Chapter 10: the darkest depths.

The senshi woke up slowly and reluctantly. What had started with a hug had turned into a talk, and that had turned into a girl's night, and then someone had found some booze and now they were paying the price.

"Just tea please Saotome-san" Setsuna asked, trying not to let the glare of the sunlight make her squint too much.

"Hai" agreed Michuru. Nodoka nodded.

"Do you know if Ranma will be back for breakfast?" the matriarch queried, to be met with confused faces.

"He went out?" Michuru asked.

" Soon after the 'discussion'" Ami supplied.

"And he hasn't been back?" Setsuna asked. Nodoka shook her head. "oh," the other girl echoed.

"But we were supposed to be going to…" Michuru observed.

"And we still are" Setsuna said, "he hinted yesterday on the way home that he had some business last night, but I didn't think much of it."

"And if he's in trouble?" Ami asked.

"We don't have nearly enough information to help" Setsuna replied, "on the other hand we are working to a tight schedule."

"The boat" Michuru observed agreeing.
"The boat" Setsuna confirmed.

"We are booked on the oh-nine-hundred" Ami reminded them. "That gives us an hour and a half to reach Narita."

"Whoa" Michuru observed, "I'm not packed." Setsuna had only a brief moment to observe how very unlike the old Michuru that was before realising that she too hadn't finished.

"Then I suggest you get on with it," she chided, "I'll be in my room checking the maps." She wasn't sure either friend would believe her but she sure as hell wasn't admitting she was unprepared.

"I'll make you a lunch up" Nodoka observed.

"With your permission I will phone my mother" Ami asked, waiting for Nodoka's nod before heading for the stairs.

O

O

In the lobby of the new look Pandemonium fortress there was, well pandemonium. Ranma had hurled himself at the imp, whop had desperately attempted to dodge. The guards stationed in the lobby had attempted to prevent the attack on principle, only to find themselves brushed aside. Unfortunately the delay had given the imp more time to dodge and he had made use of it by upsetting a mail trolley. There was now a veritable cloud of papers falling like oversized snowflakes, and in the middle of it all Ranma was playing a lion and mouse game. Meanwhile Mara slowly slumped down the wall.

"Somehow I just know that I am getting the blame for this" she muttered.

Finally Ranma caught the imp, speared it through its oversized gut, pinioning it to the floor.

"Pleeease" it begged.

"No" Ranma replied, tearing it in half. Guts flew, and the demonling died with a squelch. From behind him he heard the guards gathering themselves for another rush. He smiled and waited, they might yet prove entertaining.

"Stop!" commanded a voice dripping female authority. Ranma turned around in time to see the newcomer sweep her hand through the room. The floating files immediately slapped into the wall, and slid down into neat piles. In turn this revealed the 'woman' responsible.

"Whoa" Ranma muttered, suddenly realising where Urd got some of her looks from. Hild was stood there in a white-edged, purple dress, cut down the front all the way to her navel and hugging her figure in a way that left little doubt as to exactly how fine it was. Around her shoulders floated a myriad of ribbons of the same hue. On her face a bright red star shined setting her golden eyes into stark relief. Around her neck and in her hair she wore some startling golden jewellery but it never even came close to the mystique of the woman herself.

Hild looked straight at Ranma, a gleam in her eyes as if she had heard the thought and it amused her. "If you are finished playing?" she asked with a smile on her exquisitely sculpted lips. Before Ranma even thought of responding she was already sweeping away towards the elevator.

"Ranma shook himself as if waking from some dream. "Damn she's good" he whispered. "Gotta remember beautiful sure, but evil as stink! Okay very beautifu,." he conceded. He followed her towards the lift, not sparing the trashed lobby or the stain at its centre another glance.

In the elevator he founds no trace of the demon queen who had entered it just before him. But it did convey him swiftly to the top office; and opened to reveal Hild's personal secretary, a very cute little succubus in a pin stripe skirt suit, and a large double door.

"Saotome san you are expected" the demon-girl offered, standing and opening the doors for him. The office beyond was spacious, and Spartan. Done in reds and blacks it was dominated by a massive desk in darkest hardwood, and behind that the throne of the queen of hell. A throne that was currently unoccupied.

"Drink?" came the query, Ranma turned fast to find the Mistress of the realm pouring herself a scotch.

"No thank you" replied Ranma before he remembered that he wasn't here to be polite.

"It's the better part of two centuries old?" she prodded. He frowned and she got the message.

"I'm not here-" he began angrily.

"Uh!" she cut in, halting him, "lets not turn this nasty just yet," she chided.

"I-"

"Am a very remarkable person who I would like to know more about" Hild asked, seating herself on the corner of her desk and looking over the rim of her glass at him as she sipped. For a few heartbeats those fantastic eyes held him captivated.

"Please" she offered, waving her spare hand towards a seat.

