"Ranma?!"
Mara stared in horror at the person that was jerkily standing up, eyes wide with disbelief. No, she thought frantically to herself. This just couldn't be happening. Two things happened then that made Mara very afraid. VERY AFFRAID!!!
First was the fact that she saw the marks on the other woman's face. She was a goddess!
Second... Ranma's knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists so tightly he drew blood. "Don't you dare!" She cried out just as Ranma let out a roar and charged, with Mara quickly on his heels to stop him. If he attacked a goddess while he was on probation they were both royally fucked.
Kodachi would've attacked as well, had she not been carrying her daughter and rather standing back from the action to protect her.
Nabiki just shook her head in disbelief. "What are the odds?" She asked to herself as she leaned against the gate to watch the scene unfold. She was going to enjoy watching that bitch beaten to dead after what she went through because of her.
"Ranma! What are you...?" The goddess started to ask just before crying out in alarm and barely managing to jump out of the way of a rather menacing-looking blast of hellfire. Thankfully for her, Ranma's demon power was greatly reduced on temple grounds, so the explosion didn't reach her, and the noise called the attention of the other occupants of the temple.
"Get away from her!" Urd cried as she rushed towards the demons, her hands already crackling with power.
"YOU IDIOT!!! CAN'T YOU SEE SHE'S A GODDESS?!!" Mara cried as she tackled Ranma to the ground in an attempt to keep him from attacking again. She accidentally made Urd's lightning attack miss the demon as well.
Urd stood in front of her downed ward at the ready. "What is the meaning of this, Mara?!" She demanded angrily at recognizing the demon that beat the shit out of her.
"Get off me, you tomboy!" Ranma growled angrily as he struggled to get to his feet, a very stubborn Mara hanging on his back.
"You can't kill her, you idiot! She's a goddess!" Mara shouted in his ear as she held on for dear life.
"Like heaven I can't!" He bellowed and turned to the goddesses with a murdering glare.
"... Ranma..." The younger goddess whispered brokenly at seeing the pigtailed martial artist glaring with such hate at her.
Urd prepared another blast and stood at the ready, hoping that Bell would get out here already. Even on temple grounds she didn't want to risk facing two First Class demons on her own.
Ranma gave up trying to knock Mara off his back and settled for glaring right now. "Why?!"
"... Ranma?" The goddess asked hesitantly, not understanding the question and shaken beyond belief at having Ranma so blatantly try to kill her.
The pigtailed demon felt tears start to trail down his face but ignored them. There was a reason why he couldn't control his rage against this person. Against Tofu he was even a little playful. He was bidding his time against Ukyo, there was no rush. But against this woman... His rage was fueled by a huge feeling of betrayal. "Why did you have to go and KILL ME?!! I trusted you!" Ranma raged as more tears left his eyes, all the time staring at the woman in the eye.
The sheer amount of hurt in Ranma's blue-gray eyes tore at her heart like nothing ever could. She didn't even hear his accusation as her own tears joined his.
Urd, however, did listen to Ranma. "What the fuck are you talking about?!" She demanded.
Nabiki and Kodachi watched the proceedings, entranced, just as Belldandy and Skuld rushed out to see what the commotions was all about. Seeing the current stalemate they decided not to interfere yet, but be ready if needed.
"This idiot here is trying to get revenge on the ones that killed him," she said and glared at Ranma. "But it turns out one of them is actually a goddess." She definitely had to look into that. Ranma's deal with Hild shouldn't have proceeded if he was going to kill a goddess. The doublet system wouldn't permit it.
Urd blinked at that. "... When exactly did this happen?" When Mara answered her the goddess thought about it for a moment and shook her head in disbelief. "That can't be right. She died two weeks before that."
"WHAT?!!" Ranma cried out in disbelief just as Mara facefaulted painfully.
"You mean to tell me this is all a misunderstanding?" The demoness asked as she stood up shakily. Usually she'd be having fun at the chaos... but her life was on the line here!
Blue-gray eyes met with blue-gray eyes and, for the first time, Ranma actually took the time to see through his anger. What he saw broke his heart further. "... Mom...?" He asked hesitantly, his voice breaking. His mother's eyes were so different from those he remembered of that time... they were filled with confusion and hurt.
Saotome Nodoka, goddess trainee, stared at her only son through her tears and nodded slowly. "Yes, son..."
Before everyone's eyes Ranma, a First Class demon, fell to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.
... All that time...
... All that hate over the betrayal...
... Everything he was now...
All because he thought his own mother took part in his murder...
AND IT WAS ALL A LIE!!!
"Ranma-sama..." Kodachi whispered as she made her way for the love of her life.
Nabiki simply shook her head and sighed. "Only to Ranma..." She was, however, wondering just what the hell happened. If Nodoka didn't do it... then who? And how did Ranma see his mother among his killers? She had a lot of investigation work to do...
"Ranma..." Nodoka whispered as she knelt down to her obviously hurting child and caught him in a comforting embrace without hesitation, soon to be joined by Kodachi. Feeling his loved ones next to him, so openly giving him the comfort he needed, Ranma broke down in tears, finally allowing himself to grieve over what happened and what he almost did. "I'm here, son. Mommy is here..." Nodoka whispered in his ear.
This action elicited smiles from the three goddesses and a snort of annoyance from Mara. Only a mother's love could overcome everything. Here she was, almost having been killed by Ranma, and yet Nodoka comforted her baby without question when she saw him in pain.
Mara turned away in disgust, feeling sick to her stomach by the overwhelming feeling of love emanating from the trio on the ground. Ranma was still a demon, and he was still her charge. While she didn't want to see a broken Ranma, and she had to convince herself it was because he was of no use to her that way since she obviously didn't care about him, seeing the sappy scene made her extremely uncomfortable... and left out.
Belldandy smiled further as Keichi stepped out of the house with a confused expression on his face and she took his hand in hers. She so loved moments like this when everything turned out for the better.
It was then that Mara noticed something that made her swallow hard. Belldandy and Keichi were... wearing wedding bands. "... No..."
"Hello, Mara-chan..." A sweet voice sounded just behind the demoness, startling her. She turned around in a defensive stance and paled considerably when she caught sight of just who snuck up behind her. All the goddesses except Nodoka tensed at the new arrival.
"B-b-b-b-boss!" Mara almost didn't recognize Hild, what with the major demoness being a complete mess. Bags under her eyes and her hair in disarray made Hild look as if she'd gone through hell.
"Let's talk repercussions. Shall we, Mara-chan?" Hild said neutrally.
A wide-eyed Mara turned to see Keichi and Belldandy, now very obviously married and happy together. She then looked down at Ranma crying his eyes out as a goddess held him close to her bosom in comfort. A goddess that not two minutes ago he tried to kill.
She gulped hard and turned to regard the irritated Hild. "... I'm fucked, huh?"
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(Posted Thu, 26 May 2005 02:22)
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