Chapter 59 A Wedding to Remember
Akane ushered three visitors into the family room, a gentle smile flickering on her lips. Hinako's eyes widened for a moment and then she squealed with delight. Collecting herself, she bowed with what little dignity remained, and said, "Mother, it is so good to see you! I wasn't sure from your letter if you would be able to come."
Mrs. Ninomayi smiled shyly and said, "Daughter, it has been much too ling since we have seen each other. But, why would you think that I would miss the wedding of my only daughter? The only reason that I didn't confirm that I was coming was that I was a little uncertain about my welcome. But your brothers insisted that they were coming and that they were sure that I was needed."
"That you certainly are," Hinako replied with a laugh, "I can't imagine going through all of this without you here by my side. I only regret that Father didn't live long enough to see this day."
"I regret that every day I draw breath, my daughter. I miss him more than I can say," her mother said softly.
Hinako walked over and hugged her mother and said, "I'm sorry, Mother. I miss him too." She walked over to the two young men watching her and hugged them both. She glanced fondly around the room and said, "I suppose introductions are in order. Mother, brothers, this is soon to be my new family, at least part of them." She walked over to Soun, and clasped his hand, and said, "This is Soun Tendo, the man I love, and my husband-to-be, and his three lovely daughters. Akane Saotome you have met, as she was the one who met you at the door, this is his middle daughter, Nabiki, and his eldest, Kasumi Ono. This is my mother, Yuriko, and my two brothers, Keitaro and Shiro." Everyone bowed politely.
Her mother looked around the pleasantly appointed room and said, "It is a pleasure to meet all of you, especially for such a wonderful occasion as this. I never thought that I would actually see this day, what with your condition, my child."
"Would you like some tea?" Kasumi asked, "I have a fresh pot that I was about to bring out."
"That would be wonderful," Mrs. Ninomayi replied.
At that moment, they heard the front door open and close, and a male voice called, "We're home!"
"We're in the family room, Ranma," Akane called, "And we have guests. Kasumi, you rest, I'll go get the tea." Kasumi smiled her appreciation and leaned back against the short stool that her husband had found her to help rest her back. Akane walked into the kitchen.
"Mother did you not read my letter carefully? I thought that I had explained that I was cured now," Hinako asked in the stillness.
"That was in your letter?" her mother replied, "How did I miss that, I wonder? That's wonderful!"
Three handsome young men walked into the family room, causing it to begin to be a little crowded. One of them walked over to the Kasumi, and lightly kissed her cheek, while a long, dark-haired man in a white robe sat down next to Nabiki. All three of them looked at the visitors with an expression of interest on their faces.
Soun said, "Mrs. Ninomayi, these are my son-in-laws, Doctor Tofu Ono and Grandmaster of this school, Ranma Saotome. The third young man is Mousse of the Joketsuzoku, who is…" He stopped for a moment and asked, wryly, "Have you moved past boyfriend yet?"
Mousse exchanged a glance with Nabiki and they laughed at the private joke. "Sorry, daddy, I guess boyfriend will still have to do. Companion may be getting a little closer, but we're not quite there yet," Nabiki replied, with a grin.
"Not for lack of me trying," Mousse muttered under his breath, causing Nabiki to chuckle.
"Patience, dear," Nabiki said sotto voce.
"As I was saying, this is Mousse, my daughter Nabiki's boyfriend," Soun said with a fond smile.
Akane walked in from the kitchen carrying a tray filled with teacups. "I thought I heard voices," she said, as she set the tray down. She walked over and hugged her husband, and said, in a voice only for him, "I missed you. You'll get a better welcome later."
"Grandmaster?" Shiro asked, "Of what school? And aren't you a bit young?"
Ranma began to bristle only to have Akane squeeze his hand. He said, easily, "Grandmaster of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. And yes, I am a bit young for the title, though I gained it by defeating the previous grandmaster."
"Ranma is one of the best that I have ever seen," Soun said proudly.
Ranma grinned and interjected, "What do you mean? I am the best."
"Modest, aren't we?" his wife teased.
Hinako looked sternly at her brother and said, "Ranma is extremely good at what he does."
Ranma checked the clock and said, "We only have a little bit of time to practice tonight, Akane. Remember, it's my turn to cook dinner, so we'll have to cut it short."
"Ranma-kun, I can fix dinner," Kasumi pleaded.
Ranma smiled at her and said, "You only have a little while longer, Kasumi. And you and I both know that you're under doctor's orders to take it easy, and even though the doctor is your husband, it's still good advice. Standing in the kitchen isn't taking it easy, and it's not as if it's a big deal for me to fix dinner."
Kasumi sighed heavily in defeat. "Okay, I'll be good. And I will be so glad when I can see my feet again, not to mention my back hurts now," she said.
Ranma and Akane headed out the door toward the dojo.
"It's only for a few more weeks," Tofu said calmly, "You've been doing wonderful for the last nearly eight months, let's not get cabin fever now. And it has only been the last week that your doctor asked you to start taking things a little easier."
