Prologue - History Repeats (With a Vengence)

Mamoru Chiba had gotten off his plane from China more than two hours previous, and only now was he getting out of customs. Apparently someone had brought something questionable through, and they'd only just gotten everything sorted out. He'd been in America originally, but… circumstances… had forced him to go to the hinterlands of China. Mostly for training. He ran a hand through his hair, which now hung just a shade past his shoulders.

Stepping into the airport proper he glanced idly about, not seeing Usagi anywhere, not that that was a surprise, given he hadn't told anyone he was coming back just yet. You could never tell just what Ami's computer could tell her though, so he had to be careful, and act fast if he was to handle his business before she got wind he was back.

As he hit the street and hailed a taxi, he made his decision, and directed the cabbie to the house of a dear old friend.

---

Mamoru smiled at Motoki, and raised his glass, water, to his friend. "Thanks for putting me up for a few days."

Motoki smiled. "No problem. With Reika out of town, I've got space for a bit. Not to mention I could use the company."

Mamoru grinned, "Well, I'll try to keep out of your hair, and find a place of my own before too long here."

Motoki then looked at friend a little strangely. "You and Usagi have another fight Mamoru? I would think she'd be all over you now that you're back."

Mamoru blinked, then smiled. "No. I just haven't told her I'm back yet. I want to surprise her with it. But… It'll take a few days to set up. Can you keep it a secret 'till then?"

Motoki grinned and ran a hand through his blond hair. "Sure. Hey, Mamoru?"

"Hmm?"

Motoki gave him another strange look. "I hope you don't mind me saying this, but you seem... different."

Mamoru looked startled. "Oh?"

Motoki shook his head. "Not 'bad' different… just… I don't know… more relaxed, I guess."

Mamoru gave a wry grin. "It would figure, considering I'm more nervous now than I've been in years."

"The reunion with Usagi?"

Mamoru shifted. "Yeah." That and everything that goes with it. "Hey, I've got another stop to make, can we pick this up later?"

Motoki smiled. "Sure, see you later."

Mamoru waved behind him as he headed out the door and onto the street.

---

Ranma Saotome wiped some nervous sweat off his palms and knocked on the door to an unassuming house in downtown Odaiba, the quieter side of the Minato ward (as opposed to the still relatively monster ridden Juuban). A woman in her mid-to-late-thirties answered the door. "Hello…"

As she caught sight of him, her eyes widened, rolled back up into her head, and she collapsed, forcing him to catch her before he hit the floor inside.

"Took that better than I thought she would." Ranma mumbled.

"Kasumi? Who's at the door…?" Tofu Ono stopped and trailed off as he looked at the young man in the doorway.

Ranma finished picking up Kasumi, and gave the doctor a nervous grin. "It's been a while, huh?"

Tofu nodded and gestured for Ranma to bring Kasumi inside with him. "Yes it has, hasn't it? May I ask what happened? You don't seem to have aged more than a year or two in the last… what? Twenty years?"

Ranma shrugged. "Eighteen or nineteen, I think. Don't really remember it all."

The doctor raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Ranma shifted uncomfortably. "It has to do with how it happened."

Tofu sighed. "Do you know about…?"

"The others? Yeah… I ran into Nabiki about three months ago."

"I wouldn't think Nabiki would do anything other than yell at you all things considered."

Ranma grinned a little self-consciously. "Well, she couldn't exactly yell at me when I found her. Couldn't let her business associates see her loose control. And later… well she was calm enough to at least listen by then."

Ono nodded. "So what did happen? You seem… calmer, more mature."

Ranma sighed. "It's a long story."

"We have plenty of those, no?"

Ranma sighed. "Fair enough. But let's wait for Kasumi to wake up first, okay?"

Tofu nodded. The next ten minutes until Kasumi regained consciousness were a little tense, mostly just Tofu attempting to update Ranma on what had happened to the wrecking crew after he'd disappeared, and Ranma interrupting with what he'd learned from Nabiki. Then, with both staring at him, he started.

"Well, I suppose, to you guys, I just disappeared one night, right?"

With their answering nods, he continued.

---

Ranma looked up at the night sky, noting the full moon, and grateful for it. If he'd read the note right, he was pretty sure the old ghoul would be making one last ploy for him to marry Shampoo this evening. He'd need the extra light, as this was likely to come down to a fight. He wasn't sure how he knew that it would be the last, he just did. The entire thing held a hint of finality.

The old ghoul pogoed on her staff out into the lot. "Hello, Ranma."

He was instantly on alert. She wasn't calling him son-in-law at the moment. Trouble. "Whadda ya want, ya old ghoul?"

She sighed. "You are in something of an interesting situation at the moment, Ranma. The Council of Elders has made a decision regarding you."

Ranma fought off the urge to fall into a battle stance. "Oh?"

Cologne grimaced. "For the defeat of Saffron, you are granted a boon, not one we give lightly." She gently tossed him a small object. He moved to bat it out of his way, but it exploded and sent several tiny lightning bolts into his system. For a moment, he felt gut-wrenching pain, then he only felt… off. Not bad, just… off. The he felt abnormally strong, like his ki got a sudden boost of amazing proportions.

