Muyami Academy
What if they ALL went to the same school?
Chapter five, finally! My apologies for taking so long, and I hope
it was worth the wait!
Thanks to my prereaders, T.H. Tiger and Bombadil Goh, who've been
great for bouncing ideas off of. Thanks also to those who've written to me,
some with ideas or suggestions, especially Jed Hagen and Scott Pollert who
have been very helpful, feeding me ideas and a few good lines. ^_^
DISCLAIMER: Ranma 1/2 characters and stuff, and Inu-Yasha
characters and stuff, not to mention Ursei Yatsura characters and stuff,
copyright 1999 Rumiko Takehashi. Tenchi Muyou characters and stuff,
copyright 1999 Pioneer & AIC. Mamono Hunter Yohko characters and stuff
copyright 1999 AD Vision, NCS, Toho Company, LTD, Mad House, and I don't
know who else. Koko wa Greenwood characters copyright Yuki Nasu. Mint na
Bokura characters copyright Wataru Yoshizume. Alice In Wonderland written
by Lewis Carroll, perhaps copyright his estate, I don't really know, and
anyway, it only appears in this disclaimer.
As I was roving over
The precinct of Nerima
I spied that coward Ranma
And I began to scheme-a
Well first, I grabbed bandanas,
My umbrella held like a sabre,
Saying, "Stand and deliver!
"For you are a bold deceiver!"
Musha ring dum a doo dum a da
Whack for my daddy-o
Whack for my daddy-o
There's water in the kettle
I pounded hard on Ranma,
'Til he was all but beaten,
But he splashed me with cold water,
Like a coward, always cheatin',
I went to Akane's bedroom,
For she never would deceive me.
In walked the pervert, Ranma,
But Akane slammed him easy.
Musha ring dum a doo dum a da
Whack for my daddy-o
Whack for my daddy-o
There's water in the kettle
Now some take delight,
In fighting or in gambling,
Others take delight
In perversions I can't fathom,
Me, I take delight,
In sleeping with Akane,
And in travelling the wide world
With a kettle always handy.
Musha ring dum a doo dum a da
Whack for my daddy-o
Whack for my daddy-o
There's water in the kettle
Chapter Five
Shadows Unbound
Tenchi Masaki was pissed.
He stood in the kitchen of the tiny sushi restaurant, Yosho's sword
held before him. The lights were out, and his sword glowed in the near
darkness like a lighthouse beacon across the night sea. It cast an eerie
light on everything around him.
Before him stood Ryoko, the strange demon-woman he'd freed from the
cave at his grandfather's shrine over a week ago. She'd seemed friendly
enough for the last several days, even overly friendly when it came to him,
but now she'd attacked his friend Ranma without cause or warning. Ryoko had
the power and ability to level city blocks, and had already destroyed
Tenchi's old school. True, she hadn't actually hurt Tenchi himself, but
then he'd mostly run away, whereas Ranma had probably tried to fight back.
"Ryoko," Tenchi growled, "if you lay another finger on Ranma, I'll
never forgive you!"
"Stay out of this, Tenchi!" Ryoko growled back. "This is between me
and her... him... whatever!"
Then Ayeka was standing next to Tenchi, and her containment wards
appeared. As a royal princess of planet Jurai, Ayeka commanded a great deal
of power in her own right. She was no real match for Ryoko, but, together
with Tenchi, they just might be able to stop her.
"Ryoko, you monster!" Ayeka yelled. "You will not hurt this poor,
innocent girl!" Energy crackled in the air around her.
Ryoko did not make a move, but her anger clearly wasn't yet spent.
"Ayeka, Tenchi," she said, "this has nothing to do with either of
you!"
"Ranma's my friend!" Tenchi said. "I'm not going to stand by and
let you kill her!"
In the silence that followed, Tenchi noticed, for the first time,
the sounds of combat coming from the front of the restaurant: feet scraping
the floor as a fighter shifted and planted for a strike, the sound of an
energy sword slicing through air, and... something that wasn't air. There
was a horrible, keening scream, like the sound of a wounded animal
amplified tenfold, and then, a warning yell: "Heads up! Coming through!"
Tenchi spun about. Something was sailing over the counter and into
the already-crowded kitchen. It was large, amorphous, and black as night.
"Get back!" a girl's voice called out. "It's evil!"
