Chapter 12 Enter Ranma's Mother
That Saturday, after the half-day of class was over, Kasumi met them at the gate of the school. They walked over to the local mall where they spent a pleasant couple of hours looking at clothes. Ranma was still grumbling under her breath about the whole situation, but she had to admit the girls were having a good time, trying on the different outfits. She was a little shocked at some of the things that Nabiki and Kasumi were trying on. A few of them, she was glad that she was a girl when she saw them in them. She just knew that if she had been a guy then, she would have a nosebleed. Akane and Ukyo at least weren't as daring, so she felt safer around them, anyway. Unfortunately, none of them would forget about her, so she was stuck trying several things on as well. The girls, particularly Nabiki, kept making her wear sexier and sexier things. Ranma knew they were doing it to tease her, but every time she thought about refusing, Akane would look at her with those beautiful eyes of hers and start quivering her lip. Then Kasumi of all people started doing it too. Ranma knew she was being played, but she just couldn't put her foot down. Besides a still small voice in her head kept saying 'This is fun, this is fun.' Of course, which was in competition with the other voice saying, 'You're a guy, remember?' She ended up buying a few tops, and a sports bra or two, but she put her foot down about panties. Then Kasumi came out in a very sexy number, and that did trigger a nosebleed. After the girls stopped laughing, and got Ranma cleaned up, they made her try that one like that on herself. She couldn't believe what she looked like in it. She started giggling, then. This one was it; it would really make her father see red.
After that, the girls decided to get some drinks over in the food court. While they were standing in line, two of Akane's friends from school wandered by.
"Hi, Akane," squealed Yuki, "Are you out shopping, too?" Yuki wasn't the brightest star in the sky; the bags they were carrying should have been a clue.
"Yes, we're having an afternoon at the mall, sort of a girl's day out. We've found some cute things for all of us," Akane replied, with a small giggle.
Sakura asked, (just a little jealous, after all she was Akane's friend, so why wasn't she invited) "Who did you come with?"
Akane blinked in surprise, and then said, "I'm sorry. I should have introduced you. You remember my sister Kasumi, right? This is Ukyo Kuonji, the okonomiyaki chef from class."
Sakura said, "I thought you were a boy!"
"Nope, one hundred percent woman," Ukyo replied.
"Well, I'm Sakura and this is Yuki," she said, "Who's the other girl?"
"Uh, I'm Ran – ko Saotome," Ranma replied, after a nudge in the side from Akane. Over the other girls' shoulders, she saw an attractive middle-aged woman react to the name. She had shoulder-length auburn hair, was dressed in a conservative business suit, but oddly enough, was carrying a sheathed katana blade.
"Are you related to Ranma?" Yuki asked.
Ranma hesitated. Akane said quickly, "She is his cousin, she's down for a short visit."
"Well, we've gotta run, nice meeting you," Yuki said as she and Sakura ran off.
The woman who had overheard the conversation walked up behind the Tendo girls. "Excuse me, I couldn't help but overhear. Did you say you were related to Ranma Saotome?" she asked politely.
Kasumi turned around and said with some surprise, "Auntie Nodoka, we haven't seen you in months!" Nabiki and Akane turned as well, Akane actually hugging her 'Aunt'.
Kasumi suddenly paled, Nabiki noticed her reaction, and asked, "What's wrong, Kasumi?"
"Oh, my, I just remembered a story I overheard shortly after Mother died. Auntie was sad one day during a visit with us. She was talking to Father and saying how sad she was because she hadn't seen her husband or her son since he was six. They were on some sort of training trip. Then I remembered her last name. Auntie, are you married to Gemna Saotome?"
"Why yes, child. Gemna is my husband. Ranma is my son. That is why I was so excited when I heard the name," Nodoka exclaimed, "Do you know where they are?"
"It's a long story, Auntie,' Nabiki said, quickly, "They are staying at our house right now. Why don't we go home and tell you all you all about it?"
