Urd breathed a slightly depressed sigh of disappointment. She glanced around the room to see if anyone had heard her sigh. Apparently, no one had. Being careful this time not to let anyone hear her, Urd quietly snorted and went back to watching the television. Things had been unusually quiet since Ranmira had taken her leave to go back out on assignment. Skuld hadn't wanted to start up another argument, and Belldandy and Keiichi were... well, boring old Belldandy and Keiichi. But little Ranmira was turning out to be a different story. Despite others' claims to the contrary - including whoever at Ranmira's Goddess Relief Office had run the physical and psych tests on her... those fools wouldn't notice a personality shift if it walked up and stared them in the face - Ranmira had changed. No. *Was* changing. Maybe spending all that time as part of a hotshot Mortal martial artist with no idea she was a Goddess or link to her own memories whatsoever had led to Ranmira unknowingly absorbing some of the boy's traits into herself. That wasn't a bad turn of events; the 'original' Ranmira had been a copy of sorts of Belldandy, as Urd usually described her, not to mention being reserved and quiet. Ranmira had been given the role as the Goddess of Change because the role required someone who knew how to influence exactly the right amount of change at the proper times, not spend and influence change needlessly or withhold change for longer than was necessary. And Ranmira had done well at her job, at that. The role of Goddess of the Future had already been passed down to someone who better met the qualifications - younger sister Skuld, as Urd was now Goddess of the Past and Belldandy was Goddess of the Present. To that end, the four sisters were grateful to hold positions that had something to do with one another. None of them wanted to spend much time apart from her sisters. And they hadn't... at least not intentionally. Ranmira's disappearance had perhaps affected Skuld the most; the youngest of the four sisters became even more determined to make sure there were no bugs in the system anywhere she went. She had no desire to keep her feelings to herself as her older sisters seemed intent on doing. All four shared something of a semi-telepathic link with each other, however, and could occasionally sense whenever one of them exhibited a strong show of emotion - or worse, whenever one was temporarily absent from that link... It was the former that brought Urd's head up all of a sudden. "Hey - did you feel that?" she asked Belldandy and Skuld. Keiichi blinked. "...What...?" hesitated Skuld. The sense had caught her squarely off-guard. Belldandy's sharp intake of breath told Urd she'd sensed it, as well. "That was...... Ranmira." Expressing an emotion that felt like... *anger*? "Something's up." Urd's expression darkened. "I'm going to see if I can't find out what's going on." She turned toward the television set and walked into the picture tube, leaving the others to make their own travel arrangements. Anger. Definitely not normal behavior for her little sister. Not only was Ranmira obviously changing in terms of personality, it looked as though she might be changing faster than she should be. Urd hoped Ranmira wasn't on the verge of lapsing into a personality disorder. An Aa! Megamisama / Ranma 1/2 Crossover Instruments of Change Part Three written by Mike Koos ------------------------ Marller instructed her body to remain still while she kept a nervous eye on Ranmira. Sure, she hadn't expected her little scheme for putting one over on the young Goddess leading Ranmira to become *this* angry and ready to blast her, but Marller had been in these types of situations a number of times in the past. All she had to do was wait for her opponent to fire off the energy the Goddess was currently charging up and then make her move. "*Marller*--!!" yelled Ranmira, as she projected a globe of pure lightning at the demon. Who made a dive for the sword Ranmira had blasted out of Kunou's hands while this new attack blew a notable hole in the yard's outer property wall. She scooped the sword up and, placing it back into its scabbard, ran toward the newly-created exit. "Hey, thanks!" Marller called without looking back. "Say hi to your sisters for me, okay?" Ranmira fumed. "Come back here! You've got to answer for what you've done!" She broke into a run after her target. It took two minutes for Akane to find her voice. "...Nabiki-oneechan?" she asked, not taking her eyes from the hole through which Marller and Ranmira had left the yard. "What just happened?" Another second, and she was on her feet. Nabiki could only offer her sister a shrug. Currently, the most difficult questions to answer in this district were the ones wanting an explanation for any of the weird occurrences that plagued it. Even Nabiki had to admit she didn't have the answer to every last one of those questions, much as she would have liked to. Jhusenkyou curses? An infinite number of martial-arts challenges? One would-be fiancee after another? A girl with unusual markings on her face - who just