Forever Bound
Chapter 17, The Truth That Brought The Pain
Author's Notes: Okay, folks I'm going to stop dragging this story and I'm going to wrap it up in the next few Chapters, k? How it ends though, may be different then you anticipated. I want to continue on with my new story Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon and a couple others. Wish me luck, folks. Send all comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com.
###### means flashback.
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Everyone sat in the Tendoliving room looking curoiusly at the little platinum-haired girl in Akane's arms beside Belldandy. Urd snuck a glance at Belldandy and winked causing the child to giggle. Akane looked down at her two daughters and somehow felt a familiar affection take her. Ranma looked wistfully at Urd a minute, biting his bottom lip, before hesitantly offering out his arms to her, somehow as if a rejection from her would be a blow to his chest. *She's so familiar...I'm sorry...wait! Why am I sorry? I never met her before...but she's...she's...she looks like...who is it?!* Ranma wondered frustrated. Urd smiled brilliantly at Ranma before jumping into his arms.### "Autnie Grenada! Let Mommy and Daddy go!!" ### *I'm sorry...Urd...* Ranma inwardly cried.
"So, you're really going to keep her," Ukyo asked.
Akane smiled, "Of course, Ucchan. Urd is so sweet and she doesn't have anyone to depend on. We couldn't turn her to the city." Everyone there knew Akane was just making excuses. They could all see the adoration in Akane's eyes when she looked as Urd...it was the same look that she gave her daughter, Belldandy. No one else noticed, but Ryoga noted the same adoration in Ranma's eyes.
"Now, if your all done with giving me and Urd here the third degree, I think I will need to go back to Auntie's house. It's getting late and I have to fix the room to fit Urd-chan here," Akane said as she stood and picked Belldandy up. Ranma seemed reluctant to let Urd go, but he agreeded to walk Akane, Belldandy, and Urd home.
As Urd watched Ranma and Akane walk ahead on the sidewalk silently she turned to Belldandy.
"Belldandy, can you do me a favor," Urd asked.
Belldandy's eyes sparkled, "Sure, oneechan."
Urd gave the little child a reassuring smile, "I want you tomorrow at 3:00 when mommy asks where I am, I want you to tell her that I told you I went to the park by the lake to look for a bracelet I dropped."
Belldandy's eyebrows scrunched in confusion, "Why would I want to lie to mommy?"
"Just trust me, Bell-chan. Do you trust me?" Urd asked.
Belldandy nodded and agreed.
"Good, Urd smiled as she stared at the quiet couple ahead. *Grenada, you don't stand a chance...*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(The next day, 3:00 p.m. Saotome residence)
Akane ran downstairs into the kitchen where she saw Belldandy sitting on the floor snacking on a bag of chips and reading a sailormoon manga.
"Bell, have you seen Urd anywhere? I can't seem to find her," Akane asked her tone filled with worry.
Belldandy turned her innocent gaze up at her mother. Widening her milky green eyes as it would go, she said, "She told me she went back to the park near the lake to look for a bracelet she lost." Akane gave a frustrated growl, "Belldandy, Unle Genma is sleeping in the backyard. Go ask him to babysit you, o.k." before running through the door, bounding for the park.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Akane reached the park and started to look for Urd until she heard Ranma and a woman's voice. Natural curiosity overtook her and Akane couldn't help but sneak behind a large tree trunk to listen in as she watched Ranma and...Akane gasped. The lady that Ranma was facing was hovering in mid-air and looked exactly like and older version of Urd. Urd sensed Akane's presense and smiled to herself before facing down towards Ranma.
Ranma looked up at the goddess hovering in front of him and wondered how he got himself into a situation such as this one. One minute he was dragged into the park by Urd and the next she had disappeared and replaced by this woman who demanded he marry her mother. Suddenly it all clicked and Ranma knew who she was.
Urd spoke, "Ranma...Larchlarn...you must accept your fate and marry my mother, Marshidi."
