= - panda sign {{ }} - Chinese
Chapter 4: Reunions
[On a Ridge Overlooking Kagoshima, Six PM]
Ranma slowly opened her eyes and let out her breath slow and even. Try as her mind did, she couldn't keep a smile from inching up her face. As much as she wished she didn't she felt...the only word for it would be alive; more alive than she had ever felt. Her body was invigorated, flushed with energy. Whereas last week she had felt like she was being electrocuted, this time she imagined it felt like what it would if one grabbed a high power line and was able to accept the energy it delivered. Her senses tingled and fed her focused mind with more information than seemed possible. It almost felt that the environment around her was a part of her. For some reason she couldn't help but feel that someone was laughing at her.
[Cherry Hill Temple]
The scouts and their immediate family members were gathered around eating dinner when suddenly the quiet conversation was broken by a sound that they hadn't heard in almost two weeks, Usagi broke out into giggles.
"Usagi-chan are you alright?" Ami asked with a cautious smile on her face.
Nodding her head still smiling she responded, "Our new team mate just transformed for the first time, and as much as she didn't want to, I think she liked it." The other scouts smiled at this, each remembering their own first time, but more so they smiled because their friend was smiling again
[Ridge]
For a while Ranma simply stood and tried to get a feel for her new abilities and the information her senses were flooding her with. Then she started with the most basic kata she knew and slowly progressed through her entire inventory. After three hours of the basics she decided it was time to try out something else. Very cautiously she concentrated and started to glow blue.
"Moko- Takabisha!"
When she looked at the damage, it was fair to say that she was disappointed. She had been expecting a similar increase in power that her physical attributes had experienced. Instead her Ki-blast was no larger than normal. She spent the next half hour testing it and finally concluded that whatever the transformation did to her, it did not apparently significantly increase her Ki. By the time she stopped it was full dark and she hadn't even begun to sweat. In fact now that she thought about it she should be freezing in this getup, but was actually quite comfortable. As she started back towards the camp she admitted to herself something that she would never confess to another living soul. She liked the transformation. Reasoning with herself, 'I already turn into a girl, so turning into a powered up girl, why still sucking, was better than just being a normal one.' It was she reasoned, at least some sort of compensation for having no control over ones gender. Glancing down at herself she grimaced. 'This getup is a big mark against it, a really big one.' She paused in thought for a moment and then smiled, 'Oh well the life of a magical girl is fraught with peril. If nothing else it was sure to piss off pop.' With that pleasant thought she continued down the mountain. A few miles from camp she de-transformed with both relief and regret
Ranma pulled aside the tent flap and smiled, there sitting crammed together on one cot was Mr. Tendo and the girls. He was dressed in an army uniform and currently being hugged vehemently by all three of his daughters. Still smiling she turned her gaze to the other side of the tent where her father was sitting nervously next to a stern looking woman that she had never seen before.
"Hey pop glad to see that you made it." Ranma said in a tone of genuine affection, perhaps the second time in her life she could recall feeling that for her father. "I guess the uniform sort of gives away how you got here," Turning towards the woman she bowed, "Nice to meet you I'm Saotome Ranma. How did you end up with the old man here." Ranma inquired jerking a thumb towards her father.
Now unlike her husband who exhibited all the signs of classic stupidity unless it involved eating, fighting, or surviving, Nodoka was in fact quite astute. Thus after her mind got over her initial shock it didn't take to long to connect the dots. Turning to her husband with eyes that promised painful death she growled. "Genma! What have you done?! Now I see what you two have been hedging around about this past week. How could you be so fantastically incompetent! After ten years of waiting for my son, instead I find that he has been turned into my daughter! Explain Yourself!....No never mind, if you value your panda hide you will not return until tomorrow, I need at least the night to think about this." She had hardly finished speaking before Genma bolted through the tent flap fast enough to leave an after image.
The rest of the occupants of the tent stared in shock, but none more so than Ranma
"Moth...Mom?" She hesitantly squeaked out.