happened to look like *Ranma* - throwing lightning at a woman who also had unusual markings on her face? "You're asking me? Why don't you ask Ran-- that girl?" Whoever in the world she happened to be... The other paused. To do that, she would have to chase after the strange pair, and for the first time Akane wasn't all that eager to follow. "Okay, then. Any idea who they were?" "What do you think?" Akane closed her eyes and sighed. Behind them, the image on the television in the family room changed to static and a dull hum came from the set. Nabiki peripherally glanced back at it. How would it look if the one person who always told everyone to conserve electricity was seen leaving a television running with no one watching it? A pair of hands pushed themselves forward from within the television screen. What? Nabiki blinked. Blinked again. Rubbed her eyes to make sure. Was she seeing things? Considering all the nonsense she had to put up with, that was always a good possibility. But when she looked again, the hands were still there. Except now the hands were attached to arms... shoulders, platinum-blond hair - a head? Someone was actually pulling her or himself *out* of their television? Startled, Nabiki gasped. "Impossible!" Akane had come to see what held her sister's attention. "It's... a ghost! Or - or a demon!" Nabiki wasn't sure why she refused to believe that. Akane saw this 'ghost' as well, so her mind was either playing one incredibly elaborate practical joke on her or there really *was* someone entering their house through the television set. The woman, who came to land neatly in a crouch, stood. Nabiki took the opportunity to analyze what kind of person their new 'guest' might be. Platinum hair, well-tanned skin that put their principal's sorry attempt at a tan to shame. Green eyes that were alert and already searching for information. A face which held a hint of a devious nature... On that face was a triad of amethyst markings: one large, inverted triangle adorning her forehead, and one smaller triangle tucked behind and to the side of each eye. Markings quite similar to the ones Nabiki had caught a glimpse of on the face of the girl that had taken Ranma's place. Now, *what* was going on here? Urd's expression fell slightly when she noticed Akane and Nabiki staring at her. She shrugged. "Uh...," Urd sheepishly began, approaching the pair. "Have either of you seen a... um, girl with red hair, braided pigtail, pass by here?" Nabiki pointed toward the hole in the property wall. "She left through that hole. She was chasing after a woman... I think her name was 'Marller' or something like that." When the Goddess' lips formed a tight frown, Nabiki figured she'd gotten the name correct, or close enough. Urd scowled. She could still sense some of Ranmira's energy lingering on the edges of the hole she'd created. What in the Planes would make Ranmira angry enough to risk fighting Marller alone? The demon was a problem even with Belldandy and Skuld present! "Thank you," she nodded, heading for the hole. "If she returns, could you tell her her sister is looking for her?" "Okay," Nabiki answered. Only after Urd had taken her leave did the realization of what she had said strike Nabiki and Akane. "*Sister*!?" they both exclaimed in unison. Well, at least she wasn't another fiancee come to claim Ranma. So far. blinked Nabiki. Meanwhile, Akane's thoughts were racing. Was the Ranma they had brought home with them from the training trip the *real* Ranma? If not, then who was the girl? A substitute? Who was the woman who claimed to be the girl's sister? Or the other woman - Marller? - whom the girl had tried to blast? And the most crucial question of all, where *was* the real Ranma? She sat on one of the larger rocks bordering the koi pond and peered in, any thoughts of joining the chase temporarily forgotten. This was rapidly becoming far too out of the ordinary... even in a neighborhood where strange events were relatively common. Elsewhere in the yard, a slightly-charred Kunou Tatewaki continued to lie face-down on the ground in unconsciousness. Urd found that there were barely any signs of the chase for her to follow. Who better to know that than Urd? She had earned countless reprimands for her reckless behavior in chases with Marller. As far as she could tell, Ranmira was only chasing Marller everywhere. Whatever the case, she'd had to take a little over half a dozen shortcuts to place her within range of her sister - as best as she could estimate on the spur of the moment. There; she could feel it, was coming closer to it. Ranmira's emotional presence. Little sister wasn't blasting things recklessly, but she was upset enough to do it. She spotted Marller running - running? - through the street ahead of her, and Ranmira dashing after her. Urd sprinted to catch up to her sister. Urd snorted, but instantly regretted it as she was becoming short on breath. Ranmira registered surprise at the sight of Urd matching pace with hers. "Oneesama!" Urd took a few short breaths and switched to hovering. "Have you been... *running*... like