Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ The Cosplay Party ❯ The Cosplay Party ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

[Author’s Note: The characters and setting herein- with the exception of one or two O.C.’s of my own design- are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. Any additional characters mentioned are the property of their respective creators and/or publishers. This short story takes place following my previous chronicle, The Truth and the Tempest, and contains references to events transpiring in said story. To avoid confusion, I strongly recommend reading the previous story before continuing herein. Rated PG-13(or T for Teen) for innuendo and typical Ranma silliness. Enjoy… and Happy Halloween.]

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The Cosplay Party

Or, Halloween Comes to Nerima

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A wordless melody wafted through the kitchen, accompanied by the clink and rattle of various culinary implements wielded by the delicate hands of Kasumi Tendo. She was humming a nameless tune to herself, reflecting on the day as she set about making a plate of unique treats. She smiled a bit when she caught sight of the calendar, noting the red circle around the date, preceded by a number of check marks on each day of the preceding week.

Today’s the day, she mused quietly. I don’t know why, but I’m getting butterflies just thinking about it! She folded the tart in her hands closed, then set it on a baking sheet with several others and began to make a new one. It’s certainly not a traditional holiday… not like Health and Sports Day a few weeks ago, but even so… from the way Shingen-san described it to the family, it sounds so fun! Especially the…

“Kasumi? Is everything okay?”

She looked up and her smile brightened even further. “Everything’s just fine, Father; I should have most everything done before things get underway. Is the training hall ready?”

“Not quite,” Soun replied. “There’s still some decorations that need hanging, but the Doctor’s been a great help with that.” He shook his head in slight amazement. “I must admit, this whole idea seemed a little silly to me at first, sweetheart, but now that we’re actually doing it, I’m quite looking forward to tonight!”

“Me too,” said Kasumi with a slight blush; the mention of Dr. Tofu had sparked another happy thought, but she quickly shook it off and filed it away for later. It had only been a month since the Doctor had finally pulled himself together and formally asked Soun for permission to date Kasumi, but since that day things had gone in a wonderful whirlwind that she hoped wouldn’t stop. I can’t wait to see how Tofu looks in his costume, she thought privately before turning back to her father. “I just hope we won’t have too many disorderly folks tonight… the last time we put a party together got a little too exciting.”

Soun laughed nervously at the memory of the previous year’s Christmas party. “Yes, I suppose a few of us got a bit rambunctious that night, but that’s all behind us now. It’s a new year, and with so many changes since then, I doubt we’ll have to worry about history repeating itself.”

Kasumi nodded. “You’re right, Father. There certainly have been some changes…”

It had been something close to four months since the night everybody referred to as ‘The Furinkan Incident’. Four months since a happenstance meeting with a lone Hunter had turned the status quo at the Tendo household upside down. There were still noticeable reminders in the ward of what had happened; the reconstruction of the high school’s main building was still incomplete, meaning some classes had been moved to the gym or neighboring buildings. Interim Headmaster Takenawa had also instituted stern disciplinary measures to reduce the number of challenges and brawls, which had worked for the most part, given that nobody wanted to go up against Ms. Hinako’s ‘aversion therapy’ methods.

Interestingly enough, the Furinkan martial arts club had experienced something of a boom in recent weeks- as had the club of a local junior high, and a grade school. That boom could be traced to one single event… the Tendo Dojo had re-opened, and with no less than three acting instructors. Kasumi couldn’t help but nod to herself with satisfaction as she remembered the day Soun had begun to teach again… and not merely rattle off the basics, but actually enjoying the teaching process. It had taken a little time and considerable prodding from the other two senseis, but in Kasumi’s mind it had been well worth it. Soun wasn’t half as weepy as he had been before, and much to her relief, he had been binge-drinking much less often.

I haven’t seen him quite so happy in a long time, she thought as she finished another tart and placed the baking pan in the oven. I suppose that’s something I can thank Ranma for… and Akane. It’s like Father’s mood came back to him when they found their own happiness together. Her eyes traveled upward for a moment, towards a spot on the ceiling in the direction of the room Akane shared with her husband. “Father, Ranma and Akane are coming down for the party, aren’t they?”

“Oh, I’m sure they’ll be down, Kasumi; Akane seemed just as excited about the event as you. They probably just need a little time to unwind and relax before they get dressed up… after all, they did have a rather busy morning.” He glanced at his watch. “Say, what time was Nabiki supposed to be getting in?”

“From what she said, within the next half-hour, most likely. Something about last-minute threads she needed to tie up before she left Waseda campus.”

“Oh dear, I just hope my girl’s not overdoing herself… Kami knows how hard those university teachers are pushing her…” There was a knock on the front door, and Soun abruptly shifted from ponderous to happy. “Ah! Sounds like Genma may be here!” He spun on one foot and jogged to the front door, but when he opened it, the first thing he saw wasn’t his old training partner- it was the reflection off his middle daughter’s mirrored sunglasses. Soun blinked for one microsecond, then smiled even wider.

“Hey, I know I said a half hour from now, but I finished up early and caught an earlier train.” She slung her book bag off her shoulder, resting it on the suitcase next to her feet just before being caught in one of Soun’s not-quite-bonecrushing hugs. Being used to such, she quickly adjusted and hugged him back. “Good to see you again, Dad.”

“Oh, it’s even better to see you, Nabiki!” He pulled back and gave her a good look, a little irked that he couldn’t see her eyes behind the shades. “You’re looking so well, I was afraid you weren’t taking care of yourself in the dorms, you know! Did you have a safe trip? Classes going well?”

“Geez, Pop, slow down a little, will ya?” Nabiki replied, rolling her eyes and easing out of his grasp. “I’m doing fine, and the train down was quite boring if you really must know… but on the upside, I did pick up a few stragglers on the way over here!” She gestured over one shoulder. Soun glanced up; once again his face lit up at the sight of Genma and Nodoka just behind Nabiki.

“Saotome!” The elder Tendo stepped off the front porch and embraced Genma with a hearty slap on the back. “And Nodoka, I’m so glad you could come!”

“Wouldn’t miss this for the world, Tendo,” Genma chuckled, wincing a little as his cane slipped on one of the paving stones. He inwardly cursed his bad leg; the nerve and muscle scars left from Astaroth’s servant Yoko had never fully healed, and likely never would. Such inner cursing, though frequent, never lasted long; he readjusted the cane and nodded to his old friend. “Been a while since we had a party quite like this, isn’t it?”

“Far too long,” Nodoka added. “I think Kasumi-chan had quite the idea putting this soiree together; it’s been few and far between since we’ve sat back and just enjoyed ourselves.”

“Amen to that, Auntie,” Nabiki chimed in. “Fact is, I’m sorry I couldn’t come sooner to help set up, but with my class schedule I couldn’t get a whole lot of time off.” She smiled broadly. “Still, I should be able to help work a few of tonight’s games… and I for one am looking forward to the judging!” I haven’t done cosplay in a long time, but with the outfit I’ve got I’ll be a cinch to win the Best Costume…

“Oh, that’s right! We should probably think about getting changed, Genma. Soun, would you kindly help us? We brought along some treats as well as our party clothes.” Nodoka gestured to her side; there was a small shopping cart of sorts between her and Genma, containing several parcels. In addition, Nodoka carried a largish handbag, while Genma had a cloth bundle under one arm. Soun nodded and took several packages; Nabiki did likewise until all four of them were inside.

“Thank you Soun, Nabiki.” Nodoka shut the door behind them and took a moment to smell the aromas wafting from the kitchen. “I’ll go and see if Kasumi needs any help… oh, and is Ranma home?”

“He’s upstairs with Akane,” Soun replied as he and Genma began sorting a few treat parcels. “They had a busy morning and needed a little rest time. Besides, they have their own outfits to think of.”

Nabiki almost chortled, but held it in and kept herself to a smirk. Rest time my butt. Ah, young love…

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“Mmmm… Ranma…” She felt the familiar flame running through her veins. “Yeah, right there… oh Kami, that feels good…”

“You like that?”

“Uh-huh…”

Ranma’s hands were moving deftly over his wife’s bare shoulders, kneading and massaging in a pattern perfected over the recent months- their post-workout/post-combat ritual. She lay on her stomach, shirtless and relishing the attention she was getting. “Feels like you’re a little tense right here.” He reached up and ran his palms from the base of her neck down her spine; a satisfied sigh was his reward. “That better?”

“Much.” Akane shifted her arms, propping herself up on her elbows as Ranma moved to focus on her lower back. “Didn’t think I was gonna be so sore after all that…”

“Well, ya did pretty much grapple the thing headlong before we’d gauged it properly. Just about scared me to death.”

“I thought we could take it out quickly so we could come home and help set up for the party,” Akane protested. “How was I supposed to know it could move so fast?” Or hit so hard…

“Hey, I wanted to take care of it quickly, too.” He paused his ministrations and leaned over to look her in the eyes. “Remember, we’re both still learning this whole Hunter business bit by bit. You’re good, Acchan, but ya can’t charge in without assessing the setup; you still do that every now and then, you know?”

Akane pouted. “I know… funny, but I seem to recall you’d usually rush in to things twice as often as I would, and need I remind you how many times that scared me to death?” A moment later her expression softened. “Guess that’s something we both need to work on, huh.”

“Actually, I’m just surprised you were so willing to up an’ charge that rogue fire spirit the way ya did.” Ranma ran his hands along her ribcage and along her spine, resuming his massage. “The Akane from a year ago wouldn’t have gone near the damn thing… much less wrestle it to the ground like that. That’s the thing that freaked me the most for a second, you grabbing that flaming thing the way ya did.”

Akane shrugged. “Well, up until a few months back… oh yeah, right there… I probably would’ve freaked, too.” She looked over her shoulder and gave him a wink. “But that’s before I found out I’m more or less fireproof.” She let her head sink back down to the pillow below her, sighing happily as Ranma continued to rub her back… and then squeaked in surprise as one hand brushed lower and squeezed her butt.

“Fireproof, maybe… but it doesn’t sound like you’re tickleproof, Mrs. Saotome.”

She looked over her shoulder again and gave him a mock glare. “Hentai.”

“Takes one to know one,” he shot back with a crooked grin.

