AN1: I know what I said in the last chapter, but I couldn't come up with a, in my mind, better fight scene, so I just modified the old one.

THE REBIRTH OF THE DAIMAKAICHO

CHAPTER THREE

REACTIONS

Down town Tokyo: a bridal shop: a few seconds later

The Male Demon, and three of the other Demons went after Ranma, as she was the target. Urd and Marller were double teamed by one Demon and Demoness each.

'Crap! Their separating us!' Ranma thought in anger and then she was fighting for her life.

Ranma dodged a blow to her head from one Demon, and then she jumped over a foot sweep from another. But then she got hit in the lower back by a Demon whom had gotten behind her, but that just might have been a lucky break for her, as it caused her head to move in a way that allowed her to see the last Demon, who had stayed back, fire a bolt of energy at her.

She quickly got over the pain of the punch and dropped down and thus letting her surprise attacker take that hit for her. As the other two momentarily froze, she took advantage of this by foot sweeping the one on her right, then coming into a rising uppercut on the one on her left. With three of her opponents down, but defiantly not out, she decided to try to take at least one out of the fight. Her target was the one hanging back. Her reason for this was three fold. One, he was smart, two, he was far away from the others, so she'd have distance between the three left if it worked, and three, she was pissed at him. That energy bolt would have hurt.

Running over to the lone Demon, she launched into her traditional Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken, but it felt different, sluggish almost. It was harder to gather the energy for it, but yet it was more effective. The few hundred or so strikes that she used to be able to do in her sleep, was now slightly tiring. But the damage the Demon was left with was very impressive, to say the least. 'Shit.' Ranma thought. 'I'm more powerful, but I'll get tired easier. Gotta finish this hard and fast then. And then work on endurance after this is over.'

Ranma then tried to do a Moko Takabisha. The key word here was tried. After it didn't come, and after Ranma got over her split second surprise, it came to her. 'What ever I have now isn't Ki! And that's just what I tried to call up. Let me see, I can do the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken, so let's see if I can call up what I used to do that into energy…Shit!' she mentally swore noticing that her opponent had gotten out of his daze, while at the same time the one she foot swept was up as wall. As they were both running at her from opposite directions, she hurriedly went "Moko Takabisha Double!" and two large spheres of black energy, laced with silver energy, hit both opponents, one was carried out the front window, where he collapsed, and the other was knocked through the back wall, where he collapsed as well.

Ranma was breathing hard, 'Damn! Do I ever have to work on endurance now. I mean come on! I used to be able to do over ten of those before I got this winded.' Looking at the two Demons, that were in all likelihood out of the fight though, she thought 'Could it be that that attack was as powerful as ten or so of my old ones? Is that why I'm getting so tired? All my attacks have been powered up, but not my endurance?'

Ranma shook herself out of these thoughts as the one she had uppercutted sprang to his feet, and as the leader, who was the one whom had taken the energy bolt from his comrade, was slowly getting to his.

Ranma targeted the one that she had hit, hoping to take him out of the equation before the leader got his strength back. But she as was making her way over, her target was making his way towards her.

Ranma dodged the opening shot to her face, while he blocked the opening shot to his solar plexus. Ranma then twisted her arm slightly, not only freeing her hand, but brining his hand far enough away from his body, that he couldn't block the knee that hit his stomach. As he slightly bent over, she grabbed his head and smacked into her rising knee.

It didn't do enough to him, as he wrapped his hands around her thigh, and then swung her in a circle, throwing her out the front window.

As she was picking her self off the street, thankful that the window was already broken, the left side of her ribcage flared up in agony as two ribs got fractured from a kick. She sailed through the air, and then she hit the side of a building.

As she got up she then saw that both of her opponents were up and approaching her. The leader was approaching her injured left side. 'Damn. He's the stronger of the two. He must be hopping that he can damage me some more, as I'll have to fight him as the bigger threat, he's stronger and approaching my weak side, but the other one will seriously hurt me if I ignore him, God I wish there was some way to take them both out an once' she thought leaning against the building she had hit. Then it hit her 'The Bakusai Tenketsu!' she thought. She had never done it, but knew how by watching Ryoga do it enough times. She just hadn't been through the toughing that he had, so it would hurt her as well. And she never did go through the toughening, because she was afraid that the toughening might reduce her prized speed. But right now it was the perfect move to get these two out of the fight, by dropping a five story building on them.

Turning around she screamed "Bakusai Tenketsu!" hitting a spot three and a half feet off the ground, and immediately jumped into the air.

As the building fell on her foes, she smiled at the wide-eyed looks of fear on their faces. As she began to fall, she didn't see a good landing spot, and then a half remembered memory came to the front of her mind, and she stopped her decent.

'Cool I can fly!' Ranma thought, floating down to the ground, as she had noticed it ate slightly at her reserves. As she touched down she thought. 'Damn. I have all this power, I know I do, and it's like I can't access it! Well not totally. Not correctly maybe?' She then rolled the puzzle over in her mind.

She made her way back into the shop and saw that Urd and Marller had managed to take out one opponent each, but they were hurt and needed help. She slipped into the Umi-sen-ken and came up behind Marller's, who was closer to her, opponent. Hoping that a Demon's pressure points were the same as a human's, she hit one on the Demon and he went to sleep. The last Demoness then went down quickly when Urd, Marller and Ranma went and triple teamed it.

As the three recovered, Urd looked at Marller and asked "Ok, what the fuck was that about!" After Urd yelled that, she realized her mistake, and she just waited for the lightning strike to hit.

As Marller backed off, not wanting the divine retribution to be anywhere even near her, something wormed its way into Ranma's fore mind. The image of Urd repeatedly getting struck by lightning, and just because she cussed.

