Sorry, I forgot to remove something from the story. Well, here's
the teaser.
X-ile
http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/BookStore/7706/
*********
<Chapter 3>
Ranma entered the clinic just as Dr. Tofu�s patient left. It was
easy for the doctor to see that his assistant was distraught
about something. �I take it all didn�t go well with your talk
with Akane?�
After pulling up a chair, Ranma sat down and began to rub his
temples. �You could say that. I think congratulations are in
order though. It seems I�ve gotten myself engaged to be
married,� he spoke with little emotion.
Dr. Tofu dropped the pen he�d been using and stared at Ranma in
shock. �I think you�d better tell me what happened.�
*******
In the shadows of a store, a stranger quickly dialed a number on
the payphone and waited for his call to get through. After a few
minutes, words were exchanged quickly before the stranger hung up
and disappeared into the shadows.
*******
Akane had quickly and furiously cleaned herself in the shower
room before changing her clothes, all the while trying to avoid
thinking about the kiss, her first kiss even. But she couldn�t
get it out of her mind.
Every schoolgirl has always wondered what it would be like to be
kissed on the lips by a boy. While the guys avoided it like the
plague until hormones set in, the girls would read books, watch
movies; grill their older sisters or even experiment with each
other to learn what it�s like.
Akane had read the manga, the doujinshi, and the novels. She
watched the movies and grilled her friends when they went on
dates, but nothing, absolutely nothing, prepared her for THAT
kiss. She doubted that her friend or even her sisters had ever
had a kiss like this.
But even though she was still reeling from the kiss, she was
FURIOUS at Ranma! He had stolen her first kiss. A kiss she had
been saving for someone else and he took that away from her.
How dare that-that PERVERT embarrassed her like that!? And in
front of the entire school! How was she ever going to live this
down? What will her friends think of her? Hell, what will the
students think of her? She didn�t want a reputation as a Hentai!
And what about the boys? This might encourage them to molest her
even more!
She needed to talk with that Hentai. Heck, why talk? She�ll just
go and beat him up into a pulp! Yeah, that�s it. She�ll head
over to the clinic, drag him out and go medieval on his ass until
he�s nothing more than a smear on the pavement. He deserved being
pounded for what he did to her.
And maybe then she�d find out what the deal was with his eyes.
With a burst of speed, Akane was out the door and on her way to
the clinic faster than the fastest track star in Furinkan. She
even ignored her sister who was on her way for the clinic
herself.
In a tiny, dark portion of her mind, rarely seen or acknowledged
by her, a dark old fear was presently at a quandary. Something
new had been added. Something that could threaten its very
existence.
Something small and newly formed was invading its territory where
it had ruled supreme for the last few years. It had appeared
yesterday, barely a glimmer that was ignored as not being worth
its full attention. But now, something had changed as it had
grown enormously in a few mere minutes.
The old dark fear was facing something it had rarely encountered
before. Opposition.
*******
��So then I jumped away and limped back here.� Ranma shifts in
his seat uncomfortably as he was reminded of the final blow to
his, er, manhood. That had hurt, really really hurt. He decided
it was best to forget that image and sipped his tea as he
finished his tale. It had a calming affect on him, plus the tea
had some herbs in it to counter the chemicals still in his
system.
Dr. Tofu leaned back as he played the fight in his mind. �But
how come you didn�t detect the chemicals in the rose, Ranma? You�
ve shown me the sensitivity of your senses. Most substances with
those properties tend to have a distinct odor to them.�
�I�m not sure, but from the angle of attack, it most probably was
the wind that prevented me from smelling the rose. A good sense
of smell isn�t much help if the scent isn�t there to detect.�
The doctor nodded his understanding to the logic of the
explanation and smiled at his assistant. �So now what? Will you
seduce Akane and whisk her off to your village?�
Ranma shook his head as he chuckled weakly at Dr. Tofu�s attempt
at witticism. �No, the law allows me a bit of leeway in how I�m
to catch my bride. Personally, I would�ve preferred to be older
and in love before I married, but it seems the Kami has other
ideas.�
He touched his lips as he remembered the effect the kiss had on
both him and Akane. �But I have to admit that kiss with Akane had
been� extraordinary. The kiss almost makes it worth being
engaged to Akane. Almost.�
�WHAT?� The door slammed open as Akane flew in and latched her
hands around Ranma�s neck as she started to shake and strangle
him. �You pervert! How dare you say that we�re engaged? I never
agreed to anything like this!�
As she continued to scream dire threats and promises of extreme
pain, the doctor skillfully maneuver behind and applied some
pressure to a shiatsu point between her collar and her neck,
greatly mimicking a certain Vulcan from TV.
