Ranma ½ Divine Blood

[Thrythlind]

The young Arabic man working with Gauron was surprised as word came in that Sousuke was indeed seeming to make for the old stronghold that had been destroyed long ago.

His name was Zaid and he had only just barely survived that attack, ending up becoming part of Amalgam's forces. One more elite mercenary for the organization.

As Zaid had told Gauron, he doubted that Sousuke would have headed in that direction unless in definite need. He was too smart to think he could hide there and as a decoy it was very weak, being a boxed in location.

"Looks like he's in need then," Gauron said with a smile.

Zaid nodded in agreement and bent down to start giving his opinion on how Sousuke would set his forces.

It was a day and a half later that Gauron and Zaid's carefully planned attack fell upon the empty stronghold.

"Well, well," Gauron said quietly, with a trace of both admiration and disappointment. "That was well-played."

"I don't understand," Zaid said. "They went more than a day out of their way. They slowed their exit to the west significantly just to set a decoy that Kashim would know is unlikely to succeed."

"Yes, but while we knew that, and he knew that," Gauron noted. "He knew that we'd analyze it that way too. Either that or he was desperate and got lucky. Either way, this was just a side venture. the real game comes pretty soon."

He smiled darkly.

The country's conventional forces ran across the small group of ASes and the truck in scattered groups, but the majority of their effort had been diverted off to give Amalgam a clear shot at acquiring the Arbalest.

What remained was barely more than enough to slow down the egress of the Mithril machines out of the sand-cursed area and let them fade invisibly away to their pick-up zone, warhead in tow.

The action caught some attention on CNN and a few other news networks, but only as a point of minor concern. No mention of nuclear arms came into the conversation.

Half a world away, some days afterward. Sousuke stepped off an airplane and walked solemnly as ever down the concourse to where two girls waited for him.

Kaname and Eija were sitting against a wall, the larger girl with a comforting arm around the shorter goddess.

He walked over and sat down on the other side of Eija from Kaname. His own mission had gone as well as could be expected from a failed operation, but it was apparent that something had gotten to the Satomi girl while he'd been gone.

"I'm back," he said simply.

"That's good," Kaname said with a yawn and a clear note of relief.

"Welcome home," Eija said with a smile that was genuine but was also trying to hide her own issues.

Kaname's hand patted the girl's shoulder as the blue-haired girl.

Sousuke took in the look Kaname was giving him and slowly, uncertainly reached out to put his arm around Eija's shoulders. As he brushed Kaname's arm and then wrapped around the goddess's shoulders, he felt a flutter of something...odd.

And he didn't need a mental link to recognize or vaguely share the repressed anger burning in the back of Kaname's eyes.

He was sure to hear of it later, right now, he just had to focus on getting used to the unusual, unfamiliar, if not completely uncomfortable position he was apparently obliged to be in.

 

[Thrythlind]

Mithril's Indian Ocean fleet headquarters were faced with a dilemma in the form of an intelligence operative's confusion and disappointment.

"Reports coming in suggested that there was a prisoner," the woman said, frowning as she crossed her arms. "I've come to take charge of him."

"The squadron did not return with anybody other than Sergeant Sagara, Ma'am," the captain who led the base said with a grimace. "The squad leader reported the prisoner died in the last run for escape and I trust my squad leader implicitly."

"I'd like to interview the team that was on this mission," the intelligence operative said.

"On that note, I have word from your office," the fleet commander said. "They need you back to the office for another assignment."

He handed over a paper to her, with a barely contained smirk. The woman wasn't used to this sort of treatment. Not at all, usually, she was the one with knowledge that other people weren't yet supposed to have. This was the first time she'd had that turned around on her.

"I don't think you've heard the end of this," she said firmly.

"Probably not, Miss Kyle," the captain said as the woman marched away.

<HR>

A certain third-class demon found himself in a dark room of stone walls that simply reeked of power. He caught sight of the circles around the wall and realized that they circles of power.

They were odd circles of a style he didn't quite recognize.

Circles always came with other shapes based on the concepts favored by their creators. Demons favored squares and diamonds as they acknowledged the four classical elements in their control over the world. Gods focused on the pattern of threes: three worlds, three races and three powers.

These circles seemed to be inscribed with and within octagons.

He stood up and walked forward, before finding himself encountering a very real wall of force at the edge of the circle he was within. It wasn't as strong as the prisons he'd seen in Hell, but it was strong enough to hold him.

"What's going on here?" the demon asked.

In answer to his question, a man who seemed middle-aged walked into the stone dungeon carrying a folding chair with him. He sat down and looked up toward the demon and smiled.

"Well, hello Mr...Tzelanit, I believe," the man said. "I think we need to talk."

"What is this place," the demon demanded.

"I think that I'll be asking the questions here, Mr Tzelanit," the man noted. "We have a basic report of your actions already, and some knowledge of your activities in the past. At least based on what is reported in the journals, tomes and myths we've collected. I must say, you've never really amounted to much, have you?"

The demon fumed at the man's estimation of his past several lives.

"What magic have you used to hold me here, human?" the demon asked.

"And you still seek to ask questions," the middle-aged man said with a smile. "Now, first question. Well, first real question. Whom should we contact about your recklessness? Heaven or Hell?"

<HR>

Sousuke considered the girls at either side of him as he walked out of the airport.

Kaname's fuming anger was familiar, but at the moment there was a heaping pile of frustration that she usually burned off with physical attacks on his or someone else's person.

That had eased off a bit when Sousuke had appeared in the gate, though Sousuke himself hadn't quite noted the relaxation.

Eija, meanwhile was keeping a slightly less even keel than normal. There were a few hairs out of place in her, which wasn't usually the case if she was conscious and out of a life-or-death situation.

Or one of her mother's training routines.

Which Kaname had commented could sometimes be considered life or death situations, despite Sousuke and Eija assuring her that they were perfectly safe.

"Hey, Sousuke," Kurz called out as the sergeant walked out with the two girls beside him. "Man, aren't you turning into quite the little player."

Kaname immediately took an embarrassed step away from Sousuke as she glared at Kurz while Eija and Sousuke looked merely confused.

"There's nothing like that going on!" Kaname protested.

"We just met Sousuke-kun coming off the plane," Eija noted. "There hasn't been time to play any games."

"Are you referring to the basketball game I played at the Indian Ocean base," Sousuke asked.

"Sigh, such glorious fortune wasted on such an ignorant fellow," Kurz said dramatically.

Kaname simply stared at the other two teens.

"You know, I forget sometimes that she's almost as out of it as he is," Kaname muttered.

"We should get back," Eija noted. "Saotome-san will be expecting us soon."

"Yes, I heard that your mother arranged for us to be staying with Lieutenant Commander Saotome and her family," Sousuke said. "You were going to compare how your mother's style and theirs branched apart, weren't you?"

"Yeah, that hasn't been going well," Kurz said as the two girls' expressions darkened in differing manners. "There's been a distraction."

