Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. All events and characters in this story are fictional. Any similarity with any event or person in real life is only coincidence.
Author's Notes: Hi everybody! This is my first attempt at fanfiction, and I'm trying my best, really, but I don't get cool ideas often, so...apologies!
This is an AU, and possible xover. I'm trying as best as I can to make the characters in character, but you will find more OOC. Genma, for example, is going to be way OOC.
Hmm...oh, and by the way, I'm an Akane fan, and you'll find R/A from me, so...you've been warned. I'm trying not to make Akane into a goddess, but you never know. This AN is getting too long...Well, enjoy then...hopefully...
Remind me not to be on bad terms with life
A Ranma 1/2 story
By Shikumi
Kasumi hummed a gentle pleasant song as she moved towards the kitchen door, about to prepare dinner for her family. That was the room in the house she loved best, and she took extra care everyday to keep it clean and tidy, like one would take care of one's most precious possession. Not that she didn't allow her siblings and father to come even in the vicinity of the room, actually she enjoyed their company while she moved about doing her work. She just wouldn't be able to stand it, if her sanctuary was in anyway less than perfect every night before she went to sleep.
Pushing the door open, she unhooked her apron, and put it around herself. She made sure her hair was in place in her usual tail, and walked inside. Immediately she felt the familiar, comforting feeling that always surrounded her when she stepped inside, and so she closed her eyes for a moment to savor that feeling, while offering a short blessing prayer. Once the ritual ended, she started working on her task.
"I'm home!" someone announced from the door. Soon, a black haired girl, younger than Kasumi, appeared in the kitchen, wearing a pair of shorts, a loose fitting t-shirt and a towel draped on her shoulders. Her features were still childish, yet her eyes, while filled with life and excitement of youth, also held a touch of sadness in them, though one had to be observant enough to see it.
"Welcome back, Akane," Kasumi replied, with a smile on her face. "How did your jogging go?"
"Thanks Kasumi. It was okay, I guess," said the girl, "I'll be at the dojo if you need me, nee-chan."
With that, Akane left the kitchen, heading toward the adjacent building outside.
A few minutes later, another shorthaired girl greeted Kasumi in the kitchen, "Hey Kasumi, what's for dinner?" She was also younger than her, though older than Akane, far less childish, and her eyes were less innocent, but the love for life was still there, with the same air of sadness about her; it was much more difficult to see than Akane's, but then one would have to be crazy or very rich if one even so much as mentioned it, or one might find oneself working the rest of his or her life trying to work a way to pay her. Kasumi had to laugh a little bit at the thought; her sister had a way to make others do things the way she wanted, even if sometimes her methods were not exactly legal.
"Hello, Nabiki. We are having miso soup, some vegetables, maybe some beef, and a fish, how about that?" Kasumi inquired.
"Sounds good, can I have some dessert first? I'm starving. Oh, and I almost forgot, Dad wants us to meet him in the living room, says he's got something important to say. By the way, where is Akane?"
The eldest of the three girls was about to answer when some screaming and bricks breaking were heard in the dojo. "Never mind, I found my answer," said Nabiki. She too left the kitchen.
What would Father want with us, Kasumi wondered. Well, there is only one way to find out, dinner will have to wait, she decided, and headed toward the living room where the patriarch waited.
--
The dojo itself was a rather elegant building in its simplicity. The walls, which were made of wood, had darkened in color as the years went by, giving it an ancient look, yet the dojo stood firm over the decades. It was built in the garden, at the precise spot where the first sunrays at dawn crept along it, making the building look young again, ready to welcome life within its walls, while at dusk, it became silent and calm, the sun lighting softly the interior, creating a mystical feeling, full of jealously guarded secrets and memories. Sometimes, if one strained his ears, battle cries, and laughter from students of long ago could be heard, the spirits within the walls telling their silent story.
It was also kept clean though it was clear that that was not by the hands of Kasumi. Whoever it was that cleaned it, he, or rather she, wasn't as careful as the eldest Tendou girl was when cleaning, but still did a good job at it, and it helped Kasumi a lot not to have to clean the dojo on top of the two story house they lived in.
For the longest time, only Akane used this dojo. Just like the kitchen for Kasumi, the dojo was the favorite place for her, she could spend hours in it, working out, reading, writing, studying, resting, eating, anything. She would have moved her room over, but that would take up the space for work out, so she decided against it. Besides maybe someday the dojo would start accepting students again, and so would need to be kept empty of furniture such as beds and desks.
