DNabikiTHCh23 Nabiki 1/2 "A Very Scary Thought!" THE HONEYMOON HENTAI CHAPTERS! By Jim Robert Bader Chapter Twenty-Three. HENTAI ALERT---RISQUE BUSINESS AHEAD! WHILE THIS MAY NOT BE ONE OF THE KINKIER CHAPTERS, SOME COMMUNITY STANDARDS MAY APPLY---YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! "Are you sure this is the right way?" Ranma asked. "Positively," Nabiki said as they raced up the stairs together, "Trust me on this, Ranchan...rich, important types like to build upward so they can look down on 'lesser' people from their balconies. This isn't exactly the service entrance, so it's probably made for a Prince, and that's where we'll find Lao and Toma." "I hope you're right," Ranma-chan declared, "The place is like a maze downstairs...what kind of maniac designed it?" "Let's hope we don't find out the hard way," Nabiki said as they neared the top of a wide flight of stairs leading onto another level, only to come to an abrupt halt as she found someone waiting for them there. Ranma saw her too and came to an abrupt halt then said matter-of-factly, "So...there you are." "Yes," Lao replied, "Here I am." "Lao," Nabiki looked the slaver up and down, taking in the revealing outfit that flattered the woman's physique but contrasted sharply with her usual style of dress, "You look so...so...so..." "Stupid?" Lao glanced down at herself, "No argument there, but the Prince insisted I wear this." "And you're doing what that brat wants you to do?" Ranma-chan asked. "That's right," Lao replied calmly, "I knew you'd find your way here eventually, Nabiki. Are you and your husband in the mood for a little explanation?" "No!" Nabiki replied, then launched her attack from the lower stairs, vaulting high into the air and lashing out at Lao, who easily sidestepped her. "I don't want to fight you this time out, Nabiki," Lao said as she easily stayed out of reach of the latter's power-kicks as Nabiki spun about and launched herself at the pirate, "But I will defend myself if you insist on this foolishness." All at once a foot impacted with her backside, tumbling Lao forward right into Nabiki, who was quick to take advantage by rolling onto her back and using her own feet to propel the Pirate captain forward into a tumble. Lao recovered at once and broke her momentum with her feet planted against the wall as she righted herself and landed nimbly on her feet, but now she had to contend with a double-coordinated assault aimed her way by both Ranma and Nabiki, who hit at her high and low and forced the Slaver to block rapidly, instantly on the defensive. "Not too bad," Lao suddenly remarked before she pushed forward and turned her body sideways, sliding through the gap between the two women attacking her to right herself again as she turned to confront them. "You are coordinating your attacks in sequence this time," Lao mused as she assumed a fighting crouch, "Most impressive." "Glad you like it," Ranma said, "Forgot there were two of us here, didn't you?" "Not at all," Lao replied, "This just makes it a more interesting encounter." "Then we'll try not to disappoint you this time!" Nabiki declared as she launched herself once more at the Slaver, Ranma-chan taking her cue and joining in for a coordinated double-attack that immediately forced Lao on the defensive. They danced about the floor as Lao tried to circle back to the middle, only to be forced on the edges by the pair of Saotome fighters, Nabiki's long legs and agile body giving her reach that the shorter redhead beside her lacked, though Ranma-chan yielded nothing in terms of speed and raw potential. Together they made Lao work for it defending her guard against kicks and blows that rained in with a speed that was eye-popping, especially in light of the way both Ranma and her wife tended to take the high ground every so often, making full use of the Aerial combat specialty that was the Saotome Ryu. Lao stoically absorbed this punishment for several minutes before at last going back on the offensive, literally turning aside their best attacks while launching a series of spinning kicks of her own that drove both opponents back from her, Lao's reach being much greater even than Nabiki's. This was not, however, a repeat of their earlier bout, where Lao had clearly commanded the field and quite confidently withstood their best efforts, and her actions seemed to be taxing her reserves much more than before, so before too long she was forced to back off again in order to regain her breath, giving Ranma and Nabiki a chance to stage another comeback. But then Lao changed tactics, shifted her style and once more went on the offensive. Her movements resembled that of a great predatory beast of the sea operating as if air were the same thing as water, and with the use of her full body she was able to drive her opponents hard to the edge of the stairway, whereupon she got in a lucky strike that sent Ranma-chan pitching backward. Unfortunately that same attack gave Nabiki an opening, and like a shot the latter launched herself into an upward spinning ax kick of the sort that was normally patented by a certain former Air Force colonel. Lao recovered from a shot to her jaw that all but staggered her back by several paces, giving Ranma-chan time to vault back upon the landing. She studied them now with more respect in her expression than before using two fingers to confirm a slight trail of blood from a split lip before smiling tigerishly at Nabiki. "Good one," she nodded, "You have improved...both of you, and in such a short amount of time, you're to be congratulated." "Thank you," Nabiki replied without irony, "We try." "Give it up, Lao," Ranma-chan retorted, "You may be hot stuff on your ship but here on land you're just another so-so." "Am I now?" Lao smiled, and all at once she raised a hand and concentrated, moisture congealing in the air around her and forming swirling tendrils of water that whipped around her body like a living tsunami, "I may not have the near- infinite reserves of my ship and the Kraken to draw upon while on land, but I am hardly helpless." Both Nabiki and Ranma shifted their weight and stood cautiously at the ready, their movements unconsciously mirroring one another though neither one had to look to see what the other was doing. That perfect synchronicity appealed to Lao and told her much about why the two of them were now performing like a team, a flawless combination that she silently saluted. "I'll give you this," Lao noted before unleashing her attack, "You're far more worthy opponents than when the last time you went up against me." And then the waters she had summoned congealed together, and with a gesture she sent a virtual tidal wave crashing down on them, even as Ranma brought her hands back and made a counter gesture. For an instant the pair were overwhelmed by the tide that flowed over and around them with force enough to sweep them back down the stairway...but when the wall of water passed on by their position the pair remained standing, Ranma's hands still thrusting forward, albeit now he had shifted back to a fully male status. In the space before him a ball of light was revealed, a fiery hot swirl of plasma-like energies that were caused by the now-glowing tattoos on his right arm, even has his expression was itself a mask of tight concentration. Nabiki, who had instinctively flinched away from the water, was still female and was turning an incredulous look towards Ranma. Lao herself seemed no less