Forgotten Past
By: the littlest dinosaur
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters from that anime series, but I do own the original characters. Please do not use them without my permission.
[Begin chapter two]
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"Akane, there is something we have all," Nabiki glared at Ryouga, which he returned without a thought, "been meaning to tell you."
"Oh?" Akane asked as she reached for her tea again, trying to calm her agitated nerves.
She had a feeling that this was something important and wanted to be calm enough to consider everything before doing anything rash.
"You know who your sons' father is," Nabiki said as she looked at her sister.
Her little sister looked like she was going to have a heart attack as she gulped down the tea in her mouth, her hand shaking uncontrollably. After all these years of wondering whose eyes Sano had, she would finally know...
Still shaking, she looked to Ryouga for support as she clutched his hand. He looked at her with considerable sadness in his eyes and a small bittersweet smile. She did not know why and silently wondered why he would look so sad. Akane turned toward her sisters with a look of yearning radiating from her face. She wanted, no, needed them to tell her the secret they have kept from her for ten years.
Nabiki studied her sister and wondered what would be the best way to break the news to her. The woman turned to her older sister for support, and she nodded as she took her cue to continue the conversation.
"Akane," Kasumi said gently, "I know you know that we have withheld this information because we thought it would be best for you, and I am glad that you haven't pressed the matter much. Your doctor did not believe that knowing who he was would affect you in a positive way at the time because you were trying to recuperate. We did not want you to regress and become worse. Tofu said that the shock might be too much for you. We are all deeply apologetic for keeping this important piece of information from you, little sister."
Nabiki nodded in agreement and glared at Ryouga until he gave a small, curt nod. Nabiki continued their explanation.
"Yes, Akane," Kasumi said gently, "And we need you to promise to be calm and not kill anyone or anything."
Akane's eyes widened over the rim of her teacup. She swallowed and nervously put the teacup back on the table, nodding in response to her sister's request, waiting for their story to continue. The woman quietly wondered why they would make such an odd request of her but the let the thought go once the conversation started to progress.
Nabiki took over the conversation, "We didn't keep this from you to hurt you, Akane." Her eyes held a tinge of sadness, or maybe regret, in them. "Something terrible happened ten years ago. Something very... horrible. We did not want to worry you needlessly, so we kept the truth from you."
Akane's eyebrows knitted in confusion.
What had happened? Why do they look like someone died?
She closed her eyes and cradled her head in her hands. A cocky grin flashed before her eyes, startling her and causing her to jump back from the table. Only Nabiki noticed her movements but never commented about them. They needed to talk now.
"Don't you ever wonder why you can't remember your high school or college days?"
No response.
Nabiki continued, softening her tone, "There was an accident, Akane."
Akane's head shot up, giving a nervous look to the people around her.
"It was horrible. You were taking Sano to the pediatrician because he had a fever. You went by yourself, and you were attacked." Akane's hand flew up to her mouth. "A woman you knew, Shampoo, attacked you from behind and hit a pressure point on the back of your head and another near your heart on your back. She was so swift and quiet, though, we did not know what had happened until it was too late. You were lying on the sidewalk, and Sano was kneeling next to you, wailing, pleading with you to get up. We could not help you, Akane. We went to Tofu, and he said that he could not do anything for you because it was too dangerous to undo. He said that it would erase your memories of the one closest to your heart, and that you would have to remember on your own, but we were scared. Tofu said that you could be seriously injured if we did anything drastic. He said you might die from shock, Akane, and we couldn't let that happen to you, not after-"
"Shut up!" Ryouga shouted as he banged his fist against the small rectangular table, ignoring Akane's eyes looking fearfully at her friend. His fangs were showing and his hair looked as if it was standing on end. Akane was honestly afraid that he would do something reckless. "If someone had been there for her, this wouldn't have happened. If that jerk did not run off, she would not be suffering now! If-"
"Enough!" Nabiki slammed her fists against the table, too. She had enough of Ryouga's many outbursts. "We all know the what if's, Ryouga, so please. Stop."
"We withheld this because indirectly, your husband felt he was at fault." Nabiki paused as her sister's eyes filled with pain and shock. "Shampoo was after Ranma, still. After so many years, she had not given him up even though you two were happily married and had two sons. Ranma was working at the dojo that day, teaching a class of children, which is why you went alone. Dad was watching Seiji that afternoon, Kasumi was helping Tofu, and I was on a business trip in America." Nabiki shook her head sadly and looked at her sister's tear-filled eyes. "We did not want to worry you, really. We thought that it would hinder your recovery if we told you the truth. Too much stress for you to handle at once. We had the best of intentions, and he left after he knew you would be safe and unharmed. He didn't want to hurt you because of him anymo-"
"Damn right he didn't!" Ryouga shouted as he banged his fist against the small rectangular table, ignoring Akane's eyes looking fearfully at her friend. His fangs were showing and his hair looked as if it was standing on end. Akane was honestly afraid that he would do something reckless. "He knew exactly what he was doing and to whom!" The irate boy turned to Akane and took her small hands into his own, his tone softening a few decibels, "He was taking advantage of you, Sano and Seiji, Akane. They were so young, and you were so vulnerable." He pulled her petite form into a tight hug, missing her pleading glance toward her sisters for help. "I want to protect you from him so badly."
