Chapter 12: Patching things up
In the meantime ukyou had gotten tired of waiting on ranma, and became impatient. Being somewhat bored she found herself tapping her foot on the ground, while glancing at her watch every few minutes, she began to wonder if perhaps she had hit ranma too hard this time. She sighed in defeat, feeling the guilt setting in, she decided to go back and see if her fiance was alright.
Returning to the spot where she had last seen ranma, she spotted the redheaded girl sprawled out across the sidewalk, face first and still unconscious. Ukyou found herself feeling guilty and didn't want to wake ranma up, so she decided to drag her back to the restaurant using her pigtail. A few bumps and bruises later, they finally arrived back at her place, beaming with delight after having finally having a somewhat romantic stroll with her dear Ranchan. Yes, she would definitely have to write in her diary about this, she decided letting go of the pigtail that held ranma's head up, being too lost in her thoughts she didn't notice ranma's head hitting the ground till she heard a loud thud. She grimaced and began to contemplate the best option for waking up her deeply sleeping fiance.
Snapping her fingers as the idea hit her, she quickly ran to the broom closet, swinging the door wide open as she began rummaging about for what she needed. A few seconds later, she reemerged holding a bucket and ran off into the kitchen, filling the bucket and soon made her way back to Ranma, where she immediately splashed the sleeping girl with icy cold water. Ranma woke up abruptly, squeaking in shock as she jumped up into the air, still shivering from the sudden coldness which had befallen her. She grumbled a bit as she came to and noticed where she was. She quickly focused her glare on Ukyou, who quickly tossed the bucket somewhere, blushing guiltily.
"Sorry about that Ranma honey, but you were out cold ... and I still need you to help me like you promised to, sugar," she said while glaring intently at Ranma, making Ranma-chan gulp as she felt guilty again about what Onna had done.
Ranma was ready to get to work, but before she started she wanted to dry off. So, she ran her fingers through her hair, quickly rubbing her scalp at lightning speeds, before wildly shaking her head about, affectedly spin drying her hair in the process.
"Now for the clothes," she thought as Ukyou gazed at her fiance with pride and joy. The two were so caught up in the moment that neither one noticed a little black piglet finding its way into the restaurant. The piglet wandered about in search for hot water, at first bumping it's snout into a closed door, before turning around and miraculously heading off towards the kitchen. A half a minute later, Ryouga emerged from the kitchen, fully clothed.
"You deserved that Ranma. That's just like you, not caring about a girl's feelings. You insensitive jerk. Me on the other hand I'd never do anything like that to Akane."
"Yeah why don't you tell it to someone who'd believe ya," muttered Ranma-chan under her breath as she rolled her eyes, as Ukyou growled, gripping her spatula tightly as she directed it towards Ryouga, threateningly.
"Now, Listen sugar I'd rather not hear about her at this moment," she spat while pointing her spatula towards the message burned into the grill. Ryouga began to laugh nervously, sweating heavily, while rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, having forgotten about the current situation. Ranma laughed at Ryouga for doing the same exact thing that she had before, and taunted him by throwing his insult right back at him.
"So Ryouga, what was that you were just saying hmm? That your not insensitive to girls feelings? She laughed again and mocked him by making random goofy facial expression's at her arch rival. Ukyou had enough and slammed her giant spatula down between the two of them.
"Enough! You two jackasses are here to help me fix this place up. So stop fighting and help, or leave," she yelled causing Ryouga to flush nervously, as he ran off to grab some cleaning utensils that were stored behind the grill, before proceeding to vigorously rub away at the scorched words burned onto its surface.
"Uhm, sorry about that Ucchan," Ranma giggled sweetly as she rubbed the back of her head, feeling guilty for acting so childishly. "I guess I just lost my head for a moment there," she finished, as she picked up the bucket and some cleaning utensils and went off to help Ryouga scrub.
Ryoga and Ranma were both panting after having spent an hour scrubbing the grill clean. They wouldn't have felt so tired if the two of them hadn't turned the scrubbing into some sort of contest, where they each tried to outdo the other. In the end though, Ranma had to admit that she was pleased. A good rivalry was always her idea of fun. She sighed contently, as she saw Ukyou finishing tidying up before smiling at them, seeing that the grill was not only spotless but also shiny.
"Thanks for helping me out you two, and since you two worked so hard, I'll treat you to some Okonomiyaki on the house," she said smiling, before heading off into the kitchen again to wash her hands. She came back and started to prepare her grill, as Ranma smiled happily, thankful to be rewarded for such hard work by her good friend Ukyou. Ryoga smiled at Ukyou with a goofy expression on his face. He was truly grateful to have a beautiful young girl cook for him out of the kindness of her heart. His smile disappeared as he gave Ukyou a grave look.
"So, Ukyou who did this to you if it wasn't Ranma? I know it wasn't myself and I still have my suspicions that Ranma probably had something to do with it, but if you say it wasn't him..."