After he caught a suddenly unconscious Akane, Ranma began to
massage his sore neck. He must�ve been more unsettled than he
thought. His senses weren�t working at their peak at the moment.
�Not exactly how I thought she would take it, but understandable
all things considered.�
�My, my, my. Isn�t this a cozy image?� A girl with short brown
hair stood leaning against the doorjamb. �If it weren�t for Dr.
Tofu being here, I�d say that you were taking advantage of my
little sister.�
�Why hello, Nabiki! I assume that you wish to know what is going
on?� Dr. Tofu motioned for her to join them. �If you would wait a
moment while we lay Akane on the cot, I�m sure that Ranma can
explain everything to your satisfaction.�
After making Akane comfortable, Ranma gave Nabiki a booklet with
the Japanese translation on the laws of Joketsuzoku to avoid
having to repeat himself and pointed to a particular passage.
�I knew that Akane�s temper was going to get her into trouble one
day, but I never expected THIS,� Nabiki smirked. �You do realize
though that she didn�t really defeat you, right? Someone else
interfered with the fight.�
Ranma shook his head to refute this. �It doesn�t really matter,
Nabiki. Outside interference is to be expected in an Amazon
fight. We must often overcome this to win. From my understanding
of the law, the fight was valid and so is the law regarding it.�
�I see,� she said with a neutral expression. �What will you do
with Akane now?�
�I don�t know,� Ranma shrugged. Right now, all he wanted to do
was take a long bath and forget about it for the rest of the day.
He pulled a stool nearby and sat down, facing the resting Akane.
�I guess I�ll wist her off her feet and take her home with me,�
he chuckled half-heartedly.
�You do realize that she�ll refuse and won�t be the only one,�
she said calmly, though Ranma could hear the warning beneath it
all.
�Yeah I know. From her reaction, I�ll say that she�ll fight
against the law to the very end. However, both my Honor and her
are involve and I doubt she would wish to damage that. She takes
honor, especially her personal honor as a martial artist very
seriously.�
�How can you be so certain?� Nabiki knew the answer already, but
there was something about the way he was talking about her sister
that may her wary.
�She�s a martial artist, though better most at her age, she still
takes pride in her skill and accomplishment and that includes
each win or defeat.�
�You seem to know my sister very well for someone who only been
here for a short time.�
Ranma looked at her as though it were obvious. �She insists on
taking on a mob of boys by herself every morning. That implies
either great confidence or great pride. A person like that isn�t
likely to ask for help, especially to a fight that wasn�t to the
death or one she initiated.�
�So what now? I seriously doubt Akane�s going to simply allow
herself to be hauled to the altar so that you can follow your
laws.� Nabiki leaned back as she crossed both her arms and legs
while cocking her head slightly sideways with a sardonic smile on
her face, unconsciously assuming a fetching pose.
Ranma shrugged. He knew that it wasn�t going to be easy, but he
didn�t have much of a choice. At least, he wasn�t going to use
some of the more controversial methods to catch Akane. �I suppose
I�ll have to ask your father for permission to woo Akane then.�
It was then that Akane chose to wake up. With a groan, she got up
from the cot, holding her head in her hand. It was obvious that
the technique Dr. Tofu used had given her a headache.
�It seems our sleeping beauty is awake,� he sad nonchalantly.
Ranma got up and placed his hands upon her scalp as he applied
some pressure to various points. �This�ll make it better, Airen.
Just relax and let me finish.�
�Airen?� Nabiki raised a brow at the unfamiliar word.
�It�s a term of endearment meaning �loved one�,� he explained as
he pressed a few more points before stepping back. �There you go,
Airen. Good as new.�
Akane tried to glare at Ranma but couldn�t seem to work up the
anger for some reason. �What�d you do to me? Why do I feel so�
calm?�
�I pressed a few shiatsu points that�ll slow down and delay the
buildup of anger somewhat.� Ranma made a show of rubbing his
throat. �It�s a temporary thing that�ll give me time to explain
what�s going on without you trying to kill me.�
�Wow! I can see that you�re going to be good at handling my
little sister if you can do that.� Nabiki was impressed. Good
looks, great body and, from what she could tell from record, he
had a good head on his shoulders. Plus, he got a nice ass. Good
prospects. Too bad according to him; he was already taken.
