Child of the Goddess Chapter 6 By: Gekigengar3 Disclaimer: All characters, and such are the copyrights and property of their respective owners. I claim no ownership of any character and such in any way. "" = Spoken words It was early evening at the Masaki shrine. Things were relatively quiet despite the earlier explosion which rocked the shrine. The birds were singing and the crickets were emerging as dusk drew nearer. It was really quite tranquil. Just as a shrine should be. Inside the shrine sat six people. Three residents and three visitors. Latched onto one of the visitors was Sasami, the energetic young lady of the shrine. She appeared very happy and was content to hug the girl with the mixed hair color. Cologne watched and simply chuckled. *Leave it to Ranma to have girls throwing themselves at him. But I wonder who Rhea is? Hmm...* Katsuhito simply watched Ranma try to deal with Sasami's vice like grip. *So this is Tsunami's child. But I wonder how Sasami knew her name? Hmm...* Happi smiled and wondered if there was any way he could get girls to throw themselves at him like that. He envied his newest student for that ability. Washu's brain was trying to figure out how this girl got here without her noticing. Add to the fact that the girl was wearing the same clothes Ranma had on. The only thing she could come up with was that the girl was Ranma. But Ranma was male, wasn't he? Looking around at everyone, Ranma sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. Turning her attention to Washu, he said, "I'm Ranma." Blinking, Washu asked, "But I thought Ranma was male." "I am." replied Ranma. "Then why are you female?" asked a still perplexed Washu. This would require full body metamorphosis, similarly to how Ryo-Ohki transformed into a ship. Sighing, Ranma said, "It's a curse. While I was in China, me and Genma, my former father, visited a training ground called Jusenkyo. It's filled with cursed springs and if you fall in one you take on the form of what drowned there last. I fell into the spring of drowned girl. Now cold water turns me into a female while hot water turns me back into a male." Nodding, Washu filed the name away for later. She'd have to look into this Jusenkyo place. If there was one thing she loved, it was figuring out a mystery. Returning to the subject at hand, she asked, "Ok, I can accept that. So why did Sasami call you Rhea?" Blinking at someone so accepting of his curse, Ranma looked around, unsure of what to say to these people. Glancing over at Cologne, she saw her nod that it was ok to tell them. Nodding back, she returned her attention to the red head. "Well, in my past life, that was my name. I was born on a planet called Jurai to a woman named..." he began before being interrupted. "Tsunami" said Washu. Nodding, Ranma asked, "Yes. How did you know?" Smiling, she said, "Oh that's easy. You see, Katsuhito and Sasami here are Jurian. We all know who Tsunami is." Blinking a moment, Ranma smiled, "That's great! Can you tell me where I can find her?" Turning to Katsuhito, Washu asked, "Would you?" Nodding, the old priest cleared his throat, "That is a complex story. But listen and know that I speak the truth." Seeing her nod, Katsuhito began, "Long ago, Washu's daughter was controlled by an evil man named Kagato. One day, she attacked Jurai. Inside the palace, a very young girl was visiting the royal garden where many of the Jurian trees resided. In one of the attacks, she was thrown from a platform and fell deep into the garden. There she would have died had it not been for where she landed. She landed next to the tree Tsunami. Tsunami appeared and merged with the girl to save her life." A little dejected, Ranma said, "So that means I can't find her?" Smiling, Katsuhito replied, "Not at all. The girl I mentioned happens to be none other than Sasami." "You mean?" asked Ranma, a little more excited than before. Nodding, the priest said, "Yes. Tsunami and Sasami will eventually merge into one being. Tsunami has said that they will be both mother and sister to you. However, I believe that Sasami can take you to meet your mother so that she can explain better than I. " Absorbing the new information, Ranma looked down at the little bundle in her arms. Softly she spoke, more to herself than any other, "A sister? I always wondered what it would be like to have a sister." Running her hand through Sasami's hair, Ranma smiled. Looking up at Ranma, Sasami smiled. She heard what Ranma said. About the curse and her words about having a sister. Renewing the hug, she asked, "So do you want to be my oneeniichan?" (Oneeniichan means Big Brother/Sister) Returning the hug, Ranma smiled and nodded. Seeing the joy in Sasami's eyes made Ranma think to herself, *She's really kind and innocent. I think I'm going to like having a little sister. I just wonder how I'm going to explain her to mom." The others simply watched the touching moment as Ranma gained a little sister while Sasami gained a big brother and a big sister all in one. After the hug was complete, Ranma repositioned Sasami so she was sitting in her lap. Sasami leaned back and made herself comfortable before further talks could resume. She smiled now that she had found her oneeniichan. Looking up at the others, Ranma realized she was the center of attention as everyone was smiling at the two. Blushing a little, she sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "So... umm... what now?" she asked. It was about that time that another explosion rocked the shrine. A few books fell along with a some other knickknacks. Once it had subsided, Ranma asked, "What's with the explosions?" Looking over at Ranma, Katsuhito said, "Currently we have a few others that are staying here. All of them are from offworld. The explosions are caused by two of them fighting with each other. Ryoko, Washu's daughter, and Ayeka, my sister, are always fighting over my grandson." Blinking a moment, Ranma asked, "He's not engaged to them is he?" Shaking his head, Katsuhito replied, "No, although I believe that Ryoko and Ayeka would like nothing better than to be married to him. Why do you ask?" Chuckling, Cologne interrupted Ranma before she could respond, "Probably because Ranma here had several girls chasing after him who would fight with each other over him. Then there were the guys that were after the girls who were after him... It didn't help matters much that all of the girls were engaged to him as well!" "How did you get engaged to so many girls, all at once? I didn't think polygamy was widely practiced on this planet." asked Katsuhito. His visage turning a little darker, Ranma responded, "It was my old man's fault. You see, he isn't my father by blood. I only just recently learned that. However when I was real young he took me on a ten year martial arts training trip. During our travels, he would constantly engage me to various girls for food, money, or whatever he needed. The worst one I think was when he traded me for a bowl of rice, a fish, and two pickles." "That's awful!" cried Sasami as she hugged her oneeniichan. Looking down at Sasami, Ranma smiled and ran his fingers through her hair. "It's alright, Imouto-chan. I've managed to get out of most of them already. There's only one or two left, plus whatever ones I don't know of to deal with." "I agree with Sasami on this one, Ranma. What kind of person uses their child as a commodity?" interjected Washu. Looking over at Washu, Ranma simply said, "One that will learn the error of his ways." Receiving a confused look, Ranma added, "Don't worry about it for now." Nodding, Washu turned to regard the others and their reaction to this latest tidbit. Cologne and Happi seemed the most calm as they had heard this before. Katsuhito, however seemed to develop a hardness in his eyes. What it was she couldn't ascertain but she believed that if Ranma's former father and Katsuhito met, then the man that used Ranma like that would not walk away alive. Just hearing about that brought back somewhat painful memories of her own son. The one she lost so long ago. Looking over at Ranma, she studied him a little better than before. *Hmm, perhaps that's why he seemed familiar. He resembles my own lost son a little bit. Sigh. I wonder whatever happened to my son. It's been so long that I sometimes wonder if any of his descendants are still around.* She was broken from her musings by yet another shrine shaking explosion. Shaking her head, she mumbled something about experimental behavior modification and two new test subjects. Katsuhito glanced over at Ranma, "Ranma?" "Yes?" he replied. "I was wondering if you would go and see if you can stop those two from making so much noise and destroying everything?" asked the old priest. "Um... Well... Sure, I can if you want. But why me?" replied Ranma. "Well, I can tell by the way you walk and hold yourself that you know quite a bit about martial arts. I was thinking that you might like a little workout before supper." said Katsuhito. Nodding, Ranma stood up along with Sasami. Looking down at her, Ranma asked, "Can you show me the way?" Smiling, Sasami nodded and said, "Of course I can. I have to go and start on dinner anyway." "Ok then. Let's go." she replied. Just before they left, Katsuhito spoke up, "Ranma?" Turning, she replied, "Yes?" "When you get there, tell them that you are there for Tenchi. They will know what I'm talking about." spoke the old man. "Um... sure..." replied a confused Ranma. Shrugging, she left with Sasami on her shoulders. ******************* Back inside the shrine, Washu sat chuckling away. "Good one, Katsuhito! I'd love to see what happens when she says that to them!" Curious, the two elders asked, "What's so funny?" Before Katsuhito could respond, Washu answered, "Because, those two are fiercely competitive over Tenchi's heart. If Ranma says that to them then they will think she's after Tenchi. Oh, I have so got to see this." Turning to Katsuhito, Cologne asked, "Why did you do that?" "Because I could see in Ranma's eyes that something was troubling her. I thought that a good fight might help get her mind off things for a while. Besides, I think she will do fine. Ryoko and Ayeka are powerful but they won't kill her, and if my guess is right, Ranma should be able to hold her own against them. Don't worry." responded Katsuhito. Shaking her head, Cologne said, "I am not worried about Ranma. She can handle things that I could only dream of, but with what happened a couple weeks ago, I don't think she'll respond lightly to someone saying she's after someone's heart. What you saw was most likely her still grieving over the loss of the fiancee that won her heart." "What did happen? I was going to ask but I forgot about it with the whole changing of genders and other stuff." said Washu. Looking at each of the three remaining people, Cologne spoke, "Ranma was battling the phoenix king Saffron. He was trying to save the life of Akane, his main fiancee. However Saffron unleashed a final attack meant to kill Ranma and the rest of us that were there. I believe it was during those final moments that Ranma's power awoke. He stopped Saffron's blast with the Wings of the Light Hawk. Then he did something. I'm still not entirely sure how he did it. All I know is that Akane was dead and Ranma was very angry with Saffron." "What did he do?" inquired Washu. "Well, from what I know, the Wings are a tool. They can be called forth to be used and then dispelled." she said. Seeing everyone nodding, Cologne continued, "Well, he changed them. He somehow combined the Wings with another technique that he was taught." "Which technique would that be?" asked Katsuhito. "The attack was called Wings of the Cats Claws. An odd name but quite suitable for the attack. The technique he combined with the wings was the Neko-Ken." replied Cologne. Washu noticed Katsuhito's eyes take on an icy steel appearance. He knew whatever this Neko-ken was. She'd have to look into it later. For now, she was more curious as to what happened with the wings. One of the few mysteries she was still trying to figure out. "What happened to the wings then?" she asked. Turning to Washu, Cologne said, "Well, the