All The World's A Stage
By nightelf
A work of fanfiction based on Takahashi Rumiko's Manga series, Ranma 1/2
Saotome Ranma, Saotome Genma, Saotome Nodoka, Tendou Akane, Tendou Soun, Tendou Kasumi, Tendou Nabiki, Kuonji Ukyou, Kenzan Konatsu, Hibiki Ryouga, P-chan, Unryuu Akari, Shan Pu, Mu Tsu, Kunou Tatewaki, Kunou Kodachi, Ono Toufuu, and Ninomiya Hinako are copyright 1987, 2018 by Takahashi Rumiko. Tenou Haruka and Kaiou Michiru are copyright 1991, 2018 by Takeuchi Naoko. All other characters are copyright 2018 nightelf. All rights reserved.
"Show Me" lyrics copyright 2018 nightelf. All rights reserved.
Publishing rights:
Japan: Shogakukan Inc. Tokyo
Hong Kong: Jademan (Holdings) Ltd.
North America: Viz Inc.
Chapter Three of Four: Full Of Wise Saws and Modern Instances
A familiar chirp woke Ranma from her slumber; blearily, she reached out for her phone. The schedule of a stage performer was too variable to not require at least some electronic assistance for waking up. Ranma had long gotten used to waking up by the chime of her cel phone, and quickly turned it off.
Whenever it went off, though, she didn't push the snooze button. She never woke without reason – and she always had a job to do. She quietly folded up her blanket and futon, wrapped a robe around herself, and padded her way downstairs and to the main house.
She raised an eyebrow once she entered the kitchen. Kasumi, unsurprisingly, had left out few details in her instructions. The breakfast would be a typical one - rice, pickles, miso, eggs, some mackerel, and a salad. What made cooking at a dojo different was the scale of the task. Seventeen people would be over for breakfast, most of whom had the activity - and thus, the energy requirements - of martial artists. In short, Kasumi had learned long ago how to feed large crowds.
The first order of business listed on the paper, though, left Ranma chuckling: grind some of Nabiki's stash of Jamaica Blue Mountain, bring a kettle of hot water to a boil, and prepare a pour-over. Ranma raised an eyebrow at the detail of the instructions, everything from preparing the cone to wetting the filter paper beforehand to the order and timing in brewing the cup of coffee.
Ranma glanced further at the paper Kasumi had left. At the bottom were Kasumi's own equally-detailed instructions for preparing a pot of her favorite gyokuro tea, along with a quick 'thank you' for letting her sleep in. Though she suspected neither would admit it, the two sisters were far more alike than people realized. Smiling, Ranma put on a kettle of water, and started to heat it up.
Kasumi, it seemed, understood her sister quite well. Ranma had just begun the second pour into the cone when Nabiki blearily walked into the kitchen.
"Good morning, Nabiki," Ranma said tenderly. She'd had a few mornings when she hadn't had enough sleep, especially when she was just getting used to the rhythm of stage life; she knew the last thing Nabiki would want was any loud or cheerful noise.
"Mornin'", Nabiki mumbled. Nabiki was about as expected, given the hour. Her hair was disheveled and in need of a brush; dark circles ringed her eyes. A fluffy robe fit over sky-blue silk pajamas.
Ranma smiled at Nabiki's attire, and thought about the t-shirt and boxers beneath her own robe. There was something to be said about being comfortable - being yourself - with another person. She stopped her pour, glanced at the clock, then turned to Nabiki. "Coffee will be ready in a minute or two."
"And following Kasumi's instructions, I see." Nabiki managed an unsteady grin through her early-morning fog. "Sorry; I got used to good coffee in high school, and it only got worse once I went out into the real world."
"No worries there," Ranma answered. She waited for the requisite thirty seconds, then began a final pour. "There's a reason why the term 'Prima Donna' exists. And when everyone you work with is a 'donna' of some type..." She shook her head. "You'd be amazed what some of the stars demand sometimes."
Nabiki sniffed the coffee in the air. "When we w're younger, Kasumi asked a kissaten friend of hers how to make a good cup of coffee. Now... well, the beans are better, but the old techniques still work." Nabiki blinked as a thought crossed through her sleep-deprived mind. "Did Kasumi leave her tea instructions?"
Ranma grinned, and nodded. "Those were the last of the instructions. Which probably indicates when she plans to wake up." She poured the last of the water in the cone, and waited for the grounds to drain.
"Unless, of course, she and Toufuu plan to enjoy a little 'alone time'..." Ranma smiled at Nabiki's comment. It was fascinating watching her mind slowly pick up speed. "It's pretty hard for them to get time alone anymore. Sometimes they'll ask me to come over and help Daddy watch the kids while they go away for a weekend." Ranma chose that moment to hand Nabiki her coffee; Nabiki sniffed the mug, then took an experimental sip. "Mmmm... you make a fine cup of coffee. You sure you never thought about becoming someone's housewife?"
Ranma took a moment to think about what Nabiki had said as she pulled mackerel filets from the refrigerator. A picture entered her mind; herself, wearing a housedress like Kasumi regularly wore, cooking for some faceless salaryman. The thought was so absurd as to cause her to burst out laughing. "A housewife? Me? I mean, sure I can cook and the like... but honestly. Me? Really?" She shook her head in disbelief as she dipped each mackerel filet into a bowl of sake, then set them aside. "Man, what kind of odds would that have earned in a betting pool?"
Nabiki looked up at the ceiling for a moment. "Well... let's see. For marriage, the odds were as follows: Ryouga, at his highest, was at 6-1 - this was about the same time as the Koi Rod incident - but was usually 10-1. Kunou started off at 12-1 at the beginning, then slowly descended to about 20-1. Mu Tsu was 25-1; that never really changed." She shrugged. "Overall, the odds of you getting with a guy wavered between about 4-1 and 8-1 before your curse was locked, and stabilized at 2-1 after."
As she pondered the numbers Nabiki supplied, a second picture, similar to the first, entered her mind. Herself, wearing a Takarazuka stage butler's suit, elegantly serving Nabiki in an intricately-carved Western-style dining room. The idea of being Nabiki's butler brought a smile to her face; that was a life she could live with. The question instantly made it to her lips. "What odds did you get?"
"Me?" Nabiki asked. She took a sip of her coffee, and grimaced. "Highest was 5-1, during the brief time that the engagement was switched to me. Otherwise, it was about 20-1." Her eyes bored into her coffee. "That, I suspect, was more me than you; most people expected me to be a lifelong OL and bachelorette." She growled slightly. "Granted, they probably weren't far off."