Ranma looked down nervously at the floor, wishing that Ryouga would just shut up. What he was saying made her feel guilty and uneasy since her sister was involved and she didn't want to hear anymore of it. Unfortunately, Ukyou didn't notice and went on gossiping to Ryouga, telling him all the juicy details of the story.
"So you see sugar, it was Onna. She just looks exactly like Ranma girl side, so we weren't able to tell. But like I said it wasn't her fault, she was just being controlled like Ranma honey here told me," she said before noticing how upset Ranma looked for her talking about her sister like that. Ukyou stopped talking, now feeling guilty over what she had said.
Ryouga's mind started to process the recent events, then it suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks. "So she was the one who put worms into my ramen cups! How cute she must've been thinking about me." He blushed furiously as he remembered back to their first meeting at furikan and how he had seen her underpants. His nose started to gush with a streak of blood as he laughed nervously. Ranma-chan slammed her fist into his face, knowing full well what the lost boy was thinking about.
"Hey! Stop thinking hentai thoughts about my sister, pervert," she growled, hating perverts every bit as much as her uncute fiancee did. The only difference was that she didn't accuse people of being one unjustly. There was no way in hell she'd let this pervert touch her sister, not after the perverted acts he had committed against Akane.
Ukyou just giggled and kept cooking, as she watched the two of them fight back and forth about Ranma's twin sister.
"I can date your sister if I darn well choose to. Besides, it's none of your business, Ranma," Ryouga said smugly showing off one of his fangs.
"Oh by the way Ryouga, she knows about Mr. P," said Ranma-chan, feeling satisfied, thinking that her sister would never go out with a jerk who turned himself into a little piglet just to get into the bed of an unsuspecting girl. At least, that is how she would have felt if she was a girl she thought, before realizing that she was accidentally thinking about how she would think like if she was a girl again. Not wanting to go there, Ranma admonished herself sternly.
"You told her! You jerk. Ranma, how dare you."
"Oh why don't cha shut it, bacon breath. The only reason she know's is cause she knows everything I do. What I mean is she has most of my memories," said Ranma.
This confused Ryouga who started to scratch his head.
"She knows what I have done. That that I'm P-chan, and yet she's still kind enough to fill my ramen with worms," he thought as his eyes glazed over.
"Idiot.." thought Ranma-chan unhappily, as she watched the fool.
Ukyou finished up the Okonomiyaki's that she was cooking, while enjoying the friendly conversation she was hearing, before serving each participant their share. She was pleased seeing how much they enjoyed her cooking as she watched them dig in and finish off their meals in a couple of minutes.
"Thanks Ucchan, your the best," said Ranma after a brief pause, having finished her meal, before she ran off looking for her twin. She wanted to find her and make sure she was alright. She loved her sister after all and would do anything to protect her.
Nodoka smiled as she looked up at the sunny blue sky, thinking that such a change in the weather must be a good sign. Onna smiled as well, seeing that Nodoka was also happy. Her smile quickly vanished when she remembered that she had to get her new gem ready and quickly. She didn't have a moment to lose because Satan could attack again, and use her as long as she didn't have her gem, to hurt the people she most cared for. She needed to be ready for such an occasion.
"Auntie ... remember how I said that I wanted that red gem made into a necklace? I hate to bother you about it again so soon, but it's very important to me," she said honestly, as Nodoka smiled brightly, overjoyed at how what Onna said fitted perfectly into her own plans.
"I don't see why not. Today is a very special occasion, so I'll give you the money and tell you where you can go to get it fixed. Also, Ranko dear, I have a request to make... It's a bit selfish of me I admit, but none-the-less I must ask it," Nodoka said, causing Onna to blink and nod at the woman. She was a bit surprised that Nodoka was requesting something from her. As she thought about it she grew worried about what the woman had to say.
"Please forgive this woman of her selfishness ..." she stated before bowing her head down, to show respect and honor towards the smaller girl, "but I would like for you to call me mother instead of auntie ... Since now that you will be living here, we will sort of be like a family. I've always wanted a daughter, Ranko-chan, and I have always secretly seen you as one, ever since I met you... But, I can understand if this is too strong of a commitment for you to want to take," Nodoka said emotionally, as it took all her self control to fight back the tears and continue looking formal.
Onna froze, as her face grew pale and then red. Here was the woman that she wanted as a mother, wanting her to be her daughter. The woman whom she shared DNA with. It had never crossed her mind before that Nodoka was her unsuspecting biological mother. She couldn't see it, because she felt she was just a clone, a fake. But now for the first time she saw that this woman was her mother every bit as much as she was Ranma's. She wasn't just a clone, she was a real person, with a real mother and brother, and father ... She stopped herself not wanting to go that far, because she was still unsure if she wanted Genma as a father. She would have to think about it.
