Vengeance And A Half

by Fire

When Sailor Moon and her allies returned from Crystal Tokyo after stopping the Dark Moon Family there, they followed Prince Diamond back to the wrong time, just a single week before they left. Now the past has been altered, and no-one believes it is for t

8. The Tip Of The Iceberg

________________________
/ \
| Vengeance And A Half |
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Thanks to my pre-readers:
Ben
aevan http://aevan.virtualave.net
Kevin D. Hammel http://www.anime.sobhrach.com/~khammel/
Blood Blade http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Towers/5920
Mike Rever

Visit my website at
dzillman@ozemail.com.au
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~dzillman/fire

Pre-story readiness check:
Dark Moon Family invading Tokyo... Check
Death Busters active and seeking heart crystals... Check
Outer Senshi awake with fragmented memories... Check
Sailor Saturn considered threat by all Senshi... Check
Revenge crazed martial artists ready... Check
Delusional Kuno family... Check
Inner Senshi and martial artists at war... Check
Outer Senshi and Inner Senshi at war... Check
Death Busters and Dark Moon Family at war... Check

Pre-story environment load:
Battle scarred Tokyo... Loaded
Droids, Daimons and evil infestations... Loaded
Additional misunderstanding... Loaded
Subtle innuendo and cheesy dialogue... Loaded
Violence and battles... Loading...
Loading...
Capacity Reached

Story ready...
Cue cute music...


Part 7: The Tip Of The Iceberg
==============================

Hotaru sat down on the low wall and opened her can of drink. It was hot
and tiring work, but she was not willing to stop. This was something
that she knew needed to be done, deep down in her soul, all the way
through her body to the marrow of her bones. Ranma-san had done so much
for her, this was the only way Hotaru believed that she could repay her
hero.

Yesterday she had spent a lot of time with Nabiki-neechan. When she had
first moved in with Ranma-san, Hotaru thought that Nabiki treated her
like some of the other kids at school used to, but now she knew better.
Nabiki-neechan treated everyone like that. Where Kasumi-neechan was
warm and friendly and so nice all the time, Nabiki-neechan was always a
bit more distant... perhaps even a lot more. If you were in the same
room with her, even sitting next to her, the brown haired girl somehow
made you feel like you were all alone. That was why Hotaru had not
spent a lot of time with the youngest sister, however, as she got to
know the older girl, she started to understand her better.

Nabiki-neechan was not cold and distant to just Hotaru. She was like
that to everyone. Somehow that made all of the difference to the little
girl. So often in the past she had been used to people hating her or at
least being cold and rude that she was used to it. That was why Hotaru
was so delighted when she realised that Nabiki-neechan did not hate her.
Even if Nabiki-neechan did tend to look at her like a little bug, her
new big sister did that to everyone, even Ranma-san. Hotaru could not
understand why anyone would dislike Ranma-san, but if Nabiki-neechan
treated Hotaru the same way Ranma-san was treated, that was good enough.

When she had worked with the older girl, Hotaru had gone through a
number of Tokyo phone books. There were a lot of people call "Saotome"
in Tokyo. Actually, there were simply a lot of people living there, so
even uncommon names got repeated. That was where Nabiki-neechan's
genius had come in. From one of the drawers in her bedside chest,
Nabiki-neechan had pulled out a copy of Ranma-san's birth certificate.

Hotaru was still not quite sure why her new sister had a copy of the
birth certificate, but it did provide some invaluable information on
her idol that she did not know. Information like the name of his mother.
Saotome Ranma, child of Genma and Nodoka. There it was, in black and
white. That information alone was enough to eliminate all but one name
from the phone book. Surprisingly, the only reference left in the book
was for "Saotome G & N". After ten years of absence, Ranma-san's mother
- assuming it was the right one - still kept the phone in bother her
husband's and her own name. Devotion and persistence like that showed
where Ranma-san got his from.

That was how Hotaru came to be where she was. Nabiki-neechan had helped
her find the address on the map, but the older girl was unable to
accompany her. While Kasumi-neechan looked after the house, Nabiki-
neechan looked after the finances. She went out each day, selling her
wards and her advice, and that meant she was unable to accompany Hotaru.
So this morning Hotaru had headed out by herself and taken the train
across the city.

Ranma-san's mother's house was not far away. Normally Ranma-san and his
friends would walk further in a single night's patrol. Hotaru knew that
if she was walking with Ranma-san in the afternoon, she would probably
walk almost that distance. Despite that, she did not want to arrive all
tired and sweaty. If she was going to meet the mother of her idol, she
wanted to appear at her best.

That was why she was resting and having a cooling drink of iced tea
from the vending machine. That house, across the street, was the place.
The place where Ranma-san must have run around as a little boy. Just
thinking of her idol as an adorably cute four-year old wearing a pig
tail was enough to make Hotaru smile and hide a giggle behind her hand.

Finishing her drink, Hotaru stood and smoothed out her skirt. It might
be the same school uniform she had been wearing since she left home so
suddenly, but under Kasumi-neechan's care and attention it still looked
as fresh and clean as one newly bought off the rack. Hotaru just hoped
it was good enough for the first time she met Ranma-san's mother.

Walking up to the door of the house, Hotaru took a deep breath, braced
her shoulders, then gave a firm knock on the door. There was silence
for so long that Hotaru almost knocked again but just before her hand
reached the door she heard footsteps. Shortly afterwards a tall, mature
woman in a fine looking kimono opened the door and looked down at her.

"Hello. Is the school selling raffle tickets again? I'm afraid I cannot
afford any at the moment."

"N-No..." Twisting her hands in the fabric of her skirt, Hotaru felt
like running in panic. Now that she was here, how was she supposed to
talk to a complete stranger like this? How could she have forgotten
what she was meant to say? "A-Are you Saotome Nodoka-sama?"

The woman smiled. "Please, there is no need to be that formal. And yes,
my name is Saotome Nodoka."

"_The_ Saotome Nodoka?"

Nodoka put a tilted her head and thought for a moment. "I'm not sure. I
think I'm just _a_ Saotome Nodoka. I would not be surprised if there
was another person with the same name as me in Japan somewhere. I don't
imagine you could be a little more specific, dear? Don't tell me I won
something from that school exhibition day I attended a while ago.
Honestly, I was just doing it because I like being around young
children like you."

Hotaru flushed. Of course it was a silly question. "S-Sorry. I'm a
little nervous... Are you... Are you Ranma-san's mother? Do you have a
son that is a martial artist?"

Faster than Hotaru's eyes could track, Nodoka was out of the door way
and kneeling in front of her. Nodoka had the startled girl held by each
shoulder and she looked her seriously in the face. With a shaking voice
and eyes that shimmered with barely restrained tears, Nodoka forced
herself to ask slowly. "Do... Do you know my son? Do you know where he
is?"

"Y--" Her head had only begun to nod, and the word was not out of her
mouth fully before she was swamped in the embrace of the woman.

Holding the little girl tightly, Nodoka felt an incredible,
indescribable relief flooding through her system. For ten years she had
not seen her son. For ten years she had heard nothing more than the
occasional postcard written in her husband's appalling handwriting and
even those had dried up and ceased months ago. In the whole ten years
since he left, she had not seen a single photo of her son growing up,
nor had she received even a single word written by him on one of
Genma's infrequent cards.

The part of her that feared, the part of her that was a reasonable
woman first and a mother second had long ago begun insisting that
something terrible must have happened to her son. The part that was a
mother, the part with unlimited determination and patience - that
unreasonable and irrational part of her mind - continued to insist that
her son was alive and well. Someday she hoped she would be reunited
with him, but over time that hope had become thinner and thinner.
Without realising it, Nodoka found that she had no longer really
believed in that fond hope. Now that the hope had been restored, Nodoka
found it like a great tearing pain in her chest, as though something
lost had been returned and the out-swelling of love was trying to push
aside all other emotions in her body.

Startled by Nodoka's reaction, Hotaru stood dumbfounded for long
moments as the woman held her and great wracking sobs of relief shook
her body. After a time, Hotaru reached up and tentatively put her hands
around Nodoka's shoulders and returned the hug. She did not have the
woman's strength or enthusiasm, but she could sympathise. She knew that
if she were separated from someone like Ranma-san as long as his mother
had been, she would be upset too.

The tableaux held like that for many long minutes. When Nodoka finally
regained control of herself and took stock of where they were a blush
crossed her features. Here she was, a decent and respectable Japanese
woman, showing all her emotions out in public like this. Breathing
deeply, she pulled her emotions back inside herself and stood up.
Brushing tears of joy aside, Nodoka reached out a hand and smiled down
at the little girl.

"Please, Dear. Come inside. Tell me, please, tell me everything about
my son. I... I haven't seen him in such a long time, and I want to know
what he has been up to. I want..." She hiccoughed and blinked back some
more tears of joy. "I think perhaps I should try to calm down a little
before I go and visit him, hmm?"

"Nnn." Hotaru took the offered hand and walked into the house. It was
not quite the reception she had been expecting, but then, she was not
sure what she had expected.

The house, like the woman that owned it, was neat and perfectly
maintained. Some tasteful and simple paintings hung on one wall, while
the furniture was all elegant and perfectly positioned. Unlike her
father's home, this one was very traditionally Japanese. The floor was
all plain tatami mats, and the furniture was lacquered wood. Also
unlike her father's home, this place spoke of both refined taste and no
excessive spending of money. Most things looked like they had been
cleaned or polished many times, but there was none of the expensive
trinkets or vases that her father had. To Hotaru's inexpert eye it
appeared as though someone cared very deeply for the house, although
she failed to notice the signs of just how little income Nodoka had and
how that adversely affected her ability to replace anything that became
damaged or worn out.

"Please, take a seat. I shall prepare some tea for us."

Positioning her self on a cushion in front of the low table, Hotaru
watched Nodoka walk off and nodded slightly to herself. It was easy to
see where Ranma-san got her beautiful skin and hair from. Hotaru could
not remember what her own mother looked like, but she hoped that when
she was Nodoka-sama's age, she would age as well as Ranma-san would.

The tea took a while, but when Nodoka returned she was cleaned up and
as well composed as when she first opened the door. Placing a ceramic
mug in front of Hotaru, Nodoka filled it with steaming green tea, then
filled one for herself. Once the had each taken a sip of the hot liquid,
Nodoka placed hers on the table, then sketched as short seated bow.

"Please forgive me for being a poor hostess. I am afraid I have no
biscuits or buns to eat while we talk. I so rarely have visitors
that..." Nodoka trailed off for a moment looking embarrassed at her
lack of etiquette and provisioning. "If I may, Dear, I am afraid that I
did not catch your name."

Now it was Hotaru's turn to blush in embarrassment. She had been
invited into someone's home, and she had not even given her name. "T-
Tomoe Hotaru, Saotome-sama."

"Hotaru-chan... That's a pretty name. But please, you do not need to be
so formal."

"B-But... You're Ranma-san's mother!" Hotaru exclaimed, as though that
explained everything. 'Surely the mother of someone like Ranma-san
deserved all the respect you could possibly give', she thought.

For a moment, Nodoka smiled in absolute bliss. To hear someone other
than herself speak her son's name. Even more, to hear it said with such
adulation, such respect; it made her heart sing. To have it said by a
pretty young girl in reference to her son also made it all the sweeter.
Reaching across the table, Nodoka placed a hand on Hotaru's. "Hotaru-
chan... Please, fulfil this mother's most earnest desire. Please...
Please tell me about my son... Is he everything my husband promised he
would be when he took my boy away?"

"I don't know what Ranma-san's father promised, Saotome-sama, but
Ranma-san is the most amazing person alive! He's smart and he's funny
and he is absolutely incredible!"

Heaven! "Dearest was going to train our son in the way of Anything Goes
Martial Arts. Do.. Do you know if my son has learnt the art well?"

Hotaru clenched her hands beneath her chin and her eyes shimmered as
she remembered how he had been training her. She remembered when she
had watched Ranma-san fighting with Ryoga-san or the horrible demons
they fought. "Ranma-san is the _best_ martial artist in all of Japan!
Absolutely everyone thinks so... At least all of the smart ones do.
He's so strong, and he's really, really fast! What's more he's got this
thing where he sort of... umm... moves his hands like this and... Well,
I can't really describe it, but no-one can beat him. Not only that, but
I'm sure he knows absolutely everything when it comes to fighting.
_I'm_ going to be his student!"

"Oh, Ranma!" Nodoka felt her heart just bursting with pride. After all
this time! After all this time, she finally learns that her son is
still alive, and he is everything she ever hoped for and more. Casting
a quick look at Hotaru, Nodoka tried to gauge her age. Fairly young,
but then, a real man plans for the future and not just the present.
"How do you know Ranma-kun, Dear?"

Hotaru turned away and went a little red in the face. She was not sure
how Ranma-san's mother was going to take this. "Ano... Actually, I live
with him..."

Pride threatened to make her heart explode. Her son! An unmarried boy
and girl, living together! How manly! "Living together..." She
whispered in delighted awe.

"N-No, it's not like that, really! I'm staying with Kasumi-neechan and
Nabiki-neechan at their home. Ranma-san was living with them!"