Nodoka took several deep breaths and calmed herself before turning towards the small voice. She took one long appraising look at the beautiful girl that her son had become, seeing the look of longing tempered with fear in those eyes, those beautiful blue eyes, decided it for her. She would worry about it later. Right now she was simply happy that he...she had somehow survived ten years of her husbands stupidity and was alive and well and most importantly standing right in front of her.
Ranma gasped as she was suddenly swept into a fierce hug, after only a moment she returned with an equal strength. It would have been unmanly for her to have cried, so if anyone saw such tears they decided to omit them from their memory.
[Somewhere Between Yamaguchi and Shimonoseki, 20 miles north of the Kamon Strait]
Ukyo Sobbed as she finished untying the dead woman from her group. It just wasn't fair. She didn't know where along the line she had been elected leader of the refuges, but she was finding she didn't care for the position much. Pulling open the woman's backpack she rummaged for a moment before finding a small purse. Quickly taking off her gloves she searched for a moment before removing the woman's driver's license and refuge pass. It was less heartbreaking than the ones the voluntarily handed over their passes before untying themselves, but not by much. After placing them in her bag, she took a quick look at her visibly bluing fingers before pulling her gloves and mittens back on. The group she lead all had winter clothes, but still she wondered how many fingers and toes of those that made it would be lost to frost bite. Nervously glancing at her own feet she said a small prayer over the woman and she stood back up looking at the huddled group of people. The rest of them were pointedly looking away from her when she stood back up, but everyone waited for her to start walking again before falling in behind her. She wanted to shout at them that she was just a kid, that they couldn't just shove this responsibility off on her, that it wasn't fair. She didn't though, having someone to follow was the only thing keeping some of these people going, and besides since when had life been fair.
[Sydney, Australia]
Cologne sighed as she looked out across the harbor, Shampoo sitting next to her, quiet and still for one of the few times in the young girls life. It was times like these that she cursed her long life. Living through such times left scars that never faded away.
{{Great-Grandmother, do you think that the tribe is alright?}} Shampoo asked in a subdued voice that Cologne found ill-fitting to her granddaughter.
{{I am sure that the other matriarchs evacuated the tribe as soon as they were sure, I don't doubt that under their leadership the tribe made it to safety.}} Cologne responded with more confidence than she truly felt. {{After the world has found its new balance reuniting with them will be our first priority, but for now we have little to do but wait.}}
{{Great-Grandmother, do you think Airen is alive?}} Shampoo asked even more hesitantly than her first question.
Cologne actually laughed. {{Of that dear I have no doubt at all, I think there is very little that this world could throw at Son-in-Law that he couldn't dodge. Don't worry Shampoo, we will see him again. Of that I am also sure.}}
Suddenly a white duck dropped out of the sky and landed at Shampoo's feet. Cologne cackled, {{I'm impressed Mr. Part-time, you maybe a fool, but you are a determined one.}}
{{Stupid Mousse, why you come here? Even end of the world not stop you from bothering me!}} One might note the underlying affection and relief in her tone that belied the words.
[Tokyo Metropolitan Central Library]
Ami walked along the cold corridors of the library, passing row after row of frozen books and broken computers. The extreme cold of the storm had shattered all of the buildings windows and snow swirled freely through the corridors. The snow banks were so high outside that to even get in she had to walk through a third story window. This place was no longer a house for knowledge, but more a tomb for it. Pulling a medical book off a shelf she gazed at it a moment before opening it. When she tried to thumb through it, the pages either stuck together, cracked, or tore in her hands. It then struck her just how much had been lost in the coming of the ice. She stifled a sob and dropped the book, slowly sinking to her knees, before crying openly. Weeping for lost knowledge and lost dreams.
Makoto found her there a few hours later and hugged her close for a long time before speaking. "Its hard Ami, but we can get through this. You have to believe that things will get better, even if you can't see how. In fact I think I know a smart person that might just come up with a way to save some of these books. Crystal Tokyo's going to need a public library."
Ami smiled up at Makoto through her tears and hugged her again. "Thanks Mako-chan, I really needed that."
Makoto simply smiled and draped an arm over Ami's shoulder and started leading her back to the temple. "Everyone losses hope now and then Ami- chan, that's what your friends are for. To give it back to you. Now come on, I left some cookies in the oven that should be burnt to a crisp by now."
