"I'm home!" Ranma called out as he entered his mother's house. The travel
home had been a long one, but it did cover its intended purpose. The
pigtailed martial artist had more than enough time to think things through
from every angle.
"We're in the kitchen, Ranma." Hinako's voice was heard from said room.
He made his way to his sibling. In the way he had to be careful not to step on the unconscious Kiima, who lay sprawled on the floor. The winged woman looked completely exhausted and remained in the same position she had when she finally passed out. Happosai slept peacefully over her using her left breast as a pillow. The old man had a contented expression on his face.
When he stepped into the kitchen he noticed Hinako and Nodoka were alone. They both turned to regard him with curious expressions, not having expected for him to return so early. "Something just came up." He said before either his mother or sister could question him. One of the things he decided on the way home was to inform his family of Nabiki's situation. It would be easier to handle the middle Tendo sister that way. "Nabiki kidnapped Ukyo today."
Hinako raised an eyebrow, which was the only outward reaction from both her and her mother. "I take it she tried using her as a bargaining chip?"
Ranma nodded. "Both her and Kasumi." And with that he explained how his meeting with Nabiki went. Nodoka and Hinako listened intently and agreed with Ranma's opinion that Nabiki's threat of harming Kasumi was an empty one, but something that could be used to their advantage.
"We seem to have quite the situation in our hands." Nodoka said at length. "Though not unexpected, having to deal with Nabiki will require more subtlety than I would have liked." She turned to Hinako. "I want you to trace any residual magic in the general area of Kyoto. It might give us a better idea of exactly where our enemies are so we can confront them." Seeing her nod Nodoka turned to Ranma. "My son, I want you to contact Tofu and have him investigate things in Nerima."
Ranma nodded. "I'll get right on it."
"I shall speak to your brother as soon as he returns." The woman in the black kimono said, effectively dismissing them both.
When she was left alone Nodoka frowned slightly. Her opponent was being too predictable, which could only mean she was up to something. Even if she was arrogant she knew she was dealing with the Novas. *Seems like we'll just have to kill her before she can execute whatever she's planning.* She knew things wouldn't be that easy, though.
-----
"How can I thank you, Tofu-sensei?" An old woman asked with a smile. "My back doesn't bother me at all now."
The doctor just smiled back at the elderly woman. "Seeing you in good spirits again is more than thanks enough, Akagi-san."
The old woman laughed at the doctor's expected response. "You're such a good man, Tofu-sensei. Would you like to have a cup of tea with us this Sunday?"
"You honor me, Akagi-san. I regret to tell you I'll have to take care of some family business during the weekend." Tofu said apologetically.
The woman laughed again, dismissing it. "Not to worry, sensei. Just don't make us wait forever. My niece will be in town for a couple of months. I'd like for her to find a reason to stay." She said before bowing to the man and leaving his clinic.
Tofu sighed in relief when he was left alone. He closed the door and rested his forehead on the hard wood.
"I take it she was trying to match you up?" Ranma's amused voice startled Tofu out of his contemplation. He whirled around to find a smirking Ranma no more than one feet away from him.
Tofu groaned pathetically. *No matter how much I try to detect him he just keeps on sneaking up on me.* "That was the third one today. It's incredible how many of my patients have young nieces willing to meet me." He finished tiredly.
Ranma shrugged. "Maybe you should give it a try sometime. As long as it doesn't distract you from the Art it should be fine."
Tofu sighed again and motioned for Ranma to follow him. They made their way to a small kitchen. "It's not that simple, sensei. Today's world is so..." He seemed to struggle for a word for a few seconds.
"Materialistic?" Ranma assisted, knowing full well what Tofu meant.
Tofu nodded his thanks as he filled a kettle with water to prepare some tea. "People seem to only care about what is on the surface. I can see how people judge others just by how they dress or how much money they make. They only care about how others see them. An empty existence that leads to a spiritual void."
Ranma chuckled. "My altruistic friend. You know as well as I do that not everyone is as empty inside as you try to make it sound. True, there hasn't been another Buddha, but you can't expect for everyone to follow in his footsteps."
Tofu placed the water over the fire and turned to face the pigtailed martial artist. "That's just the point, sensei. In the past couple of centuries I've watched as human kind increasingly diverges from the path of wisdom. They disgrace the ancestors embracing the new ways the westerners are polluting the planet with."
The pigtailed martial artist shook his head. "Just try to remember that there's more than one way to live that leads to wisdom."
The doctor gave out a depressed sigh but nodded his head. He raised an eyebrow as he changed the subject. "Now to what do I owe the honor of your presence, sensei? I'm certain this isn't a social visit so we can discuss the fate of humanity and how it relates to my not wanting to date."
Ranma nodded as he sobered. "Our enemy has recruited a new addition to her troops. I'm here to investigate on it and who else might be preparing to fight us."
Tofu nodded in understanding. "So you want me to keep my eyes open for anything out of the ordinary."
"Just be discrete. I'm sure your background is unknown to our opponents. Let's keep it that way." Ranma finished just as the kettle started whistling. "Do you still have some of the herbs from last time?"
Tofu smiled as he got up to prepare the tea. "I do, sensei. I always keep a small portion for the rare occasions when you visit." He said taking out a small paper package. "How's Kiima's training going?"
Ranma smirked. "She's managed to tag the old pervert two times."
Tofu blinked. "Already? That's quite an accomplishment."
After that Tofu served the tea and Ranma related to him how Kiima was progressing in her skills.
-----
"Well, it seems like I can't feel anymore embarrassed today." Haruka grumbled in her seat. Next to her sat Michiru with an amused smile on her lips. Usagi and Mamoru, after the man could stand without help, left on a date. Or at least they claimed it was a date, Haruka suspected Mamoru just wanted to avoid Ranma until the pigtailed martial artist had more time to calm down. Both Hotaru and Setsuna had gone upstairs, the former to do some reading and the later to take a bath. The Senshi of Uranus was glad to be left alone with her lover. Even if she too was having a kick of teasing her it was better to have only one person doing the teasing.
Michiru smirked at the blonde. "I still don't know what's so incredible about Setsuna having sex. We both knew Ranma and her were lovers."
