Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Honor's Price ❯ One-Shot

 

 

Ranma walked into the Nekohanten with a serious look on his face. It was early enough that Shampoo was out looking for him on his way to school to date and Mouse was more than likely out as well to prevent that. It meant that he could talk to the old ghoul without interruptions for a little while.

 

“Cologne?”

 

The old ghoul looked out from the kitchen to see Ranma in the dining room. This was surprising considering that he had actively avoided the place ever since the incident with the love pills, it had been a couple of months since she had actually seen `son-in-law' rather than hear the latest from Shampoo.

 

“Son-in-law, I haven't seen you in a while. Shouldn't you be in school?”

 

“Something's come up and I wanted to talk to you about it. Alone.”

 

“Don't tell me that you finally decided to see reason and marry Shampoo?” Cologne rasped with a twinkle in her eye. Ranma's face scowled at the suggestion, visibly darkening.

 

“No, and stop calling me son in law, this is important.”

 

“Settle down, son in law, you're just so easy to push, now what did you want to tell me?” Cologne gestured to one of the tables while hopping over and sitting on the table.

 

“I wanted to tell you a story and I would like to get your advise when I'm done. Please don't interrupt me once I start.” Ranma said with a serious look in his eyes.

 

Cologne was a little shocked at this, Ranma had never been so serious before except during a battle. Cologne nodded once but started to look at Ranma's aura, and was a little surprised to see that it more resembled Ryoga's aura right before a shi shi hokodan rather than the confidence that Ranma usually exuded.

 

“About 12 years ago, a father took his son away from his mother for the purpose of training him to be the best martial artist in the world. For ten years, the father traveled through Japan and China, training the boy in every technique that they came across while keeping the boy away from any distractions from the Art. This included other boys, school, girls, games, anything that wasn't the Art.

 

Over the ten years that the father trained the son, they came upon many martial arts techniques, many of which were very dangerous to learn and if they hadn't been martial arts techniques, they would have been considered abuse. What few friends the young boy made, he was forced to leave behind for the sake of the Art. Anything that the father didn't consider manly was beaten out of the boy, not to mention the constant verbal abuse that made up their particular branch of the Art.

 

At the end of the ten years, the boy was forged into a man among men with limited social skills and chauvinistic ideas about women that had been reinforced by his father's words. It was this young man that fell into a spring of young girl at the legendary training grounds of Jusenkyo and suddenly everything that he had been raised to be, everything that he had come to believe about himself and his world was shattered and destroyed by what he had become with a simple pool.

 

The guide told the son and father, who had also fallen into a pool, that a nearby village may hold secrets to their new curses and it would be a short trip to visit them and maybe break the curses that they had acquired. After walking the entire day without stopping for rest or food, the father, son, and guide arrived at the village to catch the last of a yearly tournament. But the father, only saw the food that was set aside for the feast afterwards and did not hesitate to start to eat it.

 

The winner of this tournament started to make demands of the boy, who had not been able to find any hot water so was a girl at the time, to kill her father, who happened to fall into an animal spring, and make a nice pelt out of his skin. The boy/girl asked if she challenged the winner for the food, then there wouldn't be a problem if they ate any of it. The winner of this tournament agreed to the challenge over the food, and was then quickly bested by the now female young man.

 

The winner of the tournament came up to the young man/woman and gave her the kiss of death, even though the challenge was over food suddenly it was life and death. It was then that the guide rushed the father and son/daughter out of the village as fast as he could. For the next few weeks, while the father and son made their way back to the coast of China to return to Japan, they were constantly dodging attacks by the winner of this tournament.

 

The young man had thought that the winner of the tournament had been cute, even pretty, but with the constant attempts on his life, he soon came to fear the sight of her.

 

The pair lost the Amazon warrior once they swam back to Japan, and were soon making their way to an old friends of the son's father's house. They didn't arrive in the best of circumstances, the friend had been notified that they were coming and were expecting a man and a boy, not an animal and a girl.

