Ranma sat down on the dojo floor next to his father after the two had one of the most grueling martial arts training sessions in a long time. Pops had been extremely harsh and exacting in this training session and it wasn't just because of how dangerous the techniques of the Yamasenken could be. It was faint, but Ranma could sense a hint of worry in his father's actions. Almost as if the old man wasn't sure if he'd have enough time to teach Ranma everything correctly.

Genma looked over his son content at the boy's training for the day. He didn't know how much lead time they had, but it would be stupid to waste a kami's warning. His son's training was going better than Genma had hoped, but he wasn't about to tell him that. The brat could already fire off his ego as an attack. No need to let Ranma's pride get any bigger and get him into trouble.

With a change of thought Genma asked, "What was the link you thought you had on the kami's warning? Did your research turn up anything?"

Ranma's face scrunched up subtly which Genma knew meant his son had something on his mind that he didn't want to share with him. Amazing how the boy forgot that Genma knew his son for the boy's entire life and had been there with the boy day in and day out unlike those corporate drone fathers so prominent in Japanese society. Genma just liked to play dumb with Ranma to help see if the boy was willing to come to him for help or if he wanted to do things the stupid way himself. If it was the latter Genma could easily follow Ranma and make sure his son didn't get too over his head.

Finally, Ranma did the mature action and spoke. "I've been having these dreams about a partially built warship in a shipyard. Last night I dreamt of the shipyard but this time I was able to interact with the shipyard workers and told them to get to work on the ship. Three things stood out for me from the dream: 'battlecruiser', 'CC-2', and 'Newport News Shipbuilding'. No clue why those things jumped out at me, but they do. I also did some research and I got a feeling in my gut that the ship I was dreaming about was being built in the early 1920s at Newport News Shipbuilding."

"The odd thing is I've had dreams of this same half-built ship being scrapped. Last night was the first time I dreamt of the ship being worked on further than I ever had. It just doesn't make sense to me. I also ended up going by a bookstore and found a bunch of pre-WWII American naval training books. My gut told me I needed to pick them up even though their info is completely out of date. I picked them up because you taught me to trust my instincts. I know I need them and that they are tied to the ship in my dreams. I must sound crazy or stupid."

Genma shook his head and said, "You don't sound crazy or stupid to me son. Maybe to someone not used to dealing with mystical events, but not me. It sounds to me like you've got pieces of a puzzle without knowing what the puzzle is or if you have enough pieces to complete it. Keep notes on these dreams and other gut feelings. However, don't obsess over them. That's when a person moves to crazy town. Instead, you should look for information where you can and focus on what you can do to prepare. We don't know what the kami are warning you about, so we have to keep level heads."

A slight smile briefly appeared on Ranma's face before the schooled himself. He then got up and said, "I'll head to get a shower Pops. Still need to get that term paper handled before its due at the end of the week." Ranma then stood up and headed back to main part of the Tendo Compound.

Once Genma was alone in the dojo he let his serious sensei face drop revealing the utter exhaustion, fear, and resignation he had been feeling show on his face. Genma was sure that his son was right about the dream of the ship being related to the kami's warning. It also offered some insight into the kami's message about not being a cherry tree.

Like any navy brat, Genma was well versed in military history. Especially history that had a connection to his family. The Washington Naval Treaty back in the 1920s had suspended and then reduced naval ship building while adding frankly ridiculous limitations to the development of warships. Many partially built warships had been scrapped and those that had been completed were mockingly called 'cherry tree battleships' after the folk tale of George Washington cutting down his father's prized cherry tree. The treaty had been divisive in Japan at the time. Togo Heihachiro in the twilight of his life had been an opponent of the treaty. Meanwhile, Genma's grandfather had been favor of the treaty arguing it held back American manufacturing might from completely outpacing Japan.

Personally, Genma could see both sides of the argument even if he thought the treaty itself was stupid. It stung at Japanese pride to only be allow 3 warships for every 5 the British and Americans had even if the other great powers of Europe were supposed to have less than the Japanese. At the same time, the Japanese would have the greatest concertation of force in the Pacific as the Americans and especially the British had naval commitments across several oceans. It also had the advantage of keeping the then juggernaut of American industry away from warship production.

