AN: I'm ending one engagement in this chapter and setting up the ending of another. Plus I'm mangling some more of Norse mythology and showing you the bad guys. And yes, I'm portraying these characters as slightly OOC. Deal with it.

A BLACK HEART STILL BEATS

CHAPTER THREE

FREEDOM PART ONE

FREEDOM FROM AND FOR THE MATRIARCH

In a nicely appointed Office in a high-rise in downtown Tokyo: A two days later

Ranma was laughing long and hard over a book in Hild's office. Not the one in Niflheim, oh no, one of ones on Midgard. More specifically, her Japanese law office.

Ranma was remembering just how Hild got him a copy of this book, a copy of the 'Amazon Law Book'.

Flashback to two hours ago in the same office

Hild walked into the room after being called out of it for a few minutes. "Here Ranma, catch." She said, throwing a book at him. He caught it and asked in a slightly shocked and curious voice after seeing the title of it, "Where'd you get this?"

"Oh, I had one of my lawyers got one off Mouse." Hild said nonchalantly as she sat down in her chair.

"How?" Ranma asked puzzled. No Amazon would ever let go of their copy of their precious law book.

"Oh, she told him that if we could borrow it, we might be able to find a clause in it that would let you not marry Shampoo. He just handed it over after that. Then we made that copy and gave him back his original, so as to not alert the others." Hild said with a small chuckle.

"That sounds like Mouse." Ranma said with a small chuckle.

End Flashback

Now Ranma was not chuckling, but full out belly laughing. So was Hild for that matter. "I, I can't, I can't believe this!" Ranma said, and then he continued his laughing.

Hild schooled her laughter, for the moment, and said "Yes, you, or you as a female have been an Amazon warrior for years according to this law." She said pointing to law 57921-Subection 12B "I can't believe these women!" Hild said with a chuckle "You, because you have a Nyan-nii-chuan curse, and because it was your female form that first bested Shampoo, you are considered a woman to the Amazon tribe, not a man, thus forever voiding you from the kiss of marriage. And the kiss of death is no longer valid, for you just have to beat the Amazon warrior who gave you such a kiss twelve more times. And you did it a lot more than that!" Hild said with a chuckle. "And you have to fight for your place in Amazon society, but with you having beat both Shampoo and Cologne multiple times, you should be considered their village champion, due to defeating both the previous village champion and one of their matriarchs. In fact you could even ask to formally challenge for the right to become a matriarch!" Hild said, then exploded into laughter.

"Once they both calmed down, Hild asked "Now, how to take advantage of this I wonder?"

"I know. I'll write them a letter, got a pen?" Ranma said then asked.

"I've got better then that. Oh Reiko?" she called to her human secretary of this office. Her secretary, a mortal who really did not know who Hild truly was, or who Ranma was for that matter, asked "Yes Miss Slain?"

"Reiko, if I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, call me Valarie!" Hild said. In this office, she played the part of an British woman who came to Japan run a law office she inherited. Sighing at her boss's lack of proper Japanese manners, she asked "Yes Valarie?"

"My client here needs to write a letter to someone in China. Can you take it down for him?" Hild asked sweetly.

"Sure I can." Reiko said, sitting down and pulling out her dictation pad, silently sighing as she thought 'Miss Slain is way too laid back for my tastes. But the pay is great so I'm not going to chastise her. Besides, it wouldn't be proper for me to.' So Ranma then started dictating his letter, on that sounded more like a part of a fiction story then a legal letter. Deciding that no questions would be the best thing for her sanity, Reiko left the room, promising to have it mailed out with the afternoon mail pickup. Hild meanwhile had not stopped chuckling at her secretaries expression while she took the letter.

Hild's law office: Three days later

Ranma opened the response from the Amazon tribe and froze in shock. After getting no response from the frozen Ranma, Hild took the letter and read it. "Wow." Was all she whispered.

The Tendo house: Two days later

Ranma was again up before everyone else in the house like every other day this week, but for once was not gone before every one was here, for Hild said she'd meet him here today.

Akane woke up and after coming downstairs and seeing Ranma, saw red. "Ranma you jerk! Where have you been? Out with your hussies or something?" Akane screamed at him while summoning her mallet.

