Mirrors Multiplied Part Twelve Who Ever Said Fixing The Past Was Easy? by Jared Ornstead ===== To disclaim or not to disclaim, that is the question. Whether tis nobler to suffer the meticulous indignities of outragious copyright law, and by our suffering not offend them, or to face with manly courage those who would leash lawyers and cornucopias minions of hell upon us for our courage. Bringing to pass small good save for that we have not bowed down o1r noble heads to the blade of spiritual execution. Ahhhhhh! I must have them BOTH!!! ===== That Universe That I Perversely Havenıt Named Attention Flag. Passive receptors have detected anomaly. Dedicate 00.00005173 percent reserve processing power to investigate. Substance identified. Food. Kasumiıs nose twitched in her sleep. Dawnıs rosy chariot raced her brother Apollo into the sky, winning as always and painting the sky with a gorgeous mixture of colors that her brother would banish in his usual fit of pique. Life was not normal in the Tendo household. In the guest room a generous slab of fat and lard snored on one of the futons, exhausted from the previous dayıs journey. In other places the change was more profound. Kasumiıs passive receptors kept sending her alert messages. At first she merely disregarded the information. But repeated scans determined that there was not only food, but it was quite *good*. When the brain stem got ahold of the information her mouth went ahead and began to water. Finally getting a physical response her nose became encouraged and redoubled its efforts. A quiet corner of Kasumiıs brain kickstarted with a neurochemical shout of glee. Usually the higher functions were online and the background processors didnıt get much work. Finally having something to do the quiet corner researched and analyzed. Working by scent alone that part of the brain determined first the existence of tasty edibles, then went on to catalog their exact distance, composition, flavor, and the fact that there was a fresh rose on the tray. The brain stem smoothed its way into the analysis and reflexively flexed her hands. If there was food, she had to have cooked it. Right? But a quick scan of the data paths revealed that no food-making commands had been sent or obeyed within the past several hours. The nose screamed that the food was fresh, and *good!* Having no ready conclusions, the back corner of Kasumiıs grey matter sighed and nudged the higher functions, passed on its information, and shut itself down. Kasumi blinked and opened her eyes, raising her head up off her pillow. The door to her room was closing, though audio tracts did a swift review and no sounds had been detected then or now. Rapid diagnostics and a birdıs song assured her that her ears were working perfectly. The morning visitor had merely made no noise. Her nose sent another scream, wanting vindication. Obediently, Kasumiıs eyes tracked over to her desk. There, by her bed, was a breakfast tray, a note, and a flower in a vase. Her stomach, a sluggish organ but a powerful one all the same, chose right then to clue into all those alert messages the nose had been sending and soon became ravenously hungry. Kasumi slid out of bed, engaging a valuable sub-program that would direct her left arm to feed her while she examined the rest of the tray. She picked up the letter as the first bite reached her lips. The paper was momentarily forgotten as a wash of taste sensations nearly overwhelmed her. A hand flew to her cheek. ³Oh dear!² With a guilty glance around to make certain no one was watching Kasumi leaned into her plate and began to inhale her meal. ***** Universe C, Flashback to Tenchi The Masaki shrine had seen worse days. Between space pirates, bounty hunters, royal princesses, mad geniuses and the occasional spaceship that looked like a cat they managed to get in a fair amount of trouble. It was one of those rare peaceful days. Tenchi, often at the center of all this trouble, reluctant suitor of from anywhere to two to five women (depending on whom you asked) and occasional savior of the universe had just finished washing his motherıs tombstone and was headed back to the house, bucket in hand. Ayeka, royal princess of Jurai and one of the most prominent of Tenchiıs love interests, was out hanging wash in the yard. Ryoko, space pirate and general villain extraordinaire (retired) was sitting on the rooftop actually contemplating helping out, when Tenchi walked into the yard. Finding a better option, Ryoko made ready to pounce upon the boy in a space pirate neck squeeze (not related to the more famous and popular Amazon Glomp), when the boy yelled out and flew across the yard, screaming, upside down and helpless... ...only to be caught and stopped in time by a hastily materialized energy net. Washu exited the house holding a remote control box. ³Well, here I was just performing testing of my latest invention, the Universe Stabilizer, when all of a sudden there crops up a need.