Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction, I do not claim any rights to any of the characters or concepts created or owned by Viz Video or Rumiko Takahashi. This is just the work of one fan to the others. The only characters or concepts that i claim are the ones I created or introduced. That said, I bring you:
Broken Mirrors, chapter 31
Saturday, December 26th. The Saotome estate, 7:00 AM.
Akane struggled awake and rolled over in the bed she shared with her red headed lover. Said red head seemed to be up already, as the empty spot next to her attested. Honestly, how Ranko could be up so early after the rather late night they had together, she couldn't understand.
Akane got out of bed and stretched to try and work some of the kinks out. She knew she was in better shape than she had any time before in her life, but that seemed to just encourage Ranko to be a bit more… energetic… in their lovemaking. Not that she had ever been a passive lover, but this last week she had been a bit more intense.
And after she had shared the topic of the conversation that she had with Ukyo, Ranko had seemed more energized than usual. It made her wonder what was going through that pretty little head. Akane had a sneaking suspicion that the siblings were up to something, and that she had somehow been dragged into it without knowing. It made her wonder just what those two were planning behind her and Ukyo's backs. What secrets did two people that were, for all intents and purposes, the same yet different share? It still made her head hurt sometimes, but she had to admit, at times she could see bits and pieces of the one in the other.
Sometimes it was the best pieces, and others, it wasn't. As she walked out of the room, she saw one of those aspects. The dedication to their pursuits. And that is why Ranko was busy going through the meditation exercises she had been teaching the others. That total fixation, that unwavering concentration. It made her who she was, regardless of whether it was playing the piano, or busting Ukyo and her asses.
"About time you got up, I've been here for an hour." Ranko said without opening her eyes. "Be glad it's not a soup day." The diminutive red head said with a smirk.
"Thank you, sensei, for letting me join you… Without soup." Akane replied as she settled in across from her lover and teacher.
Ranko smiled softly as she adjusted herself a little. "Just means next time there will be extra soup."
Akane laughed, then nodded. She sat for a while, running through the meditative exercises she had been working on before she cracked an eye to look at Ranko. "You two are plotting something." She said more as a statement than a question.
Ranko sighed and opened her eyes as she reached back and lifted herself into her chair. "We are almost always plotting something. It's kind of what we have to do, dear. What I'm curious about is what your sister is plotting."
"Nabiki is plotting something?" Akane asked as she got up and stretched.
"Of course Nabiki. Kasumi doesn't scheme. She just makes things happen." Ranko said as she started to wheel herself towards the dining room, and waved off Akane as she reached for the handles on Ranko's chair.
Akane shook her head and walked alongside Ranko. "You know I offer because I care."
"And it's expected when I'm in public. And I know, you do it because you care. Just… Sometimes, it's nice to not feel so… helpless." Ranko admitted
Akane stopped, and rested a hand on her girlfriend's shoulder. "Ranko Saotome, you are far from helpless. Yes, you can't practice the Art like you used to. Yes, you can't walk, but there is so much more to you than that. You have to remember, I love you for who you are, not what you have lost. And don't pretend that you haven't already figured out some ways to defend yourself. Helpless? Not in a heartbeat. Frustrating? Most of the time." Akane said the last with a fond sigh.
Ranko laughed as she stuck her tongue out. "You were not complaining last night."
"Hardly! You are such a pervert, Ranko. And you even made me into one!". Akane said sadly, before both of the women started to laugh.
"And… Yes, we are plotting something. Well, my brother is, and I'm being dragged along for the ride. It's nothing bad, the exact opposite actually. But, it is a little sad in some ways, as well." Ranko said as they entered the dining room, with Ukyo already at the table.
The Three exchanged greetings, then settled in for a traditional breakfast before they moved on to training. As the meal ended, Ranko clapped her hands to draw the attention of the others.
"We, my brother and I, will be presenting gifts tomorrow, when we exchange places. I am sorry that we were not able to do this on Christmas itself, but the days didn't fall right. We apologize." Ranko said as she bowed in her chair.
"That's okay, sugar. We had decided we were going to give our gifts as well then. Great minds think alike." Ukyo said while Akane just grinned at her lover.
Ranko smiled and took Akane's hand. "You two really are the best."
"Does that mean you are going to take it easy on us today?" Akane asked hopefully.
Her hopes were crushed when her angelically smiling lover said. "Not a chance."
Several hours later Akane and Ukyo were going through a set of tai-chi chuan exercises under the watchful gaze of Ranko. "No, no. You are grabbing. You just want to touch. Feel the energy of your sparring partner. Push and pull, rely on the energy of your partner to help guide your own movements. Feel the ebb and flow, the rise and fall of your partner's energy. Good, now step back and relax. Yes, just like that. Let the energy disperse. Good, good. Now, I am going to be leaving each of you with a training guide for when I am not here, and I have one for Ranma, as well. He needs to learn this as much as either of you."
"Hai, Sensei!" The two women chorus as Ranko shakes her head.
