Mirrors Multiplied Part Thirteen Good Luck or Bad? by Jared Ornstead ===== No legal rights to any disclaimers were acquired for use in this production, therefore they have been omitted to avoid lawsuit. ===== Universe B, Home Universe Serena wobbled unsteadily as she tried unsuccessfully to balance on the short bamboo reeds. "I *still* don't see why we have to do this." She complained. Rae glittered, vaulting from the ground to the roof behind her. "This is why." The others gaped. "You can *do* that? But, you're *not* in..." Not in her Sailor suit, but they couldn't say it. Chad was watching. Rae vaulted down just as easily. "Ranma honey says he'll get me running across rooftops in no time. I'm *really* excited by all the training he's given me. And I wanted to share it with you. After all, we might have to defend ourselves from muggers or something, right?" "Emphasis on the *something*" she said low and close, so Chad couldn't overhear. "Are you sure this will work?" Amy wasn't enthusiastic. "Aw, c'mon gang!" Lita began jumping from pole to pole, spilling only occasionally. "If Ranma says it works... Besides, Rae didn't learn how to jump like that from watching TV." Mina jumped up on the poles, suddenly glad they were only a foot off the ground. "Oh. This *isn't* easy." ***** A Remote Place Outside Normal Time "The time stream is suffering from myriad disruptions." The leader of the council stated. "Our duty as the Guardians of time is being seriously compromised. If this state of affairs continues we will no longer exist." "Then send one of us to correct these problems." Another of the ruling council cried out. "Surely it cannot be that difficult to correct such a routine problem." "You are gravely uninformed," was the stern rebuke. "The disruption in question is an augmented Ranma Saotome." With a brief gesture he activated a holoprojector. As Ranma's features sprang up the leader continued. "In addition to his Jusenkyo curse he has lived several lives and has amassed an array of formidable skills. Among them an impressive level in the Martial Arts and the abilities of a Sailor Scout. Coupled with an ability to travel through time and dimensions he presents a great challenge for most of our august company." "He may be a challenge but we can surely overcome it. This body has defied many other threats, many of them much more menacing in nature." Another member of the council boasted. "This Ranma also has powerful allies. The deities in his own dimension have agreed to support his actions. Expect divine intervention working against you in this mission. No, we must send one of our most hazardous agents." The leader stated. Taking a deep breath he gave his decision. "We must send Doctor Where." "Doctor Who?" One of the younger members asked. "He's not powerful enough for this mission. Doctor Where is as good but also has many abilities not natural to a timelord. He indeed can fight this menace." A more experienced member of the council replied. He then raised his voice in objection. "This is too risky to send such an unstable, if powerful operative on such a delicate mission. Can we not simply repair the damage the Saotome boy has wrought on the timestream?" "I have already send many of our number to do just that," came the reply. "Unfortunately, as his interventions are benevolent in nature. Considerable opposition exists. Additionally, he is constantly moving to other dimensions and creating even more changes. We must stop him for compounding the damage he has already done and give the battered timestream a chance to heal." "Very well but Doctor Where? He is really best suited to the Historical Anomaly division." [eg where do the planes and ships in the Bermuda Triangle really go? They ended up in different star systems under the guidance of navigator, the timelord Doctor Where. Once a Hibiki get you lost you STAY lost.] "I agree but we have no choice." The leader answered. "To minimize detection by the local populace we have disguised your TARDIS as the most inconspicuous item we could think of, Doctor Where." The technician explained. "A port a potty?" The disbelieving timelord replied. "You expect me to travel through time in a port a potty?" "In the environment you are going no one will notice such a device." A much calmer voice answered. Dismissing the frightened technician, the leader of the council addressed his agent. "You will be returning to the late 20th century earth time to confront this threat to the timestream. This matter is of greatest urgency. So you will travel in the potty and like it!!" "......" "Your target is one Ranma Saotome. Currently residing in..." "Nerima ward, Tokyo." Doctor Where completed. "We