“Oh, really…” She rolled onto her back and propped herself up on her elbows, giving Ranma a sly look. “Well, two can play that game, Mr. Saotome. If memory serves, you’re ticklish in a certain spot right over…”

“Oh, no ya don’t!” Ranma gasped as she lunged at him, grappling his waist and getting in a good squeeze before he could break her hold and tickle in return. Akane shrieked with laughter and the two lapsed into a bout of tickling, wrestling and in one instance, pillow-fighting when she beaned him on top of the head with one of their pillows. It wasn’t long before Ranma’s shirt hit the floor and their tussle slowed to a crawl, both of them giggling and Akane looking up into his eyes.

“So… who won that bout?” she asked coyly.

Ranma shrugged and threw her a wink for good measure. “Does it matter much?”

“Nope,” Akane chuckled, and pulled his head down by the pigtail for a long, loving kiss… which was interrupted a moment later by a knock on the door.

“Akane, Ranma, are you in there?”

They released the kiss reluctantly, looked at the door and rolled their eyes tiredly. “Yes, Kasumi, we’re here. What’s up? You need help with something?”

“No, I think I’ve got it all covered, Akane. I just wanted to let you know that Nabiki’s here a little early… and Ranma, your parents are here, too. I think your father and mine are finishing the last of the decorations; Auntie said she needed some time to put her outfit on. Will you be down soon?”

“Uh… yeah, we’ll be down in a bit, Kasumi,” Ranma piped up, brushing his hair back. “Just need a little more time to get dressed is all.” There was a snort beneath him as Akane stifled a laugh.

“Okay, take your time. I’m going to see if Dr. Tofu needs help setting up the games.” There was a faint echo of feet moving down the hall. The two teens let out a long breath and turned their attention back to each other.

“A little more time to get dressed… you know that’s going to get her thinking, dummy,” Akane giggled.

“I’d say that’d be more Nabiki’s department if you ask me…” He traced his finger gingerly along her jaw line. “And we didn’t get to finish your massage, either.”

“I know… and as much as I’d love to get back to that, it’d mean we’d probably be staying up here a lot longer afterward…”

“I don’t see anything wrong with that,” Ranma quipped, eliciting another laugh.

“Well… even so, Kasumi worked really hard to put this party together, and we can’t disappoint her by blowing it off. You know that.” Ranma nodded in response, and they both sighed resignedly as they got up from the bed. “Besides, I’m looking forward to showing you off in your costume,” Akane added with a grin as she opened her dresser drawer and began fishing various items out.

“Nice to know I’ll be on display this evening,” Ranma mock-scowled.

“Oh, take it like a man, Ranma.” Akane hooked her gi pants with her thumbs and slid them off, then looked back at her husband who was procuring a box from under their bed. “Besides, if you behave yourself at the party tonight, I’ll let you continue your massage therapy afterward…” One final wink, and she turned back to the dresser, leaving Ranma somewhat red-faced.

Damn… forgot how sexy she can get when she wants… He shook off the sudden flush and started rooting through the box. “Hey, wasn’t there a gun belt with this outfit?”

“It’s in the closet, next to the wig for my costume.” She pulled a white undershirt from the top drawer of the dresser and slipped it on. “You know, you’re lucky you don’t have to wear one for your outfit… or at least not something quite as goofy.”

“Well, remember there were goofier versions than the one you chose… but Acchan, if the wig bugs ya, you don’t have to wear it, nobody’s gonna notice.”

Akane shrugged. “Nobody except maybe whoever’s judging the costumes. Besides, I’ve worn a wig or two in my time; it’s not really a big thing. I can deal with it if it helps us win Best Couple, and with these outfits I think we might just do it. Don’t you?”

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Later that evening, two people were approaching the front gate of the dojo- one female, with long brown hair and predominantly black clothing, and one male, in similar clothing but carrying something quite massive on his back. His hair was sticking up at odd angles, and every once in a while he’d reach up and jostle the hair into a better position- a rather obvious wig. The girl was holding a card in her hand, re-reading it with an amused eye.

“Fun and games at the Tendo-Saotome Dojo as we indulge in the Western traditions of ‘Halloween’. Join in the excitement of an all-ages costume party, with special prizes for Best Single Costume and Best Couples theme. Game and movie-based costumes are encouraged and are eligible for special door prizes…” She chortled. “Enjoy apple-bobbing, fortune telling and ghost stories- traditional folklore as well as Western ghost tales… boy, Kasumi really went all-out on this, didn’t she?”

“I guess so,” the taller man chuckled as he shifted the bulky contraption of Styrofoam, wood and metal on his back. “Of course, the thing that got me was when she asked why the holiday wasn’t as celebrated here as it is in Europe and America.”

“Well, that’s pretty much a no-brainer, Shin-kun, it’s the whole cultural difference thing going on… not to mention, I get the feeling there’s some folks who might take offense at the way this Halloween thing can trivialize spirits. There’s an old couple back in Osaka who take the ancient Shinto ways way seriously…”

“Yeah, it’ll probably take a bit time before the whole Halloween idea gets accepted as a holiday by mainstream Japan… cosplay is one thing, but the Western traditions and their history is something else.” Shingen scratched his temple where the wig ended and his real hair began. “Wish I’d gotten a better fitting wig…”

“Shin-kun, it looks fine on ya,” Ukyo admonished. “And I gotta admit I like the way you slapped that Buster Sword together; ya make a damn fine-looking Cloud Strife if ya ask me, sugar.”

Shingen rolled his eyes before giving Ukyo a suggestive look. “Well then if I may say so, Ucchan, you make a damn sexy Tifa Lockhart… even if it’s not exactly straight from the game.”

“Oh, like ya really expected me to get dolled up in a leather mini and a too-tight T-shirt tonight?” Ukyo blushed brightly and swatted Shingen on the arm. “Frankly, I thought the movie Tifa’s outfit suited me a lot better. And it’s not like you’re an ‘exact’ FF7 Cloud, either…” A few steps later, they had reached the front gate. “Well? Shall we?”

“I think we shall,” Shingen/Cloud replied airily, causing Ukyo/Tifa to giggle again. He took her hand, walked up the walkway and was just about to knock, when the door swung open. Framed in the doorway was an imposing female figure, clad head to toe in a skintight black and gray bodysuit, black gloves and boots. A short padded jacket hung from her shoulders, identical to the bodysuit, and her dark crimson eyes peered intensely from beneath several strands of violet hair. She carried something very similar to an SMG or assault rifle; only the orange-tipped barrel marked it as a replica designed to shoot AirSoft pellets.

“Welcome to the Tendo household,” the violet-haired commando said sternly. “I’ll need a positive ID as well as authentic passes before I can let you in.”

Shingen rolled his eyes and with a flick of the wrist procured his invitation from the long sleeve covering his left arm. “I trust this will be sufficient, Nabiki?”

“Heh. Good eye there, Mr. Yamashira. Good to see you Ukyo, glad you could both make it… and nice costumes, by the way.” Nabiki’s military demeanor had rapidly vanished; with a smile, she slung the rifle over one shoulder and guided the two inside. “Lemme guess. Advent Children, right?”

“Got that right,” Ukyo replied, whistling in admiration as she looked Nabiki up and down. “And you’re looking pretty good yourself, Nabiki… or should I be calling you Major Kusanagi? Stand Alone Complex, right?”

“Right the first try, ‘Tifa’,” Nabiki laughed. “Daisuke thought I was that girl from Resident Evil. Or maybe that was Hiroshi… but c’mon in, both of ya. Fun’s just getting started!”

“I thought I heard someone come in…” Kasumi’s voice wafted around the corner as Shingen and Ukyo stepped in and removed their shoes. “Oh, I was hoping it might be you two! Glad you decided to come!” They glanced up just in time to see Kasumi rounding the corner with a plate of cookies, and blinked in unison when they saw the costume she was wearing.

“Well, I’ll be…” Shingen scratched his blond wig and smirked. “I have to admit, it really suits you, Kasumi. Didn’t know you were a fan of Final Fantasy, too.”

Kasumi giggled. “You’re the third person to ask me that… actually, I don’t know the series that well. When Nabiki suggested the character, I just thought the outfit looked nice, that’s all.” She smoothed out the long pink dress and shortsleeved Bolero jacket with one hand before adjusting her hair, which had been braided at the back. “Is Aerith Gainsborough really that popular a character?”

A slight sweatdrop ran down Ukyo’s head. Methinks Kasumi needs to get out of the house a bit more… “Um… yeah, you might say that, sugar. Tragic heroine, sorta gets in a love triangle with two other characters, yadda yadda yadda.” She shrugged. “But Shin-kun’s right, it suits ya. Now what ya say we get the party started?”

Kasumi/Aerith smiled happily. “Of course. Everyone else is in the training hall already.”

A jostling sound came from the kitchen, followed shortly by Dr. Tofu emerging with several bottles of juice; he was sporting ‘mad scientist’ style glasses, a headlamp and a white labcoat with the name Dr. Frankenstein stitched over the heart. “I’ve got everything we need for the punch, Kasumi… oh! Good evening, Mr. Yamashira, Miss Kuonji; very nice costumes!”

“Hey, you’re lookin’ pretty good too, Doc. But I’m not so sure what you’ve got on’ll be enough to win Best Costume…”

The doctor shook his head. “Oh, I’m not actually looking to compete tonight, Miss Kuonji. I’m one of the judges- and based on what I’ve seen already, it might be a bit of a tough call.”

“Really?” She tugged on Shingen’s hand. “Okay, now I really gotta see the competition.”

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The training hall had been decked out as if it were a school dance… that is to say, a school dance with a slightly macabre theme to it. Orange and black streamers festooned the rafters, and violet balloons painted with comical ghosts hung in clumps from various points throughout the room. Most of the décor had actually been ordered over the net from various Halloween suppliers in the West, but some was more traditional; ornate paper lanterns were hung at the corners of the door, and along the central rafter.

