Chapter 5
Ranma awoke with a smile on his face and a light heart. He looked around the guest room and spotted his father, still asleep in his panda form. He paused for a moment and realized that his father had only spend a very few minutes in his original form the previous day. Again he thought it strange that his father seemed to prefer his cursed form than his own. Maybe it was because he was stronger as a panda. Since Ranma's trip into the springs, he had been easily able to defeat his father at any time he chose. His father had soon after ceased trying to attack him first thing in the morning since all that it accomplished was getting himself beat up worse each time he did so. He had quickly learned that his son would not refuse to fight him, so long as he let him know of his intentions before hand.
Shaking his head, Ranma flipped up to his feet. He quietly walked over to the door and slid it open. He moved silently through the hall, paused briefly in front of Akane's room. He resisted the impulse to open the door and check in on his mate and their daughter. It's not like he needed his eyes to know that they were fine.
Turning away from the temptation, he glided away from the door with feline grace, something that most of those in the house would know not to mention. He was aware of his surroundings in a way he had rarely been before. He knew that since Jhusenkyo, he had been gaining more control of the nekoken, as well as retaining some of the abilities it provided. But the fear had not lessened much. Only it was odd, he thought, that he was not terrified of himself, of Akane or of their daughter.
Deciding to ignore it, he reached the stairs and placed his hands on the first step. Placing each hand carefully, he walked down the stairs. Reaching the bottom, he did a set of handstand push ups, his feet and back as straight as an iron rod. After finishing the tenth, he pushed up more forcefully, launching himself into the air.
Turning in midair, he reach up and touched the ceiling with both hands. Another two rotations in a pike position, he landed in a crouch. From there, he leapt away from the stairwell. He turned and twisted in the air, modifying a kata for the smaller space afforded by the walls and ceiling. He was not used to practicing indoors, and doing this in the house was probably not a good idea, but he was in too good a mood to care at the moment. Landing, he straightened and turned to make his way to the kitchen, eager for a small snack to settle his stomach before everyone else awoke.
A gentle clapping from behind him made him spin around into a defensive stance, his hands forming a grip he liked to call Tiger's Claw. Two knuckles of each finger bent, the tip of his index finger touching the nail of his thumb as it curled into his palm. His palms faced away from him, one hand up near his head, the other chest high. His feet shifted, left one forward, right one back. His back and knees bent, bringing his left hand closer to the ground in a stance he called Rearing Tiger.
Once he had become cursed, he had started to change his style and renaming his moves to match his new form. Since he had leapt into the 'Spring of Drowned Tiger' to save Akane and the two of them, in a state of shock at their new forms, slipped on the muddy bank and fallen into the closest spring, the 'Spring of drowned Young Girl', he had decided to stick with the tiger theme instead of adopting some other feline totem.
He rarely used a fist anymore, instead using his clawed grip to hit opponents with palm strikes and edged handed blows. He had also picked up a few shiatsu and tsubo techniques. His clawed hand made a great set up to their use. All he needed to do was to extend the needed fingers as they neared the points on the body. He was also strong enough to drive his extended fingers through brick and cement blocks. Of course, he always tailored his attacks to whatever style would best counter what his opponent at the time was using. It was the beauty of the Musabetsu Kakutou. Musabetsu Kakutou was the combination of all other styles into one form, taking the best of each and teaching practitioners how the negate each style with a corresponding style that would best counter that style.
Although his new skills often made others compare him to a panther, he knew, through his own observations and through reading up on it, that in most circles, the tiger was the symbol of feline strength, the lion was the symbol of majesty and inner strength, and the panther or jaguar (really the same thing except for the color- panthers are generally black, almost purple while jaguars have square spotted coats) was the symbol of stealth. Others, like the cheetah, were known for their own special reasons.
"Oh my." Kasumi stated as she took note of the sudden hostility pouring off of Ranma like a cheap cologne. "I'm sorry if I startled you Ranma-kun. That was a wonderful display."
Ranma visibly relaxed, releasing the pent up aggression with a sigh. "It's okay, Kasumi-san. I over reacted. I'm just not used to being around too many people who aren't attacking me or pop."
Kasumi smiled. "You've certainly lived an interesting life, Ranma-kun." She moved towards the kitchen, almost gliding on the air as she moved.
Ranma grinned. "You don't know the half of it." he stated. 'Kasumi isn't any where near as empty headed as her family seems to think. She's good. She's hiding her abilities very well, but she can't hide them from me. I've been hunted too long to be fooled by outwards appearances. She's at least as good as Akane and maybe almost as good as oyaji. And that's saying a lot. She must not get much practice in. Tendo's too emotional. If he saw Kasumi practicing, or sparing, he'd have a heart attack.'
Kasumi brought a hand to her cheek. "Oh, where are my manners. Ranma-kun, would you like something to eat while I prepare breakfast for the family? Akane should be up soon, Makoran usually wakes up with the sunrise."
"Hai. Arigato, Kasumi-san." Ranma followed her into the kitchen. "Since we're gonna be family soon, you don't hafta be so formal with me, Kasumi- san. Just call me Ranma. I'm not really comfortable with the kun's and san's and chan's. I haven't been in Japan in a long time."