Ranma raised an eyebrow. "Anyone ever take that bet?"
"Only Noriko, one of my friends from school." Her hands curled around the mug tenderly with both hands; a quiet smile adorned her features. "A few days after the engagement went back to Akane and the odds went back to 20-1, she made a thousand-yen bet." She took a sip of her coffee. "She said I'd figure it out one day, and that I'd gladly pay her twenty thousand once I did. I thought it was easy money, so I took her bet."
Ranma chuckled. "So what was the betting action like?"
"Well..." Nabiki gathered her thoughts. "I got lucky in one respect. At least fifty people were betting you'd die before marrying anyone. I didn't offer odds for that - thank goodness, as I would have lost my shirt after you disappeared. Akane and Ukyou took most of the betting, with Shan Pu and Kodachi each taking a few. There was a sizeable contingent of students - about 15-20 students, all girls - who bet on either Ryouga or Kunou. Most of these bets were made before your curse was locked. Yeah; some girls just liked their yaoi manga way too much." Her face twisted. "A couple of people made odds that you'd build up a harem of some kind; it shouldn't be much of a surprise to you that Hiroshi was one. The two strangest offers I got... one person wanted odds on Ms. Hinako, another asked for Principal Kunou." Ranma's face twisted; Nabiki set her cup of coffee down on the counter. "Yeah. That was my reaction, too."
"Me... and Principal Kunou? Really?" Ranma pulled the vegetables from the refrigerator and put them down on the counter. "That is wrong in so many ways."
"Tell me about it." Nabiki braced herself on the countertop with her hands. "That was one of the problems with what I did in high school; I got to see some unpleasant sides of humanity. After everything that happened, well… let's just say that I had a lot of soul-searching to do after I graduated."
Ranma nodded. "We all did, Nabiki. In our own ways, yeah, but we all did." She passed the vegetables over to Nabiki. "Can you wash the veggies? I can chop and slice them once they're washed - I can get that done in seconds - but washing them would take time, and I need to get the eggs started."
Nabiki started washing the vegetables; Ranma pulled out a bowl, and began cracking eggs into the bowl. "So. How much cooking do you do?"
"A bit," Nabiki replied. "A person cannot live on takeout alone - especially in Tokyo. It gets expensive after awhile. So I learned to cook a few basics. I'm nowhere near as good as Kasumi; then again, who is?"
"Indeed," Ranma agreed. She pulled out a square pan and put it on a burner. "Was on the road with Pop for a decade. You think he was going to cook anything when he could just have me do it?" Nabiki snorted in response. "I could cook a few things fairly well by the time I'd joined the Revue. After Pop died, Mom tried to teach me what she knew; I think she was afraid her recipes would die with her." She oiled the pan, then poured in some of her eggs. "Only problem was that I never really had much of an opportunity beyond that."
Nabiki set down the vegetables. "I'll get the rice going. Do you mind if I do the miso?" She blushed. "Kasumi taught me, so..."
"That's fine," Ranma replied. "I'll start the mackerel broiling once I'm done with the eggs." She winked. "Pops taught me, so..." The two worked in companionable silence for a few minutes, each busy with their own preparations, neither one feeling the need to interrupt.
"Can you slice up the onions, mushrooms, and tofu quick?" Nabiki finally asked.
Ranma turned to her, a mischievous glint in her eyes. She flipped the eggs in the pan onto a plate; the eggs folded perfectly before landing. "Is the miso broth ready?" Ranma asked. Nabiki nodded apprehensively.
Ranma knew how her actions looked to outsiders - even to outsiders who knew the source of her skills, such as Nabiki. Normal was something she never was, and never would be; she'd learned long ago not to hesitate with her skills, and to just use them. She tossed the scallions, mushrooms, and blocks of tofu into the air, each cut calculated to move the item to a specific location. In a second, the material began landing in the miso pot, dripping into the broth like a rainstorm.
Nabiki rolled her eyes. "Martial Arts Cooking?"
Ranma grinned. "Probably the one type of martial arts I was never challenged on. Shame; I would have preferred that over that Picolet Chardin mess any day." She set the knife to the side, and began to wash her hands. "Time to put the mackerel in the oven." She laid the fish down on the pan one by one, then placed the fish in the oven. Voices were beginning to make themselves known outside of the kitchen; Ranma took a step out toward the door, then stopped.
"Ranma?" Nabiki asked, placing her hand on Ranma's arm.
Ranma took a deep breath. The voices she'd heard were familiar to her, people she'd known, people she would have lived and died for - Ucchan, Konatsu, Mu Tsu. Life had given those voices resonances that teenagers lacked, but it was clearly them. It took effort to not go out and greet them. "Let's finish cooking, then go out. If I go out there now, I'll never finish – and we're going to need more eggs." She turned back to the stove; she put a teakettle on one burner, while preparing a serving of eggs on another. "How's the miso coming?"
Nabiki poured a sample of the miso and tasted it. "Give it another minute or so."
Ranma finished the batch of eggs and folded it onto another plate; a few minutes later, she retrieved the mackerel from the oven. She looked back at the table behind them, where much of their food waited. One more dish remained - well, two, if she counted Kasumi's tea. "If you thought slicing material for the miso soup was fun, watch this." She picked up another knife and brandished it in front of her; on the table, she set an empty salad bowl.
The Art was there for her. The Art had always been there for her. It had long been the last refuge for her life - and, while she'd never admit it, meeting more old friends unnerved her. The Art, however, was always within her control. She tossed her vegetables in the air and blurred, each move perfectly calculated, each cut measured to the millimeter.
The vegetables settled perfectly into the bowl, the tomatoes and radishes forming a ring on top of the greens. Her breath hitched in her throat as she looked on the finished product, and remembered the first time she had made a salad like that, all to one-up, to 'out-girl' her fiancée in front of her mother.
Another sin she had waiting for her at the end of her life.
Nabiki clapped her hands in appreciation. "Nice! How did you get the vegetables to form a ring like that?"
Ranma shook her head. "If you cut in just the right way, then push each of the pieces to their destination as you're cutting... well." She looked over at the finished meal, then at the warming teakettle; she felt the temperature of the kettle to be sure it was close to the right temperature, then transferred the water to a tea set. "Could you bring Kasumi in here to bring the food out? I think I'm going to be busy once I leave the kitchen."