² She pointed both fingers to her cheeks. ³Iım such a GENIUS!!² Ayeka and Ryoka came rushing over. ³Washu, what is it?² The self-proclaimed greatest scientist in the universe began typing on an invisible keyboard in mid-air. ³Something has happened to alter our past. Fortunately I was researching a problem related to this when it happened, or my device would not have been available in time to be of assistance.² The force affecting Tenchi released and the boy fell heavily to the ground. He sat up rubbing his head and asked. ³What is it? Whatıs happened? Huh?² His query trailed off and he looked up in surprise and wonder. Achika, his mother, had exited the building with a load of wash. Looking around herself at everyone she asked. ³Tenchi, who are all these people? Are they friends of yours? And why do you look so different? Where are the Chinese clothes that you usually wear? You know you remind me so much of your father when you wear them.² Tenchi stammered. ³M... Mom?² Noboyuki, Tenchiıs father, rushed out of the building at the sound of her voice. His gape of surprise froze there and became stuck even as an unseen wind seemed to blow dust from his body. In two seconds the man had disappeared utterly, wiped clean in a cleansing wind. ³Father!² Tenchi screamed out, staring at the spot where it had happened. Achika, not having seen Noboyuki at all, came rushing over to her son. ³Tenchi, whatıs wrong? You know your father isnıt here anymore. He died saving us all, you know that.² Tenchi stammered, not quite grasping it. He pointed. ³But... but, I just saw him right there!² Achika turned swiftly to the spot. ³Ranma? Ranma, are you there? Oh, *please* let it be true!² She ran over to the location, cupping her hands to shout. ³Ranma?!² She pivoted back to face her son. ³Was he in boy or girl form at the time?² Not waiting for an answer she ran off again, crying. ³Ranma! Come back, we need you!² Washu grabbed Tenchi by the ear. ³Cımon, we need to do some talking.² Soon the four of them were in Washuıs lab. The scientist plugged her remote unit into a power charger and addressed them while punching keys. ³I think we can clearly assume that the universe has been changed somewhere in our past, and it would seem to focus around Tenchiıs father.² ³But, dad...² Tenchi couldnıt get it. Washu directed a *look* at him. ³Tenchi, it would appear that in this present, your mother did not marry the man you know as your father.² ³What!?!² Boy, princess and space pirate cried out simultaneously. ³But what happened to Noboyuki?² Ryoko asked. ³It would appear that he did not fit this version of reality and was erased. The same would have happened to Tenchi had I not been able to stop it. Unfortunately, my machine did not have the power to save two people at once.² ³Then why are we still here?² Ayeka inquired. Washu keyed another control, looking back over her shoulder at the princess. ³Because our fates are all tied to Tenchiıs. If this temporal effect is able to rewrite him to the Tenchi of this new timeline, all of the rest of us will follow. ³Would that really be a bad thing?² Ryoko asked. ³I mean, Tenchiıs mom seems alot nicer than his father.² Washu leveled a look at her daughter. ³It would be bad because we have no way of knowing if any of us will still know him. You heard his mother ask if we were strangers. Are you willing to give up every chance you might have of marrying him?² Could any decision be more clear? Ayeka nodded primly. ³I will talk with Tenchiıs mother and ask how she first met this ŒRanma.ı² Ryoko rose with feline style. ³Iıll find out more about this boy-girl thing. Sheıs got to have some notes about it someplace, maybe in a diary.² Washu nodded. ³Iıll keep Tenchi here under surveillance. We havenıt got much time, so get back here quickly, both of you. Iıll finish my work on a time travel machine and try to get you back to the critical juncture. Temporal irregularity is a difficult thing to straighten. Itıs as easy to make things worse as better, but we havenıt got much time to get our plans right. Just hurry back with the critical information and weıll worry about the rest if we have to.