ONION TEARS
Part IV. Epilogue (revised)
To a normal observer, the dojo might have seemed empty; aside from
myself standing in the middle of the room and the calligraphy hanging
on the back wall, the place looked devoid of life. But that was the
idea, and I knew better: this was my class I was teaching. It was a
game of hide-and-seek, in plain sight, one of the most basic of the
ninja techniques, and yet one of the most difficult to master. Still,
this was my advanced class, and they were doing well... except for a
slight rustling noise in the corner.
I walked over to the corner and stomped my foot. There was a yelp of
pain, and a young boy stood up, grasping his hand.
"Hey, wha'dja do that for, anyway?"
I gave him a reproving glower. "Because I could, Kyouma. I could
actually find you, and that is a fatal mistake for a ninja; you know
that. Now, I didn't mean to hurt you so much (why don't you head to
the living room and ask Auntie Akane to bandage that up for you), and
I apologize. But do try to remember that invisibility means you need
to be inaudible, too." I let my expression soften, and I got down on
one knee to face him directly. "Kyouma, you're an excellent student.
You're picking up techniques even your father never learned to
master, and with the same speed that he had. You're one of the
youngest to ever reach this level of expertise in the ninja arts.
And I've got the advantage of experience -- it takes a ninja to catch
a ninja, more or less. An ordinary person would never have seen you
there. But you've still got to be careful. When you're in ninja
mode, assume there's always a fellow ninja out there that might be
able to detect it. If you can hear yourself moving, so can he."
I smiled warmly. "Anyway, you go get that hand looked at, okay?"
He returned my smile. It didn't take much to cheer Kyouma up; at any
rate, he was as impervious to pain as his father had been. He ran out
the dojo door, nearly tripping over one of his fellow students as he
left. I smiled at the student Kyouma tripped over. "You can get up
now, Hideo. If Kyouma missed you, it's definately a sign you're doing
well." I looked around the room, and clapped my hands together. "In
fact, everybody get up. That's good work, all of you. But let that
be lesson to each of you. Always assume there's another ninja out
there, and you have to fool *him*." I received an audible glare from
a pair of kunoichis in my class, and corrected myself quickly. "Or
*her*. Yes... sorry about that.
"Dismissed, everyone." and in a flash, the room was indeed empty,
save for myself. There were two hours to kill before Akane's own
martial arts class was to begin arriving; I decided to check up on
her and Kyouma in the meanwhile.
***
The dojo had been emptier than this before... and yet there had been
more people in it at the time. When the wedding guests had departed
from the scene of the ceremony, Kasumi and I had carried a profusely
weeping Mr. Tendo to his room. I returned to the dojo find Nabiki,
standing at the entrance, gazing out into space, and Akane, on her
knees, by the makeshift altar.
I stared at Nabiki first, trying to read her; a difficult task under
the best of circumstances, now nearly impossible. The best guess as
to her emotional state I could muster was... confusion. I doubted
whether even *she* knew how she felt. I waved a hand before her
glassy-eyed face. "Nabiki?"
She turned to me, slowly. "Isn't the pain supposed to go away?"
I could only shrug. "Maybe it's just being replaced."
"Replaced?" Her mask turned quizzical. It was at that moment that
Akane took a deep, choking breath in between quiet sobs. The look of
horrified realization grew on Nabiki's face -- the same look that
developed when she first partook of the fateful onion. "Oh my gosh...
Akane!"
She rushed to her sister's side, agonized. "Akane... I'm so sorry...
I had no idea what I was doing... I... I..." Her voice trailed off as
Akane looked up at her.
A bluish glow began to form around the younger girl, and the tears
evaporated on her face as she answered. "Get. Away. From. Me."
Nabiki sat there on her knees, eye to eye with her sister. She was
almost too stunned to move. Akane's voice rose in fury. "NOW!"
Nabiki got up and scurried out of the dojo. Akane stood and watched
her sister as she ran out of the Tendo compound entirely. Kami alone
knew where she was headed.
