"You're cheating," Akne growled. "Somehow, I know you're cheating."
"This is the fourth toss, Akane-dear," Kodachi said smiling. "You've been watching any sort of magical interference. You must face facts, I've won."
"I still think you cheated," Akane said.
"You can view it in this manner, Akane," Kodachi said. "As...shy as you and Lord Ranma both are, you'd never get anywhere without me to get things started."
"I still say you cheated," Akane insisted.
"How could I cheat?" Kodachi insisted. "You provided the dice."
"How do I know you didn't switch them out for your own?" Akane asked.
"Trust me," Kodachi said with a smile. "I did not switch out your sister's dice."
"So she's going to be first, huh?" Lina thought. "I could have sworn it would be that Battle Priestess." Lina shrugged and continued to go about providing the three with a wedding present.
"Actually, this might be good for now," Lina decided. "Akane and Ranma will be better protectors than Kodachi and Ranma."
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Lord Ranma," Kodachi purred as she slid into the room.
"Umm, where's Akane," Ranma asked nervously as Kodachi sat down next to him and gave him a hungry look.
"I'm certain she can keep herself...amused for the time being," Kodachi said. "We thought that perhaps the both of us deserved some time alone with you before we have to share you."
"And she let you go first?" Ranma asked doubtfully.
"Actually," Kodachi said she leaned forward almost eliminating the distance between them. "We rolled for the privilege, Lord Ranma. And I won."
"Do you think you could just call me Ranma?" the half-demon asked.
"I don't think it will be a concern," Kodachi said as she kissed him.
"That was a lot different than I thought it would be," Ranma said.
"Huh?" Kodachi asked intelligently.
"I mean, I've seen thousands of memories of sex," Ranma said. Kodachi sat up and stared at Ranma.
"Huh?" she repeated.
"And I've kissed a lot of people," Ranma said. "So I thought I had some clue of how intense it would be."
"Huh!?"
"Kodachi are you okay?" Ranma asked. "I didn't hurt you did I?" Kodachi shook her head, stood up, and walked out the door. "Did I do something wrong?"
"Finished?" Akane asked as Kodachi walked into the room.
"Huh?" Kodachi said, before sitting down. Akane leaned forward worriedly and whispered an spell to look over the unusually speechless woman.
"There's nothing wrong with you," Akane said, confused. Kodachi shook her head. "Just exhausted?"
"Huh." Kodachi shrugged.
"Good?" Akane asked.
"Huh." She nodded.
"Going to join us later?" Akane asked. Kodachi nodded, still blinking. "Okay, I guess its my turn now." Kodachi nodded. It wasn't until a minute after Akane was gone that Kodachi managed to find some words.
"That was his first time?" Kodachi asked the empty room, still shocked.
"You impressed Kodachi," Akane said nervously as she sat next to Ranma.
"I did?" Ranma asked. "The way she walked out of here."
"You didn't know what she was thinking?" Akane asked.
"She was thinking what she was saying," Ranma said. "'Huh.'"
"Well, she was very impressed," Akane said.
"Okay," Ranma said, moving to sit right next to Akane. There was silence for a little while as both of them tried to work up the nerve to do something.
"Ranma," Akane said after a moment. "Can I ask a favor."
"Uhh, sure," Ranma said. "What?"
"You and Kodachi didn't have sex as women did you?" Akane asked. Ranma shook his head. "Since she had you as a man first, I'd like to have you as a woman first."
"I guess," Ranma said. "Do you mean now?" He put an arm around her shoulders.
"After this," Akane said. "I think Kodachi will still be dazed."
"Okay, I guess," Ranma said.
Kodachi waited for a break in the noise of the bedroom before she walked in to join her spouses.
"I must apologize for my earlier..." Kodachi stopped mid sentence as she saw Akane picking herself up off a female Ranma. "I see you found your own first, Akane-dear."
"You had your chance," Akane noted breathlessly, seeming somewhat stunned herself. So did Ranma, but then, she had seemed a little out of it after being with Kodachi too. It wasn't really until he had revealed that it had been his first time that Kodachi's brain temporarily shut down.
Kodachi didn't have an experience to compare the act to, but just the idea of an virginal incubus had been enough to do it.
"Are you...umm...feeling better?" Ranma asked. Kodachi smiled.
