Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½, nor do I claim to. That's kinda the point of a disclaimer. Now that I've bothered you enough ... ON WITH THE LEMON!
Chapter one Everyone gets a turn.
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OOOOO
Seventeen years later ...
Zen overlooked the water as in traveled down the stream. His father had told him that they were having company tonight. Zen couldn't shake the feeling that is father was hiding something from him.
Zen looked into his reflection in the water and smiled as he saw is purple headed face smile back. Mom had gotten very frustrated during his training today and had to call it off early. She had been doing that a lot lately since Zen's skills were growing rapidly. Zen knew that his mother would soon be trying to arrange a marriage for him. She was starting to get that "I want grand babies" look.
Zen stood up, stretched, and promptly fell over as a voice spoke up behind him.
"Excuse me. Could you tell me the way to the Amazon village?"
Zen turned and looked at the stranger and then over the stranger's shoulders to where the first houses of the village were easily visible. Zen returned to looking into the young man's eyes and saw the honest questioning there. He could only point and watch as the guy thanked him and walked off.
It wasn't until after the young man was gone that Zen realized that the guy's face was the same as the one Zen had just seen in the stream.
OOOOO
Ryoma was lost, again. He knew that his pop's would be mad, and Ryoma cringed at the thought of his Father's anger as well. Ryoma's life was strange. It always had been. It had also always been tough. He family's dark past and secrets would soon come to light and he would soon meet potential allies and rivals the like of which were straight out of both his fathers' stories.
If only he could find this Shampoo or her family. He had yet to see a woman with purple hair, only that guy that looked about his age.
Ryoma stopped in his tracks, cursed himself an idiot and turned around ... right into Zen's running form.
Zen fell to the ground and was about to apologize when he noticed that he had found the guy that looked so similar to him. Zen decided to ask questions first.
"Who are you? What business do you have here?"
Ryoma looked into Zen's face and realized all the confirmation he needed in the guy's looks.
"Would you believe I'm your long lost brother?"
Zen narrowed his eyes before he responded, all the while standing and getting into a fighting stance.
"One, that's not funny. Two, the only way that could be true would mean I'd have to kill you. You're Ranma Saotome's son are you?"
Ryoma looked at the battle stance and was confused. Why did this guy want to fight? Ryoma was currently overjoyed at finally meeting one of his siblings. Ryoma attempted to calm Zen down and some how performed the Saotome Foot in Mouth Technique, patent pending of course.
"Yes, aren't you?"
Ryoma barely saw Zen move to strike before the men were both fighting for their lives. Ryoma could feel the rage pouring from the other young man and was afraid that this guy might actually kill him, or worse Ryoma might hurt him.
This was the scene that Mousse found as he had come looking for his son. It only took a glance to realize who the young man was fighting his boy. Mousse might have feared mistaking them from each other except Shampoo had taken him to get his eyes fixed in Hong Kong on their first wedding anniversary.
Mousse took a deep breath and sighed. He knew that he should have told Zen the truth about the guests when he learned they were coming. Truth be told, until last year he might have joined his son on this fight for vengeance, but last year he had seen Ryouga again for the first time since before leaving Nerima.
Mousse had been glad to see an old friend and ally, but was soon enraged to learn that Ranma had asked Ryouga to come. One massive fight later and several drinks at a local bar afterwards, Mousse had finally learned the answer to the question that everyone in Nerima had asked after it had happened.
Where had Ranma Saotome gone and why?
After hearing the full story from Ryouga and seeing pictures that could only confirm the horror story he was told, he was given the shock of his life when he realized that it could have been him. It could have been Mousse and not Ryouga who had finally driven Ranma away.
Mousse heard the story of the broken man that Ranma had become. Heard of how only the strength of his mother, who Ranma had actually kidnapped out of Nerima after he had already left, had given him the strength to go on. And finally he heard of Ryouga's and Ranma's first meeting again after six years and the results of the meeting.
Mousse shook his head out of his memories, and returned to watching his son try to kill his own brother. This wouldn't do.
