Chapter 4.R: "An Innocent Wish" An AMG Fan Fic, an official "Ai Shiteru" Side Story, and a Ranma 1/2 x-over By: icezer230, a.k.a Shu. and Feir.
E-mail: icezer230@yahoo.com (C&C welcome)
Webpage: http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html
A BUNCH OF COPYRIGHTS (OTHERWISE KNOWN AS LEGAL JARGON) This story and the characters of This story and the characters of Rhiana, Kei, and Nao belongs to me (icezer230, a.k.a Shu). The characters of Morgall and Raich are concepts by Feir. The characters true to AMG are copyrighted by Kosuke Fujishima and his associates. Brett, Chia-Yao, Syliana, and the other immortals (unless mentioned otherwise) from the 'Oh! My God!' fanfiction are copyrighted by Darkwind (a.k.a Brett Handy) and have been used with permission.
The character of Kenji from the 'No Mere Mortal' fanfiction is a creation of Ed Sharpe. The characters true to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and the distribution companies (whoever they are). If you haven't read chapter 1 or part 1, please read it!
A LEGEND, FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT.
**=thought
""=speech
()=explanations
[]=insertions/interruptions by the author!*****
"Morisato Kenji...now where have I heard this name before?" Rhiana wondered as she racked her worn-out neurons to figure this piece of information out. She was simply too tired--after all, she had been trying to get her assignments finished as soon as possible (she had a stack of them, in fact). As a demigod, (yes, she was one of those half-mortals...and no, she wasn't exactly a mistake either, since her parents loved each other very much) no one knew what her powers she would have--not even Kami-sama Himself.
Therefore, since she had little to do and there was a huge pile of cases waiting on Belldandy's old desk, she was asked to take over until her abilities manifested and her job permanently assigned. Not that she actually complained, of course. She loved granting people wishes--after all, they were only granted to people who deserved them, and that was why she loved watching their faces light up after their wishes were granted.
As she mused over this piece of information on how she got that job, she neglected to remember who Belldandy had been 'assigned for life' to. *It was a Keiichi something-or-other...* she thought. She didn't usually remember last names since there were so many people with the same ones anyway.
"Well I'll figure that little piece of information out later," she said as she aimed her redirection ray at Kenji's phone. Any call he made out would reach this office, and she would be the one to take it. You see, it wasn't a coincidence that mortals reached the office's phone number. After all, how would they know what number to call? She chuckled at the way this office worked. It was quite ingenious.
"Revenge is a dish best served cold."
--Klingon proverb.PART 1: DEMONS ON THE HUNT Windchimes sounded; their delicate, glassy ringing almost haunting in the empty hallways. The spire's sole occupant paid the sound little mind; alone in a maze of drafty corridors, Loki's attention was fixed on the boiling mists below. The fog always was a bad sign; on most days, the skies were clear enough to see the distant mountain peaks, stretching out in all directions. But today, he could barely see beyond the walls of his refuge. An omen, perhaps?
For the first time, the God felt something close to apprehension. It was all coming together too soon; he'd counted on at least a few more years, if not more. Now, he had weeks at best; every further day of inactivity meant he was one step closer to losing everything he'd worked so hard for. Immortals! He remembered, with a sharp pang, exactly why he despised them as much as he did--always blundering into where they weren't supposed to venture; always interfering with his plans. Especially the young ones...
His fingers brushed the frost-circuits etched into the chamber wall, snaking away into the distance. Lacking the resources of the other Gods and Goddesses, he'd had to make due with what was given; and despite his reputation as a trickster, Loki was equally capable of ruthless patience--provided it suited his own needs. Each crystal, suspended into sub-zero temperatures; perfectly aligned and attuned for one purpose only -- to keep track of his fellow immortals. It had taken years to complete; carvings becoming more and more complex as alternate realities and pocket universes were added, one by one.
It was his finest creation; its existence carefully kept a secret from the other immortals. That, however, would change soon enough. He stopped in front of one set of lines, newer than the rest; only days old. "Where is she?" he whispered, tracing the circuit a little further. Words began to form in the ice; delicate letters melting out of the cold with the intensity of a naked flame.
Drifting between realities. It is difficult to trace her progress, master. Her movement between the planes...past, present, future -- too unpredictable. Too variable.
"Can you give me an approximation?"
We cannot. apologies.
"Is she still trapped in the rift?"
Perhaps. We cannot be certain.
Well.
Loki exhaled sharply, hot breath turning into vapor as it met the winter air. This was going to be a little more difficult than he had anticipated.
*****
"This is the Goddess Relief Office, Rhiana speaking. I'll be with you in a minute," a young lady's voice said quite amusedly in the speaker. Kenji looked at the phone stupidly; he had tried to call his classmate Noda for help in doing his homework and it turned out that he had called the wrong number.
He was about to say that he was sorry about getting the wrong number but nothing came out of his mouth. He was too startled by the fact that a beautiful young woman (known to us as Rhiana, but unbeknownst to him of course) wearing a strange catchy outfit of blue and gold had appeared from his toilet room and was currently leaning back on his desk, watching him.