Tendrils of inky black oozed from the blob like tentacles. Tenchi
didn't need to hear Yohko's warning to know that this thing, unlike Ryoko,
was a true demon. His sword flashed out, almost of it's own volition, and
slashed into the thing.
There was another terrifying keening. The creature physically
melted away from the sword, oozing into the back corner of the kitchen.
A girl in a red Chinese dress leapt onto the counter. In her hand
was a sword that, if anything, glowed even brighter than Tenchi's own.
"Foul demon spawn!" she yelled. "I, Yohko Mano, 108th generation
Devil Hunter, will send you back from whence you came!"
The room was filled with eerie, whispering voices, like the sighing
of the wind. "The shrine," the voices breathed. "You have violated the
shrine. The gate of gates has been unsealed...."
Yohko gripped her soulsword tightly. "I have no idea what you're
talking about," she said. "I haven't violated any shrines that I know of."
"What's going on?" Ayeka called out. One minute, she and Tenchi
were facing off against Ryoko; the next minute, Tenchi and Yohko were
instead facing off with something shadowy and indistinct. She clearly
didn't know what this shadow thing was, or why it merited greater attention
than a rampaging Ryoko. In her confusion, her containment wards faded out
of existence.
Ryoko, however, was having no such trouble. She knew a true demon
when she met one.
"Tenchi!" Ryoko called out. "Be careful!" She instantly appeared
next to him, and a bright red energy sword materialized in her hand. "It's
a demon!" she said. "A real one!"
"I know that!" Tenchi yelled.
The demon seemed to gather itself together, and then struck.
***
Akane shivered on the sidewalk outside the restaurant with her
sister Nabiki and Madoka Mano, Yohko's grandmother.
"It's a demon," Madoka repeated. "You see, Yohko's a 108th
generation demon hunter, trained to battle demons by myself, the 107th
generation demon hunter. It looked like a mid-level demon, which can be
deadly for a normal human, but Yohko should be able to handle it."
"These things happen to you every time you go out?" Nabiki asked.
"Pretty much," Madoka said.
Nabiki arched an eyebrow. "Then remind me to never eat out with you
again," she said.
Akane wondered what was happening inside the restaurant. She could
hear the yelling and fighting, but couldn't see anything through the
darkened windows except for the thin line of light from Yohko's sword as it
was swung about, and another line of light just like it.
She wondered about that. Madoka Mano finally saw it as well, and
sucked in her breath. "Who else is using a soulsword?" she asked. Neither
Akane nor Nabiki had an answer. Akane had never even seen a soulsword until
a minute ago.
"We're beginning to attract a crowd," Nabiki said. Akane looked
about, noticing for the first time that there were a dozen or so people
gathered behind them.
She glanced back into the gloom of the restaurant. "I hope Ranma's
all right," she said.
***
As the shadow creature lunged forward, inky tentacles shooting out
from the central mass, Ryoko pushed Tenchi back and flew to meet it. Her
energy sword sliced down in a bright red arc, cleaving the creature in two.
Inky tentacles wrapped around her arms. "Eh?" she asked, as the two
halves of the creature rejoined. Suddenly, Ryoko was lifted and flung
across the room, colliding with the wall.
"Ryoko!" Tenchi yelled. The demon-woman immediately sprang to her
feet and reformed her sword.
"Energy alone can't stop a demon," Yohko exclaimed. She leapt at
the creature and spun about, bringing her sword down in a slashing arc.
This time, as the soulsword sliced through it, the creature screamed in
pain.
That was the only difference, however. A thick tentacle bashed
Yohko to the back of the room, where she collided with several boxes
stacked by the back door. A bag split, scattering rice across the floor.
The creature reformed itself.
Tenchi swore under his breath and charged forward. "Lord Tenchi, be
careful!" Ayeka called out. Ryoko came flying back over the counter, eyes
glowing in anger. Tenchi's sword sliced down, with Ryoko's following it.
Again, the creature screamed. It was the sound of many voices, each
one quiet and faint on it's own, but, in combination with a thousand
others, it was something that pierced the night. It was like a soft cry,
amplified a thousand fold. Ayeka felt it in her bones, and it set her teeth
on edge.
