Starting Over: Do You Want to be Friends?

Chapter 7

Written by Senshi of Valis

Ranma ½ created by Rumiko Takahashi

Card Captor Sakura created by Clamp

I don't own any of these series or the character in each.

"Ranko?" the woman asked again, louder this time as she started to move through the hole in the wall towards a nervous and scared Ranko. Ranko had no idea who this woman was but her last name was Kuno and that was reason enough to be suspicious. After all, everything so far with the Kuno name meant nothing but trouble.

"Who are you?" Ranko asked as she looked quickly around her for support if she needed it, she was exhausted after what just happened. Kasumi was tending to Soun as he was just waking up. Akane was near by looking worried but Nabiki…Nabiki had a small warm smile on her face, not one of her usual predatory looks.

"I'm Kuno, Nodoka Kuno." Nodoka said as she climbed through the hole carefully and stood right before Ranko, reaching out tentatively and caressed Ranko's cheek. "Oh god…it is you…oh my baby girl!"

Ranko had no idea how to react as she was engulfed in a glomp that rivaled even Shampoo's. Ranko was getting a little nervous as she tried to catch her breath, her chest felt like it was on fire from all of her injuries and the fact that she still hadn't quite caught her breath from the fight.

"Ranko." Nabiki whispered softly as she squeezed Ranko's shoulder softly to let her know she was there for her, "She's your mother."

"M-Mom?" Ranko asked, tears threatening to spill.

"Yes dear." Nodoka sniffed as she pulled back to look at Ranko and gasped, reaching up to touch the bruise but pulled away as if in fear of causing pain. "He did this…didn't he?"

"Why momma?" Ranko asked, squeezing her eyes shut tightly to try and keep the tears back. She was so confused, here before her was the one woman who for so long Ranko prayed for to come save her and yet the woman never did. A deep part of Ranko gave up after awhile and she pretty much forgot about the woman thinking that her mother hated her. "W-why didn't you save me? Wh-Why do you h-hate me?"

Ranko couldn't hold it back any more, she started shaking as she sobbed, all of the years of pain and sorrow coming out. She felt her mother embrace her and hold her tightly.

"Oh god baby," Nodoka cried, "I don't hate you, I spent so many years looking for you. That bastard kept one step ahead of me every time I thought I found you. Th-then they said you was dead and stopped looking…baby I never gave up, I became a detective myself and searched for you. I LOVE you, Ranko, so very much."

"I'm sorry, momma," Ranko sobbed, "I'm so sorry!"

Ranko couldn't believe what she was hearing, her mother loved her. But what about what Genma had done to her? What was she going to think? Ranko heard the others lowly leave the room leaving the two alone.

"We'll let you have some privacy but we will be in the next room if you need anything." Nabiki said.

"Thank you so much dear," Nodoka cried, "Thank you for helping my daughter."

"Ranko is like a sister too me now, I've come to love her very much." Nabiki said as she closed the door.

"Momma?" Ranko asked, deciding to get it over with. Ranko didn't want anymore false hopes, she wanted to know if her mother would turn her away. Nodoka had to be disappointed in her, right?

"Yes dear?' Nodoka whispered, stroking Ranko's hair.

"I-I am sorry momma…I'm sorry I'm not clean…" Ranko said, "Please…please don't hate me…please."

"He…he raped you?" Nodoka asked icily which scared Ranko, making her even more nervous.

"I-I s-sorry m-momma." Ranko whispered.

"Forget jail, I'll kill the bastard!" Nodoka hissed.

"I'm s-sorry." Ranko whispered. She felt her mother's embrace tighten a little causing a little more pain but it wasn't bothering her that much at the moment, if her mother rejected her the pain in her chest wouldn't compare to that.

"Don't be sorry baby, please." Nodoka said, "It wasn't your fault…none of it was. I should have never let my guard down that night he took you. I love you baby, nothing will change that."

"I'm sorry, mom." Ranko cried.

"Can…Can you forgive me, Ranko?" Nodoka asked, her voice filled with nervousness, "Can you still…do you love me, Ranko?"

Ranko couldn't believe this, her mother loved her and was accepting her even after what that bastard did. She was on cloud nine until she was shocked back to earth by that question.

