Chapter Four: Kasumi's Visit – the Abduction
Kasumi woke up to the first rays of the sun as always. The young woman stretched in her bed, letting her mind pierce through the early morning haze. Getting up from the bed, she slowly made her way over to her desk and, reaching over it, opened the curtains fully. That was when she noticed a small slip of paper attached to the window. Opening the window, she grasped hold of the paper fluttering in the wind before closing the it again. Feeling oddly nervous, Kasumi unfolded the piece of paper in her hand and read through the mangled handwriting. A small, honest smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she skimmed Ranma's note. It was short, and read,
"Kasumi,
I'm fine right now, staying with a friend in Juuban, would you like to come visit? I'll be waiting at the Juuban trainstation for you today at 1800. My friend says it's ok if you stay a couple days.
Ranma"
Her hand went to her mouth as she struggled to keep her joy in, and Kasumi was already planning out the chores she would have to finish for the day before leaving. Oh my, six o'clock, that means I'll have to take the five o'clock train…Let's see, I can finish dinner quickly and leave it in the stove, and breakfast, too, and there isn't much laundry to do…and I need to pack and leave a note for Father and the others. With an unusual bounce in her step, Kasumi set off to do the housework for the day, humming a happy tune.
V----------------------------------------V
"Father?" Kasumi called out from the kitchen. "Yes, Kasumi-chan?" The elder Tendo looked up from his afternoon game of Shogi with Genma. "Father, I'm going to visit a friend for a couple of days. Would you mind helping take care of the house?" Kasumi gently shook her father to get his attention before he could turn on the Tendo waterworks. "It's just for a couple of days, father, maybe I'll be back tomorrow even." Nabiki and Akane picked that moment to come down the stairs. "Oh, visiting a friend, huh, Kasumi?" Nabiki smirked with a raised eyebrow. She had a feeling she knew who her sister was referring to.
Akane, on the other hand, looked rather depressed. "At least you still have friends," she mumbled, then lit up suddenly. "Oh yes! Don't worry, Kasumi-oneechan! I'll cook and take care of the house!" Soun and Genma turned away quickly, and Nabiki paled minimally. "T-that won't be necessary, Akane-chan. I'm sure we can afford a day or two's takeout. No need for you to worry about the household," she quickly threw in to move her sister off that train of thought. It's gonna be tight,but we can make it, Nabiki thought. With Ranma gone our expenses have decreased significantly. No more holes in the roof to fix. Then again, our usage of bricks tripled…
Kasumi shot a concerned glance at her youngest sister. Five days ago, after Ranma had left, Akane had come back from a walk mumbling something about Ukyo and Shampoo, and locked herself in her room for the rest of the day. Kasumi was worried about her sister, that she might fall back into the depression that had nearly claimed them when their mother had died. However, any attempts to ask Akane about what had occurred that day had been warded off with a tired, "Nothing…", and a wave of her hand.
Akane, on the other hand, started to glow a bright red as her battle-aura manifested, and nearly yelled, "Are you saying I can't cook!" As quickly as the outburst had come, it faded again, and the girl was left trembling in the center of the dining room, with everyone else taking cover or hiding behind sturdy furniture. "G-gomen…I…" Akane turned and ran out the door, her tears hanging in the air for a moment before dropping to the ground.
"Is it me, or is she getting more and more easily irritated?" Nabiki asked. Kasumi sighed and nodded. "You may be right, Nabiki-chan."
V----------------------------------------V
Cologne went through her spice cabinet as she cooked up the ramen order, looking for her reserve stash of herbs for the soup. She froze as her eyes fell upon a beaker that was out of place. She paled as she read the label. No…It can't be possible…"Shampoo!" the elder amazon hollered, to the shock of both of the other amazons present, and the rest of the guests. Cologne never yelled. "Aiya! What great-grandmother want?" The purple-haired amazon girl looked over the counter into the kitchen.
"Shampoo…have you used any spices lately?" Cologne asked in Chinese. "No, great-grandmother. Why do you ask?" Shampoo replied. The elder pointed to the cabinet. "The redwood seed is missing." Shampoo paled, her facial color nearly matching that of Cologne's. "I…only used the spices for the ramen I brought husband last week. I put some special herbs in to make his more tasty." If possible, Shampoo's expression whitened even more. "I…I might accidentally have used the redwood, great-grandmother."
"There's nothing we can do about it now. But this is bad, very bad. I better go talk to the Tendos. It might not be too late to use the anti-dote yet." "But husband didn't show any symptoms," Shampoo argued. "He might not have been the one to eat that ramen, great-granddaughter…" Cologne hopped on her staff and hopped off, a worried look on her face.
