Standard Disclaimers Apply

Awaken
By Sunflowerobi
Chapter 3: A Dinner For You


It's a nice, peaceful afternoon for everyone...or almost everyone...

*sigh* It's so boring here...I wonder what the girl always do on her free time... Kagome looked around the room to find not much of anything. Suddenly, she had an idea. I know, maybe I'll make lunch...for whoever will eat it...

Happy that she finally found something to do, Kagome skipped cheerfully to the kitchen.

***

Whew...finally done... Kagome wiped her hands on the apron she wore. Taking the dessert she made, which is mochi, she put it on the dining table and sit at where the girl's memories told her to sit. Dropping one mochi in her mouth, she tasted it carefully. Hm-mm. Delicious.

Suddenly, the shoji screen was pulled back, revealing a long-haired man and a bald man with a bandana on his head. Like before, the girl's memory showed her everything she need to know.

"Good afternoon, Father," she addressed the long-haired man, "Saotome-san," and the bald man with bandana. "Care to try some mochi I made?" Kagome smiled sweetly at the two men.

"uh...uh...um...v-very n-nice, Akane-chan... but, unfortunately, ("or fortunately" he whispered to the other man) we are not hungry right now... Thank you, though, Akane-chan." Backing out the door, he and Saotome-san ran down the hall like hell is after them. Which, to them, is totally true.

...really weird... Kagome commented mentally, but ignored them after that. ...Now for the young Saotome...

"Tadaima! [I'm home!]" A young male voice sounded out.

"Okaeri nasai! [Welcome home!]" Replied Kasumi in her cheerful way.

"My nose is telling me-...oh, hi, uh...Akane." Ranma appeared in the door way. "...um...mind if I sit down?" he questioned awkwardly.

Kagome looked up from her tea. "No. Not at all." She smiled at the young Saotome. She can see a faint blush coming to his cheeks.

"Erm, okay." Trying to distract his attention on Akane away to something else, Ranma found the harmless looking mochi on the table. Ah. Perfect.

Noticing his stare on the mochi, Kagome stated in a clear voice, "Help yourself..."

"Uh, sure." Ranma replied before he popped a mochi into his mouth. ...mm-mm...taste great...I wonder if Kasumi bought it or made it herself...

"...I made it myself." A clear voice disturbed his thought.

Ranma looked up, expecting to see Kasumi standing there, smiling at him in her cheerful way, but to see AKANE looking at him like it's an everyday thing. His jaw dropped open as he stared at the use-to-be kitchen destroyer.

"You know, it's impolite to stare, especially when your mouth is open with some food still in there." Annoyance was clear in her voice.

"um...sorry..." Ranma began chewing on the mochi again, with his mouth closed. I wonder if she feels okay... Scary mood she's in today...

"...anou... [...um...]"

"Yes?"

"Are you feeling all right today?"

Akane giggled. "Of course, Ranma-kun."

Ranma-KUN?! OH MY FREAKIN' GOD!! By now, Ranma's eyes are the size of a pan.

"What?!" Kagome, noticing the SIZE of Ranma's eyes staring at her, defended.

"um...uh...nothing..." Ranma looked away and stood up. "...eto [...uh]...see ya later..." He ran out of the dining room.

Am I daydreaming, or is something really wrong with Akane today? This is a question Ranma couldn't answer for a whole day...or was it weeks??

***Dinner time at Tendo's...***

"DINNER, EVERYONE!!" Kasumi's wonderful voice rang in the air like magical music. Immediately, everyone except Akane gathered in the 'holy' dining room.

"Hmmm...something smells good tonight... Say, where's Akane?" Ranma took a deep breath to smell all the nice fragrant when he noticed that Akane wasn't with them.

"Oh, she's in the kitchen. And, guess what?! She made dinner tonight all by herself!" Kasumi exclaimed excitedly.

Everyone gawked. They couldn't believe their ears!! Should they get new ones? Certainly their ears were WRONG! They were losing their hearing!! NO!!! 'TIS A HORRIBLE TERROR HAPPENING ON THEM!!

"DINNER!" This time, Akane's voice called out from within the depth of the kitchen.

Still quite shocked, the Tendo family members and the Saotomes stumbled into the dining room. Sweet aroma reached their nostrils when they noticed platters of food on the dining table.

"...oh...my...god..." Nabiki croaked disbelievingly at the site before her.

"Th-th-th-these w-were m-m-made by m-my daughter!! MY D-DAUGHTER!!" Happy tears rolled down the easily excited Soun's face.

"..." Both Saotome were speechless.

"Come on, everyone! Dig in!" 'Akane' emerged from the kitchen with an apron.

Hungrily, everyone chomp down the food like starving beasts, except for the graceful Kasumi.

"Delicious!"

"Oh, my!"

"W-wonderful!"

"mm-mm..."

::GREAT!::

Everyone complimented the food as they ate.

"Hey! What's this nice scent in here?! Is it food? I want some!!" A tiny figure emerged from the open window.

BOW WOW WOW!! A dog in the neighborhood barked.

AWOOO!! Another dog in the neighborhood howled.

Late in the night, the ones who ate the wonderful food slept peacefully, while the ones haunted by the sweet aroma were still stumbling in the dark in search of the fragrance...

***

Somewhere on earth, in a dark, dark corner, a lump of flesh stirred slowly...

...the presence of evilness was awaken, but where on earth are our heroes?

----------
END OF CHAPTER 3: A DINNER FOR YOU...