PART 1
Two people got out of the train and stared at the station. One of them, a man, was looking at everything with a sense of nostalgia. He was tall and built, his black hair done in a pigtail. "It has been a while." He said in a deep voice. His blue eyes revealed experiences other men never even imagined. He was young, but no longer a boy.
The other person, who was standing by his side, took his hand in hers. "You're not alone." She said in her sweet voice giving his hand a squeeze. The man turned to her, and smiled at seeing himself in her brown eyes. They were just so perfect, he could see an image of himself in each of those brown orbs. They were also tainted with experience and hardship, but even after all those difficulties, they still retained an air of innocence. Her spiky red hair revealed a confident and expressive young woman, about the man's age. "Where's your mother's house? You still remember, don't you?"
This brought a laugh from the man, and he was soon joined by her. "I do. We'll be there in a couple of minutes at the most." And with that he lifted his pack. The woman did the same and they soon were walking down the streets of Nerima.
Rippen Drakuzz Presents:
Life after Battle
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Nodoka Saotome was working on her garden. Her flower bed was receiving special treatment right now, after a certain panda thought it wise to take a nap there. She was having an uneventful day, and regretted it. *How I miss you my son. And how I curse the day I wished for things to get back to normal.* She had understood, after a year since Ranma left without notice, that her son was the center of all the craziness. It wasn't really his fault, but his very presence brought many people that either loved or hated him to their limits. She herself had been hard on him, and that's why she didn't blame her boy for leaving that way. She only hoped that one day her boy would return to her. Call her 'mother' once again. She shed a tear when she remembered the sadness in Ranma's face when he admitted that he was Ranko, the shame he carried with him. All she could do was hug her treasure, love overcoming honor without an instant of doubt.
She had then pressed him to be nice to Akane, and never really saw the truth. He had tried to be nice, he even rescued her from a god once, but she never trusted him. For all the things he did, all Akane did was call him a pervert and blame him for everything. Ranma didn't help matters by insulting her, but Akane took things too far with her short temper. Nodoka could see that now, in retrospective. She put another bunch of dirt over the newly planted rose. Carefully placing it around it, as to not kill it. That's what Ranma needed, space. He was dying in this environment, and he did the only thing he could. He got space, even if that meant leaving. All his enemies gloated that he was a coward, and openly said Ranma Saotome was afraid of them. *If only they knew. My son has more courage in his index finger than all of them together.* She took a cup with icy water and sprinkled a little over the rose petals. They sparkled with the light of the afternoon sun. Nodoka got up and headed for the house, a feeling of longing in her eyes. She missed her son greatly. She had only been with him for a short period of time after ten years of absence, and then he disappeared, again. Her heart was proud though. She knew, wherever he was, that he would behave as a man among men, to the end. *Maybe that is my greatest fear.* She knew how determined Ranma was, and that if it took his life to do something, he wouldn't hesitate. He fought Saffron even though not even Cologne was able to stand up to him. She heard a soft knock on her door, and wiped her tears away. Maybe it was Ukyo again, trying to give her company. She smiled. The chef had been the only one to really understand Ranma's feelings, at least after he left. Ukyo understood Ranma loved her deeply, as a friend.
Nodoka and Ukyo had grown close over the years, giving each other strength. Shampoo and the amazons left after the first five months, giving up on the chance that Ranma might come back and intent on finding him. Ryoga had also wandered off, promising to make his life hell. The Saotome matriarch still couldn't understand that boy, he was angry at her son for things he wasn't to blame for. Nabiki looked for Ranma for a while, but she then stated that if Ranma had left, he had done everything humanly possible to disappear. Kasumi had married Tofu, and they lived in the Tendo dojo. They both thought, the same as she did, that Ranma would return when he was ready. Soun and Genma took Ranma's disappearance quite badly, and they both cried for a long time about the schools not being united. They would never change. What she hadn't expected was Akane's reaction. She tried to deny the fact that Ranma had left for the first couple of months. When it was obvious he had disappeared, she became enraged and started accumulating hatred towards him, just like Ryoga. She started to blame him for everything that didn't go her way. *I hope that when my son returns he has medical insurance. Akane is gonna make quite a number on him.* She though grimly.
Another knock on the door took her by surprise, and she shook her head. She had lost herself in her own thoughts. *Well, let's see who it is.* She walked to the door and opened it without hesitation. Nerima was a safe place, and she could very well take care of herself.
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"Maybe she isn't home." Said the man, obvious disappointment in his voice. The girl sighed and bonked him on the head.
"So we'll wait dummy. Don't sound so sad about having to wait a little more time." She said with her usual impulsive manner. "We waited for years to return. Now that we are here you should be more patient."
The man smiled and said. "That's easy for you to say, we already saw your dad." And with that the door opened.
A middle aged woman, treated splendidly by the years, stood there. She was dressed in a kimono, and seemed to emanate honor from every pore. She looked calm, that is until she saw who had been knocking. Her face lost all of its color, and she babbled a little until she was able to utter a word. "Ranma?"
The man smiled at her and nodded. "It's good to see you again, mom." they remained staring at each other for long seconds. The other woman simply pushed him forward, and mother and son got caught in a hug. "Mom, how I've missed you." The man said, fighting back the tears.
Nodoka made no such effort, her eyes letting the liquid flow freely. "My son!" Was all she said, was all she could think right now. She had dreamed so much with this moment.
