DNabikiTHCh21 Nabiki 1/2 "A Very Scary Thought!" THE HONEYMOON HENTAI CHAPTERS! By Jim Robert Bader (Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi and Others) Part Twenty-One. HENTAI ALERT---BET YOU NEVER THOUGHT TO SEE THIS WARNING AGAIN! INSPITE OF BEING OFFLINE FOR TWO WEEKS DUE TO A VIRUS THAT SOME IDIOT HACKER WROTE, WHICH DESTROYED ALL OF MY DOCUMENT AND TEXT FILES, I AM BACK ONLINE AND BACK IN THE ACTION, SO IF ANY OF THIS "NAUGHTY" STUFF OFFENDS YOU, EXCUSE ME! I WRITE WHAT I LIKE AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT, BUT IF YOU DON'T, THEN READ SOMETHING ELSE. THIS IS FOR THE PERVERT IN ALL OF US, AND IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE PERVERSION, THEN GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN! THIS MESSAGE WILL SELF-DESTRUCT IN TEN SECONDS (just Kidding!) YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! (My apologies, the original intro was eaten by the Virus, so I have to make do, and my mood is in no way improved by the thought that the Virus author might have been someone deliberately setting out to target people like me, who like a little harmless Sex in my diet, and Holy Roller types make me itchy...) Being a guard on duty for the Prince was a great honor and a privilege that a man born to palace life should have felt thrilled about enjoying, but the plain truth was that it was a dull and tedious obligation under even the best of occasions. There was not really that much point to it, after all, being that the Island was so isolated and remote that few visitors even came by that way, and fewer still of the common people, who mostly enjoyed their humble lives at the pleasure of their prince. Not many in their right minds would come to see his Highness without an express invitation, so it was not exactly as though being a guard at the gates was all that demanding an occupation. Of course the presence of the outlanders did change that status somewhat, but with their captain in tow it was unlikely that there would be any trouble from that lot. Of far more interest were the "guests" of the Prince, who were of PARTICULAR interest to every male citizen of the Island of Togenkyo (which, admittedly, was the vast majority of the island's population). The Prince was due to choose a bride from among the women who had been gathered for that purpose, and women being as rare as arable landspace in Togenkyo, it was only natural that interest levels ran so high among those fortunate few guards who had been left in charge of safeguarding the future harem. Of those two guards who were presently standing watch over the front gate, Natanyo shared with his companion, Dro, a personal desire to see and "inspect" these women on an "up close and personal" basis, having only on a few occasions even been close to a woman, let alone close enough to inspect them and determine what it was that made them so unique and different. Natanyo had vague memories of having known a woman before...his mother...back when she WAS his mother, before the **change** inevitably happened that took her away from him so long ago. Now all he could remember were his fathers, just like every other man who was native to this island. Such a pity that...and he would very much like to have known what a woman was...if only to procreate, which was another kind of duty that he and his fellow guards would inevitably owe to his Prince and his people. As boring as guard detail was, one hardly expected the monotony to be disturbed for any particular reason...so...when the strangers approached his position, he and Dro quite naturally came to full alert, the very novelty of the visitation itself providing amble reason for a sudden increase in their mutual interest level. The reason being---quite naturally---that the party approaching them was entirely **female.** Both guards knew this as an absolute fact, for they were very different from men in the way they were constructed, being thinner and lighter in body with curves in places that a man did not curve in...exactly, especially in the chest region. The way that they were...dressed (to use an incorrect euphemism) also displayed their distinctive differences in gender, and their...hair...and eye...and mouths with lips much fuller and lusher than a man's and... What was that? The lead female of the group was speaking to them, and it sounded something like, "Excuse us, please...we're here to see your Prince. We understand that he's looking for a few good ladies, do we fit the bill, do you think?" "Hah?" Dro said intelligently, not being one who was too swift on the uptake when it came to unexpected situations. "The Prince...is a busy young man," Natanyo snapped to attention, if only to prevent himself from automatically gawking like an idiot at these women and their HIGHLY attractive features. "Oh," said a short girl with reddish hair done up in a braid, "I think he'll make time to see us. After all, we're a delegation here to see him about our captain. I'm sure you won't mind if a few more girls are added to his harem, right?" The leader---a slender female with short brown hair, eyed her redheaded companion with mild annoyance before saying, "Right...a few more girls may be just what your boss is expecting...ever think about that?" "Just let us in already!" said another girl who looked to be much too young to be in such a colorful group, though her hair was a light powder blue coloration. "Um...well..." Natanyo replied, intelligent responses not being a part of his job description. Fortunately for his sense of ease a voice from behind the guards' back said, "What is the meaning of this? Who are these...women?" "My lord," both guards immediately bowed, "They say they are from the Pirate ship and wish to pay homage to Prince Toma." "You don't say?" said a masked individual in a curiously ornate feathered costume, who was himself accompanied by an ape-like individual and a virtual man-mountain who took up a goodly portion of the front gates all by his lonesome, "Do I take it that you are to be more prospective brides for his highness...?" "That's right," Nabiki said before Ranma-chan could open her mouth, "We're a small delegation of girls come to pay our respects to your mighty Prince, and since you happen to have Captain Lao in your custody..." "You're members of Captain Lao's crew?" the man-monkey said with a surprised expression, turning to his masked colleague and saying, "Prince Toma would be disappointed with us if we left any of these prospective brides out of the selection process." "Perhaps you're right," the masked servant replied, "Very well, come along inside, we'll have you properly outfitted, then you can join the rest of the bridal candidates in the waiting chamber before the great gathering in which one of you will be chosen to be the future bride of Toma." "Future bride?" asked Nila. "This just gets weirder and weirder," Ukyo remarked. "Shampoo no think this good time to bring up question, but what is small boy- king want with bride?" the Amazon asked, "Even Amazon no wed so early." "I'm sure there must be more to this story than what we are hearing," Xiong-Fu murmured at the level of a stage whisper, "But why don't we go inside and take advantage of their generous hospitality? That way we can be closer to finding the whereabouts of the Mistress." "Right," Breeze nodded, "We gotta get in if we're gonna find my mother." "You think Captain Lao will be waiting with the other girls?" Nila asked. "I don't really know," Xiong-Fu replied, "But wherever the Mistress is, I'm sure there will be plenty of mischief going on, so why don't we see for ourselves, shall we?" "Makes sense to me," Ranma-chan replied, "Anybody got any