Now Nodoka did need to brace herself. Even Genma had never been that
manly. He had a hard enough time keeping up with her, but their son! Oh,
their darling, manly son! Three ladies, all in the one house! Sisters
nonetheless! And still he managed to fill this girl with such respect
and adulation. "How old are your sisters, Dear?"

"They're not really my sisters, I just like to pretend, because they
treat me so nicely. Umm... I think Kasumi-neechan is nineteen, and I'm
pretty sure Nabiki-neechan is seventeen or eighteen. She's very mature
and intelligent."

Ohhh, older women! Nodoka was impressed. Girls usually liked older men,
but if her son could charm them, he must be everything she had hoped
for. She wondered which one he would end up marrying. She could hardly
restrain herself from crowing in delight and proclaiming her son's
greatness to everyone in the neighbourhood. "Well, I shall look forward
to meeting them, in that case. But please, tell me, how did you meet
Ranma-kun?"

A look of pain washed across Hotaru's face and she looked away from the
table.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Dear. Did I say something wrong?"

"N-No." Hotaru braced herself and began her story. "I first met Ranma-
san when he saved my life. I was... I was walking through Tokyo going
to help some of these magical girls, when they turned around and tried
to kill me. I... I think they would have succeeded if Ranma-san hadn't
come along and saved me. You see, I didn't realise they were Sailor
Senshi then. Now I know. Now I know that the Sailors want to kill me,
and... and Ranma-san seems to save me every time!"

Tears fell from the small girl's eyes by the time she finished.
Discomforted by the girl's distress, Nodoka was still surprised by what
she had heard. Although the Senshi did not always get favourable
reporting in the newspaper, Nodoka thought they seemed to have their
heart in the right place; most of the time. To actually believe they
were trying to kill you... "It's OK, Dear. I'm sure---"

Hotaru shook her head, sending tears flying. "No, it's not OK. First my
Daddy was hurt by those nasty demons, now the Senshi are always trying
to hurt me, and it's not fair! If... If it wasn't for Ranma-san... If
Ranma-san didn't save me every time... If Ranma-san wasn't the greatest
martial artist in the whole wide world... Then... Then... Then they
would have gotten me..."

Deciding to abandon propriety and formality, Nodoka slid around the
table and took the crying girl in her arms. She had been impressed that
her son was living with a young girl, but now she was beginning to see
things in a different light. Perhaps Hotaru-chan had a different reason
for living with her son. Her son, possibly a manly and heroic saviour
of damsels deeply distressed? Could something so wonderful even be
possible?

When Hotaru felt like talking again, she did not release Nodoka from
her tight grip but instead spoke from beside her. "It all began when
Ranma-san saved me after I ran away from my Daddy. Somehow... Somehow
Daddy's mean and creepy helper did something to him. I always told him
that Kaolinite was bad for him, but I think she had already started to
take over his mind by then. When... When I left, he wasn't even my
Daddy any more. He tried to hurt me, tried to make me like he was; and
my Daddy would never do that. He even said he had taken over my Daddy's
body.

"After that, Ranma-san found me when those horrible Sailor Senshi were
trying to kill me. I was so scared, but Ranma-san jumped in from
nowhere and carried me to safety. It was just like in all the manga!
Ranma-san was so brave and fast! If it wasn't for him, I don't think I
would be alive today."

Hotaru paused for a moment, trying to sort out what was important and
what was not. "That was just the first time he saved me. After that he
did it again and again. Every time I go on patrol with Ranma-san and
his friends, it seems like someone wants to hurt me. But Ranma-san is
always there to save me, no matter how big and bad and mean they are.
When I grow up, I want to be like Ranma-san. He's teaching me martial
arts too, so I can be!"

"Patrol? What do you mean, 'patrol'?" It was not very manly to take a
little girl like Hotaru-can out looking for trouble. Her son had better
have a good excuse.

Talking about what Ranma did seemed to brighten Hotaru. Perhaps it was
simply having something other than her own problems to think about, or
more likely it was the fact that she was talking about her favourite
subject. "Well, every night Ranma-san and his friends go out and patrol
the city, trying to keep it safe from all of the demons, Senshi and the
bad magical girls that are out there.

"I'm not sure what really happened, because no-one likes to talk about
it really, but I think Kasumi-neechan's little sister was killed by one
of the Senshi when she was fighting off a demon. Ano... Not Nabiki-
neechan, but another sister, I think her name was Akane. I never met
her, but sometimes Ranma talks about her. I think he really misses her,
because that's why he and Ryoga-san are doing this. I think... I think
Akane-san might have been his fiancee or girlfriend, but I'm not sure.
I didn't really want to ask.

"At night... When it's really quiet... Sometimes I can hear him talking
about her in his sleep. It's really, really sad."

Nodoka closed her eyes and cursed the fact that she let Genma take away
her son. By all accounts he must have done a truly stellar job raising
their son, but a mother's place was beside her children. She did not
even know that her son had a fiancee - and although she hoped he had
many girlfriends, she could not be sure. Now she hears second hand that
her son is going through a traumatic time in his life, and she is not
there for him. It made her feel less of a person, less of a mother for
not being able to help him in his time of need.

"What about you, Dear? Why are you doing this? Why are you going on
patrol with my son? Surely it is too dangerous for a young lady like
yourself."

For a moment Hotaru considered keeping her magical girl powers secret
from Ranma-san's mother but that moment passed quickly. Hotaru being a
magical girl was more of an "open secret" than anything else.
Practically everyone she knew was aware of her powers. Ranma-san and
all his friends, her Daddy and whoever had hurt him... By now, even the
Sailor Senshi probably knew who she was, and they were just too
frightened to come and attack her at the Tendo's home because Ranma-san
lived there too, and they knew he would beat them all up if they made
him mad.

"You probably won't believe me, no-one ever does until they can see my
powers, but I'm the most powerful magical girl in the whole world. I
might not be able to use my attacks, but I've got a really good shield
spell, and I can heal people, too. I even healed Ranma-san in a fight
once. I was standing back so that I wouldn't get in anyone's way, and
that meant I was able to help him." Hotaru ended on a wistful note,
remembering her one real moment of triumph and glory so far.

Nodding in understanding, Nodoka spoke with only a trace of
condescension in her voice. "Ahh. You want to be with my son, so you
follow him wherever he goes. While I'm sure I can understand that, I do
not think I really approve of you getting into fights. It's just not
proper for young girls like you."

"The Sailor Senshi do."

"The Sailor Senshi are..." She could not exactly say myths; while she
had thought that was the case, Hotaru evidently did not. "... a special
case."

Silence descend for a time, with neither person quiet sure how to
continue the conversation. Abruptly, Nodoka gave a start and covered
her mouth in embarrassment. "Oh, please forgive me. I just realised
that this entire time I have been wearing you out with stories about my
son, but I know nothing about you. Please, tell me about yourself."

"Ano... My name is Tomoe Hotaru, and I'm twelve years old...." Nodoka
waited patiently for Hotaru to continue.

When the silence become uncomfortable and Hotaru began to shift
nervously, Nodoka tried to suggest something to talk about. "That's
lovely, Dear, but what about hobbies or sports that you like?"

"I... don't really like sports, and I've never really had any hobbies.
Actually, that's not quite right. I'm starting to learn martial arts
now! That way I can be just as strong as Ranma-san or Shampoo-san. Wow,
I can finally say I do a sport! Isn't that great?"

"That's lovely, Hotaru-chan. I'm sure my husband would say you chose
the right thing to do. Personally, I think a young lady like yourself
should devote herself more to the womanly arts and making herself a
better bride, but I can understand why you are interested in martial
arts. Anything that could get you closer to that fine, manly son of
mine, right?"

Hotaru went as red as the printing on Nodoka's kimono. "That's not the
only reason!" Then she went even redder as she realised what she had
said.

When Nodoka finished her good natured laugh at Hotaru's discomfort, she
continued to try and get more details on both Hotaru and her son. As
the hands of the clock seemed to sprint around the face, Hotaru spoke
only little about herself. She no longer went to school because her
father taught where she used to go, and she did not have any friends to
miss. Having so little to say about herself, Hotaru more than made up
for it with her verbosity on the subject of Saotome Ranma. When she
spoke about him, Hotaru was quite willing and able to talk for hours.

As the hands of the clock sneaked past two in the afternoon, Hotaru
suddenly realised she was running late for her lessons with Ranma. They
may only be a chance to walk together and improve her endurance at the
moment, but she had been assured that everything was training. That
meant that even just talking a leisurely walk with her idol was really
improving her martial arts skills.

Bowing to her hostess and explaining why she needed to rush off, Hotaru
made her way to the entry hall. As she pulled on her shoes, Nodoka
stood behind her and waited patiently.

"Hotaru-chan, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for
bringing me this wonderful news about my son. I know I am imposing upon
you, but is there any chance that I may be able to join you this
evening, so that I can meet Ranma? It has been ten long years since I
have seen my boy."

Hotaru was mortified. How could she have forgotten to ask Ranma-san's
mother to come and visit. "Ahh! Saotome-sama! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I
forgot to ask you to come over for dinner before we leave. I meant to,
honestly! That was why I came here in the first place. Please, have
this invitation!"

Bending to almost a right angle at the waist, Hotaru held a white
envelope out to her hostess with both hands. She did not look up until
Nodoka took it, and even then she was careful, somehow afraid that
Ranma-san's mother would be angry with her for forgetting something
like that. Instead, tears flowed down the woman's cheeks as she read
what was written.

The note was only a short one, but it politely invited Saotome Nodoka
to join her husband, son and all their friends for dinner and a reunion
at the Tendo Dojo, address provided. Hotaru had intended it to be a
special reunion, and she had written the note in her best handwriting,
even going to so far as to borrow some nice paper from Nabiki-neechan.
Not only that, but Kasumi-neechan had offered to cook something very
special if Hotaru managed to really find Ranma's mother.

Choked up by happiness, Nodoka's eyes streamed tears of joy. Unable to
speak, she could only nod silently before gathering the small girl in
another grateful hug. Eventually, as her voice returned, she whispered
"Thank you" over and over again.

When Hotaru was finally able to leave, Nodoka closed the door and
breathed deeply. As she tried to sort out her overwhelming emotions she
leaned against the hallway wall. She could barely stand or think
straight because she was so happy but she had so much to do. In just a
few hours she needed to clean herself up and prepare a good kimono for
her meeting. Just as importantly, she needed to take down Genma's
solemn promise where the document stood in her family shrine.

Every day she prayed to the shrine, prayed that Genma would succeed in
making Ranma a man among men, and that his conditions on the contract
would be met. Today, she would finally be able to burn that horrible
piece of paper. Her small guest had left no doubt in her mind as to
Ranma's manliness, and she would so enjoy being able to spend a single
day without the fear of needing to behead her own son for failure to
comply.

Walking towards the bathroom so that she could clean up, Nodoka sighed.
Only a few hours to go, and she would be with her son again. An
unquestionable man among men.

* * *

Kuno Kodachi sat at the base of her statue and ran a hand along one of
the finely carved legs. In all of her sixteen years on this planet, she
could not remember ever seeing a finer or more beautiful statue. The
gorgeous, stunning and refined lady of the statue had grown in size
under her care and friendship. Now the black crystal vision of
perfection almost reached the ceiling of the room, and was a good two
and a half meters tall.

The statue also no longer looked like the dumpy old woman it had when
she first saw it. Now the statue looked like Kodachi in all her glory.

Focusing on happy thoughts, Kodachi stood and ran her hand along the
statue's arm. Where before the crystal hand had been empty, it now
contained a rose. A black rose, made of the finest, sharpest crystal
Kodachi could envisage.

She had quickly discovered how to make the statue grow. It had been
easy in so many ways, since nurturing plants worked in almost exactly
the same fashion. Focus on happy thoughts, on bright, clean, clear
images of a better future and the crystal would respond as you desired.

Naturally this technique required that you could focus on two
completely separate ideas at the same time - the happy thoughts and the
guiding path for the crystal - but being of noble Kuno blood Kodachi
had no problem acting as though she had multiple people running around
inside her skull, each doing their own thing.

Deciding that she had made the statue tall enough, she wanted to keep
it growing, and came up with a new plan. Rather than crafting something
of pure beauty - her own image - she would expand the base, building up
an entire scene from the crystal. Kneeling down again in front of the
black crystalline mass, Kodachi let her mind focus, for once allowing
the guiding influence and her happy thoughts to become one and the same.

It began as a bulge of black crystal near the statue's feet, but
shortly the mass began to take shape, adopting the lines of the happy
thought that Kodachi had spent so much time focusing on recently. To
her, it was an image of how her Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics match
should have ended. Her in triumph, with the despicable pig-tailed
harridan at her feet.

The Pig-Tailed Girl's face was now clearly visible in the crystal.
Everything from her wide open mouth in a silent scream to the lines
around her eyes spoke of limitless fear and pain. This was Kodachi's
happy thought. The Pig-Tailed Girl in pain. The Pig-Tailed Girl
suffering. The Pig-Tailed Girl humiliated in public and cowering at the
feet of the mighty Kuno Kodachi. It was a happy thought that Kodachi
had treasured for many long months, and it was one that allowed her to
craft and beautify her statue.

Simply watching the statue take form brought forth more and more detail
of the Pig-Tailed Girl's predicament into her mind. This in turn made
it take form in black crystal, leading Kodachi on to new imagined
heights of merciless sadism and torture.

