The calming sound of running water, mixed with the amiable chatter of a few fishermen getting ready to start their days were the only sounds on the piers that morning. It was early, and the sun was only starting to rise over the horizon. A quick glance above would reveal the sky was clear and promised to bring a bright and sunny day. And there, at the end of the piers, were two figures who silently observed a boat as it faded into the distance. A few minutes later, once the taller figure had decided it was polite to do so, he turned and walked back to the dirt road that leads back to Nekonron, followed by his short companion.

"I'm glad Prince Herb and his bodyguards are finally gone," Ebiten sighed in relief, walking calmly behind Kirin. The short martial artist appeared to be distracted as he examined his fishing pole, but he in fact was completely aware of his surroundings, prepared to stop anyone who tried to hurt his prince. He didn't look it at first glance, but Ebiten was the main bodyguard of the Nekonron Royal family, and he hadn't earned this position on luck alone; his skills in the region were legendary, being recognized as a true master of combat. "If I may be honest, I would rather deal with the Joketsuzoku Amazons than the Musk. One has to be careful at all times around the Musk, it's very stressful."

"No, the Musk Royals aren't as difficult to deal with as I used to believe," Kirin disputed. "I was not expecting to get along with Herb… last time we met as kids we mostly ignored each other."

"I noticed Prince Herb was in a good mood this morning," Ebiten observed. "I take it things will remain stable between our kingdoms?"

"Yes, I'm sure they will," the Nekonron Prince said with a nod. "I think Herb and I will be good friends from now on, even."

"That would be great for Nekonron," Ebiten smiled as they both entered a rather large clearing next to the main road. "If the two of you maintain a strong friendship, we will not have to fear from the Musk during your lifetime, and our kingdom would earn strong allies against any possible threat."

Kirin didn't answer, he simply nodded and crossed his arms as he waited while Ebiten used a mirror to reflect sunlight, using that to signal their airship to descend. Once their flying ship was at ground level, the prince and his bodyguard made their way on board, silently passing the Nekonron soldiers that gathered to salute them on the way to the open deck on the upper levels of the ship where the two of them sat so they could enjoy the cool morning breeze.

"We will have to take the Musk's request seriously," Kirin said once the ship was high on the air, floating gently back to Seven Luck Mountain. "I gave my word that we would do our best."

"As you wish," Ebiten nodded, remembering he had heard what Prince Herb wanted the night before from Kirin. "What do you want us to do first?"

"We should relocate a few soldiers to the city and have them send any redheads or any other light haired young women who enter our territory to my tower so we can question them," the prince said thoughtfully. "And we could send people to Bao and Shangjie… I'm thinking of sending Monlon, scouting and infiltration is her specialty, after all."

"You're planning on using one of us already?" Ebiten's brow knit in thought. "Lord Kirin, for you to send even one of us Lucky Gods to one of those towns for something so trivial… I beg your pardon but this is truly unusual, did Herb threaten you?"

"No threats were made," the Nekonron Prince said and looked at his bodyguard, shaking his head and smiling a little as he found Ebiten's comment particularly silly.

"Then why?"

"Because I can understand him," Kirin said. "Just like Herb and his family, we too lost a royal heirloom to a thief. Have you forgotten how three generations ago a criminal stole one half of the Scroll of Luck?"

"How could I?" the bodyguard responded. "Because of that awful crime the royal family has not properly followed tradition during our wedding ceremonies! It is a terrible tragedy and a source of shame for The Seven."

"Exactly… that is why I can sympathize with Herb's plight," the young prince admitted. "He still has the chance to recover his family's treasure, and I want to help him, not just as a political ally, but as a friend."

"I see… friendship it is, then," the bodyguard nodded, surprised to see that Kirin was so eager to have a real friendship with the Musk prince. Perhaps, then, his impression that deep down Kirin had always desired to have friends beyond the Seven was correct. "If that is your reason, my Lord, then I will do my best to assist you, and I am sure the rest of the Lucky Gods will as well."

"Thank you," Kirin answered with a small smile, glad to know the rest of the Seven would support him. "I really appreciate your loyalty, Ebiten."

"I was thinking, my Lord… once this is over and the Musk has their treasure back…" Ebiten grinned and twirled his mustache. "Maybe we can start looking for the missing half of the Scroll of Luck. I've heard rumors it may be in Japan…"

"Beyond the seas?" The prince took in a deep breath and allowed his gaze to wander into the horizon, thinking about the many possibilities of going abroad for the first time in his life could bring. "Sounds interesting. Very well, Ebiten, very well… we'll travel to Japan after this and who knows? I may even find a bride along with the half of the scroll."

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On the river...

Herb sat on the further end of the deck, silently relaxing and enjoying the cool breeze and the soft murmur of the river around him. The Musk Prince was in a better mood than the day before, as he knew Kirin would do his best to keep his part of the agreement. Knowing The Seven were on his side made Herb feel even a little optimistic, and for a moment he entertained the idea that the ring would be back in his hands in a matter of days.

'…No, it isn't that simple,' he thought as he considered the facts on the matter. 'We have no actual leads and this redhead… she and her companion were able to defeat two of my trackers, and even if she's alone now she has eluded the Amazons for a considerable amount of time… she could even prove to be too much for The Seven, too, so I have to plan for that as well.'

The Musk heir rested his chin on his right fist and finally accepted the redheaded thief could have gone in the opposite direction, aiming to leave the region through Ho'O Peak instead of Nekonron.

'But we've considered that possibility before, and I know Chervil wouldn't go there,' he mused recalling his previous conversations with Sumac. 'The other redhead would surely avoid visiting Jusendo as well since the only path to get there is through Jusenkyo and goes too close to Joketsuzoku. I'm sure she wouldn't go to Phoenix Mountain, so that leaves Tong Po harbor and…'

"Herb… Herb!"

The Musk Prince blinked and then turned to look at both Mint and Lime, who was smiling and seemed to have something to say. Judging by their expressions Herb realized it was going to be something either very naive and harmless or extremely stupid and time-consuming. Annoyed at being interrupted, the prince took in a deep breath and nodded at his bodyguards, focusing on keeping his frustration in check.

"Mint and I were talking and…" Lime started.

"We think we should really have one!" Mint completed.

"Have one?" Herb asked, frowning as he couldn't understand his two friends. "One what?"

"An airship like Kirin's!" Lime provided, obviously quite excited by the idea. "We could use it to travel around the region!"

"We could get really fast from place to place!" Mint said, feeling as enthusiastic as his friend by the prospect of owning a flying machine. "Airships are awesome!"

"You know, that's…" Herb blinked, this was certainly not what he was expecting to hear, and he found it rather surprising. "That's… honestly not a bad idea, perhaps when my parents return we could present the idea to them."

"Really?" Mint asked, feeling near tears at the idea of traveling in an airship again.

"Yes, really," Herb promised. "Now be quiet, I need to think."

The prince's request, however, was completely ignored. Feeling too excited by the idea of having a flying ship, Mint and Lime started planning about the many things they could do, and they even mentioned taking the airship to Yakusai so that they could visit the village and impress someone they knew, two girls from what Herb gathered, not that he particularly cared about that.

'Still, they're being so nosy…' Herb thought, leaning back and looking up at the clouds, feeling slightly frustrated by his bodyguard's non-stopping chatter. 'Why can't they just shut up and sit still so I can think in peace?'

Tired of hearing Mint and Lime debating whether they should paint their imaginary airship yellow or blue, the Musk Prince slowly raised his right hand and for a brief instant considered blasting his bodyguards all the way back to Seven Luck Mountain but the instant passed and Herb took in a deep breath to calm down. What was he doing? Losing this temper to the point of almost attacking his friends? No, he couldn't do something that would shame the Dragon Clan so badly. What would his parents think of such improper behavior? Finding the ring was important, and the situation at present was not ideal, but it was not so bad he should lose control like this. It wasn't as if he had locked himself with the Pail of Preservation in a body that wasn't his own, a tragic event Herb could readily admit would make him lose his patience rather quickly.

'And a missing ring is nothing compared to losing my manhood,' the Prince admitted. 'But I am getting restless, and losing control in front of my people remains a possibility unless I find a way to vent down safely… but how?'

"I sure hope I can get some training with grandpa," Mint said then catching Herb's attention. "He knows this technique that you can use to charge your weapons with ki, and I think that could help me, I don't carry that many knives but if I could do that trick, it'd make them more effective."

"Using Ki is fine and all, but I don't need anything like that to fight," Lime said with a prideful grin as he flaunted his biceps. "Why would I waste time charging a ki attack when I can defeat anyone who challenges me with a single punch?"

"Well, yeah, but not all of us are as strong as you are," Mint sighed.

'Training somewhere on my own for a while would be nice,' Herb thought as he nodded, allowing himself a small smile. Without even trying, his friends had helped him find a way to let out all the negative emotions he was bottling in without causing any unfortunate incidents. He could surely afford a day or two training alone in the mountains; if the Nekonronians, the Amazons or his own trackers managed to find Chervil or the other redhead while he was away, Mint and Lime would be able to easily find him to deliver the news. 'Yes, that's what I'll do. It's only for a couple of days, after all.'

"Mint, Lime," Herb called as he reached for his gear and after checking it, grabbed all the bottled water and dry meat he could carry. "I'll be training in the mountains for a while. I want you two to continue looking for the thief, and tell Sumac to send someone to find me if the ring is found."

"Herb, what are…?" Lime asked, but before he could finish his question, the Prince jumped high, flared his ki, and glided all the way to the left shore of the river, landing on a large rock with ease.

The young prince spared one look at the boat, lifted a hand to signal goodbye to his bodyguards, and then turned, starting his way into the mountains ahead of him.

----------------------------------------

Back in the Musk castle...

Sumac, sitting in his private chambers on the east wing of the Musk Castle, was busy reviewing a few ancient scrolls which contained some old techniques he had not used since his younger days. He wished to share some of them with his grandson, as he believed the Wolf Clan would lose prominence if the Cat Clans continued increasing their physical strength the way they had been doing for the last two decades or so. He trusted Mint would be able to learn these techniques, and smiled a proud smile as he recalled just how fast and nimble the boy was. If Mint reached his full potential, he could become one of the mightiest Wolf Clansmen in generations.

A knock on his door took him out of his meditations, and he wondered who it could be as he didn't have any appointments at that hour.

"Come in," the old wolf said as he returned the scrolls to a drawer.

"Forgive the interruption, Lord Sumac, but Dill and Fennel just arrived in the castle. The children said that you summoned them," a man from the Lion Clan said, waiting respectfully by the door.

"Yes, I did call for them," Sumac answered. "I was expecting them later today, however. Where are they waiting?"

