Ranma was running from Akane after a failed attempt to escape before she got out of the kitchen with something she called food and the rest of the world called radioactive waste. Of course she didn't take it lightly that her creation would be wasted, so she was chasing the baka with a plate full of whatever she had developed. Adding to the persecution was nearly every person in Nerima with an interest in the pigtailed martial artist. Things had gotten more chaotic than usual, since all the girls were getting more desperate to snare Ranma, while the guys tried to kill him more seriously.

But Ranma wasn't running. No sir, Ranma Saotome never escaped from anything. He was simply advancing in the opposite direction while he figured out what to do. Akane was chasing him with what she called food. Shampoo and Ukyo brought him some breakfast as well, most probably with magic potions in it. Ryoga was yelling his usual phrase, blaming him for the bad weather. Kuno was intent on setting free his pigtailed goddess as he waved a real katana around. Mouse was screaming something about true love. Genma and Soun were carrying a priest to conduct the wedding as soon as they caught up with him. Cologne and Nabiki followed for the amusement factor alone. Happosai was cheerfully running behind him with a little wand on his hand, most probably something magic. Ranma didn't even want to know what Kodachi planned to do with that whip.

All in all it was a pretty normal day in his life. After Jusendo things had calmed down, which Ranma greatly appreciated. But peace didn't last. Very soon everybody forgot about what had happened and returned to his or her usual attitudes with a vengeance. The last couple of months had had occurrences like this one everyday. Ranma didn't feel like being completely obliterated this morning, so that's why he was advancing in the opposite direction from everyone. Man, could he use a vacation.

Now normally he would be able to escape or at least fight off most of the pursuers, but the alignment of the planets, fate and the writer's purpose were to make Happosai, Akane, Ukyo and Shampoo throw whatever they were holding at the same time to the same target. They calculated their throw so that they would hit Ranma as he rounded a corner. The combination of whatever magic Happosai's wand had, with Shampoo's and Ukyo's potions and Akane's so called cooking had an unexpected effect. There was an explosion coming from around the corner, where Ranma was, followed by a bright flash of light. Everybody turned to each other as if trying to figure out why things went wrong. Of course no one had the answer. They very carefully advanced and took a look at the center of the explosion. Sure enough, Ranma was there face down, completely unconscious. Only problem was, there were other two people there. A woman and a little girl were also caught in the explosion. They lay still very close to where Ranma was found. This broke everyone from his or her frenzy to get Ranma and they looked at each other with dread. Had their reckless behavior finally hurt an innocent?

Cologne didn't waste another second as she rushed to the woman and girl to check for life signs. She sighed in relief as she found they were both alive, if a little burnt from the explosion. It was probably the shock that made them both faint. She turned with a glare for the ones who recklessly attacked her son-in-law. Happosai was nowhere to be found, while Akane, Kodachi, Shampoo and Ukyo were fighting each other to see who was guilty for hurting the woman and who would comfort Ranma. The pigtailed boy's rivals were approaching his unmoving form with a gleam in their eyes that told the elder of the amazons what their intentions were. They stopped cold as a voice was heard. "Don't you dare touch my son." Ever so slowly they all turned to see Nodoka, katana drawn, eyeing them all hatefully. She had witnessed the way people chased her son from her backyard and, though she didn't see the explosion because of the wall, she clearly saw the people responsible for it. Nodoka liked Akane a great deal and wanted to have her as a daughter-in-law. She liked the other girls and didn't object to her son having mistresses. But all those feelings were pushed aside by the cold anger that surfaced from her heart at seeing her only son hurt because of them. Ryoga, Mouse and Kuno advancing to finish off Ranma were the trigger for her self-control to go to hell.

Genma and Soun fled as soon as they saw the expression of pure rage on Nodoka's face. Ryoga, Kuno and Mouse looked at each other and hesitantly started to retreat from the downed martial artist. Neither of them would admit being afraid of a woman. They justified themselves thinking they could never harm a woman. Nabiki walked to Cologne with a serious expression on her features. Nodoka sheated her katana and knelt beside her child. "How are they?" Asked Nabiki of the amazon elder.

Cologne answered calmly. "They'll be fine. It was only the scare of the explosion that got them like this. Though it would be better to get them indoors."