It did lead to the question of why Ranma was dreaming of a never completed American warship and what his dream of the yard workers getting back to work actually meant. Genma pulled out his phone and turned on the web browser to pull up Wikipedia for some quick research of his own. He skimmed through the article on battlecruisers until he came to the post World War I section. Once he got to the point about the Washington Naval Treaty he looked back and found the hyperlink for the Lexington Class battlecruisers the Americans were planning. The new article was similarly skimmed until Genma got to the section about the ships in the class. It was there he found the final phrase that had been bothering Ranma: CC-2

Genma nodded his head in satisfaction. His old childhood instincts were correct, the CC-2 was a hull number. Specifically, it was the hull number of the laid down but never completed USS Constellation that was being built at Newport News Shipbuilding. The ship had also been cancelled and scrapped due to the Washington Naval Treaty. This had to be what the kami were referring to and Ranma's dream had to mean that at least on a subconscious level Ranma was acting on the warning.

That still left the question of what does all of this mean in the real world? Was his son supposed to somehow summon a never completed ship in fully built form to help battle whatever threat was on the horizon? Personally, Genma doubted it. Saotomes tended to get into odd and mystical situations. However, something like that would be ridiculous even for his son's string of shenanigans.

The thought still nagged Genma at the back of his mind. There was also the foretelling of his own demise that worried him. Genma knew that there was only so much one man could do to modify one's fate. He still remembered reading about the merchant meeting Death in Damascus from middle school. Perhaps it was time he doublecheck and updated things to take care of Ranma and Nodoka if his time was drawing near.

For an unprecedented third night in a row Ranma found himself on the deck of the unfinished USS Constellation as it rested in the dream berth of Newport News Shipbuilding. Ranma was shocked and immensely pleased to see and feel actual advancement on the ship's construction. He instinctively knew every beam and bolt used to build the warship. In every dream Ranma had known how far along his ship was and this was the first time construction had progressed from historical levels.

Several of the yard workers noticed Ranma's arrival and quickly stood to attention. Ranma acknowledged their greeting and said, "As you were." He then started walking throughout the hull visual inspecting the new work he knew was done. There was an almost indescribable joy that filled Ranma's heart as he took in everything. It was like a long cherished and dearly held promise was finally being fulfilled.

One of the foremen approached Ranma and asked, "Is everything on the inspection meeting your approval sir?"

Ranma nodded his head and replied, "I am pleased with the progress on the battlecruiser. Any issues on your end with the construction?"

The foreman grimaced as he spoke. "Most issues are as expected. Davy Jones might be letting us work on him, but we're limited to what we knew when we worked in the living world. This boy never launched thanks to those foolish baboons on the hill so we never got a chance to learn about issues with his design. We also cannot recall any innovations in either design, technology, or construction of ships as of July 16, 1945."

Ranma looked at the foreman with worry. "Is everything alright with you and the other workers?"

A brief chuckle came from the foreman who replied, "It's just aggravating to know that some of my knowledge is missing sir. I worked on the shipyards until 1952 and I died only a few years later but I always kept up with the latest shipbuilding techniques. I know I know more than I currently know but I also know there is nothing I can do to fix it."

Ranma nodded his head in understanding. He had been in several unusual situations before and could sympathize with the foreman. Hopefully, he never ended up in a situation like the foreman. Ranma then asked, "You mentioned about never having a chance to learn about the issues with the battlecruiser's design. How likely are there to be issues?"

"Oh, there will be issues without a doubt sir. Even ships new ships of well-known class have issues when they are built which is one of the reasons for a ship's sea trials before commissioning. For a ship like this fellow who was never actually launched in his current class I would be shocked if there wasn't a least a dozen issues we'd have to work out. The real question is if those issues are going to affect combat effectiveness or are just going to annoy the crew."

Ranma leaned in "How do we find out these issues and fix them?"

The foreman fought back the urge to sigh. "We'd need sea trials to spot the issues. Oh, my boys and I are keeping an eye out for any obvious issues. One's already been fixed involving a valve on the boilers that required you to reach around a scalding hot pipe in order to close the valve. I could name half a dozen other issues we've fixed. The real question is what is going to crop up when he sets sail and this dockyard doesn't let us do sea trials. Davy Jones isn't letting him leave the slip until you figure out a way to bring him to the living world."