objections?" "Would it matter if I did?" Nabiki grumbled, "I'm the one who's least in favor of finding her, remember?" "Don't forget, we need her if we're gonna get away from this floating Island and its half-pint Casanova, Sugar," Ukyo said as she followed the rest of their small party into the castle. "I know," Nabiki grumbled, "Don't remind me already..." "Right this way, ladies," the masked man said, waving a feathered arm as the big man-mountain moved out of the way to allow them passage. Nabiki and Ranma led the way with the rest of their little group falling into line, all the while aware that they were being watched by the other members of their makeshift rescue operation, who were hanging back out of sight by the beach with the rest of their landing party. "All right, Lieutenant, they're in," said Jasmine as she stared through her spyglass, "Looks like the plan is working...so far." "Good," Maki said as she continued stripping-down and cleaning her favorite rifle, "Let's just hope the other team can reconnoiter the place and connect with the main group before we raid the party." "I can't believe I let myself get talked into going along with this," Blossom shook her head in faint dismay, "The Mistress will tan my hide...twice! I've never gone against her orders like this and to let her daughter be a part of this...I just know that she'll be angry, even if everything works as planned, which I seriously doubt!" "Calm yourself, Commander," Beatrice urged, "We have a plan of action that has a good chance of successful outcome, we had best adhere to it and hope that Nabiki and the others will come through during this crisis." "Easy for you to say, Bei," Alison remarked, "We're safe out here on the outside, but what I wouldn't give to be in the middle of the action." "What you might very well give is your womanhood if you run afoul of Prince Toma," Jasmine softly chided, "This island's waters are dangerous to our sex and if we press our luck too soon it may endanger the hostages...our fellow crewmates and even the captain." "Maybe so," Ryoga balled a fist, "But I hate this waiting, and what do I have to fear from this water? I'm already a man, and I'd rather be in there with Akane and the others." "Easy there, Big Guy," Alison urged, "I don't like waiting around any more than you, but we gotta keep cool and wait for the signal to go in there, right Bei?" "Indeed," Beatrice replied, "We have a plan, better to stick with it rather than improvise at this point. If Nabiki and the others are truly in need of our aid they will find some way of informing us...but until then we hold back and stay as much out of sight as we can around the natives." "That probably is a good idea," Blossom remarked, "But I wish I could be certain...this is the first time I've ever gone against the will of the Mistress..." "We know," Maki complained, "You've been telling us that over and over again for the last fifteen minutes." "Well, whatever's gonna happen, it'll probably be soon," Jasmine remarked, continuing to peer through her spy glass, "Because something must be happening with the Captain and the other women...there's way too much guard activity on the outside for my liking, but I think it's mostly to keep people inside, not out." "Won't matter either way," Alison smiled, "We've got aerial support on our side, and Big Sis will give a yell if she sees anything that needs out attention." "I just hope that no one inside the palace detects her," Beatrice remarked, "Or it might make an already difficult situation even more tricky." "Don't worry," Alison replied, "Martha's a professional...she was doing this before any of us were born, remember?" "I just hope you are right about that," Blossom averred as she scanned the clouds for a small human form flying high about treetop level, peering down like an eagle on high, which was somehow comforting in spite of it all, though the blue haired Pirate would have paid dearly to know what was happening to her Mistress, to say nothing of Lotus, her much-beloved partner... "Here you are," the man-monkey named Seratoru said as he indicated the ornate door to a certain chamber, "You can select your wardrobe from in there. Choose anything you like and then you will be presented to his majesty as prospective brides for his selection." "Choose?" Ranma-chan asked, "What's wrong with the get-ups we have on now?" "What you have on is certainly quite fetching," the feathered masked man replied, "But hardly suitable for presenting yourselves before his majesty as proper bridal candidates." "Ah...what she means is that we thought we'd already come prepared to greet his highness as is," Nabiki hastily pointed out, "But if you think we could be dressed more suitably by what you have to provide, then we'll certainly take you up on your generous hospitality, right Ranko?" "Ranko?" Ranma-chan blinked, "But..." "Ranma-honey, I think she means we go on like there's nothing wrong with being offered a change of wardrobe, get it?" Ukyo asked. "Is true," Shampoo also agreed, "And maybe we find nice dress Ranma like wear?" "Oh yeah," Akane grinned hugely, "We can even play dress-up, and you can be the dummy." "Word on that," Breeze smirked in agreement. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Ranma glared at her companions, including her nominal "wives," with obvious suspicion. "Don't know what you mean, Ranchan," Nabiki said with a half-hidden grin, leading the way into the wardrobe room, whereupon she and the others immediately halted to take stock of the merchandise upon display. "Whoah," Nila exclaimed aloud, "Check it out..." "Where did they get all of this stuff?" Akane marveled. "Stolen, probably," Xiong-Fu remarked, "Or acquired at random from whatever stops this floating Island has made over the course of its many travels." "I still can't get with the idea that this place is supposed to be moving around like a ship," Ukyo remarked, "I mean...islands are pretty notorious for not doing stuff like that, right?" "When in Hong Kong, get used to the food, Ucchan," Nabiki reasoned, "Well, no sense just standing around, might as well pick something out to wear. Ranchan...no offense to you, but I think you might need a few fashion tips from us girls here." "Hey, you won't get any argument on that out of me," Ranma-chan assured them, "I'm no good at this stuff, remember?" "I know," Akane continued to grin in a manner that made Ranma feel increasingly nervous, "This is going to be fun!" "Uh...wait a minute..." Ranma-chan blinked, "You don't mean...?" Fifteen minutes later. "I don't believe it," Ranma-chan said, glancing down at herself with a dumbstruck impression. "You aren't the only one, Sugar," Ukyo marveled. "You look absolutely gorgeous," Akane exclaimed, and for once her voice and expression did not seem quite so sarcastic. "Aiyaa," Shampoo averred, "Is too bad is only temporary...Ranma is more womans than most womans...is very nice to look at." "Hah?" Ranma-chan blinked, looking up from the revealing green dress that she was wearing, with her long red hair undone from her usual warrior braid and set out into a luxurious pony tail, tied in place by a pink ribbon, with ruby high- heeled slippers showcasing her slender feet to excellent effect, the overall sight of which had even Nabiki unselfconsciously drooling. "Whoah," Nabiki said aloud as she looked her transformed "husband" over, "Ranchan...you definitely would turn heads in most corners...you look positively stunning." "Hey, wait a minute, you guys!" Ranma-chan protested, "This is just a disguise, remember?" "Some disguise," Nila mused, "I know some friends back home who'd kill to have killer looks like yours, girlfriend." "Not you, too!" Ranma-chan