Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. I had a lot of writer's block as well as pacing issues with this chapter. On to details. First, the city of Itsukaichi mentioned in this chapter ceased to exist in 1995. The modern-day location would be in the City of Akiruno. That aside, I've noted some displeasure with the direction things have taken. Maybe I wrote it badly? I'm not sure. I am aware that one guest (the fact they were a guest and had no constructive criticism limits my value of the review) said I drew people in by 'lying' about the content of my story. I'm more confused than anything else. Whoever you are, if you actually have something constructive to say in clarification, I'll have to ask you to do that or risk your review being ignored.

The responses to the Joketsuzoku and the Xiu have been mixed, so I should clarify. This is not a 'super amazons' fic. I've seen too many stories that fall into one of two interpretations. Either the Chinese ignore the Joketsuzoku and other groups in that area of China for some nebulous reason that is often implied to be fear or the Joketsuzoku are implied to be immune to modern warfare and weapons. Neither is particularly believable.

What we have here are Joketsuzoku Elders (or at least some of them) who realize that their previously diverse mix of methods is no longer viable in the face of the modern era's theater of war. Thus they've taken one of their last viable options that exist in the canon, mind control, to eleven via the Xiu and erased knowledge of themselves for about a decade thus far at the cost of putting all their eggs in one basket. It is imperfect and can be defeated, but works best as long as the guidance is subtle. As such, it would have held into the canon timeline (though the cracks were showing since a documentary team had found the village by 1987), but the system they had in place is starting to fail rapidly because Ranma and Happosai have essentially taken a sledgehammer to the whole fragile system with the explicit revelation of the village's existence. The fact that the Xiu are starting to push the village to enact their final contingency plans, to plunge China into war just to hide the Joketsuzoku with the distraction, shows both desperation and probable arrogance. I felt it important to clarify the true nature of things.

The foxxx: I am aware of the differences between the western system and Japan's 6-3-3 system. The Japanese school year starts traditionally on the first Monday in April and children who are six years old at that time are expected to start the first of six mandatory years of Elementary School. After that, they start their first of three mandatory years of what we could call Middle School in April of their twelfth year and then their first of three voluntary years of what we'd call High School in April of their fifteenth year. They then graduate from High School in March at the age of eighteen, or at the youngest a few weeks out from their eighteenth birthday due to how the dates play out.

In many other anime and manga aside from Ranma, the start of high school at fifteen holds true. This is also true in the contemporary manga Kimagure Orange Road, which ran from 1984 to 1987 and was very detailed with the ages corresponding to the school year properly for all of its characters through its entire run. Ranma 1/2 is the outlier from this trend from every angle and source I could explore it from. I would post links to my sources, but this site won't display them properly. It's very frustrating.

I have no explanation aside from a one-year-error on the writer's part. Ranma entering at 16 makes some sense due to his life of vagrancy and his lack of attending high school at all before that point, but none of the other characters' ages work with the school system both as defined and as implemented in practice.

riveg: More like some Ranma-esque struggles that he has to get through which have to pepper the story. It's not like the engagement is one of honor that both sides have agreed to yet. Ranma wasn't blind to the manipulation, either. It was more that he didn't really have an alternative but to stop the pig from attacking him. He tried simply to trap the pig in a pit instead of beating it, but that unfortunately counted as beating him. He also can't really blame Akari for Happosai's tinkering, so he's not as mad at her as he might otherwise be. It was enough to make him pack up their stuff and leave fast though.

This is likely going to be Ranma x harem depending on the flow of things, but Ranma is likely to be far more resistant to forced engagements.

Elsil: I'm glad you found this interesting! Yeah, Akari was desperate for engagement and Happosai was there to mold her mind. Truth be told, Akari doesn't even understand fully what marriage entails. She just knows her parents were in love while they were married and that it's a way out of her loneliness. She likes the concept of marriage at this point and thinks it will solve all of her problems. That misconception will be explored later.

I tried to think of something Ranma-esque that would be nice to throw into the story that was sufficiently childish and thought of an 'evil twin' for the pig. I have to keep peppering the story with such things now and then, after all. I needed something light-hearted to contrast with the backdrop of what's happening in China.

I'm glad you liked the penpal scene with Ran. I originally wanted to go more in-depth over each event Ranma had experienced, but that would have made the letter far too long. It wasn't meant to be a full-blown recap episode, after all. Ran knows what's transpired and the readers have been sufficiently reminded. That will work just fine.


Chapter 18: Homecoming

"Yay! Faster! Faster!" Kurumi cried out happily as she felt the wind on her face. Ukyo wasn't exactly appreciative of the squealing in her ear or the strain she was undergoing carrying the girl on her back, but Ranma was carrying the heavier and older Natsume on his own. As such, she couldn't really complain without feeling like she was failing her training. Ranma's reasoning was simple enough. He wanted to travel the last bit of the way to Tokyo's rail system on foot. When the sisters were tired, they got a break when Ranma and Ukyo hefted them up onto their backs as a form of weight training and kept going. It was a way of accommodating everyone's needs, regardless of how far along in training they were. Ukyo had almost been forced to stop several times but had managed to push herself to endure and keep Ranma's pace.

She suspected that he'd slowed down for her several times and timed their breaks to just before she couldn't go any further. For this, she was silently grateful.

It was also something Kurumi found quite enjoyable. The cute and noisy child attracted a lot of attention from the increasing number of passerby since they entered the town of Itsukaichi. Ranma and Ukyo were forced to slow down a bit as the town got denser, but Kurumi's shrieks of jubilation gave people enough time to clear the way for the children. Happosai was more inclined to stay out of sight and followed them along the rooftops. The laughter of Kurumi was easy to track and pleasing to the ear, at least from a sufficient distance.

This only stopped when they finally reached Musashi-Itsukaichi Station, where the sisters were lowered to the ground. "Aww..." Kurumi uttered in disappointment when lowered to her feet, Ukyo relieved at the prospect of being able to hear normally again. Natsume was far easier to manage and even looked apologetic.

"I'm sorry you had to carry us, Master. We slowed you down..." Natsume said to the boy, a bit ashamed that she wasn't able to keep up as readily as she would have liked.

"Hey, you're doin' fine and it's trainin' for me too. You just worry about improvin' yourself and not about matchin' me right away. I might need your help handlin' Kurumi some though." Ranma knew his father would have pushed him to the point of collapse in later years, but Dr. Tofu had mentioned that it was during rest when one actually rebuilt muscle and got stronger. The sort of abuse he'd endured had diminishing returns, so there was no reason to be that cruel to the girls anyway. The respectful-beyond-her-years Natsume smiled and nodded in agreement. Helping manage Kurumi was her duty as a big sister, after all.

Ranma purchased their tickets while Happosai stealthily infiltrated with the intent of riding atop the train instead. They'd have to change trains multiple times, but they were just about done with the foot travel at this point. Before long, the train was ready for boarding and the children entered. A large number of people were standing and holding on to straps attached to the ceiling instead of sitting, which Ranma might have also done if he were older and could reach the rings. As it was, he took a seat along with the other children.

Ukyo noted Kurumi bouncing in her seat and gave the girl a sideways glance. She was disturbing the other passengers, though most were kind enough just to see an excited child and pay her little mind. "Kurumi, can you behave? My ears still hurt from your squealing..."

"E-eeeh?! I wasn't that loud!" The girl exclaimed in surprise and light offense, unknowingly showing the passengers just why Ukyo felt like her ears were about to bleed. The train started to move, compelling Kurumi to stop bouncing and have a seat so she didn't topple over.

"You were loud as a banshee, Kurumi," Ukyo responded a little bluntly, but Kurumi crossed her arms and pouted as the train built up speed.