Nodoka heard the comment and said. "This is my house." She signaled with her hand. "Please help me get them inside." Ranma's fiancées took a step forward to help when Nodoka turned to them with the same cold demeanor she gave the boys. "Don't come any closer to my boy." Her voice had a cutting edge that made even Cologne suppress a shiver. And out of the entire group only the elder understood the Saotome matriarch. She was also a mother.

"But Auntie." Protested Akane. The glare she was a victim of silenced any further protest from her or the other girls.

"Go back to the Nekohanten, Shampoo." Ordered Cologne. She knew that if Shampoo still had a chance of getting on Nodoka's good side it would be with her present absence. The young amazon nodded and left in a hurry. The other girls followed ever so slowly, stealing glances of Ranma as he was carried into the Saotome house.

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"What could have caused this?" Asked a distressed Nodoka. They had taken Ranma and the two estrangers inside. Nabiki had been the first to notice something was wrong with the pigtailed martial artist. This was while Nodoka carried the woman and Cologne set the little girl down on a futon.

"I don't even know what caused the explosion. I didn't find any of the objects thrown at Ranma." Cologne said as she too studied the changes that the boy had undergone. The pigtailed martial artist was laid down on a futon breathing slowly. He presented the same kind of burns the woman and girl had suffered. Minor burns, though they would be very uncomfortable for the following days. That wasn't the problem though.

Nodoka turned back to her son. She traced his face with her hand. "How old do you think he is?" Asked Nabiki, finally getting out of her shock. Not many things could brake her calm demeanor, but Ranma seemed to have a certain something that always had her on edge.

Nodoka sighed. "He's at least ten years older." She still couldn't believe the appearance change. Ranma had filled out and grown a little taller, his young features replaced with those of a mature man. Nodoka would feel proud of her manly son if it werent such a sudden change, such a sudden accident. She got out of he contemplative mood as Ranma started to stir. "Ranma?" The three asked.

Ranma had had better days. He had one hell of a headache, a terrible itch bothered his entire body and he thought he heard someone calling his name. He slowly opened his eyes, which hurt with the light. As his blurred vision started to clear, he noticed three shapes over him. Of course, if they stopped moving he could probably distinguish their features. After a few more blinks, he managed to see clearly enough to recognize one of them. "Mom?" He whispered in disbelief.

Nodoka smiled. "Yes, dear." She was surprised as Ranma hugged her for dear life. Not used to her son being emotional, she was completely unprepared and her mind froze at the contact. Her arms enclosed Ranma in an embrace out of reflex.

Nabiki and Cologne looked at each other in confusion. *Can this get any weirder?* They both thought. And following the succession of events taking place, it did. Ranma opened his eyes wide in realization and jumped to his feet, leaving his mother still a little dazed. He scanned the room quickly, and found the little girl sleeping soundly. He hurriedly knelt beside her and gathered in his arms. His expression was one of fear mixed with worry as he found they were one person short.

"Ranma?" A female voice could be heard from the next room. That voice had a tinge of fear in it. No sooner had he heard his name when the pigtailed man left the room.

The three women left in the room looked at each other once again, confusion clearly written in their usually calm expressions. They followed Ranma to the next room. The sight that greeted them made them stop in the frame of the door. The still sleeping girl was in the woman's arms, while the woman herself wept despairingly in Ranma's embrace. The most unusual was seeing Ranma cry as well at the same time that he tried to comfort the woman. "They're dead. They're dead." She repeated again and again.

"Shhhh. We don't know that." Ranma soothingly said, though it could be seen that he didn't believe his own words as tears continued to flow from his eyes. Turning to the door, Ranma quietly asked. "Could you give us a few minutes alone?"

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Cologne, Nodoka and Nabiki waited as they had a cup of tea. None of them had broken the silence since they came downstairs. It had all begun early in the morning and it was nearly four in the afternoon. Their curiosity would have gotten the best of them if it werent for the fact that they had been listening to mourning noises from upstairs all day long. And not only from the woman but from Ranma as well. They could only speculate as to what had happened? Why did Ranma know that woman? Why did Ranma look the way he did to start with? It was all something they were dying to know, but respected the mourning of people in pain.

