Disclaimer: Neither rain nor snow, not Ranma ½ nor Sailor Moon belong to me. WARNING: UNBETAD.
She sat still at the table, her lips twisted into a smirk as she stared at her younger sister. The food in front of her was still fresh, if no longer quite as warm as when it had first been laid out. Across from her, the sliding door separating the room from the yard had begun to rot.
Her chest rose, lungs expanding with air painfully slowly. Her mind moved quicker than her time-impaired body could, racing with confusion and fear. Something was very wrong. Only a second ago, Nabiki had been teasing Ranma and Akane, driving her younger sister into an incandescent rage. Now, Ranma had disappeared and Akane sat motionless, her battle aura a darkened halo around her. Nabiki struggled to move, feeling each muscle flex and contract ever so slowly.
She wasn't sure how long it took her to stand up, but every step away from the table was easier and quicker. Passing through the doorway to the kitchen in search of Kasumi, Nabiki froze in shock. A think layer of dust coated the room and the sickly sweet smell of rotten food overwhelmed her.
One of the grime-covered windows was broken, jagged pieces of glass lying on the counter, and Nabiki shivered in the chill air. Where was Kasumi? The immaculate housekeeper would never have allowed her kitchen to fall so far.
Nabiki wandered through the house in a daze. It seemed to have been abandoned for months; the walls and furniture were covered in dust and mold. Glancing outside through broken windows Nabiki could see that the dojo and yard were in even worse shape, as if decades of neglect had passed by. Patches of grass reached past her knees and the pond was overgrown with weeds. What little water could be seen was a scummy green and there were no sign of the koi that had once swum gracefully through it.
The roof of the dojo had caved in, the walls around it crumbling and splintered. Some of the wood seemed be burnt, but other timbers were untouched. Nabiki fell to her knees, her arms wrapped hugged tightly against her stomach. Ranma, Kasumi, and Genma were no where to be found. The only other people in the compound were her father and Akane, still sitting at the table, completely frozen.
She might have cried, although she would never admit to such. She simply sat there, lost in her own house, for some time before she heard the voices.
They came from outside the compound, a low murmur that inspired hope in the terrified girl. She wasn't alone in this strange world. She jumped up and raced outside, forgoing the closed gate for a large hole in the wall leading to the street.
The small band of people cautiously picking their way through overgrown streets was already past the Tendo Dojo and moving steadily away from her. "Wait! Please..." She cried, stumbling after them. Shocked by the desperation in her own voice, she stopped and tried to calm down. She didn't want to seem weak in front of what could be a group of predators.
The group had turned around at the sound of her voice, and was approaching her warily. She scanned the people, hoping to recognize someone. There were three adults carrying large staffs. One of them was the manager at the nearby grocery store but she didn't know the other man or woman. At the back of the group was a teenage boy, dragging a large cart behind him, and a small girl, both of whom looked familiar though she couldn't quite place them.
The girl tugged on the youth's sleeve. "Is she a ghost?" The question was loud and it echoed down the street in the child's high-pitched voice. Nabiki blinked. Was that it? Could she be a ghost? It would explain why the house and yard had seemed so old and neglected. It didn't explain why her family seemed to be frozen though.
"I don't think so. She notices us and she looks pretty normal." The man said.
"That's no guarantee." The woman said, shaking her head. "Akio met a guy coming through Tokyo and traveled all the way to the borders of the Estate with him. Didn't realize he was a ghost until he disappeared right before they reached the gate."
"Yeah, but her clothes are pretty modern. She's probably a Sleeper just woken up. Interesting, to grab two Sleepers in one trip, but it's been known to happen."
"Excuse me." Nabiki inserted just a hint of annoyance into her tone, as if she was irritated at being talked about instead of to. In truth, she was glad to have had a moment to think and compose herself.
The old man in front gave her a considering look. "Well, Sleeper or ghost, she don't look too likely to harm us. Might as well take her to the Estate; let My Lord make a decision."
The boy had been studying her thoughtfully. He had started at her cold tone and a look of recognition dawned on his face. "Hey, I think I know you. You're Nabiki Tendo, right?"