However, it wasn't dusk yet, so when Nabiki neared the dojo, it wasn't the calm and mysterious aura that greeted her, though there was no way she would be able to feel auras at the conscious level. Instead, she was in time to see her youngest sister's hand come down in a slicing motion and successfully break a small pile of bricks in half.
"No wonder boys think you're weird, Akane."
"Yeah, well, the world does not revolve around them, Nabiki."
"Maybe not, but they sure are gold mines each one of them. Anyways, Dad wants us to meet him in the living room. He's calling a 'family meeting'," informed Nabiki.
"Now that's new. The last time we had a family meeting was ten years ago."
"Can't argue that. Coming?"
"Sure. I'll clean up the bricks a bit."
"Really Akane, why do you break bricks like that? Last time I checked, there's never been a report of killer bricks attacking innocent humans," sarcasm was dripping off her voice.
"Very funny, Nabiki, I'm laughing by head off. For your information, it's good to be prepared. You never know when some stupid moron with a head as thick as a brick will attack you," said the younger girl matter-of-factly.
"And just as well for your information, there probably is some deity to whom all bricks pay their respects, and he might be planning revenge on you for destroying his loyal followers," the elder girl retorted. She knew her little sister was a sucker for supernatural stuff like that.
Just as predicted, Akane's face showed fear for a second, before it was squashed down. Point to Nabiki! A smirk appeared on her face.
Akane for her part was going to make her comeback, when she saw her sister's face, and turned red with embarrassment and annoyance. "I'm going to get you for this one, Nabiki!"
"Ha ha ha! I can't believe you fell for that! Ha ha ha! So much for insisting that you are grown up! You are still a little brat! Ha ha ha!"
"It could happen! And I am not a brat!"
"Sure you are not. You probably won't sleep tonight with the lights off worrying the brick deity will come to get you!" Nabiki laughed even harder than before, and couldn't seem to stop.
Akane was so embarrassed. "Whatever, Nabiki," she mumbled, "I still need to clean up the bricks before I go in."
"Here, let me help," said Nabiki, still chuckling.
"You? Help? All right, how much?"
Nabiki made a suspicious sound that resembled grumbling. "It's for free this time, okay? Don't get used to it."
Her sister openly registered shock on her face this time. "Right." A few moments passed, while the two girls put the larger pieces of brick away.
"Who are you and what did you do to my sister?"
"Hey!" Nabiki shouted in protest, "I do help around the hou..." That's when she saw Akane wearing a similar smirk to her own.
"Ha ha ha! Pay back, Nabiki."
"Why you little...!"
This is a good day, thought Akane happily.
Maybe Nabiki shouldn't have made fun of the brick deity.
--
At the table in the living room, a man around his forties or fifties sat unmoving, his face expressionless, his eyes the only feature belying the excitement coursing in his blood. He was sure his darling daughters would be pleased, even ecstatic, about this surprise he had for them, and for it to be a surprise, he had to keep a straight face no matter what.
His eyes wandered again to the postcard on the table and read again the simple message:
Soun,
My family and I are back in Japan. Coming for a visit soon.
Genma
Finally, he had been waiting for this day for so long. He allowed a small smile to appear on his face. It was such a long time he last saw his dear friend Genma. Ever since his wife disappeared, now that he thought about it.
Such a long time has passed, he thought. It was hard to go on the first few years. He had lost his will to live on, when he found out his wife had disappeared. His daughters were still so very young; he didn't know how to care for three little girls. And yet, they were the ones who were strong, who took over the house, and little by little brought life back into his heart.
Soun Tendou smiled softly at the memories. He remembered little Kasumi when she had run to him with all the energy of an eight year old, and told him proudly that she was all grown up, because she didn't need mommy or daddy to help her bath anymore, though she was having some trouble with washing her hair, whenever she closed her eyes, she would feel she was falling. Little Nabiki stood next to her sister, announcing too that she knew how to bath herself, that she could brush her own hair, and that she could do sums and multiplications faster than anyone else in her class. Not to be beaten, little Akane had insisted that she was brave; she didn't need a night light when she went to sleep, she wasn't afraid of the dark, and her teacher at kindergarten had praised a picture she did of the family.
