Any god who tries to kill Ranma will regret it. Even if the strongest of the rebels are currently on par with her power wise, she almost certainly outmatches them in skill. Furthermore, the Divinities are used to having far more power then they currently do. That will throw them off their game. Against a Ranma that is aiming to kill you that is a borderline Death Sentence.
Ranma ½ Divine Blood
- Thread starter Thrythlind
- Start date
There is the matter of arrogant thinking in their superior species... To them, Ranma is mortal. More likely than not Ranma would be dismissed as a threat and they instead would be targeting the currently downed daughter that is/was with him.
They are not above doing stupid stuff... look at what Hecate is doing, if no one notices I would be quite surprised. if there is a delay, it would be more in line with that they are too occupied. But Tessa/Mithril may well see it.
They are not above doing stupid stuff... look at what Hecate is doing, if no one notices I would be quite surprised. if there is a delay, it would be more in line with that they are too occupied. But Tessa/Mithril may well see it.
Deimosu straightened, moving into stance as Gods and Demons landed around him, eyes wide and faces aghast as they stared at the ruins of the thing they had guarded for thousands of years.
"What have you done?" someone demanded.
"Released the hostages," Deimosu said.
"You've opened the gates to war!" another shouted.
A movement was made to take him, and Deimosu leaped back up through the hole that had lead him down to the Doublet System. It was filled now with angry and aghast Gods and Demons, but he still had some of the power he'd entered this place with.
Strangely, Deimosu still seemed to have almost the same level of advantage over the guards. He could feel it as the Gods and Demons suddenly lost a significant amount of power, while his was still just ebbing away.
He suddenly wondered if the garden had given them some sort of increased level of power. Something else that Hecate hadn't mentioned.
Deimosu reached a level of the fortress and jumped into it as a small warm came down the path he'd made. He was stopped however, when several of his pursuers stopped in their tracks in obvious pain before collapsing.
A thought occurred to him and he backtracked swiftly through those still standing back to the wide hole in the floors of the fortress. A body fell down toward him, but he snatched it out of the air before tossing the stricken guard into the solid ground beyond.
Others were falling as well, or trying to catch the fallen. One woman, apparently a Demon fell past any of those trying catch her, struck the edge of a destroyed floor and twisted away smashing her head on another outcropping before landing in a twisted pile at the bottom of the impromptu shaft.
Demons were a hardy species, and the woman was still alive, if barely. Though she was not the only to fall and not be caught. A God was quickly at her side then, checking her.
"What the hell is going on?" Deimosu asked no one in particular as he deposited the third guard that he'd successfully caught before their fall.
"We should ask you that," a God said angrily. "You're the one that attacked us."
"I came to get rid of the Doublet System," Deimosu said. "Not kill anybody. Is this some sort of sadistic contingency? The Doublet fails and everybody dies?"
Several Demons leaped up after him and Deimosu fell back, still confused as to what was going on.
They landed up on the fortress top again, Deimosu not sure at all about how this fight would go as he felt himself returning to his normal level of power, even if the Demons and Gods were now less in number and weaker as well.
"How did you learn how to get here?" one of them asked.
It wasn't Deimosu who answered.
"Hecate," a Demon just arriving said. "Hecate told him how to get here."
"That's right," Deimosu said. "She gave me the names of the Gods responsible for attacking my mother, and she told me how to make sure only they pay."
"And right now, she's leading the attack on Asgard," Vritra said as everyone looked at him. "And the Kindly Ones are taking control of Nifelheim. All the old Gods and Demons are freed. Because of you, thousands are going to die. And after that maybe millions."
Deimosu stood up straight, looking startled and aghast as the demon chuckled, seeming to lose any sense of reality.
"And there's no way to stop it," he said. "Even living under Hecate's thumb is going to be preferable to what you've let loose."
The guards stared in shock as Vritra collapsed to his knees, laughs turning to sobs.
When the sound of singing voices erupted around the lot of them, preceding the re-appearance of a gate. Demons and Gods alike turned about to face the gate, backing away in case more warriors came pouring out of it.
Instead a human girl reached out to grab Deimosu and pulled him back sharply. Several of the guards blinked and hesitated before moving forward, just missing the closing of the gate.
"What have you done?" someone demanded.
"Released the hostages," Deimosu said.
"You've opened the gates to war!" another shouted.
A movement was made to take him, and Deimosu leaped back up through the hole that had lead him down to the Doublet System. It was filled now with angry and aghast Gods and Demons, but he still had some of the power he'd entered this place with.