If only it were within her power to have the real Pig-Tailed Girl at
her mercy like this. To have her bound and scarred, her wounds forever
denying her the beauty needed to tempt Ranma-sama. To have her begging
for mercy that would never come. Kodachi would gleefully start with the
Pig-Tailed Girl and then work her way onto every other girl that would
dare to try and seduce her beloved Ranma-sama. She would make them pay
for their sins like the pitiful figure in the statue.

Oh, how she would make them pay.

"So that is how one of our Black Crystals came to be activated."

The voice was deep and gravely. But cold. So very cold. Cold like the
blackest reaches of space. Cold like the depths of the ocean. Cold like
even a minute without the love of her darling Ranma-sama. It was a
voice that bred despair and fear. It sent shivers up your spine and
made Kodachi think of her dear mother's last hours.

She loved the voice from the first moment she heard it. If her Ranma-
sama could possibly be any more perfect, he would possess that voice.

Despite the way she treasured the voice, and knew she would dream
longingly of it when she slept tonight, Kodachi turned around with
imperial slowness to cast down whomever would be so bold as to enter
the halls of Kuno uninvited. When she reached the owner of the voice
and appraised its menial appearance, she decided that the body and garb
that went with the voice left much to be desired.

The man, if indeed it was a man, wore a loose grey cloak that covered
him head to toe. The cloak, which almost seemed to be made out of
shadows itself, was all she could really see of the man other than his
hands. He was seated on the floor in a cross-legged manner, and the
cowl was pulled far forwards, sending his face into impenetrable
darkness.

The man's hands had long, pale fingers that never quite managed to
remain still. The hands - almost deathly white - were perfectly clean
as though they belonged to an embalmed corpse. But no corpse's hands
had ever moved so freely around the shifting, multicoloured crystal
ball that seemed to hover in the man's lap. Those hands did not seem to
achieve anything with their motion, but they did not stop, and he did
not speak again.

"Of course you realise, peasant, that you are trespassing on the lands
of the Kuno." Kodachi turned up her nose at him in an insulting and
upper class fashion.

"You must forgive me, Kuno Kodachi-sama. I have come here only to view
your work. To see what dark energy could have fuelled such growth in my
crystal."

"You know my name." It was not a question. Someone of a Kuno's rank did
not question minions. They simply ordered them.

"I know a great many things. It does appear that I did not truly
appreciate your talent before becoming witness myself. Until this day,
I believed myself to be the only one capable of shaping the Dark
Crystal to my designs."

Kodachi laughed in her most ladylike manner. She always thought it was
important for lesser people to know when they had amused her. Reaching
over to where the Pig-Tailed Girl knelt in unending tribute to pain and
retribution, Kodachi extended her hand and rested it on the crystal for
a moment. Thinking about a fitting end to intruders, Kodachi closed her
hand around a newly created pommel and drew forth a long shard of
crystal. With the beauty of thought and action becoming one, the shard
formed into a gleaming, razor sharp sword, while the Pig-Tailed Girl's
side developed a matching sized open, bleeding wound to match where the
weapon had been drawn forth.

Pointing her new sword at the grey cloaked intruder, Kodachi gave a
short laugh. "As you can see, I can cause the crystal to do whatever I
desire. Unfortunately for you, you will not be able to see the final
form of my masterpiece. For - as with all intruders this far into our
home - you shall not be heard from again. I would ask a servant to
perform the service, but I fear they would not enjoy the work
sufficiently."

She could not see his face, but Kodachi could swear she felt the
unnamed man smile at her. Without a single change in his actions or a
single word, the sword melted back from him. Flowing like it was alive,
the crystal seemed to build upon itself until she held not a sword, but
a miniature of her own statue. Complete down to the tiniest detail, the
gorgeous work of herself with a cowering Pig-Tailed Girl was all that
remained of her weapon.

"As you can see, I have some skill in how to work the crystal... _My_
crystal. You would do well never to forget that, Kodachi-sama. It is I
that controls the Dark Crystal of Nemesis. No other. I may allow you to
use it, but it always I that am the master."

Kodachi frowned then abruptly dropped the miniature on the cold marble
floors where it shattered into a million pieces. "It would appear that
you are right... For a peasant, you are most tiring and tenacious.
However..."

Silently, Kodachi stepped aside from the seated man and gestured to her
work of artistry. "However, you plainly do not have my skill or talent.
I am not blind to the happenings of our fair city, and I recognised the
form of the statue on the news. Twenty meters tall and breaking through
a building so that all can see, and yet you still persist in such crude
sculpture? Honestly, even a peasant such as yourself should have some
appreciation for art."

If the man resented her remark, he gave no sign of it. Over the last
month and a half, Emerald had been placing statues of herself at power
points located throughout the city. Wherever she activated one, it
would immediately begin to tap into the dark energy surrounding it
while simultaneously pulling more power from the massive Dark Crystal
that form the meteor Nemesis far in the outer reaches of Earth's solar
system. Naturally, as the energy came in, the statue grew until it was
obvious to even the likes of the Sailor Senshi. At times like those,
someone would turn up to try and thwart their plans by destroying the
statue.

Occasionally the flashier episodes like these would be captured on the
news, and the world would get to see the Senshi's or the Death Buster's
victory over him. However no-one had ever seen his minions' victories
in placing non-activated crystals like the one Kodachi had found. Only
when the Dark Moon Family was ready would they activate those. Only
then would the residents of Tokyo know true fear.

"I regret that it is true, I lack your... finesse... with the Dark
Crystal. Where I can control and wield the powers it offers, I do not
have your subtlety. I can cause the Crystal to copy your work, but I
cannot create it myself. The statues I made for my servant are
functional, but they do not have the... the detail or the loving care
that yours does. I can see in this a degree of passion and accuracy
that deserves to be recognised."

"Ohh! Ho ho ho ho ho ho!" A lady should be polite enough to hide her
mouth when she laughed, and Kodachi was no exception. Head thrown back
in laughter, her left hand was held in front of her face so that she
could enjoy herself without any impropriety. "I can assure you that the
skills of any Kuno, myself in particular, far exceed that of any
commoner."

Again there was that sensation that the hooded figure was smiling
condescendingly. "I will concede to your skill, Kodachi-sama, but I
cannot concede to your power."

"Oh, really? You could doubt the strength of Kuno Kodachi?" In a flash,
a ribbon of crystal appeared in her hands. With practice it was
becoming easier to control, and her anger with the man that mocked her
provided ample fuel to make the crystal grow to the length and
flexibility she desired. Spinning the crystal ribbon over her head like
she had practiced so often in gymnastics, Kodachi began striking out to
either side of the man in black.

"Since you really want to come into my home and then dare to question
my abilities in any way... Take this! And this! And this!" With cracks
like a bull whip, the crystal ribbon sounded to either side of the man.
Throughout it all, he sat there, unchanged. At no time did her dodge,
nor did his hands ever cease their erratic movement around his glowing
ball.

"That is not the true power of the Dark Crystal Kodachi-sama. For all
your artistry, only I can open you to the true power of Nemesis. Only
once the crystal is truly activated can it draw on the power needed to
do this..." Then his hand did stop its movement. Briefly the man raised
his right hand palm forwards and directed a brilliant beam of dark
purple energy down the hall.

Attracted by the beam and the tremendous explosion, Kodachi's head
whipped around. Certainly, her guest had just made a massive hole in
one of their walls, but that was something she could forgive. Her
Ranma-sama was prone to doing the same thing when he visited, but she
had never seen him do anything like this man had done. How could this
man possess energy and power capable of smashing walls and demolishing
her foes with equal ease? She must have it!

As she turned back to the man, her mouth hanging open slightly, Kodachi
saw her statue. The statue she had poured so much energy into over
recent days had shrunk. Where before it had been a good two and a half
metres tall, now it was barely waist height. "W-What happened to my
beautiful statue?"

The hooded figure gave a low chuckle that caused the hairs on the back
of her neck to stand up in a most enticing manner as shivers ran up and
down her spine. "That is the true power of the Dark Crystal. That
crystal you are so fond of it a shard from Nemesis, an asteroid
floating through the outer reaches of our solar system. An asteroid
composed entirely of negative energy.

"As you fed your negative energy into the statue, you caused it to grow.
Hate, envy, pain, fear. All these negative feelings are the energy
source of the Dark Crystal. But all that energy is useless unless it
can be used, and only I can grant the permission to use that power. For
I am the Wiseman, and I am the master of the Dark Crystal of Nemesis. I,
and those people I grant permission to may use the power of the Dark
Crystal. That is what happened to your statue. When I used its power,
it shrunk, but it is still there. Nemesis is filled with dark energy
like this, more power than would be needed to cover this entire
planet."

There was silence. "Give it to me."

"I said give me the power of the Dark Crystal, you fool. I am Kuno
Kodachi, and I demand that you give me this power."

"I am willing to give you access to the power... On some conditions..."

Kodachi's eyes narrowed. She knew this man was crafty. She could feel
it. The man, Wiseman he called himself, oozed the same confidence as
Tendo Nabiki. No doubt he was just as trustworthy... But that did not
matter, Kuno Kodachi was willing to deal with anyone she needed to so
that she could acquire what was hers by right. If that meant she needed
to accept his conditions now and then renegotiate them later, so be it.
Once she had access to all of that lovely power and had it under her
control, she knew she would entirely capable of taking control in the
manner that befitted someone of her station.

"And what sort of conditions would you seek to impose upon the eldest
daughter of the House of Kuno?"

"Perhaps I should elucidate upon you what you would be getting in
exchange for your compliance. When I give you access to the powers of
the Dark Crystal, you will be capable of so much more than that pitiful
attack that I just demonstrated. That attacked drew its power from the
statue behind you, and that statue is tiny. Filled only with the dark
energies that you had been able to imbue in it, there was barely enough
power to be able to knock a hole in the wall.

"Nemesis is an asteroid, a crystal of pure dark energy kilometres long.
That much dark energy gathered together is a self-generating source of
hatred, greed, violence, anger and depression. All of the dark emotions
that cloud the human soul are manifest there, growing upon each other
to create the ultimate weapon. Nemesis is the ultimate power, and with
it you could achieve anything you desired. All I ask in return is that
you obey me and aid in my bringing that power to earth."

"Such power..." Kodachi uttered. "Such power within my grasp. With that
sort of power, my darling Ranma-sama would worship me as a Queen. I
could crush all of my enemies. I could do anything I desired! Ranma-
sama would be mine! I, Kuno Kodachi would be the Queen of Tokyo, no...
Japan. Better yet, the whole world!"

The Wiseman chuckled softly as her laugh rang out, shaking the walls of
the house with its intensity. "Yes, Kodachi-sama. You would work quite
well beside Prince Diamond as both of you serve me bringing the dark
energy into this world."

Mid-cackle, Kodachi suddenly went silent. "_Prince_ Diamond?"

The Wiseman said nothing while she stared at him. "Prince Diamond,
hmm?... I'm not sure if I find that acceptable. For if I am to be Queen
and Ranma-sama is to be by my side, I hardly think that it is fitting
that there is another man calling himself 'Prince'. I am afraid that
you will have to get rid of him. It's just not acceptable."

That cause him to pause. Before he came to see Kodachi, he had
considered countless options. Everything from her being an unassailable
agent of good to her falling into his clutches as quickly and easily as
she had. However, he had never considered she would take exception to
Prince Diamond without ever meeting him.

"Kodachi-sama, his name is just that, a name. Prince Diamond is no more
a prince than the next man in the street. As you can well imagine, our
highly public positions combined with the need to induce fear and
respect in our opponents has lead many in our position to adopt
pseudonyms. Diamond's minions are known as Emerald and Rubius,
establishing a pattern at the same time as showing their subservience
to him."

With a disdainful sniff, Kodachi turned and walked down the hallway
slightly. As she walked, she tapped her chin in though, unconsciously
talking aloud. "What you say has merit. I begin to understand why you
are styled as the Wiseman... Perhaps what I need is something similar.
It would hardly do to reveal my true name to all of the plebeians and
commoners filling out city, lest they become jealous and torment my
dear brother unduly...

"While I could not doubt use a name to place me in ascendancy over this
Prince Diamond, he may well be a useful pawn for the time being. Until
I have taken full control of this marvellous power, I may need to rely
upon these cretins in some way. Very well then, I shall wait a time
until I declare myself Supreme Queen Goddess Over All. It would not due
to intimidate my erstwhile allies too much initially."

Reaching the end of one block of thought, Kodachi turned and began back
towards the calmly waiting Wiseman. "I am thinking that I should begin
to indoctrinate people at an early stage to my stature and magnificence.
Something more refined that my current appellation. Wiseman! Attend me!
From this day forth, I shall be known as... Black Lady!"

For an instant, the Wiseman's hands stopped their endless motion over
his crystal ball. "That... Would not be advisable, Kodachi-sama.
Unfortunately, I had not yet informed you that I recently recruited a
lady of most extraordinary power. While her craft and meticulous,
precise skill pale in comparison to yours, she wields power with a
skill unusual in one so young. This person, who travels by the name of
Black Lady, is unlikely to be pleased with your choice of names, and
her ability to direct the power of Nemesis is second only to mine. May
I beg you to consider another name, Kodachi-sama?"

