Author's Note: Yeah, I'm not dead, guys. Sorry for the long wait, but real life's been catching up with me, exams, homework, y'know, all the good stuff. On the side, blame a friend of mine for getting me hooked on Mobile Suit: Gundam S.E.E.D., so I'm currently reading that, and gasp started working on ANOTHER story. Yep. Official count's now to 5, which (for those who wanna check em out at my website at RavenNet are:

Ranma 1/2: For the Sake of the Art, Ranma/Kagura divergence

Ranma 1/2: The Longest Journey, FtSotA sequel

Inu-Yasha: The Long and Winding Road

Gundam S.E.E.D.: Requiem

and an original sci-fi piece called Zero Star.

Geez...I guess I should focus on one till I'm done with it, ne? Problem is, I can't get 'em out of my head till I wrote at least something down...yah...anyways...I'll try and post more often. I'll also put the beta versions of those up on my website, if anyone wants to come and beta-read 'em, just drop me a message here having your input on those.

Ok, I've ranted enough. On with the story!

Chapter Twelve: Return to Nerima

When she opened the door, the last thing Saotome Nodoka expected to see was her son. When she realized he was standing before her in the flesh, she threw her arms around his neck and would have spun him around – if he weren't taller than she was. As it was, it was him who spun her in a circle, before setting her back down. She smiled at the young man he had grown into, and could see a peace in his eyes that hadn't been there when he had left months earlier.

Then she noticed the young woman accompanying her son, and a plan formed. Carefully letting go of her son, she took a deep breath and schooled her expression. Then…

"My son is so manly!" She went starry-eyed, with an air of ditziness around her that didn't quite seem to fit her, an admittedly goofy look on her face. "I'm going to be a grandmother! Oh my manly son!" She allowed the shock to sink in for a few moments, before dropping the act and grinning widely. "Fooled you, didn't I?" Ranma almost fell over in shock at his mother's antics, but Kagura's laughter proved infectious. And when he started laughing and looked at his mother, who held the patented "ditzy-oblivious-to-everything-mother-of-doom" look a moment longer, before joining them, he did fall over.

"Are we interrupting something?" Ranma managed to half-turn and blink away the tears of laughter to notice a pair of shoes before him. Trailing up, he took in dark green pants and shirt on one of their visitors and a business suit of the same color on the other. "Ryoko! Haven't seen ya the longest time!" Said martial artist gave a small smile in response, while Setsuna waved. "Hello, Ranma. It is good to see you again."

Nodoka had recovered from her mirth and recognized her guests. "Oh, Ryoko-kun! It's nice to meet you again. And who's the lady with you?" The Meiou siblings offered a bow in greeting before Ryoko introduced, "Good afternoon, Saotome-san. This is my sister Setsuna. We felt a rather large ki signature returning to town, and wanted to say hello to Ranma." "Hello to Ranma," Setsuna chipped in, earning her odd looks from all those present, before Ranma broke into laughter again.

Nodoka managed to keep herself under enough control to actually lead all of them inside. Once everyone was settled and tea had been served, it was Ranma's turn to introduce his companion. "Mom, Ryoko, Setsuna-sensei, this is Kagura…uh…ya got a last name?" Said woman colored bright red for a moment as her thoughts raced. She hadn't had a last name for a long time. "I…haven't claimed a clan since…" she trailed off since she didn't exactly recall just when she had begun her self-imposed exile. "A very long time," she finally completed.

The Saotome matriarch's eyebrow rose at that. She hadn't quite directly stated she was ronin, but she might as well have. Her visitor's next statement, however, calmed her fears somewhat. "I haven't found myself worthy to claim a family name, not since I avenged my family," Kagura told her. Ryoko just eyed the woman warily, while Setsuna leaned back, taking a backseat as Ranma began his account of the last several months.

V-----------------V

It had been a good several hours before the tale wound down, and as tired as he was, Ranma still caught the gleam in his mother's eyes. "No, Mom! She ain't a fianceé!" He suddenly turned a suspicious eye on his travel companion. "Or did you ever meet someone named Saotome Genma?" To his relief, Kagura merely shook her head. "Good. If you had I woulda made a panda-rug outta oyaji." "Really? You'll have to tell me about it sometime," she chuckled in amusement. He hadn't really been forthcoming with the details of his life, but then again, neither had she.