tips turned a midnight black. So black that it was as if no light could escape from them. Then, claws burst forth as though they were ripping themselves out of a fleshy prison. The attack encircled the phoenix king and eventually he was killed. But what troubled me the most was that the Phoenix king wasn't reborn from his ashes. Whatever Ranma did, destroyed the process of resurrection." Absorbing this a moment, Washu asked, "Alright, so what is this Neko-Ken you spoke of?" Before Cologne could speak, Katsuhito interrupted, "It is a ancient martial arts technique. Nobody knows how old it truly is. However for very many years it has been banned. This is due to the danger of it." "How dangerous could it be?" Washu asked. Cologne interjected at this point, "The training is very dangerous. Not only to the student but the teacher as well. When the student is very young, the teacher will wrap them head to toe in fish sausages or various other fish products. Then they will toss the student into a pit of starving cats. Repeat until the student is dead or has learnt the cat fist. If the student learns the cat fist then they will most likely attack the teacher. Afterwards, the student will either be stuck in a feral state or somehow manage to come out of it. Ranma is the only one I have ever heard of coming out of it." Washu's face had paled as Cologne described the Neko-Ken. "Who would do such a thing to a child?" she loudly whispered. "His Father. Or at least the person he used to call father. The man was an idiot in most things. However when it came to martial arts he was an effective teacher. But he lacked common sense when it came to teaching Ranma new techniques. I don't know much more. Only Ranma knows fully what Genma put him through." said Cologne. "Perhaps we all should follow and watch to make sure Ranma doesn't hurt them too bad." stated Happi before taking another puff of his pipe. Receiving nods all around, the four stood up and stepped out into the courtyard intent on following Ranma. ******************* Meanwhile... Ranma and Sasami finished leaping down the stairs. Sasami was giggling and enjoying the wonderful ride her oneeniichan had given her. She loved it when they leapt high into the air where she could see all around. Arriving at the house, Ranma set Sasami down and smiled at her. "Did you enjoy yourself?" he asked. Nodding happily, Sasami hugged him. "That was so fun! I wanna do it again!" Hugging her back, Ranma smiled and nodded, "Alright, but not tonight. Now, can you tell me where to find this Ayeka and Ryoko?" Thinking a moment, Sasami nodded. Grabbing Ranma's hand, she pulled her over to the sliding doors. Sliding them open, she pulled Ranma inside. Ryoko and Ayeka were playing tug of war with Tenchi as the rope. When the doors slid open, they stopped a moment to look up and see who entered. What greeted them was a young woman with red and silver blue hair. A mixed eye color and slitted pupils. "I was told I could find you here." she said suspecting that the two girls fighting over the guy were Ayeka and Ryoko. Ayeka, Ryoko, and Tenchi didn't know who she was talking to. Before they could respond, Ranma said what the old priest told her to say. "I was told to tell you that I'm here for Tenchi." Now this got a fast reaction out of the two girls. Each jumped up and called forth their power. Ryoko ignited her energy blade and snarled at Ranma. "I don't know who you think you are but nobody takes my Tenchi away from me." Ayeka narrowed her eyes at the newcomer. Calling forth her logs, she spoke, "For once I agree with Ryoko on something. However he's not yours you monster woman!" "Stuff it princess. We can deal with that later. For now, let's take care of this tramp." replied Ryoko. Ranma narrowed her eyes as she thought she had just been set up. If her guess was correct, then Tenchi was the name of the boy. Shuddering at the thought that she just stated she was here for him, she backed out of the house as the two girls approached. Well, she shoved her foot in her mouth, might as well have some fun with it. Following Ranma out, Ryoko and Ayeka attacked. Flying at Ranma, Ryoko swung her sword only to cut through air. Looking around, she couldn't find a trace of the tramp that was trying to steal her Tenchi. Suddenly, someone landed on her. Looking over her shoulder, Ryoko saw it was Ranma. Snarling, she teleported away. Ranma, losing her perch, fell to the ground. Ranma landed on the ground only to be attacked by Ayeka. Seeing logs surround her, Ranma wondered what they were for a moment before they activated. Arcs of electricity jumped from log to log as well as to her body. Looking down, she wondered what the light show was supposed to do. It didn't bother her in the least. In fact it was kind of enjoyable. Almost pleasurable. Looking up, she saw the shocked expression on Ayeka's face. "You know, you really need to learn something besides this little light show." Ranma said knowing it would infuriate the girl. Fuming, Ayeka dispelled the logs. "Azaka! Kamidake!" "Yes Mistress." they both replied as they appeared. "Attack that girl!" she commanded. "At once your highness." they responded, rushing forward. Ranma simply smiled as she brought out her claws and made them visible. Apparently Ayeka and Ryoko were a little surprised by their appearance. "Ooh, scratching posts. You are too kind." Ranma said letting her more cat like personality come out to play. Seeing the girl. The girl with the feral cat like look. The feral cat like girl with the glowing claws. Those sharp, sharp, wood slicing claws. The two guardians decided that perhaps today was not a good day to die. Turning, they floated back behind the princess. "Were sorry your highness, but we weren't programmed to be scratching posts." Up above Ryoko was laughing. "Some guardians princess! Running away from a little girl! Looking up, Ayeka yelled, "Oh shut up you monster woman!" Looking skyward, Ranma smiled and said, "Hmm, You don't look like a monster to me. More like a Tomboy." That got Ryoko riled up. She prided herself on her appearance. Glaring down at the girl that dared to make fun of her, she summoned her power. Her eyes began to glow a crimson red as power flowed to her hand. Once ready, she threw the energy ball at the red/silver-blue headed girl. Ranma simply stood there examining Ryoko for a moment. She didn't know why she used that insult but it seemed appropriate. The blast that was headed for her was powerful. But it lacked the finesse of her own. One thing was clear though. This Ryoko was powerful. *Hmm, I wonder if she can take hand to hand as well as she can use ki blasts. Let's see.* Ryoko was unprepared as Ranma leapt over her energy ball to attack her. Behind Ranma the ball impacted and exploded causing Ayeka to put up her shield. Ranma started things off with a few basic punches to gauge Ryoko's reflexes. Ranma wasn't disappointed as Ryoko blocked each one. As Ranma and Ryoko began to turn up the heat, Ayeka was in self contemplation. *Why wasn't that girl affected by my attack? It's never failed me before.* "Azaka. Kamidake. Tell me why my attack didn't affect that girl." commanded Ayeka. "Scanning..." said the two logs. Up above, Ryoko and Ranma traded punches back and forth continually speeding up. Ranma couldn't fly but she was jumping to reach Ryoko. Ranma was impressed that the girl could keep up with her without having to resort to the Amaguriken. An added plus was that Ryoko seemed to be able to take punches as well as Ryoga. She smiled at that. She'd just found herself a good sparring partner. Plus, due to the joining, she didn't have as much qualms of hitting girls as before. She didn't like it if the girl was weaker than her, but this girl could take it and give it back. ******************* Down below... "Scan complete princess." responded the twin totems. "Alright then. Now tell me why my attack wouldn't work on that girl." commanded Ayeka. "Unknown. The girl appears to be Jurian but her power is undetectable." said Azaka. "Conjecture would indicated that the girl is unaffected by any Jurian power." said Kamidake. Thinking to herself, Ayeka thought, *That's odd. Juraians should be affected by the power of Jurai. If that girl is Jurian, and the power of Jurai cannot affect her, then that must mean she is somehow able to control Tsunami's power. Then that must mean... Oh no! I've just attacked Tsunami's child!* Off to the side, the four from the shrine just arrived to see Ayeka look up in shock. Seeing her look over at them, Washu and Katsuhito simply nodded. Looking up, they could see Ranma having fun with Ryoko. Washu had her computer out analyzing the fight. Occasionally her eyes would bug out as to how much damage Ranma would be doing if this was anyone but Ryoko. Cologne and Happi simply watched and smiled. It was nice that Ranma was able to find a new sparring partner. Someone that could give as well as take. Katsuhito watched Ranma as he moved from style to style seamlessly. *So I was right. He is as good as I thought. No, better. Hmm... I wonder if he'd like to train with Tenchi some. Tenchi could use some experience with an unarmed opponent. And perhaps Ranma would like to learn Jurian sword techniques. She appears to use only unarmed techniques.* Ayeka had walked over to the others to watch the fight. Looking up, she saw a smile on her older brothers face. "You put that girl up to it? Didn't you?" "Why whatever could you mean Ayeka?" he replied as though he didn't know what she was talking about. "You know very well what I'm talking about. You knew that was Tsunami's child and you told her to say that she was here for Tenchi." said Ayeka. "I seem to recall saying something like that. But at my age I cannot recall everything I say." he replied. The elders chuckled at this. They too loved to play these little games with youngsters. Helped to keep young people on their toes. Back at the battle, Ryoko was getting furious. Here she was trying to stop this floozy from taking her Tenchi away and she had yet to hurt the girl. The girl just floated through her attacks. It was like trying to hit water or air. It didn't help matters either that the girl kept critiquing her moves. "Don't overextend yourself." "Keep your guard up." "You'll get more power if you keep your leg forward." Ryoko was getting about fed up with this. All her attacks either were blocked or dodged. Those that did land were not even slowing the girl down. It was time for the last attack. Gathering all her power, she prepared to unleash a large and very powerful ki attack. She was so caught up in her fury, that she didn't realize there were others in the line of her attack. Ranma however saw what was about to happen and who was in the line of destruction. If she didn't act fast, there were going to be some people hurt. Quickly she ran so she was just in front of everyone. Ryoko unleashed her attack. The ball of ki rushed toward them kicking dirt up as it passed near. Ranma held up her hands and called forth her power. Ten wings of light appeared just before the attack reached them. The attack was very powerful but Ranma was able to stop it and allow it to dissipate. After unleashing her attack, Ryoko realized there were people there. She realized that she had unintentionally done something she swore she'd never to do again. She swore she'd never hurt another innocent. And here she was just about to kill innocent bystanders. What made it worse was it was her adopted family. Just as she was about to race forward, ten wings of light appeared to stop her attack. She just floated there dumbfounded as her attack died off. There, behind the disappearing wings was the girl she was fighting. She now realized who the girl was. The girl was Tsunami's child. Seeing Katsuhito behind the girl with a couple of lawn gnomes and her mother, Ryoko could guess that the girl said she was there for Tenchi cause the old man put her up to it. Ranma stood there sweating. It had been a good workout but using the wings had drained her more than she thought. She remembered long ago that her mother told her she'd have to practice so her power would grow