All characters mentioned from Ranma 1/2 are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This story was written for entertainment purposes only.
Ukyo took a deep breath while her mind and emotions raged within her. Picking Sawa up she made her way back downstairs to the living area and settled into a large chair, shifting the still crying girl into a more comfortable position. She then watched as each of the Tendo family followed her in.
Akane had a frown on her face, her eyes slightly out of focus as she appeared to be sorting through old memories. Akira, obviously not aware of the Tendo - Saotome history, looked confused as he kept glancing between everyone trying to figure out what was happening. Toufu had a thoughtful expression on his face, but like always refrained from speaking for the most part.
Kasumi entered last, also with a look of deep thought on her face. Before sitting down she approached Ukyo while pulling out a second photograph.
In a soft voice she asked, "Sawa, dear, I need to know something. Just one more thing. Do you know this man? Have you ever met him before?"
With the crying finally calming down to heavy sniffling the child tiredly lifted her head from Ukyo's chest and looked at the picture of Ranma Saotome, then shook her head. Ukyo noted that the picture was from his eighteenth birthday party.
Saying "Thank you Sawa," Kasumi went into the kitchen leaving a silent room behind her.
Still nobody had said anything when Kasumi returned ten minutes later carrying a loaded tea tray, putting out cups for everyone. Sitting down in an almost regal pose she sipped her tea in silence for a moment, then finally turned to Ukyo and asked "Ukyo, have you thought to go to the apartment Sawa lives at to see if her mother was there?"
Jerking her head up to focus more on the conversation at hand, Ukyo blinked a couple times and then said "No... no I haven't." Hanging her head she added, "The idea didn't even occur to me. I should probably do that."
"Actually, Ukyo, I was thinking of asking Akane to go and take a look, assuming we can get an address from Sawa here."
Akane looked at her sister, mouth agape, and finally said "What?"
Turning towards her Kasumi said "Think about it for a moment. Obviously Ranma hasn't been with Shampoo for at least 5 years now, probably longer. If she is chasing him, that means he didn't honorably break the engagement. Please Akane, do this for me." Then, glancing at Sawa she added, "Do it for her."
Ukyo watched as Akane looked hard into her sister's face before slowly nodding her head in agreement. As Kasumi smiled her thanks to her younger sibling, everyone's thoughts turned inward. The temporary silence was finally broken by Akira quietly asking, "Mother, is Sawa going to be okay?"
Kasumi smiled at her son and patted his hand saying, "I think so, Akira. She's just been through a lot recently and is very tired right now."
A moment later the front door was heard opening followed by an "I'm home!" from the front entrance. Tendo Soun walked into the living area with a smile on his face, only to stop the second the mood of the room hit him. Taking stock of the occupants he finally said, "Hello Kuonji Ukyo. I take it this lovely child is a relative of yours?"
Ukyo looked around as everyone appeared to be holding his or her breath. Suddenly Akane blurted out "No father, this is Kyonin Sawa. Her mother was attacked yesterday and she was sent over to Ukyo's restaurant to wait for her. We're all worried because the mother hasn't shown up to claim her yet."
Soun frowned at Sawa saying "Don't worry little girl, I'm sure-"
"I'm sure she will show up soon," Kasumi suddenly interjected while standing up. "Ukyo, it's been a very tiring day for her, why don't you take her home and put her to bed. I'll call you tomorrow and we'll see what we can do."
Looking at the eldest Tendo woman in trepidation at this sudden change in attitude, Ukyo could only watched as she was helped up and led to the front door. Giving Ukyo an awkward hug and Sawa a peck on the cheek, Kasumi nearly pushed them out the front door quickly closing it behind them. Not understanding what just happened, Ukyo finally sighed and carried the exhausted girl back to the restaurant.
After helping a half-awake Sawa change into her borrowed nightclothes and put her to bed, Ukyo sat down and looked at the picture of Ranma-chan that Kasumi had left in Sawa's possession. Finally setting the picture on the nightstand she stripped down intending to retreat to the furo for a good soak.
And to think.
Ranma had a daughter. The thought kept rolling in her mind over and over again, refusing to go away. Slowly, long forgotten pains and jealousies began to surface from the corners of her mind that she had tried so hard to lock away. Feelings of betrayed love that ran so deep even now they twisted in her gut with physical pain. Mental images of Sawa as a baby being held by Ranma and Shampoo drove nails through her soul.
