COS76-78
A Change of Scene, Chapters 76-78
by June "KaraOhki" Geraci
Ranma 1/2 and its characters were borrowed from Rumiko Takahashi. This story was written for
noncommercial purposes only.
Chapter 76
Soun Tendo looked around the restaurant when they walked in, and almost hesitated. It was obvious
that this was a very expensive establishment, and he couldn't afford it. Then he remembered that
Shiro was picking up the tab.
When the host saw the size of the party, he waved them into a private room, and saw to it that
they were well cared for.
In a shorter time than Soun expected, they were all digging in. He, Shiro, Ranma and Genma had
huge slabs of beef on their plates, while Shampoo, Kasumi, Nodoka and Akane had all chosen various
types of seafood.
The food and the general sense of friendliness in the room made Soun decide to keep his mouth
closed. He had intended to give Shampoo a hard time about putting Kasumi in danger, but thought
better of it as bite after bite of tender beef passed his lips. There was no sense in
antagonizing Shampoo's fiance, none at all. Instead, he decided to just enjoy himself, which he
did very successfully.
Another bottle arrived at the table. Soun poured himself a drink and reached for his son-in-law's
glass.
"Come on Ranma, have another drink. Just a little one. It won't hurt you."
Ranma shook his head and turned his glass over before Soun could pour any more alcohol into it.
"No thanks. I don't want to wake up with another headache."
"Oh well. More for me."
Soun poured himself yet another drink with an unsteady hand, and put the bottle down. It had
barely left his grasp when Genma grabbed it.
"Save some for me, Tendo!"
The evening ended predictably. Shiro took his fiancee to the train station, and accompanied her
back to his mother's house in Tsuyama. Nodoka supported her stumbling husband back to Ucchan's,
and Ranma all but carried his father-in-law back to his and Akane's apartment. After a short
discussion about who would sleep where, the lights were soon out, and quiet descended.
*****
The crying of a baby woke Mousse, and he jerked himself into a sitting position. His back was
stiff. He looked around at the other passengers, trying to shake off the effects of his dream.
Most of them were sleeping, except for the mother of the crying child, who looked back at him
apologetically.
After searching vainly for hours, Mousse had taken the last train out of Ube. He was tired,
hungry, and frustrated. Every time he dozed off, he had the most disturbing dreams. Sometimes he
found Shampoo and she ran to him, covering his face with kisses. Then the other dream would come.
The one where she rejected him, and he took revenge on the shadowy figure who was responsible for
her disappearance. The frustrating part of it was that sometimes the figure was that of a small
man, and sometimes it appeared to be the silhouette of a young woman.
Mousse wondered if there really was a rival for Shampoo's affection, or if she had simply decided
to make a life for herself, one that did not include him.
"If there is another man," he muttered, "he will not live long."
*****
A half-awake Ranma turned onto his side and reached for his wife. He moved closer to her, cupped
her cheek, and felt...stubble? Ranma's eyes shot open and stared into the sleeping face of his
father-in-law. He quickly backed away and only then remembered that Kasumi was sleeping with Akane
in their bedroom. It was the first time Ranma had gone to sleep without Akane in his arms since
their wedding, and he didn't like it, even if he had agreed to sleep in the kitchen.
He got up, folded his blankets, and was rolling up his sleeping mat when Akane emerged from the
bedroom. She tiptoed around her sleeping father and set up the rice cooker. Ranma walked into
the bathroom to shower, and right back out again. He pointed at the closed door to their bedroom,
where Kasumi was still asleep.
"Um, Akane? I forgot my clothes."
"Baka."
Normally that answer would have made Ranma flinch, but Akane's tone was affectionate, not angry.
She turned on the rice cooker and went into the bedroom, emerging with clothes for both of them.
Ranma reached for his clothes, but Akane just smiled at him and tilted her head toward the
bathroom.
"Come scrub my back?"
Kasumi was awake and waiting for her turn by the time they emerged. Akane started the miso soup,
and gently shook her father.
"Daddy, time to get up."
By the time Kasumi and then Soun had finished bathing, Akane had breakfast ready. She served
everyone, and Soun sat there, terrified, as Ranma dug in and Kasumi serenely followed. He waited
to see if his son-in-law would collapse, and Ranma saw the look.
"Go ahead and eat. It won't hurt you."
Akane anxiously watched her father sip his miso soup and take a small mouthful of rice. At first
he sat silently. Then he got up, walked around the table, and hugged his daughter.
"It's a miracle!"
*****
There was enough time before classes began for Ranma and Akane to accompany Soun and Kasumi to the
station. Ranma walked ahead with Soun, discussing Mousse, while Kasumi and Akane followed. They
talked about Shampoo and Shiro's upcoming wedding. Then Kasumi grew quiet and looked at her
sister curiously.
"Akane, do you and Ranma take showers together all the time?"
Akane couldn't help blushing.
"No, just now and then. Why? Did it bother you?"
Kasumi sighed.
"Not the way you think, Akane. I guess...I guess maybe I'm a little jealous."
Akane stopped dead in her tracks.
"What? Kasumi, did you want Ranma? You never even gave me a hint!"
"No! That's not what I meant!"
Kasumi had answered so vehemently that Ranma and Soun stopped and turned around to stare. Akane
waved them off, and they resumed walking.