"Hai, Ranma. If you will call me Kasumi, I will try to remember to call you Ranma." Kasumi passed him a small plate and a bowl, which he placed on the counter. She carefully placed four slices of bread in the toaster and took out a box of Western style cereal. The box had a tiger on it, and it was one of the few sugary treats that Kasumi allowed herself. Reaching into the cupboard, she pulled out a jar of peanut butter, which she then handed to Ranma. The toaster popped and Kasumi placed the toast on Ranma's plate. She poured herself a bowl of the cereal, ignoring the slight twitch Ranma gave at the sight of the box "And we've been family for almost two years now." she stated.
"So tell me, Ranma. What was it like travelling around the world?" she asked, pulling up a stool and taking a spoonful of cereal. "I've never had the chance to go further than Osaka, unlike you and Akane. Nabiki even once managed to win a trip to America in a stock exchange contest."
Ranma heard the slight emphasize on America and thought for a moment. "Well, since you brought it up, let me tell you about this place I found in America . . . ." ********************************************************* Akane woke up and immediately glanced towards the crib. She was pleasantly surprised to see that Makoran had decided to sleep a little later than usual and was comfortably curled up to a stuffed tiger that Akane had won at a booth at Disneyland some years before. It had been the last time she remembered her mother looking healthy. Soon after that trip, her mother had fallen ill and was put in the hospital. Akane smiled tenderly as she watched her daughter's tail twitching as she slept. Idly, she questioned if her daughter was dreaming of a hunt or of something else. As she watched her, Akane wondered what her mother would think of her grandchild. Somehow, she knew that her mother would love Makoran no matter what she looked like.
Stretching out her senses in a way she had tried to avoid since returning from China, she quickly searched the house, trying to find her mate. She found his scent in the guest room and followed it on its journey through the house to the kitchen, where it was joined by a scent she recognized as belonging to her sister. Her father was still asleep in his room, as was Nabiki. The stupid panda was also asleep.
She arched her back and purred as she felt her muscles stretching. She yawned, her lips pulling back over her teeth, displaying incisors that would make an ocelot proud. She had noticed some time ago that there had been some kind of leakage from her curses and that her normal body had changed slightly. She was stronger and faster than she had ever been before and her senses, especially her sense of smell and balance, were phenomenal. She could tell where anyone was in the house and in the yard from her room, just by sniffing the air. Her hearing was also much better. Before, she could hear nothing that happened outside her room. Now, she could almost make out the muffled voices of Ranma and Kasumi as Kasumi bustled around the kitchen preparing breakfast.
She slipped out of the bed, still a little disappointed that Ranma had not spent the night with her. She looked in on Makoran and saw that she was still asleep. With some sense she didn't really understand but wich had sprouted a few weeks after her daughter was born, she knew that she had some time before she awoke. Deciding that she didn't want to greet Ranma with morning breath and smelling like yesterdays socks, she grabbed her yukata and bathing supplies and made her way to the bath room. Today was a half-day, and school was only starting at noon for her class. The older class, Nabiki's and Kuno's, was starting earlier, and Nabiki would be rushing through in a few moments. She, on the other hand, could afford to take her time and relax in the furo. Now if only she could talk Ranma into joining her.
She smiled as she removed her pajamas and tossed them into the hamper in the changing room. She turned the small sign that announced that the bath room was in use and stepped inside. She removed the supplies from her bucket and filled it with warm water. She lathered her soap and started to scrub herself clean.
She dumped the bucket of water over her head and was happy that it was still warm enough not to trigger her curse. She had never really been comfortable about her cursed form. The only time she approached being comfortable was when Ranma was around. And now, he was going to be around for a very long time.
'That feels good.' she thought as she slid beneath the surface of the water in the furo. As she relaxed in the heated water, she thought over the events of the previous night. Disappointment warred with happiness inside her. While she was ecstatic that Ranma was here and that they would soon be married, she was disappointed that he had not spent the night with her. She knew that it was not that he didn't find her attractive, because she could feel how he felt about her. It was one of the more interesting side-effects of the nekoken. Well, that and the physical evidence that had been making itself known to her.
'I hope Ranma feels ready by next Sunday. If he thinks he can put me off on our wedding night, he's going to be in for a lot of pain.' Akane sighed. 'It's been a long time. I want him. Ever since I woke up next to him that first time, I've never slept well unless he was with me.' She felt her cheeks redden and knew that the reaction had nothing to do with the temperature of the water. 'Damn. I can't believe how much I still want him. I should be furious with him for leaving me alone and pregnant, but it was his idiot father who dragged him away.'
The opening of the changing room door interrupted her thinking. She opened her eyes and turned to face the door, half getting out of the tub. Somehow, she was not surprised to see a naked Ranma standing just inside the room. 'Wow' she thought. 'He's grown.' She felt her blush deepen as her body reacted to his presence.
