Chapter 5

Once Lost...

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"But it's a sign, Great-Grandmother!"

Cologne sighed. Konatsu was luckily on deliveries, and would most likely return with a sizable tip to compete with Shampoo's records.

The weird thing was; she was never really certain what gender he was when he received the tip.

But Shampoo had not taken well to her new Airen. As sad as the Amazon Elder was to admit it, Nabiki had done a near perfect job hiding their location at the get-go. Wherever they were at; they either blended in perfectly with the surroundings, or had somehow found a way to transverse the dimensions. If it was the latter, then only the broken Nanban Mirror would have allowed them to be tracked, and that was still back at the Amazon village being repaired by their best Lore Masters.

If it was the former, then Cologne was near certain they would never find them. In the five years since they left, she had been shocked at the sheer amount of chaos Tokyo seemed to attract, as if each ward had a sheer quota of madness they needed to produce.

But Shampoo was still carrying a torch for the pigtailed boy. First she had come to her after Konatsu had left on a delivery; speaking of a strong feeling developing that Ranma was returning, followed by her saying she was then witness to his old shirt—a keepsake when Shampoo had been changed and was found by Kasumi—had fallen off a shelf where it was displayed.

"Child, even if he does return, are you so certain that he'll challenge Konatsu for your hand?" In truth, Cologne liked the kunochi very much, and was quite saddened that Shampoo was not more respectful to the man/woman.

But then again, she remembered her first love all too well, and knew what that sort of infatuation did to the rational mind.

"But he loved me, Great-Grandmother!"

"And you tried to kill Nabiki on the word of a distraught and vengeful girl, refusing his pleas to stop that attack."

As Shampoo bowed her head in shame, Cologne batted her on the head with her cane. "And those eyes don't work on me anymore.

"Besides, what would you do if he has already made a family with the Tendo girl?"

Shampoo paled, but Cologne did not let up. If Ranma was returning, then they could ill afford for Shampoo's exuberance to cost them an ally that may or may not have defeated Saffron. "Just because you have yet to fully explore your relationship with Konatsu does not mean that in their time alone, that the two did not find love; if not from each other, then with others."

Shampoo collapsed to her knees, tears falling. "But...I love him, Great-Grandmother. Why can't we be happy?"

Cologne pulled out her pipe. "Sometimes, child, we do not get what we want. After all, Mousse did not get you, but he is very happy helping Akari. Though truthfully, I always felt Ryoga would have been a better match for her; curses considered."

The girl nodded, before Cologne handed her a delivery box. "Now do make haste with this. Tonight, I wish to go see Nodoka about your sword lessons, as well as check and see how she's doing. I heard that Herb had taken an interest in the woman, and want to find out her feelings on the matter."

As Shampoo left, Cologne turned towards the window. "I take it the delivery was easier than expected if you made it back this quickly?"

The figure soon showed itself. "The building was scheduled for demolition. I think my step-family was trying something again." The kunochi smiled. "Too bad they will still be waiting for me. Someone just happened to move the blast time up several hours."

Cologne nodded. "Tell me, child; what are your feelings for Shampoo?"

Konatsu thought for a moment. "I respect her as a fellow warrior, as well as a coworker. As to feelings of love, I am unsure whether or not they fall under that of lovers or that of siblings." The kunochi bowed. "Forgive me."

Cologne waved the apology off. "Nothing to be forgiven for. The answer you gave was correct. Shampoo has given too few opportunities for you to find out if more could come from it." She turned back to the cursed boy. "You will be soon confronted by her increased desire to hope that the Saotome boy will want her. Either way, it will be a trying time for the both of you."

"I shall face it as well as possible, Honored Elder."

Cologne smiled. "I like you, child. Only one other has impressed me the way you have." She shook her head. "I fear to see what a meeting of you two will produce."

Konatsu nodded. He too was interested in what this Ranma was like to have won over his Amazon bride so.

Little did he know that their meeting was soon to be upon them.

The two girls looked at the mother-daughter pair, fully realizing just how much a youthened Nodoka really did resemble her son-turned-daughter.

Ranma just stared at the two, her glare colder than the Soul of Ice could ever have hoped to produce. "Hello Akane...Ukyo."

The two girls dropped their gazes, ashamed of how they were being treated. True, they didn't expect him/her to jump and act like he used to: carefree and perpetually friendly.

But they never prepared for a Ranma who looked like they would care less if they were struck down right now.

Nodoka passed a look between the girls. Well...this is going well. "Welcome home, you two. How were the trips?"

None of the girls made a move to answer.