Two long tables sat along one wall, packed from one end to the other with savories, drinks and assorted treats. A stereo secreted just behind the tables was playing some upbeat J-pop music. Several guests were already congregating around the tables or in the middle of the hall, mostly Furinkan students, though with some costumes it was hard to recognize people. An extremely well-detailed Master Chief from Halo was having a muted conversation with a tallish Samus Aran; both their faces were hidden by their respective helmets so Ukyo couldn’t tell who they were. Two girls from the freshman class were dressed as ghosts in white kimonos, their faces and hands painted with white pancake makeup and miniature blue ‘flames’ dangling around their heads on wires. Daisuke and Hiroshi were chatting at the snack table, decked out- rather badly, via cardboard and duct tape- as MegaMan X and Zero. Next to them, a rather rotund, balding Mario with a cane and a tall, long-haired Luigi were drinking and laughing with a noticeably elegant Princess Peach.

Two guests were just inside the door as Kasumi led the others in, dressed as Dorothy and the Scarecrow- only Dorothy’s hair was dark green with two pink locks at the temples, and the Scarecrow had a beige bandanna on under his floppy hat. He reached up and scratched the side of his head, causing a tuft of straw to fall loose and Dorothy to sigh. “Sweetie, if you keep doing that you’re going to shake it all loose again,” she chided him gently. “Now, I know it itches, but it really makes you look so cute!”

“I don’t wanna look cute,” Ryoga grumbled under his breath. “I feel like an idiot in this thing…”

“What was that?”

“Uh… nothing! Nothing at all, Akari-chan…” He laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head, which made him lose more straw.

“Oh, now you’ve spilled it all over…” Akari stooped to gather the straw, stood up to put it back under his hat, then changed her mind and stuffed it in her handbasket next to her stuffed Toto. “Well, I guess it was a bit too much, anyway. Here, let me get the rest.”

“Thank you… no offense, but that straw wig really was getting hot,” Ryoga murmured apologetically as Akari straightened out his hat and removed the last of the straw ‘hair’.

“Um, correct me if I’m wrong, but… I don’t think you two are in Kansas anymore,” Ukyo snickered.

Ryoga jumped, then relaxed as he saw the new arrivals. “Oh. Hey, guys… kinda figured I’d see one or both of you here.” He shrugged, then smiled almost triumphantly. “You’ll never guess what happened on our way over.”

Shingen tapped his chin in thought. “Hmm. You found the Wizard and he gave you a new brain.”

“Should’ve asked the Wizard to give him a GPS locator instead,” Nabiki the Major drawled from behind. “Assuming he could make heads or tails of it…”

“HEY!” Ryoga sputtered, then clenched his fists and forced his temper down. “What I was going to say… is that we made it from the farm to the dojo without getting lost even once.” He paused, then smiled again. “And I was the one leading the way.”

Nabiki’s colored contacts almost fell out as her eyes bugged out. “You’re kidding me…”

“No, it’s the truth!” Akari piped up, slipping one arm through his. “We’ve been practicing a lot at home, and little by little he’s been getting better at not getting lost.” She squeezed his hand tenderly. “I’m really proud of him.”

“Eh… I can’t take all the credit, Akari… I still got a long ways to go, I probably just got lucky tonight.”

“Luck or no luck, least you made it to the party, ya big dummy!” said a very familiar voice, followed by a hearty slap on Ryoga’s back. Ryoga jumped, losing a bit more straw in the process, and spun around to face a Han Solo and a Princess Leia so authentic, they looked like they’d stepped right off the Empire Strikes Back set. Except, of course, this Han was sporting a pigtail and a crooked grin.

“Geez, don’t scare me like…” Blink. “Ranma? Is that you?”

Han/Ranma turned and quirked an eyebrow at Leia. “Boy, maybe that costume’s more appropriate than I thought, Akane… if he only had a brain…”

“Okay, that’s it, you can all stop with the ‘No Place Like Home’ and ‘If I Only Had a Brain’ jokes,” Ryoga groaned. “You just caught me off guard there for a second, alright?” He let out a long sigh, then smiled and offered his hand, which Ranma promptly took and the two pulled into a quick, two-second slap-on-the-back hug. “Never thought a year ago I’d be saying this now, but it’s good to see ya, ya moron.”

“That goes double for me, stupid,” Ranma shot back with a chuckle.

“I swear, you two are never going to change,” Leia/Akane piped up, shaking her head. “Can’t just say hi and forget about the name calling, can you?”

“Eh, he knows it’s all just fun these days, Akane.” Ryoga stepped back, glanced Ranma’s costume up and down and smirked. “And speaking of appropriate costumes… makes sense you’d dress up as the galaxy’s most arrogant…”

Akari nudged Ryoga not-so-gently with the tip of one ruby slipper. “Sweetie, you promised you wouldn’t rile things up tonight.”

“Ah, it’s no big deal Akari, I know he don’t mean nothing by it.” Ranma turned and slapped hands with Shingen just as Akane welcomed Ukyo with a friendly hug. “Shin, Ucchan, good ta see ya both made it too.”

“Yeah, we were actually betting on whether or not you two would show up by yourselves or together,” Akane added in a lower tone, to which Ukyo blushed a bit. “You make a pretty good pair dressed like that, you know?”

“You’re not so bad yourself, sugar… but, isn’t that outfit a little stuffy? I mean, you could’ve chosen another Leia costume besides that Hoth snowsuit, right?”

Akane shrugged. “Firstly, it only looks stuffy. Second…” She pointed to the brown wig with a halo braid in the back. “This hair may look goofy, but not nearly as goofy as the cinnamon buns from the first movie. And third…” She rolled her eyes and gave Ukyo a meaningful look. “There was no way I was wearing the Jabba’s slave costume in public.”

“Oh… oh. Yeah… I guess I can see your point.” She paused, then winked. “Same reason I told Shin-kun I wasn’t wearing the game-version Tifa costume, huh?” Akane nodded in response with a giggle.

“You’re kidding…” Shingen’s voice pierced through the girls’ conversation. “You two had to deal with a maverick fire spirit this morning and you didn’t even use any binder wards?”

“Yeah, pretty much.” Ranma folded his arms behind his head and smirked casually. “I mean, we had a few on hand… and that reminds me, we gotta get your sister to scribe us some more… but it kinda became a moot point after Acchan pinned the thing in a submission hold.”

Ukyo did a double-take. “Excuse me? What was that you said?”

“Just Hunter stuff,” Akane remarked casually. “Ranma felt something weird after he and Daddy finished with this morning’s Beginner classes, so we went to check it out… long story short, had to tame a spirit and send it home.”

Ukyo and Ryoga gave Akane an odd look. Taming a fire spirit and she talks about it like she was going to the grocery store…

“It really wasn’t that big a deal… we can talk about it later, right?” Ranma’s hand fell to his gun belt; a second later he’d quickdrawn his prop blaster and waggled it playfully. “This is a party, remember? C’mon, I’ll get you guys a drink!” Just then there was a sound akin to someone losing their balance, followed by a splash and a growf. Everyone looked over to the tables, except for Ranma and Akane, who just groaned and shook their heads; Genma had fallen partway into the punchbowl, resulting in a silly-looking Panda Mario in overalls and cap. Soun/Luigi tried to look shocked, but was inching towards an attack of the snickers.

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“I’m glad I talked Genma into getting flexible clothing for his costume; he just can’t seem to stay dry for more than a day.”

Akane took a drink of her punch and smirked. “You have to admit, he still looks pretty ‘Mario’ either way… Mom.”

Princess Peach/Nodoka brightened considerably at the last word; it was still new to her, being called ‘mom’ by her daughter-in-law, just as it was new to Akane. But it had seemed so right after the civil ceremony months earlier, and it made them both feel special. For one, it was gaining a child… for the other, a mother figure she had been missing for too long. She could never replace Akane’s own mother, Nodoka well knew… so the word carried that much extra meaning just by Akane saying it.

“Yes, I suppose you’re quite right, dear. Even though it does seem a little surreal.” She smoothed the ruffles of her pale rose-colored dress, taking a moment to admire her long white gloves. She paused, then giggled. “You know, Akane-chan, this really does take me back. I feel like a little girl all over again!”

“Yeah, it’s too bad you’re not planning to compete in the contest tonight; you really do look wonderful as a princess, Mom.”

Nodoka blushed, shaking her head slightly, her unclasped auburn hair falling elegantly to her waist. “Dear, it’s not my place to compete this evening, and I already agreed to be a judge. And besides that, you make an equally wonderful princess, Akane…” She paused and winked. “Just the kind to catch the eye of a certain dashing space rogue, I daresay.”

Akane nodded and gave Nodoka a wry grin. “If we’d only managed to talk Genma into dressing as a Wookiee, we could’ve had a trio.” She chortled, eliciting a laugh from Nodoka in turn.

“What was that about a wookiee?” Ranma asked, sauntering up to the table. Behind him, Ukyo was showing off her costume to Sayuri and Yuka, who were dressed as Lara Croft and Chun-Li, respectively. Shingen was showing off his homemade Buster Sword to two other Furinkan students, one in a marginally better Cloud costume but with a terrible cardboard sword, and the other in a slapped-together Tidus outfit that only just resembled the character. Kasumi was mingling with the crowd and carrying a staff to complement her Aerith costume.

“I was just saying that if we’d been able to talk your father into playing Chewbacca, we could’ve had a full team.”

Ranma snorted, then took a jack-o-lantern cookie off a plate and chewed. “Interesting thought… wait, would that be Chewbacca or ‘Gen-baka’?” Akane promptly spit up part of her drink, sputtered and laughed for an instant before smacking him lightly on the arm. “Hey, I’m just saying is all!”

“Still can’t go ten minutes without my sis smacking ya, can you, little bro?” Nabiki chortled as she leaned against the table, setting her prop SMG down while she downed some punch.

“Only when you’re around to see it, Nabs.”

“I thought I told you to stop calling me that, Ranma…” She gave him a dangerous look. “But, since we’re family I guess I can let it slide for now.”

“You’re too kind,” Ranma drawled, rolling his eyes. “Hey, any idea when the games are gonna start?”

“Hopefully any minute now; Kasumi wanted to hold off until our fortune-teller showed up, so right now I’m just holding the fort down.” Nabiki brushed her violet-tinted hair back and scanned the crowd, noting Megaman and Zero were trying to ask the person in the Master Chief outfit something, but he was brushing them off. “Any idea who the guy in the gold-plated visor is? I asked him earlier, just got ‘it’s a secret’ and he wandered off.”

