------------------------------
The Clan - Chapter 2:

The Truth

by Chris Jones
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	Ranma ran down the stairs, leading Akane and Nabiki. Soun
was at a town council meeting, but Genma hunched over the
television set, fanning his immense furred back.
	Ranma grabbed a kettle and poured it over her father and
then herself..
	"Son?"
	Ranma glared at his father. "Since when is my mother a
vampire?!?!"
	Genma's expression widened slightly, but narrowed in
acceptance. "Ah, so. She told you, I take it?"
	"So you knew! What's the big idea keeping this a secret
from me?"
	Genma sighed, a long mournful sound. He glanced briefly at
both Akane and Nabiki, and noted Kasumi's absence. "Mmmm... It
is a long story. Where shall I begin?"

* * *

	"Take your clothes off, Kasumi."
	"Auntie?"
	"There will be a little blood, Kasumi." Again, Nodoka
removed her Kimono and pushed it away from the futon. "We don't
want to stain your dress, do we?"
	Trembling, Kasumi began to unfasten the buttons on her
dress. She undid the clasps to her waist, and shrugged the
garment off her shoulders.
	"Afraid, Dear?"
	"A little."
	Nodoka smiled in as comforting a manner as she could.
"Your mother would be proud. She always wanted to do what you
are right now."
	Kasumi's shaking fingers undid the clasp on her simple,
cotton brassiere and pulled her pantyhose down off her hips.
"Why didn't she?"
	"Hmm?"
	"Become a vampire, Auntie?"
	"She couldn't bear to live without your father, dear. We
do have very long lives, you know."
	Kasumi paused as she was rolling her panties down over her
thighs. "But... there is someone I..."
	Nodoka laid a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. "Not
that long. You will certainly out live him, but nothing is
forever. Not even this."
	"How long?"
	Nodoka gazed skyward in thought. "My mother was a little
over three hundred when she died."
	"Two hundred years..."
	"If you love him, does it matter?"
	Kasumi shook her head, and finished removing her panties.
"What do I have to do?"
	Nodoka guided Kasumi into a kneeling position. "Just
relax, dear." She wrapped her arms around the young girl and
began to caress her neck.
	"Will it hurt."
	"A little at first. After that, it will be very pleasant."
	Nodoka brushed Kasumi's long chestnut hair out of the way.
She ran her fingertips over the curve of her neck and tightened
her embrace slightly.
	Kasumi gasped as Nodoka kissed her neck. "Auntie?!?!"
	"That is where I will bite, Kasumi. You must bite me in
the same place. If you don't draw blood the first time, try
again."
	"H-how... much?"
	"A pint, at least. More if you can manage it. Okay?"
	Kasumi nodded.
	Nodoka leaned back over and closed her jaw on Kasumi's
jugular.
	"Ah!" Her world exploded white hot and cold black at the
same time. As Nodoka swallowed, Kasumi could feel several warm
trickles run down her breasts.
	"Now," Nodoka prompted through a mouthful of blood. Kasumi
shuddered slightly at the sight of her own venal blood spurting
from her neck, but she leaned in and clamped her own flat teeth
down on Nodoka's neck.
	It was difficult, but eventually, she broke the skin.
Warm, sweet liquid began to pour into her mouth. 
	The hot feeling expanded. Kasumi was quite sure she was on
fire. She felt a painless burning cover her skin. Her entire
body tingling, Kasumi sank her teeth even deeper into Nodoka's
neck. Almost of their own volition, Kasumi felt her hands come
up to cradle the back of the woman's neck and head. 
	As even more of the wonderful fluid gushed into her
throat, Kasumi moaned in ecstasy and ran her fingers up through
Nodoka's short, coppery brown hair.
	"Sip, don't gulp," Nodoka cautioned. "If you drink too
fast, it might make you ill."
	Kasumi nodded, and slowed her pace. She allowed only
little bursts of the warm, thick blood to run down her throat.
	After what seemed like far too little time, Nodoka took
Kasumi firmly by the jaw and dislodged her from her neck.
	"Very good, dear."
	Suddenly very weak, Kasumi collapsed in the woman's arms.
Nodoka laid her down on the futon.
	It was almost comical, Kasumi thought to herself. Nodoka's
lips were the only part of her face that were bloody, but her
naked chest was covered in red. Bringing her own lethargic hand
up Kasumi realized that her own face and chest were dripping in
blood. Her last thought before sleep claimed her was 'I spilled
so much...'
	"Don't worry dear. You'll get better."

