"Oh my goddess," Kasumi breathed. She moved to the cot and sat down next to Ranma.
"Kasumi, that's a..." Akane said quietly.
"This is Ranma," Kasumi said firmly. She held out her hands to start to cast a spell, and then held off. "Akane. Akane." On the second calling of her name Akane looked from Ranma to her sister.
"What is?" Akane asked.
"Remember when we tried to heal her before," Kasumi noted. "She resisted the magic while she was unconscious."
"But it got through," Akane protested.
"This isn't a hit on the head," Kasumi said. "Her life force has been directly tapped. I can't heal that past her defenses."
"You want me to take them down?" Akane said after a moment. "Kasumi, that'll...that'll hurt hi...he..Ranma."
"It is necessary," Kasumi said.
"Well can't you do it?" Akane asked, nervously.
"I don't have time to argue with you," Kasumi said. "This is a job for a knife." Akane sighed reluctantly and nodded. Kasumi stood up and gestured imperatively to the seat next to the cot and Akane sat down.
Akane flinched as she set one hand on Ranma's shoulder and raised the other above her head. She was surprised when the power came easily. Ryoko mostly considered the tanar'ri worthless scum and traitors fit only to be eliminated. She had expected to have a hard time getting the power neccessary to help Ranma.
Akane dropped her hand into Ranma's abdomen, contacting lightly. A red flash appeared as she touched. Ranma's eyes snapped open wide and she tried too sit upright, but Akane held her down. Akane expected more, but the half-demon merely fell right unconscious again. The red light traveled from where Akane touched over Ranma's body, the demon spasming as it did. Then it had traveled every inch of Ranma's form and the glow vanished.
Akane stared for a moment at the half-demon in shock. She had seen that spell used before. The creatures hit screamed if they had voices to scream with. Ranma had woken up for less than a second and hadn't made a sound.
"I need you to move now," Kasumi insisted gently and Akane stood up quickly. She watched Kasumi praying to Belldandy for a few moments and then quickly exited the room and stumbled toward Master Tofu's well. She drew up some water and started to wash her hands.
"He's a demon!" Akane shouted. "He's a damn demon!" The shock was giving away to anger when she heard Ryoko shouting in her head. She had been shocked at meeting Ryoko face to face. This nearly drove her insane for a few brief seconds of Ryoko's message.
BLOODFORBLOOD!ITMUSTDIE!RANMAWON'TYOUMUST!!FINDIT!!FINDIT!!KILLIT! KILLIT!BLOODFORBLOOD!KILLIT!KILLIT!KILLIT!!PAINFORPAIN!!BLOODFORBLOOD!! ITHURTRANMA!LITTLERANMA!KILLIT!
It seemed to end all at once and Akane found herself curled on the ground, reality filtering back into her mind. She caught her breath and noticed the two little mummy girls shaking her.
"Lady Akane stop yelling," Lin Lin said. "Is fine now?"
"I don't know," Akane said gasping and still clutching at her head.
"Mad about friend?" Ran Ran asked, as Akane stood up.
"Yeah," Akane said. "Sort of mad about him." She tried to shake her head clear as she walked back into the clinic. Despite the pain she felt strangely clear-headed about some things. At least one thing in particular.
"Him?" Lin Lin asked, confused.
"Maybe mistake in translation?" Ran Ran suggested.
"RANAMISHURT!GOTOTHECLINIC!HURRY!SHE'SHURT!SHE'SHURT!YOUMUSTHELPHER! YOUHAVETOGO!HURRY!HURRY!THEY'LLTRYAGAIN!PROTECTHER!PROTECTRANMA!THEY'LLTRYAGAIN!"
Kodachi panted heavily, huddled in a mass on the ground. After that particularly urgent message from her goddess she found it momentarily difficult to stand. People were staring at her, however,and she had to afford the dignity of her status and position. More importantly she had to get to that clinic.
In the last few weeks Kodachi had been seeking the assassin and comparing notes with the Tendos. In that time she had noticed Ranma, both Ranmas, acting strangely.
She could have cared less about the female Ranma, until just now when Ayeka had touched her mind directly, but she recognized that Ranma was seeing somebody. She just hadn't been able to figure out who. She hadn't seen the male Ranma going anywhere. Of course now she realized her mistake.
Somewhere deep in the wilderness, Ryouga relaxed after several hours of agitation. Something had threatened his quest here in the prime plane. Logically that meant that Akane had been in danger. Ryouga clenched his fist and growled for perhaps the thousandth time.
"Damn you, Saotome!!" Ryouga shouted. Obviously Ranma had tried something while Ryouga was conveniently away.