�Could someone please tell me what�s going on and why does Ranma
keep calling me �Airen�?�
Nabiki smirked. There was no way she was going to miss seeing the
look on Akane�s face when she hears the news. �Well, sis, it
seems that when you defeated Ranma in the fight, you accidentally
made him your fianc�.�
�WHAT?�
It took a bit but Nabiki and Dr. Tofu managed to explain her
situation and the seriousness of it. �But that�s crazy! Who�d
ever heard of marrying someone who defeated you?�
As soon as she said it, Akane knew that she had just herself a
hole. �I don�t know, Airen. Didn�t someone at your school say
that the only way they could date a certain girl was if they
defeated her?�
Akane sputtered as she rallied to defend herself. �That�s totally
different! I never agreed to that stupid announcement. They just
never listened to me!�
�I don�t particularly like the idea of being married at sixteen
either.� Ranma shrugged indicating that his hands were tied. �But
like it or not, I�m still of the Joketsuzoku so I�m obligated to
follow the laws.�
�Well, you can take your laws and shove it! This is Japan. Your
laws mean nothing here!� Akane stood up and headed for the door.
She turned around to get one final word in. �And there�s nothing
you or your laws can do about it!�
Ranma, Nabiki and Dr. Tofu winced back as Akane slammed the door
on her way out. All of them could see that she wasn�t pleased at
all. Nabiki turned to the two. �Well, that could�ve gone better.
So now what? Does the Joketsuzoku practices bride-napping?�
Ranma rubbed his temple, �Now, I have to make preparations to
court your sister, Nabiki.� Ranma stood up and nodded to them.
�Please tell your father that a� matchmaker will be dropping by
to make the proper arrangements.�
*******
Nabiki walked home with a pensive frown on her face. Although she
had made light of Akane�s situation with Ranma, she wasn�t
ignorant to the danger that might be involved.
The small amount of information she�d gleaned from her research
combined with what she read in that booklet of Ranma�s gave a
bleak picture of Akane�s chances in avoiding him. The Joketsuzoku
had a reputation for being totally ruthless and unrelenting in
the pursuit of their prey.
On the bright side, Ranma seemed to be cut from a slightly
different sort of cloth than the average Joketsuzoku. He might be
relentless, but he didn�t seem to be the ruthless sort. Plus, the
Joketsuzoku was a matriarchal society. This meant that the women
called the shots.
Nabiki imagined what it would be like to live in a society where
women were the ones who ruled as images of a dozen handsome men,
serving her hand and foot, floated thru her mind. She had always
liked it when the guys lavished affection on her.
Suddenly, the images in her mind changed to that of Ranma as she
imagined him without his shirt on and she felt a shiver run thru
her as her breath quickened. �Slap! Slap! Get a grip, girl! He�s
already taken and doesn�t look like the type to bow to anyone.
Despite how he was brought up.�
But still, why was she thinking about him? He wasn�t exactly her
type. She usually preferred them rich and stupid, so why�
Nabiki shook her head and continued her walk home. She had other
things to think about like telling her father and Kasumi that a
guest will be arriving for dinner.
*******
Akane slammed the door to her room after rushing by Kasumi and
sat heavily on her bed. She didn�t like ignoring her like that,
but she just wasn�t up to handling her questions at the moment.
Where had everything gone wrong? Just a while ago she went to
fight Ranma in order to prove to herself that she was still the
best in Nerima. She�d been so confident that the date issue didn�
t even slow her down in her desire to fight Ranma.
Now she found that not only was he leagues better than her and
that her defeat of him was just an accident, but according to his
village�s laws, she was now his fianc�e whether both of them
liked it or not!
She was damned either way. If he won, then that means he could
date her if he wanted to, but if she won, he becomes her fianc�.
There was no way for her to win. Damned if she won, damned if she
doesn�t. Akane rubbed her temples to ease the beginnings of a
headache when a thought occurred to her.