Now Akane turned her aura on me. "You, too."
I stood my ground. "I can't do that, Akane."
"I said GO!"
Several years ago, that would have been more than enough to send me
off in the same manner Nabiki had. After my father died, my step-
mother and her two daughters beat me into total submission. Whatever
they said, went. Immediately. No matter how distasteful, dirty or
dangerous. THe woman who rescued me from that false family, however,
taught me to think for myself, and that orders were not always to be
obeyed without question, and sometimes defiance was better for all
concerned. At this moment, she was never more right.
And yet... I was about to put that knowledge to its best use to
benefit her own victim.
"NO!" I strode over to Akane and put my hands firmly on her shoulders.
She struggled to escape my grasp, but I held onto her tightly. "Akane,
I'm not going anywhere. You're hurt... you need someone to be with you
right now...
"Like it or not, I'm going to be that someone for you now. Come on...
let's get you to your room. It's been a long, hard day for all of us;
you need your rest." I took her hand to lead her out of the dojo.
She yanked her hand away and dropped back to her knees. "I'm not
going anywhere. Leave me alone."
I knelt down beside her. "Then I'll stay here, too."
A silent eon passed between us in that empty room. I watched as the
light flowing into the dojo from outdoors began to redden, then
disappear. As darkness began its final descent, Akane collapsed
into my lap, weeping afresh. I gathered her up in my arms, and began
to carry her to her room.
***
I sat by her bedside as she cried herself to sleep, seemingly unaware
of my presence. It occurred to me that my former mistress must have
had no idea how much Akane really cared for Ranma. Certainly, if I
had a yen for every time Akane called him 'baka,' I'm sure I would be
wealthier than Nabiki. Uk... my mistress sort of assumed that since
neither of them liked each other very much, and since it was evident
that Ranma liked *her* (at the very least, as a friend), all would be
better served by she and Ranma getting together rather than him and
Akane.
Trouble is, sometimes just because one doesn't like another person
doesn't mean they can't love each other. And Akane had just lost her
dearest love, a man whom she just so happened not to like very much.
The human mind has a nearly limitless capacity for self-deception.
I guess to a certain extent, it keeps us sane in the direst situations,
allowing us to cling to hope even against all odds. It was that self-
deception, after all, that kept... my former mistress... going in the
days leading up to the wedding: somehow he'd come to his senses and
realize that she was truly the one for her. She had blinded herself
to Akane's love for her Ran-chan.
Akane, on the other hand, must never have even considered the
possibility of any of Ranma's fiancees disrupting the wedding;
well, maybe she had, but I could probably state without fear of
contradiction that any of them could ever succeed in carrying him
off. Of course, neither had Ranma, but then, he did end up getting
married regardless.
But now... now that the truth had reared its awful head over her,
Akane was in a fragile state. I'd seen it happen before...
A quiet snort shook me from my contemplations. Akane had rolled
slightly in her sleep, and was now snoring quietly. I decided to
slip out and get someone's permission to move in... I doubted I'd
be welcome at the Ucchan anymore.
***
Actually, considering how late the hour was, I should have been
surprised that anyone was up and about, Nevertheless, I found Kasumi
sitting on a kitchen chair, with a worried look on her face. Upon
seeing me, she gave a bit of a start.
"Oh, my... Konatsu, what are you doing here? I thought you might have
gone home."
I shrugged. "Sorry to alarm you like that, Kasumi, but Akane needed
some support after what happened today, and well... I was there."
Kasumi nodded in comprehension. The worried look would not pass,
however. "I-is something wrong?"
"Hm? Oh, no... nothing, really. Only... have you seen Nabiki? She
left a while back, and I haven't seen her since."
Once explained, her concern was contagious. I pulled up a chair, and
sat down next to her. "Afraid not. Akane-san ordered her out of the
dojo, and she just ran off. No idea where she went. Sorry." Again,
an understanding nod from Kasumi.
"Uh... Kasumi? Would it be too much trouble if I brought my things
here? I think Akane-san could stand some looking after."