Zen barely recognized the chains that suddenly bound him but paused when he noticed his opponent was tied up as well. Zen followed the chain to the eyes of his father and saw the unspoken command to step down. Zen nodded to the man that he loved more than life itself.
"Yes Father."
Ryoma blinked as he could actually hear the respect and love in that word. Ryoma let out a sigh of relief and plopped onto the ground.
Mousse turned towards his son as he released them both.
"I'm sorry son. I should have told you last night who our guests were. I was afraid of how you would react. Ryouga Hibiki and Nodoka Saotome are at our house now. Your mother was taking a walk, and talking ... with him. Ranma is here, invited and welcome."
Zen couldn't believe his ears.
"Welcome? What the hell do you mean welcome. That honorless bast-"
Zen never saw Ryoma move. Neither had Mousse. Mousse realized that here before him was potentially the greatest martial artist of a coming generation. He possessed the natural berserker power and unstoppable strength of Ryouga Hibiki, as well as the natural speed and talent of the greatest martial artist that Mousse had ever seen, Ranma Saotome.
He also had Ranma's pride and Zen had just ...
"Ryoma. My son does not understand as of yet what happened seventeen years ago. Release him so that he can have a chance to find out ... or you die where you stand."
Ryoma found the soul of ice hiding in the corner of his mind and used it to calm down and release Zen when he heard the threat. His fathers had both told him just how dangerous Mousse could be when protecting a loved one.
"I'm sorry."
Ryoma bowed more out of respect for his fathers' friend than out of apology.
Zen turned from his father to this new boy, Ryoma his father called him, and realized how close to death he had just come. Over his rage, over his pride, over even the torment of questions flooding his mind, one thought won out and earned it's place at the front of brain.
Finally a challenge.
OOOOO
Across the village, Cologne felt the shiver down his spine and just knew that it was Zen. It always was these days. If not demanding a girlfriend that was his equal, then it was his insufferable ability to absorb techniques like a sponge.
Cologne looked over at Ranma as he sat with Shampoo and remembered back to last year when Mousse had come and told Cologne and Shampoo of Hibiki's tale. The saddest part was not that it explained the missing pieces of the mystery, but that they had decided not to tell Zen yet. Zen's hatred of Ranma rivaled anything Mousse held in his youth.
As the chill didn't go away too quickly, another thought entered her mind as she observed Ranma. Your turn to train the boy, I'm out of things to teach.
OOOOO
Zen followed his father and Ryoma as they made their way towards their home. Zen looked at the man who had raised him as his own after Ranma had abandoned Shampoo. She had returned disgraced and dishonored, as well as carrying Ranma's child, him.
His father's love had shown it's true strength and power as he had taken to treating the boy as his own son, even while Zen's mother still rejected him.
She had finally broken down, and Mousse had been there. He stopped chasing her. He stopped yelling out for her. He stopped being a child. Mousse had grown up. He became her strength and returned to being her friend. All the while he had been the father that Zen knew had abandoned them both. Zen was over joyed when his mother finally asked Mousse to marry her. Even when his sister Lu Xian was born, Mousse still loved Zen no less.
Zen looked over his father's shoulder to see some woman holding his sister. There was a man there that Mousse waved towards and identified as Ryouga. Mousse smirked and started in on his old friend as they drew near.
"I must say Ryouga, this is your son all right. I got to the other side of the village, lost, and never saw it once."
Ryouga inclined his head forward and decided to enter the verbal war, as Mousse had thrown done the gauntlet.
"I guess the girls in this village don't catch a guys eye like they use to. Oh, that's right, you men act more like women then they do."
Mousse grinned and shook his head. He had long out grown cultural barbs like that and was pleased to see that Ryouga had done what was once believed impossible and learned to control his temper.
Mousse turned to his daughter and there was suddenly a dagger in his hands. Nodoka froze and looked at the weapon in fear, until the girl in her arm spoke.
"Ooh, pretty."
Nodoka found that the girl was suddenly out of her hands and was currently in her father's arms holding the dagger like a girl with a new doll. After a moment Nodoka realized that that was just what she was seeing, albeit with a cultural twist. The child was an amazon after all.