That night, after everyone was sleeping, he felt his youngest daughter creep into his room, and asked fearfully and quietly if she could have her light on. He had wanted to laugh out and cry at the same time. He smiled at her instead and took her by the hand, leading the girl back to her room. Once there, he turned on the little light by her desk and stayed with her until she fell asleep. Before she went off to dreamland, she made him promise to keep it a secret, and never let Nabiki know.
Two days after that, their mother disappeared.
Things were a mess. The house needed to be cleaned, the laundry done, and the dishes washed. He was a wreck, and he didn't have the energy to pay attention to his daughters. The girls had comforted each other, though, and soon Kasumi had Nabiki and Akane helping her around the house. He was unaware of all the effort the girls put in, until one morning long past the time for school, he headed down toward the kitchen for a cup of water, and he saw his little angels curled together in the couch asleep. They must have been very tired, he realized suddenly, while his heart constricted painfully in his chest. They were trying hard to keep everything in order, out of trouble. He, on the other hand, had been wasting away, never taking his responsibility as a parent.
Nabiki was the first to wake up and notice him. She was very observant, and must have seen his troubled eyes, for she walked up to him, and hugged him. "Everything is gonna be okay, daddy. You have Kasumi, Akane and I. You can cry if you want to."
He hugged her tight and let the tears fall. He could also feel her little body wracked in sobs.
The girls took over the house chores and had divided the assignments within them. He had his share of work too, the more tiring ones like cooking, sweeping and moping, until they were old enough to take over those and still do better than average in school. He didn't want to let them work too much, but his daughters had insisted, and encouraged him to go out more with his friends.
Over the years, they settled into a comfortable sphere of living, and they managed very well in his opinion. His bond with his children was very special and strong, having survived many trials. He didn't know if he was good enough a parent, but his daughters seemed to adore him nonetheless, and they made him proud.
Steps were heard heading to where he sat. As soon as he heard them, he hastily erased all trace of expression from his face. When his daughters were all seated in front of him, he announced his surprise.
A loud scream was heard soon after, startling many people. A girl in New York cracked open one eye and wondered why people could be so inconsiderate as to yell in the dead of the night. She rolled in her bed, and went back to sleep.
--
"What are you thinking, Daddy?!"
"Now, Akane..."
"Don't 'Now, Akane' me! How could you?"
"That certainly wasn't a very nice thing to do, Father."
"But, Kasumi..."
"Don't 'But Kasumi' her either!"
"You can't do that, Daddy! We are now in the age of technology and science. Nobody has arranged engagements!"
"Well, Nabiki..."
"Who said you're allowed to 'Well, Nabiki' her?"
"We don't even know the guy! Is he nice? How does he look like?"
"Hmmm..." was Soun's intelligent reply.
"You haven't met him," said Nabiki deadpanned.
"Oh my! I don't like men that are younger than me."
Akane and Nabiki looked at Kasumi shocked. "What are you thinking Kasumi?" both of them all but shouted at the same time.
"I have a feeling he's younger than I am," offered Kasumi.
"You're weird, Kasumi."
"Why, thank you, Akane."
"You're welcome!"
"WAHHHH! Whatever happened to my girls' sanity?"
"Dropping the engagement bomb can do wonders, Dad."
"That was a sarcastic question, Nabiki."
"And that was a sarcastic answer, Dad."
Soun sighed heavily. They were surprised all right, but they weren't pleased. What went wrong?
"Come on, girls. At least you can give him a chance. You don't know anything about him; you might even like him. He and his father are coming soon to visit us. As I know, his father made him travel a lot, I don't think he could have many friends. Please make him feel welcomed? If you don't develop romantic feelings for each other, I promise I won't push you. But you can at least be friends."
However, whatever he said after putting a negative and 'friends' in the same sentence went to deaf ears.
"Oh the poor little boy! He must be so lonely, growing up all by himself! Oh dear, I hope our house will be able to warm his hardened little heart!"
"I promise I won't bill him for any help he might need the first week around here!"
"And I won't use my mallet on him for the first month, even if he is a pervert, and he can use the dojo too, if he wants."
"He must look so forlorn. Like a lost puppy looking around him insecurely, with watery eyes begging for a little bit of affection!"
"No, no, Kasumi. He must look like an old, wrinkled bill, probably have spent months, if not years, without a real shower, and uncountable scars hidden by mud!"