"Oh no you don't!" she yelled. The lightning paused before it even hit the roof. "No more lightning on Urd for cussing Kami-Sama! She's my daughter and if she wants to, she can. She is certainly old enough to speak however she wants, and if after all this time she's still cussing, you're never going to get her to stop, so lay off her already!" and just like that the lightning was gone.

Marller and Urd looked at Ranma in awe for a moment, and then Marller said, "I'm sorry Mom. I don't know why these jerks were after you, but I'm going to find out. Sorry but it looks like I'll be gone for a while."

"Not if you don't want to go." A female voice said. As Ranma turned around and got into a ready possession, wincing as she did so, she saw goddess come out of the phone.

"Sorry to startle you, I'm Maia, Kami-Sama's secretary." The Goddess said. "I'm here to inform you that Kami-Sama himself will be heading up this investigation into who hired these, thugs. You of course may do your own investigation, but he is really pissed about this. Attacking Ranma? And with his daughters in the crossfire?" As more Gods and Goddesses came out of their mediums and restrained the unconscious assassins, Maia continued with "These eight are in for it. What a lot of beings forget Marller, is that while you may run Niflheim, He MADE Niflheim." And with that she walked away.

As Marller stood there for a moment, digesting what just happened, she said "Well I guess I can do my investigation from here then."

Down town Tokyo: a bridal shop: a few hours later

It had taken quite some time for Maia and her associates to wrap things up. For first they had to restrain and take away the 'Hitters' group. And they still were not done by the time that the Police decided to investigate, so Maia had to pretend to be with some secretive investigative force attached to the imperial throne, and to which she surprisingly had documentation for. The Police then were happy to stay out of their way.

Ranma Urd and Marller were sticking around to heal up, and Ranma was surprised at how fast she healed now, and to be briefed on just what Asgard knew, which was basically nothing at this point in time.

Then Marller summoned her computer terminal, and told her secretary that she wanted a conference with her top personal.

Which leads us to now.

"What is this? What's going on? Why have you summoned all of us?" Were the questions coming from multiple sources.

"Quiet!" Marller Hissed out. "I summoned you all because I have just had a rather nasty altercation with the group known as 'Hitters'."

As Marller said that all present on her video conference screeched out "WHAT!?! Why would they attack you? Don't they get that Regicide is automatic death sentence? Are they that stupid?" then came from a few of them.

"I wasn't their target, it was someone I was with. Someone that they should NOT have known about yet, for I have not made the announcement concerning her reappearance yet." Marller said coldly.

"Um, then just who was their target?" One of the Demons dared ask.

"Hild. She came back earlier today." Marller stated evenly.

"WHAT!!!???!!!" All the video conferencing Demons and Demonesses screeched out. "Where is she then? Why she not returned to us yet? When will she return?" Then came from various sources.

Marller sighed and said "She just got out of a fifteen hundred year imprisonment. She is slightly out of it and is here on Midgard on a vacation until she's ready to retake control of Niflheim. She wanted her return kept a secret until she was ready to retake control, but obviously someone leaked the word somehow, and thought to off her. And I want to know just WHO that someone was. And why they wanted my mother dead. Do you understand me?" Marller asked, in a dangerously calm tone of voice.

"Yes Mam!" They all cried out. Then one of them asked "May we speak to Hild?"

Marller shook her head and said "Not at this time. Now, dismissed." And then she disconnected herself from the video feed.

A restaurant near the battle zone: some time latter

As Ranma and her daughters walked into the restaurant, they saw Belldandy, Keechi, Nodoka, Kasumi and Nabiki, trying valiantly to keep a pissed off Akane from attacking Skuld, who had her back pressed up against the wall in fear.

"Do I even want to know what's going on?" Ranma asked with a sigh, causing everyone to focus their attention on her.

Akane yelled, pointing at Skuld, "She knocked me out! She hit the back of my head with her hammer!" at this Ranma thought, 'Irony, gotta love it.' Akane continued with, "I just wanted to help you!"

The others had let her go, seeing that she was no longer hell bent on killing Skuld. Which was too bad, because Ranma opened her big mouth yet again.

"Akane, she did the right thing, those were Demons, and you wouldn't have stood a chance." And then the predictable happened, she was over by Ranma's side before anyone could blink, and had malletted her into the floor screaming,

"YOU MORON!" She continued to yell at her, punctuating every sentence with another whap from the mallet. "I was worried about you!" WHAM!!! "You've beaten Demons while you were still human!" WHAM!!! "If you'd just take me seriously for once and train me," WHAM!!! "Then I could fight at your side and not have to run off like a scared little girl!" WHAM!!! WHAM!!! WHAM!!!

Ranma had had enough. And while Akane had raised a valid point, Ranma thought, 'Does she have to make her point with mallet strikes?' Finally tiring of it, she did what she had wanted to do for a long, Long, LONG time, yet she hadn't dared too, for she didn't know what to do afterwards, but she now had an idea about what to do. So, grabbing the mallet head, she yanked it out of Akane's hands, then proceeded to, while still on the floor, utterly destroy the mallet of DOOM.

Sighing with relief and satisfaction, Ranma shot up, and looked Akane in the eyes.

"Akane," She said to a shocked Akane, "You're right." She finished, surprising everyone present. "If I had just trained you from the beginning, maybe, that's just maybe, you could have helped us. You wouldn't have been able to kill the Demons, but you could have rendered them unconscious, which was what we wanted to do anyway. So if you can pass one test, just one little test, I swear on my honor I will train you, you just have to pass the test first." Ranma said evenly.

"What is it? I can pass anything you through at me!" Akane said eagerly.

"It's really very simple, but I suspect it will be excruciatingly hard for you." Akane frowned at this. "You just have to not lose your temper for one full week. Every time you lose your temper, you will set back the time another week." Ranma said waiting for the explosion to happen.

