Chapter 2

Never Knowing Until You Return

Disclaimer: I don't own this series or any other series. I am just floating an idea. I am making no money, nor plan to, off this venture. If you think of suing me over this, then grow up.

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Nabiki set Ranko into the seat as she readjusted her top and removed the blanket. Despite the feeding before they left to take the train, her son apparently showed the infamous Saotome appetite again, needing another feeding before the train had even left the station.

Fortunately, the car was nearly deserted, allowing her to feed her child with only a small blanket keeping her from being exposed to the world.

She picked up her son and patted his back, waiting for the burp so that she could settle him back into the stroller to sleep.

She cast a small glance towards her husband, seeing that he had already passed into the dream world, their daughter on his lap, sleeping as well. I hope she can stay awake in her classes when she goes to school.

She finally noticed a faint light coming from the headband he occasionally wore. She knew what was creating that light, knew why he wore it, and knew what caused it when he slept.

He's dreaming again...dreaming of the battle with Saffron.

In their marriage, and even since he had returned, Ranma never went into too many details about the battle, only giving some small bits of information before switching the subject. He wasn't comfortable discussing what had occurred that month he was in China, only that it had changed him forever, and not simply because he killed the demigod.

She wasn't about to push him on that matter, anyway. He would tell her when he was ready; he would explain the jewel that often appeared in his forehead when those memories came unbidden.

"Burp!"

She smiled as she shifted Ranko, wiping off a small bit of drool from his mouth, before setting him back in the stroller, sighing as he made himself comfortable and soon drifted to sleep like his father and his sister.

I guess I can bear the responsibility for a while longer.

She shifted herself closer to Ranma, leaning on his shoulder. She wasn't about to go to sleep, but she knew it helped quiet the dreams.

If only it could stop them...

In the dream, it was as if it was still new.

He stood on a bamboo pole at the center of the now dry Jusenkyo, cursing himself for how much time this was taking.

The spirits had insisted he take some final training to prepare, and now the pools were dry, only the spirits attached to them remaining. "Damn it, by the time I finally get to there, he'll be a fucking full God."

He looked towards the lone hut, seeing the Jusenkyo Guide, staring back at him. The Guide had informed him that his daughter had gone to get him and the others, but had yet to return, not knowing that he was one of those sent for. Not that I'm surprised, the only way to get my jackass old man here to risk his life would have been to promise a cure.

A cure...that no longer or ever existed.

He knew what was left for him to do...what he needed to spirits to allow him to do.

He stood tall on the pole, his arms out at his side. "Spirits of Jusenkyo, your avatar has arrived." He yelled out, knowing that more than a lone man could hear him. "I beseech you; allow me to fight for you. Grant me the power to cleanse the evil from both your home, and the Earth itself!"

The Guide paled as orbs of light arose from the now empty pools, slowly condensing on the new man who had called to them.

The orbs circled Ranma, becoming more concentrated as they neared their goal.

Finally, one by one, they flew into Ranma, granting him the power of that pool. Each merger brought a grin of pain as Ranma felt his spirit grow and alter forever. He knew that after this...he would forever be different, forever tainted by the magic of Jusenkyo; so much so that not even the Kami would ever be able to remove it.

Finally, the last ball of light entered him, making him wobble on his perch, before he stood tall again.

The Guide made his way over, still not able to place the stranger's face; a disguise placed on Ranma by the pools to hide him.

But he did notice two new things.

The first was that the stranger's former blue eyes were now completely white, and glowing.

The second was that a green gem was now a third eye for the stranger, glowing with the eerie power of Jusenkyo.

Ranma hopped down to stand before the Guide. "I am now ready to remove the impurity. Please, show me the way to the Phoenix people."

"Huh?" Ranma woke with a small start as he felt a hand shaking him.

"Sorry," came Nabiki's quiet reply, not wanting to wake either child. "But we'll be pulling into the Nerima station in a few minutes, and I wanted you awake."

"Okay," he yawned out to finish the reply. He slowly lifted Kimiko up, placing her in the back seat of the stroller, handing her a stuffed dog that she loved to cuddle with. Originally, she wanted a stuffed cat, but Ranma was still too skittish of even a stuffed one at the time. "You know what I was dreaming about, don't you?"

They kept their voices to a whisper, not wanting to broadcast their conversation, but also keep the children from knowing about if for as long as possible, to stave off any worries.

