Part II
To Sleep, Perchance to Dream
To Dream, Perchance to Die
Chapter 6
Dark Clouds
Ranma awoke well after when his father usually wakes him up. He sat up and groaned. His body felt like it had gone ten rounds with a semi and lost. He stood and made his way to the bathroom. It was unoccupied and he was quick to make use of that. He could clearly remember the events of the previous day and he remembered that though they talked a long time last night, nothing definite had been accomplished.
He staggered down the stairs and saw that breakfast was almost over. He shuffled to the table and noticed that Kasumi gave him an odd look and then blushed. He shook his head, dismissing the look and any implications it might have. He saw that Happosai was not at the table, but he again dismissed the thought. All he could really think of was the food on the table, what little there was left. He sat down painfully, and dug in with more than his usual appetite.
"How. You. Doin'. This. Mornin'. Son?" his father asked him between bites of food. His father wasn't one to let conversation interfere with food, or vice versa.
"I'm doin' pretty good, Pop," Ranma replied after he had swallowed his mouthful. At least he was polite enough to say a full sentence between bites. "I'm sore as hell, though. Feel like I've been used as a practice dummy." His father grunted as Ranma continued eating.
"And what about him?" This from Nabiki. Everyone knew which "him" she referred to. Kasumi blushed again, for some reason Ranma didn't feel like guessing at.
"He's still asleep," Ranma said after a moment of thought. "I can barely hear him snoring." He looked around the table again, and saw that Akane was missing as well. "Hey, where's Akane?"
"Kuno-baby escorted her to school this morning," Nabiki said, using her pet name for the idiot swordsman. "We decided that she should go to school to help support the story that you fell ill and are still ill. Besides, it's raining outside."
Kuno took Akane to school. This thought would usually really piss Ranma off, but he had much bigger things on his mind at the moment, and he figured that Akane could take care of herself. He reapplied himself to eating until the bottomless pit in his stomach wasn't quite so bottomless.
He sat back and sighed, content for the moment. A thoughtful look crossed his face.
"Where's Happosai?" he asked. Genma and Soun had retired to the living room for a game of shougi, and Nabiki had gone to her room, probably to pick out which pictures of Akane she'd sell to Kuno. Kasumi had been steadfast in her avoidance of looking at Ranma until he spoke to her. She looked up, startled and blushed again. Ranma made a mental note to ask about that sometime later.
"He left early this morning, before everyone woke up," Kasumi said quietly. She looked down at the table and continued. "He said he needed to look up some things at a monastery and said he'd be back by dinner time." She cleared the dishes off of the table quickly and hurried into the kitchen, a confused look on her face.
Ranma shrugged away Kasumi's strange behavior and sighed. "Dammit," he muttered. "When I really want to talk to the old letch, he ain't here."
*****
The summoner awoke in a better mood than he had the last time. He looked around his cramped little room and smiled. Soon he would have absolute power and immortality. He chuckled to himself at the thought. He had much to do before he could summon the imp again and he had little time to do it in. He would need to reinforce his circle before the summoning, and he'd need a fitting gift for whatever the imp brought with it.
He thought for a moment and an idea occurred to him that was just too delicious for him to pass up. He sprang from his bed and hurried through the pastry shop, which was already opened for business, and descended into his summoning chamber. Once there, he poured through his various tomes and compendiums until he found the incantation he wanted. He immediately went to work.
An hour or so later, he was prepared. He raised his arms and started his chant. The chant was similar to the one he used to summon the imp, but it was subtly different. It was a summons, but it didn't summon a creature from the netherworld, instead it summoned a creature from a different plane of existence. The spell was used to summon a mirror shade, a creature that was neither dead or alive, but was something in between. Similar to zombies, but much better in their mode of transportation. Mirror shades could only be seen in, and travel through, mirrors. Thus the name. They were used mostly as assassins by those who want the deed done but don't want the trouble of doing it or getting caught because of it.
He had the perfect gift in mind for his new fiend. A week or so ago, this uppity rich-bitch had come into his shop and told him, and everyone there that his éclairs tasted like pig droppings. It had hurt his reputation because she was a chit of importance around the area and he still nursed the grudge against her. He would kill two birds with one stone, or kill one bitch with two demons, as the case may be.
The mirror shade appeared in the mirror the summoner had set in the circle. It was a roughly humanoid darkening in the reflection in the mirror, hardly detectible unless one was looking for it. He smiled viciously as he thought of the exquisite pain the girl would feel at the hands of the demons.
"Go, and bring me Kodachi Kuno," he told the shade. "Bring me her alive and unharmed, and I will reward you with the soul of an innocent." If the shade could have looked eager, it would have. It was a rare thing for a mortal to offer so much for so little a task.
The shade disappeared and the summoner smiled again. This was going to be a good day. He had the perfect innocent in mind, too. This boy had been working in the shop for two months now, and had botched every task he had been set to. And the boy was an orphan. It was almost as if fate had decreed that these things were to come together at the same time just for him to utilize in the realization of his dreams.