"So, Kagura-san, where are you from?" Ryoko finally asked. The raven-haired woman turned to regard him with her red eyes, which seemed to glow for a moment as she assessed him. Then she shrugged and leaned back. "It's not a particularly interesting story. Not a very pretty one, either." She arched an eyebrow at Ranma, who was looking at her with what bordered on a pout and shiny eyes, and giggled. "Oh, fine. You told me your story, guess it's only fair if I tell you mine."

For a moment she debated just how much to tell them, especially since she didn't know just how much she could trust the pig-tailed martial artist's friends, then decided on the short version. "I was born in Hokkaido. It's a frozen land, with not much for farmers to live off. Still, we managed to live pretty decently, my parents, my sister, and I. Since it's hard to live off the land, agriculture is sparse, and living just off the land is nearly impossible. For that reason, as you most likely know, there was a lot of bandit activity there during the years after the last World War."

All around the table nodded, and she continued. "Well, the country had been hit hard economically, and much surrounding Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka had been shut down by the occuppation forces. So, it was the out-of-the-way places far from the capitols and commerce centers that actually provided the food. Many had turned ronin during that time, either for crimes during the war, or because there was nothing left for them. As such, there were quite a lot of ronin who were looking for ways to feed themselves." She took a moment to unclench her fist, and settled back again, trying to relax through the story.

"Especially in Hokkaido, raids on farms weren't uncommon. Since you couldn't live off the land, you just lived off the farmers who, in turn, barely lived off it. One day, it was our turn, it seems. They came by the dozens, maybe fifty men in all, and took what little we had. They looked horrible, worn and meager, thin as skeletons." Kagura shuddered at the memory. "They took everything we had, leaving nothing behind. There wasn't much we could do to prevent them. They were fifty, we were three. My sister was four at the time. Our family blade had long been lost in the war, and we didn't have much to defend ourselves with. After they were done taking what food we had, they…"

Pausing for a moment, Kagura managed a weak smile at her audience. "They demanded we hand out our money. We tried to fight back, and they killed everyone. Mother, father, sister…I swore revenge that day. I should have died along with them, but I did not. They left me for dead in the burned remains of our home. When I woke up again, it was cold, and silent. I was sitting in the middle of a ruin of a house, the blackened remains of my family around me. Part of me died that day." She shrugged off the sympathethic glanced from the other occupants in the room.

"I found myself wandering, without purpose or destination, when I reached a Buddhist temple. It wasn't anything special, just a small shrine that had been erected during the Meiji era, but I learned the fighting arts from its master." A hint of amusement found its way into her voice as she recalled the memories. "Turns out that the founder of the temple originally was a fallen priest who had turned off the path of Buddha because of something similar, and tried to create an art strong enough to crush injustice. Seems he was brought back on the right path after he failed and met the right opponent, and built the temple afterwards." Kagura took a sip of tea before continuing.

"I trained there. Learned how to fight. I hated those who had slaughtered my family, those ronin who had murdered so many to feed themselves because they could not do it themselves. I wanted to destroy those who would wrong others for their selfish goals. It was noble, in a way, I suppose," she chuckled, "I stayed at the temple for a couple of years, before I figured I should do something with my life. I began hunting those men, chasing them whereever they went. Went to Kyoto, to Osaka, and back to Hokkaido. When I caught up with them, it was near the temple I had stayed in. I arrived just as they had started to burn it to the ground."

Nodoka let out a startled gasp, while the rest of the people listened attentively. Kagura's eyes had hardened, the fire in them gone, replaced by a coldness that seemed to permeat the room. "I took them down. Hard. Fast. Killed them to the last man. They were the ones who had killed my family, and were about to kill even more innocent people. But that didn't even enter my mind back then. All I felt was a seething hatred, rage, anger…They who had destroyed my life were now in my sight. It was the moment I had dedicated my life to. Revenge. I killed each and every one of them. Most never knew what hit them, but some did. None of them recognized me."

