Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Chained World: The Fall of the House of Kuno ❯ Spreading Ripples ( Chapter 51 )

This was originally published by me under the name Anduril at Anime Addventures, with the only changes being a few corrections in spelling, punctuation and the occasional word choice. If you like the beginning of my story but think I've gone off the rails, or have your own ideas for a great branch-off, or think I'm taking too long to update and want to continue the story yourself, come to Anime Addventures and join in the fun!

I claim no ownership rights to any of the works of Rumiko Takahashi, or anyone else's published work.

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A few minutes earlier:

In a plain, wood-paneled basement room of the Kuno mansion, the Master of Servants kept his stoic mask firmly in place, refusing to show his ... discomfort ... as he looked down at the red-haired girl lying unconscious on the comfortably warmed padded table before him, naked except for a face mask supplying the gas that was keeping her unconscious and her access to her ki reserves disrupted, her beauty on display for all in the room to see. Most especially, he refused to reveal his feelings to the nondescript man standing next to him. Pyo had no problem with how Ranma had been captured — tiny holes in windows in the Kuno suite's dining room and library, and copious amounts of odorless slow-acting sleeping gas. He was a ninja, after all. No, his discomfort was the result of how the man known as the Mentalist was also examining the nude girl.

Actually, “examining” was much too mild a word — his eyes were fixed on Ranma as if he were committing the view to memory. “I must admit, Kuno-dono has excellent taste,” the Mentalist commented. “I can see why he's so determined to keep her.”

“ `Him', actually, at least in his own mind — it's what she has been for most of her life,” Pyo replied. “You didn't read the report we sent you?”

“Yes, I did,” the Mentalist replied with a shrug. “She won't be the first person I've dealt with that was confused about gender. What I found more interesting was the auction center's report on Ranma's Adjustment, especially on how weak it was. Do you know if it's failed, yet? Or rather, if they've failed yet?”

“I do not know,” Pyo replied. “If I was to venture a guess, based on her behavior, I would say the Adjustment limiting the use of violence has failed while the one modifying her sexual preferences has not. But it is only a guess.”

“I guess I'll just have to find out for myself. I hope the report on Ranma's Adjustment is accurate, it's been too long since I've had a real challenge.” The Mentalist's eyes had remained fixed on the unconscious slave, and now his face was split by a broad predator's grin, his eyes shining with eagerness. “Is there any really bad news I can give her, to shake her up if it's needed?”

Pyo frowned. “Is that a good idea?” he asked. “I would think that such news would be more likely to strengthen Ranma's resistance, not weaken it.”

The Mentalist shrugged. “You are probably correct,” he said. “But maybe not, it will depend on what I find when I go in.”

Pyo gazed at the freelancer for a long moment, debating how much to tell him. He is the worst kind of ronin, willing to take on any task if his price is met, the Master of Servants thought, considering once again that one of the major problems with doing whatever it took to protect his lord was the kind of people it occasionally required him to associate with. Still, the Mentalist had made it a major point to protect any secrets he might learn about his employers while they were paying him — a necessity for a powerful rogue telepathic Wild Talent that wanted to be employed, rather than hunted down as a threat to the state (and the rich and powerful lords and daimyo).

The quiet of the room was interrupted by a brief burst of music, and Pyo stiffened at the tune — the signal for an emergency call. Pulling his phone from its belt sheath, he checked the caller to find the number for the Cat Café watch post. He glanced up at the Mentalist, found the other man's inevitable curiosity well-hidden, and mentally shrugged as he hit the `accept' key and looked back down at his phone's tiny screen.

The screen lit up with Sik Won's image, and without waiting for his superior to speak first the ninja all but shouted, “Sensei, Shampoo is leaving on a delivery right now!”

Pyo felt himself blanch. “Go!” he ordered instantly. Sik Won glanced back over his shoulder, then turned back as the screen shook and a massive explosion momentarily washed out all other sound through the phone. When quiet returned, Pyo continued, “Shut down the outpost, and return to the mansion in the morning when there is no possibility of being linked to the Cat Café's destruction. We will empty out the outpost later, when things have settled.”

