DaisukiFox: Hey everyone, I have a lot to say now. I feel as though I should begin with addressing the question of... where have I been? If you've read Fatal Attraction: The NabikiXKuno side story. You'd know that I've been in a writing slump and have slowly been trying to get myself back into the writing game. So far... so good. On onto something else, I will finally get to work on Ranma's Boyfriend... when this chapter is posted.
Now, one more thing! I didn't enjoy writing the RanmaXAkane scene in this. I thought that maybe I could give a RanmaXAkane scene, but, the thing is... I just can't, it's not my thing and never shall me. So, if you've ever been expecting anything RANMAXAKANE, don't get your hopes up because it's never going to happen. I don't hate the pairing, it's just not in me to read it or to write it;for too long, and I'm afraid that you'll never get anything like that from me. ^^'
Sorry to my friend Materia-Blade. You can say your side of the AU note now, Siddy.
Sid: I'll admit that I've held this up badly. Sorry Foxy the good news is that my life is finally becoming stable again :) Hope you all love this chapter as much as were enjoyed writing it.
We don't own Ranma; we just have a heck of a lot of fun making him do what we want.
Rolls credits...
Ryoga blinked at the girl, when she had told him about her past, it was too much for him to take in. This girl was Ranma's daughter, how was this at all possible? To even fathom this thought for more than a second was complete torture to him. If that hadn't been enough to convince him, he noticed how similar she was to Saotome. Hitomi's eye's seemed to tell a tale, much like Ranma's did. It was as if she had experiences that which matched Ryoga's own, he knew this from the times he caught himself staring into rivers and contemplating his life and its direction; it was the look of a martial artist.
"I-it can't be!" Ryoga exclaimed, and shook his head. He stood before her and turned his head away from her, "You can't be his!" Ryoga shouted, then turned to her and glared with an amount of hatred that burned inside of him. This had to be some way of deceiving him, some way of throwing him off his game, making him believe that Akane and Ranma had a child. As if that was even possible, Akane hated Ranma!
Hitomi leaned back and then stood up, staring at the look of anger that was directed to her. Where was the gentle man that raised her? The man that had always cared for her and her brothers? Had treat her wounds? The man that taught her how to write? The man that helped teach her martial arts? The man that taught her the Breaking Point technique? Then it finally hit her, this Ryoga was a much less refined version of her father.
"Look, I'm his daughter!" and with that she turned to a nearby wall and narrowed her eyes. From there she shot out her hands and sent them slamming across the rock hard brick wall. The amount of force she used caused the wall to crumble into pieces.
Ryoga stared and then shook his head, forcing himself to deny the fact that she knew the trick, but he then remembered that anyone could learn that, "That doesn't prove anything!" Ryoga roared, holding out one arm with a closed fist out in front of him. " Cologne probably taught you that same move!"
Hitomi glared for a second before slapping her forehead, 'When dad said he used to be thick headed... he wasn't kidding,' Hitomi thought. From there she raised her head and linked her eyes with his, "Why could have done that? I can't have learned that from her because Great-Auntie Cologne retired and moved to Florida to join a nudist colony with her seventh husband long before I was born"
Ryoga paused and thought about that for a second before shaking the disturbing image out of his head. "Its gotta' be part of some stupid scheme Saotome's working on!" the lost boy replied, and then crossed his arms. Yet in every word that was exchanged between Ryoga and Hitomi, Ryoga always felt a sense of doubt inside himself.
Hitomi sighed and found herself unable to stop looking at Ryoga, she still only remembered her kind father, the one that had raised her. This one was proving to be nothing like him. When she'd first met him in this time-line, he'd seemed calm and had that adorably confused face she loved to see when she'd ask him questions about women's needs and things about boys. "Okay... I am part of Ranma's tricks... he sent me here to try and keep you away from him and aunt-," she paused and cleared her throat, "from him and Akane."
Ryoga huffed before turning away from her and narrowing his eyes, "Damn you, Saotome...," he stated, glad that this girl was willing to admit that she was part of some crazy idea that Ranma had prepared for him. Too bad he hadn't counted on him being so clever and for his little assistant to have an actual conscious.
Hitomi didn't like to see Ryoga take her mother's name in vein, but she had to keep reminding herself that this was a different time, a time before the two were in love with each other, as they were in her version of the present.