"A distraction?" Sousuke repeated.

<HR>

Sousuke walked into the Saotome house, his duffle slung at his back. He looked about trying to catch sight of what had set the two girls of his life into such states as they were.

Kyoko was taking pictures of things, seemingly at random. That was normal, though Naiki wasn't jumping into every possible shot and posing, which was a bit unusual.

Mizuki was playing with a little girl who Sousuke assumed was Lt. Commander Saotome's daughter.

Shinji was watching a young boy, who seemed less than thrilled by the prospect of spending time with the bespectacled boy.

There didn't appear to be any particular source of discomfort obvious. He frowned slightly, enough to actually be noticeable, as he looked over to where Eija and Kaname had moved off to help with peeling potatoes, a task that had been attended to by a well-built man that Sousuke assumed was the Lt. Commander's husband.

He almost didn't recognize the naval officer out of her uniform as Akane Saotome came out dressed in civilian clothing. She paused and looked over at him with an appraising eye.

"So, I didn't get your name after you took apart Kuno last time," Akane said, noticing him. "You must be Sousuke, we've heard a bit about you. Good to see you're okay."

"Ma'am?" Sousuke asked.

"Eija and Kaname have been worried about you," Akane responded with a nod toward the girls. "You'd almost think they were worried about a soldier on rotation rather than a friend visiting family."

"Family can be very dangerous, Ma'am," Sousuke said defensively.

"Don't we know it," Akane returned with a suddenly sullen look as she turned to look toward the house. "Go ahead and take your things through the house, I think Eija and Kaname know where we're putting you."

"Thank you Ma'am," Sousuke said with a crisp salute before marching off toward the house, and catching up with Eija and Kaname.

Ryuu walked up toward Akane's side and looked toward where Sousuke had walked toward the house. Both Saotome's glanced over at Kurz.

"He's sort of a military otaku," Kurz said a bit embarrassed.

"That's about half-right," Ryuu said, arching an eyebrow.

At the house, Kaname and Eija looked up from the potatoes as Sousuke walked over. The blue-haired girl smiled up at him and then went back to looking around for Nodoka, not that Sousuke even knew about Nodoka yet.

"Lt Commander Saotome said that you would know where I should place my things," Sousuke said.

"Oh, right," Kaname said, narrowing her eyes and looking around for something.

Nodoka had to show herself sooner or later, and she'd more than likely come from the family quarters rather than the student and guest quarters. So, sending Eija that way should keep her out of the way.

"Eija, think you can get Sergeant Serious here a quick tour?" Kaname asked. "I've got this."

"Hmm, certainly," Eija said, confused as she had only just started the task. "I'll be right back to help."

She stood up and smiled toward Sousuke, before gesturing for him to follow her.

<HR>

Nodoka nodded appreciatively as she took in the guest rooms of her adoptive son and daughter's home. This dojo and house clearly showed the benefit of wise financial handling given its size compared to the Tendo facility.

Certainly an indication of the success of the school if Ryuu had expected to need to house as many students as this building could house.

Glancing out the window, she watched the green-haired...creature...flirting, thankfully ineffectively, with the lovely blonde girl who enjoyed taking pictures.

Further proof that such could not be of her blood, whatever their claim.

Or else further proof that her...child...had indeed disgraced...the family so much that her shame was passed on.

She mentally edited out the girl's inappropriate advances on a member of the same gender as she walked back out of the room and saw the other abomination escorting some strange young man for what was likely to be immoral purposes toward the guest rooms.

It should be noted that Akane and Ryuu had each informed her that another teenager would be joining the other six.

Rising her chin and closing her eyes, she started to shift the wrapped scabbard at her side. She failed to notice the slight shift in the young man's stance that this action created.

<HR>

"SOUSUKE! NO! THAT'S MY GRANDMOTHER!!"

Everyone turned toward the sound of that cry.

Kaname smirked and turned toward Ryuu and Akane, who had come to help her with peeling potatoes.

"For once I'm glad Sousuke's a paranoid, unsocialized, overprotective attack dog," she said.

 

[ringlhach]

Wow. Whoops. ^_^ Guess that just traumatized Nodoka. Somehow, I can't feel sorry for her, though.

 

[PCHeintz72]

I'd like to know just what Sousuke did...


But in any case... what I really want to see is Ranma confront Nodoka when it is learned what has been occuring...


Ranma may well have been willing to put up with the antics toward him/her self... but I serious doubt it would be tolerated when directed at the kids...

 

[Seed00]

LOL

Nodoka deserves anything Sousuke throws at her. Hehe

 

[Thrythlind]

While Kaname was trying to cheer up Eija and Sousuke was trying to get out of Helmjistan, Mao and Ranma were finishing up with the small host of akiras they'd taken charge of.

"What's going to happen here?" Nimu asked quietly as she watched her sisters loaded into the troop helicopters.

"That'll be discussed," Ranma told her. "I can tell you it isn't going to be easy. We were coming to rescue one girl, not twenty."

"Just got word from the other site," Mao said, arriving. "They found thirty girls there, some younger than these."

"That would be the Go's," Nimu said. "They're meant to be the M...Kodachi's research assistants."

Mao and Ranma exchanged a look.

"So, they'd be highly intelligent," Mao said. "Is she interested in one in particular?"

Nimu looked toward the other two people, narrowing her eyes.

"Yaku Go," Nimu said. "Sanya and I were trying to recover her after she'd escaped. Some boy's been protecting her."

"Tall, blonde," Ranma asked.

"That's him," Nimu said. "He has one of my sister's with him. Do you know where she is, she needs a...vitamin shot soon."

"From what we can tell," Mao said. "He raided another of these places for a supply of your vitamins, so she should be fine."

"Go make sure your sister's are taken care of," Ranma said politely.

Nimu frowned, but realized she wasn't going to get anything out of the two. Reluctantly, she turned toward the helicopters, pausing momentarily to look back over her shoulder.

"I'm trusting you," she said firmly.

"We're going to do what we can," Ranma said firmly.

Then the girl was away.

Mao looked toward Ranma and considered the situation.

"The Whispered?" she asked.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Ranma said. "And apparently, Deimosu has her on his little private mission."

"Are you coming with us to Meridia?" Mao asked.

"Not a good idea," Ranma said.

"No one there has seen you like this," the mercenary noted, indicating Ranma's currently male body. "So they won't connect you with your family."

"Yeah, but there are real people from Intelligence division on Meridia," Ranma said. "So my cover as a 'covert agent' won't hold up. And since they're not cleared for Psyche yet..."

"Right," Mao said. "The Captain will want to speak to you face to face."

"Oh, the Captain will hear my report soon enough," Ranma said with a smirk.

"So, on to Okinawa from here, then?" Mao asked, narrowing her eyes as the man...woman...whatever implied some means of contact with Tessa that she wasn't privy to.

"That's about right," the martial artist agreed.

