Chapter 10: The New Clan
Ranko woke up in Akane's bed on top of the covers and reached over her girlfriend to shut off the alarm. Akane stirred as well and started to move as Ranko leaped out of the bed. "You didn't sleep well?" the blue-black haired girl asked.
"I slept well enough, but I'm on edge," Ranko answered.
Akane didn't press for details. Instead she asked: "Are you up for sparring this morning?"
Ranko turned with a wicked gleam in her eyes. "You are not getting out of your beating. Get up, Tomboy!" the red-head ordered mockingly.
Akane growled back: "So much for trying to offer you any sympathy. Die Ranma!" Akane leaped from the bed and caught Ranko about the waist. The pig-tailed girl was thrown against the floor and the house shook.
"OUTSIDE!" Kasumi yelled from downstairs.
The two girls laughed and then split apart. Ranko said: "I'll meet you outside. I want to switch." Akane nodded and turned to find her gi as Ranko ran out the door and down the stairs. Ranko ran into the kitchen, kissed her mother on the cheek, said "Good morning!" to Kasumi as she grabbed the cup of hot water from the cook's hands, and dumped it on herself.
"Thanks Kasumi!" Ranma called out as he ran out the door dressed in his own blue gi.
"He must have put the gi on last night before he switched genders," Kasumi mused.
"So long as he put on clean underwear too," Nodoka added.
"I think I need to have Akane see the GYN a little earlier than planned if those two keep sleeping together like that," Kasumi continued.
Nodoka just shrugged. "Not if he keeps switching forms before bedtime. I'd worry about it except I've caught them kissing a few times, and it was definitely male/female action. I think they are both still shook-up from the Summoning, and they are afraid to leave each other's side again. Let's let things settle and we will see." An eyebrow shot up. "I know you put condoms in Akane's room. That will do for now."
Kasumi blushed. "Just preventing accidents."
"And if I wasn't on medication, I would have put pin holes in all of them," Nodoka said. Then she pursed her lips and added: "You know, that still might be a good idea."
"AUNTIE!" the younger woman protested.
Nodoka laughed. "Just teasing, love."
A short time later, the two women heard the front door open and Tofu shouted "Good morning!" They both answered and the doctor joined them in the kitchen. His face looked a little worried though.
"Is everything all right?" Kasumi asked.
"I never got a call last night," he answered.
"From who?" she asked.
"Judge Sanu. I was hoping he'd at least call me to sound out who would be a good choice as a guardian for Ranma. I can accept that he might not want a single person, but I was hoping that he'd at least consult with me. I am Ranma's personal physician. Did he call here at all?" Tofu asked.
"No," Kasumi answered while Nodoka also shook her head.
"Shizuka and Hideo never heard anything either," Tofu said. "Neither did Imia or several other people I checked with. Did Ranma say anything to either of you last night?"
"No," Nodoka replied. "He just came back from working at the clinic, sparred with Akane, had dinner, and spent the rest of the night on the roof. He was obviously stressed, but when I quizzed Akane, she just said there was nothing any of us could do and we'd just have to wait it out with him. When I pressed Ranma, he just answered that it had been a tough meeting with the judge looking at all the applications, but he wouldn't say anything about any final decisions. Maomolin checked on him and said things were as good as could be expected."
"What did Ryoga say?" Tofu asked.
"He and Akari will not be by today until after lunch," Kasumi said. "They were delayed at the farm and couldn't come down last night. Sanu will make a ruling at 4PM unless the lab is delayed, so they will be here on-time. Sanu would like Ranma's CODIS profile checked before he makes a formal announcement."
"Are we sure Ranma cannot be linked to Genma with the DNA test?" Nodoka worried.
Tofu shook his head. "Genma's not in the database – I checked. Whatever happens, that's not a worry."
"Then we just have to wait," Kasumi stated.