this... all over the district?" A faint blush rose on the younger Goddess' cheeks. "I... it appears I have." "Guess you picked that up from your 'alter ego,' too, huh?" Blink. "'Too?'" "We'll talk about it later," Urd gestured toward Marller with her head. "What I want to know is why you're out here chasing her. We felt your anger, you know." For a second a small measure of guilt replaced Ranmira's blush. She was silent for half a block. "Marller... Do you remember the Kunou boy I told you about?" "The guy who hasn't got a clue? Yeah." Ranmira was attempting to keep her temper in check, Urd saw. "She gave him the Dalanis Sword." Urd paled. "She did?" No wonder Ranmira was upset! Not one week after her restoration and Marller was already trying to ruin her assignment by handing such a dreaded weapon to the innocent Mortals around her! So, what *else* was new? "Can I join in?" asked Urd. "I've still got a few scores of my own to settle with her." "Be my guest." Urd loosed a force-ball the size of a softball at the fleeing demon to make her presence known. Marller swore under her breath. Why did it seem that no matter where she popped up, Urd was always among the first to show up and interfere? Ranmira was holding her shots - the kid was afraid of damaging anything or anyone *but* her target - but Urd would not. Time to show the little red-haired Belldandy wanna-be what a *real* fight was. She pivoted to her side, intending to fire off three blasts of her own at her pursuers. Urd, long since used to this tactic, saw the blasts coming and prepared to push Ranmira out of their way... however, Ranmira was already well out of the path of the blasts. A single bolt of lightning followed immediately by another was Ranmira's response to the attacks. Both bolts came within inches of striking Marller. "Not bad," she yelled. "She's better than you, Urd." Urd frowned and fired off a matched set of force-balls. No sooner had Nabiki set her camera on the family room table than she heard what sounded to her like Kasumi's voice, announcing herself at the front gate. Wait... wasn't Kasumi in the kitchen? When had she left the house? And why would she announce herself at the gate? "Oh! We have guests." That sounded like Kasumi, too; this time from the kitchen. She was going to have to tell Kasumi how ridiculous it was to throw her true voice to the door and pretend it was someone else... Naturally, it came as a surprise when Kasumi led two guests - a young man and woman - into the family room and offered them seats at the table before Nabiki reached the door. "Nabiki, Akane? I would like you to meet our guests. This is Morisato Keiichi," Kasumi said, indicating the young man, "and this is his friend, Belldandy. Those are my sisters, Nabiki and Akane." Keiichi fumbled a lame "Hello," while Belldandy merely beamed. There wasn't much about Keiichi that stood out, in Nabiki's opinion. It was Belldandy that caught her attention. Belldandy's face had an innocent, almost angelic quality to it, helped in part by the sandy-brown hair falling in curious angles about her face. Most important of all was the fact that Belldandy also had three distinct markings on her face, like the two 'sisters' that had come before her. Belldandy was probably another member of the family. So how did *Ranma* fit into this mess? Nabiki was about to put her interrogation skills to the test when a column of light rose from the koi pond, carrying within it a young raven-haired girl in pink-toned clothing with a strange metal hammer strapped to her back - and *another* variation on the by-now familiar markings. The girl levitated to the edge of the koi pond and lowered herself until her feet rested upon the ground. She glanced about her to gain her bearings and caught sight of Belldandy and Keiichi. "Sorry I'm late," apologized Skuld. "I got a little lost on the way." Keiichi studied her. Skuld, get lost? She knew the specifics of the data related to Ranmira's assignment better than any of them! There had to be a different reason for her being late. "So, how's the ice cream at 131's today?" "Great!" the young Goddess enthused. "I-- HEY! How did you know I went there?" "I can see the little pink plastic spoon sticking out of your pocket." At that, Skuld's face reddened in embarrassment. "More importantly, how are we supposed to explain your entrance to these two?" Nabiki smirked. "Oh, that's nothing. I mean, considering that your sister pulled herself out of the TV not too long ago..." She intentionally let her voice trail away. Only Keiichi seemed to show much of a reaction. "Oh, dear," Belldandy said at almost the same time as Kasumi. Nabiki found it hard to believe that someone else could match Kasumi's voice so well without trying. "So who are you people?" Leave it to Akane to get right to the point. "And what's going on here?" Belldandy smiled again. "I am Belldandy, this is Keiichi, and that is my youngest sister, Skuld," she gestured toward Skuld. "As for your second question... we cannot answer that, at least not until our sisters return. Please, I hope you understand." Akane felt