Disclaimer:  I did not create any of the characters.  They all belong to 
their respective owners.  Please don’t sue me, I’m poor.

Ranma 1/2 Z Neo:  Chapter 8

~...~ = emphasis on word
*...* = actions
(...) = thoughts
^ = author’s note

Meow
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*It is very dark outside, but Team Akane doesn’t notice this.  Why?  
Because they’re too busy stuffing their faces inside at Cap. Corp.*

Akane:  Mmmm, this is good, Ukyou.  *Takes another bite*  I didn’t 
know you cooked anything other than okonomoyaki! 

Ukyou:  Of course I can.  Want some more, Ran-chan?

Ranma: *male form*  Sure. *takes some from the plate that Ukyou 
offers him.

Bulma:  Gee, we don’t have macaroni and cheese now, either.  We’re 
 sure missing a lot, arn’t we, Trunks?

Trunks:  *around a mouthful of macaroni*  Dufintly.

P-chan:  Bweee!!!! *gobbles more food from his plate on the floor 
beside Akane*

Ranma:  Hey, P-chan, why don’t you go fetch us some ~hot water~?  
I think I’d like some hot tea to go with this.

P-chan:  *alarmed* Bweee!

Akane:  Why’re you talking to P-chan, Ranma?  He’s a pig, he can’t 
understand you.

Ukyou/Ryouga/Ranma: *sweatdrop*

Trunks/Bulma: *question marks on their faces*

*outside, watching the antics going on through a window*

Piccolo:  Hmmm.  They’ve improved, but are they strong enough?  
That, we’ll just have to wait to see.  *watches as group finishes 
eating and heads to bed*

*outer space*

*A small ship detaches from the one we know to contain Team  
Phalanx.  It hurdles away towards Earth.  Through a window, one can easily see two 
people: Syme and Tempo.  View changes to inside the ship, focusing on the two.*

Syme:  Do you know what you have to do?

Tempo:  Of course.  You’ve drilled me on it about a hundred times so 
far.  Just leave it to me.

Syme:  Alright.  Just don’t mess up.  *Smiles at his young friend.  
She grins back.  The two are as close as a favorite uncle and his 
adored niece, and often treat each other as such.*

Tempo: *gently* Don’t worry so much about me, Syme.  You know I 
can take care of myself now.

Syme: *shakes his head* No matter how much you grow, I still find I 
have to watch over you.  Trouble finds you and your brother like 
ants find a picnic.  *Tempo rolls her eyes*

Tempo:  Don’t be silly.  We just look for it, that’s all.  It’s our job, 
remember?

Syme: *sighs* Yes, I know.  (But I wish it wasn’t.  Maybe when we’ve 
gotten rid of these Saiyajins,  we’ll be free to do something else. 
Tempo, the minute I get the chance, I’ll take you and Jet away 
from this danger and get you someplace where you’ll both be 
safe.  I promise you that.)

Tempo: *unaware of her faux-uncle’s thoughts* We’re coming in on the 
planet.

Syme: Alright.  Prepare to land.  

*a few minutes later, inside Capsule Corp; specifically, Ranma’s room*

Ranma: Zzzzzz....... hot water..... don’ wanna be a girl.... zzzz.....

*A thumping sound can be heard from the ventilation shafts.*

???: *girls voice hisses to herself* Kuso!  Why are these things so 
(beep)ing narrow???

*Suddenly, the grate starts loosing it’s screws, one by one.  The grate 
starts to fall, but a hand reaches out and catches it at the last 
second.  Tempo lowers herself into the room, barely wriggling 
out of the narrow space.  Her ki held low, she is virtually 
undetectable by any inside the building.  She quietly places the 
grate under her entrance, which has now become her egress.  
She reaches back into it and draws out a small bag.  From this 
bag she removes something that resembles a jellyfish, only 
with just two tentacles, one on each side.  She walks up to the 
sleeping Ranma.*