Ranma ran to school with Akane by his side. They leaped over his nemesis's property front, and noticed that she was outside wetting down her walk. Ranma almost swore that she was watching them. Certainly, everyone else was. As they ran, Ranma noted that everyone who submitted an application along the route was out. He made a point of calling out to them by name and saying "Thank you!" He never said for what, but it was obvious from their smiles that they understood. He was amazed at how many people he actually knew in the town. There were no strangers in the applications he saw yesterday (with the exception of Kuno, who he knew only by reputation). Ranma also saw some folks in cars pass by (including Hideo, who beeped lightly) and he made a point of giving a proper salute to them as well.
In school, he didn't talk to anyone about the adoption, but he did squeeze a few shoulders in thanks. The recipients just smiled as well. Ukyo made a point of leaving him alone, but asked Akane to give him a hug from her. Daisuke and Hiroshi exchanged handshakes with Ranma, but Sayuri and Yuka wouldn't settle for anything but hugs (which caused Ranma's face to flame). Neither did Ms. Hinako at the end of the day when Ranma stayed after with Akane to thank her. The teacher covered her fish, gave the blushing young man a hug, and sent the two teenagers on their way.
As they left the school grounds, Akane grabbed Ranma's hand and dragged him off downtown over his protests. "Forget it, dummy!" she scolded him. "You're too distracted – you need ice cream more than a fight. I'll call Kasumi and we will join them on their way to the courthouse."
Sanu looked at the CODIS report the courier dropped off. He was amazed that there was no disruption reported at the lab last night, but he would take what he could get.
"Is that it?" Ryuu asked. "At Sanu's nod, Ryuu continue: "Any change of plans?"
"No," Sanu answered. "Everything looks good. Genma's officially out of the picture. Once Ranma's attached to his new clan, things should calm down."
"Fat chance!" Ryuu laughed.
Judge Sanu called the Court to order. Once more, the courtroom was full – despite the fact that this was a lecture hall instead of a proper courtroom. The audience contained everyone who had filed an adoption application (including Kuno, Sanu noticed with distaste), Hayato Saotome, all the town elders, Ranma's friends and family, Sanu's fellow judges, and as many town folks as space allowed. The Judge's Bench was setup near the back wall and was centered with respect to the hall's width. The Defendant's table was off to one the side. Ranma sat at the table with his mother and Akane. There was no Plaintiff's table.
The judge looked at Ranma who nodded back, so Sanu called out: "We are here to settle the adoption of Ranma of Nerima, a ward of the Court. Does anyone have any relevant evidence or testimony to bring to the Court regarding this matter?"
Ranma was about to call out when someone yelled from the back: "I do your Honor! Ranma should be released to me as the Saotome family has pledged the genetic son of Nodoka Saotome to marry my daughter. The pledge was made by their representative, Genma Uchida, Ranma's sire!" Hajime Tanaka came down the auditorium steps carrying an eight year old girl.
The eight year old was struggling in his grip. "Father! Stop!" she yelled. The girl had long raven black hair and porcelain skin. Her large dark eyes were set in a heart-shaped face. No one would deny that she was a beautiful child.
A woman was screaming just out-of-sight. "Hajime! Bring back my daughter, you bastard! She's only eight!" The woman burst through the doors at the top of the hall. She looked much like her daughter.
Tanaka ignored the woman and stepped onto the floor. The Judge said nothing as Tanaka placed his daughter center stage and had her face Ranma of Nerima. "Ranma, your bride is here!" he sneered.
Ranma looked at Tanaka with contempt, but his eyes softened as they shifted to look at the little girl. Ranma held out his hand to Akane, and the two of them rose and walked around the Defendant's table hand-in-hand. Sanu gestured at Tanaka and Ryuu (disguised as a bailiff once more) placed Tanaka in an arm-lock. The assassin slapped a large hand over Tanaka's mouth and then pulled him away from his daughter. Tanaka's wife tried to step onto the floor to get her daughter, but Hayato grabbed her shoulders. When the woman turned to look at Hayato, he shook his head. She looked askance at him, but did not fight him.
