Here it is. The grand finale! I guess it just ties a few loose ends up.
Not much else to really say. . . Aw. . . and usually I'm so full of words.
I guess that's what happens when you lose your voice! LOL! Well, it is
the last chapter of "Forever" and I do really hope that you all enjoy it!
I certainly enjoyed writing it!
And now, without further delay, onto the story!
(Oops, one more delay) Disclaimer: At least for this story, I will only be saying this once more. . . I do not own Ranma 1/2! So don't sue me!
Epilogue
"Here, Akane dear, let me help you," Genma said, taking one of her twins from her arms. "I'm sure that you're exhausted."
She smiled gratefully at her father-in-law. "Arigato, but don't you think Ranma could use some help, too?"
"Damn you, come back here, you little squirt!" The terrible twos. Their oldest son, Shiro, had reached the dreaded age. Ranma ran out topless in her girl form, chasing their little toddler. "You're taking a bath and that's final!"
"Language, Ranma," Akane reminded her husband.
When chided, Ranma clamped a hand over her mouth. "Oops, sorry Akane."
"Momma, Daddy, Grandpa, I'm ready for school!" Jina waited anxiously by the door. She was seven now, and very good with the Japanese language. "Isn't someone going to take me?" Her eyes shifted pleadingly from Ranma, to Genma, and to Akane. She was wearing a jumpsuit, which looked adorable on her.
Akane looked tenderly at her daughter. She hadn't told Jina about her true father, and since the girl didn't have any conscious recollection of the events that transpired between her biological father and her mother, Akane thought it best not to tell Jina, EVER, who her true father was. Akane feared that the truth would destroy her. Strange as it was, Jina had barely any memories of before when she and her mother were living in the United States. Akane thought it possibly was contributed to her hitting her head and landing in a coma for those months. Jina honestly thought that Ranma was her true father. After a talk with Ranma, they both decided that it was better that way. Ranma was actually glad, because he felt like he really was her father. However, she HAD told Jina of Ranma's curse, finally. And surprisingly, the girl had gotten quite used to it. In fact, she treated it like just an everyday occurrence. Akane sighed and stood. "It looks like I'm going to take you, Baby."
"Oh, no you're not, Akane!" Ranma said protectively. "You're staying home for at least another month! You just had the twins two weeks ago!"
"I'll take care of Shiro in the bath," Genma agreed. "Akane, you rest."
She looked gratefully at the both of them. "I'll put the twins to bed." She took hold of their son, and daughter. Sakura, the girl, had Akane's midnight blue hair and Ranma's blue eyes. Yoshi, the boy, had red hair like his father's female side, and Akane's brown eyes. Truly a beautiful pair of twins, however looking nothing alike. Akane hummed a soft tune that lulled them to sleep. She heard the door shut as they left.
As they both walked out the door, Ranma slipped into a tank top, covering her female assets. "Now, you have money for lunch, Jina?"
"Hai, Daddy," Jina replied with a smile. "I'm nervous and scared. What if. . . no one likes me?"
Ranma stopped and took her daughter by the shoulders. "Jina. No. How could ANYONE in the world NOT like you? You're always so kind, and well- behaved, and such a sweet girl! And your friends from last year will be there!"
"And bullies," Jina whispered.
"And if they give you any trouble, call home, and I'll teach 'em a thing or two," Ranma said with a grin. She then took Jina by the hand and began walking again. "Hey. . . you know what, Jina?"
The little girl walked beside her 'daddy' obediently. "What, Daddy?"
The redhead smiled as distant memories flooded through her. "This is the very way your mom and I took to school."
"Really?" She smiled up at Ranma brightly.
She nodded. "Yep. Well, we're almost there! You be good. And have a wonderful day. Oh, and be ready, 'cause right after school, I'm gonna be here to pick you up. We're all gonna pay our respects to Grandma Nodoka and Grandpa Soun."
"Okay," the little girl said. "Buhbye, Daddy! See you after school!"
"Yep, remember! Right after school! Have fun!" Ranma called after her. She waited until Jina disappeared from her view. Then, she hurried home to help with the situation there. It was already almost a year since Akane's father had passed away unexpectedly. Her eyes were momentarily blinded with tears when she thought of her mother. Nodoka had been gone for a year and a half now. Ranma's mind wandered back to the night of the promised wedding party for Jina. Everything had been going great. Ranma's mother had come, although he had noticed how frail she looked.
She had revealed it. Why she had been so sickly. "Ranma, I'm dying, Dear. I have cancer. It is terminal. I have from a few months to a year."
