Chapter Eight

Months flew by for Kasumi and Ranma now that they were officially engaged, and during that time they were practically inseparable. The more time they spent together the more closer they got and the more sure they were that this was the right choice. During this time the rest of Nerima learned to accept it and be happy for them both, even Ukyo and Shampoo. The okonomiyaki chef decided that her friendship with Ranma was too important to throw away over this and the Chinese girl chose to wait to return home until after the wedding, mostly to support Ranma. As for the Kuno's, they were mostly left out of the loop because no one wanted their take on anything. Ryoga was similar, but only because he had yet to make a reappearance in Nerima.

At the same time, Ranma and Akane were getting further and further apart. All they had now going for them were the slight exchange of 'Good Mornings' and 'Good Nights', which gradually became more forced than out of politeness. Akane just couldn't accept the lost of Ranma very well, and even though that was obvious to the others, by now they had stopped caring about it. She would sometimes wish that something bad would happen to her elder sister, but she thought better of it later and mentally hit herself for thinking of it.

When it was a week before the wedding, plans were put into action and preparations were put together with the help of Nodoka and even Nabiki. Akane really didn't want to take notice of the happenings going around her and hid in her room for most of the time. She had been asked only once to lend a hand, for her sister's sake if nothing else, but she refused and no one asked her a second time.

One night, Akane gathered what strength she had left and knocked on her oldest sister's door. Nabiki was the one to answer. "Oh, can I help you Akane?"

"Could I ask Kasumi something?" She said.

Nabiki opened the door all the way, and Akane could see Kasumi trying on her mother's wedding kimono, looking rather lovely. She cursed the fact that she wasn't the one going to be in it, but didn't say anything. Kasumi was facing a mirror, so she turned around once she saw her sister's reflection. "Yes sis?"

"I guess you really are going through with this, aren't you?" Akane sadly said.

Nabiki mock-laughed. "Did you think we'd do all this for nothing?"

Kasumi gave Nabiki a brief look, then addressed Akane. "Yes sis, I am. I love Ranma very much and I want to be his wife. I am sorry things didn't work out for you, but you had your chance and you never appreciated it. So I'm not sorry if you're hurt by all this."

Akane looked ready to cry. "That's cruel Kasumi. He leaves me for you, and all you can say is it's my own fault?"

Nabiki stepped up to her younger sister. "It is. Get that through your head Akane. You're not perfect and you can make bad choices. Geez I figured by now even you would realize that." She then took a step back. "Remember, you're the one who made Ranma hit his head on the pole. So him forgetting you is on you, not him. There were several other ways you could have handled that one moment, many of them without resorting to violence in blind anger. But you made your choice then and you have to live with it. You better accept it soon, or things might turn out ugly for you."

Akane shed a few tears and turned to Kasumi, hoping for some comfort. Instead, Kasumi's expression was unchanged. "She's right Akane. Maybe now you'll learn that there are consequences to being violent and that you have to deal with them too. A punch doesn't solve everything. Maybe you and Ranma just weren't meant to be, but in any case, your behavior towards him didn't help at all."

"But... but..." Akane sputtered, not entirely sure just what exactly she was trying to say. Most likely a denial or something.

Kasumi then leaned in a little closer to Akane. "Akane, I'm only going to ask you this once. What are your feelings towards Ranma?"

Akane was caught off guard. 'Why is she asking me that now?' After clearing her throat, she managed to speak clearly, albeit with a contained sob. "I... I... I don't know okay? I've never known. At times I can't stand him and other times I appreciate what he does... did for me. But I want..." She paused to wipe away a few tears. "I want him back. That much I do know."

Kasumi and Nabiki shared a look, as if communicating silently. Then they both faced their sister again, and Nabiki spoke first. "Akane, what I'm hearing from you just now is that you took Ranma for granted. You liked it when he made you a big deal, but didn't like him at other times. And most importantly of all, you say you want him back and yet you still can't even say you love him."

"Akane, I've changed my mind about what I said earlier to you." Kasumi added. "I'm not sorry things didn't work out between you and Ranma anymore."

Akane was stunned. "How can you say that?"

"Why should I be sorry for you when you apparently didn't love him in the first place? He's the one I should feel sorry for if anyone deserves it." It looked like Akane was going to interject, so Kasumi held up her hand to silence her. "Just accept it Akane. I have more important things to do then sit here and try to explain something to you that you clearly have not grasped yet. And by the way, even if you had said you loved him, it wouldn't have stopped me from agreeing to be his wife. I still intend to be Kasumi Saotome tomorrow, whether you like it or not. All I ask is that you be happy for me."