Ranma gulped as he saw Akane half get out of the tub. Time, and childbirth, had been very kind to her. Her baby fat, what little she had had, was gone, replaced with the more mature curves of the woman she had become. He felt himself reacting to her presence and hastily lowered his towel to cover himself.
"I'm sorry Akane. I didn't know you were in here." He started to back out of the room.
Akane started to become frantic. "It's okay, Ranma. It's kind of silly of you to apologize for seeing me naked after everything we've been through together." Akane bit her lower lip and gathered her courage. "In fact, if you want to, you can join me." Seeing his uncertainty, she spoke again. "Please, Ranma? I promise I won't push you to do anything you think you aren't ready for." 'At least not unless you're still putting me off after our wedding. I will not wait longer than that.'
Ranma grinned, causing Akane to seriously doubt her own words. "It's not you that I'm worried about." Still, he didn't leave. He took a few steps further into the room, hooking a stool with his foot. He positioned it near the drain and placed his bucket next to it. With one eye on Akane, he took his towel and placed it on the rack next to hers.
He sat on the stool and began his absolutions. Once he was lathered, he looked at the taps. They were not marked, and he was not accustomed to indoor plumbing. "Ah, Akane? How do I get warm water to rinse off?" As he spoke, he felt a movement behind him and turned to see a gloriously naked Akane standing only inches away holding a full bucket which she dumped over his head. As he wiped the water from his eyes, he surreptitiously checked his nose to see if it was bleeding.
Akane giggled. She went to her knees in front of Ranma, trying her best to ignore his naked body. She reached out and cupped his face with her right hand. "Suki da, Ranma." she leaned forward and kissed him, being careful not to let her body press against his in an attempt to control her hormones. Giving him a gentle poke in the chest she grinned. "Now hurry up and get in the furo. We have school today and I want my fiancé to be at his best. Besides, Nabiki's going to come running in here anytime now. She has to be at school early today."
'Fiancé? Huh, what about that? I guess we are engaged, sorta.' He blinked as Akane stood up, her body only inches from his face. He watched as she turned and walked away, her hips moving gently from side to side, drawing attention to her behind. "Ah, right. Sure. School. Whatever you say, anata." he stammered as she bent over and packed up her supplies. He was saddened to see her put on her yukata. Her previous lack thereof had provided such a lovely view of things he only half remembered. 'Man, I don't want to rush things, but I don't think I can put her off much longer. She's so . . . sexy.' ********************************************************* Chapter 6
Akane rushed through her homework, grumbling as she did so. With Ranma's arrival, she had completely forgotten that she had a report due for English today. If Kasumi hadn't reminded her, her assignment would have been late and her grade would suffer.
She looked up from her book as she closed it. Ranma was on all fours, leaning over Makoran and making faces at her. She would reach up with her tiny hands and swat at the face above her, soft, tiny claws out of the sheaths. Ranma would then act like she had hurt him and make exaggerated expressions of pain. She would giggle, interrupting her general purring for a few seconds before Ranma would lean back in and they would do it again.
Akane felt a rush of warm feelings wash over her as she watched her mate and child playing. She had been terrified that Ranma would leave her when he learned of Makoran. But instead, he seemed happy. Like a part of him that had been empty was now full.
She was interrupted in her contemplation by Kasumi's entrance into the room. "What is it Kasumi? Is something wrong?"
Kasumi cocked her head. "Oh my no. At least, not if you leave soon. If you don't you'll be late for school."
Akane glanced up at the clock on her wall. "Kuso!" Reaching out a hand, she swept her books into her bag and tossed the strap over her shoulder. With her other hand she grabbed Ranma's pigtail and pulled. He got up slowly, not really eager to leave Makoran. "Kasumi, are you sure you don't mind watching Makoran like this? We could hire a regular babysitter. Or there's a daycare a few blocks over."
Kasumi smiled. "Of course not. Makoran is hardly the standard child. She has special needs that most centers or hired help would be unable or unwilling to handle. And no, you will not quit school. You need to finish your education."
"But its not fair to you, oneechan! You've already spent so much of your life taking care of the rest of us. It's not fair for me to take advantage of you."
Kasumi's smile changed to a grin. "Oh, I don't know. I'm looking at this as the opportunity to practice. Who knows when Tofu will get over his silliness and be a man."
Akane was shocked. She had never seen her sister like this. She blushed faintly. "Kasumi!"
"What? I was just saying that maybe he'd ask me out and that we might marry, if father approved, of course. Why, whatever did you think I meant, Akane?"
Akane sweatdropped. "Er, never mind oneechan." She pulled a little harder on Ranma's pigtail. "Come on, Ranma. We have to leave now, or we'll be late." She rushed out the door, almost dragging him by his hair.
Kasumi waited, gently lifting Makoran from her blankets on Akane's bed. Sure enough, seconds later, Akane came running back into the room to kiss Makoran's cheek and get her and Ranma's bentos. ********************************************************* Akane released Ranma's hair as soon as they were out the door. They ran side by side, not trying to outpace each other and not pressing themselves. They still had plenty of time.