have met, it was before I became a timelord." He explained to his audience. "Very well, I shall depart at once. Condition of target?" "To be retrieved alive and brought here for interrogation." "As you will" Doctor Where answered as he entered his TARDIS. Once inside he let his current form drop and assumed his natural self. "Ranma. I am coming for you. At last revenge will be mine." With a nasty smirk Ryoga Hibiki set a course for home. ***** Distant Future of Universe C, Except They've Been Time Traveling Too Spock looked up from his instruments. "Captain, we appear to have arrived within the last days of the Juraian Empire, before it perished for lack of an heir." Bones shifted uncomfortably, glaring at both the captain and the alien. "Well this is a fine mess. That means we've got, what is it? The space pirates that will destroy the Empire, the Galaxy Police cutters, all crewed by real beings instead of ghosts, holograms and automated systems." "And the Royal Navy of the Juraians themselves." Spock interjected, rising from his instruments. "Indeed, there are few periods in history that were quite so well armed." "It would seem then that our goal would be to avoid notice. Spock, how well does their technology compare with our own?" Jim asked. The alien considered. "Difficult to summarize, captain. We know very little about their culture save that the power of the Juraian's military was reputed to be quite vast, their nobility were credited with godlike powers, and the fact that very little of their technology survived the collapse of their reign. According to theory it was based upon organic pseudo-structures that were unable to survive without the care of their creators." "We also know that these space pirates were comparatively few in number, but that it was somehow arranged to isolate the few noble Juraians to a planetary backwater while the heart of the empire was destroyed." The captain contemplated in his seat. "Possibly just a failure of communications." The alien felt the need to add. The navigator turned away from his board. "That's right, captain. Even with subspace radios we do occasionally experience blackouts where one area of space has difficulty communicating with another. It's possible the pirates just waited until such an event happened around whatever backwater these Juraian nobles were vacationing in." The doctor folded his arms. "Not much there we could use, is there? I mean, how are we going to sneak around without anyone noticing us if *that's* what we have to go on?" Kirk thought for only a moment, then shot out of his seat. "Mr. Sulu, take us to Earth, best possible speed, keeping us to the fringes and outskirts and away from this period's normal traffic. Mr. Spock, what are the chances of the planet our diplomat was flung to being the same one these nobles are visiting?" The alien was unconcerned. "Infinitesimal, captain." James Kirk grinned. "Right. Uhura, monitor all frequencies. Perhaps we can learn something that will help us stay hidden. Mr. Spock, the bridge is yours." The doors of the turbolift closed over the energetic man. ***** Unidentified Universe which is actually part of Universe C Dr. Hibiki phased in his tardis at the appropriate time and place, appearing on a street corner near a construction site just outside a certain building where a man by the name of Genma Saotome was preparing a pit of cats. Leaving the tardis with his instruments, he went about taking readings. Then, with deceptive simplicity, he went about ruining someone's life. "Ranma," he muttered to himself in a rage. "Tonight you will only *begin* to pay for your affront against me!" He placed the last unobtrusively small device, then with a remote unit activated the field that generated. He spent an hour wandering over the site, kept from getting lost by an inertial navigator implanted behind his left ear. With a satisfied, malicious grin the timelord Dr. Where concluded that all was set. He looked in triumph to the building where a small network of devices were resonating a very specific temporal frequency, creating a field that would bounce a temporal traveler from this arrival point into a universe far, *far* worse. Ryoga allowed himself a fanged grin. "Ranma, for the hell you've made of my life... prepare to meet the real thing!" After Saotome had enjoyed a few years in the hands of merciless fiends would Hibiki phase in to take a much more tractable Ranma to meet the counsel. With an evil laugh Ryoga headed back to his tardis, only to discover that the construction workers had forced the door off its hinges and the inside was covered in scraps of toilet paper and human waste. Behind him a dimensional