Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Ranma OneHalf: First steps ❯ Book One, Chapter Seven ( Chapter 7 )

Ranma OneHalf: First steps chapter 7.

15,000 feet over the Pacific ocean, en-route to Japan.

Ranma yawned as she glanced at Lia curled up in her seat asleep.

"Well?" Akane asked softly.

"Out like a light." Ranma said.

"Mm." Akane said. "So you think we'll be able to catch them by surprise?" he asked.

"It's been over twelve years Akane." Ranma said. "The only people who know we're coming are Kasumi and Dr. Tofu. They wont know what hit them." she added.

Akane chuckled. Glancing at his watched Akanes mouth quirked into a smile.

"You realize that Kasumi is probably up by now preparing a special welcome for us." he said.

"No doubt." agreed Ranma. "Still, they are gonna go nuts when we tell them about Lia though."

"I'm sure they will get used to it eventually." said Akane.

"True. They adapted to my curse well enough, along with everything else." agreed Ranma.

Akane nodded. Leaning back he looked at the ceiling of the plane.

"After being in the US all these years home is going to be a little strange." he said with a sigh. "How do you think Lia will take it?" he asked, looking at Ranma.

Ranma looked at their daughter as she slept. "She's pretty adaptable Akane. And she's young, so she wont remember as much." she said.

"But still..." Akane said, looking at Lia.

Ranma put her hand on Akanes arm. "Trust me Akane. I know all about this." she said.

"If you say so Ranma." he said with a sigh.

Leaning back Ranma twitched slightly at a twinge in her lower abdomen.

"Grrr. At least you'll be able to arrive in your regular form. I'm going to be stuck for the next week." she said as gave her stomach a glare.

"I know Ranma, sometimes being a girl sucks." he said knowingly.

"Tell me about it." Ranma said.

__________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ _______________

Nerima Japan.

Kasumi hummed to herself as she cooked. Checking the stew she smiled and turned the heat down to let it simmer. Glancing up at the clock she remembered that Genma and Nodoka would over soon followed by Nabiki and her husband.

It was for all appearances the normal gathering of family and friends at the Tendo household. But only Kasumi and Ono knew of the surprise that was in store for them that day. Checking the clock again Kasumi did some quick mental math and realized that Akane and Ranmas flight would be getting ready to land. A knock at the door drew Kasumi back to the present.

"I've got it." Ono called from the living room.

"Thank you." she answered.

The sounds of several people in the living room alerted Kasumi to the fact that Genma and Nodoka had arrived along with Nabiki, her husband Tatewaki, and their son Chisu*. A sudden eruption of noise meant that he had met up with her two sons, Izu** and Genda***. The noise level dropped as Ono and Tatewaki herded the boys outside to play and shut the door.

The sound of the kitchen curtain made Kasumi look up and she saw Nodoka entering the kitchen. She gave Kasumi a slight grin as she walked over to the sink.

"So much energy those boys have." she said.

Kasumi nodded. "True. Nabiki says that running a house and raising Chisu is a full time job. She wonders how I do it with two." she said.

"Well, you do have your father around to keep them busy." Nodoka said as she began to wash her hands.

"That is a blessing. Ono thinks that Father spoils them, but that's his job as a grandfather, isn't it?" she said.

Nodoka finished washing her hands and began to dry them. "So I see you have the stew going." Nodoka said.

"Yes, I was about to start the second course." Kasumi answered. "Could you wash and chop the vegetables while I start the sauce?" she asked.

Nodoka nodded and picked up a potato.

An hour and a half later the boys having exhausted themselves retired to the house to watch TV while Genma and Soun played shogi and drank beer. Ono drank tea and watched them make cheating at shogi an art.

In the kitchen Kasumi and Nodoka were putting the finishing touches on another magnificent feast when the bell at the gate rang. Kasumi glanced up at the clock, realized who it could be and hurried out of the kitchen.

"I'll get it." she said as she exited the living room.

Genma, Soun, and Ono glanced up at Kasumi as she went past and then went back to the shogi game. Tofu smiled slightly as he realized that they had both managed to rearrange the pieces without the other realizing it.