It wasn't until the third knock that Ukyo even noticed the door to the changing room had been opened. Looking up she spotted Konatsu standing there, watching her in silence with pain in his eyes from the anguish written on her face.
"I take it that dinner at the Tendo home didn't go as planned?"
At Ukyo's nod Konatsu slowly let himself in and sat down on a stool next to the furo. Looking up at her he asked, "Want to tell me about it?"
Again Ukyo nodded, but she found herself unable to say anything. Slowly she tried to lock her feelings away once more, as she had done so long ago.
Finally looking away she said, "Dinner went well. I even think Sawa has found a new friend."
"Really? Akira?"
Ukyo nodded while imagining the two children together, talking about school. A smile almost made its way to her face, but failed as the rest of the evening then played out in her mind.
"Akira and Sawa had gone off to play video games when Sawa spotted one of Akane's old high school pictures. After the hysterics passed, we finally pieced together who these 'bad people' were who had attacked Sawa's mother."
Looking back at Konatsu before he could say anything she pushed on saying, "It was Shampoo and some of her tribe."
Watching as Konatsu's eyes widen at this new revelation, he finally said "Then, who is the.... oh."
Ukyo slowly nodded her head as Konatsu looked to her.
"So Sawa is Ranma and Shampoo's child."
Flinching as another nail was driven through her all Ukyo could do was nod in agreement once again.
Her voice starting to crack Ukyo said, "Kasumi figured it out. She brought a picture of Ranma-chan and showed it to Sawa asking if it was her mother. She has no memory of having Shampoo as a parent, however, only of her being the 'bad person' who hit her mother when she told her to run. She also doesn't remember seeing Ranma in his male form, ever."
Suddenly there were tears running down her face. For a brief moment she wiped them away but as they continued to fall she quit trying. "Why did it have to be Ranma's child? Why did he have to send her to me?" and finally she sobbed out "Why did he have to come back into my life?"
Leaning forward, Konatsu took Ukyo's head and pulled it against his shoulder. With a terrible choke she grabbed him and began to cry. Even with Konatsu holding her she couldn't keep the thought out of her mind that it should be Ranma who was holding her. Kissing her forehead. Telling her everything would be all right. Comforting her.
After she finally started to calm down she heard he quietly say, "You never did let him go. You know that, don't you? This whole time he's been lingering in some corner of your heart, no matter how much you tried to ignore it."
Her face wet from crying, Ukyo could only nod her head against his shoulder as the half statement half accusation struck true. Finally she croaked out "What do I do?"
Drawing her out of the tub he replied, "Well, first you need some sleep, you look terrible. As for tomorrow... well, like anyone else, we'll handle it then," and kissed her on the cheek.
After dressing in her nightclothes, the two headed for the main bedroom only to stop upon hearing a fitful moan from the second bedroom. Looking into the dark room, Ukyo saw Sawa tossing and turning on the futon apparently in the grips of an unpleasant dream.
She nearly jumped when Konatsu's hand was suddenly on her arm. With a tired grin he said, "Go be with her Ukyo. I've slept alone for many a year now, and another night won't bother me in the slightest." Then is a softer voice he added, "Go on Ukyo, comfort that little girl who needs you."
Taking a deep breath in an effort to gather her somewhat frayed nerves, Ukyo stepped forward and kissed Konatsu on the lips and whispered "Thank you." She then stepped into the room and crawled into the bed next to Sawa, adjusting the blankets to cover the both of them.
As soon as she settled in, Sawa curled up against her and started to calm down. As she drifted off into sleep, Ukyo thought she heard a small voice whisPer "Momma...."
Ukyo woke to the warmth of the morning sun shining through the small window in the room. Looking about with bleary eyes she noticed that Sawa was still sleeping, snuggled up against her, and watched her for a moment. If a person really looked for it, the girl did have similar facial features to Ranma's cursed form. Also, they both shared the same hair and eye color. Her build, on the other hand, must have come from her Amazon heritage. Ranma in either form had never been that slender.
After sitting up, yawning and stretching, Ukyo gently climbed out of bed and dressed. Taking a quick peek into the main bedroom to find it empty, she made her way downstairs to the restaurant proper. Also finding nobody there and noting that it was almost time to open, she stepped into the kitchen for something to eat and found a note left on the counter.
