Chapter Text
Outside the only sound was the wind howling as the snow quickly accumulated on the ground. It was peaceful, tranquil.
It was also in stark contrast to the full out screaming currently happening inside the Tendos' home.
"One Christmas Eve...that's all I asked for, Ranma!" Akane yelled at him from across the room. She was yelling at him, but she was faced away from him, her arms crossed tightly in anger. "I just asked you for one simple thing - and you couldn't even do that for me!"
Ranma was also determinedly not looking at Akane. "It's not like I told them to come, Akane. What the heck are you blaming me for?"
The 'them' in question were Kodachi, Shampoo and Ukyo. All three of whom were seated on the floor, munching away on Christmas snacks as they watched the back and forth between Akane and Ranma as though it were a tennis match. The Tendos and Saotomes seemed less interested in the current fight, though Nodoka did occasionally glance up and frown at her son.
"Did you go to even one of them and tell them that this Christmas we were going to spend it with just us and our families?!" Akane finally whirled around, just at the same moment Ranma decided to as well. Their eyes met, but they quickly looked away from each other.
"It is only right that I spend Christmas with my ai ren," Shampoo interjected.
"I need to give my Lord Ranma his Christmas present!" Kodachi held up a small present that was wrapped with black wrapping paper.
"And as his cute fiancée," Ukyo piped up, "It's only right that I spend Christmas Eve with Ranma." Akane bristled at the word 'cute', but said nothing. She glanced at each of the other fiancées (and Kodachi, who was the only one who didn't have that claim... even though she pretended she did). Akane crumpled.
"And I repeat," she finally said, looking at Ranma again, "Did you even ask them not to stay away?"
"I mean..." Ranma shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. "Look, I didn't tell 'em to come. I didn't tell 'em not to come, either, but only cause I didn't think they would."
"What planet have you been living on?!" Akane was back to shouting. "When have they ever waited for an invitation?! They're girls, not vampires!"
"Enough!" Kodachi stood up and moved herself between Ranma and Akane. "You may think you have more of a claim to dear Ranma because he lives with you, but our claims are just as valid. Or at least mine is-"
"You're the only one who didn't have some sort of marriage agreement?" Ukyo raised an eyebrow at Kodachi. Kodachi ignored her.
"My point being," Kodachi continued as though no one had interrupted her, "We have just as much of a right to spend the day with Ranma as you do. And if you asked him to tell us not to come by why...Lord Ranma certainly never spoke of that deal to me."
"Me neither," Ukyo and Shampoo chorused.
Ranma's face flushed from the guilt. It was true. He hadn't told any of the girls to stay away from the Tendos' that evening. Akane had asked, but ... well... "Since when do they ever do what I ask 'em to do?" He demanded. "If I had said something they still woulda come! Anyway, Nabiki's the one who answered the door and let them in, why not be mad at her?!"
Akane grumbled. Ranma did have a point - saying something probably would have done nothing to deter the other girls. But the problem right now was that he hadn't even tried. If he had done as she asked, she wouldn't have been so mad right now. Irritated, sure. And honestly... probably still mad. But it would have been directed at the other fiancées, and not at Ranma as it was now.
"Don't drag me into your weird love life," Nabiki said, looking up from her noodles. "No one told me they weren't supposed to come. And anyway, what does it matter? This is how this always ends up."
"Yeah, see?" Ranma nodded in agreement with Nabiki. "This is what always happens. So what are you gettin' mad at me for?!"
"Never mind," Akane said, her tone emotionless. It sent a chill up Ranma's spine. "It's fine. Everything's fine. You can just sit here with all your other fiancées and have a fine Christmas Eve. And I will just go to my bedroom. Goodnight." She stomped off in the direction of her room, but Ranma immediately started following her.
"Don't be like that, Akane," He insisted. "Nabiki's right, this is just how things sort of always end up."
Akane opened the door to her room and stepped in, then partially closed the door, just enough to keep Ranma out. "You're right, Ranma. This is how it always ends up. So maybe, just maybe, you could realize why that's a problem for me. Maybe my Christmas gift to you should be me dropping the engagement. Then you can spend Christmas Eve with Ukyo, Christmas day with Shampoo and New Years with Kodachi." She slammed the door shut.
Ranma banged on the door. "Akane, it's not like that! I'm sorry, okay? Just open up and talk to me, wouldya?"
She opened the door just enough to throw something at him. Ranma, as fast as he usually was, didn't react in time. Whatever it was it hit him hard in the head. Everything around him went a bit blurry and he fell into unconsciousness.