"What DID you mean?"
"I'm lonely. I'm lonely, I'm getting older, and I don't know any eligible men."
Akane took a good look at her sister. Kasumi's normal serene expression wasn't there. Instead,
she looked terribly unhappy.
Akane felt like crying. She grabbed her sister's hand and squeezed it.
"You're not old! Not at all...and I know of one man who likes you."
"Does he? If he likes me, why did he go away? He didn't even say goodbye."
For the first time in her life, Akane was angry at Dr. Tofu.
"I don't know. Maybe he'll come back."
Kasumi just shook her head, looking miserable.
"It's been too long. He's probably married by now."
Akane didn't know what to say. She squeezed Kasumi's hand again, and led her to the station. All
the while, her mind was racing. Something had to be done.
*****
Akane kept the conversation between her and Kasumi to herself until that evening, when she was
making dinner.
"Ranma, do you have any idea where Dr. Tofu moved to?"
Ranma looked self-conscious and hesitated before responding.
"He, um, he asked me not to tell anyone."
"You DO know? Why doesn't he want us to know where he is?"
"You promise not to tell Kasumi?"
Akane held her breath for a second, then nodded.
"He went away because he couldn't handle being around her. The last time I talked to him he said
that he was ashamed of himself for not being able to tell her how he felt, and that it would be
best if he left. I couldn't talk him out of it."
Ranma wasn't surprised to see tears in his wife's eyes.
"That's so sad! If he'd only had the courage to tell her...Kasumi feels terrible that he went
away without saying goodbye. She misses him."
"She talked to you about him?"
"Yes, this morning. She thinks that he's probably forgotten about her and married somebody else
by now."
Ranma went into the bedroom and came back with a couple of tissues for Akane. She wiped her eyes,
and watched him pace around the kitchen.
"I've got his address around somewhere. I'm going to dig it up and write him. Should I tell him
how much your sister misses him?"
"I think you should."
*****
The day had passed less than peacefully for Genma and Nodoka Saotome.
To start, Genma had awoken with a monumental hangover. He wanted nothing more than to go back to
sleep, but Nodoka had work for him to do. He'd learned not to argue about it and was busily
chopping vegetables when Nodoka came downstairs dressed to go out.
"Where are you going, No-chan?"
"To see Ukyo."
Genma frowned. He hadn't approved of their coming to Ube, not at all, but had found it impossible
to talk his wife out of it. She'd told him that they were there to repay the dowry, but he was
more than a little suspicious that there was more to it than that.
*****
Ukyo was ecstatic. Her doctor was very pleased with her progress, and she was looking forward to
an opportunity to leave the hospital for a few hours sometime within the next few days. The
doctor, after meeting with Nodoka, had agreed to let Ukyo out for a few hours, in her company, to
"get some fresh air".
Although Ukyo didn't quite understand why Nodoka had asked her not to talk to the doctor about her
plans to see Ranma on one of her outings, she'd quickly agreed to it when Nodoka had warned her
that telling him might keep her from going. The doctor was very silly. Seeing her Ran-chan could
do no harm.
*****
While Genma waited for his wife to come back he'd used the quiet hours to do some thinking. It
wasn't easy to talk to Nodoka. She was very strong-minded--she'd been that way since the day he
had met her--and it was unlikely that she would ever change.
He'd gotten into the habit of giving in to his wife. The only time he'd ever succeeded in doing
what he wanted to was when he was able to take Ranma away on his training trip. Since he had
moved back into her home, she had taken complete control. In a way, he was glad that Soun had
insisted that Ranma remain at the Tendo home instead of joining him. (His exact words had been:
"I don't trust you, Saotome. If you take the boy away you'll engage him to someone else.") So
Ranma had remained under the same roof as Akane, and Genma had avoided the embarrassment of having
his son see how henpecked he was.
The door opened, and Nodoka entered, looking very happy. Her face fell when she saw the serious
look on her husband's face.
"Is something wrong, Dearest?"
"You'll have to tell me that, No-chan. I want you to tell me what you and Ukyo were talking
about."
"Ranma, of course."
"Why are you encouraging her? Ukyo needs to forget about Ranma. He chose Akane, and he made it
very clear that he doesn't want anyone else. No-chan, you saw how angry he got the last time you
suggested it."
"Dearest, why do you think I came here? Ranma has an obligation to Ukyo, and he will be made to
understand it! You and I going to get the dowry repaid, and Ranma will take Ukyo as his mistress.
There's nothing more to be said."
Nodoka smiled serenely. Her husband always listened to her. She was halfway to the stairs when
his words made her turn around.
"There's a lot more to be said, No-chan. Please sit down."
Nodoka sat, but she didn't look happy.
"What you're doing is wrong. Ranma is a married man now, and he can make his own decisions. It's
time for you to stop telling him what to do."
"Ranma is my son. A good son should show his mother respect by taking her advice!"
"Even if it would threaten his marriage? I think not, Nodoka, and I want this to stop. Konatsu
can run this place without us. We're going home."
Genma recognized the look on his wife's face before he'd finished speaking. "Mulish" was the only
way to describe it.
"I'm not leaving until Ukyo's dowry is repaid and Ranma fulfills his obligations."
"Wife, go upstairs and pack!"
