When Ranma opened her eyes she was no longer at the Tendo dojo, instead she appeared to be in a fancy tearoom. Flipping out of her seat, she assumed a battle stance her ki senses alert for danger. Nothing…that is until he scanned the woman sitting on the other side of the table. Suddenly Ranma's senses were overwhelmed as the woman's power levels rose and just kept on going up. Compared to her Saffron was less than a baby, an insect.
"I mean you no harm. Have and seat and I will try to explain. Sit," she said, indicating the spot across from her. "First off, you are technically still at the Tendo dojo. When you collapsed after grabbing the sword, I pulled your consciousness to the Astral Plane. Since I only have a limited time here I constructed this so you will feel more relaxed."
Ranma sat down warily. The woman had power, unimaginable power, but for some reason he felt he could trust her. She watched as the woman waved a hand and a cup of steaming tea materialized with the service sitting in the middle of the table. The woman had light brown hair and was dressed in what Ranma could only describe as fancy robes. Her eyes were striking and captivating. They were black and where the white should be, blue, but it was the markings on the woman's face that captured her interest. They were the same as hers.
"Hello Ranma, how are you," she said smiling then taking a sip of her tea.
"Been better," she replied. "Ah, who exactly are you."
"Straight to the point, I like that. Her voice was melodious, almost musical, but with an underlying tinge of sadness.
"Let me tell you a story that happened long, long ago. A disaster occurred in another dimension and caused the extinction of all life. Most of the gods and goddesses of that dimension also perished in the cataclysm. Demons who lived in that universe's underworld somehow survived the event. The primary source of food for the demons was raw life force and with none, left they managed to construct a portal to this dimension.
"It wasn't long before this universe's divine beings took arms against the demons that were absorbing the life force of entire planetary systems. Their magic was mostly ineffectual against the demon lords and they were losing badly. It was then that I, and my two sisters, found the portal and followed the demons. I am the Goddess Tokimi and my powers are those of chaos. The addition of my sisters and I helped to turn the tide of the conflict. It was because of what happened during the last battle that we are here."
"Lady, how can a battle that happened that far in the past affect me. I'm a martial artist, probably the best though," she said with a smirk, and I have fought demons before, but what does that have to do with me. And," she said, glancing down, eyes flashing, "why am I like this, I'm a guy, damnit."
"Oh, but it does," she said, tears forming in her eyes. "During that last battle I gravely injured the leader of the demons, Lord Rin. But…But he managed to escape with something very, very precious to me. Something I thought I had lost until now. He took…took my unborn child."
"I get it now, you need my help to recover your child." He paused in puzzlement, "But why do I need to be in my girl form."
Tokimi took a deep breath, this next part was going to be hard, very hard. "Ranma, you are that child."
"No way," she protested. "My mother is Nodoka Saotome."
"That's true in a sense," Tokimi said. "But Genma Saotome is not your father. When that bastard Rin fled, he stole you from my womb and until the battle with Saffron, no one knew what had happened. It was then your powers began to awaken and you were found. While you cannot be traced because of your chaotic nature, your earth mother's past could be traced. That was how it was learned what happened when Rin fled.
"He escaped to the future with you and posed as a god to your mother. Because Genma was sterile, there was no way she could have children. The false god gave her to opportunity to bear a child. He implanted you in her womb merging the genetic material to further anchor your spirit to this dimension and time." She hesitated, knowing the truth would hurt her child. "He also changed the gender from female to male."
"No, no, no, it can't be. I'm a guy. I can't be a girl."
"Ranma, ever since Jusendo your powers have been growing and the ultimate force has been remolding you slowly, making changes so you can finally become what you were destined to be. Ranma, you were destined to be female. And I think deep down, you know it's true. Rin manipulated your other mother's mind to where she was amendable to Genma's idea of a training trip for his son and heir. He wanted to use you, and he figured the trip would give him an easily manipulated person with the powers of a true god. With that goal in mind he implanted the basics of the trip within Genma's mind. Considering his character there was not much he really needed to do," she spat. "But Rin's plan failed before it began. The wounds I gave him caused his dissolution before he complete the plan."
Ranma's head snapped up. He started to speak, but stopped and started again. "What about pops."
"He's not your father, Ranma. While your father was not one of the most powerful gods in our home dimension, he was a great warrior. He fought Rin to a standstill by skill alone before succumbing to a poisonous arrow shot by one of Rin's lieutenants. He looked a lot like you and had the most amazing flame red hair."
She walked to Ranma's side of the table seeing the uncertainty and fear in her eyes. Kneeling down, she pulled the shorter girl into a hug feeling Ranma flinch. "Your other mother and …and I love you very much and will do anything we can to help you." Loosing control of herself, Tokimi began crying. "I have waited thousands of years to hold you, my darling daughter, in my arms." Her tears came faster and soon her body was racked by great shuddering sobs.
Hesitantly Ranma put her arms around his new mother, who latched on with a fury that would have made any amazon proud. "It's all right mother." It could have been two minutes or two hours, time seemed to have no meaning here, but she held her mother until the tears finally stopped.
Tokimi pulled back until she could look into her daughter's eyes. "Ranma, I want you to listen to me closely because I am in truth a great distance from you and I can only maintain this contact for a short time. When your true identify and nature was discovered a decision was made to not inform me because of some past indiscretions, and," she snarled, "others wanted to use you as a tool." But Kami-sama, like me, believed you should have a choice. When you return, Urd will have the necessary information to brief you on the situation and give you a choice. I will not use you or influence your decision. That is yours to make.
"I do have a gift though. It is for you and Nabiki if you decide to accept."
"What is it, Mother," Ranma asked from the warmth and security of his mother's embrace.