the same lack of desire to argue with Belldandy as she had when she'd confronted Ranma earlier. Nabiki frowned. Somehow, she could tell these three were going to follow through with their promise not to reveal anything. Well... maybe Keiichi could be persuaded. But Belldandy and Skuld? She doubted it. she thought. Ranmira was beginning to tire. With Urd present, the chase had been escalated into a true fight and she'd been forced to expend more energy than she had planned in trading shots with Marller. When this was over, she was going to need a rather long nap. She was grateful for Urd's presence, though. Her eldest sister's force-ball attacks were more powerful than her lightning blasts in the long run. Urd could also charge her attacks faster than Ranmira could and in higher numbers. But Urd, too, was tiring. Urd chided herself for thinking such a thing. Of course, since they were both wearing themselves out, Marller would soon be able to cut the chase short and escape - she was fully aware that if a Goddess used up too much of her power at once in this plane, she could be left in a vulnerable position. Urd and her sisters usually fell into a deep sleep while their powers were being recharged, if there was no other way. But Urd doubted they were going to encounter a large cache of sake for her or the chocolate Ranmira favored, soon. That was the reason why Marller had allowed herself to lead them on this erratic chase through the streets of Tokyo; she was letting them waste all their energy, and once they collapsed from exhaustion... *then* she would vanish for parts unknown. Leaving them in a pile on the street was more embarrassing and enjoyable than anything Marller could think to do to them in their state of vulnerability. Urd knew that Ranmira wouldn't want to let Marller escape after what the demon had done, so asking her to break off the chase was out. Never mind that there would always be more chances to confront Marller... What could she do, then? Urd wondered. There had to be a way for her to bring this to an end. Marller was running up a flight of stone stairs ahead of them. Only when the strange tingling sensation overwhelmed her did Marller realize what she had done. She had blundered into the courtyard of a Shinto shrine. As Urd and Ranmira followed her up the steps, a priest approached her. "Welcome to our shrine, Miss. Would you like to buy a good-luck charm?" Marller screeched and vanished in a turbulent cloud of sulfuric smoke. The priest was at a loss for words. "Congratulations," Urd told him. "You've just exorcised your first demon." Ranmira rolled her eyes in disbelief. It was sunset by the time Urd and Ranmira found their way back to the Tendo home. They had taken a detour en route so that Urd could pick up a few bottles of strong sake for her along with a handful of chocolate bars for Ranmira from a shop, for a quick energy boost, a choice which Ranmira tended to regret - it was always difficult to keep her eldest sister from getting herself drunk. "Can I have the third bottle now?" Urd asked her, the slight slur with which she drew out her words barely noticeable. Ranmira kept her eyes focused on the walkway ahead of them. "I'll think about it. You know, it will be better if you keep sober." "Some fun *you* are," the older of the two Goddesses snorted. Already, Ranmira was reverting back to her Belldandy-emulation mode. "Who said this was supposed to be fun? Marller could have caused a lot of people to *die* with her scheme!" "Party pooper," Urd maintained, having no adequate reply. Ranmira closed her eyes and sighed. "I give up." As they crossed through the front gate, Nabiki's voice came to them. "Okay, then. Surely you can tell us when you think your sisters will be back." Ranmira glanced at Urd. "The others are here." "Wonderful." Urd crossed the path that led to the family room before Ranmira could stop her. "Well, you can rest easy, because we're back." She staggered slightly and leaned against a wall brace for support. "Urd!" said a concerned Belldandy. "She's drunk!" Akane thought to add. "Not yet," Ranmira corrected her. "Actually, she's still quite sober." Akane took a proper look at the girl who had somehow taken Ranma's place. The girl definitely resembled Ranma's female form, except she appeared a year or two older and sported longer hair. There was also the matter of the unusual markings the girl had on her face, mirroring those on her reported sisters' faces. "So," ventured Ranmira. "What is going on here?" Nabiki stood up from her seat at the table and assumed the best look of seriousness she could muster. "Your sisters and Keiichi were about to tell us the answer to that very question." "We were *considering* it," Keiichi countered evenly. "We wanted to wait until the two of you returned to decide." Nabiki and Akane fell silent. "They saw everything. Marller, you, Urd coming out of their TV and Skuld coming out of that pond over there. And they're persistent, too." "If they've seen all that, we're going to have to tell them. They'll never leave you alone if we don't," Urd cautioned