Akane shrugged. “Beats me, I’m still trying to figure out if Daisuke is the one in the Megaman outfit or the Zero outfit. Ranma, can you tell?”

“Eh, I think Hiroshi’s the one dressed up like Zero, but I could be wrong…” A movement caught the corner of his eye; turning to his left, his smile broadened. “Hey Nabiki, looks like your fortune teller’s made it.”

“Well now, if this isn’t a quaint little get-together!” A cheery-looking Cologne hopped over to the table, wearing a generic witch’s costume, pointy hat and all. “I must say, it’s certainly quite a change from the festivities back in our village… but I think I could get used to this.”

“Good to see ya again… old ghoul,” Ranma quipped with a silly wink.

“Son, remember to show a little respect, please,” said Nodoka reprovingly. “We’re very glad you could attend, Elder Cologne.”

“Oh, it’s a pleasure… and don’t worry about the ‘ghoul’ talk, I suppose after all those many months I got used to it.” She patted Ranma on the hand, then gave him a firm but playful pinch on the cheek. “Means I always know it’s him calling.”

“Nihao Ranma, Akane! We not too late, yes?” Shampoo had threaded her way through the crowd with Mousse in tow; the two were dressed as Ayane and Hayate from Dead or Alive, him in a white ninja gi and her in the black leather variant. Shampoo was still wearing her hair short-cropped, which served to make her costume all the more authentic.

“No, as a matter of fact you’re just in time.” Akane gave her ‘tribal sister’ a warm hug as Ranma caught Mousse in a bonecrushing yet friendly handshake. “I’ve gotta tell you, you look fantastic! Did you do all this yourself?” She gestured at Shampoo’s gi, in particular a few subtle Chinese floral patterns in the belt.

“Not all by self. Mousse and Great-Grandmother help with a few hard parts. Is nothing special, really… not as good as Akane costume.” The Amazon gave Akane an approving nod. “You and Brother Ranma look too, too nice tonight… is homemade?”

“Uh… no, I’m afraid this is a rental. I’m not really good with sewing needles…”

“Well, rental or no, Shampoo’s right. You both look great,” said Mousse jovially. “Though… I wonder if that might be enough to win the judges over? I saw that note on our invitations, and modesty aside…” He put on a slight smug look. “I’m pretty sure Shampoo and I have a fighting chance tonight.”

Ranma put on an equally smug look. “Hey, save the attitude until after the judging, bro; no sense claimin’ victory ‘fore the race even starts.” He brushed his hair back and winked at Akane, sending an Astral thought her way. Especially since we’re gonna win anyway, right?

Akane shook her head, unable to erase her own smirk. Baka.

--------------------

It wasn’t long afterward that the games and amusements swung into action. Nabiki, channeling the Ice Queen and Major Kusanagi simultaneously, quickly got things organized just the way Kasumi had hoped they would. They had planned out a concise list of suitable activities, each in its own place and time. And, with a few exceptions, things progressed more or less smoothly.

The fortune-telling was Cologne’s contribution. Setting up in one corner of the dojo, she consulted Chinese herbs and precious stones to glean a bit of insight into the person at hand. Some students asked how well they’d fare on their university exams, others just wanted to know if they’d do well in the other party games. Yuka almost ran off bawling when Cologne told her she had a secret admirer and it turned out not to be Hiroshi. That hadn’t been the bad part; the bad part was Cologne couldn’t be certain as to whether it was Hikaru Gosunkugi, and didn’t want to tell her yes or no. It took Akane and Sayuri ten minutes to calm Yuka down, even after Cologne pointed out even her fortune-telling couldn’t predict with utmost certainty.

The apple-bobbing contest almost ended in disaster. Several people argued they didn’t want to compete against Ranma, jokingly citing his big mouth as an unfair advantage. Akane had defended him, pointing out it wasn’t nice for party guests to insult her husband. “That’s my job,” she had added with a giggle. Eventually, Ranma begrudgingly agreed to step aside from the contest, but only after he and Genma first had their own one-on-one bobbing race. That one ended in a draw; Genma’s huge panda mouth and cheeks proved to give him an edge to match Ranma’s superhuman speed. After they had thoroughly soaked themselves, the apple buckets were replaced and the regular contest began. It would have gone swimmingly, until someone noticed the tall man in the Zorro costume was pulling ahead of the others by leaps and bounds. That revelation was exacerbated when the Zorro mask fell off and everyone realized it was Picolette Chardin II devouring every apple in sight; upon further confrontation, he failed to produce a valid invitation and got thrown out on his ear.

Shortly afterward, Nabiki, in full Major mode, had slapped a very large banner across the wall, stating NO MARTIAL ARTS TRICKERY ALLOWED DURING THE GAMES; OFFENDERS WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE AND/OR SHOT. To emphasize the point she had patted her AirSoft SMG before Kasumi asked her politely not to be quite so menacing about it.

The marshmallow race went somewhat more pleasantly; essentially a variant on the old Egg and Spoon relay, the partygoers divided into four teams to race back and forth, ferrying one marshmallow at a time to a plastic pumpkin bowl at the other end of the room. Ranma’s agility served him well on his turn, and as fortune had it he had been teamed with Mousse and with Akane, whose own reflexes had improved steadily ever since the Furinkan incident months earlier. Their two remaining teammates, Sayuri and a freshman named Kenzo, weren’t quite so nimble, so the race was actually fairly tight. Still, Akane managed to dunk the last marshmallow in their bowl first, less than one-tenth of a second before Ukyo dunked her team’s for second place.

Kasumi had hoped to have a huge pumpkin-carving race- something she’d dreamed up on the spur of the moment- but couldn’t get more than three pumpkins in time. So people wound up casting lots to select three competitors, which resulted in Ranma, Mousse and Shingen being selected. Each was given a pre-hollowed pumpkin and a time limit; the moment Nabiki’s whistle blew, things got hectic in a hurry. Ranma used a knife in each hand, Mousse produced his combat claws while Shingen wielded a fistful of his throwing knives.

The three whittled, carved and in some cases stabbed for several minutes before the whistle blew again and their works could be examined. Shingen had paid attention to detail but was only half-way through carving an image of Mt. Fuji. Ranma’s hands had been a blur even without the Amaguriken, and while his detail was rough he had managed to create a dynamic samurai’s silhouette. Mousse, on the other hand, had somehow blended detail and speed, sculpting a dragon in flight on his specimen. Kasumi mulled her decision over for a long moment… and then declared she couldn’t pick which one she liked best, so she split the prize bag of candy between all three competitors. Only Daisuke and Hiroshi moaned something about hating tie games, but they quickly shut up when Kasumi graced them with an unexpected, un-Kasumi-like glare.

Remembering the fiasco from last year’s Christmas party, the card game of the evening was not Poker, but Crazy Eights instead, with the winner from each table getting a small bag of fun-size chocolate bars. Yet even with no high stakes, Nabiki checked the room three times to make sure the Gambler King hadn’t showed up uninvited as well. Once her security sweep was done, the game commenced- after two late arrivals had turned up and presented their invitations, then took their places at the last free seats.

Akane and Ranma quickly noticed two things. First, one of the arrivals- Kodachi Kuno, clad in a tight-fitting Lulu outfit from FFX- not only wasn’t laughing her signature cackle, but seemed to me much calmer and relaxed than they had ever known her to be. She sat at a table with Daisuke and Hiroshi, two random Furinkan students and the yet-unmasked Master Chief. The second thing they noticed was that the other arrival- Ryu Kumon, who sat at their table along with Ryoga, Akari and the kid dressed as Tidus. Ryu didn’t seem to be wearing anything other than his normal clothes.

“Sorry we’re late,” Ryu mumbled, nodding his head towards Kodachi. “Her outfit took longer than I thought it was going to, then I had to lock the dojo up…” He straightened up. “So what’re we playing?”

“Well, the name of the game is Crazy Eights,” Ranma answered, shuffling and tossing out cards. “And the name of the party is Costume party, Ryu. So did ya forget that little detail, or did you just come dressed as yourself?”

Ryu threw a tired look at the Anything Goes Grandmaster. “If you must know, Ranma, I hate cosplay. There’s no real point to it… but, Kodachi begged me to come with her tonight, and Kami knows it’s impossible to say no when she gets that way. So if anyone asks, I’m Guile from Street Fighter, okay?”

“Fair enough…” Ranma finished tossing the cards out and picked up his own hand. “Just thought you might wanna have a little fun now and then…”

“Sorry, I’ve had a bit of a long week. Seems a certain dojo’s been attracting a lot of new students lately… and now that I’m getting my own school off the ground, that doesn’t leave many new prospects for me to teach. Savvy?”

Ranma rolled his eyes. “Are you still harping on that? I told you once before, man, I’m not trying to steal your potential students!”

“I didn’t say that, I’m just saying it might be nice if you put in a good word for the Kumon School of Kenpo once in a while. Besides, a friendly cross-town rivalry could make for a few good inter-school tournaments… maybe help both our reps out?

“Hey, we can talk about the schools later, can’t we?” Akane piped up. “C’mon, Ryu, we’re supposed to be having a party, not griping all night, right?”

Ryoga nodded. “She’s right, you know. If you got some issue, just check it at the door for now, army boy.”

“Could you please not call me ‘army boy’?” Ryu shook his head, then sighed. “Okay, I’ll let it go for now, but I still want to talk shop later if you don’t mind.”

Ranma shrugged and played a card. “I got no problem with that; you got an issue between your school and mine, we can deal with it, but for now let’s have a little fun.” He looked at Akane and raised an eyebrow. Guy never changes, does he?

Guess not, she replied Astrally as she played her card. Beats me what it is Kodachi sees in him…

Ranma smirked. I’m more confused as to what it is he sees in Kodachi. He snorted, followed by her barely suppressing a laugh.

“Hey, what’s so funny?”

The two collected themselves and shrugged. “Nothing.” Ryu rolled his eyes and the game continued.

By the end of the game, Ryu had won the hand at their table and was looking rather smug. Other winners had begun to emerge at the same time; Kodachi was crestfallen over being beaten by Hiroshi, while at another table, Shampoo seemed a bit more accepting of being beaten by Mousse. Genma had snuck in a victory over Soun and Nodoka- without having a card up his sleeve, no less- and Shingen was gracious in conceding victory to Ukyo at their table.

