tree and a vision telling us about the Angels?" "You saw that too?" Keiko arched her eyebrows, "And here I thought I was just high on Nabiki-chan. So...that really happened, eh? And...Saotome?"" "Huh?" Ranma asked, seeing the odd look the redhead gave him, "What?" "Take a look at your arms," the kickboxer nodded. "What about...?" Ranma looked down, only to see that the tattoo that covered his right forearm now had its counterpart on his left arm...another set of shifting and flowing tattoos that were a sign of a pact being formed with an elemental. He lifted his left arm and stared at it for a moment, only to have a voice cheerfully pipe in at his side, "Can I help you, Master?" "Master?" Nabiki answered for Ranma, seeing a beautiful naked Undine standing there beside her husband with the kind of "I want to be of service" expression that few wives wanted to see in such a situation. "My mother asked me to fulfill the terms of contract with you since she is already contractually obligated and cannot serve two masters at the same instant," the Undine replied, offering her hand, "I am Sharil, the daughter of Ulqualsh, and I am here to serve you in whatever capacity I may, Master." "To serve him?" Kodachi asked, "You're not...one of the ghostly servitors who inhabit this ship?" "No," Sharil replied in her curiously quavering voice, "Unlike many here I was never born a human, though I have lived among humans for so long that I am at home in my present shape. I was born an Undine, though my father was a human, one of the earlier owners of this ship, and so I am honored to be of service to you, young Master, a mortal who bested my mother is a man who is to be respected, perhaps even admired. Tell me how I may make myself of use to you, Master?" Nabiki sat there with an open mouth, but then she frowned and growled, "RAAANNN- --MAAAA---!" "Urk," Ranma hunched his shoulders, murmuring to himself, "That's it, I'm dead..." "Do you want a burial at sea or a cremation?" Kodachi reflexively asked, though she kept glancing nervously at him as if fearing to admit the actual thoughts that she was presently thinking. Fortunately for Ranma's peace of mind, that was the moment when a concubine came into the room and announced, "Hey guys! There's an island off the port bow where we're stopping to have a look! The Mistress sent a shore party ahead and we may be given some furlough time and shore leave!" The news was greeted with cheers and applauding by those concubines and guests not either currently engaged in eating or sex, or the ones splayed out in various positions of relative exhaustion. Even Sharil looked excited by the news and said, "Oh, how wonderful! I hope it's a deserted island, the crew needs some time to stretch their landlegs. I wish I could go with them...but the shore really isn't my element, sad to say..." "You mean...Lao lets you guys go on land on a deserted island?" Nabiki sounded amazed at the realization. "Oh yeah," one of the concubines herself replied, the cheerful one introduced earlier as Xiong Fu, who was just then rising off of the dusky skinned beauty whom she had been draped over like a mantle, "This means we can get some fresh air and catch some sunrays! Living on a ship all the time---especially one surrounded by a dimensional inversion---really doesn't do much to help a girl get a good suntan, know what I mean?" "The air in here is magically circulated," another concubine remarked as she combed hair out of her eyes with her fingers, "But nothing beats having honest- to-the-Gods wind in your face with that strange smell that only land has..." "This is where we get to stretch our legs and really strut our stuff for fun," a third remarked cheerfully, "We might even have a luau while we're at it, depending on how long the Mistress lets us stay..." "Don't get too excited yet," a fourth concubine cautioned, "The landing party isn't back yet, and for all we know it could have hostile natives or be a tourist trap for the jet-set..." "Who cares?" a fifth exclaimed, "It's been so long since we had shore leave that I'm ready to go sack and pillage to haul away any islander who tries to get in the way of me and my tan lines." "Hey, I like the sound of that," remarked a fifth, "Maybe the Mistress will let us take part in a raid and we can bring on some Island girls for a little inter- cultural hanky-panky..." "And the men better not say squat about it or we'll give them something to remember," leered a six with obvious enthusiasm. One thought suddenly occurred to Ranma...that these pleasant, enthusiastic sex- crazed concubine girls might appear to be harmless fluff on the surface, but he never wanted to ever see them get angry, especially in his direction. For all their 'fun and games' frivolity, there was an undercurrent of aggressive feminine lust hiding beneath the surface that implied that they could be dangerous when angered, and pity the one who did wind