Walking past the stairs the next morning, Ranma felt as if a huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders. He no longer had to worry about when Akane was going to accept his proposal, now that she agreed to the engagement last night. In two and a half months the two teenagers were going to be married. All that remained was to get rid of the suitors still longing for the both of them. Even though Akane disposed of Shampoo and Kodachi, it remains to be seen if either one of them will give up on Ranma. Entering the common room, the boy says good morning to both Kasumi and Nabiki.

Looking around, he asks, "Where's your father?"

"After Akane told him the good news, he rushed out of the house in a hurry," answered the eldest sister.

"Do you know where he went?" wondered the boy.

"I think he went to tell your parents the news in person," replied the middle sister.

"Where's Akane?" he asked.

"You're just full of questions, aren't you?" said Nabiki, "She's in the dojo, by the way."

He thanked her and walked out onto the deck surrounding the outside of the house. He made his way to the front of the dojo and slid the door open. Inside was Akane, dressed in her karate gi, going thru various motions. She smiled at Ranma as he walked in.

"Good morning," said the boy.

"Morning," she replied, pushing her hands forward.

"Trying to produce a Fierce Tiger Shot, are you?" he asked.

"Yeah, but I can't seem to focus on the feeling it gives off," she explained, dropping her hands.

"Here, let me help," he responds, walking over to her.

He stands behind her and presses his body against her's. She takes comfort from the warmth his body produces. She allows him to move her arms and hands along with his. The feeling of his breath in her hair made the girl's smile wider.

"Ready?' asked the teen, pushing both pairs of hands forward.

"Yes," she answered, closing her eyes, preparing herself for the rush.

He begins to release the stored up confidence energy.

"There they are!" shouted Genma, causing the two teenagers to separate, "They're in here!" he called, entering the dojo.

A minute later, Soun and Nodoka follow him in.

"What are you two doing here?" the boy asked his parents.

"We're here to celebrate," answered his mother, hugging both teens.

"We were kind of busy here at the moment," said Ranma, emphasizing the most important word in the sentence.

"Nonsense, boy. Nobody's ever too busy to celebrate," argued his father, slapping him on the back, "Whatever it was can wait. There are other things that need to be discussed."

"Come, join us in the common room. As Saotome said, there are matters that need to be dealt with," agreed the girl's father, ushering the two kids out of the dojo.

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"What's so important that you needed to pull us away from a training exercise?" wondered Ranma, sitting down in the common room.

Akane sat down next to him while Genma and Nodoka sat opposite of them. Nabiki and Kasumi were there as well. Soun on the other hand had gone into another room. When he came back he had a small box in his hands.

"We were in such a hurry to marry you two off last time, we didn't have much time to prepare. But seeing we now have enough time, I feel it is only right I should hand these over. Akane's mother wore these on our wedding day. I know she would've wanted her daughter to wear them on her's," said the man, opening the box.

Inside were two pearl earrings. He handed the box over to her.

"They're lovely, of course I'll wear them," said his youngest, accepting the gift.

"You can borrow my pair of white heels again," added Nabiki.

Akane thanked everyone for the gifts.

"Almost forgot," remembered Nodoka, pulling her own box out of her kimono, "This is also for you to wear on your wedding day," and she handed over the rectangular box.

The girl opened it and replied, "It's gorgeous, thank you," and she showed everybody what it was.

It was a sapphire pendant on the end of a silver necklace.

"Where did you get that?" asked Genma, looking at the necklace.

"Don't you remember? I wore it for our wedding," answered his wife, "I kept it hidden, so I wouldn't have to worry about you pawning it for cash."

The old man chuckled nervously. The girl again thanked everyone for the gifts.

Soun cleared his throat, "There is one last thing we need to ask."

"What?" wondered Ranma, rolling his eyes.

"Have you decided on who was going to be your Best Man and Maid of Honor?" asked the girl's father.

The two teens looked at each other before answering.

"I guess I could ask Daisuke and Hiroshi if they want the job," replied the boy.

"And I could ask if either Sayuri or Yuka would do it, unless Nabiki or Kasumi want it," said Akane, directing her response towards her sisters.

"You won't catch me up there, no way," responded the middle sister, shaking her head.

"I wouldn't want to get in the way," added the oldest of the three girls.

"Alright then, you let us know your choices so we can set up a date for everyone to be fitted for suits and dresses," said Soun, "And I believe that's everything."