"There appears one of those every five hundred years in Jusenkyo. Normally we are forced to fight off both the Phoenix and the Musk for it, but this time, thanks to you, we obtained it relatively unopposed."

Ranma patted himself suspiciously. "What is it?"

"A cure."

Ranma's eyes bulged. Cologne pulled out a small flask of water and through it at him, sending him into shock as for the first time in over a year, he didn't change.

So he didn't properly register it as Cologne blurred - until he felt a burning pain in his back, one he'd only felt once before. He collapsed to his knees in shock. Cologne continued to speak. "Unfortunately, the same power that grants you that boon makes you a threat to us, and our way of life - not to mention how many of our techniques you know."

"Damn you." Being a girl sometimes he could handle, he'd more or less resigned himself to it by now, but weakness?

He heard her chuckle. "Don't worry too much Ranma. It's not quite the same as Happi's technique - which means the good doctor won't have the slightest clue on how to fix it - it just prevents you from ever consciously accessing your ki again. You're still strong, just nowhere near as strong as you used to be. But then there's still the matter of your knowledge of our techniques…"

---

"And I didn't remember a thing after that until a couple of months ago."

Kasumi looked at him in wonder. "You don't have any idea what happened to you?"

Ranma blinked. "What? No. I've been able to piece some things together since then, but I don't know for sure just yet. I just didn't remember anything before then.

"I think Cologne used her memory shampoo on me. And then, maybe those mushrooms of Ryoga's, or something different, to turn me into a baby. Then she just dumped me outside an orphanage."

Dr. Tofu nodded. "No memories, very young, and I assume Cologne's ki block was in place?"

Ranma nodded. "Yeah. I've gotten rid of it by accident since, but since I didn't know what to train for, or even how to center myself, it didn't matter, you know?"

The Onos nodded. Kasumi spoke up. "Is that why you didn't come home right away? Retraining?"

Ranma pulled at his pigtail a little. "Well, that and I was on a college scholarship. Couldn't just up and leave right away."

Tofu grinned, and Kasumi clapped once in delight. "Oh, wonderful. What's your major?"

Ranma blushed a little. "Um… medicine."

Tofu rolled his eyes. "Looking for a paid internship, are we?"

Ranma glared. "Hey! It's not like that! I wanted to see you guys too." Then he mumbled. "But, maybe… if you wanted me to…"

The older man smiled. "It's okay Ranma. I understand. Besides, the clinic is getting a little too popular for Kasumi and I to handle alone." He gave Ranma a sidelong glance. "You do still remember the shiatsu I taught you, right?"

Ranma grinned. "Of course."

Kasumi smiled. "Oh… it seems like the entire family is getting into medicine now. Maybe Nabiki will go back to school too, hm?"

Ranma rolled his eyes. "I don't think so, Kasumi. She seemed pretty content running that casino in Vegas."

Tofu was quiet for a moment with a grin at the thought of Nabiki, and Kasumi smiled. "Still, between you and Akane, It is almost the whole family. Say… if you were a child, and obviously adopted, what's your name now?"

Ranma blinked, gave a light blush, and scratched the back of his head. "Oh, right. I'm Mamoru Chiba now."

---

A little over an hour later, Ranma stepped out into the streets of Odaiba, and pulled his hair out of the pig tail, letting it hang loose.

A couple of blocks later, he was sprinting across the rooftops, headed back into Juuban.

With that little piece of history taken care of, he was off to his next destination, back to Motoki's. Hopefully Nabiki would come through for him and arrange for 'Mamoru' to inherit all of 'Ranma's' things, including his mother's house.

He closed his eyes for a moment in mid leap for silent remembrance.

An explosion in the distance, and a faint psychic tug, and he abruptly altered his course, heading for the disturbance. He mentally grabbed the tendril of magic hanging there in his mind, and felt his clothing swiftly change to a tuxedo between one stride and the next.

Grunting in disgust, he sent a command to his ki, and felt reality warp around him once more, changing the Tuxedo Mask costume for the uniform for the Prince of Earth.

Much better. Actual armor that was only slightly dorky, no top hat or mask. The cane was traded in for a much more useful, if rarely used, sword. The flower bit was still there, but as degrading as it was for a warrior of his caliber, at least he could make it useful when coupled with a variant of Ryoga's iron cloth. The cape was still there too, but it would come in handy if he needed some quick bandages or the more advanced umi-sen-ken techniques. He formed a small ball of ki in one hand as he closed, and noted its strength.

Hmm. Best to keep it low key for now. No sense in revealing everything to the enemy.

He nodded to himself. The story would be true enough. Hard training. Now that he had enough ki to light a city block for a year, it'd be easy enough to duplicate the binding rose thing he'd learned in the dark kingdom.

He grimaced. The bad thing about having all his memories back was that they were all back, including the ones he would have preferred remain buried.

