I re-did the word wrapping on this one. Please send all comments to the
authors of this, RyogaLost@aol.com and SMoonUsagi@aol.com. Enjoy! -- GK

                                 Ranma 1/2 Naisen
                                    Episode 6
                     GETTING EVEN WITH GENMA

                      Yet Another Saga from
                    SMoonUsagi and RyougaLost
             (latest in a series!  Collect  em all!)
                       (ryougalost@aol.com)

(This is a fan fiction story based on the popular series RANMA 1/2.
These are characters and settings created by Rumiko Takahashi.  We
aren't getting paid for this, so don't sue us. <^_^*)


"Hey!"  Ranma shouted, diving for his father.  "Pops, no fair!  Gimme
that!!!" Chuckling, Genma held up the fukujin pickle he had clasped
between his chopsticks over his head, out of Ranma's reach.  "You're too
slow, boy.  Slow and sloppy." "You've had six already, and that's the
last one!  Give it to me!!  C'mon!!!" Akane ate her meal and did her
best to ignore them.  "Honestly...don't those two EVER give up?!"

She looked over at Ryoga and Neko; as good manners insisted, they were
sitting across the table from each other, but Akane noticed the little
looks they passed back and forth periodically as they both ate quietly,
neatly, and without fuss.  "Ranma, why can't you be more like Ryoga?"
"What, d'ya mean you want me to be thick-headed, stupid and violent, or
what?--Pop, I mean it!

Gimme that, I ain't playin' around!!" "Hmpf."  Akane went back to her
meal.  "Seems like you two have more in common than I thought."

"WHAT?!" Ranma stopped, and took a foot in the face from his father.

"Avoid distractions wherever possible, boy," Genma said smugly, sitting
down beside his knocked-for-a-loop son and gulping down the purple
pickle.  "You'll never be an appropriate heir to the Saotome School of
Anything-Goes Martial Arts at this rate.

"....glunghhhh..." the semi-conscious Ranma groaned in reply.
Akane did her best not to look worried as she continued to eat.

A voice from the front hall: "Excuse me for barging in..." "Oh!"  Kasumi
set her cup down and stood, smoothing her skirt.  "We have a visitor.
I'll go see who it is..."

Nabiki looked briefly up from her calculator.  "Don't let me stop you,
sis."  She punched a button and smiled.  "Hmm...if the video sales
continue to peak, I should have a  tidy sum to sock away for
my nest egg."

"Na-BI-ki!!!"  Akane slammed her chopsticks down hard on the lacquered
table. 

Ranma sat straight up at Akane's shout.  "What'd I do?  What'd I do?!"

"Nothing!"  Casually Akane smacked her fist into the top of Ranma's
head, and he fell over again. 

"Don't interrupt me, okay?!"

"....glnnnghh..."

"What is it now, Akane?"  Nabiki asked mildly, putting her calculator
away.

"It's YOU, Nabiki!  Honestly!  All you ever think about is money."

"You mean there's something else worth thinking about?"

Akane slapped her hands on the table and thrust her face into her
sister's.  "Ranma and Ryoga almost killed one another, and you're making
a PROFIT off of it!!"

Nabiki didn't flinch.  "You can't blame a girl for trying to make a
little cash, can you?"

"Don't you understand?  It's wrong!"

"Why is it wrong to fulfill a public demand, Akane?"  Nabiki rested her
chin on her hand.  "Explain it to me, do."

Akane glared in righteous outrage at Nabiki, then turned away, clenching

her fists.  "Oh, what's the use?  You don't care.  Nobody does!" 

"Um, everyone?"  Kasumi peeked in as Akane sat down hard on her cushion
and Ranma sat up, rubbing the top of his head and squinting at Akane
ruefully out of one eye.  "We have a visitor..."

A woman stepped into the doorway behind Kasumi, who moved to admit her. 
"Please," she said, bowing, "I don't mean to disturb you at mealtime..."

Tendo stood up and returned her bow.  "Not at all, ah...?"

"My name is--"

"Atsuko...?!"

All eyes turned slowly to Genma as his chopsticks clattered to the
table, one after the other, from fingers gone suddenly limp.

"Atsuko...?  Where've I heard that name before...?"  Ranma turned on his
father.  "Aw, geez, Pop, what didja do NOW?!"

"Uhhhh--" Genma jumped up and bowed hastily.  "I just remembered I'm
late  for work.  Sorry I can't stay--"

He turned and took a running step--and fell flat on his face as he
tripped over Ranma's outstretched leg.  "No way, Pop.  You ain't getting
away that easy."

Genma pushed himself up from his pratfall and looked up to see the
newcomer standing over him, her arms folded.  "Ah-ah-ah-Atsuko-chan...!"
He put a hand behind his head and grinned.  "It's been a long time!"

