And Part 5....
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Tail--Five
Kon'nichi wa, minna! I want to thank all of you wonderful peoples!! My
heart is on fire from your praise! And it seems like Part Three was
well-liked...I wonder why?? ^_~ Oh well...As they say, sex sells. But
anyway, let me know how this part flows in the river of the Ranma and DBZ
'verses. Again, your praise and gushing curls my toes in glee. More, more!
I must have more! Gie-chan
A Tail To Remember
By: Gie (phowah@cs.com)
An Alternate Ranma 1/2 and Dragonball Z Crossover
Saotome Ranma, Tendo Akane and their familiars are not Mine.
They are Hers, Takahashi Rumiko-sama.
Son Goku, Vejiita-oujisama and their familiars are not Mine, either.
They are His, Toriyama Akira-sama.
But hey, if they want to come over and visit, party, get wasted and
fall asleep on my couch, that ki-draining chain holding them down is
not Mine, either.
Really, it�s not.
Any new characters, though, are MINE, not Hers, or His.
Timeline: In Ranmaverse, this is a few years after Saffron and the
wedding disaster. They�ve graduated from high school. Convenient,
ne? In DBZ, this is a few months after the defeat of Garlic Jr. I
will be using some Japanese within...hopefully, I will remember to
define it all at the end of the story. I will be creating my own
timeline, so some things will differ in both worlds. Especially DBZ.
That�s what �Alternate� means.
And here we go!
After everyone had settled down in the living room, Ranma
and Akane sitting close to each other, Nodoka opened the box that
she had brought along. �Ranma, in this box are the belongings found
on you the day you arrived here on Chikyuu.� She indicated toward
Soun, who had a similar-sized box next to him. �Akane, that box has
yours. Both of you arrived on this planet sixteen years ago in a
round spaceship that landed in the backyard.� She brought out
several photographs and handed them out. �The crater it created
was deep, and the ship you arrived in was fairly sized. Both of you
were in the same ship.� The pictures were of the landing site
close-up and farther away. A few were of the spacepod; outside and
inside.
Nabiki examined the pictures carefully. �Isn�t the spot
where the ship landed in the same spot at the koi pond?� She
pointed out one particular picture and gestured at it.
Soun nodded. �Yes, actually, it is. The hole was so big. And
we had the faintest idea how to fill it. Your Okaasan actually
suggested the idea of creating the pond.�
Nabiki continued, pressing the subject. �So where did you
put the spaceship?�
Soun smiled slightly, shaking his head at the memory. �Well,
since it was so big, we didn�t have any means of getting it out of the
ground. And what would we do with a spaceship? Where would we
even think of putting it? So it was buried in the ground when the
hole was filled for the pond.�
�So you�re saying, the ship is still in the ground, and we have
been living above it all this time?� she said incredibly, a glazed look
overcoming her eyes as her voice rose in pitch.
He nodded calmly, oblivious to Nabiki�s rising voice. �Yes. It
is buried deep under the pond. You would have never known of its
existence, unless somebody blew up the pond and several tons of
dirt underneath.� He laughed once. �Well, maybe you might have
found it one day.� Everyone laughed at his remark. Nabiki sat back
in wonder, murmuring to herself about not being observant.
Akane spoke quietly. �So, were you ever going to tell me or
Ranma about...all of this?�
The three adults looked at each other and Nodoka spoke.
�Well, Akane-chan, to tell you the truth, no. The four of us decided
together that we would raise you two as normal human beings. We
didn�t know how to raise aliens.�
�But why did you take us in and raise us? We had to have
come to Chikyuu for a reason, right? What was our �mission?��
Ranma burst out.
Nodoka went back into the box and pulled out a few more
items. �I don�t know what your mission was, or why you came to
Chikyuu. You did speak to us, but we didn�t understand you. The
language you spoke was unfamiliar to our ears.� She held up the
outfit Ranma had on when he arrived that day. �This is what you had
on at the time.�
The girls �awwed� at the sight of the tiny armor and bodysuit.
Ranma scowled at them and reached for it. The white and gold
armor was scuffed up a bit, but looked to be in excellent condition.
The deep purple bodysuit was folded neatly. �It�s so small.�
Nodoka nodded. �Well, you were a small child. You looked to
be about the size of a one or two year old, but your actions and
sentience were way above that.�
Soun opened his box and pulled out an article of clothing,
handing it to Akane. �Akane-chan, this is what you were wearing.�
She felt the deep-purple material. It was very soft, but stretchy.
The gold accents that were threaded within the fabric shone
brightly in the lights of the room. She held it next to Ranma�s
bodysuit and compared the two. It was about the same size and the
material matched in color and in type.
