[Episode 145139] [Episode 145139]Ukyo sighed tiredly as she walked up the stairs, another long day at work taking its toll on her, and barely managed to drag her feet to her room.
Huge bags under her eyes and a sickly color on her skin spoke of the hardship the okonomiyaki chef had had to endure for the past couple of weeks. Ever since she learned of him coming back...
Ukyo shuddered and hugged herself as she looked all around her house. After Tofu's body was found, and word of Nabiki's murder reached Nerima, Ukyo always kept the light in her entire house on during the night. She knew from a logical angle that it would do her little good if Ranma came after her, after all he did kill Tofu in broad daylight, but she didn't jump at any sound this way. There was a certain comfort in the light...
She stopped on the doorway to her room and looked all around carefully before entering, her hands going for her throwing spatulas for comfort.
Why hadn't she just run away? Why stay where Ranma was sure to find her? Ukyo started to undress, still keeping her weapons within easy reach, and chuckled mirthlessly to herself. What would be the use in running away? If Ranma was coming after her, he'd find her wherever she was. That and she couldn't allow herself to leave everything she'd worked so hard for behind.
No, running away wasn't an option. All she could do was hope against hope that Ranma was done in by that woman he was seen fighting against, or by the Sailor Senshi, before he had a chance to come after her. That or kill him again, if she got lucky.
The woman dropped her clothes to the floor and picked up her combat spatula to go and take a shower, repeating the process of examining the room carefully before entering. She placed her weapon on the floor as she entered the shower stall and washed herself quickly.
Her eyes stung as she shampooed her hair, some of the substance irritating them, but she refused to close them for more than a second. Every time she closed her eyes she thought Ranma would take the chance to strike her down, to kill her like he already killed Tofu and Nabiki.
There was no doubt in her mind that it was indeed Ranma. Even if he'd have to really change for his pathetic good nature to go away and allow him to actually kill someone... people changed when betrayed.
... Just like she did.
After drying off and putting on a nightgown, Ukyo turned off the main light of her bedroom and left only a lamp on, leaving the room basked in a softer light. She then proceeded to prepare herself for what she knew would eventually come.
Making sure her curtains were fully closed she took out an inflatable doll, with a brown wig resembling her own hair, and made it so it appeared she was asleep on her own bed.
The chef then walked over to her closet and buried herself in it, having a clear view of her bed and her throwing spatulas at hand. It had been a very trying time for her, but she was not going to be taken off guard.
---
Several hours later Ukyo tiredly opened her eyes, cursing herself inwardly for falling asleep. She rubbed at her face to try and wake up and looked into her room, half-expecting to see a knife protruding from the doll.
She sighed in relief when no such thing met her eyes.
Ukyo yawned, the exhaustion over sleeping only when she couldn't remain awake seriously affecting her, and stood up slowly. She winced as her back protested and stretched as much as she could in the small closet.
Her body suddenly tensed as she heard a sound break the silence of the night. Very slowly, almost afraid to breathe, Ukyo peered out into her room. Her heart started beating faster as she heard the sound again, yet found no signs of the source of it. Seconds ticked by and became minutes as she fearful okonomiyaki chef tried to control her breathing, that kami-forsaken sound being heard again and again. She finally mustered enough courage to walk out of the closet, in a ready stance and eyes wide, to trace said sound to its source.
Her bare feet moved silently over the wooden floor as she approached the bathroom. She took a deep breath and charged in with her spatula leading the way...
Only to find it as deserted as she left it...
She blinked her eyes as she heard the sound once more, this time more clearly, and turned to see water dripping on the sink.
Ukyo let out a sigh of relief, the tension leaving her body, and reached out for the faucet.
Just as she did the light went out in the bathroom and she felt a soft breeze caressing the back of her neck. "AAAHHHH!" She cried and instinctively turned with a thrust from her battle spatula. The sound of broken tile was heard as she rushed out of the darkness of the bathroom and into the safety of her room.