"Oh my!" Kasumis exclamation from the front had Genma and Soun instantly on alert.

Getting up Soun accidently knocked his beer over and splashed Genma, who instantly reverted to a panda.

"Sorry Genma, I didn't mean to-" he began, but was interupted by Genma.

Eh, it was bound to happen anyways. Genmas sign read.

Soun blinked at the sign, then shrugged. When in Rome...

Hearing three sets of unfamiliar footsteps in addition to Kasumis the two readied themselves for an attack. The footsteps reached the door and stopped. As the door opened Soun and Genma braced themselves for possible attack.

"Panda!"yelled a high pitched voice in English, catching the man and the panda completely by surprise.

A red, white, and black blur zipped in through the half open door and jumped, bouncing off the ceiling before bowling the panda over.

'Help, it's got me!' flip 'get it off!' Genmas sign read as he tried to dislodge his attacker.

Soun for his part could only stare at the sight before him. For attached to Genma was a child of indeterminate gender, about eight years old, and dressed in a white tang and kung fu pants. The child's hair was a dark red, almost an auburn and in a ponytail.

Nodoka having heard the commotion came out of the kitchen and let out a squeak of surprise when she saw what was attached to Genma.

"T-t-that child looks like Ranma..." she murmured.

"Hi Mom." came from the far side of the room.

Nodoka and Soun looked up and saw Ranma and Akane standing in the door with Kasumi behind them. Akane was in her regular form, having changed with a thermos of hot water before entering. Ranma however was 'stuck' for the next couple of days.

"Ranma?" Nodoka asked.

"Yeah mom?" Ranma answered as she stepped into the room.

"Is that you?" Nodoka asked, not believing her eyes.

"It's me Mom. We're ba-AAAAACK!" any thing more was cut off by Nodoka enveloping Ranma in a Parent Glomp+.

Akane watched Nodoka hug her son/daughter for a few moments. Noting that Ranma was having trouble breathing she stepped towards them.

"Uh, auntie Saotome don't you think you're hugging Ranma a little too -URK!" Akane suddenly found herself in a Parental Glomp of her own from her father, who's brain had finally kicked into gear.

"Akane, my darling daughter, you've finally come back!"Soun wailed, holding Akane close to his chest.

"I missed you too daddy..." Akane wheezed, struggling to breathe.

Glancing over at Ranma for help Akane saw that she was busy herself.

"Oh you've finally came back I missed you so much my little boy's came back-" Nodoka babbled as she hugged Ranma.

"C-c-cant breathe..." Ranma wheezed.

Nodoka blinked as she realized that she was squeezing the breath out of Ranma. Releasing her Nodoka stepped back and began to compose herself.

"Sorry, it's been so long and-" Nodoka began but Ranma interupted.

"It's okay Mom. We've been away a long time and we didn't spend that much time together before Akane and I left." Ranma said as she took off her sunglasses.

"Well what do you expect of a mother who hasn't seen her son in twelve...years...." Nodoka trailed off as she got a look at Ranmas eyes. "Your eyes..." she said.

Putting her sunglasses in a shirt pocket Ranma guided her mother to the table.

"Akane and I will explain about that, along with what we've been doing." Ranma said as she seated her mother at the table.

Kasumi came back into the room from the kitchen with a tray with tea and cookies on it. Putting the tray on the table Kasumi glanced over at Soun and Akane. Walking over to them she tapped her father on the shoulder.

"Father, quit squeezing Akane. She's turning blue." Kasumi admonished him.

Soun quickly released his daughter and they sat at the table. Soun at the head of the table, Akane next to Ranma, Kasumi next to Ono and the Saotomes across from Soun.

Genma having noticed the tea was withing arms reach, grabbed a cup and splashed himself. Lia felt the panda she had been hugging disappear and be replaced with an old man in a gi. Letting she sat back and looked around.

"Hey, where did the panda go?"she asked in English as she looked around.

As those seated at the table puzzled over what Lia had said Ranma shook her head.

"Hey Kitten, let go of your grandfather and sit down over here." Ranma said, then slapped a hand over her eyes as she realized that she had said it in Japanese. "Oh shit..." Ranma muttered.

