Place favorite disclaimer here.

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Akane recognizes the voice and goes on an immediate defense. She spots the attacker and yells at him. "Ryouga, Don't you think you have done enough damage today?" She had always blamed Ranma for the attacks, but now for the first time she noticed Ryouga was attacking on-site.

Ryouga not realizing he was digging his on grave, points at Ranma and yells. "He has made my life a living hell."

Cologne tries to defuse the situation. "Child, he is unable to defend himself now. Ranma is in another body elsewhere and Mamoru who is in Ranma's body does not know martial arts."

Mamoru realizes this is one of the problems that Ranma needs solved takes the initiative. "Wait a second Cologne let me handle this." He looks at Ryouga with the most compassionate eyes he can muster and speaks as sincerely as he can. "Ryouga, I have no problem with you personally, but if you persist I'll let your secret slip. I have no honor bound agreements with you. If you think hard about it, Ranma is not at fault for about half the stuff you blame him for."

Ryouga eyes get as big as saucers "Uggg, you wouldn't."

Mamoru sighs and looks depressed. "Again Ryouga, this is not a trick, I want to be your friend, not your enemy. Give me the opportunity to get to know you, or walk away right now. This time there will be real consequences and repercussions should you decide attack."

Ryouga looks at the trio and walks away, a green aurora surrounding him.

Akane blinks several times. "What secret Mamoru?"

Mamoru "Ranma made a Honorable agreement with Ryouga not to revile that secret, and I won't unless I have to. It's embarrassing to him and would cause too much grief for everyone involved if I let it slip. It's the only card I can hold over him. Ryouga has held it over Ranma long enough. If you think about it hard, you might figure it out."

Cologne tries to defuse the situation. "Mamoru is right, do not push the matter any further child."

Akane "Yes Cologne."

Mamoru sighs again. "Akane, there is one thing you might be able to help with." He waits for her answer, only to see her node her head. "You see Ryouga as a friend, what you don't seem to realize is that Ryouga sees you as potentially more. Not many people have tired to treat him as a friend. Ranma was the first to reach out to him, you are the second."

Akane looks down at the ground for several minutes. "I see, I'll have a heart-to-heart with him the next time I see him."

Mamoru "Thank you Akane... Just out of curiosity how much longer to the Dojo?"

Akane "About a fifteen minute walk? Why?


Mamoru "I was wanting to call Ranma's mother over for morning breakfast."

Akane flinches, and then blinks. "Why would you want to do that?"

Mamoru "Some secrets should be broken."

Akane thinks for several minutes. "With you in his body, she would not dare insist on the suicide pact and would have to listen to you. It would give her time to accept the curse."

Cologne "Still your taking a big risk Mamoru."

Mamoru "One both Ranma and me are willing to take."

Cologne "I see, there is a pay phone, shall we call?"

Mamoru looks at the pay phone for a second then address Akane. "Yes? Akane could you please call Ranma's mother and tell her that Ranma plans to sort of stop by the Dojo for breakfast."

Akane thinks things through yet again. "I see, if I tell her that he is sort of dropping by it's the truth in a roundabout way."

Mamoru smiles "Smart girl."

Cologne laughs. "Meet the Master of CYA."

Akane "CYA?"

Mamoru "Cover your Ass."

Cologne laughs and Akane grasping the concept laughs also.

Akane "Anything goes School of Ass Covering?"

All three drop onto the ground laughing.

Cologne recovering after a half hour "Thank you child, I have not had a good laugh like that in over seventy five years."

Mamoru "You two are such perverts."

Cologne "There is nothing wrong with being a pervert."

Akane "There's not?"


Cologne "Why do you think I'm over three hundred years old?"

Mamoru "In that case, both the Samatone and Tendo lines should live to a ripe old age."

Cologne "Who are you calling ripe? I'll have you know, I'm still in my prime."

Mamoru pretends to act apologetic "Yes Elder."

Cologne cannot hold it in any longer and breaks out into laughing again. Akane and Mamoru soon join in.

Mamoru catches his breath. "I think we better get on to the Dojo. Elder can we invite you to breakfast?"

Cologne visibly sighs, the fun is now over for her. "Alas, I would love to, but I had better not, I need to get back and check on my children. Let me get you home and I'll be on my way."

Mamoru "Thank you Elder. Akane?"

Akane "Yes Mamoru?"

Mamoru "I may need you to defend me soon, are you up to it?"

Akane's eyes gleam in anticipation. "Yes, I am."

Mamoru "Thank you."

