THE CLAN
Ch3 - Kasumi



	As the sun was dipping down toward the horizon. Nodoka led
a trembling Kasumi into the front room. The dimming light cast
an odd pallor to both women's' features.

	"You okay, sis?" Nabiki marveled at the sight. Her
sister's skin *had* paled slightly, and her eyes were wild. She
jumped at every tiny sound.

	Kasumi nodded, not speaking.

	"Her senses have become very acute," Nodoka explained. "It
will take a few hours for her to become accustomed to the
intensity."

	"Are yours that acute, Auntie?" Akane asked.

	Nodoka shook her head. "Not as much as Kasumi's are now,
but they are fairly sensitive."

	Akane rather uncomfortably stood stock still as Kasumi's
gaze seemed to drill into her.

	"Mom, you wanted these?"

	Nodoka turned her attention from Kasumi to Ranma. Ranma
waved the newspaper clippings and the stack of papers he held.

	"Of course. Here..." Nodoka took the newspaper clippings
and spread them out on the table. She unfolded her map and
placed it in the middle. "I happened to notice this in the paper
at your party, Akane. About two weeks ago... here," she pointed
at the story, "A young woman was raped and murdered." She
pointed to the location on the map, the first corner of a
hexagon.

	"And here, again, three days later, and three days after
that..."

	Nodoka quickly matched the newspaper stories to the points
on the map.

	Ranma whistled between his teeth. "So, you think the
police might have noticed this?"

	Nodoka shook her head. "I phoned them, and shared my
theory, but they are concentrating their efforts elsewhere."

	"Figures..."

	"There's one point left open, Auntie," Kasumi volunteered
in a quiet voice.

	Nabiki nodded her agreement. "If what you're saying is
true, then there should be another attack right about... here,
tomorrow night."

	"Yes." Nodoka marked an 'X' on the map. "I've already
checked into the area. There are several single residence
apartment buildings that could be targeted."

	Akane shook her head in disgust. One of the reasons she
had trained so hard all her life was a nagging fear that someone
would attack her or one of her sisters in such a manner. She had
put such worry behind her, but this horrific crime brought it
screaming back to her. "Why would someone do such a thing,
Auntie?"

	"They are called 'Raveners', Akane. They come from a
dimension of pain and care only about death and destruction.
This one," she pointed to the clippings, "has been feasting on
virgin blood. Once it completes its task, it's unholy sacrifice
will open a gate, here." She pointed to the center of the
hexagon. "It will release six more Raveners, who will attempt to
open their own gates. If they are not stopped, more women will
die, and the Raveners will control this city."

	"So what are we gonna do about it?" Ranma asked. "Like I
said, I can get Ryouga, Mousse, and maybe the old fart, and we
can go and trash this creep."

	"Unfortunately, Ranma, the Raveners do not fight on a
level you understand. If your friends were to try to fight, they
would only be endangering their lives for no reason."

	"Come'on! I can beat this thing!"

	"And like I said, I will allow you to try. I can protect
you from its wrath, but I cannot protect others."

	Ranma, obviously, did not feel any need to be protected.
He crossed his arms, and glared at his mother.

	"Should Ranma be unsuccessful, I will show you the method
by which my mother fought these beasts the last time they
invaded." Nodoka turned from Ranma and fixed each of the girls
with a glance. "It will be a very long day, tomorrow, so I
suggest that you go to bed early."

	Kasumi nodded weakly. "I should make dinner then."

	Akane smiled broadly at her sister. Ranma had an
premonition of what was about to occur, and shrunk back from his
fiancee in horror.

	"Don't worry about it, Kasumi! I'll cook dinner tonight."

	Ranma gritted his teeth in reaction to the statement. To
his surprise, Kasumi's face turned rather green at the
pronouncement. She covered her mouth with her hands and ran from
the room.

	Akane was horror struck. "Geez... my cooking's not *that*
bad."

	Nodoka patted her shoulder. "She's very sensitive right
now, Akane. I'm certain your cooking is improving, but why don't
you let me cook dinner tonight."



* * *



	Nodoka turned, glanced at the two buildings, and pointed
to the one on the left.

	"This one."

	Ranma shrugged. Now that he knew what he was looking for,
he could see the tightening of his mothers face as she sniffed
the air. She claimed that she could smell virgin blood, but
Ranma couldn't really see how some one who *hadn't* would smell
any different from someone who *had*.

	Ranma followed towards the high rise at the end of the
group that was led by his mother and Kasumi, who was carrying a
cloth bag. 'Demon Killing' supplies, Ranma assumed irritatedly.