"I suppose I should introduce myself, no? My name is Rhiana and I am a Goddess. Morisato Kenji, you've been deemed...worthy of a wish. What would you like? You can have anything...except me and another wish," Rhiana said. She had said the 'except me' part in consideration as to what happened to Belldandy.
"...Huh?" Kenji asked stupidly. Rhiana rolled her eyes and frowned at him.
"Look, I haven't got a lot of time to spare, mortal. Make your wish fast and let me get outta here. I've got other wishes to grant!" Rhiana snapped. She sighed. She definitely needed to get some sleep. She promised that after this case, she would do so.
*If what she's saying is true...should I ask for her to come back and stay with me forever?* Kenji thought. *Or should I ask her to make me rich, or become a girl-magnet, or...*
"Guys. All you think about are girls and material wealth...Geez," Rhiana grinned as she looked at Kenji.
"Huh? You can read my thoughts?" Kenji asked, horrified, backing away into a corner.
"Hey, it's pretty easy. And besides, I didn't have to do that...the way you were drooling practically um...said that out loud..." Rhiana laughed out loud.
"I wasn't drooling!...was I?" Kenji asked, a little embarassed.
"I was just joking, Morisato. Have you decided what you wanted for a wish?" Rhiana asked.
"Not yet. How many cases do you still have to grant wishes to anyway?"
"Hm...let me see. According to my count, about a million or two more to go. Of course, they're added daily, which makes the job even more frustrating. If you want me to come back in a day or two...or better yet, do you want me to do this again in your next life? You could ask for that, you know. Maybe _then_ there would be something you would want," Rhiana smiled as she taunted Kenji's indecisiveness.
"Hey! I wish you would take me seriously for once!" Kenji protested. Rhiana's eyes widened in shock and sure enough, the brilliant-light maneuvre did its job with her forehead (although there weren't any signs on her forehead yet--she was still a demigoddess, mind you), and she was left pretty worn out afterwards.
Rhiana's eyes glazed over for a second or two and then they were alert once more. She looked at Kenji strangely and quickly grabbed the phone, to which she dialled a highly complex number (the hotline for Kami-sama's office, by the way). After she got through His secretary and a little talk with the Boss, Rhiana was shocked to find out that she was supposed to take him with her for an undetermined period of time.
*Apparently, the Yggdrassil seriously needed upgrades to fix the loopholes of the human vocabulary and language! How could they take Kenji's wish and turn it some hellish tour?* Rhi angrily thought while boring holes into Kenji's mortal body.
"Damn it! I have to take you along while I do my job? What kind of sick immortal would play this sort of joke with me?" she yelled as she waved her fist (which showed a certain finger) at the sky, cursing all the while. A flash of lightning in the brilliant sunlight startled her and she cringed.
"...Er...what the hell happened?" Kenji asked, not understanding what had happened. He was big-sweating and was uncomfortable under Rhiana's accusing stare.
"Morisato, you've done it. I told you not to mention me at all when you were wishing for something, but _no_....you go and do this...Now I'm stuck with you! I've got to take you around the block and show you the whole damn neighborhood!...'For an undetermined period of time' He said...Humph! It could last until the End of Time, for all I know..." Rhiana ranted.
"Hey...if you're so angry about what I wished for, I'm sorry, OK? It's just that you kept teasing me all the time. If you didn't do that, I would've and could've wished for something else...now I'm kind of stuck with you too, don't forget," Kenji said back at Rhiana. He didn't exactly like Rhiana's attitude *She is simply...too bossy!* he thought.
"Too bossy? Morisato, I'm tired and I'm hungry. I haven't eaten or slept right for the last month or two and now I've got to take you along for a little joy ride, so put up with the attitude! C'mon, we're going to my place and I'm going to get a little shut-eye before I continue my wish-granting," Rhiana said as she grabbed Kenji and dragged him along with her.
They went to the bathroom and Kenji wondered what they were doing there. The tub was full of water and it took a moment for him to notice that they were going towards the tub. When Rhiana jumped in the direction of the tub and teleported, Kenji was sucked into the water as well. But that was, of course, after a good amount of surprised yelling on the part of Kenji.
*****
"Stop vomitting on my office floor and get yourself together, Morisato. I've got too many things to do other than to clean up that piece of mess! You'll have to do this yourself...I wouldn't even allow my assistant near that," Rhiana grimaced as she watched Kenji empty out the contents of his stomach in mere seconds. Good thing she got him to face the right way, or else her computer could have gotten short-circuited.
"...I don't feel so good," Kenji said, moaning and clutching his stomach with a pale look on his face.
"How would _I_ know you had a motion sickness problem?" Rhiana sighed as she went to get a towel. Once she did, she handed it to him and he got started.
"I usually don't. That ride was something else!" Kenji said, still a little bewildred.
"Oh, I forgot. It's your first time, isn't it. I nearly did the same thing when I used it for the first time, but you sort of get used to it as time goes by," Rhiana said sheepishly.
"I'm glad I'm not the only one," Kenji said.
