(Writer's Note: Since Saint Fan didn't indicate where in the Ranma 1/2 storyline the Faking It story thread begins, I'll position this story to occur after the final manga episode [i.e. after the failed wedding]. G.)
Ranma knocks on the door, then carefully breathes out as he waits for the person living within to answer. A moment later, the door opens to reveal a beautiful middle-aged woman in a flowery kimono. "Ranma!!" she beams on seeing her son. "What are you doing here?!"
"Sorry ta bother you, Mom, but I need to talk to you for a moment," Ranma braces himself. "It's important."
Nodoka blinks, quickly sensing the pained -- even scared? -- look on her son's face, then she beckons him inside...
A tearse twenty minutes later...
"Please tell me this is some insane joke."
"I wish ta hell it was!"
Nodoka's fists clench as her heart churns over what Ranma just dropped on her, then she gazes on her son. "How do you feel about this?"
"What do you think?!" he snaps back, causing her to duck, then he winces. "Sorry..."
"No need to apologize, my son," Nodoka moderates. "You've ever right to be upset over this."
He gazes gratefully at her, then takes a deep breath. "As far as I'm concerned, I want nothing to do with any of them ever again. Not U-ch-..." he stops himself for a second. "Not Ukyou, not Shampoo and sure as hell not A-a-..." he stutters again before closing his eyes. "Not Akane. I mean, it's not that I've got anything against lesbians or gay folks. If that's the way they were born, there's nothin' they can do about it, y'know," he shrugs. "But..." his fists squeeze. "That they all USE me as their handy excuse to dump their problems on is bad enough! But to LIE to me like this..." he hisses through his teeth, then he looks down. "No. That's goin' too far."
Nodoka gazes tranquilly at her son, a slight nod her only reaction to Ranma's words. "I was born in a time when we would never have viewed people with different gender preferences with anything save scorn and disgust," she explains. "However, times change and we must change with them, I believe. That you're willing to acknowledge such people with respect speaks highly of you." The content look melts into a mask of barely veiled outrage. "And yes, you're right, my son. That they lied to you, USED you in this way..." she grits his teeth. "No."
"What can we do?" he asks.
Nodoka takes a deep breath, then rises. "We must inform Akane's father and your father about this. I believe that Shampoo's great-grandmother will have to be told as well, as quickly as possible. To brush this aside..." she pauses, then shakes her head. "No. We can't do that, not with something as...! As..." she spits out, "...as MONSTROUS as this!"
Ranma slowly nods. Without another word, both rise, heading immediately to the front door. Opening it, Ranma then stops on seeing a diminutive form balanced on a gnarled walking cane. "Ol-...!" he quickly clamps down on his language, then braces himself. "Elder."
"Oh, Elder, we were just coming to see you," Nodoka nods pleasantly at Cologne, then noting the narrow-eyed look on the older woman's face, sighs. "I take it you know of your great-granddaughter's most recent actions concerning one of Ranma's other fiancees."
"Yes, I do," Cologne slowly nods, then gazes on the younger Saotome. "Ranma..."
Ranma's eyes nearly shoot out of his head, then he blinks several times as the meaning behind Cologne's addressing him by name instead of "son-in-law" sinks in. "Elder..." he whispers, then stares at Nodoka.
"We also intended to speak to Souun and my husband about this matter," Nodoka announces. "Do you wish to come inside, Elder? I think we need the chance to air this out properly before we confront the others?"
"Agreed," Cologne nods...
In a minute, all three are seated around the living room table. "So what exactly are my son's rights in this situation?" Nodoka asks.
Cologne takes a deep breath. "Questionable, I must admit. In the wake of the battle between your son and Saffron, my sister elders and I came to the realization that trying to force our laws on someone who so readily defeated, even KILLED, a GOD of all things -- in defence of our village, I should add -- could potentially become suicidally foolhardy. I have not reported this to Shampoo, yet, though now that I've confirmed with my own eyes her growing feelings for both Akane and Ukyou, I think this wouldn't hurt her as badly."
"Same-sex couples and multiple-partner relationships are permitted in your village?" Nodoka asks.
"Yes, child," Cologne nods. "We're quite liberal in that regard, I confess. Even more so when the outsiders in question are very proficient warriors in their own respect, which Ukyou -- and to a lesser extent, Akane -- are. I believe my sister elders would better welcome them than welcome an -- and I mean no insult in this regard, Ranma -- 'unstable male' who killed a GOD into the village."
"None taken," Ranma shakes his head. "But ya said that my situation was 'questionable.' Why's that?"
"Because as far as Shampoo sees things, you two are still bonded by the Kiss of Marriage," Cologne stares at him. "That can change once I tell her of the elders' decision. Then again, she might decide to continue pursuing you, either as a man or as a woman."
"I can't acknowledge becomin' a girl, Elder," Ranma warns.
"Why not? Surely you can't still live under the pathetic illusions Genma forced on you about women."
"He was raised alone by my husband for ten years, Elder," Nodoka warns.
"And there's somethin' else, too," Ranma gazes on his mother. "Ya see, before Oyaji took me out on the trainin' trip, he made me acknowledge a certain pact with Mother. I think you might've heard of this, Elder. That I either came back a 'man above men' or else..."
