Work Text:
*-*-*-*-*Ryoga*-*-*-*-*
“GET BACK HERE SAOTOME!” I leapt after the IDIOT. Thinking he can wave around a cask of jusenkyo water like that.
The redhead looked back at me, real rage in his eyes. “Back off blockhead!” He hopped from another roof, careful not to spill even a single drop of the stuff, not to drop it, his prized possession, his stupid cure! Waving it around in front of me like that, taunting me! How DARE he! If anyone needs a cure it’s ME, not him, what’s so bad about having such a cute huggable body anyways!? I could do rhythmic gymnastics without getting weird looks, get called cute, get free food and-
I snapped out of it, this isn’t about Ranma’s curse, it’s about my cure, about being rid of this little pig body! Even if sometimes it’s cute for Akane to-
HIBIKI RYOGA. Get your head out of the clouds, pull it right from out of your ass, and INTO THAT CASK OF WATER.
Ranma looked back at me from the next roof over, “This AIN’T fer you! This is MY freedom! My blessing! I’m gonna get rid ‘a the stupid body once ‘n fer all!”
I clenched my knuckles tight and saw him shift his footing for his next leap. Carrying such an object so delicately makes you give up some unpredictability, makes you telegraph more. I got more strength in me, I gotta use it.
I launched myself to a weirdly familiar looking rooftop, the one he was about to hop to, I didn’t need as many jumps, just one big strong one, I used that to slam into him when he landed. It elicited a small “woah” from the redhead as he tried not to break the cask, real fear in his eyes.
Serves him right! It’s about to be mine!
We then both proceeded to plow through the rooftop down into the house, which looked even more familiar.
I didn’t have time to process that, some rapidly approaching footsteps meant that we wouldn’t have much time to ourselves. I took off one of my bandanas, sharpening it into a knife. Ready to plunge it into the cask, praying to spray the water over myself.
Ranma looked up with pleading eyes, full of… worry. “Ryoga I’m serious you don’t want this! This ain’t whatcha think it is!”
I pinned him down by his collarbone, and those steps got louder, as if they were pitter patters, and I swung down to burst open the cask.
“WRUF!”
I blinked, and my head swiveled.
SHIROKURO!?
THAT’S why this place looked so familiar! It’s my house! I knew I’d been around here before!
Just as I was about to curse Ranma for breaking into my home, the water hit me, the sweet release of pressure. Ranma held out his hand, trying to stop me from getting splashed. “NO!” His higher pitched voice was full of desperation, and he put his hand over the spot of impact.
The water didn’t have an easy release, so it just burst out from under her hands, the built up pressure releasing it across the whole room, and I felt a good part of my top get soaked.
I heard a voice nearby “Oh dear.” and then bare feet hitting the ground, running away for a bit.
I looked back up to Ranma.
Ranma still had red hair for some reason, I guess I got most of the water! I win! I did it! I cured my curse before he did!
I mean, it looked like he got splashed pretty good by it, but maybe it wasn’t enough?
His eyes were… remorseful. “R-Ryoga I’m so sorry, I didn’t- I- you must be feeling so dysphoric now and- I TOLD you not to but– I didn’t wanna– I couldn’t risk– I…”
I didn’t understand what he was talking about. I just let out a laugh as I struck a pose, pointing a finger in his face. “HAHHA, I GOT CURE–”
I blinked a few times in shock.
My voice was so much higher pitched.
Ranma gulped.
I slowly craned my head down, and I saw a much less bulky physique, slimmer, curvier, cuter , huggable!
I look so cute and huggable now!
And my voice! Oh god my voice! It sounds “So adorable!”
The redhead looked me up and down in a panic. “Huh?”
I shrunk in on myself a bit, but my voice couldn’t help but put a smile on my face. “O-Oh I said that last part out loud.”
I was feeling so giddy, so carefree, so weightless! I let out a breath I didn’t even know I was holding. I can’t believe it! I’m cured!