surprised, and a new kind of respect was in evidence in her expression. "You resisted my Tsunami attack?" she marveled, "Incredible...only two other people I know have ever done that." "Heh...I've learned a few tricks," Ranma smiled, "Including one I just picked up from a friend...care to see how it works, Lady?" Ranma banished the plasma ball and now gestured with his left hand leading, the tattoos on his arm there now glowing a faint blue coloration. Lao braced herself for this counter offensive, but to her surprise what she sensed was the swirling of moisture vapors forming around her, which caused her a momentary sense of confusion. "You are trying to use my own powers against me?" she scoffed, "I have ten years experience on you, Boy...your power is nothing when compared to me." "Oh yeah?" Ranma smirked, "Then how about if I do this?" and with that he used his right hand in a gesture that caused the tattoos there to glow faintly yellow. All at once the moisture tightened and congealed around Lao, but instead of shrugging it off, the lady Tigress found herself shivering as a cold wave attached itself to her naked areas of skin as ice began to form all around her, small flakes at first, then larger pieces the size of hailstones. "W-W-WHAT?" the slaver gave out in a quivering voice, "D-D-DON'T---!" "I can suck heat out of the air just as easily as I make it hot, lady," Ranma replied, "That's a side of the Senkens I never tried out until now...wanna see just how cold I can make it?" Lao tried to concentrate, to generate a wave of water to melt through the ice, but she was shivering so hard at the sudden loss of body heat that she could not concentrate enough to prevent herself from icing over. "Give it up, Lao!" Ranma declared, "You've lost this round! On your ship you may have the advantage, but on dry land you're on my turf!" "Ranchan," Nabiki looked at her husband with admiration, clearly impressed by his performance. Lao seemed to be struggling for breath as the ice rose up to neck level, and try as she might she could not break free of her imprisonment, so she did the only thing tactically open to her as she chatted out, "I-I-I YIELD!" "You promise?" Ranma asked, "No tricks? You really do surrender?" "Y-Y-YES!" Lao felt the ice pressing close to her lips, only to halt abruptly as Ranma relaxed his stance and allowed the cold front to subside all around her. "Ranchan, you did it!" Nabiki was about to pat him on the shoulder when she suddenly snatched her hand away with a yelp. "Don't touch me!" Ranma belatedly warned her, "I absorbed all that excess heat, now I've gotta give it back to melt her out of that before she really does freeze up." And with that he gestured with his hands again, and a wave of fire flowed from his body to surround Lao without touching her, generating enough heat that the ice began to soften and Lao was able to free herself with a mighty shrug of her limbs, freeing all but one leg in a single effort. Ranma subsided again while Lao went to work chipping away the rest of the ice with her hands, and soon the Slaver stood free again, staring respectfully at Ranma before bowing deeply at the waist and saying, "You have defeated me honorably, young Sir. What would you ask of me now...Master?" "Hah?" Nabiki gasped as Ranma suddenly did a double-take and became abruptly quite nervous. "Uh...hey...wait a minute!" he sputtered in protest, "I didn't mean like that..." "Oh relax, Saotome," Lao straightened up again, "I'm not going to give you the kiss of marriage or anything like that. It's just I now owe you a double favor, so consider me in your debt...and Nabiki-chan...you should have seen your expression just now...it was priceless!" "Then why don't I find your little joke so amusing?" Nabiki folded her arms and glared at the lady Pirate. "I said to relax," Lao shrugged her shoulders and rubbed her arms down as though to confirm that they had proper circulation, "That was a good fight, by the way, just the thing I needed to vent a little pent up frustration. You have no idea how disgusting it is to have to do the bidding of a pre-pubescent boy who hasn't even tasted his first time with a woman, and being his 'Queen Mother' for a day was hardly to my liking." "Then why did you do it?" Ranma asked, "Because he threatened you with that cursed water?" "I will admit that the idea of being turned permanently into a man is hardly to my liking," Lao replied, "And Toma is all the more dangerous because of his ability to cast convincing illusions, which means he could disguise an attack and I might never see it coming. But no...that is not the only reason for my playing along with his silly, juvenile antics. If it were, then I would have bent the brat over my knee and taken the water away from him before he could even bat an eyelash." "Then why?" Nabiki demanded, "Why let him jerk you around like a pet on his leash? Why allow your own people to get taken captive and subjected to that bridal mess, and why in the name of the Kami let him have your own SON as his betrothed?" "All very fine questions," Lao replied, "But I think the answer to your question is right beneath your eyes, if you'd care to notice." "Huh?" Ranma blinked, "Right beneath..." "Tell me something, Oh Great Wizard," Lao smirked at him in a suggestive manner that caused Nabiki's eyes to narrow slightly, "Has anything about this island occurred to you that is more than slightly out of the ordinary?" "Huh?" Ranma looked increasingly puzzled, "Well...aside from the fact that it floats..." "Bingo," Lao sniffed, turning her focus towards Nabiki, "And answer this question for those who are not Geologically challenged, my dear Nabiki...do islands normally float around and drift with or against normal ocean currents?" "Of course not," Nabiki scoffed, "But what has that got to do with...?" "Everything," Lao replied, giving them both a sober nod before adding, "Tell me truthfully if this is true or not, but I've been under the distinct impression that the two of you have quite recently been in mental contact with the Kraken. There's something about the way you mastered coordinated fighting that suggests to me that you had some of his influence." "Huh?" Ranma stated again, then his eyes got very round and he gasped, "You don't mean..." "The Kraken is one of the few surviving Niflim who were created by the Greater Powers in times long ancient," Lao replied, "It carries within it the memory of history itself, a great treasure house of knowledge that is ageless, priceless and vast beyond measure," her tone became even grimmer than before as she added, "...And that knowledge includes the times when the world has previously undergone a deluge or catastrophe of one kind or another, whether it is a meteor hitting the Yucatan and spoiling the day for the dinosaurs, or the later catastrophe that befell the ancient empires of Mu and Atlantis. Through him I have learned a great deal about the actual powers that govern all life on this world, such as the existence of other Angels, not least of which is the one trapped beneath this island." "Another of those monsters lives here?" Nabiki sounded incredulous, "But..." "It's presence is the reason why there are no women naturally born upon this island," Lao continued, "Think of it as a great turtle upon whose back this island has been shaped over the millennia, but the spring itself at the top of the high mountain, which is this Island's treasury, has been formed above the hump