Ranma and Akane approached the wide-eyed little girl and Ranma dropped to one knee to talk to her on her level. Akane placed her hands on Ranma's shoulders. Ranma responded by placing one of his hands on Akane's. "Hello," Ranma started.
"Hello," the little girl answered shakily.
"I am Ranma of Nerima," the shape-changer said. "This is Akane Tendo," he added glancing up and squeezing Akane's hand.
The little girl's eyes widen even further and she asked quickly, "Is she your girlfriend?"
"Yes," Ranma replied.
"Are you going to marry her?" the little girl pressed hopefully. Akane stifled a chuckle. Tanaka tried to say something, but Ryuu wouldn't let him.
"Well, I'm going to ask her, and hopefully she'll say 'yes', but that is my plan," Ranma answered not suppressing his own chuckle.
The girl let out a sigh of relief. "Oh good. Father said I had to marry you, but I don't want to marry anyone right now."
"You don't have to," Ranma told her. "What's your name?" he asked.
"Aimi," she answered.
"Well, Aimi," Ranma said. "People have been telling me and Akane who we are going to marry for a long time now, but they are all wrong. We are going to marry who we want and that's it. It just happens to be each other. The same applies to you – you can marry who you want. In fact, when the Court is over, Akane and me will give our contact info to your Mom, and she can hold it for you. If someone ever tries to force you to marry or if you or your Mom find yourselves in any other trouble, you can come to us and we'll help you."
Tanaka slipped free from Ryuu at that moment. "You'll marry who Honor dictates! And Aimi will as well. Your father and I made a deal!" he yelled.
"Genma Uchida is not my father," Ranma answered calmly.
"WHAT!" Tanaka screamed in rage. Aimi took an unconscious step away from her father. Akane bent down next to Ranma and pulled Aimi to her. Aimi backed further into the older girl's embrace, shocked by the emotion from her father.
"ORDER!" Sanu bellowed, his voice overshadowing Tanaka's rage. Into the stunned room, he continued loudly: "The CODIS test provided no link between Ranma of Nerima and Genma Uchida. Genma Uchida was never married to Ranma's mother. Under any jurisdiction, by any culture, the evidence says Genma could not and cannot make any agreements on behalf of Ranma of Nerima."
Tanaka yelled: "That's impossible!"
Ranma stood up, but put a hand on Akane shoulder as she sheltered Aimi against her father's anger. "No, it's not, but it doesn't matter anymore. You won. Shigeo Saotome has been disgraced and is now ronin. He must survive by the charity of others – he has nothing. His daughter is gone. Hayato is now the head of the Saotome clan and you have no vendetta against the clan anymore. Hayato has picked up a sister, but he hasn't gained a nephew. Ranma Saotome is gone. Shigeo has no successor. Face it, it's over and you won. Time to move on."
"No! That's not the fate I decided for him. His line must be corrupted – and it must be by my blood!" Tanaka shouted.
Ranma started to say something about Nodoka being of Hayato's line, so there was no line to be corrupted now, but Tanaka's wife cut him off: "CORRUPTION?" she yelled breaking free of Hayato's light hold. "CORRUPTION?! THAT'S WHAT OUR DAUGHTER IS? A CORRUPTION?!"
"Shut up, Ami. I have taken care of you. You have plenty of money," Tanaka said.
"YOU BASTARD! I don't need your money! Never have! I was doing well before you, and I've done well as you spent all your time roaming around the country. I'll do well when you are gone. I married you because I loved you and thought you loved me. Gods…I am such a fool," she cried.
Tanaka looked confused at his wife, but said nothing. Ami turned to her daughter and said: "Come Aimi!"
Akane nudged Aimi towards her mother and the girl went in a flash, avoiding her father. The two left the floor and went up the stairs. Everyone was silent as they went. When they were about halfway up, Akane turned to Hayato and pointed after the retreating pair, then made a "shoo'ing" motion. He looked confused, so she rolled her eyes and ran over to him, then whispered in his ear. That seemed to wake him up and he ran after the mother and daughter. She gave a sigh and walked back to Ranma's side.