No more pig time is gonna be… Good. It’ll be good. I’ll miss being P-Chan sometimes, or being weightless and cradled nice and snug in someone’s arms, or scritched behind the ears and that stuff, but all things have a price. I’d rather be adorable and not get eaten! I’m gonna have to beat Ranma black and blue for trying to hold this back from me.
Speaking of Ranma, he seemed to be trying to preserve any of the remaining cursed water, muttering something about how he still owed ‘Natsu a favor.
Once he was sufficiently satisfied collecting as much of the water in the busted up cask as he could, an amount he seemed to grimace slightly at but eventually nodded, he looked back at me, his slight grimace growing slightly. “Ah… You good?”
I furrowed my brow, what a stupid question. “Wh- of COURSE I’m not good , you blew a hole in my house!” The small grin at my pretty squeaky voice may have slightly betrayed my feelings.
He let out a huff, “Well YOU did that, moron, and–” Ranma stopped himself, pinching the bridge of his nose, “Whatever, I mean like, about feelin’ itchy in that body. Like I imagine yer feelin’ like everything’s all wrong ‘n stuff right? I know how that feels-” He stopped himself, and a wobbly smile popped up on his face, “I knew how that felt ! HAH, I’m sooo testing this out in the furo later. ”
Wait a minute…
‘MY freedom!’
Why would Ranma
‘ My blessing!’
Want the girl spring?
My sheer overwhelming, completely euphoric amounts of joy finally stopped clouding around the extremely important question right in front of me. Sure, I was happy to be a human, and it felt amazing to be all cuddly and nice, but we’re guys . And what makes even less sense is that ‘itch’ he’s talking about, that gross slimy feeling. Why wouldn’t I be feeling it now? I’ve been feeling it my whole life.
Except I wasn’t .
A sigh of relief from the door interrupted my train of thought as it swung open, and the both of us saw a woman, wearing an outfit that seemed kinda familiar. She looked to be about double my age. The woman had her hair in a wolf cut. Her big brown eyes were taking in the situation. She smiled at me so very warmly. The most striking thing was that her hair was split right down the middle vertically. The side on her right was black hair, and the side on her left was white.
“Ryoga! It’s so wonderful to have you back!” The woman clasped her hands together and dove in to give me a hug
“Uhm, miss, what are you doing in my house…?”
She looked up at me with big puppydog eyes and tilted her head, “Oh I’m sure you recognize me!”
Something about her did look really familiar, her hair even looked exactly like– “Sh-Shirokuro!?”
Her smile got big and toothy, showing her pronounced fangs.
That’s a Hibiki alright.
“Oh it’s so nice to be able to talk to you! How are you? Have you been eating enough on your travels?” She seemed to start obsessively looking me over, “Oh! Do you need to change out of this form or is this better for you?”
The dog- the girl- the woman- the– uh– Shirokuro looked over at Ranma, “Hello little miss Ranma! I haven’t seen you so much yourself since you dropped by to visit my babies!”
Ranma seemed to reel just as hard as I did, but got a smile at being called ‘miss’. “Ah, uh, n-nice to see you too? D-do you need some hot water or…?”
She shook her head, “I’m okay! Thank you for asking!”
I didn’t realize dogs could be so well spoken. And polite! And and and and she’s a DOG.
“My dog is a person.” The words fell out of my mouth in a deadpan mix of awe and shock.
Shirokuro just seemed to laugh.
*-*-*-*-*Ryoga*-*-*-*-*
The three of us sat at a table, Shirokuro humming along as she was reading a recipe book, insisting on making us something for lunch. This just left me and Ranma to awkwardly sit in the living room in an uncomfortable silence.
“So…” The redhead started.
“Why the girl water?” I immediately broke whatever she was trailing off to. I needed to answer the burning question in my mind.
“Hmm?” Ranma somehow had already broken out into a full sweat, lips were pursed together nervously. “Ah, uh, y’know… reasons .”