"Actually, I have a better idea." Nabiki glanced toward the door. "Bring Kasumi's tea out to her. No one would dare interfere with that. As for the rest..." She stuck her head out the door, to the living area. "Ranko, Akane, Katsuo? Can you help us bring the food out and to set the tables? We have a lot of people here today, so we're going to need some help."
Ranma felt outside of herself as she picked up Kasumi's tea set, then stopped. Being nervous wasn't like her; she always found a way to cope - and she had the perfect method. A quick-and-surreptitious trip to the dojo and back netted her a masculine suit; with a couple of adjustments, she could pass as a faithful butler - just as she'd imagined serving Nabiki. She kept her composure as she left the kitchen, subsuming herself in the role. Nabiki had been right; no one dared interfere with her while she was carrying Kasumi's tea set, and the acting simply exacerbated matters.
The crowd that had gathered in the dining room was an eclectic mix of people she knew, and those she didn't. Kasumi had already taken her place at the table, gently waiting for her tea; as she had all-too-often been the one to serve everyone else, no one minded. A passel of women gathered around her at the table, as Ukyou and Konatsu sat next to each other on Kasumi's right, while an unknown woman sat to Kasumi's left. Ranma raised an eyebrow at Ukyou's baby bump. She set the tea service in front of Kasumi and poured the tea in front of her.
"Your tea, milady."
The reactions from the others at the table were priceless. Ukyou's eyes were as wide as saucers, while Konatsu tittered in laughter. The other woman, presumably Mu Tsu's wife, simply looked on, mouth agape.
Kasumi, to her credit, played along with Ranma's role, fighting her giggles all the while. "Thank you, Ran. I look forward to seeing what you have prepared for breakfast this morning."
Ranma nodded obsequiously. "This morning's breakfast, prepared by myself and your faithful chef Nabiki, consists of miso soup and rice, a folded omelet, broiled mackerel, a salad with sesame dressing, and pickled vegetables. I trust this will be to your satisfaction?"
"Yes, I do believe that will be quite satisfactory, Ran." She gestured to an empty place at the table. "Now please, sit. I do believe my guests are about to act in a quite undignified manner."
The words were cue enough for Ukyou; she launched herself at Ranma, latching her into a fierce hug. "Ranchan! God, I've missed you!" A moment later, Ukyou began to cry in her arms. "Oh, Ranchan..."
The hug, at least, was enough to calm Ranma's nerves. It was just meeting old friends once more. "Good to see you too, Ucchan." She vaguely heard Kasumi converse with the mystery woman.
The two broke the hug; Ranma got a good look at her first friend. Ukyou hadn't gained much weight as a result of pregnancy; if anything, it made her gravid condition all the more apparent, as she was clearly due within the next month or two. Unlike Kasumi or Nabiki, she still wore her hair long, tied back in a high ponytail. Her clothes were only a slight modification from her teenage years, with capri pants replacing her earlier tights, and a purple maternity dress serving as top. Ucchan continued to cry for another minute, even as she began to converse with Ranma. "Ranchan... how...?"
Ranma grinned. "I've been told that I'm not escaping here tonight without telling the story." Her smile faltered; she reached up to wipe Ukyou's tears from her cheeks. "That said, I'd prefer to tell it only once. Okay?"
Ukyou nodded uncertainly. "O... Okay. So what are you doing nowadays?" She wiped her tears with her hand. "Acting as Kasumi's butler?"
Ranma blinked. "Did Kasumi not tell you?"
A fierce blush erupted on Ukyou's features. "I... sort of fainted once I heard you were alive."
"Oh," Ranma found herself matching Ukyou's blush. "Um... are you familiar with the Takarazuka Revue?"
Ukyou stared at her for a long moment, her eyes wide. After a minute, her face palmed into her hand. "You have got to be kidding." She shook her head. "You? In the Revue?"
"Yeah," Ranma replied. "Mom grew up in the area; after I had to leave Nerima, Mom sort of pushed me into the Takarazuka school to keep me busy, keep me from dwelling on what happened. Things kinda snowballed from there. I'm one of the lead otokoyaku in Cosmos troupe now."
"Otokoyaku," Ukyou muttered. "Of course you are." She looked up to the ceiling, exasperated with herself. "Why didn't I think to look there..."
Ranma grinned. "Let's face it: I wasn't exactly prime Takarazuka material back then."
"Very true," Ukyou conceded. "Still... it's good to have you back, Ranchan." She hugged Ranma again.
Ranma looked over at Konatsu while Ukyou hugged her. "Hey, Konatsu. How are things?"
Konatsu smiled, her pale lipstick glistening in the morning light. "Quite well, Ranma. It is good to see that Kodachi did not succeed, as she claimed." Konatsu, if anything, had become even more skilled at presenting as a female. Oftentimes a woman dressed to hide flaws and accentuate beauty; Konatsu had few flaws that Ranma could see. Porcelain face, perfectly made up; hair professionally styled into cascading waves; a trim figure accentuated by the skirt and blouse she wore. Konatsu practically radiated protectiveness, as she hovered over her wife. "Your actions were most... kunoichi. Let your opponents believe you dead, so that you may act with impunity. My clan would be proud."
"Er... thanks," Ranma replied. "Though I was referring in more general terms - family, restaurant, things like that."
"Oh." Konatsu blushed. "We married eight years ago; our anniversary is in October. We have two children; Reiko is seven and in second grade, while Hikaru is three. We have another due in about three weeks." She pursed her lips. "As you can imagine, our lives are rather hectic at this moment. For once, we were grateful for an excuse for a day off; I have been begging Ukyou to take it easy so close to the due date."
"I'm fine," Ukyou growled, holding onto Ranma tighter. "I'm pregnant, not an invalid." She smiled sweetly as she looked back at Konatsu. "Dear, while I appreciate your concern, I would not be me if I took so much time off from the restaurant." Her smile faded into a soft plea. "It's my Art. It's too much of me. You of all people would know that, Ranma."
"I would," Ranma admitted. She was about to explain just how much the Art - any of her Arts - were to her, when she was interrupted by an unfamiliar voice.
"Excuse me, but are you Akimoto Ran?" The fourth woman in the group spoke up. Ranma noticed the details of her presentation: the manicured fingernails, the casual but well-tailored dress. Her black hair was slightly permed, and reached down to her shoulders.
