A Mother's Secret part 2:
A Daughter's Journey

By JaquiK

Chapter 2: Catching Up

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"I live here."

"That's not an excuse and you know it."

"Well, it's not like I have anywhere else to be right now."

"And we both know that's a lie, dear sister."

Akane rolled her eyes, but still made a point to not turn around, instead keeping her focus on the homework at her desk. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Nabiki."

"Oh really? So nothing about joining Kasumi on her trip across town and taking the chance to visit a certain someone?" Akane heard Nabiki give an overdramatic wistful sigh. "Well then, I guess it really is truly over."

"Will you please stop saying that already?"

"Perhaps I will once a certain stubborn idiot finally gets it through their head to go to the house of the other stubborn idiot and actually talk to them."

Akane gave a scoff. "Did you suddenly forget who also lives there? Wow, you must be losing your touch if you actually think I'd be caught in the same place as that-"

The sound of Nabiki slamming her hand on the desk caused Akane to jump slightly. "One thing I do know is that my dear sister will make sure to choose her words carefully, especially after recent events. Isn't that right."

"I'm not stupid, you know," Akane said before looking up at Nabiki with a scowl. "Are you actually trying to defend that woman, after what she did to our mother?!"

"And what, exactly, did she do?" Nabiki shot back. "Let's be honest, our main source isn't exactly what I would call unbiased. Plus it's not like Mom would have talked to us about something like that."

"Maybe, but it's not just that though, is it? Think about it. All those apparent adventures those two did together and Mom never told us about a single one. Heck, did she ever bring up that woman at all? We have no reason to believe Mom even thought about her after what happened."

"Maybe. Maybe not."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"What it means, Akane, is that the answer may be right in front of you and you just haven't noticed. But I think we've gone off topic for long enough. Regardless of your current opinions on Auntie Nodoka, the point is that she's going out to some cafe to have a long, emotionally charged talk with her daughter."

"I still can't believe Kasumi would even consider-"

"Whatever our older sister decides to do is her decision, not ours, and that is something we should respect no matter our feelings. Back to my point though, the important thing is that a certain someone will be at home all alone for a few hours and free to have a completely different kind of long, emotionally charged talk. So, I am going to ask you again…"

"What the hell am I doing here?" Ukyo quietly mumbled out. All the way on the train ride here it seemed like a good idea, the obvious idea, the greatest idea. A chance to finally go and show Ranma who was the best choice for him, now that no other obstacles stood in their way. Not to mention the opportunity to finally clear up some rather turbulent thoughts and questions. And certainly not something influenced by any outside parties, no siree. Plenty of time spent planning, meticulously going over everything, right down to the opening line once Ranma opened that door. But as soon as Ukyo saw what was on the other side, everything immediately fell apart. Ranma being a girl, even with the darker hair? That was easily a possibility. The seifuku and makeup? Unexpected, but certainly not impossible.

No, it was that immediate, if brief, look of disappointment that stopped the okonomiyaki chef cold.

So now here Ukyo was, sitting down at the table in the family room after being basically led to it by hand, nursing a cup of offered tea while Ranma was upstairs getting changed, letting the feelings of doubt start to creep in.

"Hey, sorry about that. Kinda had a thing that kept me at school so I didn't get a chance to change yet," came a voice that was still very much in the soprano range. Honestly still not a surprise with the way Ranma seemed almost blasé about the form he was in recently. Well, recently as in more than two months ago.

Ukyo shook off that thought and forced a smile. "That's fine, Sugar. I'm a little surprised you were at school any longer than was-" Looking up, Ukyo's words caught at the appearance of Ranma. No longer in the seifuku, but still wearing a skirt. An admittedly quite lovely forest green, ankle length skirt along with a matching blouse. His hair was still down and…maybe shorter? It was a bit hard to judge how long his hair was back then what with it always tied up in that pigtail. Ukyo couldn't help but notice how nice Ranma's hair looked like this, especially with how the now black color framed his currently female face. A face that still had expertly done makeup applied to it. All in all, it combined together into something Ukyo previously thought impossible. Sure, Ranma wouldn't hesitate to wear something girly if it meant achieving some larger goal, but he would never even think of presenting himself as so…feminine.