Silence fell on the duo as Ranma thought about what he had been told. Somehow, he knew in his bones that he would be unable to know about Davy Jones when he awoke from this dream. The kami had to be behind this somehow although Ranma didn't have a clue which kami or set of kami it could be. It was like the kami were clouding part of his mind in the waking world and only taking the blinders off here in this dream that was not a dream world. He knew that the only way to permanently remove those blinders was if he brought his ship self into the living world somehow. How he knew that was unknown, but it was as certain to him as the fact that the ship was him.

A sense for foreboding filled Ranma as he said, "We'll have to relay on combat data in order to find any issues in the ship. The question then becomes, how do we fix him from battle damage or correct any issues we find along the way?"

"You bring him back to port for repairs like any warship sir. I don't know how it can be done. But the boys and I know that it won't be the last time we see him when this warship leaves port. Figure out how to do a return after you figure out how to get him to leave and we'll fix any issues."

Ranma nodded and left to continue to tour of his ship self. There was so much that needed to be done and far more that he needed to learn. Yet, he only had an unknown but likely short time to do everything. It was frustrating to the extreme for Ranma and made only more aggravating by the damn fog place on his waking thoughts.

The next morning found Ranma looking at one of his new books in frustration and fascination. On the one hand, he couldn't explain why he found the now obsolete knowledge so necessary and it pissed him off. On the other hand, it was fascinating to learn what his ancestors had to learn in order to defend Japan even if he was learning it from the perspective of their worst enemy. There was also the fact that it simply felt right to him learning this information.

Kasumi noticed the book Ranma was reading as she was bringing over breakfast and said, "That's an interesting choice of reading material Ranma. Where did you get it?"

Ranma put the book into his bookbag and accepted the breakfast plate Kasumi handed him. He replied, "Got it on sale at a used bookstore the other day that I happened to stumble across when I went on a walk to clear my head. It felt right to pick up the book and the thing was dirt cheap."

Kasumi then tilted her head slightly and asked, "Are you feeling alright Ranma?"

That question through the teen off. He thought for a moment and said, "Maybe not 100% percent, but mostly fine. We can't always wake up feeling like a million yen. Ah why do you ask Kasumi?"

There was a brief pause as Kasumi double-checked who was at the table and more importantly who wasn't at the table. Both Akane and Nabiki were absent which prompted the eldest Tendo sister to continued. "I'm not nearly as good at martial arts as our fathers or you Ranma. My interests also lie more healing aspects of chi usage rather than in combat like all of you. Dr. Tofu was helping me with my own studies for his silliness got to be too much."

"One thing that I have been able to get down is how to sense a person's chi if they are nearby. Your chi presence is typically the easiest for me to spot and at the furthest distance. But right now, your chi is very low like its being diverted somewhere. To me you barely feel any stronger than Akane right now which means most of your chi is not being generated. I've usually only seen things like this when someone is very sick or injured and their body is trying to recover."

That statement caused Ranma to pause really examine is own chi. He was shocked to find that over 80 percent of his chi was disappearing from within him. No, it wasn't disappearing. It was as if he was subconsciously channeling it somewhere. That somewhere became clear to Ranma almost as soon as he thought about it: the shipyard in his dreams. He was shifting all the chi he normally didn't use around this time to help that ship he was connected to. Could that be how the battlecruiser was being built farther than Ranma ever recalled it being constructed?

It wasn't like Ranma could enter the shipyard of his dreams while awake. There was something stopping him like a firm barrier. However, Ranma could sense that his power alone wasn't powering the dream dockyard. Some other power outside of him was also providing energy to make the dream warship. What that power could be Ranma didn't know. The only thing he could think of might be Jusenkyo but that didn't make much sense to him. In any event it didn't matter right now.

Ranma stopped the urge to shake his head and said, "Thanks for the heads up Kasumi. My chi is low due to something connected to the kami's warning. Not entirely sure how at the moment, but I'll keep an eye on it. I should be fine provided an especially challenging martial arts rival doesn't show up. Ryoga visited last week so I should be good for a few more days at the very least."

A brief chuckle emerged from Kasumi as she fought the urge to grin. She was well aware that Ryoga and Ranma tended to get into rather heated spars whenever the poor lost boy showed up in Nerima. With her worries put to rest, Kasumi returned to laying out breakfast. She was able to finish just in time for the fathers to show up from a morning sparing session.