"B-banshee don't exist, so how can I sound like one?" She grumbled adorably, a bit embarrassed at being criticized in front of a train full of people. Natsume simply smiled gently, amused at the reaction her sister was giving.

Ranma chose that moment to interject. "I don't know about that, Kurumi. Ghosts come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. No reason why banshees can't be around too." This seized Kurumi and Natsume's attention. Kurumi looked at Ranma strangely and Natsume seemed puzzled. Was Ranma more childish than they'd thought to believe in such things?

"Yeah, Ran-chan punched a youkai in the soul with his ki, remember?" Ukyo reminded the group, making Kurumi a little more open to the idea and perhaps a little fearful. She had seen ki in use, after all. The inclusion of ki raised a few eyebrows from the other passengers given the previous day's Takato broadcasts, but the context still seemed strange. Was it just some kids play-acting? After all, Ranma had changed his attire and hair for the Takato event and wasn't as easily recognized. His voice did ring familiar to a few though.

"Well...I don't know..." Kurumi said, unsure of if she wanted to believe in something so scary. Natsume held her tongue but was similarly unsure.

Ranma didn't like being doubted, but he remembered something that might just put the doubts to bed once and for all. "...Alright. We'll stop off someplace on the way home. Not sure if the ghost is there right now or not, but she won't be hostile at least. She spent her life bein' nice to kids, anyway." That made the girls stop and stare at the young master incredulously, but he didn't waver. Ukyo couldn't help but hope this wouldn't go badly. In the end, however, this temporarily settled the matter.

"In the meantime, I guess I should point out landmarks..." Ranma said, recalling the basics of Tokyo from his two years living in the metropolis. None of the girls had ever been here before, as far as he was aware.


Mousse moved ever eastward through the day, trying to catch up to the trio who had left him behind. He had no notable tracking skills, no plan, and no chance of success. As the sun rose into the sky, he wondered how much further Japan would be. Was it a few days away? A week? He had little concept of the sheer distances involved. The child was not one who would be dissuaded, but he was quite ignorant of the world.

A woman with straight black hair in a Peoples' Liberation Army uniform watched the child through the scope of her rifle. She was a soldier serving at the pleasure of the Chinese Communist Party, one of many assigned to searching for this rumored village of the Joketsuzoku across the country's massive interior. Women were being prioritized in this task in hopes that the Joketsuzoku would be more respectful toward them, especially when dressed in the trappings of modern warriors, but they were largely under-trained for combat roles due to the decline of the woman's role in the military after the Korean War. She was little more than a receptionist with basic training who had been handed a rifle and sent to the middle of nowhere to search for a needle in a haystack. A needle that could kill her should she be careless.

Rather than firing, the soldier pulled down her rifle and regarded the child in the distance with dim eyes. The expressionless woman climbed down from her vantage point and pulled a camouflaged tarp off of her Yuejin NJ-130. Climbing into the truck that was a copy of an old Soviet design from the '40s, she started driving toward the wayward child.

When the truck approached the child and rolled to a stop, the boy was on his guard and took a stance. He didn't know what an outsider would want with him, so he watched warily as the soldier got out of the car and regarded the boy in front of her.

'You are Mu Tsu of the Joketsuzoku. The one who wrote the letter ordered that I assist you.' She said stiffly, her eyes dull and her expression neutral. The woman's admission surprised Mousse. She was an ally? 'Come. The truck is faster and will not tire as your legs will.'

She didn't mention her own name, but the mention of the letter was enough to convince Mousse. That and the expression on her face wasn't one of smiling deception, but one of blank indifference. It was not something someone wore when being deceptive. Mousse climbed into the truck and had a seat. 'Alright...but I can't be seen in this metal wagon! The Elder can't be snuck up on with this...'

'That is not the intent. The situation has changed, Mu Tsu...' The young woman cryptically said as they drove away through the mountain passes of Qinghai Province toward a distant destination. By the time the woman was even done explaining the details, Mousse had realized that things had just gotten far more complicated...


Loofah sighed as she read a piece of paper that simply said, 'glasses picked up'. The woman wasn't pleased with recent events necessitating a change to her plans but had been fortunate that a large number of orders to the Xiu had been issued and a large number of responses were coming back in. It was a significant enough amount of activity that most of their communications-trained people had to encrypt and decrypt the communications and a larger group of Morse code illiterates had to transmit the orders and record responses. Loofah, by assisting in the process, managed to encrypt her own unique orders to recover Mousse and slip them into the stack to be sent. She had also decrypted and pocketed the reply. It had been a risky move, but she pulled it off well enough.

Had Ranma Saotome and Happosai not caused the Chinese government to start actively looking for the Joketsuzoku, Loofah could have let Mousse simply die outside of the village if he failed to find Cologne and poison her with the herbs she'd deceived him into thinking would 'cure her corruption'. Even failure would have been a victory that made Cologne suffer since she was close to the brat's family. The increased chance that the Communists would find Mousse and use him to trace back the village's location, however, forced the woman to lend him some unplanned aid by way of the Xiu and their connections. It would take some time for him to reach his new destination, but the further he was from the village the better.

Loofah calmed her nerves by sipping some tea. Things were going to get more complicated before they calmed down, it seemed. But how to turn it to her advantage?


"...in other news, the recent scandals rocking the core of the Chinese Communist Party continue to develop as more caches of incriminating files were delivered to various news outlets inside and outside of the country. These files, collected over the past decade, condemn a large number of CCP officials at all levels and are suspected to be a timed release of information by an as-of-yet unknown party official imprisoned or killed in the aftermath of the power struggle following Chairman Mao Zedong's death last September. Various arrests have been..." Ranma gave a quick glare to the teenage owner of the early model boom box, who in turn lowered the volume of the device. Of course, the damage was done. Kurumi was awakened by the sound. She grumbled until Ranma almost reflexively stuffed an okonomiyaki from his ki space into the young girl's mouth.

"...how buch wongaa?" She asked while chewing the food. The girls had never seen a railway system as complex as that of Tokyo. Ranma had been forced to lead them along through assorted exchanges as they traveled east from the Itsukaichi line, through the Seibu Hajima line, up the northbound Seibu Kokubunji line, then finally east along the Seibu Ikebukuro line.

"We're almost there, Kurumi." Ranma managed, understanding the feeling of being bored as the train slowed. He was glad that they were almost to Furinkan Station before Kurumi was awakened from her nap. When the doors opened and they finally got off of the train in Furinkan, Ranma was hit with a wave of dissonance. Many of the buildings were the same structurally but had different paint jobs and signage. What trees he saw were sometimes shorter than he recalled or otherwise didn't even exist in 'his' Furinkan. The cars were different, as were some of the buses. Even the clothes the people wore weren't the same. Though Ranma wasn't very conscious of fashion like Nabiki was, he saw far more sets of bell-bottom pants than he had at any other time in recent memory. It was interesting what one saw when they slowed down from their rush through Japan to notice the little things, and it was even stranger to see it in 1970s Furinkan.

Eventually, Ranma led the girls to a building that he noticed looked less run-down than it had the 'last' time he was here. Of course, signs of neglect were still present to prove its abandonment. Kurumi wasn't too happy with the look of the place and Natsume looked nervous as well. Ranma opened the unlocked gate and guided them in.

"R-Ran-chan, what is this place? Are we supposed to be here?" Ukyo asked the boy approaching the door.

"Ucchan, most places with ghosts are places we're not s'posed to be. This one's not a mean ghost though. We're just here to talk, not fight." Ranma was confident as he opened the building's main door with a straining creak from its hinges, noting the dust and cobwebs inside. The boy bore no fear or nervousness, already knowing what they'd find within. "Come on in! If she's around, I want you to see her!"

When the children hesitantly entered behind him, Ranma led them into the main lobby. He smiled in spite of the darkness within, a nearby calendar reading 'March 1971'. The boy suspected that to be when the place was finally abandoned. The scene was surreal and he finally inhaled and yelled through the building.

