"I think I should leave now, Kasumi.. I forgot, I have to meet someone before heading home."
Tofu stands up and prepares to leave the Saotome house. Kasumi sighs and nodded her head at him, then turning to Ranma, she asks him politely,
"Ranma, please wait for me here. Just give me some time, I will be right back.."
Ranma nodded as he saw Kasumi heading out from the living room with Dr Tofu. Ranma slowly went beside his mom and sat beside her. He could clearly notice the worried expression on his mother's face. He sighs and when he was about to confront his mother about it, Kasumi returns to the room and sits back down while facing both of them.
"Ranma.."
"Yes, Oneechan.. Is there something wrong? Who is this woman you were talking 'bout? And why did Akane acted that way?.."
Kasumi sighs and answers him politely , "Ranma, she is our aunt Suki. Tendo Suki.."
"She is a Tendo! That means.." Nodoka asked surprised as she saw Kasumi smiling softly as she nodded her head.
"Yes, obasama. She is a Tendo. She is our father's younger sister.."
"Really!" he saw Kasumi nodding, "Oh wow! I didn't have any clues!" Ranma intervenes, too shocked to form any more words as he keeps staring at Kasumi with wide stunned eyes.
Kasumi turned to him as her smile broadens in response,
"Oh Ranma! You never knew her because she hadn't come to Nerima for the last five years!"
"Really!... But why?" He asked her, feeling confused.
"Kasumi dear, the way I noticed Akane reacting to this news, now I am really feeling confused ,my child. I mean, if she is your Aunt then why did Akane look so panicked when she heard about her coming? Don't she like her Aunt Suki?" Nodoka asked in a concerned tone.
Kasumi sighs and says,
"Aunt Suki is not just our Auntie, obasama. We see her as our mother. Because, after our mother, she was the one who took care of the three of us and gave us all the love and care that we needed. As you know, we were very young at that time and our father had become too depressed to take care of us.. Aunt Suki had just completed her high school that time and she had to sacrifice her career just to give us girls protection and the family that we need. Akane is too close to her. Because she was just a child at that time and Aunt Suki never used to let her go out of her sight."
Kasumi smiles fondly as she lost herself on her memories as their past came to life in front of her eyes,
"You know, Akane is the only one who used to call Aunt Suki her Mom in front of everyone. But our aunt Suki never felt embarrassed or uncomfortable of being called a mother publicly, despite being unmarried. Instead of being annoyed by this, she embraced this relationship and openly addressed herself as Akane's mother. Because of her, our childhood went smoothly, but she had to sacrifice a lot. Whenever Akane wanted to learn about Martial Arts, our father used to deny it. Our aunt, being a Tendo, she knew some of the beginner's training, so she used to help her with it and when she saw how Akane was improving, she asked Dr Tofu to help Akane with her training. But, our aunt was so frustrated about my father, about him being depressed all the time and not taking his responsibilities as well. And then one day.."
Kasumi stopped talking as some past memories about that fateful day came to her mind, making her explanation stop as she looked down in a dazed expression..
Past..
"Why did he call you, brother?"
Suki asked Soun in a hard tone as she entered the Tendo dojo in a fury.
"Who are you talking about?"
Soun asked her with a heavy voice as he faced her nervously,
"You very well know who I am talking about.. I have heard you talking with that Genma guy over the phone..!"
"So, now you started eavesdropping on me, huh, Suki?"
She growled at him and said,
"I have better things to do than that, brother. But I had to stop myself when I heard you talking with that Genma guy!"
"Then I guess, you already heard everything.. Why are you asking me then?"
"Haven't you learned your lesson yet! How dare you promise that guy that you want to engage one of my daughters with his son!" She scowled angrily.
"Don't raise your voice at me, Suki! Don't forget I am your older brother, young lady! And your daughters! Don't forget they are my daughters and I have all the rights to do whatever I wish to do with them..!"
"NO! YOU ABSOLUTELY DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT!" She closed her eyes to calm herself as she controlled her tone of voice. Then looking directly at his eyes she declared heatedly, "You can not do as you feel like doing anymore! Not till I am still alive , brother.."
Soun gave a heavy sigh as he tried to make her understand,
"Look! I am their father and I know what's better for them.. " he heard her smirking with no humor as he continued, "We are Martial artists and I have a responsibility towards 'Anything goes martial arts'! And for that I have to marry one of my daughters to his son. Genma belongs to the same school. And do you know how hard he is training his son in the anything goes arts! We all belong to the same school and.."