protested. "I don't know what you're complaining about," Breeze said as she looked herself over, "Most of these get-ups are for grown-ups, and I don't even have your kind of figure." "Take it from me," Xiong-Fu remarked, "There are worse things to be considered besides stunning and gorgeous...but it you're afraid of losing your manhood in that disguise, keep in mind that your wives will still accept you either way, right?" "Oh yeahhh," Ukyo replied, "No problem with that." "Shampoo is no complaining," the Amazon leered suggestively. "Long as it is temporary," Nabiki had to shake her head to free herself from the mesmerizing effect that Ranma-chan presented, "Okay guys...everybody suit up and make yourselves look like Princess material. We're going out there to scout the lay of the landscape, and if we can distract the guards into lowering their defenses, then it's all to the better for us." "I'm with you on that," Nila replied, "Unless a guy is Gay, there's nothing that can stupefy him more than a nice piece of tail waving in front of him, and a drooling idiot makes a pretty convenient stooge in my book." "I like the way you think, Cute Stuff," Xiong-Fu meaningfully bumped hips together with the dusky skinned detective, earning a curious look with a promise of a spanking in the air from Nila. It was another fifteen minutes later that the group exited the room, finding their three mismatched guards standing watch for them, with all three male expressions undergoing an almost comic transformation as they took in the sight of seven radiant beauties bedecked like lingerie-clad royalty in outfits as expensive-looking as they were revealing and flimsy. "Well, big boys," Nabiki deliberately thrust her chest outward and winked in a meaningful way, "Are you going to show us to your Prince now that we're ready to greet him?" "R-R-Right this way," Seratoru replied with a slightly shaky edge in his voice. "We'll conduct you to the guest quarters," the masked man assured them. "Hooo?" was all the burly big man would offer, and Nabiki could have sworn---had this guy possessed a tail---it would have been wagging like a dog's, because his tongue was certainly lolling in a canine-like manner. "Just take us to where the others are already," Breeze insisted, earning puzzled looks from the trio of colorfully clad guards, who obviously wondered why someone underage was present with these grown women. As they followed their guard escort to the designated "guest chambers," Ranma leaned in close to Nabiki and growled, "Do you have to flirt like that? Geez!" "What's the matter, Ranchan?" Nabiki smiled back, "Are you jealous?" "Jealous? As if!" Ranma-chan huffed, then growled, "And how the heck do you walk with these stupid things anyway?" "It takes a certain amount of practice," Akane cheerfully explained, "But you should get the hang of it in no time, right? After all, you're always saying that about your martial arts..." "Martial arts are one thing," Ranma-chan complained, "But with these stupid things I feel like I'm about to twist my ankle...huh?" "Here you are," Seratoru indicated another set of ornately carven double-doors, "Right through here you will be left to wait upon the Prince with the others." "Others huh?" Nila mused, "Now we're definitely onto something..." The doors opened but the room so indicated had somewhat muted lighting, forcing the party to crowd in close by the entrance in order to see inside there, and what they saw and heard---not to mention the scene that greeted their nostrils-- -was enough to make them collectively balk and take renewed stock over the entire bizarre situation. The first sensation which greeted them were the sounds of many women groaning, grunting, panting and moaning together while writhing on the pillowed floor in various poses of sensual repose, and all of them to a woman were stark naked. As their eyes became more accustomed to the soft candle lighting within it became apparent that they were looking upon the set of the largest all-girl orgy that any of them (even Xiong-Fu) had ever witnessed, with close to a hundred girls in all caught in the throes of passionate lovemaking and not a dry pair of thighs to be found within the whole building. The scent of Poontang was heavy, like perfume, and gave clear evidence of the many climaxes which had been experienced within the space of a the most recent few minutes. "Whoah," even Akane sounded dismayed at the raw sight of so much active writhing. "I don't believe it either, Sugar," Ukyo marveled. "That makes three of us," Ranma averred in a slightly hoarse manner. "Hmph," Breeze sniffed, much less impressed than the others, "It just grown up stuff like you see all the time on the ship..." "Honey," Xiong-Fu said appreciatively, "Even we never had a party this frisky..." "Aiyaa," Shampoo remarked softly, "Is like time when Le-Mon steal potion from great grandmother and use to spike festival wine at harvest feast two season back. Shampoo too young to take part in make-happy, but hear loud groaning in morning before Elders chase Le-Mon into hiding." "I don't think I need to know the details," Nabiki averred, "But how did something like this get started?" "That's what I'd like to know," the feathered masked man remarked, "What are those girls doing to each other down there?" "It sounds almost painful," Seratoru remarked, "Should we send the guards down there and have them break things up?" "Not unless you want to render them unfit for duty for the next several hours, assuming the girls don't lynch them outright," Nila cautioned. "Got it in one," Xiong-Fu grinned, "I know my crewmates, they get nasty when someone tries to interrupt their fun. This is what inevitably happens when you try and coop them up for too long, they get bored, and then they get horny." "Hooo?" the big bruiser asked with a most perplexed expression. "Whatever," the masked man growled, "Wonton, show the ladies in, but whatever you do down there, be ready to greet the Prince when he summons you in another full hour." "Whoo," the big man used one of his massive paws to push Nila forward, causing her to act like a human domino in a chain reaction that sent the rest of the girls tumbling forward, all of them landing in a heap upon a set of pillowed divans that were waiting right below them. "OW!" Ranma-chan complained at the bottom of the dog-pile, "Would you guys get offa me already?" "Sorry, Sugar," Ukyo apologized as she and the rest of their party got up from their mass landing, slightly bruised and battered but otherwise no worse for the landing. "Wow," Nila remarked as she felt her own sore bottom, "This place looks even more risqué up close...oooh!" "Just relax and leave the rubbing to me, darling," Xiong-Fu urged as she put her hands to work rubbing up and down on Nila's brown hindquarters, "We have another hour to wait, yes? So, we might as well settle in and enjoy the accommodations." "Are you serious?" Nila asked as she felt those hands to up to surround her from behind, then watched as Xiong-Fu began to undo the ring-latch that bound her breasts together, "Um...well...maybe it wouldn't hurt to relax a little..." "This is nuts," Ranma-chan scanned around, "Everybody's making out like there's no tomorrow..." "I repeat," Breeze sniffed, "Hmph." "Hey, if one of these girls is going to wind up as somebody's bride, can you blame them?" Akane asked. "Good point, Sugar," Ukyo sniffed, "Might as well take one last stab at the single life while you can, huh?" "Meow?" a feline voice inquired with a particularly arched tone, causing Nabiki to flinch by reflex. "Cousin Perfume?" Shampoo glanced down, "You is here too?" "Of course," Nabiki remarked, "We sent her and