Tempo:  Sweet dreams, little saiajin-pretender.  (Too bad he’s in 
league with them.  He’s pretty cute.)  *puts jellyfish-like thing 
over his nose and mouth.  The tentacles automatically wrap 
around his ears, and the whole thing seems to disappear.*

Ranma: uhnnn.... *starts writhing around as his nightmares begin*  

Tempo:  *suddenly feels sorry for Ranma* It’s really to bad you’re on 
the wrong side. *guiltily takes a needle out of the bag* Now, 
the shot.  *injects Ranma with something.  Almost immediately, 
he curls up into the fetal position and starts whimpering.  
Tempo climbs back up through the shaft from which she 
entered, and disappears from the room.  Slithering through the 
narrow tunnel, she absently imagines she’s leaving a trail of 
slime behind, feeling so rotten about attacking someone without 
even giving him a chance to fight back.  She shakes the thought 
from her head.*  (Team Phalanx must be the strongest.  We 
cannot allow ourselves to be beaten by anyone.  If that means 
resorting to trickery, so be it.  Argos is right, we must be strong.)

*Tempo slithers out of the building, and finds Syme waiting for her.*

Syme: Did you get it done?

Tempo:  Yes.  You were right, you wouldn’t have been able to fit in 
there.  It was a struggle for ~me~.

Syme:  I thought it would be as such.  *helps her stand up*

Tempo:  I hate using deceit to win.  It’s so much better to just fight to 
prove we’re better.

Syme:  *gently* I know.  I dislike it too.  But it’s like Argos says-

Tempo: *cuts Syme off*  Yeah, I know.  ‘We must be the best.  We 
~must~ do honor to our race by being better than anyone else.’ 
*recites words she has heard for practically her whole life*

Syme:  Come on, let’s go before we’re seen.

*from behind a tree*

Piccolo:  *mutters to himself*  Too late.

*the next morning*

Akane: *looks around the breakfast table*  Where’s Ranma?

Ryouga:  Probably lazing around while the rest of us work our buts off.

Bulma: The alarm clock I put in the room ought to have woken him 
up.  Maybe he’s getting dressed.

Ukyou:  Maybe I’d better go check on him. *She heads off to see if 
he’s alright.  Moments later, a scream sounds.* EEEEEEE!!!!!

RANCHAN!!! 

*Everybody rushes to see what’s the matter.  They enter the room to 
see Ranma curled up on the bed, smacking the alarm clock 
around- like a cat with a toy mouse.  He looks up*

Ranma: *curiously* Mew?  *Akane shakes her head sadly*

Akane:  What happened, Ranma?  Have a nightmare?  *she walks 
over to the side of the bed and sits down.  Ranma immediately 
abandons the alarm clock to sit in her lap.*

Ranma:  *curling up* purrrrrrrr.....

Bulma:  What’s going on?  Why is he acting like a cat?

Trunks:  Oh, no. *smacks his head with his palm, then leaves to get 
some cold water*

Bulma:  Well?  Isn’t anyone gonna answer me? *Trunks returns with a 
bucket of cold water*

*Splash*

Ranma-chan:  Hissssss!  *arches back at Trunks angrily, dripping 
water all over Akane*

Akane:  Ranma!

Ukyou:  Maybe we just need to try again.  Go get some hot water, 
Trunks. *he goes*

Bulma:  What’s going on???

*Trunks returns with hot water* 

*Splash*

Ranma: *growls at Trunks, ~really~ angry* rowrrrrrrr........

Ukyou: .....  Try again?

Bulma:  *shouts*  WHAT’S GOING ON????

Akane: *finally notices Bulma* Oh, didn’t we tell you?  Ranma acts 
like a cat when he sees them.

Bulma:  Why???

*Bulma is filled in on the Neko-ken training*

Bulma:  That’s terrible!!!