"Not that, Nabiki! I'll bet he looks much more like an un-repaired old dojo. His eyes will probably show how broken his soul is!"
"The poor soul! What was his father thinking dragging him all over the earth like that? Doesn't he know it's dangerous?"
"It's probably because they are bankrupt, so they don't have a place to stay."
"Maybe their dojo was beaten by some challenger, and they lost it?"
"Even so, doesn't the government have temporary houses for them? Surely someone would take pity and offer them some place to stay! What have become of people's morals?"
"Yeah, how can they be so selfish? All the food and extra blankets they could've lent them to keep warm in winter!"
"You don't think...? Oh no, I can't stand the thought of the poor boy out there facing all kinds of weather without a shelter or warm clothes to keep warm!"
"What if he caught pneumonia? Or worse yet, tuberculosis! I think I'm going to cry!"
Soun groaned and hid his face in his hands. Why did he have to bring that up? When would he ever learn?
--
While the Tendou sisters discussed spiritedly about all the terrible conditions that their supposed fiance could be in, a large limousine was on its way towards their home. From the shadows in the window, one could barely make out two people sitting in the back seat. It was a very stylish car, not one usually seen in Nerima. All those who saw it were curious as to why such a car would be in town.
As the car pulled up at the front gate of the dojo, a balding man in an impeccable suit, and sophisticated glasses appeared. He stood aside to allow his companion to step out, and she did so with elegance and grace. She was wearing a pristine dress that showed her perfect figure.
Both of them walked up to the front door. The woman looked around her with a faint trace of disapproval, while the man was indifferent. When they reached the door, the man knocked on the door expertly a few times, and they both heard a surprised yell. At this, the man raised his eyebrow towards his companion and decided to knock again. This time they heard hurried footsteps of about three or four people, before the door was opened to reveal a black-haired man and three quite beautiful young girls behind him.
Their mouths started to form a welcome for the visitors, until their eyes shifted from him to the woman, when their mouths hung open with shock, the welcome forgotten.
There standing was the woman that plagued their minds day and night. The woman they loved and missed more than anything in the world, except maybe each other. The woman they had dreamed every night of being back with them again.
Mother.
Funny the way dreams come true.
Author's Notes: Hi everybody! This is my first attempt at fanfiction, and I'm trying my best, really, but I don't get cool ideas often, so...apologies!
This is an AU, and possible xover. I'm trying as best as I can to make the characters in character, but you will find more OOC. Genma, for example, is going to be way OOC.
Hmm...oh, and by the way, I'm an Akane fan, and you'll find R/A from me, so...you've been warned. I'm trying not to make Akane into a goddess, but you never know. This AN is getting too long...Well, enjoy then...hopefully...
Remind me not to be on bad terms with life
A Ranma 1/2 story
By Shikumi
Kasumi hummed a gentle pleasant song as she moved towards the kitchen door, about to prepare dinner for her family. That was the room in the house she loved best, and she took extra care everyday to keep it clean and tidy, like one would take care of one's most precious possession. Not that she didn't allow her siblings and father to come even in the vicinity of the room, actually she enjoyed their company while she moved about doing her work. She just wouldn't be able to stand it, if her sanctuary was in anyway less than perfect every night before she went to sleep.
Pushing the door open, she unhooked her apron, and put it around herself. She made sure her hair was in place in her usual tail, and walked inside. Immediately she felt the familiar, comforting feeling that always surrounded her when she stepped inside, and so she closed her eyes for a moment to savor that feeling, while offering a short blessing prayer. Once the ritual ended, she started working on her task.
"I'm home!" someone announced from the door. Soon, a black haired girl, younger than Kasumi, appeared in the kitchen, wearing a pair of shorts, a loose fitting t-shirt and a towel draped on her shoulders. Her features were still childish, yet her eyes, while filled with life and excitement of youth, also held a touch of sadness in them, though one had to be observant enough to see it.
"Welcome back, Akane," Kasumi replied, with a smile on her face. "How did your jogging go?"
"Thanks Kasumi. It was okay, I guess," said the girl, "I'll be at the dojo if you need me, nee-chan."
With that, Akane left the kitchen, heading toward the adjacent building outside.