"The bathroom's to your right, Morisato. You can dump and wash the mess in the sink over there while I check what my next assignment is," Rhiana said casually as she flipped on her computer and pressed the down arrow. She had crossed offf Kenji's case from her list since she was technically finished with him.
"Hm...well, well. Looks like we'll go for a little joyride to a lucky person named Saotome Ranma," Rhiana said, watching the next target as the satelite showed that she was balancing on the fence. She frowned. Wasn't Saotome a guy? It said so on her file...Her eyes scanned the file to see if there were any errors. Ah. Jusenkyo...Hm? What's this? Dealt with Brett Handy, God of Destiny? Interesting. So such an immortal encounter isn't his first, eh?
"Who?" Kenji said as sounds of running water came from the bathroom.
"Some martial arts Japanese who accidentally fell into Jusenkyo, the magic pools. He turns into a girl when cold water is splashed on him, and hot water reverts him back to his male form. Just let me do the talking, OK, Morisato?" Rhiana asked.
"Sure, sure. What exactly is my role when I go with you anyway?" Kenji asked.
"Well I'm not sure but I guess there's got to be a reason why Kami-sama wants you to stick around. Think you can take another trip without regurgitating, Morisato, or should I bring one of those bags?" Rhiana teased. Kenji blushed and mumbled that it wasn't necessary. *I've got nothing else to regurgitate anyway* he thought as an afterword.
"I heard that, you know," Rhiana said, laughing lightly before they were off to wait for Ranma to reach a phone. Any phone. Kenji realized that Rhiana's laugh wasn't an unpleasant sound. But after a few hours of waiting and history searching, they both realized that Ranma had never gone near or used a phone in his entire life. Talk about uncivilized.
*****
"Saotome Ranma?" an unfamiliar but definitely female voice asked him from behind. He turned around to see a beautiful girl dressed in an odd garment. There was a guy behind her but he was just watching them both expectantly for something to happen.
"...You're not another fiance, are you? Please don't tell me my father's engaged me to another fiance," Ranma said, backing up to a defensive stance.
"I'm not, trust me. My name is Rhiana. I'm here to grant you a wish, but because you never went to the phone, it was kind of hard for us to...er...grant you that wish," Rhiana said.
"...Are you one of those immortals like Brett was?" Ranma asked, curious.
"Yes, as a matter of fact. I've read and heard a little of your...escapade together, and I must say I found it amusing. So now you've got a chance to make a difference in your life. What do you want to wish for?" Rhiana asked.
"Anything?" Ranma asked.
"Well, except for getting other wishes and anything to do with me," Rhiana said a little bitterly. Kenji winced at her tone when she said 'anything to do with me.'
"Oh. OK. Is it possible to take my curse away?" Ranma asked.
"Hm...I don't know. But Jusenkyo isn't a power to be reckoned with, so you'll probably get splashed with some other water along the way," Rhiana said after she consulted a little palm top.
"What about just having one fiance, who I know I'll live happily ever after with?" Ranma asked.
"Yes. That can be done. All you have to do is say the name of the girl and in the wish format, and you'll be done," Rhiana said, looking expectantly at Ranma. He was strangely complacent as he mused about which fiance he should choose. Then he opened his mouth.
"I wish I didn't have to choose between those girls," he said. Then he realized what he said. Kenji had facefaulted beforehand and seconds later Rhiana was doing the light-thing.
"Wait! Wait! I didn't mean it that way!" he said, trying to get another chance.
"Too late, Saotome. I'm sorry if it wasn't to you liking..." Rhiana said as she dropped back to the ground.
"What does it mean?" he asked in a sickeningly panicky voice.
"I don't know, but good luck, Saotome...you're going to need it," Rhiana said before she and the guy behind her vanished into thin air. He collapsed to the ground on his knees, wondering which direction his life was going to end up in.
*****
"Well, _that_ could have ended up better," Kenji commented as they teleported back to Rhiana's office. Rhiana just looked at him with a blithering gaze that made him really melt before turning away and going to the bathroom. *Is it that time of the month or something for her?* he thought.
"Look, pal, I asked them to make a wish and it's not my fault if they said the wrong thing, OK? I'm not here to fix things up, just give the people in need a chance to get their heart's desires. You don't have to say anything about it," Rhiana snapped as she got out of the bathroom. She couldn't help her moodiness; she was so tired. She was dressed in casual attire now, in shorts and a T-shirt that said in microscopic words, 'If you can read this, you're a pervert!'. Kenji blushed at being able to read those words. Rhiana didn't seem to pay any attention.
"I'm going to teleport back to my own pocket dimension to get some shut-eye before I have to work throught the next assignment. I've asked Jargon, my assistant, to set up a bed here at the office. If you need anything, just press this button and he'll go over here and help you with whatever you need. You're already acquainted with the shower," Rhiana said before she left.
"Brr...Is she always that cold to everyone?" Kenji said after she left, pretending to shiver.
*****
"It's been a while."
Loki didn't reply, settling for fixing the pair of demons in front of him with the coldest glare he could muster. He hated working with Gillains on principle more than anything. Most demons had little more than animal cunning, but this particular variety was both shrewd and ruthless. Few could control them; fewer still could do it for any length of time. The fewest still had survived the experience unscathed. It was one of the most basic rules Immortals learnt -- never make deal with a Gillain.