Her foot came down hard between his shoulder blades and shoved him back
down face first onto the hardwood floor.  "How DARE you  Atsuko-chan' ME
after what you've done?!  You enemy of women!" she raged. 


"Huh.  Like father, like son," Ryoga remarked mildly to the rice in his
bowl.

"Hush," Neko chided softly, trying not to giggle.

"You don't know the extent of the misery I've been through because of
you, Genma Saotome!  It's been hell, I tell you!  Pure hell!!"

"Geez, that sounds familiar," Ranma said, propping his head on his fist.

 "So what'd the old man do, anyway?"  The name was still tickling at the
back of Ranma's brain, looking for a memory to latch onto.  Something
about a girls' romance magazine...?

Atsuko took her foot off Genma's back and walked over to the open
doorway, gazing out at the koi pond as a fish leapt up into the air,
sprinkling rainbow droplets in the afternoon sunlight.  "It was bad
enough that you abandoned me, Genma."  Her voice was roughened by a
long-borne sorrow. 

She sounded close to tears.  "It was bad enough that you dumped me for
some beautiful rich girl, after I gave you everything you wanted..."

"Oh-h!"  Ranma jumped up, snapped his fingers and pointed at Atsuko.  "I

remember now!  You're that--" he shook his finger, trying to organize
his thoughts.  "You're that chick Pop dumped to marry my mom!"

Atsuko choked and looked away.

Akane's hand shot up and grabbed Ranma's shirttail.  She pulled him
roughly down beside her. 

"Ranma, cut it out.  You're being rude!"

Ranma ducked his head and muttered, "Aw, hey...I didn't mean nothing--"

"No," Atsuko choked, looking back, her eyes swimming.  "It's true.  It
shouldn't hurt so much anymore...I mean, after all, there are worse
things..."  She laughed without humor. 

Genma pushed himself up on his elbows and looked up at her.  "But,
Atsuko-ch--"

Atsuko turned and drew one foot back.

"Atsuko-SAN," he amended hastily.  "Why are you bringing all this up
now?"

Atsuko leaned down, grabbed Genma's shirt, and hauled him up to his
knees "Because, you insensitive brute," she snarled in his face, "I need
your help in finding OUR son!"

The silence which followed was so thick that the chiming of the
prayer-bell hanging in the eaves barely broke it.  The moment seemed
frozen in sharp relief.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!?"  Ranma jumped over the table onto his
father's back and grabbed hold of Genma's ears.  "Pop, what's she
talkin' about, huh?  What  does she mean, YOUR son?!  I'M your son!  You
ain't GOT no other kids--!"

"Oh, I'm so ashamed!"  Atsuko covered her face and turned away.  "When
Genma left me, he left me with child!  I couldn't take care of a baby
alone, so I went to the mountains and had the baby in secret.  My
brother's family took my son in and raised him as their own, and I
haven't seen any of them to this day..."

"How terribly sad!"  Kasumi murmured in sympathy. 

Akane's voice rose in outrage.  "Your brother wouldn't let you see your
own child?"

"It's not that..."  Atsuko looked utterly miserable.  "I just...I just
couldn't FIND them...!" she admitted forlornly.

"You mean they moved and left no forwarding address?" Nabiki suggested,
only mildly intrigued.

"No!  It's--oh, it's too hard to explain."  Atsuko turned her attention
back to Genma.  "You're going to help me find our son, Genma.  Or I'll
rip your miserable heart out and feed it to you on a silver
platter with fried rice on the side!"

"Sounds rather appetizing, actually," Soun remarked, lighting a
cigarette.


"Tendo," Genma rumbled, "DON'T help."

Neko sat quietly, one ear flattened back, trying to be invisible.  Ryoga

caught her eye, and she blushed.  "I hate it when people argue," she
whispered.

"Don't worry," Ryoga assured her, "just ignore them."  He reached under
the table and took her hand.

"How am I supposed to help you find a child I never knew existed?"
Genma pleaded.

"That's your problem, Genma.  He's your responsibility too, you know.
As the biological father, it's your duty to help me find him."

"But if he's with his adoptive parents...?" Akane said.

"That's just it--he's not.  They haven't seen him in nearly a year."
Atsuko fought back tears.  "So YOU, Genma Saotome, are going to help me
find him."

"Curse you, Pop!" Ranma rolled off his father in disgust.  "Wait'll Mom
finds out about this."

"You say one word, boy, and she'll hear the truth about Ranko," Genma
growled up at his son. 

Ranma went pale and said nothing else.

"Well, for starters," Nabiki said to Atsuko, "what's this kid's name?"

"Ryoga Hibiki."

"Hmm?"  Ryoga had been paying too much attention to Neko to listen.  He
stood and bobbed a short bow, oblivious to the stunned silence around
him.  "I'm Ryoga Hibiki.  Can I help you?"