the others ahead to scout out the premises, so she must be reporting back. Shampoo...you still have the canteen?" "Of course, Airen," the purple-haired Amazon replied with a sultry expression, reaching into the gulf between her substantial breasts and pulling out a metal container, which same she unstoppered before pouring the contents over the cat, rendering her instantly back into a full-figured naked woman. "Airen," Perfume growled dangerously, "What was that line supposed to mean about the single life?" "Huh?" Ukyo blinked, then got suddenly very nervous, "Er...nothing, Per- chan...honest!" "Excuse me," Nabiki interrupted, "Not that it isn't entertaining watching Ucchan squirm her way out of that last line, you do have something to report for all your scouting?" "Sure do, Chief," Perfume replied brightly, "This place is huge, but it was easy for me to scout out in my Neko form, and I've managed to determine a few important things that I thought you all should know about." "Well, don't keep us in suspense already," Ranma-chan growled, "Spit it out!" "I intend to," Perfume paused to give Ranma the lookover, "By the way, Airen...nice outfit. You look good enough to eat..." "Ahem," Nabiki said pointedly, "Your news already?" "Right," Perfume amended, "Well, first off...as you probably already know, there are no other women on this island besides the ones you see right here in this room. These girls were mostly found, kidnapped or stolen here from other islands or from anyplace where the Prince's minions could happen to find them. Total population on the island itself is less than a couple of thousand people...about a hundred guards make up the Royal muscle, with a few elite members---whom you've already met---forming the core of the Prince's retinue. The thing is...there are more old men here than young children, and young men don't have wives on account of this Island's sacred treasure, the man-changing water." "Man-changing water?" Ranma-chan repeated. "It's like Nanniichuan, only it's permanent," Perfume explained, "One dash of it and a woman will turn into a guy forever. The Prince used it to intimidate these girls into playing along with his wishes...if they don't agree to present themselves as his brides he turns them into guys, and they stay that way forever." "No wonder Lao was scared of him," Nabiki frowned, "But why should she be afraid of this stuff if it's water? She ought to be able to render herself pretty much immune to the stuff..." "My guess is that it's because it's the Magical kind," Perfume replied, "And from what I hear about Mages, they only have power over stuff that doesn't have a strong resistance. That must be how she got the Tiger curse in the first place...and besides this, she has another reason to be leery of Prince Toma. Among his many titles, the guy goes by the name of 'Prince of Illusions.'" "Prince of Illusions?" Akane repeated. "In other words," Nabiki said grimly, "He could hurl this water at her and render it invisible so Lao can't sense the attack before it gets her, right?" "That's my reasoning," Perfume affirmed, "Kodachi and Keiko-chan are still investigating the matter, but we've determined that those special guards you met are examples of this man-changing water...I heard one of the guards say that they used to be common house pets." "You mean...they aren't really human?" Ranma blinked. "That's right," Perfume acknowledged, "The big guy, Won-Ton, was a dog at one point...the Seneschal named Seratoru was a monkey, and as for the guy in the mask..." "Let me guess," Ukyo said, "He used to be a parrot?" "Something like that," Perfume nodded, "So I guess the reason I came looking to find you was to warn you about not touching the water...at least without checking. Wouldn't do to have any of you turn into a guy permanently, especially you, Ucchan...though in Ranma's case..." "Right," Ranma smiled, "I won't be bothered. Just leave it to me in case that Prince tries messing with any of you girls." "That's reassuringly chivalrous of you, Ranchan," Nabiki remarked as she turned her attention back to the writhing hordes of writhing female bodies, "But, in the meantime, the question I'd like to know about is...what is Prince Pansy gonna do with all these women?" "Yeah," Akane said nervously, "Not exactly like he can marry all of them, unless he wants to keep them around for entertainment..." "I don't think even the Prince knows the answer to that," Perfume remarked, "But I can tell you one thing for certain, Cousin Lao is with him and not with the rest of these women." "Huh?" Ukyo blinked. "Cousin Lao with Boy Prince?" Shampoo marveled. "TENDO-SAN NABIKI!" a new voice cried as Nabiki suddenly found herself being embraced from behind by a pair of strong womanly arms, "Thanks the GODS you've come to our rescue!" "Aunt Lotus?" Breeze asked, almost as surprised to see the pink haired Lieutenant as Nabiki. "Hey, what...?" Nabiki tried to free herself from the glomp, surprised at the more-than-familiar way in which those hands were squeezing her bosom. "I was so worried, I didn't know what to do!" protested Lotus in distressed tones, the pink-haired ship's officer sounding more than a little upset about the matter, "When the Captain was led off from the rest of us and we were left here to wait for hours..." "Do you mind?" Nabiki grunted as she tried to dislodge those hands, "Hey...watch what you're squeezing there! I'm not an orange..." "Oh, sorry," Lotus let her go, "Guess I got carried away...that was reflex." "Reflex, huh?" Ranma-chan glared, "And that makes it all right for you to play with my wife, huh?" "Saotome?" Lotus blinked before looking her over, "What happened to you? You look...very nice..." "Ah..." Ranma winced slightly. "Nothing much," Akane shrugged, "The Baka just used some instant Nyanniichuan so he could sneak in here without looking funny." "Instant Nyanniichuan?" Lotus said with a disquieted expression, "W-Where did you find it?" "In the Captain's room, Lieutenant," Xiong-Fu replied from where she was busy molesting an all-too-willing Nila, "Why do you ask?" "Er...how much of the powder did you mix when you made that potion?" Lotus wondered. "Huh?" Ranma blinked, "Powder?" "You mean...you didn't..." Lotus swallowed. "Eh?" Xiong-Fu asked as she was in the process of straddling Nila over one of the pillows, "You mean you didn't have any of the pre-brewed kind sitting on that shelf?" Lotus shook her cherry pink hair very slowly before answering, "No...that wasn't the Instant Nyanniichuan either...that was the permanent kind...the Mistress's own private supply. One dose of that and you'll have the sex-changing curse forever." "WHAAAAATTT???" Ranma burst out with an entirely dismayed expression. "It was Blossom who fetched it for you, didn't she?" Lotus asked before rolling her eyes, "I've warned her a hundred thousand times about reading the label when she takes potions out of the Mistress's bedchambers..." "Are you saying that Ranchan is now cursed to be a girl...just like I'm cursed to turn into a boy???" Nabiki rounded on the petite Amazon officer. "Um...that depends," Lotus cowered a bit. "Depends on what, Sugar?" Ukyo asked. "On whether you'll beat me up or not if I answer," Lotus shivered slightly. "You mean...Ranma is now cursed to be girl for rest of life?" even Shampoo sounded more than slightly perturbed about that. "So?" Breeze asked, "You think it's a bad thing turning into a girl?" "Different circumstances, Squirt," Ukyo chided, "But is Ranma really going to be stuck like this forever?" "Well..." Lotus shrugged, "There is the water here on this Island, which might be powerful enough that it could even cancel out Jusenkyo...or maybe just modify it