Strangely, Deimosu still seemed to have almost the same level of advantage over the guards. He could feel it as the Gods and Demons suddenly lost a significant amount of power, while his was still just ebbing away.
He suddenly wondered if the garden had given them some sort of increased level of power. Something else that Hecate hadn't mentioned.
Deimosu reached a level of the fortress and jumped into it as a small warm came down the path he'd made. He was stopped however, when several of his pursuers stopped in their tracks in obvious pain before collapsing.
A thought occurred to him and he backtracked swiftly through those still standing back to the wide hole in the floors of the fortress. A body fell down toward him, but he snatched it out of the air before tossing the stricken guard into the solid ground beyond.
Others were falling as well, or trying to catch the fallen. One woman, apparently a Demon fell past any of those trying catch her, struck the edge of a destroyed floor and twisted away smashing her head on another outcropping before landing in a twisted pile at the bottom of the impromptu shaft.
Demons were a hardy species, and the woman was still alive, if barely. Though she was not the only to fall and not be caught. A God was quickly at her side then, checking her.
"What the hell is going on?" Deimosu asked no one in particular as he deposited the third guard that he'd successfully caught before their fall.
"We should ask you that," a God said angrily. "You're the one that attacked us."
"I came to get rid of the Doublet System," Deimosu said. "Not kill anybody. Is this some sort of sadistic contingency? The Doublet fails and everybody dies?"
Several Demons leaped up after him and Deimosu fell back, still confused as to what was going on.
They landed up on the fortress top again, Deimosu not sure at all about how this fight would go as he felt himself returning to his normal level of power, even if the Demons and Gods were now less in number and weaker as well.
"How did you learn how to get here?" one of them asked.
It wasn't Deimosu who answered.
"Hecate," a Demon just arriving said. "Hecate told him how to get here."
"That's right," Deimosu said. "She gave me the names of the Gods responsible for attacking my mother, and she told me how to make sure only they pay."
"And right now, she's leading the attack on Asgard," Vritra said as everyone looked at him. "And the Kindly Ones are taking control of Nifelheim. All the old Gods and Demons are freed. Because of you, thousands are going to die. And after that maybe millions."
Deimosu stood up straight, looking startled and aghast as the demon chuckled, seeming to lose any sense of reality.
"And there's no way to stop it," he said. "Even living under Hecate's thumb is going to be preferable to what you've let loose."
The guards stared in shock as Vritra collapsed to his knees, laughs turning to sobs.
When the sound of singing voices erupted around the lot of them, preceding the re-appearance of a gate. Demons and Gods alike turned about to face the gate, backing away in case more warriors came pouring out of it.
Instead a human girl reached out to grab Deimosu and pulled him back sharply. Several of the guards blinked and hesitated before moving forward, just missing the closing of the gate.
This is also one of the few times I would read and post something in this thread.
The big names are gone, and the systems are down.
Deimosu now realizes he's a big moron who made a really big act of idiocy, and is now having a rather due Heroic BSOD. Hecate continues being so uppity of her still summat effective plans. And now, people now have to deal with the rest of the rebellion.
Oh, and I can't wait till Sousuke and Skuld butt minds and make the Bontapei-kun Armed Slave~!
Exactly WHAT did Tessa do to become almost like-Divinity again? I don't think I actually paid attention to that part. And, so are the Whispered in the Whispers actually making out the pseudo-code for the virus, or some close approximation, kinda like a 'see what you're meant to see' deal?
The big names are gone, and the systems are down.
Deimosu now realizes he's a big moron who made a really big act of idiocy, and is now having a rather due Heroic BSOD. Hecate continues being so uppity of her still summat effective plans. And now, people now have to deal with the rest of the rebellion.
Oh, and I can't wait till Sousuke and Skuld butt minds and make the Bontapei-kun Armed Slave~!
Exactly WHAT did Tessa do to become almost like-Divinity again? I don't think I actually paid attention to that part. And, so are the Whispered in the Whispers actually making out the pseudo-code for the virus, or some close approximation, kinda like a 'see what you're meant to see' deal?
Tessa and Kaname were linked separately to Ranma's girls when they were inducted and made demon and goddess.
Kanami and Tessa wrote as many notes and details of the event and shared them.
Tessa, knowing the Demons and Gods may become an issue down the road, and knowing that a Human version network would also provide protections against resonance... (and likely to be able to protect against Satomi's constant thought broadcasts) built a device to mimic them, and made it work on her.
Kanami and Tessa wrote as many notes and details of the event and shared them.
Tessa, knowing the Demons and Gods may become an issue down the road, and knowing that a Human version network would also provide protections against resonance... (and likely to be able to protect against Satomi's constant thought broadcasts) built a device to mimic them, and made it work on her.