² ***** A Place In The Past Katsuhito arrived on the scene just moments ahead of his daughter. Dropping to one knee he bent to examine the tracks. When Achika ran up behind he held out a hand. ³Stop!² Her father so rarely spoke with urgency that even the slightest hint brought total and instant obedience from his daughter. She watched as he traced hints of footsteps across the yard, following a slight pattern until he would up at Orchidıs discarded rainment. Finally he lifted the slashed garment and motioned Achika over to him. She came over immediately. Katsuhito held the garment for his daughter to see, waiting for her reaction. Swallowing her fear Achika examined it visually. ³Well, what do you see, daughter?² Achika gulped. ³Two cuts across the chest area, both very deep.² ³Anything else?² She shook her head helplessly. Her grey-haired father lowered the garment, adjusting his glasses. ³Very well Achika, now what do you *not* see?² Suddenly it came to her. ³Blood!² The daughter cried happily. ³Thereıs no blood! That means she must still be alive!² Katsuhito had hold of his daughterıs arm. ³Not necessarily.² He replied sadly. ³Achika, what I am about to say may seem a little strange. Come with me to the holy tree of our shrine and I shall make it clear to you.² Achika remained in a daze until they arrived at the very root of the tree, where it stood overshadowing its own small lake. Her father walked calmly across the stepping stones. Standing beside the bark he turned to face his daughter. ³Achika, for years I have pondered whether to tell you of this. Now, because of my hesitation Orchid may have been caught helplessly in the middle of something she did not belong in.² He lowered his face gravely. When he raised it a new fire had lit behind his eyes. ³Achika, your ancestors were not from this world. They were from a far away planet named Jurai. A great warrior, named Yosho, abandoned their royal family and came here seeking peace. Whether or not he found it is of no great concern, what is important now is that Orchid may have suffered for his having done this. You see, the royal family of Jurai is not without its enemies.² Achikaıs gaze was attentive, she did not interrupt. Her trust overweighed her concern. Katsuhito allowed the moonlight glinting off the lake to momentarily frost his glasses. ³You and I practice a sword art that is unknown on this planet, refined by generations of Jurain Knights and warriors who lived hundreds of years to perfect its technique. Other than you and I, and Orchid, none other has had training in this art here on this planet. It would be impossible for another to be familiar with its practice and be native to Earth. Yet when I was viewing evidence of the battle where Orchid was taken one of her attackers was clearly using this form.² Achika regarded her father. Never in her whole experience had he said an untrue word. She did not believe he would begin now. She trusted him in every thing that he said. Her father nodded, accepting this and acknowledging it without word. ³Now daughter, when I said our family was not without its enemies, you must believe that we have powers of our own as well. Spaceships and military have their place, but they are easily circumvented. Our family has remained the ruling force in the galaxy because the bloodline of Juraiıs royal family carries with it power far beyond the norm. With it we can perform feats like no other. There exist many weapons that only a descendant of Juraiıs bloodline can employ. I speak of this to you now because of the danger. For the weapons that cut down our Orchid were of this type, and of the type employed only by the most dangerous of space pirates. There is one other thing. The maiden who distracted you from the house wore on her brow a band of Jurain craftsmanship.