stronger and that she'd be able to use it without wearing herself out. Probably the only reason she didn't suffer as much during Saffron was because she was too angry to pass out. Her anger had given her enough reserve power to last until they setup camp that night. Her power drained, Ranma slumped forward into unconsciousness. Sasami, just coming out to get everyone for dinner, saw Ranma fall unconscious. Seeing this, she ran forward crying. "Oneeniichan!" she yelled as she ran. The others turned to watch her run up and kneel down next to Ranma. "Oneeniichan! Oneeniichan! Wake up!" she cried. Washu stepped forward and knelt down. "It's alright Sasami. Ranma is just tired from using her power. She will be alright." Drying her tears, Sasami nodded to Washu. "You sure?" Nodding, Washu smiled. "Yes, I'm sure." Katsuhito bent down and picked Ranma up. "Let us all go inside. I will tell you what is going on while Ranma here rests." Seeing nods all around, everyone went back inside. Some to hear explanations. Others to eat. And others to be reprimanded. Washu and Ryoko hung back. "What you did was reckless Ryoko. You could have easily killed someone." "I know. I didn't mean to but that girl just got me so riled up. More so than Ayeka does." replied Ryoko. "It's alright. Katsuhito put her up to saying that about Tenchi." said Washu. "I thought as much. I just hope she doesn't hold it against me." responded Ryoko. Smiling, Washu said, "I don't think that will be a problem. I don't know if you noticed, but Ranma was smiling while she was fighting you. I think she was enjoying it up till the end there." "You may be right. I've never met anyone that could keep up with me like that." chuckled Ryoko. "Yes, well. She's been learning how to fight most of her life. I think even Katsuhito was impressed. I wouldn't put it past him to try and get Ranma and Tenchi to spar together." said Washu. "I don't mind that. Just so long as she's not after my Tenchi." replied Ryoko. Washu chuckled, "I wouldn't worry about that. I believe, despite appearances, Ranma isn't interested in men." "You mean?" said a wide eyes Ryoko. "Get your mind outta the gutter Ryoko. Ranma is under a curse. She was born male and turns female when she is splashed by cold water. Hot water returns her to male form. She told us where she acquired it and I am going to look into it. I'm curious as to how it works." said Washu. "Oh. So that's why Sasami was calling her oneeniichan. Are you going to try to figure out how to cure it?" asked a curious Ryoko. Shaking her head, Washu said, "It'll probably come up but I don't believe Ranma will want to be cured. Ranma is Tsunami's child. He's been both male and female and if my guess is correct, the curse doesn't bother him too much. In fact I believe he's accepted it. So no, I won't offer to cure it." replied Washu. Nodding, Ryoko followed Washu into the house. Sitting around the table was everyone except Ranma whom was upstairs resting after the ordeal outside. Katsuhito motioned everyone to be quiet. Once everyone was quiet, he began to explain what was going on. Who Ranma was and what he had learnt earlier with the exception of the Neko-Ken. How Ranma was Tsunami's child and the new sibling relationship between Ranma and Sasami. Cologne and Happi interjected when needed. While explanations were going on, everyone was served dinner. Ryoko apologized to everyone. Especially the four that were in the way of her attack. But most of all, Ryoko apologized to Sasami for trying to hurt Ranma. ******************* As all of this was going on, upstairs Ranma slept. A light purple glow surrounded her body. Her hair changed so it was more of a 50/50 mix of red and silver blue and her incisors lengthened slightly to be more cat-like. As the newest changes finished, the glow subsided. ******************* Downstairs... "I'm going upstairs to check on Rhea." said Sasami with Ryo-Ohki in her arms. Stepping over to the stairs, she looked back to see everyone still talking. With no one paying attention, she climbed the stairs one by one. As she neared the top of the stairs, she whispered to Ryo-Ohki, "I hope Rhea is ok. I know Washu said she would be but I'm still worried about her." "Miyahh" replied her furry companion. Opening the door to where her oneeniichan rested, she failed to see the purple glow as it finished subsiding. Closing the door behind her, she stepped over and knelt next to Ranma's female body. Ryo-Ohki hopped down and sat on Ranma's belly, watching the girl as she slept. "Ryo-Ohki?" said Sasami. Looking up at her favorite person, Ryo-Ohki Miyahh'd. "Miyahh?" Smiling down at her furry friend, Sasami responded, "I'm going to take Rhea to meet Tsunami. Stay here and keep an eye on us, ok?" Nodding, Ryo-Ohki Miyahh'd. Laying down next to Ranma's body, Sasami cuddled up to her. Once comfortable, marks of power flared on her forehead before she succumbed to her induced slumber. Ryo-Ohki simply watched from her perch on Ranma's belly. She was worried but knew that Sasami would be ok. Looking over at the face of her perch, Ryo-Ohki couldn't help but be drawn to this new arrival. This new arrival felt special in some way to her. She hoped the new person would be her friend. ******************* In a dimensional plain... Drip... Drip... Drip... Slowly, two multicolored eyes opened. Ranma awoke to find herself in a place filled with water. She was floating in a curled up position over a stone that broke the surface of the water. Stretching out, she stood upon the stone surface looking around at her surroundings. Nearby she could see a large tree surrounded by a ring of stones. For some reason, she was drawn to that tree. Before she could move toward it, she realized she was wearing something different than she normally wore. Looking down, she found she was wearing clothes similar to those she used to wear on Jurai. Only these were made for someone of her age. They were beautiful robes of some sort. Embroidered on the hem were images of flying hawks and prowling panthers. She remembered her mother used to wear robes that were similar. Glancing back at the tree, Ranma walked toward it. "Hello?" she called. Her voice carrying for a distance. "Hello? Is anybody here?" she called again. Sparking lights began to fall from the tree and come together to form a pool of light. There, Tsunami in all her goddess-like glory appeared before her daughter. She looked at Ranma and smiled. "Hello, My Child." Ranma couldn't help but smile back. Here, in front of her, was the woman she remembered from so long ago. Her first mother, Tsunami. "Hello, Mother" Stepping forward, Tsunami embraced her long lost child. Ranma smiled and hugged her back, putting all her love into it. Stepping back after the hug was finished, Tsunami looked at Ranma and smiled. "I have missed you so much. I thought you were gone and I was so heartbroken. But you have returned and I am so very happy." she said, a tear sliding down her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you sad." said Ranma. "It's alright my child. The important thing is that you are here now." responded Tsunami. Sitting down on one of the roots of the tree behind her, she motioned Ranma over. "Come, sit." Nodding, Ranma found a root across from her mother to sit on. Once situated, Ranma looked up and asked, "Um... How did I get here? The last thing I remember was fighting with Ryoko and stopping one of her energy attacks." "I believe Sasami is responsible for that. She was worried and wanted to bring you to see me while you slept off your exhaustion. She is acting as a conduit for us so you can be here with me." said Tsunami. Blinking, Ranma nodded. "Ok. So is she going to be alright doing that? Being a conduit and all." Nodding, Tsunami smiled. "Yes, she will be alright. She will also know what we discuss. However you can trust her." "I do trust her. She's my new little sister. I heard you had something to do with that." said Ranma. "Yes I did. When Sasami was very young, she injured herself very badly. It was an injury that could have ended her life. However her heart and soul were pure. As such, I was able to appear and merge with her. It was the only way to save her and I could only merge with someone that had a heart and soul as pure as my own." said Tsunami. Smiling, Ranma nodded. "So eventually you two will become one?" "Yes. When that day comes, Sasami and I shall merge into one being. We will be both and yet neither Tsunami nor Sasami. But that day is a long time away." replied Tsunami. Looking pensively at her mother, Ranma asked, "Do you see and hear what Sasami does?" Smiling, she nodded, "Yes I do. I watched as you told your brief story at the shrine. Tell me, what has happened since you life Jurai?" And so, Ranma began to tell his mother what his life had been like since he left Jurai. The long voyage through space. Observing many cultures that occupied space. Arriving on the little blue-green gem called Earth. Meeting a kindred spirit who prayed for a child. Offering them their prayer. Being raised by a loving mother. Being taken from that mother at the tender age of 6. The days of martial arts training. The horrors of the Neko-Ken and what affect it had on her heritage and power. Tsunami listened in rapt attention as her child described her life. The joys and sorrows. Her days on the road with the man she called father. The things she endured in the name of the art. A few tears made their way down Tsunami's face as she listened to Ranma describe what she went through. Seeing her mother beginning to cry, Ranma stepped over and hugged her. "It's alright if you don't want me to continue mom. I don't want to make you cry." Hugging her child to her, she smiled and said, "That's alright. I want to hear all you've been through." "Alright mom." replied Ranma. Leaning against the tree, Tsunami put her arms around Ranma as she sat in her lap. She wanted to hear more of how her child had grown up without her. So far her child had faced more than many people had ever faced in a human or even a Jurian lifetime. Yet, she knew that only the surface had been scratched so far. So she listened as Ranma began from where she left off. "It was about that time we came to Jusenkyo. You probably heard me talk about this at the shrine earlier." said Ranma. "Yes I did. Can you show me your other form here? I'd like to see my son with my own eyes." said Tsunami. "Do you have any hot water?" asked Ranma. "You should not need it here. Just concentrate on your male form and will the change to occur." replied Tsunami. Nodding, Ranma stood up and stepped a few feet away from Tsunami. Facing her mother, Ranma closed her eyes and concentrated on her male form. Willing the change to occur, she could feel the familiar tingle as her body changed. But she could feel her clothes changing to accommodate her male form as well. Ranma, now a he, opened his eyes and looked at his mother. She smiled and looked him over. Her son was well built and the robes that adorned his body really accented his position as her child. She wondered briefly how Azusa would react to her child when they met. Allowing that thought to pass out of her mind for the moment, she smiled at her son. *I may have lost my daughter all those years ago. But it would seem I have been rewarded twice over. I now have my daughter back but I also have a son.