Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½.

Author's Notes: Another chapter of Frozen Lake of Hell in the same week? Yes it is my friends! I'll cut the trite comments and get on with the show.

Frozen Lake of Hell

Chapter 6

If Ding had any idea that Bordox was nearby he would have evacuated Nerima in an instant, but as such things go he was blissfully unaware of what was going on. It may have also had something to do with currently being male and helping Kasumi in the kitchen. After his intense "practice" she wanted to give him hot water to revert him. Since it was a tenet of his code of honor to always do his part, helping her clean the kitchen and get it ready for dinner was the least he could do. The gentle girl was also a joy to be around. Her peaceful aura and warm smiles were making the young Dragon flustered. As Kasumi picked up a porcelain tea cup it shattered with a sharp report. The gentle girl winced as her delicate fingers were slashed by the shards.

"Are you alright Kasumi?" Ding asked worriedly as he gently took her hand to inspect it.

"I-I am alright Ding-kun. It's nothing." Kasumi protested gently as she tried to extricate her hand from his. The contact was causing her to flush in guilty pleasure but he refused to let go.

"Hold still you silly girl. This Dragon's got a few tricks up his sleeve." He told her with a smile. She really was beautiful but there was time for reflection later. Holding his other hand over her injured hand, a soft green glow gently fell on her fingers like a soothing balm. Ding smiled at the amazement on her face as he pulled his hand away to reveal that her hand was once again good as new.

"Oh my! Th-thank you Ding-kun…" the girl said in quiet wonder before slowly coming back to reality.

"I must clean this up…could you…put the water on for me?" she asked him shyly. Ding dutifully did as he was told while Kasumi swept up the shards of porcelain. The Dragon took another look at the shattered bit of china with an appraising eye. What dark vibration rippled through the air and broke the cup? As far as he could detect this place was a bastion of light, certainly there was chaos but with a kind soul like Kasumi serving as guardian of the hearth there shouldn't be anything that can get in. After putting the water on to boil like she requested, he regretfully told her that he needed to talk to Ranma. The girl unconsciously pouted adorably before telling him the pigtailed one was in Akane's room most likely.

"Thanks Kasumi-san." He said with a smile.

"Uhm…y-you don't need to call me that…j-just Kasumi is fine." She told him, amazed at her own forwardness causing the blue-haired boy to look happier. With an exaggerated bow, he made his way upstairs. The eldest Tendo girl watched him go with a hint of trepidation. If Ding knew that his thoughts on the omen were shared by someone else, he might have felt a little more secure.

-Akane's Room-

Ranma found sitting in Akane's lap to be totally relaxing. The taller girl didn't seem to mind at all as she had her arms loosely wrapped around her female fiancé. It wasn't often that the two of them could just relax without having to worry about everyone harassing them. The hair brushing had degenerated as usual into cuddling. Ranma suspected that Akane loved her girl form more than her male form but it didn't bother her like it would have when the girl first arrived. They never addressed it, but apparently Akane wanted to talk about it.

"It's not that I don't find you handsome as a man. I'm just trying to get myself used to the fact you may never get cured." The short-haired girl told her fiancée softly.

"I thought you were just more in love with me as a girl." Ranma replied quizzically. She heard a soft growl which almost spoiled the mood.

"Oh please…I wish my fiancé was fully male all the time. This is just trying to make the best of things. Can't you accept that?" she demanded, but kept her voice hushed so as not to scare the smaller girl. Akane finally was starting to notice her effect on the aquatransexual. It took less time for Ranma to relax this time. They were about to continue their conversation when a loud crack was heard. It sounded like glass breaking. At Akane's sharp intake of breath, Ranma looked in the direction she was looking and just narrowly avoided an outburst of her own. The picture of Akane's mother was askew and the glass was cracked, but that wasn't what was causing the unsettling feeling. The feeling came from how the glass cracked.

The picture had frozen over.

-In the Hallway-

The redheaded girl and blue-haired boy almost collided with one another in their mad dash to find the other. That would have happened in a perfect world, however, neither one of them had sufficient luck to avoid the collision that put them in the compromising position they were found in by Akane. Ding had instinctively thrown his arms around the smaller girl to keep her standing while Ranma was trying to figure out how Ryoga got here. The short-haired girl didn't scream or rant, but she her eyebrows did ratchet up in surprise.

"Oi…what's the big idea?" Ranma demanded as she pushed away.

"I was trying to keep you from falling you little demon. Did anything happen just now?" Ding asked the little "demon" in question. The pigtailed girl nodded and launched into what had just happened as Ding explained what happened in the kitchen. Akane was cradling the ruined picture frame as the two of them compared experiences.

"What does it mean?" Ranma asked.

"Not a clue. According to what I've observed dark vibrations shouldn't even penetrate the aura of inherent goodness that permeates this place." He replied. The girl blinked stupidly.

"Eh?"

"This shouldn't have happened."

"Oh, okay."

"I want to investigate this but I don't know my way around."

"I'll show ya around."

"Ya sure?"

"Sure."

"Can I come too?" a new voice piped up causing the two to look to the source, blinking rapidly. They had completely forgotten that Akane was there. While Ranma wanted to deny her, Ding thought it would be a good idea if there were more searchers. The stubborn neo-girl didn't like being outvoted but she had to admit it would be kind of nice. Every since she woke up this morning the day didn't feel right.

"Let's get you back to male and don't forget to bundle up. I can do a little something to keep the snow off of us but the cold will still get us." Ding said. Neither teen knew what he meant when he said "keep the snow off" but it made about as much sense as anything did in Nerima.

"Alright, we'll meet at the door in a few minutes." Ranma said.

"I'll get Kasumi to pack us something to eat." Ding said as he jogged back downstairs. As he disappeared below, Akane pulled her fiancée in for a hug. The two shared a comforting embrace before parting.

"We better get ready." The shorthaired girl said.

"Yeah, but if either of us tells you to do something, don't question it." Ranma admonished. The situation must have startled her bad enough that she didn't even argue, just agreed. With that, the gradually more accepting fiancées parted ways to get their things together.

-Kitchen-

"Hey Kasumi, could you pack us something to eat? Ranma, Akane, and I are going out for a bit and we could sure use your excellent cooking." Ding said with a smile as he tried to make it sound lighter than it was.

"Of course Ding-kun, just a moment. May I ask you a question?" the girl asked as she put several bentos together. The Dragon saw no harm in answering.

"Sure thing. What would you like to know?" he asked.

"Does this have anything to do with the cup shattering…?" she asked as she stuffed the boxed meals in a pack for Ding to carry. The young warrior blinked in astonishment before chiding himself on inattentiveness.

"Yeah it does. We think it might have something to do with the blizzard. It's bad out there and getting worse. I get the feeling things are going to get worse before they get better." He informed her as he shouldered the backpack. On an impulse, Kasumi kissed his cheek.

"For luck…" she told him before turning away from him, busying herself with making food for the rest of the family. Bemused, Ding recognized a dismissal when he heard one and left the kitchen in a daze. If he had looked back he would have seen the four alarm blush that covered Kasumi's face.

"Mother keep them safe…" Kasumi murmured.

End chapter

Author's Notes: The story is finally starting to get moving as they set out to investigate Nerima. What will they find out there in their search? Will they run into Bordox? Stay tuned for more next time! Ja ne!