"Did I come at a bad time, Niichan??" Memeko stood in the doorway of her brother�s room. Her brother was holding his head in his hands as he sat on his bed.... a freshly pressed and cleaned tuxedo beside him.
Hiroshi didn�t acknowledge his sister�s presence, his mind�s eye clouded with a single picture of Ranma, her eyes locked on his as the sun rose early one morning. The wind seemed to play through her hair, her delicately framed face shining in the brillance of that rare, brief moment.
"Hiroshi??" Memeko�s voice was uncertain, it wavered slightly as she took a step further in.
"Don�t." He said with a powerful voice. It tore through Memeko like a shockwave. She hesitated for a moment.. a look of confused compassion on her soft face.
"Hiroshi, I- you need to talk to someone," Memeko wanted to reach out, wanted to wrap her arms around her brother. To comfort him, to take away his pain and sorrow.
She had had so much in her life, so much anguish and loss since her husband died... so much pain from friends and family about her choice of paths. It was destroying her delicate soul seeing her brother in such a dark pit of agony.
"No, Memeko. I�m a dead man walking. To think that I Love her, and- and this happens. Why?? Why does it have to be me," There was anger in his voice, harsh, brutal anger. It was indirect, because Hiroshi did not know what or whom to aim it at. Fate was his disdainful enemy, but one cannot harm what cannot be touched.
Memeko DID take a step back at that. *What.. has happened to him??* The Hiroshi she knew could never cry, he was always so happy and carefree, always so caring about people and their problems. The pain never touched him, LIFE couldn�t touch him. He was what many people wished to be.
What had happened to that man? Where had this frightened, angry boy come from?? She could only guess.
Hiroshi looked up at her, the headband of his grandfather�s Genjii outfit tight around his forehead. His gentle eyes were red and swollen from hours of crying, yet there was a fire in them that burned with a silent intensity.
"It�s her damn Curse, Memeko.... it�s... it�s that damn fate that followers her everywhere she goes. I tried to help her become happy, so for that faith in her I am to be punished. Everyone who loves Ranma *MUST* feel pain." Hiroshi clenched his jaw, his fists tightened as he slammed his eyes shut, holding back another fierce torrent of tears.
Memeko began to step forward, the brutal torment lashing at her soul too much for her to stay away.
"STOP!" He cried out with fury, hearing her feet move towards him. His body suddenly slumped from anger directly to the sadness of dejection. "...How can I do this to her, Memeko, how can I do this to myself?? What is there for me with her???" There was a certain melancholy in his voice that leveled upon nothing Memeko had ever heard from her brother. This was some stranger with her brother�s voice, some person she didn�t recognize who had taken on his shape... his soul.
She attempted to comfort the lost soul before her, not with gesture, but with words... "Hiroshi, I-"
"NOTHING!! That�s the answer, I have nothing!! My hope is baseless, my dreams a mockery! Ranma made her choice long ago, when I wasn�t even a twinkle in her eye!! What weapon do I have to combat such feelings??" Hiroshi opened his hands, looking down at them... demanding some answer from them that they could not give.
Empty palms stared back at him, devoid of the soft curves and kind face of his beloved. Empty of anything important, and filled only with emptiness, much like his soul. He wondered if the chill was from the dropping temperatures, or from the cold void that was his soul.
"Hiroshi, please, listen-" Her soft words once more were leveled with his stern tone.
His eyes burned with a forlorn passion, yet stared at empty space as if looking to some far off place.
"No. No, I can�t keep doing this. I can�t stop either. No way forward, and the path behind has been destroyed.... things can NEVER go back to the way they were. Ranma... Ranma, you�ve done it again...." he laughed a bit. There was a disturbing quality to his laughter.
It was completely devoid of all humor.... absent of emotion and humanity. It was as if his soul was dead, or dying. It was, as Hiroshi had described, a laugh without hope. A laugh ignorant of sunlight and the calm sea breeze, as if never having known such small wonders.
"Hiroshi!" Her voice rose with a faint bit of anger in it, piercing through the darkness into the empty confines of loneliness her brother had sheltered himself within.
Her brother looked up, as if seeing her for the very first time. "...m..memeko... what am I supposed to do??" His voice was no longer one of terror and anger at some impenetrable foe, but one of calm recollection of an unsolvable problem. Overwhelmingly weary, could best describe it.
Memeko felt the tension drain from her brother, and she stepped up beside him, taking a seat on the bed with him and putting a tender hand on his shoulder. "Hiroshi, do you love her?"
Hiroshi shook his head in futility, feeling the anguished pain in his soul. "That�s not the-"
"*DO* *YOU* Love her?" Memeko�s voice was firm now, but there was a large amount of love in her tone beneath the unwavering question. Her words had the desired effect as her brother�s eyes seemed to gaze far within his own soul.
Those words struck coldly through his heart, those four words were something he had never doubted, not since the first moment of that harsh unwavering epiphany. The choice of that question was deliberate, he knew, because he could never lie about the answer. Not from this, for he had not the ability to lie to himself or the world about such a thing.
It was as if all his life he had been blind, lost to the world�s grief�s and how truly such things could hurt him, lost to what True Love feels like. Then, without warning or just reproach, it was slammed into his being with full force in a single, violent awakening of emotions so powerful that to explain them would be to diminish them.
"...Yes..." He found himself saying, for he could say nothing else. Ranma hurt him, she confided in him and hurt him more... She time and time again missed those brief and rare moments where he almost came close to saying it. She was oblivious as to how much Hiroshi�s world had changed since she took that first step towards something closer than friendship.... and all of it had hurt him.
Then why couldn�t he stay away from her?? Was there any other rational explanation??
*Love isn�t rational..* Hiroshi told himself. *Oh Kami, how I wish it were..... how I wish that all things were so simple, for if they were, perhaps the world might hurt a little less.*
Memeko took Hiroshi�s hand into both of hers, enclosing it within them, she looked gently at her young brother. "Then you have to have faith in that, Hiroshi. You have to put yourself above the hurt and the pain, and see for yourself that there is hope on the horizon."
Hiroshi looked up with his red rimmed eyes. "..Memeko, how can I have faith when there is no way??? Ranma doesn�t even know.. if she did, then.. then she would be terrified. I�d never see or hear from her Again." His body shuddered at the thought of losing Ranma, a cold icy ball forming in the pit of his stomach at the very concept.
The older Miramoto sibling squeezed her brother�s hand gently. "Hiroshi, you are like nobody I have ever met. I watched you grow into a young man of happiness and hope... you always were so joyous and dedicated that I could never be unhappy.
I cried when Connor died.... and you came into my room. There were no words, do you remember that???" Memeko�s eyes shimmered with tears of remembrance... her mind tracing back to that dark moment of grief. She had heard over the phone that he had died suddenly from an embolism, only hours after she had last seen him.
Hiroshi looked up at his sister, mirroring her sad complexion as he nodded. "...hai.... hai, I remember Memeko-oneechan... I was Twelve...." He added a gentle smile as best he could.