Ukyou:  Well, Ranchan’s dad isn’t too reliable. *Trunks returns with 
more water, this time with both hot and cold*

*splash*

Trunks:  YAHHHH!!!! *Ranma-chan chases him around the room, 
claws extended and very angry*

Akane: *sharply* Ranma, stop that! *Ranma-chan screeches to a halt 
and looks guiltily up at Akane*  That’s better.  Now come.  *she 
pats her lap, and she jumps onto it.  Soon, Ranma-chan is 
purring peacefully.*

Ukyou:  Trunks-

Trunks: Nuh-uh!  ~You~ splash him this time.  *Ukyou sighs and 
dumps a little hot water onto Ranma-chan, just enough to 
change her back into a him.  Ranma growls at her, and she 
offers him a fish as a peace symbol, not wanting him to be mad 
at her.  He quickly grabs it and starts ripping into it.*

Ryouga:  There he is, eating like the animal we all know him to be.

Ukyou:  That was uncalled for! He can’t help it!  *Ryouga just rolls his eyes*

Akane:  So what are we going to do now?  We have one more day 
until we can fight them, but what will we do if Ranma doesn’t 
change back?

Ukyou: *in a determined voice* we’ll just have to fight without him.

Ranma: *sensing that the others are talking about him* Mrow? 
*Ukyou scratches his chin absently, and he starts to purr*

Bulma: So, until you find a way to change him back, he’ll act like a 
cat. Should I just feed him tuna from now on?  *everybody 
looks at her strangely*  What? I ~have~ to know what to buy 
to eat. *everybody else sweatdrops*

*out in space, in Argos’s private room*

Argos: *watches tape of everything that’s been going on* Excellent. 
It’s all going according to plan. *Evil laugh that would put 
Kodachi to shame* BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

===@====@====@====@====@====@====@====@===

begin part II
Disclaimer: Same as part 1, basically, I didn’t create the characters, please don’t sue me.

Ranma 1/2 Z Neo, ch.8, part2

Meow II
==@===@===@===@===@===@===@===@===@===@==

*Out in space, in a spaceship orbiting Earth, in a dark little cramped 
room*

Vegita: Kakaroto, GET OFF MY FOOT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Goku: Huh? Oh, sorry, Vegita. *some shuffling is heard as Goku 
changes position.*

Gohan: *in a pained voice* Oi, Dad-

Goku: What’s wrong, Gohan?

Gohan: You’re on ~my~ foot now. *everybody sweatdrops- of course, 
 this makes a very interesting scene, considering all you can 
see is four pairs of eyes and four very big sweatdrops*

Goku: Sorry, Gohan. *shuffles around a bit more, finally finds a 
position in which he’s not sitting on anybody*

Goten: Sheesh, how long’s it been so far, Gohan?  This room gets 
smaller every second, it seems.

Vegita: *surprisingly, answers instead of Gohan* It’s been six days, 
I’d guess.  Now will you shut up?  *obviously not liking having 
spent the last six days with Goku and sons*

Goten: *rolls eyes, very glad Vegita can’t see him*

Vegita: I ~heard~ that!  *Goten receives a kick in the stomach, 
albeit a weak one, considering the poor condition the Saiyajins 
have been kept in*

Gohan: *sighs, then puts his head in his hands* When will it be over?

*In the bridge of the ship*

Tempo: The prisoners are getting very restless, Argos. *sarcastically*
Unfortunately, they’re too injured to do anything 
about it. *grins*

Argos: Maybe we should feed them again, then. Treble, get their food ready.

Treble: *with a sadistic grin* Certainly, Argos...

*Jet Stream, Syme, and Tempo all wince.*

Jet Stream: (Having Treble cook for them... that’s almost ~too~ cruel....)

Tempo: (Glad it’s not ~me~!)

Syme: (That can’t be safe... Though that might be his point...)

*back at Cap. Corp*

Trunks: *to everyone* I think we’re going to have to pull a world 
record in problem solving here.  First, we’ve got to figure out 
what put Ranma into this state.  Second, we’ll have to cure it. 
And third, we’ll have to finalize our plans for tomorrow.  Everybody got that?

Everyone else: Hai.