"Humph. Well, if some commoner has already begun to sully the name with
her usage, it would hardly be fitting for someone as fine as myself to
use. Very well, then. As for so many years I have been the shining
young start of the high school gymnastics circuit, a flower amongst
weeds, I shall grow beyond being simply the Black Rose of Saint
Hebereke High School. I shall now be... The Black Rose! Soon to be the
Supreme Queen Goddess Over All!"

Once again Kodachi threw her head back and laughed. Obviously this was
some sort of sign. She had worked so hard to find a name that would
instil both fear and respect in her peers, and now she can take that
name onto the stage of the world to begin the next act in the drama
that was her life.

The Wiseman smiled, he was very happy. The Black Rose would make a fine
addition to his forces. Physically she was beautiful, her demeanour was
cool and cruel, the only thing that came close to matching her ego was
her considerable skill, and she was mercifully free from the burdens of
intelligence. As far as the Wiseman was concerned, only one person in
the Dark Moon Family had any business thinking, and that was him.
Prince Diamond could play at being the leader all he liked, so long as
he and his followers obeyed the Wiseman. He felt sure that this Kuno
Kodachi would follow his gentle guidance, and when the time came to
replace Prince Diamond, she would be a fitting pawn in his downfall.

Joining the Black Rose as she laughed, the Wiseman was a bass rumble
beside her soprano. Even while they laughed and enjoyed themselves, the
Wiseman kept thinking of what needed to be done to ensure his success.
The next thing on his list was to grant the Black Rose her new powers,
and to give her a taste of what it really meant to swear fealty to
someone of his power.

Reaching out with a mental command, the Wiseman activated the statue,
removing the metaphysical stopcocks that prevented it from sucking up
dark energy from all around. As soon as he did so, alternating rings of
dark purple and black began to pulse out from the centre. With each
beat, with each wave of power being drawn in, the statue grew. Rather
than taking a whole night to grow to roof size as it had under
Kodachi's ministrations, it now took only moments.

"Ahh, that feels so good. Surely this place must be the site of a great
and abiding evil to provide so much dark energy for my statue. Come,
Black Rose. Join me, feel the power that is now yours to command!" As
he said the words, the Wiseman opened a connection from Nemesis to the
Kodachi. As with evil throughout the centuries, he could offer the
temptation, but he could not force you into true evil. He might be able
to control the minds of the weak fools that surrounded him, but even
then it would be him controlling the dark power, not them. True
corruption, true conversion to evil did not come through control, but
through submission. He could offer Kodachi the power, but only she
could take it.

When Kodachi felt the massive well of power being offered to her, she
did not even stop to consider. This was all of the power she had ever
dreamed of. This to the power to achieve anything and everything that
she had ever desired. With power like this at her disposal, she would
never need to justify her actions again! Without a backwards glance,
Kodachi became the Black Rose; a servant of evil, minion of the Wiseman.

"Oh, yes!" The Black Rose cried in delicious ecstasy as wave after wave
of power coursed through her body. Shaking from the pleasure, her knees
went weak and her eyes rolled back as pleasure more intense than any
orgasm washed through her. "Yes, Wiseman! I submit! I submit! Ohhhh!"

Deep inside his cowl, the Wiseman turned a curious eye to his latest
disciple. That was not the usual reaction to unlimited power. Some
people wept, others crowed with glory. This was the first time he had
seen someone... well... someone do whatever the Black Rose was doing.

A minute later, as the statue of Kodachi and the begging Pig-Tailed
Girl crashed through the ceiling of the room, the Black Rose managed a
partial return to her senses. She still twitched slightly, and her
mouth was open as she gave small, shallow gasps for air. "Oh, Wiseman...
That felt sooo good. I can feel it. I can feel the power throughout my
whole body. I can feel it _everywhere_... and it feels _so_ good. Let
me use it! Please, Wiseman! Let me use it. I want to feel the power. I
want to feel it rush through me again until... Ohhh... I want to use it
so much!"

'Yes', the Wise man thought. 'The Black Rose was an excellent find. It
is so rare in this day and age to find someone who honestly covets
power for its own sake. Everyone, Diamond, Black Lady, the Senshi; they
desire power for what it can give them. This girl, the Black Rose, she
appreciates power and darkness for themselves. That alone shall make
her great.'

"Yes, my disciple. You can use all the power you desire. The more dark
energy you bring into this world, the more that you can use. Feel it!
Feel the power inside the crystal. Feel how it can become a living,
breathing entity! Feel how you can summon forth your own Droid to do
your bidding!"

The Black Rose could feel it. The initial wash of power had receded
into a constant burn of pleasure in her womb and a tingling along her
limbs, but she could feel what the Wiseman described. There it was,
housed within the statue, a new life, waiting for her command to come
forth and wreck her will upon the world. She was about to release her
very first Droid when she hesitated and examined the statue more
closely. No... To release it the way the Wiseman had showed her was
inelegant. For the Black Rose deserved a Droid no less perfect than she
was, a living machine of pure evil no longer bound to the source that
created it. If she followed the Wiseman's directions, the Droid's death
would destroy her lovely statue, and that would never do.

"Come forth, my slave!" Pointing her hand at the massive statue of
herself - already six metres tall and beginning to break through the
roof over the second floor - the Black Rose beckon her servant. Slowly,
as though under duress, the crystal shimmered and moved. With steps
that were slow and halting at first but faster with each passing second,
a Droid came from the statue. Fully grown, it was a good two and a half
metres tall, with its rounded head brushing the raised ceiling of the
room.

"I am impressed, my child." Indeed he was. The Wiseman had never even
considered it was possible to do what the Black Rose had just done. He
already knew the woman would not have Black Lady's ability to directly
unleash the energy - the Black Rose would be lucky if she could match
Emerald or Rubius in that regard - but her talent for deft manipulation
was extraordinary. Although he could not yet understand how she did it,
the Wiseman already knew she had created a Droid without the inherent
weakness of its earlier brethren. Under the Black Rose's guidance, the
one statue alone would be able to produce a constant stream of Droids
until the entire city was overrun!

Assuming of course she managed to control the convulsions of pleasure
that had her lying on the floor thrashing. Perhaps she enjoyed her work
just a little too much.

The Black Rose was just getting her excitement under control and was
trying to clamber back to her feet when a voice rang out through the
purple lit room.

"Hold! What form of deviltry hast thou embarked upon this time, twisted
sister of mine? Know now that I, Kuno Tatewaki, the Blue Thunder of
Tokyo, am sworn to defeat evil in all its forms!"

* * *

"You know, you've been even happier than usual today, Hotaru. Something
good happen today I don't know about?"

They were coming home from their walk, and Hotaru had not stopped
smiling the entire time. Even when they had walked up the hill and her
breath came in short, sharp pants, she had been smiling. Simply the
fact that she had kept up the entire time and not needed to rest was
enough to make Hotaru smile normally, but today she had met Ranma-san's
mother and invited her to dinner. That was even more cause to smile,
but since it was going to be a surprise, she did not want to tell him
that.

Looking away from Ranma for a moment, Hotaru kept smiling as the
entered the grounds of the Tendo home. "I'm just happy to be with you,
Ranma-san. I know that if I keep this up, I'll really be able to help
you someday. And maybe, someday, I'll be able to help my Daddy too."

"That's the idea. Everyday you just get better than the one before.
Sooner than you know it, you be as fit and tough as the rest of the
girls here. 'Course you won't be as good as me, but hey, who is?"

Others - particularly short haired, short tempered tomboys - might have
taken that as an insult and tried to beat him over the head for it, but
Hotaru simply looked up with adoration in her eyes. "I know I'll never
be as good as you, Ranma-san, no-one is. But just you watch! I'll make
you proud and someday I'll be just as good as Shampoo-san or Ukyo-san."

Considering how far ahead his fiancees were already, Ranma thought here
proposal was as likely as him ever giving up his manhood to live as a
girl permanently. He was preparing to say as much when the smell of
food wafted into the entryway were they were removing their dirty
street shoes. Distracted by the thought of Kasumi's cooking, Ranma was
fortunate enough to not make his comment, and forever crush the hopes
of the young girl.

After a quick wash and clean up, Ranma and Hotaru followed their noses
and arrived in the living room to join the rest of the group as they
sat down for a meal. Even with one space vacated around the table,
there was not enough room for everyone to sit next to the food with so
many martial artists there. Consequently Ryoga and Shampoo sat beside
one of the doors, nursing large plates of food while the rest of the
people sat in reach of the dishes.

When Hotaru sat down, Nabiki looked up from where she was wolfing down
some rice. Normally she did not eat much at meals, but being outside
raising money all day made her hungry. Worse still, she normally had a
heavy diet of snack food to keep her going between classes or after
school. Selling fake wards from morning to evening prevented the
snacking she was used to, and consequently she was as hungry as any of
the fighters by the time evening came around.

Watching the great piles of food disappear used to make her angry at
Ranma and his freeloading father, but now Nabiki took it as a sign of
hope. People this hungry must have been training hard, and would have
the energy needed to fight evil again this night. The fact that it was
her efforts that provided the money to put food on the table made the
meal taste even better. She could not fight, but she could contribute
in other ways to eventually achieving the revenge her sister so
deserved.

"So, Hotaru-chan, did you have a good day?"

Looking up at Nabiki, Hotaru's eyes flicked to Ranma then back again.
"I did, Nabiki-neechan. I went out this morning, and I've been looking
forwards to dinner ever since."

Nabiki gave her own brief smile. She knew what Hotaru had been up to,
and the idea of having Ranma's mother around appealed. Perhaps Saotome-
san would be willing to help out Kasumi in the kitchen, or even provide
a much needed womanly touch in the home. It might be mostly filled with
women, but Ukyo, Shampoo and female Ranma's obsession with fighting
hardly seemed like the calm balance she remembered as a child with
their own mother around.

Nabiki was about to say something else when there was a knocking at the
door. Rising from her seat, Kasumi moved to the door. "I'll get that."
No objection came from the others, most of whom were too busy eating to
have heard anything.

When Kasumi opened the door, she found a tall, serene woman standing
there. She wore a beautiful kimono patterned with flowers done in
gentle colours against a white background. In her hands she bore a
small box - the sort you would get from a bakery or sweets store - and
on her back was a long bundled item. The elegant woman gave a bow.
"Excuse me for interrupting. I am looking for Tomoe Hotaru. Is she
available?"

Kasumi smiled and stepped aside so that she could invite the woman in.
"Yes, just a moment and I will get her for you."

Just then, the girl in question stepped past Kasumi and took one of the
woman's hands. "Saotome-sama! You've come! I didn't tell Ranma-san you
were coming, because I wanted it to be a surprise. Please, come in!
We're having dinner, so there is plenty of food available."

The woman stepped into the entrance way and removed her zori, the
traditional footwear that went with her kimono. Giving another bow to
Kasumi, she made the anxious Hotaru wait a few more moments by
presenting the box. "Good evening. Please take these as a gesture of my
appreciation for having me here. My name is Saotome Nodoka. I am
Ranma's mother."

"Oh my! Please, come in. You're most welcome here. Ranma-kun and
Saotome-san are in the dining room."

Giving a smile, Nodoka allowed Hotaru to pull her through the house.
Upon entering the dining room, Nodoka was astounded by the crowd of
people and weapons there. It seemed as though every second person had
some sort of weapon sitting by them, and she could tell by the way that
they sat and watched her, most of they young people here were martial
artists like her husband. Eyes roving the room, Nodoka tried to
recognise her son and husband. It should have been an easy task
considering the fact that there were only three men there, but she did
not succeed.

There was a boy with long black hair. He might have been her son, but
her son did not have bad eyesight, and this boy had on some of the
thickest glasses she had ever seen. Equally, the Chinese cast to his
features ruled him out. Across the room from him was a heavy set boy.
Nodoka would have been surprised if he was her son. The boy looked
rough and common, a burly brawler, not at all like the lean powerhouse
of a man that she had married.

The last man in the room she recognised immediately. Tendo Soun had not
changed greatly over the years, and still retained the same air of calm,
despite the fact that he was eating dinner next to a panda. In most
houses, having a panda present - let alone one holding a sign
disclaiming "Hello complete stranger" would be cause for concern, but
she remembered Soun as being an unflappable rock of a man, solid and
dependable in all situations. The decade or more since they had last
met obviously had not changed him one iota.

Looking down at the small back haired girl beside her, Nodoka forced a
smile to her face. "I'm sorry, Dear. Where is my son?"

Hotaru blinked and pointed at the damp, red-haired girl glaring at the
panda. "That's him."

Nodoka smiled indulgently, but with a trace of strain. "Hotaru-chan,
that's a girl. My son is a boy."

Wide eyed, Hotaru looked at Ranma. "You mean you couldn't always turn
into a girl, Ranma-san?"

"Huh?" The red-head said. Getting up, the short, buxom girl walked over
to where Hotaru was talking to the guest. "Didn't I ever tell you how I
got cursed? Humph. Guess I didn't."

Turning so that she could look up at the tall lady with the dark, wine-
red hair, Ranma narrowed her eyes in concentration. "You know, you look
real familiar. Do I know you?"

"Ranma-san!" Hotaru sounded scandalised. "This is your mother!"

"Huh? My mother?"