Haruka snorted. "It's not just that, Michiru. I know they are lovers, but there's a big difference between knowing something and actually seeing it." She averted her gaze. "Seeing her so out of control, it was like seeing someone else in the body of our friend."
"Don't tell me you haven't noticed, Haruka." Michiru said. "Since the day Setsuna brought Ranma to the shrine she hasn't been the same as before."
Haruka had to admit it, her lover had a point there. Setsuna did become a lot more open, particularly when Ranma was around. She still occasionally reverted to her emotionless self, but those times were far and between. An image suddenly assaulted her mind again, making her blush. *A LOT more open.*
Michiru noticed the blush and shook her head. "I can't believe someone as wild in bed as you acts like an innocent schoolgirl over catching Setsuna in the act."
"Hey!" Haruka protested.
The aquamarine haired woman stood up. "You have to admit it. After the things we've done you shouldn't let anything surprise you." And with that she walked out of the room.
Once left alone, Haruka groaned and rubbed the bridge of her nose. *You just don't understand.*
-----
"Tendo Dojo." Ranma read aloud. "Challengers use the back door." He snorted at the last part. He was certain that if a serious challenger came he would have little trouble, if at all, in winning such a challenge.
This was probably the biggest disappointment he had concerning his experience in the Art. Anything Goes was created by him, an extract from his very own personal style. Granted, it wasn't even close enough to what he had developed over the millennia, but it still had the potential to become one of the strongest martial arts known to mortals in the planet.
"And the few people trained in it failed miserably to reach that potential." Ranma said in disdain. Soun was a complete disappointment. He had great potential, a lot more than Genma, but all that potential went to waste when his wife died. The promising martial artist became a joke of a man, consumed by grief. And in his own grief he failed to train his offspring properly. A failure both as a martial artist and as a master. Genma was even worse. Not only was he a complete moron when it came to teaching, any normal person would've died from some of his training methods, but he limited the Anything Goes to midair combat only. In doing so it stopped being Anything Goes, for it lost its true strength. Versatility.
No, Ranma was sorely disappointed in both original students of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. Akane couldn't be considered a student of the style since she didn't know a single advanced maneuver of it. She barely knew some of the basics, and from what she saw of Ranma while he fought Ryoga and his other rivals.
The pigtailed martial artist extended his senses to the house, searching for answers without having to confront the people of his past. What he found was what he expected. The huge aura of grief was obviously coming from Soun, who must've taken the disappearance of his daughters as the end of the world. The other one belonged to Genma, who was trying to cheer his friend up, with little success. *At least I have to give it to them. Their friendship is stronger than most.* He thought as he turned on his heels and started walking down the street and away from the dojo. Nabiki hadn't been in the house for about a week. Kasumi and Akane followed a day after.
Even if Ranma walked the streets of Nerima none took notice of his presence. He used his chi to make it so that if anyone should look at him he would just be a stranger. Only people that knew him well would be able to recognize him like this, and no one in Nerima knew him well.
He visited different locations in Nerima, all of them somehow related to his stay. So far he could tell Tatewaki and Kodachi were gone as well. *That makes four already. It seems like Nabiki is recruiting my former acquaintances.*
The thought wasn't at all pleasing. He would be glad never to see the Kunos again, as well as some of his other rivals. There was also the slight problem that Nabiki would certainly go for Shampoo and Mousse next. Not that it worried him, for Mousse and Soap could take care of nearly anything thrown their way, but he would prefer to avoid revealing Mousse's identity and Soap's existence. *Oh well.*
The element of surprise would be lost, but maybe Nabiki would keep the information to herself.
-----
Ami was, as usual since the day they found out about the Novas, sitting alone in her room staring blankly at a book. She didn't even know what it was about, her mind lost in trying to find a solution to their problem. Usagi, her princess, had obviously come to an understanding with her mother's most powerful enemies. She couldn't believe the gentle soul that was her friend would ally herself with the darkness. *And I can do nothing about it.* She thought and further fell into depression. Out of the Senshi the most powerful ones were the outers, none questioned that, and all of the outers were on Usagi's side. That left four inner Senshi and two moon cats without knowing what to do. Supporting Usagi's decision was out of the question, of course.
Even Saturn, who had suffered the most under the Novas' power, was with them. Setsuna was Ranma's lover and, as such, was lost to them as well. Ami didn't try to understand why Haruka and Michiru were going along with this, but she strongly suspected that their loyalty was to the princess, not to the peaceful future they had all fought for. They could as easily fight alongside Usagi to submerge the world into darkness.
Ami was lost. Unlike the other inners, who all thought they should find a way to break Usagi of the spell that was obviously cast on her, the Senshi of Mercury didn't know what to do. She remembered a little of what happened during the Silver Millennium, and she could tell Usagi was more like Princess Serenity now than she had ever been before. The problem wasn't a spell cast on Usagi. *Even if it was we can do nothing.* From what she had seen of both Ryoga and Hinako she knew they were way beyond anything the Senshi could hope to beat. Even if it were only Ranma, the weaker of them, it would take all of the Senshi in a combined effort to take him down. Once again, they didn't have all of the Senshi on their side.
"No, there's nothing we can do." Ami said at long last.
-----
"You have to be kidding me." Ryoga exclaimed. He was on his way back home when some thugs surrounded him.
The apparent leader smirked. "Hand over the cash or you're dead."
Ryoga chuckled at the command. He couldn't believe these guys. "I'm feeling generous, today. If you walk away I'll look the other side instead of breaking you all." Truth be told he wanted to get something to eat. Even if he found the present situation amusing he had more important things to do. Besides the fact that fighting such weaklings was boring. He cracked his knuckles when they laughed at his offer. "Have it your way."
They charged him.
-----
Makoto was walking home after another fruitless Senshi meeting when she heard a commotion not far from where she was. Having been a Senshi for a while she easily recognized the cries of fear and pain that usually came with a Youma attack. Although she would deny it if anyone asked she was rather thankful for the chance to vent some frustrations. The last few days had been very stressful and were having their toll on her.