A few minutes later, another shorthaired girl greeted Kasumi in the kitchen, "Hey Kasumi, what's for dinner?" She was also younger than her, though older than Akane, far less childish, and her eyes were less innocent, but the love for life was still there, with the same air of sadness about her; it was much more difficult to see than Akane's, but then one would have to be crazy or very rich if one even so much as mentioned it, or one might find oneself working the rest of his or her life trying to work a way to pay her. Kasumi had to laugh a little bit at the thought; her sister had a way to make others do things the way she wanted, even if sometimes her methods were not exactly legal.
"Hello, Nabiki. We are having miso soup, some vegetables, maybe some beef, and a fish, how about that?" Kasumi inquired.
"Sounds good, can I have some dessert first? I'm starving. Oh, and I almost forgot, Dad wants us to meet him in the living room, says he's got something important to say. By the way, where is Akane?"
The eldest of the three girls was about to answer when some screaming and bricks breaking were heard in the dojo. "Never mind, I found my answer," said Nabiki. She too left the kitchen.
What would Father want with us, Kasumi wondered. Well, there is only one way to find out, dinner will have to wait, she decided, and headed toward the living room where the patriarch waited.
--
The dojo itself was a rather elegant building in its simplicity. The walls, which were made of wood, had darkened in color as the years went by, giving it an ancient look, yet the dojo stood firm over the decades. It was built in the garden, at the precise spot where the first sunrays at dawn crept along it, making the building look young again, ready to welcome life within its walls, while at dusk, it became silent and calm, the sun lighting softly the interior, creating a mystical feeling, full of jealously guarded secrets and memories. Sometimes, if one strained his ears, battle cries, and laughter from students of long ago could be heard, the spirits within the walls telling their silent story.
It was also kept clean though it was clear that that was not by the hands of Kasumi. Whoever it was that cleaned it, he, or rather she, wasn't as careful as the eldest Tendou girl was when cleaning, but still did a good job at it, and it helped Kasumi a lot not to have to clean the dojo on top of the two story house they lived in.
For the longest time, only Akane used this dojo. Just like the kitchen for Kasumi, the dojo was the favorite place for her, she could spend hours in it, working out, reading, writing, studying, resting, eating, anything. She would have moved her room over, but that would take up the space for work out, so she decided against it. Besides maybe someday the dojo would start accepting students again, and so would need to be kept empty of furniture such as beds and desks.
However, it wasn't dusk yet, so when Nabiki neared the dojo, it wasn't the calm and mysterious aura that greeted her, though there was no way she would be able to feel auras at the conscious level. Instead, she was in time to see her youngest sister's hand come down in a slicing motion and successfully break a small pile of bricks in half.
"No wonder boys think you're weird, Akane."
"Yeah, well, the world does not revolve around them, Nabiki."
"Maybe not, but they sure are gold mines each one of them. Anyways, Dad wants us to meet him in the living room. He's calling a 'family meeting'," informed Nabiki.
"Now that's new. The last time we had a family meeting was ten years ago."
"Can't argue that. Coming?"
"Sure. I'll clean up the bricks a bit."
"Really Akane, why do you break bricks like that? Last time I checked, there's never been a report of killer bricks attacking innocent humans," sarcasm was dripping off her voice.
"Very funny, Nabiki, I'm laughing by head off. For your information, it's good to be prepared. You never know when some stupid moron with a head as thick as a brick will attack you," said the younger girl matter-of-factly.
"And just as well for your information, there probably is some deity to whom all bricks pay their respects, and he might be planning revenge on you for destroying his loyal followers," the elder girl retorted. She knew her little sister was a sucker for supernatural stuff like that.
Just as predicted, Akane's face showed fear for a second, before it was squashed down. Point to Nabiki! A smirk appeared on her face.
Akane for her part was going to make her comeback, when she saw her sister's face, and turned red with embarrassment and annoyance. "I'm going to get you for this one, Nabiki!"
"Ha ha ha! I can't believe you fell for that! Ha ha ha! So much for insisting that you are grown up! You are still a little brat! Ha ha ha!"
"It could happen! And I am not a brat!"
"Sure you are not. You probably won't sleep tonight with the lights off worrying the brick deity will come to get you!" Nabiki laughed even harder than before, and couldn't seem to stop.
Akane was so embarrassed. "Whatever, Nabiki," she mumbled, "I still need to clean up the bricks before I go in."
"Here, let me help," said Nabiki, still chuckling.
