Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ One Whole ❯ Chapter 1: We're Back From the Great Beyond ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Ten Years Later

**********

Deep in the recesses of Tokyo lay the home and dojo of one Soun Tendo. It was a large home compared to many in the area, handed down through the years by the Tendo line of successors throughout the decades.

The current resident of the house took up his mail sifting through the letters he had received for the day. Bill, bill, letter for Nabiki, magazine for Kasumi...

Soun paused through the sifting as a small postcard fell into view. It depicted a panda eating bamboo in an outside setting. On the back, though, written in a neat flowing handwriting was scrawled the message:

'Dad

Coming back from China.

Akane'

Soun's eyes began to tear at the thought of his youngest daughter coming home. He then thought of Nodoka, the woman still in the guest room where she had slept many a night helping in the care of his daughters. She too would be overjoyed at the letter for her son and husband were returning as well.

"Nodoka!", the man cried hopping to his feet, "Kasumi! Nabiki! Come in the living room I have great news!"

The three women in the household paid heed to the man's request as each of them woke to the sound of Soun's voice. Soon, each one sat along the Tendo family table ready to hear the news Soun had spoken of.

"This better be good daddy" ,Nabiki chided her father, "You know I hate getting up this early."

Soun laughed at his daughter perceived ire. "I assure you the reason is perfectly warranted."

Soun held then held the postcard between his fingers. "You see this. Its a postcard from Genma, Ranma, and Akane!"

This did little to rise the three women to great happiness. While Nodoka felt good about receiving letters from her husband, and the sisters their sibling, letters such as this came quite frequently, though lately they had stabled off somewhat.

"This letter is special", Soun continued, "You see, according to this, all of them are coming home today!"

At this the three women all to greater interest in the postcard in Soun's hand.

"Is this true Soun? Is my son and husband coming back with your daughter."

"It says so right on this postcard", Soun handed the card over to Nodoka for her own closer inspection.

There on the reverse side was written young Akane's own beautiful hand signature. It was authentic and she smiled in happiness. A small tear left her eye.

"Does it say when they will come?", Kasumi inquired from the older woman.

"No dear", Nodoka spoke, "just sometime in the next few days."

"We must prepare then!", Soun shouted clapping his hands together, "Everyone up! We need to clean this house a prepare for their arrival!"

Every Tendo quickly gathered to their feet in anticipation for the family to return. Only Nodoka stood but did not move.

"Soun, I need to run home! I left some things there I bought for them all when they came back."

Soun's voice hailed from his bedroom in the far end of the house. "That's fine! Just be sure to take an umbrella. It looks like rain."

Nodoka agreed with the man pulling one of the larger umbrella's out from the bin beside the door. Outside she tested the air for signs of water with her hand. Still dry, but the clouds were slowly moving in and the was sky beginning to darken.

**********

Outside on one of the many streets in the Nerima district there walked a boy and a girl.

The girl tied her red hair in the form of a pigtail letting it bob behind her. She wore a loose pair of Chinese pants which buddled up slightly around her knees. Here shirt would normally have bundled as well if it had not been for her ample breasts filling the remaining space.

The boy to her left also wore Chinese clothing, only his was yellow and seemed to fit on his well toned form. His hair was in that of a ponytail a large pull of string held it together.

The both of them were barefoot and carried the heavy packs on their shoulders with a solum serious purpose.

The rain around them steadily poured, but neither of them carried an umbrella or any weather protection. The water simply poured off the two of them soaking their heads.

"I can believe its raining", the boy scoffed gazing up at the clouds.

"Well at least its not a horrible rain. There's no thunder or anything."

The boy gave a low growl, "I'd just rather not be changed when seeing them all."

The girl nodded. She had the same feeling deep down, but it would eventually come out anyways, so no worries.

Silently the girl scooted over next to the boy placing her arm around his back, her hand reaching his shoulder.

"At least were still getting to see them."

The boy smiled. It was true. After many long years they had found the address of their relatives, and were finally able to return home.

"How much further", the girl asked to her companion.

The boy lifted a sheet of paper from his pocket, shielding the small etchings written in faded pencil.

"We need to get to 204, and were at", the boy looked at the closest address to there current location, "173."

The girl nodded, she to looking at the addresses written on the sides of houses they went by.

"So that'll be about 15 more houses?"

The boy nodded, "About that much."

The girl hummed to herself. Soon she and her friend would have family again. The thought made her feel warm inside, and yet somewhat apprehensive.

**********

From the door to the Tendo household there came a knock.

"Ah, that must be them!", Soun cried.

In an instant the occupants of the household each moved towards the door in the fastest manner possible. It was Nabiki who reached the door first twisting it open to reveal behind it a boy and girl each still soaked with rainwater.

It was evident from either parent that neither of these children were not who they were looking for by the disappointed looks now adorning their faces.

Kasumi was the first to speak, being the ever gracious host as she was.

"Can I help you?"

The boy in particular looked upon the gathering with an immense sense of awe. For a moment he stood there taking in the sight of all the people before him.

The girl was looking, although her gaze was directed particularity at the older woman standing behind Soun. Having less people to avert her attention the redheaded girl spoke.

"Is this Soun Tendo's house?"

Soun, having never seen the visitors before raised himself up in an official manner.

"Yes I am Soun Tendo."

The boy instantly took the older man up in a hug of appreciation.

"Dad!", came his cry of happiness.

Soun, having never seen the boy before, simply stood there dumbfounded.

"Dad?!", spoke Nabiki.

Nodoka and Kasumi stood with the same expressions of shock as the two men hugged.