Atsuko looked at him strangely.  She dropped Genma, who flopped to the
floor like a dead flounder.  She passed Ranma and Akane, who both stared
at Ryoga as though he'd grown horns (again).  She walked right up to
him, looking deep into his hazel eyes.

Eyes that were exactly like hers.

"Ri-Ryoga...?"

Rather embarrassed by having a strange woman standing so close, Ryoga
swallowed hard and nodded once.  "Ha-hai...that's m-my name..."  he said
with a soft nervous laugh.

"Oh..." Atsuko's eyes welled up.  "Oh, RYOGA--!!!"  She folded him in
her arms and held him against her bosom.  "My child, my baby!!!!"

"ERrrrrrrRRrrGggggGGhhHHHh!!!!!!"  Ryoga, his face held inextricably
against an unknown woman's cleavage, pinwheeled his arms madly in a
futile effort to escape.  Funny, but the woman seemed as strong as he
was...

"Ryoga?!"  Akane cried out.

"He's--?!"  Genma gaped.

"Your--?!"  Tendo chimed in.

"BROTHER?!?!?!"  Ranma howled indignantly.  "Ohhh, no!  No way!  No way
in HELL is that stupid, loudmouthed, fang-faced Ryoga any relation to
ME!!!!"

"Oh, Ryoga--are you all right?"  Atsuko pushed Ryoga away a bit and
looked at his face with concern.  His face was almost blue, and his eyes
were rolled back in his head.  "Ryoga?  Ryoga, speak to me!!!!"

"Excuse me..." Neko jumped nimbly up and put an arm across Ryoga's back.

 "Ryoga...Ryoga, please, wake up...!"

His eyes focused dimly on her.  "Oh...hiya, Neko...!"

Atsuko studied his face.  "There's no mistake.  He has my eyes, Genma."

"You know," Kasumi said to no one in particular as she started clearing
the table, "I always did think Ranma and Ryoga looked quite a lot
alike."

"Yeah," Nabiki concurred, "but I always thought that was just the art
style."

"Hush, Nabiki," chided Kasumi, "Takahashi-sama might hear you."

"Oh, right, like she actually reads this stuff..."

"Would you two stop tearin' down the fourth wall and get back to the
story?!" Ranma shouted. 

"This is serious!!!  I mean...there ain't no way..."  Lost, he looked to

Akane.  "...Is there?"

"I...I don't know..." Akane looked to Ryoga and back to her fiance.  She
slipped her hand into his. 

"Oh, Ranma...I know how you feel...because of Natsumi and Kurume..."

"Yeah..." Ranma scratched the back of his head in consternation.  "But I
don't think the old freak's gonna drop down outta nowhere and make it
all go away this time."

"Please don't mention him..."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"But..." Ryoga's brain  was slowly beginning to work again.
You're...YOU'RE my mother?  But that's crazy!  I have a mother and a
father...somewhere..."

"My brother's family," Atsuko told him.  "They adopted you because I
couldn't bear the burden of raising you alone.  I made the mistake of
leaving shortly after you were born...and I couldn't find my way back."

"Oh, my.  It sounds like a family trait," said Kasumi.

                     *          *          *

"I just can't get over it."  Akane folded another towel (clumsily) and
handed it off the washline to her oldest sister.  "Ryoga and Ranma have
been brothers all this time, and no one ever knew it..."

"Life can be very strange sometimes, Akane."  Kasumi deftly (and
surreptitiously) refolded the towel and set it in the basket.  "You
learn to accept what it brings you and keep going."

"Akane!"  A flash of white hair and green skirt came around the corner
of the house, and Neko skidded to a halt right beside her.  "Come
quick--Ranma and Ryoga are fighting!"

"Oh, for heaven's sake, I thought they weren't going to do this
anymore-- Kasumi?"

Kasumi smiled.  "You run along, Akane.  I'll finish this up.  Thanks for

your help!"

Akane followed Neko back to the other side of the house.  Kasumi
finished up taking down the wash and headed into the house.  


She set the basket down in the hall and stood up to see her other
sister. "Oh, Nabiki?"

"Here ya go, sis."  Nabiki put a thickly-stuffed envelope in Kasumi's
hand.  "That's half of the take from the video sales.  That should pad
out the household budget nicely for at least another month or two."

"Oh, Nabiki, you don't have to..."

Nabiki leaned close to her sister and spoke in a soft drawl.  "Sis, get
real.  Dad does his best, but his income from the dojo barely pays the
utilities.  We both know if I didn't help out, we'd all be eating
bamboo, not just Mr. Saotome."  She straightened up and looked around
quickly to make sure no one had seen her hand the money over.  "Just
don't tell anybody, okay?"

Kasumi slipped the envelope into the pocket of her apron and smiled.  "I

never do."

As the pair went their separate ways--Nabiki with her purse, Kasumi with

the wash--neither noticed their father standing near the stairs, nodding
to himself in quiet approval.