 

It was there where to boy made friends with one of the daughters of his father's friend, but because of the curse she didn't know that she was a he. Once it was revealed, the daughter felt betrayed by the unintentional deception and had a growing distrust of boys, so the friendship between the young man and the daughter was ruined within minutes and the daughter had no problems with hitting the young man to show her displeasure, nor with calling him names, which only got worse when the young man's lack of social skills only got him in more trouble.

 

As it turned out, they were engaged to be married almost right away, much to the disagreement of the young man and the daughter, the fact that they fought each other and the engagement tooth and nail was seen as a healthy relationship by both fathers didn't help the young man's sense of what was a normal relationship.

 

Over the weeks at his new home, the young man was in many fights with both his new fiancé, a nut at school who fell for his girl form and couldn't grasp the concept of the curse, as well as running into an old friend from his childhood who was out for revenge.

 

It was just as the young man was settling down into something of a routine when the first real woman in his life came back to haunt him, or rather her. The Amazon from China had followed the boy to Japan to finish the job began with the kiss of death. Totally ignoring the male form of the young man and doing everything in her power to kill the girl form. It was when the young man defended his fiancé from the Amazon that she was knocked out by the weapon that he had kicked out of her hands.

 

Suddenly, the Amazon wasn't only trying to kill the young man, but trying to bed him at the same time, depending on what form he was in. Only after revealing that the girl and guy the Amazon was after were the same person did she leave.

 

It was about a month later, during that time the young man had struck a happy medium with his curse, while not totally accepting of it, he was learning to deal with it, whether he wanted to or not, when he encountered the Amazon again. Now, there is something that you should know about the training that the father gave the boy during the ten year training trip, one of the techniques left the boy with a phobia of cats. The Amazon had picked up a curse from Jusenkyo turning her into a thing from the boy's nightmares.

 

The young man's self image had been slipping, here he was, trained to be a man among men, turning into a girl with a splash of cold water, any girls that showed him any kind of attention was usually violent, not to mention that the boys from school constantly making lewd comments about him and his curse. He had been constantly verbally abused by his fiancé, hit by her for things he never did, but the honor of his family demanded that he stay with her and marry the girl.

 

But it wasn't until an old woman from the Amazon's village touched a spot on the young man's body preventing him from returning to his male form, that the self image cracked. For the first time in many years, the young man, girl now, cried himself to sleep.

Luckily, nobody knew, but the old woman wanted the young man to drop everything and marry the one girl that he was deathly afraid of with his masculinity held as ransom.

 

Now, while the young man was taught since his youth to never show fear, he was constantly afraid that the young Amazon would pick up her old habit of trying to kill him, or become a cat while she was attached to him, a fear constantly realized as his fiancé used the curses as a weapon of her jealousy.

 

It was that month that the biggest blow to the young man's masculinity came when he had his first period. It was just before he got his cure, but it was the desperation born of that event that fueled him to get it.

 

It was after that, when the other fiancés started to come out of the woodworks, that the young man realized that his honor was in jeopardy, before there was only one claim to his honor with the first fiancé, but suddenly there were several, each with a claim just as strong as the first. He never considered the Amazon because it was never his honor involved.

 

Now let's skip ahead in our story, the young man was now stuck with three fiancés, had been stuck as a girl several times, each time that happened, his idea of being a man were not only challenged but defeated, but the one thing that finally broke that image was the arrival of his mother.

 

When he first met his mother it was as a girl, and thanks to his father's stupidity for going to Jusenkyo, that was the only safe way of meeting his mother, for she held a contract that said that both father and son would commit seppkuku if the son wasn't a man among men. The fact that she carried her family sword around with her at all times so that she may be ready to execute that contract should he not meet with her vague standards of manliness, proved that she took the damn thing seriously.

 

It was then that the young man was no longer a man. Up until that point, he could pretend and deny with the best of them, but it was his mother's silent rejection that drove home the point that the curse was complete.”

 

Ranma paused for a moment before continuing.

 

“Cologne, I know that we've never seen eye to eye, but you've helped me more than hurt me, and I think you figured out that I'll never bow to Shampoo or the laws of your Amazons without a fight. But I'm tired. I'm asking you for help before I go to my mother to reveal everything just so that I get out of this life with my honor intact.

