Devils Child

by chikane-chan

The devil is sick of Ranma evading him, and he creates a clone of Ranma's girl side to frame him. But things don't go as he planned as the girl breaks away from his control. Ranma gains a sister from the after math, that sticks by his side and there for him and his mother. As well as the usual cast here and there and some other oc's and appearances from some lesser characters.

46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46: Coming together

There was a lot of noise from upstairs, before Nodoka stormed downstairs, towards the front door. Ranka sweat dropped as she went over the front entrance, where her mother was already getting her shoes on. "Where are you going, mom?" Nodoka had a determined look on her face. " I am going to go look for Tenka." She then turned her attention to Ranma and Ryouga. " Ranma, you stay put with Ryouga and.." She didn't get to finish her sentence as Ranka cut in. " I'll go with you." Nodoka gave her a perplexed look, but didn't question her as she nodded. Ranka pulled on her shoes by the door and left with her mother in a rush.

Ryouga blinked as the door was shut behind them. " I don't get it.." Ranma-chan scratched at her head a bit annoyed. " It means we're stuck with the hell brat.." She knew why Ranka went off with their mom, not because she wanted the intruder to come back, it was more for their mom's sake.

Outside as they looked around the area for Tenka, after awhile, Nodoka gave a nod, as Ranka got the hint and nodded back, as they split up to look. Nodoka was rushing about furiously from place to place, while on her end Ranka was a bit less rushed about it. It was her who happened to find Tenka, who was standing on a bridge, looking down at the water below.

Ranka could guess by things, how the meeting between her and her so called comrades, hadn't gone so well, as she came up behind the smaller girl. " Guess they didn't like you so much huh Tenk, since you can't turn back." Tenka tensed up some at hearing the traitors voice, but also at not wanting to admit she had been right and still being upset she blurted things out. " I.. just.. wanted to go home.."

Ranka gave her a thoughtful look. " And the bastard, wouldn't let you, I take it. I bet he got really nasty with you, his loyal follower." Tenka tightened her fists at having to hear the hard, cold truth, as she tensed up more. She wasn't ready to admit it. Ranka sighed as she could tell by the younger girls body reactions. " Well you're stuck with us, so you have a new home, whether you like it or not."

A few minutes later Nodoka found them both, as she ran over and grabbed up Tenka in a bear hug. " Oh, I was so worried about you Tenka." She sighed at seeing how upset the small girl was. " We'll talk about it tomorrow though." She smiled at Ranka. " Thank you dear for helping me find her." Ranka nodded as they walked back, she had to take another jab at the lil intruder. " You know Tenk, mom was so worried and upset that you ranaway like that, so you're not going to get off easily." Nodoka smiled as they kept walking. " Ranka's right sweetie, we have rules and they are to be followed. We honor our promises and the rules." Tenka gulped as they got closer to the house. She wanted to runaway but she had promised Satan she wouldn't and if she did, her real family would suffer.

They came back inside the house, with Nodoka rubbing her face against Tenka's, loving up on her. Ranka took her shoes off, before going off inside. Ranma-chan groaned. " Oh great, you found her.." Ryouga looked over at his rival. " Yeah but look at how happy your mother is." Ranka took a seat on the couch. " Yep, so we're stuck with her."

Nodoka fussed as she set Tenka down, patting her on the head. " I know, we'll have curry tonight." Ranma-chan had her hand to her face, looking annoyed. Nodoka beamed as she went on, before looking a bit dismayed. "Oh my, I guess I should run to the store then. Ranka, Ranma, watch Tenka while I'm gone and be good hosts to our guest." She rushed out the front door, after grabbing her shopping bag.

Ranma-chan eyed Tenka. " Gee it must be nice to runaway and get rewarded for it, with your favorite dinner." Tenka hahed with her hands on her hips. " You're just jealous." Ryouga nodded. " Yeah you definitely are." Ranma-chan grumbled. " I thought you wanted to leave so badly, so why the hell are you back here?" Tenka bit down on her lip some. " Because.." Ranma-chan continued her attack on the demon brat. " Because the devil won't let you, right?" Tenka gave a glare at Ranka. " You told, didn't you?!" Ranka sweat dropped. " I didn't, it's beyond obvious." Ryouga had his arms crossed as he nodded in agreement.

Tenka ughed as she sat on the couch with her arms crossed, making sure she was far away from the others. Though as much as she hated to keep admitting it, the only one she felt a bit more at ease to talk with, was Ranka, which she couldn't help but voice herself to. " Will she.. still make me use a sword?" Ranka eyed her out of the corner of her eye. " I told you before, your doomed." That made Tenka almost fall off the couch at hearing such a heavy blow, before she recovered. "What if I tell her I'm a demon.." Ranma-chan hehed. " Either way you're doomed demon brat." Ranka nodded in agreement. " She'll just train the demon out of you, like she's been saying.

Ranka kept going. " I had mixed feelings, but I got over it." Tenka shot back at her, frustrated. " Who says I want to end up the biggest traitor, like YOU!" Ranka aahed. " Well then, maybe you shouldn't have signed up to stay with a demon slaying family!" Ranma-chan poked fun at her, given the chance. " That was just sooo smart." She said with a smug smirk on her face. Tenka bristled as she shot back. "Oh yeah, like it was sooo smart for you to go train at a cursed place, that was just asking for it!" Ranma-chan fumed as she was about to go at it with the lil demon brat. " Why you little.." Ryouga held her back from doing so. " Think about what you're about to do, Ranma.." Tenka marveled in Ranma's anger as she laughed, mocking the martial artist's more. " Haha, you can't hurt me."

She then owwed as she got a good whack to her head from Ranka, with a dead serious look. " Knock it off.." Her red gem lit up to enforce how serious she was, which made Tenka stop dead in her tracks.

Once Ryouga let go of Ranma-chan, she let him know how pissed she was, giving him an elbow jab to his gut. Ryouga held his ground, taking the blow. A few minutes later Nodoka came in through the front door, humming happily as she announced she was back and that dinner would be ready soon.

Tenka took the chance to use her form and status, to get back at her enemies. " Mommy.. Ranka hit me.." She sniffled, putting on crocodile tears." Nodoka put her hand to her mouth. Ranka had her arms crossed as she held her ground. " Only because she was mocking Ranma about his curse." Ryouga nodded in agreement. Nodoka gave Tenka an upset look. " Tenka.. that is not nice, we do not make fun of others." She picked her up, taking her off into the kitchen with her. " Your big sister Ranka did that and she didn't get off easy either. I expect the same out of all my children."

Ranka smirked at seeing how Tenka was trapped for now. Ranma-chan was also enjoying the fact. Ryouga sweat dropped. " She's uh not very nice.." Ranma-chan bristled. " Oh gee ya think? Well.. she is a lil demon brat after all.." Ranka nodded in agreement, before getting up and going off into the kitchen to go help make dinner.

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It wasn't long before dinner was served and to the others relief, the curry was not spicy. Nodoka had let Tenka know how, once again it wasn't fair to be selfish with shared meals, but made sure her dish was spicy, just the way she liked it. Ranma-chan and Ryouga were munching away, as well as getting seconds. Tenka couldn't help but take jabs at her enemies as she giggled. " Piggies, oink oink." Nodoka shook her head at her youngest daughter. " Tenka, that's not nice and very rude. I want you to apologize to both of them after dinner, understand." Tenka hmpfed as she went back to eating. Ranka stayed quiet on the other hand as she ate her dinner. Ranma-chan on the other hand had to fire back. " Well that's a demon for ya."

Nodoka frowned at that, but before she could say anything, Tenka spat back, as she pointed at Ranka. " So is she!" Nodoka frowned more. " That's enough!" She said in a serious tone. " Tenka, that's un called for, to say, as it is for you Ranma to say about Tenka. No one here is a demon." Everyone but Nodoka had their eyes on Tenka, knowing that was a lie. Nodoka then made herself be heard, loud and clear. " NOW, that is enough, I do not want to hear anymore slander, during this meal!" Tenka slunk down in her seat, at how intense the usually calm woman had become. Ranma-chan chhted as she went back to eating.

After dinner and clean up, there was no dessert for Tenka as Nodoka took her off into the kitchen, setting up a chair, for her to stand up on. "Now then Tenka dear, you are going to make an apology cake, for your brother/sister." Tenka's jaw dropped at hearing that and how she really had no choice. Ranka smirked to herself as she finished up doing the rest of the dishes, watching the brat get the same harsh treatment, that she had before.

When she was done she went back to the living room and joined the others. For awhile there was a lot of noises, that came from the kitchen. While Tenka was being forced to make an apology cake, working on the batter, she tried to make her move to spice it up. What she was met with was a very annoyed Nodoka, who with her fast reflexes grabbed it away. " Tenka dear.. have you not been listening to what I've been saying? Perhaps I need to be stricter with you.." Tenka sweated bullets at how intense the older woman before her was, as she hung her head and pouted. Nodoka continued to guide her through the instructions, until they got the cake off into the oven. Tenka then made a run for the bathroom. " I gotta go the bathroom.." Nodoka nodded as she allowed her to leave to do so.

Tenka went off to the ground floor bathroom, shutting the door behind her, as she sat on top of the closed toilet lid with a long sigh. She pulled out a bottle of lotion from under her clothes, which she applied to her hands, before sticking it back under them. She then flushed the toilet to make her excuse, look real. Then she went off to living room and hammed it up with big, poutie eyes, as she rubbed Ranka's hand first, then doing the same to Ranma-chan's, while she stated she was sorry. Both of them hand pulled their hands away after, looking a bit taken back. Nodoka had seen the display as she smiled. " My isn't that adorable, she's apologizing in her own cute little way."

Ranma-chan grumbled to herself about it. Ranka looked a little weirded out. Ryouga just sweat dropped, not really sure what just happened. Tenka giggled and smiled as she got praised by Nodoka, who sat her down in her lap, on the couch, while they watched some tv, until the cake was done.

Once it was and had been cooled and frosted, then Tenka presented it and apologized to Ranma again. Ranma-chan had her arms crossed. " Well.. since it's cake, I accept." Then went about to munching on her piece. Everyone else enjoyed a piece as well. After that Nodoka took Tenka upstairs, to get her ready for bed.

After awhile everyone else headed off to bed, as well. Ryouga was annoyed at the fact, at how close Ranma could be with Ranka, even sharing the same room. It frustrated him, greatly. Once he settled down into the futon in the guest room, he became lost in his own thoughts, till he drifted off to sleep.

