One moment Kuno Tatewaki was meditating before his personal shrine. The next he was in the backyard of the Tendo home before the sorcerer Saotome and Akane’s eldest sister the kindly Tendo Kasumi. Certain that this was the prelude to an attack by the dark sorcerer the valiant scion of the house Kuno reached for his bokken only to find it missing.
“What foul magic is this?”
Saotome who was standing next to a brightly smiling Kasumi, drew himself up and began, Kuno Tatewaki, I have summoned you here to discuss your and our shared pasts. When I arrived here, you alone rightly saw that I was a sorcerer of some power but you misjudged my motives. You believed me to hold some sort of power over both your pig-tailed girl and Tendo Akane, in spite of my repeated attempts to make you understand that I have no romantic interest in Miss Tendo. I have repeatedly informed you of the fact that Miss Tendo and I are the victims of an arranged marriage neither of us sought nor wanted.”
Tatewaki interrupted, “Bah! You expect the Blue Thunder of Furinkan to listen to these lies? As if any man in his right mind could have no interest in the glorious Tendo Akane. Foul deceiver I have sworn that I would free the fair tigress Akane and the ravishing pig-tailed girl from your fell clutches. Your false words will not deter the righteous fury of the heavens!”
“The pig-tailed girl as you call her is both my ward and Akane’s sister, her name is Tendo Ranko. I originally came to this town specifically to seek out the renowned Kuno Tatewaki to test him to see if he was truly worthy to date my ward.”
Kuno’s expression began to change from one of rage to puzzlement, “Test me you say?”
“Yes. All of our contests have been tests of your worth. Surely you could sense that you were being measured Kuno Tatewaki?”
Kuno nodded sagely, “Now that you mention it, I did notice something odd about our contests. However, I dismissed it as just another trick.”
“Through our repeated contests I have concluded that you are indeed worthy of the love and hand of my ward. Further I have concluded that you are much more deserving of the attentions of Tendo Akane than I.”
“Oh, my!” Kasumi raised a hand to her lips, “Ranma is that really okay?”
Ranma turned to her, “Remember thanks to my wish I know that while I love Akane like a sister, Tatewaki truly loves her the way she deserves.”
“He speaks the truth fair-one. My heart nearly bursts from my chest so great is my love for your lovely sister. Please I beg you listen to what he says.”
Kasumi blushed at his words, “Tatewaki-chan I didn’t know you had such strong feelings for Akane-chan.”
Ranma took over again, “However, before I can transfer my engagement to Akane over to you, I must have your word as the son of a noble house. You must promise to love them, to protect them, and shower them with your attention. Will you swear this Kuno Tatewaki?”
“You need not even ask! Yes! I Kuno Tatewaki of the noble house Kuno do so swear! Not a moment shall pass by that they are anything other than the very center of my attention and affections.”
“Then Kuno Tatewaki, with Tendo Kasumi as my witness I Saotome Ranma do hereby transfer and transmit all my rights as the fiancé of Tendo Akane to the man who loves her most. May you bring each other as much joy as knowing you both has brought to me. I also acknowledge the right of Kuno Tatewaki to date my ward Tendo Ranko.”
Kasumi wiped as tear from her eye, “That was so sweet of you Ranma-chan, Tatewaki-chan welcome to the family I just know that father will be so pleased and Akane-chan will just be thrilled when she finds out that she is engaged to someone who loves her so much.”
Ranma nodded in agreement.
Kuno clasped his hands to his chest, “Your kind words… your words they move me. Yes. Yes! We shall be family. Family! Such a wonderful word. I… I must find the lovely Akane and the pig-tailed girl… Ranko,” he said the name as if finding it sweet to his taste-buds, “and tell them the good news!”
Ranma pointed to a door that hadn’t been there a moment before, “You can find them through there.”
“My thanks Saotome. It seems I may have misjudged you,” Kuno yelled as he dashed through the door.
“It’s so sad!”
“What is ‘sumi?”
“I never realized that poor Ranko-chan was my little sister, and she spent so much time here too.”
Ranma just blink-blinked at Kasumi wondering if she was kidding him.
“I wonder if I have any other little sisters out there that mother and father forgot to mention.”
At that moment in an other part of Japan, the sisters Natsume and Kurumi Tendo both sneezed.
“Ranma now that Akane-chan is engaged to Tatewaki what shall we do about the promise to unit our families? I don’t believe that Nabiki would be very happy to take up the engagement again.”
Seeing the look of distress on the older girl’s face. Ranma said, “Don’t worry ‘bout it ‘sumi. I luv ya and ‘kane like ya was my sisters fer real. Y’er ‘bout the only real family I’ve ever known. So we can just fix the problem a uniting da schools by making my pop and yer dad, brothers, tha way we can be family fer real.”
Kasumi smiled merrily, “That is a wonderful idea Ranma-chan, our family is just growing bigger and bigger.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Elsewhere in Nerima-
“With the ability to wish for anything he wants? He’ll realize that you knew about ‘P-chan’ and he’ll know that you know you can’t cook or swim. He’ll know who set him up with Tatewaki Kuno’s fixation on the pig-tailed girl. Who sold all those photos of his girl side. He’ll know who manipulated him and why.”
“It’s Ranma, Nabiki,” said Akane flatly. “He’ll wimp out.”
“Don’t be so sure Akane, Ranma isn’t going to be the same jelly-fish spined chump we’ve known and loved. He’s going to be different and we can’t predict just how he’ll change,” Nabiki said to the back of he sister’s head.
Akane turned around with a scowl, “Don’t be ridiculous, RANMA!” Akane jumped back in surprise.
The wide-eyed redhead in front of Akane looked around in shock. “Ranma? Where?”
Akane went white, “Na-Nabiki? Is that you?”
The redhead’s eyes narrowed, “Of course it’s me. Who else would I be?”
Akane could only stare at her sister owl-eyed and open mouthed, while Nabiki glared at her. Finally pulling herself together Akane told her, “Nabiki you look exactly like Ranma’s girl-side.”
Confusion replaced the glare as Akane fished out her compact, “What are you talking about Akane?”
Horror replaced confusion as Nabiki looked at herself in the small hand mirror and found an exact duplicate of Ranko staring at her.
It was in this state of confusion that Akane and Nabiki found themselves swept-up in an octopus-like hug and heard the words which would haunt their nightmares, “Ah, pig-tailed girl! Fairest Akane! I bring you great news indeed the noble sorcerer Saotome and your elder sister have finally acknowledged my superior nature and have agreed to switch your engagements over to me. Now my beauteous fiancées you may shower me with your love. We can finally live out our destiny and be together forever.”
Akane and Nabiki looked at each other and expressed their joy at the news, “Aaaaagghhh!!”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Back at the Ranch-
“Ok, our pops are taken care of and I’ll getta Happosai later. He likes underwear maybe I’ll turn ‘im into a reusable diaper, or maybe a pair of pop’s shorts. An speakin a pains in da backside. Mousse has been a pain in Shampoo’s backside even longer than he’s been a pain in mine. Ah think it’s time to wash that Mousse right out of our hair. An’ I think I know the best way ta deal with him is…
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(Posted Mon, 16 Jun 2008 01:25)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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