And yet, the creature reformed itself again. It lashed out, and
Ryoko again was spun into the far wall. Tenchi was thrown back at Ayeka,
who screamed and awkwardly tried to break his fall. She wound up on the
floor of the kitchen, with Tenchi on top of her.
Ryoko bounced up once again and flew at the creature. "Die, damn
you!" she screamed, burying her sword in the creature once again.
The creature roared, a sound so loud and deep that the floor shook.
It seemed to rise up, growing larger, and a fat tentacle slammed Ryoko into
the ceiling. She fell, bouncing off the counter and onto the floor. She
didn't move again.
Black tentacles lashed out at Yohko and Tenchi, and they both
slashed through them. Again, the creature attacked, and again, two white
blades sliced through the thick tendrils cleanly, like a groundskeeper
pruning an unruly hedge. The creature seemed to pull back then, and regard
the two of them for a moment.
"It's wearing down!" Yohko called out, and it was true -- the
creature didn't seem as massive, or as quick, as it had been to start with.
"Time to finish it off!" Yohko said.
Tenchi nodded, gritted his teeth, and drove his sword deep into the
creature. At the same time, Yohko stabbed into the heart of the shadows
with her soulsword. "Be gone from this place!" she shouted.
With a horrific, high-pitched scream, the creature shriveled into
nothingness, and was gone.
The four combatants stood in the darkness for a moment, as if
waiting for another attack. Then Ayeka, remembering what they'd been doing
before the demon showed up, dropped to Ranma's side.
There was a gaping wound where something sharp had pierced Ranma's
right side. Blood soaked the girl's shirt.
"She's badly hurt," Ayeka said. "She needs a doctor, now."
Ryoko stirred, then raised her head. Tenchi spared her a glance,
then returned his attention to Ranma.
Carry her outside, to the light," Yohko said. "I can help her...."
Ayeka and Tenchi nodded, and lifted Ranma off the ground.
***
Akane and Nabiki gasped as Ranma was carried out of the restaurant.
The redhead's skin was white in the moonlight, and it was clear that she'd
lost a lot of blood. She was covered with scrapes and bruises, and her
right arm was clearly broken, but it was the ragged wound in her side that
worried Akane the most.
"Ranma!" Akane called out, jumping forward. Ayeka -- the girl with
the purple hair -- and Tenchi lay Ranma down on the concrete.
Yohko stepped in front of Akane and held up her hand.
"Stay back," she said, in such a commanding voice that Akane
immediately took two steps back.
Madoka Mano wrapped her hand about Akane's arm. "It's okay, dear,"
she said, her voice calm and steady. "Yohko can heal Ranma's wounds."
Akane's eyes widened, and then she glanced back at Tenchi and
Ayeka.
"What happened in there?" she asked. "How did Ranma get hurt? Was
it the demon?"
Tenchi shook his head. "It was Ryoko," he said. At the same time,
the blue-haired girl floated through the wall of the restaurant, as if she
were a ghost. Her hair and clothing were torn and dirty.
Ayeka and Tenchi both glared at the girl, who visibly flinched.
Putting two and two together, Akane growled, low in her throat, and took a
step towards Ryoko. A bright blue battle-aura flared to life about her,
visible to everyone. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?" Akane growled.
Although obviously shaken, the strange girl favored Akane with a
look of disdain. "What's it to you?" she asked.
"Ranma's my friend!" Akane replied. "Why would you attack her?
She's done nothing to you!"
"She attacked me first," Ryoko said, "back in the cave. I only
returned the favor. I taught her a lesson."
With a shout, Akane threw a viscous uppercut. Ryoko winked out of
existence, and Akane's fist met nothing but air.
Akane sensed something behind her -- a slight movement in the air,
perhaps -- and lashed out with a high kick. She connected squarely with
Ryoko's stomach. Gasping as the air was driven from her lungs, the
green-haired girl flew back several feet, then growled in return. Instantly
Ryoko's energy sword appeared in her hand, but then several circles of
wooden wards materialized in the air about her. Strands of energy, like
rubbery vines, shot out from the wards and wrapped about her body.
"Hey!" Ryoko exclaimed, "what gives?"
"Haven't you done enough for one night?" Ayeka asked angrily.
"Isn't it enough that you've nearly killed one of Lord Tenchi's friends?
Are you going to try and kill another one? And to think that, for a brief
moment, I almost thought there was more to you than just a cruel,
heartless, demonic mummy!"