Ranma: Mrow? *bumps his head affectionately against the backs of 
Ukyou’s knees... making her fall over*

Ukyou: Waaah! *splat* Ite...

Akane: Oh, Ranma!  All right, Trunks, *at Trunks’ name, Ranma 
hisses slightly* 

Ukyou: *scolds* Ranma! Sorry, Trunks, guess he’s still mad at you 
getting him all wet...

Akane: Anyway, Trunks, how do we start?

Trunks:  I suggest we play a game of twenty questions... only we’re 
all both the askers and answerers.  First of all, when did this happen?

Akane: Last night, while everyone was asleep.

*The door slams open, and Piccolo comes in*
Piccolo: It was them.

Bulma: ACCKKK!  What are you doing in here?!

Ranma: *looks up and sees Piccolo* Mew!  *trots over on all fours 
and starts rubbing against him, purring*

Ukyou:  Piccolo-san, who did what?

Piccolo:  The aliens.  They did this to Ranma.

Akane:  How’d you know?

Piccolo:  They made a lot of noise.  It alerted me.  I saw them exit. 
The girl was crawling through the ventilation system.

Bulma: *from behind the group, startling Ryouga and Akane* Now 
that I think of it, there was a minor disturbance in the systems... 
like the sort a rat would have made, so I brushed it off.

Ukyou: So you knew someone was crawling through the ducts last night?!

Bulma: No, I told you, I thought it was a rat.  No big deal.

Akane/Ukyou: *sweatdrop* NO BIG DEAL?????

Bulma: *calmly* well, no, I didn’t.  Happens all the time, with rats and such.

Ryouga:  So Ranma got scared by the enemy.  Big deal.

Ukyou:  It ~is~ a big deal, Ryouga.  This means they have some 
means of keeping Ranma in a perpetual state of cat.  It could 
be anything, even something that could affect us, too.

Ryouga: *suddenly alarmed* Well, how do we counteract it???

Trunks:  Well, first, we see if Okaasan can find anything in his blood, 
like a drug.  

Bulma: *takes out a needle* now why didn’t I think of that?  A 
beautiful young woman like me should know better than to 
overlook such a simple solution!

Trunks: *Sweatdrop* *mumbles under his breath* I think she’s 
getting too addicted to those needles... 

Bulma: *shoots a dirty look at her son* I ~heard~ that! *sticks 
needle into Ranma, who howls in surprise and pain, but doesn’t 
manage to escape before she can draw the sample. She gives 
him a can of tuna* There’s a good boy, Ranma.  Such a good 
little patient.... *giggles* I feel like a vet!

Everyone else: *sweatdrop*

Akane: Just so long as Ranma gets better.... *sighs*

Trunks: Okay, now we know who... and we’re checking to see if we 
can fix it... so let’s talk what we’re going to do tomorrow.  *The 
group gathers closely around him* Okay, Ukyou, you know what 
to do, right?

Ukyou: Hai! *repeats her part in the plan* And you know what to tell 
me, right? *Trunks nods*  

Trunks: Alright, then, let’s go over it once more, just to be sure. 

*inside a very dark room*

Goku:  *moans* I think that food did something to me....

Vegita: Shut up, Kakaroto.  We all ate it.  *sounds tough, but oddly 
enough, he’s doubled over in stomach pain...*

Goten: ... Glad I didn’t eat.

Gohan: Don’t rub it in....

Vegita: Baka.  If we die and you don’t, I’ll kill you.

Goten: *stomach grumbles* whatever.  If I don’t die of hunger first.

*in main section of ship*

Jet: Argos, three of the captives are showing signs of severe food poisoning.

Argos: Hmmm... just make sure they don’t die.  I have a use for them.

Tempo: (we know that, but what?  What is the point of keeping them 
alive just to suffer? We’re not the type that revels in the pain of 
others... At least, not me and Jet...)