 

The only price that I can't pay is marriage, I can't marry any of the fiancés for one reason or another, mainly honor because no matter what, somebody's honor is going to be smeared when all of this is done. The only way I can see out of this is if I die, but I want to live, but not like this.” Unshed tears were visible at the edges of Ranma's eyes as he spoke the last part. He reached for the glass of water he had been sipping from and dumped it on his head before actually shedding a tear. “I'm not a man any more, but I'm not any kind of woman either. I don't know what I am any more, but I'm not the young man that fell into the pool at Jusenkyo.”

 

To say that Cologne was shocked was an understatement. When Ranma started the story, she was bored but she honored his request not to be interrupted, even when she wanted to point out his obligations. But as he continued she saw the hurt and the truth in the story. The ending was what really shocked her, she had never seen Ranma in such emotional pain, not even during the moxibustion mess with Happosia.

 

“There, there, Son er Ranma” Cologne tried to comfort the silently sobbing red head. She waited patiently for her to collect herself before continuing. “I feel for you, Ranma, and you're right. I knew at the beach when you won against me using your neko-ken that Shampoo didn't have your heart, but I couldn't let her quit on you without her losing honor, which I suspect you know. I didn't know about the details of the tournament where you first met Shampoo. She never should have given the kiss of death over something so trivial, but you did humiliate the tournament winner in front of the entire village.”

 

“Ranma, I don't know what you are asking of me. I can not ignore the claim that Shampoo has placed upon you even though you chose not to recognize it. If she returns without you as her husband or proof of your death, then she will again go to Jusenkyo. I want to help you, but I don't know how. Tell me how long have you been feeling like this?” Cologne said.

 

“I told you that my mother and her contract were what made me realize that I wasn't a man anymore, but there was another event that helped it along even more, but it didn't break me. Ryoga had gotten a hold of a Koi Rod of Love and was trying to snag Akane with it when he got me. The feelings I felt for Ryoga due to that damn rod were some of the best feelings I can ever remember and it tears me up inside that my first pure love was for a guy. Ever since then, every time I see the pig, I get a flash of those emotions before I squash them down and do my best to ignore them yet I feel betrayed every time I see that pig in Akane's arms.” Ranma answered in a low voice as he revealed his greatest shame.

 

“What I want, what I need is a cure to my curse, if you have one.” Cologne shook her head sadly to Ranma's question.

 

“Then I need a lock for my curse, I know that you have something that does that. What I was thinking was arrange for another challenger to come through and lock my curse like what Herb did. I go off looking for a cure, but this time I don't come back, or if I do, its without a cure and everybody has to deal with an all female me. But then I remembered that little trick Shampoo pulled with her shampoo on Akane. I'm guessing that you can pull that same technique on me after locking my curse to effectively erase my mind and leave a blank slate in my place. This would honor Shampoo's kiss of death while getting me out of the mess my father has given me without smearing anybody's honor.”

 

“You have truly thought this out, haven't you? Yes, locking your curse and the shampoo technique are within my abilities, It pains me to see you like this and that you are entertaining what is effectively suicide. Is there no way I can talk you out this?”

 

“Elder, please, my mother will be at the Tendo's again soon, within the month, she has come to view me as a surrogate daughter, but I can't live the lie any more and I intend to tell her everything including how I feel as a man. Given how she wields that katana around, I'll have a knife in my belly by the end of the night. I'm not going to run from it like pops would, but I want to live, even if that means `dieing' and becoming her daughter in truth. If you won't help me, then I'll commit the seppuku and retain my honor. If you do help me, then, it will be as if Ranma Soatome did commit seppuku and left this world with his honor intact, but I would be leaving my sister in my place.” Ranma pleaded.

 

Sighing, Cologne pried her arms out of Ranma's sudden grip. “Very well, Ranma. I'll do it. Call me the next time that your mother is visiting the Tendo's and I will come and talk to her. By the end of that night, Ranma Soatome will be dead, Shampoo can go home with her honor intact, and if your mother is accepting, then she will have a new daughter. However, I do make this reservation, if she does not accept the arrangement and demands for your blood, then I claim you, or rather, your sister as an Amazon and claim you as my blood so that your `sister' may live. Is that acceptable?”