Ranma didn�t want to be engaged to her? What was wrong with her
that he didn�t want to be engaged to her? Did he think she was
ugly or something? Does he think she wasn�t good enough to be his
fianc�e? Why that arrogant, no good�
Akane�s thoughts turned to her fight with him. The way he moved
was like a dancer�s, so� so fast and graceful. It was like trying
to land a blow on a delicate, butterfly. But when she held him,
his muscles felt like iron, hard and tough.
And yet, the kiss was so tender and soft, like the kiss of dew on
a Sakura tree�s leaves early in the morning. It seemed to last
forever and was probably the most intense sensation she�d ever
experienced in her life.
Akane bopped herself on the head twice. �Get a grip, girl! What
the heck are you thinking?�
Akane collected her thoughts and tried to figure out a way out of
this mess. Maybe if she ignored him, he�d just go away
eventually. Yeah, that�s it. She�d just ignore the whole thing
then, in about a week or two, it would all go away.
Now that she�d figured out what to do, Akane relaxed and laid
down to rest, today had been tiring after all. She�d expended a
lot of energy fighting Ranma.
Thinking about the fight made Akane remember the sight of his
eyes. She didn�t know how it was possible for him to see with
that kind of injury, but he didn�t act like he was blind, so he
must be able to see. But those scars�
*******
A young redhead calmly made her way to the Tendo dojo, her cane
tapping the sidewalk to guide her steps. She was dressed in a
brightly colored poncho with the hood thrown back. Even to the
casual observer, it was easy to see that she was blind.
Of course with this being the case, the pedestrians gave her a
certain allowance when she bumped into a ladder which dropped on
a fruit stand and spilled its contents in front of the fleeing
pickpocket, thereby making his feet slide out from under him due
to the bananas and mangoes strewn about the ground.
This was viewed as a fortunate occurrence by the policeman
chasing the thief and by the public at large. It was always a
good thing for the community when thieves were caught.
On the other hand, the person hanging from the rafters, wondering
where his ladder went, was definitely not pleased. Neither were
the pickpocket and the fruit-stand owner. Those pineapples were
particularly prickly and expensive today.
They couldn�t do anything about it though. The blind girl had
disappeared.
*******
A bit later, we found the blind girl in front of the Tendo dojo.
She rapped on the gate with her cane and waited for the
inhabitants to answer. When the gate opened, Kasumi greeted the
stranger. �Good evening, may I help you?�
The redhead bowed to the heart of the Tendo family. �Good
evening. My name is Ranko of the Joketsuzoku. I�m here on behalf
of my tribesman, Ranma. May I be allowed to speak with the
patriarch of the Tendo family regarding his daughter, Akane?�
�Oh my!� Kasumi covered her mouth in surprise. When Nabiki had
said to expect a guest this evening, she�d never expected a
matchmaker and for Akane, no less. �Please come in.�
Ranko nodded her thanks and reached out a hand. Kasumi stared at
it for a moment before realizing that her guest was blind. To
makeup for her social gaff, she grabbed her guest�s hand and
quickly led her to the house.
As they entered the house, Kasumi announced the guest�s arrival
before making her comfortable. �Please make yourself at home
while I go get the refreshments. My father shall be with you
shortly.�
When all had arrived at the table, Ranko bowed deeply before she
extracted a cask of well-aged sake and a large Tai wrapped in
rice-paper from her poncho then placed it on the table before the
family.
�May these gifts please the family Tendo. My name is Ranko of the
Joketsuzoku. I am here on behalf of my kinsman, Ranma, to request
the Tendo patriarch�s permission that my kinsman may pay court to
your daughter, Akane Tendo, with the intention of marriage should
she accept his proposal.�
Kasumi smiled while Nabiki smirked as both had either guessed or
been told of the visitor�s mission, but Soun and Akane were
flabbergasted by this. And before either one could say a word,
Ranko swung her cane in an arc, nearly swiping Akane and Soun in
the head before she placed it next to her and laid down
documents, photographs and portfolios upon the table.
�Please, if the patriarch has any doubts about my kinsman�s
fitness as a suitor, these documents shall show that Ranma is an
accomplished healer and the Grandmaster of the Unseen Light
school of Martial Arts. At present, he is assisting a local
physician by the name of Dr. Tofu Ono.�
�And if the patriarch is worried about by what means my kinsman
shall support his daughter, rest assured that he possesses
sufficient assets, that will be available to him upon his
majority, to support your daughter comfortably if she chooses to
accept him.�
As soon as Ranko had finished her spiel, Nabiki and her father
were already busy poring through the documents before them while
Kasumi poured more tea for their guest. Akane, on the other hand,
was in a state of shock at finding out Ranma�s ranking, not
hearing the rest of Ranko�s words.
