-----Original Message-----
From: KaraOhki <karaohki@snet.net>
To: ffml <fanfic@fanfic.com>
Date: Sunday, August 02, 1998 11:10 AM
Subject: [FFML] [fanfic][ranma][A Change of Scene, Part 9--chapters 44-46]

Finally, another installment.

Continuing from the wreckage of the wedding in Chapter 45....

for those who haven't been reading - Ranma and Akane are in college,
home for the holidays, and ready to marry.  See earlier chapters
at http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian.rothko/228

But you know I have!!!  ^_-

==================================================

"A Change of Scene", part 9 (Chapters 44-46)
by June "KaraOhki" Geraci, July 1998
karaohki@snet.net


The characters from Ranma 1/2 in this fiction are the
creations of Rumiko Takahashi, and borrowed without
her permission.
This story was written for non-commercial purposes only.

Earlier chapters are online at
http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/rothko/228

Go read 'em, ya boofs!  ^_^

                           Chapter 44

"Where is Ranma?", Akane thought, as she sat fidgeting on his futon.
When she got up,
the priest looked at her oddly, and held out one hand.

Formatting's a little off.  ^_^

"Miss Tendo, I need to ask you a question."

"Yes?"

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Excuse me?  I don't understand."

The priest laughed, rather sarcastically.

"Come now, I'm sure you do.  You've always made it plain that you don't
want to marry
your fiance.  Why are you doing this?"

In the hallway Ranma held his breath, waiting to hear Akane's response.

"I'm marrying Ranma because I have to."

The priest and Ranma both gasped.

I think you should pause here a moment to let the reader feel that dagger
going into Ranma's heart... maybe give us a line about what he's thinking or
feeling.  Akane's explanation comes so fast, you almost don't have time to
feel the shock.  Just a suggestion.  We all know (if we've been reading
previous chapters) that the Ranma and Akane in your story really love each
other!  But it's fun to play with the reader's emotions a little...

"It's not what you think!  No one is forcing me.  I have to marry Ranma
because I love
him too much to be separated from him."

The priest nodded, smiling.

"That was all I needed to hear, my dear."

Akane smiled back and stepped into the hallway, where Ranma pulled her
into his arms.

"Thank you, Akane.  I needed to hear it, too."

Akane blushed bright red.

Footsteps behind them announced Shiro's return.  He was carrying a small
tray with
cups and a bottle of sake, and was being trailed by the photographer,
whom he had
intercepted on his way out.

"I told you that you forgot something, Ranma.  Don't you need this for
the ceremony?"

"You're right, Shiro.  Thanks."

"You're welcome.  Now I have to see about getting your family up here.
But it think it
would be best if you just got started without them."

Shiro is no fool.  Shiro catches on quickly.

Ranma had been

somewhat
nervous before, but it had been nothing compared to what he was feeling
now, and he
couldn't help wondering why this beautiful girl was marrying him.

Something about a promise, and carrying on a dojo, and... oh, he was too
nervous to remember it all right now...

Akane saw the admiration in Ranma's eyes, and blushed again.  She was
suddenly the
victim of an extreme case of nervousness, and her flowers began to
tremble.  Ranma had
always had many, many girls to choose from.  Akane couldn't believe that
he'd chosen
her.

Well, other than she was the only one who poisoned him purely by accident...

Their eyes locked, and they sat there, just looking at one another.
They may have sat
there forever had not the priest cleared his throat, causing them to
look at him.

Unfortunately for Ranma, the priest's eyes were not as beautiful as
Akane's...

"I hate to rush you, but we should get this done before someone comes in
and tries to
stop us again."

My disability insurance doesn't cover delusional samurai.

The priest looked at Shiro, and raised his eyebrows.

"May we continue, or is there someone else coming?"

"We're all here, sir."

Everyone else has been evacuated for safety precautions...

Ranma and Akane looked extremely relieved.  The delay had caused their
jitters to
return, and they reached for one another's hands, holding on tightly.
At a prompt from
the priest, they began the recitation of their vows.

Honto ni?  ^_^  Is it really going to happen?

Akane smiled as Ranma promised to love her, to be faithful to her, and
to take care of
her forever.  She knew that Ranma would always call her names, tease
her, and pick
fights with her, but that was part of his love and she accepted it.

And so did her mallet.