It looked like it was going to happen, it looked like Akane was going to blow her top at the mere mention that she had anger management issues. But then a miracle happened. And it really could have been a miracle considering all of the higher powers that were watching this. Akane stopped to think. And then she seemed to deflate.

"You really don't expect me to last a week, do you?" she asked, looking down and sounding sad.

Ranma sighed, out of relief that Akane didn't blow her top, and out of sadness, that she would cause the one she loved such pain. 'But this has to be done.' Ranma thought. 'I need Akane to be able to defend herself, but I can't teach her if she's always so angry.'

"No Akane, I don't think you'll be able to make it in the first week. I honestly think it will be about a month or two. I suggest you get some anger management sessions, or do meditation, or preferably both. When you last a full week I will start your training, but until then, I won't do a thing that could be seen as training for you. And there are no exceptions to this. I don't care if Happosai himself molests you, if you lose your temper for any reason, even if it would normally be seen as justifiable, I will start the week over. I am sorry for doing this to you, I really am. I wish I could just start teaching you right off the bat, but your temper is too big a hurdle. Until you've proven too me that you control it, and it does not control you, I will not teach you. So, food anybody?" Ranma asked changing the subject.

The restaurant: even later

After the pig out session, I mean the meal, Ranma sat back and sighed in the utter satisfaction of having a full stomach. "Girls," Ranma said addressing her daughters, "I was very disappointed in how all three of us fought today."

"What? Why? We won!" Both Marller and Urd exclaimed at the same time.

"I'm disappointed in the two of you," Ranma started "Because, while you're both very powerful, you don't have any technique. You're just brawlers! No daughters of mine are going to be that! So I'm going to train you, while I work on my problems."

"What problems are those?" Urd asked.

"In the fight I noticed something. I don't have Ki anymore, I don't know what replaced it…" Ranma started, when Urd interrupted her with.

"Mana, that's your power source now mom, all Gods, Goddesses, Demons and Demonesses exist on it."

"Ok then, Mana. Well this Mana has replaced my Ki, and while it has, by my estimation, made my attacks at least ten times stronger, I don't have the endurance for that yet, so I get exhausted ten times faster. That's the only reason I didn't cream those guys, I got tired so fast. If I ran into a decent opponent, with how fast I get tired now, I'll be the one getting creamed. So I'm going to have to work on my endurance, and do it fast. I feel that this attack was only the beginning." Ranma said.

"You're probably right on that." Belldandy said. "I do wonder who this mysterious client is. Father must have been very angry to send Maia down here to collect those mercenaries. In fact if he is going to question them personally,… No, never mind." She said shaking her head. "I just hope he calls with news soon. So how are you going to train Urd and Marller? And overcome the difficulty you're having?"

"Well I'll have to ask Happosai for permission to start teaching…" Ranma started when Marller asked

"Why? Why would you need to ask that old man's permission to teach us?" Marller asked puzzled.

"He founded Anything Goes. To teach it, I must be recognized by him. It shouldn't be too hard. I just hope he doesn't want to see me in a pair of his hand picked 'silky darlings'" everyone present growled at this. "But like I said," Ranma said, hoping to calm the enraged female hoard, "it shouldn't be too hard. No the hard part's what I plan to do to get my endurance up."

"Which is?" Nodoka of all people asked her.

"I'm going to see the old ghoul. She's the best teacher I ever had. If there's any way to get it up, and quickly at that, she'll know of it. I just hope she'll be reasonable, now that I'm 'off the market' so to speak. And she's not real fond of Demons. And since I am now one… Let's just say I see this as a hard sell." Ranma sighed.

"So I take it you don't want me to come with you to see her?" Marller asked, sounding down.

"No," Ranma said "I want both of you there. I hope that she'll teach the two of you too."

"Ranma," Belldandy started. "I hate to ask this, but do you think you can teach Skuld and myself as well? If these attacks continue as we all fear, then I think both she and I would benefit from the training."

Ranma blinked. "Yeah, sure. I'm sorry. I didn't even think of that."

Akane, who had been breathing heavily, suddenly stood up and almost ran to the bathroom.

"I go talk to her." Kasumi said.

"I'll help." Nabiki told her. They both stood and went much more slowly to the bathroom.

"Damn I proud of her. I didn't even think how jealous she'd get, with me taking you four on as students before her. She got out of here, and before she blew. I just hope she can keep it up." Ranma said softly, yet everyone at the table heard her words.

"Well after she's calmed down, let's go home. We have people to see." Ranma said

Tendo house: a little later

When they entered, they found that Soun and Genma had recovered, and were playing shogi, cheaters style.

"Hey Pops! I need to see Happosai, do you know where the old perv is?" Ranma said loudly, a little too loudly for Genma's and Soun's tastes.

"Shhh, do not speak the masters name! He will hear you!" Genma said, softly, hoping to silence Ranma. It didn't really work.

"Hmm, you think he can hear his named called, eh?" Ranma said. Then shifting her voice she cried out "Oh no! I, Ranma, have been stuck as a girl, and my most recent fight destroyed all my clothes expect my underwear, the Victoria's Secret kind my Mom is making me wear! At least Happosai is not here to steal them!" Ranma cried out in an 'I'm so helpless' tone of voice. Marller and Urd were laughing their assess off at this performance, while all the others, except Soun and Genma, as they were hiding under the shogi table, were chuckling.

Then Happosai appeared. He looked, different to Ranma. Marller stopped chuckling, and stared in wonder at him. "I'll be." she said.

Happosai looked shocked as well. He went pale. "Ranma my, err, girl? When did you become a Demoness?"

Marller looked even closer at him. "Mom," she said. "He's half Incubus."

"Huh" both Ranma and Happosai said, though for different reasons.

"His father was an Incubus. A male sex Demon." Marller said.

