BLISS

                               Epilogue

                               a fic by

                     Mike Loader and Lara Bartram

                           ***   ***   ***

	"I am not entirely sure I can go through with this."
	Ranma snorted, and straightened his friend's tie. "What, you 
scared or something?"
	Kuno considered this. "Yes," he said flatly.
	"Heh. Don't blame you. I wanted to run like hell the day I 
married Akane... not that I didn't want to," he hastened to add, 
"but actually being married... man, it's a terrifying thought! I 
mean, making that kind of commitment, spending the rest of your 
life with this person, being completely and totally subordinate to 
their..."
	"Is this supposed to be helping?"
	"Er. Sorry. Anyway, I found one thing that really helped me 
deal with the fear."
	Kuno raised an eyebrow. "Really? I would be grateful to know 
what it is."
	"Well... you know the twisting feeling in your gut at 
getting married? How utterly horrifying it is?"
	"Yes?"
	"Think how much more afraid you are of the bride's reaction 
if you don't show up to get married."
	Kuno considered this, and shuddered. "Thank you. I think."
	Smirking, Ranma stepped back to critically examine the 
groom. "You're welcome. Straighten your cummerbund."
	"Which piece of cloth is that?"
	"The red thing. I think."
	"This one?"
	"That's a handkerchief."
	Clothing presentable, Kuno stared at the best man. "Well."
	"Well."
	Neither spoke for a second.
	Ranma shook his head. "This is the end, then," he said 
quietly. "The end of the end."
	Kuno slowly nodded. "So it is."
	"I lied to Akane, you know. At first I wasn't completely 
sure I was going to stay... me. 'Akane' was still right under the 
surface. I thought I might go back to the way I had been, and I 
wasn't completely sure I didn't want that."
	Kuno nodded. "I would have been glad to hear that once."
	"Not now?"
	"No. I'm getting married."
	Ranma smiled. "Good. Because after a month, I knew for sure 
who I was."
	Turning, they walked out of the dressing room. In the 
distance, an organ slowly began to play.

***

	The wedding went alarmingly well.
	Somehow, the best man got the groom pointing in the right 
direction, and, after mild prompting, even got him to walk. The 
bride looked radiant. The maid of honor looked terrified. She had 
been told all about this particular group's wedding habits at the 
last minute, and was waiting for the transvestite ninjas to break 
in and open fire.

	The surprise guest at the festivities was the groom's 
sister. Kodachi had flown in from her medical college in America, 
dragging with her a somewhat put-upon-looking gaijin. He wasn't 
particularly good at Japanese, and was puzzled by the phrase 
people kept muttering at him.
	[What are they saying?] he finally asked Kodachi.
	The former gymnast winced. She had mellowed slightly since 
her high school days, and was now much more restrained. In public, 
anyway. [They're offering you their condolences. Don't ask.]
	[Oh.]

	In fact, the only moment of crisis came when the groom took 
a full fifteen seconds to say 'I do'. Luckily, the flower girl and 
Best Daughter was there to kick him firmly in the shin. Hard.
	"Ow I do."
	Tojiko Kuno didn't bother to wait for the usual 'you may 
kiss the bride' routine, and managed to nearly asphyxiate her new 
husband. The audience applauded enthusiastically.
	Afterwards, there was the usual. Cake, dancing, the throwing 
of a clump of flowers. It was caught by the pig Ryoga and Akari 
had brought as a wedding gift, and promptly devoured.
	Nabiki the Younger had a field day looking adorable for the 
guests. Much to her parents' relief, she didn't ask anyone for 
money. The girl idolized her father, her other father, all three 
mothers, and her namesake - and tried to emulate all of them. At 
once. The result tended to be the grade-school equivalent of a 
well-bred yakuza.
	Akane spent the wedding smiling, but it didn't completely 
touch her eyes.