BSOD is right. He got used, played, and tossed aside like a piece of of cloth for Hecate.
If Ranma had wanted revenge, she would do so herself. The family talk needs to happen soon. OF course, might be a while, considering how long it took for Ranma to have that talk with Nodoka.
Family sit down very much needed.
If Ranma had wanted revenge, she would do so herself. The family talk needs to happen soon. OF course, might be a while, considering how long it took for Ranma to have that talk with Nodoka.
Family sit down very much needed.
Thank you.
Also, does anyone have any images that roughly resemble the Satomi kids?
I always think of Eija looking like Ruby from Rosario+Vampire, except paler and has red eyes.
My closest image of Naiki is Kallen from Code Geass, except for the hair color.
My closest image of Deimosu is Schneizel, also from CG, except less...bishie.
Also, does anyone have any images that roughly resemble the Satomi kids?
I always think of Eija looking like Ruby from Rosario+Vampire, except paler and has red eyes.
My closest image of Naiki is Kallen from Code Geass, except for the hair color.
My closest image of Deimosu is Schneizel, also from CG, except less...bishie.
http://thrythlind.deviantart.com/gallery/#Divine-Blood
Yonjuu's only pic is closer to her self-image than her actual one
Yonjuu's only pic is closer to her self-image than her actual one
elric said:
Oh crap. I totally forgot about that factor. On top of all the advantages Ranma already has, she is also in a position to go all Mama Bear all over the attackers. Fuck.
Considering what a normal mother can do when her child is threatened. . .?
h43r:? :jawdrop:? :huh!:
Considering what a normal mother can do when her child is threatened. . .?
h43r:? :jawdrop:? :huh!:
For Deimosu, regardless of rather he messed up parts of Hectate's plans... he's so going to be forced to make amends. A lot of them. Maybe something on the lines of several labors ala Hercules?
Natsume Tendo flexed her artificial limb carefully. It had been five years ago that she'd lost the limb, and four years ago that she'd been fitted for a prosthetic.
She was still getting used to it.
The med-techs had assured her that it would be able to do anything a human arm could do. Though they did admit a potential loss of flexibility or agility. Some sort of experimental piece of equipment she got for free as a sort of test run.
Of course, they weren't exactly aware of how much beyond the human norm she was. It was good enough for her to teach, and she was still among the best fighters in the world, but the arm was a definite weak point.
She listened to it as the artificial elbow audibly stretched and popped. A slight smell of ozone implied there was something off with the electrical system as well.
That meant it needed maintenance, she'd have to arrange a day trip out of town soon. After Kurumi's visit was over would probably be best. It was just going to get slower and stiffer otherwise.
Natsume pulled on her jacket and glove, hiding the metallic appearance of the prosthetic as she started to walk outside to enjoy the night air. She took a deep breath of air and blinked as she picked up a whiff of sulfur.
And then several clouds of smoke erupted in the field around her dojo. It came with a familiar flavor of energy and she reached out for her rugbeater as the smoke vanished to reveal a group of children surrounding what appeared to be teenagers in a huddle.
All of them had red marks on their faces and were filled with demonic energy, but most were only weak. Stepping forward into the middle of them, she held out her broom and built up a moderate battle aura.
"What are you doing here, Demons?" she demanded, finding the largest source of potential in what appeared to be a twelve year old girl whose left arm and leg were visibly withered. She winced about when all the younger children moved to hide behind the two teens.
"We're running away," the girl said irritably. "Because some upstarts do not realize what I am capable of."
She folded her arms and pouted with an arrogant expression.
"Make yourself plain," Natsume said, wary of some demonic trick.
Her last and only experience with a demon had been the reason for why she was stuck with a prosthetic. Of course, that had been a rather mindless monster, not a bunch of children.
Then another several bursts of smoke appeared around around her. More children and teenagers. Some of these injured.
"Hel-chan said, we're running away. We were sent here," the other teen who'd arrived first said quickly. "There's a battle and they wanted the children out of the way. Mara said that no one would look for us here."
More smoke bursts, more children and all of them radiating demonic energy.
"Who's Mara?" Natsume asked.
"Mara, 1st class Demon of Smoke," the girl said. "An upstart less than five thousand years old who does not respect her elders."
The older appearing teen glanced at her and then back to Natsume.
"She's better when you get to know her," he said. "Well...tolerable at least."
Natsume watched around her, straightening and narrowing her eyes as even more demons appeared. She was a bit uncertain how to handle this, on the one hand, the children had outright admitted they were demons, but none of them seemed to be very hostile. In fact, most of what she was sensing was fear and confusion.
