A Shattered World
Durandall: Continuation fic. My second one. Heh. Is this a spamfic? I'm
not sure. Probably yes. Anyway. It's probably not what you expect.
Kuno grinned widely, as he answered the phone, "Tatewaki."
The voice on the other end seemed hesitant, "Ah... Kuno-san. We've
finished the investigation you requested, and we have found evidence to
show that your theory was correct, however-"
Kuno's maniacal laugh cut the man off, "Say no more! I want you to print
it, and have four thousand leaflets delivered to my door no later than
noon tomorrow!"
"Kuno-san... very well. We will do as you wish. It will be added to your
bill."
***
Akane swallowed nervously. <Another wedding attempt. This time, _this_
time, everything should work. There shouldn't be any problems, and I
should be able to marry Ranma...> She smiled, joy briefly overpowering
her nervousness.
As there was a knock on the door to the dressing room, it returned full
force, "C-c-c-come in?"
Kasumi entered, smiling brightly, "Akane! You look so lovely! Are you
nervous?"
Akane nodded, "Yeah... I wonder what Ranma's doing right now?"
***
As it just so happened, Ranma was wrestling with the monstrosity that
was a bow tie. "Damn... beat... Saffron... gonna beat you..." He gritted
his teeth and tried again, "Come on, you bastard..."
He sighed in resignation. <I wanted this to be perfect for Akane...
Maybe Mr. Tendo can help...> A knock at the door interrupted his
reverie. "Come in."
Ukyou entered, looking somewhat uncomfortable in the bridesmaid dress
that Akane had picked out for her. "Hey, Ranchan. Someone mentioned that
you might be having trouble with that..." She rolled hey eyes, seeing
the tangle Ranma made of his bow tie. "Jeez... Okay, let me handle
this."
Ranma froze, while Ukyou stepped behind him and reached over his
shoulders, quickly untangling, then tying the bow. Once it was done he
admired his reflection for a moment, then turned to face Ukyou.
"Ucchan... Thanks. You're a great friend."
She managed a weak smile, "Don't mention it, Ranchan. I have to go
now... I'll see you during the ceremony, okay?"
Ranma grinned widely, "Thanks, Ucchan."
She nodded, and closed the door behind her. <Damn. Damn damn damn. Why
did I have to let him go? Why? I lost him to _her_.> She sighed, and
turned away, walking towards the other women. <At least I still have him
as a friend.>
***
By the time Akane and Ranma were both fully aware of what had
transpired, they were standing together, in the center of the cathedral.
Ranma glanced behind him, looking at the assembled malice-wishers. He
smiled at Akane, who returned it nervously.
The priest's voice pulled them back from falling into each other's eyes.
"Do you, Saotome Ranma take Tendo Akane-"
The priest stopped suddenly, staring at the roof of the cathedral in
shock. Leaflets were raining down from the highest corners of the room,
and the attendants of the wedding turned pale after reading them.
Ranma blinked a few times, unsure of what was happening. He turned to
Akane, and found Nodoka's hand clamped on his arm, as she hissed at him,
"S... Ranma. I am greatly disappointed in your father. I'll not sully my
honor any further by destroying a proud family. Come with me."
Shocked, Ranma complied, even as Mr. Tendo marched towards Akane,
pausing to shoot Ranma a glance covering to many emotions for Ranma to
define.
Akane sank to her knees, stunned. <What... what's going on?> Soun showed
her a leaflet angrily, then hauled her out the door. In the distance,
she could hear Ranma's cry of rage as he tried to deny the accusation,
and then a muffled explosion as he released his anger against a hapless
building.
Akane blinked a few times, feeling tears welling up in her eyes. "No...
No... why, Daddy, why?"
Soun's expression turned even further unreadable. "I'm sorry that this
happened, Akane... If your mother..." He sighed, shaking his head, "No
matter. We'll get back to the house and prepare to remove the Saotomes
from our home."
***
Genma and Ranma walked with Nodoka to the Tendo home. Ranma's head hung
dejectedly, "Mom, I-"
She cut him off, one hand on her katana, "No more, Ranma. I will not
speak of this any further." She sighed, "I have tried and tried, and
wished beyond _anything_ that your father could raise you to be
honorable. But... no. I will not allow any more dishonor to be
inflicted."
He sighed, saying nothing, and glanced at Genma. Genma studiously looked
away, knowing he was in for a very prolonged 'conversation' later in the
evening. Probably the kind involving the katana and a lot of angry
shouting.
Their possessions were on the front doorstep, along with a kind note
from Kasumi apologizing for the situation. It took all of Ranma's
willpower not to charge in and talk to Akane. He turned to Nodoka, and
opened his mouth, but she instantly silenced him with a glare.
Genma rubbed his head, a mournful expression on his face, "I... I'm
sorry... I should have... I'm sorry."
Ranma just shook his head and followed his parents, not wishing to speak
to either of them.
***
Akane sat in her bedroom, staring out at the window without seeing it. A
knock at the door distracted her, and she sighed with resignation. "Come
in..."
Kasumi swept into the room, wearing her
mildly-concerned/it's-for-the-best expression, variant three. "Akane...
don't worry about it. Everything will work out just fine, you'll see."
Something in Akane broke at that moment, letting her release the few
tears she had left to shed. "I... I almost... we were.... _that_
close..."
Kasumi made soothing noises and held her while she calmed down. "It's
okay, Akane. It'll all be okay in the end."
***
In the hotel his mother had but the family up in for the night, Ranma
tossed uncomfortably. A sigh escaped his lips, as he remembered all of
the pain, all of the trouble, all of the _effort_ he had gone through to
make sure everything would work this time.