"Dad-," she found herself pausing once more as Ryoga shot her a glare, "I mean... Ryoga."
Ryoga raised a brow, wondering what she could possibly want now that he had exposed her.
"Can I at least talk with you...?" she asked, her eyes watering, this was probably the only time she could spend with him. She had been sent to the past where she could talk to her father... before his untimely demise.
"I don't know what the hell you'd like to talk about...," he paused and tried to remember her name, which came almost instantly when he remembered her crazy tale. "Hitomi."
What could she talk to him about that she hadn't already known? There was so much she could tell him about his past, but would that at all affect his stubborn attitude to keep on his Akane induced track. She figured maybe she could spend time with him if she pretended to know nothing about him. Perhaps she could use her wits, somehow change the time line and keep her parents from taking that trip. That was if she didn't destroy her own future in the process.
"Uh... like... I don't know... can I just please be around you?" she begged, moving her hands out in front of her to make her pleading all that more believable.
Ryoga blushed and looked aside, not really used to having any girls literally begging him to talk to them. Ryoga looked down and then back to her before he started, "I don't kno-"
"Wha!" Hitomi cried, falling to her knees and crying in the same fashion Soun would.
Not being one to make girls cry, the lost boy moved over to her and waved his hands around, "W-wait!" Ryoga said, "O-okay! You can! J-just stop crying!"
"Okay!" Hitomi shouted before wrapping her arms around Ryoga, holding him close as if it was like the old days.
Ryoga's eyes blinked in surprise, had he just been duped by a pretty girl? "Heh...," Ryoga uttered then pulled back and glared at her for a moment, knowing that she had just tricked him. He had to remind himself that this girl wasn't completely to blame. She just wanted to hang around him, which seemed strange to him. She'd already confessed to being part of some crazy idea that Ranma's insane mind cooked up.
Hitomi continued to smile at how clever she was, "So, where to?" She asked and then batted her eyelashes at him and smiled at him.
The way she batted eyelashes reminded Ryoga of the cuteness of a puppy, a puppy that one would just want to cuddle. Though it felt familiar in a way... why? Ryoga couldn't exactly explain, it just had something to do with her looks. Not to mention that little fang that poked out from the side of her mouth. 'Wait, fang?' Ryoga's brain questioned him; he didn't have an answer for it..."Is that...?" he paused and pointed to her fang.
"Is what, what?" She asked, blinking at him with those beautiful blue eyes of hers.
The lost boy shook his head and looked away, the tiniest bit of red stained his upper cheeks. "Let's just go...," Ryoga commented and then turned in the direction of a general food store. That's when he figured he could use this to his advantage, "can you get me to the store?"
Hitomi giggled and nodded her head, finding her father's embarrassment all too amusing, "Sure, I can get us there way faster than you can," she replied, then ran over to him and wrapped her hand around his arm.
Ryoga's eyes went wide as the black haired girl grabbed onto him; the side of her chest leaned close enough for his body to feel the swell of her healthy young bosom. Ryoga's mouth hung open as he felt his nose start to bleed; this was all too much for him to handle. And to think she wanted to spend time with someone like him!
Ranma & Akane
The pigtailed boy walked alongside the fence that led them back to the Tendo Dojo. With his hands behind his head, he glanced at Akane; she seemed to be pouting over their last argument. "Look... Kane, that girl was just pretending to be someone. I honestly have no idea who she is," Ranma stated, leaning his head over to her a bit, but still maintaining his balance. "So, would ya' quit being all annoyed and junk!"
The furious look in her eyes told Ranma that she wasn't going to forgive him, "Ranma," she stated, in a calm tone that was known for becoming a storm of anger and annoyance, "It's the principal that counts!" she declared.
Ranma leaned back and found himself scared to even lock eyes with her, "W-what're you getting so work up about?" he demanded, regaining his composure, "D-do you want us to have children and stuff?"
Now that Akane had gotten some steam off of her chest, she realized that maybe this wasn't something they should be talking about and something she probably shouldn't have been angry about. Though at the time she couldn't help herself. "Uh... s-still... even if she wasn't really telling the truth and is another manic like Shampoo or Ukyo," Akane paused and reached her hand up close to her chest, "you didn't have to be so hurtful, Ranma," she finished.