"That would be wonderful! I want to see them both so badly. I've missed them so much, and I was starting to get worried. I stopped getting postcards from Gemna about six months ago. Uh, by the way Ranko, are you sure you're a cousin of Ranma's, I don't remember anyone by that name? Anyway, I'm also anxious to see if my husband fulfilled his pledge to raise Ranma as a man among men," Nodoka answered.
Ranma was about to tell her who she really was, but that last comment stopped her. There had been an odd glint in her mother's eyes when she had mentioned the pledge, plus her grip had tightened on the katana blade. Something about that worried her. "Uh, that's part of the same long story, why don't we wait?" she blurted. Nodoka looked at her a little odd, but nodded.
They all walked back to the Tendo home. The house was empty. There was a note saying that their fathers had gone to the bathhouse for a long soak, and would be back in time for dinner.
"Now, where is my son?" Nodoka asked.
Ranma replied, "I'll go get him." She left the room, walked into the bathroom. She took her clothes off, transformed back into a guy, and put on his favorite red Chinese shirt and black pants. He walked back toward the group, when he overheard Akane ask, "What was the pledge that you mentioned?"
"Gemna promised to raise Ranma as a man among men, if he failed, they were to commit seppuku," Nodoka replied calmly. Ranma paled when he heard that, but squared his shoulders and walked in resolutely.
He bowed and said, "Hello, Mother, I'm your son Ranma." Nodoka turned and saw a handsome young man, with pigtailed black hair, very muscular, bowing in respect toward her. She ran over, pulled him up and hugged him, and then began crying. Her son looked so manly. Ranma held his mother, wondering how she would react to the story of his life. He gulped, but decided he couldn't lie to her. "Mom, remember at the mall when Nabiki said there was a long story about me? We need to talk." She looked puzzled, thinking 'How could he know what happened at the mall?' He then began to tell her the highlights of the ten years that he had been separated from her. She nodded in recognition of some of the stories. Apparently, Gemna's letters and postcards had told her a few things, but obviously he had hid many of the details. She started to get angry.
Then he began to tell her about learning the Neko-Ken. "Mom, Pop decided to train me in a invincible martial arts technique. He forgot to read the next page unfortunately, which basically said only a moron would teach this, that it could make the subject crazy. He dug a pit, filled it with c-c-c, those things that chase mice, let them starve for a couple of days, wrapped me in fish paste and threw me in. I was eight years old when he did that. He kept doing it until I learned the technique. Unfortunately, I can't control it, and if I see a c-c-c, one of those animals, I basically turn into one," he said. Nodoka began to seethe with rage.
Then he hesitated. "Mom, there's something else you need to know. My life is kinda messed up right now. While I've tried to become an honorable man, a martial artist better than any, I've come to realize that Pop isn't as honorable. Remind me to give you a report that Nabiki put together for me. I don't know if you were aware of the pledge he made, but he and Mr. Tendo pledged that I would marry one of the Tendo daughters. This happened before any of us were born. Then during our travels, he also engaged me to Ukyo here and stole her dowry. He has admitted that there may be more girls out there as well."
Nodoka's eyes grew cold, "I see I have much to discuss with my husband." Her hand involuntarily reached for the handle of her blade.
"There's more. While we were training, we went to the cursed training grounds of Jusenkyo. There are many springs there, and the legend is that if you fall into one of the springs, you are cursed," Ranma said slowly.
Nodoka paled. "Cursed, what do you mean?" she gasped.
"You change into the form of whatever drowned in that spring. Kasumi-chan, could you get some water? You know what I need. Mother, cold water triggers the change into the cursed form, hot water reverses it. Both Pop and I are cursed. He fell into the spring of drowned panda. And I, well I fell into the spring of drowned girl," Ranma said. He took the cold water and poured it over his head. Nodoka face went ashen as she saw her manly son turn into the attractive redhead who had called herself Ranko. "Sorry, Mom," Ranma whispered, then poured the warm water over herself, changing back. Nodoka fainted and would have fallen to the floor, except Ranma caught her. Ranma carried her over to one of the couches and laid her down.
"Ranma, why did you tell her about the curse," Akane said worriedly, "Did you know that if you're not a man among men, that you're supposed to commit seppuku?"