"I ... I'd be honored to call you mother. You know? I think that you always were, just not officially," she ended with a smile as she lovingly looked up at her mother.
Nodoka was very touched by this, she felt the very same way, having always felt that Ranko was her real daughter. She could admit now, that she loved the girl every bit as much as she loved her Ranma. Not being able to hold back any long, Nodoka ran up to her daughter and hugged her tightly, lifting her off the ground, as she swung the girl back and forth within her arms. Tears ran down Nodoka face, she wasn't alone anymore. At last she had someone to love, who would love her back, someone to call her "Mom." Finally, she pulled back sheepishly, embarrassed for letting her emotion's overwhelm her and forgetting about what was proper. She took out a handkerchief from her kimono and dabbed hers and Ranko's tears away.
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry about my sudden emotional outburst, Ranko. I am just so very happy that you have accepted my offer. Now I would like to throw a party in your honor, for joining my family. We shall have some guests over tomorrow for dinner in your honor. You know? Ranko dear, I could give you a little make over. Doesn't that just sound like fun?" She said waiting in anticipation for the girl's answer.
Onna sighed, she really wasn't in the mood to meet anyone. Yet she saw how excited her mother was and knew how much it meant for her. She was upset at giving in, it wasn't her style. But she loved this woman before her so much that she would do anything to make her happy. She would just have to grin and bare it.
"Yes it sounds very fun mother, but I'd like to get my necklace made first. If were having a party and guests are coming, I'd need to wear some jewelry." Onna said, fidgeting with her fingers nervously, because she had just blurted it out again and she was drawing attention to how important this necklace was to her. The truth was she still felt very naked and not quite there without the familiar gem and necklace laced around her neck. Nodoka quickly took notice of how depressed the girl looked, and remembered how every time she had seen Ranko wearing that necklace around her neck. That is until it got broken. She figured that it must have been a very important family heirloom that Ranko's great grandmother probably gave her, for it to be so important to the girl.
"Oh dear!" She said as she suddenly remembered something. "I'm sorry Ranko. I know how much that necklace must mean to you. But, sadly the shop is closed now. But don't worry dear, you can go first thing tomorrow and get it made. Now I want you to get a good night rest, so that you can get up bright and early tomorrow and get your necklace fixed, and then get ready for the party," Nodoka said. As mother and daughter reached the house and closed the door, Nodoka locked the door as tightly as she could, being overly nervous that those creatures from before might come looking for Ranko.
Ranma sighed and stepped into the house, tired from running all over town looking for her twin and not finding her. Akane came running down the stairs, she became worried when she spotted Ranma and saw how sad and tired she looked. She wanted to ask her what had happened, but decided to save it for later. Right now, she just wanted to be there for him.
"Ranma are you alright?" She asked, looking very concerned over her fiance.
"I'm fine Akane," Ranma said looking up from the ground to face Akane, as her emotions ran through her face, " I'm just ..." she struggled, "I'm gonna go take a bath now Akane," she said before wandering off to the furo, reluctantly.
"Oh my, is Ranma alright? I do hope he'll want to have dinner," said Kasumi, as she poked her head out from the kitchen to see what all the ruckus was about. Akane then walked into the kitchen, smiling at her older sister.
"If you don't mind Kasumi ... can I try to help out with dinner, tonight? And, I really do hope he'll want to eat, because I want to try to fix him something special," Akane said, causing Kasumi to wring her hands worried that her younger sister would mess things up like she usually did.
"Oh my, you could start off by washing the lettuce and vegetables first, and then make the salad. I suppose you can handle at least that much," Kasumi said sighing, knowing that she was just too nice to refuse anyone. Akane nodded and set about on the task at hand. She knew she could do this. She wasn't the nervous wreck today that she usually was when starting something like this. For some reason she was calm and in a different mind set today.
Ranma sat in the furo with his back against the wall, deep in thought. He wished he wasn't so tired, so that he could keep looking for his twin. It was tearing him apart not knowing if she was alive or not. That Satan guy was still out there, probably looking for her. He would have to get up early tomorrow to resume his search. He rose up out of the furo, grabbing a nearby towel to dry himself off. He then changed into a tank top and some casual pants, before making his way to the dining room, where everyone else was waiting for him.
"Tadaima," said Nabiki as she rushed in through the front door, causing everyone to look in that direction in anticipation. Happosai frowned, before hopping off the safety of his cushions and running over to where Nabiki stood smirking.
"Nabiki how dare you ruin the wonderful day I was having by upsetting my dear sweet Ranma-chan! I swear, I shall make you pay for upsetting my greatest disciple," he snapped, before swooshing out the house crying, leaving a poor confused Nabiki, stunned and speechless.