Now it was Ranma's turn to pause, the pigtailed boy sighed, "Fine... guess I was just kinda' mad that some crazy girl came around claiming she's my kid," Ranma apologized, turning to Akane.
The two shared a strange moment when they locked their eyes; it was as if they were speaking to each other in a way that neither entirely understood, whether emotional nor caring or just two teens sharing an awkward stare.
"Uh... not like I'd ever wanna' have kids with such a tomboy!" Ranma declared, looking away with a small tint of red on his cheeks.
Akane had taken that awkward moment as something deeper between them; somewhat of a symbol of the connection that the two shared. That was until Ranma completely broke their moment, this caused Akane's anger to flare up once more. "Argh!" she grunted and threw her book bag at him, sending Ranma falling to his watery doom. That watery doom was of course...being forced to be a girl.
"Bleh!" Ranma spat, sitting up in the ditch. Her red hair was damp along with her suddenly too large clothes, "I really hate that tomboy sometimes..." she growled. Once Ranma had gotten out of the ditch she squeezed the water out of her pigtail and sighed. Placing her hands in her pockets and she hoped she would at least dry off enough to walk around at the Tendo's. Coming in dripping like a wet dog would only make more work for Kasumi, and she didn't want that.
"Gotta' wonder what's up with her...," Ranma grunted, shaking her head and then making her way to the Tendo home.
Tendo Dojo
Soun was currently engaged in a battle of wits playing shoji, though his opponent was far from having any wits. Genma preferred to trick Soun and switch the board around so he could have the upper hand, but by this point even if Genma switched the board around Soun would still manage to still win. "I have to admit Saotome, my old friend..."
"Admit what... Tendo?" Genma said, smirking as he had switched the board around while pointing out a rare Saki bottle; which couldn't possibly be there. They didn't own any and the possibility that anything like that would ever materialize out of thin was ludicrous. It was the idea that caught Soun's attention; any small window of opportunity was enough to give Saotome ample time to change things up, literally.
"Even with all your cheating...," Soun stated, narrowing his eyes, "I'm quite proud of myself for defeating you, even with the circumstances changed."
"Me?" Genma paused, making a shocked looking face, "Why... I would never cheat!" Genma stated, crossing his arms and shaking his head, "Honestly Tendo... if you're not willing to accept the fact that I'm a better shoji player, you might as well stop playing," and with that he opened his eyes, "And who says you've won?"
Soun rolled his eyes, there Genma was howling nonsense in order to receive some sort of guilt trip for saying what was obviously true, "I say, I win," and with that, he moved around a few pieces and ended up winning the game. "That's game, Saotome."
"WHA!" Genma said, looking down at the shoji board to found that he had indeed lost.
Soun smirked with a rather cocky expression.
"Uh...," Genma blinked, then turned to Soun and chuckled nervously, "best two outta' three?"
"Not on your life, Saotome!" Soun declared, fed up with having to rematch Genma over and over again, this one game he had actually won and he wasn't about to waste more time with Genma changing the board around.
Kasumi giggled to herself while in the kitchen, there was really something about two old-timers fighting over a simple game that made her laugh; not out of spite or annoyance, it was just flat out entertaining to hear her father get so worked up. The eldest sister was so amused that she hadn't noticed that someone had slammed the main house's front door shut.
"That jerk!" Akane shouted, taking her shoes off and going upstairs.
"Oh my...," Kasumi said, placing her hands to her mouth nervously. This had to be one of their normal arguments, that or someone had said something stupid that had spiked Akane's anger. This caused Ranma and Akane to have heated arguments, arguments that tortured those around them.
The blue haired Tendo entered her room and closed the door behind her. Wishing that she could have P-chan in her room in order for her to confess her problems to him, just so someone could listen and watch. A person that wouldn't judge her for her irrational behavior... but that did pose an interesting question. Why had she been so annoyed with Ranma's claims? Is it that Ranma is naturally infuriating and nerve wracking?
All Akane knew at the moment was that she was mad at him, mad at him for saying he didn't want to be married to her, the tomboy of the three sisters. The one that stood on a completely different playing field than all the others, the one that differed from the rest of the girls, but still somehow managed to attract so many other boys to her. It seemed that even if she showed the slightest interest in Ranma, he would pass it off and distance himself from her.
