Ultimatum Chapter 2
Nodoka's Visit
I do not own Ranma1/2,Slayers,or Sailor Moon.This fic is written for fun.
Nodoka smiled as she neared the Tendo Dojo .The sun was shining, the birds sang, and she saw a certain cowardly husband playing at being a panda in the yard with a tire. She sighed and walked to the door and heard a splash from within .The door opened and Kasumi smiled at her pleasantly.
"Auntie Nodoka, please enter our home. I'm afraid Ranma and Genma have gone on another training trip."
Nodoka just smiled at Kasumi as she walked into the dining room. There was her wayward son turned daughter, still soaking wet. She sighed heavily, looking at 'Cousin Ranko'. My daughter has a larger bust than I did at that age .Oh well time for all facades to drop and for truth to come out.
Nodoka sat down "What I am about to tell you is for all of you to hear. This concerns my son, Ranma, and my husband, Genma."
She noted she had everyone's attention. Nabiki even came down from her room to listen in on what the Saotome matriarch had to say.
"We are all listening, Nodoka. What's up?" Soun asked.
"I am here to give my son his birthright. A weapon that is to be passed on to him alone as was willed by his biological father"
A loud splashing could be heard from outside as Genma rushed into the room. "What do you mean woman? I am Ranma's father!"
"That you are Genma, and it is good to see you again, but you did not help me to conceive Ranma. My first husband did. I was pregnant with him when we wed, and he was conceived on the right side of the sheets." Nodoka said as she sipped from a cup of tea Kasumi handed her.
"Oh woe is me, Soun. My wife is an honorless slut that—"
Genma got no farther than that as Nodoka glared at him. "Honorless? HONORLESS! Do not speak to me about honor you sorry sack of shit! I had to pay every bill that you made in Ranma's name! I found it incredible that you thought you could pull some of those stunts! So shut the Hell up about honor and sit your sorry ass down; or I will make you suffer, Genma!"
Genma glared at her "Woman, I am head of—"
Once more he was interrupted as everyone stared at Nodoka .The corneas of her eyes had turned red and a red battle aura sprung up around her. She leveled the gaze and pointed a finger at Genma.
"One more word, dear husband, and I will remove you from the clan list…the FUN way. I would suggest you think before you act; because I am of a mind to do it here and now, AND your stupid sealed techniques will not be able to save your fat ass this time."
Genma glared back at her, his pride beating down his common and self-preservation senses. "Foolish woman you are not needed anymore! You gave me an heir and that is all you were good for! You aren't even much of a woman; given how flat-chested you were when we met. Your pregnancy was the only thing that enlarged them—"
Flames erupted from her eyes as she screamed out loud. "FIRE BALL!"
Genma screamed in terror as the magic ball hit him, blew him through the wall, and landed him in the koi pond of the house across the street.
Ranma could only stare at what her—no, correction—his mother, had done. The heat from the fireball had been enough to let the water in his clothes change him back to his male form. He, along with the rest of the Tendos, watched as Nodoka tried to calm herself and get back to the task at hand.
She looked at them and they saw her eyes change back to blue she then spoke. "Sorry about that, I'll pay for the repairs to your outer wall. The idiot also forgets I hold the honor sword and in his absence, I have been made clan head. Now then, let's get to the business at hand. Yes, Ranma, I knew that 'Cousin Ranko' was really my child. You looked a lot like I did at that age; save for one noticeable difference. Now then, here it is: your inheritance from your real father."
Nodoka handed Ranma a wrapped package. It was fairly heavy and when he removed the cloth, he discovered it held a medieval style broadsword. It was simply adorned and looked ancient, but was well taken care of. He hefted the weight and nodded as he got used to it; but decided not to try it out till he got into the dojo.
"Mrs. Saotome," Nabiki spoke up. "Why are you giving Ranma that sword? He doesn't really use a weapon. In fact his father—I mean, Genma, taught him not to use weapons; saying they made you weak."
"Biki, the weapon doesn't make ya weak, its just you're helpless if it's taken from ya in a fight." Ranma hadn't even bothered to look at her when he replied, still going over the new sword, feeling some strange power inside it calling out to him.
Nodoka sighed. She had an uphill fight on her hands it seemed. Oh well, time to get at it. But at least her son had not out-righted dismissed the sword as useless.