Ranma was happy. He was with Akane. He had thought that all he needed was her, but the previous night, he learned that he needed only one other thing to be happy. Makoran. His daughter. Their daughter. Their beautiful, cat- like daughter. She was adorable. In fact the only thing that cast a shadow on his mood was school. Ranma had always hated school, the few times he had been allowed to attend.
"So Akane, what's this Furinkan like, anyway?" he asked, leaping over a pile of garbage that had been left on the walkway.
Taking a breath, Akane wondered where to begin. "It's a strange kind of school. No one's seen the principal in years. The vice-principals are terrified to do anything that will upset the status quo. The girls gym teacher is obsessed with volleyball and baseball. Everyone is terrified of someone, and everyone, even the teachers are scared to get Nabiki mad. They let her get away with anything, not that she does anything wrong that often, but the few times she does, no one says anything."
Ranma scratched his head. "She didn't seem that good to me. Why's everyone so scared of her? She doesn't look like a fighter."
Akane laughed. "Believe me, Nabiki doesn't have to fight. She the resident gossip monger, bet taker, loan agent, and blackmailer. She knows something about everyone at school that they don't want others to know. And when she's upset or wants something, she charges the people to have her keep it to herself." Akane grinned. "And since she's my sister, if anyone did try to fight her, I'd have to defend her. Most of the people know how good I am and leave us alone."
Ranma had never been what people would call sensitive. He knew this and it had never bothered him. But even he could detect the slight quiver in Akane's voice as she finished her speech.
"Is something wrong, Akane? Has someone been buggin' you?" Ranma felt anger welling up inside of him. He struggled against it with all his might, terrified at the intensity.
Akane sighed. She had hoped to avoid this today, but she knew that she couldn't do so forever. Briefly, she outlined the problems.
She explained how when she first learned she was pregnant, she had been upset and frightened. She had taken her anger out on a boy from Nabiki's class named Kuno Tatewaki. She told Ranma how he had been trying to 'date with her' for almost three years.
When news of her condition reached him, he had vowed to seek out and destroy the foul sorcerer who had corrupted the pure flower that was Tendo Akane. She had tried to explain that there was no sorcerer, but he was adamant. Some time after Makoran's birth, he had decided that he needed to purify her. Since then, he had been attacking her at the gates to the school everyday, making her late more often than not.
In a speech to the school during a debating contest, he had even called upon the other honorable men of Furinkan to aid in the quest to cleanse her soul and win her heart. He stated that only one strong enough to defeat her would be able to withstand the magic of the foul sorcerer Ranma (Nabiki had leaked his name, for a reasonable fee). Once she was defeated, only the victor would have the right to destroy the sorcerer by granting the fair Tendo Akane a kiss.
A low growling interrupted her and she turned her head to see Ranma, running along beside her, his hands clutching his head. "Ranma, what's wrong?" she asked, coming to a stop. He stopped moving the second she did, as though he was somehow connected to her movements.
Ranma could barely hear her through the thick veil of rage. It was a wild, passionate rage that touched parts of himself he wasn't willing to acknowledge. He could feel the stirring of something within himself, something powerful and full of anger at being disturbed. He fought to regain control of his emotions, knowing what would happen if he released his hold on the beast. Fear wasn't the only way to call forth the nekoken. Anger worked just as well. He had learned that the hard way.
Akane started to become nervous. She could feel the anger radiating off of Ranma. She had never felt such hate. Suddenly she understood. Her story was responsible. He was reacting to what she had said.
"Ranma! Ranma, calm down." Akane grabbed his shoulders, trying her best to calm him down. If Ranma were to go off in his current state, who knows what could happen. She could feel the stirring within him as the nekoken sought to surface. "Please, Ranma. It's okay. Kuno's just an idiot. So are those baka's who listened to him. I look at their attacks as training. It isn't worth it. They aren't worth the nekoken. Pull back, Ranma. Get control."
Ranma's growling lowered and finally stopped. His breath came in short, ragged spurts. "It stops! It stops now, today!" He raised his head and looked into Akane's eyes. Akane with held a shudder at the burning rage that was still visible. "I'm stopping it, Akane. I'm going to stop them all."
Akane swallowed. "What. . . what are you going to do?" she asked, her throat drying on the words.
Ranma grinned. It was not the cocky, arrogant grin she secretly loved. "I'm going to show them who I am. And who you are. If they don't understand about us after, well no one said that I had to be nice to them."
Akane's grip tightened. "Don't. . .don't hurt them too much, anata. I don't . . . I don't want to see anyone get hurt."
Ranma's grin became a tender smile. One hand reached up to stroke her cheek. "My beautiful, sensitive tomboy. I promise that I won't do anything permanent to the idiots. But Kuno . . . . He started this and I'm going to end it."
Akane shivered at the tone of his voice. She knew that no amount of cajoling would change her iinazuke's mind. He could be incredibly pigheaded at times. As could she. She nodded and pulled him into a hug.
"I love you Ranma."