	While she was dressed in a formal kimono, Kasumi's
behavior had returned to its previous, apparently oblivious,
norm. His mother as well, was her normal, inscrutable self. She
only cautioned him about acting 'unmanly' about once an hour.

	Akane and Nabiki, in the middle, both made small talk with
their sister, treading on eggshells the entire time. They
fastidiously avoided any mention of Kasumi's experience the
previous day or any abilities she might have gained.

	They entered the apartment building and paused briefly,
allowing Nodoka to sniff the air again. Ranma noted Kasumi
following her example. The girl gestured to an elevator, and
Ranma's mother nodded her agreement.

	"So what's a virgin smell like?" Ranma asked in as offhand
a manner as he could as they waited for the car to descend.

	Tightlipped, Akane and Nabiki both froze their chattering,
while Nodoka looked directly at her son in surprise. Ranma
returned her gaze calmly, adding no challenge to his expression.

	Kasumi put a finger to her chin in though. "It's rather
like listening to music, Ranma. Every person is like their own
instrument."

	The door opened, allowing the group to step into the
elevator.

	"All the instruments have overtones, People or things they
live with or work around, but... people who aren't virgins have
two main tones, like a chord."

	After they stepped out of the elevator, an attractive
woman in a business suit stepped past them into the waiting car.

	Kasumi's head turned as the doors closed, her eyes fixed
on the woman. "Or more than two, depending..."

	"I think we get the idea, Sis," Nabiki finished for her.

	Kasumi led them to an apparently random door and glanced
back at Nodoka.

	"Very good," the older woman congratulated her.

	Nodoka rapped on the wooden door twice. After a few
minutes, the door opened a crack with a pretty, black haired
face just behind it.

	"Can I help you?" she asked in a bewildered tone.

	Nodoka's expression became serious, even grave. "I believe
you..." she sampled the air, "and your roommate are being
stalked, Miss. If I can, I'd like to come in. I think we can
help you."

	Startled, the girl closed the door. There was a few
seconds in which Ranma could hear quiet conversation behind the
door, but the door opened again shortly.

	This time, the girl with black hair was joined by another,
a slightly younger, brown haired girl.

	"We're being stalked?" The brown haired girl asked.

	Nodoka nodded grimly. "I believe that the so-called 'Tokyo
Slasher' will attack the both of you this evening. I'd really
rather that not come to pass. Some of us are martial artists, so
if you let us in, I believe we can stop it before it happens."

	To quell the disbelieving stares she was getting from the
two girls, Nodoka pulled the newspaper clippings and the map
with the hexagon shape drawn on it out of her kimono sleeve. She
quickly ran through her explanation again, leaving out any
reference to her abilities, or the mystical nature of the
murders.

	By the end of her speech, the two girls were both wide-
eyed, and trembling slightly. They quickly invited the group in.

	They introduced themselves as Midori Fujito and Hisawa
Masahita. Midori, the black haired young woman, was a college
student at a nearby university, and Hisawa had just graduated
high school. While they blushed at Nodoka's direct statement,
they verified that yes, they were both virgins. She explained
that so far the 'Slasher' had attacked only virgins, probably as
a requirement for some 'cult' or somesuch.

	After the Tendous and the Saotomes introduced themselves,
Nodoka went into her plan for the evening.

	A brief inspection of the two room apartment proved it for
an adequate battle ground.	The front door opened onto the
apartment's kitchen, which led directly into a combination
living/bed room, which was adjoined only by one closet and a
restroom.

	Ranma would wait in the kitchen, to face the attacker
directly, while Midori, Hisawa, Nabiki and Akane would hide in
the bathroom. Nodoka explained that she and Kasumi would wait in
the living room to 'distract' the killer, should he make it past
Ranma.

	Their plans complete, the group set about its
preparations.

	From his position in the kitchen, Ranma listened to Midori
and Hisawa chatting with Akane and Nabiki as he performed a
simple, calming kata. 	

	His mother and Kasumi spoke quietly and were apparently
setting up a tea service on the two girls' table. The sack
Kasumi had carried in contained the tea service, and a box of
turnovers.

	Ranma's stomach growled at the sight of the pastries.

	"Those aren't for you, Ranma" his mother warned.

	"Huh?"

	"They are for our... *guest*." She directed a look at him
that clearly stated she would brook no further questioning.

	Ranma shook his head in irritation and resumed his kata.

