Hmm... been a while, hasn't it? Well, I finished this chapter a while ago
and sent it to my prereaders list. I only got one reply from that list.
Now that I think about it, it's been so long since I sent anything to my
prereaders list for Ranma fanfics that I very easily could have old e-mail
addresses for them... oh, well. At any rate, after a long delay, here's
the next chapter... Enjoy.
Chapter 14
Nodoka awoke to yet another of Akane's pleasure-filled screams. Ranma was
indeed a very manly man, but perhaps she should discuss with the loving
couple techniques which would allow them to be a little quieter when he
demonstrated this manliness. Preferably before everyone else came home the
next day.
Sighing, she got out of bed. This was the fourth time that night that they
had woken her with their passion. Trying to go back to sleep seemed to be
pointless, so she might as well get up and do something. She checked the
clock by her bed- four thirty in the morning. It was only a couple of
hours before she'd need to start breakfast, anyway. Assuming, of course,
Ranma and Akane were actually planning to get up for school. Considering
what they were doing, they might just decide to skip classes for another
day to recover, which would mean they'd be getting up later than usual.
Well, SHE was going to have breakfast at the time that she was used to
having it, regardless of their decision... and if they weren't awake to
join her, that was there loss. They'd woken her up several hours earlier
than she was planning to get up- she was entitled to be a little cranky.
Grabbing a bath robe, Nodoka made her way down to the changing room. One
advantage to getting up this early was that she'd have a chance to use the
furo before her son and daughter-in-law did- which was probably an
especially good thing today. She made a mental note to clean the furo
after Ranma and Akane used it- they were probably going to make it a bit
messy.
Making absolutely certain to first put the occupied sign out in a place
where the loving couple wouldn't miss it even if they were blind (with
lust), she showered herself clean and slipped into the tub. Relaxing into
the sensual heat of the tub, she sighed, and reflected on the past week.
A week ago, she'd feared that her husband, son, and their friends were all
dead, or at least lost at sea. On that joyous day when they all returned,
Nodoka had been very happy. Her son was back, she and her husband seemed
well on their way to reconcilliation, and Ranma and Akane seemed to have
gotten a little closer. All seemed right with the world.
But her son and his fiancee went out that night, and didn't come back until
she was asleep. And the next morning, they left for the whole day, as
well. All Genma did during that time was sleep, eat, drink, and play shogi
with Soun. Kasumi did the things that Nodoka herself was used to doing-
cooking, cleaning, and that sort of thing. Nabiki... well, Nabiki was as
unapproachable as ever.
It felt like people were ignoring her. People she cared about. After that
initial hug upon coming home, Genma had done nothing to try and reconcile.
Ranma, after being so relieved to finally be able to face her as a man so
many months ago, seemed to pay attention to no-one but Akane unless he
didn't have a choice. Kasumi took away from her the chores she had to do
of cooking and cleaning- something Nodoka never thought she would miss,
before. And any other friends she had... well, after her house was wrecked
so many months ago, they tended to avoid her, as if they were scared of
being caught up into the same destructive forces that hit her.
She was lonely.
She had thought that, being left alone to take care of her son and his
fiance, she'd be able to relate to them a bit more- at least as much as
they did to Kasumi. However, they were too concerned with their own
problems to notice that it was her, and not Kasumi, who was doing the
cooking and cleaning. She couldn't be certain, but she could have sworn
that she heard Akane say "Thank you, Kasumi," when she gave her their bento
box lunches for lunch a few days before.
But things had started looking up again. First, the Oni had possessed her.
That was... well, scary, at first. After all, being possessed by a
demonic being was NOT her idea of a good way to spend your time. But once
she got to talking to the Oni, she started to realize it wasn't really so
bad, after all.
To start with, the Oni wasn't really so bad, after all. Oh, sure, it was a
member of a race of beings that were evil incarnate, was obsessed with
world domination, and didn't really care who it hurt... but it wasn't that
bad.
Now that she had some time to think about it, she knew that the Oni told
her about Genma's evils to try and get her mad at her husband, but that
didn't mean that what the Oni told her wasn't helpful. Without its
influence, she no longer wanted him dead... in fact, she realized, deep
down, she still loved her husband. Why, even she didn't know, but she did.