Ranma snorted. "We can talk later about those mushrooms, Mom. I need to get back home. Nabiki needs a break anyway, and Kimiko will want her lessons."

Before the girls could ask, Ranma had taken off, roof-hopping towards the dojo.

Nodoka turned back to the other girls, seeing the tears running down their faces, before pulling them into a hug.

Her mother instincts were all across the chart. Part of her wanted to support her son/daughter, as he had been the one wronged by these women who had cost them five years together.

Other instincts wanted to admonish him for doing this to the girls. They were considered family to her, after all, and she did not like seeing family get hurt.

So, she made a compromise. Her son could go cool down, as he/she was obviously not as ready to deal with the two as they had thought. She would comfort the girls, as they needed the emotional security now, or they might fall back onto old habits.

Nabiki was startled after she had put Ranma Jr. down for a nap by two petite arms encircling her, and a wet spot developing on her back. Instantly, she knew who it was, and could guess what had happened. "Who did you meet?"

Ranma sniffled, trying to stop the tears. "Akane and Ukyo, I nearly went off on them. If not for clamping down hard with the Soul of Ice, I would have lashed out at them in public."

Nabiki turned around, pulling her wife/husband into a strong hug, giving Ranma the safety she needed to let loose the tears.

A fear... It was one thing she feared about this trip. She knew how protective Ranma was of their family; even before the Nekoken began to merge more with his mind.

That was the first fear; when a discovered technique that would allow him further control of it would cause havoc with his emotions. Luckily, new enemies for the Senshi were constantly popping up, and she was quite certain that Jusenkyo and the technique were responsible for the reports of a cat-man running around Juuban. Though Ranma never flat out said it, she was certain there was more to the magic he was forced to absorb than he ever let on.

But that was another story for when he was ready, and they would have enough mental irritants for the moment.

But Ranma had met them...and not killed them. That in itself was a good step, as it meant that the Neko side either didn't see them as immediate threats, or Ranma's conscious control was too much for the urge to kill to pass through.

They stood there for a while, until the door opened.

Nabiki looked towards it, seeing the head of their daughter peeking in. "Is everything okay?" she asked. The little girl hated to see people sad. In Nabiki's opinion, it was one trait she hoped the girl never lost.

Smiling, she waved their daughter inside and brought her into the hug, the adults kneeling down so the little girl was able to wrap her arms around their necks. "Is Daddy okay?"

"I'm fine, Little One," said Ranma, hiccupping a bit.

"Then why you cry, Daddy?"

Ranma backed up a bit, looking at how Kimiko was crying as well. The girl was so sympathetic to others. "Because, Daddy had a small scare. But he's feeling better now. Okay?"

The girl nodded, before Ranma stood back up. "Now, go get ready so we can practice."

The girl nodded, wiping her tears on the sleeve of her shirt, before running off to get changed.

"Are you really okay, Anata?" asked Nabiki. "I know you're tough, but even this isn't something you can shrug off."

Ranma nodded, before looking at their son, still asleep. "I'll be fine, I just need to relax a bit, maybe meditate. Mom can finish the rest of the shopping with...them."

She nodded, before kissing her on the lips for a minute. Pulling back, she looked into Ranma's eyes. "I am your anchor, Anata. If you need to, go and relax if things get too bad. Just remember to give me a call so I know things are okay."

Ranma nodded before heading off to change both gender and outfits.

Nabiki sighed, looking down at her son. "Some vacation, huh?" The child cooed a bit, before turning his head and sucking again on his pacifier.

Nabiki sighed again. "You know, some families actually have normal lives. One day...we might meet them and beat the crap out of them for calling their lives "normal". Might be fun."

Lunch was awkward as events went. The Fathers had yet to return, so food was not an issue. Kimiko was well behaved, even if she didn't know why Ukyo and Akane sometimes cried when they would look at her, or even if she called them Auntie, upon learning that Akane was her mother's sister and Ukyo was now her daddy's sister. Tofu and Kasumi were absent, as Nodoka had stopped by the clinic and left some items for them to make lunch with, thanks to Tofu's apartment still there for when they were too tired to come home, or needed some alone-time.

As the dishes were placed in the sink, Nabiki grabbed Kimiko to lay her down for her nap, as well as to head upstairs to feed Ranma Jr. She had no doubts things might get a little loud in a few minutes, and already had a few earplugs she would give the children.

But this talk was for Ranma alone. As much as she wanted to be there, she knew he needed her watching the children, and making certain they didn't wander into the fray.

