Emiya Clan - Nerima 07

Koyuki looked around cautiously as she opened the door to the main entrance as quietly as she could. Seeing no one else around, she opened it just enough to squeeze through, then turned to close it just as carefully.

"And where do you think you're going, brat?" A shadow fell over her and she turned around slowly, staring into the annoyed visage of the family caretaker.

"Uncle," she solemnly greeted. She tried to shrug, one shoulder moving while the other was held in place with a cast and sling. "I was merely about to go for a walk."

The Golden King-turned-Nanny snorted. "The Faker warned Me you'd try to pull this. In spite of Myself, I find I would agree with him." His eyes softened fractionally. "You shouldn't be walking around like that, kid. Go back inside and get some rest."

"With respect, Uncle, I must refuse." The snow girl walked past her guardian, who simply stepped aside without comment. "I have not yet properly introduced myself to the remaining competition. I cannot leave this task incomplete."

Gilgamesh watched her silently as she took the steps from the entrance towards the main gate. "It's on your head if you make your condition worse," he called as she reached out to open it. "I'll not have the Faker laying any of the blame on Myself!"

Despite his harshness of his words, she heard the undercurrent of worry from the man who had almost single-handedly raised her and her siblings. Koyuki smiled as she pushed her way out.

The King of Nannies stood in silence for a few moments, watching the main gate slowly swing closed. Turning back towards the house, he looked up and called out into the heavens. "So, what now?"

A blur detached itself from the roof and dropped lightly to the ground before him. "I can't - in good conscience - allow my injured sister to wander off by herself." Chiyo smiled at him as she rose to her feet. "Especially not when I haven't finished patching her up again."

Gilgamesh simply snorted and looked off to the side. "You too?"

"Like we'd let 'Yuki run off on her own like that," scoffed Karin. She and Keiko stepped away from where they'd been hidden in the shadows as Sakuya dropped her concealment. The three walked up to join Chiyo as they presented a defiant air towards the grounds keeper.

Gilgamesh let out a theatrical sigh and shook his head as he stepped out of their way. "Such uncouth youths," he lamented. "Clearly that Mongrel didn't raise his children properly if they disobey authority so easily."

Chiyo smiled as the four children headed towards the gates. "Then it's a good thing we have you around, Gil-ojisan," she said cheerfully. Turning back around, she bypassed the gate entirely, leaping over the walls, then to the rooftop of a nearby building.

The other three followed their roof-hopping sister at street level, chasing the trail Koyuki had left into the city.

Koyuki's knock on the door was answered fairly quickly by a smiling woman in an apron. She looked to be Arika-nee's age, but she possessed a maternal air that reminded her more of Miya-kaasan when she wasn't in one of her moods.

"Ara, are you a friend of Ranma-kun?" she asked politely as she stepped to the side.

Koyuki accepted the implied invitation and stepped through into the foyer. "I am, but I have come seeking Akane Tendou."

"Ah," somehow the woman's smile tightened. "Fortunately Akane is home today... helping to prepare dinner. I'll go let her know she's being asked for so she can meet you without delay!" She extended an arm down the hallway, "Please make yourself at home in the living room. She should be out shortly."

Koyuki nodded as she pulled off her shoes and followed the directions to the large room she had visited with her parents not a week ago. Already seated at one of the couches was a girl with close-cropped hair, flipping through a newspaper. The Tendou's middle child, if Koyuki recalled correctly.

Nabiki noticed her walking in and glanced over her shoulder. "You're looking for Ranma?"

"Akane-san," Koyuki corrected. "I wished to speak with her regarding our... situation."

Nabiki eyed the newspaper, which Koyuki could now see was a large spread of family-restaurant coupons. "Well, if you can, try to keep her talking for a while. Otherwise we're eating out."

Before the snow girl could puzzle out that statement, the middle Tendou had gathered up her belongings and headed up the stairs to her room.

Outside the Tendou dojo, the other four Emiya children made themselves comfortable on a neighboring building's rooftop. Karin immediately pulled out a set of binoculars and focused them through the ground-floor window while Keiko and Sakuya surveyed the property. Chiyo was perched on the chimney stack, using her higher vantage point to scan the surrounding streets and rooftops.

"I only see Koyuki and the Tendou girls," Karin finally reported. "The grownups and Ranma must be out or something."

"Did you check the dojo itself?" Chiyo asked.

"Er, not yet."

"I got it," Keiko said. She had traced the Leupold Mk4 scope attachment from her sniper rifle and was using it as an makeshift telescope. She studied the view for a moment then dissolved the accessory. "No movement, he must really be out."

"Pity," said Sakuya. "I was looking forward to seeing him again."