The redheaded girl was the only one who didn't seemed shocked at the display. Instead she, simply, shook her head before walking up to Nodoka.

"And you must be Nodoka Saotome?"

Nodoka twitched. She had barely registered the girl's movements as her attention stayed with Soun and his supposed son.

"Ah! Yes I Nodoka Saotome."

The girl then proceeded to place a hug of her own around the older woman's waist. Holding tightly she seemed as to never let Nodoka go.

"Hi mom."

Nodoka instantly pried the young girl from her waist.

"What did you say?"

"It's me mom, Ranma", the girl beamed at her with a wondrous smile on her face.

Nodoka's opinion of the two guests quickly lessened.

"That is funny young lady."

The boy had since let go of his father.

"I don't think they recognize us Ranma."

The girl looked down at herself for a moment before tilting her head back in laughter.

"Hahaha...oh, no wonder you don't think its us!" Turning to Nabiki she added, "Could we get some hot water please?"

"Heck no", Nabiki huffed crossing her arm in front of her chest.

"Nabiki", Kasumi chided her younger sibling, "Don't be so rude."

"Kasumi, sweety, there obviously insane", her sister stated.

To compensate for her sister's rude behavior Kasumi herself turned towards the house to comply with the redhead's request.

"We're not crazy."

"Oh, sure your not."

The girl's face turned to a scowl.

The return of Kasumi brought an end to the short conversation. In her hands was a steaming kettle full of water to which she handed to the boy.

"Thanks", the boy smiled to the older girl.

Quickly the boy began to pour the water over his head surprising the inhabitants of the house. All except the redheaded girl were even more surprised when instead of a tall brown haired boy that appeared from under the torrent of water there instead was a shorter, blue-haired girl that came instead. As she tilted her head up after letting the water drip from her head all could see it was a girl due to her face and the now large assets which protruded from her chest. Her pants now matched the bunched style of the redheaded girl next to her. Though she was shorter now the blue-haired girl was still taller than the redhead next to her.

"Its good to change after all that rain", the now blue-haired girl laughed to the redhead.

"Oh, yeah", the redhead girl laughed with her, "Here, let me change too."

The the kettle was passed and poured over the girl changing her from the short red haired girl to a tall black haired boy.

"What the hell?!", Nabiki shouted at the two of them.

"What?", the now-turned boy turned to her.

"Your...your a boy now!"

The boy smiled, "I know."

Nodoka, unlike Nabiki, had not trained her mind in the art of avoiding shock. Here mind took time to understand what had just transpired before her. There was a boy there now with black hair faintly resembling Genma in his younger years.

"R-Ranma?", the older woman sputtered out.

The boy turned to her, "Hi mom."

Soun likewise had not answered to the blue haired girl now standing before him. Though this was more along the lines of the girl looked much like his long deceased wife.

"A-Akane?"

The girl in question smiled, "Hey dad."

Soun stood dumbfounded along with the older woman next to him. Before them now stood tow individuals that could easily pass for their children in a heartbeat.

For both elder residents this was too much for their minds to handle.

Nodoka fainted first falling forward only to have Ranma reach out to hold her up. Soun, soon followed only to have the blue haired girl plus her sisters do the same.

"Well that could 'a gone better", Ranma muttered to himself carrying his newly found mother into the house behind the three Tendo sisters and their fainted father.

**********

Soun woke once more only this time on the floor of his living room rather than in bed. To his left sat his two daughters that lived with him these last ten years caring for them. To his right the blue haired girl, Akane, his daughter gone on a trip with his friend Genma this last decade.

"What...happened?", the man managed to speak.

"You fainted daddy", Nabiki supplied in her matter-of-fact tone of voice, "Akane and I carried you inside."

Soun sat upright quickly, his middle daughter's explanation taking hold on him. In the same motion the man grasped his youngest daughter holding her tightly in a never ending embrace.

"Oh my daughter I'm so happy your home. I had the most horrible dream. You had come home as a man then you poured water on you and turned into a girl. And there was that other girl that turned into a boy. And..."

"Father", Kasumi took her father by the hand,"Father that all really happened. See?"

Kasumi pointed her finger to the young boy sitting next to Nodoka. The older woman still lay unconscious with her son sitting above her keeping watch while eyeing the commotion next to him.

"Wha...?", Soun mouthed, "but that means."

"The curses are real daddy", Nabiki spoke to her father, "We've been testing them out for the last thirty minutes."

The proof was there before him in the form of several wet pales normally used for flower watering.

It was at that moment that Nodoka to woke to the guests in the room.

"Who...?", she began before eyeing the young man above her head.

"Ranma!"

Nodoka, too, hugged her child in a tight embrace.

"I was so worried. I had this horrible dream..."

"We've already been through it mom", Ranma patted his mother on the back before pointing out the remaining people in the room. Specifically the blue haired Akane.

Nodoka paused for a moment before continuing.

"...but then..."

"The curse is real Aunty. Your son, there, turns into a girl and our, dear, sister here can change into our brother. Just add water."

Akane eyed her sister for a moment at the tone of her sarcastic tongue.

"I...", Nodoka tried before stoping. Soun filled in for her.

"I think she means we would like a demonstration ourselves."

Nodoka nodded, too stunned for words.

Akane hopped up from the counter with one of the buckets into the kitchen filling it to the rim with cold water.

Once back out she told them as if she had done this many times before.

"All right. Watch closely."

She then toppled the water over her head. The change as before was near instant. If one had blinked they would have missed it.

"Amazing", Soun muttered, "but how?"

Akane sighed looking at the now black haired boy.

"Well that's a bit of a story..."