Back to the subject. Have to define my 'limits' before I get there.

Pumped up rose, rose restraint, low level ki blast (Note to self, come up with corny name)…

He glanced at himself and nodded. He'd come up with something fancy for the sword, too (and another corny name to go with it). He almost laughed. The girls were supposedly the stronger, but only because he'd had no real idea how to use his powers.

They had attacks, but he had pure power, just no idea how to channel it before.

Mamoru grinned in exhilaration as he dove off the roof at full sprint.

---

Usagi was not having a good day from where she struggled in its one handed hold around her body. The monster they were fighting was not only strong, but she was really getting pissed at its hands, which were getting a little grabby.

All six of them, which meant it could easily fend off her friends while holding her hostage.

"HAHAHAHA - AAAAHHHH!"

She blinked as a sword that wasn't Uranus's sheared through the monster's wrist like nothing. Then, before she could hit the ground, she was scooped in another set of arms, these ones much more agreeable.

"Endymon!"

He smiled at her as he set her down, a warm, heartfelt smile. "It's good to see you princess…" It then changed to a somewhat unfamiliar cocky smirk. It was strange, because even though he only usually looked like that when under the control of the enemy, she could still see the warmth in his eyes, where coldness would be there in the case of brainwashing. "But I have something to take care of before our reunion."

She gazed at his fluttering cape as he drew his sword and attacked the enemy, the other senshi remaining shocked at his unexpected appearance. The look in his eyes combined with that smirk… she shut her legs involuntarily. It had excited her.

Mamoru exchanged a few blows with the creature before leaping back and letting a golden light fill his unoccupied hand.

"Smoking bomber!"

The small golden globe of light flew across the distance between the two and impacted with a large explosion, leaving the monster burnt and smoldering.

Mamoru stood gazing out as the monster, holding his sword almost loosely in one hand. Then he pulled back and around, bringing the sword up high, it glowing with golden energy. "Flash cut!" In the next instant, he was in front of the monster, post swing, a golden arc still in the air from the blow. The energy faded as the monster crumbled to dust.

Mamoru stood calmly, turned back to her and smiled again. He crossed deftly between her still silent friends, Setsuna included oddly enough, and made his way to her.

"Are you hurt?"

Usagi shook her head, not trusting her voice. Then he did something that completely shocked her.

He crushed her to his body and gave her a long, soul-searching kiss. She felt her arms slide up around his neck almost unconsciously.

There came a cough from behind them, and Usagi almost groaned in disappointment, but managed to contain it. She could not however, contain the full body blush that came over her as her friends began their brutal questioning.

---

A few days later, Mamoru picked up his mail and started going through it, when he noticed a letter from Nabiki. After reading it once, he read it again.

And a third time.

And a fourth, and a fifth.

Then, he surreptitiously checked all around his empty apartment for party crashers, before he allowed himself to collapse and weep like a little girl.

The letter read as follows:

Saotome:

I got you registered as your own heir. As far as the government (and anyone who wouldn't be able to take the truth) knows, you're Ranma's son, mother unknown. Strange, but anyone who knew you back then would understand.

I also did some checking into your marital status.

The Tendo arrangement has passed down to Akane's daughter, one Mizuno Ami. As I said, Akane married Shinosuke, before he promptly forgot the whole thing and wandered back to Ryugenzawa. This prompted Akane's foray into medical school, trying to cure him.

The Kounji engagement is passed down through Ukyo and Ryoga's daughter, Kino Makoto. Ukyo was forced to change her name to regain her womanhood, a few years before her father accepted her back. She kept the new name out of spite though. Currently, she's lost with Ryoga, and neither has been seen in years.

When the Kuno family was disgraced and all three were institutionalized by the combined efforts of five wards SWAT teams, the result of your father's stupidity passed to their cousins, the Hino family. Specifically, one Hino Rei.

Apparently, Kaori Daijkoku didn't have the authority to anul the engagement. It's passed to her daughter, Aino Minako.

I sent a message to the Amazons, who have quickly reasserted their claim. But in being 'generous' they've narrowed it down to a Japanese descendent who's still loyal apparently. Tenoh Haruka.

Your 'arrangement' with Chardin Picolet stuck, in the form of Kaio Michuru.

After your neko-ken training, your father needed to heal you on the sly, because your wounds were too serious to take to a hospital without too many questions. This never came up before because the man didn't have a child then, but does now. Tomoe Hotaru.

This one's a little sketchy, but it's in the system nonetheless. Apparently your father called down the wrath of some greater being during your training trip. How it got into government records is beyond me, but he offered you as married to the god Pluto (considered married to the church as a priest before you go off the deep end, Saotome), who deferred to his high priestess Meio Setsuna, as an actual marriage contract.

The last stain on your honor seems to be your mother's fault. A contract with the Tsukino clan was made, but it's passed from one 'Ikuko' to her daughter Usagi.

And apparently they're all where you're staying. Juuban.

Glad I'm in Vegas because no profit would make me want to be there when this shit hits the fan,

Nabiki