* she thought as she walked up to him and hugged him. "You are very handsome my son." she said. Hugging her back, Ranma smiled and said, "Thanks mom." Separating once again, the two stepped over to the tree and made themselves comfortable. Once situated, Ranma resumed where he left off. He told her of Jusenkyo again as well as what his thoughts and feelings were. How his memories of his past life began to break out of the prison that the Neko-Ken created. He went on to tell her of the Amazon village. What transpired there before he arrived at Nerima. He spoke of meeting the Tendo's. His engagement to Akane. All their adventures together and the trials he faced as each new foe came to challenge him and the many fiancee's that crawled out of the woodwork. He described his encounter with Herb and his eventual success. Finally he came to Jusendo and his battle with the phoenix king. How he fought to save the life of the woman he loved. Failing and avenging her death using the tool his mother taught him with a few revisions of his own. Tsunami smiled as her son told her of some of his adventures. She cried as he told her of the pain he endured. She hugged him to herself as he told her the fate of the woman he loved. He had endured so much and yet he grew up with a good head on his shoulders and a kind heart. She admired his ability to endure through adversity. Looking down at him, she smiled, "My son, you have lived an eventful life. I am sorry I could not be there for you. But I am here for you now." Hugging her, he said, "Thanks mom. It was kind of hard for me to talk about Saffron but you said you wanted to hear about everything." "You loved her, didn't you?" she asked. "Yes. Yes I did. I still do actually. I probably will always love her. But I have begun to move on. However it will take a while I suppose." he replied. "That is good my son. I would not want you to be sad forever. " she said. "I know." he said. "Besides, I do want some grandchildren." she chuckled. "MOM!" he yelled, smiling. "Your as bad as my other mother." "What? I just want some grandchildren to spoil." she said, smiling. "I'll have to meet my co-mother. She sounds like someone I will like." Smiling, Ranma said, "I'll bring her to meet you when I can. It'll probably be a while though. She's currently trying to help Akane's sisters." "That's alright. Um, can I ask you a question?" he asked. "Of course. What is troubling you?" she replied. "Well, since my power and such woke up and merged with me, I've been undergoing physical changes. I was sorta wondering if you knew why." he said, rubbing the back of his neck. Smiling, she said, "That is simple my son. Your body is changing so it can handle your power. On Jurai, you didn't have this problem since you were born from me. However since being reborn, your current physical makeup is not capable of handling that amount of energy for long periods of time. Your body is compensating for that by evolving if you will so that it can handle the amount of power you can use. I'm pretty certain that you will be more powerful than you were before once your body adjusts. Human DNA has a remarkable affect when mixed with other species. However Washu would be able to answer that question better than I can." Blinking at the new information a moment, Ranma asked, "So then once my body is adjusted, I'll have and can use more power than I was ever able to before?" Nodding, Tsunami replied, "Yes. That about sums it up. On Jurai your power would have been second to mine. However with this new development, you have the capability to become as powerful as me. But unlike me, you will have to practice and train to increase the strength of your power. It will naturally grow over time, but as you use it, it will become stronger much faster. Much like the human energy you described using. The more you used it, the stronger it became and the longer you could use it." Understanding, Ranma nodded. "So can you help me train?" he asked. Nodding, she said, "Yes. However I will have to show you how to get here on your own. You can either leave your body in an Astral form like you are doing right now, or you can come here physically using one of the space trees. Yosho's tree, Funaho, can help as well. It will also be able to teach you what it knows of Juraian power as well as provide a transport conduit for you to come here. Eventually you will be able to travel between any of the space trees." "Can you teach me now?" he asked. Smiling at her child, Tsunami nodded. "Yes I can." And so the two, Mother and sometimes son began their lesson. ******************* Meanwhile in Nerima... "I told you! I don't know where he is!" yelled an irritated Ukyo. The cause of her irritation being one purple haired amazon. "Shampoo no believe you. Airen no leave without telling spatula girl where he going." said Shampoo. "And I told you I haven't seen him since he left for China. Now get out!" yelled Ukyo. "Hmpf, Shampoo leave but be back if no find airen." said Shampoo. As Shampoo left, Ukyo had time to reflect on the amazon's words. *Ranchan is back but he didn't come to see me? And now he's left again. Either that girl has got a screw loose or something odd has happened. I better go visit the Tendo Dojo and find out what is going on.* she thought. Closing down her restaurant, Ukyo set out for the Tendo Dojo. It was still early evening and the sun was just setting. Things were tranquil and quiet. The way a neighborhood should be in any town. Any town that is except Nerima. Ukyo noticed the peacefulness and wondered what was going on. *If Ranchan had left, then there should be more commotion than this.* Arriving at the Tendo Dojo, Ukyo still wondered what was going on. Things were too quiet. Knocking on the door, she waited for someone to answer it. Inside, Nodoka was finishing preparing supper for herself and the girls. She hoped her son made it to the shrine safely. Wisely she decided not to tell anybody where he went to. Unless her son said it was ok. Just as she was about to taste the soup, she heard a knock at the door. "I wonder who that could be. Most people don't bother to knock around here." she said quietly to herself. Stepping out into the dining area, she could see that Nabiki and Kasumi were still upstairs. Thinking about Nabiki made her chuckle a little bit. *Nabiki was really mad at Ranma when she got home. From what I was able to gather, Ranma told that Kuno boy something that got him after her. I'll have to talk to him later and find out what he said. It would be nice for her to get a boyfriend.* she thought. Arriving at the door, Nodoka opened it. "Hello? May I help you?" Seeing Ranma's mother answer the door, Ukyo bowed, "Hello Mrs. Saotome. I'm not sure if you remember me but I'm Ukyo. Ranma's friend." Smiling, Nodoka said, "Oh yes, I do remember you. Please, come in. I was just preparing dinner." "Thank You." replied Ukyo while stepping inside. Stepping into the dining room, Ukyo could smell dinner as it simmered in the kitchen. She smiled as she thought back to times when her own mother cooked wonderful meals for her family. "Excuse me dear while I go and make sure that dinner is ok." said Nodoka. Nodding to the older lady, Ukyo smiled and sat at the table. Looking around, she wondered where everybody was. Usually Kasumi would be cooking dinner. She didn't know where Nabiki would be. And Akane would be breaking bricks if Ranma had left. Her musings were cut short as Nodoka returned with some tea. "I hope you don't mind, but I thought you might like some tea while we wait for dinner to finish." said Nodoka while serving Ukyo some tea. "I don't mind at all Mrs. Saotome." replied Ukyo politely. "Please, just call me Auntie. Mrs. Saotome makes me sound so old." said Nodoka. Smiling, Ukyo nodded. "Alright Auntie." Nodoka smiled at the young chef. Briefly Nodoka wondered if there was any way to get her son and this nice girl together. However those thoughts were derailed as she remembered her son didn't want anyone trying to get him to marry anyone. "So what brings here?" asked Nodoka before taking a sip of her tea. Sipping her tea, Ukyo pondered for a moment how to reply. After a few moments, Ukyo said, "Well, I was getting ready for the dinner rush at my restaurant when Shampoo came looking for Ranma. She's one of Ranma's fiancee's. Anyways, she said that Ranma had returned but left for somewhere. She wanted to know where he went. She thought I might know since me and Ranma are such good friends." Curious, Nodoka asked, "You said she was one of Ranma's fiancee's. I was aware of Akane and a few others that came looking for my son, but how many more are there?" "I'm not really sure Auntie. Most didn't have a solid claim. The only ones that were seriously after him were Akane, Shampoo, and myself." replied Ukyo. "So you are one of my son's fiancee's then?" she said. Nodding, Ukyo said, "Yes I am. I really care about him. He was my childhood friend and after he and his father had left me behind after stealing my fathers yattai, I trained for revenge. However when I finally caught up with him about a year ago, Ranma had to go and make me fall in love with him all over again. He might seem brash and arrogant but I know that deep down he's really a kind hearted man." Putting on her 'My Son is So Manly' smile, Nodoka said, "It sounds like you have genuine feelings for him. However right now would not be the best time to try and win his affection. Much has happened and I'm afraid he would react negatively to anyone pursuing him." Curious, Ukyo asked, "What do you mean? I was meaning to ask what was going on. Things are unusually quiet." Sighing, Nodoka took a sip of her tea. Looking up she regarded the chef carefully. *She seems to love my son dearly. But Ranma doesn't want anyone pursuing him romantically yet. Hmm... I won't tell her where he's gone, but I will tell her what has happened.* "Ranma returned from China with some bad news. The person that kidnapped Akane ended up killing her." started Nodoka. Ukyo gasped. "Akane's dead?" Receiving a nod, Ukyo began to shed tears. *Akane's gone? I can't believe it. We might not have gotten along all that well but I believe we considered each other remote friends. Ranchan must be torn up over this. That's why he left.* "My son managed to avenge her as well as save those that accompanied him. He returned the other day bearing the news of Akane's passing. I'm afraid the girls didn't take it too well. Kasumi has been crying non stop and Nabiki..." Wiping a tear away, Ukyo asked, "What about Nabiki?" "I'm not too sure. I believe Nabiki blames my son for Akane's death. I'm afraid she might try to harm him or even myself just to get to him. I'm very concerned about her." replied Nodoka. "Sigh. You may be right Auntie. From what I know, Nabiki is very protective of her family. Many people are afraid of her. Not because she'll cause them physical harm but that she'll let some secret out or cause trouble for them." said Ukyo. Nodding, Nodoka sighed and sipped some tea. To Ukyo, her fiancee's mother looked somewhat tired. Getting up, Ukyo moved over and gave the older woman a hug. Nodoka smiled down at her and returned the hug. "Thank you dear. But what was that for?" asked Nodoka. "You just looked tired and stressed. I thought it might help relieve it a little." replied Ukyo. "That was very kind of you." said Nodoka. Nodding, Ukyo asked, "Um Auntie... I wanted to ask you if you knew where Ranma is." Gazing critically at her, Nodoka answered, "Yes I do. But I will not tell you nor anyone else without his permission. He told me he did not want anyone following him unless he said it was ok. And I respect my son's wishes." A little dejected, Ukyo said, "I suppose I'll just have to wait until he comes back then." Seeing Ukyo getting a little depressed, Nodoka added, "However, the next time I talk to him, I will mention you stopped by and your concern for him." Brightening up, Ukyo said, "Thank you Auntie." Sipping her tea, Ukyo noticed something was missing. Looking around and not finding it anywhere, she had to ask. "Auntie?" she asked. "Yes?" replied Nodoka. "I noticed you don't have your katana with you. What happened to it?" asked Ukyo. Smiling, Nodoka rose and stepped into the kitchen for a brief moment before returning with the sword her son made for her. Pulling the blade from the scabbard, Nodoka set it on the table. "I've decided to carry this from now on. My son made it for me before he left." she said. Ukyo simply stared slack-jawed at the fine piece of weaponry before her. She had never seen something so beautiful in her life. And what was more, her Ranchan made it! "How?" asked a stupefied Ukyo. "My son has many talents. Some recently acquired. This was mearly one of them." replied Nodoka cryptically. "It's... It's... It's so beautiful." stuttered Ukyo. Smiling at the girl, Nodoka nodded. "Yes it is, isn't it. I love the hawk and panther motif etched on the blade, handle, and scabbard. My son was so kind to make it for me." "I didn't know Ranchan knew how to make a sword." said Ukyo. "Neither did I. But he said it was some knowledge he picked up in his travels." replied Nodoka. Picking the blade up, Nodoka slid it back into it's sheath before setting it back on the table. "So, will you be joining me and the girls for dinner tonight?" asked Nodoka. Thinking a moment, Ukyo shook her head. She had things to think about and she didn't want to deal with Nabiki either. "No, I need to think about things for a bit. Plus I don't want to deal with Nabiki right now. I'm probably not very high on her list of people to deal with." replied Ukyo. Nodding, the Saotome Matriarch stood to escort the young chef to the door. Opening the door, Ukyo stepped out before turning around to thank Nodoka. "Thank you for this talk. It has given me much to think about." said Ukyo. Nodding, Nodoka replied, "You're very welcome dear. You are more than welcome to come back and talk some more if you like." Nodding, Ukyo was about to turn around before Nodoka added a little something else for her to think about. "Ukyo?" said Nodoka. "Yes?" replied Ukyo after turning around. "I want to you know something. Ranma is not looking for a relationship right now. Perhaps you should just be his friend and not push him about this fiancee mess. Things have a way of working out in the end but by forcing the issue, Ranma will most likely resent it. Just some words of advice." said Nodoka. Smiling, Ukyo nodded. Turning, she left the Tendo compound to do some serious thinking. Nodoka watched the young chef leave. With a smile on her face, Nodoka thought, *Such a nice young girl. Perhaps she can help my son overcome his grief and move on. And perhaps give me some grandchildren too.