that concentrates the essence of its immortal powers. In effect, this isn't really an island at all, it's a monster roughly two miles across and incredibly ancient, the soil and sand on the surface being merely the detritus that has accumulated over millions of years and been kept fertile by its life force. Thousands of years ago some Polynesians settled on his back and formed a community that has ever since replenished its numbers by kidnapping women to father their children for successive generations." "And Toma is the descendant of those natives?" Nabiki fathomed. "Correct," Lao replied, "Or---more precisely---he is the current Avatar representing the noble line of Princes who have governed this island since time immemorial...the ones who keep the Turtle at bay by continuing their bloodline." "But...what happens if he doesn't have a kid and his line dies off?" Ranma wondered. "Then...we could all be faced with a potential disaster," Lao responded, "The Turtle slept for countless millennia undisturbed by the passage of seasons, but when people started to live on his back he started to have dreams about them and over the years developed an affinity for these people. There is an ancient rule about Kingship that goes; 'As with the King, so goes the Land...the Land and the King are one, as the King prospers, so prospers the Kingdom,' and so on like that. Believe it or not, that rule seems to hold true of virtually any world leader...as they thrive, so thrives their Kingdoms." "And as they suffer...the Kingdom suffers with them?" Nabiki felt faintly appalled at where this conversation was going. "Now you see?" Lao replied, "It's in everyone's best interest that the Turtle continues to sleep undisturbed and dreams his dreams of the Island's inhabitants. If the Prince were to die without an heir, then that dream might come crashing down with a finality that would sink this entire island." "How do you mean that?" Ranma asked. "Turtles can dive to very deep depths and hold their breath for a much longer time than most humans," Lao responded, "And I assure you, this Turtle can hold his breath a very long time, much longer than anyone living on the island." "Well, bad news for them," Nabiki sniffed, "But...are you saying that if the turtle were to wake up...it would act just like your Kraken?" "It might conceivably travel south and seek out the Angel who dwells on the continent of Antarctica in a place known as the Savage Land, which is a little like Monster Island or the Isle of Pangea, only bigger...much bigger. If that Angel were to awake...then it would be a very bad day for everyone now living on the planet," Lao noted grimly. "You mean...?" Ranma hesitated to say the words. "Second Impact," Lao replied, "Which would instantly bring about the melting of the polar ice caps, flooding out vast areas of land now inhabited by humans, while the survivors would be faced with the possibility of mass assimilation through human Singularity, literally being absorbed into the body of the Angel." "But why?" Nabiki asked, "Why would they do that?" "Consider life on this world as a vast science experiment being performed by a being whose mind is as vast as the cosmos," Lao replied, "Contrary to the myths and legends about him, that being is far from perfect and tends to make a botch of things on a fairly regular basis, but he keeps trying to get it right, and life as we know it is an attempt at creating a companion who might one day match him in grandeur, giving that being a sense of total completion." "You mean...Kami-sama?" Ranma hesitated. "No, I do not," Lao said patiently, "Nor any God or Kami that you or I have ever heard about. All legends and myths are merely echoes and reflections of a greater, primal glory who surpasses the myths which human beings creature to shelter their own minds from the harshness of a reality in which they are but small wheels in a vaster machinery. Man makes Gods in his own image, but the Powers that Be do not conform to human understanding." "I don't understand," Nabiki replied, "You're saying that there's something greater even than the Gods?" "Gods are but lesser incarnations and reflections...Anthropomorphisms, if you will, of much greater Archetypes," Lao explained, "The word 'God' is wholly inadequate to describe such a being who might embody reality itself. In Occult terms he would be known as Ain Soph Aur," the great Unknowable and Unmanifested mystery of Jewish Cabalism, to which the Christian God is a mere carnival showman by comparison, and Yaweh himself a traveling snake oil salesman. Buddha was a mere child when compared to such a being, and Allah a mere Revivalist Tent Huckster-Preacher. The closest anyone has come to expressing such a mystery is the Hindu Bhraman, a sort of 'Three-in-one' Triune god whom even the Hindus confess is beyond their understanding." "Thanks for the theology lesson," Ranma said, "But what has this to do with..." "As I explained before...this being is a tinkerer attempting to create an intelligence as vast as himself," Lao replied, "On countless worlds throughout this galaxy and others he has planted the seeds of life and watched them sprout and develop, sometimes meddling in relatively minor ways...a shift of a comet here, the alteration of a planetary orbit there, but always with one goal in mind...to harvest the eventual crop that sprouts and matures, to meld them together into a collective mind that could become another Adam Kadmon." "The great souled Man in the Tarot, huh?" Ranma nodded, not noticing the funny look his wife was giving him at the moment. "Exactly," Lao smiled, "You're brighter than I took you to be, Saotome. You understand now about the legend of Adam Kadmon?" "Sort of," Ranma replied, scratching the back of his head, "My big sister told me that he was supposed to be a reflection of God, or Kami-sama, who existed before humans were created, but he got torn apart by demons who were supposed to have scattered his pieces in the stars, or something like that." "A divine being whose sparks were planted in fertile soil, but sometimes those sparks sprout up and reveal themselves in the light of intelligence and the great souled beings who randomly appear upon this planet," Lao elaborated, "Throughout human history these Bright Lights and Stars have shone themselves in the great scholarly minds or heroic figures who make up our history through their noble deeds and achievements...though the vast majority of bright lights never are too well known by the general public. There have been rare times when a convergence of these minds have existed at the same time on this planet, times when the Earth goes through rapid shifts and changes of planetary evolution, such as in the present." "You mean...like the late 20th Century?" Nabiki fathomed. "Correct," Lao nodded, "A time when there are more heroes presently active on our world...more 'Bright Lights,' than at almost any other period within the last few thousand years or so...and with a population of over six billion souls currently incarnated into the flesh at this point, you are talking about an enormously rich harvest. The Angel known as Adam might conceivably draw these souls into himself and become the very being whom the Great One has sought since the creation. Of course it would mean that all of our lives would have to be sacrificed to achieve this...our individuality would be stripped away and we would become a collective mind governed by the central