² Achikaıs gaze hardened. Unkind thoughts about the woman who had led her away so that Orchid could be trapped were prominent and forceful. Katsuhito nodded. ³Those that cut down Orchid were of Jurain bloodline, as we are. Nor can it be denied that they had with them a space pirate of enormous power, equal to one I had thought safely locked away. That is something that I shall look into. But for now I see the need to begin another stage in your training. You must learn to use this Jurai royal power. I had hoped you would never see the need, but it seems that this hope was vain. Once before the family of Jurai was divided against itself, and the universe suffered as a result. But Orchid was a soul without ill intent. And any who would callously destroy her must in turn be resisted if the galaxy is to remain a place worth living in. We must arm ourselves. Then we will seek out the cause of this evil and extinguish it.² Achika nodded with fervent commitment. ³Come here, child.² Her father offered a hand. She came forward unhesitatingly and accepted it. He made her to stand by the tree and then addressed the wood. ³Funaho, begin memory tapes. From this time forth you are to answer questions that my daughter will put to you. Let her know the history of Jurai.² Katsuhito met his daughterıs eyes. ³That will be enough to start you.² With purposeful stride Katsuhito marched off through the hologram the tree had begun forming in proof of its otherworldly origin. There was a certain cave he had to revisit. A cave where a space pirate had been hidden. A space pirate whose methods had been *exactly* duplicated in the attack on Orchid. If the pirate still slumbered perhaps it was time he awoke Ryoko to question her about her rivals. There was no way those who had ambushed Orchid would escape his punishment. Even if it meant alliance with a pirate. ***** The Universe I Havenıt Identified Yet Dear Kasumi Since youıve been so kind in making my father and myself comfortable our first time in town Iıd like to thank you by pampering you for a day. Sleep in if you like. Iıve got your list of chores. You may rest assured that theyıll all get done. Ranma Kasumi returned the letter to her lap and looked at the now-empty tray. The vase was one she knew they didnıt own, and she couldnıt remember seeing anything like it in catalogs or stores. It seemed like colored glass inside and out, but whenever the light caught it just right dancing figurines of incredible detail could be seen etched within the strata of the perfectly formed glass. A half hour of playing with it, holding it steady and triggering the light display again and again, had yet to show the same figures. It was like a hundred scenes had been cut one on top of each other, each requiring a minute difference in the light to set it off from all the others. Kasumi knew that Nabiki would place its value at something like seven to eight times their entire familyıs combined assets. Kasumi knew that it was irreplaceable. The makerıs mark on the bottom said simply ŒRanma.ı Taking the sole, yellow rose that had been in the vase with her, Kasumi left the vase behind and went downstairs. Sounds of scrubbing encountered her as she came to the top of the stairs. When she was halfway down Ranma looked up from where heıd been cleaning their floor with a brush and a bucket of warm water. He tilted the headband heıd tied on to keep the hair out of his eyes and smiled up at her. A part of Kasumiıs mind was screaming. ŒHandsome, and useful too!ı Instead of acting anything out she merely smiled radiantly back at him. Her cocked his head adorably, remarking on her smile. ³But soft! What light from yonder stairway breaks?² Kasumi suppressed a giggle, ducking her head and blushing. Remembering her Shakespeare she mumbled. ³It is the east.² ³And Kasumi is the sun!² Ranma freely modified, coming theatrically up off his knees, gesturing grandly with an arm. ³Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon!² Happily embarrassed, the girl put a hand to her cheek and ducked her head. Ranma verbally pounced on the opening, pointing with a grand sense of show. ³See! How she lays a hand upon her cheek?² Her brought both fists before him in a gesture of hopeless longing. ³Oh, that I were a glove upon that hand, that _I_ might touch that cheek!² He returned from quoting before Kasumi had a blush that would betray her. Eyes twinkling in mischievous delight he nodded simply. ³Good morning.² Kasumi decided that she liked this young man. Well, more than sheıd thought sheıd liked him. While she was still being demurely embarrassed Ranma paused, allowing her the time, then addressed her. ³If youıd like, Iıve drawn a western-style bubble bath for you. You donıt have to worry about cleaning up after. Iıve got the bathroom to clean and this gives me a good excuse to scrub the tub.