�How cute, matching outfits!� Kasumi exclaimed. Nabiki
rolled her eyes. She turned to her father. ��Tousan, what else is in
there?�
Soun stood up and handed the box to Akane. �Here,
Akane-chan. These are your things, again.� Akane smiled at her
father and looked in the box. She pulled out a necklace with a �V�
pendant, and a circlet of gold. She ran a finger over the pendant,
feeling the lines that made up her insignia. She glanced at Ranma
and saw he was examining his own. It was similar to hers; although it
didn�t have the red royalty vartat. The three gold rings marked him
as an Elite. She smiled at him and they both placed their insignias
around their necks once more.
Looking closer at the gold circle, she could see that it was
actually two thin strands of gold weaved together. In the middle of
the band was another red vartat.
�How pretty! Do you know what it is, Akane?� Kasumi asked.
Akane fingered it, getting a faraway look to her eyes. �Yes, I
do. It�s...it�s my crown.�
�Crown?� Everyone, except Ranma, said incredulously.
�Hn. My full name is Seiika-no-oujo. I am the
Crown-Princess of Vejiita-sei, heir to the throne of the Saiya-jiin
Empire.�
Everyone around them gasped at Akane. They didn�t know
what to make of this new relevation. Nabiki was the first to recover
and make a comment. �So, is Ranma a Prince, then?� she asked
kiddingly.
Ranma shook his head. �No, I am Elite senshi, not a prince.�
He looked into Akane�s eyes and smiled, blushing considerably.
Akane returned the smile and touched his cheek. �But I am her
mate.�
The room was completely silent. They were dumbfounded at
this announcement. They just watched as Ranma and Akane stared
into each other�s eyes.
�Mate? As in married, mate?� Everyone turned toward the
new voice that entered the room. Ukyou and Ryouga stood in the
doorway, Ukyou with a box of okynomiyaki falling out of her hand.
Both of the newcomer�s faces were pale, and Ukyou brought a hand
up to her cheek.
�Ranchan, you didn�t get married to Akane, did you?� Ukyou
asked hesitantly.
Ranma blushed and scratched his head. �Well, sort of.�
Ukyou let out a wail and sank to her knees. Ranma rose to go
comfort her, but Akane stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
She shook her head and pointed at her chest. He nodded silently
and they both turned to watch Ryouga kneel down and hesitantly
comfort Ukyou.
Ukyou fell onto Ryouga�s chest, grabbing fistfuls of his tunic
as she keened her despair into the folds. Ryouga looked absolutely
lost, not knowing how to comfort the sobbing girl. Akane came over
to the two and put her hand on Ukyou�s shoulder. �Ukyou, listen to
me. You don�t understand.�
She looked up from Ryouga�s now tear-drenched shirt and
shot a murderous glare at Akane. �Understand? I understand, all
right.� She stood up and wiped her eyes with her fist. �I
understand that you�ve stolen Ranma from me and I understand that
you will suffer and pay the consequences!� With that outburst, she
reached behind her and brought forth her fighting spatula and
swiped at Akane.
Akane did not move. She stood there and calmly locked eyes
with Ukyou. Ukyou, on the other hand, was just realizing that her
spatula was not in her hands anymore. It now rested in Ranma�s
hands, who stood next to Akane, also calmly looking into Ukyou�s eyes
as well.
Ukyou blinked and stared at the two in front of her.
�What...?� She turned to Ranma and her spatula. �Ranchan, how�d
you get over here so fast? And why did you take my spatula? Akane
deserves to be punished for forcing you to marry her.�
Ranma shook his head. �Akane didn�t force me to do anything,
Ucchan.� A thoughtful look crossed his face. �Actually, I never
even married her.� Akane elbowed him in the ribs and he amended
his sentence quickly. �At least, not on Chikyuu.� He hefted the
spatula to his shoulder, rubbing his side.
Ukyou was confused. �But you said you married her! And
what do you mean, �not on Chikyuu�? Where else would you go, the
moon?�
Nodoka spoke from behind them. �Ranma-chan, she doesn�t
know.�
Ranma twisted his head slightly to acknowledge his mother�s
statement. �Right, �Kaasan.� He turned to Akane and whispered
something in her ear. She nodded and backed up a bit. Ranma
turned back to Ukyou. �Are you going to go after Akane-chan,
again?� Everyone raised their eyebrows at Ranma�s honorific, Akane
included, with a smile, but did not say anything.
Ukyou crossed her arms and did not reply. Ranma shrugged
his shoulders and switched the spatula to the other side. �Can you
sit down and act like an adult?� She nodded reluctantly, and sat
down next to Kasumi. Ranma looked at Ryouga and he sat down, as
well, next to Nabiki. Ranma and Akane sat back down in their
original seats. �What me an� Akane have to say to you,� he nodded in
Ryouga�s direction, �you too, Ryouga, will be hard to believe, but
true.� Akane nodded her head in agreement.