Memeko wiped a tear away. "You came into my room when I was crying my heart out, when I was holding the box of letters he had written to me. You came to me, hearing that odd sound you never could relate to... you touched my shoulder...."
Her hand drifted up to touch her own shoulder.... a tear running down her cheek and hanging from her chin. She shuddered an intake of breath, swallowing the rough lump that had appeared in her throat.
"You tapped me on the shoulder, and I looked up at you with tears in my eyes... you never needed any words, Hiroshi. You were that rare magic for all of us....." She smiles through her tears as Hiroshi himself held another bitter flood of his own back as best he could.
Memeko�s lip quivered for a moment and she sobbed... "..you touched a hand to my chin gently, and I could see so well the love in your eyes, could see so much of what the world was to you. Hiroshi, your eyes gave me life again. I saw Connor in them... I saw Grandfather, I saw so many people I had lost in your eyes, the best of them all..."
Hiroshi could hold back no longer.. his arms wrapped around his sister tightly as he let out a wracking sob..... the memory was one he had always recalled, when his sister had needed him the most he had been there for her, when she had needed someone with hope and love.
She buried her head into his shoulder, his hand resting on the back of it as she felt his hot tears on her own shoulder. "You smiled at me... and it was like everything else just vanished, only me and my little brother. My Little brother telling me without words that everything was going to be fine.... that he was here, and he wouldn�t let anything else happen to me...." Memeko sobbed again.
The tears she had not wept for so long were now for her brother.... trying to cleanse him of the doubt and fear.
"Memeko.. Memeko-oneechan.. kami... *Sniff*" His entire body was shaking, the force of his emotion suddenly enough to banish the darker thoughts of his mind.
Memeko kept crying, the barrier of years long past, formed of the joyous magic of a brother�s love finally opening it�s floodgates and letting the grief out in a healing wave. "Please, Hiroshi.. please, Kami, don�t lose that hope, don�t lose that magic in your heart. You make the world a better place for being, you deserve happiness.
Ranma smiles so much around you, because of that simple magic you have. That magic of life and joy. When she looks at you, I see myself... in such haunting familiarity, as I gazed upon my Connor. As I looked upon him that first time, and my whole world seemed perfect. There�s hope in her eyes, Hiroshi... some part of her can never let you go...."
Memeko tightened her grip against her brother.... rubbing her eyes against his shoulder. "Hiroshi, don�t give up on her. Don�t you EVER give up on something that makes you feel so complete.... Because, Hiroshi, if you give up.... Then you�ll lose that magic. That light in your eyes will fade and you�ll become like the rest of the world.
Oh, Hiroshi, there are so few of you in this world. People who see the beauty in things and not the hideousness that we all seem to see.... Kaehmi has that magic, too... she learned it from you, Hiroshi. She learned it from a man who took it upon himself to stop the pain of someone close.
She learned that smile, that magic glow in her eyes from a man who risked his own life time and again for a friend, with no demands of recompense. Someone who�s soul takes pleasure in the simple things in life....." Memeko had stopped crying... and was now cradling Hiroshi in her arms.... his own tears flowing freely.
Hiroshi calmed after so long, the memories of a life of kind understanding suddenly crashing upon him.
"Hiroshi.... please, see the hope in this..." Her voice was calm again.. with the stern undertone, thick with love. "Please understand that if Ranma didn�t love you, I would know it.... if she didn�t love you, then I would never have seen that look of clear calm as she gazed at you, the sun rising behind you both." Her arms were wrapped around Hiroshi as he shook with his grief, protecting him as if he were a small child.
Yet it was a different embrace than that, for Memeko was protecting him from the cruelness that the world had forced upon him, trying to create a bastion of hope in an otherwise dismal situation.
*Hiroshi can do it.... I don�t know anybody else that can, but I know in my heart that he can make this work.* Memeko told herself, for she must have faith in her own words as well. Faith in Kami that somehow they were watching... that in some way, her brother had been granted a gift instead of a punishment.
"Hope.... Memeko, I try so hard to keep hold of hope, but it just seems to get farther and farther away. Just like this dance, Ranma doesn�t even know what... what she�s doing to me by asking." Hiroshi shivered, and looked up at his sister�s eyes for a fleeting instant.
Her eyes, now a bit red rimmed themselves, looked back with an unwavering love and compassion in her eyes. "....You are going to take her to the dance, Hiroshi, and you will enjoy that time you spend."
She brushed a hand through her little brother�s hair.. sighing and looking at him as a mother might. *So grown up, so hurt and unsure, Kami give him patience and a light to guide the way.*
"How..how can I go, Memeko-oneechan???? It only makes the hurting worse." Hiroshi could almost imagine dancing with Ranma gently wrapped in his arms. Not that the martial arts tournament of dancing would HAVE a lot of slow dances.
Memeko shook her head... reaching up and brushing a strand of her own hair out of her face. "How can you not go?? Hiroshi, no matter how Ranma feels about you, never waste that time you have, because you might not get it again." Her face returned to a serious, almost contemplative mood. "I would never give up one second of the time I was with Connor, even though I was sometimes hurt by it."
Hiroshi clung to his sister as a drowning man might attach his hope to a piece of driftwood in hopes that it might lead him to safety, "...I am afraid, Oneechan," He said, his emotions slowly subsiding as Memeko rocked him in her arms.
She smiled gently, stroking his head she kissed him on his brow, "We�ve all been afraid, Niichan, but fear shouldn�t make you hesitate in what you must do.. it should only drive you harder towards what you know has to be done. The bravest people in the world have very often been afraid in the stories of fame they are recorded in."
Hiroshi sighed, gathering himself carefully as he looked back up at his sister�s eyes. "I�ll go.. I�ll go because I love her, I will go because I wouldn�t be the man I am so proud of being if I didn�t, I will go because you deserve to be proud of your little brother, But most of all I will go because.. Because..."
Memeko put a finger to his lips. "Because you have to know if she loves you, once and for all," Hiroshi stared back at his sister.
She kissed him on the cheek, and pressed something into his hands, dry, cracked paper... parchment...
She smiled softly at him, her eyes dancing. "And Hiroshi.. you are my brother, I will always be proud of you, no matter what happens," She carefully stood, gazing down at hiroshi, the yellowed parchment held gently in his hands.
She walked out of the room, only glancing over her shoulder as Hiroshi broke the seal on her grandfather�s scroll....
* * * * * *
"YYYYYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWCH!!!!!" Ranma yelled as her Mother primped and pulled her hair, it reminded her of some very sick and painful chinese form of torture, and Ranma half wondered if her Mother had LEARNED it in China.
"Be still, and be QUIET, Ranma!!! I will not have my child seen at the Prom in some half prepared mode of dress!" The elder Saotome woman said in a stern and chiding tone.
She clamped a lock of Ranma�s hair into the hot iron, curling it then holding it for a moment before pulling the hair out of the iron, leaving Ranma�s hair slightly curled underneath, with a bit of a wavy aspect... Nodoka clouded Ranma�s senses with a thick mist of hair spray.
"Ahh..AHHHCHOO!" Ranma rubbed her nose. "Geeze, Mom, it�s only a stupid Dance!!! Well.. except for the martial arts part," The comment earned her a firm smack upside the head witha brush.
