Ranma 1/2 and all related characters are the property of the great
Rumiko Takahashi. Urd from Oh My Goddess also belongs to her
respective creator(s). Please don't sue me.
[]: Thoughts
{" "} Telepathic communication
Chapter 8
Foes and Fiancées
It was bright and sunny day as Ukyo Kuonji awoke with a smile on
her face. As she was just getting up from her bed, she heard something
rush by her window. As she looked out her bedroom she saw two forms
darting back and forth across the street. Her smile became more
pronounced as she saw who was out there.
Ranma Red and Ranma Blue were racing across the street as they
traded punches and kicks. Each teen displayed an incredible measure of
agility and skill as they had a running sparring match along the
pavement. Many passersby looked at them in awe as they witnessed
martial arts moves that were absolutely spectacular.
[Wow! Ran-chan has never been that good before! I don't remember
him being that fast either! That new training of his has really improved
his martial arts! Training with his twin brother has also helped!]
Ukyo watched the twins spar for a while, then decided to get
breakfast ready for the two. After a long discussion the previous night
with both of the Saotomes, as well as with Cologne and Shampoo, it
was decided that the twins would stay at Ukyo's restaurant for a while.
They all agreed to keep their whereabouts a secret and not inform
anyone of the fact that there were now two Ranmas.
Meanwhile, the two boys in question were just finishing up their
morning sparring session. They had been going at it for more than four
hours, ever since the sun had risen. As they decided to take a rest, they
saw a woman come up the street and walk toward them.
She looked to be around her late thirties or so. She had dark brown
hair that was done up in a bun and seemed to radiate a controlled
calmness about her. She wore a blue silk kimono and was carrying a
long bundle, wrapped in cloth. Her eyes were an interesting shade of
brown and her face was the kind that would make anyone feel warm and
welcomed.
"Excuse me boys, would you mind telling me where I could find the
Tendo dojo?"
Both twins flinched as they heard the name. At the same time, the
twins felt a feeling of vague recognition as the looked at the woman.
"Uh, well… you head that way." Ranma Blue said as he pointed in the
direction of the Tendo home. "It's about six blocks east and then you
make a right."
"Thank you." The woman bowed to him and continued on her way.
"Did you feel that?" Ranma Red asked of his bother.
"Yeah, it was weird. I felt as if I should know her." Ranma Blue replied.
"Maybe we should ask Taron and Soren what that was all about."
{"Oh it's quite simple to explain that."} Taron said as he spoke to
them from the Realm of Infinity.
{"Hey Taron! Come to check up on us?"} Ranma Blue said.
{"That's right. Although I already know what happened last night.
May I offer you my congratulations?"}
{"Way to go guys!"} Soren commended.
{"Thanks!"} Both Ranmas responded.
{"Now in answer to your query, there is a very good reason why you
felt that you should have known that woman."} Taron stated.
{"Yes! You see, your auras are very sensitive to your emotions.
Encountering a familiar figure with whom you have a close bond with
can cause reactions like that."} Soren explained.
{"You mean, we know her?"} Ranma Blue said.
{"You should. That was Nodoka Saotome. Your mother."}
{"Mom?!"} Both Saotomes thought in surprise.
{"That's right. Of course she hasn't seen her husband or son in over
ten years, so naturally she didn't recognize you. Furthermore, we're
pretty certain that she doesn't remember having twins, so we don't think
that going over to see her is a good idea right now."} Taron spoke.
{"In any case, your stupid father would also be trying to avoid her
right now."} Soren added.
{"Why would Pop want to avoid her?"} Ranma Red asked.
{"Oh that's right. Genma hadn't told you yet."} Soren snapped his
fingers.
{"Told us what?"} Both Saotomes thought.
{"Well,"} Taron began, {"when you were about five, Genma was very
anxious to take you on your training journey. However, Nodoka was
very much against the idea of taking her only child away from home at
such a young age. She was also aware of how dimwitted her husband
was and she knew that Genma did tend to overboard on certain things."}
{"No kidding."} Ranma Blue remarked as he and his brother
shuddered at the memory of the Cat Fist training.
{"In any case,"} Soren picked up. {"She made Genma promise to
make her son a man among men. If he didn't, then she would make him
commit seppeku. After all that you boys have been through, we would
think that she would disapprove as to how you have suffered over the
last decade."}
{"Genma was always a bit of a melodramatic, so he also involved his
son in the suicide pact."} Taron added.
{"WHAT?!"} Both Ranmas exploded.
{"Don't worry guys! We sensed early on that Nodoka never intended
to have her son go through with that promise. She only used the threat
of seppeku to keep Genma on his best behavior."}
{"Besides, you two happen to be TWICE the man among men that
she expected you to be. When you DO tell her, I'm sure she'll be
happy."} Taron added.
The Ranma twins breathed sighs of relief. Then Ranma Blue asked,
{"Hey Taron. Does she know about that stupid promise to unite the
schools of the Anything Goes?"}
{"Actually, she doesn't. However, when she arrives at the Tendo
dojo, I imagine that Soun will inform of it. Hold on a minute."} There
was a brief silence as Taron checked something. {"She is now about to
knock on the Tendo's door."}
At the Tendo dojo…
Genma was chewing his nails out as he paced the floor. He had just
received a letter this morning that his wife was coming to the dojo
today. [What am I going to do? What am I going to do?] The members
of the Tendo family looked at Genma and began to get worried. If a visit
from his own wife would put him in a state of panic, then it must be
something very serious.
"Saotome! Why are you so worried? I would think that you would be
happy to see your wife after ten years of separation."
"You don't understand Tendo!" Genma said in a state of near panic.
"If she sees me, she'll kill me!"
The Tendos put on faces of shock when they heard this. Even Kasumi
lost her usual look of serenity. They simply could not believe what they
were hearing.
"Oh come on now old friend. She may be a little irritated that you
and Ranma have not seen her in ten years, but I don't think that she'll go
THAT far!"
"Oh yes she will! She'll make both me and Ranma commit seppeku!"
"WHAT?!" All the Tendos yelped.
"It's true. I made a promise to commit seppeku if I didn't make
Ranma a man among men! If she finds out that he's half-girl, then we're
doomed! It'll be even worse if she finds out that Ranma has been
missing for the last three days!"
"Saotome, you don't really think that she would actually make you
and Ranma take your own lives, do you?" Soun asked with concern.
"She would!" Genma wailed. "She's very strict when it comes to
matters of honor! If I don't go through with it, she'll cut me down with
that katana of hers!"
"Hello! Is anyone home?" A voice called out.
"Oh my!" Kasumi said as she headed toward the front door. "Mrs.
Saotome is here."
Genma looked around for a place to hide. Spotting the koi pond, he
promptly jumped into it. A second later, the Panda held up a sign
saying, "Please don't tell her I'm here!"
Kasumi returned to the dining room with Nodoka behind her. The
wife of Genma bowed to the Tendos and introduced herself.
"Good day to you. I am Nodoka Saotome. I am here to see my
husband and son. In their last letter to me, they had informed me that
they were staying at this dojo. Are they here?"