*****
Kodachi leaned forward to see her reflection better. Her makeup was a disaster after coming into the school in the rain. That useless idiot of a brother of hers had held the door and the umbrella for the tomboy, but not for her. The only one she had to rely on then was Sansuke, and he was much too short to keep the umbrella over her head while carrying her things. Sometimes he was useless, but he and her brother were all she had left of her parents. So she had to suffer as the rain ruined her makeup and her hair.
She sighed in exasperation as she reapplied her lipstick. If this was how the day started, she dreaded to think of what the rest of it would be like. And her darling was at home sick! She would be there this very instant if Kuno hadn't forbade her from doing it. Not that she listened to her brother all that much, but he seemed strangely adamant about it this time, so she had decided to do as he said.
The mirrors in the restrooms of the school was truly atrocious, but it was the best she could do. She couldn't very well reapply all of her makeup using nothing but the compact in her purse, now could she?
And what was that thing in the mirror? Was it some sort of blemish in it? It was a darker spot in the mirror. She leaned closer to look at it better. It looked almost human-like.
She didn't have a chance to scream as the mirror shade's arms snaked out of the mirror and yanked her in. No-one really missed Kodachi for quite some time and by the time they did, it was far, far too late.
*****
Sorosuke lay on the ground, unconscious, but unharmed. He would be perfect for the mirror shade. The summoner chuckled as he looked down on the boy. It would be fun to watch the shade play with him, but he didn't have time for such amusements right now. He paced around the room, waiting for the shade, when the mirror rang like a bell. It was the shade's way of saying it was there.
He ran towards the circle just in time to see Kodachi come tumbling out of the mirror in a sobbing heap. Apparently, it was unpleasant to travel with a mirror shade through a mirror.
Like the tinkling of glass shards, the mirror shade spoke. "My payment?"
"Yes, yes," he grabbed the boy by the back of his shirt and drug him towards the mirror. "You have done better than I expected, shade. If I should need you in the future, I would know your name so that I may summon you again."
"Call the summons, and I shall come. Only I." The shade's arms reached out of the mirror and grabbed the boy. The shade bowed and disappeared. The boy was never seen in the mortal realm again.
Kodachi was still sobbing and almost insensible when the summoner hauled her up and shackled her to the wall. She was kind of pretty, he had to admit, in a sadistic, "I get my way all the time" kind of way. He casually ripped her uniform off and violently yanked off her undergarments. These he threw into a nearby brazier, a new addition to his summoning chamber. It often got damp in there and a brazier kept the dampness at bay better than the torches.
She still sobbed as the summoner looked her up and down. He liked what he saw, and he debated on whether or not he had the time to indulge in a little amusement before he had to prepare for the summoning of Ickzil and it's allies. Her crying was distracting, and rather unappealing, though. He reached out a hand casually backhanded her across the mouth. Her head rocked back and she snapped an angry glare at her jailor.
"Ah, are we coherent now?" he asked her in heavily accented Japanese.
"Let me down," she demanded. She didn't seem to realize the predicament she was in.
He seemed to think about it for a moment before saying no. She didn't take that too well. She was still screaming insults and threats at the man five minutes later when he got tired of it. Another backhand rocked her head. A small trickle of blood flowed from the corner of her mouth. She growled at him. All of this interaction had killed any desire for her he might have harbored. He just hoped that the demons Ickzil brought with it liked their gift spirited.
He placed a screen in front of her and went to work on strengthening his circle. It would need all of the added strength he could give it to bind more than one or two demons to his will.
*****
Happosai looked up at the gates to the monastery. It was a few miles outside of Nerima and barely anyone knew of it. It was one of the monasteries that had become lost to time, one of those places where the past still lived in the present. He could feel the weight of the ages in it's stones and wood. It was almost like coming home after being away for awhile. He could feels the tranquility of the place, even outside of it's large wooden doors.
This was a place of peace and serenity, a place where no violence had ever been perpetrated and it was unlikely that any would ever be. It was almost the personification of peace. The monks who lived here rarely spoke, though they didn't take a vow of silence. They just chose not to disturb the peace with unnecessary noise. He could appreciate that.
He pushed on the large doors and they swung inward on well oiled, silent hinges. The courtyard of the monastery was silent and large. It had everything one would expect from a monastery, a rock garden, a small tranquil fountain, some trees and a few other miscellaneous things. Happosai ignored these things as he made his way towards the monastery proper. He nodded to the few monks he saw, and they nodded back, ignoring his presence. They were used to the unexpected appearance of strangers within their walls. It took a lot to startle these monks.
Inside the main building, Happosai made his way towards the library. This monastery boasted one of the best libraries in the world, well, it would boast it if more than a handful of non-monks knew about it. The library took up most of the first floor, and was stacked from floor to ceiling with bookshelves containing books of all shapes, sizes and languages. It was a treasure trove to the knowledge hunters, but it was also unorganized. He sighed as he realized the scope of the task before him, but he didn't let that deter him. He needed to find some clue and this was as good a place as any he could think of. He dropped his pack and started his monumental task.