Ami laughed wiping away the last of her tears, "Sounds good to me Mako- chan."
[Evacuation Command Center, Fukuoka, Island of Kyushu, Japan]
Not fifteen minutes after that last woman had died they had been picked up by a self defense force patrol in a snow cat. They had ferried the survivors in groups to the Kamon Strait Bridge where a bus had been waiting for them. Ukyo had stayed to the last, trying to make sure that no one else succumbed to the cold. In the end she had handed over eighty yellow passes, fifty that she collected during the trek. It had been heart- wrenching couple of days, but she tried to tell herself that she should be glad that so many had made it. The thought was cold comfort to her. Ukyo sank gratefully onto one of the cots in the Command Center, a token of thanks from the government for leading the survivors of the train wreck to safety. They had allowed her a warm shower; given her someone's clean spare uniform, promised to try and find where her friends had been assigned, and a cot in a quiet teachers lounge. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.
[Tent 859, Camp A26]
Ranma fidgeted nervously as his mother looked over his male form for the first time.
"My son, you're as handsome as a man as you are beautiful as a woman."
Ranma, not knowing how to take such a compliment continued to fidget nervously. He was just glad that the Tendos had decided to leave and give the reunited pair some time alone.
Over the next few hours the two of them filled each other in on their life since being separated. Needless to say it was a long and emotional night with laughter and crying in equal parts. By the end of it however Ranma and his Mother both finally felt a sort of closure to the emotional pain each had suffered since they had been separated from the other. It was three in the morning and the girls minus Soun came back to the tent.
"You certainly have had an interesting life Ranma, I'm more proud of you than you can imagine that you turned out as well as you did with Genma as a role model. Is there anything else I should know before we turn in, were not going to be getting a lot of sleep as it is I'm afraid." The girls glanced nervously between themselves for a moment before looking at Ranma. Kasumi spoke first.
"Did you figure out what you wanted to when you left this morning Ranma- kun?" Ranma nodded. "Then I think that you should show your mother, that way you can start over with a clean slate with each other."
Ranma sighed and stood up from where he was sitting next to his mother. Walking over to a small plastic jug that held the remainder of yesterday's water ration he picked it up and poured it over himself. "Mom, I guess there's one more thing I gota tell ya. I promise that it's the last. Not long after we got to the camp something happened to me. We still don't know how or why, but, well I guess the only way to explain it is to show it." With that a small pen seemed to materialize in her hand and she raised it above her head.
"Earth Star Power, MAKE UP!"
Nodoka watched with shock and a bit of awe as Ranma-chan briefly lifted off the ground and was surrounded by swirling multi-colored ribbons. The girls, who had seen it once before, were only slightly less amazed by the transformation sequence. Then it was over and Ranma-Chan stood in the same white and black fuku combination they had seen almost two weeks ago. The skirt, gloves and boots ornately trimmed in fine silver and her silver trimmed black bows gracing her chest and trailing almost to the floor from her back. Perched in her hair just above her right ear was a single red rose, its deeper red accenting the more pronounced of Ranma's hair.
Nodoka sat in shock for a full minute before regaining the ability to speak. "So my son does not simply turn into a girl," Nodoka then let out an uncontrollable giggle at the absurdity of that statement, "but a magical girl?"
Ranma looked down at her feet and twirled the toes of her boots on the floor. "Yeah, I guess so."
Nodoka got up from her bed and hugged her changed child to her. Ranma tentatively hugged her mother back, still not overly comfortable with displays of affection, especially with the girls watching. Nodoka stepped back and rested her hands on Ranma's shoulders. "Don't worry yourself over this Ranma. After hearing of your life this latest revelation merely confirms to me that you have been chosen by the Kami for something. Though they seem to have more a sense of humor than even the stories about them would lead one to believe. I will accept you no matter where they may take you Ranma. Sometimes it is easier to bend, and I think that we will all have to become quite limber."
Ranma sighed, "Thank you mom. I, well, thank you." Ranma finished lamely.