"You two almost make the twelve years of hell worth it, you know." Ranko said as she stretched then sighed as she allowed Akane to push her chair. "You know I am more than capable of doing that… But I will allow it.. This time." Ranko groused with a cute little pout.
"Thank you, oh most wise and generous teacher." Akane said as she leaned over the chair to kiss her lover.
"You two! Get a room!" Ukyo playfully complained as they walked.
"We have one. It's a very nice one, and we plan on using it very thoroughly before Ranko leaves tomorrow." Akane stated much to the amused consternation of Ukyo.
"Once again, soooo don't need to hear about that." Ukyo said with a laugh.
"You're just sad that you will never get to examine your curiosity." Akane stated while Ranko, having an idea where this was going, just covered her face.
"My curiosity? I'm almost afraid to ask just what you are implying, Miss Tendo." Ukyo said cautiously.
"Oh, on a couple of things. One, what it is like being with another woman, and two, how similar the two of them are in bed." Akane answered cheekily as Ranko turned redder than her hair.
"Okay, to answer THAT. One, I have been with another woman, and I much prefer a real dick, thank you. Two, there are some things that are better off not knowing. I mean, I could say the same thing about you, hrm?" Ukyo countered, and who knows where this line of teasing would have gone if Ranko hadn't thrown her hands up.
"Enough! Enough you two, or I swear, I will show you a sliver of the hell that I endured as a student. Akane, no teasing or baiting Ukyo. I like her being with my brother, I have no interest in sleeping with Ukyo, any Ukyo for that matter, and I don't want to have to worry who has been sticking their fingers inside of who while I was gone. Am I clear?" The blushing redhead said as she gave the two other women a pointed look.
Akane nodded and swallowed as she leaned down to kiss the top of her lover's head. "Sorry, Ranko. I think we went too far?"
Ukyo laughed and nodded. "Sorry sugar. Don't worry, we are each more than happy with our respective partners. No need to worry that we might experiment and leave either of you two out of it."
Ranko nodded and relaxed, until what exactly Ukyo said, and that implied, made it through her head. At the sudden look that Ranko cast Ukyo the brunette lifted her hands in surrender.
"I'm just teasing, sugar. I promise, we will behave." Ukyo said as she leaned down and kissed Ranko on the cheek in apology.
Ranko sighed and nodded. "Okay, I will trust you two. Now, like I was saying, I want you two to stick to my training schedule. I can't be here all the time to make sure that you are progressing like I want to, so I am going to have to trust you two to follow my notes to the letter, no matter how odd they seem."
Ranko bit her lip as she cupped her hands, and watched the wavering ball of light that slowly formed between her palms. "With what is happening, these newly active chi reserves could be handy, or incredibly dangerous. I've pulled the bottle open, so now I need to help make sure you two aren't hurt by what was inside."
"Didn't your Natsume warn that something like this could happen anyhow?" Akane asked as Ukyo nodded.
Rank sighed and nodded. "She did. I guess it's best that we know it is happening, and can help guide how it happens. The last thing we need is a bunch of random thugs figuring it out first, right? No one wants to LIVE in an action movie, just watch them."
The other two nodded and they walked into the mansion's main hall in silent contemplation after that.
"Do you really think it will get that bad?" Akane asked as the trio headed for the baths.
?Honestly? I don't know. I really hope not, but I don't know. I know what my world was like, but I don't think my upbringing could, in any way, be considered normal or my experiences typical. My father threw boulders and logs at me, and mom attacked me with the family honor sword whenever it suited her." Ranko said in all seriousness, as the two others looked at her in shock.
"Sugar… No matter if it was training or not, no parent should ever do that stuff to their kid." Ukyo said slowly, worriedly.
"She is right, dear. That is not normal, not in any way." Akane confirmed. "I grew up in a family of martial artists, and it was never like that." Akane said as she rested her hand on Ranko's shoulder gently.
Ranko sighed and nodded. "I figured that out, when I had a chance to really see other families and how they act together. Kasumi's parenting style was a bit of an eye opener, to be honest."
Akane laughed and nodded. "Kasumi has serious parenting skills."
Ukyo smiled as they entered the bath. "I just hope I can be a good mom."
Akane smiled as Ranko nodded in support. "You are going to be a great mom, and you are going to have a small army of aunts and uncles to back you up." Akane said.
:Thanks, you two.: Ukyo said as sthe rinsed off and slipped into the bath, joined shortly by the other two.
"It's what friends and family are for." Akane said as Ranko closed her eyes and rested.
The next day came all too soon for Akane and Ranko, and not soon enough for Ukyo,
Sunday, December 27th. The Saotome estate, 11:00 AM.
Lunch is a relaxed affair, with a rather happy Ranko fingering the handmade scarf that rested in her lap with a soft, warm smile on her face. Akane had presented her gift that morning, and the fact that she had made it herself was not lost on Ranko. A small box wrapped in silk sat next to Akane, Ranko's gift to her that she had been instructed not to open until Ranma had been able to present Ukyo her gift.