"NO! Mom you're NOT dying!" Ranma had shouted like a lost child. He had clutched her to him protectively, pleading with her to tell him differently. "No, Mom, I can't lose you. . ."
"Oh, Ranma. Please don't worry about me," Nodoka comforted him. "Continue to smile, my son. You have a beautiful, wonderful wife, and two darling little children! I love you all, and I am determined not to waste my time with all of you here. I will live my life to the fullest, I swear it. Life is short, so make the most of it before it all dwindles away." She took his hand and gave it a squeeze. "That's what I believe. Please, Ranma, don't be sad. Your father and I agreed to this. Let's go and rejoin the party, shall we?"
Now, Ranma brushed a tear away from her cheek. "And that's what matters, Mom. You DID make it count. It's what I HAVE to believe." She was silent as she entered the house. The redhead went into the kitchen and heated up some water to change back into a male. After a half-minute in the microwave, the water was hot enough, so Ranma dumped it on her head, turning back into a male. The house was quiet, except for the noise in the bathroom, the sound of Genma giving Shiro a bath. He sighed, and entered his and Akane's room, when he saw his wife sleeping on the bed. Ranma sat down next to her and stared long at her, taking in her every feature. She was wearing a bathrobe, her hair disheveled, her eyes had dark rings under them, indicating the lack of sleep she'd had in the past two weeks. And she was beautiful. He rested his head on her chest and cried silently, the conflicting emotions battling within him.
"Ranma? What's the matter? Are you all right? Why are you crying?" Akane had awakened and her arms went around her husband's shaking form.
"Hai. I'm fine," Ranma whispered. "I was just thinking of a lot of things today."
She nodded. "Your mother. Today is the day we all had agreed on to pay our respects in Mother Saotome and Dad's shrines. We all miss her."
He stroked her cheek. "We all miss your father, too," Ranma whispered.
"I know." She smiled tearfully. "We're meeting Dr. Tofu, Kasumi and their family, Nabiki and Kuno, Ryoga, Ukyo and their family, and Shampoo and Mousse. They all said that they were coming." In the time that had passed, Nabiki and Kuno were engaged, not yet married. That would all change in another year or so. And Shampoo and Mousse were married and expecting their first child.
"Yeah," Ranma said. He looked at her for a long while, making her blush and turn away. He couldn't get over how beautiful she was.
"What?" Akane's cheeks were pink, and she couldn't look up at him.
"Jeez, you're kawaii. . .kunee," Ranma teased lightly.
A crack formed on the outside wall next to Akane's window. "RANMA NO BAKA!"
Jina sat in class, near the front, beside her two best friends, Ami and Mayuka. She gasped as Ami poked her to get her attention. "Nani?"
"Here," Ami whispered, handing her a note. She quickly read it: "Can you come over after school? Mayuka and I were wondering."
"You both want ME to come?" Jina whispered back.
"Miss Saotome, please keep it down. Or do you wish to stay with me after school?" The instructor scolded.
"Gomen nasai," Jina whispered sheepishly as the other students giggled. She then wrote a note back to Ami: "I'd love to go. . . but Daddy's picking me up after school to pay respects at Grandma and Grandpa's shrine."
"Oh," Ami wrote back. "What about tomorrow?"
"I'll ask," Jina responded. By the time school was out, she was quite giddy. As she was leaving the school doors, a boy about three grades ahead smacked into her, causing her to lose her balance. "Ow!"
"What's the matter Blondie? Got two left feet or somethin'?" The older boy teased and took her bag from her.
"Hey, that's not fair! Give me my bag back!" Jina protested. "Come on!"
He sneered. "Not until you TRY taking it from me, chicken!"
"I am NOT a chicken! You. . . you CREEP!" Jina obviously wasn't very good with insults.
"Chicken! Chicken!" He taunted, holding the bag up just out of her reach.
Then, the bag was torn from his grasp. "I'LL be taking that," Ranma said. "And the only chicken I see here is you, seeing as you're picking on a girl, and not only a girl, but a girl who's much younger than you!"
"Daddy!" Jina said in relief.
"Hey there," Ranma said with a smile. "You ready to go?"
"Yeah!" She exclaimed.
"And as for you, you better get going before I get mad," Ranma growled at the frightened boy. He and Jina both laughed as the boy ran away, almost like a punished puppy with its tail between its legs. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" Ranma asked worriedly.
She shook her head. "No. Let's go, Daddy, okay?"
Slinging the bag over his shoulder, Ranma held out his other hand to Jina. "Okay, then," he said.
As they walked away, hand in hand, Jina was heard asking, "Hey, Daddy, do you think I could go over to Ami's house tomorrow. . .?"