V----------------------------------------V
Ryoko hadn't seen Ranma all day. His early shift in the hospital had prevented him from visiting Juuban High, and in the afternoon, Ranma was nowhere to be found, probably off to pick up Kasumi. Sighing, Ryoko stopped his feet and looked up to check his surroundings. "Hello, can I help you?" A voice chirped from one of the doors. Turning his head, Ryoko saw a small, raven-haired girl standing in the open apartment door – the apartment, he noted, that his sister shared with her three roommates. Searching his memory, he recalled her name to be Tomoe Hotaru. "Ah, what the heck. What can happen, anyway?" Ryoko muttered. It's not like the oni are going to bust the train station or anything…
Returning his attention to the girl, he nodded and gave her a smile. "Yes, I would like to visit my sister Setsuna." The girl glanced at him, and for a moment he thought he discovered a flash of suspicion in her eyes, before recognition settled in. "Oh, Ryoko-sempai, Setsuna-mama is sick," she told him simply, favoring him with a smile. At the mention of the word "Setsuna-mama" one of Ryoko's eyebrows shot up. His sister had some explaining to do. Despite the fact that he saw her often and he sometimes walked her home, he'd never actually had much to do with her apartment-mates. "Come on, I'm sure it'll make her feel better," she said.
The girl's expression changed to a smile, and she pulled the door wide open. "Please come in!" She raced off as soon as he set a foot over the threshold. What he saw when he stepped inside made him frown. Coming towards him, down the stairs, was his sister, still wearing bandages around her torso and a sling around her arm. "Hey there," he offered. The woman grinned in return. "Hey there, yourself." Then she yelped and grimaced as she bumped her ribs against the railing. Shaking his head, Ryoko moved over, picked her up, and walked back up the stairs, Setsuna flailing wildly in his arms. Marching up the stairs, he shot a smile and a wink at the girl from the door, and continued down the hallway till he hit Setsuna's bedroom. Pushing open the door with a foot, he laid her down on her bed, despite Setsuna's constant protests.
"I'm injured, not invalid!" she shouted, eliciting a chuckle from her brother. "Yeah. And as you doctor, I say you stay in bed. Period. No running, no carrying heavy stuff, no doing martial arts, no saving the world for the next three days." He grinned at her. "Man, sis, you looked hot in that fuku." At Setsuna's chuckle, Ryoko sat down next to her on the bed. "You're loving this doctor thing, aren't you?" "Yep." Setsuna groaned. "I hate you…" Feigning hurt, her brother scooted away a little. "Oww, that stung! So tell me, who's that little girl who answered the door? That's not Hotaru-chan, is it? And who's the father?" His grimace had turned into a sly grin. Setsuna shook her head, chuckling. "Yep, that's lil' Hotaru-chan, she's the daughter of my two friends here, Haruka and Michiru."
"Err…adoptive daughter, I presume?" At her brother's comment, the green-haired woman burst out laughing. "Boy, for a student of medicine, you have some weird ideas of biology…" Her laughter proved infectious, as Ryoko soon was laughing alongside her. After reigning in their mirth, Setsuna glanced at the door. "Yes, she's their adoptive daughter. And no, I don't have a boyfriend. Never mind a child of my own." "Well, I do assume having to rescue the world every night takes up quite a lot of your time," he noted with a small smile. "Don't tell any of the other Senshi, but they could do with a little of martial arts training." Looking down at herself, his sister grimaced. "And so could I, I guess." A sly grin, the exact mirror image of her brother's earlier expression, appeared on her face. "Pray tell, who were those two young ladies with you last night?"
"You noticed them? Wow, I thought you were almost out cold," Ryoko shook his head vehemently. "And they're not girlfriends or something. Just…friends." Setsuna arched an eyebrow. "And I'm supposed to believe that, bro?" Ryoko sighed and decided to change the topic. Suddenly, there was the sound of an electric discharge and a scream coming from downstairs. In a flash, Ryoko was at the stairwell, peeking downstairs. "You stay up here," he told his sister before leaping down the flight of stairs to the living area.
The martial artist landed in a combat stance, ready to face burglars, intruders, robbers, demons, oni, whatever fate had decided to throw at him. After taking in the scene before him, however, he laughed. After getting his laughter under control, he shot an amused glance at the silver-haired goddess standing before him. "What is it, Urd?" Noticing her serious expression, he canned his mirth and turned sober. The goddess pulled a device from nowhere and held it up to his face. It looked somewhat like a PDA, but instead of text its display showed a map, with various locations highlighted. One particular location, that caught his attention, was the train station. "Uh, this isn't what I think it is, right?" He asked, hoping he was wrong.
"It's a scan of youki around the district. One of Skuld's more useful inventions. Your friend might be in trouble," Urd spoke. Shock made itself known on Ryoko's face. His voice, however, retained the complete calm he usually projected. "Already? It's way too early to... what time is it?" Glancing at a clock on the far wall, he gulped. It read 1745. "Damn, let's get to the train station. Let's hope we're in time."