"Hmm. Are you dead?" Ranma felt someone poke him in the side. He sat up and looked around. He was still in the Tendos', but all the lights were off. It was also very quiet; he couldn't even hear the wind anymore.
Nabiki stood over him, regarding him curiously. But she was no longer wearing what she had been for the Christmas Eve get together. Instead, she was wearing a dress that reminded him of Santa Claus - red and trimmed in white faux fur. She also had the Santa cap on her head.
"Oh. Hi, Nabiki. How long was I out?"
"Oh, I'm not Nabiki."
"Ha ha, very funny," Ranma pushed off the floor and back up to standing. "Think your damn sister may have given me a concussion this time. Did she seriously knock me out and then go to sleep?" He started to try to knock at the door, but Nabiki grabbed his hand.
"She won't answer. And I told you, I'm not Nabiki. I'm Santa Claus."
"Ha ha. And I'm the Easter Bunny. Now seriously, I need to talk to that crazy sister of yours," he knocked, but there was no answer. "I'm coming in, Akane, you and me need to talk..." he pushed the door open, but Akane was not there. The room itself was completely empty. "What the hell's going on here?"
"Ranma Saotome," Nabiki adopted a very serious voice, "I am here to show you your future."
"Knock it off, Nabiki-"
She sighed. "Okay. So. I am Santa Claus. But...I needed to take a form you would be comfortable with being around. So I just look like Nabiki. And you can call me Nabiki to keep it simple. And I have adopted her mannerisms to make this easier for you-"
"Why not just show up as a fat guy with a beard?"
"I needed to take a form you weren't likely to try to punch," Nabiki... Santa Claus...whatever answered. "But seriously, go ahead and think of me as Nabiki. It will probably be easier for you to process this. But my Christmas gift to you is that we're going to deal with your indecisiveness and wishy-washness."
"Oh?" Ranma crossed his arms, but continued to look around Akane's room. It was freaking him out that no one was there. And the lack of all her personal belongings...he was starting to get scared. To try to cover it up, he kept up the conversation. "And how exactly are you going to do that?"
"We're in the future."
"Okaaay," Ranma drawled out, trying to figure out how that correlated with any of the other things Nabiki was saying.
"This is our future stop number one! I am going to show you what the future looks like with every one of your fiancées, so that you can make a choice."
"If you're Nabiki... or at least acting like her... doesn't that just mean you'll try to make it so that Akane looks like the best option?"
"I'm Santa Claus, such tricks are beneath me. And if you don't believe me...you will soon. Take my hand," She stretched out her hand, indicating for Ranma to grab a hold of it. He hesitated, but took it anyway. Sure it was weird, but he was getting anxious about the lack of Akane in her own room. Maybe whatever this crazy Santa/Nabiki was doing would at least help him find her.
Once he took her hand, the world started spinning and they were surrounded by a streak of golden light that shimmered like glitter. It made Ranma kind of dizzy. When the whirling finally stopped, they were in someone's back yard. Someone with a lot of money. The yard was enormous, the grounds clearly well tended to. The place looked pretty familiar to Ranma, actually...
"Why are we at the Kunos'?" He asked once the recognition sunk in.
"I told you we'd be looking at your future with each fiancée, didn't I?" Nabiki's tone was bored. "So first up is Kodachi-"
"Hey, nobody got a dowry off Kodachi, my pops never tried to arrange nothin' with her family and she's not from some crazy place with laws about who she has to marry. I'm not engaged to Kodachi in any way!"
"She considers herself a fiancée," Nabiki shrugged.
"So what? There's no way I could be dragged into marrying her crazy ass," Ranma snorted. But as he watched he saw himself... an older version of himself - he was taller and bigger now - come sit down in the middle of the backyard.
"Now in most futures, you're right. You wouldn't marry someone like Kodachi," Nabiki explained. "Unless... well, your father got sick. Really sick. Needed enough money to go to America for an experimental treatment. Kodachi offered the money, but the terms..."
"I had to marry her?" Ranma guessed. Nabiki nodded. "Can uh...Can the other me see me?"
Nabiki shook her head. "It's Christmas Carol rules," she explained. Ranma looked at her blankly.
"Have you seriously never read A Christmas Carol? Or seen one of the many movies about it?" he blinked at her. "Okay, fine. But get some culture, okay? It means that they can't see us or hear us. Nothing we do can change anything here. Now shush and watch, okay?"