up on their bad side because whoever did that more than likely would not survive the encounter... "She what?" Blossom reacted. "She's vanished, Sir," Lieutenant Hastings reported, "Completely without a trace, and the rest of her away team with her. Lieutenant Commander Lotus was beginning to relay something about encountering some natives...and the next thing we know everything went dead. Undines scouted out the beach and found some of their equipment had been dropped, but without the freedom to go further inland they can't pursue and find out what happened between them and the natives." This was bad, VERY bad, and Blossom knew it on a fundamental level. On the one hand her best friend and fellow officer had just turned up missing under highly dubious circumstances, on the other hand there was the even MORE alarming fact that an entire landing party full of their best scouts and marines had just gone MIA without a shot being fired. That was more than bad...that was definitely DISTURBING, so much so that she knew that it was even worth taking a risk of disturbing the Mistress while at play, which was a thing that she was loathe to do even under the most extreme of circumstances. Of course when one weighed the two together, there was a kind of "Damned if you do, Catfood if you don't" kind of risk of upsetting her lady. On the one hand she would be in trouble for interrupting her fun, on the other hand she would be derelict in her duties for failing to report this, and it was not exactly the kind of assignment that you could hand off to an underling. It meant that (shudder) she would have to go down there herself and inform her ladyship that THEY HAD TROUBLE! Fortunately for Blossom's peace of mind, one of the Undines volunteered to take the job off of her hands, and since the Lady was only "omniscient" on the POJ when she was paying attention to the mental reports of the Undines, that meant having to invade the sanctity of the Captain's bedchambers, a place where even the brave feared to go without invitation. Fortunately---being already technically dead---an Undine took considerably less of a risk than a normal human, and so an Undine named Sally Perkins (or so she had been known in life thirty years ago) traveled through the porous structure of the vessel to arrive mere seconds later and re-solidify in human form, finding her Ladyship (as expected) hip-deep in the poontang. Ironically enough another Elemental was assisting the Captain at that moment, employing her pliable body to help structurally reinforce Lao's own natural dimensions with a kind of watery "exo-skeleton" that gave her the form of a man complete with functional equipment. In this "faux-male" form (easier to use than Instant Nanniichuan, which often conflicted with her natural curse) she was in the process of pleasuring her newest houseguest, who was bent over on the bed on her hands and knees howling up a storm while a water-based prick easily slid into and out of this Martha Kent's body (while both lady and Undine were careful to avoid direct contact with the orichalcum). "Oh yes, oh yeah...keep it cumming, baby, you're doing just fine...!" "I told you that this would be an experience you would long cherish, didn't I?" "OOOOHHH---YEEEAHHH!!!" Martha shuddered, enjoying one very long and luxuriously intense orgasm later, and since everything she felt was conveyed through the elemental into Lao (who had her own "plugged" equipment being pleasured by the Undine) her joy became the captain's joy, and through this mutual experience they shared a "waves and clouds" orgasm that even the Undine known as Sally could sense and experience vicariously, and so she hung back rather than immediately interrupt their pleasure. When at last they both came down from their intense double fuck-fest, Martha turned her head and cried, "YOU ROCK! That was one of your best efforts ever!" "Didn't I tell you that I could get creative here when inspired by the right bed partner?" Lao cooed, only to turn her head and say, "What is it, Sally? I sense that you are disturbed about something." "Indeed, my lady," Sally replied, and opened her thoughts to allow the Captain to read her report directly. Seconds later Lao was cursing herself in tones that even an Undine could find shocking, while Martha looked at her when the captain withdrew from both of her rear openings and asked, "What's wrong?" "I am such an idiot!" Lao swore, "Of course I remember which island this is now! How could I be so stupid as to send Lotus there without advanced warning? GAH!" The other Undine withdrew from her body and reformed herself in the shape of a woman, then turned to Lao and asked, "What are your orders, Mistress? How shall we punish these malefactors?" "Leave that up to me," Lao directed, "Return to the bridge and inform Blossom that I am taking charge of this directly. She is to prepare a second landing party and to have them armed with