No wonder she couldn�t lay a finger on him during her match. If
he was a grandmaster of his school, then Ranma was leagues better
than she was. Hell, he might even be better than her father. But
how could he be a grandmaster? He was so young!
Nabiki rubbed her chin as she studied the papers before her.
According to this, Ranma had inherited several small businesses
and properties from his predecessor. These were being managed by
several highly reputable firms until the advent of his majority.
In terms of pure monetary wealth, he was by no means rich, but he
had sufficient funds to be considered well off. On the other
hand, his potential wealth could be substantial as several of the
businesses and properties were of considerable value.
Nabiki�s brow twitched as she silently cursed. Why couldn�t she
catch a juicy morsel like this? Wasn�t she just as good looking
as her sister? After all, they had the same genes. Why does Akane
have all the luck when it comes to attracting men?
The patriarch of the Tendo family, Soun Tendo, blinked as he
tallied up the pros and cons. Although he felt that his baby girl
was too young to be dating yet, something he thought of all his
daughters, he was worried about her dislike of boys. Maybe this
was what�s needed to change that.
Still, he knew nothing about this Ranma. What if he was like that
Tatewaki Kuno who had made things difficult for his baby girl? He
had stayed out of it to let Akane save face by herself, but he
would�ve smeared the pustule if the boy had harmed his daughter.
�Your proposal is interesting, Ranko-san, but I know nothing of
your kinsman. What�s his relation to my little girl? How did he
meet her? Why does he wish to court her?�
�Ah! Now there�s a saga all by itself.� Ranko proceeded to weave
the tale of how Akane had challenged Ranma on the second day of
school and how she rejected his desire not to fight. She told of
her village, its laws and how they affected Akane.
�So you see, Ranma doesn�t have much of a choice. For him to
remain a Joketsuzoku, it�s a matter of duty, giri if you will, to
marry your daughter. But since he doesn�t wish to enter into a
loveless marriage at such a young age, he�s willing to court
Akane to see if there might be anything between them.�
Akane was about to stand in protest but stopped as Kasumi placed
a hand on her shoulder in admonishing. Soun nodded to his
daughter in thanks for her support. He might be their father, but
his daughters all inherited their mother�s stubborn will thus
making it difficult to control them.
Soun turned his gaze on his fidgeting daughter. �Is this true,
Akane? Did you persist with the challenge even when this Ranma
asked you to withdraw it?�
Since she couldn�t meet his eyes, Soun took that as a yes and
returned his attention to his guest. �I see. Hmm, I suppose there
would be no harm in letting your kinsman court my daughter. But I
would like to meet with him first to see what sort of man he is.�
�Thank you very much. Ranma would be most pleased with your
decision.� Ranko bowed deeply from where she sat. �On another
matter, may I ask who is presently in charge of your daughter�s
training?�
Soun laughed and began to rub the back of his head in
embarrassment. �Ah, I was the one who began her training, but I�m
afraid I�ve been lax the past two years.�
�Ah. Then if it won�t impinge on your honor, may my kinsman and I
continue with her training? Our village is proud of our martial
tradition and we would wish to pass some of this on to your
daughter.�
Akane frowned at this. That sounded like an insult to her
abilities as a martial artist. �Hey, I�ll have you know that I�m
a very good martial artist!�
Ranko nodded her head to her in agreement. �I�m sure you think
you are. But with our help, you could become an even better
martial artist than you are now.�
�Think I am?� The Tendo family wasn�t sure but it looked like
wisps of steam began to rise from Akane�s head. �Before your
Ranma came along, I was considered the best in Nerima!�
Ranko cocked her head to the side as she regard Akane, skepticism
evident on her face. �Oh, really? So you consider yourself better
than your father in the Art?�
�Uh.� This brought Akane up short. She didn�t know how to respond
to this. If she said yes, she would be insulting her father, but
if she said no, then that would mean she was wrong.
