-- Attached file included as plaintext by Listar --
-- File: owd03.txt
DISCLAIMER: <pointing at Some-1-Else> He did it.
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Our Wedding Day - Part 3
By Lady Tesser and Jack Staik
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Ryoga strapped Conditioner to his chest in an improvised
sling (since the carrier was custom-made for Shampoo's
build). He filled his backpack with baby items - <Who the
hells knew I'd ever be doing *this*???> - and grinned as the
baby giggled to himself.
He would enjoy being a father. The last few days with
Shampoo and her son changed his mind about ankle-biters in
general, as well as the pipe dream of having his own flesh-
and-blood children. He wanted to be a father someday. He
felt more complete in some mysterious way.
Shampoo could grant him that.
Shampoo ... Broad thighs, nice bust, sweet smile, tender
soul, strong, smart, loving, beautiful, sexy, compassionate,
understanding, desirable.
He smirked to himself, letting his mind wander, not noticing
that he'd left the Nekohanten. Shampoo would put the baby to
bed and then she'd visit him in his room and they'd talk and
cuddle for a while before she went to her own room. Ryoga
had grown fond of her, liked her a lot. But loved?
Did he love her? He mulled over it every evening after she
said good night. Of course there was the physical reaction,
lust. Then again, he enjoyed her company even when there was
no lust. <What a funny word. A bit much for the real feeling
... sensuality, mayhaps?>
He felt comfortable with her in all ways. Is that what love
is supposed to be? He had to talk to someone who knows what
love is, to give him advice.
Ryoga wasn't surprised he ended up in front of the Tendo
home, even though he had planned on just taking the baby
upstairs. He wanted to talk to Ranma about a few things
anyway.
The main gate fell off its hinges as he entered the
property.
"Konnichi wa?" he called. "Is anyone still alive?"
Around the wreakage, he found Ranma and with Kasumi and
Nodoka cleaning up as much as possible before the
contractors arrived.
"Musta been a hell of a party," Ryoga remarked.
Ranma shrugged, grinned, and greeted his brother. "Tofu's
old girlfriend met Ko-chan. The clinic's gone, everything
else is just collateral damage."
Ryoga nodded. "I wondered what the explosion was. Was anyone
hurt?"
"Tofu's ex-girlfriend is beat up pretty bad. Ko-chan's at a
maximum level of piss-off - Akane's trying to calm her down,
if that's any indication."
Ryoga grimmaced. When *Akane* was considered suitable for
*calming* a person, that was bad indeed.
"Does Shampoo know you have the baby?"
"I'm looking after him while she takes a nap," Ryoga sat
down on a rock in the Tendo yard and looked around. "I heard
you finally kicked Genma out."
Ranma sat next to him. "Yeah. Akane-chan and I kicked the
Old Men out and took over the place. By the way, you and
Shampoo are invited to the wedding."
<piku-piku> "Wedding?"
"Akane-chan's and mine. Technically, we've been married
since last night, but we're having a ceremony for family and
friends."
Ryoga smiled both sadly and happily. "I'm glad for you two.
She needs somebody like you, man."
"Arigato. What brings you by - besides dumb luck?"
Ryoga traced his finger over the infant's head. "It's this
thing with Shampoo."
"'Thing'??"
Ryoga chuckled. "I don't even know what to call it! I live
with her, we go out on occasional dates, we talk and share
things ... I don't know."
Ranma nodded. "Sounds familiar."
"She considers us engaged."
Ranma gave a small laugh. "Sounds *very* familiar."
"How did you finally know? About Akane?"
Ranma smiled a sad smile. "When we were both at rock bottom,
utterly desperate, about to give up on ourselves and each
other, we reached out and found each other."
Ryoga played with the baby's hand. "I'd like to not have to
go that far."
Ranma put an arm around his half-brother's shoulder. "Well,
Akane and me and Ko-chan talked about this stuff a lot, and
through all the crap, and I found two things that are
*true*."
Ryoga looked at Ranma expectantly.
"First - love is when you're happy just because she is. And
second - it ain't 'if you can stand being with them', it's
'if you can't stand being without them'."
Ryoga looked puzzled. "Is this supposed to mean something?"
Ranma smiled. "Hard-won wisdom, buddy. When you understand
it, you won't be confused anymore."
Ryoga shrugged.
* * * * * * * * *
"Grrrrrr..." Ranko fumed.
