A Tail To Remember
by Gie: phowahcs.com

A Tail To Remember
Chapter Nineteen: Nerima, Ho!

Nerima, Tendo Dojo

Kasumi bustled around the familiar rooms: dusting, cleaning,
folding laundry and taking care of other assorted daily tasks she
performed, only at a pace more frantic than she was used to
performing.

Soun watched his oldest daughter as she moved from room to
room, doing her daily chores. When she passed by him a fourth time
in fifteen minutes, he caught her attention. "Kasumi-chan, do you
need help with anything?"

She paused and shook her head, flashing him a gentle smile.
"I'm fine, Otousan. I'm almost done with the laundry and I just
finished dusting the living room."

"Are you sure, dear? I'm not doing much of anything..." Soun
trailed off, a lopsided grin flashing across his face.

Kasumi thought hard, and gave her father a smile. "Well, if
you want, Otousan, I could use a few things from the market."

He nodded and stood quickly. "Of course, Kasumi. You should
have said something earlier. What do you need? Milk? Sugar?
Some spice?"

She disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a sheet
of folded paper. "I need the items on this list, Otousan." Kasumi
handed her father the piece of paper.

He took it from her with a nod. "You needn't worry, Kasumi."
He started to unfold the proffered piece of paper. "I'll get
what...you...need." As he was talking to her, his eyes got wider when
he flipped to the next page. And the next. And the mini-novel that
followed after that.

He glanced at her with a frown. "You weren't planning on
getting all of these items today, were you? By yourself? This is a
very long list." He glanced down it, his eyes growing larger and
larger as he read the groceries needed. "What did you need all of
this for? This is more that you, Nabiki and I will eat in a month!"

She nodded. "I know, Otousan. I went to the market
yesterday for our food. This is all for tonight's supper."

Soun's jaw dropped to the floor. "To..tonight's meal?" His
hand started to shake slightly. "Who are we expecting? The
Emperor and his Army?"

Kasumi giggled and moved about the room, straightening up as
she talked to her father. "You're so funny, Otousan. Of course not."
She glanced at him over her shoulder as she folded a blanket.
"Akane-chan and Ranma-kun are coming, remember? She said to
expect a few extra hearty appetites."

Soun nodded, a sweatdrop rolling down his head. "Just how
many appetites are we expecting?" He glanced back down at the list,
once more.

She paused in her task and ticked off names on her fingers,
thinking out loud. "Well, there's you, me, Nabiki, Akane and Ranma,
Vejiita-ototochan and Bulma-san, Goku-san and his family, and Akane
said to expect a couple more, but she didn't give any names. Maybe
it will be that nice friend of theirs, Kurillin-san." She glanced at her
father, who had sunk lower and lower to the ground with each name
she mentioned. "Are you okay, Otousan?"

He nodded weakly, his hand on his forehead. "How did you
expect to pay for all of this food, Kasumi? The Dojo doesn't have
this much in petty cash--and I don't think the market gives this
much credit." He paled as a thought crossed his mind. "Nabiki-chan
will faint when she sees this bill."

"Don't worry, Otousan," Kasumi soothed her father's worries.
She explained the situation for him. "Akane-chan said she'll pick up
the bill. She has an expense account Bulma-san gave her, from
Capsule Corp." She smiled brightly as her father stood up, looking a
little better.

At that moment, the door opened and Saotome Nodoka and
Genma entered; Nodoka bearing a gigantic plate of assorted cookies.
"Kon'nichi wa, Kasumi-chan. I hope you didn't mind we let ourselves
in."

Kasumi shook her head, greeting the visitors with a smile and
a bow. "Of course not, Saotome-obaasan. Do you need help with the
plate? They look delicious!"

Nodoka gave her a grateful smile, but shook her head. "I'm
fine, Kasumi-chan. And you'd have to ask Genma how they taste--he
kept sneaking samples all the way here." She threw him an icy glare.

