-+- Standard Disclaimer -+-

The characters depicted in this story are not mine. Ranma 1/2 and all other related characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Story is partially based on "All You Zombies" By Robert Heinlein. I have written All You Ranmas purely for entertainment.

-+- End of Disclaimer -+-

All You Ranmas

A fiction novella by Dave Zhang (dzhang@its.caltech.edu). Comments and criticisms welcomed. Copyright 2001.

"This text is spoken." 'This text is thought.'



Chapter 2: Paternity

April 27, 1998, Nerima

"That's horrible!" Ranma then suddenly felt very uneasy. Well, he HAD forgotten Nabiki's birthday again today, and were it not for Kasumi he probably wouldn't have known at all. "Well, ah, I guess I'm to blame too..." Debating a while whether to come clean, Ranma concluded to tell Nabiki the truth. "You see, I actually kinda forgot today as well... I only went out to get you a gift because I smelled cake, and Kasumi told me." For the first time since entering Nabiki's room this night, Ranma looked up at Nabiki to see how she was handling his confession.

He quickly looked down to the floor again, sporting a slight nosebleed, having been quite abruptly reminded of why he didn't look at her in the first place. In that brief moment when he looked up though, Ranma saw on Nabiki's visage a confluence of many emotions, the two most predominant being sadness and understanding.

"Ranma, it's okay. I'm still very happy and grateful. No one else would have gotten me a present even if they had known. Thank you... I'll treasure this always."

Ranma, uncomfortable with having a teenage girl confide in him, and Nabiki no less, decided to change the topic in his usual way--by saying something hurtful and completely insensitive. "So, why don't you get yourself something nice? I mean, with all the business you run in school you must have quite a sizable bank account. I know you generally don't like to spend money, not even on yourself, but a birthday's a pretty special day, so why don't you make an exception and get like a nice dress or something?"

Ranma looked up again at Nabiki to see her fuming in rage, a look he has known all too well thanks to Akane. He immediately closed his eyes in wait for Akane's interdimensional mallet, but neither that nor Nabiki's fists came. After waiting a couple of minutes, making sure no attack was impending, Ranma opened his eyes again.

Nabiki was rolled up into a ball lying on her bed and... CRYING!? Fear immediately sank into the deep recesses of Ranma's unconscious as empathetic big brother mode took over. Ranma scooted closer to Nabiki on the bed and put his hand on Nabiki's shoulder, "Eh, sorry about that. I'm really bad with words. Uh, I don't mean whatever I just said that upset you. You're probably saving that money towards college tuition or something..."

Far from placating Nabiki as Ranma had hoped to do, Ranma's words made Nabiki sob only louder, to the point where her tear output almost matched her father's, except her tears were much more genuine. In between sobs, Nabiki spoke in a tone that conveyed extreme sadness and disappointment, " You think that I've been miserly and building a fat bank account? I have barely ten thousand yen left in my account. If it wasn't for me cranking up blackmail prices at school recently and begging to the construction companies on the phone , this stupid dojo would have already been repossessed! "

Ranma was stunned, to say the least, "You mean you pay for the costs of living here?"

Nabiki, regaining some control of her emotions, tried to halt any reinforcement tears, in an attempt to put back on the persona of the cool, collected mercenary. But she failed, because she then suddenly remember what Ranma said earlier, and her squadrons of tears were suddenly reinforced by several more battalions. Tears gushed. "College. After that wedding fiasco there's no way I can go to Todai or any other college for that matter. I wanted to go to Todai since I was four! It's impossible to get that much money now no matter how much blackmail profit I earn from now until the end of the school year. The only reason that I'm working so hard is so that Akane can go to college next year when she graduates. First Kasumi, then me . Both forfeited college for financial reasons. I want one of us three sisters to have a college education at least!"

With that last sentence, Nabiki was suddenly reminded how Akane had never EVER given Nabiki a single present, despite the fact that Nabiki never failed to give her one every Christmas and birthday, and the fact that Nabiki considered Akane her closest friend. Struck by the injustice of working so hard for the happiness of one whom she cared deeply about, yet Akane seemed completely apathetic to Nabiki's feelings, Nabiki continued her wail. After a while, her sobbing finally ceased. Whether it was due to exhaustion of her under-used tear glands, or to a conscious recomposition of her normal self is unknown.

Ranma was quite taken aback when he noticed this torrent of emotions that is so out of character from the normally tranquil Nabiki Tendo. This didn't prevent his audal system from functioning properly, though, and Ranma caught every single word that escaped Nabiki's mouth. Ranma was bewildered. "But, what about your father? Isn't it his duty to earn the bread?"