The faces of the adults went blank. Nabiki, who had been about to answer positively, paused. They were hiding something. What was the right answer? Deciding it was too risky to lie, especially since she knew the man and boy at least a little, she responded with the truth. "Yes."
"Any relation to Kasumi Tendo?"
Nabiki's mind raced. Friends of Kasumi tended to be helpful and considerate of her family, at least until they got to know them better. Kasumi didn't have any enemies. "She is my older sister."
The three adults traded significant glances, but didn't say anything. Nabiki wanted desperately to know what was going on, but she knew she was at a disadvantage in situation, in more ways than one. She began to plot.
The group invited her to travel with them to a place called the Estate, which was apparently a safe place. Lacking knowledge of the situation or any other place to go, Nabiki agreed. They offered to let her grab some things from the house before they left. She knew she should get some supplies and mementoes but she couldn't bear to go back into the ruined house so she shook her head and they started off.
They kept up a steady pace traveling through neighborhoods Nabiki had once known. Sometimes a house would look fairly normal but then the one next door would be a ruin. Other houses were gone entirely, replaced by fields of tall grass or groves of trees. The trees were as odd as the houses, some flowering, some fruiting, and others completely bare. She even saw one tree covered in snow standing next to a peach tree dripping with just budding flowers.
Occasionally one of the adults would veer off, heading into a building or through the trees. Mostly they came back shaking their heads, but once in a while they returned with boxes or bags of food and necessities to load into the hand-drawn cart.
There was little conversation throughout the trip. The adults stayed wary and close-mouthed, one of them always ranging in front of the group and one keeping a watch behind them. The little girl, Kairi, was new herself, apparently having "woken up" in a park they had passed by a couple of days before. Nabiki's only source of information was the teen, Ichigo. He did seem to know her, or at least her reputation as the Ice Queen of Furinkan, for h seemed hesitant to be too friendly. He might have been taking a cue from the adults, or he might simply have been tired from dragging the ever heavier cart all day. She had to work hard, phrasing her questions innocently and sweetly to coax the information from him.
She did learn that it was Ichigo's first time leaving the safety of the Estate, a piece of land unaffected by the disaster—Ichigo called it the Time—which had devastated the rest of the world. Nabiki wondered if the rest of the world was truly as strange as Nerima had become. She had never believed in Armageddon but maybe it had happened anyway. She guessed from their actions that the group was foraging for supplies to take back to this Estate. Ichigo confirmed it.
"There's a couple groups who go out. The Estate fits all of us pretty much but it's hard to grow food for everyone, especially since we still get people coming in. And stuff like shampoo or soap has to be brought in. It's pretty dangerous." He said cockily. "You never know what you'll find out here. Maybe a samurai ghost who thinks it's his right to kill anyone or a Walker who's so confused and scared that he starts attacking anything on sight. One group even ran into a dinosaur! That's why you have to get permission from My Lord to go out."
"My Lord? Who's that?" Nabiki asked.
"The Queen's Knight. He's amazing! They say he was a Walker, one of the original ones who never Slept, and he found the Estate first and set it up to help people. Most of the time he's on the Estate. He protects the Queen and he's in charge of a lot of stuff. But sometimes when a hunting group is late coming in or the Queen says there's trouble coming, he goes out and--it's so cool. He's the best fighter in the world. He can beat anything!" Ichigo's face was awe-struck and his voice was respectful.
Nabiki knew a couple of people who could be considered the best fighter in the world--especially if their competition was lost to this Time--but she didn't think any of them had the leadership skills to run an Estate full of people. Maybe--no. It wasn't possible.
The woman who had been scouting ahead dropped back to join the group. "We're coming up to a safe camp. We'll sleep there and, with luck, be back at the Estate tomorrow."
"It's barely afternoon now. Couldn't we just go straight back to this Estate place?" Nabiki asked.
The woman shook her head. "Time is different than it used to be. It may seem like early afternoon, but it could be dark anytime now. Or it could start to snow or a pack of wild dogs could show up. Best to sleep in a safe place and be fresh for whatever happens."