"Mom, th-there's nothing to forgive…you tried, right, and you l-love me?" Ranko cried, "And…I love you too…so much, momma."

"Detective Kuno," a man said stopping by the hole, "We're ready to go, Ma'am."

"Go ahead without me, Kyo." Nodoka said, "I'm staying behind to get to know my daughter more."

"Your daughter, Ma'am? Little Ranko…Congratulations Ma'am, I'm so happy you finally found her."

"You can cut the formal crap, Kyo." Nodoka said, "You know how much I hate it."

"Of course, Nodoka." Kyo said, "I'm glad that your okay Ranko, your mother was so worried about you…never gave up on you."

"R-Really?" Ranko asked, pulling away to turn and look at him, rubbing the tears from her eyes.

"Yeah, kiddo, your mom's been all over the world looking for you." Kyo said with a smile, "Welcome home, Ranko."

"T-thank you." Ranko said with a smile, one of the few only true smiles she ever had but she had a feeling that she might start smiling a lot.

"Is everything okay out here?" Kasumi asked.

"We're fine…" Nodoka said, stalling as if trying to figure out her name.

"Kasumi Tendo, Mrs. Saotome." Kasumi said, "If you'd like you can all join us for tea."

"How about you, Ranko," Nodoka asked, smiling down at her daughter, "You up for some tea."

"Yep, thank you Kasumi." Ranko said.

"And how about you, Sir?" Kasumi asked.

"Thanks but I'm going to be heading off to the station." Kyo said, "Take care Ranko, I hope to see you again."

"Thanks, Kyo." Ranko said as the man walked off.

Everyone gathered around the sitting room as Kasumi handed out the tea. Ranko was sitting close to her mother as the two kept looking at each other to make sure the other was still there. Akane and Nabiki sat on floor opposite of Ranko and Nodoka at the coffee table. Kasumi sat down with her sisters after serving everyone else except for Soun who was resting in his room.

"Are you sure your okay, Ranko?" Akane asked, very worried about the red head after finding out what had happened to her the night before.

"Yeah, thanks Akane." Ranko said.

"I don't know how to thank you girls for helping my daughter." Nodoka said, "I feel so bad about what happened to your house though, the hole and everything."

"It's okay, Mrs. Kuno." Nabiki said, "It happens a lot around here."

"Please call me Nodoka, or even Auntie." Nodoka said, "And as for Mrs., I divorced that bastard when he was kidnapped Ranko. I often wondered if it was my fault, if I didn't, maybe Ranko would still have been safe at home with me."

"It wasn't your fault mom." Ranko said, "He probably would have done it anyways."

Akane could see the sadness in Ranko's eyes but saw happiness quickly was that away. She was happy that Ranko was finally away from Genma and with her mother but Akane was so angry with herself. She knew she shouldn't of left Ranko home alone the previous night and felt that she was partially to blame for what happened.

"I'm just so glad your alive sweetie, I missed you so much, Ranko." Nodoka said as she kissed the top of Ranko's head which made said girl smile in bliss. "As for your house though…I want you girls to and your father to stay with me while the repairs are being done, which I will gladly pay for."

"Oh my, that would be wonderful." Kasumi said happily.

"I do have a small question though, Auntie." Nabiki said, "Are you any relation to Tatewaki and Kodachi Kuno?"

"Why yes dear, they're my sister's children though…I hate to admit it, they can be a little off at times." Nodoka said causing everyone to stare at Nodoka.

"DAMN YOU SAOTOME, BECAUSE OF YOU I'VE SEEN HELL!" Ryoga screamed to no one in particular. He was somewhere in a forest and for once it wasn't Ranma who he wanted to kill, it was one Genma Saotome.

Ryoga had just wondered into the Tendo Dojo the previous night in his pig form and walked in on something that was the most sickening thing he ever saw. Ranma was in girl form lying on her back in Akane's bed with her hands tied above her bed to the bedposts.

Ryoga was confused as to what was going on, at first he thought it was some sick game but the red heads crying broke that train of thought. Then he noticed Genma lying on top of her with his hand inside her ripped open shirt. Ryoga had the feeling that Ranma was oblivious to her surroundings as she cried brokenly.