V----------------------------------------V
The brakes on the train screeched as it came to a halt at the platform. Ranma stood waiting as he scanned the debarking crowd for a familiar brown ponytail. Spotting a speck of auburn amidst the mass of people, the pig-tailed youth started weaving his way through the people, until he could see Kasumi. "Hey! Kasumi! Over here!" He shouted, waving his hand in the air. The girl turned around and smiled, quickly walking in his direction. "Good evening, Ranma-kun," she greeted him, catching him in a loose hug. The young martial artist froze for a moment before remembering this wasn't Akane, and returned the hug. Disengaging from her, he gave her his familiar cocky grin. "Did you have a safe trip?"
Kasumi was surprised. The boy had been gone for a week from the Tendo dojo, and already he was back to his old, confident self – almost. She also noticed his speech had become less…slang-like and his manners had significantly improved. The young woman was wondering just who he had been spending his time with as he led her off the platform. "How are things back at the dojo? You been doing all right?" Ranma asked, letting show a bit of his old slang. Kasumi managed a sly smile. "Oh yes, things are well. Father is surprisingly not too upset about you leaving, but Oji-san is still ranting about you. Not that anyone listens, anyway. Nabiki is trying to find out where you are, no doubt, but from her frustration I don't believe she has any clue yet. Akane…she has been thinking a lot about you. I think she realized she made mistakes now." Ranma could see a look of sadness cross her expression briefly. "She has been quite depressed…and become easier to irritate. I'm worried, Ranma-kun."
Ranma nodded. "Me, too. Unfortunately, it's a bit too late to salvage our relationship. What about Mom?" "Oh, your mother was there for a visit and offered to take Ranko's 'pet panda' with her – we made up a…passable excuse for your absence." Ranma noticed a slight blush creeping into Kasumi's face as she mentioned the "passable excuse." "Passable, huh?" The girl nodded sheepishly. "Nabiki…made it sound like you had eloped with two other girls to, how did she put it, 'have your way with them.'" Kasumi looked on in concern as Ranma's face contorted in surprise, then a look she couldn't quite identify, and finally a blank stare that told her absolutely nothing. She was about to ask him what was wrong when the young martial artist burst out laughing.
Ranma laughed so hard that it ended in a coughing fit. Doubling over while trying to regain his breath, the martial artist grinned from ear to ear as he imagined the looks on everyone's faces when Nabiki said that. Suddenly, a tingling sensation went off in the back of his head. Reacting to his danger sense, Ranma turned around to catch a look at what was going on behind them. What he saw made his eyes widen in shock. Shaking off the paralysis, he picked up Kasumi and leapt clear of the falling debris. Setting her back on her feet a few meters away, he glanced back at the scene.
Oni were tearing through the train station, their claws demolishing just about anything they came into contact with, and they were headed straight for him. Meanwhile, Kasumi had spotted the oni, and froze. "Oh my…Ranma-kun…" Ranma glanced back and saw they were backed up against a ticket booth. He whirled around and took a fighting stance. No way I'm letting those things hurt Kasumi. Just no freakin' way! As he evaluated his chances to win against the four monsters in front of him, two more trampled over the rails. Taking a good look at them, the pig-tailed boy evaluated their combat abilities. The oni somewhat resembled a cross between a cicada and a reptile. Insectoid eyes glared at him while the light reflected off the glittering plates of armor that protected the four legs and two clawed arms. They couldn't possibly be very fast, but they had to pack a lot of power. And the razor edges that adorned their claws didn't do much to ease his worries. If it was just me, no problem. But with Kasumi here…I can't let them get past me!
Ranma was getting ready to charge the oni when two blasts of energy impacted the ground right in front of him, kicking up dust and obscuring the creatures. Glancing up, the martial artist watched as two figures dropped from the destroyed escalator to their left, leaping right in between him and the oni. As they landed, he recognized Ryoko, while the other person was an exotic-looking beauty with long silver hair. Also, while there was plenty of cloth to cover her, it had been cut and sliced to show off at a lot of provocative places. Ranma fought back a nosebleed.
Ryoko's voice broke through the screaming and yelling around the train station. "Ranma! Go take Kasumi to my place, I've got demon wards up, you should be safe for a while!" Ranma glanced at the other man, who shot him a slight nod in return. "On my way," he said. Something in Ryoko's eyes had told him it would have been very bad if he had tried to argue with his host. Scooping up Kasumi again, he waited until Ryoko and his companion had let loose another round of ki blasts, then leapt away, covered by the smoke and dust rising from the ground. Besides, he thought, who knows how many more of those things there are.