traveler presently going by the name of Orchid slammed through his resonance barrier and saved a young boy from getting devoured by cats. Up in Heaven Kami-sama nodded in response to the question in his daughter's eyes. Both looked back to the scrying window. Dr. Hibiki phased his tardis in carefully, then scanned the vicinity and peeked out for a careful look around. Controls inside were somewhat stained in spite of his and the repair circuitry's best efforts, but there did not appear to be a construction yard anywhere in the near vicinity. The lock holding the door shut had failed three times now to combinations of jackhammers, pneumatic drills, crowbars and welding machinery, and was now a trifle on the fragile side. He did not want to risk yet another bout of anxious construction workers determined to use the potty. Having to wait in line to get into his tardis was bad enough, cleaning it was worse. Thankfully, there did not appear to be any construction of any kind going on in this location. He found he was in a zoo. Seething, Dr. Hibiki left the disguised time travel device and scouted the area. His prey was easy enough to find. Ranma was still in girl form. She had changed out of her interstellar diplomat garb and was now dressed as an American tourist. Something beneath Genma's notice as that latter went about tying his son up in steak, sausages and other meat over the pit of lions. Dr. Where wasted no time. Orchid had slammed into his resonance barrier, its field still somewhat effected her. Pointing a new device that it had taken him weeks to create at her, Ryoga triggered a beam and the redheaded female was flung into the deepest pits of the Netherworld! Or so he thought. When he got back to his tardis an animal trainer had backed his elephant into it and now a gang of delinquent youth were taking advantage of this rest stop so far from the main buildings. Smoke billowed in faint wisps from tortured circuitry. ***** Random Universe 5 Orchid dropped hard through the dimensional gate and came down rolling on sand. Something about the transfer and the face of the one who'd forced her through it began eating at her mind. Somehow it seemed so familiar. Righting herself, the redhead smoothed her clothes and began walking casually away from the point of impact. It was a beach and there were people all around. Some were staring. So Orchid resolved to fade into the woodwork as quickly as possible. Three seconds later she was swimsuited, sunblocked, sunglassed, and walking around a section of beach away from the entry point, dodging her way casually through the deeper crowds in order to lose determined pursuit. Not that she was afraid of any. She was beginning to remember alot of things, in a hazy sort of way, and no one around here had the kind of chi signature to indicate enough martial arts training to trail her. Correction. Orchid's deep blue eyes focused in on a figure of trust and support. Two actually. A smile broke forth from her lips. Now she knew that everything would be alright. After all, wasn't that what she'd wished for? Orchid chewed her lip. The pair she wanted were pretty isolated. She didn't precisely want to leave the cover of the crowds to go out to them. Then, as luck would have it, she noticed another group heading out in that general direction. 'Twasn't but the work of a moment to blend herself in seamlessly with it. ...Keiichi grabbed the guy's arm, shouting. "Hey! You don't know what you're doing there. You're messing around with the Ultimate Force, pal!" Orchid almost hung her head. You *never* talk about things like that in public. Normal people never understood, and it just made you look foolish. Stepping in to cover her father's blunder Orchid dropped her glasses and reached in to grab the shirt front of the guy Keiichi was talking to. The mocking laughter cut off as the diminutive redhead lifted the strong man into the air by his shirt front. Drawing back a fist she warned. "He means *me*, pal! Now unless you want to go on the first unassisted flight to the moon you'd better apologize to my father!" "CUT!!!" Orchid looked around herself. Where had all those cameras come from? Were they invisible? How come she hadn't noticed them? Also, everybody was staring at her, most of them in shock, a few of them in rage. Orchid dropped the man she'd been holding and began backing a few steps away. A man was charging out onto the sands. "Akane Hakiko, who invited you onto this set? What are you doing interrupting in the middle of filming? This is more a stunt like I'd expect from that Ashida character. You're lucky we don't charge you for the whole day!" Orchid had no understanding of what was going on. She