Ranma Strikes Back

Epilogue

By Robster80

Co-written by TheUNB

Hello, everyone.

And here it is, the epilogue to my story RANMA STRIKES BACK.

When I originally wrote out this story, it was all on one g-docs document. However, I broke it down into 3 parts to make it more suitable for posting here on , s well as touch up parts here and there. With this Epilogue, I added more content than originally was written. I hope you enjoy it.

Once more, I extend a big thank you to my partner, TheUNB, for helping me write this story out.

And here we go...

…After the showdown in front of Furinkan High, I went home with mom; Ukyo and Kiriya walked with us. When we got back, Ukyo and Kiriya said their goodbyes, but promised to comeback the next day after school to check up on me. Alone with mom, I explained to her about my Animality, something I picked up during my journey through the dimensions. The next few days mom and I did a lot…

First, we went to a lawyer so mom could file for divorce as well as for full custody of me. The lawyer did a background check on the old man, and found a ton of outstanding debts and defraud notices; it was no problem finding a judge who was quick to grant mom her request and sent out the sheriff to serve the old man a subpoena. Mom took back her maiden name, but I requested to keep the Saotome name for myself – I wanted to redeem it.

Mom then had Ukyo provide contact information for Mr. Kuonji; she had to spend like five minutes convincing him not to hang up on her. He took her offer to legally adopt Ukyo very quickly…. And after that he had to listen to mom berate him for almost ten minutes over how Ukyo should have been treated by him, and insisting he was almost as bad a father as the old man was. Ukyo hugged mom and cried into her shoulder after the phone call.

After that, Mom went to see the Furinkan High school board and pleaded her case to let me resume classes despite being gone for two months. Eventually they agreed, with a scared Principal Kuno not even objecting to it; but first I had to do all my missed schoolwork and tests, and achieved acceptable grades for all of it before I was allowed back. Given a list of the subjects, mom and Ukyo and Kiriya helped me study like hell before I spent a whole day doing the school work and the tests.

During the cramming, Ukyo and Kasumi and Dr. Tofu kept me abreast of the others… It turned out that after they all ran off after I demanded they leave me alone while in my Animality form, the Nerima Wrecking Crew had undergone some changes, a few immense…

The old man packed up and fled the Tendo home without a word once they had returned to the house. It was a given that he'd abandoned the pact to join his and Mr. Tendo's martial arts schools, as well as having me inherit the Saotome School. He'd left no forwarding address, which was a problem since mom and I needed him to sign the divorce and custody papers. Mom hired a detective to track her soon to be ex-husband down, to ensure he received the subpoenas and signed them. After that, he can rot for all I care.

Kasumi became stricter about the Tendo household, insisting on certain changes and enforcing rules. It was as if that Sin of Sloth that supposedly was within her was driven out and the eldest Tendo daughter was becoming more and more like a sterner mother figure.

Nabiki gathered up all her blackmail pictures and the like involving me, in boy and girl forms, and then destroyed them. The old me was the kind not to fight or hit girls; the new me, however, was clearly an unknown factor to Nabiki. Kasumi believed her sister wanted to ensure she didn't give me any kind of incentive to come after her or her family. She wasn't afraid for Kasumi; her big sister had been the nicest to me from the day the old man and I first showed up at their home… Akane and her father and herself, though… Well, I want her to keep thinking that I'd come after her and them.

Mr. Tendo, upon discovering the old man was gone without a trace, didn't bother looking for his old friend. Perhaps the Tendo patriarch understood Pop wanted to get as far away as possible from me. Kasumi and Nabiki did notice, however, that their father was going through the classifieds of the newspaper a little more thoroughly… perhaps he's looking for work, given it was highly likely that the Tendo Dojo would never again attract any students at all. If he was going to find work, it would help cover the bills and not leave it up to his kids…

Ryoga had only followed Akane and them to the Tendo home, but he kept on running… It was possible that my last show of change had spooked my formerly biggest rival enough that he wanted to never return to Nerima again. It's also possible that since Akane knew about his Jusenkyo curse now, he feared her turning her anger onto him. Perhaps the Eternal Lost Boy's decided to stay lost… If we met again, though, I bet he'll just run away. Fine by me. Just hope he finds somebody…