"No" replied Ranma sternly, fighting her power.

"Fine" she replied. "Then lets talk business."

"Yes lets" he replied, lip curling, as he forced himself to remember his hate.

"You want revenge on the creatures that wronged you," the queen suppled, "You wish to return to the fortress where they held you and crush them utterly?"

"It is more than that" Ranma replied, now knowing that it was. The reply seemed to genuinely shock the demoness before him.
"You mean that," she stated, incredulity seeping into her voice.

"Yes" Ranma asserted.

"So Balthazzar really did fail" Hild added, standing and moving around her desk.

"In every way!" Ranma replied forcefully.

"So t would seem" Hild replied, seating herself. "But yet you still wish to have your revenge."

"Among other things" Ranma agreed.

"And for that you are willing to accept my help?" she queried.
"Mara said safe passage?" Ranma asked warily.

"Indeed she did," Hild agreed, hiding her disappointment in the agent. "And have it you shall, under certain conditions." Ranma growled, sensing double play.
"No my young hero," Hild cut in before his anger could manifest in a statement, "Nothing like that," she added. "All I want from you is an assurance."

"What assurance?" he asked his voice still full of violence.

"That you will do a thorough job" she replied, looking at him over her glass again, but this time with a fire in her eyes.

"Why?" he asked before he could stop himself.
"Do you know what Balthy-baby planned for you?" she asked.
"Yes," Ranma replied, "he wanted me to be like him, a demon." Hild considered this for a moment. Then replied thoughtfully.

"you underestimate yourself" she said, "and him." She paused, seeing that she had his attention.

"Did you read the file I sent?" she asked. Ranma snorted.

"A file sent by the queen of hell? I ain't that stupid."

"You thought I had sent a trap?" she queried. When he didn't answer she saw the truth, "Indeed I considered doing so but the truth seemed far more likely to get a result." Again she paused, sipping at her scotch.

"Explain" Ranma prompted.

"Not to go too deep into it but you were never supposed to be born" Hild supplied, "too dangerous you see."

"Go on"

"It's not a matter of fate so much as character. The Yggradsil computer can tell certain things even before a mortal is born. Your birth was flagged in bright shining red."

"Why?" Ranma asked, curiosity now replacing anger.

"Because you had the unique conjunction of natural ability and superhuman drive that meant you could, if you so choose transcend the mortal frame you were to be born into. Or even worse, should you fall to evil, you might usher in a new dark age, another Ragnarok."

"So instead?"

"You were to be…'removed' from the equation," Hild explained lingering over the distasteful words.

"By you?"

"Ha" she laughed, "no child, by heaven! It is they who limit mortality. From this office we drive them on."

"Provided it serves your ends," Ranma pointed out less kindly.

"Of course" Hild replied shamlessly. She leaned back, stretching a little, "but then we never claimed to be the good guys."

"Then why-"

"Did you happen at all?" Hild guessed. At Ranma's nod she continued, "Someone thought that they could limit you, protect you; thought that they knew better than the computer. Needless to say they were wrong, and it was only a matter of time before some dark power claimed you."

"But that was your doing!" Ranma growled rage returning.

"Not mine," Hild snorted, "I can assure you of that. I have far more sense than to play with fire like you had the power to become. No that was Balthazzar, but if it hadn't been him it would have been something else, an unhappy love affair, one manipulation too many, the loss of a loved one. All of these things could have started you on the path. But Balthazzar couldn't wait-"

"So he cut a deal," Ranma growled.

"Indeed" Hild replied, once more sipping her drink for effect. "Unfortunately for him he underestimated you. He wanted to turn you into the ultimate weapon, a force to overturn Heaven and Hell. What he did instead was create his very own bane."

"He nearly got me," Ranma admitted.

"But he didn't" Hild disagreed, "which is perhaps the scariest part."

"Scariest?" Ranma asked.
"Definitely" Hild confirmed, standing to go and refill her drink. "You see it isn't about fate, or pre-destination. Essentially what you have done, any mortal could do."

"But they don't" Ranma noted.

"Indeed, they don't" she agreed. "For whatever reason they find themselves unable to break free of their mortal limitations, their own self imposed ceilings." She refilled her glass and added another this time not asking. Then while he was sill thinking these revelations over she returned to perching on the desk corner, holding out the second glass for him. He took it and sat in the seat she offered. It was only after he had taken his first sip that he realised what he had done. He looked up to see the stunning Goddess of the underworld smiling at him. He could do little but smile back.

"So now you will go back and destroy Balthy-baby's last legacy." Ranma raised an eyebrow.

"The moon girl," she explained, "she was to be a backup in case you failed, or indeed in case you grew too wild and ad to be destroyed."

"Ha" Ranma snorted.

"Indeed" Hild agreed with a smirk, "he left that a little late didn't he."