Nabiki tried to smirk her usual smirk, but failed terribly, and the resulting facial expression looked more like a pained, forced smile. "You think playing shogi with your dad brings home yen? Ranma, honestly, I expected you to be more observant than that. Have you seen any paying martial arts students around here for the past year? Ever since Mother's death, Daddy just couldn't bring himself to teach any more students."

Nabiki stopped speaking. 'Why am I telling him all this? I never talked to anyone else like this. Get a grip Nabiki! You're NOT going to turn into a whining school girl just because you got beat up today! You're NOT going to take Ranma in as a confidant just because he's the only person to ever give you a gift!' Nabiki sighed inwardly at the last thought.

Ranma, noting her resignation, suddenly feared for the worst, and started stuttering, "Uh, Nabiki, um, you know, you really shouldn't think about, uh, doing any silly things. I mean, sure, a lot of people at school are jerks to you, and I am too at times, but, uh, life is worth living! There are people who care about you!"

Nabiki blinked. Then she realized what Ranma was saying, and inwardly broke out in laughter. 'That's the gauche Ranma that I know. Heh, I'll tease him a little.' Thus, she kept her depressed exterior, and demurely said, "What do you mean? No one cares about a cold-hearted woman like me. There is no place I'd be welcomed on this earth!" Nabiki then proceeded to try to fake sobbing. However, since she already cried her eyes dry a few minutes ago, no tears came out, so she looked down and continued feigning crying.

Ranma was too lost in thought to notice though. 'Nabiki is lonely!? Of course, a mentally-challenged monkey could figure that out. I'm so stupid! Akane was right when she called me an insensitive jerk! Ah! I'm so stupid! To think that I thought Nabiki was the most selfish of us all! In truth she was the most selfless one; she bore the insults and hatred of everyone at school so that she could bring home money to bring dinner to the table. No--more than that... she willingly bore physical abuse too!'

Ranma thought some more his observations of Nabiki's actions over the past year. 'She never spent a single yen on herself!' He glanced briefly into Nabiki's open closet and ascertained his fears... not a single one of Nabiki's sets of clothes seemed anywhere near new. The colors of all the dressed were faded, and several of the dresses were obviously a couple sizes too big... which meant only one thing... they were all hand-me-downs from Kasumi.

Ranma stared down at the floor in shame of so grossly misunderstanding the character of Nabiki. After doing so for a fairly long time, he looked up, with new determination in his blue eyes. 'Nabiki, I had misunderstood you in the past. The rest of the world misunderstands you still now. But from this day forth there will be at least one person who stands by you always! At one person will be your... friend.'

Ranma put an arm around Nabiki and said, "Nabiki, I didn't know before, but I do now. I'm your friend now, if you'll let me be. In either case, no one will ever insult or hit you again, if I have anything to say about it!" Nabiki, surprised at the physical proximity to Ranma, and what Ranma just said, felt a warm, tingling sensation in her cheeks for the second time in her life.

"Stop it!" said Nabiki, not at all sounding sincere, "You wouldn't want Akane to hear or see this, would you?"

"I don't care what that stupid tomboy thinks! For all your sacrifices, you deserve at least one person to call your friend. And besides," Ranma continued sheepishly while turning to face Nabiki, "I've been a major source of your cash outflows, haven't I? With me and Pop freeloading, and my fiancees running around and destroying the dojo every other day." Debating something in his mind briefly, Ranma bit his teeth and took out his wallet. After fumbling for a bit, he found his ATM card. Handing it to Nabiki, he said, "Here Nabiki. The PIN is 0783. I have about 200,000 yen saved on it. They're mainly savings from working as a waitress at Cat Cafe and other odd jobs that I worked. I know this definitely isn't enough to cover the wedding costs, nor is it nearly enough for tuition at Tokyo University, but it'll help cover the recent money crunch. I guess I'll go ask Mom for some money."

Nabiki was shocked. So shocked in fact, that she forgot she was feigning crying. "What!?" she stammered. 'To think that Ranma would actually just offer me his entire bank account! Before he would drag his knees in giving up 100 yen! And to think, Ranma was actually mature enough to save up a sizable account.' Nabiki felt her respect for Ranma rise several orders of magnitude.

Nabiki stared at the proffered ATM card. '200,000 yen. That could make life a lot easier. And if I manage to earn a little more than what I usually do over the summer, I might actually be able to save up enough for Todai.' Nabiki shook her head. "No. I appreciate your offer, but I can't accept this money." Nabiki smiled as Ranma did a double-take, and continued, "But I will be taking you up on your offer to be my friend though."

"Well, ah, that's great. I mean, the friend part. Still though, you said the dojo's run into money problems. Here... take out some money. Call it a loan from a friend," replied Ranma. "No interest!"