The Neko Hanten was still in business. However, Cologne was now hiring full-time help according to an advertisement in the paper's classifieds. Turns out Cologne sent Shampoo and Mousse back to China to their tribe, for their own protection. It was also said that Shampoo was given a strict message from Cologne to give to the leaders of their tribe concerning Shampoo's "engagement" to me possibly to inform the tribe leaders about my newly-revealed abilities, and warn them that I was strictly off-limits if they tried to argue the details of Shampoo's defeat by me in my male form, unless they wish to risk the wrath of a man who could turn himself into a fire-breathing dragon that could wipe the whole tribe off the face of the Earth…

The Kunos, all three of them, appeared to have lost their superiority complexes. Kodachi, according to rumors, announced her retirement from gymnastics. Kuno no longer wore his samurai robes and abandoned his bokken, even going as far as vowing never again to do any activities involving swords and the like, including kendo. And Principal Kuno seemed to wear suits and ties, no longer wearing Hawaiian-themed clothes. Even his little palm tree atop his head had vanished after one day.

Ukyo began wearing female uniforms to school; she keeps her distance from Nabiki and Akane, and vice-versa, but remains very civil towards them. I'm glad… if Ukyo had carried a grudge, I'd be worried she was a new host for the Sin of Wrath.

Speaking of Akane, Ukyo said she heard her and her friends talking… two days after that day, Akane gathered up all her martial arts-related items, including her gi, and packed them all up and placed them in the attic. She even avoids the Dojo as if it were haunted. It seems very clear - Akane has given up martial arts, for good. Her friends at school noticed her change in demeanor, but when they inquire about it, she would refuse to discuss it, sometimes begging to be left alone…

I had to wait a day before I got the results of all my make-up stuff; I passed. The school ah dot triple-check to make sure they'd gotten their scoring right. I guess they're surprised that I'm not the same Ranma from 2 months ago. Hell, theyw ere even shocked when I requested to be measured for an actual school uniform. I like my Chinese clothes, sure, but… time I grew up.

I start school tomorrow… it's going to be an interesting day…

"Nabiki Tendo! Akane Tendo!"

The two sisters turned from their foot lockers as Kuno raced towards them. "What is it now, Kuno-baby?" Nabiki asked in an annoyed tone.

Akane opened her mouth to snap at Kuno, but she recalled ever since… that time… Kuno had stopped trying to "court" her. Also, she noticed Kuno looked… spooked. "Something wrong?" she asked.

Indeed, Kuno was not himself. Then again, none of the three had been the same since three days prior. But today, he looked nervous. "I… I wished to warn the two of you," he said, looking about almost frantically. "I… overheard my father talking… we should be on our guard from this day onward, greatly."

"Don't tell me your father's reviving some of his old rules from when he first came back to be principal-."

"If only… oh, if only it were something so trivial. It… it's that…" Suddenly Kuno's eyes focused past the girls. They noticed he began to sweat profusely, raising a trembling hand to point.

Akane looked first, and she not only understood his fear, but she became afraid as well. "...Oh no," she whimpered.

Nabiki looked, and she felt her blood go cold. She and Akane fully understood Kuno's anxiety…

A lone figure walked into the building, wearing the male school uniform of Furinkan High. They would hardly recognize him in such clothing, but that black hair, with the pigtail…

Ranma noticed them, but his expression was calm and neutral. He barely reacted when the three pressed their backs into the footlockers as if to try and stay clear out of his path. "Morning, you three," he said in a casual, neutral tone as he walked past them.

"G-good morning, R-R-Ranma," the three all replied nervously. They eyed him as he moved along, finding his original locker and swapping his shoes before he moved along and out of sight.

"...He's back," Nabiki gulped.

"H-hai," Kuno answered despite Nabiki having made a statement and not a question. "He completed all his make-up work, including tests. As far as I know, it might just be until the school year is complete… and maybe… hopefully… he'll transfer to another school in Nerima."