"OW! Hey, whadja do that for??" Ranma asked with a scowl on her pretty face, earning her another firm wrap upside the head. "OW!"
"Several things... for one, this is not just a DANCE, this is the PROM, when all the young ladies and men have to look their FINEST no matter what, showing up in a chinese shirt and slacks is NOT something you wear at the Prom," Nodoka�s tone was a firm and a parental lecturing one, as if speaking to a small child who didn�t know any better.
Ranma frowned.... "Aww geeze... do I gotta wear THAT dress???" Ranma got smacked again. "OOOOW!!!"
"You helped pick it out.. are you saying you don�t like it, after it�s always been payed for???" Nodoka asked, cinching more hair in a painful tug.
"EEK!! NNn.... no.. I like it just fine, I just.. well, I dunno if I wanna wear a dress," Ranma said fidgeting, a pouty look on her face.
Nodoka tugged on her hair again, putting it into the curler and working it down through her hair, "You will not pout, you will not frown, you will not ruin your pretty face tonight. You are to be on your BEST behavior, and act like a YOUNG LADY..." Nodoka yanked hard on some of Ranma�s hair, her patience slightly thin at this point in the day.
Ranma had asked for it.. and asked for it very sincerely. So Nodoka was VERY obliged to get her ready for "The Night of Night�s" As some High Schoolers referred to it as.
"OW!!! Cut it out, Sheesh!" Another smack of the brush delivered upside Ranma�s head.
"OOOOOWWW!!!" Ranma replied in a somewhat predictable manner by now.
Nodoka finished with her hair, Spraying it with a generous amount of hairspray, causing Ranma to cough and hack. "And three, you will use proper female japanese pronouns in public tonight, I will not have parents around here accusing me of raising you improperly, with no respect for ettiquete," Nodoka was finally finished with Ranma�s hair.
"Aww... geeze... do I gotta?" Thump, "OW!! Cut that out! i don�t want to have a knobby head for the rest of the night!!"
Nodoka smiled a bit. "You will speak in a normal manner, young lady.. now put your makeup on just like I showed you those THREE times this morning... I have to go get your dress," Nodoka bustled off to busy herself with preperations for the rest of the night, including helping Kasumi with dinner.
Ranma sighed, looking back at the mirror at the girl with now slightly wavy and curled hair. Her face was plain, but very beautiful in it�s simplicity... bright blue eyes flashed with a slight bit of trepidation and excitement as she thought of what tonight would be like.
*Why do girls have to put this stuff on anyways??? It�s just more of a hassle than it�s worth,* Ranma stared down at the small black box that she had become so familiar with only recently.
Only the past several weeks had prepared her for the full female role of getting dressed and prepared, a crash course given by her mother to catch up for lost time. A crash course that almost drove her batty, till Nodoka had been forced to back off from the anger Ranma had begun exhibiting towards her.
Ranma opened the small black box, a gift from her mother.... inside there were various shades of rouge, blush, base, eyeliner, eyeshadow, and lipstick. *Lipstick.. yikth...*
She looked back up at the rather plain face in the mirror, and she tilted her head slightly to the side, looking carefully at the face staring back at her.
Full, pouting lips, a delicate and round face... with slightly sharp features that seemed to add a statuesque beauty. There was potential in the image, after several long moments Ranma noticed this hidden beauty beneath, what is more, she began to work, as if unconciously, picking up the base and gently applying an appropriate amount.
*Life is art,* She heard a familiar, gentle voice murmur in her mind, *The Art is Life* She heard her Father intone from what seemed ages ago. The two phrases clicked together, forming a unified idea as she began to gently use the tools given to her to bring the beauty out of the plain canvas of her face.
Ranma wasn�t plain... there was potential, and she was pretty even without the crutch of facial paints. Yet perhaps it was an internal driving that seemed to urge her to try and bring the best out in her face, to try and ease that feminine look into her features even more.
Ranma paused as she was applying Mascara, staring at herself as she came out of her distant, thoughtful mode.
*Why is this not buggin� me?* She wondered, staring at herself. Yes.. yes, she was pretty, but she could always be prettier. There were girls she had met, she had seen that were far prettier. Such as her previous fiancee�s.
They all had a sort of inner beauty, a self confidence that only came with growing up a woman... Ranma sighed, and finished with the mascara, setting it back in the makeup box as she applied lipstick, a shade darker and redder than her actual lips.
*I can�t BELIEVE I am doing this.* Ranma looked at herself carefully, then shook her said, *No, I can believe I am doing this, but I can�t believe that I am doing this WELL.*
She finished carefully outlining her eyebrows and lips. She smiled softly, the girl in the mirror still looked like the redhead of just minutes before... but somehow there was a more mature, more feminine look about her.
The door slid slowly opened, and Nodoka walked in with a beautiful deep green dress on a hanger, a formal dress with spaghetti straps and silk embroidery. In Ranma�s opinion, it had been WAY too expensive to buy.. but her Mother had insisted.
Nodoka stopped, looking at Ranma, blinking for half a moment. "That�s very good, Ranma.. much better than the last few times you did this, I could hardly tell if I didn�t know what to look for," She smiled gently at her daughter, hanging the dress in the closet.
Ranma blushed, looking down at her hands, then back up at the mirror. "Thanks Mom, do I really got ta wear a dress?"
Nodoka sighed, and fixed Ranma with a stern, matronly glare, "Ranma, of all the nights to have this argument, do NOT choose tonight. It was your choice to go as a... female, and if you are going to go as female, then you will be going as the best looking girl in the whole dance!"
Ranma shook her head, her hair bouncing slightly around her face, "It�s just.. well.. I feel so NERVOUS for some stupid reason!!" Ranma saw the redhead in the mirror scowl, which certainly didn�t make her look very pretty.
Nodoka pinched Ranma hard in one of her shoulders, causing Ranma to cry out again. "Cut that out!!!" Ranma said.
"No scowling, remember??" Nodoka took Ranma�s face into her hands quite suddenly and seemed to carefully study her daughter�s features.
Ranma blinked, staring back at her Mother with her own bright blue eyes. She stared at her own mother�s face, the slightly dull red copper tint in her hair, the same red that colored her own hair in her female form.
There were almost no real signs of aging on Nodoka�s face, youthful yet mature, lines didn�t hamper her face as many women her age. Graceful age...
Ranma half wondered, if she had been born female, if she would have aged as gracefully as her Mother had.
Nodoka smiled a moment later, her own eyes dancing with pride, "You did a splendid job, Ranma... I am very proud of you," Nodoka smiled, letting go of Ranma�s face, and gently brushing a lock of hair from her daughter�s face.
Ranma blushed slightly, "Urr.. Thanks again, I still feel nervous though, almost.. urr.. sorta giddy," Ranma idly picked at her slacks, looking down at her lap.
Nodoka set a pair of panties and a bra on top of the counter in front of Ranma, issuing a bugeyed stare from the redhead.