With an ease born out of practice she ducked into an alley to transform at the same time that she called for the other inners' help. There was no way she was letting the outers or the princess to butt in on her chance to beat onto something. After the usual transformation she rushed to help the victims of the attack.
What she found around a corner that led into an alley made her stop dead on her tracks.
It was Ryoga.
Unconscious and broken bodies lay everywhere around the tall son of Nova. As he stood proud among the carnage he held aloft a young man, holding him by the throat and smirking darkly at him.
From the strangled noises coming out of his mouth, as he struggled to break the grip, he was being slowly suffocated. "Leave him alone!" Commanded Sailor Jupiter as she stood only a few steps from Ryoga.
Ryoga, who was starting to have some fun in watching the last of his victims turn purple, turned to regard whoever had interrupted his fight. He blinked twice when he saw one of the Senshi glaring at him angrily. "What?" He asked.
Jupiter's glare intensified as Ryoga made no move to release the man, whose struggles were weakening. "I said leave him alone!" She ordered forcefully as she took a menacing step forward. She couldn't let this monster hurt more innocents.
Ryoga blinked once again. *I must be hearing things.* He thought bewildered. *One of Serenity's lapdogs is actually trying to intimidate me?* The surprise soon turned into amusement. The youngest son of Nodoka had no qualms about laughing at other's expenses, so he burst out in a mirth-filled laughter.
The girl, who wasn't thinking clearly since she saw Ryoga torture a human being, snapped when the guy's arms fell to his sides limply. She charged with a punch to the Nova's face, since using her powers would kill the other guy if he wasn't dead already, and smiled as it connected solidly with his jaw.
Ryoga did let go of the guy when the attack landed, but only because he'd found a more entertaining toy to play with. He didn't know how it was possible for one of the Senshi to attack him when they all knew what he was capable of, but he decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Jupiter took a step back when her attack had no effect whatsoever on Ryoga, who smirked sinisterly at her. It was then, when she had his full and undivided attention, that she remembered all she knew about him and what her chances in a fight against him were. *Okay, maybe it wasn't such a good idea to attack him.* She thought when Ryoga placed a hand on her shoulder.
-----
Five minutes later Sailors Mars, Mercury and Venus arrived to the alley. Their eyes widened when they caught sight of the massacre. Bodies lay scattered everywhere in bleeding and bruised heaps, thankfully they were all alive, and in the middle lay an unconscious Sailor Jupiter. She'd obviously seen better days too. Even with the magically enhanced healing the Senshi had it would take weeks for their friend to recover completely.
"What did she do? Pick a fight with one of the local gangs?" Mars asked in annoyance, though it was just an act. She knew the guys currently on the floor where nowhere near capable enough of taking down a Senshi.
Ami put two and two together in an instant. To inflict on Jupiter that amount of damage in such a short period of time it would take an extremely strong opponent. She could easily think of a group of people that could each manage it. "The Novas." She whispered and instantly was typing on her computer.
Sailor Venus went to help her downed comrade as Mars approached the blue- haired girl. "Are you sure?" She asked, not certain if she wanted a positive answer. That would justify their rebellion against the princess for allying herself with the Novas, but it would also mean the Novas were after them.
It only took twenty seconds for the computer to get a good scan of the alley. Mercury closed her eyes and sighed. "Ryoga was here."
Mars shook her head. "We need to get out of here." She said and turned to Venus. "How is she?"
The blonde, who was carrying a very beaten Sailor Jupiter, answered as she approached. "I don't know how bad her injuries are, but she has several broken bones at least." She said, and as if to make her point Jupiter's arm fell limply to her side, bent at an unnatural angle.
Mars cursed under her breath as she turned to the other people in the alley. They were probably caught in the fight. The problem was that without Moon or Saturn they couldn't heal them. "Let's go." She said as she jumped over a roof and started hopping away, followed by her friends.
Not two blocks away Ryoga walked home with a spring to his step and a satisfied smile on his lips. Maybe fighting those idiots that tried to mug him wasn't such a waste of time.
-----
Hinako walked down the hall to the kitchen with a frown on her face. She'd been unable to trace the magic signature all the way back to the enemy. She only knew there was some kind of transdimensional magic involved, and the possibilities were just too diverse to make a wild guess as to where their enemy was. There was little she could do right now but wait for the next portal to open so she could pinpoint its origin.
After spending the last couple of hours looking for a small magical signature she was hungry.
Upon arriving to the room she could see it was already occupied. Ryoga was searching the fridge while Ranma sat calmly on a chair. She just sat next to Ranma, and smiled up at Ryoga when he placed a plate with a sandwich in front of her. "Thanks."
Seeing his sister dig in with gusto Ranma smirked. "Not much luck, huh?"
Hinako paused in her eating only long enough to answer. "No. I take it you had as much success as I did?"
"Yeah." Was the response as Ryoga sat down with a huge sandwich.
Hinako frowned at the sight. "Why is yours bigger than mine?" She whined the question.
Ryoga smirked, which was answer enough, before digging in.
Seeing Hinako pout Ranma chuckled. "Don't sweat it, sis. It would just go to your hips anyway."
Ryoga stopped in mid-bite when he heard that. *Does he have a death wish?* He asked himself. The only two sure ways of getting Hinako really angry with them was either making fun of her body or making fun of her lack of boyfriends. Ryoga was usually the one to rile his sister up, but he did only when he was angry and wanted to vent his frustrations through violence.
Sure enough Hinako glared daggers at Ranma as she spoke in a sweet voice. "What was that, brother dear?" The sweet tone of her voice hardly matched the intensity of her gaze.
Ranma didn't seem to notice how the temperature of the room went down as he answered. "Keep eating that much and it will be even harder for a man to find you attractive. What with all the fat on your hips and waist." Acting like a complete jerk for months was good experience for making people angry. The pigtailed man was careful not to smile, trying his best to remain apparently oblivious.
*Oh boy!* Ryoga stood up silently and ran out of the room. He didn't want to be anywhere near Hinako when she blew her top, which would probably take a couple of seconds more. There were times when he looked forward to facing an enraged Hinako. Today was not such a time.