consciousness of Adam, and should that happen..." "Yikes!" Ranma winced, "I don't wanna know what would happen! I like myself just the way I am, thanks!" "Same here, Ranchan," Nabiki grimaced. "So you see my dilemma?" Lao replied, "I have to make certain that Prince Toma does father a son to rule in his place, preferably after a long and productive lifetime...just as my predecessor provided women to his father. It's not that I'm particularly fond of the little runt, but I knew him when he was still a small and impressionable boy, so I don't think of him as a truly bad person, or believe me, I wouldn't be letting him come anywhere near to Breeze, and to hell with the consequences!" "All right," Ranma said, "But there's something I don't get here...why did he make you out to be his Queen Mother?" Lao sobered for an instant than glanced down, "Because...I guess I remind him a little of his real mother. A passing resemblance, I assure you, since he was born when I was still growing up in China." "What happened to his mother anyway?" Nabiki frowned, "Did she...?" "Oh no," Lao shook her head, "She...is still around, in a manner of speaking...but Toma does not acknowledge his mother in...her...present condition..." "You mean..." Ranma looked disquieted, "She...turned into a guy?" "In point of fact a mere Palace guard," Lao frowned, "His father thought such a demotion was a fine gesture of her lowered status, the Bastard." "Sounds like a real prince of a guy," Nabiki noted darkly. "Oh, he wasn't really all that bad, as men go, but very chauvinistic and more than a bit full of himself," Lao replied, "The boy tries to imitate his father because that was his only role model for what a Prince is. The rest of what he knows about royalty he got from reading books...there is a whole library full of fairy tales collected from all over the world in his study. The Turtle does tend to get around, I have to give him that..." "You keep saying he," Ranma pointed out, "How do you know that he is a he?" "Aside from looking under his tail to make certain?" Lao replied, "I don't...but why else explain why only men reside on this island? It's a bit like ascribing the Great One as a man...personally I'd like to think a woman gave birth to creation...it seems a more natural concept than if a man were the creator...but then again, I'm chauvinistic enough to think that a Woman would have done a better job with the creation." "Yeah...well...I don't mean to be rude here," Nabiki pointed out, "But your Kraken says that without you we're not going anywhere, and I for one don't want to spend the rest of my days on this island, especially if it means turning into a guy permanently." "Agreed," Lao replied, "But without the Prince's permission, I am bound to remain here until he dismisses me. I gave him my word of honor." "You...gave him your word of honor?" Nabiki scoffed, "That can't be worth much!" "Believe what you will about me," Lao replied, "But I still have some pride as an Amazon, and I refuse to give up what little of my soul remains as a Warrior of the Nyanchiczu. I once promised his father that I would look after his son should I ever again visit this island, and I do intend to keep my word on this particular matter. Once Toma is satisfied that I can leave, however, then I'll gladly leave him to his fate, but not without Breeze. Leaving my son...or daughter...here is not an option." "Think you can convince Toma to let the kid go?" Ranma asked. "I can't," Lao smiled at him, "But you can. You have beaten me fairly in battle, which means that I've dispensed my obligation to prevent the Prince from being interrupted. Go and talk to the prince, persuade him that forcing someone to remain here against their will is no more acceptable a practice than when his ancestors began the custom of raiding islands." "Yeah, I'll show that little squirt not to mess with us," Ranma nodded. "I'm with you there, Ranchan," Nabiki nodded. "Not you, Nabiki," Lao directed, "You have more to lose in facing Toma...your womanhood might be forfeit, but Ranma here does not have a problem in that regard, correct?" "You got that right," Ranma said with grim determination. "By the way," Lao grinned, "There's something I've been meaning to say here...I love your tailoring. It takes a man truly confident of himself to go into battle dressed as you are?" "Hah?" Ranma glanced down at himself, then abruptly colored because he still had the same outfit on that he had been wearing as his female half. "Oboy..." "Why Ranchan," Nabiki could not help herself for saying, "I think you look positively darling." "Don't let it bother you, Saotome," Lao assured him, "A real man doesn't fret too much about his appearance, and you really don't have the time to change into more appropriate wardrobe, not if you want to catch Prince Toma before he does anything too rash with my daughter." "Heh...yeah," Ranma nodded, "That's right...I need that water. Nab-chan...you'd better sit this one out, okay?" "Okay?" Nabiki blinked her eyes, "But---hey, RANCHAN!" "Let him go," Lao thrust her arm in Nabiki's path and smiled as they watched Ranma race on ahead up the stairs and towards the Palace quarters, "This is one fight your husband has to do on his own, and you know it's for the better." "For the better?" Nabiki fumed, but then she subsided, "Ah...you're probably right. It's not like I want to become trapped as Kaneda for the rest of my life..." "And what a tragedy that would be to lose such splendid womanhood as yours forever," Lao openly leered, "Besides which...have you forgotten the child you presently carry within you?" "Huh?" Nabiki backed away, then unselfconsciously felt her abdomen with both hands. "You're lucky that fight didn't cause you to suffer any," Lao looked her critically over, "I dare say that you are advancing even more rapidly than I'd imagined. The time may come soon when you will have to decide whether or not you want to keep your baby...or allow me to implant him in another's womb for his or her own safety." "Ah..." Nabiki glanced away, "There hasn't exactly been a lot of time to...well...think about that..." "Well, an old Chinese Proverb would apply here then," Lao smirked, "There's no time like the present. Come, sit with me a bit and let's rest our bodies while we chat together and await the outcome of your husband's noble heroics...and I have a question I should like to ask you, if you're in the mood to answer." "Such as?" Nabiki asked with a dubious expression as she watched Lao motion towards a nearby bench. "What exactly did he mean about needing to find that water?" Lao puzzled. "Oh...um...that..." Nabiki blushed slightly, "Well..." and she belatedly began to stammer out a hasty explanation... "Lotus! Lotus, where are you?" Blossom called out as she frantically searched from room-to-room in search of her missing partner, "Lotus, where in the name of the Gods are you, Darling?" It was at times such as these that Blossom wished that she had not been born with a slight case of dyslexia, which made it hard for her to reach charts or maps without her partner's constant vigilance in seeing that she did not mess up any of her orders. They were a team...had been since childhood, and the thought of going on without her was simply not to be contemplated. Besides, how could she ever get anything done without Lotus as her watchful guide? It was hard enough just staying on the good side of the Mistress without reverting to total incompetence, and