Nabiki shuddered at the unpredictability. "What makes this place safe then? For that matter, what makes the Estate safe? How am I supposed to sleep? How do I know I won't wake up with all of you frozen or gone? Or that a building won't fall down on my head!" The panic that had been bubbling up all day started to push past her hard-earned control, her voice rising into a shriek and tears gathering at her eyes.
Ichigo stared dumbfounded at her. Kairi began to cry and the man who had been walking beside the cart picked her and tried to soothe her. The woman gazed at Nabiki, and her eyes softened. "The Time is dangerous, you need to understand that. But that doesn't mean there aren't safe places. The Estate is the best place, with the Queen's magic protecting it. In all the seasons I've been there the Time has never penetrated the Queen's border." Nabiki started to calm down. "The place we're going to sleep isn't as safe as the Estate, but it is a shrine. The Time doesn't affect holy places as much as it does everywhere else. We'll still have to keep guard, but there won't be much affecting the flow of time. That means no buildings falling down and nobody's going to freeze."
Ichigo nodded hurriedly. "Yeah! Don't worry 'bout turning into a Sleeper. As long as you stay out of the real Storms, you can tell when you turn into a slower piece of time. It gets hard to move and everything but you can turn around and it won't get you. It's OK!"
Nabiki was furious with herself for the lapse but glad she had gotten some information out of their reassurances. She just wished she had planned it instead of breaking down for real. She stayed silent for the rest of the way to the shrine.
The woman introduced herself as Mitsuko and showed Nabiki where there was a stash of futons and blankets in the shrine. They laid out the bedding while Ichigo and the store manager built a fire in the yard. The older man took Kairi to scout the shrine and make sure everything was holding up.
"We set up caches of supplies in all the shrines we come across and try to stop by them every few trips out or so. They're good, safe places to stop and even some protection from the Storms. Sometimes we run into Walkers who have learned that the shrines are safe."
Nabiki smoothed down a blanket; she found the familiar action soothing. Kasumi rarely had time to clean her sisters' rooms as well as the rest of house, especially with Akane making holes in everything. "You mentioned "storms" earlier. You don't sound like you're talking about rain storms."
"You're right. Though they're more like a typhoon than a thunder storm. Except instead of stirring up water, these stir up Time." Mitsuko sounded grim. "I was a nurse, working for a small practice in Juuban when the first ones hit. Everything went crazy--it felt like the world turned over." She pulled some cooking supplies out of a storage closet and moved over to the fire. "I don't know how long I stumbled around. It's hard to keep track of days when from one block to the next you might walk through three different seasons and move from mid-morning to the sunset. Everyone I saw was frozen. I thought I must be crazy. I hoped I was." She fell silent, staring into the flames.
Nabiki shivered. She wondered what would have happened, if she hadn't found the group so quickly. Would she have survived, wandering about on her own, or would she have succumbed to terror and despair? She imagined herself, out of her mind with loneliness, sitting back down at the table with her father and sister, waiting for the mind-numbing slowness to take her back into Sleep.
Mitsuko's voice shook her out of her nightmarish vision. "Eventually another Storm hit the area I was in. That one brought people and buildings with it--ghosts from other eras, torn from their own times and dropped here as if they were picked up by a tornado. Some of them really were like ghosts--transparent and all that. They didn't even seem to notice that they weren't still in their own time. Some, though, were as real as you or me, and just as scared."
Nabiki arched an eyebrow, trying to communicate the supreme confidence and devil-may-care attitude that had sustained her through Furinkan High, home of the weird and violent. Mitsuko just smiled at her knowingly. "Anyways, eventually I made it to the Estate, safe enough. It's a good place."
The old man and Kairi had returned during Mitsuko's reminisces. The others stayed respectfully silent while she spoke. The store manager, who Nabiki vaguely thought was named Kenji, began helping Mitsuko to cook. The old man grunted as he settled down on the ground. "Place looks good. There's some repairs to be done on the north wall. Not much. The boy and I can take care of it after dinner." Ichigo grimaced but didn't protest.