Genma shrugged his shoulders, offering no excuse. "How
about a game before the kids get here, Tendo?" he said, turning to
his friend and giving him a healthy tap on the shoulder with his
meaty paw.

Soun shook his head. "Later, Saotome. Right now we have a
mission to fulfill."

Genma raised an eyebrow. "We, Tendo?" He glanced at the
tall male warily. "And what mission would this be?"

"Our mission," Soun stated, his voice sounding authoritative,
"is to go buy the food for dinner for a horde of hungry Saiya-jiin.
Do you accept your mission, Saotome?" He stared at him pointedly,
daring him to refuse such an important task.

"Of course, Tendo, of course!" He chuckled nervously, waving
his hands in the air.

Kasumi handed her father a small package. "This is the
number you give them at the market, and an empty storage capsule,
Otousan. I wouldn't expect you and Saotome-ojisan to carry all
those groceries home by yourselves."

Soun nodded, taking them and putting them into the inside
pocket of his brown gi. "Arigato, Kasumi-chan. I was wondering how
you were going to bring the items home if you were going to go by
yourself." He turned to Genma, handing him the list. "Shall we, my
friend?"

"Ah, Tendo," Genma paused in the doorway, as he glanced
through the list, a sweatdrop forming on his head. "How did you
expect to pay for all of this food?" He blanched hard as he
unfolded another two pages and noticed he wasn't half way through.

Soun chuckled lightly. "Who said I was paying, Saotome?"

Nodoka watched them leave and turned to Kasumi. "You
deserve a break, dear. Why don't you go have a bath, and I'll
prepare tea."

"But I have to start preparing...I couldn't let you do that..."

Nodoka interrupted Kasumi's protest with a hand raised and a
stern glance. "Go, Kasumi-chan. Relax. You deserve it. I can take
are of the kitchen."

She started to protest more, but backed down from Nodoka's
glare. "Hai, Saotome-obaasan. I'll go have a bath." She sighed
resignedly and walked out of the room.

The older female giggled slightly and watched the Matriarch
of the Tendo family drag her feet upstairs. "It's not like I ordered
you to your death, Kasumi-chan," she called up after her.

Nodoka immediately started to prep the kitchen for the large
meal ahead. After that task was finished, she prepared tea and
awaited someone's return: be it her husband and his longtime friend
from shopping; Kasumi from her bath, or her son, daughter-in-law
and their friends from Western Capital.

It turned out to be Kasumi was first, as she returned from
her warm bath with a relaxed expression and a fresh dress. Nodoka
nodded approvingly, knowing the young woman needed the time to
herself. She looked better already. "That's a pretty dress, Kasumi."

"Arigato, Nodoka-obaasan." She let her fingers run across
the fabric, feeling a bit self-conscious in front of the older female.
She glanced around, looking for a familiar face. "Has Otousan
arrived yet? Or Akane and Ranma?"

She shook her head, giving Kasumi a small smile. She nodded
to the chair across from her. "Iie. No one has arrived."

Kasumi sighed softly and sat down, taking the cup of tea
offered to her. "Akane-chan mentioned that she had something to
tell us. I just wonder what it could be?" She glanced down into the
cup to see if it had the answers. It did not.

"I wouldn't know, dear." Nodoka sipped her own tea and
glanced at the younger woman. "Maybe they're done fighting that
enemy they were preparing for?"

"That would be good news," Kasumi mused.

They sat in companionable chatter, slowly passing the time.
After some time, a blur of blue caught the attention of Kasumi's
sharp eyes. "Nani? What was that?" She stood and moved to the
kitchen window, which overlooked the backyard. She darted back
into the other room, sweeping past the startled Nodoka.
"Nodoka-obaasan! Akane and Ranma are here!"

She none-too-gently threw open the sliding doors to the
backyard. Both of the women watched as Akane, Ranma, and the
rest of the Z crew touched down to the backyard. Kasumi raised a
hand to her cheek. "And with one, two...three, four guests! Oh, my.
It's a good thing we're making a lot of food." She let a small giggle
escape.