Ranma found he couldn't refuse...found he didn't want to refuse for buried somewhere ddeep in his heart he knew he loved Marshidi, whoever she was. Suddenly, an image came into his mind, and image of a smiling blue-haired girl that had stolen his heart and the words came easier to him, "I can't. I won't."
Urd laughed, "Do not lie to me. I know you still love Marshidi."
Ranma shook his head calmly as if talking to a small child, though he felt an ache in his heart for his refusal, "I do not lie...I do still love Marshidi...but I can't help but notice that I love someone else more."
Urd gave a scowl though her insides jumped for joy, "So you love someone more, do you? Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right here right now."
Ranma shook his head sadly, the guilt wrecking his soul, "I can't excuse myself for my inability to save Marshidi, you, and your sister and I can not lie now."
The goddess felt her heart ache as well, but remained her composure, "Fine, tell me then, who is this that is able to melt you cold heart, father, that is not mother. Tell me who
she is that's love surpasses my mother."
Ranma smiled thoughtfully, "She is...not beautiful...that is too plain a word. She is radiant, breathtaking, angelic, lovely, gorgeous, stunning, amazing, adorable...kawaii. But not beautiful."
Akane who had listened felt tears in her eyes as she thought bitterly *Oh Ranma, Ranma, can't you get over Shampoo...*
Urd looked at Ranma expectantly as she asked, "What is her name?"
Ranma looked confused for a moment and Urd had to reassure him that she would not hurt this girl.
"Her name is...Akane...and I love her...I've always loved her...and always will," Ranma said confidentally with a gentleness in his tone rarely there. He looked up to see Urd's reaction only to see she smiled at something behind him. Ranma felt a cold chill run down his spine for some unknown reason. He somehow knew who Urd was looking at, though it was impossible. He turned around and felt all the blood drain from his face...impossibility didn't exist in his life.
"Ranma?" Akane whispered, but he felt the word echo loudly towards him.
"A-Akane, l-listen, it's not...this girl...she was..." Ranma felt that words had failed to prove his point so he spun sround to show her Urd...but Urd was gone. Ranma opened and closed his mouth for awhile before turning around to find himself face-to-face with Akane who had tears in her eyes. Ranma flinched thinking they were of disappointment...when they were actually from joy.
"Ranma, I heard everything," Akane stated softly and somehow Ranma could feel the warmth of her breath teasing his lips. Ranma fell with a thud flat on his bottom.
"Did you?" Ranma asked hoping for any way to prolong to inevitable.
Akane nodded and a small smile creep onto her lips and Ranma felt hope and relief surge through his body as all Akane did was hold out her hand to help him up. Ranma took the hand with a strange shyness and when their hands touched they both felt electricity and warmth spread through them. Maybe Ranma should have let her hand go, maybe Akane should have pulled her hand away. Yet, he wouldn't, and she didn't. So, they continued to walk home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ranma and Akane walked silently home to the Saotome residence. Smiles on both their faces, but apprehension filling them. Finally, Akane snuck a look at Ranma as he looked at her and they both looked down blushing. If anyone was to see them now, they would swear these were two teenagers just falling in love and not people in their early twenties remembering true love. Ranma couldn't stand the nervousness anymore as he said, "Akane, about what I said back there." Ranma turned around and shushed him with her index and middle finger.
"Ranma, just tell me the truth...no lies, no bending truths, no word games, just the plain truth. Do you love me? Yes or no?" Akane asked calmly with a smile on her face. Ranma wanted to lie, he didn't want her hurting him again...but he couldn't. Maybe it was her heartmelting smile, or her dazzling eyes,...or just simply that resisting her now was impossible.
Ranma kissed her fingers and he felt a shiver go through them both before he said, "Akane I loved you before, I love you now, and I will always love you. I loved you before the beginning of time and I will love you after it. You are made for me and I for you.."