"Hello, Ryoga." Genma said as he stood up. The man moved much faster than Ryoga had ever seen and had Ryoga by the bandanna. "Maybe if you be a good boy, I'll let you have a turn with her to?"

Ryoga may have been naïve but he wasn't stupid, he figured out exactly what was going on, Genma was raping Ranma. In answer Ryoga squealed angrily which earned him a slam into the desk by the bed. Genma yanked off one of his bandannas and tied Ryoga's feet tightly together and left him there where he could see Ranma perfectly. She was laying there with a vacant expression on her face as the tears fell freely.

"I'll deal with you later, pig." Genma said as he yanked Ranma's pants off hard and climbed back on top of her. "First, I have to teach this whore another lesson. All she had to do was pretend to be a boy but all she can do is screw up!"

Ryoga eyes bugged at that, apparently Genma had snapped. Ranma was a boy, what the hell was he talking about? He shut his eyes as he heard the red head cry out then start screaming as Ryoga heard Genma cussing at her as a squeaking sound was being made. Ryoga wanted to think of anything but that but he couldn't, the screams penetrated through every effort he tried to make to ignore what was happening.

After what seemed like an eternity, the noises stopped except for Ranma's sobbing. Opening one eye he saw Genma leaning down to Ryoga with a sick grin on his face. "What's wrong, didn't enjoy the show?"

Ryoga decided then and there that no matter how much he had hated Ranma in the past, he didn't deserve this, no one did. He was going to kill Genma Saotome for this. Unfortunately, a hogtied pig can't do much except bite very hard which is what he did. When Genma reached to pick him up he bit down hard into the man's hand which caused Genma to scream in pain and flail his hand. Ryoga's grip slipped and he went flying through the air and out the open window.

Ryoga, after landing in the koi pond actually managed to kick the bandanna off and he jumped out of the water and headed straight for Genma. Unfortunately, his sense of direction kicked in and it led him away from Genma and away from the Tendo Dojo which left him where he was now, in a forest trying his best to get back to help his one time rival. No one deserved what Genma had done and Ryoga was intent on making the bastard pay.

AN: Hi everyone, wow I can't believe all of the reviews I've been getting. Thank you all so much! The review responses are the hardest part in writing but I want to respond personally to each review to let everyone know that I really do read them and appreciate them. It's just so hard figuring out what to say sometimes and if I do sound a little stand offish or anything that sounds rude I apologize in advance.

Review Responses:

Dragon Man 180: Sorry, I was just explaining Ranko's view a little bit. I do love your different ways of dealing with Genma though, crispy critter sounds like a nice punishment. Still, later on though it is a possibility of some more cards like the sword or another one coming into play to punish Genma.

Mgsaintz: You're pretty much right about Genma, he's not out of the story or out of the fire yet. As for Madison/Tomoya, I'm not sure which name I'm going to use yes since it will still be a few more chapters before she can make an appearance. You have a very good point though about the Japanese setting though so Tomoya might be the better choice but I all ready have been using the english names for the rest of the card captor group so far.

Goku: I'm sorry if I sounded like you was questioning her skills but I was just trying to give a little back information on her that probably won't come up a whole lot if any. I was explaining about how she learned to see auras and learned how to gage people's abilities easily to show why she is attracted to Li.

Jonakhensu: It'll be a few chapters yet but he all ready has so many people mad at him for what he did to Ranko and wants to kill him.

Calamite: Sorry about misspelling your name. As for Ranko's mother being a Kuno…sorry, it's true. But she's not insane like the ones everyone knows and neither is the rest of them. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with Tatewaki or Kodachi yet but I know that Nodoka despises principal Kuno. (Anyone know his real name?)

Rubel: That is just a little taste of what Genma will get and if a new idea I was thinking of I actually use, Genma will suffer for all eternity. The problem with it is I have to bring in another character from another story who will banish Genma's soul to be tortured for ever. As for the mystery Kuno, it was none other than Ranko's mother. The secret behind Auntie Mackenzie is mostly a secret but I can tell you that she wanted to know a little about Ranma before she let on to who she was since she sensed that he was depressed and wanted to learn more about the curse that she heard of. She's going to be pretty shocked though when she finds out the truth and learns she's the new clow master.