Ranma took a big breath and exhaled loudly. �Sixteen years
ago a spaceship crashed on this property. In that ship were two
small children. Me an� Akane.� He watched their faces for a
reaction. Ryouga went pale; he had heard this before but took it for
a nightmare. Ukyou�s face was blank. She looked around the room,
going from person to person. Each had �the truth� written on their
face. He was speaking the truth.
She refused to believe it, though. �You look human, though.
You�re not a little green man, or have twenty eyes and feelers or
anything like that.� Nodoka�s eyes lit up when Ukyou mentioned
�green man,� and remembered to mention that bit of the story.
Ranma stood, and pulled Akane up. �Well, we sorta do,
Ucchan.� They both unwrapped their tails from their waists and
waved them in the air. Ukyou stood and went over to the pair. She
bent down and watched as the two tails waved gently back and forth.
She reached out with her hand and looked up into Ranma�s
face. �Are they real?�
He nodded and brought it forward into his hand. �Do you
want to touch it?�
She nodded and lightly brushed it with her fingers. Ranma
shivered and Akane looked at him in concern. He shook his head.
�It�s very sensitive.� She nodded and watched Ukyou softly petting
his tail.
She looked at him with a small smile. �It�s soft, Ranchan.�
She jumped a bit when Ranma snaked it around her wrist. �It�s also
got quite a grip, too.� The others laughed quietly and Ranma
released Ukyou�s wrist. He curled his tail back around his waist and
sat down. Akane sat back down next to him, rather closely, some
noted silently.
Ukyou stood up and went back to her spot next to Kasumi.
�Aliens, hmm? I would have never guess it. What planet are you
from? Venus? Mars?�
Akane spoke up. �Actually, we are from Vejiita-sei. It�s in a
galaxy far away from here. Our race is called Saiya-jiin. We�re a
proud warrior race.�
Soun spoke, with a surprised look upon his face. �How did you
know that, Akane? No one told you that. We didn�t even know that.�
Akane smiled a faraway smile. �I have been having
flashbacks, and memories keep slipping into my mind.� Ranma nodded
in agreement. �This morning, in the furo, I had one about being in
the throne room with my father, the King,� She looked
apologetically at her Chikyuu father. �Sorry, �Tousan.� He waved it
aside and motioned for her to continue. Nevertheless, she saw him
wipe a tear away from the corner of his eye. �My biological father
was there, and...� Akane drifted off, lost in the images forming in
her mind�s eye.
�What is it, Akane-chan?� Nodoka urged. �What do you
remember? Is it bad?�
Akane blinked and shook her head. �It�s not bad, it�s just...I
remembered I have a brother. He was my futago, my twin, in fact.�
Ranma nodded his head, eyes closed. He was lost within his
own memories, as well. �Vejiita no Ouji. Crown Prince of Vejiita-sei,
and Heir to the Saiya-jiin Empire.� Ranma opened his eyes and
smiled. �He�d use those exact words whenever he�d introduce
himself, or get cocky.� He turned and smiled at Akane. �And if I
can recall correctly, you�d use those words as well whenever you
wanted something or someone to do your bidding, Seiika-oujo.�
Akane blushed and swatted Ranma on the chest with her tail.
He grabbed it and squeezed lightly, eliciting a squeal of surprise
from her. She tried to pull it out of his grasp, but he held it fast.
She finally gave up and turned away from him. He smirked at her
and continued to hold it in his hands, moving it down to his lap where
he could secure it better.
Nodoka watched their �play� with a small smile. She asked
Akane, �So how much do you remember?�
Akane looked at Nodoka, furrowing her eyebrows. �I don�t
remember everything. There are some gaping holes, and I
remember scenes, but things are filling in rather fast.� She glanced
at Ranma, who was starting to seriously distract her. He had his
eyes closed and was petting her tail with long, slow strokes. She
tried her best to ignore him and enjoy the delicious sensations he
was creating with each stroke on her new appendage. She returned
to Nodoka. �Could you finish your story, Obaasan?� She smiled a
bit. �Well, our story, but your version?�
Nodoka smiled. �Of course, dear. Where was I? Oh, yes.
Actually, I didn�t get too far into the story yet, have I? Let me
see,� Akane sat back and scooted closer to Ranma; the tension on
her tail was starting to hurt a little bit. She wasn�t used to having it
stretched so far. Heck, she wasn�t used to having a tail in the first
place. She jumped a bit when she felt something crawling up her
arm. Ranma�s tail had unwrapped itself from his waist, and coiled
around her wrist. She blushed a bit and smiled; she brought her
tail-covered wrist into her lap and returned the favor, eliciting a
quiet purr from Ranma. She continued to stroke it, listening to
Nodoka tell of their origins on Chikyuu.