It was solemn and quiet at the shrines. Everyone was silent, each praying and paying respects for the lost loved ones. Akane's sniffle broke the silence, and Ranma reached over to her, hugging her. Her father's death was still fresh on her mind. Jina clung silently to her mother as well. She had known both her grandfather and grandmother for only a short time, but still, their absence was felt. "Momma, don't worry. They're watching us from somewhere, you know."
Akane choked on a sob. "I know, Baby."
"We both know," Ranma said, ruffling Jina's blonde hair. "We'll all miss them, won't we?"
The little girl nodded. "But everything'll be all right."
"Yeah," Ranma said.
"Yes," Akane whispered.
Ranma turned to his wife. "Jina's right, you know," he said. His grip tightened around his wife's shoulders. Of course, he knew she was right. The innocence of her words had touched him. This girl had known nothing of the pain yet to come in life, which is what made her words so honest and pure. A gentle breeze whispered through the trees, like voices. Ranma closed his eyes, breathing in the sweet scent of spring flowers. The breath of the wind had carried it all along. Soon, the breeze would be gone, meaning that life was moving on. He heard the songs of birds, singing so cheerfully and beautifully, as if nothing had ever happened. They carried on. And Ranma knew what they had to do. Life was never easy. But, as his mother had told him, he would live it to the fullest. It was as if she was whispering to him through the wind and birds. He opened his eyes once again and looked at Akane. Beautiful Akane! Who was smiling through her tears. The wind's message had reached her, after all. . .
Author's note: Well, there it is. The end. Well, who knows. I may be inclined to revisit this Ranma world and its characters again someday. It all depends on what I'm doing, and what the readers want. But mostly, on what I'm doing. If my heart isn't into a story, it doesn't come out that well. . .y'know? I kinda wanted to sometime do a fic about Ranma and Akane raising Jina and the others as teenagers but we'll see. I'm still not sure what I'm doing yet. If you guys don't hear from me, I'm probably having a writer's block!
Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the story (and the ending)! Please review and tell me what you thought. Thank you all for reading and for all the support and criticisms! It helped me a lot! I'll be seeing you all later! Hopefully, whatever (and whenever LOL) I do write, I can continue to please everyone who reads the story and make it worth their while reading. See y'all soon (I hope)! --halliegirl
arigato- thank you, thanks
hai- yet
kawaii- cute
kawaiikunee- uncute
Ranma no baka- Akane's famous phrase "Ranma you idiot!"
gomen nasai- I'm sorry
And now, without further delay, onto the story!
(Oops, one more delay) Disclaimer: At least for this story, I will only be saying this once more. . . I do not own Ranma 1/2! So don't sue me!
Epilogue
"Here, Akane dear, let me help you," Genma said, taking one of her twins from her arms. "I'm sure that you're exhausted."
She smiled gratefully at her father-in-law. "Arigato, but don't you think Ranma could use some help, too?"
"Damn you, come back here, you little squirt!" The terrible twos. Their oldest son, Shiro, had reached the dreaded age. Ranma ran out topless in her girl form, chasing their little toddler. "You're taking a bath and that's final!"
"Language, Ranma," Akane reminded her husband.
When chided, Ranma clamped a hand over her mouth. "Oops, sorry Akane."
"Momma, Daddy, Grandpa, I'm ready for school!" Jina waited anxiously by the door. She was seven now, and very good with the Japanese language. "Isn't someone going to take me?" Her eyes shifted pleadingly from Ranma, to Genma, and to Akane. She was wearing a jumpsuit, which looked adorable on her.
Akane looked tenderly at her daughter. She hadn't told Jina about her true father, and since the girl didn't have any conscious recollection of the events that transpired between her biological father and her mother, Akane thought it best not to tell Jina, EVER, who her true father was. Akane feared that the truth would destroy her. Strange as it was, Jina had barely any memories of before when she and her mother were living in the United States. Akane thought it possibly was contributed to her hitting her head and landing in a coma for those months. Jina honestly thought that Ranma was her true father. After a talk with Ranma, they both decided that it was better that way. Ranma was actually glad, because he felt like he really was her father. However, she HAD told Jina of Ranma's curse, finally. And surprisingly, the girl had gotten quite used to it. In fact, she treated it like just an everyday occurrence. Akane sighed and stood. "It looks like I'm going to take you, Baby."
"Oh, no you're not, Akane!" Ranma said protectively. "You're staying home for at least another month! You just had the twins two weeks ago!"
"I'll take care of Shiro in the bath," Genma agreed. "Akane, you rest."