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As the start of a new school day had begun, everyone was eating their breakfast at the table, except Ryouga who was too stuck in dream land to have woken up. While the two siblings were relaxing on the couch for a few minutes, watching some tv, Tenka ran by giggling and blowing bubbles. They both seemed a bit more tired than usual, though it was Ranma who got annoyed first. " Argh, well ya knock it off! It's too damn early.." Nodoka fussed at her son's attitude. " Now Ranma, she's just a child." Ranma grumbled at hearing that, as Tenka ran back and forth giggling and blowing more bubbles at them.

Nodoka could see her son was getting more than annoyed and redirected Tenka. " How about you go blow some out on the porch for now, okay sweetie?" Tenka went off to do so. A few minutes later she could hear Nodoka sending off Ranma and Ranka to school.

A bit later Ryouga woke up and realized he had over slept, as he panicked, rushing to get ready, before he went off downstairs in a rush. " Where's, Ranka and Ranma?" Nodoka looked up from her lessons with Tenka. "Oh good morning Ryouga, they went off to school, quite awhile ago. You must be hungry."

Ryouga ruffled up his hair in frustration. "Oh no.. how could I.." Nodoka smiled as she went and heated up the leftovers for him, from breakfast. " It's alright if you miss a day, you've already shown yourself as Ranka's suitor to the Chardin boy, after all." She set the plates down on the table, motioning for him to have a seat and eat, before she went back to teaching Tenka some lessons.

Ryouga ate his breakfast up fast and furiously, finishing off with his drink, before thanking Nodoka for the wonderful meal. He then hung his head as he responded to what she had said before. " Yeah and I lost to him.." From what she had seen of the Chardin boy, he had a monstrous mouth and figured that was likely the reason. " That doesn't mean you've lost, but if you let him think you have been defeated, you're giving him the wrong idea." Ryouga hmmed at hearing that. "Yeah.. but Mrs. Saotome, he just, everything on his plate disappeared so fast.. and I couldn't eat everything at once, so fast.."

Nodoka smiled as she titled her head. " Well dear he has a much bigger mouth. You should show him up, take Ranka on a date this weekend." Ryouga got all flabbergasted at hearing that. Nodoka smiled at him some more. " You should think about a good plan of action." Ryouga just nodded all dumbfounded, before he went off upstairs, after a few wrong doors, to the guest room, where he sat to think about things.

The day went by pretty fast, as school was out and Picolet showed up, as did Shampoo at the agreed place and time. She made sure to beat him to Ranka, as she glomped around her. " Aiya, Ranka happy to see Shampoo." Ranka looked a bit flustered. " It's not that I'm not, but.. it's not the best place to.." Picolet shook his head. " Non non Mademoiselle Ranka.." Ranka grew annoyed. " What do you want? I thought you said I was too perverted for you." Picolet bowed gracefully to her. " That is correct, but I can save you from such depravity." Ranma gave him a glare. " That's not what you said before.." Shampoo smirked as she shoved an envelope off into Picolet's hands. " That your money, now you leave Shampoo's claim alone."

Picolet shook his head. " I am afraid I cannot, but I will consider the debt paid." Shampoo bristled at the french boys defiance. " What you no understand, Ranka belong to Shampoo!" She then took Ranka by her hand, and showed him the mark on her wrist. " You see." Ranka got all flustered as she pulled hand away from her. Picolet hahed. " A trival matter, as I will take you both, problem solved." Shampoo and Ranka and Ranma all looked disgusted. Shampoo hmpfed and glomped onto Ranma. " No can have, Shampoo belong to Ranma and Ranka." Picolet felt shivers up his spine at hearing that, putting his hand to his mouth. " For now, I bid thee adieu, Mademoiselle Ranka." Ranka groaned. Luckily Akane and Ukyou had just left and Kuno was too busy to be around.

Once the big mouth, french boy was gone, they walked back towards the house, though Shampoo was still glomped onto Ranma, who looked annoyed. "Cmon Shampoo, that's enough.." Shampoo just giggled as she enjoyed the time with her airens. Ranka sighed as they walked. " Sorry you had to pay the stupid old man's debt, like that.." Shampoo let her grip off of Ranma as she latched back onto Ranka with a smirk. " Is okay, great grandmother expect Panda to work for us, to pay off debt." Ranma snickered at hearing that. " Serves pops right." Shampoo nodded, before letting go of her hold on Ranka. " Is too bad Shampoo have more deliveries, or we could go on dates." Ranma hahed. " Yeah too bad." Ranka smiled a bit. " Work is important." Shampoo nodded sadly, before she took her leave.

Not that much later they made it back home, to their annoyance as they entered the house, they were met with more bubbles and giggling. Ranma growled as he waved them away. Nodoka came running over to the door as she greeted them and redirected Tenka again.

A few minutes later, everyone was sitting at the table having snack time. After Ranka finished her sandwich she excused herself, stating she was going to go take a nap for awhile, before going off upstairs to do so. Just as she went off to her room, Ryouga came downstairs with a determined look on his face, but only for a second as he looked around aimlessly. " Ah, where's Ranka?" Nodoka smiled at seeing the lost boy, finally come out from his room. " Oh Ryouga, we're having a snack if you'd like some. Ranka went to go take a nap, you just missed her." Ryouga hung his head at hearing that, before plopping himself down in a chair at the table.

Ranma gave his rival an annoyed look, not liking that he was looking for his sister. He didn't even like him staying there, for that matter. Tenka was too busy enjoying her spiced up sandwich. Ryouga enjoyed his as well, but took a bit of notice, how Ranma also seemed to look a bit tired.

Not too much later Ranka had rejoined them and Nodoka made sure to give Ryouga his opportunity, as she had Ranka go outside to the yard to water the garden, while she had Ranma go take a bath. Once she had done that, she winked at Ryouga and motioned for him to go outside where Ranka was. Ryouga felt his determination come back as he strode out to the back porch, to the back yard, before he started to get nervous.

It took him a few minutes of making multiple poses and having a mind battle with himself, before he got up enough nerve once more. " Ah.. Ranka will you go on.. a.. date with me, this weekend?" Ranka kept to her task, as she looked a bit annoyed. " Haven't we gone through this before Ryouga.." Ryouga started sweating nervously as he laughed. " Well I mean as friends, but also to beat that damn Picolet.." He twiddled his fingers about more nervously. " Unless I dunno, if you want to go on a date with him.." Ranka wrinkled up her nose at hearing that. " Like hell do I want to go anywhere with that french, big mouth.. Fine, we'll go out somewhere together this weekend, if it keeps that bastard away from me.." Ryouga stood there frozen in place, love struck in a dumbfounded way, with a smile on his face.

He stood there for quite awhile, until Ranka was all finished with her task, to where she waved her hand in front of his face, before she poked her finger to his cheek. " Yo, Ryouga..." Ryouga then came back to reality as he moved, laughing nervously. Ranka gave him a weird look. " I don't want to know." She then went off inside. Ranma had finished taking his bath awhile ago, as he poked his head out onto the back porch, quirking his eyebrow at his rival. " What's so funny, huh Ryouga?" Ryouga aahed all nervously. " Oh? Was something funny? I didn't know." Ranma frowned with his arms crossed, as Ryouga went off inside.

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The evening went by with dinner, in between another giggling fit, complete with more bubbles being blown at the siblings, much to Ranma's annoyance. Nodoka swiftly put a stop to it as soon as she could. " Tenka sweetie, I think that's enough with the bubbles for now." Tenka pouted as she stopped playing with them, for the time being.

More time went by and Ranka went off to bed a bit earlier than the others. By the time Ranma-chan went off to bed to the room, she was already fast asleep. Ranma-chan yawned as she found herself drift off to sleep, while she muttered about the stupid bubbles.

Ranka tossed and turned as she was caught up in another dream, that became another nightmare, worse than the other night. This time, instead of a bit of fighting between her and Ranma, it was reliving the moment they found out, how they were connected. Back when Satan had revealed things. Instead of Ranma accepting her, it was the opposite.

While on the other hand with Ranma-chan tossing and turning in her own bed as she was caught up in a similar nightmare, just with it being Ranka who was against accepting Ranma. Both where mean to one another, in each other's nightmare.

It didn't end until they both woke up to their alarms in the morning. Ranma-chan was the first one to get up and get ready, with Ranka following suit after. Once they came downstairs, a bit spaced out from how they normally would, Nodoka couldn't help but notice, as did Ryouga, who had gotten up this time. He had also taken notice that they both still looked really tired. Tenka was humming as she ate her breakfast, seeing how the plan was working.

Once it was time to head out for school, Ranma had already headed out and Ranka lagged behind. Nodoka took notice of this as well, finding it a bit odd at how un synced they seemed to be, compared to how they normally were very in sync with most things they did. She pondered and fussed. " I wonder if their sick? Perhaps I should've had them stay home from school today.." Ryouga couldn't help but sympathize with her. " They do seem kind of off.." He was also yelling at himself in his own mind, at how he shouldn't have let them get too faraway, if he was going to try to follow them. With them too far off now, there was a higher chance of him getting lost, so it was best he stayed put.

Not too far off Ranma and Ranka kept walking towards school, both in a bit of a daze. Ivory watched from her perch, on top of a near by roof as she snickered. " Like, sitting ducks. Looks like Izzy did her part." She waited, till they were close enough, until she leapt down, slamming her fist down into the pavement, between them. The force from it, knocking them both back, separate ways. Ranma got knocked back some, while it knocked Ranka back and off her feet, to the ground. She immediately put up her defense barrier as she glared. " Ivory.." Ivory flaunted as she tossed her hair over her shoulder all sassy. " Long time no see. Was I missed?" Ranma growled at seeing her, throwing a punch at her. " No you weren't!" Ivory chuckled as she watched him struggle a bit and smirked evilly as she could see a bit of his turmoil.

She couldn't help but taunt him about it, as she fended off both of them. " What's the matter, usually you're both so on the ball." Ranma threw a kick at her. " Shut up!" Ivory cackled as she jumped away, up onto the near by stone wall. " I just feel so bad, at how bad you're both doing today, it's no fun anymore, so toodles." She then jumped up into the air, off onto a roof top.