Nodoka nodded and decided that they were not going to get any sleep tonight after all. "Ranma, there's one more thing we need to discuss. Ranma did your father ever tell you of a pact he and you signed just before you left on the training trip?" At the shake of Ranma's head she continued. "This is it," she said pulling out a small scroll, "I want you to know that I never would have enforced it, well I might still hold your father to it. I simply intended it to be a check on your father's idiocy. I see however that instead of limiting his foolishness it merely drove him to a new level of it."
After Ranma had finished reading it with wide eyes Nodoka took it back and then tore it into small pieces. She then smiled at Ranma mischievously. "That's not to say that we still can't torture your father with it though is it?" Soon all five girls in the tent had equally devious grins. And a certain panda sleeping in the woods nearby came down with a fit of violent sneezing.
[Camp A26, Late Afternoon]
Ukyo hopped out of the cab of the truck and waved to the driver as he continued on his way. She had a brief pang of guilt that she had lost Ryouga somewhere at the Evacuation Command Center, but if anyone should be used to making it own there own it would be Ryouga. She looked down upon the see of green canvas and then at the sign proclaiming this to be Refuge Camp A26. Starting down the muddy path, she wondered how long it was going to take to find Ranma in this madness.
Ranma looked up from she was eating her lunch ration. She felt a dark presence nearby and instinctively her fingers wrapped around a pen that was suddenly in her hand. She quickly got up and ran to her tent. She didn't know what it was, but she knew that the new feelings she had gotten since this all began were telling her she had to fight it. Once out of sight she pulled out her pen and still somewhat indignant about being forced to say such things, called out.
"Earth Star Power, MAKE UP!"
Ukyo was still looking for some sort of centralized information center when she heard the first screams. Un-shouldering her spatula she ran towards the sound she couldn't help but feel that the tone of feminine outrage was in some way familiar.
Ranma and Ukyo, running from different directions both came to the main roadway that ran alongside the refuge camp at the same time, neither noticing that they were standing next to the other because both were voicing the same thought.
"It couldn't be."
"What a haul, what a haul!"
It was.
Chapter 4: Reunions
[On a Ridge Overlooking Kagoshima, Six PM]
Ranma slowly opened her eyes and let out her breath slow and even. Try as her mind did, she couldn't keep a smile from inching up her face. As much as she wished she didn't she felt...the only word for it would be alive; more alive than she had ever felt. Her body was invigorated, flushed with energy. Whereas last week she had felt like she was being electrocuted, this time she imagined it felt like what it would if one grabbed a high power line and was able to accept the energy it delivered. Her senses tingled and fed her focused mind with more information than seemed possible. It almost felt that the environment around her was a part of her. For some reason she couldn't help but feel that someone was laughing at her.
[Cherry Hill Temple]
The scouts and their immediate family members were gathered around eating dinner when suddenly the quiet conversation was broken by a sound that they hadn't heard in almost two weeks, Usagi broke out into giggles.
"Usagi-chan are you alright?" Ami asked with a cautious smile on her face.
Nodding her head still smiling she responded, "Our new team mate just transformed for the first time, and as much as she didn't want to, I think she liked it." The other scouts smiled at this, each remembering their own first time, but more so they smiled because their friend was smiling again
[Ridge]
For a while Ranma simply stood and tried to get a feel for her new abilities and the information her senses were flooding her with. Then she started with the most basic kata she knew and slowly progressed through her entire inventory. After three hours of the basics she decided it was time to try out something else. Very cautiously she concentrated and started to glow blue.
"Moko- Takabisha!"
