Ranma 1/2: Video Reminder

By Xasonnex

Chapter 7: "The Final Revelation! A Video Memento"

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Please support the official release.

The next morning at the Tendo household everyone gathered for breakfast. Soun took his normal place, Kasumi served, and Nabiki read the paper. Akane sat at her normal spot, but that was where routine ended. Ranma was still in girl form, Nodoka Saotome sat next to her, and Mr. Panda was off to the side munching on some bamboo (For show, he intended to get real food once his wife left).

Nodoka looked like hell. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she moved lethargically.

Ranma and Akane kept exchanging glances. They had picked up on Nodoka's condition and were concerned. The night before, she had been in such a good mood and radiated giddy energy. They wondered why the change.

It was Kasumi who broke the ice. "Auntie? Please forgive me for saying so, but you don't look well."

Nodoka gave the girl a small smile. "Restless night, dear. I just couldn't stay asleep to save my life."

Nabiki nonchalantly replied. "I bet it was that video. You really did watch it too many times."

Nodoka winced. "I did not." She looked down at her food. "In fact, I would say that I didn't see enough of it."

Ranma asked, "What do you mean?" with a perplexed look.

Nodoka turned to the girl. At first her eyes were cold, then they warmed. "Oh, don't you worry about that, Ranko dear."

Her question answered, Kasumi prodded, "So what are your plans for today, Auntie?"

Nodoka looked at Kasumi. "Well, I was thinking of leaving for home fairly soon. I have already imposed enough on you as it is…"

"Nonsense," Soun interrupted. "The wife of my best friend is welcome here as long as she wants."

Mr. Panda held up a sign, "If she says she needs to go, she needs to go!"

Nodoka nodded at Soun. "Thank you. But I really should be going."

Ranma looked down. Her mother had been so happy yesterday and now she was leaving, and in a sour mood to boot. She felt Akane's hand rest supportively on her thigh, unseen by all.

Nodoka didn't see Akane's hand, but she saw Ranma's look of disappointment. "I do need to do a little shopping before I board the train…"

"I'd be happy to help," began Kasumi.

Nodoka waved her off. "And I'd also like to spend a little more time with Akane and Ranko." Nodoka saw Ranma brighten as she continued. "I was hoping to ask them a question or two about Ranma."

Akane smiled. "We'd be happy to keep you company, wouldn't we Ranko?"

Ranma nodded. "We sure would!" She was looking forward to a little more time with Nodoka. Maybe they could cheer her up.

Nodoka did her best to mask her true feelings. "I'm glad to hear that," she replied with a smile that had an air of effort behind it if anyone had paid enough attention to look for it.

Ranma and Akane accompanied Nodoka through the streets of Nerima Ward's market district. Ranma was carrying several bags while Akane carried a couple of smaller ones. Nodoka only carried the family blade.

Ranma fell behind and whispered to Akane. "Hey, d'you get the feelin' that she's just wasting time?"

Akane looked at Ranma and answered discreetly, "Yes. It's like she doesn't have any idea what she wants to buy. Everything seems to be an impulse purchase."

"Weird," Ranma replied, watching as Nodoka picked up a backscratcher to examine. "So far she hasn't even asked us anything."

It was almost an hour later that the trio were about to pass a park. Nodoka looked over, and thought, "This will do." She stopped.

Ranma (carrying even more bags) stopped. "What's up Auntie?"

Nodoka lightly stroked the bundled katana before turning to face the girls. "I'd like to speak with you both about something." She indicated to a picnic area. "Do you mind?"

Akane and Ranma looked at each other, shrugging. They made their way over to a table. Ranma and Akane sat down, setting the bags on the table. Nodoka remained standing.

Nodoka could hardly look at them, absentmindedly gripping the family blade. Finally, she took a breath and spoke. "First, I would like to thank you both for the effort you put into that video. It was…enlightening."

Akane smiled. "You're welcome! But…"

"I wasn't there," Ranma finished. "That was all your 'manly' son!" Ranma started off smiling, but then realized that Nodoka wasn't. Ranma's lips grew tight.

Nodoka looked Ranma dead in the eyes. "It isn't manly to lie."

Dread filled the thoughts of Ranma. "Auntie, why should I be manly…?"

Akane looked at Nodoka. "Weren't you telling Ranko yesterday to be more ladylike?"

Nodoka gave Akane a side eye. "Why should I want my son to be ladylike?" Nodoka began to unwrap the family blade.