Lu Xian looked at the new weapon her father had given her. It was of a silver iron ore mix that had a tiger fang handle with a couple of sapphires set for appearance. Her father had trained her how to care for weapons her whole life, and it was rare gifts like this that showed how much he trusted her skill.
Zen walked over and started naming the wrong parts to the blade to tease her so that she would have to correct him. Copper blade with a stone handle indeed.
Nodoka saw the momentary look of longing in Ryoma's eyes. She knew how lonely the boy was, and how much finally meeting his siblings meant to him. She truly hoped that Ranma finally had the strength to face what was coming.
That was why they were here. If Ranma couldn't face one son, then he could never face what awaited him in Nerima. Nodoka thought back to her husband and once again hoped that he had forgiven her for disappearing when the Tendo sisters would need her so much. It had been a had choice, but she realized her son needed her more. She only hoped that Genma followed her wishes in her departure letter and took care of the girls.
OOOOO
Genma rolled over in bed and realized that he wasn't alone. He looked over to the woman in her night clothes beside him and rolled his eyes as he sat up. He waited for her to open her eyes as she woke up before he spoke.
"I know I didn't go to bed drunk last night and I can tell nothing happened. Would you care to explain what you are doing in here this time?"
The woman wasn't a morning person but was too interested in the game to give in. She sat up as she spoke in a whisper.
"What's wrong? Don't you like waking up next to a beautiful, willing, sexually frustrated woman?"
Genma allowed the woman to finish her little show with a light kiss on his lips. This wasn't the first time this happened and he didn't think it was the last. He sighed as he got up and got his bathroom supplies.
"I'm a married man, and despite what you say I still believe that Nodoka will come back someday. I did."
The woman looked at the man before her and sighed a little.
"Genma, you were gone about ten years and you always wrote her during that time. She has been gone for over sixteen years and has never sent a letter after the one she left."
Genma paused at the door.
"She has her reasons if I'm right. I will not force her to return before they're ready, nor will I give her a reason not to return. I'll see you at breakfast, Nabiki."
Nabiki rolled over and went back to sleep. He had turned her down again, and worse still got up so blasted early. Nabiki quickly thought about joining him in the bath, but disregarded it. Nabiki didn't need her daughter catching her throwing herself at Genma like that, again.
She cared for the man dearly, but his sense of honor was just staggering. The one time she had sneaked into his bed in the nude, he had decided to sleep on the roof, for a month. At least she had no doubts that he found her attractive. Now a days, this was more of a game than a serious attempt to win Genma's heart, or at least his bed.
Nabiki thought back to the morning that they discovered Nodoka missing and the letter left behind. It was vague about where she was going, or with who, but there was no doubt in anyone's mind where she went. She was with Ranma, where ever he was, and he was somehow in more trouble than three pregnant Tendo daughters carrying her grandchildren. Her letter begged two thing of Genma, to give her time and not look for her, and to provide for the Tendo's.
At the time Nabiki had felt betrayed that the mother figured they had known had left them and had even scoffed at the idea of Genma being a provider.
Then Genma had come to her and told her that he was reopening the dojo. She had been stunned. Genma had taken his wife's words to hard. No one who had known Genma had expected the change in him, no one except Soun. Soun threw himself into politics to help his family and gave Genma full authority in regards to the dojo. Everyone feared the worst and prepared for doom.
No one was prepared to discover how good of a teacher Genma was. He could size up a student and his potential and find what ever it took to bring it out of his students. People were further shocked when he started teaching girls and women and were actually gentle with them. During that time Genma had come to Nabiki a second time and had driven not only her, but Kasumi as well into college to follow their dreams.
In the first few years everyone readjusted how they thought of Genma. Many people saw a respectable martial artist. Kasumi and Akane saw a valued family member. The children discovered two wonderful grandfathers. And Nabiki had fallen in love.
These days her life was her work and daughter. She knew that Genma would never abandon Nodoka. She had waited faithfully and so would he. She knew that she would someday have to find someone else, especially if Nodoka ever returned, but no one could now live up to the standard that was Genma Saotome.