--------------------

A while later, the games had settled down and the party guests had moved on to other activities. Some were dancing in the middle of the dojo to the tune of The Monster Mash, and laughing as Hiroshi and Daisuke kept tripping over parts of their costumes that were coming loose. Others were having their fortunes told again by Cologne. Still others had drifted to the sides or just outside the training hall, chatting and catching up. At opposite sides of one end of the hall were two groups- one of boys, the other girls.

“Maybe you were right, Ukyo, maybe this coat is a bit too warm.” Akane shrugged her outer jacket off as she leaned against the wall, scratching just under her wig. “Still, I can’t deny it’s been a hell of a fun evening.”

“Quite right, my dear; it has been a pleasure I have not experienced in a long time,” Kodachi mused. “I must remember to properly thank your sister for inviting me… indeed, it was as unexpected as it was appreciated. I hardly deserve such treatment…”

“Oh, stop being so down on yourself,” Akane chided. “We’ve been over this before, Kodachi. I swear, you’ve apologized about the past almost as much as I’ve apologized to Ranma. And I’m going to tell you the same thing he told me… it’s over. Don’t worry about it, okay?” Kodachi looked at Akane strangely for a moment, then slowly nodded before straightening out the plunging neckline of her tight black dress.

“Shampoo agree. No need dwell on past; time now to be happy, look to future.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice, Shan-chan.” Ukyo stretched her arms out and rested her hands behind her head. “And speaking of being happy… how’s things with you and Mousse these days?”

“Umm…” The short-haired Amazon twiddled her fingers before taking a gulp of punch. “Well…”

“C’mon, you can tell us,” Akane pressed. “We both saw the way you started acting right around the Furinkan Incident. So? Are you and him…?”

Shampoo blushed. “Is… is something I rather not talk about in public,” she blurted out before lowering her voice a tad. “Still… we better than used to be. Friends now… and more…”

“More? Well, I declare…” Kodachi sidled up to Shampoo and gave her a nudge. “Might this mean there may be another engagement in our fair ward before long?”

“No be silly!” Shampoo shook her head a bit too violently. “Still need time… and Mousse too, too stubborn, still say he need best Shampoo in combat to satisfy law. So, no marry soon.” She paused, then smirked. “Though maybe I let him best me soon…”

“About time if ya ask me, sugar.” Ukyo snickered. “Poor guy’s gonna go nuts if ya keep leading him on too long.”

“You know, speaking of couples…” Akane got a sly look in her eyes. “What about you two? Seems to me, Kodachi, that you’ve been hanging out with Ryu an awful lot the past few months… and I’ve seen a lot of signs between you and Shingen, Ukyo. Anything new there?”

“Oh, well…” Kodachi toyed with the antenna of the Moogle doll she was carrying. “I suppose it goes without saying Ryu-san and I do see each other quite often… as I am sponsor of his school… but far be it for me to press the issue of our relationship.” She brushed her hair back. “I made the mistake of pressing too hard and fast once before, as you well know… I’m hardly likely to make the same mistake again.”

“Yeah… what she said,” Ukyo piped up, a slight flush on her cheeks. “I’m not gonna deny me an’ Shin-kun are kinda fond of each other, but we’re taking it slow right now. Just friends…” She looked up and winked at Akane. “So don’t expect us to join you in the ‘married bliss’ club anytime soon, kiddo.”

“Oh, I’d love to hear my own wedding bells soon,” Akari murmured wistfully from the edge of the group. “But Ryoga’s still so hesitant about some things. I know he cares for me, but still…” She sighed.

There was a moment of silence before Ukyo spoke up again. “So, Akane… seeing as how you’re the only one of us in that club right now… how’s married life turned out for you two?”

“Yes, what it like for you and Brother Ranma? Is okay?”

Akane took a quick look to see if any of the guys were listening- they weren’t- and sighed. “No, it’s not okay…” She paused a moment, gauging the inquisitive(and in some cases, shocked) looks on their faces before smiling brightly and giggling. “It is so much better than okay. Kami, it’s better than anything I’d ever dreamed!” The shock left the girls’ faces an instant later, replaced by smiles- except for Ukyo, who poked Akane in the arm and told her not to scare people like that. Even so, there was some playfulness in her voice to match the scolding.

“Well, I for one am happy for you, Akane dear,” said Kodachi with a genuine smile. “Though given what you’ve told us about your daily routine, it can’t be a very calm life, can it? Balancing schoolwork with giving lessons at this dojo, not to mention this ‘Hunter’ work you mentioned… how do you ever find time to relax?”

“It’s not as bad as all that, really. Dad’s cheered up a lot more recently, so we were able to talk him into handling most of the beginner’s classes… which is most of the students right now anyway. Ranma and I take turns with some of the more advanced students; sometimes we teach the same class together, but all our classes are after school anyway so there’s no real conflict there.” Akane sipped her drink before continuing. “As for Hunter activities, since we’re still learning the ropes we don’t actually get called up that often; we can pick and choose for the most part. So it’s really not too chaotic, it’s just chaotic enough.”

“Still, it must be dangerous sometimes,” Akari murmured, hugging her stuffed Toto. “I still get goosebumps thinking about that night… all that fog, and those things Ryoga said you fought at the school. Don’t you ever worry?”

Akane paused, then nodded slowly. “Sometimes, yeah. And I’ve had a nightmare or two about that night myself, I’m not gonna lie to you.” She sighed, then looked across the room where Ranma was chatting with Ryoga and Mousse. “Still, that night really was kind of a worst-case deal, so I try not to let it get to me that much. And besides, Ranma still trains me each chance we get… that helps keep me from worrying too much.”

“Okay, change of subject, girls. This is all getting way too serious.” Ukyo shifted and leaned against the wall, giving Akane a very sly look. “So, what I wanna know is… when are you two gonna be making a new addition to the Saotome family tree? If ya know what I mean?”

“Ucchan!” Akane’s cheeks turned bright red, but she couldn’t quite erase the smirk the comment had provoked.

Shampoo quirked an eyebrow. “Ukyo make good point; is Sister Akane wanting to be mother soon?” Akari didn’t say anything, but had taken on a starry-eyed expression.

“Well… we’ve talked about it…” Akane scuffed one foot on the floor. “Don’t get me wrong, I love kids… and I won’t deny I’d love to have one of my own… but like Kodachi pointed out, we’re both pretty busy right now. Plus, I’m still trying to learn the basics around the house, and Ranma keeps worrying- though I’ve told him he doesn’t have to- that he’d be a worse dad than his father. Maybe in a few more years, when we’re both ready…”

“I would’ve thought Ran-chan’s mother’d be buggin’ you about that nonstop by now,” Ukyo chortled. “That trip we made to the beach a few months ago, I swear she was in her own little world, visions of grandchildren dancing in her head.”

“Yeah, she mentions it every now and then, but she’s got plenty of time to be a grandmother,” Akane protested. “Mom’s not even in her forties yet, you know.”

“Shampoo think Ranma’s mother want as much time to play with many, many grandchildren as possible.”

Akane rolled her eyes. “You could be right, Shampoo. Still, we did talk to her about it once, and hopefully she won’t keep harping on it.” She paused, then lowered her voice and grinned. “Besides… even if we’re not trying to conceive yet, that doesn’t mean we aren’t having plenty of fun ‘practicing’… if you get my drift.”

A wide-eyed moment passed between the girls’ group before all five of them burst out laughing.

--------------------

“So what were you all laughing about over there?” Ranma leaned against a table, lacing the fingers of his right hand through Akane’s left. “Some kinda big joke?”

“Just girl stuff,” she replied airily. “You should know better than to pry into that, ‘Captain Solo’.”

“I get the message, ‘Your Highness’.”

“Looked like you guys were pretty caught up in your own clique as it was,” she added, looking both at Ranma and also at Shingen, who had just crossed to the table and set his giant foam sword down. “So how’re they all doing, I only got a few news snippets from the girls.”

“Eh, we didn’t talk about personal stuff too much,” Shingen answered, shifting his wig for the ninth time that night. “We finally figured out Daisuke’s the one dressed up as MegaMan, Hiroshi’s in the Zero outfit…”

“But we still don’t know who that Master Chief dude is,” Ranma groaned. His eyes scanned the room, finally catching sight of the armored guest in a far corner. “Yeah, there he is, chatting with that… that guy in the Gothic clothes with the white hair over there.”

Shingen looked where Ranma was indicating. “You mean the pretty-boy dressed like Castlevania’s Alucard?”

“Yeah, that’s the one… about the same height as the Chief, kinda pale. Come ta think of it, I dunno who that is either.”

“Well whoever they are, those are some amazingly good costumes,” Akane murmured. “I guess we could always just ask them…”

“Tried that. All the Chief said was ‘wait and find out’, then left.” Ranma rolled his eyes, then smirked. “Speaking of mystery people, you should’ve seen Ryoga’s face when I told him who the lady in the Metroid armor was.”

“Heh; he wasn’t the only one surprised, Mousse had to triple-take when Ranma spilled the beans,” Shingen added.

“You’re kidding… you mean none of them realized that’s Miss Hinako in there?”

Ranma shook his head. “Nope. Guess they were expecting her to be kid-sized, like she used to be… so then we had to explain what happened last month when you an’ me were going through Happi’s old stuff and found that scroll. Ya know, the one detailing what he did to make her a ki vampire an’ all.”

“Talk about a headache,” Shingen groaned. “I never want to try and reverse-engineer something like that again. And for that matter, neither does my sister.”

“Oh, stop complaining, man. We did her a big favor, right? She said she was flat-out tired of slippin’ between ages all the time; fact is if we hadn’t found that scroll she mighta been stuck that way for life.”

“That’s not the point, Ranma; it would’ve been a lot simpler to just realign her ki to normal, rather than reworking the whole damn thing. Why the hell would she want to keep her ki-draining power anyway?”

“That,” said Akane, “would be because it makes a very effective disciplinary tool.”

“Don’t remind me; she may’ve relaxed some in the last month but I still keep watchin’ my back to make sure she doesn’t zap me. Maybe it ain’t quite as nasty as it was, but that trick still hurts a lot.” Ranma cracked his neck, then turned to look at Akane. “Anyway, that’s about all we really talked about… except one last thing, and you gotta promise not to blab this, okay?”