The previous weeks Ranma had accepted that she had to wear a sports bra, and on occassion a pair of panties. With what had happened with Happosai the other day, she had pointedly avoided panties.. but in front of her were a pair of panties, with an actual wire framed bra.
"Urr.. Mother.... what is this?" Ranma asked, holding up the bra in front of her Mother, it was white and formed mostly of silk with lace trimming.
Nodoka looked at the bra for half a moment, then back at Ranma, "It�s a bra that you are going to wear, or would you rather be flopping out everywhere while you dance?"
Ranma growled, crumpling the bra in her hands, "Ma, I will wear a sports bra, but THIS is going a little too far, don�t you think???" Ranma�s words were received with a cool, calm expression from her mother.
"Ranma, there are many situations that allow for a sports bra, and they have become one of the more popular trends recently... but there are still some things that require an actual bra that provides more stability than a sports bra provides," Nodoka reached around her neck and unlatched a chain, pulling a small necklace from around her delicate neck.
Ranma blinked, looking carefully at the necklace. It was teardrop shaped, with a pale blue quartz hanging from a silver chain. The light seemed to dance inside of it, almost making it seem as if it was covered in liquid sunshine.
"This was given to me by my Mother, if I had had another child... a daughter, this would be hers," Nodoka held it in her hand, looking down at the beautiful crystal as the light played off of it, "But.. since I never had a daughter born from my own body, I�m giving this to you.. the closest thing to a daughter I might ever have."
Ranma furrowed her brow, looking up at her Mother, "I can�t take this, Ma... I wouldn�t feel right, I mean, it�s probably more important to you than it is to me."
Nodoka shook her head, and gently took Ranma�s hand, pressing the piece of jewelry into her hand and closing her fingers over it, "Ranma, you are my child... and I love you. I want you to have fun at this Prom, even if you and Akane are supposed to compete against eachother, it doesn�t mean that the rest of the night has to be ruined."
Ranma looked down at her hand enclosed around the necklace, "Mom... please, I-"
"No, Ranma... take it," Nodoka gently lifted a finger and traced Ranma�s cheek carefully with the back of it, "You look so much like I did, at your age Ranma... Always be proud of who you are, my child... always be proud of who you are," She smiled and kissed Ranma on the forehead gently.
Ranma felt a warmth spread through her from where Nodoka�s lips had touched her... for once since her Mother had found out, she truly felt loved. There had been moments that were SO close to what Ranma had imagined a Mother and Child being like... but never one that completely felt correct in Ranma�s own opinionated imaginings.
A smile edged its way slowly into Ranma�s serious complexion, "Okay.. okay.. could you.. help me put it on??" Ranma asked tentatively, holding her hand open.
Nodoka smiled, lifting the silver necklace from Ranma�s hand as the redhead turned the chair, looking in the mirror as Nodoka placed it around her neck carefully, pulling her hair out from beneath it after fastening it around Ranma�s neck.
The tear shaped gem nestled itself between Ranma�s breasts, feeling cool against her skin. Her tanktop neckline low enough to show the glimmering gem off. It set off Ranma�s eyes, seeming to make them an even brighter blue, causing a striking contrast.
Nodoka smiled.. "It looks nice on you... but I think your clothes need to be a little more appropriate," Nodoka smirked, holding up the panties and bra.
A groan was her response, "You�re not going to let it drop until you get me in those, are you???"
Nodoka let a slight smirk decorate her face, "Why not humor an old woman and just get dressed like all the other young ladies will be tonight??"
Ranma rolled her eyes, smiling and shaking her head, "Geeze, I guess I have no choice," She took the Bra and Panties, looking at them for a brief moment.
Nodoka smiled patiently... "I�ll be back in a moment, you need something to go with the necklace, and I think I know just the thing..." She once more hurried out the door, leaving Ranma to stare at the feminine undergarments that seemed to taunt her with their simple necessity.
*Stupid bra.... and silk panties?!* Ranma rubbed the material with her hands. *Mom�s lost it... then again, Did she ever have it??* Ranma giggled quietly to herself.
"Oh well.. I.. Guess it ain�t gonna kill me..." Ranma stood up, quietly shedding her masculine clothes, she put her feet into the panties, sliding the fabric slowly up her smooth, finely toned legs, pulling them up around until they fit snugly, hugging her wide flaring hips.
Ranma then stared at the bra for several moments, and took several more trying to figure out how to fasten it.. then decided the best way was to put her arms through, fasten it in the back, and adjust the front.
Afterwards she turned back towards the mirror, looking at the woman that stared back at her. Granted, still in her underwear, but that made the image seem even more feminine.
Ranma frowned somewhat sadly, *..where did the male Ranma go all of a sudden? It�s like the real me has just completely vanished...* She suddenly found herself nervous again as she turned, lifting the green dress.
It was a few shades darker than emerald, with the lace embroidery just a touch lighter than the rest of the dress.
*It looks so.. ugh.. so girlish* Ranma held it up over her body, looking in the mirror... with the necklace dangling around her neck, it set off her eyes, and the green seemed to intensify the red color in her hair. *Gotta admit though... I�d look pretty good in it...*
The door slid open again, and Nodoka returned with a small laquered box in her hands. Ranma turned, still holding the dress against her body, and bestowed her attention on her Mother.
Nodoka stopped, looking at how the dress was pressed up against Ranma... for a moment she faltered, her cool facade cracked for a brief instant as the feeling of fear drowned out her joy.
She could remember, very easily, a little boy of 6, and wondered if somehow she was killing that little boy. She shook her head, forcing the pain and fear back down. It would not do to upset Ranma, not at this point in things.
She held out the box, as if in offering to her little girl, "...a matching pair of earrings, I bought them soon after Mother died from a pawner she had sold them to," Nodoka faltered, looking at the box in her hands for a long moment.
Ranma noticed, worry creasing her brow as she reached out to her Mother, a question on her lips.
Nodoka clenched her eyes shut, then opened them. She painted a smile on her face, albeit a bitter sweet one.
"Why did she pawn them???" Ranma looked at the shiny surface of the box, it reflected a young girl of 17 with luxurious red hair brushing the tops of her breasts, and the tips of her shoulderblades.
Nodoka opened the box, looking at the two teardrop-shaped earrings, "When your Grandmother fell ill, about 6 months into my pregnancy with you, the hospital care started eating into the family funds," Nodoka took out the two earrings carefully, her hands trembling slightly as she spoke.
"Mother ended up insisting that her own belongings be sold to help pay for the costs of her medical bills," Nodoka stared at the colors that seemed to dance inside of the two gems, shifting and swirling in a furvent rainbow.
Ranma looked with concern at her Mother, who just stared at the earrings for a long while, "Mom.. you really shouldn�t do this to yourself, I don�t need all this stuff for the Prom, what if I lose something??"
Nodoka blinked, looking up at Ranma, her eyes slightly misty as her hands held the two gem earrings as if they might break by just resting atop her palm, "Ranma, I want people to see you and the beauty that you seem to miss so often when you look in the mirror. I know you never asked for this curse, and I know you have.. trouble looking at yourself as a female," Nodoka paused, holding out her hand with the earrings in them in an offering gesture towards Ranma.