"We have them wait in the guardroom near the main entrance," the lion said. "Would you like me to send them here?"

"No, I'll go meet them," the old wolf said. "Thank you."

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A few minutes later…

Sumac entered the guardroom to find Dill and Fennel standing by the window, muttering about something in a low voice. The old wolf, however, still had a very sensitive hearing sense, and could hear some of their conversations; the teenagers were talking about the weapons lined on the walls of the room, as they wondered if any of them were ancient or had magical properties.

"The blades and spears we have here are fairly new, and none of them possess any magical attributes," Sumac said, surprising Dill and Fennel, who had not even felt the wolf's presence or heard him open the door.

"M-master Sumac," Dill stuttered, standing straight as he felt ashamed by being caught of guard by one of the Musk nobles.

"We… we came back from our mission," Fennel offered. "We have good information."

"I'll be the judge on that," Sumac said as he paced in front of the teenagers, carefully smelling the air around the two. "Very well, I am listening, tell me everything."

"We met an Amazon elder…" Dill started, shivering a little as he recalled Cologne's threatening battle aura, "She is… more powerful than what I imagined."

"But she did tell us a few important things," Fennel added quickly.

"It seems the Amazon elder was not happy to see you," Sumac said, wondering just which one of the elders he was familiar with the children had met. From what he remembered the strongest one in Joketsuzoku was Cologne, but elders Rinse and Lotion were also strong enough to pose a serious threat. "Unsurprising, but I am glad to hear she didn't attack you. What did she say?"

"We heard her talking with some of her warriors, she sent them to Ho'O Peak and to Tong Po Harbor," Dill said.

"And then she called us out, apparently she knew we were hiding there all the time," Fennel added. "She said they have not found the ring yet."

"And that if we attack them, we may win a hard-earned victory," Dill completed.

"We are not interested in fighting with them," Sumac clarified. "At least for as long as they do what we asked of them, and from what you said it's clear the Amazons decided to cooperate with us by sending people to places we hadn't yet. Did you learn anything else, children?"

The old wolf was relieved to hear the Amazons had sent people to Mount Phoenix, as he truly didn't want to bring the Bird People into this, particularly because Saffron's current incarnation was still a small child and that made him completely unpredictable… not that the Phoenix King had ever been any better as an adult, however.

"We met some herbalist girls from Yakusai, too," Fennel offered then, sparing a discreet glance at Dill, hoping he would get the hint and avoid mentioning what happened then.

"They were taking a cargo of poisonous and healing plants to Joketsuzoku," Dill completed, he had noticed Fennel's gesture and, understanding what his friend meant, omitted to mention their scuffle with the two teenagers from the Amazon village. It was for the best, as Sumac had forbidden them from fighting during their mission, not to mention that revealing their defeat would only shame them in the eyes of the old Wolf.

"I see," Sumac said, arms crossed as he stared at the two teenagers in front of him. "Very well, I thank you for the information. Now, go to the training grounds and find Master Cardam, tell him I'm sending you with him to take Course Seven."

"Co-course seven?" Dill asked, fear evident in his voice as he struggled to understand what he had just heard.

"But… we're on course five!" Fennel said, as surprised and afraid as his friend, for them to even try to take a course seven at their current skill level meant this was nothing but punishment. "Lord Sumac… why are you doing this?"

"I told you not to fight," Sumac said, his voice completely serious. "And I am smelling traces of the sweat from the two Joketsuzoku children I released a few days before in your clothes. The only way this could be is that you both disobeyed my orders and fought them. Am I wrong?"

Exchanging glances and feeling both terrified and amazed by Sumac's ability to discover the truth, Dill and Fennel fell on their knees and bowed, keeping their heads down and hoping to recover the old wolf's favor and forgiveness the two of them decided it was best to admit their lie and apologize for it.

"We didn't mean to disobey!" Fennel said, not daring to raise his face.

"We only wanted to prove how strong the Musk Dynasty is!" Dill added, also keeping his head low.

"Stand up, you two!" Sumac ordered. "Such behavior is revolting, true Musk warriors face the consequences of their actions, they don't grovel like weaklings!"

Startled by the old wolf's harsh tone of voice, the teenagers bolt up from their kneeling position, standing straight and doing their best to avoid trembling in fear.

"Lord Sumac…" Dill started but decided to be quiet when the royal advisor released his battle aura, filling the room with it and making him feel very small and very afraid.

"I am not pleased with your childish disobedience!" Sumac stated, baring his fangs and staring the teenagers down. "I gave you an order and you will follow it, go seek Master Cardam! Or would you rather I train you personally?"

Fennel looked at his friend and saw that Dill was as scared as he felt. A training session with an angry Sumac could very well end up with both of them in the clinic, with at the very least a few broken ribs.

"We will do as you ask!" Dill said at once, bowing and moving to the door.

"We thank you for this chance to prove how sorry we are for what we did!" Fennel offered, rushing behind his friend, both of them vanishing in less than three seconds.

Once alone, Sumac brought his hand up to massage his right temple, feeling that perhaps he had been too harsh on the children, but reasoning it was best for them to get a reprimand that would also help them hone their skills while at the same time teaching them the importance of obedience. Taking in a deep breath, the old wolf managed to relax a little and started wondering if Herb was already on his way back from Seven Luck Mountain.

"Grandpa!"

Startled a little by the sudden interruption, Sumac turned to see Mint and Lime standing by the door, and by the looks on their faces, Sumac could already tell he was not going to like what he was about to hear.

"Yes, Mint, what is it, did Herb send you to find me?"

"No, but he did ask us to give you a message," Mint said, entering the room and stopping once he was in front of his grandfather.

"What is it?" Sumac asked.

"Herb's not coming to the Castle," The young wolf revealed.

"He's… what?" the royal adviser blinked, not really understanding what his grandson meant.

"Prince Herb said he wanted to train alone for a couple of days," Lime clarified.

"Yeah, he said he'll be in the mountains for a while," Mint recalled. "Also said you should send us to find him if the ring was found."

"I see," Sumac said, hands behind his back as he started pacing the guardroom. As he meditated on the news, he finally realized Herb must have been feeling too stressed by the situation, there was no other reason why he would have decided to train alone, and it was not even that surprising the ring's theft had bothered Herb so much. The Musk prince was the descendant of dragons, after all, and if there was one thing dragons didn't like, it was to have their treasures stolen.

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At Lotion's farm...

The morning sun gently climbed further and further into the sky and onto lotion's home and farmland. A myriad of animal calls singing in the distance, only growing in tempo as said celestial giant's glow gave vision and energy to the diverse but delicate ecosystem that surrounded the wise elder's property.

Sitting beneath a great Sawtooth Oak the two martial artists sat, their legs crossed with their backs towards the trunk of said acorn tree. It wasn't anything too great in size so it required the two to sit quite close to one another. Clearly an attempt at being romantic, the two love novices were just close enough to be leaning on each other.

"The Tsukemono was better than usual..." Ranko commented nervously and seemingly out of nowhere.

'Is that really the best I got...?' Ranko thought with a defeated and annoyed inner monologue, her attempt at being cute ruined by her lack of experience.

"I-I think Lotion's trying out a new recipe," Ryoga added to her comment by awkwardly laughing before he answered.

'I've always wanted a girlfriend and now I have to think of small talk…' the equally as inexperienced boy thought.

Ranko joined in on the awkward laugh and then sighed deeply. 'That was probably a pity laugh, should I just lean on him some more...?' She thought to herself, cheeks flushing a little.

"I guess I ain't much for small talk, huh...?" She asked, scratching her cheek with her index finger; having a nervous open-mouthed smile.

"I was just thinking about the same thing..." Ryoga's eyes widened as he looked to Ranko's own.

The redhead eye's widened and felt panic rising in her chest, her blushing vanishing from sheer humiliation.

"But about me." Ryoga finished before Ranko even had a chance to think.

Their expressions softened as they shared a genuine laugh together. It died down rather quickly but the sentiment was mutual.

"Nice save..." Ranko mockingly commented with a rolling of her eyes.

"I try..." Ryoga replied with a slight chuckle.

"You sure do..." Ranko confirmed, closing her eyes with a light smile.

"Anyways, Lotion told me she's off to take care of some personal matters," Ryoga commented as he picked up the teacup he had set off to the side, next to his and Ranko's empty plates as they had eaten breakfast out, taking it with one hand before finishing the lukewarm drink.

"Whadda ya' think she meant by that?" Ranko asked, wondering what such a shut-in could do with her time.

"I don't know, she really didn't give me much to work with," Ryoga added then looked to the side. "But I'm glad it gave us some alone time." He tried to say in as calm a tone he could.

"Stop trying to butter me up when you already got me," Ranko advised, rolling her eyes before letting them go soft.

'Think he's earned a treat…' she thought, allowing her posture to relax and her shoulder to plop against Ryoga's shoulder, resting on it as she looked out into the beautiful wildlife of Lotion's farm.

Ryoga was about to apologize for trying too hard but gasped a little when he saw that Ranko had become rather bold, resting her shoulder as well as her head against him. He looked down at her with a shocked expression. When she turned to look at him, he saw that she had a coy, cat-like smile on her face. Blood rushed to his head when he laid eyes on her seductive looking blue orbs.

"Ya' know, I may be the girl but you're the one always looking so damn cute..." Ranko cooed and maintained her flirtatious look.

"W-whatta' mean by that?" Ryoga asked, broadcasting his nervous energy even through his voice.

"Deep breaths, big guy, deep breaths..." Ranko smiled honestly, fighting back her laughter.

Now that the redhead's face had changed and her teasing had seized as well. Ryoga was able to collect himself enough to break away from her allure and just bask at the moment. Here he was with the girl he had come to know, the girl with who he had shared his first kiss.

"You just like messing with me," Ryoga commented because as soon as Ranko had stopped laughing, he took the chance to place his arm around her and bring her form against his.

For once, Ranko didn't have anything to say, all she could do was allow herself to be taken by her Lost Boy's incredible strength. From Ryoga's angle, all he could do was feel the warmth of her small body against his. The gentle smell of the lavender shampoo Ranko used hit him along with her true smell, and he took in her scent. This woman was not only a thing of beauty to him but she reflected a personality he had never even encountered when it came to the fairer sex.

"Huh..." As Ryoga had looked down from her head his eyes traveled further down to her clothes. "Are those the clothes Lotion gave you?" he inquired, blinking with a slight blush on his face.

"Y-yeah... whaddya' think?" she asked as she looked up to him.

"T-they look really good on you, as usual," Ryoga complimented, rolling his eyes as he appeased his redhead's bloated ego.