* * *

	"Twenty years ago, give or take a few months," Genma
explained. "Soun and I returned from our long training voyage."
	"Meaning they had finally escaped from Happosai," Ranma
interpreted.
	"Ingrate!"
	Akane huffed in exasperation. "Would you two stop arguing?
Please?"
	Genma adjusted his glasses. "Soun already had this house,
and I was trying to conserve my funds, so we stayed here
together, and tried to draw students."
	"You were freeloading even then? Gee, Pops, You *are*
pathetic!"
	Genma was about to respond to Ranma's insults, but Akane
beat him to it with a mallet.
	"Continue, please," Nabiki prompted.
	"Ahem, as I was saying, we were starting to take students.
If I recall correctly, a group of seven high school girls
stopped by and asked for a free lesson. Since we didn't have any
other students at the time, Soun agreed. That was the first time
he met your mother."
	Akane nodded. "I've heard that before."
	"Yeah," Nabiki agreed. "Mom always liked to talk about how
she met her poor, handsome martial artist."
	Genma nodded. "What she probably *didn't* tell you was
just how far those first few practices went."
	Akane's jaw dropped open, and Nabiki's eyes widened in
speculation.
	"You're kidding, aren't you?" the older girl suggested.
	"They were in love," Genma responded. "And completely out
of their heads. Kimiko spent the night here after her third
lesson.
	"Apparently she was already living on her own, but the
girl's teachers got upset when she didn't show up for school the
next day. Her English teacher came to the dojo looking for the
girl. Soun and Kimiko were out walking together, but I was
here.... ahem... rather indisposed."
	"He was hung over." Ranma suggested.
	Genma was about to retort physically, but lowered his hand
at the last moment. "Yes, I had been drinking heavily the night
before. I had just lost my best friend to a pretty face, you
understand. At any rate, this English teacher thought I was a
criminal who had kidnapped and molested her prized student. She
threatened to behead me with her katana."
	Nabiki raised her eyes in surprise. "The English teacher
was your mother, Ranma!"
	Genma nodded. "Nodoka chased me around the yard for two
hours. Before Soun and Kimiko returned, she threatened to drink
my blood if I didn't return her student. With those fangs and
those glowing eyes, I just about wet myself.
	"Your parents did show up after a couple hours though, and
Nodoka *had* revealed her secret to me in a moment of anger.
After bawling out those two for the way they were behaving, she
took me to the edge of town and threatened to kill me if I ever
revealed what I had learned."
	"My mother?!?!"
	"This is the same woman who was going to make us commit
seppuku and behead us both if you weren't a 'Man among Men',
Ranma."
	The youth cocked his head to one side. On that point he
had to agree.
	"I swore I would never tell, but I guess I was a glutton
for punishment, because I just couldn't get her face out of my
mind. It plagued me! Oh, you have no idea how much it drew me. I
tracked her down at the school she worked at. I harassed her
endlessly. Eventually, I persuaded her to marry me. You have to
understand, I would have given anything to her. A few pints of
blood wasn't very much at all."
	Genma gazed longingly into space. "And then, a couple
years after we were married, she came to me and told me she was
pregnant with my child. At first, I was horrified. Even though I
had married a vampire, I didn't want my children to be vampires.
She assured me she would bear me a son, though." The man sighed
wistfully. "How could I have left you alone so long, No-chan?"
	"Because you were a lazy idiot who cared more about his
belly than his family."
	The four jumped to hear her voice from the stairway.
Nodoka stood tall, her kimono belted tightly. Her fangs showed
over her lips which were a bright red color.
	Blood red, Ranma supposed.
	"No-chan! You have to belive me! I did what I thought was
best for--"
	"Our child, Genma? Now that he knows my secret, he no
longer trusts me. How is it best that a son not trust his
mother. Why should I not make you commit seppuku for such a
dishonorable situation?"
	Ranma looked back and forth between his parents. It was
the same interplay between them he had seen for the last few
months, but now it had an entirely sinister depth to it.
	"Because..." Genma hesitated. He bowed his head. "Because
I was wrong to take our child away from his mother. You must
forgive me, Nodoka."
	This was new... Ranma had never heard his father apologize
for anything in his life.
	Nodoka swayed dangerously. Genma started to tremble. Ranma
was a little confused. This wasn't his father's usual fear
response. In fact, it looked like the old man was...
	"No..." he whispered.
	"What?" Akane hissed in his ear.
	Nodoka flashed her fangs at her husband. Her eyes began to
glow a light red color. "And what will you do to alleviate
twelve years of grief, husband?"
	Genma's trembling increased. "Anything. Anything you ask."
Almost nervously, he began to pull at the collar of his gi.
	"Why should I accept what you have to give when my son
doesn't trust his mother?"
	"Ranma," Genma shouted. "Trust your mother."
	"Uuhhh, sure, Pops."
	"She's a vampire, but she's *your* vampire, understand me,
boy?"
	Ranma looked back and forth in confusion. This *couldn't*
be what he thought it was. Akane had her head cocked at the two,
and Nabiki was tapping her chin in speculation.
	"One more thing, Genma. Now that Ranma is cursed due to
*your* stupidity, he has a chance to receive what was denied him
all those years ago. Will you prevent that?"
	Genma's agitated expression became slightly pained as he
gazed on his son. Finally, he shook his head. "No. Not if it
doesn't violate the contract."
	"As of today, the contract is null and void. There are
more important things to worry about."
	Ranma reeled at the statement. While he had been declared
'manly', it was an incredible relief to no longer be on a semi-
deathwatch.
	Genma nodded. The pain in his expression doubled. "It will
be Ranma's decision."
	Her expression narrowing, Nodoka nodded as well.
"Perhaps... it should be. I am impressed, Husband. Ten years ago
you would not have been able to resist me so long."
	Genma gritted his teeth. "Sometimes you gotta hang back."
	Nodoka's firm, stony gaze turned into a seductive smile.
"Nabiki, Akane, your sister is in her room. She needs to sleep,
but I want you two to consider what I have offered. Ranma, do
not dismiss this offer either. Genma--"
	"Yes, Dear?" he asked through his clenched jaw.
	"Come, Husband. I want you to... make it up to me."
	She turned and strode back up the stairs. 
	Genma almost collapsed. Grunting, he climbed into a three
point stance.
	"Ranma, go pour your father a beer, and leave it out. I'm
going to need the fluid, I think."
	With that, Genma sprinted after his wife.
	"Like two newlyweds..." Nabiki noted.
	Akane shook her head in awe. "You don't suppose--"
	"Oh, I suppose all right." Nabiki replied.
	"My mom.... and Pops?!?!" Ranma shook his head in
disbelief. "I guess they had to have at least once, or else I
wouldn't be here."
	Nabiki chuckled. "And all along he's been married to Lady
Dracula."
	"We better go check on Kasumi," Akane suggested.
	Nabiki shook her head. "I don't think so. The damage, if
that's what we want to call it, has been done." She rubbed her
chin speculatively. 
	"Nabiki," Akane cautioned. "You're not thinking..."
	"Did you see how easily she turned him on?" the older girl
retorted. She sighed. "No, Akane. I'm not thinking about it. Not
yet, at least."
	"My mom.... and Pops?!?! I.... It just boggles the mind!"
	Nabiki chuckled. "Don't make us hose you down, Ranma."