Soun looked at the women before him, then spotted the long, cloth
wrapped bundle that was strapped to her back. Taking a fast glance at the
Panda whom was frantically waving its paws at him, Soun answered, "I
am sorry, but Ranma and Genma are not here. I am Soun Tendo. These
are my daughters Kasumi, Nabiki and Akane." He gestured to his three
girls, who in turn bowed to their guest. Soun then gestured to the panda.
"This is their pet, Mr. Panda."
Nodoka bowed back. "Where are my son and husband?"
Soun took another quick glance at the Panda, who quickly held up
another sign saying, "Training trip! Weeks!!!"
"I'm afraid that they are on a training trip and that they will be gone
for several weeks." Soun lied.
"I see." Nodoka became saddened at the news, but quickly composed
herself. "I am sorry to have troubled you Soun Tendo. I will take my leave."
"Wait a moment. If you can spare the time, I would like to discuss a
few matters which concerns your son and my family."
"Oh?" Nodoka said as she was led into the next room.
Akane and her sisters crowded behind her as they followed their
father into the parlor. Genma scampered behind on all fours and
stopped to listen around the doorway.
"As you may know, your husband and I have been very close friends."
Soun began as they all sat down.
"Yes, my husband has mentioned to me that you both trained under
the same master."
Soun shuddered at the thought of Happosai. Fortunately, the ancient
pervert had gone in search of Ranma and better panties for the last three
days and hasn't been home since. "Well, yes we have. We have been
such good friends that before my children or Ranma was born, we made
a solemn vow to unite the Schools of the Anything Goes Martial Arts.
To that end, we decided to betroth any children that we might have.
They will inherit this dojo and carry on our legacy."
Nodoka frowned at this revelation. "Genma had not informed me of
this arrangement. I would much rather have my son choose his own wife!"
"It is a matter of honor that Ranma marry one of my daughters!" Soun
insisted. "we have already engaged him to my youngest, Akane!" Soun
gestured to Akane, who began to squirm in her seat.
Nodoka turned her attention to Akane and spoke in a gentle, yet firm
tone, "And what of you Akane? Do you wish to have my son as your
husband?"
"Uh… Mrs. Saotome, it is difficult for me to say. I've only known
him for a few months." Akane fidgeted in her seat.
"I see." Nodoka nodded as she turned back to Soun. "Mr. Tendo, I am
still annoyed that my husband had arranged a marriage for my son
without my approval. However, I am a reasonable woman. Therefore, I
will reserve my judgement about this arrangement until after I have
spoken to both Genma and Ranma. Since neither of them is present,
then I shall take my leave. Good day to you all."
Kasumi rose to see Nodoka to the door. As they came out of the
parlor, Genma froze as his wife approached him. He began to sweat
buckets as his wife extended a hand toward him. He shut his eyes and
waited for the cold kiss of her sword.
Instead he felt the warmth of her hand on his head as she petted him.
He opened his eyes and saw his wife smiling down at him.
"You're a very nice pet, Mr. Panda."
Genma let out a sigh of relief as his wife left the dojo.
At the Ucchan's…
Ranma Red and Ranma Blue were in the room they shared. Sitting on
the bed, they discussed their plans concerning their mother.
"Man! I wish we could see her!" Ranma Red complained.
"Same here!" His brother agreed.
"Problem is, she doesn't know about her son being twins now."
"We're going to HAVE to tell her."
Just then, Ukyo called from the restaurant below, "Hey you two!
Time for some breakfast!"
The twins headed down the stairs and sat down at one of the tables.
After a few minutes, Ukyo came out with two plates of broiled fish,
some vegetables and bowls of rice. (What? You thought she couldn't do
anything else besides okonomiyaki?) The three of them sat down to eat.
"So Ran-chan, what do you and your brother plan to do?"
Ranma Blue chewed thoughtfully as he considered his options.
"Well, our training has been put on hold for another two days while we
get used to our new powers. Taron and Soren just contacted us today."
"We saw our mother!" Ranma Red exclaimed.
"You mean that woman I saw you talk with on the street?" Ukyo asked.
"Yeah! Of course she didn't know us at the time. After all, she
expects to see Ranma Saotome. Not Ranma and Ranma." Ranma Blue
gestured to his sibling.
"We're not really sure how to break this to her." Ranma Red added.
"It's been so long since we had seen her! We really want to see her and
catch up on what we've missed! After living with Pop for more than a
decade, it would be great to be with mom!"
{"We think we can arrange it!"} Soren said from the Realm of Infinity.
Ukyo looked around as she tried to determine the source of the
voice. She had a bewildered look on her face, as she saw no one. "Ran-
chan, who said that?"
{"Soren, she can hear you?"} Ranma Red asked.
{"Taron and I decided that Ukyo, Shampoo and Cologne should be
able to hear us, now that they know the truth. Anyway, we had just
observed that Nodoka had just been informed about Soun's proposal
about joining the two schools. Since you guys intend to marry Ukyo and
Shampoo, this will never do. So my brother and I discussed it with
Kami-sama and he's agreed to send some help for your problem."}
{"Really?"} Both Ranmas exclaimed.
{"Yes. She'll be standing by when you need her. Just give us a call
and we'll send for her."}
{"Can't you or Taron come down to help us?"} Ranma Blue queried.
{"Afraid not. We have to keep monitoring the Dark World. We also
have to prepare for your next training session. We need you to have
your minds clear for this session and we think it's about time this
whole fiancée mess was resolved."}
{"So what do you want us to do now?"} Ranma Red asked.
{"Right now, do what you want, but keep out of sight of anyone you
know. In two days, you two will be able to walk freely. One of us will
call back when we think you're ready to visit your mother. Be sure to
bring your fiancées along. See you later."}
As soon as Soren's presence was no longer felt, Ukyo shook her head
and said, "Ranma honey, who was that?"
Ranma Blue smiled as he replied, "That was Soren, one of the twins
that we told you about."
"He's the one who cured the both of you of the curse?"
Ranma Red nodded. "Him and his brother were the ones who cured
us, split us and taught us all our new skills. They're really great guys!"
"I see. So these twins are going to help you straighten things out with
your mom?"
"We really hope so." Ranma Blue said.
"I hope so too. I'd really like to meet my future mother-in-law!"
Ukyo said.
Two hours later, both Ranmas were standing in the empty lot. They
nodded to each other and began to spar. The twins moved with
astounding speed as each pushed the other to his limit. Their skill level
in the martial arts were now far above any of their rivals. With
augmented physical skills and heightened chi abilities, they were
considered the equals, if not the betters of Happosai and Cologne.
The two Saotome brothers had decided not to use their elemental or
magical abilities. Since it was nearing the busy part of the morning, the
resulting disturbances would have attracted too much attention. This
was strictly a martial arts match.
"MOKO TAKABISHA!" Ranma Red shouted as he released a yellow
chi ball at his sibling.
Ranma Blue dodged the chi attack and launched one of his own.
"FLAMING CHI WAVE!"
The red crescent-shaped bolt sizzled at the red-shirted martial artist.
The magic-using Saotome jumped up and did the splits. The blast past
harmlessly underneath him and impacted against a nearby wall,
crumbling it.