Akane and Ranma�s tail footsies did not go unnoticed by the
group. Kasumi and Nabiki shot knowing glances at each other.
Genma and Soun also shot glances at each other, but theirs� spoke of
weddings and schools being united. And another shard shattered
off Ukyou�s heart for each stroke the two Saiya-jiin made.
Ryouga, well, was still trying to convince his heart and his
mind of the idea that Ranma and Akane were aliens was the truth.
He caught bits and pieces of Nodoka�s explanation.
Nodoka, while talking and reliving the earlier events, had
thoughts of little tailed-children running around her. She gave the
two a wispy smile and started in on the tale.
�You both crashed at night. There was a full moon, and a
meteor shower that night. The four of us,� she indicated to the
two men in the room, �me, your fathers, and Kikuko were on the
porch watching the meteor shower when we saw, what we thought as
one of the meteors, coming straight for us. We ducked in the house,
thinking it was going to hit. We watched it fly overhead and land in
the backyard, creating the crater you saw earlier.� Kasumi handed
Ukyou and Ryouga the pictures of the crash site and pod. They
stared at them in wonder.
�We then noticed that it wasn�t a meteor at all, but a
spaceship. Genma and Soun went down into the crater to get a
closer and better look. All of a sudden the ship opened up and, I
guess it was the ship�s computer, spoke some language. A few
minutes later, it spoke again, and a cloud of gas was released into
the air.�
�We thought it was poisonous and we backed away from the
ship as fast as possible.� Soun added.
Nodoka rolled her eyes, and continued her story for her
enraptured audience. �Soon, a pair of dark-blue eyes peeked around
the door; those quickly disappeared, and then a pair of dark-brown,
almost-black eyes replaced the blue set, and then we saw our first
full glimpses of the two of you.�
�We were cute, right?� Ranma asked smugly. Akane pinched
his tail in response. He let out a yelp. �Nani?�
�Be quiet. Obaasan is still talking, Mr. Ego.�
He mumbled under his breath, but let his mother continue.
Nodoka smiled a secret smile, and continued. �Actually, Ranma, the
both of were cute. Adorable, even. Akane was the first out of the
pod, and you followed right behind her. You talked to each other in
a strange language and then noticed Genma and Soun.�
�Ranma, you spoke up and Kikuko and I came forward. All of a
sudden a bright yellow light surrounded you...�
Genma butted in. �Your aura flared and you went into a ready
position.�
Nodoka glared at her husband and continued. �Yellow light
surrounded you and we backed away.� Nodoka started to fidget and
looked at her husband and his friend. The two males both shot her a
pained look and glanced in another direction. She coughed and
looked down at her hands.
Akane sensed something was coming up. �Then what
happened, Obaasan?�
Nodoka looked up at the two Saiya-jiin and grimaced. �Well,
Akane-chan, Ranma-chan, I don�t want you to get the wrong idea, and
it never happened again...� she trailed off, looking back at her
hands.
Nabiki�s interest was piqued. �What happened,
Nodoka-obaasan? It can�t be that bad, can it?� Nodoka gave the
middle sister a strained smile.
She turned to Akane and Ranma, who were staring at her,
waiting for her to answer. She spoke quietly. �Akane, you pointed
something out to Ranma and then the both of you...changed.�
The two were confused. �Changed? Into what? Different
clothes?�
Nodoka shook her head. �You changed...into monsters. You
changed into monsters and attacked the four of us.�
Everyone�s eyes were wide open with shock. Monsters?