They stop their conversation when Cologne speaks. The notice they are standing at a gate.

Cologne "Here we are Children."

Mamoru bows to Cologne. "Thank you Elder, have a restful and peaceful day."

Cologne to Akane's surprise bows back. "Thank you Child, and good luck with that meeting."

Without another word Cologne bounces off into the horizon.

Akane still trying to get over her shock. "You know she is not that bad when she is not plotting to take Ranma back to China."

Mamoru smiles. "I'm glad I have the chance to get to know her."

Akane changes the subject. "Auntie should be here in a little while, should we tell Ranma's father?"

Mamoru "I think that would-be best, also we will need to tell them the truth about me."

Mamoru opens the door for Akane as she enters the home. This does not go unnoticed by to fathers."

Genma yells at Soun in his excitement. "I'll go get the priest."

Soun cries with joy. "I'll get Ranma into his Tux, Kasumi you get Akane into her wedding gown."

Mamoru puts the breaks on everything. "I think you both need to calm down. It's time for a family conference."

Genma glairs at his ungrateful son. "Have respect for your Elders Boy!"

Mamoru glairs back. "Family conference first and then we will talk about respect Mr. Saotome."

Genma is extremely agitated by his son's behavior. "Defend yourself Boy."

Akane snickers as the address the lazy Panda. "Mr. Saotome, your wife will be here in a half hour, its best that we have the family conference right now."

If it were at all possible, Genma appeared to stop in midflight blinking at that news, and drops hard to the ground.

Genma with a scared look on his face address Akane. "How do you know this girl?"

Akane "Mamoru, and I invited her."

Soun "Who is this Mamoru?"

Akane "That is what the family conference is about."

Soun breaks down into tears. "My little girl has found someone new, now the schools will never be united."

Mamoru "Mr. Tendo, we have a short amount of time. The less time you have, the more you need to use it wisely."

Soun composes himself. "How did you become so wise Ranma?"

Mamoru smiles, "That is what the family conference is about."

Four minutes later Kasumi is serving everyone tea and cookies and is heading to the kitchen.

Mamoru speaks with a serious tone. "Kasumi please sit down, this concerns you also." He looks around the table. He recognizes the two adults, and he recognizes Kasumi. He already knows Akane. The only person left was a beautiful young woman sitting next to Kasumi, he has a good idea that it's Nabiki but decides not to guess. Whispering to Akane "Who is the babe sitting next to Kasumi, she is the only one I don't know."

Akane whispering back." I'm surprised Ranma did not warn you, that is my sister Nabiki, so you like her?"

Mamoru continues the conversation "In a shallow sort of way, I would want to get to know her better before making a final decision. I know a little about her from Ranma already."

Akane "I'll tell you about her later."

Mamoru clears his throat as Kasumi sits down. "Akane would you be so kind as to explain what happen today."

Akane "Of course, Ryouga once again attacked Ranma today, I have no idea why this time. Ranma did not even say anything to him. Ryouga set of a Ki blast and it was heading strait towards me. Ranma took the blast."

Soun starts to cry again. "My little girl was almost hurt by a Ki blast? Waaaaaa"

Akane ignores her father and continues. "I activated his curses, carried him to Dr. Tofu's and waited for him to wake-up. When he woke up he was dazed and confused. I don't know all the details myself, but Ranma somehow switched bodies with another person."

Mamoru interjects. "The best that Dr. Tofu, Elder Cologne, and me can come up with is that at the same time Ranma got hit by the Ki I got hit by a lightning bolt in a freak storm. My body is now recovering back home. Ranma has adjusted my body's Ki and it is healing quickly."

Kasumi responds in her trademark. "Oh! My!"

Nabiki looks skeptical. "And you expect us to believe this because?"

Mamoru looks at her and mimics Humphrey Bogart. "It's the truth sweetheart." Adding a wink in Nabiki's direction who blushes immediately. "I'll be contacting Dr. Tofu as soon as I'm done talking to Ranma's mother who will be arriving any minute. I believe it's time for Mr. Panda to make an appearance."

Genma pales at this. "You don't mean to tell me you plan to tell her the truth?"

Mamoru smiles` at Genma's nervousness. "At Ranma's request I am, he believes when presented with the facts that his mother will not overreact."

Soun starts crying at Usagi level 5. "My Son-In-Law and best friend and doomed. Waaaa"

A splash is heard when there is a knock at the door. Sever minutes later Mrs. Saotome walks in and rushes directly to Ranma and breaks down crying. Mamoru embraces her and gives her a hug and pats her on the back telling her there are some things she must hear. Things that will not be easy to take.