The two boys ran at each other and began raining high-speed punches
and kicks at unbelievable velocities. They tried throws, feints, pressure
points and countless other tactics. Both refused to back down. Their
match went on and on and became more intense with each passing
minute. Various chi blasts were thrown back and forth as the twins
increased the tempo. It was only a matter of time before they would
bring out the more devastating techniques.
"MOKO TAKABISHA! SCATTER!"
Ranma Blue launched an extra large chi ball at his brother, which
suddenly exploded into a dozen baseball-sized spheres. Ranma Red was
hard pressed to dodge all of the projectiles and was nailed in the
shoulder by one.
Immediately recovering, he decided to give his brother a surprise.
"POWER BLASTER!"
Cupping his hands forward, Ranma Red fired a large beam of yellow
chi energy. The beam hit the surprised, blue-shirted Ranma in the chest,
knocking him back into another wall.
Ranma Blue's chest ached a bit from the hit, but it was nothing he
couldn't cope with. Leaping up, he sent a jump kick to his brother's
head, who was momentarily recovering from letting off so much chi
energy at once.
The kick connected and sent Ranma Red sprawling. Ranma Blue was
about to press his advantage but he suddenly stopped. His enhanced
senses went on full alert as he detected the familiar presence of a certain
lost boy. Ranma Red also perceived Ryoga's presence as he got back up.
Both looked at each other and began communicating with their thoughts.
{"I thought Ryoga couldn't find this place!"} Ranma Red said to his
brother.
{"Hey, even immortals can be wrong sometimes! In any case, we
can't let him see the two of us together! I'll bet he's still smarting from
that last beating we gave him!"} Ranma Blue responded.
{"Hey bro, you still want to finish that fight that you had with him
before? I promise I won't interfere this time."}
{"You mean it?"}
{"Sure! I know how much you wanted to keep it between the two of
you. I'll just keep an eye on you."}
{"Thanks!"}
{"You know it's kind of ironic meeting him here. We waited for
three days for him to show for that duel!"} Ranma Red then perked up
as he thought of something. {"Hey! Maybe this our chance to end the
feud once and for all!}
Ranma Blue smiled as he began thinking along the same lines.
{"You're right! We can finish this for good!"}
Ranma Red used his teleportation technique to move himself to the
roof of Ryoga's house. Ranma Blue waited for the pig-boy to appear.
Ryoga scratched his head as he looked around for the Tendo dojo.
[Now where am I? This doesn't look like Akane's home. Looks familiar
though.] He had more or less recovered from the one thousand and
twenty-four punches that he received from the Saotome twins. He was
still under the impression that Ranma had somehow managed to
increase his speed when they battled last time. Of course by now,
Ranma WAS that fast. Both of them.
Ryoga had just turned to go off into another direction when he saw a
familiar sight. A pigtailed martial artist was standing in the vacant lot
behind a house. A house that he recognized as his own! Ryoga snarled,
as his battle aura began to glow.
"Ranma Saotome! Prepare to die!" Ryoga shouted with blood in his
eyes.
[Oh brother! Can't he think of something else to say?] Ranma Blue
watched as Ryoga charged up his chi. [Here it comes!]
"SHI SHI HOKODAN!!!"
Ryoga released an incredibly large chi blast at him. Ranma Blue
would have been impressed, but compared to what he had learned,
Ryoga's attack was of no concern. Silently calling upon the forces of
nature, he sent an elemental counterattack.
"GUST ATTACK!"
A huge jet of high-pressure air shot forward from his cupped hands.
The winds hit Ryoga's depression chi and blew it back like a leaf caught
in a cyclone. The energy was snuffed out like a match, leaving Ryoga
shocked.
"H-Ho-How did you do that?!" Ryoga stammered.
Ranma Blue smiled as he said, "Hey Ryoga! You're just in time for
our duel!"
"Duel?!"
"That's right Ryoga! I've had enough of you constantly attacking me
and blaming me for everything that's happened! It's not my fault you
took FOUR DAYS to get here for our duel! It's not my problem that
you followed me to China! Even though I did knock you into the Spring
of Drowned Pig, it was an ACCIDENT! You weren't even supposed to
BE THERE!"
"Don't patronage me Ranma!" Ryoga snarled back. "You're responsible
for all my suffering! Not only do I have to live my life as a pig, but thanks
to my curse, I can't even tell Akane how I feel about her because of it!"
"Well that doesn't stop you from sleeping in her bed all the time!"
"Shut up!"
"No I won't shut up! This had been going on long enough! I'm going
to settle our feud once and for all! I CHALLENGE YOU!"
"Huh?"
"We fight! Right here! Right now! This is the place where this whole
mess started! I win, then you never, EVER challenge me again! You win,
I leave the Tendo dojo, Akane AND Japan! I will never come back! I
give you my word as a martial artist!"
Ryoga looked at Ranma Blue in confusion. He had never seen him
this intense before. Sure he can get mad and sometimes even downright
furious, but he had never been so into anything like he was now.
Ranma Blue decided to up the ante. Heading towards the back of
Ryoga's house, he grabbed the garden hose and turned on the water. He
used it to douse himself with it. Ryoga's eyes widened as he witnessed
the unthinkable. Ranma did not change into a girl!
"You… you're cured?!" Ryoga choked out.
Ranma Blue gave him a stern look. "Yeah! I'm cured! In fact, I know
how you can be cured too! Here's an added bonus! You beat me and I'll
tell you how! So what do you say? Do you want to finish our duel?"
Ryoga's heart began to beat incredibly hard. [A chance to be normal!
If I can get that cure, then I can finally tell Akane how I feel about her!
This is my chance! I beat Ranma, then Akane and me can…] Ryoga's
thoughts trailed off as he charged Ranma Blue.
"I accept your challenge!" Ryoga threw a punch at Ranma Blue's face.
The pigtailed boy ducked the blow and then sent a hard punch to the
midsection. Ryoga let out a gasp as the wind was knocked out of him.
The force of the blow was far greater than he expected as he staggered
back.
[Whoa! Since when could Ranma hit THAT HARD?!] Ryoga
collected himself as he tried a few roundhouse kicks. Ranma Blue
easily evaded his attacks. Moving with a speed that Ryoga thought to be
impossible, he grabbed the lost boy by the shirt and tossed him one-
handed over his shoulder like a feather pillow.
Ryoga went crashing into a wall face first. He left cracks in the
concrete as he slid painfully to the ground. [Ouch! Ranma has never
been THAT STRONG before! What's going on?] Shaking his head to
clear it, he brought himself to his feet. Facing his opponent, he pulled
off several of his bandannas and launched them at him.
Ranma Blue cupped his hands and fired off another chi attack.
"MOKO TAKABISHA! SCATTER!"
The large yellow chi blast exploded into several smaller ones, which
intercepted each of Ryoga's razor-sharp projectiles. Before the Hibiki
boy could try something else, Ranma Blue swung his arm at Ryoga in a
wide arc.
"FLAMING CHI WAVE!"
The crescent-shaped blast smashed into the lost boy's chest and sent
him hurtling back at the wall. This time, he crashed though it. Ryoga was
in serious pain as he slowly got up. His body was screaming in agony, but
he still refused to quit. In his mind, two things repeated themselves over
and over again. [I must beat Ranma! I must get that CURE!] Focusing
his power into his finger, he tried his Breaking Point technique.