Ranma sat in the snow, trying to keep his breathing even. "I know you're watching me. You can come out now."
Out of the shadows came Akane, who crossed to him and took a seat in the snow as well. Unlike him, she was dressed for the weather. She quickly took off her scarf and wrapped it around his neck.
"Wait... what's Akane doing here?" Ranma demanded.
"The first procedure didn't take," Nabiki explained. "Your father needed one more surgery, and Kodachi had only offered so much money. The only way to get the rest of it was... well, Akane also made a sacrifice."
"She married Kuno?!" Ranma yelped. He cycled through emotions quickly - anger, irritation, jealousy and...something he couldn't quite name. Akane had given up her future for him. It was so like her. It was so kind of her. It was so irritating of her. She was an angel. She was an idiot.
"Shhh," Nabiki held a finger to her lips. "It's about to get good, I can tell!"
"What are you doing out here in the cold?" Akane asked, brushing away some of the snow that had started to collect on Ranma's shoulders.
"Kodachi," Ranma shuddered, "She's been talking. She. Ugh. She wants us to start a family."
"Oh. ...Kuno said something similar lately. I guess their father has been after them for an heir."
"You're not going to do it, are you?" Ranma sat up, alarmed. He grabbed Akane's hands. "You can't have that guy's baby. I mean, I know you're married to him but... You're still leaving as soon as Pops is alright and back home, right?"
Akane shifted uncomfortably. "As best as I can. You know as well as me that the marriage contract the Kunos drew up makes divorce easier said than done."
"I know. But I'm working on it. For both of us."
They sat in the quiet for a while. But soon both Kodachi and Kuno appeared from out of the house. Akane and Ranma broke apart, both of them looking guilty.
"My dear sweet wife, surely you wish to come warm yourself inside by the fire with me?" Kuno suggested, grabbing Akane's hand and pulling her up to standing. "What are you doing with Saotome?" His eyes narrowed at Ranma, and then his attention went back to Akane. "I do not like when you spend time with him. Then must you speak of one that loved not wisely but too well."
"We're just talking," Akane insisted. "Ranma was giving me updates on his father."
"Hmm. I suppose that sounds of truth," He tried to maneuver Akane towards him, but she slipped out of his grasp. He chuckled and she faked a giggle. "So shy my wife is,"
"Something Lord Ranma need never worry about in his wife, brother dear," Kodachi smirked, also taking Ranma by the arm.
"But we do make handsome couples, don't we, my twisted sister?" He and Kodachi shared a laugh and Ranma and Akane both faked laughs as well. "Akane and I are retiring for the night. We shall see you both tomorrow, I'm sure."
"Yes, Ranma and I need to retire to our room," Kodachi agreed. She smirked when she saw Akane glaring at her. "Is something wrong, my dear sister-in-law?" She began rubbing up and down on Ranma's arm. "I merely wish to be with my husband. As I'm sure you wish as well."
"I-" Akane's face turned red, but she took a deep breath and exhaled it. "You're right, Kodachi. We'll see you and Ranma in the morning."
Kodachi and Kuno led their respective spouses off in the direction of the house. Ranma glanced back at Akane, his look longing. She caught him looking and gave him a small smile. Then both pairs were inside the house. The wind whistled through the estate, the snow falling down heavily. Soon their footprints were obscured, leaving no sign that anyone had been outside of the house at all.
Ranma stood in amazement. "What ..what are the odds of this happening?"
"You marrying Kodachi? It only happens if your father gets sick enough, and it's pretty rare. Only a few timelines look like that."
"And does Akane always marry Kuno? She hates him!"
Nabiki smirked. "And you hate Kodachi, but here you...well, that version of you.. are. But yes, if your father's first surgery doesn't take then Akane always marries Kuno to get him what he needs."
"Why would she do that?" Ranma asked in wonder, staring at the house.
"Hm. Why indeed," Nabiki shook her head. "I think you know exactly why Akane would do that. She only ever marries Kuno in the worlds where you need help that only the Kunos can provide. Don't worry too much about your father, he's usually okay."
Ranma nodded silently, still watching the Kuno house, willing Akane to come out of there. She was always trying to sacrifice herself for him. It filled him with a strange mix of anger and well...adoration. She would do just about anything for him, he knew, especially after seeing her go this far. He was torn between appreciating that about her and hating it. It was her best quality. It was her worst quality.
"Ready to move on?" Nabiki asked, adjusting her hat.
Ranma nodded. "Yeah. I think I've seen all I can stand here."