Ranma pondered a response to the woman's question. After a moment, she decided that actions spoke louder than words; she switched into the fighting outfit she'd used against Soun the previous day. "That depends. Is this Takarazuka?"
"Oh, my..." The woman wasn't a martial artist - an oddity in the crowd. "I'm, um... I'm a big fan, um... ah... what are you doing here in Nerima?"
Ranma beamed. "Visiting old friends. I knew the Tendous, and Ucchan and Konatsu, and Mu Tsu, back when I went to Furinkan."
Her eyes widened. "You... you knew my husband?" She whirled around to the crowd of men talking near the back entrance. "Mu Tsu!"
A collective 'uh oh' went up from the men's group. Mu Tsu turned around, and sheepishly faced his wife. "Yes, dear?"
The young woman put her hands on her hips. "Why didn't you tell me you knew Akimoto Ran?"
"Who?" Mu Tsu asked.
Ranma raised a hand. "Um, sorry, Mu Tsu... didn't mean to get you in trouble." She turned to the young woman. "He didn't know, because I didn't go to Furinkan under the name of Akimoto Ran. I actually went by the name of Saotome Ranma when I was a teenager." She reached out her hand. "Hi. I'm Ranma. What's your name?"
At this, the woman blanched. "Wait... you're that Ranma? The one that disappeared all those years ago?" She nodded slowly. "And that explains so much..." She recovered, and accepted Ranma's hand. "I'm Li. Mu Li." She touched her husband's arm. "This lunk head's wife."
Mu Tsu sighed exasperatingly as he joined his wife. "Getting me in trouble again, Saotome?" He smiled at the humor of the situation.
Ranma grinned. "Given my life, what do you expect?"
Mu Tsu laughed in response, and shook Ranma's hand. "It's good to see you, Ranma." His eyes twinkled; for a moment, Ranma wondered if he'd had laser surgery or if he was wearing contacts. He put a hand into his pocket, giving his wife a handle to latch on to with his arm. "Before you ask, not a word of this will be going back to Joketsuzoku. As far as the Elder Council are concerned, everyone in Nerima, myself included, is dead. As half of us were kill-on-sight to them before they came to these conclusions, I see no need to correct their assumptions." He looked outside; a shadow fell over his eyes. "Shan Pu will occasionally send me updates through Plum; she doesn't dare send them directly. Khu Lon died two years ago; Pu Rei took over as High Elder. Unfortunately, Pu Rei isn't the battle mistress Khu Lon was; there's some rumblings that she took the position for the prestige, and not to protect the village." He shook his head. "Idiot. Especially with the Musk and Phoenix active now... well, needless to say, it's not looking good for the village. Shan Pu gives even odds the idiot will be killed by her own warriors. She just hopes her family will survive that long." He shook his head; his wife held him tight.
"Dear, let it be." Li reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "I know it hurts, but they will do what they will do."
"I know," Mu Tsu nodded. It was clearly an old concern for him. "Shan Pu is not in a good way. Her eldest daughter died in a 'training accident' six months ago. Shan Pu suspects something else, though."
Ranma's eyes widened. It felt like screaming inside of her ears, as every martial arts instinct rose to the fore. "Assassination? Of a child?"
"What better way to solidify your power than to kill off the family of your greatest internal threat?" Mu Tsu looked far away. "Her younger daughter... Shan Pu has asked us to take her in if things get worse. I suspect she and her family would have gone here already, but it's a pretty good bet that the Joketsuzoku would come hunting here if she left the village."
Ranma frowned. A hundred possibilities roared in her head at that moment. The teenager in her wouldn't have hesitated to act. The adult, she realized, shouldn't hesitate either. "Let her know that there's more resources in Japan than what Nerima has to offer, if she wants to come here."
Mu Tsu snapped back to face Ranma. "Are you sure? I mean, if someone other than Shan Pu reads between the lines..."
Ranma felt something surge within her – something old but pure, something within her capability to understand and act upon. For a moment, she felt sixteen again, in familiar ground; she had a threat to address, an enemy to fight, a person to defend. "I'm sure. If nothing else, say that Clan Saotome is willing to find a place for her to hide, as recognition for her actions in avenging their daughter's death."
Mu Tsu nodded warily. "Okay. If you're sure… okay." He gritted his teeth. "That said... I think she thinks she's protecting my family. I think that's the only reason she hasn't left already."
"I... I understand that," Ranma said reluctantly. She bowed to Mu Li. "Sorry for bringing up less than pleasant subjects. How are you doing?"
Mu Li's brow furrowed in confusion. "I'm doing well. Though I wonder why you would be so concerned about Shan Pu."
Ranma and Mu Tsu just looked at each other for a moment, before chuckling. "Well... you know my line of work, right?" Ranma asked.
Mu Li nodded. "Of course. Doctor Jekyll and Miss Hyde, The Spirit of the Samurai, Man of La Mancha… I absolutely love your work!"
"Yeah, well..." Ranma's face twisted. "I'm guessing Mu Tsu has told you about the Joketsuzoku laws regarding people who beat their warriors in combat?" Mu Li's eyes widened as realization dawned. "Well... depending on how girly I was looking that day -" Mu Tsu snorted at that; Ranma glared at him, "Shan Pu either wanted to kill me or marry me. I visited her village, beat her when I was looking girly... then, after she chased me to Japan, I beat her again - when I was looking like a guy."
Mu Li shook her head. "Oh, dear... So she didn't know whether to kill you or marry you!" She looked askance at Ranma. "And I thought you were just crazy on stage!"
Ranma waved a hand in Mu Li's direction. "Meh. Compared to Nerima, the Takarazuka stage is nothing. Let's face it: if you can survive Nerima, you can survive anything!" Her face suddenly fell as she realized what she said. "... yeah."
A shadow passed over both Ranma and Mu Tsu; after a moment, Mu Tsu pulled out his wallet and moved toward Ranma, putting his arm around Ranma's shoulders. Ranma had to blink at the incongruity of the photo in front of her: a Mu Tsu dressed in a business suit, alongside his wife and two daughters.
"If you want to know what I'll fight for... everything is right here. Mu Li you know. The oldest one, that's Ran."
Ranma gave Mu Tsu a half-lidded stare. She knew she had been the inspiration for the name of Mu Tsu's daughter. That said, her full name... "Mu Ran?"
Mu Tsu shrugged. "Yeah, well, we named her long before the movie came out. Besides, one: she liked the movie, and two: if you want to raise a strong woman... can you think of a better name than Mulan?" He smiled, with soft lines of worry decorating his eyes. "She's ten, and just starting to reach that age where she's starting to get self-conscious; she needs all the role models she can get."