Ranma snarled at her. " Damn her.." He turned his attention to his sister. " Hey, you okay?" Ranka nodded. " I'm fine." They then continued on their way towards school. Ranma rubbed at his head while they did, he felt like he had tried to talk, but he had no voice. When they got to the school, Kuno was there as he charged forward, sputtering his usual Shakespearean nonsense. Where as the siblings usually both punched him at the same time, it was Ranma who punched him on his own and told him off.

Akane took notice of this. " Hey, don't you and Ranka, usually pummel him at the same time?" Ranma rubbed at his head. " Ah.. well.." Akane looked around. " Where is she?" Ranma sweat dropped. " I guess she went on ahead." Akane gave him a bit of concerned look. " Ranma, did you get enough sleep last night?" Ranma gave her a bit of an annoyed look. " Well duh, Akane."

Ukyou mean while after having observed things, had gone off to the classroom with Ranka. " Hey Ranka, kinda odd how you and Ranma didn't come in together like you usually do." Ranka was busy playing with the end of her pony tail. " Oh, yeah I guess so." Ukyou took notice of how tired the red head looked. " Hey, are you feeling okay? You look like you didn't get enough sleep." Ranka yawned a bit. " Yeah, just some.. really.. bad nightmares.."

Before long everyone else was seated and class begun, the day went on and suddenly it was gym class. Ranka went off to the nurses office in a daze, without telling anyone. Gym class went by, before Ranma suddenly noticed, and again he felt like he was forgetting something. After class it finally hit him. Ukyou noticed he looked upset. " Hey Ranma huney, are you looking for Ranka?" Ranma blinked as he felt like he was a bit of daze. " Ah yeah." Ukyou waved her hand in front of his face. " Ranma, you look just as tired as Ranka did. Did you both have nightmares, last night?" Ranma sweat dropped. " I dunno.. how did you know?" Ukyou gave him a concerned look. " Ranma huney, you seem a bit out of it, you and Ranka both do. I know because she said she had nightmares last night, when I asked her why she looked so tired." Ranma rubbed at his head, with an annoyed look on his face. Ukyou sighed. " I'm guessing she probably skipped gym to go lay down at the nurse's office. Maybe you should too."

Ranma shook his head about. " Nah I'm fine, but thanks Uchan." He went off to the nurses office, to go check on his sister, but she was no where to be seen. Instead Thrista was sitting by a bed. She smiled at seeing him. " Hello Ranma." Ranma gave her a bit of a glare. " Thrista.." He looked around again. " Was Ranka, here?" Thrista nodded. " She was." She then took a good look at his face. " It looks like you had bad dreams too." Ranma sweat dropped. " Oh right.. you're a dream demon or something.." Thrista smiled as she giggled. " Close enough. It looks like someone made sure you both had bad dreams, really bad ones. That's all I was really able to tell, before she got.. annoyed with me.." Ranma gave her a dull look. " Gee I wonder why.." He then got a serious look on his face. " Wait.. someone, gave both of us bad dreams.."

Thrista nodded. " That's what I'm getting from it. Do you remember your nightmares?" Ranma rubbed at his head and hmmed. " Not really.." Thrista hmmed. " It seems like Ranka does though. You both seem really off." Ranma looked really annoyed at hearing that. "So I guess you don't know where my sister is." Thrista titled her head some. " Shouldn't you know where she is?" Ranma's eyes widened at hearing that, as he took off in a rush from the nurses office, taking him a few minutes before he went off up to the school roof top, but no one was there.

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Elsewhere, outside the school grounds, Ranka kicked a rock as she walked. She felt very disconnected, and un easy at being around Ranma, she also just didn't feel right. She'd deal with the consequences of skipping school, if it came back to bite her later.

When she looked up again, she jumped back at seeing the blonde haired girl with the leather jacket, known as Chriss, standing before her. Chriss smirked at her. " Well well, looks like you're not such a goodie good, after all." Ranka's eyes widened as she recalled sadly, how similar the scenario was when she was still friends with Ivory in the past. She pushed it back as she hehed. "It's really none of your business, since you're doing the same thing." Chriss smirked back as she shrugged. " Guilty as charged. So, why don't we hang out huh red-hot?"

Ranka shuffled her foot about on the ground. " It's better if you don't, I tend to attract trouble." Chriss hehed back. " Sounds fun. Know what's more fun? Causing some trouble." She grabbed the red head by her hand, dragging her off with her, until they reached an abandoned factory building. She took off her book bag, setting it down on the ground as she pulled out a bunch of spray paint can's. " Let's write some graffiti, on this bad boy." She said with a big cheeky grin on her face, as she shook up some can's and showed off, by showing Ranka what it was about. Ranka's eyes lit up as she watched the artwork un fold before her eyes.

Back at the school, after looking around a bit more on top of the roof top, Ranma was about to head back inside, when the door opened and Thrista came into view. Ranma furrowed his brows at her. " I thought.. you said you didn't know where Ranka went.." Thrista just smiled as she stepped forward. " I never said that, you did." Ranma grumbled at that. " So.. you do then? So just tell me, already.." Thrista kept smiling as she walked over to the fence, looking down at the ground, from above. " In our other school, Ranka would skip out of school a lot." Ranma looked more annoyed at hearing that, but also started to realize he might be able to get more help from Thrista. "So, since you're a demon, do you know what the hell is going on? You seemed like you kinda did, back in the nurses office.."

He also remembered back at the other school, when he was stuck going to school in his girl form as Ranko, his encounters with the pink and blue haired girl, how she seemed to know a lot of things that were going on, behind the scenes. Thrista nodded. " Well, I'm only half. I feel like I might. I did say you and Ranka seemed very off today." They were both sitting on the ground now, as they continued their conversation.

Ranma crossed his arms. " Yeah you said a lot of things.." Thrista kept smiling. "Is Tenka still a problem? Ranka had told me about her." Ranma looked to be in thought for a few minutes. " Yeah.. though she ran away for awhile, but came back." Thrista played with her hair some. "And when she came back, was there anything out of the ordinary?" Ranma looked more annoyed. " Don't tell me, that lil stinker did something.." Thrista tilted her head some. "It kinda seems like she may have." Ranma grew more irked as he grumbled. " Yeah okay, so what the hell did the demon brat do, exactly is what I wanna know!"

Thrista crossed her arms as she hmmed. "I can't say exactly, what I can say is if she did, it's affecting Ranka more than it is you. Though I did notice this morning, both of you were very distant from each other. What I can say is depending on how you manipulate a dream, you can also influence the person in many ways. Dreams are a gate way to everything about the person." Ranma's eyes widened some as he listened. " You said you saw some of what was going on, right?" Thrista nodded. " Yeah, how someone made sure you both had very bad dreams. Perhaps about each other?" Ranma got a serious look on his face, as he tightened his fist, knowing it was a risky gamble to allow Thrista access to his mind, but it could help figure things out faster. "You can access my mind, like you did to Ranka, right? So, you could figure out things faster.."

Thrista nodded. "I can access anyone's mind, yes. Alright, first, relax and close your eyes." She instructed him to do so, as she scooted over closer to be able to. She kept to the task as she was able to access the information needed, as she opened her eyes. " I see, looks like your nightmares were about each other being mean to each other." Ranma furrowed his brows at hearing that,but thanked her for her help, before he took his leave from the roof top.

Then it hit him as he recalled the fight with Ivory, and her nasty little comments, that wench knew what was going on. As the fog had been lifted, metaphorically speaking, he realized how when he felt no voice reached, when he tried to voice himself, that was the link and close ness between him and Ranka, that had been cut off. He tried while he went down the steps, to sense his sister, as well as to try to connect with her, not being able to. His anger grew at knowing Tenka must've done something to them. Done with the stairs, he debated what to do next, though what he really wanted to do, was go and confront the hell brat, but with his mother always protecting her, that was off the table. It was more important to try to find Ranka, even at just leaving school.

He took the chance to sneak out, then taking to rooftops for awhile, before jumping down, onto the street. Sensing an attack, he dodged as Ivory came leaping down from out of no where, with a kick, aimed at him. Ranma snarled at seeing her. " What the hell do YOU want?!" Ivory gave him a fanged smirk. " I'm guessing you started to figure things out, perhaps I said a bit too much before. But I'm not about to let you mess things up, so let's dance, pretty boy."

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While the fighting erupted between the two, further away Ranka enjoyed doodling with spray paints. Chriss enjoyed the red heads company as she finished off her own little artwork. "Not bad at all." After awhile the stopped as their tummies rumbled. Chriss hehed. " Guess that means it's time for some grub." She sat on the ground, back against the wall of the building as she shuffled through her book bag, till she pulled out a bento box, which she offered to share with Ranka. Ranka did the same as she pulled out her own from her book bag, where they both shared some from the others.

At one point, Chriss tried to get a little too friendly with Ranka, trying to steal a kiss, which the red head pulled away from, giving the blonde a frown. "Do you want to die?" Chriss laughed at her. " Why not, you're pretty damn hot." Ranka looked away flustered. " No I mean it, I already have a bunch of fiancee's, the main one is a very dangerous amazon and she will literally set out to kill you.." Chriss hahed. " I can take her." Ranka sweat dropped at her. " Ah.. no you can't." Chriss laughed a bit. " Well, it doesn't mean I'm going to be able to stop looking and wanting you." Ranka looked a bit frustrated. " Geez why did you gotta go and make hanging out, all weird.." Chriss just laughed at her again. " You know I hate being beat, but it softens the blow when a hot red head like you was the one to bring me down."

Ranka eered a bit nervously as she scooched a bit further away from the blonde as she finished her bento box. Chriss hehed as she went to finishing up her lunch as well. She couldn't help but poke fun at the beautiful girl before her. "You're so cute with how bashful and shy you are, red-hot." Ranka stuffed her bento box back into her book bag, really fast, slinging the straps over her shoulders. " Well it's been real, but I gotta go." She then ran off really fast, disappearing in a blur. Chriss snickered at watching her reaction.

Back at the Saotome house hold, Ryouga finally decided to try to go find and talk to Ranka, or to go watch her and see if his worries were just. He wasn't able to get too far, before he lost his sense of direction and wandered around.