Akane blinked, then nodded. “Okay, my lips are sealed. So what’s up?”

Ranma looked around, then opened his mind to hers via the Astral. Ryoga asked me to help him with finding something special… seeing as he can’t find his way to the jewelry store by himself. He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. He’s plannin’ on asking Akari to marry him.

Akane’s face lit up; it was all she could do to keep from gasping too loudly. Are you SERIOUS? Oh, my word… oh, Akari’s going to be so happy! She was just saying she was hoping he’d… when’s he going to do it?

I think he’s planning on Christmas, Ranma replied. An’ like I said, I went ahead and said I’d help him scout a ring… but I think I’m gonna need your help on that as well, Acchan. I ain’t too good at jewelry…

Akane squeezed his hand gently. Hey, I’m no expert either, but I’d love to help out. And don’t worry, I promise I won’t say a word. Just then a third mind joined their conversation.

Don’t mean to interrupt, Shingen said Astrally, but I think Kasumi’s getting ready to announce the cosplay winners. He pointed to the raised platform at one end of the dojo where they had held the pumpkin-carving contest. Kasumi and Nabiki were both there in their Aerith and Major Kusanagi outfits, respectively, as well as the judges- Dr. Tofu, Nodoka, and Miss Hinako(with her armor's visor still down). Shingen straightened up and picked up his Buster Sword, sauntering in Ukyo’s direction. “Once they announce the winners, it’s pretty much dancing and music till we drop, right?”

“I think that was the plan,” Ranma replied. “And ya know something… this has probably been the best damn party we’ve had yet. Not a single interruption all night.”

“Amen to that,” Akane laughed as Kasumi signaled for the partygoers’ attention.

“STOP THIS MOCKERY OF A CELEBRATION AT ONCE!”

Everybody froze as a fury-tinged, electronically altered voice boomed through the closed door, a mere instant before the door slammed open. Black armor glinted in the light of the hall as a great figure dressed as Darth Vader strode arrogantly into the room. “I have heard much of this… soiree,” the Sith Lord purred in a menacing basso, “and found it most insulting that a noble such as myself was not graced with an invitation. Even more so, that such an event should proceed with encouraging the continued presence of that cretinous Saotome in the house of the fair Akane Tendo!” A black-gloved hand disappeared inside Vader’s cloak, emerging a moment later with a stylized bokken, painted red and black like a lightsaber. “It is long past time I executed justice upon this VILLAIN!”

Spoke too goddamned soon… “KUNO!” Ranma’s hands balled into fists; his aura began bleeding outward, giving the impression he was on fire. “What the hell are you doing here? I thought they’d locked you up for good last time!”

“Bah! As if such confinement could restrain a noble warrior,” Kuno shot back, his voice returning to normal as he removed the face mask and voice modulator from his helmet. “I have languished long enough, Saotome. My scars have healed, and I return far stronger than you remember. Now we finish this, and you shall relinquish the hand of Akane Tendo now and forever!”

Akane’s eyes were burning as she took a step forward. “First off, you have no right to be here, you sick freak,” she snarled. “And second, you see this?” She thrust her left fist forward, displaying a silver band with a blue-white diamond on her ring finger. “My name is Akane Saotome now, and I really have no desire to be ‘freed’ as you put it, so why don’t you take that bokken and shove it up your ass!”

Kuno’s eyes widened for a millisecond, then his scowl hardened. “LIES! THE FIEND HAS ENSORCELED THEE STILL!” He pulled his ‘lightsaber’ back… there was a snap and a rush of air, and Kuno found his sword immobilized by a black gymnast’s ribbon.

“Stop. This. Now,” Kodachi spat, glaring at Kuno with every ounce of hatred built up from their dysfunctional childhood. “I know not how you got out of the institute, Tatewaki… whether you fooled them into thinking you were cured or just bribed someone, I care not. You cannot continue like this, not now! I won’t allow it, niisan! You are…” She got no further as a stinging smack echoed through the room; she staggered back, a red mark on her left cheek.

“I well remember your treachery, dear sister,” Kuno sneered, flexing his left fingers. “Turning against thine own blood, aiding and abetting the monster when I had him at my mercy. And I will tend to thee soon enough, once this wastrel Saotome is defeated once and for… ALL…” His voice rose several octaves as Ranma darted in with near-godlike speed and open-palm struck him in the codpiece, which promptly broke.

“That is enough, jerkwad. I ain’t gonna stand here and let you wreck this party! OR hurt anybody more than ya already have!”

Kuno staggered back two paces, clutching at his crotch before lunging forward again, swinging his bokken clumsily. “I… fight… ON!”

“HEY, DUMBASS!” The sudden shout caught Kuno’s ear, making him freeze and turn slightly. The next thing he felt was Ryu Kumon’s knuckles in his gut and a cross fist to the cheek, dislocating his jaw. “That was for not only hitting your own sister, but someone I happen to care for, got it? Now get the hell out of here!” Kuno wobbled around, regained some composure and tried to attack once again… there was a sudden rush, the CRACK of wood meeting his plastic Vader helmet… and Kuno lay sprawled unconscious on the dojo floor, knocked out cold by a simple rattan staff.

Kasumi glared daggers at the comatose swordsman before brushing her hair back and shifting her staff from one hand to the other. “Oh my, I guess I didn’t watch where I was going. I’m so sorry, Kuno-san.” Nabiki didn’t say anything, but stared bug-eyed at her sister for a moment before slinging her SMG over one shoulder and grabbing Kuno’s wrists to drag him out, cursing at him under her breath… when more unexpected guests burst in the door.

“OH, OSCAR! Is this where you’ve been? Your little Azusa’s been worried sick about you!” Genma-panda’s eyes went wide and he tried to get away, but quickly found himself in the death grip of Azusa Shiratori, who was dressed in a ridiculously flamboyant outfit that seemed to combine every last Sailor Moon costume into one. Right behind her was Mikado Sanzenin in full Tuxedo Mask regalia; after taking a moment to extricate Genma from Azusa’s glomp he proceeded to apologize to the nearest woman- who happened to be Nodoka- for disrupting the festivities. She accepted his apology at first, impressed and somewhat flattered by his manners, but her mood shifted abruptly when he attempted to kiss her, without permission, as a ‘token of his sincerity’.

That attempt resulted in a red mark on his cheek and a controlled berating from Nodoka. “I would have you know I am a married woman, and I do not take such brazen treatment lightly,” she huffed. Mikado tried to pacify her- while leaning in for another kiss- but that earned him another slap and the ire of both Ranma and Akane, not to mention the fact that Azusa had started another temper tantrum and was beating him over the head with the punch ladle.

Kasumi, Nabiki and Miss Hinako set about trying to restore order as best they could, either by pleas or intimidation while Ryoga and Mousse set about trying to lug Kuno out the door- but they got nowhere fast as Shampoo’s old rivals Rink and Pink appeared out of the blue and violently charged the purple-haired Amazon. Several guests got pushed and shoved as the twins made a beeline for Shampoo; one girl in a ghost costume was thrown back into Miss Hinako, causing the teacher to lose her Samus helmet and fall to the ground.

Rink shouted a few hurried apologies as Pink grappled Shampoo around the midsection and tried to force an herbal sleep dust down her throat- and the next thing the twins knew, their arms were bound at their sides by a length of dark green ribbon and they found themselves being pulled out of the fray by the person dressed as Master Chief. He tossed them towards Mousse, who was heading in Shampoo’s direction- and the next second, Master Chief was on the floor, his helmet cracked by someone descending through the roof above. That ‘someone’ just happened to be Mariko Konjo, the combat cheerleader, who shrieked and lunged at the unconscious Kuno while swearing to defeat whoever dared to injure her ‘sweetheart’.

“This is ridiculous!” Akane hollered as another sudden arrival filtered through the door- a frantic Hikaru Gosunkugi dressed in full Shinto regalia, chased by an enormous pack of local hooligans in animal masks and school uniforms intent on both crashing the party and beating Gosunkugi up. Once in, of course, they quickly found any excuse to butt heads with whoever happened to be nearby, forcing Akane and Ranma to jump in as riot-breakers. “What the hell is going on, where are all these people coming fr…”

A sudden sensation hit her as her Hunter-sharpened senses picked up something on the periphery of the house; her eyes narrowed and her fists clenched. Ranma, you feel something funny?

You too, huh? He spun around where he was, locking eyes with her and nodding. Both of them looked around and finally caught sight of Shingen across the hall and near the door; he had lost his Cloud wig and was dealing with a belligerent member of the hooligans by wrestling him to the ground. Next to him, two more party crashers were making some unwelcome advances on Ukyo, and she was dissuading them with her fists. However, she was also having to deal with the unexpected arrival of Tsubasa Kurenai, who was nuzzling her leg in a ridiculously yellow and cross-eyed chocobo costume.

Hey Shin! Ranma shouted through the Astral, you feel that? There’s something just outside the…

“Yeah, I feel it too,” Shingen snarled as he tossed his party crasher away and gave Ukyo a quick assist with her assailants. “Of all the lousy times for them to pull a stunt like this.” He groaned and gripped the handle of his Buster Sword prop, ripping it perpendicular to the foam blade; Styrofoam flew everywhere, revealing his ubiquitous naginata within. “Hold on, I’ll be right back.” He looked at Ukyo apologetically, shrugged, then sprinted out the door while Ranma and Akane leapt back into the mix, frantically trying to restore order. Several more gatecrashers and Mikado wound up getting knocked senseless, Soun was crying like a fountain and Nabiki was on the verge of firing her AirSoft gun into the crowd, when Miss Hinako struggled back to her feet and pointed her costume’s gun-arm at the strongest concentration of rowdies.

“This is… beyond forgivable! I will NOT permit ANY further delinquency tonight! HAPPO GO-EN SATSU!”

That brought the ruckus to a screeching halt as all the rowdies dropped to their knees; Akane was able to pull Ukyo away from the ki-drain field while Ranma snared Ryoga at the last instant. A few seconds later, the sound of Shingen’s irritated kiai echoed back through the door, followed by a demonic squeak and a sharp popping sound.