"I'm dead!" Ranma thought. She tried to rise up to escape but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

Akane placed her hand on her fiancé, trying to figure out how she put it together. She whispered to Ranma. "No running. She knows. We need to make a stand."

Nodoka reached into the bundle, the grip and sheath of the sword already visible.

Ranma gulped. Then, he looked puzzled by what he saw next.

From the wrapping around the sword, Nodoka pulled out a small thermos. Her eyes locked with Ranma's. She ordered, "Show me."

Ranma sat, shocked. He'd half expected a dagger.

When Ranma didn't stir, Akane stood and reached. "How did you…"

Without breaking eye contact with Ranma, she replied. "First, show me. It should still be warm, if not hot." She passed the thermos to Akane.

Akane took the thermos. She unscrewed the top and moved to pour it over Ranma, only for the shorter girl to grab her hand.

Ranma took it from Akane and stood. "Thanks. I got it from here."

Akane nodded.

Nodoka watched expectantly.

Ranma stood. "Here goes." She turned the thermos upside down. Where once stood a short, buxom girl now stood a tall, lean boy with a hint of steam wisping from his head.

There was silence. Nodoka was silent as she saw for the first time, clearly, the son she'd been seeking. Akane was silent as she stood by her fiancé, looking between the two of them. Ranma was silent as he waited, not knowing if he should be afraid for his life or jubilant at his final secret being destroyed.

Ranma broke the silence, bringing up his hand to wave a greeting. "Hi, Mom. Sorry about this."

That broke her. "Hello, son. I…" Nodoka broke off as she rushed forward, crushing her son in a hug. Her face buried in his chest, "My son!"

"Urk!" Ranma exclaimed as Nodoka knocked the wind out of him. After a couple of seconds, he wrapped his arms around his mother. Then when it was apparent that this was not a dream, he returned the hug with almost crushing force. "Mom!"

Akane clasped her hands in front of herself, beaming. "Oh, I'm so happy for…urk!" Akane could not finish as Nodoka had reached one arm out of her embrace with Ranma to pull her in as well.

The hug went on for several minutes before Nodoka started to release her grasp and began pushing away. The other two began to disengage as well. As Nodoka looked up into the face of her son her eyes were clearly wet, the remains of tears shed that Ranma suspected were now damp spots on his shirt.

"Mom," he began.

"How?" Akane asked.

Nodoka wiped her eyes with her sleeve. She sniffed, wishing she had some tissue paper. "Very well. I will start." She looked at Ranma. "You were wrong. Ranko did help make the video. You just never intended for me to see her."

"Huh?" came Ranma's dumbfounded reply.

Nodoka wiped her eyes again. "Apparently, it took you several tries to make that video. You always rewound to the beginning to start anew, but that didn't change the performances that went longer than newer attempts."

Akane realized. "Every time we went long…even when Happosai stole your…"

Shock and rage flashed on Ranma's face. "That old freak! I'm gonna…"

Akane covered Ranma's mouth with a hand while turning to Nodoka. "But when did you…"

"I wasn't lying this morning. I couldn't sleep. I went back down and watched it more," Nodoka replied. "One time, I let it keep going. It was very insightful, though it still leaves me with questions."

Ranma held his face in his hands. "How much did you see? What did we show you? What did we say?!"

Nodoka cocked her head to the side. "Do you not remember?"

Akane answered for him. "It was weeks ago, and we made over a dozen attempts! It all kind of blurs together."

Nodoka stood up straighter and readjusted the bundle in her arms. She cleared her throat. "Then it's my turn to ask the questions." She looked at the two teens. "Respond as if I know nothing…but assume I will know if you are lying."

Under Nodoka's gaze, Ranma and Akane felt inclined to sit back down.

"How did this happen?" Nodoka asked.

Ranma looked at Akane, who held his hand and nodded. "When Pop and I went to China, we found a training ground. It held dozens of cursed pools. Each one had a tragic story of something that drowned there. Anything that falls into a spring takes the form of that something when hit with cold water. Pop knocked me into the "spring of drowned girl.""

"I see. And is there any way to counter this curse?"

"Well, there should be. There's a "spring of drowned man", but I don't want to go into why that wasn't an option right after."

Nodoka tapped a finger on her chin. "So, your father did this to you. That explains why he did not return home with you. But why hide when I came to call?"