Ranma grinned. "Point."
He then pointed to his younger child. "And that's Chou. Those two... scary how smart they are. They'll leave me in the dust one day."
Mu Tsu continued to explain to Ranma about his children; Ranma smiled, and absorbed every word. The nervousness at meeting everyone again was gone. The roles were defined, the script well-practiced. And, while her place in that production had certainly changed, coming back to it all felt right.
"Ryouga!" Ranma's eyes lit up as her old rival entered the room. Instinctively, she rose up from her sitting position and hugged him.
"Er, hey, Ranma…" Ryouga hesitatingly put his arms around her. Ranma noticed a small crowd of people pour around them, likely his family; she took a moment to gauge the situation, then blushed as she realized what she'd done. She gave him a gentle squeeze, relaxed her smile, then took a step back.
She'd hugged Ryouga. The Ranma he remembered was a very different one. By the end of her time in Nerima, she was a woman, and had clearly become comfortable with that fact; however, she had always classified Ryouga as "fellow guy", even if she wasn't a "guy" anymore. And, well, in the guy code (at least, the outdated version she used), guys didn't hug guys.
Her blush intensified; she clasped her hands together. "Sorry."
"It's okay," Ryouga replied, smiling quietly; Ranma took a moment to get a good look at him. In so many ways, he was what she was not. He was tan, rugged, the product of years of work on the farm; her soft, pale skin tone reflected the predominance of city life in her existence. His musculature was a similar divide; Ryouga's broad, powerful legs, arms, and shoulders were in sharp contrast to her own lithe frame. Their demeanors, however, were even more striking. Ryouga was calm, relaxed, settled into domestic life; she had no doubts that those shoulders of his had carried his children many a time. For her, it was her art, always her art, no matter what that art was. She never really unplugged, never really had a way to unplug. The art, the role was her life. Ryouga's family was his. In its own way, that divide, that separation, that definition of "Ryouga" and "Ranma", was more pronounced than their genders.
The part of her that could appreciate the masculine form smirked quietly within her. She had eventually come to understand that, on occasion, she could and would be attracted to men; she couldn't quite bring herself to form a relationship with one, but she could at least admire Ryouga's perfection of form - his hard muscles, rugged face, soulful eyes…
In a moment's time, Ranma turned away. Akari stood next to Ryouga, her eyebrow raised, an odd smile on her features. "Akari! How are you doing?"
Akari gave her an askance look as she held a baby in her arms. "Oh, I'm good. How are you?" The tone in her voice indicated that she could tell just what Ranma was thinking.
"Okay," Ranma replied, a bit sheepishly. She'd forgotten about the girl code, which she clearly had to follow now: don't be too obvious when checking out a married man. Which meant, well, she'd messed up. One thing Ranma had learned since leaving Nerima was how to deal with particular people. Some people could not be trusted with the truth, she knew; others would accept no other coin. Akari, fortunately for her, was the latter, and moreover was likely mature enough to accept it. "Sorry about that."
"It's all right," Akari replied, clearly relaxing, a knowing smile on her face. No doubt she'd had to deal with similar looks from similar women over the years. "So I heard you're an actress now?"
Ranma ran her fingers through her short hair self-consciously. "Yeah… went into the Takarazuka Revue shortly after leaving Nerima. I figured if I couldn't be a guy, I might as well get the chance to act like one." She shrugged. "It's a fun life."
Akari chuckled at the idea. "It's a little different on the farm… but it's a fun life, too. The kids keep me busy; imagine having to raise four kids, all with his strength and capacity for mischief." Ranma nodded in understanding; by the time she'd known Ryouga, he'd already become a moody teenager, but it was clear he would have been an active child at least, if not hyperactive. "It doesn't help that the kids are about as bad at getting lost as he is. At least they know the boundaries of the farm, and know not to go beyond those." She raised an eyebrow. "Anyone in your life?"
Ranma shook her head. "Officially, I'm not supposed to be attached while I'm with the Revue. A few of my colleagues have quiet, unofficial relationships, but if we want to make it official, it means leaving the Revue."
Ryouga smirked at that comment. "So. Been in any… unofficial relationships lately?"
Ranma looked over at Nabiki as she conversed with Ukyou and Konatsu. She'd always held a strong appreciation for the female form; to her relief, that attraction had never gone away. What Ranma found most attractive about Nabiki was her eyes. Nabiki's dark eyes were always in motion, her mind constantly working. Though it may never have seemed like it, all of the Tendou women were martial artists at an instinctive level; the only difference between them was how they used that gift. Nabiki was a master of situational awareness - of watching the myriad actors within a room and how they interacted, and how to respond. Watching Nabiki's mind dance through the mirrors of the soul sent shivers down Ranma's spine.
Of course, that wasn't intended to deprecate any other part of her. She was still trim and fit, if not to a martial artist's level; her curves could stop any man cold - and a few women as well. She was a symphony of proportions, a classic beauty who'd grown into her body, with modest breasts, a beautiful sloping curve to the hips, and toned legs.
She blinked for a moment. She looked at Nabiki, who by this time was occasionally glancing back at her, then looked over at Ryouga.
For once, it seemed that art and life matched. She wasn't sure what to think about that, but she did know how to respond to Ryouga's question.
"My life is weird enough as it is," Ranma groused.
"And how is this different from normal?" Ryouga asked, a grin on his face.
Ranma slapped his arm. "Jerk," she muttered, even as she chuckled at the statement. The look on her face indicated she wasn't completely serious.
Ryouga's smile faded, concern written in his eyes. "Seriously… are you okay with things?" He put a hand on Ranma's shoulder; Ranma shivered at the touch. "Your life, I mean."
Ranma understood the implications of the question. "To be honest, I don't know. I mean, I'm fine with who I've become… I'm just not sure what the next step is." She looked around at the closest thing she had to family, how they'd grown in her absence. "It's a fun life… but I'm not sure I want to do it for the rest of my life."
Akari nodded. "I can understand that. I think all of us have parts of our lives we're happy with, and parts of our lives we wish could be better." She sighed wistfully, and gently leaned into her husband. "I'm happy with the life I have. Raising the kids, dealing with this lunk, working with the pigs on the farm… it's a good life." She looked off to the side, at nothing in particular. "But I always wonder what city life would have been life."