After all, Soun Tendo didn't always make a spectacle of himself.

Outside, Ryoga was launching himself at Ranma yet again.  "I said SHUT
UP already!"

"MAKE me, pig-boy!"

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING A PIG BOY YOU PERVERT!!!!!"

A figure jumped between the two of them, causing both boys to skid to a
halt.  In unison, they said: "A-Akane?!"

Braced for a double impact that never happened, Akane slowly relaxed and

looked from one to the other.  "That's enough!  Fighting isn't going to
change anything, you know!"

Ranma pointed at Ryoga.  "There ain't no way in hell I'm related to
THAT!"

"Well, how do you think I feel?!" Ryoga snapped back.  "I've never been
so ashamed in my life!"

"Would BOTH of you just shut UP already?!" Akane shouted.  "Ranma, your
father has already admitted it's true, so you're just going to have to
live with it."

"Ow!!!"  Genma howled as Atsuko twisted his arm a bit tighter, her foot
planted in his armpit. 

"Okay, okay, already!  I  fessed up, for crying out loud, what more do
you want, Atsuko?!"

"Let me think about that for a minute," Atsuko grinned sadistically,
giving his arm another painful twist.

A small hand touched Ryoga's sleeve.  He turned and looked into Neko's
wide leaf-green eyes. 

Her tail twitched nervously.  "You and Ranma were just starting to be
friends," she said softly. 

"Finding this out doesn't change the people you are today.  What's done
is done...maybe you can't really be brothers to each other after all
this time, but why can't you still be friends?  I thought things were
settled between you."

"Yeah, but..." Ryoga met Ranma's sullen gaze.  "I'm not the one who
refuses to accept it...even though it's still kind of weird...my parents
aren't really my parents.  My parents are..."  He looked over at Genma
writhing under Atsuko's slow torture and shuddered.

"Ranma?"  Akane murmured.

"What?" he snapped, folding his arms.

She looked at him with wide, pleading dark eyes and said nothing.

He melted.  "Uhh...aw, Akane, geez...I..."

She just kept looking at him.

"Aw, c'mon already!"  He waved a hand in Ryoga's direction.  "He...I..."

She blinked.  Once.

"Okay, okay..."  Ranma stepped forward and held out a hand at arm's
length.  "I guess...I guess there ain't nothin' we can do about it now.
Okay, so we're brothers, okay?  That...that don't mean..." He stole a
glance at Akane, who nodded encouragement.  "...that  don't mean we
can't still be, y'know...friends."

Ryoga stared at Ranma as though HE had grown horns for a moment.  Then
he took the offered hand.  "Thanks, Ranma."

"OOWWWWwwww--!!!"  Genma turned pained, pleading eyes to Atsuko.  "I
said I was sorry, come on!  I'd take it back if I could!!!" "How do you
take back leaving a woman with child, you fool?"

Ranma shook his head.  "Man...what else is gonna happen today?"

Nabiki walked past the open living room door.  "Ranma, it's your
mom...!"

Ranma jumped, took one step towards the pond, and then glared at her.
"Geez, Nabiki, not now! 

Quit kiddin' around, okay?!"

"Hello, everyone!" a melodic voice sang from inside.

"Mrs. Saotome?" Akane said, blinking.  She looked at Ranma--who was no
longer at her side.  


At the same instant Genma broke free of Atsuko's grip and dashed towards

the koi pond.  Father and son collided in mid-air and fell in a heap
into the water

As everyone stood there blinking, a woman appeared in the doorway.  Her
hair was dark auburn, her face bright and cheerful.  She looked
extraordinarily young for a woman with a teenaged son.

"Ah--err, Mrs. Saotome!  Nice to see you!" Tendo said, stepping around
the corner, waving his pipe.

Nodoka set down the sword-case she carried always with her and bowed to
Tendo.  "Forgive the intrusion, but I had to come."

"Genma," Atsuko snarled, where are you?"  She looked around--and met
Nodoka's politely  curious gaze.

The koi pond bubbled, and two figures emerged.  "Auntie Saotome!" the
red-haired girl chirped, leaning back against the panda who held up a
sign: [Hello, STRANGE lady! Nice day for a swim, isn't it?]

"Oh, goodness...why, it's Mr. Panda and Ranko!"  Nodoka bowed once.
"Excuse me for just a moment..."  She turned and wandered into the
house.  "Oh, Kasumi dear, could I trouble you for...?"

Her voice faded as she disappeared inside.  "Ranko" heaved a relieved
sigh.  "Man, that was too close."

"You can't keep this up forever, Ranma," Akane chided.  "Sooner or later

she's going to find out--"

"Shhhhh!!!  Geez, pipe down, willya?" Ranchan hissed.  "You wanna see me

cut my belly open, or what?"