Nabiki relaxed just a little. "...That wouldn't matter much to you or me, Kuno… since we'll be graduating after this year." ~Akane, however…~ Nabiki faced her younger sister, clearly seeing Akane was half-traumatized by encountering Ranma again so soon. Like her, Nabiki still could envision Ranma in dragon form towering above them all, burning Happosai to death in mere seconds before roaring for them to stay away from him. She could barely sleep for two whole nights after that, especially after Kasumi had brought home the old lecher's bones.

"...We just stay away from him and not provoke him whatsoever," Nabiki stated. She looked at Akane hard. "You understand, Akane? No matter what he says or does, do NOT go after him! Not unless you want to end up like Happosai…"

"Do… do I have to be in the same class as him?"

"You don't have much of a choice. Just keep your distance and especially keep your mouth shut and your temper in check!"

While she hated it, Akane bit her tongue and gave a nod of acknowledgement.

Shortly later, Akane was in her classroom along with most of her classmates as Miss Hinako entered the classroom. "Good morning, everyone," the cheery child teacher said with a smile and sincerity. "How is everyone today? Are you all behaving?"

Akane shot a look at Ukyo, who was facing forward. Akane expected Ukyo to say her mind to her and Nabiki ever since that day… but Ukyo kept herself cordial and polite. It unnerved Akane; she was highly suspicious that Ukyo was biding her time for the right opportunity to attack… then again, Ukyo no longer brought her combat spatula to school.

"I have news," Miss Hinako then said. "One of our students, who was absent for two months, has returned to continue classes. Of course, he had to do a lot of make-up work and tests first before he was allowed to resume classes with us." She faced the door to the classroom and said in a louder voice, "Please come in!" The door opened and she said, as Ranma walked in, "Please welcome back Mr. Ranma Saotome."

Most of the class were silently stunned; Akane avoided eye contact while Ukyo smiled warmly. They watched as Ranma moved to the front of the classroom and bowed. "Hello, everyone; I'm sorry I've been gone for so long." Ranma then turned and bowed at Miss Hinako. "I apologize for my long absence, Hinako-sensei."

"You're forgiven. Just remember, I despise delinquents."

"Yes, sensei - I remember, and I swear I won't be such a person."

Nodding, Miss Hinako then addressed the class again. "Normally we have regular classes and then study hall before lunch. However, since most of you likely have questions for Mr. Saotome… and I admit I am curious myself… for today only I am switching the schedule so we'll have study hall first as a quiet question & answer period with Mr. Saotome, and then we'll have regular classes-." A knock on the classroom door interrupted Miss Hinako, making her frown. "Now who could that be?" She said aloud to herself as she walked past Ranma and to the door to open it a little.

Everyone minus Akane was locked onto Ranma, most of them with questions on their minds from what Ranma could tell. ~Thank goodness Ukyo didn't mention my return to anyone; and my guess is Akane and Nabiki also kept silent. Good.~

"...I see," Miss Hinako said into the doorway before she turned back to her students. "My apologies, everyone… We also have a new student joining you all starting today. Mr. Saotome, please stay where you are; we'll introduce our newest addition and then you may answer your classmates' questions." Miss Hinako moved aside as the door opened…

Ranma, Ukyo, and Akane especially all felt their eyes widen, Akane's to the point they threatened to fly out of her head. They recognized the new student, specially Ranma. The guys of the class all went slack-jawed, with some of them literally drooling.

Moving to the chalkboard and writing her name carefully on it, the new student turned to smile at the class. "Hello, I'm Kiriya Sensho. I hope we can all get along." She bowed at the class before she turned to smile at Ranma. ~Surprise!~

Miss Hinako noticed the way Ranma and Kiriya looked at each other. "Um, pardon my asking but… Miss Sensho, do you know Mr. Saotome?"

"Hai, sensei, we know each other."

One of the male students got up from his desk and chair. "Don't tell me you have yet another fiance, Saotome?!" the boy exclaimed.

Ranma shook his head; this would be the start of the Q&A session. "No, I don't. If you must know… Kiriya and I are dating."

"What about your engagement to Akane?!" one of Akane's friends blurted out, shocked.