"BAKUSAI TENKETSU!"
The spot where Ryoga had jabbed suddenly exploded in a huge
explosion. The resultant blast caused massive chunks of cement to go
flying in all directions. Ranma Blue used his enhanced speed to dodge
all of the rock fragments. When the dust settled down, Ryoga was
standing in the center of a fifteen-foot crater.
"Not bad Ryoga." Ranma Blue commented. "Now try mine!" He
raised a foot and focused his ki. He then stomped his foot down as he
released the attack.
"EARTHQUAKE STOMP!!!"
The ground shuddered as a violent shockwave was sent along the
ground toward the lost boy, splitting a wide crevasse in the pavement.
Before Ryoga knew it, the ground gave way beneath him and he fell
down the trench. Ranma Blue then slammed his fist to the ground for
the follow up attack.
"EARTH ERUPTIONS!!!"
The pigtailed martial artist sent a series of short explosions down
the crevasse he had made. When the energy columns reached Ryoga,
the lost boy was blown out of the ditch and went flying. He landed on
his back, a little more than dazed. After a few moments, Ryoga
painfully picked himself up.
[I can't believe that Ranma is beating all of my best moves! He was
never THIS GOOD! Where did he learn all those new techniques? I'm
going to have to go all out to beat him!] It was then that Ryoga began to
focus his power as he prepared an all out blast.
Ranma Blue decided also to end the fight. Taking the proper stance,
he began focusing on nature's power again. Clouds began to form
overhead as Ranma Blue's aura glowed softly as he prepared for the
final strike. Ryoga's aura glowed a dark black as he focused all of his
deepest feelings of depression into his chi blast. Suddenly, he saw
Ranma Blue throw up a hand and a huge lightning bolt came down from
the heavens and struck him. Ryoga stared in wide-eyed shock as
he saw Ranma Blue absorb the power of the lightning and his body
crackled with unimaginable intensity.
{"Careful brother! We don't want Ryoga dead!"} Ranma Red called
from the roof.
{"Don't worry Red! I'm just going to give him the shock of his life!"}
Ranma Blue reassured.
Ryoga couldn't hold it back anymore. He released the largest chi
blast he had ever created. The depression-fueled energy surged outward
and surrounded him in a pillar of power.
"PERFECT SHI SHI HOKODAN!!!"
The energy lashed out at Ranma Blue, just as he pulled back his
hands to discharge his ki and lightning. The depression chi simply
deflected off Ranma Blue's aura, since it could not affect the ki and
elemental energy it contained. Ranma Blue then threw his hands
forward and let his attack fly.
"THUNDERBOLT STRIKE!!!"
The massive discharge of electrical and ki energy blasted forward,
ripping through Ryoga's depression pillar as if it was made of rice
paper. Ryoga could only stare in shock as the blast impacted with his
body. He screamed out as huge amounts of ki and electrical power
racked through his very being. There was a huge explosion and Ryoga's
form was enveloped in a blinding white flash.
Ranma Blue stepped back and shielded his eyes when the explosion
took place. On the roof of Ryoga's house, Ranma Red also covered his
eyes.
Finally, the light died down and both brothers looked at the huge
crater that now filled the vacant lot. At its center was a bruised and
burned Ryoga. His clothes were tattered and had several rips in them.
His eyes were glazed and he was sprawled on his back.
Ranma Blue walked over towards his fallen foe and looked over him.
He then closed his eyes and used his enhanced senses to probe Ryoga's
body. After a minute, he smiled and looked back at his brother.
{"He's alive Red! Guess I used just the right amount of power to take
him out!"}
{"Man! I didn't think Ryoga would go all out like that! By the way,
would you really have kept your word if you lost?"}
{"Probably. I mean I'm already in love with Ukyo anyway! I guess I
could have asked Soren to exorcise the curse from Ryoga. He did get
rid of the Cat Fist from us right?"}
{"I suppose. So in any case, the feud is over. We don't have to worry
about Ryoga constantly attacking us any more!"}
{"You bet! You head back to the Ucchan's. I have to take care of
pork-butt here."}
Ranma Blue bent down and picked up Ryoga's unconscious form and
carried him toward his house.
Two hours later…
Ryoga opened his eyes and found he lying on a bed in his room.
Ranma Blue was sitting on a chair a few feet from his bed. He then
looked down at himself. All of his injuries had been expertly cleaned
and bandaged. He tried to sit up, but his body protested in pain. After a
few attempts, Ryoga yielded to his pains. Looking over toward Ranma
Blue, he let out a tired sigh.
"I… lost." Ryoga said in a sad voice.
"Yep." Ranma Blue said simply.
"H-How did you do all that stuff?"
"Can't tell you. What I can say is that I'm going to hold you to the
terms of our duel."
Ryoga became silent as he remembered the terms of the fight. He
could no longer challenge Ranma any more. He consoled himself with
the fact that he could still see Akane as himself or P-chan. Then he
remembered that he was still cursed. His depression became deeper.
However, he was too injured to make any use of it.
Ranma Blue stood up and walked over to Ryoga's bedside. He looked
at the lost boy for a while, then in a gentle voice, he said, "Look Ryoga,
I know that we've never seen eye to eye in the past, but for what it's
worth, I'm glad that the feud's over. Now maybe we can both get on with
our lives without wasting it on pointless fights. I want to make a new
start on my life and I want you to find your own way. So I guess this is
goodbye." Ranma Blue turned to exit the room. "Have a nice life."
"Ranma!"
Ranma Blue turned back to Ryoga.
"I know I lost and I… will honor the terms. But I have to know! How
did you get cured?"
Ranma Blue cocked his head in thought. After a long minute he
replied, "I found my cure, when I found myself."
Ranma Blue left the room, leaving a very confused Ryoga.
At the Ucchan's…
Both Ranmas were sitting in the room that they shared as they
discussed the past events of the day and how they were going to
confront their mother.
"So what are we going to do about mom?" Ranma Red asked.
"I've been kind of wondering that myself." Ranma Blue replied. "It's
hard to say 'Hi Mom! This is my long-lost twin brother!' My guess is
that she'd probably freak!"
"No doubt! I mean, the last time she saw us, we were one guy at the
time!"
"We can't keep avoiding her forever!"
"Yeah, and I'd like to see her so much!"
"Same here! At the very least, she should be able to meet her future
daughter-in-laws!"
"Man! I wish Soren and Taron could tell us what to do!"
{"Your wish is granted!"}
Ranma Red and Ranma Blue looked at each other before responding
to Taron's thoughts.
{"Hey Taron! What's up?"} Ranma Blue greeted.
{"Not much."} Taron replied. {"The Dark World had decided to wait
until the Contract has expired, so we have some extra time to deal with
your problems."}
{"We can go see our mother now?"} Ranma Red asked excitedly.