"Headmistress! My friends don't believe ghosts exist! We don't need you to be scary or anythin', but can you talk to us? I hear you were nice to girls in life and all!" This made Ukyo wince and made Kurumi freeze in fear. Natsume was confused and wondering if she'd actually see something. Ranma waited patiently but didn't need to wait long. An elderly woman emerged from the shadows and regarded the children with a look of confusion.

"I-I see. Welcome to the Sainokawahara Dorm for Girls, then..." The Headmistress of Sainokawahara Dorm, who could not pass on until her rather unattractive panties were stolen, was a kind enough soul save to beings like Happosai if they hindered her chances of passing. Ranma knew that she was highly unlikely to be a problem for the girls. Of course, that didn't preclude Kurumi's completely reasonable response.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!"


Genma was not looking well and had not slept. He hadn't been able to hire a Martial Arts Attorney because he'd learned that such people rarely held on to their law licenses for long and the school had since died out. That left him stuck fighting with facts. The previous day in court had been horrible for his case, while the events today before the recess hadn't looked any better. His neglect and abandonment of Nodoka for four years made the judge immediately and clearly favor Nodoka, even before considering any of the other evidence Nodoka's lawyer had to present. Oh, he protested, but the matter was considered to be out of his hands by that point. He'd expected Nodoka and her parents' traditionalism to make divorce difficult or almost impossible, but Genma had found perhaps one of the few ways to screw up badly enough to allow Tenma Saotome to support such an action.

The previous day was so horrible that his lawyer with the glasses and comb-over was on the television screen trying to come up with a way not to lose horribly. "So is there no way to win this?" Genma asked, hoping that there was some magical loophole or way to resolve matters that would save him. Unfortunately, the lawyer shook his head.

"Regarding the divorce? Virtually impossible. Abandonment of a wife makes such a strong case that it was one of the few ways to win in antiquity without the wife being dishonored or shipped off to a shrine for the rest of her days. That's probably why the honor-insistent Saotomes are even able to bring this case against you without offending their sensibilities. Even hundreds of years ago, when the burden was far higher on them, they'd still likely have won. The only reason that the judge has yet to rule in favor of divorce is purely the fact that the custody matter needs to be decided upon as well." In other words, it was a lost cause. Genma had hoped that the effort to divorce him before he was convicted of any crimes had been reached was a foolish one, but no. Nodoka's case was strong enough to stand by itself. He had fundamentally failed as a husband by every measure. Hearing the facts laid out, with nothing to distract him from them, made that much clear. Hearing his own words and fumbling from the Takato video snapped him from his delusions to an added degree.

As much as he told himself that it was for the sake of the art, the excuse was starting to ring hollow. He didn't know if he could say that he honestly regretted it at this point, not truly, but it was perhaps the first time he started to acknowledge what he'd done and attribute it to his failings as a man.

"They would have had an even stronger case against you had they waited for you to be convicted of your various crimes, because you're not getting out of that mess clean, either. This method just protects the Saotomes from the imminent lawsuits and may also keep the kid out of the middle of it to a limited degree. This seemingly hopeless situation? This is with them taking a handicap in court in a step toward a long-term strategy." That made Genma flinch and return to reality. He sighed, looking to the lawyer on the screen.

"What do we do, then?" Genma asked, in a form of stoic concern.

The lawyer crossed his arms, having finally managed to come up with some sort of idea. It was a long shot, but... "We can do nothing about the divorce. You've made that completely indefensible. Regarding custody, I have one idea...but I will need you to tell me absolutely everything about your final hours at the Saotome home."


Kurumi breathed heavily after being calmed down, looking to the headmistress with echoes of surprise and suspicion. Natsume was a little rattled, but Ukyo was much more composed. This was nothing compared to the tail end of the battle with the tiger youkai she saw before. Ranma, meanwhile, seemed to have no issues whatsoever.

"Nice to meet you, Headmistress! We're martial artists, and martial artists meet ghosts sometimes. Ucchan here saw me and our friend Kasumi fightin' a youkai before, but the sisters here haven't seen a ghost at all. I figured droppin' in on a good ghost would be a good way to introduce the sisters here to the world a bit and show Ucchan that not all ghosts are evil. You know, ease 'em into things." Ranma said, conversing with her as if she was still a living person. It was a little strange to watch, the boy seeming to have no qualms or fear of the deceased which stood before them. "I'm Ranma Saotome."

"A-ah. I'm Ukyo Kuonji." Ukyo said, bowing to the elderly woman.

"N-Natsume. I apologize for my sister's surprise. She is excitable." The most polite and eldest of the children gave a bow next.

"Kurumi...um...I guess you aren't as scary as I thought...but why are you still here? I thought good people went someplace good when they died..." The girl said, finally deciding that the headmistress wasn't a threat.

The Headmistress wasn't sure exactly how to answer. These were children who wouldn't understand the weight on her soul that kept her in this world. For everyone's panties but her own to be stolen, even to her dying day... No, they were likely too young and pure to comprehend such things. "Well, ghosts tend to have unfinished business or regrets. I am still waiting for something...but it's not something a child can help with, I'm afraid. I am simply glad to have respectful visitors. This used to be a place where girls lived while attending the nearby school, but it was closed down after my death. To go from the activity of youth to nothing...it has been difficult to watch this place languish and age."

The girls felt bad for the woman, as did Ranma. He could offer to take the panties and help her pass on if she told them of her burden, but that would just be suspicious as long as she kept quiet about her need. So much for teaching the girls about peacefully helping ghosts pass on. Maybe it was a lesson for another time.

"Are you going to the nearby school? With the cherry blossoms on the trees outside, it should almost be time for the new school year. You kids look to be around the age to start." The Headmistress asked, seeking to lighten up the mood. The kids looked at each other, unsure. Ukyo spoke first.

"I would have gone to school in Kyoto in a week or so, but Daddy...abandoned me. I don't know what I'll do yet. Following Ran-chan is all I've got." Ukyo said, a tinge of sadness on her features.

"Kurumi is only five and doesn't need to start yet, but I'd start my second year of Elementary School soon if we weren't runaways. We're orphans, but someone wanted to adopt me without adopting my sister. I don't care as much about school as staying together." Natsume said, her hand moving to Kurumi's shoulder. Kurumi smiled at the gesture from her sister.

Ranma spoke next. "Pop didn't care about school and never planned to let me start. He was a thief and I ran away to find Mom. She lives around here and we're all goin' to go meet her soon. I don't need to go to school though. I've picked up a lot already. I did scrounge up money to send Ucchan though. I'd pay for the sisters, too..."

Ukyo gave Ranma with the side-eye. "Didn't I tell you over in Takato that I'd pay my own way, Ran-chan? Save your money! Besides, I'm learning from you, not a bunch of strangers."

The Headmistress wasn't too keen on these answers. A good education was essential. She knew just how important it was and had needed to struggle to obtain the higher levels of it as a girl in pre-war Japan. These children didn't understand the problem and were past the normal enrollment period to actually get into any specific institution if Ukyo's estimate of a week from the year's start was true. She might just have to pull some strings to assist them. But the first hurdle was to convince them to attend... "That won't do, children. Education is what gives you the skills to go through life. Even if you know martial arts, you still need to have those skills to function in society. It's also how you make new friends. I'm sure that Mr. Saotome's mother would insist upon it. Almost all mothers would."

Ranma gave a shrug. "I get that and I want the girls to go, but I'm already ruined for stuff like school. It's a good thing I beat Pop and became a Master. Now I can train students for a livin'. That's what I was always s'posed to do anyway."