"You'd be forced to commit ritual suicide," Cologne nods. "I know of it."
"Then you can't expect me ta go back on my word to my own MOTHER about that," Ranma stares at the Amazon matriarch. "I'm sure you and the other elders in your village would respect somethin' like THAT, ne?"
Cologne stares intently at the young man before her, then slowly nods. "Agreed, I cannot disregard that. Even more so since any bond of marriage -- regardless if it's between a woman and a man, or between two women or multiple women -- requires truth to maintain it, which my great-granddaughter, much less your other fiancees, has chosen NOT to share with you, Ranma. You have a very strong case now."
"Thanks," Ranma bows his head, then gazes at Nodoka. "Now all we gotta do is persuade Oyaji and Tendou-san about this."
"That should not be difficult, my son," Nodoka gently fingers the cloth-bound katana in her arms...
Much later, at the Tendou home...
"My son, I am truly sorry about this. I never suspected that Akane would..."
Ranma holds up a hand. He, Nodoka and Cologne now sit across from Souun and Genma. Akane was off somewhere, no doubt with Shampoo. Kasumi had gone shopping, though she would be back soon. Nabiki was currently in her room, though only Cologne and Ranma knew of this. "It's okay, Tendou-san," Ranma lowers his hand. "It took me as much by surprise as it did you."
"It appears we will have to change the engagement, old friend," Genma muses.
"No."
Eyes lock on Nodoka. "No-chan, regardless of what Akane's done, the promise...!" Genma furiously sputters.
"Was made totally irrelevant the instant you stole Ukyou Kuonji's dowry and abandoned her on the side of the road ten years ago," Nodoka cuts off her husband with a steely glare and a thumb pushing the unwrapped katana an inch out of its scabbard. Seeing that makes Genma curl in on himself. "Regardless of Kuonji's actions after that happened, Genma, it doesn't change the fact that YOU betrayed your friend here by selling our son off to nearly every person that crossed your path just to fill your fat belly. As fast as I'm concerned, there will be no further engagement between our son and ANY of Souun's daughters. After all, what if Kasumi and Nabiki are like Akane?"
Souun blanches. "Th-that can't be t-true..." he stutters.
"Well, I sure as hell ain't gonna take that chance," Ranma announces, then straightening himself, bows respectfully to Akane's father. "Tendou-san, I thank you very much for your hospitality, but I can no longer live in this house. Since repairs have been complete at my true home, I'll go live there from now on. I wish you and your family the best in the future."
With that, he rises, heading upstairs. "Boy, you come back here and...!" Genma rises to pursue...
...then falls unconscious courtesy of a shiatsu strike by Cologne. "Your son has long earned the right to take total control of his life, Genma," the Amazon elder states before turning to Souun. "I will speak to Shampoo about her behaviour when she returns to the Nekohanten, Souun. If you feel it necessary to banish Akane from this house, know that my tribe will welcome her with open arms. Good day."
Cologne departs. Souun stares at the space where she had been, then turns to Nodoka. "Nodoka, surely you can't mean that!" he pleads.
Nodoka glares him down. "Grow up and act your age, Souun! My son has made up his mind about this. As his mother -- as well as being the head of our branch of the Saotome Clan -- I have every right to put an end to this pathetic farce once and for all. There is NO longer any engagement between my son and any of your children. Interfere in any way, shape or form about this and I will see to it that Nabiki is arrested for all the things she's done to my son and that Akane's disgusting behaviour is spashed broadside throughout Nerima."
The Tendou patriarch freezes, his jaw hitting the floor. If Nodoka did THAT, the reputation of the Tendou dojo would be cast into the dungheap once and for all, with no hope of redemption! "Y-y-you wouldn't..."
"Try me."
By then, Ranma has returned to the ground floor, backpack in one hand and his person tantou in the other. Seeing him obviously prepared to walk out of the Tendou home once and for all, Souun shudders, a storm of emotions churning through his heart. Ranma glares intently at him, then sneers. "You even think of tryin' ta stop this, Tendou, ya better remember this: that psychopathic dyke you call a daughter owes me her very LIFE!!" he growls, his battle aura flaring. "Pray I never find reason ta take that back!"
Hearing that, Souun gargles, then collapses into a crying heap. "No! Ranma hates Akane!! The schools'll never be joined!" he wails.
"WHAT schools are we talkin' about?!" Ranna snaps, turning his back on Souun, then he glances at Nodoka. "Hey, Mom, ya think we should call a Dojo Destroyer over here to have their sign taken away?"
"That might be a good idea, my son. I don't wish you to sully your hands on a filthy place like this," Nodoka sneers. "Come along."
"Hai!"
They walk out. Nodoka waits until they get clear of the Tendou grounds before gazing on her son. "Ranma...?"
"Nabiki," Ranma taps his ear.
"Ah..."
"Oh, shit...!" Nabiki gargles as the heated words just spoken in the living room -- they captured in all their glory thanks to the couple of bugs she planted there after the Saotomes first arrived at their doorstep -- replay in her mind. Akane-chan, what have you done?!
Well, now what?
(Posted Tue, 25 Feb 2003 05:36)
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