"You know it..." she replied with her eyes closed, feeling as smug as she usually did. "But thanks for the sweet talk, Ryo." She added, showing her appreciation by leaning up to him nuzzling the side of her face to his neck.

Not expecting that the raven-haired teen swallowed thickly. Leave it to his Ranko to leave him speechless, his silence hadn't gone unnoticed as Ranko returned to his side with a slight chuckle and a smile on her face. They went back to enjoying the peace and serenity that surrounded them, for though it was tame and serene around them right now, their adventures were rotted with peril so what little time they could make just to stop and smell the metaphorical flowers was considered a blessing between the two.

Though they were both forever students of the arts, whether be it through their upbringing or innate nature. Ranko found her mind wandering back to the technique mentioned by Lotion. Something that matched Ryoga's ki blast but was dangerous? Although she wasn't exactly a stranger to the concept, she still wanted to meet Ryoga's skill. Why couldn't she just be happy that the guy she's interested in is capable of taking her down with his depression ki?

'Maybe I like him but also wanna' be a challenge to him too…' She thought.

Leaning his head in such a way Ryoga was able to see her face, he noticed that she appeared lost in her thoughts. "What's on your mind, you look troubled?" Ryoga asked.

"I was thinking about that technique the old bag mentioned and I'm wondering what it could be..." Ranko answered his question. She wanted to think deeply about this but she didn't know what about 'her' Lotion was going to work with. Could she even picture an ideal ki technique for herself? Well, for starters she was fast but would that be a ki blast or some speed enhancement training?

"Maybe it could be something when you're keeping a cool-" Ryoga was about to answer with an idea of his own.

That was until a loud yowl noise assaulted their ears, both stopped talking. Across the farm but nowhere nearly far enough for Ranko's tastes, was Lotion's cat repeatedly batting at some injured looking bird. Ranko was now actively embracing the Lost Boy as her fear grew, especially now that it was chasing the bird closer to her and her squeeze.

"C-cat!" the redhead exclaimed, gluing her eyes to the passive-aggressive household pet.

"I don't think they're going to get any closer," Ryoga said while watching their movements, flexing the necessary muscles in his legs in case he needed to get Ranko back inside as quickly as possible. As if the universe was guided by Ryoga's will, the cat chased the bird into the woods near the farm.

"I'd completely forgotten about that damned cat," Ranko mumbled disgruntledly. Her eyes widened when she stopped to put her hand over her heart, she knew she had locked eyes with the terrifying hellcat but her heart hadn't pounded in the same way it had before.

"Hey, I noticed you didn't..." Ryoga took the words right out of her mouth.

"I'm thinkin' it's cause you were holding me so close that-that I was able to ke-keep it together this time," Ranko explained but found herself blushing and wishing she had thought that out rather than explaining it.

Thinking he should change the topic or at least segway onto a lighter discussion, he forced something to come to mind. "Y-you know Ranko, you wouldn't have to worry about cats if you ever came to my house, we-we have a dog..." Ryoga said bashfully looking off to the side, wanting to slap himself. It all sounded as though he had just invited her to meet his parents when he was actually just trying to ease Ranko's tension or awkward feelings.

"Already thinkin' about introducing me to your folks?" Ranko asked in a teasing sing-song sort of voice, unable to control herself whenever she saw how flustered the male teen could get.

This was the response Ryoga had been expecting but that wasn't to say he didn't feel embarrassed for his Freudian slip. Not having a prepared answer or able to come up with an excuse at the moment, all Ryoga could do was go red in the face while leaning his head back.

Not one to miss an opportunity, the redhead decided to take advantage of his distraught disposition by laughing openly. After her laughter died down she decided to up the ante by wrapping her arms around his neck and sliding her legs across his lap, effectively straddling him. He was about to try and say something in retaliation, that was until he felt the tip of his redheaded beauty's finger on his lips. Ryoga stared at her in awe, enamored by the gentle face, his eyes wandered down to her finger and then back to her as she leaned up to kiss his cheek.

"I'd be honored to meet your parents someday, so just chill, man..." Ranko advised, reaching her pointer finger out to poke Ryoga's nose.

After shutting his eyes for a second from getting his nose poked, he returned her smile with one of his own, although his blush had remained prevalent, especially now that Ranko was sitting on his lap. The firmness of her rear on his thighs was more than a bit distracting, still, he was able to gather his wits and fight off the nose bleed he was sure to come if he didn't maintain his focus. Successfully doing so, with far more control than ever before, he was able to ready himself for a response right before it became too awkward.

"I-I'd like to meet your parents too..." Ryoga threw into the conversation, looking into those beautiful eyes, the ones he had come to adore. "By the way," he said, taking the girl's hand in his, looking down at it before looking back up into her deep blue orbs.

"Y-yeah, Ryoga...?" Ranko replied while stuttering, letting her voice trail off as she found herself just as lost in Ryoga's eyes as he was in hers.

"I swear I'll get you your memories back, but not just that!" he leaned in closer to her as his eyes sent waves of unrelenting determination her way. "I´ll get you back to your family!" he declared.

Ranko felt as though Ryoga's strength was invading her very being, gathering the inner strength and security she needed to know that everything would be alright. That not only could they defend each other, but they'd also be willing to go above and beyond, no matter the cost. The intensity in this sentiment exploded when she felt him get close enough to make their foreheads gently come together in the middle.

"Come 'ere you..." Ranko said in a low trailing voice, taking full advantage of her seated position she tried to pull the other teen's face towards her.

Sensing that she was about to take the lead in his declaration, Ryoga felt an uncontrollable need to meet her with the same passion and fearless bravado she was displaying. Although she had taken the lead, that didn't mean that she would be the one to close most of the distance between their lips.

"Mmph...!" They both moaned deeply, closing their eyes and basking in the peace that their presence brought each other.

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Inside Lotions bedroom...

Near the front of her bed was the exiled elder, and in front of her, was a box filled with dusty old scrolls. One of which she was currently examining while she hummed, looking at a scroll with Chinese characters and a small depiction of a wolf.

"I need those two to be ready for Joketsuzoku if they're going to be making that journey to my old home," she paused before shaking her head and putting the scroll she had just taken out.

"Or would it be more accurate to say that storage warehouse they turned it into?" she wondered to herself as she took out a different scroll. Grunting she took once glance at the new scroll and shook her head, letting her hands go limp, she lowered her head.

'Till this day, I worry something might have happened to all my precious memories, to all the mementos they took from me and my dear Grandson, sometimes I wonder, can this is this really be the way? To take from one's family? To deny my dear grandson all the proud history, only because I was banished...?' She pondered remorsefully, shutting her eyes and letting out a shuttering breath.

Pulling herself back together she straightened her posture and put the scroll back into the large box, making a key appear from her sleeve before shutting it and locking the hard leather container shut with a thud.

'Those techniques are much too advanced for those two…' she thought as looked at the picture of her Grandson.

Not able to reach any solid conclusions at the moment, she realized that maybe Ryoga was already well onto his path of mastering the Shishi Hokodan. 'From what they told me and from what I've seen, perhaps Ryoga's vast ki and use of the Shishi Hokodan might be enough so that I might not even need to teach Ranko anything else…' Her inner monologue trailed as she ruminated on her thoughts.

"Still, there would also be the matter of Rinse and Cologne, so would that really be wise?" she asked herself, clanking her staff and taking a deep breath. "Likely they'd be tasked with guarding it," she said, pausing as she put her hand to her chin. "But on the off chance they do happen across them, they'd at the very least, need one more than one powerful method of escape, something just to keep them from outright dying at the hands of those two powerful elders," she mumbled as she turned to face the door to the hallway.

'Though the Shishi Hokodan counts as something strong enough to give all three of us elders some difficulty, what if something were to happen to Ryoga? Ranko would at least need something that can turn their extraordinary ki back at them, and considering how agitating the girl can get, it'd be a more than a useful tool in her arsenal…' Although she spoke confidently in her own mind, that didn't mean that her outward appearance reflected that idea.

Shutting her eyes, she allowed her hand to slip off her chin and fall to her side, "I suppose it'd be best if I teach her another technique..." she said, confirming it with a deep but exhausted sounding relief of breath.

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Meanwhile, Ranko and Ryoga are...

Taking a stroll around Lotion's farm, the two casually enjoy each other's company. For them to have gone through so much, to the point of Ranko actually becoming the Lost Boy's girlfriend, all while Ranko's memories were missing? That their chance encounter could lead them down a path of strength and enlightenment? It was a lot to take in, on one hand, Ranko and Ryoga worried that if Ranko were to regain her memories she would find that her old life clashed with them staying together, but none of them dared to say this yet.

These thoughts dominated Ryoga's mind more than Ranko's, however. 'I've spent what feels like my whole life looking for somewhere I belong, hoping I could find some kind of purpose, especially after I've taken my revenge on Saotome…' his thoughts dragged on as the visual of Ranma played in his mind, remembering the school uniform he had last seen him in, and though he knew he despised the pigtailed teen, he couldn't bring himself to summon the fires of rage he felt before. Recognizing this, he looked over to the girl by his side. He didn't know why exactly but he felt a strange familiarity. 'But when I'm with her, I feel like I have a best friend, someone I'd like to spend the rest of my life with…' He thought but allowed the words to settle, looking out in front of them again he blushed deeply.

Though Ranko was giddy from the fact that she was now actively dating Ryoga, she couldn't help but think back on the boy from her nightmare. 'Who was that guy? Why was I so freaked out by him too?' She thought, trying to make sense of it all. His words bounced around her head like some broken record. 'Why couldn't he let me go out there? What did he mean by out there? What did he need to fix and did it have to do with me staying somewhere?' She pondered as she then sighed heavily, stopping and looking off to the side to scoop up a handful of pebbles.

Still going for a little bit beyond Ranko stopping, Ryoga looked to where he last saw his tomboy maiden, he stopped to look around. Spotting her, he watched her as she began throwing pebbles, he noticed that she was able to bounce the mini stones from tree trunk to tree trunk. Impressed with Ranko's ricocheting prowess, he failed to see the internal conflict she was experiencing at first.

Even though at first glance it looked as though Ranko was just casually enjoying some rock-throwing, her face gradually began to mimic her inner turmoil. She couldn't help but recognize the fact that they both wore the same clothes, the fact that they both had pigtails, they even had the same blue eyes and yet she couldn't remember a thing about him. 'If I'm remembering people, isn't that supposed to bring back some memories?' She tried to fathom the meaning behind this strange boy, still not receiving a satisfying answer from her mental state. She closed her eyes, looking as though she were trying to squeeze out anything she could from her mind, but alas, that's not how memories worked.