Nabiki scowled as she watched Ryouga's outburst, her eyebrow ticking. Kasumi looked calmly on the scene that laid itself out before her.
"That is true and false, Ryouga," the oldest girl said soothingly. "He did leave her of his own will, but it was because he wanted to protect his wife. He needs to take care of all his unfinished business so they can live in peace. They were two strong people who were the target of a scheme," she paused and looked at Akane who was struggling to get out of Ryouga's tight hug, "But things got out of control, and you got seriously hurt." Sadness filled the woman's voice as she placed her gaze upon the pictures that lined the wall above her sister's head. They were pictures of her daughter and nephews growing up, wide grins and energetic children smiled back at the woman encouraging Kasumi on. "Sano and Seiji do not know who their father is, and I am saddened to say that we have also been keeping this secret from them, little sister, though we were close to telling you many times."
"Yes," Nabiki cut in, "But although he left, your sons stayed behind. They were too young to know what was happening, and couldn't separate you from them even if you couldn't remember who their father is."
Akane roughly pulled out of Ryouga's tight embrace and looked anxiously to her sisters, hoping for more information to her past, and missing the look of pain that flashed through her friend's face.
"Do you recall all those pictures in your sons' rooms? The ones of Ranma Saotome?" Kasumi asked quietly, her gaze never leaving her sister as she nodded slowly.
"His eyes are the same blue as Sano's," Akane whispered to herself, her eyes content watching her hands burn nervous energy as they wrung together.
Nabiki looked at her younger sister with an indifferent expression on her face, "From where do you think he got those color eyes? Haven't you wondered about it?"
Akane whipped her head toward Nabiki with a forlorn face, but looked immediately to her hands that were wrestling each other. The older girl tilted her head to the side to study her sister's sad expression that clearly stated that she had not given it any thought.
"He is probably the greatest martial artist in the world." She looked up to her sisters, trying to change the subject, "What does he have to do with any of this? He is just an icon."
Kasumi smiled sadly.
"He is your husband."
Akane looked confused.
"My husband is-. You're saying that Ranma Saotome is my husband?" Akane smiled as her voice filled with amusement as Nabiki gave her a curt nod. At that acknowledgement, her head fell unexpectedly into her cupped hands and onto the low table. Ryouga was by her side instantly and who, to her annoyance, kept asking if she was all right.
Kasumi sighed gently and sipped her tea. Nabiki continued.
"Yes, and you two have been married for fifteen years as of..." Nabiki paused to remember her sister's wedding date. "...next month, I believe." The middle sister's gaze turned toward the koi pond outside, her mind already analyzing the best way to approach her nephew's about the subject of their father. She had to tell them next.
Akane fainted in Ryouga's arms, and the fanged man growled menacingly at Nabiki who picked up her teacup and began delicately sip her tea.
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"Hey, Seiji," addressed the older boy who was toweling his hair as he stood in his younger brother's bedroom doorway, "You think something's up downstairs?" He was wearing a familiar looking Chinese-styled red tank top with loose black pants.
The Seiji grunted from the closet as he searched through his closet, too busy glance at his brother. A cool breeze danced through the small room. The older boy rolled his eyes and threw his towel at his brother's form. A yelp of indignation came from the closet as Seiji emerged to grace his brother with an irritated scowl. Seiji was wearing a pair of blue and grey plaid boxers that showed off his wonderfully sculpt abs very well.
"Did you hear what I asked?" came the older boy's irked question.
"Uh, no?"
The older boy ran a hand through his spiky hair and walked into his younger brother's room to sit on his bed. Seiji shrugged and continued to raid his closet, looking for that perfect outfit to impress his date. The boy gave a shout of joy as he pulled out a clean pair of black slacks and a blue Chinese-styled shirt that looked similar to the one his brother was wearing. Seiji ran to the bathroom to change in privacy, leaving his older brother to sit by himself in the room.
The other brother looked around the room, noticing many posters littering his brother's walls. The boy got up to inspect the pictures of girls, cars, martial artists, and movies, many of which were ripped from a magazine from the looks of the edges of the papers. Tired of the wall, he flopped back onto his brother's large bed to study the ceiling, which was, thankfully, clear of anything besides a ceiling fan. Bored, the boy groped toward his brother's nightstand, looking for a radio to banish the silence.
Unable to locate that slippery radio, he growled and propped himself up to be met with a tattered picture with four smiling faces. Momentarily stunned, he picked up the simple black picture frame and brought it closer so he could inspect it better. Although the edges of the picture was worn, the barely visible date in the corner of the pictured declared it eleven years old, and it held a much younger-looking mom laughing and smiling, watching a much smaller version of his brother and him play in front of her. Next to his mother was a grinning man with a familiar face, and the name played on the tip of the boy's tongue. He had his arm wrapped tightly around his mother's shoulders and had pulled her in close.
