Phoenix Ascendant Epilogue: Where Do We Go From Here?

Akane looked over the sheet of looseleaf paper on their dining room table, nodding to herself as she searched for the line corresponding to the pastel lavender envelope in her hand. Each of the fourteen or so envelopes contained an identical card, though each had a different name and address written on the front. "Okay, your mom got us the stand mixer. I can do that one."Ranko laughed, smiling over at her wife from the kitchen. She slid a long glass casserole dish into the oven, her mirth momentarily suspended by the uncomfortable wave of heat that blasted her face when she pulled down the oven door. "Akane, cmon," she said as she slammed the oven door back to the upright position with her foot. "Let's be real. Mom knows you're never gonna use that thing. Let me do that one."Akane shook her head and laughed as she watched her wife work. She was just so damned cute. Over her yellow skater dress, Ranko wore a light pink apron with lace in a brighter hot pink around the bottom edge. A cloth sash in the same bright pink cinched the apron around herself, tied behind her in a large bow. The outline of a hot pink heart was printed at the center of her chest, and emblazoned across it in white thread was embroidered a single word in cursive romaji writing: princess.Since the revelation about Ranko's curse on the morning of their wedding, Ranko had felt brave enough to throw away her black vinyl apron. She'd always hated the thing, but she had been forced to adopt it to protect herself from the risk of hot water and the sudden, devastating psychological impact it could have had on her at any moment.But now, with the curse seeming to be gone for good? Dr. Tofu's research into similar stories from Jusenkyo had turned up nothing so far, and Ranko had decided to carry on with the blissful assumption that the boy she used to be was gone forever until she had reason to believe otherwise. Sure, there was still the risk of immense agony from the Cat's Tongue, but Ranko felt that that risk alone was manageable in exchange for the way it felt to be pretty for Akane. She wanted to be a vision of feminine perfection in Akane's eyes, especially in the kitchen that was Ranko's domain exclusively. Nothing Ranko wore could have ever diminished her beauty in the opinion of the woman who had married her, however."You know, I could have put that in for you, silly girl," Akane said with a smile. "Alright, I'll do the bedspread one, then. That came from…" She double-checked the list in front of her. "Nanami and Mitsuru."Ranko pushed a few buttons on the microwave to start a timer, each touch eliciting a chipper little beep from the white appliance on the corner of the countertop that was closest to the dining table. Her task done, she strode over to their little dining table and slipped into a chair to help Akane make out the thank-you cards for their wedding gifts.Akane leaned over as Ranko sat in the chair beside her, stealing a kiss. "You know, you don't have to keep pulling out all the stops like this for dinner. I know it's a lot of work."Ranko waved her off with a giggle and a hundred-megawatt smile. "Of course I do. It's our anniversary, after all!"Akane chuckled, lowering her forehead into her hand as her elbow propped it up on the table. "Baby, the wedding was eight days ago."Placing her fists defiantly on her hips, Ranko cocked her head admonishingly at Akane. Perhaps the attempt at scolding would have been more effective had she not looked so damned adorable, all the way down to the white ribbons in her twin pigtails. "Well, I say every day I get to spend married to you is worth celebrating, and so that's exactly what I'm gonna do."The raven-haired girl to Ranko's left laughed sweetly, shaking her head at the silliness of it all. "You know what? You're absolutely right. Happy eight-day anniversary, Mrs. Tendo."Ranko leaned over in her chair and snuggled into Akane's torso just under her right arm. "Happy anniversary, Akane. I love you."After Akane had released her from the hug, Ranko sat up and picked up a pen. "Okay…" She flipped the envelope over in her hand. "This one's Mom's." She pulled the purple card out of the envelope, opening it to reveal a blank white interior. Ranko scribbled a short note of thanks, personalizing the sentiment by mentioning how much Akane was looking forward to the new mixer being used to make chocolate chip cookies. She beamed as she once again carefully drew the two kanji characters to spell out orchid girl, blowing gently on the card to dry the ink before sliding the card over to Akane to add her signature as well.After signing the card and stuffing it back into its corresponding envelope, Akane picked up the next envelope. Flipping it over to look at the address, she began to cackle. "Here. You're writing this one."With a puzzled expression, Ranko snatched the thank-you card from her new wife, flipping it over to reveal the address of the apartment Mei shared with Yui, and both Yui and Sakura's names were written above it just below the postage stamp. In a moment, Ranko's face somehow absorbed every drop of blood in her body, to the point that she felt a little lightheaded."Nuh-uh! Why do I gotta do that one? They gave it to you, after all!"Ranko shook her head pleadingly, but Akane held fast, a confident smirk on her lips. "I may have been the one that used it, beautiful, but you are unquestionably the one who received it. Or do you need a reminder?"The redhead hid her face behind both of her hands, her tittering taking a coyer tone than before. "I'm pretty sure I'm never gonna forget those two hours, Akane."Akane reached to her right, pulling the humiliated love of her life into another side hug and kissing her on the top of her head. "Neither will anyone else who was in the hotel that night, babe.""Aww, c'mon! You suck, Akane. I love you, but you suck!" Ranko giggled in embarrassment behind her hands, and was only saved from her torment by the ringing of the telephone on the wall next to the refrigerator.Ranko bounced to her feet as Akane released her from the hug, grateful for a few moments' reprieve from her wife's merciless teasing. She answered on the second ring, leaning against the wall with her butt and the bottom of her left foot. "Tendo residence, hello!"Watching her speak to the unknown caller, Akane couldn't help but grin. Gods, I'm in love with you, Ranko. "Who is it, princess?"Ranko covered the receiver with her hand. "It's Nabiki.""Right on," Akane said as she picked up the pen again. "Tell her I said hi."Ranko nodded in response to something that Nabiki said. "Uh-huh. Akane says hi, and she loves you."As Akane signed a little card expressing her gratitude to Shiori for the champagne flutes the couple had used on the dais at their wedding, Ranko continued her conversation. "Really? When?"A curious look in her eyes, Akane looked up to listen as she slipped the card back into the envelope to await Ranko's signature."But, I've got school."Tossing the unsealed envelope on the table in front of Ranko's chair, Akane stopped working to pay closer attention."Uh-huh. We'll have to talk about it, of course." Ranko's eyes sparkled until she closed them, leaning her head back on the wall with a radiant grin. She was so excited, she was vibrating, as if trying to restrain herself from screaming into the telephone."Okay. Bye, Nabiki! Thanks!" Ranko returned the receiver to the cradle, walking back over to the table to confront Akane's expectant curiosity."What was all that about?"Ranko crinkled her nose cutely, shaking her head. "Don't worry about it. I have something much more important to discuss with you." As she spoke, she sat sideways across Akane's lap, wrapping her arms gently around her wife's neck to stabilize herself as her bare feet dangled a few centimeters from the floor."O… kay?" Akane giggled, linking her fingers together behind Ranko's left hip to hold her partner in place. "What's up, love?""So I've been thinking…" Ranko leaned closer, giving Akane the softest of kisses at the base of her neck and nuzzling her cheek lovingly against her wife's chest. "We should go on another honeymoon."Akane laughed, moving her arms up and wrapping them tight around her wife's shoulders. "We haven't been back from the last one for a week yet, silly girl! But, alright. Since it is our eight-day anniversary and all, I suppose we should celebrate. Where do you wanna go? Osaka? Sapporo?"Ranko flashed an exuberant smile back at the beige phone receiver on the wall before meeting Akane's gaze again. Her eyes radiated a triumphant joy."I was thinking… most of southeast Asia."`