My shoulders slumped as I just gave the flattest look I could. “You owe me that much.”
Ranma tried to look away, to open his mouth, to do anything else. But just looked back at me, and looked my form up and down. He sighed. “I uh… ᴵ’ᵐᵃᵍᶦʳˡᴿʸᵒᵍᵃ”
I raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”
“I’M A GIRL!” H-She let out a breath and sighed, “I put it off for a while, kept denying it, but I always hated how I got shoeboxed into being a guy. I never really felt like one. I put on all this macho talk, but I mean… Then I saw Herb. And… it got kinda hard to deny.”
“Oh…”
Someone… can do that? To just be a girl, to not have to be a guy? To just… choose? “It can’t be that simple though…”
Ranma got a smug smile on her face, “Oh yeah? Says who?”
I flailed slightly, “E-everyone!”
She just shrugged, her smug grin had a layer of understanding, of seeing through something about me. It was uncanny. “Well most people would tell ya magic springs are a load of bunk. So they don’t know what they’re talkin’ about.”
I kinda deflated, and stared down at my body. “Do… Would… most guys not like being a girl?”
The frustrating redhead just snorted, “I can’t think of a single one who does. They all just ended up bein’ girls.”
I felt the world around me get blurry. I started breathing heavy, clutching around my smaller arms, curling in on myself.
Ranma's face dropped,“H-hey bud, i-it’s uh, it’s gonna– uh… that is to say… yer gonna.”
Her floundering slowly turned into a haze, a fuzzy white noise. Until eventually I just felt my eyes glass over, and began to hyperventilate.
There was a clattering from the kitchen, and quicker than a flash of lightning, a woman was holding me in a hug, “It’s okay, I got you little fang, I have you. You’re safe, little fang. You’re okay. I love you, you are wonderful as you are. Whoever that may be.”
I swallowed, the adam's apple that tormented me for so long had vanished. I hugged Shirokuro tight, and she squeezed me back. She spoke softly to me, patting me on the back and putting her chin on my head. “I promise you, I’ll make sure you’re okay. I’ve always thought of you as one of my own, and I’ll take care of you no matter what.”
I felt myself slowly start to even out emotionally, the wrenching grip of anxiety left my chest, and I felt a loving, warm embrace. One that was as familiar as it was new.
I heard a slimy sniffle from the left as both of us looked over, Ranma was holding in the biggest ugly cry I’d ever seen. Absolutely teetering on completely breaking down. “I– m-my mom… I–...”
The words caused the wall of the dam to push out further, her quivering lip and shaky legs barely holding the girl afloat. I watched Shirokuro’s heart break in two as she watched this happen, she walked over, crouched down to look Ranma in the eyes, and cupped the side of the redhead’s face in her hand. “You are always welcome here, you’re a Hibiki too, Yoiko.”
And then the water burst, an absolute snotty, ear-splitting, collapsing, sob. She was heaving, earthquaking breaths and hiccups in-between an entire lifetime of issues that spilled out into the room. It took up three times the amount of volume these four walls could intake, and I hugged her too. And so, three Hibiki’s all hugged, a family reunion we didn’t even know we could have.
*-*-*-*-*Shirokuro*-*-*-*-*
I wasn’t able to take care of my litter, we didn’t have the resources, and I only had paws. I had to say goodbye to them, and I hope and pray they’re in safe, loving homes, and that I can see even just one more of them one day.
But I have two right here, two of my own, and I will treat them with all the love and care I would treat my own flesh and blood pups. My little fangs.
I held the two crying girls in my arms. Once Ranma started crying, Ryoga sparked back up too. Both of them in my hold as I comforted and consoled them. Or, maybe she’d like to be Yoiko now. I’m not sure what name she wants. I don’t really know if Ryoga wants a new name either, and I’ll leave that to both of them to decide. We only name pups when they can’t choose one for themselves, but they’re becoming women in their own way. They're growing up, and if my girls need new names then I'll help as much as I can.