"Why is she calling you Mom? And she isn't, no she can't be…" Happosai said, trying to convince himself that the truth was not the truth.

"Yes I'm Marller. And Ranma has merged with my mother, Hild" Marller said.

"Well shit." Happosai said flatly. "Um, what did you want, Ranma, Hild, um, whoever?" Happosai said like he was in a bad dream that he could not wake from.

"Um, I'm mostly Ranma. Happosai, I, uh, wanted your permission to start teaching Anything Goes to my daughters and their half sisters." Ranma said, and then turning to Marller she said "Is he in trouble now or something?"

"Half Demons are usually, killed, by full Demons. They're seen as an embarrassment to the parents." Marller whispered back.

"Well that's just stupid! Really Happosai, I just called you here to see if you'll let me teach Anything Goes, not to ambush you or to fight you or nothing."

Happosai sighed. "Ranma, in my opinion, you earned that right a long, long time ago. I was just waiting for you to ask, but you never did." He sighed again. Then brightening up, he said "I still have more to teach you though before I'll even consider letting you challenge me for my place, but for now, yes you can teach. Call me when you're ready to learn the next level of Anything Goes. You'll do much better then these two fools." He said pointing at Soun and Genma. "I'm going to my room for now to think." Happosai said and disappeared.

"Is it me, or was that even easier then I thought it'd be?" Ranma asked stunned at all that happened.

"Never look a gift horse in the mouth Saotome." Nabiki said. "Otherwise you may not get another."

"Your right Nabiki." Ranma said with a small sigh. "Well Girls" Ranma said, addressing the Norns and Marller "Lets do the hard part, lets see Cologne."

Outside this reality: Castle Oblivion: throne room: moments after the failed assignation

The being had many names, but the one that fitted it best was Oblivion. For that was its sole purpose, to bring oblivion to every single reality. 'In this reality,' Oblivion thought while it was pacing, "it should have been so simple. What with that idiotic doublet system that this Kami-Sama had set up. It was child's play to figure out who he was connected to, Hild. Kill Hild, Kami-Sama dies, and poof, there goes this reality, it's time to move on to the next one.'

'Only it wasn't that simple.' Oblivion thought in disgust. 'One of the Demon's that was to kill Hild, got wise, and realized who else would die. Not knowing the consequences for such an action, other then it would be bad for him, he convinced the others to drown her at Jusenkyo, and they did so.' Oblivion grimaced.

'And I had to wait all this time for Hild to come back.' Oblivion thought darkly. 'Then I thought it'd be so easy to kill this Ranma person who merged with Hild, that I sent those oh so incompetent assassins. I never even researched Ranma! How could I have been so fucking stupid! But how was I to know that this human had banished Demons in single combat as a human, and could out fight a minor God? I would have never have thought it was possible! Now that she knows someone is after her she is taking steps to protect herself better. And she's already much too in synch with Hild's power. At this rate she will be harder to kill then the old Hild ever could have been! But she's still much easier to get to and kill than going after Kami-Sama directly.' Oblivion thought.

Then a slow, evil smile came over the being's face. "It's been a while since I've had the challenge that this reality has given me. Ranma Saotome, let us see how challenging you can really be. After all, I do know the final outcome. All things must fall to Oblivion." The being finally said out loud, then manic laughter filled the air.

The Neko Hanten: a few minutes after leaving the Tendo house

As Ranma and Co. entered the Neko Hanten, Cologne, looked at Ranma with obvious disgust. "So Duck-Boy was telling the truth. You're a Demoness now. And you bring yet another Demoness here with you. What do you want you foul Hellspawn?" she said with venom in her voice.

Ranma sighed. She had thought this would be a hard sell, but this? 'Hadn't she even listened to what we said during, that's right,' Ranma thought while remembering 'She and Mousse left with Shampoo, who was still unconscious. She never heard the explanation on what happened. As Ranma went to answer her, Urd shot in her two cents.

"How DARE you speak to my mother and sister like that! I should fry you where you stand you shriveled up old crone!" Urd yelled at Cologne in her severe displeasure.

"Urd, be quiet!" Ranma yelled.

"Sorry mom." Urd said.

Cologne, who just now noticed the Goddesses, having been focused on the Demonesses, and was confused now. And that was understating it greatly. She managed to stammer out, "But, but you're a Goddess! How can you have a Mother and sister that are Demonesses? And how can Ranma be your Mother? You're much too old for that!" Cologne stammered out.

"ARE YOU CALLING ME OLD YOU SHRIVELED UP LITTLE GNOME!?!" Urd yelled, stepping forward. Cologne shank back in some fear.

"Urd, calm down. She's just confused." Ranma said.

"Yes Urd, calm down." Belldandy said. "She's obviously one of those mortals that see all Gods as good and all Demons as bad." Shaking her head she continued with "You think she would have learned different from that idiot Saffron. Elder Cologne, if we may, will you sit down and join us for a chat? We will explain this to you, as well as why we came." Belldandy said smiling.

Cologne felt small. Smaller then even her two foot frame. She felt even worse then that one time she got scolded by Kasumi. So she just nodded, and hopped over to a table.

After an hour or so of conversation, Cologne felt she understood the situation much better.

"So Ranma, you're Kami-Sama's Ex-wife? How are those alimony payments?" Cologne cackled in good humor.

Ranma was stunned at the joke for a few moments, then she started laughing as well, "Well I hope they're good, because he owes me about fifteen hundred years back payment!" she cried out, and then everyone was laughing.

"So Ranma, why did you stop by? Not just to explain things to me. You want something." Cologne said with certainty.

Ranma started to explain. "Cologne, I say this with all honesty, you are the best teacher I've ever had." Cologne shuffled a bit on her perch at that. "I need your help. Ever since my merger with Hild, my power's gone through the roof. My attacks and stuff are at least ten times more powerful, but I still have the same endurance, so I get tired ten times faster."

