Insertion
Part 71
Akane's Wedding
+++++++++++++
Cologne frowned as she sat in the Cat Cafe and
looked
at Shampoo.
"Something is wrong Great Grandmother?" asked
the
girl in confusion.
"Yes, I'm afraid there is. I have some bad
news
Shampoo, it concerns the son in law."
The girl sat upright and frowned at the old
woman for
a moment. "What is talking?"
"Your intended, has been gone for some time my
dear,"
said the old woman calmly. "He left almost
eight months ago."
Shampoo blinked at this and shook her head.
"Ranma
not go anywhere, Shampoo see him..."
"That boy, was not the son in law. I am sorry
for
deceiving you Shampoo, but I had hoped you
would grow distant from the boy.
It was our plan
from the start."
Shampoo let out a nervous laugh and waved the
comment
aside. "Is funny joke..."
"I am not joking, the boy who has been helping
me is
known as Carrot. He agreed to pretend to be
the son in law until we could
discover a way to
break this too you." The old woman stood up.
"What is talking?" said the girl with a cold
looking
frown forming on her face.
"Silence, and I will explain," said Cologne.
"A while
back, the son in law went off and married
the Musk prince Herb. It was done
in secret,
before any of us had time to think or react to it.
I knew you
would be foolish enough to chase him."
"What?" said Shampoo with horror forming on
her
face.
"The boy you have been chasing, is a double
for the
son in law. In fact, he's not even really
a man. I wasn't aware of this, but
when I found
out, I knew this had to stop. I am sorry."
"Great Grandmother lying!" screamed the girl
as she
stood up and glared at the old woman
angrily.
"Sit down!" snapped Cologne in an
authoritative
voice. "You will listen to me
child."
The girl reluctantly did so, and scowled at
the hag
angrily.
Cologne sighed. "It was our hope that you
would drift
apart. Your devotion was more than
even I had counted on." She shook her head
gently
and sighed again. "Unfortunately, I can not allow
this to
continue."
Shampoo merely stared dumbly at the woman.
"Ranma Saotome, as you have known him, is the
curse
of a woman known as Yohiko Hibiki."
"Miss Yohiko?" said Shampoo in shock.
"Shampoo
teacher?"
"Yes, she did not like doing this for me, but
agreed.
I cannot have you chasing the boy any
longer. He lives in China, and is the
ruler of the
Musk kingdom now. Your heart, though dear to me as
it is,
would no doubt start a war between our
tribes if you followed it. I'm sorry,
but you must
stop chasing him. Starting at this moment."
"No! Ranma belong to Shampoo I not...!"
"Enough! This must end Shampoo; I cannot allow
you to
go on with this any longer! You have lost!
Now you must accept that!"
Tears were flowing down the girl's face as she
stared
at the old woman in shock.
"I am sorry, I tried my best to win him for
you, and
tried to protect you from doing something
foolish as long as I could. Even I
am not
infallible. We have both failed child. It is
over."
The girl stood up and rushed up the stairs to
her
room, slamming the door.
Cologne gave a heavy sigh and shook her head.
"What a
fool I am."
Mousse came down the stairs with an angry
snarl on
his face and weapons brandished in his
hands. "Saotome! How dare you!?"
"Mousse?" said the hag dumbly.
"Where is he? I'll cut his heart out for
making
Shampoo cry!" snarled the boy as he shook a
stool violently. "Tell me old
woman!"
"Ranma Saotome is not at fault, that was my
doing,"
said the old woman calmly.
"What?" said Mousse in horror.
"Shampoo is not permitted to chase the boy
any
longer, Ranma Saotome is no longer her betrothed."
Mousse merely stood there with his jaw hanging
down.
"What?"
"You heard me boy," said the hag coolly.
"This is the happiest moment of my life!"
cried the
boy in joy as he dashed up the stairs
after his beloved.
"Mousse!" snapped Cologne. She sighed and sat
back
down, the boy was still as stupid as he ever
was.
The fact that his beaten form came barreling
down the
stairs a moment later didn't perturb him
in the slightest. "My love! At last
we can be
together! You don't have to pretend to be in love
with that fool
any longer!"
Cologne hopped away, washing her hands of
the
situation. "Let him get himself killed, then I can
stop worrying about
him."
+++++++++++++
Yohiko frowned as she stood next to Shampoo in
the
hallway of Furinkan with Shampoo during the
lunch break. That day had been a
break in the
normality of her life so far. Shampoo was in a
foul mood, and
Ukyo seemed almost pleasant.