² With mild surprise and a completely new sense of wonder Kasumi swept off to the bathroom. A tub simply mountainous with a bubbly white froth greeted her. Face shining with delightful anticipation Kasumi reached a hand up to the throat strings of her nightgown. The garment slid down and she stepped into the tub. Even the temperature was just right. Nabiki slept the sleep of one reluctant to wake. The problem with being a person of strong emotional control was that the body knew that you did it. It also knew how much effort it took and that the only precious moments of rest were to be had in sleep, there was rarely a break to relax while awake. This meant that the body did not want to relinquish sleep a minute too early, and even then it did so grudgingly. Somewhere it found an extra margin of comfort and so slept in an extra half hour. That extra margin of comfort snuggled up closer to Nabiki and went back to sleep herself. There might come a day when the opening of Nabikiıs eyes could be felt on the stock exchanges around the world. But today was not that day. Waking blearily and with much regret Nabiki pulled the pillow in tighter to her body and wished the sun could be paid off. The pillow moved slightly. The surge of adrenaline had a difficult time piercing Nabikiıs veil of semi-consciousness. Mornings were typically rough for her, and her brain was reluctant to allow them. Anyway, emergency signals that would have sent a more high-strung person grasping for ceiling tiles merely caused Nabiki to reluctantly crack an eye open. She was sleeping with a redheaded girl in her arms. Recognizing the girl from the night before Nabiki dismissed it as a problem and went back to sleep. Orchid stretched and yawned. Nabikiıs room was soft and quiet, and most importantly the last to waken on most mornings. But the Tendo daughter had school, so the redhead stirred just a little. Nabikiıs eyes cracked open. Orchid gave her a daughter-to-mother style peck on one cheek, then relaxed and blinked intelligently at her. Nabiki came awake more easily than was her wont. Uncharacteristically, she smiled at her unexpected guest and gave her a sisterly squeeze before clamoring out over her. Nabiki felt good. She felt rested. She felt... LATE!!! As the panic began to set in she found she had another set of hands. Her pajama top disappeared even as she was pulling off her panties, articles of clothing were handed to her, some just appearing on her body as she fought to get on other things. Nabikiıs hair was brushed out and combed even as she fought to get on her socks, then her bookbag was in her hand as she rushed downstairs. Nabiki paused on the first step, looking back to the entrance to her room. The girl was standing there. Following an impulse she couldnıt have understood even the night before Nabiki rushed over and gave the girl a hug, then led her by the hand downstairs, noting absently that the demure girl was wearing one of her old dresses, filling it out cutely and with an overdose of charm. Nabiki led the girl into the kitchen, Kasumi was closing the last lunch box with a soft smile of supreme happiness. ³Hey, sis. You okay with setting another place for breakfast?² Kasumi looked back over her shoulder, noting both girls with a happy gleam. Then she giggled. Nabikiıs eyebrows shot up. Kasumi leaned back against the counter and hugged herself, speaking with her eyes closed. ³I wouldnıt mind at all, Nabiki. But I had nothing to do with breakfast. I just got done enjoying Ranmaıs *wonderful* gift to me. He got up very early and did everything for me. I had a bubble bath and watched the sunrise and got to relax and read in the garden. Ranma did my whole dayıs chores. Thereıs a note explaining that heıll be gone most of the day. I was wondering why there had been the extra packed lunch and a place at the breakfast table, though.² Nabiki smiled. This Ranma was turning out to be friend almost as fast as theyıd grabbed him as a love interest. Heıd even helped her with some financial work last night. The three girls migrated to the breakfast table just as a shriek lit up the morning from upstairs. ³AARRGHHH, IıM LATE!!² With a mild look of concern the demure redhead drifted upstairs. She drifted back down in only a moment holding a confused and disturbed Serenaıs hand. The youngest Tendo was fully dressed and all prepared for the day. Nabiki blinked. ³Say, sis. Did you fall asleep in your uniform again? Usually it takes you almost an hour under warp drive to get ready.