But it was only a temporary alliance at best. Once he had want he wanted from Skuld, that wouldn't matter anymore. The Gillains would be bowing at his feet ...like everyone else.
These two were twins; both in human shape with delicate features and exquisitely pale skin; a sharp contrast to their raven-black hair. They were beautiful, but it was a predatory beauty, meant to be admired from a distance. Never up close.
"What would you have of us?" the male Gillain asked. His name was Raich; he projected a constant expression of boredom, with the same overtones of smug superiority that characterised all Gillains.
"You mentioned an offer," the female, Morgall, added after a moment. Her tone of voice made it painfully clear that she considered this whole exercise to be a waste of her time.
"I happen to require your assistance in a matter of personal interest." Loki's hand traced through the air, weaving a vague outline that slowly resolved itself into a face. "Familiar?"
"No." the demons snapped in unison.
"Her name is Skuld. She is one of the Norns currently residing on the mortal realm."
"Such a pretty little thing," Raich sighed, caressing the illusory likeness with one finger. "What place does she occupy in your schemes, Trickster?"
"None; and there lies the problem, I fear. I require her cooperation; but it is doubtful that she will do so of her own free will. On the other hand, if I were to exert a little additional pressure..."
"How dull." Raich yawned theatrically. "Somehow I'd have expected something with a little more...flair."
Loki ignored the comment, sketching a second outline into air.
"This, on the other hand, is Rhiana; a Valkyrie, and a...close friend to Skuld."
Morgall, who until now had been studying the woman's face, smiled grimly at this. "A fighter." The smile became a little more unpleasant. "And a demigoddess. Good. I could use a challenge."
"Unfortunately, it may be a little more difficult than that. Rhiana has currently assumed the wish-granting duties of another Norn, Belldandy, at the Goddess Relief Office...which also means that she has their resources at her disposal."
"No worries." Raich said casually. "Just tell us what you want us to do...and we'll tell you what it'll cost you." The demon's smile joined that of his sister; a crooked, sinister expression. "Rest assured you won't get off lightly."
*****
"Who's next on your list?"
"Just shut up for a minute, will you, Morisato? It's eight in the morning and I'm not what you mortals would call a morning person," Rhiana irritably stabbed at her computer, trying to coax some life out of the frozen screen. The last thing she needed right now was a computer failure--and Kenji's persitent questioning wasn't improving her mood any.
"About time." she muttered under her breath as the file finally opened. She was afraid she was about to resort to banging her monitor or taking it apart. It was the very first one she built out of scrap junk from some mortal junkyard. A big feat, nonetheless, considering the way the parts were messed up in the yard. She studied the file in a thoughtful manner, leaning back against her chair. Kenji had silently sneaked behind her to watch what she was doing and she hadn't noticed.
At least this one was ordinary enough -- Miyabayashi Kimiko, college student currently studying in Sapporo; no previous encounters with immortals or other unusual characteristics. It was almost too good to be true. The satellite feed showed a young woman, curled up in a foetal ball and sound asleep. Her face was buried in a thick volume on molecular biology; discarded ramen cups and indecipherable notes were scattered around her bed.
*Typical student, all right.* she thought. She sighed. Another long day ahead of her.
"Do you immortals indulge in voyeurism all the time?" Kenji's whisper near her ear made her jump.
"Shit! Don't ever sneak up on me like that ever again, Morisato, or I'll borrow Thor's hammer and pound the Hell out of you!" Rhiana exclaimed, trying to calm herself down.
"Sheesh! You told me to be quiet!" Kenji said defensively. He had caught a whiff of Rhiana's perfume and realized it was drawing him to her. By then, of course, it was too late. He had seen the data and realized what Rhiana was looking at. A half-naked and quite beautiful woman sleeping in a..._very_ interesting position.
"Just don't...hey, you pervert! What are you looking at?" Rhiana asked as she realized that Kenji was staring at the screen. She turned her head around towards the screen as well and was pretty taken by the sight. The woman was stretching quite provocatively, obviously waking up from her sleep. It took a few seconds before Rhiana snapped to her senses and bonked Kenji on the head.
"Ow!" Kenji muttered but still keeping his eyes on the screen.
"...Pervert," Rhiana said under her breath as she tried to keep her eyes off the screen as well.
"What about you? You were staring at her too!" Kenji said as the woman moved away from the bed. He had finally gotten his senses back. He didn't realize Rhiana started to blush as well. Rhiana tried to save herself from further humiliation by coming up with a quick explanation for her...somewhat unexpected behavior.
"...So? I'm a woman. We're used to this sort of exposure!" Rhiana said, hoping he would take the explanation. *Mortals don't seem to handle bisexualness easily* she thought.
"Yes, yes. I'm sure. So when are we going to get her wish granted?" Kenji asked, changing the subject.
"Today. If she doesn't get near the phone or there's something wrong with the phone, we approach her ourselves," Rhiana said. More quietly, she added, "Let's hope this one actually _uses_ a phone."
*****
Two hours later, Rhiana set down the phone receiver.