*****
Ranma stood in the dojo of the Tendo house, exercising slowly to relieve his body of it's soreness and stiffness. It was a long process. He had been in the dojo for a couple of hours, trying to make himself feel a bit better, and he did, a little anyways. He couldn't really concentrate on the exercise because his mind kept coming back to the fact that he had a strange man stuck in his head. A man he couldn't even come close to trusting, on top of that. He tried to think of various ways to get him out of his head, but nothing short of cracking his skull with a big rock seemed like a good way.
He sighed as he slowly worked the kinks out of his body. His legs were in better shape now, and he was working on his back when Nabiki came into the dojo. She stood in the doorway and watched him work. He didn't know why, and at this point in time, he couldn't have cared less. It seemed like his world was falling down around him. It was not a pleasant thought.
He hated to admit it, but he honestly wanted to talk to Happosai. He's seen things that were stranger than this. He had to have some idea of what to do. But no, the old lech had run off to some monastery. He probably ran off to torment some young ladies and steal their underwear.
He looked up and saw that Nabiki wasn't in the doorway anymore. He shrugged and continued to stretch and warm up his muscles. It was a boring thing to do, but he really didn't have anything else to do.
You could go read a book, Daniel said. Ranma jumped.
"I thought you were still asleep," he said. It felt strange to talk to himself and get answers that weren't his.
I was until about five minutes ago, came Daniel's slightly groggy response. You think you've got nothing better to do than work the kinks out, but you could always go and read a book. I would recommend some authors, but I don't know if their works have been translated into Japanese.
"Thanks, but I'm not much of a reader."
So I've noticed. All you really like doing is fighting, don't' you?
"I like doing other things, it's just that I'm good at fighting. I don't know if I like to do it, it's just what I'm good at."
You should become good at doing other things. You definitely need to work on your people skills. They are sorely lacking.
"What do ya mean by that?" Already his guest was starting to annoy Ranma.
I mean that you are too abrupt and short with people. You don't take the time to try to win them to your side, or give them a chance to form cohesive responses to your monosyllabic queries and you need to start thinking before you speak. Your rashness in conversation is one of the main reasons you end up in so much trouble with Akane. She's fairly smart and knows pretty well when your lying or being evasive, neither of which your good at.
Ranma looked at the wall of the dojo, completely at a loss. He didn't know why what the man said should have hit him like it did, but he was almost stunned. He knew he was rash when it came to talking and that he very, very rarely thought before he spoke. He also knew that it was a never-ending source of contention between him and Akane. He knew all of this, but to have it put to bluntly to him made it all the more clear.
"I just ain't good at stoppin' and thinkin'," he said to the floor.
I know, but I am. I can help you in this department, if you want. I ask for nothing in return, well I take that back. There is one thing I'd like.
Immediately Ranma was suspicious. "Yeah? What's that?"
I want one of those okonomiyaki that I've read so much about.
"Huh?"
Yeah. I am willing to help you reign in your rashness if you'll get me one of those okonomiyaki. I think it's a pretty simple and easy request. And a bargain, as well.
"Wait. Okay, let me get this straight. You are going to help me just for one of Ucchan's specialties?"
That pretty much sums it up, yeah.
Ranma laughed. It was the first real laugh he'd had in what seemed like years. "Okay," he said. "You've got a deal."
Good then. Ranma could hear the smile in his voice, but he didn't know that it wasn't a pleasant smile. Not a pleasant smile at all.
*****
Nabiki sat in her room and thought. There had to be a way to make this profitable, she thought. She was the reason that the Tendo family ate, or had a place to sleep, or any of that. She was the source of money for the family and because she took on such a responsibility, she had to become harder to the world. Unfortunately, for her, it was mostly a façade.
This Daniel intrigued her, she had to admit. The callous way he dealt with people and then swayed them back towards him had impressed Nabiki. She could do that same thing, to a smaller degree and she'd like to be able to do it better. He also scared her, she had to admit as well. The way he went from calm and cool to willing to kill someone in the blink of any eye was too much for her.
He would need watching, she decided. Both of them, Ranma and Daniel. There were just too many opportunities for trouble with Ranma, but if you added Daniel's volatility to the mix, then a normally dangerous situation becomes deadly real quick.
She sighed and picked through the latest batch of Akane pictures. She'd have to pick just the right ones if she wanted to demand the price she wanted from Kuno-baby.
*****
He saw her standing near a window, looking at how the rain disrupted the puddles. He crossed the lunchroom, waving away his usual sycophants in the process, to stand behind her. She didn't seem to notice. He supposed her mind was still dwelling on what happened last night. Heaven knows that his is. He was about to speak when the sound of Akane's name being called caused her to turn and notice him for the first time. Instead of the look of annoyance she usually gave him, she smiled up at him with gratitude. He wasn't quite sure why.
He turned toward the direction her name had been called and saw Ukyou coming across the lunch room, much the same way he had. He backed off a step or two as Ukyou approached Akane. They started talking, Ukyou asking about Ranma and Akane telling the story she was told to tell. He could tell she wanted to tell the other girl the truth, but she knew better. Ukyou kept glancing at him at strangely. He supposed it was because he looked like he hadn't slept, which he hadn't.