“Theeere there kiddos, it’s gonna be okay.” I gently brushed the redhead’s hair with my hands, and wrapped the ravenette in a tighter hold.
*-*-*-*-*Shirokuro*-*-*-*-*
After the girls both calmed down some, I started up the furo, and Ranma, covered in her own snot and tears, went in first. I don’t figure Ryoga would enjoy sharing a bath with her, so I simply waited for her to finish. She came back out, smiling like it was Christmas morning. “It worked! It really really worked!” My redheaded ward was giggling like crazy, bouncing and hopping up and down with each step into the room.
My other daughter looked perplexed, “Uh, what worked?”
“Look at me! I ain’t touch cold water since I hit tha furo! I did it! ‘M a girl full-time! No stupid cat tongue, no strings, no nothin’!” Her eyes were full of sparkles as she spoke, absolutely walking on cloud nine. “Plum was right! Double dippin’ inta the water fixed it!”
I cocked my head, but smiled softly at her as she experienced this gift, something I feel truly blessed to be a part of. I’ll find this Plum one day, I owe her a great debt for saving my daughters, and giving me this new chance. (Even if it wasn’t directly)
The other girl’s eyes went wide, “W-wait, seriously!? That’s- that’s-!... I gotta try this out!”
The redhead paused, blinked a few times, and reached out her hand. “W-wait Ryoga! You ain’t double dip first!”
The other girl seemed to skip the shower entirely, I didn’t hear it run. She must be on her way to the still warm furo.
I ran in after her, realizing what Ranma meant, I can’t let my daughter go through this feeling alone, of going back to that body even if but for a moment of–
“[HUH!?]” She oinked.
“Oh dear.”
“Mo- Uh, Shirokuro what’s wrong?!” My other daughter ran in, and saw the small black piglet floating in the warm water.
Ranma’s eyes went wide, “OH. Another dip doesn’t lock the curse. It makes the old one take over yer hot water form! That’s why I’m a girl both times! We can get rid of it if–”
The girl shook her head emphatically, “[W-well uh, no I just! I mean, it’s kinda nice sometimes to– I mean, hot water’s easier to avoid– I can just, it won’t be– I don’t wanna!]”
The redhead just gave the piglet a perplexed look. “So… I’ll take all that squealin’ and oinkin’ as a no? ”
I nodded, “Yes, she’d rather not get rid of it.”
Both of them slowly turned their heads towards me.
“[YOU CAN UNDERSTAND ME!?]”
“YOU CAN UNDERSTAND HER?!”
*-*-*-*-*Akane*-*-*-*-*
Where has that idiot been!?
You look away from a jackass for five seconds and suddenly he’s fallen off the face of the earth! It’s been like two weeks! I had to eventually buckle down and pay Nabiki to figure anything out, and all she said was just “You should check out Shirokuro. She’s doing great for herself.”
Like that’s any help at all!
Whatever, I’ll drop by the stupid Hibiki house, see Shirokuro, give her the pets she deserves (which is all of them, because she is the goodest girl) and figure out whatever cryptic thing Nabiki meant by that.
I got to the front door, sighed, and knocked. I don’t imagine a world where this actually leads to anything, but whatever. I didn’t actually expect any hustle or bustle, maybe some barking, but that’s about it. Instead, I heard footsteps, and a very polite, and immediately familiar voice, call out. “Comin’!”
Opening the door was Ranma. With two pigtails, done up to be all cute, a bandana tied up like a headband on her head. She’d gotten round, thin, circular glasses on her face. She met the door with a cheery smile, eyes closed, those fake fangs in her mouth again, just barely peeking out.
That
Fucking
Smile.
The one plastered on his face, living it up, mocking me while I’ve been worried sick about him.
There was a moment of silence for a second, before he opened his eyes, and I watched in real time as his stomach dropped and his face went ghostly pale. “Erm, eh, uh, heh, m-may I help you… miss?”