a bit, like the Mistress said might happen if it mingled with her own curse..." "Yeeesh..." Nabiki winced, the mental image of a masculine he-Tiger looming large and fearsome in her imagination. "The water, that's right!" Ranma-chan declared, "It could change me back permanently and I wouldn't have to go through life turning into a girl all of the time..." "Gee, Ranchan," Ukyo remarked, "It didn't seem to bother you when you thought turning into a girl was only temporary..." "Yeah, but that's different!" Ranma-chan protested, "I thought this was a one- time deal, I didn't mean to be like this forever!" "Oh, don't worry about it, Ranchan," Perfume smiled, "I'm sure you'll find being a girl isn't the worst of all fates, and just look at these examples." "Huh, yeah," Breeze noted, "You sure won't hear them complaining." Once again attention turned to the virtual sea of comely bodies entwined in passionate embraces with hands, mouths and fingers roving freely wherever and with whoever was nearest to hand. Occasionally someone would groan and cry out with a sudden orgasm, while others were contented merely to indulge in heavy petting with the splash of cream punctuating the air at certain key moments when the excitement level went beyond normal human tolerance levels. "Oh yeah," Akane said hoarsely, "It definitely sounds like everyone here is really getting into it." "That's for sure, Sugar," Ukyo said with a wry note of humor, "Don't see a dry hole or conscientious objector in this bunch." "What can I say?" Lotus shrugged prettily, "My people know their stuff." "Maybe so," Nabiki said, "But this isn't getting us anywhere near to finding Lao or getting off this damned island. These girls may be having fun now, but if this island is as hazardous to members of our sex as you allege, then the longer we all stay here, the worse it's going to be for us." "Shampoo agree with you, Airen," Shampoo replied, "This no place to raise young ones, and Shampoo no want daughter to lose womanhood, so we find Cousin now and make guards let go all captives." "Easier said than done, Sugar," Ukyo noted, "Aside from Lao's crewmates, most of these girls here look like they'd be of no real use in a fight, and with as many as a hundred guards standing watch over this hen house..." "Exactly," Perfume nodded, "Coupled that with the threat of being splashed with Man-changing water and I don't think you'd have too many takers, and frankly, I like the both of us exactly as we are, Airen. Of course, Ranchan might not mind losing that killer body, but it'd be a shame to waste it without taking a little sample..." "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Ranma-chan glared at the brown-haired Enforcer. "Totally," Perfume leered, not bothering to hide the way she was "checking out" her sex-changed husband. "So, what do we do?" Akane asked, looking strangely reluctant to leave the chamber with its bounteous temptations spread out like a smorgasbord before her. "What can we do?" Lotus asked, "If we make a move, Tendo-san, it might jeopardize the Mistress." "Really?" Nabiki arched an eyebrow, "Tell me the downside." "Hey!" Breeze protested, "I don't want my Mom to wind up turning into my Father!" "I'll tell you what I'm gonna do," Ranma-chan slapped fist-to-palm, "I'm gonna face that Prince guy down and I'm gonna make him give me that man-changing water!" "Well, that's good for your priorities, Ranchan," Nabiki nodded, "And don't let me say I told you so, tempting the fates like this, but I guess that does come to the heart of the matter...we have to face down this Prince Toma and persuade him to let us go..." "And the Mistress," Lotus insisted. "Well...maybe," Nabiki said grudgingly, "If there's time enough for that..." Just then Nila cried out in joy as Xiong-Fu's efforts yielded favorable results. The brief distraction almost drew their attention away from noticing how the doors at the far end of the room swung open, and then a polite cough was heard over the din of womanly passion, followed by a loud male voice calling out, "HIS HIGHNESS WILL NOW BE ATTENDED BY HIS FUTURE BRIDES...PLEASE MAKE YOURSELVES READY TO BE PRESENTED BEFORE HIS HIGHNESS!" "What gives?" Ukyo asked, "I thought we had another hour at least." "Guess his Nibs decided to up his timetable a bit," Nabiki remarked, "He may be a bit...tender, but no doubt he's old enough to have been through puberty, right?" "I'm not too sure about that," Perfume replied, "From what I noticed about the Prince, he doesn't seem to understand what's involved with picking a bride." "Oh really?" Akane asked, "Do you think maybe he's...you know?" "Not if he's spent any amount of time with the Mistress," Lotus mused, "Well...maybe he just needs a mother. From what I've heard, the Prince lost his when he was too young to remember." "You mean she died?" Akane replied, "That's so sad..." "Ah...I don't think that's it either," Perfume warned, "In fact, from what I heard from the guards..." "Save it for now," Nabiki urged, "We'd better help these girls make themselves presentable again...they look like they've just spent the last several hours screwing each other silly." "No fooling," Ranma-chan remarked, "I'll bet not many of them will even be able to walk for another two or three hours." "At least," Ukyo sniffed wryly. "Too bad it's over," Akane sighed, "They looked like they were having fun..." "Is that a fact?" a voice asked as a sultry brunette leaned close beside her. "Maybe we can take you up on that in a bit?" asked a taller version of the redheaded Ranma-chan, "If you're still in the mood when this is all over." "Keiko-chan?" Akane said with delight, "Kodachi?" "Glad you noticed," Kodachi mused as she turned her focus towards Nabiki, "We took advantage of the confusion to slip in here and join you. Kei-chan and I have concluded our exploration of this Palace and we now know the safest routes to take if we need to make a quick exit." "Glad to have you with us," Nabiki nodded, "We may need your help if it comes to a fight...but how did you change back from your animal bodies?" "Hey, it's no problem for a Ferret to slip unseen into a kitchen to steal some hot water," Keiko replied, "A vulture, on the other hand...that's another matter." "Quite so," Kodachi nodded, "Once we were back in human form it was simplicity itself to obtain outfits from the wardrobe room, and now we stand presentable once again...and don't we look like fit candidates for future Queen status?" She did a neat pirouette to show off the revealing gown that she had (allegedly) covering her lithe body, finishing with a knowing leer at Nabiki, followed by an even more overt flirtatious puckering of her lips in Ranma-chan's direction. "Huh?" Ranma-chan reacted, wondering why her body was reacting funny to the implied seductive hint of the sultry Kodachi. The bridal candidates set about the formidable task of making themselves presentable once again, having to recovered discarded articles of clothing while combing disheveled hair back into a semblance of some order. Though sweat- covered bodies were covered with splotches of expended jism, there was little to do to help for that as they filed out of the chamber in ones and twos, Nabiki's group alone looking fresh and ready to go before royalty in a presentable condition. The room that they were admitted to was considerably larger than the one they had left and far better illuminated with stained glass windows and plenty of overhead venting, kept reasonably cool by indoor plants and a cleverly arranged ventilation system. The layout was both tasteful and sumptuous with graceful curves in the spiraling stairs that led to a raised platform upon which was set a throne of