He heard someone call his name and he turned to see one of his sycophants rushing towards him. He sighed wearily. He didn't want to deal with them today, but it seemed as though he had no choice. The younger boy came up to him red faced and breathing heavily.
"Kuno-san," he said breathlessly. Kuno looked at him, he didn't say anything, he just looked. The younger boy paused a moment to regain his breath.
"Kuno-san, your sister," he began attain. Kuno rolled his eyes. Who had Kodachi almost killed this time, and how much would it cost to keep it quiet, he wondered. "Your sister is missing."
He stared at the younger boy for a long time, the meaning of his words not quite sinking in. Finally, after an indeterminate amount of time, he spoke.
"My sister, what?" He sounded distant, as if not fully there or fully awake.
"Your sister has disappeared. They found all of her things in the women's room near the front doors. They also found one of her shoes in front of the sink, and that's it. We've searched the school for you, but we haven't found her."
Slowly, ever so slowly, it sunk into Kuno's head what the younger boy was saying. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and he turned to see Akane's sympathetic face. Tears stood unshed in her eyes. He smiled wanly at her and then burst into motion, running for the doors to the lunchroom.
*****
The doorway to the women's room was taped off and there were police standing around it, keeping the other student's at bay. He stood in front of the tape and he felt his skin crawl. It was a strange sensation, feeling one's skin crawl for no apparent reason. Well, there was plenty of reason, but none that would make his skin crawl. He guessed that if he had seen the interior of the women's room, he might have had ample reason, but he couldn't so he didn't.
He was in shock when he saw a policeman bringing his sister's shoe out of the lavatory in a plastic bag marked "evidence". He couldn't function, although an officer was asking him questions, since one of the other students pointed him out as being Kodachi's brother. The questions meant nothing to him, but he knew he had to answer them. It was just too bad that he had forgotten how to speak. The officer seemed to understand this, and sympathize somewhat, as he stopped asking questions and went away.
He felt a hand on each of his shoulders and he saw Akane on his right and Ukyou on his left. He was comforted by their presence, although they didn't get rid of the shock. They started pulling him away from the tape and the police and the source of the odd skin crawling sensation he had been feeling. He didn't know where they were going, and surprisingly, he didn't care.
*****
Cologne looked up as the bell above the door rang. Her expression was cross until she saw who it was and the expressions on their faces. Akane, Ukyou and Kuno walked in, all drenched from the short distance from the curb to the doorway. They all had somber expressions on their faces and Kuno's face had a disturbing vacant look on it that made Cologne think of someone who's mind wasn't there anymore.
She jumped off the counter and hurried to them, carrying towels she had grabbed from behind the counter. She handed the towels to them and led them to a table without a word. The Nekohanten was closed for the day, so no-one else was in. She had sent Mousse and Shampoo out on errands and didn't expect them for awhile.
After they were situated, she ran back into the kitchen to start a kettle for tea. She returned to the table with some small sandwiches she had hurriedly whipped up. She stood on her staff and watched as they ate listlessly and without speaking, although Akane and Ukyou had given her grateful expressions for the sandwiches.
"Okay," Cologne said after they had eaten and she had brought the tea out. "What's wrong?"
Akane and Ukyou looked at each other and Akane nodded. Kuno sat there, staring at nothing. Slowly, Akane told her of what happened over the last few hours, and surprisingly, she found herself telling the old woman what had happened yesterday, all of it and not just the cover story. Ukyou's eyes got wide when the truth came out and she had a slightly hurt expression on her face as Akane told the whole truth.
"Son-in-law is possessed?" Cologne demanded. She knew that intense hatred she had felt the day before had been a completely bad thing.
"Well, sorta," Akane said slowly. "From what he said, Daniel was put into Ranma's head as a punishment for something. I get the feeling he doesn't like any of us, but he seems to respect Kasumi and Nabiki. Except for the whole thing with Genma, Kuno and the imp, he was polite and civil, but it was obvious he trying to hold onto his patience."
"I want to meet this Daniel," Cologne said after a moment of silence. "I think I need to speak with him." Ukyou voiced her agreement, although hers was slightly more forceful and she cut her eyes spitefully at Akane.
"He scares me, Cologne," Akane said in a small voice. "He scares me worse than anything I've ever experienced." She shuddered at the memory of having those eyes, like twin pools of seething rage, pointed at her.
She looked at Kuno, who had contributed nothing to the conversation. He still had that vacant, there/not there look on his face. "Call him and have him come here," she said to Akane. "Use the phone in the back."
After Akane left, Cologne turned her eyes on Ukyou. She seemed to be trying to digest what had been told to them, and she was trying to deal with what she saw as a betrayal of trust. The old woman laid her hand on top of the younger woman's.
"Do not let it bother you," Cologne said softly. "You were deceived for a reason, and do not doubt she would have tried to lie to me, as well, if she weren't so distressed." Ukyou nodded and smiled wanly. Akane came back in and joined them shortly thereafter.
"He's on his way."