*****

Avalon Providers' offices hung off the beaten track from much the rest of Heaven. Many of the living were nervous about the presence of the dead, but those who were ageless, even nearly immortal found such wandering spirits even more distasteful.

Though, of course, their were exceptions.

Most of the death seers of heaven, native or immigrants, worked in the Avalon Providers and it was their task to manage the small percentage of restless spirits that did not pass on to the greater mystery beyond. Sometimes they returned to a new life, a reincarnation.

For the most part, they monitored the work of mortal mediums and death seers from a distance. However, given enough time it became increasingly difficult for mortal mediums to help a lingering spirit. Which is when the Avalon Providers quietly stepped in.

There were a large number of old spirits kept in Avalon, where they could remain until a way was found to help them move out of this realm. It was rare for the newly dead to appear in this place.

Even rarer to see the departed soul of one the immortals.

Persephone was sitting at her desk when she felt the arrival of a spirit. It wasn't the first time a spirit appeared past the lobbies, entrances and other offices of her command. Ghosts were difficult to contain or forbid entry. They didn't seem to obey consistent laws of space, but rather just appeared where they wished to appear.

Looking up, Persephone saw the spirit in front of her and had a rough surprise.

The feel of a dead, bodiless soul was unmistakable, but so, too, were the marks of a demoness upon the young woman's face. She was dressed in heavenly robes and wearing the headset of television operator.

"Hello," the spirit asked. "Miss Satomi? Miss Satomi? Are you there?"

Persephone recognized the name easily and stood up, carefully approaching the spirit, obviously showing the confusion of the newly dead.

"Excuse me," Persephone said gently.

The ghost turned to look at her and squinted, as if staring through a haze and trying to identify something.

"Lady Persephone," she said. "Your granddaughter was just on the line. I lost the connection."

"That's fine," Persephone said. "What is your name?"

"Jarinta," the ghost of the demoness said. "Where am I? I was at work."

"This is Avalon," Persephone explained.

"Why, how..." Jarinta asked. "I didn't walk here. I was on the phone and then..."

"That was several days ago," Persephone said gently.

"It was just now," Jarinta protested.

"Come with me," Persephone said, gesturing with her hand, careful not to touch the woman. "I'll find a place for you to stay."

"I can't stay here," Jarinta said. "Avalon is only for the...for the...dead."

"I'm afraid so," Persephone said.

Jarinta's face looked aghast for a few seconds and then she was gone.

Persephone sighed and shook her head. She was much more used to the long dead, the newly dead were unpredictable and touchy. Unfortunately, given they usually let mortals handle newly dead meant that few if any of her people had the proper experience for this matter.

She walked out of her office and looked toward the god sitting in the position of her secretary. She looked toward him.

"Thanatos," she said. "The spirit of the demoness that died last week just appeared here."

"I thought I felt something," the other god said. "I assume she's gone now?"

"Yes, she took news somewhat hard, I'm afraid," Persephone said. "Arrange to have someone speak to her friends and family. Make sure they know the proper spells to see and speak to her if she appears again."

"Of course," Thantos noted. "And you?"

"I'll be taking a trip to the mortal realm," Persephone said. "She relayed that one of my new grandchildren was trying to reach me. In any case, Eija is a death seer herself, and formerly mortal, she might prove useful in this situation."

"The new Goddess of Blood, yes?" Thanatos asked. "Wouldn't she be better suited to a case of violent death."

"Perhaps, but I'd like to see her into the business regardless," Persephone noted.

*****

"How dare you!" Nodoka shouted at the top of her lungs as people gathered around.

Her hands were behind her back, secured in zip-ties as she stood up and glared at Sousuke. A strand of her hair had escaped her bun and fallen down in front of her face.

"I apologize, Ma'am," Sousuke said from where he stood at attention. "I was not aware that you were her grandmother. I simply saw you drawing the weapon. I assume this is some form of training."

"Training?" Nodoka snapped. "Ridiculous."

"Grandmother," Eija said stepping forward. "Let me untie..."

"Don't touch me!" Nodoka snapped at the girl, causing Eija to step back.

Coming in from the crowd of gathering onlookers, Ryuu stepped forward and moved around behind Nodoka, cutting the zip ties with the knife he had been using for skinning potatoes.

"I want these hooligans out of the house immediately," Nodoka insisted. "Assaulting respectable woman for no reason."

"M...Nodoka," Ryuu said, pulling her aside. "Calm down, it was a misunderstanding and it won't happen again."

In the background, Akane was moving her and Ryuu's children away from the scene, shuffling most of the teenagers away as well. She paused at the part of the hallway leading out to the front room, and gasped slightly.

"Most certainly not," Nodoka insisted. "Because these...people shall be gone from my house."

"This is my house," Ryuu insisted. "And these are our guests. Family even."

Nodoka strode past her adoptive son and pointed toward Eija and Naiki.

"These are not guests," Nodoka insisted. "These are a stain on the honor of our clan. They cannot be born of any thing that shares blood with me. You should have dealt with them immediately."

"Hey, I might be a demon, but there's nothing Eija's done to deserve being called a stain," Naiki snapped.

Nodoka twisted to look at Naiki, raising her hand up as she did so. The green-haired girl could have easily caught the backhanded slap that was coming, but there was no need.

A second red-headed woman had moved between the children and Nodoka and caught the hand firmly.

Nodoka struggled briefly to pull her hand back, but younger woman held it firmly. Their eyes met briefly, and Nodoka saw the flash of anger that matched her own, and beneath it a well of sadness and regret the younger woman couldn't keep hidden.

Then her hand was released and she was stepping back.

Ranma turned slowly to look at Akane and Ryuu.

"I'm sorry for the trouble," Ranma said.

"It is really no problem," Akane said politely.

"Thank you for taking care of my daughters," Ranma said, looking back toward Nodoka. "Naiki, Eija, can you give me some time."

"Ha..hai," Eija said, bowing and starting to edge away from the scene, before turning and retreating fully.

Naiki frowned and left more slowly.

Ranma looked back again, saw Kaname and Sousuke standing there, watching and looking somewhat uncertain.

"I thought you two cared about my daughter," Ranma said with a slight, encouraging smile and a nod. Her voice was cold, though the coldness was not directed at them.

"Right," Kaname said, flushing brightly. "Let's go Sousuke."

Kaname grabbed Sousuke's arm and pulled him away from the scene to go after Eija, leaving only the four adults in the hallway.

"Is there somewhere I can discuss matters with your other guest?" Ranma asked of Ryuu and Akane.

"You can use the room here," Ryuu said, opening a door.

"Saotome-san?" Ranma said, gesturing for Nodoka to enter ahead of her.

Hesitantly, still shocked perhaps, Nodoka straightened herself and, with a physical grace born of years of practice, walked into the room. Ranma followed behind her, and even the barely restrained storm of emotions behind her cool appearance was more graceful than the uncertainty in Nodoka's manner.

Akane closed the door behind Ranma and shared a look with Ryuu.

"She's changed a lot," Ryuu whispered.

"Let's check the kids," Akane said.