Ranma smiled and tilted her head up towards him. "I love you too, anata." He kissed her, savoring the feel of her lips against his own. "And I have a plan. Just go along with me." *********************************************************
Ranma awoke with a smile on his face and a light heart. He looked around the guest room and spotted his father, still asleep in his panda form. He paused for a moment and realized that his father had only spend a very few minutes in his original form the previous day. Again he thought it strange that his father seemed to prefer his cursed form than his own. Maybe it was because he was stronger as a panda. Since Ranma's trip into the springs, he had been easily able to defeat his father at any time he chose. His father had soon after ceased trying to attack him first thing in the morning since all that it accomplished was getting himself beat up worse each time he did so. He had quickly learned that his son would not refuse to fight him, so long as he let him know of his intentions before hand.
Shaking his head, Ranma flipped up to his feet. He quietly walked over to the door and slid it open. He moved silently through the hall, paused briefly in front of Akane's room. He resisted the impulse to open the door and check in on his mate and their daughter. It's not like he needed his eyes to know that they were fine.
Turning away from the temptation, he glided away from the door with feline grace, something that most of those in the house would know not to mention. He was aware of his surroundings in a way he had rarely been before. He knew that since Jhusenkyo, he had been gaining more control of the nekoken, as well as retaining some of the abilities it provided. But the fear had not lessened much. Only it was odd, he thought, that he was not terrified of himself, of Akane or of their daughter.
Deciding to ignore it, he reached the stairs and placed his hands on the first step. Placing each hand carefully, he walked down the stairs. Reaching the bottom, he did a set of handstand push ups, his feet and back as straight as an iron rod. After finishing the tenth, he pushed up more forcefully, launching himself into the air.
Turning in midair, he reach up and touched the ceiling with both hands. Another two rotations in a pike position, he landed in a crouch. From there, he leapt away from the stairwell. He turned and twisted in the air, modifying a kata for the smaller space afforded by the walls and ceiling. He was not used to practicing indoors, and doing this in the house was probably not a good idea, but he was in too good a mood to care at the moment. Landing, he straightened and turned to make his way to the kitchen, eager for a small snack to settle his stomach before everyone else awoke.
A gentle clapping from behind him made him spin around into a defensive stance, his hands forming a grip he liked to call Tiger's Claw. Two knuckles of each finger bent, the tip of his index finger touching the nail of his thumb as it curled into his palm. His palms faced away from him, one hand up near his head, the other chest high. His feet shifted, left one forward, right one back. His back and knees bent, bringing his left hand closer to the ground in a stance he called Rearing Tiger.
Once he had become cursed, he had started to change his style and renaming his moves to match his new form. Since he had leapt into the 'Spring of Drowned Tiger' to save Akane and the two of them, in a state of shock at their new forms, slipped on the muddy bank and fallen into the closest spring, the 'Spring of drowned Young Girl', he had decided to stick with the tiger theme instead of adopting some other feline totem.
He rarely used a fist anymore, instead using his clawed grip to hit opponents with palm strikes and edged handed blows. He had also picked up a few shiatsu and tsubo techniques. His clawed hand made a great set up to their use. All he needed to do was to extend the needed fingers as they neared the points on the body. He was also strong enough to drive his extended fingers through brick and cement blocks. Of course, he always tailored his attacks to whatever style would best counter what his opponent at the time was using. It was the beauty of the Musabetsu Kakutou. Musabetsu Kakutou was the combination of all other styles into one form, taking the best of each and teaching practitioners how the negate each style with a corresponding style that would best counter that style.
Although his new skills often made others compare him to a panther, he knew, through his own observations and through reading up on it, that in most circles, the tiger was the symbol of feline strength, the lion was the symbol of majesty and inner strength, and the panther or jaguar (really the same thing except for the color- panthers are generally black, almost purple while jaguars have square spotted coats) was the symbol of stealth. Others, like the cheetah, were known for their own special reasons.
"Oh my." Kasumi stated as she took note of the sudden hostility pouring off of Ranma like a cheap cologne. "I'm sorry if I startled you Ranma-kun. That was a wonderful display."
Ranma visibly relaxed, releasing the pent up aggression with a sigh. "It's okay, Kasumi-san. I over reacted. I'm just not used to being around too many people who aren't attacking me or pop."
Kasumi smiled. "You've certainly lived an interesting life, Ranma-kun." She moved towards the kitchen, almost gliding on the air as she moved.
Ranma grinned. "You don't know the half of it." he stated. 'Kasumi isn't any where near as empty headed as her family seems to think. She's good. She's hiding her abilities very well, but she can't hide them from me. I've been hunted too long to be fooled by outwards appearances. She's at least as good as Akane and maybe almost as good as oyaji. And that's saying a lot. She must not get much practice in. Tendo's too emotional. If he saw Kasumi practicing, or sparing, he'd have a heart attack.'
Kasumi brought a hand to her cheek. "Oh, where are my manners. Ranma-kun, would you like something to eat while I prepare breakfast for the family? Akane should be up soon, Makoran usually wakes up with the sunrise."
"Hai. Arigato, Kasumi-san." Ranma followed her into the kitchen. "Since we're gonna be family soon, you don't hafta be so formal with me, Kasumi- san. Just call me Ranma. I'm not really comfortable with the kun's and san's and chan's. I haven't been in Japan in a long time."