the Blue haired Amazon rather favored her position as second in command of the POJ, just so long as Lotus was at her side for occasional "course corrections." But now someone had stolen her Lotus, and Blossom was determined to win her back, so she kicked open the doors to ever room that she encountered, her swords in hand and ready to deal justice. "LOTUS!" she cried as she opened yet another chamber, only to hear the sounds of a man and woman frantically going at it hot and heavy, which made her fear the worst as she rushed into the room and cried, "LOTUS!" There was a squawk and then a hasty, "DO YOU MIND?" from a girl who most definitely did not have bright Cherry Pink hair and most certainly was NOT Lotus! "Ooops," Blossom said sheepishly as she backed away, "Never mind...wrong room...carry on!" "The nerve of some people," the guard on top of the girl complained. "Ignore her," the girl under him smiled as she drew him down for a second helping, "Just keep right on what you're doing, Stud, I'm not complaining..." In spite of feeling bad about occasionally disturbing someone else's fun, Blossom pressed on until at last she found the right room, and she burst in with her butterfly swords at the ready, striking a dramatic pose as she saw Lotus sitting down with a total stranger, even as Blossom cried, "Unhand her you...man?" "Well, took you long enough," Lotus smiled at her, then indicated the fellow sitting across from her, with whom she was sipping tea and quite apparently having a pleasant conversation, "Blossom, this is Shugo, Shugo, this is my ranking officer and partner in adventures, Blossom." "How do you do?" Shugo tipped his head to her politely. "Shugo is one of the guards in the palace," Lotus explained, "He was helping to explain to me some of the island history and the reason why they constantly need to import more women to replace the ones who get turned into men, such as the Prince's former Queen Mother." "Um..." Blossom felt enormously foolish to still be standing in the same combat pose, so she straightened up and said, "You're all right? He hasn't tried to force himself on you or anything like that?" "No, silly," Lotus turned an affectionate grin in her direction, "He's been a perfect gentleman the whole time. Well...other than the way in which he carried me off, but he wanted to take me out of there before any of his fellow guards tried anything. After all, he used to be a woman himself before the waters of this island eventually turned him into a man." "Yes," Shugo replied, "Tragic that...I had one son, who's now about five or six years old and is presently in our Day Care Center being attended to by volunteers on duty. I tried real hard to avoid being cursed by those accursed waters, but with little naturally occurring water on this damned island, we have to import a lot of it, and there's rationing and everything. One day I just got a little too thirsty, and before I knew it I'd drunk the wrong water. The stuff permeates everything here, and it's just a matter of time before it affects you as well unless you leave this place before that can happen." "Ah...I see," Blossom replied, "Well then...no hard feelings?" "None at all," Shugo replied, "I think it's very brave of you coming to the rescue of your friend like that..." "Oh, she's brave enough...when she has to be," Lotus gave Blossom a winsome smile, which same made the blue haired Blossom feel a bit better, "Problem is, she sometimes needs to be pointed in the right direction, which is where I come in. We're a team, you know, inseparable through thick and thin." "It's good to have a friend like that," Shugo nodded when suddenly another man came bursting into the room, brandishing a spear and immediately causing Blossom to go back on the defensive. "YOU!" he cried, "What are you doing here in this room? How dare you!" "Nolan?" the guard named Shugo turned to the other guard with a look of surprise. "Shame on you, you shameless hussy!" Nolan snapped, "What is the meaning of inviting these women into our room like this? Are you trying to start something?" "I'm not trying to start anything!" Shugo protested, "We were just having a pleasant conversation when you burst in here pointing that spear like a maniac." "A likely story!" Nolan flared, "You've gotten tired of me, you're trying to get rid of me, aren't you?" "Don't be ridiculous," Shugo insisted, "No one is trying to get rid of you, you're just being paranoid." "Oh, so now I'm paranoid, is that it?" Nolan snorted, "How can you treat me like this? Don't I mean anything to you anymore?" "Um...excuse me?" Blossom asked, by now totally bewildered. "Of course you mean something to me, Nolan dearest!" Shugo got to his feet and held out his hands in a non-threatening manner, "Don't you know that you're the only one for me? I wouldn't have anyone else beside you, no matter what else happens in our lives." Nolan rested the butt end of his spear on the floor and leaned on it, "Of course you say that now, but if some younger thing comes traipsing into your room..." "I wouldn't even notice if he existed," Shugo insisted as he edged closer to the other man and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "Now with you there beside me. Besides, how could I replace the man who makes me feel so special? You know that you're the one I think about at night..." "How can I believe you?" Nolan asked, "How do I know you're not reverting to some...Heterosexual or something? If these women are any evidence of what you are capable of becoming..." "I was just trying to keep the pink haired one out of harms way," Shugo explained, "There's no harm in that, right? And I used to be a woman too..." "Don't remind me," Nolan seemed more mollified about this point and stood more at ease, his focus entirely centered upon Shugo. Blossom felt Lotus's hand touch her arm and almost jumped in surprise, but when she saw her friend make a shushing noise with a finger she caught on and allowed herself to be drawn out of the chamber and back into the hallway, even as the two men started to cuddle up and hug one another, with clear evidence that even more intimate things were soon to follow. "Let's just leave these two to work things out between them, shall we?" Lotus urged. "Good thing too," Blossom shook off her slight daze, "If I saw any more of that I'd probably have gotten a nose bleed." "Poor baby," Lotus smiled in a suggestive manner, "When we get back to the ship I'll kiss it and make it all better." "A good point," Blossom reminded, "I don't want to stay around here and possibly have...that happen to the both of us." "Me neither," Lotus agreed, "By the way, it was very sweet of you to come to my rescue like this, how ever can I thank you?" "By telling the Mistress that it wasn't my fault," Blossom replied, "If you hadn't been carried off, I wouldn't have had to abandon my post and leave Jasmine and Maki in charge." "WHAAAAT?" Lotus turned a horrified expression her way, "You didn't...!" The sounds of a dull explosion rang out from down below, and the palace shook slightly as if from a mild earth tremor. "You did," Lotus resumed, hurrying up her pace, "Come on, we've got get down there and stop them from wrecking the whole place!" "It wasn't my fault!" Blossom all but wailed, "I just know the Mistress is going to punish us for this!" "Only if we're lucky," Lotus shivered, hurrying up her pace in order to head off total disaster... "That's your mother?" Breeze asked as she