traditional weapons only...no automatic firearms. The Prince who rules here is rather particular about that." "Prince?" Martha asked as she rolled over on the bed to face Lao more directly while the Undines vanished up into the ceiling. "Don't concern yourself, my sweet," Lao replied, taking a moment to gaze fondly at the sight of her beautiful captive laying out in naked glory with chains about her ankles like a true and proper captive. Then Lao did the truly difficult thing for her, which was to turn away from her usual instincts and say, "I'm afraid I'm going to be a bit busy with diplomacy and negotiations of a different sort for the next hour...affairs of State, it seems, must take precedents over Affairs of state, but I expect to return shortly and continue where we left off, if you will be a bit patient." "I suppose I could postpone things to a later lunchdate," Martha remarked reflexively, not bothering to hide her disappointment, "But if there's trouble, maybe I could help..." "The offer is appreciated, believe me," Lao smiled, "But...there is a kind of a danger here that you wouldn't be much help against, not with your vulnerability to magic, and I would be MOST distressed if you should fall victim to these people. I have to go because one of my very dearest friends is in trouble, but you can rest assured that I will be back just as soon as I can negotiate terms for her release. After all, I've had dealings with his particular island before, so I at least know what I am getting into." "Is it really that bad?" Martha sat up in the bed, not in the least bit reassured by the hint of strain in her lover's voice. "That depends on your definition of bad," Lao replied with a nervous chuckle, "The magic that I am referring to is the sort that I do not relish having to face directly. The risk is not so much to my life as to everything that I cherish and hold dear, but...I'll explain at a different time, AFTER I free Lotus. Until then be happy." With that the captain turned and left the chamber, her long stride conveying a sense of urgency and haste even more disturbing than the hint of genuine fear that had been in her tone and expression. Martha was in no way reassured by this and resolved to follow discretely, hobbled or not as she was by her chains, which were not even locked at the moment... Nabiki had thought that she had already experienced a wide range of bizarre phenomenon during the past few days on the POJ, but the discovery that the ship had an "Observation Deck" certainly set a new level of weirdness. What it turned out to be was a reasonably large chamber along one side of the ship that had a wall that could "open out" to view the sea itself and the recently discovered island that appeared to have everyone so worked up into an almost party-like atmosphere. Even her own family members came to stand and stare along the railing as they looked out upon a rather undistinguished bit of land and lush foliage jutting up from the ocean, the only exceptional thing about this being the rumor going about that this particular island was...floating? Of all people it was Ryoga who first voiced the odd question, "How can an island be floating?" "A good question," offered one of the concubines...Mei Ling, if Nabiki remembered properly, "It does seem rather unlikely, doesn't it? After all, land is heavier than water, and the idea of an island that doesn't require a bit more land underneath it in order to remain above the water does seem rather far- fetched, don't you think?" "That all depends," speculated another concubine...the full-chested Islander named Mangos, "There are many legends among my people of a land that moves through the water on the back of a great turtle, an island inhabited entirely by men, and this could be that particular island." "Do you think maybe the place is under some kind of a spell, like the POJ?" asked Chow Mien, "I mean...it could be floating on some kind of substance that's lighter than water, like a flotation device or..." "Heh," responded the worldly and cynical Nila Caulder, "The only flotation devices you need to worry about are the two that nature gave you...but then again, I've seen weirder stuff than a floating island." "I don't like this," said the redheaded Lina, "Floating islands conjure up way too many bad memories for my taste..." "Now Lina," her busty companion chided, "Surely you're not going to judge all floating islands by the standard of that one that had the hot springs..." "Aiyaa," Shampoo murmured as she held Lylac close to her bosom, "No like feel of place...has very...bad vibes...no want go there..." "I'm with you there, Cousin," Perfume agreed, wrinkling her cute button nose as if she were detecting a smell that was not to her liking, "This place fills me with a strong sense of...foreboding." "Foreboding, Sugar?" Ukyo asked, holding her own child warmly in her arms while giving the place a peculiar gaze, as if