"Headed over to the Tokyo restaurant to open. Take your time. Be back as soon as the help takes over. - Konatsu"
Smiling as she read the note, Ukyo set it aside and started pulling things from the refrigerator for breakfast.
Halfway through cooking it, a very tired and sleepy looking Sawa came down the stairs and took a seat at the breakfast bar. Ukyo noted that the girl appeared to be watching her every move, a worried expression on her face. Not knowing what to do, Ukyo settled for keeping the silence as she cooked breakfast for the both of them. The meal itself was a tense affair, the whole time Ukyo berated herself for not knowing what to say or do to break it.
While cleaning the dishes up after the meal, Sawa suddenly asking, "Who is Ranma?"
Stopping what she was doing, Ukyo turned and looked at her while debating with herself. The fact that Sawa even remembered a name mentioned only once or twice while in an agitated state said much about her observation skills. Should she tell her the truth? Finally coming to a decision she answered slowly "Ranma was your mother's name, a long time ago when she lived in Nerima."
"Isn't Ranma a boy's name?"
Ukyo almost laughed then, remembering the 'lesson' Ranma had taught her about a person's gender being determined upon their choice of clothing. "Yes, it is. Your mother was very much a boy back then. So was I some of the time."
"Did you like her?" The question came so fast that Ukyo knew that this is what Sawa must have been thinking about all morning.
Ukyo slowly sat down, unsure of how to answer the question. Shaking her head in frustration she eventually said, "I loved your mother very much."
After a long moment, Sawa softly asked, "Do you still love her?"
"I... I don't know Sawa." And she didn't. As she thought back to that moment of betrayal when she had first heard that Ranma had left for China with Cologne and Shampoo, she felt tears begin to well up in her eyes. Turning to Sawa she tried to smile, but knew the attempt was a complete failure. Then, everything just suddenly everything hit her. Thoughts of Ranma leaving without even saying goodbye, Shampoo's smug look the last time Ukyo had seen her, and many others just crashed into her mind unmercifully. And twisting it all in was Sawa's comment made two days previously, "-Momma said that you were a nice person-"
Slowly falling to her knees, Ukyo clutched Sawa close to her and started to cry. "I'm so sorry Sawa... I'm so sorry. I... I just don't know. He... she just left me again, so long ago, and... and I was so angry...."
After a moment Ukyo realized that Sawa's arms were wrapped around her head and she was murmuring softly "It's okay... everything's okay."
Slowly raising her head Ukyo couldn't help but stare at Sawa as the girl tried to comfort her. Letting the girl go she wiped her eyes and slowly stood back up on shaky legs. Sitting back down on a stool before her legs gave out Ukyo said, "I'm sorry, I don't know what got into me."
And then Sawa kissed her on the cheek. Like a mother does to her child, or... or a child does in love to a parent. And when the tears started again, Ukyo couldn't do anything about them.
It took her a while before she was able to stop crying as the anger, grief, and hurt that had quietly festered in her for the last twelve years ran their course. Finally, with a great sigh, she was able to pull herself together and stand back up. Excusing herself, she went into the kitchen area and cleaned her face while trying to collect her thoughts.
Turning back to Sawa, she finally noticed that the girl also had dried tear marks on her face, and she suddenly let out a quick laugh. While making shooing motions with her hands she said, "Don't we just make the pair. Go clean up young lady, I have a restaurant to open."
And with that Sawa smiled at her, then turning she ran upstairs to change.
Fifteen minutes later when Sawa came back downstairs, Ukyo noticed that she had that thoughtful, pensive look on her face again. Hoping that it wasn't something that might incite yet another emotional scene in either of them, she asked, "Is there something wrong Sawa?"
Turning to her, Sawa replied "Am I going to school today?"
Pausing what she was doing, Ukyo almost slapped her forehead. "School... of course... something else I forgot about." With a sigh she added "Not today honey, I'm sorry. With everything going on it... it might not be safe. Okay?"
Seeing Sawa's nod of apparent understanding, Ukyo went through the final motions of opening up the restaurant to the public. Propping one of the doors open, it being a nice enough day that the fresh air was welcome, Ukyo went back into the kitchen and settled down as the first customer wandered in. While cooking up his order she noticed that Sawa was dressed in another one of Konatsu's better castoffs and had started heating a kettle of water. Smiling as the girl looked to her for approval, Sawa grinned back and then asked the customer what he would like to drink with his meal.