"You're upset," Akane said sympathetically.
"Gee - whatever gave you that idea?"
Akane considered dumping another bucket of water on the
redhead, but the first one just evaporated without even
activating her curse. She might have to do it anyhow - the
cushion Ranko was sitting on was beginning to smolder.
"Back-up plan," Akane muttered, and went to the kitchen. She
returned a second later with Nabiki's stash of rocky-road
ice cream and a bottle of chocolate syrup.
The chocolate seemed to have the required calming effect.
Soon, Ranko had told her sister-in-law all about what Tofu
had divulged about the mysterious Ina Sophia.
Akane smiled. "Are you jealous?"
"YES!" Ranko yelled. "I am insanely jealous! I am scared to
death that this hussy who's sweeter than Kasumi and wilder
in the sack than a mink in heat will steal the man I love!
There! Happy now?!?"
"Wow ..." Akane said. "I didn't expect you to just - say
it."
"When you've spent most of your life as a disembodied
thought," Ranko explained, "you tend to start meditating on
your own nature. Being completely honest with yourself is a
side-effect."
"Do you love Tofu-sensei?"
Ranko took a deep breath. "I think I really do love Ono. But
this woman - she knows him, and she taught him magic, and
they - the two of them -" Ranko began getting angry again.
"The bitch *BRAGGED* about it!" She took a huge scoop of
ice-cream and shoved it in her mouth.
Akane sighed, remembering how she felt when she thought all
those other girls who glomped onto Ranma were also in his
bed. Those were just delusions of hers, things that she used
to keep him away in her mind, things she *knew* she made up.
She *was* a child, she *was* immature. Now the time of her
own belated maturity was upon her.
Akane pushed Ranko's hair back from her face.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Taking care of you like you've always taken care of us,"
her sister-in-law repiled, chuckling. "What shall we do
with the body *after* we kill her?"
Ranko laughed bitterly, stabbing her spoon into the ice
cream. "Don't tempt me, oneechan, I *will* kill her dead
three times over! And another three just to make sure."
"Imouto-chan, you said yourself that he doesn't want her
back. He said he's scared to death of her."
"So? She's still after him." She breathed deeply, followed
by short breaths and a sob. "She's his equal in every sense
of the word, how can I compete with *that*?? She's had
*experience*!"
Akane internally sighed in relief; that was all the proof
she needed to know that nothing happened between her and
Ranma on any intimate level. (Not that she was worried, no
not her, not at all.)
"He doesn't want her, he wants *you*," Akane pointed out.
"Sure," Ranko wiped her eyes. "That's why he left me to fend
for myself when she came to the clinic."
"He left you??" the dark-haired girl exclaimed.
Images, feelings, of Akane's long-dead crush on the doctor
briefly surfaced. Her ideal of him was as a protector among
other things, and this broke everything she ever believed of
him. Yes, he *did* leave Ko-chan alone with the girl,
knowing full well what the girl was like.
Ranko only broke into fresh tears, hugging Akane. "It's not
going to work, it's not going to work. I'm supposed to be
alone forever."
"Oh, that's crap," Akane replied, holding her. "Maybe Doctor
Tofu isn't The One. It's not the first time with him, that's
for damn sure."
The redhead sniffed. "Well, maybe they deserve each other,
then! Miss Betty-Hentai-Crocker and Doctor Bullshit!"
The overwhelming effect of both battle and chocolate filled
her system and Ranko cried herself to sleep in Akane's lap.
<Of course she's scared - this is the only other guy she's
loved besides Ranma and he's being pursued by some weird
girl he used to have a relationship with.>
"Poor Ko-chan," Akane whispered, stroking Ranko's hair. "You
still have Ranma and me, imouto-chan, whatever that's worth
to you."
She believed the girl was not going to let go of the doctor
that easily; the Hibiki Stubborness was going to make sure
of that. She just had to get over the shock first, that's
all.
* * * * * * * * * *
Doctor Tofu had the unconscious Ina Sophia taken to his
associate Doctor Matsumoto - "And make sure you keep her
under strong 'medication'." - and proceeded to rebuild his
clinic using mysterious means and assistants.
It was dusk when he finished. There was no sign of Ranko,
and Tofu became worried as the hour of her arrival passed.
<ring-ring> "Moshi-moshi?"
