“Ranma Saotome?” Akane asked her father in disbelief.
“Yes, I said Ranma Saotome,” Soun answered his daughter.
“Son of Genma Saotome, been training in martial arts all his life, that Ranma Saotome?”
“Yes,” Soun replied with a frown, “Those are their names. Yes, they’ve been on a journey of training. They seemed to have recently returned from China. How did you know that?” Everyone was looking at Akane oddly.
“YES!” Akane jumped up and shouted. “I’ll marry him.”
“How do you know this Ranma, little sister?” Kasumi asked the question that was on everyone’s mind.
“Better yet, why are you so willing to marry him? I thought you hated boys.” Nabiki asked, suspicious of her sister. “You’re not trying to get out of this engagement by pretending to be insane, are you?”
‘Akane could of heard the name somewhere, maybe on the postcard Daddy is clutching tightly to himself. And all of Daddy’s friends were martial artists.’
“Why wouldn’t I want to marry him. Once he takes care of Kuno and his brigade of perverts, they won’t bother me ever again. He’s a nice boy, a little rough around the edges, but he means well.”
Kasumi figured that Akane must of known Ranma from before. “How do you know all that? Is he a friend from school?”
“Nope,” Akane replied with a sunny smile. “He’s my soul mate. We share this mind-reading ability and often talk to each other.” Her sisters were looking at her in concern, thinking that she went off her rocker.
Nabiki looked towards Kasumi. “She must think if she acts crazy enough we wouldn’t engage her to anyone.”
Kasumi only pursed her lips and hummed in response.
Akane crossed over to her father. “Thank you, Daddy. Love you. I’m going to go get ready to welcome Ranma.” Akane then left the room.
Up in her room, she was rifling through her things. ‘Should I wear a cute sun dress, or a formal kimono? I look better in a dress, but the kimono is more traditional.’
Meanwhile, her father was happy that the houses would soon be joined and emotional that his little girl would be getting married. Nabiki had decided that if Akane was going to try to weasel out of the engagement by pretending she wanted it, then she would just simply let Akane have the engagement.
‘How good looking could the boy be, anyways?’ She consoled herself.
Kasumi has returned to her kitchen to prepare for guests. She was worried about her little sister, but thought it best to humor her until she could get her to Dr. Tofu’s for a checkup. Not long after, Akane entered the kitchen wearing her yellow sun dress. Unsure how long she had before Ranma arrived, but knowing he was on his way, she had saved taking a bath until later.
“Kasumi-Oni-chan? Could you make a pot of tea for our guests?” Akane asked her sister as she filled up a kettle for the stove. ‘Ranma is going to appreciate some hot water, getting rained on as he did.’
Finally, with some tea and sweets set on the table, and Akane oddly filling a bowl with hot water, the youngest Tendo and heir to the school settled down to await her fiancé’s arrival. Unfortunately, patience was never her strong point. But her anxiety ebbed somewhat as she felt Ranma regain consciousness.
Akane was thinking of the first time she had ‘met’ Ranma when she felt him awaken. She sighed, hoping she wouldn’t have to wait much longer. At least she could pass the time with Ranma. Returning to her thoughts, a smile graced her lips. She remembered how, the day after Kuno started to become a nuisance and riled up the other boys in to acts of stupidity, she was trying to hide in the library. In those days, the boys would attack her all day long, being before the teachers had gotten them to confine their activities to before school. While in the library, moping about how horrible life was, she first felt something that was certainly not her. The connection quickly grew, and by the end of the day, she was comforting a new friend, which comforted her. It allowed her to realize that there were other people who had worse lives then she did and to count her blessings. It was only another day or so when she learned her new best friend was a boy, and that not all boys were perverts. Just the idiots in her school. Both parties would admit how they found love when they needed some. What both had forgotten was that they had each made a wish that had led to their current situation.
She could sense Ranma struggling with his father, who refused to let go of his boy. Genma was afraid he’d run off. Having shared dreams before, Akane knew what Ranma looked like. But she was eager to be with him outside of those dreams. To hold his hand, look into his eyes, and to feel the warmth of his embrace.
“I think we’re almost there, Pop’s is approaching a house. Looks like yours from our dreams.”
Akane confirmed this as she heard noise coming from outside. Grabbing her bowl of still hot water, and the kettle of boiling water, she ran for the door. Throwing it open, she threw the boiling kettle first, and was rewarded with screams of “Hot! Hot! Hot!”. She then, more gently, emptied the bowl. Her family came up behind her to find two wet guests. Nabiki and Kasumi looked at Akane strangely while Soun immediately leapt for the elder of the two men.
“Saotome, how I’ve been waiting for you!” He exclaimed as he thumped Genma on his back mightily while giving him a manly embrace. At least that is what Soun would admit to. His crying like a schoolgirl did little to enhance his image of manliness.
Ranma awkwardly stood there, blushing and smiling while staring at Akane. “Hi,” he said simply.
“You must be Ranma.” Soun greeted him with a big hug as well. “You don’t know how long I have waited to meet you. This is Akane, she’s your fiancée, and these are my other daughters Kasumi and Nabiki. Come in, Come in.” Soun beckoned the Saotomes to enter the house.
Nabiki gave Ranma a good looking over. “Wow, you’re a hunk. Sorry about my sister throwing water at you. She is the crazy, violent maniac one and hates boys. But since she is crazy, why don’t I be your fiancée instead?”
Ranma threw her an odd look as he followed his father in. The Tendos were right behind them. Akane growled as she glared at her sister.
“Sorry, sister. I’m not crazy and he’s mine. I told you, we already share something special.”
Nabiki smirked at Akane. “Why don’t we let him decide, then.” Nabiki figured she could seduce Ranma, certainly she was a better choice then her violent, boy-hating sister.
Akane smiled in return. “Alright, if you promise to abide by that, I have no worries.”
Soon they were all siting down, and Akane began to pour tea for the guests.
Genma was happy that the girls seemed to have noticed his son, but was still afraid Ranma might try to run away. He had to push the issue and lay it to rest. “So, you’ve decided on which daughter is to marry Ranma already?”
Soun nodded his head. “Yes, Akane volunteered for it. They’re made for each other, both are martial artists within the Anything Goes school.”
Genma cuffed his son on the back of Ranma’s head. “Here that boy, the perfect wife for you. You’re going to marry for family honor, do your father proud.”
Ranma just rolled his eyes. “As long as it’s for family honor.” Smiling at Akane, he addressed her next. “Wanna go spar?”
Akane nodded in agreement. “Just go easy on me, OK? Come on, follow me. The dojo is this way.”
Akane had picked up a lot of moves from Ranma over the link, especially because of the way she got treated at school. But now that he could be there to help train her in person, Akane felt she learned more then she ever did before in her life. Their sparring was light and friendly, and often segued into hugs and kisses. Ranma won them, but Akane didn’t doubt that he could.
They were sitting on the ground, Ranma was behind Akane and had her in a submission hold. Though it turned into an embrace quickly enough. Ranma’s face darkened once again as he thought of Kuno.
“Akane? Can I have dibs on Kuno tomorrow? I been waiting to meet him ever since you told me about him.”
Akane purposefully acted coy. “I don’t know. I always feel so much better after beating up on him. Good stress relief. But I guess I can let you have a go just this one time. I’ll just make sure to get some good seats and cheer you on.”
Ranma hugged her closer to him. “Love you.”
Akane replied, “Ditto. Can’t wait for tomorrow.”
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See other episodes by Errol Peregrinus
(Posted Sat, 17 May 2008 05:49)
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