Hinako's left eyebrow was twitching violently as she stared at her brother. The sight of her would be threatening if it wasn't for the dark aura forming around her, or the lightning crackling all over her skin. Instead the sight was downright horrifying.
"RRANNMMAA!!!"
-----
Nodoka looked up from her garden when she heard the bellow of rage coming from her daughter. She raised an eyebrow when she saw Ryoga rushing out of the house. "Is something that matter, son?" She asked as if nothing was wrong with the world.
Ryoga turned to his mother. "Nah, just Ranma teasing Hinako a little."
The matron smiled up at him. "Please come sit by me, son. We have things to discuss."
Ryoga did as he was told seriously.
-----
"Can't you take a joke, sis?" Ranma asked as he dodged around a huge fireball that incinerated the dojo's rock ground and closed the distance to his opponent by a few feet more. Fighting with Hinako was a lot more difficult for him than fighting Ryoga, mainly for the fact that Ryoga usually fought him hand-to-hand. Hinako, on the other hand, always fought from a distance.
She fought a lot like the Senshi, throwing magical attacks around. The difference was that besides the diverse magical blasts, which put to shame the Senshi's in power and efficiency, Nodoka's second daughter also had telekinesis powers at her disposal. It was only Ranma's chi, which was burning almost to the limit, which nullified this second aspect of Hinako's powers.
"A JOKE?!" She asked in disbelief as she extended her hand forward and another fireball was sent his way. She didn't seem to care that he dodged it with the same ease he did the last one. "I'll laugh at your pathetic attempt at humor once you're beaten into the ground and burnt to a crisp." She emphasized her point by extending her arms to her sides, palms facing forward.
Ranma's eyes widened when he saw the stance. *Oh shit!* Was his only thought before from each of Hinako's hands dozens upon dozens of smaller but faster fireballs were thrown at him. There were too many to dodge out of the way. With nothing else to do the pigtailed martial artist met the attack full on, intent on at least minimizing the damage he would receive.
Hinako watched in amazement as Ranma started making swaying motions with his hands. For each one the air in front of him rippled slightly and, surprisingly, managed to deflect a different fireball slightly. Once the attack was over Ranma's sister lowered her hands to her sides and studied the damage inflicted by her last attack.
Ranma's body was burnt all over, what was left of his clothing was smoking. The damage inflicted was great, but nowhere near enough what she expected.
The pigtailed martial artist wasted no time to launch an attack. If Hinako managed to land another attack like that one the fight would be over. With a speed born out of millenia of training he rushed at his sister, who by now was already preparing another magical blast.
Ranma saw the sparks forming in between Hinako's fingers and took a small step to the left as he continued to run forward. This served him to avoid a lightning bolt and get him in range to fight Hinako at her weakest, hand-to- hand.
Hinako doubled over with the blow to her midsection. As tough as she was, and she would put to shame anyone out of her own family, Ranma was used to fighting Ryoga. The blow didn't hurt much, but the force behind it was enough make her lose her balance. She started concentrating as Ranma backhanded her face and used the momentum to to prepare a spin kick.
Ranma was about to land the third move on his combo when a feeling of doom krept inside him. It was soon followed by the familiar burning sensation of Hinako's fire blasts. Hinako's body was enveloped in flames, which exploded outwards and caught the martial artist fully inside the radius of the attack.
He screamed in agony as he fueled more of his chi to protect his body from the searing heat.
Hinako straightened herself and stared down at the kneeling man in front of her. He was fighting hard to stand up, his energy spent on protecting himself from the latest attack. "Had enough?" She asked somberly. "Because I'm just getting started." She said with ice in her voice as she used her telekinetic abilities take control over her brother's body. His chi was now too weak to fight her off.
Ranma felt himslef levitated off the ground and his body was straightened by the alien force. He struggled to regain control, and even managed to start curling one of his arms, but with a thought Hinako overcame his weak attempt resistance. He could feel the entirety of his body being under the influence of his sister. In the current situation she could do pretty much what she wanted to his body. Rip his muscles appart, grind his bones into powder, make his heart and other internal organs explode.
Hinako stared at her brother as he floated in front of her. Anger drained after the battle, throwing fire around was a great way to calm down, she stared directly into Ranma's eyes with a calm and collected expression. "Okay, Ranma. I want you to tell me why you wanted to be with me alone." He rarely did something like this, teasing her into rage. He would usually just ask her to fight him.
Ranma smirked at her. "Never could fool you, sis."
Hinako crossed her arms over her breasts. "Speak." Even if he did have a motive to do it she was still mighty pissed at his comments.
"I have a feeling about the upcoming battle." Ranma said seriously. Hinako's silence was his only indication to further elaborate. "I will come closer to death than I've ever been, but I must so that our plans can be achieved."
Hinako shook her head. *A feeling? I know you, Ranma. That's probably what you're planning, not what you're feeling.* "And you think we are going to allow it?" She asked in annoyance.
Ranma glared at her. "I'm asking you because you're the only one I can trust with this. Ryoga would just get involved and ruin everything. Setsuna won't stand aside, neither will the other Senshi."
"And why should I?" Hinako asked curiously. "Even if you are right about this, I don't want to see you die either."
But Hinako's protest didn't fool Ranma. He knew his sister would support him on this. They had a pretty good understanding of each other, and Hinako knew Ranma wouldn't endanger himself without good reason, and having planned it well. "Can you let me go now, sis? I have a date with Setsuna." He said as he started struggling again, control of his body taken from his will.
She just smiled sweetly at him and he shivered inwardly, since Hinako still had a firm grasp of his body with her powers. "I'm not done with you yet, brother dear. I'm certain Setsuna won't mind watching over you tonight instead of going out to a movie. And I do to make it convincing or Ryoga will suspect your true intentions for making me this angry." With that she extended her hands to her sides again. Since Ranma was still unable to move she could blast him at will.
Ranma just gulped as he felt the heat starting to emanate from his sister's hands. This was going to really hurt.
END PART 14
Author's Notes: Not much to say for this chapter. The Inner Senshi finally have proof that the Novas are evil, or so they will believe. Ranma's old friends and rivals are all involved in the conflict now. What will Hinako do to Ranma? What was Ranma talking about when he said he would come close to dying?