sensing something disturbingly familiar. "Weird," Ranma said, "More than weird...I feel this real strange feeling in the air, like the place is chock full of some weird kind of magic." "You think everything's full of weird magic," Akane chided, turning to glance at Nabiki, "What do you say about this place, Oneechan?" "I'm with the rest of you on this," Nabiki replied in tones that barely conveyed the degree to which the island was disturbing her...as if some part of her were calling out to it and resonating on a level that was definitely NOT kosher, "I don't like this place...I've got a real baaad feeling about it..." "And well you should be concerned," said Madam Lao, who just then came to join them on the deck, "You are looking on Togenkyo Island, the one place in the Pacific that I would normally steer clear of if I had my druthers about it. Sorry to say, girls, but this place is off-limits to you. I won't be granting any shore leave for this one, though I may have to negotiate an exchange of prisoners with some of our excess cargo." "Prisoners, my lady?" Keiko asked in alarm, "We have people out there who've been taken hostage?" "That is what I am about to attend to myself," Lao replied, "Fortunately these Islanders tend to be a bit cut-off from normal civilization, so they will be in need of a great many things that I have to offer, such as food, fresh water, medical and dental supplies, raw and processed materials..." "Women?" Ranma asked. "That goes without saying," Lao nodded, but for once she did not sound so...dismissive of the subject and even winced a little before adding, "Mind you...I have extreme reservations about that. The people of this island have a...magical elixir that is perilous to most young women, and I would be reluctant to isolate a girl to their peculiar lifestyle. Still, a few women ought to satisfy them, particularly the ones I have in mind, who might actually go in for that sort of thing. At any rate I will be gone for a little while to attend to this, but I want you all to be on your best behavior and wait for me when I come back with our people." "Let me see if I understand this right," Nabiki said drolly, "Some of your people were taken hostages, so...in order to free them you're going to offer up more of your people in exchange..." "Exactly," Lao nodded, not smiling, "But on this one I'm strictly taking volunteers only. This is one assignment where I'd be reluctant to include my own worst enemy, if I had any who're still living. I don't expect you to believe this, but I'd particularly want to avoid including you and your loved ones on this mission...though I think Ranma might be the best able to help out...oh...and by the way, I see you've acquired another elemental alliance." "Huh?" glanced down at the changing tattoos on his left arm then said, "How did you...?" "I have my ways," Lao winked, "You must have had a vision after your last great performance...it's been known to happen sometimes, especially when a martial artist becomes a Wizard." "A Wizard?" Nabiki cocked an eyebrow, "Ranma-kun?" "A Wizard is the next stage beyond the level of a Master," Lao explained, giving Ranma a frank look, "You've begun to expand your conscious awareness as to the nature of the real world...your training with the Kabala and the Elemental forms of your father's Senken school have opened your mind to new possibilities and levels of understanding, which is why you have begun to experience flashes and visions of the world beyond the physical senses." "I have?" Ranma marveled. "Wait a second here," Ukyo spoke up, "Are you saying that Ranchan had a vision in the middle of an orgy?" "Yeah," Perfume agreed, "Doesn't all the sex get a little bit...confusing?" "Not as much as you think, Cousins," Lao winked, turning a look back towards Nabiki, "Tell me something, Tendo-san...have you ever heard about the Epicureans?" "Um...sort of," Nabiki frowned, "They were supposed to be some kind of Western idea about overindulgence...and their modern counterparts are those guys who specialize in fancy French cooking..." "Actually," Kodachi noted, "The Epicureans were an Hellenic branch of philosophy that grew up as a counterpoint to Greek Cynicism during the later Hellenic era. The Romans adopted the idea of the Epicureans to justify a policy of gluttony and avarice, which tarnished the ideals of the philosophy, though in actuality their original purpose was a noble one...the liberation of the mind and will from the prison of our senses." "Precisely so," Beatrice observed, "Originally the Hellenic world believed in the celebration of life and the indulgence in all that was good to the senses, back when they innocently viewed the world as a place where the Gods had granted humanity the bounty of Gaea. Then the Pelloponnesian War ruined the Greek economy and threw Athens into a state of disarray as the harsher rival state of Sparta took power and imposed a collective