" And you have this dojo to offer them and your daughters as well! Isn't it brother!?"
"Ye-yes, of course! This dojo is my family heritage! I just can't give it to them without marrying one of my daughters with his son..!"
" I just can't believe this! So, is this what was on your mind from the very beginning?! Won't you ever stop surprising me with your selfish acts, brother?!"
"Stop talking nonsense!"
" ME TALKING NONSENSE! YOU ARE THE ONE WHO IS TALKING NONSENSE HERE! IF YOU REALLY CARED ABOUT THIS DOJO AND YOUR SCHOOL, THEN WHY HAVEN'T YOU TAUGHT AKANE THE ARTS? THAT POOR BABY KEPT BEGGING YOU TO TEACH HER AND YOU KNEW HOW CAPABLE SHE IS..! OH!... Wait a second! You did it on purpose, didn't you!? So that's why you have been avoiding teaching her! So that you could bring your friend and his son to our home!"
Soun tried to hide his expression from her as he stutters,
"So what, if I did plan it! I have every right to plan a good future for this school… And You should not forget, Suki, Akane is a girl! A school must be carried on by the shoulders of a strong capable man, not any woman.. Women can only attempt but they can never be successful in Martial.."
"STOP!" Suki stopped him in the middle of his talking as she said, "Don't dare to say those things to me ever again.."
"Suki! Mind your language!" Soun said heatedly.
Suki nodded her head and said,
"I will brother. I will! I promise you, I will.. From now on, I will mind my all words, I will mind my priority, I will mind my dignity, I will mind the promise that I have made with my daughters mother.."
"Suki.."
"No brother! I have heard enough from you.. Now I know what I have to do.. And what I should do to save my daughters.."
Saying that in a low harsh voice, she looked down and slowly left the dojo, not turning back to look at her brother who called her to stop and listen to him. She closed the dojo's soil door and soon found out that, her three daughters had been listening to their conversation from the beginning. She saw them crying standing there as she rushed to them and hugged them all at once.
"Aunt Su.. I just cant believe that our dad didn't teach Akane on purpose!" Nabiki whispers harshly.
" The way he talked about us, I am feeling like he had betrayed all of us.." Kasumi says while sniffing.
" I don't want to get marry with any martial artist .. Please mom, do something." Akane said with her trembling lips.
"Stop crying you guys! Don't ever cry like this.. You are my daughters! No one has the right to say or think like that about you.. Not even your own father.." Suki broke her hug and laid her trembling hand over Akane as she asked her in a motherly tone,
"Can you give your mom some time to prove herself, my love? I promise I won't take too long.."
A 13 years old Akane nodded with tears in her eyes as she asked,
"Just promise me, you are going to take us with you soon, please mom.."
Suki smiles as she enveloped the three of them in a tight hug and promised them that she will soon take all of them with her…
"Kasumi dear..!"
"Hey! Oneechan! You kay!?" Ranma asked worried as he kept waving his hand in front of her face.
Kasumi's dazed stance broke as she started blinking her eyes in confusion. Then realizing her mistake, she gave a heavy sigh and says,
" Oh my! Did I get lost in my own world!"
"Well, uhh.. Looked like that to me.. We are actually calling ya for a long time.. Anyway, what were you thinking!?"
" Yes, Kasumi dear..And you stopped talking in the most important part as well.."
Kasumi smiled apologetically at them as she continued,
" I am so sorry.. So what was I saying..?"
"You said that Tendo San was not taking his responsibilities and all.."
" Oh yeah.. Now I remember.." She says as she looked at Ranma and thought to herself,
'Should I tell him all the truth? No… I think I should leave it to Akane..' She gives him a warm smile and says,
"Yes! And to teach our father dear his responsibilities, our aunt Suki had decided to step back and one morning we all found out that she had run away from home."
"Oh! Now I get it! So that's the reason why Tendo San always used to panic about Akane running away from home!?" Ranma asked, suddenly realising the fact.
Kasumi was amazed by his attentiveness as she replies while giggling,
"You got it right, Ranma.. Actually, my father and aunt Suki used to fight a lot, but my father loves her so much. He was so upset when he found out about her eloping. But, it worked though.. After that day, father started taking care of us to make sure we don't leave him like she did.. And also started Akane's training seriously.."