"Yes, Ranma, if all you do is train with a weapon you will be helpless without it if it's taken away. But, if you already have unarmed fighting styles in your armory, then it is less of a liability. Also it's a good thing to have options available to you in case you have to fight an opponent that is poisonous or lethal to the touch; like some kinds of demons. It will also drive Genma up the wall if you start to train with that blade. That and your blade has a hidden secret in it. It requires a magic phrase to let you discover that secret."
Ranma looked at the sword, then at Nodoka. "So what is the phrase?"
"Strike the hilt of the blade and say Light Come Forth." Nodoka smiled at him, as if it was the simplest thing imaginable.
"Nothing else?" Ranma was a little cautious. It couldn't be that simple.
"Just this pin. It allows you to take the sword apart for proper cleaning."
Nabiki sighed heavily. Things were not making much sense to the middle Tendo sister so she decided to clear things up. "Auntie, how can you be clan head? And what do you mean that Genma isn't Ranma's biological father?"
Nodoka looked at Nabiki and smiled. The mercenary girl reminded herself of her younger days. "Easy, that fat bastard took off with Ranma in the middle of the night, leaving that damn contract behind. The pompous jackass expected me to just allow it. Well first thing I did was I went to the police and report it as a kidnapping. They hemmed and hawed, wrangled their hands, and told me there was nothing they could do. Later I had people coming to my home demanding payment for goods and services that Ranma had taken. Needless to say I paid them back in full but demanded a receipt for my own records.
"Three years after Ranma had been taken and the Private eye I had hired had turned up nothing, I went to court and the presiding judge declared me Clan head based on the evidence I had gathered. It also didn't hurt that I kept the Saotome honor blade. As clan head, I am allowed to decide whom Ranma is to wed and my decision will be forthcoming.
"This brings us up to the present day. As head of the Saotome family, I intend to have Ranma move back home with me and finish his education. I am appalled that Genma would let that lapse. But it is understandable, since he was trying to control my son and whatever bride he had."
Nabiki growled at that. She was not willing to let Ranma go at this point. He made her too much money for him to leave so easily. She was about to speak up when Soun beat her to the punch.
"This is unacceptable. Ranma must marry Akane to unite the schools! He will run the dojo afterwards and doesn't need an education."
"Also, Auntie, there is the small problem of the tab that Ranma has picked up while living here. He can't go till it's paid off."
Nabiki smirked as Nodoka calmly sipped her tea then paled as the woman's eyes turned red once more.
"How does 20 to 30 years in prison sound to you, Soun? Nabiki? That is the going rate for the crimes you have committed: aiding a felon, child pornography, bookmaking, harboring a fugitive of the law, harboring two felons that are my husband and your perverted master which does not include your crimes, Soun Tendo; enterprise corruption, falsifying information. This doesn't even cover what my husband has done: breach of contract, kidnapping, endangering the welfare of a minor, child abuse, flight to avoid prosecution."
Nodoka watched as the color drained from the Tendos' faces she had them against the wall. "This doesn't even include what Akane has done to my son. I am sure I can list quite a few charges to be placed against her."
"But the pervert deserves it!" Akane screamed. "He picks on Ryoga, he has seen me naked, he turns into a girl, and he has those floozies that hang off of him! Hell, he even insulted my bust size calling me a flat-chested tomboy."
Akane glared at Nodoka, believing she could make her back down like she had always done to the adults in the house.
But the woman merely looked at her nonchalantly, silently taking note to break her son of calling females flat-chested. It just wouldn't be proper of him to use such detestable phrases and insults. "Is that it? Have you ever let my son try to explain the reasons for his actions or did you act first and say damn the reasons; just to help stroke your own ego. I have heard this Ryoga character scream 'prepare to die, Ranma' and I am keeping track, so that I can slap attempted murder charges on him. After I found Ranma, I had a friend look into his past. Let's just say I know EVERYTHING that has been going on."
She took another sip of her tea. "You know, I originally came here to support your engagement to my son, child. But your attitude and actions are seriously making me consider just dropping it entirely; let alone those of the rest of your family. I am quite frankly surprised my son just hasn't killed the lot of you."
Nodoka turned an icy glare on Soun that had the man weeping out loud. "Like I said though, I know EVERYTHING. Everything, including how a certain person has been abusing the curse they have. And no, Ms. 'Ranma is a pervert so I must bash him', it isn't him. Hell, your own father knows whom I'm talking about, but kept it quiet to embarrass Ranma, to hell with the dishonor those actions wrought on you. Yes I know what Ranma does with his girl form. And if I had the body at that age I would have done the same thing. Your insecurities are no reason to beat my son. Ukyo and Shampoo have no claim to my son. I repaid what Genma stole from the Kuonji's and the Amazon has been dealt with."