Ranma watched lazily, as he munched on a rice cracker, waiting for dinner to be ready. He was too worn out to try to stand up for Nabiki today against the old freak, nor did he want to. The way he saw it, she deserved some payback every once in awhile for all the things she put him through. Let her have to worry about that old freak for once. Besides, it seemed like the lech was standing up for him.
"It's about damn time too," he mumbled as he took another bite.
"Son, you should thank Akane. You're so lucky to have such a good fiancee. She's in the kitchen right now, working very hard for you," Soun said as he looked up from his newspaper and glanced at Ranma.
"That's right boy, you should show her some respect for her hard work," Genma said, nodding in agreement.
"Oh great, now I gotta eat some of her junk again," thought Ranma, as he grumbled while trying to ignore the two meddling parents. He had a bad day, not finding Onna, and was in no mood to listen to the idiots ramble.
"Now Nabiki, where have you been? It's almost time for dinner, I don't want you being out this late," Soun said looking up from his newspaper again, as he noticed Nabiki set her things down and sit down.
"I was just out with a bunch of my friends," she said, shrugging her shoulders, "now Daddy if I had a cellphone, like I should,then I could call you and let you know if I'm going to be out late or not. See this is all your fault Daddy. I tried to warn you, but no! Now you know I can't afford those high prices of the pay phones, Daddy," she lectured, while putting her father back into his place.
Soun sighed and went back to reading the newspaper. He decided to drop the whole thing, because it was never wise to go up against Nabiki. The girl was just a master of manipulation and besides that she brought in most of the income into the family. Sure, she brought most of it home and let him and Kasumi decide how to best spend it, but if he annoyed her too much she might just end up cutting off his allowance, which him and Genma used to spend on Sake.
As Soun turned the page, Akane and Kasumi began bringing out the meal, as the duo would rush in and out of the kitchen carrying various of dishes. Akane proudly set her master piece, the salad, down onto the table, and smiled heavily at Ranma.
"You know Ranma, I helped Kasumi make dinner tonight," she said causing Ranma to gulp, " I made the salad and I didn't mess it up this time," she said thinking back to the time her salad exploded, causing a big mess for Kasumi to clean up.
"Kasumi, has my little girl finally been cured?" Soun asked as he dropped his newspaper and started weeping.
"Daddy!" Complained Akane, as Soun starred intently at the Salad. It didn't look like there was anything wrong with it. The vegetables and lettuce were still intact, and the were perfectly sliced and chopped for once. There were also no scorch marks that he could see, and he didn't remember smelling anything burning coming from the kitchen.
"Now why don't you try some, Daddy? I did make it all by myself," she said. This made Soun gulp, knowing that Kasumi didn't even help a little made him feel a bit more reluctant. Carefully, he took out a piece from the bowl that Akane had served him and sniffed it. It certainly smelled like salad, he thought. Slightly trembling, he slowly put the piece of lettuce in his mouth, with his shaky hand.
"My little girl is cured!" He proclaimed, as he cried out in joy, dancing around with his victory fans.
Ranma sighed, relieved that for once Soun was Akane's guinea pig instead of himself. Seeing that Soun was not only still alive but celebrating the cure for his daughter's curse, Ranma decided to make himself a bowl while smiling at his fiancee. Besides, if he didn't at least try a bowl he knew that Akane would snap him like a twig and leave him squirming on the floor, while the two fathers would gang up on him. He munched on a piece and found while not the best that it wasn't bad at all. Akane had even remembered to wash the salad this time. He smiled and continue eating with his regular gusto and soon was joined by everyone else, as they saw that Soun and Ranma's reactions and decided that it was safe.
Akane beamed happily at what she had accomplished. Now if only she could continue cooking in this way. She realized that the key was not to be nervous and unsure of herself. If she didn't panic, she was less likely to grab a bottle of liquid plumber and use it as salad oil. Also if she didn't get frustrated from making a mistake, she noticed she didn't get angry with herself or others who were criticizing her. As Akane vowed to become the best cook in the universe, Ranma finished his dinner and then excused himself from the table, heading to his room to catch some sleep.
The next morning, Nodoka knelt down onto the floor where Ranko was curled up under the covers of her futon. She beamed looking over her daughter, who looked just so cute in that position. Deciding to carry out what she had came for, Nodoka shook Onna gently to wake her up.
"Ranko my dear, it is time to rise and shine," she giggled, "actually dear, it almost noon time and a proper young lady such as yourself should never sleep in this late. But I suppose, that you will learn soon enough. Now why don't you get up lazybones and have some breakfast. I made it just for you," Nodoka said happily, experience a part of parenthood that she never had a chance to before.
Onna opened her eyes and groaned, before rubbing them, as she was hit by the sunlight. She stretched and yawned and really hated being woke up like this. She liked to stay and wake up late, but for her mother she would make an effort.
