"No," Nabiki said. "He...She doesn't. My father still runs the house, and I don't think you'd want to be around Akane in any case." She said the last to a sobbing Ranma. Ranma considering the pitying apologies he got of Akane last time they spoke, agreed, nodding silently.
Peorth walked in.
"Mara's getting worse," she said simply, and there was a touch of dismay in her voice that probably wouldn't have been there before Urd's potion and Belldandy noticed it. She took a moment to consider her own feelings and frowned slightly in thought, before recovering her normal demeanor. "How's everything here?"
"I think we got this handled," Belldandy said hopefully. She turned to Ranma and added, comfortingly "Let's find you a place to sleep. Tendo-san, can I speak to you in a moment?"
"Yes," Nabiki said, wanting to get some answers as to how Ranma ended up pregnant as well as dead last night, but not wanting to talk about it in front of Ranma.
"Everything will be fine, I promise." Belldandy said.
Belldandy settled Ranma down and returned to speak to Nabiki and Peorth.
"So how did Ranma end up pregnant last night?" Nabiki asked accusingly, almost instantly.
"That would be my sister's responsibility," Belldandy said, after recovering from blinking at the blunt question. "She has a tendency to feel that my relationship with my boyfriend moves too slowly. So, last night she attempted to speed things along with a love potion."
"Oh," Nabiki said, knowingly. "One of those. At least she wasn't trying to catch anybody for herself."
"Yes, my sister usually has the best of intentions in mind," Belldandy said. "Her consideration of consequences, on the other hand."
"I know a lot of people like that," Nabiki muttered gravely. "So she slept with Ranma, and used a spell to become a guy or something?"
"At this point, Tendo-san," Belldandy said. "We're not entirely sure who slept with who or how many. We all awoke in a pile."
"Oh." Nabiki said. "Joy."
"Wonderful, isn't it?" Peorth said sarcastically.
"Or what side effects Urd's potion might have had," Belldandy said. "It is odd that you would express concern for Mara, after all."
Peorth paused for a moment, seemed to consider something for a moment and then frowned broadly.
"URDDDD!!!!" she roared, turning around a moving back into the other room.
"Who's Mara?" Nabiki asked. "Part of the orgy?"
"A demon," Belldandy said. "Though Nifelheim has cut her off for getting involved with us."
"Nifelheim?" Nabiki repeated. "Let me guess, Hell." Belldandy nodded.
"Do you plan to seek Ranma's killer?" Belldandy asked, the determined look in Nabiki's eyes was plain enough an answer. Belldandy nodded. "Please do not do anything foolish. Ranma is welcome here, but I suspect he'll need your support."
"Ranma has friends I can go to," Nabiki said.
"We'll aid you, as well," Belldandy said. "And right now, I think I'll aid you in collecting Ranma's things." She stepped out of the room for a moment.
"Keiichi, I'm going with Ranma's friend to get her things," she called out. "Skuld's coming with me."
"Okay," Keiichi said, still more or less shell-shocked.
"I am," Skuld said.
"I'll be back soon," Belldandy said.
****
Urd felt decidedly worried for some reason, and she was quite certain why. With Mara dying and Ranma incredibly depressed it was inevitable that she'd end up feeling more than a little concerned.
Maybe she'd have to tell them about the developing bonds before they all ended up as a communal family. It was still quite early enough to weaken them to more of a family level, assuming they formed pairs, of course. Or...rather, one triple and two couples.
But how to tell them about it...
"URRRRDDDDD!!!" Peorth roared entering into the room.
~Yes!~ Urd thought triumphantly.
"I'm beginning to feel a certain desire to be close to all of you," Peorth said. "Does your potion have any side effects you didn't tell us about?"
"Actually," Sayoko, who was sitting next to the unconscious Mara and applying wet cloths to her head. "I was feeling something similar."
"Ummm," Urd said. "Let me check real quick." She paused and cast an admittedly powerful scanning spell. It was just cover, however, and acting as her face presented a surprised expression.
"Well...if things go on," Urd said. "We'll all sort of fall in love with each other."
Sayoko and Peorth paled at the comment.
"The bond is strengthening," Urd said. "But right now, we can still keep it from extending to all of us. Just settle on other person and stick to them. You'll just feel a close family bond to the rest of us."
"Keiichi!" both Peorth and Sayoko said at once. Urd sweated. This was going to be harder than she thought.
"And YOU should speak to Ranma," Peorth said. "I overheard something Belldandy was saying. Seems you're going to be a parent."
Now it was Urd's turn to pale.
See other episodes by Thrythlind
(Posted Sun, 22 Dec 2002 20:26)
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