She was about to answer when she was interrupted by a sardonic "You've
got another reason to go get your things, kunoichi. Your old home is
gone." I turned to face the voice; it had to be Nabiki, both by dint
of tone and content.
But the Nabiki Tendo that faced us did not match the cocksure voice we
were so familiar with. Her face was ashen, and she looked haggard, as
if she had been running thoughout all of Tokyo. Maybe she had been.
True to form, Kasumi didn't acknowledge that anything was amiss (and
perhaps, from her point of the, the fact that Nabiki was *home* meant
that things were at least *less* amiss already). "Oh, Nabiki! You're
back."
After flashing her sister a 'fine-grasp-of-the-obvious' look, she
turned to me. "Yeah, I'd get my stuff out of the Ucchan pretty quick,
if I were you. Or rather, what *used* to be the Ucchan."
"*Used* to be...?"
"Yeah. I went there to try and undo what I did to Akane. The place
was locked, but I broke the door down. Don't look at me like that,
Kenzan... I know martial arts pretty well, too. I just don't normally
use 'em.
"Anyway, the place was empty. Picked clean. Even the grill had been
dismantled and removed. Looks like she's headed back to Kansai, and
taking Ranma-kun with her. I was a bit frustrated at that -- I don't
have too many contacts there to exact revenge from her... unless she
goes to Osaka."
"Oh..." I looked over at Kasumi.
"It's all right, Konatsu-chan... you need a place to stay, and now
that the Saotomes are gone, we should be more than able to make room
for you."
I'd forgotten about that. Evidently, Genma would have been kicked out
of the dojo now that it had become clear that his son would not have any
part of the dojo. I had inherited several of my mistress' prejudices,
and wondered with malicious glee how he would explain this situation to
Nodoka. To be commandeered from one's bride on one's wedding day she
could hardly consider the actions of a man among men.
But I put these thoughts behind me as I prepared to take my leave.
"I thank you for your offer, Kasumi-san. I shall be back shortly."
***
I had some difficulty in finding the restaurant. Not because I didn't
know where it was, or perhaps I should saywhere it was supposed to be.
Even in the dark, I knew my way flawlessly. But once I stood before
the storefront that used to be the Ucchan, I had a difficult time
recognizing it. The signs were gone, the windows were barren; could
she have dismantled the place so fast?
I placed my hand on the entrance, and the door fell open. More
dismantling had taken place here, only this was as much Nabiki's
doing as anyone. Cabinets and bar stools had been ripped from their
mooring and thrown hither and yon. There were holes in the plaster
walls throughout the dining area. Boy, when Nabiki gets frustrated...
In the kitchen, again the scene was one of desolation. Everything
that could have been picked up and taken was gone; everything that
could not had been smashed. I found my few worldly possessions
untouched in a rear corner, and I gently placed them onto my futon,
rolled it up, strapped it to my back, and prepared to return to the
dojo.
Then, I saw it. Lying in the floor a few paces from the walk-in
cooler, was an onion. A Bayakala Onion. I picked it up, and looked
at it as intently as I dared. Again, the juices began to sting my
eyes.
To think, this harmless-looking vegetable had caused so much trouble.
I left via the back entrance, and found myself facing the trash, still
lined up in preparation for Monday's pickup. I weighed the onion in
my hand, and threw it as hard as I could against the fence upon which
the garbage leaned. The onion hit the fence and shattered with a
satisfying SMACK.
***
The days and weeks wore on, and while it was not always easy to
encourage Akane to eat and exercise, I did what I could to help
keep her strength up and her mind off the past events. I started
to accompany her to school, and found myself sitting in the seat
that Ranma had vacated. Occasionallu, I would glance at Akane, to
check her mood. More often than not, I found that she had been
looking at me already; but when I turned to check on her, she would
look away absently... quickly, but not quickly enough.
***
A number of months had gone by. Akane had regained her rosy glow,
to the point that she had resumed battling the boys off every morning.