"Yeah, right. Like Cologne would just give up on him; just like that," Nabiki said.
Nodokas smile turned dark as she looked at Nabiki, causing the Ice Queen to begin to back away. "I can be VERY persuasive when I want to be. Ranma isn't the only member of our family to slay a God. I've killed two in my time."
Akane looked at Nodoka in fear now. This woman could destroy what she was trying to build with Ranma. Her pride, insecurities, and temper may very well have destroyed her chances with him. She slowly got up from the table and left the room heading for her own to think about everything that had happened today.
Nabiki glared at Nodoka. No one messed with her family. She didn't give a damn who they were; but you did NOT hurt her family and get away with it.
Soun wept; the dreams of uniting the schools seemed to be evaporating before his very eyes. He would have to get with Genma later to plan on how to get their children married. Though if she found out ahead of time there was a possibility of her being angry. She in her own way was scarier than the master.
Ranma couldn't believe what was happening. Genma wasn't his father and his mother was going to dissolve the engagement with the Tendos, it was already done with the others. He had to think of something fast. He loved Akane, he proved that at Jusendo, even admitted it then.
Kasumi looked at the Saotome matriarch. "So all you seek is for Ranma to be happy?"
"Yes," she replied. "If the arranged marriage is too much trouble I will dissolve it, if anything so Ranma can have a healthy future. I'm not against it per say, but this nonsense of them getting married as soon as possible is over, if anything you and Genma should have let the two of them be Soun. They are both stubborn and forcing them together through all of the means you have used has done nothing but forced them apart.
"Think of it this way: by not keeping that ONE person away from Akane, you allowed HIM to listen to her secrets, learn about her wants and desires, and let him have an advantage that he could use to drive a wedge between the two of them. Instead of making Ranma jealous, you only confused him. He had a reason to keep the secret and was punished for trying to reveal it in a round about way.
"Even if my son chooses Akane, if she continues the way she is, then I will still forbid it. I will not have my son maimed or worse because that child refuses to grow up. That is only one-sided love, and my son deserves more than that. He deserves true love."
Akane wept in her room. She couldn't believe it. She thought she had been doing better with her temper but, like Ranma, she had the Tendo version of Saotome Foot in Mouth disease, and now it may very well cost her Ranma.
"Ranma...please I…I don't want to loose you. Not now; not to my stupidity."
'I know what I will do I will do my best to change. But first I need to know who the cursed individual is. Who could it be—hope it isn't Kuno!
Ryoga was wandering, lost as usual, when he heard someone gently crying. He looked up at a second story window and heard Akane talking he could barely make out the name Ranma. Ryoga saw red at that point. That bastard had hurt Akane for the last time. He ran forwards through the wall screaming his battle cry.
"Ranma, prepare to die!"
The wall exploded, showering Kasumi with pieces of wood as Ryoga lunged at Ranma with his umbrella. Ranma backpedaled from the enraged teen as Nabiki pulled her older sister to the side. Nodoka's eyes turned red once more as the lost boy attacked her son.
"What's up, P-chan?" Ranma asked as he tried to lead Ryoga outside.
Nabiki and Kasumi both stared at Ryoga as the pieces finally fit together. Nabiki felt anger start to well up inside of her. That bastard! she thought. That's what Auntie Nodoka meant.
Kasumi blurted her own discovery out "Ryoga is P-chan?"
Akane was at the top of the stairs her eyes wide in shock at Kasumi's declaration and the look of shock and fear in Soun's eyes. Racing downstairs, she looked at the wounds Kasumi had suffered, the damage done to the dining room, and ran outside to see Ranma dodging Ryoga's blows. Rage slowly began to build within her, her aura bursting forth in pure red.
"What's wrong P-chan slowing down in your old age?"
"Shut the hell up, Ranma! Because of you, I've seen hell!"
"RYOGA NO BAKA!"
Ryoga turned in fear as Akane brought her hammer down on him. She was radiating a red battle aura as she screamed at him. "Did you fucking enjoy it? Seeing me NAKED! Sleeping with me, fondling me in my sleep while I was unaware?"
"But…but…but Akane, I…I," Ryoga stammered.
"You ruined my honor you fucking BASTARD." She brought the hammer down narrowly missing him.