"I've got a question," interrupted the boy, "Who's sending out the invitations this time and who is being invited?"

"I am," replied Nabiki, "Why, is there someone you'd like to invite?"

"There are some people we want excluded this time," answered the boy.

"Who?" wondered the middle sister.

"Let's see, there's Shampoo and her family; Mousse included; Happosai and the Kuno family right off the top of my head," said Ranma, in a mocked thinking tone, index finger on his chin.

"Why?" asked Nabiki as if she didn't know the answer already.

"We don't want what happened last time to happen again," responded Akane, "So please don't invite them."

"Okay," agreed the middle sister, sighing.

"As to the other part of your question, we're inviting some of your classmates, your teacher and Dr. Tofu will receive one as well. That should be enough people, don't want to overcrowd the dojo," explained the girl's father, "Anymore questions?"

When nobody said anything, Soun says, "Then I guess this meeting is finished."

"Come on, Akane, let's get back to training," replied Ranma, standing up.

"Okay, " said the girl, rising to her feet.

"Ranma, Akane if you're going to be in the dojo, why don't you give it a good cleaning?" requested her father.

"Do we have to?" wondered the boy.

"No complaining, just do it," ordered Genma.

"Yes sirs," said the teens in unison with their heads bowed.

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With a bucket of water for each of them and rags in hand, Akane went to work washing the walls, while Ranma scrubbed the dojo's floor. The boy often found himself idle, watching her instead of doing what he was suppose to be doing. Each time she caught him made her giggle uncontrollably.

"Stop!" she'd tell him, throwing her rag at him.

He'd throw it back and start working again until the next time he stopped and looked. When she finished washing the walls he still had about half the floor to do.

"That's what you get for being distracted," she told him.

"Can I help it if I like what I saw?" he replied, smiling, returning his attention to his job.

"Do you want my help?" asked Akane, holding her bucket.

"Sure if you want to," answered the boy, not looking back.

One second Ranma is working away and the next he is drenched thanks to Akane throwing her bucket of cold water on him.

"What was that for?" wondered the boy, now in his cursed form.

"You said you wanted my help," responded the short-haired girl, laughing.

"You think that's funny, do you? Let's see how you like getting soaked," said the pig-tailed girl, standing up and holding her bucket out in front of her.

"Don't," replied Akane, in a semi-serious tone, backing up towards the wall.

Ranma pulled the bucket back ready to splash the other girl with it when a knock on the dojo's front door made her stop.

"Who is it?" asked the girl with short hair.

They could see the person's silhouette against the door.

The person spoke as the door opened, "It is I, Tatewaki Kuno and I have come here looking for Akane Tendo."

He walked into the dojo dressed in his usual kendo uniform, carrying his bokken at his side and a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

Realizing he and Akane weren't alone, he continued, "Ah, my pig-tailed goddess you're here as well. That makes it easier on me."

"Why are you here anyway?" wondered Akane.

"I've come to ask you ladies if you would care to join me for a lunch date in the park?" he replied, smiling at them.

The two girls looked at each other, not responding to his request.

"Don't be shy, speak up and tell me how much you'd both enjoy a lunch date with me," the older teen insisted, taking a half dozen steps forward into the dojo.

Glancing down at the bucket in her hands, Ranma whispers to Akane, "I've got an idea for getting rid of him. Just follow my lead."

"Okay," she whispers back.

"Come now ladies, let me hear your lovely voices cry out your answers," said Kuno, throwing the bouquet at their feet.

"No," said the redhead, putting down the bucket, "I don't think I'll join you."

"What?" uttered the older boy, confused with her reply.

"How about you Akane?" she asked her.

"Oh! Me neither," said the other girl, shaking her head.

Laughing a little, he tried again, "You two are being funny. Now, tell me your real answers."

"You want our real answers? Here they are: We don't like you and we want you to leave," replied Ranma in a hard tone of voice, picking up the bouquet of flowers.

She walked over to him and Akane followed close behind.

"Nonsense, I know how both you ladies feel about me and let me assure you there's enough Tatewaki to go around," he says, reaching out for his pig-tailed goddess.

She slapped his face shouting, "Don't touch me!"

"But," mumbled the kendoist, taking a step back.

"You know what you are?" she asked.