"I can see how that would be a problem, Ranma." Cologne said with understanding.

"Yeah, and I need your help. I figure if anybody can figure out how to get my endurance up, and really fast at that, and be able to take into consideration I don't have Ki any more but, what did you call it a gain Urd, oh yah, Mana, as my power source, I knew that you could help me. Plus I'm going to be training my daughter's and their sisters, so, I thought you could help in that too." Ranma told Cologne. "Plus, I really have the feeling that I'm hardly even scratching the surface of my new abilities right now, and I'm going to go through a lot of, transitional, stages, with my new abilities, and you I think you can help me when they so show up."

"That is quite the awesome responsibility you are giving me, training the daughters of Kami-Sama himself. I humbly accept. And you probably are right on the fact of you barely even touching your new true power, for I can not imagine that by merging with this Hild that you describe you'd only be about ten times stronger. You are probably just beginning to get in sync with her abilities at the moment, and will slowly get much more in tune with them." Cologne said, all the while thinking of the status she could gain in the tribe by teaching such high ranking and important Goddesses. She'd just gloss over the teaching of some Demonesses as well. As she sat there in her thoughts of her coming glory, she never noticed Shampoo come in, or the anger in her eyes. A big mistake. A Big, BIG mistake.

Shampoo saw Ranma, in her female form, and could feel the demonic energy just bleeding off her. She called for both her maces and calmly stated "Demoness Ranma, I kill." And then she charged the table hoping to smash the Demoness into the ground.

The group at the tables reaction was varied, Cologne shouted "Shampoo! No! Stop!" While the others got on to their feet to fight.

Except Ranma, who stayed sitting. Shampoo was so intent on her target, that she ignored everything else. She did not hear her Great Grandmother yelling for her to stop, nor acknowledge the bolts of fire and lightning that almost hit her as she subconsciously avoided them. All she saw was her target, and as her twin maces came down in a v strike to her targets neck, she was suddenly air born and knew no more.

Ranma had watched with a small, sad smile as Shampoo ran at her, weaving through the bolts of lightning and streams of fire like it was nothing. As she sat, she watched as both maces came towards her neck, which was a killing move. Still smiling that sad smile, she caught the maces in either hand, and flipped Shampoo over her chair, while remaining seated, burying her waist deep in the floor behind her. Looking over her shoulder she said sarcastically, with the same small, sad smile that had been on her face since Shampoo spoke, "Well that went well."

Heaven: an interrogation room: at the same time

Kami-Sama was not a happy Deity. After much, questioning, it was revealed that these, assassins, knew nothing of who hired them. All they had known was their manager, who in turn knew even less. All he knew was that a letter came to him, wishing to hire these assassins for the extermination of the reborn Hild. The letter was clean too. No way at all to trace it. So all in all, Kami-Sama was a very not happy Deity. He then went back to his office, and dialed the Neko Hanten, where his daughters were with Marller and Ranma.

The Neko Hanten: at the same time

"I'm sorry, Ranma. I'll explain things to her when she awakens." Cologne said. She was going to continue, when the phone started to ring.

"Excuse me a moment." Cologne said, hopping over to the phone. Answering it she said "Hello, Neko…" then her eyes went wide and she almost tumbled off her perch. Looking at Belldandy she managed to get out. "Kami-Sama for you Belldandy."

Nodding Belldandy walked over to the phone and listened occasionally saying "Uh-huh." and then ending with "Well that is most unfortunate. Love you too, bye."

Looking at the curious onlookers, she said "Father said that the assassins were given their job by their manager, who in turn got the job from a letter. And the letter has nothing we can trace. So were still in the dark on who wants you dead Ranma."

"Well that's just great." Ranma said. "Thanks for trying though Kami-Sama." She said looking up.

Cologne then said "Ranma, if you four can come back tomorrow around ten AM, we can get to the training then. I need to spend tonight getting what really is happening strait with Shampoo and Mousse."

Ranma stood and said "Well, thanks Cologne, we'll see you tomorrow then. Go easy on her though." Ranma said, looking at Shampoo's half buried form. And then they left, Cologne was wondering how to get this through her Great Granddaughter's, as she would say, too too thick skull.

Tendo house: dinner time

As Ranma and the other otherworldly being came into the house, they found Kasumi making dinner and every one else sitting at a set table. As Belldandy went to the kitchen to see if Kasumi needed any help, Nodoka asked "How did it go, Ranma?"

"Better then I thought it would. Cologne listened and didn't attack, but Shampoo did." Ranma said.

"Oh dear." Nodoka replied.

"Don't worry, Cologne said she'd talk with her when she wake's up." Ranma reassured her mother.

"Anything else happen while you were over there? Will she train you?" Nodoka asked.

"Well, father called." Skuld said. "He told Belldandy that the assassins don't know who hired them. So we're at a loss as to who wants Ranma dead."

"Well that's most unfortunate." Nodoka said in response.

"But she did agree to Train us." Urd said. "We're to go back over there at ten AM tomorrow."

"My girl," Happosai began. "If you wanted training, why didn't you come to me?" Happosai asked.

"YES!" Genma shouted. "Why did you not go to the master? Are you truly becoming a weak and worthless little girl by seeking a woman to train you?"

And then Genma was hit three different times. Once in the back of the head by Nodoka's sheathed katana, slamming his head into the table, rendering him unconscious and breaking his nose. Once by Urd's Lightning bolt in the back. And once by Marller's jet of flame to the back of his head, robbing him of his remaining hair.

Nabiki sighed, and tipped him off the chair, and then proceeded to drag him to the couch.

"Ok." Happosai said. "Back to my original question. Why did you not come to me, my girl?"