"Hai, Ranma. If you will call me Kasumi, I will try to remember to call you Ranma." Kasumi passed him a small plate and a bowl, which he placed on the counter. She carefully placed four slices of bread in the toaster and took out a box of Western style cereal. The box had a tiger on it, and it was one of the few sugary treats that Kasumi allowed herself. Reaching into the cupboard, she pulled out a jar of peanut butter, which she then handed to Ranma. The toaster popped and Kasumi placed the toast on Ranma's plate. She poured herself a bowl of the cereal, ignoring the slight twitch Ranma gave at the sight of the box "And we've been family for almost two years now." she stated.
"So tell me, Ranma. What was it like travelling around the world?" she asked, pulling up a stool and taking a spoonful of cereal. "I've never had the chance to go further than Osaka, unlike you and Akane. Nabiki even once managed to win a trip to America in a stock exchange contest."
Ranma heard the slight emphasize on America and thought for a moment. "Well, since you brought it up, let me tell you about this place I found in America . . . ." ********************************************************* Akane woke up and immediately glanced towards the crib. She was pleasantly surprised to see that Makoran had decided to sleep a little later than usual and was comfortably curled up to a stuffed tiger that Akane had won at a booth at Disneyland some years before. It had been the last time she remembered her mother looking healthy. Soon after that trip, her mother had fallen ill and was put in the hospital. Akane smiled tenderly as she watched her daughter's tail twitching as she slept. Idly, she questioned if her daughter was dreaming of a hunt or of something else. As she watched her, Akane wondered what her mother would think of her grandchild. Somehow, she knew that her mother would love Makoran no matter what she looked like.
Stretching out her senses in a way she had tried to avoid since returning from China, she quickly searched the house, trying to find her mate. She found his scent in the guest room and followed it on its journey through the house to the kitchen, where it was joined by a scent she recognized as belonging to her sister. Her father was still asleep in his room, as was Nabiki. The stupid panda was also asleep.
She arched her back and purred as she felt her muscles stretching. She yawned, her lips pulling back over her teeth, displaying incisors that would make an ocelot proud. She had noticed some time ago that there had been some kind of leakage from her curses and that her normal body had changed slightly. She was stronger and faster than she had ever been before and her senses, especially her sense of smell and balance, were phenomenal. She could tell where anyone was in the house and in the yard from her room, just by sniffing the air. Her hearing was also much better. Before, she could hear nothing that happened outside her room. Now, she could almost make out the muffled voices of Ranma and Kasumi as Kasumi bustled around the kitchen preparing breakfast.
She slipped out of the bed, still a little disappointed that Ranma had not spent the night with her. She looked in on Makoran and saw that she was still asleep. With some sense she didn't really understand but wich had sprouted a few weeks after her daughter was born, she knew that she had some time before she awoke. Deciding that she didn't want to greet Ranma with morning breath and smelling like yesterdays socks, she grabbed her yukata and bathing supplies and made her way to the bath room. Today was a half-day, and school was only starting at noon for her class. The older class, Nabiki's and Kuno's, was starting earlier, and Nabiki would be rushing through in a few moments. She, on the other hand, could afford to take her time and relax in the furo. Now if only she could talk Ranma into joining her.
She smiled as she removed her pajamas and tossed them into the hamper in the changing room. She turned the small sign that announced that the bath room was in use and stepped inside. She removed the supplies from her bucket and filled it with warm water. She lathered her soap and started to scrub herself clean.
She dumped the bucket of water over her head and was happy that it was still warm enough not to trigger her curse. She had never really been comfortable about her cursed form. The only time she approached being comfortable was when Ranma was around. And now, he was going to be around for a very long time.
'That feels good.' she thought as she slid beneath the surface of the water in the furo. As she relaxed in the heated water, she thought over the events of the previous night. Disappointment warred with happiness inside her. While she was ecstatic that Ranma was here and that they would soon be married, she was disappointed that he had not spent the night with her. She knew that it was not that he didn't find her attractive, because she could feel how he felt about her. It was one of the more interesting side-effects of the nekoken. Well, that and the physical evidence that had been making itself known to her.
'I hope Ranma feels ready by next Sunday. If he thinks he can put me off on our wedding night, he's going to be in for a lot of pain.' Akane sighed. 'It's been a long time. I want him. Ever since I woke up next to him that first time, I've never slept well unless he was with me.' She felt her cheeks redden and knew that the reaction had nothing to do with the temperature of the water. 'Damn. I can't believe how much I still want him. I should be furious with him for leaving me alone and pregnant, but it was his idiot father who dragged him away.'
The opening of the changing room door interrupted her thinking. She opened her eyes and turned to face the door, half getting out of the tub. Somehow, she was not surprised to see a naked Ranma standing just inside the room. 'Wow' she thought. 'He's grown.' She felt her blush deepen as her body reacted to his presence.