"No, he's been with me." Hild said stepping into the room from the kitchen where she'd been helping Kasumi with her cooking.

"And who are you, his latest Fiancée?" Nabiki said with a smirk.

"Actually, no. I'm his and Kasumi's lawyer." Hild said coolly. "Here, this is for you Akane Tendo, and one for you Miss Nabiki Tendo. Oh and Here Soun Tendo and Genma Saotome, here are your letters as well." She said throwing the letters into the hands of the hiding fathers. "You have all been served. Good day gentlemen, ladies." Hild said with a nod. Then she asked "Ranma Kasumi, are you ready?"

Ranma picked up his pack and two suitcases that belonged to Kasumi and said "Yep." While Kasumi said

"I am."

"Good, the limo's waiting."

"What's going on here?" Nabiki all but shouted in shock and anger.

"Read the letter." Was all Hild said coldly. The three then left while all present opened their letters. As Hild's limo drove away, one could hear the screams of rage and the sobs of grief for miles. But as they originated at the Tendo residence, nobody bothered to investigate them.

The Neko Hanten: fifteen minutes later

A now female Ranma was getting out of a limousine, calling back into it, "Just stay in the limo, ok Kasumi?"

"Sure thing Ranma. Are you sure I'm doing the right thing though?" Kasumi then asked in a worried tone.

"Yes I am sure. You need to get out of that house as much as I do." Ranma said flashing a grin at the young woman.

"Trust me," Hild said, getting out of her side of the Limo "They were sucking you dry, a few more years, and you'd be a broken shell of a human." Hild said, shaking her head in disgust.

"Ok then." Kasumi said nervously. She was very scared at leaving her home, but Ranma and then Hild had been so convincing that leaving was the best thing for her to do. And then they asked her to join in on the suit Ranma would be leveling against the Tendo's. She hadn't wanted to at first, but Ranma was right, unless they had incentives never to bother them again, they would just get her back some how. She was still angry when she realized she had been somewhere between a servant and a slave to the household. And a willing one at that.

Now she would be out on her own for the first time ever, Even if Ranma and Hild were helping her, she would be largely on her own now and in the near future even more. She was honestly scared.

As they left the limo, Ranma whispered "I think Kasumi's scared or something."

"She is Ranma." Hild said in reply "She is like the bird leaving the nest for the first time, but she waited way too long to do so. She has gotten too comfortable in her cage, and it is up to her to see that being out of it is not so bad. We can help, but is up to her to see it that way."

Hild smiled as she said that though, for she had taken a liking to Kasumi and thought she'd pass the test of independence. She had first only come to include the young Tendo woman in this because Ranma asked her too. But the longer she spent around her, the more she grew to like her, a woman that was as kind and caring as Kasumi was could worm their way into anyone's heart. Even Hild's. Add in the fact that Kasumi didn't fear her or hate her in any way, but even liked her, well you have another case where the Kasumi charm snares another victim.

A second limo pulled up behind the one they came in and out stepped an angry Urd. "Where were you? You were supposed to meet me at the Tendo residence." Hild asked with a raised eyebrow as all of Urd's sisters and Pandora got out of the limo.

"Ryoga." Was all the vexed Goddess said.

"Ah." Hild said with an air of understanding, while Ranma giggled.

"Well you ready Ranma?" Hild asked.

Ranma's eyes sparkled as she said "Oh yeah." With great amusement in her voice.

And with that, they entered the Neko Hanten.

Inside the Neko Hanten: seconds later

"Son in law." Cologne said with some venom "What has she done with her powers to get you away from us?"

Ranma ignored Cologne's tone of voice and said "Nothing with her powers. We did it all within mortal means. I have a letter that belongs to you. I trust you recognize the stamp on it?" Ranma asked as Cologne nodded wordlessly.

She took the letter and read it, while shaking with fury. "I don't know how you pulled this off son in law, but once they find out that you've allied your self with her" Cologne said, pointing at Hild, when Ranma interrupted her as Shampoo and Mouse came in to see what all the yelling was about.