She chuckled darkly. "Didn't do it fast enough to save the temple. All that remained were burned ashes and embers. Everyone inside dead. It took me a while to realize it, but after a couple of days or so it settled in; the fact that I had just taken down fifty men before any of them could react to my presence, or defend themselves. I had lost my focus, had forgotten that I had wanted revenge from them, and had let my anger guide me. After that, I had nothing more to live for. The culprits were dead, I had avenged my family. My second family in the temple was dead, and the only thing they had left me, the only thing I had come to enjoy, my Art, was the only thing I had left. And not even that I could keep. If I ever let anything drive me into a rage again, if I ever lost my control again, then I could lash out and kill dozens of people in the blink of an eye." A sad smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"During my travels I had seen Japan grow again. Law was enforced again, order was being restored. Warriors and vigilantes like myself weren't needed anymore. Those who lived only for honor, those who only had honor left, were dying out. So, I dropped my family name and moved away from other people. I still practiced my art, but I haven't drawn against a human being ever since, and I never intend to again." When she finished, a dead silence greeted her, and for a moment she had the fleeting suspicion she had put them all to sleep with her long-winded story.

"So that's why you're so reluctant to practice around people again," Ranma muttered, earning him a nod in reply. Glancing over to the older martial artist in the room and his sister, and their neutral expressions, Ranma decided not to worry too much about it. "So, Kagura-san," Nodoka finally said, "What made you accompany my son?" Said woman shrugged. "We met in the woods, as he told you, and told me some things that made me think. His view of the world might not necessary match mine, but it made me reconsider some of my decisions." Taking a sip of her tea, she continued.

"He told me the first rule all martial artists follow. 'A martial artist lives to protect those who cannot protect themselves.' I realized that somewhere along the line I had lost sight of that goal. I had let my fear and regrets prevent me from doing my duty as a martial artist. Ranma here says he practices the Art because he enjoys it. I can sense enough skill and power in him to easily level a city block, yet somehow, he isn't afraid that he'll take lives with it."

The pig-tailed martial artist nodded. "If you truly love your art, then you will keep on training, because it's what makes ya feel alive. If you grow strong, you'll learn control, as well. The discipline to keep yourself comes along with the training automatically. And if it doesn't, and you're truly dedicated, then you'll train to achieve that control, simply because you won't let anything slander your Art." He shrugged noncommitally. "Something like that."

"My, son, I never knew you were a philosopher!" Nodoka grinned, drawing a confused look from her son. "Huh? What's a philotoper?"

When the inhabitants of the room had calmed down from their bout of laughter, Kagura picked up where she had left off. "What he said. It struck me that if I had held onto my art all this time, then maybe I would be able to help people again. And you never know till you try." With a smirk at the Saotome youth, she added, "You have quite an impressive son, Saotome-san."

Nodoka's reaction set off another gale of laughter as she nodded vehemently, playfully leering at her son. "Tho' it seems the women around him enjoy him even more than I do." At her last statement, Ranma turned red, and the two other women in the room were caught in a cross between a glare and a smirk.

A knock at the door cut off any further reply to that topic, effectively saving the pig-tailed boy from more embarassment. "Who are you?" Nodoka's surprised voice carried through the corridor into the living room, as did the reply. "Boobs!" The result was a dead silence, followed by a mighty slap. At the outburst Ranma had leapt to his feet, recognizing the voice. That's Lime! What's he doing here?

Skidding to a halt from his run through the hallway, he noticed that it, indeed, was the Musk retainer. "What do you want, Lime?" he asked, chuckling at his mother's death glare. Any other person would have shrunk back into themselves at the look Saotome Nodoka was leveling at him, but Lime – much like his partner Mint – seemed impervious to it. Then again, those two took some getting used to, Ranma admitted to himself.

"And where's Mint?" he added. The Musk had apparently shaken himself out of his fixation with his mother's breasts and turned his attention to the pig-tailed boy. "Prince Herb sends his regards, and asks you for your assistance," he began. "Assistance? What happened now?" Lime's mood darkened visibly. "The Phoenix are on the warpath. Saffron has been restored to full power, and they are preparing to take over the rest of the valley."