 

The look of relief on Ranma's face was unmistakable. “It is. Thank you, old…Honored Elder, you don't know what this means to me. I'll call you the next time I see my mother. Please don't tell anybody about this. The last thing I need is for the fiancé horde to suspect and try to change my mind.” Ranma stood and bowed to Cologne before leaving the restaurant.

 

Cologne hopped back to the kitchen and started to gather materials for the most powerful of memory erasing shampoos.

 

 

It was a month later when Cologne got the call from the Tendo household letting her know that Ranma's mother was there. Ever since Ranma had spoken to Cologne about his plan, she had called upon him several time to try to talk him out it while at the same time assuring him that she would do it when it came time. They even worked out exactly what they would do on that night.

 

The plan was simple, Nodoka would show up and Ranma would play the part of Ranko while insisting on ordering take out from the Nekohanten in order to get Cologne's attention. Ranma would wait for Cologne to arrive and when she did, Cologne would talk to Nodoka in private about something concerning `son in law' where Cologne would break the news of Ranma's curse to Nodoka with a demonstration by `Ranko'.

 

During the month since Ranma spoke with Cologne, things had fallen into a pattern that didn't seem to break anytime soon. Ranma would say something and would be hit by Akane, Shampoo would make advances on Ranma only for Ranma to be hit by Akane. Kodachi would show up and attempt to drug Ranma only for Ranma to be insulted and then hit by Akane. Ranma would stop Happosia only to be called a pervert, stomped by several women and then hit by Akane. The only difference was that Cologne had taken on a direct interest in Ranma's life as something other than support for Shampoo.

 

The night that Ranma's mother came back to the Tendo dojo hadn't been a good night for Ranma and he was more than happy to hear his mother's voice. He'd been in several fights with Akane, mostly over things that Ranma couldn't understand, he had suffered through another attempt by the fathers to get him and Akane closer together which had resulted in the latest fight and subsequent malleting and he had just gotten home after landing in the canal when he heard his mother's voice from the main room.

 

“I'm sorry Mrs. Soatome, but Ranma and Genma had just left on another training journey earlier today.” Soun's voice said to the mature woman holding the katana across from him. His lie becoming easier and easier to say each time the poor woman visited. The panda was in the backyard playing with an old tire.

 

Ranma quickly ran up to Kasumi.

 

“You haven't started dinner yet have you?”

 

“Why, no Ranm..ko chan. Why? Is there something special you want for dinner?” Kasumi said, mindful of the little slip she covered badly. Luckily Nodoka was in the other room.

 

“I wanted to order some Ranmen from the Nekohanten. This would give you a chance for a rest and to visit with Auntie Nodoka instead of cooking for dinner. Please.”

 

“Oh, all right, Ranko chan, just because you asked so nicely.” Kasumi walked out of the kitchen to talk to Nodoka while she was here.

 

Ranma went up to the phone and dialed the number to the Nekohanten with nerveless fingers, now that the day had finally come, she wasn't so sure anymore, but she went ahead with the plan.

 

“Nekohanten, what you order?” Shampoo's voice came through the receiver.

 

“Shampoo, I need to speak to Cologne.”

 

“Aiya, Airen order Ranmen, I bring you too too good ranmen and save you from kitchen destroyer.” And with that, the connection went dead and a feeling of dread filled Ranma as the plan just met the enemy. He quickly called the number again hoping that he would get either Shampoo before she left or Cologne, or, at the very least Moose.

 

“Nekohanten, what can I get you?” Moose's voice came over the line. Ranma didn't know whether to be glad or afraid.

 

“Moose, I need to…”

 

“Ranma, you enemy of women, what did you say to Shampoo to make her run out of here?”

 

“I didn't say nuthin', I need to talk to..”

 

“Soatome, I will make you pay.” And the line went dead.