² Serena directed a strange look to the redhead to her right but couldnıt find anything to say. They joined the others at the table and had a relaxed meal, just the girls. It was late morning. Genma and Soun sat out on the porch in deep discussion, arms and legs folded in utmost consternation as the clouds passed overhead. Genma was speaking. ³I donıt know what to do about the boy, Tendo. Heıs been unreasonable ever since we began this training mission.² ³Hmm?² ³Well, you know that I set out with the intent to teach him all of our martial artıs secret techniques. So no sooner did I have him away from his mother than I began training him in the dreaded Cat Fist.² ³How did that go?² ³Failed utterly, Tendo. The training calls for wrapping the pupil head to foot in fish sausage and dropping him into a pit of starving cats. When he comes out he is supposed to know the Cat Fist. Well, I got the cats and wrapped the kid alright, but when I dropped him in there was this flash of light and silence. After about an hour I got brave enough to open the pit.² ³What did you see?² The bald man raised glinting eyes. ³A sight so horrible it shocked me to my knees, my friend. Inside was Ranma, sitting on a burlap sack, petting a cat in his lap. There were close to a hundred felines in there. They hadnıt eaten in DAYS. Iıd expected them to turn on him like a swarm of piranhas, the book even says so. But no, heıd somehow unwrapped himself and given equal portions to each cat. They were purring, Tendo. My son didnıt have a mark on him.² ³So did he learn the technique?² Soun asked. Genma hung his head. ³No, Tendo. When I tested him his reflexes and strength were no greater than theyıd been before. He didnıt launch a *single* attack at me! At first I thought Iıd overestimated the amount of fish sausage to use. The following day I dropped him in wearing half the amount, but still he managed to defy me and distribute it to satisfy the cats. So next I bound him hand and foot with strong chains and greased his flesh with fish paste. Yet when I again opened the door he had managed to free himself and avoid harm.² Genma clenched his fists and wept in anguish. ³I explained to him for hours, for DAYS how a martial artists should willingly undergo hardship in order to master the art. Again I left the cats without food of any kind for days. I thought that when I threw my son in bound in unbreakable bands of fish jerky, steeped in fish oil and garnished with a light repast of smelt and dried sardines that it would prove unresistable. I even went so far as to add a dab of a special combination of cat nip and caviar to the inside of his arms and legs.² ³What happened?² Soun was solemn. ³At first I thought Iıd been successful. There was a terrible caterwauling from the inside of the pit. There followed sounds of combat. I was *certain* that the dreaded technique would be ours. It took only minutes for the sound to die down, and I opened the pit just seconds afterwards, ready to greet my son and congratulate him on his mastery. All around him the hundred or more cats had been killed.² Genma raised a steady glare toward his friend. ³But my son was lying on the sacks, unharmed. He was *whimpering*, Tendo. My own son crying over such a little thing!² ³Still, if he learned the technique...² ³Thatıs what I thought, too. So I tested him, but he was not the least bit better than before. Thinking perhaps that the technique was to be performed bound I retied him, but he was not able to block any of my kicks or punches, even when I tried my best, holding nothing back in hopes of shocking him into using the Cat Fist. In return he couldnıt lay a finger on me. The training was all wasted.² ³Hmm, what did you do?² Genma laughed a bit. ³What else could I do? Iıd borrowed cats from every person I knew to train my son in that technique. It didnıt matter that the alley cats were dead, but many of the others were pets. I grabbed Ranma and hightailed it out of there before my neighbors came searching for their animals.² He sobered and directed his gaze toward his friend in a no nonsense way. ³When we had gotten away I took a job as an assistant zookeeper. My thought was that maybe Ranma was too highly trained a martial artist to gain the most powerful technique from a bunch of wimpy alley cats. So I got a position as feeder for the great cat cages.² Soun looked at him in horror. ³What did you do?