I did my best to help, but I got knocked down at least once a week.
Some of the boys actually seemed to *want* to date me, in fact; mostly,
they seemed a rather dim lot. I could understand Akane's contempt for
them.
As we neared the end of term, however, Kasumi took the two of us aside.
"You know, Akane, Konatsu, Nabiki's going to be going off to college
in a few months," (she had been accepted to the prestigious Tohai
University, in fact) "and I won't be here much longer either, so I
need to know whether the two of you are ready and able to take care
of the dojo and Father."
"Wait a minute, Kasumi... You won't be here? Why not?"
She smiled gently. "Well... that dear Doctor Tofu..." and she didn't
need to speak further. The two of us embraced her and offered her our
congratulations. It was a magnificent ring she showed us, too... the
finest a medical salary could provide, without doubt. After this brief
celebration, she set us back down again. Her face took on a serious
aspect. "But you see, I still have a duty to ensure that the dojo is
in good hands. And..." her face gathered a sheepish aspect, "that an
heir to the Tendo school can be produced. Akane, the dojo is yours,
but you really must choose a husband. Might I recommend the man
sitting next to you?"
I was floored. It never occurred to me to consider myself worthy of
Akane-san's hand. All my life, I was someone's servant; someone to do
the bidding of another, be it out of filial piety, obligation, or mere
gratitude. As far as Akane was concerned, it was the least I could
do to serve and protect her, in some small recompense for the havoc
my former mistress had wrecked upon her.
***
"Akane Tendo, do you take this... man?" Akane nodded, as if to
confirm the preist's questioning tone. Well, I could understand.
As far a dress sense was concerned, I did look more like a bride than
a bridegroom; hey, I just prefer kimonos to hakamas; it's what I was
raised with. "...to be your wedded husband?"
All I could was to look into her eyes and shake my head in wonderment.
Did she realize what she was about to do? It never ceased to amaze
me how Akane had taken to her elder sister's suggestion. Did I even
have the right to become hers like this? Did she have the will to
do so?
"I do." Oh, Akane!
***
"Where are you going, Konatsu-kun...?"
I gave my... bride? a puzzled look. "I'm going off to bed, Akane-san."
Her smile was warm and brave and sad. "Konatsu-kun... you're not
going to be staying in the guestroom anymore, you know. You're my
husband now. Take your things and put them into my room, why don't
you?" My heart still ached for her.
***
I did as she asked me to; I went to her room and unrolled my futon at
the foot of her bed. And I slept there, at her feet, for the next
year and a half. By day, we operated the dojo together -- I taught
classes on the ninja arts, and she instructed students in the more
conventional arts such as kenpo and karate.
Shortly thereafter, Kasumi and Dr. Tofu tied the knot, and Nabiki
left for Tohai University with a full scholarship; although thankfully,
she still came by occasionally to review the dojo's books.
Not much was ever mentioned about our sleeping arrangements -- Akane
really never said anything about it, and I wasn't about to press
her about her feelings toward it. I did know I wasn't her first
choice for a husband. In fact, I knew there were at least two or
three others besides Ranma who I think would have been preferable
to me. And so, I vowed I would never touch her -- I wanted to
give her an out, if she so chose.
***
There was one night, several months later, when her little pet P-chan
came back to her after a long absence. I was lying on my futon in the
dark, staring at the ceiling, when I heard a squeak and a thump. Not
long afterward, there was a tapping on my shoulder. I rolled onto my
side and stared into a pair of eyes that were asking "What are you
doing here?"
I decided it would be easier to answer a human than a pig. I carefully
picked him up, and carried him to the bathroom.
Through the steam, Ryoga's expression was glum. "I heard about Ranma
and Ukyou... and about you and Akane." His face grew darker as he
mentioned the two of us.
"I'm sorry, Ryoga. I did what I could to break it up. And I know you
cared about Akane..."
"Do you know HOW MUCH I cared for her?!" Ryoga's temper flared and he
bared his fangs at me. "How DARE *you*, of all people, take her away
from me!"