The Headmistress wasn't too sure about the situation regarding Ranma, but she got the strange feeling that running away might have been the better option for him. It came from a life of watching young women in all manner of circumstances. At least the leader of this group of children wanted the girls following him to attend though. She might be able to work with that. "It's too late to enroll the girls in any school normally and that would cause problems for them, but I might be able to make some last-minute calls. I think the Principal I knew in life is still in charge of the nearby school...but remember, Mr. Saotome..." She spoke not condescendingly, but with the appropriate tone of one accustomed to children. Children older and smarter than a typical six-year-old, perhaps, but this particular child struck her as more clever than most. "It was the law in Japan during my life that every child finishes elementary and middle school. I don't see that law as being likely to have changed. If you do not attend, the police will blame your mother and father because making you attend is the parents' legal responsibility. They could even pay fines or go to jail if it happened often enough."

Ranma was well aware of this fact, having had to evade truant officers regularly at his father's behest. He saw no reason not to at the time. It was decent stealth training at first. Doing so now would get his mother in trouble if he stayed with her though, and he hadn't considered that. Before he could hope to refute anything, she continued. "Furthermore, if you show no interest in attending, why would the girls following you want to do so? You have an example to set, do you not?" The Headmistress didn't necessarily believe his claim about being a martial arts master, but he was clearly the leader of the group. Ranma blinked and looked at his friends and students. Noting their expressions, he realized that the Headmistress had him there, too. The child crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and took on an irritated expression of contemplation as he tried to find something to argue against this with. He never wanted to be manipulated or told he had to do something ever again, but here he was.

The more he thought about it though, the more he realized that the Headmistress was talking more like Doctor Tofu did than the other adults. Explaining the why instead of just demanding obedience. After a few tense moments, he opened one eye and looked to the ghost with an irritated expression that simply looked like a sulk on his youthful face. "Why couldn't you be somebody tryin' to hit me to make me do stuff instead of somebody who's talkin' sense? People tryin' to hit me are easier to deal with."

The Headmistress couldn't help but give a small, sad frown. That wasn't the kind of response a child should have, but it wasn't a hopeless one. "I regret that you have had to deal with such people at all, Ranma. It sounds like you now understand the need for you to attend school, at the very least."

Ranma finally sighed, forced to yield. "Yeah, I get it. I don't like it, but I get it. I want tested to see if I can skip as much of it as I can, though. I ain't a fan of school, but I know lots more about kanji and stuff than most kids my age." That was something they did, right? Wasn't it called 'testing out'? Maybe if he did well enough, he could just wind up doing his last year of high school instead of being stuck in school for the full twelve.

"Hmm...I'm not sure if that's possible or not, but I can at least ask the principal about that. On the upside, it's one less thing your mother will have to worry about." The ghost smiled slightly, having an idea. "Before I go do that, why don't I show you to the small gymnasium the girls used to use? A few martial arts clubs employed it after classes from time to time."

"R-really? That sounds great!" Ukyo exclaimed on hearing this. The young girl grasped Ranma's arm and tried to distract him in an attempt to cheer him up. "Come on, Ran-chan! Let's go take a look! Maybe we can spar while we wait!" Ranma at least seemed to perk up slightly at the prospect.

The Headmistress smiled as she led the quartet of children to an old sliding door that opened into a small gymnasium. With the bleachers pushed into a retracted position, it had more floor space than the Tendo Dojo's interior. The large windows let in plenty of daylight, leaving the room bright even without the benefit of electricity. Ranma's eyes widened a bit at the possibilities...


"Our recess is over. Court is now in session." The judge regarded those present, both through physical means and through telepresence. His eyes glared slightly at Genma's image on the television, recalling the torrent of evidence he'd heard thus far. However, he elected to do his duty and stay civil and impartial. "So far, we have heard massive amounts of testimony and seen a great deal of evidence in regards to the abandonment of Nodoka Saotome by Genma Saotome as grounds for divorce. We have also seen other evidence regarding the fitness for guardianship or lack thereof of their son Ranma. There has also been a large amount of character witness testimony from across the length and breadth of Japan, including from members of our own police and military. The court is now prepared to allow Mrs. Saotome's legal counsel to continue."

The necklace-wearing woman in a business suit, Chihiro Ayasato, prepared to continue her case before hearing a shrill "Objection!" from the opposing counsel. The balding and weaselly Takefumi Auchi interrupted, adjusting his glasses. "The last day and a half have been dominated by the other party, while we also have evidence to present. Should we not allow my client's side of the story to be told? About how he rescued his son from this hyper-traditional woman's family and the proof she holds of her own ineptitude as a parent?"

Nodoka was clearly confused, as were her parents and her lawyer. The judge was also more than a bit surprised. "Proof? What sort of proof?"

Takefumi Auchi smirked. "I hereby insist that Nodoka Saotome present the seppuku contract to the court." With those words, there was a great deal of murmuring as those watching the proceedings found themselves surprised by this claim. The seppuku contract was mentioned by Ranma and then Nodoka in the footage from Takato, and it seemed that they'd finally get to hear more about it.

Chihiro Ayasato simply sighed slightly. She'd expected something to come of this, but the document was full of flaws. It was hardly something that could be enforced. "The so-called-proof he requests is Document #31 and has already been entered into evidence, your honor. It's another of the illegal documents which Genma created in an effort to get his way using Ranma. Perhaps the most damaging of all to Genma Saotome's case."

The judge took a look and, at the prodding of Genma's lawyer, read it aloud. "I will train my son Ranma to be a man among men. We face seppuku if we fail...Genma Saotome." That sent a collective chill down everyone's spine. The Judge couldn't believe his eyes. "This...is a death pledge...but what are these all over it? A child's handprints?"

"Those, your honor, are the handprints of a two-year-old Ranma Saotome. Genma Saotome tricked him into fingerpainting on the contract since he could not write his name, all in a misguided attempt to make the contract legally binding." Chihiro Ayasato stated with irritation. What was the opposing counsel planning with this? Didn't it simply condemn Genma further?

"Hmph. Even a novice in any form of law could tell you that a death pledge isn't legal, much less one 'signed' by a two-year-old." Genma glared at his counsel, wondering just what the man was up to. So far, it simply seemed like he was surrendering to Nodoka's lawyer. Still, he waited and listened. There had to be something to this, right? Takefumi, fortunately, chose that moment to finally get to the point. "No, this was meant to look like a document of honor to deceive Nodoka Saotome long enough to escape. The reason he did so, though, is that she is fundamentally unstable enough to accept such terms in the first place! The fact she accepted the document at all serves as proof of her compromised mental state and that she is an unfit mother who Ranma needed to be rescued from by his father!"

Nodoka tensed as the accusation moved through her mind. She was about to shout a protest before she heard an objection from her own legal counsel. Chihiro glared at the weaselly Takefumi. "An accusation of mental illness based on being deceived by her husband? If the threshold for mental instability were that low, we'd have to label every person he's tricked over all these years as insane, including a high ranking military official with a very solid record. Genma Saotome has had years of experience deceiving and manipulating people, his own wife included, and this argument is merely more of the same!"

Takefumi decided to keep pushing, knowing that if he were to make this work he'd have to follow his claim up with more. "I call Exhibit D as further evidence, your honor. Specifically 33 minutes and 17 seconds into the NHK Takato Broadcast. Please play it for our review and analysis."

The judge acquiesced, wondering what the man was getting at, and the audio came through of Nodoka's voice... "...I've since learned that assisting in seppuku is illegal in the eyes of modern law, regardless of the promises you've made in that regard to get your way in the past. So worry not, my wayward husband...I will not let you die."

Takefumi smirked. "Nodoka Saotome has explicitly stated that the only reason Genma Saotome wasn't killed by her sword was because of legality, not because of hesitation on her own part. Implying that there was a time in which she would have killed him over this agreement and, in all probability, her own son! I demand a psychiatric evaluation be conducted before any final decision from this court!"