Ukyo smiled at the pair while wearing Ranko's gift to her, a new kimono. Ranko had said something cryptic when she presented it to Ukyo. "I hope that you get a chance to wear it soon while enjoying a special trip with my brother." The diminutive redhead had said with a little wink. Ukyo figured it had something to do with whatever the siblings had been plotting behind their significant others backs.
Ukyo's own gift to the pair sat next to Akane, a season's pass to the local concert hall. She had been honestly surprised that neither of them had thought of it themselves, but it had made giving a gift for the couple much easier. Akane had promised her gift would be ready at a later time, and had apologized profusely. Ukyo had a feeling it was another handmade item by the ever surprising ravenette, but she had been more than happy to wait and see what she came up with.
As the meal ended, and the time of transition crept ever closer, Ukyo exited the room first, to give the pair a little bit more time together before they made their way to the mirror. Ukyo had to admit, she felt a little bad that she wished that it was closer to that time. SHe had missed Ranma intensely, and had to admit she was more than a bit curious about what the pair of siblings had plotted through their weekly notes to each other.
When they reached the mirror, Ranko pulled a small wooden box from where it had been hidden under her lap blanket, and set it next to where Ranma's cane rested in preparation for its owner's return. Heartfelt and tearful goodbyes were exchanged by all, along with a promise to make sure that they stuck to Ranko's training regimen while she was away. Then, the fateful hour arrived, and Ukyo and Akane watched as the two siblings touched for a moment through the mirror, before Ranma once more stood before them.
He reached for the cane, and took up the box with a little smile. "I couldn't risk taking this with me, just in case it somehow got lost in the transition." He said as he took the box in one hand, and his cane in the other. He walked over and the separated lovers embraced and kissed tenderly while Akane looked away, to give them the illusion of privacy that they deserved. Then, Ranma took a step back and presented the boxt to Ukyo, and slowly lowered himself to one knee.
The silence in the small shrine was deafening as he looked at Ukyo and said. "Open my present to you, please. I have an important question to ask of you."
Ukyo swallowed hard and slowly opened the box. Within, laying on a bed of silk, were two rings. Neither was overly showy, befitting of the reserved nature of the one that offered them. Their intent was obvious, though. Ukyo looked at Ranma with tears in her eyes as he asked the all important question.
"Ukyo Kuonji, will you do this humble man the great honor of becoming my wife? Of sharing this journey with me, until the day it comes to an end? To be my partner, and to bear my children so that we can pass on our legacy to the next generation?" He asked in his usual overly formal style.
"Oh, Ranma… Yes. Of course yes, you sweet, silly man. I will marry you. I will stay by your side. I love you, Ranma Saotome." Ukyo said as she kneeled down and hugged Ranma, the box held in one of her hands.
Akane stood to the side, a hand over her mouth and tears in her eyes. She was happy for them, but sad as well. She saw before her what Ranko and her could never share, and it hurt her heart just as much as she was overjoyed for the happiness and promise of the pair before her.
After a bit, and assistance from Ukyo, Ranma stood once more and placed an arm around Ukyo's waist in a rare display of public affection. "Are you going to open Ranko's gift to you, Akane?" He said with a knowing look in his eyes.
Akane nodded and unwrapped the small box, her eyes widening as she saw the antique jewellry box within. She held her breath as she opened in, and gasped softly at the old ring that rested within. Underneath it was a carefully folded note, written in the slightly messy handwriting of her lover.
"My dearest, most beloved Akane. I know how you probably feel right now, and I understand. I felt the same when Ranma told me about his plans. I decided I had to make a gesture of my own, and show you that I was also willing to go on that same journey with you. I know that Japan, as it is now, won't acknowledge our relationship, or allow us the honor of marriage. That is why, I ask you now before our family, before the people that we love and cherish, if you will take me as your wife? Will you walk down this road with me, and help me make sure that the two lovestruck idiots before you right now make good choices?
Originally, I was going to give you a new ring, but Ranma insisted that you and I deserved his mother's ring that has been passed through the family. He said it was his commitment that you were as much a part of this family as he or I was. He is a softy, under that dour, serious facade.
I love you and miss you already, and I will be awaiting your formal answer in a week when I can once again be in your arms.
Love, always
Your Ranko."
Akane couldn't say anything for a bit as she held the box tight, as tears rolled down her cheeks. After a bit, she looked up and smiled at the newly engaged couple, then slowly slipped the ring onto her finger. "She really is hopeless, you know." She said with a soft, shy smile on her lips.
"She is." Ranma agreed, then chuckled as he was elbowed softly in the side by Ukyo. "But, we all are. It must run in the family."
"Congratulations, Akane." Ukyo said fondly.
"And congratulations to you both. I can't wait to spoil my niece or nephew horribly rotten!" Akane said with a wink.
The newly engaged pair blushed and laughed, as they made their way back towards the mansion. Akane lingered slightly behind to rest her hand lovingly on the back of Ranko's chair. "I will give you a proper answer in a week, dearheart. I love you."