Without waiting for his subordinate to acknowledge his order, he disconnected and returned the phone to its sheath as he refocused on the Mentalist. “For bad news, you can tell her that Ukyo-san, Konatsu-san, and the Amazons are dead, the Tendo dojo under assault by overwhelming numbers without hope of rescue. Can you lie while in someone's mind?”

“Certainly.”

“Then you can say that Akane-san has been captured and already Adjusted to believe that Kuno-dono is her beloved master and the father of her child, shared by her fellow full-use slave Ranko — I would strongly suggest that you not say that her child has been aborted or lost to a miscarriage.”

As the Mentalist nodded at the suggestion, Pyo continued, “And now, I will leave you to your task. As you heard, things are moving and I am needed elsewhere.” He exchanged bows and turned toward the exit with carefully concealed relief as the Mentalist waved for his servants standing along the wall to join him.

/oOo\

Okana Taisho stiffened where he lay on his cot, his reading of a trashy blood-sex-and-honor adventure novel set during the conquest of China disturbed by thunder — the artificial kind, rather than Susanoo's. He looked toward the open door to the tiny room he'd made his own since his team of ronins had arrived at the warehouse they'd made their temporary Neriman headquarters. A few minutes later, Dan Yuji appeared in the doorway. “Hey boss, something's up. Washichi-kun reports that that explosion just now was about where the Cat Café's located, and that'll tell you how big it was. No idea what, yet, but something's up.”

Okana swung to sit up on the cot, putting his reader to the side. “Right. I don't know if the Kunos were stupid enough to blow up an occupied restaurant or if someone else is trying to kick off a public backlash, but with how tense things have been this could do it. Get everyone up and armed, and alert the scouts that we may be on the move.”

“Already done,” Dan replied, flashing a grin at his chosen Captain, “you just need to get ready yourself.”

Okana glared at his subordinate, the strength of his opprobrium undermined by his twitching lips. “Then let's go.”

/oOo\

Hiroshi turned away from his bedroom window, picked up the chair in front if his computer that he'd knocked over when the explosion shook his family's house, and sat down. Okay, let's see what's on the raw news — He froze at the sight of footage of the hole that had been the Cat Café, panning to the side to show the shattered buildings around it. There was surprisingly little fire — building codes (for at least business districts if not personal homes) long since passed in an attempt to reduce district-wide conflagrations seemed to have mostly done their job — and he could already hear the first sirens.

Backing up the footage he'd just watched, Hiroshi froze the image and stared at the hole. It's just too big! There's no way that was an accident. And if it wasn't an accident ...

He hastily brought up his computer's phone function, highlighted the number for the Tendo dojo, hit the button to make the call ... and the call attempt was broken off by an incoming emergency call — Nabiki's number. Hands suddenly shaking, he plugged in his headphones, put them on, and accepted the call. He straightened as he listened to the pre-recorded message:

“Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and attacked all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God. When the Lord your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land he is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!”

The day had finally come.

Even as he had been listening to the call to arms Hiroshi had been highlighting another phone number, and as soon as it ended he hit the contact button, waited ... until a minute later his screen lit up with Sayuri's face, her hands behind her head gathering up her dark brown hair. Before she got a chance to speak, Hiroshi asked, “You got the message?”

“Yes I did,” she said, nodding as she wrapped the elastic around the base of her usual high ponytail.

“Good. Don't join everyone else at the rally point. Instead, get with Yuka — I want you two to check on the dojo, they may need help there.”

Sayuri blanched. “Of course Kuno would go after Akane at the same time he takes out the Amazons,” she almost whispered, then nodded firmly. “Yuka and I will give what help we can, and give you a call to let you know what's happened.”

