Spirit Hunter

Chapter Four

Who, Where, What, Why?

Revised 10th July 2006

Revised 9th September 2006 by Hiryo

Pre-read by Hiryo.

Disclaimer:

Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi any other strange reference to books, movies, magazines, comics, songs, or folk dance does not belong to me. Please I am small and insignificant, so don't sue me.

Enjoy!

The line at the door stretched around the block. Everyone wanted to get in to 'Neo 5,' it was the hottest nightclub in town. Two big beefy bouncers dressed in tuxes guarded the door from anyone they deemed not cool enough.

Inside the walls were black with lightning bolt patterns of silver and purple, a stairway led down from the door into a large pit tables sat around the edge, and a bar was on the left. The tables and chairs continued up the walls of the club, reaching the head height of most of the patrons. A stage sat at the end opposite the front door and at the moment a girl band was playing something punk rock. The club was alive with people, it was a thriving scene music drowned out the sound of happy drinkers and dancers.

From the balcony above the stage, a large one-way glass window looked down on the people below.

Cassus the club's manager looked out over the living crowd below him. "You know I never thought this place would do any good, but what do I know." Turning away from the window Cassus walked over to the half-naked blonde girl sitting on his desk. "It looks good down there; I should go check it out later."

Cassus was a short man, who had always tried to look taller, at the moment he was wearing a sharply cut dark green suit with a lime green shirt poking out at the throat. A gold neck chain could be glimpsed when Cassus leant over to kiss the girls neck. The word lounge lizard was created with him in mind. "Ummm, you taste good. Everyone wants to get into the VIP room. But it's very exclusive, what can you show me that will let you in?"

The girl slid a hand back through the manager's short black hair and whispered coyly. "I don't know? What would you like?"

Cassus trailed kisses up the girl's throat to her lips. Just as he reached her mouth, a mobile on his desk rang. "Ahhh, just ignore that."

The phone continued to ring, concentrating on the girl Cassus didn't notice the silver mobile turn red, smoked, and then melt. The melted plastic and metal formed a puddle on the metal desk.

Looking up from his in-depth investigation into the girls breasts Cassus finally noticed what had once been his mobile. "Oh S000!" Shoving the girl off the desk Cassus shouted at her to get out of the room.

The swinging door hit her arse on the way out.

Pulling another mobile out of an inner pocket in his suit jacket, Cassus hesitated then pushed speed dial.

On the other end of the phone line, a scratching noise could be heard it sounded like cicadas.

"Sir, please excuse my tardiness I shall not do that again."

The noise of insects increased on the other end echoing oddly in the club's office.

"Yes, sir I have sent the Nukekubi."

A voice could be heard under the sound of the insects.

"No sir I did not know that Nos was here." Sitting at his desk Cassus began to sweat, he pulled the folded handkerchief from his top pocket and began wiping his brow. "Sir, I'm sure that we will be able to keep everything out of the public eye. There is no reason to call anyone else."

The noise from the other end intensified.

"No, sir I am not questioning you. Is there any thing you wish me to do?" Picking up a set of meditation balls that had been resting on his desk Cassus began to roll them in his left hand. "If anyone starts snooping immediate removal, yes sir I understand."

The other end of the line is eerily quite for a second then a piercing high-pitched squeal emerged from the tiny hand piece.

Cassus dropped the meditation balls and folded up collapsing on the floor. Blood began to pour out of his ears, eyes, and nose. Gasping he was forced to clutch his head in agony until the shriek ended. Pulling himself up to his chair with his hands on the armrests Cassus wondered if it was possible that he could run fast enough and further enough to escape the reach of his boss. Pulling another silk handkerchief from his breast pocket, he began to wipe his face clean. He thought about escape, then discarded the idea, when whatever the big guy had planned come to fruition, he wanted to be with him not caught in the line of fire.