As Lia scampered over to sit by Ranma Genma and Soun jumped up and began dance around singing about how the schools were joined. Ranma hung her head in exasperation while Akane tried figure out how to nail them with the table and not hit anybody else.

Kasumi sighed and looked at the two men. "Father, Mr. Saotome, sit down please. We want to hear their story." Kasumi said.

After a reinforcing glare from Nodoka the two men sat down at the table. Kasumi handed everyone a cup of tea (and glasses of lemonade for Lia and the boys) and poured a fresh cup Genma.

At a nod from Kasumi Ranma cleared her throat and began.

"Well, for starters Akane and I are married, as you can see." Ranma said as she ruffled Lias hair. "Which means the schools are now joined." she continued.

Soun and Genma beamed at that statement while Ranma took a sip from her tea.

"As you have also saw, I have cats eyes now. The reason why is that I finally mastered the Neko -ken eight years ago, shortly before Akane and I got married." she explained as gasps sounded around the table.

"Ranma," her father said leaning forward "You have full control of the Neko -ken?" he asked.

"Yes." Ranma answered with a nod. "And mastering it was just as bad as when you first taught it to me, by the way." she added with a feline glare.

Genma wisely shut up then and let it pass. Ranma glanced at Akane.

"And about the same time Akane mastered the Tendo School of Anything Goes. And then we got married and Lia here was born." Ranma said as she put her hands on each of them shoulders.

Nodoka beamed at the three of them.

"Oh my manly son, fathering such an adorable child." she gushed.

Ranma and Akane chuckled nervously and looked at each other. Scratching the back of her head Ranma looked at her parents.

"Ah, about that, y' see we had gone out celebrating that night and we were drunk and it was raining on the way home and..." Ranma trailed off.

"And what Ranma?" Nodoka asked, curious.

"And well, we got it, ah, backwards." Ranma said.

"Huh?" was the collective response from around the table.

Akane cleared her throat.

"What Ranma means is that we were in our cursed forms when we, ahem, and that I am the father and Ranma is the mother." she said.

The ensuing silence was deafening. Ranma and Akane watched the occupants of the table sit with looks of surprise on their faces, then topple over in a dead faint.

The three of them sat there for a few moments, then Ranma let out a breath she had been holding.

"Whew. They took that well." she said.

"Better than you did." Akane said as she got up to check on them.

Ranma cocked her had at Akane. "Excuse me? Better than I did?" she asked.

Akane glanced back at Ranma.

"After you got out of shock you screamed for four strait hours." Akane answered.

"At least I didn't blow up the exam room with a chi flare." Ranma said as she got up.

"Pick picky picky." Akane quipped.

Standing over her parents Ranma studied their expressions. "Yeah, well you probably killed my father." she said.

Akane turned to face Ranma and crossed her arms. "Yeah, well at least Kasumi wont have to put him outside to prevent water damage." she said as she swiped a cookie.

"True."Ranma acknowledged with a nod.

Lia stood up and looked at the family members sprawled all over the floor.

"Daddy, why did they fall over?"she asked as she looked around.

"I'll explain it when your older." Ranma told her as she and Akane began to make sure everybody was alright. Lia shrugged and attacked the cookies.

"Hey, leave some for the rest us." Akane told her.

"Okay mom." Lia answered.

______________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________

Forty five minutes later everyone had been revived and Kasumi had replaced the cookies and tea. Sitting back at the head of the table Soun cleared his throat and spoke.

"So, picking up where you left off Ranma, you had established Lias , ah, parentage, and you mentioned something before that about the schools being joined?" he said diplomatically.

"Ah, yeah. Akane and I are putting the schools together as one." Ranma said, catching the hint. "We've even developed some special techniques." she continued.

"Oh?" the men chorused.

Ranma nodded. "Yeah. Akanes developed three and I've developed two." She said.

"What are they?" Genma asked, leaning forward slightly.

"Well, mine are Balanced Chi, which is chi that isn't emotion influenced, and the Neko -ken Improved." she said.