"I know. It's just that I feel so useless right now. All I can do is my school work, and I can't even go to class, I have to have the professors send me the class notes and homework assignments," his wife muttered.
"Just be glad that Taro can bring them around," Tofu said, "If the rest of the term goes as smoothly, you'll do fine."
Soun said, "Mrs. Ninomayi, you'll meet some more of the clan at dinner. Ranma's mother Nodoka and his sister Genko should be joining us. Everyone else will still be working in their restaurants, so they won't be able to meet you until Saturday, itself."
"Oh that reminds me, Ukyo and Shampoo both are going to help with the reception on Saturday," Kasumi said.
"That's a relief," Soun said, "I just knew that you were going to try to do all of the cooking."
"I might have something else to do that day, Daddy, after all, I have to help Hinako," Kasumi said with a grin, then she added, "That new girl that's working there said she would help too."
"Shiro, Keitaro, you don't have to dance attendance on me, I can tell you want to go watch those two work out," Yuriko said.
"Yes, Mother," the two young men said.
"The dojo is out that door," Soun said, pointing to a door just visible from the family room. The two young men headed that direction.
Nabiki and Mousse traded looks and she said, "We've got some homework. We'll be in my room, working on it." They stood up and headed out the door.
"So, Tendo-san, why should I let you marry my daughter?" Yuriko asked, a slightly mischievous look in her eyes.
"Well, I suppose I could tell you that I'm on the town council, respected by the citizens of Nerima. And I suppose I could tell you that I have managed to raise three wonderful daughters. But I guess, the only reason that matters, is that I love Hinako and she loves me, something I didn't think would happen after I lost Kimiko," Soun said softly.
"Mother, was that really necessary? After all, I'm in my twenties," Hinako asked in exasperation.
Yuriko smiled serenely and said, "Tendo-san, I think I like you. I wasn't sure that you were suitable for my Hinako, being as old as you are, but I can see the connection between the two of you and it isn't just sex."
"Oh dear," Kasumi breathed.
"Just a bit blunt, aren't you, Ninomayi-san," Soun said, "Refreshing after all of the toadies on the council, but still blunt." He grinned at Hinako, and added, "And it's definitely not about sex. She means to me too much to be just that."
"And besides, Mother, I wasn't asking for your blessing, just your presence," Hinako added.
"But you wouldn't object if I gave it, now would you dear?" her mother asked, "But in any case, I do give you my blessing. So tell me about the wedding?"
"We plan on having the actual ceremony in the dojo, around ten in the morning, with just the family and a few close friends in attendance. Then, the reception will be held in the dojo and outside on the grounds, and I expect quite a few more people will be here for that," Soun said.
Hinako added, "The weather forecast looks good for Saturday, but we will have a few awnings up, just in case."
Kasumi and Tofu shared a chuckle as Hinako continued, "It wouldn't do for some of the guests to get wet."
Nodoka smiled slightly to herself as she watched Ranma, Tofu, Mousse and the two Ninomayi men help Soun set up the several awnings in the area between the dojo and the small storage building discretely tucked away in one corner of the compound. To their credit, none of the men had complained at being drafted during dinner, and indeed with six of them working, it was going quite well. Out of the corner of one eye, she watched Kasumi carefully, since the poor girl wasn't taking her enforced inactivity very well. Her hands were actually twitching in agitation at her inability to be out there directing the men on what needed to be done, but Tofu had been most insistent that she sit down on the steps and relax. Nodoka hadn't even needed the unspoken message that he sent her way that basically told her to make sure that Kasumi obeyed. Hinako and Yuriko has stayed behind in the kitchen to clean up after the delicious dinner that Ranma had prepared and now were busily catching each other up on the things that had happened since the last time they had talked, at least based on the snatches of conversation she was hearing through the partially opened windows. Akane and Nabiki were straightening up the dojo with the dubious assistance of Genko, as they put away all of the training aids that were normally scattered around the walls of the building.
"How are you feeling about all of this?" Nodoka asked kindly, more for the sake of distracting Kasumi than for any real need to talk.
"Which, being pregnant, or Daddy getting married?" Kasumi asked, with a laugh.
Nodoka chuckled and replied, "Either or both, I suppose. Your life is about to change quite a bit, and I was afraid that you might be finding it a bit overwhelming."
Kasumi smiled serenely and replied, "I'm looking forward to seeing my baby and being a mother. And I like Hinako, especially since her presence has helped Daddy quite a bit. What happened to your husband was troubling him some, even though he pretended that it didn't. She's a nice distraction from that."
The men began to haul out some folding tables from the storage shed, and started setting them up under the awnings.
"This is moving along a lot faster than I expected," Kasumi said.
"We've got twice as many people working than we had anticipated. Poor Mousse, I doubt this is what he had in mind when he stopped by to visit Nabiki," Nodoka said wryly.
"That's true enough," Kasumi said. She paused for a moment, and then asked, "How are you holding up, taking care of a young child again after all of these years?"