stared up at a portrait that hung over the fireplace mantle. "Yes," Toma replied as he studied the image of a beautiful woman dressed in a long gown and resting a small boy across her lap, "I often wonder what she must have been like while she was a woman, and before my father banished her from his presence. Did she love me? Was she a good woman, a good mother? So many things I don't know about my early years, before my father died and left me to rule as Prince of this island." "That does sound tough," Breeze conceded, "I often wonder what my real father must have been like before my Momma ate him. She makes it seem like he was really two people, a nice guy on the surface, a bad man underneath this." "Your mother...ATE your father?" Toma turned a disquieted expression towards his intended bride. "Yeah, well...it wasn't really all her fault," Breeze explained, "He made her do it...he's the one who cursed her to turn into a Tiger. That was before Momma learned how to control her curse and get over having these animal instincts. You see...Dad wooed my Mom by pretending to be a nice guy, but then he turned around and enslaved her..." "That sounds...rather unpleasant," Toma said as he regained his bearings, "I had no idea that Lady Lao's life was that complicated." "Well, Momma tries to do the right thing...most of the time," Breeze amended, "But I know she also does a lot of bad stuff, because she says its necessary, like kidnapping women and turning them into sex slaves. Most of the women I know are really nice people, and most of them are glad that Momma brought them on board the POJ, but...I know Momma herself isn't always too happy about it. She says she's doing what she can to make the world a better place, but I have to wonder...is it a good thing to make people into sex slaves?" "I wouldn't know myself," Toma conceded, "My ancestors have been raiding islands for their women for countless generations. If we did not, then we would all have died off in a single generation." "Yeah, that does sound tough," Breeze frowned, "But why put up with it? You could go and live someplace else, somewhere that doesn't force you guys to live without women." "Where would we go?" Toma shrugged, "This island is our home. Besides, I very much doubt if those places which we have raided for centuries would be very happy about taking us in as refugees. No doubt a few old scores would be settled long before we could settle in to a new existence. No, better to rule as Prince here than to be someone else's imported riff-raff." "Yeah, I see what you mean," Breeze conceded, "Well...then why don't you just destroy the spring that turns women into guys then?" "Destroy our sacred treasure?" Toma bristled, "It would be sacrilege! Besides, the waters would eventually replenish themselves from the sap of the Great Tree that dominates the center of our island. At best destroying our spring would be a temporary solution." "Hmmm...that does sound like a tough one," Breeze ran her tiny fingers through her pale blue hair and tried to look thoughtful. "You will get used to things over time," Toma nodded, "And when you see, as I have, that nothing can be changed about the world into which we are born, then life itself becomes a whole lot simpler and easier to deal with." "Oh, you think so, huh?" Breeze smiled slyly. "I know so," Toma said confidently, but then a new question occurred to him as he asked, "Is it true that you've lived most of your life on board your mother's ship?" "Huh?" Breeze blinked, "Well...more or less. I was born in China but I can't really remember a time when I wasn't living on board the POJ..." "I have never lived anywhere else besides this island," Toma replied, "I sometimes visit other places, but we never stay long enough to truly become acquainted with the people we raid. I only know about distant place by what I read in books...I would dearly love to visit some of the great cities that I have heard about. There are so many wonders which I have never seen...and I confess that the thought of living on a ship as large as your POJ sounds like a very exotic existence." "Oh, it's all right," Breeze thought about it a moment then said, "I'm not sure I could get used to this living on land business. Having ground that stands still under your feet just seems...weird somehow, not natural...know what I'm saying?" "I'm not sure that I do," Toma replied, turning to smile at the blue haired girl before him, "But I would like to have the opportunity to do so. I confess that I do find you fascinating, and not just because of what you are or what you were either. There is such an energy about you, a life and vibrancy so different from the people who raised me. I think with you at my side I could be a much better, wiser ruler over my own people, and if Captain Lao relents to permit us to marry..." "Whoah, wait a minute," Breeze said, "Don't you think you're rushing things here a little bit? I'm just a few years younger than you, and we're both still kids! Who says we gotta marry anybody right here and now?" "The law...unfortunately," Toma said sadly, "I must wed before I fully ascend to the throne. It is an annoying provision, I will admit, but I am duty bound to maintain the traditions of my people." "Yeah?" Breeze said, "And just how much do you know about marriage? You even know what you're supposed to do with a woman on your honeymoon?" "Well..." Toma faltered and ran his fingers through the hair on the back of his head, "Actually...the books which I have read on that subject are...a bit short on details...but I'm sure we will both figure it out..." "I don't have to," Breeze replied, "I've been raised to know about such things nearly all of my life. Yeah, it seems a bit messy and gross, but the women who raised me seem to enjoy that kind of stuff a lot, so I guess I will too one of these days...when I get older. Mom keeps insisting that girls shouldn't sleep with guys until they're mature enough to handle the stress it puts on their bodies." "Really?" Toma seemed fascinated by this revelation, "And...what do men do with their wives? That is something neither my father nor my Servants will tell me." "Probably because they don't know much about it themselves," Breeze scoffed, "Most guys don't, you know...it's not as instinctive for you as it is for us girls. We learn by copying the example of others, and I've seen plenty of Mushy stuff being done to figure out the parts that I'm missing. After all, Mom's job is to train girls on how to please guys, and while I don't really understand even half of it, I've got a pretty good grasp of the basics." "And would you consider doing it with a man...when you are older?" Toma asked her. "Um...well..." Breeze faltered, looking less certain as she conceded, "I...guess..." "Come, let me show you something," Toma said as he offered the younger girl his hand, which Breeze took with only a moment of reluctance. Toma led the way to one corner of his palatial chamber then stood before a pedestal upon which he placed a coin-shaped object in a circular slot, then smiled as a rumbling noise signified a massive motion taking place underfoot. To Breeze's surprise and amazement a section of the wall and floor slid away to reveal a massive pit leading down into the very heart of the mountain into which the Palace itself had been constructed. "What is that?" Breeze asked as she stared into the maw of darkness that looked before them. "This is Togenkyu's sacred well, from which