Dinner was a quiet affair, everyone lost in their own thoughts. Half way through, Kairi started yawning and Mitsuko took her off to bed. Ichigo and the old man disappeared, presumably to do the repairs. Nabiki sat, staring into the fire, trying to process the day--hoping wistfully that it was all a dream. Tomorrow she would wake up in her own bed, with the smell of one of Kasumi's breakfasts wafting up the stairs. Akane would be coming in from her run, glaring at Ranma and Genma as they sparred by the pond. She never forgave them for not including her in their matches.
Nabiki shook her head. As much as she wished this was a dream, she was a pragmatist. She would have to treat this as if it was real, no matter what, and she needed more control over the situation. Past experience told her that control was directly related to information. Knowledge is power, after all. She had gathered a fair amount of information from Mitsuko and Ichigo, but there were still some vital questions she needed to have answered.
"Please, tell me more about the Estate. Who is this Queen? Can she really keep us safe?" Nabiki injected a slight tremble in her voice. It would be easier to get information if Kenji was trying to reassure her--and it wasn't at all hard to sound scared, the way things were.
"Don't worry there, miss. The Queen's got a lot of power, right enough. She used to be one of them Sailor Scouts--the moon princess I guess. Didn't come over to Nerima, but they did a lot of good in Juuban and the towns round there." He smiled at her.
The moon princess? He must mean Sailor Moon. Nabiki had heard about the Sailor Scouts and their fight against demons in Juuban. They never came into Nerima so she hadn't bothered with them too much. One or two of the demons they fought had wandered into Nerima though. It had taken Ranma, Ryouga, Sham Pu, and Mu Tsu to pin it down long enough for Ku Lon to pull out some magical artifact and destroy it. The scouts were definitely powerful--and hadn't one of them used time in her magical attacks?
As Nabiki pondered the connection between the Queen of the Estate and the Sailor Scouts, the sun set in rapid motion and darkness fell. "Well, there we go," Kenji laughed. "Good thing too. It's about time to sleep and I hate trying to sleep when the sun's up. Doesn't feel right."
Ichigo and the old man came around the corner, casting long shadows in the flickering light of the fire. "I'll take first watch," grunted the old man. "Boy can take second, Kenji third, Mitsuko last. The woman's always up first anyways. You, girl, get plenty of rest. Still got a trek to the Estate tomorrow and then you'll have a long day getting settled in. Or a long night, if this darkness hits there."
Nabiki blinked but followed the younger men into the shrine. They were all sleeping in the same room, for safety's sake. Mitsuko had pulled a pair of pajamas out of the cart and directed Nabiki to change in the back room. Her school uniform wasn't comfortable enough to sleep in, and anyway it was filthy after a day of walking though the chaos of the new world. It felt good to wear something clean although a bath would have been even better.
Nabiki had never been a morning person even with a good night's sleep. In an unfamiliar place, surrounded by strange people, with her family either missing or frozen in time, Nabiki Tendo did not get a good night's sleep. When Mitsuko shook her awake with just enough time to change and grab a power bar before the group set off, Nabiki was groggy and grumpy. She marched along quietly, barely even processing the weirdness of the world around her. It didn't help that it was still dark and remained so throughout their long hike towards the Estate.
They didn't stop for lunch instead munching on supplies from the cart. The adults rarely left the group and then they only went into groves of fruit trees or gardens. Nabiki assumed that they must have cleaned out the stores and houses this close to the Estate. She wondered how long she had been Sleeping that they could have raided so far out.
Finally, there was a light on the horizon; Nabiki hoped desperately that it was the sun rising. This long night was freaking her out.
As they neared the light, a disappointed Nabiki could tell that it was not the sun. The light was too white and too stationary on the horizon. Mitsuko, who was walking beside the cart while Kenji gave Ichigo a break on hauling it, sighed. "This night must have lasted a while if they're using the crystal."
Nabiki had slowly woken up through the walk. "Crystal? What do you mean?"
"Mmmm. The Queen's crystal--it's what makes the barrier that protects the Estate. The Queen focuses her power through it and miracles happen--but it takes a lot out of her and the more she has to use it the more it takes."
"So why would she risk the barrier just for light? Not that light isn't a good thing." Nabiki said, peering through the darkness towards the growing glow.
"She wouldn't risk the barrier!" Ichigo protested.
