"Nabiki did come up with a very good plan," Mara commented as the trio made their way through the wilderness. She didn't use the new nickname for Ranma's mortal helper, since all the fun of using it was in seeing Nabiki's expression when she did.
Ranma nodded absent-mindedly. "That she did."
The demoness stepped around a bush. "It was quite clever of her to think up a way of drawing out the women that have your daughter instead of fighting the whole village."
This time the pigtailed demon only nodded in response, his eyes focused up front.
Kodachi walked regally through the creation of Mother Nature while dressed in an immaculate black kimono. It was a wonder she could even walk around in it, considering the unevenness of the ground.
Mara sighed in exasperation and turned forward, to the small village visible in the distance. "Then why the Heaven are we walking in through the front gate?"
Ranma smirked, the first change in his facial expression in the last couple of hours. "Because this way we get to have more fun."
Mara remained in quite disbelief for a full minute before speaking again. "Hild is going to be pissed, Ranma. We demons aren't supposed to make public appearances like this. Especially if we use our powers against mortals just for 'fun.'" She was the first to suggest this course of action, but as they walked closer to their target she started to have second thoughts. She didn't reach her status by blatantly breaking the rules.
"So?" Came Ranma's careless response, which took Mara by surprise.
Kodachi used her sleeve to cover her face, stifling her soft giggle in a dignified manner. The short time she had alone with her Ranma-sama before coming to China was spent, contrary to what Mara and Nabiki thought, in softly speaking instead of having sex. While she lusted after her demon with all her being they both knew they had to get their daughter back. In that short time they came up with their own plan for this, or rather Kodachi came up with it. While Nabiki's own plan promised success it lacked something both Ranma and Kodachi wanted.
As they neared the outer wall of the village Kodachi's eyes narrowed dangerously upon seeing the female warriors already with weapons drawn.
No. Nabiki's plan was perfect in all but one thing. It didn't satisfy Kodachi's thirst for revenge at having her daughter stolen from her. The Amazons could've rescued Kodachi from the asylum easily, yet they instead ran away with her daughter. That in itself was enough for the gymnast to want them dead. Never mind the fact that she wanted them dead even before than that.
The demoness shook her head. She should've expected Ranma's response.
Any further conversation would have to wait, since they were now only a couple of feet away from the Amazon sentries. Mara gave Ranma one last sideways look, uncertain about what he had planned. He was hiding something.
"Halt!" One of the guards commanded firmly, the one with a spear in an easy grip. "What is your business in Amazon territory?"
Mara acted as if she was intimidated, thinking this a very stupid plan, and spoke in accented Chinese. "We thought we could get some supplies in our way back to Japan."
The Amazon looked Mara up and down and narrowed her eyes. The blonde demoness didn't look at all travel-weary. She turned her gaze to Ranma and Kodachi and didn't miss the way their hands were locked together. So the male was taken...
The Amazon turned to her companion. "Take the outsiders inside."
The other, younger, Amazon nodded and wordlessly motioned for the three outsiders to follow her.
Ranma and Kodachi inwardly smiled. Everything was going according to plan.
As they walked into the village Mara looked all around and frowned. It was a backwater village alright. Nothing to do but train, probably why the Amazons were supposed to be such good fighters. Her frown wasn't because of that, though. Why the heaven had Kodachi had them walk right in without a fight?
Kodachi looked all around and her eyes narrowed as she saw a group of women practicing their martial arts not far from where they walked. These were the women that stole her daughter away.
Ranma suddenly jerked forward when he felt someone slam against his back. He regained his balance and turned to see Kodachi in a kneeling position starting to get up.
Mara raised an eyebrow upon seeing Kodachi trip on her own feet and stumble into Ranma's back. The gymnast appeared to still be quite clumsy after her stay in the asylum, contrary to her show with that ribbon of hers. She was about to make a comment on it when, to her shock, Ranma glared at the Black Rose and slapped her with the back of his hand. Hard!
*SLAP*
The sound, together with Kodachi's pathetic moan of pain, called everyone's attention to the scene. More than one Amazon set of eyes narrowed in dangerous anger when they saw a bruised and in tears Kodachi beg Ranma to forgive her, only to have the man viciously kick her in the face and send her flying to crash against the side of a house.
Mara's eyes were wide in shock as she stared at her demon companion. "What the fuck...?" She trailed off when Ranma turned a dark glare her way.
"You want to have your place shown to you too, bitch?" The pigtailed demon asked threateningly in Chinese.
Mara's eyes widened at the question before narrowing in anger. "What the fuck are you on?"
The answer to Mara's growled question was a fist to her gut. The punch was so strong and unexpected that it made all the air leave Mara's lungs explosively, leaving her weak on the legs just as Ranma continued his assault by kicking them from under her. She growled in a mixture of pain and anger when she felt Ranma's heel dig into her spine. Oh he was going to get it for this!!!
Ranma snorted at the downed form of the demoness. "You should learn your place. Women are meant to be under their man's foot."
While the words confused the demoness, since Ranma spoke them in obvious overacting. She looked up to see him smirk darkly, but didn't understand exactly why until more than one scream of outrage sounded all around them.
The demoness looked all around to find the Amazons starting to charge at the pigtailed martial artist with bare steel. Her mind then made the connection and she turned to find Kodachi had already disappeared. She had been used. "Why that little..." Whatever she was about to say after that was drowned by the sounds of battle.
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(Posted Sun, 10 Oct 2004 23:26)
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