Permanent
Part 17
The eyes of a demon.
++++++++++++
Ranma Saotome walked into the Tendo Dojo and smiled as she saw
Kuno waiting for her patiently. "Hey, what's up Kuno..." her voice died
away as she saw the look on his face. "Something is wrong isn't it."
The boy nodded gravely and finished the tea in his hands. "Ranma
Saotome, my sister has come across a magic tome."
Ranma frowned at him and sat directly across from him. "This is a
bad thing? What kind of magic is she learning?"
"Black sorcery, my sister is not mentally stable either. I fear
she has finally fallen off the edge of her sanity," he glared at her while
his wings fluttered nervously behind his back. "Already she is quite
powerful."
"Where did she get the book?" asked Ranma with a serious look on
her face.
"Stolen most likely, she has a prisoner as well."
"A prisoner?" Ranma frowned and leaned forward. "Do you know who
it is? Is it a girl or a boy?"
"He is male and I believe he attends Furinkan, I believe his name
is Gosunkugi. Before you came I enlisted his services from time to time,"
the boy stood from his place and turned to face the back yard with a scowl
creeping onto his face.
"Gosunkugi? He's my student, I can assume that means the book was
the one I had lent him. That isn't good." Ranma frowned and leaned back to
allow Kasumi to place a cup of tea in front of her. "It's been two weeks
since I saw him last, his next lesson was scheduled for tomorrow. It's
good in a way because she hasn't had much time to master the spells."
"Don't be certain, my sister has many talents, one of them is the
ability to learn potions and spells quite quickly. She has much experience
with various poisons and potions." Kuno turned his head slightly and
spared Ranma a quick glance.
"Have you tried to stop her?" asked Ranma patiently as she sipped
at her drink.
"Yes, just before I came here. She is powerful Ranma Saotome, I
fear Sasuke may already be lost."
"Your shinobi?" asked the girl as she calmly sipped at her drink.
"Yes, he has served in our family for many years, he allowed me to
escape." Ranma froze for an instant. If Kuno could not escape on his own
despite his skills it was something she had to take very seriously.
"If she's using black magic it will be better if we go during the
day," Ranma stood from her place at the table and turned. "We'll leave
tomorrow morning, Kuno you can stay with me and Ryoga tonight. I'm warning
you though, I'll save her if I can, but if not..." the pigtailed girl
didn't need to finish her sentence. Kuno did not move as he stared out at
the sunset.
"Are you sure we should wait?" asked Ryoga with a small frown.
"We don't have much of a choice, I need to talk with you Mr. P,
come on." The girl wandered up the stairs and Ryoga followed.
+++++++++++
Akane was fuming; she wasn't sure why everyone was so worried
about Kodachi. The girl was a monster and she had known that for a long
time, Ranma wasn't used to dealing with her like she was. "I'm going with
her tomorrow no matter what!"
Kuno frowned and turned to face her. "You will not accompany us
Akane Tendo."
"Why not? Do you think I'm not good enough?" snapped the girl
angrily.
"This isn't a question of your skills, it is simply that you are
not equipped to deal with this," replied the boy. He had yet to turn away
from the sunset and look at her, he knew his resolve would crumble if he
did.
"And you are?" she snapped.
"Myself and Ranma Saotome have been magically enhanced," replied
the boy simply.
Akane growled under her breath and turned to burn a hole in the TV
set with her eyes.
++++++++++++
Ryoga sat across from Ranma with his arms folded over her chest.
"Mr. P, I want you to stay here and keep Akane from sneaking after us."
She rummaged through a stack of books slowly and methodically.
"Why? You need me with you; I'm still your familiar you know. If
I'm not there your powers aren't as strong."
"Well, we aren't certain our bond is still there are we? It could
have been severed when you returned to human form, or even by the power of
the saint pill." Ranma found the book she was looking for and flipped
through the pages slowly.
"It isn't a curse so I doubt it, I entered the contract of my own
free will," Hibiki snorted. "I figured I owed you that much after the
whole Shampoo episode."
"Regardless, it's important that Akane not be allowed to go with
us, she has a personal grudge against Kodachi. If she loses her head it
will be dangerous for all of us, besides I can't worry about protecting
her." The girl found the page she was looking for and pulled out a few
long thin white sheets of paper from a near by box, followed by a block of
ink and a brush.
"It's just some newbie sorceress, you can handle it easily,"
replied Ryoga with a shrug.
"Yes, but she can't. Kodachi shouldn't pose too much of a problem
no matter how much she's learned. She's only got one book and a few weeks
experience at most, but you and Akane's presence could make it a dangerous
situation."
"I can understand that, but still how can we be certain she isn't
being used?" Ryoga frowned slightly and became restless.
"I thought of that, I'm making wards just in case. She'll be much
more dangerous, but also limited by it. I don't think it's anything Kuno
and I can't handle."
"Why are you bringing him anyway?" asked the boy with a small
jealous look on his face.