To Sleep, Perchance to Dream
To Dream, Perchance to Die
Chapter 6
Dark Clouds
Ranma awoke well after when his father usually wakes him up. He sat up and groaned. His body felt like it had gone ten rounds with a semi and lost. He stood and made his way to the bathroom. It was unoccupied and he was quick to make use of that. He could clearly remember the events of the previous day and he remembered that though they talked a long time last night, nothing definite had been accomplished.
He staggered down the stairs and saw that breakfast was almost over. He shuffled to the table and noticed that Kasumi gave him an odd look and then blushed. He shook his head, dismissing the look and any implications it might have. He saw that Happosai was not at the table, but he again dismissed the thought. All he could really think of was the food on the table, what little there was left. He sat down painfully, and dug in with more than his usual appetite.
"How. You. Doin'. This. Mornin'. Son?" his father asked him between bites of food. His father wasn't one to let conversation interfere with food, or vice versa.
"I'm doin' pretty good, Pop," Ranma replied after he had swallowed his mouthful. At least he was polite enough to say a full sentence between bites. "I'm sore as hell, though. Feel like I've been used as a practice dummy." His father grunted as Ranma continued eating.
"And what about him?" This from Nabiki. Everyone knew which "him" she referred to. Kasumi blushed again, for some reason Ranma didn't feel like guessing at.
"He's still asleep," Ranma said after a moment of thought. "I can barely hear him snoring." He looked around the table again, and saw that Akane was missing as well. "Hey, where's Akane?"
"Kuno-baby escorted her to school this morning," Nabiki said, using her pet name for the idiot swordsman. "We decided that she should go to school to help support the story that you fell ill and are still ill. Besides, it's raining outside."
Kuno took Akane to school. This thought would usually really piss Ranma off, but he had much bigger things on his mind at the moment, and he figured that Akane could take care of herself. He reapplied himself to eating until the bottomless pit in his stomach wasn't quite so bottomless.
He sat back and sighed, content for the moment. A thoughtful look crossed his face.
"Where's Happosai?" he asked. Genma and Soun had retired to the living room for a game of shougi, and Nabiki had gone to her room, probably to pick out which pictures of Akane she'd sell to Kuno. Kasumi had been steadfast in her avoidance of looking at Ranma until he spoke to her. She looked up, startled and blushed again. Ranma made a mental note to ask about that sometime later.
"He left early this morning, before everyone woke up," Kasumi said quietly. She looked down at the table and continued. "He said he needed to look up some things at a monastery and said he'd be back by dinner time." She cleared the dishes off of the table quickly and hurried into the kitchen, a confused look on her face.
Ranma shrugged away Kasumi's strange behavior and sighed. "Dammit," he muttered. "When I really want to talk to the old letch, he ain't here."
*****
The summoner awoke in a better mood than he had the last time. He looked around his cramped little room and smiled. Soon he would have absolute power and immortality. He chuckled to himself at the thought. He had much to do before he could summon the imp again and he had little time to do it in. He would need to reinforce his circle before the summoning, and he'd need a fitting gift for whatever the imp brought with it.
He thought for a moment and an idea occurred to him that was just too delicious for him to pass up. He sprang from his bed and hurried through the pastry shop, which was already opened for business, and descended into his summoning chamber. Once there, he poured through his various tomes and compendiums until he found the incantation he wanted. He immediately went to work.
An hour or so later, he was prepared. He raised his arms and started his chant. The chant was similar to the one he used to summon the imp, but it was subtly different. It was a summons, but it didn't summon a creature from the netherworld, instead it summoned a creature from a different plane of existence. The spell was used to summon a mirror shade, a creature that was neither dead or alive, but was something in between. Similar to zombies, but much better in their mode of transportation. Mirror shades could only be seen in, and travel through, mirrors. Thus the name. They were used mostly as assassins by those who want the deed done but don't want the trouble of doing it or getting caught because of it.
He had the perfect gift in mind for his new fiend. A week or so ago, this uppity rich-bitch had come into his shop and told him, and everyone there that his éclairs tasted like pig droppings. It had hurt his reputation because she was a chit of importance around the area and he still nursed the grudge against her. He would kill two birds with one stone, or kill one bitch with two demons, as the case may be.
The mirror shade appeared in the mirror the summoner had set in the circle. It was a roughly humanoid darkening in the reflection in the mirror, hardly detectible unless one was looking for it. He smiled viciously as he thought of the exquisite pain the girl would feel at the hands of the demons.
"Go, and bring me Kodachi Kuno," he told the shade. "Bring me her alive and unharmed, and I will reward you with the soul of an innocent." If the shade could have looked eager, it would have. It was a rare thing for a mortal to offer so much for so little a task.
The shade disappeared and the summoner smiled again. This was going to be a good day. He had the perfect innocent in mind, too. This boy had been working in the shop for two months now, and had botched every task he had been set to. And the boy was an orphan. It was almost as if fate had decreed that these things were to come together at the same time just for him to utilize in the realization of his dreams.