Ranmira as they joined Belldandy, Keiichi and Skuld at their side of the table. Ranmira hmphed. "Well, if *someone* had been able to keep Marller under control..." she growled. Urd wasn't sure what to say. How was she supposed to deal with the new person that her sister was becoming? "Oneesama!" Skuld intervened. "You know it isn't her fault!" Ranmira exhaled. "I know." She turned to Urd. "I'm sorry, oneesama. I'm just shocked that Marller would put people at risk like that simply to play tricks on us." Urd nodded. "This is all nice and fine," Nabiki decided it was time to get to the point of this little gathering; intentionally delaying was one thing, but family mini-dramas were rarely ever much for answering important questions. "But this doesn't tell us who you are or why you're here." "Nabiki!" "That's all right," Belldandy assured Akane, earning her a curious glance from each of her sisters. "You both have a right to know what this is all about." "So what IS this all about?" Suddenly, Nabiki recalled where she had heard the names 'Belldandy' and 'Skuld' before. "You said her name was 'Urd?'" she singled out the eldest of the four sisters. "Yes." That meant three of the sisters were named Urd, Belldandy and Skuld. What unusual names... "Your parents named you after the Goddesses that are supposed to govern the Past, Present and Future?" "No." "Ah." What else could it have been? There weren't that many reasons to name one's daughters Urd, Belldandy or Skuld in this day and age. "You see... we *are* the Goddesses of the Past, Present and Future." Akane withdrew her breath. "Really?" She'd seen enough extraordinary evidence today that she was inclined to believe Belldandy and her sisters *were* Goddesses. "Then who is she? I thought you... Urd said she was your sister." Akane glanced at Ranmira. "She is our sister," replied Urd. "Want to take this one, kid?" Ranmira inclined her head in an approximation of a bow. "My name is Ranmira, and I am the Goddess of Change. Because of that, I am not always mentioned in the same sentences as my sisters. I apologize for the mess I created earlier." Well, she looked like Ranma, sounded like Ranma, and even had a similar name... but she didn't *act* like Ranma. In fact, Ranmira wasn't even upset that her sisters were better-known than she was. "How can we be sure you're not Ranma and this is just some weird practical joke all of you dreamed up?" Akane gave Ranmira a suspicious stare. "I am not Ranma, but I am a part of Ranma," the young Goddess answered. "Huh?" Keiichi had to stifle a quiet chuckle at Akane and Nabiki's puzzled reactions. Even after spending as much time with Belldandy, Urd and Skuld as he had, it would be foolish of him to assume that he could explain or understand everything the Goddesses knew of or did. "Allow me to explain," Ranmira said. "I work at one of the Goddess Relief Offices. It is the duty of the Relief Offices to evaluate candidates and offer those who meet the qualifications a wish." Only Belldandy, Ranmira and Urd noticed Nabiki's attention perk up on hearing the word *wish*. "Ranma's mother was one of those chosen to receive a wish, and I was assigned to offer her that wish." Akane thought she knew where this discussion was heading. "And then she wished to have you as her son?" Why else would Ranma... er, Ranmira be present to take Ranma's place? "No," Skuld shook her head. "Mrs. Saotome liked how well our sister behaved and wished that she could have a son that behaved as well as her." Ranmira resumed speaking. "Hers was the type of wish that requires one of us to personally insure that the wish turns out as it was originally worded. Essentially, I became a part of Ranma's 'conscience' to help him develop into the person his mother wanted him to be. That is why," she paused, "while I can be considered a part of Ranma, I am not Ranma alone." Nabiki smirked. There was an obvious flaw in Ranmira's story, and she'd noticed it. "So, what happened? Where did you go wrong? Anyone can see that Ranma doesn't act very much like you at all." Sixteen years to turn Ranma into a complete gentleman, and had she accomplished anything? Apparently not. In fact, it seemed as if Ranmira hadn't done a single thing! Skuld glared at her. "Because of an accident in our systems, she lost her memory after becoming a part of Ranma! She couldn't remember anything until we located her and her files last week!" "Last week...?" breathed Akane. That was about the time when Ranma's behavior abruptly changed... "Yes, Akane. I was there." Skuld's expression softened. "In the mountains. The night you malleted Ranma into the river." Everyone else except Akane and Ranmira was startled by the news. thought Nabiki. Akane practically couldn't make it through a day without bringing a mallet to bear on Ranma's head. "Two days later, we were able to restore Ranmira to normal." That explained Ranma's sudden change in behavior, Akane understood. "You were finally able to start honoring the wish?" "Yes. Because of my... absence, Ranma could only learn how to behave from one person--" "His father," Nabiki