She looked gratefully at the both of them. "I'll put the twins to bed." She took hold of their son, and daughter. Sakura, the girl, had Akane's midnight blue hair and Ranma's blue eyes. Yoshi, the boy, had red hair like his father's female side, and Akane's brown eyes. Truly a beautiful pair of twins, however looking nothing alike. Akane hummed a soft tune that lulled them to sleep. She heard the door shut as they left.
As they both walked out the door, Ranma slipped into a tank top, covering her female assets. "Now, you have money for lunch, Jina?"
"Hai, Daddy," Jina replied with a smile. "I'm nervous and scared. What if. . . no one likes me?"
Ranma stopped and took her daughter by the shoulders. "Jina. No. How could ANYONE in the world NOT like you? You're always so kind, and well- behaved, and such a sweet girl! And your friends from last year will be there!"
"And bullies," Jina whispered.
"And if they give you any trouble, call home, and I'll teach 'em a thing or two," Ranma said with a grin. She then took Jina by the hand and began walking again. "Hey. . . you know what, Jina?"
The little girl walked beside her 'daddy' obediently. "What, Daddy?"
The redhead smiled as distant memories flooded through her. "This is the very way your mom and I took to school."
"Really?" She smiled up at Ranma brightly.
She nodded. "Yep. Well, we're almost there! You be good. And have a wonderful day. Oh, and be ready, 'cause right after school, I'm gonna be here to pick you up. We're all gonna pay our respects to Grandma Nodoka and Grandpa Soun."
"Okay," the little girl said. "Buhbye, Daddy! See you after school!"
"Yep, remember! Right after school! Have fun!" Ranma called after her. She waited until Jina disappeared from her view. Then, she hurried home to help with the situation there. It was already almost a year since Akane's father had passed away unexpectedly. Her eyes were momentarily blinded with tears when she thought of her mother. Nodoka had been gone for a year and a half now. Ranma's mind wandered back to the night of the promised wedding party for Jina. Everything had been going great. Ranma's mother had come, although he had noticed how frail she looked.
She had revealed it. Why she had been so sickly. "Ranma, I'm dying, Dear. I have cancer. It is terminal. I have from a few months to a year."
"NO! Mom you're NOT dying!" Ranma had shouted like a lost child. He had clutched her to him protectively, pleading with her to tell him differently. "No, Mom, I can't lose you. . ."
"Oh, Ranma. Please don't worry about me," Nodoka comforted him. "Continue to smile, my son. You have a beautiful, wonderful wife, and two darling little children! I love you all, and I am determined not to waste my time with all of you here. I will live my life to the fullest, I swear it. Life is short, so make the most of it before it all dwindles away." She took his hand and gave it a squeeze. "That's what I believe. Please, Ranma, don't be sad. Your father and I agreed to this. Let's go and rejoin the party, shall we?"
Now, Ranma brushed a tear away from her cheek. "And that's what matters, Mom. You DID make it count. It's what I HAVE to believe." She was silent as she entered the house. The redhead went into the kitchen and heated up some water to change back into a male. After a half-minute in the microwave, the water was hot enough, so Ranma dumped it on her head, turning back into a male. The house was quiet, except for the noise in the bathroom, the sound of Genma giving Shiro a bath. He sighed, and entered his and Akane's room, when he saw his wife sleeping on the bed. Ranma sat down next to her and stared long at her, taking in her every feature. She was wearing a bathrobe, her hair disheveled, her eyes had dark rings under them, indicating the lack of sleep she'd had in the past two weeks. And she was beautiful. He rested his head on her chest and cried silently, the conflicting emotions battling within him.
"Ranma? What's the matter? Are you all right? Why are you crying?" Akane had awakened and her arms went around her husband's shaking form.
"Hai. I'm fine," Ranma whispered. "I was just thinking of a lot of things today."
She nodded. "Your mother. Today is the day we all had agreed on to pay our respects in Mother Saotome and Dad's shrines. We all miss her."
He stroked her cheek. "We all miss your father, too," Ranma whispered.
"I know." She smiled tearfully. "We're meeting Dr. Tofu, Kasumi and their family, Nabiki and Kuno, Ryoga, Ukyo and their family, and Shampoo and Mousse. They all said that they were coming." In the time that had passed, Nabiki and Kuno were engaged, not yet married. That would all change in another year or so. And Shampoo and Mousse were married and expecting their first child.
"Yeah," Ranma said. He looked at her for a long while, making her blush and turn away. He couldn't get over how beautiful she was.
"What?" Akane's cheeks were pink, and she couldn't look up at him.
"Jeez, you're kawaii. . .kunee," Ranma teased lightly.
A crack formed on the outside wall next to Akane's window. "RANMA NO BAKA!"