"Well?" asked the woman impatiently.
"Is true?" said Shampoo as she glared at
the
woman.
"Told you did she?" said Yohiko with a
sudden
understanding in her voice.
"So, it true. Why you do thing like that
to
Shampoo?"
"I felt obligated to her, even though I don't
agree
with what she's done," said the woman with a
small sigh.
Shampoo frowned, tears forming in her eyes.
"So,
Ranma leave Shampoo?"
"Why do you think Kuonji's been in such a foul
mood
lately? Plus Akane Tendo leaving to marry her
new fiancee? All of this was
because of him, don't
think you were alone in this."
The girl gasped and looked up at the woman's
small
frown. Yohiko shrugged her shoulders and
gripped the girl by her arms. "Look,
I'm sorry
about what happened. Hopefully, you'll use this to
make yourself
stronger rather than allow it to
weaken you. There isn't much else I can say
or do
about it. I wish there was, but it's not my
place."
The girl hung her head and nodded.
"Shampoo
understand, well not really. Shampoo don't know
why, but not
angry, not with teacher anyway."
"I'm glad, I'd hate to have to beat you up,"
said the
woman with a pleasant looking smile.
"You not underestimate Amazon strength!"
snapped
Shampoo irritably.
"You're right, I shouldn't," agreed the woman.
Ukyo walked up with a frown on her face
after
Shampoo had left. Yohiko arched her eyebrow
slightly as she found
herself holding a small
folded paper. "What's this?"
"I'm withdrawing from school," said the girl
as she
stared at the teacher.
"May I ask why?" asked Yohiko calmly.
"I'm almost there. I've almost got enough
saved up.
I'll be going to China within two months
time. I'll find that bastard, and
make him pay."
Yohiko nodded slowly at this. "You know you
can't
win."
"That doesn't mean I can't try," replied the
girl
coldly.
"This doesn't suit you Ukyo, but there isn't
anything
I can do about that," replied the woman
as she nodded and looked over the
paper.
"You're wrong, this is what I've been for most
of my
life," replied the girl calmly as she turned
away.
"Yes, it's a shame," agreed Yohiko as she
walked
away.
"Isn't it though?" muttered Ukyo with a
bittersweet
tone in her voice.
Yohiko sighed as she turned to glance back at
the
girl for a moment. "And so, the last bond is
shattered."
++++++++++++++
Some time later...
+++++++++++++
Ryoga Hibiki frowned as he strolled through
the
streets of Tokyo, his injuries were now
healing, and it had now been almost a
month since
that fateful night. His thoughts were broken, his
heart
shattered. "Damn," he mumbled as he found
himself standing in front of a
large building.
Usagi Hibiki was staring at him as she left
the
school at the end of her day.
"Ryoga?" she muttered in shock.
"Hello Usagi," he replied calmly. He turned
his eyes
away and started walking again.
"Wait!" cried the girl as she rushed after
him. "Is
that all you have to say to me?"
"I've dishonored you, made a mockery of our
family
and name, and now..."
"We're family," said the girl with a frown on
her
face. "We don't have to like it Ryoga, but we
didn't know. I'm sorry, it was
my fault."
"We're both to blame," he said with a heavy
sigh as
he realized she wasn't going to let him
just walk away.
"Where are you going?" she asked with a
small
smile.
"Away from here, as far as I could, of course
I
should have known that it would bring me right
too you sooner or
later."
Usagi nodded her head and sighed. "I'm sorry."
"Stop saying that," he said a little shortly.
"Look,
I don't think it would be a good idea for
us to be around one another."
The girl shook her head. "No, that isn't
right. I
haven't known anyone in my family because
of your curse. I finally get to
meet one of you,
and you're going to start acting like this? All I
have
besides you is my mother."
Ryoga flinched slightly and sighed. "I
don't
understand."
"Mother will forgive you," she said with a
small
frown. "But not if you don't even try."
"I don't want her forgiveness, I deserved what
I
got," he replied sharply. "I'm lucky she's so
nice, I would have killed
me."
"Don't say things like that!" snapped Usagi.
"Sorry," he replied as he glanced away
from
her.
"I don't want every time we talk with each
other to
be another apology," said Usagi firmly.
"Where are you going. I'll help you
get there."
Ryoga blinked and blushed suddenly. "The Tendo
dojo.
I don't think it would be a good idea for
you to go with me."