I looked around frantically for something to deaden the sound.
Finding nothing, I waved my hands at him to keep it down. "Look,
Ryoga... Kasumi suggested it, and she agreed. She asked me. I'm
sure she would have asked you if you'd been there... maybe she still
will."
"She married YOU, you little freak of nature! It's too late for me!"
"Shh! No, it isn't! We can still get an annullment, if she wants you."
All the anger drained from him in an instant. "A-a-an... annullment?"
I nodded. "Well, yeah. I've never touched her."
"You're kidding! It's been nearly a year! I was sure that... you and
Akane... must have..." He was turning bright red and fidgeting.
I shook my head. "I couldn't do that to her. I don't know if she
ever really wanted me."
"You just said she asked you to be her husband..."
"Yeah, well... It was Kasumi's idea, after all. I don't really know how
much she meant it, really..."
Ryoga looked at me. Stared, actually. For a long time. The darkness
begin to lift from his, but the cloudiness remained; a sadness I could
not quite understand. Then he stood up. "I think I'd better get my
clothes."
"Let me take care of it. She's got a spare dresser you can put them
into."
"No, Konatsu... I've got to go. If I had been in your shoes, I would
not have had your honor, your willpower. I would have taken her that
first night, had I the strength. I would have known I wasn't her
first choice, but I wouldn't care. That is not the sort of conduct
worthy of her. You've earned the right to her, Konatsu. You belong
in the spot I've been occupying these past few years. I suggest you
take it; I shall vacate it for its rightful owner."
"But Ryoga... what about P-chan? She loves that little piggy of hers.
How could I take your place?"
Ryoga shrugged. "What *about* P-chan? Akari loves him, too." Oh,
yeah... I'd forgotten about her. "And if that's the only way left for
me to be with Akane... it's not worth it, anyway."
"Well, why don't you stay the night, in any case? I can call the
Unryuu farm in the morning, and have her come and pick you up. That
way, you won't get lost."
"I'd appreciate that, Konatsu."
***
There came a day when, after I had finished with my classes, she met
me in the living room. She hadn't gotten ready for her class; instead
of her traditional gi, she was dressed in a simple yukata. It was not
typical for her, and I knew something was up.
I didn't have to wait long to find out what it was.
"Konatsu... I want to have a baby."
"Uh... a baby?"
"Uh-huh. Don't you remember? We're supposed to be creating an heir
to the Anything-Goes school of martial arts."
"I... uh..." I wasn't prepared to deal with this. I was ready and
willing to raise a child with her; but... "How do you propose to go
about accomplishing this?
Her smile quirked its way up one side of her face. "How do *you*
think, Konatsu?"
I don't believe I'd ever completely facefaulted before. But now, my
whole *body* faulted, and the next thing I knew, I was picking myself
up off the floor.
"Konatsu...?" The smile was gone, and a worried expression had taken
over. She was worried... about me!
I hauled myself up to a sitting position. "Akane-san... do you realize
what you're saying?"
"More than you know, Konatsu..." She undid her yukata, and let it fall
to the floor... she wore nothing underneath. I had never seen her like
this before. Oh, I had had the opportunity, I'm sure -- but I never
allowed myself to look before. It had all been part and parcel of my
vow that I not take advantage of her.
And here she was... standing before me like this... asking me to...
I'm sure there were tears running down my face. "Akane-san... b-b-but
this means that..."
"...that you and I really will be husband and wife in more than name.
I know." She knelt in front of me. "Konatsu... please. You've never
even touched me like this..." and she took my hand and placed it on her
breast, "since we were married. Don't you find me attractive?"
I pulled my hand away as if I had touched a hot poker. But my hand
wouldn't let me pull away entirely... *Akane* was afraid *I* didn't
like *her*? "I... I -- yes! I do! But... what about the others?"
"Others? What others?" She looked genuinely confused. I had never
told her of my vow.