Akane rushed out of the room in tears and collapsed onto her bed. That night she had another nightmare that night, which were also getting much worst. Now it had degenerated into a full blown 'don't-want-to-go-to-sleep' type of nightmare. She would dream of a wedding party being held and Akane trying to stop it. "NO! Don't do it! I LOVE YOU!" She would scream but the couple didn't listen and afterwards she would be laughed at by the couple and guests taunting her with shouts of 'Tomboy' 'Never going to get hitched' and all sorts of abuses, with Ranma's voice doing the most taunts and Kasumi's voice doing the most laughing.

The happy day finally came for the couple, and as the delicate ceremony proceeded, only one member of the Tendo family was missing from the joyous event. Unsurprisingly it was Akane. Kasumi worried briefly about her sister's absence, but in the end figured it was just too painful for her to attend. Also she had little time to think about anything other than her own role in the upcoming event.

It was a simple Western style wedding for the sake of cost, but the attire for those involved was Eastern. This did not necessarily apply to the guests though, who arrived in a variety of clothes. The guests included Ukyo, Konatsu, the Amazons, several of Ranma's classmates, some old friends of Kasumi's, Happosai, and even Tofu, who came mostly as a way to convince himself this was real. Somehow Ms. Hinako managed to come along and even behave when in child form, although she kept trying to look like an adult around Soun by taking ki from the guests. The Kuno's were deliberately left out and Ryoga was unaware of the whole situation.

After all the procedures and customs had been done by the book, including the vows and the long speech from the priest, Ranma and Kasumi were officially married. Everyone cheered for them and wished them well for the future while throwing some confetti. The fathers of the couple seemed to be the ones cheering the loudest and probably the most shamelessly. As the happy couple were about to walk out of the makeshift wedding hall to proceed to the dojo for the reception dinner a rather staggered figure appeared before them at the entryway.

"You... Fiancée stealer... You had your eyes on him from the start didn't you? You cheap, good for nothing hussy of a sister!" A very enraged Akane hissed as she pointed a rather long katana at the newlyweds.

"Akane?" Both Ranma and Kasumi practically shouted in disbelief. Not because she was there, but because at the moment she looked more like a maniac from a gore movie than the person they were familiar with. Her hair was disheveled as if she just woke up and she was almost foaming at the mouth like a rabid dog. At a closer look one could swear her eyes were on fire.

"If I can't have him, no one can!" Akane charged towards the couple.

Ranma easily picked up Kasumi in his arms and jumped to safety. "Kasumi dear you stay here, ok?" Ranma said as he gently placed his new wife on the roof of the house and proceeded down to confront his new sister-in-law. Some of the guests, led by Tofu, left the room to get to other parts of the house, including Ukyo and the Amazons because they left their weapons home this time, while some just vacated the property instead. But they stood outside in case they needed to provide back-up. "Akane, listen to me. Calm down. This isn't like you." Ranma tried to comfort the now deranged-looking Akane into giving up peacefully.

"Never! You pervert, you probably seduced my poor sister and drugged her so you could get her pregnant then get her to marry you." She swung the large sword around his face. He moved away just barely from its reach in time. "DIE PERVERT!" Akane shouted as she took another charge at Ranma. To get away Ranma had little choice but to get outside where he'd have more room. She got close and missed him again, but this time the sword's tip caught his kimono and took the upper half of it off. Ranma saw his chest was covered with only his inner white kimono, which was flapping in the slight breeze. A thin stream of blood started to form from the slight cut in his chest. This made Kasumi flinch as she saw the small red line form on the outline of his white shirt.

Ranma saw the wound and knew she was deadly serious, emphasis on the 'deadly' part. With a small sigh, he turned to look at Soun. "Father-in-law, I'm sorry for what I'm abouta do to your daughter, but I must protect my wife."

Soun was unsure what to say, but it didn't last long. Ranma needed to protect his bride from any threat, even if they were related. He nodded his approval to use any means to diffuse the situation. He didn't like doing that to his youngest, but knew any other means would place Kasumi in danger too. Also he could tell that Ranma wasn't asking for permission, rather approval.

"Oh so now even my own father is in league with the pervert huh?" Akane glared as she looked around her at everyone who was family or friend to her, all of them surrounding her to try and keep her contained. Her state of mind convinced her that all the people there around her were laughing and mocking her like schoolyard bullies.

Nodoka then stepped up next to Ranma, her katana in her hands. "Son, I know you can handle this, but with her as she is I can't say for certain you'll be safe and I must protect my son, just like you must protect Kasumi."

"Be careful then Mom." He said, not wanting to convince his mother to stay out of this.

"You think you can stand up to me? You're nothing but a lousy pervert's mother! You're no better than he is!" Akane lunged forward screaming.

Nodoka effectively blocked the strike. "And to think I once wanted you as my daughter-in-law. I must have been out of my mind, like you are now."

"SHUT UP! NO ONE EVER DISRESPECTS ME!" Akane roared and swung again. Nodoka blocked all of her attacks.

"Great-grandmother, should we do something?" Shampoo asked.

"I'm not sure what we can do Shampoo. We have no weapons, and even though we can use shiatsu, I'm not sure either of us can get close enough to her."