Ranma listened with a smile as Akane promised to love him, to be
faithful to him, and to
take care of him forever.  He knew that Akane had a quick temper, would
often disagree
with him, and might very well kill him with her cooking, but that was
all right with him
as long as they were together.

As long as we have each other, who needs a stomach?

They exchanged rings, shared the sake cup, and sighed with sheer relief
when the priest
declared them to be husband and wife.  Soun was already sobbing softly
when Ranma
was invited to kiss his bride.

Soun sobbing softly?  I'd expect him to cry a river... literally!  They'd
have to haul in the sandbags to redirect the flood coming down the stairs!
^_^

Ranma didn't need a second invitation,

and soon the room
was filled with sounds of approval from family members watching what
they had never
expected to see.

Nabiki wasn't losing a sister... she was losing money on a long-standing
bet...

*****

It had taken a little while for the remaining wedding guests to realize
that none of the
Tendo or Saotome families were in the dojo.  They huddled together in
small groups,
wondering what to do.  Sounds of laughter made them all look toward the
broken doors
and the families re-entered, with the exception of the bride and groom.

Soun made an attempt to speak to everyone, but his tears choked him, and
Genma took
over.

Hee!  Now that's the Soun I know and... know.

"I have an announcement to make.  My son and Tendo's daughter were
married a few
minutes ago, and they'll be downstairs soon.  Let's get ready to give
them a big
welcome!"

Any daughter in particular?  ^_^  Okay, we can guess, based on who's here
and who's wedding it is...  ^_^  Gomen!

Ranma took her flowers from her
hand and
tossed them onto the bed.  He pulled her into his arms and crushed her
against him.
Akane held him just as forcefully, burrowing her way deeper into his
embrace.

"We did it, Akane.  Despite everything they threw at us, we did it."

And when I say 'everything they threw at us', I'm talking bombs, furniture,
punches, casks of magical water...

*****

P-Chan shivered.  He was cold, wet, and aggravated.  Ryoga had been
visiting his
parents,

a biannual event!

and had stepped outside to get the newspaper when it had begun

to rain.  Not
wanting his parents to see his pig side, Ryoga had run off to look for
shelter, and become
lost.

P-Chan suddenly looked up and realized where he was.  Why was it, he
wondered, that
whenever he got lost he ended up here?

Home is where the heart is.  ^_^  Y'see, he left his heart in Tendo Dojo
(ooh, I feel a songfic coming on... must resist!)

*****

Soun had been at first amazed, and then overjoyed when he'd witnessed
Ranma and
Akane's marriage.  Then doubts began to assail him.  He'd said earlier
to Genma that
their children didn't love one another, and he wanted his daughter to be
happy.  Soun
waited for the music to stop, and took Akane aside.

"Akane, are you sure this is what you wanted?  Are you happy?"

I'd hate to think I might have pressured you to marry Ranma...

Ranma and Akane ran down the stairs, and P-Chan took the opportunity to
leave
Akane's room and the Tendo house.  There was no longer any reason for
them to be
there.

(Ooh!  Something to actually be critical about!)

"There was no longer any reason for _him_ to be there."

Unless A)  Ryoga thinks of himself and P-Chan in the plural, or B) Ryoga is
talking about the need to remove Akane's room and the Tendo house from the
face of the earth.  Either possibility presents a new and unexplored (not to
mention unexpected) plot thread...  ^_^

*****

Akane found her father weaving around the living room, weeping.  When
Akane
approached him, the weeping became louder.

"Don't go away, Akane."

"Daddy?"

Soun grabbed Ranma, and shook him weakly.

"Why are you taking my little girl away from me, Ranma?"

Ranma supported Soun, who was barely able to stand, and walked him
toward his
bedroom.

Okay, this is REALLY the Soun I know and know!!!

"Father Tendo, you've been telling me to marry Akane for years.  What's
the problem?"

"You can't take my little girl away.  I won't let you."

Soun suddenly collapsed, and Ranma had to carry him the rest of the way.
Akane
undressed her father, and put him to bed.  By the time she was done,
Soun was half
awake, and clinging tightly to her hand.

"Don't leave me, Akane.  My little girl should be with her father."

"Daddy, I'll always be your little girl, but I'm Ranma's wife now.  You
have to learn to
share me with him."

Kinky!  But Kara, I never even saw this twist coming!

