Chapter 14: To Forgive But Never To Forget

'WHAT?' everyone shouted?

'You saw the way she called me. She doesn't even recognize me. She is not acting… I know when she does. I think the blow on the head did the job. Damn, I'm gonna kill that guy!' Ranma cursed and got up swiftly. He was suddenly pushed down forcefully.

'That is not wise, Ranma.' Genkai had come from nowhere.

'Let go of me obaasan (grandma)!' he yelled. His head was bashed immediately.

'Control yourself, dimwit! She is all right. Besides, such concussion will wear out, sooner or later. Until then, just treat her like a child she is now.' Genkai continued.

They were silent.

'Are you okay? What's your name, oni-san?' Resha asked Ranma who was on the floor.

Ranma sighed. 'I'm okay. You can call me Ranma.'

'Ahhh… you have same name with brother Ran-chan!' she said cheerfully. After that, everyone gave a brief intro.

Yuusuke grinned. 'So, are we going to call her Resha or Rara?' he messed her hair and she giggled childishly.

'Resha of course! Nobody calls her Rara but me.' Ranma pointed.

'I think Rara sounds cute, for the moment!' Botan grinned and patted her hair. Resha smiled at her.


"This is crazy!" Youko muttered in frustration. "Now she's back being a child!"

"That's good." Kurama uttered quietly and made his way towards her.

"What?" Youko asked stunned.

'Are you hungry, Rara?' He asked sweetly.

The little girl nodded.

"Oh yeah… you can make her your sister again!" Youko groaned.

'Let's go and eat then.' Kurama said and turned towards the others. 'We're going back to the room. Is anyone coming with us?'

Yukina nodded but the others wanted to stay and watched the game.


A few hours later

'Wow I'm tired! Hey Kurama, Resha, Yukina, we won first round!' Yuusuke exclaimed. The others followed behind him.

'Shhh…! Not too loud. She's sleeping.' Yukina whispered peacefully.

'Oh yeah, I forgot!' Yusuke mumbled. They saw Rara sleeping on the couch, her head on Kurama's lap. She looked serene.

'Aww, she's so cute!' Kuwabara cried slowly.

Rara shifted a little and snuggled closer to Kurama.

'Ranma, why don't you take your sister to sleep in her room? I'm a little stiff.' Kurama muttered.

'Seriously, that's crazy! When she gets up the next morning, she'll holler like anything! She hates sleeping alone… well, she did when she was six…which she is now.' Ranma explained.

'Well then, we'll just have to leave the two of you alone. Goodnight.' Yuusuke grinned along with the others and left them alone.

Kurama gave a huge sweatdrop!

He looked at the little girl's peaceful face and sighed. Finally, he picked her up and took her to her room. He gently put her down on the bed and was just about to get out when he stopped.

'Don't leave me alone.' Rara's soft voice whispered.

Kurama fought an urge to look back. 'You'll be fine.' he uttered without gazing at her.

'Please?'

At that, he turned to look at her. She seemed to be very upset and a little frightened. He just couldn't help feeling sorry for her and heaved a sigh. He closed the door and walked back towards her.

She smiled at him and motioned him to her side. Kurama hesitated for a while before climbing into bed with her. She hugged him as soon as he settled down.

"This feels odd…" Kurama thought as Rara fell asleep a moment later.

"Of course it is! Though it is good practice for the future to come, ne?" Youko snickered.

Kurama rolled his eyes. "Don't be silly!"

After that, Kurama drifted off to sleep.

'Mmm…' Kurama stirred from his sleep and his hands slithered to his side and felt around.

Nothing!

His eyes snapped open and he looked at his side.

No, Rara wasn't there.

'Rara?' he asked and looked around worriedly.

'Hai? Aniki, you are up?' Rara's cute voice sounded somewhere from the door. Kurama turned and saw her just about to step out, a big towel in her hands.