"You? Help? All right, how much?"
Nabiki made a suspicious sound that resembled grumbling. "It's for free this time, okay? Don't get used to it."
Her sister openly registered shock on her face this time. "Right." A few moments passed, while the two girls put the larger pieces of brick away.
"Who are you and what did you do to my sister?"
"Hey!" Nabiki shouted in protest, "I do help around the hou..." That's when she saw Akane wearing a similar smirk to her own.
"Ha ha ha! Pay back, Nabiki."
"Why you little...!"
This is a good day, thought Akane happily.
Maybe Nabiki shouldn't have made fun of the brick deity.
--
At the table in the living room, a man around his forties or fifties sat unmoving, his face expressionless, his eyes the only feature belying the excitement coursing in his blood. He was sure his darling daughters would be pleased, even ecstatic, about this surprise he had for them, and for it to be a surprise, he had to keep a straight face no matter what.
His eyes wandered again to the postcard on the table and read again the simple message:
Soun,
My family and I are back in Japan. Coming for a visit soon.
Genma
Finally, he had been waiting for this day for so long. He allowed a small smile to appear on his face. It was such a long time he last saw his dear friend Genma. Ever since his wife disappeared, now that he thought about it.
Such a long time has passed, he thought. It was hard to go on the first few years. He had lost his will to live on, when he found out his wife had disappeared. His daughters were still so very young; he didn't know how to care for three little girls. And yet, they were the ones who were strong, who took over the house, and little by little brought life back into his heart.
Soun Tendou smiled softly at the memories. He remembered little Kasumi when she had run to him with all the energy of an eight year old, and told him proudly that she was all grown up, because she didn't need mommy or daddy to help her bath anymore, though she was having some trouble with washing her hair, whenever she closed her eyes, she would feel she was falling. Little Nabiki stood next to her sister, announcing too that she knew how to bath herself, that she could brush her own hair, and that she could do sums and multiplications faster than anyone else in her class. Not to be beaten, little Akane had insisted that she was brave; she didn't need a night light when she went to sleep, she wasn't afraid of the dark, and her teacher at kindergarten had praised a picture she did of the family.
That night, after everyone was sleeping, he felt his youngest daughter creep into his room, and asked fearfully and quietly if she could have her light on. He had wanted to laugh out and cry at the same time. He smiled at her instead and took her by the hand, leading the girl back to her room. Once there, he turned on the little light by her desk and stayed with her until she fell asleep. Before she went off to dreamland, she made him promise to keep it a secret, and never let Nabiki know.
Two days after that, their mother disappeared.
Things were a mess. The house needed to be cleaned, the laundry done, and the dishes washed. He was a wreck, and he didn't have the energy to pay attention to his daughters. The girls had comforted each other, though, and soon Kasumi had Nabiki and Akane helping her around the house. He was unaware of all the effort the girls put in, until one morning long past the time for school, he headed down toward the kitchen for a cup of water, and he saw his little angels curled together in the couch asleep. They must have been very tired, he realized suddenly, while his heart constricted painfully in his chest. They were trying hard to keep everything in order, out of trouble. He, on the other hand, had been wasting away, never taking his responsibility as a parent.
Nabiki was the first to wake up and notice him. She was very observant, and must have seen his troubled eyes, for she walked up to him, and hugged him. "Everything is gonna be okay, daddy. You have Kasumi, Akane and I. You can cry if you want to."
He hugged her tight and let the tears fall. He could also feel her little body wracked in sobs.
The girls took over the house chores and had divided the assignments within them. He had his share of work too, the more tiring ones like cooking, sweeping and moping, until they were old enough to take over those and still do better than average in school. He didn't want to let them work too much, but his daughters had insisted, and encouraged him to go out more with his friends.
Over the years, they settled into a comfortable sphere of living, and they managed very well in his opinion. His bond with his children was very special and strong, having survived many trials. He didn't know if he was good enough a parent, but his daughters seemed to adore him nonetheless, and they made him proud.
Steps were heard heading to where he sat. As soon as he heard them, he hastily erased all trace of expression from his face. When his daughters were all seated in front of him, he announced his surprise.
A loud scream was heard soon after, startling many people. A girl in New York cracked open one eye and wondered why people could be so inconsiderate as to yell in the dead of the night. She rolled in her bed, and went back to sleep.
--
"What are you thinking, Daddy?!"