"I want you to learn, tonight, that there is pride in being beautiful.. not just strong. I want you to learn tonight that there is something very special about how a woman feels when she is complimented, I want you to learn to feel good about yourself and how you look, Then... Then I think that we might stop the training," Nodoka said in a wavering tone.
Ranma�s eyes grew wide, "You really mean that Ma?? After tonight I can stop all this stuff??" Ranma hoped she didn�t sound too giddy, she also hoped her Mother did not catch the small bit of regret in her voice. She would have preferred to ignore it herself.
Nodoka looked around at the room, the Vanity that she had bought just a couple weeks ago... the dresses that hung in the closet, various odds and ends that had accumulated since the training had began. *I should never have started this, it was a mistake in judgment, and a selfish mistake at that* The elder Saotome told herself sadly.
"Yes, Ranma. After tonight, you don�t have to do any more training," She said in a slightly weary tone of voice, "Unless you want to," Nodoka amended, then blinked at her last few words.
Ranma smiled and nodded. Perhaps her Mother was a woman she could truly look up to and love.
"C�mon, Ma... let�s get me ready for the night of my life," She said grinning.
The love in Nodoka�s smile could have warmed the coldest of days.
* * * * * *
Akane fidgeted with her dress, looking nervously on as Kasumi helped prep her hair for a hard night of dancing.
Akane�s Ensemble was a sleeveless dress that had a modest neckline, matching choker with an embellished blue glass stone on it. It hugged her form like a standard dress gown, and had slitted sides starting at mid-thigh for better maneuverability.
In the color of a dark blue, to contrast with her raven hair, the dress had matching pair of velvet gloves that covered her forearms.
Kasumi continued styling her hair as she fidgeted nervously with the dress.
Somehow, Kasumi had a way with feminine things. Whatever the eldest Tendou girl touched seemed to be gifted with a look of newly revealed beauty, yet understated so as not to take away from the rest of the Prom ensemble.
"Akane, Dear, sit still. There�s no need to be nervous!" Kasumi said in that cheerful way that seemed to calm everyone down.
"I can�t help it, Oneechan. I *AM* Nervous, This is the Prom.. THE Prom, maybe I made a mistake in challenging Ranma. Shouldn�t I be going with him to the Prom, I mean?" Akane said quickly, adjusting the Velvet blue gloves on her arms.
Kasumi sighed that gentle, motherly sigh and smiled at Akane. "You are only now thinking about this?? Think of how poor Ryouga-san would feel if you just decided to cancel now, he�s so nervous that he hasn�t been able to get lost the whole day," Kasumi stifled a slight giggle.
Akane sighed, slumping her shoulders, "I- guess you are right. Ryouga deserves to be treated with decency and respect," Akane looked back up at the face in the mirror, definitely not uncute, far from it. A woman stared back at her, a woman with strenght, with pride, with passion.
"And I did make that challenge... as a Martial Artist, I suppose that I have to hold to my challenges," Akane said in a slightly annoyed tone of voice. *Why do I feel as if I�ve been tricked by Ranma into doing this?? Baka.*
She scowled at the mirror, wondering what Ranma might be doing at that moment, probably bragging about how she was going to beat Akane.
Regardless, Akane felt love as she envisioned Ranma�s face. No matter how upset she always got with Ranma nowadays, she could never shake that feeling.
Akane felt her scowl slip from her face as she imagined how Ranma had kissed her just the night before.. how he had held her in his arms and told her how he felt. How he had listened, and how she had listened in turn.
"I really do love Ranma... Somehow, I finally realize that," She said under her breath, her mind elsewhere to her mouth as it fired off those words that hadn�t been heard in anyone else�s presence but Ranma�s.
And, for her mark, Kasumi blinked and proceeded to tangle Akane�s hair, "P-Pardon?" Kasumi said, her shock nowhere near being hidden. For once, the impossible had happened.
Kasumi was stunned speechless! About 5 minutes passed with Kasumi simply staring at her Sister in the mirror, as if she had grown fangs and a third eye.
She had HEARD Akane say those words! Those words!!!
Akane seemed to awaken from her stupor, and then turned a bit pale, "I- I- I mean, what I- I meant to say-" Akane stared at her Sister in her own moment of shock.
*Go ahead, Akane.. open mouth, insert foot, chew vigorously, no complaints THERE!!! You call Ranma a Baka... Baka Kawaiikune!!* Her internal voice taunted. She then proceded to smash it�s head in with a sledgehammer, bind it, tie it, and throw it back into the corner it had escape from.
Blush colored Kasumi�s cheeks as she smiled a gentle, knowing smile, "You shouldn�t be telling me, Akane.. you should be telling him," She said as a matter of factly, as she expertly repaired the damage she had made to Akane�s hair-do.
"I... I do tell him, we�ve told eachother many times in private, but.. neither of us have been able to say it in public in front of anyone," She turned her gaze from the girl in the mirror, looking down at her lap.
Kasumi pursed her lips in a thoughtful expression, still busy at work with Akane�s hair. Almost finished, she was concluding her work with touchups. "Why haven�t you said anything to Father or Mr. Saotome? Or even Auntie Saotome?"
Akane groaned, exhaling a vexed breath, "Kasumi, we want to love eachother in our own time, if we told Father, or Mr. Saotome, or even Auntie, they would insist we marry right away without wasting any time," Akane brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, still staring down at her lap.
Kasumi set the comb down, looking at how serious Akane had become. She frowned a slight frown, an expression of concern, "Akane, I know that you and Ranma have despised the arranged marriage from the beginning. I agree in some parts with why you both fight it so much, but in others," Kasumi paused for a moment, thinking of the right words.
"I just worry that you might be pushing Ranma away with all this hesitation, that you and he might ruin what you have together by waiting so long before announcing to all of us that you will get married," Kasumi smoothed her skirt and apron, looking back up at the mirror with a pleasant smile.
"I... I know, Kasumi, I know. Sometimes I am afraid of the same things... I think that if we keep up how we are going, in a month or so we might just be ready," Akane looked at her sister in the mirror, "Might, Oneechan, just.. please don�t press us, ok?"
Kasumi seemed to consider for a long moment, her brow creased in stern concentration, her mind calculating if she should or should not listen to Akane�s plea. After a long moment of concentration, she fixed her gaze on Akane once more, her hands locked together in front of her, "I will do my best, Akane, to help you and Ranma be together the way YOU want to be. I want my little sister to be happy in her marriage, not just honorable."
Akane smiled, rising from her seat and walking around, she wrapped her arms around Kasumi and hugged her tightly. "Domo, Oneechan, for everything," Her thanks meant more than just for Ranma, and just for tonight... it extended far beyond, into the past, where a young girl took up the mantle of motherhood to help raise her two baby sister�s.
Kasumi smiled, her joy reflected in her eyes, "There�s no need to thank me, Akane. I never needed it before, and I don�t need it now. All the things I�ve done I have done because I love and cherish you, the same for Nabiki, although she can be difficult at times," Kasumis smiled and kissed Akane�s cheek softly.