"It's exhausting, exhilarating and I wouldn't give it up for all the yen in Japan," Nodoka replied, "And I always wanted a daughter so this is working out fine."
The door behind them opened and Yuriko walked out. "Do you mind if I join you?" she asked.
"Of course not," Nodoka said, "We're just out here watching the men work and enjoying the breeze."
Yuriko sat down on the step next to Nodoka. "They have made a lot of progress in a very short time," she said, impressed.
"It is going well," Kasumi agreed.
"Even without you supervising," Nodoka teased.
Kasumi giggled and said, "Ha, Ha, Auntie. You know I hate being idle."
"Where's your daughter?" Yuriko asked.
"Genko? She's 'helping' Akane and Nabiki straighten out the dojo," Nodoka said with a grin, "Though I suspect she's being more of a hindrance than a help."
"She's seems to be a very sweet girl," Yuriko said.
Nodoka shrugged her shoulders and replied, "Thank you. I've done what I can to raise her properly. I do hope she grows up to be a fine person."
Yuriko asked, "Are they your only children?"
"Well, yes and no. I have an adopted daughter, Ukyo, who you heard us talk about some, and then there is a girl that I've basically taken under my wing, Shampoo. She is from the same tribe that Mousse is from. Ukyo owns an okonomiyaki shop called Ucchans, and Shampoo runs the Nekohaten café, so they are both pretty good cooks," Nodoka replied.
"They're also both married, Ukyo to Ryoga Hibiki, and they just had a gorgeous little girl," Kasumi added.
"You're a grandmother?" Yuriko asked, with just a touch of envy.
Nodoka smiled and said, "Yes, that does make me a grandmother. It's just as well that Ukyo and Ryoga had a child; I don't think Ranma and Akane are planning on having children any time soon."
"You'll see all of them at the wedding," Kasumi said, "Shampoo married another Chinese man named Awesome Taro."
Yuriko couldn't help it. She snickered, and then clamped her hands over her mouth. "That was so rude of me," she said softly, "But those names."
"That's not really their names. It's just as close as we can get when we say them in Japanese," Nodoka said.
"Could I ask you a personal question?" Yuriko asked.
Nodoka replied, "We're about to become family by marriage. If there's something you're curious about, you can ask. I reserve the right not to answer, but it won't upset me."
Yuriko asked, "Where's your husband?"
"Genma, he's no longer with us," Nodoka said finally, "He's atoning for some of the things that he did to our son."
"Oh, you're a widow," Yuriko said, "Just like me."
Nodoka frowned and replied, "Yes, I suppose I am." She sighed and said, "I do miss the man I married, and I know that Soun misses his old friend and fellow student."
Yuriko asked, "The two of them trained together?"
"Yes, they were the first students of the Anything Goes School, taught by the Grandmaster himself, but they left him to get married. They remained close, but they did drift apart," Kasumi said softly, "Though, not without promising to rejoin the school by through their children."
"That grandmaster was also the same person who cursed your daughter," Nodoka added, "Though, his books allowed Ranma to find her cure. We don't believe that Happosai intended the curse to remain all Hinako's life, but circumstances didn't allow him to remove it."
"I'm just glad it's gone," Yuriko said. She turned to Kasumi and asked, "Does it bother you that your father is marrying a woman not that much older than you?"
Kasumi smiled and said, "Ninomayi-san, my father basically closed down when Mommy died. I think the only reason he stayed alive was because he knew that if he died, the inheritance tax would have required us to sell this place and he couldn't bear for that to happen. Then Ranma showed up and eventually fell in love with Akane. Daddy was ecstatic at that point. He didn't care which daughter Ranma married, but once he did marry Akane, Daddy was able to give them this compound as a gift. He still wasn't completely happy, but at least he had calmed down some. Then your daughter came into his life. I don't know what she did to him, but I thank the gods everyday that she did. He is back from whatever pit of depression he was in."
Nodoka added, "The only real concern that we have with Hinako is that she teaches Ranma and Akane. Fortunately, the three of them had already developed a very close relationship because of what they had to do to remove the ki-absorbing ability from Hinako, so I don't expect this to change things much."
Ranma stopped at the entrance to the dojo, Akane holding onto his arm. He glanced around at the transformed room, with a row of chairs on either side of a white carpet, perpendicular to the shelf containing the family shrine. The Shinto priest had placed a low altar on the floor in front of the shrine, where he had placed several bottles, and cups. Behind each row of chairs, there were wooden screens, with various illustrations on each panel. He escorted her to her chair, and waited for her to sit. Once she was seated, he took his place next to her, and the two of them clasped hands. He nodded politely to Mrs. Ninomayi and her two sons who were sitting across the carpet from them. A small group of musicians were playing lightly in the background.
Tofu walked in, one arm around Kasumi's waist as they made their way down the aisle. He helped her sit down and then took his seat between her and Akane.
Ranma watched as Akane looked around the room, her eyes wide with excitement. She was almost giddy as she turned to him and said, "Daddy was so nervous this morning, I almost had to laugh. This is going to be so special."