"No!"
No matter how angry he was, Genma couldn't physically force Nodoka to do anything she didn't want
to do. Perhaps it would be best to let her learn from the mistakes she was making. Hopefully,
she wouldn't do too much damage.
"Then I'm leaving. I won't stand by and be a part of this."
"But-but!"
"No buts! I'm going back to Nerima."
"I'm staying here."
"Do whatever you want. You usually do."
Within the hour, Genma was gone. It wasn't until he was on the train out of Ube that he realized
he should have gone to see Ranma first. His son should be informed of what he was up against.
*****
The head of campus security had called another meeting, and the members of his team gathered
together, looking extremely unhappy. There had been another attack on campus. So far two girls
who had been raped. As far as the security people were concerned, that was two too many.
"I spoke to the people in Administration again, and they refuse to acknowledge that a problem
exists. They won't listen to any of my suggestions. The whole mess is being dumped in our laps."
"So they're still trying to keep it quiet?"
"Yes." The man paused, evidently struggling with himself. "I have a daughter, and if she was
attending this school, I'd want her informed. We have to find a way to leak this to the students."
One of the young men nodded. "I can do that. I'm dating a student, and I'll 'warn' her to be
careful. Word will get out."
"Good idea. I only hope it will spread quickly enough."
Chapter 77
Akane rubbed the baby's back as she paced the length of the nursery. The little one was cutting a
tooth, so he'd been cranky all evening. Eventually, he fell asleep, and Akane was able to put him
into his crib.
She sat in one of the rocking chairs and picked up her textbook, but she hadn't read more than a
few pages before the door opened.
Across the room, a little girl sat quietly stacking blocks. When the door opened she looked up,
but lost interest when she saw that it wasn't her father.
"I hope Hideo wasn't too much trouble, Akane. He was so fussy when I dropped him off."
"That's all right. I'm sure he'll be much better when the tooth comes in. He just fell asleep."
The young woman looked like she was going to cry.
"Oh no. I just KNOW he'll wake up the second I touch him."
She was right. The moment she tried to get her son wrapped up so she could take him out in the
cold, he woke and began screaming. The woman gave Akane a weak smile, gathered her things
together, and left.
*****
The little girl across the room put her blocks away, picked up a storybook, and toddled over to
Akane.
Akane felt a small hand patting her knee and looked up from her book. Yui was holding out a
storybook with both hands.
"Read, please?"
"Of course."
Yui climbed into Akane's lap and cuddled up to her as Akane opened the book. She was totally
absorbed in the story and sat quietly, looking at Akane's face as she read. When the door to the
center opened and Akane stopped reading to smile at her husband, Yui became quite annoyed.
"Hi, sweetheart."
Ranma bent over to kiss his wife and was surprised when a pair of very small hands pushed him.
"Go 'way! Want to hear story."
Ranma's eyes met Akane's. She was obviously trying hard not to laugh, so he suppressed his own
laughter.
"Yui, pushing people isn't very polite. You remember my husband, Mr. Saotome, don't you? Say
hello nicely, and we'll go back to the story."
Yui hid her face in Akane's shoulder. After a few seconds, she turned around and smiled shyly at
Ranma.
"H'lo."
"Hello, Yui."
Ranma pulled up another rocking chair as Akane resumed reading the story. He was less interested
in the story itself than watching his wife's face as she read it. He was also fascinated by the
way the little girl was listening so intently that she didn't even move when her father arrived.
Akane finished the story and closed the book.
"Look who's here, Yui."
Yui turned around.
"Daddy!"
"Not that story again, Mrs. Saotome! How many times have you read it to Yui?"
"I don't know. I lost count."
"Say thank you to Mrs. Saotome, Yui."
"Thank you, Mrs. So-to-may."
"You're welcome, Yui."
Yui left with her father, and Ranma followed Akane through the center as she turned off the
lights. When Ranma chuckled, Akane looked at him curiously.
"What?"
"Mrs. So-to-may?"
"She's having a hard time with my new name." Akane paused and giggled. "She told me the other day
that 'Tendo' was a better name."
"Hey!"
"That's only because it's easier for her to say! Give her a break, Ranma. She's only three."
Ranma nodded and looked like he was struggling with himself. Akane recognized the signs.
"What?"
"I was watching you when you read to Yui. It was as if she was your own child. Does it...does it
make you want one of your own?"
This time it was Akane's turn to look like she was struggling for words.
"Yes. Sometimes. Especially when I hold the tiny babies." She looked away and put on her coat.
"I'll wait, Ranma. We agreed to wait until we got out of school."
Ranma's hand met Akane's as it was reaching for the doorknob.
"It can be sooner if you want."
His wife's expression immediately turned suspicious.
"Is this because of your mother?"
"No. You...and me, too. I've been thinking about it."
He got a fierce hug, and Akane held him for quite a long time without speaking.
"Thank you. I-I'm not quite ready, but I think I will be sooner than we planned."
Akane locked the door and started off toward the library.
"Where are you going, Akane?"
"We're going to walk Mishi home."
Ranma looked confused. He knew that Mishi worked at the library, but they had never walked her
home from work before.
"Why?"
"You didn't hear?"
"Hear what?"
Akane looked irritated for a moment.