The redhead watched this from a distance and smiled. *So this is how my old man and I looked when Ranma accompanied me. I hope no one else saw that.* After a five minute hug, Nodoka finally composed herself to invite them into the house.
As she motioned for them to seat down, so that she could get some tea, she studied the pair. Ranma had changed, a lot. His features revealed maturity and determination, even more than in his teens. He was fully developed now, and had a complexion that amazed her. He was tall and broad, with muscles that spoke of great strength. His movements, however, spoke of a grace that he didn't have from the boy she remembered. He had obviously improved in his martial arts. His eyes were the feature that caught Nodoka's attention though. They didn't match with the body. Those blue-gray orbs revealed hardship and experience beyond his years, way beyond his years. If life in Nerima was any indication, Nodoka was anxious to know what new adventures Ranma had faced.
As the water was starting to boil, Nodoka studied the young woman that came in with Ranma. She was wearing a short top with a sleeveless short jeans jacket. Her shorts covered very little of her legs, and were skin thigh. *This girl has no sense of modesty.* She thought with an inward frown. When she caught sight of the behavior the redhead had, she changed her mind. She was carefree, determined, much like her son. There was also something else, Nodoka could read in her moves that the girl was a martial artist. It didn't take a genius to notice, since she glided with such grace that an olympic gymnast would be jealous. There was certain energy to the girl that illuminated the room, almost as if she was a sun of enthusiasm. She had a small scar along her left cheek, but it didn't look bad on her. Her eyes were what caught Nodoka's attention, they were the same as Ranma's, too old for the young body.
Nodoka was a very perceptive person, and she immediately noticed something other people, especially her husband, would miss. These two people were a couple. She could tell because of the way they handled themselves, in common agreement without even exchanging a glance. Their moves complemented each other so well that it spoke of years of being together. She sighed as she thought about it. *Some people are not gonna like it.*
Ranma didn't waste any time in getting settled in. He took in his surroundings and noticed nothing had really changed. He studied his mother as she obviously was doing with him, and noticed with pride that she was just as skilled in the art as she had been when he left. Maybe even more skilled. The redhead studied everything as well, and judged Ranma's mother to be a competent fighter. She noticed the similarities between the duo and smiled. *So that's where he gets it from.* Pride, honor, determination, an inner strength that could defeat any obstacle. Those were the things that made her fall in love with the man, and she could tell the mother was the mold he had come out of.
Finally, the tea was served, and they all sipped before Nodoka started the conversation. "My son, I can't begin to tell you how happy I am that you are back. I missed you greatly during these past seven years."
Ranma felt his heart melt, but he remained calm as he said. "I know mom. I've missed you a great deal, and wondered when would I be able to come back, to see your face." He stopped and remembered he wasn't alone. Looking forward, he started. "Mom, I would like you to meet Midori Himeno. We met a long time ago."
Midori smiled and said. "Nice to meet you Saotome-san. I finally meet the legendary person Ranma kept talking about all the time. I can see where your son got all his qualities from."
Nodoka smiled at the compliment and nodded in thanks. "Please, call me Nodoka, dear." Midori nodded. The Saotome matriarch stared at them for a moment and spoke. "Ranma, I'm not sure how your father is gonna take your love for Midori." The startled looks the couple gave her made her smile. "Don't act so surprised. It is so obvious I could see it from a mile." Ranma was about to say something when Nodoka lifted her hand to silence him. She got serious and said. "You were honor bound to marry one of the Tendo girls since your birth. It was a decision neither you nor I had any say in. I therefore invalidate that vow and give you free choice in the matter of who you will marry." Her smile practically illuminated the room when she said. "I approve of your choice, my son."
Midori and Ranma let out breaths they didn't know they were holding. The shock of Nodoka guessing their intentions to get married as soon as possible was big. Of her making it this easy for them was almost too much to bear. Midori's respect for her future mother-in-law kept increasing. Ranma laughed, a carefree laugh that made the other two people in the room smile. "You know? I had a big moving speech prepared to try and convince you about this. I guess I needn't have worried, huh?"
Nodoka gave a small laugh. "Maybe some day you could recite it to me. I would like to know what you would say." The atmosphere in the room was one of tranquility, something two people greatly needed after a great ordeal. Nodoka noted their reaction, and asked. "Where have you been for these past years? Even though everyone was looking for you, not even Nabiki was able to find you." She was very curious about it.
Ranma sighed and placed an arm around Midori's shoulders. She leaned to rest her head on his shoulder. "Where to begin? It seems like ages since that day." He smiled and asked. "What did everyone believe when I disappeared? I have a bet with Midori that everyone thought either I was a coward or had run off from the craziness."
Nodoka nodded. "That's about it. We all thought that you needed some space, and that was your reason for leaving." She saw how Ranma laughed and Midori pouted, looking at him. *What really happened?* She thought. It was obvious from their reactions that Ranma hadn't just left like that.
Ranma straightened and said. "Well, I did leave, but not because of that. The reason why nobody was able to find me was because we weren't in this dimension." Nodoka's eyes widened at the statement. "We were called by a civilization to fight a deity that was about to destroy them. Midori and I met while training there, and started to fight it out everyday, trying to prove who had the most effective style."
Midori took this chance to add a statement into the conversation. "I'm the heir to the Fuin martial arts. Ranma was really cocky about his style being the best when we met, so I challenged him to prove him wrong."