sense of pessimism and despair upon many of the great philosophers of that era. That gave rise to Greek Cynicism, the belief that the world was a very harsh and demanding place full of snares and illusions that could blind the physical senses and leave one destitute without a moral or ethical center. The Cynics held sway for a number of years by casting a pall on the whole notion of physical indulgence, insisting that one must strictly discipline the will through a policy of stoical denial, mortifying the senses by admonishing them and withholding one's pleasures to the bare minimum needed to sustain life..." "Essentially true," Lao said, "Insofar as the Western concept of Aestheticism goes, the whole basis of treating the body like an enemy to the will, which is where Catholicism got many of its more warped ideals, but the Epicureans were the exact opposite in that they harkened back to the original Greek model of self indulgence...but with a twist that was truly ironic..." "Indeed," Kodachi agreed, "Cynics thought that denying themselves the pleasures of the world would make them wise and stoical, but Epicureans believed that starving the body and the mind would only lead to a different kind of illusion. They believed in doing the opposite, of FEEDING AND INDULGING in the senses by consuming all that they could in life, hoping to eventually achieve a state where the mind reels from too much overstimulation and effectively shuts down the five senses of taste, touch, smell, feeling and hearing, thus opening the mind to the higher sense of the divine that they believe lies hidden within us." "Say what?" Perfume replied, "You mean by eating and having a lot of sex they thought they'd become enlightened?" "Heh," Alison sniffed, cradling her own baby in her arms as she rocked her back and forth to sleep, "That's Greek Philosophy for you. I had a bellyful of the stuff myself when I was growing up, but all those Epicurean guys ever amounted to was a bunch of fat Roman pigs who sat around on their asses eating until they puked up their guts, then eating some more until they got fat, dumb and lazy." "Indeed," Kodachi mused, "They even invented the Vomitorium, a place where they could---as you say---puke up their guts between all-you-can-eat sessions in which they would sample the most exotic dishes in order to please all five of their senses." "Actually the principle for which they were aiming was sound," Beatrice remarked, "If one learns to see beyond the limits of their senses they can indeed achieve a higher level of awareness..." "Like through Sex?" Akane chimed in, happily grasping that concept. "Precisely," Lao replied with a nod, "And what young Saotome here did was achieve the Tantric ideal of using sex as a launching platform for achieving a higher awareness. Cundalingi is the word that I would use here...the point where sexual energy rises up to the brain and charges the grey matter with the essence of life itself, forcing him to process information at a rate that he has never had to operate with before, the results being that he is starting to see the world in a way that is strange and new for him. In other words, my dear, Saotome-san, you have just started out on the road to becoming a great Sage in your own right...and possibly even something more beyond the fields you presently know, a vision of yourself as more than just a run-of-the-mill Martial Artist." "You...think so?" Ranma blinked. "I know so," Lao replied with a leer, "Why do you think that self-indulgence is the practice, philosophy and religion that dominates on my ship? We all aspire to become like you are now becoming almost without effort. The iron test--- which you passed---is when you proved yourself able to go beyond your self- conception of gender definitions and embrace your feminine side...that was the proof that I needed to confirm my suspicions about you. You truly are the Adept who will one day take charge of his own affairs and become a true Wizard, one who will see beyond the Mara of illusion and understand the way the Universe works and be able to correspond with it in ways that you presently cannot even imagine." "Wait a minute," Nabiki blinked her eyes, "Are you saying that you...?" "Traveled the same path that your husband explores now?" Lao replied as she started to turn away, "Why do you think the two of you keep losing to me in a straight out fight? I've been where you are, I know the path you must follow. Perhaps you will make your own path and one day surpass me, but that will never happen as long as you both remain confined by the chains that are invisible yet effectively hobble you like the hardest of irons. We will talk some more on this subject when I get back, but...think on what I say and reflect on what you think you know. Things are rarely as they appear, Tendo-san, and if anyone should understand that, it is you, who have the power to see beyond her own