"I am Tatewaki Kuno, The Blue Thunder," he proudly answers.

"Wrong," started Ranma, "You're pompous," and emphasized her point with a poke to his chest.

Akane got up in his face as well and included, "And egotistical," and she too poked him in the chest.

With every step the two girls take he took a step back. At a loss for words, all he could do was take what they dished out. The girls continued to insult him with them alternating between themselves and with each insult came a poke to the older boy's chest:

"Over-inflated."

"Insensitive."

"Rude."

"Uncaring."

"Self-centered."

"And chauvinistic."

When they finished insulting and poking him, Kuno was standing in the doorframe of the dojo.

"I guess what we're trying to say is..." added Ranma.

Both girls shout in unison, "Leave us alone!" and they shove him out the door.

He lands on the grass still confused at what is taking place. The front door of the dojo slides shut.

"But,... th-that can't be h-how you ladies f-feel about m-me. Y-you're hearts have t-told me y-you wanted me," stuttered Kuno, getting on his knees, "Do y-you want me to b-beg? I'm man e-enough to admit I-I've done wrong."

The dojo's door slid open again with Ranma standing there holding the bouquet of flowers in one hand and the other behind her.

"My pig-tailed beauty, I knew I could count on you," said the older boy, steadying his nerves, holding his arms out ready to accept his goddess's embrace.

"You forgot these," she replied, tossing the flowers at him.

He caught them with a confused look on his face, looking back and forth between the bouquet and the girl.

"And this from me," continued the redhead, revealing a bucket of water from behind her back.

She threw the contents of the bucket on him with a splash.

"Go home!" she shouted, shutting the door again.

The now damp upperclassman sat there, absorbing the events that transpired. Slowly, he rose to his feet and walked away from the Tendo home with a defeated and deflated look about him. The two girls peeked out the door and watched as Kuno walked away. Shutting the door once more, they couldn't help but snicker at each other.

"That felt so good," sighed Akane, leaning against the wall.

"I know," agreed Ranma, "Do you think he understands now?"

"We'll have to wait and see," replied the girl with short hair.

Both girls got on their hands and knees and finished cleaning the dojo's floor with the spilled water from Akane's bucket. Satisfied with the job they had done, the redhead began to leave.

"Where are you going? I thought you were going to help me train?" asked Akane.

"I was going to go take a bath. No sense trying to help you when I'm in this body," answered Ranma, holding her arms out at her sides and looking down at herself.

Akane walked over to her and wrapped her arms around her fiance's neck, pressing their bodies together.

"What are you doing?" asked the redhead, reluctant to move.

"Seeing how it feels to hold you when you're in your girl body," replied the girl with blue-black hair, looking at the other girl with her eyes half closed.

"Why are you doing this?" wondered Ranma, not knowing what to do.

"When I agreed to marry you, it included your cursed form as well as your normal form. I thought we could find out how it felt to hold each other while you were in your cursed body," explained Akane, inching her face closer. She added, "There is one benefit to your cursed form."

"What's that?" asked Ranma, still feeling uneasy.

The girl with short hair leaned in and kissed the other girl on the lips.

"I don't have to reach up to give you a kiss," answered Akane, giving her fiance a smile.

"I'm sorry," said Ranma, pushing her away, "This doesn't feel right. I understand you wanting to get used to me while I'm in this body, but I'm not going to stay cursed forever. One day I will become whole again and will never have to worry about having this body ever again. I hope you understand."

Akane nodded and stepped away, putting her hands behind her back.

Ranma repeated, "I'm sorry," and walked out of the dojo.

The girl with blue-black hair sighed to herself and went back to training alone, while the redheaded girl headed for the bathroom.

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Walking home having failed at what he set himself out to do, Tatewaki Kuno was beside himself. He couldn't understand what had happened exactly.

'Why did they reject me? Could what they said actually be how they felt?'

Continuing down the street in a daze, he didn't even acknowledge the people walking by him as they watched the damp teenager clamor by, dripping as he went. As he walked he didn't want to believe what he was thinking was true.

'No, I know they love me. The control Saotome has over them must be stronger than I thought. I have to free them from that control and I must do it soon or I risk losing both of them to that cur.'

Making up his mind, Kuno returns his attention to the outside world as he walked thru the gate leading to his home.

"Saotome, you will feel the wrath of the Blue Thunder come Monday," said the teenager, entering his house.