Akane shuddered.  "N-no, of course not, but--"

"Ah, now then."  Nodoka came out, beaming.  "Ranko, dear, why don't you
and Mr. Panda come out of that pond?  It's entirely too cold for a
swim."

"Huh?  Oh, sure, Auntie!  Come on, you big ol' dumb stupid panda, you!"

Ranchan dragged "Mr. Panda" out by one ear.  "Ain't he just the funniest
old panda, though?  Dumb as a box of rocks and twice as ugly!"

The panda growled and signed, [Remember, be kind to dumb animals.] On
the back of the sign, where only Ranchan could see, was written in small
print: [Just you wait, boy...]

"That's better.  Now we need just one more thing."  Before either of
them could move, Nodoka produced a hot kettle and poured its contents
over them.

Seconds later, her husband and her son sat at her feet, blinking.

Atsuko took a step back.  "Th-the panda...turned into...Genma...?!"

Nodoka nodded once.  "Yes, I--oh, excuse me, I don't think we've been
introduced."

"Hmm..." Nabiki watched the proceedings in the back yard.  "I think I
might have some ticket blanks left...wonder if I should...?"

"Nabiki, stop it!!" Akane cried, suddenly very, very afraid.

"N....nnnnn.....nnnnnNodoka......san...!!!" Genma cowered.

Ranma just looked up at her.  "Mom..."

She looked down at them, her face a gentle mask.  "You can give it up,
Genma," she said quietly. 

"I know.  Everything.  I've known for some time."  She looked sadly at
Ranma.  "Remember, Akane dear, when I came to cook dinner for you all?
Remember when the hot water pipe broke?"

Akane gasped.  "You..you saw...?"

Nodoka nodded, still looking at Ranma.  "I saw.  I didn't understand,
not then, but I saw."

Ranma gulped.  "Mom..."

"I decided I needed some answers...so I traced the postmark from the
last letter Genma sent me from China.  I took a trip to Qinghai, in the
mountains."

"Jusenkyo," Tendo said, very quietly.

"Yes," Nodoka said with a gentle nod.  "My Chinese was adequate to
converse reasonably well with the guide who took me there.  He was more
than happy to tell me the very tragic story' I should have heard from my
husband...and my son."

Genma straightened up, his face solemn.  "Well, boy, this is it."  He
took a deep breath and raised his head, his back very straight.  "We
must prepare ourselves for our fate with calm, quiet dignity and grace."

In the next instant he was face-down on the ground at Nodoka's feet,
groveling on his stomach and bawling.  "It was all the boy's fault! He
kicked me into the cursed spring and turned me into a panda. I didn't
mean to knock him into Nyannichuan!  It was an accident! My paw
slipped!!  Please on't make me commit seppuku!  Waaah, I'm too young to
die!!!!!!"

Nodoka looked down at him with no expression on her peaceful face.  "You

took Ranma away from me as a baby," she said with no accusation in her
tone.  "You took my newborn son from my arms and, when I begged you not
to take him away, you swore that you would make him a man inside
and out--or else you and he would die like men at my feet.  Like any
dutiful martial artist's wife, I agreed to your foolish promise and let
you take Ranma from me."

Ranma looked once at Akane, then straightened his shoulders and faced
his mother.  "Okay," he said quietly.  "If that's the way it's gotta
be...then let's do it."

"No!!!" Akane cried, rushing forward.  "Mrs. Saotome, you can't--it's
not his fault!  Ranma--he--he...!!!"

Nodoka bent and picked up the sword case while Genma blubbered at her
feet.

"No!!!"  Akane looked at her father.  "Dad, please--DO something--!"

"The way of a martial artist is often harsh, my dear daughter," Tendo
intoned relentlessly.  "Such a vow as Genma's is not to be given
lightly...and the failure to fulfill such a vow is a shame too great to
live with."

"No!  Let me be ashamed!  Please don't make me die!!!"  howled Genma.

"But Ranma didn't make any stupid vows!  He's not--he--oh, Ranma...!!!"

Nodoka unwrapped the traveling-blanket from the black lacquer
sword-case.  She looked from her cowering spouse to her son, who stood
with his back ramrod-straight, and smiled.  "In spite of everything,
Genma," she said softly, "it looks like you fulfilled your promise."

Ranma blinked.  "Huh?"

Akane gaped.  "Huh?"

Genma stopped crying and looked up.  "Huh?"

Nodoka smiled.  "Half female or not, Ranma's twice the man you are."
She snapped open the case.  "And now, dear husband, here's something I
should have given you the day you took Ranma from me."  She pulled out a
reinforced kendo stick and proceeded to demonstrate her skill with said
implement--on Genma.

"Oh, my, Ranma," Kasumi remarked as they all watched Nodoka wipe up the
back yard with Genma.  "I didn't know your mother was a martial artist
too!"