Jet Stream: Yes, Argos.  (Sometimes I almost wish we hadn’t been 
rescued by him.... I like him well enough, but there’s something 
wrong about him.) *Jet Stream remembers when he, Tempo, 
Syme, and Treble had been evacuated for the team*

*Five years ago, right before a major holiday, on planet Zeal*

Tempo: *to a fellow warrior, over a communications system* Yeah, 
I’m to the celebration... Well, unless I’m assigned one of those 
secret missions everyone always doesn’t talk about.  *laughter 
from the other end of the line*

Jet Stream: *from across the room* Don’t talk like that, you’ll jinx us.

Tempo: *sticks her tongue out at him* Don’t believe in that nonsense.

Jet: *rolls his eyes* Whatever. *Tempo talks to her friend for a little 
longer, then hangs up*

Tempo:  Well, I’m hungry.  I’m gonna go get some food.  Wanna come?

Jet: Not a chance.  Bring me back something... ~edible~ this time, 
not a wrapper like last time.

Tempo: *smirks* Sure.

Jet: *goes back to reading his former journal entries.*  Sisters.  

*a couple of minutes later, the door signal alerts Jet that someone’s 
there.*

Jet: *going over to the door* Yeah? Who’s it?

Voice: Open the door, warrior.

Jet: Y-yes sir! (That sounds like the recruiter...) *opens door to reveal 
a man with a scar above his right eye, dressed in white* (It’s a captain!)

Man: *hands him a sheet of paper* You and your sister are to report 
to the docks at 1600 hours, no exceptions.  Do not tell anybody; 
do not disclose to them a change in plans.  Pack nothing.  Understand?

Jet Stream: Yes sir.  *The strange man walks off* Darn my sister... 
I didn’t believe in jinxes, either... 

*an hour later*

Tempo: *walking in* That chuma^ sure is good!  Here, Jet, have 
some supper. *tosses him a package*

^some kind of alien food

Jet Stream:  *catches the food* Change in plans, Sis.  I guess you 
really did jinx us.  We’ve just been recruited for a secret mission.

Tempo: *snorts* Yeah, right.  I’m gonna go change for the party.

Jet: Really.  *shows her the paper*

Tempo: *reading* Awww, man! No way!  No one ~our~ age ever gets 
chosen!  Guess I’ll hafta call Seira back and tell her I can’t come....

Jet: Don’t. He said not to tell anyone.

Tempo: Oh, *beep*.  *sighs* Oh well.  When do we go?

Jet Stream: *dryly* It says on the sheet you’re holding.

Tempo: *rolls eyes* whatever. *reads* 

Jet Stream: *eats the dinner she brought him..... or rather, bites into it....*

*SQUEAK*

Jet Stream: *spits the squeaky toy out* Tempo!!!!  *Tempo smirks*

Tempo: The real food is under the seat, in the auto.  *walks out of the room*

Jet: *grumbles something bad about sisters, then goes to the auto^ and retrieves 
his dinner*

^their cars, only they don’t look like cars, they look like oval Frisbees

*at 1600 hours, or as the party is just starting, whichever you like better*

Tempo: Haiyaku^, Jet.  We’re supposed to be there by now!

^hurry up

Jet Stream: We’ll only be one minute late! *they enter the port*

Tempo: That’s one minute against us!

Jet Stream: It’s your fault anyway! You shoulda given me my dinner 
right away!

Tempo: *rolls her eyes* anyway, we’re here.

*the two look around and see no one*

Jet Stream: ... ~Why~ are we here, if no one else is? *suddenly, they 
hear the panting of someone racing towards them*

???: Sorry, late.  *pant pant* Had to avoid some people. *looks up 
and sees Jet Stream and Tempo* Huhh? Who’re you?

Tempo: We were told to come here, too. *The man nods.  He is of 
middle age, perhaps fiftey, and in poor shape.*

Man: I’m a doctor.  My name is Lyrn.

Jet: Jet Stream and Tempo.  Warriors.  *The three wait for almost a 
hour, with no one else showing*

Tempo: This wasn’t a practical joke, was it?