*-*-*-*-*Yoiko…? Ranma…?*-*-*-*-*
I gulped, slowly backing up as I watched Akane begin to fume. Her knuckles turned white, her teeth clenched tight, I slowly started backing up but she didn’t give me any room. “Ah-euh uh, wh-what I meant to say– y’know– ah. I-it ain’t what it looks-”
She stared at the ground, footsteps turned to stomping. “YOU DISAPPEAR FOR LIKE SEVENTEEN DAYS. NOT A FUCKING WORD FROM YOU, BY THE WAY. AND YOU’RE PLAYING DRESS-UP AT THE HIBIKI’S A G A I N?! ”
My mouth got really dry, “I-I’m not, this isn’t–”
She looked up, and there was lightning in her eyes, she was on the verge of exploding.
That’s when two sets of footsteps finally reached us, the first was my sister, “Hey, Yoiko ” she very pointedly avoided saying a name others might know me by, but it was the worst possible option. It just made Akane look at her, and then get even angrier at me.
The words slid off her tongue, more toxic than venom. “You’re using your fake name too?”
*-*-*-*-*Shirok–NO I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THE INTRODUCTION.
Something is WRONG.
I felt my hair stick on end, dog ears popped from them, they perked up in alarm. Something was going horrible. I need to protect my kiddos right NOW.
I sprinted, dropping whatever groceries I had, and ran on all fours in a dead sprint back to the house, locking on my daughters’ scents.
Momma’s comin’
*-*-*-*-*Ryo*-*-*-*-*
I saw the panic in her face, I was staring at Ranma Saotome, someone who died and had to come back for just a moment in the eyes of a woman that loved him. Someone’s corpse was being waved in front of Yoiko’s own reflection as she realized she couldn’t fit in the husk anymore. I looked back at someone else I care about very much. But that I do not like right now. I eyed the blue haired girl down. “Akane. Leave. her. Alone. Please. Don’t do this.”
She just stared at me. “And who is this!? Did you get ANOTHER fucking fianceé!?”
We both internally gagged at the suggestion.
Yoiko panicked, she shook her head, shivering slightly, “N-No Akane I–”
“It’s Shampoo all fucking over agai–”
I couldn’t take it anymore, I snapped, I saw my sister, scared, shivering, the once undefeatable ‘man amongst men’ “AKANE. You know me. And you have ten seconds to either fix whatever it is you have going on, or get out of my house.”
“Your house!? This is…”
Two plus two equals four.
“RYOGA?!”
“ Please Akane.”
Her rage turned to shock, confusion, processing, and in that brief second where her anger dissipated, she looked back to the person she knows as Ranma. But she saw a small, shivering girl, that was absolutely fucking mortified of her.
“I… I-I didn’t– I-... B-but… You’re… You’re supposed to be… But you’re not really…” Akane slowly raised a finger towards her.
The door slammed open. A woman stood in the hallway, blood red eyes, razor sharp teeth, her ears were back, and a fierce battle aura was radiating off the woman, panic turned into immediate rage as she assessed the situation in an instant.
And I actually saw someone who was supposed to be my guardian, able to help me when I needed it.“Y-you’re here!?”
Yoiko couldn’t hold the word back from slipping out of her mouth, eyes wide with surprise as she saw the her. “Mom!”
“MOM!?” Akane looked back, at Yoiko’s reaction, then blinked rapidly, looked at the beast in front of her, and realized something. “SHIROKURO!??!?”
“Akane.” She growled, pouncing onto the girl, holding her by the collar of her shirt. “You are only breathing right now because you took care of my pups once. Because I know you should know better. These are my daughters. If you act wrong around them, say something wrong about them, BREATHE near them wrong. You will be out of favors. Do we have an understanding?”
Akane’s pupils had shrunk to a microscopic size, and the room was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. The Tendo girl just slowly, carefully nodded, shaking the entire time.