Before Akane could make up her mind, Ranko presented her with an
out. �Why don�t we have a little match then? If you can throw me,
I will admit that you do not need to be taught by us, but if I
can throw you, then you will agree to become our student,
agreed?�
Ranko turned to Soun and bowed to him again. �As you are her
teacher, I apologize for over-stepping over my bounds but your
daughter needs to be taught some humility and restraint. Please
forgive my presumption. It is your decision whether or not your
student and I may spar.�
Soun thought about that for a moment. The idea had its appeal
after all. He hadn�t been training Akane as much as he used to
and even then he couldn�t make himself train her in some of the
more extreme forms of the Anything-Goes school. �Very well. If
you defeat Akane, then you may train her.�
Ranko nodded her thanks and stood up before turning towards
Akane. �Shall we?�
*******
As Akane faced her opponent, she couldn�t help but feel
uncomfortable about the fight. When Ranko had stood up from the
table, she had asked to be led towards the place where they were
to fight. It was then that Akane realized that Ranko was blind.
Ranko was idly standing there with her thin bamboo cane, waiting
for her to make the first move. If it weren�t for the cane,
shades or the way she acted, it would�ve been easy to assume that
she could see.
�Well? Come on, come on. Let�s find out how good you really are.�
Ranko suddenly smirked as though a thought just occurred to her.
�Or are you afraid of losing? Maybe you aren�t as good as you
think you are.�
Akane took the traditional karate stance and prepared her attack.
Instead of charging in like she usual did, she waited for Ranko
to attack. But she became frustrated after a minute when Ranko
refused to make any move. She tensed her body and charged the
redhead with a feint.
Unfortunately, Ranko didn�t fall for the feint and caught her
foot in a death grip. Before she knew what happened, she was
planted against the wall in the opposite side of the Dojo. She
heard Kasumi calling to her through the haze as well as her
father wailing in the background. It really embarrassed her to
see her father breaking down like that, especially in front of
guests.
Once she opened her eyes, she found Ranko standing over her with
her hand outstretched. She reluctantly grabbed it and pulled
herself up. Biting down her pride, she bowed deeply to the
redhead. �Thank you, Ranko-sensei.�
Akane watched as Ranko bowed to her father who was wailing
something about her finally having a proper sensei. She absently
shook her head and left the dojo. Outside the dojo, she dropped
her mask and walked away as tears fell from her eyes.
Once, she thought she had been the best, now she couldn�t even
beat a blind girl. Ranko had defeated her with one move and she
was positive Ranma would�ve done the same if he hadn�t been
distracted.
Ranma. What was she going to do about him? Now that he had her
father�s permission to court her, what could she do? How was she
going to get out of this mess? It was all Ranma�s fault!
However, that anger quickly disappeared when she realized that
she had her part in this mess. She placed her gi in the laundry
basket and soaked in the furo. She felt her muscles relax and
allowed the tension to ease. It had been a long day. Maybe
tomorrow would be better.
�I�ll talk with Ranma tomorrow about the marriage laws. Maybe
there�s a way around them.� Set with a plan of action, she smiled
and drifted off.
*******
As soon as the first beam of light entered the small bedroom,
once an attic, and struck the bed on the opposite side of the
window, a soft groan could be heard from beneath the sheet. Ever
so slowly, the body stirred and a muffle yawn was heard.
Eventually, the body sat up, causing the sheet to dropped away to
review a young man face with scars across both his eyes.
Reaching out, Ranma grabbed the shades as if he was afraid of the
light. With a flip, he was on his feet and began stretching his
tired muscles. Once satisfied, he left the room, via the window
and began his workout in the back yard.
After a few hours of katas and meditation, he returned to his
room and started the shower. It was nice that Dr. Tofu offered
him the room; he wished he had a furo to relax in after a hard
workout. The katas never bothered him; it was the meditation he
used to control his chi and aura that took a tow. Even after
years of practice and mastery, it was still a tiring process of
always trying to improve and extend his senses.
Some time later, he was in Dr. Tofu office, telling him about
what had occurred the previous night regarding �ranko� visit to
the Dojo. �So, that what happen.�
�That�s quite interesting.� Tofu rocked back on his chair and
looked intently at Ranma. �I�m assuming you�re not going to tell
them about the curse.�
Ranma shook his head. �I don�t see any reason to. As far as I
am concern, they will never find out about it.�
Tofu arched his brow, �You can�t hide it forever. It�s best to
get it out in the open before it causes some misunderstanding.�
Ranma sighed, knowing the truth in his word. �I�ll think about
it. Maybe later��
Tofu nodded, �If that�s your decision.� He pulled a folder from
the cabinet and fingered through the papers. �Ah, here it is,�
he said as he pulled out an envelop and handed it to Ranma.