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The sun was shinning and it was a beautiful day but all Ger saw was pain and distress. He was about to undertake a task he dreaded above all others including trips to the dentist. Today he was going home to talk to his Mother. It wasn't as if she was a bad person, everyone in the family loved her and thought the world of her, and she just had these little quirks. He had even tried to tidy himself up; he was wearing a clean pair of jeans and a clean t-shirt this one said, 'Never Underestimate the Power of Stupid People in Large Groups.'

Walking from the train station to his family home Ger thought about the phone call he had gotten the night before from Ranma. They weren't going to carry out their original plan; apparently, Nabiki thought it needed modifying after some loon named Nos had attacked Ranma. It worried him that there was another guy wandering around Tokyo attacking supernatural creatures.

It also didn't reassure him when Ranma told him that all the people who had been attacked or killed were human witches. The whole thing caught his family coming and going. They pretended to be psychic to cover the fact they really are magical. How was he going to explain this to his Mum?

Arriving at the gate of the Kubia family home, Ger was always happy to be home. It hadn't been that long since his parents had set him up at 'Cenare Deorum.' Up 'till then he had only helped his parents run the small chain of cafes.

The gates to the house opened onto a small front garden, it was a two-story house, and Ger could see the wood project bowl he had made when he was 12 sitting in the flowerbed, filled with pebbles.

Lifting his hand to knock on the door, Ger hesitated he could always call here later and ask her. However, no, if he didn't come around regularly she would start turning up at the cafe. Bringing his fist down on the door Ger knocked and hoped his mother wasn't home.

The door was pulled open in a rush and Ger's first glance was off his mother chest as she hugged him until he squeaked. "Oh my boy's home, oh you feel so thin you need to eat more. Come into the kitchen I was just cooking."

Grabbing Ger's arm his Mother dragged him down the hallway after he had taken off his shoes and into the kitchen.

The kitchen of Ger's family was in industrial sized measurements, a walk-in fridge took up one wall, and on the other side two industrial stoves were cooking food in a number of pots and pans. This was where Ger's Mum prepared her cakes, baked goods for the shop, and where she fed her family. A job she maybe took a little too seriously.

Mixing bowls and Tupperware containers filled with flour and other baking ingredients covered the large wooden table that sat in the centre of the kitchen. A large whiteboard stuck to the wall of the walk-in freezer listed where the rest of Ger's family was.

Mrs. Kubia looked proudly at her son as she cut a slice of carrot cake with cream cheese icing for her son. "Eat; you are growing skinny, living by yourself. You know whenever you want you can come home and I will cook you up a big meal. It isn't good for you to be this skinny."

Ger sighed and shoved his hand back through his hair, it was the same every time he came home, or when his mum dropped her cakes off at the cafe, she would push food at him. Sometimes, he though he was like one of those French geese, to have food stuffed down his throat until he exploded.

Picking up the fork that his mother had put on the side of the plate, he watched her shove the cake materials to the side and start cooking a large meal, just for him. He hadn't the heart to tell her wasn't hungry. Ger wished Ranma was here, he swore after seeing him eat that cake he would be able to do justice to his mothers cooking. Mrs. Kubia would love the Martial Artist for just his ability to put away food.

Digging the fork into the rich cake, Ger looked at his Mother who was busy mixing, and stirring. "Mum, have you heard about the attacks that have been happening in my district?"

"Oh yes, I told your Father that we should shut up the shop and bring you right home but he said no it would be all right you knew how to look after yourself." Ger's Mum carefully measured a cup of milk and poured it into a large mixing bowl. "I got some great free range chicken from the butchers yesterday, I was going to make some chicken, camembert and cranberry pies for the shops but you're here now, and I can cook some of it up with this sherry and brown sugar glaze. I hope you're hungry?"

Ger groaned under his breath it was going to take a forklift to get him back to the train station. "These attacks Mum, I think they have something to do with people like us. These friends of mine said that everyone that has been attacked had some sort of connection to magic."