"Okay! But it still doesn't explain why Akane was scared! And if you are right about her seeing her aunt Suki as her mother, then why did she freak out like that? She should have been dancing around with joy hearing the news of her returning home! It's really confusing me, Onee-chan!"
Kasumi sighs, "Oh Ranma, Ranma, Ranma! Akane is scared because, our aunt Suki is completely against this arranged marriage thing, Ranma.. And if I be honest with you… she is the one who stopped your marriage from happening after you guys came from China."
Ranma was taken aback hearing that as he stopped asking her anymore questions. Then he hears his mother saying,
"Kami! But why, Kasumi dear? Doesn't she like my Ranma?"
Ranma looked expectantly at Kasumi, as she said while looking at him in the eyes,
" The main problem here is, all she heard about Ranma is, …." Kasumi again stopped as she gulped in anticipation. Then choosing her answers wisely, she replies,
"That Ranma is also fighting to break this arranged marriage with Akane and she also knows about your having multiple fiancee.. Ranma, all she knows about you is… Umm, that you both are being forced to do something that you guys hate to do. So.." Kasumi sighs tiredly, "Remember Ranma, she is a mother. And a mother's thinking is always different from others.. You can't blame her for thinking the worst..!"
"So, all Ranma has to do is to convince her that he wants this engagement to happen and no one is forcing them! Right, Kasumi dear?" Nodoka asks excitedly.
Kasumi smiles and turns to Ranma, who had a worried look plastered on his face,
"If he really wants it then, why not!"
Ranma sighs and slowly nods at Kasumi.
" Thanks oneechan.. "
Saying that, he silently stood up and started going up to Akane's room. His mind was fully jumbled by all the information that he just got from Kasumi. The truth is, he is scared now. He never thought that he would ever have to face this type of problem in his life. He had all the girls in his life too easily. And now, when he knows who is the right one for him, he has to fight for it. He is not scared of fighting, not at all. But it's not the type of fights he is comfortable with. It's the complete opposite! How can he fight a mother who wants only good for her daughter. And here he and his friends kept thinking how lucky he was to get a girl like Akane this easily. He never thought there would be any consequences waiting to break them. If he knew it then..
His train of thoughts stops as he reached her room. He lays his hand over the shoji door and began thinking,
'If I knew it, then would I have married her that same day! Should I even consider doing this only because of the fear of her aunt! Oh God, I wish I did.. Damn man! She was ready for it too.. And all I thought about was.. damn it! I wish.. I wish I could go back in time and fix it..'
He sighs defeated and starts knocking on the door. Several times passed by but still she hasn't opened the door. He got little panicked as he started knocking little loudly,
" 'Kane! Hey Akane! Open the damn door!" No answer.. "Hey I am coming in!" Complete silence, "Don't blame me if I see ya changing.." no sound, "Okay then.. I am coming in.."
He burst open the shoji door and become stunned to find the room empty. He got little scared and was about to turn on his heels to look for her, when the sudden breeze blows from the open window, making him stop. He rushed to the window sill and looked up to the roof. He didn't waste anymore time and hopped up to the roof using that window. He didn't have to look for her for too long, as he soon found her , sitting over the roof tile, while her face was hidden over her bent knees. He doesn't know if she had felt his presence or not, but it's like he just can't take his eyes off the beautiful image of her. The breeze was melodically blowing her elegant silky hair. The sheer image of her beautiful feature was making his heart thump as he turned bright red..
'What have I done! It's like, I had everything within my reach, but now, it's like I will lose everything that could have been mine. For four damn years, all I did was ignore the most amazing thing that happened to me and play around with her feelings.. And now, when I am sensing some danger, I am fearing to lose her! What should I do now? Should I tell her the truth? About how I feel about her? But, is it the right time? Wouldn't she feel forced into it more? The last thing I want is for us to feel pressured and forced into any relationship just because I have became scared that her aunt may separate us. What should I do? I don't have any clue anymore…,'
Ranma sighs tiredly as he softly called out to her name,
" 'Kane.."
A/N: I know it's short, but the main point is keep the update going.. It was a tiring week for me, so I hope you understand :).. I couldn't stop my tears writing the Aunt Suki part.
Too close to heart. Thank you all for your reviews and support. I hope you liked this too. See you guys soon.. Take care my Ranma family :)..