"Figures you don't know, when it's all over campus, and Mishi and I were discussing it right in
front of you at lunch. There are supposed to be stalkers on campus: we heard that a couple of
girls got attacked."
"Attacked? Somebody beat them up?"
Akane shook her head and held onto Ranma's hand. "No. They were raped."
"WHAT?"
Ranma grabbed Akane by the shoulders.
"Are you sure? I'm not gonna let you out of my sight!"
"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself! It's Mishi I was worried about!"
Akane began dragging Ranma by the arm.
"Come on! I promised we'd be there to take her home."
They were still arguing the point when the reached the library. Mishi walked out the door as
they got to the top of the stairs.
"Oh! I was just leaving."
"Without us? I told you we'd walk you home."
Mishi looked embarrassed.
"It's probably just a rumor, Akane."
"Until we know for sure I'm not willing to take a chance," replied Ranma. He smiled and held out
an arm to each girl. "Ready, ladies?"
"Showoff."
*****
Several yards away, two young men watched them walk off.
"Damn, missed her again."
"Yeah, and did you notice something? All of the girls are walking in twos and threes tonight."
"Really? I wonder..."
In a quiet corner of campus, three girls walked towards their dormitory. They jumped when they
were approached by two boys.
"Hi. I'm sorry if we scared you."
Two of the girls just nodded and continued walking, but the third paused for a moment.
"We were scared anyway."
"Why?"
The girl's friends shushed her but she continued talking.
"Everybody's talking about it. A couple of girls have been molested."
"If you're that worried about it, can we walk you to your dorm?"
After the girls were dropped off at their dorm, the two who hadn't spoken dragged their friend
inside.
"Do you have to tell everybody? Those guys must have thought we were idiots!"
Outside the dorm the conversation took a completely different direction.
"I think we'd better watch our step."
"Yeah, laying low for a while might be a good idea."
*****
Genma let the phone ring for a long time. No one answered. He sighed and sat down next to his
friend.
"No answer again. I'm sorry I didn't talk to Ranma while I was still there."
"Perhaps you should write him, Saotome."
"Good idea, Tendo. I'll do that."
The two resumed their game.
Kasumi waited for them to get absorbed in what they were doing and slipped out of the house. For
once, she wanted to get some errands done without having her father tag along. She was unaware of
the duck that circled above her as she walked along.
"Hello, Miss Tendo! Your dress is ready. Come try it on."
Kasumi followed the saleswoman into the dressing room. She tried on the dress, and turned around,
looking at her reflection in the mirrors. She'd never been asked to be a maid of honor before,
and this lace-trimmed pale peach gown had attracted her immediately. It was just the right thing
to wear. Unfortunately, it was too big and wasn't available in another size. The seamstress at
the shop had altered it for her and now it clung to her curves in a way that made Kasumi look at
herself twice.
[No, I guess I'm not old after all.]
Kasumi smiled at the saleswoman.
"It's perfect. Thank you."
This must be for a special occasion. Are you going to a party?"
"No. A wedding."
*****
Saturday night's performance was over, and Mishi found Ranma, Akane and Yoshimi waiting outside
her dressing room. When Ranma explained that Yoshimi would walk her home, Mishi tried to protest.
"Really, this isn't necessary."
"Don't listen to her, Yoshimi. Just walk her home."
Mishi glared at the Saotomes, put on her coat and walked out of the theater with Yoshimi. Ranma
and Akane pulled their suitcases out of Akane's dressing room and met Shiro at the train station.
He was pacing back and forth on the platform and seemed very relieved to see them.
"What kept you?"
"Mishi," replied Ranma. We had to make sure somebody was going to walk her home."
"Are you sure it's necessary? I think it's just a rumor."
Ranma shrugged. "Maybe, but until we know for sure I'd rather not take any chances. Akane can
defend herself, but not many of the other girls can."
Shiro laughed when Ranma found himself on the receiving end of an Amazon-like glomp from his wife.
He picked up his suitcase and moved down the platform to give them some privacy.
"Thank you!"
"What'd I do?"
Akane giggled. "You don't even know what you said, did you? You said I was able to defend
myself."
Ranma's hand went to the back of his head and then he put his arm around his wife.
"Well...um. Yeah, I guess you can."
"Then why won't you let me do it?"
"Only if you have to, Akane. If I'm there, it's my job to protect you."
Akane pulled back enough to look into her husband's eyes.
"That works both ways, you know. If you're in trouble, I'm there for you."
"But Akane--"
"No buts! I'm not going to stand by and watch anyone hurt you, either."
*****
Shortly after Shiro and the Saotomes arrived at Shiro's home in Tsuyama Akane disappeared upstairs
with Shampoo and Kasumi, who had arrived earlier in the day. They had a lot to talk about. Of
course, the conversation soon wound its way around to Shampoo's honeymoon plans.
Shiro was going to take Shampoo away for a few days before they joined the group heading for
China. Shampoo had no idea where they were going, but it didn't seem to matter to her. Akane
understood. Ranma had done the same thing.
"As long as you're together, it doesn't matter where you go."
"That is exactly what I said to Shiro."
Akane nodded, and got to her feet.
"I got you a gift, Shampoo. Be right back."
Akane left the room, leaving Kasumi and Shampoo alone.