"Listen, Princess, I...."
"RYOKO!" Tenchi yelled, "Ayeka's right. You should leave. Now."
This brought the girl up short. Tenchi rarely got angry, but she
didn't mistake the tone of his voice this time.
"Tenchi, I...." she began.
"I said leave!"
Tears began to roll down Ryoko's face. She easily teleported out of
the coils of Ayeka's trap, and hung for a moment, about six feet off the
ground. "I... I'm sorry," she said, "I... I...." Her voice trailed off, and
she flew straight up, disappearing into the darkness.
Akane frowned, then glanced back at the others.
While Ayeka and Akane had been fighting with Ryoko, Yohko had been
busy. Oblivious to all else, she stood over Ranma, her eyes closed, all of
her concentration focused on her soulsword. Light enveloped Ranma, like a
snow-white aura or a St. Elmo's Fire. Akane watched in wonder as Ranma's
body floated upwards, until it was several inches off of the ground. Then
the light began to fade, and the sleeping redhead settled once more to the
cold pavement. As the light faded completely, Yohko opened her eyes. Her
soulsword faded away, her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the pavement
beside Ranma.
"My, my," Nabiki said, and then Akane saw it too. Where there had
been a gaping hole in Ranma's side, there was now only a faint, pink scar,
and her right arm was straight and whole.
"Now, that's impressive," Nabiki said.
Madoka Mano smiled. "I always preferred healing to fighting," she
said. "Looks like Yohko's out of it, too. She must have used a lot of
energy. Could one of you help me carry her to her room?"
"And I thought Ranma was interesting," Nabiki said. "I had no idea
what his friends were like...."
***
Somewhere South of Tokyo, a young boy was walking down the road
carrying a heavy backpack with a red umbrella on top. He had thick black
hair held back a by a black and yellow bandana, and walked along with the
easy-going gait of someone used to long hikes.
He passed a man working in a field near the road, and stopped. He
scratched at his head for a moment, then said, "Ah, excuse me, sir, but
would you know if Matsukata Hall is around here somewhere?"
The field worker returned a blank stare. "You know," the traveler
added, "the girl's dorm? At Muyami Academy?"
The worker continued to stare blankly. "Can't say as I've heard of
it," he finally said.
"Well," the boy said, "sorry to bother you then." He turned and
continued on his journey.
As he walked, he muttered under his breath, "Of all the luck! I
finally get a date with a beautiful girl, and I manage to get lost... poor
Yohko will probably never speak to me again."
***
Belldandy was in the dormitory commons room, sitting on the couch
with Keichi, when they heard a group of voices approaching from outside.
Moments later, the front doors opened, and Akane stepped in, followed by
Nabiki and a very woozy-looking Yohko.
"Oh! Do you realize that you're past curfew?" Belldandy asked,
getting up.
"Then so is your boyfriend," Nabiki replied.
Belldandy glanced at Keichi, and they both turned red. "That may
be," Belldandy said, "but I'm supposed to enforce the rules for the girl's
dorm. I have them posted on each floor, so please take a minute to read
them. Remember, they exist for your protection..." her voice trailed off as
Tenchi entered with an unconscious Ranma in his arms, followed by Ryoko and
Madoka Mano. Belldandy got one look at Ranma's blood-soaked clothing,
Tenchi's wounds and Ryoko and Yohko's torn clothing, and her eyes grew wide
with alarm.
"Oh my!" she exclaimed, "what in the world happened? Who is this?
Is she all right?"
"It's Ranma," Tenchi said. "He's okay...."
Belldandy placed a hand on Ranma for a moment, examining the girl for
herself. "Oh!" she said, then "follow me." She headed for the stairs, and
everyone followed.
She led them to a room on the second floor, and opened the door.
"Lay her on the bed and let me look at her," she said. Tenchi set Ranma
down and stepped back, while Belldandy knelt and placed her hands on the
girl's chest.
"Whose room is this?" Tenchi asked.
"Ranma's, of course," Belldandy replied.
"Ranma's? But this is the girl's dorm...."
"Well," Yohko said, walking into the room, "Ranma is a girl, you
know. Where else would her room be?"
Tenchi exchanged glances with Akane, who mouthed, "she doesn't
know". Tenchi's eyebrows rose, and he nodded silently, still a bit puzzled.