*Ranma Saotome, you have officaially lost your self-control, pride, dignity, and self-preservation, you are pathetic, how do you feel?* Ranma heard his mind ask disgusted. He felt Akane tentively put her lips on his barely touching, but just letting their breaths caress before she stepped back smiling. *I feel...happy...* his heart smirked smugly.
Akane leaned in Ranma's ear and whispered, "Nice...but a simple I love you would do. I love you too."
Ranma smiled feeling the pain and regret of the years wash off of him like waves replaced by a stronger emotion.
When they reached the Saotome residence, Akane led Ranma to the backyard where Beldandy was supposed to be. When they got there they saw there was an uncouncious Genma-Panda with a note attached to his fur...Belldandy nowhere in sight. Ranma snatched the note off of Genma's fur waking the uncouncious Panda up. Akane read the note from behind Ranma and Genma watched in shock as Akane's face ashen and she fell back uncouncious. He also watched in fear as Ranma's face contorted in a rage not supposed to be known to man...or any other being. The note fell lifelessly to the soft grass and Genma picked it shakily up and read:
Ranma,
Oh, my poor husband, you should have listened to me when I warned you. I was just going to be patient until you regained your senses and returned to me, but Urd had to interfere. Can't that girl stop!? Ah, well, what you feel for this...Akane...is just an infatuation, but I can't risk you falling for her, my dear Ranma. So, I took the brat, Belldandy. Go to the Yarshi cave in the mountains 3 days later and I'll let her go, so we can leave together. Don't bring anyone else either, Ranma. Until then, au revoir, my prince.
Your wife and love,
Ranko
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shou Yung ran through the woods and mountains heading towards China. Fear gripped her heart and she hoped that she would reach the Amazon tribe in time. She had accidentally overheard the conversation between Ran Mae and that goddess and she knew what it meant. She also knew that she had to get her grandmother to Japan and to Ran Mae as soon as possible. *Why didn't we see it before? Why didn't we see his power? Oh Oappa- on, please don't let this be too late...*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's Notes: Send all comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com.
Chapter 17, The Truth That Brought The Pain
Author's Notes: Okay, folks I'm going to stop dragging this story and I'm going to wrap it up in the next few Chapters, k? How it ends though, may be different then you anticipated. I want to continue on with my new story Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon and a couple others. Wish me luck, folks. Send all comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com.
###### means flashback.
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Everyone sat in the Tendoliving room looking curoiusly at the little platinum-haired girl in Akane's arms beside Belldandy. Urd snuck a glance at Belldandy and winked causing the child to giggle. Akane looked down at her two daughters and somehow felt a familiar affection take her. Ranma looked wistfully at Urd a minute, biting his bottom lip, before hesitantly offering out his arms to her, somehow as if a rejection from her would be a blow to his chest. *She's so familiar...I'm sorry...wait! Why am I sorry? I never met her before...but she's...she's...she looks like...who is it?!* Ranma wondered frustrated. Urd smiled brilliantly at Ranma before jumping into his arms.### "Autnie Grenada! Let Mommy and Daddy go!!" ### *I'm sorry...Urd...* Ranma inwardly cried.
"So, you're really going to keep her," Ukyo asked.
Akane smiled, "Of course, Ucchan. Urd is so sweet and she doesn't have anyone to depend on. We couldn't turn her to the city." Everyone there knew Akane was just making excuses. They could all see the adoration in Akane's eyes when she looked as Urd...it was the same look that she gave her daughter, Belldandy. No one else noticed, but Ryoga noted the same adoration in Ranma's eyes.
"Now, if your all done with giving me and Urd here the third degree, I think I will need to go back to Auntie's house. It's getting late and I have to fix the room to fit Urd-chan here," Akane said as she stood and picked Belldandy up. Ranma seemed reluctant to let Urd go, but he agreeded to walk Akane, Belldandy, and Urd home.
As Urd watched Ranma and Akane walk ahead on the sidewalk silently she turned to Belldandy.