"That would be your husband too," Akane answered. "Ranma wanted to meet you, but Mr. Saotome was insistent that you would react poorly to the curse. "

"That's when he told us about the seppuku contract," Ranma explained.

Nodoka's eyes narrowed. "It is hard to be a "man among men" when you are also a woman."

Akane took up for Ranma. "Genma wanted them to run, but Ranma refused. He wanted to see you!"

Nodoka looked at her son. "Even though your father convinced you I would want you dead, you still risked it each time? Just to see me again?"

"Again?" Ranma looked down in shame. "Mom, we left when I was so little, I didn't even know you existed. I just…wanted to meet you. I needed you to be real."

Nodoka's heart broke, but she kept up a stoic appearance. "So you began to hide in plain sight." She looked at the family blade. "You misled me. You lied. You decided to hide."

Akane spoke up. "Auntie, you are happy to see him, right? You're not thinking…"

Nodoka steeled herself. "I do consider the contract in effect. I admit, when I first learned of the curse, I thought of marching right upstairs…"

Ranma paled.

"Fortunately, I had time to think. Besides, the contract is for both of you. I do not know where my husband is."

Akane blinked. "You mean, you haven't figured it out?"

At this Nodoka turned to her. "Figured what out?"

Color returned to Ranma's face. "Pop has a curse too."

This took Nodoka by surprise. "Oh, dear. Then he…" The wheels in her head were turning.

Ranma nodded.

"…He turns into a woman as well?" The wheels in her head were turning…down the wrong road.

Akane and Ranma sat in stunned silence as they tried to process Nodoka's hypothesis.

"…Is he pretty?"

Back at the Tendo household, an overweight and bald martial artist had a sudden sneezing attack.

"What is wrong with you two?" Nodoka asked the teenagers who'd found themselves collapsed on the ground.

"Pop…cute…no way…" Ranma tried to get out.

"I can't unsee it in my head," added Akane.

"Really," Nodoka addressed them indignantly. "If I'm wrong, just say so. And get up! That behavior's neither manly nor appropriate for an upstanding woman."

Ranma shot back up to his seat.

Akane was slower. "Sorry Auntie."

"I take it from your responses that Genma has a different curse, then."

Ranma buried his head in his hands. "Mom…y'know what? That's his secret, not mine. If you think about it hard enough, you'll figure it out."

Nodoka narrowed her eyes. "Fair enough. If you want to keep more secrets, just know that I don't think it's very manly of…"

"Auntie!"

Nodoka looked to Akane. "Are you questioning my right to appraise my son?"

Akane stood up, then moved between Nodoka and Ranma, crossing her arms. "I'm questioning the need."

Nodoka took a step forward. "Akane, you know the contract. If Ranma isn't a "man among men" …"

Akane closed the gap. With fierce determination she stood toe-to-toe with Nodoka. "He is."

Ranma stood. Placing a hand on Akane's shoulder, he tried to get her to step back. "Akane…"

Akane didn't budge. "Ranma is a man," she reiterated.

Nodoka sized her up. "Akane, this is between me and my son."

Akane narrowed her eyes. "Ranma is my fiancé. And I say he is man enough."

Nodoka raised her eyebrows in interest. "Is he, now?"

"I am?" Ranma asked. He gave a soft grunt as Akane half-heartedly elbowed him in the gut.

Nodoka continued to look Akane in the eye. "What has my son done to earn such steadfast support?"

"I…he…"

Ranma's mind buzzed. Was she going to mention the time he took the brunt of "The Goodbye Whirl"? When he fought Kirin to save her? Toma?

Akane looked down, breaking eye contact. She gathered herself then returned the gaze. "He's Ranma."

Nodoka looked surprised. "That's enough?"

Akane looked to Ranma. "If you get to know him…" She smiled. "That's everything."

Nodoka smiled and placed her hand on Akane's shoulder. "Then, I suppose that's all I need to know." She looked past Akane to her son. "There is no way that anything less than a true man could have such iron dedication from a woman."

Ranma stepped up and placed an arm around Akane's hip. While he spoke to Nodoka, his eyes bore into Akane's. "I love her."

Akane gasped softly. He may have admitted it to Ryoga to anger him, and her sisters knew from her, but this was the first time Ranma had admitted it to anyone else in her presence. Even though she already knew, it was like hearing it again for the first time. It was more real. "And I love him."