"Did you say Saotome?" a voice behind him asked. Ryouga turned around to see a brown-haired woman dressed in practical travelling clothes, a sword at her side. Her eyes popped wide as Ryouga turned around. "Ryuu...."
"Its Ryouga," the celestial corrected. "How do you know me?" The woman shook her head clear.
"No, you just look like a cousin of mine," the woman said. She took a close look at him. "You're human."
"Errr...sort of," Ryouga said, scratching the back of his head in confusion. "Why?"
"Mind if I ask a personal question?" the woman asked hesitantly.
"Uh...I don't know," Ryouga said. "Go ahead."
"Did you have any relatives at Kumon," she asked. "Before it was destroyed. A father maybe?"
"No one at Kumon, no," Ryouga said. "I have an ancestor that helped inspire it."
Ryouga remembered when the half-elf community had been destroyed. It had been one of his mom's pet projects. She always hated it when any focus of inspiration died, but she had been livid at Kumon's destruction. So much potential gone in a flash of uncontrolled magic.
"Shouldn't have thought so," the woman said. "The person I'm thinking of doesn't like humans much, the thought of him having married one is hard to imagine. But you look so much like him."
"Excuse me," Ryouga said. "Who are you?"
"Ukyou of Kamiya temple," she said simply. "And what were you saying about Saotome?"
"I know of a fiend by that name," Ryouga explained. "And for a little bit there I just felt like he was trying to hurt Lady Akane while I'm stuck out here!! I have to get back to Nerima."
"You know of a fiend by the name of Saotome that lives in Nerima?" Ukyou asked.
"Yesss...." Ryouga said nervously.
"My Lord and Lady." She looked up for a moment. "Have business for me in Nerima, but after that's done there's a jackass by the name of Saotome that I need to talk to. Maybe we should travel together?"
"Uh...sure," Ryouga said nervously.
"You know the way, right Sugar?" Ukyou asked. "I think I've gotten a little turned around."
"Mom," Ranma whispered quietly. "They were throwing rocks at me. Why did they do that?"
"It's okay Ranma," Kasumi said. "You're fine now." The redhead woke up a little more at the sound of her voice and looked toward the priestess.
"Kasumi?" Ranma asked. Then closed her eyes and angrily continued. "He wasn't a nice guy after all." Kasumi held back some tears as Ranma fell back asleep.
"I told you to be careful," Kasumi said, wiping Ranma's forehead dry.
"When I find out who did this," Akane said behind her. "What the hell happened to her?" Kasumi sat back and sighed
"Ranma knows," Kasumi said. "I'll tell you what I know when we get Ranma home."
"Is it safe to move her?" Akane asked, suddenly nervous. She looked to Ranma and saw that the redhead was breathing normally now, and her skin had regained some color.
"Yes," Kasumi answered. "She should be fine with plenty of rest." She stood up and started for the door. "I'll speak to the twins and tell them we're leaving." Akane let her past and then moved to sit next to Ranma.
"My Ranma," she said quietly and brushed at Ranma's hair. "I'm going to have words with you about this later. This is a terrible way to learn your fiancee's a demon."
"My darling Ranma," a voice said behind her. She turned to see Kodachi standing there and frowned.
"What are you doing here?" Akane demanded quietly.
"I heard that my darling Ranma was injured," Kodachi said. "I came to offer my aid."
"And what about your darling Ryouga?" Akane asked spitefully. She briefly wondered what point that question had, but didn't mention that outloud. Kodachi uplifted her head and crossed her arms.
"That question is beneath even one of Ryoko's following," Kodachi insisted. "Sir Ryouga does not need me. My darling Ranma does."
"He's not your darling Ranma," Akane growled.
"He is certainly not your Ranma," Kodachi retorted. Kasumi returned and looked at them disapprovingly.
"Ladies," the elder priestess said. "Settle your fight later, you'll wake her up." Both women gave her chagrinned looks. "Really." Kasumi shook her head, exasperated.
"Was it the individual he's been courting?" Kodachi asked as Kasumi came downstairs. Akane's angry glare at her turned to one of surprise, and Kasumi stopped on the stairs as well.
"She was not courting anyone," Kasumi said. "They were courting her."
"What?" Akane said, confused. "What are you talking about?"
"I am not surprised that you were not aware," Kodachi said disparaginly. "All your kind think of is the immediate fact."
"That's better than the way you and yours act like everything is a foregone conclusion," Akane said standing up and getting in Kodachi's face.
"Akane, Lady Kodachi," Kasumi interrupted as she came into the room to join them completely. "Please."
"Sorry, Kasumi," Akane said, calming down.
"Indeed," Kodachi agreed. "My apologies as well."
"Now sit down," Kasumi said. "I'll tell you what I know, and what I suspect." After she was finished Kodachi and Akane were both livid.