"Now we know why the old man stayed away from home for so long," Nabiki
said with a tiny smirk.  "I bet Mrs. Saotome wouldn't let him get away
with half the stuff he's been pulling all these years."

"Oh, Ranma...!"  Akane hugged Ranma and found him standing ramrod-stiff.

 "What's wrong?  It's okay now!  Ranma?"

"Does this mean," Ranma asked very softly, "I'm not gonna die?"

"Of course it does!"

Ranma fell over onto his back, hands curled into clawlike hooks, knees
drawn up to his chest, one eye twitching.  Small, unintelligible grunts
issued from his twisted mouth.

Akane sighed.  "Oh, Ranma..."

"Ah, I feel so much better," Nodoka sighed happily, leaning on the kendo

stick.  "We should have had this little talk years ago, Genma, hmm?"

".......urrrrrrrgh...."  said a battered and bruised panda sitting in
the koi pond.

"I..."  Atsuko looked around uncomfortably.  "I guess I'd better be
going"  She started towards the nearest entrance.

"Oh, dear," said Kasumi.  "Excuse me, but that's the training hall."

Atsuko stopped.  "I...I'm sorry.  Um..." She turned around and found
herself facing a curious Nodoka.

"I'm sorry...I don't believe we've met...?"

"I'm--uh, Atsuko.  I was just leaving--"

"Excuse me for being so forward," Nodoka said graciously, "but when I
was coming in I couldn't help but overhear something you said to my
husband...something about  leaving a woman with child'...?"

"Oboy," Akane murmured.

Several hours later, his father was a subdued and bandage-swathed heap
on the outer deck of the Tendo house.  Kasumi fastened the last of the
wrappings and sat back on her heels.  "There you are, Mr. Saotome.  That
should be better."

Nodoka quietly sipped her tea.  "You're far too kind, Kasumi."  She set
down the cup and looked kindly at Atsuko.  "What a terrible experience
for you.  Is there anything we can do...?"

Atsuko shook her head.  "Not at this point, no...but thank you,
Nodoka-san.  Especially for allowing me to borrow your kendo stick.  I'm
sorry it broke..."

"Oh, that's all right, dear.  It was for a worthy cause."

Atsuko stood.  "I really do need to be going now...Ryoga, when I get
settled in America, would you like to come for a visit? Sometime in the
summer, maybe?"

"Ohh...yes, I'd like that!"  Ryoga got up and glanced at the quiet
kitty-girl sitting near the sliding door.  "Could--could Neko come, too?
She...she helps me find my way.  She never gets lost, you know."

"Oh?  That's wonderful!  I'm so glad for you..."  She bowed to Ryoga,
who returned it; then, impulsively, Atsuko hugged her son again.  Ryoga
bore it as best he could, even managing an awkward return embrace.
"Well, I really do need to be off now.  Thank you so much, everyone..."
And she wandered towards the stairs.

Neko jumped nimbly to her feet.  "Mrs.--um, Ms. Hibiki, maybe I could
show you--I mean, would you like me to walk you to the station?"

"We both could," Ryoga said quickly.  "If you would like, I mean."

"Yes...yes, thank you, I'd like that," Atsuko said, her eyes shining
with gratitude.

When the three of them had gone, Nodoka smoothed her kimono and rose.
"It's time for us to be leaving too, I think."


"What?"  Akane said, startled.  "Mrs. Saotome, what do you mean?"

"Ranma, could you help your father pack both of your things?  It'll be
dark soon."

"M-Mom?"  Ranma looked from his mother to Akane and back.  "Where are we

going?"

"Why, home, of course!  Where did you think?"

"But..."  


"Now, now.  There's no more need for you to stay here.  You've both been

a terrible burden on Mr. Tendo.  Hurry up, now."

Ranma looked as if he might protest further, but the look in his
mother's gentle eyes made his shoulders sag.  "Okay, Mom.  Whatever you
say."  He got up and grabbed his father's collar. =

"C'mon, Pop, let's go."

As Ranma dragged Genma away, Akane blinked hard.  (Okay, so they're
going home...it's not so far away...just across town...a morning's bus
ride...it's not like I'll never see him again...I just won't be living
with him that's all...I won't see him every day...I won't be going to
school with him...or getting into fights...or training with him...or...)

She shut her eyes tight to keep the tears from falling.

She had control of herself, more or less, by the time Ranma and Genma
returned with their backpacks.

"I made you all a nice dinner to take with you," Kasumi said, giving
Nodoka a basket to carry. 

"Have a safe trip."

"Call us when you get there," Tendo added.  "It won't be the same around

here without you, Saotome."  (Finally, things will get back to normal!
Yes!  YES!!)  "Don't forget to write, will you.  I'm looking forward to
getting your letters again."  (Because that means you'll be too far away
to bring grief down on my house!  Ha!  No more strange midnight visitors
or screaming Chinese girls wrecking the walls!  YOSHI!)  "I'm going to
miss you, Saotome."  (Almost as much as a severe case
of measles...)