Ranma stood in shocked silence for a moment, the words the Musk had spoken taking a moment to sink in. A shudder ran through the pig-tailed martial artist. I knew Saffron wasn't fully matured the last time I fought him, and now he's at full ower again? How did that happen? I thought Kiima said it would take years for him to come of age again! "How is that possible? I left him as an egg!" Lime shrugged as he replied, "I don't know. No one really knows, but Prince Herb felt a large surge of energy several days ago, and we think that has something to do with it."

Nodoka caught her son's scared look and recognized it for what it was. Oh my son…why does trouble always find you like this? She had heard of his battle with the Phoenix god, and he had told her that it had been his most challenging fight to date; a fight that, he himself had admitted, he had thought was impossible to win. "What about the amazons?" Ranma asked.

"We sent an envoy to them, but I don't know if they have replied yet. We think they contacted their matriarch here, so you could ask her." The Musk warrior seemed a little uncomfortable at the mention of the warrior women.

"Let's go, then!" Before either could comment, the pig-tailed martial artist had taken off through the door and was bolting towards Nerima, leaving Nodoka and Lime behind to stare at the dust cloud he had raised with his passage. "I think we should follow them. I'll contact Urd and ask her what's going on with Saffron, since I doubt that any power source strong enough to return Saffron to maturity and full power was anything he came by naturally. Setsuna, can you get them to the Neko Hanten?"

The Senshi of time nodded and transformed, while Nodoka and Lime agreed to head to the amazon restaurant.

V-----------------V

The phone in the temple rang for the third time before Urd got upset with it. Neither Belldandy nor Skuld were at home, both of her sisters having left, Belldandy for her date with the ever-shy Keiichi, while Skuld had said something about a tech-convention. Giving up on having her peace while watching TV, the silver-haired goddess moved to the hall and picked up the receiver. "Yeah?" she grumbled.

"Urd?" The voice on the other end sounded rather urgent. "What is it, Ryoko?"

"There's been a power discharge in Jusendo the last week. Know anything about it?" Urd shook her head as she replied. "Nope. Why you asking? Something going on over in China?"

The voice on the other end sounded wry. "You could say that. The Phoenix in Jusenkyo Valley have just declared war on the world, and their king Saffron has just completed ascension." Urd scrunched her brow as she attempted to fit the information with her memory. "So? Hey, wait! Didn't that Ranma boy force Saffron to reincarnate?"

"Yeah. That's the problem. Something or someone provided him with enough energy to bypass decades of growth, and restore him to full power. We've got to know what happened over there, I don't think any of their mages has enough knowledge to provide that kind of spell." Nodding, Urd reached over to grab a notepad. "I agree. Something's fishy. I'll look into it."

"Ask Mara, too. It might not be restricted to Asgard." Urd nodded. "'Kay. Bell and the brat are out, I'll leave them a note then check up on the matter."

"Good. If you can, try to meet us at the Neko Hanten in Nerima. Ranma just received a message from the Musk, asking him for help. I think the situation with the amazons will be similar. And, Kami-sama knows, they'll need the help if Saffron is back the way he used to be."

Urd was forced to agree as she hung up the receiver and opened a portal to Asgard.

V-----------------V

Cologne looked up when the distinct sound of ceramic breaking and liquid splashing on the ground broke the cacophony of noise of the lunch rush. The ancient matriarch of the Joketsuzoku nearly fell off her staff in laughter at the sight that presented itself to her; Saotome Ranma, one of the best martial artists in his generation stood in the door of the Neko Hanten, covered in ramen noodles and dripping hot broth. He leveled a glare at her as he wiped at the noodles hanging from his nose.

"You always greet customers like that, old ghoul?" Said "old ghoul" quickly hopped over and thumped Ranma over the head with her cane as she called out to her great granddaughter to take over the kitchen. Finally taking her time to assess the pig-tailed boy's companions, she narrowed her eyes at the sight of the Musk that had tagged along. Ranma noticed her wary look and waved a placating hand before her. "It's all right, he's with me. And you might wanna hear what he's gotta say, 'cause if it's true then fighting him will be the least of our problems."