*****
Kodachi leaned forward to see her reflection better. Her makeup was a disaster after coming into the school in the rain. That useless idiot of a brother of hers had held the door and the umbrella for the tomboy, but not for her. The only one she had to rely on then was Sansuke, and he was much too short to keep the umbrella over her head while carrying her things. Sometimes he was useless, but he and her brother were all she had left of her parents. So she had to suffer as the rain ruined her makeup and her hair.
She sighed in exasperation as she reapplied her lipstick. If this was how the day started, she dreaded to think of what the rest of it would be like. And her darling was at home sick! She would be there this very instant if Kuno hadn't forbade her from doing it. Not that she listened to her brother all that much, but he seemed strangely adamant about it this time, so she had decided to do as he said.
The mirrors in the restrooms of the school was truly atrocious, but it was the best she could do. She couldn't very well reapply all of her makeup using nothing but the compact in her purse, now could she?
And what was that thing in the mirror? Was it some sort of blemish in it? It was a darker spot in the mirror. She leaned closer to look at it better. It looked almost human-like.
She didn't have a chance to scream as the mirror shade's arms snaked out of the mirror and yanked her in. No-one really missed Kodachi for quite some time and by the time they did, it was far, far too late.
*****
Sorosuke lay on the ground, unconscious, but unharmed. He would be perfect for the mirror shade. The summoner chuckled as he looked down on the boy. It would be fun to watch the shade play with him, but he didn't have time for such amusements right now. He paced around the room, waiting for the shade, when the mirror rang like a bell. It was the shade's way of saying it was there.
He ran towards the circle just in time to see Kodachi come tumbling out of the mirror in a sobbing heap. Apparently, it was unpleasant to travel with a mirror shade through a mirror.
Like the tinkling of glass shards, the mirror shade spoke. "My payment?"
"Yes, yes," he grabbed the boy by the back of his shirt and drug him towards the mirror. "You have done better than I expected, shade. If I should need you in the future, I would know your name so that I may summon you again."
"Call the summons, and I shall come. Only I." The shade's arms reached out of the mirror and grabbed the boy. The shade bowed and disappeared. The boy was never seen in the mortal realm again.
Kodachi was still sobbing and almost insensible when the summoner hauled her up and shackled her to the wall. She was kind of pretty, he had to admit, in a sadistic, "I get my way all the time" kind of way. He casually ripped her uniform off and violently yanked off her undergarments. These he threw into a nearby brazier, a new addition to his summoning chamber. It often got damp in there and a brazier kept the dampness at bay better than the torches.
She still sobbed as the summoner looked her up and down. He liked what he saw, and he debated on whether or not he had the time to indulge in a little amusement before he had to prepare for the summoning of Ickzil and it's allies. Her crying was distracting, and rather unappealing, though. He reached out a hand casually backhanded her across the mouth. Her head rocked back and she snapped an angry glare at her jailor.
"Ah, are we coherent now?" he asked her in heavily accented Japanese.
"Let me down," she demanded. She didn't seem to realize the predicament she was in.
He seemed to think about it for a moment before saying no. She didn't take that too well. She was still screaming insults and threats at the man five minutes later when he got tired of it. Another backhand rocked her head. A small trickle of blood flowed from the corner of her mouth. She growled at him. All of this interaction had killed any desire for her he might have harbored. He just hoped that the demons Ickzil brought with it liked their gift spirited.
He placed a screen in front of her and went to work on strengthening his circle. It would need all of the added strength he could give it to bind more than one or two demons to his will.
*****
Happosai looked up at the gates to the monastery. It was a few miles outside of Nerima and barely anyone knew of it. It was one of the monasteries that had become lost to time, one of those places where the past still lived in the present. He could feel the weight of the ages in it's stones and wood. It was almost like coming home after being away for awhile. He could feels the tranquility of the place, even outside of it's large wooden doors.
This was a place of peace and serenity, a place where no violence had ever been perpetrated and it was unlikely that any would ever be. It was almost the personification of peace. The monks who lived here rarely spoke, though they didn't take a vow of silence. They just chose not to disturb the peace with unnecessary noise. He could appreciate that.
He pushed on the large doors and they swung inward on well oiled, silent hinges. The courtyard of the monastery was silent and large. It had everything one would expect from a monastery, a rock garden, a small tranquil fountain, some trees and a few other miscellaneous things. Happosai ignored these things as he made his way towards the monastery proper. He nodded to the few monks he saw, and they nodded back, ignoring his presence. They were used to the unexpected appearance of strangers within their walls. It took a lot to startle these monks.
Inside the main building, Happosai made his way towards the library. This monastery boasted one of the best libraries in the world, well, it would boast it if more than a handful of non-monks knew about it. The library took up most of the first floor, and was stacked from floor to ceiling with bookshelves containing books of all shapes, sizes and languages. It was a treasure trove to the knowledge hunters, but it was also unorganized. He sighed as he realized the scope of the task before him, but he didn't let that deter him. He needed to find some clue and this was as good a place as any he could think of. He dropped his pack and started his monumental task.