Nodoka blinked a few times. "I forgot they know how to fly."
Her eyes scanned the crowd of familiar and unfamiliar faces. "I see
Ranma, Akane, her brother, and Briefs-san." She pointed to Trunks
and Tobuma. "Who are the two others? I wonder if that is her
surprise?"

Kasumi didn't answer her question but stepped off the porch
and greeted the welcome guests. "Konban wa, Akane-chan,
Ranma-kun, minna."

Akane turned toward the house. "Kasumi-oneechan!" She
flashed to her older sister and threw her arms around her, crushing
the taller female in her embrace. "I missed you! How have you
been?"

Kasumi held her sister close to her, reveling in the feel of
the smaller girl...woman in her arms. She closed her eyes, holding
back a few tears. "I've been...fine...Imoutochan. I talked...to you
this...morning, remember? I need to breathe..." She let out a small
gasp.

Akane released her, blushing slightly. "Gomen nasai,
Oneechan."

Kasumi smiled and pulled back, giving her sister a loving smile.
Her features turned thoughtful, as she scanned the blue-haired
female in her embrace, giving her a critical look. "You've put on
muscle, Imoutochan."

Akane shrugged modestly and nodded. "That's what happens
when you train as intensely as Ranma and I have been. Vejiita-chan
and Goku-san are tough sensei."

"You do look in fine health, Akane-chan." Nodoka commented,
after releasing Ranma from her own hug. "Kon'nichi wa, minna-san."
She turned and addressed the rest of the group.

Scattered greetings and a deep grunt answered her welcome.
"Shall we go inside, Akane-chan? Then you can re-introduce
everyone." She glanced at Tobuma and Trunks. Something struck a
chord in her as she stared at the tri-colored male. The tall man just
blushed under her scrutiny and turned away. "I don't remember
everyone's names."

Akane giggled to herself as she noticed where she glanced
and Tobuma's reaction. She nodded and gave her mother-in-law a
smile. "Hai, Obaasan." She watched Nodoka go inside and then
turned to the two future Saiya-jiin, waving a finger in warning.
"Remember, they don't know who you really are, so until you're
introduced, don't call me and Ranma by our relative titles."

"Hai, Seiika-chan." Tobuma smiled, winking at his future
mother.

Ranma rolled his eyes, and threw a weak shot at his progeny.
"Just don't get fresh with your 'Seiika-chan,' Tobuma-kun," he
glanced at the purple haired male and extended his warning,
"Trunks-kun, or your ass is grass."

"Hai, Serori-san," Both Tobuma and Trunks spoke
simultaneously. They glanced at each other and gave the group an
identical smirk. All turned and went inside.

Vejiita, who had been silent since Capsule Corp, hung back
from the talkative group. He knew coming back here for Seiika, to
the place she associated as home, and to Serori, who would follow
his sister anywhere, meant quite a lot to them. So he kept quiet
about their behavior.
Bulma, though, noticed her mate's more-than-usual anti-social
behavior and paused as well. "Are you still mad about me flying
in with Trunks?" She pouted slightly and rubbed her hands on a hard bicep.

He gave his mate a glance and rolled his eyes.

Bulma frowned. If that wasn't it, then what? She leaned in
and pecked him on the cheek. "Cheer up, Otoko." He just grunted
and went inside. The blue-tressed genius caught his tail as it went
by. She held it loosely in her hand, and caressed the soft fur gently,
all the while sending reassuring thoughts through their Link.

The Prince started slightly at her touch, and glanced over his
shoulder. He pulled it gently from her hand and let it snake up her
arm in a firmer grip.

Bulma sighed to herself and followed him into the house.
He'd tell her when he was ready. She hoped.

A shiver of unease rippled through their Link.

Everyone was settling down in the living room for tea and the
sweets Nodoka contributed. Akane watched her twin and his mate
settle into a corner. She sensed through the Bond they shared as
twin siblings that there was something more than his normal
bad-attitude behavior amiss with him. She caught his eye and
questioned him silently with a raised eyebrow.