*****

Nodoka, in her kimono, kneeled down in the room and composed herself as Ranma, dressed in a red woman's business suit, sat down across from her, cross legged.

"Why are you still alive?" Nodoka asked harshly.

"Have you heard the story of Medusa, Saotome-san?" Ranma asked, ignoring the question.

"I care not for barbaric superstitions," Nodoka snapped.

"Medusa was a beautiful priestess of Athena," Ranma said, continuing to ignore Nodoka. "With great white wings and long, dark lovely hair. Then, one day, she attracted the interest of...a certain god," Ranma's cool demeanor shifted slightly as she spoke.

She took a moment to recover herself and continued.

"She refused his advances," Ranma continued. "So he...came to the temple of Athena and forced himself on her. Afterwords, she prayed to Athena, seeking comfort and justice. Instead, Athena punished her for the crime of having been a victim. Turned her hair into snakes and the feathers of her her wings to war-like brass. And worst of all, left the children of the crime locked within her, undeveloped until a young man freed her from the misery."

"I don't see the point of this story," Nodoka said firmly.

"You were the only one I called after...it," Ranma said. "Pride and fear kept me from speaking to..." she paused and looked over her shoulder briefly, "...the Tendos. But certainly Saotome-san, who had accepted the curse, could be understanding."

Nodoka frowned slightly as Ranma again referred to her as "Saotome-san" rather than mother.

"Instead of a mother's comfort, I get Athena's judgment," Ranma said harshly, still keeping down her volume. "You knew everything you needed to say to destroy me and you said it all."

"I said what I did so that you could do the right thing," Nodoka insisted. "And still I find you were too cowardly to do the honorable thing."

"You're lucky, Saotome-san," Ranma said. "You're lucky I wasn't physically capable of carrying out seppuku until after I found out I was pregnant. You're lucky that Nabiki didn't die looking for me when you could have said quite easily where I was."

"Have you..." Nodoka asked, suddenly concerned.

"Have I told anybody that you knew?" Ranma asked, voice still low. "No, I'm not responsible for your sins. Just my own. I've apologized to Akane for lacking trust in her and almost getting Nabiki killed. When I discuss my intention to kill myself with my children and ask for their forgiveness, I'll keep your name out of it, Saotome-san."

The space between them was deadly quiet for a long time afterward.

"I apologize, Saotome-san," Ranma said finally. "The information I had said you were on vacation in Hokkaido. I didn't expect you to be here when my children were here."

"And you expected me to not hear about you from Akane and Ryuu?" Nodoka asked. "And I assume you've spoken to the Tendos as well."

"Most everyone knows I'm back in Japan," Ranma said. "I knew we'd meet sooner or later after Akane figured out who I was."

"Then you would make me out to be a fool?" Nodoka snapped. "The last to know? Did you want to hurt me? Get revenge because I hurt you? Until a few days ago, I knew you were among our ancestors. And now, I know that when you die, you will be in suffering in Yoma."

She emphasized that last word heavily.

"Tell me, Saotome-san," Ranma said. "If you had to choose between your children's lives or eternal suffering. Which would you choose?"

"I chose my child's soul," Nodoka responded. "Have you seen what's come of your failure? At least one of your daughters is a lesbian, clearly your shame has passed on. It would have been better for her not to have existed rather than be cursed as such."

"Souls are reborn, Saotome-san," Ranma said. "In one life we might be a man, in the next a woman. And some of us will be both. I doubt, when one finds their soulmate I doubt their soul cares what body it is in. Nor do I believe that a Universe which gives us a rotating gender cares where we find our love placed."

Ranma and Nodoka stared across the gap of ideologies and beliefs, unable to bring the other over to their side of the chasm. Slowly, Nodoka straightened up, metaphorically pulling back the offer to Ranma to join her on her side. As she did so, Ranma sighed and straightened herself.

"Fine," Ranma said. "I'll arrange for hotel rooms for the last few days of this vacation. That will allow those who want to spend time together to do so without being forced to."

She stood up.

"I'm going to set aside what I saw and heard for now," Ranma said. "But I won't deny my children the right to know you, or you to know them."

Her voice then turned hard and cold.

"But I am not forgetting, Saotome-san," Ranma said. "I do not like to see my children hurt, and I saw your words in Eija's eyes when she ran out of here. I doubt you know her well enough to really hurt her yet, but if you try that again, I will respond."

She turned her back on Nodoka.

"And, Saotome-san," Ranma said. "You can crush hearts, but, if I want to, I can reach your soul."

Ranma walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

 

[PCHeintz72]

Wow... very impressed.

And she *knew*... And she *still* acted like that toward them.

She is very lucky Ranma grew up, even if she did not.

I think next with Ranma would be actually discussing this with the kids.

 

[Drawde]

Nodoka would have been better off if she'd been born a hundred years earlier. Most of Japan would have shared her views then.

In order for honor to have any meaning, it has to be one of the (if not the) most important things in your life. Her problem here is that the version she follows is rather outdated, even for Japan.

By her view, Ranma broke the contract. It doesn't matter that Ranma had no choice in the matter. Simply by not killing himself after breaking it, he proved he had no honor. And his children, being part of that dishonor, have none as well. A hundred years ago everyone around Nodoka would have agreed with her actions, and shunned Ranma and his children (at the very least).

Not that I agree with her, but it helps to see her side of the problem.

 

[ringlhach]

Even fifty or sixty would have changed a lot there.

 

[Lawra]

Nodoka would have been better off if she'd been born a hundred years earlier.? Most of Japan would have shared her views then.

In order for honor to have any meaning, it has to be one of the (if not the) most important things in your life.? Her problem here is that the version she follows is rather outdated, even for Japan.

By her view, Ranma broke the contract.? It doesn't matter that Ranma had no choice in the matter.? Simply by not killing himself after breaking it, he proved he had no honor.? And his children, being part of that dishonor, have none as well.? A hundred years ago everyone around Nodoka would have agreed with her actions, and shunned Ranma and his children (at the very least).

Not that I agree with her, but it helps to see her side of the problem.

Speaking from the ignorant gaijin perspective and I haven't really read that deeply to see if the events started post manga or during. Even going back a hundred years, wouldn't Nodoka actually be in the wrong.

Nodoka has declared Ranma manly before, effectively ending the verbal contract and satisfying honor. If she has problems afterward then she's shown her judgment to be faulty for rushing. Or that she never really wanted to abide by the terms in the first place and wouldn't have the 'honor' necessary to make any determination.

 

[Thrythlind]

indeed, from Nodoka's perspective, she's acting in the best interest of her family. The problem being that she's got a combination of obsolete ideals with a habit of self-deception and hypocrisy to fit her desires into a situation

 

[Algnar]

Add in shes screwing with powers beyond her understand let alone control?

If her granddaughter does turn full demon, she could be up shit creek without a paddle.

 

[Thrythlind]

Naiki will always be at least half-God.

God, Demon and Whispered DNA protects itself.

