Returning Home
By David Farr
Part 5

	Ranma 1/2 is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and used here for the
purposes of fanfiction.

*****

	Kasumi looked out across the backyard. Adventure had become part and
parcel of the life about the Tendo house since the arrival of a certain
girl and her pet panda. Often it had seemed that not a day would go by
without a fiancee showing up, or a martial artist appearing to fight
Ranma. Insanity and confusion followed the young man, and when he
vanished, peace had descended on them like a suffocating blanket.

	A sparring match above the Koi pond seemed both normal and comforting
now. Father and son circled the body of water, watching each other.
Moments later they launched themselves into the air, meeting in a clash
of flying fists and sweeping kicks. Or at least that was what she
expected.

	Ranma's leap wasn't directly at his father. Instead he shot up a little
further. In mid air he flipped over, planting his hands on his father's
shoulders. Realising what his son was doing Genma twisted, but Ranma had
already shoved downwards, sending himself vaulting away from the pond. He
landed comfortably as Genma transformed amidst a fountain of water.

	"What's the matter pop," he said, turning to grin at his father, "didja
really think I wouldn't learn something in five years?" A wave of water
flew out of the pond, soaking the youth.

	"Aw jeez, what did you do that for?" Ranma exclaimed.

	"Ranma!" Akane's voice grabbed the attention of everyone in the
backyard.

	"Yeah, what?" The young man looked up at the second floor balcony on
which she stood.

	"Is Ukyo down there with you?"

	Ranma looked about, unconsciously checking for her. "Nah, she was still
in bed when I got up."

	"Well, could you look for her down there, I'll check up here. We don't
want a repeat of last night."

*****

	The hardest part had been sneaking out of the house. Her parents rarely
relaxed their guard, but she'd found a time, after her father had gone
out and before her mother's sleep had lightened, when she could sneak
out. Sure enough not even little Ryoga had noticed her.

	Next she had to find Furnikan High. She didn't exactly have a lot of
options. Possibly she could wander around like her uncle Ryoga had in her
father's tales, but she was smarter than that. She had searched out her
mother's old school uniform so that she could find a student who was
heading in early.

	It didn't take long to find someone, lots of student headed in early to
get seats to watch the latest episode of their favourite drama played out
in the courtyard. Shadowing her chosen guide, Ukyo snuck along the
rooftops until she reached the schoolyard. Quickly she leaped down,
blurring across the grass and up into a tree.

	Nestled there she waited, and thought back on the events of the night
before.

	She had been practising in the dojo, a series of feints that lead into a
kata her father had designed for her. It was peaceful, and safe. Never
before had there been a time when she was alone. Even in worlds where
they'd felt safe, her parents had always watched over her. But this
wasn't just any world, this was home.

	She hadn't even sensed him. He'd just appeared behind her and wrapped
her arms about her. In that instant she knew fear. All those warnings of
her parents, about things they'd seen and fought, things she couldn't
hope to defeat, flooded through her mind. Fear built in her, uncontrolled
and rampant. But she hadn't shown it, forcing herself not to shiver in
his arms. She didn't even notice the glow, didn't feel the explosion.

	Then her mother had shattered the door. Relief flooded her and she threw
herself at the mother.

	Sitting in the tree she didn't notice herself starting to glow again.
This time it wasn't due to fear. She did however notice HIM.

	He was crossing the schoolyard towards Nabiki. The middle Tendo daughter
seemed to be expecting him, but the little girl hidden in the tree didn't
pay attention to that. All she knew was that she couldn't let him hurt
another member of her family.

	Time seemed to slow as her vision narrowed. She didn't see the shifting
leaves as they brushed against him, or the yard full of students that she
shot across. As her spear stretched outwards she saw him react, half
turning and pulling back.

	When Kuno had come out to face Nabiki he had not expected to be
attacked, and certainly not by a blue fireball screaming in a high
pitched voice. Never-the-less his reflexes did not fail him, forcing into
a backwards leap. His feet had barely left the ground when his attacker
had shot through the space he had just occupied.

	A soft explosion accompanied the impact and little Ukyo spun, her spear
held ready to attack again. She didn't notice her Aunt back-pedalling out
of the fight or the crowd she was drawing.

	Kuno did the worst thing he possibly could, he threw his arms wide and
hurried to the small red-haired girl to hug her. "My pig-tailed--UFF!"

	The butt of Ukyo's spear crashed deep into the samurai's stomach,
bending him in two. In a quick manoeuvre she spun the spear, its tip
slicing open his top and leaving gouges on his bare chest and the butt
slamming into his ribs. Next she expertly moved the still spinning weapon
so that it impact on the underside of his chin, hooking him and sending
him flying over her.