{"Yes. The time is now. We've already sent a few messages to Ukyo,
Shampoo and Cologne. They will be coming here after school has let
out. The person that we have sent to help you out will appear when the
time is right. Your mother lives at this address…"}
An hour later, we see both brothers standing outside the door of a
small house in a suburb of Tokyo. Behind them, Shampoo, Ukyo and
Cologne are waiting for them to make the first contact.
Ranma Red looked at Ranma Blue and said, "Well, this is it brother. I
hope this plan of ours works."
"There's no other way to do it. She has to know the truth!" Ranma
Blue said.
"So, you want to go in first?"
"Doesn't matter really who should go, but I guess I'll do it."
"Good luck bro."
Ranma Red stepped back and out of sight as Ranma Blue took a deep
breath and knocked on the door. A few minutes later, Nodoka Saotome
came out to reply.
"Hello young man! What can I do for you?" Nodoka asked warmly.
"Excuse me Nodoka Saotome, but do you remember me?"
Nodoka looked at him for a moment and shook her head. "I can't say
I do. How do you know my name?"
"We met this morning when you asked me for directions to the
Tendo dojo."
"Oh yes! Now I recall you. You were with your twin brother or
someone that looked like you. You still haven't told me who you are or
how you know me though."
Ranma Blue paused for a long time before saying, "Mother… it's
been a long time."
Nodoka became silent as soon as she heard these words. She stared
at the teenager who stood in front of her. Nothing was said for a whole
minute. Suddenly, she threw her arms around Ranma Blue and started
crying tears of joy.
"Ranma! Is it really you?!"
"Yes mother." Ranma Blue replied as he returned the embrace.
"I'm so happy to see after all these years!" The two continued to hold
each other for another minute. Finally, Nodoka broke off her embrace
and looked into her son's eyes. "Where is your father? Is he not with you?"
Ranma took a deep breath as he prepared to drop the bombshell.
"Mom, I promise that I will explain everything, but first, I want you to
meet someone." Ranma Blue nodded off to the side and Ranma Red
walked up to the front door. Nodoka's eyes widened as she got a good
look at the newcomer. She turned her confused face back to Ranma
Blue. The boy gave her a sheepish grin. "Mom, I would like you to
meet… my twin brother, Ranma Saotome."
Nodoka fainted in Ranma Blue's arms.
Ranma Red looked at their now unconscious mother and said, "That
went well."
Nodoka regained consciousness fifteen minutes later. She found
herself lying on the living room couch. In the room were other people
that she did not recognize. Among them was a brown-haired girl with a
white ribbon tied in her hair. Beside her was another girl with long
purple hair and looked Chinese. Sitting opposite to them was an
extremely aged woman who carried a long staff. On the table were a tea
set and several cups of the steamy beverage. When she looked up, she
saw two figures that were looking down at her. She first saw the face of
her son and then she laid her eyes on someone who was a mirror image
of him. Her eyes widened as she remembered what had been said
before she passed out. She felt the same feeling of nausea again, but
this time resisted the urge to faint.
As Nodoka sat up, she stared hard at the two teenaged boys who
claimed to be her son. A feeling of utter confusion replaced her earlier
feeling of nausea. The two said nothing as they waited for Nodoka to
speak. Not a single sound was heard in that room for what seemed likes
an eternity. Finally, Nodoka managed to find her voice.
She first turned to the blue-shirted boy. "Ranma?"
Ranma Blue nodded.
She then turned to the red-shirted boy. "And you are also… my son
Ranma?"
Ranma Red nodded.
Panic and hysteria began to kick in as Nodoka tried to understand
what was occurring. Nodoka closed her eyes and willed herself to be
calm. When she looked at her son… sons, she spoke in a trembling
voice. "T-This must be some horrible joke! Who are you two?"
Both Ranmas shook their heads as Ranma Blue answered, "No
mother. This is no joke. We are your twin sons Ranma Saotome."
"No! It cannot be! I have had only one child! A boy named Ranma!"
"Please mother! We have to explain!" Ranma Red said as he placed a
hand on his mother's shoulder.
Nodoka flinched as she tried to move away from him. "No! Don't
touch me! You two cannot be my son Ranma!"
"Please mother, let us explain!" Ranma Blue said, as he placed his
hand on Nodoka's other shoulder.
"No! No! No! No!" By now, Nodoka had become hysterical.
Ranma Red gritted his teeth. [Damn! I have no choice!] He began
concentrating his ki energy into his mother through the hand that was
on her shoulder. As Nodoka was bathed in an eerie red light, Ranma
Red whispered one word.
"Calm."
Immediately, Nodoka felt all of her panic drain away. She now felt a
kind of serenity about her. She looked at the twins curiously.
Ranma Blue and his brother gazed at their mother with looks of
concern. When she appeared to have calmed down from Ranma Red's
calming spell, they released her shoulders and sat down.
Nodoka once again stared at the two boys, taking in every detail of
their features. She soon saw the resemblance between her and the twins
before her. She could not deny that they were indeed related to her.
However, many questions whirled around in her head. She didn't know
what to ask since she still could not believe that her son and his twin
brother were sitting in front of her.
After another long moment, she looked around the room and
addressed the other people present. "Will someone please tell me what
is going on?"
Cologne had decided to speak, "Nodoka Saotome, I believe that your
SONS have something very important to tell you."
Nodoka turned back toward the twins and said in a slow, yet
trembling voice, "You say that you are my twin sons, yet I know that I
gave birth to an only child! How can this be?"
Ranma Red decided to speak first. "Mom. We know that this is very
hard to believe, but we are telling you the truth. We are your sons."
Ranma Blue nodded as he added, "Please mom, we want to explain
everything to you. Will you listen?"
Nodoka stared at the Saotome brothers for moment, then gave a
slight nod.
Ranma Red took a deep breath as he started the narration, "Once
upon a time, ten thousand years ago…"
One hour later…
"…sixteen years ago, Taron and Soren detected that you were going
to have twins." Ranma Blue finished.
"Are you telling me, that I was supposed to have given birth to
twins?" Nodoka inquired.
"Yes mother. The Dark World had discovered this fact and prevented
us from being born as twins by destroying one of us." Ranma Red supplied.
"Wait a moment!" Their mother interrupted. "If one of you was
destroyed, then how are the two of you here now?"
Before either brother could answer, the television set sprang to life
on its own. This surprised everyone in the room as they all turned
toward the screen. Before anyone could react, a pair of shapely, bronze-
colored legs sprouted forth from the screen. An equally sexy-looking
body followed them. Finally, when the TV went dark again, a tall figure
that was dressed in a very revealing outfit stood before the group.
The woman looked to be around her mid-twenties and had long,
platinum blond hair. She had a strange symbol on her forehead and
several marks on her cheeks. Her bronze skin gave her an exotic look
and accentuated her figure. She was tall and had a body that most models
would kill for. She gave the group of dumfounded people a mischievous
smile before turning her attention to the Saotome matriarch.
"I believe I can answer your question." The strange woman said.
"W-Who are you?" Nodoka asked fearfully.
"I am Urd. Goddess of the Past and Love. Second Class. Second
Category. Limited. My father had asked me to come here and explain
what had happened to your sons after the Dark World had destroyed one
of them."
"Your father?" Nodoka said in confusion.
"I believe you know him as Kami-sama?"
