KS: Hey guys, I'm back.
Jin: About time. We thought you were going to leave this story in the wind.
KS: With all the follows and faves it's gotten? (chuckles) Think again, dude.
Kokonoe: Well, at least you're here. It was getting pretty boring here.
KS: (grins)
Kokonoe: What? What's with the look all of a sudden?
KS: You know, that reminds me. There's someone I would like you all to meet.
Hakumen: Who is it?
KS: You'll see her soon enough... oh, the hell with it. Bring her in, boys.
(out of nowhere, soldiers wearing back body armor with red glowing eyes appear while pushing a large crate)
Tsubaki: What are the Helghast doing here?
Carl: I would like to know how they got here.
KS: Oh. Well, I met them one my travels and I saved them from getting ambushed from ISA troops.
Kagura: So basically they owe you one.
KS: That, and I hired them.
Makoto: What exactly do you need Helghast for?
KS: Just the usual: protection, moving objects, (glares at Terumi) punishment.
Terumi: (to Relius) Why did he look at me when he said punishment?
Relius: You do the math. Just leave me out of it.
KS: Hold on, Relius. The same applies to you too.
Relius: What? But I haven't done anything.
(silence)
Relius: (sighs) Okay, I will admit that was a poor choice of words.
Kokonoe: Yeah, yeah, you screwed up. Big deal. Someone open the damn crate before I lose it.
KS: (to the Helghast) You heard the lady. Open it up.
(one Helghast walked towards the crate carrying a crowbar and used it to open the crate, revealing...)
Trinity: But... how?
Hakumen: It can't be...
Kokonoe: ...Mom?
Nine: Hello, everyone.
Kokonoe: MOM! (runs towards Nine and leaps into her arms) I thought you were gone forever.
Nine: Well, I'm back. (glares at Terumi) And it'll take more than a double-crossing viper to put me out to pasture.
Terumi: (sarcastic) Oh, you're back. Whoop-de-freakin'-do.
(Nine shoots a fireball at Terumi)
Terumi: OW!
Kokonoe: Nice shot!
Nine: Thanks. Glad to see I've still got it.
KS: Okay, this reunion was nice and all, but it's time to get on with the next chapter. And here it is.
Ragna couldn't believe it. He, the most wanted man in the history of the world… has transformed into a woman. And of course, his friends (for a lack of a better word) were just as shocked as she was.
"Come on Ragna," Makoto said, grinning awkwardly. "It's not that bad."
"Oh really?" the female reaper deadpanned. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm a chick now. Explain to me how that isn't bad."
"Well… okay, I got nothing."
Ragna fell on her back, sighing heavily. "This really sucks right now. How am I going to explain that I've suddenly turned into a girl?"
"Honestly, I never expected you acting this, even if you have transformed into a woman," Rachel said haughtily.
Ragna's eye twitched as she rose out of her bed to glare at the vampire. "Oh, you're here? Did you come here to laugh at me or something, Rabbit?"
Rachel turned away in her usual stuck-up fashion. "Pity. And here I hoped that you changing into a woman would somewhat make you more tolerable to speak to. Turns out I was wrong."
Ragna couldn't help but smirk. "That's what happens when you get your hopes up, Rabbit."
"Yeah, yeah, enough making out," Kokonoe interrupted. "Now Ragna, since the details of your… transformation are foggy, I'll have to run some tests so I can get a better idea of what we're dealing with here."
Ragna faked a pensive look just to irk the grimalkin. "Yeah, I feel like I should say something, but I can't think of the right words… oh wait, I got it: Hell. No."
Kokonoe grit her teeth. "And why shouldn't I conduct tests on you?"
Ragna scoffed. "Well, one: I don't trust you. Two: I don't like you. And three: I don't like being near you."
Kokonoe groaned and facepalmed. "Look here, you insufferable jackass. I'm not really fond of you either, but I need to do something to figure out what the hell happened to you."
Ragna put her arms over her chest. "Well, can't someone else do it? Someone who has at least some sense of morality?"
Kokonoe looked offended by that statement. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? I'm overflowing with morals!"
"Certain actions and moments tend to speak otherwise," Rachel stated under her breath, which Kokonoe managed to caught on to.
"Does Her Royal Majesty have something to say to my face?" she growled. Rachel was unfazed and let out a small grin.
"Even if I had something to say- which I do not- you probably would not be listening."
Kokonoe threw her arms up in frustration. "Whatever. I don't know who else would be able to examine Ragni."
Noel tilted her head. "Ragni?"
Kokonoe smirked. "Yeah, it's Ragna's name for as long as this idiot's a girl."
"What?!" Ragna yelled. "No way in hell I'm having my name changed, damn it! Being a girl is torture enough!"
"Have you ever met a girl named Ragna?"
"Your point being?"
"Excuse me," Celica interrupted. "But who else can examine Ragni- I mean, Ragna?"
Makoto brought her finger to her lip and thought for a moment. After a few minutes, a lightbulb went off in her head.
"Why don't we get Miss Litchi to examine Ragna?" she suggested.
"No," Kokonoe hissed. All eyes were on the seething scientist who looked as if someone spit in her coffee.
"What? Why not?" Noel asked.
Kokonoe glared at her, causing her to hide behind Makoto.
"There is no way in hell I'm letting that double-crossing silicone tramp anywhere near Ragna, let alone examine him- her."
"And whatever reason do you have to disapprove?" Rachel asked, even if she knew the answer herself.
"Well Rachel, since you asked so goddamn nicely, I'll explain it to you in the simplest way possible."