There was a sense of seriousness and danger that radiated off of the two older men which Kasumi was unused to them having. It reminded her of the time she saw some lions relaxing at the zoo. The lions had radiated a sense of power and danger. It had been obvious to her younger self that the lions merely tolerated being looked at and that they didn't act on their annoyance only at their will. Her father and Uncle Saotome usually used to act like and radiated a sense of being still fit but obviously passed there prime. Like former college or minor league sports players that still routinely played pick up games on the weekend.

Kasumi kept a serene smile on her face as she waited for her father to sit down and passed him the morning newspaper he loved to read. The quiet thanks he always gave brightened her mood. Kasumi's mood lowered slightly when she saw her younger sisters walk into the room and both were obviously to her nervous around the fathers. Personally, the oldest tendo sister thought the duo were making too big a deal about the fathers having a dangerous past. It had been surprising that a literal armory was buried in the cellar. But it was obviously something both father and Uncle Saotome would have preferred to leave buried in the past if it wasn't for the kami's warning.

Breakfast was a simple but very delicious meal. Kasumi knew she was a very good cook even if she didn't like to have her cooking skills brought up. There was a difference between an honest appraisal of one's ability and overriding pride in one's abilities. Kasumi didn't want to grow prideful in her abilities.

Towards the end of breakfast, Genma spoke up. "Kasumi. I will be having to stay late after work and take care of a few things afterwards that will make it impossible for me to join everyone for dinner. I'll find a bite to eat between my tasks so don't bother setting a plate for me tonight."

Ranma gave his father a sideways glance before speaking, "Are you alright old man? Never knew you to pass up food."

Genma let out a small growl and said, "There's a massive difference about always being able to enjoy a good meal when it's presented to you and letting good food go to waste! I won't be here for dinner tonight so why should Kasumi put in the time and effort for my dinner only for it to go to waste. Think Ranma, think before you speak."

Kasumi turned to Genma and said, "Thank you for letting me know Uncle Saotome. I greatly appreciate the forewarning. Hopefully, everything will be resolved quickly for you so you don't have to stay out too late." After that, people had to start leaving the table to go to work or school.

It was late in the afternoon as Genma walked down streets he hadn't visited in months. He eventually reached one particular front door and rang the doorbell. A minute later Nodoka open the door and her eyes widened in pure joy. "Genma!" Nodoka cried out as she gave him a flying hug and peppered his cheeks with kisses. Several of the elderly neighbors who were in earshot diverted their eyes at the display of affection. One old lady wasn't sure if she wanted laugh or bemoan the scene that happened every time the Saotomes had their reunion.

Genma enjoyed the feel of Nodoka's lips on his without care for the scene's propriety. He drank in the sweet scent of her favorite perfume as she hugged him close. His beloved wife was one of the pillars that enabled Genma to get up and face the day when he had seen more than enough to render most men a gibbering wreck. That made it all the more painful the circumstances had forced him to spend so little time with her.

Once Nodoka calmed down she ushered Genma into the house eager to talk to him. As soon as the door was closed Nodoka said, "Let me look at you Genma. I haven't seen you in a month and then we had to put on the charade with you staying in your panda cursed form. The fur looked very comfortable, but that panda mouth was not made for kissing or talking for that matter."

Genma shrugged and replied, "I'm sorry dear. If Soun and I didn't play things up the kids might get suspicious. It was already hard enough making sure they didn't realize Ranma's cursed form was a dead ringer for you as a teenager. Did our son's curse form at least make those issues mitigated?"

Nodoka face became filled with anguish and distress. "No, it didn't Genma. The nightmares returned just as strong as the last time we arraigned for me to pass by Ranma on the streets as a stranger. What is wrong with me as a person? How can I hope to call myself a mother if I can't even be in the same room as my child without suffering debilitating nightmares that make it almost impossible to sleep? What did I do to deserve this?"

Genma pulled his wife in to a deep hug allowing her to cry on his shoulder. Fate had not been kind to his loving and wonderful wife. Nodoka had wanted to grow up as part of a large family only to lose her parents in a train accident when still a young girl. An older friend of her mother who was a seer had raised the young Nodoka but the older woman had no other family of her own. When Nodoka and Genma had fallen in love she had dreamed of them growing up as an Admiral and his wife with a fleet worth of kids to dote on. However, that same caretaker had give the prophecy that had led Genma to give up his ambitions of joining the JMSDF.