Ranma took from this. "To make a long story short, we finally came to the obvious situation that both schools were equally powerful. During the time we kept fighting, we grew close. After that we started to teach each other, and we now have a fused style of martial arts."
Nodoka nodded. "That's a lot to do in a couple of years."
Ranma and Midori exchanged an amused glance and stated at once. "A couple of years?" They burst out laughing. Nodoka failed to see the amusement in the situation, so she remained silent. Midori sobered enough to be able to talk. "Sorry Nodoka-san, but you should know your son better by now." The matriarch was about to retort to that when Midori continued. "It took about a century for this obnoxious, stubborn mule-head to accept my style was as good as his."
Ranma stopped laughing and turned to her, amusement in his words. "Look who's talking. A certain tomboy I know didn't concede either. We reached the conclusion we both were about equal at the same time. Or have you forgot, you old hag?"
"Tomboy? Old hag?" Midori repeated, her face flushing crimson. "That's it! Tonight I'll show you how much of a tomboy I am, Oyaji!"
The insults continued for a little while longer, and neither noticed the troubled expression on Nodoka's face. *A century?* She waited for them to quiet down a little, an event that took about ten minutes to occur. She thanked for it, since she regained her focus with that valuable time. "Did you say a century?" She asked, still a little dizzied with the surprise.
Ranma looked his mother over, and said carefully. "I don't want anything of this to get out. This conversation is only between the three of us." Nodoka nodded solemnly, she hadn't expected for Ranma to think otherwise. "Time flows differently in all universes. The phrase time is relative has more of a meaning than you will ever know."
Nodoka nodded. "How many years passed for you two?" She still couldn't believe it, they seemed the same age they should be. The only reason she had to believe in their words was the clouds in their eyes, clouds that spoke of experience.
Ranma shrugged and Midori said. "Who's to know. After the first couple of thousands we kind of lost count." Nodoka's expression remained calm, her body language spoke of a remarkable inner calm. It lasted for several minutes until Ranma waved a hand in front of her face. No reaction. Midori giggled and said. "She took it pretty good. My old man was a mess." Ranma could only nod. His soon to be father-in-law had collapsed and fainted about five times before he accepted the truth. At least Nodoka kept her dignity. "What are we doing now?"
Ranma was taken out of his memories by the question, he looked at the playful smile Midori had on her face, and thought. *Hell, why not?* They both got out to the yard in a rush.
It took a lot of time to regain her senses, but Nodoka finally did. "That was a lot more than I expected." She said to herself, seeing that she was alone in the room. She didn't worry though, since she could hear laughs from Ranma and Midori back in the yard. Her heart was beating happily now that Ranma had returned. Her son was back! She decided to go see what the young couple was doing. They may be a lot older than her, but to a mother a son is always her baby.
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Genma was having a good day. He had played with Soun all afternoon, and they had taken down a couple of bottles of sake to forget about that ungrateful boy of his. He was now rounding a corner to return to his house. *My house.* He thought with a smile. It had taken him a few years to finally understand what it really meant. Ranma's absence had taught him things, important things. He learned to see other things besides training, it was still his number one priority, but he now also took his time for other activities. Spending time with his wife was the most satisfactory.
He was in a deep thought mode, when suddenly something got through the wall and collapsed over him. Genma didn't react in time, and was buried under another person and debris. *What the hell?* He angrily thought, thinking this was some kind of attack. His eyes widened in fear at the idea, Nodoka was in the house. He felt as the person over him got up and jumped into the yard once again. Genma jumped to his feet and jumped over the wall, ready to take out the attackers.
His jaw nearly hit the floor at the sight. A young man, who he recognized as Ranma, was fighting all out against a redheaded woman. They were giving each other a beating that would make any normal person pass out from pain. He scanned the yard, and found Nodoka seating on the edge of the house, her eyes wide in amazement. Genma was about to join his son in fighting this girl, when he heard something out of place. Laughter. Ranma and the new girl were laughing while they beat the crap out of each other. Genma paid close attention to the fight now.
Ranma jumped over a leg sweep, and landed with an axe kick to Midori's right shoulder. Midori received the full impact of the blow, but used it's momentum to turn into an upward spinkick. Ranma was thrown back, and as soon as he landed he dodged to the side, out of the way of a chi blast that scorched the ground. As if they were one, they jumped forward and clashed in a blur of motion. Midori rounded Ranma quickly, and four images of her started attacking the pigtailed martial artist from all directions. Ranma countered receiving the blows, and concentrating hard. He suddenly punched upward. "HI RYU SHOTEN HA!" All four images of the girl were sent flying, and when she landed on her feet, only one was left. They smiled at each other, before continuing with the fight.
Genma was speechless. He was watching a fight with such skill in it that his craziest dreams about Ranma's prowess as a martial artist seemed tame. He eyed the girl carefully. She was an impressive fighter. She could stand the punishment Ranma was dishing out and continue relentlessly on. She had a slight advantage in speed over Ranma, while his boy was stronger. The fight settled into an easy rhythm, obviously they were recovering from the previous display. Genma made his way to his wife. "So the boy is back." He said watching the fight.
Nodoka was distracted from the fight by her husband's words. She was more than a little impressed after seeing what the two people on the yard were playing at. "Yes husband. He arrived about two hours ago."
Genma nodded and sat down next to her. "Who is that girl? She's a pretty good fighter." The man had no trouble admitting it, specially since he could recognize some of the anything goes in her style. It was mixed with something else, but his trained eye told him in no uncertain terms the mixture made it more powerful. His son had the same fighting style.
