Author's Note following story.
Disclaimer - The wonderful world and characters of Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko
Takehashi and various publishing companies. I intend no offense in the use of
them.
Some language in this chapter.
\Nabiki, it's hard to tell you this, but I needed to get this off my
chest. And you are my sister. I'm not so upset about going out with Ranma./
Nabiki could hear her sister's voice in her head clear as if the dead
girl where in the room with her once again.
\Well, since you've gone to trouble of confiding in me let me tell you
something... It's rather obvious, Akane. And why shouldn't it be? He's
strong, sweet and totally gorgeous./
She wasn't sure if she was saying her own lines from that night or just
hearing them in her head. That night, and several after it, seemed so surreal
in her head except for that one short conversation with her sister right
before she had left with Ranma. That was clear as glass.
\Nabiki!/
\What?/ she or her phantom self laughed.
\Just, stay away from him. I, think he's mine./
Nabiki felt her heart ache for so many reasons, *I'm sorry, I really am
sister. But... I'd like to think you'd give me your blessing.*
Love's Second Season: Chapter One
by: Ranma Solo
Nabiki gently caressed Ranma's cheek and looked deep into his eyes, "I
love you."
The smile that came to his lips brought one to Nabiki's. When he suddenly
began laughing, she became clearly confused.
"What? Why are you laughing?!"
"You expect me to love you back? You're just a money grubbing bitch!"
threw out Ranma with casual ease. Nabiki felt her stomach lurching and
threatening to come up her throat.
"B-b-b..."
Ranma scoffed, "Don't even start Biki-chan. There's nothing to say
between us, okay? I hate you, I'm still in love with your sister and thanks
to this-," the sword in his hand suddenly made itself seen by Nabiki. "We'll
be together soon!"
Nabiki stuttered and felt the tears running down her cheek, "The,
'Wishbringer'?! I thought that-"
"You thought wrong, you frigid whore!" sneered Ranma.
--------------------
Ranma padded into the house and realized he didn't know where Nabiki was.
He sighed and decided it'd be best _not_ to ask Ryouga if he knew.
Ranma began his search and was startled to find Soun Tendo, patriarch of
the Tendo family, sitting in the dining room reading the paper. He hadn't
left his bedroom since the funeral of Akane.
Soun had a short rough beard building up and his clothes were rumpled
even though he looked freshly bathed.
"Ah, Ranma my boy, just who I wanted to see," spoke the man suddenly,
putting Ranma on edge.
"Uh, yeah, nice to see you up and about. Why's that?" Ranma looked around
to see if anything else was out of place.
Soun took a deep breath and began speaking in a conserved manner, "Well,
with... what happened. I believe that... I believe that it is unfair to force
the engagement upon you anymore. If you decide not to go through with it we
will simply let it go until the next generation."
Ranma wasn't sure how to respond, "Thank you Tendo-san... It's nice to
see you finally come to reason. If only my pop would get some. Err, I mean,
that is-"
Soun interrupted the boy before he put the rest of his foot in his mouth,
"Do not worry, Ranma. I am not, offended by your statement... I-We, your
father and I, were both without common sense much of the time when we tried
to force the marriage upon you and Akane. Her... passing has sobered me very
much..."
Ranma chewed his bottom lip feeling awkward standing in front of the
defeated look on Soun's face that matched the sagging of his body in general.
Facing an opponent defeated without a single punch was a foreign experience
and he wasn't sure how to think of Soun, if not an enemy, after all this time.
*He looks like he has nothing to live for,* thought Ranma sadly.
"Tendo-san, even if I don't marry Nabiki, I'd like you to-" Ranma quickly
added, "Or Kasumi, I'd like you to think of me as your Son-in-law. We've been
staying here so long and you deserve to get somethin' in return... It's the
best I can really do. I hope it helps you feel better."
Soun smiled and put his hand on Ranma's shoulder, "It does, Ranma. Thank
you very much."
Smiling himself, Ranma, wanting to avoid another awkward moment, asked,
"Do you know where Nabiki is? She wanted to talk to me."
"I believe she's in her room, son."
Ranma nodded and thanks Soun before heading upstairs.
--------------------
Nabiki cried at the feet of Ranma as Akane suddenly appeared, thanks to
the wish granting sword, and yanked her to her feet.
"Akane!" cried Nabiki making to hug her sister.
She was stopped by a punch in the jaw the seemed physically painless but
increased the pressure on her sore heart a hundred fold. Now sobbing
incoherently Nabiki looked up at her sister and uncontrollably gibbered
barely comprehensible sentences.
"Why- You hit- But- I love- And-," she blathered on.
Akane scowled down at her, "You were trying to steal my one true love you
bitch! I'll kill you!"