Nervously, as though she could not believe what she was seeing, Nodoka
slowly reached out one hand. "R-Ranma-kun... Is that really you?"

"M-Mum?"

With a sudden yelp, Ranma gained much needed inches and masculinity. A
quick glance to his side showed Nabiki once again wearing the habitual
smirk that she seemed to have lost since Akane's passing. "You can pay
me for the hot water some other time, Saotome."

Nodoka's eyes went as wide as dinner plates. In front of her very eyes,
the short red-haired girl had changed into a boy. No. More than a boy,
a man. A man with hair as black as pitch, and eyes as blue as the sky.
Where the girl had been short and cute, the man who replaced her was
her height and exuded a strength and confidence that could only come
from true inner strength.

"Ranma! It _is_ you!" Most importantly, the man bore a face she would
never forget, that of her own son. Years had changed him from the
cuddly little boy he had been when she last saw him, but there was no
mistaking the man who had grown from her own flesh.

Engulfed in a hug, Ranma felt a million memories stirring from where
that had been hidden for many long years. The smell, the feeling, the
comfort that came from being held by the one person that could never be
replaced in the world. When he spoke, it was almost a sob of joy,
almost a prayer of thanks. "Mum..."

Watching the joyous reunion, only one pair of eyes managed to remain
dry. Even Mousse and Ryoga, once sworn enemies of Ranma felt an
unfamiliar stinging in their eyes followed by a blurring of sight and a
tightness in their chest. Nabiki, once known for her cynical and icy
exterior found herself as moved by the experience as her sister. Kasumi
- a secret aficionado of late night tear-jerker movies watched while
consuming bowls of ice cream - had tears streaming down her face as she
hugged Nabiki and Hotaru. To see Ranma reunited with his mother after
such time, and to feel the love between the two of them was enough to
move anyone.

Quite literally, the sight of Ranma being hugged by Nodoka was enough
to move Genma. Moving as quietly as a panda can, the man drifted out
the back of the room. 'Nodoka has seen the boy change.' Was the only
thought running through his teeny-tiny panda sized brain. 'Nodoka has
seen the boy change.'

In Genma's limited world view, there could only be one result of such a
terrible action. While people cried over the reunion at the moment, he
knew that all too soon they would be crying over Ranma's corpse. Ranma
was too honourable to run away from the seppeku pledge. When his mother
revealed their pledge to commit suicide if the boy was not a 'manly
man', it would all be over. Ranma would stab himself in the belly, and
No-chan would lop his head off. That would be the end of Ranma, and all
because of that rotten curse. 'Couldn't they boy have figured out why
his father had not taken him home?'

Just because Ranma was willing to lay down his life for honour, it did
not mean that Saotome Genma was. He admitted that the curse might have
had something to do with his fault, but surely that did not mean he
needed to follow up his side of the pledge. Genma had done the best he
could to raise the boy. What's more, he was needed here so that he
could train the others. Without him, how would they ever win against
the forces of evil? Yes, it was much better that he sneak out now, then
return later - preferably once they had cleaned up after his son
finished.

Genma was most of the way to the wall of the Tendo compound when he
heard a voice call out behind him. "There he is, Mum. Pop got curse to
become a panda the same time I was cursed to become a girl."

Genma briefly held up a sign saying 'Traitor' then turned and ran for
the wall. He was scrambling up the side - quite a trick for a panda of
his generous bulk - when Nodoka's voice rang out. "Saotome Genma... If
that is you, then stop now, or I will hunt you down like the beast you
are!"

The whole room went quiet at the sound of Nodoka's voice. Where it had
carried nothing but love for her long lost son, it now contained
nothing but steel. Ten years of nothing but fear and dread put
authority into her voice that no training or martial arts could ever
teach. When she spoke, the panda stopped, hesitated, thought about
going on, then turned back to face the music.

Nodoka took her arms from around Ranma, but she did not release him
entirely. Holding tightly to one hand as though afraid she might
suddenly lose him again, the tall red-head walked out onto the porch at
the back. The panda, her husband, had nervously walked back to the
house side of the Koi pond, and was nervously shuffling its feet.

"Ranma-kun... Son... I saw what that girl did to you earlier. Was that
water that caused you to return to your true, manly form? If so, would
you be so kind as to have one of your pretty young lady friends provide
some more? Although I have not seen you in so long, I have not seen my
husband in ten years either. Besides which, pandas have never been
known for giving clear explanations for their actions."

Before Ranma could even open his mouth the eldest Tendo daughter walked
past her carrying a large yellow kettle. "Don't worry, Saotome-san. We
always keep a good supply of hot water for Ranma and his father."

As steam billowed up around the panda and a rotund man in a white Gi
was revealed, Nodoka's eyes widened. She was shocked even thought she
had seen it happen only a minute prior as a strange girl - almost the
splitting image of the little girl pictures Nodoka had once seen of her
own mother - changed into her son. The man standing by the pond pushed
his bandanna back into perfect position on his head and gasped slightly.
"Please, Kasumi. Not quite that hot."

"Genma, Genma, Genma." Nodoka shook her head slowly back and forwards
as she walked towards him. So that her son would not need to follow her
out into the lawn and dirty his feet, she release his hand, but he
still stayed nearby. When she stood in front of the man she had married
eighteen years ago, Nodoka could hardly believe that the day had
finally arrived. The day she was finally reunited with the man she had
loved more than life itself.

SLAP!

The sound of her palm on Genma's cheek rang like a gunshot in the quiet
neighbourhood. Reeling from the open-handed blow, Genma fell to a half-
crouch looking up at her though the finger of one hand that gingerly
touched the stinging side of his face.

"Genma, how could you? So... So indescribably close to perfection, but
you had to let something happen. How could you let my little boy get
cursed? You must have done a stupendous job raising him other than that.
He is an almost perfect man, but you let his happen. How? How Genma?
How?"

The room was silent as everyone tried to understand what she was saying.
She had only just met Ranma and she was saying what a wonderful parent
Genma must have been? Surely that could not be possible. She had never
even seen Ranma fight - most people considered that his only strong
suit - and yet she thought he was perfect? Ranma had more rough edges
than a crumpled piece of sandpaper. There were even days when Kasumi
had a hard time not saying something nasty about him, and that
stretched the very realms of probability.

"It... It was a training accident, No-chan... The boy and I were
training in China when it happened. There were no warnings! Nothing! We
were lucky to escape with our lives! Honestly! Why, we were lucky to
get away with just the curses! If I hadn't---"

"Dearest, you're babbling."

Genma shut his mouth with a snap. Whether his son knew it or not, their
lives still hung in the balance. "A... About the pledge, No-chan... Do
you... That is, the curse..."

Nodoka's eyes widened and she placed herself protectively between Ranma
and his father. "Dearest! Shame on you! How could you even say such a
thing?! The curse is a blemish, I can't deny that, but how could you,
of all people, imply that our son is not manly? You raised him!"

"Nonononono!" Genma spluttered denials like a machinegun. Despite his
wife's fervent defence of their son, he was still worried she might
change her mind and decide that he was not a man among men. "He's a
man! He's a man! I just... wanted to hear your reasoning."

"My son, living in a house surrounded by beautiful women, goes out
every night to fight the forces of darkness. My manly son, torn by the
loss of a girl he loved dearly, has raised an army of martial artists
who are willing to fight by his side to destroy the legions who claimed
her life. What sort of a man would he have been if he did not, could
not do that? What sort of man would he be if he turned his back on
Tokyo's plight and did not do everything in his power to return peace?

"Genma, Dearest, while I weep at the thought of my strong and handsome
son being forced to wear the appearance of a fragile flower, that
doesn't change who he is. You have raised a son who is - by all
accounts - the greatest martial artist of this generation. He is bold,
he is strong, he is handsome... usually, he is determined, he is loyal,
he is courageous and he is surrounded by women who adore him, love him
and desire him. He inspires greatness in friends and strangers, and is
feared by his enemies."

Pulling the wrapped bundle off her back, she ditched the covers and
half bared the blade in one smooth movement. Holding the naked edge
close to herself, she looked down that the still cowering man. "I would
sooner take this blade to my own heart than see him kneel before me in
preparation. To see a son as manly as Ranma dead... It would be like
destroying every work of Michelangelo simply because David was not well
enough endowed."

Genma shook his head and stood up, holding out a tentative hand to
Nodoka. "Please, No-chan. You can put the sword away. I had intended to
bring Ranma back to you soon but I was... Umm... I was just completing
his training. Yes! Completing his training. I knew he was a man among
men the whole time! I just wanted him to be totally ready for you. Hee
Hee. Sure. That's it."

Wide eyed and as confused as everyone else in the room, Ranma could
finally take it no more. "Would someone _please_ tell me what on earth
is going on?! Mum! Old Man! Why do you keep talking like I'm not even
here."

Nodoka looked at him in confusion. "Because of the _oath_, Ranma-kun."

"What oath?" His confusion was as evident on his faces as it was in his
voice.

When Nodoka looked at Genma he gave a lopsided smile and shrugged. "I...
That is... I know! I thought it would be better if the boy just learned
to live the right way, rather than studying for some sort of test. Yes,
that's it exactly. He has to live it, just like the Art. Right, No-
chan?"

As Nodoka nodded in solemn agreement, Ranma tried again. "_What_ oath?"

So she explained.

Before Nodoka had let Genma take their son on his long and perilous
training journey, she had him swear an oath. If Genma did not raise
little Ranma to be a man among men, a living example of all the manly
virtues, both he and Genma would commit ritual suicide. The idea was
Genma's but Nodoka made sure he was willing to live up to it.

Of course, Ranma was a very mature six year-old, so they had also
gotten his agreement before they left. Under Genma's watchful eyes, he
had placed his palm print on the contract, sealing his agreement before
Genma had presented the document to Nodoka.

Nodoka had kept that prized document on the family shrine, re-reading
it every day for the past ten years. Her son would be magnificent,
Genma would assure that. However, if by some remote chance he failed,
and Ranma was not a man among men, a paragon of all the manly virtues,
she would be ready. For precisely one hour after reading the pledge
from her men, Nodoka would practice with her katana. She knew only a
couple of basic kata and one special stroke, but after ten years of
practice, Nodoka could at least assure her men that she could deliver
the coup-de-grace with precision and accuracy, if they were called upon
to fulfil their honour.

By the time Nodoka had finished explaining all of this, both Ranma and
Genma were nervously fingering their throats. When his mother had
extolled the manly virtues that had saved his life, Ranma had become
even more nervous. If Akane had still been around and they had been
having their regular fights, he did not like his chances of surviving
his mother's assessment. But then, that would mean Akane would still be
alive, and he could not say that swapping his life for hers would be a
bad trade.

Sensing the need for a distraction, Nabiki spoke up, changing the topic
completely. "Has anyone seen Kuno-chan? It's completely dark now, and I
kind of thought we were waiting for him."

The martial artists looked around, shrugging their shoulders. There had
been no sign of Kuno since yesterday when he went home after their
patrol.

* * *

The magnificent Kuno Tatewaki blocked another attack by the hideous
underworld fiend that stood in front of him. Surely none other than
himself would have been able to achieve what he could, to not only hold
of the Droid but to also defeat it. All single-handedly as further
testament to his ability, since his demented sister was currently
cackling next to a small, seated man, both of who were watching him
intently.

Casually blocking another strike, the powerful Blue Thunder smirked at
the ease he had. Since his training on Watermelon Island, even that
pond scum Saotome had not been able to defeat him with one of the fruit.
Now, of all things, a Droid was attacking him, patterned to appear
almost identical to the melons he had trained against.

With a large green body, and bulbous arms striped in black, the great
Kuno's twisted sister has summoned the least effective form to fight
against him. While his stunning mind had long considered his sister to
be slightly eccentric - she was a Kuno after all, it would hardly do to
state that she was completely insane - even someone as observant as he
had not realised that she had committed her soul to their enemies.
While the Droid might not truly be a watermelon, its appearance was
close enough for his training to automatically take effect.

With stunning ease, every time a hand, arm or other body part of the
Droid came within reach, the divine Kuno Tatewaki had severed the
offending item. The Droid's screams of pain had been a certain music to
his ears. While Wagner or Bach was more appropriate to someone of his
regal stature, the cries of the suffering Droid were enough to ensure
that he was sufficiently heralded in his noble quest to bring victory
over his sister and her dark actions.

All wise and understanding though he was, even someone of Kuno's
immense knowledge was unable to discern how even someone as perverse as
his sister would be able to join with the forces of evil. For surely
all those who would oppose the might of the benevolent Kuno Tatewaki
were evil by nature. Kuno was well aware that the people who made the
Droids were the enemies of goodness and light, and almost assuredly
they were the dark forces that had enslaved his loves to the foul
sorcerer that held their heart in his thrall.

Yes, it was obvious that the evil mastermind Tuxedo Kamen had sent his
minion to ensnare Kuno's sister in an attempt to gain leverage over him.
Only someone as evil and devious as the man in the black tuxedo would
think of something like that, and it spoke of the base treachery that
was second nature to all his low kind. Simply looking at the servant of
Tuxedo Kamen that was sitting... err, floating... next to his sister,
Kuno could tell what a despicable, shadowy fellow his was. True heroes
like the Blue Thunder had no need to hid their faces in shadow. That
man must be evil.