"Ranma's roommate won't arrive until tomorrow," Belldandy said.
"Perhaps it's just as well... oh, my! Ranma's been badly injured, but...
someone has already healed her?"
"Yes, that was me," Yohko said.
The others were filing into the room. "How can you tell that she's
been healed?" Nabiki asked.
Belldandy unbuttoned the front of Ranma's shirt, then glanced back
at Tenchi and Keichi. "If you don't mind," she said, "could we have a few
moments of privacy?"
"Ah... sure," Tenchi said. "We'll... just stand out in the
hallway."
***
Madoka Mano followed Tenchi and Keichi out into the hallway.
"Your name is Tenchi, correct?" Madoka asked. "I'm Madoka Mano,
Yohko's grandmother. Could I see that sword of yours for a moment?"
Tenchi nodded, and handed the weapon over. The old woman examined
it carefully, paying particular attention to the jewels in the hilt.
"Can anyone use this?" she asked, "or only you?"
"It's attuned to Juraian noble blood," Tenchi said. "I can use it,
and my grandfather or Ayeka could use it, but not Ranma or Akane."
Madoka smiled, and handed it back. "Just as I thought," she said.
"Yohko's sword is called from within her, and is fed from the power of her
soul. Your sword is external, and yet... it requires someone who can
channel power from within. It's not so different, after all."
"I suppose not," Tenchi said.
"And they gems... they help focus and control power."
"That's right," he said. "Although, they weren't originally a part
of the sword. My ancestor, Yosho, took them from Ryoko. She still has one
gem embedded in her right wrist -- it amplifies her power. She's even said
that she can control spirits, but I don't know about demons. I think if she
could have controlled that thing tonight, she would have -- or maybe, if I
gave her all of the gems -- but I won't do that; she's too unpredictable."
Grandmother Mano nodded. "Controlling a demon takes a great deal of
power -- but the power that you two channel can still affect demons. That's
why your sword hurt the demon... it's not really different from Yohko's
soulsword. This "Juraian power" is no different from chi power, save that
those of Juraian blood seem able to channel a lot more energy than any
human."
She laughed and slapped Tenchi on the back. "Why, with that sword,
and your inherent powers, you'd make a great devil hunter, Tenchi. Imagine
that -- a male devil hunter! Chastity probably isn't even an issue with
people of Juraian blood!"
"Ah..." Tenchi said, his face turning red. Madoka's laughter echoed
down the hallway, then she added, "You wouldn't, by chance, be looking for
a girlfriend, would you? My Yohko's available, you know...."
"N-no!" Tenchi said. "I mean, she seems like a nice girl, but...."
"Well, I don't want to interfere too much," Madoka added, "but keep
her in mind. Together, you two could produce the greatest Demon Hunter the
world's ever seen!"
She glanced at Keichi.
"What about you, boy?" she asked. "Your girlfriend seems to know a
lot. Do you have any special powers?"
"Ah... heh, heh," Keichi said, laughing nervously. "No, I'm just a
normal guy...."
***
Akane sat at Ranma's desk and watched as Belldandy checked Ranma
over. Nabiki, Ayeka, and Yohko also waited for the verdict.
"You were attacked by a demon?" Belldandy asked, still examining
Ranma.
"Yeah," Yohko said, "that happens around me a lot."
"Yet these wounds were not caused by a demon," Belldandy added.
"How can you tell?" Nabiki asked.
"It was that monster, Ryoko," Ayeka said. "She attacked this poor
girl for no reason, before we even realized there was a demon present."
"Oh my!" Belldandy exclaimed, staring down at the unconscious girl.
"Poor Ranma has some sort of curse on her! How terrible!"
"Um... yeah," Akane said carefully. "Ranma knows about it." She
paused, and then added, "It's probably best if she explains it to you
herself."
Belldandy nodded, standing. "Well, you did a pretty good job,
Yohko," she said. "There were a couple of small things that you missed. If
you like, I could give you some pointers...."
"Y-you could?"
"Of course!" Belldandy smiled. "You're a demon hunter, aren't you?"
"Yes -- how did you know?"
"It's my job to know," Belldandy said.
"Yes," Nabiki said, "but how do you know? Are you a witch,
perhaps?"
"A witch?" Belldandy laughed. "Don't be silly! I'm a goddess."