"Has Mousse bothered you, Kasumi?"
"Not at all. I haven't seen him in days."
"You be careful, Kasumi. I don't trust Mousse."
"He has no reason to hurt me. Please don't worry."
Shampoo looked at Kasumi skeptically. If Mousse ever found out Kasumi had helped Shampoo leave
home that would be reason enough for him. Then Akane re-entered the room wearing a huge smile
and carrying a flat box. Akane opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She looked annoyed with
herself and tried again.
"When I got married, all of my friends at school got together and gave me a gift like this one. I
want us to be friends, so I thought..." Akane ran out of words, and silently handed the box to
Shampoo. To her surprise, Shampoo got up and started to leave the room with the package in her
hand.
"Where are you going?"
"To find Shiro. We can open your gift together."
"Don't you dare! He's not allowed to see it yet."
Shampoo looked genuinely confused. "Why not?"
Kasumi reached up, took Shampoo's hand, and tugged gently. "I think I know why. Open it."
The only sound in the room was the rustling of the paper as Shampoo unwrapped the gift. She
gasped in delight when she discovered the rose silk nightgown Akane had chosen for her. Moments
later she stood before the mirror, holding it up before her.
"Akane, this is so beautiful! Thank you!"
She carefully re-folded it and placed it in her already-packed suitcase.
"Wait until Shiro sees this."
"He's been a wreck all week, Shampoo. You might make him pass out."
Shampoo's eye met Akane's, and their smiles matched. Then they both burst into helpless laughter.
Kasumi just looked wistful as she watched them.
They were still giggling when someone knocked on the door and Kasumi opened it. Ranma stood
there.
"It's getting late, Kasumi. Mind if I take my wife back?"
Akane was already getting to her feet. "Good night. Don't stay up all night talking."
Ranma's arm went around Akane's waist and he pulled her close.
"Come on, tomboy. Let's go to bed."
Akane's arm went around Ranma, and they walked down the hall to their room. Kasumi watched them
go, then turned back to Shampoo. Shampoo was smiling as she watched the couple, with none of the
regret that Kasumi had seen on her face when she attended their wedding.
"They look happy. Good."
Then Shiro came up the stairs, and her smile grew wider.
"Shiro!"
She flew into his arms. Kasumi turned away, and went back into the room she would be sharing with
Shampoo that night. It hurt to see them together, as much as it hurt to watch Ranma and Akane.
She had been alone too long.
Chapter 78
Mousse had been following Kasumi around long enough to know her routine. She always went to the
market on Sunday mornings, yet today she hadn't left the house. He flew around the house a few
times, looking in the windows, but wasn't able to spot her.
He went back to the Nekohanten to help set up for lunch, wondering what made him feel so uneasy.
*****
Shiro pulled at his tie and paced around. Ranma grabbed his friend's arm and held onto it.
"Stand still. She'll be here soon."
"You said that ten minutes ago."
That was enough to make Ranma run upstairs and knock on Shampoo's door.
"Who's there?"
"Ranma."
The door opened, and Akane peeked out.
"What?"
Ranma reached in, grabbed Akane's wrist, and pulled her into the hallway.
"Can't you hurry it up a little? Shiro's driving me crazy!"
"We're nearly ready."
Ranma was going to protest, but before he could Shiro's sister Mai opened the door. Ranma could
see Kasumi and Shampoo standing behind her.
"Ready!"
Akane couldn't decide whether to be amused or annoyed. One look at Shampoo had been enough to
cause Ranma to stand there staring, looking positively mesmerized.
"Ranma. Ranma? Ranma!"
Kasumi giggled.
"I don't think he hears you, Akane. Try something else."
Akane stomped on Ranma's foot.
"Ow!"
Ranma tore his eyes from Shampoo, and looked at his wife. "What did you do THAT for?"
"You were staring."
"Well yeah. She looks great--" Ranma stopped short, realizing he'd probably said the wrong
thing. "You do too, you know."
Akane smiled, and patted Ranma's cheek.
"I'll let you get away with it this time. Now go downstairs and tell Shiro we're coming."
Ranma fled before his mouth could get him in any more trouble.
*****
Since Shampoo's departure, the Nekohanten was doing less business at lunch. Mousse had known that
her beauty attracted customers, but he hadn't realized how much. Mousse was sitting at the
window, watching people walk by, when he saw Soun and Genma on the opposite side of the street.
He watched them enter a restaurant, and ran upstairs. Why would they be eating out when Kasumi
usually made them meals?
Five minutes later, a young man wearing jeans and a flannel shirt, and who wore his long hair
pulled back into a ponytail, entered the restaurant. He took a table near enough to Soun and
Genma to hear what they were talking about, while the waiter brought him a cup of tea and the
menu.
"What time do we meet Kasumi tonight?"
"The train comes in about 8:00. Ranma told me to get there ahead of time."
Soun paused, and looked a little annoyed.
"That boy has been telling me what to do quite a lot lately."
"Tendo, is there anything wrong with his being concerned for Kasumi's safety?"
Genma had the satisfaction of seeing his friend's expression change, and his nod of agreement.
After that exchange, the two men picked up what had evidently been earlier discussion between
them. Mousse listened as Genma expressed his concerns about his wife's behavior.