Ranma felt the envelope and with a fluid motion, he sliced off an
edge of the envelope. He grasped in surprise when he felt the
content. �D-Dr. Tofu. I-I can�t,� he stuttered.
�And why not?� he crossed his arms.
�W-Well�. I mean, I just started. It�s just that you�ve done so
much for me. I-I� I just can�t accept this,� he attempted to
return the envelope, but Dr. Tofu refused.
�I understand what you�re thinking, but that�s not it. This is
must payment in advance for your assistant. I figured you would
need some spending money.�
�I-I�� Ranma bowed, �Thank you, Dr. Tofu. You have been a great
help and I�m honor to be your assistant.�
Tofu smiled and clasped Ranma�s shoulder, �The pleasure is all
mine. Now, why don�t you take the day off?�
Startled, �B-But� what about the clinic?�
�Don�t worry about it. There are very few appointments today and
I can take care of them. Why don�t you just wander the city
today? It would help to know your surrounding. You�ll never
know when you might need to find a particular store.�
Nodding, �Thank you. That�s an excellent idea.� With that done,
he left the office and was out the door moments later.
******
Akane walked out of the house early the next morning and strode
through the street as she thought about the events that provided
her with a newly acquired, and perhaps secret, fianc�.
She wanted so much to blame Ranma for the situation but couldn�t.
She had a part in the series of events. Thanks to her pride, she
had refused to listen to Ranma when he tried to talk to her.
Still, she believed that Ranma could�ve done a better job of
informing her about it.
Akane visibly sighed as she recalled the fight. Even though she
won, it was one victory she didn�t want. Not because of the
engagement, but because she didn�t win it fairly. She only won
because of outside interference. That was something she hated.
She wanted to win fairly and on her own.
Involuntarily, her hand reached up and touched her lower lip. The
tingling feeling she felt all so clearly returned full force.
Blushing deeply, she shook her head as she attempted to deny what
had occurred. It didn�t help, however.
She closed her eyes as she felt Ranma lips pressed fully on her
dry lips and the eruption of emotions that flooded her
consciousness. Her chest tightened and her knees suddenly became
weak. She hurried over to the side of the road and clutched to
the railing for support. She pounded her head a few times and
cursed the pigtailed martial artist for her turmoil.
She took a deep breath as she approached the clinic and noticed
Ranma exiting it in a hurry. She hurried her steps as she kept
him insight, a part of her was curious while the other was
thinking of a way to pay back. By the time she turned a corner,
she stopped and searched the street. She cursed herself and ran
through the street, searching for the eluded pigtail boy.
Unfortunately, she never looked up for she would have noticed a
boy peering over the edge of the roof watching her. She would
also notice the slight grin before he disappeared over the roof,
heading in opposite direction.
*****
�Otousan, I heading to the market. Is there anything you
wanted?� Kasumi asked politely from the kitchen.
Soun thought for a moment and shook his head. �No, Kasumi.�
�Very well, I will be home in time to cook diner,� she said as
she removed the apron and donned her shoe. A moment later, she
was weaving gracefully through the market, occasionally stopping
by a vendor to buy or sample converse with the owner. Towards
the end of the street, she paused in her step when she noticed a
young woman with red hair adjusting her slightly damped clothing.
�Why, hello Ranko-chan. It�s good to see you,� she said
cheerfully. �Are you planning to buy anything?�
�Huh? Is that you Kasumi-san?� she asked, quickly switching to
his second identity.
�Yes it is, Ranko-chan. You really shouldn�t wonder the street
without some assistant, Ranko-chan,� she said, worriedly.
She laughed nervously and smiled, �I�m fine, Kasumi-san. I just
wanted to explore the city and get a fell for it, I guess.�
�That�s great, but it would be better if you had someone to guide
you.�
�Thank you for your concern, but I�m quite capable of taking care
of myself,� she assured.
�Well, if you insist. Would you like me to show you around the
market?�
�If you don�t mind.�
Smiling, �I�ll be delighted.� With that said, Kasumi led the
blind girl through the street and gave her a very elaborate
description of each vendor. She was quite surprise to find the
young girl moving through the crowded market with very little
trouble, even better than her youngest sister. �What do you
think, Ranko-chan?� she asked as she continued to lead the girl
out of the market and towards her home.