	Kuno crashed on the ground. He hadn't expected the blows from the
youthened pig-tailed-girl (who was now missing the pig-tail), and he had
been wide open for them. Groaning he rolled over and stared at the still
blazing girl.

	"I... forgive... you..." he moaned. "That wretch... Saotome..."

	Ukyo's aura brightened as she drew back her arm. "Don't you dare speak
of my father!" The glow about her flashed and flowed up her body, over
her arm and into the spear. "NOW YOU PAY!"

	"UKYO, STOP!"

	The command had come from two different directions. Two very commanding
female voices had yelled the words, two voices she couldn't help but
listen too, simply because of the disapproving tone.

	She looked up, her aura guttering out like a flame without air. Two of
the students stood not far away, both had hands on hips and both glared
at her the expressions of disapproval mirroring the command they'd given.

	"Auntie Nabiki. Auntie Ukyo." Little Ukyo gulped, the only way it could
be worse was if it had been her parents.

	Nabiki stalked forward, continuing to glare at the little girl as she
moved to tower over her. "What do you think you are doing?!" she
demanded. "Did your parents teach you to KILL?!"

	Ukyo did what any child would do when facing a scoulding. She looked
down at her feet. "No."

	"Look at me!" the elder Ukyo snapped, stepping up. The child's head
popped up to look fearfully into the face of her namesake. "Do you think
they'd be happy?!"

	Tears started welling in the little girl's eyes. "No."

	"UKYO!!" The shout interrupted the scolding, and the assembled students
recognised it immediately.

	"Over here Ran-chan!" the elder Ukyo called.

	Moments later Ranma, in female form, arced over the heads of the crowd
and landed gracefully within the arena. He paused only for a moment
before crossing to the group. The crowd surrounding them started to
mutter. His eyes darted about resting momentarily on the battered Kuno
then moving to his daughter.

	"What happened?" he demanded, looking between Nabiki and the two Ukyos.

	"The little savage decided to take Kuno out before he could attack her
again," Nabiki offered, shrugging.

	Ranma looked down at the little girl, who was siddling from one foot to
another and trying not to look in him in the eyes. "Is this true?"

	She looked up and reluctantly nodded. "Sorry, daddy." Her voice was
barely above a whisper.

	The muttering of the crowd intruded upon Ranma's awareness and he
glanced about, frowning. "I think we'd better drag Kuno to the infirmary
and discuss this in private, little lady."

	It suddenly occurred to a lot of people that the late bell was about to
ring and the schoolyard emptied very quickly. Sighing Ranma picked up
Kuno, who had slipped into unconsciousness and followed Nabiki and the
Ukyos into the building.

*****

	The purple haired girl paced across the room up to the withered old
woman. It was only the second day they'd been renting the room and
Cologne was already wishing she'd had enough money to get separate rooms.
Shampoo hadn't stopped pacing since she'd confirmed the good news.

	"/If you want I could send you airmail again,/" the amazon matriarch
offered, watching as the girl spun and paced away again.

	"/I would prefer to arrive as a girl. Ranma was not pleased when I
showed up as a cat that first time./" Shampoo had gotten back into the
habit of speaking Mandarin.

	Cologne chuckled to herself. The Cat-fist had been a major surprise. She
would never have believed anyone would be stupid enough to teach him
that, but she hadn't met Genma then. "/It takes time to secure transport
if you are unable to legally enter a country. We could easily skip a
transport today, but if we spend a little time now, we might find a
quicker way./"

	Shampoo nodded at her great-grandmother's wisdom. "/I just don't feel
right leaving my husband in the hands of that violent tomboy or my
spatula throwing rival./"

	"/Patience, great-granddaughter. Sometimes you must wait in order to win
a battle./"

*****

	Awakening to pain was not a novel experience for Kuno. More often than
he cared to admit he had fallen unconscious in battle and recovered to
find numerous bruises and aches still marking his body. It was a
testament to his strength that he so continued his fighting with such
wounds.

	The ceiling of the school's infirmary was also a familiar sight. He lay
for a few seconds, wondering who had dragged him here this time and if
Sasuke would manage to get the grass stains out of his robes. Finally,
withholding the moans of pain he felt were necessary, he sat up and
looked around.

	The first of the unusual sights greeted him. In the chair next to his
bed sat the foul Ranma Saotome, and apparently he was reading a thick
book. Kuno recognised the book immediately, it was his volume of the
works of William Shakespeare.

	"Wretch, why are disgracing that work of genius?" The noble
upperclassman demanded.

	Ranma looked up, slight irritation clouding his face. "You were out for
so long that I got bored. I didn't think you'd mind me doing a little
reading."