Cut back to Ivory and Ranma's fighting, not too far away from the school, as she kept avoiding his attacks as they figuratively "danced" back and forth. Ivory snickered as she led the furious martial artist, straight into a trap, as she broke open the cap off the near by fire hydrant, sending the burst of cold water all over him. Once the stream of gushing water let up, a furious Ranma-chan shook her head off, from being drenched as she gritted her teeth. " Why you.. demon scum!" Ivory cackled. "But you're such a fun little "bath-toy." Ranma-chan bristled at hearing that and rushed the she-devil, using the tenshin amaguriken, attack in a brisk and fast motion, getting a few hits in on her. She pulled back her other fist, to land a punch in, but was smacked away roughly, by her devil tail that showed.

The force sent Ranma-chan sliding back and off into a stone wall, making her realize she had taken off the green gem necklace, meaning she couldn't use magic for defense. Likely the blame for that was with the blasted intruder, messing up the bond with Ranka.

Ryouga had ended up wandering into the stray of the battle, with all him seeing was a red head smacked off into a stone wall and some other girl. When he took a closer look at the black haired girl and how delighted she was, he remembered Ranka's, nasty old ex friend and how she had tormented her relentlessly. He growled at her, but his concern was who he thought was Ranka in the moment, which he was about to say her name, till he realized it was Ranma, which got him all flustered that he almost messed up.

Ranma-chan recovered from the collusion as she shook her head about and growled. " I'm gonna break that damn thing!" She then took notice Ryouga was there, suddenly, giving him an annoyed look. " You thought I was Ranka, didn't you.." Ryouga looked frustrated as he denied it. " Of course not, I'm not blind, but ah.. where is she?" Ranma-chan furrowed her brows. "She skipped out on school, I was trying to find her, but this ugly demon wench, is purposely trying to keep us apart.."

Ivory gave her a glare. " I can hear you, you know!" She ughed. " Too bad I didn't break you." Ranma-chan curled her lip at her. Ryouga glared at Ivory. " I'll help you this time Ranma, because the feeling is mutual towards "her." Ranma-chan hahed. " Who says I want your help!" Ryouga hehed back. " I could just run off and leave you to deal with her, while I go find Ranka." Ranma-chan shot back. " Haha, yeah right. Fine, let's do this then." Ryouga cracked his knuckles as he hand a vicious fanged smirk on his face. " Let's." They both charged at Ivory from different sides.

Ryouga got himself all upset about Ivory, as he hung his head, moving his hands about. "Shishi Hokodon!" They emitted a red blast as it hurled straight into her, sending her smashing up against a brick wall. Ivory had a startled look on her face at seeing that hideous attack again. Ranma-chan had gotten out of the way really fast, then charging forward and using her anger as she dealt out continuous and fast and furious punches to her gut, using Tenshin Amuguriken attack, knocking the air out of her, as she slumped down to the ground.

They then took the chance to run off, while she was ko ed. Ryouga wanted to do more to her, but finding Ranka was more important. At some point as they raced about, they got split up a ways.

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After she had made sure she had put a lot of distance between her and Chriss, Ranka went off to a near by park. She got a peach water, from the vending machine, before she sat on a bench by the pond to relax as she enjoyed her drink.

Ryouga stumbled about as he had no idea where he had gone, till he spotted a red head sitting by the pond, as he concentrated on getting closer, he could tell it was Ranka. His heart skipped a beat as he came over. "Ranka? Shouldn't you be in school?" Ranka caught by the surprise encounter, spit out some of her drink at seeing him. " Ryouga.. what are you doing here?" Ryouga fumbled about nervously. " Ah well, I.. well.. both me and Ranma were worried about you." He took notice she looked tired. "Even your mother was worried about you and Ranma this morning."

Ranka slumped down some. " Sorry I just, didn't want to be at school." She also slid over so there was plenty of room for Ryouga to take a seat. Ryouga poked his fingers about, into each other nervously. "Is there a particular reason why?" Ranka sighed as she hung her head. "I.. had a really bad nightmare.." Ryouga sweatdropped. "Was it.. about me?" She looked away as she shook her head, back and forth. Ryouga hmmed as he took another guess. " Well it couldn't have been about Ranma, right?" Ranka tensed up at him having said that, shuffled her feet about on the ground, showing she felt guilty. Ryouga's eyes widened as he did a double take, then getting all flustered. " Ah, yeah forget I said that, because that couldn't be right, you two get along so well."

Ranka hung her head more, making him realize, he was right. Ryouga blinked. " Ah.. so I was right.." He could also tell why she had likely skipped out on school, just from seeing how they had performed in the morning. They had both seemed distant with each other, but it was apparent it was Ranka who was distancing more. He tried to push a bit more to find out more from her. "Um if it's okay to ask, what was the nightmare about?" Ranka didn't lift her head, but kept shuffling her one foot about on the ground. " He hated me.." Ryouga felt angry at hearing that, even though it was far from the truth, just hearing that set him off. " How dare Ranma be mean to you!"

He was too busy muttering a loud a bunch of angry things about Ranma, to notice Ranka had fallen asleep as the tiredness hit her, until he felt something soft on his shoulder. As she had leaned over and laid her head in her sleep on his shoulder. His anger disappeared, as he was nervous at having her sleeping on him, but he was also deliriously happy, with a happy grin on his face, as he sat there frozen with the beautiful red head leaning on him.

A few minutes later Ranma-chan finally caught up, and didn't like what she saw as she called out Ryouga on it. " What the hell, Ryouga!?" Ryouga snapped out of his happy daze at seeing and hearing Ranma. " Ranma! How dare you, be mean to Ranka!" Ranma-chan sweatdropped at him. " What are you on about P-chan? And.. what's all "this" about..?" She said referring to how her sister was sleeping on him. Ryouga hehed all haughtily. "That's none of your business, now is it Ranma." Ranma-chan bristled at hearing that. " You're lucky as hell, or I'd splash you ass!" They bickered back and forth and were pretty loud, but it didn't seem to wake Ranka up.

Ranma-chan took notice of that fact, not too much later, as she gave Ryouga an annoyed look as she took a seat on the other near by bench. " So, wake her up." Ryouga looked a bit nervous at being told that. " Well she's pretty tired, I think we should let her sleep a little longer." Ranma-chan furrowed her brows at him. " Well of course you'd say that." She really didn't' want to end up splashing her sister with water, but it might come down to it as she threatened Ryouga. " Wake her up, or I'll splash you with some water, P-chan.." Ryouga gasped at knowing, Ranka would also get wet. " You wouldn't.." But also at having his happy moment ruined. Ranma-chan quirked an eyebrow at him. " Wanna find out?"

Ryouga grumbled at having to wake the sleeping beauty up, for one he didn't want it to end so soon, on the other hand he wasn't sure how she'd react. It was possible she might sock him in the face. He sighed as he tried to gently wake her, but she didn't budge. Ranma-chan gave him a more annoyed look. Ryouga sweated as he tried again, this time moving his arm she was on, which made her react some, but not enough to wake her. Ranma-chan grumbled at his weak attempts. " Ugh never mind.." She thought about something that would get her sister to wake up and went with it. " Uh oh it's Picolet!"

That in turn set Ryouga off as he got all annoyed. " Picolet!" Ranka looked annoyed in her sleep, before she sat up, waking up enough. She woke up more at seeing Ranma was there. Ranma-chan cut to the point. " Ranka, it sounds like Tenka did something to us. I ran into Thrista while I was looking for you.. and she told me a lot, how basically someone messed with our dreams." She then tightened her fist. "Not to mention that damn, demon wench, alluded to the same thing."

She continued on. "And well Thrista said how dreams can be used to manipulate things. So that damned, hell brat is to blame.." Ranka took in what her sibling had said, but still looked really tired and out of it. Ranma-chan remembered what Thrista was said. " Oh yeah, Thrista seems to think whatever was done to us, is affecting you more.." She took note of how she seemed like she wasn't really wasn't with it. " Hey Ranka, you okay?" Ranka huhed. " Ah yeah, just tired.."

Ryouga looked concerned as she seemed to be nodding off again. " It really does look like whatever that little devil girl did, has hit Ranka harder than it did you Ranma.." Ranma-chan looked angry for a minute, before she bit her lip. " Ryouga, help me bring her to Doctor Tofu's, maybe he can do something." Ryouga got all flustered at what that implied, getting a dumb goofy look on his face, until he got a whack to is head from an annoyed Ranma. Ryouga snapped out of it as he gave his rival an annoyed look, before he smacked his hands to his face and tried a few times to go to pick her up, but got too nervous.

Ranma-chan gave him a glare. "Hurry the hell up,or I'll do it." Ryouga got annoyed as he finally did it, seeing she was asleep again, as he piggy backed her, taking care to make sure she was held, so she wouldn't fall off. Ranma-chan grumbled about it, as she led him off to Doctor Tofu's.

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The day went by at the clinic as usual, that was until Doctor Tofu, spotted Ranma in his cursed form as a girl and a boy with a yellow bandana, carrying who looked to be Ranka on his back. Ranma-chan got all anxious at seeing him. " Hey Doctor Tofu, could you look at my sister and well maybe me too.." Doctor Tofu smiled. "What seems to be the problem?" Luckily it was pretty slow at the minute, so it was just them as he led them off to a room, where Ryouga laid Ranka down on the seat. Ranma-chan rubbed at her head, from the chair she was sitting in. "Someone's done something to me and Ranka through our dreams, and messed up our bond.. but it seems like it's affecting her more than it is me. I thought you'd be able to figure out what's going on."

Doctor Tofu titled his head some. " Hmm, I dunno, can I?" Ryouga gasped. " Are you saying you can't help?" Ranma-chan mirrored that reaction as she had a nervous smile on her face. " Can't you? You can do so many things." Doctor Tofu hmmed. " Well first, I'll have to wake her up." First he tried to gently wake her, by saying her name and giving her a little shake, seeing things were a bit more complicated, he went through his supplies. What had gotten was a potent smelling salt, that he held by her nose, which jolted her awake suddenly at the intense smell.

Doctor Tofu smiled at her. " Hello Ranka, sorry about that." Ranka shook her head about from the smell, then taking in where she was. In the mean time Doctor Tofu was examining her, as he took notes. "So, how are you feeling today, Ranka?" She sighed. "Tired but I did have nightmares.." Doctor Tofu nodded. " I see, but you seem abnormally tired." Ryouga and Ranma-chan nodded in agreement. Doctor Tofu kept jotting things down. " While I'm not really seeing that from Ranma, though you both had bad nightmares, is what I'm getting the jest of."