"It's his family," she replied with a shrug as she started to
write on the strips of paper carefully.
Ryoga frowned and looked at the page in disgust. "Here give me
that, your handwriting is terrible Saotome."
++++++++++++
Sasuke staggered down the street with a large package in his
hands, it had cost him dearly to obtain the items his mistress had wanted.
He raided a nearby temple full of martial artist monks and had almost been
caught, several wounds were bleeding still and he was covered in bruises.
"Why on earth does she need a dragon's tooth?" he said between breaths as
he staggered along. "I suppose it's none of my business." He turned into
the mansion grounds and walked along the wall until he hit a small patch
of grass, frowning slightly he lifted a large stone that sat on the edge
of the grass and revealed a passageway. He felt much more secure once he
was in the shadows of the catacombs below the Kuno mansion.
A few moments later he stood patiently in front of his mistress
and kneeled before her. "I have brought the items you asked for Mistress."
"Very good Sasuke," said the girl as she grabbed them impatiently.
"Tomorrow we will begin, I have another job for you."
The ninja grimaced and bowed his head low. "Of course Mistress
Kuno, what do you wish of me?"
A ball of light formed in her hand and Sasuke looked up at her in
fear, he closed his eyes and waited for it to be over silently. The ball
took him dead in the chest sending him sprawling across the floor writhing
in agony as an intense burning enveloped his body, after a moment it was
over and he staggered back to his knees.
"I want you to watch the catacombs, make sure no one disturbs me
tomorrow. I have placed many spells to protect the passageways it's
unlikely anyone will be able to get through. However, be warned that my
brother may have enlisted the help of others, no one, not even him, is to
disturb me at any cost."
The ninja looked down at himself in shock; his wounds were
completely healed. He stood up and started to walk towards the exit.
"Sasuke, remember the penalty for failure."
He stopped for a moment and continued walking without looking back
as he made his way into the passageways.
Hikaru Gosunkugi frowned, if he had been counting the days right
Ranma would be visiting his home tomorrow. His parents would tell her that
he was missing and he could only hope that she would piece it together in
time. His presence had been almost completely ignored over the last few
days and he clenched his fists together. Sasuke had spared him an angry
glance as he always did when he was around. It was painfully obvious that
the ninja did not like him. He froze as he tightened his fists again;
there was something inside of his palm pressing against his hand. "A key?"
He glanced over at Kodachi and frowned, he couldn't leave her
alone, if she summoned the demon as he suspected she was attempting, he
might be the only one with a chance of sending it back before it caused
too much damage. He fumbled with the lock and loosened his chains
slightly; he frowned and waited patiently for his chance to escape. If
what she had said was true he was probably safer here anyway.
+++++++++++
Sasuke walked through the dark corridors and smiled to himself.
His mistress was quite insane, but very powerful now. She had no need of
him any longer and he knew it, he also knew that he could not just leave
the passageways. Floating around the underground corridors where strange
balls, they had eyes on the front of them and they patrolled diligently.
He wasn't sure what they were, but was fairly certain she was using them
to keep tabs on him while he wandered around, she would know instantly if
he left and he doubted if the things were defenseless. He would not get
very far if he decided to run, a few of the corridors led to various two
way mirrors and peep holes within the home that showed the things
populated the home as well.
++++++++++
Ranma lay on her futon staring at the ceiling as night fell on the
dojo; her father was snoring on one side of her with Ryoga's bed on the
other side. Kuno sat in the corner on his feet and roosted like a bird
sleeping comfortably. She heard a small grunt of pain and turned to see
Ryoga on his own futon peeling a large wrap around bandage off his leg. He
was covered in small scars from his knee down.
"Ryoga, what happened?" she asked in silent shock.
"Huh? You're still up?" asked the boy with a small chuckle.
"Of course I am, I'm surprised Kuno can sleep with what we have to
do tomorrow," she crawled over to his bed and inspected his leg carefully
creating a small light in her hand. "Why didn't you tell me about this you
stupid jerk?"
"It's just a little scratch," snorted the boy indignantly.
She touched his leg and frowned as he winced in pain. "It's about
three hundred little scratches Ryoga, and it's getting infected."
"Well, I was going to put something on it!" he retorted harshly.
Kuno stirred slightly and they lowered their voices. Ranma took the bottle
of ointment away from him and tossed it out the window through the crack
they left open.
"How the hell did you do this?" she asked as she prodded it
carefully causing him even more pain.
Ryoga grunted and tried to stand up, but Ranma shoved him down and
forced him to lie on the futon. "It's Mousse, he can't talk so when I do
something wrong he just scratches me or bites me."
Ranma felt a small tinge of anger and a soft glow formed in her
hands. "Damn it Ranma, it hurts more when you do that!"
"Only for a minute you big baby, and then you'll be all better,
stop complaining."
"If you two want a minute alone I could leave," said Kuno flatly
from his place in the corner.