Jina sat in class, near the front, beside her two best friends, Ami and Mayuka. She gasped as Ami poked her to get her attention. "Nani?"
"Here," Ami whispered, handing her a note. She quickly read it: "Can you come over after school? Mayuka and I were wondering."
"You both want ME to come?" Jina whispered back.
"Miss Saotome, please keep it down. Or do you wish to stay with me after school?" The instructor scolded.
"Gomen nasai," Jina whispered sheepishly as the other students giggled. She then wrote a note back to Ami: "I'd love to go. . . but Daddy's picking me up after school to pay respects at Grandma and Grandpa's shrine."
"Oh," Ami wrote back. "What about tomorrow?"
"I'll ask," Jina responded. By the time school was out, she was quite giddy. As she was leaving the school doors, a boy about three grades ahead smacked into her, causing her to lose her balance. "Ow!"
"What's the matter Blondie? Got two left feet or somethin'?" The older boy teased and took her bag from her.
"Hey, that's not fair! Give me my bag back!" Jina protested. "Come on!"
He sneered. "Not until you TRY taking it from me, chicken!"
"I am NOT a chicken! You. . . you CREEP!" Jina obviously wasn't very good with insults.
"Chicken! Chicken!" He taunted, holding the bag up just out of her reach.
Then, the bag was torn from his grasp. "I'LL be taking that," Ranma said. "And the only chicken I see here is you, seeing as you're picking on a girl, and not only a girl, but a girl who's much younger than you!"
"Daddy!" Jina said in relief.
"Hey there," Ranma said with a smile. "You ready to go?"
"Yeah!" She exclaimed.
"And as for you, you better get going before I get mad," Ranma growled at the frightened boy. He and Jina both laughed as the boy ran away, almost like a punished puppy with its tail between its legs. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" Ranma asked worriedly.
She shook her head. "No. Let's go, Daddy, okay?"
Slinging the bag over his shoulder, Ranma held out his other hand to Jina. "Okay, then," he said.
As they walked away, hand in hand, Jina was heard asking, "Hey, Daddy, do you think I could go over to Ami's house tomorrow. . .?"
It was solemn and quiet at the shrines. Everyone was silent, each praying and paying respects for the lost loved ones. Akane's sniffle broke the silence, and Ranma reached over to her, hugging her. Her father's death was still fresh on her mind. Jina clung silently to her mother as well. She had known both her grandfather and grandmother for only a short time, but still, their absence was felt. "Momma, don't worry. They're watching us from somewhere, you know."
Akane choked on a sob. "I know, Baby."
"We both know," Ranma said, ruffling Jina's blonde hair. "We'll all miss them, won't we?"
The little girl nodded. "But everything'll be all right."
"Yeah," Ranma said.
"Yes," Akane whispered.
Ranma turned to his wife. "Jina's right, you know," he said. His grip tightened around his wife's shoulders. Of course, he knew she was right. The innocence of her words had touched him. This girl had known nothing of the pain yet to come in life, which is what made her words so honest and pure. A gentle breeze whispered through the trees, like voices. Ranma closed his eyes, breathing in the sweet scent of spring flowers. The breath of the wind had carried it all along. Soon, the breeze would be gone, meaning that life was moving on. He heard the songs of birds, singing so cheerfully and beautifully, as if nothing had ever happened. They carried on. And Ranma knew what they had to do. Life was never easy. But, as his mother had told him, he would live it to the fullest. It was as if she was whispering to him through the wind and birds. He opened his eyes once again and looked at Akane. Beautiful Akane! Who was smiling through her tears. The wind's message had reached her, after all. . .
Author's note: Well, there it is. The end. Well, who knows. I may be inclined to revisit this Ranma world and its characters again someday. It all depends on what I'm doing, and what the readers want. But mostly, on what I'm doing. If my heart isn't into a story, it doesn't come out that well. . .y'know? I kinda wanted to sometime do a fic about Ranma and Akane raising Jina and the others as teenagers but we'll see. I'm still not sure what I'm doing yet. If you guys don't hear from me, I'm probably having a writer's block!
Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the story (and the ending)! Please review and tell me what you thought. Thank you all for reading and for all the support and criticisms! It helped me a lot! I'll be seeing you all later! Hopefully, whatever (and whenever LOL) I do write, I can continue to please everyone who reads the story and make it worth their while reading. See y'all soon (I hope)! --halliegirl
arigato- thank you, thanks
hai- yet
kawaii- cute
kawaiikunee- uncute
Ranma no baka- Akane's famous phrase "Ranma you idiot!"
gomen nasai- I'm sorry