perceptions." "See beyond perception?" Nabiki blinked, "What the heck are you talking about?" "She means that there is a part of you that understands what she is telling you without needing to be told her meaning," Beatrice replied, "It is that part of you that you need to learn to listen to more often, my dear friend, instead of blinding yourself to the obvious." "What are you going on about now?" Nabiki turned to glance at her companions. "She means that you really don't need us to tell you what the answers are here," Kodachi replied, "You already know, but you're not paying attention." "Yeah, Nab-chan," Keiko sniffed, "Haven't you figured it out yet? It's so simple that even I've got it all put together." "What are you guys talking about?" Ukyo asked. "Beats me," Alison shrugged, "I have trouble figuring Beiko out most of the time anyway..." "I think I understand," Ryoga murmured softly. "You do?" Nabiki was both amazed and alarmed at the prospect. "It's been bothering me for a while now," Ryoga said, "But...call me crazy...but I think that Madam Lao's been trying to tell us something all along, and we just haven't been listening very good. I think she wants to teach us something about life, which is why she's been going to so much trouble on our account. I mean...think about how she treated us our first time here...Ranma and me were locked up in cages, and the rest of you..." "I get it," Perfume said, "Cousin Lao's not just doing this to have all kinds of weird, kinky sex with us...she actually must think of this as a kind of training." "Aiyaa," Shampoo murmured softly, "Is some kind of Elder technique?" "That's how I figure it," Perfume replied with a shrug, "You know Elders and their ideas about how to teach us advanced maneuvers. Compared with being tied up while hanging from a tree and slamming my body into a boulder in order to learn the Bakusai Tenketsu, or tied up in fish sausage and thrown into a pit full of--ahem-- well, Lao's methods actually seem pretty gentle." "Gentle?" Nabiki arched her eyebrows, thinking over her own experiences of the past several days. "Is old Amazon saying, Airen," Shampoo replied, "That which no kill you make you better warrior..." "Not to mention angry, bitter and resentful," Perfume added with a slight grimace. "So...turning me into a girl...and doing that other stuff to Nabiki...it was all about training?" Ranma sounded and looked appalled at the prospect. "That's how I figure it," Ryoga nodded, then paused to add, "What did she do to you, Nabchan?" "Ah...never mind about all that, okay?" Nabiki said evasively, "What I'm more interested in figuring out is just what kind of sick lesson did Lao think she was teaching us with all this...perversity?" "Maybe not letting yourself get so rattled by everything that's happened?" Akane suggested, "I mean, honestly Oneechan...you are getting way more upset than is called for here, don't you think? If you just relax a little and get with the program..." "I don't want to get with the program," Nabiki replied, "I don't even want to be here...hell, I don't want any of you to be here, either! But if you mean that the way to beat Lao is to look at things from a different angle..." "Couldn't hurt, right?" Ranma asked with a shrug. "There is that consideration," Kodachi conceded, then paused before adding, "Perhaps...making amends as we did just now...was for the purpose of freeing up your minds so that you can now look at the larger picture with...fewer distractions?" "You mean you screwing with my husband is supposed to make me feel less distracted, huh?" Nabiki sniffed. "Well hey," Ukyo replied, "You were doing the same thing with Kei-chan here at the same time, right?" "Er...well..." Nabiki winced, "That was different..." "It was?" now it was Ranma's turn fix her with a raised eyebrow, "How?" "Um..." Nabiki hesitated then said, "Well...Kei-chan was doing it to me..." "And you were calling out her name...several times in fact," Perfume noted with suspicion. "Ah...er..." Nabiki visibly sweated. "This better be good," Shampoo said a bit archly. "Now darlings," Kodachi said as she sauntered up to Nabiki with exaggerated hip motions, giving a saucy smile while flipping her ponytail over one shoulder in such a way that caused her to raise an arm and emphasize her moderately well- sized breasts, "Don't be so hard on your blushing bride...the fault truly lies with me. I was the one who seduced her husband...partly because I felt guilty about the way I've treated him in the past, but also because Ranma-kun has blossomed out into a very fine and talented example of manhood, making me regret those years when I took him and his interest for granted," she paused to put her arms around Nabiki's neck and give her the same moon-eyed, adoring smile that had worked so well with Ranma, "But in reality...I am also very much attracted to you...in both of your aspects, and I would be ever so grateful if you would