Nodoka brought out some tea, setting between the two girls and Ranma.

He took a deep breath. "So...I take it you guys aren't going to shoot first from now on?"

Ukyo managed to look embarrassed, as Akane bit her tongue, not wanting to scare her family away again.

Ukyo spoke up. "How... How long before you and Nabiki...?"

"About the end of our current year in high school. I came back from a bad...trip...and I proposed."

"So you two are in love?" asked Akane.

Ranma sneered. "It's amazing how things can develop when not only do you have two morons constantly trying to force you together, but you can open up emotionally to each other without them throwing it right back in your face."

"I was never like that," Akane growled out.

"Really," said Ranma, "then everyone was wrong that the moment I kissed you in Neko mode that you punched me away, or did you not tease me a bit when that asshole; Mikado, stole my first kiss?"

Akane was about to snap back, but sat back down, remembering her actions at those events. "I...I was embarrassed when you kissed me."

"Which made it okay for you to punch me?" asked Ranma. "You knew damn well that I had been stuck with Pops almost all my life," he spat, not seeing the hurt look on his mother's face, "and you barely gave me an honest shot. All you saw was someone barely above Kuno in your eyes. You barely trusted me, always accused me of doing other things with women I had no idea of, and jumped me whenever my opinion didn't meet with what you believed."

"And me, Ranma?" asked Ukyo.

"How often did you play the "cute fiancée" card?" he asked. "How often did you jump to the same conclusions? You came after revenge for something I had no idea about, switched personalities when I called you cute. Hell, when I asked you if you cared for me, you slapped me around with the battle spatula and said I "embarrassed" you by asking that. Do you know how much it hurts when even your oldest friend won't listen to you?

"Not one of you ever asked what I wanted, unless it was food. I know that might be an exaggeration, but it's the truth. In the end, Akane let her anger rule her, and nearly cost her sister her life, and then got pissed when I save the non-martial artist. Ukyo believed the ravings of an upset child and immediately attacked, instead of finding out the truth." He lowered his gaze into his cup. "And you two expect time to have healed that wound?"

The girls looked towards their own cups. "I'm sorry, Ranma," said Ukyo. "Maybe one day...we can be friends again."

Ranma looked towards them. "You still need to apologize to Nabiki. Heaven knows she was a trouble maker, but she never went to the point you guys did. Sure, she forced me to pay for hot water when Shampoo came to kill "girl-type" Ranma, but I knew she'd never do that if my life was really at risk."

"And what about Ryoga?" asked Akane, finally finding a needle to poke him with. "You knew about his curse and never told me."

"I promised him I'd never reveal it, and for all the harping I had growing up about honor, it was the only thing I truly had of my own." He stared right back at her. "And how many times did I give you clues, calling one by the other's name. You always believed I did something to make your precious "P-chan" angry with me. If I fought back, you pounded me, and didn't do a damn thing to discipline your "pet". Hell, how often did you see Ryoga attack me saying "Ranma, prepare to die!" and you hit me for picking on "poor Ryoga"? Face it Akane, even if I told you—which would have broken my honor, which was all I ever had—would that have changed anything? Your own father never told you, and he knew!"

"You still should have told me!" she yelled.

"And then what?" asked Ranma, causing the angry Tendo to pause. "In the end, what would it have mattered? Even when I had no guilt, I was always blamed by you, teased by you, beaten by you." His eyes began to glow red, as old anger came forth. "Every time I turned around, I would get smacked if I didn't eat food you never touched, if another girl so much as touched me, if my opinion was not what you wanted to hear." He stood up, taking several deep breaths. "In the end, Akane, we were both too childish to work out. And if we did, it wouldn't have lasted, not like we were. Too many of our vises were the same, our virtues could never overcome that."

He turned to Ukyo. "Ukyo, you expected me to be okay with running your restaurant with you. But not once did you ask if that was what I wanted. I'm sorry that things turned out this way."

Taking another breath, he moved towards the door. "I need to work out some of this rage. You guys can talk a bit to Nabiki, but make one of my children cry, and I won't hesitate to put so much pain onto you, that you'll wish you were dead." With that, he headed out to the dojo.

Nodoka let out a breath, not knowing whether or not she had been holding it. "Well...that could have gone better." She turned to the girls. Akane was still silent, sitting again and looking into her empty cup. Ukyo had tears on her face, most likely having taken Ranma's words to heart, and opened up old wounds she had buried under the hope that he would come back for her.

The mother shook her head. Why can't things be easy? Everyone needs happiness, but why is it at the cost of others that it is often the price?