is drawn our holy water," Toma revealed, "It is both our treasure and our curse, the waters that can change anyone into a man, created from the sap that drips from our holy tree and the reason why our Island nation has no native-born women." Breeze shuddered slightly as she hesitantly gazed into the pit, then shied away again. Toma studied her reaction with some amusement and asked, "What is wrong? Didn't you say that you were born a man?" "Yeah...but I haven't really been one for a while now," Breeze replied, "Mom has a strict policy against men staying on board the POJ on any long-term basis, so she insists I stay a girl, and I'm pretty much used to that by now. I sure don't want to lose my ability to be a girl forever." "Agreed," Toma replied, "And if you became a man permanently, then we could not wed and you could not provide me with children. I only showed this as a token of my trust in you, that you understand why it is so important that I have a queen who can help me to rule this island justly and fairly. I'll understand if you have some reluctance on account of this, but I want you to know why I do what I must do. I would rather have you for a friend and an ally...you have much that you could teach me about yourself and about the world outside our limited borders. It may even be that you could teach me something of what it means to be a woman." "Um...I don't really know..." Breeze said dubiously, "I mean...you're nice and all that, and maybe I do understand a little bit about why you feel you need someone to marry...but are you sure about this? I mean...I'm only a girl because of magic." "But are you happy being a girl?" Toma asked. "Well...yeah," Breeze shrugged, "But I haven't been a boy often enough to really know if there's all that much difference." "Still...if you became a man at some later point, would it affect you as much as it might a girl who had never been before a man?" "Um..." Breeze scratched her head and had to really think about that one, "I don't really know...could you explain that to me a little better?" Toma and Breeze exchanged looks in silence for several long seconds, and then a slight chuckle arose from both of their throats, becoming a full laugh a moment later as the both of them saw the humor and absurdity in the situation. Toma was the first to sober enough to speak coherently, "I do believe I worded that one badly. My apologies, I meant to ask for something which you naturally could not predict within yourself." "Hey, it's all right," Breeze replied, "I think I know what you meant to say, and yeah...it would be a pretty strange thing if I got cursed to be a guy all of the time. A real girl might freak, but me? I don't really know how I'd feel. I'm used to being a girl after all, it be strange if I wasn't." "Just so," Toma nodded, "My point was to test your feelings regarding the risk that would be posed to you by staying upon this island. I would much prefer you to remain as you are, but if that should change, I would sill find you an interesting companion." "That's nice to know, but I really haven't said that I want to stay with you," Breeze conceded, "I mean...you're not such a bad guy, but still..." "But still you would miss being with your mother and the people who love you," Toma reasoned, "I think I would feel the same way if I had to leave this island. Togenkyo is my home, these are my people, and I am their Prince...I have an obligation to put their welfare before my own." "Yeah, well...it's nothing personal against you," Breeze replied, "But I'm not ready to settle down. I'm still just a kid...heck, we both are." "I agree," Toma replied, "Which is why we should proceed more cautiously than to rush into the breach. May I let you in on a little secret?" "Yeah?" Breeze asked. "I, too, am not in any great hurry to be married," Toma replied, glancing away, "Part of what interested me about you is that you are closer to me in age than any of those women were whom my people selected for me. I do not think I would feel comfortable marrying a woman who was many years my senior, or even old enough to be my big sister as well as my wife. I firmly believe that a man should have the respect of his wife, not be patted on the head and told what time to go to bed or when to have my supper." "Hey, but you're the Prince," Breeze pointed out, "Can't you say when you get to go to bed and stuff like that?" "You would think that I could decide such things," Toma replied, "But many parts of my day are pre-planned and scheduled for me by my servants. You would be amazed at how tedious and boring so much of it can be, and I would rather fill my day by having someone beside me who could make like much more interesting. You were right before to say that I was bored and looking for amusement by holding that bridal contest, but I never thought to see it as my imposing my will upon those women...not until you pointed that out to me. That is why I think it could work out for us...that perhaps you may be as much of a guide to me as my future bride and princess." "Well..." Breeze glanced back at the pit, "Maybe we could be friends and all that...but I'd need time to think about this. I mean...I only just met you, I can't exactly rush into stuff like this, and I'm pretty sure Momma wouldn't like it either." "I can speak with your mother and work out a deal that may be to your liking," Toma reached out and took Breeze by her shoulders, looking at her seriously at nearly eye-level, "But until that time, I will ask that you not divulge the whereabouts of this sacred spring. It must be a trust that is held between us." "Hey, you think I'd wanna tell people where this thing is?" Breeze felt very odd as she stared up into the face of the older boy, "I can't even imagine anyone wanting this stuff. I know it's important to you, though, so..." "AHAH!" a voice suddenly broke in on their private conversation, "So that's where you've been hiding this so-called Well of Manhood, huh?" "Who dares?" Toma turned around to confront the short redhead who had just addressed him, "Who are you, woman?" "The name is Lina Inverse," she replied, "And I'm sufficiently curious about this well of yours that I'd like to acquire a sample, if you don't mind. It might have magical properties that could come in useful..." Before she had even completed her sentence a chilling laugh filled the air, and all at once a well-stacked brunet alighted on the floor beside the shorter Lina, bouncing in an eye-catching manner as she struck a pose and adopted an imperious demeanor. "How true!" she declared, "And what Lina wants is of interest to me, Nagha the White Serpent. Hand over the water, Prince, and no one here will get hurt." "Nagha," Lina said irritably, "Do you mind? I wanted to do this my way..." "How dare you?" Toma bridled, "How dare you burst into my chamber and make these demands upon me? You risk my wrath by coming here and attempting to threaten me, and in the presence of my future bride no less!" "Calm down, Prince," Lina made a deflecting gesture, "You don't want to start anything with me. I'm just here for the water..." "And beside which," Nagha pointed out, "We are powerful sorcerers...there's nothing you can do that could hold a candle to what we could do to you, little man." "Is that so?" Toma growled, and suddenly his eyes started to glow with fire, and Breeze found herself taking a step backward as the hackles on the back of her neck stood on end as she sensed that SOMETHING was