looked fearfully around herself. No support was to be found anywhere. Crying, she turned and leapt over a few beach umbrella clusters to the top of a lifeguard station, then made a running dive into the sea. The show director was taken aback. He looked around himself. Nobody else seemed to have missed it either. The object of his ire had made those leaps, and the cameras had NOT been running. Turning he looked back at the sea. Everybody knew that movie magic only functioned when the cameras were running. The cameras had not been running. Twenty minutes later the girl he'd *thought* was the actress Akane Hakiko had still not surfaced. On a different section of beach one of the swimmers who'd been out playing in the waves came in and showered herself. Orchid was still badly shaken. But in 'stealth' mode it was unlikely that anyone but Belldandy could trace her. Why had they all reacted like that? What had that man been talking about? The name Akane seemed vaguely familiar. But why hadn't the goddess recognized her? One thing was certain, she was nearly ready to die of the strain and confusion. Well, time enough to shelf the real concerns and do something where she could unwind. She'd just finished swimming, and that hadn't helped, what she was really in the mood for was swings, only they never made them big enough for adults to really play on, so that left... In an amazingly short time Orchid was off the beach and stepping out onto the ice of a local skating rink. "Do you know what could have happened to that girl?" Miko, the actress who played Belldandy, asked of her companion. "I don't know, Miko." Keiichi's actor replied. The director had been so concerned that he'd canceled shooting for the day while local lifeguards combed the area for a body. Everybody was dreading that they'd find one. The scared and hunted look on the girl's face as she'd fled hadn't left anyone feeling good. Topper felt particularly bad. The girl had honestly thought something was wrong and was stepping in to defend him! He continued. "I mean, it made me feel like a lousy rat when she searched my face there at the end and I'd been too surprised to give her any support. Only the fact that I'm not that much of a swimmer keeps me from being out there looking for her with the lifeguards. I feel like I betrayed her." Miko smiled, though she herself was concerned. She confided. "I feel a little responsible too. Maybe there was something we could have done, but it was just so unexpected." Topper nodded again. "Yeah. It was over in, what? A second? Even that? We didn't have much time to adapt to what was going on, did we?" The pair arrived in silence at the cafe they'd picked out. It was one of those high-class places that wasn't all stuck up about itself, nicely situated with a view of the beach from the balcony and a view into an indoor skating rink on the shore side. Topper recalled briefly his sister recommending it for `this sort of thing.' They both went away from the beach side by unspoken agreement, sitting next to the plate glass window that allowed a view of the skaters inside. A waitress took their orders and both performers sought brief peace by looking in the window. Their jaws dropped wide open. Orchid danced. The ice had been cleared long ago, people being reluctant to detract even in the slightest from the amazing show. Orchid briefly recalled that she had once had a career in ballet, and that other times she had taken to competition figure skating, never losing a match. All that was kind of background as she let her body flow through the moves. The outright impossible she reserved for limited use, to spice a display of profound grace so awesome that her fighting style was clumsy as an ox by comparison. If she seemed to float, it was because more accurate and stronger words did not exist to describe it. If she spun, that was because the tongue would fail to express any words that could adequately come close to the fluid passion of motion she described. As she danced the ice became a fairy world where the unexpected was the ordinary, the wondrous became commonplace. It was an explicit and beautiful fantasy that existed without words, without sound. A breathtaking pass into a higher realm. She cried. The audience wept with her. Stoic Japanese businessmen stern before the worst provocation fountained tears while clasping strangers they did not know to their bosoms for comfort. Orchid shed tears softly as she danced the ice. It was a healing time for her, something that needed to be done. Something she'd longed to do, something that in a way she had to do. She wept for a boy she had not been there to save from the lions, to raise as a little