"Huh? ... Okay," she said before stretching her hands up high and yawning again. She then pushed herself out from the covers and stood up, walking over to where her backpack was at. She pulled out her school uniform and went off to change. Nodoka just shook her head, before gently laughing at her new daughter's half waken state. She could get used to this, the playfully scolding of her daughter every morning for not waking up properly on time, like a young lady should.
"Oh Ranko dear, you're so silly. It's the weekend, there's no need for you to wear your school clothes. That is unless you want to. You do look so cute in it, dear. Besides, it's alright for the time being. We have a big day today."
"I just like to wear it, that's all. I'll change into something more appropriate for the party later," said Onna as she came back out into the room fully clothed, while gently brushing her hair out. Nodoka smiled at her, kindly, before going over to her to help her brush her silky red hair out.
"This is the first time I've seen your hair loose, Ranko. It makes you look so beautiful that I think you should keep it loose more often," said Nodoka as she marveled at her daughter's beauty.
"You know dear, you'll attract more young men this way. But if you keep it bound up and pulled back, you won't get as much attention."
Onna was ready to complain that she always wore her hair loose, but then suddenly remembered Nodoka was referring to Ranma and bit her lip nervously. She now realized that she couldn't go on deceiving Ranma's mother like this. She had to tell her the truth eventually. But how? She couldn't give away the fact that Ranma was really Ranko. She didn't want to reveal his curse to his mother and put him in danger, not that Onna would ever let her mother kill her brother for being her sister. She also didn't want to lose the mother that she had just gained. She felt that she needed to do something but didn't know what. Perhaps, there was a way to make Nodoka believe that Ranma was her twin sister. But she didn't want to lie to her mother or put her sister at risk. This was all too complicated and she needed to think about it.
Nodoka put the brush down and lead Ranko to her room. There she pulled a black lace ribbon out of the dresser and tied it into Ranko's hair gently. She looked Ranko up and down and was pleased.
"There now dear, you look much better than you did yesterday. Boy's clothing really do not suit such a young lady, such as yourself," Onna nodded in agreement and blushed at all the compliments she was receiving from her mother. She was glad to be out of Ranma's clothing, but she wasn't sure that her mother's taste was her own. It was nice to be formal every once in awhile, but not all the time, she thought.
"After breakfast, I'll give you the money and you can go get the necklace made. The shop is in the shopping district and has a red sign in the window. Don't worry dear, I'll draw you a map with all the details. Once you are done, you can come back here and we will have lunch together. I'm fixing your favorite Ranko," Nodoka said as she smiled thoughtfully at Ranko.
Onna was ecstatic, beaming full of happiness. Finally, she was going to have a necklace again, her own. She was going to be complete again, and no one would ever be able to control her again. She would be free to act however she wanted. She continued eating her breakfast at a steady pace, not as fast as Ranma would have because she was sure that her mother would scold her for that. Besides, there was nothing wrong with having a little manners, she thought.
When she finally finished her breakfast, she got up and started putting the dishes into the sink. She then went to where her mother was waiting for her. Upon arrival, Nodoka pulled out a few large bills out of her wallet and handed it to Ranko. She then Pulled the red gem out from her pocket and placed it into her daughter's waiting hands as well.
"Now hurry dear, we have much to do today. By the way, you may spend what is left any way you choose to, as long as it isn't improper. Consider this your allowance, dear," Nodoka said, happy again to be able to do another one of those things a parent did with their child. Onna just nodded, before sprinting out the door with a hop in her step and too excited to mind her manners at the moment. She ran as fast as she could, to the shopping district, forgetting that she could get their even faster if she roof hopped. But then, that was Ranma's thing and not hers, so she was not used to considering it.
Meanwhile, Ranma woke up suddenly and looked around, noting by the sunlight that it was already close to noon. He was surprised. Usually, his father would have thrown him out the window in the morning, or Akane would have splashed him with a bucket of water. Still, it was nice to wake up as a guy for once.
Not wanting to waste anymore time, he bolted up out of his futon. He then jumped up to get dressed, blurring his hands in the process. Then he finally dashed down the stairs, ready to vacate the house, before noticing Akane blocking his way.
"Yo, Akane move it. I've gotta go," he said annoyed. Akane on the other hand just crossed her arms, and stared at him with an angry expression.
"What you getting up so late for anyway, Ranma," she said before holding out a paper bag for him to take, "here Kasumi packed you a brunch, I sort of let her in on what was going on. But before you go off running god knows where, how was my salad last night? Hmm? I'm waiting Ranma," she said a bit impatiently.
"Well it wasn't half bad. In fact, you did a good job on it," Ranma said scratching his head, as he took the paper bag thoughtfully, "By the way, thank Kasumi for the trouble she went through on my behalf." He asked, before pushing Akane aside gently, as he ran out the front door, looking through the contents of the bag as he started snacking, as he ran. He finished his meal in a matter of seconds, before vaporizing the paper bag in his hands using a chi ball. He was so happy about his meal that he didn't even notice getting splashed by that annoying little old lady as he zoomed by. After a bit of running Ranma-chan skidded to a stop.