The answers to that and more will come in the future.
"We're in the kitchen, Ranma." Hinako's voice was heard from said room.
He made his way to his sibling. In the way he had to be careful not to step on the unconscious Kiima, who lay sprawled on the floor. The winged woman looked completely exhausted and remained in the same position she had when she finally passed out. Happosai slept peacefully over her using her left breast as a pillow. The old man had a contented expression on his face.
When he stepped into the kitchen he noticed Hinako and Nodoka were alone. They both turned to regard him with curious expressions, not having expected for him to return so early. "Something just came up." He said before either his mother or sister could question him. One of the things he decided on the way home was to inform his family of Nabiki's situation. It would be easier to handle the middle Tendo sister that way. "Nabiki kidnapped Ukyo today."
Hinako raised an eyebrow, which was the only outward reaction from both her and her mother. "I take it she tried using her as a bargaining chip?"
Ranma nodded. "Both her and Kasumi." And with that he explained how his meeting with Nabiki went. Nodoka and Hinako listened intently and agreed with Ranma's opinion that Nabiki's threat of harming Kasumi was an empty one, but something that could be used to their advantage.
"We seem to have quite the situation in our hands." Nodoka said at length. "Though not unexpected, having to deal with Nabiki will require more subtlety than I would have liked." She turned to Hinako. "I want you to trace any residual magic in the general area of Kyoto. It might give us a better idea of exactly where our enemies are so we can confront them." Seeing her nod Nodoka turned to Ranma. "My son, I want you to contact Tofu and have him investigate things in Nerima."
Ranma nodded. "I'll get right on it."
"I shall speak to your brother as soon as he returns." The woman in the black kimono said, effectively dismissing them both.
When she was left alone Nodoka frowned slightly. Her opponent was being too predictable, which could only mean she was up to something. Even if she was arrogant she knew she was dealing with the Novas. *Seems like we'll just have to kill her before she can execute whatever she's planning.* She knew things wouldn't be that easy, though.
-----
"How can I thank you, Tofu-sensei?" An old woman asked with a smile. "My back doesn't bother me at all now."
The doctor just smiled back at the elderly woman. "Seeing you in good spirits again is more than thanks enough, Akagi-san."
The old woman laughed at the doctor's expected response. "You're such a good man, Tofu-sensei. Would you like to have a cup of tea with us this Sunday?"
"You honor me, Akagi-san. I regret to tell you I'll have to take care of some family business during the weekend." Tofu said apologetically.
The woman laughed again, dismissing it. "Not to worry, sensei. Just don't make us wait forever. My niece will be in town for a couple of months. I'd like for her to find a reason to stay." She said before bowing to the man and leaving his clinic.
Tofu sighed in relief when he was left alone. He closed the door and rested his forehead on the hard wood.
"I take it she was trying to match you up?" Ranma's amused voice startled Tofu out of his contemplation. He whirled around to find a smirking Ranma no more than one feet away from him.
Tofu groaned pathetically. *No matter how much I try to detect him he just keeps on sneaking up on me.* "That was the third one today. It's incredible how many of my patients have young nieces willing to meet me." He finished tiredly.
Ranma shrugged. "Maybe you should give it a try sometime. As long as it doesn't distract you from the Art it should be fine."
Tofu sighed again and motioned for Ranma to follow him. They made their way to a small kitchen. "It's not that simple, sensei. Today's world is so..." He seemed to struggle for a word for a few seconds.
"Materialistic?" Ranma assisted, knowing full well what Tofu meant.
Tofu nodded his thanks as he filled a kettle with water to prepare some tea. "People seem to only care about what is on the surface. I can see how people judge others just by how they dress or how much money they make. They only care about how others see them. An empty existence that leads to a spiritual void."
Ranma chuckled. "My altruistic friend. You know as well as I do that not everyone is as empty inside as you try to make it sound. True, there hasn't been another Buddha, but you can't expect for everyone to follow in his footsteps."
Tofu placed the water over the fire and turned to face the pigtailed martial artist. "That's just the point, sensei. In the past couple of centuries I've watched as human kind increasingly diverges from the path of wisdom. They disgrace the ancestors embracing the new ways the westerners are polluting the planet with."
The pigtailed martial artist shook his head. "Just try to remember that there's more than one way to live that leads to wisdom."
The doctor gave out a depressed sigh but nodded his head. He raised an eyebrow as he changed the subject. "Now to what do I owe the honor of your presence, sensei? I'm certain this isn't a social visit so we can discuss the fate of humanity and how it relates to my not wanting to date."
Ranma nodded as he sobered. "Our enemy has recruited a new addition to her troops. I'm here to investigate on it and who else might be preparing to fight us."
Tofu nodded in understanding. "So you want me to keep my eyes open for anything out of the ordinary."
"Just be discrete. I'm sure your background is unknown to our opponents. Let's keep it that way." Ranma finished just as the kettle started whistling. "Do you still have some of the herbs from last time?"
Tofu smiled as he got up to prepare the tea. "I do, sensei. I always keep a small portion for the rare occasions when you visit." He said taking out a small paper package. "How's Kiima's training going?"
Ranma smirked. "She's managed to tag the old pervert two times."
Tofu blinked. "Already? That's quite an accomplishment."
After that Tofu served the tea and Ranma related to him how Kiima was progressing in her skills.
-----
"Well, it seems like I can't feel anymore embarrassed today." Haruka grumbled in her seat. Next to her sat Michiru with an amused smile on her lips. Usagi and Mamoru, after the man could stand without help, left on a date. Or at least they claimed it was a date, Haruka suspected Mamoru just wanted to avoid Ranma until the pigtailed martial artist had more time to calm down. Both Hotaru and Setsuna had gone upstairs, the former to do some reading and the later to take a bath. The Senshi of Uranus was glad to be left alone with her lover. Even if she too was having a kick of teasing her it was better to have only one person doing the teasing.
Michiru smirked at the blonde. "I still don't know what's so incredible about Setsuna having sex. We both knew Ranma and her were lovers."
