Ranma was relaxing on the beach, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her skin. Sure, she could only relax so much with her mother around, judging her for not living up to odd definitions of 'masculinity' (or… most definitions right now, since she was wearing a cute swimsuit that showed off her figure). Still, her mother mostly wasn't carrying the sword around anymore, so it gave Ranma time to come up with excuses whenever her mother started getting 'concerned' about her gender presentation.

"That is certainly quite the bikini, now isn't it dear?" her mother asked, sitting down beside her as if on cue.

"As a teenage boy left in charge of pickin' out a smokin' redhead's swimsuit I like pickin' sexy options," Ranma replied, hoping her mother bought it.

"I suppose that makes sense," her mother replied softly.

"Speaking of daring swimsuits," Nabiki said, turning from her own towel. "I'm impressed you can wear something quite so revealing as a mom."

Nodoka raised an eyebrow, looking quite confused. "Why?"

"Stretch marks, no?" Ranma asked, having been more than a little concerned about them herself, after finding out they were a thing. "Do they just fade after long enough?"

"Why would I have stretch marks?" Nodoka asked, still seeming lost.

"Um, from… carrying a baby?" Akane offered, sitting on Ranma's other side.

"I've never done that?" Nodoka replied.

The eyes of the three Tendo sisters landed on Ranma, who felt a moment of existential terror (or… no, no, she was pretty sure that was the term she was after). How did she exist, then?

Magic?

Did her parents wish for her or something?

Was she stolen?

The Tendo girls then turned to look at Nodoka.

"Explain," Nabiki said.

"Genma said he already explained it?" Nodoka replied.

The three teens and Kasumi looked between each other, before turning and scurrying off to find Genma. He was relaxing with Soun, currently a panda while Soun wore swim trunks and a Hawaiian shirt.

"Alright, pops… why is ma sayin' she didn't give birth to me?" Ranma asked, crossing her arms to stare down at her father.

She realised, as the panda stared back at her, that her and the Tendo sisters moving as a group had gained attention from Ukyo and Konatsu. The chef was trying to listen in without leaving the grill, while Konatsu had sent a copy of herself over to listen in.

The panda raised a sign with read: #I explained the situation already?#

"I don't remember any explainin' a' anythin'," Ranma replied, narrowing her eyes further.

#Did you forget what I said?# his sign asked, before he flipped it. #I gave birth to you.#

"Ew! Pops! Don't say somethin' weird like that!" she said, just squirming at the thought. "Just tell me the truth!"

#It is the truth!#

"But uncle Genma, you're a man?" Akane asked. "Er, well, when you're not a panda."

#So?# came Genma's enlightening reply.

"Maybe you should tell them the other details, Saotome-kun," Soun said, taking a pause from enjoying his shaved ice.

#Those don't matter.# came one sign, followed by #I am a man. Nodoka is a woman. That's that.#

More confused than ever by the fact that Soun apparently agreed with… whatever it was that was being said, Ranma turned to the others for help. Akane seemed even more confused than she was. Nabiki muttered about not wanting to contemplate the idea of Genma being pregnant and stormed off. Kasumi and Konatsu both seemed to have ideas, however.

"Uncle Genma, had you and auntie Nodoka been to Jusenkyo before?" Kasumi asked.

#No?# came the reply, the panda looking confused by the question.

Konatsu then leaned in, whispering something into Genma's ear. The panda nodded with a shrug, as if whatever the ninja waitress had asked was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I rather think it is not obvious," Konatsu replied softly. "Especially with how you have responded to Ranma's own gender exploration."

Ranma glanced over her shoulder, realising her mother had joined them. That fact sent a shiver down the poor redhead's spine.

#I hardly see an issue.# Genma replied, not explaining anything to the rest of them.

"Apologies for outing you both, but, most people would not expect such conservatism on matters of gender from parents who are, themselves, trans," Konatsu replied, her tone as firm as Ranma had ever heard it.

Wait.

Trans was… that was what Konatsu had said she was. The whole identity being different thingy that Ranma sort of associated with, but also wasn't sure she understood.

And Konatsu was talking about… about her parents.

She looked at her mother, whom she looked so much alike. Then to her father, who… well, he was a panda right now, so even the minimal resemblance she normally shared with him was gone. But… well, she knew what her father looked like, and…

Ok, well, Konatsu was beautiful so she could sort of understand for her mother, but… pops? The man was one of the squarest men Ranma had ever met. How on earth could he be… and how did… wait.

"There's no way that's true, Konatsu. They made me sign that pledge ta be manly no matter what?" Ranma said.

"We didn't make you?" Nodoka said.

Genma gave a nod.

"Ya stuck in front a me as a baby and made me sign it!"

"We simply placed it on the ground near you," Nodoka replied. "In fact, I was mildly heartbroken at the enthusiasm you showed for it… but I accepted I was not being the best influence on a young boy, and your father could help you get over the way I had started leading you astray…"

Ranma gave a slow blink, before turning to the others, hoping someone else followed. Soun seemed to be the only one nodding along.

"Alright, I think I got one more question to ask," Ranma said, taking a moment to inhale. "The heck does any of what ya just said mean, ma?"

Her mother blushed slightly, eyes falling for a moment. "I… I may have encouraged you to try feminine things in moments of weakness. Painting your nails. Wearing bows in your hair. Helping me with chores… your father was right, that I was raising you too femininely and a young boy shouldn't be pressured by his mother to do such things."

#I knew I had to help you avoid all that while you were young.# Genma's sign read. #It was the sort of thing that really eats at you when you get older.#

"Mhm. Having been… friends with your father in middle school and high school, there was a sadness to him then that no one deserves," Soun added.

Some of that almost made sense, Ranma had to admit. Which made her annoyed, since it proved she could be capable of logic just as hair brained as her parents.

"It don't explain the seppuku part," Ranma said.

#Seppuku is a matter of honourable men. It was part of helping guide you back to manhood.#

Nodoka nodded. "I don't really understand it, but… I've never been good at grasping masculinity."

Ranma felt her eye twitch, before she threw her arms up in defeat. "Fine. I guess it makes some sorta sense. Which just makes me hate it more."

Both her parents blinked.

"Are you… dear, are you saying we made a mistake?" her mother asked. "Are you not actually a boy, deep down?"

#Please. He's definitely a boy. He's my son.#

Ranma pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm me. That's all I wanna be. I just wanna relax and live my life and not have a katana floating over my neck constantly. Is that really too much ta ask fer?"

There was silence for a moment, no one seeming to quite know how to react. Then Genma pulled out another sign to scribble a reply down on it.

#But you are a boy, right boy?#

"Genma. Dear. Perhaps it wasn't me that read too much into our child's behaviour," Nodoka said, slowly turning with an icy glare at her panda of a husband.

#If you want to question how I raised Ranma so much, then go jump in Jusenkyo and go through the 'joys' of pregnancy and childbirth yourself!# Genma wrote back in even messier hand writing than usual.

"Fine! Maybe I will! And maybe this time the father will be someone who actually loves me! Instead of pining for his best friend while both of them claimed they were straight!" Nodoka shouted back, tears in her eyes.

"Wait, what…" Ranma mumbled.

"Who?" Akane asked.

Soun turned beet red while Genma… was probably blushing under the fur.

All the while, Nodoka had stormed off to gather her things from the beach.

Ranma buried her face in her hands, not sure how things turned out like this. Also not sure if the contract was actually voided or not.