* Stepping back inside to finish dinner preparations, Nodoka decided to call her son tomorrow and make sure he arrived safely. She'd bring up the young chef afterwards. ******************* Upstairs, a resentful young woman watched as a certain chef left the Tendo compound. She snarled to herself. *I'll make you pay for my sister Ranma. You, your parents, your whole family. I'll get your little friend too.* A knock on the door interrupted her musings. Turning to look at the door, Nabiki asked, "Yeah? What is it?" Kasumi's voice responded from behind the door. "Auntie said that dinner was almost done. She wanted me to let you know and that she is sorry for it being so late." "Ok Kasumi. I'll be down shortly." answered Nabiki. Turning back to the window, Nabiki listened as her older sisters footsteps faded. She smirked to herself. *Kasumi might be blind but I am not. I know you allowed her to die Ranma. And tonight, I will begin my revenge. I hope you enjoyed your last moments with your mother Ranma. I'm afraid she won't be around much longer.* she thought to herself darkly while gazing at a feather she held. On the desk sat several more. Rising, she stepped over to the door after putting the feathers away. It wouldn't do for someone to find them before she began her revenge. Before opening the door, she smiled to herself. "And I know the perfect instrument to use. Your mother's own katana." she said very softly to herself. Opening the door, she stepped out and proceeded to the dining room. ******************* Meanwhile... Back at the Masaki shrine, the residents had finished dinner and were just finishing their discussion of Ranma. "...and that was how I believe his power awoke. During his fight with Saffron." finished Cologne. "Oh poor Ranma. To have his love killed before his own eyes." said Ayeka while wiping a tear from her eye. "Yeah. I don't think I could cope like he did if that happened to Tenchi." added Ryoko. Hearing the beginning of a sniffle, Ryoko and Ayeka looked over to see Mihoshi about to cry. "That's so sad! Whaaaaaa!" "Yes, well it is beginning to get late. I think perhaps we should turn in a little earlier than usual. I'm sure we could all use the rest. It has been a long evening." said Katsuhito. "Come on Mihoshi before you flood the place." said Kiyone, dragging her crying partner to their ship. As the two Galaxy Police officers left, Ayeka said, "Yes, I suppose you are right. I am a bit tired." Looking around, Ayeka noticed someone missing. "Does anyone know where Sasami went?" "I was wondering when you would notice Ayeka. She went upstairs to check on Ranma about the time we started talking. She's been up there ever since." answered Washu. Rising, Ayeka said, "I'm going to go check on her then." "I'll go with you princess." said Ryoko. Looking back at Ryoko, Ayeka asked, "Why do you want to go Ryoko?" "Hey! I wanna make sure Ranma's alright too. The last thing I want is Tsunami or Sasami mad at me." replied Ryoko. "I suppose you can come then." said Ayeka. "Sorry to say this girls, but I'm going to make sure they are ok. However, if you two behave, I'll let you join me." said Washu. Both Ayeka and Ryoko looked at Washu a moment before nodding slowly. "Alright then! Let's go!" said Washu. The three girls began their trek upstairs to Sasami's room where they had lay Ranma to rest. Katsuhito, Cologne, and Happi sipped some tea as the three girls left. "You two can stay with me at the shrine if you like. Tomorrow we can talk to Washu about adding a couple of rooms to accommodate everyone." said Katsuhito. Cologne nodded, "Yes, that will be fine old friend." "But, I wanna stay with the pretty girls." whined Happi. "You'll be staying with us at the shrine Happi. Otherwise I'll let Ranma know about those pictures you bought off Nabiki of Ranma in that lovely set of lingerie." said Cologne with a smirk. "You wouldn't!" said Happi. "I would. Now come on Happi. It's been a long day and these old bones could use a rest." said Cologne. "Alright Cologne-chan." sighed Happi. Katsuhito perked an eyebrow at this but didn't say a word otherwise. And so the three elders left the house for the shrine. Just missing three girls going Awwwww... Upstairs, the three women had just arrived at Sasami's door. Peaking in, they saw Sasami cuddled up to Ranma. Both appeared to be sleeping. Ryo-Ohki was curled up on Ranma's stomach. At the site, they all went Awwwww... Smiling at the sight before her, Washu whispered, "I don't think we should disturb them." Nodding, Ayeka agreed. Ryoko smiled at the scene before her. It made her long for love. Stepping in past Washu and Ayeka, Ryoko pulled out a blanket and draped it over the two sleeping girls. A sleepy cabbit phased through the blanket and looked around. Seeing Ryoko smiling down at her, she miyahh'd quietly before curling back up to sleep. At the door, Washu watched with a smile. Her little girl was growing up. Ayeka however was curious as to Ryoko's motivations for being this kind. Usually she was crude, brash, and arrogant. However, even Ayeka couldn't help but smile at Ryoko's actions. It was a side of Ryoko that she had rarely seen. Returning to the door, Ryoko said quietly, "Come on. Let's let the sleep. They deserve it." Ayeka nodded and left for her room. Washu watched Ryoko close the door. Once closed, Ryoko turned to see Washu watching her and smiling. "What?" asked Ryoko. "You've matured Ryoko." said Washu. "Huh?" replied Ryoko. "Don't worry about it for now. Let's just go to bed." said Washu. Ryoko nodded and began leaving for her room. "And Ryoko..." started Washu. Turning, Ryoko said, "Yes?" "You'll make a wonderful mother one day." finished Washu before leaving for her room. Ryoko watched as Washu left. Her jaw opening and closing for a few moments. As soon as Washu left her sights, she shook herself out of her stupor. Turning, she walked to her room thinking. Opening the door, she stepped in. Closing it behind her, she leaned against it. Softly, she said to herself, "I hope you're right. Mom." ******************* Meanwhile... Back at the Tendo household, the current residents had just turned in for the evening. However there was one that was waiting. Waiting for the time to strike. She had prepared how to enact her revenge and everything was ready. She would slip into Nodoka's room under the cover of night. Kill her and then lay evidence that would point to the bird people Ranma described. All there was to do now though was wait until everyone was fast asleep. Not too far away, a quiet chef contemplated what her fiancee's mother had said earlier. *Akane's gone. Ranchan must really be broken up about it. Sigh. No wonder he left without talking to me. I would have done something stupid like say we could get married right away or something. Ranchan's mother seems to like me. But she also said not to pursue her son. Well, at least not at the moment anyway. I wonder if she approves of my engagement to him. And what did she mean at the end there. Things had ways of working out? Sigh. Anyways, she was right about one thing. I can't be pursuing Ranma right now. I'll just have to be his friend and try to gradually work it toward a relationship. Now if only I could talk to him. She said she was going to call him tomorrow. I'll have to stop by and see if Ranchan said anything about me.* Sleep came to the residents of the Nerima district. Although to some it came easier than others. Many of the residents could not sleep very easily due to the relative peace that had come over the district. Most were waiting for the other shoe to drop while the rest wondered if it would last. High above the treetops, the moon shone bright. Through a window it cast it's pale light upon an angry form. It was the window of one Nabiki Tendo. She lay awake, watching the ceiling. Turning her head, she saw it was that time. Time for her to go to work. Slipping out of bed, she quickly dressed in dark clothes. The kind a burglar or the like might wear. Grabbing a pair of black gloves, she slipped them on, careful not to leave any kind of fingerprints on them. Finally she slipped a black ski mask on. Quietly she tip toed to the door. Opening it a crack, she peeked out to make sure nobody was around. Smiling that nobody was in sight, she slipped out and closed the door behind her quietly. Stealthily she made her way toward the room Nodoka was staying in. Listening, she could hear the tell tale traces of someone sleeping. Slowly she opened the door and peaked in. Laying in the middle of the room was Nodoka, fast asleep. She smiled as she saw this but her smile grew more sinister as she saw her instrument of choice leaning against the nearby wall. Slipping into the room, she closed the door so as not to disturb sleeping beauty. She tip toed over to the resting place of the sword. Picking it up, she looked at it a moment in the light of the moon. It wasn't the same one she'd seen the sleeping woman carry before but if her guess was correct, the sword was still capable of doing the job before her. Carefully she slid it out of it's sheath. The sound of the sword being drawn was quiet. About halfway out, Nodoka began to mumble something which caused Nabiki to freeze. "...manly man... grandchildren... nice girl..." mumble Nodoka. To Nabiki, it sounded as if Nodoka was dreaming of Ranma. Well, she'd just have to put a stop to that. As soon as Nodoka calmed down again, Nabiki finished removing the blade from it's sheath. The blade shone in the moonlight. Looking at it a moment, Nabiki decided that after her revenge was over, she was going to see what this sword was worth. It might just fetch her a nice pile of yen. Gripping the sword in one hand, Nabiki used the other to pull out the feathers she had collected earlier. Making her way to the window, she placed a few on the floor along with a couple smaller ones by the window sill. A few near Nodoka after she finished the job would also add to the effect. Gripping the sword in both hands this time, she slowly made her way to the sleeping woman. Beneath her mask, Nabiki sneered. Finally her revenge would begin and there was nobody around to stop her. ******************* In a higher plane of existence, a mother and son continued talking about the physics of tree to tree traveling. "And that is how to travel from one tree to another." finished Tsunami. "So all I have to do is concentrate