When she looked at the damage, it was fair to say that she was disappointed. She had been expecting a similar increase in power that her physical attributes had experienced. Instead her Ki-blast was no larger than normal. She spent the next half hour testing it and finally concluded that whatever the transformation did to her, it did not apparently significantly increase her Ki. By the time she stopped it was full dark and she hadn't even begun to sweat. In fact now that she thought about it she should be freezing in this getup, but was actually quite comfortable. As she started back towards the camp she admitted to herself something that she would never confess to another living soul. She liked the transformation. Reasoning with herself, 'I already turn into a girl, so turning into a powered up girl, why still sucking, was better than just being a normal one.' It was she reasoned, at least some sort of compensation for having no control over ones gender. Glancing down at herself she grimaced. 'This getup is a big mark against it, a really big one.' She paused in thought for a moment and then smiled, 'Oh well the life of a magical girl is fraught with peril. If nothing else it was sure to piss off pop.' With that pleasant thought she continued down the mountain. A few miles from camp she de-transformed with both relief and regret
Ranma pulled aside the tent flap and smiled, there sitting crammed together on one cot was Mr. Tendo and the girls. He was dressed in an army uniform and currently being hugged vehemently by all three of his daughters. Still smiling she turned her gaze to the other side of the tent where her father was sitting nervously next to a stern looking woman that she had never seen before.
"Hey pop glad to see that you made it." Ranma said in a tone of genuine affection, perhaps the second time in her life she could recall feeling that for her father. "I guess the uniform sort of gives away how you got here," Turning towards the woman she bowed, "Nice to meet you I'm Saotome Ranma. How did you end up with the old man here." Ranma inquired jerking a thumb towards her father.
Now unlike her husband who exhibited all the signs of classic stupidity unless it involved eating, fighting, or surviving, Nodoka was in fact quite astute. Thus after her mind got over her initial shock it didn't take to long to connect the dots. Turning to her husband with eyes that promised painful death she growled. "Genma! What have you done?! Now I see what you two have been hedging around about this past week. How could you be so fantastically incompetent! After ten years of waiting for my son, instead I find that he has been turned into my daughter! Explain Yourself!....No never mind, if you value your panda hide you will not return until tomorrow, I need at least the night to think about this." She had hardly finished speaking before Genma bolted through the tent flap fast enough to leave an after image.
The rest of the occupants of the tent stared in shock, but none more so than Ranma
"Moth...Mom?" She hesitantly squeaked out.
Nodoka took several deep breaths and calmed herself before turning towards the small voice. She took one long appraising look at the beautiful girl that her son had become, seeing the look of longing tempered with fear in those eyes, those beautiful blue eyes, decided it for her. She would worry about it later. Right now she was simply happy that he...she had somehow survived ten years of her husbands stupidity and was alive and well and most importantly standing right in front of her.
Ranma gasped as she was suddenly swept into a fierce hug, after only a moment she returned with an equal strength. It would have been unmanly for her to have cried, so if anyone saw such tears they decided to omit them from their memory.
[Somewhere Between Yamaguchi and Shimonoseki, 20 miles north of the Kamon Strait]
Ukyo Sobbed as she finished untying the dead woman from her group. It just wasn't fair. She didn't know where along the line she had been elected leader of the refuges, but she was finding she didn't care for the position much. Pulling open the woman's backpack she rummaged for a moment before finding a small purse. Quickly taking off her gloves she searched for a moment before removing the woman's driver's license and refuge pass. It was less heartbreaking than the ones the voluntarily handed over their passes before untying themselves, but not by much. After placing them in her bag, she took a quick look at her visibly bluing fingers before pulling her gloves and mittens back on. The group she lead all had winter clothes, but still she wondered how many fingers and toes of those that made it would be lost to frost bite. Nervously glancing at her own feet she said a small prayer over the woman and she stood back up looking at the huddled group of people. The rest of them were pointedly looking away from her when she stood back up, but everyone waited for her to start walking again before falling in behind her. She wanted to shout at them that she was just a kid, that they couldn't just shove this responsibility off on her, that it wasn't fair. She didn't though, having someone to follow was the only thing keeping some of these people going, and besides since when had life been fair.
[Sydney, Australia]
Cologne sighed as she looked out across the harbor, Shampoo sitting next to her, quiet and still for one of the few times in the young girls life. It was times like these that she cursed her long life. Living through such times left scars that never faded away.
{{Great-Grandmother, do you think that the tribe is alright?}} Shampoo asked in a subdued voice that Cologne found ill-fitting to her granddaughter.