Vejiita had a bad feeling. He didn't know what it was, but
something was off, but he couldn't put his finger on it. The uneasy
sensation hit him the second he touched ground in Nerima. The
worst thing about the entire situation was that he didn't know what
to make of it, and that frustrated him to all extent.

It didn't help matters that the two females in his life kept
giving him strange looks. He couldn't answer their query's, for he
didn't know himself. So he did the only option available--he ignored
them, and brooded silently.

He was broken out of his contemplation when his sister asked
a question. "So where are 'Tousan and Ojisan?"

Kasumi beamed brightly. "They went to the market for me.
Wasn't that kind of them? They should be back soon." She paused
and another thoughtful look crossed her features. "So what did you
want to say to us, Akane?"

Akane blinked. She glanced at Ranma, who was seated next
to her. He shrugged silently, not giving her a direct answer. It
didn't matter any way to him. She let a silent sigh roll around in her
head. "Well, we want to wait until 'Tousan and Saotome-ojisan are
here before we say anything."

Nodoka glanced between the pair, who were giving each other
secret looks. Something was up, but she didn't know what it was.
"Tell us what, Akane-chan?" But she was going to find out.

Akane shook her head, a quirky smile turning the corners of
her lips. "My lips are sealed, Obaasan."

Nodoka frowned. She was going to press the subject
further, but was interrupted abruptly by a figure appearing in front
of her. "Oh, my!" She let out a small gasp in shock.

Goku blinked a few times, getting his bearings. He glanced
around, and recognized the female in front of him. "Gomen nasai,
Saotome-san. I didn't mean to startle you. I centered on
Seiika-chan, and you happened to be next to her." He looked
sheepish at his mistake.

Nodoka patted her chest a few times to help calm her heart.
"That's all right, Goku-san. You can 'pop' in anytime."

"Goku-san, demo..."

He turned to his addressee. "Hai, Serori-kun?"

He smirked and nodded in his direction. "You might want to
get off my 'Kaasan's lap. You're not the lightest person out there."

Goku smiled apologetically and stood quickly. "Are you all
right, Saotome-san? I didn't mean to squash you!"

Nodoka smiled kindly and shook her head. "I'm fine,
Goku-san. Don't worry yourself."

He smiled back, his worry forgotten as he moved to a vacant
seat. "So what's happening?"

Vejiita spoke from his corner. "We're waiting for Seiika to
tell them her news."

"But I want to wait until everyone gets here, before I say
anything." She spoke before Goku could spill the beans.

The tall Saiya-jiin watched the blue-haired Saiya-jiin female
next to him. He could sense her excitement without even reading
her ki. He could see her nervousness of the important news she had
to tell. She kept glancing at her mate and future child, flashing
them a small smile. Goku, being the kind-hearted soul he is, decided
to help her along. "I could go get them!" Before Akane could
protest, he placed two fingers on his head and fizzled out of sight.

Akane let out a sigh and shook her head, dropping her hands
back in her lap. She shrugged helplessly. "I guess he was going to
go."

Goku startled them all once more by popping back in, a
familiar sheepish look crossing his features. "Gomen, Seiika-chan. I
don't know what their ki feels like, so I can't focus on them."

Vejiita snorted from his and Bulma's corner. "Bakana."

"Hush, Vejiita," Bulma scolded him.

Akane rolled her eyes and smiled back at the naiive, but
good-intentioned Saiya-jiin. "That's okay, Goku-san. They'll be back
soon. So, did you talk to ChiChi-san?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "Actually, that's why I'm here.
ChiChi wanted to know if she needed to bring anything."

Kasumi shook her head when Akane gave her a questioning
glance. "Iie, Goku-san. I might need her help in the kitchen, but she
need not bring anything."