"Belldandy, can you do me a favor," Urd asked.
Belldandy's eyes sparkled, "Sure, oneechan."
Urd gave the little child a reassuring smile, "I want you tomorrow at 3:00 when mommy asks where I am, I want you to tell her that I told you I went to the park by the lake to look for a bracelet I dropped."
Belldandy's eyebrows scrunched in confusion, "Why would I want to lie to mommy?"
"Just trust me, Bell-chan. Do you trust me?" Urd asked.
Belldandy nodded and agreed.
"Good, Urd smiled as she stared at the quiet couple ahead. *Grenada, you don't stand a chance...*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(The next day, 3:00 p.m. Saotome residence)
Akane ran downstairs into the kitchen where she saw Belldandy sitting on the floor snacking on a bag of chips and reading a sailormoon manga.
"Bell, have you seen Urd anywhere? I can't seem to find her," Akane asked her tone filled with worry.
Belldandy turned her innocent gaze up at her mother. Widening her milky green eyes as it would go, she said, "She told me she went back to the park near the lake to look for a bracelet she lost." Akane gave a frustrated growl, "Belldandy, Unle Genma is sleeping in the backyard. Go ask him to babysit you, o.k." before running through the door, bounding for the park.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Akane reached the park and started to look for Urd until she heard Ranma and a woman's voice. Natural curiosity overtook her and Akane couldn't help but sneak behind a large tree trunk to listen in as she watched Ranma and...Akane gasped. The lady that Ranma was facing was hovering in mid-air and looked exactly like and older version of Urd. Urd sensed Akane's presense and smiled to herself before facing down towards Ranma.
Ranma looked up at the goddess hovering in front of him and wondered how he got himself into a situation such as this one. One minute he was dragged into the park by Urd and the next she had disappeared and replaced by this woman who demanded he marry her mother. Suddenly it all clicked and Ranma knew who she was.
Urd spoke, "Ranma...Larchlarn...you must accept your fate and marry my mother, Marshidi."
Ranma found he couldn't refuse...found he didn't want to refuse for buried somewhere ddeep in his heart he knew he loved Marshidi, whoever she was. Suddenly, an image came into his mind, and image of a smiling blue-haired girl that had stolen his heart and the words came easier to him, "I can't. I won't."
Urd laughed, "Do not lie to me. I know you still love Marshidi."
Ranma shook his head calmly as if talking to a small child, though he felt an ache in his heart for his refusal, "I do not lie...I do still love Marshidi...but I can't help but notice that I love someone else more."
Urd gave a scowl though her insides jumped for joy, "So you love someone more, do you? Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right here right now."
Ranma shook his head sadly, the guilt wrecking his soul, "I can't excuse myself for my inability to save Marshidi, you, and your sister and I can not lie now."
The goddess felt her heart ache as well, but remained her composure, "Fine, tell me then, who is this that is able to melt you cold heart, father, that is not mother. Tell me who
she is that's love surpasses my mother."
Ranma smiled thoughtfully, "She is...not beautiful...that is too plain a word. She is radiant, breathtaking, angelic, lovely, gorgeous, stunning, amazing, adorable...kawaii. But not beautiful."
Akane who had listened felt tears in her eyes as she thought bitterly *Oh Ranma, Ranma, can't you get over Shampoo...*
Urd looked at Ranma expectantly as she asked, "What is her name?"
Ranma looked confused for a moment and Urd had to reassure him that she would not hurt this girl.
"Her name is...Akane...and I love her...I've always loved her...and always will," Ranma said confidentally with a gentleness in his tone rarely there. He looked up to see Urd's reaction only to see she smiled at something behind him. Ranma felt a cold chill run down his spine for some unknown reason. He somehow knew who Urd was looking at, though it was impossible. He turned around and felt all the blood drain from his face...impossibility didn't exist in his life.
"Ranma?" Akane whispered, but he felt the word echo loudly towards him.