The greatest example of his love of family had been his accepting of Kiki Kuno's custody, now Kiki Saotome, after Kodachi Kuno had died of cancer about five years back.
Nabiki cringed as she heard bodies start impacting the walls of the dojo outside. Ran was up and training with Genma again. Ran was still mad about the whole thing with Kuonji.
Nabiki still found it funny that no one noticed when Ukyo and her family moved back. Instead Ran one day came home from school commenting about this new good looking girl in his class. He was in the middle of decribing how hot she was when Akane asked her son the girl's name. Everyone stopped at the Kuonji part. They had explained it to Ran. He had confronted Mina Kuonji, who hadn't been told anything about it they soon learned, and Mina dragged her parents to the Tendo's for a full explination.
Nabiki redid a mental count. That was all the fiancees and their children from Ranma except for Shampoo. She had returned to China. After a few years she started writing. She had finally married Mousse and he had given her strength that Shampoo never knew he possessed. She was finally happy.
The only random element was Ryouga. He had disappear somewhere around Ranma, but it could have just been Ranma's disappearence that removed his reason to be here. After a letter from Shampoo mentioned that Ryouga had a Jusenkyo curse, Soun and Genma had learned Akane's wrath and she vowed a painful death on Ryouga Hibiki, but that was ten years ago.
Nabiki heard the knock on the door and answered. She saw her Daughter peek her head in with a disapointed look on her face.
"You really should quit this mother. He is a married man."
"He's also a Martial Artist and knows more about what affects the body and how to bend his than most men on the planet."
"Pervert. Go get laid, you're embaressing me."
"I'm trying dear, I'm trying."
Yohko rolled her eyes and left. There was just no debating with her mother. They were rich and if Nabiki wasn't so keen on the idea of sleeping with a married man, then theyed be living in a mansion somewhere. Yohko smirked at the thought. No one Stood a chance against her mother. Yohko knew that the only thing holding her grandfather Saotome back was because he knew Nodoka was still alive.
She had once actually blown up at him and asked how he was so sure. He had shown her. He showed her how he could not only see and feel the auras people had, but could see the strings that bound then together. She had felt more than seen the string that was Genma's wife, as well as the string that was Genma's son, Yohko's father, Ranma Saotome. Genma explained that he knew she was with them and they were both alive. Genma stayed because his grandchildren needed him. Yohko needed him.
Yohko got down stairs and entered the kitchen. Aunt Akane was cooking again. Sure she was also a teacher in the dojo, but she was first and foremost the Woman of the House. She had been taught well by Kasumi when She realized that her cooking was a danger to her child. She had actually put off college to learn to take care of the house. She had eventually gone and gotten her teaching degree, but Akane was Ran's Mother first and a Teacher second.
"Hey Aunt Akane. Mom's being a baka again."
"Oh god, not in Genma's bed again."
Akane turned to her niece and looked embaressed when Yohko nodded.
"My sister needs to find a good man and get laid."
Yohko smirked.
"I already told her that. She says she's trying."
Akane held the spoon that she was stirring her soup with threateningly.
"Oh you. Go get your brother and make sure your stupid grandfather hasn't broken him."
Yohko laughed as she left. Her mother and aunts had encouraged the children to just call each other brother and sister to save a little confusion growing up. They had all grown up together until Kasumi got married and moved out. Yohko still missed having Riku being here to help torment their brother Ran. At least with Kiki here Ran was still out numbered, and the opposition was double at school with Mina and Riku there.
Yohko was still amused that they had always placed them all in the same class. It was more of an effort to contain the chaos to a small area than to stop it.
Yohko saw Kiki watching the men spar and joined her. Anyone who had evr seen a picture of Kodachi Kuno as a teenager had any doubts as to who Kiki's mother was. The two girls exchanged looks and began to cheer.
"Go Grandpa, Kick Ran's Ass!"
Now having the captain of the cheerleading squad and her second cheer for his defeat was a little to much for Ran's concentration. It never ended. He couldn't find a decent girl to save his life.