"Foul vermin! Selfish though she might be, Kodachi is still a Kuno, and
I, the Blue Thunder Of Tokyo will free her from your grasp!"

Moving deftly to the side with his normal grace and skill, Kuno evaded
another strike while parrying two more. His bokken was a blur of
justice, delivering righteousness to everywhere within his reach, but
he was still not able to reach through to his sister.

Amidst an array of slashes and blocks that would leave most men in
knots and would be impossible for all but the most advanced swordsmen,
Kuno watched as the cloaked figure spoke to his sister. Although she
was as dear to him as any other part of the Kuno estate, the generous
Blue Thunder could only cope with short bursts of her laughter, so he
was quite glad when she finished. Regrettably, moments later, he wished
she would continue laughing and never stop, for then she would be too
busy to take part in the despicable actions she did.

Obviously under some form of insidious mind control that changed her
otherwise caring nature so that she no longer felt her normal sisterly
love and devotion for him, Kodachi reached out to the large pulsing
crystal statue and waved her hand. After short period another Droid
stepped free, this one patterned dark brown, with short fur covering
much of its body.

Although he battled and held off the watermelon Droid with his
astounding dexterity and unsurpassed skill, the fearless Blue Thunder
was slightly concerned at the presence of the second monstrosity. For
while everyone knew that to be a Kuno was to be great beyond all other
- and he, Kuno Tatewaki was the crowning example of the centuries old
bloodline - there were limits for even his greatness. Why, if they were
to summon another twenty or thirty of these things, he might even
become slightly pressed.

Most demeaning of all for Kodachi, was the way that the forces of
darkness made her submit to them. After summoning the Droid, his
twisted sister had fallen to the ground, screaming and holding herself.
Well did he recognise she antics, for Kuno had seen the expression of
indescribable pleasure on his previous suitors, back in the days when
the noble Tendo Akane and the Pig-Tailed Girl had thrown themselves at
him. While he had finally managed to convince the Pig-Tailed Girl that
his true love lay with his darlings Venus and Fire, he could well
remember the way that his loves had fallen to the ground in ecstasy at
his mere appearance. To see such... devotion afflicted upon a Kuno was
inexcusable.

"Foul demon! I shalt smite thee truly and free mine sister from thy
grasp!"

Although the undefeatable and indefatigable Kuno's mastery of the sword
saw him in good stead against the watermelon Droid, in some way the
other seemed to be able to slip through his guard. Evidently it was
using some other form of unnatural magic, for even the man who had been
his greatest enemy - Saotome Ranma - had never managed to hit him
without resorting to underhand techniques. His noble head ringing from
the pile-driver blow delivered by the Droid, Kuno looked up and flashed
his most charismatic smile.

"That... Did not hurt."

* * *

As the ragtag group or martial artists arrived at the gates to the Kuno
residence, Hotaru spoke up. "Please wait, everyone. I think... I can
feel something evil in there."

While in her magical girl uniform, Hotaru possessed the ability to
sense evil. Normally it was not very useful, since you could usually
see the bad guys with your eyes just as well as she could sense them,
but maybe in this case she could help. It was better that Ranma-san and
his friends went in with the knowledge that the place would be
dangerous, rather than expecting their friend's home to be perfectly
safe and normal.

"Are you sure you don't mean you can sense something _stupid_ in there,
Sugar?" Ukyo asked. Everyone gave a little snicker, which surprised the
cook, since she was not sure that Shampoo laughed at anything other
than her enemies.

"No, I'm serious. There's something really wrong. I can feel it. It's--
-"

There was no telling exactly "it" was by Hotaru's definition, because a
massive grinding, crashing noise suddenly resounded from the house, and
a dark, purple shape could be seen over one wing. As the martial
artists stood there and watched, the crystal shape grew revealing
itself to be a massive model of Kodachi's head. Accurate to every
detail, the martial artists could almost feel the head leering at them
in exactly the same way the gymnast always had.

"Looks like we found Hotaru's evil." Ranma said. Ryoga just grunted in
response, but he readied his trusty umbrella. Where there were giant
dark crystal statues, there were usually Droids and Senshi.

"No, it's not just that, there's also---"

"Sorry, Sugar. I don't think we have time for all the details at the
moment. So, Ran-chan. How do you ant to do this? We all just go over
the fence then straight in through one of the windows?"

"We can't do that, Ucchan. This is the Kuno place we're talking about,
and it's more whacked out than they are. I'm afraid this time it's just
gunna be me and Shampoo. We both went in there when we were looking for
the Japanese Nanniichuan, so we know what we gotta suspect, which is
just about everything."

"What about me, Saotome?" Ryoga held up one fist, as though daring the
small redhead to forget. "You weren't really thinking of going in there
without me, were you? You weren't the only one after the Nannichuan,
you know."

"Trust me, Ryoga, I'd love to have you along, but I got two good
reasons for you. One: Midorigame. How's P-Chan gunna fare if one of
Kodachi's traps drops you into the pond with her pet alligator?"

Ryoga gave a low growl, as though trying to fight off the logic behind
the argument. "And what else?"

"Senshi. With that thing sticking out the top of the house, you can bet
every psycho in Tokyo is gunna be coming through here in no time. I
need you, Ucchan, Mousse and Hotaru to hold them off till we can get
Kuno out. I don't care who destroys the statue, but I don't want anyone
else dying because of them. You've gotta buy me some time."

Those staying behind nodded their head solemnly. They all too well
realised that depending on who turned up, they might be stuck with the
hardest end of the deal. Fortunately, since Ryoga was concentrating on
the image of beating up the red-skirted Senshi while he was immune to
her fire, he completely missed Ranma's muttered comment about how Ryoga
would also be more of a liability if he got lost in there.

Catching the eyes of each person on the team, Ranma waited for their
nod of approval. He might have been the one that blurted out the plan,
but without their support, it would not achieve anything.

"Be careful, Ranma-san."

"Yeah, Ran-chan. Make sure you come back in one piece."

Giving the girls a cocky grin that inadvertently irritated the boys no
end, Ranma nodded. "Come on, Shampoo. We gotta go save stick boy's
butt."

Shampoo nodded and tightened her grip on the bonbori as she vaulted to
the top of the gate. The main driveway was the easiest way into the
Kuno residence since they needed to leave it clear of ambushes for
delivery vehicles. Unfortunately, it also sent them straight to main
entrance, which was as almost as far from their desired destination as
possible, and you could be assured that every centimetre of the way
would be covered in traps.

Access was no problem, Shampoo was a past master of creating doors
wherever they were needed. Once in the house, they skirted the obvious
traps and made their way into the inner sanctum. The razor wire and
bowling balls suspended from the ceiling were amateur grade traps,
hardly worthy of the Kuno's efforts, but they did act as a warning for
the rest of the house. This would not be easy.

From the main ballroom in the middle of the mansion, Ranma and Shampoo
sprinted through the darkened corridors with an increasing feeling of
dread. They had already been in here for several long minutes, and
while they had not been hurt seriously, both of them sported some minor
cuts and bruises. Even worse, they had only just missed being dumped
into one of the hidden pits or labyrinths beneath the house twice.
While the fall would not be enough to injure them, they knew from
experience that it was the under levels that contained the really nasty
tricks. If they fell down there, it would slow them dramatically, and
they might not be able to reach Kuno and his sister in the time their
friends were able to hold off any aggressors that turned up.

By Ranma's reckoning, they had almost reached the place where they had
seen the statue erupting from the roof when an unfortunate misstep
triggered another trap. As sharp as one of Dr Tofu's acupuncture
needles, a stream of darts jetted out from the wall immediately in
front of Ranma. Moving more on instinct than planning, Ranma dropped to
her left side at the same time as her right hand knocked up the first
dart in the steam, deflecting it from her face.

Safe herself, Ranma rolled back to her feet - carefully avoiding the
trigger step - while she looked back at Shampoo. "Are you, OK? Did they
get you?"

"Shampoo fine. Shampoo barely scratched." Leaning closer, Shampoo
pulled up the sleeve of her top and showed him the thin red line that
ran across her pale flesh. As she had said, there was nothing to worry
about. Nonetheless, Shampoo took another step closer. "Ranma check for
other marks on Shampoo, yes?"

"Not now, Shampoo. We've got to get the Kuno's outta here."

She was half turned back to the door from the room when Shampoo almost
threw herself into Ranma's arms. "Shampoo!" She said with a noticeable
trace of anger in her voice. "I told you we don't have time for that
now."

But Shampoo did not move, nor did she apologise or speak in any way.
Putting an arm around her slim waist, Ranma rolled her backwards into
what was almost the classical pose for a dancer holding his partner.
Except in dace, the person holding is usually a man, and he is usually
taller than his partner. Currently both Ranma and Shampoo were female,
and Ranma's small statue meant that Shampoo's head lolled backwards
without decent support and the red-head had to struggle to keep a
decent grip on the girl as she tried to inspect her.

"Hey! Shampoo! Come on, wake up!" Giving a shake seemed to evoke no
response, so Ranma laid her down and looked into her eyes. The Chinese
girl's eyes, normally so bright and vibrant were clouded and still.

"Poison." The word came out as a curse. Of all the nasty tricks that
the Kuno's like to employ, Ranma liked Kodachi's predilection for
poison the least. Traps and weapons you could fight back against, but
poison was insidious and as dangerous as a snake in the grass. You
might never know it was there until it struck you down, and it could be
every bit as deadly as any weapon a martial artist might ever field,
all with a single drop.

Frowning in annoyance, Ranma stood up and evaluated her options. She
could go and get Kuno, and rely upon being able to come back for
Shampoo. That might work all right if there was not much danger, but
Ranma did not like her chances. In the past, statues like the one they
saw rising from the roof were often guarded by a Droid. By herself, or
even with Kuno's assistance, Ranma did not like her chances of being
able to defeat the Droid. She might do it, but the effort of getting
Shampoo out of the house in a big hurry after it would not be good. Nor
would her prospects of being able to help her friends with the Senshi
that would inevitably arrive.

Sighing in resignation, Ranma slid her hands under Shampoo and hoisted
the Amazon to her shoulders. She knew that Shampoo would have done
almost anything to have her be carried around like this if she was
awake, so the only reason Ranma was doing it now was because her friend
was unconscious. The fireman's carry was effective and easy to maintain,
but Ranma suspected Shampoo would enjoy the position just a little too
much if she woke up. Resolving to move Shampoo to her arms the first
time her purple head moved, Ranma set off at a run again. Only a few
more rooms to go.

Ranma heard sounds of fighting well before she could see them. It was
only when she rounded the corner of a slightly broken looking wall that
she was able to take in the battle. In all honesty, even as she stood
there, the greatest martial artist in Japan, Ranma had to admit she was
impressed by Kuno's skill and stamina.

The Kendoist was standing with his back to Ranma when she entered, but
she could see how worn he was. His clothes hung in tatters around him,
and she could see a wide array of large bruises and cuts covering his
back and sides. Scattered around him were a number of broken bokken,
each one testament to a powerful blow that had reached through, or a
block that had succeeded in abating the impact of an otherwise massive
strike.

While she could not credit his skill as being near hers, Ranma did have
to give Kuno full points for persistence. Alone he was facing off
against three Droids, each one uglier than the last. While he swayed on
his feet and struggled to keep his weapon pointed at the nearest enemy,
he still commanded respect. Few people would remain in the same room as
that force of evil, let alone have the audacity to take it on.

Hoping the Droids did not see her, Ranma quietly put Shampoo on the
ground. It was worse than she had thought, and she had considered some
pretty bad things. There were not Witches here, and neither Emerald nor
Diamond was there to command the Droids, but looking at the way Kodachi
stood there beside a shadowy figure, Ranma could only conclude that her
pristine, uninjured state only meant some form of collusion.

"Halt... Foul fiends... Release my... Release my sister... and the
great Kuno... Blue Thunder Of Tokyo... may yet have mercy on you."
There was more puffing and panting in Kuno speech than talking, but he
still said it with the same confident belief he always maintained.

Dodging behind a pillar, Ranma ghosted closer to the action in time to
hear Kodachi's response. "Brother dear. I'm afraid that there is
absolutely no-one to release me, nor anything to release me from. This
most kind and generous admirer of mine has seen free to gift me with
powers beyond the comprehension of your pitiful mind."

"Lies! A member of House Kuno would never lower themselves to scrapping
in the gutters like those common miscreants do."

The Black Rose studied her fingernails for a moment, as though seeking
a fitting response to that. "Do you know, Brother Dearest, I find
myself growing more and more tired of your delusional ways. Since you
cannot seem to accept what is evident before you, and you continue to
refuse my offers, I am afraid that I have no choice. Consider this my
way of making you first among equals, a last parting gift from me...
Droids! Kill him!"

So saying, Kodachi took the hand of the man sitting next to her, and
the next instant they were gone. Briefly they seemed to flicker, as
though the reception was bad on an old television, but all too soon
Kuno was alone, facing three large, angry Droids; but then, do Droids
come in any other type aside from large and angry?