Even the wish for a large number of children had become a bitter pill for Nodoka. Some unknown medical condition that regular doctors couldn't diagnose made it hard for Nodoka to conceive. Then there were the complications with Ranma's birth which resulted in Nodoka being rendered unable to have more kids at all. She could have contended herself with just the one wonderful son that the kami had allowed her to have but they wouldn't even let her have that. Soon after Ranma's birth Nodoka began to be assaulted by endless crippling nightmares of either friends or imaginary family members that felt real being killed by fire, explosions, or drowning.

Those nightmares had been so crippling that they began to seriously affect Nodoka's health. Nodoka herself had been devastated when they discovered that Ranma's presence was somehow causing her to have those terrors. Genma, Soun, and Soun's wife Saiyuri had to juggle watching Ranma and keeping a suicide watch on for Nodoka when that latest blow from the kami was revealed. In the end, Genma had taken Ranma on the years long training trip to both teach Ranma martial arts and to try and find some mystical cure for Nodoka's situation. The second part of the journey had been a complete bust and any attempt to see if whatever cause Ranma to trigger the nightmares always failed.

Genma silently stood allowing his shoulder to become drenched as Nodoka let out the pain and anguish she had been storing up from there last visit. What else could he do? According to Nodoka's honorary aunt and caretaker both Nodoka and he had inherited a great burden from their last lifetime. Who those lifetimes were she couldn't say, but she did say that Genma's soul was strangely familiar. It was like she had met his past life once and he had been reincarnated unusually quickly.

Finally, Nodoka was able to calm down enough for the two of them to talk. She looked at Genma and ask, "How is Ranma doing in his schoolwork and his martial arts studies?" This led to an hour-long report on Ranma's progress academically and in his martial arts. As was their custom, Nodoka eagerly broke out her English tea set and served them some British style teas. Nodoka was big on preserving the good parts of traditional Japanese culture but when it came to tea, she insisted it had to be done in the British style.

As they finished the second pot of tea Nodoka asked, "Genma? What is bothering you? I can tell that something is bothering you."

Genma sighed and said, "It the kami's warning to Ranma. I don't have any reason to back up my belief. However, I feel that this event is going to bad. Part of me thinks that your aunt's prophecy about my end will be coming due soon."

"No," Nodoka whispered in fear, "No, no, not that! I can't accept it. I refuse to accept it! The kami have taken too much from me. I should have been the oldest of four sisters and they left me orphaned as an only child. I should have been able to proudly call you my admiral as you fulfilled your childhood dreams and they took that from us. We should have been a family and they made a mockery of ours. Now they want to permanently take my love from me? If I get half a chance, I'll burn them down and show them the true price for getting between a burning love like ours!"

Normally one of Nodoka's passionate declarations would have put a smile on Genma's face regardless of how dire the situation was. However, he sensed something that put him on alert. Genma's eyes focused on Nodoka and realized that something was off about her chi. Nodoka's chi was usually cheerful and unusually strong for someone with her lifestyle. That cheerful and strong aura was still there even if it was agitated. But there was the hint of something else within the aura that was starting to set the back's of Genma's hair on edge.

Part of Genma wished Soun was here as his buddy was the better of the two of them at senses the subtleties of other people's auras and chi. Genma tried his best to memorize what he felt so he and Soun could talk about it later. To Genma it was like Nodoka's chi was a lake with a shadow of something rising below the surface. Whatever the presence he felt from his wife was it gave him the impression of power, steel, fire, and stormy seas.

Eventually, Nodoka rage at Genma announcing he expected his end to be near was vented. The presence within Nodoka seemed to submerge almost out of Genma's senses. However, whatever had been awoken within Nodoka refused to go away. It remained like a sleeping lioness ready to awaken. Genma was soon able to talk Nodoka into making one of her favorite meals and he helped her out in the kitchen. He was not going to pass up the time with Nodoka even if Japanese husbands weren't supposed to help out in the kitchen. Ranma had gotten his lack of care about what society thought of him from his old man.

After a romantic dinner Genma helped Nodoka do the dishes. Finally, he held her one last time and said, "I will try to get away to visit you more often if I can. If my fears are correct then I want you to know one thing Nodoka. I love you and each moment with you has been a precious treasure for me. I don't want to lose my time with you or Ranma, but I will gladly pay the price the kami may ask if it means you two are safe."

Sorry for the long time between chapters. I had to get a new computer, work hit a busy patch and there were some family situations that came up.