Ranma gulped as he saw Akane half get out of the tub. Time, and childbirth, had been very kind to her. Her baby fat, what little she had had, was gone, replaced with the more mature curves of the woman she had become. He felt himself reacting to her presence and hastily lowered his towel to cover himself.
"I'm sorry Akane. I didn't know you were in here." He started to back out of the room.
Akane started to become frantic. "It's okay, Ranma. It's kind of silly of you to apologize for seeing me naked after everything we've been through together." Akane bit her lower lip and gathered her courage. "In fact, if you want to, you can join me." Seeing his uncertainty, she spoke again. "Please, Ranma? I promise I won't push you to do anything you think you aren't ready for." 'At least not unless you're still putting me off after our wedding. I will not wait longer than that.'
Ranma grinned, causing Akane to seriously doubt her own words. "It's not you that I'm worried about." Still, he didn't leave. He took a few steps further into the room, hooking a stool with his foot. He positioned it near the drain and placed his bucket next to it. With one eye on Akane, he took his towel and placed it on the rack next to hers.
He sat on the stool and began his absolutions. Once he was lathered, he looked at the taps. They were not marked, and he was not accustomed to indoor plumbing. "Ah, Akane? How do I get warm water to rinse off?" As he spoke, he felt a movement behind him and turned to see a gloriously naked Akane standing only inches away holding a full bucket which she dumped over his head. As he wiped the water from his eyes, he surreptitiously checked his nose to see if it was bleeding.
Akane giggled. She went to her knees in front of Ranma, trying her best to ignore his naked body. She reached out and cupped his face with her right hand. "Suki da, Ranma." she leaned forward and kissed him, being careful not to let her body press against his in an attempt to control her hormones. Giving him a gentle poke in the chest she grinned. "Now hurry up and get in the furo. We have school today and I want my fiancé to be at his best. Besides, Nabiki's going to come running in here anytime now. She has to be at school early today."
'Fiancé? Huh, what about that? I guess we are engaged, sorta.' He blinked as Akane stood up, her body only inches from his face. He watched as she turned and walked away, her hips moving gently from side to side, drawing attention to her behind. "Ah, right. Sure. School. Whatever you say, anata." he stammered as she bent over and packed up her supplies. He was saddened to see her put on her yukata. Her previous lack thereof had provided such a lovely view of things he only half remembered. 'Man, I don't want to rush things, but I don't think I can put her off much longer. She's so . . . sexy.' ********************************************************* Chapter 6
Akane rushed through her homework, grumbling as she did so. With Ranma's arrival, she had completely forgotten that she had a report due for English today. If Kasumi hadn't reminded her, her assignment would have been late and her grade would suffer.
She looked up from her book as she closed it. Ranma was on all fours, leaning over Makoran and making faces at her. She would reach up with her tiny hands and swat at the face above her, soft, tiny claws out of the sheaths. Ranma would then act like she had hurt him and make exaggerated expressions of pain. She would giggle, interrupting her general purring for a few seconds before Ranma would lean back in and they would do it again.
Akane felt a rush of warm feelings wash over her as she watched her mate and child playing. She had been terrified that Ranma would leave her when he learned of Makoran. But instead, he seemed happy. Like a part of him that had been empty was now full.
She was interrupted in her contemplation by Kasumi's entrance into the room. "What is it Kasumi? Is something wrong?"
Kasumi cocked her head. "Oh my no. At least, not if you leave soon. If you don't you'll be late for school."
Akane glanced up at the clock on her wall. "Kuso!" Reaching out a hand, she swept her books into her bag and tossed the strap over her shoulder. With her other hand she grabbed Ranma's pigtail and pulled. He got up slowly, not really eager to leave Makoran. "Kasumi, are you sure you don't mind watching Makoran like this? We could hire a regular babysitter. Or there's a daycare a few blocks over."
Kasumi smiled. "Of course not. Makoran is hardly the standard child. She has special needs that most centers or hired help would be unable or unwilling to handle. And no, you will not quit school. You need to finish your education."
"But its not fair to you, oneechan! You've already spent so much of your life taking care of the rest of us. It's not fair for me to take advantage of you."
Kasumi's smile changed to a grin. "Oh, I don't know. I'm looking at this as the opportunity to practice. Who knows when Tofu will get over his silliness and be a man."
Akane was shocked. She had never seen her sister like this. She blushed faintly. "Kasumi!"
"What? I was just saying that maybe he'd ask me out and that we might marry, if father approved, of course. Why, whatever did you think I meant, Akane?"
Akane sweatdropped. "Er, never mind oneechan." She pulled a little harder on Ranma's pigtail. "Come on, Ranma. We have to leave now, or we'll be late." She rushed out the door, almost dragging him by his hair.
Kasumi waited, gently lifting Makoran from her blankets on Akane's bed. Sure enough, seconds later, Akane came running back into the room to kiss Makoran's cheek and get her and Ranma's bentos. ********************************************************* Akane released Ranma's hair as soon as they were out the door. They ran side by side, not trying to outpace each other and not pressing themselves. They still had plenty of time.