Everyone in the room did a collective facefault.
Urd smiled at their reaction before continuing, "In any case, this is
what happened. It was too late to save Ranma's twin brother. At least,
his body was lost. However, daddy had managed to save his soul by
merging it with his sibling. When Ranma Saotome was born, his brother
was born with him."
Nodoka stared in utter silence as she continued to listen to the goddess.
"Ranma Saotome grew up never knowing that he had the soul of his
brother within him. After sixteen years, certain circumstances allowed
his brother to be separated from his twin and he was given a body of his
own to inhabit. That is the reason that you now see two Ranmas before
you."
Nodoka looked at the twins and started to feel more relaxed.
Looking into the deep recesses of their blue eyes, she saw that they
were indeed hers. Tears began to well up in her eyes as the truth began
to set in. She had not one loving child, but two! Tentatively, she reached
out with both hands.
Ranma Red and his brother each took one hand into their own. Their
auras began to glow as they used their thought projection powers to
send into the mind of their mother, their most earliest memories. Urd
also lent them her energies to sharpen memories that were long forgotten.
Nodoka began seeing images of Ranma as a baby. Both of her sons
were projecting the same remembrances simultaneously. Nodoka saw
every moment that she had spent with her then only child. She could
hear the baby cry as it demanded to be fed. She saw the long, sleepless
hours during late night feedings. She saw her child giggle and laugh. She
saw him take his first steps. She heard him say his first words. After a
long series of playful memories, she finally saw her child's sadness as
her husband took him away from home to start his training journey.
Since both Ranmas were giving her the same memories, Nodoka
witnessed each memory twice. When they finally broke contact with
her, Nodoka was as shaken as Shampoo and Ukyo was when they had
shared their memories. She quivered as she looked at her sons with
wonder.
"I saw it all… twice!" Nodoka said after a long moment. "You both
had the same memories!"
"We've been together for over sixteen years Mom." Ranma Blue
replied. "We're virtually the same person."
"That's right!" Urd added with a smile. "You didn't have one perfect
child. You had two!"
Nodoka's eyes began to fill up with tears as she tried to control her
emotions. Failing in this act, she took both of her sons in her arms and
gave them a rib-cracking hug that would have done an Amazon proud.
Tears flowed freely from her eyes as she cried out her joy. "MY SONS!
I HAVE TWO SONS!"
The Saotome brothers began hugging their mother as they fought
back their tears. (After all, guys don't cry!)
"We love you Mom!" Both of them said.
On the sidelines, Shampoo, Ukyo and Cologne smiled at the reunion.
The Saotome family was too busy with each other to notice them, but
they did not mind.
After a lot of hugging and tender words, Nodoka and her boys finally
released each other and settled down. Wiping her tears from her eyes,
the Saotome matriarch looked at Urd. "This is all so incredible, but I
cannot deny the evidence. I thank you for explaining these things.
However, I must ask you. How were my sons made whole?"
Ranma Blue decided to answer for Urd. "Well Mom, we sort have
got Pop to thank for that."
"Oh?" Nodoka said, now comfortable with the fact that she had twins.
Urd nodded. "Yes. You see your husband took your son all over China
in search of a legendary, cursed training ground known as Jusenkyo. Of
course, Genma was also an idiot. He didn't bother to learn how to speak
Chinese or find out why it was called a cursed training ground."
"That sounds like Genma." Nodoka remarked.
"After a few weeks, he finally found it in the Quing Hai province."
Urd continued.
"What exactly is this Jusenkyo place?"
"It is a place of many tragedies." Cologne stated.
Nodoka turned her attention toward the aged matriarch.
"Oh, forgive me. We should have introduced ourselves. I am
Cologne." She then gestured to the two girls beside her. "This is my
great-granddaughter Shampoo and her friend Ukyo Kuonji."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance." Nodoka nodded to the two
girls, who in turn nodded back. "How do you know of this place?"
Cologne reached forward and took a sip of her tea. "Shampoo and I
come from a village not far from Jusenkyo. We know the place well. It
is a small valley that has over one hundred springs scattered about its
landscape. There are numerous bamboo poles, in which to stand on in
each pool. The object of the training is to avoid falling in one of the
springs while sparring."
"It doesn't sound like much." Nodoka commented.
"No." Cologne agreed. "It doesn't. However, the danger is not in the
training, but in the pools themselves. You see, the land is steeped in
ancient magic. Over the course of several thousand years, various
animals and people have drowned in these pools after falling down the
unstable slopes, which surround the valley. As a result, each pool takes
on an imprint of whatever or whoever drowned there last. Anyone who
falls into the pools afterwards will take on that cursed form."
"Really?" Nodoka said with interest.
"Yes." Cologne said as she took a glass of ice water from the table.
"Allow me to demonstrate." She promptly poured the contents of the
glass over her great-granddaughter.
Shampoo let out a surprised yelp as her transformation was
triggered. Instantly, before the shocked eyes of Genma's wife, she
became a cute, pink and purple cat.
"Shampoo had been in the Spring of Drowned Cat." Cologne
explained. She then took the kettle of hot water. Placing her great-
granddaughter among her clothes, she then poured some water on the
feline. As the curse was reversed, she used the Chestnut technique to
dress Shampoo in an instant. "As you can see, " Cologne continued,
"cold water will trigger the curse, but hot water will reverse it.
However, it is only a temporary cure since the next splash of cold water
will activate it again."
"I see." Nodoka said. She then turned to her sons. "Genma took you
to this place?"
Both Ranmas nodded as Ranma Blue said, "Yes. We were so glad to
have finally found the place that we didn't listen to the Guide's warnings."
Urd then decided to continue. "Genma was the first to fall victim to
the magic of Jusenkyo. His son knocked him into the Spring of
Drowned Panda."
"Panda?" Nodoka repeated. Her face turned pale as she made the
connection. "You mean to say that the panda that I saw at the Tendo dojo
was Genma?!"
All those present nodded.
"After coming up in that form, Genma then knocked Ranma into the
Spring of Drowned Girl." Urd said.
"WHAT?!" Nodoka looked at her sons then grabbed the pitcher of ice
water from the table. She splashed the two of them, expecting them to
transform into girls. Both boys sputtered as they became suddenly wet.
When no change occurred, Nodoka turned back toward Urd, who was
laughing her head off at the spectacle. Cologne, Shampoo and Ukyo
were also giggling.
"I fail to see what is so funny!" Nodoka stated. "I thought you said
that Ranma had been dunked into the Spring of Drowned Girl!"
Urd and the others quieted down as the goddess resumed her
explanation. "He was. For the last several months, he was cursed into
turning into a girl with cold water. Let me tell you, that curse had
caused more problems and embarrassing moments than I thought was
possible! For a Goddess of Love, it was the most amusing situation that
I ever saw! Ranma had both girls AND boys chasing him!" Urd chuckled
at the memories.
"Don't remind us!" Both Ranmas said in an irritated voice.
Urd sobered a bit as she continued, "In any case, the curse had also
given the two souls each a separate form to inhabit. It was because of
this condition, that the your sons were finally made into individuals."
"What happened?" Nodoka inquired.