*****
Ranma stood in the dojo of the Tendo house, exercising slowly to relieve his body of it's soreness and stiffness. It was a long process. He had been in the dojo for a couple of hours, trying to make himself feel a bit better, and he did, a little anyways. He couldn't really concentrate on the exercise because his mind kept coming back to the fact that he had a strange man stuck in his head. A man he couldn't even come close to trusting, on top of that. He tried to think of various ways to get him out of his head, but nothing short of cracking his skull with a big rock seemed like a good way.
He sighed as he slowly worked the kinks out of his body. His legs were in better shape now, and he was working on his back when Nabiki came into the dojo. She stood in the doorway and watched him work. He didn't know why, and at this point in time, he couldn't have cared less. It seemed like his world was falling down around him. It was not a pleasant thought.
He hated to admit it, but he honestly wanted to talk to Happosai. He's seen things that were stranger than this. He had to have some idea of what to do. But no, the old lech had run off to some monastery. He probably ran off to torment some young ladies and steal their underwear.
He looked up and saw that Nabiki wasn't in the doorway anymore. He shrugged and continued to stretch and warm up his muscles. It was a boring thing to do, but he really didn't have anything else to do.
You could go read a book, Daniel said. Ranma jumped.
"I thought you were still asleep," he said. It felt strange to talk to himself and get answers that weren't his.
I was until about five minutes ago, came Daniel's slightly groggy response. You think you've got nothing better to do than work the kinks out, but you could always go and read a book. I would recommend some authors, but I don't know if their works have been translated into Japanese.
"Thanks, but I'm not much of a reader."
So I've noticed. All you really like doing is fighting, don't' you?
"I like doing other things, it's just that I'm good at fighting. I don't know if I like to do it, it's just what I'm good at."
You should become good at doing other things. You definitely need to work on your people skills. They are sorely lacking.
"What do ya mean by that?" Already his guest was starting to annoy Ranma.
I mean that you are too abrupt and short with people. You don't take the time to try to win them to your side, or give them a chance to form cohesive responses to your monosyllabic queries and you need to start thinking before you speak. Your rashness in conversation is one of the main reasons you end up in so much trouble with Akane. She's fairly smart and knows pretty well when your lying or being evasive, neither of which your good at.
Ranma looked at the wall of the dojo, completely at a loss. He didn't know why what the man said should have hit him like it did, but he was almost stunned. He knew he was rash when it came to talking and that he very, very rarely thought before he spoke. He also knew that it was a never-ending source of contention between him and Akane. He knew all of this, but to have it put to bluntly to him made it all the more clear.
"I just ain't good at stoppin' and thinkin'," he said to the floor.
I know, but I am. I can help you in this department, if you want. I ask for nothing in return, well I take that back. There is one thing I'd like.
Immediately Ranma was suspicious. "Yeah? What's that?"
I want one of those okonomiyaki that I've read so much about.
"Huh?"
Yeah. I am willing to help you reign in your rashness if you'll get me one of those okonomiyaki. I think it's a pretty simple and easy request. And a bargain, as well.
"Wait. Okay, let me get this straight. You are going to help me just for one of Ucchan's specialties?"
That pretty much sums it up, yeah.
Ranma laughed. It was the first real laugh he'd had in what seemed like years. "Okay," he said. "You've got a deal."
Good then. Ranma could hear the smile in his voice, but he didn't know that it wasn't a pleasant smile. Not a pleasant smile at all.
*****
Nabiki sat in her room and thought. There had to be a way to make this profitable, she thought. She was the reason that the Tendo family ate, or had a place to sleep, or any of that. She was the source of money for the family and because she took on such a responsibility, she had to become harder to the world. Unfortunately, for her, it was mostly a façade.
This Daniel intrigued her, she had to admit. The callous way he dealt with people and then swayed them back towards him had impressed Nabiki. She could do that same thing, to a smaller degree and she'd like to be able to do it better. He also scared her, she had to admit as well. The way he went from calm and cool to willing to kill someone in the blink of any eye was too much for her.
He would need watching, she decided. Both of them, Ranma and Daniel. There were just too many opportunities for trouble with Ranma, but if you added Daniel's volatility to the mix, then a normally dangerous situation becomes deadly real quick.
She sighed and picked through the latest batch of Akane pictures. She'd have to pick just the right ones if she wanted to demand the price she wanted from Kuno-baby.
*****
He saw her standing near a window, looking at how the rain disrupted the puddles. He crossed the lunchroom, waving away his usual sycophants in the process, to stand behind her. She didn't seem to notice. He supposed her mind was still dwelling on what happened last night. Heaven knows that his is. He was about to speak when the sound of Akane's name being called caused her to turn and notice him for the first time. Instead of the look of annoyance she usually gave him, she smiled up at him with gratitude. He wasn't quite sure why.
He turned toward the direction her name had been called and saw Ukyou coming across the lunch room, much the same way he had. He backed off a step or two as Ukyou approached Akane. They started talking, Ukyou asking about Ranma and Akane telling the story she was told to tell. He could tell she wanted to tell the other girl the truth, but she knew better. Ukyou kept glancing at him at strangely. He supposed it was because he looked like he hadn't slept, which he hadn't.