"City life is overrated," Ranma replied. "It's busy, but it's loud; it has everything except what you need." As the words left her mouth, she found herself staring at Nabiki, the words trailing off.
Ryouga's eyes narrowed at her pensive expression. "What are you thinking about, Ranma?"
The comment brought her back to reality; in an instant, the performer had returned, wearing a rogue's grin. "A gentleman never kisses and tells, Ryouga. Neither does a lady, for that matter." Her left eyebrow twitched upward, making her look even more the scoundrel. "As it is, I happen to be both."
As Ranma faced off against her opponent, she knew: it was finally time to act.
Unfortunately.
Put simply, Ryouga had perfected his style. The Breaking Point technique toughened a martial artist to the point that ordinary hits had little to no effect. In Ryouga's case, this simplified his defense considerably; he only needed to worry about protecting "soft" or vulnerable parts of his body, and could leave large areas of his body exposed. Ranma had tried penetrating his defenses, but only found a body rendered rock-hard from years of training.
Also unfortunately: The Saotome 'Victoria's Secret' Technique (as her trick yesterday had been dubbed) was not going to work in this case. That technique operated on surprise; since everyone had heard about yesterday's fight, using it again would be both useless and silly. Advanced ki techniques were out because of the likely damage to the building; blowing the roof off of the building would generally be considered impolite. All of these issues left only one option to her - acting.
For a martial artist like herself, it was child's play. Increase her breathing, let it become more labored. Increase the heart rate, causing her body and face to become flush with blood. Get just a tad slower in her attacks. Make it look as though she was tiring; make it look as though she was about to make a mistake. She launched another attack, springing from one of the walls, this one just a tad sloppier than before.
Eventually, he'd fall for it, Ranma thought. Eventually, he'd go on the offensive, thinking he had her. If she could fool him with all sorts of disguises when she knew nothing about acting, there was no way he wouldn't fall for her act now.
She tried for another attack, this one going low; Ryouga started to press in response. Inwardly, Ranma smiled. She let herself get pushed back slightly, letting him think she was tired, letting him think she was vulnerable...
There! Ryouga flexed his muscles, about to extend just a bit too much on a punch. Ranma's eyes widened. She ducked, then launched a fist at his chin.
Ryouga twisted slightly, and Ranma gulped. A feint! Ryouga grabbed Ranma's arm, changing her momentum; a moment later, she felt a fist impact against her temple, sending her to the floor. "Winner - Ryouga!" she heard Kasumi announce, though the words seemed far away as she fought to remain conscious.
She managed to push herself into a sitting position; she looked around blearily, trying to get her bearings. Voices could be heard around her, but she couldn't make sense of them.
She felt a hand touch her shoulder. "Ranma? Are you okay?" The voice sounded muted, as though spoken through a mask. Ranma put a hand to her head, trying to clear the fog around her.
"Ah... abuh... uh... whoa." Her vision swam back into focus. "Ryouga... you still punch hard."
"Eloquent as ever, Ranma," Ryouga laughed. He offered a hand to her to pick her up, then stopped.
Ranma blinked. For a moment, she wondered if she was decent; she did fight in a modified cheongsam, after all. "Ryouga?"
Ryouga glanced behind himself. "Ranma, do you mind helping me with a parenting moment?"
Ranma's brow furrowed in confusion. Her head was still ringing from the shot she'd taken. "Sure, I guess."
"Thanks," Ryouga grinned. He then turned toward his children. "Kappei, Matsuo, could you come here for a minute?"
Ranma managed a smile at the group that made their way around Ryouga. More than two joined Ryouga in the center of the dojo. The oldest was about ten, and was like looking at Ryouga in miniature; his dark eyes and touseled black hair reminded Ranma a great deal of his old junior-high classmate. The second was a couple of years younger, slimmer, with his mother's eyes and facial features. A toddler dressed in overalls followed the pair, her hair styled with a pink streak through her hair like her mother, and looked on the world with a broad, fang-toothed grin; she latched onto Ryouga's leg at the first opportunity.
Ryouga smiled, and effortlessly picked his daughter up into his arms. The girl instinctively latched onto Ryouga's neck, and leaned into the carry.
The girl looked at him seriously. "Piggy time?"
Ryouga snorted. "Maybe later, sweetie." He then turned to the two boys. "Kappei... you know the trouble you've been having at school with Hayao?"
The reaction was instantaneous; the oldest boy scowled, and looked away. "Stupid jerk."
Ryouga nodded sagely. Ranma looked on at Ryouga in admiration; wisdom and peace clearly suited him. "Well... when I was your age, I had a rival, too - Ranma, here. Always kept getting the bread at lunchtime; always just a hair faster than me." Emotions twisted his face for a moment. "Well... things escalated. Things got worse. Eventually, I followed Ranma all the way to China, to finish the fight we'd started." He relaxed and grinned, and looked over at his daughter. "That's where the piggy comes from." He poked his daughter in the nose, and she giggled. "I blamed Ranma for that, too," he said softly.
He then looked down at his feet for a moment. "When I was your age, I would have given anything to beat Ranma. Like I said, I even followed Ranma all the way to China to finish our fight." He then looked at Ranma. "Well, I just beat her. I got what I'd wished for all those years ago. And you know what I feel right now?" He swallowed, hard; Ranma watched the movement of muscles in his throat. "I'm just grateful she's alive and well and happy. See, someone else, well... the rivalry, the fights and disagreements that were going on between all of us at the time, took them to a place there's no going back from. A psychopath... well, this psychopath killed a friend of ours. Then, well... they claimed to have killed Ranma, here. We thought she was dead." His voice broke as he said these last words. "We thought she was dead." He reached out a hand to help Ranma up; Ranma accepted.
Akari chose that moment to walk in to join them, an infant in her arms. Ryouga looked at his two eldest sons. "I know growing up isn't easy. I know you think your old man doesn't understand what it's like. And some things I don't; I still don't know much about computers, for instance. It's just not what I grew up with." He glanced all around him for a moment, at the friends and family he'd made over the years, before turning back to his children. "But I do know this. Your life is all you know. Family, friends, school... when you're growing up, there's not much life yet. So every small crisis seems out of proportion. When you grow up... as you grow up... you'll learn. In time, you'll learn. You'll know what's important and what isn't. So when your old man tells you to calm down and be patient... well, I wasn't calm when I was younger. I wasn't patient. Eventually, I learned when to be calm, and when not to be."