He did need to be punished for what he had done to her son, though. There
was no excuse for abandoning Ranma to the Yakuza, or performing on their
son the horrific tortures of the neko-ken training, or any number of other
things. Killing him, however, wasn't the right thing to do. Niether was
divorcing him. No, she'd be in a much better position to punish him as his
wife. And once she had judged him sufficiently punished... well, then
maybe they could go back to trying to reconcile.
Regardless of all that, the Oni paid attention to her- something no-one had
done in a long time. And the evil in it, she could tell, was less than the
evil of several people she knew. Her husband for one (she knew he wasn't
exactly a nice guy when she married him), and her husband's master,
Happosai. She was able to get along with them- why shouldn't she be able
to get along with the Oni, just because it was supposed to be 'evil?'
Then the Oni had returned to Akane for its curse to be lifted. Once the
Oni left Akane, it approached her AGAIN, and joined with her so she could
continue to talk with it. In fact, it almost seemed like the Oni was
lonely, itself. It kept saying how 'unusual' the experience it had in
Akane was. She could have sworn that the Oni was trying to say it liked
the couple who had just helped lift its curse, but wasn't entirely sure how
to do so. Nodoka gave it a host with which it could remain close to them
on the pretext of 'getting revenge' on Genma.
But then her son and Akane eloped, and took that pretext away from the Oni.
With no reason to stay with Nodoka that the Oni could accept, her
companion had decided to leave. And so Nodoka feared that she'd be lonely
again.
But when her children came home, and they didn't just ignore her. They
NEEDED her for something! They wanted her to plan their wedding ceremony
for them, which undoubtedly would require that they talk with her more
often. And- this was the big one- they wanted her to help them keep their
marraige a secret until the wedding.
The remarkable thing was that despite the fact that she knew she wouldn't
be lonely any more, she wanted the Oni back. She didn't want it to feel
the same loneliness that she had to endure for so long, and if the Oni
returned to her then maybe it could help out, and lose that loneliness.
How could she feel something like that for a demon, though? Even if it
wasn't as evil a being as it was advertised to be...
Nodoka's thoughts were disturbed when, despite the sign on the door, she
heard someone entering the bathing area. Peeking over the edge of the tub,
she saw a very shy Akane walking in.
"I hope you don't mind if I join you," Akane said quietly as she grabbed a
sponge and walked over to the shower. "There were some things I wanted to
talk to you about. About certain aspects of married life."
Nodoka almost couldn't speak she was so full of emotion. It seemed odd,
but again- someone was trying to talk with her. They were bringing her
their problems, and asking her to act like... like... a parent? A friend?
A member of the family? Whatever it was, they weren't ignoring her any
more. "Of course you may, Akane," she said, keeping her voice as quiet as
Akane's. After all, it WAS rather early in the morning. "Where's Ranma?"
"Asleep," Akane said, smiling wistfully. "With the help of certain...
techniques... Iria suggested, I was able to wear him out before he wore me
out."
'Hmm, maybe I WON'T need to clean the furo today," Ranma's mother thought.
Niether of them spoke as Akane cleaned and rinsed herself off. When she
finished, she slipped into the furo on the other side from Nodoka.
"Funny," Akane said, closing her eyes and relaxing in the warm water.
"This is the first time in almost a week I've taken a bath without Ranma."
Nodoka smiled, watching her daughter-in-law. "You really DO love my son,
don't you?"
Akane nodded. "Of course. I wouldn't have married him if I didn't. Nor
would I have even thought of sleeping with him."
Nodoka sighed in relief. "I was worried about that."
Akane opened her eyes. "You were? Why?"
"Well, I found out about a few things that my husband did to my son- like
the neko-ken training that Ranma was put through. So when I asked you if
you knew about the neko-ken, and you seemed so unconcerned about it, I
feared that you didn't care about his well-being." Nodoka paused. "Not to
mention how you used to get mad at him so often."
Akane smiled nervously. "I don't get mad at him like that any more. I
used to jump to conclusions about him, and I still do sometimes- but it
helps knowing how he really feels about me." She sighed. "His curse
didn't make things any easier, either- before he arrived, I'd never found a
guy I wanted to go out with. Every boy at school wanted to date me so
badly they were trying to force themselves on me- by beating me in combat-
and I certainly didn't want that. However, my... reluctance... gained me
the reputation of being someone interested in girls. Ranma turned into a
girl- if I actually LIKED him, it might make some people think I was trying
to find a girl to marry instead of a guy."