Putting down the chicken, she had started to stuff with saffron rice and almonds Ger's mother rushed over to him. "Right, you're coming home. You are not going to be living by yourself where some crazy person can hurt you. We have plenty of room here someone else can manage the store."

Ger sighed he had hoped she wouldn't have reacted like this that's why he had waited for so long to tell her about the attacks. "Look, Mum we really need your help if you could tell us anything about the spirits in town we would appreciate it."

Clutching Ger to her motherly bosom, she sighed, "You shouldn't involve yourself in these things, there're people out there whose job it is to track down and capture people like that."

Mrs. Kubia grasp was slowly crushing Ger's ribs until smoke started to leak from one of the ovens. "Mum, something's on fire."

Shrieking Ger's mother let go and rushed to save what she had been baking. "My éclairs!"

While Mrs. Kubia worked on her rescue mission Ger tried to ask again. "Mum, I know you and dad don't talk much about what we are, but I think there is something out there," making a vague gesture out the window, "trying to attack us. Now I know those people who have a job hunting down the bad guys. They asked if I could help. I won't be involved in anything I am just giving them advice. I'll be completely safe. But I know you have to know something about the spirits in Tokyo."

After dumping a steaming pan into the sink Ger's mother picked up the chicken, she had dropped and kept stuffing it. "As long as you aren't getting involved I guess it would be all right for me to tell you." Placing the chicken in a clean tray, she slid it into the oven.

"As you should know all the beings that you can find in old folktales are real. I shouldn't have to give you detailed history of how we got here, or I haven't been teaching you right. While we survive today, in the modern world, with its camera's and television is being utterly ordinary, which reminds me I need to make some 'kusa mochi' for your sister's school trip. We blend in, and we survive. Others well . . . ."

Mrs. Kubia shook her head and frowned.

"Others haven't had as much success. Oni and the like just can't get along with humans. They tend to gravitate to the world they can sympathize with and you will find them in nasty dirty places." Pulling a bowl covered with a cloth that had been sitting on a corner of the bench to her, Mrs. Kubia removed a mounded of risen dough, and started to work it into shape.

"You know how hard we work to remain hidden I can't really tell you much about what has been happening in the spirit world, but I have noticed that there is something gathering steam. I hope that helped if your friends need any help just ask me. As long as you aren't getting involved I would be glad to be off assistance."

"Ahhh Mum, I wanted to thank these friends for looking for dangerous criminals and I thought you could make them some of your special Black Forest Gateau and almond mud cake I would be really grateful."

"Well if it's to thank your friends, I would be happy to but you have to bring them over soon, so I can meet these friends of yours. I'll make something especially for them."

Ger imagined Ranma's face at the news that his mother would be cooking a meal especially for him. "Thanks Mum, what's my little sis been up too?"

Later the day Ger, finally made his way out of the family home. Stuffed to the gills with food, he had several plastic bags filled with Tupperware containers of leftovers and baked goods. Half the time when he went home he never got to eat all the food before it went off, but his Mum was only happy if she knew he was eating right. They had spent the end of his stay talking about family and how everyone was getting on.

His little sister Lana had got onto her school softball team. Trudging along the footpath to the bus station Ger wondered if Ranma would take some of the food of his hands then rethought that and wondered if he even needed to ask such a stupid question.

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Nabiki looked down at the business card in her hand then up at the shop that sat at the address on the card. The card was a shiny purple with gold writing, little metallic silver stars were scattered over the card.

'Ceres Cavern'

Owner/Manager: Analis Harton

Magical Equipment: Books, Incense, and Crystals

"We don't do Birthday Parties"

66/A Aubrey

The outside of the shop was painted a color very similar to the card in Nabiki's hand. Gold flowing writing in the window gave the name 'Ceres Cavern' and she could see a window display of dried flowers and books. The owner 'Analis' according to Nos had been attacked last month while she was out making deliveries.

He hadn't wanted to give up any names but Nabiki can be very persuasive when she really wants something and this whole thing was beginning to intrigue her. Finally, the 'Spirit Hunter' had caved when she had started talking about letting Ranma spar with him.