That was all Ranma needed. Running on legs boosted by Ki and body
churning with as much heavy Ki as she could generate, Ranma sprinted
forwards. For a brief moment, even the Droids seemed to move in slow
motion as she grabbed what remained of the back of Kuno's shirt and
turned around. Fortunately the heavy fabric along the collar had
survived the punishment it had received in Kuno's fights, and he was
dragged along as his saviour pulled him away from the Droids.

Stunned beyond belief, Kuno looked over his shoulder to see a familiar
red pigtail bobbing in the air. "Pig-Tailed Girl! You came for me!
Surely there can be no greater sign of your love!"

Unceremoniously dropping him, Ranma spared a moment from her
contemplations. "Pick on the Senshi, not me, Kuno. They deserve it."

Holding her hands in front of her, Ranma dropped all the heavy Ki she
had gathered into a green ball. "Shi Shi Hokodan!"

Ripping across the room in a flash of lurid light, the green ball
struck the wall and blasted it open. "Instant door. Follow me, Stupid."

Hoisting Shampoo over her right shoulder like a sack of wheat, Ranma
grabbed Kuno's hand and pulled him behind her. Although he still wanted
to stay and fight, most of that urge had gone out of him. Content to
follow, Kuno soon found himself out in a hallway. It ran in parallel to
the room they had just been in, and was just as filled with traps as
the rest of the house.

A push from behind, and Kuno found himself leading the party down the
hall. "Come on, Kuno. We gotta get out of her. Those Droids will be
after us soon, and neither you or Shampoo can fight them real well at
the moment."

"Umm... Yes. I understand." Firming his resolve, Kuno looked left then
right. He had lives in this house all his life and knew every corridor
like the back of his hand. At the Pig-Tailed Girl's behest, he set off
at the best speed her could manage. Now that he was no longer facing
danger, Kuno could feel pain creeping into his limbs and body. All over
he hurt, and his legs screamed out for him to stop and rest, but he
kept on moving. Deep down, some well hidden part of his personality
called for self preservation, so he ran, putting as much of the trap
infested house between them and the Droids as possible.

"These traps... They'll slow them for a little while, but not forever,
Pig-Tailed Girl. We have to get out of here, lest my deranged and
traitorous sister decides she is serious in her intent."

"Fine. Just head for the main gate. Everyone else is waiting there.
Once we're together, then we can look at doing something about those
ugly suckers."

Kuno nodded and pressed just a little harder. Maybe it was his
imagination, but the angry sounds of pursuing Droids did not sound far
off.

* * *

Only a couple of minutes had passed since Ranma and Shampoo had gone
into the Kuno estate, but already those who remained outside were
getting twitchy and nervous. While they remained on guard and waited
for some - any - sign from inside, their nerves wore down and seconds
seemed to pass like hours.

"Shouldn't they be back yet?"

"That's the fifth time you've asked that already, Ukyo." Ryoga sounded
annoyed, but he could not blame her for asking.

"But how long have they been gone? It's got to be at least half an hour.
That's far to long for them to get in and out. I think we need to go
after them."

"It's only been two and a half minutes, Ukyo. That's exactly twenty
five seconds since you last asked exactly the same thing." Mousse
sounded calmer than Ryoga, but not much.

"Oh, and how do you know?"

Mousse lifted up his arm and dropped a full sized grandfather clock
onto the street. His response was dry, but it was clearly an attempt to
relieve the stress. "Timing is very important to Hidden Weapon Style
of martial arts."

Ukyo groaned though she took his point. Trying to calm down, she began
to pace backwards and forwards. She was Ranma's fiancee. She was not
supposed to stand by on the sidelines and worry about him like this.
She was supposed to be with him, facing the same dangers he did, saving
him from terrible fates and so on.

"Shouldn't they be back yet?"

Before Mousse could retort, Ryoga held up his hand and nodded at a dark
alleyway across the street. "Wait! Did anyone else just see anything?"

When the chorus of 'no''s came, Ryoga shook his head and started in the
direction of the alley. "Wait here while I check it out. And this time,
try to keep your eyes open. I don't want to know what would happen to
us if the Senshi caught us out."

Abashed, Hotaru, Mousse and Ukyo watched Ryoga's broad back as he
slowly and carefully advanced towards the alley. Just as he was
entering the darkness, Ukyo looked over Hotaru's head and spoke to the
Chinese boy. "Sugar... I was just wondering... Shouldn't one of us go
with him, you know, just in case he gets lost or something?"

"What sort of person could get lost walking down an alley?"

The teenagers blinked simultaneously then turned and sprinted to the
alley. "Ryoga! Wait for us!"

As they skidded around the entrance to the alley with Hotaru on their
heels, they got their answer. Ryoga was a person who could get lost
anywhere. There was no trace of him, nor anything else that could have
piqued his interest.

"Damn!" Mousse folded his arms in irritation and frowned. "Now we've
got problems. Ryoga probably won't be able to find his way back for
days."

Just down past the corner of a cross street to the alley, Ryoga lifted
his head. "Huh? Did someone just say my name?"

Looking backwards and forwards for the source of the voice, Ryoga
realised that he had become distracted and lost track of which alley he
had come out of. He had been concentrating so hard, making sure that he
knew exactly where to go so he could get back to the others, and it was
all thrown out the window because he thought he heard someone speaking
to him.

Taking a guess on the best direction to follow, Ryoga crossed the road
and hoped he was heading back to the Kuno mansion. It did not take long
for him to become worried that something was amiss, since he was fairly
sure - not certain by any measure, but fairly sure nonetheless - that
it had not taken him half an hour to walk to the alley from where he
had been standing guard.

Shrugging his wide shoulders, Ryoga continued, there was not much else
he could do. Life had taught him that no-one would find him; he needed
to find his destination, no matter how long that took. He was passing
another narrow street when he heard familiar voices. Turning left into
the street instantly, Ryoga started a slow jog with his head swivelling
backwards and forwards. None to soon, Ryoga breached the end of the
street and came out onto a main road. A road nearly devoid of people,
but yet containing two too many.

Looking around once more, Ryoga fervently hoped that his friends were
near enough to hear the battle, because he did not like his chances.
Just him and Black Lady, and with her delicate figure he did not think
she would do very well in combat, despite what she had said last time
they met. Giving one last growl of anger, Ryoga cupped his hands in
front and took aim. "Shi Shi Hokodan!"

Green, furious energy surged across the street and knocked the
despicable Sailor Neptune off her feet. Now that he had announced
himself, Ryoga started forwards. Against a pair of Senshi, he did not
think he would be able to win in a ranged battle. Then again, it was
those very thoughts - and the sight of Neptune regaining her feet
apparently unhurt - that fuelled his depression. "Shi Shi Hokodan!"

Watching the aqua Senshi fall onto her bottom again, Ryoga snorted. If
she could keep getting up from his best attack, Ryoga knew he would
soon reach levels of depression great enough to boost his attack even
further until she did notice it. In many ways, the Shi Shi Hokodan was
the perfect attack. If you won, you were happy, but then you did not
need it anymore. If you lost, you would become more depressed, drawing
upon more and more power until at last your attack was overwhelming.

Ryoga might have continued to pound Sailor Neptune quite successfully,
but her partner was not very keen on that idea, and she was entirely
willing to ignore Black Lady for long enough to distract the rude
person who had cut in on their dance. Having kept half an eye on the
tall Senshi, Ryoga was able to dodge the World Shaking as it burrowed
through the top of the street. Leaping to the side he suffered nothing
more than minor stings as yellow energy sparked off the travelling ball
of destruction. Regrettably, the building behind him was not able to
dodge as well. As he touched down from his jump the façade gave an
ominous groan and began to swing inwards. Moments later the lost boy
was buried completely in rubble.

"No!" Dimly in the darkness under the collapsed building front Ryoga
could hear his friend shouting. Well, Ryoga assumed Black Lady was his
friend. She was fighting the Senshi and he had seen her fight the Death
Busters before. The old adage of "The enemy of my enemy is my friend"
was always a good starting point. The bricks managed to dampen some of
the sound, but there was no doubting that the fighting had just become
more intense.

Black Lady was out there fighting, and he was trapped under here.
Straining his shoulders, Ryoga could feel the bricks shift, but not
much. Gritting his teeth, he tried again to no avail. Around him, he
could start to make out the shapes of the rubble covering him. Dim
green provided limited lighting, but that just made everything seem
more and more hopeless. If he could not lift it off him, those Senshi
would take apart Black Lady, and it would be all his fault.

The lighting was brighter now, bright enough to read by. Inspiration
struck at the same time as he heard consecutive attacks called out
above him. "Bakusai Tenketsu!"

Rock exploded around him, sending fragments everywhere. As the dust
began clearing, Ryoga stood there with heart pounding and looking like
a green search light in the mist. Depression and uselessness washed
through his body as though he was made of it. It pulsed through his
veins and he could feel it curling the hairs on his arms. He knew Ranma
would never suffer depression one tenth as great as this, everything
just went perfectly for the annoying sex changer; that made it even
more depressing.

"SHI SHI HOKODAN!" Rather than a Roaring Lion Bullet racing from his
hands, this was more like a Roaring Lion Artillery Shell. Large, nasty
and packed with every last erg of energy in his body, the attack would
have been noticed even by someone as tough as the Senshi. Would have,
if it hit. When launching his all or nothing attack, Ryoga momentarily
forgot that while the Senshi were as tough as he was, they were also as
fast as Ranma.

A surprised Sailor Uranus looked across from her to where she had been
standing, directly behind there the shop had been completely gutted by
the one blast. "Careful, Neptune! That can't have been what he was
firing before, it's much more powerful. I think he must have just
powered up some how."

"Right!"

"WORLD SHAKING!"

Exhausted, Ryoga looked up to see another attack rolling in towards him.
He was too tired to move, but if he stayed here, they would be picking
little bits of him off the walls. An instant before the yellow energy
overcame him, Ryoga felt himself lifted by the back of his shirt,
soaring out of the danger zone.

First he looked down, and saw that he was really only a few metres up,
despite how it felt. When he looked upwards, he saw a smile on that
angelic face. "Black Lady..." He whispered.

Moving across the street now, she looked down at him. "Ryoga-san."

His mouth fell open. "You... You remembered my name!"

"How could I forget the name of the only man to ever come to my defence.
The only man to try and save me or show me any kindness. And now look,
you've done it again, and those horrible, horrible Senshi have tried to
hurt you."

For a moment a look of royal displeasure crossed Dark Lady's face and
Ryoga resolved himself never to make her angry with him. She still
seemed like a fragile flower to him, ill-suited to fighting despite the
fact that she was carrying his not inconsiderable bulk through mid-air
without any apparent difficulty. He did not know what she had planned
for the Senshi but he knew he would enjoy it much more than they would.

Lowing him, she placed him beside a massive leg made out of purple
crystal. "Rest here, Ryoga-san. I have something to take care of."

Resting his back up against the stone, he watched Black Lady take to
the air again, artfully dodging a stream of water that shot from
Neptune's hands. Once she was high over the field of battle and could
direct her attacks against the Senshi with ease the pink haired woman
ceased her assent and looked down. Licking her luscious lips once, she
lifted her right hand and held it above her head.

"I think it is time the Outer Senshi learned to respect the power of
Nemesis!" With that, she dropped her hand and a beam of black energy
coursed out of it. Looking like a stream of black paint, the attack
flew straight and true, hitting the ground between the two earth bound
girls.

Street and dirt exploded everywhere sending the two girls flying. The
crater was enormous, at least ten metres across, and the debris
shattered what few windows remained intact in nearby buildings. Rather
than let the Senshi off with just a warning, Black Lady brought her
other hand down and began firing bolt after bolt of blackness at where
Sailor Neptune would have landed. More explosions ensued and the
remaining street and sidewalk was ripped into ruin.

Smirking to Ryoga, Black Lady dropped back to the ground and started to
walk over to where her victim should be. "See, Ryoga-kun. There was no
real danger. I can call you 'Ryoga-kun', can't I?"

Slightly nervous, Ryoga nodded. If she could blow things up like that
and fly around, she could call him whatever she felt like and he would
not object. He was still nodding when he saw two figures appear out of
the dust. Eyes widening he tried to shout a warning even as Uranus'
blast caught Black Lady in her stomach.

"No!" Suddenly boosted by adrenaline, Ryoga stood up in a fit of rage,
only to collapse back again almost immediately as his exhaustion hit.
Reaching back with one hand, Ryoga braced himself on the leg of the
statue, trying to steady himself enough to gain his breath.

Before Black Lady even hit the ground Ryoga felt energy surging into
his body. Darkness, depression, anger, all this flowed into him from
the statue. All the heavy energy he had used in his Shi Shi Hokodan
came rushing back into him, filling him up again so he could continue
the fight. Sparing an amazed glance for the statue, Ryoga turned back
to the Senshi with a feral grin on his face, fangs showing as he felt
eager for battle.

"You're not going to hurt Black Lady like you did to Akane!" With one
hand on the statue and one in front of him, his depression blasts came
as fast and easily as if he was squirting a water pistol. Unlike a
water pistol, they did much more damage when they hit. They might not
have been as powerful as his last attempt had been, but his ability to
throw an unlimited quantity made even the Senshi take him seriously as
a target.

With green blasts flying towards the Senshi like arrows at a target,
they quickly separated and forced him to divide his fire. He did not
have to divide it for long however, since Black Lady was back on her
feet sooner than he would have believed possible. Brows pulled down
into a terrifying scowl, Black Lady brushed off some dust from her
dress. "That made me dirty! You'll pay for that!"

