Permanent part 16: No one is home....

+++++++++++

Ranma grumbled as she stalked over to another table and smiled
fakely at another group of students. Luckily, this group was a bunch of
girls from her class. The word had spread fast once a few students had
discovered her and the Amazons working here, thanks in no small part to
one Nabiki Tendo. To put it simply, the Cat Cafe had become the 'Hooters'
of Nerima. The 'score board' was now almost full every night and Ranma
was seriously thinking about finding a way to neuter all the males in
Nerima. The only thing stopping her was the fact that she had been one of
them once; perhaps not as hormone crazed or stupid, but still male none
the less.

On the plus side, she was making huge amounts of money with her
two sisters. It was one of the most popular restaurants in the Tokyo area.
Thankfully her shift was ending and one of the new employees that Cologne
had picked up staggered wearily onto the floor to replace her. Ranma
nodded and the girl gave her a slightly disdainful gaze. She knew Ranma
would be finished with all her side work in a few minutes thanks to the
speed training she had received; the same work that would take her an hour
or more to do.

Cologne had hired several of the more attractive high school
students from the various schools in the area. Even St. Hebreke was
represented in the staff. All the girls received moderate training for
speed and balance while they worked; it wasn't enough to make them as good
as the original three, but it was showing in their work now. Most of the
girls didn't even realize they were getting any training at all, as for
why they put up with the old hag and her sometimes-harsh rules? The money
was very good.

"After you fold some napkins for the tables I want you to get
another box of chopsticks from the store room Ranma." said Cologne as she
passed by. The girl stopped her speedy movements and nodded before
returning to the origami style napkin pile.

"How is Mr.P doing?" she asked as Cologne sat next to her on the
counter to smoke her pipe.

"You could have told me the only thing the fool knew how too cook
was instant Ramen." snorted the old ghoul.

"I didn't know," answered Ranma honestly.

"Don't worry girl, he'll be sore for a while; but he's a fast
learner. I won't do your pet pig any harm," said Cologne with a chuckle.

"Hey! I heard that!" cried a small voice from the kitchen.

"Who said you had time to stop!?" answered Cologne as she tossed a
pot lid and nailed Ryoga in the back of his head. Her attention turned
towards Ranma again. "Besides, Mousse had agreed to train him."

"What? B-but isn't...." stammered Ranma nervously as she glanced
around at the floor around her.

"Yes, but he is like your friend used to be. He wants to feel
human occasionally, but overall he is the happiest person I have ever
seen. Even if my Shampoo is no longer herself; he is still finally living
his dream." Cologne contentedly puffed on her pipe and sighed. "I feel
Shampoo may be happier now than she could have ever been as a human. I
regret that very much, but I am glad she found it."

Ranma just sat and said nothing, she had long ago given up on
apologizing for her acts, but she could still feel the regret pull on her
heart just as it had from the first day. She finished up her chores and
walked out the door.

+++++++++++++

Ranma frowned as she walked down the street towards the Tendo
residence. Following behind her was a pair of small children, they moved
quietly and ducked behind various objects as they went. She turned into an
alleyway and jumped up onto a fire escape with a mischievous grin on her
face, as she suspected a few moments later the children wandered into the
dead end.

"We lost her! Now what?" cried the boy looking down trodden as he
turned to the seven year old girl who was with him.

"Sato, what are we gonna do now?" whined the girl as she promptly
stuck her thumb in her mouth, her hair was tied in a double ponytail and
her dress was a cute yellow outfit that made Ranma's teeth rot just
looking at her.

The boy was not much better by her standards, he was dressed in a
pair of jean shorts with a red stripped T-shirt and a ball cap, strapped
across his back was a small brown backpack. "I just asked you that, didn't
I?" snapped the boy at his sister in frustration.

"You're going to tell me why you're following me, that's what
you're going to do now." Ranma had jumped down behind them unnoticed and
she stood directly over the two children now. Predictably the two children
started to scream, Ranma watched in mild amusement as they scurried away
out into the street. "Now it's my turn to play 'follow the leader'."

++++++++++++

"S-she was gonna kill us!" gasped the boy as he leaned against the
wall of his house and panted for breath with the little girl trailing just
behind him.

The younger child started to cry, "Now what, if we don't get help
soon..." she broke down in tears in the front yard of the small run down
house.