Was it something about her that Ranma didn't like? Other then the obvious fact that she did attempt to hurt him, but all of those were provoked actions; ones where he really did deserve a good bashing.
"Why do I even bother with that jerk...?" Akane muttered, going over to plop herself down on her bed. Her face softened and she moved over to grab her pillow and glanced to the side, it really made no sense to her. These confusing thoughts weren't what she was about, she was supposed to remain calm and collected, but when it came to Ranma...she got furious. She grunted, finding that her thoughts had been going around in circles.
The blue haired sister turned to her window and stared outside, it seemed like it'd be close to the time when the sun set.
Ranma
A few minutes later
The redheaded girl finally reached the Tendo home and knew that dinner was in the works, but that wasn't all that was on her mind. What bothered her the most was, well, the obvious fact that Akane got mad, slapped her with a book bag and left her in a ditch to change into his girl form. Yeah, this was her ideal marriage partner, she could see totally see herself getting a divorce within the first few months of marriage. If he didn't kill her...
Ranma opened the front door and stepped in, only to be greeted with Soun crossing his arms and glaring hatefully at the redheaded girl. "Ah man...," Ranma groaned.
"Ranma... please tell me why my darling Akane is in her room, in a huff...," Soun Tendo questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Look!" Ranma explained, throwing her arms out in front of her. "She's like this because some crazy girl came and started-," she got as far as saying before Soun raised his hand and turned in the direction of the back porch.
"Saotome...," Soun growled.
"What!" Genma said, placing his hand over his chest. "I swear there isn't anymore fiancées...," he paused and then glanced to his side. He took the hand he placed on his chest and brought it up to the side of his face to scratch the side of his cheek. "At least none that I can recall at the moment...," he admitted.
"Ya' didn't let me finish!" Ranma exclaimed, then lowered her head for a moment and adorned a serious look, "It was about some girl calling herself mine and Akane's daughter, which makes no sense since we ain't married and science hasn't learned how to time travel... if they did, I think something like that would've happened by now," Ranma stated, then turned to Soun and remembered that he wanted an explanation for Akane's attitude; since she was the cause for it, so, as usual, she was apologizing for saying something she didn't mean." Kane's mad because she thought this girl was another fiancée I didn't know about and then the girl told us she was our daughter and I didn't believe her, Akane got mad and left, I tried talking to her, but I knew that wasn't gonna' work," Ranma said, rolling her eyes, then continuing, "so, when we were walking over her, we got into another weird argu-" Ranma paused and shook her head. "But what does it matter!" Ranma exploded, shaking her head, "Kane's over reacting and I ain't apologizing because I didn't do anything!"
The look Soun's face seemed to have hardened when Ranma explained all of this, "Ranma!" Soun shouted, with such fierce emotion that it made Ranma lean back in fear. "There's finally evidence that you two will have a successful marriage and you toss her to the wind like some cheap rag doll!"
"B-but she's just some craz-," Ranma tried to say.
"You know how things can happen here in our small district!" Soun shot back, getting Ranma with a very true fact. "Now, please get her over here and make her explain herself... I will not have you ignoring family simply because you assume someone is insane."
Ranma sighed and crossed her arms, "Fine... not like I have a choice," Ranma stated, turning around and going back to search for her supposed daughter.
Ryoga removed money from the ATM at the store and noted that his trust fund allowance had been deposited that month. It was never a nice thing to lose a relative, but losing a wealthy one who bestows their fortune on their only grandson isn't so bad when he's a nomadic perpetually lost wanderer. "Okay now if we can only find the Neko Hanten, I'll buy us dinner" he said.
Hitomi, who knew that it hadn't moved from its original location in her time, said "that's easy, it's only a couple of blocks that way" she said pointing.
"Perfect" Ryoga said turned in the opposite direction. He blushed when she wrapped her arms around his own and a firm body was placed against his side. He looked down into her cerulean blue orbs. She smiled up at him in a way that was simply endearing and said "come on Da-Ryoga. I'll show you the way." That she was related to Ranma in some way was undeniable, Ryoga realized as he studied her closer. With her hair in a pigtail, she looked like the female Ranma in a wig. She was tiny but moved with the ease of a skilled martial artist, she was...gorgeous Ryoga realized.
