This has the same setting as "The way out" mini-fic,  "Autumn Leaves" and
"Keeping Up Appearances".

This is set on the same day as Kimiko's return.

What has gone before:
Ranma's better nature and a Chinese-Amazon artifact have combined to
return Akane's mother to life - in Ranma's body.

Genma's decision.

  Genma ran away.  Oh, he hadn't called it that.  He'd gone on a training
trip, he was looking for a 'cure', he needed some time to think things
over.  Lies, all of them.  Genma had run away.

  Those nearby spared little attention for a panda walking aimlessly
through the rain - he was still on his way out of Nerima and people can
become accustomed to anything given time.  He thought back to the moment
when he had realised just what he had lost.

  "Formula 110?" Nabiki questioned.

  'No, his hair hasn't been washed recently', the sign said.

  "Demonic possession?" 'No horns.'

  "Trained with electric shocks by a mad theatre director?" 'Now that's
just silly.'

  "Mirror twin?" 'He wasn't out of my sight - besides that's manga 35 and
we're still in manga 22*'

  [The author hurriedly pushes an old wardrobe in front of the gaping hole
in the fourth wall]

  "I wish you wouldn't talk about me as if I wasn't here, Nabiki." Kimiko
told her daughter reproachfully.  "You can't really be charging this nice
panda for advice, can you?  I thought I brought you up better than that."

  Nabiki glared at the offending speaker. "YOU didn't bring me up at all,
and when I find out just who is responsible for this cruel trick they WILL
pay.  Literally, and figuratively."

  Kimiko's face fell, her aura an almost perfect match for Kasumi's in the
rare moments when someone managed to upset her.  "I'm sorry, dear," she
sniffed, "I didn't mean for this to happen - I just want to have my family
back."

  Nabiki looked coldly at the crying figure.  "If you're going to be that
girlish - you should have a body to match!" While saying this she produced
a convenient bucket of water and threw it over her target.

  "What the?  I'm female again!" Kimiko cried, patting herself down.  "I
don't know how you did that, but THANK you."

  Nabiki looked down at her notebook and crossed off all the entries that
didn't apply to what was obviously Ranma's Jusenkyo cursed body.  Not
a doppelganger, not a disguise artist, not ...

  "Excuse me," Nabiki said with a small smile. "Can you hold this for me
for a moment."

  "Certainly." She replied in some confusion.

  "And this.  This, and this..." Nabiki continued.

  "Just how many cat's do you have?" Came the muffled voice from under a
purring furry heap.

  Nabiki looked at Genma, who stared back. 'No catfist training.' the sign
showed.  Suddenly Nabiki sent the cats flying and wrapped herself around
her mother. "It's you - thank the Kami it really IS you!"

  In the rain, Genma came to from the unsettling memories that had played
over, and over, in his head.  He realised with a start just where he was.
This was the _last_ place he wanted to be.

  No, he realised, this was exactly where he had to be - although it might
well also be the last place he would be.  Genma wasn't going to run away
any more, he decided.  He slowly approached the house to see if he could
get some hot water from Nodoka Saotome.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

  Just to note that, IMO, the catfist is the ultimate Ranma detection
method.  As far as I know there's _no_ way of removing it and it is linked
directly to the mind and spirit of the person affected.

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