Nabiki had been able to find out that amongst other things that the owner was a well-known member of the local 'Wicca' society.

No one had left or entered the shop while she had been standing there watching.

Putting the business card in her front pocket Nabiki pushed open the door and a bell hanging from the roof sounded. What Nabiki had been expecting was a shadowy shop with enough incense to choke on. What she found, was a bright and cheerful store. The front of the shop had two rows of shelves filled with oils, statues and other little things. Along one wall sat a bookstand filled with numerous texts on magic and psychic power, along the other was a baskets filled with of different small crystals. The store didn't smell of incense, in fact the main smell she could pick out was just a light lavender.

Strolling through the shelves, Nabiki picked up a little good luck statue of a three-legged frog, the tag described it as bringing good fortune in money matters.

Someone coughed politely behind her as she glanced through packets of incense sticks. "Can I help you?"

Nabiki spun around. "Yes, I was looking for the manager Analis Harton."

"Well that would be me."

The woman standing in front of Nabiki was of an average height, with shoulder length graying blonde hair; her eyes were a soft brown and looked peaceful. Marring this homely figure was a large medical bandage tied around the left side of her neck the bright white sticking out from the woman's bright orange sweatshirt.

"How can I help you?"

Nabiki smiled. "Hi, my name's Nabiki and I have a school project on the comparative development of astrology in modern society. I wanted to ask if you have any books that would be helpful."

Nabiki had learnt from past investigations, that the 'old school project' line would get the most suspicious person to start talking like there was no tomorrow. Before she had traveled here, she had found out that Analis was a big 'fan' of astrology and had in fact written several books about the subject. Therefore, if that wasn't going to make her talk nothing was.

"Astrology is an ancient and much worshipped science. Why, ancient Egyptians believed that the stars could be used to plot out the path of their lives to the very hour of their deaths. In fact, Aztec pyramids have been discovered to line up perfectly with stars which we can no longer see in our sky."

Nabiki smiled and pulled out a notebook. "That is so interesting, and why I chose this subject is because I believe that our universe must have some hidden meaning and Astrology plays such a large role in our lives."

Analis face took on the wide grin of a fanatic who's found a convert. "I know, the ether above us contains so many secrets, it grants us the chance the glimpse at the future."

Nabiki saw her chance. "What did the stars tell you of your injury?"

Analis had led Nabiki through to the back of the shop through into the storeroom. As she sat down at a small table and chairs, Analis sighed. "The stars are not petty tools for the unguided. Sometimes their messages are cloaked in a cloak of dark shadows."

'In other words, sweet fanny Adams.' "What happened to you?"

In one of Analis hands was a smooth red pebble, which she started rubbing. "I was making deliveries late Tuesday night. When I'd just arrived at the address and, I knew that place just wasn't right. So, I went to ring the bell and it came at me from behind. I just froze and it managed to cut at my throat. I still can't believe that something like this happened to me, and in our neighborhood. So much happened so quickly, if one of the other tenants of the apartment building hadn't of heard me scream and had come down. I don't know what could have happened."

Nabiki made notes on her pad. "Well, that is just terrible," Nabiki leant forward and patted the older women on the knee. "I was wondering, other people I have interviewed have said that the stars can help you find some one?"

Analis ignored Nabiki's veiled question. "You know there was something about the whole thing that felt wrong. I never saw who attacked me. It happened so fast and the women that saved me didn't see anything either."

"Do you believe the crime could have been motivated by your choice in occupation?"

Analis looked nonplussed "I don't know. Wait a moment, are you really writing an assignment for school?"

"Would you believe me if I said yes?" Nabiki weighed up continuing with her story and explaining herself and decided that there was nothing to gain either way.

"I don't know right now. Why are you really asking me questions?"

"Myself and other concerned citizens have become aware of the attacks and killings, which have been occurring in your neighborhood and we feel that there may be a supernatural factor to what has been occurring. We hoped that you may be able to help us with our inquires."