"Um, because I've never gotten real training from you, like I have from Cologne, and I knew that she could help me with my problems." Ranma said seriously.

"Well then," Happosai said "I'll just have to show you that your master can teach you just as well as that old crone! I'm coming with you tomorrow, and you WILL learn from me my girl."

"Are you…" Marller began, when Ranma raised her hand, silencing Marller.

"All right Happosai, if Cologne will agree, you can teach us with her. But no funny business! Got that? First time you do anything perverted, you're gone! Got that!" Ranma told Happosai.

"My girl would I do something like that?" Happosai asked innocently.

"YES!!!" was the shout of every female in the room.

"Dinner!" Kasumi called out, coming in with Belldandy and the food.

Sitting at the dinner table with every one, minus Genma, Ranma paused her eating when Nabiki said, "Didn't you have something to say to Ranma Akane?"

Looking up she saw Akane go beet red, and then Akane said "I'm, I'm seeing a therapist at Noon tomorrow. Nabiki got me an appointment."

Ranma put her chopsticks down and said. "Good for you, I know this must be hard. I'm proud of you Akane."

"Can we talk alone? I need some time with you." She said looking teary eyed. Ranma eyed the remaining food then said

"Sure."

"Then let's go to my room." Akane said getting up.

"Ok." Ranma said following Akane. And the others did not see either one for most of the night, till Ranma came out saying "She's asleep."

The Neko Hanten: 9:58 the next day

Ranma, her daughters and one of the daughter's half sisters arrived at the Neko Hanten at a few minutes before ten AM, with Happosai in tow. He had a huge bag slung over his shoulder, and when Ranma asked what was in it, all he would say was it was a peace offering to Cologne. Ranma just hoped it wasn't his silky darling collection. 'He would be the type to give that as a peace offering to a woman.' She had thought.

After knocking on the door, they were answered by a Cologne, who took just one look at Happosai and asked "What the hell is he doing here?"

Ranma opened her mouth to answer, but was stopped by Happosai's answer. "I am here to see that my heir is given proper training."

"Are you saying that I don't give proper training?" Cologne half yelled.

"No! No, No, I'm saying I'm here to give Ranma the proper training for a master of Anything Goes. Shesh, so touchy. And I even brought a peace offering for you too, but if you're going to be so rude…" Happosai said trailing off.

"And what is this peace offering, hmm?" Cologne asked suspiciously.

"Oh, just everything I still have of what I took from your village." Happosai said nonchalantly.

"WHAT!!!" Cologne yelled in supreme shock. "You're just giving it all back? What do you want in return?" Cologne said in suspicion.

"I think I already said it. I want to help you train Ranma and the girls. Ranma needs some training in the master level of the Anything Goes style. And if she's training with you, I can incorporate that into her training." Seeing Cologne's squinty eyed look, and guessing what it must be for he hastily said waving his arms in front of him "I'm not trying to take over your training of her, just using your training to further mine! I thought we could work together, in training them all!" he said quickly.

Cologne calmed down at hearing that he didn't want to take over, and said "Well let's see what you're returning." And then turned around and hopped into the Neko Hanten's dinning area.

Happosai followed her and was in turn followed by the women. As the women came in they found Cologne opening the bag Happosai brought with him. As she brought out more and more stuff, her face was a fluctuating mix between unbridled joy of seeing the things and pure unadulterated anger at that fact these things had been gone so long.

After going over all the things and then putting them back in the sack, she said "You may help."

Tendo house: 10:18 AM

"Well Akane, looks like you didn't last past a day." Nabiki said to a now calm Akane, who had just had a work out with her mallet on Genma and her father.

She had been taking cooking lessons from Kasumi that morning, and they had stolen the results of her cooking, thinking it was Kasumi's, and while Soun was vomiting, Genma had the audacity to say to Kasumi 'Why are you even wasting your time trying to teach her how to cook?' And so with the battle cry "YOU JERK!!!" she hammered them both into unconsciousness.

"Damn, I didn't, did I? But they said I shouldn't even try to learn to cook better! Hell it took Kasumi of all people force feeding me my own cooking last night to get me to relies that I need lessons. I was sick for over an hour! And I only had a tea spoon of my soup! If I ate the whole thing I'd probably be dead! I told Ranma last night that she'd never eat my cooking again until Kasumi said it was good enough, and these jerks think I should just give up?" She yelled.

"Sis, you're losing it again." Nabiki said calmly.

Akane took some deep breaths and said "Sorry. When's my appointment again?"

"In about an hour and forty minutes. Come on Kasumi and I will walk you there. We need to leave soon if were going to make the appointment on time. He's in the next ward over, I couldn't find a psychiatrist in Nerima" Nabiki said then called to Kasumi "Come on Kasumi, we have to leave now."

"Thanks" Akane said heading for the door.

The Neko Hanten: 10:27 AM

Shampoo had been profusely apologizing to Ranma, and Mousse had been saying he tried to tell them she was a good Demoness, but they just wouldn't listen, when they heard a voice interrupting them saying, "Well come on, we still have to get to the training ground." Cologne said going out the door. She had just finished storing everything Happosai had returned.

"Where is it?" Happosai asked picking himself up and following her.

"It's that old warehouse that was slated for demolition." She replied over her shoulder, as everyone else followed her.

Ranma was walking and talking with Shampoo and Mousse, who were still getting everything straitened out, when a beeping noise came from Marller.

Marller sighed, and brought up her Demonic computer screen, saying "What is it?"

"Mam!" a Demon replied. "A human just appeared in the middle of the second level. He was tearing the place apart! It has taken over sixty guards to corner him. And we still haven't subdued him or caught him. All we could do was trap him. We need you down here now mam." The Demon said in worry.

"Let's see a picture of this human." Marller said. As the security film was played Marller said "Now why does he look familiar?"