Ranma frowned as a sudden thought struck him. "Akane," he asked softly, "Do you have any regrets? I mean, we didn't have a formal ceremony. I didn't ruin any of your dreams of a big wedding, did I?"
Akane smiled fondly at him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Silly man, I didn't need any of this. No fancy dress, no big ritual. Just you, me and our parents, that's all I wanted. Well, that, and to hear them say that we were married."
"That's all right, then," Ranma said, as his face relaxed, "You just looked so excited there, I was afraid. You know." He stopped talking as Akane kissed him lightly.
"Hush, you're going to work yourself up into a state of panic," Akane said, as the rest of the guests sat down.
"I think we're about to start," Nodoka said softly, "The priest chased us in from putting out the food."
"Don't worry, I drafted Yuka and Sayuri to finish," Akane replied. They hushed as Hinako and Soun walked into the room, pausing briefly before they walked down the aisle.
Hinako had elected not to wear the traditional kimono and headdress of a Shinto wedding, but instead was wearing a Western style wedding dress, with embroidery across the modest bodice, lace above, rising to circle her neck, where a pearl choker set off the ensemble. Soun was in a black tuxedo and looked extremely dashing, as the pair stopped in front of Hinako's mother. Hinako handed her a wrist corsage, and kissed her lightly before they continued walking to the altar. Once they were there, the priest walked in, in his traditional dress, and he quickly joined them in front of the altar.
Ranma watched as the Shinto priest began to perform a ritual of purification over the bride and groom, but he quickly stopped paying attention, as he was entranced watching his wife's reaction to what was going on. It wasn't until she hissed at him to pay attention that he realized that the priest had already finished the opening prayer and was pouring the cups of saké.
Hinako and Soun picked up the first small cups. They brought their cup up to their partner's lips, and then they took a small sip from the offered cup. Per the ritual of San-San Ku-Do, they repeated that twice with the small cup and then set them down on the small altar at the same time. They then repeated the process with the medium cup, once again taking three sips from the offered cup, and then placing the cups down. Finally, the ritual was repeated with the large cup, and they once more placed the cups on the table exactly at the same moment to overcome the superstition that the person who set the cup down first would see their ancestors first.
Soun then picked up the parchment upon which he had written his marriage oath, and began to read, in a trembling voice that Ranma couldn't quite make out, but words that Hinako was clearly taking to heart, as she seemed to glow with happiness.
Once Soun was finished, the priest picked up two rings from the altar. He bowed over them briefly, in a wordless prayer and then handed the smaller of the two to Soun. With a gentle smile, the priest said, "The rings are a symbol of the endless love that we are here today to acknowledge. The tiny circle of gold also stands for the purity of the relationship that we celebrate. And borrowing slightly from my western brethren, Soun Tendo, place the ring on your beloved's finger, and say, 'With this ring, I thee wed.' Then Hinako, you will do the same."
Soun took the ring from the priest and with a trembling hand, slid it on the ring finger of Hinako's left hand. He lifted her hand up and lightly kissed the ring and said, "With this ring, I thee wed."
Hinako calmly and serenely took the other ring from the priest and placed it on Soun's ring finger. She likewise lifted up his left hand and lightly kissed the ring and repeated the vow, "With this ring, I thee wed."
Ranma watched as a tear began to roll down Akane's cheek. He handed her a tissue, and she lightly daubed her cheek.
Soun and Hinako picked up sprigs of the sakaki tree and placed them on the altar. Then they bowed once, then again. Finally, they clapped their hands, one time, and then bowed once more.
The priest raised his hands above them in blessing. Then he bowed slightly to them, and walked up the aisle and out the door, as the family members began to cheer.
Soun and Hinako laced their fingers together, and followed the priest outside. As they appeared, the crowd of people that had arrived for the reception began to cheer.
Ranma carried a coupled of plates of food over to where Akane was waiting for him. He traded a plate for a drink and they sat down. His eyes lit up as Ukyo walked in carrying his niece, with Ryoga following close behind.
"We missed you guys at the ceremony, you were supposed to be in there as part of the family," Ranma said softly, "I was worried that something might have happened to you."
Ukyo laughed gaily and replied, "No, we were actually here in time for the ceremony, but somebody woke up and decided she was hungry. So I borrowed your bedroom, and fed her. By the time she was done, so was the wedding."
"That's a pretty good excuse," Akane said, "No one would begrudge a little one her meal. How's she been?"
"Aside from the midnight feedings, she's actually sleeping pretty much through the night," Ryoga replied. He asked, "Do you want something to eat?"
"That would be nice," Ukyo replied, "But I'll go." She handed Yuki to Ryoga and walked over to the groaning tables of food. Shampoo, Nodoka, and she had outdone themselves with the food preparation.
Nodoka walked over and joined Ukyo. "How are you feeling, dear?" she asked. "Are you getting enough sleep?"
Ukyo pointed to the slight bags under her eyes and replied, "I'm doing okay, still a little sore as you might expect. And yeah, I could kill for another hour of sleep each night."