allow me to make it up to you...by offering you free reign with my body." "Urk," Nabiki's mind seized up, giving her a very good appreciation of how Ranma had reacted under the same breathy invitation, and the sensual overload that threatened to overturn her reason. "Just a minute here, Kuno," Perfume said as she came up behind Kodachi, "If you want to make your apologies, Nabiki's not the only one you need to make amends to..." "She means all of us...Sugar," Ukyo leered in a predatory manner. "Rose Girl need convince Shampoo she sincere in apology," Shampoo added, "And Red apologize with for daring to play with Airen with no Shampoo permission." "Somehow I knew that was coming," Keiko rolled her eyes, then shrugged, "Sure, why not? I'm always game for a little action." "A little action," Ranma said, then gave a start when the smaller redheaded mage grabbed him by the arm and started examining it in detail, "Hey...what?" "These runes," the redhead exclaimed as she examined the flowing scripture, "They're in an ancient script called Enochian, the language of the Elohim. I've read about it in ancient manuscripts, but I've never seen it grafted in a mobile form on a human..." "Indeed," said her taller and bustier companion, "Those are the sign of an alliance between a human and one of the elemental races...but to do that you would have to be a highly accomplished Sorcerer, and by your aura I make you out to be an entirely different class of human being." "A different class?" Ranma replied, "I'm just a martial artist..." "A warrior who specializes in unarmed combat maneuvers, huh?" the redhead remarked, "Okay, Sohei, so when did you make contact with an elemental of the Third Rank?" "Um...about an hour ago," Ranma replied, "It...was in a vision...but I got the other one in a fight with a Salamander." "A Salamander," the taller Nagha replied, "You've combined an alliance with both a Salamander and an Undine?" "Fire and Water?" Lina replied, "You've got to be kidding me! Those two schools are completely opposite to one another! How can you possibly maintain equilibrium between the two systems?" "Well..." Ranma said, "Fire and Water may be of opposite alignment, but there is a lot of similarity in the two systems...in fact, I'm told they're mirror reflections, like fluid and plasma, or the two pillars of the tree of life...Mercy and Justice..." "Mercy and Justice?" Nagha replied, "Is that what they're called in the system you studied? We know them as Strength and Judgement, and the middle pillar..." "Is balance," Ranma concluded for her, gaining a very odd look from both his wives and the two foreign mages, a look barely reflected in his own apparent surprise as he thought the matter over then said, "One without the other is either Severity or Weakness...but the two combined with the whole of the Tree of Life..." "Creates the Pillar of Wisdom," Nagha nodded, "I see that you are indeed a Wizard in training...a fellow adept who practices his arts with the courage of his heart as well as his fists. Well met indeed." "Are you saying that Ranchan is..." Ukyo began. "A Mage as well as a fighter?" Perfume concluded for her. "Is thing possible?" Shampoo asked. "Well...um...sort of," Ranma replied, then paused to say, "Ah...answer me something...you guys are the real deal, huh?" "Are you kidding?" Lina said, "We're the best! Screw everyone else!!!!" "So...what happens if a...really super-powerful being were trapped up by a spell that bound it to serve a human for many centuries, only it got loose and...did something on its own that was very bad?" Ranma said, "Bad for everyone...like...the entire planet?" "Hold on there," Lina said, "We're not just talking academically here, are we?" "A being so powerful that it could terminate all life on its own," Nagha replied with unusual disquiet, "Even the gods do not wield that much power unaided." "But that's because there are so many," Lina replied, "They divide the power between them so that no one god has more power than all of the others combined. It's much like with the Demon kind, and the Dark Ones who embody the negative energies of the Qlipoth..." "Klipoth?" Nabiki mispronounced, "What the heck is that?" "The negative reflection of the Tree of Life," Nagha replied, "It's dark shadow...a Tree of Negative Life energy, from which all dark beings draw their anti-strength." "Then it's just like a body...only it's a dark Man, an enemy," Ranma frowned. "Weeelll..." Lina drawled, "If you want to know the absolute truth, you're half- right, but the negative tree isn't totally wrong and evil...in fact, it's the source of a lot of really aggressive, destructive power, and if you tap into it just right you can make it a pretty effective weapon, almost an ally, without becoming totally evil." "Lina here is an expert when it comes to destructive power," Nagha smiled, "Her Dragon Slave by itself can destroy an entire hamlet, while the Giga