"Yeah, the gem was glowing again." She slowly grabbed his chin and turned him to face her. "Are you ever going to be ready to talk about it?"

"I...I..." He exhaled deeply. "I don't know, Koi. It...it still feels too fresh, too painful..." His voice trailed off again, before returning his eyes to hers, seeing the emotion playing in them. "I promise, before we return, I'll tell you what happened. This is a trip to put old demons to rest, and I want no more secrets between us."

She slowly kissed him lightly on the lips, before returning to cuddling into his side. "Don't force yourself, Anata. I know how bad it is to reveal old wounds. Tell me when you're ready, but know I will always be waiting for you, and I won't go away."

He held her for a few more minutes, not bothering to hide a few tears that came down his face. I really am quite lucky to have her...to have all of them.

Haruka sat against the wall, Hotaru now healing the formerly dislocated shoulder, and Makoto crying about how sorry she was. "Damn it; just shut up! I forgive you already!" She rubbed her shoulder as Hotaru backed away. "Maybe I should sign up for classes there. I never even saw you before I got thrown."

Makoto just sighed. "I...I don't know if I can go anymore, though. Sempai said I am missing something."

"Oh, back to Sempai again, huh, Mako-chan?" Minako winked a conspiring smile. "And to go after a married man..."

"IT'S NOT THAT!" she screamed out, before putting her hand over her mouth. "I just don't know if I can do any better."

"But what were you missing? Maybe we can find it?"

The group turned towards their leader, before shaking their heads. Rei bopped her on the head. "He meant she's missing something in her heart, Meatball-head!"

"WAH! REI, YOU'RE SO MEAN!"

The two girls began to get into an argument as the remaining Senshi gathered around Makoto. Ami patted her friend's shoulder. "Don't worry, Makoto. You have two weeks to figure out what you're missing before he said he'd test you again. I'm certain we can figure it out."

"Yeah!" chimed in Hotaru, slightly weakened from all the healing she had done to Haruka with her practice with Makoto. "If not, we can always ask Setsuna-mama about it."

Makoto couldn't help but smile. With her friends, she knew she'd show Sempai...Sensei...that she had the right stuff to advance.

Of course, she had yet to tell Haruka that Ranko Saotome wasn't interested in any relationships, much to the chagrin of any male she taught or the occasional female.

Nodoka stepped out of the bar into the blazing light of day. "Ah, too damn bright."

It had been fifteen years...fifteen years to the day that her son was taken from her by the idiot she had trusted...had married.

It was a little less than five years ago when a random tip had led her to the Tendo Dojo. She was at first hopeful that her son was there, waiting for her to come and see how manly he was.

Instead, all she found was an egotistical tomboy, a worn out woman who played mommy to too many childish people, and two men who only would be pampered.

She was sad to say her husband was among them.

And when she found out about the now fatter bastard's curse...

She knew he was hiding something about her son. She knew it was most likely because if she thought Ranma was unmanly in any way, he would have to own up to what he promised. I should just kill him in his sleep.

The alcohol allowed her to strip away the dogma placed into her by society and her own self delusions.

That bastard never had any intentions of coming back! He sold my son for whatever he needed, left the burden of keeping his honor on our child, and expected me to just forgive and forget!

Nodoka had rarely been pissed enough to actually try and kill the offender.

Sadly, all those times had been Genma as the offender.

Once Kasumi filled her in on what she could, she immediately filed for divorce. Apparently, they had enough information on Genma in police files to allow for a speedy court hearing, as well as a large reward when he was turned in.

Sadly, the stuff that he could still be charged with was all minor, and he was released within a year.

But much had changed within that year.

Nodoka had made it her personal goal to clear up her son's strained honor as best as she could.

Ukyo was by far the easiest. She had adopted the poor girl into her clan after the divorce, which fully ensured that any of Genma's promises for a daughter was now null and void. Even she could see the turmoil in the eyes of the girl, forced to do as Ranma had done: clean up the family honor for a slight that was not even hers to fix. It seemed her father was much like Genma: preferring to make the next generation pay for their mistakes.

Plus, the girl was confused about her feelings for Ranma. It seemed she was uncertain if she loved Ranma or was in love with the idea of being in love with Ranma. That matter would have to wait until her son felt things were safe once again to return with Nabiki.