And that included the spoiled, crippled girl.
She didn't relax her watch, but she did set her rugbeater down. None of these demons had enough power to really match her if she got serious. The danger of harming innocent children outweighed the danger of an attack.
The arrivals kept coming, and they were starting to move past her parcel of land. If this kept coming, they'd double the population of the village within an hour.
"So, why would Mara send us here?" the taller teen said
"Possibly because of what happened the last time I met a demon," Natsume noted coolly.
She shook her head and noted that the next batch of arrivals seemed to include a few adults.
"This is going to be interesting," she muttered before turning to the children. "Watch what you do."
<HR>
Mara arrived at her chosen evacuation point last of all the people she had supervised. As soon as she arrived, she turned to the Rakshasha.
"Avoid antagonizing the people," she said deadly. "I'm going to go to look around see what we have."
"Y..yes," the warrior said. "What's going to happen from here?"
"We try to contact anybody else that escaped," Mara said. "And we regroup. Right now, make sure everybody is fine, talk to see about getting us settled somewhere. Maybe make some shelters."
"And the rules of secrecy?" the warrior asked.
"Have just gotten blown out the water," Mara said.
The warrior nodded and moved to start obeying orders as Mara strode off, shoulders straight, into the dark of the night until she found a fence behind a building.
Mara leaned forward on the fence, feeling drained and dead. She'd suffered such despair before, but recently only from personal failures.
This was an attack on her home and her people, and the despair felt both deeper and yet she didn't feel the same lack of motivation to do anything. Instead, there was a burning desire to fight back.
She hadn't felt like this since the old wars, when she was a peon scout or spy.
"Excuse me," a voice said. "Are you Mara?"
"What do you need?" she asked turning around.
Her face turned right into the fist that was launched her way and knocked her to the floor.
"What fool sends children into potential harm?" Natsume asked coolly as she flexed her metallic fingers.
"I had a run in with your sister a few weeks back," Mara said. "So I looked both of you up. You're much less hot-headed than she is. Now, if I'd sent the civilians first, I don't doubt that you would have killed them at first sight, but children, you'd at least think it through first. And I needed something that absolutely was not being watched."
"And why all this anyway?" Natsume asked. "One of the children said something about a battle."
"There's been a coup," Mara said. "Nifelheim...Hell to you, has fallen."
"I'm all tears," Natsume said coldly.
"You should be," Mara said seriously. "They'll be coming to Earth next."
Natsume frowned and then looked out past the building toward the growing crowds.
"By the way, my sister will be visiting starting tomorrow," she said.
Mara winced without looking towards the woman, who quietly turned and walked away.
"We have a tech who can fix your prosthetic," Mara noted. "If you want that taken care of."
Natsume stood silently a moment before continuing to walk away.
She was still getting used to it.
The med-techs had assured her that it would be able to do anything a human arm could do. Though they did admit a potential loss of flexibility or agility. Some sort of experimental piece of equipment she got for free as a sort of test run.
Of course, they weren't exactly aware of how much beyond the human norm she was. It was good enough for her to teach, and she was still among the best fighters in the world, but the arm was a definite weak point.
She listened to it as the artificial elbow audibly stretched and popped. A slight smell of ozone implied there was something off with the electrical system as well.
That meant it needed maintenance, she'd have to arrange a day trip out of town soon. After Kurumi's visit was over would probably be best. It was just going to get slower and stiffer otherwise.
Natsume pulled on her jacket and glove, hiding the metallic appearance of the prosthetic as she started to walk outside to enjoy the night air. She took a deep breath of air and blinked as she picked up a whiff of sulfur.
And then several clouds of smoke erupted in the field around her dojo. It came with a familiar flavor of energy and she reached out for her rugbeater as the smoke vanished to reveal a group of children surrounding what appeared to be teenagers in a huddle.
All of them had red marks on their faces and were filled with demonic energy, but most were only weak. Stepping forward into the middle of them, she held out her broom and built up a moderate battle aura.
"What are you doing here, Demons?" she demanded, finding the largest source of potential in what appeared to be a twelve year old girl whose left arm and leg were visibly withered. She winced about when all the younger children moved to hide behind the two teens.
"We're running away," the girl said irritably. "Because some upstarts do not realize what I am capable of."
She folded her arms and pouted with an arrogant expression.
"Make yourself plain," Natsume said, wary of some demonic trick.
Her last and only experience with a demon had been the reason for why she was stuck with a prosthetic. Of course, that had been a rather mindless monster, not a bunch of children.
Then another several bursts of smoke appeared around around her. More children and teenagers. Some of these injured.