'Are you…oh no.' Kurama said alarmed and quickly made his way to her.

'What's wrong? I'm just go and take bath.'

'Rara, err… the hot shower is damaged. Please use cold water.' He said hastily.

She blinked twice, and then smiled. 'Okay!'

Kurama sighed in relief as she got into the bathroom.

After a nippy shower, Rara got out. 'It's cold.' She whined and pouted.

Kurama smiled at her. This seemed like the old little Resha he knew before. He felt the brotherly love was back within him and stroke her velvety hair fondly.

'I'll make you breakfast, okay?' he murmured softly.

'Hai!' she shouted happily and jumped around then ran to the kitchen. 'Hurry! Hurry up aniki! I'm hungry.'

Kurama felt contented for the first time after a few weeks.


'Aniki, pass me the sauce please!' Rara piped to Kurama as she ate with the rest of the gang that morning.

'Aniki?' Yuusuke frowned along with Ranma.

'Onisama! Can you pass me that please?' Rara continued to blabber to Ranma.

'And she's calling me oni!' Ranma groaned as he passed her what she wanted. (Oni: your big brother/ someone's big brother. Ani: my big brother.)

'Onigiri, can you cut this meat for me please?' Rara indicated to Hiei who happened to sit beside her.

'Hn! Do it yourself!' he said uncared and half irritated.

She made a tear-jerking face and Yuusuke finally said. 'I'll do it, okay? Don't cry.'

'Arigato, onikata!' she exclaimed.

'Sheesh! Does she have to give us names?' Yuusuke asked.

'It's cute! She called me onisan, and Yukina onechan, and Botan onesama, and even Genkai obaasan!' Kuwabara said merrily. The others sweatdropped on his last comment.

'She always had called her that.' Yuusuke uttered.

'At least our team is not fighting today. Give us some time for Resha to get back to normal…I hope.' Ranma said and sighed.

Everyone nodded in agreement except Rara who doesn't understood a thing and Kurama who felt like it will be the end of the world if that happened.


That night

'Kurama, are you going to sleep with Rara again tonight?' Yuusuke goaded, grinning as they were going to bed that night after a long day of training. Kurama pretended not to listen and continued to read a book while watching Rara playing in front of him.

'Oh, leave him alone Yuusuke. You're embarrassing him!' Botan protested but was grinning also. They all went to bed and left Kurama with Rara alone.

Kurama considered taking her to bed when she was tired enough. Some times later, Rara climbed onto the couch beside him and cuddled against him sleepily. Kurama stroke the little girl's head gently as he continued to read.

'Aniki, can we go to sleep now?' Rara asked wearily.

Kurama closed the book. 'Let's go.'

She stretched out her arms to him and Kurama blinked in puzzlement. She gave a small whine. Kurama chuckled when he suddenly realized what she wanted him to do. He picked her up in his arms and she put her small arms around his neck drowsily, hugging him comfortably.

"Such a darling!" Kurama thought and kissed her forehead as he laid her on the bed next to him. She was already fast asleep.

"I don't understand what you see in her deformed shape! She's sooo… naïve!" Youko grunted.

"It's not like that. It's just the way she looks so happy in whatever form she was in." Kurama replied.

"You sure about that? I don't think so. I still say you have other feelings towards her other than that "brother and sister relationship". For instance… when you keep an eye on her when some other guys are talking to her, or how your anger flared up suddenly when she is fooling around with boys in her class, or being kissed like what just happened yesterday, and there's also when…"

"Okay! Okay! I get your point, Youko." Kurama cut him short and sighed. "I guess…it's just… a tiny bit."

"HAH! So you do have feelings for her. I knew it! I knew it!" Youko exclaimed.

Kurama sweatdropped.

"So? What are you going to do about it?" Youko asked.