As I did, she began to undo the knots in my obi. "Konatsu... now I
understand why you've been keeping such distance. But you don't need
to do that anymore. Ryoga, Shinnosuke, Ki-rin... none of them were
there when I needed them. You were. And you have been ever since.
Isn't that enough?
"So now, I need one more thing from you... that is, if you're willing
to give it to me..."
I was.
And I did.
***
The first few times were tentative; neither of us really understood
what we were doing. And to add to that, I was still a bit nervous
about turning myself into a lesbian for real. Somehow, I knew I
wasn't ready for this part of marriage. Not as a man, anyway.
But we continued our efforts, and it wasn't long before it ceased to
be a duty we did for the dojo; rather, it was a joy we looked forward
to whenever we could. When I was inside of her, I knew that this was
what it really felt like to be a man, and decided to renounce my
girlish ways for good. I also came to the conclusion the Ranma
didn't know what he was lost out on...
I didn't know what had possessed her to ask that we begin relating to
each other fully as husband and wife, but whatever it was, I was
grateful for it.
***
Nearly fifteen years passed before I discovered the cause of Akane's
passion. During that time, we had succeeded in producing an heir, a
beautiful little girl we named Junko. She grew up to be a very pretty
child, and quite popular in the midst of a great boomlet of children;
many friends who had been at that first fateful wedding had decided,
independantly and simultaneously, to have children, too. So Junko
had plenty of friends her age, and shone out amongst them like a
little human star... or am I sounding like a doting parent?
It was a Sunday, a cold, rainy day even for Nerima, when a vaguely
familiar-looking boy, a little older than Junko, came pounding on
the door of the dojo. I let him in, and called for Junko to come
downstairs; I assumed it was one of her numerous suitors intending
to take her on a date.
When she came into the living room, she had a puzzled look on her
face. "What is it, Father?"
This, in turn, puzzled me. I turned to the boy, who was as perplexed
as I was. "Didn't you come here to see Junko?"
He gestured at her. "Junko? Is that her name?" Now I was *really*
confused. I turned to my daughter, who waved her hands frantically in
front of her, and mouthing 'I've never seen him before in my life!'
The boy resumed speaking, and my attention returned to him.
"Naw, I wasn't lookin' for her. I was lookin' for the Tendo dojo."
I nodded. "Well, you've come to the right place. Have you come to
train?"
"Dunno. It's just that my old man useta always talk about how great
things were around here, and I guess I figgered that I could do worse
than come here, now that I'm on my own."
'My old man...' The turn of phrase sounded familiar... "On your own,
did you say?"
"Yeah, I've ditched 'em. Pop's always talkin' about turning me into a
'man among men,' and Mom's always threatening to bring *his* mother
over if he tries. So I saved 'em the trouble and headed out."
The pieces were starting to fall into place. "You wouldn't be..."
He extended a hand, nonchalantly. "Name's Kyouma Saotome." I took
his hand and shook it -- it was limp and clammy; of course, that could
be just from all that time in the cold rain.
"Not... Ranma's boy?"
He looked up. "You knew my Pop?" Then he blinked and muttered half
to himself. "Well, duh. Of *course* you would. He lived here for
what? Three, four years?"
I smiled. "Something like that."
***
Several years went by, and I was amazed at how quickly Kyouma picked
up on the ninja arts. He did have an advantage to my other students,
of course, in that he was around the dojo 24 hours a day, watching
me and Akane...
...and Junko. Over time, the two of them took quite well to each other,
and I got some satisfaction out of the thought that perhaps the vows
that Mr. Tendo and Mr. Saotome had once made of uniting the families
to run this dojo might actually come true... a generation later than
originally intended.
Pity Mr. Tendo couldn't understand...
***
I brought a bowl of miso soup into his room. "Here you are, Father.
Please drink this... you need to keep up your strength."
Mr. Tendo would join us for dinner, of course, but we needed to ply
him with salt and liquid; he had never ceased crying since that day.