Nodoka prepared herself for the following explosion, but decided to be her who told her husband about it. "She's Midori Himeno, heir to the Fuin martial arts school." Genma's eyes bulged out at the tittle, he had heard of the style. "She's also Ranma's girlfriend. He brought her here so that we knew her."
Genma suddenly felt a great anger overcome him. *How dare that impertinent boy?* His thoughts cooled some at the sight of a well placed palm strike from Midori, which exploded on Ranma's chest like a chi blast. Ranma effortlessly got up and countered with the Amaguriken. Genma started thinking clearly about it. It was obvious to him, at least now, that none of the Tendo sisters would marry Ranma. Kasumi was already married. As for Nabiki and Akane, none took too well his departure, and both were angry at him. *Besides, it seems like they already fused the styles. The union of the Anything Goes and the Fuin will make both clans powerful.*
Nodoka saw with confusion the waves of feelings on Genma's face. She was at a loss as to what her husband was thinking right now. *Maybe he's considering a way to break Midori and Ranma apart.* She guessed with a sigh.
Genma surprised her when he said. "I should be angry, and I am, a little. But I approve of Ranma's decision. It was a mistake Soun and I did all those years ago to engage our children." Nodoka nearly choked after hearing this from a person she thought she knew. Genma turned to her, a sardonic smile on his face. "You know I was forcing Ranma to marry Akane for the future of the school. The Fuin is one of the most ancient and powerful martial arts schools in Japan. To unite it with the anything goes..." He pointed at the fight. "...that would be the result. I can see there's not much I can do to separate them. My guess is they have been together for at least five years."
*If only you knew.* Thought Nodoka with a smile. Her smile was also in approval to her husband. He had matured since Ranma left, and he proved her wrong once again when she had misjudged him. He was truly the man she had fallen in love with, a caring man. They both turned their attention to the fight, and Nodoka made a comment. "They're evenly matched."
Genma nodded, although he knew his wife wouldn't see it. "My son has found his equal. From what I have seen of their fight, they take every possible advantage over the other and work on it." At this particular moment, Ranma charged with a full force right to the face. He was off-balance when Midori evaded the blow by mere inches.
Midori smiled as she thought she had won the match. Ranma wouldn't recover in time from this attack. She lifted her right arm to deliver an elbow smash on his back when she felt something hit with her jaw, hard. From the sidelines, Genma felt the urge to stand up and applaud. Ranma had thrown that punch on purpose to continue the attack with a back kick of his right leg. Midori had bitten the bait at seeing victory quick at hand. She landed heavily, the blow having been a complete surprise to her. She felt movement from the right, and rolled out of the way of an axe kick that cracked the ground. They both jumped away from each other and regarded the damage they had inflicted for a moment. "Another draw." They announced with a sigh. Ranma continued as he relaxed. "You know? One of these days I'm fighting for real so you'll better watch out."
Midori smirked as she also eased her stance. "You wish. You just are lucky I haven't caught you with a good hit in." And they started walking to the house. They had noticed Genma arrived, but since he didn't interrupt their fight, they finished it. "That last move was pretty good Ranma, although I don't recommend you try something like that in a real fight."
Ranma smiled. "I know. That chi blast you threw at point blank range was good too. Too bad it happened to destroy the wall." He said teasingly. Midori blushed embarrassed at that. Even after so many years, their fights still caused great destruction to property. This time it had been her turn to do something like that. They reached the house, and Ranma regarded his parents for a moment. "Hey pop! It's been a long time."
Genma got up and spoke. "It has, son. I see you have kept your training up." Ranma nodded mutely. Nodoka and Midori felt the urge to get their men to act. They both thought it silly that these guys were so proud and stubborn to react like father and son effusively. Genma nodded after a few minutes ticked by, and said. "Ranma, tomorrow I will start to train you and Midori..." Ranma was about to protest when Genma surprised him by concluding. "...in the Saotome Forbidden Techniques."
Ranma was speechless. His father had once told him the Saotome Forbidden Techniques would only be taught to him when he was ready. Genma had also told him they should only be taught to his wife, if she had the skill, and his heir. For him to tell him this, it meant he approved of Midori. This was overwhelming to Ranma. Even after all the crap he had suffered from the bald martial artist, he had a deep bond with him. The pigtailed man smiled and said. "Hai, Otousan." Nodoka gasped when she heard this, she hadn't expected for Genma to approve of Midori at this degree. Midori was at a loss, Ranma had never mentioned anything about that. She judged Genma to be a decent martial artist, but not a threat to either of them.
Genma and Ranma suddenly remembered they were not alone, and broke their mood. "Pleased to meet you, Midori-san." Genma greeted the redhead formally.
Midori bowed and said. "Pleased to meet you, Saotome-sensei."
Genma waved his hands in a dismissive gesture and said. "Please, don't be so formal."
Ranma added his two cents. "You can call him Oyaji like I do." Genma glared daggers at his son, and soon they were laughing. It felt good to be together again after all those years. Midori giggled and caught the similarities between father and son. Ranma had gotten some of his qualities from his father, they were less noticeable, but were the foundations of his behavior.
