"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