 

[Drawde]

indeed, from Nodoka's perspective, she's acting in the best interest of her family. The problem being that she's got a combination of obsolete ideals with a habit of self-deception and hypocrisy to fit her desires into a situation

Yes. I just got a bit tired of all the comments for this story that basically say that Nodoka's the worst monster ever. Just for being honorable. Her actions are acceptable, if this had happened a long time ago.

Nodoka has declared Ranma manly before, effectively ending the verbal contract and satisfying honor. If she has problems afterward then she's shown her judgment to be faulty for rushing. Or that she never really wanted to abide by the terms in the first place and wouldn't have the 'honor' necessary to make any determination.

That depends on a time limit for the contract. She could just be saying he's "manly" so far. If, for example, the contract meant until Ranma turned 20. Or it might not ever have a time limit. Becoming "unmanly" later in life could indicate that Ranma wasn't raised properly in the first place. The contract's vague enough that you can read it in many different ways.

 

[elric]

Question: Wasn't the girl talking to Eija a Goddess? I remember that it was a pair of Demons that attacked Sousuke's team, and one of them died, causing her to die as well.

 

[Thrythlind]

Question: Wasn't the girl talking to Eija a Goddess? I remember that it was a pair of Demons that attacked Sousuke's team, and one of them died, causing her to die as well.

There was a girl talking to Persephone....who was born in heaven but is a demoness (remember, both Asgard and Nifelheim have mixed populations now), and she dropped dead when a god who lived in and served hell died.

 

[Thrythlind]

"Sergeant Major Mao," a man called out as he peeked his head into the pilot's lounge. "Captain Testarossa is ready to debrief you now."

"I'm on my way," Mao said irritably as she dumped the just opened can of beer into a nearby sink.

Lovely timing that was, of course, it would have been worse if it had come after she'd actually drank the beer. Still, she did wish that the Captain could have decided to call her in yesterday, when she was actually prepared for it.

Walking out of the lounge, she glanced out and saw some of the girls they rescued through the window lounging in the sunlight on the Meridia beach. She saw another set waiting in line at the clinic as she passed it by.

Nimu Ichi had discussed the medical need the girls had, some sort of monthly injection, or they died painfully. So currently everyone of them was being given a check up in turn as the "vitamin" shot they needed was being analyzed.

Word seemed to hold that reproducing the supplement wasn't going to be that difficult.

Then Mao was walking into Tessa's office and found the platinum haired teen sitting behind her desk

"Sergeant Major Mao," Melissa said with a crisp salute. "Reporting as ordered, Ma'am."

"Please sit down, Sergeant Major," Tessa was saying. "We're all ready to get down to this."

Mao looked around the office as Tessa said we and tried to find a camera or something else that would make "we" make sense. Not seeing anything, she tried to keep her confusion off her face.

"Yes, Ma'am," she said, sitting down.

"We have...almost fifty untrained teenagers on base," Tessa said. "I believe the total number is forty eight."

"That's correct, Ma'am," Mao said. "They name themselves by what I can only call serial numbers."

Tessa seemed to look off for a moment.

"Ichi, Ni, San, Yon and Go," the girl said, looking to Mao for confirmation.

"That's right," Mao said, assuming that Tessa had read the report already. "The terrorists killed one of the girls before we could secure the site, trying to clear a firing line to me."

"They're seen as expendable then," Tessa said with a look of distaste. "What can you tell me about this...Kodachi."

"She's psychotic," Mao said. "Obviously a skilled biologist and martial artist. And she claims to be sort of...partly whispered."

Tessa looked away for a moment and Mao watched as an intense look of disgust built over her commanding officer's face.

"She uses resonance to copy herself into the bodies of her own children?" Tessa demanded sitting up.

"That's...I kept that out of the report, how'd you..." Mao started to ask.

"Naiki," Tessa said.

"What?" the mercenary asked, not getting the reference for a moment. "Wait, do you have a link with her like Kaname and Eija?"

"Unfortunately," Tessa said with a sigh.

"What's that like?" Mao wondered.

"Imagine a TV with no volume control that changes channels at random," the sixteen year old captain noted dryly. "Let's...oh, for heaven's sake, Naiki calm down and focus on the task at hand. Anyway, as we were saying."

"Kodachi Kuno claims to have lost at least nine bodies already," Melissa said. "Both the body we looked at and the one recovered appear to be more or less identical save for variations in height or so. The autopsy showed the woman killed by Nimu Ichi had gone through breast reduction surgery. So she's artificially aging and altering her new bodies to look more like she does."

"Did she show any signs of using any of host's powers?" Tessa asked.

"Not that I saw," Mao said. "Did Ranma notice anything?"

"She comments that if the one that you dealt with had had her breast's reduced, then she was probably a Yon," Tessa commented. "And thus a sensor."

"And I wouldn't be able to notice if she sensed anything," Mao noted. "My impressions, Ma'am. This Kodachi Kuno is a threat at least as great as the organization that seems to be backing Gauron. We can't possibly know how many 'bodies" she's already taken over and we have no way to protect anybody from her."

"She can only 'eat' people with mental type powers," Tessa commented after a moment. "And I think we're close to prototype to fix that vulnerability. But I agree, practically any psychic is a potential host for this woman. I'm going to request a standing kill order on her from headquarters."

The last statement was made with a heavy tone of regret.

"But, the hosts," Mao asked, shocked to be hearing that last command from Tessa Testarossa of all people.

"The sort of Resonance you and Ranma are talking about," Tessa noted. "It's irreversible. It's also supposed to be an equal merger of minds. Either this Kodachi's mind is very strong, or it's less equal when dealing with non-Whispered. Those girls...they're dead."

"And what happens to the girls we do have?" Melissa asked.

"That's a tough job," the Captain said. "Ranma confirms that she doesn't have the facilities to easily hide them all in her region."

"If I might make a suggestion," Mao said. "Nimu Ichi should be offered a job after a psych eval. Maybe Sanya San, though she couldn't be more than thirteen."

"Eight, actually," Tessa said. "I've talked with a few of the girls. They're all significantly younger than they look. But I'll see if they're interested. In any case, Psyche's going to be watching them wherever they end up, giving them training I assume."

"So we aren't keeping them around then?" Mao asked.

"This isn't the best place to grow up," Tessa said quietly. "I've asked Ranma to speak to the other Psyche regions to see if we can spread them out over a few different towns around the world."

Tessa frowned and sighed.

"I don't like breaking up a family," the woman said. "But they're such a large family....no, of course, I'm not going to prevent them from keeping in contact."

"You don't have to talk into thin air like that to talk with her, do you?" Mao asked.

"No, but I thought I'd be polite and let you know what's going on," Tessa noted, looking toward Mao at this point.

"This is rather hard to get used to," Mao noted.

"Hard for you to get used to?" Tessa repeated incredulously.