The cheerleaders were off limits because they would have to deal with Captain Kiki or Vice Captain Yohko. Mina had the female athletes worshipping her as she was captain of all the female sports teams. And any other beautiful lady at Furenkin felt that they couldn't compare with Ran's sister Riku. There were rumors that she was an actual angel in human form. They didn't think themselves good enough if Ran was use to a perfect girl for a sister.
The up side was that anytime one of his sisters aquired a new rival, he got a new girlfriend temperarily. Oh sure they were just using him, but some of them deffinately extended their plans for a month or two to keep him before they left. Ran's Grandfather had heard him complaining once and comented that Ran had the opposite of his father's problems.
Akane had once found Ran looking through maps with his bags packed and with some of Shampoo's letters on the table. When she confronted him he said that he was going somewhere that he could not only get a girlfriend, but one that actually respected him. He figured that Zen and Shampoo would put him up for a while.
Ran was then reminded of who exactly was Master of the Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. Thankfully his mother had afterwards compromised that she wouldn't object an Amazon seeking him out, but they had to come of their own free will.
Ran had also noticed all his dad's old fiancee's showing up and was waiting for Shampoo and hoping she didn't come alone.
OOOOO
Zen looked out from the view on the roof of his home. He had a lot to think about. He heard the sounds of another landing behind him, but didn't turn around. He noticed Ryoma sit down next to him. Zen had believed many things about his life. The last few hours had shattered many of them.
Ryoma represented a truth that he could have never discovered alone. Zen still was a little unwary about the boy.
Finally getting frustrated with the silence, Zen decided to talk.
"I'm sorry I attacked your father on site like that. I had always believed that he hurt my mother on purpose. That he was ashamed of me."
Ryoma was quiet a moment before he spoke.
"I know. Sorry I interfered. I knew pops would let you just kill him before you knew everything. Pops is real big on honor. If you still want to. He won't stop you. And I won't dishonor him by trying. Your call. I wanted to know my brothers and sisters my entire life. Now I get the chance to. But any one of them, or their mothers, could ask for his head over what happened and he'd do it."
The two boys were silent for a few more minutes before Zen spoke again.
"What's it like having two fathers and no mother?"
Ryoma was quiet again. It seemed that Nodoka had actuallt taught him to think before talking on occasion.
"Simple, Jusenkyo's a bitch."
Ryoma turned to Zen before he continued.
"Father, Ryouga, wasn't ... He wasn't the last one. Grandmother wanted me to know everything so she told me how a couple times after I had been born that Dad had gone out to get drunk. He had left as a woman. He didn't come home until late the next day those times. Pops has been a broken man several times over the years. When father found us again, Pops tried to kill him. He almost did. That's when I learned that my mother didn't abandon me, and who Ryouga Hibiki was."
Both boys were quiet again. Finally Zen chuckled.
"What's so funny?"
"It sounds like the plot of a bad porn story. The man with too many women can't chose, so something makes him have his way with them all."
"The worst part is I woulda done the same thing to try to stop it."
Zen shivered.
"Now I understand why father forgave him. It could have been him instead of Ryouga that Ranma came across after he tried using his curse to block it."
This time Ryoma chuckled.
"What?"
"It's just that Pops always said the same thing but he jokes that at least it wasn't Kuno, who ever this guy was."
Zen joined Ryoma laughing. He remebered his father telling him of the rivals of Nerima. He knew who this Kuno was suposedly. Zen redid a mental count considering his mother's letters from Nerima. This made three sons of Ranma, and four daughters of Ranma. At least it was closer to being even.
Zen reached out and grabbed the grapling hook as it flew up. Ryoma watched in confusion as someone started to climb it while Zen ignored the rope. After a minute Zen's little sister Lucien, strange name for a girl he thought, climbed onto the roof. She moved over and sat in her brother's lap as it she belonged there. Zen's lack of response indicated that she, in fact, did.
This time it was Zen that saw the look of longing in Ryoma's eyes. Zen knew that he would die for his sister. Here was someone who saw themselves as the cause of their sibling suffering. He had taken their father away by existing, by Ranma becoming pregnant with Ryouga's child.