He did a few tests and exercises on both of the red-heads, then jotting down more results. Once he finished he gave his analysis, as Ranka had started to nod off again. " Well someone definitely used your dreams to affect your bond, just like you said Ranma. As for what's going on, it seem's like Ranka's very disconnected. Let me put it this way, when an electronic is plugged in, but once you un plug the connection, the device can't link up with the power source, right."

Ranma-chan got a concerned and serious look on her face. "Isn't there something you can do about it?" Doctor Tofu shook his head. " I'm afraid not, I might find something out by researching this phenomenon. What was done, was done through the sub conscious and that would need to be manipulated again." Ryouga and Ranma looked upset to hear that, though of course Ranma was the one more upset about it. "Thanks anyway's doc.." Ryouga couldn't help but interrupt. " That doesn't explain why Ranka's so tired." Doctor Tofu adjusted his glasses. " I'm sorry I'm not really exactly sure why either, it likely has to do with what was used against her. Was it just purely through dreams or was an anchor item used. Though it'd be best to try to keep her awake." He went and got a few of the smelling salts, putting them in a bag. " Use one of these if she won't wake up easily."

After thanking Doctor Tofu, they took their leave, taking care to walk back slowly, so it'd line up with getting out of school or close enough. Ranka seemed a bit more a wake, then she was before, until she started to walk off in a different direction, to which Ranma-chan grabbed her by her hand and pulled her back to right direction, before letting go. " Where were you going?" Ranka sweat dropped as she rubbed at her head, not quite sure herself. Ranma-chan quirked an eyebrow at her. " Don't tell me Ryouga's sense of direction is rubbing off on ya.." Ranka looked really flustered at hearing that. Ryouga looked annoyed, before they started walking again.

While she didn't stray again, she did lag behind and kept to herself. Ranma and Ryouga chatted amongst themselves. With Ryouga wondering how bad things were between the siblings. "Hey so can you two still talk to each other and stuff?" Ranma-chan tightened her fist as she got angry. " No.. now shut up bacon breath!" She said as she snapped at him, angry to be reminded. She got more upset seeing there was no reaction from Ranka, she didn't seem to be paying attention at all. It was like Doctor Tofu had said she was very disconnected. That just angered Ranma more, at what ever Tenka had done to them, more so to Ranka. While Ranma was a bit tired from the bad dreams, it hadn't constantly been on his mind and wasn't as tired as his sister.

But then once he became of aware of what was going on, his foggy feeling had disappeared and he was able to remember things, which wasn't the same for his sister at all. Ryouga could tell his rival was fuming. "Hey Ranma, I get it, but you know you can't hurt the kid, demon or not." Ranma-chan curled her lip in response as she muttered to herself.

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As they got back, Nodoka noted how her son was in his cursed form, thinking how it hadn't rained. " Ranma, it didn't rain today, did it?" Ranma-chan looked annoyed as she took her shoes off. " Nope, got into a fight with that demon-wench, and she blasted me with the fire hydrant.." She got more annoyed at seeing how there was no reaction from her sister. Nodoka looked a bit upset at hearing that, but could see how angry her son/daughter was, instead turning it a different direction. " Well, I'll have some sandwiches made in a bit." She then went about to fussing over Ranka some, before going off into the kitchen, asking Ranka to help Tenka out with her chores.

Ranka went off to do so, as she saw Tenka fumbling about with the vacuum. "Here gimme that and watch." She turned it on and moved it back and forth, showing her how it worked, before shutting it off and handing off the handle to her. Tenka smile as she took it from her, putting her hand on hers, secretly wiping a different lotion onto her from her hand.

Snack time went by and then everyone was sitting on the couch, except Tenka as she ran around and blew bubbles again, much to Ranma's annoyance. Ranma-chan bottled up her fury, as she made a cute and girly looking face at her mother. " I really wish we had some puddings, that'd make me feel a lot better." Nodoka put a hand to her mouth. "Well if that will make you feel better dear." Ranma-chan nodded. " Could you get some?" Nodoka smiled as she got up. " Alright then, I'll be back, you two watch Tenka, and no fighting." She went and got her things together, before putting her shoes on and taking her leave, wanting to get done and get back.

Ranma-chan then glared at Tenka who was still blowing bubbles about, but mainly at them. She also took note that Ranka seemed worse than she had before as she was nodding off again. Ranma-chan lashed out as Tenka ran by with the bubbles, giggling, snatching the bottle away and crushing it with her hand, before tossing it down on the ground with fury in her eyes. " What the hell did you do to Ranka and me, spill it you little hell, demon brat!"

Ryouga sweat dropped at the scenario. " Ranma, she's still a kid." Ranma-chan hahed. " Just make sure you watch the front door." Tenka looked a bit nervous, but stood her ground. " Remember, you can't hurt me, that'd upset your mother." Ranma-chan cracked her knuckles with evil grin. "Oh I'm well aware, don't you see it won't hurt as much, since I'm a girl right now and well, I plan to finish before she gets back." Tenka gulped. "That" doesn't mean it won't hurt.." Ranma-chan cracked her neck about some. "Hey, you're lucky I'm being generous here, though I won't be holding back either.. unless you squeal.."

Tenka took off running, with Ranma right behind her. Tenka eeped. " You can't hurt me, I'm a kid!" Ranma-chan hehed. " I don't consider you one, especially after you tried to kill Ranka.." She got tired of running, as she ended up cornered in the laundry room, her back pressed up against the wall, as Ranma stalked closer to her. She eeped as she shielded herself with her arms and hands. Then she felt herself get grabbed up by her shirt and lifted up, off the ground. She gasped in fear, knowing Ranma had her in her grasp. Ranma-chan gave her a dead serious glare. " Last chance, to spit it out!"

Tenka whimpered. " I had to.. or he might do something to my parents.." Ranma-chan hmpfed as she gave her a good shake. " I don't care, what I do care about is what you did to me and more importantly Ranka! Are those stupid bubbles, part of it?!" Tenka yelped a bit as she nodded. Ranma was about to lay the smack down on her, but heard noises, then Ryouga stating his mother was back.

Ranma-chan cchted as she held her and walked over to the dryer, tossing her into it, giving her an angry glare, before her mother found them. Nodoka blinked. " What are you two doing in the laundry room hmm?" Ranma-chan put on a cute face. " We were playing, hide and seek, and I just saw Tenka.. hid in the dryer and was about to find her." Nodoka shook her head as she came into the room, opening up the dryer door and pulling Tenka out from it. " Now Tenka sweetie, that's not a very safe place to be hiding."

After setting her down on the ground, Tenka ran out of the room as fast as she could. Nodoka smiled at Ranma-chan. " That's so sweet that you two are getting along now. I put the puddings away, for after dinner." Ranma-chan dropped the cute act as she crossed her arms. There was no way she was going to lie about how she felt about the little hell, demon brat. "Yeah no, I just played with her, because I know that's what you wanted, but I don't like her.. The truth is mom, she's a damned demon and she did something to me and Ranka." She got a really stern look on her face. " You said, if the hell brat, endangered Ranka again, you'd get rid of her, did you not." Nodoka looked upset. " I did, but also, " how" it depends."

Ranma-chan cchted as she left the room, mumbling. " I'm gonna go take a bath." She gave Tenka a menacing glare, before going off upstairs, to do so. Ryouga couldn't help but say something as well. " Tenka is it, you need to leave Ranka alone, got it." He had a very serious look on his face, as he starred intently into her eyes. "I'd also like to know what you did.."

The little red head looked away from him, before she ran off to where Nodoka was, leaving a frustrated Ryouga behind. It wasn't long before Ranma came back, seeing how annoyed his rival looked, he figured out went on. His concern was more at seeing Ranka was still sleeping, to which he tried to get her to wake, with a gentle shake and saying her name. When that didn't work he resorted to using one of the "smelling salts", that Doctor Tofu had prescribed, which jolted her awake, like it had at the clinic.

She held her hand to her head, looking a bit confused for a minute, before she snapped back. Ranma didn't have a good feeling about her reaction, which was also a bit similar to when she was jolted away, suddenly at the clinic and seemed, very out of it, like her mind was else where. Before anything could be said, the door bell went off. Nodoka stopped what she was doing in the other room, coming out to the front door to answer it.

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At seeing the two girls at the front door, Nodoka looked delighted as she invited them inside. Ranma looked really nervous at seeing it was Akane and Ukyou, as did Ryouga, and Ranka to a lesser extent. Akane and Ukyou stormed over to the siblings as they both ranted about them both suddenly disappearing, without a word. Nodoka furrowed her brows at hearing this. " Ranma, Ranka, what is the meaning of "this?" Am I hearing correctly.."

Both looked nervous at having been exposed. Ranma gave Akane an annoyed look. Nodoka sternly voiced herself again, Ranma, Ranka, I want answers, NOW!" Akane and Ukyou chimed in as well. Ranka bit her lip as she hung her head, looking guilty. " I.. skipped school.. first, so.." Tenka came in from the other room giggling as she pointed at Ranka. " Bad girl!" Nodoka crossed her arms. " Very.. I see, we will discuss things further, at a later time." Ryouga couldn't help but jump in. " I'm sure she had a good reason for it, as it you said yourself this morning Mrs. Saotome, how Ranma and Ranka seemed sick."

Nodoka sighed as she did take that into consideration. "Perhaps but skipping is not the answer." Ukyou felt a bit guilty and chimed in as well. " He's right Mrs. Saotome, Ranka mentioned she wasn't feeling well.." Akane gave Ranma an angry look. " So, what's your excuse?" Ranma gave her an annoyed look. Nodoka had Tenka come out. " Come now dear, it's rude to hide from company." She gushed to Akane and Ukyou as she introduced her to them. " This is Tenka, our newest family member." Tenka sweat dropped at the upset looks, the two girls were giving her, seeing how they knew about her. They remained civil under Nodoka's watch.

After some chatting, Nodoka excused herself as she went off into the kitchen to make some more sandwiches up for their guests. She did take note that her daughter didn't follow her as she usually did, but chalked that up to the fact they had company. Tenka tried to get away but was blocked by both the girls, that were on her enemies side.

Ukyou had an angry smile on her face. " So, you're the trouble maker huh, causing problems for my Ranma huney and Ranka. So, what did you do to Ranka, I've got a spatula with your name on it.." Akane huffed at seeing how Ukyou put herself first. " Ukyou you can't hurt her, she's a kid." Ukyou hahed. " To the naked eye, sure. Well I won't have to, if she fesses up." Akane then noticed how Ryouga was there. " Oh Ryouga, I guess you're visiting." Ranma gave him his rival an annoyed look. " I didn't ask him to."

