Left Behind

Chapter 2

Ranma stared at the weather worn sign. "Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts", he read out loud.

He breathed a deep breath then proceeded through the gate to the quaint house in front of him. "Here goes."

He gave a soft knock on the door. He could hear a soft voice coming from inside, "Just a minute."

As the door opened, both Ranma and the hostess of the house stood frozen at what was in front of them. After a minute had passed, the lady finally spoke, "Ranma, is that really you?"

"Yes Mother, it's me, Ranma. I've come home."

Nodoka grabbed her son in a tight embrace, tears pouring out of her eyes. "Ranma! My son, how I've waited for this day."

Ranma returned the embrace. "I know. I've missed you so much."

They finally broke the embrace with Nodoka looking at her son with love in her eyes. "Mom, we have to talk."

"Of course we do, son. You must tell me what you have been up to these last years. Not to mention how things are going with you and Akane."

Ranma cringed at the mention of his ex-fiancee. "Funny you should mention that."

Ranma and his mother sat sipping tea at the Saotome dining table, while an unconscious Genma lay tied up in the corner. "Ranma, why exactly is your father unconscious and tied up?"

Ranma breathed a sigh. This was not going to be easy. "It's a long story. I hope you don't have any plans because it'll be awhile before I finish telling you everything. I guess I should start with a confession. I have failed you mother, I am not a man among men." Ranma bowed his head.

"My son, what do you mean?"

"Please bring me a glass of cold water and a kettle of hot water."

"Alright, but I'm not sure what you are planning on doing." Nodoka left and quickly returned with what Ranma had requested. "Now why do you say that you are not a man among men?"

"Because of this." Ranma poured the glass of cold water over his head, triggering his hated transformation. He kept his head down low and let out another sigh. "You may be wondering why I look like Ranko, but the truth is, Ranko never existed. It was always me, but Pop and I were too afraid to tell you the truth. I'm sorry."

"Ranma, is that really you? How? Why?" Nodoka could not contain the shock in her voice.

Ranma poured the hot water from the kettle on himself, reverting back to his natural form. "Remember how Pop stopped writing to you? It was right before we had found a legendary training ground in China called Jusenkyou. This training ground contained over a hundred cursed springs. The springs were cursed such that if someone fell in, they would change into whatever had drowned there. In my case, I fell into the spring of drowned girl. Pop fell into the spring of drowned panda."

"You mean, Mr. Panda is..."

"Yes, Pop is really Mr. Panda."

Nodoka couldn't believe what she heard. She quickly left the room and returned with another glass of water, which she promptly poured over Genma's prone form. A look of horror came over her face as she watched her husband transform into a familiar panda. "No, it's not possible."

"So now you see, I am no longer a man among men." Ranma reached into his bag and pulled out a tanto, which he placed on the table.

"Ranma, that is not your decision to make. That burden falls on me. Before you choose to do anything rash, I would like you to tell me everything else that has happened."

"Ok". Ranma told the long story of the past few years: the eventful trip through China, the visit to the Amazon tribe, the story of Shampoo, the first meeting with the Tendos, his experiences at school, dealing with the Kunos, the arrivals of Ryouga and Ukyou, the day that he found out about Nodoka and the promise, and eventually, Akane's decision.

"I see why you chose to bring your father here tied up and knocked out. Now, about Akane, don't you think you are being a bit rash, my son? She cares for you very much."

"I saw the way she acted, she doesn't want to be with me. She wants to stay in that forest with that guy. As for Pop, he'll be fine in the morning."

"I see." Nodoka breathed a sigh and looked at the darkness outside her window. "Hmm, I never realized how much time has passed by. I'll lead you to your room. I need some time to think things over."

"Oh, ok."

Nodoka led her son back to his old childhood room. "Please sleep here tonight. I left it the way it was when you left."

She left Ranma to himself. He entered his old room, and flicked on the light. He looked around and saw old toys he used to play with, pictures of himself, his mother and father, all looking like a perfect family. Setting his things down, he proceeded to get ready for bed.

The next morning, when Ranma woke up, he saw hanging on his door, the one thing that he had been expecting since he had arrived and had dreaded his whole life: the formal kimono reserved for committing seppuku. 'I guess she is going through with it.' He slipped on the kimono and left his room and entered the tea room. He saw his mother and father both at the table and both formally dressed. Ranma noted that his mother was still carrying that familiar bundle that he had lived in fear of. His mother, noticing that he had entered the room, spoke to him, "It is time. Please follow your father and I to the dojo."

Without a word, Ranma followed behind his parents out of his house, and into the small, but quaint Saotome dojo. "Please kneel with your father by the altar, Ranma."

Ranma did as he was told. His mother handed a familiar package to him and also one to his father. He knew what was inside. The ritual tantos for committing seppuku. Without a word, both his father and himself unwrapped the package, and spread their kimonos apart, and positioned the tantos in place. Nodoka spoke again, "Over 10 years ago, a promise was made to me that should my son not grow up to be a man among men that both he and his father would commit ritual seppuku. Now the time has come to put that vow to rest. The words of a person, and indeed those of a martial artist must be held to be truthful. For should a person neglect their vows, not only do they dishonour those around them, but themselves as well. The burden of the vow made by Genma and Ranma Saotome has fallen on my shoulders, and it is my responsibility to ensure that they have carried out that vow."

Ranma held his breath as he heard the words of his mother. 'This is it. Time to finally end it all.'

"As the matriarch of the Saotome line, I judge that my son is indeed a man among men and his vow fulfilled."

Ranma's eyes shot open and as he looked behind him, he saw his mother unsheathe her katana, and in a smooth motion, slice through an airborne piece of paper. The paper fell to the ground in several small pieces, but even in pieces, Ranma knew that it was the same contract he had signed with his handprint so long ago. "Mom, but what about the curse, and everything that has happened?"

"Ranma, I said that the words of a person must be held to be truthful to maintain their honour. You may not remember, but I have already passed judgment on you for awhile now."

"What do you mean? How could you have known? You haven't seen me for so long."

"No, Ranma. I have seen you. Remember after my first visit to the Tendo dojo, how you rescued me from the geyser? Remember what I had said to you after I woke up?"

Ranma thought back to that day and remembered the voice of his mother, "...I dreamed Ranma had saved me. Dreamed he was a man among men."

"Mom, I didn't know you thought that. I didn't know you remembered."

"Ranma, a mother does not forget these things. Finding out the truth last night made me realize that I had already thought of you as a man among men. The words I spoke that day must be honoured, and I do believe in them. It is time that we are a family again."

Author's Note: Well, chapter 2 is done. Although it seems shorter than what I had first envisioned, I think it turned out alright. In actuality, this took me a lot less time than I though, I will probably take longer with Chapter 3, but we'll have to wait and see. Thanks to everyone who critiqued chapter 1. I have also made minor modifications to chapter 1, but in all honesty, they are barely noticeable.

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I do not own any characters associated with Ranma 1/2, nor am I profiting from them.