Ranma looked at herself; she was leaning over Ryoga in a
compromising position holding his leg. The spell was finished and she sat
up abruptly with a huge blush forming on her face. "It's not like that!"
"Not like what?" asked Ryoga oblivious to the situation. "Since
when are you awake?"
"I don't sleep well the night before I go into battle against my
own sister," replied Kuno simply. He glanced over at the snoring form of
the panda and frowned.
"I thought as much, come on we have some planing to do," Ranma
turned on the light in the room and the group sat around a small table
with a drawing of the Kuno home on it. "It's likely she'll have set up
traps, unfortunately we aren't sure what kind of traps. They could be
magical or not, Kuno says she's good at both. Particularly involving
poisons or gas."
"That is correct, this is the entrance we'll have to use to get to
her laboratory. She may have others within the house, but I don't know of
any but this one." Kuno pointed to a large door on the drawing he had
supplied. "I'm sorry I couldn't give you a more accurate map of her maze."
"It wouldn't do us much good I'm afraid, the good thing is if
she's using black magic as you say, her powers will be weaker during the
day. Not too much, but enough to give us a clear advantage..." the three
warriors planned their assault for the rest of the evening.
Akane Tendo heard voices from the room and frowned as she lifted a
small traveling pack onto her shoulders, she was dressed in her martial
arts dogi and had a sweatband across her forehead. Slowly she crept out
the window of her room and walked along the roof of the home. "I'm sorry
Ranma, but I know you mean well, but I can take care of myself. I'm going
to fight Kodachi with you; it's my honor on the line. I have to defeat
her. I hope you understand," she jumped down from the roof of the home and
walked over to the gates. Various strips of paper lined the gate and Akane
frowned slightly. "Very clever Ranma," she looked over at the wall and
jumped over it into the night.
Ranma froze as she pointed at the plans. "Someone just left the
house."
"You're right, we might...what?" Ryoga stopped his conversation
and stared at the girl in shock.
"Akane!" the pigtailed girl jumped up from her place and rushed
out of the room. "Akane!" she shoved the door open and flicked on the
light revealing an open window in an empty room. "Damn it!"
Nabiki turned the corner lazily and glared at her followed by a
worried looking Kasumi. "What's all the yelling about?" said the younger
girl grumpily.
"Oh my, where has Akane gone off too?" asked Kasumi.
"Come on! We're leaving now!" Ranma walked into her room and
grabbed the stack of wards Ryoga had made. The two boys were already
waiting in the hallway with angry looks on their faces.
"She's cute, but she's going to get us killed," said Ryoga with a
small smile on his lips.
"Shut up, Mr. P. you're just glad you get to come along. If we
find her before we hit the mansion you're bringing her back. I don't care
if you have to do it forcefully." Ryoga winced slightly at this and Kuno
got an angry look in his eyes. Ranma turned to face him and slapped him
hard. "Don't even think about going into an over protective moron mode
Kuno, she'll be in more danger if we don't do it."
"Once we hit the mansion though we have to stick with it whether
she's there or not, if it comes to that you're on guard duty pig boy."
Ranma took half of the wards and shoved them into his chest.
"What about the bird?" said Ryoga angrily.
"He's got a personal interest in this, don't push it." The girl
shoved past the Tendos, all of them were watching the scene in confusion.
"See here Ranma, what is the meaning of this?" asked Soun as he
tried to take control of the situation.
"Akane has gone off to fight a dangerous sorceress alone," replied
the girl simply as she turned to face him.
"My baby!? I'm going with you," he stopped cold as Ranma lifted
her hand and a strange mist formed in her palm.
"I'm sorry I can't allow that Mr. Tendo, I've got enough problems
to deal with," she said a few words softly and the mist shot forward into
the man's face.
"What did you do to him?" asked Nabiki in shock.
"Just a sleep spell, he'll wake up tomorrow feeling great. Now you
two take care of him while we go after Akane. If everything goes well,
we'll be back tonight. If not we won't see you till tomorrow probably."
The red head moved quickly down the stairs followed by the two boys.
"Oh, my," was all Kasumi could say as she held her father upright.
+++++++++++++
Kodachi smiled as she started to make large marks on her floor
with a strange looking piece of chalk. She hummed a merry sounding tune to
herself as she placed the finishing touches on the goat's beard within the
mystic circle. "How...cute," she said to herself as she drew in a pair of
menacing fangs to complete the image. The girl stepped back and surveyed
her work before turning towards Hikaru Gosunkugi. He was dressed in a long
brown robe and had a vacant look in his eyes. "Now my pet, begin the
incantation!"
Hikaru's lips became a cruel snarl as his mind resisted, but in
the end the words flowed through his mouth as he waved his hands in the
air and began to perform the rite. Kodachi smiled to herself as she
watched the boy. He would be a good servant, much more reliable than
Sasuke, especially since she had complete control of this one. "This magic
truly is an amazing thing." Her pleasant giggle slowly turned into full
blown insane laughter.
TBC...