"That brings back memories," Nodoka said with a wry grin, "Ranma used to keep me up all hours of the night. And Genma wasn't real good with him, I think he was afraid that he might drop him." Her eyes grew distant as she remembered the first few years of her son's life. "Let me help you," she said after a moment.
Ukyo grinned and said, "Thanks, mom. Trying to juggle both plates was getting to be a bit much." She handed Nodoka the tray that she had been preparing for her husband. "Ryoga's been a big help. He does the midnight feeding, though I think he's gonna be a little more careful," Ukyo said with a grin.
"Careful about what?" Nodoka asked.
With a big grin, Ukyo described the accident that Ryoga had had with the cold water a few nights previously, and the interesting results from that. Nodoka began to laugh as she pictured the scene.
"Oh my, daughter, you are going to have such an interesting life," Nodoka finally said once she had recovered her composure. By that time, they had joined her children, with Nodoka handing the tray she was carrying to Ryoga.
"What was so funny, Mom?" Ranma asked, as he polished off the last of his food.
Once again, Ukyo told her story, while Ryoga got more and more embarrassed. When she was done, Ranma chuckled for a moment and then said, "Note to self, when Akane and I finally start our family, always wear a shirt when feeding baby."
"I'm glad someone is going to learn something from my mistake," Ryoga said. He paused and then added, "Actually, it felt kind of good. Like we were bonding in a way. I know aside from the silliness of the situation, I actually envy Ukyo her ability to nurse Yuki."
"Wait until she starts teething, and then you'll not envy me anything," Ukyo said.
Yuriko walked over and bent down to look at Yuki. "Is this your granddaughter, Nodoka?" she asked.
"Yes, this is Yuki, daughter of Ryoga and Ukyo Hibiki. I don't think you've actually been introduced to any of them yet," Nodoka said, "Yuriko Ninomayi, this is my daughter Ukyo, and her husband Ryoga. Daughter, son, this is Yuriko, mother of Hinako."
"Our pleasure," Ryoga said gallantly, bowing slightly to the older woman, "I can see where Hinako gets her beauty from."
"Oh my," Yuriko said, with a faint blush, "What a nice young man!"
Kasumi walked over to her father, trailed by her husband. She hugged him and said, "Congratulations, Daddy. I hope you two are very happy." She turned to Hinako and hugged her, lightly kissing her cheek. "Welcome to our family. You have been great for my father, and I couldn't be happier. I hope you enjoy your honeymoon." She grimaced slightly.
"Kasumi, I think you need to go rest for a bit," Tofu suggested, as he wrapped his arms lightly around her.
"Take good care of her," Soun said, "While we are gone."
"I will, sir. But, if things progress like they seem to be doing, you'll be a grandfather when you get back," Tofu said.
"Imagine, a grandmother at my age," Hinako said with a giggle.
"But we should be there," Soun said.
"NO, Daddy," Kasumi said, uncharacteristically forceful, "You take your new bride on the honeymoon that she deserves."
"Besides, Daddy," Nabiki said from the table where she was collecting the gifts that the people were bringing, "I spent a lot of money making the arrangements, and you wouldn't want to waste it. You know how I can get if someone is wasting money, remember?"
"Help me upstairs, Tofu," Kasumi said, "And then you can come down and enjoy the reception."
Meanwhile, Ukyo was watching in amazement as more and more people were lining up to congratulate Soun on his marriage. "Look at all of the people, there must be several hundred already here and more coming," she said softly, "No wonder Kasumi was so adamant about needing a lot of food."
"Daddy is on the town council, so a lot of people look up to him. And some of them are here because of the regard they have for Kasumi and Tofu," Akane said, "But this is bigger than I expected."
"Look at Nabiki over at the table where she's collecting the gifts. She can't seem to quit smiling, and the way she's rubbing her hands together in glee. I just don't have the words for it," Ranma said.
Ryoga glanced over and said, "Oh, I think I've seen that look before."
"Where?" Akane demanded.
"Oh, several times as a matter of fact, but the one I remember the best is the look on Ukyo's face the day we, um, well, started our family, if you know what I mean," Ryoga replied.
Ranma glanced over at Akane who was blushing furiously, while Ukyo whacked Ryoga on the head with her battle spatula. "You're not supposed to talk about things like that," Ukyo said.
"What was that all about?" Ranma asked.
Akane leaned over and whispered in Ranma's ear, and he promptly blushed. Then Akane gasped, and said, "The mayor came. Look!" as she pointed at the man greeting her father.
"Congratulations, Tendo, for obtaining such a fine wife. She is much more than you deserve, eh, old man," the mayor said with a grin.
"Do we ever deserve our wives?" Tendo shot back, catching the mayor's wife with a wink.
"I've told him that for years," the woman replied, nudging her husband with her elbow. She turned to Soun and said, "I am very happy for you. I know it has been difficult raising your daughters since your wife passed away, so this young girl will be a great blessing for you."