Nodoka calms down. "What is it son?"

Akane and Mamoru go into their story a second time for that evening. Nodoka appears to be taking it well and accepts it.

Nodoka wipes away several tears. "Thank you for the truth, it means a lot to me."

Mamoru sighs and looks down at the floor. "Ma'am, there is more, ... your son has been in hiding from you because of the unwise decisions of his father."

Nodoka face hardens. "Why would my son by hiding from his own mother?"

Mamoru looks Nodoka direct in the eye. "Back about eight months ago before Genma and Ranma returned from China they visited Genma's last schedule stop. A set of cursed springs. When you fall into one you become what last drowned in that spring. Cold water activates the curse and hot water deactivates it. Your son is a man among men, he puts me to shame in so many ways. He however is young and still confused and because of some influences does not know how to handle this curse properly. Heck, I'm not even sure how to handle it. It had been both your husbands and son's hope that they find a cure by now, but a cure has not been forthcoming."

Nodoka softens her glair at Mamoru. "And because of this, you feel you cannot hide from me?"

Mamoru's eyes harden. "I prefer not to hide from the truth. The curse is for better or worse is a part of that truth. Ranma and Genma and a few other people believe this hurts and/or handicaps his manhood in a big way. While I'll agree it's a handicap, the influence of the curse is a positive and not a negative I think."

Akane looks confused. "How can that be?"

Mamoru notices her confusion. "I'll explain in a second Akane, Mrs. Saotome are you ready for a demonstration of the curse?"

Nodoka eyes widen, 'What on earth happen to my child.' "It can't be that bad? Can it?"

Mamoru eyes soften. "It depends on ones perspective, I have not gone through the curse so maybe I can describe what is going on."

Nodoka braces herself for the truth. "Ok, go for it."

Mamoru braces himself as well. "Akane, if you would do the honors."

Akane takes a glass of water and dumps it on Mamoru's head. Nodoka gasp as she watches her son shrink.

Nodoka has an extremely confused look on her face. "Ranko?"


Mamoru who is now crying, as if in great pain. "I don't see how he can handle this, the chemical changes are overwhelming. Akane, could you please change me back before I pass out."

Akane reaches for the thermos they have under the table and pours hot water on him.

Mamoru pants for breath while holding his head. "God, I was not prepared for that. I have more respect for Ranma now than ever. Akane? Did Ranma ever complain about any pain?"

Akane looks at Mamoru with concern. "No, he said it was always painless, but you felt pain? It's always like him not to admit to pain."

Mamoru visibly relaxes. "In the shift itself no, but the chemical balance changes where noticeable, with time I could accept them, but I could never do it on the fly."

Nodoka sighs. "I see now why Genma would have Ranma in hiding because of the contract." Looks at Kasumi. "Kasumi, could you please bring me a bowl and lighter."

Kasumi walks out of the room to get the requested items. Mamoru takes the time to regain his equilibrium.

Mamoru speaks after several minutes of silence. "Ok, I've composed myself. I can't explain the pain... It was not a physical pain per say. It was more like an emotional one. ... I'm not making any senses, not even to myself."

Kasumi walks in with the requested items.

Nodoka takes a piece of paper out, and puts the lighter to it. Dropping it into the bowl she watches it burn.

Nodoka watches the residual smoke from the fire float away. "For to long have I held onto that, for to long I have allowed it to separate it from my son. Genma will pay dearly for this. What does he change into out of curiosity."

Akane face faults. "Don't you think it's a little strange that we have a pet panda running around here?"

Nodoka blinks. "You mean?"

Mamoru looks her in the eye once again. "Yes, Ranma who sends his love ask but one thing, spare his life. While he is undeserving, all he has ever wanted was a complete family."

Nodoka thinks for a little while. "I see, I shall honor that request. Let us go and pay a visit to the Koi pond. I feel the urge to feed the Panda some table scrapes."

Akane giggles. "I'll go fill the thermos for Mother."

At hearing this Nodoka breaks down crying.

Akane not noticing her sleep of tongue. "What's wrong?"


Mamoru looks at Akane with compassionate eyes. "She has been wanting to hear the word Mother for so long, now that she is semi-reunited with her son its just to much stress on her."

Nodoka composes herself. "You are very wise Mamoru."

Mamoru "Thank you Ma'am."

Akane "Let us go pay a visit to father."

Nodoka "Yes, lets."


I've already got half of the next chapter edited. I had a lot of problems with this one. Hopefully I found everything.

Ookii Mamoru