InuYasha Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ It was a Dark and Cloudless Night... ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

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

DISCLAIMER: I own neither Inuyasha nor Ranma1â„2 (ever wonder why we actually have these here? I mean I've never once heard of a manga artist trying to sue a fan. And it's not like we're trying to make money off of it.)

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"Grand-daughter, I sense a wild, evil-tinted aura." Cologne hopped on her staff over to where Shampoo was cleaning off tables after closing time. "Something tells me that this does not bode well for our situation with son-in-law."

"Great-grandmother not worry, Shampoo will make Ranma fall in love with her." Shampoo chirped, while she moved on to another table at the Cat CafÃ©. Cologne hopped after her.

"I have no doubt of that Shampoo, our honor requires the law be met, so I can continue to prepare you as an elder of the tribe. I am only suggesting we put our plans in action sooner. I fear this new aura will tilt the scale against our favor." She paused, to emphasize the importance of the training she had aborted to carry out the kiss of death she gave in China, which caused all this trouble. "Do you still have the vial I gave you?" Shampoo nodded and produced a small jeweled vial from her hair, "We use this to make Airen fall in love with Shampoo, yes?"

"Yes Granddaughter."

"Ok! Shampoo will take care of everything!"

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"Wait! No! That's not sugar! That's salt!" Kagome quickly snagged the bag of salt out of Akane's hands before she could add it to the main course.

"What are you talking about?! Of course this is sugar!" Akane balked at her friend's accusation. Kagome sighed losing the will to fight with the girl after the first five times she had to stop her from doing something wrong. She took a deep breath.

"Is it? Stick your finger in and taste it." Kagome commanded calmly. When Akane did as she was told she made a face.

"Yuck, I guess it is salt." She quickly turned away trying to hide her embarrassment and frustration and took it out on the vegetables she had gone to cut, and inadvertently the cutting board.

Kagome's spirits sunk. `This girl has some serious problems in the kitchen.' "Akane?" Kagome put her hand on the girl's shoulder getting her to stop chopping. "I think you need to go a bit more slowly, take your time." Kagome offered in a soothing voice, not wanting to get her worked up. `She's so defensive. I wonder why.'

"I'm doing fine, see?" Akane turned around and showed her the cutting board covered in sliced carrots and wood chunks.

"But look," Kagome moved the sliced aside and showed her the gouges she had put in the board with the knife, and then picked out a few pieces of wood. "See these? I'm sure they wouldn't taste very good."

Akane took the piece from Kagome's fingers with a look of horror. "It's no use!" She cried dejectedly. She knelt down on the kitchen floor.

Kagome knelt down next to her. "Come on Akane, giving up means you've given in, do you want that?”

Akane sniffed and shook her head.

Kagome smiled, "well then, let's get back to it."

"Hai."

For a while the two girls worked in silence.

"Akane?" Kagome was staring thoughtfully into a glass of cold water.

"Hmm?" Akane was heavily engrossed in mixing the batter for the Tempura-it was her third try-Kagome had to approve of anything she cooked by herself, and she was determined to get this one right.

"Have you seen Ryouga lately?"

"No, he tends to get lost a lot, why?"

"Just curious." `Gets lost? How can someone get lost so much?' She swirled the water around in the glass. Kagome had her suspicions but decided to keep them to herself until she was sure. She remembered the look of panic in the poor lost boy's eyes. `He must be hiding something.'

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Ranma! Dinner!" Akane skipped down the hallway light on her feet, after Kagome helped her, she felt her cooking had improved immensely.

Ranma was in the dojo deep in thought, sitting meditatively upside down cross-legged on his head. "Oh yeah?" He got up to follow out where Akane had left the door open for him.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Inuyasha sat in the dining room waiting for the food that his nose told him was almost done. An oddly familiar, yet different scent met his nose from the doorway. `Smells like Kagome. . . But not.' His hears flattened slightly at the strange smell. He was given an answer when Ranma entered the room from the dojo. His brow shot up and he growled slightly to cover up his shock at the similarity between Ranma and his Kagome's scent.

"What's your problem, dog-boy?" Ranma asked.

Before Inuyasha could come up with an answer, or decide if he was going to just ignore Ranma, the rest of the family came in to settle down around the table. The elder Saotome still hid in panda form, with his food bowl in front of him in the corner of the room.

Kasumi went into the kitchen to bring in the meal, any conversation that tried to be started died under the intensity of the glare Inuyasha was giving Ranma. `Why the fuck does he smell like Kagome?'

Soun cleared his throat in an attempt to break the tension.

Finally Ranma broke it himself. "What IS your problem dog-boy?"

"Keh, I don't like your smell, hime."

Ranma's brow twitched, he stood up from where he was sat on his side of the table. "Why I oughtta. . ."

Ranma was cut off as Kagome and Akane came in carrying dinner, Kasumi following behind with a proud smile on her face. "The girls offered to make dinner tonight." She beamed a smile at everyone then sat down next to Soun as Kagome and Akane laid out the food.

"Y-you mean you let HER cook?!" Ranma cried, already clutching his stomach in fear of its welfare.

"I've gotten better! Try it." Akane brought over a plate of wayward looking rice balls and kneeled in front of him. Ranma scooted away from the food.

"There's no way you're getting me to eat that!"

"Ranma!" Akane's smile turned into a scowl.

"No way!"

"...." Akane glared at Ranma.

"...." Ranma gave in turn.

"Oi." Inuyasha broke the silence looking more than a little annoyed. He wanted his dinner damn it! And their argument was keeping him from his food. He looked pointedly at Ranma. "You can cook, can't you?" His tone was completely serious.

"Yeah, what's your point?"

"You're her fiancÃ©e, so what does it matter so long as one of you can cook and guarantee your pups will be fed?" His ears twitched in annoyance at stating the obvious.

". . . Pups?" Akane and Ranma blinked, Kagome blushed slightly.

"He means kids." Kagome translated.

"Oh." They echoed, and sat down around the table deep in thought.

"Oi, Kagome, can we eat now?" Inuyasha didn't even bother to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

Kagome just stared at him for a second then smiled warmly. "Hai Inuyasha." She sat down next to him with her legs tucked beneath her and started to serve everyone.

Soun watched Inuyasha thoughtfully, `Who would've expected such insight from such a boy.' He sniffed regretfully, `If only my own son and daughter could see so clearly.' And so Soun wept for the future of his children.

Inuyasha looked at Soun incredulously. `I was warned the man cried excessively, but this is fucking ridiculous.'

There was a moment of silent munching until it dawned on them.

"Hey! Vis ib pitty goob!" Was Ranma's mouth-stuffed proclamation, voicing everyone's thoughts.

"Arigato, Kagome helped me." Akane blushed.

Soun was on his feet and at Kagome's side in an instant, her hands clasped between his, his waterworks going full force. "*sob* Have you cured my little girl?! *sob*"

Kagome sweatdropped. "Ano. . . There was nothing to cure. . ." Her words were lost in Soun's wailing. Her gaze shifted to Akane. Was this what this girl had to put up with all the time? For Akane's sake she hoped not.

Any further conversation was stopped abruptly by the rhythmic sound of cement shattering. The sound continued in an off-beat repetitive fashion, slowly getting louder. The panda got up and moved away from the wall. It was coming closer much more quickly, until the south wall itself imploded in and showered everyone with cement. When the dust cleared a purple haired girl had glomped onto Ranma.

"Nihao!"

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