Ukyou spoke shakily. �Monsters, Saotome-san? What did
they look like?�
Nodoka swallowed and continued. �They grew extremely
large, around twenty feet tall, fur all over their bodies and their
faces changed into a more animalistic form. Kikuko thought you
looked like giant monkeys, or apes, only with elongated snouts.�
The silence in the room was deafening. Ranma was the one to
break it with a word. �Oozaru.� They all turned to Ranma. He
looked up and glanced at Akane, who was nodding her head. �The
form�s called �Oozaru�.�
Genma stared at Ranma. �Do you know what triggered the
change? Can you do it willingly?�
Akane shook her head. �I don�t know how or what makes
Saiya-jiin transform. I think there is a trigger, but I don�t
remember. Ranma?� He shook his head. Akane spoke again. �When
we attacked, did we hurt anyone?�
Soun shook his head. �No one was hurt. The ladies were
scared out of their minds, but Saotome and I stood up to you and
tried our best to stop you.� Nodoka coughed loudly. Soun
bigsweated and rubbed his neck. �Well, we might have been startled
a bit, as well.�
Nodoka laughed out loud. �Ha! You were dragging
Kikuko-chan by her arm so hard and fast she was flying through the
air!� Soun blushed but remained silent. �If it wasn�t for the green
man, who knows what might have happened.�
Everyone turned toward Nodoka and blinked. �Green man?�
Ukyou questioned. She snorted and crossed her arms. �Okay, now
we�ve now sped by and passed the �Nerima weird� barrier and blasted
into the truly bizarre and unbelievable.�
Genma and Soun both nodded in agreement. �Yes, it was truly
bizarre, but it did happen. As we were defending our home from the
rampaging monsters,� Nodoka coughed again and motioned towards
Ranma and Akane. Soun blushed and continued. �From the alien
creatures,� Nodoka coughed once more. Soun bigsweated, along with
the rest of the room and amended his thought again. �From Ranma
and Akane, a green man flew down from the sky and started to fight
the two of you. He threw a ki-blast at you, Ranma and you swiped it
back at him. He threw another and this one hit your back. You
shrunk and fell unconscious. He did the same thing to Akane-chan,
and she, too fell unconscious. He floated down from the sky and
touched your foreheads. A light flashed from his hands and when
we could see again, he was holding the two of you out to us and
asking us to raise you as our children.�
Nodoka took over, getting a glassy sheen over her eyes. �He
said he repressed your memories and abilities, and that you wouldn�t
transform anymore. Kikuko took Akane-chan and I took Ranma-chan
into our arms and we went inside. And that is that.� She smiled at
the two on the couch lovingly. �Actually, the four of us were blessed
to have you both in our lives. Never forget that.�
�So why did ya choose us that way? I mean, why�d you pick
me? Why not Akane?� Akane elbowed him in the ribs. �Not that I�m
complainin� how things turned out or anything, it�s just that I
was...curious, I guess.� He rubbed his ribs and scowled at the girl
next to him. She scowled right back.
A ghost of a memory past over Nodoka�s face. �That�s all
right, Ranma. Actually, your father and I did have a child before
you arrived. But he...he died soon after from birth complications.�
Nodoka started to get teary-eyed and abruptly stood up and walked
out of the room. Genma tossed Ranma a glance and followed his wife
out of the room.
Akane nudged Ranma; he nodded and followed his father.
They all watched the Saotomes leave and silence once again fell upon
the room. Kasumi was the first to speak. �Oh, poor Obaasan. How
terrible it must be to lose a child before it even had a chance to
live.�
Soun nodded gravely. �Nodoka-san was torn up by the loss of
the child. She almost died in the childbirth, as well. That night you
and Ranma-kun arrived, Akane-chan, was the first real night she was
back to her old self. Ranma did the rest; filling the giant hole in her
soul and heart.�
They were silent a moment more, and then the Saotomes all
returned, Nodoka and Ranma bearing tea and snacks for everyone.
Akane and Kasumi jumped up and took the trays from them. Small
talk convened as the tea and snacks were served. Akane and Ranma
were talking quietly to each other when Nabiki interrupted
everything with a question.
�Now, Ranma-kun, are you going to enlighten everyone here by
explaining what you said earlier?� She smirked a bit.
Ranma looked at her and then at Akane confusedly. �What
did I say, Nabiki?�
Nabiki rolled her eyes and exasperatingly reminded him. �You
said that you and Akane-chan were mates, remember? That�s when
Ukyou and Ryouga came in? Sometimes...� Nabiki just shook her
head at him.
Everyone turned and stared at Ranma and Akane. They had
forgotten about that statement. Ranma and Akane, though, had not,
and wished that Nabiki did. Everyone was silent as they waited for
them to explain; Ukyou alternating thinking between busting Akane�s
head in and bawling her eyes out. The pair of Saiya-jiin looked at
each other and blushed.
�Well?� Nabiki urged none too gently.
Akane and Ranma both shot murderous scowls in her
direction. Akane, though, started out the explanation. �Well, to tell
you the truth, Ranma and I are mated; well, actually Serori and
Seiika are mated, but we are them, right?� Akane looked to her
�mate� for help, but he just shrugged his shoulders and gave her a
smile. She groaned and played with her tail in her lap.
�You see, before, when I held my hand out to help Ranma up
from the ground when he fell from...floating...when we touched
hands, a memory busted through the roadblocks you said, Obaasan,
that the �green man� put there.� Nodoka nodded.
�And I had the same exact memory, at the same time, we
found out afterward,� Ranma added.