dark grey marble. "Pretty swank," Ukyo mused, "Is this a ball room or a throne chamber?" "Both I suspect," Nabiki responded, "I'd say whoever designed this place was going for a fairy tale Arabian nights style of architecture, almost like a movie setting." "They have guards posted everywhere," Ranma-chan observed, "But they only have swords and spears, nothing we can't handle." "I'm with you for once," Akane grimly nodded, "Just let them try and start something, we'll teach them not to mess with us women!" "You said it," Ukyo agreed. "I'm with you, of course, Airen," Perfume remarked, "But I think we'd better hold it up...something important is about to happen." Sure enough---as if right on cue---the trio of colorfully dressed lieutenants appeared near the upper platform, taking positions like an honor guard awaiting the arrival of the real celebrity and---sure enough---he appeared in a burst of smoke and colorful light, to the oohs and ahs of many a woman present. "Greetings!" said a boy of early-to-preteen years, "I am Prince Toma of Togenkyo, your host for the evening, and on behalf of my Island Kingdom I bid you welcome." "Huh," Breeze sniffed, "He's nothing special, doesn't even look that much older than I am..." "Not too shabby," Nabiki mused, "The little squirt knows how to make an entrance." "Just wait until I get my hands on the guy, I'll make him give me some of that water!" Ranma-chan declared in firm resolve. "Water?" Kodachi asked. "Aw, the Baka's gone and gotten himself stuck in his new girl form," Akane explained, "He wants the water to change himself back to normal." "Really?" Keiko sniffed, "Good thing. I'm starting to feel like I'm being trailed by my own shadow..." "Looks that way too," Breeze sniffed, "You guys look like you're sisters or something." "Listen Kid," Ranma-chan bristled, "Nobody asked you to come along on this, so pipe down, the Squirt is going on about something." "...And so I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the Queen Mother, who will be presiding over these affairs as we choose one of you to be my future bride and Queen," Prince Toma declared as he waved a hand at the space to his side, where all at once a shimmering light appeared that slowly manifested into a clamshell of more than human proportions. Very slowly that clamshell opened to reveal a human figure rising up from within, one dressed in a very odd costume as slinky and revealing as anything worn by the concubines, but adorned with fine jewelry and a fancy tiara that did indeed make her seem more regal, but with her pale sea green hair and towering figure she was instantly recognizable to those in the crowd of women who well knew her true identity, however bizarre her current appearance. "I don't believe it..." Nabiki averred. "It's the Mistress!" Lotus exclaimed in dismay. "Lao?" Ranma-chan blinked twice just to be certain. "She's the Queen Mother here?" Ukyo also blinked. "Since when?" Perfume remarked. "Since never!" Breeze exclaimed, "Who does that creep think he is declaring my mother is HIS mother?" "Now that you are all here as my guests," Toma continued, "It is time that we began the contest. Seratoru!" "Yes, my Lord," the monkey-man bowed his head then spoke loudly again, "First off we will have the contest to determine who is the most graceful and elegant among you! For that we will have a Rice Picking tournament to determine who among you has the qualities that should be possessed by a royal Princess!" "Rice-picking tournament?" Shampoo said in a state of confusion shared by nearly everyone else present. "Interesting," Kodachi mused, "They use tests of coordination and skill to help determine which candidate has most the seemly royal breeding." "This is stupid!" Akane declared as the servants of Prince Toma began passing out two plates to every one of the women, then depositing a small handful of rice on the left plate so given. "Yeah, you said it," Ranma-chan growled, "What are we supposed to do with these things anyway?" "You are to use these chopsticks and use them to move rice from one plate to the other," said the servant passing out new sets of chopsticks. "You're kidding me," Nabiki said. "Why would we want to do that?" Ukyo wondered. All at once the masked feathered man appeared and held up a slip that looked suspiciously like an invoice, "Because if you don't agree to cooperate, then I will be forced to issue this to every one of you." "What the...?" Akane leaned closer, "It's a bill?" "Charges for room service, accommodations, hair styling, room and board, male attendants, food and lodgings, to say nothing of those dresses and jewelry that you ladies are wearing," the masked man revealed, "All of which will amount to the tune of a hundred thousand yen a piece." "Aiyaa!" cried Perfume and Shampoo together, who both had learned the hard way what it cost to do shopping at a Japanese supermarket. "You've got to be out of your mind!" Nabiki declared, "You kidnapped these girls, and now you're charging them for room service?" "What kind of a huckster operation is this?" Ranma-chan demanded. "So, do you refuse to cooperate?" the masked man seemed more ominous as he asked this, "I warn you, if you refuse the Prince's hospitality..." "You'll what?" Ranma-chan smiled, "Turn me into a guy? I double dare you!" "Ranchan," Nabiki gently chided before addressing herself at the masked man, "We'll play your stupid game, but we'll do it our way...oh, and by the way...our respects to the Queen mother. Tell her she looks ravishing for us, will you?" she winked in a meaningful manner. "Ah...yes...quite," the masked man started to edge away as if more intimidated by the gesture than by the tone Nabiki had been using. He moved on to other areas where his services might be considered useful, leaving Ukyo to voice an observation shared by the others. "Is it just me or do you think that guy has trouble talking to women?" she mused. "Could be," Perfume said, "If they're not used to dealing with women..." "Fascinating," Kodachi reflected, "An island of men who have limited experience in dealing with women. There may be possibilities here worth exploiting." "Oh yeah?" Keiko eyed the Black Rose suspiciously, "Like what?" "Like getting them to drop their guard at a conveniently appropriate moment, of course," Nila mused, "Men tend to be suckers around most women, and with any luck these guys may turn out to be pushovers." "Bridal candidates!" Seratoru announced, "Let the contest begin!" Nabiki and Ranma-chan exchanged looks then smiled as if daring one another, then at once they both sat down to breaking their chopsticks, positioned them over their plates then nodding imperceptibly before going to work using their Amaguriken speeds to begin moving the rice kernels one at a time from one plate to another. Ukyo and the others looked on in dismay before bending to their tasks with somewhat less haste to their motions, but almost before it had begun Nabiki snatched her plate up with Ranma-chan only a split second behind her. "DONE!" they cried almost together, only to have Ranma-chan turn to her wife and say, "Hey wait a minute...that wasn't fair! I have one hundred and eighty-three grains of rice to your one hundred and sixty seven!" "Are you counting the kernels, Ranchan?" Nabiki sniffed, "I'll have you know that I was done nineteen strokes ahead of you, which more than makes up for difference..." "Yeah, but a whole two strokes," Ranma-chan scoffed, "I still would have beat you!" "Would you care to try it again?" Nabiki smiled, "This time we could divide them into equal numbers, then you and I can see which of us moved one hundred and seventy five kernels from one plate to another." "You're on!" Ranchan