"Yes, Ranma-dear," she said. "Are you two rested?"
"Rested enough," Akane said.
Ranma stretched awake and struggled out from between the still sleeping Akane and Kodachi. He smiled shyly in memory of the last night. He looked on either side of him at Akane and Kodachi and his smile faded a little.
"Akane? Kodachi?" he asked nervously. He hesitantly shook Akane to wake her up and the priestess rolled over to reveal a grey-pale, open-eyed stare. Ranma flinched back and knocked Kodachi too the floor, where she tumbled limply and turned up to stare at the ceiling with the same empty stare.
"Noo!" Ranma shouted snapping awake, gasping in terror.
"What?" Akane demanded waking up to the sound and looking about for the direction of the threat. "What's happening?" Kodachi sat up as well, demurely yawning then leaning in close to Ranma.
"I think you are mistaking the problem Akane-dear" Kodachi said with a smirk, receiving an irritated look in response. "Did you have a nightmare, darling?" Ranma nodded, catching his breath.
"Yeah," he said. "You were both dead."
"Oh," Akane said, calming down as she realized it wasn't a physical threat. "Well, we're all fine, and we'll make sure it stays that way." She leaned over and kissed Ranma's cheek.
"I hope so," Ranma said quietly.
"She didn't come looking for you, Mikkie," Azusa said, tsking. "If she's dead..."
"Then we're both doomed," Mikado snapped.
"I don't think so," Azusa chirped. "I'm not the one that put the moves on the Mistress's lost toy."
"Well it isn't a worry anyway," Mikado said. "She's alive. And she's going to come for me soon. We'll have to be ready for her, and anybody that comes with her."
"That's easy enough," Azusa shrugged. "You said the demon was afraid of cats didn't you?" Her smile died at Mikado's expression
"I wouldn't try that," he said. "She'll be much too much for us to handle after that."
"From what I saw last night," Azusa said, tesaingly. "She already is."
"Only in a direct fight," Mikado promised. "We need an appropriate setting to lay a trap."
"There aren't any sites dedicated to the Akuma around here," Azusa said. "Aside from the Mistress's temple at least."
"We can't go there until this is resolved," Mikado snapped.
Then Azusa smiled and continued in a sing song voice. "But there is an abandoned building a little outside of town. That might do the job."
"What kind of building," Mikado asked.
"I don't know," Azusa said shrugging. "But its got some of the cutest statues."
"Please!" Soun yelled. "You cannot abandon the monastery!!"
"He's right, boy," Genma added. "The whole point was that you and Akane would carry on the Anything Goes school."
"Dad, Uncle Saotome" Akane addressed them, frustrated. "There are people out there trying to kill us, can we talk about this later."
"And why would they possibly want to stay at that dusty old monastery anyway?" Kodachi asked, not noticing Akane flinch. Ranma stayed quiet, sweating nervously.
"Kodachi," Akane said, tightly. "I don't need the help."
"Ahhh!!" Soun wailed. "My little girl is giving up the life of discipline for the luxury of the lazy corrupt upper classes." Kodachi crossed her arms and arched her eyebrow.
"Pardon me?" Kodachi asked.
"Ranma as man of the household," Genma started. "You must insist your wives come with you back to the monastery!" Akane and Kodachi both turned there looks on Ranma, who thankfully didn't notice as he was giving his father his own insulted look.
"So I'm supposed to insist that we all move into the monastery," Ranma said.
"Exactly," Genma said, proud that his son had seen the truth of the matter.
"Which got crowded when we moved in," Ranma asked.
"Well..."
"And Kasumi had to expend magic to feed all of us," Akane added.
"With the Kuno fortune behind us," Genma said. "There'd be no problems."
"I see no reason not to aid Akane-dear's family," Kodachi said, in an honestly charitable if somewhat condescending manner.
"Kodachi," Akane said tightly again.
"But I will not abandon Kuno lands," Kodachi continued. "And with Tatewaki banished until he atones, and father still missing. I am the only one remaining, even if I am now Saotome."
"But the school," Soun protested. "It must be inherited." Akane and Ranma glanced at each other.
"Umm," Ranma said. "Living here doesn't mean we're going to forget everything you know."
"There is a tradition to be maintained," Genma insisted, drawing a very doubtful look from his child.