and will myself from the tree I'm near to the one I want to be next to. But I have to know the name of the tree I want to travel to." said Ranma. Nodding, Tsunami said, "To put it simply, yes. And if you don't know the name of a tree that is near where you are traveling to, just ask the tree you are next to what the name of the tree is that is nearest to you intended destination. For example, say you wanted to travel from Funaho to the royal palace on Jurai. You would ask Funaho to tell you the name of a tree in the Royal Palace. Once you know the name, all you have to do is concentrate on that name and you will be transported to the palace next to the tree you were thinking of." "Ok. I think I've got it now. I'll just have to practice to get the hang of it." said Ranma. Smiling, Tsunami said, "Talk to Sasami and Funaho. They will be able to help you with it." Nodding, Ranma was just about to thank his mother before something stopped him. It was a feeling that something was wrong. Very wrong. Tsunami, noticing her son's halted words, asked, "Is something wrong?" Looking over at her, Ranma said, "I'm not sure. I just got this sudden feeling of something being wrong. It's weird. It feels angry, malicious, and bloodthirsty." Concerned, Tsunami closed her eyes and concentrated on her son. She marveled at the power he currently held but he had yet to truly realize how powerful he'd become in time. She examined the threads of power that wove through his body. Everything seemed to be fine, however there was an odd strand of power connected to him. It almost looked like one of the many strands of power that connected her to the trees and the people of Jurai. Only thicker and more powerful. "Ranma?" she asked. "Yes?" he replied. "You know how to use the Light Hawk Wings. But do you know how to use them in the creation of objects?" she asked. Thinking a moment, he smiled and nodded. "Yeah, before I left I made a sword for my mom. I knew she'd miss me so I wanted to give her something to remember me by until we met up again. Why?" "Well it seems that the feeling you are experiencing is coming from that sword. Or rather someone holding that sword." she replied. "So that was why I felt kindness and love when she held it." said Ranma. Tsunami nodded. Before she could reply, she was cut off. "Wait! If someone is holding the sword and I'm getting these feelings, then my mom must be in danger!" yelled Ranma. Tsunami tried to calm him. "Calm down son. Time has a slightly different meaning here." "But..." started Ranma. "I know. You want to make sure your mother is fine. Come over here and we can check up on her. Your connection to the sword will help." soothed Tsunami. Slowly, Ranma nodded. Moving over to his mother, he watched as she closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment. In the pool of water an image began to form. Ranma watched as it solidified to show his mother, fast asleep. Curious as to where the feeling was coming from, he was about to ask before someone stepped into the vision. Tsunami opened her eyes just in time to see Ranma start moving toward the image. She lay a restraining hand on his shoulder. "Ranma, it is just a image of current events." "But my mom! She's about to be attacked! I gotta help her!" he frantically yelled. Tsunami looked into the image and gasped. Quickly she sped up the flow of time around them. This had the effect of making the scene slow down to barely a crawl. Just in time too. The sword was being swung downward toward the sleeping woman's neck. "Ranma, quickly concentrate on the sword. You can control it since you created it. Concentrate on it stopping first. Then try to talk through the sword to wake your mother up." Tsunami said urgently. Nodding, Ranma closed his eyes and concentrated on his link to the sword. Soon he could feel it as though it were a living entity. Mentally he commanded it to stop and not harm his mother. He worried he was too late before Tsunami told him otherwise. "You stopped the sword Ranma. The attacker is fighting to keep it moving toward your mother." Now, concentrate on waking your mother up while holding the sword at bay. Nodding, he began to focus his will to save his mother. ******************* In Nodoka's room, Nabiki fought with all her might against the possessed sword. Things had been going so smoothly. She stood over the sleeping form of Nodoka. The sword hilt was gripped by both hands. She had begun the downward arc that would have separated Nodoka's head from her body. However just before it was about to make contact, the sword began glowing purple and ceased to move an inch. She tried to force it but it was like it was stuck in stone. Nabiki frowned. Things weren't going according to plan. Plus the fact the sword was glowing began to add to her growing list of problems. What troubled her the most was the glow was the same color as what she saw in Ranma's eyes earlier that day. No, things were not good. Just as she was about to make one last desperate attempt to move the sword, the glow intensified and a disembodied voice filled the room. "Mom! Wake up! Your in danger!" boomed the voice. Nabiki, shocked by the latest turn of evens let go of the sword and fell back as the voice practically echoed in the room. Nodoka scrunched up her face at the glow that was assaulting her closed eyelids. As soon as the voice began speaking however, she snapped them open quickly. Looking down slightly, she could see the sword her son had given her was mere inches from her neck. She gasped slightly and rolled to the side to take up a defensive position. Looking out at the room, Nodoka could see her assailant looking at the sword which hung in mid air. Just then the voice returned. "Mom! Your in danger!" That was her son's voice! But where did it come from. Eyeing the sword, she guessed it was the source. Slowly she moved toward the floating sword keeping an eye on the intruder. Quickly she reached out and grasped the sword which now moved freely in her hands. "Who are you!" Nodoka demanded. The intruder didn't speak and began looking for an exit. Nodoka held the sword up and demanded again who the intruder was. However the intruder did not answer and made a mad dash for the door. Nodoka was on them in an instant holding the sword just under the chin of her assailant. The intruder froze, their hand on the doorknob. Quickly, Nodoka reached forward and grabbed the mask of her assailant. Brown hair floated freely before coming to rest in a hair cut Nodoka was all to familiar with. In her shock, the sword moved away from Nabiki's neck. Nodoka took a few steps back. That gave Nabiki enough time to open the door and look back at Nodoka. "Don't think this is over. Ranma allowed my sister to die and I will have my revenge." she snarled. With that said, Nabiki ran down the stairs, out of the house, and into the night. Nodoka could only stare at the open door in shock. She knew that Nabiki might harbor some bad feelings toward Ranma and perhaps herself. But never did she imagine that Nabiki would try and kill her. She was brought out of her shock by a voice. "Mom! Mom!" yelled Ranma's disembodied voice. Knocked out of her shock, Nodoka looked at the still glowing sword. "Ranma?" she asked tentatively. "Yeah Mom?" said Ranma's voice, a little quieter than before. "How?" she asked. "I can't go into detail right now mom. I'm with my other mother right now." started Ranma's voice. "Your other mother?" Nodoka began to ask before Ranma cut her off. "Mom. I don't have time for that. Listen to me. I want you to get Kasumi and go to Ucchans. Tell her what happened. She should be able to protect you. Tomorrow I want you, Kasumi, and Ucchan to come to the shrine." finished Ranma's voice. "What about Genma and Soun?" she asked. "I'm not worried about Mr. Tendo. I doubt she'd hurt him. You can leave a note for Genma. I don't want him where I am." said Ranma's voice. "Alright son. I'll be there tomorrow then." said Nodoka. "Thanks Mom. I gotta go now." said Ranma's voice. "Son?" asked Nodoka. "Yeah Mom?" replied Ranma's voice. "Thank You. For saving me. And... I love you." said Nodoka. "I love you too mom. Just get Kasumi and get out of there right away. The sword will protect you. I'll make sure of it." said Ranma's voice. "Ok, I will son." said Nodoka. The glow of the sword dimmed until it was just barely visible around the blade. Quickly she left a short note for Genma telling him what happened and that she'd be gone for a while. Grabbing the sheath as well as a few other small items, Nodoka began to leave only to spot something on the floor that was out of place. It was some feathers. Not dwelling on it, she picked a few up for later. She'd ask her son his thoughts on them. Holding the sword in front of her, Nodoka crept out into the hall. Once she was sure that Nabiki wasn't around, she began to move toward Kasumi's room. Arriving at the door, she opened it and made sure that things were clear. Seeing nobody other than Kasumi in the moonlight, she stepped into the room. She was sure that Nabiki had fled the house but she didn't want to take any chances. Quickly she made her way over to the bed. Holding the sword in one hand, she used the other to wake Kasumi. Gently she shook the sleeping girl as she kept a lookout for Nabiki. "Kasumi! Kasumi, wake up!" said Nodoka loudly. Slowly she woke from her slumber. "Wha...?" she mumbled as she began to regain her bearings. Looking around, she spotted Nodoka shaking her. She seemed to be upset over something. However, once she noticed the katana, she fully woke up. "Auntie? What's wrong?" asked a slightly worried Kasumi. "Come dear. We must leave as quick as possible. I don't have time to explain but I promise I will as soon as we get to our destination." said Nodoka urgently. Not questioning Nodoka right away, Kasumi rose and dressed herself quickly. She didn't know what upset Nodoka so much but whatever it was, she knew she'd find out sooner or later. Once dressed, Kasumi asked, "What now Auntie." "Grab a few things and come, quickly. We must leave now." said Nodoka. Nodding, Kasumi grabbed a few things for an overnight stay. She was curious as to what had happened, but she would ask once they were on their way. As soon as she had finished, she nodded to Nodoka. "Alright then. Let's go." said Nodoka as she held the sword in front of her as she made her way out of the house. Kasumi followed close behind, watching for whatever Nodoka was looking for. As soon as they were in the street, Nodoka calmed slightly. However she still kept her sword ready. Kasumi wondered what had upset Nodoka. As they walked down the street, Kasumi pondered how best to bring the subject up. "What's going on Auntie?" asked Kasumi. Sighing, Nodoka said, "I'll tell you once we get to our destination. I don't want to repeat this twice." Nodding, Kasumi said, "Alright Auntie. Then may I ask where we are going?" "We're going to a place called Ucchan's. I believe one of my son's fiancee's lives there. I'm pretty sure it's that nice girl I talked to earlier today." said Nodoka. "Ukyo? Why are we going to her place?" said Kasumi. "Don't worry about that now dear. As soon as we get there, I will tell you and Ukyo what is going on. I'm still trying to come to grips with it myself." said Nodoka. "Alright Auntie." replied Kasumi. As the two women made there way to Ucchan's, a pair of eyes watched them carefully. Nabiki didn't know how, but Ranma had somehow ruined her plans. Turning, she rushed off. She had to find Ryoga and convince him that Ranma was to blame for things. Perhaps she'd be able to do the same with Shampoo. ******************* Ranma wiped some sweat from his brow. Turning to look at his mother, he smiled and nodded to her. Before speaking, he stepped over to the tree to sit down and rest a little. "She's safe." he said. "That's good. I can tell you are keeping an active link open to the sword you crafted. Are you afraid of a repeat attempt anytime soon?" asked Tsunami. Ranma simply nodded. "I don't want to take any chances. This way the sword will protect her and I won't have to consciously do anything." he stated. "I understand. If I may