Jet Stream:  I’ll kill whoever played it, if it is.

Lyrn: No, I hear someone coming.  *The same man who had visited 
Jet and Tempo earlier appears*

Man: My name is Requiem. I am your captain.  We have been 
assigned this secret mission together.  Our ship is the Prelude, 
at dock seven.  *He walks off, and the three crew members 
exchange glances, then follow. They come to a ship, and board 
it on Requiem’s insistence.*  We shall take off before I explain 
our mission to yo- 

KABOOM!!! *A huge explosion cuts him off, and the back of the ship smashes in.  
The last thing any of the inhabitants see are the lights 
going out as the ship is slightly crushed, like a can stepped on 
lightly*

*sometime later*

Jet: Uhhhnnn.... *groans and rolls over, then falls off* Waaah!

Yet another unfamiliar voice (person1): He’s waking up, Argos.

And another (person2): Good.  *hands help Jet get his balance and 
sit back down on the bed.*

Jet: What happened? *cracks his eyes open, and sees two men, one 
a muscle-bound ugly brute, with one eye missing and the other 
fixed to look malicious no matter what the expression.  The 
other is dressed in white, and has brown-going-gray hair, blue 
eyes, and at one time had his nose broken*

Muscle guy, voice of person1: You got hurt.

Man in white, voice of person2: *looks reprovingly at the other* There 
is some bad news to tell you, young warrior.  I would rather 
wait until your- sister?- is awake to tell it.

Jet: Yeah, she’s my sis.  (Why do I get a bad feeling from this guy?)

Person2: I am Argos.  My companion here is Treble.  This is the ship 
Nocturne, and I am her captain.  I inquire your names?

Jet Stream: Jet Stream and Tempo Bolero.  

Argos:  Well, Jet Stream Bolero, as the captain of this ship, I welcome 
you aboard.

Jet: Arigato.^ My sister and I are grateful.

^Thank you

Treble: *looking at Tempo, who lay on the table beside Jet, 
unconscious.*  Glad to have you. *Jet, seeing Treble’s look 
at his sister, narrowed his eyes. Argos, anticipating the trouble, 
intervened*

Argos:  Treble, I trust you will treat these new friends as just that?  It 
might make them very uncomfortable if you pursued a more 
intimate relationship. *Treble looks resentfully away from Tempo.

Treble: Yes sir.

*A few minutes later, Tempo awakes, and gracefully follows her 
brother’s footsteps by falling off the bed*

Tempo: Uhhnnn... Ooof!  *Jet is the first to help her back on the bed*

Jet: *in a cool, teasing voice* Welcome back to the land of the living, sis.  

Tempo: *blinks open her eyes* Baka. Go stick your head down the toilet.

Jet: Whatever.

Argos: *raising his eyes at the squabbling, though Jet had obviously 
already proven his affection for his sister* Welcome aboard, 
warrior Tempo. *Tempo looks up at the sound of his voice, and 
sees him and Treble*

Tempo: Ohiyo gozaimas^.  Arigato.

^good morning

Argos: I am Argos, this is Treble, and this is the ship Nocturne.  I 
have, as sad as it makes me to relate, terrible news.  Would 
you hear it now?

*The two nod*

Tempo: What’s happened?

Argos: *clearing his throat* If you recall, there was an explosion. 

Jet Stream: Yeah, that’s about the last thing.

Argos: Well, I am sad to say that explosion was the sound of the 
world being destroyed.  Your ship was getting ready to launch, 
so was catapulted off the planet with ease, sparing you from the 
destruction.  There was severe damage to the ship, though, and 
so we brought aboard our own- short of crew, do to an 
unfortunate accident.  We believe that we four are the 
only survivors of our beloved planet Zeal.  It was very lucky for 
you and your sister to have been thrown to a different part of 
the ship when it was hurled into space, because the other 
members of the crew were killed.  We know of no other ships 
that were scheduled to leave. Everybody had returned home, as 
far as we know.