As if she was sensing his thoughts, Hitomi said "like what you see?" and turned those incredible eyes on him again, this made it clear to him why her parents (whoever they were) had given her that name.
"So say I pretend that I believe that you're Ranma's daughter. Does that make me your Uncle Ryoga or something like that?" he asked cautiously. He sensed that she didn't seem to belong there with him; that and the cell phone she wore on her belt looked way advanced even for Japan .
"You're special to me alright" she said flashing him a smile. "You run a dojo with your wife and have four children, a set of twin boys, another boy and a girl as your youngest. You're a well respected person who's known for his sound judgment, generosity and devotion to his family.
"Do I marry Akane?" he asked.
"No you marry a beautiful woman who's much more suited to you" she said.
Ryoga smiled "I know that none of this is true, but do I know her?"
"You do and you don't. She's someone that you know and have overlooked" Hitomi said after a pause.
"Well that solves that" Ryoga said drily "you're quite cryptic and make little sense. Can't I even get a hint? Not that I believe you. I think you look like Ranma because you're his cousin or something and he dragged you into this. Which it too bad because you seem like a nice girl" Ryoga said and then imitated a boiled lobster when his arms were suddenly full of firm female curves.
"Oh thank you Ryoga, it means so much to me that you like me" she squealed, giving a bounce that did 'interesting' things to Ryoga...and caused him to get a nose bleed. He gently pushed her away and said, "look Hitomi, you can't go around hugging people you don't know. It's confusing and could give people the wrong impression of you"
She got misty eyed at the fatherly tone in his voice; it was just like old times. "I promise I'll be more careful in the future. Hey look at the Neko Hanten, it hasn't aged a bit! In my time, these are all over Japan , Chinese the United States " she declared, giving the building a friendly pat before ducking in.
Ryoga could only pause at the idea of the Neko Hanten becoming a chain. "Then who does Shampoo marry?" he asked out of curiosity.
Hitomi opened her mouth to respond, when a familiar voice screeched "Airen" and she found herself in the tight embrace of a purple haired teenager.
"What? Who?" she stammered, unable to link her stately and loving aunt with this glomping stranger.
"Ranma come see Shampoo to take her for too too fun date, yes?" she asked, staring into the stunned Hitomi's eyes. "You dye hair while in girl form, I like it" she said brightly.
"Aunt Shampoo, I think you've mistaken me from someone else" she said, struggling to get away from her octopus like grip.
"No you my airen" she said happily and hugged her even harder.
Ryoga enjoyed watching the spectacle at first but then started feeling sorry for the confused looking girl "actually she's not who you think she is, she's..." he began
"Rannnnnnnnma" Mousse cried, adjusting his glasses. "I get sick of you and your stupid disguises; unhand Shampoo" he demanded.
Hitomi was stunned by the teenaged versions of her beloved friends and family. In the future Shampoo was a loving wife, mother and co-owner of a thriving business with Uncle Mousse. They had a loving marriage and always had time for their children and various friends' children, either related or not. These two were annoying, Shampoo was clingy and Mousse loud and demanding.
"Uncle Mousse, Aunt Shampoo; there's been some mistake. I'm not Ranma. My name is Hitomi; I'm Ranma's daughter from the future" she said cautiously.
"What? You can't be. There's no such thing as time travel" Mousse declared. "You're just Ranma in a dark wig"
"You definitely my airen" Shampoo said, giving her a tight squeeze and a jiggle that cause even Hitomi, who wasn't into girls, to get a nosebleed (she was Ryoga's daughter too after all).
Ryoga gave Hitomi's pigtail a gentle tug to show that she wasn't wearing a wig and then dug her out of Shampoo's arms.
"Hey since when you help Ranma?" Shampoo protested as his powerful arms wrenched Hitomi from her.
Hitomi fought the urge to snuggle into those familiar arms and merely gave him a grateful smile. "I'm not Ranma, I'm his daughter. We've always looked like sisters when he's in his female form, but she has red hair and both my parents have dark hair, so I do too" she explained.
Both Shampoo and Mousse regarded her suspiciously and began to see minute differences: Hitomi was slightly taller then Ranma's female form, her skin was slightly darker and her breasts fuller. "You not be my daughter, Shampoo no have dark hair" she said triumphantly.