Sanu waited until Hayato was gone and then turned to Tanaka. "Now that you have finished trashing your wife's and daughter's lives, do you have anything else you'd like to say? Want to swear vengeance against Ranma, even though he's never raised a hand against you – even now? He should swear it against you – you've destroyed all his illusions and made him an orphan. Congratulations, you've destroyed his life too."
Tanaka snapped out of his lost state. "He deserves it for being Shigeo's grandson!" he said.
"Then you're done now," Ranma told him evenly. "I'm no longer Shigeo's grandson. I'm going to lick my wounds and pick up the pieces. You are not worth swearing vengeance against. You won. Now go, unless you are going to grab a sword and kill me."
Tanaka looked at Ranma in further confusion. Ranma looked back at him with a blank expression – neither friendly nor hostile. Slowly, an expression appeared on Tanaka's face – it appeared that Tanaka saw Ranma for the first time. Ranma was not Genma's son, and not a Saotome. He was just a person. Tanaka looked around the courtroom. People just stared at him. He saw no hatred, no disgust – they just wanted him to go away so they could get on with their lives. He looked at Ranma again who shrugged at him. He wanted to hate the young man, but he had no reason to hate him. Ranma had been a tool, nothing more and nothing less. Now the tool was useless.
Tanaka looked at Nodoka. He thought he would see pain in her visage. She was now an orphan herself and had to be adopted by the Saotome family. Her son was no longer her son according to the Family Registry. Her father had confessed to effectively killing her sister. Now, her father had been punished, but Tanaka saw none of that in her face. She held the same expression as everyone else – she was waiting for Tanaka to leave so she could pick up the pieces and move on.
Tanaka felt betrayed by their reactions. He was counting on their hate and their pain to set against his own. All his work and he felt as empty as ever. He wanted to just stand there and be an obstruction, to cause someone a little more difficulty.
Judge Sanu asked again: "Mr. Tanaka? Do you have anything else you want to say? If not, please leave the floor." The judge waited, but Tanaka did not move. So Sanu ordered: "Bailiff, please escort Mr. Tanaka off the floor. You might as well take him down to holding. He owes me sixty days in jail for wasting the Court's time as he is not Ranma of Nerima's father and knew he was not Ranma's father." A bailiff came forward and tried to gently guide Tanaka, but the man refused to move. Two other bailiffs came to help, but again Tanaka refused to move. He didn't fight the bailiffs, he just didn't move. Finally, the bailiffs picked him up and carried out the unresponsive man.
Once they left with Tanaka, it was like a spell had been broken in the Courtroom and everyone began to murmur at once. Sanu seemed to shake himself and ordered a fifteen minute recess. Akane turned to Ranma and asked: "Ranma, what just happened?"
"I think we just saw what happens when a man loses his reason for living," Ranma answered sadly. "Tanaka won, and now he hasn't the slightest idea what to do with himself. No one reacted to his win. No one hates him enough to swear vengeance. No one will give him their pain for his satisfaction. His wife just left him and he feels nothing. Shigeo was right – without Shigeo, Tanaka is nothing."
Sanu called the Court back into session. "All right, let's try this again: We are here to settle the adoption of Ranma of Nerima, a ward of the Court. Does anyone have any relevant evidence or testimony to bring to the Court regarding this matter?"
Ranma waited a second and then stood up to say: "Your Honor, if it may please the Court, I do have something to say." Tofu had coached him on the wording.
Sanu nodded (having been warned by Ranma) and gestured to the center of the floor. "All right, please come to the center of the floor and address the Court."
Ranma walked to the indicated spot and faced the audience. Sanu (again warned by Ranma) said nothing about the breach of protocol. Ranma started: "All of you know me, or you wouldn't be here, so you know how eloquent…" (Ranma stumbled a little on the word) "I am." There were some chuckles from the audience at that. "I told Akane what I wanted to say, and she helped me take a few rough edges off, but I'm probably going to muff it. Please take it as I mean it, not as I say it."