Nodding, Cologne led them into the back room of the restaurant. The dimly lit room usually served as storage chamber for whatever goods had to be on hand quickly yet could not be fit into the fridge or racks in the main kitchen. Dusty boxes littered the ground and had been stacked up along the walls. A single window provided light from the outside, and a single lightbulb hung from a wire on the ceiling.

Once everyone had settled, Cologne asked once more, "So, why have you come here, Ranma?" He arched an eyebrow at that. "Why aren't you calling me son-in-law anymore, anyway? I haven't heard you call me that since…before I left, I think." The elder amazon shrugged, a gesture that would have been lost on the casual observer. "It may not be obvious to Shampoo, but I know that you will most likely not marry her. I would have loved to have you in the family, and you could have made a great difference in the tribe, but we might as well have driven you away with our actions, I can see that now."

Cologne hopped down from her cane and laid it across her lap as she peered intently into Ranma's eyes. "I hope you forgive a foolish old woman all the trouble she has put you through. I failed to see your potential, and was blinded by our outdated beliefs that you were inferior. Your battle with Saffron proved me wrong. You have grown more than any warrior I have ever met – male or female – and surpassed challenges everyone believed impossible. You held on to your honor despite all of your father's actions, and you have earned my respect, for what it's worth." Ranma was surprised that she had come out with all that, considering the fact that he was, after all, just a male. For an amazon that meant the violation of one of their most revered – and most antiquated, he mentally added – beliefs. It was practically the foundation of their society.

"Shortly before you left on your quest," she continued, not at all disturbed that others had heard her declaration, "I contacted the council and asked to dissolve both the kiss of marriage and the kiss of death. I also asked for permission to ask you to join the tribe either as you are, or as an independent ally." Cologne gave him a wry smile. "They weren't exactly forthcoming with an answer. You know, you could have changed our society, and for the better, I believe. You are independent and strong, a combination that would earn you much respect and admiration in the village. The young would easily follow your example, and you could have made it onto the council easily. You could have changed our ways, could have made the others realize that being male doesn't necessary mean being weak or inferior." The expression on her face somewhat shocked the pig-tailed martial artist. Out of all things, he would never have expected to see her express nostalgia and regret that openly.

"And I like you, Ranma." Everyone blinked in silence at that statement, as Cologne attempted to flutter her eyelids. It looked definitely creepy, everyone else agreed silently, before the elderly woman chuckled. "Not that way, Ranma. Really, you shouldn't be so suspicious." It slowly dawned on the Saotome youth what he – and everyone else – had been thinking she had been implying, and gagged.

Cologne chuckled once more, as everyone else broke out into laughter. "I have come to like you as the son I never had. You are strong, proud, and honorable. Everything a mother could wish for; and a part of me had hoped that I could somehow fill that role for you while you were still looking for your true mother."

Ranma sat in silence for a few moments, contemplating her words. He realized he did, in fact, have fond memories of the amazons…if you overlooked the poisons, potions, tricks, charms, spells, magical artifacts, alleged cures, and half-witted seduction attempts. But they had always been there, always been willing to help when he was in a bind – the Hiryuu Shôten Hâ training came to mind. They had had nothing to gain from it – in fact, once he regained his strength the usual suitors would have continued pursuing once more – but had gone through with it anyway.

Shrugging, Ranma set aside the memories. "Ya know, if ya want, you can still call me 'son-in-law.' Just don't tell anyone I said so." The smile in her eyes let him know it had been the right decision, as she nodded. "Thank you for letting an old woman keep her dreams." Then, the moment was over, and they were back to business.

"What does bring you here? I do not think your training is complete yet." Lime raised a hand. "I can answer that!" He was rather coherent, since the only women in the room were Nodoka, Cologne, and Setsuna. And after his initial encounter with Nodoka, he had received a rather scary warning – backed with glowing eyes and battle-aura – to stay away from his mother. He had also been acquainted with Sailor Pluto's Dead Scream upon attempting to make a pass at her.