"Allow me." Mousse said while he pulled out some chains, much to the other Amazons surprise. "Hey, my weapons are my body and last time I didn't come to the wedding wanting to destroy it."

"Just do it Mr. Part-time." Cologne ordered.

Mousse threw his chains in an attempt to restrain Akane, but since his glasses came off he ended up entrapping Nodoka instead. "Aha! Got her."

Cologne hit him on top of his head. "You vain idiot!"

Akane smirked at seeing Ranma's mother tied up. "Not so tough now are you?" She then rushed forward and made contact with Nodoka's left leg, piercing her thigh.

"MOM!" Ranma shouted and without thinking punched Akane to get her away from his mother. This dislodged the sword from her leg but Aakne still kept a hold of it. He pulled the chains away as best he could, which was easier after Mousse put his glasses back on and helped. "Are ya okay?"

"I'll be fine. It's just a flesh wound." Nodoka said with a few tears.

Genma came towards her. "Here, I'll get you out of here so you can get that treated." He picked her up and took her inside.

Ranma looked at Akane with the meanest look he had ever given her. "You will regret that."

Akane glared back, but saw Ranma was being backed up by the Amazons and Ukyo, all looking ready for a fistfight if needed. For the first time today Akane felt a little intimidated, even though she didn't show it, and looked for the person there she had the best chance against. She finally focused on someone who wasn't glaring at her, which was Kasumi. "If I can't kill him, I'll just kill her!" She jumped onto the balcony and then the roof and stood in front of her sister. "NOW BITCH DIE!"Akane raised the sword over her head and started to bring it down in a guillotine fashion and purpose.

Then someone screamed.

"Doctor how is she doing?" A pair of concerned voices asked.

"Sadly there has been no improvement. But at least she hasn't gotten any worse, meaning she's stabile and that can lead to an eventual recovery. But no promises." A doctor in a standard white coat told them, referencing some notes on a clipboard in his hand.

A couple in each others embrace looked through a small window to peek into a small padded room. There, seated in the corner on top a bed connected to the wall, was a lone figure of a woman with messy blue-tinted black hair and eyes that used to be filled with joy, but were now only filled with despair and hate. She wasn't looking at anything except the wall, unaware she had visitors and giving no clues as to what was on her mind just then.

"Doctor if her condition ever improves, do tell us okay?"

"Yes Mr. and Mrs. Saotome, I will do that." The doctor told them.

As the couple started to walk out of the hospital they started to talk about the past. "I was so scared when I saw the shimmer of steel as it came closer and closer. I thought I was really going to die."

"Well, if I didn't know better, I'd think you wanted me to save you at the very last minute. But I was lucky I was quick enough to catch it with my hands." A male voice added, looking at the thin scar on the palm of his left hand.

"Well that's my little secret." Kasumi said with a slight teasing tone.

"I will get that out of you someday when I have the chance." Ranma replied. "We better get back to the car and get back home. The twins might get physical with their grandparents again."

"Well they get that from you dear." Kasumi playfully poked her husband of six wonderful years on his forehead.

"But they got their beauty and their kind heart from you." Ranma stated after he gently kissed his loving wife.

"Besides, your mother likes their energy. It's your father that doesn't."

"Well what kid can resist playing with a panda? He's like a giant teddy bear to them."

"But still, they shouldn't be alone with him should they?" Kasumi asked as she opened the car door.

Ranma quickly nodded as he opended his own door. "Agreed. They don't leave the property with him unless one of us is with them. No way he's doing to our kids what he did to me. Selling them for food and stuff like that."

"And no seppuku contracts either. I'm having Nabiki get a court order saying Genma can't make any binding promises involving our children, present or future."

"Good idea."

They got into their small car and slowly sped away to their home, the Grand Saotome Dojo which was the headquarters for all Saotome Dojo's located around Japan and a few other countries too, including America. This made them much more financially secure than their old lifestyle, and thanks to help from Nabiki in managing it, they didn't have to worry about going broke anytime soon, if ever.

When they got home, they were greeted first by a young girl, who looked like a miniature Kasumi but she had Ranma's eyes and hair color. Black, not red, as neither of their kids had apparently been influenced by Ranma's curse. "Hi Mama, Papa. Lookit what I found at the park." She held up some flowers for her parents to see. She didn't know what kind they were, only that they were pretty and smelled good.

Kasumi smiled and accepted then, quickly noticing that they were lillies. "Thank you sweetheart. Where's your brother?"

"He's with Gramma cause he spilled his ice cream on his shirt."

"Again?" Ranma asked with an annoyed moan, making Kasumi smile more.

She leaned towards him and kissed him on his cheek. At his confused look, she spoke. "I'm just happy. Nothing more." He then kissed her, showing he was happy too and making her feel better as well. It was a feeling neither one of them would ever forget.

The End