V----------------------------------------V
Ryoko turned a grim look at the goddess beside him. "How many?" Urd's answer confirmed what his senses had already told him. "Twenty here at the station. At least another twenty out on the streets," she told him. The martial artist shrugged and drew his twin fighting fans. "Ready to go?" he asked. Let's hope the Senshi can take care of them one at a time. Urd's face lit up in an evil grin. "Let's rock this place."
Parrying a claw with one fan, Ryoko slashed the other at the oni before him, then ducked and rolled out of the way of another claw strike. As he came up, he lashed out with both fans, letting them slide open. The resulting ki-enhanced wind blades cut deeply into the oni, but it didn't drop dead like it should have. Ryoko frowned as he moved back into his ready stance. Hearing a frustrated scowl from beside him, he glanced sideway, to see Urd shooting chain lightning at the oni, the bolts of electricity bouncing off one oni and flashing over to hit the next. "Did they build in lightning rods, or what?" she growled. "My lightning isn't even scratching their armor!"
The goddess looked up as she heard a swishing sound pass her right ear, and saw an open fan sailing past her, lopping off the clawed arm of an oni that had snuck up on her. Returning her attention to deep-frying the oni before her, she grimaced as she realized her lightning wasn't having much of an effect. Where's the runt with her bombs when ya need her? she groused. Changing tactics, Urd rose into the air and started chanting. Behind her, Ryoko noticed her levitating in the air as her hands traced an intricate mandala that seemed to assemble and shift in itself. Lightning and thunder began to crack in the distance.
Dodging a sweep that would have taken his legs off, Ryoko leapt up into the air and yelled, "Hiryuu Kyo-Ken!" The ki blast slammed into the oni who'd attacked him and vaporised two of its leg joints, causing it to collapse. With its left legs gone, it fell over and started wiggling in a rather ridiculous manner. Twisting in the air as he started his descent, Ryoko began focusing his ki and directed it into his one remaining fan. "Mugen Tenketsu Shiranui-Ryu Final Attack: Shinkuu-Ken!" His left hand blurred as it swiped the air with the open fan at speeds that rivalled the Kachuu Tenshin Amaguri-Ken, sending hundreds of small ki-powered vaccuum blades at the horde of oni in front of him. The barrage cut through them like a knife through butter, cleaving off legs, claws and antennae, cutting deep into the armor plating that grew on the oni.
Dropping to one knee as he landed, Ryoko caught his breath as he surveyed the area around him and Urd. While his attack had bought them some time, it was clear the oni were still able to fight. Damn it! That armor is too thick…I'll need to aim for the joints.. Lightning flashed and rain started to pour down on the remains of the wrecked train station. A second flash of lightning lit up the area, then a third. Glancing up, the martial artist noted that Urd had completed her mandala and was hovering in the air, eyes closed in concentration. The lightning struck the mandala and was drawn towards its center, focusing there as the symbol in the sky started humming with power waiting to be unleashed.
"Ultimate…"
Ryoko landed a sidekick on one of the oni, driving it away, and flipped over its head.
"Destruction."
Two punches and a high snap-kick sent another oni flying off as Ryoko leapt clear. Then lightning came crashing down on the spot where he'd been standing a moment ago. Intense heat swept over the remains of the station, followed by a shockwave that rattled windows up to five blocks away. The lightning bolt incinerated the broken remains of the ticket booth, the oni next to it, and the concrete below, tearing down through water pipelines and electrical lines.
When the dust had settled and the flash of light had dissipated, Urd lowered herself to the ground. Glancing around, she surveyed the damage her spell had done, and sighed as she took note that the train station was completely demolished. "Well, at least the contractors will be happy to have a new job," she chuckled. A voice from behind her chimed in. "Damn. Nice to see you haven't lost your touch, Urd," Ryoko grinned as he dusted off his shirt – what was left of it, anyway. "Looks like I didn't get clear in time," he groaned as he tried to assess the burns on his back. "Ouch. Well, we got rid of them here, at least." Urd hmph'd and stalked over to the martial artist, who was chuckling. "Why, you…"
Ryoko broke out laughing as he produced two fans from his torn sleeves and returned them to his pockets. Urd just shook her head. "Come on, we don't want to keep Ranma waiting, do we?"
V----------------------------------------V
Ryoko pushed open the door to his home and stepped through. He allowed himself a small smile at the smell of food that was wafting over from the direction of the kitchen and motioned Urd to come inside. "Ryoko, that you?" Ranma's voice came from the same direction. "Yeah. Did you two have any trouble getting here?" Ryoko moved into the kitchen, stopping dead in his tracks as he saw Kasumi moving around cooking with a grace most martial artists would kill for. Ranma was just standing there, observing her, then the pig-tailed youth turned to face Ryoko. "Yah, no problems. But…what the hell were those things?"