To Ryoga, it looked as though every rock Ranko threw was intended to not only jump from the trunks but off of the other pebbles she was throwing. It was only when he noticed how much faster she was moving that Ryoga give way to pause. Before he could see if something was wrong, his eyes widened when his ears caught the sound of a pebble zooming towards his head. "Ah!" He yelped in surprise, ducking before the small mass of earth could hit him.

Looking to where the ball was heading for a second, he turned to look at Ranko. It looked as though he was angry enough to give her a piece of his mind, though he found that he couldn't do it anymore, there was a look of pain and utter frustration on her face.

"Are you okay?" Ryoga inquired in a soft but delicate tone.

"It's just been long enough, I need ta' come back… and those things you're doing…"

The memory of her dream haunted her in the real world, his words piercing her very being so much, that she couldn't even tell why she was reacting the way she was. Why was it when Ryoga spoke to her, that his words, along with the warning given to her by that mystery boy in her dreams played out at the same time as if she were on the phone while trying to listen to the radio at the same time? Ranko honestly didn't know.

What followed after was the girl gasping, dropping her pebbles onto the ground. Though Ryoga couldn't see it, she appeared to be genuinely scared by the fact that she felt as though she had to run, to escape to wherever she was supposed to be; away from the one she had come to know so personally.

"Please talk to me, Ranko," Ryoga paused as he took a cautious step closer. "Are you okay...?" his voice dragged out a little as he noticed her flinching as if in pain.

This gave Ryoga a reason to stop, he never wanted to see her scared, scared at the idea of him. The fact that he thought he saw her freeze at the sound of his voice was enough for him to feel an aching in his heart. Despite facing her, his eyes drifted off to the side, wondering if he had said or done anything to upset her recently. It felt as though it came straight out of nowhere.

'Did she not like it when we were doing that?' he thought, thinking back to when they were making out a little while ago.

"Ryoga..." Her voice trailed as she forced herself to swallow, preparing herself for something she was clearly nervous about. "Could you do me a favor and... hold me?" she sounded as though she were pleading with her request.

'I-it's okay if he holds me, it's okay b-because he's my boyfriend, m-my Ryoga...' Her inner voice repeated like a pre-rehearsed mantra. 'It's okay, he'll keep me safe.'

Outright refusing to hesitate, the Lost Boy took this as his chance to comfort Ranko. After a few steps, she was in his arms while he embraced her from her side, and though he could sense that she stiffened up upon contact, she didn't pull back or away from him. Instead, she reached out to put her hand atop his forearm.

"Sorry, I'm all outta it. I remembered that nightmare from the night before and it got me all nervous and junk," she explained then looked at him, tightening her hold on his arm. Although under normal circumstances, the amount of pressure she put would have been enough to make any normal man coil inward, Ryoga was no normal man. "I-I'm better now, so don't worry 'bout it..." she assured, keeping her voice down despite them being alone.

"You can talk to me about it, Ranko," Ryoga offered, his voice trailed as he begged her to open up about it.

"I-I can't Ryoga! Be-because I'm not even sure what's wrong!" She paused, looking off to the side and hearing the raven-haired teen's dejected sigh. "It's not like I don't wanna'... I-I just don't get it myself and it could be connected to my screwed up memories!" Ranko attempted to clear the air with some urgency, not wanting to make her dependable friend feel unnecessary.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Ryoga's rejected demeanor vanished when he felt the redhead wrap her arms around him and pressed her body against his. "Ran-Ranko..." he muttered, finding himself smiling and she clung to him just a little tighter.

"Promise me you'll stay by my side, please, Ryoga," Ranko implored, her voice carrying the fear that invaded her hearth.

"I swear I'll stay by your side, no matter what happens," Ryoga responded as genuinely and as honestly as he could, dropping his tone several octaves in the process.

"I… I promise I'll never forget you, Ryoga. Even if my stupid memories come back I won't forget you..." Ranko practically guaranteed as her voice dropped in volume. "Because you're really the most important person in my life, Ryoga, and-and I don't wanna' lose you!" she whispered in a low but affectionate voice while pressing her face against his chest. "I can't lose you..."

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Meanwhile, in the mountains behind the Musk Citadel...

The two collared crows landed on a tall rock, not too far from a cave on the mountain's side. The bi-colored birds preened and stared at the strange individual sitting by the entrance of the cavern; they had spotted it from above and, not strangers to the concept of easy to pick food left behind by farmers, decided to simply wait until the hooded stranger had finished eating, and both black-winged birds were already anticipating a tasty serving of leftover rice and vegetables.

It was then that the crows felt it. The aura around the stranger was… dangerous. Staring at this mysterious person, they could clearly see her energy forming the shape of a ferocious lioness, and both of them instinctively knew they shouldn't stay close. Nervously glancing at each other, the crows let out a loud 'Kaar-kaar!' and took off, as they understood flying far away from there was the wisest choice they could make.

Stopping her chewing for a moment, Chevril spared a second to glance at the departing crows, though they could have made a better meal, and then drank from her water bottle so she could swallow the tasteless dry meat she was eating. The young Musk girl debated on finishing the meat or saving it for later. Deciding she wasn't so hungry, she returned it to the small bento box she had between her legs and placed it back in her bag, the same as the water bottle.

"I'll have to hunt something later, dry meat is only a little better than eating cardboard," she sighed and leaned back on the rocks behind her while her mind wandered until she remembered her troubles when she tried to track down the other redhead who had taken the ring. "I do wonder why her trail was so difficult to follow…"

And difficult to follow was putting it lightly; Chervil frowned as she recalled how once she got the trail near the only inn between Shangjie and Tong Po Harbor, it started going in circles, then going in weird directions, then zigzagging, then going back and forth in ways that made no sense, then mixing directions in ways that seemed physically impossible and then…puff, it vanished! She simply lost the trail, could find no smell, no signs on the trees or tracks on the ground, nothing!

'It's as if she… could teleport at will or something,' the girl from the Lion clan thought, scratching her left temple as she tried to make sense of the strange route the other redhead and whoever was traveling with her had taken before disappearing.

'And I have such rotten luck, too,' Chervil sighed. 'Just when I tried to find her scent again, the wind changed and I smelled Mint and Lime approaching me, pushing me north to avoid meeting them.'

And going north proved to be far more trouble than she had imagined because the further she went in that direction, the more Musk trackers she saw and, as she focused on avoiding them, she ended up reaching the river, where three trackers from the Fox and Wolf clans got too close, forcing her to cross the river near Bao.

'And because of that I'm stuck hiding in this stupid cave,' the feline beauty thought, knowing it was safer to stay in the cave for a couple of days before returning south to start searching for that other girl and her friend again. 'I just hope the Musk trackers didn't capture her yet, I'd feel really bad if she gets hurt because of my mistakes… and now that I think of it, I didn't tell those Joketsuzoku kids I met a few days ago how to contact me... Well, too late to fix that now, I guess.'

Feeling slightly frustrated by her lack of luck, Chevril decided to go for a walk, hoping she would be able to find a nice spot by the river where she could catch some fish for dinner. Her decision made, she stood up and picked up her things, hiding them carefully behind a rock. That done, the lion girl stretched by lifting her arms above her head until she feels her shoulder blades pop and then brought her hands down. Her gaze lingered on her fingers for a second and she sighed, suddenly sad as she remembered the ring she had stolen, the ring she should be wearing as proof of her place as Herb's…

"That stupid, pedantic, stuck-up, insensitive, jerk-faced, no-good Prince!" she muttered, recalling how poorly Herb treated her the day they met, and how he didn't even listen when she tried to tell him about the harsh training she had endured to secure her right to meet him and being close to him. "Making me feel like a fool when all I ever wanted was to…"

Chevril stopped that thought and shook her head, realizing it wasn't right at all. True, Herb had not been exactly polite when Sumac introduced them, but she had no right to get back at him by stealing the royal ring and running away from the Musk Castle.

'Well… I was angry, and taking the ring made sense at the time,' she thought as she started walking in the direction of the nearby river. 'I mean… I didn't steal the ring because it technically would've been mine after Herb and I...'

CRAAA-KOOOOM!

"What was that?" Chevril asked, terrified by the loud noise as she feared it was either a military exercise that went wrong or even Saffron acting crazy. Her fears vanished, however, when she saw several flashes of golden light that were matched with a very familiar aura, one that she knew and that could only belong to one man.

'Herb… he's there...' she thought. For a moment, the lion girl considered picking up her things and running away as far as she could but in the end, she couldn't. She had not seen Herb in too long, and a chance to catch a glimpse of her Dragon Prince was simply something she couldn't let pass.

With her mindset, Chevril rushed towards the golden aura shining bright ahead of her...

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At the bottom of a ravine...

Herb stood still as two massive rocks fell in front and behind him, his aura protecting him from the debris flying in his general direction. When the dust cleared, she looked up at the top of the cliff and saw that the damage caused by the energy blasts he had just shot at the tallest point of the rocky walls was not as severe as what his grandfather or father could do. Herb took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly; he knew his strength was still growing, but he had hoped his raw power was higher.

"It will come with time," the Musk prince said in a low voice, remembering the old tale about how his great-grandfather had once managed to counter Saffron's flames with his battle aura, if only for long enough to save the Musk Castle; that feat, however, had impressed the Phoenix King, and he agreed to sign a pact of no aggression between the Musk and the Bird People, a pact that had been respected by the residents of Ho'O Peak since then. But The Musk knew each new incarnation of Saffron was slightly different, and could suddenly change his mind about the agreement. Because of that, it was imperative for the Dragon Clan to grow stronger with each generation, as it was the only way to make sure the Musk Dynasty would have a chance to avoid a crushing defeat in case Saffron attacked.

'Hm… I should try using some of my special techniques now, I may not be as strong as my father yet, but I can aim to be more precise than he is for the time being,' Herb thought. 'I'll practice the Hito Ryu Zan Ha, then, that should help me improve my overall technique.'

The Dragon Prince took in a deep breath, relaxed his shoulders, and then looked up. He selected two spots high on the gorge and shot one ki blast from each hand, hitting the rock with explosive results, causing a rain of rather large rocks to fall in his direction. Herb focused his energy and waited, he had less than two seconds to do this right; if he failed, the chances were high that he would get injured, so he had to time it perfectly and then when most of the rocks were just where he wanted them…

"Hito Ryu Zan Ha!" He shouted, bringing his hands up in rapid succession, unleashing a barrage of ki blades that impacted the falling rocks. Each energy blade cut the falling rocks well, splitting most of them into smaller and smaller stones until they were harmless pebbles; most of them, that is, with the exception of the largest one, a massive rock similar in size to Kirin's airship.