Ukyou kept her attention on the kid. " I'm waiting.." Tenka sweat dropped as she tried to make a run for it, only to be grabbed up by Ranma, who had a devious smirk on his face. "Yeah.. we're ALL waiting for you to spit it out.." Tenka grumbled. "Or else, what?" Ranma gave her a glare, before he flipped her upside down, so he was holding her by her feet. "Or I'll shake you down.." Ukyou rooted for him. " Do it, Ranma huney!" Akane sweat dropped, about to say something, but saw how Ranka wasn't even paying attention. So she stood by and let them do what they were doing.

Tenka shook about as she was shaken by Ranma, while hanging upside down. She eeped as she tried her best to hold onto the hidden bottle of lotion, but as the speed increased, it popped out, as it fell down to the ground, with a clatter. Nodoka stuck her head out from the kitchen, quirking an eyebrow at all the fuss. Ranma gave her a big grin. " We're playing a game." Ukyou chimed in with a smile. " Yeah, Tenka's having so much fun." Nodoka smiled as she went back into the kitchen.

Ukyou picked up the lotion bottle as she furrowed her brows at the kid. " So, what's this?" Ranma flipped her back, right side up, so he was holding her by the back of her shirt. " So.. bubbles and lotion huh.." Akane hung her head at seeing the proof, giving the kid an upset look. Ryouga glared at Tenka, with fury in his eyes. " What did you do to Ranka.." Ukyou was right beside him with her arms crossed and angry look. " It's best you spill."

They were interrupted as Nodoka came out from the kitchen with the sandwiches, which had Ranma set the brat down on the floor. She smiled as she ushered the two girls, especially to help themselves, which they did. Ranma of course went and had some, as he hardly said no, to having more food. Nodoka at not seeing Ranka at the table, went off to the living room where she was. " Ranka dear, there's sandwiches if you wanted some more." Ranka smiled a tad. " I'm still good from before." Nodoka smiled back. " Well then could you go handle the garden." Ranka nodded as she went off outside to the porch, to go out to the yard, while Nodoka went off to the table to join the others.

After she finished with watering the garden, she sat on the porch looking annoyed. Ryouga had followed after her, as he surprised her, that he was suddenly there, with her only realizing that when she heard him. " Hey Ranka, you okay?" Ranka jumped a bit, in her seat, before letting out a sigh. " I don't know." Ryouga furrowed his brows, looking concerned. " I heard you and Ranma had bad dreams. You seemed really out of it, after Doctor Tofu's, so why was that?." Ranka sighed again. " I'm not really sure, I just.." She tried her best to describe it. " I guess I'm feeling like the dreams are reality and reality.. feels more like a dream.." Ryouga's eyes widened as he got upset, not thinking in the moment as he put his hands on her shoulder. " Ranka, that's because that little demon girl, did something to you. Didn't you see that weird lotion bottle, back there?" Ranka got a bit flustered at him having his hands on her, as she blinked. " Huh? Could you.. get your hands off me, before I get mad.." Ryouga got all flustered as he did so, bright red in the face.

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As time went by, after awhile Ukyou and Akane started to get ready to take their leave, after complaining to the siblings, how they'd better not disappear during the school day again. Nodoka of course tried to get them to stay for dinner, but they both had to get back. Nodoka frowned some as she went to see them off to the front door, though their exit was blocked as someone else was at the front door. Nodoka answered as she took the package from the delivery person, bringing it back inside, as she set it down the small table in the living room. " Ranka dear, it appears to be for you." Ranka sweatdropped. " So.." Nodoka smiled at her. "So, you should open it dear." Ukyou and Akane's curiosity was getting the better of them, which made them not leave, just yet.

Ranka sighed as she went about to opening the package, at her mothers insistence, groaning at the fancy, princess type, ball gown dress and fancy envelope, stating it was from Picolet. Ranma looked annoyed, as did Ryouga. Ranka also looked annoyed as she shoved the box at Akane. " Here you go Akane, you can have it." Akane got all flustered. " Why, me? What about Ukyou?" Ukyou waved her hand about. " Not my style." She excused herself as she took her leave.

Akane looked frustrated. " Who says I want it? Why don't you want it?" Ranka groaned. " That's what he wants, if I accept it, that's exactly what he wants and I might like dressing up sometimes, but this is.. way too much.." Nodoka hand her hand to her face. " Such a shame, it is a gorgeous dress, but yes if you accepted his gift, that would be acceptance of him.." Ranka looked over at her mom. " You take it then." Nodoka got all flustered as she laughed some. " Oh my, well I'm a bit too old for such a dress." Ranka looked back to Akane. " See, no one wants it, so you can have it." Akane got more annoyed. " I don't want it either!" Ranka sighed. " Fine, just take it back home with you, maybe Kasumi or Nabiki would like it, ya know." Akane hmmed and gave Ranma a devious smile. " Ranma, are you sure you don't want it?" Ranma bristled. " Hey! Why the heck would I want a stupid dress!" Ryouga couldn't help but join in on teasing Ranma. " Oh cmon Ranma, you've dressed up plenty of times, before."

Nodoka furrowed her brows, before she smiled at Akane. " I'm sure one of your sisters will love the dress." She then saw her out to the front door. "Alright now, that's enough of that." She quickly put an end to it as she went about to prepping for dinner.

Soon dinner went by and soon after Ranka excused herself, going off to take a bath, to which Nodoka invited herself, leaving Ranma and Ryouga to look after Tenka, while she bonded with Ranka. They waited till Nodoka was gone, to start discussing things. Ryouga blurted things out to Ranma. " Ranma, Ranka was saying to me before, how.. she feels like reality is a dream and the dreams are reality." He then glared at Tenka. " So, that's your game huh, lil demon! Child or no, I won't stand by, with what you've done to Ranka!" Ranma glared daggers as he nabbed Tenka, by the back of her shirt, before she could bolt, pulling her up to his eye level. " What the hell did you do to Ranka, with you stupid bubbles and lotion?!" Tenka shuddered at being at he mercy of the two angry boys. " I don't know, okay! I just.. did what they told me to do.."

Ryouga had his arms crossed. "If you're lying, I'll show you no mercy.." Ranma growled at her, as he dropped her to the ground. " Does this sound familiar then, you used those stupid bubbles and lotion to manipulate, both of our subconscious, but way more to Ranka.. isn't that right?" Tenka rubbed at her butt, from the impact. " I told you, I don't know.."

They were interrupted again as Nodoka came downstairs, she furrowed her brow. " Is everything okay, down here? It sounded rather "rowdy" for a bit." Tenka ran over and hid her face into Nodoka's kimono. Nodoka smiled at her and pat her head. " Alright sweetie, it's your turn now for bath time." Ranma sweat dropped. " Where's Ranka?" Ryouga nodded in agreement. Nodoka fussed over Tenka. " She went off to bed early, seems she's not feeling too well after all." Her and Tenka went off upstairs to the bathroom, a few minutes later.

Ryouga ruffled his hair in frustration. " Oh no, that means she's probably sleeping and having those realistic dreams again.." Ranma tightened his fists. " Dammit.. that little hell demon brat.." He stormed off to the kitchen to use the sink's cold water to turn himself into a girl, before running off upstairs. At seeing Ryouga was also running upstairs, she gave him an annoyed look, once they got upstairs. " And where do YOU think you're going?" Before Ryouga could say anything, Ranma-chan stuck her foot out, making sure he tripped. " No boys allowed, I'll handle it, got it.." Ryouga huffed as he pulled himself up off the floor. " Damn you.. Ranma.."

Though Ranma had said that, at seeing that her sister was already sound a sleep, she grumbled under her breath. She went over, feeling a tad guilty about having to try to wake her up. It wasn't a normal circumstance though, as she went to try to shake her, but was pushed back. Ranma-chan shook her head from the bump back, getting more annoyed, but also worried, seeing how the barrier was active, showed by the gem lit up bright red. She balled her fists. " Damn it.." She tried another approach, yelling her sisters name, when that didn't work after a few tries, she resorted to trying to get attention another way. She chucked a few things at the barrier a few times, before once again getting no results and making her more angry.

There wasn't much choice to give up, seeing how nothing seemed to reach. Ranma-chan sat up in her bed frustrated as hell, seeing how what Ryouga had said had gotten worse. Ranka was lost to the dreams, that had taken a hold of her. It also weighed heavily on Ranma, how disconnected they had become because of the " hell demon brat", carrying out the devil's insidious plot. While there was nothing more she could do, she still thought it was best to stay close and hoped her sister would wake up in the morning.

As the night wore on and everyone finally was a sleep for the night, Thrista stepped out from the shadows, staying in the back yard as she worked her magic with her butterfly, and made herself comfortable out on the back porch. With how dire the situation seemed, she knew she had to try to intervene. Once she was connected through, she was within Ranka's dream, and watched what was going on, out of her sight for awhile.

What she saw was the complete opposite of how things really were, but in this upside-down reality, whatever Tenka had done, had the subconscious, manipulated. How Ranma had told her how he and Ranka both had bad dreams. As she kept watching in the dream space, Ranma hated Ranka and Satan there acted nice and like a real father, as did Alley, as her role of mother and they were a happy family.

She managed to stay out of sight as she watched as Ranka had a moment, where reality started to hit, as she put her hand to her head, looking confused. " Where.. am I?" Satan coaxed her back. " Well you're home, where you belong." Alley chimed in as well. " That's right." Ranka nodded, not quite sure. " I'm gonna go take a bath." Alley smiled. " Don't take too long, I'm making your favorite dinner." For a minute, a brief image of Nodoka flashed over Alley, making Ranka rub at her eyes, before seeing just Alley. She went off to her room, putting her hand to her head as she sat down on her bed.

Thrista made her appearance as she had followed after her, at seeing she was alone. " Ranka.." Ranka jumped a bit at seeing someone was in her room, then furrowing her brows at her. "What are you doing here?" Thrista sighed as she made sure the door was closed. "To help. Ranka, you know "this" is ALL wrong..it's not reality, you just said so a few minutes ago." Ranka grew annoyed. " You were spying on me, this whole time?" Thrista had a concerned look on her face as she looked around the room, taking note, how all around the house in the dream, were the same flowers. " That's not important, whatever Tenka has done that Satan wanted her to, has influenced your mind. You know it's wrong, it's not real, but they keep telling you otherwise, to keep you here and further away from reality."