Goku nodded, giving her one of his patented smiles. "Arigato,
Kasumi-san! I'll pop back home and get them, if that's all right. See
you soon!" With a wave, Goku popped out of existence again.

Ranma sighed, his lip pulled down in an exaggerated pout. "He
still hasn't taught me how to do that."

"Tadima!"

All eyes turned to the new arrivals. Soun and Genma came
into the room, shoulder to shoulder. Soun handed Kasumi the filled
capsule. "Mission accomplished, Kasumi-chan." He blinked and
glanced around at his filled living room. "Konban wa, minna-san." He
bowed in greeting.

"'Tousan!" Akane jumped up from her spot on the couch and
leaped into her father's arms, flattening him to the floor with her
bear hug. He accepted it graciously, with few tears.

"My baby has come back home to me!" he wailed, a salty
fountain raining down upon his 'lost' daughter.

Akane giggled, and hugged him tighter. Same old
'Tousan--she really missed him. "Oh, don't be silly, 'Tousan."

Genma sat down next to Nodoka, grabbing one of the cookies
on her plate. "Boy," he acknowledged Ranma.

Ranma snorted and shook his head. He was the same, too.
Well, he didn't expect the blob of fat to change drastically in only a
month. "Oyaji." He eyed his paternal guardian and 'tsked' to
himself. "You're getting soft, Pop."

Genma put a meaty hand to his bulk and glared at his 'son.'
"Never, Ranma--you're the one getting soft, living the luxurious life
in the Western Capital. You look like you never even lifted a finger
in training." He sneered at the young Saiya-jiin.

Ranma growled and stood up, his aura flaring slightly. "What
in the hell are you talking about, Oyaji? When I am not sleeping, I
am training! I have never been trained so intensely--our training
trip was a pleasure vacation compared to the past month!" He glared
at his father, challenging him.

Vejiita stood as well, his pride miffed at the insult Genma
threw. "Watch what you say, Human--your miserable life hangs on a
delicate balance with your next sentence."

Genma ignored Vejiita's warning and pushed a finger into
Ranma's stomach. "You, training? Bah! I had to throw you out the
window every morning so you'd get up! Without my superior
influence, it seems you've withered away to nothing! And you call
yourself a martial artist!" Genma laughed in Ranma's face, a smirk
curling at his fat lips. He shoved another cookie into his mouth.

Ranma let his aura rip around him, flames of ki lighting the
room and causing scary shadows under his eyes. The Humans in the
room sucked in a breath, staring at the fiercely glowing Ranma. "I'll
show you a martial artist, Oyaji!"

Vejiita snarled, catching the entire room's attention. "You
will not talk that way to the Saiya-jiin no Oujo's consort, Human, if
you value your next breath." Vejiita's eyes seemed to glow under the
light Ranma's aura cast upon him.

Genma glanced at Vejiita and snorted. "You. You're the one
that claims to have trained my son--it seems to me you've failed. All
I see is a whiny, weak mama's-boy."

Vejiita roared, and immediately flared to Super Saiya-jiin.
"Shin'ne!!!"

Akane quickly moved and flared into Super Saiya-jiin herself,
barricaded her brother, growling something in a language that the
Humans did not understand. Vejiita growled back, speaking in the
same tongue. The set of twins bickered back in forth, arguing
heatedly, their voices rising with each line of dialogue that passed
between them.

Finally, Vejiita stepped away from Akane and with purposeful
steps, stood in front of Genma. His aquamarine eyes bored holes
into the small pupils that hid behind the thin wire frames. The
shorter Super Saiya-jiin held up a finger lit with ki and pointed it at
Genma's forehead, barely brushing against the skin.

Genma gulped heavily but stood straight, his eyes never
leaving Vejiita, showing a rare backbone--or no common sense at all.
The latter was evident when a putrid odor filled everyone's nose.
The Ouji glanced down at the puddle forming at his feet and snarled,
spitting his disgust. He pulled his finger away, and distinguished his
ki. He growled something to Akane once more over his shoulder, and
powering down, walked out of the house.