Not bothering with thinking and acting instead on instinct alone, Herb ignited his battle aura and launched himself at the enormous boulder. When he was about to meet the stone, the Prince focused all of his energy in his right fist and punched the rock hard, using both his considerable strength and his own ki to split it in half. Still, in midair, the young dragon quickly spun and delivered a powerful kick with his right leg, shattering that half of the rock into dust. Turning quickly Herb delivered a second kick, this time with his left leg, hitting the other half of the boulder and destroying it completely.

Below, a rain of pebbles and dust rained down the bottom of the precipice, and Herb descended slowly, landing safely in the midst of the destruction he had just caused. Looking around, the prince couldn't hold back a satisfied smirk. He had done better now than the last time he had tried this exercise a few months back and while he still was not at his father's level, Herb considered he was now improving faster and would surpass his father in less than three years, something that greatly pleased him.

'Good, if I keep increasing my power we won't have anything to fear from Saffron and…' the prince started, but he then felt something that interrupted his thoughts. A presence? He had detected a familiar battle aura, but it had disappeared so quickly he may have imagined it. Puzzled by this, he spared a glance to his right and waited, expecting to see a newcomer approaching him but there was nobody there. 'I must be tired… I'm even feeling Chervil's presence now.'

Deciding it had been nothing but his imagination, Herb jumped up twice, reaching the top of the cliff with ease. Once there he walked a bit until he reached the woods and stopped under a tall oak, where he found his gear.

Sitting and resting his back on the tree, Herb reached for a water bottle and took a sip, wondering then why he had imagined feeling Chervil's presence. Perhaps he was starting to miss her?

'No, that couldn't be,' Herb thought, but at the same time, he remembered Chervil's slim, athletic figure, the line of her hips, and the inviting curve of her breasts. The prince groaned in frustration and shook his head. Why was he thinking of that annoying, foul-mouthed, irritating woman? It made no sense.

'I must be very tired,' he decided and yawned loudly, taking advantage of being alone to do so.

----------------------------------------

A few minutes before…

Chevril hid behind a rock with a hand over her heart, sweating in fear and breathing fast. She was focusing on keeping her battle aura hidden to avoid being found out and was starting to believe she had been too careless and had gotten too close too fast.

'The last thing I need is to meet Herb without having the royal ring in my possession,' she thought, wiping a bit of sweat off her forehead. Sure, she knew the prince wouldn't kill her, but there was no way she could face him empty-handed because even if her life was not in danger, there would be punishment, and she was not eager at all to find out of what kind.

'Is he coming here?' she wondered after a while of hiding. Waiting for a moment more, the lion girl finally dared to slowly peek above the rock, only to find… nobody. Herb wasn't there anymore. 'He's gone, thank God! For a moment I really thought he would come here!'

But where was he? Confused, Chervil looked left and right and finally up, just in time to see Herb reaching the top of the cliff with incredible ease. 'He used all that ki and still had enough energy to jump all the way up there. He's… he's so amazing… so strong… and so handsome...'

Blushing at the thought, the lion girl sighed and sat down. Her heart was beating faster, just like the first time she'd seen him from afar when she was a little girl and sneaked into the boy's section of the Musk Citadel.

'I'm such a fool…' she thought running her hand over her face and leaning her back on the rock behind her. 'And Herb's probably never going to forgive me.'

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Midnight…

Chervil moved stealthily, climbing with feline grace and agility until she reached the top of the ravine. Once there, she used her delicate sense of smell to sniff around until she found his scent. He was straight ahead in the woods. Slowly, and keeping her ki as low as she could, the lion girl walked in the direction of the trees.

As she moved silently through the forest, her feet avoiding every single twig on the floor, walking with her head low to avoid touching any branches and making unwanted noises, she suddenly realized that she should not be there. She really shouldn't be there. But she couldn't stop moving.

She had to see Herb. She simply had to.

It took her a few minutes, but she finally found the small clearing where he had set his camp. He was sleeping on his back, under an oak. He hadn't bothered to light a fire or set up a tent, covering himself only with a blanket. This confused her for a moment, and she stopped while looking at her surroundings, wondering why Herb was sleeping like that. It was then that she smelled and noticed a few wolves on the other side of the clearing. Being of a cat clan, her night vision was perfect, and Chevril was able to see that the wolves were afraid, and didn't dare to approach the Dragon Prince. Finally, after a moment of hesitation, the leader of the pack turned and all wolves vanished into the shadows.

'Makes sense Herb didn't bother with a tent or a fire,' she thought. 'There's no animal here that's stupid enough to get near him after feeling his battle aura, even when he's sleeping.'

For a moment, Chervil considered turning and going back to her own camp, but in the end, she tip-toed until she was next to Herb and slowly knelt beside him. She spent a moment observing him, taking in his relaxed and calm expression, thinking he looked so peaceful and content. On a whim, Chervil reached for his face and slowly, so very slowly, ran her fingertips over his forehead, enjoying the warmth of his skin as she caressed him.

Feeling a little bolder after seeing he didn't appear to be waking up, she leaned closer and stopped short of touching his lips with hers. What was she doing, kissing him like this? Chevril blinked and shook her head. No, she wanted him to kiss her when awake, doing this would be a waste of their first kiss, and she didn't want that.

But she really wanted to kiss him.

Closing her eyes and struggling against her fear of waking him up, Chevril moved a bit and shyly, slowly, pressed her lips against his forehead, trembling the moment she felt how soft and warm his skin truly was.

"I… I love you, Herb," she managed to confess after a moment of hesitation. "And I… I am sorry I caused you so much trouble, I promise I'll fix this mess."

Herb moved a little then. She noticed and waited hoping it was nothing, but then he stirred again and Chevril understood he was going to wake up. Not wanting to meet him again until she had recovered the ring, the lion girl used her considerable cat-like agility and jumped high, landing on a branch above, and from there she kept moving as fast as she could until she was back in her cave.

Had she stayed, Chervil would have seen Herb opening his eyes and sitting up, rubbing the sleep off his face as he scanned his surroundings, searching for the energy of any strangers that had dared approach him while he rested, but other than what felt like wolves moving away from him, there was no one? Confused, Herb touched his forehead, wondering why he felt as if someone had caressed him there. The prince sat in silence there, waiting until he felt sure he was alone.

'I do wonder what that feeling in my forehead was, though…' Herb thought as he covered his mouth while yawning. 'But it felt good, so maybe I was having a nice dream...'

Thinking that whatever it had been wasn't something he should concern with, Herb went back to sleep, his last thoughts before he fell asleep devoted to the training exercises he would do the following day.

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The following day in Joketsuzoku...

A bird squawked in the distance, towards the afternoon sun. Looking in its direction was Mousse, who had his hands in his sleeves, and Shampoo who stood to his side as they watched Pink and Link counting a considerable sum of money, straight from a rather hefty looking sack at that. Nearby, only a few yards to be exact were two wise tribal elders. Further beyond them was the village entrance.

"Is the payment complete, young ones?" Cologne asked, closing her eyes with a soft smile.

The Amazon in the red and green garbs asked her question just as Pink stacked the last bit of it. She closed her eyes and hummed for a second, "I believe it is paid in full, honorable Elder, we pray that it will be very useful for Joketsuzoku," Link confirmed their successful transaction with a cheerful clapping of her hands.

Pink in the meanwhile, loaded the back of the cart with the payment, closing the backdoor with her hand she dusted her palms of any loose hay, putting her hands to her hips.

The elder in Christmas colors, save for the golden circle with a cross in the middle on the front of her robes, nodded her head. "Give my regards to Ginseng, if you please, but also tell him that I expect him to remember our agreement," Cologne said, pausing right after to make sure she looked into Pink's eyes.

Pink saw that right after Cologne finished speaking, Link had bowed graciously, she would also show the same respect but with a much more pronounced grin than a delicate and courteous one like her sister Link. "We promise to deliver your message!" they proudly assured as they stood up straight again.

"We're still in need of some more herbs and roots, so we hope that the Yukusai herbalists can send more merchandise by tomorrow morning." The short-haired elder in red and blue robes inquired, putting a hand to her chin.

"We will personally bring whatever the Amazons want, Elder Rinse!" Pink added to the conversation.

"We will also ensure it is the highest of quality!" Link threw in her own promise as well.

"I would also like you two to keep the Musk ambushes to a minimum, so to make sure we can avoid another mishap. Shampoo and Mousse will spend the night in Yukusai with you two." Cologne's voice trailed as she looked at the Amazonian couple.

"Yes! Of course!" Link agreed with a forced-looking smile.

Pink on the other hand appeared annoyed as she crossed her arms, "If it's what the Elders would like of us..." her voice dragged out as she looked over to the other two equally as displeased martial artists.

"This could hinder our training," Mousse said as his specs met Cologne's eyes.

"He's right, Great Grandmother," Shampoo concurred with her husband-to-be, hands on her hips expectantly.

"Then you two will have to resume your training the following day," Rinse said as she shoved her hand hands up her sleeves as well.

"You two can make up for the lost time with some extra training," Cologne advised as she clanked the bottom half of her staff to the ground.

With no further words, they began their walk back into the Amazon village. Walking side by side they left the four teens with very little room for argument, in fact, it was considered dangerous to question the will of the tribe leaders. The second they knew that the two ancient slave drivers were far away enough, Pink and Link looked at Shampoo and sighed inwardly, slouching their shoulders as they went to take their place in the carriage.

The twin's lips resembled flat lines, feeling the cart rattle a little from the weight of Mousse and Shampoo boarding. Both took their respective reins, one thought remaining prevalent through their departure.

'This is a stupid idea,' they thought in perfect harmony.

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Back in the Amazon village...

Scaling the walls with his back pressed against them, the father of the Saotome prodigy sidled his way over to the entrance. He stopped as he was only a few steps away from his chance at freedom, inspecting his pathway he made sure that no one was watching him.

'Once I'm out of here, I'll need to find the boy somehow,' Genma thought as he continued to close the distance between him and his exit and once he was sure the tower guard nearby wasn't looking, he attempted his daring escape!

Too bad for him, on the other side was Cologne's cane, pressing up against the bald master's chest, keeping him from going out any further. Trying to get back to hopefully run away, he, unfortunately, saw that Cologne wasn't alone. Beside her, was another Elder from what he could tell and if she was anything like Cologne, then his chances at making it out of the village had dwindled to nothing now.

"My, my, look who managed to bypass the guards..." Cologne's voice trailed as she smiled. "You almost managed to hide from me, even," she commented, then pushed the end of her staff against his throat, rising one of her brows in suspicion.