It had made the woman proud that her son took the middle Tendo's safety with such seriousness.

It also made her happy to see how badly Ukyo's actions had made the chef feel. She begged for forgiveness for how she had acted from Nodoka, especially when confronted with the news she had gone off on only a rumor, hardly reason enough to seek blood.

Soun Tendo didn't want to forgive her, and demanded she secede her claim to Ranma.

Of course, since Nodoka had used the reward money from turning her husband in to buy the dojo, his opinion mattered little, until he made himself useful and bought it back.

Then there was Kodachi Kuno. She seemed to only seek out a male if they were strong and around long enough—a visual infatuation. She was currently pursuing Ryoga, as well as two men oddly named Mint and Lime.

Which was weird, in a way, as he was now married to Akane, since Soun and she had found Akane...riding him...in the bathroom.

Well, she claimed he had burst in on her and was being perverted, so she was punishing him. So that's what the children are calling it these days. He claimed he just wanted to change back into his human form. But the position they were in...

She still had doubts that they had consummated the relationship, but Ryoga seemed happy to have a home to come back to, and he was way more helpful than her husband was.

Then there was the Amazon claim, but that was taken care of in a few months after the couple had left. Apparently, the old pervert had pissed of some kunoichi, who had knocked out Shampoo in an attempt to get to the old pervert.

Sure, the two still held out hopes Ranma would challenge Konatsu for Shampoo, but Kasumi and Ukyo both said that was unlikely.

Too bad, the children would have been stunning.

The few others that came after were swiftly dealt with; trying to use what should have been charity to wrangle a marriage. She either ended up shaming the parents for treating their children as such, or asked if they wanted Genma as family, and power to sell them out.

No one continued on from that point.

But she wasn't there to celebrate her success.

No, she was there to drown her sorrows at her failure as a mother. She had sold her time with her son for a paper, sold his sanity and his chance at a normal life for a promise.

Fifteen years...it had been fifteen years since she last laid eyes upon him. She wondered how he changed while away with Nabiki. Would he even remember her? Would Genma have blurted out the contract and forever scared him away from her?

Was he manly?

She was so into her thoughts, she failed to see a couple pushing a stroller until she ran into the husband.

As he bent over to help her to her feet, she could only register one thought into her mind:

Oh, he's so...manly!

Nabiki and Ranma had been taking a slow stroll through Nerima, getting refamiliarized with the district.

They remained quiet, enjoying the peace and quiet not often seen here when they lived at the dojo. They wanted to enjoy it as long as possible.

Well, that ended when a drunken woman with red hair ran into Ranma, falling to the ground.

She recognized the look the woman gave Ranma as he helped her to her feet. It was the same one she had often seen on the women entranced with her husband's looks and aura of...purity. It also didn't hurt that Nabiki didn't spot a wedding ring or any other signs that the woman was already taken. She gave Ranma a look that told him to play along with her, believing that the woman wouldn't remember anything the next morning, if the sake smell coming off her was indication. Besides, if she was drinking this early in the day, she could use a reason to be happy.

Ranma, as par, needed her to mouth those words to him to understand. He was just glad Nabiki wasn't jealous in the way Akane had been when the woman grabbed him, commenting on how manly he was.

"Um, can we escort you back home, Ms...?"

"Nodoka. My name is Nodoka. And I would love such a fine young man as you to take me home." She smiled and linked arms with Ranma. "And such a fine, strapping young man. Is it okay if I borrow him for the night, dear?"

Nabiki giggled. "Well, I guess you can. After all, I would like to not have anymore children until after I graduate college. Well, Anata, how do you feel about taking her as a mistress? She seems like she might be able to keep you out of trouble."

Ranma blushed as both women giggled at his reaction. "I...I...well, I..." He sighed. "I'll just shut up now and let you two work it out."

"Oh, and he knows when to let his wife handle things. He's a much better catch than my ex-husband." Nodoka sighed and cuddled a little more with the handsome stranger who was helping lift her spirits. Slowly as a mischievous smile grew on her lips, she leapt into his arms, surprised that he had no trouble carrying her.

Nabiki simply shook her head. It wasn't like she was playing with the woman. Even Nabiki could see how depressed the woman was when they found her, even without her aura in the visible spectrum. A thought of how much the two resembled each other, especially when Ranma was in his girl form was put out of her head. Genma had no other family...at least family that would dare claim him, and with Ranma's mother dead, she had no leads to see if maybe the woman was an aunt or cousin. Well, either way, I have plenty of things now to tease my sweet husband about.