"Akane, I heard what Mom said. I didn't know anything about it until then. But I won't live a lie. It would not be honorable to hide from Mom. She deserves to know who I am, and what I am. Anything less would not be honorable," he replied, firmly.
"Ranma?" a soft voice interrupted. He looked down and realized that his mother was awake, "Did you mean what you said?"
"Yes, Mom," Ranma replied, "I don't know what ya meant when ya said Pop was supposed to raise me as a man among men. All I can tell ya is that I've tried to live my life as honorably as I could. I've tried to be the best martial artist that I can be. I want ya to know that I missed ya. I want to get ta know ya again."
"Ranma, I need some time to think. I don't know how I feel right now," Nodoka admitted, "You've told me so many strange things, that I just need time."
"Mom, I understand. If it hadn't been me involved, I don't think I would believe my story, either. I'm still your son, someone I hope ya can be proud of," he replied.
"Son, whatever else I'm feeling, I know that you are both brave and honorable. I'm not about to lose my son; I'm looking forward to finding out about you. I think I'm mostly angry at your father and at myself," Nodoka said. "As for this pledge, I'm not a monster. I know you didn't know anything about it. I never intended it to apply to you. It would not be honorable after all. It was something your father did and that I allowed, hoping it would keep him in line. I guess I was wrong. I don't think I need this anymore," she said as she took a piece of paper out of her purse. She opened it up and handed it to him. It was the pledge that his father had made to his mother the day he had taken her son from her. "Please burn this. I never wanted it to come between us. You I release from this pledge, for in spite of your father, you are indeed a man among men, a man of courage and honor above all else," she said.
"Thank you, Mother," Ranma said as he hugged his mother, "I thought you were dead, Pop never said anything about you. To find you now." He choked. Akane stared at Ranma, seeing the emotion in his eyes, the tears of joy he wanted to shed, but couldn't. Her heart went out to him.
"Auntie, Ranma still has a hard time expressing his feelings unless he's in his other form. His father taught him that wasn't manly. Is there something you can do to help him?" Akane asked carefully.
"Ranma, it's ok for men to cry and show emotions," Nodoka said tenderly, she waited, and then sighed, "Akane go ahead. While I would prefer to comfort my son, I find that I don't mind comforting my new daughter, either." Akane's eyes got large, and then she poured the cold water over Ranma. As he changed, Nodoka held her daughter and said, "Go ahead and cry, dear. I missed you so much, too." Ranma started crying, her mother joining her.
Ranma reached out with one hand and gathered Akane into the hug, "Thanks, best friend," Ranma whispered. Akane smiled, she realized that she felt the same way; Ranma was her best friend. She also realized that she was changing. Since Ranma had come into her life, she had found her center. Whether it was from all of the training, or the relative quiet at school, in spite of all of the other craziness that Ranma had brought, she had found peace.
Nabiki came over. She had a very, very evil grin on her face. "Auntie, could I talk to you in private?" she asked with a wicked laugh. Nodoka looked at her for a moment, and then something in the way Nabiki looked caught her attention. She disengaged from Ranma, leaving her in Akane's embrace. Ranma just shifted, holding onto Akane tightly. Nodoka followed Nabiki over to a corner of the room, where Nabiki started talking to her in a low voice. At first Nodoka looked startled, even shocked, but as Nabiki continued to talk, she began to laugh the same wicked laugh that Nabiki had used.
"Ranma, dear, would you do me a big favor?" Nodoka asked.
Ranma's face paled, and a big drop of sweat rolled down her forehead at the tone in her mother's voice.