Sighing, Ryoko motioned them to move to the dining room. "Meiou-san, I'm almost done with dinner, could this wait?" He looked up at being addressed by Kasumi, and the innocent look in her eyes nearly melted him. "Of course, Tendo-san," he told her and brought out the dishes. While helping her to move out dinner, Ryoko took his first good look at the eldest Tendo daughter. He hadn't forgotten what Ranma had told him about her the night he had met him, but he had thought the boy was exaggerating. Now, as he looked at the beautiful young woman, he noted the subtle grace in her movements, and the sheer joy cooking seemed to bring her. He could tell by her warm brown eyes she was every bit as gentle and caring as Ranma had told him. Ryoko smiled. If this was the girl who had Ranma's interest, then he was one lucky guy indeed. Urd nudged him with her elbow, whispering, "Is it me, or is it Bell?" Ryoko chuckled. The resemblance between the eldest Tendo daughter and Belldandy was indeed uncanny, from her mannerisms to her movements, even the voice was the same.
As the four sat down for dinner, Ryoko grinned as he handed out the food. The moment Ranma had gotten hold of his bowl, his chopsticks had taken off like a rocket, shovelling the food into his mouth at speeds that rivalled the Amaguri-Ken. Across from him, he could see Urd snicker and Kasumi covering her mouth to cover up a smile. As Ryoko took the first bites of his own food, Ranma had already finished the first bowl. Finishing chewing, Ryoko shook his head while trying to suppress a chuckle and handed out more food the the boy. "You should slow down, you know. If it's fantastic cooking like Tendo-san's here, you might want to take the time and enjoy it," he finally managed while shaking with silent laughter.
Ranma looked only mildly abashed, but slowed down. Marginally. "Meiou-san, please call me Kasumi," the woman said as she directed her attention to Ryoko. "Thank you for letting Ranma stay, and thank you for saving us this afternoon, as well," she continued. "No big deal. Call me Ryoko. If you call me Meiou-san I feel like you're talking to my sister," he chuckled before continuing. "Ranma's a nice guy, and a pretty decent houseguest. Plus, I missed having a sparring partner since my sister stopped practicing the Art," Ryoko grinned. The pig-tailed martial artist next to him snorted. "At least he doesn't throw me out the window like oyaji. He is pretty good, though." Kasumi smiled at that. "What do you do, Ryoko-kun?"
"Ah, not much. I work part-time at the local hospital. I also teach Kempo at Juuban Highschool." "Oy! Doctor, I don't feel so well, wanna have a look at me?" Urd snickered as Ryoko turned red and Ranma pinched his nose to prevent keeling over at the sight of the overly amorous goddess draping herself over their host, at the same time un-draping her garments from her body. Kasumi arched an eyebrow and looked slightly amused. "Oh my, pretty straightforward, isn't she?" she asked. Trying to fight down the blood that had shot to his head, Ryoko shook his head. "Oh right, I forgot. Kasumi, Ranma, this is Urd. She's…well, her job is kinda complicated. It ties in with what occurred at the train station today." Turning to look at Urd, he added, "You probably checked the Yggdrasil files, but anyway, these are Saotome Ranma and Tendo Kasumi."
"So, what happened today, anyway? I mean, it's not everyday the train station is overrun by hungry, man-eating monsters," Ranma chuckled, but turned sober. "These looked even worse than the eight-headed Orochi at Ryugenzawa." "Try the whole district," Urd noted. "We had them popping up all over Juuban today. Setsuna told me the Senshi counted at least twenty-three more, not counting the ones you vaped at the train station, Urd," Ryoko added. Stunned silence followed his proclamation, until Kasumi broke it with her usual answer to a major shock. "Oh my." Next to her, Ranma worked his jaw as if to say something, but no sound would come out. "All right, so what's up with them?" He finally managed to get out. Ryoko turned to him. "I trust you two can keep a secret?"
Not in the mood for a flippant remark for once, Ranma just nodded. The man across from him shot a glance at Urd before speaking. "Well, this is going to be hard to believe, but Urd here is a goddess." "Uh-huh," Ranma shrugged. "And?" Grinning, Ryoko continued. "She's the Norse goddess of the past, and we're having some actual trouble." Kasumi interjected, "What kind of trouble?" Urd cleared her throat. "We received a report that a demon had let loose a horde of oni – that's what we call these demonic entities – on Tokyo in search of a certain being. That being is called the 'Nexus of Chaos', and I don't think I have to explain that title any further." As she concluded, three pairs of eyes focused on a certain, pig-tailed martial artist.
"What do they want? I'm assuming you're talking about me, here, right?" Ranma wasn't all that surprised that there was yet another person after him, although this time the reason was quite…unorthodox. "Well, it seems they want to use the chaotic energy in you and crash Yggdrasil," Urd explained. "Yggie-what?" "Yggdrasil, the world computer," Ryoko threw in. "Long story, but leave it at that. They crash it, some very, very bad things happen." Ranma arched an eyebrow. "Like what? Come on, crashing a computer is no big deal, is it? What kind of computer can it be?"