"Doesn't _anyone_ answer their damned phone these days?" she sighed, pulling up Miyabayashi's file on her palmtop. "This is starting to get habit-forming..."
Kenji smiled. The prospect of paying a house call didn't seem that bad, actually.
"And you're staying here." Rhiana added, after a moment's thought.
"What? I thought I was supposed to accompany you _everywhere_." Kenji whined. Rhiana glared at him in exasperation.
"I think it'd be better for all concerned if you sat this one out." She started towards the portal, then turned around again, as if she had forgotten something. "One more thing, Morisato -- in the meantime, do me a favor, and take a cold shower. A nice, long, _cold_ shower."
"Why?"
"It'll help that staring problem of yours, for a start."
"No, I mean...why do I have to stay here?"
"Because I don't want you harrassing our clients, that's why!" Rhiana snapped, perhaps just a little too quickly.
"Not for any other reason?" Kenji asked innocently.
"NO!"
"Are you sure about that?"
Rhiana unconciously flushed red. Had he caught on to her?
"Of course I'm sure, Morisato." Seeing Kenji start to say something, she quickly added, "But if you really want to go..."
"So I can?"
"Provided you shut up and let me do all the talking."
Kenji shrugged. That seemed like a good compromise.
"Okay. Let's go."
*****
"Nice house for a college student." Kenji remarked as they walked up the door. Rhiana nodded in agreement, happy to have him distracted for once. The look on his face was just a little too...smug for her liking. She gave the house the once-around. Kenji was right; it was a rather nice house -- large and airy, with surrounding garden and ornamental fish pond, it had the expensive look that careful design and real estate selection created. Whoever Miyabayashi's parents were, they obviously made enough to live in style.
"Wait outside." Rhiana said, stopping at the front door. "It'll only be a minute."
"But--"
"Morisato, _please_ don't argue....just this once. I've had enough stress for one day."
Kenji was about to argue, but the pleading, worn-out look in Rhiana's eyes made the words die in his mouth. He mutely nodded.
Subsconciously sighing with relief, Rhiana tried the door handle. Unsurprisingly, it was locked. However, for a demi-goddess, this didn't present too much of an obstacle. She pressed one finger over the key slot, whispered a few words under her breath, and focused. There was a tiny click as the tumblers in the lock rearranged themselves, then fell into place. Carefully, Rhiana opened the door and stepped inside.
The interior of the house was pretty much what she'd expected -- a display of wealth, and an obstenaceous one at that; all intricate tapestries and ancient vases, hidden behind layers of bulletproof glass. *Well, _I_ wouldn't mind living here...although it seems a little draughty* she thought, whistling at the cost all of the furniture must have been.
The palmtop displayed that the target, Miyabayashi, was still in the walk-in closet, choosing her outfit. Wherever that was. She tried to make her way up the stairs to the second floor and after a few minutes of endless searching, she realized she was lost in a maze of rooms and halls. Strange. It didn't seem that big from the outside. She pushed some buttons on her palmtop in the hopes of getting a map of the area but evidently the one mainframe had was outdated. There were simply too many rooms, and she didn't know where to go.
*****
Outside the Miyabayashi compound, Kenji was fiddling around and bothering the ornamental trout. If they were real, at least he could feed them. He had a few miscellaneous things up in his pocket. He hoped they liked Cheeze-its. He threw a few pieces in the pond and was puzzled when they stayed on top of the surface and bounced a little.
He decided to test the water and was surprised to find that the surface was solid. He instantly pulled his hand away. There was something strange going on, and it bugged him real bad. He decided to check on Rhiana and looked in the window. Strange. A minute ago, it was fully decorated. Now, it was dark and looked quite ugly. Almost spooky.
Feeling somewhat worried, he backed away from the window and headed to the front door.
*****
There was no doubt about it. She was lost -- completely, utterly, and hopelessly lost.
Everything seemed to be blending together into one endless corridor; and no matter how long she walked for, she always seemed to be arriving back at the beginning; back at the front door.
Was it just her imagination, or was it getting a little darker? She consulted her watch -- five PM.
Strange. Hadn't it been three when they arrived? Kenji must have been worried by now.
Well, that wasn't too much of a problem. Just open the front door, and--
She suddenly was aware of a presence behind her. On instinct, she turned around to find a tall, dark-haired woman, leaning against the wall expectantly.
"Miyabayashi Kimiko?"
"That would be me." the women responded in a cool tone. "I take it you have a good reason for breaking into this house?"
"I've been looking for you..." Rhiana began.
Miyabayashi smiled. Somehow, the expression did not look pleasant at all.
"Well, now I suppose you've found me. What do you want?"
"I'm supposed to grant you a wish...."
"Oh?" Miyabayashi shrugged casually. "That's easy enough. I wish that you would take a nice, long nap...right now. You will continue to sleep until you hear the word 'Ragnarok' -- and not a moment before. Clear?"
"What the hell kind of wish is that?" Rhiana snapped. "You--"
Without warning, Rhiana collapsed on the floor. Above her, Morgall/Miyabayashi Kimiko grinned.
"All too easy."