 

[Thrythlind]

Deimosu looked over toward Yonjuu and noted that she was still sleeping, but the shakes had stopped and she seemed to be breathing easier. She was already asleep when he came back and he'd been somewhat worried that he hadn't gotten to her in time.

However, she looked like she was getting better and he'd made the effort to look at her aura. It was starting to repair itself, so the girl was out of danger.

As for Yaku, she was using the computer as a gaming platform again. She didn't seem affected by Yonjuu's condition. Then again, Deimosu wasn't sure that she was completely aware of what was going on.

The demigod sort of remembered that age, when he hadn't known how close death had walked by him and his sisters. It hadn't been a very long period in his life, unfortunately. Hopefully, Yaku lived through a real childhood that was more than a bit longer.

He turned back to the task he had at hand, cutting some of the crystals that he'd collected from mushroom cave. He had a good amulet already, which would give him a small boost to chi.

"I guess this is why Mom only uses these things for teaching or rituals," Deimosu said under his breath.

In any case, however, these boosts should give him a bit of an edge for the next move in his plans.

 

[Thrythlind]

Yonjuu woke up slowly as someone shoved at her weakly but persistently. She cracked open her eyes and looked to see who was pushing at her. The image of her younger sibling came to her, though Yaku jumped back away as she saw the older girl's eyes open.

"What do..." Yonjuu started to ask before she sat bolt upright and started looking over herself.

Experimentally, she held out one of her hands and watched as it held there solidly. The shakes were gone.

"I'm alive?" she said, surprised before remembering Yaku "What did you want?"

"Big Brother is sick," Yaku said, pointing toward another corner of the lab they were in.

The little girl stepped back again away from Yonjuu again and hid behind one of the rocks they'd been using as seats. The older girl gritted her teeth a little bit on seeing that reaction, but relented. She couldn't let herself worry about how Yaku saw her.

The Ni looked over to see Deimosu slumped onto his side in the middle of one of those strange circles he'd drawn before. She stood up, feeling a dizzy despite the fact that her symptoms had stopped. Walking over, she bent down, relieved to sit down and looked over the demigod.

The girl wasn't in much of a hurry, she'd heard the young man's heart beat from across the room and he didn't sound like he was in danger of anything. She sniffed and picked up the traces of fatigue and pain sweating out of the skin.

She'd smelled it before from him when he'd done...whatever he'd done that let her and Yaku understand Greek for a little bit.

"He's fine," Yonjuu said, jabbing the boy. "Just tired."

She stopped when she looked over and saw a circle of crystals surrounding vials of what she recognized to be her "vitamin" supplements.

"Those have to be kept cold!" she called out, moving across to the vials and reaching out to them.

As soon as her hand passed over the circle of cut crystals, she felt the sudden cold and jerked her hand back in surprise.

Still, she looked at the vials, more than enough to last her a year, maybe longer. And to get these, he would have had to go past the Mistress. She was always where the vitamin shots were kept, always. And that might mean that he'd...beaten her?

Still she had something else in mind.

"What's going on here?" she wondered. "I'm used to people that can do things, but all this...this..."

"That's because you haven't been taught or trained," Deimosu said sitting up.

"What are you talking about?" Yonjuu asked. "You can't train or be taught these things. You're just born with them."

Deimosu grunted a bit as he turned to face her.

"Right, I can't breathe water or see death like my sisters," Deimosu said. "And they can't call lightning like I can. It's like being born tall or..." he gestured at Yonjuu's impressive chest.

"Quit reminding me," Yonjuu snapped, covering her chest as much as she could.

"Anyway, the point is," Deimosu said, looking away. "We all have sort of the same basic tools. Hands, feet, eyes...chi. And there's a lot you can do with that."

"And what were you doing with that 'chi' stuff that knocked you out?" Yonjuu asked.

"That was magic," Deimosu said. "It's sort of like...borrowing their powers for your own purposes."

"And does it always hurt that much?" Yonjuu asked curiously.

"Only for me," Deimosu said. "I'm sort of cursed, and it makes magic, painful."

"So what were you doing?" Yaku asked, coming out of hiding to listen.

"I was trying to find a certain place," Deimosu said. "But it's shielded, so magic isn't going to work. I'd kill myself before I could get past the protections. I'll have to try the second option."

"Second option for what?" Yonjuu asked.

Deimosu looked at her for a little bit and then changed the subject.

"I found out what your Mistress does with the girls she takes," he said.

Yonjuu hmphed, keeping her arms still crossed over her chest.

"I don't need to kn..."

"She possesses them," Deimosu said sharply. "No, that's not right. She replaces them."

"What do you mean?" Yonjuu asked.

"A demon can possess a person," Deimosu said. "But when they leave, the person is back to themself. But this...person...what she said. She's like a virus that goes in to the cell and takes it over to make more of itself. Every time you turn over a girl to her, it makes it that much harder to kill her finally."

As he spoke, Yonjuu imagined her object-reader sister being changed into the image of their Mistress. Perhaps she'd even seen her since, terrorizing the other sisters, her own mind and soul replaced by the Mistress.

It made her feel ill.

"But what can we do?" Yonjuu asked.

"Don't worry," Deimosu said. "I think I can find some people to take care of you and Yaku."

"But you take care of me," Yaku said insistently.

"There's something I have to do," Deimosu said. "I don't want you two in the way."

"I'm not in the way," Yaku said. "I can help!"

"It's not going to be safe," the blonde demigod said.

"According to you," Yonjuu said. "We're being hunted by a human virus with lots of money and who knows what else. How much less safe can we get?"

"Because my enemies are gods," Deimosu said quietly.

"Gods...as in..." Yonjuu said slowly.

"As in Zeus, Poseidon and Hades," he told them seriously. "That's my war. And there's no place for spectators in that."

"But..." Yaku said quietly, sniffing. "How will you get back inside here?"

"I got in once," Deimosu said confidently. "I can get in again."

"No, I'll stay here and open the door," Yaku said firmly.

"And I stay where she stays," Yonjuu insisted.

"I don't think you understand everything," Deimosu said. "In order to clear the path, I have to attack heaven and hell. I'm going to have two worlds coming after me and anybody that helped me."

"Well, I suppose it's a good thing that we're in a place that doesn't exist then," Yonjuu said. "Because no one is going to find us here."

Regardless of whether or not it was possible to resist the Mistress, something she knew was one of Nimu's long term goals, but until then, she still had one mission, and that was to make sure Yaku was safe.

Delivering her was up in the air now, that would just harm Nimu's efforts. And if her loyalty to the Mistress was false and inspired by fear. Her loyalty to Nimu was definitely firm.

"This is the best possible place we can be," Yonjuu said. "At least until things calm down."

"I can make you go," Deimosu said. "I only need this place once."

"Then you don't mind if I use it too?" Yonjuu asked.

"And I'm going to leave Yaku alone with you?" Deimosu asked.

"The only two who know how to open the door are you and her," Yonjuu said. "I can't hurt her, so I can't make her open the door. Besides, If what you're saying is true, I can't take her to the Mistress anyway. I'll need to speak to Nimu first."