Slave, her ultimate power, has the potential of destroying an entire world." "That's only if it gets out of control," Lina frowned at her haughty companion, "I mostly use it for taking out really powerful Monsters. The problem is...when you use magic that way it takes a lot out of yourself and it becomes hard to maintain a balance. You have to know what you're doing is right and have no doubts or hesitation. I've only known a couple of times when I've really had to use it. Why...you think there's a monster nearby who might need taking out?" "Possibly," Ranma said, "But I'm not entirely sure...the Kraken is a part of something larger, and maybe without it there would be another kind of imbalance..." "What in the hell are you talking about?" Nabiki said, "If she knows how to take down the Kraken, then we could free everybody on this ship from the curse they're under, including Lao..." "Not necessarily," Ranma turned to his wife and said, "Don't you get it? That vision we had about the Kraken...and the rest of the ones who're just like it...it's all part of something larger, like a greater plan or something. We interfere with that and we could create the very thing we're trying to avoid. Besides...the Undines would all die, and there's no guarantee that anyone else would live happily every after." "I'm not talking about everyone living happily ever after," Nabiki clenched a fist, "But if Lao didn't have that monster to draw upon in a fight..." "There's another way of beating her," Ranma explained. "Huh?" his wife blinked, "What do you mean...another way?" "It all makes sense now," Ranma smiled, "I know what Lao's been trying to do with us...why she put us through all of this stuff...and what she wants us to do. I even know how we can beat her!" "You do?" Nabiki asked, "But...how?" "By playing her game to the hilt," Ranma said, reaching out to take her by both arms, "But neither of us can do it alone...I need you to do this with me...together, just like we started it out only a few days ago..." "What?" Nabiki blinked, seeing a familiar gleam in his eyes, "You mean...now?" "Hey, while the Tiger's away, the both of us can play, right?" he smiled, "Bad joke, I know...and look, you didn't even shudder that time, "Trust me on this, Nabiki...it's gonna work and we'll be doing this together." "Together," Nabiki repeated, then slowly smiled, understanding at last the gist of what he was implying, "How do I know this isn't just some cheap excuse to get me back in the sack?" "Heck, who needs an excuse to do that?" Ranma leered, "But can you think of a better reason than what I have planned?" "At the moment...no," Nabiki returned his leer, "But if it gets us closer to beating Lao, then so much the better." And with that the two of them linked hands together and went off in search of other parts of the ship, leaving their loved ones behind to speculate on their sudden enthusiasm for sightseeing. "Well...those two look like they're going to be busy for a bit," Perfume remarked, breaking the silence, "Shall we go and join them, do you think?" "No, Sugar," Ukyo replied, "Whatever those two plan, they'll do it better without us. Besides, we've got other fish to fry...ain't that right...Sugar?" "Ah...well..." Kodachi said with a rueful expression. "Where people go on ship to do stuff to each other?" Shampoo asked of the concubines with them. "You mean the playroom" said a mustard-haired girl known only as Curry with a smirk, "This way, I'll be happy to show you how to use the equipment." "Hey, I could have done the same thing," Keiko said, then shrugged and said, "What the heck...waiting around here isn't making me feel any younger..." All at once the sorceress named Nagha started laughing, a hearty "Hohohohoho" sound that was followed by a haughty, "You young people and your games are so amusing. I might like to see your ideas of fun for myself, if you don't mind a little company in your private trysts." "Sure thing," Perfume said, "But we'd kind of like to do this exclusive..." "So you watch but no touch," Shampoo winked, "We have real fun with Red and Rose Girl. Is like peoples say, No get angry, get even!" Again the sorceress laughed, much to the distress of her redheaded partner, and even Kodachi shook her head as they turned to leave, murmuring to herself, "Something about that laugh seems so familiar...it's almost scary..." "Tell me about it," sighed Lina, who nonetheless reluctantly swallowed her qualms and followed after the trail of her nominal busty partner... Continued. Comments/Criticisms/Seele Project Schedules: shadowmane@ridgenet.net Lao gets in over her head while Ranma and Nabiki explore their "alternate options," while the rest of their loved ones learn a little story about the creation of the universe, and we begin to learn more of why even Superheroes are wary about Evas. Be here next time for: "Neon Evangelist Zeigheist," or "How to Plot an Armageddon." Be there!