Nabiki paced from one place to another, an uncharacteristic show of impatience from her. She hadn't called the dojo to inform of the situation. The thought hadn't even crossed her mind. The look of pure pain and loss on the woman's face reminding her something she couldn't put her finger on.

Cologne waited patiently in her seat. Or at least it looked like it. For the careful observer she was nervous as well. She played with her cup and shifted position every twenty minutes or so. For the old matriarch that was a lot.

Nodoka looked up the stairs sadly. She could hear her son was in pain, but there was nothing she could do to alleviate that pain. Nothing for a mother to ease her child's suffering. That was tearing her apart. But she either way sat patiently, waiting for her chance to help her own flesh and blood.

After another hour, in which not a single noise could be heard in the house, finally the sounds of people coming down the stairs disturbed the impossibly uncomfortable silence. Ranma walked into the room followed closely by the woman. Finally they had a chance to study her.

She was short and lithe, very frail looking in the kimono she was wearing. Her long black hair fell back to her lower back. Her eyes were still red and puffy from crying, as well as Ranma's. The tears had stopped, though if their expressions were any indication, they had only stopped momentarily. Ranma helped his companion take a seat and followed suit. He regarded Nabiki, Cologne and Nodoka tiredly. The day's events had taken a toll on him. "I believe we need to sort this mess out." He said finally.

Nodoka nodded and said. "My son, what happened to you?"

Ranma took a sip of his tea. "Could you please tell me what happened today? I need to clear my thoughts on that." Nabiki gave him a detailed explanation of the day's events all the way to now. When she finished, Ranma thanked her and said. "So not even a day has passed here."

"What do you mean, son-in-law?" As this words the other woman turned to her startled. "Is something wrong?" Cologne asked her.

Ranma sighed. "This is gonna be difficult." Turning to each one of them, he made the proper presentations. "Kasumi. This is my mother, Nodoka Saotome. This is Elder Cologne of the Chinese Amazons. And this is Nabiki Tendo. Everyone. This is Kasumi Todo, my wife." He prepared himself for the explosion of questions. An explosion of questions that didn't make him wait. All three women asked different sorts of questions at once, making it impossible for him to understand any of them.

After a moment of complete chaos Nodoka finally called everyone to be silent. She turned calmly to her son, too calmly. "Ranma, I expect a good explanation for this and you have ten seconds to start with it."

Ranma didn't like the tone in which the demand was made. He had grown up and was a man that didn't have to answer for his actions. He straightened defiantly in front of his mother, purposely keeping his mouth shut and a deep frown adorning his features. Nodoka was taken aback by the defiance. Nabiki stared with her jaw on the floor. Cologne studied Ranma more carefully, noticing things she didn't like one bit. Kasumi followed her husband's example and glared at her mother-in-law. Ranma had told her of how people tried to control his life during his youth, and she would be damned if someone forced any of them apart, which was obviously what would happen in the following days.

Nodoka finally averted her eyes, not being able to sustain her son's stone cold glare. Ranma's expression softened. "I'm sorry, mother. But I won't allow anything to get in between Kasumi and me."

Nodoka turned back to her son with a hurt expression. "Does honor mean so less to you? Has Genma failed in making you a man among men?" Even though her words were filled with despair she still started unsheating her katana.

Ranma noticed and stood up in an instant, his face flushed red in rage. "DON'T YOU DARE!" His voice carried such a command that Nodoka, Cologne and Nabiki were petrified in place. Since when did Ranma have a backbone? The pigtailed man directed a disappointed look to his mother. "Don't you dare come up with that stupid contract about me being a 'man among men.' Don't you dare tell me it's a matter of honor that I marry a Tendo or I will commit seppuku. For if that is what honor demands, that I leave my wife and daughter alone, you can go to hell with that honor. I may not be a man, but I won't destroy my family, the only thing I really treasure, for what you call honor." And with that Ranma stomped out of the room. Nabiki quietly followed him.

Nodoka was livid. What had happened to her manly son? She turned to Kasumi, and her shock turned into anger. "What did you do to my son?" She demanded.

Kasumi got up and seriously said. "Saotome-san. You don't want a man as a son. You want a slave." With that she bowed. "Arigato for your hospitality." And with that she followed her husband out of the room.