Mousse grew bored. If the conversation wasn't going to be about Shampoo or Kasumi he didn't want
to listen to it. He wondered where Kasumi had gone, and how he had missed her departure. His
thoughts drifted off, and he missed most of what was being said until he heard Soun talking about
Shampoo. Unfortunately, all he had caught was the name, and both men were heading for the door.
He cursed himself for his lack of attention, and decided it was time he made sure he would get
Kasumi alone. That would mean preventing her father from getting to the station on time.
*****
Shampoo got halfway down the stairs, and stopped. She had insisted on walking down on her own,
stating that she didn't need the support of a man, but she secretly wished that her father was
there.
This was the final step for her in leaving her old life behind. Traditional Amazon ways no
longer belonged to her, and there was a good possibility that she might not be welcome when she
returned home.
Was she doing the right thing? For just a moment there was a tiny bit of doubt left, and then
Shampoo saw Shiro waiting for her. He smiled, and that little bit of doubt dissolved. Shampoo
started down the steps again, smiling, her head held high.
The look of hesitation hadn't been lost on Shiro. [So, my strong Amazon girl can get nervous.]
He put aside his own nervousness to smile at her, and was rewarded with a smile that he knew was
only for him. For a moment, he remembered his earlier intentions to stay unattached until he
graduated. What a silly idea.
Finally they stood side by side, and the minister began the ceremony.
Ranma stiffened, and his eyes kept moving from the door to the windows. Most of his attention was
concentrated on making sure the bride and groom were not interrupted, and he nearly missed his cue
when it was time to give Shiro Shampoo's wedding ring. He dug it out of his pocket, and felt very
relieved when it was safely on her finger.
Akane hadn't missed her husband's tension. She also felt compelled to look at the faces of the
guests for hidden enemies, and expected something to happen to interrupt the ceremony. Instead,
everything went perfectly.
[So, this is what a "normal" wedding is like.] Akane caught Ranma's eye, and smiled at him. He
smiled back, and continued to scan the room.
*****
Shiro spun his wife around the dance floor. They were surrounded by other dancing couples, Ranma
and Akane among them. They hadn't missed a single dance, and were red and breathless.
Kasumi enjoyed a dance with yet another of Shiro's cousins. They'd been admiring her during the
wedding ceremony and began to compete for her attention the moment the dancing started. She
hadn't enjoyed herself so much in a long, long time.
There was a break between songs, and the newlyweds approached Ranma and Akane. Shiro held his
hand out for Akane's and smiled at her.
"I get the next dance."
That left Ranma with no alternative but to dance with Shampoo. He looked rather uncomfortable as
he walked out onto the dance floor, but soon they were talking away as they danced.
Akane kept watching them, wondering why she wasn't jealous. Then she figured it out. Every time
she'd seen Ranma in physical contact with Shampoo she had been latched onto him so tightly it
would have been impossible to slide a human hair between them. Now there was plenty of air space
visible, Ranma didn't look like he wanted to run for his life, and Shampoo's smile was that of a
friend.
*****
Ranma walked through the crowd, looking for his wife. He finally discovered Akane talking with
Kasumi in a corner.
"I couldn't find you! Why are you hiding in the corner?"
"Kasumi needed a break from Shiro's cousins."
Ranma grinned, and gestured across the room.
"I think your break is over. Here comes what's-his-name again."
Kasumi blushed. "That's Shinji. He's cute."
She met him halfway.
*****
"I need a break, Akane. Want to go find some quiet?"
Akane nodded and took Ranma's outstretched hand.
They chose one of the greenhouses and began exploring. Ranma looked around and smiled.
"Nice in here, isn't it?"
"Very nice. No wonder Shampoo said she loves working with the flowers."
They wandered in silence for a while. Akane suddenly stopped. Since Ranma was holding her hand,
he stopped too.
"What?"
Akane pointed. "See those orchids? Those are the ones Shampoo has in her bouquet."
They moved closer to the table to examine the flowers. Ranma found a tag, and turned it over to
read it.
"Amazon. Perfect name."
Then he noticed the date on the tag.
"Look at this. I think Shiro developed this orchid for Shampoo. This is right after they met."
Ranma didn't speak again until they were examining some yellow roses, which reminded him of
Akane's bridal bouquet.
"I guess this is what you would call a 'normal' wedding."
Akane looked up from the roses to Ranma's face. It had been tense before, but now he looked
relaxed and happy.
"Compared to ours? Yes. You looked like you expected somebody to come in and try something."
"Yeah. Especially after last night."
Ranma's expression changed from a relaxed, happy one to apprehension. He'd opened his big mouth
again.
"I heard you talking in your sleep last night. You had that dream again, didn't you? The one you
won't tell me about?"
Ranma looked away from Akane for a few seconds while he debated with himself. He finally came to
a decision, and turned back.
"Okay, Akane, if you really want to know I'll tell you--but this stays between us. Agreed?"
Akane nodded. "Agreed."
They found a bench. Ranma sat down, and pulled Akane into his lap.
"Ever since Jusendo, I've been having these dreams. I see what happened to you, over and over
again. The dream always ends the same way. I'm trying to wake you up, and I can't."
Ranma swallowed hard, and continued. "Nothing scared me more than what happened that day, Akane.
Ever. I thought...I thought I'd lost you."