Kasumi smiled. �That�s sweet; you have the same memory.�
�And, you were sitting there in that position for over an hour.
We couldn�t budge you or touch you. Something was blocking us.�
Nodoka told them.
�Well, Kasumi-oneesan, we were both there, so it would be
the same, except different viewpoints. I was on top of a stand
looking down at a bunch of warriors fighting each other. We were in
a huge stadium, and, to me, it seemed like a free-for-all.�
�It was, Akane. I was in the ring, as one of the competitors.
It was the choosing of the Royal Honor Guard.�
She nodded. �That�s right. I was on the podium with my
father and my brother, Vejiita.�
�Your brother was named after the planet?� Ukyou asked.
�Why was it called Vejiita-sei, when your race is called Saiya-jiin?�
Nodoka pointed out, �Why do we live on Chikyuu, and are
called Humans?�
Ukyou nodded reluctantly and Akane continued. �Actually,
the males are always named after the planet if they�re royalty. My
father was a �Vejiita,� as well. Anyway, the fights continued until
there were two left. Serori here,� she nudged Ranma, �and one
other. I don�t know what his name was. One Honor Guard for the
each of us. The two of them came to the pillar and bowed; Papa hit
a button and the pillar sank into the ground.�
�I got off the pillar right away and went directly over to
Serori, and that was when I realized it was Ranma.�
�That was when I saw you for the first time, too, Akane.�
He then whispered in her ear, �You were the most beautiful
creature I had ever seen, Akane-chan.� Akane blushed a deep red
and covered her face with her hands.
She recovered herself amidst snickering from the peanut
gallery, mainly Nabiki, and some giggling, mainly Nodoka and Kasumi.
The others were unaware or were silently smiling to themselves,
thinking of houses being united for once and for all.
�Like I was saying,� Akane mock-growled deep in her throat;
Ranma growled back and slipped his tail around her wrist. �I had
walked up to Ranma and the crowd quieted. We then did the mating
ceremony, and created the Bond.�
�Mating ceremony? Bond?� Ukyou asked fearfully. She had
a really bad feeling about where this was leading.
Akane nodded. �Yes, Bond. Saiya-jiin Bond on several levels.
You only have one mate in your entire lifetime. Nothing can break
the Bond, or separate the Bonded. The ceremony makes the Bond
official, because you can �mate mate� with anyone until the Bond is
formed and sealed. After that, it is impossible. A Saiya-jiin can not
�cheat� on his or her mate.� She blushed, thinking about the subject
matter.
�What was the ceremony like? What did you do in it?�
Ryouga spoke for the first time. Everyone turned and looked at him.
He had been so quiet up to that point that everyone had forgotten
about him.
Akane blinked at him. She had forgotten as well. She stood
up and pulled Ranma up as well. �I went up to Ranma and held my arm
out like this and said, �Your heart is mine, for mine.�� She held her
right hand outstretched, palm down.
Ranma stared into Akane�s eyes. He knew what she was doing,
and thought it was brilliant. Ranma knelt on the ground, bent his
head in a bow, then stood up and looked up into her eyes, a smile
upon his face. �Then I said, �My heart is yours, for yours.�� He put
his left hand under hers, palm up. Her eyes lit up, understanding
that he knew what she was attempting, and was all for it. She
smiled, and continued.
�Your mind is mine, for mine.� A bright light started to form
around the two. Everyone in the room gasped at the sight and the
ones closest to them scooted as far away as possible.
�My mind is yours, for yours.�
�Your body is mine, for mine.� The light started to pulse
brightly. Ukyou stood up, realizing what was happening and cried out
in disbelief and outrage. She picked up her battle spatula and swung
at the two glowing Saiya-jiin. The aura of light around the two,
though, protected them, and both Ranma and Akane were oblivious
to the assault. Ukyou, though, was flung away from the glowing
couple, and knocked unconscious.
�My body is yours, for yours.�
�Your soul is mine, for mine.� The pulsing rose to a frantic
rate. Everyone had to cover their eyes, otherwise they would have
been blinded by the two in front of them.
�My soul is yours, for yours.� The light flashed brightly once
and settled between their outstretched hands.
They both spoke at the same time. �We are one: heart,
mind, body, soul. To be apart is being halved; together, we are
complete. Eternal and unchanging. Nothing will sever the Bond.�
With the last word, they brought their hands together with a loud
clap and the light disappeared. They pressed their hands on each
other�s chest and the light flared again, sealing the bond and ending
the ceremony.
Everyone looked at the dimly-glowing Ranma and Akane with
unadulterated throes of shock written on their faces. Ranma and
Akane just continued to stare in each other�s eyes, hands on the
other�s chest.