"What a fascinating technique, I must say I'm quite curious," Rinse's voice trailed as she appeared pleasantly surprised.

Cologne shut her eyes, not afraid to lose sight of Genma, especially since he was right in front of her. "I agree, would you care to explain such a unique technique?" she asked, prodding for answers and out of sheer curiosity.

"Indeed. I've never seen anything like it, to be honest," Rinse commented, putting a hand behind her back.

Genma raised his hands to the air, his fingers contorting into the proper form. "That? That was just a different art I developed a while back and was forced to seal so-so I'm not really allowed to share it," he answered as Cologne lowered her wooden staff.

"Want to explain why you were using it then?" Cologne asked or rather interrogated him, both could be accurate in a sense.

"J-just to make sure I haven't gotten too rusty is all! Certainly wasn't planning on escaping or anything like that!" Genma answered with as brave a smile as he could muster.

"Of course," Cologne answered simply as she opened her eyes, a soft smile across her face. "Despite your inability to share this powerful art, you've done such an excellent job improving the skills of our young pupils so much so, in fact, that we would prefer it if you were to start training some of the younger girls with underdeveloped technique or those with no definitive style of their own yet." She outlined to him as if they were having a casual conversation.

"I-I'd be honored!" Genma answered the call to forced duty, humbly accepting while having a fully loaded semi-automatic piece of lumber aimed at his chest.

"Don't worry about being alone either," Rinse threw in into their pleasant chat.

"We saw it fit to give you some additional supervision from Basil and her darling husband, you see, they were the ones tasked with handling the girls before you," Cologne informed Genma with a knowing smile.

"You start bright and early," The short-haired Elder Rinse told him.

Why was that name so familiar? Genma's brain thought for a second and then like suddenly getting awoken by someone turning on the light, he remembered the face of the woman he had charmed into giving him more food. 'Oh great, guess there's a good chance I'm gonna be stuck with a jealous husband come morning,' Genma thought with a grimace. "I can't wait," Genma agreed emotionless, gently lowering his hands to his sides.

The sounds of marching feet hit their eardrums, once close enough it was Cologne's queue to lower her weapon as the guards marched him back to the village prison, 'Can't believe that not even my Umisenken style could mask my presence from those two mummies,' Genma thought, his inner voice utterly blown by the skill displayed by the Amazonian Elders.

----------------------------------------

Back on the dirt roads again...

The four teenagers headed for Yakusai, as indicated by the Chinese sign, off to their right. Though this was anything but a joyous occasion since Pink and Link both despised Shampoo with a passion. If they could transmit their thoughts into Shampoo, it'd certainly cause her to make things worse between the Herbalists and herself.

Others might think otherwise, given how quiet and calm things appeared between them, but that couldn't be further from the truth. While Shampoo and Mousse had chosen to ride in the back again, the twins began to talk quietly among themselves.

"I was hoping we would have split up with Shampoo by now," Link commented as they chugged along on their journey back.

"Kill me, sister, if you please..." Pink commented as well.

"Only if you take me out first, I can no longer bear to tolerate Shampoo's presence," Link responded, mushing the donkeys out of frustration, only for them to ignore her and continue at the same pace they had been maintaining.

"Wouldn't you be dead when it's my turn then, how does that work, if you please?" Pink questioned turning to look at her.

"Apologies dear sister but I believe I've made a mistake," Link answered back lazily, not even turning to face her sister.

Silence befell the two once again, with nothing to distract them they were given little choice but to accept the fact that they were stuck to Shampoo like flies to flypaper. Try as they might, they were stuck with a violent Amazonian with ties to incredibly powerful Elders.

'I'm sick of having to play chauffeur for some ungrateful elites! I just wanted to become an official herbalist but instead, my sister and I are always getting dragged into dangerous situations that cause us more trouble! If not just risking serious injury!' Thought Link scornfully as she tightened her grip on her reins.

Pink, on the other hand, was fuming compared to her sister's warm simmering. 'Why do the Elders insist we accompany that insufferably stupid ogre! She's always getting us into danger or trouble! Or if not risk injuring us with her terrible plans!' The blue kanji herbalist pondered with an intense demeanor.

In the back of the cart sat the Amazonian couple, Mousse and Shampoo sitting next to each other. This time though, they were not huddled together in an affectionate embrace, they were lost in their own thoughts.

Mousse's eyes were looking up to the sky, arms up his sleeves while his feet were dangling out the back of the cart. 'With all these setbacks, will I get the time to get a properly master the scythes of sorrow, I can't yet pull out the scythes from my robes without slitting my forearm,' he thought with a frustrated inner dialogue, sighing once before looking to his arm and looking to the long, but almost invisible scars traveling from his elbow to his wrist.

Mousse frowned and place those thoughts aside for the moment and remembered something that could aid them. 'What about my ki detecting technique? I still have so much to learn before that's of any use, even with all that I've improved, it still wouldn't be enough!' He mulled over in his head, hunching forward a little further each time as his thoughts progressed.

Immersed in her own thoughts as well, the purple-haired martial artist furrowed her brow. 'How come I'm struggling to master the Tamashi no Bakudan Kogeki? I've learned how to manipulate my battle aura as needed but whenever I hit anything with it, it bounces away and maintains form before fading, at first I thought it'd just pop on contact like some sort of energy bubble, but I can't get it right!' Shampoo reflected on her training, but as the cart continued on its way she felt her thoughts drifting back to that instance of weakness.

That time when she lacked the courage to stand her ground before that Musk Tiger Clansman and in front of Herb, how the strength had been zapped from her voice as his actions haunted her thoughts. 'I swear I'll overcome this fear when the war comes, I must not only for my people but my future as well…' Shampoo mused over an image of the boy by her side, surprising her enough to blush deeply but not enough to break her look of fierce determination.

Link's simmering rage eventually evaporated into nothing, leaving her bored by the omnipresent silence that surrounded them. "Does everyone have a place to stay the night?" the red kanji sister asked her fellow passengers.

Pink was none too pleased with that question, her thoughts running wild by the sour mood in the air. 'Here comes the part where we have to let them sleep in our home,' the blue kanji sister thought inwardly but outwardly she looked disgusted with the idea of letting their tormentor rest in their herbalist abode.

"Mousse and I will be staying with master Ginseng," Shampoo reported as she stopped dangling her feet and put her knees together.

If Mousse and Shampoo could see the looks of relief on the faces of the twins, there was no doubt that Mousse would be trying to quell the rampaging warrior fury. "Well, I hope we don't come across any more of those awful Musk warriors before we can get you there," Pink commented as she looked over her shoulder to try and see the scared look on Shampoo's face.

"You both actually did very well with getting the cart to the Amazon village," Shampoo complimented and then crossed her arms with a smirk on her face. "Congratulations, the two of you have made yourselves useful for a change..." Shampoo's voice trailed but also dripped with a sense of superiority.

Not giving Pink something to smile about but rather something that completely flipped the script on her, taken back for a moment the twins shook their heads and worked off their speechless expressions.

"W-were you commending us on a job well done?" Link asked.

"As difficult as it is for me to say, I have to admit that you two did a great favor to Joketsuzoku that morning and that is why I think you two have earned my gratitude." Shampoo explained with her eyes closed.

Mousse had finally been forced out of his thoughts and paid witness to something he'd never see throughout their travels with the twins, Shampoo actually thanking Pink and Link of all people. He smiled pleasantly and then looked over to the herbalist twins and offered them an appreciative nod as well, truly impressed by what they had accomplished.

Link put her hand over her mouth, she seemed as though she were going to say something but stopped, then repeated her actions again. Pink on the other hand grinned and put a hand to the back of her head, "About time you noticed how many things my sister and I are capable of doing!" the more egocentric of the two twins declared.

Shampoo closed her eyes and then nodded her head. "I admit, at first I thought you two couldn't do anything right but if you two continue to be useful to us without screwing up our plans... well then, I might actually start respecting you two as if you were Amazons." Shampoo added with her smug-looking face.

Groaning in her throat, the poison-based herbalist put her hand to her face and leaned into it. Thought after a second or so smirked. 'Going to make us work for it, huh?' Fine then…' she thought as her inner voice trailed.

Link's expression was that of someone who looked genuinely happy. 'Mayhaps Shampoo will finally leave the past in the past, perhaps even become our friend,' she thought and prayed for that much-needed change.

After that sweet little exchange, the four went back to their own meditations, although now things between them were far less tense thanks to Shampoo's admittance. That allowed Shampoo to relax enough to lean on her boyfriend's chest, yawning as if she were about to take a well-deserved nap.

"Mousse..." Shampoo uttered her fellow Amazon's name.

"Yeah, Shampoo...?" Mousse's voice trailed softly as he asked, watching as the lavender haired beauty whispered the following.

"I hope we're able to get a good night's sleep once we're back home," she said.

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The following day, on a farm far from Yakusai...

Ranko, standing only in her new panties and sports bra, held the yellow blouse to eye level and then moved it so the early morning sunlight entered through the window, wanting to confirm it was not as transparent as she kept telling herself it was. Could she really wear this? She then turned to look at the white skirt on her bed and sighed; never mind the blouse, could she wear that? This yellow blouse and white skirt ensemble Lotion had given her in exchange for cooking dinner for a week was so… so girly! It was not like the quipao she had worn before because that one made her look good, and these two would make her look like… like an average girl.

'But I'm a girl, so mebbe I used ta wear stuff like this?' She wondered, giving a second look at the blouse and thinking it wasn't really that bad or anything. It was just a yellow blouse. 'And Ryoga may like it? Hell, I might like it once I'm wearin' it… right?'

The redhead sat on the bed and spent a couple of minutes considering her options. She could wear the other clothes Lotion had given her, but since she was not training that day and it seemed like it would be sunny and warm, perhaps a skirt would be more comfortable.

Besides, there was the fact Ryoga would be surprised seeing her wearing this, and wouldn't it be nice seeing him all surprised, and smiling that charming toothy smile of his, the one where he showed his fangs in a way that made him look so cute she couldn't have enough of it?

She still didn't feel so convinced about wearing her new clothes, however, and after thinking it over for a moment, she realized it was because she was actually shy about wearing a skirt. But why? She surely had worn many before, so why was it so difficult now?

'Exactly, so I should stop overthinking this and just wear the thing!' Ranko thought and, closing her eyes, she reached for the skirt. 'Ok, here goes...'

Holding her breath, Ranko moved quickly and got dressed so fast not even five seconds had passed since she grabbed the clothes. Now she just had to see if she had put the things on properly or not. Opening her eyes slowly, she looked at the mirror hanging from the wall and had to nod in approval. She did mess up a pair of buttons, but once she fixed that she had to admit she looked really good, better than the girls wearing nice clothes she had seen in Yakusai and Shangie.