"I know I didn't earn a second chance at happiness, after Kimiko, but then Hinako came, and well, I guess you could say I got lucky," Soun said, as Hinako blushed.
"I'm glad you could make our reception," Hinako said.
"Are you sure you can keep up with her? You are much older than she is," the mayor teased.
Soun buffed his nails on his coat and said, "I think I can. I am a martial artist, after all, and as such I am in better shape than most men my age."
"I'm sure that I will have no complaints," Hinako purred.
"Where are you going on your honeymoon?" the mayor asked.
Soun replied, "I actually don't know. My daughter Nabiki made all of the arrangements. We are just supposed to go to the station this evening."
"Congratulations, again. We'd better let you greet some of your other guests," the mayor's wife said, as she pulled her husband away and over toward the buffet tables.
"I guess it's too late to ask if you think I'm too old for you," Soun said, sotto voce.
Hinako wrapped her arms around him and said, "Yes, entirely too late. You're stuck with me now, and I couldn't be happier."
Sayuri came over to Ukyo and said, "We're starting to run out of your okonomiyakis."
Ukyo handed her child over to Ryoga and asked, "Is there still plenty of batter?"
"Yes, I think so, it was just all of the ones that you prepared are nearly gone," Sayuri said.
"I'll go turn my grill back on," Ukyo said.
"Thanks, sis," Ranma said, softly, "I appreciate what you are doing for us."
"You and Yuka have been a big help, too, Sayuri," Akane added.
Nodoka asked, "How is the rest of the buffet holding up? Are we doing okay?"
"We could use a little help," Sayuri admitted, "Lime and Shampoo have been working continuously in the kitchen, and they could use a short break."
Ranma sighed, and said, "Let me go change, and I'll give you a hand. Mom, you've been up since the crack of dawn cooking. Keep Mrs. Ninomayi company."
"Are you sure, Ranma?" Nodoka asked.
"Yeah, I know my way around a kitchen, you know that?" Ranma replied, as he got up.
"I'll go with you," Akane said. The two of them went into the house. "Why are you going to go change? It's okay for guys to cook," Akane asked once they were in the house.
"Uh, I meant change my clothing. I didn't want to get anything on this suit," Ranma said, "But now that I think about it, I probably ought to be a girl. All that cold water when I'm cooking, I'll just end up changing anyway."
Akane said, "Okay, you go upstairs, and I'll bring you some water." He lightly kissed her and headed toward the stairs, while Akane went into the kitchen for some water. "Ranma and I will be in here in a few minutes, we just need to change, and then we can give you two a break," she said to Lime and Shampoo.
"Thanks Akane, we could use one," Shampoo said, "Besides, I need to track down my wayward husband."
"I thought Ryoga was the one who got lost, don't tell me that Taro has that problem," Akane teased, as she walked out the door with the water.
Yuka walked into the kitchen where Ranma and Akane were busily employed. She giggled at the sight of the currently red-haired girl, wearing a flowery apron, with the words 'Anything Goes School of Martial Arts Cooking,' embroidered on it. "How's the ramen doing?" Yuka asked, her eyes still dancing with mirth as she watched Ranma glide gracefully to the stove.
Ranma carefully tasted the contents of several of the pots simmering on the stove. After a moment, she replied, "The shrimp-flavored ramen is ready, but the pork-flavored and chicken-flavored noodles are still a little undercooked. They need a few more minutes, I think."
"Good, the shrimp is what we're out of, anyway," Yuka said as she picked up a pair of potholders.
"Be careful with that," Akane warned, "Not only is it hot, but it's pretty heavy." She stared down at the mess she was making and sighed. "Ranma, could you do this. I just can't seem to get the hang of this. Why is it so hard to crimp the edges of the gyozas, anyway?"
Ranma chuckled and said, "I don't mind. You can start up the next pot of ramen while I finish those off. Then, I think we need to make a few dozen yakitoris. Oh, how's the sushi doing out there? Do we need to run a couple of trays out?"
Yuka thought for a moment and said, "Yeah, we could use some of the salmon and tuna, either sushi or sashimi, probably both." She carefully gripped the pot with the potholders and lifted. "Damn, you weren't kidding," she grunted as she headed out the door.
Ranma moved over to the table, while Akane walked over to the sink to start filling another pot with water. Ranma quickly began to crimp the edges of the already stuffed pastries together with her fingers, making it look effortless, and then placing them in the basket ready for steaming.
"I should hate you for that, you know?" Akane teased, "Making it look that easy."
"I've just had lots of practice," Ranma replied, absently as she continued to work.
A female voice said, "Ranma?"
Ranma turned and replied, "Yes, what…" only to stop as she saw the shocked expression on Mrs. Ninomayi's face.
"Ranma?" she asked, hesitantly.
A look of annoyance flashed across her face, as Ranma replied, "Yeah, this is me, too."
"B-but you're supposed to be a guy," Yuriko stammered, "At least I sure thought you were."