The group entered the house and had dinner as a family. When Midori asked about it, Nodoka simply smiled and said. "Midori-chan, after what my husband said today, you are, for all purposes, part of this family." The redhead was at a loss, not knowing what Nodoka was talking about. The Saotome matriarch smiled, she could read the doubt in Midori. *Let her discover it by herself.* The remainder of the evening was spent, and the four people in the Saotome house called it a night and went to sleep.
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The next morning Midori was wakened by the shock of being splashed with cold water. She spluttered and sat on the futon she shared with Ranma. Her view was the one of Genma, totally serious looking. "Get ready, we start training now." And with that the man left the room. Midori cursed silently and turned to see her husband, giggling in girl form.
"What's so funny?" Asked annoyed Midori. She felt completely at ease with Ranma in either form. It had been a shock at the beginning, but she learned Ranma was Ranma, it didn't matter in which form he was in.
Ranma stopped giggling and said. "I had forgot how pop gets when training." And with that she stood up and put on her normal attire. Midori sighed and got up as well, cursing about having escaped her father to fall in the hands of another tyrant.
The couple, now Ranma in male form, was standing in front of a serious Genma. Ranma knew that when his father was like this there was little to be done but train seriously and prepare for everything. Midori was standing more casually, not really knowing what this was all about. Genma finally took the word. "Midori, I will train the both of you in the Saotome Forbidden Techniques. I sealed them away because of the destruction that could be caused with them. You will teach them only to your heir, and will never use them but in the direst need." This wasn't a question, but rather a command.
Midori was taken aback by the seriousness of the demand, and nodded. "But why are you teaching them to me too? Ranma is your heir."
Genma and Ranma smiled. "I once told Ranma that he wasn't ready to learn my techniques. But that when he was, and learned them, he would teach only two people. His heir, and his wife." Midori understood then, and smiled at the indirect approval Genma Saotome had given to her relationship with Ranma. She wasn't still very impressed. After what Ranma and her had lived, she didn't expect for this techniques to be all that powerful, compared to their standards. Genma closed his eyes and breathed deeply, he then said. "I will start with the Yamasen Ken." And with that he turned towards a steel beam that had called Midori's attention from the time they exited the house. Genma assumed a fighting stance and tensed slightly. His next move was so fast the couple had trouble following, but the results were very much noticeable. Genma did a motion with his right arm, and the beam that happened to be about eight feet away was cleanly cut in half. To say that Midori was impressed would be putting it mildly. Genma turned to them, and noticed Ranma's calm expression and Midori's awed one. "That is the simplest maneuver of the Yamasen Ken. Ranma, you already have a little knowledge about it. Let me tell you this isn't even the start of the technique."
Midori was still looking at the beam, and understood why the technique was sealed. Her chi blasts could cause serious damage, but this attack would cut a person in half without trouble at all. *And this is the simplest attack.* She thought awed. Her respect for Genma Saotome had just skyrocketed. He wasn't to be taken lightly, if he could create something like that.
Ranma smiled and said. "I'll have your techniques learned in a week." Midori recovered and eagerly stated the same thing. Genma laughed and couldn't find a reason to deny it. It was true, from the display he had seen the day before. The training begun, and two apparently young fighters were drawn to their limits in a training worthy of Genma.
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"God, I'm sore all over." Midori complained as she was soaking in the furo. Next to her was Ranma, who had an arm around her shoulders.
Ranma smiled and said. "Welcome to my life." He remembered with nostalgia what Genma had trained him in, except for the Nekoken. He had always complained, but deep inside he knew he would become stronger, and he always did.
Midori was still a little angry at Genma. "I can't believe he would throw rocks at us, and we could only let us use his goddamn techniques to cover." She was beginning to think her father wasn't so hell bent on martial arts.
Ranma decided to surprise her a little with one of his stories of training. "This isn't worse than when he threw a bee colony at me and I was told to hit them all without being stinged."
Midori's eyes widened and she asked. "You weren't joking about that?" Ranma had mentioned some parts of his training, and she thought he was just joking around. When Ranma nodded she felt like a newcomer to hell. "Great, now I'm gonna get my ass kicked everyday."
Ranma grinned and said. "Nah, I wouldn't allow something like that." He let his hand roam down. "Your ass has more important things to do."
Midori suddenly forgot all about training and splashed Ranma on the face. "Get your hands off, mister." An empty threat, she had no intention of backing it. Her wicked smile told Ranma all he wanted to know, and both found themselves kissing with passion. At that moment the door swung open.
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Ukyo was running up the stairs as fast as she could. She had just heard from Nodoka that Ranma was back, so she didn't care about anything else. She got up and ran, not giving Nodoka a chance to finish. She opened the door, eager to see her Ranchan, and she was him alright, in the arms of another woman. Her heart skipped a beat, and she studied the couple in a flash. Ranma was changed physically, he had grown to be a man, and he obviously continued training martial arts. The redhead who was with him was a martial artist too, her body was proof of it. She had a small scar on her left cheek, and her body wasn't competitiong even for Akane. Her washboard stomach and toned arms and legs spoke of strength. The couple didn't seem to notice Ukyo, so she coughed a little in her hand.
Ranma and Midori stopped dead on their tracks when they heard the noise. They both opened their eyes and turned ever so slowly to find themselves the target of a smirk from Ukyo. They jumped out of each others arms and sat as far away from each other as possible, blushing heavily. "Hey Uchan!" Said Ranma, trying to get rid of the embarrassment. When Ukyo lifted an eyebrow they both blushed even worse.