smiled back, quickly shifting eight kernels from his plate to Nabiki's, then the two of them stood poised with chopsticks raised and matching expressions of earnest anticipation. Ukyo blinked again as the pair rapidly moved their chopsticks in twin blurs of hasty motion, in seconds transferring the now-equal numbers of kernels back to their originals plates with hardly a stroke conceded one to the other. "DONE!" they cried again in unison, only this time it was Nabiki's turn to say, "No fair, you cheated!" "Cheated?" Ranma-chan protested, "I did not!" "Oh?" Nabiki eyed him skeptically, "And was it my imagination that you deliberately knocked a few of your grains onto my plate?" "I wasn't doing that!" Ranma-chan insisted, "I beat you fair and squarely!" "By an entire three strokes," Nabiki scoffed, "Best two out of three?" "You're on!" Ranma-chan said again. "Uh...guys?" Akane asked, "What the heck are you doing?" "This was supposed to be a contest of elegance and grace, remember?" Perfume pointed out. "Just so," Kodachi mused as she moved her chopsticks in a more elegant manner, "Mere speed does not define royalty...you must show no haste in the economy of your movements." "I'm having trouble just picking up the darned things," Keiko complained, "Maybe if they cooked them first instead of serving it to us raw..." "Times up!" Seratoru announced, "The winner...this lovely lady in the soft green evening dress...your name again?" A meekly hesitant voice replied, "Um...Mahori...Mahori Nagi." "WHAAAAT???" both Nabiki and Ranma-chan cried together. "A fine first showing, Miss Nagi-san," Seratoru complimented, "Next...a Princess Royal must have refinement in everything she does, including her work in the Palace royal gardens...so, as an ultimate test of stylish grace, we have prepared a challenge to test your abilities and mettle." The doors swung open and the guards began pushing in a heavy wooden box that was mounted on a set of wheels. They brought this to the center of the chamber then hastily moved away and had one guard yank on a cord, which same caused the wooden sides of the box to fall away, revealing that within had been contained... "Um...is that what I think it is?" Ukyo asked nervously. "Aiyaa!" Shampoo exclaimed, "Is giant man-eating plant!" "You've got to be putting me on!" Akane declared, appalled at the very sight of a towering plant whose tendrils were quite obviously alive, and whose central maw looked big enough to swallow a whole cow in one gulp. The other bridal candidates squealed in dismay and backed further away from the creature, but a few were too slow in getting away and wound up being ensnared within the thing's coiling tendrils. "Ladies," Seratoru announced, "I give you...Martial Arts Combat Flower Arrangement!" "Now I've seen it all," Nabiki drolly noted, "I'll never again make fun of what you do, Kodachi." "What a charming flower," Kodachi remarked in passing. "This isn't funny," Keiko spoke up, "Those girls look like they're in real trouble!" "Nagi!" cried a blonde haired girl who jumped up and down in futility as she attempt to rescue one of the girls who had been ensnared by the plant's living tendrils, only she wound up getting ensnared by yet another with both girls being drawn up towards the creature-plant's gaping muzzle. "We've got to do something!" Perfume declared, then fretted, "Oh, if only I still had my axes!" "Leave this to me!" Nila announced as she moved forward, extending both arms, one hand suddenly surrounded in fire, the other hand turning incredibly icy. In seconds the plant was frozen stiff into a giant icicle, the tendrils becoming so brittle that they snapped under the weight of the entrapped women. Ranma-chan and Nabiki rushed forward to catch two of the fallen ladies, Kodachi and Keiko leaping to react in time to break the fall of a couple of others with a fifth girl landing on her own feet, no worse for the wear. Nila lowered her hands and studied her own handiwork then smiled, "Hah, try topping that one, Mom!" "Most impressive," Prince Toma remarked, "But your task was to arrange the plant, not freeze it into an ice cube, so...I'm afraid you'll have to be disqualified from this stage of the competition." "WHAT???" Nila cried out, "That's outrageous! Who do you think you are---hey, leggo!" "Calm down, Darling," Xiong-Fu urged into her ear, "Don't court trouble for all of us by reacting to his taunts...wait until the moment is right, then you can have your revenge on the little monster." "All right," Nila growled as she reluctantly subsided, "I'll play along...for now...but that clown had better watch it..." "Guards," Seratoru called out, "Remove the plant and put it in a warm place. Have the Royal Gardener attend to it to see if he can nurse it back to health...it would be a great loss to this island if harm is to befall one of the royal plants. Once you are done we can move on with the next stage of the competition." "I don't like this," Ukyo growled, "These challenges are getting a little too weird for my taste." "I'm with you there, Airen," Perfume nodded, "These are the sorts of tests a child might devise..." "Yeah," Ranma-chan grumbled, "A child who's seriously off his rocker." "More like bored and seeking amusement," Keiko corrected, "Like it or not, gang, I think the little runt gets off on seeing us jump through his hoops and dance to his tune." "Precisely my diagnosis," Kodachi nodded, "Which would explain a lot about the current plight of Captain Lao, who does not appear too happy in her role as the designated Queen Mother." Eyes shifted to the unusually complacent Lao, who was sitting on a divan by the left hand of the throne of Prince Toma, acting very subdued while gazing back at them with an almost apologetic expression. "Mistress?" Lotus blinked, "Why does she look so sad? I've many times seen her in other moods, but never one quite like this..." "Indeed," Xiong-Fu replied, "Such sadness speaks of a hidden cause, a special purpose." "And now," Seratoru spoke again, the guards having completed their assigned task of cleaning up the plant remains from the chamber, "For our next great challenge, a Princess must have character and fortitude and not be easily aroused by the sorts of things that would intimidate mere peasants." "Now what is he up to?" Akane wondered, only to turn her head and say, "Huh?" A commotion broke out among the women at the other end of the chamber, and all at once they started scattering in all directions, even as Nabiki and her Posse turned their heads in search of the cause, only to collectively glance down as a wave of small gray forms came bounding into the chamber. "Huh?" Ranma-chan responded, "Mice?" "Aiyaa," Shampoo faintly exclaimed. "Tasty," Perfume mused, only to sense the shift of focus go briefly towards her, "What?" "What's going on here?" Lotus asked, "Why are all these women terrified?" "Is there something chasing after the mice?" Akane wondered. "Hah!" Nabiki said dismissively, "They're just a bunch of scardy cats, that's all, letting themselves be intimidated by a bunch of harmless mice, and here I thought we were going to have a real challenge---WHA---HUH?" she did a double- take. All at once a second wave came charging into the room, bounding on all fours in hot pursuit of the nits, who had been effectively scattered about the room in their haste to get away from the claws of their pursuers. "Well, what do you know," Ranma-chan remarked, "They were being chased by a bunch of...uh oh..." "C-C-C-CAAAATTTSSS!!!" Nabiki backed away with a sudden look of panic, turning and fleeing before the onrushing hoard of frisky felines, even as the rest of their party held their ground and just looked