Inscribed on the card was a very simple phrase: Bringing the boy and the family by for a visit on XX/XX, Saotome. This information set Soun’s famous emotional roller-coaster right on track, ‘Saotome is coming to fulfill the pledge, I must tell the girls.’
“Kasumi,” Soun shouted as he ran about the house trying to find her, “Gather your sister’s in the living room...” Soun paused as he realized that Kasumi had just left to buy food for dinner.
‘Oh well I’ll just tell her when she get’s home.’ Immediately Soun switched gears and ran to search for the middle of the Tendo children who could only be in one place, “Nabiki it is very important that you...” Unfortunately Soun’s words again died in his mouth as Nabiki’s room was empty, ‘Of course she isn’t back from school yet, of course Akane is still here.’
Deciding that this couldn’t wait any longer and brimming with excitement, Soun threw open the door and shouted, “Akane I.” *THUNK* only to have his sentence ended when his still asleep daughter sent a weight flying straight at the source of the irritation... namely his head.
________________________________________
“Father, are you alright,” inquired the eldest of the Tendo trio as Soun reawakened on his own futon with a cold washcloth laid across the swelling knot on his forehead.
“She has her mother’s arm,” Soun groaned, not even bothering to try getting up.
“What happened?” Kasumi asked, “I found you unconscious in the hallway.”
“I tried to do something that I should have known better than to try,” Soun said through pained eyes, “I was so excited by what I saw in the mail that I tried to get everyone together in the den... of course this meant that I tried to wake Akane up before she was willing to do so, and she naturally hit the snooze button.”
“Father you should know better,” Kasumi looked at her father with disappointment in her eyes, “You should have remembered how mother hated to be woken up the day after patrol duty, and we all know that Akane has problems controlling her temper.”
“Yes she’s so much like her mother when I met her,” Soun looked back through misty eyes, “I still remember the headlock she used on me when I accidently sat on the gift for her bosses Fifth Anniversary as MLA North Tokyo’s Chief.”
“Oh my, you mean mother used to hit you.” Kasumi looked at her father in horror.
“Only when I really deserved it,” Soun laughed and then groaned in pain, *UGGH* “Yes, you would think that after being married to one I would have learned the hard way ‘never to try and rouse a bear when it was hibernating.’”
“Oh my,” Kasumi blushed as she tried to suppress a laugh at her father’s expense, “What were you trying to tell Akane anyway?”
“It can wait until your sister Nabiki’s and Akane’s awake,” Soun groaned, “Anyway I need the time to recover.” ‘Especially since this announcement might motivate Akane to throttle me.’
________________________________________
Around six in the evening Akane finally woke up and walked downstairs in her pajamas, much to her sister’s chagrin, “Honestly Akane do you intend to spend all day in your bed wear again?”
Blearily Nabiki turned to regard her sister and replied, “No Nabiki, I intend to change out of this after my first (and probably only) real meal of the day take a bath, and then after changing into my gi finishing up my homework after reading up on today’s lessons, then go work out until I collapse so that I can get a normal night’s sleep before school tomorrow.”
“Gee Akane,” Nabiki remarked in a snide tone, “I would have thought that after ten hours sleep and nearly giving father a concussion you would be in a better mood.”
“Nabiki are you sure that you remembered to get your shot this month,” Akane said with a touch of concern, “because it seems like you’re getting the post estrus shakes.”
“Akane that’s not funny,” Nabiki said slightly shaking, “You know that we stay in the neighborhood shelter.”
“Nabiki I’m not joking,” Akane said desperately, “you need to make a doctor’s appointment just in case!”
“Okay Akane,” Nabiki said nonchalantly, “I will, but it’s probably nothing.”
“It is better safe than sorry,” Kasumi stated as she set down the rice cooker next to the table, “you know there are dangers for you since both of us are mid-cycle during the full moon, and do you honestly want to have a child before you graduate high school.”
“Yesh Kasumi,” Nabiki rolled her eyes, “you would think by the way you were talking you snuck down to the shelter by Tofu’s clinic before nightfall, and had your way with the poor man... come to think of it just where were you last night I know that you weren’t in our blocks shelter with the rest of us.”
“Nabiki!” Kasumi said aghast while blushing in embarrassment.
“Anyway girls the reason that I wanted all of you to be here tonight is to tell you something important.” Soun waited until he was sure that he had his daughters’ full attention before continuing.
“You see when I was younger I trained alongside a man named Genma Saotome; together we endured the harshest of training under our cruel master. When our training was completed, and before we parted ways we pledged that we would unite our two halves of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts as well as our families through our children.”
“Dad what are you thinking, Nabiki shouted, “an arranged marriage in this day and age.”
“Well it is a matter of family honor Nabiki,” Akane grinned, “and you are the de-facto heir to the school.”
“Akane just what are you saying,” Nabiki said staring at her younger sister in horror, “I thought you would be as much against this as I would be.”
“If he’s old fashioned enough to go along with an arranged marriage; I would seriously doubt that he’d choose to wed a MLA dogcatcher.” Akane stated while calmly eating her dinner, “I mean if he wants to marry a yamato nadeshiko he’ll chose Kasumi, and if he’s serious about uniting the schools he’d choose you; because I’m legally-obligated to work for the MLA for the rest of my life.”
“Now Akane that is hardly fair, father fell for mother after all,” Kasumi admonished in her calm tone, “and he is fairly traditional.”
“Um, thank you Kasumi,” Soun said while fiercely blushing and scratching his head in embarrassment, “but I have a confession to make. I meet your mother when I bar hoping in celebration over building the dojo, and woke up at home the next morning with her in my arms. My honor wouldn’t allow for such an occurrence so I proposed as soon as she woke up… which was a good thing too considering that you came along nine months later.
“Oh my!”
“Dad,” Nabiki said shaking her head, “you don’t have a romantic bone in your body do you.”
“Anyway my romantic history aside,” Soun stated trying to salvage the conversation (as well as an gram or two of his pride), “we will be meeting the Saotome’s tomorrow evening for dinner, and all of you had better be here extra early to get ready.”
Read the comments on this episode
See other episodes by The Insane Hiker
(Posted Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:16)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.