Nodoka nodded. "My son's curse has caused a lot of problems, hasn't it?"
Akane laughed. "To put it mildly, yes. My concerns about being thought of
as a... a lesbian, his father forcing him from you, some of our troubles
with Shampoo, and a lot of other things. His curse has been quite a
problem-causer."
Seeing that Nodoka wasn't going to pursue that line of questioning, Akane
closed her eyes again and settled down deeper into the tub. For her, this
was the first break she'd had from Ranma since the Oni first possessed her.
Not that she really needed one- she still wanted to be with him, even
then- but it was nice to talk with someone other than Iria or Ranma every
once in a while.
But Nodoka wasn't done, she had just been trying to think of a delicate way
to phrase her next question. "By the way, why WERE you so unconcerned
about the neko-ken training?"
Akane thought about it for a moment and opened her eyes again. "I'm not
sure, really. If it had been something which happened to any other person,
I think I would have been horrified. I guess part of it was that... so
many things have happened to Ranma in his past that just one more thing-
like the Neko-ken, like being stuck as a girl by Cologne at one point,
like... like the possibility of him being forced to commit seppoku by his
mom, like anything which affected Ranma- didn't seem to be so surprising
any more. Looking back on it, I'm still not able to feel much anger
towards Genma about the Neko-ken training... I don't know what it was like
for him; for all I know, he doesn't even remember it. I think I'm more
annoyed that the Nekoken made it impossible for him to remember our first
kiss." Akane shrugged. "Ranma doesn't open up much about his past, so I
don't think much about it. Maybe I should, but who would I ask to find out
about it? He doesn't seem to remember most of it, his father doesn't say
anything unless he has to, and no-one else has been there for most of it.
It's the things that hurt Ranma NOW that worry me- I can't do much about
the past."
Nodoka relaxed, feeling a burden go off her shoulders. Akane hadn't been
ignoring Ranma's pain- she was just more concerned with the present than
the past. Considering that Ranma seemed to be happy at the moment, perhaps
that was all that was needed.
"I understand," Nodoka said.
Akane nodded. "Good," she said, closing her eyes once again. "Now, about
the reason I'm here..."
"You said you wanted to talk about 'certain aspects of married life,' as I
recall." Nodoka paused. "Are you sure I'm the best person to turn to? I
mean, my husband and I aren't, exactly, on the best of terms."
"That's perfect," Akane noted, smiling slightly. "Ranma and I get into so
many fights we'll NEVER be on the 'best of terms.' We probably won't get
into QUITE so many fights any more, but we'll not be the most peaceful
couple ever, either. I've accepted this, and so has Ranma. Who better to
talk to about marraige, then, than a married couple more experienced in
being married without always getting along?"
Nodoka wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. "Well... perhaps. So
what do you want to talk about?"
Akane sighed. "Cooking. Ranma hates my cooking, and won't even try it
without a lot of complaint."
"You have to admit, Akane," Nodoka said, "That you are far from the best
cook Ranma knows. I've been working with you, and it's taken me several
months just to get you to make a nice curried rice on a consistant basis.
Most people can learn to do that in only a few days. That, and Ranma's
been spoiled between my, Kasumi's, and your former rivals' cooking."
Akane growled slightly, but the relaxing warmth of the bath water kept her
temper from rising. "Isn't a wife supposed to cook for her husband,
though? I mean, Kasumi keeps calling it 'bridal training.' I thought you
were supposed to cook to be a good bride."
Nodoka laughed. "Kasumi is a little old-fashioned, dear. My cousin's wife
has never cooked a day in her life- he has to do all the cooking in the
family. My own mother shared the cooking duties with my father. Do what
you're good at, not what you think you're supposed to be good at, or else
you'll end up annoying your husband and making yourself unhappy."
Akane hesitated. "What AM I good at, though? My one real skill before
Ranma showed up was martial arts, but I'm nothing compared to him in that
regard... and he doesn't seem to respect my skills very much, either."