* * *

	After...
	Nodoka lay atop her husband, idly fingering the large
black bruise on his neck.  There were duplicates of it on his
wrists and the back of one of his knees.
	The tip of her left fang dug into his chest slightly, not
drawing any blood.
	"People are going to think you're beating me again, No-
chan." The massive martial artist whispered.
	"Are you so afraid to have a dominating wife, Genma?"
	"No."
	"Hmmm?"
	"I am afraid for Ranma, wife. Damn me, I want him to be
able to take care of himself. I don't want him relying on...
what you do."
	"Do you hate what I am so much, Husband?"
	"No," Genma shifted his position and sat up, cradling the
naked vampire in his lap like a child. "Ranma has worked so hard
for all he's attained. It seems like such a shame to just hand
him even more on a plate."
	"He may not even want it, Genma. He is repulsed by what I
am."
	"He will learn. I learned."
	Nodoka sighed sadly. "Then he will be the best, husband. I
promise you, that if he takes the powers, if he *can* take the
powers, then he will be the best there ever was." She playfully
bit the man on the shoulder. "He will need to be," she added
under her breath.
	"Hmmm?"
	"If you want me to sign a contract, Husband, you're out of
your mind."
	"Oh."


* * *
Chris Jones - hamster@arn.net 

The Ranma 1/2 Gallery: http://cyberwheel.simplenet.com/ranma