"Well, as your boys have already told you, they were fated to
become the Earth's champions against the Dark World. When Soren and
Taron used their powers to split the two souls, they made certain that
both forms were male, as they should have been in the beginning. As a
result, the Jusenkyo curse was nullified. I assure you Mrs. Saotome,
your sons are quite manly! You could say that they happen to be TWICE
the 'man among men' that you wanted."
Nodoka looked thoughtfully at her sons with a smile. It was true.
They were both fine examples of manhood. They were handsome,
strong and seemed well mannered. She couldn't be more proud.
"My sons. You have both have gone through much in the last ten
years. I am quite satisfied that you have both become what you are
today. To think that I have my family back together again! What's more,
I may even witness one of you married to Akane Tendo!"
Both brothers, Shampoo, Cologne and Ukyo stiffened at those
words. Nodoka noticed the change in mood and looked at them in
confusion. "Did I say something wrong?"
Ranma Red and his sibling squirmed in their seats as they tried to
think up the best way to tell her. After a minute, Ranma Blue spoke up.
"Mom. I don't think that marrying Akane Tendo would be a good idea
for either of us."
"Same with me!" Ranma Blue added.
"Why not?" Nodoka asked.
Ranma Blue swallowed hard. "We have a couple reasons why we
can't marry any of the Tendo daughters, especially Akane."
"Your father had arranged the marriage before either of you were
born. It is a matter of honor that we fulfill the pact! I myself would have
preferred that you both find your own fiancées, but Genma's vow to Soun
Tendo must take precedence. Why do you not wish to follow through?"
Ranma Blue sighed as he gestured to Ukyo. "Mom. This is Ukyo
Kuonji. My fiancée."
Nodoka gazed at the okonomiyaki chef, who became very nervous.
"You are engaged to my son?"
"Yes I am Mrs. Saotome." Ukyo said in a quiet voice.
"Please, you may all call me Nodoka. Now tell me Ukyo. Were you
aware of my husband's promise to Soun Tendo? Since it was made
before my sons were even born, it has the right of seniority."
"Yes Mrs.… I mean Nodoka, but I have a more valid claim to one of
your sons than Akane does."
"And what might that claim be?"
"Ten years ago, Ran-chan and me were close friends. My father saw
how happy I was with him and decided to arrange an engagement
between us. Genma had told my father that Ranma was already
promised. However, when my father offered his yattai as a dowry, your
husband took it and Ran-chan, but left me on the side of the road!"
"WHAT?!" Nodoka became absolutely shocked when she heard of it.
Urd nodded as she added, "It's true! As a Goddess of the Past, I can
personally vouch for it." Urd pointed toward the television, which again
lit up by itself. Everyone gazed into the screen as it depicted a scene
from the past. Nodoka watched in disbelief as she saw Genma run off
with the cart with Ranma sitting atop it. Behind them, a crying, six-year
old Ukyo was running after them. Nodoka nearly broke out in tears as
she heard the little girl cry out, "Wait! You said you were going to take
me with you!"
Nodoka's expression became hard as the scene faded away. She then
looked at Ranma Blue, who sighed as he began to explain.
"I was only six-years old when that happened. Back then, I didn't even
know about marriages and brides. In fact, I didn't even know that Ukyo
was a girl! When Pop asked me if I liked okonomiyaki or Ucchan, I
misunderstood and chose okonomiyaki. I've been kicking myself ever
since I learned about it. She still forgave me despite everything and
after I had become free of the curse, I realized that I loved her. Two
days ago I proposed to her."
"I… see." Nodoka said thoughtfully. She then turned her attention to
her other son. "And what of you? You have also stated that you have no
wish to marry Akane. Do you have someone else as well?"
"Yes mother." Ranma gestured to Shampoo. "I have fallen for
Cologne's great-granddaughter."
Nodoka looked at the purple-haired girl with the same gaze as she
had done with Ukyo. Shampoo bowed her head as she began explaining.
"Shampoo and Great-grandmother come from Joketsuzoku. We have
much pride as warriors. According to law, if beaten by outsider man,
Amazon must marry. Ranma had defeated Shampoo. It is matter of
honor that Shampoo marry him. Came to Japan in order to convince
Ranma to come home to village."
"But the Tendo claim was made a long time ago. It is a matter of our
family honor!"
Shampoo became even more sadder as she continued. "Amazons
think honor is very big deal too. Shampoo lost honor when she returned
to village without Ranma. Got Jusenkyo curse as punishment. Now
Shampoo must bring Ranma back as husband or she will be dishonored
a second time. If so, then…"
"Then what?"
"Then I would have to kill her." Cologne said.
Needless to say, this made everyone react in shock. Ranma Red
became especially pale when he heard this.
Nodoka looked at Cologne with a shocked look. She could not
comprehend anyone who was willing to kill their own family. Cologne
noted her expression and said in a firm voice, "As her only relative, it
would have been my duty to end her dishonor."
"You would actually KILL your only family to satisfy honor?!"
Cologne returned her expression with an emotionless one. "Before I
answer your question, let me pose something to you. Before we arrived
here, my future son-in-law had informed me of Genma's promise to you
to commit seppeku if Ranma had not become a man among men. You have
already seen proof of your husband's dishonorable conduct. Correct?"
"Yes." Nodoka replied.
"And because of his actions, does that not ALSO merit seppeku?"
Nodoka thought for a moment. "Yes it would."
"Would you have made him go through with it? If he refused, would
you have cut him down? In order to have honor satisfied? Even if it
meant KILLING your own husband?"
Nodoka considered the aged Amazon's words carefully. Finally, she
replied, "You have made your point."
Cologne nodded before continuing. "Son-in-law was most unwilling
to fulfill the marriage contract with Shampoo in the beginning. The task
was not made any easier with Ukyo and Akane, both with valid claims
on Ranma. I must confess, we did have to resort to underhanded
methods in our attempts to persuade him. It is not something that I am
proud to admit, but Shampoo's very future was at stake! Recently
however, Ranma had saved my great-granddaughter from being trapped
into a marriage with a Ghost Cat. This act of bravery earned her respect
and admiration. She had then decided not to resort to potions or magic.
She was willing to risk the consequences of being executed, because
she had fallen in love with him."
Shampoo nodded as she picked up the narrative. "At first, Shampoo
just glad to have strong fiancée. Later, Ranma show he was brave, have
good heart and do care for Shampoo. He no think Shampoo is stupid
because she no talk good Japanese. Shampoo could not help but fall in
love with him. Decided not to use potions to win him. Shampoo know
that Ranma no like that."
"When son-in-law informed me that his first defeat of Shampoo was
an accident, it was apparent that the Kiss of Marriage law was not valid."
Cologne stated. "However, he went to great lengths to fight Shampoo
and defeat her a second time in fair combat, thereby validating Shampoo's
claim on him. When I asked him why he did such a thing, despite the fact
that it put him back into the same predicament, he had admitted that he did
love my great-granddaughter and was now willing to marry her."