Ranma sighed and said, "Yeah, well, appearances to the contrary, I really was born male. But thanks to my dumbass Pop, I picked up this wonderful curse in China, so that when I get wet with cold water, I change to a girl." She shrugged her shoulders and said, "At least it's not too bad. I just wish I was as tall as Akane so we could share clothing. Do you know how much extra room it takes in our closet for me to have two different wardrobes?"
"You certainly seem to be handling this reasonably well," Akane noticed.
Yuriko chuckled and said, "Hey, my daughter was turned into an aura-sucking vampire that changed her from one form to a younger form. After that, I can believe just about everything. But how can you be so calm about this? Isn't this odd?"
"Since there doesn't seem to a cure, I've decided to just get on with my life," Ranma replied.
"Does my daughter know about this?" Yuriko asked.
"Oh yes, she very definitely does," Ranma replied.
Yuriko frowned for a moment and then said, "I wonder why she didn't tell me."
"Probably because it wasn't her story to tell," Akane replied, "And maybe she wasn't sure how you would take it, I suppose."
Yuriko shook her head and said, "No, I always supported her. She wouldn't have had any reason to worry about my reaction. Her father was the reason that she had to leave." She hesitated for a moment and asked, "You said she definitely knew about this. Would you like to explain that?"
Ranma blushed down to the top of her breasts and replied, "It had to do with how we cured her."
"You are planning on explaining that, I suppose?" Yuriko asked, "Especially since you've got me curious."
Akane sighed and replied, "Let's just say that Ranma and I are more familiar with her body than we'd like to be. And Ranma was always female when we did the cure, which involved some shiatsu points on, well, several intimate places, her breasts and ass, basically. And to make sure we got the right places, well, Hinako always took her clothes off."
"Oh my stars, that has got to be so embarrassing for all of you. And you two must care for her a great deal to have done that for her," Yuriko exclaimed.
"We care for her a great deal, but just think how embarrassed she must be, Yuriko-san, to be naked in front of two of her students," Ranma said, quietly.
"Actually, I think she must care for you greatly to trust her innermost being to you like that," Yuriko said, "She hasn't shared a public bath since she became aware of what happened to her."
Akane and Ranma traded glances and Ranma said, "Your daughter, no dammit, Hinako is very special to both of us. What she has done for Dad since her cure has only made her dearer to us. But that had to come from someone and I'm guessing that person must have been you. Thank you for raising such a wonderful woman."
"Like she said," Akane said fervently, "Welcome to our family, Ninomayi-san."
Yuriko walked over and hugged the two of them, and siad, softly, "Please, my name is Yuriko. I would be honored if you would call me by my name."
Akane smiled and said, "I would be honored, Yuriko."
"As would I, but I guess you probably came in here for something besides this," Ranma said, with a laugh.
"True, Sayuri actually sent me in for the sashimi," Yuriko said with a grin.
"It's in the refrigerator," Akane said, "There are several trays, but just take the one."
Yuriko opened the door and pulled out a tray of sashimi. "Thank you for curing my daughter, I owe you much more than I can ever repay," she said. She walked out the door, while Ranma placed the basket of gyozas into the steamer and closed it.
Shampoo was concerned. No, actually Shampoo was extremely worried. She had lost sight of Lime somehow during the reception. At first, the other girl had seemed to be happy, watching the other merry-makers as they celebrated Soun and Hinako getting married, but as the afternoon wore on, her mood worsened. Finally, during one of their breaks from preparing food, the young Chinese girl had disappeared somewhere in the house. Shampoo opened the door to the last upstairs bedroom, and there she found Lime sitting on the bed, looking out the window.
Lime looked up as the door opened, and angrily wiped her face. "Do you need some help downstairs?" she asked.
Shampoo ran over and wrapped her arms around her friend. "That's not why I came after you. What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing," Lime replied.
"Yeah, right. Like I'm supposed to believe that. Those were tears that I saw on your face," Shampoo said.
"It's silly," Lime said.
Shampoo rested her chin on Lime's head and said, "If it has you this upset, it can't be silly. You know you can talk to me about it. What else are friends for?"
Lime shivered in Shampoo's arms and then sighed heavily. "I thought I could handle this," she began, "Losing Prince Herb, my people, and changing who I am, but the wedding this morning just showed me how much I gave up. Why can't I have the man I love?"
"I don't know, Lime. Life just isn't fair sometimes," Shampoo said, "But if he couldn't see past who you once were, he isn't worthy of you. You deserve someone who can love you for who you are."
Lime smiled weakly and said, "Thanks, Shampoo. I just don't know why I'm so emotional."
Shampoo thought for a moment and said, "I expect it's several things coming together. Deciding to stay female, confessing your love of Prince Herb and it not being returned, his leaving, Mint leaving, the probability of you being pregnant. Starting a new life with us, all of that has to have an impact on you. It just all came to a breaking point today when you saw how happy Tendo and Hinako are, and you wanted that." She paused and then added, "But you have a family here whether you realized it or not. I think of you has another sister, and in case you hadn't noticed, Mom is taking you under her wing too. She has this saving people thing. Ranma and Akane care for you, so don't think that no one wants you."