"Or to Ukyo?" another girl asked quickly.

"I decided to end all of my engagements; it was one of the reasons why I had gone away, to rethink my life and all the problems I had allowed to accumulate and/or become almost unbearable. I'll try to make this as clear as possible so we can talk about other matters… It became clear to me that I honestly had no idea what real love was, and that my engagements were more than likely to end up resulting in either a one-sided or a loveless marriage that would have only hurt both sides… So it was better to call them all off rather than continue the farce."

"He's not lying," Ukyo then spoke up. "Looking back, I understand much more clearly that before he went away, Ranchan wasn't happy with how his life was. He admitted he bears some of the blame, but everyone else, the rivals and the fiancees, didn't really try to help him, either. We were too focused on what we wanted or saw in him that we totally ignored or made up what Ranchan wanted."

"And then, while on my journey," Ranma finished, glancing at Kiriya. "I met Kiriya… and she helped me realize how foolish I had been regarding my engagement situation."

"So, are you still living with Akane, or-?"

"No," Ranma quickly replied, "I'm living with my mother now. And she's in the process of divorcing my no-good father. Still, I'm keeping the Saotome family name, because I want to clan it up after all my father did to tarnish it."

"How'd they all take it? Your former fiancées, I mean?"

"It wasn't… a smooth settlement on all counts. However, the important thing is that all the engagements are over and there's no longer any fighting. One more thing, though… for the sake of the girls involved, I'm telling you all - leave them alone! They suffered enough because of me and my stupidity, but now they're free."

Akane kept her eyes from looking at Ranma. She was still afraid of him, and Kiriya… however, hearing him insist that his former fiancees be left alone… part of her was awed that Ranma would say something like that. But why? Why would he do that?

The Q&A went on for most of the original period before Miss Hinako switched to actual lessons, and the rest of the day went normally. However, she did warn Ranma and Kiriya to keep "professional" while they were on school grounds for the sake of their education (which they swore to do). At lunch, Ukyo offered to show Kiriya around the school while Ranma remained to talk to his friends to catch up on all he missed. Akane watched him, but he never looked her way at all. While it felt…odd, it was also a little of a relief. Ranma was keeping his word to leave her alone as long as she left him be. And he avoided talking about her, too, when his friends pressed him about their former engagement.

After school ended, Akane gathered her things while Ranma and Kiriya discussed plans for later. Avoiding eye contact, Akane moved to leave the classroom and made for her foot locker. To her surprise, Ukyo was waiting for her. "...I don't want to fight-."

"Good, because I don't, either."

"You… don't?"

"You want to know why Ranchan told the class to not bother you about him ending the engagement and how it was settled. I saw it in your eyes."

Surprised by how easily Ukyo had her figured, Akane merely nodded.

Ukyo sighed. "Look, Akane… Ranchan was a jerk, and he was high on the attention we girls all gave him, even from you when you weren't beating him up. But unlike his old man who only cared about himself and himself alone, and his damn stomach… Ranchan does care about others. That includes us former fiancees. Don't you remember what he said back on that day, before he told us he wouldn't marry any of us because he didn't love us?" She waited for Akane to reply, but when the other girl kept silent, Ukyo gave the answer.

"He said he wanted to avoid hurting us all… but there was no real way for that to happen. So he accepted that we all were going to get hurt and gave it to us straight rather than let it go on, or sugarcoat it, or make up some lame excuses. And the most painful part… was he was right; it wasn't fair to any of us, him included, to try and enforce what would have been an unhappy marriage for all parties. I mean looking back on it… it was a lose-lose situation. One we all should have seen for what it was, and… had an open dialogue to try and sort it out." Sighing Ukyo rubbed her arm with a slight twinge of guilt forming on her face. "Yet we all just caved to our own pride and desires, we all made it more of a mess, and when Ranchan tried to actually take the first step, none of us wanted to hear it. Me included."

After a brief moment of silence Ukyo then added. "Look, we don't need to be enemies, but we don't need to be friends either. I just… wanna start over, with everyone, even you."

"W-why me?"