Ukyo was having fun. Maybe she had gotten over Ranma as a fianc?but she still liked making him suffer a little for leading her on. She also liked the idea of embarrassing the girl that had won his heart. *So that's what Nodoka-san wanted to tell me.* She finally had mercy on the couple and closed the door, sitting back against it. "Good to see you, Ranchan." She said lightly. She could hear the quick movements inside, and didn't doubt for a second they were still blushing after that little show they were giving. *Thank goodness they weren't doing anything more than kissing.*
Ranma and Midori finished drying themselves and draped in a towel each. They didn't have that much of a problem with people seeing them with little clothing, but being caught red handed was a different story. When they finally thought their blushed were gone, they knocked on the door, which opened almost instantly. Midori was the first to step out, and was confronted by Ukyo. Ranma hadn't made justice to the chef, she was beautiful. Her body was something to die for, and she was cute. Her long brown hair flowed like a dream. Midori would have been jealous if it wasn't for the fact that she knew Ranma, and she wasn't all that obsessed with appearances. Ranma used to call her a tomboy, and she had to agree. "Hello, I'm Midori." She said extending a hand.
Ukyo studied the other girl more closely now, and noticed other things. She was tomboyish at best, full of confidence. She didn't seem on guard over being less attractive than her, and that spoke of a great inner strength. Ukyo shook her hand with hers. "Ukyo. Nice to meet you." She then saw Ranma exiting the tub and caught him in a fierce hug. "Ranchan!" Was all she said. Ranma returned the hug, happy to see his old buddy Uchan, instead of his cute fianc? Nodoka had briefed him on that.
Midori saw the exchange and smiled. It was like seeing herself and Setsuna when they first met. After five minutes in which Ranma and Midori got changed, the three were sitting around the koi pond, exchanging stories of what had happened for the last years. Ranma and Midori spoke of how they fought every day at least twice, trying to prove their style to be the best. They were careful to omit any detail of their location. Ukyo told them the restaurant had grown, and she was now having help from a couple of girls to attend the customers. "You should come one of these days. My treat as always, Ranchan." Ranma and Midori nodded. It wasn't hard for the girls to get along. Each saw in the other someone to talk to. "Well, I must go to open up the store." She got up and started walking to the kitchen to say he good-byes to Nodoka. "See you around guys."
Ranma smiled and said. "See you, Uchan."
Midori smiled wickedly and said. "Just knock the next time, hard. It's hard to notice someone's presence when you are that busy." Ukyo blushed a little, and Midori laughed at having gotten back at her. Ukyo turned and decided to let the redhead have that little victory. Besides, she deserved it. She left the yard in search of Nodoka to say goodbye.
"That went remarkably well." Midori said with a smile.
Ranma nodded, and sighing he said. "Too bad only this will go that well. The Tendos are gonna hate me after this is over." Midori could tell just how bothered he was over this, and embraced him supportively. "We have to go today. No use in postponing it." She mutely nodded as they got up and entered the house, intent on getting ready.
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Nabiki was right now on the phone with one of her flunkies, she couldn't believe her own ears. "Are you positive you saw him?" She asked. After receiving an answer she continued. "Good. Keep me informed." She hung up and rested back on her chair. It was incredible the way she had created an empire from the little resources she had from school. Her focus had been on the information management, and it became quite ludicrous. Only once had her informants failed her, when she was looking for Ranma Saotome years ago. And if this last report was right, he had been sighted, and in Nerima no less. Many questions bombarded her, and no answers were near. She wanted to have Ranma in her clutches and questions, but it would be a wrong approach, the pigtailed boy was too stubborn to do something if he was being forced. No, she would have to be subtle.
She got up and headed out of her room. Her business for today were already taken care of and it was just eleven in the morning. Akane's class would start in a few minutes, and the boys that took it always were ready to pay good money for photos of their sensei. Nabiki smirked. Even though that amount of money was nothing compared to what she usually made, it was still amusing to keep her old ways. Too bad Ranma-chan wasn't here to make some big bucks. The Ice Queen reached the dojo and heard the noises of people warming up. *Damn, they already started.* She had just lost an opportunity. Oh well. After listening in, and finding out it would be a day as usual, she headed for the kitchen to get some tea. Kasumi wasn't home, so she would have to heat it herself. Soun had left to meet Genma. Those two spent so much time together these days that Nabiki knew for a fact they didn't care for the union of the schools any more. *They are too good friends to let something like that separate them.* She herself didn't have friends like that, but she had learned over the years to read people. There was a knock on the door when she was preparing the tea, and she went to see who it was. Completely at ease, she knew no one would dare move a finger against her, or Akane and Ryoga would take care of that person. It helped in this business when your sister and almost brother in law were so powerful and known. Ryoga had taken to train Akane, and she had improved a lot. Nabiki smiled to herself. *She was always frustrated when she tried to learn Ranma's way of fighting. Fool. She couldn't come close to his speed and agility, her style was more like Ryoga's, and she had improved a great deal over the years. Nabiki herself had trained some, in secret of course, to keep in shape. Her physical prowess allowed her to fight like Ranma did, and though she hated to compare herself to him, she knew she was nowhere near him. She reached the door and opened it, to reveal Ranma himself, accompanied by a redhead dressed like a teenager, though she was obviously as old as him. "Hello, Saotome." She said calmly, it helped when you knew he was already in town.