"Huh? Why not...?" Usagi trailed off and
smirked at
her cousin. "A girl? It's a girl isn't
it?"
Ryoga blushed a little harder and turned away
from
her.
"That's great! What's her name? How do you
know
her?"
"Akane Tendo, she was my first love. Before
you..."
said the boy with a slightly pained frown.
"Oh!" Usagi blushed and frowned. "I didn't
come
between you did I?"
"No, it was something else. I'd almost given
up on
her already, now..."
"You've got to try again," said Usagi with a
slight
nod.
"I can't let my chance slip through my
fingers," said
the boy with a short nod.
"Well, I'll take you there," said
Usagi
cheerfully.
"Right," said the boy.
"Well, come on then," said the girl
cheerfully.
"Tendo? Where have I heard that name
before?"
muttered Usagi with a slight frown on her face.
She suddenly
froze and stared at Ryoga. "The
wedding! Tomorrow! I...Oh no! He doesn't
know?!"
screamed the girl's mind as everything fell into
place. "What
should I do? I can't break his heart
like that! I..." She didn't even realize
that
she'd started crying.
Ryoga paused as the girl froze up and stared
at her
in confusion for a moment. "What? Is
something wrong? Why are you
crying?"
The girl stared at him for a moment. "Oh! Oh
Ryoga! I
can't...I can't do that to you again!"
The boy's jaw hardened and he glared at her.
"What
are you talking about?"
"I'm sorry! I can't!" she said as she started
to back
away.
The lost boy managed to snag her arm and pull
her
back to him before she could run. "What?
What's wrong? What is this about
me?"
Usagi was shaking and she turned her head in
shame.
"Ryoga. Akane Tendo, I'm sorry."
"Something has happened to Akane?" cried the
boy in
horror. "You'd better tell me!"
"She doesn't live at the Tendo dojo anymore,"
said
the girl.
"What?" said Ryoga. "Did those two idiot men
lose
that dojo to someone again? Without Ranma
around, it doesn't surprise me.
I'll have to get
it back for them then!"
"No, Ryoga. Akane has moved in with her
fiance, she's
getting married tomorrow," said the
girl.
"What?" said Ryoga as he suddenly went
completely
still. "Akane?"
"My mother was invited to the wedding! I have
to go
with her tomorrow," said the girl as she
looked at him with a deep sorrow in
her eyes. "I'm
so sorry! I...this is all my fault!"
"Your fault?" said the boy with a sort of lost
and
distant stare. "How?"
"If I hadn't been, if we hadn't...you might
have..."
said the girl as she sobbed. "I can't ask
your forgiveness for this!
I..."
Ryoga was shaking, tears began to flow freely
from
his eyes as he dashed away. "NOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
Usagi fell to her knees as the boy started to
round a
corner clutching his head. She paused when
he swatted aside a huge animal
that had moved in
front of him without stopping.
"Katsunishi!" cried a girl that rushed up to
the
animal's side. She paused and watched as the
boy continued to run down the
street.
"Oh! Are you all right?" cried Usagi as she
rushed up
to the girl's side. "He isn't hurt is
he? I'm sorry, Ryoga can be..."
"Ryoga? Is that the boy's name?" asked the
girl with
a small frown on her face.
"I'm terribly sorry, he's just had his heart
broken.
Please forgive him," said Usagi with a low
bow. "He didn't know what was
happening. I'm sure
of it."
"His heart broken?" asked the girl
in
confusion.
"Yes, I'm terribly sorry, please forgive him.
He's
not hurt is he?"
The animal was grunting and struggling back to
his
feet. "Don't worry, he's fine." She smiled at
the girl warmly. "Tell me about
this boy? Who is
he? How do you know him? He's very strong."
"Um, yes. His name is Ryoga, he's...my
cousin," said
Usagi with a blush on her cheeks.
"Oh," replied the girl as her smile widened.
"My name
is Akari Unryuu. This is Katsunishi."
"Um, hi," muttered Usagi lamely as she
realized the
absurdity of the situation. She was
staring at an eight-foot tall pig, and it
was
smiling and nodding at her. "I'm Usagi Hibiki.
Nice to meet
you."
"A pleasure!" said the girl cheerfully. "Well,
I
should go. We'll meet again one day, I'm sure of
it."
"Right," agreed Usagi dumbly. "That
was...strange;
even for me."
++++++++++++++
Yohiko smiled as she breathed in the fresh
mountain
air and walked with her daughter at her
side. Xellos was standing right
behind her, with
Nephrite at his side.