She breathed heavily and turned to the bathroom once more, to the room that suddenly darkened without cause... only to find it dark and alone. The little light that illuminated it from the adjacent room revealed her weapon imbedded on the wall and nothing else.
Still shaken the chef walked over to the door and reached for the light switch. She blinked and smiled in relief when the lights didn't come back. The light bulb needed to be changed and that was it.
Ukyo freed her spatula from the wall and started the long trek downstairs, to where she kept the spares. Moving through the illuminated but silent building the woman berated herself for her sluggish movements, which were the result of lack of sleep and too much tension over an extended period of time.
A sudden noise made her jump to the side, her spatula in a defensive position, only to find empty air once again. "... I'm going to lose it at this rate," she mumbled as the sounds of a catfight continued for a couple of seconds more, accompanied with the distant barking of dogs, and then the silence settled back into the night.
She let out a sigh of defeat and walked to the storeroom briskly, wanting this over and done with.
Getting the replacement light bulb didn't represent any trouble and she was soon back in the bathroom changing it. Seeing the room illuminated once again made her sigh in relief...
... Until she turned up and saw herself in the mirror, with a smirking Ranma standing less than an inch behind her. "HIYAAA!!" She cried as she turned and lashed out, once more damaging her wall and finding herself alone.
Chills went down Ukyo's spine as she rushed out of the bathroom and into her bedroom, gasping for breath and looking all around in a panic. Was Ranma actually in her restaurant, playing with her like a cat would with a mouse? Or was she simply finally loosing it, the result of a downward spiral that started when her fiancée chose Kodachi over her?
Tears of fear and frustration leaked from her eyes as she spun around, trying to look everywhere at once to make sure no one was sneaking up on her.
It was from the place she least expected it, the safety of her closet, that the expected attack came from. It just came in a rather unexpected way. Instead of Ranma lunging at her to rip her head off, she saw a black something coming at her incredibly fast. Even with her great reaction she still felt a sharp pain on her shoulder. Her eyes, however, were narrowed as she stared at the now recognizable weapon returning to the darkness of the closet.
Out of it walked one Kuno Kodachi, dressed in a black kimono and smiling like the lunatic she was. "So it was you," Ukyo growled out, anger overcoming her previous fear and relief filling her. It wasn't Ranma at all; it was just his stupid plaything that somehow managed to escape the asylum.
Kodachi didn't even deign answer and prepared her ribbon for another attack.
Ukyo, now confident about her chances since she knew she could take Kodachi down, raised her battle spatula. "I'm going to enjoy this." She was to be denied, however, as she suddenly felt a delicate hand caress her cheek.
Eyes wide with shock, since she didn't feel anyone sneaking up on her, the chef turned and her eyes widened further. Standing inches from her, and holding her face almost tenderly, was the same woman that was seen fighting it out with Ranma all over Japan.
Mara smiled at the chef, showing off some great fangs, and dug her nails into her flesh. A cry of pain emerged from Ukyo as she backed away from the demoness that just ripped her face open.
Holding her heavily bleeding face with one hand and her spatula with the other Ukyo prepared to skewer Mara, only to cry out in pain once more. She forgot all about Kodachi, who took advantage of her distraction to cowardly attack while her back was turned. "You bitch!" She bellowed, not seeing the poetic justice of the attack on her person.
Kodachi smiled innocently, her eyes hard as steel, while Mara hissed audibly. Ukyo turned to see Mara's eyes glowing red, her fangs elongating and becoming downright intimidating. She hardly had to make a move before Ukyo was already backpedaling out of the room. Her haste was such that she tripped and barely managed to remain on her feet, using the wall for support and leaving a bloody handprint.
As they heard the hurried steps of Ukyo escaping Mara and Kodachi shared a sinister smile.
They followed casually, like two predators that knew their prey was going nowhere.
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(Posted Wed, 20 Jul 2005 04:35)
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