 

Ranma wanted to scream at the injustice of it all. Waiting a few seconds to give the blind martial artist a chance to get away from the phone, Ranma dialed again hopeing against hope that Cologne would finally pick up so he could make a proper order and get Cologne over here.

 

“Ranma? Is that you?” Cologne's rasping voice came over the line.

 

Finally. “Yes, I need to get a Tendo family special plus one because Ranma's mother is here for dinner and Kasumi isn't going to cook.”

 

“I understand, send those two idiots back here to collect it as soon as you can. I'll be there in a few. “ And the line went dead a third time.

 

Ranma put the phone down, only to turn around to see Nabiki standing down the hallway, smirking at him.

 

“What are you up to, Ranma? You never order from the Amazons, but you were really persistent.”

 

“I just feel like Chinese tonight, how much would it cost me for you to deal with Shampoo and Moose when they arrive? All you have to do is get them to go back to the resturuant.” Ranma asked quickly.

 

“5000 yen apiece” Smirked Nabiki. Only to have the smirk disappear when Ranma pulled the money out and handed it to her without argument or fanfare. “You are going to have enough to pay for the food when it gets here, right? You wanted it, you're paying for it.”

 

“Don't worry, Nabiki. It's taken care of. Just make sure those to don't stick around too long.” With that Ranma went to the main room to be near her mother, leaving a slightly confused Nabiki.

 

Ranma just wanted to be around his mother in what could be his last few minutes before he revealed everything to her. She had made up her mind that the next time that her mother visited that she would reveal everything to her. Even though he was having doubts now, he had resolved himself for this path and was willing to walk it. She was just afraid that the others would ruin his last night.

 

Shampoo arrived with a bowl of `special Ranmen' for Ranma, but didn't get very far before being intercepted by Nabiki. A few quiet words, including seppuku and mother, and a pale subdued Shampoo was on her way back to the Nekohanten. Moose was an easier distraction to get rid off, when he appeared, Nabiki hosed him down with the water hose before trapping him in laundry basket while the duck was looking for his glasses. Soon enough the duck was on his way back to the resturuant after his love.

 

It wasn't long after Moose left that Cologne finally hopped into the yard of the Tendo's Dojo. She landed behind the panda and quickly hit a series of shiatsu points, knocking the animal out for the next hour or so, before moving to where she could see the Soatome Matriarch.

 

“Would I have the honor of addressing the mother of Ranma Soatome?” Cologne's raspy voice cut through the conversations like they weren't there.

 

Nodoka looked at the small old lady perched on the stick. “You do, and may I know who I have the honor of addressing?” Nodoka formally requested.

 

“I am Kun Long of the Jokenztu Amazons in China, but everybody just calls me Cologne here. I have something of great importance I would like to discuss with you concerning your son, privately.”

 

“I see. Soun, would you mind if we retire to the dojo for some tea and privacy?”

 

A worried looking Soun simply nods his head while trying to figure out why the old ghoul would want to talk to Ranma's mother.

 

“Kasumi, would you assist me in setting up the space?”

 

“I can do that, m.Auntie.” Ranma said quietly at Nodoka's side.

 

“Very well then, shall we?” with that the trio made their way to the dojo, leaving the Tendo family in confusion over what just happened. Ranma came out and started to gather the supplies for the Tea ceremony and ignored, to the best of her abilities, the questions they were throwing her way and rushed to get changed for the ceremony and get everything else ready. When Ranma came back down, she was wearing a white kimono with her arms full of the items needed for the tea.

 

When Ranma got back to the dojo, she found Nodoka and Cologne patiently waiting for her to set everything up to start the ceremony. Once it was set up in a fashion that would do any tea ceremony martial artist proud, earning a look from Nodoka, Ranma tucked her feet under her and waited off to the side to wait for her role in the ceremony.

 

“Now, what is so important about my son?”

 

“I think that it is important that I tell you a story about a father and his son who passed through my lands years ago. The father was a fat greedy fool who was raising his son by himself and teaching his son martial arts. The son was a sponge for such knowledge and soon surpassed all of what the fool knew. But the fool did not stop but took the son all around Japan and China seeking the knowledge of sensies in his quest to make his son the best.