{{I am sure that the other matriarchs evacuated the tribe as soon as they were sure, I don't doubt that under their leadership the tribe made it to safety.}} Cologne responded with more confidence than she truly felt. {{After the world has found its new balance reuniting with them will be our first priority, but for now we have little to do but wait.}}
{{Great-Grandmother, do you think Airen is alive?}} Shampoo asked even more hesitantly than her first question.
Cologne actually laughed. {{Of that dear I have no doubt at all, I think there is very little that this world could throw at Son-in-Law that he couldn't dodge. Don't worry Shampoo, we will see him again. Of that I am also sure.}}
Suddenly a white duck dropped out of the sky and landed at Shampoo's feet. Cologne cackled, {{I'm impressed Mr. Part-time, you maybe a fool, but you are a determined one.}}
{{Stupid Mousse, why you come here? Even end of the world not stop you from bothering me!}} One might note the underlying affection and relief in her tone that belied the words.
[Tokyo Metropolitan Central Library]
Ami walked along the cold corridors of the library, passing row after row of frozen books and broken computers. The extreme cold of the storm had shattered all of the buildings windows and snow swirled freely through the corridors. The snow banks were so high outside that to even get in she had to walk through a third story window. This place was no longer a house for knowledge, but more a tomb for it. Pulling a medical book off a shelf she gazed at it a moment before opening it. When she tried to thumb through it, the pages either stuck together, cracked, or tore in her hands. It then struck her just how much had been lost in the coming of the ice. She stifled a sob and dropped the book, slowly sinking to her knees, before crying openly. Weeping for lost knowledge and lost dreams.
Makoto found her there a few hours later and hugged her close for a long time before speaking. "Its hard Ami, but we can get through this. You have to believe that things will get better, even if you can't see how. In fact I think I know a smart person that might just come up with a way to save some of these books. Crystal Tokyo's going to need a public library."
Ami smiled up at Makoto through her tears and hugged her again. "Thanks Mako-chan, I really needed that."
Makoto simply smiled and draped an arm over Ami's shoulder and started leading her back to the temple. "Everyone losses hope now and then Ami- chan, that's what your friends are for. To give it back to you. Now come on, I left some cookies in the oven that should be burnt to a crisp by now."
Ami laughed wiping away the last of her tears, "Sounds good to me Mako- chan."
[Evacuation Command Center, Fukuoka, Island of Kyushu, Japan]
Not fifteen minutes after that last woman had died they had been picked up by a self defense force patrol in a snow cat. They had ferried the survivors in groups to the Kamon Strait Bridge where a bus had been waiting for them. Ukyo had stayed to the last, trying to make sure that no one else succumbed to the cold. In the end she had handed over eighty yellow passes, fifty that she collected during the trek. It had been heart- wrenching couple of days, but she tried to tell herself that she should be glad that so many had made it. The thought was cold comfort to her. Ukyo sank gratefully onto one of the cots in the Command Center, a token of thanks from the government for leading the survivors of the train wreck to safety. They had allowed her a warm shower; given her someone's clean spare uniform, promised to try and find where her friends had been assigned, and a cot in a quiet teachers lounge. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.
[Tent 859, Camp A26]
Ranma fidgeted nervously as his mother looked over his male form for the first time.
"My son, you're as handsome as a man as you are beautiful as a woman."
Ranma, not knowing how to take such a compliment continued to fidget nervously. He was just glad that the Tendos had decided to leave and give the reunited pair some time alone.
Over the next few hours the two of them filled each other in on their life since being separated. Needless to say it was a long and emotional night with laughter and crying in equal parts. By the end of it however Ranma and his Mother both finally felt a sort of closure to the emotional pain each had suffered since they had been separated from the other. It was three in the morning and the girls minus Soun came back to the tent.
"You certainly have had an interesting life Ranma, I'm more proud of you than you can imagine that you turned out as well as you did with Genma as a role model. Is there anything else I should know before we turn in, were not going to be getting a lot of sleep as it is I'm afraid." The girls glanced nervously between themselves for a moment before looking at Ranma. Kasumi spoke first.
"Did you figure out what you wanted to when you left this morning Ranma- kun?" Ranma nodded. "Then I think that you should show your mother, that way you can start over with a clean slate with each other."