"So, this wedding is in the mountains?"
asked
Usagi.
"Yes, it will be a small affair, we'll
probably be
the only guests really. Shinnosuke
only has his grandfather, and Akane isn't
dumb
enough to invite her family along," said Xellos.
"Oh," said Usagi in confusion. "Why is that?"
"Because they'll try to stop the wedding if
they do
show up," said Yohiko calmly. "Don't worry
dear."
"Oh," said the girl with a frown on her face.
"What
if they show up and try to stop it anyway?"
"They just might, that's one reason why I
wanted all
of us to come. Akane deserves to be
happy. I'm not going to let that happen.
I'll stop
anyone who tries to disturb this wedding."
Usagi nodded and sighed. "Oh, that's nice of
you. I
guess..."
"We're almost there," said Yohiko with a smirk
on her
face.
"What makes you say that?" muttered Xellos
calmly. He
was staring at a gigantic lizard that
was clinging to a nearby tree.
"What is this place?" muttered Usagi
nervously. Her
ribbons started to appear around
her body and floated around
defensively.
"Put those away dear, we're perfectly safe,"
said
Yohiko with a slight frown. "The springs in
this area have magical
properties, and they make
the animals grow unusually large. It's not a
real
danger."
Nephrite smirked. "Yes, what we really have to
worry
about are..." He promptly fell into a hole
and was covered in rocks that fell
on him from
above. "...the traps."
Xellos smirked and waved his arm. Tiny specks
of
light suddenly became visible across their
field of vision. "Don't get near
the lights,
that's where the traps are," he informed them.
Nephrite climbed out of the trap and frowned.
"You
could have done that sooner!"
"Yes, I could have," said the man cheerfully.
"What are you doing here? Don't you know
it's
dangerous?" snapped a voice from in front of the
group.
Usagi blushed at the incredibly handsome boy
who
appeared out of the mist with a frown on his
face. He was holding a staff in
his hand and
glared at them all coldly.
"Why yes, we know exactly how dangerous it is
here,"
said Xellos cheerfully.
"Well, hello Shinnosuke. Patrolling on your
wedding
day?" said Yohiko with a smirk on her
face.
"Who are you? What do you want? What do you
mean
wedding day?" snapped the boy angrily.
"Shinnosuke?" said Usagi with a slight
disappointment
in her voice. Then she realized
what he had said. "What? There's no
wedding?"
"No, the idiot forgot about it, that's all,"
said
Yohiko with a smirk on her face.
"Do I know you?" said the boy as he stared at
Yohiko
for a minute.
"Yes you do," said the woman with a smirk on
her
face. "It's been a while Shinnosuke. I suggest
you come with us, or Akane
will be angry."
The boy scratched his head and frowned.
"Akane? I
suppose so." He noticed the tattoo on
the back of his hand and frowned.
"You're right! I
haven't written her a letter today!"
"Dolt," grumbled Yohiko flatly.
"Is something wrong with him?" asked Usagi.
"He has the memory as long as Xellos's
attention
span," said the woman with a small
snort.
"Hey!" muttered the mage with a hurt look on
his
face.
"Come on dope, I've got to change that
tattoo,"
grumbled Yohiko as she grabbed the boy by
his arm and started to pull him
along. "You'll
drown her in letters if I don't. She lives with
you
halfwit!"
"Oh, she does?" muttered the boy in confusion.
"Hey!
She does! I'd better get back soon, I don't
want to miss breakfast."
++++++++++++
The group made it to the home and a familiar
figure
rushed up to them. "Miss Yohiko! You came?"
"Well! Hello! You should have told me you
invited
them dear!" said the old man who stood
with Akane in the front yard. They
were working in
a small garden in front of the home.
"All this work today? You're planning on
getting
married today aren't you?" said Yohiko
with a small frown on her face.
"Yes, but...the chores don't wait," she
said
sheepishly.
Yohiko frowned at the old man. "They can wait
for a
day."
"We have to keep things relatively the same
here, or
Shinnosuke gets confused, more than
normal," said the old man with a
shrug.
"Hmmm, well I managed to drag him back," said
Yohiko
with a smirk on her face. "So tell me
Akane, how many times has he proposed
since you
came here?"
"Huh?" said Shinnosuke dumbly.
"Seventeen," muttered the girl with a blush on
her
face.
"I proposed to Akane?" cried the boy in shock.