"Thank you, all the same Kasumi, for always being there for us when we needed you," Akane said, clasping her hands in Kasumi�s for a moment.
Akane was proud of her sister, Kasumi had given up so much to help keep the family together after her high school graduation, some things which would have made her much happier in the long run than she could ever be stuck at home with her family.
That sacrifice meant a lot to Akane... a sacrifice which she herself couldn�t make, she didn�t think she was strong enough.
Kasumi looked Akane up and down, straightening her dress, then her hair, then looking at her with that proud, loving smile, "You are ready, Akane, and very beautiful I might add."
Akane blushed, nodding slowly at her elder sister, "Thanks, that means a lot to me," She smiled an inward smile. Beautiful, not Kawaiikune, not even uncute... beautiful. Cute would have been enough.
Kasumi smiled a knowing smile, "Go on.. I think your date is waiting for you downstairs," Kasumi watched with pride as her little sister walked out the door.
Akane spared a look back at Kasumi... and she looked excited, alive, giddy. *Youth* Kasumi remembered her youth, was she ever that young?
As Akane closed the door behind her, Kasumi sighed, looking at the mirror in Akane�s room. *Kami watch over her, keep her safe, and bring her safely home... and help her to enjoy this night for the memories it will be.*
Outside, a snowflake fell, lighting on the Koi pond... ripples shimmered and cascaded outwards from the point of interception.
The clouds were grey, and thick.
* * * * * *
Ryouga paced back and forth rapidly, his eyes frantic and panicked. *She is taking so long!!! What is taking her so long? She didn�t change her mind, did she??? She didn�t decide not to come, did she??? Did she decide to go with Ranma!?*
Ryouga ran a hand through his hair, which had been dyed black the past several days... back to it�s original color. He was intenesly giddy and it felt as though knots had formed in his stomach.
Memeko watched the Hibiki child pacing nervously, Kaehmi sitting in her lap humming a tune as she petted and sung softly to her stuffed cabbit.
Ryouga looked down at the Tuxedo that Nabiki had "Loaned" him for the night, fidgeting and straightening the overcoat, then tugging nervously on the cuffs of his shirt beneath the coat.
Hiroshi was dressed in a similar outfit, plus the white bandanna from his Grandfather�s Genjii outfit. Unlike Ryouga, however, he was calmly seated and playing a game of Shogi with Genma.
Genma was sweating visibly, noticing that Hiroshi didn�t look away from the board like Tendou did. He had tried his best ploys to get the boy to drop his guard, but Hiroshi�s attention seemed primarily focused on the board.
*Ranma must have warned him about me,* Genma grumbled inwardly while contemplating his next move. *It doesn�t help any that he�s good at this... tricking me with saying he�s a beginner, I should�ve known better.*
Nabiki was playing solitaire on the table, already dressed in her own dark blue strapless dress and ready to go out to the prom.
Nabiki HAD better things to do, but she had good reason to be going, since she arranged the location for the dance. A modest sum was required, of course, but Principle Kuno didn�t have half the brain�s his Son did, which was saying a lot in Nabiki�s opinions. Kuno himself was a dolt.
She also had a vested personal interest in what happened tonight, though she didn�t let Hiroshi have the satisfaction of seeing her worry. Nabiki Tendou was harder than that. Nabiki Tendou had drawn the line, and it was up to her to see that line was not stepped over.
She frowned as she stared at a card, the Queen of Diamonds. She had so much power, but could she really control what direction the night�s outcome would have??? She found herself doubting. What *COULD* she do to Hiroshi if he couldn�t keep his feelings to himself?
Soun, in the meantime, was sitting at the table opposite of Nabiki, reading a book entitled, "The Art of Arranged Marriages: How to fix your Son-In-Law good," A self help book featuring 120 different ideas of how to trap your Son-In-Law in an arranged marriage.
Hiroshi moved his piece a moment after Genma had taken his hand off of his own, taking one of Genma�s pieces in turn. Without looking up, or even glances at Ryouga, Hiroshi had noticed that the lost boy was quite lost as to what to think about Akane�s lengthy preperation.
"Maybe she just is trying to look really really good, Ryouga," Hiroshi smirked after he spoke, Ryouga turning and looking at him.
Ryouga blinked, turning towards the other boy, "W-what?"
Hiroshi rubbed his chin as he stared at the board, waiting for Genma to move, "Ryouga, Akane is a martial artist, and would adhere to any promise she made with you... that includes asking you to the Prom, so you really have nothing to worry about. She is only taking a while to get ready, girls are notoriously nervous about prom night," Hiroshi grinned widely as Genma�s shaking hand moved the chosen piece.
Memeko turned her head and cast a skeptical look upon Hiroshi, "And how, pray tell, do you know so much about the workings of a woman�s mind, Hon?"
Hiroshi smiled, turning his head towards his elder sister, "Simple, I actually talk to girls and listen, instead of staring at their chest all the time, or fighting over them, or doing something to injure their trust in me," He smiled and slapped Genma�s hand hard as he tried to reverse the board.
Ryouga frowned, fiddling with his bandanna in a habitual gesture, "I guess I am a bit.... nervous. I mean.. this is Akane, not just anyone!"
Hiroshi laughed lightheartedly, "That is very true, I don�t think Akane could EVER be �Just Anyone�, if that happened I would wonder where they took the real Akane," He wondered if Akane had ever been a "Normal" girl. As far as he could remember she had always been a bit energetic as a child.
"Is Miss �Kane goin� with Mister Ryouga to that dance thing, Uncle Hiro?" Kaehmi asked in a somewhat hushed tone as she pointed at Ryouga.
Ryouga heard her, and laughed a bit nervously, "Hai... urr.. yes... I am, I hope, I pray I am-"
"I�m sure everything will be fine, tonight, Right Ryouga?" Soun asked as he continued reading his book.
"I sure hope she isn�t much longer, I think I�ll go mad," Ryouga murmured under his breath, twiddling his fingers in a circle.
"I SAID, RIGHT RYOUGA!?!?!" Soun�s head seemed to inflate to gigantic proportions, the classic Tendou Demon Head Maneuver.
Ryouga yowled in shock, making the "Away evil spirits" warding gesture and yelling as loud as he could, "SHE WILL BE SAFE WITH ME, MR. TENDOU, THIS I SWEAR!!"
Soun turned the page, still sitting, "Good," Ryouga promptly fell over due to shock, his eye twitching.
"I hope you didn�t kill the boy, Tendou," Genma looked over at the twitching Ryouga, "Then again, maybe it�s better if you did.. mercy and such."
Ryouga was quite suddenly up and shaking Genma by the lapel of his gi, "That�s not funny!!"
Kaehmi giggled silently, "This place is so much fun, momma, I like coming here," She tossed her stuffed cabbit in the air and caught it, hugging it to her.
Two sets of feet slowly shuffled down the stairs, and everyone�s heart decided to stop for a moment, and all eyes were fixed on the steps.
Excepting Genma, of course... he decided to pocket several of Hiroshi�s pieces while the boy�s mind was somewhat vacantly awaiting whoever was coming down.