"If this guy is the one he's going to die," Akane promised grimmly. Kodachi nodded in agreement. Kasumi was only partially shocked by the vehemence of Akane's statement.
"The Jurai Trees shall die before I let him endanger Ranma again," the noblewoman promised. Kasumi looked over both women closely. For the first time that day she noted they both seemed signifigantly more powerful.
Their goddesses have touched them, Kasumi thought with a sharp intake of breath. "I should fix us something to eat." She stood up and walked to the kitchen to recover from the shock the realization had just given her.
"He's doesn't belong to either of us," Akane said finally after a long silence.
"Agreed," Kodachi said reluctantly. "But I shall always call him my darling."
"Just as long as you don't expect him to just fall at your feet," Akane growled.
Akane had no problems admitting it now, she wanted Ranma. She'd be damned if someone else kept her away. Whether that someone was an assassin, a mystery suitor, Ryouga, or some stuck up Juraian priestess. After seeing Ranma near death, after Ryoko screamed into her head to kill the creep that had done it. After that it was hard to deny.
"You expect him to choose a woman that has done nothing but abuse him?" Kodachi asked angrily. Akane winced and slumped back into a chair.
"Yeah," Akane said. "I've had troubles with my temper."
Kodachi watched Akane's expression with some interest. The berserker was not overly confident of who Ranma would choose given a choice. Then again, neither was Kodachi. She still had more than a fond thought for the celestial Ryouga, but what she had told Akane earlier still held. Ryouga didn't need her, and Ranma, strong as he was, needed someone to watch his back.
"There is a solution that precludes us fighting over him," Kodachi suggested. "At least not too much." Akane glanced at her curiously.
"What do you mean?" Akane asked, then she sat bolt upright. "That?!"
"Assuming he agreed," Kodachi said. "Yes." They stared at each other for a few moments.
This might be my only chance. Both thought. Kasumi came back into the room and noted the tension nervously.
"We can ask him," Akane said.
"What do you plan to ask Ranma?" Kasumi asked cautiously. Both girls flushed and looked at Kasumi nervously.
"Get him!"
"It's a demon!"
Ranma felt the remembered sting of thrown rocks. Rocks that still hurt before her more magical abilities had begun to emerge. Back when she could barely shape change aside from switching genders, and any excitement could send her back to her natural form.
"Can I get strong like Auntie?" He had asked his mother once.
"Probably not, Ranma-dear, we're not bred for fighting," she had said.
"You're a weak fighter Ranma," his father yelled in practice. "Stop acting like a girl."
"Mother says..."
"Don't listen to your mother," his father insisted. "If you want to be strong, you listen to me."
"I'm going to have to go away for a while, Ranma." Mother had said that only a few years later, when the demons started to track her down.
"Poor child, those nasty cats really took you apart," it was a beautiful voice, but it was not a kind one. "Who will ever love you like that?" The voice laughed at her.
"Oh, hey kid, sorry I was late. I got lost." Ranma had a flash of waiting three days for Ryouga to show up for their fight.
"Me, marry that pervert!!! Never?!"
"Everyone will think I'm a pervert too!"
"DIABOLIST!"
"Go back and die!"
"You're getting soft boy!"
"They don't know a real freak when they see one."
"Kuno...I won't stand in your way."
"Ranma! Prepare to die!"
"You're still good at running away."
"RANMA! PREPARE TO DIE!"
"RANMA, YOU IDIOT!"
"Freak!"
"Demon!"
"Little Ruby...perhaps just a farewell kiss?"
Ranma woke up as that last memory flickered through her dreams. She sat up and swung her legs down to the floor. She didn't have much chance to do anything else. Two forms virtually tackled her back to the bed.
"Ranma! You're awake!"
"Oh, Ranma darling! We were so worried!"
"Can't breathe...wings hurt..." Ranma gasped. Both people released their grip sounding embarrassed and Ranma released a long breath as dots danced in front of her eyes.
"Oh sorry!" The voice sounded like Akane, but she wasn't certain.
"You have been asleep for the last day and more darling," the second voice informed her. "We worried that Lady Kasumi might not have healed everything."
"A day?" Ranma repeated wearily, she stood up and identified Akane and Kodachi flanking her. "A full day for that asshole to..." She looked back at Kodachi and Akane. "I'm a female demon right now, right?"
"Men don't usually have these," Kodachi said, caressing Ranma's breast lightly. Ranma blushed and shivered at the touch.
"Kodachi," Akane said grumpily, crossing her arms in indignation. Ranma looked between them and gave an embarrassed half-smile. When it came to flirting, Kodachi and Akane seemed to have chosen the wrong goddesses at times.