"Don't cry Yuriko! I won't let that happen!" the boy tried to look
strong for his sister and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"You won't let what happen?" Ranma was looking at the children
with a small smile on her face as she stood directly behind them once
again.

The boy screamed in alarm and stood protectively over his sister.
"You stay away!" he warned putting his fists up.

"Me stay away? You where following me, why?" Ranma leaned forward
and put her face directly in the boy's, causing him to look away blushing.

"I...can't tell you that," he replied looking ashamed.

"Suit yourself, just don't make a habit of following people around
kid; you'll give people the creeps if you keep it up," she turned and
walked back towards the dojo, but the little girl burst from behind her
brother and stood in front of her.

"Wait! You've got to help us! We need you to use your magic to
help our mommy!" the girl glared directly into Ranma's eyes and caused her
to falter back under the power of her cuteness.

"What's the matter with her?" asked Ranma as she regained her
senses and turned back towards the boy again.

++++++++++

"Mrs. Yojiro, you have visitors," the nurse smiled as she entered
the woman's room and turned to check the various monitors at her bedside.

"Who could...?" asked the sickly looking woman in confusion as she
turned on her bed weakly, it was obvious she had been pretty once; but her
illness had taken a terrible toll on her body. Two small children slowly
turned the corner followed by a young redheaded teenager. "What are you
doing here?" gasped the woman in shock, she did not look upset though and
Ranma smiled.

"Who are you?" The woman looked at the strange girl and then back
at the children, they stood meekly at her bedside as she caressed their
faces gently with her hands.

"Ranma Saotome," replied the girl as she sat and watched her faun
over her children for a moment.

"Well Ranma, are you going to tell me why you brought my children
here?" she frowned a little at her and the teen merely smiled.

"Actually they brought me here," the girl stood and walked over to
the bed keeping a strangely cheerful look about her. "They think I can
help you."

"Why would they think that?" the sickly mother suddenly got a
strange edge to her voice, Ranma's smile never wavered.

"I'm a magician," the redhead flicked her wrist and a strange
red-black rose appeared in her hand, she handed it to the woman who only
frowned deeper.

"So you got their hopes up and brought them to see me like this?"
she was obviously getting very angry.

"No, I simply couldn't bring myself to crush the hope they already
had, and neither should you; even if you don't have any left for
yourself." The pigtailed girl gave the woman a small wink.

Mrs. Yojiro looked back at the two silent children and smiled
despite herself. "You're right, I'll have their father pick them up if you
don't mind."

"I would hope so, I'd never trust a strange woman with my young
children no matter how nice she seemed," Ranma's tone was playfully
patronizing.

The woman smiled again and shook her head; the young girl's
cheerfulness was getting to her. "You are a strange girl, I can't say I'm
grateful for you bringing the children here I'm afraid, but you are a very
kind hearted young woman."

"Well, I am strange at any rate." Ranma frowned
a little and stood from her seat.

Mrs. Yojiro inspected the delicate
flower in her hands in confusion the scent of the rose in her hands was
very strong and she frowned a little. "I don't recognize this flower,"
before she became ill she was a florist, and she had never seen a rose
quite like this one.

"It's a special rose, very rare," Ranma walked out of the room and
stopped in the doorway.

"Please, I can't accept such a gift," the woman was flustered.

"Don't worry about it, I have hundreds of them," the girl waved
her hand as if to dismiss the matter without turning to face the family as
she walked out the door and into the hallway.

The woman continued to watch the rose with her two children for a
few moments, until the Yuriko looked up and sucked in a quick breath.
"What is it dear?" asked the mother, her eyes went wide at what she saw in
the room, the walls where covered in roses like the one in her hand, vases
and arrangements filled the floors and tables of the room. The pleasant
aroma of the flowers filled the room the instant she noticed them. "Wh?
How?" Mrs. Yojiro was in shock.

+++++++++

Ranma smiled as she walked out of the hospital, the flowers she
had left were merely an illusion of course, but they also masked a
powerful healing spell that should destroy her illness quite easily. In
fact she wouldn't be surprised if the entire top three floors of the
hospital didn't get so much as a cold for years to come. Idly she wondered
why medicine and science where trusted so much more than magic in society.
She could do things for people science was still years away from,
instantly in some cases, yet mages and wizards were rare. "Sometimes this
world just doesn't make sense."