"Yes dolt, you're getting married today.
That's why
we're here," said Yohiko.
"Who are you again?" muttered the boy.
"This is getting annoying," said Nephrite.
"He's a good kid," replied Xellos with a
shrug.
"At any rate, it's time we got started. I
don't
believe you're dressed that way Akane!"
cried Yohiko as she took the girl by
her arm.
"I guess that leaves us stuck with Captain
Memory
here," said Xellos with a small sigh.
++++++++++
Akane was wearing a simple white dress and
blushed
heavily. "I shouldn't yet. I've got to go
escort the priest here."
Yohiko smirked at this and chuckled. "Don't
worry
dear, I'll send my brother to get him."
"Oh," said the girl sheepishly. "Thank you."
"Not a problem. So, have you been enjoying
your stay
here so far?"
"It's been wonderful, almost like a dream,"
said the
girl wistfully.
"Hmmm. I imagine it would be," agreed Yohiko.
"He's a
very handsome boy." No one noticed the
slightly disgusted flash on her face,
it vanished
as quickly as it came.
"Wow, I hope I meet someone as handsome as him
one
day," said Usagi cheerfully.
"Oh! I haven't introduced you two yet. I'd
forgotten
that you'd never met before. Akane, this
is Usagi, my daughter."
"What?" said the girl in shock. "You've got
a
daughter this old?"
"Everyone is always surprised about that,"
said the
woman with a cheerful smile on her face.
"Wow," said Akane as she smiled at the
younger
girl.
"I just hope it runs in the family," said
Usagi with
a small sigh.
"No kidding," agreed Akane, "I hope I age
as
perfectly as that."
"Now, this is your day Akane, I'm supposed to
be the
one complimenting you," chided Yohiko
lightly.
"Yes, thank you," said the girl. "I didn't
think
you'd really come."
"I wouldn't miss it, besides, you'll need
the
protection," said the woman cheerfully.
"Huh?" said the girl in confusion.
"Your father is still out there, as well as
Ranma
Saotome's father," replied the woman with a
slight frown. "That's part of the
reason I brought
so many people along with me."
"So, you know about that do you?" said the
girl with
a slight frown on her face.
"I promise I won't let them interfere," said
Yohiko
with a smirk on her face. "I also won't
hurt them too badly if they show up
and step out
of line. Don't worry dear."
"Thank you," said the girl with a huge blush
on her
face. "Miss Yohiko?"
"Hmmm?"
"Nevermind, it's nothing," said the girl as
she
sighed and sat down on a small stool.
"All right. You're beautiful, you know that?"
said
the woman.
"Thank you, that means a lot coming from you,"
said
the girl as she smiled back at her.
"Wow," agreed Usagi with her own blush. "This
is all
so...romantic!"
+++++++++++++
"Saotome! This is it!" said Soun firmly as he
stood
in front of the dark woods with his hands on
his hips.
"Indeed Tendo, this is the first step. We'll
retrieve
that ungrateful daughter of yours, and
then go find my son! We'll ensure the
schools are
united yet!"
Kasumi was standing behind them with Nabiki at
her
side. "Oh my! I hope she's all right! Poor
Akane, she's been kidnapped by
these horrible
people!"
"She wasn't kidnapped. This is her
boyfriend
remember? She came here on her own to marry him,"
grumbled
Nabiki. She was obviously unhappy about
being here.
"Oh. Hello. Are you here for the wedding?"
said the
priest that walked up behind them with a
smile on his face.
Soun and Genma turned to face him and blinked.
"Why yes, yes we are," said Genma.
"Oh, how nice. I was told to wait here for an
escort.
These woods are dangerous," said the
priest as he looked at the woods for a
moment and
smiled.
The two men looked at each other and then back
at the
priest.
"Is something wrong?"
Nabiki shook her head and sighed. There
wasn't
anything she could do to stop her idiot parents
from ruining this.
Well, nothing she hadn't
already done, but that wouldn't come into
play
until later.
Within moments, the priest was tied to a tree
and
relieved of his clothing. He was also out
cold.
A small boy appeared out of the woods and
smiled at
them. "Well, you must be the priest."
"Indeed," said Soun as he adjusted his collar.
"Who are these other people?"
"They help me set up for the ceremony," said
Soun
nervously.
Nephrite smirked at them and turned into the
woods.
"I suppose I'm the guide then. Follow me
please."
+++++++++++++
About an hour later, Nabiki smirked as Genma
and Soun
fell into their thirty-second trap of the
day.