Ranma wasn't surprised by Nabiki's reaction, he expected her to improve on her ways. "Good to see you, Nabiki." He greeted with a small nod of his head and a smile. Nabiki eyed him carefully and then examined the redhead thoroughly. She was definitely a fighter, and by the look of things, Ranma's girlfriend. "Are you done with your examination?" Ranma asked, amused.
Nabiki nodded, not once loosing her mask. "Come in." And with that she walked into the house, ready to get some answers. She noticed Ranma wasn't nervous around her anymore, and that she didn't like. *I shall put things straight.* She sat at the table, and waited for her two guests to take a seat as well.
"I can see Akane is teaching now." Ranma stated, mostly to get the conversation started.
Nabiki coldly said. "You didn't come here to talk about Akane's class." She pointed a finger at Midori and asked. "Care to explain her, Saotome?"
Midori got angry with the cold treatment, and asked. "What's your problem? I'm right here, you know?" Nabiki smirked and eyed the girl with a condescending stare. What she saw was a replica of Ranma, a dumb jock that could be easily manipulated.
Ranma noticed this and smiled. *You're in for a surprise, Ice Queen.* He coughed to get the attention and said. "Allow me to introduce Midori Himeno, we are getting married this weekend." This caught Nabiki's attention, Ranma had come to break off the engagement. She didn't want that to happen, because Ranma was her biggest opportunity for success, the plan was already finished, she only needed to force Ranma into it.
"I don't think that's gonna sit well with my family, Ranma." Seeing Ranma nod, she smiled. "You're loosing your honor if you do this."
Midori got serious and said. "That's why I'm challenging the dojo for his hand." Nabiki's right eyebrow was lifted at the statement, they had thought about this, and knowing her father and Akane, they would be dumb enough to accept. Midori continued. "We are just waiting for your sister's class to be over, so this will be a private matter."
Nabiki nodded, it made sense to her. "Why do you suppose Akane would accept?" Her question was answered by twin smiles, and she had to admit Akane was predictable at best. "We need our fathers to be here for the fight."
Ranma shrugged. "Pop and mom are already talking to Tendo-san about it. They should arrive just before the fight begins." Nabiki didn't like the situation one bit, things were completely out of her control, and she hated when that happened. She hated not being able to do a thing, like now.
They engaged in unimportant conversation about how Ranma met Midori, once again the couple did great hiding the details of their location, much to Nabiki's dismay.
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Akane bowed to her class and they started heading out. She sighed as she turned to see the practice dummies. They were all in one piece. None of her students had the strength required to learn her advanced forms. They could take care of themselves, but another martial artist would make them pass a hard time. No matter how much training they got, they just weren't good enough.
A sound of feet took her attention, and she turned to see a redheaded woman of about her age. She was looking very serious, and her body language was tensed. "Akane Tendo?" She asked.
Akane took a step forward, thinking this was probably another challenger. And a weak one at the looks of her body, she was fit, but lacked the body weight Akane herself had. "I'm Akane Tendo." She stated as so many times before.
Midori nodded and said. "I challenge you, Akane Tendo. I challenge you for the hand of Ranma Saotome." This was a new one to Akane. She had been challenged over the years by many dojo raiders, but never for Ranma. This was obviously another fianc?the baka had. She fumed silently at the impertinence of that boy to leave, while his trouble kept on coming. Akane saw as Nabiki entered the dojo as well, followed by Soun, Genma, and Nodoka. The last person to enter caught her eye, it was him.
Akane took a menacing step towards the pigtailed martial artist, intent on beating the crap out of him. "YOU!" She yelled coldly. She was halfway there when Midori stepped in her way. "What do you want?"
Midori stated matter of factly. "You know it already. The challenge has been stated, do you accept?" Akane studied the options quickly, with her limited mind, and came to the conclusion that Genma had gotten another fianc?for Ranma. The pervert obviously wanted to be with her, if he wasn't objecting to the challenge.
Akane smiled wickedly as she thought of getting back at Ranma for all her suffering. She would cripple this bitch and make Ranma miserable. "I accept your challenge. But first, I want to know the name of someone stupid enough to challenge the heir to the Tendo Anything Goes School of martial arts." She was full of pride for her undefeated streak. She had trained and become stronger than anyone in Nerima, save Ryoga.
Midori got into a ready stance as she presented herself. "I'm Midori Himeno, heir to the Fuin School of martial arts and the Saotome Anything Goes School of martial arts." This took the Tendos by surprise. The Fuin style was only known to Soun, but if she was the heir to the Anything Goes as well, that meant Ranma considered her as his wife already. This attacked Akane's skill directly, so she obviously got mad as she assumed her fighting stance.
Soun had accepted what his friend and Nodoka had told him. He knew Akane would die before marrying Ranma, and Nabiki was not a different story. He was angry when they told him about Midori, since his family honor would be stained. Nodoka told him Midori would challenge Akane for Ranma's hand, that way honor would be sustained. He had his doubts about it, since Akane had become incredibly strong. But now he knew that girl was the heir of the Fuin style. He knew this fight wouldn't be easy on either side.
Nabiki looked confused at the mention of that Fuin style, but decided to investigate on it later. She was surprised because Ranma had obviously trained that girl on his style, and she knew Ranma well enough to expect big results. Her interest was in Akane winning the fight, and she was pretty sure she could do it, since Ranma's fianc? were always a lot weaker than him. This would be fun, Akane seemed enraged, and she was stronger like that.