                           Chapter 45

Nearly all of the guests had departed, and Shampoo know she couldn't put
off going
home any longer.

Shampoo knew.  Although she'd say "Shampoo know," you shouldn't.  ^_^

room.  Ryoga was red with anger, and immediately turned on Shampoo.

"How dare you reveal my curse like that!  Who is this guy?"

"Is Shampoo's friend, Shiro.  He Ranma's roommate."

Ryoga's face fell.

"Not anymore, he isn't."

Who is speaking here?  Shiro?  Ryoga?  Presumably it's Ryoga, but it could
be Shiro speaking about himself in third person, so you should say one way
or the other.

Shiro couldn't understand why Ranma would keep Ryoga's curse a secret

>from Akane.

Why on earth would he want her to keep this young man as a pet?  This
was something
he'd have to ask his friend about.

Preferrably from behind a brick wall.

Shampoo didn't know what to say.  She wasn't sure what to think, or what
to feel.  The
first man she'd ever loved had just married someone else, and she could
honestly wish
him well.  She also had just been kissed by a young man she barely knew,
but who had
somehow found a way to slip through the cracks in her broken heart.

That's a wonderful image!  Way to write!  ^_^

It was still snowing when they got off the train, but there wasn't much
on the ground
because of the strong winds coming through the mountain pass.  They
began walking,
and soon could see the lights of the inn.  The door opened as they were
walking up the
steps, and a white-haired woman smiled, and bowed to them.

"Good evening.  You must be the Saotomes."

Ranma smiled, and returned the bow.

"Yes, we are.  Good evening."

"Please come in.  We've been expecting you."

You can check in any time you like, but you can never leave...

Oops, sorry, just slipped out.  And I'm already busy avoiding one songfic
here...  ^_^

*****

Akane rinsed the shampoo out of her hair,

in more ways than one,

and immersed herself in the

tub.  She
watched the light reflecting off the ripples in the water, and relaxed,
letting the last of
the day's tension leave her.  After everything that had happened at
home, Akane felt that
it was almost miraculous that she and Ranma had been able to come to
this quiet place.

<Kami-sama:  Almost?  Almost?  I've had twenty goddesses working overtime to
accomplish it, I'll have you know!  Almost miraculous, indeed!>

It had been very difficult for them to let go of one another to go to
the bathing rooms,
and Akane looked at the wall beside her, knowing that her husband was
just on the other side.

For as long as the water remains hot, anyway.  After that, he becomes...
well, not her husband, in so many words...

Ranma joined Akane at the window, where they sipped their wine, looking
out at the
mountains.  The snow continued to fall outside, and the wind howled down
the
mountain pass.  Akane listen to the howling and shivered, moving closer
to Ranma.

"Come sit by the fire, Akane.  It's too cold here by the window."

Ranma sat down on the rug before the fire, and pulled Akane into his
lap.  They
alternated soft kisses with sips of wine, and gentle caresses.

*****

(This scene break provided by the committee to keep this fic rated NL "Not a
Lemon!")

Akane's expression changed.  She looked anxious, and grabbed Ranma's
shoulder.

"I don't want to go to sleep.  I'm afraid you'll disappear."

Or at least, certain parts of you...

(Gomen!  Don't hit me!)

Ranma lifted Akane's hand from his shoulder so that he could kiss her
fingers.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere.  Go to sleep, Akane."

Ranma fought to keep his eyes open until he felt Akane relax into sleep.
He pulled the
quilt higher around her shoulders, and finally allowed himself to close
his eyes.  The last
thing he was aware of was Akane's hand creeping up to his pigtail, and
taking firm hold of it.

Uh-oh... now she's dreaming of tossing and dragging him around...  ^_^

-----------

more to follow


Comments welcome.  Post to the list,
or to me: karaohki@snet.net

Yay!!!  Very good!  Warm and fuzzy!  Happy!  Well-written!  And more to
come!  What more can I say?

(I think I've said more than enough...)  O_o

Miko!

"When you really need them the most," he said, "million-to-once chances
always crop up.  Well-known fact."  --Seargent Colon, "Guards, Guards!"
Terry Pratchett

Nausicaa@sprynet.com   Belldandy@angelic.com
Anime rpg at http://come.to/akane/
Fan Fiction at http://www.fortunecity.com/tatooine/pratchett/199/