Nodoka giggled, reminiscing to herself about how young she felt at the moment. She thought for a moment about kissing him, but that wasn't something one did until you finalized that it was okay for her to be his mistress with his wife. After all, it was only proper. And they already have children. Surely they would enjoy some more free time if Auntie Nodoka babysat them. "Thank you for carrying me, kind sir. Would you mind escorting this dear old woman back to her home?"

"You ain't old. You look good. And sure we'll help you home. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you got hurt and we could have prevented it."

His smile lit up Nodoka's heart.

Nabiki meanwhile was sweating a little. She had only meant to lift the woman's spirit, but it actually appeared that she was interested in "riding the wild stallion". I'll have to remember not to tease Ranma anymore about women.

Shit! If those girls in his classes find out I might allow them a night or two with him...

DAMN IT! NABIKI NO BAKA!

She was so busy mentally hitting herself with a mallet, she failed to notice as the surrounding buildings became more and more familiar as Nodoka gave directions on which turns to take to get her home, seeming to make herself more comfortable in the arms of the manly man carrying her.

Finally, they arrived. "Here we are, home sweet home."

Ranma and Nabiki both paled a little as they saw the sign by the door.

"Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts, Saotome School of Dragon Kendo Arts. Challengers accepted by appointment only."

Ranma was the first to find his breath. "Um, how do you know the Tendos, Nodoka?"

"Oh, I came here five years ago looking for my worthless husband. He promised to return with my son after a training trip. But I found him hiding here. I even found out the bastard told my son I was dead. Can you imagine that?"

She failed to notice as the married couple grew incredibly pale.

Nabiki finally stuttered out a question. "You...you wouldn't h...happen to be Nodoka Saotome, would you?"

"Oh, yes, dear. Though I may take up my maiden name. Oh, where are my manners, I forgot to ask who you two were."

"Um, we're Ranma and Nabiki Saotome. And we're sorry about this...mom."

Nodoka looked at him with wide eyes, before her motherly desire to embrace her son met her daydreams of a few minutes ago of what to do with the manly man holding her. The two tracks of thought intercepted and caused a mental train wreck, making the Saotome elder faint.

Ranma just sighed as the woman passed out. "Nabiki, I think you just tried to set my mother up as a mistress. Nabiki?" He looked over to his side to see that his wife had also passed out.

"Man, why does this sort of stuff always happen to me?" He shifted Nodoka over his shoulder, before kneeling down and doing the same to his unconscious wife, supporting both on his shoulders and against the backpack he carried with their supplies. Pushing open the main gate, he walked in with them and the stroller. Figures, I come back to Nerima, and enter the Tendo Dojo with an unconscious Saotome with me. Deja vu

Omake:

Ranma sat in the chair by the hospital bed. How could things have ended like this?

He knew how. It had started when Nabiki had casually suggested they make use of a Love Hotel to properly introduce Ranma's first mistress to the "wild stallion".

Of course, when the later learned that Nodoka was his mother...

And later learned she was pregnant...

Ranma sighed as his mother/mistress was breast feeding his sister/daughter.

He resumed playing his banjo. After all, he was now a student of Hillbilly Martial Arts, and his daughter/sister seemed to sleep better while listening to "Duelin' Banjos".

Omake #2:

Nabiki: Now, Ranma, you should be more opened minded about these things. If I don't mind, then why should you.

Nodoka: Now, now, it was just a suggestion. I didn't think you would be this opposed to the idea.

Ranma: Mom, that's just wrong, its sick and its wrong. And I still don't know why your so in favor of this Nabiki.

Nabiki: Well, Anata, you know I have never minded trying new things.

Nodoka: It's not unheard of Ranma. And personally, I don't mind the idea.

Ranma: Stands up from the table I don't know what's wrong with you two. I'll be back later; I don't want to see either of you right now. Looks over his shoulder at the two at the table and shivers lightly before walking out the shogi and disappearing over the fence.

Nabiki: Well that didn't go to well did it?

Nodoka: Well, dear, I guess that surprising him with hash browns instead of rice for breakfast this morning could be a shock, but I would never have guessed he'd have reacted like that.

If I messed anything up, then let me know including typos.

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