Akane took her husband's face in her hands, and smiled into his eyes.
"I'm here. You succeeded."
Ranma held Akane tightly.
"I can't help wondering if the dream is a warning. What's going to happen to us next?"
"Maybe nothing. We've had a taste of what a normal life can be like. I wouldn't mind if it
stayed normal. Is there anything wrong with that?"
Ranma sighed. "No. There's nothing wrong with it, but if you want 'normal' maybe you married the
wrong guy. I almost didn't ask you to marry me because of that."
"Silly. I wouldn't have married you if I didn't think I could handle what comes with loving you.
Whether our life together is normal or crazy, I don't care--just so long as we're together."
Akane's smile faded.
"I can't imagine being without you. I don't want to."
Ranma responded with a hug. Then he loosened his hold and kissed her. That kiss led to another,
and another, and soon the pair was lost in each other.
Ranma reached for the zipper on Akane's dress.
"Maybe you should go lock the door."
"Nah. Everybody's busy dancing."
A couple of minutes later Mai came around the corner. She began to walk up to them, noticed their
state of undress, and turned around.
"I'm sorry!"
She hesitated, and spoke again.
"Shiro and Shampoo sent me to find you, because they're ready to leave. They wanted to say
goodbye. I'm so sorry!"
Ranma finally found his voice.
"That's okay, Mai. We'll be right there."
Mai retreated hastily.
Akane buttoned Ranma's shirt for him, and re-tied his tie. He helped her slip her arms back into
her dress, and zipped it up for her. Ranma kissed Akane one more time before they left the
greenhouse.
"I should have locked the door. Then Mai wouldn't have been able to interrupt us."
"Give me a rain check?"
Ranma shivered.
"Yeah, but I wish you'd said it differently."
*****
Shampoo hugged Akane.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For helping us, especially with the letters."
Akane returned the hug.
Shiro shook Ranma's hand.
"Thanks, friend. I owe you."
"Huh?"
"I met Shampoo because of you."
"Ah, it's nothing."
Ranma watched them go. [I owe you, Shiro. If Shampoo hadn't fallen for you, she'd still be
chasing me.]
Once the newlyweds were gone, guests began taking their leave. The dance floor grew less and less
crowded, and Ranma took advantage of that to spin his wife around the floor several times more.
Before they knew it, the time had come to go back to Ube.
Mai drove Ranma, Akane and Kasumi to the station. They put Kasumi on the train to Nerima, and
then Ranma and Akane departed for Ube.
"I forgot to call your father," Ranma remarked as they settled into their seats.
"Why did you want to call him?"
"To remind him to meet Kasumi at the train."
"He'll be there. Don't worry."
*****
An hour before the train was due to arrive in Nerima, the phone rang at the Tendo residence.
Whoever was calling sounded like he had a terrible cold.
"Excuse me, who do I speak to about signing up for classes?"
"That would be me. What did you want to know?"
Soun listened for a while, and then began explaining the courses he taught. He put the phone
down, and it rang again.
Genma listened, looking amused, as Soun explained to the person on the other end that he wasn't
interested in putting siding on his house. He hung up, and shook his head.
"How do they manage to find me?"
Then the phone rang a third time. This time it was a young man asking for Ranma.
"He's away at college with his wife. Do you need his address?"
"Please."
Mousse wrote the address down, thanked Soun, and hung up the phone. He would have made a fourth
call, but a woman gave him a dirty look. She'd been waiting for the pay phone for quite a while.
Then he admitted to himself that he probably couldn't put on another voice.
Mousse went back into the main station and checked the time. The only train coming in at 8:00 was
from Tsuyama, and he would be waiting for Kasumi when she arrived. Her father would still be en
route, because he'd successfully delayed him.
*****
Kasumi stood on the platform, looking all around. Where was her father? She concluded that he
must be waiting for her in the station and picked up her bag. She hadn't taken more than a few
steps into the station before someone put his arm around her and grabbed the arm holding the bag.
She squeaked, and something sharp pressed against her side.
"Don't say a thing. Just come with me."
Kasumi looked at Mousse, and nodded. She glanced down and realized that his robes prevented
anyone from seeing whatever he was holding against her. She quietly walked with him out of the
station.
Kasumi thought hard, trying to come up with a way to get away from Mousse, but was unsuccessful.
She knew very little martial arts, and was painfully aware that her skills would only make Mousse
laugh.
"What do you want, Mousse?"
"I want to find Shampoo, and I think you know where she is. Tell me."
"I can't. I don't know where she is."
Mousse pulled Kasumi into a quiet alleyway, and squeezed the wrist he was holding, hard. Kasumi's
bag fell with a soft thump. She didn't notice. She was too busy looking at the knife in Mousse's
other hand.
"Don't make me use this. Tell me."
He slapped Kasumi across the face, but she refused to even whimper. Her jaw was set, and the
stubbornness that was a mark of all the Tendo daughters shone in her eyes.
"Mousse. I don't lie. I don't know where she is."
"If you don't tell me, perhaps Akane will. I'd rather that you did."
"She doesn't know either, and I wouldn't go near her if I were you. Ranma will kill you if you
touch her."
That reply earned her another slap, much harder than the original. Kasumi stumbled, and fell to
her knees. Mousse grabbed her by the hair, and struck twice more. This time, Kasumi cried out in
pain.