"Because despite seeing you as a rival, I did see you as my friend, Akane. Why do you think I tried to hook you up with Ryoga, least at first? Sure, I did have an ulterior motive; but given the guy was so openly into you, I figured I'd be helping set you up with someone good for you. Don't forget you kept professin' to not wanting Ranchan, so it was a lot of mixed signals…"

Ukyo then moved away from the footlockers. "Plus, I think that whole Seven Sins thing might have been a factor in how you and Ranchan kept butting heads. But from what I have seen from you these last few days… you've changed, and for the better. You're not quick to anger anymore. Not to mention when your core friends asked you about recent events, you could have told them Ranchan was back, and probably spun it around how he was giving you grief all over again… hell, you could have demonized him for what he calls his Animality, and for ending Happosai for good. …But you didn't. Instead, you just insisted you didn't want to discuss it. You never brought it up at all."

"...I just… I'm still… shocked… Ranma was never like that before. He never-." Akane couldn't bring herself to say it: that Ranma never killed anyone, not even the rivals when he had every right to, depending on some of their schemes.

"True… but if you look at it this way, I think he and his friends he met along his journey helped us all, even if most of us never realize it. I mean, look at the Kunos; they've dropped their old habits. I'm sure things are not the way they used to be at your place, either. After all, Genma's gone. Nodoka-okasan told me the sheriff went to your home and was told he wasn't there anymore." Seeing the blank stare from Akane, Ukyo blinked. "Oh, right, I've never told anybody yet… Mrs. Saotome made a proposal to my… father… she's going to adopt me as her daughter. But anyway, my point is… Ranchan not only helped himself but all of us by wanting to change how his life was going. He took responsibility for his mistakes regarding the engagements and took it upon himself to resolve them, even if it meant he had to fight us."

"And that's why, when we understood what he was going to do, we chose to help him even when he tried to convince us he alone had to resolve his problems."

Akane whirled around to see Kiriya behind her some feet away. When she saw Akane take a few steps back, Kiriya held up her hand. "Easy… I'm not looking for a fight. Our fight ended days ago."

"Then… then why-?"

"Because despite what was said and done during our fight, Akane… I don't hate you. And Ranma doesn't hate you, either. He only wants the fighting and arguing to end, which is why he told the rivals and former fiancees to leave him alone…. But what he wanted to also say was that if possible, he wanted to stay friends."

"...Then why didn't he-?"

"Because none of you would let him say that. …And because saying you want to stay friends with a girl you're breaking up with is also THE worst thing for a guy to say."

Both Ukyo and Akane had to agree (Akane especially) to that logic.

"Akane, despite everything bad that happened between you and him, Ranma would like the two of you to be friends. He hasn't said it aloud, but I can tell. Give him time, and I'm sure he'll try to approach you about it. And I want to be your friend as well."

Silent at first, Akane stared at Kiriya. Then, she moved to swap her shoes and then turned to leave. "...I'll get back to you on that," she said softly before she went through the opened doorway leading out into the grounds.

"...I had to try," Kiriya said, mainly to herself.

"Akane's always been stubborn, just like Ranchan. …It was one of the very few things they had in common, aside from their love for martial arts." Ukyo moved to put an arm around Kiriya's back. "It's probably too early to try and make friends with her."

"Even so… I was being honest, about Ranma wanting to be her friend at least."

"Same here with me wanting to start over with her. We'll give her more time to think it over. The damage from those Sins can't be undone easily…"

Kiriya could only nod.

They were soon joined by Ranma, and the three left Furinkan together; the girls didn't bring up their talk with Akane, though. It was best to let that alone for the time being. As they left through the gateway, Ukyo asked Ranma how he felt. Smiling at her while holding Kiriya's hand, Ranma remarked that the day had been better than he had imagined. He then looked up at the clear skies, recalling the lyrics to a song he heard a good while back that matched his mood:

It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life

for me…

and I'm feeling good.

After that first day back to school, things were looking up. Occasionally I'd get challenges from martial artists that passed through, but I only ever accepted a few of them. I even lost a few, but honestly, I didn't mind. It didn't make me a loser after all, not with the friends I had afterward. You could say it was final proof that the old Ranma Saotome was no more.