Haruka snorted. "It's not just that, Michiru. I know they are lovers, but there's a big difference between knowing something and actually seeing it." She averted her gaze. "Seeing her so out of control, it was like seeing someone else in the body of our friend."
"Don't tell me you haven't noticed, Haruka." Michiru said. "Since the day Setsuna brought Ranma to the shrine she hasn't been the same as before."
Haruka had to admit it, her lover had a point there. Setsuna did become a lot more open, particularly when Ranma was around. She still occasionally reverted to her emotionless self, but those times were far and between. An image suddenly assaulted her mind again, making her blush. *A LOT more open.*
Michiru noticed the blush and shook her head. "I can't believe someone as wild in bed as you acts like an innocent schoolgirl over catching Setsuna in the act."
"Hey!" Haruka protested.
The aquamarine haired woman stood up. "You have to admit it. After the things we've done you shouldn't let anything surprise you." And with that she walked out of the room.
Once left alone, Haruka groaned and rubbed the bridge of her nose. *You just don't understand.*
-----
"Tendo Dojo." Ranma read aloud. "Challengers use the back door." He snorted at the last part. He was certain that if a serious challenger came he would have little trouble, if at all, in winning such a challenge.
This was probably the biggest disappointment he had concerning his experience in the Art. Anything Goes was created by him, an extract from his very own personal style. Granted, it wasn't even close enough to what he had developed over the millennia, but it still had the potential to become one of the strongest martial arts known to mortals in the planet.
"And the few people trained in it failed miserably to reach that potential." Ranma said in disdain. Soun was a complete disappointment. He had great potential, a lot more than Genma, but all that potential went to waste when his wife died. The promising martial artist became a joke of a man, consumed by grief. And in his own grief he failed to train his offspring properly. A failure both as a martial artist and as a master. Genma was even worse. Not only was he a complete moron when it came to teaching, any normal person would've died from some of his training methods, but he limited the Anything Goes to midair combat only. In doing so it stopped being Anything Goes, for it lost its true strength. Versatility.
No, Ranma was sorely disappointed in both original students of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. Akane couldn't be considered a student of the style since she didn't know a single advanced maneuver of it. She barely knew some of the basics, and from what she saw of Ranma while he fought Ryoga and his other rivals.
The pigtailed martial artist extended his senses to the house, searching for answers without having to confront the people of his past. What he found was what he expected. The huge aura of grief was obviously coming from Soun, who must've taken the disappearance of his daughters as the end of the world. The other one belonged to Genma, who was trying to cheer his friend up, with little success. *At least I have to give it to them. Their friendship is stronger than most.* He thought as he turned on his heels and started walking down the street and away from the dojo. Nabiki hadn't been in the house for about a week. Kasumi and Akane followed a day after.
Even if Ranma walked the streets of Nerima none took notice of his presence. He used his chi to make it so that if anyone should look at him he would just be a stranger. Only people that knew him well would be able to recognize him like this, and no one in Nerima knew him well.
He visited different locations in Nerima, all of them somehow related to his stay. So far he could tell Tatewaki and Kodachi were gone as well. *That makes four already. It seems like Nabiki is recruiting my former acquaintances.*
The thought wasn't at all pleasing. He would be glad never to see the Kunos again, as well as some of his other rivals. There was also the slight problem that Nabiki would certainly go for Shampoo and Mousse next. Not that it worried him, for Mousse and Soap could take care of nearly anything thrown their way, but he would prefer to avoid revealing Mousse's identity and Soap's existence. *Oh well.*
The element of surprise would be lost, but maybe Nabiki would keep the information to herself.
-----
Ami was, as usual since the day they found out about the Novas, sitting alone in her room staring blankly at a book. She didn't even know what it was about, her mind lost in trying to find a solution to their problem. Usagi, her princess, had obviously come to an understanding with her mother's most powerful enemies. She couldn't believe the gentle soul that was her friend would ally herself with the darkness. *And I can do nothing about it.* She thought and further fell into depression. Out of the Senshi the most powerful ones were the outers, none questioned that, and all of the outers were on Usagi's side. That left four inner Senshi and two moon cats without knowing what to do. Supporting Usagi's decision was out of the question, of course.
Even Saturn, who had suffered the most under the Novas' power, was with them. Setsuna was Ranma's lover and, as such, was lost to them as well. Ami didn't try to understand why Haruka and Michiru were going along with this, but she strongly suspected that their loyalty was to the princess, not to the peaceful future they had all fought for. They could as easily fight alongside Usagi to submerge the world into darkness.
Ami was lost. Unlike the other inners, who all thought they should find a way to break Usagi of the spell that was obviously cast on her, the Senshi of Mercury didn't know what to do. She remembered a little of what happened during the Silver Millennium, and she could tell Usagi was more like Princess Serenity now than she had ever been before. The problem wasn't a spell cast on Usagi. *Even if it was we can do nothing.* From what she had seen of both Ryoga and Hinako she knew they were way beyond anything the Senshi could hope to beat. Even if it were only Ranma, the weaker of them, it would take all of the Senshi in a combined effort to take him down. Once again, they didn't have all of the Senshi on their side.
"No, there's nothing we can do." Ami said at long last.
-----
"You have to be kidding me." Ryoga exclaimed. He was on his way back home when some thugs surrounded him.
The apparent leader smirked. "Hand over the cash or you're dead."
Ryoga chuckled at the command. He couldn't believe these guys. "I'm feeling generous, today. If you walk away I'll look the other side instead of breaking you all." Truth be told he wanted to get something to eat. Even if he found the present situation amusing he had more important things to do. Besides the fact that fighting such weaklings was boring. He cracked his knuckles when they laughed at his offer. "Have it your way."
They charged him.
-----
Makoto was walking home after another fruitless Senshi meeting when she heard a commotion not far from where she was. Having been a Senshi for a while she easily recognized the cries of fear and pain that usually came with a Youma attack. Although she would deny it if anyone asked she was rather thankful for the chance to vent some frustrations. The last few days had been very stressful and were having their toll on her.
With an ease born out of practice she ducked into an alley to transform at the same time that she called for the other inners' help. There was no way she was letting the outers or the princess to butt in on her chance to beat onto something. After the usual transformation she rushed to help the victims of the attack.