"Kasumi-chan? Is Ko-chan okay? She's not at work."
Kasumi sniffed. "She is not feeling well, Tofu-sensei. She
has a headache and a backache and about every other ache
because of your ex-girlfriend." <SLAM>
Tofu pulled the phone away, laying it back in its cradle.
They were mad at him - with reason, he admitted. His display
this morning was pathetic, unworthy. He'd have to make it up
to Ko-chan. Perhaps some nice flowers ...
The door chime announced the entrance of several persons. He
turned to find Ranma, Akane, Ryoga, Nabiki, and Nodoka in
the lobby. All had serious expressions; all stared at him
with cold eyes.
"Yes, may I help you?" he asked nervously.
Ranma slammed his fist into his palm, asking, "You left my
sister alone with that loony of an ex of yours?"
"And you did nothing to help her?" Akane added, cracking her
knuckles.
"My best friend is *not* a person for you to shrug your
problems off on," Nabiki stated.
"How could you mistreat my daughter so?" Nodoka inquired.
"You're going down, doc," Ryoga summed up.
Doctor Tofu gulped. It was going to take a lot more than
flowers to apologize to Ranko for his cowardice.
A hell of a lot more.
But first he had to get out of the room alive.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Sasuke!" Kuno called out. "I require your services!"
Kuno's voice echoed in the empty house.
"Sasuke!" he yelled. "I require you to aid me in cataloging
my trophies!"
Kuno put down the bag of female undergarments and looked in
the usual places where servants could be found. He was
somewhat mystified at one room, until he figured out that it
must be the kitchen (he'd never seen one before).
"Strange. Where could my faithful manservant have gone?"
Kuno finally spotted a note on the table in the entry-hall.
"Ah, no doubt a missive from one of my numerous admirers,"
he said to himself. "How odd. Usually, my admirers are far
too awe-struck of my greatness to write me."
Kuno opened the letter and read;
[Master Kuno;]
[I have faithfully served the Kuno family for thirty years,
as did my father and his father and his father before him
for over one hundred years.]
[Now I must dissolve that bond and depart.]
[Originally, the hobbies and eccentricities of the Kunos
were mostly harmless, but your recent activities have moved
into the bizarre and unnatural. Therefore, I must leave your
service.]
[Sasuke Sarugature]
Kuno was stricken.
"My loyal manservant, companion of my childhood - gone??
How??"
Then the thought struck him with a loud thunk.
"Of course! The evil sorceror Tofu must have bewitched him,
in hopes of learning my secrets!"
Kuno bounded to the window, his weapon in hand. "Fear not,
faithful Sasuke! I shall defeat the sorcerer and end your
degradation at the villian's hands! *And* free my precious
Ranko from his perverse spells!"
* * * * * * * * * *
The head doctor of the Nerima Hospital mental ward sat down
with the therapist, a patient, and a visitor. One was Ukyo
Kounji, the patient they had under their care for the last
few weeks due to a nervous breakdown. The other was her
friend named Konatsu Kunoichi who had been Ukyo's only
visitor.
Ukyo had her hair tied severely back from her face, clad in
the hospital ward's pajama-like tunic and trousers. Her face
was serious, a little tired, but more at peace.
Konatsu was dressed in a pretty kimono, his hair tied up
with an attractive bow. He was treated as she, but he didn't
mind at all. He fussed over Ukyo, prompting the staff to
call him 'Mother Hen'.
"Well, Ukyo-chan," the doctor commented. "I am impressed
with your recovery. From the stress related to school, your
job, and personal problems, it was no wonder you ended up as
you did. You should be congratulated, though, for your
success."
"Arigato," Ukyo replied. "Konatsu has been helping me in
understanding things as well." She smiled warmly at the
ninja, and he blushed.
"That's wonderful. Izumi-san has informed me that she
believes you are ready for out-patient treatment now."
"Hai," the therapist confirmed. "I recommend you be released
now and go back to work for the Summer before you resume
classes again. I'm asking that you come back here for
therapy sessions with me twice a week at first, then we'll
have it once a week."
"Was Ukyo-chan ever on medication?" Konatsu asked.
"No," the doctor stated. "My evaluations concluded there was
no need for it, just intensive therapy."
"I needed it," Ukyo agreed. "It's straightened me out a
lot."
"As it was intended. Now, let's get the paperwork done for
your release."