"Hmm, what if Onna-chan went looking for me back at my place," she thought, before deciding to head back to the Tendos. As she ran back home, she didn't even notice that she was entering her mother's neighborhood. She slowed down just in time to notice her mother's house.
Nodoka was outside in the front yard watering the flowers while humming. As she spotted Ranko her mouth dropped open in shock and disapproval as she saw what her daughter was wearing and how her hair was tied back into that pigtail. "Ranko!" She admonished, as she stormed over to where the girl was, before grabbing her by the back of her shirt, forcefully dragging her back inside and slamming the sliding door shut, behind them.
"ew ah ee," was all that Ranma-chan was able to say as she was being dragged indoors by her mother.
"This is very disgraceful of you Ranko, for you to go back to your shabby self, and after all that time we spent fixing you up. Just look at yourself, you're a complete and utter mess. Oh Ranko, I'm so disappointed in you, I just can't believe how inconsiderate you are. You know that we are having guests over later. Oh well, nothing more we can do about it now. I guess, we'll just have to fix you up again," she sighed, as she looked the confused girl over.
"Hey! Yo! Wha?" Ranma tried to protest, but she was not able to get in a word in edgewise, as her mother dragged her up the stairs, kicking and screaming and into the master bedroom.
Ranma was very nervous being forced into her mother's room. Her self-preservation instincts, she developed from being forced into situations against her will, kicked in and they screamed, 'run.' She tried to escape by way of door, but sadly Nodoka had already locked it and slipped the key into her kimono. Ranma turned around to see her mother watching her very intently, studying her very carefully.
Nodoka then walked over to Ranma, firmly grabbing the girl by the hand, before dragging her over to the closet. Despite Ranma's best struggles, she refused to let go, as she went through the closet picking out a kimono for her daughter to wear. She finally settled on the pink one, with colorful butterflies on it.
"Here now Ranko, this is much better than those rags you are currently wearing," she said, displaying the kimono to Ranko, "Now change into it, or do I have to help you," she finished, giving the younger woman a stern glare, surprised at how childish Ranko was behaving today. To be honest she was a bit annoyed at how Ranko went back to her old ways, after having made so much progress. There was no way in hell, that she would let her daughter ruin the party in her honor by not dressing up properly.
"But but ... it's pink," said Ranma-chan said in shock, with a slightly raised voice. There was no way in hell that she was going to wear anything pink she swore. Besides, green suited her girl side a lot better, she thought huffing.
"Ranko!" fussed Nodoka, before Ranma got a chance to explain her preference to green.
"Eep," Ranma said as she took the kimono into her hands. She gulped, feeling how silky it felt. She knew that if she wasn't going to willingly put on the kimono then her mother would put it on her for her. Despite her reluctance to wear anything in the color of pink, she would do anything to avoid a situation where her mother would bring out that big scary looking katana. Just the thoughts of it sent shivers up her spine.
Ranma bit down on her teeth, really hating what she was doing, as she got out of her Chinese clothing. She felt uncomfortable having her mother watching her, still studying her. Once she was down to her boxers, she noticed that her mother gave her a look of disapproval for not wearing a bra. Nodoka quickly got an extra set of bra and panties for Ranma to put on. Cursing herself, Ranma quickly proceeded to change, only glad that Happosai wasn't there to see her wearing a bra. With that done she put on the Kimono the best that she could, without having Akane to help as she had that time with the martial arts tea ceremony.
"Ranko dear, I hope you don't think that this is how you should wear that, Nodoka said, after putting her hand to her mouth, as she noticed that Ranko had left the kimono open, exposing her breasts in the process. Ranma-chan just blinked in her cute way and shrugged her shoulders at her mother's words, looking down at her chest. "This isn't how it goes auntie Saotome?"
Nodoka just shook her head, trying not to laugh at her daughter. She then helpfully grabbed the pieces of the kimono that were hanging loosely over Ranko's chest, pulling them together so that they covered her. Next she picking up the sash from the floor and strapping it around Ranko's waist, tying it in the back.
"Now dear, I thought we already went over this. I would like for you to call me mother instead of auntie, because I think of you as my daughter," Nodoka said amusedly.
Ranma froze up. She couldn't believe it, ever since she first met her mother, she wanted to be able to call her 'Mom,' but she was to afraid to since she had to hide her identity because of that stupid seppuku pledge. Now, the one woman that she desperately wanted to proclaim her love to, instead of run away from wanted her to call her 'Mother.' She was overwhelmed with happiness, and she felt loved. Her look of shock was suddenly replaced by the bright glow of her aura that represented her joy. Without much ado she lifted up her mother in a tight hug, happy to finally be accepted as her child.