For a moment, everyone stared. Then Nabiki sighed, and said, "Alien
Princesses, demons, girls that fly and toss energy around like jugglers
with bowling pins, boys that turn into... well, whatever. I guess I
shouldn't be surprised."
"Anyway," Belldandy said with a smile, "Ranma should be fine when
she wakes up, but I'd like to get her into some clean pajamas." Turning to
the dresser, she noticed Ranma's suitcase, still sitting beside the bed,
where she and Nabiki had left it earlier that evening. "Oh, poor Ranma!"
she said. "She hasn't even had time to put her clothing away!" Belldandy
laid the suitcase on its side and popped the locks.
"Um, before you do that," Akane said, but it was too late.
Belldandy held up a yellow dress. "Oh, this is very pretty! I'll
bet Ranma looks beautiful in it!"
She hung it in the closet, and pulled out another one. This one was
a pale blue sundress, with a pattern of yellow flowers.
There were other things in the suitcase... things with floral
prints and pastel colors. Things of silk and satin, and things with
lace....
Akane's eyes bugged out. What was Ranma doing with women's clothing
in his suitcase? Unless....
...unless, Ranma had decided to live as a girl? But if so, she
might have told Akane.
Belldandy began removing clothing and placing it in the dresser and
closet. Yohko helped her, and in a few moments they'd put everything away,
dressed Ranma in silk pajamas, and tucked her under the covers. Her Chinese
clothing, now ripped and caked with blood, went into the trash.
"I wonder if we should leave her alone?" Belldandy asked. "Maybe I
should stay with her tonight...."
"I... I guess I can stay with her," Akane said. "I mean, I'm her...
her friend. I'll just sleep in the top bunk, if that's okay."
Belldandy smiled, bringing her hands together. "That would be
wonderful!" she exclaimed. "I'll check on you both in the morning!"
As Belldandy left the room, Nabiki looked at Akane and raised an
eyebrow.
"Sleeping in the same room, already?" she asked. "My, wouldn't
father be ever so happy to find out?"
"Don't you dare," Akane growled.
"Wouldn't dream of it," Nabiki said, walking out of the room.
"Nabiki!" Ayeka exclaimed, running after her. "About our bed
arrangements...."
***
There was a knock on the door. Ryoko ignored it.
"Ryoko?" a pleasant voice called out. "Are you in there?"
Ryoko said nothing. Her roommate, the strange foreign girl with
blue hair, was as silent as stone. What was her name again? Ifurita, that
was it. Strange girl. She hadn't said one word yet to her roommate, but
that was just fine with Ryoko. After 600 years in a cave, she was rather
used to the silence, and liked having a place where she could get away from
it all, and just lay back and think.
"I know you're in there," the voice in the hallway said. "There's
no use hiding from me, Ryoko. Now, please open the door."
Ryoko didn't move. After a full minute of silence, she decided that
the person had given up and gone away.
Good.
Then she heard a rustle of skirts, and sat up. The door was still
closed, but Belldandy, the girl's dorm president, stood just inside of it,
right before the floor-length mirror on the back.
Ryoko raised an eyebrow. "So, you pass through walls, too?"
"Perhaps," Belldandy said. "I've come to talk to you about Ranma."
Ryoko flopped back against her pillow. "I'm not in the mood to
talk," she said.
Belldandy favored her with a stern, angry look. "Ryoko," she said,
"is it true that Ranma's injuries were your doing?"
"Maybe," Ryoko said. "What of it?"
"I won't have you, or anyone else, harming the girls in my dorm,"
Belldandy said. "Is that understood?"
"Yeah, whatever."
"I mean that, Ryoko. I'm responsible for these girls, so I won't
let things get out of hand. You could have killed poor Ranma; you know
that, don't you? I don't want to see anything like this again."
Ryoko didn't reply, but someone else did.
"She can have you expelled," Ifurita said. "You'll be separated
from the boy you love."
Ryoko's eyes widened, and she sat up again. She looked directly at
Belldandy, and asked, "Is that true?"
"Only as a last resort," Belldandy said. "I wouldn't want to do
that, but if you're going to harm the girls that I've sworn to protect,
then I may have to...."
"Okay, okay," Ryoko said. "I get the picture. I guess I got a
little carried away. I'm sorry, it... it won't happen again."