The face of Kappei, Ryouga's oldest, twisted in outrage. "But Dad, if this other rival was actually killing people, I wouldn't want to be calm at all!"
It was only years of stage experience that kept Ranma from reacting to the comment. Ryouga shrugged. "Like I said – what's important, and what's not. When people are in danger, then yeah, it's worth it. But has anyone been in any real danger?" Kappei just looked away in frustration; Ryouga grinned. "You know when it's time to act. A martial artist protects the weak. Let that guide you. If it's not a case like that... just take a deep breath, and it will pass." He angled his head around to look his eldest in the eye. "Okay?"
"Okay..." Kappei said reluctantly.
Ryouga then turned to Matsuo, the younger of the two. "Okay?"
"Okay," Matsuo replied, more confidently.
Ryouga's gaze found Ranma's. "Thanks."
"You're welcome," Ranma replied. "I love you, too." She said the words without any romantic meaning to them.
Ryouga nodded, understanding. He latched onto Akari as the family walked to the edge of the dojo. Ranma couldn't help but smile as she watched them walk away. Ryouga had found perspective, and a sense of peace. Who would have imagined that?
"Ranma?"
Kasumi's voice interrupted her thoughts. Ranma looked over at her. "Yes, Kasumi?"
"Could you turn around for a minute and face me?"
Ranma blinked. "Sure."
Kasumi pulled out a penlight. "Ranma, I need to test to make sure you don't have a concussion. Okay?"
"Um... okay," Ranma replied. "Not like I need it, though; I mean, I've been hit far worse than that before."
Kasumi frowned slightly at Ranma's response, and turned on the penlight. "Now I want you to follow the light with your eyes, okay?"
"Okay," Ranma replied automatically.
As Ranma followed the moving light, Kasumi continued. "'Before'..." Ranma could practically hear the quotes, "...Ranma, whatever 'before' was like... with one exception, I would rather not go back to what things were like 'before'. Just because the injuries aren't visible doesn't mean they aren't there." She turned off the light, put it in the pocket of her apron, and put her hands on Ranma's shoulders. "You look all right. That said, I don't think you should spar any more today. Okay?"
Ranma's eyes flashed. "But, Kasumi..."
"Ranma." Kasumi's voice cut through the protest. For a moment, Ranma saw Kasumi as mother, the matriarch of the family and the household. After a minute, she stopped, and bowed her head. "Please, Ranma. It's just... For my peace of mind, please."
Ranma opened her mouth to respond, to find some counter to Kasumi's argument; in the end, all that came out was an exasperated sigh. "Okay, Kasumi. I'm done for the day."
"Thank you, Ranma." She looked over at the edge of the dojo. "As much as I love my family's Art, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if I put my children through what we went through. For me, that means being careful about things like concussions." She pursed her lips, forming them into a thin line. "I'm sorry."
Ranma followed Kasumi's eyes, to where most of the children were watching. They were talking, joking, enjoying themselves; save for the karate gis and family resemblances, they were blissfully anonymous, like any other gang of children getting together. Even more, it was clear they'd grown up together; the rapport between them was one built over the course of years - and, as far as Ranma could see, there were no arranged marriages, no stolen dowries, no Neko-ken training. They were just kids.
Was she ever just a kid? Was anyone of her generation ever 'just a kid'? Kimiko's death had forced the Tendou daughters to grow up quickly - too quickly, Ranma knew. Ryouga's directional problems had already made his life difficult. Ukyou had been abandoned by her fiancé and forced to live as a boy; Konatsu was already deep in training to be a kunoichi. And Mu Tsu... life for anyone, let alone a male, in the Joketsuzoku village was not an easy one. And herself... she'd gone through the Neko-ken training at age seven. By the time they were the age of Kasumi's twins, childhood was on hold or finished; life had hardened all of them.
She nodded slowly. "Yeah." She didn't feel like saying anything else. She walked to the edge of the dojo, and sat down against the wall.
Movement to her left caught her attention, and she turned to the source. Ukyou was getting up, albeit with some effort; she rose from her sitting position, walked toward Ranma, and eased herself right next to her.
"Don't be too hard on Kasumi," Ukyou whispered, touching her on the arm.
Ranma frowned. "I get the feeling something happened."
Ukyou nodded, a grimace twisting her features. "There was a sort of guy-bonding thing a few years ago. Old Man Tendou took Toufuu, Ryouga, and Konatsu on a training trip for a week or so. Us girls didn't think much about it. Training trips like that happened every so often." She sighed. "What none of them told us was that the reason for the training trip was so that Ryouga could train Tendou and Toufuu in the Breaking Point technique."
"Not Konatsu?" Ranma asked.
"My husband's a kunoichi. The Breaking Point technique is about as far from Konatsu's style as you can get. Was a good thing, too. Having someone there who wasn't concussed who had a sense of direction... well." She looked over at Kasumi, absently rubbing her belly as she did so. "They learned the Breaking Point, all right. Both of them are about as rock-hard as Ryouga nowadays." She snorted derisively. "Too bad it cost them both a stint in the hospital. Concussions, so bad that Tendou ended up in a coma; even today, he still has memory problems."
Ranma blinked. Suddenly, the reactions of the Tendous the previous evening made sense. "... damn."
"You said it," Ukyou replied. "Afterwards, well... Kasumi pretty much laid down the law. If it couldn't be taught with a degree of safety, it was out." She let out a deep exhale. "Can't really blame her for that."
"Yeah," Ranma's voice sounded hollow – too hollow for her liking, too depressing for her liking. She resorted to a favorite crutch – acting – and pulled out Jekyll for a moment to break up the mood. "So. It would appear that I am grounded. Now what?"
"Well... that makes both of us," Ukyou groused. She looked up at the ceiling. "I am so ready to have this kid. Love being a mommy, make no mistake... but pregnancy is no fun." She glanced to her side. "Hey, Nabiki."
"Hey, Ukyou. So is this where the noncombatants hang out?" Nabiki asked, earning glares from both Ukyou and Ranma. She took a seat next to Ranma. "Don't feel too bad. It's just Kasumi being Kasumi."
"I know." Ranma's fingers drummed against her thighs, as though a piano was beneath her fingertips. "Still feel like I need to do something. Too much energy. Geared up for a fight... now I can't fight."
Nabiki tilted her head to one side. "How does a walk around the old neighborhood sound?" She looked over at Ukyou and opened her mouth, when Ukyou held up a hand.