The gift is the sword Phoenix Heart. When carried by those who are truly soul-bonded it assumes the form of twin katanas. It was last carried by your father and me until his death. I wish for you and Nabiki to use it well."
"Remember, dear, I love you and will see you as soon as I possibly can," she said kissing Ranma gently on the forehead. "When you wake, you will again be at the Tendo's and almost no time will have elapsed."
As her voice faded so did Ranma's consciousness.
"…will see you shortly."
The words penetrated the fog that seemed to fill Nabiki's head. Control, Must not loose control. The last thing she remembered was sitting beside Ranma and instinctively grabbing the sword flying toward her.
She glanced around casually. She appeared to be in a large reception room decorated in dark expensive woods. The receptionist who sat a large ornate desk was a tall, attractive blond woman who wore robes of an unfamiliar design.
"Sorry, what was that you said, my mind must have been wandering," Nabiki questioned.
"I said your application for the position seems to be all in order and that he will see you shortly for your interview," the receptionist replied.
Okay, this is now officially weird. I disappear from home and wind up applying and interviewing for some job. There is definitely some malodorous coming from the state of Denmark. Damn, I need facts.
"He will see you now," the receptionist said. "Just go through those doors," she indicated the large wooden doors to her left.
She stood and straightened the dark blue business ensemble, which she had not been wearing earlier. Cool and collected Nabiki strode through the doors while mentally preparing herself for whatever she was going to face.
As with the reception area, the office was big and done in the same expensive dark wood. Behind a large desk sat a tall, white bearded man. He indicated the chair in front of the desk. "Have a seat, Nabiki," he paused. "Is it all right if I call you Nabiki, I' not much for formality."
"Certainly, sir," she replied. "And you are?"
He just smiled as he waved her into the seat. "Your application was very interesting. There were some, ah, escapades which indicated your talents may have been better utilized elsewhere."
"Escapades," she questioned.
"Your money making schemes," he replied with a grimace. "Because of the deviousness utilized others wanted to interview you first. But while I may not approve of the methods involved, I do know the reason you did what you did."
"That's all well and good, sir, but could you tell me for what position exactly I am applying."
"Oh my, didn't anyone tell you?" Seeing her shake her head negatively he continued, "I felt it would not be good for your friend Ranma to ascend without her soul-bonded."
Nabiki clamped down on the part of her brain that wanted to run in circles gibbering. "I suppose you mean me," she asked with unnatural calm. "That would mean you are, ah, Kama-sama."
"I have been known as that," he admitted.
Gathering her wits, Nabiki asked, "Is there anything more I should know."
He grew very serious. "Have your ever heard of the twilight of the gods and Ragnarok."
"Norse mythology, I believe. But something tells me it's more than mythology."
"You are right about that," he replied. "And until now there was very little we could do to prevent it from happening. But now, the son of a goddess from another dimension may have the power to defeat Fenrir while his soul-bonded takes care of the god Loki."
"I assume you mean Ranma, but how is he the son of goddess. And how am I supposed to deal with someone the likes of Loki."
"Ranma will tell you his story when you get back. At present he is meeting his other mother, Tokimi," he said.
"Loki is another matter. "While I have stripped him of his domain, he still maintains much of his power and has perverted an artifact to his will. Using it, he has convinced the Sailor Senshi that Fimblewinter is a natural disaster that will kill billions and that they cannot stop it from happening. "They believe that they and the formation of Crystal Toyko are humanities only hope for survival."
"The meddling in time by Sailor Pluto has caused time quakes that threaten to rip the very fabric of our universe. These quakes are loosening the chains that hold Fenrir. Legend had it that Fenrir is the son of Loki. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Fenrir is simply the name given to a huge spell construct that on the Astral plane will swallow the earth leading to Fimblewinter.
"To stop Loki I need someone with a cool mind capable of thinking on a par with the great trickster," he said. "I believe you are that person, Nabiki Tendo and that without you and Ranma our universe, as we know it, will not survive.
"So, will you become Nabiki, goddess of mischief with a secondary domain of fire? You, like Ranma will be a class one, category-one, unlimited deity. Hopefully, this will give the universe a chance of survival."
Damn. Ranma I think you got another load dumped on you…and me. Guilt by association. But Kasumi…Akane…all our friends dieing makes the decision easy.
"I…I will do it," Nabiki said.
Rising Kami-sama walked around the desk. "My daughters, Urd and Skuld, will be able to brief you and Ranma on your new powers as well as seeing that you are trained in the sword. Nabiki, trickster goddess and shape shifter, may your path be straight and your heart strong," he said touching her on her forehead causing her world to explode in a flash of white light.
Kenshin Masaki wiped the sweat off his brow as he and Tenchi took a break from their grandfather's teachings. More like beatings. The old man knew more about swordplay than anyone he had ever met. And he was a tough, very tough taskmaster.
It had not been that long since he had arrived at the shrine and in that time he was slowly becoming whole. The drugs were out of his system thanks to Washu and his penchant for bad poetry was completely gone.
He looked out over the trees and lake and reveled in the peacefulness that existed here. A loud boom and flash of light distracted him from his reverie. Well, quiet most of the time. Ayeka and Ryoko did let their feud get out of hand occasionally.
"What are you thinking so hard about, Kenshin," Tenchi said sitting down on the grass beside him.
"Oh, just thinking about how my life has finally come together." He smiled ruefully, "And deciding how to bring closure to my old life."
"Did you come to any decision," his brother asked.
"Yeah," he said hesitantly. "I need to go back to Nerima for a little while. There are some people there I need to make apologies to."
"I'll go with you," Tenchi said. "You don't have to do this alone."
"Thank you, brother," he said "You don't' know how much I appreciate that."