"I ... I'd love to call ya, Mother," Ranma said as she continued hugging her mother tightly, "Mom ya know what? I love ya."
"My, I never knew Ranko was so strong," she thought, surprised at the girl's reaction. She thought that perhaps her daughter was still a bit unsure of being accepted as her child. Maybe she just needed a little reinforcement. Still, she had to admit that it was a bit peculiar, but she was touched by Ranko's display of love and affection none-the-less, and so decided to forget about the little incident. "There now, that is how you were a kimono," she said after her daughter finally put her back down, and she walked up to Ranma and dusted her shoulders off.
"Now let me do your hair," Nodoka continued happily as she untied Ranma's tightly woven pigtail. She unraveled it, brushing it in stead strokes, while recalling how smooth and silky it had been the last time she brushed it. Now it was all rough and tangly.
"Ranko, what on earth have you been doing to your hair? You really shouldn't tie it back so tightly, you're killing it," Nodoka scolded. Ranma got bored and started tuning her mother out as the women continued to lecture her on proper hair care. She heard her mother finish it off, by saying that she would write all this down for her to remember. "Oh great, now I gotta start taking care of my hair," Ranma grumbled internally. There was nothing else to do, but to sigh and nod her head in agreement.
Blissfully, Nodoka finished brushing Ranma's hair out, and started to put it up into a bun like hers, pinning it up so that it would stay in place. Next, she opened up one of her dresser draws and pulled out a makeup kit. Ranma scowled when she saw what her mother had pulled out, and closed her eyes tightly, as she bit down on her teeth, while her mother started to apply the makeup on her face.
Nodoka saw how upset Ranko looked. She sighed, before putting on a dab of blush on each of her cheeks. She then put a bit of lilac eye shadow on the girl's eyelids. Finally, she finished the job by putting an elegant pink lipstick onto Ranma's lip. When she was done, she looked in the mirror and saw Ranma's reflection standing right next to her. "Amazing, she looks just like me," thought Nodoka, wondering if her and Ranko could be related somehow, as she saw a smaller clone version of herself standing next to her. She smiled then, thinking that it was meant to be and Kami-sama must have answered her prayers.
"There now, that wasn't so bad. Now was it? Now come along dear. I've made you some lunch," she said. Ranma grimaced, knowing how girly she looked right now, but was happy to at least get something out of this ordeal, as she heard the mention of food. Thinking with her stomach she soon forgot all about how she looked, and happily followed her mother down the stairs.
Nodoka motioned her daughter to sit down, as she sat down her self as gracefully and properly as she could. Ranma on the other hand just plopped down into her chair, before attacking her food like she usually did. A few seconds later, Ranma noticed her mother shaking her head and looking quite distressed, causing the young girl to halt. Nodoka pointed politely to the utensils and the napkin, before telling Ranma about the proper etiquette for a young lady at the dinning table.
"Remember Ranko, it isn't proper for a young lady to sully her dress. So, you should eat carefully, to make sure that you do not drop any food on your clothes. Besides that dear, your eating might be offensive for others to watch. You should always take other people into consideration," Nodoka told Ranma. Ranma grumbled a bit before slowing down her pace to make sure her kimono and face remained clean. Nodoka beamed proudly at her daughter for following through with most of her directives.
"Sorry about how I ate earlier, Mom," she said, while she still couldn't believe that she was able to call her mother 'Mom.' She took a short breath before continuing, "It's just that that's how pops, I mean uncle Genma, no I mean father had taught me to it. If I didn't eat fast enough, he would be able to steal all the food off my plate. He said it was speed training," Ranma admitted, slightly embarrassed for her lack of manners and wanting to express to her mother why it really wasn't her own fault.
"Ranko I'm very proud of you, for the effort you have displayed so far, despite my husband's obvious bad influence," Nodoka said with a mixture of pride and guilt. She would have to have a long talk with Genma. After all, the damage he obviously did to Ranko would take awhile to correct. She just hoped that Ranma, somehow managed to fare better than his newly adopted sister.
"Now Ranko dear, I have a favor to ask of you. I would like for you to help me out with a few things, after you are done. Is that alright?" Nodoka asked as Ranma nodded without hesitation, while finishing off the rest of her food as elegantly as she could. When she was done, she decided she needed to clean up first in the bathroom, before she started on her mother's task.
Onna had skipped back home all the way from the jewelry store. She was gleaming as she entered the house happily, wearing her newly fitted red gem necklace. Nodoka was busily pulling out her finest china from the cabinets, as she heard Onna humming.
"Oh Ranko dear, are you read to help me out now?" She asked, as Onna nodded.
"Yes mother, what do you need help with?" Onna asked. Nodoka rubbed her chin before her eyes lit up, as she remembered her mother's fancy wine glasses, stored away in the attic.