Gemna and Soun entered the house after a relaxing afternoon at the bathhouse, followed by a good time at one of the local taverns. As they entered into the dining area, they were both exceedingly mellow. They heard the sound of low voices talking in the kitchen but no one was visible as they sat down to play shogi. After a few minutes, Nabiki walked out of the kitchen, and saw the two men sitting there. "Father, Mr. Saotome, dinner will be ready shortly. I'm just on my way up to let Akane know," Nabiki said. She went upstairs and disappeared. Several minutes later, she walked back down. She had changed clothes for some reason, instead of her normal short shorts and partially buttoned blouse; she was wearing a very short black dress, showing plenty of her cleavage. She sat down in her normal spot, with her dress riding up to show even more of her long legs. Akane came down next. Wearing an attractive white dress, somewhat more modest that what Nabiki was wearing, but still more daring than she normally wore, and sat down in her spot. Kasumi came out of the kitchen, carrying the dinner, in an extremely daring red dress. By this time, the two men's eyes were bugging out. They couldn't figure out what was going on. Then a lovely young lady, with long black hair, came down stairs, she was also in a nice dress, somewhere between what Akane was wearing and what Nabiki was wearing. Then Ranma walked out of the kitchen. She had her hair down, and was wearing the new dress she had picked out that afternoon. She gracefully sat down in her place, with the other girl sitting between her and the end of the table that Soun normally sat at. By this time, Gemna was furious; his boy was acting like a girl. Suddenly, he heard a voice from behind him, "Is this how you have raised my son to be a man among men?" The voice was as cold as ice. Then raising the hair on the back of his neck (which is a good trick, considering he is a bald as a billiard ball), he heard the rasp of a blade being drawn. He suddenly went stone cold sober.
Gemna and Soun turned. There standing in the doorway was Nodoka, dressed in a formal kimono, with the katana blade drawn. Her eyes were cold, chilling Gemna to the bone. He scrambled to hide behind Soun. Nodoka stared at him for what seemed an eternity, and then said, "You have a lot to answer for, Husband. We will discuss you behavior after dinner." She gracefully sat down next to Nabiki and set the naked blade down beside her.
Soun looked at the strange girl sitting next to him, and asked politely, "I'm sorry miss, you are welcome in our house, but I'm afraid I don't recognize you."
Ukyo giggled, and then said, "Have I changed that much from last night, Mr. Tendo? I am Ukyo, remember?"
Soun and Gemna face faulted. The rather tomboyish girl from last night was this vision?
Kasumi finished serving the meal, and they ate. The girls, including Ranma, talked about the enjoyable afternoon they had, trying on new clothing, giggling over many things. Gemna's eyes got even more worried, not understanding what had come over his son. He was afraid to look over at Nodoka; he could feel the chill coming from her direction. Finally, dinner was over, and he tried to escape. Nodoka stopped him and took him off somewhere.
Ranma got up and gratefully went and changed out of her new dress. While she didn't want to admit it, it did look good on her, but she much preferred her normal attire. She changed clothing, back into her red Chinese shirt and black slacks. With Akane's help, she rebraided her hair back into its normal pigtail. Then she wandered into the kitchen for some hot water. After changing back, Ranma went in search of his mother. She had just finished a long conversation with her wayward husband. He was now cowering in the corner, eying the blade in Nodoka's hand. Ranma smiled to see his father begin to get some of the punishment he deserved for the ten years of trouble he had caused. "Gemna, I'm not finished with you yet," Nodoka said, "But now I would like to talk some more to my son." Ranma followed her out to the dojo, where they sat down. "Ranma, what do you think about all of the chaos in your life?" she asked.
"Well, like I told ya this afternoon, my life is pretty much a mess. Chaos is a pretty good description. I'm not interested in getting married any time soon, in fact, I would really like to get out of high school before I get engaged, so the engagements don't really bother me. Now if I had to choose a particular girl as a fiancée right now, that would be a problem. I feel sorry for Ukyo; I don't know what we can do about her. I guess the worst of the whole situation is my other form, of course. I'm just worried about how it will affect me!" he said.
"What do you mean by that?" Nodoka asked softly.
He sat there in silence, collecting his thoughts. Then he continued, "It hasn't been a real long time, after all, and I haven't spent a long time just as a girl, so I don't know what will happen. The month in the Amazon village was the longest, and it taught me a couple of things. One is that in my girl form, I am completely a woman physically. There was rough five days during that month, and if it hadn't been for Cologne, I might have gone crazy. The other thing is between that, and helping Cologne and Shampoo deliver a few babies, that got rid of the rest of Pop's garbage about women being the weaker sex. You're not weaker, your strengths are in different areas."