Ranma and Akane stood looking at each other.  


"Ranma..."

"Akane..."

She took a deep breath and made herself smile brightly.  "Hey!  It's not

like it's the end of the world."

"You're right, it's not."  Ranma scratched the back of his head.  "We
can write each other, right?"

"And call!"

"Sure!  Every night!"

"Sure..."

"Sure thing."

They each looked around.  Their words hung in the empty air between
them, fading to silence.

Akane raised her chin.  "Ranma--"

"Akane--" At the same moment.

Both broke off with nervous smiles.  A brief pause; then they both said,

"You first!"

Akane laughed helplessly.

"I'm gonna miss you," Ranma said.

She gasped a bit.  "...oh...?"

He nodded once, and held out a tiny paperwhite daffodil to her.  


She blinked and took the flower from his fingers.  She looked up at him
with her heart's secret shining in her eyes.  "Oh, Ranma..."

He leaned carefully closer, and she tilted her face up to his.

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah, Mom!"  Ranma jumped back as Akane turned away blushing.
"Uh...see ya, Akane."

"Yeah..."  She turned back and watched him walk to where his parents
stood at the gate.  "See ya."

His back straight, Ranma fell into step behind his father, who in turn
followed Nodoka down the street.  It was a procession that attracted a
number of curious stares--after all, a woman usually follows her husband
in public--but only Nodoka knew where they were going.

As they walked down endless turning side-streets, Ranma tried not to
think too much about anything.  (Maybe it won't be so bad...I'll finally
have a room of my own again...no more sleepin' on a straw mat...I oughta
be happy!

(...But I ain't.  Aw, man, this sucks in a major way...oh, Akane...)

Ranma kept his head up, but his eyes were fixed to the sidewalk beneath
his feet.  Ahead of him, Genma kept his head down, hoping no one he knew
would recognize him trudging docilely behind his wife.

It was late afternoon when Nodoka finally stopped.  "We're here," she
announced cheerfully, unlocking a heavy wooden gate.  She led her family
inside to a lovely traditional-style home not terribly unlike the Tendo
residence.  The very similarity of structure tore another hole in
Ranma's already wounded heart.

He followed without a word of complaint as his mother showed him to his
room--the first room he'd ever had to himself in his life.  It was
already furnished, albeit simply, with a bed, dresser and a school desk
and chair.

"There isn't much here," Nodoka told him, smiling.  "You can choose
anything else you want.  That door there leads to the bathroom; you'll
have one to yourself."  She looked at him in search of some response.
"Is everything all right?"

He nodded once.  "It's great...Mom.  Just great."  He even tried to
smile for her, and nearly succeeded.

She patted his shoulder.  "It'll be all right, Ranma.  I know you miss
Akane, but you know you can visit her whenever you want."

He simply nodded.

She beamed at him.  "You'll see soon enough.  Everything is fine."  She
turned and walked out.

Ranma waited till she was gone, then fell backwards on his new bed.  He
stared at the ceiling for a while, trying to sort out the chaos in his
head.  Try as he might, he couldn't convince the dull ache that lived in
his chest to go away.

(I can visit Akane, sure...but it just won't be the same.  Weekends,
every once in a while maybe...and I guess there's always the phone, but
I ain't never been much for talkin' on the phone anyway, and I never
seem to say the right thing...especially to Akane.

(Man, we were just startin' to get along okay, and now!--Now she's gonna

find some other guy, I just know it.  She's gonna forget all about
me...)


With a growl of self-disgust he pushed himself off the bed.  (I need to
get my head straight...and strange house or not, a roof's a roof.)

He scrambled out his window and crawled up the front gutter to the top
of the house.  He turned and sat down, looking out over the city, trying
to get his bearings.  (I wonder how far away we are from Nerima...?  I
wasn't payin' much attention when we came here.  Is that the Tendou
house way over there?  Man, I can't tell...one roof looks just like
another.

(Huh, the sun's settin' already.  I wonder if Akane's watchin'
this...she loves sunsets.  I always like sunrises better myself, but
tonight it's kinda pretty--)

*BONK!!*

Something hit Ranma hard on the back of his head.  With a yelp of
surprise he tumbled forward and one wildly flailing hand was all that
saved him from a nasty spill off the roof.  Cursing darkly, he swung
himself back up and found the offensive projectile--a common rug-beater,
slightly worn from use.

Ranma's heart was near breaking and he was utterly miserable.  Unable to

express his sorrow, his frustrations found another outlet--rage.  "NOW
what?!  I ain't been here ten minutes and already somebody's throwin'
stuff at me?!"  He jumped from the roof of the house to the top of a
small building in the back--a storage shed, he supposed in passing--and
down to the ground.  He bolted to the stone wall which ran the length of
the spacious back yard and, with one leap, surmounted it. 