The morning passed quickly, much as it had yesterday. Many of her oldest customers made a point of stopping by to chat that day even if they weren't hungry, wanting to catch up since they hadn't seen her in a while. Others were very pleased with the service that Sawa gave, it being slightly different from what they were used to at the Ucchan Restaurant and commented on it.
When the morning rush finished out Ukyo remembered some of the plans that had been discussed last night and called Sawa over asking her, "Hun, do you know what the address is of the place that you and your mother lived at? Akane was going to head over there to see if she could find where your mother is."
After getting the name of the apartment complex and room number, Ukyo called the Tendo Dojo.
She couldn't help but smile once again as Kasumi's voice answered the phone. After a quick greeting she passed along the address that had been given to her. With Kasumi's assurance that they would call as soon as Akane went over to look, Ukyo hung up and started cleaning a bit in prep for the lunch hours.
After they both ate a quick lunch during a lull in the restaurant traffic, the lunch rush hit and they were very busy for several hours.
Around three in the afternoon however, Akira made an appearance at the restaurant. Smiling at Ukyo and Sawa both, he came up to the counter saying "Hey Auntie Ukyo" and placed an order for his usual favorite okonomiyaki.
While cooking up his order, Ukyo couldn't help but notice the sidelong glances that he was making at Sawa. Remembering what he had mentioned yesterday, she said in a low voice "So you like them tall I've noticed." Watching him develop a deep blush while staring at the sizzling grill, Ukyo chuckled to herself while thinking 'You know, they wouldn't make such a bad pair' and then actually laughed at the idea of herself playing matchmaker. Not wanting to torture Akira too much, Ukyo quit teasing him and gave him his food.
Watching as Sawa served Akira some tea with that shy smile of hers, Ukyo couldn't help but grin. As soon as he finished his okonomiyaki, Ukyo called him over and casually said, "I keep hearing that you're having problems with your math assignments. Is that right?"
With a sigh Akira said, "Ya, I'm not doing that well right now. Some of it is real easy, but other stuff I just don't get. You know?"
While trying to maintain a casual expression on her face Ukyo nodded saying "Well, I know for a fact that Sawa there is pretty smart. Maybe you should bring your homework over sometime and see if she can help you. Even though she is a grade below you, she's been to several schools so you never know...."
Watching Sawa's face go through stages of shock, embarrassment and worry, it took all Ukyo had not to burst out laughing especially when Akira said "Hey! That's a great idea." Smiling at Ukyo he then waved to the both of them and left the restaurant at a run.
The rest of the day went at a steady pace until they closed up at seven and started cleaning up. Noting that things did appear to go quickly with Sawa helping out, Ukyo frowned in thought. Why was she so interested in developing a relationship with Sawa? Did she even want to? Was it because she was Ranma's child, or possibly just the fact that she had had no children of her own? Or both?
After finishing the breakdown of the restaurant Ukyo started to put dinner together, unconsciously humming to herself while in thought. When the door opened and Konatsu walked in Ukyo couldn't help but smile while asking, "Have you eaten yet?"
With Konatsu's shake of the head, she pulled more ingredients to make a third serving. When the phone rang, she cheerfully answered it finding Kasumi at the other end.
"Hello Ukyo. Did anything wrong happen today?"
Frowning at the question Ukyo said, "No, everything is fine here. Why do you ask?"
"Toufu-san didn't see you or Sawa at the clinic today and was worried, so I thought I'd call."
Banging her head on the wall, Ukyo said "Oh Kami. I totally forgot to talk with Sawa about that today. I am so sorry, please apologize to Toufu-san for me."
Ukyo could hear the relief in Kasumi's voice as she replied with "That's okay. With so many things happening so quickly, it's understandable if one or two things get overlooked."
Nodding to herself Ukyo asked, "Oh, by the way, Sawa brought up something that I could use some help with. What do I do about her schooling? I'm afraid that Shampoo might stake out the school or something...."
"I was thinking about that too. I hope you don't mind, but I've already called the elementary school in that part of town and told them that I was a relative of hers, explaining that due to a family emergency she would be missing at least a week of school, maybe more. They accepted it and will be hanging onto her schoolwork for when she does start going again."
Ukyo sighed in relief. "Thank you Kasumi, that's one less thing to worry about for the moment at least. Akane visit the apartment yet?"
"No, she's planning on doing that this evening. I will call you later tonight once we know something."