O

O

O

Meanwhile, more than a world away, the Senshi were landing at a tiny airfield in the Mediterranean. The sun shined bright and all around them glittered the beautiful azure seas of one of the world's youngest seas.

A small weather-beaten man approached them and said something in the greek patois of the region. None of the girls caught a word of it.

"Papadopolis-san?" Setsuna asked.
"Oc" he replied before continuing into another stream of unintelligible syllables.

"Where is the boat?" Setsuna tried in English.

"Boat?" the old man replied, finally understanding. "I take you boat."

"Thank-you" Setsuna supplied, before motioning the others to follow. The man led them down to a small jetty beside which rode a small wooden fishing boat.
"That's it?" Michuru asked dubiously.

"It is better on the inside" Ami asserted, hoping her information was correct. She had been unable to get the pictures she wanted, something to do with the skipper being involved in dealings that were…'questionable' as far as international espionage laws went. Fortunately for all concerned she turned out to be right, and the interior belied the simple look of the outside. The control room was festooned with complicated computer arrays and numerous screens, the hold replaced with a submersible diving vessel.

"This will do nicely," Setsuna said happily, clapping her friend on the back. "Now lets get the show on the road."

O

O

"Bell" Urd asked, peering around her sister's door. It had taken her quite some time to build up the nerve to step in. this was Bell's room, entering it without permission…

"I'm coming in," Urd continued, she had tried everything else. From dropping things on the floor that would make a mess, to fighting with Skuld, nothing had worked. Now the last reserves had been gathered and she was forced to break in..

"G'way" bell said. She was lying on her bed, with her face in her hands, still choking down the sobs she had tried to muffle with her pillow.

"Sorry sis" Urd said, creeping forward, "No can do. I'm your big sister and I have to bug you, its in the rules."

"G'way" bell commanded a little louder. This time Urd flinched. But she steeled herself and sat on the bed.

"You don't have to tell us anything" Urd said reaching out a hand to put onto her sister's back, "just don't cut us out okay. We are your sisters and we care no matter what."

"No" Bell said "you don't know" she sobbed, "they sealed the file."

"Bell?" Urd asked, "Has this got something to do with Ranma?" At the name the dams broke and suddenly Urd had an armful of sobbing sister.

"I did terrible things" she sobbed, "Terrible things." Urd had problems hearing her sister, but even more problems believing her.

"Bell?" she asked.
"Ranma" her sister responded, "I was meant to stop him being born. I didn't, Nodoka was too lonely. But then things got worse. I Had to stop him you see, I had to."

"No" Urd said, finally getting the gist of the direction this was going.

"All of it" Bell agreed, "meant to hold him back. Stop him. Make him settle."

"No. Bell tell me it isn't true," Urd said with real compassion. "Not you!" Bell just burst out crying, her nods stuttered by wracking sobs.

"Why you?" Urd asked after a long pause.

"I had to. No choice. Kami-sama said I needed to see" Bell said.

"Bastard" Urd said. "I'm going to kick his teeth..-"

"No!" Bell cut in "He was right."

"Nobody is allowed to make my sister cry!" Urd asserted.

o

o

"I am sorry but I really do have to deal with this" Hild said. She had just put down the intercom phone which had so rudely broken into the conversation. It was only then that Ranma realised what had been happening. He had been enjoying himself, really enjoying himself. Somehow the confrontation had turned into a conversation. A good one.

"No worries Hild-dono" Ranma replied, automatically adding the honorific. He winced as soon as he realised he had, but by then it was too late.

"Ranma" she called, stopping his recriminations. He turned towards her, she was still sat on the edge of her desk, looking no less alluring than when he had first seen her.

"I don't expect your fealty" she asserted, "all I am asking for is a fair judgement. Of who I am, of what I do."

"Hild" Ranma began, only to be interrupted again.

"Please" she said, "save it for next time."

"Next time" he asked.

"I had fun today" she told him, "and I would very much like to do this again some time soon."

"I'd like that" Ranma replied, and he meant it. From there it was back to the lobby, past the snarling guards and their bandages, and back to the gate. Mara quickly fell into step beside him as he stepped out of the fortress, she had been outside smoking when he returned.

"So?" she asked.
"We met, we talked, we drank a little," Ranma supplied

"You drank?" Mara asked, "Not the scotch surely?"

"The scotch" Ranma asserted.

"Whoa" Mara replied. "And…" she prompted.

"And now I'm going home" Ranma supplied. Mara stooped in her tracks, growling.

"You!" she growled

"Gate!" Ranma ordered, and Mara obeyed suddenly reminded of just how dangerous this man before her was.

Seconds later the two of them stepped back out into the air of the Tokyo suburbs. Ranma turned back to the demoness, conscience warring. With a grimace and a snarl on his face he said "thank you."

As he walked off Mara was left there with her jaw on the floor.