"Of course not. But the gardens need the sun. We can live off what we find outside, for a while. It's dangerous though and it is best to have some food of our own on the Estate. If the night has lasted too long, the Queen has to use the crystal to give light and nutrients to the gardens or they'll die. She'll stop if it starts to strain the barrier. Hopefully the sun will rise before then though." Mitsuko explained.
Nabiki processed this information as they moved steadily on. She could just barely see a high wall, right where the darkness crept up to the light. This crystal they were talking about--she wondered if it was focusing the queen's power, or if it actually was the source of the power. Could anyone use the crystal? Or was the queen manipulating the people? Armageddon was, after all, a good chance to build up your own personal fiefdom.
As the walls grew larger, Nabiki could see a few people standing behind them on what she assumed must be scaffolds. Two of them were near a reinforced gate. The group of travelers slowed to a stop in front of it. "Hey Kazaki! Welcome back!"
"Ho Tetsu! Good to be back!" The old man shouted up to the guard.
"Looks like a good haul. Who've you got there?" Nabiki wished they would just open the gate. She was tired and scared, and it was a strain to keep up her calm, confident facade.
"Some Sleepers woke up over in Nerima. Thought we'd bring them in since they were harmless. Little Kairi's sweet enough to give Harumi a toothache. And that one is Nabiki Tendo, Lady Kasumi's younger sister."
"Really? Well what you standing around there for? Come inside before something comes out and stomps you!" And with that the gate swung slowly open.
Nabiki wondered why Kasumi's name was getting such a response. Sure, she was a sweet girl, but she was just a homemaker. Not even a housewife, since she wasn't married.
The Estate more than lived up to its name. From the gate there was a long gravel driveway leading up to an impressive mansion. Outbuildings, large and small, dotted what she could see of the grounds and in one corner she could see that what must have been beautiful flower gardens had been converted to crops. There were a couple people tending them, wielding hoes and baskets of vegetables. In one corner, an old woman was teaching a small group of children how to use a pottery wheel.
A group of people trotted over and relieved Ichigo of the cart. Kenji and the boy went with them as they hauled it off while the guard from the gate helped the old man--Kazaki--and Mitsuko herd the two girls towards the main gate. They chattered lightly about their trip and gossiped about what had happened while they had been gone. Nabiki scrutinized the house, judging its state of repair and keeping an eye out for her sister.
Even so, she was somehow surprised when she finally did see Kasumi. The immaculate housekeeper was as neat as ever--but she seemed somehow prettier. Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes full of life as she hurried over and swept Nabiki up into a hug. "Oh little sister! It's so wonderful to see you here." She let Nabiki go, but kept a hand on her shoulder. "Oh my, but you are a mess. Harumi," she turned to the woman, "Please show my sister and the little one to the bath and then help them get some new clothes. I have to check on dinner and then we can work on getting them settled." She smiled sunnily and hugged Nabiki again before hurrying off. Nabiki was stunned. Her older sister Kasumi would never have handed her off to a stranger before. She would have done everything herself to make sure Nabiki was comfortable to the point of being thoroughly spoiled.
The woman Harumi had already taken Kairi by the hand and started out the door. Nabiki followed them, dazed. They walked behind the main house, to a grove of bamboo. The secluded hot spring was almost empty, with only a few women relaxing in the warm water. Nabiki stripped efficiently, eager to feel clean, and start to scrub herself thoroughly with soap she found on a small wooden bench. Harumi helped Kairi clean herself before they got into the bathing pool.
As Harumi introduced the newcomers to the other bathers, Nabiki again noticed the respect that everyone showed Kasumi. Like Kazaki at the gate, they referred to her as Lady Kasumi and their friendly welcomes became even warmer when they learned Nabiki was her sister.
"Lady Kasumi is marvel." One old woman confided to her.
"The sweetest girl I've ever met. Pure and kind as the goddess of compassion herself!" declared another.
Harumi smiled at Nabiki, who while used to hearing praises for her older sister was still slightly in shock. "The Queen and Lady Pluto use their magic to protect us from the Time and their wisdom to guide us, and my Lord uses his strength to protect us and keep order, but it is Lady Kasumi who keeps everything running smoothly around here."
"Oh yes. She makes sure meals are healthy, delicious, and on time. A miracle if there ever was one."