"A-Akane, l-listen, it's not...this girl...she was..." Ranma felt that words had failed to prove his point so he spun sround to show her Urd...but Urd was gone. Ranma opened and closed his mouth for awhile before turning around to find himself face-to-face with Akane who had tears in her eyes. Ranma flinched thinking they were of disappointment...when they were actually from joy.
"Ranma, I heard everything," Akane stated softly and somehow Ranma could feel the warmth of her breath teasing his lips. Ranma fell with a thud flat on his bottom.
"Did you?" Ranma asked hoping for any way to prolong to inevitable.
Akane nodded and a small smile creep onto her lips and Ranma felt hope and relief surge through his body as all Akane did was hold out her hand to help him up. Ranma took the hand with a strange shyness and when their hands touched they both felt electricity and warmth spread through them. Maybe Ranma should have let her hand go, maybe Akane should have pulled her hand away. Yet, he wouldn't, and she didn't. So, they continued to walk home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ranma and Akane walked silently home to the Saotome residence. Smiles on both their faces, but apprehension filling them. Finally, Akane snuck a look at Ranma as he looked at her and they both looked down blushing. If anyone was to see them now, they would swear these were two teenagers just falling in love and not people in their early twenties remembering true love. Ranma couldn't stand the nervousness anymore as he said, "Akane, about what I said back there." Ranma turned around and shushed him with her index and middle finger.
"Ranma, just tell me the truth...no lies, no bending truths, no word games, just the plain truth. Do you love me? Yes or no?" Akane asked calmly with a smile on her face. Ranma wanted to lie, he didn't want her hurting him again...but he couldn't. Maybe it was her heartmelting smile, or her dazzling eyes,...or just simply that resisting her now was impossible.
Ranma kissed her fingers and he felt a shiver go through them both before he said, "Akane I loved you before, I love you now, and I will always love you. I loved you before the beginning of time and I will love you after it. You are made for me and I for you.."
*Ranma Saotome, you have officaially lost your self-control, pride, dignity, and self-preservation, you are pathetic, how do you feel?* Ranma heard his mind ask disgusted. He felt Akane tentively put her lips on his barely touching, but just letting their breaths caress before she stepped back smiling. *I feel...happy...* his heart smirked smugly.
Akane leaned in Ranma's ear and whispered, "Nice...but a simple I love you would do. I love you too."
Ranma smiled feeling the pain and regret of the years wash off of him like waves replaced by a stronger emotion.
When they reached the Saotome residence, Akane led Ranma to the backyard where Beldandy was supposed to be. When they got there they saw there was an uncouncious Genma-Panda with a note attached to his fur...Belldandy nowhere in sight. Ranma snatched the note off of Genma's fur waking the uncouncious Panda up. Akane read the note from behind Ranma and Genma watched in shock as Akane's face ashen and she fell back uncouncious. He also watched in fear as Ranma's face contorted in a rage not supposed to be known to man...or any other being. The note fell lifelessly to the soft grass and Genma picked it shakily up and read:
Ranma,
Oh, my poor husband, you should have listened to me when I warned you. I was just going to be patient until you regained your senses and returned to me, but Urd had to interfere. Can't that girl stop!? Ah, well, what you feel for this...Akane...is just an infatuation, but I can't risk you falling for her, my dear Ranma. So, I took the brat, Belldandy. Go to the Yarshi cave in the mountains 3 days later and I'll let her go, so we can leave together. Don't bring anyone else either, Ranma. Until then, au revoir, my prince.
Your wife and love,
Ranko
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shou Yung ran through the woods and mountains heading towards China. Fear gripped her heart and she hoped that she would reach the Amazon tribe in time. She had accidentally overheard the conversation between Ran Mae and that goddess and she knew what it meant. She also knew that she had to get her grandmother to Japan and to Ran Mae as soon as possible. *Why didn't we see it before? Why didn't we see his power? Oh Oappa- on, please don't let this be too late...*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's Notes: Send all comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com.