dumbfounded. "What's with her?" Nila asked. "You wouldn't believe it if we told you," Akane responded. "Nabiki-chan?" Ranma-chan said in dismay as she watched her terrified wife climb up into a palm tree. "Honestly," Keiko sighed, "You'd think she'd be over this phobia already having you for a co-wife, Per-chan." "You would tend to think that," Perfume sighed, knowing that it would take them a good five minutes just to coax Nabiki down now that she was in a near-state of Neko. "Aiyaa," Shampoo said sadly. "Look at that one girl trying to hide in a tree from those cats," Toma chuckled, "Isn't she hilarious?" "Oh yes," said Lao beside him in a more subdued than usual voice, "Most amusing." "My Lord," Seratoru urged, "Isn't it time now for you to choose your bride already?" Toma just leaned forward and inclined his chin on his hands with a smile, "No...I'd rather watch how things progress on the next challenge. I can't remember when I've had this much fun." Unseen by the Prince a certain blue-haired girl had been using the confusion to sneak closer to the platform dais, and---overhearing that line---she frowned in narrowing disapproval. "Oh," Seratoru's shoulders slumped and he turned back to address the cowering women, "Everyone calm down...guards, remove the mice and the women, it's time to move on to the Cooking challenge." "Cooking challenge?" Ranma-chan winced, "When's this guy gonna make up his mind already?" "Well, that's something Shampoo and me are pretty good at," Ukyo shrugged, "But I think we oughta get Nab-chan down first before she goes totally Neko." "Airen, please come down, yes?" Shampoo asked in a cajoling tone of voice, "No can win next challenge if you hide up in tree." "Are they gone yet?" Nabiki's voice quavered, "Are any of those...things still around?" "What? you mean my cousins?" Perfume smile sweetly, "The guards are shooing them away, so there's no pussy cats around here besides me." "Huh, one of you is more than enough," Ranma-chan gave an affectionate sniffed at the Enforcer, "C'mon, Nabby...don't hide up there all day! What will the neighbors think?" "Nabby?" Nabiki reacted, "Come up here and say that, Mister." "Why don't you come down here and make me," Ranma-chan challenged back with a grin, knowing that rattling her wife's ego was the best way to help Nabiki shake off the effects of the Neko. "All right, I will," Nabiki said in a steadier voice as she vaulted back down to stand before the diminutive redhead, "Now try saying that to my face why don't you?" "Okay," Ranma-chan replied without budging, "But since the next challenge up is a cook-off, you might as well sit it out and leave it to the pros." "Oh, are you saying that I can't cook worth beans?" Nabiki bridled. "No," Ranma-chan replied, "But we might all get food poisoning if you try." "Oooohhh, you're gonna pay for that one, Mister," Nabiki tried to make herself sound stern, but her mouth would not cooperate and insisted on maintaining a wry grin that belied her attempt at sounding angry. "Pardon me for asking this," Akane cut in on their private conversation, "But exactly how good a chef are you, Ranma?" "Huh?" Ranma-chan blinked, "Well...I don't know...I mean, I've never tried it, Kasumi's always done the cooking in our family, right?" "Good point," Akane nodded, "And I'm still trying to learn it as part of my Bridal training...and if you make one crack about it, I'll belt you!" "Just leave up to us," Shampoo smiled, "Ukyo and Shampoo cook enough for both Airen." "I can help out," Kodachi mused, "Unlike my brother, I am not totally dependent upon Sasuke, and I have, on occasion, been known to try out my culinary skills in the Kitchen." "Yeah, and she doesn't even use hallucinogenic additives any more, take it from me," Keiko noted sweetly. "Well, contrary to what you guys may think," Nabiki cocked her head, "I do know something about cooking on the road...nothing too fancy, but good enough to sustain me and Oyaji." "Just don't burn anything, Sugar," Ukyo urged, "And we'd better get cracking before his Nibs gets any more impatient." "Hey," Nila glanced around, "Anybody see what happened to the kid with the blue hair?" "You mean Breeze-chan?" Xiong-Fu blinked and glanced around in surprise. "Come on, what are they waiting for?" Toma complained as he fidgeted on his throne, "The animals are cleared away, why don't they start the competition?" "Why do you care?" Lao asked, "You don't even plan on eating their cooking." "Haven't I explained it enough to you yet?" Toma replied, "It's the principle of the thing...a wife should cook the meals for her husband...that's what my father always said before he died." "And I keep telling you that there is a lot more to having that kind of relationship than..." Lao suddenly turned her head in surprise, "Breeze?" "Eh?" Toma turned to follow the Captain's gaze and found himself being confronted by a blue-haired girl only a few years younger than himself, and before he had time to remark on that her hand went back and she slapped him across the face. "How dare you call yourself a Prince and threaten my mother?" Breeze demanded, "Don't you know anything at all about being a real leader?" "My lord!" Seratoru reacted in shock, having totally missed the approach of the child who had just so brazenly assaulted his master. "Breeze...what are you doing here?" Lao sounded shocked, already rising up out of her chair. "I'm here to rescue you, Momma," Breeze informed her, "You didn't think I was going to sit back and let this creep turn you into a guy?" "How dare you assault our Prince?" the masked man demanded, reaching out to grip Breeze by the collar of her shirt, only to wind up holding it and not the child herself. The next second he felt a sharp rap against his shin, causing him to hop up and down on one foot at the unexpected pressure. "Try picking on someone your own size, you big meanie---YIKES!" Breeze yelped as a huge hand reached down and picked her up by the scruff of her neck. "NO!" both Lao and Breeze cried out together. "Whoowoo?" Wonton asked with a puzzled expression. "Don't hurt her," Toma commanded firmly, "Put her down, Wonton, nice and gently. The big burly man did as he was told, setting the half-clad Breeze down on her feet with the care of one handling something fragile. Once Breeze was let go she started rubbing the back of her neck while staring up at the large man-dog with a wary expression. "Who...are you?" Toma demanded. "That's my son, Breeze," Lao replied. "Son?" Toma blinked to be sure again in spite of the evidence before him. "I mean...she is my Daughter," Lao closed her eyes for a moment to reorganize her thoughts, "But she has a curse that turns her into a girl, just like your sacred water can turn women into men. Use hot water and she will become a boy...or would, but I've used my powers to seal her into this condition." "You what?" Toma asked, "But why?" "It's...a very long story," Lao explained, "It has to do with her father..." Toma continued staring at Breeze with a puzzled expression, "You were born a man...but your mother chose to make you into a girl?" "Yeah, what about it?" Breeze asked. Toma continued to study her for a moment then smiled and put his hand on Breeze shoulder, "Seratoru, I have decided...this shall be my bride." There was hardly a half-second interval before nearly everyone within earshot cried out, "YOU WHAAAT???" including both Lao, Seratoru and especially Breeze herself, to say nothing of Nabiki and the rest of her Posse... Continued. Comments/Criticisms/Bridal Competition: shadowmane@ridgenet.net What in the world is Toma thinking? Good question! Find out next time in, "Short Engagements," or "Home is Where the Hentai Roams." Be there!