Rachel sighed. "As long as it doesn't take up my valuable time, I'll be willing to listen."
"There's your problem, Rabbit," Ragna growled. "You've got so much goddamn time on your hands that you can't help but meddle in other people's affairs. For once, I'd like to see you keep your big nose in your own damn business."
Rachel opened her mouth to retort, but Makoto beat her to it. "Sooo… to Kagutsuchi, then?"
Ragna sighed. "Fine, let's go." She got out of bed, but for obvious reasons, the other girls blushed heavily. Yes, that included Rachel.
"Ragna… y-you're not wearing anything right now," Noel said.
Ragna looked at her at disbelief, then looked down. Turns out Noel was right. Ragna was completely naked. The muscular build she had when she was a man was replaced by a slender frame with D-cup breasts, wide hips, long legs and a tight butt.
"So what if I'm naked? I'll just get my clothes on and-"
Makoto laughed nervously. "Yeah, about that… we might've burned them."
"Why would you do that!?" Ragna snapped.
Celica scratched the back of her head. "We thought that the seithr got into your clothes and-"
"You decide to set them on fire," Ragna finished. "Well, that's great. Now what am I going to wear?"
"Don't worry, we'll find something for you," Makoto said reassuringly.
"Thanks, I guess." Ragna turned to Kokonoe, who still looked pretty ticked. "Now, about me seeing Litchi-"
Kokonoe sighed while rubbing her forehead. "Okay, Ragna. If you want go see the turncoat so badly, go right ahead. But make no mistake, if she tries to exploit you just so she can get Roy back to normal, don't say you weren't warned."
Ragna walked out of the medical ward, despite her being naked. Noel, Makoto and Celica followed her, leaving Kokonoe and Rachel alone.
"Now, I believe an explanation is in order," Rachel said.
"Explanation for what?" Kokonoe asked.
Rachel turned to her with a serious look. Then again, this is Rachel we're talking here. When has there been a time she isn't serious?
"An explanation as to why you do not trust Litchi any longer," she said plainly. Kokonoe didn't respond. Instead, she took a lollipop from her pocket in put it in her mouth. Rachel sighed in disappointment.
"Very well. If you do not wish to discuss it, I will not press you into doing so." With that, Rachel vanished into thin air, leaving Kokonoe the only one remaining.
"Damn that nosey brat," she hissed under her breath.
"Tell me again why we're going to see Litchi of all people," Ragna said.
"Um, we need her to examine your new body, duh," Makoto explained.
The girls were all standing in front of Litchi's clinic, which recently reopened. Though the physician was working harder than usual, she still felt guilty about siding with the Library just to get her love interest back. In spite of all that, she managed to put it behind her and continue with her work.
"Well, here goes."
Ragna hesitantly knocked on the door. After a while, it was opened by Linhua, Litchi's assistant.
"Oh, hello," she greeted cheerfully. "I take it you're here to see the doctor."
Noel blinked. "H-How did you know?"
Linhua let out a cute grin, then gestured to Ragna. "Well, if the infamous Grim Reaper wouldn't be here to see her if he- or rather, she- was turned into a girl."
Ragna blushed a little. "Did that grimalkin fill Litchi in before we got here?"
"Yes, she did," Litchi answered from inside the clinic. "She sounded quite livid about it too. Whatever you said to her must have pissed her off."
"When isn't she pissed off?" Makoto muttered as she and others walked into the clinic.
"So, Ragna," Litchi started, staring at the reaper. "Would care to explain… this?"
"I don't know," Ragna replied. "One moment I black out while checking out some seithr disturbance, and the next I end up looking like those bikini models on the magazines Kagura has."
Makoto's eyebrow twitched hearing that. "What this I'm hearing about bikini models?" she asked menacingly.
Ragna shuddered. "Let's just say I walked in on him reading them. Actually, I doubt reading would be the proper term for it."
"Wonderful. That's a mental image I can do without," Linhua groaned, holding back an urge to throw up.
"Okay, disturbing memories aside, I need to you to strip for me, Ragna," Litchi ordered.
Ragna looked around, then blushed. "Um… can't we do it somewhere private?"
"Aw, come on, Ragni," Makoto teased. "We're all girls here."
"I don't care. I like my privacy." She then glared at Makoto. "And if I catch you peeking in, I'm going to wear your fur as a scarf."
Makoto yelped and hid behind Noel, shaking like a leaf.
"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her," Linhua said.
Litchi smiled. "Thank you, Linhua. Alright Ragna, let's go."
"Fine," Ragna spat irritably. "But if you try anything funny, I promise you'll regret it."
Litchi only giggled. "Oh my. Perhaps the seithr that transformed you into a woman has made you more violent. I hope this doesn't last forever…"
Ragna sighed. "Me neither."
Nine: Let me get this straight. The Grim Reaper gets transformed into a woman due to freak seithr accident?
Kokonoe: I don't know if accident is the right word for it, but... yeah.
Nine: Huh. Well, this should be interesting.
KS: For those of you who don't know, the reason I brought Nine here is to celebrate her being playable in Central Fiction.
(applause)
KS: Yeah, yeah, I'm excited too. She looks really strong in her trailer.
Kokonoe: (with stars in her eyes) Of course she's strong! She was one of the Six Heroes for crying out loud!
KS: I know, I know. That's all for tonight, people. Until then...
Nine: Don't forget to fave, follow and review... (menacingly) or I'll reduce the lot of you to ash.
KS: Hey, no threats to the readers.
Nine: (blows a strand of hair out of her face) Fine.