	"You would have me believe that an uncouth cur such as yourself can not
only read English but enjoys the Bard himself?"

	Closing the book Ranma shook his head. "Haven't had a lot of chance to
read since I learnt the language, but I must say, he has a good dramatic
flair." He lent forward and placed the book on the edge of the bed. "I
can see why you talk like him."

	Kuno shifted feeling for his bokken. He didn't find it. "I find it hard
to believe you awaited my recovery to critique the work of an English
playwright."

	"You're right, of course. Look Kuno, we have to talk about you chasing
Akane and Ukyo. There's lots of things you don't understand." Ranma sat
back and stared at the man in the bed. For the first time Kuno saw not an
arrogant boy, but a serious man who did not seek violence.

	"I have never sought after Ukyo, for she has never interested me."

	A scowl passed over Ranma's face, then realisation. He laughed much to
Kuno's irritation. "No, not Ukyo Kounji, I meant my daughter, Ukyo." He
silenced Kuno by holding up his hand. "Let me explain, first about your
pig-tailed-girl, then about Akane, Ukyo and me. All I ask is that you
listen, nothing more."

	"I doubt you can say anything I wish to hear, but I will give you the
chance to waste your energies."

	Ranma rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Okay, first there is no
pig-tailed-girl, she's just the result of a curse placed on me."

	"That I do not believe!"

	Ranma shrugged. "It's the truth. Whenever I get splashed with water I
become female. I can use hot water to change back, but its only
temporary."

	"If what you say is true, then why did you, in the guise of the
pig-tailed-girl lead me on?" Kuno inquired indignantly. "I remember many
times when she expressed her love for me."

	Shaking his head Ranma sighed. "Yeah, I'm not exactly proud of that
Kuno. Think about it, did she, I mean I, ever do that without wanting
something? Like when you father showed up and put that map to the excuse
note on the back of your head."

	Kuno thought back, Ranma was right, he could not remember an occasion
when the pig-tailed-girl had not wanted something from him. Still that
was not proof of his words. "May I see this miracle curse?"

	"Sure, just wait a sec while I get a couple of glasses of water." He was
up, out of his chair and vanished through the curtain that separated the
bed from the rest of the room. Kuno waited impatiently for a few minutes
then Ranma returned carrying a glass of water and a steaming kettle.

	"Right, I've done this a couple times in front of you before, and you've
always managed to miss it somehow, so pay attention." He doused himself
with the cold water and felt the change wash over him.

	Kuno took it badly. Watching his hated rival transform into the one of
the women he loved struck at his heart. All the missed hints, the ignored
incidents, how could he have obsessed so over, over, a fiction?! Even
more, the attempts to tell him the truth (not helped by Nabiki's
inflammatory comments), all the rejections at the hand of
pig-tailed-girl, how could he have ignored all of that. What kind of man
hounded another so?

	"I have been a fool," Kuno muttered. He looked at the girl warily
watching him, and was struck by the sickening thought that the she that
he desired was in fact a he. Then he realised that the reverse must have
been at least as sickening. "We have each given the other pain."

	Ranma nodded and reached out for the hot kettle. "Yeah, but I haven't
finished with my news yet." He doused himself, changing back, the change
bringing another twist to Kuno's gut. "Nabiki's been running a
misinformation campaign since Akane and I got back, trying to confuse
people so we don't have to deal with everything at once. After last night
we all realised that is only gonna make things worse."

	"My supposed attack on the child," Kuno surmised.

	"Right, so I think you should know the truth. Anyway, you know the kinda
things that happen to Akane and me, you've been involved in a few of
them. Well we got hit again and we lived five years while you all've been
searching for us. During that time we finally admitted our love to each
other and got married. Before we got back we had two children, Ukyo who
takes after my girl side, and Ryoga, who takes after Akane." He smiled,
and Kuno saw love in that expression, a love he could not deny.

	"I am not sure if I believe you," he commented, doubt on his face and in
his voice. It was mostly a lie, but he sought to hide it even from
himself.

	Ranma gave a small shrug. "Well, its what happened. You can ask Akane if
you want. Just try approaching her without throwing insults, it helps
keep her temper in check."

	"I will do as you suggest, for no other reason than I do not wish to
continue the folly of acting with out knowing all. Certainly I will not
trust the information gathering services of Nabiki."

	Ranma smiled and breathed out a little laugh. "She does have a habit of
twisting things to benefit herself, doesn't she?" He frowned, becoming
serious again. "Just stay away from Ukyo for a little while, I doubt
she's gonna be happy to see you."

	"She is an able fighter, especially for one so young. You taught her
well." Kuno couldn't help but offer that compliment to his ex-rival,
there was too much truth behind it.