Ranma continued: "Yesterday, I had to do the hardest thing I ever did; I read through all the adoption applications everyone submitted. I have never been humbled before, but I am now. I arrived in Nerima over two years ago bringing my own brand of Chaos to a place that was already full of Chaos." There were more chuckles from the audience. "All of you accepted me despite my strangeness. Now you've all gone one step beyond that and invited me into your homes and into your families. There are no proper words to say how grateful I am and how honored I am. I have only these words and this gesture: 'Thank you' to all of you from my heart!" With that, Ranma did something he rarely ever did – he bowed deeply to the audience. He bowed to the left side of the lecture hall, he bowed to the center, and he bowed to the right side. The applause started as Ranma started his bow to the center continued after Ranma finished the third bow.
When Ranma rose the third time, he stood with his head slightly bowed, unsure of what to do. The applause continued until Sanu finally decided to rescue the young man. Sanu banged his gavel and called the Court back to order. "All right, those who want to have a recording of one of the few times Ranma has acted humble can send 2000 yen to the Court after this session is adjured."
Laughter greeted the comment as Ranma blushed. Nabiki shouted out "NO FAIR!" which caused the audience to laugh harder (Nabiki had managed to make it to the late Court session after all). Sanu waved Ranma to take his seat and the pig-tailed young man gladly did so.
"All right," Sanu said. "I did make Ranma sweat over those applications, but ultimately, the Court is responsible for the final selection as Ranma's guardian. I made a decision this morning, but I was waiting for news from the DNA lab, before finalizing things. Turns out, it was a good thing I did." The audience went quiet suddenly. Sanu turned to Ranma: "Is there anything about you that is simple?" Akane was too polite to say what popped into her head – besides Ranma didn't need the abuse right now.
Ranma groaned and slunk in his seat. "Great, what fresh hell is awaiting me now?"
Sanu smirk at Ranma and said: "Turns out CODIS returned four hits against your profile."
"Excuse me?" Ranma said.
Sanu continued: One was the expected 50% match against your mother – no surprise there. Another was a 50% match against a man who died in 1970 – minimal commonality against Nodoka's profile."
"I was six or seven at the time," Nodoka called out.
"Yes," Sanu agreed. "But the man was registered as a sperm donor and it seems there was a break-in at that hospital about ten months before Ranma was born."
"WHAT?" Nodoka screamed standing up. She held that position for five seconds before her eyes rolled up into her head and Ranma had to catch her. He helped her to her chair, ignoring his own shock.
Doctor Ono stood up. "That's impossible!" he said. "That's at least thirteen years of storage and Genma would have no idea how to thaw and implant the sperm properly!"
"No, but you would doctor," Sanu smirked.
"WHAT?" Tofu and Kasumi yelled.
"You have a 25% match with Ranma – i.e. you're his uncle or grandparent. I happen to know that you're his uncle. It was your brother that died in 1970." Tofu just looked stunned, so Sanu continued. "You graduated from medical school in 1982. You showed up in Nerima in 1987. Where were you for five years, Doctor? Specifically, where were you in 1983, when Ranma was conceived."
"He was doing his residency in Fukuoka, but you already knew that," a new voice chimed out from the back. The voice was old and creaky. An old woman shuffled down the stair aisle.
"Mother!" the doctor yelled out.
"Right on time, Mrs. Ohayashi – or rather, Mrs. Ono," Judge Sanu smirked looking at her and then turned back to Tofu. "That's right, Doctor. Your mother is also a 25% match with Ranma, as fitting a grandparent. I was going to make you Ranma's parent and guardian, but by your brother's will, your mother is his parent and guardian – you'll have to settle for being his brother legally."
The bailiffs were then busy for a while tending to a number of people who fainted, including Ranma, Akane, the rest of the Tendos, and Doctor Tofu.
Next up: The last chapter. I'm not sure if it will be called "The Happy Ending", "Answers", or "Akane's Realization." Let me know if you have an opinion.