Hopping into the air, Black Lady stood there with one leg curled
beneath her for a moment before sighting on Sailor Uranus, the woman
who had the audacity to strike her and send her into the dust and
wreckage. Unleashing a massive quantity of energy, Black Lady
systematically set about destroying everything around the Senshi,
scouring the earth to get her prey. Buildings erupted and dirt flew
everywhere, but she had only just begun to tap her power. Granted full
access to the powers of Nemesis by the Wiseman, Black Lady knew she
could rip this entire district into nothingness if she desired, but
that would not accomplish her mission, nor would it allow her to save
Ryoga.

With Black Lady focused on destroying Sailor Uranus, Ryoga switched his
fire back to Sailor Neptune. Able to concentrate on the one Senshi, he
could keep her on the run long enough that she found it almost
impossible to return fire. Unfortunately, the difference between
"almost impossible" and "impossible" can be very large. Forced to keep
his hand on the statue so that he could draw on its power, Ryoga was
unable to dodge.

When Sailor Neptune's attack hit him, Ryoga was forced backwards,
thrown through the crystal. For a moment, his whole world became
nothing but pain and the vision of shattered black shards of crystal.
All around him his pained face reflected back in a million and one
facets. Almost in slow motion, Ryoga felt himself land on the ground,
his back scratched by a multitude of pieces. Above him, he watched the
bulk of the statue slowly fall towards him, jagged edges seeking out
his heart as they descended.

Closing his eyes, Ryoga braced himself, preying that it would be quick
and that Black Lady would be able to deal with the Senshi by herself.
Holding himself rigid, Ryoga held his breath, the breath he expected to
be his last. Instead, a warm breeze washed across his face and he felt
a fine shower of dust.

Cranking one eyelid open, Ryoga looked up and tried to understand what
had happened. The statue was gone. All of those horrible, piercing
shard were gone. All that existed was himself... and Black Lady. "Y-You
saved me."

Black Lady blushed slightly, a fine red showing up easily on her pale
features. "You would have done the same for me."

Numbly, Ryoga nodded. Here she was, right next to him, and he could not
think of what to say. She probably the most beautiful woman he had ever
seen, and she was spending time with him. It was more that his brain
could cope with. Although Akane was beautiful, although so many of
Ranma's fiancees had been stunning, Black Lady cast them all into
shadow. She was tall, slender, refined, and her giggle was like the
sounds of birds in the spring morning.

"I... I'm sorry. I must have been staring."

Reaching down, she helped him to his feet. Her hand was tiny, but there
was no doubting the strength it held. "Please. I am the one who must
apologise. If I was not distracted with those Senshi, you would not
have become involved. Please, Ryoga-kun, accept my apology... And my
thanks."

Looking down, Ryoga scratched the back of his unruly hair and gave a
short laugh. "Hee Hee. I couldn't just let them attack you like that.
The Senshi are everyone's enemies, not just yours. Heck... I would have
helped you no matter who you were fighting."

"Oh my!"

Rather than the confident and slightly brazen girl he had seen in
battle, Black Lady up close seemed to be just as shy as he was.
Nervously shuffling his feet, Ryoga kicked aside some of the dust that
had gathered. For a moment, a nervous thought began to take root in his
mind. "S-Say... This statue... You wouldn't be using it to produce
Droids or Daimons or anything, would you?"

He was rewarded by that perfect laugh again. "Of course not, Ryoga-kun.
As you saw, the statue is nothing but a fuelling site for the dark
energy. I have no need of creating something as feeble as a Droid to do
my work for me."

Relieved, Ryoga gave his own little chuckle. Over the last few weeks
they had learned to associate the giant statues with the presence of
Droids and Emerald or Diamond who controlled them. As he had hoped,
Black Lady confirmed that she was not a party to those sorts of deeds.
It was the people that made the monsters that were just as much to
blame for Akane's death as the Senshi, and he was glad that his friend
was not affiliated with that.

Surprising him with her action, Black Lady took Ryoga's hand and lead
him away from the scene of their battle. "I'm not sure whether I
managed to get Sailor Uranus or not, but Sailor Neptune is still out
there. Come, walk with me for a time. It would probably be better for
both of us if we were to depart prior to the return of the police."

Nodding his head, Ryoga held her slender fingers in his wide, blunt
ones and walked beside her. His face felt like it was burning from
embarrassment, and his heart was pounding harder than when he was
fighting, but he would not have traded their evening together for
anything.

* * *

"Shampoo!"

Mousse's eyesight might not be the best even with his Coke bottle eye
glasses, but even he could see well enough while wearing them to
recognise the shape coming towards them. In a rather lopsided looking
arrangement, the small, female Ranma was the centrepiece with his love
Shampoo thrown over one shoulder so that her feet almost touched the
ground and her long hair collected the occasional burr or stick from
the grass. On Ranma's left, the tall Kuno heir was draped languidly.
Since Ranma would normally not let the boy touch her, Mousse instantly
knew that something was wrong.

"Shampoo!" Calling the name like a battle cry, Mousse vaunted the front
gates and sprinted to Ranma as she crossed the front lawn. Reaching
them partway, Mousse took Shampoo into his arms and gently cradled the
unconscious girl. "What happened? Shampoo! Answer me!"

"She'll be fine, Mousse. One of the traps got her, but it's only a
sleeping poison. Kuno says she'll be fine."

The Chinese boy paid him no mind, running off with Shampoo in his hands.
Pulling the stumbling Kuno with him, Ranma could not keep up, and
Mousse returned to the safe side of the gate just as Ukyo was crossing
in the opposite direction to help Ranma. Between the two of them, the
teenagers got Kuno out of his own home and sat him on the street.

"Where's Ryoga?" Ranma asked, casting about for the second strongest
fighter.

"Lost." There was scorn mixed with regret and shame in Ukyo's voice.

Cursing softly, Ranma turned back to the gates and looked inwards.
Mousse would be almost useless since he was so worried about Shampoo.
With Ryoga missing and Kuno injured that left himself and Ukyo as the
only able bodied fighters remaining. Against one Droid, he would have
chanced it. Against three...

Ranma turned back to his friends and crouched down in front of the
kendoist. He was looking better now that Hotaru was using her healing
on him, but she seemed to be getting paler and paler by the second.
"Hey, Hotaru. Are you OK? You don't look so good."

"I'll be fine, Ranma-san. I just need to keep healing Tatewaki-san."

Smiling a little weakly, Kuno held up a hand to stop her. "Nay, I say
to thee, fair nurse. While thy ministrations are most appreciated, my
wounds vex me insufficiently to encumber thee so. Better that I should
face the minions of all nine hells as they do come from mine abode than
I should take my repose under your tender care."

Hotaru blinked a couple of times. "Does that mean you want me to stop?"

"Verily."

With a sigh, and not entirely unwillingly, Hotaru sat back on her heels
and ran a forearm across her brow. Even as a magical girl, healing
people took a lot out of her. Since she had been with Ranma-san and his
friends, she had gotten lots of practice every night and she was
getting better, but this time there were so many injuries to treat, it
was very taxing. She was not sure why they were different, but one of
the things she loved about Ranma-san and all his friends was that they
liked her even more for her ability to heal, rather than scorning her
like the other children at school. It was a nice feeling.

Kuno forced himself back to his feet and unsteadily walked his way back
to the gates of his mansion. "After all these years, the hounds of hell
fairly bark at the doors. Sheltering within the home created to defend
us from such peril they do bark and bay, slavering at the thought of
our souls."

Leaning forwards, Kuno pressed his head against the bars, unseen tears
tracking down his face. "Fully eight years before, this house became
nothing more than a source of sorrow. Would that I could pull it all
down, to bring it to the ground rather than to fester with such unholy
creatures residing within."

There was quiet for a while, then a soft voice came from beside his
elbow. "Do... Do you really mean that, Tatewaki-san? Would you really
blow up your whole home rather than let the Droid's survive?"

He gave a rueful chuckle. "Were only that possible, I would hesitate
for not even a second. This house did cease to be a home since the
madness came that night. To the Kuno fortune, such a house as this is
nothing, and there would be no loss of loving memories within its walls,
for all those were cleaned away in one night. Aye, I say that if I were
to have the means, I would clear this ground, brick by brick, till
naught remained of house or Droid."

"I... I could do it... If you really wanted..."

Suddenly, alarmingly, Hotaru felt she was the centre of attention.
Blushing, she lowered her head and held the Silence Glaive across her
body in an unconsciously defensive gesture.

Looking down at her, Kuno spoke slowly. "Fair maiden, little soldier of
the way of justice, tell you the truth? Could you bestow this boon upon
my line?"

"Well... I would be a bit difficult..." Hotaru could feel everyone
relax, as though they had caught her boasting. "But I think I can make
the attack small enough."

That caused everyone to stop and take stock. As one, all the heads
present turned and looked at the mansion. Large by the standards of any
house, it was enormous for Tokyo proportions. Even more, it sat in the
middle of a private garden that was closer to a forest or a park. To
say it was large did not do justice to the Kuno's wealth or the massive
efforts from their staff of maids and grounds keepers.

"You'll have a problem making it small enough?" For once even Ranma
sounded impressed.

The words were hardly out of his mouth when Kuno showed he was as good
as his words. Not waiting a second longer, he knelt down in front of
Hotaru and took one of her hands. "Little soldier, I implore you.
Please do as you may. Whether you succeed or fail, know that I shall be
grateful for the trying. Know that my prayers shall go with you,
wishing for your success in this venture."

Hotaru caught Ranma's eye and saw a small nod. Nodding herself, she
waved her arm and ordered everyone back. "Just wait behind me. I don't
want anyone to get hurt."

Once she was sure that everyone was safe, Hotaru faced the gates side
on and lifted the Silence Glaive. Somehow, just the intention to use it
made the massive weapon feel even lighter, as though to encourage her
to keep freeing the destruction she knew she kept bottled up inside
every day of the week. She was concentrating on the size, trying to
measure up the place to ensure that she would not overshoot when the
Droids finally made it out of the house. Without a Kuno to guide them
through the traps, the three Droids had been delayed considerably, but
they were as implacable as they were unstoppable.

"Um... Hotaru, now would be a really good time to start..."

Flashing Ranma a quick smile, Hotaru turned back to the gates,
completely unconcerned by the three, large, rushing forms that were
crossing the grass in broad strides. They were no threat.

"SILENCE GLAIVE SURPRISE!"

Dropping the end of her glaive in an arc, the tip touched the ground,
and the Silence reached out. All noise vanished, and entropy seemed to
set in throughout the vista. The Droids, once such powerful enemies,
barely managed another step before they vanished. Although little time
passed, barely a second, everyone could clearly see every incredible
moment as the flesh and bones seemed to lift off the monsters and they
dissolved into the air.

So too, the house, the trees, the rocks and everything else within
range of Hotaru's attack was surrounded by the all consuming Silence.
Walls disintegrated and the roof lifted off the house, silently and
rapidly peeling away into nothingness. As destruction walked its way
through the Kuno estate visiting everything without favouritism, not a
sound was to be heard. For this was the Silence, the all-consuming end
that reached out for everything.

With the precision of a ticking clock, that single suspended second of
destruction and Silence passed. From where Hotaru's Silence Glaive
touched the grounds outwards a great swath of land had been cleared. Of
the trees and mansion, there was not a single sign remaining. There was
no debris or rubble; everything in the path of her weapon had simply
gone, more thoroughly than any moving company could possibly achieve.

The weapon had struck at ground level, wiping out the house and
anything above ground but from where they stood they could see cellars
and pipes sticking up. Occasionally a small spout of water squirted up,
testimony to the fact that water pressure still existed, even if the
taps were no longer there.

Turning back to her friends, Hotaru had a spring in her step and a
smile on her face. "That was fun! I've never gotten to use any of my
attacks before. What are we going to do next?"

Ranma's mouth hung open slackly. "W-Wow... W-Was that your biggest
attack? You've said before how they were really powerful..."

"No, of course not, Ranma-san!" Hotaru felt bright and perky after
having unleashed the Silence, and it showed in her speech. "That was my
_smallest_ attack. That's why I can't use them in battle."

Looking back at the house - or where it used to be - Ranma could only
shake his head in amazement. Even his most powerful Shi Shi Hokodan
could not even do a hundredth of that. Who was he kidding? He could not
do a thousandth! Seeing that, he could almost understand why the Senshi
were so afraid of little Hotaru. That much power in the hands of the
wrong person would be terrifying beyond description.

Despite the sheer scope of the destruction, what scared Ranma the most
was how easily she had done it. In the past, he had seen Hotaru ready
for collapse after a hundred metre run. But now she had just levelled
the entire Kuno estate and she did not even break a sweat. Everyone he
knew, even Cologne or Happosai, wore themselves out with their big
attacks. If this was just a warm-up for Hotaru, he feared what she
could produce when she was pressed for it.

"Let's... Let's go back home. We gotta find Ryoga, and I think Kuno
needs a rest. Besides, I don't want to hang around here any longer than
we need to. Not only that, but I think you better tell us all about
your attacks again... And I'm sure we're all gunna listen really hard
this time."

---
End of Chapter.