Chihiro, Nodoka's legal counsel, clenched her fist. So that was his angle. Now that the seed of doubt had been planted, things just got more complicated regardless of Genma's own worth as a parent. Still, it was time to mitigate the damage as best she could. "We object to the piecemeal selection of comments to fit the narrative of the opposing counsel! We should listen to the whole of Mrs. Saotome's words in that exchange to provide context!" That would help some.

"Hmph, what other context can there be?" Takefumi asked, smirking. "She learned that assisted suicide was illegal when she should have known well before her adult years. She accepted a suicide pact at that time. As such, the only reason she wouldn't kill her child was a matter of law. What sort of mother-child relationship would that be when the mother would have killed the child in disappointment if she were allowed?"

"If you're so certain of that, why are you only allowing half of her testimony and insisting on concealing the remainder when we demand the entirety to be played?" This descended into a discussion of nitpicking and intent, after which more audio was played and analyzed. Genma's so-called 'noble' intentions were disproven when listening to the rest of the audio and his own testimony, proving that he'd abandoned his wife to steal sole custody and raise the child as his own personal meal ticket. Nodoka's later comments and anger were comprehended as a response to this. Still, this all faded away from Nodoka's mind. The comment made the woman start to question herself. Was she indeed unfit? Would she actually have gone through with striking down her son if he were somehow unfit in the eyes of the agreement, had the truth of Genma's betrayal not come to light?

Their case was now on the defensive, as doubt had been planted both in the minds of the court and in the woman's own heart.


A massive man with short-cut light brown hair and blue eyes stepped out of a taxi, the vehicle rocking from the mass within shifting to one side in the process. He wasn't obese, but simply tall and muscular to the point where he towered over onlookers. The pastel blue suit he wore had a white flower in it from his daughter, though his efforts to look refined were hindered by his sheer height and bulk. Even the large briefcase he carried looked minuscule in his hands. The man walked toward the old dormitory's location while trying to make sense of things. To hear from the Headmistress of the old women's dorm over the phone was naturally a surprise since she'd died in late 1970. Though skeptical, he'd come with the papers and everything that she had requested.

His remaining skepticism died completely and was replaced with shock on seeing the ghost inside a phone booth nearby, waiting patiently before giving him a wave. A few passersby who were previously staring at him had finally noticed her and were shocked into fleeing when the woman stepped through...no...phased through the glass of the telephone booth to greet the man she'd called. "Hello again, Pierre. Thanks for coming. Have you been doing well?"

"A-ah, yes! Thank you for asking. You know...if you've been trapped here all these years, you could have called sooner. I'm not sure what could have been done, but perhaps something could have been figured out." The Frenchman recovered from his surprise and smiled, reminding the Headmistress that the class the man possessed and the closeness of his marriage made him unsuitable for stealing her panties and helping her pass on.

"There was nothing you could have done, Pierre, but thank you." The pair started to head back toward the dorm, the man noting the deterioration. The building was still sound, but it wasn't a pleasant reminder of the passage of time. "How is your daughter? I remember seeing her once as a baby." The spirit inquired as they moved, recalling the baby that the Principal and his wife had some years ago.

"Ah, doing well. She's starting elementary school next month. Her mother giving her anything she asks for has made her a bit spoiled, though. She was constantly taking blankets from her classmates in kindergarten and it has been problematic trying to break her of that habit. As firm as I can be with other peoples' children, I must confess that my Azusa has me wrapped around her little finger." Principal Pierre Shiratori of Lumiere Elementary smiled at the thought of his daughter, the small child often sitting on his shoulder whenever they went out in public and excitedly pointing out things she wanted to take home. He also thought of her mother often trying to buy those things for her regardless of whether or not they were for sale. Such a strange family they were.

As the Headmistress led the Principal into and through the dorm, the occasional shout of a child could be heard as they moved. The man was puzzled by the ghost's lack of concern but figured that it would be answered in due time since they were heading toward the noise. When she opened the door and entered, he followed her inside to see four children. Ranma was helping each of them through martial arts kata belonging to the School of Anything Goes Martial Arts, including a few with intentional shouts known as kiai that had a role in breathing release.

"Raise your shoulders a little more, Kurumi! Here, like this." Ranma helped adjust the younger girl's posture into a more aggressive one what allowed for improved mobility in the kata. The other two continued their own practice. "We're a school that keeps moving. Power in strikes while still being fluid enough to dodge and flow into the next move. Remember that, okay?"

"Children!" The Headmistress called out, getting the attention of the quartet of kids. They took note of the tall man in the suit. "This man is Principal Pierre Shiratori of the nearby Lumiere Elementary School. He's here to help you all enroll!" Ukyo and Natsume gave a bow, while Ranma gave a nod. Kurumi simply looked at the newcomer, having retained her punching stance for a few moments before relaxing.

"It's nice to meet you, kids. I understand you're all together and will be living with Ranma's mother, right? In that case, I can help speed things along and enroll you in the school I run. I'll just need some information for the paperwork and can meet her later to handle the rest. We can head to the office here in the building to fill them out so I can get started on the process." He opened the briefcase and removed some papers, ready to help the children fill them out since they were rather young. A parent or guardian's signature would have to be obtained later, be it family or court-appointed.

Walking to the still serviceable office and using the sunlight through the window to illuminate the room, the children were given the appropriate forms for Lumiere Elementary. Kurumi was given the form for the adjacent Aokawa Kindergarten. The children filled out the forms, though Kurumi and Natsume were only able to fill out their given names...

"You don't know the Kanji for your family name?" The Headmistress gently asked.

"We...don't know our family name at all. Just Daddy's face." Natsume admitted, while Kurumi simply looked sad. Not even the experienced educators really knew how to respond to that one, and there was a deep silence as the long-dead building reasserted its natural ambiance. Ranma then stood up from his own seat after a moment of thought, walked between the two seated sisters, and wrote the name 'Saotome' on each of their forms. The pair of girls blinked and looked to their master.

"I said I'd ask Mom to adopt you two, remember? I'm sure she's been lonely without me and Pop around. If you're stickin' around to go to school, it'll probably be as Saotome-" Natsume hugged a surprised Ranma hard, clinging to him. Ranma heard the faintest of sobs, but the girl stayed quiet. Kurumi more timidly followed suit, clinging to Ranma's other side. Ukyo wanted to feel jealous of the two girls hugging her friend, but something about the situation wouldn't allow her to do so. Ranma timidly wrapped an arm around each girl in an awkward but meaningful gesture of comfort.

"T-thank you, Master..." Natsume said, speaking for both herself and her sister. Ranma simply allowed them to work it out of their system, worried that saying anything more would end with him being punched through the window. Crying girls and embraces were things he still wasn't used to.

"Wait. Ranma Saotome?" The new Principal inquired, noting Ranma's filled-out paperwork. "The one who just seized the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts from his abusive father?" The Headmistress blinked for a beat at Pierre's words.

"Yeah. You know about what happened at Takato?" Ranma was suspicious fairly quickly, wondering just how this man knew about that.

"Ranma, there was a television crew from NHK covering the cherry blossom festival. They had a high-speed camera on hand and used it. The fight with your father was broadcast all over Japan, complete with Happosai's commentary. Your father was arrested soon after. Everyone knows about Takato." This surprised Ranma. He hadn't thought about how many people watched the fight, and the other girls present hadn't realized it either. He did recall that Miss Hinata was there though, and that's when things clicked into place.

"Wait, they actually managed to catch Pop? How did they hold him? He usually escapes within a few hours if they pull that off!" Ranma asked, more surprised than concerned.

"Well, they put him in a ball full of air inside a very big aquarium. If he tries to break out, he won't be able to breathe." The Principal clarified in as simple of terms as he could. He expected to need to comfort Ranma, only for the boy to adopt a more neutral expression.