Again giving her thanks, Ukyo hung up to find that Konatsu and Sawa had finished up the meal and were in the process of laying it out to eat. With a quick laugh she sat down and the three of them dug in.
As they finished up the meal Ukyo said to Sawa, "That was Kasumi who called. Doctor Ono wanted to know if you would mind stopping by his office at some point this week so that he could do a better examination. Also, you've been excused from school for the week while we try to find Ran... your mother. The school said they would hang onto your schoolwork and give it to you when you start going again so you don't fall too far behind."
Sawa nodded her head at the news and agreed to see the doctor again, on the promise that Ukyo went with her. Smiling at that, Ukyo nodded.
Right about then Konatsu spoke up while holding the day's worth of receipts. "You did really well today."
Looking at him with raised brows she asked "Really?"
"Oh yes. This is best day I've seen in this restaurant in over 3 months. At lot of the older customers were starting to come less frequently for a while. With your being here and the extra staff helping," he smiled at Sawa briefly, "word must have gotten out."
Having not known that business here had been declining so much Ukyo asked, "Why didn't you mention this before?"
"I really didn't notice it till about a month ago, and you were so busy with trying to get the other restaurant standing I didn't want to worry you. Ukyo, I'm not sure you've ever really thought about it but you are one of the main reasons why we have so many repeat customers. Of course a pretty face can sell more, everyone knows that, but you talk with them." Shrugging his shoulders he finished with a smile, "I've got the pretty face down pat, it's the other one I've never been very good at."
Nodding at this Ukyo just sat for a moment, thinking.
"Ukyo?" When she looked back up at him he said, "I was thinking... Since it looks like your going to be here until matters are settled, how about I move over to the other restaurant during the interim?" When she opened her mouth to protest he quickly said "It'll just be temporarily, and I really don't mind at all. To be honest, Hitoko and Sano do just about everything after the initial lunch rush so all I have to worry about is opening in the morning. It'll be fine."
Thinking hard for a moment, and seeing Konatsu's look, Ukyo finally nodded her head in agreement. Taking a careful look at one of most feminine people she had ever met, she stepped forward and hugged him while asking, "Why do you put up with me Konatsu?"
Returning the hug he stepped back and said, "After all these years, you still have to ask that? It should be obvious by now." With that he smiled and went upstairs.
An hour later Konatsu left the restaurant with a wave and smile, toting two large suitcases. After he had gone Sawa spoke. "She's a really nice person, isn't she."
Looking at the front door, Ukyo just nodded and said, "Better then I deserve."
With that Ukyo sent Sawa upstairs to bath and ready for bed. Afterward Ukyo went and took a bath herself, trying to scrub and soak the doubts and worries away. When she finally crawled into bed with Sawa curled up against her, however, she found herself unable to sleep.
Thoughts rolling through her mind, Ukyo's curiosity finally got the better of her. Speaking softly she said, "Sawa, are you still awake?"
Feeling the girl nod her head against her shoulder Ukyo asked, "What is your mother like? Is she happy?"
There was a long pause in the darkness before Sawa answered her.
"No."
The quiet answer startled her, so much that she couldn't even say anything until Sawa eventually finished. "Momma is sad a lot, especially at night. She cries a lot when she thinks I'm sleeping. I like doing things that make her happy. I think Momma's the happiest when we practice in the morning at the parks. She smiles a lot then."
Feeling a depression coming onto her, Ukyo said, "Is that why she started teaching you?"
"Uh-uh. Momma never taught me the Dance until I asked her. I don't think she wanted to, and she made me wait till I turned five, but once she started teaching me it made her really happy. Most of the time it is a lot of fun, especially some of the games we make up."
Ukyo pondered that one for a moment. Then remembering something else that Sawa had said she asked, "Why do you call it 'The Dance' instead of 'The Art' or something else?"
Sawa actually giggled for a bit before replying. "That's what I called it when I used to watch her practice in the morning, when I was four. When Momma started teaching me she kept telling me it was called 'The Art' but I liked my name better."
Ukyo thought of Ranma trying to handle such a simple little rebellion, and grinned at the mental picture she came up with.
After a moment the grin went away and not really wanting to Ukyo finally asked, "Do you know why your Momma is so sad all the time?"
Silence greeted her for over a minute before Sawa whispered, "No. Sometimes she gets so sad that I get scared."
"Why?"
When Sawa didn't speak for a couple minutes Ukyo said, "Please Sawa. Tell me."