"Oh, they already know about her." Ranma said with a smirk. "They said anyone that could, and I quote 'Get the beast of Hell willing to take on the might of Heaven for the sake of love was to be admired.' They're even considering making her an honorary Amazon if I do get in a relationship that does go somewhere with her. And that's Matriarch Ranma to you Matriarch Kuh-Lon." Ranma said icily.

"What Airen mean?" Shampoo asked rather puzzled.

"Ohh, ohh, can I tell her, please, pretty please?" Hild asked like a little girl, and in a little girl type voice.

"Sure." Ranma said giggling at the sight of Hild acting like that. Hild then got her act together and said to Shampoo rather professionally

"It all starts with Amazon law 57921-Subection 12B." Hild began as Shampoo's eyes widened "You know the one that states that if some one has a Nyan-nii-chuan curse, it is their first form that fights an Amazon Warrior that determines their gender stats to the Amazon tribe. So your kiss of marriage is invalid to Ranma. And your kiss of death is also invalid because Ranma had beaten you twelve more times, thus making her an Amazon Warrior." Then Hild started giggling again. The Goddess, having not spent too much time over the past week truly observing Hild and Ranma truly interact, for their duty only let them observe Hild when she was in a situation that could lead to the corruption of innocents, and Hild while on Midgard, had, unless she was going to Nerima, been in her places of power that they could not enter. Like her law offices, other businesses and her home in Japan. So they had not seen Hild interact with Ranma for a week and were shocked at the way she was acting around him. The Demonesses, not so much surprised, but still, it was a small shock to them to see their Queen act this way outside her private areas.

After Hild stopped her giggling, she then continued with "With all the subsequent times Ranma beat you in combat, she took your place as the village champion. Her few defeats of Cologne here made her eligible to challenge for the right to be a Village Matriarch. And her defeat of Saffron has been considered her test" Hild stopped and smiled widely. "You are now looking at your Village's Head Matriarch's, Shower's, new heir, Matriarch Ranma."

Shampoo and Mouse gasped while Cologne shuddered. Ranma then smiled and said "And she left it up to me to see to you three's punishment. Attacking a fellow Amazon repeatedly did not endear you to my new Sensei Shower." Ranma said with a feral grin. "She is coming to Japan to see me in with in the next few days, and she expects me to announce my decision on your punishment their and then. If you give me no more trouble over the next few days until she arrives, I may be inclined to be, lenient, with you." Ranma told them with a shark toothed smile, and after that, turned around and walked out the door.

She managed to get in the limo before breaking in to howls of laughter, grateful for a sound proofed limousine.

Hel: The realm of the dead: in a secret meeting place

The ream of Hel was where all souls went when they died. Good or Evil. Asgard was where the Gods lived and worked. The souls that belonged to them went to one area of Hel. Niflheim was where the Demons lived and worked. The souls that belonged to them went to a different area of Hel. But Hel is vast, and no one knew that, where once stood the old rulers, Hel's, castle, it was still there, just hidden.

"Daddy, they're ruining everything!" Hel, the only daughter of Loki cried out. She had saved him and her brothers from being lost when the world was renewed, and they then started plotting their revenge.

"Yes." Loki's son Fenrir said "Things are not going according to plan." The giant wolf growled out.

"So what do we do about it?" Jormungand hissed out of his serpentine mouth. "This Ranma's actions were to lead to another Ragnorok, one WE would control. And he's slipping out of the fate we designated for him oh so carefully."

Loki sighed and said "We gave this Ranma too much power that was chaotic in nature. He's now out of our control." Loki sighed again.

"So what do we do about it?" Hel whined.

"It's too late to use Ranma. He's out of our influence now. We'll just have to learn from our mistakes and try again in a few hundred years or so." Loki said calmly. Then fire burned into his eyes and the Vanir ex-companion to the Aesir said "But we can't leave the culmination of hundreds of thousands of years of work on our parts fall into enemy hands. Ranma Saotome must die." Loki said with finality.

EAN: Ok, who here wasn't expecting me to go after Shampoo first? Sees no hands raised. Ok, who here was expecting me to make take a week? Still sees no hands. Ok, who was expecting me to make Loki a bad guy? Sees lots of hands. Good.

Tune in next time to see the next fiancée knocked off the list and more. See you then, bye for now.