"Watch out, there's a trap there," said the
boy
calmly.
"Yes, too late once again," said Soun.
"Well, you should be more careful. I told you
about
them."
Nabiki sighed and shook her head again. "Look,
I know
you're stalling them, but I don't want to
miss my sister's wedding. Could we
please go there
now?"
The boy blinked and looked at Genma and Soun.
"I
suppose I've done enough to them. They're too
beat up to pose much of a
problem."
"Oh my!" said Kasumi.
"Yes, I suppose so," said Nabiki as
she
smirked.
"We're just going to lie here for a while,"
said
Soun. Genma silently agreed by nodding his
head.
"Oh, well. You just stay there. I'm going to
take
these ladies to their sister's wedding. I'm
sure Xellos has retrieved the
real priest by now."
He smirked at the looks on their faces as
they
realized they had been duped. "Don't get any
stupid ideas in your
heads either. You don't stand
a chance of stopping this. Akane has a lot of
very
angry friends."
"You have no idea," commented Nabiki.
"Well, I was referring to people who aren't
going to
try and stop this," said the boy with a
shrug.
"Oh, well then. Shall we?" said
Nabiki
cheerfully.
+++++++++++++
Yohiko smiled as Nabiki and Kasumi rushed up
to their
sister and hugged her warmly. There was
lots of girlish squealing, even some
from Nabiki.
She smirked and walked up to the pair with a smile
on her
face.
"Well hello. I trust the idiots are resting
soundly
by now?" she asked with a smirk on her
face.
Nabiki nodded. "I don't think they'll be
bothering
us. I made sure of it actually."
"Oh?" asked Yohiko cheerfully.
"Well, I'm glad to see you approve," said the
woman
with a warm grin.
"Oh! Akane! I'm so proud of you!" cried Kasumi
as she
started sobbing on her youngest sibling's
shoulder.
"Well, daddy isn't here. I guess someone has
to do
it," commented Nabiki.
++++++++++++
Xellos smirked as he sat with all the men
involved,
including the priest. Nephrite was
sitting lazily and running a
projector.
Shinnosuke was as white as a sheet as he
stared at
the image on the wall in shock. "What is
this? I..."
Xellos chuckled and pat his hand on the small
pile of
porn movies they had yet to watch. "It's a
tradition. Try and enjoy
yourself."
The boy merely nodded and simply sat there
with his
mouth hung open.
His grandfather had tears in his eyes as he
stared at
the screen. "Oh no! Do you think Orgasmo
will be able to escape this
time?!"
The priest merely blushed and looked at the
men. "I
don't think it's tradition for me to be
here for this part."
"Sorry, it's for your own safety, there are a
few
people who don't want this to happen, and that
makes you a target. You're
safe with us though,"
said Nephrite calmly.
++++++++++++
"Now where am I?" cried Ryoga Hibiki as he
glanced
around at the forest around him in
frustration.
The large animals that surrounded him were
vaguely
familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.
"Damn! I've got to find Akane
before it's too
late!"
Unbeknownst to him, but knownst to us, a
figure sat
on top of a gigantic animal of her own,
following the trail. The huge
creature looked
oddly in place in the strange forest.
"You're sure he went this way Katsunishi?"
The giant pig grunted and nodded vigorously as
it
continued to follow the scent trail the boy
left behind.
"Onward then!" cried the girl with a grin
forming on
her face. "Ryoga Hibiki! I will find
you!"
+++++++++++++
Ukyo Kuonji frowned as she looked at the map
in her
hands. She turned her head towards her
partner and frowned. "You're sure
about this?"
"Yes, Shampoo sure," said her companion as
they stood
looking at the intimidating forest.
"Spatula girl not trust Shampoo?"
"Of course I don't," replied Ukyo with a
small
snort.
"Is good, Shampoo deceive Spatula Girl
many
times."
"Well let's go sugar," said Ukyo with a smirk
on her
face. "We gotta find Akane before it's too
late."
"Shampoo understand," said the girl firmly.
"Right. Come on," said Ukyo as she started to
move
forward.
++++++++++++
"Can you move, Tendo?"
"Yes, Saotome."
"Come on then! We've got to make it before
it's too
late!"
"Quite so, Saotome!"
+++++++++++
"It's time," said Yohiko as she smiled down at
the
incredibly nervous girl.
"Right," agreed Usagi with a cheerful smile on
her
face.