Nodoka was moved by the story. However, she still could not see
how Shampoo's story could show that she had any rights. "Cologne, I am
touched by your great-granddaughter's story, but I'm afraid that the
Tendo clan will not accept your Amazon's laws as valid. Although I
would prefer that my son marry someone he loved, I'm afraid that he
does not have any choice in the matter. While I can permit the marriage
between Ukyo and my other son, due to that business with the yattai, I
fear that there is no way, in which Shampoo can marry my second son.
Soun Tendo will still claim that the pledge was a matter of honor."
Urd decided to intervene. "So this whole thing is all a matter of
honor, right?"
"That is correct." Ranma's mother replied.
"Well, perhaps I can rectify that." Urd declared.
"What do you mean?" Nodoka queried.
"Well, you see, before I came down to Earth, I looked over the file
concerning Genma for the past fifteen years. As I recall, he had taken
Ranma when he was an infant on a short training trip before that ten-
year journey. Right?"
"Yes he did. What of it?"
"Well, during that trip, he had come across a man who was the
patriarch of the Daikoku clan. Genma was starving at the time, so he
offered to engage Ranma to his daughter Kaori for a fish, a bowl of rice
and two pickles. The Kaori's father accepted the offer, but after Genma
had eaten, your husband stole Ranma back and left."
"WHAT?!" Nodoka couldn't believe it.
"See for yourself." Urd pointed back at the television. It sprang to
life and began showing everyone the scene between Genma and Kaori's
father. They became disgusted as they saw the future panda hand over
Ranma while saying, "Throw in the pickles and rice and he's yours."
Needless to say, Nodoka became steamed.
Once the scene ended with Genma stealing back his son, Nodoka
turned to the goddess with an enraged look. "My husband had sold
Ranma for a FISH?!"
Ranma Red nodded as he added. "Kaori and her father arrived at the
dojo, looking to collect. It later ended up as a battle for free ramen! In
the end, Kaori lost the battle and had to renounce her claim."
"And that's not the only arrangement that Genma had done for food.
By my count, there has been at least three more that Ranma has not
been told about." Urd went on.
"THREE MORE?!" Nodoka and her sons repeated.
"That's right." Urd reactivated the television.
The screen depicted scenes of Genma using Ranma as a bargaining
chip to obtain food to feed his fat belly. A man that sold pork cutlets
agreed to engage his daughter to Ranma in exchange for a month's
supply. Another scene displayed Genma trading away Ranma's future
for several sacks of rice. Finally, Ranma became the fiancée to a girl
whose mother had an all you can eat buffet going at her restaurant.
When the television became dark again, Nodoka was about ready to
explode. She was the icon of control as she barely kept her anger from
coming to the surface. Finally, all the anger seemed to subside as she
sat up and approached Shampoo and Ukyo. Looking deeply into their
eyes, Nodoka considered all that was shown to her. The two girls
became extremely nervous.
The mother of the Ranma twins was silent for a very long time.
Nothing was said as the silence almost smothered the house. Finally
she turned her attention to Ukyo and Shampoo.
"Ukyo Kuonji. Shampoo. You have both suffered greatly at the hands
of my husband and my sons. The fact that you two still wish to marry
my sons shows that you both have great devotion and patience.
Furthermore, Genma has proven himself to be dishonorable in the
worst way. Therefore, I have come to a decision."
Both girls sat on the edges of their seats as the waited for Ranma's
mother to speak.
"Although Genma had made the promise to Soun Tendo in good faith
and is intent on following through with it, I will not allow the
engagement, since the promise to the Daikoku clan had invalidated it.
The fact that Kaori had renounced her claim DOES NOT excuse my
husband's actions."
Both girls nodded.
"Since my husband has so carelessly bargained away my son's future
on several occasions, I have also decided to invalidate ALL of the
engagements that he had made afterwards. He had done these things
without my son's nor my consent and had caused serious dishonor to
several families."
Ukyo began to panic. Did this mean that her claim to Ranma Blue
was also invalid?
Nodoka noticed Ukyo's expression and smiled. "I am not finished,
Miss Kuonji. I said that I have invalidated all the engagements that
GENMA had made. I said nothing about any engagements that my SONS
had made."
Both girls looked at Nodoka's smiling face with confusion.
"Ukyo Kuonji. Ranma Blue had told us that he proposed to you two
days ago. Is that correct?"
Ukyo nodded. "Yes!"
Nodoka then looked at Shampoo. "Shampoo. After Ranma Red had
defeated you, did he not promise to marry you?"
"Aiya! Yes!"
Nodoka's smile became even more brilliant. She looked over to her
sons and Cologne. They all carried warm smiles, as they comprehended
Nodoka's way of thinking. She then drew herself up to her full height
and declared, "The matter is settled. My sons shall marry Ukyo Kuonji
and Shampoo. I hereby give my blessings."
Both Ranmas stood up and went to their mother. They took her into
her arms in a three-way embrace. Both girls had also stood up. When
Nodoka broke away from her sons and turned toward her future daughter-
in-laws, she took them into her arms and repeated the group hug.
Urd watched on the sidelines as she thought quietly to herself. [Isn't
that sweet? Now I know why Belldandy likes this sort of mushy stuff.]
When the three females finally separated, Ukyo and Shampoo had
tears streaming down their cheeks.
"Thank you Mrs. Saotome."
"Shampoo glad to meet Ranma mother Nodoka!"
Nodoka smiled warmly at the two girls. "Please girls. From now on,
you may call me Mother."
Everyone then turned his or her attention on Urd, who was just
moving toward the television. She stopped and turned back toward the
group. "Well, now that everything has been settled, it's time for me to
take my leave. I've done my good deed for the century."
Nodoka walked up to the goddess. "Urd. Thank you for showing me
the truth about Genma and my sons' plight. I don't know how I can repay
you for all of this."
Urd gave her a devilish grin and said, "Just give Genma one for me
when you clean his clock!" With that, she stepped into the television
screen. There was a bright flash of light and the goddess was gone.
Nodoka turned back toward the group and sighed. "Although I would
like nothing better than to spend more time to get to know my sons and
future daughter-in-laws, it is late and I believe we can continue in the
morning. I would be happy if you would all spend the night here."
"We would be honored Mrs. Saotome." Cologne said as she hopped
up on her staff.
"Please call me Nodoka." The Saotome matriarch faced the others.
"My sons may share their old room. Shampoo and Ukyo can take the
guestroom, while Cologne and I will sleep in my bedroom. Tomorrow,
we shall go to the Tendo dojo to settle things and…" Nodoka took a
dark look. "I will deal with Genma."
To be continued…
AUTHOR'S NOTES
Why did I decide to end the Ryoga/ Ranma feud? The simple reason
is that the two Ranmas will have much bigger problems in future
chapters. They'll soon be dealing with menaces that would make their
grudge with the lost boy seem minor at best.
All right, I admit it! I made up those other fiancée situations.
However, knowing Genma, they were probably close to the truth. After
seeing that bearded man hug Ranma at the end of the Ms. Martial Arts
Takeout anime episode, I kind of figured that Genma might have sold
Ranma off several times during their long training journey. In any case,
I'm sure that Nodoka wouldn't have accepted her husband's conduct over
the past decade anyway.
The next chapter is going to be a big one! The return to the Tendo
dojo! Better keep your distance, because there are going to be major
fireworks!