"Oh maybe just the kind of computer that happens to run the entire damn world?" Urd ventured sarcastically. Ryoko sighed. "Anyway, we'll have to keep you safe until we figured out who's behind this. We're having friends working on it, but…" Ranma cut him off. "I can take care of myself." The other martial artist shot him an odd look that made Ranma squirm in his seat a little. "That may well be, but can you hold your own against several oni at the same time? And protect those close around you? I don't mean to belittle your skills, Ranma, but we want to keep both you and Kasumi safe…seeing that there won't be a train departing from that train station anytime soon," Ryoko chuckled humorlessly at the last comment.
"This place is safe, for the moment. I put up enough demon wards it could keep mother out," Urd grinned. "Plus, there's some unpleasant surprises waiting for whoever gets past or is not a demon." As if on cue, a little bug crawled onto the windowsill outside, only to be smashed flat by what seemed to be a…pastry. The bug managed to dig itself out and started eating from the apparently free food, but keeled over and turned a sickly green and began sprouting purple polka dots. Ryoko arched an eyebrow. "Urd, have you been cooking again?" The goddess managed to look mildly abashed. "Te-he…well…you see, it would have been a waste to let all that go to waste…" Ranma and Kasumi looked at each other, then at Urd, then back at each other, shrugging. "I should introduce you to Akane sometime," Ranma said.
"Oh? Why is that?" The goddess looked away from the interestingly colored dead bug and back at the pig-tailed martial artist. "Her cooking is just about as toxic as yours. You two could make a career producing chemical weapons for the laboratory." Kasumi started to giggle, and Ranma soon joined her laughing. Ryoko grinned at the obviously private joke, but made a mental note to never let anyone named Tendo Akane near his kitchen. Urd just frowned. And kept frowning, until Ryoko's voice interrupted her. "Uh, Urd?"
"Yeah?" the irritated goddess shot back. "How did this bug get this color? I'm thinking it's kind of…odd." The doctor was pointing at the windowsill. "I'm a goddess, silly," she retorted, before adding, "Hm…I guess I added a touch too much pulverized goblin horn to that potion…" Both of them turned at a gurgling noise coming from Ranma. He was sitting up, still holding his sides in silent laughter, his face contorted in a grimace that said he didn't know whether to laugh or start running away. He finally settled on telling Kasumi, "I take back what I said. Please, make sure she never meets Akane. One of them is enough!"
V----------------------------------------V
Mara scanned the terminal in front of her and rubbed her eyes tiredly. Ever since Urd had called in and talked to Hild, there had been a lot of work landing on her desk, making it impossible for her to free some time to go out and torment some mortals. Or have a good drink at the nearest bar, which would have been what she really needed right now. "But no, mother had to call in and tell me to look for anything in the stupid d-base that might lead to Mr. Big-and-ugly-I'm-gonna-destroy-the-world," the demoness muttered.
"Not quite," a soft voice said from behind her. Mara whipped around at the intruder, mentally cursing. Just how did he get past all my security? Before her stood a lean young man, with jet-black heir shot through with silver highlights, elegant features, and, more importantly, the marks of a demon first class. "Who are you and what do you what?" Mara wasn't in a good mood, and she wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to vent some frustration, evident by the electricity crackling around her right arm. "I was merely correcting you. I'm not out to destroy the world. I merely wish to crash the doublet system," the man said amiably. "Listen you dolt, I don't care if you're joking or not, but I'm gonna deep fry you now," Mara snorted and let fly two forcebolts.
Ten inches from the man's face, they impacted against an invisible barrier. "Now, is that any way to greet a colleague?" The man smirked and lifted his hand. Mara tried to dodge the lance of demonic energy he threw at her.
Then came the blackness.
V----------------------------------------V
Skuld tapped away irritably at her keyboard. Her search for traces of any intrusion into Yggdrasil had gone unsuccessful so far, and Yggdrasil contained no reference concerning the oni recently unleashed. But the files must have been here! And if someone let them loose, there has to be an access code or something…at least a stray tracer signal…unless…Skuld froze as she considered the option that popped up in her head. Unless someone purged the files on purpose. But no one can delete files without leaving an access trace in the system! Except… The eyes of the young goddess widened as realization hit her. Unless it was a god or goddess. We keep a constant link to Yggdrasil, so it doesn't log our access and protocols…
Resuming her typing, Skuld called up a list of recent activities in the world computer system. "If I can cross-reference the activities with the time the oni were let loose…" The sound of clapping caused her to turn around. Straight into the path of an incoming forcebolt.