Kasumi�s dress peaked around the corner, and then the Eldest daughter was downstairs, looking at everyone with a proud, beaming smile. There was a glimmer of a memory in her eyes, of some of the dances she had been to in High School.
"Hey Ryouga, I think it�s for you," Hiroshi said, turning and looking back at the board, then blinking and staring at the missing pieces. He turned an accusing glare on Genma, who simply sat there with a self smug expression on his face.
"Never underestimate your elder�s," Genma grinned and winked at him, it was a sly, almost joking wink, as if the Saotome patriarch REALLY wasn�t meaning to insult, only to entertain.
"Saotome-san, you really should�ve been a showman of some sort," Hiroshi chuckled, shaking his head and returning to the game at hand.
Ryouga, however was standing straight as a board, staring at Kasumi, who was gesturing for someone to come downstairs.
Tentatively, there was a flash of dark blue as part of Akane�s dress came into site, Ryouga fixated on the bottom of the dress as if a moth hypnotized by the seductive flame. His eyes were drawn upwards as he saw both of Akane�s shoes, drawn upward over the elegant beauty of her dress, across her body and up to connect with her sparkling blue eyes.
Ryouga was almost at tears. Soun was crying, proclaiming how beautiful his baby girl was. Nabiki was staring at Akane with a much too impassive expression on her face, even Hiroshi and Genma were in awe of Akane�s beauty that was heretofore hidden behind the rough exterior.
Memeko and Kaehmi were both now standing, the elder Miramoto sibling exchanging that proud gaze with Kasumi.
"I really wish you all wouldn�t stare, I feel like I�m at some kind of pervert convention," Akane said in a level, slightly fuming tone, her hands on her hips as she spread the dagger throwing gaze at each person staring.
"You�re real pretty, Miss �Kane," Kaehmi intoned without fear, she held up her stuffed animal, "Would you like to kiss it for good luck? I hear people kiss things for good luck," She gave a happy smile, all was right with the world.
Akane�s slight irateness vanished in the barrage of the kawaii little girl and she smiled softly, "Sure thing, Kaehmi-chan," She kissed the nose of the furry little doll.
Kaehmi giggled and whispered to Akane, "I think that man in the funny bandanna likes you lots, he was acting funny when he was waiting," She giggled as Akane blushed.
Kaehmi bounced back with her stuffed animal, hugging her mother�s legs. Memeko in kind patted her back and smiled at a now blushing Akane.
Akane looked back at Ryouga, noticing his slightly downcast eyes and the barely noticable flush to his cheeks. *Oh boy...*
"A-Akane. You are very beautiful tonight.. I mean, I don�t mean to be more than- I guess I- Urr.. you look good," He said in that quiet, shy manner he always had, twiddling his index fingers as he spoke.
Akane felt a bit of a sad sigh inside of her for Ryouga. *If only I had known before asking*
She walked up to Ryouga, the shy, Lost Boy that had always been kind to her, always been nice to her.
She shook her head lightly, her eyes closed, then she lifted Ryouga�s hand, cupping her own around his. Hands that break rock, yet that seem so gentle at times.
"Ryouga.. thank you, that means a lot to me, and don�t be afraid to tell me anything, okay?" She smiled that beautiful, sweet, Tendou Akane smile that seemed to lighten up the room, however rare it might have been.
Ryouga looked up a bit unsurely and smiled back, "H-hai, I will Akane," He smiled, perhaps a bit encouraged and fueled by her words of assurance and trust. "I mean I won�t- I mean-"
"Shh, I know what you mean," Akane noticed how Ryouga�s eyes glimmered for a moment, then turned into a dull, lost, wandering pain. *Always wondering how long it will be until you see me again.. I should have noticed sooner, I am such a fool, Poor Ryouga.*
"Just enjoy the night, okay Ryouga?" She grinned, holding up a fist in front of him, "We�re going to beat Ranma no matter what!"
Ryouga laughed, even though it felt a little hollow to his own ears. *Oh Akane, if only I could tell you my true feelings, if only I could say those words...*
"Excuse me, Ryouga, Akane," Nodoka said, slowly making her way downstairs. There was a soft, loving gleam in Nodoka�s eyes, much akin to the vision of pride that seemed to be reflected in Memeko and Kasumi�s twin gazes.
Ryouga and Akane took a step back, both looking up the stairs, both wearing a stunned and baffled expression upon their faces. Ryouga unconciously pinched himself to make sure he wasn�t dreaming.
Nodoka composed herself at the bottom of the steps, looking up, "You can come down now, dear, Don�t be shy now. You look splendid!" Nodoka remembered her own Prom, Genma had looked resplendid in a suit. It was one of the few times she had truly enjoyed his company.
Nodoka looked over at Genma, and they exchanged a warm, knowing smile for a brief moment, the board forgotten to Genma. *He remembers... both of us thinking of the same thing.* Sometimes she wondered why she married Genma. Other times... she knew.
"Do I got to come down, Mom? I feel... well.. kinda silly," Ranma�s voice echoed down the stairs, and Hiroshi paused as well, standing up and waiting with apprehension. Nabiki�s expression seemed to drive nails into Hiroshi, yet even that seemed less important than what he was about to see.
"Yes dear, you have to come down, unless you want to have wasted all that time preparing?" Nodoka smiled assuringly at Hiroshi, who smiled back in return, if a bit nervously.
"Well, if you put it that way," Ranma�s feet barely made a sound as she slowly walked down the steps, Hiroshi�s breathe caught in his throat as he looked at Ranma. The green set off the fiery hue of her hair, and the gems that adorned her ears and hung delicately between her breasts made her eyes seem all the brighter.
But what struck Hiroshi was a vision of loveliness as a whole, Ranma�s face seemed caught in the moment of perpetual youth and beauty, and for him.. for Hiroshi that moment would stay in his memory for as long as he was left breathing. Perhaps even after.
Ranma likewise blinked in shock at Hiroshi, who was well groomed and prepared for the night, while she had seen him in his fighting garb, this was more of a mix of formal and battle issue clothing, leaning more on the formal side.
*He looks almost regal, brave even...* She caught her train of thought, shaking her head. They both smiled at eachother for a long moment, while everyone stared on.
They all wanted to savor the moment, none wanted to forget that night... the Senior Prom. A night to remember, something that is fondly coveted by all who attend.
And for that long moment, as Ranma and Hiroshi both looked at eachother... Ranma felt the beginnings of some sort of understanding creeping into her mind, something about that look of unmitigated purity of emotion inside of Hiroshi�s depth filled gaze.
"Mommy," The moment had been broken, "When is Uncle Hiro-chan and Auntie Ranma getting married?" Correction, the moment had been shattered.
Everyone looked at Kaehmi, the innocent little girl who was looking around as if shocked that all the attention was suddenly on her.
Memeko looked shocked and unsure at her child�s innocent words.
Nabiki looked at the girl with barely suppressed anger, which she quickly swallowed. Only a monster would be angry at a small child for very long, and although Nabiki showed little emotion at times, she had a heart.