"Hel-chan said, we're running away. We were sent here," the other teen who'd arrived first said quickly. "There's a battle and they wanted the children out of the way. Mara said that no one would look for us here."
More smoke bursts, more children and all of them radiating demonic energy.
"Who's Mara?" Natsume asked.
"Mara, 1st class Demon of Smoke," the girl said. "An upstart less than five thousand years old who does not respect her elders."
The older appearing teen glanced at her and then back to Natsume.
"She's better when you get to know her," he said. "Well...tolerable at least."
Natsume watched around her, straightening and narrowing her eyes as even more demons appeared. She was a bit uncertain how to handle this, on the one hand, the children had outright admitted they were demons, but none of them seemed to be very hostile. In fact, most of what she was sensing was fear and confusion.
And that included the spoiled, crippled girl.
She didn't relax her watch, but she did set her rugbeater down. None of these demons had enough power to really match her if she got serious. The danger of harming innocent children outweighed the danger of an attack.
The arrivals kept coming, and they were starting to move past her parcel of land. If this kept coming, they'd double the population of the village within an hour.
"So, why would Mara send us here?" the taller teen said
"Possibly because of what happened the last time I met a demon," Natsume noted coolly.
She shook her head and noted that the next batch of arrivals seemed to include a few adults.
"This is going to be interesting," she muttered before turning to the children. "Watch what you do."
<HR>
Mara arrived at her chosen evacuation point last of all the people she had supervised. As soon as she arrived, she turned to the Rakshasha.
"Avoid antagonizing the people," she said deadly. "I'm going to go to look around see what we have."
"Y..yes," the warrior said. "What's going to happen from here?"
"We try to contact anybody else that escaped," Mara said. "And we regroup. Right now, make sure everybody is fine, talk to see about getting us settled somewhere. Maybe make some shelters."
"And the rules of secrecy?" the warrior asked.
"Have just gotten blown out the water," Mara said.
The warrior nodded and moved to start obeying orders as Mara strode off, shoulders straight, into the dark of the night until she found a fence behind a building.
Mara leaned forward on the fence, feeling drained and dead. She'd suffered such despair before, but recently only from personal failures.
This was an attack on her home and her people, and the despair felt both deeper and yet she didn't feel the same lack of motivation to do anything. Instead, there was a burning desire to fight back.
She hadn't felt like this since the old wars, when she was a peon scout or spy.
"Excuse me," a voice said. "Are you Mara?"
"What do you need?" she asked turning around.
Her face turned right into the fist that was launched her way and knocked her to the floor.
"What fool sends children into potential harm?" Natsume asked coolly as she flexed her metallic fingers.
"I had a run in with your sister a few weeks back," Mara said. "So I looked both of you up. You're much less hot-headed than she is. Now, if I'd sent the civilians first, I don't doubt that you would have killed them at first sight, but children, you'd at least think it through first. And I needed something that absolutely was not being watched."
"And why all this anyway?" Natsume asked. "One of the children said something about a battle."
"There's been a coup," Mara said. "Nifelheim...Hell to you, has fallen."
"I'm all tears," Natsume said coldly.
"You should be," Mara said seriously. "They'll be coming to Earth next."
Natsume frowned and then looked out past the building toward the growing crowds.
"By the way, my sister will be visiting starting tomorrow," she said.
Mara winced without looking towards the woman, who quietly turned and walked away.
"We have a tech who can fix your prosthetic," Mara noted. "If you want that taken care of."
Natsume stood silently a moment before continuing to walk away.
So we'll have an "unmasqued world" in terms of gods and demons out in the open?
Question... would this chaos possibly cause World War III?
Question... would this chaos possibly cause World War III?
It could depend on whether the gods and demons that want the humans subverted want to deal with the mortals directly or subtly. Imagine if they engaged in False Flag operations....
Then there are the humans. Some maybe open to other humanoid species secretly coexisting... but others may feel it's probably time for humans to truly divest themselves of gods and demons...
Then there are the humans. Some maybe open to other humanoid species secretly coexisting... but others may feel it's probably time for humans to truly divest themselves of gods and demons...
OTOH Deimosu is far from Hecate's only pawn in this scheme, she suborned enough of the Gods and Demons running the Doublet System, including any oversight. Major, MAJOR security breaches all around. In comparison a single half-Mortal completely ignorant of matters Celestial save what lies Hecate told him is small potatoes.
"We're getting reports of thousands upon thousands of people appearing out of nowhere," Kalinin said. "Descriptions match Gods and Demons, we're assuming they're also probably appearing in places outside of normal observation."