"So they finally found a way to keep him off the streets. Can't say I expected that one. Probably the only thing keepin' him safe from everybody wantin' their pound of flesh, too. He ticked off lots of people." It was a pragmatic and detached response rather than an emotional one. The child didn't cry foul or insist that his dad wouldn't do wrong. No, it was the response of a child that knew in their head that their father was a threat to society and needed to be where he was.

Whether his heart realized this too, only time would tell.

"In that case, you should meet your mother as soon as possible. She's been through the emotional wringer through all of this. I'll need you to get her signature on these and to verify her intentions with the sisters you wish to adopt anyway. The placement tests can wait just a bit longer." The Principal knew that Ranma's custody battle was going on in the courts right now and that could complicate matters. These weren't just random kids needing a little help. These were kids wrapped up in something complicated who needed a lot of help. Of course, they were no less deserving of an education. The man got a folder and put the paperwork they'd filled out into it. He also put in some pamphlets about the school and stapled his business card to the front of the folder. Giving it to Ranma, Principal Shiratori smiled at the boy. "Make sure to have her call me in the next day or two so we can get your and Natsume's placement tests done. I want to make sure Natsume is on track to enter her second year of elementary school."

Ranma accepted the folder as the sisters removed themselves from his sides. "Thanks, Principal Shiratori. Headmistress. I'll make sure she gets this. You're right, too. I don't want to make her wait anymore. It's been four years already!" Ukyo stood up at that signal from Ranma and gave a bow, which Natsume mirrored. Kurumi bowed too, though it was more because her sister did than because of a full understanding of the gesture. "See ya!" Ranma yelled out cheerfully as he and the kids bounded out of the room, leaving the Principal and the Headmistress behind.

The Principal smiled, regarding the gaggle of children that ran out of the office with interest. "If that group joins the school, we'll probably have to have an entirely separate Advanced Martial Arts Club for them."

The Headmistress was curious though. Was Ranma telling the truth about being a master of martial arts? "What is this about Takato, Pierre? Who is that boy, really?"

"Oh, that? The story so far is a pretty strange one..." The Principal then had a seat and began to tell the Headmistress a tale which even she, a ghost, found hard to believe.


The gaggle of children moved down the sidewalk and headed toward a specific residential area with Ranma in the lead. They were fortunate that Ranma's home was relatively close to the Sainokawahara Dorm and the nearby schools. They didn't even have to take a bus, though it was an option for rainy days if need be. As they moved, the dissonance of being in a familiar area twelve years past still hit Ranma strongly with every car and storefront. The takoyaki vendor that they managed to stop at on the way and get a discount off of was the same man as Ranma recalled during his brief time living in the area before his fiancées destroyed the Saotome residence, but the man had significantly fewer wrinkles and a full head of hair.

Of course, the takoyaki was gone by the time they arrived at a traditional-looking and well-maintained Japanese residence. It was roughly as large as the Tendos' place, minus the Dojo, and had a nice garden. The family home was as Ranma remembered it when viewed from the outside. Walking through the gate and approaching the door, the boy was admittedly nervous. Still, he didn't allow it to show on his face. The boy rang the doorbell and waited.

No response was forthcoming.

"Maybe nobody's home?" Ukyo suggested, making Ranma wonder. It was possible that she'd gone out shopping or something.

"Well, no reason to wait out here. It's s'posed to be my house..." Ranma took out a key from his ki-space, the same one that he'd been given in the future and had simply never gotten rid of. The girls watched as Ranma unlocked the door and opened it to reveal the foyer. Indeed, the outdoor shoes that the home's resident was to wear on leaving were missing. Removing their own shoes and putting them in the open wooden cubby beside the doorway, the children began to explore.

Not much had changed in the living room from Ranma's 'last' visit here in the late 1980s. It held the same timeless and traditional table as before, and the room was immaculately maintained. The cabinet which held the television and VCR in the future instead held a more dated combination television and radio set, but one couldn't tell the difference when the cabinet was closed.

The kitchen was another matter. The cooking equipment which was here was generally from the turn of the decade when the Saotomes first got their home, not that Ranma could discern this. It was well-supplied though, only missing the griddle countertop that Ukyo swore by.

Not entering his mother's room or the guest room as he went down the hallway, the next room to explore was his own. The boy saw his name on a circular plate on the door and timidly opened it. Stepping within, Ukyo turned on the light to reveal the interior. The room was that of a baby if the crib in the room with the mobile above it was any indication. The dresser contained a baby's clothing, though each article was sealed in plastic to preserve it. Perhaps the most notable object in the room was a framed picture of Ranma when he was two years old placed alongside a framed copy of the contract. It was akin to a shrine one would make for the dead without the more morbid or formal aspects.

"This is your room, Ran-chan? It looks like it belongs to a baby. Is this really the right place?" Ukyo asked, looking around in confusion.

"Yeah, it's the right place. I was two when Pop took me away. See the picture? That's me." The girls immediately looked at the image and started to comment on Ranma's cute appearance, but the boy noticed something which the other children hadn't. The room was in no way dusty. It was immaculate.

Just how many hours did his mother spend over the years cleaning a room for him that he might never return to? A room his father never wanted him to see?

"Pop, you jerk..." The boy whispered, his fist clenched while unseen by the girls.

"...I'm going to train out back for a while. Anyone who wants to can come." Ranma finally said bluntly, surprising the girls into looking back at him. Noting his displeased expression, the girls wondered if they'd done something wrong.

"I'll cook us some food while you do that, okay, Ran-chan? It's already past lunchtime!" Ukyo volunteered. Food was always a good way to make Ranma feel better. When Ukyo got a small smile in response, she rushed off to the kitchen to make something tasty while the other children went to the backyard with their new teacher to train.


Nodoka Saotome was ruminating on her chances in court as she stepped out of the taxi with her mother and father. The hearing had taken a turn for the worse when her own fitness as a parent and even her sanity had been called into question. It wasn't conclusive evidence, but it was enough doubt to potentially stall the case until Genma went to trial for his many trespasses against society. This threatened to make Nodoka share accountability for his assorted fees and compensation if she was still married to him at that time. The apparent message? 'Drop the custody aspect of the divorce or suffer the consequences'.

"I've made an appointment later for a psychiatrist to evaluate you, Nodoka." Nodoka's father, Tenma, spoke stoically. "It's a bit tough since it's a Sunday, but I was able to pull a few favors. With any luck, we'll be able to walk into that courtroom tomorrow with a positive evaluation from a doctor in good standing with the court." He was displeased with the situation and blamed himself for allowing the matter to get this bad. As such, Tenma Saotome was throwing his full weight behind Nodoka for the first time since she got married. That she had her father back was what Nodoka saw as the silver lining in all of this. Nodoka also perceived a smile of support from her mother, Sachiko.

"Thank you, Father. I will do my best." Nodoka was uncertain as to if she could pass such a thing right now. She opened the door to her home as they arrived, too distracted to notice the sound of children somewhere in the neighborhood nearby or that the door had been unlocked. No, what finally got her attention were the four pairs of children's shoes in the foyer.

"A-ah?" Nodoka exclaimed, noting that the spot for her own traditional geta was occupied by a pair of well-worn boy's shoes. Tenma and Sachiko observed the shoes and looked at each other, the former quietly closing the door to the residence behind them.

"Did you not lock the door, Nodoka?" Sachiko inquired.

"Yes, I could have sworn-" The sound of sizzling meat and vegetables combined with the scent of such food attracted their attention. Nodoka stood after removing her geta and headed toward the kitchen but avoided drawing the Saotome Honor Blade for the moment. The intruders appeared to be children, after all. Upon reaching the kitchen, the woman and her parents were greeted by the sight of a six-year-old girl standing on a stepping stool in front of the stove. She hummed happily to herself, tending to a skillet on each of the stove's four burners as she made okonomiyaki.

