[Episode 4948] [Episode 4948]Belldandy nodded sadly. “As you wish...”
She extended her hand outward; glowing dust settled to the ground in a circular pattern around Ranma. Ranma gulped as her body began to glow amidst the circle; she felt like she was on fire and freezing to death at the same time. She let out a scream as a tearing sound came faintly to her ears...
She woke up. She could tell her gender; lying on one’s breasts will tend to give it away. She rubbed a hand against her chest carefully and looked around as voices came to her ears.
“Thanks, Belldandy. Now what?”
Belldandy opened a portal. “Off to your new life. I’ll be seeing you soon.”
Ranma shot up. “WAIT! How... why am I still a girl? And where the heck are YOU going?”
The man in Keiichi’s body smiled. “You’re the curse. It’s your turn to have fun with Kunou. Ja!” With that, he stepped through the portal and away. Ranma jumped after him; she bounced off of the portal and fell unceremoniously to the floor.
“Why... why...” She beat her fists to the ground. “Why do I have to marry that jerk?”
Belldandy put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry. You’ll enjoy being a bride! There’s something... peaceful... about being a proper wife; that’s what I’m going to teach you about.”
“Teach me... yeah...” Ranma whispered. She almost felt like throwing up at the thought of being Kunou’s bride. “This has got to be some nightmare...”
Belldandy held out her hand. “Shall we begin?”
Ranma groaned, and looked at the hand. “Why not? The sooner this is over, the sooner I can get a divorce.” She grabbed the hand, and allowed Belldandy to pull her up.
“Now, time for the lessons to begin.” Belldandy frowned. “Now... don’t you think you should get out of those clothes?”
Ranma gulped. Her Chinese shirt and slacks had become a part of her; she had a feeling that, once she took them off, she could never go back. “Um... are you sure? I mean, do I need to wear something different for this?” Belldandy’s look sent Ranma cringing. “Okay, okay...” She stripped naked, figuring that was what Belldandy wanted. “So, what now?”
Belldandy waved her fingers; next to her, a full-length mirror appeared. Ranma couldn’t help but look at herself. She looked so tiny, almost childlike in this body; her nudity only made her feel even more vulnerable. Her breasts jutted out from her chest, perfect mammaries that reacted to the cool air. A tapered waist led down to childbearing hips - and, of course, that thatch of scarlet between her legs. She barely looked down at her legs; she’d seen enough to know.
There wasn’t any man left. Her manhood had taken a portal out of there; she was female, vulnerable, and very scared. She put up only a token resistance as the tears began to fall.
“Ranko... it’s okay to cry. You’ve gone through a difficult time, I know. Everything about your life has changed, and you’re not sure what to make of it.” Belldandy put her arms around Ranma from behind. “Don’t worry; you’ll be happy once all this is done. I promise.”
Ranma blinked. Something electrified the air at Belldandy’s oath, as though the promise meant more than empty words. “Um... okay.”
Belldandy untied Ranma’s pigtail, and pulled out a brush. “Ranko, don’t be afraid of being a woman. There’s a peace that comes with it, a way of thinking that calms the senses. When your training is done, you’ll understand.” She brushed out Ranko’s hair, her movements punctuating her words. “Womanhood is more than the body a person wears. It’s a state of mind, a feeling... a balance with the world. It’s a different way if interacting with the world than what you’re used to.”
Ranma nodded slowly. Belldandy’s touch calmed her, soothing her fears; under Belldandy’s brush, she felt totally relaxed. “Mmmm...”
Belldandy continued to brush. “There are many aspects to being female... it’s a balance of mind body, and soul, and we hope to accomplish that before you go back to the real world. There are so many aspects of it... wife and mother are the most obvious.” She smiled, and continued to brush. “Tell me, Ranko, what do you imagine your children to be like?”
Ranma sighed in her bliss. “Oh... lively. I want them to be holy terrors, just like I was. Maybe they could be a little smarter than me... I... I guess I want them to be better than I was. I knew the Art, but... bit I didn’t know much else.”
Belldandy’s smile widened as she continued her ministrations. “What do they look like, Ranko?”
Ranma closed her eyes. “Oh... a daughter... one with dark eyes and beautiful red hair... she’s ruined her dress by playing in the grass...” She let her eyes open slightly. “He... my son... he’s tall... looks more like his father, but has my eyes... he’s somewhere between us; more thoughtful than me, but still with his mischievous side...” She sighed. “They’re beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.”
Belldandy kissed Ranma on the cheek. “Don’t forget that, Ranko. Don’t ever forget that dream.” She began to twist Ranma’s hair into an inverted French braid. “What do you think of him, Ranko?”