Above them, Chiyo sniffed the air a few times in confusion. "What is that smell?"

An annoyed Akane stormed out of the kitchen and into the living room, slapping a towel over various grease, food, and other unidentifiable stains on her clothing and arms. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the newest proof of her fiancé's perversion rising from the couch to greet her, then blinked as she noticed the girl's arm in a cast and sling.

"You're not here to fight in that condition, are you?" she blurted out.

"No, Tendou-san," the girl quietly replied. "Unless there is no other alternative, I would much rather try to talk our way through our differences."

Akane's thought process momentarily stumbled at the deference the other teen was offering her. It quickly reasserted itself in its default mode - suspicious. She eyed the girl speculatively as she moved towards the couch on the opposite side of the table. "Koyuki, was it?" she said as she sat down.

"Koyuki Emiya," she affirmed. She waited until Akane was seated comfortably before taking a seat herself. "I wished to open a dialogue between us, hopefully reaching a compromise regarding Ranma-sama."

"Ranma is my fiancé," Akane bit out. "The only compromise is for you to accept that and walk away from this whole nightmare."

Koyuki frowned, "That is not an acceptable outcome. Ranma-sama and I are bonded and-"

Akane's mind took the phrasing and interpreted it in the most negative way possible. "He did what?" she shrieked. "I will kill that pervert!"

"What?" The other girl was blinking rapidly, her face growing pale.

"You... and he..." Akane struggled to to keep the mental image out of her head, failing miserably. "That's disgusting! That pervert!"

"It was just a kiss, Akane," Nabiki wandered back down the stairs. "And she was the one to initiate it, not the other way around."

Akane's face went red, "B-but it sounded like..."

Nabiki's mouth curled into an amused smirk. "Only you would take an innocent innuendo and run off with it like that..." She made her way back to the couch and sat next to her sister. "Here, I'll help you out since you're obviously to distraught for delicate negotiations."

Karin's binoculars creaked as she glared into the eyepiece. "They're double-teaming her now..."

"Are you sure?" Keiko peered over her shoulder. "It looks to me like the other girl's there to control her own sister."

Karin offered the device over to her sister. "Look though, they've got 'Yuki-chan sweating. She never sweats."

"Oh?" Chiyo suddenly looked concerned. "She shouldn't be... unless..." She suddenly groaned. "That girl..."

"What?"

"She still hasn't recovered her strength. I'd say the physical strain of walking over here combined with the mental strain of trying to talk to a Grade-S tsundere is finally taking its toll on her," their elder sister explained.

Sakuya cocked her head to the side, "Grade-S?"

"Think Rin-kaasan and Tsuki-kaasan, combined."

"Eew."

Karin pressed the binoculars into Keiko's hands. "I'm gonna go help her out."

"So," Nabiki said casually. "Koyuki, was it?"

"Yes, Tendou-san."

"Call me Nabiki. I admit I haven't heard much about your circumstances. Tell me, why would you say you and Ranma are 'bonded' together? Are you from China, by any chance?"

Koyuki blinked. "Why... does everybody keep asking me that...?"

Chiyo suddenly sat up straight. "Hum."

Sakuya turned towards her, "What is it?"

Chiyo motioned towards the skyline being outlined by the sunset. "There's another person roof-hopping... I think they're coming this way."

"Is it Ranma?" Sakuya asked eagerly.

Chiyo turned an amused smile on her younger sister. "Doesn't look like it. And I thought you had better control than that, Sakuya-chan."

The purple-haired girl frowned, but let the comment slide. "If it's not Ranma... should I hide us?"

"Please. Until we know what they want, we should probably stay out of sight."

The shadows rose up to surrounded the three girls, and soon they had completely vanished from sight.

Akane clenched her fists in a futile attempt to control her temper. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! You expect us to believe that just by kissing him, your entire existence is dependent on him?"

"It's more or less true," said a new voice. All three girls turned towards the entrance to see Kasumi leading a new girl - a redhead with glasses - over to their table. "Thank you, Kasumi-chan."

She moved over to stand before Koyuki. "You should really take care of yourself better, 'Yuki-chan. You'll never convince them if you keel over in mid-sentence."

Nabiki turned her attention back to the bluenette, suddenly noticing that the girl had been sweating profusely, something she didn't see at first because of her pale complexion.

"Karin..." Koyuki slumped into her sister's side as the redhead sat down next to her. "Why are you here?"

"Just relax," the redhead replied. She ignored the question and she wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Go ahead and listen in, but don't exert yourself by trying to answer." She turned back towards the Tendous.

"So, Akane-chan~" Karin smiled as the other girl bristled at the casual form of address. "You were asking about the Winging Ritual. Well..."