*****
"Damn. The door won't open. How did she do that trick again?" Kenji asked himself, rattling the doorknob with his barehands. He was a little more than frustrated. He had spent the better half of an hour trying to get inside.
"Maybe there's an open window somewhere...Damn, I feel like a burglar," Kenji muttered to himself as he went around the house grounds to look for exactly that. He noticed a light in one of the rooms and peered in. Rhiana on the ground, with two figures above her. He recognized one as Miyabayashi Kimiko. He couldn't put a name to the other character though, and he watched wide-eyed as they lifted Rhiana by just waving their hands. They were carrying her to another room, one which had no windows.
He looked around to see whether or not he could get in from this side. He looked up. The drain-pipe. There was an open window at the end. *I hope I don't get killed doing this* he thought to himself as he started to climb the drain-pipe as stealthily as he could.
*****
"What was that?"
"Nothing," Morgall hissed, lowering Rhiana to the floor. "Just your overactive imagination, dear brother."
"I could have sworn I heard something...." The demon held out one hand, then focused. A ghostly light suffused his tight grip; when it faded, he was holding a small submachinegun. Its black casing gleamed in the low lighting.
"Well, investigate if you must. I'll stay here."
"Right...." Raich said, slowly starting out the door. He hoped, for his own sake, that it was something. This assignment had been a little too dull for his taste so far. He paused outside the hall, looked around--
Ah. There it was again -- a metallic creaking; quiet enough for most humans to overhear, but threateningly loud in the demon's sensitive ears. He gripped the SMG tighter, and made his way downstairs.
*****
"Shit!!!" Kenji yelled as he nearly fell off the drain pipe. One of his hands (the one that got the Cheez-its out of his pocket a while ago to feed the nonexistent trout) had lost its grip on the drain pipe and he was barely holding on with just one hand. He only had his hands to work with--there were no areas for his feet to grab on. He forced his free hand to grab on the drain pipe again. *Phew! That was a close one!* he thought.
"Well, well, well...what have we here?"
The male voice startled the hell out of Kenji. He didn't dare turn and see who it was, but knew it probably came from the guy in the same room he saw Rhiana in. He held his breath for a long time; the roof of his mouth felt unaccountably dry.
Then a loud meow broke the air. It was followed by a brief burst of gunfire, then a slightly more urgent noise. He heard claws scrabbling across the solid trout pond, and then it was quiet again.
"Just a blasted cat," the male voice hissed. There were a few footsteps on the gravel, then a pause. Kenji froze again. "What the hell are these Cheez-its doing here?" Some more gravel rustled; then there was some protracted crunching. "Still fresh, too."
Slowly, the footsteps receded into the distance again. Kenji inhaled sharply -- but not too sharply. Whatever that guy was packing, he didn't want to be on the receiving end of it. He readied himself for another move up the drain-pipe and gave a small groan as he forced his oxygen-depleted muscles to move up. And move up he did. He felt relieved when he reached the open window and climbed in.
*****
"What was it?" Morgall asked, as her brother entered, finishing off a handful of Cheez-its crumbs.
"Just a cat." Raich mumbled, spraying crumbs. With a loose gesture, he dispelled the SMG and settled down on the floor next to Rhiana's prostrate form. "How's Sleeping Beauty?"
"Still dead to the world. What were you expecting?"
Raich shrugged. "Got me. What are we waiting for?"
"Loki. He wanted to claim his prize...personally." Morgall gave the sleeping Valkyrie a considering look, then smiled. "Too bad."
Suddenly, there was a loud crash of ceramic.
"That's no cat!" Raich hissed, summoning a pair of automatic pistols in mid-lunge. He was already out of the door before his sister could even react.
*****
"Who the hell would put a freaking vase in the middle of the floor?" Kenji muttered to himself. He knew he had to hide and found a hiding space in a box near the door. Within seconds, there were footsteps and the door was banged open. Two pairs of footsteps came in the room and one of them, the heavier one, stepped right in front of the box. Kenji held his breath as he did before, crossing his fingers.
"--what do you think, dear brother?" a female voice asked.
"The window's open...it could have been the wind--"
"There's no wind here, you idiot." There was a pause. "We've got an intruder."
Kenji could see a flash of light from his hiding place, then a steady pulsing sound. It was one of the most unnerving noises he'd heard in a long while.
"I'm picking up a life reading..." the continued said. "Over here."
There was another flash, and then the unmistakable sound of a shotgun being cocked.
"Allow me."
*Ohhhhh, shit.*
"Come out, come out, wherever you are..." the male piped in a singsong voice as he kneeled down in front of the box and gently eased the muzzle into the crack.
Kenji had heard the expression 'down the barrel of a gun' before; but now, with the proverbial barrel hovering inches from his face, he realised just what an appropriate expression it was. At this range, the shells would blast straight through his head -- and keep going. On the other, whoever these two were, they were clearly toying with him. If they wanted him dead, they could have just pumped the box full of lead and saved themselves a lot of trouble.
"He isn't coming out, is he?" the female voice asked.
"Perhaps I shot off a few of his--urk!"