"Nothing! It's too early to think of anything, and I don't know what her feelings are towards mine. Besides, we're both not ready for any serious relationship, except the sibling thingy, she tends to take things offhandedly. I need to understand her more. She can be very unfathomable, even harder to penetrate than Hiei." Kurama replied wisely. "It's better to let the feeling buried. There's plenty of time to think about it later."

Youko nodded in agreement.

Morning

Rara opened her eyes and yawned cutely.

A hand suddenly hit the back of her head.

'Ouch!' she cried and rubbed her head. She began to feel a little dizzy.

'Rara? I'm sorry about that. Are you all right?' Kurama snapped from his slumber and looked her over. 'Rara?' he asked worriedly when she started to groan.

Rara's head was spinning madly, and she hardly heard whoever just talked to her. A few memories began to flash in her head:

"Resha, this is Tendo Akane, Ranma's fiancée."

"I'll call you Kin! So kawaii!"

"You can't have my brother, you flat-chest-ugly-butt-tomboy!"

"Saotome Ranma, Saotome Resha! Prepare to die!"

"What do you mean this spring is cursed?"

"Resha, Shuichi, I'm sorry we never tell you two this but… you both are betrothed to each other."

"So you have a fox youkai living inside you?"

"Resha, tomorrow is a school day."

"Monsieur Picolette, what is the Gourmet de foie gras?"

"I… I can't believe I just did that!"

'Resha?' Kurama shook her shoulders firmly, and she snapped from her insanity to find Kurama staring at her worriedly. He stroked her cheeks soothingly, trying to calm her. Resha-chan relaxed, but suddenly realized something.

Kurama + my room + my bed …………

'KURAMA! What the effing hell are you doing on my bed?' she snapped and pushed him away from her, making him fell from the bed. At that moment, she remembered the time she went through yesterday of being a six year old and turned crimson. She quickly rolled out of bed and ran to the bathroom.

"She remembers…it's the end of the world already…" Kurama sighed sadly, rubbing his head.


At breakfast

'What in seven hells happened when I blacked out yesterday? Did I lost?' Resha demanded heatedly.

They all blinked.

'Oh, you remember already. Good!' Genkai uttered.

'Remember what? What exactly happened?' Resha insisted.

'You don't remember, Rara?' Yuusuke provoked.

'Remember WHAT? Wait! You did not just call me Rara! How…? When…? What…? Why…?'

'Chill out sis, you're driving people nuts! Sheesh!' Ranma uttered irritated. 'You lost the match but that guy gave your box thingy back…and kissed you.' He added in disgust.

'HE DID WHAT!' Resha yelled demandingly, her head became suddenly gigantic; making everyone practically fell from their chair!

'I kicked him, don'cha worry! After you woke up, you lost your memories and think like a six year old before you come to your sense this morning.' Ranma explained swiftly.

'Which reminds me, how did you get your memories back?' Hiei asked curiously.

'I fell off from bed and the next thing I know, Kurama was looking at me concerned.' She said still in her angry voice.

Kurama was shocked at her lies. "That means… she does remembers what happened these few days."

Everyone else bought her lies though.

"She's a real good actor!" Youko commented lazily.


'AND NOW TODAY IS THE URAMESHI TEAM VS BORYOKU TEAM!' the announcer shouted and the crowd went wild. (They always do.)

'I'll go first today!' Ranma said grinning and went up the stage. His opponent was a big burly-ugly youkai. They began fighting when the announcer started.

'Kurama?' Resha said from beside him.

Kurama turned away from the competition to look at her surprised. Nobody heard her calling him; they were too concentrated on the match.

'I'm sure you know I lied this morning and… well, actually I don't want to tell them that I remember. It just feels… stupid and unlike me. Besides that, you've been very nice and… I'm sorry I was so unkind to you these few weeks.' She turned to look at his confused face that calmed instantly when he saw that she was being sincere.

'Will you forgive me…? Aniki?' she smiled teasingly.

"Maybe this isn't the end of the world," he thought.

Kurama smiled back. 'Sure… Rara.'