"You could have just asked young lady and not tried to hide it."

"I am sorry; I will be more truthful from now. Did you notice anything out of the usual that occurred either before or after the attack, we really need to know?"

Rubbing the red stone between her fingers, Analis sighed. "The night felt perfectly normal nothing seemed truly wrong until just before the attack. There're others in my area that I have heard have been attacked. I hope I don't have any enemies. I don't consider worrying about the cranks I sometimes get messages from."

Nabiki thought about this. "Do you know if anyone else would know anything about the attacks?"

"My friend Tim has great success in viewing the future. He called me before the attack but I brushed it off, he had been wrong before."

"Do you have any knowledge of supernatural creatures?"

"You hear things about Oni and Tengu but, they're just folktales. Why?"

"Those I represent feel that spirits may have something to do with these deaths. Can you tell me anything?"

"I'm sorry I don't know much, I just dabble my toes in all the magic. I sell the books and materials what you want to do is talk to the ones who know how to use the stuff."

"Would it be possible if I could get a name and number of your friend Tim and anyone you think could help us? We just want to stop these attacks."

Reaching for a pen and paper that were sitting on a desk in the backroom Analis wrote down the names of the people Nabiki asked for. "I've put the number of a guy I know he used to buy stuff from me until a couple of years ago. He was really knowledgeable about magic. Something about him was different from all the others I got in here. Tim's a good guy. He'll answer your questions. He's not a loon, just 'special'. I'll say that now, you just need to approach him in the right way."

Taking the paper from Analis Nabiki put in her pocket and walked back out to the shop taking a look at the books lining one wall. "While I'm here do you have any books about Japanese Spirits?"

"Yes, here's a good one I've had on special for the past month only 1000 yen 'Japanese Spirits: a Spotters Guide.'"

Nabiki looked through the contents page 'Oni: Ogre or Troll' and 'Kappa Myth or Reality.' It looked like a very useful tool. "Do you get many people interested in our traditional spirits?"

While Analis made the purchase, she looked thoughtful. "Well I'm glad you ask, it reminded me of something that happened, a couple of months ago. This guy came in looking for texts on Japanese myths he turned his nose up at what I had on display. He kept on asking me if I had anything real. What made him odd was because he was wearing a business suit and looked like a professional not the usual customer we get. He didn't look like some dad getting books for his kid's project either. I don't know why but that guy just stuck in my head. He had a real good look around the store too."

By the time, Nabiki and Analis had finished talking the sky had turned dark and the streetlights were turned on.

Analis saw this as she led Nabiki out and swore lightly. "Damn, I need to get home; I thought I had more time. Look if you just wait a sec we can walk to the train station together I won't take a second to lock up."

Nabiki stood by the open front door as she watched Analis pack up. "Who do you have to do your books?" Nabiki asked out of curiosity.

"Oh. I do them myself and god don't I wish there was a spell that would fix them for me."

Nabiki perked up maybe she could get a job out of this. As they both left the shop and Analis locked up Nabiki spoke. "You know I have a great deal of experience dealing with account books, and have balanced the books for a large business."

A dark light suddenly was flung down onto the two women.

The streetlights went dark and Nabiki could not see Analis. "What the F000!"

Someone screamed.

Nabiki draw a breath, felt a cold slice of air, and then a drop trailed down her neck. Something had cut her. What the hell was going on?

Authors Note:

Re-read and made shiny 22nd July.

Thank you very much for reviewing it really helps.

Thank you for reviewing:

Wonderbee31: Thanks heaps, I have at yet not decided on a match up.

Locke1: Thanks for the comments about writing fight scenes.

To the anonymous reviewer: I agree Ranma is not in this chapter. It's Ger and Nabiki's turn to search for information. The next chapter will be Ranma going to Cologne and what results from that. Ranma's unique way of gaining information will take up a lot of room so I have decided to split it.

Please if you want becoming my pre-reader, you'll make some readers very happy.