Ranma spun Akane to face him and kissed her passionately. He broke it off
and glanced at Nabiki as if she were some vermin, a rat.
"Let her live, Akane. She's not worth the effort!"
"Oh, all right, since you put it that way darling," replied Akane.
Nabiki began screaming as they started to laugh. The sound assaulting her
ears like thousands of nails on thousands of chalkboards.
--------------------
Ranma opened Nabiki's door as he heard a low, muffled scream. He ran in,
his head all ready scanning the room quickly for any sign of threat. As he
saw Nabiki on her bed, asleep, he frowned.
*She must be having a night mare. I better wake her up.*
Ranma sat gently on her bed and shook her shoulder.
"R-ranma... no...," mumbled Nabiki in her sleep.
Ranma bit his lip and shook her a little more vigorously.
"I... love you, please-" continued Nabiki.
As the garbled words registered Ranma's eyes almost jumped out of his
head.
Looking at the door with a crazed look he began to take short gasping
breaths. Inside his head false reasoning began to assert itself.
*A dream... It's a dream. That's gotta be all there is too it.*
The shallow breathing began to deepen. Soon he was calm again, for the
most part. Part of him continued to be on edge. As small a part it may have
been it caused him to take a few more moments to regain his will to wake the
sleeping girl.
--------------------
Nabiki's eyes shot open as Ranma's voice pierced her veil of slumber.
Fear evident in them she looked around wildly. Realizing that the whole
experience was nothing more then a dream she began sobbing in relief grabbing
on to Ranma for dear life.
The nervous boy still jumpy started to pull away causing her to cling
more. Ranma forced his anxiety aside and put his arms around her. He quickly
went into comforting mode.
He rested his cheek on top of her head and repeated, "It's all right."
over and over is a soft soothing voice. His face conveyed another story. As
did his thoughts.
*What if it wasn't just a dream? What if Nabiki's in love with me?*
doubts assailed the martial artist. *Do I even know how I feel about her?*
--------------------
"Ranma...," Nabiki started after she had stopped crying and had time to
compose herself, "Thank you for being here... Again."
She laughed almost bitterly. "I don't really remember the last time I
relied on someone emotionally before you."
It was a half-truth at best, but Nabiki, as open as she was being with
Ranma, as much as she trusted him, wasn't yet ready to start through the
messy path of problems caused by her mother's untimely death.
Ranma looked down into his lap at the profile of Nabiki's face, he felt a
sudden warmth from inside him. "I never really had anyone to talk to either."
Nabiki turned her head to look him in his eyes. "Ranma...," she paused
shortly, her tongue darting out of her mouth to try and moisten her dry lips,
"I..."
Ranma felt his heart beat steadily quickening. *Is she...?*
"I love you." Her eyes drilled through him with expectancy.
His lip trembling Ranma tried to say something but he was immobilized.
*Gods, oh Gods... Okay, she loves me. I have to say something. What? What do
I say? What can I say... How do i feel?*
As the uncertainty played out on Ranma's features outwardly, Nabiki sat
in agonizing rapture.
"I-...," he froze as he say her eyes leap at him, "I don't know what to
say... I... I think... Maybe... But I... And... What about...? And... I...
N-nabiki I can't... I don't know how to handle this right now."
The roller coaster came to nerve racking halt for Nabiki somewhere in
between painfully suspenseful climbs and ecstasy inducing free falls. It
wasn't a rejection or a confirmation of returned love, it was worse. It
sounded like either was just as likely as the other. Nabiki sat in silence,
unable to speak as all of it hit her in mere seconds.
"Please... excuse me Nabiki... I need to be alone," said Ranma in a blank
tone.
She nodded and sat up. He looked at her, confusion on her face matching
his, then stood up and quickly left her room. Nabiki stared ahead and began
to contemplate everything that had just happened. A small smile touched her
lips.
*He said, 'Maybe.'* Her smile reversed itself, *He said, 'I can't.'*
Nabiki punched her wall lamely, silently wishing she had the strength to
break something to let her tensions go.
*This isn't how I planned it to go.*
Her face settled in a more familiar neutral, thoughtful expression.
Author's Note:
Well, this ended up a little shorter then I had intended and a scene I had
wanted to include just didn't fit anywhere in this chapter. Which is all
right. Detailing the backstory doesn't take precedence over the "current"
happenings. I feel this works really well as is. Actually the ending was
different but it didn't fit as an ending so it will just be the beginning of
the next chapter.
This would have been out earlier but I suffered a bad case of computer
problems and real life blues. Everything's going smoothly now... Don't want
to jinx it though, so the next chapter will come out whenever it does.
Though, unless I get really inspired this will take a back seat till I finish
the next chapter of my other story Nabiki and Ranma 1/2, which is likely to
get a new title sooner or later...