"That makes me feel a lot better," Deimosu said as Yaku circled around to hide behind him and stick her tongue out at Yonjuu.

"Big Sister Baggage," the younger girl said.

"Would people please stop talking about my chest," Yonjuu asked as she hung her head.

 

[Thrythlind]

Kaname and Sousuke caught up to Eija outside and found her running through routines. There was something missing to her normal grace however. Physically there wasn't much difference, but Kaname still felt it wasn't up to Eija's normal standards.

"Who is that woman in there?" Sousuke asked as they approached.

"That's Satomi-san's mother, Eija's human grandmother," Kaname said. "She's been acting like a total asshole since she arrived. Pretending that Eija and Naiki don't exist while doing stuff like tripping her, ruining anything she cooks and stuff like that."

Sousuke blinked and straightened as he considered the comments.

"Your mother has been teaching me the basics of such techniques for dealing with Gauron," Sousuke said. "I did not think it could be so effective."

"You've never dealt with gossips?" Kaname asked.

"Not important right now," Sousuke said. "How do we approach this?"

"I've tried cheering her on, yelling at Nodoka, getting Eija away for some games," Kaname said. "I don't know what else to do? Right now she's even walled up her thoughts. I can just sort of feel impressions, like a loud stereo on the other side of a wall."

Sousuke, nodded and then started walking forward toward where Eija was.

"Satomi-san," Sousuke said, ignoring Kaname blinking at his approaching her directly.

"Yes, Sousuke-kun?" Eija asked, trying to give her normal smile.

"Chidori-san and I were just discussing a tactical problem," he said.

"A...tactical problem?" Eija asked, pausing in her routine now to look at Kaname.

"Don't look at me," the blue-haired Whispered said.

"Your mother has recently been giving me instruction in how to engage in psychological warfare and unbalancing an opponent," Sousuke explained. "But we have not yet discussed a counter-technique, we are currently faced with a situation in which such knowledge might prove useful."

Eija blinked and sat down, looking thoughtful.

"The Buzzing of Hornets or Poisoning the Well?" Eija asked calmly, though there was still a soft tone to her voice that spoke of some caution.

Sousuke sat down across from her and waited patiently. Looking more than a little confused Kaname sat down beside.

What is he talking about? Eija asked Kaname.

I'm not sure really, Kaname asked. We were talking about...actually we were talking about exactly what he was talking about.

You are interested in martial arts practice? Eija returned with a tone of surprise. I suppose it would be practical, in case we are not around to protect you. I'll see what I can do.

Kaname was about to respond when Sousuke question interrupted her.

"What is the difference?" Sousuke asked.

"Buzzing of Hornets is tactical," Eija said. "Meant to unbalance people and distract them from subtler details. It is meant to make the opponent believe we are not taking them seriously, so they will 'get serious' which usually means trying too hard and making stupid mistakes."

"Poisoning the Well, we don't do often," Eija said. "It's strategic. If we're taken prisoner or otherwise stuck where we can't free ourselves quickly or can't expect to be rescued. It is a longer run of social sabotage. The aim is to make the target doubt themselves or others around them."

She froze and looked at herself for a moment.

"Is there a counter-strategy?" Sousuke asked.

"Hmm?" Eija asked, looking up. "Yes...umm, you have to pay attention, slow down and think things through. But if your opponent is someone that you respect, the attack is hard to...you're talking about me, aren't you?"

Eija looked over at Kaname and then back to Sousuke.

"Ummm," Kaname said, embarrassed.

"Yes, we were having a tactical discussion on how to counter the attack made against you," Sousuke said. "Given that you are probably the best expert available, I thought to get your advice."

"You asked me for advice on how to cheer me up?" Eija asked in clarification, still a bit confused.

So, this is weird even for you? Kaname asked Eija.

I'm confused.

Well, I'm glad to see I'm not the only one he can do that to, Kaname noted.

 

[ringlhach]

Well, it makes sense to me...

 

[Thrythlind]

"So, we're going to spend the last three days here in a hotel?" Shinji asked. "Can Satomi-san afford that?"

"Oh, she looks like she's got deep pockets," Mizuki said dismissively. "As long as it gets us away from the old hag. I haven't gotten even one bite of Eija's Greek food the entire time we've been here!"

The three were sitting near the Saotome's gate among their things, organizing them for moving on to the hotel whenever Ranma returned with arrangements. Eija had run off the compound with Kaname and Sousuke following her. They hadn't seen Naiki around anywhere for a bit either.

Kyoko laughed at Mizuki's antics as she looked over toward the two younger kids.

There were still raised voices in the house itself. The two younger Saotomes arguing with the elder, hence why they'd moved their belongings outside to pack.

"Don't you think of anyone else?" Shinji asked Mizuki.

"Of course I do," Mizuki said. "I haven't been teaching Masaru or Izumi new words to tell their grandmother. And I haven't been writing rumors on the walls or cutting up her clothes or drawing beards on all the photographs of her."

"Well, at least your getting a bit more ma..." Shinji started to say.

"I did find her credit card and home address though," Mizuki noted.

*****

Genma sighed as the latest deliveryman arrived with another set of packages.

"Twenty pink flamingos," the man said as Genma, a very weary and worn out look on his face, reached forward to sign the receipt.

"Put them over by the lawn gnomes," Genma said.

"And where do you want the collection of decorative kitten plates?" a second deliveryman asked, coming up the walk.

"Inside with the crate of Avatar lunchboxes," Genma noted.

"Five thousand boxes of crayola crayons?" another noted.

*****

"Is she crazy?" Shinji asked.

"Well, most girls go Momma Bear if you hurt someone they care about," Kyoko said.

"Yeah, but this is more like Momma Rabid Wombat," Shinji said as he took in Mizuki's manic-grin.

"Excuse me," a new voice said from the gate. "Is this, oh, hello, Kyoko."

Kyoko looked up and smiled as she recognized Persephone from her previous, rather brief meeting.

"DisPater-san," she said happily. "Eija didn't say you would be here."

"I didn't realize I would be here until earlier today," Persephone said. "Is Eija's mother present?"

"No," Kyoko said. "She's trying to get us some hotel rooms. There's...."

"The old bag is treating Eija and Naiki like trash," Mizuki said bluntly. "So Satomi-san is getting a hotel room away from her. So she can't ruin Eija's meals or trip her or say she shouldn't exist."

Persephone's face became less pleasant as Mizuki rambled on, in spite of Shinji and Kyoko's attempts to stop her. After a few minutes the goddess raised her hand and put her smile back on.

"Excuse me," she said.

"And then..." Mizuki stopped and blinked. "Yeah?"

"Can you tell the Saotomes that I am here?" Persephone said.

"Oh, sure," Mizuki said, standing up from her yet unfinished packing. "Right away."

Persephone smiled at her.

"Loyal yet petty," Persephone said. "That is a strange combination."

