"Nabiki..."
She couldn't see it, but felt it, she heard it, she tasted it; the feel of the weak gust that passed just scantly across her cheek, the sound of air being ripped by the slice of sharpened points, the coppery, wretched tang of blood that hung in the air like hopelessness...
"Nabiki, Nabiki..."
Her soft whimper escaped, not lost on the beasts she was entrapped with. It seemed to rile them even further, infuriate them even more, as they were constantly denied.
"It was dangerous of you, putting yourself at risk like this..."
The feel of fur graced her arm, causing her to scream. It was muffled by silk clothing powerful pectoral muscles...
"Did you think you were invincible?"
She tried to pull herself tighter against her tormenter and savior, knowing it was him that brought her to death's domain, and just barely held her away from the maws of oblivion.
"Did you think that you would find nothing more than a trivial amusement in all this?"
She wanted to plead, to demand, to beg for him to stop, to take her home where she was safe from the teeth, the claws, the yellow and hungry eyes, and the horrific roars of outrage that surrounded her, but she knew it would only humor him to do so...
"Na, I know why you followed me, would you like to hear the reason? I doubt that you even realize it."
She stepped in something in her vain attempt to hide behind the monster that defied the others with impunity. Her mind was too terrified to concern itself with whatever mess she had trod in.
"You think that you are in control of everything, don't you?"
One of the demons of claws and teeth leapt directly at her, and Nabiki could only silently watch when her vocal cords failed her.
"No, don't worry about answering that question, it was rhetorical."
She collapsed backwards, just as she thought she was about to be overtaken, only to see the monster knocked away with an almost precarious blow to its side. It rolled, not snowing signs of moving for quite a bit, but there were still many more of its brethren about.
"You thought you were some sort of predator, some force to be reckoned with around here."
She looked around frantically, finding nothing in the dead lack of light but angry monsters, steel bars, and the cruelest monster of them all.
"That's what allowed you to get away with everything you did around here. Oh, I know your activates, and I must say I am impressed with what you are capable of."
She wished that they were in a corner, instead of standing in the dead center.
"You thought that as long as you held control, as long as you were the cold, flippant bitch, that you were safe..."
The monsters seemed to be circling them, almost wary of them now. They didn't care about the red demon that stood between them and the sweet smelling prey; they wished to avoid it in fact. As it was, the sweet smelling one was far to tempting to ignore.
"Sorry to tell you this, Nabiki, but you have no power."
Nabiki felt herself jerked to the side, just barely missing one of the beasts launch itself at her with an intent swipe.
"Almost got you there, didn't they?"
Nabiki watched as the orange and black striped monster recovered, and seemed to glare angrily at her, promising its next pounce would be successful.
"It was only a matter of time..."
Nabiki's breath caught in her throat; the voice that had been taunting her in the darkness seemed suddenly so far away.
"...before something came around, and removed that illusion from you..."
She screamed out the name of the monster she knew, demanding him to return to protect her, to not leave her alone. As her screams, the monsters surrounding her began to growl deeper than before.
"When you find yourself left alone in a dark hole, surrounded by the desperate mews, greedy claws, and uncaring teeth that seek to tear at your helpless flesh..."
Almost at once, they all stopped circling her, and braced low...
"...and rend your mind into unmendable fragments..."
They leapt...
"Helpless now, aren't you?"
Almost as if in slow motion, Nabiki started falling back, as a paw raised high descended at her neck...
"You have no power..."
She started to scream, just as she felt the flesh of her collarbone begin to break.
Kasumi was immediately out of her room, and rushing into Nabiki's as she had previous nights. The sight had been no different, no less heart breaking than any other time her sister had awoken in shrills of terror.
Defiant of her impotency to calm Nabiki down, Kasumi, in almost rehearsed motion, grasped onto her sister, shushing her like a distraught mother attempting to calm her bawling child; whispering empty promises that everything will be alright, like a woman to her valiant lover who had been mortally wounded and lay dying in her arms.