² Genma grinned. ³What do you think, Tendo? I repeated the training using lions pumas, tigers, leopards and jaguars. There was a great open cage where they were all fed. First I arranged excuses to get them all nice and hungry, then I opened all the intervening doors and threw Ranma in with the food.² Soun was startled. ³Waitaminute! You mean *youıre* the one in that article from ten years ago ŒCrazy Man Throws Son to Lionsı?² Genma nodded formally. ³Yes Tendo. Unfortunately some tourist witnessed the training.² He adjusted his glasses. ³Still, Iım not sure it would have succeeded anyway. The boy was able to escape my most clever bonds. Iıd never even seen him do it. Iıd just fling him in with a slab of steak on each side and the next thing I knew heıd be out without a mark on him. Once I even caught a redheaded foreign woman cleaning the fish paste off his face. The tigers didnıt get so much as a lick.² ³Still, it must have made him formidable, able to escape all those cats.² ³I was going to attack him and test it but he and the woman disappeared. I had to abandon the search to evade the police. Luckily Iıd used a false name when getting the job. But months later when Iıd finally tracked him down heıd improved, but not by enough to impress me. After all that work somehow heıd managed to evade learning the most dreadful technique in our art. From that point on I was disappointed in him.² ³Hmm, so what did you do?² ³I continued with the training, of course. But the boy had become hopelessly corrupted. Kind, polite to ladies, heıs even so well-mannered that he refused to steal in the interests of perfecting his art!² Genma wept at the shame of it all. ³Hmm, hardly the kind of training *we* went through. Is he even a master of Anything-Goes?² ³No boy who could work so hard to avoid training could master our style, Tendo.² Genma wiped tears from his eyes. ³Makes it hard to inherit the dojo. What do you say, Saotome?² ³Hard to say, Tendo. Maybe he could just be breeding stock while one of your daughters carried on the tradition.² ³No, none of them have achieved true mastery.² ³Hmm.² Both men pondered. Genma swarmed to his feet, clenching his fist he cried toward the heavens. ³Oh, the agony of having such a worthless son!² ***** That Place in the Future ³Captain, this course of action is extremely hazardous.² The black-haired alien warned. Kirk delt with the objection with his customary apolm. ³Spock, our mission was to investigate the near murder of a starfleet diplomatic member. Now weıve got a situation where that member has been kidnapped, apparently by the same force to cause to her injuries. I donıt see how this isnıt covered under our mission assignment.² The doctor crossed his arms. ³Yeah, except that diplomat also happens to be your daughter.² Captain Kirk sat into his command chair, looking directly ahead. ³Weıll catch up when weıre off duty. Mr. Scott?² He keyed the communicator on his chair arm. ³Aye, capıin?² ³Prepare for warp factor seven.² ³Kinne we go a wee bit faster, capıin?² The Scotsmanıs voice trembled with emotion. ³The wee bairn mae be in trubl!² The captain smirked. ³Are you sure your engines can handle the strain, Mr. Scott?² There came a flood of rich brogue so thick even another Scotsman would have difficulty following it. Followed by an emotion-laden, ³Aye, Iıll nurse Œem if ye was uv a minı ta gu warp elevın!² The captain nodded, turning off the switch and addressing his navigator. ³Mr. Sulu, set course for the Guardian of Forever. Warp Factor Nine.² ***** Universe C, Past The lock to this particular cave was several hundred years old. The fact that it still worked would have surprised one, unless that one also knew that it was of a material likely to be immune to hacksaw blade and bolt cutter for many thousands of years yet. The trouble it took painting it to look old was well worth not having questions posed about it, the old man felt. Turning the key and repocketing it in his robe Achikaıs father started down steps he had not traveled in 400 years, 300 years after he had originally imprisoned the demoness in there. The demoness, a space pirate named Ryoko. The gate yeilded under his ministrations, and the ancient warrior of planet Jurai strode soundlessly down the tunnel, noting absently through his passage that many of the traps heıd set anciently had been disabled by accumulated grit and the nests of small creatures. If fact the tunnel was unguarded all the way down to the seal room, where a huge stone hung suspended in mid