"We know that Nifelheim was made to hold around a quarter of million people and they reportedly had overpopulation issues," Mardukas noted. "But all we know about Asgard is that it is bigger and designed to actually be a habitation."
"Young Miss Satomi again?" Kalinin asked. "She's a major security leak for them. The fact that they allow her to know such things means they probably don't take us seriously as a threat."
"They might change soon," Tessa's voice came to them as she walked in. "I believe Miss Satomi, Miss Chidori and myself may have just made an impression. And I don't see it being overlooked just now."
She gave them a rundown on the "curse" or "virus" and her handling of it as well as her analysis of other people involved.
"We're seeing a pattern of refugees," she said. "That and the virus tells us that we're looking at a coup of some sort. Given what we know of the likely instigators, I doubt they'll be moving in secret much longer."
"We should contact Lord Mallory at once," Mardukas said. "We need to arrange some countermeasures and procedures across Mithril."
"And we need a representative," Kalinin said. "And it shouldn't be you Captain. But it should be someone who will make an impression."
"Agreed," Tessa said reluctantly. "I have at least a temporary solution in mind, if she is willing."
"Upgrading another Whispered?" Mardukas said. "I would like to point out that Sarah Miller's mental state is not stable enough to put her toward such a position."
"I agree, and I wasn't thinking of her," Tessa noted. "Ideally, I would speak to Kaname or Ranma Satomi, but I think we need someone right now."
"Ranma Satomi is not a Whispered, will the machine work on her?" Kalinin asked.
"It needs human base DNA," Tessa said. "I'm going to speak to our guests as well, but first..."
"Will Lord Mallory appreciate your initiative?" Kalinin asked.
"Let me worry about that," Tessa said, though the worry was apparent on her face.
<HR>
"Do you have any idea what happened?" Ranma asked Naiki.
"No," her green-haired daughter said. "I got hit by that curse and then you and Tessa got me out of it and I woke up. I have no idea who sent the curse."
Akane's cell phone beeped and she picked it up as the conversation continued. Quickly she looked up and turned toward the others.
"We've got people just appearing out of nowhere all over the world," Akane said. "I'm getting called in to deal with a couple groups that have appeared in Japan, sounds a lot like refugee camps to me."
"Refugee's from where?" Ryuu asked.
Ranma bit her lip as a suspicion came to her.
A burst of smoke then and a Demon in obvious fighting clothes appeared among them.
"Naiki Satomi, Demoness of Torrent, 3rd class," he said. "You're being asked to report to Mara as soon as possible."
"Uhh...what's up?" Naiki asked.
"Nifelheim has fallen," Ranma said simply. "Probably Asgard as well. War has started."
The Demon turned doubtfully toward the human woman and nodded.
"She also asks to speak to a human," the Demon said. "Your name came up, Ranma Satomi."
"Tessa is sending someone," Naiki interrupted. "As soon as she knows where."
"I'll still be going," Ranma said firmly. "As soon as we get these kids home."
"I hear you," the Demon said frowning. "Now, I have to go speak to the Temple of Fates."
"One of my other daughters is there," Ranma noted.
The Demon blinked before nodding and bursting into smoke.
"Ewww, that stinks," Izumi said from near her mother's side.
"I think it smells kind of good," Naiki protested.
Ranma had a serious look, neither frowning nor smiling, but contemplative. A flutter drew her attention upwards, and she saw a butterfly fluttering in towards her.
Reaching out,it landed into her hand before unfolded into a message. Pausing a moment, the red-head unrolled it and read the contents.
<HR>
Deimosu sat and stared forward blankly, Yaku had even stopped her game-playing in concern. As Yonjuu sat across from him and stared.
"Well, how could you know?" she asked out of the blue.
"I should have looked closer," Deimosu said. "I knew there was something more going on but I ignored it."
"Sounds more like you looked for a way to do things that wasn't what she was telling you to do," Yonjuu said.
There was an expression change on the two's faces that Yaku noticed but couldn't attribute to anything.
"Of course it's not the same thing," Deimosu snapped.
"Oh and I suppose I can't be expected to know better!" the girl snapped.
"Are you guys skipping sentences?" Yaku asked.
Before either could answer, the sound of whispering voices arose out of thin air accompanying a brief aura of darkness.
Yonjuu and Deimosu stood up and backed away from the aura, growing outward into a circle until it dissipated, revealing a short red-headed woman dressed in black tactical fatigues.
"How did you find me?" Deimosu started to ask.
"That's your Mom?!" Yonjuu snapped out before Deimosu could say anything.