“Good!” Shirokuro stood right back up with a smile, the aura having dissipated, and let go of Akane, but not before dusting the girl off and making sure to straighten out her clothes, and un-ruffle her hair. Akane was clearly pulled between the absolute primal urge to flee, and the part of her brain that told her that it might count as a bad decision in Shirokuro’s eyes.
“A-Am I… A-... Am I really your daughter?” Yoiko spoke, on the verge of tears again, and I watched Akane look back, and her shoulders slumped.
She didn’t see Ranma anymore.
Shirokuro hugged Yoiko tight, and for the first time in my life, I realized that I know what it means to have a guardian.
“Oh my baby girl! Of course! Of course of course of course! Never doubt it! Never ever!” She squeezed Yoiko tight, and I watched Akane reel back, putting a hand on her head.
The youngest Tendo spoke. “I-I uhm… I’m… I’m sorry. I-I’ll go, I didn’t- I shouldn’t be here– y-you uhm…” She tried to leave, but a woman’s hand gripped her wrist.
“Akane.”
The girl went deadly still, and completely silent.
“My daughters care a great deal about you. You may leave if you wish, but understand that if you change, if you really try to understand us. That I have no doubt you will be extremely, warmly welcome here.”
Akane really, really thought about it. “O-Okay…”
Shirokuro let go, and Akane didn’t run off, but walked outside, and I could see her take a seat to think from the window.
“Y… You helped us.” I muttered the words in disbelief, a shaky smile on my face.
Shiro-... my foster mother gave me a bittersweet look, “I always will. I know you’ve had it so rough, I know. It must have been so hard without your parents around, I did everything I could to take care of you, to help you, but I could only do so much. My little fang, you will never be so lost that I cannot find you, nowhere I will not be able to save you, to help you, to reach you. I promise.”
I felt my heart rise and spring out of my chest, and hugged my foster mother.
“Rouna.”
She looked down at me, cocking her head, prompting me to speak more.
“That’s what I wanna be named. Rouna.”
She smiled and crouched down, “The wolf of Japan. I like it. You’ll always be part of the pack kiddo.” She ruffled my hair, and smiled tenderly.
“ANDIWANNABEYOIKO” My sister sprang to voice, having finally released what was bottled up in her for so long.
This prompted a little giggle out of our mother, “I had a feeling! Of course you can, and I will love my precious girl and my fierce wolf so very much, my little fangs.”
*-*-*-*-*Akane*-*-*-*-*
Joy
Sheer, unbridled joy.
Motherly love, affection, and a real, happy family. That’s all I heard from inside the Hibiki house.
She did it.
She found it.
WIthout me.
…
“Am I happy?”
I thought about the words I heard so long ago, how flat and deflated h-... she got when she really thought about that.
I thought about the girl that greeted me at the door.
Of a mother who would kill for you because she loves you so much.
Of being really, really happy with who you are.
I can be apart of her new life, or I can not. The choices are very clear in front of me.
Maybe it’s okay if she’s Yoiko.
Ranma has done a lot, and hurt even more. Ranma has solved international conflicts, battled and gotten harassed by perverts, been tortured in a nightmarish hell of French dining, and traumatized by cats enough for several lifetimes.
Maybe Yoiko can have a nice life with her mom.
And maybe… maybe I can be a part of that new life.
If she’s Yoiko now, then I owe it not just to Ranma, but to her too.
I walked back in, and sheepishly rubbed my arm.
Yoiko looked at me with nervous expectation, she wasn’t sure where we stood, and my heart ached at that look.
Ryo-... Her sister, whoever she is now, stared at me with worry, with a slightly furrowed brow, ready to pull out a bandana, intercede a hit, or throw me out at any moment.
And Shirokuro just looked at me, she was waiting. She hid it better than the other girl who was clearly on edge, but I could feel a mixture of things. Hope that I’d really thought about it, and preparation for if I hadn’t.
I walked up, and kissed the girl I’ve loved for a very long time.
Her eyes went wide.