Jet Stream: (Something doesn’t feel right about that! Am I just deluding 
myself?) That can’t be!  How-? But-

Tempo: That’s impossible! How could Zeal be destroyed?

Argos: It was an unfortunate accident, I am sure.  The best guess I 
have is that a new project went awry. 

Tempo: B-but that would mean...

Argos: That we are the only of our kind left?  Yes. 

Treble: Welcome to the survival effort.

*The two exchanged looks, appearing very upset*

Tempo: I- I don’t believe it.

Argos: I can understand your disbelief, young warrior.  But it is true.

Jet: *swallowing hard* May we see it?

Argos: *shaking his head* I don’t think it would do you two any good 
with your recent injury.  *changes subject* Why don’t you tell 
me why you were leaving on the holiday?

Tempo: We were assigned a mission... we both thought it odd that a 
couple of youths such as us were chosen... but they have their 
reasons.... 

Jet: We were told to leave without notifying anybody.  When we 
reported to the meeting place, no one showed up for a while. 
We were joined by a doctor named Lyrn. Nearly an hour later, 
our captain joined us, not bothering to tell why he was late. 

Tempo: He told us he was our Captain, Requiem.  Then he led us, 
with scarcely any more comments, to the ship.  He said we 
would be told of our mission only after we were in space...

Jet: And then everything exploded. And went black.

Tempo: *rubbing the back of her head* and ~hurt~. And then we 
were here.

Argos: *nodding* I see.  Well, it is only fair to warn you, this is your 
new assignment.  As the only living Zeal, we must band 
together.  

Jet Stream: *pauses, then nods* Yes, sir.

Tempo: *also nods* Yes, captain.

Treble: *snorts*

Argos: *sending a dirty look at Treble* Thank you, warriors.  What 
shall we name our team?

Tempo: *thinking it over, is the first to come up with an answer* 
Team Phalanx.  Phalanx, the legendary leader who organized 
the first Zeal team to explore the galaxy.

Argos: *smiling* It is a suitable name.  Fine.  We are Phalanx, 
explorers of the universe. 

Jet Stream: Gosh, you ~can~ do some things right, sis.

Tempo: I’ll take that as a compliment. 

*One month passes, until they find a dead ship floating in space, 
containing the doctor Syme, the only survivor.  He is brought 
onboard and becomes the doctor of the team.  This small crew 
flies out to explore the universe and perhaps find means to 
revive the race of the Zeal.*

*present*

Jet Stream: (so now we must make sure the Zeal are the most feared 
and respected in the universe.  I just wish doing it this way 
didn’t feel so rotten....)

Argos: Jet, go relieve Tempo in overseeing the prisoners.

Jet Stream: Yes Argos.  *leaves to take over for Tempo*

*on Earth*

Bulma: Well, good news and bad news.

Everyone else: *long since finished discussing plans* What?

Bulma: There is a toxin in Ranma’s blood stream. It is also easily cured.

Akane: That’s a relief.  So what’s the bad news?

Bulma: It’s not the only problem.

Trunks/Ukyou/ Akane: WHAT???

Ryouga: So what’s new? *gets whacked by Ukyou*

Bulma: This drug is only a helper agent... it is a hallucinogen, but 
it works only in increasing a certain vision and stabilizing the 
mind into that image. 

Akane: So, in other words, you can’t get Ranma normal?

Bulma: Exactly.

Trunks: Back to twenty questions....

Everyone else: *groan*

==@===@===@===@===@===@===@===@===@===@==
Will Trunks & co. figure out how to get Ranma back to normal in time?  
Will Goku & co. survive Treble’s cooking?  And what’s with the 
bad guys?  Find out in Chapter nine.
	Okay, all that ‘next episode’ junk over with.  I’m back from 
vacation, and ‘ready’ to drown in schoolwork again. In between 
that, I’ll be preparing chapter nine (scrambled or over easy?).  
Comments? Questions? Fanart? (please?) E-mail me at fanime_lynn@hotmail.com .