Kenji's nervous energy went critical. His hands shot out around the shotgun's barrel and yanked as hard as he could. The male, caught off-balance, couldn't keep his grip; Kenji quickly turned the weapon around the fired.
"DAMN IT! That was my foot!"
"Can't you do anything right today?" the female voice sighed in exasperation. "Quit whining and get out of my way! I'm going to take care of him."
"Oh no you're not!" Kenji said as he aimed the gun at the direction of the voice, cocked it, and fired.
*****
"Rhiana...C'mon, wake up. Rhiana...Shit. How am I supposed to wake her up?" Kenji asked himself. "I wish Skuld was here. _She's_ the smart one. I wonder how I'm going to get out of this crazy house now without waking up the freaky twins."
As he said those last few words, he glanced to the side and looked at the view before him. He sighed. It was a lucky shot. He had accidentally shot the chandelier off and it fell on top of the twins, unceremoniously knocking them out.
"Oh well. I guess I'd better get us a place to stay in case you wake up," he said, lifting her over his shoulders. He had expected her to be a little heavier, but the less weight on his shoulders, the better. He had a ways to go before he reached the main road.
*****
"You know what, Rhiana, you're not getting any lighter. You might want to wake up now and help me...by walking!" Kenji grumbled. He shifted his weight a little due to how Rhiana was positioned, and realized that he had never held another girl his age quite so close. He blushed.
"Damn it, if it weren't for Skuld, I would've..."
He had to pause for a moment to catch his breath, gently lowering the weight on his back to the ground. Rhiana more or less slid onto the pavement, completely motionless except for the rhymatic rise and fall of her chest.
Kenji looked around. The street seemed to stretch out endlessly in both directions; at both sides, a hundred replicas of the Miyabayashi estate were lined up next to one another, as far as the eye could see.
"Rhiana...I could really use your help right now..."
*****
There was a tinkle of broken crystal, then a long, drawn-out curse.
"This is not the way things were supposed to go." Morgall groaned, rubbing her temples delicately. Even for a demon, being hit by a hundred-pound chandelier was not a fun experience.
"It's going to take hours to regenerate that." Raich muttered as he righted himself and looking mournfully at the remains of his foot. "That was real leather, too."
"Stop worrying about your footwear and start worrying about what will happen if we don't get those two back by the time Loki shows up."
Raich pushed the rest of the chandelier off of his sister's body, then stretched luxuriantly, shaking the last few shards of glass out of his clothes.
"No hurry, sister dear. As long as the Valkyrie is unconcious, that brat is going to be trapped here -- and there's only so many places he can hide."
"Well, he'd better pray he can find a place to hide." the female demon hissed as she gingerly ran her fingers over a particularly nasty laceration. The wound was already healing. "Because when I find him, he'll be wishing he'd never been born."
There was a bright flash of light--
*****
"Rhiana! Wake up! I can't carry you like this forever! What if they catch us?" Kenji asked, shaking Rhiana. She seemed oblivious to all the noise he was making and slept on. Kenji sighed and carried her as he would a drunken man. *I should have lifted more weights or something...Something tells me I'm not very fit* he thought miserably as his muscles ached.
He heard something. It was just a little noise, but it made him paranoid enough to make a dash for the nearest Miyabayashi-look-alike estate and hide behind one of the bushes. *This is one weird place. Don't the people get bored of the design?* he asked himself. Then he realized something. He hadn't seen a soul ever since he had arrived. *Where _was_ everyone?* he wondered. The only other living things here were the trout--and that cat...
Before he could press the point further, the sound of crunching gravel made him start involuntarily.
*What the hell?*
crunch
There it was again...a little louder; a little closer. Keeping a protective hand wrapped around Rhiana's wrist, he cocked the shotgun and waited with bated breath, hoping...
crunch
crunch
*What kind of noise is that? Sounds like something really, really heavy...*
CRUNCH!
Tiny pebbles flew in all directions, pelting him mercilessly -- then silence, save for a persistent humming, very close to his bush and growing louder all the time. Gathering all of his courage, Kenji carefully raised the shotgun and peered between the foliage--
*Oh, _SHIT_.*
"Well, well. Looks like we caught our intruder, dear brother."
Kenji managed a stupid little grin; not the easiest of feats in the face of 150 tons of armored fighting power. Strangely enough, he didn't feel afraid: he was afraid when he was clinging onto the drainpipe for his dear life, with a crazed, gun-toting demon waiting only meters below. This, on the other hand, was...unreal.
Somewhere, in the midst of assorted devices of death and destruction, a small hatch popped open, revealing the thoughtful face of the male demon.
"In hindsight, I think the mecha might have been overdoing it a bit." he commented as he gave Kenji the once-over.
"Shut up, brother." the female snarled, emerging from her own armored shell to glare at him with undisguised hatred, over the barrel of a weapon that looked large enough to level a city block. "You little bastard. You dropped a chandelier on my head. Do you have any idea how much that hurts?"
"Ease off the trigger, sis." the male cautioned. "We need her alive."
"Don't worry. A few limbs more or less won't make too much of a difference. Besides...this is personal."