	Ranma's nod was reluctant and held a hint of sadness. "We had no choice,
getting home wasn't easy. Peace and safety haven't been constants in her
life up to now."

	"I understand. Tell me Saotome, will you be making your..." he seemed to
have trouble saying the next word, "marriage to the fair Akane Tendo
official in this world?"

	"Yes, I'm sure you'll get an invitation." A grin broke onto Ranma's
face. "Although it would be fairly dishonourable to disrupt it."

	Kuno gave a bark of laughter. "Honour is not something we two should be
discussing! We have not treated each other with much!"

	Ranma nodded, and turned away, heading for the curtain. "I think we
should try starting again, Upperclassman." He swept the curtain aside and
paused. "Oh, and one piece of advice, I find that women prefer to be
wooed, not beaten up." He vanished behind the curtain and the click of
door moments later told Kuno he was gone.

	Kuno waited, listening. Once he was sure he was alone, he allowed a
single tear roll for the loss of love.

*****

	The little girl at his side was quiet, watching the stones skittering
away as she kicked them down the street. Her hands were clasped behind
her and her shoulders were slumped. Normally she would have been bouncing
around, staring at the trees, perching on fences to gaze into yards and
generally taking in the sights. It bothered Ranma that his daughter was
acting so subdued.

	"Why did you do it?" Ramna asked.

	"'Cause I didn't like him," the girl pouted.

	Spinning around Ranma stood before his daughter and glared at her. "Is
that any reason to try to kill someone?!"

	"You beat people up all the time!" Ukyo objected, glaring up at her.

	Ranma sighed and shook his head. He guessed that this was just the first
of many problems they'd be facing with his daughter's upbringing.
"Darling, when your mother and I fight someone we try to knock them out
or scare them away. Killing someone is a major act. There's no way to
make it up to them afterwards if you find out it was a mistake, they're
dead and there's no way of coming back." He knelt down and caught her
gaze. "Do you remember Sammy?"

	Ukyo winced at the name. When she was little they had stopped for a
while on a world where the dominant life form were a cute furry race.
While they had problems dealing with the adults, Ukyo and a bunch of kids
had started playing games. The Saotome's had settled down for a while,
hoping to give her some quality time. Unfortunately an earthquake had
struck and Ukyo's best friend had died.

	"It was very painful when he died, wasn't it?" Ranma watched as tears
welled up in his daughter's eyes. "Would you want to be responsible for
making someone else face that kind of pain?" He held her, stroking her
hair. "Killing should be the last option you think of, no matter what."

	"Yes daddy," Ukyo murmured.

	"Good. So long as you learn that lesson, then some good has come of this
mess." He stood and turned away once more. "Now all we have to do is
weather your mother's anger."

*****

	"SHE DID WHAT?!"

	Kasumi pulled up short as Ranma was blown out the door by Akane's
scream. The eldest Tendo sister pushed shut the sliding door, muffling
the continuing berating. A slight chuckle escaped as she watched the two
fathers slip off.

	"She has grown more vocal," Kasumi observed, kneeling beside the dazed
martial artist.

	Ranma propped himself up on one elbow and clutched the side of his head.
"Yeah, but it's less painful than being malleted."

	Kasumi spared the closed door a glance. "Will Ukyo be alright?"

	"She and I have already had a quiet talk about what she did wrong, but I
guess she wouldn't feel right if she didn't get a scolding from hurricane
Akane." He managed a half shrug. "She might think her mother doesn't care
anymore."

	"She loves her, and her anger is just a facet of that," Kasumi surmised.

	"Yeah, Akane's like that, makes her kinda cute," Ranma turned to look at
the door behind which his wife was still yelling at their daughter.

	"RANMA! GET IN HERE!" Akane's yell caused Ranma to wince visibly.

	"Oops, missed my cue." Ranma leapt to his feet as Kasumi pulled back.
"This thing's got a rhythm, and I just spoiled it." He slipped open the
door and stormed in, slamming it shut behind him.

	Kasumi nodded, knowing at last that Akane and Ranma would make good
parents.

-----

Author's Note:
	Before I get any complaints about how quickly Kuno did a U-turn, I just
wanted to say I have my reasons, and its got nothing to do with wanting
to hurry the overall story along. The reasons are not something I want to
discuss, but is entirely my choice. I will be chasing other ideas, after
all I still have Shampoo, the wedding, getting Ukyo and Ryoga adopted and
any fallout from the world-hopping adventures.
Any other C&C is welcome, especially on the discussion between Kuno and
Ranma.

-----------
Rarstarr,
David Farr
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~djfarr/
djfarr@ihug.co.nz