After another long moment the girl asked, "You promise not to tell Momma?"
Knots of worry suddenly forming in her stomach Ukyo finally said, "I promise."
Another long silence, and then...
"A long time ago I woke up at night and went to get a glass of water, even though I was supposed to be sleeping. Momma was awake in the kitchen crying, but she looked like she was mad too. She... she had a knife a-and was hurting herself."
Taking a sniffling breath she continued. "Momma didn't see me, but the next day I saw bandages on her arm where she hurt herself. I think she did it other times too, cause sometimes I would see bandages on her arms or legs."
Listening to the girl in growing horror, Ukyo was thankful that Sawa couldn't see the expression on her face. The thought of this sweet girl next to her growing up surrounded by the events that Ukyo had pieced together so far was terrifying. Giving Sawa a hug in the darkness she discovered that tears were running down the girl's face. Eventually the girl buried her face against Ukyo's breast while she sniffled.
When the tears finally stopped Sawa said, "Auntie Ukyo?"
Slightly smiling at the name, figuring that it had been picked up from Akira, Ukyo answered, "Yes?"
"Is there a park near here where I can practice in the morning? I... I miss it."
Nodding in the darkness, Ukyo knew that Sawa could feel the motion. "Sure honey, I guess I need to start practicing too from the sounds of it. I'll wake you up early tomorrow and show you where the park is."
And with that, Ukyo reset her alarm a couple hours earlier and settled in.
It was a long time before she slept, however.
Waking up to the alarm clock quietly beeping, Ukyo smiled down at the sleeping figure next to her. Not really knowing why she kissed Sawa on the forehead and then slipped out of bed. After a quick stop to the bathroom she plopped down onto the bed and gently shook the sleeping girl to wake her. When Sawa rolled over muttering, "Okay Momma, just a minute..." Ukyo couldn't help but quietly giggle to herself. When she shook Sawa a little more forcefully the girl finally woke and opened bleary eyes in Ukyo's direction.
After taking a moment to focus Sawa finally said, "We're going to the park now?"
"Yep" Ukyo replied and then stood up and started looking for something loose and durable for the both of them to wear. After finding suitable garments, they both dressed and made they way downstairs. After Ukyo grabbed her spare battle spatula they left the restaurant.
Immediately stepping into a light jog to keep the morning chill from settling in, Ukyo said, "There is a small park just a couple blocks away. A lot of children go there after school, but in the mornings it's almost always empty."
A few moments later they arrived. Turning to Sawa she asked "So what do you do for your morning practice? Just stretches and katas, sparring, or what?"
"Usually, but we also play a lot of games."
With a weary grin on her face, Ukyo asked "What games?"
Shrugging Sawa said, "Fun games. You know... tag and things like that."
Shaking her head at the myriad of possibilities that a simple game of tag might encompass from Ranma's 'training' viewpoints when he was a teenager, Ukyo finally threw up her hands and simply said "Well, you do your thing for now. I have my own routine as well, but would enjoy a little sparring later if you want."
With a small grin Sawa moved off to the side a little and did some basic warm ups. Setting her spatula aside Ukyo also ran through a series of warm ups, and then some basic punches and kicks to really wake up. Afterward, she picked up her weapon of choice and began a rigorous series of swings and blocks that soon had sweat dripping from her body.
After nearly an hour of pushing herself against imaginary foes, Ukyo stopped to catch her breath. This being the first real workout she had done in over a year, she was appalled at how out of shape that she was in. Yep, she thought to herself, time to take Akane up on that offer.
Glancing around she looked for Sawa whom she had almost forgotten about while concentrating on her work out. When she felt somebody hit the ground hard right behind her, instinct took over and she spun while lashing out with her battle spatula... and just barely missed Sawa as she rolled underneath the strike and came to a standing rest about ten feet away from her.
Anger instantly filled her, and she lashed out at the girl. "What do you think you were doing? I could have seriously hurt you if I had hit!"
The playful look dying on her face, Sawa softly said "But that's what Momma and I do all the time. Besides, you're swinging too slow."
Opening her mouth to really chew the girl out, Ukyo suddenly stopped and blinked her eyes as she took in Sawa's stance. A relaxed easy pose that could take off instantly in any direction as necessary. A very similar pose to the one that Ranma used to use all the time so many years ago.
Ranma, the one person she knew of who could dance around her attacks in his sleep.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she finally said "I'm sorry Sawa, I didn't mean to yell at you. You just took me by surprise. I haven't done this in a long time and I'm not used to it anymore."