A shadowy figure landed on a nearby roof, chosen for its clear view of the building next to it. Silently making its way to the edge, the figure peered down to look at the meeting taking place.

"Hm, it appears my loyal servant was correct," a melodious and haughty voice proclaimed. "I shall have to find a way to reward Sasuke for his efforts."

There was a flurry of movement and Kodachi Kuno appeared, her cloak draped over one arm and a gymnastics ribbon-baton held at the ready in her other. "Such a clear opening!" she declared. "Time to take out the pesky Tendou girl and this new harlot that has appeared. Once they are out of the way, Ranma-sama will have no choice to but to accept my love! OHOHOHOHO-erk"

"That doesn't sound very nice."

Chiyo stepped out of the shadows, one hand holding a blade at the ready while the other pressed a second sword against the gymnast's throat. "Threatening innocent people is not a very smart thing to do, that goes double when my sisters are involved."

Kodachi turned her head slowly, exposing herself to the full measure of Chiyo's Angelic Smile of Doom. A part of her quailed at the sight, mentally withdrawing on itself into a shivering wreck.

The other, much larger part of her simply did not care. She turned a bright-eyed, insane smile back on her captor. "How amusing! Yet another wench is trying to keep me from my Ranma-sama!"

She vanished behind a sudden curtain of black rose petals.

Chiyo frowned and carefully dropped into a combat stance.

Nabiki leaned back, frowning as she sorted through Karin's explanation of the Winging Ritual, Ashikabi, and noritos. She noticed Akane had gone slightly cross-eyed, apparently having much less success in processing the idea that kissing equated to marriage for Koyuki's culture. She frowned as she realized the redhead had managed to avoid saying which particular culture they were part of though...

Koyuki had remained collapsed onto her sister's shoulder. She still looked pale but her temperature was back under control. She had sat through the explanation quietly, eyes watching them carefully but otherwise immobile.

Karin pulled out her tablet - which she'd affectionately named her MBiPad - and flicked it on. She navigated her way through the database she had stored on it, finally coming across the entry she was looking for.

"Akane Tendou," she read aloud. "A few months ago there was an incident in the Qinghai Province in People's Republic of China. This involved a demi-god, a race of flight-capable demons, and a majority of the Nerima Wrecking Crew - including Ranma... and you." She flipped her tablet around to show a satellite picture of what was unmistakably Saffron's Tenka Shunmetsu Koukyuu Dan being pierced by Ranma's Hiryuu Hyou Toppa.

After a few seconds of letting them stare at the image in shock, she spun the 'pad back around to let Koyuki see it. "Your boy's pretty impressive... Anyhow, the situation was resolved with the death of the demi-god - although he's supposed to come back to full strength in a few years - and Akane was... killed." She peered over the screen to look at the shocked girl in question. "Clearly you got better."

Nabiki narrowed her eyes to glare at Karin. "You've been spying on us."

The redhead waved her free hand dismissively, "Oh no, not at all. We didn't even learn about you people until 'Yuki-chan here got winged. We did have to pull the satellite images from the PRC's own database, but the notes here are all from you."

The middle Tendou's eyes widened, "You're the one who hacked my computer!"

"That was my Mom. But she did share the results with me." Karin grinned at the stunned girl, then turned her attention back to Akane. "I wanted to bring that up because I had a question for you, Akane-chan. It was Ranma who saved your life, ya?"

"...Yes," she said quietly. No doubt she was in the middle of reliving her memories of the whole episode. "I heard him... he told me..."

Karin and Nabiki both waited patiently, knowing exactly what happened.

"He told me he loved me..."

Koyuki sighed in defeat. Karin reached over to pat her on the head comfortingly. "Do you love him back?"

"What?" Instantly her energy was back. "Why would I love that masochistic, perverted -" She broke off as she noticed the two Emiya siblings glaring at her. Beside her, Nabiki breathed out an exasperated sigh.

Karin rubbed her forehead, "'Yuki-chan, tell the girl how you feel about Ranma."

There was a pause as Koyuki levered herself back into a sitting position. She stared at Nabiki and Akane in turn, holding the younger Tendou's eyes as she opened her mouth.

"For Ranma-sama I would do anything, I would go anywhere. When I think about him it hurts, as if my heart does not know whether to leap for joy or to shatter into pieces. When I think back on my life before I met him, it feels so empty. I would stay by his side forever if I could. If we were separated I would seek him out for eternity. Every day I thank the Root of the World that I am able to be with him.
"No matter what has happened to me in the past, or what will happen in the future; I would consider all of that a trade in my overwhelming favor for this chance to be with him. I love him."