As for Cologne…three hundred years weren't exactly forthcoming to a female's body. So, Lime was in complete control and completely coherent. "Several days ago Prince Herb received a messenger from Jusendo. In it he was asked to surrender the Musk Citadel and remove any and all Musk from Jusenkyo Valley, or face the Phoenix people in war. I was sent here to ask Ranma for help."

Cologne nodded sagely as she considered his words. "Indeed. I have just received a letter from the council to the same effect. It seems that Saffron has found a way to restore himself. He is now fully matured and in complete control over his elemental abilities…and more dangerous than ever." She looked at the pig-tailed martial artist. "The council – if reluctantly in some cases – asks you for your assistance, as well." She smirked. "They may not like it, but they do have to acknowledge the fact that you were the only mortal in our three-thousand year history who ever defeated Saffron. And a male, to boot."

Turning to Lime, she shrugged, as she offered, "As for the Musk, the council letter said they were still debating whether to join an alliance with your people. Ultimately, I believe they will, because it's the best chance we have to survive what Saffron is going to bring upon us."

Raising her hand, Kagura asked, "Who exactly is this Saffron, and why would he do such a thing?" "Saffron is an immortal Phoenix, an extremely powerful fire elemental who claims to have made it into the lower ranks of the kami. And just judging from his power, he might as well have. He has most likely been corrupted by something, as his natural growth process takes years, even decades to finish; he, however, jumped straight to adulthood with the aid of some means unknown. Because of this, he hasn't learned temperance and control, or wisdom. The only things driving him are the lust for power and revenge that he died with," the elder amazon answered.

While they were talking, Ryoko and Setsuna shared a glance. "What do you think?" he asked. "I don't know. This wasn't supposed to happen. The time gate didn't show anything like that. From now on there weren't supposed to be any major battles, and I think this would count as one." The time Senshi frowned. "I'll have to check the gates, but for some reason my personal precognition is a little fuzzy on the details. I have no idea what effect this will have on the timeline, until I check with the gates."

He felt his sister's hand on his arm. "The Senshi can't handle Saffron," she choked out. "He was beyond our fighting abilities when Ranma fought him the first time, now he's even stronger. If we don't stop him, then…"

She was interrupted when the door opened and Shampoo walked in, Urd in tow. "Too too old woman here say looking for Ryoko?" The bubbly amazon ignored the sharp glare the goddess leveled at her as Ryoko waved them over. "Thank you, Shampoo. Now please go tend the restaurant again," Cologne told her great-granddaughter, who took one look around the room, obviously unhappy with the fact that so many attractive women were in the same room as Ranma. "Okay, Shampoo go cook again. Lunch almost over, Hiba-chan."

When she was gone, all eyes were riveted on the silver-haired woman in their midst. "Good news, bad news time," she quipped, producing a folder from the folds of her robe. "I talked to Mara, who talked to Hild. There hasn't been any unusual activity from Asgard, so we figured it had to originate somewhere in Niflheim. Turns out that the spelltrap they locked Firkraag into was already occupied. Firkraag was pretty new to it, but the guy inside was pretty old. They found a way to use instabilities in the spell to reach out and influence certain people…including Saffron. We think the second person in the spelltrap exhausted his energy to provide Saffron with his growth spurt. It's being fixed, and the seals have been tripled," Urd growled.

"So…what's the good news?" Ranma asked. At least now they knew the source of the problem. "That was the good news. Bad news is, Saffron and another, rather significant, energy signature are heading towards Japan. More specifically, Nerima. They're after you, Ranma."

The pig-tailed martial artist fell silent, as everyone in the room cast sympatethic glances at him; the exception being his mother. Nodoka was caught between outrageous fury and deep fear for her son's safety. Urd finally noticed Kagura's presence, and her eyes widened. "What are you doing here!" The goddess leapt up, bringing up her barrier spells and priming a lightning bolt with her free hand as she traced spell patterns in the air before her.

Everyone had turned to look at the two women. "What do you mean?" Ranma asked, staring at the pair of them. Kagura hadn't made a move to guard herself, while Urd had brought up all her defenses, and looked about ready to start throwing out offensive spells. "She's a demon child," the goddess hissed in anger, "She has the same signature as the guy locked in the spelltrap!"

END of Arc Two: Mastery