To this day, no one knew who is was that had placed that sexual attraction spell on Ranma, it had appearently been combined with a fertility spell as well. Ranma had been able to resist the beginning effects, but hadn't held back before he got home via the rooftops.
Shampoo had been first and had passed out. Somewhere between Shampoo and the Tendo's home had been Kodachi. The Kasumi had become a victim in her own bed. Nabiki had been sick and had stayed home. She hadn't heard the strange sounds from Kasumi's room, but found Ranma as she was leaving the bathroom. Akane and Ukyo had found Ranma in his room at the same time as he was trying to pack. It had been a subject marked never bring up again.
Then Ranma had seemed to vanished. A month later, so did his mother after all the girls had been confirmed pregnant.
This was where Ryouga's secret came in. It was the one he told Mousse last summer when they met again after several years.
Ranma had gotten the idea that the speel needed him to be a man. Women in his presense suddenly wanted sex with him and niether he nor they could resist. As a female Ranma left Nerima via the rooftops again, he came across Ryouga outside the city. That was when he discovered the spell only marked target and opposite gender of target.
The spell was broken by conception.
Ranma didn't learn he was pregnant for three weeks. Losing his verginity to a spell, and his manhood to another, what ever power Ranma drew his strength from shattered. It was after he actually failed to kill himself that he thought of his mother and returned in the dead of night to kidnap her.
Ranma confessed everything in tears as he ran. He begged for her help and her silence. She asked only to mail one ltller and Ranma could read it to make sure she was staying with him. He read the plea not to look for them and the request that Genma take care of the Tendos.
She left unsaid if they would ever return.
And then life went on as it tends to do. Ranma had broken down several times over the next few years, but he had finally found his strength again. The real test had been Akari.
Ryouga had confessed what he had done with Ranma and said that he was ready to leave if she wanted him gone. She was upset that Ranma had taken something as precious as Ryouga's first time from her. She chose to keep Ryouga. Ryouga found them when Ryoma was five.
Ryoma remembered the day his step mother had come to confront Ranma. She had known that Ryouga was going to Ranma's to see his son and train with him. It took years before she gathered the courage to do what she knew she had to.
She came to the Saotome's, and forgave Ranma. Ranma broke down one last time, and it lasted for several months, but this time when he came around there was a new fire in his eyes. He began to make plans. He asked Ryouga to find Mousse and tell him the truth, and that Ranma would be returning to China afterwards.
Ryouga had been looking for Mousse for over a year, and then didn't find Ranma again until three weeks ago.
Now it was time for Ranma to confront his past.
Zen looked towards Ryoma, who was still stealing glances at the little girl watching the stars from his lap. He remembered one last secret that had slipped out by accident. Akari couldn't carry children. That was the final reason they were here. Akari and Ryouga were going to actually willingly enter Jusenkyo. Ryouga would bare Akari's child.
They had decided it together and had actually gotten their doctor's opinion. After Ranma helped prove the gender curse existed and volunteering for some test, the doctor admited that using magic was still uncertain, but all signs pointed to a successful conception and birth. The child's DNA would even read as their child, as a DNA test of both Ranma's forms confirmed this. Ranma tested as his own sister, and the difference in DNA stragely enough simply marked a female Ranma as Nodoka's daughter, just as a real sister's DNA would have.
Ranma had come to face the past, ask forgiveness, and then a favor if all went well.
Oh well, Ran was hoping that Zen would come for a visit anyway. Zen didn't see himself as Ran's brother like Ran or Ryoma saw him, but that was because of growing up as Mousse's son.
Zen's worst fears were put to rest when Ranma turned to Mousse over dinner and said that Mousse had raised a fine son. One that Ranma would have been proud to have as his own. It was only his mother's hand on Zen's knee that gave him the strength not to cry in joy and worry his sister.
Ranma had come to bring his family together, not tear their lives apart.
Zen thought back to Ran's other request. Their mothers didn't know the boys wrote to each other. So ... who was currently looking for a strong husband?
Zen got and evil grin as he turned to over look his village.
Ryoma offered a prayer to who ever that smile was meant for.
OOOOO
This is an idea that popped into my head after one too many lemons.