brother, confident, and friend. Orchid wept for a father sailing throughout the stars in a large and lonely ship, among friends and yet alone. She wept her greatest tears for an old man and his daughter, people who had a great hold on her heart, who had loved her and saved her, but now she would see again nevermore. She cried tears for friends long gone, for memories alone, for loved and living family that was both all that friends could be and more. But, once that was all cleared away, she ceased to let it trouble her. Orchid took off and danced a song of enduring love, of friendships won and defended against all odds, hurts healed and loving homes, parental arms and flying high on swings and ropes and leaps. She sang the joys of childhood, opening her voice softly, yet with a power that penetrated and endured. In the ten minutes that it took, those who'd skated with her aged a thousand lives and returned to youth again that morn. They were, not one of them, the same as when they'd entered the skate center for a mild activity. And not one of them could express it. Orchid then missed a step and fell onto her bottom. Legs and skirt flaring out on the ice she skidded to an embarrassed stop. She got up sheepishly and pushed off, this time returning to the normal world with the rest of them and merely doing a few normal routines. The spell, if that was what it was, was broken. People began to shake themselves and darted glances around to make sure no one had noticed their little daydream, amazed and convinced by the strange power's very intimacy that it had to have all been merely a fancy, that nothing really had happened outside of their own minds. Even skating conspicuously within the bounds of normalacy Orchid was wonderful, and that was when the two actors sat down. "Isn't that her?" Topper asked excitedly. "It could be." Miko said hopefully, then later in a disappointed frown. "Oh no, I guess not. See, there's another of the Ranma cast. I'd forgotten they were filming on this island." Both watched as the actor who played Mikado Sanzenine flowed out onto the ice. Orchid was joined by a figure who was almost as good on the ice as she was in `normal' mode. She shone slightly as he joined her, smiling up at him. "Mikado." He joined her with a kiss. She made allowances. Mikado had fewer quirks than Tatewaki, was saner than Kodachi, calmer than Mousse, an all-around better fellow than Ryoga, and was one of the least perverted of her old friends. In fact she felt sorry that they hadn't gotten along better at their first meeting. Well, she said that to herself, but in part it was she'd always felt badly about breaking up his wedding nuptials. Curse or no curse, changed pasts or no, there was no way *she* was going to end up a bride! Orchid blinked a moment, wondering where that thought had come from. Curse? Something was familiar about that. "So thoughtful, my dove?" Mikado asked, having skated with her flawlessly for many long moments. "You know, Akane, I'm sorry my tour with the troupe won't be longer." Orchid shook her head thoughtfully. "Not Akane. That's not *my* name." Her skating partner accepted that with a twitch. She was *that* bitter about not getting the part of her namesake in this series? How angry could you get about not getting the part that coincidentally had your same first name? "Well, okay. I didn't know you were into method acting before. So which do you prefer, Ranma or Ranko?" A very large part of memory came returning, trailing disconnected streamers. The redhead smiled, quoting words from long ago with only partial understanding. "I go by Ranko when I'm a girl." "I should have guessed." Mikado replied, holding her lightly by the waist as they executed a maneuver that would have broken the necks of less talented skaters. They did it backwards. Ranko, for her part, was only too grateful to have some part of her memory of self restored. Doubling this gratitude was the fact that the stadium was being partially emptied of the crowd who had seen her showing off. Fewer witnesses of her lapse meant a better chance for it to be ignored. Film crews were now moving in and placing cameras. Apparently the whole rink had been rented for the filming of something, but nobody seemed to be moving to evict her from the ice. Electing not to worry about it, she permitted Mikado to lift and spin her, adjusting his touch with a light pressure of her own so that they flew an extra twelve feet in the later leap. He spilled badly and she barely managed to catch him in time. He laughed partially at himself, grinning. "Ha, remind me to try that one with the cameras running sometime. I don't usually attempt to fly twenty feet at