"Ranma doesn't want you getting hurt, dear, and martial arts is quite risky
in that regard. But perhaps you could apply the skills you know from
martial arts to helping your husband out. Certainly you know how to treat
minor injuries such as splinters, cuts, scrapes, bruises, and the like from
the times you've accidentally injured yourself. You can probably help
nurse him when he gets injured... he'll probably appreciate that."
"But that's just one thing... and I still want to BE a martial artist like
him, but it just seems so hopeless...."
Nodoka sighed. "Have you ever told Ranma any of this? Asked him what he
wants you to be as his wife, or told him what you want from him as a
husband? You have skills, Akane, that I am sure he will appreciate. I am
just as certain that he has skills which will compliment yours greatly.
You might even be able to convince him to help you get better in those
things which you feel you are lacking in skill- such as your martial arts.
If he agrees to help you, you may become the great martial artist you wish
to be as opposed to the slightly-less-great martial artist you are now. If
he doesn't... well, then send him to me. He'll listen to his mother... or
else."
Akane chuckled. "I suspect just the threat will cause him to surrender,"
she said.
Together, the two women rested in the furo. All that they had needed to
talk about had been discussed, and so they could just enjoy the peace and
quiet for a time.
Several minutes later, there was a tentative knock on the door. "Akane,
are you in there?" Ranma's voice asked from the other side.
"Yes I am, but don't come in. Your mother's here with me."
"Okay," Ranma answered. "I'll just head back to bed. Wake me when you get
out of there."
"I will," Akane replied.
"No, wait!" Nodoka called. "I need to get out and fix your breakfast soon,
anyway. Just wait a moment, and you can join Akane if you like." Akane
smiled up at Nodoka gratefully.
"Sure thing," Ranma called back. "I'll be waiting outside the changing
room."
Nodoka got up, towelled off, and dressed. Nodding to Ranma as she passed
by him, she went to the kitchen and started fixing the miso soup and rice
for breakfast.
A few minutes later, Akane's loud, pleasure-filled shrieks rang through the
house.
"Looks like I'll have to clean the furo, after all," Nodoka sighed.
* * * * *
The Oni sighed as it approached the Gates of Hell. It still had to give
Happosai its just vengeance, but right now it needed a short vacation. All
these confusing feelings it was having, together with the stress of having
to arrange for its curse to be lifted, was a huge strain. What it needed
right now was a nice, comforting bath in the lava pits to restore its
strength. Then it could go hunting for Happosai.
As it walked through the gates, a voice called to it from the guard post.
"Eubuleus? Is that you?"
The Oni, called by its true name, turned in surprise. "Charon, is that
you?"
"Who else would be here on a day like this?" the other demon, a much more
powerful one, asked. "I heard you were trapped in a box."
Eubuleus grinned ruefully. "I was. What was worse, after being released
from the box, I was cursed by an even more powerful evil."
Charon chuckled. "Is that so? Who was it- Hades, Lucifer, Loki?"
Eubuleus shook its head. "No. Happosai."
Charon scratched his chin in puzzlement. "Happosai? Never heard of a
demon named Happosai. Is he one of the Japanese shinto pantheon? I've
never been too good at remembering them..."
"Er, no," Eubuleus said.
"Who is he, then?"
"He's a... a... he's a human."
Charon was silent for a moment, before he burst out laughing. "A HUMAN put
a curse on you? Bwahahahahaha! That's one of the funniest things I've
heard of in years!"
Eubuleus growled, and shot a powerful energy bolt at Charon. "Shut UP!"
Charon deflected the bolt casually. "Man, you're pathetic. I didn't even
feel that. So, you still have this curse?"
Eubuleus shook his head. "No... I managed to arrange a deal that allowed
me to lift the curse, thanks to a fallen succubus."
Charon froze. "Did you say a... fallen succubus?"
Eubuleus nodded. "Yeah, why?"
"What... what was the succubus' name?"
"Um... Iria, I think."
Charon darkened. "Iria? Does she know who you are?"
Eubuleus blinked. "Um, no- she just knows me as the 'Oni.' Why?"
Charon nodded. "Do not make contact with her again. That is an order from
the Lord of Terror herself."
Eubuleus frowned. "I wasn't planning to. Why is this order made?"
"You are not permitted to know. Just obey."
Eubuleus narrowed his eyes. "And what punishment is their if I DO make
contact?"
"Your complete and total destruction."
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