"Ranchan? Why are…"

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot to say. Thanks for coming to visit, Ucchan. I really appreciate it," Ranma said with a quick laugh and a tone that sounded rehearsed, but with an undercurrent of sincerity beneath.

Ukyo forced a bit of a smile. "Not a problem, Hon. Sorry it took so long an' all."

"Hey, it's fine. Just glad to see an old familiar face again."

"Wait, really? I figured Shampoo or Kodachi woulda been buggin' ya nonstop by now."

"Oh yeah. Mom went and had a talk with the old ghoul about something and I guess they decided to leave me alone for a while for some reason. And I guess the Kunos haven't figured out where I live now, so I'll take that while I can."

"Oh, so no one else's come ta visit ya yet?"

"Yeah. Not really." A small, awkward silence hung over the two before Ranma quickly spoke up again. "Hey, have you eaten yet?"

"Well, I-" The growling of Ukyo's stomach quickly finished answering the question.

"Me neither. How 'bout I go and make some dinner for us."

"Really? You, cook?"

"Ah, come on, I wasn't that bad."

"My 10 year sauce."

"Okay fine, but I got better. Plus, Mom's been teaching me a bunch. You stay right there and I'll go whip us up something really quick to show you what I've learned."

The uneasiness of the situation was immediately overshadowed by something far more important. "Forget it, Ranchan. Ain't no way you're gonna be keepin' a chef outta the kitchen," Ukyo proclaimed while standing up and giving a pose.

"Oh, alright. I was gonna make some beef and vegetable stir fry with some rice. I guess it would be nice to have some help."

"You got it, Sugar."

The two quickly got prepared and started to work on the meal in silence. Ukyo, busy chopping up the vegetables, glanced over to Ranma who was marinating the beef. "So, Ranchan. How…um, how's things?"

"Oh, kinda a lot of the usual actually. Heh, shoulda figured the weirdness would follow me even after moving. Hey, how about you? Bet things have been so dull for everyone since I'm not around."

Ukyo gave a loud, bitter laugh. "Still think the world revolves 'round you, Hon? Well, I've got bad news for ya." The sound of chopping became slower yet more pronounced. "Spent all of break chasin' after your worthless excuse of a…after Genma. Never caught up ta the bastard. Instead I get involved in a stupid fracas with some kunoichi tea house, Nabiki of all people gets involved, and long story short, there's now a ninja girl livin' at the Tendos and waitressing at my restaurant."

"Huh. Okay, yeah that's…"

"I know, right? Then I thought things would calm down a bit once school started again, but nope! Turns out that jerk of a principal went an' hired a teacher that specializes in crushing delinquents. Be glad you got outta there when ya did."

"Yeah right. Like some dumb teacher's gonna get me."

"We all thought the same thing, right up ta the point where she literally sucked the aggression right outta someone."

"Wait, she did what?!"

"Yep, she can absorb someone's battle aura. Apparently she was given the ability as a little kid by Happosai of all people."

"Hold on, the old freak?" Ranma asked with concern in his voice. "Is everyone okay?"

"Pretty much. Got into a big battle over the whole thing, though. The good news is that we never have ta worry 'bout the old freak ever again."

"Really? Wow, I was wondering why he never showed up here to bother me. Yeah, guess things have been still kinda crazy over there, huh?"

"Oh, I ain't even done yet, Sugar. And trust me, there's somethings I don't wanna even bring up." Like that stupid fishing rod. Why'd I have ta play with that damn thing? And why'd Akane have ta jump right in front of me? "Oh yeah, so then Akane has ta go help out an old childhood friend of hers, and Konatsu and I of course get roped into helpin' out."

"Konatsu?"