Something different happened this night, or rather, something didn't happen. Ranma had not come to assist in consoling Nabiki. Did he not care for what happened to the poor girl? Did he suddenly simply grow tired of coddling her broken sister? Maybe he had been feigning sympathy the whole time.
Kasumi shut her eyes tightly, allowing the glittering dew to travel her soft cheek, and coalesce upon her chin. She vowed; that if she were to ever help her sister finally recover, she would have to find out what truly happened.
At the door, Ranma slowly pulled away, grinning as Nabiki's sobs began to subside; not from Kasumi's assistance, but from the emotional exhaustion the middle Tendou sister was suffering. He couldn't come help her every time, that would simply undo a great deal of what he had done to her. She needed to feel what it was like to be without a comfort blanket every once in a while, so that she would emotionally latch onto him that much tighter. The noose around her neck, and he held the other end like a leash.
Akane walked into the kitchen, finding her eldest sister almost slumped against the counter, "Nabiki?" Akane didn't need to ask, she had heard the screams and crying, even through her own choked sobs and the pillow she vainly covered her head with that night.
Kasumi only nodded, ignoring the sounds of combat and insults beyond the wall, the hallway, and the back entryway to the rear yard, "Akane, I don't know what to do for her."
"I... I think she needs counseling, Kasumi," Akane suggested.
Kasumi had considered it, but only as a last option. She knew Nabiki had ambitious plans, and to have it known that she required professional psychiatric help would hinder her too much, "I suppose, but we must hope she's strong enough to recover on her own."
Akane mutely nodded in response, before looking upstairs, "She isn't going to school again today?"
"No, she's not Akane. I don't think it would be wise," Kasumi stated. At that moment, a young red headed girl wearing wet clothing and a sorely irritated expression walked into the kitchen.
"I don't suppose I could use the kettle? I would take a bath, but I think your father's using it."
"Akane, could you please to check to see if father is in the bath?" Kasumi requested, Akane blinked, before shrugging, and deciding that Kasumi had her reasons for asking.
After her youngest sister left, Kasumi fully faced Ranma. "Ranma, what happened to Nabiki that night?"
Ranma didn't need to enquire as to 'what night' she was talking about, "Honestly, she had been attacked, and I managed to fend them off fortunately enough."
"What aren't you telling me, Ranma?" Kasumi asked, not with any accusation, but with heavy concern, "Please, I need to know."
Ranma blinked, before shirking back as if hurt, "Kasumi, you think I had something to do with how she's acting?"
Kasumi's worried expression drew just a faint, faint darker. The redhead's body language and expression relayed shock and defensiveness at the seeming implied accusation, while the tone of her rebuttal held a slight dejection and hurt. Yet the eyes... Ranma's eyes...
Now she knew to suspect the young Saotome.
"I... I'm sorry Ranma, but I'm just worried about her!" She then noticed Ranma seemed to study her, scrutinizing her much like doctor studying an open wound on a patient. Then, to her surprise, Ranma gave a light smile.
"It's alright; I'm just sorry I couldn't tell you much more."
"Ranma, Daddy's out of the bath, so you can use it now," Akane announced, walking back into the kitchen.
"Great timing, Akane," Ranma congratulated, before turning back to Kasumi, "excuse me."
Kasumi watched Ranma leave for the bathing room, allowing her expression to mirror her sentiments. Akane caught sight of her eldest sister's facade, and shirked back in surprise at seeing Kasumi upset in such away.
That bastard, he did something to her, he is responsible for what happened to Nabiki. Kasumi just knew it now; she had no understanding how she knew it, but she was sure his hand was the bloodiest of anyone associated with the incident. Just then, her peripheral vision caught movement outside the kitchen window. Turning fully to look outside, her sight found the vision of a young man in ice gray robes with long flowing raven hair, standing upon the grounds wall calmly like a hawk patiently waiting for its prey. The hawk noticed it had been spotted, but seemed as if it wasn't concerned. After a few moments, it leapt from the wall, disappearing from her view.