At the mention of the Neko -ken almost everybody paled and Genma went white as a sheet. Seeing their reaction Ranma held up her hands defensively.

"Don't worry, it's not like the original. This one doesn't leave the trainee a bomb waiting to go off." she said.

Everyone relaxed at that and Akane picked up where Ranma left off.

"And my techniques are Improvised Weapons, mallets, and chi enhancement." she said.

"Chi enhancement?" Soun asked.

"It's where I use my chi to enhance whatever I'm doing. Ryoga does something similar with his bandannas and belt, only mines much more developed." Akane replied.

"How so?" her father asked.

" Ryogas relies on the weave of the cloth to act as a net for the chi. With mine it can applied to anything, from fine china to a steel signpost." Akane finished.

"Mm." Soun said. After sipping his tea he continued. "And you're going to teach these techniques to your daughter?"he asked.

"We already are. We've been training Lia since birth." answered Akane.

A ripple of surprise went around the table at that statement.

"How?" Kasumi asked.

"Easy." Ranma answered. "We've simply been practicing the Art around her in one way or the other since she was born." she explained.

"That's it?" Kasumi asked.

"It's how we learn how to walk and talk." Ranma answered.

"I never thought of it that way." Kasumi said as she got up. "Auntie Saotome, could you help me serve please?" she asked.

"Certainly Kasumi." Nodoka said as she rose.

After dinner while the dishes were being cleared Nabiki tapped Akane on the shoulder.

"Yes Nabiki?" Akane asked her sister.

"Tatewaki and I have something we'd like to talk to you about in the dojo when the dishes are cleared." Nabiki said in a low voice, leaning in close.

"Okay..." Akane said, wondering what her sister was up to this time.

After the last dishes were cleared Akane nudged Ranma in the side.

"Eh?" Ranma asked.

"Nabiki wants to talk to us in the dojo with Tatewaki." she whispered in Ranmas ear.

Ranma frowned and got up to follow Akane into the dojo. Once they were clear of the living room Ranma leaned in close to Akane.

"Did she say about what?" Ranma asked.

Akane shook her head. "No. And with Tatewaki there it could be anything." she said.

Ranmas frown deepened into a scowl. "Yeah. And whats up with that? Sword for brains has been acting like a normal person all evening. Kasumi said that he'd mellowed out after we'd left but she didn't say anything about him acting like this." she said.

"I don't know, but we're going to find out." Akane said as the approached the dojo door.

Opening the door they found Nabiki and Tatewaki kneeling in the middle of the dojo.

"You wanted to talk to us?" Akane asked as they approached.

"Yes." Nabiki said as Ranma and Akane sat down in front of them. "About when we were kids." she added.

"What about it?" Ranma asked.

They were surprised when Nabiki and Tatewaki both did deep, formal bows before them.

"Ranma and Akane Saotome, we apologize for our behavior and beg for your forgiveness. Our actions were inexcusable and we hope we can make amends." Tatewaki said as his forehead touched the floor.

Stunned, Ranma and Akane were silent for several moments before one of them found their capability to speak.

"Y-you mean it? This isn't a trick?" Ranma asked.

"Yes, on what little honor that we have left." Tatewaki said.

Ranma and Akane looked at each other before speaking.

"Okay, Nabiki I can forgive, but you Tatewaki? Why should I forgive you?" Akane asked.

"As I said before, my actions were inexcusable and if you cannot forgive me, I will never be in your presence again as long as I live." Tatewaki said.

"And why should I forgive either of you? You both helped make my life a living hell. I mean, you helped wreck my wedding and my eighteenth birthday." Ranma said.

"My offer applies to you as well, Ranma Saotome. My arrogance blinded me to your curse and I apologize for that. And if you cannot forgive me you will never see me again." Tatewaki told Ranma.

"That applies to me as well." Nabiki added.

Ranma thought for a few seconds, then nodded. "Okay. I accept your apologies and I forgive you. But I'll hold to your words, understand?" she said.

"Understood." Tatewaki and Nabiki chorused.

"And that goes for me and you as well, Tatewaki." Akane said.