As she spoke, her voice rose and gained in strength from her normal quiet murmurs. By the end of her declaration, her eyes were alight, a beatific smile spread across her face. When she finished, though, she suddenly blinked and withdrew back into herself. She slumped back against the cushions as if all the strength had suddenly left her body, and Karin pulled her back to lean on her shoulder.

Nabiki blinked. "That sounded like a very nice speech," she drawled. "Now what do you really think?"

Karin and Koyuki both glared at her.

The redhead turned back to address Akane. "For all the perceived faults you find with him, you were still willing to marry Ranma," she brandished MBiPad to prove her point. "...and he was willing to marry you."

Akane frowned, "Well... he only did it because Daddy had some water from the nanniichuan..." Nabiki quickly shushed her sister.

The redhead continued on obliviously. "Despite everything he went through, despite the fact that you died on him, he still risked everything to bring you back. You know he loves you. You should treasure that love, you'll never find anything else like it again."

Karin patted and ruffled Koyuki's hair, drawing an annoyed look from her sister. "Koyuki knows - we both know - this too. She's not asking to steal Ranma from you. Honestly that would be ideal, but it's probably not going to happen. All she wants is for you to allow her to remain close to him. You heard her, if you keep them separated she will be miserable for the rest of her life."

Akane stared. "Do you really feel that way?"

Koyuki nodded slowly.

"I mean - not that I love that jerk," she protested. Karin and Nabiki both sighed. "But... if... we... marry... " she blushed, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to let you visit... sometimes."

"Wee~ell," Karin adjusted her glasses, which suddenly became opaque with reflected light, "ideally we'd have all three of you, and maybe the rest of those nice girls in a sweet little harem; but I suppose she can settle for just that, right 'Yuki?"

Koyuki nodded much more enthusiastically.

The Tendou sisters both gaped openly at the redhead, now softly chortling to herself. "You... you're a pervert too!" Akane yelled, standing up and hefting one of the couch cushions.

Just as she was about to throw it, the ceiling collapsed in a mess of wood and tiles and a body flew through the opening to land on the floor beside the table. Closer inspection revealed a very dazed, very bruised gymnast in a familiar black leotard.

Chiyo poked her head through the hole in the roof. "Whoops, sorry about that!"

The rest of the visit went moderately well. Once the Tendous had adjusted to the presence of all five Emiya siblings - and Koyuki adjusted to the idea that she'd been followed - a truce of sorts had been reached. Nabiki had attempted to wrangle whatever information she could get about the Clan, but once Chiyo had entered the conversation she suddenly decided to spend the rest of the evening in her room. Kasumi had played the role of gracious hostess, telling them amusing stories about "Ranma's many friends" and other events which were used to update the database on Karin's MBiPad.

Kodachi had been unceremoniously dumped onto the street in front of the dojo.

Finally it grew somewhat late, but before they could excuse themselves Kasumi came to them with one last request.

"You can have dinner with us! Akane was working hard to make a meal for Ranma-kun, but he appears to not be coming home tonight. We have more than enough food left for you and your sisters."

Nabiki suddenly paled and dived out of the window... from her second-story bedroom.

Chiyo glanced at each of her siblings and got shrugs in return. Sure, why not? Free food!

Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes as he peered into the darkness. Five ghastly figures emerged from the gloom, shuffling in a manner normally reserved for the living dead. The otherwise quiet nighttime air was filled with the moans and wails of the damned.

With a flash, the Golden King's armor manifested itself and he keyed open Gate of Babylon, ready to purge the living world of these monstrosities. In the light of the opened Gate, however, he suddenly made out details that were previously lost to the darkness. Scarcely believing his eyes, he drew on the comfort of Ea as he approached the intruders. One by one, as they reached the gates they collapsed, twitching on the ground.

He cautiously reached out and flipped one of the bodies over with his sword's tip, only to confirm what he'd seen previously. With a sigh, he shoved Ea back into the Gate and dismissed it, letting his armor dissipate as well.

"What. Happened. To. You?" he glared at a near-comatose Chiyo.

"I have tasted from the Recipe-Book of the Necronomicon," she whispered, her voice raspy. "I have witnessed what lies beyond the Veil of Death."

"Kill me..." Keiko's voice floated from somewhere behind her.

There was another cry of sheer agony. "Help me, please!" Sakuya wailed. "I think she killed Yang!"

Koyuki simply lay where she had fallen, face embedded into the concrete.

Gilgamesh started as a trembling hand grasped his leg. He stared down as Chiyo struggled to lift her face up, "Remember us..." she whispered. Her hand went limp and she fell, moving no longer.

The King of Nannies sighed as he turned to fetch one of the parents from the household.