A few months later, Akane and I finally talked… We didn't become friends, and she didn't become friends with Kiriya or Ukyo, either… but at the least we parted with her on good terms. She eventually went on to become an actress, and a good one at that.

Nabiki and Kuno got together (no surprise there), and the same with Kasumi and Dr. Tofu. After these four got married, and Akane had moved out, Mr. Tendo sold the Tendo home and dojo, surprising everyone. He first moved into a small apartment, but then Kasumi insisted he move in with her and her husband. He agreed on the condition he worked as a receptionist for Dr. Tofu.

About two months after he bolted from Nerima, the old man was caught by the police and thrown in jail. This finally enabled mom to get him to sign the divorce papers. He requested I come visit him, but I refused; I had nothing more to say to him. Not even Mr. Tendo goes to see him. Last I heard, he was pretty much a broken man, eating less than he used to which led to him losing weight.

Kiriya took a part-time job at the Neko Hanten over the breaks from school, up until we graduated and went to college. Cologne taught her a few moves, even.

Sadly, Cologne only ever hears from Mousse. After Cologne dissolved Shampoo's claim to me, and then sent her back to China, Shampoo considers her great-grandmother dead to her. After I heard this, I made the choice of visiting Cologne at least once or twice a week, see how she's doing. Despite our differences in the past, I never really hated the old Amazon. Once I caught mom on the phone with Cologne… mom was moved to tears when Cologne told her straight that she should be proud of the man I had become. I even shed a tear or two as well; it was the nicest thing Cologne ever said about me, least that I had heard by then.

I never saw Ryoga again. However, Ukyo told me she spotted him with some longhaired girl shopping in the district. Akari, Ukyo believed she heard Ryoga call her. And they were accompanied by a very large, mean-looking pig. We did some research and found a family out in the countryside, the Unryu family, who raise sumo-style fighting pigs. Akari's the heiress-apparent to the family, and it turned out Ryoga defeated their prize pig which meant it made him worthy to marry Akari according to her family. Good for him.

Ukyo eventually met a guy from America… Duo something. Dumb name, but he makes her happy, and that's what matters.

As for me… well… I talked to Mr. and Mrs. Sensho in private, with a week to go before I graduate from college. I showed them the ring I got for Kiriya… and asked their permission. I even asked if I could become a Sensho if they felt the Saotome name was too dirty after all my old man had done. They surprised me by saying the name meant nothing as long as I had the heart and soul, as well as that I swore to be true to Kiriya above all else.

Her brothers, though… they proved to be the least difficult; I just had to defeat them all in a match. All of them at once against me. No, I didn't use Animality. That would have been overkill.

Which now brings me to sitting in a fancy restaurant, waiting for Kiriya to join me at out table. I got the box in my pocket (I'm so nervous I keep checking to see if the ring is in it), I already ordered for Kiriya and myself…

Oh, got a text on my phone-. She's coming into the restaurant now.

…Sorry, but… this is private…

The End

And there you have it.

A small confession: originally when I pitched this to TheUNB, I had planned to have Ranma and Akane make up and they'd start over as friends, leading to them eventually getting married. See, Akane would spend the 2 months Ranma was gone looking back and realizing what she had with Ranma... and how much he meant to her, leading her to decide she had to make some changes, for the better.

However, that all changed after I watched all of MOTHER OF THE GODDESS' DORMITORY and met Kiriya. Still, with this epilogue, I gave Akane a somewhat better ending than others would have.

If anybody wondering who Akari Unryu is... if you've only seen the RANMA 1/2 anime, sadly she was never featured in it. See, the anime only ran up to the introduction of Ranma's mother, Nodoka Saotome, before the TV series was cancelled. Akari showed up some chapters later on in the manga. And while a few OVAs were made, and even one of the 3 movies was based off of one chapter of the manga like the OVAs, the entirety of the RANMA 1/2 manga was never fully animated. I'm hoping someday that may change (look at the remakes of SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO)...

Please read & review.

See you next story...

-R80