Nodding to Ukyo Sawa sat down and wrapped her arms around her knees looking at Ukyo. After a moment she asked, "Auntie Ukyo, why do you use that as a weapon? Isn't it hard to use?"
Smiling at the question Ukyo hefted the combat spatula and took a couple of lazy swings with it. "It can be, but it's what I'm used to. When I was a little girl I used to travel a lot, like you and Ra- your mother do. Since I cooked okonomiyaki everywhere I went it only made sense to learn how to use something that I would always have around. Also, like what your learning from you mother, it's a family style that I learned from my father."
"You can call her Ranma if you want to."
The sudden offer took Ukyo by surprise, but she eventually smiled at Sawa. "Thanks hun. I'm not used to thinking of her with any other name yet."
A sudden thought coming to her Ukyo asked, "Sawa, do you know who your father is?"
"Uh-uh" Sawa replied. "Momma used to say that he was a really nice person when he could be though."
Puzzled at the unusual answer, Ukyo finally set it aside and slid into a ready stance while facing Sawa. A grin coming to her face she said, "I do believe we were going to try a little sparring?"
A grin spread across Sawa's face as well as she stood up. Going into a loose pose she waited.
Nodding to herself as she now noticed the similarities between Sawa's style and Ranma's, Ukyo took the offensive and attacked intending to hold back a little until she got the measure of what the girl was capable of... and quickly found herself trying to hit a phantom as the girl dodged, bounced, and moved around with amazing speed. Slowly she began to put more pressure onto the girl but found herself grunting as Sawa suddenly connected with three solid kicks. Pausing a moment to collect herself, she charged back in only to find her feet getting swept out from beneath her.
Laying on her back she stopping to catch her breath, Ukyo looked over at Sawa and groaned as she noticed that the girl wasn't even breathing hard. "Why don't you attack more Sawa?" Then, as another thought struck her she added, "Is it because I'm a girl?"
A puzzled expression on her face at the question the girl answered with, "I don't know a lot of attacks yet, and I'm not very good with them. Momma hasn't gotten around to going through all of those with me yet."
Shaking her head at the old, and bad, assumptions she was making Ukyo rolled to her feet and dropped the spatula saying, "I give. You can dance around me again tomorrow."
After her breathing settled down and the twinges from the kicks faded, Ukyo picked up her spatula again and headed back to the restaurant with Sawa. After the both of them enjoyed a quick soak in the furo Ukyo went down to start prepping the restaurant for another day of business when the phone rang.
Picking it up Ukyo answered to find Kasumi on the other end.
"Ukyo, could you come over? Akane is finally back from checking Sawa and Ranma's apartment, and I think Toufu is finished with her."
An uneasy feeling settling in her stomach Ukyo said, "Sure. I'll be over in a few minutes."
Hanging up she pondered what might have happened, and finally had to push her imagination aside as it proved to be a little too graphic for her. Spotting Sawa coming down the stairs she turned and said, "We're going over to visit the Tendos."
Seeing Sawa's nervous look as Ukyo strapped the combat spatula on once again, she paused and looked at the girl. Words of ease came to her mind, but she didn't utter any of them. If something was wrong Ukyo knew she had no right to say otherwise. Finally saying, "Come on, let's hurry over" she took Sawa's hand and they both headed out.
A couple minutes later Ukyo was knocking on the Tendo door, worried about what might have happened to Akane to require the good doctor's assistance. Kasumi's smile as she opened the door helped a little, but she was still nervous.
Leading them into the living room, they spotted Akane enjoying a cup of tea and sporting a new bandage covering her left forearm. Glancing up, Akane gave them a weak grin before taking another sip of her tea. As Ukyo took a seat across from her she asked, "Are you okay?"
Taking another look at her arm Akane said "Ya, I'm fine. Teaches me right for thinking I had it all covered." Shaking her head she added, "Father is extremely upset of course, but that's nothing new."
After Kasumi joined them and had poured tea for each of them, Akane spoke up.
"Well, I stopped by Sawa's apartment last night, or at least I tried to. The place was crawling with police, apparently someone had broken in and ransacked it." Shaking her head she looked at Sawa saying, "I'm sorry, but I wasn't able to get anything of yours."