++++++++++++

Tatewaki Kuno floated gently in front of the Tendo Dojo with a
disturbed look on his face, only moments before he had escaped from his
sister's labyrinth. The girl was learning dangerous magic with the help of
that Gosunkugi boy, he knew he could not return home, and also that his
powers alone would not be enough to stop her. He walked into the gate and
frowned as the eldest of the Tendo daughters greeted him cheerfully.

"Oh, Kuno! What brings you here at this hour?" Kasumi frowned; she
had just finished cooking for dinner and didn't have enough for another
diner that evening.

"Where is Ranma Saotome? It is urgent," the boy bowed politely and
tried to keep a mask of pleasantry on his face.

"Hey Kasumi, what's up? Is it Ranma?" Ryoga poked his head around
the corner and frowned in disappointment at the sight of Kuno. "Oh, it's
you."

"Is Ranma here?" repeated Kuno calmly glancing between the pair.

"No, she called and said she was going to be late tonight," Kasumi
looked worried. "Is something wrong?"

"I am afraid so, it is imperative that I speak with him," Kuno
kept glancing behind him and fluttering his wings nervously.

"What happened?" asked Ryoga with a frown; he had no love for the
boy, but could see that he was agitated.

++++++++++

Akane frowned when she saw the kendoist standing in the doorway,
her sour look quickly vanished when he ignored her presence completely and
sat with Ryoga at the table. "Kuno, what are you doing here?" for the
first time in years her tone was somewhat friendly with the boy.

"I will tell you of my business once Ranma Saotome returns, I
believe only he can save my sister from the depths of madness."

Ryoga growled a little when Kuno called Ranma 'he' in front of
Akane, he pushed it aside for the moment. "She should be back any time
now, it's almost dinner time."

Nabiki smiled at Kuno's confused look. "He never misses a meal
Kuno-chan." Ryoga growled at her and she only winked at him. "You worry
too much Mr. P."

Akane snorted as the conversation stopped, "You think Kodachi has
gone insane?"

"Those were my words Akane Tendo," replied the boy simply, his
wings ruffled slightly.

"Why would Ranma be able to help her?" the girl was clearly angry
about the situation.

"Do not let your narrow defeat at my sister's hands cloud your
judgement Akane Tendo, she has been quite insane for a while now; She has
just now become truly dangerous." Kuno had never spoken like that to her
and it was clear he was becoming impatient with her.

"She cheated, I won by default," retorted Akane angrily.

"Quite true, but it was not my sister on the mat with the injuries
was it?" Kuno sipped at the tea Kasumi had offered and waited silently
under Akane Tendo's glares for Ranma to return, finally after a few
moments he spoke up again.

"I did not intend to insult you Akane Tendo, but my sister is not
someone to be trifled with; she is far more dangerous now than you could
imagine. Ranma and I must stop her before she destroys herself, I do not
wish you to become involved in this matter, my heart would not recover if
you became injured because of my family problems."

Akane growled under her breath and continued to glare at him, "If
it's a family problem why does he need Ranma?"

++++++++++++

Kodachi Kuno smiled as she flipped through the pages of the magic
book almost all of the spells contained were mastered now. She smiled
slightly as she turned back to the page she had book marked, "It is almost
time now, Sasuke will bring the final element into place; even though he
does not know exactly what the true intention of his errand is! Once I
have the final piece of the puzzle I will no longer have a use for him."
She cackled madly and hunched over the stand where she kept the book
before slamming it shut as lightening cracked in the sky behind her
outside of the glass ceiling of the greenhouse.

Hikaru Gosunkugi frowned as the girl ranted, she was cute and
obviously toying with his emotions, not that he minded that so much. What
bothered him was the fact that she was quite insane. His grasp of magic
was mostly offensive, but he didn't know a single spell that would release
him of his chains without killing himself in the process. "Damn it, I
don't know how much longer I can stall her! Somebody better figure out
that I'm missing before decides I'm not useful." He hung his head and
pretended to be sleeping in his chair while she laughed to herself and
made secretive plans. Hikaru had a sinking feeling about what she was
planning, she wouldn't tell him what the plans where. She was normally a
brash and arrogant person and that pointed to only one thing, she was
probably toying with the demon summon spell despite his warnings.

TBC...