"That's the name of the ninja girl. Anyways, we all end up going to this weird place with giant zoo animals and magic healing waters and stuff. And it turned out Akane's friend was dying from an injury and the magic waters was keepin' him alive, but the waters was runnin' out. Also, the guy has memory problems from the injury or somethin', but he also has a big crush on Akane so he kept confessing to her 'cause he kept forgettin' he'd already done it like five minutes before and it got real annoyin'. Anyway, we had ta fight this big eight headed orochi that liked ta eat women so we could get some moss that would cure the guy. So the guy saved Akane and then Akane saved the guy or whatever and it turned out she had something that could put the orochi to sleep the entire time, but the important thing was that before that happened, Konatsu got swallowed up by the orochi…and then immediately spat out. Turns out it hates the taste of men, and Konatsu's body…but she still insisted that she's a girl, no matter what. So after everything was over, we had a long conversation 'bout her, and that turned into a long conversation 'bout me, and I started really thinking 'bout me and…"

Ukyo paused at seeing the deep gashes that were now in the cutting board, which was starting to appear blurry, and brought a hand up to their face, feeling the tears start to form in their eyes.

"...and I ain't sure what I'm s'posed ta think anymore."

"Ucchan…I didn't…"

"So then," Ukyo quickly continued, making sure to keep their face away from view," so then I start to think that maybe what I need to sort my shit out is to finally go an' visit my best friend. That maybe all this confusion an' weirdness is just 'cause I've been missin' Ranma, so-"

"Ran."

"What?"

"Oh! Right, I didn't tell you yet. I changed my name. Maybe I'll keep it, or I might change it to something else. Don't know yet. But yeah, going by 'Ran' now. Guess I didn't think about it 'cause you're always calling me 'Ranchan'. Hey, maybe I should keep the name since it still works like that."

"Right, guess I shoulda expected you to cut out that part of the bastard's legacy and send it to pasture."

"Huh?"

"You know, 'ma', 'horse'. Wait, did you not actually know what that kanji meant?"

"Hey, of course I know what it means! I just…oh…oh wow. I wasn't even thinking about him when changing my name. I was just looking for something that still felt like me, but matched up more with me being a girl now.

Ukyo quickly spun around, facing Ranma…facing Ran directly. "Okay, yeah, that's the other thing."

"Ucchan, you're crying," Ran said with surprise and worry evident. "What's-"

"No, we are addressing this right now! No matter how many cutesy outfits ya put on, you always made sure ta assert that it was just for a ruse or some challenge and that you were really a guy. You told me 'bout those times you got trapped in your cursed body and how pissed you were about it. Hells, I remember how determined you were to win that damned hot springs obstacle race and get ta China so you could cure your curse. And now…"

Ukyo once again looked at their friend's outfit, makeup, hair, at…at her entire demeanor. Their voice became much softer as they finished.

"And now this ain't a ruse or nothing, is it Ranchan. What the hell happened to you?"

They watched the emotions play out on the face of their best friend, the girl that was in front of them, before she finally settled on an obvious mask of indifference. "Eh, it's not really that big of a deal. Mom just gave me the option is all."

"Just…gave you the option," Ukyo repeated back as if it really was something so simple.

"Oh sure. I mean, I didn't even know this was an option for me til I met Mom and found out about her curse and stuff. Guess it's kinda silly it took seeing someone with the same curse as me to realize I could really be an actual girl."

"Wait, hold on a sec. Whaddya mean the same curse?"

"Huh? You mean none of the Tendos told you about it?"

"Uh, well…" Ukyo looked away slightly as their face developed a bit of a reddish tinge. "Like I said, things got busy. Then, um, talking ta Akane kinda sorta got a little awkward and all."

"Oh yeah, I suppose things would be weird with me moving away and all."

"Yes. Yes, that exactly," Ukyo quickly agreed.

"Well, Mom did say I could talk about it if I need to, so…" Ran turned back around towards the counter. "Let's finish up the meal and I'll talk about what happened when my Mom came to find me."