"Hah! Of course, I look good!" She said, pointing at her reflection and then posing a little, swinging her hips from side to side, examining every inch of herself and feeling quite pleased by what she saw. "It's simply natural for a girl as pretty as little ol' me!"

Feeling pleased, Ranko placed her hands on her hips and smirked, her ego satisfied at the confirmation that everything she decided to wear would look perfect on her. She then made another pose and then…

She felt a sudden cramp go up to her stomach. It wasn't so bad, but it made her feel uncomfortable enough to quit her posing routine. Frowning, she tried to remember if anything she ate recently tasted bad, but nothing came to mind. Everything she'd eaten lately was fresh and well cooked.

"Meh, probably the stupid stew from last night," she muttered, one hand over her abdomen. "It'll probably go away in a while."

Deciding it was best to ignore the stomachache, Ranko walked out of the room, thinking a nice chat with Ryoga would help her feel better.

She found her boyfriend quickly enough, chopping wood behind the house. She tried to start a conversation, but Ryoga wasn't really paying much attention to her, focused as he was on completing his chores, so she just sat on a nearby fence and watched him work. Sitting there was not helping her stomach cramps or the feeling of constipation that was making her uncomfortable, and her mood was starting to go sour because of this.

"Hey, don't ya think that's enough wood?" She called, noticing the woodpile was almost as tall as Ryoga was.

"Huh?… oh, I guess you're right," he admitted, glancing at all the wood behind him. "I just got carried away with it… would you mind tossing me the water bottle that's in the bag next to you, Ranko?"

"What, too tired to come to get it yourself?" She asked, not moving an inch as she felt that would only make the cramps worse.

"No, of course not," Ryoga answered, finally noticing something seemed odd about Ranko, but not mentioning it to avoid arguing with her. "So… you're not training today, I thought Lotion would start teaching you that technique today… anyway, those new clothes look good on you."

"Of course they look good," she said, frowning a little. "And why would you expect me to be training with Lotion? Do you think martial arts is all I'm good at, huh?"

"What?" Ryoga blinked, unable to understand Ranko's behavior. "Of course not, it's just that.."

"I am learning how to sew and fix my clothes, and I've been ironing Lotion's robes and I'm also taking cooking lessons from her!" She disputed, crossing her arms indignantly. "All you do is chop wood and fix roofs or feed the animals, and that's not complicated!"

"Ranko… are you ok?" The young Hibiki asked, wondering again what had his girlfriend in such a bad mood. "Is something wrong, or…?"

"I am fine!" she interrupted with a cold voice. "And even if I'm not all you care about is choppin' wood and stupid stuff like that! You wouldn't understand how I feel and… and...!"

Ranko stopped, placed her hands on her stomach, and opened her eyes wide as an absolute terror overcame her. Something was happening to her, something… and then she felt it, sliding warm and wet between her thighs.

Before Ryoga could ask what was happening, Ranko had already darted back inside Lotion's cabin. Afraid she was sick, the Lost Boy quickly entered the house but…

"AAAAAAAHHHH!"

Ranko's piercing scream of complete horror made his blood go cold with fear, and Ryoga ran towards the place her voice was coming from, the bathroom.

"Hold on, Ranko, I'm coming!" He shouted, prepared to kick the door down if he had to.

"I think you should let me handle this, boy," Lotion said as she came in from the living room, placing the tip of her cane in front of Ryoga's face. "I can't let you break my door or walls. Besides, I was wondering when this would happen, and trust me, you can't help her with this."

"What do you mean I can't help her?" Ryoga asked, anguished at the thought of not being near Ranko when she clearly needed him. "Why can't I?"

"Because you're a man," Lotion said. "Now stand there and let me talk to her alone... this must be embarrassing enough for her as is!"

Not knowing how to reply and just too glad that Lotion was willing to take care of this apparent 'females only' emergency, all Ryoga could do was to stare in silence as the old woman entered the bathroom and closed the door behind her, hoping that whatever it was, Ranko would be alright.

As she had expected, Lotion found Ranko kneeling next to the toilet, tears born of fear and uncertainty rolling down her face, her eyes filled with fear as she kept staring at something she held in her trembling hands.

"I… I'm b-bleeding… bleeding from... f-from d-down there," Ranko finally managed to get out, her voice weak and scared as she showed her red-stained underwear to Lotion. "Am I… am I sick?"

Despite herself, Lotion could not stop a strong wave of compassion for the panicked girl in front of her. That her amnesia had even made her forget women had periods was truly tragic, and something she had hoped would not happen. Sighing, the elder approached the terrified girl and placed a reassuring hand over her shoulder, hoping to offer her some comfort.

"No, child, you're not sick," Lotion said. "You're simply having your period… it seems your amnesia made you forget about it."

"My… period?" Ranko blinked, feeling slightly better now that she knew she wasn't sick. "What… what's that?"

"It's proof your body is ready to be a mother," Lotion said, and noticing the surprised expression in Ranko's face, understood she would have to explain the intricacies of women's fertility to the confused redhead in front of her.

By the time the old Amazon was done with her explanation, Ranko was understandably quite overwhelmed, and all she could do was to stare at the wall.

"Do you have any questions?" Lotion asked.

"Eh…?" the redhead muttered, then closed her lips shut and shook her head.

"I take it that's a no," the old master said. "Very well then, I'll leave you so you can take a warm bath and clean yourself. Try to relax, child, this only means you're healthy…. by the way, I don't have any pads for you here seeing I don't need them, but we will have to get some for you. I should be able to have them delivered here later today, even."

"Lotion, I can't."

"You can't... what?"

Ranko swallowed and lowered her face. "I can't take a warm bath, I'm… a-allergic to… to h-hot water."

"Oh, can you please explain?" Lotion frowned and stared at Ranko, just how many problems did this girl have?

"I… I don't know when it started or if I was like this before but… if I touch even lukewarm water it hurts a lot."

"Hmm…" the old woman said nothing more and poked at a specific point in Ranko's chest with the tip of her cane, which caused the redhead to double over and hiss in pain.

"Why did you do that, are you trying to torture me?" Ranko asked, struggling to keep her voice down, as she didn't want Ryoga to worry and do something stupid like crashing into the bathroom.

"Your Cat Tongue pressure point is active," Lotion said. "That rarely happens naturally, so that means someone did this to you. That's why you can't touch hot water."

"Well, I can't remember anyone ever poking me there," the redhead said, wondering now who could have done something so cruel to her, perhaps the Amazons?

"Don't worry about it, I know how to cure it," the old master said with a reassuring nod. "But I don't have the main ingredient here. Phoenix feathers are not exactly easy to obtain, you know."

"Can we go get some now?" Ranko asked, smiling happily as she was already anticipating the opportunity to enjoy a long, hot bath.

"No, child, you can only find them at Jusendo, which is located far from here, below the mountain called Ho'O Peak," Lotion explained. "It is a perilous place, and I don't recommend you visit it unprepared. You could buy the ingredient in Yakusai, but I imagine you'd rather not visit the Herbalist village, right?"

"You're right, I'd rather not, and it's probably too expensive for me anyway," Ranko sighed. "So… why can't we go for it?"

"I told you, it's too far from here and too dangerous. It's best if you get the last ingredient for Ryoga's cure first, as it can be found near here. After that, you can go get the two ingredients for your amnesia cure and from there you can go to Ho'O Peak. Wouldn't that be more convenient?"

"I guess…?" Ranko admitted grudgingly a little sad one of her cures was not within reach. "But I really don't want to clean myself with cold water right now… are you sure there's nothing you can do?"

"I could use a pressure point to help you, but it can be used only once and never again, so perhaps we shouldn't use it unless there's no other choice," Lotion said. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to use cold water. Go on, I'll prepare a cloth pad for you to wear while you shower."

"Just my luck…" Ranko sighed.

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Later…

Lotion, sitting on her favorite couch, waited until someone picked up the call. She was calling the general store in Bao, as she was friends with the owners and they always gave her good prices for the things she bought from them. The main reason for the call was to order some pads for Ranko, as the elder knew the girl was not happy about using provisional cloth pads at all. Still, this was a good opportunity to order other things she also needed.

'Han shop, how can we help you?' a woman said on the other side of the line.

"Hello, Ahnjong," Lotion said. "This is Lo-shen. I need a propane tank, and also the usual list you send my way, but add a kilo of butter and two liters of oil… oh, and I also need a box of pads, do you have those?"

'Yes, we have pads...' a pause, then the woman called Ahnjong said. 'Wait… what? Pads? For you, honorable elder?'

"Of course not," Lotion sighed. "I simply have guests and one of them needs some."

'Oh, that's why,' the other woman chuckled. 'My apologies. I'll send my daughter with the things you need, she should be there in an hour or so.'

"Perfect, thank you."

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Outside...

Ranko, now wearing her new pants and shirt, walked slowly around the farm, but staying close to the house, as she didn't really felt like wandering at the time. She reached the spot she liked behind the cabin and sat on the log Ryoga used to place the pieces of wood he chopped. The redhead took in a deep breath and stared at the trees not too far from where she was, still taking in what had just happened.

'This amnesia thing is awful…' she thought with a sad sigh. 'I even forgot about my period… how stupid can that be?'

She closed her eyes and decided it was a bit funny, however, being so afraid about menstruation, something that she had gone through so many times before.

'Heh… I bet my mom and I had the same talk I just had with Lotion a few years back,' Ranko thought with a chuckle, completely unaware that she had, in fact, just experienced her very first menstruation. 'It did surprise me; I'll have to remember this is my time of the month, though.'

The insistent chirping of birds caught her attention then, and Ranko looked up to see a bird's nest on the attic's windowsill. There was a cinnamon-colored bird feeding her hatchlings, and Ranko observed it all with a level of attention she normally reserved for martial arts.

"That must be the mom," she said with a smile. "Taking good care of her little ones."

'I can be a mom too,' Ranko thought and placed a hand over her tummy. 'If I have periods then that means I really am a woman…'

Not knowing why, but feeling this was very important, Ranko smiled and felt grateful to be alive, to be there, and to have someone who cared for her.

"I'm real…" she whispered, happy to know that she was. "I am real…"

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Not too far from there...

Ryoga Hibiki sat under an oak, the front of Lotion's house fully visible and in front of him. He had discovered recently that as long as he could see where he was going he could avoid getting lost most of the time, and even the two or three times he had wandered and lost sight of the house these last few days, he had managed to find his way back in a matter of minutes or hours just by paying attention to the signals he had taken to make on the nearby trees when nobody was paying attention to him.