and Akane completed Ranmira's sentence. Ranmira's eyebrows furrowed. "Unfortunately, yes. Saotome Genma. I have to contend with everything that he's done to the boy." Akane couldn't help but feel sympathetic for the large task Ranmira had ahead of her. A moment of silence followed, which was broken when Kasumi entered the room. "I apologize for the interruption, but I thought you might like some tea." She placed cups of hot tea before everyone, starting with their 'guests.' Belldandy offered Kasumi a smile and demurely took a sip from her cup. "Thank you, Kasumi-san. This is wonderful." Kasumi blushed. "It's a blend of Darjeeling tea. We don't usually keep much of it around, however... I'm the only member of the family who seems to like it. Oddly enough, I had a feeling I should serve it today." "I don't know about that," replied Belldandy, "but Darjeeling does happen to be my favorite blend of tea." "Really? In that case, I'll prepare more, should you or anyone else want some." Humming a cheerful tune to herself, Kasumi walked back to the kitchen... leaving Keiichi, Nabiki and Akane to wonder how two individuals could share such a distinctly similar voice. Once again the task of restarting the discussion fell to Nabiki. "Anyway... so what was the deal with that Marller woman and the sword? It had to be something important for you to risk blowing your cover the way you did." Ranmira gave her an odd look for a second. Eventually, Nabiki's mercenary practices would land her in serious trouble... and more than once, assuming Nabiki never changed. "Marller is a demon." Never mind that Akane had believed Urd might have been a demon when she emerged from the television. "As for the sword, it is known as the 'Dalanis Sword.' If Kunou had defeated you and I had not interfered, the dark power of the sword would have led you to pledge your eternal love to him." While Akane shuddered at the thought, Nabiki remained suspicious. "That's all? All that confusion over another stupid sword that makes people fall in love with whoever's using it?" "No, of course not. But the less you know about the sword, the better." Ranmira knew that the fact they continued to keep secrets from Nabiki was a source of aggravation for her. "Right. C'mon, you can tell us more." "I cannot. Except that had Kunou been allowed to proceed, Akane's heart would have been his forever." Nabiki narrowed her eyes. "You already said that!" Keiichi couldn't help but feel sorry for Akane and Nabiki... to go through all this trouble to learn the truth - not just about Ranma but their world, their Universe - and they were likely going to have to lose their memories of this instance in the end. He'd had to lose his memories of Belldandy, once. Small droplets of soft light followed the contours of the lens secured to Nabiki's camera, gathering in one spot close to the bottom as if it were true condensation. None of the group noticed the light flowing into the camera lens until a column of pure white light shot forth from the lens, passing between Nabiki and Akane. Nabiki drew back the hand she had been resting on her camera. Urd and Skuld had already materialized from out of nowhere in front of her; she reasoned that this 'light show' must be another member of the family choosing to pay everyone a visit. The Goddess Peorth landed on her feet with an extravagant flourish. She shook the strands of her black hair away from her face. "Hello hello hello!" Peorth gushed. "I just thought I'd pop in to see how my favorite group is doing..." Keiichi promptly buried his face in his arms. Peorth quickly scanned the room with her eyes and found something of interest. "Ranmira-chan! When did you get back?" she inquired, making her way toward Ranmira. It was true; Ranmira did work for a rival Goddess Relief Office - the same office that had employed Belldandy - yet though that would make Ranmira her rival by all rights, she hadn't been able to treat Ranmira as a proper rival. It went without saying that because of her frequent work, Peorth wasn't always in a position to keep track of current events. Not that Ranmira's return had been a media-shattering news event... "A week ago." Ranmira shrugged. Peorth, too, cocked her head. "Sorry I missed it, kid. I--" Akane and Nabiki were staring at Peorth in total shock while she spoke. They barely registered what she was saying to Ranmira. That face... that voice... how? No, it couldn't be! They found their voices at the exact same time. "*Mom*!?" (...to be continued...) ------------ Credits: Written by: Mike Koos Prereaders: Richard Beaubien, Kevin D. Hammel, Jonathan Ng, Shadowmane, Tom Williams, David Wills With apologies to Takahashi Rumiko and Fujishima Kosuke... All parts of this series are available at the RAAC archives at ftp://ftp.cs.ubc.ca/pub/archive/anime-fan-works or from my WWW pages at http://www.fanfic.net/~makoto/ Comments and questions welcome. * Mike ('Kino Makoto') Koos: makoto@cal.net * http://www.fanfic.net/~makoto * * "I can do nothing to stop you. Your background music is too strong * for me." - Sam Johnson, Whose Line is it Anyway?