about to happen... "Where the heck is that little twerp?" Ranma growled as he rounded yet another flight of stairs, finding a door blocking his path, "This better be it this time, or I swear I'm gonna..." All at once he felt something go "FWUMP!" on the other side, which caused Ranma to fall into a defensive crouch as the wave of vibration rang out alarm bells on his Chi-sensitive senses. "What the heck was that?" he asked, taking a more cautious approach to testing the doors, which---he was surprised to discover---were not locked against his passage. Edging his way into the room he carefully scanned the insides, discovering the lavish furnishings of an ornately adorned palace, but---more to the point---the pair of crumpled forms, both unmistakably female---huddled on the floor with bodies locked in positions that implied some traumatic action. Other than that they seemed perfectly fine, so he approached cautiously and only belatedly saw Toma and Breeze at the opposite end of the chamber, standing before an open cave of some curious nature. "And who are you?" Toma asked as he turned attention to the new intruder. "Me?" Ranma replied, "I'm Saotome Ranma, and I'm here to ask for some of that water you've got here." "What, again?" Toma reacted, "And why would a fool like you have any need of that?" "That's none of your business!" Ranma bridled, "Look...I don't want any trouble, but I gotta insist you turn over the water and the girl. Her Mom wants her to come with her, and she won't leave without her, and since she's our only ticket out of here..." "You speak on behalf of the Captain?" Toma frowned, "By what right?" "Hey, I beat her fair and square," Ranma said, "That means she ain't gotta do what you tell her to do any more, and she owes a favor to me!" "You beat Momma?" Breeze blinked, "How?" "Hey, I'm a fast learner," Ranma smiled, "Nabiki and me figured out what we were doing wrong the first time and fixed it." "Commendable," Toma sniffed, "You are still a presumptuous interloper, and I know how to deal with your ilk!" He drew his sword and made a sweeping gesture, and all at once a wall of flame filled the air and lanced out at Ranma, who stood his ground and did not try to avoid it. "Ranma!" Breeze called out, "No, don't hurt him!" "Eh?" Toma looked at her in puzzlement, "You know this fellow? What is he to you?" "A friend, nothing more than that," Breeze insisted, "It's just that he's not a bad guy and...huh?" "Eh?" Toma turned back to Ranma, following Breeze's expression, and as he did so he stammered in disbelief, "N-No way! It's impossible! How can you still be standing!" "The jokes on you, Punk!" Ranma smiled, "The same trick won't work on me twice! It's just an illusion, right? If I close my eyes and concentrate, it can't really hurt me!" "H-How could you know that?" Toma gestured at the two fallen Sorceresses, "No one can resist the power of my illusions!" "Somebody can, and you're looking at him," Ranma smirked, raising his arms, "Now...let's see how you like a taste of your own medicine, Jerk!" All at once flames leaped from Ranma's fingers to surround the Prince, but this time it was no illusion, and those flames took the shape of a womanly form, one who smiled and flirted with the cringing Toma, not touching him with her flames but giving him a taste of what could happen if she did so in earnest. Ranma banished his flames and said, "That's just a sample of what I can do if you get me mad, Prince. I won't hurt you, though, if you turn over the girl and give me a sample of the water." "You may be powerful," Toma replied, "But you are still a commoner and a ruffian if you think you can order me around," and with that Toma launched an attack with his sword, one that Ranma easily dodged before returning in with an Amaguriken attack. Much to Ranma's surprise, as Toma fell back on his defenses, the one who got hammered by the rapid-fire punches he launched against the Prince was none other than Ranma himself, who went flying backward from the cumulative impact. "No!" Breeze cried, "Stop fighting!" "Who is fighting here?" Toma smiled, "The fool may know a few tricks, but he still falls pray to my most simple of illusions." "Gah...I don't believe it," Ranma said as he forced himself back up into a sitting position, "Somehow you made me punch myself out!" "So, you do have a brain," Toma replied, "But figuring that out and countering my illusions are two very different things, as you will discover if you persist in this foolishness." "Heh," Ranma smiled as he got back to his feet, "Nice try, Prince, but I know a few neat tricks of my own. You ain't dealing with just any Martial Artist here, you're up against a Master of the Senkens." "Then Senkens?" Toma asked curiously, "What is that?" "Just watch and you'll find out, Kid," Ranma assumed a crouch much like that of a crab on two legs, hunching down his shoulders and seeming to make himself small...before his outline faded out altogether. "What?" Toma was surprised by this, "An illusion? But-how---?" all at once the sword was snatched out of his hand, and he turned in amazement to find Ranma standing beside his left shoulder. "Wanna see me do it again?" Ranma asked, then faded out once more, only to reappear once again in the place where he had been previously standing, holding the sword in one hand, the gourd that Toma had carried in the other. "Impossible..." Toma exclaimed, "How could you do that? Where did you learn to cast such effective illusions?" "Same way you did, from my old man," Ranma tossed the sword back to Toma and said, "I got lots more tricks where that came from, but there ain't no point in us continuing this, now that I've got the gourd. Now...the kid comes with me, agreed?" "I do not agree to any such thing," Toma replied stiffly, "You may have the gourd, if that is what you crave, but Breeze is mine to claim, my bride to be, and you cannot have her." "Ain't your call," Ranma said, turning to Breeze herself, "What about it, Breeze-chan? You wanna stay here or come with me? Your Mom's waiting downstairs, and she said she ain't leaving without you." "I...I..." Breeze suddenly was struck with a moment of hesitation. "Breeze," Toma turned to her in surprise, "Don't you want to stay with me?" "It's not that," Breeze replied, "I mean...you're nice and all that, but..." "I don't believe this!" another voice cut in, "You mean to say that sawed off little runt fooled me with a cheap illusion???" "Calm down, Lina," Nagha tried to be reasonable, "He got both of us with that spell, but there's no reason to be angry." "LIKE HELL THERE'S NO REASON!" Lina flared, "What about my pride as a Sorcerer? What about my pride as a WOMAN!" "What are you getting upset about, Woman?" Toma turned a puzzled look towards the leather clad redhead, "You attacked me and fell for my simplest of illusions." "THAT'S IT, BUSTER!" Lina began rolling up her metaphorical sleeve, "You're history for that one!!" "Oh hell!" Nagha winced, "LINA!" "Huh?" Ranma asked, only to feel the hackles rise on his neck and right tattoo, which meant that the redhead was summoning up her elemental Chi for a major- league fire spell, "Uh oh..." Continued. Comments/Criticisms/Dragonslave Relief Fund: shadowmane@ridgenet.net The final conclusion to the Honeymoon Hentai series is at hand as Nabiki and Lao have a private chat together, and then the fireworks really begin! Be here next time for: "Burning Down the House," or "The Better Halves Have Not!" Be there!