"Ryoga?" Ranma said in surprise looking at the pictures from behind Marller. She had gotten interested and looked. "What's he doing in Hell? He must have really gotten lost this time. Well let's pick him up and get him out of there." She said.

"What's that Mom?" Marller asked.

"That's Ryoga, one of my friends. He gets lost a lot. Must have gotten really lost this time. You met him once already, at Jusenkyo, remember? Any way let's get my friend before some one gets hurt." Ranma said.

"Ok fine Mom." Turing to Cologne Marller asked, "Do you think we can meet you there? We have to pick up this Ryoga person before he gets hurt."

"Or before Ryoga hurts a few Demons. He could hurt some of the lower level ones."" Cologne said. "He was Ranma's best challenge for quite some time. In fact bring him with you, he could be useful in your training." She said cackling.

"Uh ok." Ranma said. "We'll bring him with us. So how do we get there?" Ranma asked Marller.

"Like this." Marller said waving her hand, causing a portal to open to hell. All present, except Marller and Ranma backed off from it. "Coming Mom?" Marller said going through. Ranma followed.

Somewhere in Nerima: Akane is walking with her sisters: 10:42 AM

"So, what do you know about this doctor?" Akane asked Nabiki.

"Only that he comes highly recommended. And remember, he doesn't live in Nerima, so I've brought some packets for you to give him, if he doesn't believe some of the more, unbelievable things you'll have to tell him." Nabiki said.

"Like what?" Akane asked.

"Like anything that has to do with Ranma. Or with our new guests." Nabiki said with a sigh. 'I can't believe that we're so used to these sorts of things, that when we leave Nerima, we have to prove it to every one. How fucked up is Nerima, anyway?' Nabiki thought darkly.

"Oh, ok. That makes sense. I guess those sorts of things are pretty unbelievable to an outsider. Thanks Nabiki." Akane said, taking the bag of stuff from Nabiki.

"If you want Akane, we can sit in on your first session, to help lend credit to your more unbelievable parts, and of course to support you in your first session." Kasumi said, smiling at her.

"Thanks Kasumi. I appreciate it. I'll probably take you up on that offer. Let me think about it though." Akane said in response.

"Sure thing Akane." Kasumi said.

Hell: The second level of Hell: Near Ryoga's position: Time is relative here

"Mam!" a Demon said as Marller exited the portal. As Ranma exited behind her, he stuttered "Hhhhh, HILD-SAMA!!!" he finally shouted, causing every Demon in the vicinity to look over at them. "I had heard you were back, but this unworthy one did not believe it until he saw you! If I may be as bold as to ask, why haven't you returned till now?" The demon asked.

"My name is Ranma. I just came to take Ryoga back home. I have got to ask how he got lost to here though." Ranma said.

"Eh? Hild-Sama, why are you…" the Demon began when Marller interrupted with.

"Mother has changed since she was gone worm. She's changed her name to Ranma now, and you WILL call her by Ranma-Sama, got that?" she said looking around at the gathered Demons. "Now this is one of mother's friends over there, and she's here to take him home, got that? Now clear the way!" Marller shouted.

Instantly the crowd parted, leaving a direct path to a Ryoga who was wearily throwing Shishi Hokodan's at the front Demons to keep them back.

Ranma walked up to Ryoga, calling out "Hey Ryoga! You keep saying 'I've seen Hell because of you Ranma!' but is this really the first time you've been here, or were you really telling the truth?" Ranma asked.

A tired Ryoga looked up and said, "Ranma you jerk! Of course it's not my first time here! Of course this is the first time I've spent any real amount of time in this place." He said shocking Ranma in to stopping. "So this really is Hell? I thought it was, but I wasn't always so sure." He said sitting down against the cave wall he had been trapped against. "I don't know why, but I couldn't leave this time. God I'm tired." Ryoga said in exhaustion.

Ranma came closer and said "Are you ok man? You look like shit."

Ryoga laughed at this and said "I'm just exhausted. Had to keep your followers of me for quite some time, now didn't I?"

"My followers?" Ranma asked confused.

"Ranma, this is Hell right?" Ryoga asked, looking up from his position on the ground.

"Well, yah." Ranma said.

"Then all these Demons are your followers, seeing as your now the Queen of this place." Ryoga said with a sigh as he stood up.

"Oh yeah! That didn't occur to me." Ranma said slapping her forehead.

"Well get it through that thick skull of yours before it's too late Ranma. Now why are you here?" Ryoga asked Ranma.

"Uh, Marller got a call about you tarring up the place, and they wanted her back here to take care of it. When I saw it was you, I came with her to, you know, get you out of here. In fact the old ghoul said she'd like your help when she's teaching Marller, Urd, Skuld and Belldandy how to fight with Happosai. The two of them are also training me some more too." Ranma said.

"Training them and you some more too? Why?" Ryoga asked.

Ranma then explained what had happened at the bridal shop.

"Damn. And when Akane passes her test, you'll be training her too?" Ryoga asked.

"Yeah." Ranma said.

"And getting exhausted in the middle of a fight like that must be a real drag, huh." Ryoga asked.

"Oh yeah. Even with all this power, if you could do what you do best and endure, you'd beat me." Ranma said.

"Gee, thanks for the complement." Ryoga said, only half sarcastically, because he knew Ranma was trying to complement him.

"What?" Ranma said clueless as to how she had slightly insulted Ryoga.

"Nothing." Ryoga said with a sigh, knowing that he could do nothing about Ranma's cluelessness.

"Hey Mom," Marller said coming up for behind Ranma "How'd you like a quick tour of the place?" She asked.

"But we have to get back for the training." Ranma pointed out.

"Time is relative here Mom." Marller said.

"Huh?" Ranma asked intelligently.

"She means time flows differently here Ranma." Ryoga said in an annoyed voice.