"So your father thinks women are weaker," Nodoka mused, "His attitudes certainly have changed over the years. That doesn't really sound like the man I thought I married." She hesitated for a moment, and then asked," How do you feel about the curse? Have you thought about looking for a cure?"
"I don't know if there is a cure; I'm not even sure where to start looking. From what Cologne told me, I doubt there is one. I still think of myself as a guy, though, no matter what I look like. As far as I can tell, I'm pretty much the same person, no matter what body I have, but there are definitely some differences. You've already discovered that it's easier for me to express my emotions when I'm a girl. The emotions are the same; though I seem to get angrier easier as a guy. So far that is all, but I'm afraid that over time, I will change and that worries me. The girls have been great; we've become good friends, especially Akane. I'm not sure how I would have managed sometimes without each of them."
"I hate to ask you this, but what do you feel when you look at any of the girls?" Nodoka asked, very reluctantly.
"Mom!!! That's not really something a guy wants to discuss with his mother ya know. On the other hand, I would never want to talk about that with the old man. Like I said, I am still a guy, inside. When the girls were trying on those dresses this afternoon, it was all I could do to keep my nose from bleeding. And when Kasumi modeled the dress I wore tonight, I couldn't keep it from bleeding, I definitely was interested. I guess that means I react to girls either way, and that's all I'm gonna say about that," Ranma said, extremely embarrassed.
"Sorry, I had to know. Now we do have a house in Tokyo. It's a bit small, but the three of us can fit in there," she asked.
"Don't take this the wrong way, Mom, but this house feels like home to me. I don't want to leave here. I would miss the girls, and even Mr. Tendo. He's weak, but he is still a better man than Pop. After all, he did manage to raise three pretty nice girls. My coming here has helped them. They're my friends, and I want to stay and help. Kasumi is starting to feel that she can do the things she wants to do, our teaching has allowed Nabiki to stop doing some of the shadier things, and Akane is no longer mad at the entire world. Now it's usually just me she's mad at. I still have a talent for irritating her when we study, I can't seem not to insult her," Ranma said with a wry grin.
Nodoka sighed. "I agree with you, I think this is the place for you right now. I was seeing much the same things that you described when I would visit. I felt sorry for them for losing their mother, and putting such a burden on Kasumi. And my visits did allow me to play mother to the girls, which helped me during your absence. Soun totally fell apart when his wife Kimiko passed away. But you're right, this visit I noticed that the girls are different. Soun hasn't managed to pull himself together totally, but I saw signs that he is beginning to come back. He was a good man, maybe not good enough for Kimiko, but she loved him, and he loved her, and that was enough," Nodoka said, "I will expect frequent visits from you, and if you need a shoulder to cry on, I'll be there."
Ranma asked, "What are you planning to do about Pop?"
"I don't know. Aside from trying to untangle the mess he's made of your life, I don't have a clue," Nodoka said.
Kasumi walked into the dining area to speak with her father. She gracefully knelt down before him and said, "Father, I would like your permission to go to college next semester. Now that Ranma is here, and the girls are taking on some of the household duties, I would like to take some classes. I can't stay here forever, after all."
Soun put down his paper, and thought for a while. "Are you sure that Ranma will be staying here? After all, he could go live with his mother," Soun said.
"Actually, I was hoping that you could invite Auntie Nodoka to stay her. That way Ranma could get to know his mother better, while still being able to teach in the dojo as well as come to know us better. If she were to stay here, then I know she would also help around the house. I know we have to do some rearranging to make that happen. I've talked to my sisters and none of us want him to leave," she said gently.
"That's not a bad idea, my daughter, now that you mention it," Soun said, "If we clean up the attic room, Ranma could stay there, until we made more permanent arrangements. As far as college is concerned, if we have the money for you to go, then I'd like that to happen. I have allowed you to sacrifice much for us, this possibly will begin to make up for some of that."