Nodoka and Cologne were left alone in the living room. The Saotome matriarch wept softly, unable to believe what had happened, while Cologne patted her on the shoulder for support. The elder had tears in her eyes as this scene reminded her of something she lived through when she was young. How could Ranma always affect so much the people he associated with? She would never know.

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Ranma entered the room where his daughter was still sound asleep. "How did you manage to sleep through that?" He asked knowing she slept as deeply as he did. He removed some of the black locks of hair from her face and stared at her peaceful expression.

"What happened to you, Saotome?" Nabiki asked after a few seconds passed by.

A female voice from behind startled her. "It's not Saotome anymore." Nabiki turned to see Kasumi there, tears in her eyes. It seemed like the girl was suffering as much as Ranma with this.

Ranma turned with a sad smile. "I took the Todo name when we married eleven years ago."

Nabiki looked at him oddly. "Ranma, you're eighteen. Don't tell me your father married you when you were only seven." It was a possibility, considering Genma's track record.

Ranma and Kasumi finally laughed, even if briefly. Ranma shook his head. "No, Nabiki. For you no time passed, but for me sixteen years went by. How would you explain my age if I wasn't telling the truth?"

Nabiki decided to question him about it later. More pressing matters called her attention. "What are you gonna do now?"

Ranma took Kasumi's hand and answered without hesitation. "We have to find a place to stay. We can't stay here and I'm sure our fathers won't take the news of my marriage good either." His voice had a tinge of sadness in it, but not of regret. If he could do things once again he wouldn't change anything.

Nabiki considered things for a while and asked. "Do you have any money to pay rent?"

Kasumi shook her head sadly. "We don't have any money. This took us by surprise."

Ranma smiled reassuringly. "We can always camp out while we get back on our feet. It should take us a couple of weeks to be able to rent an apartment. Getting our legal documents taken care of is gonna be a lot tougher." Kasumi smiled at him.

"You don't have to do that." Nabiki said. "I can loan you the money you need for those first couple of weeks. With interest, or course."

Ranma looked at her as if she had grown another head. "Nabiki, are you feeling OK?"

The middle Tendo sister didn't take offense in the question. "Are you kidding? You're the best source of income I've ever had. I'm just protecting my inversion."

Kasumi smiled, but either way waved a finger in front of Nabiki. "No pictures, or else."

Nabiki nodded. "We'll find something else." She turned to the still sleeping girl and asked. "Will she ever wake up?"

Ranma and Kasumi smiled. "She sleeps just like my husband. I don't think she'll wake up till tomorrow. She was very tired." With that Ranma lifted her in his arms and turned.

Nabiki spoke seriously at them. "Don't think I'm doing this out of the kindness of my heart. I expect to be compensated for this."

Ranma nodded. "Don't worry, Nabiki. We'll pay you back." The three of them headed downstairs.

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Nodoka heard the sound of footsteps and turned. Cologne had apologized about having to leave to attend the Nekohanten. She wasn't sure if Shampoo and Mouse could do it all by themselves. She promised Nodoka she would be back. Nodoka saw as Ranma carried her granddaughter with all the care a father has for his child. Kasumi stood by his side, her expression one of exhaustion. Nabiki followed close behind.

The Saotome matriarch stood up. "Is there no way you'll change your mind?" She asked, though she already knew the answer.

Ranma shook his head. "Arigato, Okasan. We'll be leaving now. If you see Otosan please tell him not to worry about me teaching the Anything Goes. I abandoned it from the time I realized I wouldn't be able to fulfill the pledge between the families."

Nodoka nodded. "I'll inform him of it, son. Please, take care." And with that they bowed to each other. Kasumi did likewise and they both left the Saotome grounds. Nabiki left with them after saying her farewell to Nodoka.

Once this was done, tears flowed from the eyes of two people. One because he lost his mother, the other because she lost her son.


END PART 1


Author's notes: Think of this as a prologue. That's why it's so short. I simply got this idea stuck in my mind and couldn't write anything else, so I decided to put it in words. Should I continue it? Tell me what you think about it. If I do continue it there will be constant flashbacks as to how Ranma and Kasumi met and fell in love while they have to deal with life in Nerima. I've already got the whole general idea for the story; I just need to write it, which is the most difficult part.