"Look we can run the school from there," Akane said. "But Ranma's right, it'll be too crowded for us right now." She turned to her father. "Unless you want to be constantly tripping over me and Ranma, or me, Ranma and Kodachi, or just me and..." she chose her next word for best effect on her increasingly scandalized father. "Dacchi. Together, intimately?"
"Akane-dear," Kodachi said, blushing. She was enjoying the joke Akane was making at her father's expense. "I should have known that you truly appreciated my beauty as much as Ranma."
"I really don't think I have to worry about that last one," Soun said, grasping at straws. Akane gave him a look Ranma had already begun to recognize.
"Oh, Dacchi," Akane said, turning to the other woman.
"Yes, Aka..mph!?" Kodachi's eyes popped wide as Akane gave her a full passionate kiss.
Ranma felt Kodachi's thoughts go through a rather insane roller coaster. She started with surprise that Akane was kissing her, moved to horror upon remembering that Akane was always female, then to shock that she was enjoying it, finally she was just enjoying it.
I guess there's a benefit to being a little crazy, Ranma thought as he listened in on the very sudden turn around and watched Kodachi pretty much melt in Akane's arms.
"Well, Dad," Akane asked turning her head away from the woman in her arms to look at him. "Or do want to see something mo..."
"WAAAAHHHH!!!" Soun yelled, turning into a crying rocket running out of the estate. "My little girl is all grown up!!!!"
"Tendo, wait!" Genma shouted, chasing after his friend. "We haven't convinced them to go back to the monastery."
"That was...umm," Ranma was as red as his female form's hair. "An interesting way to get rid of them."
"I know my dad, he's stubborn," Akane said, she turned back to Akane still in her hands. "Sorry about that, Dacchi."
"Huh?" Kodachi asked.
"Are you oka..mph?!" Akane found the tables turned as Kodachi kissed her.
"Should I give the two of you some time alone now?" Ranma asked smiling a little.
"Uhhh..." Akane started.
"Less talk, Akane-dear," Kodachi said, pulling her back to the kiss. Ranma quietly snuck out of the room as the two fell to the floor.
"Ranma," two musical voices called out.
"Could you come here?"
"Please, Ranma-dear?"
"On my way," he said in return.
"How can someone so publicly uptight," Kodachi said, gasping for breath. "Be so..."
"Enthusiastic?" Ranma finished. Kodachi nodded.
"I haven't lost my temper for more than a day," Akane noted. "All that energy had to go somewhere." Kodachi and Ranma stared at her and wondered if she was joking.
Kodachi didn't know why she felt so behind Ranma and Akane, but ever since she and Ranma first started off the wedding night she had been feeling somewhat hot. It was making her a little tired and off balance. She had assumed it was just exercise. Especially since now that they were at least temporarily winding down it seemed to be going away.
"That's Shinjuku down there," Ukyou noted irritably. "Of all the parts of Tokyo to get lost in, you take me all the way back to where I started?"
"At least we can find the way to Nerima from here," Ryouga said. Ukyou closed her eyes and reminded herself that she was rurouni and thus above petty anger. Then she reminded herself that she was probably five times as old as this human wanderer, and she really shouldn't let a strapling like him get the better of her.
"Listen, Jackass," Ukyou said tightly. "Right now there is a very important little girl in the hands of who knows who..."
"So the Kamiya Temple did lose the child," a voice said behind them. Ukyou and Ryouga turned to see who was talking to them. "That vision I received must be from my Lord then."
"Ryuu," Ukyou breathed quietly.
"It has been a long time, Ukyou," Ryuu smiled. "I see you're dallying with the monkeys."
"This is the guy you thought I was related to," Ryouga asked, feeling the evil drip off the man.
"You should no better than that," Ryuu growled angrily. "What do I have to do with humans and elves except for a foul miscarriage of fate. Half-elves! They can't even give us our own name! Well when we are all that remain there will be a name for us!" Ukyou noted the metal headband her cousin was wearing and her eyes widened.
"Tenken!" she snapped. Ryouga's eyes narrowed and he reached for his umbrella.
"That is the title I have taken," Ryuu admitted proudly, he watched Ryouga and smirked. Still the man felt vaguely uneasy about his near-twin's presence. "Do you two care to face the power that destroyed Kumon? I finally learned to master them." He drew his own sword, a flickering blade that seemed to burst in flames as the light sparked off it. "Master and adapt them."