�Hmmm� Well, it does have a large varieties of produce, there is
still some that�s I doubt we would find outside our village.�
�Oh? I would love to visit this village of your someday.�
�You would be very welcome in our village. It is a village of
women after all,� she grinned.
Nodded, �Yes, it must be wonderful.�
Ranko agreed and they continued to converse about the differences
in their life. Before either noticed, they were at the front
gate of the Tendo Dojo.
�Would you like to come in? I would love your help in the
kitchen.�
�Thank you for the offer, but I must decline. Perhaps it would
be best to have Ranma visit. It would give him a chance to speak
with your father and dispel any doubts he might have.�
�That�s a wonderful idea,� she agreed. �Why don�t both of you
join us?�
�Umm�. I�m sorry, Kasumi-san, but I have, er, other business to
take care of. Perhaps another time,� she said nervously.
�If you must, Ranko-chan.�
�I better go get Ranma,� she said quickly and disappeared around
the corner.
�What a strange girl,� she said softly before entering the house.
*****
As soon as Ranko disappeared around the corner, she retracted her
staff and ran for the clinic. Before Dr. Tofu had the chance to
say anything, she had already ran passed him and was upstairs.
She quickly changed her clothing and ran back downstairs when
something clicked. She ran back upstairs, splashed hot water on
herself and ran back downstairs only to run back upstairs to
change out of his damped clothes. Again, he ran out of the
clinic, leaving a confused and startled Dr. Tofu scratching his
head.
It wasn�t long before Ranma was at the front gate of the Dojo.
He straighten his clothing and took a deep breath before
entering. After a few minutes, Kasumi opened the door and
welcome him inside and led him to the dining table where �Ranko�
had waited last night. Soon, Kasumi returned with Tendou Soun.
�Hello, My name is Ranma of Joketsuzoku. It is an honor to meet
you, Tendou-san,� he bowed.
Soun eyed the young man critically before returning a slight nod.
�Please have a seat, Ranma. There�s a lot we must discuss before
I allow my little girl to be woe by anyone.�
Ranma nodded, �I assure that I have the best of intentions and as
Ranko have stated, the situation is beyond my control because of
the challenge made by your daughter.�
�Yes, I understand the law she had stated, but I want to be
certain that she is not harm in any way.�
�I understand, Tendou-san. I will give my word of honor, as an
Amazon, that no harm will come to your daughter outside of
training.�
******
�As you can see, I have no intention of taking your daughter away
from you. However, I�m still an Amazon and must obey our laws,�
Ranma explained.
Soun nodded, �Yes, Yes. I understand your situation, but Akane�s
my little girl,� he said with a slight crack in his voice.
�I understand perfectly. That�s why I think it�s best that we
build up the relationship gradually instead of me completing the
ceremony.�
��Completing the ceremony?��
Ranma gave a nervous laugh, �Um�.Well, you see� By Amazon�s Law,
we are marry and�.�
�And?� Soun asked, his eyes narrowed slightly.
Ranma unconsciously scratched the back of his head, face
reddening, �And�.. It only requires one last step to make it
official.�
�Last step?�
Ranma nodded.
�And what�s the last step?�
Ranma�s was deep red at the moment and he muttered quietly,
�Consummate.�
�Consummate,� Soun repeated to himself.
Ranma nodded, never looking up.
�Oh my,� Kasumi cried softly.
�Oh my daughter is all grown up,� Soun wailed uncontrollably and
Ranma sweated.
Suddenly, another voiced broke through the wailing, �What�s going
on here?�
Soun immediately shot from his seat and hugged the startled girl.
�My little girl is going to be a women,� he wailed tears number
123.
Again, Ranma sweated and Kasumi smiled innocently.
Akane stood there frozen under the embrace and looked around the
room and stopped when she spotted their guest. Her face visibly
frowned and growled, �What�s he doing here?�
�Oh, Akane. Ranma was telling us about the final step in the
marriage law,� Kasumi said gently.
�Final step?� Akane asked quietly, not sure if she wanted to hear
the information.
�Why yes. Ranma is here to consummate the marriage with you,�
she answered sweetly and then sipped her tea.