He heard someone call his name and he turned to see one of his sycophants rushing towards him. He sighed wearily. He didn't want to deal with them today, but it seemed as though he had no choice. The younger boy came up to him red faced and breathing heavily.
"Kuno-san," he said breathlessly. Kuno looked at him, he didn't say anything, he just looked. The younger boy paused a moment to regain his breath.
"Kuno-san, your sister," he began attain. Kuno rolled his eyes. Who had Kodachi almost killed this time, and how much would it cost to keep it quiet, he wondered. "Your sister is missing."
He stared at the younger boy for a long time, the meaning of his words not quite sinking in. Finally, after an indeterminate amount of time, he spoke.
"My sister, what?" He sounded distant, as if not fully there or fully awake.
"Your sister has disappeared. They found all of her things in the women's room near the front doors. They also found one of her shoes in front of the sink, and that's it. We've searched the school for you, but we haven't found her."
Slowly, ever so slowly, it sunk into Kuno's head what the younger boy was saying. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and he turned to see Akane's sympathetic face. Tears stood unshed in her eyes. He smiled wanly at her and then burst into motion, running for the doors to the lunchroom.
*****
The doorway to the women's room was taped off and there were police standing around it, keeping the other student's at bay. He stood in front of the tape and he felt his skin crawl. It was a strange sensation, feeling one's skin crawl for no apparent reason. Well, there was plenty of reason, but none that would make his skin crawl. He guessed that if he had seen the interior of the women's room, he might have had ample reason, but he couldn't so he didn't.
He was in shock when he saw a policeman bringing his sister's shoe out of the lavatory in a plastic bag marked "evidence". He couldn't function, although an officer was asking him questions, since one of the other students pointed him out as being Kodachi's brother. The questions meant nothing to him, but he knew he had to answer them. It was just too bad that he had forgotten how to speak. The officer seemed to understand this, and sympathize somewhat, as he stopped asking questions and went away.
He felt a hand on each of his shoulders and he saw Akane on his right and Ukyou on his left. He was comforted by their presence, although they didn't get rid of the shock. They started pulling him away from the tape and the police and the source of the odd skin crawling sensation he had been feeling. He didn't know where they were going, and surprisingly, he didn't care.
*****
Cologne looked up as the bell above the door rang. Her expression was cross until she saw who it was and the expressions on their faces. Akane, Ukyou and Kuno walked in, all drenched from the short distance from the curb to the doorway. They all had somber expressions on their faces and Kuno's face had a disturbing vacant look on it that made Cologne think of someone who's mind wasn't there anymore.
She jumped off the counter and hurried to them, carrying towels she had grabbed from behind the counter. She handed the towels to them and led them to a table without a word. The Nekohanten was closed for the day, so no-one else was in. She had sent Mousse and Shampoo out on errands and didn't expect them for awhile.
After they were situated, she ran back into the kitchen to start a kettle for tea. She returned to the table with some small sandwiches she had hurriedly whipped up. She stood on her staff and watched as they ate listlessly and without speaking, although Akane and Ukyou had given her grateful expressions for the sandwiches.
"Okay," Cologne said after they had eaten and she had brought the tea out. "What's wrong?"
Akane and Ukyou looked at each other and Akane nodded. Kuno sat there, staring at nothing. Slowly, Akane told her of what happened over the last few hours, and surprisingly, she found herself telling the old woman what had happened yesterday, all of it and not just the cover story. Ukyou's eyes got wide when the truth came out and she had a slightly hurt expression on her face as Akane told the whole truth.
"Son-in-law is possessed?" Cologne demanded. She knew that intense hatred she had felt the day before had been a completely bad thing.
"Well, sorta," Akane said slowly. "From what he said, Daniel was put into Ranma's head as a punishment for something. I get the feeling he doesn't like any of us, but he seems to respect Kasumi and Nabiki. Except for the whole thing with Genma, Kuno and the imp, he was polite and civil, but it was obvious he trying to hold onto his patience."
"I want to meet this Daniel," Cologne said after a moment of silence. "I think I need to speak with him." Ukyou voiced her agreement, although hers was slightly more forceful and she cut her eyes spitefully at Akane.
"He scares me, Cologne," Akane said in a small voice. "He scares me worse than anything I've ever experienced." She shuddered at the memory of having those eyes, like twin pools of seething rage, pointed at her.
She looked at Kuno, who had contributed nothing to the conversation. He still had that vacant, there/not there look on his face. "Call him and have him come here," she said to Akane. "Use the phone in the back."
After Akane left, Cologne turned her eyes on Ukyou. She seemed to be trying to digest what had been told to them, and she was trying to deal with what she saw as a betrayal of trust. The old woman laid her hand on top of the younger woman's.
"Do not let it bother you," Cologne said softly. "You were deceived for a reason, and do not doubt she would have tried to lie to me, as well, if she weren't so distressed." Ukyou nodded and smiled wanly. Akane came back in and joined them shortly thereafter.
"He's on his way."