"And no one bothers her about chore rotations. Even the ones who would argue about doing 'dirty' work can't deny her when she looks disappointed."
"And if they do, trouble with the laundry and meals always sets them straight. Or else My Lord does. And who wants that conversation?"
It hadn't occurred to Nabiki how useful Kasumi's housekeeping skills would be in running a large estate full of people. In retrospect, it did make sense though. Not even Ranma's "friends" running wild through the dojo, breaking walls as well as everything else in sight had fazed her--and anyone who cooked three meals a day for the bottomless pits named the Saotomes could easily handle running any kitchen even for an estate this size.
Sinking back into the water as the women started to fuss over Kairi, Nabiki thought about the organization Harumi had vaguely outlined and compared it with what she had learned from her conversations on the road. The Queen was Sailor Moon--and this Lady Pluto must be Sailor Pluto--and they were in charge because they had magic which was necessary for everyone's survival. Kasumi was respected as a leader because of her skills and sweet nature. Then there was this lord--who Ichigo had called the Queen's Knight. Ichigo had said he protected the Estate from outside dangers--so he must know how to fight. Harumi said he kept order and that he "talked" to people who weren't behaving--so he was the force behind the law. No one was using his name at all--and there was a bit of awe when they talked about him just as there was when they mentioned the Queen--as if he was a legendary figure. She would have to be careful of him.
After the bath, Harumi did find Nabiki and Kairi clean clothes. Nabiki was happy to have something less itchy than her dirty school uniform but she found she was reluctant to give up the familiar garment. It reminded her of the sane world she had grown up in which seemed further and further away with each bit of strangeness she ran into. Finally she decided that the advantage of looking presentable was worth the loss of the reminder. Nabiki was always practical and if this was the world she had to live in, she would turn her attention to making the present comfortable and the future even better.
Meals, she learned, were split into shifts, like bathing and everything else on the Estate. There were enough people to make anything else too awkward and unwieldy. Everyone had chore rotations--laundry, kitchen, guard duty, and so on and so on. The only thing that could get you out of rotation was having a special skill that was necessary--like carpentry, pottery or sewing skills, or being on one of the foraging crews. Even the Queen's Knight did some rotations, making sure everything was working well. Nabiki mentally filed through her skill set, wondering if there wasn't something that could get her out of the more menial tasks. Money wasn't of any use here and she doubted that running betting pools would get her out of chores anyways. Maybe she could get involved in organization? Those supplies they had picked up had to be distributed somehow.
Dinner, while not quite up to Kasumi's usual standard, definitely showed her influence. Kasumi ducked in quickly to fuss over Nabiki--which made her feel much more at home--but was soon dragged away by a problem with the laundry. It was Harumi who took Nabiki and Kairi to meet the Queen and her Knight. "Normally we'd do this first thing," she explained. "But with the extra demands on the crystal and some trouble we had with raiders yesterday, everyone's been very busy. And with Lady Kasumi vouching for you it wasn't as much of a priority."
"Will they make us leave?" Asked the normally quiet Kairi in a small voice. She sounded as scared as Nabiki was starting to feel again.
"No! They meet everyone--to make sure no one bad can hurt us. They'll ask you a few questions, and then they'll assign you to a group--you'll share rotations and sleeping quarters with your group. It's nothing to worry about sweetie, they're both very nice." Harumi stopped and hugged the little girl before continuing up the stairs. The Queen's room was the highest room in the house, overlooking the entire estate.
The room itself was large with a comfortable-looking futon strewn with pillows in the middle of the floor. In front of the futon were an enormous open window and a brightly glowing crystal floating above the sill. A woman stood near the crystal in an elegant white dress. Her shining blonde hair fell to the floor and her clear blue eyes seemed to pierce through to Nabiki's soul. There was no question that this was the Queen.
"There's only a short time before she needs to go back to the crystal. Set-chan's extra energy'll hold it up for a while but standing in for the sun pulls a lot out of 'em." The man's voice was familiar, though deeper and steadier than Nabiki remembered.
"Hey Nabiki. Good to see ya." Said Ranma Saotome, Queen's Knight.