"I understand." he said.

"Okay then. You can sit up now." Ranma said.

Tatewaki and Nabiki both sat up from their kneeling positions. Tatewaki massaged the small of his back.

"I can imagine you two are wondering about Nabiki and I's behavior being out of the norm." Tatewaki said as he settled into a more comfortable position.

"Something like that.' Ranma answered. "I mean, all evening and you didn't say anything about your pigtailed goddess." she continued.

"Well, about that..." Tatewaki began before he began to blush a deep red. Swallowing he continued. "After Akane got through with Kodachi and I we required a lengthy hospital stay." he began.

"And it gave you time to think, right?" Ranma asked.

Tatewaki nodded before continuing. "Yes, actually, it did. And it also turns out my sister had been dosing me with her potions for years and they began to wear off during that time." he explained.

"I was wondering why you behaved like that." Akane murmured.

"And by the time I was released from the hospital I was cognizant enough to listen to my doctor when he recommended that I seek mental help. And thanks to my psychiatrist I realized what a bad situation I was in at home and so I moved out." he said.

Tatewaki looked over at Nabiki and put his hand on top of hers.

"And it was at the clinic that I ran into Nabiki." he said.

"What?!" Akane asked incredulously, leaning forward. "Why were you at a clinic Nabiki?" She asked her sister.

Nabiki blushed a deep scarlet and looked at the floor. She was silent for several moments before she spoke.

"What I'm about to tell you stays in the family, got it?" she said. Ranma and Akane nodded.

Looking up she swallowed before continuing. "You both know how I made pocket money in school." she said.

Ranma and Akane frowned and nodded.

"Well, in college I branched out and..." she trailed off. Nabiki sighed and looked at the floor before continuing. "And I got caught. Two detectives arrested me in the middle of class and hauled me off to jail in front of the news cameras." she said.

Ranma and Akanes eyes went wide with shock at Nabikis admission.

"I was convicted for extortion and illegal gambling and I got eighteen months in prison. I was at the clinic as part of my parole." she continued. "And because I was convicted any chances of my having a career disappeared."

"How did father take it?" Akane asked.

"He caused water damage with his crying. Much like when after you left." Nabiki told her. "But he was there when I got out and he took me home and helped me get back on my feet." she added.

"He's always been good like that." Akane commented. Both sisters smiled at the memories that brought up.

"But after six months I moved out though." Nabiki said.

"Why?" asked Akane.

"After what had happened, being in the old neighborhood made things complicated for the family so I moved to avoid trouble for them." Nabiki explained. "But it wasn't so bad. That's when I ran into Tatewaki." she added.

"Ah." Akane said with a nod. "So what do you do now?" she asked.

Nabiki glanced at Tatewaki and smiled before looking back at Akane.

"I'm a housewife, if you can believe that."she said.

Ranma and Akanes jaws hit the floor at that admission. Nabiki the Ice Queen a housewife?

"Hell must have frozen over. Nabiki said she was housewife." Ranma muttered to himself.

"That was the general reaction here when I told them." Nabiki told her. "But I've found that running a household and helping raise a son is a full time job." she added.

"No need to tell us." Ranma said. "What do you do, by the way?" she asked Tatewaki.

"I teach kendo and I am a best -selling author of comedies under a pen name." he answered.

"Comedies?" Akane and Ranma echoed.

"Yes. I draw from my experiences as..." Tatewaki struck a heroic pose "The Blue Thunder of Furinkan High School!" he said as thunder crashed in the background.

Nabiki, Ranma, and Akane struggled for a moment to hold back the laughter but gave in. As the three of them rolled on the floor laughing Tatewaki sat back down.

"A most effective source, as you can see." he said. "And now that we have each said our piece, we can start over now, correct?" he asked.

"Correct." Ranma said as she wiped tears from her eyes. Suddenly she jerked her head up and sniffed the air. "Hey, I smell Kasumis cookies." she said.

They got up then and headed back inside.

________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ _________________

End.

*I made the name up off the top of my head, just so you're warned.

**same here

***and here

+It's much like an Amazon Glomp, but totally impossible to get out of.