	After an hour or so, the sun started to submerge below the
crowded Tokyo skyline. Nodoka ushered the girls into the
bathroom, with instructions that they should try to run past the
'slasher' and into the apartment building corridor should all
else fail.

	Nervously, the four girls took up residence in the
bathroom. Nodoka handed her cloth wrapped katana to Akane,
instructing her to use it only for defense and to buy time for
the other girls to escape. Akane nodded grimly and closed the
bathroom door.

	"Now what?" Ranma asked, watching his mother and Kasumi
kneel on cushions behind the table.

	"Now, Son, we wait."

	Ranma grimaced and strode back into the kitchen. His back
to his mother and Kasumi through the curtained entrance, Ranma
sat on the floor, grimly facing the front door.

	He glanced at the digital clock on the girls' microwave
oven. "7:03" he muttered.

	His mother had warned that the monster might not attack
until midnight. Ranma was getting entirely too frustrated with
what his mother seemed to know, all the sudden.

	Two days ago, all she had been was a rather traditional
housewife. Now, she was 'Vampire Princess Nodoka', and was
taking the Tendou girls along with her lunacy.

	It wasn't that Ranma begrudged her the power or knowledge
that seemed to go with her peculiar 'abilities'. He *was*
frustrated that she seemed to think he couldn't handle himself
against such a monster as the one she described, but what really
got to him was the way she expected him to act as if everything
were perfectly normal, and that he should just drop everything
to become what she was.

	Ranma shook his head fiercely. There was no way that he
would allow what Kasumi already had to happen to him. He was
better than any 'vampire'.

	Would Nabiki and Akane accept, though? The thought plagued
Ranma. How *anyone* could let that happen to them was beyond
him, and yet Kasumi had *volunteered* for it! Why?

	Isn't that why they kept *him* around? To protect
themselves, he thought, smiling halfheartedly at the egotistical
joke.

	His mother acted like nothing had changed about their
relationship, Ranma noted again. She treated him like she had
since she had found out about his curse. It ate at Ranma to
think that this was the same woman who gave birth to him,
though.

	Ranma's thoughts ran around wildly. He was desperate to
come up with some sort of synthesis to deal with the situation,
but none was forthcoming.

	Ranma heard a scratching at the door. He looked up at the
clock again, which read 10:42.

	"Three hours?" He hopped up to his feet and went into a
defensive stance. Time to get down to business!

	Before he had time for another thought, the door exploded
into the kitchen. Ranma dodged a flying screw from one of the
hinges and brought his fists up to strike.

	What stood in the doorway...

	It didn't smell right, Ranma thought. Rather like raw
meat, as a matter of fact. He grimaced and leveled one clenched
fist at the intruder standing in the open doorway.

	"I'll give you one chance to get out of here," Ranma
offered.

	The intruder made no move to acknowledge him. Instead,
apparently focused on the room behind Ranma, the intruder strode
almost casually into the kitchen.

	"Hey! I don't think so!" Ranma widened his stance,
blocking the opening to the next room.

	Seeing the beast in the light for the first time, Ranma
had no doubt that the creature in front of him was not human.
Besides gangly, ridiculously long arms that ended in grotesque,
clawed, parodies of hands, the monster had a long, hook shaped
nose, and black, rotten looking eyes. It had stringy off-white
hair that cascaded unevenly from the simple hat it wore. With
disgust, Ranma noted the greasy stains the strands of hair left
on the torn overcoat the thing was wearing.

	It turned its nose in his direction and sniffed
disdainfully.

	"Watcha lookin' at ugly?" Ranma feinted a jab at the
creature. "Ain'tcha gonna try to fight? What do I gotta-UGH!!!!"

	Ranma never saw the blow. He felt a stinging impact across
his face and shoulders that simply knocked him against the wall.
He staggered to his feet and raised his arms back into a
defensive posture.

	"All right, wanna play rough?" He leapt at the creature.
"KACHUU TENSHIN AMIGURIKEN!"

	Ranma's fists impacted over and over again. He could
clearly feel the thing's ribs snapping under the blows, but he
just couldn't seem to knock it down.

	Another one of the beast's lightning quick strikes knocked
Ranma against a cabinet near the front door.

	"Urrrr..." Ranma grabbed a shelf as a hand hold and pulled
himself back to his feet.

	As the creature was turning back to the living room, Ranma
raised his hands in preparation for a Mouko Takabisha.

	"All right, monster. I've had just about en---OOOOFFF!"