"I know, I would like for you to go up into the attic and bring a box down for me. It's labeled 'Mother's glasses,' Ranko dear," Nodoka instructed, as Onna intently listened to make sure she would do the job right.
"Okay, I'm on it," she said before rushing off to do her job.
Ranma meanwhile, came back out from the bathroom and went to where Nodoka was looking at dishes. "So whatcha want me to do, Mom?" She said, always happy to help out friends and family. Nodoka blinked at Ranko.
"My you finished fast, Hmm well lets see ... Oh yes, There is a stack of fancy cushions in the closet. Would you be a dear and bring them to me?" She requested. Ranma shrugged and went off to the closet that her mother pointed to and slid the door open. She knelt down to crawl into a tight space to retrieve the cushions. As Ranma was doing that, Onna came back down with the box and set it down on the kitchen floor, next to Nodoka. "What now, Mother?" She asked gently.
Nodoka rubbed her head in befuddlement, perplexed as to why her daughter's demeanor kept changing. She was also astonished by how fast Ranko was able to complete tasks. Then again, the girl had amazed her plenty of times, from balancing a bowl on Nodoka's katana to turning the making of a salad into a midair precision based acrobatic act. Nodoka then looked up from the china dishes and her mouth fell open in shock, seeing how dusty Ranko's clothes had become and the fact that she wasn't wearing her kimono or had her hair up in a bun. "Ranko ... what happened to your kimono?" she asked, wondering why the girl was acting so strangely. Onna just looked at her mother in utter confusion.
"Uh ... It's in the closet?" She asked instead of stated as she tried to come up with something quickly. Nodoka thought about it for a bit, figuring that it would make sense for Ranko to take off her kimono before going up into that filthy attic. Pleased with the girl's resourcefulness, she totally forgot about that she had sent Ranko to the attic first, instead of the closet.
"Oh how considerate of you Ranko, you didn't want to ruin it going up into that disgraceful attic. Shame on me for falling behind on my duties and not having cleaned it recently. I shall have to rectify the situation sometime soon, but I am afraid to say that due to my negligence that you are a mess now. So, why don't you run along and take a nice soak in the furo," Nodoka said, while being very pleased with her outstanding daughter. Onna nodded and walked off to the bathroom.
Ranma meanwhile came back from the closet. She was a bit dusty from crawling around in there looking for cushions. But she was happy to do it because her mother had asked her to. "Here ya go, Mom," she said, setting the pile of fancy cushions down at the table.
"My you do everything so quickly Ranko," she said, looking over at her daughter, forgetting just how many things she had asked the young girl to do.
"Now come over here and help me pick out which china to use for the party," Nodoka said, wanting to learn just what kind of taste her adopted daughter had. Ranma shrugged and dusted herself off, before walking over to where Nodoka was looking at two sets of china. The pigtailed girl sweat dropped upon seeing the set with the pandas on them, and found the flowery ones a bit too girly for her taste.
"So?" Nodoka asked in anticipation, "which set do you like Ranko?"
Ranma didn't particularly like either set. In fact she was beginning to wonder if her mother had bad taste. Her marrying Genma did not work too well in her favor. She bit her upper lip as she came up with her choice. She figured that the flowery one would be more to her mother liking and would be more appropriate for a dinner party. In fact, she had this sneaky suspicion that her mother got the panda set, because she thought that Ranko was some sort of pandaphile, because whenever Nodoka visited the Tendo's she would see Ranma with "Mr. Panda." "Ah I guess the one's with the girly flowers on em, Mom," she finally said.
Nodoka eyed the young girl suspiciously, now more than ever she started noticing the differences in her daughter's personalty that she seemed to display. She didn't know if she should go with her basic instincts or if her mind was just playing tricks on her. It almost seemed as if Ranko was two completely different people. One was the wild untamed tomboy that she had grown to know, who spoke like a country bumpkin at times. This Ranko that she remembered was as cute as cute can be The other was more mature but equally a high spirited girl, who wasn't afraid to show off her femininity and in doing so traded off some of her cuteness for beauty. Who spoke a bit more elegantly, although neither were on the same level as their mother in that department. Nodoka realized something. She loved both sides of Ranko, and while she was pleased that Ranko seemed to becoming more mature, she also didn't want to lose that cute tomboy that she had grown to love. If only she could have two of them, she thought.
But still the girl's frequent change in personality seemed to be a problem. Maybe she had put too much pressure on her new daughter. She certainly hoped that the poor thing wasn't forming a multiple personality disorder, in front her very eyes. In any case, it was too early to tell. She decided that she would have to relax, so that her daughter didn't know something was up. She would act like nothing was bothering her, so that Ranko wouldn't get stressed out. But she promised herself, that she would keep a closer eye on the girl to try to figure out what was going on.
I do not own Ranma ½ or any of it's characters the great and powerful Rumiko Takahashi does and Kitty, Shogukan, Viz Video and any others I forgot.