Nodoka smiled and shook her head. "That part, you didn't need to say. It's obvious. But…" She gave them both a soft hug. "But it's nice to hear."

The trio were at the train station. Nodoka took custody of the majority of the bags. "I think this is all I can carry home from the station. I'll just have to come back next weekend for the rest." She smiled at them.

Ranma had his arm around Akane, who was leaning into him. "Or sooner, Mom."

Akane asked, "Why not just come back home with us?"

Nodoka shook her head. "I may not have a steady job, but I do have responsibilities. I need to get home. But I hope that after next week, I won't go home alone."

Ranma looked worried. "Uh, Mom, I want to get to know you better, but I don't wanna leave Akane…"

Akane looked up at him. "We'll still be engaged," she said, not ready to admit how much she'd miss him.

Nodoka could see the affection between them. If it wasn't so apparent already, she'd probably bring Ranma home to see if absence really did make the heart grow fonder.

"And I guess I'd still be going to Furinkan…" he agreed hesitantly.

"We'll talk about that next weekend," Nodoka said. "Perhaps my son can stay with your family, Akane, until the next school year. Or until you marry…"

Ranma coughed.

Akane blushed.

Nodoka shook her head. "Oh dear, where did all of that bravado go?" She giggled at the discomfort of the teens. "In any case, I suppose I should at least bring my husband home, if I can find him."

Ranma had a sly grin on his lips. "Oh, I'm sure between me and Akane, we can guarantee an appearance from Pops."

Akane nodded in agreement. "You two have so much to catch up on…"

"It'd be a shame if he missed out." Ranma started popping knuckles on his free hand.

"And you're sure you won't tell me what he turns into?" Nodoka asked once more.

"Mom, trust me. As mad as you are now, you'll be madder at yourself if we tell you instead of you figuring it out."

Akane nodded in agreement.

"Then, until next time." Nodoka bowed.

Ranma and Akane returned the bows.

Ranma and Akane got home and made a beeline for the TV.

Kasumi noticed their hurry. "What is it, you two?"

Akane ignored her. "It's not in the VCR!"

Ranma took off upstairs. "Hey Nabiki…"

Kasumi asked again. "What is it Akane?"

Akane looked at her sister. "Long story…but there was more on that tape than we thought. We just want to know what…"

Ranmar returned. "Nabiki said she didn't touch it."

Akane looked to him. "Where could it be?"

"Here you go, neighbor," a kindly, middle-aged man said. He was passing a box-shaped apparatus to Nodoka. "Sorry it doesn't have a remote. The grandkids smashed it years ago."

"That's quite all right," Nodoka responded. "I appreciate the loan. I'll return it when I get one of my own…

The man waved her off. "Don't worry about it. This thing's been collecting dust since my son's family moved to Kyoto. As far as I'm concerned, it's yours." He stepped out of her doorway onto the street. "Goodnight!"

"Goodnight!" Nodoka responded. She looked down at the gray box with cords, a VCR. "I hope I can hook it up right," she mused.

That night, Ranma and Akane laid on the roof. Even though they had admitted feelings for each other, they still didn't risk this often.

"Do you think your mother took it?"

Ranma shrugged. "Maybe. We'll ask her next weekend."

Akane snuggled on her fiancé's chest. "Do you think she'll let you stay?"

"I hope so." He shifted so that their lips were a breath away. "Just in case, maybe we should make up for any time we might lose."

"Jerk." Akane may have responded with an insult, but it was followed up with the first of several passionate kisses that night.

The TV was on, and the VCR was playing. Nodoka came back and sat down with a nice, warm beverage. On the screen was an empty dojo and silence. Nodoka sipped her drink, looking at the digital clock on the box. She smiled as she counted down the return of the two stars of the production.

On screen, the silence gave way to sound as you can hear fabric sliding on wood, with footsteps. Akane comes into frame, dragging a groggy, topless Ranma-chan. Once properly framed, Akane dumped the contents of a thermos on the other girl.

"Ah! Hot!" Ranma cried, his deep voice resonating.

"Honestly, Ranma. Do you want to get this finished, or are you going to run off every time someone interrupts?"

"Dang it, tomboy, I just wanted my shirt back!" Ranma looked at the camera. "The red light is on! You didn't stop recording!"

Akane made her way behind the camera. "Big deal, we'll just rewind…"

There was a burst of static and a tracking readjustment. There was a "low battery" message on the bottom of the screen.