The reception was finally over, and all of the guests had left, leaving only the extended family and firm friends behind. Soun and Hinako had left over an hour ago to the cheers of all of the guests, but they had stayed until all of the food that was on the tables was gone. Everyone spent the next several minutes cleaning things up and then they collapsed in the family room exhausted.
"You know, I'm really glad we eloped," Kasumi said, "This was entirely too much work."
"I'm surprised at you, sis," Nabiki teased, "I thought you enjoyed cooking."
"I do enjoy cooking, that is when I get to do it. You guys pretty much banned me from the kitchen, remember," Kasumi growled. She blinked for a moment, and blushed. "Oh dear, that was uncalled for," she said, softly.
"It's been a long day for you, Kasumi," Tofu said, "Even with the nap you had, it's no real surprise to me that you're a little wound up. Maybe even a bit testy."
"Don't patronize me, dear," Kasumi replied. She winced then, and stood up.
"You okay?" Akane asked.
Kasumi replied, "Yes, I'm fine. The baby just moved again, and now she's pressing on my bladder." She walked out the door, heading for the toilet.
"Uh, Ranma, guess what?" Akane said, sweetly.
Ranma asked, "Uh, what?"
"You get to have our children," Akane said, "If that's what being pregnant does to someone as sweet as Kasumi, I'm pretty sure I don't want to go through with that."
Ranma gave her an evil look and said, "Unless you're hiding something from me, it'll be a bit difficult for you to get me pregnant. Just aren't equipped correctly for that, though I'm very happy with the way you are equipped." He grinned and said, "Maybe we'll just adopt, then."
"Who knows, maybe when you get pregnant, it'll be as smooth as Ukyo's," Ryoga interjected.
"Uh, speak for yourself, Ryoga dear. I was the one carrying around what felt like a six-kilo bowling ball in my stomach, and the constant pressure on my bladder was never any fun, either," Ukyo said, "It's good thing she's so cute, or you'd be sleeping on the couch." She smiled to show she was teasing, or at least Ryoga hoped she was.
Lime sat quietly in the corner, listening to what appeared to her to be horror stories. 'Did I really know what I was doing?' she thought, as her face paled.
Shampoo walked over and hugged her. "Lime will be fine," she said quietly, "When the time comes."
"But they're making it sound so bad," Lime whispered back.
Shampoo shrugged her shoulders and said, "I'm not really an expert, since I never have a baby, but it's only pain from what I've been told. Lime is a Musk warrior, can she not handle a little pain?"
Lime snorted and replied, "Of course I can."
"Besides, look at how happy spatula-girl looks, when she holds her baby. That how Lime will look," Shampoo said.
Author's Notes: Once again, another installment in this story. I appreciate all of the reviews, and welcome them. Specific comments are below:
evilKaishuku: Grumble, grumble, I thought I had fixed all of those misspelled Genma's. I guess I need to go look again.
Xero Reflux Strike: Bad image indeed, but necessary for the plot. I wanted a pretty angsty chapter and I think I succeeded.
Neon-ronin: Actually, I deliberately left Ranma and Akane out of that last chapter. While they are the main characters, I wanted to try to allow some of the others their fifteen minutes of fame. Some of the other Nerima crazies will show up, but I need to tread carefully, since I don't want this fiction to read like Second Time Around, and some of the same characters will be making their appearances soon. And I agree, I couldn't see Herb actually coming to terms with Lime as a woman.
Shinigami: I know I never know where to look when my wife drags me into the lingerie section. Even at my age, it's embarrassing as hell. Single moms have my deepest respect and sympathy. Hopefully, that will show as this story progresses.
majinbuu7985: This story tends to be a bit more character driven, so I don't write a lot of fights in this one. I do need to show a few, though, since Ranma is a martial artist.
Borg rabbit: Thank you. I'm not sure yet how Herb will react if he finds out about Lime. I have several conflicting ideas on when that might happen. That is an interesting plot twist. I need to let that percolate for a while.
Wonderbee31: That's one of the reasons I wrote that chapter the way I did. There had been too many things working out for the best in the other chapters, so I wanted something that wasn't. Lime will have some more sad moments, because she did pick a difficult path to walk.
Ss4-link: I agree, this story line needed to be written, as painful as the characters might feel. And while my forte is probably the WAFFY stuff, I wanted to stretch and write some angst.
Martrex: Then I succeeded in what I was trying to do. I sure wanted to write a very sad, angst-filled chapter, since so much of this story had been very light.
Innortal: Thanks, this one was painful to write. But, to be honest, if I want to grow as a writer, I have to learn how to write painful stuff, not just fluff.
Dragon Man 180: Lime will be single for some time. Whether I pair her up with someone else, or if Herb comes back hasn't been decided. As to Ranma and Akane's training with Herb, there won't be any direct results, more skill enhancement than anything else. If you remember in canon, Ranma only modified some of his existing techniques to beat Herb, so that's basically where I was going.