Slumber
by Amaterasu
Part Two: The Worst Nightmare
Akane rose up early, feeling refreshed, invigorated, nervous and anxious all at the same time. Part of her was way happy that she was finally going to marry Ranma while the other half was just plain nervous. The fact that nobody came into their house demanding that Ranma show himself or challenged Akane into a fight deeply worried her. Images of Kuno, Kodachi, Shampoo and Ryoga all came to her, each one wearing their own version of an evil smirk. She shook her head and cleared her mind, deciding on a positive outlook for the rest of the day. It was her wedding day after all.
Hours later, she sat in Kasumi's room, her face painted white. She had donned her white wedding kimono, the accompanying veil still in the box. Her eldest sister brushed her long hair gently and swept it up in a loose coil atop her head. Using tortoise shell combs, the coil was held into place. Nodoka Saotome came in and smiled. She drew near and placed an iris bud underneath the white obi. She said that purple was the color of love. The gentle fragrance of the flower wafted up and Akane breathed in deeply, the scent instantly calming her frayed nerves. At last, they hefted the veil out its box, the veil itself a combination of finest white Chinese silk and French lace. They settled it gently, almost reverently on Akane's head, making sure that her face and hair was obscured from view. After a few whispered assurances from both women, they left the room and left Akane alone with her thoughts.
Akane sat still, resisting the temptation to wipe the white paint from her face. A sense of foreboding settled upon her, making a permanent nest in her heart. No matter how she reasoned it out, she still felt uneasy and anxious. She was sure that they were going to make a move and halt the ceremony. She tried to shake the thoughts away but they clung like a thick mist, shrouding her vision of a happy, normal wedding. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the shadow slowly slithering towards the partially open shoji door.
Nabiki Tendo was way beyond relieved when Akane and Ranma said they were going to marry. She was happy that her sister would finally discover happiness of her own. Though she, Nabiki, hasn't married yet, she understood that this union would stabilize their family. She knocked once on her sister Kasumi's room and slid the door open, smiling faintly at the still white figure seated in front of the mirror. "Come on Akane, " she called out. "It's time. "
She watched as her sister rose gracefully, her head still bowed. My, my, what perfect manners. The brown-haired woman thought as she guided the bride to the main room of the dojo. She guided her younger sister to the spot beside Ranma.
Ranma watched Akane glide across the polished floor, utterly beautiful in all white. He couldn't see her eyes, though he understood that it wasn't really proper. She kneeled beside him, a paragon of still grace. He looked around and gazed into the faces of his and Akane's family members. Happosai, Genma and Nodoka were seated on his left while Soun and Nabiki was seated on his bride's right. The smiling Kasumi and dazed Tofu, along with his mother, was seated behind them. And seated besides Dr. Tofu's mother was... a small raven. Ranma frowned and wondered why such a bird was in the dojo. But his thoughts were quickly diverted as the priest started the purification service. After everyone was purified, Ranma was instructed to read the oath he had prepared. He slipped a hand into the sleeve of his haori but reconsidered. Instead he closed his eyes and sang.
~Look into my eyes
You will see, what you mean to me
Search your heart, search your soul
When you find me there you'll search no more
~Don't tell me its not worth trying for
You can't tell me it's not worth dying for
You know its true (you know it's true)
Everything I do, I do it for you
~Look into your heart, you will find
There is nothing there to hide
Take me as I am, take my life
I would give it all, I would sacrifice
~You can't tell me it's not worth trying for
I just can't help it, there's nothing in the world I want more
I would fight for you; yeah I'd lie for you
Walk the wire for you; yeah I'd die for you
~You know its true
Everything I do
I do it for you
Slowly, he opened his eyes, wanting to see Akane's reaction. He was disappointed when he saw that her head was still bowed, concealing her eyes. Her small white hands were clenched in her lap, the only indication of her reaction, which, of course, he didn't understand. Kasumi and his mother dabbed a kerchief to their eyes, moved by his song.
Wait a minute. How come Akane's hands are that pale?
Again, the priest who chanted as he raised his hands to the gods diverted him from his thoughts. A miko came in silently and set up the San-San-Kudo. [1] He and Akane were made to face each other, though his bride's head was still deeply bowed. Their family members were seated around them, all smiling expectantly. Ranma took the first flat cup from the stack, full of sake. He sipped from it three times, relishing the sweet taste combined with the warmth of spring. He placed the cup back into the stack and Akane took it and sipped three times. At her third sip, Ranma saw a flash of blue, which compelled him to tear his bride's veil away. There was a collective shout of "Shampoo!" as the Chinese girl stood up and stared at Ranma.
Shock and anger coursed through Ranma's veins as he stared at her pale, white hands, her upswept hair and her virginal white dress. "Where the hell is Akane?" he asked coldly, his blue eyes chips of ice.
Sad brown eyes peeked from bright blue bangs and a defeated voice replied. "In her room. Sleeping."
He nodded. " Get yourself away from here, Shampoo. And never show your face again." The emotionless voice forced Shampoo to move and in mere seconds, she was gone, leaving a shocked audience. Ranma pivoted sharply and raced to Kasumi's room. When Akane didn't answer his soft knock, he slid the door open and found Akane sleeping on the floor, motionless and deadly pale.
" Akane! "
---
[1] San-san-Kudo is a Japanese traditon of sharing sake (rice wine) as a part of the Shinto Wedding ceremony. English-translated to three times three exchange, there are three stacks of flat cups which are filled with sake. The groom will take the first cup and sip from it three times, followed by the bride and then the family members. The same will be done to the second and third cup.