ask, who was the assailant?" said Tsunami. Sighing, Ranma said, "That was Nabiki. My late fiancee's sister. I knew she was angry over the loss of her sister. I should have expected something like this. It's just not something I could see her doing though." "The death of a loved one can affect someone in any number of ways. When you left me all those years ago, I retreated into myself and to this place you see before you. I recovered in time but not before I became physically trapped here." said Tsunami. "I know. At least my mom's safe. Between Ukyo and the sword, she should be able to arrive at the shrine safely." said Ranma. Smiling, Tsunami said, "Once she arrives, she will be as safe as she can be. The residents of the shrine are among the most powerful on the planet." "That's good to know." said Ranma. "Well, now that my co-mother is safe, let's resume your training. You need to practice to build up your strength. Just opening that link to the sword was taxing on you." said Tsunami. Nodding, Ranma said, "Yeah, I know. How do you do it?" "How do I do what?" she replied. "How do you have so many things linked to you and your power?" he asked. "For me, it was easy. However there is a limit on the amount of power that can be drawn along one of the links. Your link to the sword is stronger than most of my own. Most likely due to using more than a single wing in creating the sword." said Tsunami. Sheepishly Ranma rubbed the base of his neck while chuckling, "So that explains it. I sorta used all ten wings." Tsunami simply smiled and shook her head. "I should have known. You do know that you've just created one of the most powerful weapons on the planet if not the universe." Blinking, Ranma chuckled nervously. "Do not worry my son. You did nothing wrong. You can sever the link to you power anytime you wish." said Tsunami. Nodding, Ranma said, "Ok then. Let's get back to training." ******************* Meanwhile... In a dimensional prison, a woman watched as Nabiki fled. The woman smiled and began to set things into motion. Soon, very soon she would have at her command someone to face her niece/nephew. "D3." said the woman calmly. A large disembodied head with a red gem in it's forehead appeared. "Yes my lady?" it asked mentally. Tokimi formed an image of a fleeing Nabiki. "I want this girl brought to me at once. You can find her on Earth." said Tokimi. "As you command my lady." said D3 mentally. D3 closed his eyes and reached out mentally to the girl in the picture. With the power granted to him by Tokimi, it would be easy to bring the girl here. It took a few moments, but D3 finally locked onto the girl. Red lightning arced out from the gem on his forehead. Slowly a red portal appeared. ******************* Running, Nabiki thought about what she had to do. First she had to find someplace to stay. There was that new apartment complex that had just opened up recently. She knew the owner and could get an apartment easily and cheap. She could return home but chances were that Nodoka had informed her father and Genma of what she had done. No, she couldn't return home. Looking behind her to make sure nobody she knew was there, she failed to notice a portal open in front of her. Satisfied nobody she knew was around, she returned her gaze forward just in time to see the portal just before she ran into it. ******************* Opening his eyes, D3 watched as the girl his lady wanted ran out of the portal and straight toward him. Skidding to a halt, the girl looked up at the giant disembodied head in horror. Tearing her gaze away for a moment, she looked around quickly. Returning to the giant head, she began to stutter hysterically. "W... W... What's going on? Where am I?" she yelled hysterically. "Quiet! My lady wishes to speak with you." said D3 mentally. Nabiki stopped yelling and looked up as something appeared behind the giant head. Behind it appeared a large image of Lady Tokimi. Two silhouettes appeared behind her. Nabiki fell back in shock at the sight before her. She had no clue what was going on nor where she was. "Greetings Nabiki Tendo." said Tokimi. "W... W... Who are you?" stuttered Nabiki. "I am Lady Tokimi." replied Tokimi. "W... W... Why am I here?" stuttered Nabiki. Lady Tokimi smiled down at Nabiki. It wasn't a kind smile. It was more predatory in nature. Nabiki swallowed audibly. Wherever she was, she knew she wasn't in Japan anymore. What unnerved her more was the smile that was being directed at her. It reminded her all too much of the way she smiled at others during her dealings with them. "I have an offer I wish to make. Something I think you will find most agreeable." stated Tokimi. Back in more familiar territory, Nabiki began to regain some of her courage and confidence. "What kind of offer?" she asked. "The kind that will allow you to finish what you just began." replied Tokimi. Nabiki smiled at that. Her smile was predatory and intrigued. "Tell me more." she said. D3 faded away to allow his lady and Nabiki to discuss things. Briefly he thought about checking on the man she imparted her gift unto earlier but decided on doing that later. He was still training. ******************* As Tokimi conversed with Nabiki, a large ship began passing Mars. Onboard, Azusa, Emperor of Jurai, watched the large red planet. He was becoming increasingly impatient with the amount of time it was taking to get to Earth. Behind him were his two wives, chatting amongst themselves. Funaho thought it would be nice to see her son again as well as her great grandson. Misaki however kept thinking of how much she missed her daughters. Gruffly, Azusa spoke, "How much longer is it going to take for us to get to Earth." Looking over at her husband, Funaho replied, "Do not worry husband. We are almost there. I estimate we shall arrive sometime tomorrow." "About time. I know recent events have some connection to Yosho and that boy. Whatever the connection is, I want to know about it." said Azusa. Putting on her official face, Misaki nodded. "Agreed. However you must rest so you are prepared for tomorrow." said Misaki. "Very well. Come, let's us retire for the evening." said Azusa The three made their way to their bedchambers for the evening. In space, the ship continued on it's course for Earth. Tomorrow was going to be an eventful day for the occupants. ******************* Meanwhile, back with Ranma and Tsunami... "Alright son. Before I start something new, is there anything you would like to know about your power or the Power of Jurai as a whole?" asked Tsunami. "Um, well now that you mention it. I do have have a question." said Ranma. "Go on." said Tsunami. "Well, it's about one of the people I traveled here with." started Ranma. "The old man I assume?" interrupted Tsunami. "Um... Yeah. Well anyways, I learnt that he's Jurian. But he can't use the power of Jurai. He can't store any of it or even use something called the water of life to keep from aging." said Ranma. "Yes I know. I'm a bit troubled by that as well. He is one of my subjects and my link to him was greatly diminished around 300 years ago." said Tsunami. "He said someone named Misaki did it to him." said Ranma. "Misaki? Why that's Sasami's mother. What did he do to warrant such a severe punishment?" asked Tsunami. "Um... Well... He sorta stole a pair or two of her panties." said Ranma. Blinking, Tsunami said, "What?" "He said he took a couple pairs of her panties. He's got this thing for female undergarments." said Ranma. Slowly Tsunami began to chuckle. Soon it turned into full blown laughter. It lasted a minute or two before she finally managed to regain control of her voice. Still chuckling a little bit, Tsunami said, "It would figure that Misaki would punish someone that severely for such a petty thing." "Yeah, it does sound pretty silly and severe." said Ranma joining in chuckling. "So what is it you would like to know about him?" asked Tsunami. "Well, I was sorta wondering if there was a way to undo what that woman Misaki did to him. Even I wouldn't do anything like that to him. Nobody deserves that." said Ranma. Nodding, Tsunami said, "I agree. I will show you how to undo what has been done to him. Once you finish with him, he will once again be able to use Jurian energy as well as revert to a more normal age for a Jurian. However the damage has been done. As such he will return to an age equivalent to the human age of around 35." "Wow, that's a heck of a facelift." said Ranma. "Not really. In Jurian years, that would be around five hundred years old. It's amazing he survived this long without the water of life and the power of Jurai." said Tsunami. Nodding, Ranma said, "Yeah, he developed some way to use human life energy to keep himself alive. I think that's one of the big reasons he's always running around collecting women's undergarments." "Well, after you are done he will no longer have a need to do that. Just make sure he knows not to do it any longer. You can tell him I said so." said Tsunami. Nodding, Ranma said, "Ok then. How do I fix what was done to him?" "First you must..." began Tsunami. ******************* Deep in the far reaches of space, an entity of darkness lumbered forward. It's body and power gathered, it was ready to make the long journey to where the little hawk was. Twin glowing pools of crimson floated among the dark mass. A nearby asteroid began to crumble as it came in contact with the body of Deus. *I am coming little Hawk. I will complete what I began all those years ago. Your power will be my mistresses while your body and mind will be mine.* The dark shape continued to lumber forward. Nothing would stand in it's way this time. This time it would accomplish it's mission. ******************* Meanwhile... Nabiki thought about the offer presented before her. She'd be able to get her revenge as well as gain untold amounts of power. Enough that would allow her to do whatever she wanted. The part about having an extended life also greatly appealed to her. However there was one drawback. She'd have to serve this Lady Tokimi. She asked about that but the only answer she received was that Tokimi would only require her services occasionally. The offer sounded very promising. In her lust for revenge, she wasn't able to take into account the full ramifications of her actions. As such, she looked up at Lady Tokimi and nodded. "I accept." she said. Lady Tokimi nodded and smiled. "Prepare yourself Nabiki Tendo. I shall impart upon you a portion of my power." said Tokimi. A circle of energy appeared below Nabiki. Looking down she only had a brief moment to contemplate it before a beam of power rushed upwards. Her world exploded into a unimaginable power. It seeped into her very pores. It was ecstasy in it's most purest of forms. Soon the wave of power died away to leave a new Nabiki. Her appearance had altered slightly. She was slightly taller and more muscular. Not as much as her late sister but enough to define her shape better. Her hair had lengthened to just below her shoulder blades. Looking back up at Lady Tokimi, Nabiki nodded in approval. Her eyes, now an emerald green locked onto Tokimi's own eyes. "I approve of the changes my lady." she said. Lady Tokimi smiled. The girl in front of her was easy to manipulate. Promise her revenge, power, with an extended life and the girl easily fell into her trap. She granted this girl power but failed to mention the little extra she threw in with it. The compulsion to serve and obey her. Yes, the girl would do very nicely to distract her niece/nephew while Deus made it's way to Earth. "You are welcome my child. Now go and rest. Tomorrow you begin your training in the power I gave you." said Tokimi. Clicking her heels together, Nabiki bowed. "I shall my lady. Thank You." Turning, Nabiki walked to the door where a servant was there to meet her. From the door, the servant would show Nabiki her quarters. Back in the room where Lady Tokimi's image floated, D3 appeared. "Have her begin training in the power I bestowed upon her tomorrow." said Tokimi. "As you command, My Lady." replied D3. D3 faded away. All that remained was the large red jewel. The image of Tokimi began fading as well. Lady