Moments later the tall Hunter plodded back through the dojo door, muttering vile epithets about Chaos Imps sitting on people’s doorsteps.

--------------------

“What a night.”

Nabiki groaned and tossed a plastic cup in the garbage. “Yeah… one for the ages, little bro.”

The hall was gradually emptying, guests and gatecrashers alike drifting out the door- in some cases, dazed and confused. Nobody was keen on riling up Miss Hinako again, and for a number of people the party mood had begun dropping the instant Kuno had stomped in. They had tried to get back in the mood, but eventually the consensus was it was all downhill once the riot was over.

Several officials from the Nerima Psychiatric Institution had arrived shortly after the bedlam, whisking Kuno away in an ambulance and apologizing profusely for their part in his antics. Apparently he had playacted his recovery to the extent that one of the nurses signed a release granting him a supervised day out. Once outside the institute, he had knocked his ‘minder’ senseless and escaped, and they had spent the rest of the day tracking him down. The officials assured Soun it wouldn’t happen again and offered to pay for damages, but as Kuno hadn’t actually done any damage the family figured the point was moot.

“I shoulda known better than to open my big fat mouth,” Ranma griped. “An’ Kasumi worked so hard on this…”

“Not your fault, my friend.” Shingen was pushing a broom across the floor while Ukyo and Akane were saying goodbye to a few departing guests. “It was that stupid freak that set up a Chaos Attractor point on the doorstep, that’s probably what did it.”

“An imp on the doorstep…” Nabiki shot Shingen a hooded glare. “Excuse me, but didn’t you and your dad set up a stronger shield over our house to prevent crap like that?”

“It didn’t get inside, Nabiki. It just sat on the front gate and waited; I would’ve felt it a lot sooner but Chaos Imps are a lot sneakier than run-of-the-mill Imps. They don’t even register on my senses until chaos starts to balloon like it did!”

Ranma rolled his eyes. “Guess that makes it the… um, how many times have parties in the dojo fallen apart by now?”

“Too many,” came Akane’s reply as she rejoined the others. “And here I was looking forward to finding out who won the Costume Contest.”

“Me too, sugar,” Ukyo piped up, Akari and a nearly straw-free Ryoga joining her. “Would’ve been nice to see who won Best Couple… though I’m pretty sure me an’ Shin-kun were a shoo-in,” she added with a grin and a wink.

“Oh, really?” Ranma’s cocky grin returned. “And what makes ya so sure me an’ Akane wouldn’t have won?”

“Ranma, the fact that Mom was one of the judges doesn’t automatically mean she would’ve voted for us, she did promise to be impartial.” Akane paused, then glanced between Ryoga and Akari, then to Shampoo and Mousse who were heading out the door but paused long enough to wave. “Fact is you two looked pretty good, and so did they. I dunno who would’ve won.”

“Personally,” a muffled voice interrupted, “I think you all looked wonderful tonight… and even if the party did end on a sour note, everybody really seemed to like it.” Everyone turned; it was the Master Chief, his gold visor cracked and the guest dressed as Alucard next to him. “Still… I have to admit to some personal preference.” He undid the clasp holding his helmet and pulled it off, followed by several people’s jaws dropping. “If it were up to me, Ukyo-sama and Shingen-san would definitely have been a favorite to win… but then, that would be too biased.”

Ukyo’s jaw was the first to re-engage. “Ko… Konatsu?”

“Fooled you, didn’t I?” The armor-clad kunoichi giggled; Alucard snickered in a highly bishounen manner. “Thought I’d try something different for a change tonight.” Ukyo blinked, smirked, then burst out laughing. Ranma quickly followed suit, as did Akane; the others confined themselves to stares or amused smiles.

“So that’s what you meant when you said you had a ‘prior engagement’ tonight and couldn’t come!’ Ukyo chortled. “You just did that to throw me off, didn’t ya?”

“What can I say? I couldn’t bear to miss the expression on your faces,” Konatsu drawled.

“Damn, man… never woulda expected that one!” said Ranma, shaking his head. “You know, I was goin’ crazy tryin’ to figure it out; hell, for a second I thought ya mighta been Gosunkugi but that didn’t feel right…”

“There, you see, Natsu-chan?” said the Alucard cosplayer in a surprisingly high voice. “If you’d only told them it would’ve saved them a lot of mental anguish.” The tone was reproving, but playful.

Akane blinked. Natsu-chan? “Say, on the subject of costumes and who’s dressed as what…” She looked at the pretty-boy vampire inquisitively. “Pardon my asking but I haven’t been able to place you all night. Do we know each other?”

“Yeah, no offense man, but I’ve been drawin’ a blank myself. Damn nice outfit though,” Ranma added. “Probably a shoo-in for Best Solo Costume if you ask me, bro.” Alucard said nothing, but shook his head and blushed.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I totally forgot my manners.” Konatsu reached over and took Alucard by the hand- which caused more than one person to double-take.

“This is Aiko Sawamura… and, well… I guess you could say… she’s my girlfriend.”

Ryoga’s eyes were wide as saucers. “Your… huh?” That guy’s really a GIRL? Next to him, Akari wasn’t saying anything but had another starry-eyed look on her face.

“It’s a funny thing, really,” Aiko/Alucard was saying as she tugged at her silver hair; the wig came off, revealing a head of close-cropped spiky blond hair that was a tad on the masculine side. “See, I work at a salon where Natsu would come in to get his hair and nails done, and I just couldn’t help but wonder about him, he seemed like an awful sweet guy… so about three months back, we struck up a conversation over his manicure… one thing led to another and, well…” She looked at Konatsu, smiled and gave his hand a squeeze.

Ranma’s face faded from disbelief to amusement. Well, I’ll be damned, he whispered Astrally. And here I thought the guy might still be pinin’ over Ucchan.

Akane slipped her arm through his and shot him a knowing look. Stranger things have happened, ‘Captain Solo’.

He nodded, surveying the remnants of the party briefly before looking back at her warmly. You can say that again, ‘Leia’. You can say that again…

--------------------

“I’m so sorry it had to end that way, dear…” Nodoka and Kasumi sat on the steps of the empty training hall, Kasumi still in her costume, Nodoka in her usual kimono. “I know you worked so hard on everything, you wanted it to be perfect… why those people felt they had a right to behave as they did, I’ll never know…”

Kasumi sighed, then looked up with a slight smile. “No, it’s not so bad, Auntie. In truth, I suppose it could have been a lot worse.” She smoothed out her pink dress with one hand. “And to be honest, a small part of me was prepared for the possibility. After all… there aren’t many days here that go by without interruption.”

Nodoka paused, then nodded slowly. “I know that… believe me, I know that well. But even so…”

“It really could have been a lot worse, Auntie. I still remember last year’s Christmas party, back when things were still so hectic between everyone… I wish I’d been able to invite you, but at the same time, you did get spared a good deal of bad blood and scuffling.” Kasumi paused, then nodded to herself. “Not to mention the first wedding falling apart completely…”

“That one I remember too clearly,” Nodoka chuckled.

“Yes, that was a hard day for us all… and a lot worse than what happened tonight.” She turned her head to look directly at the Saotome Matriarch. “Besides, everybody had fun with the games, we got to dance and enjoy the food… so apart from the final contest, everything went pretty much the way I had hoped.” Her smile brightened a bit. “Not to mention, there really isn’t much bad blood between the people I invited any longer… so I’m not disappointed.”

Nodoka looked at Kasumi for a long moment and smiled warmly. You really are stronger than you let on, dear. There aren’t many people who could pick themselves up the way you are, shrugging it off and getting on with things. She reached over and squeezed Kasumi’s hand. “Well, so long as you feel you and the others had a good time, that’s what really matters, I suppose.” She paused, then frowned. “Though I do fully intend to have a long talk with that Kuno ruffian, assuming he’ll be lucid enough to talk to.”

Kasumi’s smile turned devious for an instant. “To be perfectly honest, Auntie… hitting that sick young man felt really, really good.” Nodoka blinked in surprise, then giggled as Kasumi started to laugh as well.

“I think we’ve got everything cleaned up now…” Dr. Tofu’s voice wafted out from the house, followed a moment later by him. “Are you feeling any better, Kasumi?”

She nodded and got up, smiling warmly as he took her hand. “I’m doing just fine… Tofu.” She blushed slightly; it was still a new thing for her, addressing him in a familiar way, but something she was determined to get used to. “We were just having a chat about how the party went. Is Nabiki around?”

Tofu nodded, slipping his ‘mad scientist’ specs off his face and replacing them with his regular glasses. “She’s washing that tinted hair gel out right now; said purple was nice for tonight but it might not go over so well back at Waseda.”

“I suppose it wouldn’t- and she probably wouldn’t want to get hair dye on her pillows either.” Kasumi reached behind her and began undoing her Aerith hair braid. “What about Ranma and Akane?”

“They decided to get a late-night snack down at Miss Kuonji’s place. I think Mr. Yamashira, Mr. Hibiki and Miss Unryuu went with them, they said they wouldn’t be long.”

“And Father?”

“He’s getting some aspirin for Mr. Saotome; apparently one of the gatecrashers collided with his bad knee.” The doctor shook his head. “I’ve applied some acupressure therapy, but it didn’t seem to help much.”

“Oh dear… I’d best go have a look at him, then. Excuse me, Kasumi,” said Nodoka as she got up and headed off to find her husband.

Dr. Tofu turned and brushed Kasumi’s hair lightly. “I wish those idiots hadn’t interrupted, we were all having such a good…”

“Tofu, it’s okay,” Kasumi giggled. “I swear, if one more person apologizes for the Halloween party not ending well, I may just have to scream.”

He started and laughed sheepishly. “Sorry. Force of habit, I guess.” He scratched his head, sighed and looked up at the sky. “And right before we were about to judge the costumes, too…”

“Maybe that was for the best,” Kasumi mused. “There were so many creative outfits, I’m sure it was hard to choose between them all.”

“That, I won’t deny.” Tofu paused, then laughed. “Actually, I would’ve loved to see your father and Mr. Saotome’s faces; they were one of my two nominations for Best Couple.” Kasumi started, then started giggling right along with him.

“And who was your other nomination?”