"Yeah Mom." Marller said. "You can take the tour with your friend here, and we can meet the others right as they get to where we're training."

"Uh, ok." Ranma said, seeing this was important to Marller for some reason.

"Ok then, follow me!" Marller said in excitement, turning around. Ryoga and Ranma looked at each other, shrugged, and followed her.

Dr. Shingo Hojo's office: 12:00 PM

Akane was nervously waiting for her appointment time. She had decided that she needed her sisters to come in with her for this session for two reasons. One was the fact she needed Nabiki to explain the things that an average Neriman knew and would not question if they didn't. Two was the fact that she needed some hand holding for this. She was scared. 'What if he couldn't help? What if he thought I am a really bad person? What if he thought I was crazy and I need to be locked up? What if…' she thought, until the receptionist said,

"Dr. Hojo will see you now." And as she said it, a tall dark haired man in his early thirty's came out.

"Miss Tendo." He said. "I understand that you want your sisters to sit in on your first session? That's fine, most people need some hand holding from family in the first few sessions. As long as they're helpful, I'll allow it. And you said you had some things to show me? Well come back into my office." He said turning around.

The three sisters stood up, and then followed him back into his office. There was the stereotypical couch, and four other chairs. The Doctor sat, motioning them to do the same. "Now you are here Miss Tendo for anger management issues, correct?" Akane nodded. "And you said to the receptionist that you had some things to show me, things that I would have a hard time believing, and if I didn't, I couldn't treat you at all? That sounds strange if I may say so. What do you have to show me?" Dr. Hojo asked.

Akane stood up and handed the Doctor a thick file plus a VHS tape. "It's all in here Dr. Hojo." Akane said.

"Please, call me Shingo." He said. He started to look through the file, and then he frowned. "Do you really expect me to believe this stuff?" he said as he got to the third page.

"Dr. Hojo." Nabiki said. "We have no reason to lie to you. This was put together by me to help you understand things that we take for granted. Nerima is very strange, and all the strangeness centers around Ranma, Akane's fiancée. In fact she could probably use your help too now that she's a she full time, and a Demoness to boot, come to think of it, but I don't know if she'll go for it. Maybe if Akane suggests it, or if it is pointed out right. Hmmm." Nabiki said going into deep thought.

"I always thought the rumors on Nerima were just that, rumors. But you're saying they're true?" Shingo asked.

"If any thing Dr. Hojo, they're understated." Kasumi said.

Laughing weakly the Doctor said "That's hard to believe."

After finishing the file, and watching the fifteen minute tape he pressed the intercom button to his receptionist and said, "Arini, cancel the rest of my appointments for the rest of the day. I need to step out."

"Yes Doctor." was the response.

"Oh, and after that you can close up and go home." Shingo said.

"Yes Doctor. Thank you." She said.

"I'm going to do something I've never done before. A home visit. If you don't mind that is. May I accompany you to your home, and meet your family and finish this first session there? I need to meet the people in this report, especially your fiancée, to properly treat you, and to be honest I don't want to wait until I see you next week. This has caught my curiosity too much." Dr. Hojo said.

Akane looked at Nabiki who nodded and pulled out a cell phone. "I'll call Cologne. I doubt they'll be happy interrupting their training, but I'll make sure that they understand that your Doctor needs to meet them to effectively teat you. If Ranma understands this, I'm sure she'll drop everything to come home." Nabiki said making the call.

The abandoned warehouse serving as a training ground: 12:47 PM

Ranma was in the middle of a revived version of the Bakusai Tenketsu training regiment. It was revised in the fact Cologne had tied her in the middle of a steel hoop about fifteen feet in the air, and two wrecking balls, one operated by her and the other by Happosai, kept hitting her from both the front and back at the same time.

As she was being hit for the uncountable time today, she thought, 'The old ghoul better be right about this not effecting my speed any. But what she said makes a lot of' she interrupted her thought with a verbal "OW" as the two steel balls hit her at the same time again. She continued thinking where she left off with 'sense. When I said I never tried learning this, because I thought it would slow me down, she laughed and said 'Ranma, Ranma, Ranma. Ryoga is slow as a fighter, The Bakusai Tenketsu didn't change that, if any thing it helped his style, letting him take the hits that his slowness would have him take anyway. Comparing the two of you is like comparing a helicopter to a tank. Ryoga Got more armor on his tank, and you'll get more on your helicopter. It won't make you any slower, just able to take more hits. Although we're going to have to up it a notch, since you already can take some good hits.' She remembered Cologne saying as another round of squishing came on.

Then Cologne's cell phone rang and she called a halt to Ranma's training to answer it, then hanging up called a halt to all training.

As they all gathered around, all but Ranma greatly relieved for anything that would stop the training Cologne said "Ranma that was Nabiki. She said that Akane's Doctor needs to see all of us, but you the most, before he can truly start to treat her. Oh and she said that she didn't make it as of 10:09 this morning. What is this all about?" she asked.

"I told Akane she had to make it one week without losing her temper before I'd start training her. Looks like that week got started over. And she's going to a Doctor to help her with her anger management issues. If he needs to meet us to do it then let's go. Did she say where to meet them?" Ranma said then asked.

"Yes. She said the Doctor's coming down here and to meet them at home. It's a good thing you want her to get some control on her temper before you teach her." Cologne said.

"Yes Ranma my girl, that was very wise." Happosai said.

"And what would you know of wisdom?" Cologne asked Happosai.

"Guys, let's just get home." Ranma said sighing

EAN: Not much changed in this chapter, but the next chapter will have the revisions that I am so looking forward to. Remember, I really liked this story, and am not changing all that much of it except where needed to clarify things and to expand on them. Don't ask why this needed to be rewritten then, for I wanted to do so, mostly for the revisions in the next chapter and on.