Ranma was happy. He was with Akane. He had thought that all he needed was her, but the previous night, he learned that he needed only one other thing to be happy. Makoran. His daughter. Their daughter. Their beautiful, cat- like daughter. She was adorable. In fact the only thing that cast a shadow on his mood was school. Ranma had always hated school, the few times he had been allowed to attend.
"So Akane, what's this Furinkan like, anyway?" he asked, leaping over a pile of garbage that had been left on the walkway.
Taking a breath, Akane wondered where to begin. "It's a strange kind of school. No one's seen the principal in years. The vice-principals are terrified to do anything that will upset the status quo. The girls gym teacher is obsessed with volleyball and baseball. Everyone is terrified of someone, and everyone, even the teachers are scared to get Nabiki mad. They let her get away with anything, not that she does anything wrong that often, but the few times she does, no one says anything."
Ranma scratched his head. "She didn't seem that good to me. Why's everyone so scared of her? She doesn't look like a fighter."
Akane laughed. "Believe me, Nabiki doesn't have to fight. She the resident gossip monger, bet taker, loan agent, and blackmailer. She knows something about everyone at school that they don't want others to know. And when she's upset or wants something, she charges the people to have her keep it to herself." Akane grinned. "And since she's my sister, if anyone did try to fight her, I'd have to defend her. Most of the people know how good I am and leave us alone."
Ranma had never been what people would call sensitive. He knew this and it had never bothered him. But even he could detect the slight quiver in Akane's voice as she finished her speech.
"Is something wrong, Akane? Has someone been buggin' you?" Ranma felt anger welling up inside of him. He struggled against it with all his might, terrified at the intensity.
Akane sighed. She had hoped to avoid this today, but she knew that she couldn't do so forever. Briefly, she outlined the problems.
She explained how when she first learned she was pregnant, she had been upset and frightened. She had taken her anger out on a boy from Nabiki's class named Kuno Tatewaki. She told Ranma how he had been trying to 'date with her' for almost three years.
When news of her condition reached him, he had vowed to seek out and destroy the foul sorcerer who had corrupted the pure flower that was Tendo Akane. She had tried to explain that there was no sorcerer, but he was adamant. Some time after Makoran's birth, he had decided that he needed to purify her. Since then, he had been attacking her at the gates to the school everyday, making her late more often than not.
In a speech to the school during a debating contest, he had even called upon the other honorable men of Furinkan to aid in the quest to cleanse her soul and win her heart. He stated that only one strong enough to defeat her would be able to withstand the magic of the foul sorcerer Ranma (Nabiki had leaked his name, for a reasonable fee). Once she was defeated, only the victor would have the right to destroy the sorcerer by granting the fair Tendo Akane a kiss.
A low growling interrupted her and she turned her head to see Ranma, running along beside her, his hands clutching his head. "Ranma, what's wrong?" she asked, coming to a stop. He stopped moving the second she did, as though he was somehow connected to her movements.
Ranma could barely hear her through the thick veil of rage. It was a wild, passionate rage that touched parts of himself he wasn't willing to acknowledge. He could feel the stirring of something within himself, something powerful and full of anger at being disturbed. He fought to regain control of his emotions, knowing what would happen if he released his hold on the beast. Fear wasn't the only way to call forth the nekoken. Anger worked just as well. He had learned that the hard way.
Akane started to become nervous. She could feel the anger radiating off of Ranma. She had never felt such hate. Suddenly she understood. Her story was responsible. He was reacting to what she had said.
"Ranma! Ranma, calm down." Akane grabbed his shoulders, trying her best to calm him down. If Ranma were to go off in his current state, who knows what could happen. She could feel the stirring within him as the nekoken sought to surface. "Please, Ranma. It's okay. Kuno's just an idiot. So are those baka's who listened to him. I look at their attacks as training. It isn't worth it. They aren't worth the nekoken. Pull back, Ranma. Get control."
Ranma's growling lowered and finally stopped. His breath came in short, ragged spurts. "It stops! It stops now, today!" He raised his head and looked into Akane's eyes. Akane with held a shudder at the burning rage that was still visible. "I'm stopping it, Akane. I'm going to stop them all."
Akane swallowed. "What. . . what are you going to do?" she asked, her throat drying on the words.
Ranma grinned. It was not the cocky, arrogant grin she secretly loved. "I'm going to show them who I am. And who you are. If they don't understand about us after, well no one said that I had to be nice to them."
Akane's grip tightened. "Don't. . .don't hurt them too much, anata. I don't . . . I don't want to see anyone get hurt."
Ranma's grin became a tender smile. One hand reached up to stroke her cheek. "My beautiful, sensitive tomboy. I promise that I won't do anything permanent to the idiots. But Kuno . . . . He started this and I'm going to end it."
Akane shivered at the tone of his voice. She knew that no amount of cajoling would change her iinazuke's mind. He could be incredibly pigheaded at times. As could she. She nodded and pulled him into a hug.
"I love you Ranma."
Ranma smiled and tilted her head up towards him. "I love you too, anata." He kissed her, savoring the feel of her lips against his own. "And I have a plan. Just go along with me." *********************************************************