Hitomi rubbed the back of her head nervously, a habit she'd picked up from both her parents. "You don't marry Ranma. You and Mousse co-own the Neko Hanten together; Cologne gifted it to you after she remarried and you turn it into a chain of popular Ramen houses that even are in the states. You both become very rich and enjoy married life" she said.
"Wait you can't mean? Not that I believe you, but you say but Mousse and I get married to other people and you both his niece and mine to both our partners right?" Shampoo demanded.
"No, you and Mousse marry and have three children" she said. Ryoga's eyebrows shot up at this news. Shampoo had one look at how Mousse was smirking in an I'm-a-stud muffin sort of way, shrieked and fainted.
Ranma
Ranma, still in her hated female form, found herself wandering around looking for the crazy girl who looked like her, who might or might not be some distant relation to her...or possibly yet another fiancée. She didn't like that she felt concern for the delusional girl, but felt rather guilty for abandoning someone who might be an escaped mental patient. Speaking of mental patients: Ranma wondered if perhaps Hitomi had been hired by the Kunos' for some nefarious reason?
She checked everywhere that she could think of and became aware that her stomach was growling and cursed that Soun had made her leave the house before she even got to eat. She was a growing boy after all! She grinned when she realized she was in the vicinity of the Neko Hanten and decided to stop for a little free chow. Free Ramen was the best she'd ever tasted; besides the Amazons amused her when Akane wasn't around. Shampoo's predictably was almost comedic, Mousse's gruff behaviour whimsical and Cologne had the relaxed humour that age and wisdom brings. She stopped short at the strange tableau of martial arts' hardened butts pointing her way as her friends (and possible new fiancée) bent worriedly over Shampoo's unconscious form. She joined the string of upturned butts and added her own to the mix. "What happened?" she asked.
"This fortune telling girl, who looks like you, told Shampoo that we're going to marry in the future and it seemed to be a little too much for her to handle" Mousse explained, patting his ladylove's hand. "Hitomi, I would kiss you if I wasn't a taken man" he said beaming at Hitomi; his emerald green eyes were mirror bright behind his glasses. He didn't know if he believed her predictions, but was happy to hear them.
Ranma glared at the girl who was causing her so much trouble "she looks nothing like me" she cried, refusing to see the resemblance.
"That's not true, she has your female's half pretty face, gorgeous body and..." Ryoga protested and then slapped his hand over his mouth and blushed a beet red colour.
"You've been checking me out?" a stunned Ranma asked.
"I never would have pegged you as being into guys" Mousse mused.
"You take that back Mousse! I only like women!" Ryoga yelled, shaking his fist at him.
"Yes women like Ranma" Mousse said and then turned his attention back to the now conscious Shampoo. She opened her eyes and two identical women asked in practically the same voice if she was okay; that's when her brain decided to call it a day and she sank back into sweet oblivion.
"Look we should get you out of here" Ranma said dragging Hitomi after her and leaving Shampoo to Mousse's tender care.
"Where are we going?" Hitomi asked.
"You're staying with me until this gets straightened out, I can't have you running around causing trouble" she said and then turned to Ryoga. "You're coming too" she demanded.
"Why? What have I done?" he asked.
"I don't know why, but I feel that you're involved in this somehow" she replied, missing Hitomi's look of surprise. "Besides, I can't have you roaming the streets all night lost," she said taking his hand and dragging him along. Neither of them noticed how Hitomi's eyes misted over to be united at least temporarily with her both her mother and father, even if they were currently in their unfinished forms. Oddly enough Ryoga allowed Ranma to hold his hand as they walked through the streets of Nerima, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
Cologne watched in surprise when Mousse came upstairs carrying an unconscious Shampoo and tenderly laid her on her futon. Cologne had taken a break to write her online boyfriend an email. "What happened?" she asked, jumping down.
"I had to close the restaurant as Shampoo fainted after meeting this girl who looked just like a brunette female Ranma. She claims to be his daughter from the future" Mousse explained.
"That was enough to make her faint?" she asked with concern in her voice.
"We both thought she was Ranma until the real one showed up. The girl insists that Shampoo and I are going to get married and have three kids. I think that was a little much for her to hear" Mousse said.