Tokimi smiled to herself. Within the month, Nabiki's training would be complete and her plans would begin. ******************* Back in Nerima... Nodoka and Kasumi continued toward the Ucchan's. They were only about a block away and Nodoka had still not calmed down that much. Kasumi was worried and wanted to know what had upset Nodoka so much. She knew from personal experience that it took a bit to upset Ranma's mother. She also wondered why they didn't bring Nabiki with them. The two walked in relative silence. Soon they arrived at Ucchan's. Nodoka stepped up to the door and knocked loudly. She waited a few moments before knocking again. Every so often she would check to make sure nobody was around. Inside the restaurant, a sleeping chef awoke to the sound of someone pounding on her door. Pulling herself out of bed, she threw on a robe and headed for the stairs. Stepping down off the last stair, Ukyo grumbled, "I'm coming! I'm coming! Hold your horses!" Peeking out the window, Ukyo woke fully up at the sight she saw. Nodoka and Kasumi, standing at her door with what looked to be some personal items, waiting for her to answer the door. What really grabbed her attention was the sword she'd seen earlier that evening. It was out and Nodoka was holding it as if to defend herself. Quickly Ukyo rushed over and opened the door. "Come in." she said. As soon as Nodoka and Kasumi were inside, Ukyo closed the door. Locking it first, she turned and watched as Nodoka calmed considerably. Something was upsetting the woman and Ukyo wanted to know. The look on Kasumi's face indicated she didn't know what was going on either. "Grab yourselves a seat while I go make some tea." said Ukyo. Nodoka nodded and stepped over to a booth. Kasumi followed and sat opposite Nodoka. The two waited for a few moments while Ukyo quickly made some tea. It wasn't long before Ukyo returned. She set three cups of tea down on the table before sitting herself. Nodoka took a sip of tea to calm her nerves. She'd need to be strong to relate what happened to the two girls. She just hoped that Kasumi wouldn't be too upset over it. Setting her cup down, Nodoka said, "I'm sorry to be bothering you this late Ukyo. However circumstances forced me to come and seek your help." "What's going on Auntie?" asked Ukyo. "Yes Auntie. What happened?" asked Kasumi looking at Ukyo oddly. *When did Ukyo begin calling Nodoka Auntie?* she wondered. Sighing, Nodoka began to speak, "Earlier while I slept , I was attacked in my room." Both Kasumi and Ukyo gasped. "Are you alright?" they both asked. "Yes, I am fine. I'm afraid I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my son." said Nodoka. "How so Auntie?" asked Kasumi. Smiling at the young girls, Nodoka laid the katana on the table. "Before Ranma left, he made me this sword." said Nodoka. "Oh My. It's beautiful. Ranma-kun really made this?" said Kasumi. "Yes it is beautiful and yes he did make this for me." replied Nodoka. Glancing at the sword a moment, Ukyo asked, "So what does the sword have to do with Ranchan saving you?" Studying the two girls a moment, Nodoka sighed, "I suppose I'll have to tell you a little bit about my son that only a handful know about. You see, my son has no father." "What? How can he not have a father?" asked Ukyo. "Yes, how can Ranma-kun not have one." agreed Kasumi. "You see girls, back when I was trying to have a child, I found out that Genma was not able to father children. I was praying one night for a child and was visited by a beautiful hawk." said Nodoka. "LIke the one on the sword?" asked Ukyo. "Yes dear. The hawk looked just like this one." she said indicating the etchings of the hawk. "Oh My." said Kasumi. "As I was saying, I was visited by the hawk. It told me that it was the essence of a child that had perished millennia ago and it had been traveling throughout the universe over those many long years. It heard my prayer and wished to help me." said Nodoka. "Wait a minute. This hawk was really the essence of some child from another planet?" said Ukyo. "Yes. You see, their species live for a very long time. However the child had been killed by some darkness while it was only 5 years old." said Nodoka. "Oh my. How terrible." said Kasumi. "Well, I agreed to let it help me. It entered my body and brought life to my womb using one of my eggs. Nine months later I gave birth to a healthy baby boy. I named him Ranma." said Nodoka. "Wow. Ranchan was born because of a hawk from another planet? What about the hawk's parents? Wouldn't Ranchan still have a mother and a father from before?" asked Ukyo. Smiling, Nodoka said, "No. You see, his other mother apparently was a goddess of some sort. She gave birth to him without the need for a father." Both Ukyo and Kasumi stared at Nodoka. One thought raced through both their heads. *Ranma is the child of a Goddess!* "So Ranma has two mothers. Myself as well as his first mother. Ranma considers both of us his mother and himself as our child." said Nodoka. "Wow." said Ukyo, obviously awed. "Oh My." stated Kasumi. "Now that you know a little more about Ranma, I can tell you the rest of what happened. You see, when Ranma made this sword, I believe he somehow connected it to himself. Earlier when I was attacked, the sword was glowing purple and floating in midair about a little over an inch above my neck." said Nodoka. "What!" yelled Ukyo. "Please calm down dear. As I was saying, the sword was frozen just above my neck. Apparently the attacker was trying to cut my head off with my own weapon. It would seem Ranma stopped the attacker from succeeding. He woke me up by using the sword to talk to me." said Nodoka. "So the sword is connected to Ranma-kun?" asked Kasumi. "Yes dear. Once I awoke, I found the sword near my neck and I rolled out of the way to one of the walls. When I looked into the room, I saw the sword floating there while my attacker on the other side of it. My son told me I was in danger so I grabbed the sword just before my attacker tried to escape. Fortunately I was able to stop them at the door. It was there I unmasked them." said Nodoka. "So who attacked you?" asked Ukyo. "Yes Auntie. Who was it?" asked Kasumi. Sighing, Nodoka took a long sip of her tea. Looking at the two girls, she felt terrible for having to do this. Especially to Kasumi. "Kasumi dear. I'm afraid you will not like what I'm about to say." said Nodoka. Slightly worried, Kasumi asked, "What do you mean Auntie?" "Dear, the person who attacked me was Nabiki" said Nodoka. "Oh My. Why would Nabiki do such a thing?" said Kasumi, her voice obviously alarmed. "Before she left, she turned back and told me she'd have her revenge for Akane. She believes Ranma allowed Akane to die." said Nodoka. A few tears began to make their way down Kasumi's Face. Ukyo scooted closer and wrapped the girl in a hug. That was enough for Kasumi to bury her head into the young chef's shoulder and begin to cry. "Shhh... It's alright sugar. Just let it all out." said Ukyo. "I'm afraid I have more to tell you two." said Nodoka. Looking over at Nodoka, Ukyo asked, "What more is there?" "Ranma wanted me to bring Kasumi here for tonight so we'd all be safe. Tomorrow he wanted all three of us to join him at where he is staying." said Nodoka. Sniffling, Kasumi looked up, "You mean Ranma-kun doesn't blame me for Nabiki's behavior?" "No dear. Whatever made you think that?" asked Nodoka. Bowing her head, Kasumi said, "I should have seen what was happening. It's my fault that I didn't see that Nabiki blamed Ranma-kun for Akane's death." Reaching across the table, Nodoka took Kasumi's hands in her own. Kasumi looked up to see Nodoka smiling at her. "It's not your fault dear. I suspected she blamed Ranma and was going to attempt something. Just remember that she made her own choice. It's not your fault." Nodding a little, Kasumi sniffled again. "Where's Nabiki now?" she asked. "I don't know dear. She ran out of the house after I unmasked her. Before I got you, I left a note for your father and Genma about what happened. I don't believe she'll return to the house but my son wanted to make sure we were safe." said Nodoka. "That's so kind of him to think of my safety." said Kasumi. "Me too sugar. I still can't believe Nabiki would do something like that. It's just not like her." said Ukyo. "I don't know either. She seemed fine when I told her dinner was ready." said Kasumi. "I believe we will all feel much better after some sleep. Tomorrow we can set out to where my son is staying." said Nodoka. "What about Nabiki? What if she tries again?" asked Ukyo. "Don't worry dear. My son said the sword would protect us. That he'd make sure of it. However I do believe we should take some extra precautions before turning in. Lock the doors and windows. Make sure things are secure. That sort of thing." said Nodoka. "Don't worry about that. This place is pretty secure. You live in this area long enough and you'll invest in materials that are stronger than normal." said Ukyo. "Very Well. Now why don't we all turn in. It's been a long night and we will need our strength for tomorrow." said Nodoka. Receiving nods all around, the three ladies traveled upstairs where they secured the door. Ukyo pulled out two extra futons for Nodoka and Kasumi to sleep on. The three laid down and prepared to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day. ******************* Ranma smiled at his mother. She just explained what that lady Misaki did and how to undo it. Tomorrow he'd talk to Happosai about it. Feeling something along the link to the sword, Ranma closed his eyes and checked it. A moment later he opened his eyes and smiled. "They made it." he said. Smiling, Tsunami said, "That is good. I am happy my co-mother is safe." Ranma simply nodded. "Now son, would you like to continue or would you like to return to your body and rest?" asked Tsunami. "Um... what about Sasami?" asked Ranma. Smiling, Tsunami said, "She is fine. Currently she is sleeping. The link can be maintained until I release it." Nodding, Ranma closed his eyes and concentrated. His body flared briefly before it calmed down and his female form stood there. Looking up at her mother, Ranma said, "Um... If it's alright with you, I'd like to rest, but... well... I was wondering if we could rest together. Sorta a sleepover kind of thing." Blinking, Tsunami smiled. Waving her hand, a plush bed grew from the water. Stepping over to it, she sat upon it. Ranma joined her shortly after. They both lay down facing one another. Yawning, Ranma said, "This training tired me out." Smiling, Tsunami said, "Yes, it will for the time being as you begin to use your power more and more. However eventually you will be able to use it all you want and not tire as much." Closing her eyes, Ranma said, "That's good to know." Tsunami pulled her child into herself so that the two were cuddled up together. Ranma resisted slightly at first but relented and soon snuggled deeper into her mother's embrace. Half asleep, Ranma muttered, "I love you mom." Leaning down, Tsunami kissed her child's forehead. "I love you too." Soon the two settled down and fell asleep. Mother and sometimes daughter cuddled up and rested after a eventful time of training and saving others. ******************* Meanwhile... A young amazon female sat in her room brooding. She wasn't able to find any sign of her airen today. However there was always tomorrow. He couldn't escape forever. And when she found him, she would show him once and for all his place. Yes, tomorrow she would begin anew. ******************* To Be Continued... ******************* Authors Notes: Ranma's at the Masaki shrine and the residents have heard the story. But are they ready for more than just words? And what of Happi, the ancient lecher of nightmares? Will he repent his ways in order to regain what he lost all those years ago? What about Cologne? How will she feel if Happi is granted a reprieve. How will everyone react to more visitors showing up the next day. All this and more in the next chapter of: Child of the Goddess!
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Child of the Goddess
Chapter 07: Chapter 6
By: Gekigengar3
** = Thoughts