"Tell me!"
*****
Tofu Ono reread Ranma's letter. Among other things, it said that Kasumi missed him.
That knowledge wouldn't have been enough to make him go see her, but the little note Akane had
included in the envelope had succeeded in winning him over, and he was on his way to Nerima.
"Go see her, Tofu. Ranma and I almost waited until it was too late. Kasumi needs you, and you
need her. Please try."
Tofu forced himself to stand and take his bag off the overhead rack. He had been thinking about
staying aboard, going anywhere but Nerima. Then he set his jaw and gave himself a stern lecture.
[Out of the station, and start walking. No. Run. If you run, you won't chicken out.]
He ran out of the station and turned the corner. He was passing an alley when he heard the words
"Ranma will kill you". Although Tofu hadn't heard the voice of the speaker in a long time, he
immediately recognized it. A moment later he heard two blows, and a woman's scream. His bag fell
to the ground, and he burst into the alley.
"Kasumi!"
The last thing Tofu expected to see was Kasumi on her knees. Blood dripped from her nose and
mouth, and she didn't seem to be focusing properly. Mousse turned at the sound of Tofu's gasp,
and looked him up and down. It was only Dr. Tofu, the chiropractor. He could take him out
easily. Then he saw Tofu's posture change, and realized the man was not what he seemed. He was
also a martial artist. Why had he never seen that before?
"Get your hands off her."
The words were spoken softly, but they were enough to make Mousse let go of Kasumi's hair. She
quietly collapsed, slipping into unconsciousness. Mousse ignored her. His sense of self-
preservation told him it was time to flee.
Mousse took Tofu by surprise when he leaped over his head and dashed out of the alley. Tofu
almost pursued him, but his first priority was Kasumi. He heard Mousse crash into someone or
something, and then footsteps came up behind him.
When Mousse emerged from the alley he crashed into two men, and they all went flying. When he
picked up his head he knew his bad luck was still with him. The men were Soun and Genma. Mousse
scrambled to his feet and ran for his life.
"Kasumi!"
Soun heard Tofu's cry and dashed into the alley.
Soun sank onto his knees, holding his daughter's hand and weeping profusely. Genma Saotome stood
at the entrance to the alley, stunned.
Tofu patted Soun's shoulder. "She'll be all right." Then he looked at Genma. "Which way did
Mousse go?"
"Toward the train station, I think. Do you want me to follow him?"
"Don't bother. Just call an ambulance."
Tofu paused, and frowned.
"And the police."
*****
"I am SO glad to be home."
Akane gathered the mail out of the box and followed Ranma up the stairs. He dumped the bags in
the bedroom, and they both looked through the envelopes.
"Pop wrote to me. That's unusual."
He was about to open the envelope when the phone began to ring. He picked it up, listened, and
turned white.
"We'll be on the next train."
*****
Ranma held Akane while she slept. He stared out of the window, impatient to be in Nerima.
Akane had taken the news of Mousse's attack on her sister very quietly. She had gone into the
bedroom, unpacked their bags, and re-packed them with what they would need for the trip to Nerima.
Then they walked back to the station.
Ranma tried to get her to talk, but all Akane would do was shake her head. It was obvious to him
that she was fighting desperately to keep her composure.
Eventually Akane lost the battle. She turned away from Ranma and began crying. He put his arms
around her and tried to turn her toward him, but she resisted. Then she turned around, grabbed
his jacket with both hands and cried herself to sleep in his arms.
*****
The apartment door was no match for Mousse. It splintered, carrying him into the kitchen.
Mousse had run from the alley to the train station, and onto a train going west. It did not even
occur to him that Ranma and Akane wouldn't be there.
[There has got to be something here that would help me find Shampoo.]
Mousse began pulling open drawers and scattering their contents about as he searched. He ran into
the bedroom, searched around frantically, and then returned to the kitchen where he stopped,
staring at the refrigerator.
There was a photograph on the freezer door, stuck to it with a magnet. There were two couples in
the picture: Ranma and Akane, who sat beside Shampoo and Shiro. Both couples were laughing.
Mousse stared at the picture. To him, it appeared as if all four of the people in the photograph
were laughing at him and the more he looked, the angrier he got.
[I know that man. Hayasuka.]
Mousse ran downstairs and headed for campus.
*****
Mrs. Takai heard pounding feet come down the stairs, and then the sound of the front door
slamming. She got out of bed and went into the hallway. The lock on the front door was broken.
[The Saotomes told me they were going out of town. Who could that have been?]
She walked upstairs, took one look at the shattered door, and went down again to call the police.
*****
Kasumi slowly came back to consciousness. She was aware that her face hurt, as well as her wrist.
When she opened her eyes, she saw someone sitting beside her. That someone was holding her hand,
although he was fast asleep. Then the memories of what had occurred the night before came to her
in a big rush.
"Tofu."
His eyes shot open, and for a moment Kasumi thought that he was going to react as he usually did
when he saw her.
He did look terribly nervous, but his glasses didn't fog up, and he didn't stutter or fall all
over himself. Instead, he took the hand he was holding, brought it to his lips, and kissed it.
If Kasumi had been wearing glasses, they would have instantly fogged.