Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction, I do not claim any rights to any of the characters or concepts created or owned by Viz Video or Rumiko Takahashi. This is just the work of one fan to the others. The only characters or concepts that i claim are the ones I created or introduced. That said, I bring you:
Broken Mirrors, chapter 34
Sunday january 3rd. The Saotome estate, 1:15 PM.
The time spent in the chill and expanse of the Saotome's estate had worked as intended, and Ranko had returned to her normal coloring, almost inspite of her fiance's best attempts otherwise. The trio had once again returned to the study where they were getting ready for the first of what probably would be many pictures.
"I honestly don't know what you are implying, Ukyo. I would never try and keep my fiance adorably blushing and stammering." Akane said with a smirk as they entered the study.
"Sugar, I would be more likely to believe you if you hadn't done just that twice so far." Ukyo said with a fondly exasperated sigh. She smiled at the pair, glad to see that Ranko had returned to normal. She had seen cases of ailuraphobia before, but not quite like that. It made her wonder just what her parents had done to her, and why. She didn't know which of those answers potentially scared her more, if she was going to be honest with herself. It seemed at times that there was a reason to all the madness, and she found that disturbing. Doing things like that to your child out of neglect or incompetence was one thing. Even doing it out of spite or pettiness, wanting to inflict pain and suffering for the sake of pain and suffering, while unforgivable it made more sense than doing the things that Ranko had told them about because it was all part of some master plan that they had cooked up? That was, frankly, completely inconceivable.
Ukyo could completely understand where Akane was coming from. If the same had been done to her Ranma… Well, she would not be held responsible for what happened to his parents.
Ukyo smiled as she arranged the three of them for the photo,and had to get Akane to behave again. She was fairly certain it was Akane's way of helping Ranko stay calm.
Even if it did get on her nerves just a tad.
"Akane, will you…"Ukyo sighed. "Yes, she is cute when she blushes and squirms. But can you just.. Not until after we get a good picture for Ranma, please?"
Akane gave Ukyo a look of contrition and smiled as she bowed. "Sorry, Ukyo. I guess I got carried away a little."
Ukyo laughed as she looked at her friend and shook her head. "A little, sugar? Behave yourself for the next ten minutes, then I will go see about borrowing the kitchen for supper and you two can catch up."
Ranko perked up at that and Akane grinned up until Ranko gave Ukyo a happy smile. "Okonomiyaki?" Ranko said hopefully.
Akane sighed and shook her head as Ukyo started to laugh. Ranko just blinked and looked sheepish.
"You might have her heart, sugar. But I'd say I won over her stomach!" Ukyo said as she wiped her eyes.
Akane snorted and laughed. "I guess I can deal with that… Since we all know my talents definitely are not in the kitchen."
All three shared a good laugh before Ukyo got back to business. In a few minutes the trio had managed to take a few photos that Ukyo felt were good enough and she started to pack back up.
"Now, supper should be ready around five, so try not to get too distracted you two." Ukyo said as she gave Akane a very pointed look.
Akane laughed as she looked anywhere but at Ukyo. "I have absolutely no idea what you are implying!" Akane said while the other two gave her a skeptical look.
Ranko decided it was time to get back at her fiancee somewhat. "Oh? I guess you didn't mean what you said, then? You know, earlier when you had me squirming in my chair? A pity…" Ranko said with a dramatic sigh.
Akane blushed and looked at Ukyo. "Five o'clock! We will be there!" She said as she started to wheel an amused Ranko away.
Ukyo shook her head as she watched them go and shouldered her bag. As she walked out of the room, she was unaware of the eyes that followed her intently.
"Smells good… Xian Pu want to eat…" the shadowy figure said in a frustrated growl before it slinked into the shadows once more.
As the clock neared five, the others joined Ukyo, who gave them a knowing little look.
Akane shook her head. "For your information, we cuddled and talked. So, keep your overly sexualized thoughts and fantasies to yourself, thank you very much. We were thinking that Ranko might be ready for another session in the pool, and that we should just go ahead and invite Tsubasa to our Tuesday night outing to the Revue. It's the least any of us can do for dragging the poor woman into our craziness." Akane said as she rested a hand lightly on Ranko's shoulder.
Ukyo smiled and nodded as she looked at Ranko. "Anytime you want to sit in the pool and girl talk, I'm game. Just give me a few days' warning to make the arrangements. Now, as it would happen, I might have reserved a time slot with Tsu-chan on Wednesday."
Ranko narrowed her eyes at Ukyo. "Completely by accident, I imagine." She said in a neutral tone of voice.
"Yep. Completely by accident, sugar." Ukyo said with a smile.
"...Just as long as no c...c…. Gah,feline terrors are present, I guess it's okay." Ranko said as she leaned into Akane for support.
"Promise, sugar." Ukyo said, then clapped her hands. "How about we eat, then we can plan out the week before you two turn in for the night?"
The couple nodded as they helped Ukyo gather their supper and take it to the dining room. As nice as it was having the staff tend to them, there was something very intimate and personal about this. It seemed to make them all feel more connected, more like one family.