He saw a figure coming towards him and yelled, "Hey, what the hell do
you think--huh?!"

"Oh, God, I'm sorry!  It just slipped, did I hit anybod--" Akane stopped

dead in her tracks, halfway between the clothesline and the wall.  She
stared with her huge dark eyes  reflecting the setting sun.

"Akane?"

"RANMA?!?!?"

And in unison: "What're YOU doing here?"

And in answer, again chorused: "I LIVE here!!!!"

And, finally, together, faintly: "Huh...?!"

"What's going on?  What's all the fuss?"  Tendo came outside and saw his

former houseguest crouching on the wall staring at Akane.  "Ranma!  What
are you doing here?  You should be home with your family!"

Ranma looked at Tendo.  His mouth worked, but the words wouldn't come
out "Well, I...uh...I...errr..."

Tendo marched over and grabbed Ranma in a headlock.  "Young man, I'm
calling your father this instant!"  Roughly he dragged Ranma off the
wall and towards the Tendo house.  "Just because you've finally come to
your senses and admitted your feelings for Akane doesn't give you any
excuse to run away from home!"

"But--ack!--Mr. Tendo--!!"

"Don't argue with me!"  the older man snapped, tightening his grip and
cutting off Ranma's protests--along with his windpipe.

Akane ran after them.  "Dad, don't hurt him!" 


"I'm going to do what's right!" Tendo hauled Ranma into the hall and
dialed the phone with his free hand.  He listened impatiently to the
ringing on the line as Ranma began to turn blue.  "Ah! 

Saotome!  Have you been looking for Ranma?  --No?  Well, he must have
been gone for some time, because he's standing right here!  Ranma,
kindly explain to your father what you're doing back here at the dojo!"
--and he held the receiver to Ranma's face.

"Dad," Akane protested, "Ranma can't talk, you're strangling him!!"

"Hm?  --Oh."  Tendo let go, and Ranma nearly collapsed, catching the
table only just in time.  


"Father?"  Kasumi said.  "We have a visitor...it's, ah..."

"Good evening, Mr. Tendo!"  Nodoka walked cheerfully in.  



"Oh!  Nodoka-san.  Now, see, Ranma?!  Your mother had to come all the
way back here to find you!  She must have been searching the streets for
hours, through all kinds of weather, exposed to the elements!"  Tendo
was warming to his indignation.  "God knows how many days she wandered
without food or shelter, seeking a son who might well have been dead for

all she knew!  How could you be so inconsiderate?!"

"They've only been gone two hours, Daddy," Nabiki pointed out sensibly.

Nodoka laughed gently.  "Oh, Tendo, it's no trouble!  It'll be even
easier to visit if we install a gate in the wall, of course, but until
then there's no harm in just walking around the block."

"Yes, but it could well be a dangerous--err...block...?"  Tendo finished

as his sails deflated.

Akane looked from Nodoka to Ranma.  "Ranma...is it true??"

Ranma rubbed his neck and straightened up.  "Uh...yeah, I guess so..."

"The house behind the dojo was for sale, so of course I bought it.  It
was an excellent bargain..." Nodoka smiled gently at Tendo.  "The
previous owners moved out rather abruptly...something about  noisy
neighbors', as I understand it."

Tendo ducked his head.  "More like rowdy house guests..."

"Dad!!"  Akane glared.

"But, Mom...!"  Ranma cleared his throat.  "Why didn't you just tell us?

 Why drag us all over Tokyo like we were on one of Ryoga's grand
tours?!"

Nodoka smiled at him and nodded to Akane.  "I wanted to give you a
chance to appreciate what you might have been missing, that's all.
And..."  A soft laugh.  "I wanted to punish your father just a bit more
by letting everyone in Tokyo see him having to walk behind *me* 
for a change."

"Remind me never to make Mom mad at ME," Ranma whispered to Akane.

She simply nodded.

                     *          *          *

"Now mind you, I don't believe in the blasted thing, myself..."  The
storekeeper adjusted his spectacles and tapped the lacquered box on the
counter.  "But that's how the story goes, at least...what I can remember
of it anyway."

"It's perfect."  Soft white hands picked up the beautifully-designed box

and opened it.  Glittering black eyes surveyed the treasure hidden
within.  "Soon, my darling Ranma,  you will be mine...forever!"

Tossing a flurry of yen notes and black petals at the storekeeper, a
slim figure bounded out of the shop, holding the box and cackling with
glee.  The old man shook his head, looking after her. 

"Pretty girl...but if I were the kind of man who makes snap judgments,
I'd say her train didn't go all the way down the track..."

A lithe figure in a gymnast's leotard bounded from rooftop to rooftop,
black ponytail flying, dance-ribbon twirling, scattering roses and
screeching laughter at her triumph soon to come...

                         * TO BE CONTINUED *