	Ranma realized that the monster had never touched him, as
he struggled to maintain consciousness. It had simply rushed up
to a few feet of the martial artist and held its claw up. Ranma
had been thrown through one of the cabinet doors without the
monster ever laying a finger on him.

	As he managed to pull his head out of the wall, Ranma
heard a quiet chanting. That, and the ringing in his head,
seemed to add a surreal quality to the violence.

	Ranma turned just in time to see the monster step into the
living room. Being able to focus a little, he realized it was
Kasumi chanting.

	The monster paused in front of the table. Nodoka had set
up tea and a plate of the pastries.

	"Won't you have an appetizer before the main course?" she
offered. Kasumi continued to chant quietly, while Nodoka took
one of the pastries and buttered it with a long, sharp knife.
She took a bite from it, making a quiet sound of appreciation.

	To Ranma's surprise, the monster seemed horribly confused
by the situation.

	It sniffed repeatedly, looking at the bathroom door,
Kasumi, and then Nodoka, who was just finishing her turnover.
She sipped her tea and gestured to the monster.

	"You should really sit down and have some. It's quite
delicious."

	Kasumi's chanting grew almost imperceptibly louder.

	Turning its head from side to side in confusion, the
monster sat on crossed legs.

	"Hhhaaaaavvvveee ssssooooommmmeeee teeeeaaaaa....." Nodoka
whispered.

	Fumbling the cup with its gross claws, the monster raised
it to its shapeless mouth and slurped. His danger senses
flaring, Ranma realized she was somehow controlling the monster
the same way she had made him look at her body the previous day
in the guest room.

	Kasumi's chanting grew still louder. Ranma could finally
make out what she was saying, "See not feel not hear not see not
feel not hear not see..."

	Nodoka smiled warmly as the beast sat the teacup down. She
held out the plate of pastries. "Hhhhaaaavvvveeee aaaaa
biiiiitttteee, wwwonnn'ttttt yoooouuuuu?"

	The monster hesitantly reached out and grabbed one of the
pastries. It inspected the turnover briefly, and bit off one of
the corners.

	"See not feel not hear not know not hear not see not feel
not.."

	Nodoka held out the knife and the butter dish.
"Tttthhhheeeyyyy aaarrrrreeee beeeesssssssttt
wwwwiiiiiiitttttthhhhh butttteeerrrrrr...."

	The monster accepted the knife, running its cruel tip
along the stick of butter.

	"See not feel not hear not know not strike now feel
not..."

	The monster pulled the tip of the knife closer, as if he
couldn't see it.

	"...not know not hear not strike now see not feel not
strike now"

	Ranma's eyes widened in amazement as the knife pierced the
flesh of the monster's leathery neck.

	"Feel not feel not feel not feel not feel not strike
deeper..."

	The monster's arm clenched, driving the blade all the way
trough its neck. Black goo, what Ranma could only guess was the
creature's blood, pulsed in large, viscous rivulets from the
wound in the back of its neck.

	The monster withdrew the blade, examining the streaks of
black mixed with the gobs of yellow butter.

	"Hhhhaaaaaavvvveeeee aannnnnnooooottthhhheeeeerrrrrrrr,"
Nodoka commanded.

	Kasumi was visibly straining. Her eyes were clenched, and
her chant was nearing a shout. "Feel not! Feel not! Feel not!
Feel not! Feel not! Feel not!"

	Nodoka gestured with the butter dish.

	Somehow prompted by this, the beast thrust the blade deep
into its own chest.

	"Feel not! Feel not! Feel not! Feel not!" Kasumi screamed.

	The monster pulled the knife, releasing another great gout
of spurting black ichor. Unaware of the damage, it stabbed
again.

	"FEEL NOT! FEEL NOT! FEEL NOT! FEEL NOT! FEEL NOT! FEEL
NOT!"

	Wobbling, it stabbed a third time. The black goo was
starting to pool around the monster, sinking into the tatami
mats. It stabbed again and again, working into a rhythm.

	"Fffffiinnnniisssshhhhhh...." Nodoka hissed sibilantly.

	The monster stabbed once more, and dropped the knife. It
scrabbled weakly at the plate of pastries, and fell over on the
table. The black goo started to puddle obscenely around the
dishes.

	Ranma stood, staring in shock at his mother. She fixed him
with an even stare.

	"You see, Son, They must destroy themselves..."

- To be continued...

* * *
Chris Jones - guilty@arn.net
The Ranma 1/2 Gallery - http://cyberwheel.simplenet.com/ranma

It's 1999. Do you know what your children are?