 

Along the way, the fool would cheat, rob, and steal to make his way for him and his son. He would even sell his own son into arranged marriages just to fill his belly, thinking nothing of his child's honor or of the future. When the child grew up into adulthood, he was the best martial artist of his generation, but was honor bound to marry not one, but several women whom his fool of a father arranged for him, to chose one would smear the honor of the rest and that was not something that the young martial artist wanted.”

 

“In the end, the young martial artist ended up commiting seppuku to retain his honor and preserving the honor of his multiple fiancés. Tell me what you think of this story.”

 

“It is a tragic tale, but the martial artist did the right thing in the end, even though he was paying for his father's sins. Tell me, what does this have to do with my son?”

 

“In good time, all will be revealed. I understand that you hold a contract with Genma, your husband, that Ranma will be a man among men.”

 

Nodoka nodded and pulled the contract out and handed it to Cologne. Cologne studied for a few minutes before setting it down.

 

“There is more to the story I just told you. You see there was a place near my village that we use for punishments and rewards, where you could get a curse that would change your shape into whatever had drowned there last. The father and son went to this place in ignorance, they were both cursed from that point on.

 

While the father's curse isn't important for the story, the boy's curse is. Being raised as a martial artist in isolation from friends, family, and anything resembling a social atmosphere as well as a father with some rather old thoughts on women left the man with some rather archaic views on women in general that were just not healthy.

 

So it was a blow to his entire self being to be cursed to change into a female at random times. While the curses do not change the person except physically, the way others treat that person does. Over the years since being cursed, the young martial artist, ounce a proud pillar of masculinity and chauvinism, was reduced to confusion over his gender and fading masculinity and growing feminity, when he committed seppuki. Now tell me about what you think of this story, Matriarch Soatome, tell me, was he manly?”

 

“I…don't know. While his actions proved he was, the curse undermined his manliness in the worst possible way, and as you said, in the end, he was confused if he was even a man any more. But please tell me what this has to do with my son.”

 

“Tell me, what do you think of the young child here? I've seen the way that you look at her.”

 

Nodoka looked at the silent Ranko.

 

“I've felt something for the child since the moment we met, I feel that she could have been the daughter I never had, and I must admit that she is the other reason for me to return here in search for my errant husband and son.”

 

“Mrs. Soatome, it is time for me to complete my story. Two years ago, a man and his son named Genma and Ranma Soatome visited those very springs and left with curses. A month ago, your son came to me with a plea for help.” Nodoka started to pale with where this was going.

 

“The boy in the story never did commit seppuku, but he did ask for my help in doing so, in a way. By the terms of this contract,” Cologne grabbed the hot water used for the tea and splashed Ranma with it, revealing the black haired martial artist. “Ranma no longer meets its requirements.”

 

Cologne was then rudely interrupted by Nodoka fainting.

 

“She took that well.” Cologne said as Ranma gathered his mother into his arms.

 

 

When Nodoka awoke, it was in the arms of Ranma, who was looking down on her with concern and not a little bit of fear. `He's so manly' Nodoka thought to herself. Then she remembered where she was and what made her faint to begin with. Raised herself out of his arms and started to reach for her katana.

 

“Mom?” Ranma said as Nodoka pulled herself free.

 

Cologne saw the move coming and quickly touched the pressure points on Ranma to make him pass out before turning on Nodoka, and rendering her sword arm useless.

 

“There are still some things that we need to address before you make use of your blade Mrs. Soatome.”

 

Nodoka's angry eyes met Cologne's and she spat out, “Yes, where is my worthless husband so that he may fulfill this contract with his son.”

 

“There is that as well, but I am talking about some alternatives to Ranma actually dieing because of this,” She gestured to the contract on the small table. “I assure you that, after tonight, Ranma Soatome will no longer exist in one form or another, but I would like to keep the body count to one, if at all possible.”

 

“That story you told me, it was all true?”

 

“All of it, yes. The only way for everybody involved to walk away with their honor intact is for this young man to die.”