Ranka crossed her arms. " You sound crazy and I don't know what you're talking about, I'm with my family and they love me." Thrista sighed deeply as she grabbed up all the flower displays of the distinct looking flowers, throwing them out of the room, before shutting the door again. Ranka got up from where she was sitting, looking annoyed. " Hey! What is wrong with you?!" Thrista had a stern look on her face. " It's a big part of what is influencing you, so I got rid of it. Ranka, your brother is really worried about you.." Ranka crossed her arms, looking upset. " No he's not, he hates me.." Thrista shook her head. " Your minds been so distorted within, that's how you feel but it's not the truth. This isn't real. Just how it's not true that you hate Ranma, it's just the dreams influences on your minds. Your brother realized that and wasn't held down as heavily as you are."

She had made sure the door was locked, but they were on to things, as Satan was banging on the door, the banging become louder. Ranka stood there un sure of what to do for a second, before she started to try to go to door. Then his voice became irate with fury and the banging became even louder than before. "OPEN THIS DOOR, NOW!" He raged on from the other side, making her take a step back, as her eyes widened. Thrista looked a bit sad. " That's the real him." Ranka gripped her own arms as the door violently shook and the shouting got louder, while the dream scape started to crack and shatter. Alley's sweet voice, became wicked as she yelled in anger as well, which finally made the whole dream world shatter into pieces.

Meanwhile Ranma had a nightmare, at how Ranka never woke up and the devil made his move, taking her away, which shook Ranma-chan as she jolted awake, panting. She then got angry, her anger centered on the little demon brat, who was responsible for everything, slamming her fist down on the bed. She looked over to Ranka's side, with concern, though her eyes didn't see what she had before, the gem was a no longer lit up. Ranma rubbed her eyes and took another look, just to be sure she wasn't seeing things, before she got up out from bed, turning on a bit of light, from the night stand's lamp, going off to the bathroom.

When she came back, she went over to her sisters bed, looking a bit sad. "You'd better wake up, Ranka.." She then turned to start heading back to her bed, just as Ranka woke up a bit, from hearing Ranma, say her name as she grumbled. " I'm awake, what do you want?" Ranma-chan's eyes widened as her heart jumped, as she grabbed Ranka in a bear hug for a second, before looking annoyed and giving her a gentle punch to her arm. " That's for driving me nuts.." Ranka pouted as she rubbed her arm, sitting up. " I didn't mean to.." Ranma-chan rubbed at her head, knowing she was right, it wasn't her fault, it was that little, "hell brats." " I just.. didn't think you'd wake up again.." Ranka looked upset. " I didn't want to.. and probably wouldn't have, if.. Thrista didn't interfere.." Ranma-chan's eyes widened. " Thrista did huh.. guess we can't be mad at her anymore then.." Ranka sighed. " Probably not, or I'd still want to stay there.." She sighed as she got up and went off to the bathroom, since she was awake now.

After she came back and they were both in their own beds, they just sat there looking distressed. Ranma-chan broke the silence. " We.. should probably go back to bed.." Ranka looked down. "I'd rather not.." Ranma-chan sighed. " Yeah I hear ya.. I don't really want to either.."

When she came back into the room, Ranma-chan had finished setting up the two futons on the ground, with a grin on her face. Ranka smiled a tad, as they laid down in their futons on the ground, fairly close to each other. Both could feel their connection again, feeling warmth, where there had been emptiness. Ranma-chan furrowed her brows a bit. " So what the hell happened?" Ranka tensed up a bit, looking sad. " Like I said, I didn't want to leave the dream.." Ranma-chan scoffed about it. " It's all that, little, "hell-brats", fault. I sorta got her to fess up but she still wouldn't say much. Those stupid bubbles and some kinda lotion, she got from the demons, when she ranaway.. She cried about her parents safety, or something."

Ranka looked a bit thoughtful. " It's probably true though, she has no idea, what's she's gotten herself into.." Ranma-chan hmpfed. " Yeah well, that doesn't give her a free pass, to hurt OURS. Cmon, don't tell me you feel bad for her." Ranka looked a bit distraught. "To a point but I get what your saying. I can't help but feel a little bad, I've been there, I know how cut-throat "he" can be.. She's got it worse, but no it doesn't make any of what's she's doing, right.." Ranma-chan nodded with a serious look on her face. " I'm telling mom what she pulled." Ranka looked a bit upset at hearing that. Ranma-chan huffed angrily. " I've said it before and will keep saying it, if I have to go against mom, I will."

Ranka had a pained look. " Neither of us wants to hurt her.." Ranma-chan wrinkled up her nose as she got up and turned the light off, before lying back down. "No, but I'm NOT letting her careless actions, endanger my sister. Ranka, she promised if the hell-brat, endangered you again, she'd abandon her and that's exactly what happened.." Ranka sighed. " I know, but she's not going to do that Ranma." Ranma hahed in annoyance. "That lil intruder might look the part, but she's a demon okay, she's not a Saotome!" Ranka looked more sad. " Maybe but she's still part of the family now." Ranma-chan huffed. " Doesn't mean I like it.." She grumbled and moved around, until she felt comfortable. " Ugh, I don't want to sleep.."

Ranka kneaded her pillow, till she felt comfy. " I don't really want to either, but.. since Tenk failed, I'm sure that means Ivory will show up more. We'll need the rest.."

Ranma could feel the pain, from the tone of her sisters voice. She thought for a second, about getting on her about hesitation, but decided it was better not to right now. If it came down to it, she would though. She also knew how cruel the whole scenario was, how her sister had lost her first, best friend and was fated to be pitted against her. Even crueler was the fact that, no matter how many times Ranka defeated Ivory, the real one was hidden away in the depths of hell, which would endanger her, in order to free Ivory from her eternal corruption of her soul. In Ranma's eyes, he'd rather fight the demon wench for the rest of his life, then risk loosing his sister. Both of them eventually found rest, for the rest of the night.

8888

Another day began, with Ranka getting up before Ranma this time, as she went off to the bathroom. When she came back to the room, Ranma-chan was up, as she then went off to bathroom. While she was, Ranka got changed into her school uniform and fixed her hair up, before grabbing her school bag and leaving the room, only to bump into Ryouga. Ryouga's eyes got all big, and his emotions got the better of him, at seeing Ranka was alright, grabbing her into an embrace. " Oh Ranka, I'm so glad you're okay." Ranka turned bright red from annoyance and frustration.

What followed was an angry brother as Ranma came out from the bathroom, chucking the towel he had, so it slapped over Ryouga's face, making him loose his hold on Ranka, letting her get away. There were no words needed. Ryouga yanked the towel off his face, looking annoyed. " Hey, what was that for?!" Ranma gave him a glare, before he went off to his room to finish getting ready for school.

A few minutes later at the dining table, a furious, eat off went on, between the two boys. Even Tenka was a bit put off by it. Ranka ignored it as she ate her own breakfast. Nodoka looked on blissfully. " Boys will be boys." Once the siblings finished and got their things together, they took their leave. Ranma made sure they did, before his mother could send them off, as he was letting her know, he was not happy. Ranka sweat dropped as they walked. " That was rude." Ranma scoffed at that. " Yeah well, I'm mad at her.."

Ranka sighed heavily and tried to go off a different way, but Ranma had caught on, as he grabbed her by the back of her book bag. " Where, do you think your going?" Ranka put on a cute face. " Not to school." Ranma sighed this time. " Do you think I really feel like going either?" Ranka gave him a dull look. " Exactly, and your mad at mom, so what does it matter if we skip." Ranma scratched at his head. " It's tempting but ya know, especially Akane, she'll tell on us both.." Ranka hung her head as she ughed. " Fine, but I'm skipping gym class." Ranma gave her smile. " That's fair." He then gave her a gentle jab to her arm, with his elbow. " Good to have ya back to yourself sis." Ranka smiled a tad, before yawning. " Yeah but I'm still a little tired." Ranma groaned. " Yeah, me too, hopefully since the hell-brats scheme is over with, we can get a good nights rest tonight."

They were both in good spirits since their bond was strong again, neither was disconnected from the other. That being said, they both jumped away at the same time as Ivory appeared out of now where, lashing out with an attack at them. Ivory cchted at seeing them react at the same time. " Damn, looks like you're in sync again.. Guess the kid failed, well the master won't be pleased." Ranka gave her ex friend a glare. " Ah so you admit it!" Ivory laughed. " I've nothing to hide, yes the kid messed with your bonds, with some assisted help." She didn't get to finish as she got ganged up from both sides, in front of her and in back, as got "tenshin amaguriken-ed" at the same time by the siblings, knocking her for a loop.

Ranma and Ranka then took the chance to high tail it out of there, as they ran off to the rest of the way to school. Ranma was really happy,to have his connection back with Ranka, it had been very depressing, how they had been so disconnected. At the school, it was an un lucky day as Kuno was there, as well as un lucky for the kendoist, since he was defeated in unison by the two siblings. Nabiki pretended to care, while she mocked him. " Oh Kuno baby, what a double blow." Ukyou and Akane were happy to see the siblings were back to normal as well as the fact they showed up.

Once in the classroom, Ranma was with his friends as they remarked how he seemed to be in a better mood, also noticing the same from Ranka. Akane was with her friends and Sayuri also noticed, which made her feel better that Ranka was feeling better. Ukyou was happy as well. " I'm glad you and Ranma huney are doing better now. So, no more nightmares, right?" Ranka smiled a tad nervously. " Me too. No.. but it was a rough night.. We haven't really.. had a full night of rest, so I'm not going to gym class today, to let you know a head of time." Ukyou smiled back. "Sure, just as long as you don't skip out entirely." Ranka sweat dropped at her menacing smile, that showed she was annoyed. "Ha ha..yeah, no I won't, or more like.. I can't."

Class soon started and went by and soon it was time for gym class, which true to her word, Ranka skipped out on to go lay down at the nurses office, where Thrista went as well. She smiled at Ranka. " I'm so glad you're doing better." Ranka looked frustrated from where she lying. " Thanks to your help, you talked some sense into me.." Thrista kept smiling as she took a seat, next to the bed. " When your brother confided in me, it seemed the only way." Ranka had her eyes shut as she was trying to rest. " Maybe you have some powers to do with dreams and the mind, but it also could've turned very dangerous for you. You're not exempt from being trapped, within one, more so as you're part demon."