It wasn't easy, but he finally convinced Ukyou that he didn't want to
marry her. She wasn't pleased, but finally relented and agreed to be
friends anyway.
Cologne was surprisingly easy to deal with, saying she had expected as
much. Ranma was shocked at first, until Cologne pointed out that someone
like Ranma was a good ally, and not a good enemy. Shampoo was _not_
pleased, but listened to reason once she was compared to Mousse. Of
course, she still didn't care for Mousse, but she had a lot more
sympathy for him after that.
Nabiki promised to take care of Kuno, and Kuno in turn took care of
Kodachi. Ranma wasn't clear on the details, and considering _that_
family, wasn't sure he wanted to.
Ryouga was off, hopefully with Akari, and it has seemed that everything
was more-or-less taken care of. Certainly, there were people who still
didn't want the pair married, but none that would _actually_ interfere.
Or so Ranma had hoped. But someone had gone and pulled up that one,
stupid trace, and now ancestry and family honor were on the line.
Ranma considered to himself. <I can't accept this. I can't just never
see Akane again. We were so close to getting married, and now...> He
punched his pillow, unaware of the fine cracks forming in the floor
beneath him. <I _have_ to talk to Akane again. Screw honor at this
point. I can't believe that she doesn't love me enough to accept me
after everything we've been through...>
He sat up, nodding to himself. <And if... if she truly, honestly doesn't
want to be with me... then I'll leave her alone.>
After dressing silently, he paused. <If I am not going to have any honor
anyway...> He smiled a lopsided grin, and embraced the Umisen-ken. <It
will be easier to see her this way.>
As Ranma slipped out the door, Genma opened one eye slightly, and
smiled. He then quickly schooled his expression and resumed snoring.
***
Akane sat at her desk, wedding dress removed. Her normal house clothing
would do now. Despite the late hour, she was still unable to sleep. She
stared into the darkness outside her window, not knowing what else to
do. Heaving a sigh, she slid her window open, and began climbing up onto
the roof.
Once on the roof, she mulled things over in her head. <It's... not
right. It's good that it was interrupted. I can't let anyone's family
honor be destroyed for my own feelings. At least, that's what Kasumi
says. But...> She hung her head, <I don't know what to do. We were so
close to being married, and then...>
She whimpered slightly, "We never even told each other that we were in
love."
Ranma, perched near her, smiled slightly, and released his cloak of
invisibility. "Do you mean it?"
Akane, startled, lost her footing, and slipped off of the roof. Ranma
dashed forward, and caught her in the air. She had only enough time to
blink before Ranma rebounded off of the ground and brought the pair into
her room though the open window.
Ranma smiled at her, looking almost the same as he always had, and set
her down on her bed. Akane shied away nervously, "R... Ranma... san..."
The pigtailed martial artist winced, "Ah... don't... Look. Akane, I have
to ask you this. Do you love me?"
Akane stared at the floor, "I... I..." <I can't do this! I want to, but
it's not right!>
Ranma frowned, "Akane, the reason I'm asking is... I love _you_. I know
I never really told you..." He flushed slightly, "Except that time at
Jusendo, when I thought you were dead... But... I _do_ love you, Akane.
With all my heart."
Akane covered her face with her hands, "R-Ranma... d-d-don't you know
what you're doing?"
He shrugged, a slightly crestfallen expression on his face, "I... I do.
But I need to know. Do you love me?"
Sobbing quietly, Akane nodded, and lowered her hands, "I... I do love
you, Ranma, but-"
Ranma interrupted her with a kiss, "That's what matters, isn't it? That
we love each other? Does ancestry mean _that_ much to you?"
Akane nodded, "I'm sorry, Ranma... it does. I... can't."
Growling, Ranma shook his head and took Akane's hands in his own, "Then
why did you kiss back when I kissed you? Admit it, Akane, you still want
to marry me, don't you?"
The youngest Tendo daughter broke down and clung to Ranma, "I do... I
do... I wish... I'm sorry Ranma. I want to, but I _can't_, it's not
right!"
Ranma shushed her, sparing a glance towards the closed door, "Calm down.
Akane, we love each other. We want to be married... what more is there?"
Akane shook her head, "But... what will... what _would_ people think, if
we married? We'd be treated poorly in public, we're going to have
trouble in school, I mean..." Flustered, she broke off, "_If_ we were to
marry, we _would_ have trouble in school..." Ranma interrupted her with
another kiss, and she realized that she was responding to him
enthusiastically.
Fortunately, Ranma broke off the kiss, smiling brightly, "Look... I'm
willing to try and make this work. Akane, I've fought a god for you.
I've given up my cure, I've done an awful lot... Is this _really_ that
much to ask after all that? I don't think so."
Bowing her head, Akane agreed, "I... I do. I still want to marry you
Ranma."
Ranma grinned, "Great! I think we should tell your family, first."
Akane nodded, "I... I thought you'd reject me when you found out we were
burakumin..."
Ranma smiled again, and gave Akane another kiss, "Nah. Mom's gonna give
me all sorts of crap for this, but I don't care. I love you, and that's
what matters."
***
Across town, Kuno was staring at the leaflets, frothing at the mouth.
"You FOOLS! You investigated the wrong family! NOOOOOOOOO!"
***
Nodoka glared at Genma, "How _dare_ you engage our son to a burakumin?
***
A few weeks later found Ukyou and Kodachi together in the back of the
Ucchan, sharpening their weapons. They ranted together, "And to think,
he chose that unclean _bimbo_ over me... revenge will be _ours_, Saotome
Ranma!"
-----
Author's notes: I don't know... just came to me. I thought it was
amusing.
--
Forgive my spelling,
my U.S. education,
is the thing to blame.