'I can't afford getting lost anymore,' he thought feeling determined to stay on this farm for as long as he had to. 'Can't get lost now that I have Ranko in my life.'

The image of his dear redhead filled his mind, and he welcomed the memory with a smile. It still surprised him that she had accepted him, and Ryoga had to admit her influence was making him a better person, as he hadn't thought about finding Ranma or about crushing Ranma into a bloody pulp that much in weeks, and that had, in turn, had made him less angry. He still was easily depressed, but Ryoga knew he was naturally melancholic and would take sadness over anger any day of the week.

"I wonder what Ranko's doing?" he said and got up; he was still a little worried about the way she had taken what had happened earlier. "Should I even talk to her about her period?"

'Wait… when girls have periods it means they can have babies,' Ryoga's mind reminded him. Blinking at the revelation, the young Hibiki couldn't stop his brain from conjuring an image of Ranko, a few years older and visibly pregnant, working her way around Lotion's kitchen; in this fantasy Ryoga saw himself, also older, entering the house, followed by a redheaded girl and a black-haired boy, both fanged and not older than seven, who wasted no time rushing into the kitchen while calling for their mother. Ryoga saw his older version entering the kitchen after his children, embracing Ranko and kissing her, listening to her sweet voice calling him honey and telling him their new baby had started kicking as she held his hand and placed it over her abdomen.

'And then the baby would move under my hand and…' Ryoga, smiling as he was lost in his little, perfect fantasy world, was quickly yanked out of it when he felt a strong battle aura approaching. It was not as strong as Lotion's, but it was powerful and it was coming to the farm!

Turning to the left so he was facing the narrow, almost hidden path that led to the main road, Ryoga waited for the intruder to appear, ready to fight in order to protect the future mother of his children.

'Mother of my… what?' He thought and blinked, shaking his head to clear it of those beautiful, but distracting, dreams. He couldn't afford any distractions in case of battle!

That was when Ryoga saw the enormous gray mass making its way between the trees. It took him a moment to understand what he was seeing, refusing to accept it because he knew these animals didn't live in China, but there was no mistaking it, he was looking at an elephant... and a very big one at that.

"Nihao!" A pretty girl with bright orange-blonde hair and sky blue eyes cheerfully greeted, and Ryoga had to look up to see her sitting on top of the elephant.

"Uh… hello?" Ryoga answered. "Are you… looking for someone?"

The girl blinked, smiled, and then replied, switching to Japanese. "Hello! My name is Lychee, and this is Jasmine, my elephant! I brought elder Lotion's things from our shop in Bao. Are you one of her guests? She didn't say they were Japanese."

----------------------------------------

Later...

Ryoga finished securing the empty propane cylinder to Jasmine's side and picked up the new one, carefully carrying it over his shoulder. He then proceeded to follow Lotion, who wanted him to carry it back to the back of the house and connect it to the gas pipes on that side of the house. While the Hibiki boy did that, Ranko and Lychee had busied themselves carrying the rest of the items Lotion had purchased into the house, and they had started chatting amiably as they did so and given their good looks and that both had light hair, it would have been easy to mistake the two for a pair of friendly cousins.

"Well, I imagine these are yours," Lychee said, handing Ranko a box of pads.

"Yeah…" the redhead said, staring at the box as if it was a machine from an alien world.

"Is this not the brand you use?" Lychee asked. "Lotion didn't ask for any particular brand, and to be honest, that she's buying something for you is already quite surprising, elder Lotion doesn't often buy things for other people, so that must mean she really likes you."

"If treating me like she does means she likes me I would hate to see what she does to people she dislikes," Ranko giggled and stuck her tongue out, earning a chuckle from her new friend. "The pads are fine, it's just that I don't know how to use these things."

"You don't?"

"It's just… I can't remember many things… I have…" Ranko hesitated for a moment, but then decided Lychee was trustworthy and told her about her problem. "I have amnesia."

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's fine, really," Ranko said with a small smile, his eyes wandering to the window, where she saw Ryoga working with the propane cylinder. "I want to recover my memory, but I have good things now, you know?"

"Yeah, I can see what you mean," the other girl said as she noticed the way Ranko looked at Ryoga. "Do you want me to show you how to...?"

"Yes, please," Ranko said, glad that Lychee was being understanding with her.

"Very well, let's go to the bathroom."

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A few minutes later...

Waiting for Ranko to step out of the bathroom, Lychee simply leaned on the wall and tried to think of something to say, as she was starting to get a little bored.

"Even if you've got amnesia, you are lucky, Ranko," she said.

"I am?" The redhead asked from the other side of the door. "Why?"

"Because you have a nice boyfriend, and he's good looking, too," Lychee explained. "I hope that when I finally meet my prince, he'll be as nice and handsome as Ryoga."

"You're waiting for a prince?" Ranko asked.

"It's a family story from three generations ago," Lychee said, her voice taking a hope-filled, romantic tone. "We have a relic that a martial arts master gave my family. We are to keep it safe until a prince comes to pick it up... and when the prince comes, he will marry one of the young girls from our family, and I'm the only young girl in my family right now, so I just know the prince will come and that he will marry me someday!"

Ranko opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom, feeling quite glad for the pads, as they were far more comfortable than the cloth one Lotion had given her earlier.

"Did the pads fit?"

"They fit perfectly," Ranko said, then smiled at Lychee. "And about your prince… well, I don't know much about princes and princesses, but I really hope you meet a nice guy soon."

"Thank you, I'm sure I will," Lychee said and returned the smile.

"So… would you like to stay and eat with us?" Ranko invited. "I'm sure the old crone wouldn't mind if you do."

"Thank you, I can't," the other girl said and shrugged. "I wish I could, but I have to return to Bao and help in our restaurant."

"I thought you had a shop?"

Lychee giggled. "We have a shop and a restaurant. My mother is in charge of the shop and my dad handles the restaurant, I help my mom in the mornings and my dad in the afternoons."

"Well, in that case, I'll visit your restaurant one of these days," Ranko promised. "We sometimes have to do errands for Lotion and go to nearby towns."

"That would be great, I'm sure you'll love our food!" Lychee said. "I'll even give you a discount!"

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A few days later...

Prince Herb strolled into the Musk Citadel, wearing his torn clothing with pride, though they were a bit weathered down they were but metaphorical badges of honor to the dragon heir. Murmurs and whispers spread like wildfire among the people. Eventually, Herb came upon Sumac near the front entrance to his castle.

"My Lord?" Sumac gave a questioning look, clearly, there was something their leader wanted to say.

"I've done it," Herb begun as he continued on.

"Done what exactly, my Lord?" Sumas questioned from his side, arms in his sleeves.

"I've finally mastered the Ryu Sei Hisho," Herb revealed as the guards bowed at their prince's arrival.

Sumac's eyes widened as Herb's words passed through his lips, "My words, with that you could..." he began but felt his voice trail.

"Blast anyone foolish enough to challenge me, from any angle and from all directions at once," Herb explained as he looks at his clenched fist before closing it.

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In Joketsuzoku...

Standing at the front of a group of young Amazons, Genma was performing some rudimentary School of Anything Goes katas under the watchful eyes of Basil and her ticked-off-looking husband in the background. With a nervous look and beads of sweat coming down his face he performed his final katas before coming to a stop and bowing to his students, who in turn bowed back before dismissing themselves from their Master's presence.

"Next students!" Basil announced as a different group of young upstarts took the place of the group prior.

Not expecting much from this group, he spoke to the class and would pause in between words so the interpreter could translate his orders. Throughout the training he paid close mind to those following his orders, he noticed a pair of twins with different hair colors, one with Cyan-colored hair and the other with Amaranth. The few things they had in common had to be their heights and their outfits both had large pink hearts at the center.

"Hmmm," Genma hummed to himself as he noticed the lack of hesitation and keen focus he hadn't seen since his own son, 'Those two look like they have some seriously untapped potential, should probably mention that to that freaky Elder Cologne,' the bald captive thought. That gave him an idea, maybe if he showed the same level of focus and control that his two new students did, then maybe he could try using the Umi-Sen Ken again, 'Maybe this time make extra sure the hags are busy,' he thought, his inner voice sounded more confident than ever before.

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And on the road to the Amazon village...

On the back of their cart, the two romantically involved Amazons rode back in the direction of their village, though this time there was no Pink and Link to guide their mode of transportation. This time they were busy finally taking the exam they had so desperately wanted to. Though the two had grown to appreciate the twin's efforts, they had also grown to enjoy their presence. Not that Shampoo would admit that, nor would Mousse do so for fear of upsetting his strong Amazonian bride to be. Still, it was nice to know that the two would receive their proper licenses for healing and poison crafting.

Although much like a cat too curious for its own good, Mousse decided to be so bold as to inquire. "I noticed you haven't been so harsh on Pink and Link during the last few days together, does that mean you're ready to make up and become friends?" Mousse questioned hopefully.

Shampoo stared into the distance, pondering the notion as they traversed the bumpy dirt road back home. Her feet dangling while she hummed, "I'm thinking about it but I'm not so sure, they have been trying to help and even succeeded in being useful so it may not be a bad idea," Shampoo expressed her thoughts freely and openly to Mousse.

"I'd say it's a good idea..." Mousse encouraged with a soft and caring infliction.

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Back in Lotion's farm...

At Lotion's farm, said property owner stood at a clearing between her farm and the wilderness that surrounded them. With the bottom end of her wooden staff, she began to draw a spiral in the soil in front of her, waiting for the two pupils she had taken to arrive. They approached from the direction of her home, the raven-haired teen looked to be in a daze as he walked without question to Lotion's location.

Ranko on the other hand appeared more cautious, her brow quirked as she approached the seasoned martial artist with caution and skepticism. Both stopped dead in their tracks as they watched her finished the last inward spiral for her example.

"No doubt you're wondering why I've gathered you both here..." Lotion's voice trailed as her eyes remained focused on the dirt pattern in front of her.

"No, we came all the way here to braid each other's hair..." Ranko answered, rolling her eyes. "Of course we're wondering!" she exclaimed with an exacerbated tone.

Ryoga gave an apologetic look for Ranko, clapping his hands together, possibly saving Ranko from losing her chance at the new technique. "Believe it or not but this spiral I've drawn on the ground may very well become the key to Ranko learning the ultimate Amazonian technique, The Hiryu Shoten Ha!" Lotion explained with as much dramatic flair as she could muster.

"Oh...?" Ranko's voice dragged out as her curiosity peaked.

"There isn't a doubt in my mind, Ranko can master this ultimate technique, so long as Ryoga doesn't interfere with her training that is..." Lotion explained as she looked up to the two young prodigies.

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