"Certainly," said Hecate, curious as initial panic from the girl had settled into something approaching eagerness?
Kodachi smiled as the restraining force fell away. "It's just that, you're doing this to cut certain ties to Ranma-sama's past?"
"True," said Hecate. "Amaterasu being involved does bring entirely new problems into play."
"I'm not sure why, but I suddenly know that Ranma will never return my affections," said Kodachi. "As things stand at least."
Jung, minor kami of pyschology, looked as innocent as he could in the background.
"Go on," said Hecate, not buying innocent looks.
"There is something I'd like to be," said Kodachi, a sly smile playing over her lips.
Hecate raised an eyebrow at the normally crazed noblewoman, eyed the large carp pond (currently scummy and more swamp-looking than anything else) and nodded thoughtfully. "Are you sure? This will be permanent."
"You can do this?" Kodachi was practically eager now. The idea seemed a wonderful consolation prize, and a far better future than she could otherwise have obtained.
"Of course," said Hecate, smiling and revealing fangs.
Kodachi seemed to darken and blur, her clothes merging with her body as it lengthened and shifted. She dropped to all fours and threw back her head as a reptillian tail shot forth.
"Nicely done," admitted one of the other deities as the new Kodachi's head lifted and she bared sharp white teeth to the sky and roared.
Where Kodachi Kuno, the Black Rose, had stood was now a decidedly different beast.
As it was, her head now was perhaps nine feet off the ground. Stretched out, from snout to tail, she'd be closer to twenty one feet long. Stretching out like that was uncomfortable though, as the neck and spine and tail naturally curved. Two proud horns curved around to frame her new head and reddish eyes regarded the world a little differently. Thick black scales, dully glinting, faded to a tan coloration along her central underbelly.
Black Rose no more. This was Kodachi the Black Dragon.
"I feel... better," said Kodachi in the same voice she'd had. "I tire. I shall sleep and ponder this new role."
With that, the dragon quickly walked into the pond and prepared to submerge herself. Before she did though, she turned to look at the one they'd called a princess. "You there. Next time you are off to save the world and my Ranma-sama, I fully expect you to call for backup. My magnificent presence shall set rout to our mutual enemies. Oh hohohohohohohoho!"
Sailor Moon looked a little nervous as Kodachi submerged herself. "Is she on our side?"
"Mostly," responded Hecate. "She'll find she can assume something like her old form at need, but she actually craved this sort of existence and was the sort who was deliberately naughty in order to be punished. She's happy, I've gotten the chance to contribute, and you shouldn't underestimate the usefulness of her new natural form."
"She wanted that?!" Ranma asked.
"If she couldn't have you, this was a good consolation prize," admitted Hecate. "As it is, she might live as long as 900 years, growing steadily more powerful through most of that life. Her fascination for poisons and dangerous creatures, as well as some other tendencies you may have noticed, predisposed her towards this sort of thing."
Deep in the murk of the pond, which was now far deeper at one end, Kodachi found her tunnel and the lair at the far end. The small air tunnel, which led to underneath a stone lantern in the yard, let her smell what was going on without difficulty.
Kodachi let the scents waft over her far more sensitive nose and let the lip edges curl up in amusement. A form of power and glory. Beautiful in its own gothic way. Tall and lithe and powerful. And this way she could indeed be close to her Ranma-sama.
Closing her eyes and curling up in the darkness, Kodachi thought she'd manipulated the situation far better than anyone suspected. Certainly better than those other girls had.
Ranma listened. Several things were obvious from various comments.
One - some of these beings here were nasty s.o.b.s in their own right.
Two - most of them thought there was something about the four Amazons where this arrangement actually made them happier than they'd originally been.
That second point made Ranma listen a bit more and start looking over the four new Amazons to try and see it.
Haruka and Michiru were now members of a culture where their relationship was seen as just sort of normal? Ranma didn't see it. Azusa was acting a lot like Mousse and had adopted Akane as a cuddle toy. Ranma couldn't see that either, though Azusa did act all upbeat every chance she had to grab Akane. Akane was a much better fighter and more in touch with herself? Ranma could see the way she slung around Azusa did seem like she was better in the Art, but couldn't see where Akane was particularly happy at the moment.
"RANMA!" Akane peeled off Azusa and kicked her admirer over a fence before returning to stalking towards him. "You no run away this time! We fight!"
"I don't really want to fight you," said Ranma, the growling girl getting into his face. "Ain't this supposed to be a party?"
"We is gonna party," said Akane, drawing her mallet. "We has old score to settles. Ancient goddesses and princess understand is be needing settle old scores, yes?"
"She's got a point," admitted Artemis.
"Well, I suppose," hedged Sailor Moon.
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(Posted Sat, 05 Jun 2004 10:19)
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