What she found around a corner that led into an alley made her stop dead on her tracks.
It was Ryoga.
Unconscious and broken bodies lay everywhere around the tall son of Nova. As he stood proud among the carnage he held aloft a young man, holding him by the throat and smirking darkly at him.
From the strangled noises coming out of his mouth, as he struggled to break the grip, he was being slowly suffocated. "Leave him alone!" Commanded Sailor Jupiter as she stood only a few steps from Ryoga.
Ryoga, who was starting to have some fun in watching the last of his victims turn purple, turned to regard whoever had interrupted his fight. He blinked twice when he saw one of the Senshi glaring at him angrily. "What?" He asked.
Jupiter's glare intensified as Ryoga made no move to release the man, whose struggles were weakening. "I said leave him alone!" She ordered forcefully as she took a menacing step forward. She couldn't let this monster hurt more innocents.
Ryoga blinked once again. *I must be hearing things.* He thought bewildered. *One of Serenity's lapdogs is actually trying to intimidate me?* The surprise soon turned into amusement. The youngest son of Nodoka had no qualms about laughing at other's expenses, so he burst out in a mirth-filled laughter.
The girl, who wasn't thinking clearly since she saw Ryoga torture a human being, snapped when the guy's arms fell to his sides limply. She charged with a punch to the Nova's face, since using her powers would kill the other guy if he wasn't dead already, and smiled as it connected solidly with his jaw.
Ryoga did let go of the guy when the attack landed, but only because he'd found a more entertaining toy to play with. He didn't know how it was possible for one of the Senshi to attack him when they all knew what he was capable of, but he decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Jupiter took a step back when her attack had no effect whatsoever on Ryoga, who smirked sinisterly at her. It was then, when she had his full and undivided attention, that she remembered all she knew about him and what her chances in a fight against him were. *Okay, maybe it wasn't such a good idea to attack him.* She thought when Ryoga placed a hand on her shoulder.
-----
Five minutes later Sailors Mars, Mercury and Venus arrived to the alley. Their eyes widened when they caught sight of the massacre. Bodies lay scattered everywhere in bleeding and bruised heaps, thankfully they were all alive, and in the middle lay an unconscious Sailor Jupiter. She'd obviously seen better days too. Even with the magically enhanced healing the Senshi had it would take weeks for their friend to recover completely.
"What did she do? Pick a fight with one of the local gangs?" Mars asked in annoyance, though it was just an act. She knew the guys currently on the floor where nowhere near capable enough of taking down a Senshi.
Ami put two and two together in an instant. To inflict on Jupiter that amount of damage in such a short period of time it would take an extremely strong opponent. She could easily think of a group of people that could each manage it. "The Novas." She whispered and instantly was typing on her computer.
Sailor Venus went to help her downed comrade as Mars approached the blue- haired girl. "Are you sure?" She asked, not certain if she wanted a positive answer. That would justify their rebellion against the princess for allying herself with the Novas, but it would also mean the Novas were after them.
It only took twenty seconds for the computer to get a good scan of the alley. Mercury closed her eyes and sighed. "Ryoga was here."
Mars shook her head. "We need to get out of here." She said and turned to Venus. "How is she?"
The blonde, who was carrying a very beaten Sailor Jupiter, answered as she approached. "I don't know how bad her injuries are, but she has several broken bones at least." She said, and as if to make her point Jupiter's arm fell limply to her side, bent at an unnatural angle.
Mars cursed under her breath as she turned to the other people in the alley. They were probably caught in the fight. The problem was that without Moon or Saturn they couldn't heal them. "Let's go." She said as she jumped over a roof and started hopping away, followed by her friends.
Not two blocks away Ryoga walked home with a spring to his step and a satisfied smile on his lips. Maybe fighting those idiots that tried to mug him wasn't such a waste of time.
-----
Hinako walked down the hall to the kitchen with a frown on her face. She'd been unable to trace the magic signature all the way back to the enemy. She only knew there was some kind of transdimensional magic involved, and the possibilities were just too diverse to make a wild guess as to where their enemy was. There was little she could do right now but wait for the next portal to open so she could pinpoint its origin.
After spending the last couple of hours looking for a small magical signature she was hungry.
Upon arriving to the room she could see it was already occupied. Ryoga was searching the fridge while Ranma sat calmly on a chair. She just sat next to Ranma, and smiled up at Ryoga when he placed a plate with a sandwich in front of her. "Thanks."
Seeing his sister dig in with gusto Ranma smirked. "Not much luck, huh?"
Hinako paused in her eating only long enough to answer. "No. I take it you had as much success as I did?"
"Yeah." Was the response as Ryoga sat down with a huge sandwich.
Hinako frowned at the sight. "Why is yours bigger than mine?" She whined the question.
Ryoga smirked, which was answer enough, before digging in.
Seeing Hinako pout Ranma chuckled. "Don't sweat it, sis. It would just go to your hips anyway."
Ryoga stopped in mid-bite when he heard that. *Does he have a death wish?* He asked himself. The only two sure ways of getting Hinako really angry with them was either making fun of her body or making fun of her lack of boyfriends. Ryoga was usually the one to rile his sister up, but he did only when he was angry and wanted to vent his frustrations through violence.
Sure enough Hinako glared daggers at Ranma as she spoke in a sweet voice. "What was that, brother dear?" The sweet tone of her voice hardly matched the intensity of her gaze.
Ranma didn't seem to notice how the temperature of the room went down as he answered. "Keep eating that much and it will be even harder for a man to find you attractive. What with all the fat on your hips and waist." Acting like a complete jerk for months was good experience for making people angry. The pigtailed man was careful not to smile, trying his best to remain apparently oblivious.
*Oh boy!* Ryoga stood up silently and ran out of the room. He didn't want to be anywhere near Hinako when she blew her top, which would probably take a couple of seconds more. There were times when he looked forward to facing an enraged Hinako. Today was not such a time.
Hinako's left eyebrow was twitching violently as she stared at her brother. The sight of her would be threatening if it wasn't for the dark aura forming around her, or the lightning crackling all over her skin. Instead the sight was downright horrifying.