Thrista just kept smiling. " It was worth the danger." Ranka sighed. " While I'm less mad, I still am not happy at what you did to me, before.." Thrista pouted. " I know, I just got so excited. I know now what I did, how, I went about it was not right." Ranka opened her eyes, looking a bit thoughtful. " While I'm not a demon, I get it, learning is hard. I've learned a lot of things, wrong from right. I mean, being a girl is hard enough, so I can't imagine that and being part demon." Thrista smiled brightly as she giggled some. " Yet, you get misunderstood by association."

Ranka shut her eyes again. " Well, it's just how it is." Thrista hmmed. " That little devil girl, must be going through a lot, how cruel of the devil to throw her into things." Ranka sighed again. " He'll use whoever he can, though it's harder to say no when you're bound to him." Thrista nodded as she got up with a yawn, before she flopped down on the other bed, to join her friend for a little rest.

Time went by and it lunch time, as the group ate lunch up on the roof top, with everyone chatting and sharing lunch in good spirits. Though at one point Akane and Ranma were bickering back and forth. Akane shot back at him. " Oh yeah, I'll tell you're mom." Ranma made an annoyed face. " You're not sorry at all, are you, you got me and Ranka in a lot of trouble, by opening your big mouth.." Akane bristled at him, but also at Ranka. " You're both awful!" She grabbed her bento box and stormed off. Ranka sweat dropped. Sayuri shook her head. " She's just over reacting, besides you didn't say that, Ranma did." Ranka scratched at the back of her head. " Well.. maybe not today I haven't, but I have said it to her.." Sayuri smiled. " Well you didn't right now, so it's not very fair she jumped on you too, about it." Ranka laughed a bit nervously at that. Sayuri sighed as she packed up her bento box. " I'd better go after her."

Hiroshi and Daisuke were chatting it up with Ranma. Hiroshi shook his head at his friend. " Does Akane always blame you and your sister?" Ranma munched on his food with an annoyed look, in between bites as he answered. " Yep.. you already knew that though, we're both "jerks", whenever she's mad." Daisuke hmmed. " Well, she's mad a lot, so you two must always be jerks, huh." Ukyou shook her head at the whole thing. "It's just one of her favorite words."

More time went by and soon it was time to go home as the school day had ended and they had said their good byes. They decided to go another different way back, in hopes of avoiding contact with Ivory. Ranma kicked a rock as they walked, with his hands in his pants, pockets. " I think I should tell Thrista.." Ranka's eyes widened a bit at hearing that. Ranma rubbed at the back of his head sheepishly. " It's just.. she came pretty close to finding out, since I let her have access to my mind. If she had wanted to, she could've found out." Ranka looked thoughtful on the matter. " It's up to you, but I wouldn't tell her at school." Ranma sweat dropped. " Though I'm kinda surprised she hasn't figured it out." Ranka had a dull look on her face. " Well.. she's not the brightest, kinda in the same boat as Akane, in that department."

It took a little longer to get back home, but they still had time, before they were considered late. They both froze as they spotted the overly extravagant flower display, outside the door. Ranka hung her head and groaned at the arch made of flowers, with a message banner, stating it was from Picolet. Ranma growled at seeing it, before storming off inside. Some arguing could be heard, before he shoved Ryouga outside and pointed. " Look! What the hell are YOU going to do about that, huh?!" Ranka slipped by inside and went off upstairs to her room at a fast pace, after she exchanged greetings with her mother.

Ryouga looked all frazzled at seeing it, before he got angry. " He's" playing dirty!" Ranma gave him a punch to his shoulder. " So, do something about it man, or get lost! Because you're being pretty useless, to be considered Ranka's suitor." He then went off inside muttering to himself. Ryouga tightened his fists as his fury raged, as he shouted a battle cry, before he started tearing apart the big arch of flowers.

The display of rage had caught Ranka's attention, as she had opened her window to see what was going on, going off onto the roof to get a better look as she peered down below. Once she saw what was going on, she back inside, as she smiled a bit to herself. The noise also made Nodoka come outside the front door to see what was going on, as she took in the scene, putting her hand to her mouth. " Oh my.." Ryouga finished as he tossed the remains of the arch, to the side of the road with the garbage. Nodoka giggled at him. " I'm sure your act, must have Ranka swooning over you."

She led him back inside the house, before she shut the door behind them. Ryouga got all flustered as he poked his fingers together. " Reaally?" He stammered a bit. Nodoka put her hand to her face. " I know I am. But.. I'm afraid you're too young for me." She giggled softly, before she went to check on Tenka's progress of her daily chores. Once she was done, she went about to making up a little snack for everyone.

After that she went about to sorting laundry, where Ranma came into the laundry room to join her, which surprised her a bit, given how he had rushed out without a word to her in the morning. " What is it, Ranma dear?" Ranma crossed his arms as he leaned against the doorway. " Remember what you said about the little demon brat, how if she endangered Ranka, you'd get rid of her. Well she did again mom." Nodoka kept herself busy, while they chatted. " Ranma it's very rude to label someone." Ranma gritted his teeth, as he hit the wall with his fist. " It's the truth mom! She isn't a kid that was raised by demons, she is literally, a devil! She already, almost killed Ranka, and this time she messed with both of us, but she used some demon junk that almost made it so Ranka, would never wake up."

Nodoka frowned, not wanting to believe in such, wondering if perhaps her son was just over reacting. " Now Ranma, why would Tenka do that, she loves her big brother and big sister." Ranma smacked his fist into the wall a bit harder this time, making Nodoka jump a bit. " Maybe since you're more worried about some devil kid, I should just go back to living with the Tendo's, and Ranka will be coming with me, since you care more about about the kid." Nodoka gave her son an upset look. " Ranma, how could you say such a thing." Ranma growled. " Because you're NOT listening to me!" Nodoka set the clothes down, that she had been working on folding. "Alright, we'll have a family meeting then."

A few minutes later they were all sitting around the ground table on the floor as Nodoka voiced herself. " I've called a family meeting, at Ranma's insistence. Tenka, dear you stand accused of causing harm to Ranka, is this true?" She had a stern look on her face as she searched the child's eyes and movements. While she seemed to fidget and not yet able to voice herself, she turned next to Ranka. " Ranka, is what Ranma said true? That, Tenka did something to you, and that you weren't going to wake up?" She starred intently as she scanned her looks and movements as well.

Ranka bit her lip as she wasn't fond of having to recount things, even a little. " It's true, I didn't know she was or how, but.. I wanted to stay dreaming, instead of awake. My reality was warped.. and I only woke up because of second parties, help." Ryouga smacked one of his fists down on the table, not being able to hold back. " It's true Mrs. Saotome, Ranka kept falling a sleep and it was very hard to keep her awake. I believe Tenka's bubbles were the culprit." Tenka gave the lost boy, a very fast and quick glare, before she gulped at how intently Nodoka's sights were set on her.

Nodoka crossed her arms with a pained look. " Tenka, I'm waiting on your answer.." Ranma glared at the brat. " It's true, she told me it was the bubbles, but apparently it was also some kinda lotion." Nodoka furrowed her brow with a upset look as she focused her attention on Tenka. " Tenka sweetie, is this true? Because we are supposed to be a family.. Family does not lie and if they do, the consequences are far worse.."

Tenka was sweating bullets as all eyes were on her and she was in the "hot-seat." Though she didn't want to have to expose herself, it would give her a way out, is what she was hoping. She couldn't believe what the traitor had said. She hung her head as she stood up, hoping maybe she could show her true self. " It's true.. I am really a she-devil, this is just a disguise." She tried to shift herself back but came off as trying to hold her breath again, as nothing happened. She didn't want to have to reveal she could shape shift any further. Nodoka slammed her fist down on the table with an angry look. " Is this some kind of sick joke? I see no devil before me.."

Tenka plopped back down on the ground, looking upset as she couldn't hold back the tears. " It's true.. I just.. I can't turn back anymore! My real names Izzy.." Nodoka stood up looking furious as she stormed off to the other room, before coming back with her katana, un-sheathed. Ryouga got a bit nervous, as he couldn't help but feel bad for the kid, even if she was a demon. " Mrs. Saotome, you're not going to kill her, are you?l!" Nodoka didn't answer as she stalked over to Tenka, laying her blade to the nape of her neck, just a small touch. As soon as she saw the child, looking distressed from the holy touch, she pulled it away and sheathed it.

While Ranma was a bit frightened, he had become a bit more used to it and was delighting in how the little demon, hell-brat, was finally, being taken seriously, by his mother. Ranka on the other hand, couldn't help but feel a tinge bad for the kid. Nodoka had a distressed look on her face, as the realization had started to hit her, but she wouldn't falter during this. She sighed heavily as she addressed the child. " I told you before Tenka, how similar some of circumstances were to that of Ranka's, and same with her, once you became part of this family, you have taken on a new name and new life and I will not recognize you any other way."

She continued on with a solemn look. " You are under my care and I will not let you stray, for your actions against your family, there will be consequences, child or no, I expect the same of you as I do your siblings. Now.. if you have any other tricks on you, shed them." She said in a dead serious tone that sent shivers up Tenka's spine. Tenka hung her head. " I don't.. Ranma destroyed them.." Ranma had his arms crossed with a hmpf. Nodoka huffed. " I should hope not, now apologize to your big sister and big brother, sincerely.. as well as to Ryouga." Tenka ah ed in protest. " I didn't do anything to him.." Nodoka gave her a stern look. " You've done more than enough, perhaps nothing so recent, but you seemed to have been tormenting him before." Tenka gulped at seeing how fast, the older woman's demeanor and tact had changed, once she knew she was a demon, she was able to pin-point and see things in a different light.

Tenka bowed her head as she apologized to them. She then tried to reason with the demon hunter. " I just want to go home, so.." Nodoka slammed her fist down on the table, making the girl jump, as she bore her glare into her eyes. " I already told you Tenka, you have become part of this family and I will NOT let YOU stray! I will not hear any thing more!" She got up from the table, stating the family meeting was over, before storming off upstairs, as she went to un leash her anguish.

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copyright- I do not own Ranma 1/2 or any of it's characters.

Notes: I'm not really good at this, but as always I hope you have enjoyed and thankful for the support. Oh boy, now Nodoka has finally faced the truth, and Tenka is part of the family, whether she likes it or not.