Nodoka cleared her throat. �Ranma-chan, did you do what I
thought you did?� Ranma nodded and smiled, moving his hand up to
Akane�s cheek.
Ryouga had watched the ceremony with a small amount of
dread in his heart. He realized quite awhile ago that he was not
meant for Akane, but you can never forget your first love. He went
over to Ukyou, to see if she was okay. She had awoken rather fast
from the header into the wall, and had caught the end of the
ceremony. Tears coursed down her cheeks as she watched the two
Saiya-jiin gaze at each other.
�He�s not mine, anymore. I lost him...to an alien.� Ukyou
slumped down the wall even further.
Ryouga rubbed her arm in a sign of comfort. �I don�t think he
was ever yours to begin with, Ukyou-san.� She nodded and continued
to watch the two, ignoring everything else around her.
At Ranma�s earlier nod, Genma and Soun�s faces both lit up
with glee. Genma brought out fans and danced a happy jig around
the room. Soun sat in his spot, tears coursing down his cheeks,
albeit they were from happiness and not devastation, like Ukyou�s.
Kasumi had a smile on her face, beaming at the happy couple. Nabiki
wore a smirk, thinking she had to put the date down in her books and
check who won the betting pool for the date on which Ranma and
Akane would get married.
Ranma and Akane, oblivious to everything except each other,
still stared into each other�s eyes. Ranma blinked and smiled at the
smaller one in front of him. He slowly leaned down, closing his eyes
as he descended. Akane drew her eyes closed as well and tilted her
head up slightly.
Everyone became silent and observant as the two crept closer
and closer; Genma had even stopped dancing.
When Ranma was close enough, he slightly parted his lips and
gently bit Akane�s nose, holding it within his teeth. Akane reached
up and enclosed Ranma�s chin within her own. They sat there for a
minute, mouths interlocked on separate body parts. The others
could hear a rumbling sound coming from the couple; two actually,
each harmonizing with each other.
Ranma and Akane released each other simultaneously, and he
enclosed her in a hug. She wrapped her arms around his chest and
they stood there, open for everyone�s interrogation.
It started immediately with Nabiki bursting out, �What in the
hell was that?�
They released each other and sat down, tails curling around
each other in affection, a hint of a blush glancing their cheeks.
Ranma gave a small laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. �What
was what, Nabiki?�
�That! That flashing thingee you did. And what was with the
biting? I swear, this is getting weirder and weirder.�
Akane gently smiled at her sister. �The flashing �thingee� was
the Bonding ceremony. We just performed it again and resealed the
Bond. We are officially re-mated--that is, in the eyes of the
Saiya-jiin Empire.�
�And to us, as well.� He turned to the fathers and smirked.
�You got what you always wanted, Oyaji, Tendo-san. We just untied
the schools. Didn�t need no church, wedding dresses, etc.�
The two fathers almost burst with joy and giddiness. They
stood up and danced with each other and made their way into the
other room, to celebrate the joining with a little sake. Everyone
laughed as the two males lumbered out of the room. Nodoka clapped
once in excitement and turned to her daughter-in-law. �So,
Akane-chan, I am sort of curious myself. What did the biting of
each other signify?� The girls in the room looked at her with
interest. Ryouga, feeling left out, and seeing Ukyou had recovered
enough, stood and walked out of the room, headed for parts
unknown, thinking his direction was the bathroom.
Akane blushed and moved closer to Ranma. She mumbled
something unintelligibly and blushed even more. Everyone leaned in
closer to hear what she said. �I didn�t hear you, Akane-chan. What
did you say again?�
�I said, it was a kiss.� She was a beet-red from all the blood
rushing to her face. Ranma was in the same situation. The girls
giggled at the two on the couch.
�Well, that was an interesting display of affection, then,
dear.� Nodoka folded her hands in her lap. �You will be going by
Saotome now, won�t you be, Akane-chan?�
Akane blinked and looked at Ranma. He looked just as
surprised as she was. �Um, I guess I could now. I really didn�t think
of it until now. Everything is happening so fast.�
�Do your kind have family names, Akane-chan?� Kasumi asked.
She shook her head. �There are Houses, but no real Family
names. The Royal House was that, the Royal House of Vejiita-sei.�
�Is there anything else that has to be done for the mating
ceremony, Akane-chan?� Nodoka asked not-to-innocently, a twinkle
in her eye.
Ranma and Akane turned purple with embarrassment. Nabiki
snorted and crossed her arms. �We can take that as a �yes�, I think,
Nodoka-obaasan.�
Nodoka nodded in agreement. She brightened considerably
when an idea crossed her mind. �Why don�t you two go stay at my
home for a couple of days? That way, you won�t have anyone around
to bother you with the final �ceremony obligations.�� She winked at
them.