"Ran-chan, Ran-chan, making food for Ran-chan~" She sang gently in her own little world for a time before her training made her aware of a presence in the doorway behind her. She turned to see the owner of the house and she stammered slightly, a red tinge on her face at being caught in her song.

"You're...Ukyo Kuonji?" Nodoka asked in surprise, prompting the girl to recognize the person who had snuck up on her. She jumped off of the stool and held her spatulas as weapons.

"T-this is Ran-chan's mommy's house! What are you doing here, Mrs. Tendo?" Ukyo exclaimed angrily, preparing to fight if need be.

"E-eh? Tendo?" Nodoka stammered, blankly. Her poise had briefly flown away in the face of her confusion.

"How could you let your husband try to marry Ran-chan and Kasumi-chan like that? While he was hurt and she was crying! I'm not having that! No way!" The child angrily shook her head, refusing the very notion before glaring at Nodoka once more. "Get out of the Saotomes' house before I make you go away, bad lady!" Ukyo was somewhat loud, drawing the attention of the children who were playing outside. Naturally, Ranma and his two students followed eagerly to see what was wrong.

"Ucchan, what's wro-...Mom!" Ranma exclaimed, his concern rapidly shifting into a smile. Nodoka looked over to the boy who had just entered the room and her brain rebooted. Her missing child was here. Right in front of her.

"Ranma!" Nodoka cried, tears flowing from her face as she cleared the distance between herself and her son. It was a very brief moment before she was kneeling on the floor and embracing her child, clinging to the six-year-old boy desperately. Ranma was a bit surprised by the haste of the embrace but returned it. Ukyo was left very confused, trying to process the new information.

"Hi, Mom...it's great to meet you, too." Ranma hugged back, letting his mother cry in her relief.


It took several minutes to calm Nodoka down and move the group to the living room, where everyone was served okonomiyaki at the traditional low Japanese table. Ukyo had been making the foodstuff for a while and had plenty ready. She was particularly willing to share given the circumstances.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Saotome!" Ukyo exclaimed, mortified at her mistake. "I thought you were Kasumi-chan's mommy since you showed up with her daddy!" She then looked to Ranma with worry and tears in her eyes. "Ran-chan, s-she showed up at the Nekoyama Shrine with Mr. Tendo while you were knocked out! I-I thought she was his wife so I...I grabbed you and ran away from her! I kidnapped you from your mommy! I did a very bad thing! w-wa-WAHHH!" Ukyo started to openly cry, distressed at her mistake.

"H-hey, Ucchan, it's okay! You didn't know! You were just tryin' to help!" Ranma said trying to calm Ukyo down, but it wasn't working. The girl was simply too upset for words to work. The martial artist simply didn't know what to do when his friend got like this.

Nodoka regarded the crying child and gently pulled the girl into her lap for a hug. The girl sobbed as she was embraced, but soon quieted down. "It's okay, Ukyo-chan. You protected Ranma from something that I didn't want him to have to go through. It may have delayed my meeting him, but still...thank you for protecting Ranma for me. No one is angry at you, so please dry your eyes." The embattled and relieved housewife smiled at Ukyo to reassure her.

The child chef sniffled, rubbing her eyes before looking to Nodoka. "R-really?" Ranma's mother nodded in response to the question.

Ranma elected to interject. "Yeah, Ucchan! If you hadn't done that, we wouldn't have met Natsume and Kurumi! That was worth a couple of extra days! That and I got to beat up Pop on TV and become a Master. It all turned out good!" He grinned at Ukyo, who finally stopped crying.

Of course, this triggered the other female response that Ranma wasn't well-accustomed to when Ukyo bounded off of Nodoka's lap and tackle-hugged Ranma to the ground. "R-Ran-chan! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for not hating me!" The thankful girl had discarded any concept of personal space in a measure that Ranma found embarrassing and the adults in the room found adorable. One particular observer found it too precious to endure.

A woman who Ranma noted looked a lot like an older version of his girl half swooped in and embraced the two happily, unable to restrain herself and discarding her poise in the process. "Aww! My grandbaby and his girlfriend~ Quick! Ten-chan! Get a picture!"

"Yes, Dear." Tenma complied, knowing full-well that nothing would dissuade his wife from enjoying her grandson's company. The poor boy had no idea what he was getting into. Sachiko was rather obsessed with the idea of grandchildren and had been quite depressed when Ranma was taken away. "Don't hog them too long, our daughter needs time with Ranma as well." The look he got was a prize-winning glare, which Tenma also took a picture of.

"H-hey! I don't want that one developed, Ten-chan!" The grandmother said with a pout while Ranma looked up to her in confusion.

"Uh...I have grandparents? Pop never said anythin' about you. I had to find out about Mom on my own." Ranma clarified, making the woman freeze before looking to the child in her arms. She bore a look of surprise and a tinge of hurt, but the woman powered through it and smiled at Ranma.

"Yes, Ranma...I'm your grandmother, Sachiko Saotome. That stiff man over there is your grandfather, Tenma. We're your mother's parents. I'll have to talk with your father later about not mentioning us. It is not proper for a child not to know about his family~" Ranma could feel her anger toward his father, though she at least had the decency to try to hide it from her grandchild and direct it toward the proper target.

"You might have to wait in line. I hear they finally managed to keep him in jail." Ranma said bluntly. There wasn't as much remorse over the fact as he thought there would be. The others present noticed this too.

Tenma was the first to speak in response to this, evaluating his grandson. "You are not upset about that, Ranma?"

Ranma pondered for a moment, looking to his grandfather and trying to find the right words. "I know he's a greedy, manipulative jerk who's out for number one. I know he's used me to steal from lots of people. I ran away to come here when I finally realized some of what he was doin' and that Mom existed. There's no good future for me with him and he's right where he needs to be. Pop is still my father though, so I'm not celebratin' over it. I'll still miss him even if it makes no sense."

Tenma was pleased with this response. It was a healthy one at the very least. Nodoka picked up on a different detail from his words and stared at her son for a moment. "Wait, you mean you meant to come and find me from the beginning? All the way from Kyoto?"

Ranma looked over to his mother and nodded. "Yeah. I mean...I was scared when I found out about that suicide pact, but Pop makes people sign strange stuff all the time. You should see some of the weird marriage contracts I took from Pop's backpack when I left! I figured I'd give you a chance-" The boy found himself hugged firmly by his mother even though he was still in his grandmother's and Ukyo's grips.

"Do not worry about that pledge, Ranma." The boy was surprised when he heard his mother of all people say such a thing. "It was a mistake that I should never have allowed. It is not on you to fulfill it, but on me to atone for allowing Genma to place it on you in the first place. The only way I can do that is to accept you unconditionally, as I should have done from the start."

Ranma was stunned. The mother he knew from the future would never have come to that conclusion on her own. He hugged back and, after several moments, the various people involved broke the impromptu group hug. Nodoka was feeling far better than she had when she entered the house, that was for certain. "Thanks, Mom. That means a lot. It also means you're worth askin' these next things." Ranma said, pleasantly surprised with his mother.

"Hmm? Next things?" Nodoka was curious, wondering what her son meant.

"Because of the engagement Pop and her old man made, Ucchan got abandoned and tossed out of her house. Whether it's fair or not, I'm responsible for her now. I brought her with me and started trainin' her. Then we met these two sisters, Natsume and Kurumi, in Takato." The two girls timidly nodded in seated bows as their names were said in the introduction, though Kurumi was merely mimicking her sister. "They decided to travel with us and learn Anythin' Goes Martial Arts after I saved them from a bear, and they're my students. Thing is, they had to run away from an orphanage or be split up and they don't remember their family name. These three don't have anybody but me. I was hopin', if you turned out to be a good mom, that you could adopt 'em as my sisters..."