Ranma sighed and stood up from where he was sitting next to his mother. Walking over to a small plastic jug that held the remainder of yesterday's water ration he picked it up and poured it over himself. "Mom, I guess there's one more thing I gota tell ya. I promise that it's the last. Not long after we got to the camp something happened to me. We still don't know how or why, but, well I guess the only way to explain it is to show it." With that a small pen seemed to materialize in her hand and she raised it above her head.
"Earth Star Power, MAKE UP!"
Nodoka watched with shock and a bit of awe as Ranma-chan briefly lifted off the ground and was surrounded by swirling multi-colored ribbons. The girls, who had seen it once before, were only slightly less amazed by the transformation sequence. Then it was over and Ranma-Chan stood in the same white and black fuku combination they had seen almost two weeks ago. The skirt, gloves and boots ornately trimmed in fine silver and her silver trimmed black bows gracing her chest and trailing almost to the floor from her back. Perched in her hair just above her right ear was a single red rose, its deeper red accenting the more pronounced of Ranma's hair.
Nodoka sat in shock for a full minute before regaining the ability to speak. "So my son does not simply turn into a girl," Nodoka then let out an uncontrollable giggle at the absurdity of that statement, "but a magical girl?"
Ranma looked down at her feet and twirled the toes of her boots on the floor. "Yeah, I guess so."
Nodoka got up from her bed and hugged her changed child to her. Ranma tentatively hugged her mother back, still not overly comfortable with displays of affection, especially with the girls watching. Nodoka stepped back and rested her hands on Ranma's shoulders. "Don't worry yourself over this Ranma. After hearing of your life this latest revelation merely confirms to me that you have been chosen by the Kami for something. Though they seem to have more a sense of humor than even the stories about them would lead one to believe. I will accept you no matter where they may take you Ranma. Sometimes it is easier to bend, and I think that we will all have to become quite limber."
Ranma sighed, "Thank you mom. I, well, thank you." Ranma finished lamely.
Nodoka nodded and decided that they were not going to get any sleep tonight after all. "Ranma, there's one more thing we need to discuss. Ranma did your father ever tell you of a pact he and you signed just before you left on the training trip?" At the shake of Ranma's head she continued. "This is it," she said pulling out a small scroll, "I want you to know that I never would have enforced it, well I might still hold your father to it. I simply intended it to be a check on your father's idiocy. I see however that instead of limiting his foolishness it merely drove him to a new level of it."
After Ranma had finished reading it with wide eyes Nodoka took it back and then tore it into small pieces. She then smiled at Ranma mischievously. "That's not to say that we still can't torture your father with it though is it?" Soon all five girls in the tent had equally devious grins. And a certain panda sleeping in the woods nearby came down with a fit of violent sneezing.
[Camp A26, Late Afternoon]
Ukyo hopped out of the cab of the truck and waved to the driver as he continued on his way. She had a brief pang of guilt that she had lost Ryouga somewhere at the Evacuation Command Center, but if anyone should be used to making it own there own it would be Ryouga. She looked down upon the see of green canvas and then at the sign proclaiming this to be Refuge Camp A26. Starting down the muddy path, she wondered how long it was going to take to find Ranma in this madness.
Ranma looked up from she was eating her lunch ration. She felt a dark presence nearby and instinctively her fingers wrapped around a pen that was suddenly in her hand. She quickly got up and ran to her tent. She didn't know what it was, but she knew that the new feelings she had gotten since this all began were telling her she had to fight it. Once out of sight she pulled out her pen and still somewhat indignant about being forced to say such things, called out.
"Earth Star Power, MAKE UP!"
Ukyo was still looking for some sort of centralized information center when she heard the first screams. Un-shouldering her spatula she ran towards the sound she couldn't help but feel that the tone of feminine outrage was in some way familiar.
Ranma and Ukyo, running from different directions both came to the main roadway that ran alongside the refuge camp at the same time, neither noticing that they were standing next to the other because both were voicing the same thought.
"It couldn't be."
"What a haul, what a haul!"
It was.