 

“How are you involved with this? Don't tell me my husband engaged you to him?”

 

“No, but he is, by my laws, married to my great grand daughter. It is a long story, but it was not by his father's hand. They have not consummated the marriage because of the curse, or rather, my great grand daughter's reaction to it. She lost to him while he was a girl and she was honor bound to kill her, then he defeated her and she was honor bound to wed him. Her attempts to kill him at first did not make a good first impression. I was here initially to help her claim her husband.”

 

“What are these alternatives?” Nodoka was calming down from the shock that the contract had been broken in one of the worst possible ways, as well as the deception of her son.

 

“I have the ability to lock the curse to where he would never again be male, but not otherwise. I also have the ability to erase his memories permanently, effectively killing the man Ranma Soatome, your son, and giving birth to a new girl, your daughter. He came to me and asked for these options and has given me consent to do this. If, however, you demand his blood, then he also agreed that I could claim him as my own and make him an Amazon. Either way, Ranma Soatome dies tonight to appease his honor.

 

“What of my husband?”

 

“That is up to you, my dear. Personally, I suggest that you hold him to this contract, I would like to take Ranma home with me to make her an Amazon, but I did agree to let you choose.”

 

“I see, Elder, would you mind getting my husband while I have a talk with my son?”

 

“Of course.” Cologne hit a spot on Ranma waking him up. Then exited the dojo to collect one unconscious panda.

 

Ranma sat up and looked around before seeing his mother sitting to the side of him. Her intent look making him shake at her scrutiny.

 

“Tell me about yourself, son.” Nodoka asked calmly, her eyes betraying the storm within her.

 

“What do you want to know, mom?” Ranma asked quietly.

 

“Tell me about this curse, and how it affects you as a man.”

 

“Other than physically changing me into a girl, it doesn't really, except if I'm stuck for a month. No, it's the way everybody treats me as a girl that effects me as a man. When I was just a guy, I never thought about sex or how I looked, or even modesty. After Jusenkyo I started to notice the way that guys look at me, and the way the girls treated me, it made me sick to my stomach after I realized what the guys wanted. The girls made me out to be a pervert once they found out about the curse, but the guys were just perverted about the curse.

 

The worst of it came when I got stuck as a girl, because it forced me to realize that it just wasn't a magical illusion that made people see me as a girl, but I really was a girl complete with all the plumbing. I find it easier to express myself emotionally as a girl, but I never saw myself as a girl, not even now, but its been getting harder to see myself as a man, especially as a man among men.” Ranma said with his head down.

 

“I see.” Nodoka said fingering her katana.

 

“Mom, you said that you saw me as daughter you never had when I was Ranko. I know that I don't meet the requirements of the contract I signed when I was young, but I'm willing to forget who I am now so that I can be your daughter in truth. As much as I want to do the honorable thing, it scares me. I don't want to die because of my father's mistakes, if it wasn't for this curse, it wouldn't have even been a problem.

 

But that's not the only reason I've come forward. I'm tired. I'm tired of being something rather than someone. Right now, I'm a prize for the fiancés my father saddled me with. I'm a pervert to Akane. A gold mine for Nabiki, another mouth to feed to Kasumi, and a retirement fund to my father. I've never been myself, and I'm afraid that I've lost what that was. I want a chance to be myself as somebody rather than as something. Even if it is as your daughter rather than your son, even if it is as an Amazon in China, I want a chance to live.”

 

Nodoka didn't have a heart of ice, but the fight between honor and love was a tough one. Honor demanded that the contract be fulfilled, but it never said how. The options presented by Cologne and Ranma were acceptable, and she did come to love Ranko as a surrogate daughter.

 

Her thoughts were interrupted by the door to the dojo being opened up and Cologne coming in with Moose dragging a struggling panda behind him.

 

“Have you made your decision Mrs. Soatome?” Cologne said as the wrapped up terrified panda was deposited in front of her.

 

“Yes, I have.” Nodoka stated. Just then the rest of the Tendo family came rushing into the dojo to see what was going on. To say that they were shocked by seeing Ranma as a guy in front of Nodoka was an understatement. Akane paled visibly. Kasumi said `Oh my' and Nabiki was as nonplussed as ever. Soun was playing the role of waterworks to the hilt.