Akane snarled something back and letting her hair deepen to
midnight-blue once more, stormed after him. Ranma and the others
following close behind.

The Humans glanced between each other, completely lost to
the events that just took place. "What's going on?" Nodoka finally
spoke, voicing the question on all of Nerimians' minds.

Trunks, the last Saiya-jiin out of the room, glanced at Genma
and shook his head. "I don't think you really want to know." His
cerulean eyes flicked to each of the Humans in the room. "Although,
you may want to thank Seiika-obaasan. She just saved the Human's
life." He quietly closed the door behind him, leaving them to ponder
his words.

Nodoka turned to Bulma, who stood in the corner with a
frown creasing her face. "Do you know what happened, Bulma-san?"

Bulma blinked a few times, glancing up at her speaker. "Nani?
Hmm...sort of. What they were speaking was Saiya-go, their native
language. I caught the main idea of the argument." She glanced at
Genma and shook her head, repeating her son's action. "When you
insulted Serori-kun, you insulted Seiika-chan, who is his mate.
Vejiita warned you to stop, and think about what you say, but you
didn't listen and ignored his words." She paused slightly, letting her
words sink in before continuing. "When you insulted Serori-kun's
skills, you also insulted Vejiita, who is his sensei. Then you directly
challenged him, by saying he was a failure."

Bulma closed her eyes, trying to remember something.
"Saiya-jiin Law goes as follows--'When a member of the Royal House
of Vejiita-sei is insulted, or damage has come to Royalty, be it
physical, or verbal, without their consent, punishment is death.' She
opened her eyes are stared directly at Genma. "Not only did you
insult both members of the Royal House, you insulted their
mates--who are included under the Law. It is considered
high-treason to the Crown."

She watched as all four Human's faces paled as the
ramifications of Gemna's actions were realized. She nodded in
agreement. "Vejiita did warn you, twice, Saotome-san. You have to
remember that both 'Ranma' and 'Akane' are not Human. They're not
even from Chikyuu--they're aliens from outer space! Their customs
and practices are completely different from ours. They may have
been raised for most of their lives on this planet, but they do
remember what the Laws of Vejiita-sei are, and do respect them."

The blue-haired genius sighed, and rubbed the bridge of her
nose. "Vejiita, however, is a Saiya-jiin through and through. Where
ever he goes, so do the Laws of Vejiita-sei--even if it does not exist
physically anymore. It exists within him, and that's all that matters
to him. He may abide by the laws of Chikyuu, but if they conflict
with Saiya-jiin law, what do you think he will follow?"

She walked past the ghost-white Nerimians, and paused in
the door frame. "Also, by insulting Vejiita, you have insulted me, his
mate. I may not have taken offense to your remarks, Saotome-san,
but Vejiita has. You're four-times damned in his book. I suggest not
crossing him again. Seiika-chan may not be there to save you." She
closed the door behind her quietly.

Genma swallowed once and blinked. "Kuso," and promptly
fainted, falling to the floor.

Nodoka sat down and fanned her face. It was flushed bright
from the implications Bulma raised about her son and his mate, and
his entire race. She had gotten used to thinking of her little boy as
a Human. "Ranma-chan isn't Ranma anymore, is he?"

Kasumi put a hand on her heart and glanced outside.
"Vejiita-ototochan wouldn't do anything horrible like kill
Saotome-ojisan over some words, right, Otousan?"

Soun stared hard at Genma, who was still unconscious on the
floor, and then glanced outside, to where Bulma and the five
Saiya-jiin stood. Vejiita and Akane seemed to have continued their
argument outside. "I don't know, Kasumi. You must remember;
within a Saiya-jiin is the power to destroy an entire planet--including
Ranma-kun and Akane-chan. They may not want to do such a thing,
but they hold the power to do so. And Vejiita-san has the
blood-history of who knows how many millions of lives on his hands."
He glanced back down at his friend. "I'm afraid Genma would be just
another body in the way."