V----------------------------------------V
Kasumi glanced at the boy walking at her side. Physically, Ranma hadn't changed all that much, the face still held the boyish, slightly mischievous look. His eyes still shone a bright blue, full of life and vigor, and his walk still held a catlike grace many a dancer would kill to have. The pig-tailed martial artist had changed, though, and Kasumi was just beginning to notice the effect being away from the Tendo dojo had had on the youth. He had become more serious, and had taken to politeness – a change she heartily welcomed in him. He had also been acting more responsible, and Kasumi was wondering once more whether it had been such a bad thing that he had left the dojo.
"Kasumi? Is something wrong?" Ranma's voice shook her out of her reverie. "You were zoning out a little. You all right?" Kasumi smiled at the boy's concern. "Yes, thank you. I was just thinking about something." Her attention remained on the pig-tailed youth as they continued down the market area of Juuban, and she noticed with a glimmer of amusement that one of his eyes seemed always be trained at her, never letting her out of his sight. The warmth she had been feeling a week ago at his protectiveness and care came back full force, and she couldn't help but smile. "Ranma?" she asked. "Hm…?" the pig-tailed martial artist shot a quick glance at her. "Do you like it here?" Oh my, where did that come from? Kasumi wondered. To her surprise, Ranma nodded. "Yeah. I mean, it's nice and quiet. No one around here knows me, and I don't get challenged to fights out of the blue every five minutes. No fiancees chasing after me and leaving mass destruction in their wake, no oyaji to screw up my life." He gaver her a wide grin, and his light blue eyes shone with a fire she had rarely seen in him. "Here, I'm free, Kasumi. I don't have to rescue anyone every other day, oyaji ain't here to order me around on how to restore the family honor he dragged through the mud in the first place. It's just me here."
As she listened, Kasumi realized that he indeed had been right. While life at the dojo had been somewhat comfortable for the pig-tailed martial artist, it had been nowhere as peaceful. She took note for the first time that he hadn't been attacked ever since she arrived – unless one counted the encounter at the train station – and there had been no weird magical artifacts or spells flying around (although Ryoko had assured them that was even more of a commodity here in Juuban than it was over in Nerima). She tried to count all the times Ranma had had to save her little sister, and failed to come up with a number. Attempting to name all the times the boy had had to clean up his father's messes met the same result, and all of a sudden Kasumi realized Ranma hadn't been viewing the dojo as his home. It had been a temporary refuge from the tenuous life on the road, nothing more.
Her hand went up to cover her mouth in shock. I failed him. I was supposed to be there for all, to help make them feel at home. And what did I do for Ranma? A friendly word here and there…"Kasumi?" Ranma waved a hand in front of her face, a mix of nervousness and amusement on his face. The way he averted his eyes and swallowed hard combined with the apparent grimace that showed the effort he was making not to laugh was too much for her, and Kasumi broke out into laughter. "Just doing some thinking, Ranma." He nodded and continued walking ahead, one eye still riveted on her, and a smile on his face. Kasumi smiled at the sight. She hadn't ever seen him so full of…life.
V----------------------------------------V
Kasumi opened her eyes, slightly disoriented at first. Glancing around the dark room the young woman looked around for something familiar, but found none. Panic seized her for a moment before she recalled where she had been staying for the last several days. As her brain slowly began to reactivate, she began to take note of her surroundings. The sounds of sparring drifted through the window and the heavy curtains, and Kasumi moved to part them, letting the first rays of the sun hit the room. Out in the backyard, right below her window, she could see two figures fighting in the dim morning sun, as they did every morning. A small smile crept on her face as she realized how familiar this scene had become, with Ranma and his father sparring every morning before breakfast.
However, she did note one difference. Whereas Ranma's fights with his father were always short, insult-ladden and sluggish, the two figures below almost seemed to dance. No words were spoken as they flowed from form to form, dodging and countering smoothly. The pace of the dance picked up, fists and legs blurring until Kasumi could no longer distinguish the limbs or their owners. Finally, it ended with Ryoko on his back from one of Ranma's aerial kicks. Smiling once more, she turned around and left, to make breakfast.
Upon reaching the kitchen, Kasumi stopped dead in her tracks. The table was set, the food was simmering on the stove, and a note hung on the doorframe, addressed to her. Picking it up and reading it, the girl smiled and headed out for the back door. "Come on, breakfast is served," she called out, her quiet voice penetrating the early morning haze. In a flash, Ranma was at the table, while Ryoko lazily strolled past her. "Thanks, Kasumi," he grinned. "Where's your friend, Urd?" she asked, eliciting a chuckle from the martial artist. "Probably in her room, still sleeping. She gets hungover a lot and sleeps even more than she drinks."