 

“I have decided that the contract that Genma and Ranma signed 12 years ago to be unfulfilled and with the evidence presented to me, it is apparent that Genma has failed to make Ranma a man among men.” Nodoka took the rest of the hot water from the tea and splashed the panda, leaving a bald overweight martial artist in its place.

 

“Now, No-chan, let's talk about this, urk.” Genma was silenced by a blade suddenly at his throat.

 

“I have decided to fulfill the terms of the contract tonight, dear. Cologne you are going to do what you planned, but I have decided that I will play a role in what follows. I ask that you do the same to my failure of a husband but only make it temporary.” The blade left her husbands throat. “Husband, son, prepare yourselves.”

 

“You can't do this, I won't let you” Akane yelled before falling to the ground, with choking sobs.

 

Ranma and Genma had lined themselves up and were in the process of going through the motions of a seppuku ritual, but when Genma pulled out his tanto to wash it, it was pulled out of his hands by Nodoka.

 

“No husband, tonight Genma and Ranma Soatome die, but there will be no blood spilt.” Nodoka leaned forward and whispered into his ear, “Jusenkyo may have brought this upon you, but it has also allowed me to spare your life, when you remember who you truly are, do not attempt to claim your humanity or your name, or we will go through this again with the tanto.”

 

“Shampoo, I shall need your assistance in this.” The purple haired Amazon came forward with a pale look to face as Cologne called her. Cologne whispered some words into her ears and the color returned a little to her face.

 

“Are you prepared?” Nodoka asked the kneeling pair.

 

“Yes, Mother.” Ranma said calmly.

 

“…” Genma was at a loss of words.

 

“Now Cologne.” Nodoka spoke calmly.

 

“Nooo!” Was the only response from Akane as Cologne started to move.

 

Cologne pulled out a jar of water and flung at the pair, splashing both of them, triggering their changes into panda and girl. Almost faster than the eye could see, both Cologne and Shampoo were behind Ranma and Genma respectively washing their hair with some kind of shampoo. Almost as quickly as it began it was over and both panda and girl slumped forward as if dead.

 

“What did you do?” Nabiki asked once the moment was over.

 

“Ranma and Genma are now dead.” Nodoka called out. “Their honor has been restored or retained. All engagements are now null and void. All parties involved have their honor intact. What we have here is my daughter, and a panda that needs to go to a zoo. Cologne has locked their curses and their memories have been erased leaving no trace of who or what they once were. For the honor of the dead to remain, they must never know the truth of their pasts or of this night.”

 

 

The news of Ranma's `death' quickly made the circulations around the Nerima ward. Nodoka took Ranma, now dubbed Ranko Soatome, home, where she started to educate the girl in what it meant to be a girl. Cologne proved her mastery over the memory shampoo technique and the memories of ever being a boy named Ranma were all effectively gone without affecting any of her skills. Cologne did have to apply it several times to make the effect permanent, but the girl named Ranko Soatome was notably happier than Ranma had ever been.

 

The fiancé brigade didn't take the news very well, but they were unable to blame anybody for the loss of their prize. All of them eventually moved on. Only one made the mistake of trying to bring back Ranma, the scars from Nodoka's sword were a constant reminder of that mistake.

 

While the graves of Both Genma and Ranma were empty, the spirits of both touched their markers, and gave solace to those who sought it. Ranko came to know Ranma as a dead brother she could not remember and Genma as a good man and father never to be known by her. Nodoka, with the help of Cologne, was able to bring Ranko up to a level equal to her age and was able to lead a normal life, she was chose to continue practicing martial arts, but as a hobby and only because it was instinctive to her, but she found other hobbies and made many friends at her new school.

 

The Tendo's were never ever truly able to let go of the Soatome's, Soun visited the zoo often, while Akane kept in touch with Ranko by visiting often. The first words out of Ranko's mouth when she met Akane were, ironically, “Hi, I'm Ranko, want to be friends?”

 

End