He nodded, adjusting his glasses. “That would have been your sister and brother-in-law… but I will admit a small amount of bias. I’ve always been a sucker for Star Wars. And as for Best Solo costume, well…” He raised one eyebrow and gave her a meaningful look, which she caught quickly.

“Tofu, that’s awfully sweet of you, but I told you I wasn’t going to be in the contest.”

“I know that… but it would’ve been nice to be able to nominate you, Kasumi.”

She smiled warmly. “Well, I appreciate the thought, ‘Dr. Frankenstein’.” She stepped a bit closer, slipping her arm through his. “So… walk me home?”

Tofu blinked and chuckled. “Kasumi, we’re at your home.”

“Then maybe just walk me to the stairs,” she giggled playfully. They turned towards the door and were just about to step inside, when something made Kasumi turn back.

“Something wrong?”

She blinked, looking at the sky above the training hall intensely, but didn’t see anything other than clouds and the moon. After a few long seconds, she shook her head. “No, nothing’s wrong… just thought I saw something for a moment. Must’ve been my imagination.” She paused and ran a finger under her chin in contemplation. “But somehow… it felt very familiar…”

“Well, according to Mr. Yamashira, Halloween is a time of spirits and strange happenings,” Tofu quipped in an amused tone. “Perhaps a friendly ghost drifted by to say hello.”

Kasumi giggled. “Oh, Tofu, don’t be so silly. It’s probably just my mind playing tricks on me.” She yawned. “Dear me… I didn’t think I’d feel this tired…”

“Then perhaps I’d best take you home, fair lady.” She smiled at that, and arm in arm they crossed the few steps up to the main house, closing the door behind them.

--------------------

Her mind hadn’t played tricks on her. While the holiday itself may have been Western, the night did lend its power to the spirits of the world- whether in Japan or mainland Asia, Europe to the Americas. In many places, benign spirits were watching over the living. Some were of the more mischievous bent- playing odd but relatively harmless illusory pranks on the living, but nowhere near the sociopath mischief of Imps and demons. Others were merely there to watch, freed from the Land of the Dead to roam the world for one night.

One such spirit hung in the air, watching over the Tendo dojo. A spirit that Kasumi had very nearly caught sight of. A spirit who had watched many years over the house, had seen many chaotic events occurring, and could do nothing but observe. In some cases, events had made the spirit very sad or angry… but there were other events that brought great joy.

The only greater joy would have been to be alive and playing an active role in their lives, but as a benign spirit it was not possible. Watching was the only thing she could do, and even then not as often as desired.

My babies, the spirit said quietly, a wan smile on her face. You’ve all grown into such fine young women, but you had to endure so much… so many things I could have helped you through. I wish I had been there for you, I SHOULD have been there for you. You and your father, both…

So many years... I never wanted to leave, not the way I did, I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving you. I know you, Soun, took it harder than anybody else… you always were a softie at heart, even if that did make you more susceptible to those foolish ideas of that Genma.

But our babies… especially our little Akane… it broke my heart to leave them, and then to see them in such pain as they grew up… A spectral tear ran down her cheek. Bless them all, they turned out well, but a little girl needs a mother. I never got to give you a hug when you played Romeo, Akane… never had a chance to hang Nabiki’s A++ math homework on the fridge, or have any of those mother-daughter talks I was saving for when all of you were older.

A long sigh, then a more bemused smile. And I certainly wasn’t expecting things to liven up the way they did when that young man in the pigtail wandered into your lives. Not quite what I was expecting in the way of a son-in-law… The bemused smile shifted to a softer, more genuine one. Seeing him now, though… I don’t think I could have asked for anyone better. Especially for my youngest…

Her eyes traveled along the road, catching two teens in Star Wars costumes walking towards the house on the fence rail, talking and laughing. You’ve been there for her so many times, Ranma, even when you traded epithets back and forth, it wasn’t hard to see that she would fall for you. Even if neither of you saw it at first…

But more than that… you helped her learn to love and smile again. You’ve no idea how much that means, after so many years of seeing my baby angry or sad. Especially after the things that disgusting Kuno boy put her through.

Her spectral outline began to fade. I can tell things won’t be easy for you, given all the other things I’ve seen… and it hardly needs mentioning that some of what I watched was truly terrifying. Makes me wish all the more that I could do something to be of use.

But at the same time… She nodded to herself and smiled. I know things will turn out just fine. You’ve all become so strong; even Soun’s beginning to return to his old self these days. Makes me think I don’t need to worry so much after all.

A few words whispered through the wind as the spirit of Michiko Tendo vanished and returned to her rest.

I love you all… and I’ll be watching.

--------------------

Epilogue

--------------------

Ranma made his way upstairs, not really tired- just the sort of relieved exhaustion one gets after a long evening, but not so exhausted he was ready to fall asleep on a dime. He pulled his black costume vest off slowly, smirking at a memory of Hiroshi tripping and falling on his face during the marshmallow race. Yeah, not a half bad night actually, once ya discount the mob incident. As he reached the upper landing, he glanced around for some sign of activity. “Akane? You up here?”

“I’m in our room,” came a voice from down the hall. “Everything okay downstairs?”

“Pretty much.” He slung the vest over one shoulder casually. “Pops’ leg gave out again, so he an’ Mom decided to go ahead an’ accept your dad’s offer to stay the night. I offered to patch it with some ki therapy but I think he an’ Soun really just wanted to play some more shogi.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me,” was the amused reply. “Now c’mon in already- and close the door behind you.”

“Huh? Uh, okay…” Ranma quirked an eyebrow, then shrugged and tugged the handle of their bedroom door, flipping it open, then slipping in and closing it all in one fluid motion. “Any reason why ya wanted me to… whoa…”

His mouth disengaged instantly the moment he turned and saw Akane on their bed. She was still dressed as Princess Leia, but the Hoth snowsuit had been replaced by a very revealing Jabba’s Palace slave costume. The detail was almost perfect, from the harem-style skirt to the bra that looked like metal but probably wasn’t. She was reclining on a pillow in a manner that would have given a younger Ranma a severe nosebleed, and more than that, she was actually wearing a collar and chain that she toyed with between her fingers.

Akane looked at him and threw him a sultry smile. “Happy Halloween, Ranma.”

“Uh… er… whoa…” Fortunately, the deer-in-headlights reaction was something he’d lost not long after their wedding. He swallowed hard and took a step towards the bed, dropping his vest. “When did you get that, Acchan? I thought you said there was no way you were gonna wear that version…”

“Actually,” she drawled, rolling up to a seated position, “all I said was there was no way I’d wear the Leia slave outfit in public.” She stood up slowly and ran one finger up his chest. “I never said anything about not wearing it in private, silly.”

Ranma’s eyes widened as comprehension hit. “Ohhhh… so, then this was something you…”

“I thought maybe… you and I might have a little private cosplay of our own, Captain Solo.” Akane reached behind his head, grasped his hair and pulled him into a soul-searing kiss. About a minute later, they pulled apart slightly to catch their breath. “Besides… you never did finish your massage.”

Ranma shook his head and smiled. “You really do amaze me sometimes, my kawaii tomboy.”

“Come here, you big dummy,” she giggled, tugging on his shirt and pulling him onto the bed. It wasn’t long afterward that both their costumes fell to the floor in one giant heap.

A moment of peace and bliss, on All Hallows Eve in Nerima.

The End

--------------------

Author’s Note: This story is not meant to be taken ultra-seriously, it was a simple concept I dreamed up towards the tail end of The Truth and the Tempest. I got the idea that at some point, Ranma and Akane’s friend Shingen would have had ties to American Hunters, and thus the concepts of Halloween wouldn’t be as alien to him. The truth is, Halloween isn’t recognized in Japan- which I mentioned early on- but cosplay is quite well-known, so an experimental Halloween party might not be that odd.

It took me a long time to come up with suitable costume concepts for everyone, and I wound up changing my mind a lot. Initially it was going to be an all Final Fantasy theme party, but not all the Ranma cast would necessarily know those characters. So I started going with character concepts and what might be likely. It’s possible there are better costumes out there for the characters, but I couldn’t think of them.

Yes, I didn’t have any established winners of the costume contest- which is my (very) little nod to Rumiko Takahashi’s style of writing. Always leave ‘em wondering. Besides, it wouldn’t be Ranma if there wasn’t an interruption… right?

A quick and utterly redundant rundown(also a source credit list) on who was who. Kasumi: Aerith Gainsborough, FF7. Dr. Tofu: Dr. Frankenstein, numerous sources. Ranma and Akane: Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa, The Empire Strikes Back. Genma, Nodoka and Soun: Mario, Princess Peach and Luigi, Super Mario Brothers. Hinako Ninomiya: Samus Aran, Metroid. Akari and Ryoga: Dorothy and the Scarecrow, The Wizard of Oz. Shingen and Ukyo: Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockhart, FF7: Advent Children. Nabiki: Major Motoko Kusanagi, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Daisuke and Hiroshi: MegaMan X and Zero, the MegaMan X game series. Sayuri: Lara Croft, Tomb Raider. Yuka: Chun-Li, the Street Fighter series(and a reference to a throwaway line in Truth and the Tempest where Akane mentions Yuka being a Street Fighter fanatic). Shampoo and Mousse: Ayane and Hayate, Dead or Alive 3. Cologne: a witch. Kodachi Kuno: Lulu, FFX. Ryu Kumon: officially, no costume. Picolette Chardin II: Zorro, from numerous sources. Tatewaki Kuno: Darth Vader, the Star Wars trilogy. Azusa Shiratori: every Sailor Senshi from Sailor Moon. Mikado Sanzenin: Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Moon. Tsubasa Kurenai: chocobo, any Final Fantasy game. Konatsu Kenzan: Master Chief, Halo. My O.C. Aiko Sawamura: Alucard, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

Most other characters appearing had no designated costumes; they just happened to show up. And yes, I did make an effort to include characters that didn’t show up in my previous epic, even if only for a moment.

Hopefully you’ve enjoyed this little ‘sequel’ to my previous work. I have no further plans for this or The Truth and the Tempest, but both stories are open to other writers. If you’d like to write a side-story or addendum to either story, or a sequel, please contact me. And if you would be so kind as to leave a review on the way out, I’d appreciate it. Flames, however, are not appreciated.

Thank you for coming by, and Happy Halloween. Until next time.

Neon Ronin