A few hours later, Konatsu and Ukyo walked to a boarding
house he was staying at a few blocks away from the hospital.
He had brought her usual clothing of custom-made kimono and
tight trousers, which she forlornly dressed in.
"Konatsu?"
"Yes, Ukyo-sama?"
"Can I borrow your clothes until I buy new ones? I don't
think I like dressing like a guy anymore."
He blinked, taken aback by this. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," she replied, taking her hair out of the band and
shaking it out over her shoulders. "I've finally accepted
I'm a girl."
Konatsu nodded, hugging her. "I always thought you were
beautiful, whether dressed as male, female, or whatnot."
Ukyo hugged him back, laying her head on his shoulder. "I
wasted my childhood on petty vengance. *sigh* Wasted so many
years ... and treated you, my best friend, so poorly."
Konatsu shook his head. "You've treated me with more respect
and kindness than anyone else had in my life. I don't
deserve such a wonderful person as you as my friend."
"Listen. I have some money saved up. Why don't we move into
another restaurant and start over again? Different name this
time, just you and me working as partners. I'll increase
your pay and give you a real bed and we can have dinner
together ... "
Konatsu's eyes widened: she may as well have been describing
the luxuries of the highest wealth. "Are you sure we can,
Ukyo-sama?"
"Of course!" she smiled. "We'll be happy together, Konatsu."
He blushed prettily, hugging her waist tighter. "No more
chasing after Ranma Saotome, either?"
Ukyo sobered and nodded. "I've accepted that I never really
loved him, that Akane Tendo loves him." She paused, waiting
for the familiar rage well up in her gut. It was only a
flicker of uncertainty, then became silent. "I must
apologize to both, but not now. I just want to have a quiet
dinner and sleep in a nice bed."
Konatsu weaved his fingers shyly in hers, and said, "Then
let's go."
* * * * * * * * * *
"The Godslayer is alone at last!"
"Are you sure it is the Godslayer?"
"In his female form, my Lady."
She sighed. "Retrieve him. But please be careful."
Kasumi was meditating in the dining room like she always had
whenever she was alone in the house. She had just gotten
done with redecorating Akane's room for Ranko to move into
(Spartan in concept, but comfortable) after she woke up.
The redhead was sleeping in the living room so Kasumi could
watch over her. Fitful dreams made Ranko toss and turn all
that afternoon.
A heartbeat caught Kasumi's attention. It wasn't a familiar
one. She quietly leapt up and dashed to the kitchen for her
own weapon. Normal prowlers knew not to bother with the
Tendo place, but out-of-towners still had to be taught.
It was only by his heartbeat that Kasumi was able to track
the person's movements - they were as silent as darkness.
She heard soft cat-like steps on the porch. She stood still
in the doorway, waiting for the moment.
The dark robed figure moved toward Ranko, pulling the
blanket off her and about to round his arms around her
sleeping form - at least until she rolled out from under
him, putting up a defense in her sleep as Ranma had always
done.
The potential kidnapper softly breathed, "Huh?" as his
victim twisted out of his grasp. Then released a yowl of
pain right after the clang of a cast iron skillet made
contact with his head.
Kasumi lifted it up and smiled sweetly, "And what do you
think you're doing?"
Littak gulped, pulling out a pair of nunchakus. "I have to
retrieve the Godslayer for my Lady."
"There are no Godslayers in residence here, I'm sorry,"
Kasumi yawned, blocking the nunchakus with the frying pan.
He tried his damnedest to defeat the woman, but she seemed
to have a difference about her, to be something more that
what she appeared to be.
"Will you allow me to leave here with the Godslayer Ranma
Saotome?" he asked.
"Of course not, silly. He's married to my sister."
<Oh, boy, that's not good; but a minor problem at the
moment.> "Then who's that on the floor?"
"His sister," Kasumi replied, untying her apron and whipping
it at him, binding it around his face.
As Littak attempted to pull the apron off, he felt a dainty
foot connect with his backside, sending him flying off the
porch and into the air.
"Oh, no, not again," he muttered.
Kasumi set the skillet down and brushed off her hands. "As
if we need any more problems with weird men around here."
She smiled; Ranko had slept through the whole thing.
Liitak allowed his wings to whip out, slowing him down as he
tore the cloth from his face.
With a mighty beating of his wings, the phoenix warrior flew
back to his Lady to report on his failure.