“Kunou?” Her smile faltered, even though she still floated in relaxation. “He... he is good-looking... I just wish he weren’t so... obsessive.” She turned her head down. “He seems like he might have been a nice guy, but something got in the way.” She looked up, most of the fog gone. “Do I have to marry him?”
Belldandy chuckled. “Don’t worry; my sister is taking care of him right now. He was broken by his mother’s death; my sister is working to heal that pain.”
“Oh,” Ranma whispered, not sure what to make of it. The thought of a sane Kunou had some appeal to her; maybe he would be worth marrying then.
Belldandy moved out of the way. “What do you think of your hair, Ranko?”
Ranma... no, she could call herself Ranko, now... blushed. The hair had been done perfectly; Belldandy had woven white flowers in her hair. Her hair, at least, was ready for the ceremony. But the rest of her... she still felt like a child. “I... I don’t understand,” she whispered...
“You will, Ranko,” Belldandy whispered. “Here, let me help you with something.” She waved her hand in front of Ranko’s face; flawless makeup appeared as it passed.
Ranko gasped. “How...”
Belldandy smiled. “Not yet; there’s something else you need as well.” She handed Ranko a bundle of fabric. “I trust you know what to do with this...”
Ranko looked at the fabric. “Oh, dear...”
“This, I think, you know what to do. You’ll know how to take his breath away when the time comes.” A chair appeared behind Ranko as Belldandy eased away. “This is something you have to do; I’ll wait until you’re done.
Ranko slipped into the garter belt first, then worked on the stockings - white, impossibly sheer, incredibly sexy. She felt an electric thrill as she slipped the stockings up her legs and fastened them. The panty came on next, white lace that invited Kunou to see what was inside while protecting her until them. The bra came on last; she took in a deep breath when she realized what would happen when she took them off.
Everything was perfect. She didn’t look like a child anymore; this was courage in lace and sheer. Once Kunou - Tatewaki, she told herself, Tatewaki - saw her like this, he’d be incapable of resistance; he’d be all hers. This leveled the playing field; she wasn’t sure of what she’d be able to do once the wedding night began, but this would be her courage. She straightened up in front of the mirror, and gave her best seductive pose; it surprised her just how natural it came.
She was ready for this. She was ready to become Kunou’s bride. Strange; she didn’t really feel all that different from the life she remembered. It just felt... right, to her.
Belldandy smiled behind her, a bundle of white in her hands. “Are you ready for the dress?”
Ranko nodded. Belldandy held the dress out for her. “What do you think?”
Ranko took a deep breath. “It’s... incredible.” She grabbed the dress and held it over herself. “It’s... perfection.”
Belldandy nodded. “We are trying to make this perfect. With all the problems that had come before, we felt that it needed to be perfect in order for it to work.” She held out another pile of fabric. “You still need some other things before putting on the dress. Let me help you with these...”
Ranko shivered as Belldandy pulled some sort of underdress over her head. This couldn’t be happening - both in a good way and a bad. She didn’t mind the future, but it still made her nervous. The underdress was quickly zipped up; the wedding dress came quickly behind it.
“Not yet,” Belldandy whispered. “Still a few things to do.” Belldandy spoke a small chant, then touched Ranko’s ears. Ranko blinked; she could feel the weight of earrings there. “And... the necklace.” Belldandy clasped a pearl necklace around Ranko, then backed away.
Ranko turned to look in the mirror - and found perfection. She looked stunning; the satin of the dress shimmered in the light, a simple-cut dress made all the more beautiful for its simplicity. The pearl earrings and necklace accentuated the outfit perfectly. Underneath, she could feel the various undergarments, the layers of the gift beneath the package. She felt something on her finger, and blinked; somewhere in there, she’d received an engagement ring.
She was ready for him.
“Don’t forget the shoes...” Belldandy called out. Ranko stepped into the white pumps; she’d half-expected to see glass slippers after all she’d been through. Now, after all this, she was ready.
Belldandy put her hands on Ranko’s shoulders. “Remember... marriage is about giving yourself to someone else. He will give everything he is to you; you will give everything you are to him. Be well, Ranko.”
The image changed; the looking-glass shifted to a gathering. The wedding party had already assembled. Ranko could see her family and friends out there: her mother and father, the Tendos, Ryouga, even the China gang. But what took her breath away was the man awaiting her.
The madness was passed. She could see quiet sorrow in his eyes; however, those brown eyes were sane, not ripped by insanity. She put a hand against the looking-glass; she wanted out there, to be with him.
“Thank you, Belldandy-san.”
Belldandy smiled. “We’ll see each other again, Ranko-chan.” She touched the glass. “Come. Your future awaits.”
Ranko took a step into the glass... and into her new life.
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(Posted Thu, 17 Oct 2002 03:45)
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