Ranma walked forward and looked up toward the girl, a good three to five inches taller than herself. Then she looked toward Deimosu.
"You're hearing each other's thoughts?" she asked, cautiously.
"Yeah, they started skipping sentences!" Yaku supplied.
Ranma took a deep breath and grimaced irritably.
"You're in trouble," Ranma said darkly.
"I know," Deimosu said. "I made a....mistake."
"And we'll deal with that," Ranma said, unaware as of yet that Deimosu had triggered the entire situation that was causing the problem right now. "After we fix the first problem."
Yaku gasped then.
"Resonance!" she said. "They need to go so the other girl."
"Come on," Ranma said, momentarily ignoring Yaku. "It took me an hour to make that gate circle, let's get started."
"Actually, it won't take that long from her," Deimosu noted.
<HR>
Mara waited in the in, some distance from where her refugees had camped. It was more than half a day from when she'd sent out requests to talk to her, and so far, only Naiki, Eija and the Norns had shown up, along with Persephone.
When the Heaven gate opened up outside, she half expected it to be a group of Hecate's followers, instead, she found Ranma walking in with her son and two girls that Mara did not know.
"Before we get started," Ranma said walking into the room and looking out at all the people there.
She smiled encouragingly at her daughters along with Sousuke and Kaname and then looked back up to Mara.
"Deimosu and this girl are somehow having the same Resonance problem Eija and Naiki did with Tessa and Kaname," Ranma said. "We need to fix that before it's too late."
Mara and Belldandy exchanged a look as the sound of a helicopter announced the arrival of Tessa's delegation.
"We can't," Belldandy said sadly. "Asgard and Nifelheim are held against us, we can't get to the Throne or the Altar to do it."
Three people then walked into the room following that statement.
"Well, thankfully," the woman ahead of the group said. "We have our own answer now."
Ranma turned about to look toward Mao's voice and blinked in surprise as she felt the increase in chi the woman had gained since they'd seen each other a few days ago.
But the main surprise was more visible.
Mara slowly stood up, jaw dropped, as did those of her limited bodyguard. The several Goddesses in the room also exchanged surprised looks.
"Sergeant Major Melissa Mao," she said, saluting, which only served to highlight the green shield on her forehead and the daggers at the corner of her eyes. "Also, newly Whispered."
*******************
Note, this is an end-chapter wrap up pretty much
"We know that Nifelheim was made to hold around a quarter of million people and they reportedly had overpopulation issues," Mardukas noted. "But all we know about Asgard is that it is bigger and designed to actually be a habitation."
"Young Miss Satomi again?" Kalinin asked. "She's a major security leak for them. The fact that they allow her to know such things means they probably don't take us seriously as a threat."
"They might change soon," Tessa's voice came to them as she walked in. "I believe Miss Satomi, Miss Chidori and myself may have just made an impression. And I don't see it being overlooked just now."
She gave them a rundown on the "curse" or "virus" and her handling of it as well as her analysis of other people involved.
"We're seeing a pattern of refugees," she said. "That and the virus tells us that we're looking at a coup of some sort. Given what we know of the likely instigators, I doubt they'll be moving in secret much longer."
"We should contact Lord Mallory at once," Mardukas said. "We need to arrange some countermeasures and procedures across Mithril."
"And we need a representative," Kalinin said. "And it shouldn't be you Captain. But it should be someone who will make an impression."
"Agreed," Tessa said reluctantly. "I have at least a temporary solution in mind, if she is willing."
"Upgrading another Whispered?" Mardukas said. "I would like to point out that Sarah Miller's mental state is not stable enough to put her toward such a position."
"I agree, and I wasn't thinking of her," Tessa noted. "Ideally, I would speak to Kaname or Ranma Satomi, but I think we need someone right now."
"Ranma Satomi is not a Whispered, will the machine work on her?" Kalinin asked.
"It needs human base DNA," Tessa said. "I'm going to speak to our guests as well, but first..."
"Will Lord Mallory appreciate your initiative?" Kalinin asked.
"Let me worry about that," Tessa said, though the worry was apparent on her face.
<HR>
"Do you have any idea what happened?" Ranma asked Naiki.
"No," her green-haired daughter said. "I got hit by that curse and then you and Tessa got me out of it and I woke up. I have no idea who sent the curse."
Akane's cell phone beeped and she picked it up as the conversation continued. Quickly she looked up and turned toward the others.
"We've got people just appearing out of nowhere all over the world," Akane said. "I'm getting called in to deal with a couple groups that have appeared in Japan, sounds a lot like refugee camps to me."
"Refugee's from where?" Ryuu asked.