“Great, thanks,” Hiroshi acknowledged, and disconnected. For a moment, he stared at the screen and its images of where the Cat Café had stood as he wondered if either of the girls would figure out that he was intentionally getting them out of harm's way. Though the way Kuno took out the Amazons was a lot more lethal than Nabiki-kun had expected ... perhaps I ought to call them back? Finally, he shook his head as he rose and grabbed his own staff — by the time the girls could get to the dojo, whatever was happening there would be long over. They would be safe enough — and still around to support Akane once everything settled down.

Meanwhile, he had his own assigned task and target for the night, and his own team to lead — the entire team, not just the members that had helped him bust up the auction center viewscreens.

/oOo\

This time when the phone rang, Captain Kasai Morimasa, head of the law enforcement for the Nerima Lording, didn't wait for his wife to answer it — not after the explosion that had just rattled his windows a few minutes earlier. Nor was he surprised when, as on the night he'd learned of the upcoming auction of `Tendo Ranko', his screen lit up with the face of Itou Goro. “I assume you heard that explosion?” Goro asked without preamble.

“Yes, it rattled the windows,” Morimasa replied.

“Well, it was the Cat Café.”

“The Cat —” Morimasa cut off his shout and turned to stare out the window. If the explosion had shaken his small house this far away ... And then his eyes flashed to the digital wall clock and his heart froze — the restaurant would have been in the middle of its evening rush.

“How's business there been, lately?” he asked in a voice held steady by sheer willpower.

“It's been falling off, but for tonight I don't know, the man that would have dropped in tonight hasn't reported in. I think he was inside when it blew up. And we aren't going to know how many are dead for days, and partly from missing person reports — the building just isn't there, anymore. A hole in the ground quickly turning into a new swimming pool is, though.”

Despite the humor in his words Goro's voice was dead serious, and Morimasa actually felt a totally inappropriate bubble of laughter forcing its way out. “A silver lining even in this?” he asked.

Goro's chuckling was distinctly lacking his usual undertone of humor even as his eyes shifted to the side, reading a screen alongside his main monitor, then even that chuckling cut off abruptly. “Oh, shit!” he breathed, then looked back at his boss. “Sorry, sir, no silver lining this time. There are reports coming in from every beat in the lording, men and some women are leaving their homes. We don't know where they are all headed yet, but most of them aren't headed for where the Cat Café used to be. And every one of them is carrying one of those staves that have become so popular since the auction — certainly a lot more than Saotome-san was teaching.”

“Oh, shit!” Morimasa echoed. “All right, send out an all-call, all off-duty policemen are to drop whatever they are doing and report to the station house immediately, along with ... half of those on patrol. Current patrolmen not reporting back are to follow the people and see where they are headed and how many show up — make sure they know that's all they are to do, no heroics. When we know gathering points, probable targets, and numbers, we'll decide how to respond with however many of us make it to the station.”

“Got it,” Goro acknowledged, and repeated back his orders. Morimasa nodded his approval and broke the connection, then whirled for the pistol and jacket hanging on the wall.

“Morimasa?”

He turned at the sound of his wife's voice and forced a smile. “Everything will be fine,” he lied easily. “I won't be on the front lines.” Finishing buckling on his shoulder holster, he pulled on his jacket then stepped over and gave her a light kiss. “I'll call as soon as I reach the station,” he promised. “Keep the door locked and the curtains closed.” He stepped out of the house, locked the door behind him, and started jogging toward the station house while keeping a wary eye at the people he saw on the street around him ... all headed in the same direction, away from his destination, thankfully — for the moment.

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So, back to the Grand Finale. I'm planning to stick with this story until it's finished, but we'll see — I've noticed my plans have a tendency to change without notice.

Yes, Ranma gets taken down off-stage. I considered including it in the same chapter that Konatsu and Ukyo were killed and Akane captured, but thought at the time that it would break up the flow. Then I lost track of it when I got to the obliteration of the Cat Café and the attack on the dojo. I may go back and add it to one of those two chapters later, we'll see.