The blonde woman turned at the sound of shattering wood and turned to see an enraged red-haired man stroll into her office, a pair of cross-marks on his face. Behind him came an equally enraged woman with long black hair. Both of them held swords, one of wood and one of metal.
"Where is she?" the woman demanded angrily. "Where did you hide her!" The blonde smiled superiorly and leaned back in her chair.
"The Lord of the Hitokiri and his Celestial Cunt," she said, unconcerned. "What august visitors I have. Who are you looking for?"
"Don't play games with us, Mara," Kenshin said in a soft, angry growl. "You know why we're here."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Mara said. "This is against the rules. As long as I don't act directly, neither can you. Then again you can't act indirectly can you? Shishio's worshippers are mobilizing on the borders. The Kasshin and Rurouni are preparing for war, and all you two can muster for your family interests is one promising Rurouni. Who, by the way, is about to try and take on the current Tenken, but you knew that, didn't you?"
Neither of them answered.
"And of course Ryoko and Heero will soon be in same situation," Mara said. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Perhaps you should have told them about the girl. It would have been next to impossible to get her with all four of you watching."
"What do you plan to gain from taking her," Kaoru demanded. "What does a Goddess of Temptation need with her anyway? You have enough succubi, incubi, eriynes and who knows what else?"
"What are you doing with our daughter?" Kenshin demanded. He wished that he was allowed to handle this directly, but the damnable temptress in front of him was right about the rules. He had to operate through mortal or planar agents as long as she did. The alternative was another cataclysmic war in the heavens. The Akuma would lose badly, but not before much of the world was devastated.
"I'm making sure she's safe," Mara said innocently.
"Safe!?" Kaoru snapped moving forward. "You call killing her guardian and dragging her to some hidden spot keeping her safe?"
"Shishio had learned about your rather poor attempt to hide her on the mortal plane, and he was going to move." She shook her head. "It's always the same, isn't it Kenshin?"
"What do you mean by that?" his eyes narrowed.
"You couldn't keep Tomoe safe," Mara said. "You couldn't keep the demon scum in their prisons. You couldn't save your people from being turned into a race of sluts, rapists and whores. You couldn't protect Ryoko or Heero, they had to fight for survival over a thousand years before they escaped the Abyss. And of course, how could we forget your youngest, until recently of course."
"She died in the betrayal," Kenshin said angrily. Kaoru gripped the shoulder of her husband's avatar.
"Who are you to say such things?!" Kaoru snapped. "You've been a goddess for less than a millenium. You even abandoned your following for fifteen years! Of course, what would I expect from a low slut like you."
"Those fifteen years were not my decision," Mara growled, smile faded into an angry scowl. "I forgot who I was for a time."
"I'm sure you have an excuse!" Kaoru snapped. "Layabouts like you always have an excuse. You steal our daughter for safe-keeping and dare to accuse us of negligence! What gives you the right!?"
"I have every right!" Mara shouted, slamming her hands on the desk in front of her, shattering it. Neither of the two greater powers were impressed.
"What grudge do you bear me?" Kenshin demanded angrily.
"You pretend not to know?" Mara asked. She laughed bitterly and looked away. "I know that you told Ryoko her sister died, and she certainly didn't pass up the chance to adopt someone with the same name. But do you really think Kagato would pass up the chance to experiment on the Battousai's child, who do you think the first succubus was? Do you know how painful that transformation was? What her first experience with so-called 'love' was?"
Kenshin and Kaoru's eyes widened as they realized what was being said.
"You're her." Kaoru gasped.
"Nodoka?" Kenshin asked. Mara smiled darkly.
"I don't use that name anymore," she said.
"I didn't know..." Kenshin started.
"How could you know?" Mara asked. "You were too busy fighting."
"I was a fool in those centuries," Kenshin said. "Things have changed."
"No they haven't," Mara snapped. "You still can't protect your family."
"Why are you doing this?" Kaoru shouted. "She's your sister."
"It's necessary, isn't it Father?" Mara asked. "I tried Father's way for a time, and everything I built, everything that depended on me nearly collapsed. No, the only way to protect the weak is to make them strong. And I'll put your child and mine through hell to make sure they are!!"