Strangely, it wouldn't be Nodoka who responded first, but Sachiko. "Granddaughters! Ten-chan, we have granddaughters! Oh, I'd given up hope! And such pretty ones too! And here I'd cursed Genma's name for not giving me any..."

Ranma continued awkwardly as his kimono-clad grandmother celebrated and continued to discard her veneer of poise. "Uh...we also got some paperwork to enroll in schools around here. I had Natsume and Kurumi use the Saotome name, but it's not filed yet. The Principal said to come here and talk to you about everything. Is that okay, Mom?"

Nodoka's eyes shone with unshed tears as she turned and smiled at the girls. No. Daughters. She'd always wanted more children and had been just as devastated by the denial of the opportunity as her mother had been. To go from one missing child to four in her home in one day? To realize that Ranma had actively sought her out and approved of her? There was only one answer she could give. "Of course I'll take care of all of you! Thank you...thank you for coming back, Ranma, and for bringing more family with you."

"...Mama?" Kurumi asked timidly and almost nervously. When Nodoka beamed and gave a nod to the child, the five-year-old girl got a wide smile and launched herself into Nodoka's arms with as much force as her small form would allow. "Mama! Kurumi has a mama now!"

Natsume observed the scene while struggling with herself. She had planned to be formal, to speak gracefully in response to being adopted if it happened, but the child found that she wasn't able to maintain the restraint. She instead also flung herself into her new mother's arms alongside her younger sister, gently crying tears of happiness.

Ukyo wasn't sure how to feel. She didn't want to abandon her family, but hadn't she been abandoned? Her confusion, however, was broken by several words from Ranma's grandfather. "I'm afraid it's a bit early to tend to such things," Tenma stated while drawing those assembled to look to him. "Ranma's father and mother are fighting in court over who gets to keep him, and the police will want to know that Ranma has been safely recovered. The fact that he's taken the safe of Ukyo's father is also a sticking point."

"Only because he put the marriage contract in there!" Ranma defended himself, angrily. "As long as he had that, Ucchan was stuck doin' whatever he wanted! I had to take it!" Tenma nodded, secretly thankful that it was for a reason like that. Nodoka also felt a profound relief that her son had a reason other than greed for such a thing.

"Just the same, your mother will get in trouble if we don't mention that you've been found and she has to go take care of something related to the court battle anyway. It's best to explain everything to the police, including what Ukyo's father did and why you took the safe. They will also want to talk to you to make sure you're alright and what your wishes are, Ranma. Please be patient for a little while longer. We have to resolve these things to guarantee your future away from your father in the eyes of the law." Tenma could tell that his grandson was hesitant, having spent his life being taught that the police were the enemy. It wasn't long, however, before the boy gave a sigh that showed hesitant acceptance.

"If they make me go with him again though, they're idiots and I won't listen. We'll try it your way though. Just in case it works." The boy crossed his arms, steeling himself for what might come. The police had never done him any good before.

No one had noticed Happosai's presence on the roof of the Saotome home, the elderly man listening to the discussion while eating pilfered okonomiyaki. He was a bit let down that Ranma would try to keep the girls around by making them his sisters, but he supposed that was all a six-year-old knew to do. At least they weren't blood relatives, so that option for future fun wasn't actually closed off to the boy. No, the lecher decided that this was good in its own way as long as he gave the proper guidance. He might even find an ally in Nodoka if he played his cards right.


Mousse lay covered by a blanket in the footrest area of the passenger's side of the truck. He'd fallen asleep a while ago after being informed that their ride would take a number of hours and that he should hide. It had been strange trying to rest in a moving vehicle, but he'd managed to be rocked to sleep in time. The child soon felt a hand shaking him awake and he lifted his head. When he peeked out from under the blanket, Mousse saw his expressionless benefactor.

'We are here. I will guide you to meet your contact. Stay quiet.' The woman expressed herself succinctly. Mousse nodded, staying silent as he emerged from the vehicle. It was parked in a motor pool with other trucks. They were in a crude metal building with lights above that were not the sun, and it was full of uniformed people walking around. When they left this metal building, Mousse gave a slight inhale of surprise. There were more of these metal buildings and even more soldiers, but also airplanes. For Mousse, it was something he had never seen before. The outside world was strange and alien. He had no time to appreciate this before being guided to a nondescript prefabricated building which was labeled "Barber" in Simplified Chinese.

Ushered inside the humble structure, he became aware of a familiar smell. The scent was that of Joketsuzoku herbal shampoo and reminded him of home in this strange place. For now, however, the site was empty of clientele. Mousse was ushered into the back room and immediately noticed a uniformed woman giving him a calculating look. Well-endowed and aged in her late teens, she bore mint green hair done up in a bun and a pair of deep blue eyes. After the new entity gave a nod to the young woman who had brought him in, Mousse' temporary guardian walked out into the front area and left him alone with his contact.

'Mu Tsu,' the woman started, 'welcome to the Xining Peoples' Regional Exploratory Base. This is a military base that the Peoples' Liberation Army, the army of the Chinese Communist Party that has conquered these lands twenty-eight years ago, has quickly put together to try and find our home village. It is also being used as an excuse to further consolidate power in the more remote parts of China. If they ever find our village, they will descend upon it like locusts and conquer. The technology of the modern world and the sheer numbers of people they possess are an effective counter to our skill. Our sisters in battle would tire and eventually fall no matter how well they fought. Do you understand so far?' The information was empty of nuance and simplified to where a child like Mousse could understand the weight of it. He was surprised at the prospect. The village was in danger and their skills wouldn't save it?

'If that's true, why are you here among them doing nothing? If they are our enemies, shouldn't you kill as many as you can?' Killing. A concept that was vague and distant to Mousse. Still, a sound question.

'Why throw my life away when I can instead confound their efforts? My duty is to stand among them and ensure they do not find the village by managing things from inside their circle of trust. One can do so much from within at times such as these. If the Army found you and you told them you were Joketsuzoku, they would have used you to find the village or at least learned that it was nearby. The Council decided to change your mission to prevent that from happening. You are under my care for now and will refer to me as your cousin, Xiao Mei, while I train you further to better accomplish your mission at a later time.' Mu Tsu looked puzzled at Xiao Mei's comments before realization dawned.

'You are of the Xiu.' This was not a question, but a statement. The smile Xiao Mei wore was confirmation.

'We are the wounded, the infirm, the dishonored, and the sacrificed. Yet even unfit as we are, we are Joketsuzoku and fight in our own way. Stealth, intelligence gathering, and manipulation of the enemy from within its ranks. These too are parts of warfare.' Mu Tsu was well aware of the Xiu, perhaps more than others his age. Some were wounded or infirm Joketsuzoku who left to be useful to the village in another capacity, the latter often being unfit to contribute to future generations. Others were dishonored warriors who were exiled. Various measures were employed to ensure their loyalty and compliance and many served in the role for life. Had the village not been able to provide him with glasses, he would likely have been among their number. It was still a close call as it was. The Hidden Weapons Style was often taught to the Xiu for assassination and evading searches. His being trained heavily in that art was a constant sign that he was not yet clear of such exile in the future, and here he was now.

'You've not been exiled at this time. This is an unusual case.' The Xiu said, reading his expression. The woman did note the thickness of his glasses, though, and suspected that he may join in the future. 'For now, however, this is your new home and you will be trained in our ways. We will blend into the enemy's daily routine, break bread with them, smile to their faces as friends, and bend them to our will without their even being aware. You will observe for the day after we go over your new history and we will begin your training tomorrow.'

With those words, Mousse was shown a bunk on which he would sleep. The spartan accommodations were not a problem for the boy, though his new home did emphasize just how much his life was about to change...