"Yeah, Mizuki is harder to understand than Sousuke is," Shinji noted.

"Is Naiki around, I believe she may have tried to call me," Persephone noted.

"Let me see," Kyoko said.

Taking her camera up, she scanned around the landscape, pausing occasionally and clicking pictures where she saw something interesting. Finally she came back around to Persephone and clicked a picture there. Then she pulled it down and started cycling through the pictures.

"Nope, she's not here," the girl behind the glasses said.

"I take it Naiki is often in your pictures?" Persephone asked with a smirk.

"If she's around, she's usually in most of them," Kyoko said.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say she was flirting on Kyoko all the time," Shinji noted.

Persephone smiled again while Kyoko blinked innocently.

"And Eija?" she asked.

"She's talking with Sousuke, and...um...Kaname," Shinji said nervously. "They left a while ago."

"All three of them then?" Persephone asked, noted the immediate uncertainty of the two teenagers. "Well, that's not uncommon for people in Kaname and Eija's position."

"Their...position?" Shinji asked.

"Oh you mean how they know what each other are thinking all the time?" Kyoko asked.

"Very perceptive," Persephone noted pleasantly.

"Wait...how they know..." Shinji started. "Are you saying..."

Whatever he'd been about to say was interrupted as Akane Saotome came storming out of the house up to the gate, stopping dead a look of surprise on her face, as she came within a few yards of Persephone.

"Don't worry, Lt Commander," Persephone said. "I am not here to harm anyone."

"Akane, what's the problem?" Ryuu asked as he came up beside his wife.

He paused earlier than she had, face turning serious. Then he was moving up ahead of her, to stand protectively between the two.

"What gives you the right to come here?" Akane demanded, giving Ryuu a look as she moved up beside him.

"She's Eija's..."

"Mizuki told us that," Akane interrupted sharply.

"I do not have the right, Lt Commander," Persephone said. "I have a responsibility. I believe Naiki may have placed a call for my office some time ago."

It was most likely Naiki at any rate, given that Eija had the direct lines to Persephone's office and Naiki was the only one of the two that would have to go through the immigration office.

"Ranma and I have already had our discussion," Persephone said. "And I would not have a repeat here with these children."

Akane and Ryuu looked over toward Kyoko and Shinji, Mizuki coming out of the house looking rather surprised.

"You're right, of course," Akane said reluctantly, straightening.

"How much longer will this vacation last?" Persephone asked.

"Umm...we're getting on the plane home four days from now," Kyoko said. "After that we have, two more days."

"I see," Persephone said before turning back toward Akane. "I did have a request for Eija, but it can wait that long. If Naiki's business can not wait, then she can contact me at the Temple of the Fates, Ranma and Eija know the number."

"That's it then?" Ryuu asked. "You're leaving?"

"I will not be welcome here yet," Persephone said simply. "However, I do have something for you Saotome-san and Lt Commander."

She reached into her robes and drew out a bag of peaches.

"Shouldn't it be pomegranates?" Kyoko asked, watching the goddess flinch momentarily. "I mean, with your name, and being Greek."

"As I said," Persephone noted dryly. "Very perceptive. These are peaches from the garden of my mother, Demeter."

"They're full of energy," Ryuu noted. "Not chi empowered, something else."

"Indeed," Persephone said. "When freely given, these can be of great benefit, usually health related, but everyone reacts to these things in different ways. It will not go bad unless stolen, so do not fear to keep it for something important. And the seed will not fail to produce once it is planted, the peaches will be uncommonly wholesome, but unfortunately, nothing more."

As they talked, Nodoka walked out of the house, and marched up toward the gate, oblivious to the amount of power Persephone held.

"Get this woman out of here," Nodoka shouted. "I'll not have this r...."

The rest of her words were lost in silence as her mouth worked, but no sound left. Everyone looked toward where Persephone's hand was raised toward the shocked and silent Nodoka, the three teenagers looking shocked.

Persephone turned toward Akane and Ryuu.

"Parlor tricks, I know," she said. "Unworthy of someone of my status. My apologies for stepping on your authority here."

"I understand totally," Akane said, grimly.

Ryuu said nothing but did sigh and shake his head.

Nodoka straightened and composed herself, marching up to the gate that Persephone stood behind. There she waited until the goddess lowered her hand calmly.

"I'll give you your say if you hold your tongue on the matter of secrets that are not ours to give," Persephone said. "Then I will have mine."

Persephone lowered her hands and waited calmly.

"You give me my say and then you tie my hands," Nodoka said. "On my family's own grounds no less."

"There is plenty you could say to me without resorting to further attacks on our granddaughter or your own child," Persephone noted.

"Who are you to lecture me on what I should or should not say," Nodoka said. "What sort of mother are you who raises such a child? What sort of honor can you possibly claim for your clan that has such...things in it. You should be ashamed of yourself for allowing any such things to happen. And you dare to show your face here, in front of me? Such should be punished harshly."

Persephone waited until the woman quieted before speaking herself.

"Indeed, I agree," Persephone said. "I failed one of my children badly. I assumed to much and thought my job had come to an end. But the job never ends, does it? That is something our primitive former selves could never understand. And in that regard, I owe you more than I can probably give."

She reached into her bag and pulled out a peach.

"This is merely a small token," she said. "I understand if your anger at me and mine forbids you to accept it. However, a warning, how you respond is much more important here than whether you accept or deny my apology. You've been working to hurt someone you should protect, I gather Ranma has already been here, but I am not your child. I don't have her patience in this matter. When I hand this over to you, think carefully before you choose the manner of answer."

She held out the peach toward Nodoka. The human woman lashed out with her hand and backhanded the peach out of Persephone's hand. The goddess frowned slightly and watched the progress of the peach as it hurtled through the air and landed lightly in Kyoko's lap.

Persephone smiled lightly and nodded before turning back to Nodoka and frowning severely.

"So be it," Persephone said.

She turned toward Akane and Ryuu then, retrieving the other two peaches.

"Accept these please, as an apology from my House to yours," Persephone said. "I freely give them to you and your children to serve your purposes."

She passed them on with a smile. Akane hesitantly taking first one and then Ryuu taking the other.

Kyoko stood up with the peach that landed her lap and started to hand it over to Persephone.

"Excuse me," she said. "Here's the other one, Dispater-sama."

Persephone smiled at her and reached out to pat her on the head.

"Never mind, Kyoko," she said. "I gave it to Nodoka, she refused it and it became ownerless until you caught it. This one is yours. A fitting gift from the universe, I'd say."

She smiled and turned about to walk away from the group. She paused after six steps and turned to face Nodoka.

"It will come soon," she said simply.

************

okay, I'm piling on the Nodoka abuse here...

 

[elric]

Yes, but it is done in a realistic and organic manner.

 

[ringlhach]

It might help if you were able to work in a reaction that wasn't raging bitch. It'd make her more human and slightly less monstrous.

 

[Seed00]

Will there be consequences to Nodoka's actions? I don't expect anything fatal but still...