"Begin!" Soun said, and both combatants jumped at each other. The first exchange of blows told Midori she was against a very strong opponent, so she doubled her speed to make up for it. She could see wholes in Akane's defense, but some of them were just traps to get into a more comfortable range. Midori decided to keep on the defensive to evaluate the situation.
Akane was studying her opponent quickly, and determined her to be very similar to Ranma. She used her superior speed to dodge out of the way of her blows. Akane smiled, she would need to only land a couple and that would be it. Her next punch was followed by a side-kick. The redhead, predictably, ducked under it, this was what Akane expected. She stepped forward and grabbed a hold of the redhead's arm. She twisted it behind her back and started punching her opponent's midsection.
Midori knew she had underestimated Akane, and she was paying for it. Her body was sore from the training Genma was giving them, so each blow sent fire through her. She gritted her teeth and concentrated, suddenly she punched Akane on the face, which sent her away because of the surprise.
Akane was already savoring victory when she was hit in the face by a strong blow. Her surprise was the only thing that made her back away, and she studied the situation. The girl had somehow managed to hit her, even when her arms were in an uncomfortable position. And the blow had been hard, she rubbed her sore jaw. It didn't matter, she launched herself on the offensive again, intent on finishing the fight.
Midori dodged out of the way and considered her options. She was outmatched in simple physical strength and endurance, and her opponent was experienced enough to use them to her advantage. She continued to dodge, as she reached the conclusion she would have to fight seriously.
Nabiki turned from the fight to see Ranma's expression. Midori was obviously losing the fight. Said man stood there patiently, watching the fight with an unnerving calm. "It seems like you are marrying my sister, Saotome." She said with a lot of confidence, and no little amount of happiness. If Ranma was captured into the family, that meant big bucks to her.
Ranma smiled and said without turning. "I don't think so. Midori will overcome this." Before Nabiki could remind him that Akane had just landed several good blows, he continued. "She's my equal." That left Nabiki with some thoughts she didn't like. Either Midori was holding back, and would win the fight, or Ranma was too weak to accomplish her plans.
Back on the fighting, Akane was getting frustrated. Her opponent had dodged out of the way of everything since her first attacks landed, and didn't show any signs of tiring. Suddenly Akane's hands were kicked wide, and she was badly exposed. She knew she would receive an attack, and got ready to counter when her attack was shrugged off. Midori placed both hands on Akane's chest and gave a small push forward. An explosion was heard, and the Tendo woman was sent flying backwards. Everyone recognized the attack to be a chi blast at skin level, and they flinched at the pain it must have caused. Akane got up like if she had been hit by a fly and assumed a fighting stance. Midori was impressed, Akane had a very good endurance.
Akane was feeling the effects of the attack and it was hard to act as if nothing happened. She hurt a lot from her ribs, and back. *I'll have to attack seriously, or I'm losing this fight.* She began powering her chi, and a dark red aura appeared around her. Ranma and Midori recognized the aura as anger, and were impressed someone could generate this much. Midori started charging her chi as well, it would be best if the fight was finished now. She rushed forward, circling Akane and leaving three images of herself behind.
Akane was ready to attack when this happened, and she focused her chi on boosting her endurance. She thought this was a small version of the splitting hair cats technique. Her eyes widened with the next words that came out of the four images. "FULL AMAGURIKEN!" Akane was pummeled from four different sides with incredible speed. Punches and kicks landed solidly, and her body was mauled. The four images finished with a flip kick that sent Akane flying upward. She landed in a heap, completely unconscious. Midori took deep breaths to recover from the attack. Ranma and her had designed it fusing their knowledge in martial arts, and it was incredibly effective, but also incredibly draining. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned with a smile, to see Ranma with a smile of his own. "You knew I would win." Midori said.
Ranma kissed her lightly on the lips, and hugged her. "I know you always win." He then backed away and said teasingly. "Except with me, I'm too strong for you." An elbow to his stomach was his reward for the joke. They both laughed.
Nabiki stared stupidly at the couple. That had been one hell of an attack, even Ryoga would be crushed by it's force. She remembered Ranma's calm expression and cursed, he was certain Midori would win even without knowing what Akane could do. He was hiding something. And Nabiki loved to uncover secrets.
Soun stepped forward and said. "Midori Himeno, you have won the challenge. Therefore, Ranma Saotome will marry you. Congratulations." Ranma and Midori could feel the man was sincere, and thanked him. Nodoka hugged Midori tightly, while Genma and Soun spoke to Ranma. "Ranma, I'm sorry about the engagement. I hope you can forgive an old man for his delusions."
Ranma waved it off. "Tendo-san, there's nothing to be sorry about. You were doing what you thought best for the schools." He turned to Akane's form, who was being tended by Nabiki, and said. "I just hope Akane overcomes this. I don't want the Tendo dojo to be an enemy of our clans." Soun nodded. Akane had taken over the dojo, and she decided for its future. If she wanted a fight with the Saotome and Fuin clans, she could challenge them. Ranma hugged Midori and said. "I think we should go before Akane wakes up. She won't be very happy." Genma and Nodoka nodded, fully expecting Akane to attack in a blind rage as soon as she regained consciousness.
Midori directed her gaze to Soun, and said. "I apologize for the inconvenience, Tendo-san."
Soun looked at her and shook his head. "It wasn't your wrongdoing. I shall take the blame for it, since I'm the one who made the agreement to engage one of my daughters to Ranma." Akane started to stir.
END PART 1 |