Akane shook her head. �We couldn�t kick you out of your own
home, Obaasan.�
Nodoka waggled her finger at her. �You can call me Okaasan,
now, Yome-chan. And don�t worry about it. You do need your privacy
to talk and for...other things.�
She reddened with embarrassment and nodded. �Okay,
Obaasan...Okaasan. Only for a few days. Thank you for your offer.�
Akane elbowed Ranma in the ribs. He was still thinking about the
�obligations.�
�Huh? Oh, yeah, thanks, �Kaasan. �Precciate it.� He rubbed
his ribs, thinking about the bruise that was was forming there from
repeated elbowing.
Kasumi stood up, brushing her hands on her skirt. �Oh my, so
much has happened today already, and now, we missed lunch!� Two
stomachs rumbled in response to the mention of food.
Nodoka stood up and followed Kasumi into the kitchen. �Let
me help you, Kasumi-chan. We should prepare a feast, in honor of
the �mating.�� Kasumi smiled at Nodoka�s tease.
�That�s a good idea, Obaasan.� The voices were lost as the
rattle of pans and other kitchen noises dominated their
conversation.
Nabiki smirked at the two and stood up. �Congratulations,
kids. Well, I guess I�ll leave you two lovebirds alone, or lovemonkeys,
I guess I should say, hmm? Call me down when the food�s ready.�
She gave them a wink and a wave and left for her room.
Akane and Ranma both sighed and leaned against each other.
�Wow, I never thought that the questioning would end!� Ranma
nodded in reply, leaning his head on hers.
�Actually, I have one more question for you guys.� They
looked up surprised. They had forgotten about Ukyou. She sat
propped up against the wall, staring off into space.
Ranma and Akane nervously sat up. �What is it, Ucchan?�
Ranma asked quietly. He noticed something. �When did you get
hurt?�
Ukyou stood up slowly, holding her shoulder. It had been
injured when she was thrown against the wall. She waved the
concern aside, and picked up her spatula. �It�s nothing. I got it
doing something stupid.� She moved to stand in front of them.
Ranma sat rigid, hoping Ukyou wouldn�t attack Akane again. She took
note of his defensive position and put her spatula on her back and
knelt in front of them, resting on her heels. �I won�t attack, Ranma.
Promise.� He nodded and relaxed a bit.
�My question is this. Please answer it as truthfully as
possible.� Akane and Ranma looked at each other and nodded.
�Okay. I need to know this, otherwise my heart won�t rest.� Ukyou
blinked back a few tears and closed her eyes. �Ranma, do you...did
you ever love me?�
Ranma blinked and looked at Ukyou, studying her features.
�Not in the way you wanted me to, Ucchan. I loved you, and still do,
as a friend. My best friend, actually. You were one of the only ones
around here that would actually listen to what I said, and
understood.� Akane glared at Ranma, but sat still. Ranma sensed
this and continued. �But I love Akane, always have, and always will.
I didn�t need the mating ceremony for that. Or to learn about being
a Saiya-jiin. And I don�t love her because of the Bond or her being
my Princess.� He turned to Akane and held her hands. �I love You.
Not Seiika no Oujo, Tendo Akane or even Saotome Akane.� She
blushed and tears started to form in her eyes. Ranma smiled and
wiped them away as they fell down her cheek. �You. It�s always
been You.� He leaned down and bit her nose. She returned the kiss
on his chin. They released each other.
Akane spoke. �I love You, too. Not Serori, Champion of
Seiika no Oujo, Saotome Ranma or even Saotome Ranko.� He blushed
in remembrance of his �alternate� identity. She pointed at his nose.
�You. It�s always been You.�
Ukyou stood up, wiping the tears off her cheeks. �Thank you,
both, for answering me truthfully. I�ll be going now.� Ranma and
Akane both stood up and walked Ukyou to the front door. Ukyou
turned around and gave Ranma a hug and a peck on the cheek and
gave Akane a hug. �Treat each other well.� They nodded and waved
goodbye to Ukyou, who bounded away to her restaurant.
Akane leaned against Ranma and wrapped her arms around his
waist. Ranma placed an arm around her shoulders and laid his head
upon hers. Their tails unconsciously wrapped around each other.
Suddenly, they saw a light flash in the sky. Akane pointed it
out. �Ranma, did you see that?�
He nodded, interest piqued. �Yeah, I did. I wonder what it was?�
Well, that's Part Five! Whaddya think of it? What did Ranma and Akane
seein the sky? Is Ukyou alright? And when are these two universes going to
meet??? Well, in Part Six...(HA!) the Clash of The Saiya-jiin!
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