"I'm ready," said Akane more to herself than
anyone
else.
+++++++++++++
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to witness
the holy union of Akane
Tendo, and Shinnosuke..."
"Stop!" cried a pair of familiar voices from
the back
of the small clearing where everyone was
seated.
Akane turned around, horror on her face as she
looked
at Soun and Genma. The pair was standing
next to each other and glared
angrily at those
gathered.
"Damn it! I didn't think they'd recover this
fast,"
said Nephrite angrily.
Yohiko stood up and turned to face the pair.
"Akane!" cried another familiar voice.
Ryoga
staggered through the trees. "You can't! I..." He
paused when he
noticed the scene in front of him.
"Huh?"
"No!" cried Akane with tears of pain in her
eyes.
"You can't! I won't let you ruin this!" She
was glaring at Soun and Genma as
she said it, but
the words drove a spike of pain through the lost
boy's
heart.
"What?" muttered Ryoga to himself in
confusion. "This
is...she...she wants this?"
"Keep going," said Yohiko as she smiled at
Akane and
the priest. "We'll handle this. I won't
allow them to ruin this for you,
don't worry."
"She's right," agreed Usagi as a mass of
ribbons
appeared from her back. "No one has the
right to take such a wonderful memory
away from a
young girl! On behalf of the moon, I shall punish
you!"
"I had hoped those traps would be enough to
stop you,
but you're dumber than I'd thought. I'm
gonna have to take care of this
myself it seems."
"Don't hog all the fun, just don't forget not
to kill
them," said Xellos. "Akane wouldn't like
that."
"Aiya! We not make it in time?" cried a
familiar
voice.
"Maybe not, Sugar," said Ukyo as both she and
Shampoo
appeared on either side of the altar.
"Damn! What the hell are those two doing
here?"
growled Yohiko in frustration. She turned
and glared at Nabiki for a moment,
only to meet a
cool looking smile. "So, she's still going to go
through
with this?"
"Ha!" snarled Genma. He turned to look at
Ryoga for a
moment. "Come on boy! Now is your
chance! They can't take all of us!"
"Heh, Don't worry sweetie, we'll handle these
two
thugs. I've got a score to settle with the fat
one anyway," said Ukyo as she
leveled her glare at
Genma.
"Shampoo agree, men not interfere with this
now. She
not allow it!"
The girl looked at them in shock. "What?"
"Take your time. Sugar, I don't want to miss
this.
You should have invited us," said Ukyo as
she smirked at Akane.
"Shampoo agree, but will forgive Violent Girl
this
time,"
Genma and Soun backed away, and everyone
turned their
attention on Ryoga Hibiki. He was
standing there in silence with a scowl on
his
face. He looked at Akane and his gaze intensified.
"Akane. Is this
what you want? Is this what will
make you happy?"
The girl blinked at his words, not
quite
understanding why he was asking her that. "Yes."
She hadn't even
hesitated in her answer.
The boy smiled at her and nodded his head.
"Then I
guess...it was meant to be. I won't allow
these two to stop it. Goodbye
then." Rather than
run away, Ryoga turned to look at the pair of
men
standing in the center of an angry looking mob. "I
won't allow you to
destroy Akane's happiness!"
Genma and Soun were frozen in shock, neither
had
enough sense to run, and the two of them
didn't have a working pair brain
cells to rub
together at the moment.
Ryoga turned his attention towards Shinnosuke
and
frowned at him for a moment. "If you ever hurt
Akane, I'll destroy you. You'd
better make her
happy!"
"Wait! You can't Akane! I won't allow this!"
cried
Soun as he tried to rush forward with his
head becoming a huge demonic
figure. "I won't let
you taint my little girl's honor!"
"Out of our way! You can't stop us!"
agreed
Genma.
It was probably the dumbest thing the pair had
ever
done.
+++++++++++++
The ceremony went perfectly after that. Soun
and
Genma were hung just outside the reception by
their feet from a branch. They
were tightly bound
and had gags over their mouths.
The party afterwards was more than anyone
had
expected. Food was limited, but Ukyo did help with
that as best she
could. In the end, everything
went well.
The crowd dispersed just before it got dark,
leaving
only Yohiko and Usagi behind as they stood
with Akane and her new
husband.
"Well, it's time to say goodbye," said Yohiko.
"Yes. I can't thank you enough," said Akane
as
she bowed deeply.
"I suppose I'll have to cut the idiots down
before I
leave," said Yohiko with a small sigh.
