These characters and situations are the property of 
R. Takahashi and her license holders.  No offense 
intended.  

Prologue

     Nodoka's tears crawled down her beautiful, but impassive face as 
she watched her husband die.  He lay in a hospital bed, gray and 
withering, as the tubes to his arms and nose testified to his doctor's 
frustrated efforts to curb the drug-resistant infection stealing Genma's 
life away.

     His eyes opened and for the last time he beheld his beautiful wife, 
ripe with the child he 
would never see born and he smiled as he said, "Crying?  Now that is something I never expected to see from my 
iron willed wife."

     She brushed her tears away and started to apologise, "I-I'm sorry, 
husband, I-"

     He held out a hand to touch hers, "No, don't apologise.  I find it 
flattering.  I was never truly the man you took me for, but it's good to 
know that I will be missed when I'm gone."

     "Don't say that, Gen-chan.  You actually seem to be doing a little 
better today."  Nodoka smiled softly, trying to raise her husband's 
morale.

     "I'm not.  Just focusing a little to put things off until I've 
finished what needs to be said.  The Master's curse has claimed me 
and medicine has no cure for his malice.  He swore that I would never 
achieve my ambition, to father and train an heir who would match and 
surpass me, a warrior whose skill and power would be legendary..."  His 
voice weakened and trailed off.  Nodoka almost twitched in surprise as 
he loudly said, "Nodoka!  Swear to me!  Fulfill my dying wish!"

     "What is it?"

     "Swear to me that you will do whatever it takes to raise the 
greatest of martial artists!  No matter what the...cost."  He faltered, 
and his 
eyes began to unfocus.
Nodoka clasped both of her hands around his icy cold one and vowed, 
"I'll do it.  I swear by the honor of our family that I will raise our 
child to be the best of martial artists, no matter what that requires.  
 
     "Name...Ranma.  Must never refuse a challenge, aid those in need, 
always...strive for victory."  Genma gasped.  His voice gained a little 
strength as he said in dawning wonder, "You know, I am starting to feel 
better."  Then he shuddered and stopped breathing.

_________________________________________________

     The sky was clear again and the sun shone down on two weary 
travellers as they walked through the pleasant suburb of Nerima in 
the 
spring.  Nice homes with immaculate lawns welcomed a woman who seemed young enough to be the elder sister of the boy with a braid of 
hair reaching to the small of his back who accompanied her.  Over her 
shoulder protruded the hilt of a katana, while in her hands she carried 
a closed umbrella.  

     Nodoka Saotome looked at the sulking boy beside her and sighed 
inwardly with her everpresent mixture of pride and guilt.  She had kept 
her vow of honor, fulfilled her husband's deathbed request and had made 
of their child a great martial artist, the equal or better of her 
husband at his prime and still improving.  But in pursuit of this goal, 
she'd found herself doing...questionable things.  She'd lied, subjected 
Ranma to hardship and danger, imposed conflicting debts of honour which 
would be a nightmare to sort out, failed in her duty to instill proper 
social graces...  The latest mistake was probably the worse one.  If 
only...  

     If only Genma hadn't died before Ranma's birth.  Nodoka was sure in 
her innermost heart that Genma would have done a far better job of 
training Ranma.  Nodoka had been forced to dishonest and extreme 
measures because her own martial arts skills were inadequate to the 
challenge posed by her vow and so she had to find other teachers and 
challenges for her child.  She daydreamed about the domestic bliss that 
would have been hers had her husband lived.  Keeping her beautiful house 
while Genma passed on his great skills safely and sensibly, then taking 
her turn to instill the social skills which would have made Ranma a well 
rounded individual...ah, she would have been so happy.  

     Her line of thought was broken as Ranma 
interrupted it with, "So, how far do we have to go, Mom?"  

     "Not far at all.  Why, are you tired?"

     The boy smirked, "Hah!  Not likely.  What's a little walk across 
Japan?  Although I still don't know why we had to leave Joketsuzo.  I 
liked it there."

     Nodoka was, as always, gentle but firm as she answered, "We have 
obligations here, and things were becoming more delicate than you 
realised.  What do you think that fight was all about at Jusenkyo?"

     "Yeah, but can't we stop somewhere first, Mom?  I don't want to 
show up like this."  Ranma plucked at the front of his androgynous 
Chinese clothing.  
    
     "We will be staying with them for some time, so they'll have to 
know anyway.  Don't worry, I'll explain the situation.  Besides, that's 
the place up there."  They walked up to a beautiful and spacious two 
story house with attached dojo, framed by lovingly cared-for grounds.  
It made neighbouring houses of more recent construction look tawdry and 
soulless by comparison.

     The door was answered by a boy of about Ranma's age in a suit and 
tie, who stared at them briefly before a bitter smirk crossed his face. 
"Aunt Saotome? Ranma-san?  I'm Nikkei Tendo.  Please come in.  My 
mother's been eagerly waiting for you to show up and I can hardly wait 
for her to see you."

     Akiko Tendo wasn't fashion-model lean the way that Nodoka was, but 
was not unattractive in a Rubenesque sort of way.  Never shy about 
her gestures of affection, she immediately embraced Nodoka.  "No-chan!  
You haven't changed at all since I last saw you!  Honestly, you make me 
feel fat and old when I look at you."  

As Nodoka tried to catch her breath, the other two Tendo boys stared at 
Ranma.  The first was a giant of a man, almost two meters tall, who 
looked 
puzzled as he assessed the boy in front of him.  The other was a much shorter boy with rather long hair who looked distinctly relieved at 
the sight of the new arrival.  

Akiko turned to embrace Ranma, swept him into her arms as she effused, 
"Welcome into my home and family, Ranma."  After the initial hug, she 
took him by the shoulders and held him at arms length as she said, "Now, 
let's have a look at...you."  There was a pause and then Akiko calmly 
said, "Nodoka-chan.  Your daughter appears to be a boy."

Nikkei was still smirking as he pointed out, "I did say Ranma was an odd 
name for a girl."

Nodoka blushed and answered, "I'm sorry Akiko, but that will take some 
explaining."
________________________________________________________________________
And Now For A Word From Our Sponsor:  Yes I know it's
been done before.  But I think I could do it better.
Besides, you all wanted to see Genma die, didn't you?  

And Now For Something Completely Different:  Weep for me 
brethren.  My hard drive died.  Now if someone will just
send me every fanfic written since the start of the 
mailing list...  Kidding.  Honestly.  But if anyone
has one of my Boggs/Cog/Mizu reviews on file by any
chance, or Circularity or Seedling...