I pulled away, “I’m– I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have… I was horrible. I am still horrible, sometimes. A-and if you hate me now, or don’t like me, that’s… I get it. I– I just… you vanished , and I got so, so worried, and like an idiot I was embarrassed to admit it. But I thought you got kidnapped or that you ran away with Ukyo or that you really…”
I swallowed, “ Died . Then I saw you here, a-and I thought you’d just been running a con or something, tried to find some girl to replace me, like you got sick of me f-finally and… A-and I’m sorry. I’m so, so so so so so so so so so sorry.” I fully bowed, forehead touching the ground. “A-and you don’t have to accept this, not even for a second. But… b–but… but if this is who you are, then I need to say this, or I’ll never forgive myself .”
I took a deep breath, “I love you Yoiko Hibiki.”
And I meant it too.
And it was so hard to say, but it felt so good to say.
Because it was never just about seeing someone that was good at martial arts, that saved my ass when things got tough.
It was about that cute redhead that got me something at the fair, who wanted to impress her date so bad. She wanted to really give me something nice. It was about the way she smiles when she’s really happy, the way you know she thinks something’s really yummy by the way she hums in just that Yoiko way. It’s about all the little things that make her, her. And if this removes all that macho jerk calling me uncute then… then I think I really might be even more head over heels for her than I thought.
And I don’t think I care that she’s a woman, because I love Yoiko Hibiki, girl amongst girls.
I stood up, letting out a huff of air that I was holding, and went to turn around, to go and leave before I made her life any more complicated, roped her back into her old world, before I hurt her like I did then.
“‘Kane.” The word halted me to the ground, and I knew I shouldn’t, but I glanced back, just slightly.
And she had planted a kiss on my cheek.
“Just, don’t wig out like that on me again… I-it’s… freaky. Promise?”
I couldn’t believe my ears.
A chance that I really, really didn’t deserve.
“I-I don’t think I sh–”
“Akane.” Shirokuro’s voice rang out, and we both looked to her. “If Yoiko forgives you for that, then I will do my best to as well.” She looked at me with eyes that bore into my soul. “Do you promise, that you will do every single thing in your power to never hurt my daughter?”
I nodded, “I promise, on my heart, mind, and body, on my family’s honor and my mother’s name, that I will never do anything to hurt Yoiko.”
I got an awkward grimace, “S-starting now…”
Yoiko snickered, no one else in the room, including myself, found it funny.
Shirokuro seemed satisfied enough, and she nodded to her daughter, and Yoiko, squeeing with glee, got on her tippy toes to give me a kiss.
*-*-*-*-*Yoiko*-*-*-*-*
I’m hooome! I called out, and knew my lovely wife was somewhere in the house.
“Heya there sweetcheeks~”
“GAH!” I leapt a solid ten feet into the air, hanging from the chandelier, before I started giggling. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”
Akane just smiled wider, “Well, workin’ with Tofu has its perks.”
I flipped down, gracefully enough considering I’m a bit outta practice.
The Hibiki household has gotten a lot livelier. A mix of pups, some in their doggy forms, some not, ran around the house, my siblings so happy to see me again.
Turns out, having connections around Nerima has its perks, I just pointed Akane in the right direction to some girl I bonded with back in our Furinkan High days, and she ended up usin’ some of her less legal contacts to locate the whole checkerboard of pups. Most of ‘em wanted to stay with their families, but a few ended up moving in with us.
Rouna is on her way to Akari’s for the weekend, she has lil’ Chess with her, so she won’t get too lost.
I let out a content sigh, air going through the fangs that grew in. Something about the magic of the Hibiki bloodline… it really made me one. I’m still better with direction than Rouna, but Akane swears up and down that I’ve gotten way worse.
Ah well, a small price to pay.
Other mom, and dad (not pops) were pretty shocked at first about the whole situation, but they were really supportive of Rouna, grateful to Shirokuro, and happy to welcome me.
All in all, I think I got a pretty good life.
And I’m proud to be my momma’s little fang.