"This doesn't bother you?" Ranma asked nervously. She expected the holy symbols to come out any time now.
"Well," Akane said. "At first, yes...and maybe still a little. But..."
"You're giving me a head start," Ranma said sadly.
"Do not be stupid, Ranma-darling," Kodachi said firmly.
"What," Ranma crinkled her eyes. "You don't want to kill me?" Akane flushed and shuffled embarrassingly.
"Of course not," Kodachi said. She reached into the folds of her robe and retrieved a small circle of golden Jurai wood. Ranma watched, not really surprised at this from Kodachi, as the noble took her hand. Then she felt Akane taking her other hand and turned to see a red-gold ring in Akane's hand.
"Seeing like that, Ranma, almost dead..." Akane stopped a moment. "I don't want to lose you to anyone or anything."
"And neither do I," Kodachi asserted quietly. "You do not know me as well as Akane, but I have no intention of giving up either."
"Umm...what's going on?" Ranma asked.
A nervous Akane reached out to hesitantly kiss the redhead. Ranma felt a spark as their lips touched and a trickle of life coming freely from Akane. Akane broke off the kiss and grimaced as Kodachi turned Ranma to face her gave her own kiss, and again felt that spark.
Ranma remembered something her mother had said once a long time ago, before the curse of her kind struck her and she had to start hunting. She hadn't understood it all then, and she only half understood it when her hungry started. Now she understood it all.
"I never knew that what we were born to take can be given freely," she had said quietly, apparently unaware that Ranma was behind her. Ranma's mind snapped back to the present as Kodachi started to speak.
"We wanted to ask," Kodachi said. "Would marry us?"
"Both of you?" Ranma asked, incredulous.
"Well, if you don't want to," Akane said quietly. Ranma considered the kisses he had just received, real kisses with real love behind them. She looked between the two women. Someone wanted her, really and truly wanted her.
"YES! YES!" She shouted cheerfully. She circled her arms around both of them and hugged tightly. Her wings wrapped around the three of them as well.
"Darling!" Kodachi said.
"Breath!" Akane gasped. Ranma let them go, embarrassed.
"Err...sorry," she said, laughing nervously. The two other women took deep breathes after coming out of the crushing hug and struggled to keep from fainting. "Umm...when would we do this?"
The official wedding took place quietly that night in the small Masaki temple. It was plenty for Ranma, but Kodachi and Akane both were talking about a full ceremony when assassins were found and killed. The situation had other witnesses besides just Kasumi, Soun and Genma. The two old monks having mixed feelings about the Masaki-style marriage.
"Are certain this is a good idea?" Ayeka asked doubtfully.
"Well its a little late to turn back now," Ryoko answered.
"This is not quite what I had in mind when I spoke to Kodachi," Ayeka said.
"Not my idea for Akane either," Ryoko noted. "So it isn't like we took away their free wills or anything. All we did was yell into their heads to protect Ranma."
"Yes, Ryoko," Ayeka agreed. "We touched their souls when we learned about Ranma. Such leaves a mark on mortals. This could be a sign that they moved closer to our personalities."
"Nah, my Akane is still uptight and your Kodachi is still crazy," Ryoko pointed out. "Besides, Ranma said yes, and neither of us had anything to do with that."
"Umm," a new voice added. "That would be my fault." Ryoko and Ayeka turned around to see a white haired woman wearing a very revealing outfit.
"Ehh?" Ayeka said, losing her manners for a moment.
"What did you do, Urd?" Ryoko asked.
"Well, Sylphiel was saying that this Ranma person was going to mean a lot of work for her," Urd said. "So when I heard those two were going to ask, I thought that maybe if he were already married the problems would be less."
"What did you do to our neice?" Ayeka repeated for Ryoko.
"I just sort of gave him some nightmares about being rejected," Urd said. "Made him a little more susceptible to accepting an offer." Ryoko and Ayeka stared. "Hey, this one worked! Why are you looking at me like that for."
"At least they'll watch out for Ranma," Ayeka said, frustrated. She turned to look back towards the prime material world and immediately closed the scrying window and flushed a little in embarrassment.
"Something wrong?" Ryoko asked.
"Little Ranma really is all grown up," Ayeka said simply. Ryoko shook her head, expecting that Ranma was probably taking a lot of coaxing to do anything.
"It's getting to the good stuff then," Urd said mischievously, and walked towards the pool. Both Ryoko and Ayeka moved to grab her by either arm and start to escort her out of their realm. "Don't tell me you're not interested, Ryoko?"
"Ranma's family, Urd," Ryoko said firmly.
"At any rate shouldn't you be speaking to your superior about your most likely unauthorized actions today?" Ayeka asked.
"IT WORKED!!!!" Urd protested.