He took the soup from me with a grateful smile. "You're so good to
your old father, Kasumi." Unfortunately, the emotional drain the
onions had caused was beginning to take its toll on him. Dr. Tofu
could not recommend anything else for us save to keep him comfortable
and as happy as he could be under the circumstances, and to make sure
he did not lose too much salt or water.
He drained the soup at a single draught. I smiled. In some ways, it
was good that he thought I was Kasumi; in his former mental state, he
would never have eaten anything that Akane had prepared. Of course,
one's skills can improve vastly over the course of a decade of practice,
but his memory of her reputation had prevented him from eating much of
her cooking for a long time. It was only as his memory began to erode
with the emotional drain that he began to consume her cooking with an
enthusiasm once reserved for Kasumi's meal. Of course, if he thought
it was Kasumi who was bringing it to him...
"As always, magnificent, my dear. You do your dear mother proud."
"Thank you, Father." I took the empty bowl from him, and bowed deeply
as I backed out of the room.
***
Once Akane had finished patching up Kyouma's hand, he and Junko headed
out to the shooping plaza to hang out with the rest of their friends.
We watched the two of them depart; my eyes were fixed on Kyouma. "Do
you ever have any regrets, Akane-san? That could've been your son,
you know."
"I don't think so. Back then, I may have figured I was settling for
some kind of second-best when I asked you to take his place. But I'm
starting to believe I got better than I ever deserved." I blushed,
but she continued. "No, it's true. You listen to me, you put up with
my tirades, you offer a shoulder to cry on sometimes... you *know* I'd
never be so lucky with that 'baka'." She smiled as she recalled the
'pet' name she had for him. I smirked within myself -- another yen! --
but I wasn't quite convinced she wasn't still carrying a torch for him.
Still, who was I to complain, when she lavished me with so much praise?
"Well, what about that promise between your father and his? An heir
to the dojo and all that?"
"What of it? The dojo's in good hands, and so is Dad. Besides, I
think Kyouma's got a thing for our Junko. We may be a generation
behind, but there's always a possibility..." she smiled.
"Yeah, but I won't go making any stupid promises like that."
"Amen."
"Anyway, you know that my class starts in an hour and a half..."
"Yes, I do."
"...and since, Kyouma and Junko have headed off to the plaza, I
thought maybe we could..." Her voice trailed off.
My turn to smile. "I like the sound of that."
She headed for the stairs. "Come on up in about ten minutes, okay?"
She had a spring in her step that made her still seem like she was
only twenty. And still as beautiful, too...
***
Upstairs, Akane was waiting in the bedroom. "Are you ready, 'Natsu-chan?"
I loosened my obi, and walked in. I knelt down by the bed, where she
reclined, naked as the day she was born. She was a marvellous sight...
Ranma hardly knows what he's missing. I prostrated my face and arms
onto the bed before this magnificent sight, before the woman who
really and truly loved and wanted me. "I am ready to please you,
my mistress Akane-sama."
She sat up abruptly and lifted my face from the mattress. There was a
bit of a pout on her face. "Oh, please, Konatsu-chan. Knock off the
'mistress' bit, will you?" Then she noticed the grin on my face. "Hm.
Well, if you insist, mabye sometime I'll wear some leather or whatever.
But for now..." and she shifted herself over to the wall a bit, and
patted the portion of mattress she had just vacated, "just get up here,
will you?"
I could not wipe the smile off my face. "Your wish is my command, my
dear." I kissed her as I climbed next to her.
*****
*****
Author's notes...
*sigh* I feel like I lost my way on this revision. Even if it *is*
more realistic, this was labored, and I'm afraid it shows. I don't
really know if this is an improvement. So I'm going to leave it up
to you all, the FFML readers, to decide: Which ending do you prefer?
I'm not gonna send any of it to the r.a.a.c. until I get a definitive
answer, so please, cast your votes with me at ukyoukwnji@aol.com.
And an explanation or C&C wouldn't hurt either.
Anyway, thanks again for putting up with my own indecision.
Until next time, I remain yours.
Itsu mo,
Ucchan ^_^