Belldandy replied, "See that it doesn't."
Then, as Ryoko watched, the girl's dorm president stepped through
the mirror, and vanished.
Ryoko flew down and stuck her head through the door, just to be
sure. She startled a girl with long, magenta-colored hair, who jumped two
feet back, then grinned, displaying a long fang.
"Hello there!" the girl exclaimed. "I'm Nuku-Nuku! Who are you?"
"Ryoko," said Ryoko absently. She glanced up and down the hallway,
but Belldandy was nowhere to be seen. How had she disappeared so quickly?
Through the floor, perhaps?
"That sure is a neat trick," Nuku-Nuku continued. "How do you do
it?"
"Tell me," Ryoko said, "did the dorm president go by here a moment
ago?"
"You mean Belldandy?" the girl said. She paused, as if the question
required a great deal of thought. "Nooooo, I don't think I've seen her
recently," she said.
"Hmmm," Ryoko responded, and pulled her head back into the room.
She blinked, then floated back up to her bed.
"Who is she, anyway?" she asked.
Her roommate didn't answer.
***
"It was a demon," the woman said. "I heard 'em say it. One of 'em
was a demon killer."
"A demon hunter?" Ido asked.
"Yes! And there was one of 'em girls, with a big gash in her side,
and the demon killer girl made all this light glow around her, and then she
weren't injured no more!"
The old man beside her nodded enthusiastically. "That's right!
That's Right! I seen it myself! And not only that, there was another girl
that could fly and walk through walls!"
Daisuke Ido, Chief of Police for the small town, nodded absently.
He surveyed the damage to the sushi restaurant, then turned back to the
small group of witnesses.
"Did anyone see where Mr. Jihara went?" he asked.
Everyone shook their heads. "Demon got 'im, probably," someone
muttered, to a chorus of assents.
Chief Ido nodded, and wrote their answers down.
Chief Ido was tall and thin, with a kind face shielded by a brown
hat with a floppy brim. He wore round, wire-rimmed glasses that flashed
when he turned, reflecting the streetlight. His hair, when you could see
it, was short and blond, and he wore a heavy brown trench coat, belted in
the middle and with huge pockets. It was, perhaps, the sort that an
inspector from Scotland Yard might wear.
At least, that's what Chief Ido liked to think.
People liked Ido. He was warm, personable, and trustworthy. He fit
the mold of a small-town cop; everyone knew his name, and relied on him
like they relied on their own parents.
He was also the sort of man that could stare into the face of hell
itself without flinching. At least, he liked to think he was. In this
small, sleepy district, he'd never really had the chance to find out.
Ido finished taking statements, then excused himself and stepped
back into the restaurant.
The darkness outside was fading to gray, an indication that dawn
was only an hour or so away, but inside the building it was still very
dark. The beam of a flashlight swept the floor, and Ido produced his own
and turned it on. He stepped further into the restaurant, his beam
searching the floor for clues.
"Chief!" a voice called out. "I think I've found something!"
Ido strode into the kitchen, and knelt to inspect the circle of
light created by his partner's flashlight. He reached out, and carefully
lifted something black and gooey from the restaurant floor.
"What is it?" his partner, Gonzu, asked. "Grease? There sure is a
lot of it."
"Demon slime, perhaps," Ido said. He carefully placed it in a
plastic bag. "The forensics boys will know for sure."
"They know demon slime, do they?"
Chief Ido wasn't listening. He was staring at the carnage that was
once a small kitchen, and thinking hard about what might have happened
here.
No, he'd never had the chance to stare into the face of hell
without flinching. But he had the feeling that soon, very soon, his
opportunity would come....
***
Note about the filk song for this chapter: this is based off an old
Irish/Scottish folk song, "Whiskey In The Jar", which Metallica has
recently released a recording of. It's been covered by a lot of other
bands, including Thin Lizzy and the Celtic rock band Tempest, and there are
a lot of different versions of the lyrics (I like Tempest's version the
best). I just thought that a song about a "roving blade" fit the wandering
boy pretty well. ^_^
Chapter 6 is mostly written. Hopefully I'll get it out quickly. It's not
writer's block that prevents me from writing -- after all, I've written six
or so other stories since releasing Chapter 4 -- but I get in a habit of
doing other things, and then I don't work on my story for days at a time.
*to be continued*
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