air, held there by invisible powers. Calmly tripping the concealed release Achikaıs father retrieved the sword of ancient Juraian power that had served as the key to keep the energy complex locked. A wall opened from the seal chamber to the tomb, and the multiton boulder settled to the floor, signaling the release of the binding powers. The prison was unlocked. Katsuhito strode in, down the ramp of energy tiles and over a floor laid in a mosaic intented to imprison the space pirate forever. In the pool where her preserved body lay she was already beginning to stir. Katsuhito sat down to wait. ***** Again that Unidentified Place Four girls walked the familiar route from the Tendo house to Furinkan high. Kasumi walked with flowing steps, an attractive elegance at odds with the stark plainness of the regulation school uniform, but quite in harmony with her gentle good looks. Nabiki moved as she always did, motion outfitted to need. If there was cause to run, she would run, walk, she would walk. But it was locomotion pure and simple, if spiced a *little* bit by her sparkling spirit. Serena flowed. There were hardly any other words for it. She would be wherever she wanted to be and hardly appear to put any effort into it. While there were elements of her eldest sister1s grace and the next oldest's practicality, the whole blend was Serena1s. It was as if her martial arts practice had secretly flowed into all her other walks of life and she hardly needed to exert herself to cover short distances, her body being accustomed to vast ones. Still the three Tendo daughters felt like flowers to Orchid1s butterfly. The redhead would flit here and about, sniff this daisy, smell that rose, flit over to a window pot and exclaim with delight in her eyes at finding mint there. A puppy got petted and a kitten fed milk. Now the young girl had somehow produced a lollipop and was licking while her bright eyes took in everything around her. Heart bubbling, Orchid burst into song. ** "The day-dawn is breaking the world is awaking The clouds of night's shadow are fleeing away. The world-wide commotion from ocean to ocean now fleeing the light of the beautiful day! (Orchid spun in place, coming to rest on a pillar. With a conductor1s wand she tapped the base of her stand and conducted a chorus of songbirds, suddenly singing in human voices.) Beautiful Day, of peace and rest. Bright be thy dawn, from east to west! Hail to thine earliest welcome ray. Beautiful, Bright, and now joyful day!" ** The three Tendo girls looked on in joy at the bubbling girl suffused with joy and light as said person hopped lightly down from her perch. The cloud of songbirds now released to fly away in a glorious moment of gay and colorful plumage. After about a solid minute of standing and smiling their thoughts picked up where they had left and they resumed their walk toward school. In the depths of Nabiki's mind something logged that that was the first time they'd heard the girl speak at all, but the rest of her was so filled with warmth and energy that the matter did not seem very important. ***** Universe C, Future Tenchi swept into the Masaki home, princess and demon trailing behind. "I didn1t want this to happen, but I guess we had no choice. All I wanted was for Ranma to leave my mother alone. How could I lose control like that? I never wanted to kill him." Sasami cocked her head, having just entered the room from her duties in the kitchen. "...Ranma? I didn1t know you liked manga like your father." Tenchi recoiled. "I'm not a pervert like my father!" He did a double-take and stared at Ayeka's younger sister. "Wait, what's manga got to do with Ranma? How did you know about him anyway? You weren't here when..." Sasami looked puzzled at him and the two older girls who were staring at her in return. "Wait right here!" She called, turning on one heel and vanishing up the stairs. She came back just as quickly, carrying a manga which she gave to Tenchi. "Here! It just came out, and it's very popular!" Tenchi read dubiously for approximately a second before his eyes bugged out and he shouted. "WASHU!!!" To be continued... ************************************************ ************************************************ Author's Notes: To quote the estimable Saotome. "Here we go again." To those who said I couldn't make this any stranger, I leave it to the rest of you to judge. Have I? "The beginning of wisdom is the ability to always ask questions."