Nodoka felt a twinge in her mind, then a tiny string snapped, which brought down the wall holding back the information she had kindly been withholding from herself.
Genma looked hard between the two, Hiroshi and Ranma, but little else showed.
Akane looked at the little girl as if she had sprouted horns and fangs, then at Ranma in a likewise manner.
Ryouga was in shock, just staring at Ranma.
Kasumi�s eyes were wide and fixed on Ranma, a flush on her cheeks, "Oh my," She intoned, those often heard words when other things would certainly not explain as well.
Everyone seemed to stand like this for an eternity, though it surely could have been an eternity and a half, it in actuality was only 10 seconds.
Then Hiroshi�s mouth twitched, and then he grinned, then he began laughing. He laughed loud, leaning over and holding his sides as he laughed. Ranma soon followed, catching everyone off guard.
Looks were exchanged, people glanced between eachother in confusion. Nodoka snapped her mouth shut, as she was about to ask Ranma what the little girl meant.
Hiroshi finally caught his breath, "Kaehmi, why would you ask something so silly???"
Ranma kept laughing, wiping her eyes, "Yeah, you know that Hiroshi and I are just friends, Kaehmi-chan," Ranma felt her cheeks, which were flushed. *I shouldn�t laugh so hard* She thought, as she chuckled again to herself.
Kaehmi blinked in confusion, "But you two are going out, and Auntie-"
"Shhh, little bundle of joy," Memeko said, ruffling her daughter�s hair, "That is enough excitement for one night."
Kaehmi blinked in confusion, and opened her mouth to comment further.
"Say, would you like some icecream?" Kasumi inquired cheerfully of the little girl, instantly causing Kaehmi�s eyes to light up.
"You bet, Auntie Kasumi!!" She giggled brightly and Memeko breathed a gentle sigh of relief.
"You never know about some of these things kids say nowadays, I should really carry a tape recorder around, some of it is just too darling and funny to just let it pass by," Memeko said in a slightly wavering voice.
"Yes, I know how that is. Ranma was a lot like that at Kaehmi�s age, right before the training trip," Nodoka looked at Ranma, smiling that bright smile.
Ranma smiled back, unknowing that the one her mother wore was as false as black is white. "Okay.. well... I think us five had better be getting to the Prom, okay Mom?" She said, hooking her arm around Hiroshi�s arm.
Nodoka looked at Hiroshi with a calm, speculative look, as if weighing him carefully. She then returned her gaze to Ranma, smiling once more, "Yes, and don�t forget your coat... Forcasts say there�s a 90% chance there will be snow."
Nabiki noticed that Hiroshi turned a bit pale at the comment, although his expression didn�t change much. *At least he knows when to keep his mouth shut.*
"Well, are you ready Ryouga?" Akane asked, linking her own arms with the taller, black haired boy.
Ryouga swallowed, and nodded, "Always, Akane!" he grinned, bearing his fangs in his display of happiness. He picked up his own coat, as well as Akane�s and trudged for the door.
Kasumi bustled off to the kitchen, "Someone has to make dinner for when everyone comes home!"
Nabiki stood up as Nodoka and Memeko followed Akane and Ryouga to the door, "I forgot something upstairs... tell them to go ahead without me, okay Auntie?"
Nodoka nodded, looking at Nabiki with the same calculating expression that she had given Hiroshi. "Yes, I will tell them Nabiki Dear," She said softly.
Nabiki nodded absently, walking upstairs as Nodoka watched her.
The Saotome Matriarch cast a glance at Hiroshi and Ranma, who were speaking silently with eachother about the dance, then turned, following Memeko out to the front door.
"Are you SURE that you can handle it? I don�t want ya to get hurt, �Roshi," Ranma said in a gentle, concerned tone.
Hiroshi smiled brightly in return, "I am sure, Ranma, I can handle it if you can. I never used to fight at all, I considered it below me, but now I know that sometimes fighting doesn�t have to be something violent and ugly."
Ranma smiled in Return, zipping up her coat as Hiroshi the same, "And I�ve learned that life doesn�t have to be ugly all the time, sometimes it can be remarkable," She smiled that wonderful, sun filled smile and took his arm. "Shall we?"
"I think we shall," Hiroshi chimed, looking her straight in the eyes and nodding.
They turned to walk out of the dining room.
"Son," Genma intoned behind them, still standing where he had since Ranma had come down the stairs.
Ranma blinked, turning to Genma. She could faintly hear Soun sobbing at the front door about his little girl being all grown up.... "Yeah pop?"
Genma walked closer, looking at Hiroshi carefully, with a stern and penetrating look. It shook the Miramoto boy to his soul.
Genma then looked at Ranma, as if weighing Ranma and not liking what he saw there, judging himself at fault. This shook Ranma, who wasn�t used to her irresponsible father showing ANY form of concern for her well being.
Then he looked at them both. "Good luck, Son," Genma said with an enigmatic smile, somewhat wistful as of what COULD have been, yet somewhat stern with the power a Father figure SHOULD have.
Hiroshi blinked, and exchanged a look with Ranma. He was unsure if Genma had spoken to HIM or to RANMA in the manner he had said those last few words.
Ranma also blinked, looking at her father oddly. "Thanks... Father," She said, in a more than respectful manner, rarely did she ever call Genma anything other than Pop.
Genma nodded, as if approvingly, then Turned and walked back upstairs.
Hiroshi and Ranma exchanged another silent look of confusion, then turned, striding carefully to the door.
As they stepped to the threshhold, Nodoka wrapped a scarf around Ranma�s neck and kissed her on the forehead. "Have fun, my child, the Prom isn�t all about a martial arts contest, it�s also about-" She paused almost half a moment as she shot a glance at Hiroshi, and hoped Ranma had not noticed, "-Memories."
Ranma grinned and nodded, "Thanks, Mom.. for everything," She hugged her mother for a brief moment, there was a tense feeling to Nodoka that Ranma really didn�t understand.
"Do not thank me," Nodoka sounded a bit upset when she said it, and Ranma half wondered if she had MEANT to sound that way.
Ranma took Hiroshi�s arm again and walked out the door, waving when they got to the Dojo gates back at her Mother who was in the doorway, then she was gone around the corner.
Nodoka stared coldly at where her child had vanished, the chill winter air didn�t seem to touch her much icier exterior, her eyes narrowed in a burning, intense glare.
She began to go over mentally exactly how the family Katana looked like, having spent 10 years familiarizing herself with the cold, harsh, unfeeling piece of steel.
10 years where she memorized every fine detail of the old Katana, down to the the exact spots that had been worn away by time and the hands of previous Saotome�s.
Nabiki began to brush past her in short shrift, and her hand snaked out like a viper, catching the girl by the strap of her dress.
Nabiki looked up, and into the face of burning fury, and for what it is worth...
Nabiki Tendou Flinched.
"You will tell me everything, And you will tell me everything *NOW*"
As the words were spoken, snow began to fall from the sky, full and lustrous in it�s lacy delicacy.
It began to snow, while a cold fire was fueled in the heart of Saotome Nodoka.
* * * * * *