"Yes that would be enough to make any girl faint" Cologne said in a candid voice, earning a glare from Mousse. She covered up Shampoo and motioned Mousse outside. "Tell me more about the girl from the future" she demanded.
"Not much to tell, her name's Hitomi and she looks almost identical the female Ranma and says that both of her parents have black hair" he said with a shrug.
"I must meet this child for myself" Cologne said with a frown.
"I don't know, but it sure will be interesting to see if what she says turns out to be true" Mousse said.
"Well yes, who could be the father of a black haired child who looks like Ranma? After all, Ranma has two forms: her male form has black hair and her female red...and you have jet black hair yourself" she retorted, hopping away on her staff in the direction of the Tendo residence. She noted with satisfaction that Mousse suddenly looked deadly pale as if fighting of uncomfortable images.
Ranma
Ranma at thirty five easily looked ten years younger. Her years of martial arts had kept her body trim and betrayed no trace of the three pregnancies that she'd carried to term. The only thing that betrayed that she was a mother, was her children themselves. She'd been a beautiful girl who'd grown up to be a beautiful woman and her male side had equally as blossomed. She normally preferred to remain as a woman, if only to avoid confusion and had developed a special form of low impact martial arts that she'd designed for pregnant women. She was now a world famous martial artist, along with her husband. Her husband...she thought and struggled against a fresh wave of tears. Ryoga's had not only been her only been her first love, but best friend and...now he was gone. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but looking her at twin sons, Hideki and Hideo, who looked so much like him, made her sad. He'd been a good man, an excellent husband and wonderful father... and now he was gone.
She kept on looking for her only daughter and then noticed something poking out from underneath the sofa. She reached down to find an old bandana of Ryoga's, as if he'd left it there for her to find. She sank down on the seat, buried her face in it and inhaled; it was like he'd lost it there yesterday his scent was so powerful. Realizing that she was alone, (or so she thought) she let grief take her and sobbed into it. It wasn't until a cup of tea was placed before her and a small wizened hand touched her shoulder that she realized that Happosai was there. She regarded the large, kind eyes in his aged face and placed her hand over his. When she was younger, she'd thought him the worst kind of pervert and had barely tolerated him, that had soften into a mild respect when he'd been instrumental in bringing her marriage to Ryoga about and then genuine affection about how good he was with their children. Yes he was still a lingerie obsessed freak, but he was her lingerie obsessed freak and beloved Uncle Happi. Besides it made him easy to buy for come gift giving holidays.
"Are you okay Ranma?" he asked her gently.
"It's like I expect to turn a corner and to find him there. I can't believe that anything could defeat Ryoga, not even death" she admitted brokenly. "How's Hitomi taking it?" she asked, knowing how close they were.
"She's grieving just as badly as you and doesn't want to burden you with it. She's just as stubborn as her father was," Happosai said.
Ranma smiled at this, all of her children were a tad pigheaded and Hitomi was the worst of the lot. That she chose an aging perverted martial artist as her best friend was just part of her charm. Luckily Happosai didn't try to talk her into lingerie shows too much as he not only respected her, but she was like the daughter he'd never had. Also her fiancé would kill him. But Happosai was a creature of habit and could never resist asking pretty girls for lingerie shows, even if they were like family to him. Hitomi would just grin and tell him only if he gave her one first; he wasn't into that at all! "Where's Hitomi anyway? I've been looking for her" Ranma said.
The elderly sensei removed his hand from Ranma's shoulder and placed it to his chin, "Now that I think about it...," he stated, looking to the side in a thinking positio. "I don't think I've seen her for a bit, when I checked my room to see if she had been folding my collection and my cloths, she wasn't there."
Ranma found her eyebrow twitching with this knowledge about Hitomi folding and putting away Happosai's thing, yes, he was a kinder and not as annoying old freak. Though it still bothered Ranma to some degree that Hitomi would fold girl's stolen panties and work around sake bottles, which Happosai sometimes left half full. "I really wish she'd stop doing that for you...," Ranma commented, then shook her head once. "What about her brothers, do Hideki or Hideo know where she is?"
"I already asked them and they don't know either," Happosai replied, eyes widening.
"This isn't good..." Ranma groaned, fearing that she might have lost her daughter as well.
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