Ranma bit her lip as a suspicion came to her.
A burst of smoke then and a Demon in obvious fighting clothes appeared among them.
"Naiki Satomi, Demoness of Torrent, 3rd class," he said. "You're being asked to report to Mara as soon as possible."
"Uhh...what's up?" Naiki asked.
"Nifelheim has fallen," Ranma said simply. "Probably Asgard as well. War has started."
The Demon turned doubtfully toward the human woman and nodded.
"She also asks to speak to a human," the Demon said. "Your name came up, Ranma Satomi."
"Tessa is sending someone," Naiki interrupted. "As soon as she knows where."
"I'll still be going," Ranma said firmly. "As soon as we get these kids home."
"I hear you," the Demon said frowning. "Now, I have to go speak to the Temple of Fates."
"One of my other daughters is there," Ranma noted.
The Demon blinked before nodding and bursting into smoke.
"Ewww, that stinks," Izumi said from near her mother's side.
"I think it smells kind of good," Naiki protested.
Ranma had a serious look, neither frowning nor smiling, but contemplative. A flutter drew her attention upwards, and she saw a butterfly fluttering in towards her.
Reaching out,it landed into her hand before unfolded into a message. Pausing a moment, the red-head unrolled it and read the contents.
<HR>
Deimosu sat and stared forward blankly, Yaku had even stopped her game-playing in concern. As Yonjuu sat across from him and stared.
"Well, how could you know?" she asked out of the blue.
"I should have looked closer," Deimosu said. "I knew there was something more going on but I ignored it."
"Sounds more like you looked for a way to do things that wasn't what she was telling you to do," Yonjuu said.
There was an expression change on the two's faces that Yaku noticed but couldn't attribute to anything.
"Of course it's not the same thing," Deimosu snapped.
"Oh and I suppose I can't be expected to know better!" the girl snapped.
"Are you guys skipping sentences?" Yaku asked.
Before either could answer, the sound of whispering voices arose out of thin air accompanying a brief aura of darkness.
Yonjuu and Deimosu stood up and backed away from the aura, growing outward into a circle until it dissipated, revealing a short red-headed woman dressed in black tactical fatigues.
"How did you find me?" Deimosu started to ask.
"That's your Mom?!" Yonjuu snapped out before Deimosu could say anything.
Ranma walked forward and looked up toward the girl, a good three to five inches taller than herself. Then she looked toward Deimosu.
"You're hearing each other's thoughts?" she asked, cautiously.
"Yeah, they started skipping sentences!" Yaku supplied.
Ranma took a deep breath and grimaced irritably.
"You're in trouble," Ranma said darkly.
"I know," Deimosu said. "I made a....mistake."
"And we'll deal with that," Ranma said, unaware as of yet that Deimosu had triggered the entire situation that was causing the problem right now. "After we fix the first problem."
Yaku gasped then.
"Resonance!" she said. "They need to go so the other girl."
"Come on," Ranma said, momentarily ignoring Yaku. "It took me an hour to make that gate circle, let's get started."
"Actually, it won't take that long from her," Deimosu noted.
<HR>
Mara waited in the in, some distance from where her refugees had camped. It was more than half a day from when she'd sent out requests to talk to her, and so far, only Naiki, Eija and the Norns had shown up, along with Persephone.
When the Heaven gate opened up outside, she half expected it to be a group of Hecate's followers, instead, she found Ranma walking in with her son and two girls that Mara did not know.
"Before we get started," Ranma said walking into the room and looking out at all the people there.
She smiled encouragingly at her daughters along with Sousuke and Kaname and then looked back up to Mara.
"Deimosu and this girl are somehow having the same Resonance problem Eija and Naiki did with Tessa and Kaname," Ranma said. "We need to fix that before it's too late."
Mara and Belldandy exchanged a look as the sound of a helicopter announced the arrival of Tessa's delegation.
"We can't," Belldandy said sadly. "Asgard and Nifelheim are held against us, we can't get to the Throne or the Altar to do it."
Three people then walked into the room following that statement.
"Well, thankfully," the woman ahead of the group said. "We have our own answer now."
Ranma turned about to look toward Mao's voice and blinked in surprise as she felt the increase in chi the woman had gained since they'd seen each other a few days ago.
But the main surprise was more visible.
Mara slowly stood up, jaw dropped, as did those of her limited bodyguard. The several Goddesses in the room also exchanged surprised looks.
"Sergeant Major Melissa Mao," she said, saluting, which only served to highlight the green shield on her forehead and the daggers at the corner of her eyes. "Also, newly Whispered."
*******************
Note, this is an end-chapter wrap up pretty much