"What are you doing, Sano?"
Caught off guard, the boy fell from his position on the bed and blushed as he scrambled to sit up at the foot of the bed. The younger boy laughed loudly at his brother's bruised ego until Sano raised the undamaged frame to show his little brother at what he had been looking. Seiji's eyes went wide, and he walked over to his desk to sit on his chair. Sano looked at the picture in his hands. The cheerful mood simmered into something more somber, and a breeze played with his hair.
"That's us, you know, when we were little," Seiji said loud enough for Sano to hear.
The latter boy nodded slowly and looked to his younger brother, silently asking him why there was such a picture on his nightstand.
"And that's dad sitting next to mom. Don't they look happy?" Seiji's voice sounded burdened and sad, and the boy used the chair to roll toward his bed.
"Where did you get this picture?" Sano asked quietly as he handed it to his younger brother who in turn put it on the floor next to Sano. "I thought Aunt Nabiki hid them all in a safe at her summer villa in Sapporo."
"I've had it for as long as I can remember, actually," Seiji said thoughtfully. "I remember needing a picture of our family for a project at school when I was in... kindergarten?" He scratched his head. "Well, that's beside the point, but yeah. I've always had that picture." Pause. "No one else knew I had it before. I kept it in my underwear drawer because I know mom doesn't go through it anymore," Seiji winked at his brother, who chuckled softly.
"Why didn't you tell me you had this?" Sano asked, the wind playing quietly with his hair. Pause. "I have one, too, though I've taped it to the back of one of my drawers." Sano looked at the ceiling. "I just remembered that I put it there. I don't believe I forgot about it."
"Who? Dad?"
"No, the picture, stupid," was Sano's patient reply, followed by a small laugh, "How long has it been since his last visit? A month?"
Seiji shrugged after he lazily flopped onto his bed. He rolled onto his back and looked at his brother upside down, his hair hanging and brushing the carpeted floor. "Dunno, but you know he'll be back soon. Remember? He promised he would teach us new techniques he learned from Chinese Amazons?" The teenager rolled back onto his stomach and brushed his hair back. "That is so cool."
"I know. Maybe he'll bring back desserts from Grandma Saotome, too!" Sano's stomach growled in response, and the boys laughed. "Her mochi is awesome!"
The elder boy smiled brightly as he leaned against his brother's bed and turned his gaze toward the cream-colored ceiling.
"Or maybe he'll bring us posters and spend money from his latest win! I can't believe the old man is still fighting like that."
Sano closed his eyes and heard a thump and, thinking his brother fell off his bed again, ignored the sound. Someone tapped him on the shoulder, trying to gain his attention. The boy opened his eyes slowly to see what his brother wanted when he was roughly pulled into a headlock.
"Who you calling an old man, shrimp?"
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Akane massaged her temples.
Kasumi had gone to the kitchen to get more tea and cookies at Akane's request.
Ryouga and Nabiki were arguing.
Again.
At this rate, she would never get the entire story from them. She silently asked herself when this was ever going to end. The woman picked up her cup of tea and sipped it. Maybe it would help to calm her frayed nerves. She had just been thinking about her husband, wondering what kind of person he could be, and his reasons for staying away for so long. Akane had never thought that she would actually find out who her sons' father was- is, actually, though she was still unable to learn the exact circumstances around his disappearance. They kept mentioning an "accident" but never elaborated as to what happened to that woman afterward.
Kasumi looked sadly at her little sister who looked deep in thought, seemingly oblivious to the fight dancing around her. She had really wished this would not have happened like this, but she had really believed it was time to tell her the whole truth before someone made a mistake and hurt her sister's already strained heart. The eldest sister saw Akane smile to herself and hoped that her youngest sister would be rational about the information they had laid before her. Moreover, what of her nephews? Granted, they worshiped to ground that Ranma Saotome walked upon, but how would they react to know that they have known their father, a little at least.
Stomping feet brought Kasumi out of her musings and saw Akane look up to be greeted by her sons bowling each other over to get to her. Her little sister gave them a smile before moving over so they could sit next to her.
Kasumi moved back into the sitting room with a fresh pot of tea and snacks to feed her nephews. Sano looked extremely ruffled as he and Seiji calmed their breathing from their race down the stairs. They looked at their mom, ignoring the rest of the family around them. Sano was the first to speak.
"What's for dinner?"
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[End chapter two]
A/N: Hi! I forgot, when I had edited my first chapter, to thank all those people who reviewed! :D I was so happy when you people took the time to read my story! I was so warm and fuzzy inside! :D :D
So how was it? Horrible? Good? Decent? Should I have not touched the original chapter? Did you find any mistakes? Did it make you want to throw up? TT;;
All comments welcome, so please review!