***

	"Can I have the next dance?"
	Kuno blinked. "Certainly."
	Akane took this hand, and they waltzed out across the floor, 
moving slowly towards a less-crowded section of it.
	"Congratulations."
	"Thank you."
	She sighed. "Look... damn it... I'm sorry."
	"For?"
	"For treating you the way I did after you and Ranma came 
back."
	He shrugged. "You didn't know."
	"I did after a few days, or weeks. I was pretty cruel to 
you."
	"Yes." It was said without malice, or rancor. "You were."
	They spun, ducked, and whirled back across the room. "I'm 
sorry about it. I can't honestly say that I didn't mean some of 
it, but I wish I hadn't. You didn't deserve it, and it was wrong 
of me."
	"So now we forgive and forget," he said coolly, leading her 
backwards. "And go back to the nice, civil behavior we've settled 
into?"
	"No," Akane said bluntly. "I said I was wrong to give you 
such a hard time. I never said I forgive you."
	He stared at her. "This is the most unique apology I've ever 
heard."
	She shrugged. "You made hash of my high-school life, 
impregnated my husband, and you want forgiveness? Sorry."
	Kuno smiled bemusedly. "I'll just have to live without it, 
then."
	She grinned. "But, just so that you know, I don't hate you 
anymore. You've actually managed to build yourself into a decent 
person. And a good father. I could almost like you."
	"And you are not as much of a homicidal, venomous shrew as I 
remembered. I think I used to find that attractive."
	"Pervert."
	"Psychotic."
	Akane chuckled. "See, isn't this much better than being 
polite to one another?"
	He nodded, amused. "Very well. If you won't forgive me, I 
won't forgive you. And we shall hold our enmity until the end of 
time."
	"Sounds good. Want to be friends in the meantime?"
	"All right."

	The bride reclaimed her groom once he had finished dancing 
with Akane. "What was that about?" she asked.
	He shrugged. "Nothing. We hate each other."
	Tojiko blinked. "Excuse me?"
	"We're going over for dinner."
	Tojiko blinked again. "When?" she asked slowly.
	"Right after we get back from the honeymoon," Kuno answered 
with a sly grin.
	"I like the way you think."

	Ranma was massaging his forehead. How they had ever managed 
to pull the whole thing off without anyone killing anyone else... 
It was a miracle, in his opinion.
	"They look good together."
	Ranma looked over to his wife who was sipping punch next to 
him and looking out on the dance floor. He followed her gaze and 
watched the newlyweds dance, whisper and laugh with each other.
	Akane shook her head. "What could she be laughing about with 
him?"
	Looking at the two, squinting, Ranma said, "Sex."
	A look of complete disbelief on her face, Akane looked at 
him. "What? How do you know?"
	"I'd know that look on his face anywhere." He took the cup 
of punch from Akane's nerveless fingers and sipped it. "Is there 
something wrong?"
	Akane's mouth opened and closed.
	"Mom! Dad! Mom!"
	"What is it, Nabiki-chan?" Ranma asked as his daughter ran 
up to them, stopped and skidded on the smooth tile of the floor. 
"Don't run in here. You'll cause an accident."
	"Sorry. Aunt Nabs has..."
	"Go. Just don't let her get you arrested. And I want you 
back in my sight by eleven," Ranma said resignedly.
	"Thanks!" Nabiki briefly hugged Ranma's leg, then was off 
and running again.
	Akane regained her voice then. "Sex!?"
	"Right here, Akane?" Ranma asked with fake surprise. "I 
didn't know you were so frisky."
	"Ranma..."
	"Oh, Akane, don't be a fuddy-duddy. And don't play innocent. 
You know I love you," he said, taking her into his arms after 
setting the punch down.
	Akane returned the embrace, then leaned in and hugged him, 
sighing softly. They stayed that way without speaking for a few 
moments before Akane spoke again. "What were they really talking 
about?"
	Ranma looked at the couple on the floor again. "Definitely 
sex."

END

Together alone
Above and beneath
We were as close
As anyone can be
Now you are gone
Far away from me
As is once will always be
Together alone

Together alone
Shallow and deep
Holding our breath
Paying death no heed
I'm still your friend
When you are in need
As is once will always be
Earth and sky
Moon and sea