"RRANNMMAA!!!"
-----
Nodoka looked up from her garden when she heard the bellow of rage coming from her daughter. She raised an eyebrow when she saw Ryoga rushing out of the house. "Is something that matter, son?" She asked as if nothing was wrong with the world.
Ryoga turned to his mother. "Nah, just Ranma teasing Hinako a little."
The matron smiled up at him. "Please come sit by me, son. We have things to discuss."
Ryoga did as he was told seriously.
-----
"Can't you take a joke, sis?" Ranma asked as he dodged around a huge fireball that incinerated the dojo's rock ground and closed the distance to his opponent by a few feet more. Fighting with Hinako was a lot more difficult for him than fighting Ryoga, mainly for the fact that Ryoga usually fought him hand-to-hand. Hinako, on the other hand, always fought from a distance.
She fought a lot like the Senshi, throwing magical attacks around. The difference was that besides the diverse magical blasts, which put to shame the Senshi's in power and efficiency, Nodoka's second daughter also had telekinesis powers at her disposal. It was only Ranma's chi, which was burning almost to the limit, which nullified this second aspect of Hinako's powers.
"A JOKE?!" She asked in disbelief as she extended her hand forward and another fireball was sent his way. She didn't seem to care that he dodged it with the same ease he did the last one. "I'll laugh at your pathetic attempt at humor once you're beaten into the ground and burnt to a crisp." She emphasized her point by extending her arms to her sides, palms facing forward.
Ranma's eyes widened when he saw the stance. *Oh shit!* Was his only thought before from each of Hinako's hands dozens upon dozens of smaller but faster fireballs were thrown at him. There were too many to dodge out of the way. With nothing else to do the pigtailed martial artist met the attack full on, intent on at least minimizing the damage he would receive.
Hinako watched in amazement as Ranma started making swaying motions with his hands. For each one the air in front of him rippled slightly and, surprisingly, managed to deflect a different fireball slightly. Once the attack was over Ranma's sister lowered her hands to her sides and studied the damage inflicted by her last attack.
Ranma's body was burnt all over, what was left of his clothing was smoking. The damage inflicted was great, but nowhere near enough what she expected.
The pigtailed martial artist wasted no time to launch an attack. If Hinako managed to land another attack like that one the fight would be over. With a speed born out of millenia of training he rushed at his sister, who by now was already preparing another magical blast.
Ranma saw the sparks forming in between Hinako's fingers and took a small step to the left as he continued to run forward. This served him to avoid a lightning bolt and get him in range to fight Hinako at her weakest, hand-to- hand.
Hinako doubled over with the blow to her midsection. As tough as she was, and she would put to shame anyone out of her own family, Ranma was used to fighting Ryoga. The blow didn't hurt much, but the force behind it was enough make her lose her balance. She started concentrating as Ranma backhanded her face and used the momentum to to prepare a spin kick.
Ranma was about to land the third move on his combo when a feeling of doom krept inside him. It was soon followed by the familiar burning sensation of Hinako's fire blasts. Hinako's body was enveloped in flames, which exploded outwards and caught the martial artist fully inside the radius of the attack.
He screamed in agony as he fueled more of his chi to protect his body from the searing heat.
Hinako straightened herself and stared down at the kneeling man in front of her. He was fighting hard to stand up, his energy spent on protecting himself from the latest attack. "Had enough?" She asked somberly. "Because I'm just getting started." She said with ice in her voice as she used her telekinetic abilities take control over her brother's body. His chi was now too weak to fight her off.
Ranma felt himslef levitated off the ground and his body was straightened by the alien force. He struggled to regain control, and even managed to start curling one of his arms, but with a thought Hinako overcame his weak attempt resistance. He could feel the entirety of his body being under the influence of his sister. In the current situation she could do pretty much what she wanted to his body. Rip his muscles appart, grind his bones into powder, make his heart and other internal organs explode.
Hinako stared at her brother as he floated in front of her. Anger drained after the battle, throwing fire around was a great way to calm down, she stared directly into Ranma's eyes with a calm and collected expression. "Okay, Ranma. I want you to tell me why you wanted to be with me alone." He rarely did something like this, teasing her into rage. He would usually just ask her to fight him.
Ranma smirked at her. "Never could fool you, sis."
Hinako crossed her arms over her breasts. "Speak." Even if he did have a motive to do it she was still mighty pissed at his comments.
"I have a feeling about the upcoming battle." Ranma said seriously. Hinako's silence was his only indication to further elaborate. "I will come closer to death than I've ever been, but I must so that our plans can be achieved."
Hinako shook her head. *A feeling? I know you, Ranma. That's probably what you're planning, not what you're feeling.* "And you think we are going to allow it?" She asked in annoyance.
Ranma glared at her. "I'm asking you because you're the only one I can trust with this. Ryoga would just get involved and ruin everything. Setsuna won't stand aside, neither will the other Senshi."
"And why should I?" Hinako asked curiously. "Even if you are right about this, I don't want to see you die either."
But Hinako's protest didn't fool Ranma. He knew his sister would support him on this. They had a pretty good understanding of each other, and Hinako knew Ranma wouldn't endanger himself without good reason, and having planned it well. "Can you let me go now, sis? I have a date with Setsuna." He said as he started struggling again, control of his body taken from his will.
She just smiled sweetly at him and he shivered inwardly, since Hinako still had a firm grasp of his body with her powers. "I'm not done with you yet, brother dear. I'm certain Setsuna won't mind watching over you tonight instead of going out to a movie. And I do to make it convincing or Ryoga will suspect your true intentions for making me this angry." With that she extended her hands to her sides again. Since Ranma was still unable to move she could blast him at will.
Ranma just gulped as he felt the heat starting to emanate from his sister's hands. This was going to really hurt.
END PART 14
Author's Notes: Not much to say for this chapter. The Inner Senshi finally have proof that the Novas are evil, or so they will believe. Ranma's old friends and rivals are all involved in the conflict now. What will Hinako do to Ranma? What was Ranma talking about when he said he would come close to dying?
The answers to that and more will come in the future.