Before Kasumi could reply, Ranma came flying out of the dining room and crashed into Ryoko, bowling him over. As the two martial artists picked themselves off the ground, they glanced into the house. There, framed by wisps of sulfurous smoke, stood a lean man with a shock of black hair. "Ouch, those wards stung," he said. Ranma's eyes went wide, and Ryoko mumbled something about talking to Urd about the qualities of her wards and seals. Both returned their gaze to the intruder, who had grown a smirk in the meantime. "Ah, yes. Meiou Ryoko, isn't it? And Saotome Ranma."
For a moment, Ryoko was tempted to fling a "What do you want," at the strange man, but stopped himself. That would be too much cliché for even him to handle. He didn't get the chance to say anything, as Kasumi beat him to it. "Oh my, would you like some tea?"
An audible crash could be heard as the newcomer's jaw hit the floor. Ryoko just arched an eyebrow, while Ranma stared in surprise at Kasumi, all the while suppressing the urge to facefault. Finally, Ryoko sighed. "I'm guessing that means no." Returning his gaze to the still gaping man, he continued. "Oh come on. Stop drooling over my floor. Let me guess: you're a demon, just came from Hell, and are here to steal someone's soul to conquer the world, right?" "You're almost right, except for one thing." The intruder took a deep breath. "I'M NOT HERE TO TAKE OVER THE DAMN WORLD! WHY IN THE SEVEN HELLS DOES EVERYONE THINK I WANT TO DO THAT?"
Ranma leaned over to Ryoko and whispered, "Seven Hells? Ain't that a bit much?" "Not quite sure. You might want to ask Urd, but you're right, I think seven is overkill," Ryoko replied. The demon returned his attention to the two. "Hey! Stop ignoring me! All right, my entrance wasn't as dramatical as it could have been, so what? I'm Firkraag, demon first class, first category, unlimited. Saotome Ranma, I've come to claim your soul!" The two martial artists returned their gaze to Firkraag at his sudden change of demeanor.
Ranma gulped as he took in the flaming aura surrounding the demon, and the sheer blackness emanating from him. He tapped Ryoko on the shoulder. "Uh…he wasn't kidding, was he?" The other man just shook his head and took a defensive stance. "Well, come and get it," he offered. The demon, however, stood stock still. "Not necessary," he growled and held out a hand. A bolt of light shot towards the door. Ranma leapt out of the way, closing in with the demon, while Ryoko extended his hands. "Môkô Tenshin," he whispered, a purplish barrier of ki flaring into existence. The forcebolt bounced off with a shriek and smashed into the wall, burning a neat hole through it four inches wide. Firkraag snorted and turned to Ranma. "On the other hand, I might just have some fun sirst," he said with an evil smirk as he fired another forcebolt into the opposite direction, heading straight at the one person who wasn't involved in the conflict, and the one person who couldn't defend herself.
"Kasumi!" Two voices echoed through the house as both martial artists launched themselves at the woman. "Môkô Takabisha!" Ranma yelled, the blast of ki impacting with the spell and doing…nothing, dissipating harmlessly. Ryoko's fan reached the spell a millisecond later and shattered. The spell hit Kasumi, who was in the process of turning out of the way, and froze her, paralysing the eldest Tendo daughter. "Heh," Firkraag smirked as he decided to alter his plans a little. "Too easy. I'm not a picky one. Her soul will do just fine, Saotome Ranma." With a snap of his fingers, he and Kasumi disappeared in a puff of sulfur just as a lightning bolt blasted the spot where he had been standing a moment before.
"Damn," Urd growled. The goddess leapt down the stairs and stared around the room. Before she could say anything, though, another puff of smoke obscured the view. When it cleared, another person stood in the room, one that looked strikingly similar to Urd herself. Long, silver hair framing a dark, exotic face, wrapped up in a scandalously short dress. "Urd!" the new arrival yelled. "Mother?"
Ranma and Ryoko relaxed their stances. "Hello, Hild. Been a while," Ryoko greeted while the woman shot him a seductive grin. "Hey there yourself, honey." The smile left her face as quickly as it had appeared. "I'd love to stay and flirt, but we got a problem. Mara vanished, and so did Skuld. We're assuming that Firkraag got them both. We're also assuming he's got help up in Asgard. I wanted to warn you, but it seems I'm a bit too late." Ranma growled at the newly arrived Queen of Hell. "Damn straight. Now, if you got any ideas where to look for that guy, I'm gonna rip him to pieces, limb for limb, if he hurt Kasumi."
Urd interrupted the pig-tailed youth. "Well, we could start by getting help. Let's go to my sisters, maybe Belldandy will have an idea of where to start." Hild shook her head. "That's part of the problem. Kami-sama called the temple after Skuld vanished, and no one asnwered the phone. We have Yggdrasil scans that reveal a very powerful shielding spell around that area of Nekomi." Ryoko shrugged. "We'll just have to do it the old-fashioned way." Ranma shot a look at the older man. "You got a plan?"
"Yup. Walk in, bash their door, kick their ass."
"I like that plan."