"You SLEPT with me, you RAPED me! Ranma is my fiancé, NOT you! GET out! GO AWAY! I don't want to see you ever again!"
Akane was ready to send him to LEO when an arrow of ice struck Ryoga freezing him in place. Her hammer struck the lost boy and sent him skyward.
Akane looked over at Ranma and ran at him. He braced himself for a hit, but found himself tackled with Akane starting to cry out loud, hugging him tightly as she wept. Ranma held her carefully and stroked her hair. Nodoka watched from the doors to the house she turned and walked over to Kasumi, to help the girl remove the splinters from Ryoga's attack.
"I have a feeling that things will be getting better between the two of them. But it still remains to be seen if the real Akane can return the feelings that Ranma deserves." Nodoka smiled she checked to see if all the splinters were gone before touching Kasumi and saying a few words. All the injuries that Ryoga had dealt were gone in an instant. Kasumi looked up at the older woman with wonder. Nabiki as well was awed by what she had just seen.
"Other than Ice and lightning that's the only white spell I know."
A little while later Akane was calmed down, Kasumis tea had helped her in that regard. However, Soun was gibbering in terror as Nabiki confronted him. Genma, wisely, remained outside in panda form hoping no one would bother him. One experience with his wife's temper was enough for the day.
"What the Hell was you thinking daddy?" Nabiki yelled at Soun.
"That had to be the most hair brained idea you and the panda have come up with yet: letting Ryoga sleep with Akane like that? I mean, not only have you tarnished her honor, not only did it allow him access to information he shouldn't have gotten, it confused Ranma because he knew you knew Ryoga was her pet pig and that if you let him sleep in her room then maybe you were supporting a claim he could make. And yet you kept harping on how the schools must be joined at all cost not once caring what said cost was!"
"If word had ever gotten out about this daddy Akane would have had to either been declared ronin and removed from the Tendo family register or commit seppuku. So which would have been your choice?"
"But Nabiki I only saw him change once," Soun said, tears flooding the room.
"Yeah, right. What's the real reason you let her keep the damn pig?" Nabiki wasn't going to let this one go. She may have done some bad things in the past, but no one was ever hurt by them.
"Well I thought if she had a pet she would learn a little responsibility, also it seemed to make Ranma jealous and well, Genma and I thought it would bring them together and …."
"Well your little plan backfired now didn't it?" She just shook her head, rubbing her temples. How Mom ever fell in love with him is beyond me if he was always like this.
Nabiki turned to face the panda. "So what's your excuse?"
Genma held up a sign. It's against the martial artist's code to reveal another's weakness.
Nabiki sighed heavily then turned to face Soun. "This isn't over daddy .You and shit head over there will be called to account for all of this mess you created." A smile began to grow on her lips. "Most likely, it will be called by Akane once she feels better and lets Ranma go. I just hope that nothing else goes wrong today."
Sasuke ran as fast as he could back to the Kuno mansion. The master would want to know that the pig-tailed girl's mother was visiting the Tendos. He hopped the perimeter wall, went inside the mansion, and went to his master's study.
"Master Kuno great news the pig-tailed girl's mother is at the Tendo home."
"Excellent I shall go meet her and ask her for the girl's hand in marriage, so that not even the foul sorcerer can interfere with our love. Is there anything else I should know?"
"Well, apparently she is Ranma Saotome's mother as well, and she may dissolve the Tendo agreement."
"Yes! I shall speak to her of this! Excellent work Sasuke! You will be rewarded for this."
Kuno ran out of the room as Sasuke stood up .The old ninja sighed and shook his head at his master's foolishness. 'He told me to get the information. Not my fault he is an idiot.'
A brilliant flash of light filled the room .It cleared and Sasuke stared at what he saw. A tall, dark haired, buxom woman stood in the middle of the room. She wore what looked like a bikini with a skull nestled between her breasts and thigh high boots. She looked around the room and fixated on him. She let out a squeal of glee when she saw and apparently recognized him.
She ran over, picked him up, and gave him a bone-crushing squeeze.
"Sasuke, I am just so happy to see you!"
She pulled him away and he finally realized who it was. Naga the Serpent, matriarch of the Kuno family had returned.
She tilted her head back and let out a loud long laugh that scared Sansuke like nothing else could. Not even mistress Kodachi could match that laugh though she tried.
Nodoka looked up as she heard a very familiar laugh and felt a very familiar chill go down her spine. She looked in the direction it was coming from and frowned.'What the hell is Naga doing here?'