[2] In case it isn't abvious, the song is Everything I do, I do it for you by Bryan Adams. And no, I don't claim ownership. ^_^
[3] Is he still OOC? *sigh*
by Amaterasu
Part Two: The Worst Nightmare
Akane rose up early, feeling refreshed, invigorated, nervous and anxious all at the same time. Part of her was way happy that she was finally going to marry Ranma while the other half was just plain nervous. The fact that nobody came into their house demanding that Ranma show himself or challenged Akane into a fight deeply worried her. Images of Kuno, Kodachi, Shampoo and Ryoga all came to her, each one wearing their own version of an evil smirk. She shook her head and cleared her mind, deciding on a positive outlook for the rest of the day. It was her wedding day after all.
Hours later, she sat in Kasumi's room, her face painted white. She had donned her white wedding kimono, the accompanying veil still in the box. Her eldest sister brushed her long hair gently and swept it up in a loose coil atop her head. Using tortoise shell combs, the coil was held into place. Nodoka Saotome came in and smiled. She drew near and placed an iris bud underneath the white obi. She said that purple was the color of love. The gentle fragrance of the flower wafted up and Akane breathed in deeply, the scent instantly calming her frayed nerves. At last, they hefted the veil out its box, the veil itself a combination of finest white Chinese silk and French lace. They settled it gently, almost reverently on Akane's head, making sure that her face and hair was obscured from view. After a few whispered assurances from both women, they left the room and left Akane alone with her thoughts.
Akane sat still, resisting the temptation to wipe the white paint from her face. A sense of foreboding settled upon her, making a permanent nest in her heart. No matter how she reasoned it out, she still felt uneasy and anxious. She was sure that they were going to make a move and halt the ceremony. She tried to shake the thoughts away but they clung like a thick mist, shrouding her vision of a happy, normal wedding. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the shadow slowly slithering towards the partially open shoji door.
Nabiki Tendo was way beyond relieved when Akane and Ranma said they were going to marry. She was happy that her sister would finally discover happiness of her own. Though she, Nabiki, hasn't married yet, she understood that this union would stabilize their family. She knocked once on her sister Kasumi's room and slid the door open, smiling faintly at the still white figure seated in front of the mirror. "Come on Akane, " she called out. "It's time. "
She watched as her sister rose gracefully, her head still bowed. My, my, what perfect manners. The brown-haired woman thought as she guided the bride to the main room of the dojo. She guided her younger sister to the spot beside Ranma.
Ranma watched Akane glide across the polished floor, utterly beautiful in all white. He couldn't see her eyes, though he understood that it wasn't really proper. She kneeled beside him, a paragon of still grace. He looked around and gazed into the faces of his and Akane's family members. Happosai, Genma and Nodoka were seated on his left while Soun and Nabiki was seated on his bride's right. The smiling Kasumi and dazed Tofu, along with his mother, was seated behind them. And seated besides Dr. Tofu's mother was... a small raven. Ranma frowned and wondered why such a bird was in the dojo. But his thoughts were quickly diverted as the priest started the purification service. After everyone was purified, Ranma was instructed to read the oath he had prepared. He slipped a hand into the sleeve of his haori but reconsidered. Instead he closed his eyes and sang.
~Look into my eyes
You will see, what you mean to me
Search your heart, search your soul
When you find me there you'll search no more
~Don't tell me its not worth trying for
You can't tell me it's not worth dying for
You know its true (you know it's true)
Everything I do, I do it for you
~Look into your heart, you will find
There is nothing there to hide
Take me as I am, take my life
I would give it all, I would sacrifice
~You can't tell me it's not worth trying for
I just can't help it, there's nothing in the world I want more
I would fight for you; yeah I'd lie for you
Walk the wire for you; yeah I'd die for you
~You know its true
Everything I do
I do it for you
Slowly, he opened his eyes, wanting to see Akane's reaction. He was disappointed when he saw that her head was still bowed, concealing her eyes. Her small white hands were clenched in her lap, the only indication of her reaction, which, of course, he didn't understand. Kasumi and his mother dabbed a kerchief to their eyes, moved by his song.
Wait a minute. How come Akane's hands are that pale?
Again, the priest who chanted as he raised his hands to the gods diverted him from his thoughts. A miko came in silently and set up the San-San-Kudo. [1] He and Akane were made to face each other, though his bride's head was still deeply bowed. Their family members were seated around them, all smiling expectantly. Ranma took the first flat cup from the stack, full of sake. He sipped from it three times, relishing the sweet taste combined with the warmth of spring. He placed the cup back into the stack and Akane took it and sipped three times. At her third sip, Ranma saw a flash of blue, which compelled him to tear his bride's veil away. There was a collective shout of "Shampoo!" as the Chinese girl stood up and stared at Ranma.
Shock and anger coursed through Ranma's veins as he stared at her pale, white hands, her upswept hair and her virginal white dress. "Where the hell is Akane?" he asked coldly, his blue eyes chips of ice.
Sad brown eyes peeked from bright blue bangs and a defeated voice replied. "In her room. Sleeping."
He nodded. " Get yourself away from here, Shampoo. And never show your face again." The emotionless voice forced Shampoo to move and in mere seconds, she was gone, leaving a shocked audience. Ranma pivoted sharply and raced to Kasumi's room. When Akane didn't answer his soft knock, he slid the door open and found Akane sleeping on the floor, motionless and deadly pale.
" Akane! "
---
[1] San-san-Kudo is a Japanese traditon of sharing sake (rice wine) as a part of the Shinto Wedding ceremony. English-translated to three times three exchange, there are three stacks of flat cups which are filled with sake. The groom will take the first cup and sip from it three times, followed by the bride and then the family members. The same will be done to the second and third cup.
[2] In case it isn't abvious, the song is Everything I do, I do it for you by Bryan Adams. And no, I don't claim ownership. ^_^
[3] Is he still OOC? *sigh*