a jump." To Orchid that was wrong. Martial artists, even martial figure skaters, routinely flew twenty *yards* or more on a leap. What was it that was so wrong with everyone she'd met here? She resolved to fade a bit more into the background until she found out more. Outside, a good distance away in a different building, a pampered actress by the name of Akane Hakiko, accustomed to getting most things she asked for and bitter about not getting the part she'd wanted, lay in her sumptuous bath quite aware that she was going to be late for shooting, and pleased with how much that would annoy certain people she didn't like. Topper and Miko looked in through the window, aware of the crowds that would like to get in closer and glad that they had gotten good seats early. "It looks like they're filming a new episode!" Miko said excitedly. Keiichi's actor concluded that his date was quite a Ranma fan. Topper watched the crews set up with interest. From the outside like this it was easy to spot eddies and flows he'd missed in his own experiences. This was exciting! Even knowing what was to happen beforehand it gave him a thrill to sit there watching it being made. More of the Ranma cast entered. Ranko helped a fatigued Mikado over to a seat off the ice where he could rest and regain himself for whatever was supposed to happen now. Her beautiful face lit up when she saw many of the people gathered there, then flattened again when she realized something was quite wrong. Ryoga was sitting next to a cage holding what looked like *him* in his black pig form, eating pork and grinning evilly at the porker. Asuza was getting along splendidly with other females and hadn't lunged at a single cute thing in sight. Ranko was passing by there and Asuza nabbed her. "Akane, I'm worried. You know our director. He hasn't pulled anything in three whole days. What could be going on?" Orchid sighed. "Please don't call me Akane. I don't want to go by that name, ever." Asuza blink-blinked. Orchid essayed a wane smile. "Call me Ranko?" Asuza smirked knowingly. "Method acting?" "It would make me happy." Orchid/Ranko ventured. Asuza bobbed a nod in a very friendly way. "Sure, I'll let everyone know. Why don't you take a break from the ice now? I saw what you were doing out there, you're probably all worn out. You want me to go with you to get a treat? They've kept the snack bar open." Ranko looked over to the rinkside eatery. She was beginning to adapt herself. They were obviously filming something, and it looked like her friends were all involved in it. Seemed harmless. She grinned and went with the pretty skater over to the counter, both ordering enormous sweets. Brown-haired Asuza floated into her seat in a plethora of curls. Ranko joined her with a pretty bounce. Both dug into their ice creams and gave out identical sighs of pleasure. They barely had time for a little chit chat before Asuza was dragged away by the costumers, apparently tight jeans and a `southern bell' blouse were not considered appropriate attire for the next scene, though nobody complained over Ranko's usual pants and chinese shirt she'd thrown on over her skating costume. Breath belonging to someone arrogant enough to believe they were God's gift to women began breathing on Ranko's neck. A hand snaked up under one arm and went to grab her breast. She removed her fist from impact position to watch *Ranma* sail backward through the air to impact upside down on the far wall of the stadium. With a groan he slid down behind the retaining barrier, falling completely out of sight in a place where no one was likely to go. Ranko dropped her arm and blinked around in fright. Everyone had been distracted by something out over on the ice, nobody saw. What was going on? That had been an anti-Happosai punch. Ranma threw them so often he shouldn't even have noticed dodging it. And what had the grab been for? A joke? He was her *brother* for pete squeaks! That's it, he must have been teasing. Suddenly she felt sorry for hitting him. Whatever it was over by the ice came to it's conclusion and film crewers began setting up a small table with two of Akane Tendo's friends. One man with a clipboard came to Ranko's table. "Sorry miss, you know the rules. No major characters allowed in background shots. You'll have to move and come back later." She nodded obediently and began to relocate. The stage hand grabbed her shoulder. "Hey, do you know where Ranma is? He's due up at the rink for the next shot." Ranko spied a cup of hot water and nodded. "I'll send him." "This is rather exciting to watch from the outside, isn't it?" Belldandy's actress glowed. The pair of them were enjoying long desserts while watching