Kasumi wasn't quite sure how long she'd been standing there on the sidewalk, not moving as everyone else was forced to walk around her. She believed she was finally ready for this. A brief phone conversation while her sisters were away at school, helping to calm her mind and spirit. Her heart determined to take that necessary final journey. But now, with just a final step to go, she found herself hesitating, knowing who was beyond that door waiting for her inside the cafe.

The woman who was Ranma's…was Ran's mother.

The woman who was once best friends with her own mother, and then for a brief time…her lover.

The woman who…who was her birth father.

Kasumi took a deep breath to try and calm herself. Whether or not she was truly ready, this was something she had to do. She had been putting far too many things off for far too long as it was. Briefly, she thought about that shield she would so often surround herself with when chaos was occurring all around her. An aura of tranquility combined with…well…looking back on it, she really couldn't deny it being anything but…indifference.

"Oh, Kasumi!"

She turned to see Nodoka rushing down the sidewalk towards her. "I apologize for being late," the woman said. "I didn't keep you waiting too long, did I?"

Kasumi quickly put a reassuring smile on her face. "Oh no. Not at all. I was just about to go inside in fact." Looking over to Nodoka, she noticed the older woman had her dark red hair tied back in a loose ponytail and that her running up caused it to rest on her left shoulder.

"Ah, so I suppose we both have rather fortunate timing then."

"Oh?" Kasumi blinked before quickly recovering. "Oh, yes it seems so."

The two went inside and found an open table. Polite looks were given as they sat down across from each other. However, Kasumi found herself unsure of how to start and it seemed that Nodoka was having the same issue as an uneasy silence hung over them until the waitress finally arrived to break it up.

"Good evening ladies," the blond girl said with a perfect server smile as she handed menus to them. "My name is Hibari and I will be your server today. Would you like to start out with something to drink?"

"Yes, of course," Nodoka said. "I would like some chamomile tea if you happen to have it."

"Yep, we absolutely do, ma'am. And what would you like, miss?"

Kasumi quickly glanced over to Nodoka, before turning to the waitress. "I would like the same thing, please."

"Alright then, two chamomile teas. I'll go and get those right away for you."

As soon as the waitress left, Nodoka looked over to Kasumi. "So, you like chamomile as well," she noted with a soft tone in her voice.

Kasumi started to look over the menu options. "Yes, of course," she responded with as casual a tone as she could achieve at the moment. "It was Mother's favorite after all."

"I know."

Once more, a silence permeated between the two as they looked over the menus. When the waitress returned with their teas, they quickly gave their orders, both selecting something light. With the two left alone once again, Kasumi ended up just looking down at the reflection in her own cup.

"So then," she could hear Nodoka say, "have things been going well for you?"

Kasumi tilted her head up to find a genuine look of interest in the other woman's eyes.

"I suppose so," she responded before taking a sip of her tea. "Things have been quite lively and I've been doing my best to keep the house running smoothly."

"Ah, I see."

"Yes," Kasumi continued. "Akane has a new teacher at school, and the woman has taken a bit of an interest in Father. My sisters and I did not take it in the best way."

"Oh? Did she end up not being a good person?"

Kasumi took a moment to take another sip of her tea. "No, not really. She certainly has some…eccentricities, but overall she seems to have a good heart and good intentions. It's just that…"

"You don't want anyone to replace your mother."

"No…no I don't." Kasumi looked up at Nodoka briefly before turning away again. "It didn't really matter in the end anyway. Father wasn't interested. He still hasn't gotten over Mother."

"I'm not surprised. She really was such a wonderful woman. To be honest, I haven't really gotten over her either."

"Then why?!"

Kasumi froze at her sudden outburst, shocked at the anger behind her statement. Nodoka looked back at her, eyes slightly widening before she turned her head away. After a few beats of silence, Nodoka quietly spoke up.