"Don't ask it, sugar," Ukyou replied. "You know I can walk just fine."
Nabiki nodded sagely. "I'll take that as a yes." She glanced back at the center of the dojo, where two children were preparing to fight. "Oooh, Akane's going up against Kappei! This should be fun..."
Ranma fidgeted, and turned her eyes toward the center of the dojo to watch the fight. Watching wasn't as entertaining as being in the fight herself, but it would at least occupy her until she could get outside.
Nabiki had wanted to go on the walk with Ranma.
She just really didn't want to come here.
The tour of Nerima had been straightforward enough. A visit to Ucchan's, where Ukyou had whipped up okonomiyaki for the crowd. A trip to the Nekohanten; Mu Tsu had offered, but everyone was full from Ucchan's, and decided on tea instead. The market that Kasumi went to every day to get food. A park she'd played at as a child, where Ranma and Akane had shared cheeseburgers in an early tender moment.
Still, she supposed the last place was inevitable. Her feet felt heavy as she trudged up the final steps; she pushed open the door to the roof, and stood atop the building.
She held an office on the thirtieth story in the Marunouchi district of Tokyo, but the fourth-story view from atop Furinkan High School still took her breath away. She walked to the edge, to the fence that protected students from falling off, and rested her forehead against the chain-link. Dimly, she heard the others behind her file onto the roof - her family, what family she had left, what family she and her sisters had made.
Ranma stood next to her, seeming to take in a world's worth of air in one breath. She exhaled and stood next to Nabiki, enjoying the view of Nerima it offered. "God, I missed this place. Sad as it sounds, but I missed this place. I spent a lot of lunches and afternoons here." She looked up in thought for a moment. "Usually to hide from, well... take your pick. Fiancées, fiancées' cooking, rivals, challengers, nutcase principals, nutcase principal's children, ki-vampire teachers..." She blinked as a thought crossed her mind. "Is Hinako-sensei still teaching here?"
Nabiki gave a knowing grin as she turned to face Ranma. "Hinako is currently in grad school in Maihama at the moment, finishing up her doctoral thesis. The title of her thesis in progress, in case you are wondering: 'The unimaginable: overcoming the effects of violence and tragedy to achieve learning outcomes for secondary education'."
Ranma gave a half-lidded stare. "Why am I not surprised..."
Nabiki shrugged. "Rumors are that she'll be the next principal here once Yamaguchi-sensei retires. And, while it's a lot less crazy here than it used to be, Furinkan is still the job almost no teacher wants." She looked over at her father and at Toufuu; they could explain far better than she could. "Also... um..."
"Hinako-chan is doing well," Soun interrupted, a wistful smile on his face. His eyes clouded. "The reason she's staying away... and yes, she is staying away... she wants to wait until she feels she is ready." He took a deep breath. "Her child body is starting to catch up to her adult body, thanks to Toufuu's work with the old master's notes; she says she'll be ready to defend her thesis next year, which I would call a remarkable coincidence."
Ranma blinked at Toufuu in surprise. "You fixed her ki pathways." Toufuu nodded in reply. "And she'll be an adult full-time at about that time?"
Toufuu shrugged. "Well, enough of an adult, anyway."
Ranma fixed a mischievous smile in Soun's direction. Nabiki realized just how much she'd missed that smile; it had largely gone after her curse was locked and, if anything, her acclimation to womanhood had made it even less common. "Am I going to be getting a wedding invitation in a year or so?"
Soun nodded thoughtfully. "Quite possible." The edges of his mouth twitched; the tone in his voice indicated that he would not be saying any more.
"Good." Ranma gave Soun a thumbs-up sign, indicating she understood. "It's nice to see that she makes you happy."
Nabiki looked out at the neighborhood surrounding Furinkan - her world once, still her home to an extent. Her eyes naturally drifted toward familiar landscapes and locations. "I haven't been up here since I graduated," she said, her voice hollow.
"Nabiki?" Ranma frowned; Nabiki bowed her head. Clearly she'd said more than she intended. She took a deep breath to gather her thoughts.
"That last year... after everything that had happened... I got to the graduation ceremony. By that point, I considered it a miracle I was even alive. And... it hurt. It hurt in ways I hadn't even considered. The problem with graduation ceremonies... anyone who dies, they memorialize. They memorialized the Principal. They memorialized Kunou." Her voice turned to a whisper. "They memorialized my baby sister." She turned to Ranma. "They memorialized you." Her teeth clenched for a moment. "Thank God the bitch went to St. Hebereke's; I think there would have been violence if they tried to 'memorialize' her." She swallowed hard, and looked out to the horizon. "And then, after the ceremony... I wandered up here. Everyone else was with their family... no one else was up here."
She felt an arm wrap around her shoulder; Ranma stood next to her. Her hands raised up in front of her, as though she wondered why they were empty. "I stood up here, my diploma in hand, the offer to Toudai in hand... and I was free. I was free." Tears started running down her cheeks at the memory. "And... and I couldn't stop crying. I was free, I'd gotten out. But Akane... and you... and..." She buried her head in Ranma's shoulder. "I... I was free. And I hated myself for finding a way out." She found herself sinking deeper into Ranma's embrace.
She felt Ranma's hand touch the back of her head as she cried, but no words. Nabiki found herself appreciating the silence, with Ranma's heartbeat the only voice reaching her ears.
She understood, now, why Akane had loved Ranma so much. Ranma was. Ranma was human, make no mistake, but there was something pure, something elemental about her. Ranma was the comfort of a ray of sunlight and the crackle of a bonfire, the laugh of a gentle breeze and the roar of a typhoon, the soothing warmth of a hot spring and the indomitable force of a tsunami. One did not negotiate with the elements; the elements had plenty to offer, and it was up to her to accept the gifts at hand.
A foolish person would have attempted to comfort her with empty words. Ranma was simply there, her embrace warm like sunshine, and that for her was enough.
Author's Notes:
One more chapter to go. At the moment, the last chapter is the smallest of the chapters; I may add a scene if I feel like it, or maybe an omake or two. I cut the work into chapters based not so much on length as on logic; Part 1 is pre-visit, part 2 is day 1 of the visit, part 3 is the beginning of day 2, and Ranma re-meeting old friends. Part 4... well. Peter Beagle once wrote, "There are no happy endings, for nothing ever ends". That's what the end here feels like: so many possibilities beyond it. Maybe I should start writing little scenes as omake...
nightelf
September 10, 2018