***

Ranma finally left after noticing that they've been chatting for nearly three hours, though somewhat regretful the moment had to end. Nabiki, thinking about the past three hours, was happy--no ecstatic. This is been the best birthday ever for her... she had made a friend. Well, for the rest of us making a friend isn't that big a deal, but for Nabiki, increasing from 0 to 1 is an infinite percentage increase.

Nabiki pulled out the book Ranma had gotten her. "Romance of the Three Kingdoms." Still slightly wet to the touch. She smiled as she put the book on the desk by her bed, and shifted her body to prepare for sleep, while feeling a bit of lingering pain from her leg in the cast. She flipped off the lights. Nabiki found out that she couldn't fall asleep, too excited by the days events.

Nabiki mentally chided herself for being 'giddy as a schoolgirl.' 'Snap out of it Nabiki! It was just a present from a friend! Ranma's just a friend!'

Nabiki sighed. 'Yeah, just a friend. Ranma hadn't forgotten Akane's birthday last November.' Ranma had gotten Akane a nice pair of earrings, for which he was prompt punted into the koi pond, for saying, "Maybe you can be less of a uncute tomboy now."

'Still though, my eighteenth birthday, and the only gift I get is a book.' Nabiki felt hollow. Just like the French peasants right before the French Revolution, it wasn't in times of absolute poverty and despondency when one felt deprivation and emptiness; rather, it is when times are improving when one feels the relative deprivation that she has been suffering all along, but never complained about, for she knew no other way to live than the way she had.

Just as the French peasants' did, Nabiki's heart-felt deprivation soon manifested itself in anger and jealousy.

'Hmph! All I get for my eighteenth birthday is a stupid book! Come six and a half months from now, when Akane celebrates her eighteenth birthday, she'll be showered with gifts! Her friends from school will get her nice gifts--she actually has FRIENDS at school! Ukyo and Shampoo will probably get her something too. Ryoga will miraculously find his way here and give Akane a gift too. And Ranma...'

Nabiki sniffled at the last thought, 'Ranma will get her something really nice... maybe even propose to her since they'll both be eighteen by then.'

Silently comparing Akane's life with her own, Nabiki felt pangs of jealousy. 'Akane didn't have to worry about anything! She's so spoiled! While Kasumi and I have to worry daily about sustaining the family, Akane can just go off and have fun with her friends. Life is so unfair! Come November 12 when it's Akane's birthday, she'll have the greatest time in her life!'

Nabiki silently reminded herself that today was actually the happiest day in her own life. Nabiki sighed again. 'Born six and a half months apart to the same family... who knew our fates would be so different?'

"SIX AND A HALF MONTHS!?" Nabiki quietly screamed with sudden realization. 'Six and a half months!? Wait...'

Nabiki flipped her light back on, and hobbled over to her bookbag. Extracting a science textbook, she turned to the index. After searching a bit, she found the page number of what she was looking for, and turned to the directed page.

"Pregnancy," Nabiki quietly read, "is a period of development of the fetus inside its mother. Occurs in viviparous animals such as mammals. In humans (homo sapiens), pregnancy last nine months."

Having confirmed what she had remembered reading, suddenly everything became clear to Nabiki. 'That's why Akane's the only one of us sister who has a violent temperament. That's why Akane is the one Daddy didn't have pitch in for the family. That's why Akane was to bear the burden of marrying Ranma when we first thought he was a freak.'

At that thought, Nabiki noticeable saddened, if only there was anyone there to notice her. 'A freak... no! Ranma's not a freak! He's the most valiant, caring person there is! If only I had known it back then. Then I could've married Ranma and in truth fulfill the honor of the schools.

'That's it! All I have to do is go talk to Daddy, and tell him that I know everything now, and ask him to change the engagement. After all, it's not honorable to marry off an adopted daughter to fulfill a promise. To maintain the Tendo family honor, I must volunteer to marry Ranma instead!' In her heart, Nabiki realized that she wasn't doing this for honor. Honor had never meant much to her; honor never provided a meal on the table--Nabiki was a practical girl. An accompanying realization occurred to her. 'Could it be that I'm starting to... like Ranma!?'

***

A few rooms down, Soun Tendo didn't fall asleep immediately either. 'Kimiko... our adopted daughter is quickly growing up. She's almost a young lady now. Kimiko, have I been a good parent? Kimiko, I wish you were here...'

Having thought his usual nightly thoughts, Soun gradually drifted off into sleep.
// Afterthoughts on this chapter:

Ok, so Nabiki's a little out of character at the beginning of the chapter. But if her burden really is as big as I portray it here, it certainly is comprehensible that she would suffer an emotional break-down some day. And, given the personalities of everyone else in the Ranma cast, it seems most likely that Ranma would be the one to console her.