Kenji took a deep breath, grin slowly widening into a rictus. On one hand, he had a shotgun, which looked like it wouldn't even scratch the paintjobs on the two mecha in front of him. On the other hand, the twins had enough firepower to lay waste to a sizable megalopolis. Either way he looked at it, he was well and truly screwed.
"I don't suppose we could talk about this...?" There was a dull 'click' as another couple of weapons were pointed in his general direction. "I guess not."
The male was speaking.
"All right, mortal. Drop the weapon, stand up, and come out into the open. Otherwise...I can't be held responsible for what she might do to you."
Kenji started to rise; but then froze. Somewhere in his panicked hindbrain, a plan had appeared; not a pleasant one, but he was all out of options.
"Sorry, Rhiana." he whispered. Then he rose up, shotgun pressed against the Valkyrie's temple. "ALL RIGHT! NO SUDDEN MOVES, OR THE GIRL GETS IT!" *Where the hell did I get _that_ from?* he wondered in the privacy of his own head. *Too many action movies...*
The female's voice dropped to an angry whisper.
"You wouldn't."
"Believe me, I really don't want to do this. But you two haven't given me a lot of options."
"We could reduce you to a fine red mist at this range, you know." the male said conversationally.
"And her, too." Kenji shot back.
"What do you want?"
"You're going to bargain with him?" the female demanded.
"What would you rather do, sis? Vaporise both of them and then have to explain the mess to Loki afterwards?"
"Well..."
"Okay, listen up." Kenji cut in. "Here's what I want. You've put her to sleep...somehow. I want you to wake her up now."
There was a long, tense pause. Male and female exchanged a glance.
Then the female sighed, head hanging in defeat.
"All right...you win. Ragnarok."
Rhiana's eyes flickered for a moment, then snapped open.
"...Kenji? Where...am I? What happened?" There was a pause as she took in the situation for the first time. "_Why the hell are you waving that shotgun in my face_?"
"It's a long story." Kenji sighed. "And I don't think these two are going to wait patiently while I tell it to you. How do we get out of here?"
"There's a portal back at the entrance to the house..."
Kenji gently pushed the shotgun against her back, then nodded.
"Lead the way."
****
The two Gillains watched soberly as the portal sealed up again, leaving nothing but empty space behind. The recriminations started two seconds later.
"Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!" Morgall poked one armored finger angrily at her brother. "This all your fault, you brainless wonder!"
"My fault? Let me tell you, 'sis'..."
A loud meow interrupted their argument. Raich swung around, bringing all of his weapons systems to bear on the small, furred shape sitting in the middle of the road.
"It's that damn cat again. Just you wait--"
Morgall forcefully yanked her brother out of the way before he had the chance to fire, pulled open his canopy, and smacked him across the face with one powered fist. There was a brief crunch of bone.
"You shut up and settle down, you trigger-happy little--"
A flicker of light caught her eye; she turned to find the cat's outline slowly beginning to shimmer. Seconds later, Loki stood before them, face fixed in one of his characteristics scowl. The demons stared at him, equal parts flushed and angry.
"If only I'd aimed a little better the first time..." Raich sighed.
"I see you managed to fail miserably, despite your much-vaunted powers."
"Because you didn't give us correct information, Loki." Morgall hissed. "We weren't anticipating the...boy. If you'd told us--!"
"One little boy against two fully-grown demons? Please."
If looks could kill, Morgall's carried a small atom bomb's worth of pure hatred. Raich watched her worriedly; the last thing he needed right now was for his sister to lose her temper and try to take on a full-fledged God in combat.
"It was his plan, anyway. It was bound to fail." he said in a soothing tone, trying to defuse his sister before she exploded altogether.
"On the other hand--" Loki began.
"SHUT UP! We were doing fine before you were stupid enough to give him a weapon and let him shoot you in the foot! None of this would have happened if you'd done your job and shot the little bastard when you had the chance instead eating those damn Cheez-its!"
"If you would--" Loki tried to interject.
"It's not my fault you were too busy fawning over our captive to help me track that little vomit stain down...sis." Raich snarled, his own patience at an end.
"FAWNING?"
"YES! FAWNING!"
"Could you just--"
"SHUT UP!" both demons shouted in unison.
Loki rolled his eyes, then snapped two fingers. Particles of light scattered, formed into tangible cords, and wrapped around the bickering demons, forcibly yanking them around to face him.
"I'm at heart a kind and forgiving person...as such, I will give you two a second chance to prove yourselves. As it happens, I've noticed some interesting...subtleties in the interactions between our two troublemakers -- ones which we could use to lay another trap." He paused for emphasis. "Provided you two don't screw it up again."
"Don't worry." Morgall growled. "That little bastard isn't going to get by us a second time."
"Good. Now, here's the plan..."
***** END OF PART 1 *****
FOOTNOTES
Final comments!: Here we go again...another cliff-hanger, just to get you all prepped up for the next part of 'An Innocent Wish.' Kudos to Feir for agreeing to write this interlude with me! I still have no idea how long it's going to be but it hopefully won't be longer than 3 parts. We'll just have to see.--02/06/99
*****
'Till next time, au revoir!