"Now, Akane..."
"Don't 'Now, Akane' me! How could you?"
"That certainly wasn't a very nice thing to do, Father."
"But, Kasumi..."
"Don't 'But Kasumi' her either!"
"You can't do that, Daddy! We are now in the age of technology and science. Nobody has arranged engagements!"
"Well, Nabiki..."
"Who said you're allowed to 'Well, Nabiki' her?"
"We don't even know the guy! Is he nice? How does he look like?"
"Hmmm..." was Soun's intelligent reply.
"You haven't met him," said Nabiki deadpanned.
"Oh my! I don't like men that are younger than me."
Akane and Nabiki looked at Kasumi shocked. "What are you thinking Kasumi?" both of them all but shouted at the same time.
"I have a feeling he's younger than I am," offered Kasumi.
"You're weird, Kasumi."
"Why, thank you, Akane."
"You're welcome!"
"WAHHHH! Whatever happened to my girls' sanity?"
"Dropping the engagement bomb can do wonders, Dad."
"That was a sarcastic question, Nabiki."
"And that was a sarcastic answer, Dad."
Soun sighed heavily. They were surprised all right, but they weren't pleased. What went wrong?
"Come on, girls. At least you can give him a chance. You don't know anything about him; you might even like him. He and his father are coming soon to visit us. As I know, his father made him travel a lot, I don't think he could have many friends. Please make him feel welcomed? If you don't develop romantic feelings for each other, I promise I won't push you. But you can at least be friends."
However, whatever he said after putting a negative and 'friends' in the same sentence went to deaf ears.
"Oh the poor little boy! He must be so lonely, growing up all by himself! Oh dear, I hope our house will be able to warm his hardened little heart!"
"I promise I won't bill him for any help he might need the first week around here!"
"And I won't use my mallet on him for the first month, even if he is a pervert, and he can use the dojo too, if he wants."
"He must look so forlorn. Like a lost puppy looking around him insecurely, with watery eyes begging for a little bit of affection!"
"No, no, Kasumi. He must look like an old, wrinkled bill, probably have spent months, if not years, without a real shower, and uncountable scars hidden by mud!"
"Not that, Nabiki! I'll bet he looks much more like an un-repaired old dojo. His eyes will probably show how broken his soul is!"
"The poor soul! What was his father thinking dragging him all over the earth like that? Doesn't he know it's dangerous?"
"It's probably because they are bankrupt, so they don't have a place to stay."
"Maybe their dojo was beaten by some challenger, and they lost it?"
"Even so, doesn't the government have temporary houses for them? Surely someone would take pity and offer them some place to stay! What have become of people's morals?"
"Yeah, how can they be so selfish? All the food and extra blankets they could've lent them to keep warm in winter!"
"You don't think...? Oh no, I can't stand the thought of the poor boy out there facing all kinds of weather without a shelter or warm clothes to keep warm!"
"What if he caught pneumonia? Or worse yet, tuberculosis! I think I'm going to cry!"
Soun groaned and hid his face in his hands. Why did he have to bring that up? When would he ever learn?
--
While the Tendou sisters discussed spiritedly about all the terrible conditions that their supposed fiance could be in, a large limousine was on its way towards their home. From the shadows in the window, one could barely make out two people sitting in the back seat. It was a very stylish car, not one usually seen in Nerima. All those who saw it were curious as to why such a car would be in town.
As the car pulled up at the front gate of the dojo, a balding man in an impeccable suit, and sophisticated glasses appeared. He stood aside to allow his companion to step out, and she did so with elegance and grace. She was wearing a pristine dress that showed her perfect figure.
Both of them walked up to the front door. The woman looked around her with a faint trace of disapproval, while the man was indifferent. When they reached the door, the man knocked on the door expertly a few times, and they both heard a surprised yell. At this, the man raised his eyebrow towards his companion and decided to knock again. This time they heard hurried footsteps of about three or four people, before the door was opened to reveal a black-haired man and three quite beautiful young girls behind him.
Their mouths started to form a welcome for the visitors, until their eyes shifted from him to the woman, when their mouths hung open with shock, the welcome forgotten.
There standing was the woman that plagued their minds day and night. The woman they loved and missed more than anything in the world, except maybe each other. The woman they had dreamed every night of being back with them again.
Mother.
Funny the way dreams come true.