At Sawa's murmured "That's okay" Akane continued her narration. "I decided to hang around a bit thinking that I might be able to sneak in after the police left. Good thing I did too, cause as they were leaving I noticed someone that was staking the place out just like me." Grimacing at her arm again she continued. "Of course, that's when I got cocky. I surprised them intending to ask a couple questions and found myself in a nasty little fight. It was dark so I don't think she ever got a good look at me, I know I didn't get a close examination of her, but it had to be an Amazon." This time she shook her head with a slight grin, "The spear is kind of a dead give away."
"Anyhow, I knocked her out quick and left. I also made sure I wasn't being followed which is why I didn't make it back till just an hour ago."
Reaching out Kasumi took Akane's hand and said "Thank you, dear sister."
Akane nodded but then said, "If the Amazons are still around, this isn't over you know."
After a long moment, Kasumi sighed and said "I know, and so does Ukyo. But... this needs to be done, for Sawa's sake."
Suddenly angry, Akane turned and glared at her sister. "You know something, don't you? Something about Ranma, and why he left with Shampoo. Don't you? Why Nabiki and Father-"
And that's when they all noticed Soun standing in the walkway.
Anger causing his face to flush he slowly stepping into the room and in a cold voice demanded "What's this?" Then looking over at Akane he added, "I thought I told you to NEVER mention that name in this house again!"
Not understand what was going on, Ukyo pulled Sawa close to her and watched as Akane stood up and approached her enraged father saying, "But he might be in trouble and-"
"I do not care!" He yelled. "That bastard and his father have ruined our lives, and I never want to hear them mentioned again! IS THAT CLEAR?!"
Terrified at the tower of fury represented by the man in front of her, all Ukyo could do was sit still, hoping to not draw his attention. Tendo Soun had never been someone to trifle with when he was like this.
And that's then Sawa's whispering voice cut through the momentary silence as she said, "Ukyo, why is he so mad at Momma?" Ukyo cringed, noticing that both sisters had suddenly paled.
Suddenly Soun was looking at her, at Sawa, astonishment on his face that slowly turned towards insane anger. "That... that girl is..." and then he was raising his fist shouting "Get her out of my home! How dare you!" Akane quickly placed herself between Ukyo and her father and started to say "But Sawa-" and was violently shoved aside. As he advanced towards them Ukyo jumped to her feet picking up Sawa in the process, and started to back up. "Get out of my house!" he screamed, "Take that little bitch and-"
The slap was so strong it rocked his head backward. Just as his head came forward again the backhand sent him sprawling onto the floor.
Ukyo stood motionless as Kasumi stood there in front of her father, her whole body shaking. Her apparent anger a match to his she shouted "Don't you even dare! These are MY guests, and this is now MY house, and you no longer have ANY right!"
While lowering her still raised hand she said in a more calm voice "Yes, Sawa is Ranma's child. And right now that child doesn't know where her parents are, and would have nobody to look after her if it wasn't for Ukyo here." Then, with a glare of pure hate she pinned her father down and said, "I know what it's like to lose BOTH of my parents as a child. I will NOT have this little girl suffer through what I have."
Soun looked to be in shock as he slowly made his way back to his feet, his eyes never leaving his eldest daughter.
"You know why he had to leave Father, don't you dare shake your head and deny it, not any longer. He didn't have a choice, he wasn't GIVEN a choice. He is NOT to be blame." Then pointing at Sawa she added, "SHE is not to be blamed."
Twice Soun opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Finally he croaked out her name only to flinch as she cut him off saying, "Leave."
After looking at her for another moment, he slowly bowed his head and left.
Nobody was able to say or do anything for a long moment, until Kasumi slowly sat down on the couch and tried to pour herself a cup of tea. Her hands were shaking so badly that she spilt the tea on the table, and finally just set the kettle down. Looking up at Ukyo she said, "I'm sorry. I had not intended this to happen. I... I will make it up to you, to you both."
Watching as Akane gently sat down next to her sister, Ukyo gave a slow nod and then excused herself and while still carrying Sawa she let herself out of the Tendo home. Feeling Sawa still shaking she held the girl tight as she made her way back to the restaurant.
And the whole time walking back she could feel the anger building inside of her. Yes at Shampoo, Ranma, and even Soun though this was nothing new. But now this anger was directed at Kasumi as well... because she knew. Ukyo was certain the woman knew exactly why Ranma had left without an explanation or even a goodbye.
And for twelve years nobody had ever bothered to tell her.