Ranma was in a different outfit, pacing back and forth. He was running his hands through his hair, and it looked like he was contemplating pulling it out. "I'm no good at feelings, or stuff like that! None of this is coming out right."

Akane responded from off-camera. "It's not just you, it's me too. But that's why its nice that we can stop the camera and try again. You don't have to get it right the first time."

Ranma slumped down to a sitting position. "No, but I'd hoped to get it by the fifth, at least."

Akane walked into the shot. She squatted down next to Ranma. "Ranma, I know you want to clear the air with her, but I promise it's OK if you just give a short intro and leave the curse stuff for another day."

"But the longer I put it off, the less manly she'll see it…"

"She'll be happy to see you. Trust me."

Ranma turned to her. "But will it be enough for her to think I'm manly?"

Akane paused to consider her answer.

"Gee, don't rush to console me."

Akane didn't take the bait. Instead, she kneeled in front of Ranma, almost blocking him from the camera. She reached out and held his shirt. "Ranma, I think you're manly."

"But that doesn't mean Mom will…"

"Ranma. When I met you, you were a girl. You've had this curse the entire time I've known you."

"Yeah, but…" Ranma was interrupted as Akane leaned in and kissed him. The view from the camera didn't show much of the kiss, but it offered a great view of Ranma snaking his arms around his fiancée and pulling her in tight.

Nodoka smiled as she held her drink close. This was her favorite part of the video, and not just because it was a physical manifestation of mutual attraction. She turned the volume up.

Akane broke off the kiss. "I fell in love with you anyway." Then she gave him a very light smack on the head, obviously in a playful fashion. "Not that your big mouth made it easy."

Ranma had a look of total contentment on his face. The camera, the dojo, nothing else mattered at that moment. He was lost in the girl. "Does this mean you're not still mad about pig-boy?"

She smacked him again, only a little harder. "I can still be mad at you and love you at the same time."

"I'm pretty sure if you couldn't you'd never have fallen for me. I admit, I keep you pretty mad." This time, it was Ranma who leaned in for a kiss.

Akane returned the kiss but not for as long as the last one. "And now that this is a thing, you need to try and stop making me as mad as often."

"Two-way street, tomboy." He sighed. "But if Mom doesn't think I'm manly…"

Akane stood up. "Then I'll convince her." She offered her hand to help him up.

He accepted. "How?"

"I don't know. We'll cross that bridge if we come to it."

The "low battery" message started blinking rapidly.

Ranma embraced his fiancee in a tight hug. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. You know, maybe if I told her how good a kisser you are…"

"Y'know with her, that just…"

The video went to static for the last time and stayed there.

Nodoka smiled as she turned the TV off. She got up, went to the VCR, pressed "stop", then "rewind".

"Ranma," she spoke softly to herself. "Thank you. Even if you aren't here, I have this video as a memento." She finished her drink. "I hope you'll consider coming home every now and then." She looked up, thinking. "I suppose I should start keeping some bamboo on hand for your pet. I wonder how you got him…China is usually so controlling of their pandas…"

It took a while. The wheels in Nodoka's head kept turning as she washed her cup, brushed her teeth, put on her nightgown, and rolled out her futon. They kept turning as she turned off the lights and laid down. Just as she was drifting off to sleep, her eyes snapped open.

"My husband turns into a panda."

THE END

Authors notes: It is done. It's taken 22 years, but my first published fanfic, which started in my mind as a one-shot, is done. It's an interesting feeling.

This story never left my mind. Neither has "Overtime," but that is its own story. My excuse? Life. When I wrote the first two chapters, I was a teenager still high on his first real relationship. Chapters 3 and 4 were written as a young adult in a young marriage. The 17-year gap between 4 and 5? That contained joining the military, deploying overseas, divorce, leaving 15-year place of employment, new marriage, and a kid. During that time, it was hard to find time to write, and even then, it felt weird to still be writing a love story about teenagers. But then two things happened. First, I realized that Rumiko Takahashi was still writing teen fiction, and she's a generation older than me (maybe a generation and a half). If she still can, I still can. Second, I'm at the end of a training where I have a lot of free time and am separated from my family by hundreds of miles. I needed to fill the time, and this has been a wonderful distraction. As the training is ending and I am returning home, I don't know when I'll ever have time to write more. Maybe retirement. But I had a great time finally putting these scenes "pen to paper". I hope it's been nice for you to read.