the scene inside. Topper nodded, happy. "Yeah, it's a lot less work this way." They both laughed. Male Ranko filtered through the crowd and ended up right next to Ryoga, both of them with a pair of skates. A man in a tee shirt and suit pants grabbed them both by the shoulders from behind. "Now remember, I *promise* the movie magic will work for this. We start the cameras, you lace up, step out on the ice, and you'll sail like angels. Go for it!" With a slap on each of their shoulders he was gone. Somebody called "Action!" and Ryoga was lacing up with continual evil looks cast aside to Ranma. Orchid/Ranko/Ranma sighed and did his/her best to ignore him. They finished lacing at the same time and both stepped out, Ryoga yelling fiercely. "Let's go!!!" The Lost Boy spilled backward so badly he almost beheaded himself on the launch step. Male Ranko sailed around him, doing a good impression of Peter Pan's effortless flight on the ice. A bit of memory was stirring. "So, Ryoga. What was that about a skate off?" "RANMA, stop picking on poor Ryoga!" No need to guess who *that* was, Orchid thought, sucking in his upper lip a bit. He swiveled into a beautiful spin and started to do slick-surface martial arts katas while Akane Tendo skated out. "Really, Ranma, how can you be so inconsiderate? It's obvious that he's never skated before. How *dare* you lure him into this? You probably knew all about him never being on ice before. Honestly, how can you be so cruel?" "I don't *care* if it's not what I planned for this. Keep rolling!" The director hissed to his cameraman. `Ranma' looked back over his shoulder. "Yeah? Well I suppose that it takes a flatchested tomboy to figure all this out." He waved an arm. "You'll notice my ingenious plot seems to have fooled everyone else. Cut it out, Akane. He's the one that challenged me to this. You'd have figured even pig-breath here woulda been smarter than that." "I swear you can be such a jerk, Ranma." "Man, I wish I'd never met you." Orchid stiffened and braced at her own careless statement, but relaxed when she recalled that she no longer carried a Destiny Ring. Suddenly her face was mallet-deep in the ice. ***** Universe C, Past "Ryoko." "I saw." The demoness half-pulled herself out of the pool of energized liquid. "I too had been watching that girl. She'd made me feel... something, I don't know what, but I liked feeling it." "I need to know what other of your competitors or compatriots could have done this." "None. You may not know this Yosho, but I was a one-of-a-kind creation. I don't have any compatriots, and none of my competitors could have duplicated my style. I don't know who impersonated me down there, but they're going to regret it." "Did you see the fight?" "Yah, I'd been sending my astral body wherever that redhead'd go. I... liked her. She... anyway, yah, I saw the fight. Somebody who looked like me and some kid I didn't recognize. Ayeka served as distraction." "Ayeka. Yes, I recognized her. I should very much like to know why she was involved in this." The demoness climbed fully out of the pool, facing the Juraian warrior. "Yosho, I don't like what you did to me. I don't like it at all. But if you need any help in avenging Orchid... I'm your demon." "Do you swear?" "Yes I swear it!" Yosho, self-exiled crown prince of Jurai, one of its greatest warriors and now a lowly shrine priest with a daughter, assumed a mantle he had put off a long time ago and stood as the warrior he had always been. "Here are your gems, Ryoko. Let us collect Achika and go seeking my sister. Maybe Ayeka can explain to us why one of the most innocent flowers of this world had to be assassinated." To be Continued... ************************************************ ************************************************ Author's Notes: Credit must go to the Scuzzy one for the idea of Ryoga as Doctor Where and a portion of that text (including all mistakes you can find - really). The Anime as filmed by Japan's Hollywood idea was stolen (with permission, darn it!) from Stepping Into Keiichi by Delany Brittain, whose characters for Miko (Belldandy's actress) and Topper (Keiichi's) were used by me without shame or remorse. As for anything else, either find it on Celeste's most excellent webpage at: http://www.fortunecity.com/skyscraper/seagate/131/mirrors/ or go without. Keep your comments to yourselves. I'm tired. At present all my spare energy is devoted toward the excellent goal of not dying. And supposing I can succeed in that endeavor (which I have no real doubt of) you will be hearing more from me in due time. I think maybe I'll try competing with Zen over who can take longer to get their next installment out.