Wake Me Up Inside
By Shadow Lady
Co written and edited by Senshi of Valis
Ranma sighed quietly as she stepped through the portal, hand in hand with Usagi and came out in the waiting room of Tofu's clinic. Setsuna closed the portal behind them as Tofu came into the room to see what was going on, a worried expression crossing his features as he looked over them making a chill run down Ranma's spine. She nervously kept straightening out her knee length black skirt with her free hand as Usagi squeezed her other in support.
"Wow, Ranma, you look really nice." Tofu said, smiling a little mischievously.
"And I don't?" Kasumi asked, feigning hurt in her voice.
"No one looks better than you." Tofu said, smiling even wider as everyone stared in shock at the seemingly calm Tofu while Kasumi stood just inches away from him.
"Did I neglect to mention that I helped your friend here with his little problem?" Setsuna asked with a smirk.
"You mean?" Kasumi asked, her voice clearly full of hope as she watched Tofu for any signs of his madness. After what seemed like an eternity the two launched into each others' arms and kissed deeply for a few moments before Tofu pulled back, the worried look returning.
"Not that I'm not enjoying this but you guys have really bad timing." Tofu sighed, "Nodoka believes that Ranma is here and she said that she will be here soon to demand Ranma either marries Akane or that he commits seppuku."
"The bitch has to go through me first." Usagi growled.
"And us." Nabiki said, Kasumi nodding.
"Still, it would probably be best to avoid a conflict with her. I could call the police but I don't know how well that would turn out." Tofu said just as a loud banging from the front entrance startled them. "Hide, I'll try and get rid of her."
"No, let her in." Ranma said, releasing Usagi's hand and fixing her white blouse and longer red hair that was tied back in a ponytail.
"Are you sure?" Tofu asked, unsure of what exactly to do. Finally relenting he went to the door and opened it as an infuriated Akane followed by an angry Nodoka carrying her katana in plain sight and walking in a regal, intimidating pace.
"Where is my son?" Nodoka demanded, her voice cold.
"PERVERT!" Akane screamed from the waiting room just before she came flying out of the room and slamming into the wall next to Nodoka.
"How dare you attack any of us?" Usagi demanded after sending a large amount of pure ki into her foot just before introducing it to Akane's stomach.
"How dare you attack my daughter in law?" Nodoka growled, ready to draw her sword.
"That's funny, I don't ever remember asking an abusive, arrogant, uncute tomboy to marry me." Ranma snarled, cracking her knuckles.
"R-Ranma?" Nodoka asked in shock, looking the red haired girl up and down. There were no outward signs of masculinity and in fact Ranma was even carrying herself as a girl. "What is the meaning of this, son. This is very unmanly and if you don't change back now…"
"You will what, force me to commit seppuku?" Ranma laughed.
"How dare you!" Nodoka screeched as she drew her katana and striked out but Kasumi's own shadow saber blocked it, the two swords singing as they met.
"How can you call yourself honorable?" Kasumi asked.
"How dare you side with that freak? I demand that both you and your sister go home now where you belong. These games have went on long enough." Nodoka snarled, pushing on her blade trying to force Kasumi back.
"Who are you to demand anything of me?" Kasumi snapped, "Fine, have it your way. If you are as honorable as you claim you will accept my challenge. If you win we will come back but if I win you will relinquish your hold on Ranma."
"Kasumi!" Tofu gasped.
"She can handle it, trust me." Setsuna said, putting her hand on Tofu's shoulder, "Let's just sit back and enjoy the show."
"Fine, I accept young lady. It's not as if you are even capable of beating me." Nodoka snarled, "You are nothing but a worthless little girl while I am a master of the anything goes style of martial arts."
"Wh-What?" Ranma gasped in shock. She knew that her mother has been growing colder and crueler lately but that was something that she never believed Nodoka would ever say.
"Let's take this outside." Kasumi smirked, holding her hand out toward Nodoka, palm out. A wave of dark energy struck Nodoka throwing her out the door and skipping across the yard.
"Bitch." Nodoka snarled, lunging at Kasumi slashing downward in a killing strike which Kasumi easily deflected. The two started trading blows, the two swords clashing time and time again as the two danced around each other. Thrust…Slash…Parry…Slash…Deflect…It went on for almost twenty minutes while Nodoka seemed to grow tired while Kasumi seemed to not even be affected by it.
"How did Kasumi get so good?" Tofu asked not bothering to hide his surprise.
"Remember Tofu baby, we were gone for three years." Nabiki said, "And besides, my sister is a natural."
"Do you yield?" Kasumi asked drawing everyone's attention back to the fight. Nodoka was sprawled out on the ground with Kasumi's dark blade pressed against the older woman's throat.
"Y-Yes." Nodoka whimpered as Kasumi turned and started back to the others. Nodoka grabbed her sword and jumped up, lunging at Kasumi's back meaning to finish the girl off. Instead Kasumi spun around and blocked the sword then planted her foot in Nodoka's stomach bring the older woman to her hands and knees while gasping for breath, the sword clattering to the ground next to her.
"You have yet again shown just how dishonorable you are Nodoka Saotome and from this day forth you will think about the consequences of your actions. At least I hope so." Kasumi drove her foot into Nodoka's sword hand making sure to snap a majority of bones in that hand causing the older woman to shriek out in pain. Kasumi let her sword fade back out as she bent over picking the Saotome Honor Blade then snapped it in half. "A dishonorable family and woman such as yours do not have the right to claim honor. You and your entire clan are a disgrace and if we ever cross paths again I might not go so easily on you."
"Kasumi, calm down." Tofu said, hugging Kasumi from behind, whispering in the girl's ear as she started letting the tears fall. She was beyond angry at the sobbing woman but Kasumi wasn't sure if she just crossed the line or not.
"What did I do?" Kasumi sobbed as she turned around and cried into Tofu's chest. No one noticed an injured Akane quietly slipping out and running as fast as possible away from the clinic.
"What needed to be done. She was a danger and could have killed someone." Tofu said squeezing a little and kissing the top of Kasumi's head.
WAKE ME UP INSIDE
Rook smiled evilly as she slipped her clothes back on, glancing behind her at the dead, bloody body of the foolish demon in the bed. He was so much more powerful than herself, a high ranking demon overlord who came to earth to reclaim the demon stones from the idiot low level demon who stole them. It took him just a couple of days to gather them back up before the seals eroded away releasing the powerful entities inside. She waited for him to do the dirty work then she stepped in to take them.
A frontal assault was out of the question though, not many demons who bothered coming to earth was in her class but it was her luck that this foolish male was way past her in power. That was the key however to getting what she wanted, it was a simple plan and worked like a charm. Flash a little skin to the fool reducing his limited intellect to almost nothing. She didn't much like the next part though, she was disgusted by his very touch but she seen it through. After playing for awhile and absorbing some of his power Rook waited for the perfect time to strike, when his power was at its lowest and hers the highest. It wasn't much of a window but she succeeded and drove her claws through his chest ripping out his beating heart. Unlike the fool human she had actually eaten this demon's heart and drunk his blood, feasting on his power making it hers more permanently.
Now dressed she stood over the precious jewels, trying to decide what to do with them now that she had them. She wanted to make sure she placed them in just the right places for the highest entertainment value. She would sit back as the demons from in the stones were one by one freed until all were released and ready to destroy this world and the demon world. They would all pay for sealing her away then she would remake the world however she wanted.