"Yeah," agreed Akane with a slight blush.
"I guess I'll probably have to do this when
Nabiki
finally ties the knot as well. Kasumi is
probably pretty safe, but I'd best
show up for
that one as well. Just to be safe," said
Yohiko
cheerfully.
"You have our gratitude," said
Shinnosuke's
grandfather.
"Don't forget to thank your sister. Nabiki is
the one
who had Ukyo and Shampoo show up. She had
me scared for a moment."
Akane blushed. "Me too."
"It seems you have more friends than you
realized.
Although, I doubt if you'll see each
other anytime soon. I believe the
Amazon's are
going back to China soon, and Ukyo won't be far
after them.
She's still intent on her revenge. Who
knows, she might get it. Not in the
way she's
hoping for though."
Akane nodded and smiled at the pair. "It's
getting
late, are you sure you don't need to
stay?"
"Yes, the woods are very dangerous,"
agreed
Shinnosuke.
"We'll be fine. You two need your privacy
tonight,"
said Yohiko with a small chuckle.
Akane blushed deeply, and Shinnosuke got a
confused
looking frown on his face. "Privacy? I
wonder why? Maybe after we got married
we would,
but..."
"That dope forgot already?!!" whispered Usagi
in
disbelief.
"Shhh, Akane will remind him soon enough,"
replied
Yohiko quietly.
"Thank you again, for everything," said Akane
as she
bowed deeply.
"Not a problem," said Yohiko as she turned
away with
her daughter at her side.
Akane looked at Shinnosuke for a moment and
smiled
warmly. "I'm sorry. Just this once." She
rushed away from him and rushed up
to Yohiko.
"Wait!"
"Huh?" said the woman as she turned to look at
the
girl.
"Please forgive me, but I have to do it. Just
once!"
said the girl as she jumped into the
woman's arms and kissed her
deeply.
Yohiko couldn't move she was so shocked. She
felt the
girl's tongue inside her mouth and the
male portion of her returned the
action and
grabbed the girl.
Akane blushed and they stayed that way for a
moment,
breaking off and breathing deeply. "Miss
Yohiko?" said the girl in
shock.
"Only because it was just this once dear,"
said the
woman as she winked at her.
"Thank you," said the girl as she blushed. "I
love
you."
"Well, you're very special to me, Akane," said
the
woman as she smiled at the girl. "I hope you
live well. I'm sure we'll see
each other again
some time."
"Visit any time!" said Akane with tears
forming in
her eyes.
"I just might take you up on that someday,"
said the
woman cheerfully.
"Yes! Visit -anytime-!" said
Shinnosuke's
grandfather.
The boy was simply staring at the scene in
shock. His
jaw was hanging down and there was a
small trickle of blood coming out of his
nose.
Akane turned away and started walking back
towards
her husband.
Yohiko turned to find her daughter staring at
her in
a sort of disgusted shock. "M-mom?"
"Don't worry dear," said the woman as she pat
the
girl on her head.
"Oh, you were just being nice? I mean, it was
just
cause it was that one time, and she's married
now? Right?"
The woman turned to look at her daughter and
pat her
on the head. "It's something like that
dear."
"Whew," said Usagi as she turned away. "Can we
go
now?"
"Yes dear, we're going home," said
Yohiko
cheerfully.
"Okay. I'm tired, it's been a long day,"
said
Usagi.
"Speaking of long day. What was with that
stupid
speech you gave earlier?" said Yohiko as
she looked down at her daughter.
"'I'll punish you
on behalf of the moon?' What the hell were you
thinking
child?"
"Moooommm!"
+++++++++++++
Ryoga Hibiki looked up at the stars as he lay
on his
back. His heart was shattered again, but
this time, it also left a slightly
warm feeling in
his chest. It wasn't quite as empty as it had been
before
he had come here. "I suppose I really had
accepted my defeat a long time
ago."
He sighed again and began to stare at the sky
in
silent contemplation. "Things...I guess they
have a way of working out. Damn
you Ranma, I can't
blame you for this one."
A huge black forehead and a large pair of
eyes
suddenly overshadowed his view. "Huh?"
"Bweeee!"
"You found him Katsunishi!"
"What the hell?"
"Oh Ryoga! I've found you at last my love!"
"What?! Who are you?!"
+++++++++++++
TBC...
Next Time: Rise of the Phoenix!
Perfect Carrot- Consuming the universe, one Aspect at a time.
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