"I was so young back then. So young and foolish. It was obvious the situation was being forced by Kimiko's father, but I let my jealousy get the better of me and took it out on Soun. I challenged him, not really thinking about what I was doing. Not thinking about how much I let myself get out of practice, especially in that body. It should have been clear Kimiko was intervening on my behalf, not wanting to see me get hurt. At that moment, though, all I could feel was betrayal. And so I…"

Nodoka became quiet, bringing a hand up to her mouth. Kasumi could just barely make out the muffled sobs. Wordlessly she placed a hand across the table. After a few seconds, Nodoka noticed it and offered her own free hand. Kasumi took it into her own and gave a reassuring squeeze and a slight smile. It took a few minutes before Nodoka was able to speak again.

"After that, I couldn't bring myself to face her again. So I ran away. I cut myself off from everyone. Tried to start over. Then I ended up with a child to raise. His other mother couldn't be there for…well a rather quite stupid reason really. So it was just myself and him. I was so terrified I would turn him into a complete wreck, just like me. I met Genma almost by happenstance, and after a while he made a promise to me that he would train my child to become strong. And I actually agreed. I gave my child to a man I knew for barely a year because I was convinced I could not do it myself."

Nodoka gave a sigh and turned away again before continuing in a softer tone. "I'm trying to do my best with Ran now, but I don't know if I could ever truly make it up to her. And I know I can never make it up to you, after everything I did, but maybe I could at least have the chance to be a part of your life."

There were several heartbeats before Kasumi gave a response. "Ran. That's what she's calling herself now."

Nodoka looked over in slight confusion at the choice of statement. "Yes. She was really happy to come up with a new name."

"And she really is living fully as a girl."

"Yes, she is."

"Is she happy?"

Nodoka blinked in surprise before giving a smile. "Yes, I really think so. She says that she's still figuring herself out, and I am making sure to give her the space to do so. From what I can see, she does seem to be comfortable in her own skin right now. She's been making some good friends at her school and she's even agreed to help out the volleyball team."

"I see."

"Alright ladies, I have your food here and…oh, is everything okay?"

Kasumi turned to the waitress and gave a gentle smile. "It's alright. My mother just had a somewhat difficult day today."

"I…yes, yes I was," Nodoka stammered out, before giving a smile of her own. "Don't worry, I'm feeling better now."

"Ah, that's good," the waitress said. "To be honest, I really suck at the whole comfort thing and I'm not being paid for that anyway." She then handed over a small bowl of ramen to Kasumi and miso soup to Nodoka. "Alright, just let me know if you need anything else, food wise I mean."

"No, I think we are good for now," Kasumi said.

"Alright, cool." The waitress gave a thumbs up before quickly leaving.

Nodoka looked over at Kasumi with an awed expression. "You called me…"

Kasumi just stared down at her bowl in front of her. "When you mentioned over the phone that Ranma considered herself a girl now, I wasn't surprised. I could see the signs while she was living with us, but I chose not to mention anything about it. It wasn't really any of my business after all. We…we have a new person staying at our house now. Konatsu, a girl that was being abused by her step-family. Nabiki and Akane ended up rescuing her and we took her in. Then, later on, we found out something about her. She's…like you and Ran, only without Jusenkyo to give her the body she wants to have. I…I was just going to keep out of things, like I always did. Nabiki was the one that came to her defense. She practically screamed herself hoarse before everyone finally got it. If Nabiki wasn't there…that poor girl. I felt so ashamed of myself. I should have been there to help Konatsu, just like I should have been there to help Ranma…to help Ran."

She looked up at her mother. "Thank you for everything you are doing for Ran. For my sister. I know Mother would be proud of you. And I would be happy to get to know you better. As your daughter."

"Thank you, Kasumi. And I would love to know more about you. As your other mother."

The two smiled warmly at each other before starting their meals. After a few bites of ramen, Kasumi quickly added, "Oh, and I am very interested in hearing about our family history. I did overhear you mentioning an ancestor that could also change. Is that something common in our family line?"

Nodoka looked at Kasumi with a mouthful of soup before quickly swallowing. "Oh no, I doubt you will need to worry about that for yourself. Although…there is something about our lineage you should know…"