Supper was a happy affair, as the two ladies talk about the week that Ranko was gone, and they can see the diminutive redhead become more relaxed as she is filled in on the details. The other two have quickly come to realize just how important this weekend has become to all of them, and how the rather secluded nature of the siblings' existence had hindered them.
How it had helped to contribute to how diminished each had seemed in their own way.
Ranma had continued to open up, at least in private. The picture of him as he smiled was proof of that. And Akane had to admit, the hints of this vivacious woman that sat next to her that she had seen before paled in comparison to the real, unfiltered woman that she had only grown to love more by the day.
And the quiet talks about a family, a future together. Where they wanted to be in a year, five years, and far into the future had filled Akane's heart to overflowing. She had never dreamed that in a country as traditional as Japan, she would have a chance at the life she could see before her with the woman she loved at her side.
Now,if they could only start to really undo the damage that her parents had caused, that would be even better. They were making progress in the hydrophobia, now they needed to find out how bad the fear of cats were, and what had caused it in the first place. Both Ukyo and herself considered it likely it was her birth parents at work once again.
Akane sighed inwardly as she once again considered what, exactly, she would like to tell the idiots to their faces.
Perhaps it was best that they would never get the opportunity. She would hate to expose Ranko in any way to such a toxic environment again. And, there was also the fact that blood was so hard to get out of everything.
Akane shook her head to clear it of such thoughts and gave her fiancee a reassuring smile in response to the questioning look that Ranko had cast her way. Now was not the time for such thoughts. Better to focus on the friends she had here before her, and the future that lay ahead of them.
When the ladies parted ways after supper, with Ukyo saying that she wanted to read up on some new procedures and gave the other two a wink when she said to have fun. Akane and Ranko shared an awkward glance, then laughed as they wished Ukyo a good night. The pair retreated to Ranko's room, and their love making that night was almost a leisurely thing, leaving both feeling languid and relaxed.
"So… A family, the two of us. Do you realy think it would work?" Akane asked as she stroked her fingers through Ranko's red hair.
"I think it would. We can't be any worse parents than mine were. As I see it, I know everything not to do as a parent, you know? And we have time. Unlike those other two, I'm in no rush. Especially since we can't get married here, I can't help but imagine we will have to jump through so many more hoops, no matter what we decide to do." Ranko said as she closed her eyes and leaned into Akane's hand a little.
Akane grinned and pulled her fiancee in close and rested her head on top of the shorter woman's head. "I know that we are going to be amazing parents one day, and the coolest set of aunts on the planet."
Ranko giggled and smiled. "We are going to spoil their children horribly."
Akane laughed. "Of course! It's what aunts do, after all!"
Ranko was quiet a minute, then broke the silence. "Hey Akane?"
"Yes, Ranko dear?" Akane answered softly as she hugged her fiancee tighter.
"I want to be a parent someday. With you, to make sure I don't make the same mistakes my parents did." Ranko said quietly as she kiseed Akane's arm.
"I don't think you will… But, okay. I promise. We will do this together when we are ready." Akane promised before she kissed the top of Ranko's head. "Now, you get some sleep. We have a busy weekend, and we will be hitting Monday running. Plus, we need to continue our training, oh Sensei." Akane said as she hugged her lover close.
"That sounds good… I look forward to teaching you both." Ranko said with a yawn and curled up against Akane. "'Night 'Kane." Ranko said.
"Good night, dear. Sleep well." Akane answered with a fond smile on her lips.
Elsewhere, Ukyo was sitting on the couch under her favorite comforter as she read through the manuals and reports on the new procedures, unaware of the eyes that watched her intently from the shadows. Frustrated eyes, as their owner couldn't yet manifest fully in this world and thus could only stare at the treat that sat before her.
Xian Pu's tail lashed back and forth in irritation as a low, frustrated growl slipped from her, and caused the woman she stalked to look up and about for a few long moments before she shrugged and went back to her books. In the weeks since she had first found that if she focused just right she could see into this other place that was so like the place she called home, yet so very different as well Xian Pu had grown more and more frustrated. The strange bipedal reatures that walked this world looked oddly tasty to her, so full of energy. She could practically taste it. Yet, they remained like shadows to her, things that she could see, and almost touch.
She felt that soon she would be able to play with and hunt the prey that lurked just beyond her claws, that teased her with whiffs of scents that she had never smelled before.
For now, she would have to watch and imagine.
Ukyo shifted as she thought she had heard a cat, but that was impossible. The door to Ranma's room had been closed before she got there, and now it was locked for hte night. She looked about once more then shook her head as she snorted. She was letting her imagination run away with her again.
It was several hours later that she made her way to bed, and settled in for the night. Shortly after she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, a shadow detached itself from where she had watched her prey and stalked over to the bed. She hesitated for a moment, then jumped up onto the sleeping area that the strange creature seemed to be using. Xian Pu slinked slowly over and sat on the chest of the creature as she stared at her intently.
She did that for the remainder of the night.
Ukyo woke groggy the next morning, having been plagued with nightmares all night. She had felt like something was sitting on her chest, and could have sworn she had seen glowing eyes in the dark of the room, but that had to be part of the nightmare.
Right?